Sports Redux: Daisuke Puts Tigers In the Tank

The complete game is a dying art in the States. In the age of relief specialists, managers tied to pitch counts, and Papelbon, there aren't a lot of occasions when a manager wants to leave his starter in any longer than necessary. And last night, in fact, Papelbon was warming up when the Sox blew the game open in the 8th, taking a 7-1 lead and giving Terry Francona an excuse to leave Daisuke in for the ninth.

Daisuke, who threw plenty of complete games in Japan, responded. He set down the Tigers without much drama in the ninth, and that was that. Complete game, six hits, no walks, one solo home run given up. Bows all around (pictured here).

The lineup was balanced, as usual; everyone but Drew got a hit, and the big blow came via a Julio Lugo triple. We don't want to get carried away - we grew up here, and learned a lot about baseball hubris - but this team is just so solid. The most telling state offensively is that Detroit starter Nate Robertson (who, admittedly, doesn't look like Rick Vaughan with the beard) only made it five innings before getting to his 115th pitch and sent to the showers. We know how the Red Sox love it when the Foes go to the bullpen.

Tonight, Tim Wakefield puts his league-leading ERA on the line against Justin Verlander (3-1, 2.83). It's supposed to be windy at gametime, so we'll see if the elements can ruffle Wake more than any of the opposing offenses have been able to do.

Interleague play starts this weekend, and one Atlanta Brave not looking forward to it is Chipper Jones. "This split-it-up and we have to play our rival in the American League East stuff, I don't get it. It's unfair for us and the Mets on a year-in, year-out basis to have to play the Yankees and Red Sox when other teams don't." Yeah, Chipper, tell it to the Orioles and Devil Rays.

If you're new to town and wonder why the Braves get paired up with the Sox as "regional rivals", the Phoenix has a great article up about the days when the Braves called Boston their home. Imagine if they hadn't moved and Hank Aaron had played his prime years here instead of Milwaukee; we'd really hate Barry Bonds. Interestingly, the stands at BU's Nickerson Field are pretty much the same structure that was Braves Field's right field grandstand. And those three hi-rise dorms next to the Pike ran right down the third-base line.

Playoff update! We apologize to the people of Buffalo for jumping on their bandwagon, since it's set to crash and burn after the Sabres lost to Ottawa to fall down 3-0 in their Eastern Conference Finals series. In the NBA, Cleveland went up 3-1 with a win at New Jersey, and the Suns staged a furious comeback to tie their series with San Antonio. This heated series got a little hotter when Robert Horry decked Steve Nash in the closing seconds; we fully expect Game Five to look an awful lot like the first scene of Gangs Of New York. By the ancient laws of combat, we accept this challenge.

Elise Amendola/AP photo borrowed from RedSox.com