Sports Redux: Latest Sox Loss Hard On The Heart, Knees

If you were in pain watching the Sox yesterday, you weren't alone.

Besides the existential pain of watching the Sox scratch out only four hits in their 5-3 loss in Toronto, there was the more immediate pain of watching Dustin Pedroia take a Brian Tallet fastball off the knee (he stayed in the game) and watching Rocco Baldelli slide knees-first at full speed into the outfield wall (he didn't). Baldelli's exit was particularly painful, since his two-run homer in the second accounted for most of the team's offense.

Again, there was nothing to complain about with regards to the starting pitching - Brad Penny scattered 10 hits over six innings, but left with the game tied at three - but the offense just isn't there. As it isn't there almost any time the Sox leave Fenway. "The players we have, not everybody, but a lot of them are suited for Fenway," observed Terry Francona, while acknowleding that there are going to be 81 days where Fenway can't help them. "I would hope we can figure it out by tomorrow." Ortiz struck out twice, Youk three times. It wasn't a good day.

BC baseball helped make history last night, and this morning. They lost to Texas, 3-2, in 25 innings. That's almost three games for the price of one. One of Texas' relief pitchers wound up going 13 innings for the win. Eagles coach Mik Aoki: "I've never been a part of anything like this. In fact, nobody in college baseball has been part of anything like this." BC now gets an hour of sleep before playing Army to try to get another shot at the Longhorns.

The Revolution, making a bid to attract some local eyes that may be sick of watching the Red Sox flounder, got back face-of-the-franchise Taylor Twellman from assorted neck and spine problems, and got back in the win column with a 2-1 decision over D.C. United in Foxboro. Steve Ralston hit the game-winner, a penalty kick in the 89th minute.

And Celtics fans can take some comfort in the fact that the Green aren't the only team left scratching their heads and wondering how the Orlando Magic could have beaten them. Orlando finished off an improbable upset of Cleveland (improbable, that is, if you ignore 50 years of Cleveland sports history), and now have the backing of every good-hearted American as they head west to play the Lakers in the Finals. Detroit, meanwhile, beat Pittsburgh in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals. Game Two is today, as the league seems to be in a hurry to get this all over with.