Sports Redux: Interleague Ends With A Thud

Some days you win, some days you lose, some days you can't buy a hit off a guy suffering from the flu.

Tommy Hanson, who started for the Braves and shut down the Red Sox 2-1, told his roommate/carpool friend Kris Medlen to be ready to start, because he wasn't sure he'd be able to make it. The Braves waited for Hanson between inning with wet towels and plenty of fluids. Then he went back out and humbled the Sox again. "If he was sick," said a grim Terry Francona, "I really don't want to see him when he's not sick."

Some fluids might have helped the Sox, who could only scratch out two singles against Hanson. They did threaten closer Mike Gonzalez in the 9th, when Youkilis singled, advanced to second on defensive indifference, and scored on a Varitek single. Gonzalez then went and had Hanson sneeze on him, giving him to the power to whiff Ellsbury and end the ballgame.

So the series is over (2-1 Red Sox), interleague play is over (11-7 Red Sox), and Tony Massarotti and some of the Red Sox aren't sad to see it end. David Ortiz, in particular, has his hands full fielding in NL parks, but at least he's philosophical. As Mazz quotes Papi: "The tough one is when you have to throw to the pitcher [overhand], because pitchers, you know, they’re really not good fielders.’"

The US soccer team was one half away from the greatest moment in US soccer team history. But it wasn't meant to be, as Brazil scored three times in the second half to take the Confederations Cup away from them. It gives the US momentum heading into next year's World Cup, but a glum Landon Donovan summed up the team's feelings: "We don't want respect. We want to win." On a smaller international scale, the Revolution beat Atlas 1-0 to move into the next round of the SuperLiga. Considering they had eight men out due to injuries and suspension, they'll take it.

To show we're not entirely consumed with Yankee hate, we'll congratulate Mariano Rivera, who notched his 500th career save against the Mets, and also picked up his first-ever big league RBI when K-Rod issued him a bases-loaded walk. The Mets issued a statement saying they're grateful that K-Rod has been able to adjust so well to the team's bullpen philosophy in such a short time.