Sports Redux: Sox Win! We Feel Better?

Hey, after five consecutive losses to Texas and Toronto, Red Sox fans will take any kind of win from a Brad Penny start. Even against a Baltimore Orioles squad that the Globe says Boston is 28-6 against in their last 34 games. However, if Penny reaches the seventh inning allowing one unearned run on five hits in every start then you can expect to see him get the ball every fifth day. Penny had already thrown 76 pitches in the fourth inning but somehow managed to stay around long enough to hit 97 mph in the seventh innning.

The bullpen closed the game out with 2.2 innings of scoreless relief to seal the Sox 3-1 win over Baltimore. Jonathan Paplebon did get the save. Bostonist saw it. We liked the back-to-back strikeouts to finally end the game. But, that loading-the-bases-with-one-out thing has to stop.

That brings us to the offense. Unfortunately. We'll take the win, of course. But, Brad Bergesen isn't Jim Palmer, okay? Baltimore led 1-0 in the second. The Sox put the lead-off batter on in each inning before scoring twice in the fourth inning. J.D. Drew singled to start the rallly and eventually scored on Jason Varitek's single. Mike Lowell doubled prior to Varitek's at-bat and scored on a Jed Lowrie sacrifice fly. Kevin Youkilis scored in the fifth on an infield hit by Drew.

The Yankees won again - eight straight - as Joba Chamberlain allowed one run and two hits in 7+ innings in an 8-3 win over Oakland. Derek Jeter had two RBI and - brace yourselves - passed Ted Williams on the career hit list. Johnny Damon drove in three runs.

While the St. Louis Cardinals surprised everybody by actually giving up two players for Julio Lugo, that the team acquired Matt Holliday from the Oakland A's on Friday for three minor leaguers is not surprising at all. The revamped Redbird roster responded rapidly as Lugo had a triple, a home run and no errors, and Holliday belted out four hits in an 8-1 win over Philadelphia.

Some members of the Sox have been busy since Wednesday's game in Texas. David Ortiz opened his new restaurant and Dustin Pedroia signed his book, and there are pictures. Mark Kotsay packed after being let go to make room for Adam LaRoche, who, for some reason didn't play last night. Speaking of Texas, Wednesday's scratched starter Vicente Padilla has the swine flu. He'll start Tuesday. How long would that keep J.D. Drew out?

Peter Chiarelli faces no trade deadline next week but he pulled the trigger on a deal anyway that sends Aaron Ward back to the Carolina Hurricanes for right wing Patrick Eaves and a fourth-round pick in the 2010 draft. The B's then waived Eaves, a move that confirmed this deal was about the salary cap. The deal trims $2.5 million from the Bruins cap that could go to Phil Kessel or whoever he is traded for. Ward's home is in North Carolina and he is probably eager to visit Scott Walker.