Sports Redux: They're Not Dead

Is September going to turn into one long Monty Python skit for the Red Sox? Is it going to be one long month of the fans/media/Rays/Yankees trying to claim they're dead, only to be met at every turn with "it's just a flesh wound" or "we're getting better"? Well, we love Monty Python, so bring it on.

Not everyone they're going to see this month are the Orioles, unfortunately. The Sox took the series in Baltimore last night, 6-4, on some solid pitching by Daisuke Matsuzaka (!) and Scott Atchison (!!). They smacked O's starter Brad Bergesen for five early runs, the key hits being a HR by Adrian Beltre and a two-run single by David Ortiz. Daisuke was chased in the 6th (OK, we exaggerated earlier) when Baltimore scored four, but Atchison struck out Nolan Reimold to end the inning, then coasted through 1 2/3 more. Even Hideki Okajima recorded an out on the only batter he faced. Maybe the ship is turning around.

Earl permitting, the ship comes home tonight to face the White Sox, and deal with all those conflicted emotions again, since Chicago is bringing Manny Ramirez back to town. He's already got a barber's appointment in town, and the local columnists are already taking advantage of this extra opportunity to throw metaphorical bags of pee at our old left fielder. We wonder where Shaughnessy is and why he's missing out on this pigpile.

The Patriots shaved off some of the time-of-possession discrepancy that had everyone in Foxboro holding their noses last week, but they still lost 20-17 to the Giants in their last preseason game. Instead of having the ball for 16 minutes like they did against the Rams, they held it for 26 minutes. The defense is still not giving anyone reasons to book Super Bowl travel yet, but at least they're not going to have to face NYG QB Rhett Bomar (171 yards passing) in the regular season.