Hardball Heaven

Our boys are waking up in Seattle this morning after dispatching the tough Rangers yesterday in a makeup game at Fenway. Sox won 6-4 behind a gritty performance from Curt Schilling, who improved to 12-3 on the season and 8-0 in front of the hometown crowd. Nice thing about this one was they won without Papi in the lineup (resting a sore back - not a big deal) and without Mike Lowell at third. Wily Mo Pena pitched in with a couple of key RBI. The other nice thing about this one was that it put some pressure on the Yanks, who played last night at Toronto. Vernon Wells took Mariano Rivera yard in extra innings to put the Yanks 2 1/2 back.

On Wednesday, the Sox swept the Royals in their second consecutive 1-0 game. Josh Beckett was outstanding, mixing in a great curveball with his usual gas. Manny hit a solo HR for the only run. After the game, the team announced it had signed Beckett to a new three-year contract worth $30 million. After much deliberation, I think this is a good deal. Beckett has stayed injury and blister-free so far this year (knock on wood), he's supremely talented, and he's only 26 years old. Why let him become a free agent and let someone else set the market for him? One thing I do wonder -- were they waiting until he threw a gem to announce this? If he had given up four bombs to the Royals, would there have been a press conference after the game? Go ahead and laugh, but I wouldn't put it past this PR-conscious management team.

Anyway, the Sox have now won four straight after the Oakland ugliness, and are in the caffeine capital of the world tonight to face off against Ichiro and the Mariners. Seattle is in last place in the AL West, but only five games out. Kyle Snyder (ugh) against Jamie Moyer tonight in game one.