Hardball Heaven

What looked like a somewhat easy win over Tampa last night turned into a nailbiter before - who else? - David Ortiz iced the victory with an 8th inning grand slam. Shift this, sayeth Papi. Sox win going away, 12-5, and a much-needed win it was. You can never, ever lose four straight to Tampa Bay, and they certainly didn't want to be leaving for a tough three-game set against the White Sox on a down note. Thanks to the bats, they left with a little air under their wings and maintained their three-game edge on the Spanks.

Now we're looking at what hopefully will be a great matchup between the last two World Series champions. The Tigers may be leading the AL Central, but the White Sox know they're better. May be a little subplot story too, with Manny's apparent decision not to play for the AL All-Stars, who will be managed by White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen. Game 1 is at 8:30 tonight, and it's a matchup of southpaws. Jon Lester vs. Mark Buehrle.