Youk, Tek Go Deep

The Red Sox won at Baltimore last night, 7-2, courtesy of homers by Kevin Youkilis (his 24th) and Jason Varitek (his 10th). Nice to see Tek getting the home run stroke back, as it was second straight game with a dong.

Daisuke Matsuzaka struggled a bit, and once again, for about the 345th time this season, left the bases loaded without a run scoring. That was in the fourth, and Daisuke went 5 1/3 innings to get the win, his 15th of the season. The bullpen shut the Orioles down the rest of the way, with Justin Masterson pitching the seventh and eighth.

The Sox gained no ground, as Tampa Bay came from behind to beat the LA Angels again. The Rays, who've lost three key players the last few weeks, continue to hang in there and the fact they are not folding up tells me they will make the playoffs, one way or the other. The Sox remain 4 1/2 games back, but still lead the Wild Card by 1 1/2 over the Twins. The Yankees? They lost again, in Toronto, on Johnny (What Am I Doing In Centerfield?) Damon's eighth inning error that cost New York the game, 2-1. They now trail the Rays by 11, and the Sox by 6 1/2.

The Red Sox announced that Josh Beckett's next start will be next Tuesday against the Yankees in New York. He was supposed to pitch Saturday in Toronto, but he felt a tingling and numbness in his right hand, which the team thinks happened as he slept last Sunday. Not considered serious, but the Sox are being careful and are rearranging the rotation for him. (It also allows Jon Lester to pitch in New York next week.)

And all the best to Carl Yastrzemski (pictured, at the 2004 World Series), who underwent emergency triple bypass surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital yesterday. It went very well, and he's resting comfortably. Yaz turns 69 on Friday.

Get well soon, Captain Carl.