Ricky Vaughn Would Be Proud

The Red Sox set a dubious record for the number of wild pitches in a game last night: six. And Daisuke Matsuzaka threw four of them, in another sleep-inducing affair from him. Fortunately, he didn't do them all in the same inning. Ricky Vaughn of the Cleveland Indians (pictured) holds that record I believe. (Remember that guy with the strange hair who came up to him to ask for autograph and mentioned the record in "Major League"?) Dice-K went just five innings, threw about 300 pitches, and wound up with the loss as the Twins beat the Sox, 4-2.

Daisuke, who won 18 games in 2008, still hasn't won his first game of 2009.

Minnesota left runners everywhere, 13 in all, and could easily have blown the Red Sox out of the dome. But they hung in there, as Jason Bay went deep again. But this time it was with no one on, ending his team record home run-with-a-man-on streak at 11.

The Sox only had six hits, and David Ortiz had none of them. It was another night of watching Papi walk back to the dugout with his shoulders slumped, and looking like he's in a complete daze. His batting average is now far below the Mendoza Line (.194 or thereabouts). He actually hit a ball to dead center in his third at-bat, which was caught on the warning track by Denard Span. Don Orsillo did his best on NESN to put a good spin on it, but we need results from Papi now, not "good"at-bats that result in outs.

The Red Sox are now tied with New York for first place, as the Evil Empire won in Texas, 9-2. And the Toronto Blue Jays continue to prove they are serious pretenders, as they blew a five-run lead for Roy Halladay in the 8th inning against the Orioles, and a two-run lead in the 11th, as rookie Nolan Reimold hit a three-run shot to win it, 12-10.

The Red Sox play their final game ever (barring a playoff meeting in October with the Twins) in The House of Horrors Known As The Metrodome on Thursday afternoon, as Josh Beckett seeks a series split. The Twins leave the place for Target Field in 2010. It will be outdoor baseball, and the best part: one less ballpark with artificial turf.