A tale of two...fortunes?

The two pillars of the Red Sox lineup are enjoying success on a vastly different scale.

Manny, Oh Manny, Ramirez, in a contract year with the Red Sox having a $20m option for 09 and 10 is batting like a man on a...well, contract year. After 17 games, he's batting .343 with 5 homers and 18 RBI, including going .444 and hitting 4 homers in the last 7 games.

In the mean time, the surgically repaired David Ortiz now has the infamous negative triple crown position. He's last in the league (among players who've had the required number of at-bats) in average (.111), slugging (.179) and OPS (.401). Yes, last time he travelled to Japan he also had a slow start, but I'm wondering if everything is healthy with Big Papi.

Joshua Patrick however showed last night why he is possibly one of the two best pitchers in the league (albeit with a slightly inflated 5.12 ERA). Going 8 innings on a very controlled 105 pitches, he allowed 3 runs on 6 hits and only one walk against probably the second or third best (on paper) lineup in the league. His three runs came in the 5th inning when he allowed back to back hits to Jeter and Abreu, when the Red Sox where up 7-0. He followed the 5th by not allowing another Yankee baserunner in 3 innings, so clearly he has learned to control his previsiously somewhat troubesome composure. With Beckett in form after the spring training back problems, and Dice-K pitching lights out, the Red Sox 1-2 punch is one of the most fearsome lineups in the majors.

Today the Sox host the Rangers at Fenway with Dice-K taking the mound.

To steal a phrase from the NBA - I Love This Game.Which is more than I can say about my interest in the upcoming NBA playoffs. I don't know why, but it just doesn't appeal to me anymore...

Also, as if Fenway, The Girl and the Cape wasn't enough to have me chomping at the bits for my upcoming Boston trip, the official announcement of the impending summer was made on Kristen's excellent blog:

And finally, the third awesome thing that happened yesterday is that bars in Boston now have Sam's Summer on tap. Which means summer is officially coming. It can't get here fast enough.

Oh yes, can't wait.