Youk is no fluke, double is key to win

Red Sox 1st baseman Kevin Youkilis made his second big contribution in a row with an 8th inning, two out double that scored the winning runs in the Sox first game against Tampa Bay this season, 7-4. You may recall Monday Youk beat out an infield hit with 2 outs in the 9th to allow Mark Loretta to crush the walk off home run. Youk's play at the top of the line up has been so impressive that callers on WEEI are asking if he should be knocked back down in the line up when Coco Crisp returns next month...

The 9th wasn't as smooth for Jonathan Papelbon as he loaded the bases on what seemed like 100 pitches...The last pitch, however, was a sinking line drive that just found the glove of "Shock Jock"Adam Stern in center...Lucky for Stern it didn't get by him or the game would have been tied...

While Papelbon has looked solid, collecting 7 saves already, anyone who thinks he is gonna be lights out over the entire 162 game season is smoking artificial grass...He's a rookie for God sakes...

"Hey Jon, you beat the D-Rays, relax..."

Meanwhile in Toronto, the Yankoffs lost again as Randy Johnson got lit up for 7 runs, 9 hits in 3 1/3 innings, after being staked to a 4-0 lead. Johnny Damon stole the show, crashing into the centerfield wall twice on two impressive grabs...

Hideki Matsui played in his 500th consecutive game (2nd all time for a Yankoff), it is actually his 1,750th if you count his days with the Yomiuri Giants, in Japan.

While it was fun to listen to J.T. The Prick on the radio last night bitching and moaning about his Yankoffs having a tough schedule and the Red Sox having a easy run of it the first 2+ weeks, why does that make the Yankoffs better than the Red Sox? The Sox are doing what they are supposed to be doing, taking care of the weaker teams while they have a chance, going 10-4 so far. While the Yankoffs have had a tough road going to Oakland, Toronto and LAA-Land, does he really think they would have won any of the games they lost with they way their pitching has been?