Messin' with Texas! 

(August 15)

Short take:  They're the worst.

If the Sox are playing Texas, be sure we have a damned good chance at winning.  Wednesday night's affair was no exception.  The Sox score early and often and oops--manage to blow the lead but still pull it out for a 6-5 victory.

Nothing comes easy for this team.

Sean Lowe struggled with Texas hitters, chased in the fourth inning and charged with four runs (two earned) and six hits.  Fortunately the Texas pitching staff lived up to their reputation, too.  The Sox scored in the second, third, fourth, and fifth innings opening up a 5-4 lead.

Could our Pale Hose hold on?  Please.

The vaunted Sox pitching staff "scattered" eleven hits while the "mighty" Rangers left twelve runners on base.  Alan Embree (who else?) blew the lead in the seventh with the first two batters he faced in the seventh.  Magglio Ordonez employed the Sox offensive threat of the season, hitting coach Gary Ward's patented "solo shot dinger" strategy to break the tie in the bottom of the frame.

That set the stage for the fateful at-bat in the eighth with the richest man in baseball, Alex Rodriguez, facing Bob Howry with they tying and go-ahead runs on base and two out.  Howry struck him out on six pitches.

$252 million doesn't buy you what it used to.

Keith Foulke nailed down his 30th save in the ninth.  Sox go for the sweep Thursday with yet another chance to climb above .500.