Stats that only I would provide:

In the last 22 days, (August 7th-28th) the Sox have played 21 games. On the days of those games, the magic number has gone down 19 times--meaning that on 19 of those 21 days, there's been a Sox win, a yankee loss, or both. And the number has gone from 66 to 40 over that stretch, a total of 26 places.

By comparison, from May 1st to June 4th, the Sox played 32 games, with the magic number only going down on 18 game days, and only a total of 24 places (137 to 113)--in eleven more days than the current stretch.

You may need to read that twice.

I was at the game tonight. It was hot, but awesome. It's so great to see Pedro doing so good, especially since everybody insisted he was done at the beginning of the year. Especially my boy Kay, who kept saying that since he doesn't have his fastball, there's nothing he can do. When the caller he was talking to at the time brought up Greg Maddux' success without his old fastball, Kay said, "Well he's not Greg Maddux."

But he is Pedro Martinez. Which is what Kay was forgetting.

Meanwhile, El Duque comes back and doesn't have his fastball anymore, but does Kay point out that he isn't Greg Maddux (which would be a very appropriate argument in this case)? No, he just says how great his other stuff is.

And Pedro, who's rotator cuff was ready to--what was it--oh yes, tear in half, has pitched more innings, struck out more, won more games, and has a lower ERA than ANY yankee starter. (Sorry, I'm not counting El Duque's 50 innings of work.)

Go to hell, Kay.

Okay, this was a great day until I started thinkin' about Kay and his BS.

So back to the fun stuff: My automatic sink streak continues, as tonight on the way home from Fenway at the rest stop, I went with the second sink from the left, with no success. I noticed how I always go for the second from the left, and no matter which rest stop I'm at, it never works.

Also, someone asked me about where you have to be to hear the radio station in Greenwich that started carrying Sox games as of this season. My answer is that I've tried to get this station in my car while driving on 684 to NYC. The road goes through Greenwich, and I've never heard anything but static. I'm pretty sure it's 1490. Either that or 1390, but I've tried both. One time I got something, but it wasn't the game. I'll try to keep everybody updated on this mystery. I do know that the signal points south-ish and west-ish, giving the games to people on boats in the sound, I guess, and southern Westchester County, New York.

Finally, at the game tonight, Derek Lowe rolled a ball across the top of the dugout toward me. For some reason, my hand touched, but neglected to grasp the ball. Some girl got it. She seemed very happy and I think he was aiming for her anyway, so it's okay.