If you didn't see the game, here's the recap: Goddamnit.

Now I'll just talk about the stuff I was gonna talk about anyway while pretending I'm not pissed.

Okay, new NESN score box thing. The recent "pitch count" addition is now a permanent fixture. And the box is on the top left, instead of a long line across the top. You know what this means? Kapstein is back! In '08 when they wen to the long line, he, Drinkwater, and company kind of got covered up there. Now Kap will be completely visible again--but Drinkwater may be covered! We'll see on the next home game broadcast.

Behind the plate at Camden, there was a Stop & Shop Triple Winner game. (It was really there, not a digital cover-up.) I was like, Okay, interesting, I guess they have S & S down there, and they're using that game that benefits the Jimmy Fund that's been giving away coupons for 20 cents off maxi pads since 1991. Then I noticed something--the word "Giant" under the new S&S logo. Then it hit me--this merger of the two stores is what led to the end of the classic stop light S & S logo a few years ago. And now this new Giant/S & S hybrid is using the Triple Winner Game even outside of Red Sox country, presumably without the Jimmy Fund tie-in in those areas. The weird thing is, that "Giant" sign is right under where Drinkwater would be at home.

That guy that got his hands on Drew's first dong was wearing a Mattingly jersey! So a Yankee fan helped us get a home run, since the left fielder may have had a chance to catch that ball, even though it was over the fence. (Mattingly himself once benefited from a pre-cursor to Jeffrey Maier in the early 90s--I have Len Berman's Channel 4 sports report of it on tape somewhere.)

Speaking of Drew--earlier in the year I accused him of loligagging on a play in the outfield, which AJM disputed. Tonight, he did what he did that night. He gets the ball, then looks, then decides to wind up and throw. That's what I'm talking about. I will remove the lolli-tag and call it "unnecessary hesitation." It was on the play where McDonald fumbled the ball in center. Drew should have picked it up and fired to second. Instead, he takes a look first! Just throw. There's only one baserunner and one base he could be going to. Come up firing! You can at least do your look-see while winding up to throw.

Good job walking Markakis in that last inning. He would have beaten us, because he cannot be stopped.

Beltre. Dude. Fine job at the plate, and fine job hustling, and you sometimes make great plays. But you make mistakes in the field--and those will probably end, but...who the hell taught you how to run the bases? This guy is so often putting himself so far off of bases that if it turns out there's a play on him, he's screwed, in no-man's land. And it happened in two weird ways tonight. Once he slid past the bag at third and was tagged out, and once he was sliding toward the fielder to break up a double play, and just made it so obvious, and kind of slapped the fielder's leg, making the ump have to call interference. And what if he's been safe at second there because the ball was dropped or something? The guy just picks up the ball and tags him. He does it all the time. Sometimes he runs through the bag! At second! Dangerous stuff, and it cost us tonight. (And I was prepared to write this before the tag-out at third. But had Scutaro not swung at a pitch in his eyes on that 3-2 pitch, it would have been moot. No wait! It would've been bad anyway, because once Beltre had come off the bag, he still could've been tagged out had the catcher thrown, even though it was a walk. See what I mean?)

Drew's second dong just "sounded right." Ask Phil Rizzuto.

Don Stuff: Don is late to see stuff and I don't know why. Drew's first HR was clearly not caught, as you could see the fans going for the ball. But Don couldn't tell for a while. On the interference play, he should have been able to tell by Beltre holding his arms out and being all pissed that the call was going against us. And on Pedroia's dong, he and Rem didn't seem to know where the ball hit even though the camera was then focusing right on that railing. Then when they figured it out, it was like they didn't realize that railing was beyond the fence, and therefore a HR if the ball hit it. Maybe I should realize that they're sometimes watching the field while we're watching what the network is showing us and just shut up about it. Don and Rem do a fine job overall. Sometimes I just wonder why they seem to be so far behind us.

Rap duo rivalry action.

To sum up, terrible job tonight.