Red Sox win 4-3. Lester was great (but in 2012 style, left in the 8th with an injury) and Papi returned, hitting a two-run single on the first pitch he saw. Ciriaco's 2-run double won it for us. Bailey got his first save in red socks.

Meanwhile the Yanks went in clinging to a 2.5 game lead. Midway through their game and the Rays' game, things were looking good for us lifelong anti-Yankee fans. But the two games, which were paralleling each other time-wise as well as inning-wise, went sour. Both the Indians and Rays had the tying run on second with nobody out in the 9th, but neither could score it. Fucking Soriano, aka Sorry Asshole II: The Squeakuel, got out of his jam, probably with a Swisher-esque smirk of distanktion on his stupid face. So it easily could have been down to a 1.5 game lead, but instead it's back to 3.5. I am so pissed. The O's kept pace at 5 out.

I was looking at the standings and I see that every team that has scored more runs than its opponent for the year has a winning record, while every team with a negative run differential is below .500. Except for 3. One is the Mariners, who are up 5 runs but 4 games below .500--that's normal. But look at the Red Sox and Orioles. Boston has scored 28 more runs than its opponents, and sits 6 games below .500. And the O's? Fifty-two fewer runs scored than their opponents, and 11 games above .500. Incredible.

Anyway, all this is going on while crazy trade rumors fly. I guess we'll talk about that if and when it happens.