Empyreal Environs

Game 13: April 18, 2005
Blue Jays (8-6), 7
Red Sox (8-5), 12
L: Dave Bush (0-2)
W: Curt Schilling (1-1)

Sunny day swept the errors away for both Toronto and Boston’s left fielders Frank Catalanotto and Manny Ramirez. The 11 AM start of Patriot’s Day games is a league anomaly, a New England tradition that has irked other teams. Just last year Mike Mussina complained about the early start, saying that the shadows adversely affects his pitching prowess. I’m sure Dave McCarty disagrees; the two Stanford graduates might have to debate this issue at some point.

Curt Schilling earned his first win, going 5 innings on 117 pitches, 84 of them strikes. He also hit Shea Hillenbrand, which makes me wonder if there is any history between them, if he was retaliating for Bill Mueller getting hit, or perhaps he was getting back at Hillenbrand for his comments about the front office when he was traded.

If Blaine Neal were any less effective, he’d soon earn the moniker “Human Save Generator.” He came into the 9th inning and gave up 2 straight singles before striking out Alex Rios. He then gave up an RBI single to Orlando Hudson. If not for a 6-4-3 double play to end the game, a Keith Foulke appearance would have been required.

The club goes for a sweep in this 2-game series tonight, and I’ll be there in person again. I enjoy these match-ups with the Blue Jays because I imagine J.P. Ricciardi’s family giving him grief with every game: “Why can’t you run a real team like Theo?” “Can you get me tickets? No, I’m not cheering for the Jays.”