Abbreviated
| Game 66: June 18, 2009 ∙ 6 innings | |||
 Marlins | 2 | W: Ricky Nolasco (3-6) | 33-35, 1 game winning streak |
| Red Sox | 1 | L: Jon Lester (5-6) | 40-26, 1 game losing streak |
| Highlights: On a wet and messy night the only error wasn’t a flubbed grounder or an errant throw but a fifth-inning collision between Emilio Bonifacio and Dan Uggla with the shift on for David Ortiz. The home team failed to capitalize on the gaffe and didn’t have another chance to bat after the fifth. I guess they round up 5½ to 6, even though there was only one official at bat in the sixth. | |||
Of course the day after I write about Kevin Youkilis’s slump he snapped out of it in grand style. The first baseman homered over the left field wall for the first run of the game in the bottom frame of the first inning.
Jon Lester was no mystery to the Marlins, however. The lefty yielded eight hits over the course of the evening, including a home run apiece by Dan Uggla and Ronny Paulino in the second for the win.
Remarkably, Ricky Nolasco of the juvenile name and the 7.15 ERA surrendered a single hit in his outing while striking out five. I thought for sure this game would complete the sweep of Florida, but the weather had other plans.
Don Orsillo and Dennis Eckersley added to their repertoire of in jokes. In addition to the guys in their ears we had three players going bridge, and keeping one’s moss intact. I miss baboombas, though, and definitely missed baboombas by the local nine.
Had we but world enough, and time
This weakness, Red Sox, were no crime
We would sit down and avoid the rain
On flinty seats and ignore the pain
Thou by the left field grandstand’s side
Shouldst foul balls find: I by the tide
Of Muddy would complain.
(Inspired by Andrew Marvell’s “To His Coy Mistress”)
