Babalú-Ayé
Ricky Romero makes me think of Ricky Ricardo. Desi Arnaz and his orchestra popularized “Babalu,” a Cuban song about the Santería diety Babalú-Ayé. “I Love Lucy” fans bopping along with the tune probably didn’t realize that they were enjoying a song about a being from an exotic, syncretic religion as they didn’t have the Google.
Not only is Babalú-Ayé from a belief system that mainstream Americans from the 1940s would find alien but the spirit (orisha, in Santerian vocabulary) is associated with epidemics and disease. Oddly enough, Babalú-Ayé also heals maladies. In this particular orisha yin and yang is commingled in one being.
Romero had two selves battling in him, one that didn’t last five innings against the Red Sox twice last season and the other who allowed Boston four runs in the game but held on for seven more innings two times. Yesterday a third emerged: 8⅓ innings pitched, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts.
Jon Lester gave the ailing bullpen a rest but couldn’t prevail against Romero’s stifling stuff. He had the best start of any Red Sox starter so far this season: 8 innings, 3 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 bases on balls, and 6 whiffs.
Terry Francona won’t go to Fenway for the festivities celebrating a century of baseball, but perhaps he’ll head north to Lowell’s New England Quilt Museum for the Fenway Park Centennial quilt exhibition.
| Game 6: April 11, 2012 | ||
| Boston Red Sox 1-5 |
1 |
L: Jon Lester (0-1) |
| No extra base hits | ||
 Toronto Blue Jays4-2 |
3 |
W: Ricky Romero (1-0) S: Sergio Santos(1) |
| 3B: Rajai Davis (1) | ||
