Empyreal Environs

Dennis Eckersley said it best: Daniel Bard spit the bit in this game. He walked six batters over 1⅔ innings pitched but only allowed a single hit. Unfortunately for the Red Sox that hit was a three-run home run off Jose Bautista’s bat. I like Bautista better as a personification of a jersey.

In the second inning two Blue Jays batters were victims of Bard’s wildness. Yunel Escobar was hit on the hand and the ricochet of the ball knocked his helmet off. Escobar’s near-concussion led to the bases being loaded with two out. This time around Bard walked Bautista instead of allowing a home run so only a single run scored. Bard couldn’t get the ball anywhere near the zone and hit Edwin Encarnacion in the wrist for another run.

It should have been obvious to everyone, particularly John Farrell, current Blue Jays manager and former Red Sox pitching coach, that Bard was reliving his disastrous Lancaster days in Class A ball and that he was not intentionally hitting batters. In the sixth Drew Hutchison hit Kevin Youkilis in the shoulder nonetheless. Youkilis was incensed, not because he was hit by a pitch but because of how high the pitch went. As he took his base Youkilis angrily indicated to the sophomore pitcher to hit him lower next time and not go anywhere near the head.

After one team from Boston fell into a tie with their divisional rivals another one drew even with their conference foes. The Boston Celtics prevailed over obdurate officials and the Best Player in the NBA Today™ to tie the Eastern Conference Finals series at 2-2.

Doris Burke is used to the platitudes and bromides sports stars utter into her mic before they escape to the locker room. It must have been surprising when Rajon Rondo answered her question about what holes the Celtics exploited. “Them complaining and crying to the referees in transition,” stated the point guard plainly.

At the end of the game Burke tried to give Rondo an out from his comments at halftime. Rondo didn’t back down. “What I said was true,” he said. “I don’t take back what I said.”

Game 54: June 3, 2012
Boston Red Sox 28-26	1	L: Daniel Bard (5-6)
		2B: Adrian Gonzalez (20) HR: Kelly Shoppach (3)
Toronto Blue Jays 28-26	5	W: Drew Hutchison (5-2)
		2B: David Cooper (3) HR: Jose Bautista (14)