Bobby's Jaws Snatch His Feet from Victory

I suppose we have to write about this.

"I don't think [Youk]'s as physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past for some reason. But [on Saturday] it seemed, you know, he's seeing the ball well, got those two walks, got his on-base percentage up higher than his batting average, which is always a good thing, and he'll move on from there."

Youkilis is hitting .200/.265/.233 in the eight games he has played. But the remark seems curiously timed given that he is 6 of 18 with three walks in his last five games.

Even though he was careful to put this thought in the past tense, it's a misstep by the manager, who will be asked about this for days. And curious timing is putting it mildly. They say there's no momentum in baseball, but I'd say the Sox have some, unless Big Game James Shields can prove otherwise today.

By the way, your humble blogger will be at Fenway today for my first ever trip to the park on Patriots Day. You might see me -- I'll be the guy in the radiation suit.