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Yesterday's game was probably the best game I have seen the Red Sox play all year. I know they didn't score a bazillion runs and Miller was well, Miller, but I saw hustle. Recently I think that they have gotten so accustomed to winning by such a significant amount, that when they needed to play a little extra hard to win the game, they have kind of given up. I have stated previously that the Sox have stamina this year. Well, there for a little while I was beginning to think the team as a whole was starting to loose that drive. A couple games prior to yesterday that I saw, they weren't running out hits, they were getting late breaks on ground balls, and not quite seeing the ball off the bat. At the plate, I saw lazy swings and a lot of blaming "Blue" for called strikes that were obvious just that, strikes. Yesterday was a different story. Although Papi did get a called strike two yesterday at Comiskey, that was only a strike to an ant....standing in the on deck circle....on the home side of the field...in Wrigley. Ooooh, I just lumped the White Sox and Cubs into the same sentence. I'm probably banned from Chicago now. Oh well.

Everyone did their job in the 5-3 win yesterday helping close out July at 66-40. Captain Tek started it off with a two run shot on a fastball, that I quote Dennis Eckersley in saying, "was just some tired cheese." On a side note, if Eckersley was the Queen of England, I am 100% sure we would have to refer to Pedroia as SIR Muddy Chicken. I think Dennis would consider it a chance of a lifetime to wash Dustin's jockstrap...by hand. I wish I was kidding. I just threw up in my mouth a little.

The point is, not just half the team showed up yesterday. Even Miller didn't do any worse than he normally does. He even stuck out a few extra. He also did something that I think he has needed to do for a long time, and that is trust himself and his abilities. He plunked Konerko in the shin with a fastball inside(NOT tired cheese), then when pitching to the next batter, Pierre, he finally decided to try going back inside again. It took him a few pitches to get there but low and behold, he went back there twice. The second one just happen to be the punch out pitch.

After spending a couple inning trailing 2-3, you'll never guess what happened. Ok, maybe you will. Yep, Pedroia the Destroia struck yet again putting the right colored Sox up 4-3. I am getting real tired of typing his name. It would be great if Tito found a way to give him the day off. Just saying.

Then in the top of the 9th, thanks to another boulder in the Bean Town line up by the name of A-Gon, maybe you've heard of him, Pap went to the hill with a 2 run cushion and did what he does best, 3 straight strike outs. Great game gentlemen, great game. "Nuff Said!"