Lester lets loose

After giving up five earned runs in six innings in his last start, Boston Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester appears to be back on track after throwing six innings against the Toronto Blue Jays today, giving up one run and striking out 12. Yowza.

The Sox won 8-2, and if Lester gets it going in the rotation (he has a 4-5 record with 5.65 ERA), the pitching becomes real ferocious for Boston.

The next test will be for tomorrow's starting pitcher, Dice-K. Will he be able to shake off that post-World Baseball Classic hangover? Are we going to see Dice-8.82 ERA? We'll see.

Showcasing pretty much what's wrong with the New York Yankees

You know it's a Red Sox-Yankees gameday when the "Yankees Suck!" Facebook group you just joined posts this little nugget.

Should be posted at the entrance of tonight's game: Welcome to Yankee Stadium, the house that Ruth didn't build and the tax payers did. Our pitchers suck, it's easy to steal home, A-rod is on the bench where he belongs, and you just payed us $1250 to watch us lose. Sucker.

And they did suck, as they lost to the Red Sox 6-4.

Yankees fans had wave-of-the-future Phil Hughes on the mound. He was going to start the turnaround. His pitching was going to carry the Bronx Bombers. He went four innings and gave up four and absorbed the loss.

Prized free agent Mike Teixeira hit two solo home runs for the Yankees but struck out when it mattered in the ninth. By the way, he's hitting .195 on the season and hadn't driven in a run in eight games before this one.

There were empty seats everywhere in the new Yankee Stadium, largely because of the rain delay, but the announcers said that rain or not, the game hadn't sold out.

Dylan Kitzan, who leads the Spokane area in love for Boston's Jason Bay sent me this text "If Bay were a woman, I'd be stalking him right now." And you know what, I agree with him, he's making Red Sox fans quickly forget about that Ramirez fellow.

Bay homered tonight, and unlike Teixeira, there was actually a man on base when he did it. Did I mention he played baseball at Gonzaga University?

All in all, that makes it 4-0 over the Yankees so far this season, as their fans collectively find a noose somewhere to go hang themselves. At least maybe their life insurance will be enough to afford seats at the new stadium.

Red Sox To Unleash 100 Year Old Weapon

If you live in Boston or New York, or you are just a fan of the Red Sox or Yankees, this weekend is an eventful time. Starting today the Red Sox and Yankees square off in the first series of the year between the two long time rivals at Fenway Park.

Today's game is the 1st of 18 between these two storied franchises this year and will pit local product (to us folks in Warshington) Jon Lester against Joba Chamberlain, who is from Casey's favorite state (he also has tried to rearrange the face of one Kevin Youkilis multiple times, he was even suspended 2 games in 2007 for throwing behind him on consecutive pitches).

For this occasion the Boston Red Sox have decided to bring back Arthur Giddon who turns a century old on Sunday, to be the honorary bat boy for the series. Giddon was a bat boy for the Boston Braves from 1922-1923 when he was the ripe old age of 13. You can read more about this great story at redsox.com

I know I speak for 3 of us here at Just South of North when I say "Go Sox!!" I also know I can speak for everyone here at Just South of North when I say "Yankees Suck!!"