*Blink*

What the hell was that? Seriously. Nine to one *scratch that* ten to one lead, it looks like everyone is just going through the motions to get to tomorrow's game. And then the bullpen just falls apart. Georgie K. gets thrown out at the plate. And then it gets worse. I hope that you're sufficiently embarrassed boyos because that was embarrasing. I'm pretty sure that Theo's fabulous bullpen isn't supposed to do that. Ten runs in two innings? Really? I had been feeling a bit bad for Hill (being a local boy and all) but I guess he didn't need it. Beckett will have to be aces tomorrow, that's all there is to it.

You're So Vain.

Jon Lester is a pretty serious guy. He seems dour, humorless, and to be a man of few words. I would feel perfectly comfortable calling him boring. He does nothing to dispel that image in the pop culture grid of last week's Sports Illustrated. His answers are uninspired but completely believable.

I can imagine him steadfastly refusing to read the headlines of the tabloids while waiting in line at the grocery store. Of course he can cook salmon: he's from Washington, baked salmon is ridiculously easy, and it tastes terrible. It's the perfect food for Jon Lester. Dustin Pedroia doesn't shut up, Mike Lowell works on a more fabulous level than Lester and, therefore, Lester can't read Lowell. And he can't think of one thing good or interesting about himself.

But wait! Here's an interesting answer: Jacoby Ellsbury spends too much time looking at himself in the mirror. Ellsbury's mom would have you believe that her son is a good boy; that he didn't have a girlfriend in high school. I do believe his mother; he son's features, while exotic around here would be fairly common on a reservation. But I also believe Lester that the attention may have gone to Ellsbury's head.

Apple Core.

It's been awhile since we've seen the Orioles; April 17-20 during the eleven game winning streak. But the Os of April are not the Os of late June/early July. This team has given Adam Eaton and Jamie Walker the axe. They've lost Cesar Izturis, Dennis Safarte, and Lou Montanez *tilde implied* to injuries. They've sent Radhames Liz (who was great fun: one third of an inning on April 20, allowing six runs) and Chad Moeller to the minors. They've gotten Melvin Mora back and traded Ryan Freel (Masterson plunked him in the head) to the Cubs. And they've also added Matt Weiters, Nolan Reimold, and a couple of pitchers along the way.

One of their new pitchers, Jason Berken, pitches for Baltimore tonight. Berken throws a low-nineties fastball, a slider, a curveball, and a low-eighties change up. He's not overpowering and relies on good control. That said, he's averaging two walks a start and going only a little over five innings a start. He's quite hittable with pretty even splits (.290 for lefties, .288 for righties).

Mass. native Rich Hill gets the start on Tuesday. Hill throws an upper eighties fastball, a slow curve ball, and a lower-eighties change-up. He does get strike outs but he gives up too many walks. Left-handed batters do have a difficult time hitting him, though. Hitters also tend to have an easier time against him the second time through the order.

Brad Bergensen gets the start on Wednesday. He's another one of their new pitchers and one of the more promising. He throws a high-eighties fastball, a slider, a curveball, and a change-up. He's not a strike out pitcher but he does get a lot of groundballs. He's got good control; he doesn't give up too many walks. And he'll get pretty deep into the game. Left-handed batters have an easier time against him.

Robert Andino has been playing a decent shortstop since Izturis went down following an appendectomy. Matt Weiters is getting a lot of the playing time at catcher. Offensively, he hasn't shown a lot of power, he doesn't walk very often, and he strikes out too much. Nolan Reimold has become their everyday left-fielder. Reimold has plenty of power and walks quite a bit but he's not super fast and his fielding is a little sloppy.

3000 Miles or 68 Games.

Mike Lowell will be making his way back to Boston to get an injection of Synvisc in his balky hip on Monday.

Most of the movable joints in the body (hip included) are synovial joints. Synovial joints differ from fibrous joints and cartilaginous joints in how the bones are held together; fibrous joints are held together by fibrous connective tissue and the bones shouldn't be able to move (the bones of the skull are good examples), cartilaginous joints are held together by cartilage and move only a little (where the first rib connects to the sternum is a good example), and synovial joints are two bones that are strapped together by ligaments with some space in between.

Inside a synovial joint the bones are covered with cartilage to lessen the impact of them knocking together during movement. The cavity between the bones is also lined with a membrane, conveniently called the synovial membrane. This membrane secretes synovial fluid into the empty space.

Synovial fluid has a high viscosity and a consistency similar to that of raw albumen. (When you separate a joint--like a knuckle--little bubbles will form in the fluid and when you close the joint the bubbles will pop, creating a satisfactory cracking sound.) Its purpose is to lubricate the joint and reduce friction as the cartilaginous ends of the bones slide across each other. It may also help to nourish the cartilage.

The treatment they're prescribing for Mikey is usually given to patients suffering from osteoarthritis in the knee. It is, essentially, synovial fluid replacement therapy. Hyaluronate (Synvisc being the brand name) injection is similar in concept to an oil change. They inject the treatment into the joint and it protects the cartilage in much the same way that motor oil protects an engine. Hyaluronan (what it's made of) has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, which may help to protect against further damage.

Its effectiveness in patients with osteoarthritic knees is questionable. Some patients have seen no improvement and others have seen a reduction in knee pain for up to six months. But there doesn't seem to be any harm in giving it a shot.

First to Ten.

That'd be win number ten for Timmeh Wakefield.

If you'd have asked my in March which pitcher would have ten wins before the end of June, my answer would not have been Tim Wakefield. That's for sure.

Things That Would Be Awesome.

Jason Bay took the US citizenship test a week ago and passed with flying colors. Sadly, when asked if he would be replicating Manny's citizenship celebration, he quickly shot down the idea:

"I don't think I'll do that."

Bad photoshop skills aside, how awesome would that have been?

A Petition for St. Rita.*

It's strange how the mind works sometimes: I'd noticed the prayer card that Mike Lowell has tucked behind the nameplate of his locker at Fenway but, somehow, I'd never connected it with him being Catholic. It makes sense; Cuba (well, maybe not Cuba with the Communism), Puerto Rico, and South Florida are all heavily Catholic areas. Maybe he just seemed too urbane to be religious or something. But what do I know, I was in Paris (a very sophisticated, better than you kind of place) at Easter time a few years ago and people were literally spilling across the nathrax of a smaller church to hear the Good Friday mass. It was unexpected.

Anyway, Catholictv did an interview with Mike Lowell and it will be airing on July 7 at 10:30am and 8:00pm (they also stream their programming live on their website)--just in case anyone is interested.

*Please don't smite me for being sacrilegious. Thank you.