I'll have 10 runs (with two homers), 1 earned run, and a broken down back-up short stop making it look like he's been there for years. Oh, and hold the Nomar please.

The Sox continued to fire on all cylinders last night and took advantage of a struggling, though 3-4, Orioles team by defeating them handily 10-1. Hideo Nomo in his home debut didn't exactly get a no-hitter, but he was no less impressive than his last time out. Nomo went 6 strong innings allowing 4 hits, 4 walks, and only one earned run before handing it over to the pen.

Tim Wakefield finished off the final three innings of the game rather easily to record his first save of the season. Wakes had somewhat of a rocky ninth, but a double-play ball will remedy that every time.

The offense? Simply awesome. Brian Daubach led the way going 3-4 3R 5RBI and continued to mash Sydney Ponson and the Orioles with two homers. Manny Ramirez chipped in with a couple more RBIs, Jason Varitek looks to be heating up with a two hit night, and Mike Lansing made it look like he was more than just a back-up Short Stop.

Over all a great night to sit back and watch the Sox.

Mike Lansing has really impressed me with his play so far, he seems to have a little more pep in his step, and it going at it hard. I watched him make three not so routine plays look easy. A bounding ball he got to in the first that he never would have last year, the double play he turned in the fourth, and another play, though makeable by MLB standards but not necessarily his, on a grounder he had to charge.

Lansing also seems to hitting the ball well too despite and 0-4 game last night. But the AB that sticks out the most, was the one during the Sox 3-run second inning rally. Where with less than two outs and a man on third he made sure he took the ball to the opposite field and got the run in. An out, yes, but a productive out. Seems to me he knows he has something to prove in this town and has set out to earn his money.

Jose Offerman seems a bit rejuvenated as well. He made a very nice play on the first ball of the game and continues to hit and get on base. Maybe Offy, at least on this team, finally realizes he needs to work a little harder.

Anyone else notice how much Trot seems to be walking this year? Maybe it was the same last year as well, but to me anyway, it seems more prominent now. A high OBP is just what we want out of the #1 & 2 guys and Trot and Offy are doing quite nicely right now.

Finally, Shea Hillenbrand. Is this just a flash in the pan? Will the book be out on him soon and the rest of baseball will adjust? Maybe. But right now he's had at least one hit in every Major League games he's played in, and he also seems to have a good head, baseball wise. Like the two times he came up last night with a man on second (with no outs) and was very obviously trying to go the other way and at least move the runner up one bag. As it turned out he reached on an error and singled in those two at bats, and both times he hit the ball very hard.

Like I said, how long will it last? Some guys simply don't put it together until they hit the big time. Maybe the ship will sink a little ways down the line, but for now Shea has been getting it done.

The whole team has been getting it done in fact. Yes, it's early. Yes, it's been the D-Rays and Os we've beat so far. So what? A win is a win whether in April or August, and right now being a Sox fan is fun.

paul@redsox2000.com