David Cone (5IP 9H 3R 3ER 2BB 6K 1HR): Just looking at the numbers I'd say Cone had a pretty decent outing, and might just have saved his spot on the team for another week or two. The nine hits seem high for five innings, but only three earned runs and six strikeouts says something was going right for him.

Manny Ramirez (2-4 R RBI HR): After a short hiatus, I'd say he's baaaaaack! His homer was estimated at 491 feet, the longest in Skydome history. What a shot!

Dante Bichette (1-4 R RBI HR): Two big hits in the series? Something is wrong here, what did those Canadians do to our Dante?

Derek Lowe (1IP 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 2K 0HR S): Make that 15 innings, 1 earned run.

I really don't have much else to add to this write-up for the game. Since I missed 90% of it, I don't have the usual 'little things' that I talk about. So I'll switch over to today's game.

Back to 'Evil Land' for a one-game make-up. Pedro will take the hill against Mike Mussina for the third time in a row. Though I've heard rumors that Mussina will be pushed back a day so he can avoid Pedro. Wimp! Anyway, with the sweep of Toronto we have ourselves a bonafide winning streak (5 games). Who better to stretch it to six than Pedro?

We're also now two games up on the 'Evil Ones' and I'd love to make it three before our lengthy homestead (9 games) against Detroit, Philly, and Florida. Time to start building some distance, but the offense is going to have to keep clicking. And I don't consider clicking being only five hits against the likes of Joey Hamilton who has been getting smacked all over the ballpark this year with the exception of the game against us. That game worked out OK, but it usually doesn't.

I'm calling for a reverse of June 2000. So what would that do, give us like 20 wins for the month this year? Unlikely but with the somewhat weak June schedule this year, it's possible.

We have three with Detroit (home), they're no pushover but very beatable, 2 of 3. Then three with Philly (home) who has finally started to emerge with all their young talent maturing. Since we're home I want 2 but only 1 wouldn't shock me. Next Florida comes to town for three (home) and there's no excuse for at least 2. After that we shoot over to Atlanta for three and though Atlanta has been struggling this year they're still the Braves and I'll settle for 1. To finish off the month we have 7 against Tampa Bay (3 away 4 home) and 5 against Toronto (3 home 2 away). After what we did against Tampa earlier this year and what we just did to the Jays, of those last twelve, asking for 8 or 9 isn't our of the realm of possibility.

So if all that were to happen and we grab this game against NY today we could find ourselves 18-9 for the month of June. A tall order yes, but since when have Sox fans ever asked for anything reasonable?

paul@redsox2000.com