What the heck happened last night? After a night of chilling with the boys, watching the game at my place, I wake up this morning with a bright beam of light streaking through the blinds of my bedroom window. And I think everything is great and fine. BUT, I do my daily routine of checking out last night's scores on espn.com, and I notice that the Redsox lost last night 13-6? And then I think, wasn't Pedro pitching last night? Weren't we playing the Orioles last night, a team that is atrocious? And the answers to those questions are yes, yes, and yes. A couple of thoughts come to my mind in which I would like to express. First, the Sox offense is killing the cover off the ball night in and night out. To score 5 or 6 runs a night is great; but we are starting to suffer from texasitis. That being- having power hitters in your lineup in which of any 2-3 guys can hit 30 homeruns in a season and have an average runs per game of 6 but still lose because your pitching can't hold a team to under 5 runs....yea, that's texasitis and the Sox are definitely suffering from that. And secondly, I hold no grudges against Pedro for last night's performance. Actually, I feel bad for him. Just think about what he has gone through. How if you were told this- Pedro, your flight is leaving home today for Boston so you can get an extra night's rest at home before the home opener on Friday against Baltimore. Pedro, the game has been postponed until tomorrow in a doubleheader. Oh Pedro, the afternoon game is postponed again so you are pitching tonight at seven...Oh my god- I would have gone crazy. Fans, I do know that Pedro did say, "Just give 30 minutes to go through warm-ups and I'll pitch anytime." But come on people, let's be realistic. That kind of anxiety in postponing Pedro's start twice has to have an effect and it obviously did as Pedro just wasn't himself last night and that's self-explanatory by his 10 Earned Runs in 4 1/3 innings pitched.

Now, no one can write a column and not talk about the Sox bullpen. Wow man, this bullpen is absolutely pitiful. They Sucked. Plain and simple. Out of the whole bullpen, the only guy I like and can trust is Steve Woodard? Yes, Steve Woodard. He pitched marvelously in the 16 inning game against Tampa Bay, not allowing a run and giving up only 2 hits in 3 innings of work. But of course, I haven't seen him since, but we have seen Mike Timlin? Wow man, give me a break. I'm dying over here...Oh yea, what the heck is that freakin eye-soaring tee-shirt that Timlin has underneath his uniform. I mean, my god. I can't tell if he's wearing an army shirt to show support for the troops or ready to go deer hunting or something. I don't care what it is, but he looks like an idiot...plain and simple once again. I know some people are saying- Matt, what the hell you looking at what he is wearing underneath his uniform? 'Cuz fans I just can't bear watching Mike Timlin pitch and so I notice the stupid things like what Timlin is wearing.

This being his second year as the TV broadcaster for NESN, I'm developing a liking for Dom Orsillo. I know I tooled on him earlier last year (and rightly so), but Dom is actually a funny kid, especially being paired up with Jerry Remy. I would love to have the job that they have. To watch Sox games every game live from the booth, to travel with the club all over the country, to meet and make acquaintances with the players...that must be the best. I hope I will be able to land a job like that in the future.

One last thing, let's not start blasting the Sox for the way they've been playing in the first 11 games. Yea I know they're only 6-5 and that they've played Tampa Bay, Baltimore, and Toronto, but come on, its way too early to start judging them now. So hold on 'till late August and then make your comments because isn't that what you the Sox fans do best?

'Till next time, take of yourself and watch those Celtics!!

Matto85@aol.com