RAMON: ¡Hermanito! ¡Hermanito! ¡Despierte!
PEDRO: Lo siento, Ramon, tenía un sueño extraño...
RAMON: ¿Un mal sueño? ¿Que?
PEDRO: Sí. Muchas carerras..para mi lanzado...mañana...
RAMON: ¡Ay, sueño extraño de hecho!
Two questions that have haunted the Red Sox all week were answered today.
Question number one, was Pedro's shoulder really okay? That question was effectively answered with a rounding yes as early as the second inning, when the diminutive Dominican blew away five of the first seven hitters he faced, on his way to seven strong shutout innings. Pedro finished the game with his 39th 10-strikeout effort in a Boston uniform, tying Jim Lonborg for 9th place on the all-time team strikeout list in a short two and a half years.
Question number two, can the Sox still score runs? Answered in the fourth inning. The Sox jumped all over another lefty, this time Ranger starter Matt Perisho, who perished amidst a flurry of hits, walks, bloops and liners, as the home team mounted a 9-0 lead. For the second straight night, the Sox banged out eleven hits and eked out eight walks, and for the first time in a while, the bottom of the lineup did most of the damage. Jason Varitek had two hits and four RBI's.
Question number two and a half: Is Lou Merloni for real? Two of his three hits today came on check swings, one of those a run-scoring double. Merloni since being re-called from the Pawsox last Monday, is now 14-for-24 in the major leagues this season, and has made the Sox fans forget the names Sprague, Veras and Berry in a hurry. Merloni deserves serious consideration for American League player of the week.
With all due respect to Louis, all eyes were on Pedro today. He did not disappoint, in a masterful performance -- over the 23 batters he faced, he only threw 23 balls. And due to his first big lead in what seems like a lifetime, Jimy Williams was able to rest him after seven innings, and mop up the carcasses of the Texas lineup with Bryce Florie, who completed the Sox' league-leading ninth-shutout of the season.
No, Pedro, it's not a dream. You really did get run support today.