Var-i-tek! Var-i-tek! Var-i-tek! OK, it's time to stop screwing around, i'm sick of the win two, lose two, win one, lose two, routine. We need to take this win and turn it into something, something big. We should have used the spark from the come from behind win last week in Oakland as a catalyst, we didn't though. But now we have another chance, it's not often that you get another shot to get things going. I want... No! I DEMAND, we win Tuesday's game, then Pedro will take the hill for the last game of the series and complete the sweep.

Sorry if i'm coming across a bit forceful, but it's 1:45am EST as I write this, and the Sox just finished up a great come back against the M's last night. There were alot of clutch hits and contributions from some lacking and unlikely sources. We even had Jimy make and unorthedox decision, but a decision I was hopeing he'd make before he even did it. I'll get to it all in the next few paragraphs.

The game started of awful, as Ramon Martinez continued his putrid performances. His lack of conrol in the first inning is getting way beyond rediculous. Ramon threw himself into another hole loading the bases without giving up a hit. Yep, you guessed it, three walks. And just when it looked like he might squeek out of it unscathed, he went 3-2 on Jay Buhner and then served up a fat, juicy, tastey, mouth watering fastball that Buhner promptly deposited into the center field bleachers. Ramon then went out and walked the first batter he faced in the 2nd and went 1-0 on the next hitter before Jimy came out of the dugout to put us out of our misery.

Not good, not good at all. Makes you wonder whoes on the "outs" when Brett Saberhagen returns in another week or so.

But onto the good stuff. The come back! Well, the Sox didn't exactly roll over and play dead after Seattle had their four-run, one-hit inning. Actually they did the exact opposite, coming back with three of their own in the top of the 2nd. The inning was started off with a solo home run by Nomar Garciaparra, and then M's starter Paul Abbott had some control problems. A walk, a hit, a sac fly by Mike Lansing, and an error later, we had put three back up on the board.

The bottom of the inning featured the last run the M's would score on the night. After that the Sox would chip away with a single run in the Sixth (driven in by Lansing), and then all the heroics came in the 8th. After a Gilkely fly-out, a Hatteberg Single, and a Sprague fly-out, Mike Lansing deposited his 2nd bloop hit into right field, getting pinch runner Darren Lewis to Third. So with two outs and the tieing run ninety feet away, Trot Nixon came to the plate and lined a clutch base hit into right to tie the game. Next up, Jason Varitek.

I've been all over Tek lately for his absolutely awful average with runners in scoreing position. In Tek's defense he's been playing hurt most of the year, but he hasn't talked about it, or used it as an excuse. So it's easy to point fingers in this case. But Jason came up HUGE this time as he lined a three-run homer over the right field wall and that would be all the Sox would need. By the way, Nixon and Vartiek both did this against Sasaki, who had only allowed two runs in his last 16+ innings pitched.

The Sox bull-pen was great, the combo of Florie, Beck, Garces, and Pichardo, came on to shut the M's offense completely down. The foursome allowed only two hits and two walks over the eight innings they pitched. Absolutely awesom! If we're going to get any effectivenes out of Bryce Florie, Jimy has to keep using his in non-pressure situations like he did tonight.

The last thing I would like to mention is a weird move in baseball terms, but a move I was hopeing Jimy would make, or non-move actually. Hipolito Pichardo came on to pitch in the eigth inning and mowed down Edgar Martinez, John Olerud, and Jay Buhner with ungodly ease. But in the top of the inning while the Sox were making their come back, Jimy pinch ran for DH Scott Hatteberg, which meant we lose the DH for the rest of the game and the pitcher would have to bat. Here's where the "non-move" comes in. In losing the DH Pichardo was scheduled to bat third in the top of the ninth. Naturally you'd think he would be hit for and Derek Lowe would have been brought in to close it out. But Pichardo did so well againt the meat of the M's order, Jimy opted to let him bat so he could pitch the ninth, saveing Lowe for today and keeping in a guy who was throwing strikes. Turned out to be a great decision as Pichardo eliminted the three guys he faced in the ninth and picked-up the save. Now this wasn't a knock on Derek Lowe by any means, but why take a guy out while he's hot? Great decision Jimy.

Tonight's game has Tim Wakefield on the hill against John Halama. Halama is a lefty, of which we've been petty bad against this year. We need Tim to come up with a big start and hope the offense can put a few on the board. Game time is 10:00pm EST.