Josh Beckett Pitches in a Game! and the Red Sox Finally Make it to All-Star Break

Yesterday I went to see Josh Beckett pitch in a rehab start in Pawtucket and it was everything I had hoped it would be. First off, let me say that if you haven't been to McCoy Stadium you should go. The tickets were cheap, parking was free, and the park was really, really nice. I got there early and watched Josh warm up in the pen. Then he pitched 4 innings and let me tell you, there is nothing better in baseball than watching Josh Beckett pitch.

That being said, I did promise an unbiased report of his pitching so I can say that although he looked good, he did look like a guy rehabbing after almost 2 months of being on the DL. He let guys get ahead in the count more than I would have liked. He let this one guy (Boomer was his name) foul off it seemed like a dozen pitches before getting him out, the outfield saved him from a couple of hits that I was worried about, and he did give up a homerun. However, for his first rehab start I was impressed.

In other news the Red Sox won against Toronto yesterday but Adrian Beltre was felled in the effort. He went down with a hamstring issue that may affect his ability to play in the All-Star game. I don't think I've ever been more relieved to see the All-Star break. I want to send them all home to go to bed for the next three days so they can rest up.

The baseball gods claim another victim in their attempt to stop the Red Sox

Call it the curse of interleague play if you will but the Red Sox who returned to Boston last night are a battered, bruised bunch. Between Pedey, Clay, and now V-Mart we are lucky we have a team to put out on the field.

The number of times NESN replayed V-Mart getting hit on his toe with that foul ball was disturbing because every time they showed it all I could think about was the time I lost my baby toenail and then ran over it with a stroller. Victor had hit that same toe and lost the toe nail just a few weeks ago. It made me feel a little sick. Also, for the record, I'm pretty sure V-Mart was crying behind his mask, and really, can you blame the guy? If you haven't seen the video, take a look here and let me know if you think he's crying. The odd thing is that it wasn't even the toe that caused him to be pulled from the game, but his thumb, which broke after being hit twice with foul balls.

I'm crossing my fingers and toes that V-Mart is not out for long, because without him and Pedey things are going to get dicey. Now imagine if we lost Beltre and Youk as well. Oy vey!