A Mere Bump in the Road. It's funny how trailing 7-0 before your team comes to bat can be brushed aside when your magic number for a playoff spot is 1. Bad news from the 7-3 loss: Burkett suffered the worst start of his career. Good news: Ortiz took a little BP before the Oakland series and Bronson Arroyo threw 4 perfect innings of relief (actually the bullpen threw 8.2 scoreless innings). ... Earlier yesterday, John Lackey shutout Seattle 4-0. The Mariners are off today. Lowe/Daal at 7:05 pm.

Boston broke the record for total bases in a season with 2,750 (2001 Rockies, 2,748). ... Johnny Damon became only the 3rd Sock with 30+ steals in consecutive seasons (joining deadballers Tris Speaker and Harry Hooper). ... Mike Hargrove and Jim Palmer discuss the Boston/Oakland series. Oakland really wants to play Boston. Hatteberg on New England: "The expectations there are just stretched to all bounds of the universe and beyond." ... Scott Williamson believes he saw a ghost in the Renaissance Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg back in June.

BlogWatch: Dirt Dog reports that Lucchino says Wakefield will start Game 2, presumably to have Lowe pitch at home (his road splits are the pits). ... Dewey's House looks at the AL Cy Young contenders. ... The 2003 Aaron Awards (Aaron Gleeman, that is). ... Howard Dean pledges allegiance to RSN, calling John Kerry's accusation of him as a Yankees fan the "biggest insult" hurled at him so far. Indeed.

One of the best stories I've read this year: Dan Le Batard talks to Barry Bonds. ''Losing dad was the worst thing in the world. I haven't slept in a month. My mind is always racing. I can't concentrate. What's been happening in baseball the last month? I have no idea. I'm just taking care of Mom, doing all the things my dad said he wanted done at the end. I'm drained. I'm constantly thinking, thinking. It's just too overwhelming. I'm devastated. I spend all my time just trying not to have a nervous breakdown.''

Off the Diamond: "Has an American president ever delivered such a bafflingly impertinent speech before the General Assembly as the one George W. Bush gave...?" ... An Annotated Refutation of that UN Address ... "George Bush told lies and they died." ... Excellent commentary on the Hutton Inquiry and the bogus 45-minute WMD claim. ... Fascinating and disturbing. ... Sgt. Leanne Duffy writes to the Madison Capital Times.

A letter from George W. Bush to Congress, dated March 18, 2003: "Consistent with section 3(b) of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107-243), and based on information available to me, including that in the enclosed document, I determine that: ... (2) acting pursuant to the Constitution and Public Law 107-243 is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001." And now he claims he never said Iraq and 9/11 were related? Talk about "revisionist historians."