G74: Red Sox 12, Phillies 8

Life is good.

Manny's 19th career grand slam gives Boston a 7-0 lead. Wells sweats it out through five innings, leaves with a 8-5 advantage. Embree and Vazquez do bad things and the Phillies tie the game in the seventh at 8-8.

Then the Red Sox bat in the top of the eighth:

Damon - first pitch single.
Bellhorn - first pitch double, Damon scores, 9-8.
Ortiz - first pitch single, Bellhorn to third.
Ramirez - first pitch sac fly, 10-8.
Nixon - first pitch force play, Ortiz out at second.
Varitek - called strike, ball, two-run home run, 12-8.

Eight pitches, four runs.

Boston leads Baltimore by 2.5 games in the East. They have won 12 of 13 and are on a roll not seen since last October. They are home tonight against Cleveland. Life is good.