G35: Rangers 6, Red Sox 0 (6 inn.)

0514, 5:00 PM -- Another one-game series.

Saturday's rain-out game will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader during the weekend of June 9-11. Now, Sunday's game may mean five games in three days. (Both teams do have an off day July 20.)

The postponements will play havoc with the Sox pitching staff in early June, but it's good news for me. It's two games I didn't miss. And as I check the starters for the Orioles series, I know that I will be home in my chair with a clean scoresheet and a glass(es) of cold wine for the final game of the series.

Jeff Horrigan looks past Baltimore to the pitching assignments against the Phillies and Yankees. (New York placed Tanyon Sturtze (18 games, 7.59 ERA) on the 15-day disabled list with soreness in his pitching shoulder.)

Good news for Dave Wallace. He will receive a new left hip on June 1. ... Karen Guregian takes a quick look at how Abe Alvarez, Manny Delcarmen, Craig Hansen and Jon Lester are pitching in Pawtucket. ... Out in Los Angeles, Bill Mueller will have arthroscopic knee surgery today.

Books: Bob Hohler gives a solid endorsement of my friend Tom Adelman's book Black and Blue: The Golden Arm, the Robinson Boys, and the 1966 World Series That Stunned America.

Bob Ryan looks at the latest from Baseball Prospectus, Baseball Between The Numbers: Why Everything You Know About The Game Is Wrong. Ryan: Forget "feel." Forget "anecdotal evidence." Just put the numbers in there, crunch 'em, and accept the verdict, whatever it may be. ... The depth of their knowledge is not merely formidable or impressive. It is downright frightening." One of Ryan's favourite sentences: "In 2004, no visiting team ever found itself in a tie game with no one out in the fourth inning with men on second and third."

Eric Wilbur is sick of the Clemens Saga (and is certain the TCM will stay in Houston). The Houston Chronicle reports that Clemens has a $20 million offer for five months from another team, in addition to the Astros' offer (a prorated version of Clemens's 2005 $18 million deal).

The Onion reports Clemens's family has offered him a one-year, $10 million deal "with a family option for a second year should Clemens perform well in his new role as husband and father." According to his wife, Debbie

It's hard to put a dollar amount on what Roger has historically meant to this family. Many of the younger members of this organization really look up to Roger—growing up, he was their hero. Now Roger has the chance to be a kind of mentor to guys like Kacy and Kody. They have really been lacking the strong veteran presence that's so crucial at this point in their careers. We need you, Roger. Please come home.

0513, 7:45 PM -- Tonight's game was rained out and Friday's rain-shortened contest was called during David Ortiz's at-bat leading off the bottom of the sixth. ... The weather was terrible.

Jeff Goldberg, Courant:

When the game began, a fog blanketed Fenway. By the fourth inning, the fog lifted, but the rain, which began falling in the third inning, intensified. After a 48-minute delay, the game was called (at) 9:16 p.m. (as) large pools of water were forming on the warning track and in front of both dugouts.

Joe McDonald, ProJo:

The final box scores were handed out in the press box 16 minutes after the rain delay began, when the rule states clubs have to wait 30 minutes to make an official decision.

Jeff Horrigan, Herald:

A member of director of grounds Dave Mellor’s 25-man crew estimated that between 60-100 bags of Turface, or de facto kitty litter, was spread on the soggy mound, batter’s boxes and infield ...

Jonathan Papelbon has been grinding his teeth while sleeping this season, but he says he began doing it before the season began. Steve Buckley reports that he was applying a hot pack to both sides of his face during the recent Yankees series.

I think it's more just a self-conscious thing where I'm not really able to quit doing it. I'm doing it self-consciously and I think it's a little bit stress-related, maybe. But it's getting better and better. Obviously, as time goes on, I'm starting to learn how to cope with it and lessen the pain. ... I started doing it before spring training, at home during the offseason. ... Some days are worse than others. A lot of times I'm not able to sleep at night. I'm still thinking about baseball. I'm not letting everything go during the day.

Texas at Fenway.

May 12: Rangers 6, Red Sox 0 (6 inn.)
May 13: Postponed, rain
May 14: Postponed, rain