G43: Phillies 5, Red Sox 1

Red Sox  - 100 000 000 - 1 4 0
Phillies - 000 221 00x - 5 9 0

Victor Martinez hit a solo home run in the first, but Boston managed next to nothing after that off Hamels (7-3-1-1-8, 116). The Red Sox did not get a runner past second base until they were down to their last out in the ninth. With the bases loaded against J.C. Romero, pinch-hitter David Ortiz flew out to Shane Victorino on the warning track in center.

Lackey (5-6-4-5-3, 107) never settled into a groove. He walked two and allowed a double in the first three innings, throwing 55 pitches. Ryan Howard homered to start the fourth and a double from Jayson Werth and Victorino's single gave Philadelphia a 2-1 lead. Werth's two-run dong in the fifth made it 4-1 and Howard added an RBI single in the sixth.

The Rays lost to the Astros 2-1. The Yankees beat the Mets 2-1; Mariano Rivera allowed a run in the ninth on back-to-back two-out doubles, the fifth run he's allowed in his last three appearances (2.1 innings).

The Diamondbacks have a 7-3 lead over the Blue Jays in the 7th.

John Lackey / Cole Hamels

Scutaro, SS
Pedroia, 2B
Martinez, C
Youkilis, 1B
Drew, RF
Beltre, 3B
Hall, LF
McDonald, CF
Lackey, P

The Phillies are 25-15 (and 12-5 in May) and are 4 GA of the Marlins in the NL East. Hamels had a 5.28 ERA in five April starts, but has done better in May: 3 starts, 2.75.

In terms of aggregate weighted 2010-to-date winning percentage of opponents, which AL team has the toughest interleague schedule? The Red Sox. The Rays and Yankees are 10th and 11th, respectively. Since I already think interleague games should be abolished, this just pisses me off.

Also:

Yankees at Mets, 7 PM
Rays at Astros, 8 PM
Blue Jays at Diamondbacks, 9:30 PM

May 21 in Baseball History

1904: Boston Americans shortstop Bill O'Neill makes six errors in a game against the Browns, including three in the first inning on the first three balls hit to him. He blames snakes.

1957: Boston baseball writers reaffirm their ban on women in the press box and refuse to allow Doris O'Donnell, a Cleveland feature writer traveling with the Spiders, to sit in the Fenway Park press area.