Talk about highs and lows...One night after the Marlins' new star, rookie Dontrelle Willis, gave up just 1 earned run in seven innings to win his seventh straight start, their starting oitchers gave up a AL-record 14 runs in the first inning (including a new major league record of 10 runs before the first out was recorded) against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Boston CF Johnny Damon went 3-for-3 (tying a major league record) and was only a home-run short of the hitting for the cycle - or the merry-go-round, as we now like to call it [see June 25 post] - in the epic 50-minute inning.

The only consolation that Marlins manager Jack McKeon and the starting pitchers who got bombed might conceivably get from such a game is that it only counts as one game in the 'L' column. However, the great thing about baseball - and what sets it apart from other sports such as football and soccer - is that they play 162 of these things every year, so Florida can get back out on the field again tonight and turn it all around. Ain't life just so simple sometimes?