Vital signs

Last night's game ressembled one of those scenes in ER where the doctors check out a trauma patient by reeling off a list of mainly incomprehensible medical terms. In this case, the terms were things we can understand, even if we haven't seen much of them lately:

Decent pitching: Assorted relief pitchers - check...
Timely hitting: Mike Lowell - check...
Good defense: Pedroia, Kapler - check, check...
A little bit of luck: The Two Alexes Show - check...

The patient may not leap up off the operating table and start singing tunes from "Oklahoma!", but the good news is that he is still alive and kicking.

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In other news, the Sox traded David Wells to the Padres for a player to be named later.

I like Boomer - always have, even when he was with the Dark Side - and liked seeing him pitch for the Sox. When he's healthy, he's a great lefty to have on the mound, and he leaves a respectable 17-10 record behind him in his time with the Sox. And beyond the pitching, there's always the added bonus of never quite knowing when he's going to go head-to-head with a second base umpire or even with the Commissioner himself. Now Wells will get a final chance to pitch in a pennant race in his home town, and I wish him and the Padres well.