Red Sox / Devil Rays - Game 10

The Red Sox scored 10 runs on 10 hits and David Wells didn't allow a run in 7 innings pitched last night. A laugher.

The big hit of the night was David Ortiz's grand slam in the third inning. Ortiz has retaken the team MVP title from Jason Varitek who had taken it from Ortiz the night before.

With the 7 shutout innings, Wells dropped his ERA to 5.09 (mild sarcasm was used to write this sentence).

However, to me the big story was Hideo Nomo.

Nomo had a no-hitter going through 2 innings and don't think the thought that there might be another Fenway no-no for Nomo didn't cross my mind. Nomo is a career 119-102 with a 4.08 ERA. BaseballReference.com doesn't list Tim Wakefield among the most similar pitchers to Nomo but to me - Wakefield and Nomo are almost the same and I feel the same about seeing Nomo struggle as I would to see Wake struggle.

Consider the following:

- Nomo was a rookie sensation. He went 13-6 with a 2.54 ERA on his way to winning the rookie of the year crown. Wakefield went 8-1 as a rookie with a 2.15 ERA.

- Both have unusual pitching styles. Nomo twists so much that he got the nickname "the Tornado". Wakefield is a knuckleballer.

- Nomo is a career 119-102 with a 4.08 ERA. His ERA+ is 102 and his career winning percentage is .539. Wakefield is a career 129-111 with a 4.27 ERA. His ERA+ is 107 and his winning percentage is .536.

- When either pitcher was "on" they were virtually unhittable. However, both have experience as many valleys in their careers as peaks.

To me both players seem to project a sort of quiet dignity. Even after getting rocked last night - Nomo sat in the dugout and stoically took it in. Both players are the sort of guys you would be happy to have as neighbors.

Hideo Nomo is hanging on to his professional career by his fingernails and I'm saddened by that. Nomo was the guy who showed that Japanese players could succeed in MLB. Somehow I think that Nomo deserves better than his current lot. I'm pulling for him this season the same way I pull for Tim Wakefield.

To me they are almost the same player.