Red Sox / Seattle - Game 35

Last night the Sox got stomped and I got no sleep.

A West Coast game with a 10:00 start is always a danger to East Coast sleeping patterns and last night I paid a price.

I watched some of the pre-game and was reclining on the couch to watch the first inning when my eyes started to get heavy. I was intending to move upstairsto annoy my wife by leaving the TV on in the bedroom with the sleep timer set for 2 hours but the best laid plans.... I fell asleep on the couch in the bottom of the first and did not awake until after 2:00.

Finally, I made it up to bed with no idea of how the Red Sox did. When I at last got into bed - I could not fall back asleep. For three hours I laid in bed, trying to drift off to sleepy land. For three hours I waged an unsuccessful battle. At 5:30 I gave up and headed back downstairs to watch NESN's Sports Desk and ESPN's Sports Center.

I cycled through the 15 minute Sports Desk and made it through about another 15 minutes of Sport Center before I fell asleep. I probably got about 45 minutes of additional shut-eye before the kids came downstairs.

Right now I feel great. Not sleepy at all - but I know about 5:00 that I'll be in need of a power nap.

As far as the game is concerned - these things happen. Even the best teams get pounded every once and a while. Most teams (even the worst) play about .500 at home. That's baseball.

The one thing that does set off a red flag for me was the 13 runners stranded on base. The Sox got 13 hits and the Mariners got 14 and yet the Mariners outscored the Sox by 7. Kevin Millar left 6 runners on base all by himself.

Before the game Terry Francona was interviewed and he said he's not about to panic and juggle the line-up just because some players are in an early season slump. He specifically mentioned Manny but I think Millar is the one that is really causing Francona heartburn. I'm on record of wanting Kevin Youkilis to get some of Millar's at bats or at the very least have Jason Varitek replace Millar in the five hole. It sounds like Francona is going to try and leave things as is though.