Colon Comes Through

Another night, another pitcher helping out. Bartolo Colon looked good in his Red Sox debut and could be a huge a factor if he can even come close to regaining his Cy Young form.

Colon did exactly what the team needed, allowing 2 runs in 5 innings. He only threw 74 pitches, which is perfect for his first start, and looked in control the whole game.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 6, Royals 3

He could be the perfect addition to the team not only for his pitching but he's also very close with Manny and friends with Ortiz. He will be a great replacement for Tavarez as Manny's buddy. Maybe Manny will rub Bart's belly in the dugout instead of petting his head.

The bullpen was solid too. It's a great sign that Hansen and Delcarmen had perfect innings.

Ellsbury and Dustin had the big games on offense, but Lugo actually got a big hit driving home the 2nd run in the 4-run 5th giving the Sox a 3-2 lead. Manny was 0 for 3 and is now 0 for 10 with 5 strikeouts in the series and 2 for 18 with no runs or RBIs in the 5 games he's played on the homestand.

I never worry about Manny though. He usually starts slow, and this year he didn't, so maybe this is just making up for that a little bit. I doubt his slump will last as long as Ortiz's.

What a difference a week makes as the Sox go for the clean sweep of the 7-game homestand with Dice-K on the mound Thursday after losing 4 in a row on the road. The Sox are dominating at Fenway. They have the best home record in the majors leagues, 20-5, and passed the Diamondbacks for the best overall record in the majors leagues.

It worked out perfectly that Thursday is a day game so there's no conflict with Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The double home victory will have the town buzzing.