Can you believe it? The Red Sox played 18-innings of shutout baseball against the once league-leading Orioles. Clement was brilliant in Thursday's outing. The Boston Herald gives a fine overview of the game, especially describing the Orioles lineup:

"With former MVPs Miguel Tejada and Sammy Sosa surrounded by a player with 552 career homers (Rafael Palmeiro), one of the best hitting catchers in a generation (Javy Lopez), a 2004 Silver Slugger winner (Melvin Mora), the league's top hitter so far (Brian Roberts) and a trio of underrated sluggers (Jay Gibbons, Luis Matos and Larry Bigbie), opposing pitchers rarely get an opportunity to catch their breath."

Until the Sox came to town.

Don't be mistaken, Baltimore's lineup is fierce. Look what they did to the Yankees last weekend- 23 runs in a three-game sweep.

Clement may be turning things around. In his last two starts he's only allowed 1 earned-run, while striking out 13 in 15 innings. Stellar.

And David Wells is trying his best to prove me wrong. Many fans are doing an about-face; praising the lefty. I still don't like him. However, I hope that he does well for the Sox sake.

Now, Boston enters the weekend with a one-game lead on Baltimore, and more importantly, a three-game lead on the Yankees.

Boston will be facing the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Tim Wakefield, the club's best pitcher to date, goes up against lefty Scott Kazmir.

Kazmir gave the Sox fits in 2004, but that is all in the past now.

I don't quite understand why the Devil Rays are as bad as their record indicates.

They have a very good manager in Lou Piniella. They have capable outfield with Aubrey Huff, Carl Crawford and Rocco Baldelli's replacement Alex Sanchez.

The infield may be a little weak. But Rookie third-baseman Jorge Cantu looks promising, and Julio Lugo provides some speed at second/short.

The real problem - pitching. The starters are average: Scott Kazmir, Rob Bell, Dewan Brazelton and Hideo Nomo. And then we come to the bullpen. Here's where the numbers get real nasty. Webb 8 runs, 4 innings; Harper 9 runs, 12 innings; Lance Carter 9 runs, 9 innings; McClung 9 runs in 7 innings and our old friend Casey Fossum 5 runs in 10 innings - the best of the bunch.

See MLB.com's Tampa Bay site for more information and stats.

I guess if Boston can get by Kazmir, the game should be theirs.

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