Tonight’s game between the Red Sox and White Sox was riveting… if you are a devotee of old-school / National League-style baseball. The pitching match-up between Chicago’s Javier Vazquez and rookie Kason Gabbard, who picked up his first career victory, was less exciting if you are a fan of the home run, as Boston’s 1-0 shutout win featured none of them. Even with an error charged to the Red Sox, the game featured excellent pitching and defense for both teams.  

The starting pitchers allowed a combined total of only six hits. Vazquez and Gabbard each had three hits, with Gabbard pitching seven innings and Vazquez going all eight for Chicago. Boston reliever Mike Timlin, who picked up the win in last night’s overtime effort, allowed just one hit in the two-inning save.  

Although Mike Lowell had the error with the poorly fielded ground ball in the fourth inning, he was also involved in two of the Red Sox’s three double plays of the evening. The first came quickly after the error, with Paul Konerko grounding into a bases-loaded 5-4-3 double play. The latter was more remarkable, with Lowell fielding a liner from Joe Crede and turning it to Kevin Youkilis to get Tadahito Iguchi out to end the top of the sixth. The fielding efforts were more impressive in the later innings as the Red Sox protected their very narrow lead while contending with increasingly heavy rainfall.  

Tonight brought the return of David Ortiz after he was cleared to play following treatment for heart palpitations. Big Papi received a very enthusiastic welcome from the crowd at Fenway in all four of his plate appearances. He did not make any direct contribution to the Boston victory, however, going 0-3 with a walk. Coco Crisp had the only RBI of the night with a single to score Trot Nixon, who only returned from injury himself in last night’s series opener.  

Although Boston’s heavy hitters are healthy once more, with Ortiz, Nixon, and catcher Jason Varitek all returning in time to take on the defending World Series champions, the pitching staff is still suffering mightily. Starters Tim Wakefield and Matt Clement have both been out since midsummer, Clement with a strained shoulder in his throwing arm and Wakefield with a fractured rib. Rookie right-hander David Pauley, who had been called up from AA Portland, was also placed on the disabled list last week with a shoulder strain, and closer Jonathan Papelbon frightened fans on Friday when he left in the ninth inning of Friday’s victory over Toronto, also with an apparent shoulder injury. Papelbon had expressed his desire to return earlier today, pending the results of an MRI, but it looks like his injury, while not severe, will require more rest and rehabilitation than that. Of course, the most serious concern for Boston is the health of rookie pitcher Jon Lester, who was diagnosed with a form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma last week.  

Curt Schilling was scratched from his scheduled start last night, as well, with a mild strain of his own. The rotation also lost 43-year-old David Wells last week, when he finally got his wish of a trade to hometown San Diego. Of course, in my opinion, Boston is better off without Wells, who has been inconsistent and injury prone in recent years, but it does leave the Red Sox, who received a minor-league catcher (and cash, not his weight in ground beef, as I had suggested) in the trade, even more short-staffed in their pitching rotation.  

It’s still too early to say that Boston should pack it in and wait for next year, but the picture still looks rather bleak. With tonight’s win, they are still 8.5 games back in the American League East (eight if the Royals can defend their five-run lead in the top of the ninth inning against New York) and six games behind Minnesota (and a game and a half behind Chicago) in the wild card. To have a chance at playing October baseball, the Red Sox will need for September to be as good as August was bad. If they can put together twenty or more wins, they may actually pick up enough ground, particularly if they can do some damage in their series against the Twins and Yankees.  

And, oh yeah- Lasorda for Commissioner.