It rained before the game, as we were standing in Eutaw St. waiting for the gates to the seating areas to open. The game had been rained out the night before, and I hoped they'd be able to get this game in, since I was only going to be in Baltimore for one day. When they did let us in, we couldn't go straight to our seats because they weren't covered and it was still raining. There was no batting practice, and the game started 45 minutes late, but finally the rain stopped and it was time to play ball.

Our seats were in the outfield, in foul territory down the right field line. There were a lot of other Red Sox fans sitting around us, so I didn't feel like I'd be bothering anyone if I cheered for the Sox. I got the chance to cheer right away, as they batted around in the first inning. To get Nomar Garciaparra some extra at-bats, Jimy Williams had him lead off for the first time since his rookie season in 1997. The Sox took advantage of three Baltimore errors, a Mike Lansing homer, and a Jose Offerman two-run single, to score six runs before it was over. Then they tried to give them all back in the bottom of the inning, when Lansing had an error and Rolando Arrojo walked four batters, and the Orioles scored three runs. That's the kind of afternoon it was going to be. Pedro Martinez had thrown a two-hitter here in Camden Yards the previous year, and Hideo Nomo's no-hitter took place here only four months ago, but we would witness no such pitching perfection on this muggy afternoon.

Nomar led off the second inning with a homer. Baltimore's starter Jason Johnson didn't make it out of the fourth, but Arrojo had a rough time, too. After having pitched so well in Pedro's place in the rotation, he had nothing. He started the third with a double, a wild pitch, a hit batsmen, and a two-run double, before he was removed in favor of Tim Wakefield. Arrojo ended up on the D.L. after the game, which would open up a spot in the rotation for Casey Fossum. Wakefield went the next five innings without allowing a run.

[The bullpens got a lot of work that day.] For more pictures, please go on to... Page 1           Page 2           Page 3