The Red Sox won last night’s game 10-6 with Alex Cora starting at 2nd Base while Mark Bellhorn was putting the finishing touches on an agreement to sign with the second place New York Yankees, who have been winning over the last month or so despite a .190/.241/.220 August from their 2nd Baseman, Robinson Cano. Yes Mark Bellhorn has struggled thus far in 2005 (though he was not even close to as large of a problem as Kevin Millar is) and yes he was abysmal in his return from injury in Pawtucket. But the Yankees now will have the option of a 31 year-old guy with a .253/.369/.438 line between 2002 and 2004 to run out there in lieu of Cano. Better still for the Bombers, Cano has struggled mightily against southpaws this year while Bellhorn slugged well over .500 against lefties between 2002 and 2004, so they may make for suitable platoon partners.

I always liked Bellhorn, and he was terribly under-appreciated here. That fans chose to kick and scream and throw bitch-fits over the strikeouts while Bellhorn was a well above average 2nd Baseman was always a black mark on the “smartest fans in baseball” rep that sometimes Sox fans merit and quite often other times, they don’t. Explaining to a Bellhorn dissenter that he was a better player than Alfonso Soriano in 2004 is always a good time. Speaking of 2004, he was absolutely integral - essential even - to last season’s championship effort and Bellhorn fans will always have the three-run, opposite field home run in Game 6, the pole rattling nail in the coffin in Game 7, a second pole rattler to win Game 1 and the double off of Matt Morris in the 1st inning of Game 2. Mark Bellhorn is a guy that goes about his business in a stout, resolute manner and Sox fans worth a salt in my book ought to appreciate what he accomplished for the Red Sox and lament that the Yankees have acquired him.

Anyway, the Sox won, Matt Clement pitched pretty well, there was a rain delay, Johnny Damon homered and then was hit by a pitch on the hand but x-rays were negative and David Ortiz homered twice. Of course, so did Jason Giambi, as the Yanks won to keep pace.