OK, guessatomo, it was funny in the last thread. Now stop it.

Thank you, that's better.

Speaking of "strike-throughs," it appears that whenever the Red Sox play the Angels they play like they have a strike-through in their bats, gloves, and souls. They are the only reason LAA still has any hopes in this convoluted playoff race. And for this, Boston must be spanked. Thrice. By us.

And who better to issue the first spanking but veteran dominatrix Brandon McCarthy? (Amanda, if you're reading and this turns you on: call me.) On the mound for the Red Sox is RHP Aaron Cook. You're probably expecting a pun now on the word "cook" and it's not going to happen. See, I'm not that predictable.

Missing from the starting lineup tonight: Chris Carter, as Brandon Moss gets a chance to start against the RHP and so does Jonny Gomes. Perhaps Gomes' inclusion in the lineup reflects Bob Melvin's belief in Gomes' small sample dominance of Cook: 7 for 14 with 3 HRs. Or perhaps Melvin is understandably caught up in "Petaluma Fever". Whichever it is, the A's have a heck of a pinch hitting weapon waiting on the bench.