The following day we were back in Hammond Stadium for another game against the cross-town rival Twins. It was a good game for the Triple A guys: Dusty Brown had two hits including a game-tying home run, Brandon Moss also went 2-for-2 with a stolen base and knocked in the go-ahead run, and lefty Jon Switzer pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save. But what troubled me was Jon Lester's start. He loaded the bases with no outs in the first on a single and two walks (plus three stolen bases along the way). He was able to minimize the damage, as one run came home on a double play before a groundout ended the inning. But in the second he struggled some more. A double, a walk, and a Sean Casey error again loaded the bases with no outs. Lester walked in a run, and then was removed after he topped the 40-pitch mark. Miguel Tejera allowed all three inherited runners to score before getting out of the inning.

Two days later, I went to Pawtucket to watch the Triple A PawSox. I normally like to wait until warmer weather to visit the minor league teams, but they were having a promotion to celebrate the parent club's World Championship. Both the 2004 and 2007 trophies would be available for photos. I invited my brother and his girlfriend, neither of whom had seen the trophies yet. I arrived before the gates opened, and went in right away while the trophy line was short. They came later (although still an hour before gametime) and by then the line stretched the whole length of the outfield. They were still in line when the trophies were whisked away for a pre-game ceremony.

Before the game, Brandon Moss, Bobby Kielty, and Jeff Bailey carried the trophies onto the field, where they were congratulated by the governor of Rhode Island. All three players had seen time with Boston during their Championship season. Bailey was called up for a week in July. Moss had made his debut in 2007, too, and he was one of the most popular PawSox players in the game that afternoon, because he had started the current season in the majors as the Red Sox opened the season in Japan. When J.D. Drew came down with a bad back, Moss got the start in the opening game, and hit a huge game-tying homer (the first of his career) in the ninth. Kielty had played with the Sox since he was signed off waivers in August. He made the postseason roster, and became a cult hero when he knocked the only pitch he saw in the World Series for a home run in Game 4. Over the winter he signed a minor league contract to return to the team. Devern Hansack had also spent time with the team in '07, but he was starting the game and was busy warming up in the 'pen. After the ceremony, they eventually returned the trophies to the photo line, and my brother finally got through and joined me in the seats a couple of innings into the game.

It was a lot colder than we thought it was going to be. The forecast had called for a sunny 50-degree day, and that's what I was dressed for. But instead it ended up cloudy and 40 degrees with a wind chill of 34. I had a long-sleeved shirt and jacket, and I always stuff gloves, a knit hat, and a scarf in my bag in April "just in case." I had debated leaving my sweatshirt in the car rather than dragging it around with me, and was glad I decided to take it. It wasn't long before I had all the layers on, but I kept wishing I had worn my long johns and brought a blanket. The PawSox got on the board when Kielty's bases-loaded walk forced in a run in the bottom of the first. Unfortunately Hansack (who seems to be pitching every time I go to Pawtucket) served up a pair of doubles and a two-run bomb in the second. The PawSox climbed back within a run in the third, when Moss's grounder drove in a run.

It got even colder when it started to rain late in the game. Our seats were technically covered, but with the wind, we were getting rained on anyway. The attendance was announced as 4,260, but there were only a few hundred of us left when the PawSox went into the bottom of the ninth trailing 5-2. We had great seats a few rows back behind home plate, and I moved down to the front row so I could get some good pictures by holding my camera up to the screen so it wouldn't be in the way. Joe Thurston reached on a bunt hit, and George Kottaras and Chris Carter walked. That loaded the bases with two outs, and the two hottest hitters - Brandon Moss and Bobby Kielty, who were responsible for knocking in the only runs the PawSox had that day - were due up next. Moss singled, driving in a run. I was sure Kielty would reward us for sticking it out in the cold, but he ended up with his fourth walk of the day, forcing in a run for the second time. That made it 5-4 and gave us some hope, but Keith Ginter ended up grounding out to end it. (Actually I was afraid they'd tie it up, and we'd have to shiver through extra innings. As it was, we "beat the traffic" by staying till the end of the game, long after most people had left.) I came home and cranked up the heat and turned on the electric blanket. Ahh, "summer" in New England!