Gagne will probably help them in 8th inning down the stretch more than Timlin/Tavarez/MDC/Lopez and there is the danger of overuse with Okajima and a stretch fade for Papelbon so I think it was a good move. But I think Gabbard may have been more effective as a #5 starter down the stretch than Lester--I wish they could have dumped Craig Hansen for Gagne instead of Gabbard, but that was the price. Wakefield is what he is unfortunately. But I worry the most about Schilling. I'm not sure there's anything left there at the MLB level. Gabbard covered Schilling's spot in the rotation quite well.

Dye would have been cool, but I don't think he wanted to go and the price seemed too high. Wily Mo Strike Out has been an utter disappointment, perhaps connected to lack of playing time, but I don't think he'll ever get it together. And JD Drew is maddening. However, whenever I think the guy is nothing short of useless he seems to put a decent game together like last night. We're stuck with the offense but maybe Bobby Kielty or Jacoby Ellsbury will provide a spark for the lack of offense coming out of right field.

It's going to be tight from here on out most likely.

Indeed it will be. I say bring it on!!

And there go the Dodgers...

Huh, so much for Gagne helping out the Red Sox bullpen.

He's cost them three games...but he pitched okay on Sunday.

Wakefield now has 15 wins. And the Angels' Budde is my buddy! Red Sox need to fatten up on Tampa Bay and Chicago if they expect to hold on to the division.

I watched part of the Yankees Angels game last night and while I'm happy to say that the Yankees lost, it was such a treat to watch A-Rod play. That guy is simply a god of hitting.

Gagne tripping up? I've not been keeping up with him since the trade.

Garret Anderson with 10 RBIs tonight against the Yanks! That'll shut up all of their fans that seem to travel from stadium to stadium like a plague.

Yep, I think their season is done. Arizona and San Diego would have to play absolutely horribly the last month-and-a-half for L.A. to catch up, and I just don't see that happening.

Gagne (or should he be called GAG-ME?) is a complete disaster. He simply can not be brought out of the bullpen with the game on the line. I wouldn't bring him in unless there's a 4-run cushion, minimum. He's friggin horrible. He can'T throw his off-speed stuff for strikes so he just ends up throwing nothing but fastballs and eventually he throws one 400 feet in the opposite direction.

Anyway, the lead is back to 6 games. A little more breathing room. But that 3-game series in the Bronx is looming large!