Nick Friedel

We've got a special treat for you.

You love him.

You hate him.

You can't live without him.

He's our good buddy, Nick Friedel.

Steve Stone is the first American League pitcher since Denny McLean to pitch three hitless innings.

Well, I'm always in a good mood, especially at this point.

I mean, you get up in the morning, you go outside, it's lovely, it's crisp.

Then I sit on my balcony trying to smoke a cigar, only to be wearing gloves and a number of other things.

So eventually it's going to warm up here, and when it does, the park is even going to be more lively than it's been.

But I'm feeling pretty good.

The team is a game out of first place, and if anybody told you in the spring that almost the middle of May this team would be a game out of first place, I think that you would have...

you would accuse him of maybe drinking a touch too much.

Well, I believe you're exactly right, and I was talking with Matt Spiegel the other day about that, and I said, I can't believe that I'm actually saying this, but the Sox have a bona fide shot at the postseason, whether it's winning the division or getting in as a wild card.

When Teal comes back and gives you the kind of offensive production that he can give you behind the plate, I think this team is starting to come together.

The pitching has been terrific.

The bullpen, especially...

The back end of the bullpen, what a lot of managers like to call their winning bullpen, when they're ahead, they go to it.

It's been very good.

Hudson has been terrific out of the pen.