Spinners win 4-3

A two-out single from catcher Chia-Chu Chen in the ninth inning drove in Roberto Feliz with the game-winning run, lifting the Spinners to a 4-3 victory.

Although he was in the hole, Westmoreland's RBI triple in the fifth proved to be one of the game's biggest hits. He finished 1-for-4 today.

Game tied at 3-3 to start the ninth

Vermont scored two runs in the seventh to tie the game at 3-3. Vermont is up to bat in the top of the ninth, and unless they score a few runs, Westmoreland won't get up again in the bottom half of the inning. We can only hope for extra innings to see Ryan's first walk-off hit.

Fourth at-bat: Grounds out to first base

After taking an inside strike on the first pitch, Westmoreland swings at the second offering and pulls a grounder to first baseman Adam Amar, who puts him out unassisted. Ryan is now 1-4 in the game and 1-6 (.167 batting average) on the season.

Third at-bat: RBI triple

Ryan Westmoreland just got his first professional hit, and it was a big one. With two outs in the fifth inning, Westy poked an 0-1 pitch off reliever Johan Figuereo into the gap in left-center field. Center fielder J.R Higley gave great chase but the ball bounced just out of his reach and went off the wall.

By that point, Westmoreland was on his way to third and Wilfred Pichardo, who singled with two outs, crossed the plate. Ryan is now batting .200 (1-for-5) with two RBIs on the season.

Clouds are looking ominous

There's a number of gray clouds hovering over the area, and I hope we can get the remainder of this one in. Or else Ryan will experience his first professional rain delay.

Second at-bat: Strikeout

After getting ahead 3-0 in the count, Westmoreland took two straight pitches, both of which he thought were questionable. On the first, he took a step toward first base. On a 3-2 count, he swung and a cutter down and in and tipped it into the catcher's glove.

First at-bat: Grounds back to the pitcher

Wearing his familiar No. 25, Westmoreland is in the white and red of the Spinners. Batting from the left side, he hit a 2-1 pitch right back up the middle against starter Juan Jaime. But the right-hander snared it and threw him out at first. He hit it hard, but right at the pitcher.

Westmoreland fouled off the first pitch to the right side, took the second pitch low and away and the third pitch high and tight.

Wade Boggs just threw out the first pitch

Hall of Famer Wade Boggs just threw out the first pitch here at LeLacheur. He's in town doing a promotion with Miller Lite. If you buy a Miller Lite, he'll give you an autograph. Not bad ... for a guy who left Boston to go to the Yankees.

Westy to again lead off

Ryan is again bating leadoff for the second game in a three-game set with the Vermont Lake Monsters. And for the second straight game, he'll serve as the team's designated hitter.

Last night, in a 10-6 win, Westmoreland went 0-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI on a sacrifice fly.

I already owe Mrs. Westmoreland a new pen

While talking with Ron and Robin Westmoreland, my pen ran out. Mrs. Westmoreland was kind enough to give me another, which I accidentally walked off. Oops.

50 minutes until game time

Here at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass., waiting for Ryan Westmoreland and the Lowell Spinners, the Single A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, to take the field. I'll be updating the blog throughout the game, so check in often.

Two for one

It's a rare two blog posts for the price of one today. This one doesn't have anything to do with sports, but I feel it requires mention, regardless of the forum.

People, I beseech you, when you go grocery shopping, if you don't know how to use the self checkout, for the love of crumb cake, please DO NOT USE THE SELF CHECKOUT. Especially if the store is relatively busy.

It's probably pretty obvious that I was moved to make such a plea after a particularly irritating experience this afternoon. Four self-checkout lanes occupied by one family of three with a cart full of groceries, and three people who, apparently, had no clue what they were doing. At first, I avoided the family, thinking it would take them forever to scan all those products. But I eventually moved to that line after the people in the other lines either, A. Had trouble scanning one or more of their five items; B. Were unsure how to go about paying for their purchase; or C. Experienced technical difficulties.

Meanwhile, the family of three checked out with assembly line efficiency. Dad scanned, mom and child bagged, dad paid and they were gone.

Self checkout is supposed to be that easy. I'm fairly certain my German Shepherd could figure it out if she had fingers. But if you're one of those individuals who can't seem to get the hang of it, please trust the professionals at the registers.

Wake me when football season starts

This might be the most boring time of the year as far as sports are concerned. No more NBA. The only hockey games worth watching (Stanley Cup finals) are over. And the NFL season is almost three months away.

What's a fan to do, watch baseball? Well, my Brewers are doing quite well (still in first place as of this post), but they're on national TV about twice a season, and I can't get excited about seeing the highlights the next morning, because ESPN will show Red Sox and Yankees highlights two or three times before they get to the Brewers ... if they get to the Brewers.

I need football, stat! I need NFL Sunday Ticket. I need fantasy football. I need to see Brett Favre in a purple Vikings jersey, leading the league in interceptions and showing his age as a way-past-his-prime QB for a team that has set the bar ridiculously low at that position. I need to see Tom Brady crumple into the fetal position as Bills defender closes in on him in the backfield in Week 1. I need to see Aaron Rodgers continue to blossom into the top-5 quarterback he's destined to become and lead the Packers back to the playoffs.

*sigh* At least the weather has been awful so far this summer.

Sosa reportedly tests positive

The New York Times is reporting that former Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa, who along with Mark McGwire captivated the baseball-viewing world 11 years ago with their chase of the season-season home run record, failed a drug test in 2003.

Sosa reportedly is on the list of 104 players who tested positive in baseball's anonymous survey, the same one Alex Rodriguez showed up on a few months back.

To expose Sammy Sosa as a steroid user is like revealing that Adam Lambert is gay - not surprising whatsoever. What I do want to know, though, is who is leaking these names? This list was supposed to be confidential, and yet two of the game's biggest stars have been outed. I'm not sticking up for them, nor defending their actions, but if you're going to name two, name the rest.

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I contend these particular names were leaked because there's money to be made - GASP!

Try this on for size: The economy is in the tank, and an underpaid MLB employee has this information at his disposal. Somebody comes knocking, offering to pay for the names of a few stars on that list. The bigger the star, the bigger the offer because nobody cares if Mark Belhorn was juicing.

Are we to believe that it was merely coincidental that A-Rod's name was leaked at around the same time a book about him (written by Selena Roberts) was released? Not long from now, you can expect a book about Sammy Sosa.

It's just another black eye that baseball can't seem to avoid.

Westmoreland nearing debut

It looks as though Ryan Westmoreland, the Portsmouth High School graduate drafted in the fifth round by the Boston Red Sox in the 2008 draft, will be making his professional debut for the Lowell Spinners on Friday night.

"Westy" is still rehabbing an injured shoulder and should serve as the Spinners' designated hitter in the first of a three-game set against Vermont. The weekend edition of The Daily News will have the results of how Westmoreland fared in his first pro game.

As a native of nearby Chelmsford, I'll be heading home for Saturday's contest, and, assuming they have a wireless setup at LeLacheur Park, giving updates via this blog. So stay tuned!