Boston Red Sox defeat Baltimore Orioles, 4-1

BALTIMORE -- The three college students, all Red Sox fans, sitting just below the opening to the Camden Yards press box, had spent the afternoon showing off their homemade sign and yelling up toward Jerry Remy. They seemed, at times, more intent on making it on NESN than they did on watching the game. But, at the end of the eighth inning, once David Newhan's popped-up bunt had settled into the glove of first baseman J.T. Snow, one of the group seemed to get it right, yelli...

BALTIMORE -- Life is good in Red Sox Nation.

A 5-1 road trip to start the '06 season has included two dominating wins by Curt Schilling, a strong start from Josh Beckett, the emergence of young closer Jonathan Papelbon, and a lineup that shows patience and gets timely hits. Yesterday Tim Wakefield, who became unglued in Game 2 in Texas, rebounded at Camden Yards with six strong innings in a 4-1 win before 37,998 fans. Many of them were members of Sox Nation, and they go...

BALTIMORE -- The optimistic spin on Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp before yesterday's 4-1 victory over the Orioles, a game in which he was replaced by Adam Stern, was that the finger injury he suffered Saturday would not stop him from being ready for Opening Day tomorrow at Fenway Park.

That optimism was losing steam last night. Crisp and manager Terry Francona were confident the injury was minor, but those views were expressed before X-rays had been taken to determi...