Ouch!

Well, Jeff Francis must wish his second pitch in the World Series had gone better than that. Having Dustin Pedroia crank the ball out of Fenway just set the Rockies off on the wrong foot.

Poor, Jeff. I hope he gets another chance to pitch in this series.

But I gotta tell you, I don't know that he will. The Red Sox are peaking at just the right time, and the Rockies really suffered from that week off.

Plus, the players on the Red Sox squad are long-time pros who have been here before. Hell, many of them were around when they snatched victory from the jaws of being swept out in the first round.

I'm not sure the Rockies can overcome that confidence, although now the monkey is off their back, I hope they take a game or two, and give Francis a chance to pitch again. He deserves that much.


LUNCH: a bowl of chili to warm the insides on this crisp day