WHEW!

It looked like a laugher after four innings. But the reality of nine innings set in quickly. However, the Red Sox didn't cough up their early lead. No, they hung on just when it looked like a heartbreaking defeat was inevitable. And that 6-4 victory over Baltimore on Saturday evening means the Red Sox have now won three straight games for their first winning streak of the season.

WHAT WE LIKED:

* The "Youk-ah" was sensational at the plate. Youkilis went 4 for 5 including a three-run homer to highlight a four-run outburst in the third inning sending the Sox out to a 4-0 lead. Youk then helped pad that lead to 6-0 in the fourth with a run scoring single. He fell a triple shy of hitting for the cycle and is now hitting .467 on the young season. AND he has eight multi-hit games in 11.

* Mike Lowell is looking more and more comfortable. He drove in his 10th run of the season in the third inning and had a pair of hits to raise his season average to .262.

* How many more times can we talk about the Boston pen? AGAIN they come up big. One night after an all hands on deck effort Hideki Okajima and Takashi Saito built a scoreless bridge to Paps, who earned his fourth save of the season.

WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE:

* Josh Beckett earned the mound victory with six inings of work. However, Beckett needed to step up and give the pen a break. He did not. Beckett left Baltimore back in the game in the fifth allowing four runs on three hits. He rallied for a 1-2-3 sixth preventing the pen from being stretched at the seams, but the Sox need Beckett to step up and pitch like a staff ace in situations like these.

* Jed Lowrie went on the 15-day DL and is probably headed for the cutting board for his wrist. He's going for a second opinion, but the kid is likely out for an extended period of time no matter the situation. Will Starvin Marvin Lugo make us fell better?

Jon Lester takes the mound today. Can we please see our best pitcher from the 08 season turn in a more familiar effort to lead the Sox back to .500?