Nice weekend for the Sox, taking 2 out of 3 in San Diego. Today's matchup of Josh Beckett vs. Jake Peavy didn't quite live up to expectations, with the Sox grabbing three runs off the Padres ace in the 3rd inning. Peavy was gone after 5 for a pinch hitter. Beckett, on the other hand, held up his end of the bargain by going 8 innings and giving up two runs. Papelbon came in for a 1-2-3 inning for the save.

Petco Park is a beautiful place. From the first time I saw the architectural drawings I loved the look of it. One of the coolest features is an old factory building, the Western Metal Supply Co. The ballpark was built around the factory, and it's now being used for luxury suites. I also loved The Beach. This is a bleacher area in right-center field that has a large sandy area in front. Kids play in the sand while the game is going on, presumably while their parents have one eye on them and one eye on the game. It's a very Southern California kind of touch.

Other than the ballpark, you might have thought you were in Boston this weekend. Red Sox Nation was out in full force at Petco. It was pretty amazing to hear the volume level of the fans for the visitors. Presumably, it was a combination of transplanted New Englanders and locals on vacationing on the West Coast. It seems like the Sox have good support at almost every visiting ballpark these days.

Add this weekend's success to the fact that the Yankees lost 2 of 3 to the Giants (who were on an 8 game losing streak coming into Saturday) and the lead is back up to 11.5 games with only 6 days left in June.