Tied together with a smile

Well, I may be sounding the death knell a little too soon, but...

Manny Delcarmen has the flu.

Jason Varitek has the flu.

Josh Beckett has neck stiffness related to the flu.

Mike Lowell's on the DL (although things are looking good for his return soon).

Alex Cora's on the DL.

Coco Crisp isn't on the DL, but is having hamstring problems.

Which means that backup catcher Kevin Cash is catching fresh-from-Pawtucket emergency starter David Pauley tonight. Anyone else just a little bit iffy about this? I'd feel better if Tek was the one behind the plate with a new guy on the mound. Unfortunately, Tek went and got himself the flu, then proceeded to do his best Typhoid Mary impression all over the Red Sox clubhouse. Hand sanitizer, man! Take it from a teacher - that shit is your best friend. If this goes on any longer, the maintenance men are going to wind up taking the field!

Ten bucks says Jacoby Ellsbury shows up at the clubhouse tomorrow with homemade chicken soup.

Fun fact: With Tek out, Cash playing and both Cora and Lowell (our intrepid emergency backup-backup catchers) on the DL, we were presumably without a backup catcher for tonight's game. That is, at least, until wee Dustin Pedroia offered to take the job. He'll be the only person in the history of major league baseball to have to catch from a standing position.

Duct tape and string, that seems to be the only thing holding the Sox together tonight.