Your Red Sox Nation Exiles Update

Tonight, the traitorious bastard Wookie returns to Fenway Park together with his new posse of steriod munching, pinstripe wearing, Bette Midler loving (not that there's anything wrong with that) baseball felons.

Here's the AP Report:

Damon Ready for Return to Boston

AP Photo NYFF112

By The Associated Press

Johnny Damon headed back to Fenway Park fresh off his second straight three-hit game.

``Hopefully, I can keep on belting out hits and, hopefully, the guys keep driving me in,'' Damon said Sunday after helping the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1.

Completing a 6-3 homestand, the Yankees (13-10) moved into first place in the AL East. The Red Sox (14-11) dropped percentage points back with a 5-4 loss at Tampa Bay.

New York's two-game series that starts Monday night is its first at Fenway since Damon left Boston after four seasons to sign with the Yankees. Two years ago, Damon helped the Red Sox win their first World Series since 1918.

``I expect them to cheer what our team accomplished back then. Winning the World Series was pretty awesome,'' Damon said. ``I expect them to boo the fact that I'm here. That I went over and that I'm playing with a team that truly needed me, truly wanted me.''

In other AL games, it was: Chicago 6, Los Angeles 5; Texas 8, Cleveland 4; Detroit 6, Minnesota 0; Seattle 4, Baltimore 3; and Oakland 13, Kansas City 6.

Jason Giambi hit a two-run homer at Yankee Stadium, where Mike Mussina (4-1) allowed one run and seven hits in six innings, striking out seven.

New York manager Joe Torre and Toronto skipper John Gibbons were ejected for arguing balls and strikes with plate umpire Adam Dowdy.

Mariano Rivera got four outs for his fourth save, and New York improved to 10-0 in day games. Gustavo Chacin (4-1) gave up two runs and six hits in six innings.

Devil Rays 5, Red Sox 4

Scott Kazmir (3-2) struck out 10 in seven innings, allowing two runs and five hits in his second win over Boston this year.

Seeking to join Babe Ruth (1917) and Pedro Martinez (2000) as the only Red Sox pitchers to win five games in April, Curt Schilling (4-1) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings and struck out nine. Boston lost for the seventh time in 10 games.

Toby Hall and Carl Crawford hit two-run homers for Tampa Bay. With runners on second and third, Shawn Camp retired Mark Loretta on a game-ending groundout for his third save.

Sox Magic Number is now 86.