The Red Sox actually have a very favorable schedule to get off to a good start despite their troubles. They have Baltimore and Tampa Bay in their first nine games. They have to find different ways to scratch and win ballgames until they get some people healthy. This was certainly a way to do that.

Not to ruin the party, but a no-hitter is just one win. They need to come up with 93 or 94 more to assure themselves of a spot in the postseason. It is a start, though.

Of course, this establishes Nomo as the second starter in a weak rotation after Pedro Martinez. But he pitched a no-hitter in 1996 in Coors Field, maybe the toughest place this side of the moon to do so, and yet that was the beginning of Nomo starting to fade a bit from his early promise in '94 and '95. He didn't no-hit the '27 Yankees here or even the 2001 Yankees. This Baltimore club isn't the most talented in the majors.

But a no-hitter is still a tremendous feat. Red Sox Nation is happy for a night and they'll be in the coffee shops Thursday morning talking about how this is going to turn their season around. We'll have to see.