You are in your fifth year on the job, working slowly up the ladder, thinking that you are making steady progress, and ready for the next promotion.

Then, poof, you are fired. Welcome to Andrew Pinckney's world. He is angry that a player with much less experience (Jorge Jimenez) is put on the fast track and is given his spot on the Portland Sea Dogs roster.

His former employer, the Boston Red Sox, say it is the business. Performance means everything. Players with better potential ("priority players") who show they can perform, are going to move up.

In today's baseball column we take a look at the improved Red Sox farm system and how that is making it much more competitive for the minor leaguers.

The competition in the majors, of course, is constant. The Red Sox held onto first place in the AL East, thanks to a Jason Bay two-out home run in the bottom of the 13th, to give Pittsburgh a 4-3 win over Tampa Bay.

Good 7-game stretch coming up for Boston (50-33). Three games at Tampa Bay (48-32) and four at New York (44-37) ... Who would have figured that no one will be asking the Red Sox about looking ahead to the Yankees series while they are in St. Petersburg?

In Triple-A, Mike Timlin pitched a hitless inning (0 BB, 2 K) in his second rehab appearance ... starter Charlie Zink had a rare rough outing (6 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 4 K). His ERA is at 2.63.

Mickey Hall's batting average (.241) is slowly climbing in Portland. He stroked three doubles Saturday night (one blast into the wind missed a homer by a foot) and is batting .357 (10-for-28) in his last 7 games ... Zach Daeges (.310) and Aaron bates (.291) had 2 hits apiece.

In Lancaster, Lars Anderson (.304) went 2-for-3.

In my column on Pinckney, I mention 17-year-old Michael Almanzar as another third base candidate ... Forgot to mention SS/3B Tamico Navarro in Greenville. Navarro, 20, is hitting .290, after going 2-for-3 on Saturday ... starter Felix Doubront recovered from a so-so outings to go 6 innings (3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K).

Lowell reliever Seth Garrison, a 23rd-round pick out of Texas Christian in this year's draft, has a 1.08 ERA in four appearances (8 1/3, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 9 K).

And in the Gulf Coast League, Mr. Almanzar reached base all 5 times with 2 walks and 3 hits, including a triple. he's batting .412.

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