Mistake-Prone Angels Can't Get it Done

You've heard that pitching and defense wins championships? The Angels brought their pitching to the ALDS, but not so much their defense. As the Angels learned, mistakes are incredibly costly in the post-season. Last night, in the bottom of the 5th inning, the Red Sox had runners at first and third with one out. Jacoby Ellbury hit a text book double play ground ball to Howie Kendrick at second base. A double play ends the inning, and keeps the game scoreless. However, Kendrick, perhaps worried about Ellsbury's speed, rushes the play, bobbles the ball, and only manages to get one out at first base, allowing Mark Kotsay to score from third base, and Jason Varitek to move up to second.

True story. I'm watching the game by myself and as Dustin Pedroia steps up the the plate, hitless so far in the playoffs, I look him in the eye while adopting my best Vito Corleone voice and say to the television, "Pedroia, I told you one day you would owe me a favor. Today is that day. Do this for me." Moments later, I leapt off the couch as Dustin lofted a shot off the Green Monster, sending Varitek home to give the Sox a 2-0 lead. Kendrick's mistake turned a scoreless inning into a 2-0 lead for the Sox, much to the obvious dismay of his starting pitcher, John Lackey. Favor repaid, Dustin!

Jon Lester was amazing, yet again. I am always concerned when a team faces the same pitcher twice in such a short span, but Varitek and Lester worked a plan that kept the Angels guessing. I had my eye on the pitch count, not wanting to go to the bullpen at all if possible. Lester had thrown 96 pitches through 6 innings. Not great. But, Lester breezed through the 7th on 13 pitches, bringing his count to 109. Mid-season, that would be all. Give the shoulder a rest, and get your 8th inning guy out there. But, this is the playoffs, and the bullpen was gassed. So, I was shocked that he did not come out to at least get the 8th inning going. Lester had just retired 8 straight batters, and had shut down the Angels all night. A pit of dread settled into what had been elation only moments before, as I saw Hideki Okajima come in to face the top of the Angels order.

Okajima got the first two outs, but walked Mark Teixeira. With the Angel's big righties coming up, Francona played the odds and brought in Justin Masterson. This worried me even more. Masterson tried to stay away from Guerrero too much, and somehow walked the free swinger. A wild pitch then put runners on 2nd and 3rd, all set up for Tori Hunter's single to right to tie the game at 2. Images of 2004 flashed through my mind, recalling the Red Sox finally exorcising their demons with a huge come from behind rally over their nemesis, the Yankees. Were we witnessing the same for the Angels? Was this the hit that would ignite them? (I thought it was funny later when Masterson, in discussing his contributions, claimed credit for setting up the situation for Lowrie to hit the game winner).

No. Why? Mistakes! Masterson, not being very effective, came back out for the 9th and promptly gave up a double to Kendry Morales. Francona left him out there, correctly guessing the next batter was bunting anyway. Sure enough, a perfect bunt sent Morales to third base with one out, and Manny Delcarmen came in for Masterson. Now it gets fun. The Angles, loving to put pressure on a defense (unfortunately for them, the Sox defense was not making mistakes), decided to go for one of the most exciting plays in baseball, the suicide squeeze.

For anyone who is unfamiliar with the suicide squeeze, here's what happens. The batter is told to bunt to score the runner from third. With a bunt, the ball will be close to home plate, so the runner is heading directly at the ball, thus the "suicide" part. In order for this to work, the runner has to take off with the pitch to get as big of a jump as possible, also part of the "suicide". If the batter fails to lay down the bunt, the runner is dead. Well, that last sentence just gave away the ending. Delcarmen threw a nasty 96 mph fastball right into Erick Aybar's gut. Aybar would love to bunt towards first, but that pitch is impossible to do that with. Regardless, the play is on and the runner is on his way, so Aybar takes a swipe at it and misses. The runner, Morales, was dead meat, halfway down the third base line. Jason Varitek caught the pitch cleanly and charged down the third base line like a mother rhino protecting her young. After a fake throw to third, 'Tek dove towards Morales, tagged him cleanly and landed on his chest in the dirt. The ball, after the glove contacted the ground, skipped away, but too late. The tag had been applied, the bases were clear, the threat was erased. Man, talk about exciting playoff ball.

Now I thought, maybe we can win this. Maybe the Angels are just too tense, too nervous, thinking too much about their own demons to win. Ninth inning. JD Drew strikes out - not his night to be a hero. Jason Bay then sends a shot down the right field line. Another Angels mistake. The right fielder, Reggie Willits, tries to be a hero and dives at the ball, but he never stood a chance. He landed on his face as the ball shot past. He did catch a break when the ball bounced up into the stands for a ground rule double. Had the ball stayed fair, he would have had a long run to chase it down, and Bay would surely have ended the series with an inside the park home run! But, alas, Bay was forced to stop at second base.

Up steps Mark Kotsay. Now, Mark's wife's grandmother has just passed away, and Mark is in Boston, fighting for his team, but missing the funeral. He has had a terrific night, making two terrific outfield-like defensive plays at first base, and scoring the first run of the game. This one felt right. Another true story. I looked to the sky and implored to his wife's grandmother. I said, "Grammy, you know he wanted to be there for you. Help him honor your memory, help him put some power into his bat". Sure enough, Grammy sends a jolt of spiritual energy shooting into the bat (you could see the blue flame on high-def), and Kotsay rips a shot down the 1st base line heading towards the corner, sure to score Bay from second easily. But, using angels to battle the Angels does not work. Mark Teixeira must have an angel of his own, because his body lunged with cobra-like speed to his left, and with his body fully stretched, the ball somehow snapped into his glove for out number two. Luckily the play happened so fast that Jason Bay had no time to take off from second.

Remember Hank Steinbrenner whining that the Yankees failure this year was all due to injury? All that money apparently cannot allow them to buy enough depth to overcome that. Hopefully he watched last night as the Sox moved ahead to the ALCS, even though they had to suffer through injuries. Mike Lowell has been officially put on the injured list and is out for the next series too. The starting shortstop, Julio Lugo, has been out for months and will miss the playoffs. JD Drew missed most of September, Josh Beckett was reduces to one start in the ALDS from an oblique injury. How'd that work with the Sox missing the 2007 ALCS MVP at full strength, and their starting left side of the infield out? It worked pretty well.

Jed Lowrie, a minor league call-up, filling in at shortstop, and playing in his first post-season, stepped up to the plate in the 9th inning, two outs, and Jason Bay at second. Lowrie did not carry a bat to the plate. He carried a pen, and he used that pen to write his name on the pages of Red Sox lore. The Angles were still pumped up from Teixeira's terrific catch (finally, some clutch defense) when Lowrie's sharp ground ball found the hole between first and second base. Jason Bay was waved home, running faster with each step. In what took a split second to us mere mortals, must have lasted minutes to Bay. Like in those dreams when you are trying to run, but never seem to get closer, that's what home plate must have looked like to Bay. But, run he did, and as he approached, he dove with every ounce of power in his body, slapped the plate with his left hand, and flew into the arms of his new, proud, teammates.

I felt all along that, if the Sox were to have hopes of repeating, they'd have to go through the Angels at some point. I'm glad it was in a short 5 games series. The big 7 game series is looming now, and it is against our very own AL East Rays! Can you believe it?

I know, everyone is wondering, "is Josh Beckett hurting, or is he truly healthy, like they want us to believe?". Well, here is how you can tell. The first game of the ALCS is this Friday. Josh Beckett is the Red Sox ace (apologies to Lester who has become at least a co-ace). Beckett pitched on Sunday, and his next regular start on 4 days rest would be Friday. Having your ace start in the first game of a series is the best possible scenario. So, here's how you tell if Beckett is truly healthy. If he gets the start Friday, he's healthy (or has fooled the Sox medical staff). If he is not healthy, and would benefit from more rest and rehab, then he won't get the start. Simple as that.

I love this time of year! What a series - thank you LAA Angels! You made this tough, fun, and incredibly entertaining. Head home, heads held high, and get ready to do it again next year. By the way, don't be foolish and let Teixeira get away - you need him.

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Observations After Red Sox ALDS Game 1 Victory

Game one actually played out much like I had expected, and hoped, it would. Jon Lester pitched a great game, but he did have me worried in the first inning. He was missing his spots, falling behind in the count, throwing too many first pitch balls, and walked a batter to load the bases with 2 outs. I was confident he'd get out of the jam (since there were two outs), but if this was how he was going to pitch the whole game, we were doomed.

Thankfully, Lester and Varitek kept making adjustments, Lester's command got tighter, and his pitch selection worked incredibly well. As hoped, Lester kept the Angel's score down (only 1 unearned run), and got through 7 innings. I was initially surprised to see Justin Masterson become the first Sox pitcher out of the bullpen. But, Masterson's delivery can be tough on right handed batters. The Angels featured a stretch of right handed batters in the middle of the lineup, partly thanks to facing a lefty starter, and Masterson would be a good choice to confound them. You have to tip your hat to Masterson. His very first playoff appearance, facing the meat of the Angels lineup in the 8th inning of a 2-1 game; Mark Teixeira, Vladimir Guerrero, and Tori Hunter, right off the bat.

Well, Masterson survived, and probably boosted his confidence, but he did not dominate. Teixeira lofted a line drive that looked like a sure hit until Jacoby Ellsbury made a sensational diving catch to rob him of the hit. Then, Vlad lined a single to left, before making a huge base running error. With Vlad on first, Tori Hunter floated a Texas Leaguer over first base into no man's land. JD Drew charged in from right, Dustin Pedroia ran over from second, and Kevin Youkilis backpedaled from first base. Youk came the closest, but could not snare it. In a move that appeared to be half in frustration, Youk snatched the ball up in a second with his glove and turned toward the infield. His eyes must have lit up as he saw Vladimir lumbering to third base like a bison already riddled with arrows from an Indian hunting party. The throw arrived in time for Mike Lowell to do some stretching before making the tag. The gaff gave the Angels their second out, and Masterson quickly induced a ground ball to finish the scoreless inning.

The Red Sox are too well focused in the playoffs and will not let the Angels get away with mistakes like that. Reminded me of the Cardinals in the 2004 World Series - good team, but just could not put it together to score, and made dumb mistakes to keep themselves out of it.

Jonathan Papelbon did not disappoint in the 9th. He gave up a sharp single, but struck out three batters to seal the win.

The non-pitching stars of the game for Boston were Jacoby Ellsbury and Jason Bay. Jason Bay, looking foolish in his first two at-bats, both strike outs, drove Youk (who had walked) home in the 6th with a 2 run home run. Bay followed that with a double in the 8th inning.

But, Jacoby Ellsbury brought it last night. The Angels approach was to leverage speed, aggressive base running, solid defense, and keep the pressure on the defense constantly. Well, Ellsbury must have been listening in to those strategy meetings! He lead of the game with a double, but got stranded at third base. Then in the 3rd inning, his speed prevented the Angels from turning an inning ending double play. With Ellsbury on first, Lackey was so worried about a steal that he ended up walking Pedrioa. Again, no run scored, but the pressure was being applied. The pressure continued in the 5th inning when Ellsbury bunted his way on base with two outs, and then easily stole second, only to be stranded again. Then in the 7th, with two outs, Ellsbury hit a triple to right center (that was ruled an error but shouldn't have). This time Big Papi stranded him.

Ellsbury's pressure final caused the Angels to crumble in the 9th inning when he hit a single to drive in Jed Lowrie, and then stole second base for the second time. This inning, he was not stranded. Ellsbury advanced to 3rd on a Pedroia groundout, and scored on a David Ortiz single.

Mike Lowell and JD Drew, our two injury concerns, both played all 9 innings, surprisingly. Each time a ball was hit to Lowell, I cringed, then breathed a sigh of relief as each play turned out to be routine, and did not require any awkward bending, twisting, or diving. Neither player did very much, both going hitless in 4 bats. But, they both got the work in, both got a chance to improve their timing, and both got a test their injuries in a live game situation. I think JD Drew looks physically solid, and is likely to have an impact. Mike Lowell did nothing wrong, but he kind of looked like he could go down at any minute. Let's hope not.

So, the Sox are in the position they wanted. The Angels look down the road and see Josh Beckett, who is still a go, waiting to face them in game in Boston. That is a game they have to be worried about. A loss to Daisuke Matsuzaka tomorrow night would make game 3 against Beckett a potential series ending sweep. So, clearly tomorrow's game is a must win for the Angels. That puts additional pressure on a starting pitcher who has not pitched well in September and is trying to regain his dominance. Well, trial by fire tomorrow night.

The match up I'm looking forward to is Dice-K against Vladimir Guerrero. Dice-K like to keep the ball away from batters and has no problem risking a walk. Meanwhile, Vlad does not know the meaning of walk. He'll jump across home plate to attack a pitch. I am not sure Dice-K could walk him if he tried. Should be a fun match up. For Dice-K to keep the ball away from Guerrero's bat, who knows where he'll have to throw it.

The Sox were successful this year by different players stepping up, almost in a rotation, to have big games. Last night, some regular heroes were a bit quiet at the plate; Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and even Big Papi (9th inning ground ball was far short of his typical fireworks). So, I'd watch for them to have a bigger impact, as well as JD!

Final note - the Angels' middle of the order looks tough. Last night, each time those three came up (Teixeira, Guerero, and Hunter) at least TWO of them reached base, every time! in the first inning they went, single, fly out, walk. In the 3rd it was, strike out, reach on error, RBI single. In the 5th, single, single, ground out. Finally, in the 8th, they went, fly out (diving catch by Ellsbury), single, single (during which, Vlad got thrown out at 3rd). Dice-K, and the rest of the Sox pitching staff need to take heed. This is a dangerous threesome.

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Playoff Picture Getting Clearer

The Red Sox' 6-3 loss to Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays last night was no big surprise to me. The big surprise was that Halladay only lasted 6 innings. I was hoping that would open a door for the Red Sox, expose a weakness in the Toronto bullpen, and result in a late game win that would eliminate the Jays and the Twins from playoff contention while keeping pace with the juggernaut that Tampa Bay has become.

Alas, the Sox were unable to pull together a late inning rally. They scored their 3 runs all in the 3rd inning on an RBI single by Big Papi that sent Dustin Pedroia home from second, and a 2 run home run from Jason Bay. They had another two chances to score, but they both fell short. In the 5th inning, they managed to load the bases with 2 outs, only to have Jed Lowrie strike out. In the 8th, they had runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs, only to have Alex Cora ground out to end the threat.

Jon Lester had a rough start to the game, but settled in after that. In the 2nd inning, I was not sure if Lester would even be back out for the 3rd inning. The Jays sent 9 batters to the plate in the 2nd, and would still be going if Lyle Overbay had not, mercifully, grounded into a double play to end it. But Lester not only came back for the 3rd, he lasted to the 7th inning holding the Jays scoreless in that span.

So, where do we stand today? The offense is weakened with Mike Lowell and JD Drew still out with injuries. And if I hear you griping about Drew not playing, come over here so I can slap you in the head. Where was your griping when Papi was out, or Lowell, or Lugo (okay - never mind about Lugo)? Drew has been clinically diagnosed with a herniated disc in his back. He has been in consultation to consider season ending surgery, which he has passed up on to be in position to contribute to his team, and has been in constant work to get thought it. You can play with a sore arm, achy knee, etc. But you simply cannot play when your back is out. Just try swinging at a 95 mph ball with your back out and you'll get the idea. Do you really want him out there when there is no way he can hit the ball?

Okay, now that you've realized how foolish your frustrated thoughts have been, where was I? Oh yeah, offense. With Lowell and Drew, the offense definitely drops down a notch, and that hurt last night. The worry is more for the playoffs. Can these guys BOTH get back to near 100% in time for the playoffs? For playoff action, as close to 100% as possible is what we need. Alex Cora as starting shortstop throughout the playoffs with a decent rookie at third does not feel like a championship waiting to happen.

With the Division Title all but out of sight, I think we should start resting our pitching. Jon Lester, last night, exceeded the most innings he's ever pitched in a season. Josh Beckett and Tim Wakefield have both been out with injuries late this season. Let's give them all an extra day off, take them out of games early, keep pitch counts under 100, and build up strength for the Angels.

Face it, the Rays are just about out of reach. If the Sox finish the season 8-0, the Rays would have to go 5-4 for the Sox to take the title. For the Wild Card, the Sox need but win two games and they can coast the rest of the way in. At this point, I vote for coasting, healing the troops, building strength, and coming out like gangbusters.

P.S. Did you hear the rumor that Joe Girardi was going to be fired by Hank? No? Me either, but why don't we start one???

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

The Fish that Got Away - Rays Win 2-1 in the 9th

I have to say, last night's game was more like it. The night before, a 13-5 cake walk, was embarrassing. But, last night the Rays regrouped and put up a proper playoff fight. Their players shaved their heads into Mohawks and lined up to do battle against Josh Beckett. They knew their chances were slim, but they went at it anyway.

Beckett had a brilliant night, only making one mistake on a pitch to Carlos Pena leading off the 7th inning, that turned into a solo home run. That erased the Red Sox' 1-0 lead and was the only blemish on Beckett as he went 8 complete innings only allowing 3 hits and one walk while striking out 7. For a while, it felt like Beckett might even make a run for a no hitter, until Cliff Floyd registered the Rays' first hit with one out in the 5th inning. Unfortunately for Beckett, the Red Sox offense was silent, which is pretty typical the game after scoring runs in double digits. The Red Sox only run came on a sacrifice fly by Kevin Youkilis in the 6th inning. Otherwise, Rays' starter Andy Sonnanstine, was able to match Beckett's outing.

Other than brilliant pitching in general, Rays' catcher, Dioner Navarro, was the hero last night, twice. In the 8th inning, with one out, Jacoby Ellsbury singled. This was big for the Sox. If Ellsbury steals second with one out, the sox would have a great shot at scoring a run and taking the lead. That would put Papelbon on the mound in the 9th inning. So, Ellsbury took off for second, and Navarro fired one of the more perfect throws to second I have ever seen. A laser of a throw that landed perfectly in Akinori Iwamura's waiting glove. Iwamura did not have to even move the glove, he simply had to close it around the ball as Ellbury slid in to it. if the ball had been throw just a foot off, Ellsbury probably would have touched the base before being tagged out.

So often in baseball, the guy who makes the big defensive play comes up later and gets the big hit. I don't know if it is adrenaline, or a self confidence from the big play, but you can almost always count on it. Last night was no exception. With the score still tied, Justin Masterson was sent in to get the Rays out in the bottom of the ninth inning. The first batter, Jason Bartlett, barely got the bat on the ball, but ended up on first base as the looping fly ball landed in that spot behind first base that no one can reach. Then, Masterson dug himself a deep hole. He walked Carlos Pena, struck out Evan Longoria, and then plunked Cliff Floyd on the knee to load the bases. That brought up Navarro, who smashed a 2-2 fastball deep to center field, easily bringing home the winning run from third.

So, faced with the prospect of losing possession of first place outright, the Rays stepped up and showed some life. I tip my hat to that. But, even though the Sox lost, they still moved forward in the playoff race as the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Twins all lost last night. The losses reduce the Yanks and Jays elimination number to a mere 3, while the Twins' elimination number in the Wild Card race dropped to 5. With 11 games to play, the Sox are more solidly entrenched as a playoff entrant. The question that is becoming the only remaining question, is who will be the Division Winner, and who will take the Wild Card spot between the Red Sox and the Rays?

The Sox were without Jason Bay last night, who flew quickly back to Boston to be present for the birth of his daughter, Evelyn Jane, last night. Word is Jason got there with only 45 minutes to spare. Ah, the life of a major league family. I'm Bay is already on a plane back to Florida to play in tonight's game. But, there will be plenty of time this off season to play with the baby.

I am concerned about Mike Lowell. Having been forced to retire from baseball with a bad hip myself, I cringed last night as Lowell came up limping after making a barehanded grab of a softly hit ground ball and making the throw to first. It was a nice play, but the twisting motion clearly aggravated Lowell's right hip, which has been diagnosed with a torn labrum. The right hip is also the center of a right handed batter's strength. A hobbled Lowell will still be able to contribute, but not at the levels he is fully capable of. Bad timing for that injury, but Mike has been there before, barely recovering in time from a broken bone in his left hand prior to the 2003 playoff with the Marlins. Let's hope he still has some magic healing powder left.

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Sox Miss Chance at First Place

It was the bottom of the ninth inning, and all of us Red Sox fans in the audience were still rubbing our eyes and asking ourselves if what we saw really happened. Did Jonathan Papelbon really just give up a home run and back to back doubles to blow a 4-3 lead? We were all filled with joy a mere 1/2 inning before, when we watched Jason Bay crush a laser beam line drive that barely cleared the top of the Green Monster for a 2 run home run that did away with the Rays' 3-2 lead. The woman sitting behind me quietly said, to no one in particular, "Manny Who?", as Jason rounded the bases to the roar of the packed house.

But, we all know a one run lead in the ninth inning can be quickly erased, and we knew Big Papi would be batting this inning. Mark Kotsay lead off the inning against Troy Percival with a walk. We all thought, "okay, here we go". Then, Jason Varitek stepped up, and began to work on laying down a bunt to move Kotsay to second. Percival has been around a long time, and was not about to make it easy on 'Tek, and threw him terrible pitches - high and off the plate, to bunt at. While this futile battle was being waged, I turned to those around me and asked, "If Francona wants to get the runner in scoring position, why doesn't he send in Jacoby Ellsbury to pinch run? He can steal second, then we'd have the runner in scoring position with no outs. That would let Varitek be able to swing away, and with Ellsbury's speed, we increase the chances of safely scoring from second on a single." Everyone agreed, this made sense. But, we continued to watch as Varitek fouled off strike two, then froze as Percival snapped a curve ball across the strike zone for strike three.

Then, Big Papi stepped in and worked the count to 3-1, then put the bat on a fastball, only to fly out to right field. Now, with two outs, and the hot hitting Coco Crisp coming up, Terry Francona send in Jacoby Ellsbury to pinch run! We all looked at each other and said, what the heck has he been waiting for? Why wait until there are two outs to send in Ellsbury? So, Ellsbury takes off for second, is safe by a mile, and to top it off, the throw gets away from the second baseman, and Ellsbury wastes no time flying over to third base. Unfortunately, Coco popped out to second base to end the game.

Now, picture how differently this inning would have gone for Troy Percival had Ellsbury been sent in to pinch run immediately. No outs, and the league leading base stealer on first base while clinging to a one run league in Fenway Park with the division lead on the line. Percival would have spent half of his concentration on trying to keep Ellsbury close to first, and Varitek would have been swinging away, no trying to bunt. Had Ellsbury executed a similar steal, we could have had him on third with no outs. Big Papi's fly to right may have scored him to tie the game!

So, I am not trying to be revisionist here, and I am not at saying this is why they lost. They may have lost anyway. But, I still just don't get why they waited until there were two outs to send in Ellsbury! It just made no sense.

Daisuke Matsuzaka was okay. As usual, he had one clumsy inning, this time it was the third inning. He slipped and fell trying to field a bunt with no outs, then walked the next two batters to load the bases. Dice-K then threw a pitch more or less in the dirt, but it nicked the foot of Cliff Floyd, giving the Rays their first run. The good thing is that he stopped the bleeding pretty quickly. He retired the next 3 batters in a row, giving up only one more run on a sacrifice fly. Dice-K gave up one more run int he fourth, and left the game after 5 innings, already up to over 100 pitches, with the Rays leading 3-2. Not a great outing, but good enough to keep the Sox in the game. The bullpen, Javier Lopez, Manny Delcarmen, and Hideki Okajima, held the Rays silent until Papelbon imploded.

Papelbon, from where we sat, looked off right from the first pitch. I don't know why, he just was not on his game. Hopefully it is nothing but a bad night. The game tying solo home run was given up to Dan Johnson, who had just been called up from AAA Durham. It was Johnson's second at bat of the season. His first at bat came on April 2nd against Boston when he was with the A's. In that at bat, he grounded out harmlessly to Dustin Pedroia. So, it seemed like a match up in favor of the home town team. That is, until Papelbon left a fastball out over the plate, and Johnson planted it out in to the center field stands.

The rubber match takes place tonight. Josh Beckett against Andy Sonnanstine. The Sox don't "need" to win this game, they seem to be in pretty good control of the Wild Card spot. But, winning this game, and pulling back to within 1/2 game of the Rays would be a big boost. We'll take whatever playoff spot we can get, but the Division Champ gets home field advantage, and we'd love to see that.

Yankees Defeat Red Sox to Advance in the Playoffs

New York fans everywhere wish the title of this post pertained to the pinstriped debacle that play in the Bronx. While the title of the post is true and accurate, it pertains to last night's AAA playoff game between the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees and the Pawtucket Red Sox. The game was scoreless in the bottom of the 10th inning when Sandy Duncan hit a 2 run walk-off home run to win the game, and the series.

Why is this important here? Two reasons. First, I just hate to miss an opportunity to tease Yankee fans. The news of their major league franchise is not good. The title of the lead article on the Yankee's web site says "Mussina, Yanks endure setback in playoff hunt". Excuse me? A "setback"? They have just lost 2 out of 3 games to the (get this) Seattle Mariners! With the Blue Jays going on a tear and winning 8 straight games, the Yankees are now in 4th place in the AL East and 4th place in the Wild Card. I am afraid there is no playoff hunt for the Yankees this year, therefore, there is really no setback.

Now, where was I? Oh, yes, the real reason the AAA playoff game mentioned above is of interest is that the starter for Pawtucket last night was Bartolo Colon. How did he do, you ask? Well, he simply pitched 7 2/3 shutout innings, only needing to throw 84 pitches, struck out 3, allowed only 2 hits and walked nobody. Hmm, I think he's ready. The tentative plan calls for Colon to pitch one of the double header games this Saturday against Toronto. Beyond that, I'm not sure what the Sox will do with him. My guess is they'll try to give most starters an extra day of rest leading up to the playoffs, and will use Colon to help make that happen. If he's hot, he could sneak in to the playoff roster, we'll see.

And speaking of Toronto, their 8 game winning streak included a 3 game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays. Toronto is truly doing everything they can to help the Sox. Can we call them our "wing men" (get it - Blue Jays, wings?)? This is the Ray's very first taste of the September playoff hunt, and many people have been wondering how they'd hold up. They were terrific in August, and steady all year, but in September they are now 1-5, and find themselves clinging to a 1 1/2 game lead over the Red Sox. And, they kick off a 3 game series tonight in Boston, where they have lost six straight times this season. Yes, their back are against the wall. Time to fight, or take a step back.

The Red Sox, in contrast, are 5-1 in September, and are doing what a playoff contender needs to do. They are winning. Last night's 7-2 victory over the Texas Rangers was their 6th straight series win. That's how you enter the playoff hunt. Paul Byrd has turned out to be a very nice pickup by Theo Epstein. Byrd now has earned 4 straight wins for the Red Sox and has simply been steady and reliable. Big Papi and Jason Bay both provided home runs, and the Sox had an all-around solid night.

Coco Crisp has been getting hot, and if he keeps it up, he'll get more playing time this post-season that he did last year. But, Coco has to remember that Manny Ramirez is no longer in left field. In the 6th inning last night, Joaquin Arias sent a soft line drive to shallow left center field. Both Crisp and Jason Bay took off in hot pursuit. With Manny in left, Coco know he is the only chance the Sox have of getting that out, and that is how he went after that ball. However, Bay actually had a better angle, and a good jump. They both arrived at the same time, and nearly collided, Jason making the catch and tumbling safely away. The look on Crisp's face said, "where'd he come from - oh yeah, that ain't Manny out there any more".

So, tune in tonight when Jon Lester sets the tone for the main event. With the Rays sending Edwin Jackson to the mound, I like the Sox' chances in this one. Tomorrow, Scott Kazmir faces off against Daisuke Matsuzaka. That is a tough match-up, one I'll be watching in person (weather permitting). Then, the two teams wrap it up with Josh Beckett against Andy Sonnanstine. Lester, Dice-K, and Beckett? Well, you can't ask for more than that. This is the time to grab a piece of the lead!

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Round Two - Yankees Given A Standing 8 Count

When we looked at this game yesterday, we saw two pitchers that had a good chance to get hit, and would probably not go deep into the game. We expected runs to be scored, but probably remain close. The game would come down to the bullpens, we thought.

We were right! Paul Byrd pitched reasonably well, lasting 6 innings and giving up 2 runs. Both runs involved Alex Rodriguez (he drove in the first and scored the second), who did his best to bounce back from a dismal game the night before. Sidney Ponson did not fare quite as well, lasting only 4 2/3 innings, and surrendering 4 earned runs.

But, a 4-2 score heading into the 7th inning is still close. So, bring on the bullpens. The Sox, thankfully, got a scoreless inning out of Manny Delcarmen in the 7th, and Mike Timlin pitched the final two innings, only allowing one run on a solo homer to Jason Giambi in the 9th. Kudos to the Sox bullpen. The Yankees bullpen? Not so good. It started off well with Edwar Ramirez and Damaso Marte combining to pitch 2 1/3 scoreless innings to hold the Sox at bay going into the 8th inning. But, in the 8th inning it all fell apart when Jose Veras took the mound. Jose could do nothing right. He gave up a single, triple, back to back walks to load the bases, a sacrifice fly, and an RBI single. His replacement, David Robertson, did not fare much better. Robertson gave up a single, a fatal grand slam to Dustin Pedroia, and a single to Big Papi before finally getting the last two outs. The battle of the bullpens was over.

Last night, I wonder if the Yankees top brass were regretting the trade of Kyle Farnsworth for Ivan Rodriguez. Certainly they needed a catcher to help fill in for Jorge Posada, who was lost to season ending shoulder surgery. But, last night Farnsworth would most likely have been sent in to take the 8th inning, and I'm certain he would have fared better. Meanwhile, I-Rod goes 0-4, and ended rallies in both the 4th and 9th innings. Hmm, tough call to sacrifice good pitching for a 36 year old catcher.

The Red Sox made another move, picking up Mark Kotsay from the Atlanta Braves. Kotsay will provide some depth and insurance with JD Drew and Sean Casey both hurting right now. Kotsay is primarily an outfielder, but he can also help out at first base too. While I think it is a smart move, especially since they traded next to nothing to acquire Kotsay (the Sox sent single A outfielder, Luis Sumoza, to the Braves), I do find it awkward to suddenly be cheering for players you are so used to rooting against.

Mark Kotsay is most know by Red Sox fans for his years with the Oakland A's. We spent many games rooting for Kotsay to strike out, hit into double plays, etc. Paul Byrd, also recently acquired by the Red Sox, was heartily cheered against just last season by Red Sox fans as he battled the Sox in the playoffs while pitching for the Cleveland Indians. To suddenly be cheering them on just feels odd. But, give it some time.

Meanwhile, while the Yankees may be doubting their Farnsworth trade, the Red Sox seem to have made out well in their trade to acquire Jason Bay. Bay has been playing quite well for the Sox, and his stats line up very well with Manny Ramirez' stats since joining their new teams. Craig Hanson was included in that trade, and Hanson has simply fallen on his face. Yesterday, the Pirates announced that Hansen was being demoted to their minor league system. Hansen has talent in that arm, he just has been able to harness it yet. Brandon Moss, who also went to the Pirates in the deal, is having a good time. He has started nearly every game for the Pirates in August, but is only batting .235 for them. But, the extra playing time should help him mature in to a solid every day player.

So, yet another interesting pitching match up unfolds this afternoon. Jon Lester will face off against Mike Mussina. Mussina has easy been New York's most reliable starter this year, while Lester has become Boston's most reliable. Both team have seen these pitchers more than once, so there will be plenty of familiarity. The Yankees should be desperate to avoid a sweep, so this one should be a tough battle.

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Orioles Cannot Keep Red Sox at Bay

Yes, I'm talking about Jason Bay, last night's offensive hero. Bay got the scoring going in the second inning with a solo home run. Two outs later, another Jason, this one named Varitek, hit his own solo home run to give the Sox a 2-0 lead. Good to see the Captain contributing at the plate. This is a good time of year to get hot. Which is what Bay was last night, as shown clearly when he launched his second homer of the game, this one a two run shot in the 8th inning that gave the Sox the insurance runs they would need en route to a final score of 6-3.

I expected the pitching duel between Jon Lester and Jeremie Guthrie to be a good one, and it was. Both pitchers battled well and they each lasted 7 innings. Lester allowed 4 hits, struck out 5 batters, and the only run he gave up was a solo home run to Aubrey Huff. Guthrie was nearly as good, allowing 5 hits and striking out 4 batters, and the only runs he allowed were the solo home runs to the two Jason's in the second inning.

The rest of the scoring all came off the bullpens. For the Sox, Manny Delcarmen came in to start the 8th inning. Things looked good when he got the first two batters out, but when he proceeded to walk the next two batters, Terry Francona opted to bring in Jonathan Papelbon to keep the game from quickly getting out of hand. At that point, the score was 4-1, and Aubrey Huff was the next batter. A home run from Huff would tie the game. Papelbon prevented Huff from hitting a home run, but not from doing some damage. Huff got some good wood on an outside pitch and drove it to the left field gap for a double, scoring two runs (both charged to Manny - sorry Manny!).

In the 9th inning, the Sox scored two more to get some breathing room, and Papelbon shut the door on the Orioles for his 33rd save of the season. The Rays won, yet again, so the Sox gained no ground on the AL East leaders, but they did gain a game in the Wild Card standings when Minnesota lost to the A's 3-2.

Next up, Daisuke Matsuzaka takes the mound against Daniel Cabrera tonight in Baltimore. Should be another interesting pitching match up. If Dice-K wins, it will be his 15th win this year, further adding to his case as a valid Cy Young candidate (I'm thinking Lon Lester is pitching his way into Cy Young contention as well!). Let's hope he is crafty as ever and can please the Boston crowd in Fenway II, otherwise known as Camden Yards.

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Pan Mass Challenge Break

With all the excitement going on in baseball, I have been too busy getting ready to ride in the Pan Mass Challenge this weekend to write about it.

The Pan Mass Challenge is a 192 mile bike ride from Sturbridge to Provincetown, Massachusetts. This will be my fourth year riding on Team LEGS. This year we are riding for a 5 year old girl whose name is Kayleigh. Kayleigh was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a cancer of the liver. She has undergone a liver transplant, and a few rounds of chemotherapy, all at the age of 5. But, because of the money raised by the PMC, great strides have been made towards a cure, and today she has hope that she will survive.

If you have a kind heart, and are feeling like you need another tax deduction, please consider contributing to my ride!

Meanwhile...

Brief thoughts on Manny Ramirez...

When I heard about the trade, I wondered how many players they got in return for a certain hall of famer like Manny. I was shocked to find they had to throw in Craig Hansen, Brandon Moss, and $7 million just to get Jason Bay! Wow! Jason is a good player, but, as of yet, he is not the RBI machine that Manny is. I am hoping that Jason knows he is good, and has been wallowing in last place with the Pirates dreaming about playing for a top team. If so, this is is chance to shine.

Meanwhile, Manny joins forces with Joe Torre and the other unhappy Sox player of note, Nomar Garciaparra. Interesting. Now, Manny's options for next year are gone, and with Scott Boras running things for Manny, he may not even be with the Dodgers next year. Probably one of the reasons the Sox had to up the offer. The Pirates made out well - 4 new young players!

Lastly, it is really a shame, just like with Nomar. We have a superstar who is loved in town, but somehow he just can't do the Jason Varitek and Big Papi thing and enjoy it. Instead he has to go and rock the boat, whine and moan, and get run out of time. Now the Sox have clearly degraded to rid themselves of a growing problem in Manny. Yes, they are worse for the trade having lost a premier slugger, a good young relief pitcher, and a solid young outfielder. Jason Bay has big shoes to fill. Will be freeze up like a deer in the headlights, or cut loose to show the world his stuff?