At Least Toronto is Still on Our Side

Just a quick drive-by today. From the storm, we've had a power outage until just recently. By know you know all about the drubbing the Rangers put on the Sox yesterday. Wakefield just could not find the plate. The newspapers have railed about how the bullpen did nothing to help. Well, that's true, and it would worry you to hear that, until you see who we are talking about.

The culprits were Chris Smith, Mike Timlin, and Dave Pauley. This year, non of those 3 is likely to even be on the playoff roster. So, no need to panic too much that the bullpen is falling apart. Manny Delcarmen, Justin Masterson, Hideki Okajima, and Jonathan Papelbon (and soon they'll add David Aardsma) were not part of the debacle, and they'll all be on the playoff roster. So will Javier Lopez, who only joined the game for 1/3 of an inning yesterday. Terry Francona most likely knew this was not the game to waste the elite crew, and let the new guys give it a shot.

Toronto still is pulling for the Sox as they beat Tampa Bay yesterday to prevent the Rays from extending their 2 1/2 game lead. Thank you brothers from the north! Of course, they had beaten the Rays prior to the Sox game, and the Sox completely lost a chance at stepping a game closer.

Never mind, we'll see what they can do this afternoon. Paul Byrd should be able to give the Sox a good outing and maybe the bats can continue to jump on Rangers pitching! Even though the Sox lost yesterday, they did score 8 runs! Most days, that translates into a win.

Yankees Lose Round One, 7-3

Red Sox fans let out a sigh of relief. Nagging concerns about a possible sweep by the Yankees in this series vanished last night, along with any MVP hopes Alex Rodriguez may have had. For the Yankees, this series has been looked at as pivotal to getting back into the playoff hunt, and the first game was considered a true "big game". The pitching match ups seemed to favor the Yankees. Andy Pettitte is a true "big game" pitcher, and he was facing Tim Wakefield, fresh off of the DL, who has not fared well in recent outings against the Yankees.

What New York needed was for their big players to step up. And the Yankees have no bigger player than A-Rod, arguably the most talented player in our lifetime. Unfortunately, A-Rod folded like an empty beach chair on a windy day. If you missed the game, here are the A-Rod highlights:

First inning: With the Yankees leading 1-0 on a Johnny Damon home run, A-Rod struck out looking to end the inning.

Second inning: With two outs and the Sox' 8th and 9th batters coming up. Both Jeff Bailey and Kevin Cash hit soft grounders right to A-Rod, who was playing deep. A-Rod could not handle either ball cleanly in time to make a play. The next batter, Jacoby Ellsbury, singled to drive in the Sox' first run.

Third inning: With one out and Bobby Abreu on first base, A-Rod hits n easy ground ball to short for an inning ending double play.

Fourth inning: With two outs and a runner on first, Dustin Pedroia hits a soft ground ball to third. A-Rod fields it cleanly then throws a side arm lob to first that pulls Jason Giambi well off the bag towards home plate. Giambi catches the ball and manages to quickly swipe Pedroia with his glove in time for the out - saving A-Rod from being charged with an error.

Fifth inning: With two outs, one run already in, the Sox leading 4-2, and runners at 2nd and 3rd, Jeff Bailey hits a ground ball down the line to third. The ball hops off the bag, A-Rod grabs it, fumbles for a fatal second taking it out of his glove, fires a futile throw to first which bounces once and arrives too late. The throw allows Coco Crisp, who had just reached third as A-Rod threw to first, to race home. Bailey was safe at first and Giambi held the ball and watched Coco score unchallenged. Had A-Rod held the ball, he would have at least held Coco on third, or possibly trapped him in a run-down. Had he made a quicker throw, he could have ended the inning. Giambi also had a shot at Coco at the plate, but held the ball.

Fifth inning: With one out, Derek Jeter on second and Bobby Abreu on first, and the score now 6-3, A-Rod flied out to center field, missing an opportunity to tie the game with a big swing.

Seventh inning: With one out, and bases loaded, thanks to a single and two walks from Manny Delcarmen, A-Rod came up to face Justin Masterson. A-Rod proceeded to hit a grounder to short for another inning ending double play.

Eighth inning: With one out, Dustin Pedroia hits a ground ball to third, and A-Rod throws hit out at first (wow). Later, with runners on first and second and two outs, Jason Bay hits a ground ball to third, A-Rod bobbles it, recovers, makes a bad throw to first, and the runners are safe. A-Rod is charged with an error. No runs score as Jed Lowrie lines out to second.

Ninth inning: Dustin Pedroia hits another ball to A-Rod, this time lining out to him cleanly to end the inning (wow).

Ninth inning: With a runner on first and two outs, the Yankees are down to their final chance. A-Rod steps up to the plate, and Jonathan Papelbon feeds him a steady diet of 95 mph fastballs. With the count 2-2, A-Rod swings and misses at the 5th pitch to end the game.

Don't get me wrong, a love A-Rod, I really do (insert sounds of suppressed laughter). He is truly a great player (insert sounds of chuckling), but when the game is on the line, he just never seems to come through. His post season stats are weak, and in important games, he disappears. Yankee fans seemed to notice as they showered him with boos all night. Personally, I think that is very classless. To boo your own players during an important battle is incredibly counter-productive.

But, you can certainly see their point. He made the last out in three innings, went 0-5, hit into 2 double plays, left 7 men on base, committed an error, and failed to make critical defensive plays when they were needed most.

Perfect day for the Sox to win. With the Rays and Twins both losing last night, the Sox gained ground on everyone. They now stand 3 1/2 behind the Rays for the Division lead, and extended their Wild Card lead to 2 1/2 games over the Twins, and 6 games over the Yankees.

Interesting match up tonight in the Bronx. Paul Byrd is no serious threat to the Yankees. They have had their way with Byrd in the past, but Byrd has been known to step up in big games, which would be nice to see tonight. Meanwhile, the Yankees counter with Sidney Ponson, who got roughed up in his last outing against the Blue Jays, and also got roughed up the last time he faced the Red Sox. This one, on paper, does not look like a classic pitcher's duel. Don't be surprised if this one comes down to the bullpens.

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

That's All for Buchholz

At the end of the 2007 season, Clay Buchholz looked like the next young stud in line to become the ace of the Red Sox pitching staff. He looked sharp, confident, and dazzled the baseball world with a no-hitter. Red Sox fans were irritated that the Red Sox front office left him off of the playoff roster, but we were sure he'd be an important part of the 2008 playoff run.

That was then, this is now. Clay just has not been able to get it together this season, and I think a portion of that blame may lie with the Red Sox, but it is hard to say for sure. When Buchholz began to struggle a bit in June, they "invented" a fingernail issue that apparently required a trip to Pawtucket (coincidentally timed perfectly to open a roster spot for Bartolo Colon). While in Pawtucket, rather than just get some solid work in, they decided that Clay needed some tinkering. So, they went to work trying to alter his arm slot and perfect the mechanics of his fastball. Sometimes when you tinker with something too much, you simply make it worse. Remember when you'd get a pimple and you just couldn't help but pick at it, or when you'd get a mosquito bite and you just had to scratch it? These things feel right at first, but in the end, only make the problem worse.

Since Clay returned from his tuneup, he has been nothing more than a tremendous disappointment. Last night, the Red Sox staked Clay to a 4-0 lead heading into the bottom of the 2nd inning. A 4 run lead would normally cause a pitcher to relax, gain confidence, and go after batters with more determination and less caution. That was not the case for Clay who preceded to give back 3 runs in the bottom of the second inning. That, apparently, was enough to get Terry Francona nervous. In the 3rd inning, he hit the first batter, Melvin Mora, with a pitch, got Aubrey Huff to fly out, and then walked Luke Scott. So, runners on first and second, one out, and Clay had thrown 60 pitches. Interestingly enough, that was all Tito wanted to see. His vision of the future did not include Clay inducing an inning ending double play, or even any Dice-K-like magic to end the threat unscathed. Tito could only see further woes ahead, so he pulled the trigger early in the game and sent Clay to an early shower, a brief stop on his way to AA Portland.

Meanwhile, when Tito called in David Aardsma, he probably did not expect what he got either, as Aardsma finished up the mess Buchholz had started by allowing the first batter he faced, Ramon Hernandez, to hit a fatal 3 run home run. The score was now 7-4 in favor of the Orioles. The Red Sox managed to only score 6 runs by the end of the game, so this hit was truly the dagger that ended the game in the 3rd inning. Javier Lopez relieved Aardsma an inning later, and fared no better. The first three batters he faced went like this; single, walk, three run home run. At 10-4, this game was truly out of reach (This was not the Texas Rangers you know. Against Texas, this game would have been far from over).

The good news is that Hideki Okajima pitched two good innings, the 7th and 8th, only allowing one base runner on a walk. The bullpen simply does not look like they are ready for the playoffs yet. But, if Okajima can regain last year's form, having the Okajima-Papelbon one two punch at the end of games may be just enough to get them by.

Meanwhile, Josh Beckett is still day to day, the result of numbness in two fingers on his pitching hand. It appears the numbness stems from his elbow, which is mildly sore, supposedly due to sleeping on it funny. Yes, this worries me for now. A pinched nerve in an elbow could clear up over night, or could become a nagging problem. Tim Wakefield is recovering from shoulder soreness quite well. He claims he is now pain free and throwing well. He could be back for the upcoming Yankee series, which would help the Sox buy some time before determining what move they will make to back fill for Buchholz. I am guessing they are hoping that Bartolo Colon is declared ready just in time.

Also on the injury front, Jed Lowrie fans can revel in the news that Julio Lugo has run into a setback in his recovery, quite literally. While doing some running, he felt a pull in his healing quad muscle, and is back to square one. Lowrie can breathe a sigh of relief and continue showing the Sox that he is the shortstop of the future.

As the playoff race continues, the Sox lost an opportunity to inch closer to the Rays, who finally lost a game last night. The Yankees and Twins, however, both won their games. While we are not too worried about the Yankees (yet), the win by the Twins pulls them to within 1/2 a game of the Red Sox in the Wild Card race.

The Sox have the night off tonight, travelling up to Toronto. Does is make you nervous having the Sox face the Blue Jays (a team they have trouble beating this year) on the road (where they have been struggling for success all season)? Paul Byrd starts things off, and he did pitch reasonably well in his Sox debut. After Byrd, the reliable Jon Lester follows, with the mystical Dice-K to end the series. I'm certainly not expecting a sweep in Toronto (for either team) but I am hoping they can steal two wins in the series. Anything less will likely force a slip in the standings at a bad time of year to be slipping.


(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Yankees Suffer Amnesia - Forget How To Lose

Well, winning 8 games in a row since the All Star Break is a nice way to get yourself back into the playoff mix. The Yankees have been kind to the Red Sox fans the past couple of years by starting off the season slow, sluggish, and appearing to be done for. They give Sox fans a chance to boast, thump their chest, and proclaim how the mighty Yankees have fallen and they are now the king of the roost. Then, the All Star Break comes around and the Yankees begin their attack. Remember how that 20+ game lead last year melted like butter left out in the sun?

So, what can you say about yesterday's game, a 10-3 loss at home? Well, it looked like it was going to be a Red Sox day when Big Papi drove in his first run since returning from the DL in the first inning. After 1 inning the Sox had a 2-0 lead, and it looked like Andy Pettitte was going to have an early day. But, Pettitte is no 20 year old rookie. He just took a deep breath, adjusted his approach a bit, and went back to work shutting down the Sox until JD Drew's solo home run in the 6th inning. The Sox offense, since the break, has looked no more potent than the lowly Devil Rays (Oh wait, that was just a habit. Change that to the Royals and let's keep going...). Since the break, the offense has only scored 4 runs once, and less than 4 in every other outing. They just cannot get a rally going! Part of that may be the slump of Jacoby Ellsbury who does a great job of clogging the bases, but overall, they get a hit here and a hit there only. In other words, "here a hit, there a hit", but never, "everywhere a hit, hit".

So what went well? Not much. The Yankees were held in check for a spell, but continually put pressure on Tim Wakefield until he finally started to crumble in the 6th. Justin Masterson came in and threw some very nifty pitches with impressive movement on them. However, the Yankees fouled those off and waited for the ones that weren't as tricky to hit. Masterson faced 3 batters, gave up 3 hits, and took a seat.

So, yesterday we discussed whether or not Joba Chamberlain intentionally threw at Kevin Youkilis. I think we got part of the answer yesterday, specifically in the 8th inning. With two outs, and runners on 1st and 3rd, Alex Rodriguez stepped to the plate. If a team is going to throw at an opposing player in retaliation, and to send a message that they will not be pushed around, they will try to pick a premier player on the other team, right? Okay, A-Rod fits that criteria. They'll also tend to do it late in the game, especially if the score is out of control. Check. With runners on 1st and 3rd, a smart move might have been to walk A-Rod to take the bat out of their best hitter's hands and create a force play at any base situation. Well, if you are going to put him on base intentionally....

So, with one ball and no strikes, Craig Hansen threw a 98 mph fastball right at A-Rod's arm (wisely not going right for the head like Joba did). A-Rod got nailed in the arm and hopped around in pain. Clearly an intentional pitch. So, what does a team do when their best player just got intentionally nailed by a 98 mph pitch in a game where all they are trying to do is play good, solid baseball? They get pissed off, the batter throws a few choice words out to the pitcher and begins marching out to extract his pound of flesh. The bench empties and the bullpen pitchers come running in to help. If no punches are thrown, there is at least some serious posturing, swearing, and shoving. Remember the situation with the Rays? Coco gets hit - fight ensues. You get the idea.

What happened yesterday? A-Rod winced in pain, shook it off, and took first base. The guys in the dugout never even flinched, and the guys in the bullpen remained seated. Two possible reasons for that. One is that the Yankees can't stand A-Rod and are glad someone plunked him with a pitch and wish they were allowed to do the same. I know, that could be the real reason. But, the second reason would be that they knew their guy was wrong throwing at Youk, and by allowing A-Rod to get drilled without even a nasty look is conceding that they were owed that one. And before you go commenting that a third reason might be that the Yankees are good sports and simply won't stoop to that level, don't embarrass yourself, that reason just would not fit.

Hansen did a fantastic job of plunking A-Rod (many pitchers completely botch the revenge pitch), but rather than firing him up, and got his knees rattling. Hansen went on to walk in a run, and then gave up a double to let the game get completely out of hand. So, if you need a pitcher to deliver a message, you can let Hansen do it, just pull him from the game after that.

The Red Sox ace of 2008, Jon Lester, takes the mound today to end the losing streak. A task Lester is definitely up for. The Yankees counter with beach brawler, Sidney Ponson. Ponson has a tough time at Fenway with a 2-4 record and a 7.16 ERA. Time to put a W on the board and get the ship pointed in the right direction again!

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Return of the Youkie Monster

Youkie Monster LOVES cookies! On Friday night, Kevin Youkilis came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, with bases loaded, two outs, and the Red Sox behind the Orioles by the score of 7-3. Red Sox fans did some quick math in their heads and realized a grand slam would tie the game. But, that was not in the cards. Instead, Orioles' pitcher, George Sherrill, was throwing nothing but peas and bananas to Youk. Youk no like! You want cookies! So, Youk struck out to bring the game to a disappointing end.

Yesterday was different. It was the third inning, the Red Sox had the bases loaded with one out and Youk was up. The Red Sox were leading 3-1 and looking to extend the lead for Tim Wakefield, who the Sox have owed a win to for while now. Orioles' starter, Radhames Liz, made a big mistake. Trying to be too careful, he threw three straight balls to Youk to bring the count to 3 balls and no strikes. Not wanting to walk (another) run in, Liz had little choice but to throw fastballs. When the batter knows exactly what the pitcher will throw, it is like getting a cookie! Youk watched the next pitch go by for strike one, but got a good smell of the cookie, and got hungry. Youkie Monster want COOKIE! Liz throw cookie, Youkie eat cookie! The smile on Youkilis' face went from ear to ear as he watched his first career grand slam settle into a fans glove high up on the Green Monster.

The Red Sox did not look back, walking off with a 12-1 victory, pulling them within 1/2 game of the first place Rays, who lost their sixth game in a row. Looks like the Rays need the All Star break to regroup before they lose too much ground.

Red Sox fans got a small wish filled when Julio Lugo was placed on the 15 day DL. Many fans have felt Jed Lowrie would be a better option than Lugo, who has been error prone this season and not hitting as well as expected. Lowrie got into the game, but did not get to show his stuff. Lowrie was the only starter to fail to record a hit, and the Orioles did not hit a single ball his way, so we did not get a chance to see his smooth defense. But, he'll get back out there, and hopefully he'll get his hits when the Sox need them more. Yesterday, they had all the hits they really needed. JD Drew and Manny Ramirez hit back to back home runs in the first inning, Youkilis drove in 6 runs, Dustin Pedroia went 2 for 5 with 2 RBI. Who needed Lowrie to hit yesterday?

So, Wakefield finally pitches a brilliant game on a day when the Sox could give him run support. Wake only allowed 2 hits in 7 innings, one of them a solo home run to account for Baltimore's only run of the day. Craig Hansen provided a 1-2-3 8th inning, and Mike Timlin wrapped up the ninth inning. On to today's game, when Dice-K will be vying for his 10th win against the Orioles' Daniel Cabrera. Cabrera does not generally fare well against Boston and Dice-K is coming off a well pitched game against the Twins. A win would be a nice way to roll into the break. Combine that with a 7th Rays' loss in a row (not likely) and the Sox could enter the break back in first place!

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Red Sox Forced to Settle for Series Split With Yankees

It played out just the way Tampa Bay hoped it would. The Rays were about to start playing Kansas City, a team they should be able to dominate, and their closest competition, the Red Sox and Yankees, would be playing each other. The Rays were happy to watch the Sox and Yanks beat each other up in a futile effort to move up in the standings while they racked up wins against the Royals. So, the Sox and Yanks split their four game series, and the Rays won three straight from KC, resulting in the Rays increasing their lead by 1.5 games over both the Red Sox and the Yankees. The Rays now hold a 5 game lead, and appear to be setting the dial to cruise control.

The Red Sox lost the last two games of the series in well fought, close games. In both, they managed to get Mariano Rivera on the ropes, and both times failed to connect with the knock out blow. Last night, Terry Francona seemed to have made the smart moves to put his guys in position to win. In the top of the ninth, with Rivera on the mound, Sean Casey lead off with a single. Preferring more speed on the bases, Tito sent in Brandon Moss to pinch run for Casey, and Coco Crisp nicely bunted him over to second base. One out, and a man in scoring position.

Tito then made an interesting decision. The next batter was Julio Lugo, who has not been batting so well lately. So, Tito pinch hits for him - not a bad idea, BUT he sends on Jason Varitek to hit for him. Varitek has been in a terrible slump lately, but you just have to hope he gets the bat on the ball in that spot. Tito was probably hoping for at least a sacrifice fly to get Moss over to third. Instead, Varitek broke his bat on the first pitch, weakly grounding out to the pitcher, holding Moss at second base.

So, Tito goes for the big gun, and sends in Manny Ramirez to hit for Kevin Cash. Again, a very smart move that did not play out. For some bizarre reason, Manny went up to the plate and watched three straight change ups to go by, all of them called strikes! He never once took the bat off his shoulder! Even Rivera could not believe it. "I was kind of surprised, yeah, definitely," Rivera said. "Yeah, I was kind of surprised he didn't take the bat off his shoulder. I don't know what he was thinking. That's Manny." No one knows what Manny was thinking. I can't imagine he was being uncooperative because he wanted the whole night off, but that's what it looked like.

Having squandered their chance, the game went into the 10th inning, where the Yankees were able to sneak in a run off of Jonathan Papelbon. With a runner on second and two outs, Paps immediately worked the count to 0-2 against Brett Gardner, but could not get the 3rd strike. Garder ended up hitting a perfectly placed grounder up the middle that Cora tried to knock down, but it hit the lip of the grass and Cora could not come up with it.

A well fought game all around. Wakefield and Joba Chamberlain went toe to toe and came out of it with a draw. Wake went 6 1/3 innings allowing 3 earned runs on 4 hits and 5 strikeouts. Joba went 6 innings allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and 5 strikeouts. So, you see, you can be just as effective with speed as without. The Sox bullpen (Javier Lopez) gave up one run, and so did the Yankee's pen (David Robertson). So, it all came down to the closers. Even then, it was a split decision, with the victory going to Rivera over Papelbon.

The Sox finally get to come back home, and if their usual success in Fenway Park continues, maybe they'll be able to inch closer to the Rays before the All Star Break.

(Photos Courtesy of Yahoo Sports)

Red Sox Out-Pitched and Out-Managed in Loss to Rays

Do you miss Big Papi yet? The Red Sox sure do. Last night they were once again unable to get any real offense going in a 3-1 loss to the surging Rays. They are batting like zombies up there! Either Tampa Bay pitching is better than advertised, or the Sox need a rest. For the second night in a row, Rays pitching retired each batter in the Red Sox lineup in order the first time through. Two nights in a row the first 3 innings go 1-2-3. Last night, there were no solo home runs to tease us into thinking the offense was about to get going. As the key was turned in the ignition to get it started, the offensive engine sputtered, choked, coughed, and let out a sigh as it collapsed, refusing to start.

Even JD Drew, the hottest batter this past month for the Sox, was unable to get it going. JD went 0-3 with 2 strike outs, the worse of those coming in the 8th inning. With one out and runners on first and second, the Red Sox had the makings of a rally started, but JD stood there and watched three straight pitches go by, each one of them called a strike. JD, wake up - you have to swing at least once! To JD's credit, he was credited with the Sox' only RBI of the night in the 4th inning. Jacoby Ellsbury had singled advanced all the way to third base when he hit a dribbler that catcher, Dioner Navarro, threw past first base for an error. JD Drew managed to hit a sacrifice fly to score Ellsbury from third, and that ended the Sox' offense for the evening.

Manny Ramirez remained silent at the plate, also going 0-3 with a walk and a strikeout. Even Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis were cold, both of them going 0-4. In games like this, the manager will try to shake things up with a timely pinch hitter. Terry Francona tried to shake things up, but failed in two ways. First, he fell for a little bait and switch by Rays' manager, Joe Maddon. Joe sent starter, Matt Garza, who had already thrown 102 pitches, back out to the mound to start the 8th inning. Joe knew that Tim Wakefield was most likely done for the evening, and that meant that the lead off batter for the Red Sox that inning, catcher Kevin Cash, was likely to be pinch hit for. He played Francona like a fiddle. Terry went for the bait and sent in left handed hitting Sean Casey to bat for Cash. As soon as he saw the move, Maddon marched to the mound and made the move he was planning all along. Maddon sent in the left handed reliever, JP Howell, in to replace Garza.


Then, Tito proceeded to make his second mistake. The Sox had only 3 players on the bench last night with Coco Crisp serving his suspension. That left Sean Casey, Jason Varitek, and Julio Lugo, who was getting a night off. We all love Varitek, but he has been mired in a slump lately and looks terrible at the plate. Meanwhile, Sean Casey is batting .358. But, Casey bats left handed, so shouldn't that favor NOT sending him up to face Howell? It might, but Casey is batting .350 this season against left handed pitching! So, who gives the Sox a bigger chance to create a spark for the offense? You say Sean Casey? Terry did not think so, and he pulled Casey, now ineligible to return to the game, and sent Varitek up to bat right handed. Varitek watched the first pitch go by for a strike, then swung at and missed the next two pitches. Then, in the 9th inning, with two outs and Alex Cora on second base with a double, the batter was again Jason Varitek, facing the right handed Grant Balfour. This would have been a sweet spot to have Casey batting, but alas, we again got to see Varitek strike out on three straight pitches to end the game.

Meanwhile, poor Tim Wakefield, who went 7 innings, allowing only 2 runs (one of them unearned), got saddled with the loss. It is nights like that when you realize how meaningless wins and losses can be as a meaningful statistic on the effectiveness of a pitcher. Wakefield pitched even better than we could have expected, and not only doe not get the win, but adds another loss to his name. Has to be frustrating.

The Red Sox have yet to win a game in Tampa this season. Can they break that streak tonight with Daisuke Matsuzaka facing off against Scott Kazmir? Kazmir is a tough lefty that will cause trouble for the Sox who have largely left handed outfield and bench. Ellsbury, Moss, and Drew will all have their work cut out for them, and Casey will be forced to ride the pine again. it would be a nice time for Manny Ramirez to get his fire going again, and for the Dice Man to keep them in the game long enough to get past Kazmir and start working on the bullpen. A loss would send the Sox on to face the Yankees trailing the Rays by 3 1/2 games. A win would cut the Rays' lead to only 1 1/2. Let's work on a win!

(Photos Courtesy of Yahoo Sports)

Red Sox Take 2 of 3 From Arizona

The Red Sox are still holding their own against the NL in inter league play. In May they swept the Brewers in a 3 game series, and in June they have won 2 out of 3 games from Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and now Arizona. In all three of those series they lost the first game, but managed to win the next two. Only the St. Louis Cardinals were able to win a 3 game series against the Red Sox, taking two out of their three games in Fenway Park. The Sox will wrap up inter league play for 2008 with a 3 game set in Houston against the Astros. With their inter league record at 10-5, they are ensured a winning record against NL teams for the regular season, which is not bad considering the caliber of teams they had to face.

Last night was a throw back look to the old days as the pitching match up featured old time foe, Randy Johnson, facing off against Tim Wakefield. Both pitchers are getting on in years, but both are still effective. Johnson has always been notoriously difficult on left handed batters, and managers will try and stack up as many right handed batters in the lineup as possible when facing Johnson. The problem for Terry Francona is that his current outfield depth chart features 3 left handed batters (JD Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Brandon Moss). Manny Ramirez bats right handed, but Manny was on DH duty in Big Papi's absence. The final outfielder is Coco Crisp, who is a switch hitter. So, no matter what, two out of the Red Sox' three outfielders would be lefties. Francona opted to give JD Drew a night off, which is a good idea. Drew had been completely on fire for most of June, but has started to cool off, and a couple of days off (with the off-day today), might be just the thing to reignite that fire.

Randy Johnson pitched a fine game, but ironically, the only two runs he allowed were both driven in by the left handed Brandon Moss. In the 2nd inning, with one out and runners on 2nd and 3rd base, Moss hit a weak ground ball to second base for a force out, but Mike Lowell was able to score from third on the play. Then, in the 6th inning, with the bases loaded and one out, Moss got a good piece of the bat on the ball and sent a fly deep enough to right center field for a sacrifice fly to put Boston up 2-0. That was all Wakefield really needed as he completely baffled the Diamondbacks the entire game. Through 7 innings Wake only allowed 3 base runners, a single in the 3rd, a walk in the 5th, and a double in the 7th. The Diamondbacks just did not know what to do with the crafty knuckleballer.

Kevin Cash connected for a 3 run home run, his first of the season, off of reliever, Juan Cruz, in the 8th inning to buy the Sox some insurance. They almost had to "cash" in on that insurance in the ninth inning when Craig Hansen got himself into a two out, bases loaded jam, thanks to a single and two walks. Francona was too uncomfortable with the situation and called on Jonathan Papelbon to nail the game down, which he did by throwing nothing but fastballs to Chad Tracy, striking him out swinging at the 5th one.

So, the Sox are now headed south to Houston, hanging on to a one game lead over the tenacious Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox need to dispatch the Astros quickly, and decisively, because they then head to Tampa for three games that will be another battle with the Rays for rights to first place. It may also be a chance for bad feelings to be re-ignited. Do not be surprised if Coco Crisp begins serving his suspension for his part in the brawl with Tampa Bay in time to miss out on this series. While Coco is a valuable player, Francona would be just as happy to reduce the chances to stir up any further violence between the two clubs.

P.S. The headline on Yahoo Sports, "Wakefield Beats Johnson" is just not right!

(Photos Courtesy of Yahoo Sports)

Red Sox Top Reds in Extra Innings, 6-4

The Red Sox headed into yesterday's game with a big offensive handicap, missing both Manny Ramirez and Big Papi, their number 3 and number 4 hitters, from the lineup. In addition, playing in a National League Park, there would be no designated hitter so the pitcher would be taking the 9th spot in the order (and the Sox got 5 strike outs out of the 9th place in the order, as it turned out). The weakened lineup would then have to face one of the brightest young pitchers of 2008, Edinson Volquez. The edge the Sox needed to take advantage of was speed, with Jacoby Ellsbury and Coco Crisp both in the outfield.

Ellsbury got things running right away. He lead off the game with a single and advanced to second base on a wild throw, possibly due to Volquez worrying about a steal. The steal was coming - just one batter later, with JD Drew at the plate, Ellsbury stole third base and the throw got away, allowing him to score the first run of the day. JD Drew scored the Red Sox' second run in the fourth inning when he roped a triple to deep left field, and two batters later, snuck home on a wild pitch. Leading 2-1 in the 8th inning, JD Drew got things going again in the 8th with a lead off double, and scored on a Mike Lowell single to center field. Unfortunately, third base coach, DeMarlo Hale, thought Lowell was one of the team's speedsters and sent him home from first on a double by Kevin Youkilis. Predictably, Lowell was easily thrown out.

But, with a 4-2 lead, the Sox looked to be in good shape. Tim Wakefield had a very good game, only allowing two solo home runs in 7 innings to go with 6 strike outs. But, the bullpen was not able to keep the lead for Wake. The one time sure thing, Hideki Okajima, replaced Wakefield in the 8th inning. He faced three batters allowing a single, a strike out, and a walk. But, Terry Francona, wisely keeping Okajima on a short leash for a while, decided to change direction and brought in Manny Delcarmen. Manny immediately gave up a single to Javier Valentin, scoring a run from second base. But, before things got out of control, he thankfully induced Ken Griffey, Jr., to ground into a double play.

So, ninth inning, 4-3 lead, no problem, right? Well, almost. Jonathan Papelbon got the first two batters of the ninth out on consecutive ground balls. Then, Edwin Encarnation stepped in and waged a fierce battle with the Sox closer, fouling off some very good pitches. Papelbon, hoping to catch Edwin looking for a 98 mph fastball, opted for an 89 mph slider. Unfortunately, the slider did not have enough bite on it, and Encarnation sent it into the left field seats for a game tying home run. Papelbon finished off the 9th, but earned his 3rd blown game of the season.

The Sox needed runs, and the got them in the 10th on back to back solo home runs from Youkilis and Coco Crisp. For the Sox to get a rare road win, they needed someone to take care of the Reds in the 10th. Enter, Craig Hansen, and begin some National League roster moves. With the pitcher due to lead off, Corey Patterson was sent in to pinch hit, and Hansen got him to ground out, and then struck out Jay Bruce for two quick outs. But, to keep things exciting, Jolbert Cabrera singled to center field, and was then allowed to steal 2nd base, and then 3rd base with no throw from Kevin Cash. With a two run lead, the batter was all that really mattered. The batter was Ken Griffey. Hansen wisely was careful with Griffey, but maybe a bit too careful, walking him on 5 pitches. To speed things up on the bases, Bronson Arroyo, our old pal, was sent in to pinch run for Griffey. But, all the interesting strategies went for naught when Brandon Phillips flied out to JD Drew to end the game, which earned Hansen his very first save as a major league pitcher! Congratulations to Craig Hansen!

This afternoon, the Sox will attempt to take 2 of three on the road, a rarity these days. But, there are a lot of fathers out there looking for joy on Father's Day. With Josh Beckett starting for the Sox, you would think this was a sure thing, but Beckett has not been dominating lately. But, he has pitched well enough to keep them in the game. The Sox will again be dealing with a weakened lineup, so look for more of the same today - aggressive base running, low scoring game, and attack the bullpen.

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

JD Drew Leads Red Sox to Victory

JD Drew continues to swing a hot bat, and has done so ever since David Ortiz headed to the disabled list. While (some) fans instantly began formulating crazy plans to replace Papi (Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and others were bantered about), JD Drew has been picking his game up and making those discussions irrelevant. Last night Drew was a double shy of hitting for the cycle. He went 3 for 5, with a home run, a triple, and a single. The two outs he made were hard hit line drives right at people. Fans got on Drew's case last year, when he clearly underperformed. However, we all know he was dealing with some pretty stressful personal situations, with his wife being pregnant, and his son going through serious medical issues. This year, it appears that is all behind him, and we are seeing what he can really do.

But, last night was not only the JD Drew story. Tim Wakefield pitched a nice game, getting the win as he went 7 solid innings, only allowing 2 runs in the third inning. Craig Hansen is also settling into his role well, and pitched a scoreless 8th inning before handing the ball to Papelbon with an 11-3 lead in the 9th. Papelbon pitched the ninth to get some work in, not because he was needed to close the door. He started the inning looking as if he knew this was no biggie. But, that's the mentality that gets closers in trouble. After a rare error by Kevin Youkilis at first, who misplayed a throw from Alex Cora at second, Papelbon gave up a single that allowed a run to score. Papelbon seemed to realize he was in danger of getting too sloppy, and quickly bore down and got the next 3 outs on a pair of strikeouts, and a fly ball to JD Drew in right.

Kevin Youkilis finally committed an error at first base, his first error at the position since July 4, 2006. 238 games later, Youk finally drops a ball. Congratulations to Youk, as his streak set a major league record. Since moving from third base to first base, he has really proven himself to be a solid, versatile infielder.

Manny Ramirez also kept up the heroics with home run number 504. Manny is still resting a tender hamstring, but was back in the lineup at DH. Coco Crisp was also in the lineup again, and added two stolen bases. With Jacoby Ellsbury out nursing a sore wrist, Crisp has been filling in as a terror on the bases. All in all, the Sox earned a convincing win yesterday, which is needed to shake off the crazy Rays series.

This afternoon, the Sox play their last game of the DVD Giveaway Contest. This is still a close battle, and with Jacoby Ellsbury not in the starting lineup, the lowest base stealing guesses will earn the most points. A win or loss will also make a difference. With many people guessing 4 wins, a loss gives them all 5 points, but a win today gives the few people who guessed 5 wins an edge. Runs and home runs are both settled in the middle. A high scoring game today could produce a dramatic swing in the final standings! Good luck to you all!

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Orioles Avoid Sweep - Knock Out Okajima in 8th

Last night, the Orioles saved some face in front of the home town crowd by beating the Red Sox 6-3. With Tim Wakefield on the mound for Boston, Baltimore decided to steal a page from Jacoby Ellsbury and come out running. With one out in the first inning the running started. Brian Roberts, who had reached first base on a single, stole second base, and quickly proceeded to steal third base, setting himself up to score. Melvin Mora ended up walking and Orioles' clean up batter, Aubrey Huff, stepped in. Huff worked the count to 2-2, and then struck out looking at the next pitch. But on that very pitch, Mora took off for second and was gunned down by Kevin Cash for the third out. The running game was putting pressure on the Sox, but it was not effective at scoring runs yet.

In the second inning, Luke Scott hit a single to right field, and thought he'd avoid the whole steal situation by stretching the single into a double. But, JD Drew is no longer suffering the effects of vertigo has had last week and gunned down Scott at second base. The O's manufactured two runs in the 4th inning, but that is all they would get from Tim Wakefield, who had a good night, lasting through the 7th inning, kindly giving the bullpen a much needed rest.

Meanwhile, the Sox had slowly managed to inch their way back into the game. Manny Ramirez got the first run on the board when he hit a solo home run in the 6th inning (didn't I tell you Manny would go on a tear for a while?). In the 7th, Kevin Cash hit a double that scored Alex Cora from first to tie the game. The Sox threatened to blow the game open in the 8th inning. Kevin Youkillis started the inning with a walk, Manny singled, and a passed ball moved them up to second and third. A Mike Lowell single scored Youkilis and sent Manny to third base. Then, JD Drew hit a ground ball to short, and Manny took off for home, only to be gunned down for the first out. Coco Crisp walked to load the bases for Alex Cora, but Alex ripped a ground ball to third base that Melvin Mora converted into an inning ending double play.

With the Sox now on top 3-2 heading into the 8th inning, it looked like a good situation. Hideki Okajima will pitch the 8th, and Papelbon will get a save in the ninth, right? Well, games are played on the field, not on paper, and this one did not look like it did on paper. For whatever reason, Okajima just did not have his stuff last night. He started off the inning surrendering back to back to back singles to load the bases with no outs. Kevin Millar followed with a sacrifice fly to center field that tied the game at 3. The next play was interesting. Luke Scott hit a grounder to Youk who fired to third baseman, Mike Lowell to trap Melvin Mora between home and third. Mora was out, the score was still tied, and the Sox now had two outs. Just one out away from keeping the score tied. Unfortunately, Okajima was not up to the task last night, and Terry Francona was unable to recognize that. Okajima walked the next batter to load the bases for Adam Jones. Jones launched a screaming double that cleared the bases and ended the Sox hopes to come back to Boston 5-5 on the road trip.

Instead, they return 4-6 on the trip and find themselves 1 1/2 games behind tonight's opponent, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox now get to battle the Rays in a fight for first place on their territory. The Sox, without Daisuke Matsuzaka, will turn once again to Justin Masterson, hoping he holds on to his rookie magic. Masterson has been called up twice for the Sox this year, and has pitched well in both starts. But, Tampa will counter with Matt Garza, who is having himself a very nice year, currently boasting a 4-1 record.

The Sox will also be without their slugger, David Ortiz, who will be sent to the Disabled List (DL) for the first time this season. Ortiz had an MRI on his strained wrist and doctors discovered a partial tear in a tendon sheath. Not good news, and tendons are slow healers. The optimistic expectation is that Papi will be out for two weeks, but could be a month. With Dice-K currently on the DL, the Sox had called up Jeff Bailey from Pawtucket to add some batter power to the bench. Bailey would have been sent back to the PawSox tonight to make room for Masterson. However, with Papi out, the Sox can keep Bailey in Boston, or they could opt for another swap and call up Brandon Moss, who has had success with Boston earlier this season.

We'll find out about those moves prior to tonight's 7:05 start time, which is also last call for the DVD Giveaway Contest! So, if you want a shot at winning this great DVD, get an entry in before the first pitch.

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Sweepless in Seattle

My loyal readers once again get in-depth analysis to answer your difficult questions about baseball. The question for today is, "why are the Red Sox not hitting?". After careful analysis poring over hours of game film, I have found the answer you are looking for. I'm not sure how it happened, but there is an old, underhanded, baseball trick (employed in other sports too) whereby somebody discretely swaps a team's equipment bags during travel to away games. The original equipment is replaced with near replicas of the original, but with subtle changes designed to hinder the performance of the team.

In this case, using cutting edge stop action photography, I have created a close up image of the "altered" baseball bats that were substituted for the Red Sox original equipment. As you can see from the photo below, these replacement bats are near identical to the original equipment, but with very subtle differences. If you look closely, you can see a cane-like handle coming out of one the end of the bat, and a rubber stop at the other end. That's right, these bats are designed specifically for drawing walks, but are good for little else. Only the best hitters would stand a chance of getting a hit with one of these, and even then, a single would be the most you could hope for.

Well, sure enough, just look at last night's game. The Red Sox managed only two hits the entire game, both of them mere singles hit by World Series MVP players, Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell. In contrast to the lack of hitting, the Red Sox were able to draw 6 walks! So, there you have it. Once the Red Sox are back at home, and do not have equipment bags to worry about, the offense will return. You can rest easy about the upcoming away games in Baltimore, I already sent an email to the Red Sox management team alerting them to this situation. I'm sure I'll get a thank you shortly, and they will carefully inspect the equipment upon arrival in Baltimore.

The equipment situation is unfortunate, because Tim Wakefield pitched a tremendous game. After a couple of bad outings, reactionary fans, who judge baseball solely on what happened yesterday, were crying for Wake to be sent off to the bullpen. After last night, they may want to rethink that stance as Wakefield was masterful going 8 innings allowing 5 hits, 1 solo home run, no walks, and 8 strike outs. It is tough to have to take a 1-0 loss on such a well-pitched night!

Tomorrow night, Josh Beckett opens the first game of a three game set against the Orioles. If Sean Casey gets another start in the series, take notice if either he or Kevin Millar reaches first base. The two most talkative players will be chewing the fat like no one's business. Hopefully, Beckett has a good game, and the Sox enjoy their reunion with their true bats!

Last note. Please be sure to tune in tomorrow, for the first ever product giveaway from the Rational Sox Fan! A&E Home Video will be releasing an exciting Red Sox DVD Set called "The Essential Games of Fenway Park". This set includes 6 DVD's containing 6 historic Fenway baseball games, shown in their entirety, along with many special features. The games were chosen by a vote from Red Sox Nation, and they are good ones. This DVD set is set to be released on June 3, so tune in tomorrow for a sneak peak, and a chance to win a copy - just in time for Father's Day!

(The Baseball Bat Cane displayed is an actual cane for purchase at Cane & Unable)
(Tim Wakefield Photo Courtesy of ESPN)

Red Sox - Brewers Double Header Today

The Red Sox will try to get back to their old winning ways today and break their current four game losing streak. Last night's game against the Milwaukee Brewers was rained out, forcing the teams to agree to a double header today. It will be a separate admission double header, so if you are going to either game tonight, be prepared for some traffic and parking mayhem as the first crowd tries to vacate the Fens and the second crowd swarms in.

Daisuke Matsuzaka gets the start in the opener against our old friend Jeff Suppan. If you recall, Suppan started his career in 1995 as a twenty year old hot prospect rising rapidly through the Red Sox farm system. The expectations were very high for Jeff, and the hope was that he would follow in Roger Clemens' footsteps and become the next Red Sox ace. Suppan pitched in the rotation with Clemens for two years until Clemens' infamous departure to Toronto. But, Suppan never quite lived up to expectations. He has had a long and successful career, but mostly as a middle of the rotation type of guy. His best years, statistically, were in 2004 and 2005 with the St. Louis Cardinals when he won 16 games in both of those years. Plus, I think we all remember the Red Sox steamrolling Suppan on their way to winning the 2004 World Series, and his base running gaff that took the Cardinals out of a critical offensive rally. So, as we watch our current batch of new pitchers, we should remember, you never really know which ones will be truly successful and which ones will never quite make it.

Dice-K has been on a roll, boasting a 6-0 record and a 2.45 ERA heading in to this afternoon's game. He has an advantage today facing a team that has yet to see him, so if his variety of pitches are all sharp, he and Jason Varitek should be able to keep hitters off balance today. The one thing he needs to work on is keeping the ball near the strike zone so he does not let batters get too patient, driving his pitch count up, and getting too many walks.

JD Drew and Julio Lugo will be available today and for first the first time in weeks, the Sox will have a full and healthy bench - presuming Coco Crisp's stomach ailments have passed.

Perfect timing in the pitching rotation for a double header. In the night game the Red Sox are starting Tim Wakefield, so Varitek will get a rest as Kevin Cash gets another opportunity to chase the dancing knuckle ball around. Wakefield had his worst outing of the season in his last start, but I don't think that is any indication of what we'll see today. The knuckle ball is very much a "feel" pitch. The feel can be perfect one day and nit quite right the next. But, with the heavy humid air today, Tim should have good conditions to work with.

Neither of the Brewers' pitchers for today are overly worrisome for the Red Sox. There are 8 Red Sox players who have faced Jeff Suppan in the past. Those 8 batters have a combined .344 batting average against him. The only player out of those 8 with a batting average less than .333 against Suppan is Mike Lowell, who is oddly 0-11 against him. In the second game, the Brewers will send Dave Bush to the mound. In seven starts this season, Bush has only won one game, and carries a hefty 6.06 ERA with him to the mound tonight. If you are following Manny Ramirez' quest for 500 career home runs, you may be in for a treat. Bush has allowed an average of one home run per game this season. Could be a good night for Manny. No high fives for Manny from the fans tonight though - the Green Monster won't allow it!

So, the outcome of any game is always a surprise, but the signs look good for the Red Sox to get back on track with 2 or 3 wins from Milwaukee. There's no place like home - just ask the Boston Celtics!

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN.com)

Sox Lose Mother's Day Battle to Twins

The Red Sox lost last night 9-8, in a hard fought battle against the Minnesota Twins. Red Sox starter, Tim Wakefield, got the action going early...for the Twins, unfortunately. Somehow, Wakefield followed up his best outing of the season (a 5-0 win over the Tigers), with easily his worst of the season. After a quick 1-2-3 first inning, things looked promising. But, in the second inning the knuckleball went suddenly flat and the first three batters of the inning greeted Wakefield with a single, a double, and a home run to get the scoring started. Then, with one out, Wakefield walked Mike Lamb (you'll be hearing this name quite a bit) to set up the second home run of the inning, a 2 run shot for Adam Everett, his first of the year. The Red Sox escaped further damage in the inning, and saw a long road ahead of them staring at a 5-0 deficit heading into the third inning.

Twins' starter, Nick Blackburn came out a little wild to start off the third inning and hit the first two Red Sox batters, Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia, putting runners on first and second base. The free passes would leave bruises, but allow the Sox to get on the scoreboard in an inning where the Sox' bats and the Twins' defense waged quite a battle. David Ortiz followed Pedroia with a single to load the bases with no outs. The battle picked up when Kevin Youkilis stepped in and ripped a line drive to the gap between short and third. It looked certain to score at least one run, until third baseman, Mike Lamb made a highlight film dive to his left to snare the ball for the first out. Mike Lowell then put some wood on the ball send a shot to right fielder Michael Cuddyer. Now, get this straight, Cuddyer does not have a limp noodle throwing arm like the Yankees' Johnny Damon. Cuddyer has one of those throwing arms you treat with respect and don't test very often. Unless, that is, you are blessed with little wings sprouting out of each of your ankles. Jacoby Ellsbury, who was tagging up at third base, has such wings. It felt like there was a moment where time stood still for just a fraction of a second. The ball had settled into Cuddyer's glove and his eyes had just popped up and focused on Ellsbury at third. Ellsbury had one foot on the bag, body braced to explode out of the tall grass like a cheetah after his prey. Their eyes met for just that split second and they both knew the race was on. Suddenly time sped up again. Ellsbury launched his body towards home, Cuddyer's arm launched the ball on a perfect arc to meet him at the plate. They both arrived at home at nearly the same time, but the fraction of a second the catcher needed to secure the ball and apply the tag was all the advantage Ellsbury needed as he slid across the plate just ahead of the tag for Boston's first run. The Twins defense ended the inning as Adam Everett reeled in a JD Drew flare.

In the bottom of the third, the Twins continued to take advantage of Wakefield. A single, a walk, a passed ball, and a wild pitch all added up to a situation where the Twins had runners on second and third with two outs. Wakefield could not get out of the jam as Mike Lamb laced a single to center scoring both runners. That was all Terry Francona could handle. With the Sox now trailing 7-1, Wakefield got an early shower as Julian Tavarez came in to try to settle things down long enough for the Sox to catch up. Tavarez would do his job, ending the third inning, and only allowing one unearned run on the fourth on an error by the usually steady Mike Lowell that would have otherwise ended the inning.

In the top of the fourth, Coco Crisp would remind us that Ellsbury is not the only Red Sox player on the team with speed as he hit a ball to deep left field and raced all the way to third base for a lead-off triple. You won't often see a triple hit to left field! The Sox pounded on Blackburn in that inning scoring two more runs. David Aardsma then came in for Tavarez and did a terrific job of holding the Twins scoreless through the 5th and 6th innings. Blackburn also held the Sox scoreless and Boston was now behind 8-4 going into the 7th.

Yesterday, Coco Crisp was swinging a pink bat as part of MLB's efforts to raise breast cancer awareness on Mother's Day. Players may opt to play with pink equipment which is signed and auctioned off afterwards to raise money towards the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. Maybe Crisp should swing a pink bat every day! In the 7th inning, with 2 outs, and JD Drew having singled before him, Coco used that pink bat to launch his second home run of the season to edge the score closer to 8-6. But, in the bottom of the 7th, Mike Timlin surrendered a lead off home run to Craig Monroe, his second homer of the game, to provide the Twins with the insurance run they would end up needing to win.

In the ninth inning, with the Twins still leading 9-6, closer Joe Nathan came in to ice the game. The Sox did not make it easy for him. After Ortiz grounded out, Youkilis and Lowell hit back to back singles, which JD Drew followed with a clutch double to center field scoring both runners and closing the score to 9-8. This set up another dramatic moment, as Crisp stepped in with his powerful pink bat ready to do more damage. Crisp scorched a pitch back up the middle that glanced off of the pitcher and rolled towards third base. JD Drew already had a sizable lead off second base, and when he saw the ball get away, his instincts kicked in and he took off for third. A runner at third with only one out would greatly help the Sox tie the game. But, Joe Nathan somehow made a fantastic play, as he managed to quickly recover the ball and toss it to third base just ahead of Drew for the second out. Kevin Cash was due up next, and although he was 2-4 so far that night, manager Terry Francona thought that sending Manny Ramirez in to pinch hit would be the safer bet. Manny had the night off with a sore quad, but made it clear he could pinch hit if needed. But, the odds did not play out for the Sox this time as Manny hit an easy ground out to end the game.

Lots of drama on Mother's Day. It is a shame when you can score as many as 8 runs, but not get the pitching to line up for an easy win. Wakefield had a tough night, but he'll bounce back, he always does. Alex Cora started at short for Julio Lugo, who was given one more night off. As expected, Jed Lowrie was sent back to Pawtucket to make room for Cora, and get more playing time in. Cora did not disappoint, playing flawless defense and going 3 for 4 at the plate.

Tonight, Sean Casey will be added back to the lineup and all expectations are for a reliever to be cut to make room. The question is, who? A good bet would be Craig Hansen, since he still has options to be sent back to Pawtucket. However, Manny Delcarmen, Julian Tavarez, and Mike Timlin have all had struggles this year. If the Sox are confident in using Hansen steadily now, we might see one of those players cut, which would require putting them up for waivers. My guess is they'll feel it is too early to make that strong of a move and simply send Hansen down for now. If not, I'd put my money on Timlin getting the cut. He's been fabulous for the Sox up until now, but his time in Boston is clearly winding down, and this might be the moment the Sox chose to part ways.

Stay tuned.

(Photos Courtesy of Yahoo Sports)

Floats Like a Butterfly, Stings Like a Bee

"Hitting that thing is like trying to catch a butterfly with a pair of tweezers." - Tim McCarver
That must have been the general feeling last night in the Tigers' clubhouse as Tim Wakefield's knuckleball floated, dipped, and dived all around the strike zone, guiding the Red Sox to a 5-0 win in the second of their four game series in Detroit. Not only does the knuckleball dance all over the place, but Wakefield was able to greatly vary the speed of his pitches between 57 and 73 mph (as per MLB Gameday) mixing in the curve and fastball more than usual. That is a deadly combination and kept batters off balance all night. Wakefield pitched 8 shutout innings with 6 strikeouts, walked no batters, and allowed only 3 baserunners all night; Carlos Guillen reached first base twice on a single in the 1st and an error by Dustin Pedroia in the 7th, and Ivan Rodriguez reached 2nd on a double in the 8th.

With a 5-0 lead, Terry Francona handed the ball to Mike Timlin in the 9th, providing Jonathan Papelbon with a well timed night off. Timlin allowed a lead off single to Curtis Granderson, but Granderson was erased when the next batter, Placido Polanco, hit into a double play to Julio Lugo at short. Timlin then closed out the game by inducing Carlos Guillen to fly out to Jacoby Ellsbury in center. Good to see Timlin have a nice clean inning. Timlin's fastball topped out at 90 mph, but after being hypnotized by the cobra-like stare of Wakefield's knuckler all night, it must have looked blinding to the helpless Tigers' batters.

The Sox did not need a lot of offense to win this one, but got plenty with Manny Ramirez and Kevin Cash leading the way with 3 hits each. The Red Sox scored 3 in the second inning, sending 7 batters to the plate and driving Tigers' starter, Nate Robertson's, pitch count up. A pair of Kevins (Cash and Youkilis) accounted for a pair of doubles, combined with a lead off walk by Mike Lowell and an RBI single by JD Drew to start the scoring, was all Boston really needed.

But, what better way to celebrate Wakefield's tremendous outing than with some fireworks? Fast forward to the 7th inning. Robertson, whose fastball was less than menacing all night, was tiring out, and David Ortiz took advantage, forcing Robertson to throw eight pitches in the at-bat. Most of the pitches were tantalizingly close, but well placed, until Robertson finally wore down and tossed his final pitch of the night like a boxer wildly flailing at his opponent before dropping to his knees for the TKO. The pitch was right in Papi's wheelhouse, and he sent it high into the Motown night sky for his 7th home run of the year, providing sox fans with the fireworks. But any good fireworks show has a grand finale, right? Enter Manny Ramirez...

After what seems like months, Manny finally broke out his home run swing and took one step closer to history with home run number 497 for his career off of the first pitch thrown in the game by Tigers' reliever Freddy Dolsi. Nothing says Grand Finale better than Big Papi and Manny going back to back!

So, the Tigers are down, losers of 5 in a row, and struggling to get their talented lineup all rowing together. Perfect time for the Sox to stop by for a visit. But before you start to break out the brooms, beware of Tigers in the rushes ready to pounce. In particular, be very wary of tonight's starter for Detroit, Armando Galarraga. He has been sharpening his claws and has been very aggressive this year, touting a skimpy 1.88 ERA with a 2-1 record in 4 starts. He spent a short time in his first big league debut last year with the Rangers, and has never faced the Red Sox in his young career. The Red Sox counter with Clay Buchholz, who has been brilliant in his last 3 starts, and has likewise never faced the Tigers in his young career.

Should be quite a match up! But, beware of sleeping Tigers - and do not, under any circumstances, pull their tail!

(Photos courtest of ESPN)

Shhh, Don't Wake Up the Offense

That's right, the Red Sox offense remains fast asleep. I was at the game on Tuesday, and I did notice a suspicious character roaming around outside Fenway with a long black hooded cape, carrying a basket of nice shiny apples. My friend got a glimpse under the hood and swore it looked like Hank Steinbrenner. But why would Hank be hanging around the players' entrance with nice shiny apples? Hmm, I wonder...

Well, a few things have remained constant these last few days; the weather is brisk, the bats are sound asleep, the pitching is dependable, and the games are close. Last night, Tim Wakefield pitched a fine game against a team that generally hits him well. He lasted 7 innings, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits, 4 walks, and no strikeouts. The bullpen held up their end with Aardsma pitching a scoreless 8th, and Lopez and Timlin combining for a scoreless 9th.

But, the Sox could only muster 4 hits, 2 of them from David Ortiz (breaking out of his slump). So, the Sox' streak of inept offense stretches to now stand at:

54 straight innings with only 5 runs scored!

The other worry for the Sox is health. Last night both Jacoby Ellsbury and JD Drew were unavailable. Jed Lowrie played shortstop, giving Julio Lugo a rest. So, let's see who was available off the bench last night...Jason Varitek and Julio Lugo. That's it! Luckily Ellsbury should be available soon, perhaps as early as tonight, and JD Drew should be available this weekend. Now, before you feel too bad for us, it looks like Yankees' young star of the future, Phil Hughes, will be out until at least July with a cracked rib. So, the Yankees have A-Rod, Posada, and reliever Bruney all out with injuries. So, maybe the Tampa Bay Rays will win the East after all?

The game went along without too much drama until the 9th inning. In the top of the ninth, with no outs and runners on first and second, Alex Rios attempted a steal of third, only to get gunned down by Kevin Cash. Probably saved a run with that play. In the Sox half of the inning, things got strange. Let me paint this for you...

There were two outs, the Blue Jays holding a 3-0 lead, Toronto closer BJ Ryan pitching and Brandon Moss at the plate. Good time for nervous drivers to head for their cars for that all-important head start. But wait, Brandon Moss walks to keep a glimmer of hope alive and Coco Crisp steps into the batter's box. Die hard fans start fantasizing ahead (if Crisp gets on and Lowrie walks, Varitek could pinch hit and hit a grand slam walkoff homerun...). But wait, let's watch Coco's at-bat first. Coco sees a pitch he likes and take a big cut, but fans' arms droop as the ball lofts easily into the outfield and is caught for out number three. So, the players begin to jog off the field, and the Rem Dawg is about to wrap up the game when...

Suddenly the players head back onto the field, and Toronto manager John Gibbons flies into the face of the second base umpire and begins chewing his nose off. Even Remy is confused - why is the manager arguing with the umps - the game is over? Well, the game is almost over. Umpire, Bruce Dreckman, has called a BALK on BJ Ryan! That nullifies the pitch - so Crisp's out does not count, and it sends Moss to second base. Crisp gets another chance, and Gibbons gets to be the first Blue Jay to his car as he is ejected for yelling "Frankly Two" in the umpire's face (I've been practicing reading lips - pretty cool, huh?). Now, that fantasy of Varitek hitting a walk-off slam begins to take shape again as fans return to their seats, confused, but with renewed hope. Sure enough, Coco Crisp takes advantage of the second chance and lines a single to right center field sending Moss to third base. Now, all we need is for Jed Lowrie to get on base, and the fantasy will come true!

Well, that's the end of our story. Oh, yeah - Jed Lowrie was called out on strikes to end the game - and moments later BJ Ryan's head turned beet red and blew off as he let out his emotions.

Fear not Red Sox faithful! I have been to three games so far this year, and have nearly single-handedly buoyed the team to three victories. I am going to the game tomorrow and I am bringing 6 of my closest friends, and we will wake those sleeping bats - I promise you! (In the photo below, I'm bringing up the rear!)

Sox Re-Take the Lead

Another thriller in Cleveland last night! Indians fans must be getting pretty sick of the Red Sox beating them in last minute drama. The feature of the night was the debut of hot shortstop prospect Jed Lowrie (who played third base interestingly enough). Lowrie looked sharp on defense with a gun for an arm. He did not have a great night batting, but made the most it. He struck out twice, and in the fifth he grounded into what looked like an inning ending double play, but as a switch hitter he was batting lefty and the extra step allowed him to just barely beat out the relay to first. That allowed Jacoby Ellsbury to score from third for the Red Sox first run. So, what was almost a disaster turned into a memorable at-bat. His at-bat in the 7th was better. With bases loaded, no outs, he was able to bat right handed (his natural side) against lefty reliever Rafael Perez. He made the most of it hitting a ground ball single through the infield into left, scoring two runs. Not a bad night. The three RBI were the most by a Red Sox player in his debut appearance since Merl Combs did the same in 1947.

Alex Cora has been nursing an ailing elbow, and may be headed to the 15 day DL. This could extend Lowrie's stay with the big club. However, he is not the type of player you want wasting on the bench. He is best served doing some spot duty this season to get experience, but should do most all of his playing in Pawtucket until the Sox have a starting spot for him (watch out Julio Lugo).

The drama built up in the 9th inning. With the score tied, Terry Francona, trying to give Jason Varitek the night off, caved in and sent him up to pinch hit for Kevin Cash with one out and the bases empty. The Captain earned his title, clubbing a 1-2 pitch over the left field fence, giving Boston a 4-3 lead. Kevin Youkilis provided an insurance run with two out and bases loaded. The Indians had wisely walked Manny Ramirez with runners on second and third, but Youk still made them pay with a single to left, which easily scored Coco Crisp from third. Dustin Pedroia, ever full of energy, tried to be aggressive and score behind Crisp, but was gunned down at home to end the inning.

It is nice to write about offense for a change, but, the pitching held their own too. Tim Wakefield started and only allowed 3 runs through 6 innings, but came out of the game down 2-1, so was not able to get the win. Javier Lopez started the 7th inning with two easy outs, but got in a jam putting two runners on with a hit-by-pitch and a single. Terry Francona called down to the bullpen and told Manny Delcarmen to grab a bucket of water and come put out the fire. Unfortunately, Manny grabbed the bucket of kerosene by mistake, and only added to the fire while earning his first blown save of the season. Delcarmen was sloppy, walking the first batter he faced to load the bases, and then hitting his second batter to force in the tying run for Cleveland.

Francona, clearly preferring to save Jonathan Papelbon for the Yankees, went to Hideki Okajima to sew up the game. Unlike Delcarmen, Okajima brought his best thread and needle, striking out the first two batters he faced.

Now, did I say drama? You know the saying "fight fire with fire"? To wrap up the game, the Red Sox fought the Indians with an Indian (sorry, couldn't resist). With two outs in the ninth, Jhonny Peralta, who still can't spell his first name right, sent a long fly ball slicing foul to right field. Jacoby Ellsbury, who is part Navajo Indian, tore after the ball and managed to crash, leap, and stretch in the stands to snag the ball away from a fan who thought he had caught the ball. Jacoby showed the ball to the ump - game over.

Next up - round two with the Yankees, this time on their home turf. If everything works out the way you might expect, you'd have to give the edge to the Yankees tonight with Chien-Ming Wang going up against Clay Buchholz, who is still trying to find his best stuff. Wang was stellar against the Sox last week, but maybe seeing him a second time will help. Tomorrow, the pendulum swings back Boston's way as Red Sox ace Josh Beckett squares off against softball pitcher Mike Mussina, who probably won't be trying to sneak any more 84 mph fastballs past Manny Ramirez.

Sox Lose - Francona Outmanaged

There were a couple of good points in the game, but not many. I watched the game at a bar with a tiny TV and no sound. Just as well, as it turned out. Here are my observations...

Tim Wakefield had a very good night, which is not unusual when he pitches indoors (indoor baseball just does NOT sound right). He cruised through 5 innings but things unraveled in the 6th. Matt Stairs hits his first home run of the season, and things went downhill from there. The Umps missed a call when Wakefield picked off Alex Rios on second base - tough break there. Manny Ramirez misplayed a ball allowing a run to score. Jacoby Ellsbury does a nice job running down a line drive in center, then drops it when he hits the wall. I mentioned before, the one thing Ellsbury needs more work on is plays that are against the wall. He's young, he'll get there, but this one also allowed a run to score. By the time Wake gout out of the inning, it was 3-0, Toronto.

It was 3-0 because Shaun Marcum had one hell of a night. He strike out 8 batters, all of them swinging. That tells you he was sharp. Until he ran into our man JD Drew, who crushed a nice three run home run that I thought was going to wake the Sox up. Unfortunately, that was all the offense they could muster.

In the 7th, I thought Terry Francona got out-managed, or at least his strategies fell short. That happens. He took Wakefield out and sent Aardsma in with the top of the order up. Aardsma proceeded to walk Eckstein. Then, Francona pulls Aardsma with the lefty Matt Stairs coming up. Stairs had already homered, and Francona liked the lefty-lefty match up better and sent Javier Lopez in. At first I thought it was a little early for that, but then I saw his plan. Do everything you can to get out of the 7th, then you're all set up for Okajima in the 8th, and Papelbon in the 9th. Good idea. But, Blue Jay manager John Gibbons said, "I'll see your lefty and I'll raise you a righty batter" as he sent in Shannon Stewart to bat. Terry calls that hand, they lay their cards on the table, and Gibbons wins as Stewart singles to put two men on, no out, and the meat of the lineup coming up. Francona goes back to the bullpen with Manny Delcarmen, who does a great job of getting Alex Rios and Vernon Wells to both pop out foul to Kevin Youkilis. But, the BIG man, Frank Thomas stepped up to the plate next. Delcarmen was trying to be very careful with Frank, and who can blame him? The first two pitches were balls inside - he was trying to paint that inside corner. On the third pitch he got it for strike one. Now that he's got Thomas thinking fast ball inside, he wants to keep him off balance with a change up - low and dropping out of the zone. Oops, the change up sits in the zone and Thomas crushes it. Tip your hat to Decarmen, he stays tough and gets the next batter out on two pitches to end the inning. But, the damage is done, and the Sox were out of bullets.

Francona made two more moves in the 8th. First he sent Coco Crisp in to hit for Jacoby Ellsbury. Again, at first I thought, huh? But then I realized the Jays had a new pitcher, lefty Brian Tallet. Rather than have the lefty - lefty match up, he sent Coco Crisp in to bat right handed, and he went up there being aggressive, swinging at the first pitch, then popping out on the second pitch. Then, he sent Jason Varitek in to hit for Kevin Cash. No lefty-lefty match up stuff going on there, Francona just felt Varitek is a better batter. But, not last night. The Sox only had 4 hits all night, and Cash had one of them - a nice two out double in the third. He was in the flow of the game, and I may have stayed with him, but it was not a bad idea to try Varitek. 'Tek, unfortunately, struck out.

Manny Ramirez, who usually hits very well in Toronto, had a tough night. He flied out and struck out swinging twice, before finally hitting a ground ball single with two out in the ninth. Too little, too late.

Interesting weekend. Today, we get to see Clay Bucholz's first start of the season, and tomorrow a vintage match up between Josh Beckett and Roy Halladay! Sunday is the game not to miss!