Matsuzaka Peaking at the Right Time

Dice-K looked completely ready for the post season last night. He pitched seven shutout innings to help the Red Sox clinch at least a tie for the Wild Card. There is but one team left to smite before their spot in the playoffs is secure. Yes, the Yankees are that very team. Unfortunately, the Red Sox don't play the Yankees until later this week, and by then, amazingly, those games will truly be meaningless.

The Yankees packed up their venerable old park last night after completing the final game ever to be played there. With two outs in the ninth inning, Derek Jeter was replaced by Wilson Betemit, presumably to allow Jeter one last moment in the spotlight to be cheered by his adoring fans. However, we all know the real reason is they were scared he'd make an embarrassing error on the final out of the game, right?

So, enough of the crying and tears over poor Yankee Stadium. If it was so sad, then why tear it down? If it means so much to everyone, what was neither George or Hank Steinbrenner at the glorious final game? If honoring the historic players and coaches was so important, why was neither Roger Clemens nor Joe Torre acknowledged during any of the ceremonies? And, if this was such an important event, why was the closing of Yankee Stadium held on a Sunday night, in a meaningless game against the Orioles? I'll tell you why. It was not supposed to be that way. The Yankees think they are automatically in the playoffs every year. The true hope and expectation was that they would indeed have a farewell game, but it would be in celebration of a World Championship. They were so confident they would at least be in the playoffs, that no thought was given to the event that the final game would be a regular season game against Baltimore. No wonder the vocal half of the Steinbrenners did not show. They were embarrassed.

Now, back to real baseball...

Brilliant game yesterday to defeat the Blue Jays 3-0. The pitching worked like last year's formula. Dice-K (the starter) went 7 innings, Hideki Okajima shut down the 8th, and Jonathan Papelbon mopped up the 9th. Nicely done! On offense, Jacoby Ellsbury led the charge going 3-4 with 2 doubles and a triple. That allowed him to save his 50th stolen base of the year to take place during the final 7 game home stand. Thank you Jacoby! Ellsbury's triple in the 1st inning was quickly followed up by a sacrifice fly by Dustin Pedroia to give the Sox the game winning run from the second batter of the game. Pretty cool. In the third inning, with Ellsbury on second base, David Ortiz crushed his 22nd home run of the season to give Dice-K a little cushion. Papi has been hitting with more power lately. Either his wrist is no longer an issue, or he's decided to ignore it until November.

Yes, Tampa Bay lost last night, and at first glance, it looks like an exciting race developing for the final week. Tampa holds a mere 1 1/2 game lead over the Sox, and there are still 7 games remaining for Boston, and 8 remaining for the Rays. But, before you get too excited, overtaking Tampa is still a long shot, although not mathematically impossible. There are two keys. First, the Sox do not play Tampa, so no chance at taking them down head to head. Second, Tampa Bay holds the tie breaker, and are 2 games ahead in the loss column.

So, if Tampa Bay goes 6-2 in their remaining games, that would eliminate Boston. If they go 5-3, Boston has to finish the season 7-0. All the Rays need to do is to go 4-4 to force the Sox to go 6-1. So, yes, the Sox are only 1 1/2 back, but it is a VERY long 1 1/2 games.

I will be going to the game tomorrow night (Tuesday). And, just like earlier this month when the Sox set the new consecutive sold out games record on Monday, and I went to the game on Tuesday, it looks like I may miss by one game again. A win by the Sox tonight, or a loss by the Yankees, and the Sox clinch the Wild Card. Oh well, as long as they clinch!

(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)

Red Sox Survive Toronto Visit

With four games to play against a red hot Toronto team that was suddenly very interested in a playoff spot, Red Sox fans were a little anxious. But, four games later, the Red Sox can hold their heads high. They battled well, and only lost one of the four games, effectively driving a dagger into the Blue Jay's hopes of a last minute drive for the Wild Card. As it stands, the Jays and Yankees both are facing an elimination number of 5. That means any combination of Red Sox wins plus losses by them that add up to 5, will eliminate those teams. With the Red Sox having 13 games left, if they go 5-8 in those games, both Toronto and New York are out. That sounds pretty likely.

Jon Lester had no fear facing Roy Halladay yesterday. They went toe to toe and Lester faced Doc down. Both pitchers got in a little trouble early on. Lester gave up a solo home run in the first, and Doc gave up single runs in the first and second innings. But then they settled into a rhythm and held the 2-1 score all the way to the seventh inning. The Sox scored an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh, the last inning Halladay would pitch. Lester got through 8 innings before getting a rest. He left the game with a 4-1 lead, allowing only 4 hits, two walks, and producing 6 strikeouts. Terrific night for Lester!

Lester handed the ball over to our recently shaky closer. In two of his last 3 appearances, Jonathan Papelbon has look far from immortal. Last night's ninth inning started with a double and a single to score a run. The next batter, Lyle Overbay, hit a single to left but got thrown out at second trying to stretch his hit into a double. Had he held up at first, Papelbon would have been in deeper trouble. Scott Rolen grounded out, but Adam Lind scored the second run of the inning on the play. The score was now 4-3 and Papelbon was on the brink of a second blown save in a week. Luckily, he induced Greg Zaun to ground out to end the game. Let's hope Papelbon irons out whatever he needs to so we have our guaranteed closer ready for the playoffs.

We'll get a final shot to knock Tampa Bay down a notch or two starting tonight as the Sox open a three game series against the Rays in Fenway South. Tonight's match up should be interesting with Daisuke Matsuzaka facing off against Scott Kazmir. Josh Beckett takes on Andy Sonnanstine on Tuesday, and Tim Wakefield wraps up the series against Matt Garza. All good pitching match ups, no excuses. to the winner go the spoils.

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Red Sox Split Double Header With Toronto

The Toronto Blue Jays, wallowing through most of the season, have come on like gangbusters in September. They have been so hot, tearing through the AL East, that they have even surprised themselves. Suddenly, they looked up at the standings to see they had passed the Yankees to take over third place, and were making ground on the Wild Card spot. This had Red Sox fans worried. Would the Red Sox become the latest team to get steamrolled by the Blue Jays?

Seeing they had an outside chance of capturing the Wild Card spot, the Blue Jays went into playoff mode, all guns blaring. The pitching rotation was juggled, forcing their top 3 starters to face off against the Red Sox, all on 3 days rest. This not only gave them their optimum pitching match ups in this series, but set them up to repeat those match ups in the next series against the Sox in Toronto. Now, if you ask me, the Jays were probably so hot because they were playing loose, no longer concerned about the standings. They were out of contention after all, right? Then, the winning streak put them back in contention, and they got serious, and tightened up.

The Sox, behind a brilliant performance by Tim Wakefield, won the Friday night game, 7-0. Toronto put up their own brilliant pitching performance out there and won the first game of the double header behind AJ Burnett, 8-1. A win in the afternoon game for the Sox would ensure they did what they needed to do, at least split the four games with Toronto.

So, last night, Bartolo Colon faced off against Jesse Litsch. The Jays jumped on the Sox for 5 runs in the second inning, but only two were earned, thanks to an error by Jed Lowrie at third base. It looked bad for the hometown team, and as I left the room, my wife said to my daughter, "I think Dad's giving up on this game". My daughter calmly replied, "Mom, this is the Red Sox, you never give up until the very end". That's my girl! Colon settled down and faced the minimum 3 batters per inning for the next 4 straight innings (thanks to inning ending double plays in two of those innings). That is what the Sox needed. Shut down Toronto and hold them to five runs, while they try and chip away.

The Sox had put 2 runs on the board in the first inning, both scoring on a sloppy Toronto play. A wild pitch, followed by a throwing error scored the first two runs of the game. The Blue Jays were no longer playing loose! Now, if you were scoring this game, I'd love to see your scorebook. By the 6th inning, both managers, knowing they had expanded rosters to work with, started substituting players like this was the All Star Game. The Red Sox scored a run in the bottom of the 6th on a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Jed Lowrie with one out. Then the moves started.

Jesse Carlson went in to pitch, and Terry Francona sent in Mike Lowell to pinch hit for Alex Cora. After Lowell popped out, Brandon League went in to pitch to Kevin Cash, but Francona sent in Coco Crisp to replace Cash. Crisp grounded out to end the inning. Now, how does your scorebook look to reflect the defensive changes in the 7th inning? With Coco in the game, Jacoby Ellsbury moved to right field and Coco took center. Kevin Youkilis moved from first to third base and Mark Kotsay came in from right field to play first. Jed Lowrie slide from third over to short to fill in for Cora, and finally, David Ross replaced Mike Lowell and came in to catch. Phew! If you were at the game and left to get a beer, when you got back it would look like a totally different ball game. By the way, Javier Lopez also came on to pitch (and get the Jays out 1-2-3). So, only Jason Bay and Dustin Pedroia remained at their positions.

David Ortiz was the hero of the 7th inning. With Ellsbury on third, Ortiz walked with one out. Then, Youk hit a ground ball that had double play potential. Ortiz had a good jump, and slid to get in the way of shortstop Mark Scutaro. Ortiz slid cleanly and within the base path, but managed to clip Scutaro and prevented him from making the throw that would have ended the inning. That allowed Ellsbury to score the Sox' 4th run. The score was now 5-4 with 2 innings to go. Ortiz' slide allowed the Sox to inch closer.

Then, in the 8th inning, the Red Sox fought their way back into the lead, with a little bit of luck. The inning started with a Jason Bay double, then a single by Lowrie that scored Bay and tied the game at 5. A sacrifice bunt and a ground out put Lowrie at third base with two outs. Then, Jacoby Ellsbury came up and battled back and forth with Scott Downs. Downs could not get strike three past Ellsbury, and Ellsbury could not get solid contact. With the count full, Ellsbury swung and again just nicked the ball, but this time it rolled fair down the first base line like a well placed bunt. Ellsbury sped to first and when Downs rushed to get the ball, he slipped and fell. Ellsbury reached safely, and Lowrie scored the go-ahead run. Pedroia followed with a single, and Ortiz hit a double to bring home Ellsbury for the insurance run.

The final score held at 7-5, and the Sox have taken two of the first 3 from the Jays. If the Jays manage to win the fourth, four games would have come off the schedule, and they'd be sitting in the same spot. The clock is ticking. The Yankees, who should be eliminated from the playoffs sometime in the next week, did the Sox a favor by beating the Rays 6-5 last night. The Sox have played 2 more games than the Rays and are 3 behind them in the loss column, 2 games overall. The Sox play 3 games in Tampa starting tomorrow. Those games had better be sold out! They are, by far, the biggest games in the Rays' history. If the Rays take the series, they should be able to easily hold on to their first ever Division Title! However, if they lose, the battle will continue to wage on. The way it looks today, the Division winner will get to play Chicago (or the Twins), and the Wild Card has to play the Angels. The Angels seem like they are the team to beat this year. That Division title is important!

Finally, an interesting story. Catcher, George Kottaras, is one of the Sox' September call-ups. He has never been in a big league game, and there were no plans to use him this weekend. Then, with the Sox being so far down on the first game of the double header, Tito called down to George to warm up. The next thing you know, Kottaras was heading in to the game to pinch hit. His parents, not expecting he'd be playing, were out shopping for a couch at Sears. Sears had the game on their TV's, and while his parents were trying out furniture, they glanced at the screen to see their son stepping up to the plate! Isn't that fun? Kottaras nearly homered down the right field line, but the ball curved foul. He ended up striking out, but the ball got away from the catcher and he reached first base safely. As the inning progressed, he ended up scoring the Red Sox' only run of the game on a sacrifice fly.

Behind me, the rain is coming down hard, but it is supposed to let up. Let's hope the Sox get the game in, we don't need too much schedule juggling this time of year!

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Blue Jays are Doing Their Best for the Red Sox

The Yankees gave the Red Sox a nice 2 game jump in the AL East standings by beating the Rays on two straight nights, when the Red Sox were in the process of beating up the Orioles. That narrowed the Rays' lead from 5 games to 3. Last night, the Yankees dropped the ball, losing to the Rays 7-5. Well, what can you expect when they are up against a superior team with a true ace on the mound (Scott Kazmir). Of course, the Rays almost blew that one. They carried a 7-0 lead into the 9th inning, before reliever, Jason Hammel, allowed 5 runs to score. Close call there.

But, while the Yankees have been somewhat helpful, the Blue Jays are becoming our best friends. The Wild Card Race has been reasonably tight, up until the Twins traveled up to Canada for a 3 game series in Toronto. The Jays simply swept the Twins, including a win last night, and that increased the Red Sox' hold on the Wild Card to 5 1/2 games over Minnesota, and 7 1/2 games over New York.

The Jays have a chance to truly show their support for the Red Sox as they kick off a three game series against Tampa Bay starting tonight in Toronto. If the Red Sox can win their series against Texas, and the Jays do the same to the Rays, then we could find ourselves in serious striking distance when the Rays show up in Boston on Monday night!

Tonight, the Sox have, possibly their toughest game of the three against the Rangers. Josh Beckett should pitch well, but he's been out for a couple of weeks, so you never know. The good thing is that Dr. Andrews has assured him his elbow is structurally sound. That frees up his mind from holding back. He should be able to let loose, and that should produce good results. But, Terry Francona wants him on a 75 or so pitch count. That could mean leaving the game in the 4th or 5th inning, and leaving a lot of time for the bullpen to get themselves in trouble.

Meanwhile, Texas will be starting Kevin Millwood. You know how the Red Sox can truly take advantage of a pitcher without good control (just ask the Orioles)? Give up a few walks, get the pitch count up, and by the 5th inning the game is out of control! Well, that won't happen tonight. Millwood has only allowed one walk in his past 24 2/3 innings! He has also won his last 3 outings , including a win on August 31 against the Angels, and gave up a total of 4 runs in those 3 games, and two of those games were complete 9 inning outings for Millwood.

So, I just don't get good vibes for this game. Combine the above with the fact the Sox have won 3 straight, makes me feel like they are due for a loss. But, I'll tune in and hopefully get the pleasure of witnessing a different result. The one thing I think the Sox might get a boost from is the return of Mike Lowell and Sean Casey from the. That could end up being the secret to a victory tonight.

Red Sox Win 6-5 Over Toronto in Extra Innings

Now, that was quite a game. As expected, Daisuke Matsuzaka and AJ Burnett went toe to toe and came away pretty even. Dice-K went 6 innings, allowed 8 hits and 5 earned runs while striking out 8 and walking only 1. AJ went 7 innings, allowed 7 hits and 5 earned runs while striking out 7 and walking 3. Both pitchers gave up 2 home runs. So, that left the game in the hands of the bullpens.


The Red Sox bullpen has not been overly reliable lately, but yesterday they got the job done. Justin Masterson was sharp as he went 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Hideki Okajima nailed down the final two outs of the 8th inning before turning it over to Jonathan Papelbon, who got 6 straight outs to bring the game to the 11th inning. In the top of the 11th, Jed Lowrie drove a ball deep into center field for a home run to put the Sox up 6-5. With Papelbon already having gone 2 innings, Terry Francona sent Manny Delcarmen in to nail down the save. While Manny has been shaky at times, last night he got the job done.

The Sox survived a scare when Jacoby Ellsbury crashed into the chain link fence in center field while making a catch a step away from the wall. Ellsbury suffered cuts around his eye and was shaken up, but he knew the Sox' injury situation with JD Drew dealing with a herniated disc. So, even shaken up, Ellsbury stayed in the game.

The Red Sox injury situation is still a concern. They gained a game on the Rays, who lost last night, and stand 4 1/2 back in the division, and hold a 1 game lead in the Wild Card standings over the Twins, while the Yankees sit 5 games behind the Sox. That 5 game lead feels good, but the Red Sox and Yankees will square off for 3 games in Yankee Stadium starting tomorrow night. A sweep by the Yankees would throw them right back into the race. The Sox have pushed off Josh Beckett's next start, forcing him to miss this series, but Tim Wakefield has declared himself ready to return to the rotation, just in time to prevent the Sox from having to make a move. The only thing that worries me about that, is that Wakefield has not generally fared too well in his first game back.

So, what do the Sox need to do to make the playoffs? In my analysis, since the start of the Wild Card format in 1995, no AL team that has won at least 94 games has ever missed the playoffs. The Red Sox record is currently 75-55. They would need to win 19 out of their final 32 games to get to 94 wins. So, can the Sox go 19-13 to wrap up the season? I think that looks pretty doable.

They also have 6 games remaining against the Rays. That presents a nice opportunity to pull the Rays back a bit. So, they need to get it all started tomorrow night by jumping all over Mike Mussina and starting the series off with a win.

Tune in tomorrow when we'll take a look at how my analysis of the 2008 Yankees has turned out!

(Photos Courtesy of Yahoo Sports)

Blue Jays Exact Revenge, Win 11-0

Well, not much to say about that one. Jon Lester, who has become Mr. Reliable in 2008, hit a speed bump on his way to proving he is worthy of Cy Young consideration this season. Lester just couldn't get out of his own way yesterday, and the Jays took advantage. Chris Smith (whose name, when said quickly, makes one think of happy times exchanging gifts in front of a crackling fire, eating candy canes, and listening to seasonal songs) took over for Lester in the 3rd inning, and pitched barely well enough stay in the game himself. Between the two, they allowed 11 runs in the first 6 innings.

Mike Timlin, Javier Lopez and Manny Delcarmen got in an inning of work each, but their three innings of scoreless work, which would have been praised to the highest mountains in a close scoring game, will vanish in history as if they never happened.

Why? Because the number one rated pitching staff in the AL (yes, the Blue Jay's staff), shut down the Red Sox lineup (who must have missed having Mike Lowell and JD Drew in there yesterday). The Red Sox managed only four hits on the day, and only threatened once or twice to score even a single run.

That's what you get when you play a team that has your number, on the road, with less than a full lineup. Meanwhile, the Rays won (yet again) to extend their lead in the AL East to 5 1/2 games and the Yankees (surprisingly) won to creep a game closer. The Yankees are still 10 1/2 games behind the Rays, but now only 5 games behind the Sox for the Wild Card. With 3 games coming up against the Yankees, they certainly have a chance to catch up quickly with a sweep. Luckily, the White Sox lost yesterday, so they remain 1/2 game behind in the Wild Card race.

Tough pitching match up today with Daisuke Matsuzaka facing off against AJ Burnett. A win is not imperative, but sure would be well timed.

Meanwhile, the Sox have Monday off before facing off against the Yankees on Tuesday. So, tune in Tuesday when I'll re-examine my analysis of the Yankees that I published earlier in the season. Let's see how well the analysis stood up through this point in the season.

Red Sox Give Blue Jays the Byrd

Actually, wasn't it the Indians who gave the "Byrd" to the Red Sox? Well, so far so good. Paul Byrd has pitched reasonably well in his two outings with the Sox, coming away with his first victory last night in Toronto. Byrd was not overpowering, but he was steady and kept the Sox in the game going 6 complete innings and allowing 4 runs. The runs came on two separate two run homers, and other than those two damaging swings, Byrd pretty much kept the Jays in control.

So, Byrd only lasted 6 innings. Weren't you scared about turning this one over to the bullpen with the score just a little too close, the Sox leading 6-4? Three long, arduous innings. Not only did we have to worry about the 8th inning, but we had to get through the 7th to even get there.

First up was, thankfully, Justin Masterson, rather than David Aardsma or Manny Delcarmen or Mike Timlin. I love those guys, but lately they have been just too scary. Masterson pitched a scoreless inning, but did surrender back to back walks with two outs. He seemed to be going for the strike out by painting the outside corner to bother batters but just could not find it.

Then, for what feels like the first time since last season, the Sox wrapped up the game in classic form. Hideki Okajima pitched a 1-2-3 8th inning and, even though it was not a save situation, Jonathan Papelbon wrapped up the 9th to preserve the much needed victory.

The win simply allowed the Red Sox to keep pace with the Tampa Bay Rays, who actually helped the Red Sox out in the Wild Card chase by beating the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox and Twins have been playing quite a game of leap frog lately, and today the Twins hold possession of first place, while the White Sox sit a mere 1/2 game behind the Red Sox for the Wild Card. The Yankees also won, but have a ways to go before they are a team to worry about.

Speaking of worry, it appears that JD Drew has a herniated disc in his back. That can be a very delicate situation. He's working through it, but it sure is a rough time of year for all these injury issues.

Mike Lowell - oblique strain
Julio Lugo - quad pull
JD Drew - herniated disc
Tim Wakefield - shoulder stiffness
Josh Beckett - finger numbness

Supposedly, Wake and Beckett may both be back for the upcoming Yankee series, which would be a huge relief. Lugo may not be back at all, which might also be a huge relief. But, these are the issues a team has to fight through, and the Sox have been doing it all season, getting terrific support from their minor league system along the way.

This afternoon, Jon Lester takes the hill against Jesse Litsch. According to what you will read in the pitching match-ups, Litsch showed off his "newly added four seam fastball" in his last outing. What? That can't be right, can it? Doesn't every pitcher throw a four seam fastball? I guess, if you throw it too flat, and with not enough pop (sub-90's), you would have one that you would rarely use. But, that seems like a weird pitch to have "newly added". Most pitchers add a splitter, a forkball or something like that. What Jon Lester is going to add, is another win on his way to a superb 2008 season!

Is Toronto the Red Sox' Achilles Heel?

It often seems that, no matter how good your team may be, there is a team out there that you just can't beat. That team may not even be having a very good season. For Boston a few years back, that team was the Baltimore Orioles. For the Yankees, they have had struggles with the Angels and even the Devil Rays over the past few years. This year, it seems to be the Blue Jays who own the Red Sox. That is not good news. Why? Because the Sox, who have a 2-6 record against them so far, face the Blue Jays 10 more times right in the middle of this year's playoff run, starting with 3 games in Toronto later this week.

To make things worse, the Red Sox were the only team in the AL East to lose yesterday. While the Blue Jays pounded the Sox 15-4, the Yankees were busy roughing up the Royals 15-6 and the Orioles battered the Tigers 16-8. The Rays won over the Rangers, even though they could only muster a paltry 7 runs. So, yes, the Sox dropped a game to everyone yesterday. Before you relax, I haven't gotten to the wild card race yet. Yes, BOTH the White Sox and the Twins won their games yesterday. So, every team that mattered won on a day the Sox got clobbered!

Now, how could this happen with Josh Beckett on the mound? Good question. Beckett only lasted 2 1/3 innings, giving up 8 earned runs on 8 hits. Yes, the relief pitchers who came in after Beckett also had forgettable afternoons. Of the 6 pitchers used, only the last one (Jonathan Papelbon) escaped without surrendering a run. But, that dis not really matter, the 8 runs Beckett gave up were more than enough to ensure the victory for Toronto. The rest of the runs were just stat padding.

What worries me when a true ace pitcher, like Beckett, has such a terrible day, is the possibility of injury. When Roger Clemens was a regular on the Fenway mound, I remember more than a couple of times when he'd have a seemingly inexplicably bad game, only to hear a day or two later he was hurt and skipping a start, or going on the DL. Generally, an ace like Beckett does not get quite as roughed up unless there is a problem. However, I do have my fingers crossed (fingers with no blister issues), that it was simply a bad day for Josh. Perhaps he did not get enough sleep, was fighting a cold, or just had a little stiff back. This is certainly not the time of year we want to see Beckett need to get any time off.

So, the Sox will head down to Baltimore for three games, and look to their 2008 saviour, Jon Lester, to right the ship. That won't be easy, as the Orioles will send Jeremy Guthrie to the mound to face Lester. Guthrie is in the middle of an incredible run for a pitcher. He is 10-8 with a 3.18 ERA, but he has won 7 of his last 8 decisions, and leads the AL with 18 quality starts. If everything goes as expected for these two pitchers, we should see a low scoring pitchers battle with both starters lasting deep into the ball game. Don't be surprised if this one comes down to a 9th inning score to settle things.

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Jays Win the Battle of the Birds

In this case, the Red Sox' bird is spelled with a 'y', as in Paul Byrd. Byrd made his debut for the Red Sox, and certainly did better than Clay Buchholz has been doing lately. While Byrd was no Jon Lester, he looked like a reliable 4th or 5th man in the rotation. His pitching repertoire is not overpowering, rarely touching 90 mph. He does not strike out a lot of batters, instead, he gets them out with ground outs and pop outs, keeping the batter off balance enough to keep balls from being hit too hard. That approach allows him, on good nights, to conserve pitches and go deeper into games.

Last night, Byrd pitched into the 8th inning holding the Blue Jays to 4 runs. Not a bad outing, but Roy Halladay, pitching for Toronto, was in the midst of pitching a shutout. Halladay was on his game, and he is a workhorse. If he is pitching well, you have little hope of getting him out of the game and attacking the opposing team's bullpen. Halladay held on to the 4-0 shutout until the first batter of the 9th inning, Dustin Pedroia, sent the first pitch of the inning up into the Green Monster seats. Halladay managed to get the next three batters out to end the game for a final score of 4-1.

After the offensive barrage the Red Sox put on the Texas Rangers, it was no surprise that they would have an offensive letdown, especially against a "real" pitcher, like Roy Halladay. The loss did not harm the Red Sox in the AL East chase as the Rays also lost last night. The Yankees won, but there are more worrisome teams than the Yankees right now, particularly the White Sox and Twins, both team winning last night, and both of them now 1.5 games behind the Sox in the Wild Card standings.

But, with Josh Beckett taking the mound this afternoon on an extra day of rest, thanks to Friday's rain out, I like their chances to win this one!

(Photos Courtesy 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!)

Deja Vu for Red Sox

Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched his best game of 2008 last night as the Red Sox treated fans to a near identical game as the one the night before. Does this sound familiar? Low scoring pitching duel, game is tied, last of the ninth inning, Papelbon has just preserved the tie in the top of the inning, Big Papi is on second base, Manny Ramirez is on first base, the batter hits a single to center field...

The night before, the batter was Kevin Youkilis, and Vernon Wells bobbled the ball to let Papi score from second to end the game in walk-off fashion. Last night was a bit different, but not a lot. Last night, Terry Francona pinch ran Jed Lowrie for David Ortiz (thank you Terry), and Brandon Moss hit the single to center. But, this time Wells did not bobble the ball and he threw a strike to home nailing Lowrie for the second out of the inning. That brought Jason Varitek to the plate with Manny now on second, and Moss at first, with two outs. The Captain proceeded to rip a single to center, Vernon Wells fielded it cleanly and fired home. This time his throw was a little up the first base line, pulling the catcher away from the plate and Manny took advantage and slid in for the walk off run.

David Ortiz belted his 5th home run of the season in the 7th inning to give the Sox a 1-0 lead, but Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima combined to allow the Jays to tie it at one in the eighth inning, setting up the drama in the ninth.

I still say the cold weather has slowed down the bats, allowing the pitchers to get a slight edge. Nothing wrong with that, and it was fun to see Dice-K submit a masterful performance, pitching 7 shutout innings, allowing only 2 hits to go with 4 strike outs and 2 walks. This is the fourth such pitching start for the Red Sox in a row. The last four starters went as follows:

Buchholz : 8 innings, 3H, 2R, 9K, 1BB
Beckett: 7 innings, 4H, 2R, 13K, 1BB
Lester: 8 innings, 1H, 0R, 6K, 4BB
Matsuzaka: 7 innings, 2H, 0R, 4K, 2BB

Before you get too excited about that, remember that you need at least a little bit of offense to win a game. Over the last 45 innings that the Red Sox have played, they have ONLY SCORED 5 RUNS! If you are a math expert, you already know this is an average of one run per 9 inning game. If I recall, Albert Einstein had identified that as the classic formula for a losing streak. Luckily for the Red Sox, they have won 2 games in those 45 innings.

Tonight, all the pressure is on for Tim Wakefield to match the feats of his fellow starters. My recollection is that cold weather does not create the best conditions for the knuckle ball. The Jays send potential ace, AJ Burnett to the mount to face Wakefield, and in my book, the pitching match up leans in favor of Toronto. The one thing to hope for is that the law of averages is enforced, and the runs once again start flowing.

Are you worried about injuries? You should be. Last night the Red Sox had NO extra outfielder available for the game. Julio Lugo would have been recruited had there been an emergency need. Let's hope Jacoby Ellsbury is available tonight off the bench at least. JD Drew will probably need a couple more days.

I leave you with a joke my daughter made up tonight...

"Why did Jason Varitek suffer with a such bad case of the flu?"

"Because he catches everything!!!"

Sox Eke Out Close Win in Pitching Duel

The scene from my Sox seats last night... Bottom of the ninth inning, score tied at zero, two outs. Terry Francona had already sent Jonathan Papelbon into the game, so it was clear he was going for the quick win. Big Papi draws a walk. So, we looked at each other and said, "okay, let's get Jacoby Ellsbury in there to pinch run. Papi already has a sore knee, and Ellsbury may be able to swipe second base with Manny at bat". But, no substitution comes. Manny Ramirez hits a flair to center that drops in sending Papi to second. " Okay, time to get Ellsbury in there. If Kevin Youkilis hits a single to center, Papi may have to stop at third, but Ellsbury could score easily". Still no substitution. Moments later, Youk hits a single to center - uh oh! Papi goes rumbling around third and it looked like this could be close and we cringed, picturing Papi getting hurt crashing in to home. But, thank heaven, Vernon Wells bobbles the ball in center and cannot get the throw off. Game over, 'Dirty Water' rains down on the Fenway Faithful.

After getting home we discovered 2 things that were not made clear at the game. First, Ellsbury has a sore groin and that is why he was not sent in. Second, JD drew, who we saw replaced by Brandon Moss apparently strained a quad trying to beat out a play to first in the second inning. The Sox get Lowell back, and lose two? When will the injury woes end? Mike Lowell received a huge ovation as he stepped in for his first at bat. He made a couple of nice plays, including a diving play, and looked pretty sharp. Welcome back Mike! But just looking at what could have gone wrong in the ninth shows you how these injuries can mess up the team, in more ways than just who starts where.

Dustin Pedroia made the defensive play of the game in the top of the ninth to set up the big finish for Youkilis. With Scott Rolen on second base with two outs, Vernon Wells ripped a Papelbon fastball back up the middle. Papelbon had to duck of of the way, and it looked like a sure single to center that would easily score Rolen for the Jays' first run. But, somehow Pedroia managed to scramble and dive to his right to just barely snare the ball, leap to his feet and quickly fire a strike to first for the third out of the inning. That was incredible.

The pitching duel was the heart of the story last night. Jon Lester went toe to toe with Blue Jays' ace, Roy Halladay, and carried a no hitter into the fifth, which was broken up when Lyle Overbay opened the inning with a single. But, that was the first and ONLY hit that Lester would allow on the night before turning it over to Papelbon in the ninth. Easily Lester's best outing this year. If Lester and Buchholz pitch even somewhat close to the way they the past two games, this will be a terrific season.

Roy Halladay was the unfortunate tough luck loser. This was Halladay's fourth straight complete game he has pitched this season, but the last three, including last night, have all been losses. Strange!

So, good news and bad news. The Sox finally have another win, and the team looked solid getting the win. But, two more players are hobbled. Hopefully Ellsbury and Drew both have minor injuries they can bounce back quickly from. I ask you this, do you still think the Sox should have traded Coco Crisp? Right now, he is exactly what they need.

Tomorrow, Dice-K Matsuzaka will face off against Dustin McGowan. You heard it here first. Dice-K will pitch well enough to keep them in it, and Manny will launch home run number 497 to help propel Boston to another much needed win.

(Photos courtesy of ESPN)

Red Sox Don't Lose Last Night

Finally, for the first time in nearly a week, Red Sox fans do not have to hang their heads over a Red Sox loss the night before. This breaks a streak of 5 nights in a row that the Red Sox have been defeated. Terry Francona was his usual stoic self after the milestone was reached. "I'm just proud of these guys. They know what they need to do and support each other day in and day out. Last night, there was no way they were going to let their fans suffer through another loss".

The most encouraging sign last night was the fact that the bullpen gave up no runs, and did not contribute to a disheartening loss, as they did in 3 of the past 5 games. Mike Timlin had this to say. "It does feel good. It seems like every night something goes wrong, but last night we made it look easy. Maybe that will help us get back on track".

"Nothing boosts a bullpen like a night where you give up no runs", added pitching coach John Farrell. "I'm really proud of these guys. It just shows what they are made of". Theo Epstein added, "You can see we are not going to bend to public pressure to make crazy moves to bolster our pitching depth. Sometimes if you just give it a little time, the schedule can take care of things for you".


Not everyone felt the loss-less night was a sign of good things to come. Team Captain, Jason Varitek, was more reserved in his analysis. "Well, to be honest, I have to give most of the credit to the schedulers. They are the ones who really helped break this streak of losing every night. I know people have been down on the schedulers for the hell they put us through up until now, but last night we saw how the schedule can contribute to our success as well".

Left fielder, Manny Ramirez, had this to say. "I don't know nothing about that, man. I just love to play".

So, with the streak of consecutive nights with a loss finally behind them, the Red Sox will try for a win tonight, at home, in friendly Fenway Park. Jon Lester gets the call against Blue Jays' ace, Roy Halladay. Halladay is coming off of his third consecutive complete game. So, it is going to be tough to get him off the hill. He has been throwing well, but has yet to look like the ace he has in the past. The Sox should get a boost with the expected return of Mike Lowell from the DL, and the re-insertion of Big Papi into the lineup after a couple of days off for a bruised knee. The Jays look tough on paper, but have yet to step it up, currently supporting an 11-15 record.

It is one thing not to lose. Tonight, it needs to be time to WIN.

(The above quotes are works of fiction, the facts are accurate)

Anemic Offense - where's the bullpen?

I'm going to presume you watched the game. If so - you saw the Sox are not playing like a Champion caliber team right now. Josh Beckett looked very good, better than Roy Halladay, until he began to tire a bit in the fifth inning. When I say he tired, I do not mean basic arm strength. What I mean is that there are a lot of intricate mechanics involved in throwing a pitch not only 98 miles per hour, but also within an inch or two of where you want it to go. In the 5th, he was still throwing strong (his changeup was effective at 91 mph), but he was starting to lose his location - that was mostly due to his conditioning needing to stretch out a little more to get him over 100 pitches while maintaining all the necessary mechanics. With two outs, he gave up a single, followed by two walks. Now, this puts Terry Francona in a tough spot. It is early in the season, your ace is coming off of a back injury and has not gone too deep yet. He just walked two straight batters, and Frank Thomas is coming to the plate. On the one hand, Beckett is such a competitor, he may bear down and get that last out (that might have been my guess). On the other hand, his control may be done, and Thomas will kill him. Terry decided to go with a fresh arm, and on one pitch, Manny Delcarmen left a pitch out over the plate, and Thomas ended the game with his 11th career grand slam.

Yes, that ended the game. Again, the Sox (other than JD Drew!) are having a tough time hitting right now. What does the box score tell you? There are two things that should jump out at you. First, the Sox had 10 hits, but only 4 runs. The Blue Jays had 5 hits and 7 runs. Without even seeing the game, you can see the Sox are not stringing together enough hits to generate a rally. They are getting a hit here, and a hit there. The only reason they even had four runs was that 3 of their hits were solo homers. Yes, all three were solo. Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Varitek, and JD Drew all went deep, but with no one on base. Now, against a pitcher like Halladay, you should be happy with that. But, the grand slam took that luxury away.

David Ortiz finally got another hit, his thrid of the season, and it was an RIB double. Love to see that.

Oh, I forgot. I said there were two things that should jump out at you in the box score. If you have been screaming, "what about the four errors!", then yes, you got it. Now, let's not run out and lynch the guy, but Julio Lugo had the worst day I've seen for him on a Sox uniform. Well, that happens. These guys are human, and some days they go home and wonder why they play this game. Tonight is like that for him. That's not the reason why we lost the game, and that's why I'm not making a big deal out of it. Chances are, a guy with his talent will not make another error for a week or two. He did not cost us the game, but he does need to tighten up.

Lastly, I am simply NOT on the same page as Terry Francona yet this year. I love the guy, don't get me wrong, but a manager has to not only read the numbers, but also get in a groove and fell out what will work. Taking out Beckett when he did, did not work. Now, of course, a rational fan knows why he did it. Beckett is in his first outing coming off an injury, and starting to lose control. But, on the other hand, his middle relief has been terrible. When I looked into Josh's eyes (in HD) I saw determination. His pitch count was not so high that one more batter would have mattered. Just let him get out of the jam himself. Instead, Francona turned it over to the bullpen, and in one pitch it was over. I know - 20/20 hindsight. But, that is how I felt as it went down. The other thing I disagreed with was no pinch hitting for Lugo in the 9th. Lugo was clearly not having a sharp day - that happens. So, bottom of the ninth, two men on, and the tying run at the plate - isn't that the kind of situation we have Sean Casey for? That was supposed to be the point of a guy like Casey - to hit in those kinds of situations. Now, surely Casey may have struck out. But, Lugo was having an off night, Lugo is not likely to hit a home run. So...

Now the Sox come home to friendly Fenway, where they will hopefully get a huge boost from us fans. Let's get these guys going! We are the tenth man - let's do our part.

Tune in tomorrow for some Yankee talk in the off day.

Let's Go Beckett - Where's Big Papi?

When Abner Doubleday came down from the mountains and showed everyone the commandments etched in stone by the baseball gods, the first commandment said, "Thou shalt not walk thy leadoff batter". Kyle Snyder definitely owes us twenty readings of "Casey at the Bat" as penance for walking both the leadoff batter and the second batter of the 6th inning. Of course, both batters scored, and Brian Corey conspired with Snyder to open the floodgates for Toronto as they built up an insurmountable 10-2 lead. Corey was intent on getting that Toronto lead up there. When Snyder came out, he left with men on second and third and one out, thanks to a sacrifice bunt. Then Corey came in and gave up a single to David Eckstein that scored the two baserunners, followed by a pop-out by Matt Stairs. So, two outs, runner on first, time to stop the bleeding and get back to the dugout? No, not yet. Corey then proceeded to give up a double, a single, and a home run to the big guy, Frank Thomas. The good news from there is that Julian Tavares came in and finished off the last 2 1/3 innings and looked very good!

Any rational Sox fan knows that someone was going to get taken off the active roster to make room for Josh Beckett's return, as it has been prophesied (sorry, got stuck in biblical mode again for a second there). Sox fans now had two finalists to be cut on their scorecards. In a bit of a surprise, the cut goes to Karl Snyder. Why a surprise? Because Karl does not have an option to go to Pawtucket and be called up later.

One last note on pitching. Starter Clay Bucholz looked better than he has looked this spring. He gave up 3 earned runs in 5 innings on 6 hits, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts. He showed some toughness, which is very promising. The second inning started with a walk and two singles scoring a run, but rather than let things get out of control, he struck out the next two batters followed by a pop-up to end the inning. He got into trouble again in the 4th, and may have gotten out of it with less damage, but for an error by first baseman Sean Casey filling in for the error-free Kevin Youkilis. The good sign here was when Bucholz came back out in the 5th and had an easy 1-2-3 inning.

Last note. Again, the Sox offense looked pretty inept. When is someone other than JD Drew going to start hitting (just had to write that sentence for my man JD). Seriously. It is very easy in a 10-2 loss to point all the fingers at the pitching. But, if the Sox only score 2 runs, the ONLY way they can win is to hold the opponent to zero or 1 run. That's pretty easy math, but while Snyder and Corey provided Toronto with a huge lead, and an emotional let down for the Sox, the game was over once the Blue Jays scored their 3rd run in the 4th inning.

Where do fingers point for that? I hate to say it but Big Papi is a key culprit. Toronto has been employing the "shift" against David Ortiz, and it seems to have him off balance, more so than I've seen in the past. I think he is in a little bit of a slump. Combine that with looking out at the field and seeing all of your hot areas covered, and you can find yourself really pressing. The Sox have played 6 games this season, and so far, in 22 at-bats, Papi has a mere 2 hits creating a .091 batting average. Manny Ramirez is faring better, batting .250 with 6 hits in 24 at bats, but he, along with Ortiz, has been batting poorly in the clutch. Just look at last night, for example. Second inning, runners on first and second with one out and Ortiz grounds out to first sending runners to 2nd and third. That opens up first base, so they intentionally walk Manny, and Lowell, who also has had a slow start, softly lines out to end the inning. Then, in the 7th inning with one out and runners at second and third, Ortiz strikes out and Manny grounds out to end the threat.

So, you're a little worried about pitching? You should be worried about offense.

Yankee review tomorrow - how is the enemy looking this year?

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!

Sox Clean Up Fenway for Opener

Preparing for Tuesday's home opener, the Red Sox continued their work on getting Fenway cleaned up. On order of business is always to clear out any lingering Yankee fans. There are a number of ways to do this, one is to simply sprinkle a trail of money and they'll general follow it out. But, the Red Sox are experimenting with an innovative (and 'green') method. They are employing a hawk to patrol the park and keep it clean of rodents, and other unwanted refuse. In his first day of work, the hawk circled above. Maybe it was because she was from Bristol, CT - a known bastion of Yankee fans, or maybe it was because her name Alexa Rodriguez is simply too close to the Yankees' own A-Rod, but either way the hawk picked her for cleansing. Unfortunately, Alexa got quite a scare, and a scratched scalp. The Red Sox are rethinking this plan, and have removed the hawk, after apologies to Alexa and her family. For now, they are back to using the money trail.

Okay - all joking aside, I'm looking forward to an Eastern Standard Timezone game tonight! Look for Manny to break out the big bat - he generally thrives in the Rogers Center having hit 23 home runs there in his career. Wakefield's knuckle ball also fares well indoors. Could be a good night, but Toronto has been picked by many as the favorite to win the AL East. So, look for Toronto to take this very seriously. Beating the reigning MLB Champions (always feels good to type that) would give them a lot of confidence.

I've talked a lot about Bartolo Colon being a potential ace up Theo's sleeve. Colon pitched a gem yesterday in Pawtucket allowing only 1 hit and 1 walk in 5 innings. He struck out 5 batters, and only faced one batter over the minimum over those 5 innings. He threw 74 pitches, 45 of them for strikes, and topped off at 96 mph on the radar - his last pitch of the night was clocked at 95. I expect he'll get at least one more start with Pawtucket. They'll want to see him stretch his pitch count to 90+ pitches. The extra time also gives them a chance to get a look at the current 5 man rotation. So, good news in Pawtucket.

On Monday, the Sox' day off, we'll analyze the 2008 New York Yankees - are they to be feared, or are their best days behind them?