Playoffs Kickoff Today! WWRD?

WWRD (What Would Rooster Do)? Okay, this series is going to be tough. The Angels are the top team in the American, which is hard to argue given their 100-62 record. The addition of Mark Teixeira to the lineup has given them more offense, but they are still a team that likes to be aggressive on the base paths and put pressure on opposing defenses with frequent displays of small ball. Their pitching across the board, and been very good, particularly in the bullpen. So, where do we go from here?

Okay, first of all, the Sox do not want to let the Angels take control of the game with small ball. To do that, they need to keep the Angels off the bases. Jon Lester is an excellent option for the first game. Being a lefty, he can also keep a sharper eye on runners at first base. So, I think the strategy to focus on is defense. The Sox need to give Lester all the support they can. Mike Lowell is the Red Sox' best option at third base, but he is still hobbled. Unless the medical staff indicates he is near 100%, I'd sit Mike and reserve him for pinch hitting duty. We all saw Lowell come up lame when he had to field a slow grounder barehanded and make the quick throw to first. The Angels saw that too. They know he is vulnerable to a bunt. We do not want to open that door for them, nor do we want Lowell to re-aggravate the injury on the first inning of the first game.

Instead, play Jed Lowrie at third, with Alex Cora at shortstop. That is their best defense on the left side of the infield right now. That also allows Kevin Youkilis to play first, where he is having a gold glove caliber year. First base will be important, and Sean Casey and Mark Kotsay are only adequate backups there. Of course, Dustin Pedroia and Jason Varitek round out the infield.

The question in the outfield is JD Drew. Drew claims he is 100% ready. The Sox definitely need some power in the batting order, and Drew is a very good outfielder, so I'd be inclined to use him in right. The only worry I have for Drew is his lack of playing time this September causing his timing to not be sharp yet. I am encouraged that he got two tune up games in before the season ended, but he did nothing special in those games. It is a bit of a chance, but we've seen the impact his bat can have in the post season.

So, obviously Jason Bay plays left field. Who is in center? That's easy, Jacoby Ellsbury. Coco Crisp went on a tear in early September, but has cooled off since then. From September 9th until the end of the season, Crisp only had 8 hits, batting .210 with 3 doubles, but no triples or home runs, and he also had no stolen bases. Contrast that with Ellsbury who ended the season with a 16 game hitting streak going back to September 10th. In that time, Ellsbury had 28 hits batting .389 with 2 home runs, 1 triple, 7 doubles, and 5 stolen bases. They are reasonably close defensively, so clearly the nod goes to Ellsbury.

Then, you manage the game situations. Crisp is now available to pinch run in late game situations, or to take over for Drew if Drew's back flares up. Sean Casey and Mark Kotsay are available to pinch hit in late innings with the game on the line, as well as Mike Lowell. If we are ahead in the game, keep the solid defense all the way. If we are tied or trailing, try firing those bigger guns to get the late inning lead.

Lastly, what about John Lackey, the Angels starter? I just can't get to worried about that somehow. Lackey has had a good year, but not a great year. This season he went 12-5 with a 3.75 ERA. That is good, but last year he had a 19-9 record with a 3.01 record. That is better. Last year the Sox rolled over Lackey in the playoffs. But, this year Lackey beat Boston twice in two starts. At home he went 7 innings and gave up 3 runs, and in Boston he went 9 innings giving up only 2 late game runs. And yet, in his last regular season start, he got destroyed by Texas giving up 10 earned runs in less than 3 innings.

So, which Lackey are we going to see? Who knows. But, I would be surprised if the Sox do not get to Lackey at least by the 6th inning. But, if you are concerned about Lackey, I'll support your concern with this tidbit. In 2008, only three Red Sox batters have gotten a hit off of Lackey, and one of those three is Manny Ramirez (who went 2 for 5). That's right. Dustin Pedroia is 3 for 6, and Kevin Youkilis is 2 for 7. No other Red Sox batter has a single hit against Lackey in 2008. Granted, Jason Bay, Jed Lowrie, and Coco Crisp have yet to face Lackey this year, so perhaps there is a surprise coming from one of them?

So, you are armed and ready. Nothing left for us to do but watch, cheer, and be fascinated by the unfolding events. The Red Sox have historically been part of some incredibly exciting and memorable playoff moments. The 1975 World Series. The 1986 comeback against the Angels in the ALCS, and the dramatic World Series loss to the Mets. The 1999 ALDS battle with Cleveland, the 2003 dramatic loss to the Yankees, and the 2004 incredible comeback for revenge. Even last year, we watched as the Sox, behind Josh Beckett, erased a 3-1 game deficit to the Indians to go on to win a second 21st century World Series. I don't necessarily expect another World Series this year, but I do expect some excitement.

Let the games begin!

Tampa Bay is for Real

Many people have been strongly questioning whether Tampa Bay would be able to sustain their success long enough to make it into the playoffs and be a true contender. When Tampa ran into a steamrolling Toronto club and lost the bulk of their AL East lead, doubters took that to be a sure sign of Tampa's imminent collapse.

Their next test was to come in to Boston, in the middle of a grueling road trip, and take on their closest AL East threat head to head. Three games later, the Rays stand victorious claiming victory in two of those three games in two tightly fought contests. I think we now have our answer, Tampa Bay is for real, and they will be a serious threat to any playoff contender.

Now, are you a bit on edge after last night's 4-2 loss in extra innings, and dropping 2 of three at home to the Rays? Don't be. Yes, it was depressing to lose two games in a row to a team we could have overtaken. No question there. But, what are we looking for? We are looking for a playoff spot, and a chance to enjoy some exciting baseball in October, with a shot at a possible World Series appearance. That is still well within the Red Sox' grasp. Remember the Rational Sox Fan formula? 94 wins puts you in the playoffs. The Red Sox have 17 games remaining and are currently 85-60. They need to go 9-8 to hit 94 wins. Yes, Toronto will be a tough opponent, but the Sox do not need to win every remaining game. They only need to win 9 more.


Can the Sox take the Division from the Rays? Yes, certainly. They are well within reach, and sliced 3 games off that lead so far in September. Will they take the Division? Well, that's why we watch the games, to find out what will happen. They certainly have a tight grip on the Wild Card, although they are still a couple of weeks away from clinching. But, the Twins don't seem like they are poised to go on a tremendous winning streak, nor do the Sox look like they are poised to go into a nose dive. I would not be surprised at seeing the current standings hold fast.

What about the Blue Jays? Yes, they are on a serious winning streak, but you remember what happens to streaks in baseball? They end. Toronto is due to hit a speed bump soon, hopefully that speed bump will be losing two of 3 to Boston in this upcoming series. But, does Toronto really have a shot at a playoff spot? Mathematically, yes, but logically, no. They do have the pitching needed to succeed in the playoffs, but I think their winning streak is too little too late. They are playing loose right now, because they have nothing to lose. If they miss the playoffs, that is what is expected. The wins are not "must wins". They are "spoiler wins". Their wins are just thorns in the side of playoff hopefuls. But, as their chances at a playoff spot creep closer, the pressure will also increase, and the tension will build up, and they won't be playing so loose anymore. The wave will have past, and they will have come close, but not quite made it.

On the other hand, if they do go full steam ahead and force their way into a playoff spot, we will have the joy of watching history in the making. But, don't hold your breath.

Not too much to say about last night's game. A well fought battle between two good teams. A bullpen is like a rubber band. If you stretch it far enough, it will eventually break. The Red Sox rubber band broke first. I would guess the Rays' rubber band only had one more inning left in them. Mike Timlin gave up the winning runs in the 14th inning. The Sox only had David Aardsma (just back in the pen from an injury), Devern Hansack (just called up from the minors), David Pauley, and Chris Smith left. Timlin was as good an option (without the benefit of hindsight) as any of the others.

By the way, I have no issues with JD Drew not getting out there last night. Drew went through a full rigorous workout to test the back, and it was a success. Hours later, it started tightening up again. It is a bulging disc. Yes, he could have sucked it up and gone in to bat, but if his back was stiff, his swing would not be normal, or smooth. Watching him strike out or pop out because he could not swing cleanly and confidently would be no help. If you are all ranting about Drew, just take a deep breath. You are simply frustrated that they lost after you promised everyone in your office the win was guaranteed, and now you need to take it out on someone. There's no need. Take a breath, grab a coffee, and have fun on the playoff run roller coaster!

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Red Sox J's Combine To Defeat Chicago

The Red Sox J's? That's right! The Red Sox J's did it with pitching (Josh Beckett and Jonathan Papelbon) and by driving in runs (JD Drew, Jed Lowrie, Jacoby Ellsbury). The only J who did no damage was Jason Varitek as Jason Bay did manage a single and scored a run. So, where'd Theo get this obsession with players whose name starts with a 'J'?

With Manny gone, you can see how different the lineup is turning out to be. Jason Bay is a nice player, but not a 1 for 1 replacement for Manny's bat. Thus, we are seeing Tito experiment a bit with how to generate the most power in the middle of the lineup. Who would have thought Kevin Youkilis would end up as a leading candidate to bat fourth in the Red Sox lineup? But, last night, with Big Papi giving his wrist a rest (imagine Michael Palin as Pontius Pilate reading that line), we got to see a new lineup. Not sure exactly why Coco Crisp took the leadoff spot, but this lineup will not put fear in the hearts of opposing pitchers. However, it is a pretty solid lineup, top to bottom, that can get in a groove and chip away, like last night.

White Sox starter, John Danks, looked brilliant last night carrying a no hitter into the 7th inning. However, Kevin Youkilis managed to break up the no-no with a broken bat flare to center. Later that inning, the first J struck when JD drew laced a beautiful double to deep left-center, scoring Youk from second and Lowell from first. That put the Sox up 2-1, and would be all the runs they would need to win. But, just to be safe, the Sox scored some insurance runs in the 9th inning when Jed Lowrie doubled in two more runs, and Jacoby Ellsbury singled home Lowrie.

The J's did a good job pitching too. In particular, Josh Beckett did exactly what the Sox needed. He pitched sharp, conserved his pitches, and went deep into the game. Josh did not walk a single batter, and the 7 hits he allowed were spread out across the game. Danks came out sprinting, but did not have enough in the tank to finish. Beckett took a more steady pace and outlasted his opponent. Unfortunately for Papelbon, there was no save opportunity by the time his turn came around, but I'm sure he did not mind simply securing the win with a 1-2-3 ninth inning of work. Nothing like a match up of two terrific players to end the game when Ken Griffey stepped up to face Papelbon. Perhaps if this was a 25 year old Griffey, the results may have been different. But, this is Papelbon's time, and Papelbon got Griffey to easily fly out to Ellsbury in right field to earn a 2-2 split with the White Sox in the 4 game series.

Many questions remain on how this season will turn out. Can the Yankees turn things around in time to avoid missing the playoffs altogether? The Rays are proving everyone wrong by lasting on top deep into August. But, can they survive the loss of both Evan Longoria AND Carl Crawford to injuries? While it seemed the Red Sox had more starting pitching than anyone would know what to do with, suddenly they are looking a little short. With Tim Wakefield on the DL and Clay Buchholz pitching like a New York Yankee prospect these days, can Bartolo Colon return in time to save the rotation? Will Justin Masterson get flipped back to a starting role?

And what about tonight's starter, Charlie Zink? Will his knuckleball be as effective as Tim Wakefield's, or will he have to rely on a Zinkerball? (you heard it here first). Zink should be interesting. He does feature a knuckleball, but his fastball is a reasonable 88 miles an hour (as opposed to Wakefield's 80 mph offering). He has the potential to keep hitters off balance and turn in a solid outing. However, being his first major league start, can he calm those stomach butterflies enough to let his talent shine? I'll be in the crowd tonight (hopefully not hiding under a poncho in a downpour), so I'll let you know how he looked tomorrow.

It's good to be back - now the push for the finish!

Red Sox Take Two From Seattle Behind Dice-K

So far, so good. The Red Sox, having lost three straight, could use three straight wins from Seattle to get back on track. With a win this afternoon, they could accomplish just that.

Last night, Daisuke Matsuzaka was brilliant. The key to that statement was the fact that he only walked three batters the whole game, and was more efficient with his pitch count. It has become unusual to see Dice-K standing on the mound in the 8th inning, but there he was, looking like he was heading for a complete game.

Unfortunately, his game began unraveling in the 8th inning. With JD Drew leading the way to a 4-0 lead, the Mariners were finally able to chip away as Dice-K began tiring. With one out, and a runner on base, Ichiro Suzuki laced a double to plate the first run, and Jose Lopez followed that with a single up the middle to score Ichiro. With the score now 2-0, Terry Francona felt it was time to give Dice-K some help and ensure he holds on to his 11th win of the season. So, Terry called for Hideki Okajima.

As we all know, Okajima has not fared well entering the game with runners on base, but in this case, at least the runner was at first base, and the left handed hitting Raul Ibanez was due up. Sox fans were thinking "ground ball, double play, inning over". Sox fans were also praying "please, not a home run". As it turns out, neither prayer was heard by the baseball gods, but Ibanez did hit a ground ball to first, and Kevin Youkilis managed to throw to second base to get the lead runner for the second out. Oki followed that up by getting Jose Vidro to line out to center to end the inning and complete the transition to Jonathan Papelbon.

The Mariners opted to not wait around for Papelbon to strike them out and came out with a strategy to swing early in the count. Good idea, but the result was the same, three straight outs, and Papelbon's 30th save of the. With the save, Papelbon becomes the first closer in Red Sox history to record 3 consecutive 30+ save seasons. Hopefully, that is only the start of more amazing years to come.

Meanwhile, this afternoon all focus will turn to Clay Buchholz. Will the young pitching phenom return to his former brilliance, or will he continue to labor through difficult innings, not fooling batters with an ineffective fastball? Another short and ineffective outing could result in another trip to Pawtucket. Bartolo Colon is nearing a return, but that may be weeks away. On the other hand, if Clay has a solid outing, we'll all breath a sigh of relief and welcome him back to Boston next week.

Last night's win, combined with Tampa Bay's loss, inches the Sox back to within 1/2 of a game of first place. Good timing too, as the Yankees, in their typical post-All Star surge, are starting to create pressure behind the Sox. The Yankees now have notched 5 wins in a row, and tonight will go for a sweep of the Twins before coming to town to face the Red Sox on Friday. That series will be huge. A sweep by the Yankees could vault then over the Sox into second place and return them to serious contention. A sweep by the Red Sox could stomp the Yankees back towards the basement where we'd rather see them. Stay tuned!

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

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)

Matsuzaka is Back!

Daisuke Matsuzaka had the worst start of his career in his last outing, which was his first start after coming off the 15 day DL. Fans were clearly worried after that outing, but Dice-K assuaged any concerns with a nifty 5 inning shutout of the Astros in Houston last night. Terry Francona pulled Dice-K after 5 innings, and only 87 pitches, most likely just to ease him back into things. But Dice-K looked good, striking out 4 and only allowing 2 hits. He did allow 3 walks, but that is what he does when he tries to force batters to swing. In the 4th inning, Dice-K almost provided some offense as well. On an 0-1 count, he squared around to bunt, then as the pitcher went into his motion, Dice-K pulled the back back and took a hack at the pitch launching deep down the left field line. For a minute it looked like the ball might carry for a home run, but it tailed foul, short of the fence. That would have been fun!

Terry Francona had given JD Drew a day off on Wednesday, knowing that Thursday's day off would give him two days of rest. I had thought the idea was great and could give JD a lift and keep him hot. Well, you have to tip your cap to Francona for that one, as JD clobbered a 3 run home run in the 3rd inning to give the Sox all the runs they would need to win yesterday. Dustin Pedroia drove in a run in the 7th, and Mike Lowell singled in the 9th with the bases loaded to drive in the final two giving the Sox a 6-1 victory. Houston's only run was a solo homer off of Hideki Okajima in the 8th inning with two outs. Oki followed the homer by allowing a single to Miguel Tejada, and Francona got nervous. Okajima has had a tendency to collapse quickly at times this season, and before that could happen, Terry sent Jonathan Papelbon in to get the final four outs.

Coco Crisp had his suspension reduced from 7 to 5 days after his appeal was heard. That is good news, and he will be serving his suspension when the Sox visit Tampa Bay this week. So, that may calm things down between the two teams, but I'm sure there will still be tension between them, especially if anyone is plunked accidentally. With Coco out, that will leave the Sox one player short in the outfield, which will be fine if Manny's hamstring is well mended, which it may not be. The Sox are not allowed to call up a player to replace Coco while he's on suspension, so think good thoughts for that hammy. You've got to wonder if something is wrong with Manny Ramirez though as he has turned as cold as JD Drew has been hot. For the second game in a row, he has gone 0-4 and is only 6-34 since June 13th. Let's hope he snaps out if it soon.

Tonight, stay tuned as Jon Lester continues his emergence as one of the AL's finest young pitchers with a commanding performance slicing through the Astros lineup like melted butter.

Cardinals Looking for Payback Sweep from Red Sox

With yesterday's 9-3 victory over Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Cardinals have a chance to sweep the Red Sox today and earn a little payback for the sweep the Red Sox put on them in the 2004 World Series. Yes, the victory was over Dice-K. Take the Dice-man out of the equation, and the Sox may have won that game. It was Matsuzaka's first outing coming back from the disabled list, and he simply had nothing to offer. How's this for a first inning? A walk, 3 singles, a double, and a home run resulting in a 4-0 lead for St. Louis right off the bat. In the inning, all nine Cardinals batter got to bat.

Not wanting to dip into the bullpen too early, Terry Francona sent Dice-K back out for the second inning, hoping he might settle down and keep them in the game. The first inning started with a walk to lead-off batter, Skip Schumaker, and the second started identically with another walk to Schumaker, followed by a single and another walk to load the bases with no out. Well, Francona finally threw in the towel, realizing that his starter had nothing to offer.

Earlier in the season the Red Sox had two pitchers in the bullpen who could handle long relief situations, Kyle Snyder and Julian Tavares, but both of them were cut loose. So, yesterday, Francona gave a rookie, Chris Smith, a chance to throw his very first pitch in the major leagues. Chris had been brought up from Pawtucket to add some depth to the bullpen when Dice-K was on the DL, and was allowed to stay after Dice-K's return by sending Mike Timlin to the DL with "knee tendinitis". For you non-medical professionals, I think you can translate "knee tendinitis" to mean "has been pitching like crap lately and we need an excuse to get him out of the bullpen".

So, Chris Smith has a chat with Jason Varitek on the mound, takes a deep breath, and gets ready to throw the most memorable pitch of his life to this point. That pitch was beautiful, an excellent slider that Rick Ankiel swung at and missed. It worked so well, that Varitek said, "throw another one just like that". Smith did just that, hitting nearly the exact same spot with the exact same result. Well, if it is working, it is working. Third pitch, another slider, exact same location, Ankiel swung and missed, and Chris Smith's career is forever in the books as starting off with a three pitch strikeout.

Varitek must have thought to himself, "the kid has a nice slider, let's see what else he has". So, bases still loaded with one out, Varitek called for a fastball. Way outside to the dangerous Troy Glaus. Okay, that did not work. How about a curve ball? Chris Smith threw the curve, it hung there like a pinata at a birthday party, and Troy Glaus clobbered it into the Green Monster seats for a grand slam. Welcome to the big leagues, Chris. Smith went on to turn in a very nice outing after that. Unlike Dice-K, he did settle down and showed us why he deserved a chance to pitch in Fenway Park as he retired the next nine batters in a row. He lasted 4 innings, which is incredible for a debut appearance by a rookie reliever, keeping St. Louis from scoring again off of him.

The Sox had one inning where they rallied for 2 runs, and even JD Drew, who smashed yet another home run, a solo shot in the 6th inning, could not help catch up to the enormous lead Dice-K had given the Cardinals.

The loss is the second in a row to the Cardinals in this series. This afternoon, the Cardinals have a chance to sweep the Red Sox and exact a little revenge for the 2004 World Series sweep the Red Sox handed them. However, to do so they'll have to get past Jon Lester. Lester has been pitching better and better this season, having won his last three starts, and you'll see the determination in his eyes as he bears down on the Cardinals lineup as he tries to make it four in a row. The win would give Lester a 7-3 record, tying him with Josh Beckett for the second most wins on the team, one shy of Dice-K's 8.

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

JD Drew Leads Red Sox Past Phillies 7-4

I am not sure Phillies' starter, Kyle Kendrick, was fully warmed up when this game started. Kyle started the game by giving up singles to Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia, and then gave up a 3 run home run to JD Drew followed by a solo shot to Mike Lowell. Before the Phillies could score a single out, the Sox were up 4-0. It was nice to see the Red Sox hitting for power with both Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis getting the night off to nurse minor injuries. Dustin Pedroia's single may have been aided by Jacoby's presence on first base. During Pedroia's at-bat, Kendrick threw 4 pick off attempts to first base, and tried a pitch out once. All to keep Ellsbury close to first. That level of effort focused on the base runner can only help the hitter.

After Mike Lowell's home run the Phillie's pitching coach visited the mound. I don't know what he told Kendrick, but it worked, as Kendrick immediately set the next three batters down 1-2-3. The Sox would get to Kendrick again in the 3rd inning. JD Drew hit a double (one of 4 hits in the game for Drew!), Mike Lowell was hit by a pitch, and Jason Varitek walked to load the bases with 2 outs. Another injury hit the Red Sox when Coco Crisp strained his hand on a swing in his first at bat. Brandon Moss replaced Crisp and took advantage of the situation by lining a single to center scoring two runs. JD Drew would drive in the 7th run with a single in the 4th inning scoring Pedroia from second base. While the Sox are without their usual big hitters, particularly Big Papi, JD Drew continues to fill the gap admirably, continuing the biggest tear he's been on in a Sox uniform.

All those runs contributed to Justin Masterson earning his 4th win of the season. Masterson pitched well, but ran his pitch count up too soon, departing after 5 innings. In this game, it would be Craig Hansen who came out of the bullpen and forgot how to pitch. The other day it was Mike Timlin, and prior to that Hideki Okajima was the culprit. But, in this game, Hansen got to show that he will not be brilliant every night. Here is what Hansen did in the 7th. He gave up a lead off single, followed by a walk, a wild pitch, and a single that scored two runs. That was enough for Terry Francona, and Hansen got a quick hook. Luckily, Manny Delcarmen did remember how to pitch and salvaged the 7th inning and pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Jonathan Papelbon wrapped up the ninth for his 21st save of the season.

The Red Sox get today off, and hopefully everyone will take a nice big rest and heal those nagging injuries. Kevin Youkilis ought to be back in the lineup on Friday, recovered from back spasms. Manny Ramirez may also at least return to the DH spot on Friday in Fenway Park. Coco Crisp is a day to day decision. We won't really know more until he sees how it the hand feels the day after. With the St. Louis Cardinals coming to the Fens, we get to see a rematch of the 2004 World Series. Unfortunately, too much time has passed for this to still hold the intrigue it would have 3 years ago, but it will still be fun to beat up on them one more time.

Tim Wakefield will start the series off, followed by the return of 8-0 Dice-K Matsuzaka from the DL on Saturday, and Jon Lester on Sunday. The Sox should fare better against NL teams at home where they can rely on the DH being in place. Just keep winning at this pace, and no one will be catching them!

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Red Sox Take 2 Out of 3 from Reds

Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz were missing from the lineup, but the Red Sox offense did not seem to notice, rolling to a 9-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds yesterday. With Josh Beckett on the mound, 9 runs is far more than they ever would have needed. The offense got started with speed, when Jacoby Ellsbury lead off the game with a single and promptly stole 2nd base, and then 3rd base. Exactly what the Sox need to do with less firepower in the lineup. Dustin Pedroia did his part by hitting a sacrifice fly ball to score Ellsbury for the winning run. That's right, the second batter of the game drove in the first batter of the game for the winning run!

Ellsbury's 2 steals set a new record for steals for a Red Sox rookie with 33. The previous record was set 100 years ago in 1908 by Amby McConnell, remember him? With the season not even at the half way mark, Jacoby should be a shoo-in to break the all time Red Sox stolen base record of 54, set by Tommy Harper in 1973! As long as Ellsbury stays healthy, this one is well within reach.

After getting things started with speed, the Sox fell back on their true love, power! Cincinnati is known as a home run friendly park, and the Red Sox sure would agree with four players hitting home runs yesterday. Jacoby Ellsbury hit one to prove he is not only about speed, and Coco Crisp, JD Drew, and Dustin Pedroia all joined in with home runs of their own. Crisp had a nice day, accounting for 4 RBI's, and JD Drew refused to cool off, belting his 11th home run of the year.

All of this offense just made it too easy for Beckett. Josh went 7 innings, allowing no runs on 6 hits and 6 strike outs for his 7th win of the season. His best outing in a few starts. With Dice-K Matsuzaka still on the DL, it is good to see the Red Sox Ace step up and take charge! Speaking of Dice-K, he is scheduled to make a rehab start with the Pawtucket Red Sox on Monday. If all goes well, Dice-K is penciled in to come of the DL and make a start with the Sox on Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals. That gives Justin Masterson time to squeeze in one more start this Wednesday in Philadelphia before swapping places with Matsuzaka. I expect Masterson will make the most of it.

The Red Sox will kick off a 3 game series against the Phillies beginning tonight, when Bartolo Colon will continue his terrific comeback. Now, before you go and start putting this one in the win column consider two things. The first is that the Phillies are having a great season. They are in first place in the NL East with a 41-30 record (compared to to the Red Sox record of 44-28). They are a slugging team this year, leading the NL in most offensive stats. If the Sox are going to win in Philly, they will have to prove their pitchers can stop a truly potent offense. Are you listening Colon, Lester, and Masterson? That goes for the bullpen too! And with Ortiz still on the DL, and Manny possibly sidelined with a strained hamstring, the Sox will not be bringing the same punch to the table. The Sox will be facing good pitching as well, including an old nemesis, Janie Moyer. I know, you thought he had retired and become a cross walk guard a long time ago. But, no, the crafty 45 year old lefty is actually still pitching, and pitching well, as his 7-3 record this year shows.

While the Red Sox often play in friendly ballparks when they are on the road (Baltimore and Tampa Bay spring to mind), Philadelphia will not be so welcoming. In fact, they've pretty much had it with our Red Sox Nation, and seem to be very tired of the Red Sox winning. They liked us when we lost as often and as painfully as they do. But, now that we have built a solid team capable of winning championships, they feel left out. In fact, Bob Ford, an Inquirer Sports Columnist, seems to feel that Red Sox Nation is a scourge on the country. Sheesh, talk about jealous whining! Especially from a team in first place. Maybe they just want more attention?

Well, if I were you, I would not miss this series - a battle of first place superpowers, the winner securing bragging rights!

Red Sox Home Run Attack Too Much For Orioles

Message to Baltimore - be careful with the walks, they can be costly. In the fifth inning last night, JD Drew continued his hot hitting with a double that moved Jacoby Ellsbury to 3rd base with one out. Manny Ramirez was on deck. Baltimore made the logical move and intentionally walked Manny to set up a possible double play, only to have Mike Lowell step up and launch his second grand slam of the season. His other grand slam was also the result of Manny being intentionally walked in front of him to load the bases. Somehow, intentionally walking Manny always seems like a good idea, but rarely seems to work.

Coming in to the game, Mike Lowell, Kevin Youkilis, and JD Drew were all tied with 9 home runs this season. The grand slam put Lowell in the lead with 10. But, not for long. In the 7th inning, Manny Ramirez walked (not intentionally), Lowell struck out, and Kevin Youkilis blasted a two run home run - tying Lowell at 10 home runs. Well, JD Drew was only waiting for someone to walk in front of him before joining in the fun. He only had to wait one inning. With two outs in the 8th, Dustin Pedroia walked, and JD Drew said, "finally, now it is my turn". JD turned on a pitch and sent it into the right field box seats to pull even with Lowell and Youk. See the pattern? Walk - Home Run, Walk - Home Run, etc.

All the home run fun allowed Red Sox starter, Jon Lester, to settle in to a solid game, knowing he had runs to work with. No shutout would be required, but Lester chased a shutout into the 6th inning anyway, just to be safe. In the 6th, the Orioles marched double time. Brian Roberts lead off with a double, but Lester got the next two batters out. With two outs, it looked like Roberts would get stranded, until Oscar Salazar roped a double to deep center field, just out of the reach of Coco Crisp, to put the Orioles on the scoreboard. Then, Aubrey Huff, always trouble for the Sox, pulled a shot down the right field line that bounced one and was struck by a fan for a ground rule double. Ramon Hernandez followed with a single, and it looked like Lester might not get out of the inning after all. But, thankfully, he managed to induce Adam Jones to pop out to end the only inning the Orioles would score in.

Terry Francona showed confidence in Lester by sending him back out for the 7th inning. Fans were wondering if the 7th would end up looking like the 6th. But, that was not to be the case, as Lester set the Orioles down 1-2-3. Manny Delcarmen was recruited to handle the 8th inning, and continued his improved pitching with a scoreless inning. With a 9-2 lead at this point, there was no need to tap Jonathan Papelbon, so Francona gave Mike Timlin a shot to show he still has a few good innings left in him. Timlin did not disappoint, only needing 7 pitches to end the game.

The Sox have had a great home stand, winning 7 out of 9 games, and reclaiming their hold on first place. Tonight, the Sox begin a stretch of Inter-League games, kicking off the first of three games in Cincinnati. There will be no DH in Ohio, so Red Sox fans are praying that Manny Ramirez has recovered from his strained hamstring to head back out to left field, and keep that big bat in the lineup. Inter-league play is certainly different. The Red Sox have not been to Cincinnati sine the 1975 world series! Sox fans will get to see future hall of famer, Ken Griffey, Jr., possibly for the last time. We'll also get to see old friend, Bronson Arroyo. Bronson just pitched for the Reds last night, so unfortunately, we won't get to see him play in these next 3 games.

Justin Masterson will be the Sox starter tonight. With Daisuke Matsuzaka getting close to a return from the DL, this could be Justin's last start for the Sox before heading back to Pawtucket until needed again. Justin will be shooting for an impressive 4th win in 5 spot starts, and will be doing it in front of a few acquaintances! Justin went to high school in Beavercreek, OH, not too far from Cincinnati, and will surely have a few ticket requests sent his way. While Masterson went to high school in Ohio, do you know where he was born? I'll give you a hint, Kingston is the name of the town. No, not Kingston, MA, but that was a good guess. He was actually born in Kingston, Jamaica! Kevin Youkilis also has ties to Ohio. Youk was a star player at the University of Cincinnati. So, see, while the inter-league games seem foreign, they can be more familiar than you thought.

Finally, a huge cheer goes out to the Boston Celtics who kept me up late, just hoping they'd turn a blow out into a close game. They did more than that, executing an historic comeback in defeating the Lakers 97-91 after having been down by 18 points at half time. The Celtics now hold a 3-1 game lead in the best of 7 series. Let's not jinx it with a prediction, but the team from the west coast is just about out of time! Game 5 is on Father's Day (although rather late for some crazy reason). Get ready, get green!

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Colon Strong as Red Sox Beat Orioles 6-3

Bartolo Colon bounced back from a mediocre outing in his last start with a very nice outing last night. He needed 93 pitches to get through 6 innings, allowing only one run on a solo home run to Luke Scott to lead off the 5th inning. Otherwise, he held the Orioles in check all night, striking out 7 batters while only giving up 5 hits and 1 walk. Colon is now 4-1 for the Red Sox and it is becoming more and more apparent that Theo Epstein scored the steal of the off-season by having confidence that Colon would be able to bounce back from prior injuries and regain his Cy Young Award form. When we look back on the 2008 season, this may very well stand out as a key strategic move that put the Sox over the top.

The Orioles had Garrett Olsen pitching last night, and Garrett is a tough starter. The Sox were fortunate that Olsen seemed to need an inning to get settled in. They took advantage of that, and quickly jumped on Olson, scoring 5 runs in the bottom of the first inning, before Olson settled down and held serve the rest of the way. In the 1st, Jacoby Ellsbury singled, stole second, and advanced to third on an errant throw. The red hot JD Drew wasted no time, and drilled a double to bring in Ellsbury. Manny Ramirez grounded out, moving Drew up to third base. Drew would score on a wild pitch for the second run of the inning. Olsen remained shaky, walking both Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis to set the stage for Jason Varitek, who hit a monster shot high over the Green Monster, giving the Sox an early 5-0 lead. Mike Lowell contributed the 6th run from a solo homer of his own in the 6th inning.

The win last night was well timed, as every other team in the AL East lost last night. So, when the leader told all the teams to take one step forward, only the Red Sox remembered to say, "Mother, may I?", and now hold a 2 game lead over the Tampa Bay Dirty Rays, and a 7 game lead over the rest of the division. Tonight, the Sox and Orioles wrap up their three game series with Jon Lester shooting for his 5th win of the season. I'll tell you right now, put this one in the win column.

Then, get ready for the National League. Tomorrow the Sox hit the road for 3 games in Cincinnati, where recent 500 home run hitter, Manny Ramirez, can mingle with recent 600 home run hitter, Ken Griffey, Jr. Then the Sox head to Philadelphia for 3 games. The timing of these NL road games is pretty good for the Sox. Interleague rules dictate that the rules of the home team are used. Therefore, there will be no designated hitter for the next 6 games. Well, wouldn't you know, our designated hitter is currently on the disabled list? So, we don't have to stress about whether to bench David Ortiz for a few games, or play him at first base. The only hope is that Manny Ramirez resolves his hamstring issues by then so that he can head back out to left field.

Meanwhile, Daisuke Matsuzaka is making good headway in his recovery from a shoulder strain. He's throwing aggressive side sessions, and the Sox will decide tomorrow on his next step, which could be a start in Pawtucket, or they could have him jump right back into the rotation, which I'd prefer them to do. He hasn't been out very long, and can probably contribute right away, providing the shoulder feels good. In this case, it might be prudent not to waste good innings in Pawtucket.

One final note. Please congratulate David Ortiz, who took the oath to become an American citizen yesterday at the JFK Library along with 226 other immigrants. Welcome to America Papi! Now, Papi has a few additional things to worry about, like who to vote for in November!

(Big Papi photo Courtesy of Boston.Com)
(Game Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Red Sox Bullpen Stumbles in Loss to Orioles

The Red Sox bullpen had recently been on a good run of solid, consistent pitching. Until last night. Josh Beckett had an okay outing, but was far from stellar. He lasted 6 innings allowing 4 earned runs, and left the game holding on to a 6-4 lead. Hideki Okajima came in and looked terrible. He simply did not have his command last night. After striking out the lead-off batter, he issued a walk, gave up a double, and another walk to load the bases. Terry Francona left him in, hoping he could work out of the jam. He could not. Instead, he gave up a well hit single to Aubrey Huff that drove in 2 runs, tying the game at 6 runs a piece. Okajima has been a mystery this year. He'll go an outing or two looking just fine, and then blow up like last night. What seems to be coming clear, is that, when he is off his game, he is off. Therefore, Francona should have him on a shorter leash, at least for a while. If he gets in a serious jam, get him out, he does not have his stuff.

Manny Delcarmen did a very nice job of getting the Sox out of the 7th inning, and pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Then, Craig Hansen followed Okajima's lead and had a sloppy ninth inning, also giving up 3 runs (only two were earned) and putting the game out of reach. So, not a proud day for the bullpen.

The offense fared well, particularly JD Drew and Manny Ramirez who hit back to back home runs in the 5th inning. JD Drew has been doing a fabulous impersonation of David Ortiz ever since Ortiz went on the DL. Drew has been so dangerous, that Orioles' manager, Dave Trembley, had to make moves to the bullpen in the 7th inning to try and contain JD, sending in the left handed pitcher, Jamie Walker, who was able to strike Drew out. Manny has also been on a tear ever since hitting his 500th home run in Baltimore. Yesterday, the Red Sox honored Manny's historic home run in a pre-game ceremony, and Manny later sent home run number 505 over the Monster.

Jacoby Ellsbury was back in the lineup, playing left field, for the first time since spraining his wrist last week. The wrist was still tender, and you could see him wince when we would swing and miss at the plate. I would not be surprised if he gets tonight off to ensure he does not suffer a setback. In the past, my only criticism of Ellsbury has been that he has not yet gotten comfortable playing fly balls right up against the wall. Based on last night, that is still the case as he jumped up in front of the Green Monster to try and snare a fly ball. The catch would have ended the inning, but, while it was catchable, Ellsbury missed it by a foot and two runs scored. It was certainly a tough play, but one he has yet to get comfortable making. Coco Crisp, on the other hand, is quite adept at snaring balls up on the outfield fence, and did so in center field last night to end the 4th inning in dramatic style. Maybe he can work with Ellsbury to help fill that last gap in the kid's development.

Tonight, the Sox will have their work cut out for them as they face the left handed Garrett Olson tonight. Olson has been the Orioles' toughest pitcher this year. He faced the Red Sox once this year on May 31 out in Baltimore. He gave up back to back solo home runs to Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz, but allowed only one other hit in the 5 innings he pitched. If he is able to keep the Sox run production down, Bartolo Colon will have to pick up his game and keep pace. A native of the Dominican Republic, I imagine Colon is comfortable in hot weather. Tonight, he'll certainly have hot weather on his side. We can certainly use a solid outing from the big guy.

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

JD Drew Provides the Offense, Red Sox Beat Seattle

JD Drew has taken his game to a new level in June. Yesterday, he did it with defense, robbing Richie Sexon of a sure double with a leaping catch in front of the bullpen fence in the second inning. Then, he did it with patience. In the third inning, facing the tough lefty pitcher, Erik Bedard, with the bases loaded and two outs, JD worked the tough Bedard long enough to finally get hit on the hand with a pitch, driving in a run. Later in the game, JD did it with power. The Red Sox, as usual, had little success against Bedard, but what they did do was wear him down. They showed excellent patience, slowly driving his pitch count up, until finally, Bedard was removed from the game after the 5th inning. Right handed pitcher, Sean Green, came into the game, making the left handed hitting JD Drew, leading off the 6th inning, very happy. JD welcomed Green with a perfect swing, sending the ball over the center field wall, making the score 2-1. That score would last until the end.

JD did not do it all himself. Some credit has to go the the great pitching, once again, by Justin Masterson. Going up against Erik Bedard, Masterson had to keep the score low, and that is just what he did. The Mariners clawed their way to a run in the second inning, but would get nothing else, as Masterson's slider was just wicked, and his sinker had good movement, making easy work of an aggressive Mariners lineup. Masterson is now 3-0, and has the bullpen to thank for holding the score down.

The Sox bullpen has been getting better and better as the season progresses. Yesterday, Craig Hansen took the 7th inning (exactly what the Sox were looking for from Hansen), Okajima handled the 8th, and Papelbon, as usual, shut things down in the ninth. Papelbon got help from some defense, namely Coco Crisp, who seems to have put his fighting days behind him. To lead off the 9th, Adrian Beltre ripped a ball to deep center field, but Crisp used speed and talent to track the ball down and haul it in. The last out of the game, fittingly, was a fly ball to JD Drew.

The Sox get a day of rest today, and don't even need to travel. Baltimore is up next on Tuesday night. With the Celtics (now 2-0 in the Championship Series against the Lakers) playing in L.A., there will be no adjusting the game time, so get to Fenway at 7:05, see the first pitch, and cheer Red Sox ace, Josh Beckett, on to another Fenway Park victory!

(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)

Mariners Domintate Listless Red Sox

Let's take a brief look at yesterday's analysis here of the opening game of the Mariners - Red Sox series. Last night's game held low confidence. There were concerns about the Red Sox overall emotional recovery from the night before, as well as facing a team on a losing streak, with their number one starter on the mound to break the streak. There was one last key point, that the depleted lineup (particularly Manny's hamstring and Ellsbury's wrist) would hurt the offense quite a bit.

Unfortunately for the Red Sox, those assessments came true. Felix Hernandez pitched an effective game last night, throwing 6 shutout innings, and the Red Sox lineup (apart from JD Drew and Sean Casey) looked as lifeless as Count Dracula in the middle of a sunny day. JD Drew continues to shred opposing pitchers, going 2 for 3 last night, and Casey followed suit, going 3 for 4 with a double. But, with both Big Papi and Manny Ramirez out of the lineup, there was no clout to take advantage of the base runners. We had the battle-weary Coco Crisp in the lineup, who can add speed in Ellsbury's place, but Crisp never even reached base.

Brandon Moss rejoined the team, and as usual, played with a smile. He got a hit, and provided solid left field defense, and looked like he has not missed a step after his appendix surgery just last month. But Brandon was not enough of a spark to recharge the Red Sox batteries last night.

Bartolo Colon was off of his game as well. We knew he would not win every game all season, and if you are going to have an off day on the mound, you might as well do it on a night the offense has no interest in scoring runs. Losing 1-0 is much more frustrating than losing 8-0, like they did last night. Colon looked mortal last night. His fastball was, on average, a little slower than it had been, and he was getting it up in the zone too often. His other pitches were not as effective as usual, but he was able to battle reasonably well and left the game after 5 innings behind 6-0. Now, before his next start, can the coaches work with Colon on throws to second base? He made two throwing errors last night, one would have started a double play, and the other was a pick off attempt. Both throws ended up in center field!

David Aardsma gave up the other two runs, but the surprise pitcher was Javier Lopez. Terry Francona saw this game was getting out of reach, and did not want to deplete the entire bullpen. He needed someone to hold their ground, and eat up a few innings. Enter Lopez. Javier pitched the final three innings of the game, only allowing two base runners from one hit and one walk. Very impressive, and that saved the bulk of the bullpen to be ready today.

The brawl review committee has quickly sent down their punishments. Not surprisingly, the cheap shot Rays got hit the hardest, with 5 players earning suspensions. The Red Sox had three suspensions handed down. Coco Crisp got 7 games, not a big surprise, but the other two Sox players were more of a surprise. Sean Casey will be suspended for three games, and Jon Lester for a ridiculous five games! Further review of the melee showed that Casey threw a few punches and was an active participant in the battle. Okay, so we can see that punishment. But Jon Lester???? Lester did not join in the fray, which is wise for your starting pitcher, and he was never ejected from the game. Lester hit two batters, Carl Crawford with a curve ball (obviously not intentional), and Iwamura got grazed with an inside pitch. The umpire never saw intent, and no warnings were issued to Lester. So where the heck does MLB come off deciding that Lester needed to be suspended.

All players suspended can appeal their suspension. If Lester appeals, I think he'd have a good chance of reducing it. Now, Lester is a starter, and starters only pitch once every 5 days. They may have preferred to suspend Lester for one game, but for a starter, that does nothing. They simply take the suspension on a day they are not pitching anyway. So, the 5 day suspension is basically a one day suspension for a starter - they are forced to miss their next regular start, but would probably just pitch the next day on an extra day of rest. But, MLB should not have been suspending a pitcher who was not involved in the brawl, and received no warning or ejection from the umpiring crew!

Today, hopefully Manny and Ellsbury can rejoin the team and help generate runs. Tim Wakefield takes the mound, and has been pitching well of late. you never can predict what you'll get out of Wakefield, but you know you'll always get 100% effort, and it is tough to ask for more than that. I still think the Sox need to find a way to get back on the emotional track they had laid out prior to the foolish brawl. Sit Coco, let him spend a day with his therapist and get it all behind him, and let Ellsbury burn up the bases so Manny can drive him in.

Sox - Rays Rivalry Heats Up

Over the past few years, under Lou Piniella, the Sox and Devil Rays have had their share of heated scuffles, but the smoldering emotions never quite lit into an all out fire. Those smoldering embers got fanned into a dull red glow last night when Coco Crisp, during an attempted steal in the 8th inning, slid hard into second base with a take out slide of Akinori Iwamura. Coco's slide was intentionally hard, and was done in retaliation for Rays' shortstop Jason Bartlett who blocked second base with a knee in the 6th inning when Coco slid in head first in a successful steal. The dropped knee caused Coco jam his hand and sprain his thumb. He stayed in the game, but may get a night or two off, depending on how the thumb feels today.

Coco had hoped Jason Bartlett would take his own medicine and cover second in the 8th, but Crisp was ticked off enough that whoever was covering was going down. Ray's manager, Joe Maddon, was not pleased and let Crisp know it. Keep your eye on this situation. If Lou was still in charge of the Rays, there would be a price to pay tonight, but I'm not sure what will happen under Joe Maddon. The Rays are trying to convince the world they are for real, and deserve respect. They have been beaten down these past two games as they watched the Red Sox strip them of first place. Their star slugger, Carlos Pena, has just been placed on the DL with a cracked finger bone resulting from being hit by a pitch from Justin Masterson on Tuesday night, they have watched as the Sox have terrorized them on the bases, and now have this situation to deal with. This young team may not be able to contain their composure. Tensions are up, will the Rays handle it and simply play hard to regain first place with a win, or will they blow up and let emotions get the best of them?

And what did manager Terry Francona think of all this? "I went down to the bathroom", said Terry after the game. "I missed the rest of it. I was trying to get my zipper up. It wasn't going as fast as I wanted it to", he added. Man, getting old is tough!

Josh Beckett pitched well, but not great last night. He avoided a scare when his mud-clogged cleat slid on the mound during a pitch. Luckily no damage was done, but out of caution, Terry Francona pulled Beckett after 6 innings with the score 4-1. Three of the Sox runs had come in the 3rd inning, with Jacoby Ellsbury, JD Drew, and Manny Ramirez each driving in one run. JD has been turning up the power with Big Papi out of the lineup. Enough so that Francona inserted him in Papi's #3 spot in the lineup. Drew did not disappoint, going 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 runs scored, and a run batted in.

The bullpen, barring Hideki Okajima's meltdown a few days ago, has been stellar lately. Last night was more of the same. Manny Delcarmen wiped the Rays out with 3 straight strike outs in the 7th inning. Okajima looked more like his old self in the 8th inning, allowing a leadoff single, but setting the next three batters down in a row. Craig Hansen, giving Papelbon a night of rest, was able to mop things up in the ninth inning with a leadoff walk the only damage done. Hansen continues to look like a valuable addition to the relief corps. The Sox already have a top rate starting rotation. If the bullpen continues to perform as they have this past week, there will be no stopping this team.

Jon Lester takes the hill at an early 6:05 start time, and I am guessing that Coco Crisp will get a night to rest his thumb, Manny will return to left field, and Chris Carter will get his first start for Boston in the DH slot. The Red Sox, in a gracious gesture, have moved up the start time of tonight's game by one hour in deference to game one of the Celtics - Lakers NBA Championship game at 9:00. They are trying to give fans a chance to watch the Red Sox game, without overlapping the Celtics game. The Boston sports scene is simply buzzing. Within 12 months we've had the Sox win a World Series, the Patriots reach the Superbowl on the back of an unbeaten season, the Bruins at least made the payoffs, and now the Celtics are renewing an old rivalry in the NBA Championships.

In the DVD Giveaway Contest, the Red Sox won last night, scoring 5 runs, but had no home runs and Jacoby Ellsbury did not steal a base. While things will certainly certainly continue to change, the leader today remains Insight, with Fenway West in a close second. Rich M and MCG from Spain are right behind. As the stats pile up, those who guessed on the high side will begin to keep into the lead. Stay tuned.

(Photos Courtesy of Yahoo Sports)

Red Sox Power Past Orioles 9-4

In yesterday's post, I speculated that Manny Ramirez would be able to relax and start terrorizing pitchers after finally getting home run number 500 behind him. It only took one day for Manny to back that up, going 3 for 5 with a single, an RBI double, and a two run home home, his 501st. Once Manny gets comfortable and just focuses on hitting, he is dangerous. Mike Lowell rode on Manny's tailwind in the 4th inning following Manny's home run with one of his own.


The other offensive surge came from JD Drew. Drew had been out for a couple of games trying to shake off a case of vertigo. It appears he shook it off just fine going 2 for 3 with a 2 run home run of his own in the 7th inning to seal the game for Boston. JD also drove in the first run of the game in the second inning with a sacrifice fly. I hope Red Sox nation has put JD Drew's sub-par 2007 season behind them and noticed that he has been very steady this season and a key contributor, both offensively and defensively.

I also speculated yesterday that Bartolo Colon would be allowed to reach 100 pitches. In fact, he went to 103 pitches before being relieved in the 7th inning, and earned his third win in three starts this year. His stuff was not quite as electric in this outing, and he had some trouble keeping the ball down in the zone. But, the results were good, and if he bounces back with no ill effects from the 103 pitch outing (his longest of the year, including in Pawtucket), then the signs are good that he may be able to contribute at a high level all season. Let's keep our fingers crossed, because we all know how valuable a solid starting rotation is - just ask the Yankees.

Through all of this, the Red Sox are still stuck in second place behind the surging Tampa Bay Rays. Who would have predicted that the upcoming series against Tampa would be so meaningful? Good time to remind you to join in on the contest to win a free Red Sox DVD - but your entry in the contest must be received by the first pitch of the Tuesday night game against Tampa Bay. It is a fun set up, so I hope you join in! The DVD is well worth it too!

Tonight Tim Wakefield gets to prove, yet again, why he belongs in the starting rotation. The Red Sox have the Orioles against the ropes. It is always hard to sweep a four game series, but this one feels ripe for the sweeping!

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Slam Blam Thank You Maam!

The Red Sox rode the good fortunes of not one, but two grand slams en route to a, not as close as it sounds, 11-8 victory to complete a four game sweep of the Kansas City Royals. The sweep of Kansas City comes on the heels of a three game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers, leaving the Sox perfect on their latest home stand as they take off for the west coast to meet the Oakland A's.

Red Sox starter, Daisuke Matsuzaka, earned the win to improve his already impressive record to 8-0 on the season. Dice-K had a good game, but not a great game. He, once again, tried dancing around the strike zone with mixed success. While refusing to give in to batters, he also ran his pitch count up to 118 pitches, throwing 67 for strikes. He struck out 7, but walked 6. He gave up 6 hits, but held the Royals to only 3 runs, going 5 2/3 innings before handing the ball over to Javier Lopez, holding on to a 5-3 lead. Lopez did his job, striking out the only batter he would face to end the 6th inning.

The big story of the day was the offense, specifically from JD Drew and Mike Lowell, both the authors of devastating grand slams. JD Drew's was an opposite field shot into the Green Monster seats that gave the Sox a 4-1 lead in the 2nd inning. Mike Lowell's came in the 6th inning after the Sox had already plated two runs and lifted the lead to an insurmountable 11-3 advantage for the home team.

The Red Sox bullpen, however, decided that a blowout was not exciting enough for the fans at Fenway Park. Fearful that fans would start streaming out of Fenway too soon, Terry Francona sent Craig Hansen in to level things out in the 7th inning. Hansen got to work early allowing a lead off home run to stop any early exiters in their tracks. That seemed to slow some fans from leaving, but many fans were still feeling a bit too confident. So, a walk and a double later put another run on the board narrowing the score to 11-5. Hansen finished up the inning without further damage, but fans returned to their seats, afraid that Hansen might come back out for the 8th inning. When Francona opted to send in David Aardsma, fans breathed a sigh of relief and began packing again. Well, Aardsma did what he could to hold the audience, so with two on and two outs, wisely surrendered a powerful three run home run to narrow the score to 11-8.

At this point the bullpen had done their job. They had returned excitement to the game and left the outcome in doubt. Fans would be foolish to leave now. Holding on to a three run lead, the Red Sox now had a save situation, and we all know what that means - this is a job for ... Jonathan Papelbon! Papelbon started the 9th inning off with two quick ground outs, but when he noticed a few people starting for the exits, he quickly allowed back to back singles to draw them back in. Not that all eyes were riveted, and the stage was set, Papelbon wrapped it up with a fly out to Jacoby Ellsbury to seal the win.

So, has Manny Ramirez been saving his 499th and 500th home runs for the west coast fans? If so, today might be the day! Manny is 3 for 8 in his career against today's starter, Rich Harden. Those three hits? All home runs!

(Photos Courtesy of Yahoo Sports)

Beckett Suffers Bruise in Sox Loss to Orioles

The Red Sox lost to the Baltimore Orioles by the score of 5-4 last night, and watched in frustration as their health woes continued to pile up. Alex Cora and Sean Casey have thankfully just returned from the DL and Cora was starting at shortstop for Julio Lugo, who is recovering from a mild concussion. In the 3rd inning, JD Drew made a diving attempt to catch a soft fly ball from Freddie Bynum. The ball landed in his glove, but the momentum pulled the glove back as Drew rolled with the dive, forcing his wrist to get painfully bent back and the ball spilled loose. Drew came out of the game and was replaced by Jacoby Ellsbury, who had the night off nursing a bruised knee. Then, as the Red Sox took the field for the 6th inning, Coco Crisp did not join them. He had to come out of the game, suffering from stomach pains and a headache. With two of the Red Sox four outfielders out, the Sox were forced to move Kevin Youkilis to right field, shift Ellsbury over to center, and send Sean Casey in to first base. The only position player left on the bench was Kevin Cash. One more injury would have made for an interesting move.

Luckily no further injury moves were required last night, but the Rational Sox Fan has discovered that Josh Beckett was also hurt during the game, but had managed to play through it, lasting 5 2/3 innings before turning the game over to the bullpen. His injury, like JD's, also came in the 3rd inning. With two men on base, two outs, and one run already in, Josh watched a 95 mph fastball to Luke Scott get hit a long way to right field and settle into the stands for a 3 run home run. As Beckett turned to watch the ball arch through the air, he claimed he felt a sudden pain to the right side of his powerful ego. "It was kind of a quick, jabbing sort of pain, like being punched in the shoulder after hearing a passenger say 'punch buggy blue, no punch back'", said Beckett during post-game interviews. He was able to work through the pain and managed to hold the Orioles scoreless until his departure in the 6th inning.

We talked with trainer Paul Lessard about what we can expect from Beckett next. "Well, the injury does not look too bad", said Lessard. "We'll give him the next four games off to let it rest and heal up." According to Lessard, the Sox will start with some rest and some basic ego massages. Newspaper clippings of past excellence will be posted around his locker, and his 2003 World Series MVP trophy will be prominently displayed in the locker room. These sorts of gentle ego massages will be followed with more active ego strengthening exercises. The first will be playing cribbage against the notoriously bad Dustin Pedroia. We all know Terry Francona likes to beat Pedroia in a hand or two of cribbage before each game. It is one thing Francona does to boost his own ego, and the Sox feel Beckett will benefit from it as well. Presuming the cribbage goes well, the last stage of rehab will involve pitching a simulated game to Pawtucket outfielder, Joe Thurston. Thurston has played 4 games with Boston, and has gone 0-8 with a 0.000 batting average. "A few innings pitching to Thurston ought to really boost Josh's ego and get him ready for his next start", said pitching coach John Farrell.

Red Sox Nation is nervous today. The Sox will decide today if JD Drew will need any time off, and what moves might need to be made as a result. Thankfully, the prognosis for Beckett is not as bleak.

Tonight, Jon Lester takes the mound to try to stop the Red Sox' 3 game losing streak and send the team home to Boston on a happy note. Facing Daniel Cabrera, this seems to be the likely scenario. Lester is 3-0 in his three career starts against Baltimore, while Cabrera has gone 1-9 with a 7.84 ERA in 12 career starts against the Red Sox. Alex Cora has had the best success against Cabrera with 11 hits in 20 at bats. Let's hope Lugo needs one more night off.

(Photos courtesy of Yahoo Sports) (Beckett's bruise is fictional - all other elements of the post are fact)

Holy Hit Parade, Batman!

Were you waiting for the Sox to have a big offensive night? If so, your prayers have been answered! Last night looked like it had all the makings of a pitchers' duel with a rematch of Josh Beckett going up against the Rays' James Shields. In their match-up last Sunday, Tampa Bay scraped out a 3-0 victory, with Shields pitching a complete game shutout allowing only 2 hits, while Beckett allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits in 7 innings, taking the loss.

But last night was all about offense as the Red Sox had at least one hit all but one inning. Every Red Sox starter had at least one hit in the game, seven starters scored at least one run, and seven starters drove in at least one run.


The punishment started right from the start as the first four Red Sox batters in the game all had hits, scoring 3 runs in the inning. Welcome to Boston, Rays! Big Papi is officially out of his slump. Last night he went 3 for 5, scoring two runs and driving in two runs off of 2 doubles and a single. What you need to know is that Papi's 2 doubles were both well executed opposite field hits to left. That is exactly what he needs to do. If the defense is going to shift to the right, you hit to the left.

JD Drew was back in the lineup and went 2 for 4, scoring 2 runs and driving in 2 more. Smart move to sit sit out a couple of nights to be able to get back and contribute quicker. Manny Ramirez ended a short drought of not driving in any runs by driving in two with a single in the first inning. He is still stuck on 496 home runs, but he is driving in runs again - one step at a time. Jacoby Ellsbury was also menacing at the plate recording a single, double and a walk in 4 at-bats, scoring 2 runs.

But last night had defense too. Mike Lowell was stellar, making a terrific play on an attempted bunt single by Akinori Iwamura in the 3rd inning, and robbing Jason Bartlett of a sure double in the 5th inning leaping up to grab a hard hit line drive. Manny Ramirez (again) showed off his throwing arm in the 4th inning. With bases loaded and only one out, Nathan Haynes hit a line drive to Manny in mid-left field for out number two. Carlos Pena wanted to score badly, so he tagged up and took off for home. Manny fired a perfect strike to Jason Varitek for out number 3, inning over.

Josh Beckett was good, but not great. He was not lights-out dominating, but he did go deep into the game allowing 4 runs on 7 hits in 8 innings. Three of the four runs were scored off of two home runs. I am not worried about that yet, but it is something to keep an eye on. Two years ago Beckett had a fine year for the Sox, but it was marred by too many home runs. The two last night give Beckett 4 for the season. Hopefully just a blip on the map.

Now, one more win tomorrow would allow the Sox to extract sweep revenge on the Rays. The game will feature two talented, young lefties as John Lester faces off against Scott Kazmir. This will be Kazmir's first start of 2008. He has been nursing an inflamed elbow all season, so we will see if he is truly ready. Kazmir has historically been tough against the Sox, but I am not so sure his first outing of the year will be as successful as he hopes. My guess is that he'll look fantastic for 3 or 4 innings and then be done. By then, the Sox will either have solidified a lead, or kept close enough to bash the bullpen.

We are looking sweep here folks.