Thank You Mike Lowell (11/1/10)

With the 2010 Red Sox season finally over (thank Christ), its time to bid farewell for one of the classiest players to ever put on the uniform.

Mike Lowell was an all-star third basemen for the Florida Marlins, his best season coincided with the Marlins second World Series victory in 2003. On June 27, 2003 the Sox put on one of the greatest offensive displays in history beating the Marlins 25-8 at Fenway Park. Angry the Sox ran up the score in the later innings, Mike Lowell got the last laugh the very next night blasting a 3 run 9th inning homer off Brandon Lyon to defeat the home town team. Lowell finished 2003 with 32 homers and 105 rbi's while batting .276 for the world champions. He raised his average to .296 in 2004 hitting 27 homers with 175 hits while driving in 85 runs. Mike's career took a turn for the worst when he had a miserable 2005 season. He hita paltry .236 with only 8 homers and 58 rbi's in a full 150 game season. At 31 years old, most feared Mike's prime days were over.

The Red sox desperately needed a second ace pitcher for the upcoming 2006 season when Curt Schilling didn't fully recover from ankle surgery and the trio of Matt Clement, David Wells and Tim Wakefield faltered in the playoffs. The Sox felt that 26 year old power pitcher and 2003 World Series hero Josh Beckett was the man for the job. Acting general manager Jed Hoyer wanted to trade highly touted prospect Hanley Ramirez and power pitcher Anibal Sanchez for Beckett, but the Marlins wanted to dump some salary. They threw in Lowell and pitcher Guilermo Mota (who was later traded in the Coco Crisp deal) and the Sox pumped in 2 lower level prospects to complete the trade.
Viewed as a throw in, Lowell then responded by having a fine 2006 season for Boston. He hit 20 homers, drove in 80 runs, played near perfect defense and batted .284 on an injury riddled team that failed to make the post-season. Mike had one final dance in the spotlight with an outstanding 2007 campaign. Lowell was named to the all-star team and finished 5th in the AL MVP voting based on his .324 batting average, 21 homers, 120 runs batted in and 191 hits. He shined in the 07 playoffs hitting 2 homers and was named World Series MVP as the Sox swept the Colorado Rockies to give Lowell his 3rd championship.

Mike started off 2008 with the same production that he showed in 2007 but then suffered a devstating hip injury that left him a shell of himself for the remainder of his career. He did manage to bat .274 with 17 homers and 74 rbi's for the season while fighting through the injury down the stretch. After 2 games against the Angels, it was unfortunate but a fact that Lowell would have to be taken off the post-season roster for the remainder. Even though the Red Sox were blown completely out in 3 out of the 4 losses to the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS, one has to wonder if Mike Lowell's bat could have made a difference in Game 7 over Mark Kotsay.

The beginning of the end came in 2009 as Lowell continued to fight through pain but managed to put up decent numbers. He batted .290 with 17 homers and 75 rbi's while only commiting 9 errors in the field. It was clear he wouldn't be the same because of the injury but batting .290 at age 35 is nothing to laugh at. Years of injuries caught up with Mike as he only appeared in 73 games for the Sox in 2010 batting a paltry .239 with 5 homers and 26 rbi's. Mike was one of many.....many players that were injured throughout the year although he did receiver a proper send-off once he announced his retirement effective at the end of the year. Against the team who drafted him, Lowell beat the hated Yankees in 2 of the last 3 games at Fenway including Mike Lowell Appreciation Night where the fans gave him a much deserved standing ovation every plate appearance.

Lowell came to Boston as a throw-in and left a legend...thank you for 5 years of service and the 20907 World Series Championship.

White Sox Take Game 1 of Doubleheader (9/4/10)

If the Sox have any hope of making the playoffs, their makeshift lineup will have to do better than Game 1 of the doubleheader against the visiting Chicago White Sox.

The White Sox were able to solve the mystery of Clay Buchholz (15-6, 2.20 ERA) if only for 2 runs but they were enough. Buchholz pitched a scoreless top of the first before Jon Danks (13-0, 3.56 ERA) took the mound and began his brilliant afternoon. Danks retired the side in order as Buchholz ran into trouble in the second.

Paul Konerko led off the second with a single before new aquisition and former Sox star Manny Ramirez followed with a single of his own to move Konerko to third. AJ Pierzynski banged into a double play but Konerko scored to give Chicago the 1-0 lead. Andruw Jones doubled to extend the inning but Alexi Ramirez struck out to end the frame. The Sox tried to tie the game in the bottom of the second when Adrian Beltre led off with a single. David Ortiz whiffed but Mike Lowell doubled and Jed Lowrie walked to load the bases. The wheels fell off as Bill Hall struck out and Darnell McDonald grounded out to keep the game 1-0.

The Sox got some good defense in the top of the third inning. Omar Vizquel worked a 2 out walk and advanced to third on a single by Alex Rios. Alert Clay Buchholz then caught Vizquel in a rundown trying to steal ending with Jed Lowrie tagging him out. The Sox failed to capitalize on the momentum by not scoring a run in the bottom of the inning.

The White Sox struck again in the top of the 4th. Konerko led off with a ground rule double and moved to third on Manny's ground out. Pierzynski singled home Konerko but was erased on the double play ball hit by Andruw Jones. The score was now 2-0 Chicago and Danks continued to mow the Red Sox down. Ortiz, Lowell and Lowrie failed to reach base as the inept offense continued to flounder.

Buchholz then pitched a scoreless top of the 5th before the offense finally got on the board in the bottom of the inning. Hall opened with a single and McDonald walked, bringing up Marco Scutaro who singled in Hall to cut the deficit in half. That was all the Sox got as JD Drew and Victor Martinez both flied out and Adrian Beltre lined out to end Boston's only real threat of the afternoon.

Shockingly, Buchholz was pulled after 95 pitches for Scott Atchinson. Atchinson gave up 3 singles in the inning but benefitted from a double play to escape without any runs scored. In the bottom of the 6th, Lowrie worked a 2 out walk and Hall singled but McDonald grounded out to end the inning.

Atchinson returned for the top of the 7th but allowed a leadoff double to Andruw Jones. Alexi Ramirez reached on a fielder's choice when Jones was forced at third, but then scored when Gordan Beckham doubled to increase the lead 3-1. Dustin Richardson relieved Atchinson and got out of the inning without any further trouble but the damage was done. It may as well been 30-1 as Danks (who was roughed up by the Yankees last start) shut Boston down in the bottom of the 7th.

Tim Wakefield took the mound for the 8th and pitched a 1-2-3 inning as Sergio Santos replaced the outstanding Danks. The Sox went quietly in the 8th and it appeared the month long slump of the Sox replacements appeared to be at its critical point.

Wakefield pitched a scoreless 9th as Bobby Jenks came in and nailed down the save for Chicago in the bottom of the 9th. The Sox look to John Lackey to win game 2 opposite Gavin Floyd.

Dice K Paces Win Over O's (9/2/10)

With the season hanging in the balance every game, the Boston Red Sox needed a big game from Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-4, 4.29 ERA) against the Baltimore Orioles. Dice K made sure to do his part for five innings before falling apart in the sixth inning. The Boston bats pounded O's starter Brad Bergesen for five runs in the second inning and needed a Mike Lowell rbi ground out for some insurance. After Dice K was charged with 4 runs, Scott Atchison, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon slammed the door from there. The Sox needed a win to keep pace with the idle Tampa Bay Rays and they got it with a 6-4 victory at Camden Yards.

                                                              Audrey Bitoni approves of the win

Bergesen got the ball in the top of the first inning and Marco Scutaro beat out an infield single to third to start. JD Drew banged into a double play but Victor Martinez drew a walk. David Ortiz grounded out to second to end the inning. Matsuzaka got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brian Roberts grounded out to second to start. Nick Markakis flied out to left and Ty Wigginton grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox hadn't even come back from commercial yet when Adrian Beltre led off the top of the second with his 25th homer of the year to give the Sox a the lead. Jed Lowrie walked and Mike Lowell singled to third, bringing up Daniel Nava. As commentator Heidi Whatney babbled on about CT scans, Nava hit a ball that Wigginton misplayed, allowing Lowrie to score the game's second run. Ryan Kalish doubled in a hobbling Lowell and moved Nava to third, increasing the lead. Scutaro then walked to load the bases for Drew. Drew popped up to center and Martinez also failed by popping up to short. Ortiz stepped in and slapped a single to left which scored Kalish and Nava, increasing the lead. Lowrie whiffed to end the inning but Dice K now had a 5 run lead to work with as the Sox led 5-0.

                                                    Beltre puts the Sox on top

Lowell let a ground ball by Luke Scott go under his glove for an error to start the bottom of the second but Felix Pie banged into a double play. Dice K then struck out Matt Weiters looking to end the inning.

Lowrie led off the top of the third by taking strike three but Lowell singled to center. Nava popped up to center but Kalish walked. Then came a peculiar play when Scutaro bounced a ball to Josh Bell at third place who stepped on third for the final out but then threw to first, catching Wigginton off guard. There was nothing peculiar about Dice K who snared a line drive by Nolan Reimold to begin the bottom of the third. Cesar Izturis followed by grounding out to first and Dice K punched out Josh Bell to end the frame.

Drew singled to leadoff the top of the fourth but Martinez struck out swinging. Drew advanced to second on the groundout by Ortiz as Adrian Beltre was intentionally walked. Lowrie hit a warning track fly ball to right to end the inning. Dice K opened the bottom of the fourth by striking out Roberts swinging but Markakis doubled to left. Wigginton flied out to Drew which advanced Markakis to third. Luke Scott then popped up to third to end the inning with Dice K at 58 pitches.

Lowell went down hacking to start the top of the fifth before Nava flied out to left. Kalish popped up to short to end the inning. Dice K whiffed Pie to open the bottom of the fifth before Matt Wieters doubled to center. Dice K then struck out Riemold swinging on a high fastball before Izturis popped up on the first pitch to third to end the inning. Dice K had thrown 5 shut out innings without walking anyone.

Bergesen came back for the top of the sixth and got Scutaro to ground out to short to begin the inning. Sox broadcasters Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo then started to uncontrollably laugh at the old "Tooth hurty" joke as Drew singled to right. Rich VandenHurk replaced Bergesen and got Martinez to ground into a double play on the first pitch, ending the inning.

                                                   Remy & Orsillo lose it

Then, the dreaded Dice K Disease struck in a bad way in the bottom of the sixth. Bell opened the inning with a single in the hole at second before advancing to third on a double from Roberts. A single to center by Markakis put Baltimore on the board as Bell crossed the plate and Roberts moved to third. Wigginton brought Roberts home with a ground out to cut the lead. With Scott Atchinson warming in the bullpen, Luke Scott walked but Dice K beared down to punch out Felix Pie swinging. Then the night ended for Dice K by allowing a double to Wieters that scored Scott and Markakis. Atchinson came in for Dice K and  managed to strike out Reimold to end the inning, but the damage had been done. The 5-0 lead was now down to 5-4.

                                             Great through five, batting practice in the sixth

VandenHurk did himself no favors to preserve the score by walking Ortiz and hitting Beltre with a pitch to open the top of the seventh. Lowrie flied out to center but Ortiz moved to third, prompting manager Buck Showalter to bring in Matt Albers to pitch to Mike Lowell. Lowell did his part by beating out a double play ball to score Ortiz from third. Nava grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-4.

                                                         Lowell drives in a run

Atchison returned for the bottom of the seventh with Eric Patterson in for Nava in left. Izturis struck out swinging to start before Bell grounded back to the mound. Roberts flied out to center to end the inning.

Kalish grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth before Scutaro flied out to left. Drew singled to center but Martinez popped up to short to end the inning. Atchison got Markakis to ground out to second to start the bottom of the eighth before Wigginton took strike three. That was it for Atchison as Hideki Okajima came in to get Scott to pop up to third to end the inning.

Alfredo Simon came in for the top of the ninth and Ortiz struck out swinging to start. Beltre grounded out to short and Lowrie flied out to left to end the inning. Jonathan Papelbon came in to close out the bottom of the ninth although Pie greeted him with a base hit to left. Wieters singled to center and old friend Julio Lugo pinch ran for him. Corey Patterson pinch hit for Reimold and dropped down a sac bunt to move the runners over, but Papelbon got a big punch out when Izturis struck out swinging. Bell also went down hacking to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-4.

                                                                   Sox win

Hero of the Night is Scott Atchison. He put the fire out in the sixth inning and tossed 2 full scoreless innings to keep the Sox ahead.

                                                           Hero Atchison

The Good:

JD Drew was 3 for 5.

Adrian Beltre was 1 for 3 with a walk and a solo home run.

Mike Lowell was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Ryan Kalish was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Hideki Okajima retired the only man he faced.

Jonathan Papelbon earned his 35th save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Marco Scutaro was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Victor Martinez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, drove in two runs and scored a run.

Jed Lowrie was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Daniel Nava was 0 for 4 but scored a run.

Daisuke Matsuzaka got the win but allowed 4 runs in the sixth inning and left after 5 2/3 innings. He struck out 6 and walked 1.

Honorable Mention:

Eric Patterson played left field in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

With the season riding on every game at this point, the Sox need to make a statement by going on a long winning streak. It may be impossible given their injury woes but that's what they're going to need to do. They're eight games behind the New York Yankees who won their game tonight and could pull away quick if the Sox go into a rut. Dice K once again had one bad inning but thankfully Sox manager Terry Francona pulled him before the damage got any worse. Kudos to Scott Atchison who put his walkoff disaster behind him and rescued the Sox in this one. The losses of Jacoby Ellsbury, Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia hurt big time but the name of the game is pitching. The Sox are gonna need Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester, Dice K and John Lackey to step up if they have any hope of a fourth consecutive playoff trip. The win improved the Sox to 76-58, 8 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow is a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox. Jon Danks goes for Chicago in Game 1 up against Clay Buchholz (15-5, 2.26 ERA) of the Red Sox. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park..

Sox Comeback To Beat O's (9/1/10)

With the rosters expanded (Sox brought up Dustin Richardson and Robert Manuel while activating Eric Patterson and Jared Saltalamaccia from the DL) the Sox now had more help to get them through the rest of the year. In this game it was the same cast of characters that mounted the big comeback to win the game.

Jon Lester (15-8, 3.27 ERA) was off in the beginning but recovered to post a solid night while Jake Arrieta did what he could through 5 innings. It started off right for Boston when David Ortiz doubled in Marco Scutaro to give the Sox a 1-0 lead, but Lester returned to his Toronto form in the bottom of the inning.

Lester got Brian Roberts to ground out but allowed a single to former Sox player Julio Lugo. Nick Markakis followed with a single and Jon plunked Ty Wigginton to load the bases. Adam Jones then gave the O's the lead when he doubled in Lugo and Markakis. Lester then uncorked a wild pitch that scored Wigginton and moved Jones to third. Felix Pie then doubled as Lester looked completely lost, now trailing 4-1. He managed to recover to strike out Matt Weiters and get Nolan Riemold to ground out.

Arrieta opened the top of the second by getting both Jed Lowrie and Mike Lowell out. Daniel Nava singled and then Ryan Kalish doubled to score Nava, cutting the deficit in half. Marco Scutaro then grounded out to end the inning but the Sox proved they weren't about to go quietly. Lester continued to struggle in the bottom of the 2nd inning. He managed to get Josh Bell to fly out and strike out Brian Roberts, but Lugo again singled off of him. Markakis worked a walk and then Wigginton singled home Lugo. Facing the threat of being yanked, Lester struck out Adam Jones to end the inning.

The Sox couldn't answer back in the third as Drew, Martinez and Ortiz were retired in order without a defense. Lester than appeared to find his groove when he retired the side in the bottom of the third. In the top of the 4th, Beltre led off by flying out and Lowrie followed by doing the same. Mike Lowell singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch, but could not score when Nava struck out swinging. Lester then continued his resurgance when he retired the side in order, striking out Roberts and Lugo in the process.

The Sox got a run back in the top of the 5th. Bergesen struck out Kalish and got Scutaro to fly out to open the frame but JD Drew wasn't so easy. Drew belted his 18th homer of the year to cut the deficit to 5-3 before Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox still trailed but they were slowly mounting a comeback.

Lester aided the comeback by continuing to pitch effectively. He retired the side in order in the bottom of the 5th, including punch outs of Wigginton and Jones. Big lefty Mark Hendrickson (1-5, 5.20 ERA) took over for Arrieta and worked around a Jed Lowrie single to retire the side and keep the lead intact. Lester came back for the bottom of the 6th and struck out Pie to begin. Wieters and Reimold hit back to back singles but got Bell to pop up. Brian Roberts walked to load the bases but Lester punched out Lugo for his 10th K of the game.

The Sox then turned the game around in a hurry in the top of the 7th. Darnell McDonald pinch hit for Nava and singled to open the frame. Bill Hall pinch hit for Kalish and struck out bringing up Marco Scutaro. Marco then launched his 8th homer of the year to tie the game at 5 apiece. JD Drew then walked to chase Hendrickson from the game. Alfredo Simon came on and allowed a double to Victor Martinez that scored Drew before intentionally walking David Ortiz. Beltre was miffed so he socked a 3 run blast (24th) to increse the lead 9-5. Lowrie and Lowell grounded out but the Sox had showed some life to take the lead.

Daniel Bard took the mound in the bottom of the 7th and got Markakis to fly out.Wigginton singled but Bard got pinch hitter Jake Fox (in for Adam Jones) to bang into a double play to end the threat right then and there. In the top of the 8th, Simon worked around a walk to Marco Scutaro to retire the side.

The O's got to Bard in the bottom of the 8th. Felix Pie doubled to lead off and Matt Wieters moved him over to third on a ground out. Reimold then scored Pie on a sac fly but Bard slammed the door by striking out Bell. Matt Albers took over and retired the Sox in order in the top of the 9th. Sox closer Jon Papelbon took the mound in the bottom of the 9th. Papelbon struck out Roberts and got Lugo to ground out before the game was delayed when one of the umpires left the game. When play resumed, Markakis grounded out to end the game and giving Papelbon his 34th save of the year. The Sox are still 8 behind the Yankees and 7 behind the Rays as they look to the series finale tomorrow with the matchup of Daisuke Matsuzaka against Brad Bergesen.

O's Batter Sox (8/30/10)

The news wasn't good to begin with as hometown hero Manny Delcarmen was shipped off to Colorado in exchange for single A prospect Chris Balcolm-Miller. Then the news got even worse as the Red Sox offense could muster virtually nothing over victorious Baltimore starter Brian Matusz (7-12, 4.72 ERA).

Josh Beckett (4-4, 6.21 ERA) pitched effectively but simply wasn't good enough. In the end it was a single error by shortstop Marco Scutaro that ended up the difference in the game. As been the case recently, the opponent scored first. Nick Markakis clocked a one out double and Ty Wigginton singled him over to third. A base hit by Luke Scott scored Markakis but Beckett retired the next 2 batters to limit the damage to 1 run.

Meanwhile the ice cold Sox offense could do nothing against Matusz. In the top of the second Mike Lowell and Adrian Beltre flied out and Matusz punched out Drew. Even Beltre has been slipping of late, understandable considering he's been carrying the team virtually from day 1.

In the bottom of the second Beckett showed life by retiring the side in order, including a punch out of Josh Bell on a 95 mile per hour fastball. Velocity was certainly no problem for Beckett on the night. His counterpart wasn't throwing nearly as hard but the noutoriously wild pitcher was walking nobody tonight. Jed Lowrie lined out and Boston got their second hit when Bill Hall doubled. That was all they could muster as Marco Scutaro and Darnell McDonald did nothing, squandering Hall's double.

In the bottom of the third the Sox made their most critical mistake of the night. Brian Roberts hit a leadoff single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Markakis then grounded out, advancing Roberts to third. Beckett got a critical out by getting Wigginton to ground out, keeping Roberts at third. A walk to Luke Scott appeared to be meaningless when Adam Jones grounded a ball to shortstop Marco Scutaro. Scutaro managed to throw the ball away, scoring Roberts and Scott on the throw. Felix Pie grounded out but the damage was done. It was now 3-0 Baltimore.

The Sox did themselves no favors in the top of the 4th as Victor Martinez, Ortiz and Beltre were retired in order. The heart of the order had done nothing against a starter who's been wild all season. Josh Beckett returned for the 4th and retired the side in order, building a strong start in the process. The Sox finally broke through in the top of the 5th. Lowell singled but Drew struck out, bringing up Jed Lowrie. Lowrie then socked his 4th homer of the year to cut the deficit 3-2. Hall and Scutaro grounded out but the sox showed a little bit of heart to attempt to come back.

Once again Brian Roberts led off with a single, this time in the bottom of the 5th. This time Josh Beckett was ready and managed to get Markakis, Wigginton and Scott in order to strand Roberts at first. The Sox got a chance to tie the game in the top of the 6th. Darnell McDonald singled and stole second base, but failed to score on a single by Adrian Beltre. With the go ahead run on first, Mike Lowell struck out looking to end the threat. Beckett worked around a single to Matt Wieters to retire the side and keep the Sox in the game.

The Sox got their last good chance to tie the game in the top of the 7th. Drew walked and O's manager Buck Showalter lifted Matusz for reliever Jim Johnson. Lowrie came up and worked a single then both runners moved over on the sacrifice bunt by Bill Hall. Up came tonight's goat, Marco Scutaro. Instead of making up for his miscue, he added to his horrible night by grounding out to third, the one place where Drew couldn't score. Ryan Kalish pinch ran for Jed Lowrie and Daniel Nava pinch hit for McDonald. Nava never got the bat off his shoulders as he stood there and watched strike 3 go by.

Beckett came out for the 7th inning and once again retired the side in order, if it wasn't for the error by Scutaro he would have pitched 7 innings of 1 run ball. In the top of the 8th, Victor Martinez singled to chase Johnson from the game. Lefty Miguel Gonzalez was brought in to face David Ortiz and got him to fly out. Koji Uehara replaced Gonzalez and got Adrian Beltre to ground into a force out. Still with the tying run on base, Lowell flied out to end the inning.

Then the roof caved in on the Sox. Rookie Felix Doubront replaced Beckett in the bottom of the 8th. He started off good by getting Wigginton to ground out, but Luke Scott's 26th homer of the year put the Sox back even more. Felix recovered to get Adam Jones on a fly out but allowed yet another homer when Felix Pie took him deep. Doubront struck out Wieters but the damage was the done and the game all but over.

The Sox went quietly in the top of the 9th, dropping their third straight game and falling even further behind in the standings. They look to Jon Lester tomorrow night to stem the tide in the second game of the series.

Rays Take Game, Critical Series (8/29/10)

The night began with the news of relief pitcher Hideki Okajima coming off the disabled list and Michael Bowden being sent back to Pawtucket. In the end Okajima continued his ineffectiveness which allowed Tampa to win the series and push Boston almost out of playoff contention.

Boston starter John Lackey (12-8, 4.60 ERA) continues to struggle in later innings against the good teams and his latest start puts him on the brink of "bust" status. His counterpart James Shields (13-11, 4.73 ERA) pitched effectively earning himself the win.

For the first 3 innings it was a scoreless pitchers duel as both Lackey and Shields navigated through the lineups without much resistance. In the bottom of the 4th inning it was Tampa who struck first. Despite a sub .220 batting average, Carlos Pena is known for the longball. With 2 out, Pena drove a 91 mile and hour fastball into the seats for hsi 25th home run of the year.

Facing a deficit the Red Sox responded quickly. Mike Lowell led off with a double and a Daniel Nava ground out moved him to third. Darnell McDonald worked a walk and rookie second basemen Yamaico Navarro singled home Lowell. Marco Scutaro then hit a shot off 3rd basemen Evan Longoria which scored McDonald from second base to give the Sox a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the 5th Lackey continued to impress, striking out 2 and retiring the side in order. In the top of the 6th, the Sox struck again. David Ortiz whiffed leading off the inning but Adrian Beltre doubled. Shields struck out Lowell but Daniel Nava singled home Beltre to increase the lead 3-1. John Lackey had pitched 5 impressive innings but then the wheels fell off.

In the bottom of the 6th, Lackey got Jason Jaso to ground out but Ben Zobrist singled off of Navarro. Carl Crawford stepped in and launched his 15th homer of the year to tie the game. Evan Longoria then hit a rocket out to right centerfield that bounced over the wall for a ground rule double. Carlos Pena was intentionally walked but the reeling Lackey walked Matt Joyce to load the bases. Last night's hero Dan Johnson was the hero again by singling home Longoria but Darnell McDonald's throw was able to nail Pena at home. Lackey punched out BJ Upton to end the inning but now the Rays had a 4-3 lead.

Shields came out for the top of the 7th and got Navarro and Scutaro before being lifted for Randy Choate against JD Drew. Choate punched out Drew and it was on to the bottom of the 7th. Jason Bartlett led off with a single but was thrown out trying to steal by Victor Martinez. Even with a second chance, Lackey allowed a single to Jaso and walked Zobrist to end his night. Hideki Okajima came on and at first looked to be in control by striking out Crawford. Then the dangerous Evan Longoria struck with a single to make the game 5-3. Okajima walked the .212 hitting Pena and got Matt Joyce to fly out to end the inning.

Now the Rays bullpen who had been dominant all year, continued the trend. Juaquin Benoit lowered his ERA to 1.49 in retiring the Sox in order in the top of the 8th. Last night's goat Scott Atchinson took the mound in the bottom of the inning and shockingly pitched a scoreless inning.

Now the Sox had one final chance against unstoppable Rays closer Rafael Soriano. Lowell popped up and Nava flied out but pinch hitter Ryan Kalish (McDonald) worked a walk. With the tying run at the plate, Soriano punched out pinch hitter Jed Lowrie to end the game and pretty much the post-season hope for Boston.

It seems that time finally caught up with the Sox. Their bullpen had been ineffective all year, they lost 4 starters to injury and the replacements (Hall, Kalish, Nava, McDonald) appeared to have cooled off. The Sox are now 6.5 games behind both the Rays and Yankees. Josh Beckett takes the mound Tuesday to try and beat the surging O's who've played great ball for new manager Buck Showalter.

Rays Win Heartbreaker, Walkoff (8/28/10)

After Jon Lester defeated David Price in game 1, game 2 offered a matchup of the leading Cy Young frontrunner Clay Buchholz and Red Sox killer Matt Garza. In the end it was the bullpen that faltered for the Red Sox aided by Tampa's newfound magic and a costly managerial decision.

For 7 innings the pitcher's duel lived up to its billing. Clay Buchholz didn't allow a hit through the first three innings and also got some defensive help. In the top of the second, Ryan Kalish made a diving catch that harked to the days of Fred Lynn to keep the game scoreless. Meanwhile Garza kept the Sox off the board through the first 3 innings, allowing a run in the 4th and then was spotless for the next 3.

In the top of the 4th the Red Sox finally broke through on Garza. Victor Martinez led off with a single and David Ortiz doubled to put runners in scoring position. Adrian Beltre hit a sac fly that scored Martinez to give the Sox their first lead of the game 1-0. Mike Lowell then hit a rocket but it was at Carl Crawford for the second out. Daniel Nava then hit a lazy fly ball to Crawford to end the inning. Now it was up to Buchholz to preserve the lead.

For the next 3 innings he could. In the bottom of the 4th he got help from his defense in the form of Martinez gunning Longoria down at second base. In the top of the 5th he worked around a leadoff hit to retire the side.

Meanwhile Garza was just as dominant. The Sox threatened in the 6th when Victor Martinez singled and Ortiz walked following a JD Drew groundout. Then Adrian Beltre banged into a double play to get Garza out of the jam and keep the game 1-0.

In the top of the 7th the Sox almost lost Lowell after he flipped the bat following a strike out, but he stayed. Daniel Nava then almost homered but Upton ran the fly ball down. The string of "almosts" ended when Ryan Kalish hit a blooper over the head of second basemen Ben Zobrist for a base hit. Then Bill Hall swung at air for Garza's 3rd K of the game in 7 innings of work.

In the bottom of the 7th, Evan Longoria got a base hit to left to lead off the inning. Longoria was erased on a fielder's choice by Carlos Pena. Then the Ray's magic came through when Buchholz threw the ball away on a pickoff allowing Pena to reach third. Then a questionable decision by JD Drew tied the game when he caught a ball in foul territory that allowed Pena to score. Letting it go would have kept the game tied and given Buchholz a chance for the strikeout, but as it stood the game was now tied. Dan Johnson grounded out to end the inning but the lead was gone.

In the top of the 8th, Joaquin Benoit relieved Garza. Benoit managed to get Scutaro to ground out and JD Drew to whiff badly bringing up last night's hero Victor Martinez. Last night's hero turned into tonight's hero when Martinez launched his 13th homer of the year into the right field seats to give the Sox the lead back. David Ortiz then singled through the shift and Adrian Beltre got on base with a broken bat single but Lowell popped up to end the inning.

Then Sox manager Terry Francona had to make his toughest decision all season, send Buchholz back to the mound after 107 pitches or bring in rookie Felix Doubront. Francona's decision ended up being fatal when BJ Upton homered off Buchholz to start the 8th inning. After Jason Bartlett popped up, Francona lifted Clay for Doubront. Kelly Shoppach pinch hit for Jaso and was struck out by Felix but Zobrist singled. Doubront recovered to get Crawford to pop up but the damage had been done. In the top of the 9th, Rays closer Rafael Soriano effortlessly shut the Sox down as Nava, Kalish and pinch hitter Jed Lowrie all popped up.

Then it was on to the bottom of the 9th where Daniel Bard took the mound. Bard struck out Longoria on 2 fastballs and then a slider then got walkoff threat Carlos Pena to ground out. A ground out by Joyce sent the game into extra innings. Chad Qualls replaced Soriano in the top of the 10th and got the first 2 outs easily. Then the Sox caught a bit of luck when Victor Martinez looked to foul a ball off his foot when the replays showed he didn't. Then the ump blew a sure strike 3 call followed by Martinez hitting a ball that froze Bartlett ending up his 4th hit of the night. Randy Choate (4-3, 4.54 ERA) then replaced Qualls and got Ortiz to fly out, effectively ending the game offensively for Boston.

In the bottom of the 10th, Scott Atchinson (2-2, 4.23 ERA) relieved and immediately gave up a walk-off home run to light hitting Dan Johnson to end the game and possibly the Red Sox post-season hopes. The Yankees held off a late charge by the Tigers to push the Sox 5.5 games behind everyone. Tomorrow night John Lackey (12-7, 4.51 ERA) takes on James Shields (12-11, 4.76 ERA) in the rubber game.

Lester Outduels Price, Sox Beat Rays (8/27/10)

The Sox came into the series 5.5 games behind Tampa Bay in the wild card, meaning this series is a lot more important than people realize with one month to go. The Red Sox drew first blood taking the opener 3-1 behind the erratic pitching of Jon Lester (14-8, 3.12 ERA) and the bat of Victor Martinez.

Tampa Bay starter David Price (15-6, 3.01) was game but made 2 big mistakes. In the top of the first inning Price got off quickly by striking out Marco Scutaro and getting Darnell McDonald to fly out. Then came Victor Martinez who smashed his 11th homer of the year to left field, giving the Sox a quick 1-0 lead.

Now it was up to Jon Lester to preserve the lead. At first he did just fine, throwing more balls than strikes but getting the key outs that kept Tampa off the scoreboard. He did not allow a single run though the first 3 innings he threw.

In the top of the 4th, the Sox worked for their second run. David Ortiz hit a leadoff double but Mike Lowell couldn't advance him by popping up. JD Drew did manage to advance Ortiz on a ground out which brought up Jed Lowrie. The Sox got their first run on a blast and then got their second when Lowrie hit a bloop into centerfield to score Ortiz.

Pitching with a 2 run lead, a little of the Tampa Bay magic that got them tied for first place in late August was used. Jason Bartlett led off and bounced a ball to Marco Scutaro who threw it away, an error that shouldn't have been committed. Carlos Pena then singled but Lester hung on to punch out Evan Longoria. Then the shoddy defense bit the Sox again as Lester uncorked not one, but TWO wild pitches to score Bartlett. Lester recovered to punch out Aybar and got Ben Zobrist to fly out, stranding Pena at third. An error and 2 wild pitches cut the lead to 2-1 after 4.

Turns out Lester and Price were both playing with fire. Lester continued to walk betters and get behind in counts, but were able to get the outs that mattered on his way to a 7 inning, 1 run (unearned), 2 hit ballgame. 5 walks were his downfall but 7 innings and no earned runs qualifies for a quality start. His counterpart Price were giving up hits but got the outs that mattered.

The Sox wrapped up their scoring in the top of the 7th. Scutaro and McDonald both flied out to BJ Upton before Victor Martinez connected off Price again for his 12th homer of the year. By the end of 7th both starters were finished but the Sox had the lead.

In the top of the 8th, Randy Choate came on and shut down the Sox and Daniel Bard did the same in the bottom of the frame. In the top of the 9th, Dan Wheeler shut down the Sox before Jonathan Papelbon came on for the 9th. Jon walked two but also struck out the side for his 33rd save and give Lester is 14th win of the season.

Combined with the New York Yankees loss to the Chicago White Sox, the Sox are now 4.5 games behind both New York and Tampa Bay in the standings. In Game 2 tomorrow night, cy young leader Clay Buchholz (15-5, 2.26 ERA) takes the hill against 2008 ALCS MVP and Red Sox killer Matt Garza (13-7, 3.62 ERA).

Sox Take Game 1 of Doubleheader over Mariners (8/25/10)

In the critical day night double-header against the Seattle Mariners, the Sox took care of business in game 1.

Josh Beckett (4-3, 6.50 ERA) and his counterpart David Pauley (2-5, 4.02 ERA) shook off the elements for the first 5 innings to post dueling shut outs.

Pauley looked to have dominated early, not allowing a single baserunner before Marco Scutaro doubled in the bottom of the third inning. Pauley kept the Sox off balance, allowing a single and a walk in the 5th but working around it to retire the side without a run.

Beckett was equally tough, allowing a leadoff hit to Ichiro which was quickly erased on a double play. Beckett then dominated setting down the next 15 straight batters, working around a walk to Josh Wilson to set the Mariners down in the top of the 6th inning.

Then the Red Sox offense finally broke through in the bottom of the 6th. Marco Scutaro led off with a single but JD Drew lined out to left field. Victor Martinez singled and David Ortiz walked to load the bases for Adrian Beltre. Beltre continued his clutch hitting in a Sox uniform by hitting a ball off Pauley, scoring Scutaro and re-loading the bases. Mike Lowell then hit a sac fly which scored Martinez to increase the score 2-0. Daniel Nava stepped in and hit a shot to Ichiro which scored Ortiz and Beltre, chasing Pauley from the game just like that. Jamey Wright came in and struck out Bill Hall to end the inning but the Sox now had a 4-0 lead.

Then it was time for Dice K Disease to strike Josh Beckett. After allowing 2 base-runners all game, he fell apart in the 7th. It started off well as he struck out Chone Figgins but Russel Branyan connected for his 20th homer of the year. Jose Lopez singled and then Casey Kotchman homered to chase Beckett just like that. Daniel Bard came on and shut the door, but a sure 4-0 lead was now a 4-3 nail biter.

In the top of the 8th, Bard walked Ryan Langerhans to open the inning but got Josh Wilson to pop up on a bunt attempt. Ichiro grounded out which moved Langerhans to second then Bard hit Chone Figgins. With the winning run on base Branyan hit a rocket to right field but JD Drew was there to snare the line drive and preserve the lead.

In the bottom of the 8th, the Sox got some much needed insurance when Beltre and Lowell walked with 2 outs. Darnell McDonald (pinch-hitting for Nava) worked a base hit past the third basemen which scored Beltre, but Lowell was gunned down at third trying to advance. With the score 5-3, it was on to the 9th inning where Jon Papelbon replaced Bard. Jon then made an ESPN WebGem worthy snare of a rocket by Jose Lopez to begin the 9th. Casey Kotchman put on a heck of an at-bat but grounded out to Beltre after 13 pitches. Franklin Guiterrez also grounded out to end the game and pick up Papelbon's 32nd save of the season.

It was a big win to take the first game, however the Sox had used Bard and Papelbon which could make them unavailable for the nightcap. The nightcap has a great pitching matchup as "King" Felix Hernandez (9-10, 2.51 ERA) goes against Jon Lester (13-8, 3.26 ERA) who looks to bounce back from the beating he received at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Lackey, Scutaro Key Victory Over Mariners (8/23/10)

On a night where Toronto outfielder Jose Bautista single-handedly defeated the New York Yankees, the Red Sox used a tag-team effort from shortstop Marco Scutaro and starter John Lackey to beat the visiting Seattle Mariners 6-3.

John Lackey (12-7, 4.51 ERA) had a season high strikeout total of 7 in one game going into tonight. This game would be different as John baffled the Mariners re-setting his season high with 10 over 8 innings of work. His counterpart Doug Fister (4-9, 3.87 ERA) was game for 6 innings before the Sox got to him.

The first shot was fired by Seattle in the top of the third. Ryan Langerhands walked and advanced to second when Matt Tuiasosopo grounded out. Chris Woodward became Lackey's next strikeout victim then intentionally walked Ichiro to get to Chone Figgins. This move backfired as Jed Lowrie bobbled a ground ball which Langerhands scored off of to give Seattle a 1-0 lead. Russel Branyan was whiffed to end the inning but the damage was done.

Fister and Lackey got through the 4th inning without any problems then Lackey pitched a scoreless 5th, setting up the big bottom of the inning. Adrian Beltre singled but Mike Lowell whiffed, bringing up Jed Lowrie for the key play of the game. Jed hit a lazy fly ball that left fielder Langerhans dropped into the stands for a ground-rule double. Daniel Nava then walked to load the bases with 1 out rather than first and second with 2 gone. Tonight's hero Marco Scutaro stepped to the plate and singled home Beltre and Lowrie to give the Sox a 2-1 lead. JD Drew tacked on another run by singling home Nava to end the 5th inning rally.

Just as soon as the Sox took the lead, Lackey wasted no time in giving it away. Ichiro and Figgins hit back to back singles before Lackey punched out Branyan again. The Sox shoddy defense then faltered when Franklin Guitierrez hit a ball that John Lackey booted to load the bases. Right on cue Casey Kotchman singled home Ichiro and Figgins to tie the game. The Sox then caught a break when Adam Moore hit a ground ball to Beltre who then caught Guiterrez in a run-down for the second out. Langerhans flew out to end the rally and effectively the scoring for the Mariners.

Doug Fister set the Sox down in order in the bottom of the 6th then Lackey pitched a 1-2-3 scoreless 7th to set up the heroics. Jed Lowrie and Daniel Nava hit back to back singles and Ryan Kalish laid down a picture perfect sacrifice bunt that moved the runners into scoring position. That did it for Fister as Sean White was brought into the game. Darnell McDonald came on for Nava as a pinch runner as Marco Scutaro came to the plate. Marco drove in his 3rd and 4th run of the night with a base hit, scoring Lowrie and McDonald. JD Drew then pitched in with a base hit that sent Scutaro to third, who then was brought home with a sac fly by Victor Martinez. David Ortiz followed with a single but Beltre lined out to end the inning. The Sox now led 6-3 with 2 innings to play in the game.

Lackey came back for the 8th inning and got into immediate trouble when Chone Figgins led off with a single, then promptly stole second base. John bore down to get Branyan to pop up and Franklin Guiterrez to ground out. With a runner on third, Lackey's 112th pitch of the night got Kotchman to ground out to end the inning and Lackey's respectable performance.

All that was left was Jonathan Papelbon's 9th inning relief appearance that yielded him his 31st save of the year and the 6-3 win. Jose Bautista's one man show meant the victory by the Sox moved them 5.5 games behind the Yankees and the victorious Rays for the post-season spot. Even more good news followed as the Sox put in a claim for former Red Sox legend Johnny Damon. They will know in 2 days if they have the ex-centerfielder or not.

In the meantime, Josh Beckett (3-3, 6.67 ERA) looks to end his skid against former Sox pitcher David Pauley (2-4, 3.70 ERA) tomorrow night.

Raindance Buchholz Defeat Blue Jays (8/22/10)

It rained...and rained...and rained. No amount of rain could stop Clay Buchholz's march to the Cy Young however.

The game was delayed 2 hours by rainfall, but Clay Buchholz (15-5, 2.26 ERA) kept the Toronto Blue Jays off balanced as the game went on. His counterpart Shawn Marcum (11-7, 3.70 ERA) was game but just not good enough.

The game remained scoreless through 4 1/2 innings as Buchholz and Marcum both dominated. Buchholz using his whole arsenal to keep Toronto off balance while Marcum didn't allow a hit for the first 4 innings. The Sox then got on the board in the bottom of the 5th.

David Ortiz opened the salvo with a hilarious romp around the bases after hitting a ball into the center field alley, sliding into third with a rare triple. Adrian Beltre added to his rbi total by doubling in Big Papi to give the Sox a 1-0 lead. Marcum recovered to get Lowell and Lowrie, but Bill Hall swatted his 17th home run of the year to put Boston up 3-0.

The Jays threatened to open the 6th. Jose Bautista and Vernon Wells hit back to back singles to put pressure on Clay for the first time all game. The Cy Young front-runner struck out Adam Lind then got Lyle Overbay to fly out before John McDonald lined out to end their only threat of the night. After the 2 hour delay to start and the hour long delay in the 3rd, manager Terry Francona decided to pull Buchholz before he pulled something. Clay had now tossed 23 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings, lowering his league leading ERA to 2.26.

In the 7th, red hot Daniel Bard came on in relief of Buchholz. Travis Snider walked to open the inning, but Bard got Jose Molina to pop up then struck out both Fred Lewis and Yuneleski Escobar to end the inning. Marcum then pitched a scoreless 7th to keep the Jays close. Rookie Felix Doubront replaced Bard in the top of the 8th and worked around a Vernon Wells single to keep the game 3-0.

The Sox struck against Jason Frasor in the bottom of the 8th. After Bill Hall struck out, rookie Ryan Kalish doubled and Marco Scutaro walked. Frasor managed to punch out JD Drew but Victor Martinez singled in Kalish and David Ortiz singled in Scutaro to up the score 5-0. Beltre lined out to end the inning but the Sox now had a commanding lead going into the 9th. Doubront mopped up the 9th to earn his second save of the year and the Sox went on to win 5-0 to take 2 of 3 from Toronto.

Once again Tampa Bay and New York won, keeping the Sox 6.5 behind the Yankees and 5.5 behind the Rays. Not far enough to consider the season over but not close enough to inspire any sort of confidence. Hopefully Buchholz' effort can spark the staff from here on as the makeshift lineup can work some magic to get into the post-season.

Tomorrow night the Seattle Mariners are in town and John Lackey (11-7, 4.62 ERA) stands in their way. The Mariners will counter with Doug Fister (4-8, 3.92 ERA) who's pitched better than his record indicates.

Lowrie Walks Off, Sox Beat Jays (8/21/10)

On a night when Tom Petty rocked the Comcast Center, Jed Lowrie rocked the Toronto Blue Jays and Red Sox Nation for a thrilling 5-4 win in 11 innings.

Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka (8-4, 4.19 ERA) pitched well but couldn't get the timely outs when needed while Toronto starter Ricky Romero was more or less the same. After getting pounded the night before, it was the Sox who dished out the punishment in this one.

The Sox opened the scoring in the bottom of the third when Darnell McDonald walked, Marco Scutaro doubled and JD Drew was hit by a pitch. Victor Martinez then singled in McDonald and Scutaro to give the Sox a brief 2-0 lead. The Blue Jays answered in the top of the 4th when Dice K walked Aaron Hill and Lyle Overbay back to back. John McDonald then hit a double which scored Hill easily but the key play of the game came when rookie shortstop Yamaico Navarro gunned down Overbay at the plate on a relay throw from Darnell McDonald, keeping the score 2-1 Boston.

Dice K continued to shut down the Jays with timely pitching, keeping the score 2-1 through 5 innings pitched. The Sox struck again against Romero in the bottom of the frame. After McDonald whiffed, Scutaro and Drew hit back to back singles bringing up V-Mart. Martinez then singled home Scutaro but Ortiz struck out swinging. With 2 men out, Adrian Beltre hit a little poke job over second base which scored Drew to make the score 4-1.

Then, the dreaded Dice K Disease struck again. After pitching effectively for 5 innings, Matsuzaka had his usual bad inning. Jose Bautista singled and Vernon Wells doubled to open the frame. John Buck brought home Bautista with a sac fly but Dice K got Aaron Hill to pop up. Last night's monster Lyle Overbay came on and once again did damage, launching a 2 run bomb to tie the game 4-4.

Then the pitchers took over as Romero completed the bottom of the 7th without a problem as Dice K recovered to pitch a scoreless 7th and 8th inning, keeping Boston in the game. Jason Frasor, Scott Downs and Shawn Camp were able to combine to pitch a scoreless 8th, but Frasor and Downs were now out of the game going into the 9th inning with Boston's bullpen intact.

In the 9th, Ryan Kalish was in the game at center field, Bill Hall moved to second base, Jed Lowrie was at first with McDonald moving from center to left. Red hot Daniel Bard pitched a 1-2-3 9th as Jesse Carlson replaced Camp. Carlson was able to get through the 9th without giving up a run, but going into extra innings the Blue Jays were now down 3 relievers while Bard remained in the game.

The Jays then looked to have stolen the game when Travis Snider hit a ball to Bill Hall who then threw the ball away, allowing Snider to advance to second. The Sox then got some big luck when Fred Lewis hit the next ball to shortstop Marco Scutaro, who flipped to Beltre at third to nail Snider with the first out. 1 pitch later Yuneleski Escobar banged into a double play to end the threat. In the bottom of the frame, Toronto manager Cito Gaston brought in his 5th reliever of the game in the form of Casey Janssen to replace Carlson. He managed to get the side in order...but at this point the longer the game went on, the more it favored Boston.

Jonathan Papelbon (5-5, 3.08 ERA) came on in the top of the 11th and got the side in order to set up the dramatics. In the bottom of the 11th, Jed Lowrie led off against Janssen. On a 2-2 count, Lowrie hit a rocket to right-center which landed in the bullpen for the game ending walkoff home run. It was a feel good story considering one month earlier Lowrie wasn't even mentioned as apart of the teams plan and here he is keeping hope alive for a fading ballclub. Papelbon earned the win as they kept pace with Tampa Bay and New York in the standings.

Tomorrow, ace Clay Buchholz (14-5, 2.36 ERA) takes the mound in the rubber game of the seriesagainst Shawn Marcum (11-6, 3.69 ERA).

Blue Jays Massacre Lester, Sox (8/20/10)

The game and the day pretty much confirmed the worst for the Red Sox and their fans. After Dustin Pedroia was put back on the disabled list, Jon Lester (13-8, 3.26 ERA) pitched like he belonged on it.

It started very early for the Jays. Fred Lewis walked to open the game. Yunelsky Escobar then hit a ball that Beltre couldn't make the play on, putting runners on first and second. Lester got the dangerous Jose Bautista to fly out but he threw the ball away on a pickoff throw which advanced the runners into scoring position. Vernon Wells then walked to load the bases before John Buck drove in 2 runs with a single. Aaron Hill then popped up but Lyle Overbay then capped off a horrendous first inning for Lester with a 3 run home run. The Sox were in a 5-0 hole before they even had a chance to bat and the game was as good as over. In the top of the second, Lewis doubled and Escobar drove him in with a single to widen the gap 6-0. Lester saved himself by getting Bautista to fly out again and Vernon wells to bang into a double play.

Meanwhile the Sox offense could muster nothing against Jays starter Brett Cecil (10-6, 3.90 ERA). In the top of the third, the Jays continued to strike. John Buck singled to start the inning and Hill walked, bringing up Overbay. Lyle then knocked Lester out of the game with his second 3 run homer of the game to put the Sox in a 9-0 hole. Scott Atchinson came in and allowed 2 singles but escaped the inning with no further damage. He then pitched a scoreless fourth, one of only 2 innings the Jays didn't score in.

In the top of the 5th, the Jays went back on the attack. Atchinson got Overbay to fly out but John McDonald and Travis Snyder hit back to back singles, chasing Scott from the game. Michael Bowden came on and got Fred Lewis to ground into a force out (Snyder out at second) before Escobar doubled in the 2 runners to make the score 11-0. The one bright spot for the Sox was the debut of highly touted prospect Yamaico Navarro who singled in his first at bat in the bottom of the 5th.

After that it was back to bad news central. Bowden got Vernon Wells to fly out but allowed a base hit to John Buck before retiring Aaron Hill on a fly out. With 2 outs, the Jays erupted when Lyle Overbay singled and John McDonald launched another 3-run home run to put the Jays up 14-0. Bowden was able to strike out Travis Synder but the bullpen had now allowed 5 runs in Lester's absence. In the 7th, the struggling Manny Delcarmen took the mound and the hit parade continued. He got Lewis and Escobar to fly out but the hitless Jose Bautista finally woke up to belt his 38th home run of the year and 4th of the game for Toronto. MDC got pinch hitter DeWayne Wise to strike out but the leaky pen extended their woe to 6 runs allowed.

In the bottom of the 7th the Sox finally got to Cecil but it was too little too late. Darnell McDonald reached on a blown pop up play and Jed Lowrie walked. Rookie catcher Dusty Brown then doubled in McDonald and Lowrie to put the Sox on the board and chase Cecil from the game. Jesse Carlson entered the game and got David Ortiz out to end the Sox offense for the rest of the night.

Toronto wasn't done yet as mop up man Tim Wakefield was last in line for a beating. John Buck singled but Wake struck out Aaron Hill. Lyle Overbay then drove in Buck with a single before Wakefield escaped with no further damage but the game was effectively over. The Sox pitching had given up 16 runs on 20 hits with 4 home runs...3 of those being 3-run home runs.

With Lester and Beckett pitching ineffective along with the .500 pitching of John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka, the struggles of the bullpen and the position players going back on the disabled list...the season looks to be slipping away. Dice K (8-4, 4.17 ERA) looks for revenge tomorrow against Ricky Romero (10-7, 3.43 ERA)

Angels Beat Sox First Time All Year (8/19/10)

The Sox were bounced from the playoffs in heartbreaking fashion last year by the LA Angels, they responded by winning 9 straight games against them this year. The 10th and final game belonged to the Angels, which also put the Sox even further back in the post-season race as both the Yankees and Rays won.

Through the first 5 innings Josh Beckett (3-3, 6.67 ERA) looked like the ace of old before the wheels fell off. His opponent Ervin Santana (13-8, 3.93) ERA was equally game. The Sox struck first in the 4th inning when David Ortiz hit a solo blast, his 27th of the year, to give the Sox a brief 1-0 advantage.

Through the first 5 innings Josh Beckett allowed just 2 hits, but trouble brewed in the 6th. It started off well with Beckett getting Bobby Abreu to ground out, but then Maicer Izturis doubled and Alberto Callaspo doubled him in to tie the game. Tori Hunter then hit a shot to Beltre who couldn't make the play, which became critical when Hideki Matsui belted his 16th homer of the year putting LA on top 4-1. Beckett escaped with no further damage but the worst was not over yet.

Beckett came back to start the 7th and promptly struck out Jeff Mathis. Then it all went to hell when Peter Bourjos hit a ball to first, then beat it out. Beckett then walked Abreu to end his night when manager Terry Francona replaced him with Manny Delcarmen. The move failed miserably when Izturis walked to load the bases and Callaspo drove in Bourjos with a groundout. Delcarmen then walked Hunter to re-load the bases and then walked Matsui to score Abreu and chase the ineffective pitcher from the game now trailing 6-1. Scott Atchinson came on and Howie Kendrick put the exclamation point by hitting a ball in the hole at short to score Izturis with the 7th run. Atchinson got the final out but the game was effectively over.

The Sox tried to mount a rally when Scutaro singled and Lowell doubled to open the 8th inning. David Ortiz then was hit by pitcher Kevin Jepsen to load the bases with nobody out, but the Sox blew their chance when Victor Martinez popped up to center. Adrian Beltre managed to hit a sac fly that scored Scutaro, but they needed the hits. Now down 7-2. JD Drew struck out to end the rally.

Tim Wakefield pitched 2 innings of mop up duty but Fernando Rodney closed the door in the 9th to win the game for the Angels. The Sox season seems to be slipping away with Dustin Pedroia heading back to the DL joining opening day starters Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Cameron and Kevin Youkilis along with backup catcher Jason Varitek. This marks Beckett's third straight bad start and the Sox can't possibly hold on much longer with their ace continuing to be ineffective.

The Sox host the Toronto Blue Jays tomorrow as Jays killer Jon Lester (13-7, 2.80 ERA) takes the mount opposite Brett Cecil (9-6, 3.96 ERA).

Sox Hang On To Beat Angels (8/18/10)

The Sox turned the tables on Major League Baseball last night, they found a way to win against the Los Angeles Angels.

Red Sox starter John Lackey (12-7, 4.62 ERA) was completely off through the first 5 innings. His counterpart Scott Kazmir wasn't much better. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the first inning when Adrian Belre singled in Dustin Pedroia. Lackey allowed hits in the 1st and second but escaped with no runs allowed.

Trouble brewed in the top of the 3rd. Mike Napoli led off with a home run (20) and Bobby Abreu doubled, but Lackey got Alberto Callaspo to ground out to limit the damage. In the 4th, Lackey got Torri Hunter to ground out but allowed a double to Hideki Matsui. Maicer Izturis grounded out to send Matsui to third then Howie Kendrick singled him home. Victor Martinez gunned down Kendrick at second base to end the inning and the threat.

In the bottom of the 4th, Bill Hall hit an absolute rocket (16) on to Lansdowne Street to tie the game. The tie was shortlived, in the top of the 5th Bobby Abreu singled and Reggie Willits singled with 2 outs. Alberto Callaspo then hit a ball down the right field line that would have been an easy 3rd out in most ballparks, however it had the distance to reach the seats in Fenway for a 3 run homer. Lackey had given up 10 hits and 5 earned runs in only 4 2/3 innings, the night seemed to be turning sour.

Then things changed just as fast. In the bottom of the 5th the Sox got 2 back when Victor Martinez doubled and Adrian Beltre swatted his 23rd homer of the year to cut the deficit 5-4. Just when it looked like Lackey was done, he came back to pitch a scoreless 6th and 7th inning. It was a great way to go out after a particular horrendous start.

Then it was on to the bottom of the 7th. With Kevin Jepsen pitching, Victor Martinez beat out a dribbler to 3rd then David Ortiz hit a double to left to put the tying run at third with nobody out. The microcosm of the night then occured when Adrian Beltre whiffed in what was then the most crucial at bat of the game. Mike Lowell then walked to load up the bases. Up came JD Drew, pinch hitting for Bill Hall. Jepsen then uncorked a wild pitch that scored Martinez, tying the game and putting Ortiz on third with Lowell on second. Drew was then intentionally walked to get to Darnell McDonald. The quick thinking Francona then sent Daniel Nava up to pinch hit for Darnell. Turns out he never had to take the bat off his shoulders as Jepsen hit him to give the Sox the lead. Then Ryan Kalish banged into a double play to end the rally, adding to the effect that they took the lead (walks to Lowell and Drew, wild pitch, hit batsmen) without having to swing the bat and failed (Beltre's strikeout, Kalish's DP) when they did.

It was on to the 8th where Daniel Bard came on, getting into trouble. Bard got Willits to flyed out but walked Callaspo. He got Torii Hunter to fly out but walked Matsui. Then the play of the game occured when Maicer Izturis hit a ball heading out of the range of Nava when he dove to make the catch, saving the game (and Bard's ERA). With Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury out for the season...once again the Sox will have to lead on the quartet of McDonald, Hall, Nava and Kalish.

The Sox added insurance in the 8th when Marco Scutaro doubled, Dustin Pedroia sacrificed him over to third and Martinez drove him in with a single. It was on to the 9th where Jon Papelbon slammed the door by striking out the side for his 30th save of the year. Final score, Sox win 7-5.

The Yankees and Rays also won keeping the Sox 5.5 behind in any sort of playoff position. Tomorrow Josh Beckett (3-2, 6.51 ERA) goes against Ervin Santana (12-8, 3.99) in the final game of the series.

Kalish Slams Angels, Buchholz Dominates (8/17/10)

As the once bright pennant hopes slowly fade away, the team still manages to put on individual performances worthy of respect.

Last night Clay Buchholz (14-5, 2.36 ERA) continued his march toward the Cy Young award with 7 innings of shut-out ball, scattering 8 base-runners in the process. His counterpart, AL Strikeout leader Jared Weaver (11-8, 3.11 ERA) matched him for 3 innings.

The Sox struck first when Darnell McDonald (once again taking over for the re-injured Jacoby Ellsbury) belted his 8th homer of the year. In the 4th inning the Sox blew the game wide open with David Ortiz lighting the fuse by hitting a single. After Victor Martinex and Adrian Beltre whiffed, JD Drew and Mike Lowell drew back to back walks. Jared Weaver tried to fool Ryan Kalish with a pitch but Kalish wasn't fooling around, swatting his first career grand slam (2nd homer of the year) to pretty much put the game away.

As the offense exploded, Buchholz kept his cool...pitching one solid inning after another on his way to a 113 pitch masterpiece with 3 strikeouts. The only offense left in the game was in the bottom of the 5th when David Ortiz doubled and was driven in by Victor Martinez who also doubled.

Weaver was finished after 5, and his replacement Trevor Bell worked 3 shut out innings in relief. When Buchholz was finished, rookie Felix Doubront came on in relief. Doubront managed to load the bases but struck out Erik Aybar to end the inning and keep the shut out. Another Boston draftee Michael Bowden mopped up with a clean 9th to end the game.

Both the Yankees and the Rays won, keeping the Sox 5.5 games behind any sort of chance in the post-season. The margin for error is dwindling fast and a small losing streak may well end their hopes once and for all.

Clay Buchholz is now in a fight with New York's CC Sabbathia (16-5, 3.12 ERA), Tampa Bay's David Price (15-5, 2.85 ERA) and surprise entrant Oakland's Trevor Cahill (12-5, 2.50 ERA) for the Cy Young. If Clay keeps his current hot streak going, even if the Sox don't bring home the World Series trophy....you can make a bet that Buchholz will be taking home the Cy Young hardware.

John Lackey (10-7, 4.54 ERA) goes up against Scott Kazmir in tonight's game.

Sox Turn Tables on Jays (8/11/10)

Going into the series the Toronto Blue Jays had hit the most home runs in the major leagues, tonight the Red Sox served them a taste of their own medicine.

The Red Sox got a first inning rally going without the benefit of a hit off starter Shawn Marcum (10-6, 3.87 ERA). JD Drew worked a one out walk, Victor Martinez flied out, Ortiz walked and then Beltre was hit to load the bases. The Sox got a gift run in the first when Mike Lowell walked on a blown full count call by umpire Greg Gibson. Kalish struck out in a 6 pitch at bat to run Marcum's pitch count to 36 after one half inning.

In the bottom of the frame, the Red Sox defensive woes continued with Mike Lowell botched a routine ground-out on the first pitch of the game by Clay Buchholz (13-5, 2.49 ERA). Travis Snider moved to second on a bunt by Yunel Escobar and then Victor Martinez allowed a passed ball to move Snider to third. Snider would score on the sac fly by Jose Bautista before Vernon Wells grounded out. The score was 1-1 after the first inning without either team getting a hit for their runs.

In the top of the second, Bill Hall clobbered his 14th home run of the year into the second deck in left field to put the Sox back on top. Marcum escaped without further trouble but his pitch count was now at 55 after just 2 innings. In the bottom of the second, Hall misplayed a ground ball allowing Adam Lind to reach but made up for it by executing a perfect double play with Lowell. Buchholz got Overbay to fly out to center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury to end the inning.

Both pitchers got through the 3rd inning without a problem but Bill Hall struck again in the top of the 4th, belting a 2 run bomb (his 15th) off Marcum to extend the lead 4-1. Then Hall turned in a double play to get Buchholz out of a jam in the bottom of the inning.

In the 5th inning, the homer parade continued when JD Drew went deep for the 14th time this season to increase the lead 5-1. V-Mart and Ortiz both singled as Adrian Beltre launched a 3-run homer (21st) chasing Marcum from the game in the process. The inning

continued with a Mike Lowell double off Brian Tallet, who moved to third on a Ryan Kalish ground out. The one man wrecking crew Bill Hall singled in Lowell to give the Sox more than 8 runs for the first time in over a month (July 9, 14-3 win also against Toronto). Ellsbury flied out and Scutaro popped up to end the inning with a commanding 9-1 lead. Buchholz worked around a lead-off hit by Adam Lind to set the Jays down in the bottom of the inning.

Buchholz was virtually unhittable the rest of the way allowing 8 total baserunners through 8 innings. He lowered his ERA to 2.49 and kept pace with David Price and CC Sabbathia in the Cy Young race. Meanwhile the Sox offense wasn't finished just yet. In the top of the 8th inning Darnell McDonald (in the game for JD Drew) belted a ball that hit off the top of the center field wall, scooting all the way to third with a triple. V-Mart singled him in to complete the scoring at 10-1.

Rookie Dustin Richardon (1.80 ERA) mopped up the 9th, striking out 2 and giving up 2 hits before ending the game. With a Tampa Bay Rays loss, the Sox are now 3.5 out of the wild card and a come from behind win by the Yankees kept them 5 games out of the division. John Lackey (10-7, 4.60 ERA) tries to end his struggles against Mills (1-0, 4.09 ERA) tomorrow afternoon.

Sox Edge Jays (8/10/10)

All good things must come to an end and Daisuke Matsuzaka's run of brilliance ended last night at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays. The night was not a total wash as the offense woke up with some timely hitting to win the game anyway.

Blue Jays starter Ricky Romero was in trouble as early as the second inning. David Ortiz hit a leadoff double before Adrian Beltre doubled him in for the Sox' first run. Bill Hall's ground out moved Beltre to third base where Jed Lowrie's double scored Adrian. Jacoby Ellsbury finished the rally with a single that scored Jed from second base. The Sox looked to deliver the knockout blow in the third when ictor Martinez singled and David Ortiz doubled, which Toronto manager Cito Gaston called for intentionally walking Adrian Beltre. The tide turned in the game really when all Mike Lowell could do was hit a sac fly that scored Martinez. A Bill Hall ground out let Romero off the hook and kept the score managable.

This was not the same Dice K as his previous starts have shown. In the second inning he allowed a home run to Adam Lind but escaped with no further damage. In the third, disaster struck as "Dice K Disease" took control. After issuing back to back walks to John McDonald and Fred Lewis, Travis Snider belted a 3 run shot to tie the game at 4. He managed to get Jose Bautista to line out and whiff Aaron Hill, but Adam Lind doubled to keep the inning going. Edwin Encarnarcion flied out but the damage had been done, 3 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks. Both pitchers recovered to pitch a scoreless 4th inning showing great poise in the process when it looked like both of them could have been lifted.

In the 5th inning the Sox took the lead on JD Drew's 13th home run of the year and Dice K worked around a botched double play ball in the bottom of the frame to keep the lead intact. The rejuvinated Romero got through a Lowrie walk to record another shut-out inning and in the bottom of the frame, the Blue Jays looked to even the score.

Encarnarcion walked but Dice K got Lyle Overbay to strike out followed by a JP Arencibia fly out. John McDonald singled and manager Terry Francona had seen enough. Dice K was gone just like that after 5 2/3 innings giving up 4 runs in the process but still in line for the win. Rookie lefty Felix Doubront (2-2) came in from the pen and immediately was given trouble when shortstop Marco Scutaro (who went 0-5 in the game as well) botched another sure ground out. With the bases loaded the rookie beared down and struck out Travis Snider to end the rally.

The fun was shortlived, in the top of the 7th Scott Downs came in and shut the Sox down before Jose Bautista took Doubront deep in the bottom of the inning to tie the game. Felix was able to get the next 3 batters including striking out Encarnarcion to end the frame.

Then manager Gaston made a critical mistake. After Downs got Ortiz on strikes, he brought in Shawn Camp rather than let Scott finish. Camp managed to get Adrian Beltre to ground out, but he hung a pitch to Mike Lowell who gladly deposited his 4th home run over the wall in left center to give the Sox a 6-5 lead. Ryan Kalish pinch hit for Bill Hall and continued his hot streak with a base hit. Jed Lowrie then doubled to score Kalish for some much needed insurance.

Now the Sox had the lead but with Bard unavailable, the struggling bullpen had to deliver. Manny Delcarmen came in the game and immediately struck out Lyle Overbay before retiring the next 2 batters for a perfect 8th. In the 9th inning, Jon Papelbon worked around a Snider double to end the game and record his 29th save of the year.

The Sox kept pace with the Rays and gained ground on the Yankees thanks to former Red Sox outfielder David Murphy's walk off single off Mariano Rivera. The Sox are still within striking distance in the AL East and Wildcard and just have to take care of their own business for now. Tomorrow night Clay Buchholz (12-5, 2.66 ERA) opposes Toronto's best pitcher Shawn Marcum (10-5, 3.44 ERA) in what should be a great duel. Both pitchers have had the other team's number all year.

Sox Beat Yankees, Earn Split (8/9/10)

In a series that was make or break for the Sox, the unthinkable happened....nothing. The Sox won 2 and the Yankees won 2 putting both teams exactly where they started on Thursday. A small slump by the Rays widened the gap between them and the Yankees and inched the Sox within 4 of the wild card, but nothing was solved in the Bronx.

Today's game was another microcosm of the season where the pitching staff has to be near perfect in order to win. Jon Lester (12-7, 2.94 ERA) snapped a personal 4 game skid and pitched outstanding shut-out ball into the 7th inning. Lester had to be on because the anemic Red Sox offense once again faltered. The Sox rocked Yankees starter Phil Hughes around in the first 2 innings, getting six hits and 2 runs off him before getting only a single hit off of the Yankees staff for the next SEVEN innings. Bill Hall and JD Drew led the charge and drove in the 2 lone runs the Sox scored.

In the bottom of the 7th inning things got a little hairy. The Yankees loaded the bases with nobody out and Jon Lester managed to strike Curtis Granderson out. In came Daniel Bard who then struck out Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher to end the threat. In the 8th inning the Yankees broke through. Mark Teixera blasted his 28th homer of the year off Bard and A-Rod walked. Brett Gardner pinch ran for A-Rod and was moved to second on a Robinson Cano ground-out. Jorge Posada walked as Bard was visibly exhausted on the mound. Bard managed to get Lance Berkman to pop out to end his day as Jonathan Papelbon came in and slammed the door. Jon then worked around around a Derek Jeter walk to strike out Granderson, Teixera and Swisher to end the game 2-1 and pick up his 28th save of the year.

Lost in all of the Sox run-scoring ineptitude was the rejuvinated Jacoby Ellsbury who returned to his base-stealing ways with 4. Ryan Kalish and JD Drew also joined the stolen base parade and even though it didn't matter in this game, in future games it definitely will. Ellsbury's speed and base-stealing ability will impact the rbi stats of anyone hitting after him.

Even though the Sox didn't gain ground on the Yankees in the 4 game set, they didn't fall behind either. They're still within striking distance of the AL East with over 40 games remaining and they're only 4.5 games behind the Rays in the wild card. The return of Ellsbury gives the Sox an element they haven't had all season that worked to perfection last year. Now the Sox look forward to the return of Dustin Pedroia and Jason Varitek which could be the final pieces of the puzzle needed to overtake the Rays and possibly the Yankees.

Sox Defeat Yankees in Crucial Series Opener (8/6/10)

In the most crucial series of the season against New York Yankees' high priced mercenaries, it was the Red Sox draft picks that ended up doing the most damage.

The Sox set the tone for the game and hopefully the series when David Ortiz launched his 24th homer of the year to give the squad a quick 1 to 0 lead over 2004 ALCS goat Javier Vasquez. The Yankees were going to make the Sox work for their win when Mark Teixera crushed a 2 run homer of Sox 2005 draft pick Clay Buchholz (12-5 2.66 ERA) to give the Yankees the lead in the bottom of the frame.

The Sox struck back in the second. Adrian Beltre doubled to lead off the inning but Vasquez got JD Drew to pop out. Then an error by catcher Fransisco Cervelli moved Beltre to third and Lowell to first. Vasquez got Ryan Kalish to strike out but then issued back to back walks to 2005 Sox draft picks Jed Lowrie and Jacoby Ellsbury to tie the game. Marco Scutaro then doubled in Lowell and Lowrie to give the Sox a 4-2 lead.

Both Buchholz and Vasquez settled down through the 5th until the Yankees attacked. Buchholz struck out Brett Gardner but then hit Jeter. Nick Swisher singled that Jeter went to third on the play. Teixera popped up but Alex Rodriguez hit a looper into left field that scored Jeter. cutting the lead 4-3. Clay held on and was able to force Robinson Cano to ground into second for no further damage.

In the 6th, the Sox struck again. Lowell singled and 2006 draft pick Ryan Kalish hit his first career home run to give the Sox a 3 run lead. A walk to Lowrie ended the night for Vasquez and in walked Joba Chamberlain. Chamberlain escaped the 6th with no further damage and Buchholz settled down to pitch the next 2 innings allowing only a single.

The Sox had a chance in the 8th as Kerry Wood (who came in the game the inning before to replace Joba) allowed a 2 out single to Jed Lowrie to end his night, giving way to Boone Logan. Ellsbury hit a broken bat liner that was snared by A-Rod, who was playing the infield in. In the bottom of the frame, A-Rod grounded out to Scutaro but Robinson Cano doubled to chase Buchholz from the game. The red-hot 2006 draft pick Daniel Bard came in and got Lance Berkman on a superb diving catch by the now-healed Jacoby Ellsbury. Bard then got Granderson to pop up to Lowell to end the threat and the inning.

It was on to the 9th where Chad Gaudin (replacing Logan) worked around an error by Robinson Cano to retire the side, bringing 2003 draft pick Jonathan Papelbon into the game. Pinch hitter Jorge Posada (in for Cervelli) grounded out to Lowell who threw too high to first, but Papelbon's height (6'4) allowed him to snare the ball for the out. Gardner grounded out to Lowrie who barely got him at first on the throw. Things got interesting when Jeter put on a splendid at bat to draw a 12 pitch walk. Jeter took second on defensive indifference but Paps got Swisher to pop up to Kalish to end the game and pick up his 27th save. The Sox win a big game one 6-3 and saved the rest of the relief troops (including rookie Felix Dubront who was called up to replace the DL bound Hideki Okajima) for tomorrow's game.

With the Tampa Bay Rays also losing 2-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays, the Sox picked up a game on them too. They are now 5 games behind New York and 4.5 behind the Rays. John Lackey takes the mound tomorrow against Yankees ace CC Sabbathia looking to continue the winning trend.