Mariners Blank Red Sox (4/30/11)

The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of their second round NHL playoff series but the bad news was the Boston Red Sox were shut out by the Seattle Mariners. The horrible month of April is finally over for the Sox and naturally it ended with yet another loss. Doug Fister of the Mariners tossed 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball and Mariners bullpen completed the shutout afterwards. John Lackey (2-3, 5.65 ERA) was game by allowing just 2 runs in 6 innings, but those two runs just happened to be the difference. The Sox had chances to take the lead early and tie the game but couldn't get it done as the Mariners beat Boston 2-0 at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Lackey got the ball in the top of the first inning and Ichiro Suzuki dropped a base hit to center to start. Chone Figgins took strike three but Ichiro swiped second. Lackey then turned and fired the ball 100 feet over the head of shortstop Jed Lowrie and Ichiro made it to third on the error. Milton Bradley took strike three and Miguel Olivo grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox blew their only chance to take the lead in the bottom of the first against Fister as Jacoby Ellsbury walked to start. Ellsbury was erased on the Dustin Pedroia force but Adrian Gonzalez dropped a base hit to center. Kevin Youkilis walked but David Ortiz struck out swinging. JD Drew flied out to center to end the inning, what a waste.

Justin Smoak struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Jack Cust walked. Michael Saunders popped up to Youkilis and Brendan Ryan grounded out to second to end the inning. Jed Lowrie led off the top of the second inning by taking strike three. Carl Crawford grounded out to first and Jarrod Saltalamacchia lined out to left to end the inning.

The Mariners struck first in the top of the third as Jack Wilson popped up to first to start. Ichiro walked and Figgins singled him to third before Suzuki scored on the Bradley double to left. Olivo grounded out to third and Bradley started screaming at the second base umpire for absolutely no reason. Bradley had to be carried out by the third base coach kicking and screaming as Ryan Langerhans pinch ran for Bradley. Smoak grounded out to first to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 1-0.

                                          Bradley puts the Mariners on top....before he was ejected

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Ellsbury doubled to right to start. Pedroia grounded out to third, Gonzalez struck out swinging and Youkilis grounded out to short to end the inning.

Lackey got in trouble in the top of the fourth as Cust walked to start. Saunders flied out to left and Ryan popped up to first, but Wilson got a hit just out of the reach of Pedroia to move Cust to third. Ichiro grounded into a force to end the inning. Ortiz struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Drew grounded out to second. Lowrie doubled to right but Crawford popped up to right to end the inning.

Figgins singled to center to start the top of the fifth but Langerhans flied out to left. Olivo flied out to the centerfield warning track and Smoak grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox blew another rally in the bottom of the fifth as Saltalamacchia doubled to left to start. Ellsbury and Pedroia drew back to back walks to load the bases but Gonzalez hit a bullet to second, doubling off Jacoby for the double play. Youkilis popped up to first to end the inning, what a squander.

                                                            Yerrrrrr out!

The Mariners struck again in the top of the sixth as Cust and Saunders stroked back to back base hits to left to start. Ryan dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over and Wilson scored Cust with a sac fly to center. Ichiro walked but Figgins grounded out to short to end the inning. That was it for Lackey who allowed just 2 runs in 6 innings but left trailing 2-0.

                                              Lackey battled but left trailing

The Sox blew another rally in the bottom of the sixth as Ortiz popped up to Ichiro to start. Drew doubled to center and moved to third on the Lowrie fly ball to the centerfield warning track. Crawford walked and that was it for Fister. Aaron Laffey came in and Saltlamacchia hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Hideki Okajima came in to pitch the top of the seventh inning and Langerhans grounded back to him to start. Olivo grounded out to third and Smoak struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew yet another rally in the bottom of the seventh as Ellsbury's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Laffey to start. Pedroia grounded out to short. Gonzalez walked and Youkilis doubled to left to put the tying runs on. Marco Scutaro pinch ran for Youkilis but Ortiz flied out to left to end the inning.

Okajima returned for the top of the eighth and Cust grounded into the shift to start. Saunders popped up a bunt to Okajima and that was it for him. Dan Wheeler came in and got Ryan to pop up to first to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the eighth as Drew flied out to center to start. Lowrie grounded out to third and Crawford flied out to center to end the inning.

Wheeler came back for the top of the ninth and Wilson grounded out to Scutaro to start. Ichiro singled to center and stole second on the Figgins swinging strikeout. Langerhans popped up to third to end the inning. The Sox pitchers had held the Mariners to just 2 runs in 9 innings, what a waste. Mariners closer Brandon League came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Saltalamacchia singled to right to start. Ellsbury banged into a double play and Pedroia flied out to right to end the game. The Mariners had won it 2-0.

                                                                  Mariners win
                                                    

Jackass of the Night is David Ortiz. He was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and left men on base all night.

                                                 Ortiz the unclutch Jackass

The Good:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.

Adrian Gonzalez was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Kevin Youkilis was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 2 for 4.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list but John Lackey tossed 6 solid innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 7 hits and 4 walks.

Hideki Okajima tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Dan Wheeler tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 but walked.

JD Drew was just 1 for 4.

Jed Lowrie was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Carl Crawford was 0 for 3 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Marco Scutaro was used as a pinch runner and played short in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Finally this god awful month is over. How fitting that in the wake of the worst start possible the Sox would get shut out in the final game of the month? A season that had so much promise after the Adrian Gonzalez trade and Carl Crawford signing has completely gone up in smoke. The Sox lost 15 of their first 26 games in every way imaginable and there seems to be no end in sight. They are absolutely dreadful with runners in scoring position and if its the not the starters stinking the joint out, the bullpen ruins the good starts. Tonight's game was a microcosm as everyone had no problems getting on base but couldn't do a damn thing once guys were on. Lackey pitched a good, determined game and Wheeler & Okajima kept the M's off the scoreboard, it just wasn't enough since the Sox bats couldn't generate any offense. The month ends with the Sox at 11-15 and the news doesn't get any better. Clay Buchholz will not make the start tomorrow afternoon and will be replaced by Tim Wakefield as he goes up against AL Cy Young champion Felix Hernandez of the Mariners. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Mariners Edge Sox Late (4/29/11)

It seems to be one step forward, one step back for the Boston Red Sox this month. After beating the Baltimore Orioles last night to feel good about themselves, they fell apart late against the Seattle Mariners in tonight's game. The problem was the bullpen was forced to throw 5 innings after Daisuke Matsuzaka regressed from his previous starts to throw just 4 innings. The Sox did take a 4-2 lead over Jason Vargas and the Mariners but Matt Albers and Bobby Jenks coughed up the game by the seventh inning. After the Mariners took the lead, not a single Sox batter reached base as Seattle dropped Boston 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                         "Oh Jenks....."

Dice K got the ball in the top of the first inning and the Mariners wasted no time tagging him. Ichiro Suzuki popped up to left to start but Chone Figgins walked. Milton Bradley flied out to right but Miguel Olivo doubled off the Monster. Justin Smoak lined a base hit to right to score both runners to give the Mariners the lead. Jack Cust took strike three to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 2-0.

                                                          Smoak puts Seattle on top

Jason Vargas got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to first to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded back to the mound but Adrian Gonzalez dropped a base hit to right. Kevin Youkilis struck out swinging to end the inning.

Adam Kennedy flied out to right to start the top of the second but Michael Saunders walked and swiped second. Brendan Ryan popped up to third and Ichiro flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second although David Ortiz grounded out to short to start. Jed Lowrie flied out to center but Mike Cameron wrapped his first home run of the season around the Pesky Pole to cut the lead. Jason Varitek flied out to Saunders to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 2-1.

                                               Home run Cameron

Dice K cruised in the top of the third inning as Figgins grounded out to second to start. Bradley took strike three and Olivo struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the third as Darnell McDonald walked to start. Ellsbury forced McDonald at second but Pedroia flied out to center. Gonzalez singled Ellsbury to third and Youkilis drove Jacoby in with a base hit. Ortiz scored Gonzalez with a base hit into the shift to give the Sox the lead. Lowrie flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                       Ortiz puts the Sox on top

Dice K battled in the top of the fourth as Smoak flied out to center to start. Cust and Kennedy drew back to back walks but Saunders struck out swinging. Ryan lined out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth when Cameron launched his second home run of the game to add to the lead. Varitek singled to center but McDonald struck out swinging. Ellsbury singled in the hole at second but Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                        Cameron hits another out

The Mariners finally chased Dice K in the top of the fifth inning as Ichiro singled up the middle to start. All of a sudden Jason Varitek walked to the mound and asked if Dice K was okay. Within seconds Varitek frantically waived for the trainer who sprinted out of the dugout. Dice K started clutching his arm and left the game. He had to be carried out on a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance and sent to Mass General's ICU. Matt Albers came in ice cold and Figgins dropped a base hit to left. Bradley hit a double play ball to Gonzalez who threw to second to get Figgins but Albers dropped the throw to first for an error to score Ichiro. Olivo flied out to right and Smoak took strike three to end the inning but it was 4-3 Sox.

                                                       Dice K leaves with injury

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Gonzalez grounded out to first to start. Youkilis walked but was doubled off first on a bullet hit by Ortiz right to Smoak to end the inning.

Albers walked Cust to start the top of the sixth but Kennedy popped up to short. Saunders popped up to right and Ryan grounded into a force to end the inning. Lowrie grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third and Cameron popped up to second. Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning.

Bobby Jenks came in to crap his pants in the top of the seventh as Ichiro singled to left and Figgins doubled past McDonald to start. Bradley struck out swinging but Olivo grounded out to second to score Ichiro to tie the game. Smoak walked and Cust doubled off the Monster to score Figgins with the go-ahead run. Kennedy grounded out to first to end the inning with the Mariners up 5-4.

                                                             Cust puts the M's on top

McDonald popped up to right to start the bottom of the seventh and Ellsbury took strike three. Pedroia flied out to center to end the inning.

Hideki Okajima came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Saunders walked to start. Ryan dropped down a bunt to advance Saunders to second but Ichiro walked. Figgins banged into a double play to end the inning. Jack Wilson took over for Kennedy and Jamey Wright came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Gonzalez flied out to Ichiro to start before Youkilis took strike three. Ortiz flied out to center to end the inning.

Daniel Bard came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Bradley grounded out to second to start. Olivo took strike threw and Smoak grounded out to second to end the inning. Brandon League came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Lowrie flied out to center to start. Cameron flied out to right and JD Drew pinch hit for Varitek. Drew took strike three to end the game, the Mariners had won it 5-4.

                                                          Mariners win

Jackass of the Night is Bobby Jenks. He took the loss by allowing 2 runs in the seventh inning.

                                                     Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Adrian Gonzalez was 2 for 4.

Kevin Youkilis was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Mike Cameron was 2 for 4 with 2 solo home runs.

Jason Varitek was 1 for 3.

Hideki Okajima pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4.

Jed Lowrie was 0 for 4.

JD Drew struck out as a pinch hitter.

Daisuke Matsuzaka got rocked for 3 runs in just 4 plus innings.

The Ugly:

Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Darnell McDonald was 0 for 2 with an error but walked.

Matt Albers allowed an inherited runner to score and committed an error in 2 innings.

Final Thoughts:

Can this month end already? Every time the Red Sox look like they take the next step, they fall backwards. Jenks was supposed to be the answer to losing Billy Wagner in free agency but he got rocked tonight. The real problem was once the Mariners took the lead, the Sox offense went quietly in the final three innings. The offense is too good to be that unclutch so just add this game to the list of many they should have won. Its beyond frustrating at this point to see the Sox spoil a season that had so much promise. How does a team this good on paper lose 14 of their first 25 games? They've lost close games, they've lost blowouts, they just lose. Guess what they're going to do tomorrow? Probably going to lose. Tomorrow night John Lackey (2-2) goes up against Doug Fister of the Mariners at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

O's Shut Down Sox (4/26/11)

As great as Easter Sunday was for the city of Boston, tonight was the opposite. The Boston Bruins dropped Game 6 of their first round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Red Sox winning streak was snapped at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles. The scorching Boston bats were held to just 6 hits and 1 run by Zack Britton and the Baltimore bullpen. Clay Buchholz (1-3, 5.33 ERA) gave up 12 hits and 4 runs while pitching into the seventh inning. The game was manageable but the Sox couldn't generate any offense against the dirty birds. Kevin Youkilis drove in the only run of the game for Boston as the Orioles took the game 4-1 at Camden Yards.

                                                    "This night sucked"

Britton made the Sox beat the ball in the dirt to start the top of the first inning. Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to second, Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short and Adrian Gonzalez grounded out to second to end the inning. Buchholz got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Brian Roberts lined out to first to start. Nick Markakis singled to left but Derrek Lee flied out to center. Vladimir Guerrero grounded into a force to end the inning.

Kevin Youkilis took strike three to start the top of the second but David Ortiz walked. Jed Lowrie forced Ortiz and second and JD Drew grounded out to first to end the inning. The O's struck first in the bottom of the second as Luke Scott singled to center to start. Adam Jones struck out swinging but Mark Reynolds doubled to left. Matt Wieters hit a ground ball off the first base bag for a hit to score Scott. Robert Andino struck out looking and Roberts whiffed to end the inning with the O's up 1-0.

                                                   A bad omen of good luck for Baltimore

Carl Crawford struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Jason Varitek grounded out to third. Ellsbury lined out to third to end the inning. The O's struck again in the bottom of the third although Markakis grounded out to first to start. Lee singled to right, Guerrero singled to left and Scott walked to load the bases before Lee scored on the sac fly by Jones. Reynolds was retired on a nubber in front of the plate to end the inning but it was 2-0 O's.

                                                           O's score again

The Sox struck back in the top of the fourth as Pedroia got a base hit to center to start. Gonzalez moved Dustin to second with a grounder and Pedroia stole third. Youkilis hit a sac fly to score Pedroia and Ortiz hit a grounder under the glove of Roberts for an error. Lowrie grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 2-1 O's.

                                                        Pedroia scores a run

Wieters singled to right to open the bottom of the fourth but Andino flied out to right. Roberts flied out to center and Markakis grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Drew flied out to center to start. Crawford grounded out to short but Varitek singled to center. Ellsbury doubled to right and Pedroia walked to load the bases. Gonzalez grounded into a force to end the inning. The O's got another run back in the bottom of the fifth as Lee and Guerrero stroked back to back base hits to start. Scott beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners and Jones scored Lee with a sac fly to increase the lead. Reynolds took strike three to end the inning but it was 3-1 Baltimore.

                                                 O's tack on to the lead

The Sox blew another rally in the top of the sixth as Youkilis popped up to second to start. Ortiz singled to left but Lowrie flied out to right. Drew singled in the hole at second but Crawford flied out to center to end the inning. Buchholz got Wieters to fly out to left to start the bottom of the sixth and struck out Andino swinging. Roberts singled to center but Markakis flied out to left to end the inning.

Jim Johnson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Varitek struck out swinging to start. Ellsbury lined out to first and Pedroia also struck out swinging to end the inning. The O's finally chased Buchholz in the bottom of the seventh although Lee flied out to center to start. Guerrero singled to left and Scott doubled past the diving Drew, causing Felix Pie to pinch run for Scott. Jones was intentionally walked to load the bases and Reynolds hit a rocket Ellsbury had to climb the wall in center to grab. Guerrero scored and the other runners moved up. That was it for Clay who allowed 4 runs on 3 sac flies and a ball off the first base bag. Not the best but not the worst either. Hideki Okajima came in and retired Wieters on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning with the O's up 4-1.

                                                      Bad luck for Buchholz

Gonzalez tried to start a rally in the top of the eighth with a double to left but Youkilis popped up to first and Ortiz went down hacking. Lowrie whiffed to end the inning. Matt Alberts came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Andino walked to start. Roberts and Markakis both flied out to left and Lee struck out swinging to end the inning.

Kevin Gregg came in to close out the top of the ninth and Drew grounded out to second to start. Crawford struck out swinging and Marco Scutaro pinch hit for Varitek. Scutaro flied out to right to end the game. The O's had won it 4-1.

                                                        O's win

Jackass of the Night is Jed Lowrie. He was 0 for 4 with a crucial strikeout in the eighth with a man on.

                                                     Make contact, Jackass!

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Jason Varitek was 1 for 3.

Hideki Okajima retired the only man he faced.

Matt Albers pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Carl Crawford was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Marco Scutaro flied out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4.

Adrian Gonzalez was just 1 for 4.

Kevin Youkilis was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

JD Drew was just 1 for 4.

Clay Buchholz took the loss but allowed 4 small ball runs in 6 2/3 innings. He allowed 12 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.

Final Thoughts:

Much like the Bruins losing tonight on two 5 on 3 powerplay goals. the O's nickel and dimed the Red Sox all night. 3 sac flies and a fluke single off the first base bag was all the offense the O's needed. The Sox couldn't get anything done offensively against Britton or the bullpen despite numerous chances. Its like the Sox reverted to their opening weekend ways of getting guys on base but can't drive them in. It wasn't like the O's bullpen is indomitable either. Buchholz didn't even pitch that bad either, just a LOT of small ball by Baltimore won this game. Still, tip your cap to the O's for a job well done and hope the Sox can come back tomorrow with anger and aggression. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow against the O's when Josh Beckett (3-1) takes the hill opposite Jeremy Guthrie of the O's. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.

Sox Blanked By A's (4/19/11)

The good news is the great starting pitching the Boston Red Sox got in their series with the Toronto Blue Jays carried over to their game tonight with the Oakland A's. The bad news was they left their bats and reliable bullpen back in Boston. John Lackey (1-2, 9.82 ERA) tossed 6 solid innings of 1 run ball to keep the Sox in the game. The problem was the Sox bats were blanked by Brett Anderson and old friend Craig Breslow. The wheels fells off in the bottom of the eighth when Dan Wheeler, Hideki Okajima and Alfredo Aceves were all smacked around by the A's, turning a winnable 1-0 game into a five run deficit with just 3 outs to go. Naturally the Sox failed to rally in the ninth and the Sox had been shutout by the A's 5-0 at Oakland Coliseum. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Anderson got the ball in the top of the first and Jed Lowrie struck out swinging to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to second but Adrian Gonzalez singled off the right field wall. Kevin Youkilis struck out swinging to end the inning. The A's wasted no time getting to Lackey with small ball in the bottom of the first as old friend Coco Crisp singled to left to start. Crisp stole second and Daric Barton moved him to third with a grounder to second. Crisp scored on the grounder by David DeJesus to put the A's up for good. Jack Willingham popped up to first to end the inning with the A's up 1-0.

                                                         Crisp starts the rally

The Red Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second inning as David Ortiz grounded out to first to start. Mike Cameron grounded out to short and Carl Crawford grounded out to second to end the inning. Hideki Matsui flied out to left to start the bottom of the second and Kurt Suzuki popped up to second. Mark Ellis doubled over the head of Crawford and moved to third on a passed ball, but Kevin Kouzmanoff struck out swinging to end the inning.

Anderson cruised in the top of the third as Jarrod Saltalmacchia grounded out to short to start. Darnell McDonald whiffed on a curveball down and in before Lowrie flied out to left to end the inning. Lackey cruised in the bottom of the third as Cliff Pennington grounded out to second to start. Crisp grounded out to short and Barton popped up to left to end the inning.

Pedroia walked to start but got picked off by Anderson. Sox manager Terry Francona came out to argue that it should have been a balk and was given the heave-ho by umpire Jim Reynolds. Gonzalez and Youkilis both struck out swinging to end the inning. What mayhem!

                        "THAT WAS A BALK YOU INCOMPETENT OLD SOW!!" - Francona

Lackey dominated the bottom of the fourth as DeJesus flied out to left to start. Willingham took strike three and Matsui struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt again in the top of the fifth as Ortiz grounded out to second to start. Cameron grounded out to third and Crawford grounded out to second to end the inning. Lackey did what he could in the bottom of the fifth as Suzuki popped up to short to start. Ellis walked and Kouzmanoff singled to left but Pennington popped up to short. Crisp grounded out to second to end the inning.

Saltalamacchia grounded back to the mound to start the top of the sixth before McDonald flied out to right. Lowrie struck out swinging to end the inning. Lackey returned for one last inning in the bottom of the sixth as Barton grounded out to second to start. DeJesus dropped a hit in front of Crawford but Willingham popped up to first. Matsui lined out to right to end the inning. Lackey pitched very well but got no run support, lasting 6 innings while allowing just the one run.

                                                         Lackey deserved better

The Sox failed to pick up Lackey in the top of the seventh as Pedroia flied out to center to start. Gonzalez reached on a bobbled grounder to Anderson who threw the ball away for an error. Youkilis banged into a double play to end the inning. Dan Wheeler came in for the bottom of the seventh and cruised. Suzuki flied out to right before Ellis and Kouzmanoff both struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew their only rally in the top of the eighth as Ortiz singled through the shift to start. Jacoby Ellsbury pinch ran for Ortiz but was called out on batter's interference when Cameron got in the way of Suzuki after striking out. Ellsbury getting called out loomed large as Crawford and Saltalmacchia both got back to back base hits. The rally ended as McDonald struck out swinging to end the inning....why didn't JD Drew pinch hit? The bullpen fell apart in the bottom of the eighth as Wheeler gave up a leadoff double to center. Hideki Okajima made his season debut by crapping his pants, allowing Pennington to steal third. Crisp lined out to center but Barton dropped a base hit to center to score Pennington. DeJesus struck out looking but Willingham walked. Matsui reached into his Yankee past to double to right to score both runners and ice the game. That was it for Okajima as Alfredo Aceves came in to pitch and Suzuki singled to right to score Matsui to wrap up the scoring. Ellis hit a routine grounder to Youk but his throw pulled Pedroia off the bag for an error. Kouzmanoff grounded out to third to end the inning with the A's ahead 5-0.

                                                    "Oh that was very bad..." - Okajima

Old buddy Craig Breslow came in to close out the top of the ninth and Lowrie grounded out to third to start. Pedroia walked and Gonzalez singled to left to chase Breslow. Brian Fuentes came in and Youkilis flied out to left. Ellsbury popped up to Pennington to end the game. The A's blanked the Red Sox 5-0.

                                                        A's win

Jackass of the Night is Hideki Okajima. He allowed an inherited runner to score and was charged with 3 of his own to put the game out of reach.

                                                           Okie Dokie Jackass

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia walked twice in four plate appearances.

Adrian Gonzalez was 2 for 4.

David Ortiz was 1 for 3.

Carl Crawford was 1 for 3.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 1 for 3.

One of the rate times the losing pitcher is on the Good list but John Lackey tossed 6 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed just 4 hits and a walk while striking out 3.

The Bad:

Jed Lowrie was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Kevin Youkilis was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Jacoby Ellsbury was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Darnell McDonald was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Mike Cameron was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Dan Wheeler was charged with a run in 1 plus innings.

Alfredo Aceves allowed an inherited runner to score in 1/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

It seems like the Sox like to take 2 steps forward and a giant leap back so far this season. They drop their first 6 games but take two of 3 from the Yankees. They fall to 2-9 then take 3 out of 4 from the Blue Jays...only to fall flat on their face in Oakland tonight. The bats couldn't miss against the Jays but they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn tonight. Again, the Sox are way too loaded offensively to have too many games like this but this was BAD. Its sad to see Okajima's career go up in flames but he's clearly not the same pitcher he was in 07 and 08. Its one thing if he was young, but he was older even then. The Sox may need to cut him loose if he can't get back to 2009 form, let alone 07 or 08. Lackey finally looked good and the rotation has finally turned it around, its too bad the bullpen and bats let him down tonight. What can you do but tip your cap to Brett Anderson and say hey, ya got us. Francona getting tossed trying to protect his cribbage partner was pretty funny though. Its a shame the Sox lost because the Boston Celtics took Game 2 of their first round playoff series against the New York Knicks tonight. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against Oakland when Clay Buchholz (1-2) takes the hill against Gio Gonzalez of the A's. The game begins at 3:30 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

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..

Yankees Score Late, Sink Sox (4/6/10)

So much for the feel good win of Sunday night for the Boston Red Sox. Jon Lester performed as bad as Josh Beckett did in the opener and it became a battle of the bullpens after New York Yankees starter AJ Burnett didn't last long either. Unlike on Opening Day, the Yankees bullpen held and the Sox cracked. Nick Johnson and Robinson Cano drove in the deciding runs and the world champion Yankees got revenge on the Sox with a 6-4 win at Fenway Park.

Lester got the ball in the top of the first inning and Derek Jeter led off by striking out swinging on a full count. Nick Johnson grounded out to third before Mark Teixeira took strike three to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Burnett in the bottom of the first inning as Jacoby Ellsbury's pop up fell into no-man's land for a leadoff single. Ellsbury took off for second but Jorge Posada threw the ball into center, moving Jacoby to third. Dustin Pedroia lined out to second but Victor Martinez drew a walk. Kevin Youkilis hit a fly ball to center and Ellbury made a mad dash home to score on the sac fly to give the Sox the lead. Ortiz grounded into the shift to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                              1-0 Sox

The Yankees tied it in the top of the second as Alex Rodriguez led off with a tapper back to the mound to start. Robinson Cano broke his bat on a base hit up the middle before Jorge Posada walked. Nick Swisher doubled down the right field line to score Cano with the tying run. Marcus Thames drew a walk and Sox pitching coach John Farrell sprinted to the mound to tell Lester that Slumdog Millionaire was on in the clubhouse. Lester got so excited that he struck out Curtis Granderson swinging to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                            Yankees tie it up

Adrian Beltre led off the bottom of the second with a base hit to center but JD Drew whiffed on a curve in the dirt. Mike Cameron struck out but Beltre swiped second on the throw down. Marco Scutaro popped up to Teixeira in foul territory to end the inning.

As the top of the third inning began, NESN flashed the injury report. Boof Bonser would begin his rehab with Pawtuckett on Thursday and Daisuke Matsuzaka would begin his with Pawtucket on Saturday. Jed Lowrie was out with mono and Junichi Tazawa was out for the year with Tommy John surgery. Johnson led off the inning by flying out to right to start. Teixeira missed a home run by 10 feet by the left field foul pole before grounding out to short. A-Rod grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                       Who is Lowrie making out with?

The Sox took command in the bottom of the third as Ellsbury doubled down the right field line to start. Pedroia also missed a home run by 10 feet by the left field foul pole before he lined out to a diving Granderson in center. V-Mart bashed his first home run of the season into the Boston bullpen to put the Sox on top. Youk was rung up on a fastball on the outside corner and Ortiz grounded into the shift to end the inning but the Sox were on top 3-1.

                                                     Martinez put the Sox on top

Lester walked Cano to open the top of the fourth but Posada banged into a double play. Swisher was plunked but Lester struck out Thames to end the inning. Beltre led off the bottom of the fourth by lashing a base hit to center. Drew popped up to left but Cameron was plunked. Scutaro banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Yankees roared back in the top of the fifth as Granderson lashed a base hit to right to start. Jeter lined a base hit to center that sent Granderson to third and Johnson was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Teixeira beat out a double play ball to score Granderson and A-Rod doubled to the left field wall to tie the game. Cano put the Yankees on top with a sac fly to score Teixeira and Posada flied out to left to end the inning. Lester didn't have it at all and left after 5 innings, 4 runs allowed and trailing 4-3.

                                                      Not Lester's best stuff

The Sox answered in the bottom of the fifth although Jeter made a great jumping catch to rob Ellsbury of a base hit to begin. Pedroia drilled a base hit to right and motored around home to tie the game on a wall ball double by V-Mart. Youk was rung up for strike three and Ortiz went down hacking to end the inning but it tied 4-4.

                                                   Martinez ties it up with a double

Manny Delcarmen made his season debut in the top of the sixth and Swisher doubled high off the wall to start. Brett Gardner pinch hit for Thames and moved Swisher to third with a grounder to second. MDC got a big out when Youk robbed Granderson of a hit with a diving catch. Jeter grounded out to short to end the inning. Alfredo Aceves took over for the Yankees in the bottom of the sixth and Jeter made another great jumping catch to rob Beltre of a hit. Drew grounded out to first but Jeter threw a routine grounder by Cameron into the dirt for an error. Scutaro grounded into a force to end the inning.

"Flamethrower" Daniel Bard came in for the top of the seventh and Johnson walked to start. Ellsbury made a great diving catch to rob Teixeira of a bloop single before A-Rod was rung up on a bad call for strike three. Cano grounded out to second to end the inning. Ellsbury grounded out to first to start the bottom of the seventh before Pedroia popped up to center. V-Mart lined out to left to end the inning.

The Yankees took command in the top of the eighth inning as Hideki Okajima came in to crap his pants. Posada hit a ground rule double into the right field corner but Okajima got Swisher to ground out to short. Gardner sliced a base hit to left but Posada remained at second and Granderson flied out to the left field warning track. Jeter hit a routine grounder to Scutaro but Youk couldn't pick the low throw by Marco and everyone was safe to load the bases. The Yankees pounced on the mistake a Johnson walked home Posada to put the Yankees up for good. That was it for Okajima who had to throw over 30 pitches, leaving the bases loaded. Scott Atchison made his Red Sox debut and first appearance in the United States since 2007 by getting Teixeira to fly out to right to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 5-4.

                                                          Not Okie's night

Daniel Robertson came in to face Youk in the bottom of the eighth and Youkilis got a base hit to left. Yankees manager brought in Damaso Marte to face Ortiz only for Marte to throw the pickoff throw away to advance Youk to second. Ortiz failed to advance Youk by popping up to center and that was it for Marte. Joba Chamberlain came in to face Beltre and struck Adrian out. Drew whiffed to end the inning as Sox fans groaned.

The Yankees got a big insurance run off Atchison in the top of the ninth although Drew ran down an A-Rod fly ball to the right field warning track. Cano didn't miss like A-Rod did, pounding a home run into the right field corner to ice the game. Posada whiffed and Swisher took strike three to end the inning but the Yankees were up 6-4.

                                                No doubt for Cano

Mariano Rivera came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Cameron popped up to short to start. Somehow Scutaro doubled to the left field wall to bring the tying run to the plate. Ellsbury took strike three on the outside corner and Pedroia flied out to right to end the game. The Yankees avenged opening day with a 6-4 win over the Sox.

                                                         Damn Yankees


Jackass of the Night is Hideki Okajima. Yes the error didn't help but he still put two men on and walked in the go-ahead run when one more out got out of the inning.

                                                               Okie-dokie Jackass



The Good:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 5 with a stolen base and 2 runs scored.

Victor Martinez was 2 for 3 with a walk, 3 total rbis and a 2 run home run.

Kevin Youkilis was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Adrian Beltre was 2 for 4 with a stolen base.

Manny Delcarmen pitched a scoreless 6th inning.

Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless 7th inning.



The Bad:

David Ortiz was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

JD Drew was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Mike Cameron was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Jon Lester lasted just 5 innings and allowed 4 runs in his season debut.

Scott Atchison allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings of work.



The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Marco Scutaro was just 1 for 4 and committed an error.




Final Thoughts:

That's why the Yankees are the world champions. When the bullpen needed to step up, they did and when the Sox needed theirs, they didn't. Not much the Sox could do against Rivera but they could have avoided getting to that point if they finished off the eighth inning rally. A loss like this stings because two in a row against the Yankees puts the pressure on them for tomorrow night's game. Now its anyone's ballgame for bragging rights this early in the season. Tomorrow night is the rubber game between the two teams with John Lackey making his Red Sox debut taking on Andy Pettite of the Yankees. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park,

Sox Outslug Yankees in Season Opener (4/4/10)

The New York Yankees may have won the World Series last year but this year is a new year and the Boston Red Sox are out for blood. The Sox have reloaded with veterans such as Mike Cameron, Scott Schoenweis and Adrian Beltre and all three had an impact in the season opening win over the Yankees. The Yankees knocked Josh Beckett out in the 5th inning and took a 7-5 lead with 9 outs to play. Pedroia led the charge by knocking in 3 of the four runs the Sox scored and Jonathan Papelbon slammed the door on the 9-7 victory on Opening Day at Fenway Park.

                                                    Joe Perry approves of the win

Derek Jeter opened the season against Beckett by grounding out to short to begin. Nick Johnson flied out to Mike Cameron on the centerfield warning track before Mark Teixeira grounded out to Kevin Youkilis unassisted to end the inning. CC Sabathia got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jacoby Ellsbury greeted him by lining out to center to begin. Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging on a high fastball before Victor Martinez grounded out to first off the first base bag to end the inning.

The Yankees struck first in the top of the second although Alex Rodriguez grounded back to Beckett to start. Robinson Cano lined out to center before Jorge Posada homered off the Pesky Pole to give the Yankees the lead. Curtis Granderson's 1st at bat in a Yankee uniform ended with him launching a home run over the Sox bullpen to increase the lead. Nick Swisher singled to right and Brett Gardner singled to left. Jerer forced Gardner at second to end the inning but the Yankees now led 2-0.

                                                A new enemy in pinstripes

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the second as Kevin Youkilis led off with a double off the scoreboard. Youk moved to third on a grounder by David Ortiz before Granderson robbed Adrian Beltre of a double with a jumping catch at the wall. Still, the fly out was long enough to score Youk with a sac fly to cut the lead. JD Drew watched strike three go by to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                      Granderson makes the catch

Johnson walked to open the top of the third before Teixeira popped up to right. A-Rod banged into a double play to end the inning. Mike Cameron made his Sox debut by walking to begin the bottom of the third but was doubled off on a Marco Scutaro liner to third. Ellsbury grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Yankees embarrassed the Sox in the top of the fourth as Ellsbury just missed a Cano line drive off the wall for a double. Cano moved to third on the Posada grounder and stayed there momentarily as Granderson grounded out to first. Swisher drew a walk and Gardner ripped a base hit to left to score Cano. Jeter singled past the diving Scutaro to score Swisher with another run and advance Gardner to third. All of a sudden Jeter took off for second and Martinez threw down with Gardner coming home. V-Mart's throw wasn't close and Gardner slid in safe with a steal of home as Jeter took second. Yankee fans laughed at the Red Sox fans as Johnson took a backdoor curve to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 5-1.

                                                     Nice going Martinez

The Sox rolled over in the bottom of the fourth as Pedroia was called out on a bang bang play by umpire Angel Hernandez on a grounder to first. V-Mart grounded out to third before Youk popped up to short to end the inning.

The Yankees knocked Beckett out in the top of the fifth inning although Teixeira flied out to center to start. A-Rod popped up to second but Cano singled off the right field wall. Posada walked and Sox manager Terry Francona had seen enough. Beckett looked awful and Francona wisely pulled him after 4 2/3 innings, 5 runs allowed and 94 pitches. Scott Schoenweis made his Sox debut by uncorking a wild pitch that moved the runners along. ESPN broadcaster Jon Miller revealed Scott's wife died and Scott spent time on the Disabled List for depression because of it. Now he's back in the majors and he struck out Granderson to end the inning.

                                                    Awful season debut by Beckett

The Sox began their comeback in the bottom of the fifth although Ortiz popped up to third. Beltre whiffed on a low change but Drew lined a base hit to left. Cameron also lined a base hit to left and Scutaro got the Sox third straight hit to left. Drew came around to score and Gardner's throw sailed, allowing Marco to reach second with Cameron moving to third. Ellsbury watched strike three go by to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                         Happy fans

Schoenweis returned briefly for the top of the sixth inning as Swisher grounded out to short to start. Gardner popped up to center and that was it for Schoenweis. Ramon Ramirez made his season debut by allowing a base hit to center by Jeter. Johnson lined out to center to end the inning.

                                                   Great debut by Schoenweis

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Pedroia walked to start. V-Mart doubled down the left field line and Youk ripped a triple past Swisher in right to score both runners. Ortiz broke his bat on a grounder to second and that was it for Sabathia. David Robertson came on and Beltre greeted him with a base hit to center to score Youk to tie the game. Drew grounded out to first and Cameron grounded out to third to end the inning but the Sox had tied it 5-5.

                                                            Youk hits a triple

The Yankees wasted no time taking the lead back in the top of the seventh as Teixeira led off with a walk. A-Rod doubled off the Monster to chase Ramirez. Hideki Okajima came in and Cano scored Teixeira with a ground out to second. Posada increased the lead with a base hit up the middle and Granderson drew a walk. Swisher banged into a double play to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 7-5.

                                                       Didn't look good

The Sox came out swinging in the bottom of the seventh against Chan Ho Park as Scutaro singled up the middle to start. Ellsbury took strike three but Pedroia tied the game up with a home run into the Monster Seats, lighting up the crowd. V-Mart grounded out to second but Youk doubled off the Monster to chase Park. Damaso Marte came in and a wild pitch moved Youk to third. Ortiz walked to chase Park as Joba Chamberlain came in to face Beltre. Adrian grounded into a force to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 8-7.

                                                            Pedroia ties it up

"Flamethrower" Daniel Bard came in for the top of the eighth and got Gardner to ground out to second to start. Jeter grounded out to first but Johnson walked. Randy Winn ran for Johnson but Teixeira grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox hit the killshot in the bottom of the eighth although Drew grounded out to third to start. Cameron lashed a base hit to center before Scutaro drew a walk. Ellsbury lined out to center but Pedroia stroked a base hit to right, scoring Cameron with the insurance run. V-Mart lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-7

                                                       Cameron slides in safe

Jon Papelbon came out to close the game in the top of the ninth inning. A-Rod grounded out to third before Cano lined out to a running Ellsbury. Posada dumped a base hit to center to bring the tying run to the plate but Granderson grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox had beaten the champs 9-7 on Opening Day.

                                                                Opening Day win


Hero of The Night is Dustin Pedroia. He tied the game with a big two run jack and hit the killshot in the 8th inning.

                                                       Opening Day Hero



The Good:

Kevin Youkilis was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and 3 runs scored.

Adrian Beltre was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis.

Mike Cameron was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Marco Scutaro was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Scott Schoenweis tossed one full scoreless inning.

Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Jonathan Papelbon earned his first save of the season with a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Josh Beckett was awful in his season debut, allowing 5 runs in just 4 2/3 innings off 8 hits and 3 walks.

Ramon Ramirez was charged with 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Victor Martinez was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 but walked.

JD Drew was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Hideki Okajima got the win but allowed two inherited runners to score in an inning of work.




Final Thoughts:

Nothing like beating the Yankees on Opening Day. Its going to be a long year but to get off on the right foot is never a bad thing. The Sox were able to fight back after Beckett clearly didn't have it. The combination of Bard and Papelbon could be devastating in the later innings this season. If Beltre can rediscover his form from 2005, this could be a deadly team that rivals 2007. All of those are huge ifs but what's a fact is the Sox beat the Yankees tonight. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox look to make it two in a row against the Yankees on Tuesday night. Jon Lester makes his season debut opposite AJ Burnett at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.