Manny's Last Game?

We can only hope this was Manny Ramirez's last game in a Red Sox uniform. What a joke he has become. Manny is officially the most selfish athlete Boston sports has ever seen.

For him to say the Red Sox don't deserve a player like him is ridiculous. What about the $168 million they've paid you over the last eight years? What about looking the other way when you do stupid things like pushing the traveling secretary to the ground? What about ignoring the fact that you quit on the team in 2006?

The Red Sox and us fans don't deserve to be treated like this by you.

Manny says he loves the fans -- bullshit. If that were true he would honor his contract. I've never seen a professional athlete dog it like he has. Playing pro sports is a privilege, but Manny jogs to first base like he's above the rules.

All the players have had his back for years, but I'm sure they're tired of his act too. He's hanging them out to dry just like he is the fans. Even David Ortiz, Julio Lugo, Alex Cora and the rest of his good friends on the team can't be on his side this time.

As usual, everything is a joke to Manny. He was laughing in the dugout holding up a sign that said trade me for Favre straight up. He was still screwing around in the outfield and climbing into the wall during pitching changes. I think we always knew this, but Manny truly is an idiot.

Hopefully this three-way deal with the Marlins and Pirates will go through and the Sox will at least get Jason Bay to replace him which is not a bad option. Another possibility is Matt Kemp from the Dodgers which would be even better, but I still don't believe L.A. would do it.

As for Wednesday's game, the Manny drama seems to have the entire team in a funk. The Sox made 4 errors, couldn't get any big hits, and Josh Beckett fell apart after three innings.

BOX SCORE: Angels 9, Red Sox 2

This season is starting to slip away and unless something drastic happens in the next 12-14 hours it may be too late to save it.

Going Through The Motions

Manny's lack of effort seems to be rubbing off on the rest of the team. The Sox had no energy and nearly no hits in an embarrassing loss to the Angels Tuesday night.

That's seven straight losses to Anaheim, er Los Angeles, which looks like the team to beat in the AL.

Clay Buchholz was average again and just can't seem to regain his form from last season. Maybe the Sox would be better off putting Justin Masterson back in the rotation, sending Buchholz back to Pawtucket and trading for a reliever.

BOX SCORE: Angels 6, Red Sox 2

They definitely need to make some kind of move because this team needs a jump start. I don't think anyone would complain if they shipped Manny Ramirez out of town either.

Manny's act is beyond old and as the cliche goes, he is everything that is wrong with sports. How can a guy who's been paid almost $200 million and been given preferential treatment by the club for years think that the Red Sox are out to get him?

When he says he's sick of them he's actually quitting on his teammates and the fans, as evidenced again by his lack of hustle when he had a chance to beat out a ground ball to break up John Lackey's no hitter in the 7th inning, but chose to jog down the line instead.

It's been good while it lasted Manny, but it's time to go.

Dice-K, Sox Blow Chance Against Angels

What looked like it was going to be a night where the Red Sox gained a game on both the Yankees and Rays, turned into a lost opportunity when Daisuke Matsuzaka blew up in the 6th inning against the Angels.

Dice-K cruised through 5 innings and had a 2-1 lead, but then he walked the leadoff batter Chone Figgins after having him 0-2 and he never recovered. Two big home runs later and it was 6-2 and all but over.

The frustrating part was that Dice-K had only walked one guy before Figgins and was locating his fastball well all night, but he continues to have trouble when he gets deep into games (not that the 6th inning is deep).

BOX SCORE: Angels 7, Red Sox 5

The Sox had a couple of rallys and chipped away at the lead, but in a key spot in the 7th with the Sox down 7-3 and two guys on with one out, Manny Ramirez grounded into a double play where he and David Ortiz barely ran on the play.

The ball was hit hard enough that it was doubtful that Manny could have come close to beating it out, but what if the Angels bobbled it or made a bad throw? Damn I'm getting sick of this crap!

Of course Manny bashed a solo bomb over The Monster in the 9th when it was too little too late and he stood there and watched it too like it meant something.

There's no arguing he's one of the best hitters in the game, but if he's not going to try all the time - and it's well documented that he doesn't - get him the hell out of here. Take whatever you can get for him and move on. He's gone after the season anyway, so they might as well get something for him now.

Sox Salvage Series, Questions Remain About Manny

After dropping the first two games of the series with the Yankees, Sunday night's game was a must-win and the Red Sox had the right guy on the mound - Jon Lester.

Lester has been money all season, winning for the fourth time in five starts after a Red Sox loss. He didn't have his best stuff, but he battled through some tough stretches and finished very strong, retiring the last nine batters he faced after getting into a bases-loaded jam in the 5th.

Where would this team be without Big Jon?

BOX SCORE: Yankees 10, Red Sox 3
BOX SCORE: Red Sox 9, Yankees 2

The Manny Ramirez saga continues as it looks like the Sox will put up with Manny's crap - and his torrid hitting - the rest of the season and then it will finally be time to part ways.

There was some talk about the team trading Manny, but it looks highly doubtful at this point. It might not be a bad idea to unload him now and get a couple prospects for him, but he's so valuable to the offense that by doing that the team would basically be giving up on the season.

I think everyone's biggest fear is Manny leaving as a free agent after the season and signing with the Yankees, which is a definite possibility. He'd be as hated as Damon and Clemens if that happened.

David Ortiz has returned from the DL swinging a hot bat. Seeing him hit a bomb to deep right and then another shot to the track which would have been a home run in Yankee Stadium was a beautiful sight.

There's not much to say about Saturday's game other than the Sox got killed. The bullpen was very disappointing as Masterson came on with Boston trailing 6-2 and couldn't even get an out. The pen is still the number one concern and hopefully Theo will be able to get some help before Thursday's trade deadline.

Mannyless Red Sox Punchless Against Yankees

So Manny Ramirez shows up to Fenway before the biggest game of the season and say he can't play because of a sore knee. What kind of crap is that?

Manny's act is getting old again and this time the team might not stand for it. Any other player on the team would have had to be on crutches or in a wheel chair to miss Friday night's game, but Manny decides this is the time to send a message. Or was it that he just didn't want to face Joba Chamberlain?

Whatever the reason, there is no excuse for him not playing. The Sox called his bluff and sent him for MRIs on both knees and they both came back clean. So on a night when the team should have been celebrating the return of David Ortiz, they were instead distracted by the status of Ramirez.

BOX SCORE: Yankees 1, Red Sox 0

As for the game, Chamberlain dominated the suddenly weak-hitting Sox. Home plate umpire Marty Foster didn't help either. The strike three call on Mike Lowell in the 9th was brutal. The pitch was over the batters box, but because the catcher was set up there and it hit his glove he called Lowell out.

Josh Beckett pitched OK, but the Yankees had runners on base all night. The best sign of the night was Hideki Okajima's impressive 1 1/3 innings. If he can regain last season's form that would be huge.

And what about Chamberlain throwing at Kevin Youkilis' head again. Somebody needs to hit a line drive right back at that guy, or if they can't do that, one of the Sox pitchers needs to take a shot at Abreu or Giambi or one of their other better hitters.

Now it's imperative that the Sox take the next two to keep some distance between themselves and the surging Yankees.

Let's see if the Sox make a move to counter the Yankees' trade too. What a steal for New York getting a very good hitting outfielder and a solid left-handed reliever for four average prospects.

Sox Complete Seattle Sweep

The Sox made it tougher than it had to be, needing 12 innings to get the win on Wednesday, but they were able to sweep the Mariners in Seattle for the first time in 15 years.

Boston's bullpen came up huge in this one as Justin Masterson was masterful in his first relief appearance of the season. He retired all eight batters he faced, striking out three while bailing Clay Buchholz out of a jam in the 6th.

Masterson has great stuff and is a sinkerballer, which is exactly what the team needs in the pen to bridge the gap between the starters and Jonathan Papelbon.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 6, Mariners 3, 12 innings

Manny Delcarmen actually had a good outing as well after a horrible series in Anaheim. If he could just be consistent maybe the Sox wouldn't need to try to trade for a reliever in the next week, but he still hasn't proved himself.

Paps was a little shaky again in the 11th, but got out of a jam with a huge double play started by Mike Lowell. Papelbon seems to be relying too much on the fastball and hitters are sitting on the pitch.

Craig Hansen did his best to blow it in the 12th, but was able to escape and get the save. Watching him pitch is like being forced to get a root canal.

Mike Lowell had the big hit for the second straight night with a bases-loaded 2-run single in the 12th. The Sox got a huge gift when Mariners CF Willie Bloomquist closed his glove too early and dropped Kevin Youkilis' fly ball to set up Lowell's heroics. I guess that's why the Mariners are the worst team in the league.

J.D. Drew was robbed of a 3-run homer in the 3rd on a great catch by Ichiro, but on the next play Ichiro misplayed Youk's single to allow Dustin Pedroia to score from first. We'll take it any way we can get it.

Manny Ramirez showed up to the park and said he couldn't play because of a sore knee. After the game he said his status was day-to-day. Manny better be in a wheelchair if he doesn't play against the Yankees this weekend.

Dice-K, Drew Do The Damage In Seattle

Now this is more like it. Seven strong innings out of Daisuke Matsuzaka and some timely hitting throughout the lineup leads to the Red Sox' second straight win over the Mariners.

It's too bad Dice-K can't face Seattle every game. They basically swing at every pitch which allowed him to get into the 8th inning. That being said, he had an excellent outing and threw strikes all night.

He is now 11-1 with a 2.63 ERA and in his last five starts he's given up just three runs in 30 2/3 innings picking up three wins and two no-decisions.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 4, Mariners 2

J.D. Drew got the team off to a good start with a solo homer in the 1st, as every starter had a hitter except for Kevin Youkilis and Coco Crisp.

It was good to see Mike Lowell pick up a couple of hits to hopefully get him going again. Jed Lowrie looks great at the plate and the field filling in for The Pig Julio Lugo. Maybe Lugo will aggravate his injury and have to stay on the DL the rest of the season - we should be so lucky.

And how cool is Theo Epstein? Did you catch the shot of him hanging with Eddie Vedder, who sporting the classic '70s red and blue Sox batting helmet?

Battery Power: Lester, Varitek Lift Sox Over M's

Jon Lester was outstanding again and the bottom of the order finally showed some life as the Sox shut out the Mariners and ended their 5-game road losing skid Monday night.

Lester looked like he would get a complete-game shutout, but he was hit by a line drive in the 8th which loaded the bases with one out for the Mariners.

He was taken out as a precautionary measure and didn't seem to be injured after the game. Terry Francona turned to Jonathan Papelbon for a 5-out save and Paps came through flawlessly.

He got a double play to end the 8th and then a 1-2-3 9th, throwing only 15 pitches to pick up his 29th save on the season. If the Sox can just avoid the rest of the bullpen and go straight to Papelbon every game they'll be in good shape.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 4, Mariners 0

Even bigger news then the great pitching was the unexpected offense from Jason Varitek and Jed Lowrie.

Tek hit a 2-run bomb in the 5th to make it 2-0, had another single and a big walk in the 8th to keep the rally going. He hit the ball hard all night, so maybe this could be the start of a second-half comeback. He might want to try hitting only righty as he still looks pretty bad from the left-hand side of the plate.

Lowrie looked great making some nice plays in the field and coming with a huge 2-run single in the 8th to give the Sox some insurance runs. We can only hope that The Pig stays on the DL for the rest of the season.

Even Coco Crisp had a good game going 1-for-2 with 3 walks and 2 runs scored. This may have been the first game all season that the bottom of the order carried the offense.

Dumped in Disney

We were in Anaheim all weekend to witness the debacle against the Angels in person. This wasn't the way the second half of the season was supposed to start.

Friday's blowout was awful. After Manny Ramirez homered to tie it in the 4th it looked like the Sox would have a big offensive night, but then Clay Buchholz gave the lead right back and then got pounded the next inning and it was basically over.

Buchholz just isn't the same pitcher who dazzled late in the season last year. At this point I'd rather have Justin Masterson starting and Buchholz in the minors, but we'll see how it goes when they bring Masterson up to pitch in the bullpen.

Manny's ridiculous dive and roll in the outfield on a ball he had no chance of catching was pretty funny, but someone needs to tell Manny he's playing Major League Baseball and not kegger softball.

BOX SCORE: Angels 11, Red Sox 3
BOX SCORE: Angels 4, Red Sox 2
BOX SCORE: Angels 5, Red Sox 3

Every year his act gets old and we start thinking that we might be better without him, but then he goes on a tear and everyone starts the Manny being Manny talk and we forget about all the stupid stuff. Let's hope this season's tear starts this week.

Saturday's loss was a tough one. Beckett pitched well, but Francona has no confidence in the bullpen - and who can blame him at this point - so he was forced to leave him in when he got in trouble and the Sox blew their 2-0 lead.

The Sox still can't seem to get the big either. They had chances in the 8th and 9th off of the Angels' best relievers, but no one could come through. This is becoming a disturbing trend.

Sunday's loss may have been the most frustrating of the three. First off, they made Jon Garland look like Cy Young for 6 innings. Opponents are hitting .288 off this guy. The Sox should have killed him.

Then they wasted another solid effort from Tim Wakefield, who probably should have been left in to try to get out of the 7th with a tie score instead of bringing in Manny Delcarmen to really blow it.

After the Angels took the 5-3 lead in the 7th, the Sox were completely deflated and just rolled over the last two innings.

As it has been most of the season, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis are the only guys you can really feel good about at the plate. Dustin continues to just tear the cover off the ball and Youk has come through time after time.

Hopefully when David Ortiz comes back next week, Francona can get Jacoby Ellsbury some rest and get him out of the leadoff spot. He is killing the offense with his .332 on-base percentage.

Now it's off to Seattle for three games where nothing short of two wins is acceptable and a sweep would really be nice, especially since the Yankees get Minnesota at home and the Rays get Oakland and then Kansas City at home. It will be nice when their tough second half schedule kicks in.

Big Homestand Helps Sox Reel In Rays at Break

After sweeping the Twins and taking two of three from the Orioles while the Rays were dropping seven straight, the Red Sox are once again back where they belong - in first place in the AL East.

The Sox won a blowout on Saturday and a nail-biter on Sunday to improve to 57-40 overall and 36-11 at home.

The bats went nuts Saturday, banging out 15 hits including homers by J.D. Drew, Manny Ramirez and a grand slam by Kevin Youkilis. Tim Wakefield pitched another gem and is on pace to have his best season as a starter.

Daisuke Matsuzaka had another typical Dice-K outing on Sunday, pitching in and out of jams, but not allowing any runs. He gave up 4 hits and 5 walks, but struck out 7 in 6 scoreless innings to improve to 10-1 and lower his ERA to 2.65. His WHIP is now an atrocious 1.39. Has a starting pitcher ever finished a season with an ERA below 3.00 and a WHIP above 1.40?

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 12, Orioles 1
BOX SCORE: Red Sox 2, Orioles 1

Even though it's been a tough first half injury-wise, the Sox have found a way to hang in there.

If we were told in April that Josh Beckett would start the season on the DL, Mike Lowell would miss about a month, Dice-K would have a stint on the DL, Clay Buchholz would go on the DL and get sent to the minors for a month, David Ortiz would miss close to two months, Mike Timlin would miss about a month, and Manny Ramirez, Jacoby Ellsbury, J.D. Drew and Sean Casey would all miss some time with various injuries, I think we would be happy to be 17 games over .500 with a 1/2-game division lead at the All-Star break.

With Papi taking batting practice and just days away from returning, and everyone else on the list back and contributing, it's shaping up to be a great second half.

Youk, Drew and Dustin Pedroia have been the three constants in the lineup and all three are having career years to this point (can you have a career year in your second season?). They are all deserving all-stars and candidates for team MVP honors if not league MVP.

The pitching has been up and down, but thanks to an unexpected contribution from Justin Masterson, a very good first half from Jon Lester and the shut down closing from Jonathan Papelbon, the staff is in decent shape for the stretch run.

All that being said, the Sox could use an upgrade at shortstop and catcher, possibly another starter and some help at middle relief. We'll see if Theo has any tricks up his sleeve as the trade deadline approaches.

Buchholz Battered in Return

After spending a couple months in the minors working on his mechanics and his fastball, this was not what we were expecting from Clay Buchholz. He looked nervous, and admitted he was after the game, and still didn't have command or confidence in his fastball.

The offense didn't give him much help either as the top three spots in the order were a combined 0-for-13. Dustin Pedroia walked twice, but couldn't extend his 17-game hitting streak.

The loss was especially disappointing since both the Yankees and Rays lost again, but at least the Sox didn't lose any ground.

BOX SCORE: Orioles 7, Red Sox 3

Buchholz showed flashes of his great talent throwing some outstanding curve balls while striking out six in five innings. It's all about control for him though as he walked five guys and always seemed to be working out of the stretch.

Sean Casey and Brandon Moss looked solid again filling in for J.D. Drew and Coco Crisp.

The Sox depth will be challenged some more as it looks like Julio Lugo will be out for a while. Was it wrong of me to be sort of happy that Lugo got hurt?

Since it doesn't look serious or career-threatening, I'm glad The Pig will be out for a while and Jed Lowrie might get a chance to show what he can do. If we're lucky enough, he'll kick ass and Lugo will never get back in the lineup.

Lugo actually had a decent game getting a hit and a couple of RBIs and starting the near rally in the 9th.

He was called out by Doug Eddings on possibly the worst call I've ever seen in the 2nd inning. Instead of having two guys on with one out and a tie score, the bad call basically ended the rally. Let's see if MLB says anything about the call.

Offensive Outburst Leads to Sweep of Twins

When the first four guys in the lineup combine for 12 hits, 11 RBIs and 10 runs scored it's usually a good day.

This one was especially nice as Manny Ramirez looks to officially be out of his slump and mashing the ball again, and Jacoby Ellsbury had the first 4-hit game of his career. Ells is such a huge key for the offense. As he goes, the offense go and if he can have a big second half the Sox will be in good shape.

Dustin Pedroia continues to be the hottest hitter in the Majors, and Kevin Youkilis continues to produce no matter where he hits in the lineup. Anyone who says Youk is overrated and Dustin doesn't deserve to start the All-Star game doesn't know anything about baseball.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 18, Twins 5

About the only concern Wednesday was another lackluster effort from Josh Beckett. Although he was able to pick up his 9th win, he didn't have his good stuff again and has just been average this season. Hopefully the extra rest at the break will recharge him for a big second half.

The flood gates opened after the overturned triple play in the 7th that really wasn't even close. It was an easy call to make and should have been called correctly right away. Luckily the umps got together and got it right. You knew one of the managers was getting thrown out after that play.

Everyone in the starting lineup had at least one hit. Julio Lugo and Jason Varitek even had two hits and an RBI apiece so everything was going right. Tek seems to be swinging the bat a little better the last couple of games. If he can hit .240 for the season I think I would take it.

It looks the Rays aren't so invincible either, although I would have liked to have seen them win at least one game against the Yankees. Tampa has trouble on the road and may just fade down the stretch leaving the Sox and Yankees to battle it out for the division again.

Manny's Blast Keys 4-Run, 8th-Inning Rally

This is the kind of win that teams look back on as a turning point in the season.

It was the second straight night Manny Ramirez has come through with a clutch hit. The usual suspects -- Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis -- also had big hits in the 8th-inning rally which was started by a leadoff double from Jacoby Ellsbury.

This is the offense we have been waiting for and the one that will be even better when David Ortiz returns to the lineup.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 6, Twins 5

Brandon Moss also was huge in the victory coming through with a sacrifice fly in the 7th and the game-winning RBI single to cap the 8th-inning rally.

Playing Moss in place of the struggling Coco Crisp turned out to be a huge move by Terry Francona and one that we'll hopefully see more of.

The Red Sox also were able to win on a night when Jon Lester didn't have his best stuff, although he was able to pitch into the 8th.

Francona surprisingly left Lester in to start the 8th and it almost backfired as he allowed a couple of hits and a run that made it 5-2 twins. Even though he won't admit it, the struggles of the bullpen had to contribute to that decision.

The Sox made up a game on the Rays who lost to the Yankees. Should we be rooting for the Yankees in this brief series? I don't think I can do it. I'd rather see the Rays keep the Yankees down and then hopefully the rays will cool off in the second half. As long as the Sox take care of business it will all work out anyway.

Familiar Formula, Friendly Fenway Lead to Victory

The Sox took a page out of last year's playbook and got things back on track Monday night. A great start from Daisuke Matsuzaka, solid relief pitching from Hideki Matsui and Jonatahan Papelbon, and a clutch hit from Manny Ramirez made for a good win over the Twins.

It was nice to finally win a one-run game and really nice the way it was done. The shutout was Boston's league-leading 10th of the season.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 1, Twins 0

Manny went 2-for-4 and was robbed of another hit. Hopefully this is a sign that he's waking up at the plate. Seeing him get the game-winning hit on a tough pitch which he just slapped into right field was a welcome sight for all Sox fans.

Dustin Pedroia can do no wrong. He crushed a double off the wall to start the 8th, extending his hitting streak to 15 games and eventually scoring the winning run. Dustin is everything a pro athlete should be and proves it day in and day out.

Dice-K finally put it all together after a shaky 1st inning where he walked two batters and looked like he was going to be in for a long night. He had great stuff and threw all his pitches for strikes allowing him to pitch into the 8th inning.

Okajima has had a few good outings in a row now and looks like he's on back on track to be the 8th-inning stopper we saw last year, and Paps rebounded from his tough night at Yankee Stadium for his 26th save. Even The Pig made a nice play in the field for the second night in a row. A good night all around just when we needed it!

The best news of the night might have been before the game even started as David Ortiz had a successful batting practice session, blasting six home runs and reporting no pain. Big Papi is on track to be ready after the All-Star break which would be huge.

Ortiz can't get back soon enough with the bottom of the order continuing to flounder. As Sweet Lou Merloni said, the Sox lineup resembles a National League team where you can breeze through the Nos. 8 and 9 spots.

Nightmare in New York

What should have been a 4-game sweep for the Red Sox in New York turned into a split of the series and the Yankees gaining some momentum Sunday night.

It was another frustrating loss as the trend of giving up 2-strike hits and 2-out runs continued. This time the Sox surrendered 3-1 and 4-2 leads and wasted another good effort from a starter - Tim Wakefield was the victim again. Wake, who is 5-6 with a 3.75 ERA, should probably have 10 wins by now.

Terry Francona just can't seem to figure out the right combination in the mix-and-match bullpen the Red Sox have been trying to get by with. javy Lopez was brutal Sunday night and cost Wake the win. For a guy who's supposed to be a lefty specialist he sure struggles against left-handed batters.

The good news was that Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima were excellent, but who knows if they will be good again the next time they're called upon.

BOX SCORE: Yankees 5, Red Sox 4 (10 innings)

The Sox had another chance to win the game in the 9th inning against Mariano Rivera, but once again they couldn't come up with the big hit. Manny Ramirez struck out looking at three straight pitches with the winning run at third base.

It's time for Francona to realize when he gives Manny a night off he might as well tell him not to show up at all. Unlike most players, Manny doesn't keep himself ready in case he's needed.

Most guys who are the best hitter on their team would be chomping at the bit for a chance to get into a tie game against their arch rivals. Manny should have been walking around the dugout with a bat in hand from the 7th inning on hoping to come up in a key situation. But that's just not Manny. When he was called on to pinch hit in the 9th, he was scrambling to find his bat and helmet to get to the on deck circle in time.

The other thing Francona needs to do is stop using Jason Varitek to pinch hit for Kevin Cash. It should be the other way around at this point because Tek is such a liability at the plate even Cash is a better hitter than him. Also, Cash had already doubled home a big run in this game so why not use Manny to pinch hit for Julio Lugo and then let Cash hit for himself.

While we're talking about Tek, it's a complete joke that he's on the All-Star team. Apparently the AL players must hate A.J. Pierzynski, because they voted Tek in over him. Tek should decline the election since he is the worst-hitting catcher in the majors and could use the three days off.

One final note, Lugo actually made a good play and a big play when he jumped and caught a line drive from Bobby Abreau and doubled off Jeter to keep the Sox ahead 3-2 in the 6th. Then he led off the next inning with a single and scored the fourth run, but since he still is a pig he was lifted for a pinch hitter and wasn't in the game in the 10th when the ball hit by Brett Gardner went off Alex Cora's glove allowing the Yankees to score the winning run.

Had Lugo still been in the game he never would have gotten to the ball and Dustin Pedroia would have reached it and kept Robinson Cano at third base. The Pig strikes again even when he's not in the game.

The best thing I heard during the game was when Peter Gammons said the Sox are looking to acquire a shortstop and if they don't find one they may just promote Jed Lowrie. Please let that happen. Anything to spare us of a second half with The Pig.

Red Sox Rally Against Rivera Falls Short

The good news - the Red Sox can still rattle Mariano Rivera. The bad news - the bottom of the lineup is so pathetic the offense is basically trying to score with just six guys.

After scoring a run on Rivera to cut the lead to 2-1 with the bases loaded and no outs, things were looking up. But then I realized that Coco Crisp, Jason Varitek and Julio "the worst player in baseball" Lugo were coming up and I didn't feel so good.

All I kept saying when Coco was up was, "just make contact." That didn't happen as his pseudo swing on strike three might have been the worst I've seen all season.

Then Tek came up and I was thinking a) "please don't hit into a double play," and b) "just hit the ball to the outfield." Neither of those things happened as Tek popped up weakly to first leaving the game in the balance with the Pig coming up.

At that point I gave up all hope and Pig Man did as expected and waived at strike three leaving the bases loaded and blowing a great opportunity to really do some damage to the Yankees.

BOX SCORE: Yankees 2, Red Sox 1

Too bad Sean Casey wasn't still available to pinch hit. When he pinch hit for Alex Cora to start the 8th I agreed with the decision, but looking back on it the Sox just needed a base runner at that point and maybe should have let Cora bat and saved Casey for a possible at-bat in the 9th.

Justin Masterson gave the Sox all they could have asked for allowing just 2 runs in six innings. He actually could have kept the Yankees scoreless but a couple of 2-strike hits and 2-out runs cost him. Javy Lopez and Mike Timlin looked good in relief too.

The first run was especially frustrating as it looked like J.D. Drew was going to throw out the lumbering Jason Giambi at the plate on a 2-out hit by Melky Cabrera, but for some reason Tek moved in front of the plate to get the throw and was out of position to make the tag.

I hate Tim McCarver and think he and Joe Buck are the worst announcing team on the planet - well maybe the Tampa announcers might be worse - but McCarver was right when he said Tek should have been waiting at the plate to take the throw and block the plate on that one.

One last note - are the Yankees afraid to pitch to Manny? They plunked him three times and nailed Youk in the 9th, but it still wasn't enough.

Sox Leave Yankees Seeing Stars

Another huge win at Yankee Stadium has Red Sox Nation feeling much better about things. Just about everyone contributed in this one - except for The Pig of course.

The two big blows were delivered by Kevin Youkilis and Mike Lowell. These guys have continually come through in the clutch all season, especially since David Ortiz went down.

Youk's two-run triple that tied it in the 3rd was one of the craziest plays we've ever seen. At first I was cursing Johnny Damon thinking he had made a great catch, then all of sudden it looked the ball fell out of the sky and landed next to him.

The ball actually came out of Damon's glove when he hit the wall and sat on top of the fence for what seemed like about 30 seconds. Youk never stopped running and got to third easily. The best part was the Yankee fan running down to the fence yelling at Johnny and pointing to the ball to show him where it was. Got to love the Sox fans' reaction in the picture too.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 6, Yankees 4

Lowell's 3-run homer in the 5th to give the Sox a 6-3 lead was one of the biggest hits of the season too. The Sox had let Darrell Rasner off the hook a couple of times, but Lowell made sure that wouldn't happen again. If it wasn't for Lowell, I think we'd be questioning the Hanley Ramirez deal quite a bit.

Josh Beckett pitched well after a shaky first inning, but once again he was pulled after 102 pitches when it looked like he could have gone another inning. This 100-pitch rule is ridiculous.

The bullpen tried to give it away again, but came up with just enough pitches to get the job done. The game should have ended on Coco Crisp's great diving catch in the 9th, but a terrible call by Wally Bell almost let the Yankees tie it. Baseball really needs to do something about the shoddy umpiring this season because that one was another obvious blown call.

Lester Gets Sox Back on Track

What a difference a day makes. The Sox thankfully got out of Tampa and away from the juggernaut Rays and landed in New York to face the sorry Yankees. Perfect timing to beat up on a second-tier team and get out of a slump.

Jon Lester dominated New York's weak offense and gave the bullpen a much needed day off by going the distance.

This game was basically over after the 1st inning. It looked like Boston's woes would continue when Manny Ramirez hit a perfect double play ball to Robinson Cano with runners on first and second and one out. But Derek Jeter channeled the powers of Julio Lugo and sailed the throw to first into the dugout and the Sox had a 1-0 lead.

Mike Lowell then lined a base hit to left which every other outfielder in the majors - and the minors for that matter - would have easily been able to throw out Manny at the plate on, but Johnnny Damon and his 7th-grade-girl arm threw a 10 hopper to Posada and the Sox had a 2-0 lead. The shit-eating grin on Damon's face after the play, basically saying he can barely reach the shortstop on a throw from the outfield was beautiful.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 7, Yankees 0

In the bottom of the inning, it looked like the Red Sox pitching was up to its old tricks as Lester walked Damon and Jeter and we were already wondering how many runs it was going to take to outscore the Yankees.

Then something just clicked and he got Bobby Abreu on a grounder and struck out Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi. Those two strikeouts really deflated New York and the entire stadium. The Sox went on to pound Andy Pettitte and the game was never in doubt.

Lester was as dominating as he was when he tossed his no-hitter against the Royals. He allowed only one extra-base hit and didn't walk another batter after the 1st while striking out eight. What a huge game right when the team needed it. You think Theo is glad he didn't pull the trigger on the Santana deal now?

There were also some great signs on offense.

Jacoby Ellsbury had a 2-RBI double, Manny finally caught up to fastball, Coco Crisp returned from his 5-game suspension and had 2 hits and scored twice. (Is it a coincidence that the Sox lost all 5 games coco was suspended for and then dominated in his first game back? Maybe he's more important to this team than we thought.)

And best of all, Jason Varitek broke his 0-for-18 slump with an RBI single in the 8th and had a good at-bat in the 4th when he moved the runner over from second on a ground out to the right side leading to a run. Even Lugo had a sacrifice fly!

Now the Sox have a chance to really put the pressure on with Josh Beckett going in Game 2 of the series. After seeing how pissed Joe Girardi was in the postgame press conference, another shutout might send Stank Steinbrenner into a fit of rage we haven't seen since his dad and Billy Martin we're going at it back in the '70s. We can only hope we're so lucky.

Reeling Red Sox Swept By Rays

It can't get any worse than this can it? It better not. After enduring their worst defeat of the season, the Sox need to find a way to snap out of the funk they're in or they'll find themselves in third place by the time they get back to Fenway.

Wednesday's loss to the Rays was really tough to watch. From Dice-K's wild first inning, to Lugo's idiotic slide in the 4th, to the bullpen implosion in the 7th, the Sox did everything they could to hand the Rays this game and a sweep of the series. I'm starting to really not like Tampa.

The questionable decisions started even before this game began. When the lineups were announced, I was sure we'd see Kevin Cash at catcher, especially against the lefty Scott Kazmir. But there was Jason Varitek penciled in again, and to make matters worse he was batting 7th.

BOX SCORE: Rays 7, Red Sox 6

After Dustin Pedroia - who almost single-handedly won this game for the Sox - homered in the first, Daisuke Matsuzaka gave the lead right back. How many time have Sox pitchers given up leads immediately after they've gotten them? This has become an epidemic just like the amount of two-out runs they've been allowing.

Dice-K was his typical wild self, walking three in the first, but he got out of it with just one run scoring. He then settled down and was cruising with a 4-1 lead after 5 innings and having thrown 101 pitches.

Given the state of the bullpen, he'd surely pitch another inning - not. For some reason Terry Francona brought in Hideki Okajima to start the 6th and the battle of the bullpens was on.

Okajima had one of his best innings of the season striking out two, so maybe he would get to pitch another inning - not.

Manny Delcarmen was brought in to start the seventh. After he faced three batters without getting an out, Craig Hansen came on. He was just as bad and also couldn't get any of the three batters he faced out while giving up the lead. Finally David Aardsma was brought in the stop the bleeding, but it was too late.

What the hell is Francona thinking? Is there such a thing as a manager being in a slump? If so, he's in a huge one. This entire road trip has been full of questionable decisions and Wednesday's loss has to go squarely on Tito's shoulders.

Despite the questionable pitching decisions and lineup, the Sox were able to rally and cut the lead to 7-6 in the 9th with one out, Mike Lowell on first and Tek scheduled to bat.

This was an obvious pinch-hitting situation. With a righty on the mound and no one warming up, you had to feel good about Sean Casey's chances of keeping the rally going. But wait, Casey is still in the dugout and here comes Tek who might as well be going up the plate with a wiffle ball bat.

To make matters worse, with a 1-0 count Francona sends Mike Lowell - one of the slowest runners on the team. Tek waives at the pitch like he has about 100 pitches in a row and Lowell is thrown out by 10 feet. It's game over on the inevitable strikeout by Tek.

I'll say it again. What the hell is Francona thinking? My 6-year-old could have managed that game better. Is Casey in the doghouse? That's three games in a row that he should have at least pinch hit and he still hasn't seen the field. I know he's loyal to his players, but everyone can see how bad Tek is struggling and that he needs some time off. And if he is going to play him he should be batting ninth.

Then there's Manny. For one of the greatest hitters of all-time, he looks really bad right now. He can't even catch up to mediocre fastballs.

His I-don't-care attitude is getting old again too. He jogged down the line in the 9th on his ball in the hole to shortstop and was lucky to reach base because of a bad throw. Then after the game with the Sox just being swept for their 5th straight loss dropping them 5 games back of the Rays in the loss column, he's hanging out in the dugout with a smirk on his face like it doesn't even matter. It does matter Manny. I'll take Youk's over-the-top intensity any day over Manny's BS attitude.

The scary thing about all this is that the Sox may have been exposed. Their bullpen is weak, Lugo the Pig is the worst shorstop in the league, Tek may be washed up, Manny may be on the decline, and Dice-K may never be as good as he was supposed to be.

Now it's on to New York. If the Sox don't at least split the 4-game series they may look back at this week as the point where the season was lost.

Tumbling In Tampa

It's only the beginning of July, but it's never too early to panic. A second straight loss to the Rays in Tampa has the Red Sox reeling and the Nation wondering if we need to start concerning ourselves with the wild card.

The offense was pathetic Tuesday night. Tampa pitchers threw fastball after fastball by overmatched Boston batters and made it look easy. If there were any doubts about the Rays being for real coming into this series, they are gone now.

Some disturbing trends are starting to emerge as the Sox limp towards the All-Star break. The team has lost four straight games and they have all been by one run. That hasn't happened since June of 1993. The Sox are now 11-14 on the season in one-run games.

The Sox are also dreadful in domes this season. Including the two games in Japan, Boston is 3-14 indoors. Let's hope they don't have to play Tampa or Minnesota in the playoffs.

BOX SCORE: Rays 3, Red Sox 1

And then there's the anemic offense. They have been able to cover up for the loss of David Ortiz thanks to an incredible June by J.D. Drew and solid production from Mike Lowell, Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia and occasionally Manny Ramirez.

The rest of the guys haven't been getting it done, however, and on a night when Drew struggled, it was painfully obvious how much Big Papi is missed.

We all love Jason Varitek, but it might be good if Tek came up with a mysterious injury and went on the DL for a couple of weeks to try to straighten out his swing. His two strikeouts on six pitches were about as bad as a batter can look. I'd rather see Kevin Cash or any other catcher in the system come to the plate than Tek right now.

But you can be sure Terry Francona will stick with Tek and continue to even pinch hit him even when he's not in the lineup.

For the second straight night Francona pulled Sean Casey back and let Tek hit. This time it was to start the 8th inning. The Sox later had two runners on with one out in the inning but didn't score. The Mayor is batting .358 and is a career .303 hitter. You might want to give him a chance even against a lefty!

Manny looked completely out of sync Tuesday night also. He couldn't catch up to the fastball and was uncharacteristically swinging at pitches out of the strike zone.

Unfortunately, the weak offense wasted a good outing from Tim Wakefield again. Wake allowed only 2 runs, 1 earned (can we please find a shortstop who can play - Jed Lowrie anybody?) over 7 innings and gave the team a chance to win.

Dice-K has an opportunity to earn his money Wednesday. It would be a huge boost for the team if he can come up big and they find a way to salvage a game against Scott Kazmir and the Rays before heading to New York. The only good news Tuesday was that the Yankees lost to the Rangers again and Mariano Rivera gave up the winning run in the 9th.