Sox Blow Lead in Their Final Game at Yankee Stadium

Maybe it was too much too ask for a sweep in the final series at Yankee Stadium, but the bottom line is the Sox did what they needed to winning 2 out of 3.

The Yankees still suck and I still say that with 29 games left in the season and 6 games to make up they are done.

It was a tough loss though. The Sox had their chances, especially in the 6th and 7th when they had a guy at 2nd with one out and couldn't score either time.

Papelbon's pitch to Giambi in the 9th on an 0-and-2 count was a shocker. I don't know why he didn't try to make him chase one in the dirt for the strikeout. It was very surprising they threw another fastball there.

BOX SCORE: Yankees 3, Red Sox 2

Lester pitched well which was huge after his last outing and the uncertainty of Beckett. I was a little surprised he came out for the 7th (although who can blame Francona for not having confidence in the bullpen), and it turned out he was left in a couple batters too long.

Okajima needs to shake off the home run too. The Sox need him more than ever now.

The Sox have 3 games each vs. the White Sox and Orioles and then at Texas before the first of two series against the Rays. They need to at win at least 6 or 7 of those games and hopefully cut into Tampa's lead a bit and get some momentum heading into the big series.

Sox Can't Close the Door on Yankees Season

Well, what was a promising start to the day ended terribly wrong for the Red Sox.

First, the Sox blow a great opportunity to sweep the Yankees in what could possibly be the last game played in Yankee stadium between the two teams. And after the game, it was announced Josh Beckett will miss his scheduled start on Friday and see Dr. Andrews in regard to his elbow.

The team says it’s a precautionary visit. However, this is not good news as we could really use Josh healthy and pitching at Fenway Park tomorrow night.

On the positive side, Jon Lester was outstanding once again and has become the ace of the staff (6 2/3 inn, 1 earned run). Unfortunately, the bullpen went back to their old ways and Jason Giambi hit a two run home run off Okajima with two outs in the seventh inning.

After almost striking out on a foul tip with two strikes, Cody Ransom laced a double to end Lester’s night. Figuring Girardi would pinch hit Giambi for Molina, Francona opted to go with the lefty Okajima.. After getting ahead in the count, Giambi hit a towering home run to tie the game.

In the bottom of the ninth, Masterson got ahead of Nady 1-and-2, but Nady worked the count to 3-and-2 and singled to lead off the inning. After Cano failed to get the bunt down and lined out, the speedster Gardner stole second. The Sox intentionally walked Matsui to set up the double play opportunity with Pudge coming up. Masterson got ahead again, but couldn’t finish the job and walked the normally difficult to walk catcher.

With the bases now loaded and desperate for a strikeout, Francona opted to bring in Papelbon. Papelbon got ahead 0 and 2, but Giambi lined the third offering up the middle for the game winner.

The Sox couldn’t do much against the Yankees pitching today as Mike Mussina was sharp once again (7 inn, 5 hits, 2 earned runs). The Yankee bullpen also pitched well (2 hitless innings) and Rivera was credited with the win.

The RBI's came from a Jason Varitek single and a Jacoby Ellsbury fielders choice. It's worth noting that Jacoby is one of the only players in the league that could have beaten the play out.

We have to be pleased with a series win, but it sure would have been nice to get a sweep and put the nail in the Yankees coffin.

With a big series coming up this weekend against the White Sox, look for the Red Sox to bounce back and continue their great play at Fenway Park.

Note: Mark Kotsay started his first game in a Red Sox uniform and went 1 for 4 with a double.

Sox Put Another Nail in Yankees' Coffin

Can it get any better than this? A blowout at Yankee Stadium highlighted by a gran slam by legend-in-the-making Dustin Pedroia and the Red Sox have all but ended any hopes the Yankees had of making the playoffs.

If the Sox can pull off the sweep Thursday afternoon New York fans will remember the final season of Yankee Stadium as the one when the Red Sox cemented their place in the new order of the baseball universe -- on top with the Yankees looking up at them.

When Pedroia hit the grand slam to make it 11-2, the look of total defeat on Stank Steinbrenner's face was priceless. The only thing better would have been George berating Brain Cashman for the shitty team they have.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 11, Yankees 3

The Sox are really getting hot at the right time. Jason Bay continues to tear the cover off the ball, Kevin Youkilis shows no signs of slowing down and David Ortiz is lining balls all over the park.

Even Coco Crisp and Jason Varitek have been contributing. It seems like whoever is in the lineup these days does something to help the team win.

Paul Byrd did a nice job going 6 innings and the blowout allowed the main guys in bullpen to get a much needed night off.

If the Sox can stay hot through September and get Mike Lowell, Josh Beckett and J.D. Drew back healthy, they will be a very dangerous team come playoff time.

Sox Take Fight Out of Yankees

Game 1 of the Red Sox final series in this Yankees Stadium couldn't have gone much better for Boston.

Some timely hitting, a decent start by Tim Wakefield, another good performance by the bullpen, and Yankee hitters constantly choking in clutch situations leading to boos raining down from the New York faithful all made for enjoyable Tuesday night in the Big Apple.

Alex Rodriguez once again showed why any team he is on will never win a world series as he grounded into a double play on the biggest at-bat of the night in the 7th with the bases loaded and 1 out and the Sox leading 7-3. It was only fitting that A-Fraud also ended the game with a strikeout and went 0-for-5 and left 7 guys on base.

How glad are we now that we didn't get him before the '04 season?

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 7, Yankees 3

The bottom of the lineup came up huge for the Sox as Coco Crisp continued his good play in J.D. Drew's absence with 3 hits, Jeff Bailey (yes I said Jeff Bailey) had 2 hits and 2 RBIs and even Kevin Cash went 2-for-4.

The key to the game was that the Sox answered every inning after the Yankees scored and kept the pressure on all night. Kevin Youkilis' double in the 3rd scoring David Ortiz was a huge hit that gave the Sox the lead for good.

Jason Bay also did well in his first Red Sox-Yankees game going 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs.

Wake pitched just well enough to get through 5 innings for the win, but it was nice to just see him out there. The bullpen did a decent job again with the exception of Manny Delcarmen, who can't seem to have two good outings in a row.

After Delcarmen walked two batters to load the bases in the 7th he was pulled for Justin Masterson who got A-Rod to hit into the double play on the first pitch. Masterson continues to be one of the best stories of the season.

Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon came on to close it out and the Sox had a satisfying victory. Toronto helped us out beating the Rays too so it was a good night all around.

Now we need Paul Byrd to give us a decent outing and the Sox hitters to pound Sidney "Pig" Ponson and the sweep will be well on its way. There would be nothing sweeter than a Red Sox sweep in their final series in this ballpark which basically would knock the Yankees out of playoff contention for good this season.

Sox Top Jays on Lowrie's Homer in the 11th

After all the injuries and an old-fashioned whipping on Saturday, to win in dramatic fashion Sunday had to be a huge lift for the Red Sox as they head to New York for three games where they'll try to bury the Yankees for good.

Jed Lowrie should have already secured the starting shortstop spot for the rest of the season even if Julio "The Pig" Lugo comes back from injury, but in case there was any doubt he erased that with one swing of the bat Sunday afternoon in Toronto.

Lowrie, who had struggled most of the day, belted only his 2nd home run of the season but it may have been the biggest hit of any Red Sox this season.

With the Rays seemingly winning every day, and the White Sox and Twins keeping pace, every game from here on out should be treated as a playoff game, and this one had that kind of feel.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 5 (11 innings)
BOX SCORE: Blue Jays 11, Red Sox 0

Dustin Pedroia again got the team off to a good start smacking a 3-run homer in the 3rd. He has a chance to hit 20 homers which would be an amazing feat for Dusty. He continues to come up huge on a daily basis and in his second season has already emerged as a team leader.

Coco Crisp hit a huge home run in the 7th to tie it 5-5. That was completely unexpected, but is exactly the type of contribution the Sox are going to need down the stretch if they want to get into the playoffs and defend their title.

Daisuke Matsuzaka actually had good control -- only walking 1 batter in 6 innings -- but he was stung by the longball and gave up 5 runs. Luckily, the bullpen came up big as Justin Masterson, Hideki Okajima, Jonathan Papelbon and Manny Delcarmen combined for 5 shutout innings allowing just 2 base runners.

It was almost shocking to see Delcarmen actually get the save, but maybe this is the game he needed to get back into form.

Boston has now won 11 of its last 16 road games. If the Sox can at least take 2 of 3 in New York they'll be in pretty good shape heading into September.

Teusday's game will likely be the key as Tim Wakefield comes off the DL to face the Yankees who usually hit him hard. The Sox will be facing Andy Pettitte who usually pitches well against Boston. Paul Byrd will get his first taste of The Rivalry Wednesday against Sidney Pigson (the Sox better light that pig up) and then Jon Lester looks to bounce back on Thursday against Mike Mussina.

Even though Tampa is the team to beat right now, there's still no replacement for the Red Sox-Yankees.

Byrd, Bats Get the Job Done in Toronto

Facing the Toronto Blue Jays for the third straight time, Paul Byrd was able to pitch just well enough to get his first win in a Red Sox uniform Friday night.

Byrd has been as advertised so far, a guy who will give the team some innings and keep them in the game. That's exactly what he did Friday allowing 4 runs in 6 innings, but he got out of jam in the 6th with the Sox up 6-4 to preserve the win.

With the injuries mounting -- Josh Beckett has now been pushed back to Friday -- he will be even more important coming down the stretch.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 8, Blue Jays 4

The bullpen was outstanding as Justin Masterson, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon each tossed a scoreless inning.

I'm feeling much better about Okie Doke, who has only given up runs in two of his last 17 appearances dating back to the end of June.

Jason Varitek's hot streak continued as he homered in the third straight game he has played. I'm still not convinced he's completely out of his prolonged slump, but if he turns this thing around and can end up hitting .250 or even .240 by the end of the season it will be one of the most amazing reversals of fortunes in recent memory. He was basically left for dead by me and a lot of others about a month ago.

Dustin Pedroia got the team off to a good start with a home run in the 1st and ended up going 2-for-4 with 3 RBI. He continues to be the model of consistency and along with Kevin Youkilis should be mentioned in the AL MVP voting.

No one said this was going to be easy and the Sox are finding out it's not as all of the top contenders for the division and wild card also won Friday.

Buchholz Bombed Again

After yet another pounding, the Red Sox finally came to their senses and sent Clay Buchholz to the minors.

This move was about a month overdue. I still think Buchholz can be a good Major League pitcher some day, but he has no confidence right now and needs to try to get it back in the minors.

As for the game, the Sox jumped out to a 4-0 lead and then gave up 10 unanswered runs and it was basically over.

BOX SCORE: Orioles 11, Red Sox 6

David Aardsma gave up a 3-run homer to the first batter he faced. He's giving up way too many homers now and has joined the list of just about everybody else in the bullpen as unreliable.

Javier Lopez also gave up 3 runs in 1 inning contributing to the rout. The only good sign out of the pen was Hideki Okajima's 2-inning scoreless performance. He seems to have turned it around a bit lately and hopefully can be counted on the rest of the way.

The offense was solid as everyone in the lineup had at least one hit. I think as long as the pitching can keep them close, the offense will do its job.

It was nice to see the Yankees have to face Roy Halladay Thursday night giving the Sox a break as they head to Toronto for three games. The days off Thursday and Monday also should help the team.

Sox Win Tempered by News About Yaz, Beckett

Another nice win in Baltimore didn't seem to matter as much after hearing that Carl Yastrzemski had to undergo emergency triple-bypass surgery at Mass. General.

Thankfully Yaz seems to have come through the surgery OK and will hopefully have a full recovery.

As for the game, is Jason Varitek just teasing us or could he possible be breaking out of one of the worst slumps any player has had? Tek homered for the second straight night batting left-handed and ripped an RBI double batting right-handed.

It may be time to coin the phrase "Dice-K Being Dice-K." As it seems he does just about every game, Daisuke Matsuzaka got himself in and out of trouble all night, but pitched just well enough to get the win.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 7, Orioles 2

This time Dice gave up 6 hits and 5 walks, but he was able to get out of a bases-loaded 1-out jam in the 4th and hung on to get through 5 innings to improve to 15-2.

He's got to have the worst WHIP of any pitcher to win 15 games in a season.

Youk hit another bomb and Papi had 2 more hits which are both great signs for the offense, but the real key again was Ellsbury.

He had 2 hits, stole 2 bases and looked like he'd regained his confidence on the bases, and scored twice. It seems like any time he's on base he scores.

The news on Josh Beckett didn't sound good when I first heard it, but after thinking about it, I was glad that something was actually wrong with him on Sunday rather than he just got pounded.

It is a concern that it's something that's been bothering him all season, but it doesn't sound serious and maybe the extra rest will help him.

Lester, J-Bay Get Sox Back on Track

After a rough weekend at Fenway with the Blue Jays, the Sox need to come up big on their last big road trip of the season and they got off on the right foot Monday night.

Jon Lester again proved he is this season's Ace and is definitely one of the top 5 lefties in the league.

Lester went 7 innings again, he seems to always pitch at least 7, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits and 1 walk with 5 strikeouts. A performance worthy of calling him an Ace, especially after the pounding that the supposed Ace Josh Beckett took on Sunday. Lester is 9-1 with a 2.75 ERA in his last 13 starts.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 6, Orioles 3

Jason Bay was the offensive star smashing two long home runs. The first one gave the Sox a 1-0 lead and the second one put the game away making it 4-1 in the 8th.

Bay is now batting .348 with 3 HRs and 16 RBI in the 16 games since the trade. I'd say the Sox did pretty good in getting something in return for Manny the malcontent.

David Ortiz had two doubles and knocked in a huge insurance run in the 9th after the daily bullpen collapse. Big Papi is starting to heat up. He really needs to step up over these last 40 games and carry the team for stretches.

There was actually a Jason Varitek sighting too, as the Captain belted his 9th home run of the season. He looked pathetic striking out later in the game with runners on first and third, but at least he did something. I guess we just have to live with the huge hole in the lineup for the rest of the season.

As for the bullpen, Manny Delcarmen again couldn't get through an inning unscathed. He walked two guys and had to be bailed out by Jonathan Papelbon, who gave up a double that allowed both runs to score.

Even Paps has been getting hit lately and the Pen continues to be a major concern. Unless Hideki Okajima or somebody can all of a sudden become a stopper, this may end up being Boston's Achilles Heel.

There wasn't much to say over the weekend other than Toronto kicked our butts. Why is that the Red Sox always seem to have to face Halladay (who spoiled Paul Byrd's Red Sox debut Saturday), and the Blue Jays always give the Sox a tough time, while they completely suck against the Yankees. I'm just saying.

Boston Bashes Texas Again, Sweeps Series

Too bad the Sox can't play the Rangers every day. I thought we had pitching problems.

For the third straight game the Red Sox held at least an 8-0 lead, and this time they completed the shutout thanks to excellent pitching from Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Dice-K got through 7 innings unscathed, although he did get himself into some jams as usual with 5 walks and 6 hits. But as he has done all season, he came up with the big pitch in the big spot to keep the Rangers scoreless.

He hasn't given up a hit in 12 bases-loaded situations this season. Dice just seems to bear down a little bit more when he gets in trouble. He improved to 6-1 with a 1.91 ERA in his last 9 starts and is 14-2 with a 2.74 ERA on the season.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 10, Rangers 0

The offense exploded for 9 runs in the 2nd inning highlighted by another 3-run homer from David Ortiz - his third of the series.

Kevin Youkilis remained white hot. He had 2 more hits and finished 7-for-13 with 7 RBIs in the series.

Dustin Pedroia had 3 more hits to improve his average to .323 and Jed Lowrie continued his torrid pace going 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Lowrie finished the series 7-for-12 with 5 RBIs.

The Sox get back to facing big-league pitching as Roy Halladay and the potent Blue Jays' staff comes into Fenway Friday night for a weekend series, but it sure was fun watching them tee off on the Rangers.

Youk Keys Another Offensive Outburst

Maybe the Sox have found their new cleanup hitter. A night after hitting two long home runs, including the game-winning 3-run shot in the 8th, Kevin Youkilis doubled three times, scored three runs and drove in two to lead the Red Sox over the Rangers.

The Sox again jumped out to a big lead, this time it was 8-0 in the 5th, and again had to watch as the bullpen struggled and almost gave it back.

Jon Lester held the powerful Texas lineup in check for most of the night. He was charged with three runs in 7 1/3 innings, but two of those scored when Mike Timlin gave up a 3-run homer in the 8th.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 8, Rangers 4

Lester continues to be a dominant pitcher and has to be considered a co-No. 1 with Josh Beckett.

Jason Bay and Jed Lowrie also had big nights with 2 hits and 2 RBIs each. I like Bay batting in the 5-hole.

Lowrie has been a huge boost to the lineup and now will be even more important with Mike Lowell out. He continues to get big hit after big hit and is looking like the second coming of Dustin Pedroia.

Jason Varitek went hitless again and is now 31 for his last 190. He is batting .214. Batting left-handed he may be the worst hitter in the league. It's painful to watch. We all love Tek, but I don't see how they can re-sign him if this continues for the rest of the season. Finding a new catcher has to be the team's top priority in the winter along with bullpen help.

Youk Has Final Say in Wild Night at Fenway

Wow! Where do we start. The Sox scored 10 runs in the 1st inning, had 17 hits and 19 runs in the game, and they barely won. I don't know if I should be ecstatic about the offense or very concerned about the pitching. I guess it's a little of both.

After David Ortiz hit his second 3-run homer of the first inning to give the Sox a 10-0 lead, I relaxed and figured it would be a laugher. It looks like the team did the same.

The powerful Texas Rangers began teeing off on career minor leaguer Charlie Zink and the next thing you knew it was a 2-run game. Zink had a few good moments, but this may be his one and only Major League start. At least he'll never forget it.

Terry Francona understandably wanted to get Zink through the fifth inning so he could get the win, but he left him in a couple batters too long after it was obvious he couldn't get anybody out. Francona's loyalty to players is admirable, but sometimes a manager has to make tough decisions and risk pissing people off.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 19, Rangers 17

After Zink was pulled, the parade of bullpen stiffs got shelled and the Rangers actually took a 16-14 lead at one point. Javy Lopez, David Aardsma and Manny Delcarmen were all brutal. Delcarmen's performance is especially disturbing since the Sox need him (or somebody) to step up and try to bridge the gap between the starters and Jonathan Papelbon.

The Sox were able to cut the lead to 16-15 in the 7th and then they finally put it away in the 8th thanks to a clutch game-tying double by Dustin Pedroia (who else?) and then a 3-run bomb by Kevin Youkilis that sent Fenway into a frenzy. Youk was pumped running around the bases and almost jumped over Big Papi when he reached the plate.

Youk also hit a 2-run homer in the 5th and is probably the guy who should be batting cleanup the rest of the way. The Sox would probably be battling the Blue Jays and Orioles for last place if not for Dustin (who had 5 hits) and Youk.

So then almost four hours after the game began, the Red Sox had a 19-16 lead heading into the 9th and Paps, who I'm sure thought he never be pitching after the 1st-inning outburst, came on to pick up the save.

Even he couldn't get through the Texas lineup unscathed as he allowed a run and the Rangers had the tying run at the plate before he got the last two guys to end the craziest game we've seen in a long time.

Before Paplebon came on, Hideki Okajima actually was able to get through 1 2/3 innings without giving up a run. He picked up the win in what might have been his most important appearance of the season. If could return to last season's form it would change the dynamic of the entire bullpen.

What could have been a devastating loss turned into a dramatic victory that was made even larger when Tampa lost to Oakland a few hours later. Hopefully Jon Lester can bring some order back to the Fens Wednesday night and the pick up of Paul Bryd, which I think is a good move, will pay off as well. I wonder if Byrd can be a reliever?

Beckett Dominant, Sox End Trip on Winning Note

Josh Beckett pitched like the Ace he's supposed to be Monday night as the Red Sox were able to salvage a split of the 4-game series with the White Sox and end their brief road trip at 4-3.

It looked like Beckett might be a tough-luck loser as the Sox couldn't muster any offense and were actually being no-hit through six innings before Kevin Youkilis finally broke through with a broken-bat single in the 7th.

Mike Lowell then walked and two batters later J.D. Drew came up with a clutch two-out double to give the Sox a 2-1 lead.

Jed Lowrie continued to come up big as he added some insurance with a huge 2-run double in the 9th. There's no way the Red Sox can ever bring back Julio "The pig" Lugo at this point.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 5, White Sox 1

Beckett was in command all night going eight strong innings. He struck out eight without walking anybody. He needs to pitch like this the rest of the way for the Sox to overtake the Rays.

Speaking of the Rays, they have two key injuries now with Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria going on the DL. Let's see how they cope with a tough stretch of games on the road against Oakland, Texas and the White Sox with a home series against the Angels in between.

This could be a golden opportunity for the Sox to take back control of the division, especially since the Yankees seem to fading away. How nice does that sound?

As for the weekend, Dice-K pitched one of his best games of the season Saturday and David Ortiz finally had a huge hit driving a bases-loaded 3-run double off the wall in left center to break open a 1-1 tie in the 7th.

On Sunday, Clay Buchholz got pounded again, giving up five runs in three innings to drop to 2-8 on the season. He had to throw 74 pitches in the three innings allowing seven hits and two walks while giving up three home runs. It's time to send him back to Pawtucket. He can still be a good pitcher some day, but it's not going to happen this year.

Charlie Zink takes over for Tim Wakefield Tuesday. I think that is a good move. He has pitched well and especially against Texas he may be able to keep them off balance.

Road Woes Continue

Another road game, another disappointing loss.

This time the Sox couldn't muster any offense against White Sox starter Mark Buehrle, who they had pounded in his previous five starts against them.

The lack of offense cost Jon Lester, who didn't have his best stuff and was tagged with his first loss since May 25.

BOX SCORE: White Sox 5, Red Sox 3

With the Sox trailing 4-0 in the 8th, Dustin Pedroia extended his road hitting streak to 27 games in a big way with a 3-run shot to give the Sox some hope.

But it didn't last long as Manny Delcarmen surrendered a mammoth home run to AL home run-leader Carlos Quentin and the momentum was gone.

It's always important for a pitcher to shut down the other team the next inning after your team scores, and the Sox have been doing a terrible job of that. It seems like every time the Red Sox score lately, their opponent comes right back and scores.

Jason Bay was able to get a single and has a hit in all seven games he's played with Boston.

David Ortiz continues his slump going 0-for-3 with a walk, dropping his average to .249. Big Papi needs to get it going or there might be a lot of nights like this.

The Rays won again so the Sox are now 4 back in the loss column. It's not time to start watching the wild card standings just yet, but those pesky Rays are really starting to piss me off.

Little Guys Swing Big Bats in Win Over KC

Jed Lowrie had another huge hit and Jacoby Ellsbury had a big night as the Red Sox beat the Royals Wednesday night to take two of three in Kansas City.

Lowrie continues to impress as he broke the scoreless tie with a laser shot 2-run double to dead center with 2 outs in the 5th. He later scored on David Ortiz's single. He seems to contribute something every night and should be the every day shortstop from here on.

Ellsbury may finally be breaking out of his slump as he had his second straight multi-hit game and is now 6 for his last 13. He hit a 3-rum bomb also to dead center in the 7th to put the game away.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 8, Royals 2

Tim Wakefield had another solid outing allowing 1 earned run in 6 innings to lower his ERA to 3.67. Despite his 7-8 record he has been the most consistent pitcher on the team this season.

Boston's starting pitching has gotten stronger as the season rolls on and is capable of carrying the team into the playoffs. Since the Sox have Thursday off Terry Francona was also able to get the bullpen some work including Jonathan Papelbon even though it was a blowout.

Winning two of three from the Royals was a given, but now the Sox head to Chicago to play the White Sox, a possible playoff opponent. This will be a big test as the team looks to continue to improve on its road record.

Beckett, Bay Bring Home Victory

The Sox showed the perfect formula for success Tuesday night -- strong starting pitching, good defense, and a balanced offensive attack -- and not surprisingly it led to an easy win in Kansas City.

Josh Beckett was outstanding. After allowing a run in the first inning, Beckett dominated the Royals retiring 16 of 17 batters at one point.

Beckett needs to build on this performance and have a strong final two months and be the Ace of the staff. Coming into this start he was 0-3 with a 5.31 ERA while allowing 29 hits in 20 1/3 innings in his previous three starts.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 8, Royals 2

Jason Bay was once again the offensive star going 4-for-5 with 2 runs, 2 RBIs and 2 doubles -- one of which should have been a 3-run homer.

Bay's double in the 7th looked like it was going to be caught, then it bounced off the glove of CF Mitch Meier and rolled on the top of the fence looking like it was going to be a home run, then LF Ross Gload batted it back into the park and Bay had to settle for a double.

It was a crazy play similar to Youk's ball in Yankee Stadium that hung on the top of the wall for a few seconds before falling back into play on July 4.

Luckily the game was well in hand by then and we could just laugh at it. In five games with the Sox, Bay has become a fan favorite and it looks like the players have taken to him also as he was given the shaving-cream pie in the face treatment after the game.

The key to the offense Tuesday night was Jacoby Ellsbury getting on base twice. He scored twice and stole two bases. The Sox are a completely different team when he is on base igniting the offense. If he can start to hit again and move back to the leadoff spot, the offense will be in great shape -- as long as David Ortiz stays healthy.

Jed Lowrie had another big hit -- a 2-run triple -- and made a great diving stop to throw out a runner too. Julio Lugo never even would have come close to the ball and probably would have grounded out to third base had he been playing. Lowrie is making his case every day to keep The Pig away. Let's hope Theo and Tito are taking notice.

Wasted Opportunity in KC

This wasn't the way the 7-game road trip was supposed to start. After sweeping the A's, the Sox seemed primed to extend the winning streak against the lowly Royals. But as the cliche goes - that's why they play the games.

The offense left guys on base all night as they couldn't come up with the big hit and Clay Buchholz struggled again, although he did settle down and get through 6 innings.

Buchholz just isn't the pitcher he was last season. Opponents are hitting .293 off him this year. That's ridiculous. He should go back to the minors to try to regain his confidence and they should put Masterson back in the rotation.

It's tough to watch Buchholz continue to throw those looping breaking balls up to the plate and not be able to spot his fastball.

BOX SCORE: Royals 4, Red Sox 3

As for the offense, all that needs to be said is the Sox got nine hits and six walks, but only scored three runs thanks to 21 men left on base - that's not a typo. They left 21 men on base. Brutal!

David Ortiz and J.D. Drew need to snap out of it. Drew was moved to the leadoff spot Monday night but it didn't help. He is 6 for his last 33 and his average has dropped 19 points to .283 in the last three weeks. He should go back to batting fifth or sixth because having him leadoff seems like a waste.

Papi is 1-for-15 since the Manny trade and seems to be pressing at the plate. He left 5 guys on base. I'm sure he feels more pressure with Manny being gone and he's probably getting pitched differently now too. Someone needs to take hold of that cleanup spot so he can start seeing some better pitches.

Coco Crisp got a big hit to lead off the 9th to spark a rally that just fell short, but he struck out on all of his three other batters and looked really bad doing so. The bottom of the lineup continues to be a black hole.

Luckily the Sox didn't lose any ground since the Yankees and Rays both lost, but this could have been a huge night to gain ground.

Sox Sweep A's, Bay Leads the Way

Three games into the Jason Bay era and all is well. Bay slammed a 3-run bomb to key Saturday's blowout and went 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored to help complete the sweep on Sunday.

J-Bay has brought a new energy to the team and everyone seems to be feeding off of it. He was 4-for-11 (.364) with a homer, a triple and three RBIs and six runs scored in the three games. While he likely won't continue this torrid pace the rest of the season, he has proven he is a solid replacement for Manny Ramirez.

And he's not only providing the offense that was lacking with Manny not trying for the last two weeks. His defense and base running are light years better than Manny's as evidenced by the sliding catches on Friday, his running all over the base paths all weekend and throwing out a runner at second base in the first inning of Sunday's game.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 12, A's 2
BOX SCORE: Red Sox 5, A's 2

The other guy really stepping it up this weekend was Jed Lowrie. He had a bases-clearing 3-run double on Saturday and a 2-run triple on Sunday. He is a confident young player similar to Dustin Pedroia, and just seems to do everything right even though he's not spectacular.

We can only hope the Sox are big enough to admit the mistake they made with Julio Lugo and eat his contract. I don't think anyone would complain if we've seen the last of The Pig.

Dice-K had his typical outing on Sunday, getting in and out of some jams while throwing a lot of pitches. He only walked two, which is great for him, while striking out eight over six innings.

Jon Lester didn't have his best stuff on Saturday, but he battled through it and got stronger as the game went on -- a sign of a great pitcher, which is what he has become. Lester is probably the ace of the staff at this point and looks like he will be a stud for years to come.

Hideki Okajima had another shaky outing Sunday and seems to have lost his 8th-inning role. This is still the team's biggest weakness and it will be interesting to see if they can pull off a waiver deal before Sept. 1.

Now it's off the Kansas City to keep the streak going. These next few weeks are a key stretch for the Red Sox as the they have a fairly easy schedule while the Yankees and Rays face some tough road games. Now is the time to make a move and get in position for a big September.

Bay Era Begins With Walkoff Win

Manny who?

Jason Bay came through in a big way in his Red Sox debut, and for one night at least, the Sox looked like geniuses for trading Manny Ramirez for him.

The truth is, Bay isn't expected to replace Manny. All he needs to do is play hard and contribute and everything will take care of itself. He is a solid player and should fit it in well. And now that all the distractions are gone, the team can get back to focusing on making the playoffs, which they are fully capable of doing with Bay instead of Manny.

Bay has to feel good about his performance Friday night though. After the fans welcomed with a huge standing ovation in his first at-bat, again showing we are the best and most knowledgeable fans in baseball, all he did was get on base four times, make two excellent catches in left field (Manny never would have come close to catching either one) and score both runs in an exciting 2-1 12-inning victory.

The only thing that could have made this Hollywood-scripted debut better would have been a walkoff homer instead of the triple that led to the win.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 2, A's 1 (12 innings)

The pitching was great Friday and you could just see that the entire team looked like they were motivated again. Jed Lowrie came up with both RBIs also as he continues to prove that Julio Lugo should ride the bench when he returns from the DL.

It turns out that Bay's dad is a die-hard Sox fan, even though they lived in British Columbia, Canada, and Jason had posters of Jim Rice and Yaz on his wall when he was a kid. He even said he still has them. You've got to love that. I wonder if Theo and company knew that when they made the deal.

It was great to win the first game of the series against Oakland's best pitcher. Now the Sox are set up to possibly sweep the series and gain some momentum as they head out on the road.

One last note, did you catch Manny's L.A. debut? He was late on a couple fastballs, made a half-ass attempt at cutting off a ball in the gap that could have been and single but he let go to the wall and became a triple, and, the icing on the cake, he hit into a double play in the 9th with the tying run on first base.

It's Bay all the way!

Bye Bye Manny

I never thought I would ever say this, but I'm so glad the Sox were able to trade Manny Ramirez. The fact that they had to include Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen and only got Jason Bay in return underscores how badly they wanted to get rid of Manny.

They had no chance of winning the World Series and probably wouldn't have made the playoffs with Manny playing - or not playing - like he was. Now they can get back to to the business of trying to win the division and get to the World Series.

Bay will fit in well in Boston and he's under contract for $7.5 million for next year so that should free up some cash to sign an impact free agent over the winter. I would have liked to have seen a reliever come back to the Sox in the deal, but considering they had no leverage I think Theo and the guys did the best they could.

Manny had a great run in Boston and we loved him when he was just doing his job and hitting the tar out of the ball. The Sox likely wouldn't have won the 2004 and 2007 World Series' without him. But when he acted like a clown, and more importantly, gave up on his teammates and the fans, we didn't like him so much.

The last two weeks were the final straw as Manny basically wrote his own ticket out of town. He didn't want to play and when the team forced him to play he stopped trying.

The Red Sox obviously would have liked to have kept Manny and when Manny was trying to win, there's no doubt they are a better team with him in the lineup. But since he wasn't trying they had no choice.

The thing that stands out the most about the whole thing is that many of the veteran players on the team had had enough and went to management saying Manny had to be traded. That says everything, because all along it was assumed the players would back him no matter what, but they were as sick of his act as the fans.

Good bye Manny. It was a great ride. Maybe one day when the Sox salute the '04 and '07 champs Manny will come back to Fenway and get an ovation, but for now it's good that he's 3,000 miles away.

Welcome to the BAY State

Well, it's over. The Boston Red Sox did what had to be done and pulled the trigger on one of the biggest trades we've seen in a while. Personally, I am extremely happy to see Manny Ramirez out of Boston. And from the reports, it sounds like most of his teammates along with the owners are happy as well.

I understand that comment may not be popular with Manny fans. I get that he's one of the greatest hitters MLB has every seen. And I know Jason Bay will not replace him. However, at what point is enough enough?

It boggles my mind that we'll boo a guy who makes a few outs, but is a good person, trying his best and plays hard. Yet a guy like Manny can do whatever he wants and we look past his many faults because he can hit. Don't get me wrong, I cheered for Manny when he helped us win. But I never liked the way he played the game and I'll take a good, hard nosed player any day.

The bottom line is no matter what the ownership supposedly did to him, there is no excuse for letting his teammates and the fans down. And that's exactly what he did.

He pushed and pushed for one reason, MONEY. He could care less about anyone but himself. And yet there are fans out there ripping the Red Sox for the deal and other supporters of the trade.

So we might have given up too much. The fact is the Red Sox most likely weren't going to resign him. With the trade we received a good player in Bay who is 6 years younger. And you know the Sox will be major players in the free agent market this off season.

Yes, ideally we'd want Manny happy and hitting fourth. But the team is without a doubt better having Bay than with Manny missing games and not trying his best.

Remember in 2004 how unpopular the Nomar trade was. I have a feeling this year is going to be similar. Chemistry is an important factor that you can't see in a box score.

Thanks Manny for the help in bringing two World Series titles to Boston. It's something Sox fans will never forget. But this is our team and you don't deserve to wear a Boston Red Sox uniform. Good riddance!

PS: To the Manny supporters - How do you think guys like Pudge, Rice and Yaz feel about Manny?

GO SOX!