Boston's Tenth

Red Sox Open the Season in Style

2010-04-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

What a way to kick off the 2010 season! The Sox pulled out all the stops with Pedro throwing out the first pitch, Steven Tyler singing "God Bless America," and Neil Diamond in person to belt out "Sweet Caroline."

Even Nomar and Schilling were in the house thanks to ESPN and LeBron got to see "his Yankees" blow the game after his Cavs got beat by the Cs earlier in the day. Can it get any better than this?

It didn't look good with the Sox trailing 5-1 after 4 innings and much of Red Sox Nation already moaning about the lack of offense and Beckett's big contract (that was me). But there were way too many positives Sunday night that we have to feel good about the new-look Sox.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 9, Yankees 7

All the new guys did well, the bullpen with the exception of Ramirez was lights out, and team leaders Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis sparked the much-maligned offense as it came through to beat the Yankees at their own game.

We couldn't ask for much more except for a better start out of Beckett, but hopefully he got that bad outing out of the way and will revert to his 2007 form and earn his money as the No. 1 starter.

It was especially nice to see Beltre, Cameron and Scutaro come through with big contributions. Scutaro's 2-out RBI single in the 5th sparked the comeback, Beltre's RBI single in the 6th to tie it 5-5 was huge, and Cameron showed his speed scoring the insurance run in the 8th on Pedroia's RBI single.

Bard and Papelbon could be a devastating combo closing out games this year. With the starting pitching that the Sox will send to the mound every night, if they have a lead after 7 innings it could be all over for the opposition.

It was a tough night for Ellsbury and Big Papi, but hopefully that will change when they're not facing tough lefties.

I would like to see Lowell at DH against lefties though. Ortiz proved last year that he's not the same guy any more, especially against lefties, and Lowell rakes southpaws so why not put him in there? Francona is loyal to a fault though, so that may never happen.

One down, 161 to go.

Should the Red Sox Trade for Roy Halladay?

2009-11-25T11:37:00.000-08:00

The hot stove league is heating up and the latest rumor has the Sox going hard after Roy Halladay. Halladay has been a great pitcher over the years -- especially against the Sox -- but is this the move the Sox should be making?

It will cost a lot for the Sox to get Halladay. Last year they reportedly offered a package that included Daniel Bard and Clay Buchholz, but that wasn't enough.

Now ESPN and the Globe are reporting that the Blue Jays want a package that includes top prospect Casey Kelly and Buchholz. I believe that is still too much.

Halladay is now 32 and hasn't been as dominant in the last couple of years as he was earlier in his career. His contract is up after next season and he will be asking for a big money, long-term deal.

A better option for the Sox may be free agent John Lackey. Lackey has been a consistent winner for the Angels for seven seasons, is a year younger than Halladay and will probably be a little cheaper to sign.

The biggest difference though is the Sox won't have to trade for Lackey meaning they can keep their young stud pitchers and other prospects.

When the front office decided to trade Hanley Ramirez for Beckett and Lowell, they made the conscious decision to go with pitching and sacrifice some offense. They have been looking for a shortstop ever since and still don't have one.

Why not continue to bolster the pitching and bide some time with average shortstops while grooming Kelly to take over the position in a couple of years?

It would make more sense to hang on to Buchholz and Bard, and add another potential ace in Lackey to the rotation. That would give the team three aces along with Lester and Beckett. Then if Dice-K can bounce back with a good year and Wakefield or someone else can fill the No. 5 spot the pitching will be solid.

After that they re-sign Bay and add some bench depth and hope Ortiz and Lowell stay healthy for one more year and are productive. This allows the Sox to compete for a championship in 2010 while protecting the top prospects for the future.

Sox Cruise Toward Playoffs

2009-09-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

After a tough week in which the Sox took 5 of 6 from Tampa and the Angels, the Sox now hit the final stretch of the season and the schedule is very favorable.

With 14 games against Baltimore, Toronto, Kansas City and Cleveland, and 3 at New York left on the schedule, the Sox should easily hold on to their 6-game lead over the Rangers and make the playoffs.

Boston could conceivably still catch the Yankees with 13 or 14 wins over these last two weeks, but that still might not be enough.

Either way, the Sox are playing much better and the Yankees have stumbled a bit lately giving us renewed hope that the Red Sox can still win it all this year.

The lineup has been pretty solid lately with the exception of Varitek. And what's with the two passed balls on strike three the last two games? The first one cost the team a run and the second one may have cost Beckett a win.

We all love Tek and appreciate what he has done for us over the years, but his time has passed. He can't hit and he can't throw anybody out. He shouldn't play in the playoffs and hopefully he'll just retire after the season and bow out gracefully.

The key now is to make sure everyone is healthy. Hopefuly Youk and Paps can shake off their back problems and nothing else happens to anybody over the next couple weeks.

A rotation of Lester, Beckett, Buchholz and a rejuvenated Dice-K might be enough to take us all the way.

Sox Hold Ground in Wild-Card Race

2009-09-09T22:15:00.000-07:00

Coming home and facing the Orioles was once again just what the doctor ordered for the Red Sox. Two wins over the O's kept the Sox 2 games ahead of the Rangers who swept the Indians in Cleveland.

Victor Martinez came through with a huge pinch-hit 3-run double to break a 4-4 tie in the 7th and lead the Sox to a 7-5 win Wednesday night.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 7, Orioles 5

He continues to be probably the best pickup that any team made at the non-waiver trade deadline. Vic is hitting .326 with 6 homers and 28 RBIs in 36 games with the Sox.

Jason Bay went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs and became the 5th Boston left fielder to have 30 homers and 100 RBIs in a season joining Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Rice and Manny Ramirez -- not a bad list to be on.

Paul Byrd pitched a shaky 5 innings and Manny Delacarmen was awful in relief giving up the lead by allowing 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.

Ramon Ramirez gave up a hit to the first batter he faced allowing a run to score. The middle relief continues to be an issue for the Sox, but the back of the bullpen looks pretty solid.

Billy Wagner picked up the win with another scoreless inning. He struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced and has looked dominant in a Red Sox uniform. I don't think Francona would have any problem using Wagner in a save situation if the need arose.

Although Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon didn't have great nights on Wednesday, they have been pitching well lately.

Tuesday, the Red Sox bashed six home runs, including two by Dustin Pedroia, to pound the Orioles 10-0. Clay Buchholz had his best outing of the season and may be that No. 3 starter the Sox have been looking for.

Now comes the two big series against the reeling Rays and the Angels. The Sox can't let up because the Rangers are on fire.

Beckett Still Can't Get a Win

2009-09-07T23:58:00.000-07:00

After a nice win on Sunday it would have been big to get a win from Beckett and split the series, but the offense didn't show up again.

Beckett pitched well enough to win, but at this point I think the Sox would have to start Lester in game 1 of a playoff series.

At least Beckett didn't give up any home runs.

BOX SCORE: White Sox 5, Red Sox 1

Maybe the Sox will have a chance if Lester can continue to dominate into the playoffs.

Jacoby Ellsbury continued his outstanding season going 2 for 4, scoring the Sox only run of the game and stealing his MLB-leading 60th base of the year.

Ells has a 5-steal lead over Carl Crawford. If he holds on to lead the majors in steals he will only be the 2nd Boston player to have that title. Billy Werber pulled off the feat in 1934 and '35 with 40 and 29 steals, respectively.

The Rays look like their done, especially with the Pena out, so it's Texas we have to worry about.

The Rangers have 7 more games with the Angels and Oakland, 6 with Seattle, 3 with Tampa and 3 with Cleveland -- including a doubleheader Tuesday.

I like the Sox chances heading into this homestand (2 with Baltimore, 3 with Tampa, 3 with Angels) and then with games against Baltimore and KC and the final 7 at home against Toronto and Cleveland.

The Sox should win at least 15 of the last 25 games, but I think 13 or 14 will get them in.

Struggles Continue in Chicago

2009-09-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

Tim Wakefield could barely walk Saturday but he still hobbled out to the mound and actually gave the Sox a decent outing.

I hope J.D. Drew and some of the other guys who don't play when they have a hangnail were watching.

After it looked like he might not get out of the first, Wake was able to gut it out for six innings and give the Sox a chance -- too bad the offense didn't show up.

BOX SCORE: White Sox 5, Red Sox 1

Why is that the entire Sox offense seems to go into a slump at once? Gavin Floyd is a decent pitcher, but he's not Cy Young. Three hits and 12 strikeouts is a pathetic performance.

Now the Sox have to win the next two games with Lester and Beckett on the mound and then beat up on Baltimore at home before Tampa and the Angels come in.

Byrd Not The Word

2009-09-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

There's a reason why Paul Byrd wasn't playing baseball for most of the season. His first start was a nice surprise, but we really shouldn't be surprised that he got pounded by the White Sox Friday night.

If the Sox need to depend on Byrd to get them into the playoffs they are in trouble.

BOX SCORE: White Sox 12, Red Sox 2

Hopefully Wakefield with return for good saturday. Who would have ever thought that Wake would be the key to the pitching staff and his injury would be the one that had the biggest effect on the team.

It looks like Tazawa isn't ready for the majors just yet either. Hopefully this will be good experience for him and not destroy his confidence.

At least everybody got some rest Friday night, but it is a little disheartening that the Sox basically gave up on this game in the thrid inning when Byrd was allowed to stay in for 7 runs.

How about Kotsay getting some revenge on the Sox? Trading him for Anderson and the Laroche for Kotchman trade seem to be mistakes.

I know they made them because the guys they were getting back were younger, but it doesn't make sense to trade a better play straight up for another guy just because he's younger. Money is obviously not an issue with the Sox, so there was no reason to do this.

Sox Leave Tampa in Good Shape

2009-09-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

The Red Sox finally put to rest the notion that they can't win in Tampa and all but eliminated the Rays from the wild card race by taking two of three in this huge series.

With Vic, Youk and Bay all smashing the ball and everyone in the lineup excpet Ortiz and Lowell getting hits Thursday night, the offense seems to have hit its stride.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 6, Rays 3

Buchholz had a nother decent outing and despite being somewhat inconsistent he may have enough confidence to be effective in the playoffs.

The back end of the bullpen looked overpowering. Billy Wagner continues to be virtually untouchable, Bard finally had a decent inning and papelbon has definitely righted the ship and returned to the form that made him one of the most dominant closers in the league.

With a couple more weeks of solid play the Sox may actually be able to relax a bit and set up the rotation heading into the playoffs.

Beckett Bombed Again

2009-09-02T21:21:00.001-07:00

Maybe we spoke too soon yesterday. Josh Beckett was back to his 2006 (and recent) form giving up two more home runs as the Sox squandered a chance to put the Rays away for good.

Beckett actually settled down and struck out 9 without walking anybody in 6 innings, but if the Sox want to go anywhere in the playoffs they need Beckett to be the dominant pitcher he was for most of May and June.

BOX SCORE: Rays 8, Red Sox 5

Over his last 5 starts he's given up an astounding 26 earned runs in 31 1/3 innings and has surrendered a ridiculous 14 home runs. Those numbers are scary. Maybe we should have kept Brad Penny, who of course pitched 8 shutout innings in his Giants debut Wednesday night.

With the success of Smoltz and now Penny since they left the Sox is it possible that it's the Red Sox system, specifically the coaching of John Farrell, that's the problem?

Maybe they should let these veteran pitchers do what has been successful for them their whole careers. Dice-K was pretty damn good in Japan before he came to the Sox and they reportedly changed his throwing program.

The offense reverted to not being able to come up with a big hit again as well.

It was nice to see them battle back and tie it, but the strikeouts by Gonzalez (a pinch hitter would have been nice in that situation) and Ells to end the 8th-inning rally was a killer. Not getting J-Bay home from 3rd with one out in the 2nd didn't help either.

If the Sox can win Thursday they will still be able to take major step toward securing the wild card and burying the Rays once and for all. A nice outing from Buchholz will also be a huge boost for the once again shaky itching staff.

Sox Make a Statement to Open Series in Tampa

2009-09-01T21:20:00.001-07:00

After a huge win to open a huge series in Tampa Bay, it's time to rethink the Red Sox playoff chances.

I'll admit that I had pretty much written them off after the recent struggles with the Yankees, but I have to give this team credit for bouncing back and putting themselves in position to go into the playoffs playing good ball.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 8, Rays 4

The moves that Theo has made seem to be paying off and the lineup is finally coming around.

If J.D. Drew can continue his hot hitting -- and of course stay healthy (that's the sound of me knocking on wood) -- combined with the resurgence of J-Bay and Big Papi and the steady hitting of Ells, Dustin, Victor, Youk and Lowell, this one-time below average lineup looks pretty formidable.

The addition of Billy Wagner may turn out to be a huge pickup as well. He's a strikeout machine, fanning 5 of the 7 batters he's faced in two scoreless innings for the Sox.

And Tito finally showed some balls by going against the "manager's code" and bringing in Papelbon with the game on the line and no outs in the 8th. Paps delivered the clutch 6-out save and has re-established himself as an elite closer again after a rough patch.

I also like the bench depth the team has now with the 40-man roster call ups. When did we get Joey Gathright? He's a great guy to call up for September to pinch run and steal a key base when you need it. He can also come in for defense in the late innings.

Now if Byrd or Tazawa or Nick Green (LOL) can step up and solidify the rotation we may really have something.

Red Sox White Sox Notes

2009-08-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

Pig Penny, can you repay the 4 million or so back?

Nick Green has just earned a spot as the fourth starter.

Keep hitting those home runs from the nine spot Gonzo!

Is JD Drew catching fire at the right time?

Wake, as frustrating as it can be to watch you pitch at times, we love you! You're a class act and could possibly be the most under appreciated player we've ever had.

Red Sux Yankees

2009-08-21T22:31:00.000-07:00

Pig Penny and the Slumping Sox strike again!

Well, at least we scored some runs against the Yankees. Where was that in NY?

Good to see our best lineup playing. We can't believe there were no tired players or groin pulls for tonight.

Ramon Ramirez, ever since you whined about Green's should have been error in Seattle do you realize you have sucked?

Can we start the season over at the All Star break?

Hopefully we can pull off a miracle tomorrow and Sunday to take the series and earn some respect back.

Why We're Angry Red Sox

2009-08-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

Does Francona know that players can be effective even if they "look tired". I don't know about you all, but I'm tired of seeing a guy get a day off during a big series because he played for a week straight or has a "tweak." Maybe some players should look for a new profession if the job is too tough for them.

One of the highest payrolls in baseball and the bottom of the Sox order is arguably the worst in baseball right now.

JD Drew, for 14 million a year we expect you to play even if your groin has been ripped out!!!!!!

Jason Bay,we love you but if you're "running good", you need to be in the lineup against the Yankees and especially when Youk has to play left field.

Who's the New Face of The Pig?

2009-07-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

Now that the Sox find themselves in second place, looking up at the Yankees, many questions need to be answered.

Will Buchholz permanently stay in the rotation? Can they find an everyday shortstop? Where would they put a power hitter if they can trade for one? But there's a more important question that we need answered -- Who is the new face of the Team Pig?

As Red Sox fans, even though we love all the players, they can really piss us off sometimes. We here at Boston's Tenth affectionately call these under-performing players pigs.

Now that our two favorite pigs Julian Tavarez and Julio Lugo are no longer with the club, we need a new face on our pig. Here are a few candidates and their qualifications. Check them out and vote in our poll.

Manny Delcarmen - Manny loves to walk guys -- especially the first batter he faces -- and has a bad habit of letting inherited runners score. Batters are hitting .252 against him and his WHIP is 1.46.

On the other hand, Delcarmen has only allowed 2 earned runs in his last 10 appearances and sports a 2.31 ERA on the season.

J.D. Drew - Drew is struggling at the plate as his average has dipped below .240. He's not hitting for power and seems to be up there looking for a walk every time. He strikes out looking more than anyone in the league. It's only a matter of time before he gets hurt again, which could be a good thing. Drew is also a thief. He's making an obscene $14 million this season and has 2 years left on his 5-year, $70 million deal.

J.D.'s grand slam in Game 6 of the ALCS against Cleveland may have been the single biggest hit of that championship season. That moment will live forever in Red Sox history and may have been worth all of the $70 million. He also carried the team last June after David Ortiz got injured, hitting .337 with 12 homers.

Daisuke Matsuzaka - Another thief, Dice-K cost the team $51 million just to get him out of Japan and then another $52 million for the next six seasons. He was billed as a phenom with six pitches, but all he seems to do is nibble around the plate and walk guys. He was unable to get out of the jams this season like he had done in the past and the team finally had to put him on the DL. His 2009 stats are about as bad as they come -- 1-5, 8.23 ERA, 2.20 WHIP, 59 hits in 35 innings.

Last season even though it wasn't always pretty, Dice-K found a way to win almost all the time. He finished the year 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA. He also contributed in 2007 with 15 wins and 191 strikeouts in 204 innings and a solid outing in Game 3 of the World Series.

David Ortiz - Ortiz has finally broken out of his horrific early season slump, but his numbers are still pretty bad. His average is hovering around the .220 mark, his slugging percentage is in the low .400s, and he strikes out almost once a game. The decline actually started last season after his wrist injury as he finished with a .264 average and just 23 home runs.

Big Papi is showing signs of the Big Papi of old and is now on pace for almost 30 homers. His first five seasons with the club was one of the greatest stretches any player Red Sox player has ever had. He almost single-handedly brought the team back from the 0-3 deficit to the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS. He is beloved throughout New England and really shouldn't even be on this list.

Brad Penny - Just when it looked like Penny was coming around he got lit up by Toronto. He has a 5.02 ERA and opponents are hitting .293 against him. He rarely makes it past the 5th inning and the team seems to have no confidence when he's on the mound.

Penny has allowed 3 runs or less in six of his last seven starts. Before he was injured with the Dodgers last season he had back-to-back 16-win seasons and has proven he can be an effective starter. He's still probably best used as trade bait though.

That's all we've got so far. If you have any other candidates you want make a case for leave a comment and we'll take it under consideration.

Sox Drop 3rd Straight, Tied for 1st

2009-07-20T21:25:00.001-07:00

I think we all saw this coming a couple of weeks ago, and then the Sox rattled off three wins in a row while the Yankees got swept by the Angels and things didn't look so bad at the break.

That's all a distant memory now as Boston lost to Texas Monday night -- the third straight loss in which the Sox scored 3 runs or less -- and New York won its fourth straight and now we're all even.

I guess the only silver lining is that since the Sox have won all eight meetings with the Yankees and will likely win the season series, if the teams tie for first Boston would win with tie breaker. There's a long way to go before we get to that point though.

It's time to make a move to bolster the lineup. The problem is the Sox need a better hitting shortstop and production out of right field and that isn't going to be so easy to fix since there aren't many decent shortstops available and we're likely stuck with J.D. Drew in right field.

If Drew can't start hitting for average and power, they need to do what they did with Dice-K and come up with a mysterious injury. Then maybe they can trade for a bat and solidify the middle of the lineup.

It would be nice if Jason Bay would start hitting again too. He looks lost at the plate and I'm starting to wonder if the failed contract negotiations have taken a toll on J-Bay.

John Smoltz and Brad Penny are big concerns also. They might as well unload Penny to make room for Buchholz. Smoltz looks like a 5-inning pitcher and Francona needs to understand that and take him out before he starts getting hit like he did tonight.

Hopefully Beckett will right the ship tomorrow and the offense will break out of its funk.

Midseason Report: So Far, So Good

2009-07-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

Just when it looked like the Red Sox were going to limp into the All-Star break and lose their hold on first place in the AL East, they turned it around and got some help from the Angels to get the lead back to three games.

A three-game lead at the break sounds pretty good right now considering all that has transpired over the first half of the season.

The pitching, with the notable exception of Dice-K, has lived up to preseason expectations.

Beckett and Lester are once again the two Aces at the top of rotation, Wakefield has been much better than anyone could have imagined, Penny has been solid and Smoltz should get better as the season wears on.

The bullpen has struggled a bit lately, but they are still arguably the best in baseball. Papelbon continues to be a premier closer and Okajima has regained the form of his rookie season. Bard is a stud who should become more valuable in the second half and Ramirez has stumbled of late but still looks like a solid set up guy.

There has to be concern about the middle relief, however. Masterson and Delcarmen have been brutal lately and Saito has been very inconsistent. I wouldn't be surprised if one them is packaged in a deadline deal.

The offense has found a way to produce despite the slumps and injuries.

Dustin and Youk have been solid and should have excellent second halves. Ellsbury is now consistently getting on base. He has been stealing bases at will. It would be great to see him back in the leadoff spot, but I have to admit the offense has been better since the switch.

Ortiz has proved me wrong and become Big Papi again. I thought he was done after his "slump of the century" to begin the season, but somehow he has regained his form and become a feared hitter again.

It's J-Bay's turn to be in a slump right now. Hopefully the break will get him out of it, but up until the last couple of weeks he had carried the offense. He should be fine.

Tek and Green have been pleasant surprises. Varitek is on pace for 25 homers and isn't an automatic out anymore. Green has to be one of the first half MVPs. With Lowrie going down and Lugo being the Pig that he is, Green has been solid at the plate and made some nice plays in the field.

The two question marks right now are Lowell and J.D. Drew. Drew has had a subpar year so far, but he is still a solid player and should be able to be counted on if he stays healthy.

Lowell has been excellent when he's in the lineup, but the hip problems are worrisome. Even if he comes back strong from the DL, you still have to be concerned the injury could flare up at any time.

So it's nice to be up by three games and have the best record in the AL, but there is a lot of work yet to be done. There's mo way the Sox can stand pat. They definitely need another bat and some help in the bullpen -- maybe a lefty or a middle reliever.

I don't think they should go for a blockbuster deal and give up Buchholz or any of the other top prospects, but a combination of one of the guys in the pen and a lesser prospect should get the team what it needs to get to the postseason.

LA Idiots and the Pigpen

2009-07-05T22:53:00.000-07:00

Well, the LA idiots were out in San Diego this weekend cheering on the cheater, quitter and old man pusher Manny Ramirez. It amazes me what has become of our society. An athlete can basically do anything they want, and as long as they excel at their sport, they will be cheered like a hero. The fact is Manny Ramirez doesn't give a crap about anyone in LA and he's a horrible role model. Every fan that cheered for him this weekend is an idiot, plain and simple. I also believe this is true for any Boston fan that cheered for him after he quit on the team.

Now to real baseball news. The Sox had a disappointing weekend losing two tough games on Friday and Saturday. What has been the Pigpen of late, saw Ramirez blow Friday's game in extra innings and Saito walk the ballpark on Saturday. It seems like ever since Ramirez complained about the error in Seattle, he's been hittable. And watching Saito walk the ballpark while Bard was warming up was especially tough. The pen is still the best in baseball so look to them to bounce back.

Fortunately, the Sox had a nice come from behind win on Sunday beating Seattle 8-4. Papi, Ellsbury and Pedroia all hit solo home runs and had 5 rbi between the three.

Lester's outing was similar to many we've seen this year. His line went 6.2 innings pitched, 4 runs 1 earned, 8 hits, 3 walks, 9ks. Masterson and Okie finished it with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball.

Next up is Oakland tomorrow night at 7:10 Fenway Park. Smoltz (0-1 6.00 era) vs Andersen (4-7 5.45 era)

Our Prediction: Sox sweep the series!

Happy Birthday USA!

2009-07-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

Have a great, safe holiday everyone. GO RED SOX!

Sox too much for Nationals

2009-06-23T22:13:00.000-07:00

The Red Sox opened up their road trip beating the Washington Nationals 11 - 3 on Tuesday and add yet another win against a National League team to their resume. Coupled with a Yankees loss, the Sox now stand 43 - 27 and 5 full games ahead of our underachieving, over spending rivals.

Brady Penny went 5 2/3 innings allowing 6 hits, 3 earned runs, walking three and striking out six. Delcarmen picked up the win pitching a third of an inning in relief. Overall the outing wasn't bad for Penny. However, this was the Nationals and he didn't make it through the 6th inning. My prediction is if Smoltz proves to be the pitcher he's been for the past 20 years and Penny doesn't start to dominate, the Sox will eventually make a trade and call Buchholz up.

Offensively the Sox had 17 hits, 6 walks and 11 runs. The game was tight until the 8th when they opened it up with 6 runs. Bay and Ells were the offensive stars with each racking up 4 hits and 3 rbi. Bay hit his 19th home run of the season and Ells just missed one hitting the top of the left center field wall. Ells has been on fire and I think it's time for him to get back to the top of the order. Personally, I can't tell you how tired I am of watching Drew take the third strike looking. I love his approach at the plate, but with two strikes a little league player knows you change your approach and swing if it's close. If he doesn't want to hit, put him at the bottom of the order.

Overall the Sox are playing excellent baseball and they're as good as any team in the majors. They play fundamentally sound ball, play hard, have the offense and, most importantly, the pitching to go all the way again. Look for the Sox to continue the momentum tonight with Lester on the mound going up against Stammen.

Note: Our old friend Julian "The Pig" Tavarez took the loss for the Nationals. Julian didn't receive any help from his defense as the run was unearned. As much as he drove me nuts watching him pitch, I have to say it was fun to see him out there continuing to compete. And it's worth noting he got Jeter out the other night during a crucial situation in the game. Way to go Pig!

Changes Coming This Week for Sox

2009-06-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

Now that we've reached the middle of June, the Red Sox have to make some tough decisions.

How do they get John Smoltz and possibly Clay Buchholz in the rotation? Is David Ortiz breaking out of his slump, and if not, how long do they stick with him? Do they stick with Jed Lowrie, Julio Lugo or Nick Green at shortstop? Should they trade Brad Penny?

This will be a busy few weeks for Theo and the boys.

The good thing is the Sox are dealing from a position of strength. After sweeping the Yankess and taking two of three in Philadelphia, the Sox are two games up in the AL East.

Pitching is the strength of the team and there is more on the way. The offense has been solid, but we still haven't seen the best of Dustin Pedroia, J.D. Drew and certainly Big Papi so far this season.

Things should only get better. Now they just have to pull the right triggers on the roster.

It seems that they have to and should trade Penny. They'd love to trade Lugo too, but it's unlikely anyone will take him with his outrageous salary. If they can't trade him they should just release him. Even though he's been hitting better lately, once a Pig - always a Pig.

The biggest risk will be if they trade any of the young stud prospects such as Buchholz, Michael Bowden or Daniel Bard.

If they can package Penny, one of the shortstops and one of the young pitchers and get back a quality shortstop and a slugger I think they'll have to do it.

A package to Texas for Michael Young and Hank Blalock or something similar might work well.

Whatever the case, they will be doing something because there are too many guys and not enough space on the roster.

Let's just hope whatever deals they make work out as well as the Jason Bay trade.

These Guys Really Do Know What They're Doing

2009-06-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

After sweeping the Detroit Tigers and then dropping two out of three to the Texas Rangers last week, the Red Sox find themselves one game behind the Yankees as we enter the third Red Sox-Yankees series of the season.

Considering the struggling starting pitching for most of the season, the gaping hole at shortstop and the well-documented slump of the century, they have to be pretty pleased with that position.

This is a testament to Terry Francona and the coaching staff, and Theo Epstein and the rest of the front office.

I have always been one who believed the Red Sox' success over the past 5 1/2 seasons has been in spite of Francona. I didn't think he was a bad manager, but he has had his share of questionable decisions over the years, and, as with any manager, he's only as good as the players he puts on the field.

But this season seems a little different. He has worked the bullpen to perfection, having to cover for spotty starting pitching most of the season. He's gotten everybody playing time dealing with the usual injuries to J.D. Drew, a DL stint for Youk and the loss of Jed Lowrie.

Tito has even been able to somewhat hide the biggest weakness of this team - it's anemic play at shortstop. He has finally stopped giving Julio "The Pig" Lugo the benefit of the doubt and used Nick Green (who has turned into "The Pig Jr.") to at least get by.

Even the Big Papi situation has been handled well so far. Francona stuck with him in the 3-hole as long as he could and now he's bought a little more time for Ortiz to try to break out of it.

The good thing is I think we all know that management won't wait much longer before pulling the trigger on deals to fix the DH and shortstop problems.

If Papi comes out of it and Lowrie comes back and plays well, maybe they'll just make some minor deals, but if one or neither of those things happen, expect something much bigger with the Sox giving up more than just Brad Penny.

Sox Salvage One in Toronto

2009-05-31T21:53:00.000-07:00

Sunday's 8-2 win in Toronto may have been one of the biggest of the season.

Not only did the Sox avoid the sweep and gain a game on the Yankees and Rays, but they may have finally got Jon Lester going.

Lester was overpowering, striking out a career-high 12 Blue Jays while allowing just 1 run in 6 innings. He was also able to avoid that one bad inning that has plagued him all season.

With the way Beckett has pitched in his last two starts, we may finally be seeing that potent 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation that we all expected coming into the season.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 8, Blue Jays 2

Terry Francona decided to shake up the lineup for this one and it definitely paid off. While I'm not sure I agree with dropping Elssbury to 8th, I understand they want to have the guys with the highest on-base percentages at the top of the order and Ells still has just a .335 OBP despite his hot hitting of late.

Everybody in the lineup had a hit except for Tek, but he did walk three times. Youk hit two solo homers, Bay smashed his 15th of the season and Dustin's huge 3-run shot off the foul pole in the 4th proved to be the game-winner.

It would be nice to see Dustin go on one of those 25-for-50 streaks.

As we enter June, management's patience with David Ortiz has to be running thin. Even though he hit a few balls hard over the weekend, Papi still looks lost at the plate. This can't go on much longer.

Beckett, Tek Keep Sox in 1st

2009-05-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

The Sox were able to gain a split of the 4-game series in Minnesota Thursday thanks to the second straight great start from Josh Beckett and two Jason Varitek home runs.

Beckett went 7 innings allowing just a 2nd-inning solo home run to Joe Crede while striking out 8. This follows his dominant 8-inning performance against the Mets last weekend. Hopefully this is the Beckett we will see the rest of the season.

Tek made sure Beckett's solid outing wouldn't be wasted this time with two big home runs. His shot in the 5th tied it at 1-1 and his mammoth blast in the 7th that went into the upper deck over the baggie in right was the game-winner.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 3, Twins 1

The Captain also stuck up for his pitcher in the bottom of the 7th after two terrible calls by home plate umpire Todd Tichenor. Tek popped up from behind the plate and got in Tichenor's face to argue the balls. He was rightfully tossed from the game, but enabled Beckett to finish the inning.

Tichenor, who is a Triple-A ump filling in for the day, also tossed Terry Francona on the play and had throw out Twins catcher Mike Redmond and Manager Ron Gardenhire in the top of the 7th after they argued a blown call he made on a sac fly.

Hideki Okajima was outstanding again pitching a scoreless 8th and Paps got back on track to get the save.

Jacoby Ellsbury had his 22-game hitting streak snapped, but Ells still reached base on a hit-by-pitch and continues to hit the ball hard.

David Ortiz looked pathetic at the plate once again and showed his frustration after striking out in the 6th by breaking the bat over his knee.

I think the Sox need to give him one more week to show some life and they it's time to come up with a mysterious injury that puts him on the DL so they can send him back to Florida for extended spring training.

That would probably be better than going to the minors because if he gets sent down and can't hit minor-league pitching that could be devastating. Sadly, I don't think we're ever going to see the Big Papi we've all come to know and love over the past five years.

Penny's Days in Boston May Be Numbered

2009-05-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

We're a little over a quarter of the way into the season, and somehow the Red Sox are in first place.

Brad Penny had his third decent outing in a row and the top five guys in the order (which didn't include David Ortiz) pounded the ball enough to give the Sox the series-opening win in Minnesota on Memorial Day.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 6, Twins 5

The Sox have been able to climb into first place even though they do not have a reliable starting shortstop, have gotten inconsistent -- and for the most part pretty bad -- starting pitching, and their DH and No. 3 hitter in the lineup has been nonexistent.

So should we be happy about this and think that it will only get better or be concerned that they can't keep this up?

I don't know if anyone has that answer, but if they do start to slip in the standings you can be sure management will be quick to make some moves.

Now there is talk that Penny will be traded before the July 31 deadline and it seems to make a lot of sense considering John Smoltz is close to being ready and Clay Buchholz seemingly has to be promoted to the big club after another dominating performance in Pawtucket.

I think I'd rather see the team trade Penny for an average player instead of dealing Buchholz for a top prospect that may or may not pan out. As the old adage goes -- you can never have too much pitching.

If Ortiz doesn't come out of this funk, however, (and like I've said before, I don't think he will) the team may be forced to unload one of its stud young arms to get a power bat back in the lineup.

Luckily Youk, Bay, Dustin, Ells and Lowell have been able to carry the offense so far and the bullpen has been stellar, picking up the starters when they've needed it.

If they can make another deal like the Coco Crisp for Ramon Ramirez steal then they have to do it. Who knows where we'd be without Ramon right now.

Pitching, Pitching, Pitching

2009-05-19T21:36:00.000-07:00

In real estate they say it's location, location, location. Well, in the game of baseball it's all about the pitching, pitching, pitching.

Tuesday night the Sox got a much needed dominant performance by a starter. Tim Wakefield, the oldest and best starting pitcher for the Red Sox this season, was outstanding going 8 solid innings, giving up 5 hits, 3 Ks, 2 walks and 1 earned run.

The lone run came courtesy of a Kevin Millar home run. If someone is going to hit a home run against the Sox, he's the one player I don't mind see doing it.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 2, Blue Jays 1

The offense wasn't at its best tonight but, fortunately, two runs was enough to win the game. Both runs came in the second inning from unlikely sources.

Bailey got the scoring started with a single driving in Lowell and Kottaras scored Drew with a sac fly.

One important note is Jacoby Ellsbury got two hits in four at-bats raising his average to .305. Ellsbury is a huge factor on how the Red Sox offense performs this season. If Ells can get on base consistently the Sox should be one of the top offenses once again.

Wednesday's pitching matchup is Penny vs Cecil. Hopefully the Sox can get another solid effort out of a starter. GO SOX!

Other notes: Youk is expected back for Wednesday's game. ... Papi was 0-for-3 with 2 strikeouts dropping his average to .203. ... Michael Bowden threw 8 scoreless innings for the Paw Sox on Monday lowering his ERA to 0.86.