Red Sox Strand 32 Runners in Loss To Yankees (82-52)

Last night, the Sox suffered a tough, 5-2 loss to the Yankees which will put us just a 1/2 game up in the AL East. In the 2nd, with one out, the Yankees put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1 out, and a bouncing ground ball just got by Dustin Pedroia to make it 1-0. After Curtis Granderson walked to lead off the 4th, Robinson Cano doubled him home to make it 2-0. Later in the inning, Cano scored on another RBI single by Eric Chavez. In the 4th, with one out, Carl Crawford punished a hanging curveball to put the Sox on the board at 3-1. Two singles put the Sox in another good position to score when Marco Scutaro hit a hard liner by the third baseman that got in the corner and allowed a run to score and make it 3-2. However, Francisco Cervelli homered to lead off the 5th, which would put the Yankees ahead 4-2. In the 7th, the Yankees put runners on 1st and 3rd to start the inning, and a double-play by Derek Jeter would make it 5-2.
       John Lackey wasn't very good, he allowed 5 runs, 4 earned in 7 innings and is now 12-10/5.94/94. Franklin Morales came in in relief and allowed 2 hits and no runs in 1/3 of an inning, while Matt Albers threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning and Alfredo Aceves threw a scoreless inning. Marco Scutaro had a good game, going 2-5 with an RBI double, he is now .272/5/33. David Ortiz went 2-4 in a good day for him. Jed Lowrie went 3-5 in a good day. Carl Crawford (left) went 2-4 with a solo home run, as he is now .253/10/48. Tonight, the Sox will look for a win with Josh Beckett (11-5/2.43/141) going up against Phil Hughes (4-4/6.46/33).



Bright Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- a scoreless inning of relief
Marco Scutaro- 2-5 with an RBI double
David Ortiz- 2-4
Jed Lowrie- 3-5
Carl Crawford- 2-4 with a solo home run

Dull Spots:
John Lackey- 5 runs in 7 innings for the loss
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-5 with 3 strikeouts and 5 runners left on base
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-4 with 3 strikeouts and 7 runners left on base

This wasn't a very good game by our standpoints and we'd better rebound tonight.

Weekly News

After last night's 4-0 win, the Sox concluded a very nice 5-2 week, that would move them from 1 game behind to 2 games up on the Yankees. Our Player of the Week is Adrian Gonzalez, who had a fantastic week, batting .393/5/9, he is now having a great season at .345/23/103. Our Pitcher of the Week, for his 2nd time, is Andrew Miller who had a very good start against the Rangers, going 6 1/3 shutout innings, striking out 6, as he is having his best season in the Major Leagues at 6-1/4.42/39. As so often happens, the Performance of the Week also went to the Player of the Week, as onTuesday (8/23/11), Adrian Gonzalez went 3-4 with 2 home runs and 3 RBIs. The Game of the Week was Thursday (8/25/11), as the Sox just played dominant baseball in a 6-0 win. Miller pitched well, Adrian Gonzalez hit 2 home runs, a good game. In the upcoming week, the Sox will take an off-day tomorrow, then the Yankees will come to town for 3 games and the Rangers will come to town for 3 games.

Red Sox Makin' It Rain In Fenway! (82-51)

Yesterday, the Sox played a double header against the A's, and won both games: 9-3 and 4-0. I was driving to North Carolina during the first game, so I'm here to blog the second! Dustin Pedroia doubled to center field to lead off the second, and immediately after, David Ortiz crushed a home run over the green monster to give the Sox an early 2-0 lead. In the 4th, the Red Sox loaded the bases on 3 straight singles to start the inning, and after Carl Crawford popped out, Jarrod Saltalamacchia grounded out to 1st base, which scored a run and made it 3-0. In the 6th, Jed Lowrie got on 1st on an error by the third baseman Scott Sizemore, and a batter later, Jarrod Saltalamacchia knocked him in with a double that made it 4-0.
     Erik Bedard was on pace for his first Red Sox win, but a rain delay made the Sox take him out early, so he tossed 4 shutout innings. The win went to Alfredo Aceves, who was equally good, tossing 3 shutout innings allowing not even a hit. Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon closed it out with an inning each. Dustin Pedroia had a good game, going 2-4 with 2 runs scored and a double. David Ortiz (left) had a great game, going 3-4 with a 2-run homer, as he is now .311/27/86. Jarrod Saltalamacchia had a pretty nice game, going 2-4 with 2 RBIs, and a double, as he is now .252/13/46. After an off-day today (because of Irene), and an off-day tomorrow, the Yankees will come to town and send a pitcher To Be Announced to face John Lackey (12-9/5.98/91).

Bright Spots:
Erik Bedard- 4 shutout innings
Alfredo Aceves- 3 shutout innings
Daniel Bard- 1 shutout inning
Jonathan Papelbon- 1 shutout inning
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4 with 2 runs and a double
David Ortiz- 3-4 with a 2-run homer
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4 with 2 RBIs and a double

Dull Spots:
Marco Scutaro- 0-3
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-4 with 2 strikeouts
Carl Crawford- 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and 6 runners left on base
Josh Reddick- 0-3 with a strikeout and 4 runners left on base

This was a solid win, and we moved to being 2 games up on the Yankees.

Red Sox Get Blown Out By A's (80-51)

This was a pretty awful game for the Sox, as they lost 15-5, and even gave Darnell McDonald (right) a chance to pitch. Jacoby Ellsbury doubled and stole 3rd in the 1st, and Adrian Gonzalez drove him in with a single up the middle. However, Brandon Allen doubled to start off the 2nd for the A's, and a single by David DeJesus drove him in. A few batters later, Cliff Pennington drove him in to make it 2-1. In the 4th, Kurt Suzuki walked, and a batter later, Scott Sizemore homered over the Green Monster. A 2-run double by Hideki Matsui and a 2-run homer by Josh Willingham would make the score 8-1. However, in the bottom of the 4th, back-to-back home runs by Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz made it 8-3. Jacoby Ellsbury tripled to lead off the 5th, and Marco Scutaro drove him in with a groundout. In the 7th, Kurt Suzuki scored on a double by Cliff Pennington to make it 9-4. The A's put runners at 1st and 3rd with 2 outs in the 8th, and a double by Jemile Weeks made it 10-4. Then a 2-run double by David DeJesus and an RBI double by Brandon Allen made it 13-4. In the 9th, a 2-run double by Josh Willingham made it 15-4. An RBI double by Josh Reddick in the 9th made it 15-5.
      Tim Wakefield had a horrible start, allowing 8 runs, 4 earned in 4 innings, he is now 6-6/5.10/72. Scott Atchison proceeded to pitch very well out of the bullpen, allowing just a run in 3 innings. Matt Albers then allowed 4 runs in an inning, and Darnell McDonald allowed 2 in one inning. I just can't believe that Darnell McDonald gave up 2 runs, he's been one of our more consistent relievers, right? Right? Jacoby Ellsbury went 2-5 with a double, a triple, and 2 runs scored. Dustin Pedroia went 2-3 with a solo home run, as he is now .306/17/70. David Ortiz (left) went 3-4 with a solo home run, as he is now .305/26/82. Today, the Sox will play a double-header to avoid Hurricane Irene on Sunday, but I will also be evacuating, so I may not be able to make the post for Game 1. I might though, and just in case, pitching will be Jon Lester (13-6/3.16/146) and Guillermo Moscoso (6-7/3.28/52).

Bright Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5 with 2 runs scored
Dustin Pedroia- 2-3 with a solo home run
David Ortiz- 3-4 with a solo home run

Dull Spots:
Nobody! This was a perfect game... Just kidding, just kidding; all the pitchers
Jed Lowrie- 0-5 with 4 strikeouts and 6 runners left on base
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-3 with 2 runners left on base
Mike Aviles- 0-4 with a strikeout and 4 runners left on base

Well, this was an awful game. But at least the Yankees got beat down too!

Gone-zo! Adrian Powers Sox Over Rangers (80-50)

Last night, the Sox played a very good game all around, hitting well and stifling the Rangers in a 6-0 win. In the 1st inning, with 2 outs, Adrian Gonzalez took a low fastball to center field for his first home run of the game. An inning later, David Ortiz took a low and inside fastball, and crushed it to dead right field giving the Sox an early 2-0 lead. After Jed Lowrie walked in the 3rd, Adrian Gonzalez did literally the same thing as he did last time up, taking a low fastball and turning it around the center field to make it 4-0. After Carl Crawford lined a single up the middle in the 4th, Jarrod Saltalamacchia immediately delivered by crushing an outside fastball right back where it came, homered to the opposite field to give the Sox a 6-0 lead, which they easily held.
     This game was probably the best I've ever seen Andrew Miller pitch as he was dominant, striking out 6 and walking 2 while allowing 3 hits in 6 1/3 innings; he is now 6-1/4.42/39. He was relieved with Alfredo Aceves, who threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings and Dan Wheeler who threw a scoreless inning in relief. Adrian Gonzalez (left) had a great game, going 2-4 with 2 home runs, a solo and a 2-run, as he is having a great season at .348/23/102. David Ortiz went 1-3, but that one hit was a big solo home run, as he is now .301/25/81. Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 2-4, including that 2-run homer that really put the game away, as he is now .251/14/44. Tonight, the Red Sox will head back home to face Oakland, and will put Tim Wakefield (6-5/4.97/69) out on the hill to get his 200th win against Gio Gonzalez (10-11/3.24/155).

Bright Spots:
Andrew Miller- 6 1/3 scoreless innings
Alfredo Aceves- 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief
Dan Wheeler- 1 scoreless inning of relief
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4 with 2 home runs
David Ortiz- 1-3 with a solo home run
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4 with a 2-run homer

Dull Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-5 with 2 strikeouts and 2 runners left on base
Dustin Pedroia- 0-4 with a strikeout

This was a great game for us, and after the Yankees beat the A's we remain in 1st by a game.

Papi Joins In To Help Sox Torch Rangers (79-50)

Well, by our standpoints, this was a pretty awesome game as we killed the Rangers 13-2. The scoring started early, as Jacoby Ellsbury singled to lead off the game, and after Marco Scutaro struck out, Adrian Gonzalez singled. With two runners on base, Dustin Pedroia hit a ground ball through the left side, and right after him, David Ortiz hit a line drive to right field to make it 2-0. A batter later, Carl Crawford lined a ball into the right field corner, which scored Dustin Pedroia, and for some reason David Ortiz and wound up as a 2-run triple. After a hit by Jacoby Ellsbury and a walk by Adrian Gonzalez, as well as 2 outs, the Sox were in a similar situation for a similar line drive to left by Dustin Pedroia. Darnell McDonald legged out an infield hit to start the 4th, and after a Jacoby Ellsbury groundout, Marco Scutaro hit a double into the left-center gap to make it 6-0. In the bottom of the 4th, Mike Napoli took advantage of one of Josh Beckett's only mistakes and homered to left. In the 5th, after David Ortiz doubled to right and Jed Lowrie bunted him to 3rd, Carl Crawford drove him in with a sacrifice fly deep to right. After Darnell McDonald singled to center to start the inning, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a high home run to right field which made it 9-1. In the 7th, Jed Lowrie singled with one out, and Carl Crawford promptly drove him in with a shot to dead center field. In the 8th, the Sox hit a 2-run homer for the 3rd straight inning, as Adrian Gonzalez pulled off a pretty amazing feat. He hit a homer that was called just foul (thought it was fair), and just a pitch later he crushed a home run to right field fair to give the Sox a 13-1 lead. After the Rangers put runners at 1st and 2nd with 2 outs in the 8th, Mike Napoli drove one in with a single.
     Josh Beckett didn't have his best stuff, and he labored a lot (quickest inning was 13 pitches), but he still was pretty darn good, earning the win with 1 run in 6 innings, allowing 4 hits and striking out 4; he is now 11-5/2.43/141. Franklin Morales tossed a 1-2-3 inning behind him, Matt Albers allowed a run in an inning, and Jonathan Papelbon shut them down in the 9th. Jacoby Ellsbury had a great game, going 3-5 with 3 runs scored and that 2-run homer, as he is now .315/23/81. Adrian Gonzalez also had a great game, going 2-4 with 2 runs and a 2-run homer, as he is now .347/21/99. Dustin Pedroia was good, going 2-4 with a run and 2 RBIs. David Ortiz (left) was good in his 1st game back, going 2-5 with 2 runs and an RBI. Carl Crawford had a fantastic game, going 2-3 with a 2-run homer and a 2-run triple, as he is now .255/9/46. Darnell McDonald was pretty good, going 2-4 with 2 runs scored. Tonight, the Sox will go for a 3-1 series as Andrew Miller (5-1/4.99/33) will try his hand against Alexi Ogando (12-5/3.30/107).

Bright Spots:
Josh Beckett- 1 run in 6 innings for the win
Franklin Morales- a 1-2-3 7th inning
Jonathan Papelbon- a 1-2-3 9th inning
Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-5 with 3 runs and a 2-run homer
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4 with 2 runs and a 2-run homer
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4 with a run and 2 RBIs
David Ortiz- 2-5 with 2 runs and an RBI
Carl Crawford- 2-3 with a 2-run homer and a 2-run triple
Darnell McDonald- 2-4 with 2 runs scored

Dull Spots:
Nobody, 2nd straight night!

The Sox are now in 1st place again!

Why The Red Sox Should Acquire Jason Vargas On Waivers

With the Waiver Trading Deadline approaching soon, and the starting rotation still on the ropes, the Sox may be looking to make a move. Several, mainly mediocre pitchers have cleared waivers, but one name caught my eye. Jason Vargas of the Seattle Mariners. Since being traded over to the Mariners before the 2009 season, Vargas has made a name for himself as a pretty consistent, above average starting pitcher. He is having another pretty good season this year, going 7-11/4.18/102 in 26 starts and 162 2/3 innings. He is coming off the best season in the 28 year old's young career, as last year for a terrible Mariners team, he provided a spark by going 9-12/3.78/116 in 31 starts and 192 2/3 innings. Plus, there is always the fact that Vargas is a left-handed pitcher, an option that would give the Sox three lefties in their rotation. We would have to bump somebody from our rotation, probably Wakefield, but it may be worth it. I think this might not be a bad idea, as I doubt we'd have to give up much for him.

Red Sox Hit Their Way Into First Place (78-50)

Last night, as we've seen so often this season, the Sox were hitting machines, beating the Rangers 11-5 and pounding out 14 hits. It all started in the top of the 1st, when Jacoby Ellsbury singled to right to start the game. After he stole 2nd and Marco Scutaro bunted him to 3rd, Adrian Gonzalez crushed a home run to the 2nd deck in right field. Singles by Jed Lowrie and Carl Crawford led off the 2nd, and after a Ryan Lavarnway strikeout, Jarrod Saltalamacchia hooked an RBI double to right. Later in the inning, a sacrifice fly by Marco Scutaro made it 4-0. After Dustin Pedroia struck out to lead off the inning, two singles by Josh Reddick and Jed Lowrie put runners on base. Carl Crawford then hit a long sac fly to right field and Ryan Lavarnway doubled into the left-center gap to make it 6-0. However, the Rangers began scoring in the bottom of the 2nd, as three straight singles by Yorvit Torrealba, Endy Chavez, and Ian Kinsler. The Rangers finally got to the scoreboard when Elvis Andrus walked a run in, and later in the inning on back-to-back sacrifice flies by Josh Hamilton and Michael Young to make it 6-3. In the 4th, Adrian Gonzalez gave the Sox an insurance run as he went to the opposite field on a line drive for his 2nd homer of the game. In the 5th, Josh Hamilton got that run back though, as he crushed a home run to deep right. In the 8th, Ryan Lavarnway stood at 3rd and Jarrod Saltalamacchia at 2nd due to a single and double with 2 outs for Marco Scutaro. Scutaro delivered, hitting a beautiful line drive to left which bounced off the top of the wall for a 2-run double to make it 9-4. After Adrian Gonzalez was intentionally walked, Dustin Pedroia doubled to left, scoring 2 more and making it 11-4. In the 9th, Ian Kinsler homered to left but it wasn't enough and the score was final at 11-5.
     John Lackey was decent, allowing 4 runs in 6 2/3 innings and striking out 5; but it was enough to give him the win and make him 12-9/5.98/91 this season. He was relieved with Franklin Morales, who did his job and got Josh Hamilton out in a pressure situation. He was relieved by Alfredo Aceves with a scoreless inning, an Dan Wheeler allowing a run in an inning. Marco Scutaro had a good game, going 1-3 with a run and 3 RBIs. Adrian Gonzalez had a great game, going 3-4 while scoring 3 runs and driving in 3 runs, he is having a remarkable season at .346/20/97. Jed Lowrie went 2-5 and scored 2 runs, setting up some key rallies for the Sox. Carl Crawford went 1-3 with a run and an RBI. Ryan Lavarnway had a good game at 2-5 with a run and an RBI. Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 2-4 with a run and an RBI, both of his hits being doubles in a good game. Tonight, Josh Beckett (10-5/2.46/137) will go against Matt Harrison (10-8/3.28/99) in game 3 of this series.

Bright Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- a scoreless inning
Marco Scutaro- 1-3 with 3 RBIs
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-4 with 3 runs and 3 RBIs, with 2 home runs
Jed Lowrie- 2-5 with 2 runs scored
Carl Crawford- 1-3 with a run and an RBI
Ryan Lavarnway- 2-5 with a run and an RBI
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4 with a run and an RBI, with 2 doubles

Dull Spots:
Nobody!

This was a good day for the Sox, and a bad one for the Yanks, so we now stand tied for 1st place.

Red Sox "Improve" Season Record On Rangers (77-50)

Last night was a very tough loss for the Red Sox, as they went down 4-0 to the Rangers. In the 3rd inning, the umpires made a terrible call on a potential double play that would have gotten the Sox out of the inning. Instead, however, they called a ball that landed in Josh Reddick's glove a single. That put Craig Gentry at 2nd and Ian Kinsler at 1st when Elvis Andrus singled through the right side to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. In the 6th, Josh Hamilton led off another big inning with a potential great play by a Red Sox. Dustin Pedroia dove and snatched a ball up the middle, however, his throw to first was late. After a Michael Young single put runners at 1st and 2nd with just 1 out, the damage came. Mike Napoli turned a high fastball around for a 3-run homer to left center to make it 4-0.
Erik Bedard actually pitched very well other than the 3-run homer, allowing 4 runs in 6 innings. Matt Albers then allowed a hit in a scoreless inning and Franklin Morales went 3 up- 3 down. Adrian Gonzalez and Dustin Pedroia each had decent days, both of them going 1-3 with a walk. Other than that, the other two hits in the ballgame belonged to Jed Lowrie and Carl Crawford, each of whom went 1-4. Tonight's game will be a matchup of the 2nd game of the 2011 season as John Lackey (11-9/6.02/86) will go up against Colby Lewis (11-8/3.83/135).

Bright Spots:
Matt Albers- 1 hit in a scoreless inning
Franklin Morales- a 1-2-3 inning
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-3 with a walk
Dustin Pedroia- 1-3 with a walk

Dull Spots:
Marco Scutaro- 0-4 with 2 strikeouts
Darnell McDonald- 0-4 with a strikeout
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-3 with a strikeout and 3 runners left on base
Josh Reddick- 0-3 with 1 runner left on base

This was a bad game for the Sox, and they really need to turn it around and have a good series.

Weekly News

I got home late from a party last night, so I've decided not to make the game post and just do the Weekly News. However, the Sox won 6-1 as Darnell McDonald and Carl Crawford hit homers and Jon Lester was quite good. The Sox had a very good week though, going 4-3, losing 1-2 against the Rays and winning 3-1 against the Royals. Our Player of the Week, Jacoby Ellsbury moves into a tie with Adrian Gonzalez for the lead in Player of the Weeks with 5 awards. This week, Ellsbury batted .294/2/5 despite missing two games. The Pitcher of the Week is Jon Lester, who went 2-0/1.38/11 in a good week, he is now 13-6/3.16/146. Our Performance of the Week when on Thursday (8/18/11), Dustin Pedroia went 3-4 with 3 RBIs as he saved a game for us. The Game of the Week was Friday (8/19/11), as in all honesty it was good to see us just crush the Royals 7-1 after the Rays series. Next week, we will play a 4-game series in Texas against the Rangers, then play a 3-game series at home against the A's.

Red Sox Lose On Royals' 8-run 6th (76-49)

Well, Tim Wakefield was denied 200 wins again in a really tough 9-4 loss to the Royals. The Red Sox led off the 3rd inning with runners on 1st and 3rd and no outs. Marco Scutaro promptly grounded into a double play, however, that scored one for the Sox. In the bottom of the 3rd, Alcides Escobar singled to lead off the inning and 3 batters later, Billy Butler doubled him in to tie it at 1-1. In the top of the 4th, there were runners at 1st and 2nd with 1 out when Carl Crawford singled in Dustin Pedroia. Later in the inning, a sacrifice fly by Darnell McDonald made it 3-1. After Jarrod Saltalamacchia doubled to lead off the 6th, Ryan Lavarnway knocked him in for his first MLB RBI. However, in the bottom of the 6th, all hell broke loose after Eric Hosmer singled with one out. Consecutive doubles by Jeff Francoeur and Mike Moustakas made it 4-3. After a walk to Salvador Perez, a single by Chris Getz would tie it up at 4-4. A 2-run double by Alex Gordon and an RBI single by Melky Cabrera would extend the lead further to 7-4. Then, after a walk to Billy Butler, Eric Hosmer cleared the bases with a 2-run triple to make it 9-4.

Tim Wakefield was pretty good until the 6th, but he ended up allowing 4 runs in 5 1/3 innings and is now 6-5/4.97/69. Matt Albers was awful in relief, allowing 5 runs in 1/3 of an inning and earning the loss. Franklin Morales went 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Dan Wheeler threw 1 scoreless inning. Dustin Pedroia had a good game, going 2-4 and scoring a run. Carl Crawford went 2-4 with an RBI in a good day for him. Ryan Lavarnway had his first good day in the major leagues, going 2-3 with an RBI. Darnell McDonald (left) went 1-3 with an RBI. Today, we will have a good chance of winning the series as Jon Lester (12-6/3.22/143) will take the hill against Danny Duffy (3-7/5.66/69).

Bright Spots:

Franklin Morales- 1 1/3 scoreless innings

Dan Wheeler- 1 scoreless inning

Dustin Pedroia- 2-4 with a run

Carl Crawford- 2-4 with an RBI

Ryan Lavarnway- 2-3 with an RBI

Darnell McDonald- 1-3 with an RBI

Dull Spots:

Matt Albers- 5 runs in 1/3 of an inning, as this was one of his best outings in a Red Sox uniform by far

Adrian Gonzalez- 0-5 with a strikeout and 2 LOB

This was a tough game, as we would have won if not for one bad inning.

Francona Reign As Tito's Unusual Lineup Whacks 13 Hits (76-48)

Last night, the Red Sox pulled off a lopsided 7-1 win against the Royals, despite one of Terry Francona's strangest lineups this year. The Royals actually scored first as Mike Moustakas doubled to left to lead off the 3rd. After Alcides Escobar bunted him to third base, Alex Gordon hit a long fly ball into the gap and Jacoby Ellsbury made a fantastic running catch (Check Web Gems or something), Moustakas still scored but it could've been much worse. In the 4th inning, Carl Crawford doubled down the 1st base line to lead off the inning. One batter later, Darnell McDonald hit a long blooping liner into the gap, it just evaded Melky Cabrera's glove and once all the dust settled, it was an RBI triple. The batter later, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a fly ball to center field and McDonald scored on. In the 5th, the Sox led off the inning with singles by Jed Lowrie and Ryan Lavarnway (Congrats on his 1st MLB hit!!!). After an out, Jarrod Saltalamacchia took an 0-2 changeup over the wall for a 3-run homer to give the Sox a 5-1 lead. It stayed that way until the 8th inning, when Jacoby Ellsbury was hit square in the back to start the inning. He stayed in the ballgame though and after a double down the 3rd base line for Mike Aviles, the Sox were in business. Adrian Gonzalez flew out to Alex Gordon to score a run and make it 6-1 and after a ground ball hit by Dustin Pedroia skipped under Alcides Escobar's glove, the Sox scored another and made it 7-1.

Andrew Miller was very sharp in his spot start, he only allowed 3 hits and a run through 5 1/3 innings and walked only 1 batter. After last night's start, he stands at 5-1/4.99/33. He was relieved by Alfredo Aceves, who really did a great job by saving the bullpen, he pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just a hit and striking out 3. Jacoby Ellsbury played a good game, going 1-3 with a run and an RBI. Mike Aviles also did well against his old team going 2-5 with a run scored and a double. Adrian Gonzalez broke out of his slump, going 3-4 with an RBI and 2 doubles. Jed Lowrie went 3-4 with a run scored in a good day for him. Ryan Lavarnway only went 1-4, scoring a run, but congratulations on your first major league hit, the beginning of a long and fruitful career we hope. Jarrod Saltalamacchia (left) only went 1-5, but that one hit, the 3-run homer, was the key play of the game, as it changed the game from a nailbiter to a rout, he is now .246/12/41. Darnell McDonald went 1-4 with a run and an RBI, but that hit was a triple, his 1st of the season. Tonight, Tim Wakefield (6-4/4.90/66) will seek 200 wins for the 5th time, this time against Felipe Paulino (1-5/3.76/75 with the Royals) and the Royals.

Bright Spots:

Andrew Miller- he was very sharp, allowing just 1 run and 3 hits in 5 1/3

Alfredo Aceves- pitched great out of the bullpen with 3 2/3 scoreless innings

Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-3 with a run and an RBI

Mike Aviles- 2-5 with a double and a run scored

Adrian Gonzalez- 3-4 with an RBI and 2 doubles

Jed Lowrie- 3-4 with a run scored

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-5 with a key 3-run homer

Dull Spots:

Nobody!

This was a great game for the Sox, and I'm really glad we're hitting again!

Pedey Power- Pedroia Lifts Sox (75-48)

Last night, the Red Sox played a game against the Royals and won 4-3 in a pretty tight game. In the 1st inning, Alex Gordon doubled to lead off the inning and after Melky Cabrera bunted him to third, he was driven in on a groundout by Billy Butler. In the 2nd, Josh Reddick doubled to lead off the inning. After two quick outs, Jason Varitek drove him in with a single to make it 1-1. In the 3rd inning, a Mike Aviles single and a Jacoby Ellsbury walk put 2 runners on. After a flyout and a groundout by Adrian Gonzalez, which moved the runners up, Dustin Pedroia hit them home with a single up the middle. With 1 out and Alcides Escobar on 1st base, Alex Gordon homered the other way to left to make it 3-3. In the 5th, Jed Lowrie doubled and after two outs, he came in on a single by Dustin Pedroia to give the Sox a 4-3 lead.

Josh Beckett wasn't too good early, but he settled down a lot and wound up allowing 3 runs in 7 innings. He earned the win and is now 10-5/2.46/137. Daniel Bard threw a scoreless 8th and Jonathan Papelbon threw a scoreless 9th, as has happened so many times this year. Jacoby Ellsbury went 1-3 with a run scored in a good day. Dustin Pedroia (left) had a great game, going 3-4 with 3 RBIs, as he is now .309/16/65. Josh Reddick went 1-3 with a run. Jason Varitek went 1-3 with an RBI in a good day for him. Tonight, the Red Sox will send Andrew Miller (4-1/5.40/30) up against Jeff Francis (4-13/4.76/78).

Bright Spots:

Josh Beckett- 3 runs in 7 innings for the win

Daniel Bard- a scoreless 8th

Jonathan Papelbon- a scoreless 9th

Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-3 with a run scored

Dustin Pedroia- 3-4 with 3 RBIs

Josh Reddick- 1-3 with a run scored

Jason Varitek- 1-3 with an RBI

Dull Spots:

Adrian Gonzalez- 0-4 with a strikeout and 4 runners left on base

Ryan Lavarnway- 0-4 with a strikeout

Well, we hit as many hits in this game as we did last series. For once, that wasn't talking about how awesome this game was.

Lavarnway Headed To Boston As Youkilis Heads To Ft. Myers

"Bittersweet" is the word that comes to mind when I consider this situation. Our star third baseman Kevin Youkilis who is having another solid year at .266/17/78 is headed to the DL with a sore back. However, there is a silver lining as Ryan Lavarnway will be headed up to the Bigs. This season, split between AA Portland and AAA Pawtucket, Lavarnway is having a fantastic season at .293/30/85. At Pawtucket he has been especially good, as he needed no adjustment time, batting .301/16/47 compared to .284/14/38 at AA. He has been called the best pure hitter in the Red Sox farm system and although he apparently needs some work at catcher, I am very excited to see him. He will bring a breath of fresh air to a slumping Red Sox team that is currently a 1/2 game behind the Yankees and have lost 4 of their last 5. I am extremely excited, and I have very high expectations for Lavarnway.

Red Sox Manage Just 3 Hits For 3rd Straight Game (74-48)

Today, the Red Sox played another tough game against the Rays, losing 4-0. After a double, a wild pitch, and a walk with 1 out in the 1st inning, Ben Zobrist bounced a ball to second to allow a run to score and make it 1-0. In the 4th, B.J. Upton led off the inning with a long drive over the Green Monster to make it 2-0. In the 5th, Evan Longoria homered with 2 outs in the inning to give the Rays a 3-0 advantage. With runners at 1st and 2nd with 2 outs in the 7th inning, Ben Zobrist hit a line drive back to the Monster which knocked off the wall allowing a run to score and make it 4-0.

John Lackey was decent, allowing 4 runs and striking out 7 through 6 2/3 innings. He is now 11-9/6.02/86 in a tough year for him. Alfredo Aceves tossed a scoreless 1 1/3 innings and Dan Wheeler threw a scoreless inning in relief. Once again, the Red Sox only managed 3 hits in the ballgame. These belonged to Jacoby Ellsbury (1-3 with a triple), Dustin Pedroia (1-3), and Kevin Youkilis (1-4). Tomorrow, the Sox will head to Kansas City and will send Josh Beckett (9-5/2.40/133) up against Luke Hochevar (8-9/4.89/90) and the Royals.

Bright Spots:

Alredo Aceves- 1 1/3 scoreless innings

Dan Wheeler- a scoreless inning

Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-3 with a triple

Dustin Pedroia- 1-3

Kevin Youkilis- 1-4

Dull Spots:

Everybody else in the lineup- 0-19 with 5 strikeouts

This was another bad game for the Sox and we are now 1 game behind New York.

Red Sox Lose Despite Turning A Triple Play (74-47)

Last night, the Sox played a really hard and disappointing game against the Rays, losing 6-2. However, they made history with their first triple play since 1994. After two singles to start the 2nd inning for the Rays, Casey Kotchman advanced them on a slow bouncer to the right side. Sean Rodriguez then drove in one of those runs on a grounder to third that Lowrie botched to make it 1-0. It quickly became 2-0 as Matt Joyce grounded out to Dustin Pedroia. The Sox got one run back in the 3rd as Jason Varitek crushed one down the line that stayed fair for a solo shot. In the 4th, after 2 singles to lead off the inning, the Sox turned their first triple play since 1994. In the 5th, however, the Rays got some insuranceas Desmond Jennings crushed one over the monster to make it 3-1. In the bottom of the 6th, Jacoby Ellsbury hit his second home run of the day and hit one into the bullpen to make it 3-2. In the 8th inning, the Rays led off with runners at 1st and 2nd and 1 out. B.J. Upton then singled to score another to make it 4-2. A few plays later, the Sox made another bad defensive play that allowed Ben Zobrist to steal home. They got B.J. Upton essentially picked off, but when Zobrist tried to score Mike Aviles threw the ball to third instead of home. After an RBI single by Casey Kotchman the score was 6-2.

Erik Bedard was decent again, which is what he asked of him and he's come through. He allowed 3 runs in 6 innings and is now 4-8/3.44/104. In relief, Matt Albers was awful, allowing 3 runs in 1 1/3 innings. Franklin Morales threw 2/3 of a scoreless but allowed some inherited runners to score. Dan Wheeler was, therefore, the Red Sox only clean reliever, throwing a scoreless inning. Jacoby Ellsbury was, for the 2nd straight game, 1-4 with a home run, except last night it was a solo shot, but he is now .313/22/78. Jason Varitek went 1-3 with a solo home run, as he is now .226/8/24. Tonight, John Lackey (11-8/6.13/79) will go against David Price (10-10/3.76/158), as the only thing I can say about this matchup is "C.C. Sabathia?"

Bright Spots:

Erik Bedard- 3 runs in 6 innings

Dan Wheeler- a scoreless inning of relief

Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-4 with a solo home run

Jason Varitek- 1-3 with a solo home run

Dull Spots:

Matt Albers- 3 runs in 1 1/3 innings

Everybody else in the lineup- 1-23 with 6 strikeouts

This was another bad game for the Sox, and now we're in 2nd place.

Red Sox Take First Game of Double-Header Behind Gem By Lester (74-46)

Today, the Red Sox played a good game against the Rays, winning 3-1 in a pitcher's duel. After Desmond Jennings doubled to lead off the game for the Rays, he stole 3rd. So with Jennings at 3rd and 1 out, Evan Longoria hit a sharp ground ball to third base. Youkilis made a nice play on the ball, but Jennings rushed home for the 1st run of the game. James Shields had been very sharp through the first 2 innings, but he was a bit shaky in the 3rd and the Sox capitalized. Josh Reddick singled to right field to lead off the inning and after Jed Lowrie struck out, Mike Aviles singled up the middle. With runners at 1st and 2nd with just 1 out, Jacoby Ellsbury lifted a fly ball to right field just just got over the fence for a 3-run homer to make it 3-1 Sox, and that was all we would need behind a sharp Jon Lester.

Jon Lester was very good, allowing just 1 run on 3 hits in 7 innings, along with striking out 8 batters. He is now 12-6/3.22/143, as he is having just another great year. He was relieved by Daniel Bard with a scoreless inning and Jonathan Papelbon with a scoreless inning, as they are also each having fantastic seasons; Papelbon got his 28th save in 29 chances today. Jacoby Ellsbury did the only thing that mattered today in a Boston lineup which only got 3 hits. After that 3-run homer, Ellsbury (left) now sits at .313/21/77 on the season. Tonight, Erik Bedard (4-7/3.55/98) and Jeff Niemann (7-4/3.43/68) will go against one another.

Bright Spots:

Jon Lester- 1 run in 7 strong innings plus 8 strikeouts

Daniel Bard- 2 strikeouts in a scoreless inning

Jonathan Papelbon- his 28th save in a scoreless inning

Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-4 with a big 3-run homer

Josh Reddick- 1-3 with a run scored

Mike Aviles- 1-3 with a run scored

Dull Spots:

Everybody else who played in the game- 0-17 with 4 strikeouts

Well, this was a pretty bad game for the Sox, but hey! We won!

Red Sox Sign All Four First Round Draftees Last Night

Last night was "Signing Day" across Major League Baseball, as it was the deadline to sign draft picks from slightly over 2 months ago. Last night, the Red Sox were able to sign Matt Barnes (1st Round), Blake Swihart (right, 1st Round), Henry Owens (Supplemental Round), Jackie Bradley (Supplemental Round), Noe Ramirez (4th Round), Mookie Betts (5th Round), and Cody Kukuk (7th Round). In fact, over the period between the Draft and now, the Sox signed all but two of their first 10 picks, the exceptions being Senquez Golson (8th Round) and Cody Koback (10th Round).

The biggest deal of last night for the Sox was that they were able to pull off a deal for catcher Blake Swihart. Swihart received a $2.5 million signing bonus, 3rd in Red Sox history behind Casey Kelly and Anthony Renaudo. He was committed to the University of Texas, but the Sox were able to pry him away. Swihart is a switch-hitting catcher who has good speed and power, and last year he batted .448/5/17 in 14 games in the USA 18U tournament. The Sox were also able to sign right handed pitcher Matt Barnes. Barnes, the first overall pick for the Sox took a $1.5 million bonus to sign with the Red Sox. After watching some video on Barnes, I saw that he has a great curveball and a pretty good changeup which consistently fooled hitters at the college level. Also, the Sox got outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., an outfielder who had played with the Champion USC team for 2 years and was thinking about going back again. However, the Sox were able to lure him away with a $1.1 million signing bonus. He is a solid outfielder with a good arm and decent power who shows a lot of raw skills. I can't wait to see these guys in a Red Sox uniform!

Furbush Stymies Red Sox In Series Finale (73-46)

Today, the Sox had another depressing loss to the Mariners, this one was 5-3 in a very tough game. After Wakefield shut down the M's for the first 2 innings, they got to him in the third after a leadoff single for Casper Wells. He then stole 2nd and advanced to 3rd on an error before a Jack Wilson infield single brought him home for a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, Franklin Gutierrez smacked a ball to left field which would land in the glove of Carl Crawford for a sac fly. Later in that same inning, Mike Carp smacked a ball to right for a base hit to extend the lead to 3-0. In the 4th, Adrian Gonzalez rushed home on a sacrifice fly by Jed Lowrie to make it 3-1. However in the 5th, an RBI single for Dustin Ackley made it 4-1. Then in the 6th, Casper Wells led off the inning with a homer to left to make it 5-1. In the 8th, Kevin Youkilis hit a home run to left to make it 5-3 but it wasn't enough.

Tim Wakefield was decent, with a complete game effort despite allowing 5 runs in 8 innings. He again fell short of 200 wins and is now 6-5/4.90/66. Adrian Gonzalez had a pretty good game for the Sox, going 2-4 and scoring a run. Kevin Youkilis (left) also improved his numbers by going 1-3 with a 2-run homer, as he is now .267/17/78. Jed Lowrie was decent, going 1-3 with an RBI on a sac fly. In the first game of Tuesday, the Sox will send Jon Lester (11-6/3.32/135) up against James Shields (11-9/2.80/167) and the Rays.

Bright Spots:

Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4 with a run scored

Kevin Youkilis- 1-3 with a 2-run homer

Jed Lowrie- 1-3 with an RBI

Dull Spots:

Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-3 with a strikeout

Carl Crawford- 0-3 with 2 strikeouts and 3 LOB

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4 with a strikeout and 2 LOB

Darnell McDonald- 0-4 with a strikeout and 2 LOB

This was not a fun game for the Sox.

Weekly News

After today's 5-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners, the Red Sox concluded their week with a 3-3 record. They won a 2-1 series against the Twins and lost 1-2 to the Mariners. For the 3rd time this season, our Player of the Week of David Ortiz. Ortiz had a great week, getting a hit in every game and batting at a very respectable .500/3/7 clip to make him .300/24/79 on the season, as he leads the Sox in homers. For his first time, our Pitcher of the Week is new acquisition Erik Bedard, who threw 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on Tuesday (8/9/11), he is now 4-7/3.55/98 on the season and 0-0/4.50/11 with the Sox. The Performance of the Week goes to David Ortiz on Monday (8/8/11) as he went 4-5 with 3 runs and 3 RBIs, including a 2-run homer. The Game of the Week also goes to Monday (8/8/11) as the Sox came back from a 5-1 deficit to win 8-6 in a great game where Tim Wakefield nearly got win #200. The Sox will take a day off tomorrow before a double-header against the Rays on Tuesday and a game versus the Rays on Wednesday. They then head to Kansas City for a 4-game series in an interesting week.

Red Sox Nearly Come Back, But Fall Nonetheless (73-45)

Last night, the Red Sox played a good game, as they nearly came back from a 5-0 deficit planted in the 1st inning, but they couldn't quite do it and lost 5-4. In the bottom of the 1st, Ichiro took Josh Beckett's very first pitch of the game out of the park for a 1-0 lead. The Mariners proceeded to put runners at 2nd and 3rd in the inning, and a Mike Carp single made it 3-0. Then Casper Wells hit a home run that made it 5-0 in the 1st inning. In the 4th inning, Jacoby Ellsbury tagged up on a Dustin Pedroia fly ball that would have scored him. He rushed home, but collided with Josh Bard, and the umpires blew the call and ejected Terry Francona in a critical point in the game. In the 6th, with Marco Scutaro on 3rd, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a home run on a high fly ball to right field. Later in the inning, with a runner on 1st, Dustin Pedroia lifted a ball to right center which got out as well to make it 5-4.

Josh Beckett was not very good at all, allowing 5 runs on 8 hits in 5 innings. He earned the loss and is now 9-5/2.40/133. Matt Albers threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief in an admirable outing, as he is now 4-3/2.37/52. Franklin Morales and Alfredo Aceves each relieved him with 2/3 of an inning. Jacoby Ellsbury (left) had a good game, going 2-3 with a 2-run homer, as he is now .315/20/74 this season. Adrian Gonzalez went 2-4 and scored a run in a good night. Dustin Pedroia went 1-4 with a 2-run homer, as he is now .310/16/62. Mike Aviles went 2-3 in a good game, as he is now batting .381 since joining the Sox. Marco Scutaro went 1-3 with a triple and a run scored. Today at 4:05, Tim Wakefield (6-4/4.92/62) will go for his 200th win again, versus Charlie Furbush (1-1/7.20/29) and the Mariners.

Bright Spots:

Matt Albers- 1 2/3 scoreless innings

Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-3 with a 2-run homer

Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4 with a run scored

Dustin Pedroia- 1-4 with a 2-run homer

Mike Aviles- 2-3

Marco Scutaro- 1-3 with a run and a triple

Dull Spots:

Josh Beckett- 5 runs in 5 innings for the loss

Josh Reddick- 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and 2 LOB

Jason Varitek- 0-4 with 4 LOB

This was a tough game, and it narrows our lead down to 1 in the AL East.

Red Sox Blast Three Homers To Overrun Mariners (73-44)

Last night the Sox played a good game, as they came back from deficits of 2-0 and 4-2. The Mariners were in business in the 1st inning, as they loaded the bases to start the game. Mike Carp then singled up the middle, scoring two and giving the M's a 2-0 lead. However, the Sox quickly got those runs back in the top of the 2nd as David Ortiz led off the inning with a home run over the center field wall. Later in the inning, the Sox put runners at 1st and 3rd with 1 out, and Mike Aviles knocked a fly ball to score Carl Crawford and tie the game. However, in the 2nd, Lackey loaded the bases again and this time a Dustin Ackley single brought home one to make it 3-2. In the 4th, Franklin Gutierrez was doubled home by Mike Carp to make it 4-2. However, in the 5th, the Sox cut the lead again, as Jed Lowrie led off the inning with a crushed homer to right. In the 6th, after Jarrod Saltalamacchia led off the inning with a single, he was quickly brought home on a long home run by Josh Reddick to give the Sox a 5-4 lead. In the 7th, the Sox padded their lead on an RBI single by David Ortiz to make it 6-4.

John Lackey was decent, as he settled down for just a run in 4 innings after the first 2. He did earn the win, and is now 11-8/6.13/79 this season. Franklin Morales pitched a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless 1 1/3 and Jonathan Papelbon earned the save with a scoreless inning. Jed Lowrie only went 1-5, but that hit was an important home run as he is now .264/4/26. Adrian Gonzalez went 2-4 with a run scored. Dustin Pedroia just went 2-4. David Ortiz (left) had a great game, going 2-5 with a solo homer and another RBI, as he is now a very good .299/24/79. Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 2-4 and scored a run in a good day. Josh Reddick went 1-3 with a 2-run homer as he is now .322/6/25. Mike Aviles also had a good day, going 1-3 with an RBI, as he is now .333/0/1 since joining Boston. Tonight will be a great pitching matchup as Josh Beckett (9-4/2.17/127) and Felix Hernandez (10-10/3.31/174) will go head-to-head.

Bright Spots:

Daniel Bard- 1 1/3 scoreless innings

Jonathan Papelbon- a scoreless inning

Jed Lowrie- 1-5 with a solo home run

Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4 with a run

Dustin Pedroia- 2-4

David Ortiz- 2-5 with a solo homer and 2 RBIs

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4 with a run

Josh Reddick- 1-3 with an important 2-run blast

Mike Aviles- 1-3 with a sac fly

Dull Spots:

Nobody!

This was a great game, and on a rare occasion, no dull spots!

Why the AL East Title Matters

Many people have been saying, "Oh, it doesn't matter if the Yankees or Red Sox get 1st place or the wild card, they'll still make the Playoffs." Well, I disagree with that statement and I'm here to prove them wrong. See, if the Sox get 1st place, they will go likely go up against the Detroit Tigers. The Red Sox, this season have gone 5-1 versus the Tigers, against 0-3 versus the Rangers. The Red Sox are 1st in MLB with a .281 batting average, 2nd in the league with 141 home runs, and 1st in the league in runs scored with 631. The Tigers are 6th in MLB with a .265 batting average, 16th with 110 home runs, and 11th in the league with 517 runs scored. The Rangers are 2nd in the league with a .277 batting average, 3rd in the league with 140 home runs, and 3rd in the league with 599 runs scored. Of these, you can tell that the Tigers clearly have the worst offense. So, let's look at pitching: The Red Sox are 17th in the league with a 3.91 ERA, 9th in the league with 847 strikeouts, and 9th in the league with a 1.27 WHIP. The Tigers are 24th in the league with a 4.22 ERA, 22nd in the league with 782 strikeouts, and 22nd in the league with a 1.34 WHIP. The Rangers are 12th in the league with a 3.77 ERA, 16th in the league with 823 strikeouts, and 11th in the league with a 1.28 WHIP. Once again, you can clearly see that the Tigers clearly are the worst of the bunch. With the Red Sox bats going up against the Tigers' mediocre pitching, the Sox would have an easy series win. Against the Rangers it may be a different story, as the two teams are fairly evenly matched, except in bullpen strength where the Red Sox are far superior. Basically what I'm trying to say is that it would be an easy series for the Sox with the Tigers and difficult with the Rangers. I expect it to be a Red Sox-Yankees ALCS anyways, but 1st or 2nd place absolutely matters.

Red Sox Can't Sweep Twins Behind Lester (72-44)

Last night was a tough game for the Sox as they could never muster up enough offense against a very good Nick Blackburn. The Twins took a lead in the 1st as Jim Thome singled in Joe Mauer to make it 1-0. The Twins scored again in the 6th, as Joe Mauer doubled in Ben Revere to make it 2-0. In the 7th, the Sox cut into the Twins lead as Mike Aviles scored on a Marco Scutaro single to make it 2-1. In the 8th, David Ortiz tied the game on a monster home run to right center. However, in the bottom of the 8th, the Twins scored runs on doubles by Jim Thome and Danny Valencia. Then later in the inning, with the bases loaded, Tsuyoshi Nishioka singled with the bases loaded to push home an additional run and make it 5-2.

For most of his outing, Jon Lester was very good, allowing 2 runs through the first 7 innings. But he collapsed in the 8th, and his final stats were 4 runs in 7 1/3 innings, and he is now 11-6/3.32/135. In relief, Alfredo Aceves allowed a run in 1/3 of an inning and Andrew Miller threw a scoreless 1/3. Marco Scutaro went 1-5 with an RBI in an ok day. David Ortiz (left) went 2-3 with a solo home run and is now .298/23/77. Mike Aviles also had a good day going 2-3 with a run scored, he is now .230/5/31 total, but is batting .333 with the Red Sox in 15 at-bats. There will be an off day today, but tomorrow night the Sox will head to Seattle and send John Lackey (10-8/6.14/76) against Blake Beavan (3-2/2.83/17).

Bright Spots:

Jon Lester- he was very sharp for most of the game

David Ortiz- 2-3 with a solo homer

Mike Aviles- 2-3 with a run scored

Dull Spots:

Alfredo Aceves- 1 run in 1/3 of an inning

Adrian Gonzalez- 0-4 with a strikeout and 3 LOB

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and 3 LOB

Josh Reddick- 0-3

Not a good game for the Red Sox, 4 members of the lineup stranded 3 baserunners.

Lowrie Or Scutaro?

For the first time since mid-June, Jed Lowrie (right) is off the DL and is playing baseball for the Boston Red Sox. This arouses the question, who is the starting shortstop, Jed Lowrie or Marco Scutaro? Lowrie started the season on a torrid streak, as he and Dustin Pedroia were the only ones doing anything in April. However, he then fell into a mind-numbing slump, and the two extremes have evened out to a .266/3/25 season for Lowrie. However, despite being solid to good in the past, he has been a very bad fielder this season, making 11 errors in 57 games, and 9 in 45 games at shortstop; this averages out to an error every 5 games. This is unacceptable, especially given that last year he made 5 errors in 59 games.

Marco Scutaro, to me, has been a very solid shortstop in his 2 years with the Red Sox. After going .275/11/56 and being a rock with his versatility, as he spent much of the year leading off due to Jacoby Ellsbury's injuries. This year has been more of the same for Scutaro as he is batting .280/5/25, and has been especially hot of late, batting .433 in his last 10 games. He has been considerably better at fielding than Lowrie, making 8 errors in 72 games. What I would say is that Scutaro should be starting for now. If he cools off or goes in a slump and Lowrie is hitting better, then they should start Lowrie. Please vote on my poll about this "pressing matter." Also, if you have something to say about this, you are welcome to comment and I will reply.

Red Sox Edge Twins In Second Game of Series (72-43)

Last night, the Red Sox played a pretty good game against the Twins which they won 4-3 and extended their AL East lead to 2 1/2 games, and won their 4th straight. After the Twins led off the game with runners at 1st and 3rd, they scored their first run on a sacrifice fly by Michael Cuddyer. Later in the inning, they loaded the bases, and a Delmon Young walk pushed the lead to 2-0. In the 5th, however, the Sox got those runs back on a crushed 2-run homer by Darnell McDonald. In the 6th, the Red Sox got a lead on a an RBI single by Jason Varitek, scoring Jed Lowrie to make it 3-2. However, the Twins tied it up at 3-3 in the 6th when Danny Valencia scored on a double by Tsuyoshi Nishioka. With the bases loaded in the 7th, David Ortiz bounced a ball down the first base line which pitcher Phil Dumatrait botched, and Dustin Pedroia scored to make it 4-3.

Erik Bedard was pretty good in his 2nd start for the Sox, allowing just 2 runs (both scored in the 1st) through 5 innings. He is now 4-7/3.55/98 total and 0-0/4.50/11 as a Red Sock. Matt Albers got the win, allowing a run in an inning. He was relieved with Franklin Morales (2/3 scoreless), Daniel Bard (1 1/3 scoreless), and Jonathan Papelbon (1 scoreless). Adrian Gonzalez had a pretty good day, going 2-4. David Ortiz went 1-3 with the game-winning hit, his 76th RBI of the year. Jason Varitek went 1-3 with an RBI and a run scored in a good day for him. Darnell McDonald (left) had a great day, going 2-3 with a 2-run homer, as he is now .182/4/15 on the season. Tomorrow, the Sox will go for a sweep with Jon Lester (11-5/3.23/131) against Nick Blackburn (7-9/4.58/71).

Bright Spots:

Erik Bedard- he was very sharp after the 1st inning

Daniel Bard- a scoreless inning of relief

Jonathan Papelbon- save #26

Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4

David Ortiz- 1-3 with an RBI

Jason Varitek- 1-3 with a run and an RBI

Darnell McDonald- 2-3 with a 2-run homer

Dull Spots:

Matt Albers- a blown save, despite a win

Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-5 with a strikeout

Kevin Youkilis- 0-4 with 3 LOB

Jed Lowrie- 0-3 with 6 LOB

Carl Crawford- 0-3 with 2 strikeouts and 3 LOB

I'm glad the S0x won, because we now hold a 2 1/2 game lead in the division.

Ortiz Lifts Sox In Comeback Win Over Twins (71-43)

Last night the Red Sox played a great game against the Twins, they came back from a 5-1 deficit to win 8-6. In the 2nd inning, the Sox took an early lead when Marco Scutaro drove in David Ortiz on an RBI single. However, in the bottom of the 2nd, the Twins led off the inning with a double by Michael Cuddyer (of whom I have an autographed ball). A Jason Kubel single was next, driving him in and making it 1-1. Kubel quickly scored as Jim Thome was behind him with a double. Later in the inning, Thome scored on a passed ball to make it 3-1. In the 4th, Kubel hit a high fly ball to right field which found the seats to make it 4-1. Then, in the bottom of the 5th, Trevor Plouffe scored on a double by Joe Mauer. However, in the 5th, the Sox got off to an awesome start on a triple by Carl Crawford. An Adrian Gonzalez fly ball came next, scoring Crawford and making it 5-2. After a Dustin Pedroia single, David Ortiz crushed a homer to right field to make it 5-4. Then, in the very next at-bat, Jarrod Saltalamacchia crushed a homer to right to tie it up at 5-5. In the 8th, with Ortiz on 3rd, Mike Aviles grounded a ball to the shortstop, who threw it home, but it bounced off Joe Mauer's glove and Papi scored to make it 6-5. However, Jason Kubel had another RBI single in the 8th, which robbed to Sox of a lead. In the 9th, with runners at 1st and 2nd with 2 outs, David Ortiz lined a ball to center and pinch-runner Darnell McDonald came around to make it 7-6. The next batter, Jarrod Saltalamacchia doubled in Dustin Pedroia to make it 8-6.

Tim Wakefield started out not well, but he settled down, allowing 5 runs, 3 earned in 7 innings, as he is now 6-4/4.92/62. He was relieved with Alfredo Aceves, who allowed 1 run in an inning, and Jonathan Papelbon, who got the save with a scoreless inning. Jacoby Ellsbury had a good game, going 2-5. Adrian Gonzalez also had a good game, going 2-3 with an RBI. Dustin Pedroia went 2-5 with 2 runs scored out of the cleanup role. David Ortiz had a great game though, going 4-5 with 3 runs scored and 3 RBIs, including a 2-run homer, as he is now .295/22/74. Jarrod Saltalamacchia (left) also had a good game, going 2-5 with a homer and 2 RBIs, as he is now .257/11/38. Marco Scutaro had another good day, going 3-4 with an RBI. Tonight, Erik Bedard (4-7/3.55/92) and Francisco Liriano (7-9/5.03/93) pitch.

Bright Spots:

Tim Wakefield- although his stats don't reflect it, he was pretty good for most of the game

Jonathan Papelbon- lights out, with 2 strikeouts in an inning

Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5

Adrian Gonzalez- 2-3 with an RBI

Dustin Pedroia- 2-5 with 2 runs scored

David Ortiz- 4-5 with 3 runs and 3 RBIs, including a 2-run homer

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-5 with a homer and 2 RBIs

Marco Scutaro- 3-4 with an RBI

Dull Spots:

Alfredo Aceves- cost Wakefield his 200th win by allowing the tying run

Josh Reddick- 0-3 with a strikeout

The Sox played really well last night, and I'm glad they could come back!

Weekly News

This was not a bad week for the Red Sox, they went 4-3 for the second straight week after tying 2-2 with the Indians and beating the Yankees 2-1. Our Player of the Week, for his 4th time is Jacoby Ellsbury, who had a great week, going .276/2/10, along with 2 walkoffs!!! He is now having a great season, as he is batting .318/19/72 this season. Our Pitcher of the Week is, well, pretty much who it's been all year, Josh Beckett, who won his 9th this year by going just 0-0/2.25/12 in 12 innings. He is having a great season at 9-4/2.17/127, and as evidence of last night, he has simply dominated our arch-rivals, the Yankees. I think that, if you paid attention to baseball this week, the Performance of the Week would be pretty clear, as on Saturday (8/6/11), Jacoby Ellsbury batted 2-4 with a home run and 6 RBIs in an awesome game for him. Now, for the game of the week, this one's a little tougher, since the Red Sox walked off 3 times this week (!!!!) but my answer was surprisingly easy. Seeing as last night's game (8/7/11) was against the Yankees, and we were behind in the 9th, it pretty much takes the cake. Next week, the Red Sox will play a 3-game series in Minnesota against the Twins, then they will hit the road and play 3 in Seattle after an off day on Thursday.

2004 Relived, Red Sox Get To Rivera, Win In Extras (70-43)

Last night, the Red Sox and Yankees played a heck of a game, as the Sox won 3-2 in the 10th inning to take 1st place. In the 2nd inning, the Red Sox loaded the bases on a walk and two hits with nobody out. However, the next two batters, Jason Varitek and Josh Reddick each got out before a Marco Scutaro line drive into right field made it 1-0. In the 5th, Eduardo Nunez crushed a home run to left field over the monster to tie it up at 1-1. In the 7th, another Yankees homer, this one by Brett Gardner made it 2-1. In the 9th, Marco Scutaro doubled to lead off the inning, and a Jacoby Ellsbury bunt put him at 3rd base with just one out. Dustin Pedroia obliged and hit a fly ball deep, and Scutaro was able to tag up and tie the game at 2-2. In the 10th, David Ortiz doubled with one out, and after Phil Hughes intentionally walked Carl Crawford, Josh Reddick came through with a drive to left with Gardner was unable to reach, and the Sox won!

Josh Beckett was very good, allowing 1 earned run in 6 innings, as he is now 9-4/2.17/127. He was relieved with Matt Albers for 2/3 of an inning (gave up 1 run), Franklin Morales for 1/3, then Dan Wheeler, Jonathan Papelbon, and Daniel Bard (got the win) for 1 inning. Dustin Pedroia had a good game, going 1-3 with an RBI. David Ortiz went 2-4. Carl Crawford went 3-4 and raised his average to .260, as he's been really hot lately. Josh Reddick had a god-awful day, going 1-5 and stranding 6 runners, but I suppose since he got the walk-off hit he's a bright spot as well. Marco Scutaro had a great day as well, going 4-4 with a run and an RBI, as he is now .272/5/24. Tomorrow, the Sox will head to Minneapolis and will send Tim Wakefield (6-4/4.99/58) to get his 200th win against Scott Baker (8-6/3.01/115).

Bright Spots:

Josh Beckett- pitched very well allowing just 1 run over 6 innings

Dan Wheeler, Jonathan Papelbon, and Daniel Bard- 3 combined scoreless innings

Dustin Pedroia- 1-3 with an RBI

David Ortiz- 2-4

Carl Crawford- 3-4

Josh Reddick- 1-5 with the walk-off hit, despite stranding 6 runners

Marco Scutaro- 4-4 with a run and an RBI

Dull Spots:

Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-4 with 8 LOB

Adrian Gonzalez- 0-5

Kevin Youkilis- 0-4 with a strikeout

Jason Varitek- 0-3 with 6 LOB

This was an exciting game, and we're back in 1st place!

Ortiz Upset About His Contract Situation

I can't imagine the Red Sox without David Ortiz, he has been there ever since I started watching Red Sox baseball and I have just loved watching him. Obviously he feels the same way, as he is upset with the team's management about the lack of contract talks with their slugger. Ortiz, a career .281 hitter, is having another great season as the Red Sox designated hitter, batting a solid .286/21/71. Ortiz has been wildly successful since coming to the Red Sox, his worst season coming in 2009, when he finished at a respectable .238/28/99. His best seasons came from 2003-2007, when he was regarded as one of the best hitters in the game. After two down years in 2008 and 2009, he made a comeback last year, winning the Sox.Rox Player of the Year Award, going .270/32/102. However, so far Theo Epstein and the Red Sox have apparently made no move to sign him to a long-term extension after activating his $12.5 million option for 2011 this offseason. I have no doubts that the Red Sox will try to resign Papi to a deal this offseason, and I would love to see him back in a Red Sox uniform.

Ellsbury Drives In Six As Sox Pound Yanks (69-43)

Today, the Sox pounded the Yankees 10-4 in a game where the Sox dominated on all aspects of the game. The Red Sox put runners at 2nd and 3rd with 1 out in the 3rd inning, and Jacoby Ellsbury drove one in with a sacrifice fly. It then became 2-0 as Dustin Pedroia doubled to left field. However, the Yankees got those back as they loaded the bases to start the 4th. Nick Swisher drove in a run on a 4-6-3 double play and Eric Chavez drove in another on a single to left making it 2-2. In the bottom of the 4th, the Red Sox put runners at 1st and 3rd with 1 out. A single by Carl Crawford scored a run and made it 3-2. The Red Sox soon scored another on a single by Marco Scutaro to make it 4-2. The next batter, Jacoby Ellsbury, then made the Yankees forget about winning this one as he crushed a 3-run homer to right, making it 7-2. In the 5th, Francisco Cervelli scored on a single by Derek Jeter to make it 7-3. In the 8th, it became 7-4 as Mark Teixeira hit a home run to right field to cut the lead further. However, in the bottom of the 8th, the Red Sox loaded the bases with no outs and after a Marco Scutaro popup, it was Ellsbury again, singling in two and making it 9-4. A sacrifice fly by Dustin Pedroia then extended the lead to 10-4.

John Lackey was pretty good, allowing 3 runs in 6 innings, as he is now 10-8/6.14/76. In relief, Alfredo Aceves pitched a scoreless inning, Daniel Bard allowed a run in an inning, and Dan Wheeler pitched a scoreless inning. Jacoby Ellsbury (left) had a great game, going 2-4 with 6 RBIs, 3 on a home run, and a run scored, as he is now .321/19/72, as he is definitely having an MVP-caliber season.

Dustin Pedroia also had a pretty good game, going 1-4 with 2 RBIs. Carl Crawford also had a very good game, going 4-4 with 3 runs and an RBI as he is now .254/7/38, as he is not having a great year. Marco Scutaro went 1-3 with a run and an RBI. In the rubber match tomorrow night, the Sox will send Josh Beckett (9-4/2.20/122) up against Freddy Garcia (10-7/3.22/80) in a must-win game.

Bright Spots:

John Lackey- he was pretty sharp with 3 runs in 6 innings

Alfredo Aceves- a scoreless inning

Dan Wheeler- a scoreless inning

Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4 with a homer and 6 RBIs in an awesome game

Dustin Pedroia- 1-4 with 2 RBIs

Carl Crawford- 4-4 with 3 runs and an RBI

Marco Scutaro- 1-3 with a run and an RBI

Dull Spots:

Daniel Bard- a run in an inning

David Ortiz- 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and 3 LOB

This was a great game for the Sox, and they need a win tomorrow to reclaim 1st place!

Lester In Too Long, Red Sox Fall (68-43)

Last night was a really bad game for the Red Sox, as they were leading up until the Yankees had one good inning, and lost because of it. After Josh Reddick singled in the 3rd, Jacoby Ellsbury whacked a double off the center field part of the green monster to make it 1-0. In the 4th, the Sox extended their lead to 2-0 when David Ortiz belted a home run way into the bleachers. However, in the 6th, the Yankees put runners at 1st and 2nd to start the inning. Curtis Granderson promptly blooped a single to left field to put the Yankees on the board at 2-1. Soon after, Robinson Cano grounded into a double play, but the run still scored and made it 2-2. Nick Swisher then hit a ground-rule double to left field where Granderson scored and made it 3-2 Yankees.

Jon Lester was very good through the first 5 innings, but he broke down in the 6th, and overall allowed 3 runs in 6 innings. He is now 11-5/3.23/131, as he is having a good season. Matt Albers pitched very well in relief, throwing 2 scoreless innings. Randy Williams then threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning and Alfredo Aceves threw the other 1/3. Jacoby Ellsbury went 1-3 with an RBI double in a pretty good day. David Ortiz only went 1-4, but he had that big home run and is now .289/21/71, as he has been really good this year. Carl Crawford also had a rare good day, going 2-4 with a double. Josh Reddick also went 2-4, but both hits were singles, as he has been phenomenal. Tonight, the Red Sox and John Lackey (9-8/6.23/71) will try to reclaim first place against C.C. Sabathia (16-5/255/162).

Bright Spots:

Jon Lester- 3 runs in 6 innings, but he pitched much better than that

Matt Albers- 2 shutout innings of relief

Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-3 with an RBI double

David Ortiz- 1-4 with a solo home run

Carl Crawford- 2-4 with a double

Josh Reddick- 2-4

Dull Spots:

Adrian Gonzalez- ended his 13-game hitting streak with an 0-4, 3 LOB night

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4 with a strikeout and 2 LOB

Marco Scutaro- 0-3 with 2 LOB

This was a really tough game for the Sox, and they really need to win tonight.