Changing Of The Guard- Episode One

I have never watched a Red Sox game where Terry Francona was not managing. The first one will be April 6, 2012. The Red Sox declined Francona's 2 year, $4.5 million option after managing for 8 years at the helm of the Red Sox. In that time, he had 2 World Championships, a .574 regular season winning percentage, and a 1.000 World Series winning percentage. "I've always maintained that it is not only the right, but the obligation, of the ownership to have the right person doing the job. I told them that out of my enormous respect for the organization and the people in it, they may need a different voice for the team," said Francona in a press conference. General Manager Theo Epstein defended Francona, saying, "This year was certainly a difficult and draining one for him and us. Ultimately, he decided that there were certain things that needed to be done that he couldn't do after eight years here, and that the team would benefit from a new voice." I agree that the clubhouse does need some more personality and chemistry, but I don't necessarily agree with the decision. I can't help thinking that whoever replaces Tito may be a step down.

Yearly News

Is it something I said? Two of the three years I've been blogging, the Red Sox have missed the playoffs- including 2 straight years! This was an odd year for the Red Sox, after last night's 4-3 loss to the Orioles, they wound up 90-72 and failed for Playoff contention. The one bright spot all year in this season, however, has been Jacoby Ellsbury, who finished the season at .322/32/105. This race for Player of the Year was as close as it's ever been, as Ellsbury and Adrian Gonzalez were tied heading into this week. However, Jacoby Ellsbury's 2-run homer on Tuesday (9/27/11) was enough to cap off an exciting race. Also, Jacoby Ellsbury had, by far, the best season for anybody to win the Player of the Year- I mean, he had one hell of a season. The first annual Pitcher of the Year was Josh Beckett, who had a great season, going 13-7/2.89/175 in 2011, arguably the best year of his career. This was a strange season.

Red Sox Blow Late Lead, Head Back Home (90-72)

This was probably the most important regular season game that I have ever watched- and we lost. The Red Sox took a lead in the 3rd as Dustin Pedroia singled in Mike Aviles to make it 1-0. In the bottom of the 3rd, however, the Red Sox fell behind again as J.J. Hardy crushed a 2-run homer to left to make it 2-1. With Marco Scutaro at 3rd and 2 outs in the 4th inning, he came in as Alfredo Simon balked to tie it up at 2-2. However, Dustin Pedroia gave the Sox a lead in the 5th with a homer to left to make it 3-2. They held that lead until Jonathan Papelbon came in. In the bottom of the 9th, an RBI double tied it and a walk-off single by Nolan Reimold would make it 4-3, and the Orioles won. The Rays beat the Yankees, coming back from a 7-0 deficit to head into the Playoffs.
       I have nothing on Jon Lester, he pitched well, allowing 2 runs in 6 innings. He finished 2011 with respectable 15-9/3.47/182 stats. He was relieved with Alfredo Aceves and Daniel Bard with a scoreless inning each. However, Jonathan Papelbon allowed 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning. Dustin Pedroia (left), offensively, was the bright spot for the Red Sox as we went 3-4 with a solo home run as well as an RBI single, as he finished 2011 at .307/21/91, as he had a great season. David Ortiz went 2-4 in a good day. Marco Scutaro went 2-4 and scored a run in a good day for him. There is gonna be no pitching matchup tomorrow, or even Friday. However, there's always next year. The Yearly News is coming out later.

Bright Spots:
Jon Lester- 2 runs in 6 innings
Alfredo Aceves- a scoreless inning
Daniel Bard- a scoreless inning
Dustin Pedroia- 3-4 with a run and 2 RBIs, including a solo shot
David Ortiz- 2-4
Marco Scutaro- 2-4 with a run scored

Dull Spots:
Jonathan Papelbon- 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning
Ryan Lavarnway- 0-5 with a strikeout and 9 LOB

This was a tough game for the Sox, but there's always next year.

Lavarnway Lifts Sox Over Orioles In Key Game (90-71)

With Nick Markakis on 1st with 1 out in the 1st inning, Vladimir Guerrero lined a ball into left-center field. It would fall for a double and Markakis would score to make it 1-0 early on. In the 3rd, Jacoby Ellsbury lifted a ball into right-center field for a 2-run homer which would give the Sox a 2-1 lead. With 2 runners on base in the 4th, Ryan Lavarnway crushed his 1st major league home run to left. As he rounded the bases, Red Sox fans sighed with a 5-1 lead. However, it didn't last long as Matt Weiters crushed a 2-run homer to center field in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-3. In the 6th, the Red Sox capitalized on a one-out triple by Carl Crawford when Marco Scutaro crushed a hanging slider into the left field bleachers to make it 7-3. In the bottom of the 6th, Adam Jones crushed a ball to right-center leading off the inning to make it 7-4. In the 8th, it was Ryan Lavarnway again, as his second homer of the game gave the Sox a 8-4 lead. In the bottom of the 8th, the Orioles had a runner on second with 2 outs, and a single by Chris Davis and a triple by Nolan Reimold would make it 8-6. An RBI groundout by J.J. Hardy in the 9th made it 8-7, but that was all they were gonna get.

      Erik Bedard was not particularly good, allowing 3 runs in 3 1/3 innings. However, in relief, Alfredo Aceves was outstanding, allowing 1 run in 3 2/3 innings, as his season will end at 10-2/2.63/79, great stats for a reliever. Daniel Bard relieved him, allowing 2 runs in an inning and Jonathan Papelbon allowed a run in an inning. Jacoby Ellsbury only went 1-5, but that one hit was very big, as it was a 2-run homer, as he is now .322/32/105. Dustin Pedroia went 2-4 in a good game for him. Ryan Lavarnway (left, near) had an awesome game, going 2-4 with a 3-run homer and a solo homer, as he is now .265/2/8 in his career, a decent year. Marco Scutaro also had a good game, going 2-4 with a 2-run homer and another run scored, as he is now .297/7/54, as he is having a great year. In the final game of the regular season (There's still the postseason, fingers crossed!), Jon Lester (15-9/3.49/177)  will start against Alfredo Simon (4-9/4.85/81). 

Bright Spots:

Alfredo Aceves- 1 run in 3 2/3 innings for the win

Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-5 with an important 2-run homer

Dustin Pedroia- 2-4

Ryan Lavarnway- 2-4 with 2 home runs and 4 RBIs in a great day

Marco Scutaro- 2-4 with 2 runs and a 2-run homer

Dull Spots:

Erik Bedard- 3 runs in 3 1/3 innings

Daniel Bard- 2 runs in an inning

Jonathan Papelbon- a run in an inning

Jed Lowrie- 0-5 with 2 strikeouts and 4 LOB

This was a huge game for the Red Sox, and we won. Now, we just need to win tonight, and we need a Rays loss!

Red Sox Suffer Bad Loss At The Wrong Time (89-71)

Last night was a terrible game, but it held a greater significance as the Rays won to tie it up in the Wild Card spot. In the 2nd inning, with Marco Scutaro at 1st, Jacoby Ellsbury doubled into left-center. Matt Angle grabbed the ball and threw it back into the infield, but it wasn't near anybody, and Scutaro was able to score. In the bottom of the 2nd, however, Matt Weiters homered to left field to tie it at 1-1. In the 4th, Jed Lowrie took a high change and belted it to right for a solo home run. In the 5th, the Orioles tied it as Chris Davis hit a ball back up the middle. In the 6th, it was Chris Davis again as he lined a ball down into right field to score one and make it 3-2 Orioles. Later in the inning, Robert Andino crushed a ball high in the air to center field. Jacoby Ellsbury was unable to get it as it deflected off his glove, and Andino was able to round the bases with an inside-the-park home run to make it 6-2. A Dustin Pedroia RBI single in the 9th made it 6-3, but it wasn't enough.
      Josh Beckett was very good until the 6th inning, but total he allowed 6 runs in 6 innings to close his season at 13-7/2.89/175, one of the best seasons of his career. He was relieved by Alfredo Aceves and Kyle Weiland with a scoreless inning each. Jacoby Ellsbury had a good game, going 2-4 and scoring a run. Dustin Pedroia also had a good day, going 2-4 and driving in a run. David Ortiz went 2-5. Jed Lowrie went 1-4 with a solo home run, as he is now .257/6/36. Tonight, the Red Sox will hope for a Yankees win and will send Erik Bedard (5-9/3.50/119) against Zach Britton (11-10/4.44/95).

Bright Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- a scoreless inning
Kyle Weiland- a scoreless inning
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4 with a run scored
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4 with an RBI
Jed Lowrie- 1-4 with a solo home run

Dull Spots:
Carl Crawford- 0-5 with 4 LOB
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and 4 LOB

This was a tough game, and we really really need the Yankees to win tonight.

Weekly News

This was a bad week for the Red Sox, as they went 2-5 and fell to only a game ahead of the Rays for the wild card. Our Player of the Week is Jacoby Ellsbury, as he had quite a week, going .382/4/7, as he is having a stellar season at .322/31/103 as this is boiling down to be the tightest race ever for Player of the Week with Gonzalez and Ellsbury tied entering the final week. Our Pitcher of the Week is Josh Beckett, which is kind of sad, considering that he allowed 6 runs in 7 1/3 innings and earned the loss against the Orioles. The Performance of the Week goes to Jacoby Ellsbury, as on Monday (9/19/11), he went 3-6 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs, including an inside-the-park home run. The Game of the Week was undoubtably last night, as the Sox won 7-4 in 14 innings capped on a 3-run homer by Ellsbury. Next week, the Red Sox will play a 3-game series in Baltimore and then, hopefully, head to Texas/Detroit for the ALDS.

Red Sox Able To Win When It Counted (89-70)

Entering the game, the Red Sox faced a dire predicament. If they lost, they would be tied with the Rays for the wild card, but they didn't lose. With runners on 1st and 2nd and 1 out in the 1st inning for the Yankees, Mark Teixeira was the beneficiary of some bad defense and was able to score on an inside-the-park home run to make it 3-0 early. After a one out triple by Jed Lowrie in the 5th, J.D. Drew drove him in with a single in his first game since July 19. With runners at 2nd and 3rd in the 6th inning, Adrian Gonzalez hit a hard grounder to first but a diving snag by Mark Teixeira allowed only one run to score. In the 7th, the Red Sox were able to put Mike Aviles on 3rd with one out. Marco Scutaro would double into left to score the run and make it 3-3. Then, the next batter, Jason Varitek singled up the middle to score a run and give the Sox a 4-3 lead. However, a sacrifice fly to deep center by Chris Dickerson would tie the game again in the bottom of the 7th. It stayed that way until the top of the 14th inning, when with runners at 1st and 3rd and two outs, Jacoby Ellsbury lifted a ball into the Yankees bullpen for a 3-run homer to make it 7-4.
       John Lackey was actually pretty good last night. After that homer by Mark Teixeira in the 1st inning, he was lights out, and he wound up allowing 4 runs, 3 earned in 6+ innings. However, behind him was some lights out relief as Alfredo Aceves, Daniel Bard, Jonathan Papelbon, Franklin Morales, and Felix Doubront were all very good and didn't allow the Yankees to get anything going. Jacoby Ellsbury went 2-7, however, one of those hits was the key 3-run homer, as he is now .322/31/103. Adrian Gonzalez (left) went 1-4 with an RBI, but if Mark Teixeira hadn't made a fantastic play, he would've been 2-4 with 2 RBIs. Jed Lowrie went 2-3 with a run scored, as he was a big catalyst for this team. Marco Scutaro went 2-4 with 2 runs and an RBI, including an intentional walk by Mariano Rivera, a sign of respect. Tonight, the Red Sox will head to Baltimore and send Josh Beckett (13-6/2.70/170) out against Tommy Hunter (4-4/4.86/43).

Bright Spots:
John Lackey- 4 runs in 6 innings, but only one came after the 1st
The Bullpen- 8 shutout innings, allowing only one hit and striking out 8
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-7 with a key 3-run homer
Carl Crawford- 2-7 with a run scored
Dustin Pedroia- 2-6
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-4 with an RBI
Jed Lowrie- 2-3 with a run and 2 very important hits
Marco Scutaro- 2-4 with 2 runs and an RBI

Dull Spots:
David Ortiz- 0-6 with 4 LOB

This was quite a game, and we came out on top so it's all good!

Red Sox Falling Even Farther Into September Hole (88-70)

The Red Sox lost again today, falling for their 4th straight time and making this September even worse. A badly timed wild pitch and passed ball in the 1st inning made the score 2-0 Yankees early. After a walk to Alex Rodriguez in the 3rd inning, Jorge Posada crushed a lined drive, second deck home run into right field to make it 4-0. However, Jacoby Ellsbury put us on the board by leading off the 4th inning with a homer to right to make it 4-1. After a leadoff double in the 5th by Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez drove him in with a ground ball into right field. In the 6th, Jacoby Ellsbury lifted the team again with his 2nd homer of the day to make it 5-2. The Yankees extended their lead in the 6th on a double by Derek Jeter to make it 6-2.
      Tim Wakefield was pretty bad, allowing 5 runs on 5 hits and 5 walks in 4 innings. Matt Albers allowed a run in 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. He was relieved by Scott Atchison and Andrew Miller who shut out the Yankees with 1 1/3 and 1 inning, respectively. Jacoby Ellsbury had a great game, going 3-4 with 2 home runs, but he was the only one, as he is now .322/30/11, a great year any way you slice it. In the nightcap of the double-header, John Lackey (12-12/6.49/104) will continue his Cy Young season against Ivan Nova (16-4/3.64/95) and the Yankees.

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 1 1/3 scoreless innings
Andrew Miller- a scoreless inning
Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-4 with 2 solo home runs

Dull Spots:
Everybody else

This Is What We, In America, Call A 'Bad Game' (88-69)

Yesterday, the Red Sox played a terrible game, losing miserably to the Yankees and losing ground in the wild card chase. It started in the 2nd for the Yankees when they loaded the bases with 1 out. Jesus Montero hit a soft drive to left that would score one. Two more would score when Russell Martin hit a long line drive into left to score two more and make it 3-0. Then Derek Jeter came up and crushed a homer to right center to cap a 6-run 2nd inning and make the score 6-0. In the 3rd, a 2-run double by Jesus Montero would make it 8-0, as you can tell, a very lovely game for the Red Sox. In the 6th, Jesus Montero homered to left to make it an even more reciprocal score of 9-0. An RBI double by Carl Crawford in the 7th would dramatically close the gap in the game at 9-1.
      Jon Lester was really bad, simply put, allowing 8 runs in 2 2/3 innings to raise his ERA from 3.15 to 3.49. Scott Atchison was great, allowing no runs in 2 1/3 innings. Junichi Tazawa was ok, allowing a run in 1 2/3 innings. Trever Miller pitched a scoreless 1/3 of an inning, and Michael Bowden was lights out for an inning. Jacoby Ellsbury had a decent game, going 2-4. Carl Crawford went 1-4 with an RBI. Dustin Pedroia went 2-4. Conor Jackson was 1-2 with a run scored off of the bench, replacing Josh Reddick. There will be a double-header today, and pitching in the day game will be Tim Wakefield (7-7/5.08/89) going up against A.J. Burnett (10-11/5.28/167).

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief
Michael Bowden- a scoreless inning
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4
Carl Crawford- 1-4 with an RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4
Conor Jackson- 1-2 with a run scored off the bench

Dull Spots:
Jon Lester- 8 runs in 2 2/3 innings, a great start by any measure
David Ortiz- 0-4 with 5 LOB
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-3 with a strikeout and 2 LOB

Well, we only lead the wild card by 1.5 games and it is only the Rays' ineptitude keeping us there.

A Good Possibility That We Will See Clay Buchholz in 2011

Well, you may have gotten the gist of this post from the title. We could see Clay Buchholz pitching in a game for the Red Sox as early as Monday in Baltimore. Buchholz is recovering from a stress fracture in his back that he received on my birthday (nice present, right?). Before the injury he was 6-3/3.48/60 coming off of a fantastic 17-7/2.33/120 season in 2010 where he was 2nd in the AL in ERA. If the Red Sox had Clay Buchholz for the whole season in 2011, they would be in 1st place right now. No question, he would have added the 7 games that they currently need, and since we do not have those wins, the Yankees have clinched the AL East. Our pitching would have been better all year long, and although the Red Sox never would have gotten Erik Bedard, they would still have had a viable postseason rotation. I just hope that Buchholz bounces back and is maybe healthy for the playoffs and 2012.

Red Sox Show Ability to Lose The Same Way Twice (88-68)

The Orioles took an early lead in the 1st inning, as Mark Reynolds sent a homer close to the third base line to make it 1-0. After a leadoff triple in the 3rd, Carl Crawford scored on a ground ball to 2nd by Jason Varitek. In the 4th, it was Carl Crawford who drove in the runs, driving a double off the green monster to score two and make it 3-1 Red Sox. Later in the inning, David Ortiz singled into right field to score another run and make it 4-1. In the 6th, Robert Andino scored on a single up the middle by J.J. Hardy to make it a slightly closer game. However, in the 7th, the big blow was delivered as Mark Reynolds lifted a ball to left-center to make it 4-4. Unfortunately, the big blow of the game came in the 8th inning, a 2-run single by Vladimir Guerrero that would put the game away at 6-4.

      Josh Beckett was not at his best, giving up 6 runs in 7 1/3 innings, while striking out 8. He was relieved by Alfredo Aceves with 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Adrian Gonzalez went 2-4 and scored a run in a pretty good game. David Ortiz went 1-4 with an RBI single. Carl Crawford (left) was really the only offensive bright spot, going 3-4 and falling a home run shy of the cycle as well as scoring a run and driving 2 in, he is now .259/11/55 this season, as he has majorly failed to live up to expectations. The Red Sox will have an off day today and look to recover before sending Jon Lester (15-8/3.15/174) will go against a Yankees starter to be announced.


Bright Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- 1 2/3 scoreless innings
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4 with a run scored
David Ortiz- 1-4 with an RBI
Carl Crawford- 3-4 with a run, 2 RBIs, a double, and a triple

Dull Spots:
Josh Beckett- he did not give them a good chance to win, allowing 6 runs in 7 1/3 innings
Josh Reddick- 0-4 with 2 LOB
Marco Scutaro- 0-3 with a strikeout and 2 LOB

This was a bad game, and to top it off, the Yankees clinched the AL East.

Orioles Rally Off Papelbon To Beat Sox Late (88-67)

Last night was a tough game, as the Sox surrendered a late lead and lost to the Orioles. After a ground-rule double by Dustin Pedroia in the 1st, Adrian Gonzalez hit a double high off the monster to make it 1-0. In the 3rd, the Orioles tied the game as Robert Andino scored on a double by Nick Markakis. Then, Vladimir Guerrero came and hit a hard line drive to Josh Reddick, and he dropped the ball to score a run and keep the inning alive. Later in the inning, Mark Reynolds singled to left to make it 4-1 Orioles. After a leadoff double in the 3rd by Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez homered over the green monster to make it 4-3. In the 4th, the Red Sox tied the game as Marco Scutaro came home on a single by MIke Aviles. Then, later in the inning, the Orioles nearly turned a double play to get them out of the inning, but Mark Reynolds dropped the ball and a run scored to make it 5-4 Red Sox. It stayed that way until the 8th, when Robert Andino lifted a double to right-center to make it 7-5, and the Sox couldn't come back.

      Erik Bedard was not good, but for some of it, it was Josh Reddick's fault, he went 2 2/3 innings, and allowed 4 runs, 1 earned. Scott Atchison relieved him with 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Then, Matt Albers threw a scoreless inning. However, it was the steady relievers who blew the lead as Jonathan Papelbon allowed the 3-run double with 2 inherited runners from Bard. Felix Doubront and Junichi Tazawa each threw 2/3 scoreless innings. Dustin Pedroia had a good game, going 2-5 and scoring 2 runs. Adrian Gonzalez (left) had a great game, going 3-5 with 3 RBIs, including a 2-run homer, as he came just a triple shy of the cycle, and is now .340/27/116. Mike Aviles had a good game, going 2-3 with a run and an RBI. Tonight, the Sox will go for a series tie as Josh Beckett (13-5/2.50/162) will go against Tommy Hunter (4-4/4.81/39).

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 2 1/3 shutout innings
Matt Albers- 1 shutout inning
Dustin Pedroia- 2-5 with 2 runs scored
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5 with a 2-run homer and 3 RBIs
MIke Aviles- 2-3 with a run and an RBI

Dull Spots:
Erik Bedard- 4 runs in 2 2/3 innings
Daniel Bard/Jonathan Papelbon- 3 runs in the 8th
David Ortiz- 0-3 with 2 strikeouts and 3 LOB
Josh Reddick- 0-3 with 3 strikeouts and 2 LOB

This was not a bad game, except for Jonathan Papelbon and Daniel Bard.

Red Sox Make Hats Out Of Orioles (88-66)

In the top of the 1st, the Orioles took an early lead as, with runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs, Nick Markakis singled through the right side. The next batter, Vladimir Guerrero lined a ball to right field that would be caught for a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. Later in the inning, Chris Davis singled to right field to score a run to make it 3-0. In the bottom of the inning, the Red Sox had runners at 1st and 2nd with 1 out as Dustin Pedroia grounded out to make it 3-1. After a double by David Ortiz, Jed Lowrie ground out a long at-bat, eventually crushing a ball to dead left for a three-run homer to make it 4-3 Red Sox! In the 2nd the Red Sox had runners at 1st and 3rd with 1 out and Marco Scutaro had a great hit for a double down the 3rd base line to make it 5-3. Then, in the same inning, Dustin Pedroia knocked a liner through the right side to score another run. However, the Orioles loaded the bases in the 3rd, and they scored two on a bloop single to right by Nolan Reimold to make it 6-5. In the 3rd, the Sox scored one as Chris Davis could not pick J.J. Hardy's throw to first, and the Sox scored. Later in the inning, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a high fly ball to left which dropped at the wall and allowed another un to score and make it 8-5. The next batter, Marco Scutaro, singled up the middle and Ellsbury scored to make it 9-5. After a single by Adrian Gonzalez, the runs kept coming as Dustin Pedroia lined a ball to right-center to score another run.  Then, the next batter David Ortiz bounced a ball to second and beat it out, so another run scored and made it 11-5. With 2 outs in the 4th, Matt Angle scored on a triple into the corner by Nick Markakis to make it 11-6. A sacrifice fly by Nolan Reimold cut the lead to 11-7, and the next batter Ryan Adams singled up the middle to make it 11-8. In the 6th, the Orioles scored again, as Nick Markakis scored on a double by Vladimir Guerrero to make it 11-9. Our big inning started in the 7th, when Jacoby Ellsbury led off the inning with an inside-the-park home run into the triangle. Three straight singles by Marco Scutaro, Adrian Gonzalez, and Dustin Pedroia would make it 13-9. After the Red Sox walked the bases loaded, Jed Lowrie singled into right field to make it 14-9. Then Conor Jackson came up to the plate, and promptly lined a ball into the monster seats to make it 18-9.

       To put it simply, John Lackey was awful but lucky. He allowed 8 runs on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings, but he didn't lose. He was relieved with a scoreless 1 1/3 innings by Scott Atchison, then 2/3 of one-run ball by Franklin Morales. Matt Albers threw a scoreless 2/3 and Michael Bowden threw 2 scoreless innings. Jacoby Ellsbury (left) had a great game, going 3-6 with 3 runs and 2 RBI, including the inside-the-park home run as he is now .319/28/98. Marco Scutaro had an equally good game, going 3-5 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs, as he is now .298/6/51. Adrian Gonzalez helped the batting average, going 3-3 and scoring a run. Dustin Pedroia had an awesome game, going 3-4 with 2 runs and 4 RBIs, as he is now .300/20/88. David Ortiz had a great game as well, going 2-4 with 2 runs and an RBI. Jed Lowrie went 2-5 with 3 runs and 4 RBI, including a very important 3-run homer, as he is now .254/5/35. Conor Jackson only went 1-4, but that one hit was pretty big as the grand slam now makes him .245/5/43 on the season, and .143/1/5 with the Red Sox. Even Darnell McDonald had a good day, going 2-5 and scoring a run. Tonight, Erik Bedard (5-9/3.50/119) will face his former team, and specifically, Rick VandenHurk (0-0/6.00/3).

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 1 1/3 scoreless innings
Michael Bowden- 2 scoreless innings
Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-6 with 3 runs and 2 RBI, including an inside-the-parker
Marco Scutaro- 3-5 with 3 runs and 2 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-3 and scored a run
Dustin Pedroia- 3-4 with 3 runs and 4 RBIs
David Ortiz- 2-4 with 2 runs and an RBI
Jed Lowrie- 2-5 with 3 runs and 4 RBI, including a 3-run homer
Conor Jackson- 1-4 with a grand slam
Darnell McDonald- 2-5 with a run scored

Dull Spots:
John Lackey- 8 runs in 4 1/3 innings
Jason Varitek- 0-4 with 4 strikeouts

This was an awesome game offensively, but John Lackey....

September Blues Continue For Weiland And Red Sox (87-66)

Today, the Sox played a close game and nearly came back from an early deficit to lose to the Orioles. After a groundout to start the 3rd for the Orioles, a single and a double put runners at 2nd and 3rd with one out. Matt Angle proceeded to knock a 2-run double to center field to make it 2-0. Darnell McDonald led off the bottom of the 3rd with a homer to make it 2-1. With 1 out and a man on first in the 4th for the Orioles, back-to-back home runs by Robert Andino and Nolan Reimold would make it 5-1. In the bottom of the 4th, David Ortiz scored on an RBI triple by Jarrod Saltalamacchia. J.J. Hardy led off the 5th with a home run to make it 6-2. After a 2-out walk by Marco Scutaro in the 5th, an Adrian Gonzalez double and a Dustin Pedroia triple would make it 6-4 and give Sox fans some hope. Then in the 7th, a 2-out double by Marco Scutaro and an RBI single by Adrian Gonzalez made it 6-5, but that's all they would get.

      Kyle Weiland was pretty bad, allowing 6 runs in 4 2/3 innings as his tough career continues, he is now 0-3/7.99/10. A shutout 1 1/3 innings by Felix Doubront and a shutout 3 innings by Alfredo Aceves provided some help, but not enough. Marco Scutaro had a great day, going 3-3 with 2 runs scored, including 2 doubles. Adrian Gonzalez also had a nice day at the ballpark, going 2-4 with a run and 2 RBIs. Dustin Pedroia and Jarrod Saltalamacchia each went 1-4 with an RBI triple, the 3rd triple of the year for each player. Darnell McDonald (left) had a good game, going 2-4 with a solo home run, as he is having an ok year at .221/6/24 for a bench player. Tonight, the Sox will play the 2nd game of the double-header, with John Lackey (12-12/6.19/101) going against Brian Matusz (1-7/9.84/33).

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 1 1/3 scoreless innings
Alfredo Aceves- 3 shutout innings
Marco Scutaro- 3-3 with 2 runs and 2 doubles
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4 with 1 run and 2 RBIs
Dustin Pedroia- 1-4 with an RBI triple
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-4 with an RBI triple
Darnell McDonald- 2-4 with a solo home run

Dull Spots:
Kyle Weiland- 6 runs, 5 earned in 4 2/3 innings
Mike Aviles- 0-4 with a strikeout and 2 LOB

This was overall not a bad game, but we got in an early hole.

Weekly News

This week was not a good one as the Red Sox went 2-4 after today's loss to the Rays. Our Player of the Week is Dustin Pedroia, who had a pretty decent week, going .333/2/6. He is now .297/20/83 this season, as he's been having a great year for the Red Sox. Our Pitcher of the Week is the always wonderful Josh Beckett, who won for his 10th time, by going 1-0/4.50/7 in a win against the Rays. The Performance of the Week belongs to Dustin Pedroia on Tuesday (9/13/11), as he had a great night, going 4-5 with 2 home runs and 5 RBIs in a fantastic game. The Game of the Week goes to Friday (9/16/11), as the Sox played a good game as they beat the Rays (not a typo), 4-3 and came back from a deficit capped by a game-winning homer by Mike Aviles. In the upcoming week, the Sox will play 7 games in 6 days as they play a double-header as part of a 4-game series against the Orioles, then they will play the Yankees for 3.

Tough Streak Continues As Sox Unable To Break Out Of Slump (87-64)

The Sox played a tough game against the Rays today, as we lost a close game and continued playing bad baseball. With Desmond Jennings on 1st base in the 1st inning, the Rays took an early lead as Ben Zobrist went the opposite way to left for a 2-run shot to make it 2-0. In the 3rd inning, it was Jennings again, as he scored on a wild pitch with Evan Longoria at the plate. After Carl Crawford singled to lead off the 3rd, Mike Aviles knocked a double to center field to score him and make it 3-1. After Aviles got to 3rd base on a bunt by Marco Scutaro, he was driven in on a sacrifice fly by Jacoby Ellsbury. With runners at 1st and 2nd and two outs in the 5th inning, Evan Longoria singled in Brandon Guyer to make it 4-2. With runners at 2nd and 3rd with 1 out in the 7th inning, Jacoby Ellsbury grounded a ball to the shortstop to score a run and make it 4-3, but that was it.
     Jon Lester wasn't fantastic, allowing 4 runs in 7 innings, as he is now 15-8/3.15/167. He was relieved by Daniel Bard and Franklin Morales with a scoreless inning each. Jacoby Ellsbury (left) was one of few offensive bright spots for the Red Sox, as he went 1-3 with 2 RBIs, as he is now .318/27/96. Carl Crawford also had a pretty good day against his former team, going 2-4 with 2 runs scored. Mike Aviles had a great day, going 3-4 with a run and an RBI, as he is now .261/6/35 on the season, and a very impressive .361/1/4 since joining the Red Sox at the trading deadline. Tomorrow, the Red Sox will play a key game which could, for all practical purposes, lock away the wild card. However, it won't be easy as Tim Wakefield (7-6/5.13/84), fresh off his 200th win, will go against David Price (12-12/3.34/206) and the Rays.

Bright Spots:
Daniel Bard- a scoreless inning
Franklin Morales- a scoreless inning
Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-3 with 2 RBIs
Carl Crawford- 2-4 with 2 runs scored
Mike Aviles- 3-4 with a run and an RBI

Dull Spots:
The rest of the offense: 1-19 with 7 strikeouts

We need a win tomorrow, it is simply crucial.

OK, We Beat The Rays, Deep Breath Everybody (87-63)

Last night was a tense game, a good game, but a very tense one. After Desmond Jennings singled to lead off the game, B.J. Upton got out, but then Evan Longoria came up. After 3 batters, the score was 2-0 as Longoria hit a homer over the green monster. However, the Sox had a little rally in the 1st too as Jacoby Ellsbury doubled to lead off the inning. Then Dustin Pedroia came up and single him in to make it 2-1. After a wild pitch put Dustin Pedroia on 2nd base, David Ortiz singled him in to tie it up. Desmond Jennings made it to 3rd to start the 3rd inning with a single and some crafty baserunning. Then it was Evan Longoria again, with an RBI single to make it 3-2 Rays. A single and a steal by Dustin Pedroia led off the 3rd, and he would score on a double by David Ortiz. However, in the 4th was the key blow. Our light-hitting backup infielder Mike Aviles came up and crushed one over the green monster to make it 4-3, what would wind up as the difference in the game.

      Josh Beckett was pretty good, allowing 3 runs, 2 earned in 6 innings, as he is now 13-5/2.50/162. He was relieved by Alfredo Aceves, Daniel Bard, and Jonathan Papelbon; each had a scoreless inning, and the last 6 outs were strikeouts. Dustin Pedroia had a good game, going 2-4 while scoring 2 runs and driving in a run as well. David Ortiz had a good game too, going 2-4 with 2 RBIs, including an important RBI double. Carl Crawford had a rare decent game, going 2-3. However, it was really all up to Mike Aviles (left), who had that key solo home run in the 4th inning that would wind up being the difference, he is now .253/6/34 and .338/1/3 with the Red Sox. Today at 4:05, the Sox will have another great pitching matchup as Jon Lester (15-7/3.07/169) goes against Jeff Niemann (10-7/3.97/99).

Bright Spots:
Josh Beckett- 3 runs in 6 innings to keep the Sox in the game
Alfredo Aceves- a scoreless inning
Daniel Bard- struck out the side in order
Jonathan Papelbon- the save with a scoreless inning
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4 with 2 runs and an RBI
David Ortiz- 2-4 with 2 RBIs
Carl Crawford- 2-3
Mike Aviles- 1-3 with a very important home run

Dull Spots:
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-3 with 2 strikeouts and 2 LOB
Josh Reddick- 0-3 with a strikeout and 2 LOB
Marco Scutaro- 0-4 with 4 LOB

Alright, it's a lot more fun to blog about a game when we win.

The Rays Are Really Beginning To Scare Me (86-63)

Last night was a bad game, as the Sox fell to the Rays in a game that was just not fun at all. With runners at 1st and 2nd in the 3rd inning for the Rays, B.J. Upton hit a soft ground ball to shortstop. The only problem was that he broke his bat, and part of it flew and almost hit Marco Scutaro so he dodged the bat... and the ball... and a run came in to score. The next batter, Evan Longoria, would lock up the game right there by hitting a 3-run homer to right-center to make it 4-0. In the bottom of the 3rd, the Sox loaded the bases with 1 out, and Adrian Gonzalez grounded to first base to score a run and make it 4-1. Two batters after Johnny Damon was hit by a pitch in the 6th inning, Casey Kotchman belted a 2-run homer to right center to make it 6-1. Then in the next inning, B.J. Upton knocked a 2-run shot over the green monster to make it 8-1. Later in the inning, after a walk and a single, Casey Kotchman drove another run in with a single. With runners at 1st and 3rd and two outs (Jose Iglesias had his first major league hit!), Darnell McDonald drove in a run to make it 9-2.
        Kyle Weiland was very good for the first two innings, but then he totally lost it and was only able to go 3 innings, allowing 4 runs. Then came a pair of good innings by Trever Miller and Scott Atchison. However, then Franklin Morales allowed 2 runs in an inning and Matt Albers allowed 3 in 1/3 of an inning. Andrew Miller relieved them with 1 2/3 scoreless innings and Michael Bowden threw a scoreless inning. David Ortiz was more or less our only offensive bright spot, as he went 2-2 before he was taken out to give him a break. Marco Scutaro was also decent, going 2-3. Tonight, the Sox will look to maybe.... beat the Rays? With Josh Beckett (12-5/2.49/155) going against James Shields (15-10/2.70/210).

Bright Spots:
Trever Miller- a scoreless inning, getting the Sox out of a jam
Scott Atchison- a scoreless inning
Andrew Miller- 1 2/3 scoreless inning
Michael Bowden- a scoreless inning
David Ortiz- 2-2
Marco Scutaro- 2-3

Dull Spots:
Kyle Weiland- 4 runs in 3 innings
Franklin Morales- 2 runs in an inning
Matt Albers- 3 runs in 1/3 of an inning
Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-4 with a strikeout and 3 LOB
Dustin Pedroia- 0-3 with a strikeout and an LOB
Kevin Youkilis- 0-3 with 2 strikeouts and 5 LOB

Not a good game, and I'm beginning to panic.

Tim Wakefield- A Red Sox Icon Through Thick And Thin

It seems to me like Tim Wakefield has always been there, and always will be. He sat in the dugout and watched a 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on the day I was born. A few nights ago, Tim Wakefield had a tremendous experience in winning his 200th ballgame in a 18-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. I've seen tons of games he's pitched in, and he's spent the longest time on the Red Sox of anybody on their active roster. The only other player to even come close is Jason Varitek. However, out of all those games, the one I remember best happened on April 15, 2009. A select few of you may have been reading this blog then and read my post on it- http://conor-soxrox.blogspot.com/2009/04/tough-series.html. That was my 10th post ever on Sox.Rox. I had gone to Australia earlier that year and had missed the first week of the season. After that, they went onto a West Coast trip, and I missed the late games. This game was a day game, and I don't remember but it may have been the first game I had watched that year. I watched, from beginning to end, as Timmy tore up the A's, allowing 2 runs and 4 hits in a complete game victory in an 8-2 win. He had a down year last year, and has not been his old self this year at 7-6/5.13/84. However, if you look at his career statistics of 200-178/4.41/2147, you can see how valuable he has been to the Red Sox. I'd just like to congratulate this man on a great career, and keep up the good work.

Bard Blows Late Lead As Sox Can't Hold On (86-62)

Today, the Sox played a tough game, as they blew a lead to fall to the Blue Jays. With two outs and runners at first and second for the Blue Jays, they scored twice on back-to-back singles by Edwin Encarnacion and Kelly Johnson. After two straight singles to start the 2nd inning, Dustin Pedroia scored on an error by Brett Lawrie on a grounder by Ryan Lavarnway. Later in the inning, Kevin Youkilis scored on a ground ball by Jason Varitek to tie it up at 2-2. After a leadoff triple in the 4th inning, Jacoby Ellsbury scored on a sacrifice fly on a liner to left by Marco Scutaro. Adrian Gonzalez led off the 6th inning with a home run to make it 4-2. The Blue Jays put runners at 1st and 2nd with 1 out in the 8th inning. A ground out by J.P. Arencibia would make it 4-3, but then came the big blow. Adam Loewen singled to center field to score two and give the Blue Jays a 5-4 lead.

     John Lackey was actually decent, allowing 2 runs in 5 1/3 innings, as he is now 12-12/6.19/101. He was relieved by Franklin Morales and Alfredo Aceves, who were each scoreless through 2/3 of an inning and an inning, respectively. Daniel Bard then allowed 3 runs on 1 hit in 1 inning for the loss, and Jonathan Papelbon closed it out with a scoreless inning. Marco Scutaro had a good game, going 1-3 with an RBI. Adrian Gonzalez (left) went 1-3 with a solo home run, as he is now .340/26/110, as he is having a great season. Tomorrow, the Rays will come to town for a crucial series that could determine the wild card spot. In the opener of that series, Kyle Weiland (0-1/6.75/5) will go for his 4th career start against Jeremy Hellickson (12-10/2.96/109).

Bright Spots:
John Lackey- 2 runs in 5 1/3 innings
Alfredo Aceves- a scoreless inning
Jonathan Papelbon- a scoreless inning
Marco Scutaro- 1-3 with an RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-3 with a solo home run

Dull Spots:
Daniel Bard- 3 runs in an inning for the loss
Carl Crawford- 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and 4 LOB

This wasn't a fun game to watch, as we really blew a lead.

Red Sox End Losing Streak In A Big Way! (86-61)

The Red Sox struck first in the bottom of the 1st. They had loaded the bases one two walks and a single with two outs and Josh Reddick came up. Reddick bounced a ball to the first baseman who fielded it cleanly and made a throw to first which deflected off the pitcher's glove. It would bounce foul and allow two runs to score. However, one play in the 2nd gave the Blue Jays a quick lead as with two men on, J.P. Arencibia lined a homer to left to score all three and make it 3-2. With Marco Scutaro at 2nd base in the 2nd inning, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a long double off the Green monster to tie the game and make it 3-3. After a balk, Jacoby Ellsbury himself would score on a line drive to left that was caught for a sacrifice fly by Dustin Pedroia. However, in the 3rd, the Jays would reclaim the lead as Jose Bautista crushed a ball to dead left as it actually clanged off the foul pole for a 2-run homer which would make it 5-4. However, back-to-back homers by Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia in the 4th would give the Sox another lead at 6-5. With 1 out and Carl Crawford at 3rd in the 6th inning, Jarrod Saltalamacchia poked one in between third and short for an RBI single to make it 7-5. Later in the inning, Dustin Pedroia crushed a 3-run homer to left to make it 10-5. In the 7th, Carl Crawford reached 1st with 1 out and Marco Scutaro drove him in with a high double to left to make it 11-5. A walk by Jacoby Ellsbury and a double by Dustin Pedroia opened the 8th inning. A single would score one and a sacrifice fly by the next batter, Conor Jackson would bring in another run and make it 13-5. A single and a walk then loaded the bases, and a walk to Marco Scutaro would bring in a run. Jarrod Saltalamacchia then double to center field, scoring all three runners on base and made it a rout at 17-5. An RBI single by Jacoby Ellsbury would extend the lead further to 18-5. David Cooper hit an RBI double in the 9th, and it was tremendously important... but it wasn't, cause we won 18-6.
      Well, it finally happened, Tim Wakefield got win #200. He didn't pitch too well, but he got the job done, allowing 5 runs in 6 innings, as he is now 7-6/5.13/84. He was relieved with Alfredo Aceves' 2 scoreless innings, and a run in an inning by Junichi Tazawa in his first appearance since Tommy John surgery. Jacoby Ellsbury had a great game, going 4-5 with 4 runs and 3 RBIs, including a solo home run, as he is now .321/27/94. Dustin Pedroia (left), somehow, had an even better game, going 4-5 with 4 runs and 5 RBIs, including 2 home runs, as he is having a great season at .300/20/82, as he has finally achieved his goal of 20 home runs in a season. Adrian Gonzalez had a good game, going 2-4 with a run and an RBI. Carl Crawford had a good game, going 2-4 with 3 runs scored, raising his average up to .253, as he's been fantastic all year... no, no he has not. Marco Scutaro had a good day as well, going 2-3 with a run and 2 RBIs. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was another 4-RBI man, going 2-5 with 4 RBIs, as he is now .249/16/55. Today, at 1:35, we will face a bit of a lopsided matchup as John Lackey (12-12/6.30/97) will face Blue Jays ace Ricky Romero (14-10/3.01/164).

Bright Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- 2 scoreless innings of relief
Jacoby Ellsbury- 4-5 with 4 runs and 3 RBIs, including a home run
Dustin Pedroia- 4-5 with 4 runs and 5 RBIs, including 2 home runs
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4 with a run and an RBI
Carl Crawford- 2-4 with 3 runs scored
Marco Scutaro- 2-3 with a run and 2 RBIs
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-5 with 2 runs and 4 RBIs

Dull Spots:
Jed Lowrie- 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and 3 LOB
Kevin Youkilis- 0-3 with a strikeout

This was a good game, and a post about Tim Wakefield is coming later.

Weekly News

 Last week, the Sox had a pretty awful week, going 1-6 and losing much ground in the AL East and Wild Card. However, Marco Scutaro had one of the best weeks of any Red Sox player this season, going .464/1/11, as he is now batting .287/6/46 this season. Jon Lester will be our Pitcher of the Week, as he was 1-1/3.72/13 in two starts this week. He is having a great season, and is now a very impressive 15-7/3.07/169. The Performance of the Week came on Tuesday (9/6/11), as Marco Scutaro had himself a heck of a day, going 4-5 with 4 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Finally, the Game of the Week is, for only the 2nd time this year, a loss. On Monday (9/5/11), the Red Sox lost 1-0 to the Blue Jays in 11 innings. Even though they lost, I must say, it was a really fun one to watch! Next week, the Sox will play the Blue Jays for 2 and then the Rays for 4 after yesterday's off day.

Red Sox Stung By Rays In Extra Innings (85-60)

Last night, the Red Sox suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Rays, where they went down in 11 innings despite a late rally. Kyle Weiland's command was very bad early and in the first three batters of the game, he walked two and allowed a hit. However, a groundout, a strikeout and a flyout would allow the Sox out of the inning allowing only a run. In the 2nd inning, the Sox caught up though, as they out runners at 1st and 2nd with no outs and after a groundout to first advanced them, Jed Lowrie knocked one in with an RBI single. Two singles in the bottom of the 2nd for the Rays put the Rays in a good position to score when Desmond Jennings bounced a ball to Jed Lowrie, a run scored to make it 2-1. In the 3rd, the Rays loaded the bases with one out, and as Casey Kotchman crushed a ball to center, Jacoby Ellsbury would catch it for a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1. In the 5th, with Jacoby Ellsbury on 1st base with 2 outs, Adrian Gonzalez crushed a home run to right field to make it 3-3. However, the Rays distanced themselves again as Casey Kotchman hit a solo homer in the bottom of the 5th. The Rays put Sean Rodriguez and Desmond Jennings on 2nd and 3rd, respectively, with one out where Evan Longoria hit a flyout that would fall in Jacoby Ellsbury's glove for a sacrifice fly to make it 5-3. It stayed that way until the top of the 9th, as Marco Scutaro grounded out to start the inning. However, the next batter, Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a quick line drive that just got over the wall for a solo home run. Jacoby Ellsbury then came up, who lofted a hanging slider to right for a no-doubter that would tie the game at 5-5. However, with no outs in the 11th, Desmond Jennings hit a line drive to right-center, just out of reach of Jacoby Ellsbury and Darnell McDonald. He would run all the way to third with a leadoff triple. The next batter, B.J. Upton grounded a ball to 1st, however Adrian Gonzalez would look him back to 3rd. However, the next batter, Evan Longoria would take a high fastball right back up the middle for a walkoff single.
      Kyle Weiland was not particularly good, allowing 3 runs in 4 innings, as he is now 0-1/6.75/5. Alfredo Aceves did a great job of eating some innings in relief, allowing 2 runs in 4 innings, has he has been so valuable to this team. Then came Jonathan Papelbon, who was simply lights out, going 2 shutout innings and throwing only 16 pitches. Then was Daniel Bard, who blew it all by allowing the walkoff hit. Jacoby Ellsbury had a good game, going 2-6 with a key solo home run, as he is now .317/26/91. Adrian Gonzalez went 1-3 with a 2-run homer, as he is now .340/25/108. David Ortiz had a decent game, going 2-4 and scoring a run. Jarrod Saltalamacchia only went 1-5, but his one hit was a very important home run, as he is now .247/16/51. Today will be a great pitching matchup as Jon Lester (15-6/2.93/167) takes the hill against James Shields (14-10/2.77/205).

Bright Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- not so much on how he pitched, but the fact that he went 4 innings is good
Jonathan Papelbon- he was fantastic in 2 shutout innings
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-6 with an important solo home run
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-3 with a 2-run homer
David Ortiz- 2-4 with a run scored
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-5 with a solo home run

Dull Spots:
Kyle Weiland- he settled down a bit, but he wasn't very sharp allowing 3 runs in 4 innings
Daniel Bard- he blew another game
Marco Scutaro- 0-4

This was a heartbreaker, luckily the Yankees share our 4-game skid.

Lackey Lacking As The Rays Wade Closer (85-59)

Last night was a depressing game, not only did it extend our losing streak to 3 games, but also it just... wasn't good. The Rays took an early lead in the 2nd inning, when Ben Zobrist and Casey Kotchman were on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs. John Jaso took a low pitch and drove over the wall in right-center to make it 3-0. After Lackey got the first hitters out on 4 pitches, the 3rd inning got kind of out of hand as Evan Longoria singled and Ben Zobrist walked. After that, Johnny Damon legged out a ground ball where Adrian Gonzalez made a fantastic diving play at first base, but John Lackey's fat ass couldn't get to first in time, and it was an RBI single. After that, Matt Joyce singled to center to score another run and make it 5-0. In the 6th, the Red Sox had a "rally" where they put runners at 1st and 2nd with no outs. Jacoby Ellsbury bounced a ball to 2nd base and was able to leg out the infield hit for an RBI. The next batter, Marco Scutaro crushed a ball high to left field, in Fenway it'd be off the monster, but here it was a sacrifice fly to make it 5-2. In the 6th, the Rays scored on back-to-back doubles to lead off the inning by John Jaso and Reid Brignac. Brignac would score on an Evan Longoria double later in the inning to make it 7-2.
       John Lackey was bad, very bad, allowing 5 runs in 3 innings, and putting his season stats up here makes me sick so I won't. But I will tell you this, he's 12-12. Tim Lincecum is 12-12, Tim Freaking Lincecum. In relief, Scott Atchison wasn't much better, but he did eat some innings, allowing 2 runs in 2 2/3 innings. Felix Doubront (1 1/3 scoreless) and Franklin Morales ( 1 scoreless) were both pretty good though. Jacoby Ellsbury went 1-4 with an RBI. Josh Reddick had the only decent night out of a Sox player, going 2-3 and scoring a run. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was also ok, going 1-3 with a run and that hit was a double. Tonight, the Sox will look to even the series with Kyle Weiland (0-1/6.75/4) up against Jeremy Hellickson (12-10/2.90/107).

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief
Franklin Morales- a scoreless inning of relief
Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-4 with an RBI
Josh Reddick- 2-3 with a run scored
Jarrod Saltalamachia- 1-3 with a run scored and a double

Dull Spots:
John Lackey- 5 runs in 3 innings, exceedingly bad
Scott Atchison- 2 runs in 2 2/3 innings
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-4 with a strikeout
David Ortiz- 0-4 with 2 strikeouts
Jed Lowrie- 0-3 with 2 strikeouts

This wasn't a fun one to watch, it just was not fun.

Late Rally Not Enough As Sox Drop Series To Toronto (85-58)

The first blood of the game was drawn on a bloop single in the 1st by David Cooper to make it 1-0. However, the next batter, J.P. Arencibia crushed a ball high in the air to left for a 3-run homer to make it 4-0. Then, the Jays padded their lead even further in the 3rd with an opposite field home run for Edwin Encarnacion to make it 5-0. It stayed that way until the 7th inning when the Sox put two on with a Jason Varitek walk and a Darnell McDonald single with two outs. Jacoby Ellsbury would deliver with a line drive double to left to score Varitek and make it 5-1. The next batter, Marco Scutaro hit a hard line drive through the left side of the infield to score two and make it a game again at 5-3. However, the Blue Jays got one of those back as Eric Thames crushed a homer to right field to make it 6-3 in the bottom of the 7th. The Blue Jays got another run on back-to-back one out doubles by Brett Lawrie and David Cooper to make it 7-3 in the 8th inning. In the 9th, the Sox got one of those back on a homer to right for Jason Varitek to make it 7-4, but it wasn't enough.
       Andrew Miller was pretty bad, allowing 5 earned runs in 5 innings, as he is now 6-3/5.48/43. Michael Bowden allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Felix Doubront allowed a run on two hits in 2/3 of an inning and Matt Albrs threw 2/3 scoreless. Jacoby Ellsbury had a pretty good day for the Sox, as he went 2-5 with a run and an RBI. Marco Scutaro, however, who has been very hot lately, had another awesome day, going 3-4 with 2 RBIs, as he is now .291/5/44, as he's having a career high in batting average, along with making some nice plays in the field yesterday (left). Jason Varitek had a pretty good day, going 1-3 with 2 runs and a solo homer, as he is now .233/11/33, pretty decent for a backup catcher. Tonight, the Sox head all the way from Toronto to Tampa Bay and will send John Lackey (12-11/6.11/95) against Wade Davis (9-8/4.50/86).

Bright Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5 with a run and an RBI
Marco Scutaro- 3-4 with 2 RBIs
Jason Varitek- 1-3 with 2 runs and a solo homer

Dull Spots:
Andrew Miller- 5 runs in 5 innings for the loss
Felix Doubront- a run in 2/3 of an inning
Dustin Pedroia- 0-5 with 3 strikeouts and 5 LOB
David Ortiz- 0-4 with a strikeout and 2 LOB
Kevin Youkilis- 0-3 with a strikeout and an LOB
Jed Lowrie- 0-4 with an LOB

Well, that was a tough game, and series... but at least the Yankees lost!

Not A Good Thing To Wake Up To (85-57)

Well, this was a pretty heartbreaking loss, as Tim Wakefield was looking to get his 200th win, but a bullpen meltdown kept him at 199. A single by Jacoby Ellsbury, a single for Dustin Pedroia, and a hit by pitch for Adrian Gonzalez started the 1st inning. Kevin Youkilis was promptly hit by a pitch to push a run across and make it 1-0. Later in the inning, Marco Scutaro hit a soft single up the middle that would push the score to a 3-0 Red Sox lead. In the bottom of the 1st, Eric Thames scored on a fly ball to right by Edwin Encarnacion to make it 3-1. After a single by Brett Lawrie to start the 2nd, J.P. Arencibia tied the game by hitting a high fly ball to left-center to make it 3-3. In the 3rd, Eric Thames scored on a ground-rule double to left field by Jose Bautista to give the Jays a 4-3 lead. Later in the inning, Bautista himself would score as he took home with a runner going to second, plus a bad throw by Marco Scutaro, and once the dust settled it was 5-3. With runners at 1st and 2nd in the 4th, Josh Reddick singled to bring in a run and make it 5-4. Then came Jacoby Ellsbury, who completely changed the course of the game by hitting a line drive homer to left field that would make it 7-5. In the 5th, the Sox padded their newfound lead with a solo home run by David Ortiz to make it 8-5. In the 7th, the Blue Jays cut the lead a bit as Edwin Encarnacion drove in Yunel Escobar. However, in the 8th, the Blue Jays loaded the bases on a hit by pitch, a single, and a walk. Eric Thames then walked to push in a run and make it 8-7. Then Jose Bautista walked to push in another run and tie the game at 8-8. Then came Edwin Encarnacion with the big blow, a 3-run double off his bat basically killed the game for us, making the score 11-8. However, the Sox didn't give up as Adrian Gonzalez knocked a solo homer to lead off the 9th. Later in the inning, Marco Scutaro singled in David Ortiz to make it 11-10, but they couldn't further come back and that was the final.
      Given, Tim Wakefield didn't pitch too well anyways, allowing 5 runs, 4 earned in 5 innings and walked 3, as he is now 6-6/5.03/78. Then came a bullpen barrage with Franklin Morales for 1/3 of a scoreless inning and Dan Wheeler for 1 1/3 innings with 1 run. Then came Daniel Bard, in possibly his worst outing of the season, he allowing 5 runs in one inning and killed the game. Matt Albers came in for 1/3 of a scoreless inning next. Jacoby Ellsbury (left) had a great game, going 4-5 with 2 runs and a 3-run homer, as he is now .316/25/88. Adrian Gonzalez went 2-4 with 2 runs and a solo home run, as he is now .343/24/106. David Ortiz did pretty much the same thing, he was also 2-4 with 2 runs and a solo home run as he is now .319/29/92. Marco Scutaro went 2-4 with 3 RBIs and a run in another good day, as he's been great lately. Tonight, Andrew Miller (6-2/5.27/40) will go up against Ricky Romero (13-10/2.93/157) as the Sox will look to split this series.

Bright Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 4-5 with 2 runs scored and a 3-run homer
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4 with 2 runs and a solo home run
David Ortiz- 2-4 with 2 runs and a solo home run
Marco Scutaro- 2-4 with 3 RBIs

Dull Spots:
Tim Wakefield- 5 runs in 5 innings
Dan Wheeler- 1 run in 1 1/3 innings
Daniel Bard- 5 runs in 1 inning
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4 with a strikeout and 2 LOB

This was a bad game, a very , very bad game

Our Offense Shows Its Unpredictability Again, I Mean... Wow... (85-56)

Basically, the Red Sox creamed the Blue Jays last night, they started strong and finished strong in an easy victory for our favorite team. After a leadoff double to start off the game and a Dustin Pedroia strikeout, Adrian Gonzalez delivered by popping a ball up down the 3rd baseline just out of reach of Eric Thames. After a walk to Kevin Youkilis and a wild pitch, David Ortiz hit a hard single through the right side of the infield. The next batter, Marco Scutaro, basically had the exact same hit, but to the opposite field to score another run and make the score 3-0. Carl Crawford proceeded to hit a hard drive down the 1st baseline for an RBI double to end the scoring in a 4-run 1st inning. However, the Sox left off where they started in the 2nd with another hit by Jacoby Ellsbury, this time being brought in by a single up the middle by Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez came in to score as Kevin Youkilis crushed a double to center field to make it 6-0. After a one out single by Marco Scutaro to lead off the 3rd, Jarrod Saltalamacchia crushed a 2-run homer to center to make it 8-0. After Kevin Youkilis got on base in the 4th inning, back-to-back for David Ortiz and Marco Scutaro would make it 10-0 Sox. Marco Scutaro would come in to score on a line drive to Jose Bautista which deflected off his glove for an RBI single to make it 11-0. With Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz on base in the 5th inning, Marco Scutaro drove them both in with a double right down the 3rd base line for a 2-run double to make it an awesome 13-0 lead. In the 8th inning an opposite field home run for Josh Reddick would further extend the lead to 14-0, the final score.
      He was overshadowed by the offense, but dang.... Jon Lester was really, really good; he threw 7 shutout innings and struck out 11, as he is now 15-6/2.93/167 as he's been great all year. He was relieved by Kyle Weiland, who was also really good with 2 shutout innings and only 1 hit in relief. Jacoby Ellsbury had a pretty good day, going 2-4 and scoring 2 runs in the blowout, however, it was his pinch hitter Josh Reddick who made a big impact with a solo home run, as he is now .295/7/27. Adrian Gonzalez (near left) had a great night, going 3-5 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs, as he is now .342/23/105. Kevin Youkilis also had a good day, going 2-4 with 2 runs, 1 RBI, and 2 walks. David Ortiz (far left) had an awesome game, going 4-6 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs, as he is now .318/28/91. Marco Scutaro had just a great day, going 4-5 with 2 runs, 4 RBIs, and 3 doubles; maybe he should bat in the #6 spot more often? Jarrod Saltalamacchia only went 1-5, but his hit was a big 2-run homer, as he is now .250/15/50. Even Darnell McDonald had a great game, going 2-5 with an RBI to bring his average up and past the "Mendoza Line." Tomorrow, Tim Wakefield (6-6/4.95/75) will try again for win #200 against Brandon Morrow (9-10/4.78/172).

Bright Spots:
Jon Lester- 7 shutout innings with 11 strikeouts
Kyle Weiland- 2 shutout innings of relief
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4 with 2 runs scored
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs
Kevin Youkilis- 2-4 with 2 runs and 1 RBI
David Ortiz- 4-6 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs
Marco Scutaro- 4-5 with 2 runs and 4 RBIs
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-5 with a 2-run homer
Darnell McDonald- 2-5 with 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Dustin Pedroia- 0-5 with a strikeout and 5 LOB

This was an awesome game for us, but in the way things are going, we're gonna get shut out tonight.

Now, How Did This Happen? Blue Jays Walk Off In Extras (84-56)

This may have been the Red Sox' toughest loss this season. We didn't get blown out, in fact neither team scored very many runs at all. It looked like the Sox had the upper hand throughout, they just couldn't string any hits together and they ere brutal with runners in scoring position. They burned through 5 pitchers before Dan Wheeler allowed the inevitable blow, a home run to Brett Lawrie in the 11th inning. Wheeler threw the pitch, and Lawrie hopped twice before rounding the bases on a long solo home run to left-center field.
     Josh Beckett was good, but he didn't last long. He left in the 4th inning after spraining his right ankle pushing off of the rubber on a 2-2 pitch to Brett Lawrie. Alfredo Aceves came in in relief, and was equally good, tossing 3 2/3 more shutout innings against the Blue Jays, including a 5th inning where he struck out the side in order. Then Daniel Bard came in, who was very sharp for an inning and 1/3. Jonathan Papelbon was not quite as good, but he was able to escape a bases loaded jam by striking out Adam Lind on three straight fastballs. Dan Wheeler looked pretty good until Lawrie capitalized on a pitch down the middle, and he would earn the loss. The Red Sox bats were not very good, the few bright spots being Josh Reddick (2-5 with a double) and Marco Scutaro (2-4 with a double) as the Sox only managed 7 hits in the game. Tomorrow, the Sox will go for a win with Jon Lester (14-6/3.05/156) going against Luis Perez (3-2/3.77/51).

Bright Spots:
All the Pitchers- Just 1 run in 11 innings despite the loss
Josh Reddick- 2-5 with a double
Marco Scutaro- 2-4 with a double

Dull Spots:
The other batters- 3-30

Not a good game, not a good game at all.

Weekly News

Today, the Red Sox lost to the Rangers 11-4 in a game I didn't really feel like blogging, and concluded a rough 2-4 week that leaves them at 84-55 on the season. Our Player of the Week is Dustin Pedroia, who batted at .250/1/6 this week and is now .307/18/77 on the season, as he is having a great year. Our Pitcher of the Week is Jon Lester, who threw very well against the Yankees in a 4-2 loss, allowing 1 run in 5 innings, as he is now 14-6/3.05/156 on the season, as he has been great all year. The Performance of the Week belongs to Carl Crawford yesterday (9/3/11), as he went 2-4 with a double, two runs scored, and a grand slam. The Game of the Week was on Wednesday (8/31/11) as the Sox played a roller coaster game against the Yankees, eventually winning 9-5. Tomorrow, the Sox will head out of the country to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays for a 4-game series and then they will head down to Florida to take on the Rays for 3 games.

Uncle Salty Told Me That We Could Beat The Rangers (84-54)

Today, the Red Sox played quite a game, beating the Rangers 12-7 in a great offensive outburst. Adrian Beltre walked to lead off the 2nd and after a groundout put him at 2nd base, David Murphy drove him in with a grounder up the middle. In the 3rd, the Rangers led off the inning with two walks, and after a strikeout, Michael Young singled to left and Adrian Beltre grounded out to make it 3-0 early. With runners at 1st and 2nd and 2 outs in the 3rd inning, the Sox got on the board with a single up the middle. In the 4th, Josh Reddick singled to lead off the inning, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia promptly tied the game with a homer to right to make it 3-3. In the same inning, with 2 outs, the Sox would load the bases with Mike Aviles coming up. Aviles chipped a single off the end of the bat to right which would score a run and leave the bases loaded for Carl Crawford. Crawford took an outside pitch high to left field that would land in the seats for a grand slam to make it 8-3. After that, three straight singles by Josh Reddick, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Jacoby Ellsbury would extend the lead to 9-3. In the 6th, the Red Sox loaded the bases with 2 outs again, and Dustin Pedroia hit a high fly ball to center which would deflect high off the wall for a 3-run double that would make it 12-3. In the 8th, the Rangers started the inning with 4 straight hits including an RBI single by Josh Hamilton and an RBI single by Adrian Beltre. A Mike Napoli sacrifice fly would score another and make it 12-6. In the 9th, Esteban German crushed a homer to left-center field that would make it 12-7, the final score.
      Erik Bedard was ok, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks in 6 innings, earning the win, as he is now 5-9/3.50/119. In relief, Dan Wheeler wasn't too good, allowing 3 runs in 1 2/3 innings and Franklin Morales allowed 1 run in 1 1/3 innings. Dustin Pedroia had a good game, going 2-5 with a run and 3 RBIs on the double. Mike Aviles was very good, going 2-3 with a run and an RBI in relief of Jed Lowrie, who went 1-2 with an RBI. Carl Crawford (left) had an awesome game, going 2-5 with 2 runs scored and a grand slam, as he is now .252/11/52 this season. Josh Reddick had one of the best games of his young career, going 4-4 with 3 runs scored, raising his batting average to .289 this season. Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 2-5 with a game-tying 2-run homer, as he is now .251/14/48 this season. Tomorrow, the Sox will look for a series win and will send John Lackey (12-10/5.94/94) against Matt Harrison (10-9/3.54/103).

Bright Spots:
Dustin Pedroia- 2-5 with a run scored and a 3-run double
Jed Lowrie/Mike Aviles- 3-5 with a run and 2 RBIs
Carl Crawford- 2-5 with 2 runs scored and a grand slam
Josh Reddick- 4-4 with 3 runs scored
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-5 with a 2-run homer

Dull Spots:
Dan Wheeler- 3 runs in 1 2/3 innings
Kevin Youkilis- 0-5 with a strikeout and 5 runners left on base

This was a good game for the Sox, and we need another win tomorrow.

This Game, Well... Kinda Sucked (83-54)

This was a bad game, I actually don't really want to blog it, but I feel it is my duty. Andrew Miller allowed two straight walks to open up the ballgame, and after Josh Hamilton struck out, Michael Young hit an RBI single to make it 1-0. Then Adrian Beltre hit a sacrifice fly to center which allowed another run to score. After singles by Yorvit Torrealba and David Murphy, and a bunt by Craig Gentry; Ian Kinsler knocked a 3-run homer to left to make it 5-0. Later in the inning, two walks and a single loaded the bases for the Rangers, and when Mike Napoli walked it became 6-0. Elvis Andrus singled to lead off the 4th, he stole second and later in the inning came in on a single by Adrian Beltre. In the 5th, David Murphy hit a solo home run to make it 8-0 and then later in the inning, a 2-run homer by Elvis Andrus would, mercifully, end the scoring and make it 10-0.
     Andrew Miller was awful, just awful, allowing 6 runs and walking 4 in just 1 1/3 innings. Michael Bowden was good, allowing just 1 run in 2 2/3 innings, and Matt Albers was terrible, allowing 3 runs in an inning. Tim Wakefield was very good in relief, though, tossing 4 shutout innings and allowing just 3 hits. Adrian Gonzalez went 1-2, the other hit in the ballgame was Jacoby Ellsbury, who went 1-4. This was a terrible game. Today, Erik Bedard (4-9/3.45/113) will pitch against Colby Lewis (11-9/4.19/140).

Bright Spots:
Michael Bowden- 1 run in 2 2/3 innings
Tim Wakefield- 4 shutout innings, wow!
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-2

Dull Spots:
Everybody else

This was probably the worst game we've played all year.

Red Sox Sign Lefty Trever Miller

A few days ago, the Red Sox made several moves. They traded for Conor Jackson, then they signed Joey Gathright and Trever Miller (right). Of the three, there is a good chance that Miller may be the most effective. Miller brings a veteran arm as well as a lefty to the bullpen, and he is also a pretty decent pitcher. This will be Miller's third team this year, as he started with the Cardinals, then briefly went to the Blue Jays in the Colby Rasmus deal. Between the two teams, he has had a decent season, going 0-1/4.19/11 in 45 outings and 19 1/3 innings. However, he has not been nearly as sharp as in past seasons, as he is allowing a .321 opposing average this season, and has been unsettlingly ineffective against lefties (.308 average). However, other than the batting average, he is pretty much in line with his career averages. Miller could be a welcome addition for the stretch run for the Sox.

Red Sox Lose It In 7th Inning, Fall To Yankees (83-53)

Last night, the Red Sox lost their first series of the year to the Yankees, losing 4-2 in a tough loss. After Derek Jeter struck out to lead off the game, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira hit singles, putting the Yankees in a good place to score. And they did, as Robinson Cano lined a ball off the monster to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead in a 44-pitch inning for Jon Lester. Neither team scored again until the 4th inning, when Adrian Gonzalez hit a ground-rule double to right. Immediately after that, Dustin Pedroia crushed a ball in the air to center, which would give the Sox a 2-1 lead. With one out in the 7th, Andruw Jones walked and Jesus Montero was hit by a pitch. Russell Martin delivered, knocking a liner into the right-center gap as he would leg out a 2-run double that gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead. Later in the inning, Eric Chavez hit a ball hard to right for an RBI single that would make it 4-2.
     After his first inning, Jon Lester was very good, allowing just 1 run in 5 innings, as he is now 14-6/3.05/156. However, it was the bullpen that lost it, as Alfredo Aceves allowed 2 runs in 1 1/3 innings, earning just his 3rd loss of his career! Daniel Bard allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning. Felix Doubront was pretty good, pitch 1 1/3 scoreless innings to lower his season ERA to 4.50. Dan Wheeler pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Adrian Gonzalez had a good day, going 1-3, while scoring a run and walking twice. Dustin Pedroia (left) was just about the only offensive bright spot on the team, going 2-4 with a 2-run homer, as he is now .309/18/74. Tonight, the Texas Rangers will come to Fenway and the Sox will send Andrew Miller (6-1/4.42/39) to challenge Derek Holland (12-5/4.30/127).

Bright Spots:
Jon Lester- 1 run in 5 innings
Felix Doubront- 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief
Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-3 with 2 walks
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-3 with a run and 2 walks
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4 with a 2-run homer

Dull Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- 2 runs in 1 1/3 innings
Daniel Bard- a run in 2/3 innings
Carl Crawford- 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and 4 runners left on base
Jed Lowrie- 0-3 with 3 runners left on base
Josh Reddick- 0-4 with 2 runners left on base
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4 with 3 strikeouts and a runner left on base

This was a bad game for the Sox, and we need to pad our divisional lead against Texas.