Red Sox Ship Lars Anderson To Cleveland

It's been very sad watching the path of Lars Anderson's career-- from a top prospect expected to crack the starting lineup by 2009 to a washed up 24 year old batting .259 in Pawtucket. However, it's entirely possible that a change of scenery could benefit the first baseman once loaded with potential. Today, the Red Sox traded Anderson to the Cleveland Indians for double-A starting pitcher Steven Wright. So far with triple-A Pawtucket, Anderson has been having his third consecutive disappointing season-- batting .259/.359/.415 with 9 home runs and 39 RBIs. However, it's not like the Red Sox are exactly cheating the Indians here as they aren't getting too much value in return. Steven Wright has passed his prospect status with the Indians, as the 27 year old is still in double-A and has pitched in Akron all year. He's had plenty of success though, as he is 9-6 with a 2.49 ERA-- plus, he's a knuckleballer. We bid goodbye to Anderson and hope that Wright's knuckleball will be dancing in Fenway before too long.

Red Sox To Acquire Left-Hander Craig Breslow

The Diamondbacks acquired more talent than the Red Sox did in this deal, let me make that clear. But still, I'm not unhappy because the Red Sox were able to deal Matt Albers and Scott Podsednik-- each members of the bullpen and outfield surplus that the Red Sox won't be building around. In return, they'll acquire a left-handed reliever named Craig Breslow who has quietly had a lot of success over the past few years. In his first year with Arizona in 2012, he's gone 2-0/2.70/42 with peripheral numbers far superior to Matt Albers'. He's struck out 8.72 per nine innings and walk just 2.70-- good for a very respectable 3.23 ratio. Both that and his FIP and xFIP of 3.61 and 3.54, respectively, are better than Matt Albers' 5.01 and 4.19 marks. Plus, there's always the issue that in acquiring another left-handed reliever, they free up the option of moving Franklin Morales back to the rotation. Morales had put up a 3.43 ERA in 5 starts earlier this year and would certainly be an upgrade over Aaron Cook. All in all, this was a smart trade for the Red Sox and I'm happy with it.

Red Sox Turn It On Late To Escape Last Place (52-51)

Buchholz lowered his ERA to 4.75

This was a good all around game for the Red Sox. However, it certainly didn't look like one when Austin Jackson of the Tigers led off the game with a home run on the second pitch of the ballgame. However, Clay Buchholz didn't let the first inning get out of hand and it was still 1-0 when the Red Sox came up to bat. Jacoby Ellsbury worked an excellent nine pitch walk and was promptly driven in as Carl Crawford knocked one high off the left-center portion of the monster. The ball got away from Austin Jackson a bit and Crawford coasted into third with an RBI triple. He would score on a groundout by Dustin Pedroia. However, the Tigers would tie things up in the third after Omar Infante tripled on a ball strikingly similar to Carl Crawford's. He would eventually score on a one-out single by Miguel Cabrera to tie it at 2-2.

Pedroia hit his 9th home run

It was still just 2-2 when Carl Crawford walked to lead off the sixth inning. However, it wouldn't be tied much longer as Dustin Pedroia took advantage of a high fastball and crushed it over the monster for a two-run homer to make it 4-2. With Brennan Boesch on first and one out, Alex Avila made the game a bit closer by splitting the game perfectly for an RBI double. The Red Sox got insurance in the bottom of the seventh though, starting with a leadoff triple by Kelly Shoppach. He would score when Jacoby Ellsbury lined a low pitch into right field for an RBI single to give the Red Sox a 5-3 lead. They'd get the ultimate insurance in the eighth, though, after a leadoff single by Adrian Gonzalez. Will Middlebrooks saw a pitch to his liking and sent it over the Green Monster for his 13th home run to give the Red Sox a 7-3 lead. They'd win by that score to get out of last and above .500.

Bright Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 8 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W (9-3)
Vicente Padilla- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Carl Crawford- 1-3, 2 R, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Dustin Pedroia- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4, 1 R
Will Middlebrooks- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4
Kelly Shoppach- 1-4, 1 R, 1 3B

Dull Spots:
Ryan Sweeney- 0-4, 1 K, 3 LOB

Player of the Game:
Clay Buchholz- Despite a somewhat rough start for Buchholz, he really turned things around, working eight strong innings for the win-- he is now 9-3/4.75/77 this season.

Series Preview #29: Tigers (54-48) @ Red Sox (51-51)

The biggest test of the season is over, as the Red Sox went 3-3 against the Rangers and Yankees on the road. However, it doesn't get too much easier as the 54-48 Tigers will come to Fenway Park for a three game set. The first game of this series will be a rematch of the third game of this season as Clay Buchholz (8-3/4.93/73) and Max Scherzer (10-5/4.49/142). Despite Scherzer's stats looking better, Buchholz has been great ever since April and I have him taking this game. Tuesday's post-trading deadline game will feature a former ace in Josh Beckett (5-9/4.47/82) and a current one in Justin Verlander (11-6/2.60/146). Even though the Red Sox give Verlander a tougher task than most teams, this should be a relatively easy win for the Tigers. The final game of this series will have Aaron Cook (2-4/4.50/4) going up against once promising prospect Rick Porcello (7-6/4.56/67). This all depends on whether Cook can get his sinker down, but the Red Sox have hammered Porcello to the likes of a 10.80 ERA so I'd predict a close win. Bold Prediction: Red Sox win series 2-1. 

Weekly News

I expected this to be a very rough week for the Red Sox as they were facing the two best teams in the American League-- Texas and New York-- on the road. However, I was pleasantly surprised as they put up a 3-3 week and are now 51-51 this year. For his third time this year, the Player of the Week is Will Middlebrooks-- who batted .435/1/3 this week and is now .300/12/45 this season, as he'd be a frontrunner for AL Rookie of the Year any other season. Now tied for first with his fifth time this year, the Pitcher of the Week is Clay Buchholz. Buchholz's strong seven innings (one run, one strikeout) lowered his ERA below 5.00 for the first time this season, as he's now 8-3/4.93/73 this season and has been the Red Sox' best pitcher since April. The Performance of the Week belongs to Adrian Gonzalez for his 3-5 performance on Saturday. Along with going 3-5, he also had a home run and 4 RBIs. Finally, the Game of the Week was last night's 3-2 extra inning win. In the upcoming week, the Red Sox will take on Detroit for three and Minnesota for four-- both at home.

Ciriaco The Hero As Sox Return To .500 (51-51)

Doubront held the Yankees to a run

Both this game and this series were must-wins for the Red Sox-- and despite quite a bit of difficulty over the series, they won. With this series win over the Yankees, the Red Sox are back somewhat to respectability at .500. Plus, with Felix Doubront (10-5, 4.54 ERA) and Hiroki Kuroda (10-7, 3.34) going against each other, it didn't look quite so promising. Luckily, the Red Sox had the first blow after an Adrian Gonzalez single and Jarrod Saltalamacchia walk would put runners at first and second with two outs. The struggling Ryan Sweeney (1-16 since the All-Star Break) stepped up to the plate and drove a ball into the gap in left-center. It was going to score Gonzalez anyways, but Andruw Jones took a bad route in left field that allowed Saltalamacchia to score from first and give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead.

Ciriaco had the go-ahead RBI single

It stayed at 2-0 for quite a while as Doubront and Kuroda each pitched well for some time. The Yankees finally got on the board in the seventh inning when Russell Martin led things off with an opposite field home run to right. Two batters later, Doubront was pulled with a line of 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 8 K. The Yankees would strand two in that inning, but got right back to business in the eighth. After a two-out double by Andruw Jones, it was Martin again with a single up the middle to tie things up at 2-2. Neither team scored in the ninth, so it took them until the tenth to get going. A leadoff walk by Jarrod Saltalamacchia and a single for Will Middlebrooks (after a questionable call on a hit by pitch which led to Bobby Valentine being ejected) led runners at the corners with an out. It was Pedro Ciriaco with the key hit-- a blooper to right-- to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead and eventually the win.

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 8 K
Alfredo Aceves- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K, W (2-6)
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5, 1 2B
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4, 1 R
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-2, 2 R, 2 BB
Ryan Sweeney- 1-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco- 1-4, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Andrew Miller- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 K
Dustin Pedroia- 0-4, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Pedro Ciriaco- Ciriaco continues to rack up hits against the Yankees with a very clutch RBI single last night to give the Sox a late lead-- he is now .349/0/8 since being called up.

Red Sox Start And Finish Strong In Clutch Win (50-51)

Lester was good apart from the fifth

It's such a relief to finally get a win in a tough stretch like this, and the Red Sox finally got one yesterday. They started out very strong as Pedro Ciriaco and Dustin Pedroia each singled with one out in the first. Ciriaco would score when Adrian Gonzalez doubled to right, also pushing Dustin Pedroia to third. Both Pedroia and Gonzalez would score on a double by Will Middlebrooks to make it 3-0 in just the first inning. The Yankees would get on the scoreboard in the third inning on a home run by Chris Stewart to cut it to 3-1 off Jon Lester. However, the Red Sox would give Lester a little bit of insurance in the fifth inning when Pedro Ciriaco singled and Dustin Pedroia walked with two outs. Adrian Gonzalez came up and promptly hit one up and over the short porch in right field to make it 6-1.

Ciriaco's three runs and Gonzalez's
four RBIs were huge in this game

However, Lester would cough that lead back up almost immediately as he allowed a leadoff walk to Andruw Jones. That walk would quickly turn into two runs as Jayson Nix got ahold of one for a two-run shot to right. After putting two runners in scoring position with one out, the Yankees took another run on an RBI groundout by Derek Jeter to cut it to 6-4. It took until the eighth inning for the Yankees to finish what they had started, after a leadoff single by Raul Ibanez. The next two batters struck out, to bring up Mark Teixeira with a man on first and two outs. Teixeira did what he does best and crushed one to deep right to tie the game at 6-6. Luckily, the Red Sox came storming back in the ninth on a one-out walk by Jacoby Ellsbury. He would score when Pedro Ciriaco hit a fly ball to center that was misplayed by Curtis Granderson and fell for an RBI triple. Dustin Pedroia knocked Ciriaco in with a sac fly and the Red Sox would win 8-6.

Bright Spots:
Matt Albers- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K, SV (22)
Pedro Ciriaco- 3-5, 3 R, 1 3B, 1 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 1-3, 2 R, 1 RBI, BB
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Will Middlebrooks- 2-3, 1 BB, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Daniel Nava- 1-3

Dull Spots:
Vicente Padilla- 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 K
Kelly Shoppach- 0-4, 2 K, 3 LOB
Mike Aviles- 0-4, 3 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Adrian Gonzalez- Gonzalez continues to ride his hot streak, as he went 3-5 with a home run, a double, and four RBIs yesterday-- he is now .294/10/62 on the year.

Red Sox Hit Three Bombs But Still Fall (49-51)

Cook allowed six runs in four innings

Well, we didn't really expect much more in this series-- both teams hit a lot of home runs and the Yankees came out on top. The Red Sox actually started the battle first as with two outs in the first, Dustin Pedroia drove a ball to left for a solo home run. However, the Yankees came storming back and put runners on the corners with an out in the bottom of the first. Aaron Cook's sinker worked to perfection as he got Mark Teixeira to ground a ball to Dustin Pedroia-- however, Mike Aviles was slow on the turn and allowed the run to score and the inning to stay alive. That would come back to bite the Red Sox as Raul Ibanez took Cook deep one batter later to give the Yankees a 3-1 lead. The Red Sox wouldn't give up, though, as in the third, Carl Crawford hit a shot to right field and into the second deck to make it 3-2.

Pedroia hit his second homer in two
games

However, the Yankees just kept scoring and put two runners in scoring position with one out in the third. Mark Teixeira lifted one to left and into the glove of Carl Crawford-- falling for a sacrifice fly. It's a good thing they got the sac fly as in the top of the fourth, Jarrod Saltalamacchia took one to the opposite field for a solo home run to make it 4-3. But from that point on, it was all Yankees. With a man on first in the bottom of the fourth, Russell Martin absolutely crushed a ball to left field for a two-run homer to make it 6-3. It stayed at 6-3 for quite a while, all the way until the eighth inning actually. That was when the Yankees loaded the bases on a double, hit by pitch, and a walk. Curtis Granderson cashed in in the ultimate way, with a grand slam over the short porch in right. The Yankees would make it 10-3 and that would be the final in a tough loss.

Bright Spots:
Franklin Morales- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Andrew Miller- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
Carl Crawford- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Aaron Cook- 4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 1 K, L (2-4)
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 1 BB
Mike Aviles- 0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Dustin Pedroia- Pedroia had a very good night in a calamity of a game last night, going 2-4 with his second home run in two games-- he is now .270/8/35.

Series Preview #28: Red Sox (49-50) @ Yankees (59-39)

The Red Sox are limping right now as they've fallen a game below .500 and are 1-5 in their last six games. It doesn't look like things will be turning around anytime soon either, as they head into New York to take on the best team in baseball. In the first game tonight, we'll get a chance to see Aaron Cook (2-3/3.50/3) toe the rubber against Phil Hughes (9-8/4.09/102). Both of these pitches have done well lately and I'd say this should be a very close one, but I'll give the edge to the Red Sox. The next game will be a matchup of an "ace" and an ace as Jon Lester (5-8/5.46/100) and C.C. Sabathia (10-3/3.30/117) will be starting. A few years ago this would've been a close matchup, but right now, it's a Yankees win. Finally, we'll get to see rookie Felix Doubront (10-5/4.54/105) take on the big offseason signing in Hiroki Kuroda (10-7/3.34/103) on Sunday Night Baseball. This should be another win for the Yankees. Bold Prediction: Yankees win series 2-1. 

Red Sox Fall Below .500 With Heartbreaking Loss (49-50)

Beckett took the loss

This game was a real heartbreaker for the Red Sox as they fought so hard to take the lead and eventually to tie it back up but were paid back with just more bad pitching. They got off to a very fast start as Jacoby Ellsbury led off the game with a walk and Pedro Ciriaco knocked a single to right that advanced Ellsbury to third. The Red Sox were in a fantastic position to score some runs, but Dustin Pedroia promptly grounded into a 6-4-3 double play-- allowing the run to score, but nothing else to culminate in the inning. Believe it or not, Josh Beckett actually threw a scoreless first inning, and kept it at 1-0 until the fourth inning. With two outs in the fourth, the Red Sox tacked on another run as Will Middlebrooks got ahold of one and sent it into the bleachers in left. However, the bottom of the fourth brought disappointment as Michael Young led off the inning with a double. He would score on a double to left-center by David Murphy. 

Pedroia had a game-tying blast

However, the inning wasn't done as Yorbit Torrealba advanced Murphy with a single; Murphy would score when Craig Gentry laid down a perfect suicide squeeze to tie the game. It didn't stay tied for long, though, as Ian Kinsler singled on a blooper that just evaded Cody Ross to make it 3-2. The Rangers would only keep that lead for about an inning, until Dustin Pedroia crushed a long home run to left-center to knot things up at 3-3. Josh Beckett pitched a scoreless sixth and was left in for the seventh, a choice Bobby Valentine immediately regretted as the Rangers put runners at the corners with two away. They took the lead on the cheapest way possible-- a wild pitch by Beckett. However, they would've scored anyways as they picked up some insurance with a homer by Nelson Cruz. They would lose by a score on 5-3 in a very disappointing game. 

Bright Spots:

Pedro Ciriaco- 2-4

Dustin Pedroia- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Will Middlebrooks- 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:

Matt Albers- 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R

Adrian Gonzalez- 0-3

Cody Ross- 0-4, 1 K, 1 LOB

Carl Crawford- 0-3, 2 K, 1 LOB

Kelly Shoppach- 0-3, 3 K, 1 LOB

Mike Aviles- 0-3, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:

Will Middlebrooks- Middlebrooks continued to tear up the Rangers in the series as he went 2-4 with a solo home run-- he is now .297/12/43.

Aviles, Buchholz Lead Sox In Clutch Win (49-49)

Buchholz allowed a run in seven strong

With Clay Buchholz going against rookie Martin Perez, it didn't really look like a potential pitching duel. Buchholz has been good lately, but his ERA was 5.19 entering play, and Perez had just been brought up for triple-A and was struggling down there. However, it quickly emerged as a definite pitchers duel after three shutout innings on both sides. The Red Sox had gotten to Perez a bit, loading the bases in the second inning, but he had been impressive nonetheless. Anyhow, it was in the fourth inning that the Red Sox finally got a bit going after a leadoff walk for Cody Ross. Will Middlebrooks flew out and Carl Crawford struck out, leaving Ross at first with two outs, but Kelly Shoppach came through. Shoppach lifted one to right center that just evaded David Murphy's reach as it became an RBI double.

Aviles had the go-ahead RBI single

Clay Buchholz actually held that lead for a few innings, as he was very good last night. Finally in the sixth inning, though, it was Elvis Andrus who broke out with a one-out double. Andrus got to third on a wild pitch and despite the infield being in, scored on a soft grounder by Josh Hamilton to tie it at 1-1. It stayed tied for one more inning before Clay Buchholz was taken out of the game after seven with a line of 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 K. For the first time this season, Buchholz's ERA is below 5.00-- as he's really come a long way since April. Neither team scored in the eighth, but the Red Sox put together a two-out rally in the ninth. Two two-out walks off Joe Nathan put them in a position to score with Mike Aviles at bat. Aviles worked a long at bat before blooping a soft line drive just over the head of Elvis Andrus. The run scored and the Red Sox won 2-1.

Bright Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 K
Vicente Padilla- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K, W (4-0)
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, SV (21)
Will Middlebrooks- 2-4
Kelly Shoppach- 1-2, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Mike Aviles- 1-4, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Pedro Ciriaco- 0-4, 1 LOB
Dustin Pedroia- 0-4, 1 LOB
Carl Crawford- 0-3, 1 K, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Clay Buchholz- Despite some last minute heroics by Mike Aviles, he wouldn't even have had a chance if Buchholz wasn't quite so good in his seven innings-- he is now 8-3/4.93/73.

Red Sox Interested In Josh Johnson

The Red Sox' merry-go-round of interest in starting pitchers has continued to shift as news has been leaked that the Red Sox are interested in Marlins' ace Josh Johnson. Allegedly, the Red Sox sent a scout to watch Johnson against the Braves last night. Coincidentally, he put together a fantastic start-- tossing six shutout innings while striking out nine and allowing just a hit. Johnson has struggled more this season than in years past, but after an April that saw him go 0-3 with a 5.34 ERA, he's been much better. In his 91 innings since April, his ERA stands at 3.75 and he's gone 6-4. Overall on the season, his stats are respectable but not excellent at 6-7/4.14/105 in 20 starts and 119.2 innings pitched. The Red Sox have been linked to the Marlins in various rumors this season-- including the rumored mega-deal involving Carl Crawford, Hanley Ramirez, and Heath Bell and interest in Anibal Sanchez (traded yesterday to Detroit). However, the Marlins would have to be overwhelmed to deal Johnson-- who earns $13.5 million this and next year. Still, he would definitely play a part in righting the pitching woes if the Red Sox will be buyers this deadline.

Red Sox Fall Sub-.500 In Rout To Rangers (48-49)

Doubront was pounded by Texas

Many Red Sox fans, myself included, were not looking forward to this series against the Rangers, and we were rewarded last night with a rough loss. In the second inning, Jarrod Saltalamacchia pounced on Rangers starter Scott Feldman by knocking a home run to center field and giving the Red Sox an early lead. However, from that point on, it was all, and I mean all, Rangers. After a scoreless top of the third, the Rangers got things started by putting runners at first and second to lead off the third. Elvis Andrus put one on the ground for Dustin Pedroia, but a rare Pedroia error cost the Red Sox two runs as the Rangers took the lead at 2-1. The inning continued as Josh Hamilton drove a pitch down the third base line for an RBI double. The scoring ended on an RBI single by Michael Young, who concluded the scoring in a four run inning.

Saltalamacchia homered, #19

But the Rangers weren't even nearly done, despite Felix Doubront settling down for the next few innings. The Rangers finally got back to business in the sixth inning, after a leadoff walk by Nelson Cruz. Cruz would score when Mike Napoli absolutely hammered a ball to left to make things 6-1. Doubront was taken out of the game here with a 5 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 6 K line, but Franklin Morales didn't fare much better, allowing a double to the first man he faced. That man, Brandon Snyder, would score when Craig Gentry knocked an RBI single to make it 7-1. The train of scoring continued when Ian Kinsler knocked in Gentry with an RBI single of his own. The final run of the inning would come on a Josh Hamilton sacrifice fly. Morales would shut down the Rangers in the seventh, and the Red Sox and Rangers didn't score again as the Rangers took this one 9-1.

Bright Spots:
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4
Dustin Pedroia- 3-4
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Will Middlebrooks- 2-4, 1 2B

Dull Spots:
Felix Doubront- 5 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 6 K, L (10-5)
Franklin Morales- 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 K
Carl Crawford- 0-4, 2 K, 2 LOB
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-4, 1 K, 4 LOB
Ryan Sweeney- 0-4, 4 LOB
Mike Aviles- 0-3, 1 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- Salty's homer was the only bright spot in this game, and he actually put together a pretty good game, going 2-4 with a homer and double-- he is now .233/19/45 this year.

First Big Day Of American League Trades Goes Down

After a recent flood of trading deadline rumors of tons of players changing places, today a few actually took place. No big trades had really happened until two today that could have a massive effect on the American League playoff picture. The first is the trade of Marlins' starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez and second baseman Omar Infante heading to Detroit in return for three prospects (including MLB.com's 10th ranked Jacob Turner). The second is Ichiro Suzuki heading to the New York Yankees for a pair of prospects. Although it's certainly a big piece of news that Ichiro-- the first ballot Hall of Famer who's fallen to a .261/4/28 season in 2012-- is heading to New York, the Detroit deal will have a bigger effect. Ichiro is a famous and much beloved name and all, but his time is up and he'll probably serve as a fourth outfielder with New York. However, Sanchez (5-7/3.94/110) will definitely help a depleted Detroit rotation while Infante (.287/8/33) will shore up a weak second base for the Tigers. These are the first of many potential trades in what looks to be a very exciting deadline.

Series Preview #27: Red Sox (48-48) @ Rangers (56-38)

After being swept at the hands of the formerly last place Toronto Blue Jays, things do not get any easier for the Red Sox as they head to Texas for a three game set. The series will start tonight as the Red Sox' best pitcher in Felix Doubront (10-4/4.24/99) will take the hill against swingman Scott Feldman (3-6/5.89/39). The Red Sox have hit Feldman well in the past and with Doubront going, this is a game the Red Sox should win. Game 2 will feature a rejuvenated Clay Buchholz (8-3/5.19/72) against Rangers' ace Colby Lewis (6-6/3.43/93). Buchholz has pitched much better this year than his ERA suggests (3.31 ERA in his last 10 starts) so I feel that this should be a very close game, but the Rangers should win. The series finale will be a matchup of 2012 disappointments in Josh Beckett (5-8/4.53/79) and Derek Holland (6-5/4.84/67). Holland has pitched well against the Red Sox in his career though, so I'd predict a loss. Bold Prediction: Rangers win series 2-1. 

Weekly News

This was a week of major ups and downs for the Red Sox-- starting off with a great 3-1 series against the White Sox and finishing with a sweep to the (formerly) last place Blue Jays-- a 3-4 week in total. For the first time this year, the Player of the Week is the sizzling Adrian Gonzalez-- who went .428/3/12 this week and is now .296/9/58 this season. For his fourth time this year (second on the team), the Pitcher of the Week is Clay Buchholz. Buchholz went eight strong innings, allowing one run, on Thursday night's game against the White Sox and is now 8-3/5.19/72 this season. The Performance of the Week would be obvious if you've watched the Red Sox this week, but if not, the answer is Cody Ross on Wednesday, when he went 3-5 with two three-run home runs and a double. Finally, the Game of the Week is Thursday night when Cody Ross knocked a three-run walk off home run to conclude the White Sox series. Next week, the Red Sox will have a tough week as they'll head to Texas for three, take a day off, and head to New York for three more.

Lester Hammered As Sox Return To Last (48-48)

Lester was simply crushed in every
aspect

This was a horrible game from start to finish, and I don't even want to write about it. The Blue Jays started off ridiculously strong as Brett Lawrie homered on the first pitch of the game, a sign of what was to come. After a walk and a single, Edwin Encarnacion drove in a run with a ground-rule double and J.P. Arencibia drove in another with a groundout. They took two more in the inning on an RBI double by Rajai Davis and an RBI bunt by Jeff Mathis to give them a very early 5-0 lead. However, the Red Sox bats came out strong too as they put runners at the corners with one out. Adrian Gonzalez came through with a bomb to right-center to score three and put the Red Sox right back in it at 5-3. That was before a second inning where back-to-back home runs over the monster by J.P. Arencibia and Rajai Davis netted the Jays four runs and a 9-3 lead, though.

Tazawa tossed three shutout innings

A rare sight in this game, a couple of scoreless innings followed that second. The Red Sox finally broke the snide with a sacrifice fly in the fourth that cut it to 9-4. However, a two-run shot by Travis Snider in the fifth extinguished that hope. The Red Sox would benefit from a homer of their own in the fifth, though, as Jacoby Ellsbury lifted one to center to make it 11-5. A two-out double by Ryan Sweeney in the sixth set up an RBI double for Mike Aviles, who scored on an RBI single by Nick Punto to make it 11-7 and make it reasonably close. However, it wouldn't stay that way for long as the Blue Jays erupted in the eighth for four runs to make it 15-7 and officially close the book on a miserable game and a miserable series for the Red Sox.


Bright Spots:
Junichi Tazawa- 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 K
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Mike Aviles- 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Jon Lester- 4 IP, 9 H, 11 R, 5 BB, 2 K, L (5-8)
Mark Melancon- 0.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R
Daniel Nava- 0-4, 1 K, 1 LOB
Cody Ross- 0-4, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Adrian Gonzalez- Gonzalez's first inning home run was one of very few bright spots in a horrible game, he is now .296/9/58 this season.

Jays' Home Runs Ruin Cook's Night (48-47)

For the most part, Cook was great

Last night was another very disappointing night for the Red Sox as things went from good to bad in a hurry off Aaron Cook. Things started off great as the Sox put a rally together in the second inning. An Adrian Gonzalez single and Cody Ross double put the Red Sox in a great position to score a few runs. They would do just that as Jarrod Saltalamacchia lifted one in the air to right for a three-run homer. The Blue Jays got right back into it in the third, though, after loading the bases on a double error and single. While it looked like things could get really bad, the only run came on a sacrifice fly by Brett Lawrie to make it 3-1. It stayed there for a while until Colby Rasmus walked with two outs in the sixth inning. On a 2-2 count, Edwin Encarnacion absolutely crushed one to left to tie it at 3-3 off Aaron Cook.


From that point on, it was all Blue Jays. Bobby Valentine left Cook in to pitch the seventh inning and was rewarded by a leadoff homer on the first pitch of the inning by J.P. Arencibia. However, the Blue Jays weren't done in the inning, as they would put two men in scoring position and two outs for Brett Lawrie. The Red Sox continued their meltdown as Lawrie singled to left to drive them both in and make it 6-3. It became 7-3 in the ninth inning as Dustin Pedroia went home on a groundball and his throw was just late. The Red Sox couldn't muster up the necessary four runs in the ninth and they lost.

Bright Spots:
Vicente Padilla- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
Cody Ross- 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco- 1-3

Dull Spots:
Franklin Morales- 0.1 IP, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Junichi Tazawa- 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB
Carl Crawford- 0-4, 2 K, 2 LOB
Will Middlebrooks- 0-4, 1 K, 1 LOB
Ryan Sweeney- 0-3

Player of the Game:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- Although he only went 1-4, Salty's three-run homer was undoubtedly the highlight of the night for the Red Sox-- he is now .228/18/44 this season.

A Night Of Sloppy Play Leads To Loss To Jays (48-46)

Beckett allowed five runs

Last night's game was just an all around disappointment for the Red Sox and their fans alike. Things started out bad, as Colby Rasmus knocked a one out triple in the very first inning. On the next play, Edwin Encarnacion hit a slow dribbler to Will Middlebrooks at third base. Middlebrooks did the smart thing and went home, seeing that he had a chance, the throw was good and Kelly Shoppach blocked the plate well enough that Rasmus was out. But he was called safe on a brutally wrong call by the home plate umpire. One thing led to another and back-to-back singles by Adam Lind and J.P. Arencibia ensured that the Jays scored one more in the inning as they left the first with a 2-0 lead. They started the second just how they ended the first, putting runners at the corners with two outs for Colby Rasmus. Rasmus hit a line drive into left-center, scoring both runs and giving the Blue Jays a 4-0 lead in just the second inning.

The offense couldn't handle Laffey

After a couple of strong innings by Beckett, the bloodbath continued in the fifth inning. Edwin Encarnacion reached first on an infield single, but a throwing error by Will Middlebrooks put him in scoring position with one away. He would score when Adam Lind singled on a sinking line drive to center field to make it 5-0. Beckett would eventually be taken out of the ballgame with a line of 6 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. Andrew Miller came in and tossed a scoreless frame then Mark Melancon did the same-- but Melancon ran into some trouble in his second inning of work. Back-to-back doubles by Yan Gomes and Travis Snider netted the Jays another run to make it 6-0. The Red Sox took one of their own on a forceout in the ninth, but it wasn't nearly enough as they fell 6-1.

Bright Spots:
Andrew Miller- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Will Middlebrooks- 2-4, 1 R
Kelly Shoppach- 2-3
Mike Aviles- 1-4, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Josh Beckett- 6 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, L (5-8)
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB
Pedro Ciriaco- 0-3, 1 K, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Will Middlebrooks- On a different night, Middlebrooks may have scored a couple of runs but a 2-4, one run game is pretty good any day-- he is now .291/11/42 this season.

Series Preview #26: Blue Jays (45-47) @ Red Sox (48-45)

The Red Sox currently stand at 5-2 in the second half of the season and have won the past two series. They'll try and continue that success against the Blue Jays as they stay at home in this potentially pivotal AL East series. In Game 1 tonight, the Red Sox will send Josh Beckett (5-7/4.44/72) to the mound against Aaron Laffey (1-1/3.38/18). This could be a very close opener, but I feel that Beckett can pull out a win here tonight. Tomorrow night will be another close one as the Red Sox send Aaron Cook (2-2/3.34/2) out to face the Blue Jays' Carlos Villanueva (4-0/2.68/57). Villanueva has been great since entering the Jays' rotation so I predict another close game here-- but a loss in this one. Sunday's finale will feature Jon Lester (5-7/4.80/98) and Jays' youngster Henderson Alvarez (5-7/4.29/42). Alvarez has pitched to the tune of a 3.09 ERA against the Red Sox and Lester is in a rough year, so I predict a close loss in this one. Bold Prediction: Blue Jays win series 2-1. 

Ross The Hero Again As Sox Walk Off (48-45)

Buchholz allowed just a run in
eight innings

This was one of the most exciting games that I've ever watched, and almost certainly the most exciting this season. It was a pitcher's duel between two unlikely counterparts-- Clay Buchholz (5.53 ERA entering play) and rookie Jose Quintana. However, both of them were dominant as it was still scoreless entering the fourth inning. That was when the White Sox put a little rally together-- putting runners at the corners with no outs on an Adam Dunn walk and Paul Konerko single. That set things up for Alex Rios, who hit a fly ball to Cody Ross in right to score the game's first run. However, Clay Buchholz worked out of the jam and another run did not score in the fourth. Not only was Quintana holding the Red Sox from scoring, but Pedro Ciriaco's third inning triple was their only hit until the seventh inning of this game-- that's just how dominant Quintana was.

Ross had a three-run walk-off homer

Speaking of that seventh inning, the Red Sox put together a rally of their own in that inning. After Carl Crawford grounded out to open the inning-- three consecutive singles by Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez, and Cody Ross put the Red Sox in a great position to score. Will Middlebrooks stepped up in this key situation and hit a one hopper to shortstop Alexei Ramirez-- who promptly turned two to end the inning and keep the score at 1-0. However, the Red Sox would have the last laugh in the ninth inning. Carl Crawford singled to lead off the inning, but a Dustin Pedroia fielder's choice put Pedey at first with one out. Adrian Gonzalez would single to right to put two men on with just one out for Cody Ross. Ross had hit two three-run homers the night before, and figured that his time was now as he lifted a fly ball to deep left, up and over the monster for a three-run homer to make it 3-1 Red Sox-- final.

Bright Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 8 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4
Cody Ross- 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Mike Aviles- 1-3
Pedro Ciriaco- 1-3, 1 3B

Dull Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB
Will Middlebrooks- 0-3, 3 LOB
Kelly Shoppach- 0-3, 1 K

Player of the Game:
Cody Ross- Despite Clay Buchholz's magnificent start, the Red Sox owe this game to Cody Ross-- who hit that walk-off homer in the ninth and is now .274/16/50 this season.

Ross, Gonzalez Back Doubront's Fine Start (47-45)

Doubront earned his 10th win
of the season

Once in a while, it's fun to just watch the Red Sox beat down on another team, and we got just that last night. As they have in every other game this series, the White Sox actually scored first. Back-to-back leadoff singles by Alejandro De Aza plus a double play ball put a runner on third with two outs for Paul Konerko. Konerko went the other way with an outside pitch and dropped a single in front of right fielder Cody Ross. However, also like every other game in this series, the Red Sox matched the White Sox in the first inning. A leadoff double by Jacoby Ellsbury put a man on second with two outs for Adrian Gonzalez-- who delivered with a liner to right to score Ellsbury easily and tie the game at 1-1. However, the real damage started in the third, when the Red Sox led off the inning with singles by Ellsbury and Carl Crawford-- putting runners at the corners and no outs. Cody Ross, batting #3, came up and wrapped it around the Fisk Pole for a moonshot three-run homer to make it 4-1.

Ross had a monster game with two
three-run homers

However, the Red Sox weren't nearly done and by the fourth inning had another chance of scoring. Pedro Ciriaco and Jacoby Ellsbury reached on singles and stood at first and second with two outs for Cody Ross again. Ross did pretty much exactly what he had done in his last at bat-- homering onto Lansdowne Street in left-center for another three-run homer to make it 7-1. The Red Sox weren't even done in that inning though, as Adrian Gonzalez put one of his own in the monster seats to give the Red Sox a commanding 8-1 lead in just the fourth inning. They had a bit left though, as a hit by pitch and a Cody Ross double put two in scoring position to lead off the sixth. Adrian Gonzalez delivered with a line drive to right-center to score both with a two-run single that would make it 10-1. The Red Sox held them to that and won by that score.

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 K, W (10-4)
Matt Albers- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Andrew Miller- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-4, 3 R, 1 2B
Carl Crawford- 1-3, 2 R
Cody Ross- 3-5, 3 R, 2 HR, 1 2B, 6 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI

Dull Spots:
None!

Player of the Game:
Cody Ross- Ross really lit up the Red Sox offense last night, with two home runs, a double, and six RBI's to add to his great .269/15/47 season.

Red Sox Cut It Close But Still Fall To White Sox (46-45)

Lester allowed six runs in four
innings of work

Last night was a bad game all together-- they started out with a huge deficit, came back a bit, and still lost. It all started when the White Sox had a huge first inning, putting runners at first and second with one out. Paul Konerko doubled to right and off the first base bag to score one and the other came in on a bloop single to center by Alex Rios. Luckily, the Red Sox matched the White Sox in the first inning as Jacoby Ellsbury led off the game with a single and stole second. Carl Crawford cashed in with a single of his own to score a run, then stole second in the next at bat. Daniel Nava advanced him to third with a groundout and Adrian Gonzalez sent a rocket up the middle to score Crawford and make it 2-2. With a runner on first and two outs, Alejandro De Aza delivered with a double down the left field line to score Alexei Ramirez from first and make it 3-2.

The next runs for the White Sox were bitterly painful-- as they put runners at first and second with two outs. It would be an old friend delivering for the White Sox in the fourth inning, as Kevin Youkilis drove a three run homer over the monster to make it 6-2 (why couldn't he have done that when the Sox were shopping him?). With a man on second in the sixth inning, it was De Aza again as he singled to right to make it 7-2. The Red Sox started their comeback in the eighth as Carl Crawford made it to third with two outs. Will Middlebrooks drove him in with a single to right and then came the big hit as Kelly Shoppach delivered a two-run pinch-hit home run to cut it to 7-5. However, it would be an incomplete comeback as the Sox did nothing in the ninth and fell by that score.

Bright Spots:
Junichi Tazawa- 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 K
Franklin Morales- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5, 1 R, 1 SB
Carl Crawford- 3-4, 2 R, 2 SB, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4, 1 RBI
Will Middlebrooks- 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI
Kelly Shoppach- 1-1, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Jon Lester- 4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 4 K, L (5-7)
Daniel Nava- 0-3, 1 K, 3 LOB
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-3, 1 K, 2 LOB
Ryan Sweeney- 0-3, 1 LOB
Mike Aviles- 0-4, 2 K
Pedro Ciriaco- 0-3, 1 K

Player of the Game:
Carl Crawford- Crawford may be providing a spark to this time as he continued his strong start by going 3-4 with two runs, two steals, and an RBI in the loss.

Red Sox, Gonzalez, Spoil Youkilis's Return (46-44)

Cook was great but did not receive a
win last night

Last night's game was an unlikely pitching duel with Aaron Cook going up against youngster Dylan Axelrod. However, it certainly didn't start out that way for either team. With one out in the top of the first inning, familiar face Kevin Youkilis came up and received a huge standing ovation from the home fans. Afterwards, he worked out a long at bat before singling up the middle. Youkilis showed his all out hustle on the next play as Adam Dunn hit a slow roller to second. Pedro Ciriaco threw it to first to record the out as usual, but as a part of the shift they had played on Dunn-- nobody was covering third. Youkilis took sight of this and took off for third, Adrian Gonzalez's throw to the nearest man was errant and Youkilis scored. In the bottom of the first with one out, another familiar face-- Carl Crawford came up and singled up the middle. After a David Ortiz single brought him to third, he would tie the game on a line to right by Adrian Gonzalez to make it 1-1.

Gonzalez had a huge home run

However, Aaron Cook (who wasn't deserving of that run anyway) and Dylan Axelrod both settled down tremendously after that point. The score was still 1-1 when Axelrod was taken out after 6.2 strong innings of work and when Cook was taken out after 7. However, the Red Sox were not so kind against the White Sox bullpen in the following innings. After a pair of walks to lead off the eighth against Leyson Septimo, Adrian Gonzalez stepped up to the plate. He displayed some of that power that we acquired him for when he crushed a pitch over the deep part of the Green Monster to give the Red Sox a 4-1 lead. However, David Ortiz was injured rounding second and is having an MRI today-- we all hope the best. Anyways, a Mike Aviles RBI single later in the inning would score the final run to close out a strong 5-1 win.

Bright Spots:
Aaron Cook- 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER
Vicente Padilla- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K, W (3-0)
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB
Carl Crawford- 1-3, 2 R, 1 BB
David Ortiz- 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Cody Ross- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B
Mike Aviles- 1-4, 1 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco- 3-4, 1 2B

Dull Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-4, 1 K, 3 LOB
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4, 3 K, 4 LOB
Will Middlebrooks- 0-4, 2 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Adrian Gonzalez- If not for Gonzalez, the Red Sox may not have even won this game as he went 2-4 with two of the biggest hits of the night-- an RBI single and three-run homer, he is now .288/7/50.

Crawford Off The DL And Batting Second

The general hope among Red Sox nation was that last year was a freak year for Carl Crawford and from 2012-2017, he'd be back to normal. Many of these fans were very disappointed when they heard Crawford would miss the start of the season. He was only slated to be out for a few weeks but various setbacks kept him out until now. However, after long last-- he's finished his long rehab assignment from injuries to his wrist and elbow and will be joining the team tonight. Bobby Valentine has Crawford batting second against the White Sox tonight-- in the same position as Kevin Youkilis is batting for Chicago. In his 11 games in the minor leagues this year (between single-A Greenville, double-A Portland, and triple-A Pawtucket), he has batted .306/0/2 with a double and a triple. He has DH'ed a few games but has spent much of his time in left field-- where he'll be playing tonight. He'll be looking to redeem himself from a disappointing first year in Boston where he batted .255/11/56. Red Sox fans can hope that he starts redeeming himself tonight against the White Sox.

Series Preview #25: White Sox (49-39) @ Red Sox (45-44)

The Red Sox got the second half of the season off to a good start, and they hope it will continue as they welcome Kevin Youkilis and the White Sox into Fenway Park for a three game series. In Kevin Youkilis' first game back in Fenway, we'll get to see Aaron Cook (2-2/4.37/2) face off against Dylan Axelrod (1-2/6.16/22). Axelrod hasn't been one of the more impressive stories in Chicago this year, so I'd predict a solid win for the Red Sox here. In Game 2, we'll see a pair of pitchers who have tossed no-hitters in Jon Lester (5-6/4.49/94) and Philip Humber (3-4/6.01/63). Lester hasn't been too good this year, but since his perfect game-- Humber has been nothing short of miserable so I'd predict another win here. The Red Sox hopefully will be going for a sweep with Felix Doubront (9-4/4.41/97) going. The White Sox haven't announced their starting pitcher for Wednesday yet, but based on their rotation it would be Jose Quintana (4-1/2.60/41). Quintana and Doubront have both impressed as rookies but our offense hasn't been great so I'd predict a close loss. Bold Prediction: Red Sox win series 2-1. 

Triple Weekly News

So it's come to this, the annual Triple Weekly News from when I return from camp-- often deciding the winner of the Yearly Awards. Well, in my absence, the Red Sox didn't do so well-- going 7-10 over the three week period. The Player of the Week may have just wrapped up his Yearly Award for good as David Ortiz won and has now won eight-- compared to three for Mike Aviles. Over the last ten games, Ortiz batted .375/2/4 and is now .315/23/58 this season. An equally deserving Pitcher of the Year goes to Felix Doubront-- who had a good two starts over this time period, going 1-0/3.37/10 in his 10.2 innings of work. Doubront continued his good year and is now 9-4/4.41/97 this season, which is somehow the Red Sox' best pitcher. I cannot decide on the Performance of Game of the Week since I didn't watch them, so I'll skip those-- I apologize. In the upcoming week, the Red Sox will welcome Kevin Youkilis back to Fenway Park in a three game series with Chicago and play a four game set with Toronto at home.

Red Sox Finish Strong To Win Series Over Rays (45-44)

Beckett settled down after the
first inning

The Red Sox continued their run of staying around .500 but yet in the thick of things as they moved within a game of the Rays today. They scored first in the first inning after a pair of one out walks. Adrian Gonzalez would deliver with a line drive into left for an RBI single to make it 1-0. However, the Rays answered in a big way in the bottom of the first-- putting runners at the corners with no outs. Ben Zobrist hit a hard liner off of Josh Beckett's glove and hustled out an infield hit to tie it at one. The Rays weren't done scoring though, as a few batters later a soft single to center by Desmond Jennings would give the Rays a 3-1 lead and it wasn't looking like Josh Beckett's best day. Luckily, Beckett didn't even have to work with a deficit for all that long as the Red Sox got right back to business in the second. After a one out single by Will Middlebrooks, Mike Aviles had the big blow with a two-run homer to center to make it 3-3.

Nava had the go-ahead home run

Both Josh Beckett and James Shields settled down from that point on, but neither was really good. That finally caught up to Shields in the fifth as Daniel Nava got ahold of an outside pitch, pulling it to right for a go ahead home run to make it 4-3. The Red Sox kept rolling right along in the fifth and proceeded to load the bases on two hits and a walk, with just one out. This time it was Will Middlebrooks with the big hit, as he singled hard up the middle to bring in two runs and give the Red Sox a comfortable 6-3 lead. After loading the bases with one out in the sixth, the Red Sox got some more insurance on a sacrifice fly by Cody Ross to make it 7-3. Beckett left after the sixth with a decent 6 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 7 K. The bullpen would hold the Rays and give the Red Sox a comfortable 7-3 win and a series win.

Bright Spots:
Josh Beckett- 6 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 7 K, W (5-7)
Mark Melancon- 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-5, 1 R, 1 2B
Daniel Nava- 1-3, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 HR, 1 RBI
David Ortiz- 2-4, 1 BB
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4, 1 R, 1 RBI
Cody Ross- 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI
Will Middlebrooks- 3-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Mike Aviles- 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Pedro Ciriaco- 0-4, 2 K, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Will Middlebrooks- Middlebrooks made more case for the Youkilis trade as he went 3-4 with a double, a run, and two RBIs-- he improved to .301/11/41 on the season.

Red Sox Return To .500 With Tough Loss (44-44)

Until the seventh, Buchholz was very
sharp last night

My first game back from Nature Camp looked like exactly the game I like for a while-- a good pitching duel. Neither team had scored and Mike Aviles had the only hit of the ballgame as we entered the bottom of the third inning. However, back-to-back singles leading off the inning put the Rays in a good position to break that scoreless tie. Sean Rodriguez crushed a pitch deep into the gap that made me feel that the Red Sox were very lucky that Jacoby Ellsbury was back. He kept it to a sacrifice fly, rather than a two-run double that it may have been otherwise. Empowered by that catch, the Red Sox put together a strong fourth inning-- culminating with Will Middlebrooks' two-out two-run home run to left-center to make it 2-1. The Rays wouldn't score again until the fifth after a leadoff double by Jeff Keppinger was further aided by a sacrifice bunt. With the infield in, Jose Molina hit a hard grounder to shortstop that Mike Aviles booted so the Rays tied the game.

Middlebrooks had a two-run
homer, his 11th

In the top of the sixth, the Red Sox would take advantage of some defensive miscues to take another lead. A one-out walk by Cody Ross moved to second on a passed ball, third on a groundout, and home on a botched pickoff to third base to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead. However, it would be in the seventh that it all unraveled. Clay Buchholz allowed the Rays to put two runners in scoring position with just one out. He was taken out in favor of Matt Albers, who did the smart thing and walked the bases loaded to set up the double play. However, that move didn't look so smart as he walked a run in to the next batter-- Jose Lobaton. Or when the Rays took the 4-3 lead on a sacrifice fly by Elliot Johnson. The Red Sox squandered a leadoff double in the eighth and turned things over to the Rays, who quickly got insurance on a moonshot by B.J. Upton. They would hold the lead and win 5-3.


Bright Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4, 1 2B
David Ortiz- 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB
Will Middlebrooks- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Mike Aviles- 2-4

Dull Spots:
Matt Albers- 0.1 IP, 2 BB, BS (4)
Andrew Miller- 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 K
Pedro Ciriaco- 0-4, 2 K, 4 LOB
Daniel Nava- 0-4, 1 K, 3 LOB

Player of the Game:
Will Middlebrooks- Despite only going 1-4, he provided the main offensive outburst with a two-run homer and is now .291/11/39 this season.

Red Sox Drop Pitching Duel In Extras (41-37)

Middlebrooks scored on a passed ball

I guess that this series is just a pitching kind of series-- as after a 1-0 loss in the opener in 5-0 win in the second, there was yet another pitching duel last night. Josh Beckett was squaring off against Erasmo Ramirez and both did well until the third. In the third, Ramirez was forced to leave the game on a problem with his right elbow. However, former starter Charlie Furbush entered the game and continued to dominate the Red Sox' offense. Only in the sixth inning was the scoreless tie finally broken as the Mariners got a rally going. With one out in the inning, Ichiro singled to left and stole second base. He was followed up on a walk by Casper Wells and a single by Kyle Seager to load the bases with one out. John Jaso came up and lined a ball hard off the wall in right and just over the outstretched glove of Cody Ross to score two and make it 2-0 Mariners.

The Red Sox offense was stymied

Josh Beckett was taken out of the ballgame after that inning; his final line was a relatively impressive 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K-- however, he was set for the loss. The Red Sox answered in the seventh to completely erase all thoughts of a Beckett loss though. Three straight singles by Adrian Gonzalez, Will Middlebrooks, and Cody Ross started off the inning. Ryan Kalish grounded into a potential double play but beat out the back end, putting runners at the corners and cutting the Mariners' lead to 2-1. It quickly became 2-2 though, as Miguel Olivo let a ball get by him and Will Middlebrooks raced home from third base to tie the game. The score stayed knotted at two all the way until the eleventh inning. One out singles by Dustin Ackley and Miguel Olivo put runners at the corners for Chone Figgins. Figgins hit a liner to right on another where Ross made a good throw home but Saltalamacchia let it pass him for a 3-2 Mariners win.

Bright Spots:
Josh Beckett- 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K
Andrew Miller- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5, 1 R
Cody Ross- 2-4, 1 BB
Ryan Kalish- 1-5, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Daniel Nava- 0-4, 1 BB, 1 K, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Josh Beckett- Beckett pitched very well in his first start back from shoulder inflammation, he went six strong innings and is now 4-7/4.06/60 this season.