Series Preview #38: Red Sox (62-70) @ A's (73-57)

The Red Sox will continue their west coast swing this weekend, stumbling into Oakland after being swept in Los Angeles and falling to eight games below .500. The misery will look to continue tonight as Aaron Cook (3-7, 4.76) will battle against A's ace Brandon McCarthy (7-5, 3.12). McCarthy hasn't had a ton of success against the Red Sox in his career (a 5.03 ERA) but I don't have much faith that Aaron Cook can beat him. The second game of this series looks similarly bleak as an ailing Felix Doubront (10-6, 4.79) will face off against Brett Anderson (2-0, 0.64). Anderson, on the other hand, has had a bunch of success against the Red Sox (a 2.86 ERA) and with the current state in Boston, I don't have high hopes for this one. The series finale will feature Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-3, 5.10) and impressive rookie Tommy Milone (11-9, 3.73). Matsuzaka was dominant in his last start against the Royals, but I still don't like the looks of the inconsistent righty. Bold Prediction: A's sweep series 3-0. 

Angels Sweep Sox Again After Tough Loss (62-70)

Lester allowed five runs in eight innings

This game pretty much exemplified this season, the pitching was bad from their ace, their offense couldn't hit when it counted, and the game wasn't even particularly close. The Angels jumped out to a lead in the first after Mike Trout walked and Torii Hunter singled, putting runners at the corners. Both runners came home when Albert Pujols knocked a double on a ground ball down the third base line and past the diving Pedro Ciriaco. However, the Red Sox bats got right to work as they loaded the bases on two walks and a single with one out. They got one run back when Mike Aviles drove in James Loney with a sacrifice fly. However, the Angels didn't stop in the third, as they got into a good scoring position with a pair of one out singles.

Loney hit his first Red Sox HR

Back-to-back singles by Mark Trumbo and Alberto Callaspo would net the Angels two more runs to make it 4-1. The Angels just kept on rolling over Jon Lester (8-10, 4.98) in the fourth when they put runners at first and third with no outs. They scored a run on a double play ball by Mike Trout which increased the Angels lead to four runs at 5-1. There was a rare scoreless inning in the fifth but the Red Sox cut into the Angels' lead a bit in the sixth. On a weird hit, James Loney turned a low-inside curveball (not a bad pitch by any means) into a hard line drive home run to right field to make it 5-2. However, that would be one of relatively few blemishes in a great outing for Zach Greinke as he exited after the seventh with a line of 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K. The Angels relief corps (an inning of Kevin Jepsen and an inning of Ernesto Frieri) shut down the Red Sox for the next two in a rough loss.

Bright Spots:
James Loney- 3-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Mike Aviles- 2-3, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Scott Podsednik- 0-5, 3 K, 2 LOB
Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB
Pedro Ciriaco- 0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
James Loney- Loney had his first good night in a Red Sox uniform as he knocked a home run and scored another run in a 3-4 night-- he is now .412/1/4 in Boston.

Stewart Roughed Up In Red Sox Debut As Angels Rout (62-69)

Stewart made his Red Sox debut

The Red Sox just can't seem to beat the Angels as they are now 0-5 including last night's game and are 0-2 in extra inning games! This game started off predictably as the Angels really got to Zach Stewart in the first inning. Mike Trout led off the game with a single and then almost immediately scored on an RBI double by Torii Hunter. Albert Pujols drove Hunter in with an RBI single up the middle to make it 2-0 after the first two batters. The Angels would tack on two more runs in the inning when Kendrys Morales came up and crushed a hanging curveball to right for a long home run to make it 4-0. Stewart got the next three hitters, but the damage was done as we entered the second inning. After putting runners on second and third with no outs, Scott Podsednik got one run back on a sacrifice fly.

After a leadoff double in the second, the Angels got that run back when Torii Hunter singled to center and made it 5-1. The Angels kept right on rolling after a leadoff double in the third. The next two batters got out, but back-to-back doubles for Alberto Callaspo and Erick Aybar made it 7-1. That was when Chris Iannetta knocked on out of the park on a liner to left-center. That third would be Stewart's last inning as he was taken out with a line of 3 IP, 10 H, 9 R, 2 K. After a rare scoreless inning, the Red Sox started off the fifth right-- putting runners at the corners with one out. Jacoby Ellsbury stole second and Iannetta made an errant throw, causing Scott Podsednik to score from third. Ellsbury scored next as Dustin Pedroia singled him in to make it 9-3. The Angels got a run back in the fifth but the damage was done.

Bright Spots:
Dustin Pedroia- 1-3, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Mauro Gomez- 3-4, 1 R
Scott Podsednik- 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Zach Stewart- 3 IP, 10 H, 9 R, 2 K, L (1-3)
Jose Iglesias- 0-4, 2 K, 6 LOB

Player of the Game:
Mauro Gomez- Gomez's 3-4 night really showed that the youngster may be ready to fully take over the first base job-- he is now .327/1/6.

Red Sox Fall On Walkoff Heartbreaker (62-68)

Buchholz raised his ERA to 4.50

Last night was a very heartbreaking game as the Red Sox held the lead up until the cusp of winning, as Alfredo Aceves blew another save. The Angels started off the game very early, jumping to a 1-0 lead as leadoff hitter Mike Trout homered on the second pitch Clay Buchholz (11-4, 4.47) threw. He was followed up by a walk to Torii Hunter, who advanced to third on an Albert Pujols single. Hunter would eventually score on a sacrifice fly for Mark Trumbo to make it 2-0. The Red Sox would get one of those runs back when Jarrod Saltalamacchia drove one deep to right-center for a solo home run-- his team-leading 22nd of the year. However, it would be in the fourth that the Red Sox really cut loose, loading the bases with no outs to start the inning. They would score a pair of runs on RBI singles by James Loney and Jarrod Saltalamacchia and another when Ryan Kalish grounded into a double play to make it 5-2.

Saltalamacchia hit home run #22

It took them till the sixth, but the Angels still weren't quite done with Clay Buchholz. They got back one run on a deep home run to center for Albert Pujols, cutting it to 5-3. With two outs in the inning, a Mark Trumbo walk as Howie Kendrick proceeded to double perfectly into the gap in left-center to score Trumbo from first and cut the Red Sox' lead to one run. Buchholz would last one more inning after that, exiting the game with a solid but certainly not great line of 7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K-- he is now 11-4, 4.50 this season. Closer Alfredo Aceves entered the game for the eighth and tossed a 1-2-3 inning in his first game back from a three-game suspension. However, come the ninth, there were some problems as a walk and a hit by pitch with one out set up a big inning. A Mike Trout single tied things up at 5-5, and it was a Torii Hunter sacrifice fly that did the damage with a sacrifice fly as the Angels walked off.

Bright Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4, 2 R
Ryan Lavarnway- 1-2, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 RBI
James Loney- 1-3, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Scott Podsednik- 0-4, 1 K, 1 LOB
Jose Iglesias- 0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- Saltalamacchia had a big game last night, going 2-4 with a solo home run and RBI single-- he is now .231/22/52.

Series Preview #37: Red Sox (62-67) @ Angels (66-62)

After being swept by the Angels just last week, the Red Sox will head into Los Angeles tonight and for the next three days to take on the Halos. In the opening game tonight, we'll see Clay Buchholz (11-4, 4.47) square off against Jered Weaver (16-3, 2.74). Weaver defeated Buchholz in their last face-off last week and I expect a similar result here tonight. The second game of the series will feature Franklin Morales (3-4, 3.77) and C.J. Wilson (9-9, 3.83). The Red Sox rocked Wilson his last time out, but in the past he's been very good against the Red Sox and I predict a good outing here. The series finale will pit Jon Lester (8-10, 4.98) against huge deadline acquisition Zack Greinke (2-2, 5.22 since joining Los Angeles). Due to the way each of these starters has fared his last few times out, I predict a Red Sox win in the finale. Bold Prediction: Angels win series 2-1. 

Dice-K Powers Sox To Series Win Over Royals (62-67)

Matsuzaka went seven strong innings

The Red Sox have gotten off to a good start in the post-Gonzalez realm as they edged out a win yesterday before a fairly easy feel good win at Fenway Park today. The game got off to a predictable start with Daisuke Matsuzaka on the mound as he walked the leadoff hitter Jarrod Dyson and allowed him to steal second. Dyson would eventually score on a sacrifice fly for Alex Gordon but as it turned out, Matsuzaka really settled down from there on. The Red Sox got that early run right back in the bottom of the first when Jacoby Ellsbury belted a solo home run just over the three foot wall in right. Neither team scored in the second inning, but the Red Sox put a little rally together in the third inning. Two one out singles for Scott Podsednik and Dustin Pedroia set up an eventual two-run single for Cody Ross to make it 3-1.

Cody Ross went 2-4 with 3 RBIs

After strong fourth and fifth innings for Luke Hochevar (7-11, 4.95), he ran into trouble again facing the Red Sox' bats in the sixth inning. With one out, Jacoby Ellsbury and Cody Ross knocked back-to-back doubles as Ross drove in Ellsbury and also put himself in scoring position. He would extend the lead to 5-1 when James Loney drove him in with a single up the middle. Those would be the last runs of the ballgame for either side as Daisuke Matsuzaka settled down to really have a great day in his grand return to the majors-- finishing with a line of 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K and earning his first win of the year. After his departure, Clayton Mortensen and Vicente Padilla combined for a scoreless eighth and Andrew Bailey walked one in an otherwise shutdown ninth. Overall a good win in Boston.

Bright Spots:
Daisuke Matsuzaka- 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W (1-3)
Andrew Bailey- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB
Scott Podsednik- 2-4, 1 R
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Cody Ross- 2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 RBI
James Loney- 1-4, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-3, 1 K, 1 LOB
Mike Aviles- 0-3, 1 LOB
Pedro Ciriaco- 0-3, 2 K

Player of the Game:
Daisuke Matsuzaka- Matsuzaka had his best start in a long time for the Red Sox, allowing one unearned run and striking out six in seven innings-- he is now 1-3/5.10/20.

Weekly News

This was a very interesting week for the Red Sox despite only going 2-4, as we watched two players who we've loved greatly (Josh Beckett and Adrian Gonzalez) depart along with Nick Punto and Carl Crawford for Hollywood. It was the right move as the Red Sox are re-inventing the team, but a huge move nonetheless. On the playing side of the spectrum, the Player of the Week for his fourth time is Mike Aviles-- who batted at a .280/2/6 clip this week and is now .254/13/57 on the season. Moving into a tie for second place for the Pitcher of the Year is Jon Lester-- who allowed three runs in seven innings in a win against the Royals Friday and is now 8-10, 4.98 this year. The Performance of the Week goes to Dustin Pedroia's performance Thursday as he went 4-6 with three runs, a homer, and five RBIs in a 14-13 loss to the Angels. Finally, the Game of the Week goes to today's 8-6 roller coaster affair beating the Royals. In the upcoming week, the Red Sox will face the Royals to conclude this series Monday before heading the Los Angeles and Oakland for a three game series in each.

Red Sox Edge Royals Behind Ciriaco, Ross (61-67)

Doubront had a bad inning

This was a great game in so far as the Red Sox won, it was some good baseball, and there were a few strong individual performances-- all great in the position the Red Sox are in right now. The Red Sox took off to a 1-0 lead in the first, scoring when Cody Ross drove in Pedro Ciriaco with a single. They scored again in the second inning when Mike Aviles hit a high fly ball off the monster, scoring Mauro Gomez all the way from first to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead. Felix Doubront held the Royals in check for the next few innings, but they finally got to him in a big fourth inning. With two outs and two strikes, the Royals put together a sustained rally--starting with singles by Eric Hosmer and Johnny Giavotella. They scored one run when Tony Abreu hit a soft liner to left for an RBI single and they scored three more when Lorenzo Cain drilled one into the monster seats in left to make it 4-2.

Loney made his Red Sox debut

However, the Red Sox came back in the fifth-- starting with a one out solo home run for Pedro Ciriaco. After that, the Red Sox managed to put runners at the corners for James Loney. In his second at bat with the Red Sox, Loney took a first pitch fastball up the middle for an RBI single to make it 4-4. After putting runners at first and second with no outs, the Red Sox finally scored on a two out RBI single by Jacoby Ellsbury. They did some more damage in the seventh as they loaded the bases with two outs. Scott Podsednik hit a seemingly inning ending ground ball but in a Buckner-esque play, the ball rolled right through Alcides Escobar's legs for a run. They scored another on an infield single by Pedro Ciriaco. The Royals scrambled for two runs in the eighth on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single (Tony Abreu again!). However, the Red Sox got one back on a homer for Dustin Pedroia to make it 8-6 and won.

Bright Spots:
Craig Breslow- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K, SV (1)
Pedro Ciriaco- 3-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 2-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Cody Ross- 2-4, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 RBI
James Loney- 1-5, 1 RBI
Mike Aviles- 2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Nobody!

Player of the Game:
Pedro Ciriaco- Ciriaco did a fantastic job leading off, going 3-5 while scoring two runs, driving in two more, and knocking a home run-- he is now .360/2/16.

Cook, Gomez Shine But Sox Fall Blow Huge Lead (60-67)

Gomez went 4-6 with 3 RBIs

Last night was just another episode in the disappointment that is the 2012 season as they blew a huge lead to fall in extras in one of the worst teams in baseball. The Royals started off hot, beginning the game with four consecutive hits. Two runs came in on Alex Gordon's double off the wall and Gordon scored on Billy Butler soft shot to right to make it 3-0 very early on. Cook held the Royals quiet in the bottom of the second and that was when the Red Sox got to work, starting with a one out solo blast to left for Mauro Gomez-- his first major league home run to cut it to 3-1. After that, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Lavarnway each singled then promptly scored when Mike Aviles put one just over the green monster for a three-run homer to give the Red Sox a 4-3 lead. However, the Red Sox were far from done as they loaded the bases with no outs in the third. They scored three-- two on an error by Jeremy Guthrie and one on a sacrifice fly by Jarrod Saltalamacchia to make it 7-3.

Ross had an RBI single

The Red Sox still weren't done though as they put runners at the corners and two outs in the fourth inning. They wound up scoring two runs on RBI singles by Cody Ross and Mauro Gomez to give them a commanding 9-3 lead. Aaron Cook held it there for the next few innings, but when he turned it to the bullpen for the seventh, things got ugly. The Royals loaded the bases on a hit and two walks with one out off Andrew Miller. Miller allowed two to score on an RBI single by Alex Gordon before being pulled for Mark Melancon. Melancon allowed two more runs to come in on a double by Billy Butler and a single for Salvador Perez. Finally, Craig Breslow came in and allowed the inevitable game tying two-run triple that make it 9-9. It stayed there all the way until the twelfth inning when the Royals took a run on an RBI single for Tony Abreu and that was basically it.

Bright Spots:
Aaron Cook- 6 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 BB
Craig Breslow- 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, K
Andrew Bailey- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Vicente Padilla- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Scott Podsednik- 2-6
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5, 2 R, 1 2B
Cody Ross- 3-5, 1 R, 1 RBI
Mauro Gomez- 4-6, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI
Ryan Lavarnway- 2-4, 1 R, 1 BB
Mike Aviles- 2-6, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco- 2-5, 1 R

Dull Spots:
Andrew Miller- 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 1 K
Mark Melancon- 0.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R

Player of the Game:
Mauro Gomez- In his first game filling in for the traded Gonzalez, Gomez was fantastic-- driving in three and hitting his first MLB home run in a 4-6 day-- he is now .318/1/6.

Crawford, Beckett, Gonzalez Gone In Huge Blockbuster

After tons of trade rumors last night involving the possibility of Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, and Carl Crawford going to Los Angeles, the deal is going to be finally made official today. Also included in this major blockbuster is Nick Punto as the Red Sox have freed up nearly $250 million in payroll space over the next several years and will take about $60 million off of 2013's guaranteed contracts. In return, the Red Sox will acquire first baseman James Loney (.254/4/33), who will probably fill in for Gonzalez for the rest of 2012. Along with Loney, the Red Sox acquired four prospects in the deal; #2 Dodgers' prospect Allen Webster plus Rubby De La Rosa, Ivan DeJesus, and Jerry Sands. Webster and De La Rosa are each highly ranked Dodgers' pitching prospects who are each close to major-league ready. Webster is 6-8 with a 3.55 ERA in Double-A Chattanooga and De La Rosa is coming off Tommy John Surgery but was 4-5 with a 3.71 ERA in 13 games in MLB last year. Sands (.303/24/101) and DeJesus (.295/3/33) have each had success in Triple-A, but haven't quite figured it out yet at the major league level-- .174/0/1 and .273/0/4 respectively. However, a change of scenery could help them out and Webster and De La Rosa should be elite pitching talent very soon. This deal is huge financially for the Red Sox as much as I hate to see Gonzalez go, it may be the right move.

Red Sox Edge Royals To Break Four Game Skid (60-66)

Lester won his third straight game

On the heels of a potentially huge night for the Red Sox, they were able to end a four game skid by knocking off a Royals in a close game. After a scoreless top half of the first, the Red Sox got going in the bottom of the first-- starting off the inning with three consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs. They would score two runs on the fourth consecutive single to start things off against Bruce Chen (9-10, 5.45), a knock by David Ortiz in his first game back from a heel injury. The second inning was scoreless all around, but the Royals struck back in the third inning on a leadoff homer over the monster by Eric Hosmer. A two out walk for Alcides Escobar set up a tie game at 2-2 when Alex Gordon hit a double to deep center to score the speedy Escobar all the way from first base.

Ortiz went 2-4 with 2 RBIs in his return

The Royals kept rolling right along in the fourth inning starting with a walk, single, and walk with one out in the inning. They'd score once on an infield single by Johnny Giavotella to give the Royals a 3-2 lead. However, Jon Lester proceeded to settle down after that and threw three scoreless innings to follow up those rough ones-- finishing the night with a line of 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 6 K. When the day was done, he had won his third straight start to get to 8-10 and 4.98 on the year. However, that was the time that the Red Sox got going-- starting with a walk and a single to lead things off. Scott Podsednik moved the runners up a base each on a sacrifice bunt and both scored when Pedro Ciriaco knocked a two-run RBI double to give the Red Sox a 4-3 lead. After a couple off scoreless innings by the bullpen corps, Andrew Bailey recorded his first save as a member of the Red Sox.

Bright Spots:
Jon Lester- 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 6 K, W (8-10)
Andrew Bailey- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, SV (1)
Pedro Ciriaco- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4, 1 R
David Ortiz- 2-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Mike Aviles- 1-3, 1 R

Dull Spots:
Cody Ross- 0-4, 3 LOB

Player of the Game:
Pedro Ciriaco- Ciriaco had the big hit in this game with a two-run go ahead double in the seventh, also going 2-4 with a run-- he is now .349/1/14.

Series Preview #36: Royals (55-68) @ Red Sox (59-66)

Traditionally a terrible team, the Royals will be coming to town for the weekend against the Red Sox (traditionally a good team) that stands only three games above them this season. The opener tonight will feature Jon Lester (7-10, 5.03) and Bruce Chen (9-10, 5.45). The Red Sox have knocked Chen around to the tune of a 5.76 ERA in his career, and I predict a win. Game two will be former Red Sox ace Josh Beckett (5-11, 5.23) and former Orioles' ace Jeremy Guthrie (2-3, 3.23 since joining Kansas City). Guthrie hasn't been great against the Red Sox in his career, posting a 4.50 ERA, but I'm down on Beckett right now so I predict a loss. Sunday's game will have a pair of rookies in Felix Doubront (10-6, 4.70) and Will Smith (4-5, 5.40). I feel like the Red Sox can win this game and defeat the Royals enough to make them men in black (I had to do it, I apologize). The final game of this series will be Monday and have presumably Aaron Cook (3-7, 4.79) and Luke Hochevar (7-11, 4.95). The Red Sox have roughed Hochevar around to a 6.56 ERA and I expect the same. Red Sox win series 3-1. 

Red Sox Swept After High Scoring Heartbreaker (59-66)

Morales lasted all of 2.2 innings

Last night was an incredibly disappointing game as the Red Sox blew a huge lead to fall to the Angels in extra innings. After a double by Dustin Pedroia, the Red Sox scored on a first inning RBI single by Adrian Gonzalez. They put together a huge inning in the second-- starting with a leadoff double by Mauro Gomez. Gomez scored on a single by Scott Podsednik, who would score later on an RBI single to center by Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury and Ciriaco (who also singled) would both score when Dustin Pedroia got ahold of one and sent it to left for a three-run homer to make it 6-0 in the second. However, it didn't take long at all for the Angels to complete disintegrate that lead-- as they scored eight times in the third inning on RBI singles for Howie Kendrick, Chris Iannetta, Mike Trout, and Torii Hunter, RBI walks by Kendrys Morales and Vernon Wells, and reaching on an error by Erick Aybar. When the dust settled on the third, it was 8-6 Angels.

Pedroia drove in five runs

However, the Red Sox fought back-- starting in the eighth when Cody Ross drove in Dustin Pedroia, who had reached on a single. The Red Sox would come back all the way to tie it up again in the sixth on a long home run to left for Mike Aviles. They went on to put Pedro Ciriaco at second base, who scored and gave the Red Sox the lead when Jacoby Ellsbury drove him in with a double. However, the Angels went on to put runners at first and second with two outs for Mike Trout. Trout singled to drive in a run and tie the game at 9-9 in the seventh inning. The Red Sox went on to put together a two out rally in the eighth-- singling four consecutive times (Podsednik, Ciriaco, Ellsbury, and Pedroia) and scoring twice. However, the Angels came right back to take the lead on a Vernon Wells long-ball and two RBI singles by Mike Trout and Torii Hunter. The Red Sox would tie it in the bottom of the ninth on a home run by Cody Ross to send it to extra innings at 12-12. A Kendrys Morales home run and a Vernon Wells RBI double gave the Angels two more runs to send them to a 14-13 win as a Dustin Pedroia RBI wasn't enough.

Bright Spots:
Junichi Tazawa- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Mark Melancon- 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Vicente Padilla- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Pedro Ciriaco- 4-6, 4 R, 1 2B
Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-6, 1 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 4-6, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Cody Ross- 2-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Mike Aviles- 1-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Scott Podsednik- 2-4, 2 R, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Franklin Morales- 2.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Clayton Mortensen- 0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB
Andrew Bailey- 0.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Player of the Game:
Dustin Pedroia- Pedroia had a fantastic game, going 4-6 with 3 runs scored, 5 driven in, a double, and a home run-- he is now .281/11/52.

Buchholz' Meltdown Leads To Third Straight Loss (59-65)

Buchholz allowed seven runs

Every once in a while, even your ace is allowed a rough start and Clay Buchholz certainly had one last night. Buchholz and Jered Weaver both held the opposition scoreless for the first two innings but the Angels got going in the third inning. This all started when Maicer Izturis and Erick Aybar each singled to put runners at first and third. The consecutive hits continued as Chris Iannetta drove in a run and moved Aybar to third with a soft single to right field. The next play was sort of a win-win for both sides as Mike Trout grounded into a double play, but allowed a run to score and make it 2-0 in the process. The fourth also started off well for the Angels as Albert Pujols started things off with a leadoff double. They scored one when Mark Trumbo singled up the middle, but he was caught stealing later. They scored their next run after a two-out double by Howie Kendrick and RBI single by Maicer Izturis to make it 4-0.

Lavarnway had an RBI double

However, the Red Sox answered in the bottom of the fourth-- starting with a two out single by Jarrod Saltalamacchia. He scored when Ryan Lavarnway doubled off the wall in left-center to get the Red Sox on the board. Lavarnway scored on a double off the monster by Mike Aviles that looked like a home run off the bat, but would cut it to a 4-2 deficit. However, the Angels just kept rolling right along in the sixth inning-- starting with a one out solo home run over the deep part of the monster by Howie Kendrick. After that, Maicer Izturis and Erick Aybar put together back-to-back singles again. The Angels would actually load the bases on a single by Mike Trout before a two-run single by Torii Hunter really put the Red Sox away at 7-2. The Red Sox scored once more on an RBI double by Cody Ross, but a disappointing night regardless.

Bright Spots:
Junichi Tazawa- 2.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 K
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Scott Podsednik- 3-5, 1 SB
Dustin Pedroia- 1-4, 1 R, 2 SB
Ryan Lavarnway- 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 5.1 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 3 K, L (11-4)
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-5, 1 K, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Scott Podsednik- Podsednik did a great job as a leadoff man and catalyst in a losing effort, going 3-5 with 3 singles and a steal-- he is now .370/1/8.

Red Sox Can't Come Back From Early Deficit To Angels (59-64)

Cook imploded in his last few innings

Aaron Cook (3-6, 4.58) is becoming a real disappointment as he just continues to give up hits and home runs and last night was evident of this. He and Ervin Santana (6-10, 5.59) both held the opposition scoreless in the first few innings, but Cook ran into some trouble in the third. With one out, Mike Trout singled and stole second but Torii Hunter struck out-- leaving Albert Pujols hitting. Pujols did his job and singled up the middle to score Trout easily and make it 1-0. But the Angels kept on going in the fourth, knocking back-to-back singles with one out in the inning. That was when Erick Aybar somehow singled softly past both Adrian Gonzalez and Dustin Pedroia on the right side to score a run and make it 2-0. Another scored on an RBI single by Chris Iannetta. However, the Angels still weren't done as they kept going in the fifth.

The Red Sox honored Johnny Pesky,
who recently passed away

With one out and Kendrys Morales at first base, Mark Trumbo came up and promptly crushed one over the green monster to make it 5-0. That was Cook's last inning-- he left the game with an unimpressive line of 5 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K and is now 3-7/4.79/11. After Cook was gone, it was the Red Sox' turn to strike as they got going in the sixth inning. Cody Ross's walk with two outs constituted a rally as Jarrod Saltalamacchia came and and knocked a two-run home run just over the wall in right field to cut it to 5-2. The Red Sox kept rolling in the seventh benefiting from a one out double by Scott Podsednik. He would eventually score on a wild pitch after being advanced to third on a groundout. However, the Red Sox couldn't cut the lead any more than that and Angels' bullpen was fantastic in a 5-3 loss.


Bright Spots:
Clayton Mortensen- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K
Vicente Padilla- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB
Cody Ross- 1-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-2, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 BB, 2 RBI
Scott Podsednik- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B

Dull Spots:
Aaron Cook- 5 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 4 R, 1 BB, 4 K, L (3-7)
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-4, 1 K, 2 LOB
Mike Aviles- 0-4, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- Salty had a great game, reaching base three times in the loss including a two-run homer, he is now .229/21/49.

Series Preview #35: Angels (62-60) @ Red Sox (59-63)

The Red Sox are in one of their tougher stretches of the season right now and are showing the signs after going 2-4 last week. Tonight, the Red Sox will be welcoming another struggling team to Fenway in the Angels, who are 3-7 in their last 10 ballgames. Doing in the welcoming in the opening game of the series will be Aaron Cook (3-6, 4.58), who will be going against Ervin Santana (6-10, 5.59). I think that this could be a very close game, but the Red Sox should pull it out as Cook has put together a 2.86 ERA against the Angels compared to Santana's 4.27 mark against Boston. Tomorrow night's game should be another close one with AL Cy Young candidate Jered Weaver (15-3, 2.74) going against a rejuvenated Clay Buchholz (11-3, 4.19). It would be tough to bet against Weaver this year, and I'm not going. The series finale will have Franklin Morales (3-4, 3.67) taking on C.J. Wilson (9-9, 3.62). Wilson has pitched admirably against the Red Sox in his career-- pitching to a 1.43 ERA and I don't expect the Red Sox to win this one. Bold Prediction: Angels win series 2-1. 

Carl Crawford To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

According to multiple reports, Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford will be undergoing Tommy John Surgery tomorrow. Crawford has had wrist and elbow problems all year and the general consensus was that he was going to undergo TJ Surgery at some point. He's made the correct choice in cutting this season short so that he should have a chance to fully recover by Opening Day 2013. The recovery time on position players is typically 6-9 months, so assuming that he fell into the 6-7 range, which he should given his renowned work ethic, he should be ready to play a nearly full Spring Training and should be ready to play Opening Day. This is great, as in a best case scenario Crawford should be a key piece of this offense for years to come. He's taken a step in the right direction here in 2012, batting .282/.306/.479 with 3 home runs and 19 RBIs despite playing injured. Hopefully he can continue that with a big step in 2013. Good luck to Carl, come back strong!

Weekly News

This was a tough week for the Red Sox as they dropped a pair of series: one to the Orioles and one to their hated rivals, the Yankees. However, one bright spot was the work of Dustin Pedroia-- who batted .269/1/4 to boost his season up to .280/10/47 so far as he won his second Player of the Week. For the fourth time this year, the Pitcher of the Week is Jon Lester-- who looked the part of the ace he was supposed to be in allowing just a run over seven innings in New York yesterday. That strong outing improved him to 7-10, 5.03 so far in 2012. The Red Sox didn't have a huge week offensively so Monday's performance by Dustin Pedroia probably goes down as the Performance of the Week. In that game, he went 2-4-- reaching base three times on a walk, double, and single in a losing effort. Finally, the Game of the Week was yesterday's 4-1 affair over the Yankees as the Red Sox coasted to a relatively easy win in the Bronx. In the upcoming week, the Red Sox will take an off day tomorrow before welcoming the Angels and Royals to town for three each.

Kuroda Stymies Sox As Yanks Win Series (59-63)

This game didn't look great from the pitching matchup with Josh Beckett (5-10, 5.09) and Hiroki Kuroda (11-8, 3.07). As it turned out, I was right as the Yankees coasted to a relatively easy win over the Red Sox here tonight. The Yankees got off to a predictably fast start tonight against Josh Beckett (5-10, 5.09), who has allowed 22 runs in the first inning. The Yankees got going with a leadoff double by Derek Jeter, who scored later on an RBI double by Curtis Granderson to give the Yankees an early 1-0 lead. It took them until the third, but the Yankees would get another rally going as they put two men on with one out. Just two bad pitches later, it was 2-0 as the Yankees put on a double steal, then Derek Jeter scored on a wild pitch.

The Yankees kept on trucking in the fourth inning when Ichiro Suzuki crushed on into the second deck in right field. It would be Ichiro again, pounding a home run to right, in the sixth inning to give the Yankees a 4-0 lead. That would be Josh Beckett's last inning as he exited after a somewhat rough outing that saw him go 6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 6 K. He would eventually be tagged with the loss and sink to 5-11, 5.23 on the season. Adrian Gonzalez got one of those runs back in the seventh by hitting a bomb over the short porch in right. However, that only made a small dent in a fantastic outing by Kuroda-- who went 8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K. He was relieved by Rafael Soriano, who recorded his 31st save in a 4-1 win.

Bright Spots:
Andrew Miller- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Josh Beckett- 6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 6 K, L (5-11)
Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-4, 1 K, 1 LOB
Dustin Pedroia- 0-4, 1 LOB
Scott Podsednik- 0-3, 2 LOB
Pedro Ciriaco- 0-3, 1 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:
Adrian Gonzalez- Gonzalez's 1-4 night was not huge, but his solo home run provided the Red Sox with their only run in a tough game-- he is now .307/15/85.

Lester Shuts Down Yankees In Easy Win (59-62)

Lester lowered his ERA to 5.03

It's always nice to beat the Yankees, and especially when it's a relatively easy and stress free win powered by strong starting pitching and decent offense. The Red Sox got all of that in a nice win in the middle game of this weekend's series in New York. The Red Sox bats got off to a quick start off Yankees' rookie David Phelps, putting Carl Crawford at second base with two outs in the first. Adrian Gonzalez came up and promptly powered a low and away fastball to the opposite field for a two-run homer to make it 2-0. It took them a few innings, but the Yankees finally benefitted from a home run of their own in the fourth inning. That was when Curtis Granderson took advantage of a two-out two-strike mistake fastball by Jon Lester, left up and over the plate, pounding it into the bleachers in center field.

Gonzalez had a two-run homer

Luckily, the Red Sox got that run right back in the top of the fifth-- putting Pedro Ciriaco on first base with one out. An unusual suspect in Nick Punto got the RBI here, driving a liner into the corner in right field. Right fielder Andruw Jones bobbled the ball which allowed Punto to coast into the third after making it 3-1. After that, both starting pitchers really settled down and pitched great ball games. David Phelps (3-3, 2.53) actually put up the longest start of his young career-- going 6.2 innings and allowing 3 runs on 7 hits while striking out 7 in the game. However, he would get the loss due to the fine work done on the other side of the ball by Jon Lester-- who allowed a run on 5 hits in 7 innings. The Red Sox got an insurance run on a wild pitch in the ninth, but they coasted Lester's fine start to a 4-1 win.

Bright Spots:
Jon Lester- 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K, W (7-10)
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K, SV (25)
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Pedro Ciriaco- 4-4, 1 R, 1 2B
Nick Punto- 1-3, 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-5, 1 K, 4 LOB
Cody Ross- 0-4, 4 K, 3 LOB
Ryan Lavarnway- 0-4, 1 K, 3 LOB

Player of the Game:
Jon Lester- The Red Sox really took advantage of a great start here today by Jon Lester, who went seven strong innings to earn the win-- he is now 7-10, 5.03.

Yankees Blast Five Home Runs In Close Win (58-62)

Morales was roughed up

It's basically to the point in the season where it's just fun to watch baseball and we're trying to soak up as much as possible before the offseason-- thus, tonight's loss wasn't too disappointing. The Yankees jumped out to a lead in the bottom of the first when Nick Swisher ran into one, driving it to deep left to make it 1-0. The Yanks went to the long ball twice in the next inning, scoring twice on back-to-back home runs to right field by Curtis Granderson and Russell Martin to make it 3-0. The Red Sox came roaring back in the third inning though, started on a leadoff single for Mike Aviles. Aviles reached third (and Scott Podsednik reached first) on a botched double play ball. Pedro Ciriaco proceeded to beat out the back end of a double play ball for an RBI forceout to make it 3-1. Jacoby Ellsbury's walk would eventually put two men on base and two outs for Dustin Pedroia. That was when Pedroia lifted one to left, driving it well out of the park for a three-run homer to make it 4-3.

Pedroia had a three-run homer

It took them until the fifth, but the Yankees eventually answered for that as Derek Jeter lined a home run around the foul pole in left field to tie the game. One inning later, the Yankees knocked Franklin Morales out of the game after putting runners at the corners with one out. Clayton Mortensen came in and struck out Russell Martin, but then allowed the go ahead run on a soft single to right for Jayson Nix to make it 5-4. The Yankees added onto that lead in the seventh inning when Nick Swisher blasted his second home run of the game to right-center, making it 6-4. The Yankees were able to hold that lead and one of the strongest bullpens in baseball easily shut down the Red Sox.

Bright Spots:
Andrew Miller- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB
Dustin Pedroia- 1-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Mike Aviles- 2-4, 1 R

Dull Spots:
Franklin Morales- 5.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 3 K, L (3-4)
Clayton Mortensen- 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 K
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-4, 1 LOB
Cody Ross- 0-4, 2 K
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4, 2 K
Scott Podsednik- 0-3, 2 LOB

Player of the Game:
Despite only going 1-4, Pedroia's hit was a big one as he blasted a three-run homer to left field and is now .281/10/47 this season.

Series Preview #34: Red Sox (58-61) @ Yankees (70-48)

The Red Sox are really going into a downward spiral here, and just as we've basically given up all hope, we head to New York to face the Yankees. The first game of the series tonight will feature Franklin Morales (3-3, 3.29) and Phil Hughes (11-10, 4.44). In the past, the Red Sox have rocked Hughes to the tune of a 3-6 record and 6.17 ERA, so I expect a win here tonight. Game two on Saturday will pit Jon Lester (6-10, 5.20) against an impressive rookie in David Phelps (3-3, 2.53). Despite being an ace in years past, Lester's pitching hasn't been up to caliber in 2012 and I think the Yankees could take him. The series finale and potential rubber match will have Josh Beckett (5-9, 5.19) against Hiroki Kuroda (11-8, 3.06) on Sunday Night Baseball. Kuroda dominated against the Red Sox in his last start and Beckett has had little success against the Yanks in years past so I expect a loss. Bold Prediction: Yankes win series 2-1. 

Buchholz Keeps Sox From Being Swept By O's (58-61)

Buchholz was great

Just a year ago, it would seem pathetic to be happy about just barely avoiding a sweep at the hands of the Orioles. However, with the Red Sox in fourth place and below .500 and the Orioles leading in the Wild Card race, it now seems good. The Orioles started out very fast after the Red Sox went down scoreless in the first, starting things off with back to back singles. They would advance to second and third on a groundout and both runners would score when Adam Jones doubled down the first base line. It didn't take the Red Sox long to answer, as they put runners at the corners with two outs in the top of the second. A pitch after working Chris Tillman to 50 pitches in the first two innings, Scott Podsednik drove a single up the middle to make it 2-1. However, the Orioles got that run right back in the bottom of the second on a homer to center by Mark Reynolds.

He threw eight strong innings

  It took them until the fifth, but the Red Sox finally came roaring back-- putting two runners in scoring position with one out. One run would score when Chris Tillman threw a wild pitch that allowed Carl Crawford to score from third. Dustin Pedroia would score when Adrian Gonzalez lifted a fly ball that wound up as a sacrifice fly to center field to tie things up at 3-3.They kept on rolling in the sixth inning, putting runners at the corners with two outs. Dustin Pedroia hit a slow roller on the ground to third base. It was about to be a groundout, but it kicked off the heel of third baseman Manny Machado's glove for an infield single. That scored one run, and two more scored in the inning on RBI singles by Adrian Gonzalez and Cody Ross to make it 6-3. It stayed at 6-3 for quite a while and the Red Sox eventually won by that score.

Bright Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 8 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 7 K, W (11-3)
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K, SV (24)
Carl Crawford- 2-5, 2 R, 1 2B
Dustin Pedroia- 2-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Cody Ross- 3-5, 1 RBI
Scott Podsednik- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Nobody!

Player of the Game:
Clay Buchholz- Despite a shaky start, Buchholz really settled down and turned in eight good innings-- he is now 11-3, 4.19 this year.

Red Sox Acquire Beato To Complete Shoppach Deal

Two days ago, backup catcher Kelly Shoppach was traded to the Mets for a player to be named later. That player was announced today as former Mets' reliever Pedro Beato. I'm surprised that the Red Sox couldn't get more value out of Shoppach-- who was batting .250/5/17 with good defense in Boston-- but maybe in a few years, Beato could pay off. However, for now, he hasn't had a whole lot of success in the major leagues. So far this year, he's put up an ERA of 10.38 and has struck out 5 in 7 games and 4.1 innings in 2012. However, he played pretty much the full 2011 season in New York and was solid-- going 2-1 with a 4.30 ERA in 60 games. To start the 2012 season though, he went down to Triple-A Buffalo and put up solid numbers down there-- going 4-4 with a 3.73 ERA. The Red Sox have had a good bullpen this season, so I wouldn't count on Beato helping a whole lot this year. However, maybe in two or three we could see him entering games with the Red Sox on a regular basis.

Red Sox Collapse In Sixth For Second Straight Game (57-61)

Cook took a no-hitter into the sixth

It's always such a shame when your starting pitcher takes a no-hitter into the sixth inning and still loses and it's also disappointing when every run the team allows is in one inning. In this game, both of those disappointments took place against the Orioles. In fact, both starting pitchers were quite good throughout the first innings and neither team scored in the first four. However, a pair of one out singles in the fifth got a rally started for the Red Sox. That rally continued as Jacoby Ellsbury doubled to the warning track in right center to score one and make it 1-0. The next and final run of the inning scored when Carl Crawford hit a sacrifice fly. The next inning was scoreless but the Orioles got a rally going in the sixth. A one out walk and a single (breaking up Aaron Cook's no hit bit) put two runners on base for the middle of the lineup. 

They scored their first run when Nate McClouth singled to right-center, also moving runners up to the corners with one out. The next play should've been a double play ball as Aaron Cook cleanly fielded a groundball back to him. However, he threw it away to allow a run to score and make it 2-2. That was when Matt Wieters hit a ground-rule double to the warning track in left to give the O's a lead. Two more would score on a Mark Reynolds single to make it 5-2 and end Cook's night. The Red Sox got a run back on an RBI groundout in the seventh but it wasn't enough and they fell 5-3. 

Bright Spots:

Craig Breslow- 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K

Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Carl Crawford- 0-2, 2 RBI

Scott Podsednik- 1-2, 1 R

Nick Punto- 1-4, 2 R

Dull Spots:

Cody Ross- 0-4, 3 K, 3 LOB

Mike Aviles- 0-4, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:

Jacoby Ellsbury- Ellsbury's RBI double in the fifth was one of few offensive bright spots for the Red Sox as he almost knocked his second home run-- he is now .270/1/11.

Beckett Unravels As Orioles Take Opener (57-60)

Beckett allowed 6 runs in 5.1 innings

If the Red Sox have any plans of even coming close to contending this year, this was a series that they probably had to sweep. Well, that plan's over as the Red Sox fell in a blowout in Baltimore tonight. After a couple of scoreless innings to start the game, the Orioles finally got on the board in the bottom of the third. On the first pitch of the inning, light-hitting Omar Quintanilla jacked one onto Eutaw Street in right field to make it 1-0. The Red Sox would answer in the top of the fourth, though, starting on a leadoff double by Cody Ross. Two batters later, Ross would score on a single up the middle by Carl Crawford. It stayed tied for a bit, but the Orioles took another lead in the fifth inning when Mark Reynolds went the other way to right field for a solo home run to give the Orioles a 2-1 lead. However, things got very ugly in the sixth inning.

Pedroia went 2-4 with a triple

A single and a walk would put runners at first and second with one out in the inning. That was when things imploded for the Red Sox as Matt Wieters hit a high bouncer over the pitcher's mound for an infield single to score a runner and make it 3-1. Chris Davis followed him up with a hard single up the middle to make it 4-1 and keep runners at first and second, still with one out, for Mark Reynolds. At this point, Josh Beckett was taken out of the game with a line that still resembled respectability. However, a couple of batters later and his final line on the night looked like 5.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 K. Those additional two runs added onto Beckett's total came when Mark Reynolds hit his second homer of the game-- a shot to deep left to make it 7-1. The Red Sox were never able to approach a comeback and lost by that score.

Bright Spots:
Mark Melancon- 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4, 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 3B
Cody Ross- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B
Carl Crawford- 2-4, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Josh Beckett- 5.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 2 K, L (5-10)
Mike Aviles- 0-4, 3 K, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Dustin Pedroia- On a different night, Pedroia could've been a major catalyst as he reached base three times, including a double and triple-- he is now .280/9/43.

Shoppach Traded To Mets For PTBNL

The move to acquire Kelly Shoppach as a free agent this winter was a surprising and much-critiqued move by many a Red Sox fan. It appeared that the Red Sox already had a reliable backup catcher in Ryan Lavarnway, who had batted .231/2/8 in 17 games in 2011. However, in Shoppach's brief tenure with the Red Sox, he had quite a bit of success as a backup catcher-- batting .250/5/17 with solid defense in 48 games and 140 at bats. Today, in a much more anticipated move, Shoppach was traded to the Mets for a player to be named later. Shoppach will bolster a weak catching position for the Mets and will probably get more playing time, particularly against lefties, against whom he's batted .250/.313/.500 this year. Taking over as the Red Sox' backup catcher will be Ryan Lavarnway, who has batted .125/0/0 so far this year but is looked on as the catcher of the future. Hopefully the Red Sox can get some value out of Shoppach but I wouldn't count on a huge return.

Series Preview #33: Red Sox (57-59) @ Orioles (62-53)

The Red Sox were fortunately able to split a four game series against the Indians, but they still remain two games under .500 as they head into Baltimore for a three game set. Tonight's game, which I'll be at, will feature Josh Beckett (5-9, 4.97) toeing the rubber against Wei-Yin Chen (10-7, 3.79). The stats there speak for themselves as I'd be quite surprised if the Red Sox pulled off a win here. Wednesday night's matchup will be Aaron Cook (3-5, 4.70) and rookie Miguel Gonzalez (4-2, 3.42). Hopefully Aaron Cook will be able to induce more ground balls than home runs, but it seems unlikely based on his recent performances and I'd predict another loss here. Finally, the series finale will have a potentially close matchup with the revitalized Clay Buchholz (10-3, 4.24) and former bust who appears to have figured things out in Chris Tillman (5-2, 3.40). This is a matchup that I expect the Red Sox to win based on how Buchholz has pitched lately. Bold Prediction: Orioles win series 2-1. 

Weekly News

This wasn't a great week for the Red Sox at 3-4, but they managed to turn it all around with a big win today against the Indians. For his second time this year, the Player of the Week is Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez pulled off a fantastic week here, batting a remarkable .393/2/14 and has really turned his season around as he's now batting .309/13/80 after a very slow start for the slugger. Meanwhile, Clay Buchholz continued his push to be the team's ace by shutting down the Indians over a complete game. After his fine performance, his numbers have entered respectability at 10-3/4.20 so far. The Performance of the Week goes to Carl Crawford's performance today against the Indians as he went 3-4 with 2 runs, 3 RBIs, and 3 doubles as he's now .280/3/16. Finally, the Game of the Week goes to today's beat-down on the Indians where they won 14-1 in an all-around great game. Next week, they get an off day tomorrow before heading to Baltimore and New York.

Red Sox Coast To Rout Over Indians (57-59)

Lester struck out 12 in 6 innings

While it's nice to see your team win close games like walk-offs, every once in a while, it's awfully fun to watch them just beat up on a team and that's what we got today. They started off hot, scoring on an RBI double by Dustin Pedroia in the first. Then again in the first as Adrian Gonzalez blasted a two-run homer to make it 3-0. The Indians got their first and only run of the game in the first on a sacrifice fly by Carlos Santana. With two men on base and two outs in the second, the Red Sox kept going as they scored twice on a double by Carl Crawford to make it 5-1. Indians starter Corey Kluber (0-0, 6.10) settled down briefly in the third before going back to doing damage in the fourth as he allowed the Red Sox to put a man on second with one out. Kelly Shoppach delivered with an RBI single to make it 6-1 and knock Kluber out after just four innings.

Crawford went 3-4 with 3 RBIs

Kluber was lucky he got out of things before they got really ugly in the fifth inning, starting with the Red Sox putting two men on and no outs. RBI singles by Cody Ross and Jarrod Saltalamacchia scored those two runners and made it 8-1. Danny Valencia picked up his first RBI with the Red Sox next on a sacrifice fly. After him, Kelly Shoppach struck out to jeopardize the Red Sox chances by leaving two men on with two outs. Luckily, they delivered as Jacoby Ellsbury delivered a two-run double. He was followed by an RBI double for Carl Crawford and, two batters later, a two-run double by Adrian Gonzalez to make it 14-1. Lester continued to coast for a couple more innings after that, leaving with a line of 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 12 K and picking up the win. The Red Sox easily held the Indians and won 14-1.

Bright Spots:
Jon Lester- 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 12 K, W (6-10)
Clayton Mortensen- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Carl Crawford- 3-4, 2 R, 3 2B, 3 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 2-3, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-3, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 2B, 4 RBI
Cody Ross- 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI
Mike Aviles- 3-3, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 SB
Kelly Shoppach- 1-4, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
None!

Player of the Game:
Carl Crawford- Crawford really pulled off a well rounded game here, going 3-4 with 3 doubles, 2 runs scored, and 3 RBIs-- he is now .280/3/16.

Red Sox Melt Down Late In Loss To Indians (56-59)

Morales got the loss in 5.1 innings

Last night was a disappointing game for the Red Sox as they went up against the Indians and rookie pitcher Zach McAllister (4-4, 3.60). However, both McAllister and his opponent-- Franklin Morales (3-2, 3.13) held the opponent scoreless for the first few innings.  The Indians finally got on the board in the third though, as former Red Sox Brent Lillibridge homered to lead things off. However, the Red Sox answered in the top of the fourth-- loading the bases with no outs for Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez delivered a shot to left that just clanged off the wall near the foul pole, scoring two easily but easily getting Dustin Pedroia out as he tried scoring from first. In the fifth, it would be Lillibridge again as the Indians put a man on second with one out for him. He delivered with an RBI single to make it 2-2.

Gonzalez had a two-run double

From that point on, things all went south for the Red Sox as the Indians continued to slowly add on runs-- starting in the bottom of the sixth. That was when the Indians filled the bases with just one out for Michael Brantley. Franklin Morales would be taken out with a line of 5.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 6 K and Andrew Miller came in to face Brantley, who didn't fully cash into the opportunity but he did drive in a run with a sacrifice fly. In the seventh inning, Lillibride doubled to lead off the inning and was moved to third on a Casey Kotchman groundout. He would score on a suicide squeeze bunt play with Lou Marson at the plate to make it 4-2. A one out double by Carlos Santana in the eighth put a runner in scoring position, but there would be two outs by the time Ezequiel Carrera drove him in with a single to make it 5-2. Chris Perez held the Red Sox in the ninth and they lost by that score.

Bright Spots:
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4, 1 R, 2 2B
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Mark Melancon- 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R
Craig Breslow- 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R
Cody Ross- 0-3, 1 LOB
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-3, 1 LOB
Mike Aviles- 0-3, 1 K
Pedro Ciriaco- 0-2, 1 K

Player of the Game:
Adrian Gonzalez- Despite only going 1-4, his two-run double was certainly the big hit of the night for the Red Sox, he is now .307/11/76.

Middlebrooks Reportedly With Broken Wrist

Despite the win last night, the Red Sox got depressing news to go hand in hand with that win. After being hit on the wrist in the ninth inning of last night's game, Will Middlebrooks reportedly has suffered a broken wrist. This is a particularly nasty injury as it almost derailed David Ortiz's career and can definitely be a nagging injury. Hopefully, it has no real effect on Middlebrooks' career-- but he will miss at least a good portion, if not all of the remaining season. This raises the question of who will play third base in Middlebrooks' absence. The main candidates should be Mike Aviles, Pedro Ciriaco, Nick Punto, and Danny Valencia. Aviles has played plenty of third in his career, but he's been below average with a -17.7 UZR and has been great at shortstop this year with an 11.6 UZR-- he should remain at shortstop. Ciriaco is the most intriguing option on this list, as he hasn't played much third in his career (just 6 innings) but it would present the Red Sox with an opportunity to get his bat in the lineup. Punto and Valencia should remain backup plans as neither have hit well-- .200 and .198, respectively-- or played good defense at the hot corner. I think the Red Sox should try and move Ciriaco to third with Aviles sticking at short.

Buchholz Plays Role Of Stopper, Tossing Complete Game Over Tribe (56-58)

Buchholz threw his 2nd complete
game

Last night was a great game for the Red Sox as they broke out of a three game losing skid with a good, solid win over the Indians. They had a favorable matchup coming in, with Clay Buchholz (9-3, 4.48) up against Chris Seddon (0-0, 7.71) and they executed according to it. Like they did in the previous game, the Indians jumped out to a lead on a first inning home run. This time they waited a batter, though, as #2 hitter Asdrubal Cabrera went deep to center field to give the Indians an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. However, Clay Buchholz settled down and didn't even allow another baserunner for the next few innings. Thus, it was still 1-0 when the Red Sox came up in the top of the fourth. It was an inconspicuous rally starter when Mike Aviles walked with one out, but when Seddon threw away a pickoff throw, allowing Aviles to get to third, it became huge. Dustin Pedroia delivered with an RBI single past the shortstop to knot the game up at 1-1.

Ross hit his 18th home run

At that point, Cabrera led off the inning with a double to the warning track in right. However, as it turned out-- Cabrera's two hits would be the only two allowed in the game by Buchholz and Cabrera didn't come around to score. Scoring is just what the Red Sox did in the top of the sixth inning. They had a man on first and two outs for Cody Ross and Ross did what he does best-- hitting long home runs as he tanked one to center to give the Red Sox a 3-1 lead. However, the Red Sox defense almost immediately put that in jeopardy as a horrible defensive play allowed Jason Donald to go from a groundout to a triple. He scored on an Ezequiel Carrera sacrifice fly but that would be all as the Red Sox won 3-2.

Bright Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 9 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 6 K, W (10-3)
Mike Aviles- 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB
Dustin Pedroia- 2-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Cody Ross- 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Ryan Lavarnway- 1-3
Scott Podsednik- 1-3

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

Player of the Game:
Clay Buchholz- A complete game is a rare sight for the Red Sox, but they got one last night as Clay Buchholz hurled a two-hitter and is now 10-3, 4.24 this season.