Lackey Lacking A Healthy Arm

About 45 minutes into his press conference, Ben Cherington made his first announcement as Red Sox GM. John Lackey is going to be having Tommy John surgery and is likely to miss the 2012 season. Lackey is the 3rd Red Sox pitcher to fall under the knife this season, following Daisuke Matsuzaka and Rich Hill, whose surgeries fell within a week of each other in late May. This will further kill Lackey's trade-ability after a terrible 12-12/6.41/108 season in 2011; he was the worst pitcher in the major leagues. This is good because we will be without him for a year. However, it will also be bad because it will mean to Sox will probably have to shop for 2 starting pitchers on the market. Hopefully Cherington's judgement is good at finding these pitchers- as he's being put to his first test.

This Beer Scandal Is Getting Ridiculous

I expect most Red Sox fans, even casual fans who just watch ESPN, have heard the rumors of beer in the Red Sox clubhouse. The original story is that, during games they didn't pitch: Jon Lester, John Lackey, and Josh Beckett went down to the clubhouse and started drinking beer, eating fried chicken, and playing video games. A couple of days ago, Lester came out and confirmed this rumor; however, he said that the media had blown it way out of proportion. But that's not the weird part. The weird part is: yesterday, all of the three stooges came out and denied the rumor, including Lester, who had previously confirmed it. This was topped off by the fact that Terry Francona said, "In my 32 years in baseball, I've never seen beer in the dugout." My theory is that maybe they had a beer once in a while, and I have no problem with that. If those guys want to have a beer occasionally, why should I care? The same applies to the fried chicken. However, if they were playing video games, then I have a problem. That means they were separated from the rest of the team, and involved in their own thing, which was "more important." I really hope that none of this happens, and it exposes just how ridiculous the Boston media is.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

Dull Spots:
Nobody!

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

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

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

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

Bright Spots:

Alredo Aceves- 1 1/3 scoreless innings

Dan Wheeler- a scoreless inning

Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-3 with a triple

Dustin Pedroia- 1-3

Kevin Youkilis- 1-4

Dull Spots:

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

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

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

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

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

Bright Spots:

Daniel Bard- 1 1/3 scoreless innings

Jonathan Papelbon- a scoreless inning

Jed Lowrie- 1-5 with a solo home run

Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4 with a run

Dustin Pedroia- 2-4

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

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4 with a run

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

Mike Aviles- 1-3 with a sac fly

Dull Spots:

Nobody!

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

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

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

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

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

Bright Spots:

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

Alfredo Aceves- a scoreless inning

Dan Wheeler- a scoreless inning

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

Dustin Pedroia- 1-4 with 2 RBIs

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

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

Dull Spots:

Daniel Bard- a run in an inning

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

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

Game Gets Away From Bard In The 8th (66-41)

Last night, the Red Sox played a really tough game against the Sox where we just couldn't hold on. The Sox took an early lead in the 2nd on an RBI single by Marco Scutaro, making it 1-0. However, the Indians got it back on an RBI double by Michael Brantley to tie it up. In the bottom of the 3rd, and Adrian Gonzalez on 1st, Kevin Youkilis tripled to center to make it 2-1. Later in the inning, a solo homer by Carl Crawford made it 3-1. In the 4th, Asdrubal Cabrera scored on a forceout by Kosuke Fukudome. In the 6th, Jason Kipnis doubled to right with one out, and the next batter Asdrubal Cabrera homered to right to make it 4-3. The next batter, Travis Hafner, then went back-to-back with him as he crushed another homer to make it 5-3. In the bottom of the 6th, with Carl Crawford on 2nd, Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered around the pesky pole on a broken bat to tie it up. After Jason Kipnis singled to lead off the 8th, Asdrubal Cabrera hit a deep drive to right which hit off the fence for a single; or so it would seem, the play was overturned as a home run to makeit 7-5. Later in the inning, an RBI double by Matt LaPorta hit an RBI single to make it 8-5. In the 9th, Jason Kipnis lifted a high fly ball to right that just got over Josh Reddick's glove for a home run, making it 9-5. In the bottom of the 9th, the Red Sox got two outs quickly before Mike Aviles lined a ball to right and stole second. Jacoby Ellsbury then hit a ground-rule double down the left field line to cut the lead to 9-6.

John Lackey was not terribly good or bad, as he allowed 5 runs in 6 2/3 innings, he is now 9-8/6.23/71. Franklin Morales tossed a scoreless 1/3 of an inning, Daniel Bard allowed 3 runs in another third inning. Randy Williams allowed no runs in 2/3 of an inning, and Matt Albers allowed one run. Dustin Pedroia went 2-5, raising his average to .310. Kevin Youkilis had a good game, going 2-4 with an RBI on his 2nd triple of the year. Carl Crawford had a pretty good day, going 2-4 with 2 runs and a solo home run, as he is now .248/7/37. Jarrod Saltalamacchia (left) also had a good game, going 2-4 with 2 runs and a 2-run homer as he is now .265/10/36. Tonight, Josh Beckett (9-4/2.17/115) and David Huff (1-1/0.71/9) will square off.

Bright Spots:

Dustin Pedroia- 2-5

Kevin Youkilis- 2-4 with an RBI triple

Carl Crawford- 2-4 with 2 runs and an RBI

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4 with 2 runs and a 2-run homer

Marco Scutaro/Mike Aviles- 2-4 with a run and an RBI

Dull Spots:

Daniel Bard- 3 runs, 2 earned in 1/3 of an inning

David Ortiz- 0-4 with 2 runners left on base

Last night was a tough game, and I hope they rebound tonight.

The Grand Papi Lifts Red Sox (64-38)

Last night, the Red Sox beat the Royals 12-5, as their offense as just so good again. The Royals got off to a very fast start off of John Lackey on a crushed 3-run homer over the green monster by Eric Hosmer. However, the Red Sox got two of those runs right back on back-to-back homers by Jacoby Ellsbury (off the pesky pole) and Dustin Pedroia (onto Lansdowne St.), two very different home runs, but effective nonetheless. In the 2nd inning, the Red Sox loaded the bases with no outs, and after Jacoby Ellsbury walked, they tied the game at 3-3. Dustin Pedroia then flew out to right field to give the Sox a 4-3 lead. Then Adrian Gonzalez grounded up the middle, scoring on Ellsbury if not for a would-be single on a great play by Chris Getz. In the 4th, an RBI single for Yamaico Navarro scored Darnell McDonald made it 6-3. Then later in the inning, a small milestone took place as David Ortiz knocked a grand slam into the bullpens to make it 10-3. In the 5th, Billy Butler crushed a ball onto Lansdowne St. for the second straight game to make it 10-4. In the 6th, the Sox got that run back on an RBI single up the middle by none other than the great RBI machine Adrian Gonzalez, making it 11-4. In the 8th, an Eric Hosmer single drove home Alex Gordon to make it 11-5. In the bottom of the 8th, Jacoby Ellsbury came home on a long drive off the monster by Adrian Gonzalez, as he earned his 3rd RBI of the game despite being thrown out going for a double to make it 12-5.

John Lackey was not bad, as although he gave up 4 runs in 5 2/3 innings, he gave up 3 of those on an Eric Hosmer home run in the 1st inning. After that start he is now 9-8/6.20/66, as he is not having a very good season. He was relieved by Randy Williams, who allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings and Dan Wheeler who pitched a scoreless 1 2/3 innings. Jacoby Ellsbury had a great game, going 3-4 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs, as well as the solo home run to lead off the game, he is now .325/17/60. Dustin Pedroia also had a great game, going 3-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs, as well as a homer as he is now .308/14/53. Adrian Gonzalez also had a good game, going 3-5 with a run and 3 RBIs, as he is now .351/17/87. David Ortiz only went 1-4, but that one hit was huge, as it was a grand slam over the bullpens, that accounted for his 1,000th RBI as a Red Sock. Darnell McDonald had a rare good game, going 2-4 with 2 runs scored. Yamaico Navarro also had a good game, going 2-4 with a run and an RBI despite some blunders playing the green monster for his first time ever. Today at 1:35, Josh Beckett (9-3/2.07/107) and Luke Hochevar (6-8/5.29/66) will square off as the Sox will look for a series win.

Bright Spots:

Dan Wheeler- 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief

Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-4 with 3 runs and 2 RBI, including a leadoff homer

Dustin Pedroia- 3-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs, including going back-to-back with Ellsbury

Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5 with a run and 3 RBIs

David Ortiz- 1-4 with a grand slam, his 1,000th RBI with the Sox

Darnell McDonald- 2-4 with 2 runs scored

Yamaico Navarro- 2-4 with a run and an RBI

Dull Spots:

Marco Scutaro- 0-3

The Sox played a good game, and congratulations to David Ortiz!

5-Run 7th Seals The Deal As Sox Beat Mariners (60-37)

Last night, the Red Sox extended their winning ways to 15-3 recently as they beat the Mariners 7-4. In the 1st inning, the Mariners took an early lead when Ichiro Suzuki scored on an RBI single by Dustin Ackley (watch this guy, he's gonna be good). However, in the bottom of the 1st, the Sox got it right back when Kevin Youkilis drove in Dustin Pedroia. In the 3rd, Jacoby Ellsbury knocked a home run to make it 2-1. In the 7th inning, the Red Sox loaded the bases with one out for a bouncing single up the middle by Adrian Gonzalez to make it 4-1. Two more came in on a line shot that turned out to be a double for Kevin Youkilis to make it 6-1. A David Ortiz single to center made it 7-1. With runners on 1st and 2nd in the 8th inning, Mike Carp hit a high and deep fly ball to right field that when I saw it I thought: Home run, wait no, flyout, as it went over the wall I discovered it would be a home run to make it 7-4.

John Lackey pitched for the reasons we signed him to that ridiculous contract, as he went 7 innings, allowing just 1 run. After that, he is now 8-8/6.28/63, but he has been ok since coming off the DL. Franklin Morales allowed 3 runs in 2/3 of an inning, in not the sharpest of outings for him; Daniel Bard pitched just 1/3 of an inning before the 22nd save for Jonathan Papelbon. Jacoby Ellsbury (left) had a pretty good game, going 2-5 with 2 runs and the solo home run as he is now .317/16/55, as he is having a great season. Dustin Pedroia had a great game, going 3-3 with 2 runs scored, as he is now batting .299 after such a slow start. Adrian Gonzalez went 1-3 with 2 RBIs, his league-leading 79th and 80th. Kevin Youkilis had a good game as well, going 2-3 with 2 RBIs in a good game, he is now .285/13/70 after a slow start as well. David Ortiz batted 1-3 with an RBI in a good game as well. Tonight, we will get to see Josh Beckett (8-3/2.12/100) go against Blake Beavan (1-1/2.70/8).

Bright Spots:

John Lackey- 1 run in 7 strong innings to earn the win

Jonathan Papelbon- a scoreless inning to earn his 22nd save

Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5 with 2 runs and a solo homer

Dustin Pedroia- 3-3 with 2 runs scored

Adrian Gonzalez- 1-3 with 2 RBIs

Kevin Youkilis- 2-3 with 2 RBIs

David Ortiz- 1-3 with 1 RBI

Dull Spot:

Franklin Morales- 3 runs in 2/3 of an inning

Every Red Sox player got a hit in this game, a great win overall for the Sox.

Red Sox Walk All Over Shields, Rays (56-36)

Yes, I'm back! And I was welcomed home with a win, as the Red Sox beat the Rays 9-5 in a good win for the Sox. The Rays took an early lead in the 1st as they scored three times on RBI singles by Casey Kotchman, Matt Joyce, and B.J. Upton. However, the Sox got right back in it in the 2nd inning on a 2-run homer by Josh Reddick to make it 3-2 Rays. In the 3rd, the Red Sox took a 5-3 lead on a 2-run double by David Ortiz and an RBI double by J.D. Drew. In the 4th, the lead was extended on a solo home run by Jacoby Ellsbury to make it 6-3 early in the game. In the 5th, the Rays scored on a solo home run by Matt Joyce to cut the lead to 6-4. However, the Sox got the run back in the 7th on a solo home run by Dustin Pedroia. The Sox then loaded the bases in the 9th inning, and a Kevin Youkilis walk and a David Ortiz groundout made it 9-4. The Rays cut it on an RBI single by Evan Longoria to make it 9-5, but it wasn't nearly enough.

John Lackey was alright at best, allowing 4 runs, 3 earned in 5 2/3 innings. He earned the win and is now 7-8/6.70/52. Randy Williams tossed a scoreless inning, Daniel Bard threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Jonathan Papelbon allowed a run in a scoreless inning. Jacoby Ellsbury had a good game, going 2-4 with a home run and 2 runs scored, he is now .317/13/51. Dustin Pedroia went 2-5 with a solo home run, as he is now .291/13/46. Kevin Youkilis went 1-3 with a run and an RBI in a good day. David Ortiz only went 1-5 but he had 3 RBIs, his 56th, 57th, and 58th of the year. Josh Reddick went 1-4 with a 2-run homer as he is now .379/3/17. Tomorrow night, Josh Beckett (8-3/2.27/94) and Jeff Niemann (4-4/4.53/33) will square off in the series finale.

Bright Spots:

Randy Williams- a scoreless inning

Daniel Bard- 1 1/3 scoreless innings

Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4 with 2 runs and a solo shot

Dustin Pedroia- 2-5 with a solo home run

Kevin Youkilis- 1-3 with a run and an RBI

David Ortiz- 1-5 with 3 RBIs

Josh Reddick- 1-4 with a 2-run homer

Dull Spots:

Adrian Gonzalez- 0-4 with a run scored

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-3 with a run scored

Overall, this was a good game, and I'm glad to be back.

Once Again, Red Sox Cannot Hit, Fall To Phillies (45-34)

First off, I'm sorry I couldn't post yesterday, I had no connection, but the night before last the Sox lost 5-0. Last night was a tough loss for the Sox as well as they fell 2-1 to the Phillies. In the 2nd inning, the Phillies got a lead on an RBI single by Raul Ibanez, scoring Shane Victorino. However, in the 5th, the Sox tied it up with a long RBI double by none other than John Lackey. In the 7th, however, the Phillies broke the tie with a home run by Raul Ibanez to make it 2-1.

John Lackey pitched very well, going 7 2/3 innings, allowing only 2 runs. He earned the loss because of a lack of run support and is now 5-7/6.81/43 this year. Franklin Morales relieved him with a scoreless third of an inning. Josh Reddick (my man) had a good game, going 2-3 and scoring a run as he has been streaking lately. John Lackey, however, was better than anyone with the bat, hitting an RBI double to the warning track, going 1-3. Tonight will be a great matchup as Jon Lester (9-4/3.66/100) and Cole Hamels (9-4/2.49/108) will square off in the City of Brotherly Love.

Bright Spots:

John Lackey- 2 runs in 7 2/3 innings along with going 1-3 with an RBI double

Josh Reddick- 2-3 with a run scored

Dull Spots:

Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-4 with 2 runners left on base

Kevin Youkilis- 0-3

David Ortiz- 0-4 with a strikeout and 2 runners left on base

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-3 with 2 strikeouts

Marco Scutaro- 0-3 with 3 runners left on base

This was a good game, but it did not go our way at all.

Red Sox Lose Game, Series, To Padres (44-30)

I'm sorry I couldn't post yesterday, but the Red Sox lost 5-4, and today they allowed 5 runs for the 3rd straight game in a 5-1 loss to the Padres. The Padres got rolling immediately on a leadoff homer by Will Venable in the 1st inning. With the bases loaded in the 4th, the Padres struck again with a walk to Will Venable. After that, Lackey hit former Ray Jason Bartlett (success?) to make it 3-0. In the next at-bat, a wild pitch and a single for Chase Headley pushed it to 5-0. In the 5th inning, Jacoby Ellsbury ran home on a single by Adrian Gonzalez to make it 5-1, the final.

John Lackey was not sharp, allowing 5 runs in 3 1/3 innings, earning the loss and becoming 5-6/7.36/34. Michael Bowden threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings, Matt Albers threw 2 scoreless innings, and Dan Wheeler threw a scoreless inning. Dustin Pedroia did a good job of reaching base, going 2-3 with a walk. Adrian Gonzalez had a great game against his old team, going 4-4 with an RBI single, as he is now .359/15/69. Kevin Youkilis went 2-4. After a day off tomorrow, the Sox will head to Pittsburgh, sending Jon Lester (9-3/3.70/95) against Paul Maholm (3-8/3.29/61).

Bright Spots:

Michael Bowden- 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief

Matt Albers- 2 innings of scoreless relief

Dan Wheeler- a scoreless inning of relief

Dustin Pedroia- 2-3 with a walk

Adrian Gonzalez- 4-4 with an RBI

Kevin Youkilis- 2-4

Dull Spots:

John Lackey- 5 runs in 3 1/3 innings, ouch!

David Ortiz- 0-3 with 7 runners left on base!

I am unhappy that the Sox dropped a series to the Padres but hopefully they can turn it around.

Lackey Not Lacking As Red Sox Rout Brewers (42-27)

Last night the Red Sox beat the Brewers 10-4 to extend to having won 12 of the last 13 games. The Brewers scored early in the 1st, as Casey McGehee singled up the middle scoring 2. In the bottom of the 1st, the Red Sox came right back with a solo home run by Jacoby Ellsbury and an RBI double by David Ortiz to tie it at 2-2. In the bottom of the 2nd, a 2-run single by Kevin Youkilis made it 4-2 Red Sox. However, the Brewers came back in the 3rd with an RBI single by Prince Fielder and Nyjer Morgan scoring on a double play. In the 5th, the Red Sox took a permanent lead, however, on a home run by Adrian Gonzalez. In the 6th, an RBI double by Jason Varitek and an RBI single for Dustin Pedroia made it 7-4. In the 7th, Drew Sutton scored on an error by Craig Counsell and a 2-run single for J.D. Drew finally made it 10-4.

John Lackey really settled down after a bad start, winding up going 8 innings, allowing 4 runs. He earned the win, and he is now 5-5/7.02/34. Matt Albers relieved him with a scoreless inning. Jacoby Ellsbury only went 1-5, but he did have the solo home run, and is now .312/8/34. Adrian Gonzalez (left) had a great game, going 3-4, and scoring 3 runs along with a solo home run, as he is now .352/15/62. Kevin Youkilis went 1-2 with 2 RBIs before he was taken out in the 5th due to illness. Drew Sutton relieved him and went 2-3, scoring a run. David Ortiz had a very good game, going 3-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Carl Crawford went 1-1 before he was taken out in the 1st for a hamstring strain. Darnell McDonald, his replacement, went 0-3 with an RBI and a run. J.D. Drew had a good game as well, going 1-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Tonight, Jon Lester (9-2/3.73/87) and Randy Wolf (4-4/3.20/65) will start against one another.

Bright Spots:

John Lackey- he really settled down after a rough first few, going 8 innings

Matt Albers- a scoreless inning of relief

Adrian Gonzalez- 3-4 with 3 runs scored and a solo home run

Kevin Youkilis/Drew Sutton- 3-5 with a run and 2 RBIs between the two of them

David Ortiz- 3-5 with a run and an RBI

J.D. Drew- 1-3 with a run and 2 RBIs

Dull Spots:

Nobody!

The Red Sox really fired on all cylinders today, as they've been doing for most of June, and it really shows.

Beat Down In Toronto, Red Sox Slaughter Blue Jays (38-26)

Well, today was a really close game where the Sox just barely edged the Blue Jays by a very close score of 16-4. The scoring started in the 3rd inning for the Red Sox, when they put runners on first and third with no outs. Adrian Gonzalez promptly doubled to put the score at 1-0. After David Ortiz was walked to load the bases, Jed Lowrie was hit, scoring Dustin Pedroia and pushing it to 2-0. Adrian Gonzalez soon came in on a sacrifice fly by Carl Crawford, making it 3-0. David Ortiz then came in on an RBI single by Marco Scutaro to make it 4-0. In the 4th inning, Jason Varitek came home on a single by Dustin Pedroia to make it 5-0. In the bottom of the 4th, the Blue Jays cracked through with a 2-run double by Rajai David to make it 5-2. In the 5th, the Sox put runners at first and second with 1 out. J.D. Drew singled to right field, scoring one of them and making it 6-2. In the next at bat, Jason Varitek launched a line drive to right field that made it over the wall and made it a 9-2 game. Later in the inning, David Ortiz launched a sharp line drive that made it over the wall for another 3-run homer, making it 12-2 Red Sox. In the 6th, the Sox came through again Jason Varitek singled in Marco Scutaro to make it 13-2. In the bottom of the 6th, a 2-run home run by Edwin Encarnacion put the Jays right back into the game at 13-4. In the 8th, an RBI groundout by Jacoby Ellsbury and a 2-run double for Dustin Pedroia made it 16-4.

John Lackey was not great, allowing 4 runs in 6 innings, but it didn't really matter as he still won the game and is now 4-5/7.41/29. Dan Wheeler, Tommy Hottovy, and Michael Bowden each threw a scoreless inning of relief. Jacoby Ellsbury went 2-6 with a run scored and an RBI in a good game. Dustin Pedroia, however, had a fantastic game, going 3-5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBIs, as he is now .263/4/26. Adrian Gonzalez went 1-3 with 2 runs and an RBI. David Ortiz went 2-3 with 2 runs scored and that great 3-run homer, as he is now .325/16/39. Marco Scutaro did a very good job of what he's good at, going 4-6 with 3 runs scored and an RBI. J.D. Drew went 2-5 with 2 runs scored and an RBI in a good game for him. Jason Varitek (top left) had a rare great game, going 2-3 with 3 runs scored and 4 RBIs, including that big 3-run homer, as he is now .234/3/13. Tomorrow, in the series finale, the Sox will trot out Jon Lester (8-2/3.98/79) as the Blue Jays will with Kyle Drabek (4-4/4.98/43).

Bright Spots:

Dan Wheeler, Tommy Hottovy, and Michael Bowden- scoreless innings each of relief

Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-6 with a run and an RBI

Dustin Pedroia- 3-5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI

Adrian Gonzalez- 1-3 with 2 runs and an RBI

David Ortiz- 2-3 with 2 runs scored and that big 3-run homer

Marco Scutaro- 4-6 with 3 runs scored and an RBI

J.D. Drew- 2-5 with 2 runs and an RBI

Jason Varitek- 2-3 with 3 runs scored and 4 RBI, including a 3-run shot

Dull Spots:

Nobody!

This was a great win for the Sox, I mean, wow!

Crawford's Homer the Difference In Win Over A's (33-26)

Today, the Red Sox concluded a 3-game sweep of the A's with a 6-3 win. The Red Sox got going in the 2nd inning, when, after singles by David Ortiz and Jed Lowrie to start the inning, Carl Crawford drove them in with a 3-run homer into the bullpen to give the Sox a 3-0 lead. In the 3rd, the A's cut the lead a little as Kevin Kouzmanoff went yard off John Lackey to make it 3-1. They cut it further in the 4th, as Daric Barton drove in Kurt Suzuki with 2 outs. However, in the 4th, a 2-run homer by Adrian Gonzalez extended the lead to 5-2 for the Red Sox. In the 6th, Conor Jackson came in to score on a double by Daric Barton to make it 5-3. In the 6th, Jacoby Ellsbury raced home on an opposite field single by Dustin Pedroia to make it 6-3, the final score.

John Lackey was pretty good in his first game back from the DL, allowing 3 earned runs on 3 hits in 5 2/3 innings, as he is now 3-5/7.60/21, as he has not been sharp this year. Matt Albers pitched a scoreless inning before Tommy Hottovy pitched 1/3 of one, and Dan Wheeler and Daniel Bard each threw a scoreless inning after that. Dustin Pedroia had a good game, going 2-3 with an RBI single, as he is now .244/4/20. Adrian Gonzalez only went 1-4, but he did have that big 2-run homer, and he is now .339/12/50, as he has been great. David Ortiz did a good job of reaching base, as he went 3-4 and scored a run. Carl Crawford (left) went 1-2 with a big 3-run shot, as he is now a much improved .248/5/29. Jarrod Saltalamacchia also had a good game, going 3-4 with a run scored and a triple. After a day off tomorrow, the Red Sox will head to the Bronx and send Jon Lester (7-2/3.94/74) against Freddy Garcia (4-4/3.34/41).

Bright Spots:

John Lackey- I was impressed with his outing, 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings

Matt Albers- a scoreless inning of relief

Dan Wheeler- a scoreless inning of relief

Daniel Bard- the save in a a scoreless inning of relief

Dustin Pedroia- 2-3 with an RBI

Adrian Gonzalez- 1-4 with a 2-run homer

David Ortiz- 3-4 with a run scored

Carl Crawford- 1-2 with a 3-run homer

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 3-4 with a run and a triple

Dull Spots:

Kevin Youkilis- 0-4 with a strikeout

Mike Cameron- 0-3 with a strikeout

Well, sweep or get swept, the Sox swept them this time.