Red Sox Wake Up, Take First Place From Yankees (35-26)

Last night, the Red Sox put themselves in sole possession of first place with an 11-6 win over the Yankees. With Jacoby Ellsbury on third with 1 out in the 1st inning, Adrian Gonzalez groundout put the Sox up 1-0. However, it dramatically changed once again on a stroke by David Ortiz as his 15th homer was good enough to put the Sox up 3-0. In the 2nd inning, Marco Scutaro came around to score on a sacrifice fly by J.D. Drew. With the bases loaded in the 4th, Jason Varitek grounded out to second, but he just escaped the double play to make it 5-0. Jacoby Ellsbury promptly delivered with a double to make it 6-0 before a Dustin Pedroia single made it 7-0. In the bottom of the 4th, the Yankees got on the board with a solo home run by Alex Rodriguez. In the 5th, a Francisco Cervelli single to score Eduardo Nunez made it 7-2 Red Sox. Then a long double to center field by Derek Jeter made it 7-3. Later in the inning, Jeter came in on a sacrifice fly by Mark Teixeira to cut the score to 7-4 in the 5th. With the bases loaded in the 6th, Adrian Gonzalez walked, and a run came in to make it 8-4. In the bottom of the 6th, Francisco Cervelli singled through the left side, scoring Robinson Cano and making it 8-5. In the 9th, a solo home run by Carl Crawford and a 2-run shot from J.D. Drew made it 11-5 late. The Yankees cut it a little when Mark Teixeira singled in Francisco Cervelli to make it 11-6 but that was it.

Tim Wakefield (top right) was not too sharp, allowing 5 runs in 5 1/3 innings. However, he earned the win, and is now 3-1/4.84/23 this year. Alfredo Aceves earned a save with 3 2/3 innings of relief, allowing just 1 run, as he has been a great acquisition this year. Jacoby Ellsbury had a good game, going 3-5, scoring a run and having an RBI. Dustin Pedroia went 1-3 with an RBI and 2 walks. David Ortiz (left) went 1-4 with 2 runs scored and that 2-run homer, as he is now .323/15/34. Carl Crawford went 2-5 with 2 runs scored and that solo home run, as he is now .247/6/30. Marco Scutaro had a very good game, going 2-5 with 2 runs scored. J.D. Drew went 1-3 with 3 RBIs and that 2-run homer, he is now .229/4/15 this year. The series finale tonight will be good, as Josh Beckett (4-2/2.01/67) and C.C. Sabathia (7-3/2.80/70) will go head to head.

Bright Spots:

Alfredo Aceves- the save with 3 2/3 innings of one-run relief

Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-5 with a run and an RBI

Dustin Pedroia- 1-3 with an RBI

David Ortiz- 1-4 with 2 runs scored and a 2-run homer

Carl Crawford- 2-5 with 2 runs and a solo shot

Marco Scutaro- 2-5 with 2 runs scored

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

Dull Spots:

Tim Wakefield- he earned the win despite 5 runs in 5 1/3 innings

Well, we are in first place now, finally, living up to expectations.

Red Sox Ride Early Rallies To First Place (34-26)

Last night, the Red Sox moved into a tie for first place with the Yankees by beating the Yanks 6-4. It all got started on the 5th pitch of the game, that Jacoby Ellsbury hammered over the short porch in right field. After Dustin Pedroia walked, Adrian Gonzalez almost had another homer, but the ball ricocheted off the base of the wall in right center for an RBI triple to make it 2-0. Gonzalez soon came in on a fly ball to Brett Gardner for a sacrifice fly and making it 3-0. With runners on the corners for the Yankees, Robinson Cano delivered with a single to center, making it 3-1. With runners on first and second in the 2nd inning, Dustin Pedroia knocked a double down the left field line to make it 4-1. With Adrian Gonzalez on first in the 5th inning, David Ortiz hit a shot to right field to make it 6-1. However, later in the 5th, with Jorge Posada and Russell Martin on base, Nick Swisher hit a big 2-run double to make it 6-3. In the 9th, Jorge Posada singled in Brett Gardner to make it 6-4.

Jon Lester (top right) was not terribly sharp in last night's game, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits

through 6 innings. He earned the win, and is now 8-2/3.98/79 this year. Bobby Jenks came in and walked a better before scoreless innings by Matt Albers and Daniel Bard. Jonathan Papelbon then came in and earned a save by allowing 1 run in an inning. The Red Sox wen nuts on Freddy Garcia (left) as Jacoby Ellsbury was 2-5 with a solo home run, and he is now .301/7/30. Dustin Pedroia was 1-3 with 1 run scored and 1 RBI. Adrian Gonzalez went 1-2 with 2 runs and 1 RBI, along with 2 walks. David Ortiz went 1-4 with 2 RBIs on a huge home run, as he is now .324/14/32. Tonight, Tim Wakefield (2-1/4.40/20) and A.J. Burnett (6-3/3.86/57) will square off as the Sox will look to be alone at the top.

Bright Spots:

Matt Albers- a scoreless inning

Daniel Bard- a scoreless inning

Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5 with a solo home run

Dustin Pedroia- 1-3 with a run and an RBI

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

David Ortiz- 1-4 with a huge 2-run shot

Dull Spots:

Carl Crawford- 0-4

Well, one more win and we can get the Yankees fans to stop telling us off.

Red Sox Take A MIxed Draft In 2011

Last night, the MLB amateur draft took place and the Red Sox had 4 picks, #19, #26, #36, and #40. For their 1st round pick, they chose Matt Barnes, a right hander from UConn. Last year with the Huskies, Barnes went 11-4 with a minuscule 1.61 ERA in 16 starts. He has a mid to high 90's fastball, as he has been clocked at 98 mph, but averages around 94-95. Barnes was the Big East Pitcher of the Year,and his UConn teammate George Springer (taken by the Astros) was Player of the Year.

For their #26 pick, the Red Sox took switch-hitting catcher Blake Swihart from V Sue Cleveland High School in New Mexico. However, from an interview, it appears that Swihart may want to go to college instead of sign with the Red Sox. He is a great hitter, probably the best hitting catcher in the draft, and he has a good arm, but he is also very fast, a rarity for a catcher.

For their #36 pick, the Sox took left handed pitcher Henry Owens. He shows good control and movement despite only a low 90's fastball, his ceiling has been around 92 mph. He is also very tall at 6'7" and so the control is a big surprise, as you don't see many high school pitchers who can control their pit

ches well. Like Blake Swihart, he is from high school so I do not have stats on him, just scouting reports. However, he may appear to be a late round steal for the Red Sox if his velocity improves a little bit.

Finally, their #40 pick was Jackie Bradley, an outfielder from the University of South Carolina. Bradley is a very good defensive outfielder

outfielder with solid speed and range. After hitting .368 and .340 in his first two seasons, the Red Sox pulled an Anthony Renuado, taking a player who

had been great in past seasons, but had fallen in the past year, as he batted .259 in 2011. He did deal with injuries, also like Anthony Renaudo, so I feel if he is healthy he could put together seasons like a young Mike Cameron or Jacoby Ellsbury. I am really pleased with this year's draft, and I hope these players turn out really well.

Growing Up With Daisuke Matsuzaka

I remember the day in December 2006. I was only 9 years old, and had payed attention to the Red Sox during the 2004 playoffs because my mom's family was from New England. My mom told me that the Red Sox had signed a really good pitcher from Japan named Daisuke Matsuzaka. I didn't know much about baseball before then, but I started playing in 2007, and I started becoming more and more interested in the Red Sox as the season went along. I remember hearing about Dice-K's debut in a Red Sox uniform on April 4, 2007. He earned the win, allowing 1 run and striking out 10 through 7 innings. However, after 2 more pretty good starts, Daisuke displayed the inconsistency he has become so famous for on April 22, 2007 against the Yankees. He earned the win, but he allowing 6 runs in 7 innings in a 7-6 win for the Red Sox. On May 3, 2007, he was shaky again, allowing 7 runs in 5 innings in an 8-7 win for the Red Sox. Dice-K wound up with a mediocre season in 2007, completely not living up to expectations by going 15-12 with a 4.40 ERA and 201 strikeouts. When it came to Playoff time in 2007, in Cleveland, after losing the 3rd game of the series to put the Sox back 2-1, he won the clinching game 7 in a 11-2 defeat of the Cleveland Indians, I remember that game. In the World Series against the Rockies, Daisuke came through, allowing 2 runs in 5+ innings to earn the win in Game 3. That was 5 years ago. In 2008, with an injury to Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka actually started Opening Day for the Red Sox on March 25, 2008. He allowed 2 runs in 5 innings in an eventual 6-5 win over Oakland. Daisuke lived up to expectations in 2008, playing very well, and making 2007 look like a bad year as he went 18-3/2.90/154 as the Red Sox went 95-67 and made it to the ALCS. As my interest in baseball and the Red Sox increased, Daisuke's stats and attributes declined. Since then, Dice-K's career has been derailed by injuries, injuring himself first in a game against Oakland in April 2009. He came back later in May, only to get injured again, as he would go an icky 4-6/5.76/54. In 2010 he suffered numerous injuries before, arguably the game I remember most about Daisuke, as on May 22, 2010, he threw 7 2/3 no-hit innings against the Phillies before a Juan Castro single broke it up in the 8th. Daisuke was ok that season, going 9-6/4.69/133. This year, Daisuke was the epitome of Daisuke, throwing 2 consecutive 1-hit gems on April 18th and 23rd against the Blue Jays and the Angels. However, those were just sandwiched by multiple bad starts that put his season stats at 3-3/5.30/26. This week, he got the news that he would have to have Tommy John surgery and would likely miss all of this season and most of 2012. Could it be the end of Dice-K's tenure with the Red Sox? Maybe. But he will go down in history as one of the most interesting players in recent years.

Weekly News

After today's 6-3 win over the A's, the Red Sox concluded a 3-3 week, and are now 33-26 after being swept by the White Sox and sweeping the A's. For the second straight week, our Player of the Week is Carl Crawford, who went .364/1/8 this week, to make him .248/5/29 this year. Well, this week wasn't much of a pitching week for the Red Sox, but I suppose our Pitcher of the Week is Josh Beckett, who was at least average, allowing 3 runs in 6 innings yesterday. The performance of the week will go to Carl Crawford in yesterday's game (6/4/11), as he went 4-7 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs in that 14 inning marathon. Which brings us to our game of the week, yesterday, in a roller coaster game that ended up going 14 innings in an eventual 9-8 win for the Red Sox. In the upcoming week, the Sox will have an off day on monday before a 3-game set with the Yankees and a 3-game set with the Blue Jays. I am glad that the Sox bounced back from an 0-3 start to the week to end it at 3-3.

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.

Drew Comes Through With Walk-Off Single In 14th (32-26)

Yesterday, the Red Sox played one of the quickest games in history, haha just kidding, they won 9-8 in 14 innings against the A's. They got off to an early lead in the 1st on a solo home run by Adrian Gonzalez. In the 5th inning, with Carl Crawford on third base, J.D. Drew drove him in with an RBI single to make it 2-0. In th tp of the 6th, a Josh Willingham single scored David DeJesus and Ryan Sweeney to tie the game. In the bottom of the 6th, Jacoby Ellsbury reached second base to start the inning, setting up for an RBI single by Dustin Pedroia, an RBI double by Kevin Youkilis, and an RBI single by Carl Crawford that would leave it at 5-2. In the 7th, Daric Barton came in on a sacrifice fly by Cliff Pennington to make it 5-3. In the bottom of the 8th, Carl Crawford gave the Sox some insurance with a 2-run double scoring Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Reddick to make it 7-3. They would need the insurance, as in the top of the 9th, the A's went wild capitalizing on an error by Dustin Pedroia and singles by Cliff Pennington and Conor Jackson to tie the game at 7-7. In the 11th inning, Cliff Pennington came in on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Sweeney to give the A's an 8-7 lead. However, an RBI ground-rule double by Jacoby Ellsbury, scoring Jarrod Saltalamacchia tied it at 8-8. It was the 14th, however, when J.D. Drew came through with an RBI single into the gap, scoring Carl Crawford and winning it 9-8 for the Red Sox.

Josh Beckett (top right) had a pretty good game, allowing 3 earned runs in 6 innings, earning a no-decision and making him 4-2/2.01/67. A bunch of relievers pitched before a 4 inning relief appearance by Alfredo Aceves, who earned the win and is now 3-1/3.38/20. Jacoby Ellsbury had a great game, going 4-7 with a run scored and an RBI, he is now .300/6/29. Dustin Pedroia only went 1-5 but he had an RBI and scored a run. Adrian Gonzalez went 3-5 with 2 runs scored and an RBI on the home run, he is now .340/11/48. Kevin Youkilis went 2-5 with a run and an RBI in a good day. Carl Crawford (left) had a great day, going 4-7 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs, as he is now .246/4/26. J.D. Drew went 2-7 with 2 RBIs on two very important hits, he is now .228/3/12. Today at 1:35, John Lackey (2-5/8.01/19) will go for a series sweep against Brett Anderson (3-5/3.68/59).

Bright Spots:

Josh Beckett- 3 runs in 6 innings in a good start

Alfredo Aceves- 1 run in 4 innings to earn the win in relief

Jacoby Ellsbury- 4-7 with 1 run and 1 RBI

Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5 with 2 runs and a solo homer

Kevin Youkilis- 2-5 with a run and an RBI

Carl Crawford- 4-7 with 2 runs and 3 RBI

J.D. Drew- 2-7 with 2 very big RBI singles

Dull Spots:

Jonathan Papelbon- 4 runs, 3 earned in just 1/3 of an inning

Jed Lowrie- 0-6 with 2 strikeouts

Jason Varitek- 0-3 with 2 strikeouts

I am glad they won, somehow.

Red Sox Battle Back From Early Deficit, Beat A's (31-26)

Last night, the Red Sox rallied from behind to beat the A's 8-6 in a hard-fought match that I really enjoyed watching. The A's got off to quite a start, after putting runners at first and third with one out. Josh Willingham singled to left field, scoring David DeJesus and making it 1-0 A's. After another single, Daric Barton singled to right field, making it 2-0. A 2-run single by Mark Ellis capped a 4-run 1st inning, making it 4-0. After a single in the 1st, Jacoby Ellsbury used his speed to get to third with just one out. Adrian Gonzalez delivered with an RBI groundout to Mark Ellis, cutting it to 4-1. After a Kevin Youkilis double, David Ortiz knocked a single just over the shortstop's head for a single, making it 4-2. After Mike Cameron came in on a sacrifice fly by Jacoby Ellsbury, the Sox had cut it to 4-3. In the 3rd, after a Kevin Youkilis walk, David Ortiz hit a high ball off the monster that got away from Josh Willingham, allowing Youkilis to score and tie the game. Jed Lowrie then drove in Ortiz on a single to give the Sox a 5-4 lead. In the 4th, with runners on 1st and 3rd with 1 out, Coco Crisp grounded out to Adrian Gonzalez, scoring Kevin Kouzmanoff, to tie the game. In the 5th, Daric Barton gave the A's a 6-5 lead, scoring Josh Willingham with a grounder through the right side. In the 7th, the Red Sox loaded the bases with 2 outs, to prepare for a broken bat, bloop single up the middle by Carl Crawford, scoring 2 and making it 7-6. In the 8th, a Jarrod Saltalamacchia home run pushed it to 8-6.

Clay Buchholz (top right) was not sharp whatsoever, allowing 6 runs, 5 earned in 4 2/3 innings, he earned a no-decision and made himself 4-3/3.82/49. The bullpen was great however, as neither Scott Atchison, Tommy Hottovy, Bobby Jenks, Daniel Bard, or Jonathan Papelbon allowed a run. Adrian Gonzalez had a good game, going 3-5 with a run scored and an RBI, he is now .335/10/47, as he has been great this year. Kevin Youkilis went 2-3 with 3 runs scored. David Ortiz went 2-3 with a run scored and 2 RBIs, as he is now .319/13/30. Carl Crawford (top left) only went 1-4 but he had a huge clutch single, as he is now .233/4/23. Jarrod Saltalamacchia as well, only went 1-4 but with a home run, as he is now .220/5/18. Today will be a marquee matchup, as Josh Beckett (4-2/1.80/63) and Trevor Cahill (6-3/2.31/58) will go head to head.

Bright Spots:

Scott Atchison- a scoreless inning

Bobby Jenks- the win in a scoreless inning

Daniel Bard- a scoreless inning

Jonathan Papelbon- the save in a scoreless inning

Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5 with a run and an RBI

Kevin Youkilis- 2-3 with 3 runs scored

David Ortiz- 2-3 with a run and 2 RBIs

Jed Lowrie- 1-4 with an RBI

Carl Crawford- 1-4 with a huge 2-run single

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-4 with a solo home run

Dull Spots:

Clay Buchholz- 6 runs, 5 earned in 4 2/3 innings

Dustin Pedroia- 0-5

This was a good game, and I'm glad I got the opportunity to watch it.

Prospects For the Red Sox PItching Woes/Injuries

The injuries to under-performing starters John Lackey (2-5/8.01/19) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (3-3/5.30/26) have really taken a toll on the Red Sox pitching staff. The replacements of Alfredo Aceves and Tim Wakefield seemed to be working very well until the past series against the Chicago White Sox, 8 runs in 5 innings and 4 runs in 6 innings, respectively. I have gone into the Red Sox farm system and looked for starters who have been performing well this year, and I came up with three names.

Andrew Miller (right) was a top prospect, and the Tigers' #1 pick in the draft in 2006. The Red Sox acquired him in a trade with the Marlins in return for Dustin Richardson. He fills the need for a left-handed starter or long reliever, as he has started 9 of 10 games for the Pawtucket Red Sox this year. So far in Pawtucket, he has gone 22/2.47/39 in 47 1/3 innings down with Pawtucket. Despite great success in

the minors, however, he has not been able to translate his success into the major leagues, as in 2010 he went 1-5/8.54/28, with hitters batting .372 off of him. While he does have some control problems (34 walks), the Red Sox organization has done wonders with him and he may be due for a promotion.

Kyle Weiland (left) has been fairly consistent in the minor leagues through his career. Weiland was the Red Sox' 3rd round pick in the 2008 draft, and he has been pretty good since. So far, in 10 starts in 2011, Weiland has gone 4-4/3.46/57 in 52 innings. Last year in AA Portland, he went 5-9/4.42/120, his highest ERA since being drafted. He is only 24, but he may well be mature enough to earn a callup at least by the end of the season, and make his major league debut, due to his consistency and clear skill at the minor league level.

The third and final name is Matt Fox (right), who has acted as a swingman for the PawSox this year, making 7 starts in 13 outings. He has been very successful in those 13 outings, however, going 4-2/2.73/48 in 52 2/3 innings in Pawtucket. Fox came into the league being drafted in 2004 by the Minnesota Twins. Fox stayed with the Twins until September of last year, when he was released, and the Red Sox claimed him off waivers. His major league totals are 0-0/4.91/0 in 7 1/3 innings split between the Twins and Red Sox. I think he may be due for a callup if things keep going like they are. It would please me greatly to see any one of these names on the Red Sox roster before long.

Red Sox Can't Hold On, Swept By White Sox (30-26)

Today, the Red Sox completed a tough series in a sweep, losing 7-4 to complete the sweep. They took an early lead in the 2nd inning, as with runners on first and second, Jed Lowrie smacked a ball that bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double. In the same inning, both Lowrie and Carl Crawford came home on a single by Jarrod Saltalamacchia, making it 3-0 Red Sox early. It stayed like that until the 4th, when Alexei Ramirez scored on a double by Brent Lillibridge. In the 5th, Ramon Castro came in from 3rd to score on a groundout by Alexei Ramirez to cut it to 3-2. Later in the same inning, Juan Pierre raced home on a double by Carlos Quentin to tie the game at 3-3. In the 6th, the White Sox took a lead as Brent Lillibridge homered over the monster to make it 4-3 White Sox. However, the Red Sox got it right back as David Ortiz continued his hot streak with another homer to make it 4-4. The White Sox took another lead in the 7th, as Alexei Ramirez came in on a single by Paul Konerko to make it 5-4. In the 9th, it was Paul Konerko knocking in Ramirez again, as Konerko delivered a massive home run over the green monster to make it 7-4.

Tim Wakefield (top right) was OK, allowing 4 runs in 6 innings, as he is now 2-1/4.40/20. Matt Albers allowed

a run in a third of an inning, and Rich Hill could not record an out before leaving the game with an elbow injury. Daniel Bard, with 1 2/3 innings, and Jonathan Papelbon, two runs in 1 inning, closed it off. Dustin Pedroia went 2-4, raising his average up to .245, as he has been on an off year so far. David Ortiz had a very nice game, going 2-4 with 2 runs and a solo home run, as he is now a very good .313/13/28. Jarrod Saltalamacchia (left) only went 1-4, but he did have that very clutch 2-run single, his 16th and 17th runs batted in of the season. After an off day tomorrow, the A's will come to town on Friday and Clay Buchholz (4-3/3.41/44) and Josh Outman (1-0/2.08/4) will battle.

Bright Spots:

Daniel Bard- 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief

Dustin Pedroia- 2-4

David Ortiz- 2-4 with 2 runs and an RBI on the solo home run

Jed Lowrie- 1-4 with an RBI and a run scored

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-4 with a 2-run single

Dull Spots:

Jonathan Papelbon- 2 runs in an inning of relief

Kevin Youkilis- 0-4 with 3 runners left on base

Josh Reddick- 0-4 with a strikeout and 2 runners left on base

This was a depressing series, need I say anything else?