Offensive Hangover

Red Sox: 2 White Sox: 4

Nothing lasts forever, especially not in the game of baseball. The bats had partied too hard on Friday and Saturday night, knocking in 8 runs each night, and this afternoon, they were worshiping the porcelain deity and popping pills for the headache from hell. Pedey's fire was put out by the likes of Gavin Floyd. The party was over, but the series wasn't. Runners were either left stranded on base, waiting for Jacoby to drive them in (since he was the only one whose bat showed signs of life) or they didn't even make it to the basepaths, with batted balls finding gloves as if they had little GPS chips implanted in them.

Wake did alright on the mound, limiting the vaunted White Sox offense to three runs, but as is often the case, he was the victim of poor run support. The 'pen gave up one run, but the game was still well within reach. The bottom of the ninth inning tells the story of the whole game. Runners on second and third with two outs and a de-mojoed Pedey hit a liner to left that was destined to find the glove of Carlos Quentin. It was a sign of the tables turning in the battle of the Sox. Quentin today was more of a pest to the Red Sox than Pedey was (today) to the White Sox.

Not that we Red Sox fans can complain too much about today's loss since the team has won their last four series, but it would sure be nice for them to SWEEP the O's when they come to town this week.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!!

It's Pedey's World, The Rest of Them Just Play In It

Red Sox: 8 Palehose: 2

Oh, and the kid won in his major league debut. Michael Bowden went five innings, giving up two runs and striking out three. The pen came through and held those other Sox to those two runs while giving up only two hits.

Pedey was unretirable for the second straight game, going 4 for 4 and intentionally walked in the eighth because the White Sox pitching staff was tired of trying to find ways to get him out. Jake and Kotsay had three hits apiece with the latter collecting 3 RBI to go along with those hits. Jeff Bailey went deep in the second inning for his second career homer in the majors. The RBI machine who goes by the name of Jason Bay picked up two more tonight and the one called Jed Lowrie picked up two as well. They may have been silenced by Buehrle in Chicago, but the Sox offense lit him up for seven runs tonight at Fenway.

Tomorrow, the Sox go for the sweep with Wake on the mound pitching against Gavin Floyd. If MVPedey keeps tearing it up, the White Sox will have a battle on their hands.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!! LET'S GO PEDEY!!!!!

Sweet Sixteen for Two-Hit Dice-K

Red Sox: 8 Those Other Sox: 0

Dice-K pitched a gem tonight at Fenway against a slugger-heavy White Sox lineup, holding them to a mere two hits and grabbing win #16 for the season. He had an awesome start against the White Sox in Chicago a few weeks ago, which as to make him a feared pitcher among the palehose. Both starts he went eight innings, giving the pen much needed rest. Timlin, the designated mop-up man, pitched a flawless ninth, preserving the two-hitter. Dice-K K'ed seven in his dominating start.

At the plate, Pedey was relentless, going 4 for 5 with a walk. He stole second twice and scored three runs. White Sox pitching just couldn't get him out tonight. Jason Bay busted the game open in the sixth with a bases-clearing double, giving him a total of 27 RBI in the short time he's been in a Red Sox uni. Kotsay stroked another double, this time picking up a ribbie to go with it. Papi had a three-hit night with an RBI, while Youk had two hits and three RBI, one of which came in a rather painful way, when he was hit by a pitch in the fifth. Jake went hitless, but made a spectacular catch in the first inning, robbing OCab of extra bases.

Tomorrow night, Sox prospect Michael Bowden makes his major league debut. Buehrle goes for the ChiSox.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!

Sox Bullpen Thwarts Sweep

Sox: 2 Yanks: 3

What could have been another shutout at Yankee Stadium for Jon Lester turned into a disappointing loss for the Sox, thanks to the pen and Jason Giambi. The pen was very kind to Giambi today, with Oki tossing him a cookie, which he launched out of the park, to Paps giving him a pitch to single up the middle to bring home the game-winning run. When all was said and done, Lester had a fine bounce-back outing, going 6 2/3 allowing one run and striking out eight. He out-dueled Mussina, who allowed two Sox runs in the fifth. However, today it was the Sox bullpen's turn to fold. Granted it wasn't a full-scale implosion like what happened with the Yanks' pen last night.

The new guy on the block (or, rather, in the dugout), Mark Kotsay doubled in his first at-bat and was the first to get a hit against The Moose today. Jake ran out a ground ball and foiled a double play while driving in a run. Tek drove in the other run. After last night's offensive tour de force, the Sox were limited to five hits by Yankee pitching today.

All in all, the Sox had a very successful road trip, winning all three of their series. A sweep of the Yanks would have been nice, but considering the troubles the Sox have had on the road this season, going 6-3 is a good sign.

Beckett has once again been scratched from a start. He will not pitch tomorrow, but will head down to Alabama to see a specialist about his elbow. Dice-K will start instead, with Pauley a possibility for Saturday. I hope Beckett will be able to pitch again this season. The Sox will need him, especially if they make it to the post-season.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!

Pedey's Grand and Bay Collects 4 More

Sox: 11 Spanked Yanks: 3

Picture 30-40 years from now, Pedey's bouncing his grandkids on his knees and regaling them with the story of his first career grand slam, in the last weeks of what will then be called the "Old Yankee Stadium". It was an awesome moment for last year's Rookie of The Year, who has long since proven that his '07 season was no fluke. Although it wasn't a game-winning grand slam, as the Sox were already ahead by five runs at the time, puts the game further out of reach for the reeling Yanks and gives Pedey a night to remember for the rest of his life (as if winning the World Series his rookie year wasn't enough!).

If Pedey put the final nail in the Yanks' coffin for tonight's game, Bay is the one who built the coffin. He drove in 4 RBIs of his own, on two hits and a sac fly. Byrd lent a hammer to the cause by keeping the Yanks to two runs over six innings and the pen, with the exception of Timlin who gave up a solo homer to Giambi, kept the door shut. He picks up his second win in a Sox uniform and finally faces a non-Toronto team.

Tomorrow, Lester aims for redemption after his disastrous last start. He faces The Moose, who has been pitching pretty darn well this season. This has the makings of a pitcher's duel, but we shall see tomorrow afternoon.

By the way, welcome to the Red Sox, Mark Kotsay. The former Braves outfielder is the latest waiver wire acquisition to add insurance to the Sox outfield, with Drew on the DL. Kotsay happens to have the exact same birthday as me, month, day and year.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!! BROOM 'EM AT THEIR HALLOWED STADIUM!

Black Hole Has Gone Missing...

Sox: 7 Yanks: 3

When I saw the lineup for tonight's game, I anticipated some serious black hole-ishness from 7-9, especially 8 and 9, but I will happily eat crow over that prediction. Number 7, Coco, had three hits while Bailey and Cash had two apiece, Bailey collecting two RBI on a single in the fifth. Coco also had an RBI. Jason Bay showed the Yanks that, although they rejoiced at the Manny trade, they might have jumped from the frying pan into the fire. He had two RBIs on the night. Big Papi also had a good night at the plate, with two doubles. The only guy in the lineup not to have a hit was Pedey, who had a bit of an off night, going 0-5 with an error, though he drew a walk and scored. Lowrie was charged with an error as well, when he was playing third later in the game. It was his first error with the big club.

As the Sox were putting runs up on the board, A-Rod was having a choke-tacular night, striking out twice, grounding into two double plays, making an error, and being a lightning rod for the boo-birds.

Wake had a nice comeback outing, doing better than I had expected, considering his record against the Yanks and his just coming off the DL. He allowed three runs over five innings, two of those runs coming off solo dingers by Damon, in almost exactly the same place. He picked up his 8th win of the season, improving to 8-8. Lopez pitched a flawless 6th. Delcarmen, coming off a clutch save on Sunday, was a miss tonight, recording only one out, walking one, and allowing a hit. Masterson came in and got A-Rod to ground into his second double-play of the night. He ran into a little trouble in the eighth after an error by Pedey allowed Giambi to reach and Nady singled. Oki came on, struck out Matsui, got Cano out, and then Paps took it from there.

Tomorrow, Byrd starts against a team that is not the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yanks have Ponson on the mound. With tonight's win, they already have a winning road trip, but another win or two in the stadium would be some nice icing on the cake.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!

Lowrie Being Papi

Sox: 6 Jays: 5

It wasn't a walk-off because they're on the road, but Lowrie bangs a clutch homer in the top of the 11th to put the Sox on top of the Blue Jays for a final time in this see-saw of a game. It was his second homer in his young major-league career and the first since his July call-up. Lowrie had been in a bit of a mini-slump at the plate this series and had gone 0-for-4 going into that last at-bat, but all it takes is a good pitch to hit and the ability to hit it long and high enough to clear the outfield fence to turn things around. It was a good day for the "little guys"--the under-200-pounders--at the plate. Besides The Jedster, Coco and Pedey hit some clutch homers of their own. Pedey hit a 3-run shot in the third to get the Sox on the board and Coco tied the game at 5-5 with his solo dinger in the seventh.

Dice-K had an uncharacteristic high-hit, low-walk outing, giving up 5 runs and not factoring into the decision. In fact, the king of base on balls' only walk was an intentional one. The Jays swung early and connected! Dice-K had to be thinking "What the &*!? Guys NEVER do that when I'm on the mound!" He was dealing for awhile, retiring five straight batters when Jake made a Dinn Trophy-worthy catch in fourth, but face-planted against the right field wall in the process, scratching his eye with his sunglasses and losing a contact lens. He held on, recording the out, but some commotion ensued when Tito and the trainer came out and had to search the bullpen behind the wall for the lens. They found it, but trying to put it in Jake's eye was easier said than done. After four or five tries, Jacoby was like "Enough is enough! I'll put it in my own eye, thank you very much!" Much to the relief of the Red Sox, he stayed in the game. However, the episode disrupted Dice-K's momentum and he ended up surrendering the Jays' third run before the inning was over--a solo homer by Lyle Overbay.

The game went up and down from there, with the Jays tying, then taking over the lead in the sixth. In the seventh, the Coco homer tied it up again and it remained tied, forcing extra innings. Both closers entered the game, doing their job and holding the tie. Paps threw a mere 16 pitches over two innings! Bay made an awesome game-saving catch against the left field wall in the 10th. Lowrie pulled off his heroics in the top of the 11th and in the bottom of the inning, Manny Delcarmen came in to pitch in relief of Paps. Fans, like myself, were groaning "uh oh!" when we saw him warming in the pen in the top of the inning, but after walking the leadoff batter, he settled down and grabbed the save, but not before Cora landed on top of Vernon Wells to record the first out of the inning. The last two outs were more routine and the game ended with a strikeout of Jays newbie Jose Bautista.

What a great moral victory for the Sox, who have been dogged by the Jays the entire season. Winning this series in Toronto is huge for them. It puts them at 4-2 so far on the road trip with two series wins and sends them to the Bronx on a high note.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!

The Byrdman Giveth and The Byrdman Taketh Away

Sox: 8 Jays: 4

Before tonight, when was the last time the Sox won a game in the Rogers Center in Toronto? Probably sometime last season. The Sox have had trouble with these darn Jays all season, having been swept by them twice and winning a grand total of two games against them (those two coming at Fenway) before tonight's win. Thanks to a solid 6-inning start by Byrd, who just won his first game as a Red Sox, and a strong offensive showing, things went the Sox way this time. Jays starter Shawn Marcum, whom the Sox just saw last Sunday, was chased in the fourth inning with five runs charged to him.

Byrd has won two of his three straight games against Toronto, one as a member of the Tribe and another as a Red Sox. He may have "giveth" the game to the Jays last Saturday, and "giveth" two long balls tonight , but in the end, he "taketh away" the victory from the Jays. It was nice to see the momentum quickly turn around after Wednesday night's mess in Baltimore. It's also great to see Tek getting some of his power back, homering in three straight games and collecting a few hits to boot. It's gotta be a great feeling for the Captain, to see his bat begin to come alive again after an extended slumber.

Looks like JD Drew might be DL-bound after MRIs showed a herniated disc in his back. Though his bat had significantly cooled down since the All-Star break, he was still getting on base a lot via the walk, so he will definitely be missed. With both he and Lowell out of the lineup, the Sox are having to rely on guys like Cora, Crisp, and Casey to step up and keep the offense going, as well as Lowrie, Bay, Youk, Pedey, Papi, and Jake. Tonight and in the Baltimore series, they have been doing just that. Let's hope it continues.

Tomorrow afternoon, the Sox have on the mound the guy who has become their most reliable pitcher this season, Jon Lester. He faces Jesse Litch, who is 8-7 with a 4.20 ERA.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!

Now That's More Like It, Boys!

Sox: 6 O's: 3

After yesterday's debacle, tonight's game was a breath of fresh air. The Sox bats were hitting good pitching (Guthrie with an ERA of 3.18 going into the game) and Lester was continuing his role as stopper. He limited the Baltimore bats to one run, an Aubrey Huff homer, through seven innings. When two more O's runs scored in the eighth, courtesy of the bullpen, the Sox answered in the top of the ninth with two runs of their own, restoring the 3-run cushion for Paps in the bottom of the inning.

For the Sox, it was a good night for the long ball if your first name is Jason. Bay hit two homers and Tek hit one. It was a very welcome homer for the struggling Tek and for Bay, the two he knocked out of the park, plus an additional RBI in the ninth, continue the hot streak he's been on since becoming a Red Sox. I hope there will be more games like tonight, when both the offense and the pitching (save for a bullpen hiccup) were clicking, especially when the team is on the road.

Tomorrow night, it's Dice-K vs. Cabrera. Dice will go for his 15th win!

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!

The Pitching Misadventures of PodBeckett & Company

Sox: 4 Jays' Oh-So-Incredible-Offense: 15

When a team with a self-proclaimed weak offense pounds the Sox 15-4, something ain't right at Fenway. I missed most of the game, but when the pitcher formerly known as the team's ace gets whacked around for 6 runs in the first inning, one begins to wonder if he was taking pitching lessons from the Texas Rangers' staff. The line score shows that the Jays knocked 22 hits off of Sox pitching. This wasn't a game; it was game-time batting practice for Toronto. Ack! Ugh! Enough about this debacle!

Lester can show he's the true ace of the staff by dominating the O's tomorrow night in Baltimore.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!! SHAKE OFF THIS WEEKEND AND BEAT THE O'S TOMORROW!!!

Boy, Do I Miss That Texas Pitching!

Sox: 1 Jays: 4

I predicted this would happen. The Sox have been tearing it up at the plate against the laughable Texas pitchers, but once a pitcher like Halladay took the mound, it would be an entirely different story. Granted, Halladay is one of the best pitchers in the league, with a compact 2.72 ERA and a penchant for hurling complete games. Byrd didn't do too badly himself, allowing 4 runs in 7 1/3 innings, but his teammates couldn't back him up. It didn't help the newest Sox pitcher's cause that the Blue Jays had just seen him about a week before, in his last start with The Tribe. He will do fine as a #4 or #5 starter. The Sox bats do need to give him some run support, though. Pedey prevented the shutout by homering in the bottom of then ninth.

This afternoon, Beckett takes the mound. If he can keep the home runs down and pitch like he has pitched for the last two starts, the Sox will be in good shape, as long as they can score at least a couple of runs. Marcum won't make it easy, with an ERA in the mid 3s.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!! HAPPY 25TH BIRTHDAY, PEDEY!!!!!

Post-Rainout Blog: Random Sox thoughts

Random Thought #1: Is it just me or has JD Drew changed his plate approach in this series against the Rangers? One of the things that made him valuable in the leadoff spot was his patience at the plate and ability to get on base. The past two or three games, however, he has been less patient, swinging earlier in the count at pitches that would probably have been called balls. Result: more strikeouts, groundouts, and fly-outs and less hits and walks.

Random Thought #2: According to Boston.com, Buchholz's start, originally scheduled for tomorrow, has been rescheduled for Wendesday. Correct me if I'm wrong, but won't they be in Baltimore on Wednesday, for a ROAD game? Given Buch's abysmal ERA on the road, it doesn't bode well for a win that day. That can't be good for the already fragile psyche of Young Buch. The 0's may be in last place in the AL East, but they're no slouches in the offense department. They will capitalize on Buch's command problems with his fastball and will sit on the breaking ball. It's too bad neither Wake nor Colon will be ready to pitch on Wednesday. Buch needs to be sent down to AAA for his own good.

Random Thought #3: What's in the orange juice down in Tampa Bay? Now they're mowing down teams on the road too. Granted, they're not top-notch teams, but with two of their main bats on the DL, how is it that they can't seem to lose?

Random Thought #4: I'm glad to see Jake back in the lineup and I hope he continues to hit like he did in Kansas City and Chicago. Coco has been lauded for his defense, but his throwing arm leaves a lot to be desired. Jacoby has a better throwing arm and his defense is getting better as well. Not to mention, he can play all three outfield positions while Coco seems limited to center.

Random Thought #5: Lugo seems to be making progress toward coming off the DL and while this is good for Lugo, it could be trouble for the Sox. Lowrie has done an outstanding job at short, both offensively and defensively. He's come through countless times with the bases loaded. I'd hate to see such talent have to ride pine while Lugo, who bats below the Mendoza Line with RISP and has 16 errors on the season so far, plays. Lugo is the veteran, but Lowrie is the hotter bat right now (and the surer hand in the infield). If Lowrie cools off significantly, maybe putting Lugo back in wouldn't be such a bad idea, but until then, Lowrie gives the Sox a better chance to win.

Sweep-K

Sox: 10 Rangers: Nada

The Texas-sized offense who drove Sox pitchers bananas on Tuesday was shut out by Dice-K & Company tonight, completing a sweep of the Ranger crew. Pitching is a non-entity with this team and the Sox took full advantage of the game situation batting practice. Big Papi hit his third three-run homer as part of the nine-run second inning. Lowrie racked up another RBI, making the statement as clear as day that he should be the starting shortstop even after Lugo is healthy enough to play. Youk and Pedey are in the thick of the batting title race, along with Ian Kinsler, Milton Bradley, and Johnny Come Yankee Damon. The scrappy, dirt-dog duo had three hits apiece and they are two of the most consistent offensive and defensive producers on the team.

Dice-K picked up his 14th win and is now one win shy of his 15 from last season. He was his usual adventurous self on the mound, loading the bases in the second, but escaping the jam in a way only he seems to be able to do. RemDawg suggested that maybe Dice-K likes having runners on base, that he may get bored with the bases empty. He said that maybe pitching coach John Farrell should tell Dice-K to imagine that the bases are loaded with each batter he faces. I don't know...that might require some hypnosis.

Tomorrow, the newest Red Sox, Paul Byrd, tries to continue his hot streak with a dose of deja vu. He faces the Blue Jays for the second time in a week. The Sox have to face Roy "Doc" Halladay, he of the multitude of complete games. Having been spoiled by the Texas hurlers with massive ERAs, I'm predicting the sharp Toronto pitching staff might require some adjustment on the part of the Sox bats.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!

A Score in the Single Digits: Who'd a Thunk It?

Sox: 8 Rangers: 4

After last night's run-scoring extravaganza, the two hottest offenses in the American League returned to earth tonight, scoring a mere third of the runs that were scored last night. For seven innings, Jon Lester had held the Texas bats scoreless. That effort must have taken a lot out of him because he struggled in the eighth, allowing a solo homer and two more hits. Timlin took over and promptly allowed two inherited runners to score on a three-run homer, cutting the Sox lead over the Rangers in half. Lopez got the last out of the eight on one pitch. Masterson pitched a scoreless ninth and Lester picked up the win, his eleventh on the season.

Youk has another hot night at the plate, with three doubles and two RBI. Lowrie added two more RBI with a bases-loaded double and his average is heading toward .300 Bay also had a two-RBI day.

Tomorrow, Dice-K looks for win number 14. For the Rangers, Padilla was scratched in favor of Tommy Hunter, who has only pitched 9.1 innings with the team, so he must be a recent AAA call-up. Speaking of call-ups, Jeff Bailey was recalled from the PawSox and Pauley was sent back down.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!

Batting Practice Night at The Fens

Sox: 19 Rangers: 17

What happens when two of the most potent offenses in the league go head to head in the hitter's park known as Fenway? Answer: Tonight's 4-hour slugfest of a game. Both teams beat the tar out of the ball in a game that looked from the early innings to be a Red Sox blowout. The Sox put up ten, yes TEN runs in the first inning, with Big Papi coming up big twice, with six RBI in two three-run dingers. Just when I was thinking this game was going to be a laugher, the Sox having buried the Rangers in one monstrous inning, the Rangers did the unthinkable. They came back. All the way back. And then some. Poor Charlie Zink had his hands full with this lot. What an offense to have to face in his major league debut. He lasted 4 1/3 innings, giving up 8 earned runs. The bullpens on both sides were mostly (save for Oki and Paps) ineffective in stopping the offensive monsoon wrought by both Boston and Texas bats. In the end, thanks to Youk's second homer onf the night, a three-run shot in the bottom of the 8th, the Sox prevailed. The come-from-behind wins that were so hard to come by before last night have now happened two nights in a row.

Let's talk about Youk and Papi. Two homers apiece for these two begs the question: Manny who? Youk and Papi are the new 3-4 combo in my book. I've said before that Youk's power numbers are up this year and, at 29, he's entering his prime as a hitter. Bay will be a good offensive producer with power as well, but for now, the Papi-Youk combo is looking pretty good. Gotta love how Youk made the Rangers pay for walking Papi in the eighth. It was so good to see Papi getting those two (almost three had it not been for some dumb fan interfering in the fifth) homers, given his struggles of late.

About Mikey Lowell: Boy is he banged up! Unfortunately this time I see a trip to the DL. Who they bring up in his place, I don't know. Hopefully it will be someone who will help the team.

Tomorrow night, Lester gets a chance to try to bring the Rangers' bats back down to earth. Tall order for sure, but with all Lester has done this season, I have confidence that he can put a lasso around the sluggin' Texas crew as the Sox bats face a pitcher with an ERA north of 7.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!

Breaking Sox News: Veteran Pitcher Byrd lands in Boston

Just heard that the Tribe gave the Sox Paul Byrd for either cash or a player to be named later. According to mlb.com, Byrd has been awesome since the All Star Break with an ERA of 1.24. With the Tribe out of playoff contention this year, however, they needed to unload his salary and the Red Sox, who could use a #4 or #5 starter with Wake injured and Buchholz struggling mightily. Charlie Zink is plugging the Wake hole, at least for tonight and Byrd would fit nicely at #5 while Young Buch can work out some of his pitching troubles in Pawtucket. His career ERA of 4.37 will do fine as a fifth starter and it would certainly be an improvement over Buchholz's 6 +. This could be a very good late-season pickup for the Sox.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!

Better Late Than Never

Sox: 5 Those Other Sox: 1

I'm back from vacation and so are the Red Sox bats. After six hitless innings, the offense flipped the "on" switch in the seventh and started getting hits and scoring runs. Tonight's RBI heroes: JD Drew and Jed Lowrie (2 apiece) with an honorable mention to Jacoby Ellsbury (1). Let me tell you, that kid Lowrie can HIT with the bases loaded. He almost had another bases-clearing double, but JD got thrown out at the plate. Kudos to Youk for breaking up the no-hitter.

Beckett gets win #11, going 8 innings, giving up 1 run and 7 hits. Coco makes a bid for a trip to Beijing for the Olympic gymnastics competition by turning a catch in centerfield into a somersault. Since boxing didn't work out, why not?

By winning this game, the Sox have their first winning road trip (4-3) since Interleague play in June. For a game that looked pretty pitiful for the Red Sox for the first two thirds, they sure turned it around.

Tomorrow, with Wake DL-ing it for at least two starts with a bum shoulder, PawSox knuckleballer Charlie Zink makes his major league debut. He's the best choice to fill in for Wake and hopefully he will be successful on "The Big Stage" at Fenway.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!

A Royal Butt-Kicking...By the Red Sox

Sox: 8 Victims of Said Butt-Kicking: 2

Bay rakes with four hits, a ball rolls along a wall, Papi finds a gap, Jake finally steals another base...make that two...Lowrie hits another RBI triple, Youk and Pedey continue their hitting streaks, Drew keeps getting on base, Tek plays hit and run, Beckett pulls an '07 start, am I leaving anything out? After taking last night off, the Boston bats were back tonight against Bannister and the KC bullpen. Beckett reminded us all of the pitcher he was last year and could be again this year with more starts like these. Granted, the Royals aren't exactly leading the league in offense, but you've gotta start somewhere.

Great stuff tonight from the Sox. Now they need to carry that momentum into tomorrow night and then into Chicago, where the pitching and offense is going to be better from the White Sox. Some pitchers will shut them down, but it would be nice for the Red Sox to get a win out of a pitcher with a sub-4 ERA. Doing so will give them a confidence boost when it comes to hitting good pitching on the road.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!

At Least The Rays and Yanks lost too...

Sox: 3 Royal Pains in The You-Know-Where: 4

Ugh, ugh, ugh! They came so close in the 9th, but Casey flied out to right with the bases loaded. How I wish it could have been Lowrie at bat instead. That kid's been golden with runners on, at least these past few days. I'm glad Bay got himself an infield hit, driving in the third run, however. This is yet another frustrating one-run loss on the road, but the pitching matchup tonight was not in the Sox' favor. One of the Royals' best starters, Meche, was up against the Red Sox' fifth starter, who once again struggled. He got through the first and second innings without much trouble, except for Sox nemesis Alex Gordon's homer, but the third is where things got hairy. A series of hits and a hit batter allowed three Royals to cross home plate, erasing the Sox' lead. Kudos to the Sox bullpen, however, for keeping the game within reach.

The Sox bats were alive in the first inning, getting to Meche early for two runs on a walk and two hits, but Meche settled down and the Sox bats went into Pitiful Road Mode until the eighth and ninth innings, but sadly they weren't able to catch up in the end.

Tomorrow night, it's Beckett against Bannister. Beckett has the ERA advantage, but his teammates need to score some runs for him.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!

On the Right Side of the Broom Again

Sox: 5 A's: 2

The Sox come back from being swept by the Halos with a sweep of the other American League team in The Golden State. Dice-K throws a lot of pitches (as usual) but picks up win #12. Bay keeps the hits coming, going 2 for 4, and makes the plays in the outfield, like throwing Ellis out at second. Lowrie adds two more ribbies, tripling in the 4th with two men on. So young, yet so clutch! Papi continues to struggle at the plate, getting his timing back after nearly 2 months on the DL, but his teammates are taking up the slack, especially Youk, whose power numbers are up this year and could end up with close to 30 homers by season's end.

Tomorrow the Sox head out to Kansas City to play the Royals, who they no-hit and swept in May. The KC crew won't have to face Lester this time and I'm sure they're thanking their lucky stars about that. Then it's on to Chicago where they play those other Sox.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!! WAY TO COUNTER-SWEEP THE A'S!!!!

Do Two Two-Run Homers Equal a Grand Slam?

Sox: 12 A's: 2

Ok, I know the answer to that is no, but Youk still got 4 RBI's worth out of them. Jason Bay hit his first long ball as a Red Sox, stroking a 3-run shot in the 5-run first inning. In that inning, A's starter Dana Eveland allowed five straight hits. In the third inning, Lowrie came up big with the bases juiced by hitting a bases-clearing double. Lowrie's become quite the clutch hitter at the major league level. His fielding is very solid as well, both at short and at 3rd. I believe he can play 2nd as well. Everyone, save for defensive replacement Ellsbury, got a hit. It's looking like the Sox are getting some of their Fenway mojo back. Losing the distraction of the Manny Circus, plus the solid play of Bay, has helped. Bay is fitting in with the Sox nicely. His plate discipline has Red Sox written all over. He's working the at-bats with the best of them!

Lester continues to be the most consistent Sox starter this year, as he picks up his 10th win of the season. He ran into a little bit of trouble in the first inning, when he allowed a two-run homer off the bat of Emil Brown. He got out of the inning with only those two runs, however, when he induced an inning-ending double play. The two runs in the first would be all the A's would score tonight. From the bottom of the first on, it was all Red Sox.

The last time the Sox played the A's, in Oakland, they were swept. Tomorrow, they have the chance to complete a revenge sweep of the A's at Fenway. Dice-K is on the mound, looking for win #12 on the season. Dallas Braden, another A's lefty is his opponent.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!

Welcome to Boston, Jason Bay!

Sox: 2 A's: 1

Jason Bay's first game as a Red Sox was a long, but hugely successful one. The left fielder from North of the Border, who came over from the Pirate ship in the trade that sent Manny westbound into Joe Torre's realm, scored both of the game's runs, with some help from the rookie Jed Lowrie. Lowrie hit a sac fly that brought him home in the 2nd, scoring the game's first run following his first Red Sox at-bat, where he drew a walk. Bay was on base four times, with two walks, a triple, and being hit by a pitch. He made a run-saving diving catch and played the ball well off the wall in his debut. The Fenway crowd welcomed Bay with open arms and plenty of homemade signs, many of which played on Massachusetts' official nickname of "The Bay State". He got a standing ovation as he walked to the plate for his first at-bat and as he took first on the walk, not to mention when he scored the team's first run two batters later.

Though the offense was far from overwhelming, especially with RISP, the team played better than they had since Sunday night's win over the Yanks. The A's aren't exactly the Angels, but the Sox had an energy to their play that had been lacking earlier in the week. An energy that came from making a fresh start.

Tomorrow, Lester takes the mound against A's lefty Dana Eveland. Let's hope Mikey Lowell is okay and doesn't need to go on the DL. He left the game in the 10th after tweaking his hip running to first.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!! CONGRATS ON A GREAT DEBUT BY JASON BAY!!!!