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!!!!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
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!!!!!
LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!
Monday, August 11, 2008
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!!!!
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!!!!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
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!!!!
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!!!!
Monday, August 4, 2008
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!!!!
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!!!!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
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!!!!
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!!!!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
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!!!!!
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!!!!!
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