Gonzo to OF? Not so fast!

Back from vaykay! I was able to watch a few of the games while I was away from my NESN subscription at home and I'm happy the Red Sox went 5-1 while I was visiting family in Charleston, SC. As the team prepares for the 9-game roadie in NL parks, a dilemma has presented itself to the Nation: Should the Sox play Adrian Gonzalez in the outfield in order to keep Papi in the lineup? Both hitters are batting well above .300 and have 32 dingers between them. Unfortunately, they both happen to play first base. Other than his primary job of DH-ing, Papi can occasionally play first. That's the only position he's played in NL parks in the past. The starting first baseman, Gonzo is a gold-glover and, so far, a legitimate MVP candidate.

Playing Gonzo out of position in, say, right field, would not only risk injury to such a valuable asset to the team, but it would weaken the right side defense considerably, making it especially attractive to hitters. As for Papi, NL rules call for pinch-hitting far more regularly than in the AL. Once the starting pitcher is out of the game, his space in the lineup is usually given to a pinch-hitter off the bench. Having a bat like Papi's off the bench could prove very valuable to the Red Sox and he can get his at-bats that way. Resting Gonzo for a game or two if they're really concerned about getting Papi more at-bats is also an option, but Gonzo should get the vast majority of the starts at first.

Playing by NL rules puts AL teams with highly-productive DH's, such as the Red Sox, at a disadvantage. However, any AL team that makes it to the World Series must forfeit that DH spot when they play at the NL team's ballpark. Ideally, the AL team wins the All-Star game and home field advantage in the World Series. If that AL team turns out to be the Red Sox, home field advantage could be huge, especially if said NL team is the Phillies.

Tonight, Aceves starts in place of Beckett, who is getting over a bout of tummy trouble (or, in Tito-ese, "intestinal turmoil") With Wake in the rotation, Aceves has become the long-reliever/spot starter guy. Last night, the Sox unloaded a can of whoop-ass on the Padres in a 10-run 7th inning. Will more offensive fireworks follow tonight?

Party's Over

It had to end sometime, right? Sure, it would have been nice if they had stretched the win streak to double digits, but it wasn't to be. Shields is a beast in his home dome and the Sox couldn't put together very many good at-bats against him. It didn't help that Shields owns Youk and Youk happens to bat cleanup. The only cleaning up Youk did was in Shields' favor, by hitting into 2 inning-ending double-plays. Ells' running game was silenced also, as he wasn't able to get himself in scoring position for Gonzo to drive him in. Gonzo himself had 3 hits, all singles. Unfortunately, this put him on first with less than two outs and tonight's double-play machine on deck. Seeing that he would probably be bested by Papi, Tek, and possibly even former Red Sox Sean Casey and Doug Mirabelli in a footrace, stealing to take away the double-play was not an option. He's one of the best hitters in the league and a helluva first baseman, but any reference to "Speedy Gonzalez" would be in jest.

Wake pitched very well, going 7 innings and allowing only one earned run (2 total). He had the misfortune of matching up with Shields, who owns the Sox in the Trop. He deserved a better fate than to be stuck with the loss (which is why I take a pitcher's win-loss record with a grain of salt. The ERA and number of quality starts is more indicative of performance than a stat based partly on elements beyond the pitcher's control, especially in the AL)

I'll be on vacation for a week starting tomorrow and won't have NESN where I'll be, so no blogs 'til I get back. In the meantime, I hope the Red Sox can bounce back and take the next 2 against the Rays. At the very least, win 1 out of 3. The Yankees aren't allowing the Red Sox to gain any distance in the division and actually gained a game tonight, beating the Rangers while the Red Sox lost to the Rays.

It's interesting how some teams just seem to own other teams. In the case of the Red Sox, they've owned the Angels, Tigers, and, so far this season, the Yankees, but the White Sox, Rangers, and Rays seem to own them. I have no doubt that this holds true for pretty much any team, but I have yet to figure out what it is about certain teams matching up that causes one team to dominate (or be dominated by) another.

Party At The Plate

They've been a pitcher's worst nightmare so far on this road trip. One by one, they've been devouring the opposing teams' starters, as well as their bullpens. The Yankees were happy to bid them good riddance, as are the Blue Jays. The Red Sox bats have been scorching through their division rivals after sweeping the A's to end their last homestand. They now have the longest win streak so far in the majors this year and the longest for them in over two years.

As ugly as the Red Sox' offensive stats looked at the beginning of the season, they look that much prettier now: They lead the majors in batting average, runs scored, on-base percentage, and OPS (on-base plus slugging) and are second in slugging percentage. Adrian Gonzalez leads the AL in 2 of the 3 triple crown categories (batting average and RBI) and the majors in RBI and looks like he could give Jose Bautista a run for his money as an MVP candidate. Big Papi has turned back the clock to 2007, hitting for average as well as power. Youk and Pedey look to be heating up after slow starts. Scoots has been earning his job back as the everyday shortstop upon returning from the DL. Crawford continues to improve his performance at the plate and Ells has become the quintessential leadoff hitter. Tek and Salty are giving the team some pop from the catcher position. Drew and Lowrie are on the schneid, but with the rest of the team hitting like they have been, their slumps have hardly been a problem.

The scary-good offense has helped on the other side of the ball as well. Pitchers feel freer to go after hitters when they're getting boatloads of run support. Seeing the Red Sox play the kind of baseball they're playing now is thrilling, especially after watching them chase their collective tails in April. Tomorrow, they have an off day in Tampa Bay before starting a 3-gamer against the Rays. I hope that off-day allows them to catch their breath, but doesn't kill their momentum. With the Yankees keeping pace, not allowing the Red Sox to gain any more distance in the East, the Sox need to keep charging through and make the statement that this division is theirs. When they come back from Tampa, they dive into interleague play, where they usually do pretty well.

By the way, the offensive categories aren't the only ones that have Red Sox among the league leaders. Lester, winning his ninth game in today's rout, leads the league in wins and Beckett still leads in ERA at 2.06. It's great to see all the talent on this team start producing at such a high level. The pre-season hype may have been premature, but when this team plays to their potential, it starts to make more sense.

Seven Up

In the wee hours of yesterday morning, the Red Sox put up 7 runs in the 7th inning to eventually beat the Yankees 8-3 and pull off their second sweep of their archrivals at Yankee Stadium so far this season, a feat that hadn't been achieved in nearly a century. Less than 24 hours later, the Sox defeated the Blue Jays in Toronto for their 7th straight win. Having arrived north of the border at around 6 am after making the last out against the Yankees at quarter to 2, the Sox must have either gotten some sleep during the day or they were running on pure adrenaline.

Clay Buchholz made the start on six days rest and gave the Sox 7 innings of 1-run ball. He was given the extra rest to take care of some back pain he experienced in his last start. Feeding on past success against the Jays, Buchholz pitched like he was pain-free and didn't allow a hit until the 4th inning. The offense put up 5 runs for him and gave him his 5th win of the season. Pedey returned to the lineup after learning his knee pain was just a bruised kneecap. (Yay! No knee surgery!). He too enjoyed a successful night, going 3 for 4 with a walk. Gonzalez saw his RBI streak extend to 7 games and his total for the season is a major league-leading 57. Ells continues to rake at the top of the lineup, going 3 for 5. If he, Gonzo, and Papi aren't in the All-Star Game, then the fix is in. Each hitting over .300, these three lefties are leading the Red Sox offense and a big part of the reason they've climbed the ranks of the AL East.

Tomorrow, Lackey tries to extend the Red Sox winning streak to a season-high 8 games. Will the day game after the night game after the overnight travel catch up to the Red Sox, or will they keep powering through?

Pedey's Knee and the 2011 Edition of Grand Central DL

Late last night, after the Red Sox feasted on a heaping serving of Yankee Pot Roast (and after I wrote my last blog entry) it was revealed that Pedey may need knee surgery. What? KNEE surgery? When did this happen? It turns out he's been nursing a sore right knee since May 16 when he landed on said knee when making a play against the O's. That, along with his "screwy" left foot have played a role in his nearly season-long scuffle at the plate. Should he need to go under the knife, his bat won't be missed as much as his Gold Glove defense (save for the spot-on Bill Buckner imitation last Saturday that was partly responsible for the game lasting 14 innings).

Which other Red Sox are aching and ailing? Here's a list:

1. Dice-K: Tommy John surgery on Friday. He's gone for the season and probably most of next season as well.
2. Rich Hill: Tommy John surgery today. At least he gets to keep his 2011 ERA of 0.
3. Bobby Jenks: He had just come off the DL last week and now he's back on, this time with an aching back.
4. Salty: In the words of Tito, "intestinal turmoil" He dodged the appendicitis bullet, so he should be back very soon and the DL shouldn't be a factor.
5. Buchholz: Another aching back, his start was skipped yesterday and his status right now is up in the air. No DL yet.

Fortunately, the Sox just got Lackey and Scoots back from the DL. Scoots' return is especially important if Pedey's knee needs fixing. He just may have got his starting job back and maybe even keep Pedey's lineup spot warm for him. A right-handed bat who has plenty of experience hitting near the top of the order, Scoots is a logical option to bat in the 2-hole. Putting Crawford second stacks three lefties in a row, as does slotting Drew or Lowrie there, with Lowrie batting from the left side more often than from the right. I can't imagine Pedey being in the lineup tonight, even if he doesn't need surgery, so it will be interesting to see who Tito bats in his spot.

Celebrating, But With Caution

I say "with caution" because I remember 2009 all too well. The Red Sox beat the Yankees in 8 straight, then went on to lose all but one of the rest of the games in the season series. While the teams are made up differently this year, with different strengths and weaknesses, and while I believe the Red Sox are the better overall team, I also believe--and I say this grudgingly--that the Yankees are a much better team than they appear to be when they've played against the Sox so far this season. That being said, had the Red Sox not faceplanted out of the gate this season with a 2-10 record and instead went something like 6-6, all other things being equal they would be 5 games up on the Yankees right now instead of 1.

You have to give the Red Sox props for taking charge, at least so far, when facing their archrivals. The best way to gain ground against them in the division race is to beat them in head-to-head competition. The offense has really made hay in Yankee Stadium: So far this season Youk (2), Salty, Gonzo (2), Papi (3), Ells, Crawford and Drew have all gone yard there and the Sox have scored 29 runs total in 5 games. Even when the pitching hasn't been lights-out, the bats have done enough damage to keep the Red Sox in the W column. They've made pinatas out of Freddy Garcia and A.J. Burnett. What happens tomorrow night when Beckett and Sabathia duke it out with a sweep at stake remains to be seen. The 2 aces have matched up twice already this season, with Beckett taking both contests while shutting out the Yanks to boot. Those two starts will be a tough act to follow and it's unfair to expect him to throw another shutout, but if Beckett can keep the boys from the Bronx to at the most 2 or 3 runs and his teammates keep hitting in the Stadium like they have been, he has an excellent chance to take Round 3.

That's A Lot of Baseball!

They say good things come to those who wait. And wait. And wait. It took 14 innings over more than 5 hours of baseball for the Red Sox to pull out a walk-off win over the Oakland A's in what was--at least after the 8th inning--supposed to be an easy win for the Boston boys. When Papelbon took the mound in the top of the 9th with the Sox ahead 7-3, there was little doubt that, while he might not be as sharp as he usually is in save situations, he'd put the game away and secure Beckett's 5th win of the season, even if he gave up a run or two in the process.

NOT. SO. FAST.

If this were April, such an inning would have practically guaranteed a Red Sox loss. It began with a Mark Ellis single, followed by a Daric Barton walk. Pap fanned backup catcher Landon Powell, then up to the plate strode former Red Sox Coco Crisp. He hit a grounder to second that Pedey tried to get a glove on for an easy double-play, but instead the ball rolled through his legs a la Buckner and Ellis scored from second. Okay, one run, no biggie.

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

Cliff Pennington lined a double to left that was just barely fair and Barton scored. Tek took umbrage at the way home plate ump Tony Randazzo was calling some of Pap's pitches and got tossed for arguing balls and strikes. Salty strapped on his gear and came into the game in Tek's place. The change of catcher didn't help Pap, who promptly surrendered a 2-run single to Conor Jackson to tie the game at 7 a side.

F-L-U-S-H!

Down the crapper went the 4-run lead! Pap was perplexed by the calls he was getting and approached Salty to discuss the strike zone with him. This did not sit well with Randazzo, who barked at Pap and gave him the heave-ho too. Pap was now pissed something fierce and charged over to Randazzo to give him a piece of his mind. Tito popped out of the dugout (though not as fast as he'd wanted to, he would say after the game) and got between Randazzo and Pap.

The closer having been ejected from the game, Tito called on Bobby Jenks to finish out the inning. After a single by Sweeney put runners on the corners, still with only one out, Jenks punched out Josh Willingham and Hideki Matsui, only ball got away from Salty on the Matsui whiff. Fortunately for the Red Sox, Matsui doesn't run well and Salty was able to throw him out at first, negating the run that had crossed the plate in the process.

After that freak show of a half-inning (the only thing missing was one of the A's players biting one of the Red Sox, a la Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals), the Sox fail to re-take the lead in the bottom of the 9th. With all the momentum on the A's side,

INTO EXTRAS WE GO!

Jenks, back out for the 10th, throws a scoreless frame. Gonzo leads off the bottom of the inning with a single, is lifted for pinch-runner Drew Sutton. He's left on base when Youk pops out, Cameron, pinch-hitting for Reddick, who pinch-ran for Papi in the 8th, grounds out and Crawford flies out.

Now Aceves is in for the Red Sox. He allowed the A's to pull ahead with a walk, a double, and a sac fly, but kept it at one run when Willingham grounded into a force-out of Conor Jackson at the plate and, after a Matsui single, got Ellis to pop out to end the inning. With the A's All-Star closer coming on for the bottom of the 11th, it looked like it might be over for the Sox.

NOT. SO. FAST.

After two quick outs, Salty doubled high off the Monster, just missing a game-tying dinger. Ells finished the job, however with a ground-rule double. Rather than face Pedey, the A's put him on and pitch to Sutton. Sutton works the count full, but strikes out to end the threat. They tied the game, but couldn't push the lead run across. More extra frames coming up.

Aceves settled down for a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the 12th, but the Sox couldn't muster a run after a leadoff walk, a failed sac bunt, a strikeout, and a popout. Aceves, who came off the field after the 12th with a cut on his pitching hand, got himself taped up and pitched the 13th, retiring the side in order once again. If this were a playoff game, it might be known as the "Bloody Hand Game". Yes, though no biting took place, there was some bloodshed.

The bottom of the 13th played out much like the bottom of the 11th, with the A's pitching around Pedey (who's hitting .239, by the way) to face Sutton after Ells singled and stole second. Sutton lined out to Ellis at second and the Sox were headed for the 14th.

Aceves worked around a leadoff walk and an infield single to preserve the tie. That left Youk, Cam and Crawford to try to break through in the bottom of the inning. Youk and Cameron couldn't do anything against A's reliever Guillermo Moscoso, but Crawford doubled, making this his 3rd 4-hit game of the season. Though Lowrie had gone 0 for 6, his .293 average next to JD Drew's .228 led to him getting the 4-finger salute from Oakland. JD had struck out in 4 consecutive at-bats before standing in the batter's box in the 14th. This time, he lined a single to center to score Crawford and put a merciful end to this long, drawn-out marathon of a game and send the Fenway crowd home happy for having stuck it out to the end. Heck, I'm exhausted just writing about this game! The happy ending, though, made it all

WORTH THE WAIT!