Game 131: A’s 15, Sox 5

Wakefield gets pounded again as he went for his 200^th career win for the 6^th time. Wakefield gave up 8 runs of which only 4 were earned due to a Saltalamacchia passed ball on what should have been a third out strikeout to end the 4^th inning. The bullpen didn't stop the bleeding either. Atchison looked good giving up 1 run in 3 innings but Albers gave up 4 in the 8^th and McDonald (yes, Darnell McDonald the outfielder) giving up another 2 in the 9^th.

Ortiz led the offense with 3 hits including a home run. Pedroia also hit a solo home run. Sox score 5 runs on 11 hits and 4 BBs but it wasn’t enough.

Game 130: Sox 6, Walker 0

Sox win the series with a shutout of the Rangers. Good series to win. Gonzalez continued his hot streak hitting two more home runs. Ortiz and Saltalamacchia chipped in with home runs of their own too. Miller got the start as Francona didn’t think Wakefield had much of a shot getting win number 200 against the hard hitting Rangers. Miller had his longest outing of the season going 6 1/3 innings with only 3 hits and 2 walks to 6 Ks.

Game 129: Sox 13, Walker 2

Sox pound out another win at the expense of the Rangers. Ortiz had been sitting with a heel injury but came back in this game and went 2 for 5 with 2 runs. Crawford, Ellsbury, and Gonzalez all had 2 run home runs and Beckett went 6 innings giving up only 1 run an 4 hits and 2 walks.

Game 128: Sox 11, Walker 5

And we're back.

I've caught back up on my viewing after what's been a surprisingly busy month work-wise, socially, and extracurricular-wise. I never got too far behind on the viewings, a week at most, but obviously the blog has suffered as it's been a month since I last posted.

And what a month. The Sox have gone from coasting with thoughts about what it will take to win 100 games to clinging desperately to a wild card berth, hoping to just win 90 games. The culprit has been the pitching. A combination of injuries, bullpen implosions, and just plain bad luck has left the Sox looking lost and incapable of winning "the big game."

In hopes of jump starting the team this last week of the regular season and hopefully into the playoffs, I'm going to go through the awkward process of trying to write a recap for all of the games I've watched but haven't posted about. They may be short and may just boil down to what stands out from reading the box score or watching a highlight reel, but at least they'll be there for posterity's sake. So here we go...

The good times were still rolling when this game happened. Sox came back after a first game loss to the Rangers to pound them for 11 runs for their first win of the year against Texas. Gonzalez hit two home runs and Ellsbury came back from his first game off the DL with a leadoff hit. Lackey got the win giving up 4 runs in 6 2/3 innings.

Game 127: Sox 0 Walker 4

Not a good start. Rangers really have our number this year. We obviously didn't send our best lineup out there but the difference in this game was that the Rangers' offense was efficient and ours wasn't. If you're gonna hit a home run, it better be of the three-run variety type. If the ump blows a call and everyone is safe, you better take advantage. The Rangers did it and we didn't.

Bedard pitched another game where it seemed like he was good enough to win but just couldn't get the run support. His only mistake was a 3 run shot by Napoli with two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the 6th. Albers looked shaky again loading the bases before weaseling his way out of it. Morales did a good job of throwing strikes, getting 2 Ks.

At the dish, the Sox were missing punch. Only four hits on the game (Gonzalez, Pedroia, Lowrie, and Crawford) and they were all singles. Lavarnway did a great job of being patient working two walks. Nice to see from the rookie. But we've got to do better tomorrow. Hopefully good Lackey shows up. I have my doubts though.

Game 126: Sox 6 Royales 1

Sox win the series with an all around constant hammering away at the Royals. Sox piled up 10 hits and 3 walks on the game while Lester, Bard, and Wheeler held the Royals to just 3 hits and 4 walks. McDonald and Crawford each hit solo home runs and McDonald had a three hit game. Lavarnway had another 2 hit game too. In fact, Pedroia and Reddick were the only starters that went hitless. All joking aside, Crawford really has start to look like a different player lately. He's still swinging at some bad pitches and is behind on some fastballs but he's really squaring up the breaking balls well. Hopefully good things are coming up.

Lester looked fantastic getting 1-2-3 innings while the Sox chipped away against the Royals' pitching. Bard pitched 2 innings. I'm really surprised with how much work he's had all season already. Tito's gotta get him so rest so he's fresh in October. Sox got three runs in the top of the 8th so that would have seemed like the ideal time to send someone besides Bard back out there. Someone like Wheeler who came in the 9th.

Good thing we got the series win as we've got 4 against the Rangers in Texas next. It's gonna be hot. Maybe even hotter than it was here today (my car thermometer said 94)!

Game 125: Sox 4 Royales 9

Dang it! Wakefield must be snakebitten. Sox have the three run lead going into the bottom of the 6th and still have a one run lead when Wakefield gets pulled with one out but Albers gives up 5 runs in 1/3 of an inning to get the loss and blow Wakefield's win. Wakefield didn't look great (5.1 IP, 4 ER, 9 H, 3 K) but it should have been enough. It's tough winning when you give up an 8 spot in any inning. Morales and Wheeler teamed up to finish the game.

Ellsbury didn't play today after getting hit in the back yesterday by a pitch. So the offense was really missing the punch you'd expect to see. Scutaro led off and McDonald batted 2nd. Still, the offense did okay with what they had. Everyone got a hit except Scutaro and Gonzalez. Lavarnway got 2 hits and his first RBI of his career. Overall though, a quite night at the plate.

There goes the sweep but Lester's on the mound next so we gotta win the series.

Game 124: Sox 7 Royales 1

Sox jumped all over Royals starter Jeff Francis in this game piling up 11 hits and 5 runs before chasing him after 5 innings. Aviles, Gonzalez, and Lowrie led the charge with 8 hits between them. Saltalamacchia hit his 12th home run of the season, a 3 run shot in the 5th that blew the game open. Even Crawford looked good today! Pedroia was the only starter without a hot today although he was intentionally walked twice. Sox rookie Ryan Lavarnway got his first hit in the bigs.

Miller got the start today and I'm not sure why. I guess it has to do with the day night doubleheader against the Rays and no days off since then meaning someone would have had to pitch on 3 days rest. He pitched really well in the spot start going 5 1/3 while giving up only 1 run on 3 hits, 2 walks, and 3 Ks. He deservedly got the win. Aceves pitched a shutout for the remainder of the game to earn the old school save.

Two games won, two more to go. Wakefield going for #200 yet again.

Game 123: Sox 4 Royales 3

This was an exciting game right until the end. Sox and Royals went back and forth for awhile until Pedroia gives the Sox the win. He was the star of the game with 3 hits and 3 RBI. Sox were without Ortiz (injured heel) and Youkilis (on the DL) so they took a much more aggressive approach on the base paths, stealing 4 bases. Carl Crawford had two of those and was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a fly ball. It was a close play but the ball clearly beat him at the plate.

Beckett looked pretty good but not dominating. Seven innings and three runs isn't the best Beckett we've seen this year but was still very good. He only struck out 4 which was indicative of his lack of dominance. But still, that's win 10 of the year for him. Bard got the hold in the 8th and Papelbon closed out the game for the save.

Good start of a 4 game series against the Royals. We haven't been taking care of business against teams we should be beating lately. So it'll be especially important to beat up on the Royals while we're in KC.

Game 122: Rays 4 Sox 0

Yep, it was ugly. Lackey actually pitched a lot better than he has in previous starts that he's won. But Prices had the Sox's number in this one. Eight innings and only 3 hots and 3 walks. Sox didn't even do a good job working counts to get Price out of the game. Ellsbury, Pedroia, and Youkilis were the only batters with a hit. Ellsbury had the biggest, a leadoff triple in the 6th, but he got caught trying to come home on a hard hit ground ball by Gonzalez. That was really the only legitimate scoring threat all day.

Lackey went 6 2/3 and gave up all 4 runs the Rays scored. They scored an unearned run in the first but took care of business in the 4th and 5th with solo home runs. Lackey was chased in the 7th with two outs by a run scoring double. All in all, he really looked quite good. Six hits, 3 walks, and 7 Ks isn't too shabby. Aceves and Wheeler finished the game.

You'd really like to win these series against the Rays but their pitching is pretty good. We'll have to hope for better matchups next time.

Game 121: Rays 6 Sox 2

Yup, Niemann had our number again. Second half of the double header had the same number of hits as the first but turned into only 2 runs (solo shots by Ellsbury and Varitek). Unfortunately, Bedard could not hold down the Rays the way Lester did. Bedard gave up 3 runs in 6 innings but only one was earned. He actually looked really good, striking out 6 but was victimized by poor defense.

Lowrie struck in the second not being able to make the play on Zobrist's bunt to start the inning (no error though). He then skipped a ball into home trying to get Zobrist out as he tried to score on a ground ball (scored an error). In the 4th he was positioned perfectly, starting the 5-4-3 triple play, the first by the Red Sox since Valentin had an unassisted triple play in 1994. But he went back to being a defensive liability in the 8th. He couldn't get the tag down in time to get Zobrist stealing third despite the throw easily beating him. Then the Sox caught Upton in a run down trying to steal second when Zobrist got caught too far off third. Lowrie muffed the throw home however and Zobrist scored. So I'm pinning three of the Rays runs on Lowrie. Sheesh.

No Ortiz or Scutaro today. Scutaro apparently has stiffness in his back but NESN was not very clear on what was keeping Ortiz out of the lineup. I didn't realize how much of an impact Ortiz has on our lineup until I saw Crawford batting 5th in game 1 and batting as a DH in game 2. What about this season does Francona not see that makes him think Crawford deserves to bat anywhere beside 9th? There are no starters on this team that I would like to have fewer at bats than Crawford so bat him 9th!

Rubber game tomorrow featuring Price v Lackey. Could be ugly.

Game 120: Rays 1 Sox 3

Quick game and a pitcher's duel to start the double header. It wasn't looking good for Lester after the first inning. Two doubles in the inning and the Rays looked like they were all over Lester. Fortunately, he got out of the inning with only the one run. Two more baserunners in the 2nd inning but after that only one baserunner in the last 5 innings. His final line was 7 IP, 1 ER on 3 Hs and 1 BB with 8 Ks. Bard and Papelbon pitched perfect innings to finish the game.

Lester was nearly matched by Shields who had a complete game loss and only gave up 3 hits and 1 walk. Unfortunately for him, those three hits all came in the 3rd inning. Reddick and Aviles both singled before Ellsbury hit his 21st home run of the season. That was all the Sox needed and that was all they got.

Game 2 of the doubleheader features Bedard and Niemann. Niemann is one of those guys who doesn't look very good ( 4.05 career ERA, 1.31 WHIP) but somehow always seems to beat the Sox. Let's get some runs and give Bedard his first W as a Sox!

Game 119: Sox 3 M’s 5

Day game after a night game meant no BP this game either. It was a poor BP showing from us this weekend. We had awesome seats about 7 rows up from the Red Sox dugout, on the home plate side no less. I bought them at our company’s charity auction and it was well worth the money. A co-worker of mine joined us as well as a friend of mine I know through frisbee.

Unfortunately, the Sox play was not as awesome as the seats. Wakefield was going for his 200^th win yet again and the Mariner’s countered with new acquisition Charlie Furbush (from the Fister trade with Detroit). I decided to score the game just in case history was made while we were at the ballpark.

For the first 2 ½ innings we got the pitcher’s duel we thought we’d get the day before. But then a series of unfortunate events unfolded for Wakefield. He walked Wells to start the inning, who then stole 2^nd and went to 3^rd on a throwing error by Salty. Wilson plated the run on an infield hit and went to second on a single by Seager. Ichiro grounded into what should have been a double play but everyone ended up being safe after the ump said Lowrie missed the bag on the transfer and didn’t get the ball to Wakefield in time to get Ichiro. Again, no replay at the ballpark. Gutierrez hit a sac fly for the first out of the inning. Ackley walked and Carp singled to score the 3^rd and final run of the inning.

Sox could only counter with one run the next inning on a sac fly with one out and the bases loaded. Crawford killed the rally with an infield pop out. In the 5^th, the Mariners got another run with three consecutive singles from Ichiro, Gutierrez, and Ackley. The Mariners got their final run of the game on another home run from Wells in the 6^th. Sox looked like they were going to go pretty quietly until Youkilis hit a two out, two run home run in the 8^th to make it a 2 run game. But League pitched another perfect ninth for the win.

Too bad for Wakefield as he pitched the complete game loss. I don’t know why the Sox always seem to struggle when they play in Seattle, no matter how well they’re playing and how poorly the Mariners are playing. Dad thinks it must be the nice weather distracting them. Either that or it’s his replica Yastrzemski jersey.

Well, that catches me all up. Sox have a doubleheader against Tampa Bay tomorrow which should put right behind schedule again. It’s getting tougher and tougher to stay motivated and watch the games. Hopefully being able to see the finish line will keep me interested.

Game 118: Sox 4 M’s 5

We missed the top half of the first inning of this game. I was playing in a big tournament up in Burlington during the day and by the time we got back home, showered, and parked near the ball park we were about 15 minutes late. We had seats in the 2^nd level (terrace club level) along the 1^st base line. We got to the stadium just in time to see Beckett blow up. Ichiro hit a home run just as we walked into the stadium and the Mariners followed up with three more hits and two more runs before Beckett got his first out. He gave up a 2-run home run to Caspar Wells before getting out of the inning. So much for a pitcher’s duel between Beckett and Felix!

Felix cruised through his innings and Beckett settled down. In the top of the 4^th there was a strange play at the plate. Ellsbury was on third after walking, taking 2^nd on an error, and Crawford’s infield single. With one out, Pedroia flied out to middle to shallow right field and despite Ichiro’s arm, Ellsbury decided to test him. The ball beat him to the plate but the slide essentially put Ellsbury’s knee into catcher Bard’s chin. The ump looked for the ball and called Ellsbury safe even though Bard was holding the ball in his hand. The umps convened and reversed the call drawing Tito’s ire and getting him thrown out of the game. Once again, no replay meant everyone in the ballpark was completely clueless about what happened and what the ruling is. Thanks for making coming to the ballpark less attractive Mariners.

In the 6^th, the Sox finally made their comeback. Scutaro lead off the inning with a triple into the left field gap. Ellsbury brought him home with a home run a few rows into the right field seats. Crawford flied out to deep center but with the shift on, Gonzalez laid down the perfect bunt right down the third base line, easily walking to first base. Stupid shift. Pedroia then made them pay with a home run that just barely cleared the fence in right. Ortiz singled against the shift but unfortunately, that’s all we would get. Reddick struck out, Aviles singled, and Varitek lined out to kill the rally.

The rest of the game was pretty quite. In the 8^th, McDonald pinch ran for Ortiz after he singled but got called out stealing on a very close play. Only after seeing the replay (at home of course) did I believe that the ump got the call right. League pitched a perfect 9^th to get the save for the Mariners.

A tough loss but not unexpected with Felix on the mound, even if we were throwing Beckett.

Game 117: Sox 6 M’s 4

Dad drove up this Friday for the start of the Sox-M’s series here in Seattle. We got to the game in time to see the very end of the Sox batting practice. So no stories of, ‘Player X was really crushing it in BP today! He should have a good game today.” We were sitting up in the upper deck, behind home plate, a little on the third base side.

Seattle got off to an early start on Lackey, putting up two runs before getting the first out of the game. Seemed like everything Lackey threw got torched. Ortiz answered in the top of the 2^nd with a deep home run to straight away center. Of course, both Dad and I had gotten up so we both missed it! There was a scary play two batters later. Crawford was on second after hitting a single and stealing second. Saltalamacchia hit a grounder to first baseman Justin Smoak who took the big bounce off the face and fractured his nose. Crawford nearly got thrown out rounding third as the third base coach was waving him in (Bogar!). Smoak came out of the game and was put on the DL. Scary moment. Of course the Mariners’ arcane practice of refusing to show any replays at the ballpark meant nobody in the upper deck knew exactly what happened. More on the replay policy later. Aviles hit a sac fly for one run but that’s all we got.

Lackey’s troubles continued in the 2^nd giving up a run on 3 hits and a walk. The third inning was better but in the 4^th he gave up another run on a single, SB, and a double. Sox answered in the top of the 5th with a deep home run from Lowrie into the right field seats. Lackey pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 5^th and 6^th and the Sox took the lead in the top of the 6^th after Saltalamacchia singled and Reddick hit a monster home run off the Hit It Here Café. In the 7^th the Sox got some insurance after Gonzalez hit a double, went to third on a bunt from Pedroia, and Ortiz singled him in.

Lackey pitched to one batter in the 7^th before getting pulled. I swear Tito does that intentionally just to mess with him. I don’t notice him pulling any other pitcher in the middle of an inning nearly as much as he does with Lackey. Morales gave up a single and a sacrifice before getting a K and letting Bard finish the inning with a K of his own. Bard also pitched the 8^th before Papelbon came in the 9^th for the save. We watched the 9^th from the scoreboard bar and outside of an infield single, Papelbon coasted through the inning.

Somehow Lackey ekes his way into another win despite pitching pretty poorly. The streak continues although it just goes to show the wins are a stupid statistic.

Game 116: Sox 2 Twinkies 5

Sox work all the way back to a tie in the top of the 8^th only to blow 3 runs in the bottom half of the inning and lose the game. Lester went back out in the eighth despite the high pitch count and the game being tied and promptly gave up a walk and a double sandwiching a ground out before getting the hook. Normally surefooted Aceves then allowed 3 hits and a IBB before getting pulled himself. Miller walked one more before finishing a messy inning and game for the Sox.

Sox could only manage 2 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks for the game. One of those hits was even a solo home run from Big Papi, his 23^rd of the season. That comes with only two innings going 1-2-3 for the Sox. Sometimes this team seems like the model for inefficiency. They’ll get their hits and sometimes they’ll score a ton of runs but it seems like their squandering opportunities left and right almost every game. Oh well. At least their getting opportunities.

I finished this game just in time for the start of the Mariners series. I didn’t want to watch the games out of order so it was fortunate I was able to catch up before we started going to all three games here in Seattle this weekend.

Game 115: Sox 4 Twinkies 3

This was a close game mostly due to home plate umpire Tim McClelland’s tight zone in the first inning. Bedard got squeezed in the first walking 4 and giving up 2 runs. The rest of the game McClelland’s zone seemed pretty fair but that first inning he was giving the hitters anything on the edge of the strike zone. Sox had gotten 2 walks in their half of the inning too but couldn’t push anyone across.

After that inning Bedard went 4 more scoreless innings giving up 2 hits and striking out 4. It was a good start for him and hopefully as he builds up his arm strength he’ll be able to go further and further into games. Albers gave up another run in an inning pitched on a single and a double. Morales went 2/3 of an inning and Bard went 1 1/3 to get to Papelbon, who had a 1-2-3 ninth to get the save.

The offense was pretty meager, limited to a 2-4 night from Gonzalez with a double and a 2-3 night from McDonald with his 4^th HR of the season. Pedroia showed some impressive plate discipline working 3 walks. In fact, the Twins gave up 9 walks on the night; only McDonald and Ellsbury went walkless. Yes, even Crawford got a walk.

The winning run came on the rare infield single from Ortiz. Sox loaded the bases on two walks and Gonzalez’s double. Ortiz hit a tapper back to the mound and the pitcher went to toss it home to get the force out but ended up not getting anyone. It’s a game of inches sometimes.

Sox go for the sweep next with Lester on the mound.

Game 114: Sox 8 Twinkies 6

This was the first time I had ever seen the Twins’ new ballpark. Looks great! I especially liked the dead-on center view for the at bats. They look a little far away but you can really see the ball move and where it flies in respect to the strike zone.

Sox won this one but Wakefield still couldn’t get his 200^th win of his career despite going 7 innings and only giving up 3 ER. Sox played small ball in the 7^th and 8^th trying to push across one run to take the lead and give Wakes the win. They got their run in the 8^th but Aceves promptly coughed up a run in the bottom half of the inning. With the Sox plating 2 in the 9^th, Aceves ended up getting his 8^th win of the season instead. Sheesh.

The offense was led by Ortiz who was 4-5 with a double, a home run, 3 runs, and 3 RBI. Saltalamacchia went deep right after Ortiz in the sixth for his 11^th HR of the season. Crawford got a three bagger hitting out of the number 2 slot (a mistake if you ask me). He was hitting there as Youkilis got the night off with Lowrie coming off the DL. Scutaro had three hits too; he’s been really hitting well as Lowrie’s gotten closer to coming back. Coincidence?

Liriano v Bedard in the next game. A matchup of formerly very promising looking lefties who are trying to stay healthy and in the game.

Game 113: Yanks 2 Sox 3

Woo hoo! Walkoff to win the series and give the Sox the 1 game division lead. It wasn’t looking good as the Sox were down 2-1 going into the bottom of the ninth with Rivera coming into the game. Sox had struggled to get anything going all game against Garcia. They only got one run in the 2^nd despite loading the bases with nobody out. Scutaro hit a single with one out to save face but an opportunity was missed nonetheless.

Beckett had the Yankees under wraps most of the game but gave the lead back on a solo home run in the 5^th. His line ended up being 6 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 5 Ks. Albers coughed up the lead in the 7^th on another solo home run in 2/3 of an inning. Morales cleaned up the mess he left behind. Wheeler, Papelbon, and Bard each pitched a clean inning to give the batters a chance.

In the ninth, down by one, Scutaro lead off with a wall ball that was nearly a home run to get on 2^nd. Ellsbury sacrificed him to third and Pedroia hit a sac fly to score the run. One inning, one hit, one run, game tied. In the 10^th, Ortiz hit a double and McDonald pinch ran for him. Crawford was intentionally walked to put the force on. That didn’t matter though because Reddick hit a single to left to score McDonald and win the game.

And the crowd goes wild.

Game 112: Yanks 4 Sox 10

This game was much more rewarding. In a game everyone assumed we were going to lose (Sabathia v. Lackey?), Sox continued their streak of pounding CC, getting 7 runs in 6 innings on the perennial Cy Young candidate. Crawford finally had a game to feel good about, going 4-4 with a double and three runs. Ellsbury was also huge getting his 19^th home run of the season in the 4^th inning and knocking in 6 batters on the day. Ortiz and Saltalamacchia were the only starters to go hitless, although Salty was walked twice.

On the mound, Lackey worked his magic again. Six hits and 2 walks over 6 innings were somehow turned into 3 ER and a win. Aceves, Bard, and Wheeler held the game although having a 4 run lead most of the game made that relatively easy. Lackey must have made a deal with the devil because he has not looked any worse in the last few starts than he did when he was getting shelled. He just seems to work his way out of it now.

Oh well. A win is a win and the series is up for grabs next game.

Game 111: Yanks 3 Sox 2

Wow, I’ve gotten way behind on posting after watching games. The last two weeks have been super busy. The weekend of this series I was down in Portland playing in a tournament so I was slowly catching up after the weekend. It didn’t help that it was a Yankee-Sox series; 3 ½ hours felt like a quick game. Feels a little silly writing these recaps this much later but here’s to trying to catch up.

Sox and Yankees came into this game tied for the AL East lead so no matter how you sliced it, someone was going to take the lead after these three games. Yankees started off with the W in a game the Sox really wanted to win: Lester on the mound facing Colon. Sox got out to the early lead with a double from Ellsbury in the third and a solo shot from Ortiz in the 4^th. But the wheels came off for Lester in the sixth. He had been cruising but suddenly lost control, giving up 3 hits and two walks in the inning, plating three.

After that the game was over. In the last three frames, the Yankees only got 2 baserunners and the Sox only got 1. Crawford and Reddick led the team with 2 hits a piece but overall the Yankees did a good job of spreading 8 hits and a walk over the game. The Yankees on the other hand crowded their 5 hits and 6 walks (6!) to win the game.

Game 110: Tribe 7 Sox 3

Sox couldn't quite do it this game as this one slipped away from them. Bedard made his first start as a Red Sox and pitched well but left the game tied and the bullpen couldn't keep the Indians off the board. Bedard was on a pitch count limit and left after 70 pitches in 5 innings. He gave up 3 runs on 7 hits with 5 Ks and no BBs. More impressively, his stuff looked amazing. It seemed like he needed to throw more strikes but you could easily see why when he pitches, he's a great player. We've just got to keep him healthy.

Morales gave up a 2 run home run in a third of an inning to take the loss. Aceves finished the inning for him. Miller pitched in long relief with Bedard on the pitch count limit and gave up another 2 runs in 2 2/3 innings on 4 hits and 2 walks. He's obviously not built for the bullpen. Wheeler had to come in to finish the game for him.

Ellsbury lead the batters going 2-3 with a walk. Reddick hit his 5th home run in the 4th, something sinkerballer Masterson does not give up very often. Otherwise it was a very quite night with the Sox batters only mustering 5 hits all game. Fortunately, 3 of those came in the first inning to plate 2 runs.

Well, with the Sox loss and the Yankees win, the Yankees series will start with both teams tied. The Yankees have been on an absolute tear lately but I'm honestly very surprised. They have good batters but their pitching seems very, very suspect. But they've managed to be successful and as always, the series will be exciting. Lester squares off against Colon in the first game, one we should really take.

Game 109: Tribe 3 Sox 4

Another walkoff from Ellsbury! Sox struggled all game to push people across the plate but Ellsbury saved the day by hitting a solo shot with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, his 18th HR of the season. Sox had managed to collect 9 hits and 3 walks in 7 innings against the Indians' starter but could only get three runs out of it. Pedroia and Gonzalez had multi-hit games again and Reddick continues to hit well going 2-2 with a walk.

Wakefield started but still couldn't find win no. 200. He went 6 2/3 innings but ran into trouble in the 7th inning. Jason Kipnis hit another home run for the Indians in the 4th; I swear he's hit a home run in every game this series. Randy Williams somehow managed to pitch well in relief to finish the 7th and 8th. Papelbon pitched a perfect 9th and got his 2nd win in a row.

Ellsbury's really turned it on this year. He's been a real star in CF and gives the Sox so much depth. Sox try to win the series next before hosting the Yankees this weekend.

Game 108: Tribe 2 Sox 3

Walk off! Actually, it was a lot closer than that. Saltalamacchia scores from second on a frozen rope single by Ellsbury. He had no business trying to score on that hit but third base coach Bogar sent him despite all reason and only an awful throw up the first base line combined with a picture perfect slide by Salty scored the run. Bogar has made some awful choices so far this year. I miss DeMarlo Hale who is now Tito's bench coach; he always seemed to make the right decision. Hopefully Bogar can learn when to put up the stop sign and when to send 'em in.

Beckett didn't get the win despite pitching well. I was surprised he only went 6 innings as he had only thrown 85 pitches. I didn't hear anything about an injury. He gave up 2 runs, both on solo home runs. There were only 4 other hits allowed, no walks, and 7 Ks. Typical odd year Beckett. Morales looked good going 2 innings in relief. Papelbon got the save after pitching a clean ninth.

Sox struggled offensively collecting only 5 hits in the first 8 innings. They scored one run on a wild pitch strikeout with the bases loaded. The other came on a solo home run from Youkilis. Pedroia was the only batter to get more than one hit, going 2-4. He continues to be hot and Crawford continues to look bad.

Wakefield going for win number 200 next!

Game 107: Tribe 9 Sox 6

Well, this was a back and forth game until Orsillo worked his magic again. With the game tied at 5 and Bard coming in, Orsillo comments on how long it's been since Bard gave up a run and they go to an interview with Tito on Bard. Like clockwork, Bard gives up a two run home run to Cabrera as well as the lead. Williams comes in to finish the inning and is terrible per his usual and gives up his one inherited runner. Then, as if he hadn't had enough, Orsillo comments on Albers scoreless innings streak and Albers gives up a home run to the next batter. Sheesh.

Lackey pitched okay, not great, again, going 6 2/3 innings, giving up 5 runs on 8 hits on 5 Ks. He kept the Sox in the game which is all you can ask for with this offense. Morales finished the 7th inning but the rest of the bullpen couldn't hold the lead. Thanks Don!

Crawford finally got some good hits, going 2-4 with a double and a home run. Saltalamacchia also went 2-4 with a double and a home run. Aviles got some action the 2nd half of the game, made some good defensive plays, and got his first hit as a Red Sox. He ended up scoring the Sox final run on a bloop ground rule double by Ellsbury.

Difficult loss to take especially from the bullpen which had been so good this season (thanks Don!). Bounce back tomorrow with Beckett pitching.

Game 106: BOS 5 CHI 3

Sox win the rubber series as Miller does just enough to keep the Sox in the game. On the trade deadline, the Sox trade for Erik Bedard sending prospects to the Dodgers and the Mariners to make it happen. Bedard is poised to take Miller's spot in the rotation as Buchholz appears to be more injured than was first thought. Rumor has it he may be done for the season.

Miller pitched okay in this game trying to hold onto his job. He only gave up 3 runs and struck out 8 but he gave up 10 hits and a walk over 5 2/3 innings, walking a tightrope the entire time. He left down by one. Aceves finished the sixth and, as the Sox took the lead in the top of the 7th, walked away with the win. Bard and Papelbon finished the game with Papelbon striking out all three batters he faced to get the save.

The nine through three hitters (Scutaro, Ellsbury, Pedroia, and Gonzalez) each had two hits a piece to drive the offense and Varitek hit a 2 run home run in the 2nd. Crawford went 0-4 and continues to disappoint this year. I just can't figure out how someone goes from consistent .300 hitter and 50 SBs to the total lack of any offensive contribution in just one season. I sure hope the Sox signing Crawford is not the second coming of the Mariners signing Chone Figgins.

Great to win the series against a team we've struggled against. The Indians are next, in Boston. I'm looking forward to seeing Bedard in a Red Sox uniform. Hopefully he'll look better than he did when I saw him last Friday.

Game 105: Red 10 White 2

Sox finally beat the White Sox this season and the offense come back alive. Lester looked great going 8 innings on only 98 pitches. Two earned runs on solo home runs in the 7th and 8th. Otherwise only two other hits and a walk while striking out 8. Tito pulled him after the Sox put up a crooked number in the top of the ninth as he's still recovering from his DL stint. Wheeler got two quick outs but then got in trouble giving up a walk and a double before getting that third out to finish the game.

The Sox offense was led by Gonzalez who had sat out yesterday's game with a stiff neck. He went 3-5 with his 19th home run in the ninth. Youkilis followed his shot with a deep ball of his own and went 2-5 on the night. Ortiz was the only starter without a hit as the Sox put up crooked numbers in the 5th and in the 9th.

The trade deadline looms and the Sox picked up utility infielder Mike Aviles from Kansas City for Navarro. I didn't think much of Navarro but I'm surprised the Sox went after Aviles. He seems to be too much of a free swinger. They must think Lowrie is done for the season as there doesn't seem to be room for him and Aviles. Sox are also rumored to be in the hunt for a number of starters (Jimenez, Bedard, Harden). I was at the M's game on Friday as Bedard made his first start off the DL. He looked terrible. I'm not sure if the Sox should go after any of these guys unless they know for sure Buchholz won't be available come October.

More to come as it comes!

Game 104: Carmine 1 Pale 3

Sox offense continued to struggle in this game mustering only 3 hits and 2 walks over the entire game. That made for a quick 2:10 game but a disappointing start to the series. Saltalamacchia hit a solo home run in the 3rd but the only other hits were a single by Sutton right after Saltalamacchia's shot and an infield hit by Scutaro in the 6th. Thus, Pedroia's streak came to an end at 25 games. Seemed like the Sox were always behind in the count against Floyd.

Wakefield actually pitched really well going 7 innings and only giving up 3 runs on 3 hits. He also allowed 2 walks but struck out 5. Aceves finished with a perfect 8th inning. Watching the games this season, I've become a fan of having computers call the balls and strikes. I don't think umpires are biased towards one team or another or that the Sox in particular have been hurt but every now and then there's an umpire whose zone alters the outcome of the game. Today's zone was so big that I think it benefited the White Sox more than the Red Sox. It's not that the umpire was giving Floyd calls he wasn't giving Wakefield; instead a control pitcher like Floyd is better able to take advantage of the huge zone than the knuckleballer. That gave the Sox offense little chance while Wakefield only benefited slightly. With a consistent zone every pitch of every game, the outcome might have been the same but it would have at least felt more fair and less arbitrary.

Anyway, the Red Sox continue to struggle against the White Sox. Lester takes the hill next so hopefully our luck will change.

Game 103: Suicide Kings 4 Sox 3

Shoot! Wasted a Beckett start and split the series with the Royals. Beckett looked good in all but one inning. He gave up a 3 run home run to Billy Butler after walking the first two batters in the 4th. A two-base error by Sutton and a double after that scored the 4th run. Beckett's final line was 7 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hs, 3 BBs, and 8 Ks. If it was Lackey we would be ecstatic; since it's Beckett we're disappointed. Morales pitched a clean 8th and Albers weaseled his way out of a scoreless, 3 base runner inning. Sox twice pitched out in that 9th inning and both times the runner was going. Unfortunately only once did they catch the runner.

Not much hitting by the Sox today. Ellsbury knocked in two in the 3rd with a single as the Sox piled up 3 hits in a row. Pedroia greeted the first Royals reliever with a home run in the 8th, extending his hit streak to 25 games. But only 8 hits on the game means the Sox aren't going to score more than 3 runs. Crawford did pitch hit in the 9th with Sutton on first and the Sox down by one. He hit a ball that looked like a sure-thing home run to right field for the win. But the wind knocked it down and seemed to even surprise the Royals outfielder as he had to come back to the front of the warning track to make the catch. Made for a exciting game.

Disappointing to only split with the Royals. Next up is three against the White Sox in Chicago. We've really struggled to get wins against the South Siders but hopefully we'll play good ball and get some wins.

Game 102: One-Eyed Jacks 5 Sox 12

Sox put up another big number against the Royals, scoring 10 runs in the first 4 innings. Ellsbury and Pedroia led off the game with back to back home runs. In fact the top three batters (Ellsbury, Pedroia, and Gonzalez) drove the engine today with 3 hits each. Gonzalez has certainly been getting his hits but he still doesn't look right to me. He's not really going the other way, dictating, the pitches he hits, or hitting with power. It seems like it's been quite awhile since he's hit a home run.

Ortiz also hit his 20th home run, a grand slam that capped the scoring in the 4th. It feels like the old Big Papi is back. He's batting in the 300's and hitting for power. If he can keep this up he's going to force the Sox FO to sign him to another contract.

Lackey started today and seemed very very lucky again getting the win. He only gave up 3 ERs in 5 2/3 but he gave up 11 hits and only struck out 3. You're not going to get away with giving up that much contact too often. Williams pitched 1 2/3 in relief and gave up another run. Wheeler finished the game going 1 2/3 with 3 hits and 2 Ks. He's seemed to pitch very well since coming off the DL but it's always been in low pressure situations. Hopefully his confidence will be up and the Sox will be able to use him in high leverage situations during the playoffs.

Beckett going next with the day game to finish the series. Sox going for the series win.

Game 101: Royales 9 Sox 13

Messy, messy game. We got the win only because our pitching wasn't quite as bad as the Royals' pitching. Miller gave up 7 runs, 5 earned, in 3 2/3 inning on 9 Hs, 2 BBs, and 1 K. Aceves came in during the 4th and cleaned it up going 3 1/3 shutout innings to get the win. He's been a real find for the Sox this year, eating up innings and keeping the Sox in games. Albers has also been a good find and he pitched a clean frame in the 8th. Morales gave up 2 runs on 3 Hs and a walk in the 9th.

Pedroia extended his hit streak to 23 games and went 4 for 5, just a home run shy of the cycle. Ortiz also went 4 for 5 with 5 RBI. Varitek hit his 6th home run in the 7th. McDonald was the only starter without a hit as the Sox had an odd lineup giving Ellsbury and Youkilis the day off.

This was a very long 9-inning game at 3 hours and 52 minutes. The Royals even ran out of pitchers and sent outfielder Mitch Meir out to pitch the 9th (Pedroia nearly hit a home run off of him). These long games and the long stretch of games are conspiring with the beautiful weather this summer to help me start to lose interest in finishing this season. We'll see how long I can keep it up.

Game 100: Royale with Cheese 3 Sox 1

Arrgh! What a frustrating game! The Royals didn't win this game; the Sox lost it. First they didn't take advantage of Kyle Davies pitching, he of the 1-9, 6.75 ERA, 1.79 WHIP variety. One run over 6 innings is poor execution by the vaunted Sox offense. Next, Carl Crawford strikes out with 2 on and 1 out in the 9th, 2 on and 2 out in the 11th, and then leading off the 14th inning. The definition of un-clutch; -0.444 WPA for any Fangraphs fans out there. Then, in the bottom of the 12th, the Sox have Reddick standing on 3rd base with 1 out, and they screw the pooch on a suicide squeeze. Reddick gets caught halfway home as Scutaro missed the sign and took ball one. Adding insult to injury, Scutaro hit a ringing single two pitches later (aargh!). Finally, the Royals got runners on the corners with nobody out in the 14th off of Williams, who is terrible if I haven't already mentioned it. The Royals put on the suicide squeeze and it's a pop up, one of the worst bunts ever. Except, it's a pop up that gets behind Gonzalez and lands literally right next to 1st base so the runner scores. That's your game.

On the bright side, Lester looked good albeit a little rough in his first game back from the DL. 5 1/3 innings, 1 run, only 2 BBs. Reddick continues to hit, going 3-6. And Pedroia extends his hit streak to 22 games.

But otherwise, a very frustrating game to watch the Sox squander. My TV is lucky there wasn't anything hard within my reach to throw at it after the 12th inning.

Game 99: M's 8 Sox 12

Wakefield earned his 199th win today in a game in which the knuckler was both dancing too much and too little. In the first he couldn't control it and gave up a 2 run homer to Olivio. Then he settled down until the 7th as the knuckler stopped dancing. Ryan ran into a grand slam after three consecutive singles and Wakefield's day was over. Fortunately for him, the Sox jumped all over Pineda in the first for 5 runs and in the 5th for five more. That would be all they would need for the win.

Gonzalez, Crawford, and Saltalamacchia all had three hits on the day and Ellsbury continued to hit the ball hard. Youkilis added a 2 run homer and Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a double in the 5th. In fact everyone got a hit except Scutaro in this one. This Sox team sure can hit the ball, even against good pitching like Pineda, and they showed it today. A fun game to watch.

Next up, the Royals. Go Sox!

Game 98: M's 1 Sox 3

Exciting game from start to finish! Mariner's sent rookie starter Blake Beavan to the mound against Beckett and he did everything he could to keep up. Beckett pitched very well per his norm this year, giving up only one run on a home run to Carp in the top of the 7th. Beavan was in line for the win but ended up fatiguing with two outs in the bottom of the inning and gave up 2 runs on 3 consecutive hits before getting pulled. The third run came on a wild pitch by reliever Laffey.

In the top of the 8th, the Mariners loaded the bases with no outs against Bard on a single, a walk, and a close play at third on the sac bunt (he was out). But he wiggles his way out of it with a short pop up to Crawford, a K, and a ground ball out to Youkilis. In the ninth, the Mariners had the tying run at the plate after Olivo led off with a bloop single but Papelbon got the save on a foul out by Ichiro, a pop out by Ryan (in a long, tough at bat), and a strikeout of Ackley who had been 3-4 on the day before ending the game.

Ellsbury continued to hit the ball well with 2 hits. It was his two run single that gave the Sox the lead and he scored the insurance run as well. Pedroia extended his streak to 20 games with 2 hits. Youkilis and Reddick were the only starters without a hit although Youkilis had some very hard hit balls.

Going for the sweep this afternoon!

Game 97: M's 4 Sox 7

Sometimes baseball is not fair. Hernandez was clearly the better pitcher than Lackey but got tagged for 6 runs and the L as the Sox won. Everything the Mariners hit seemed to be on a line right at a fielder as Lackey went 7 innings with 1 run on 8 hits. On the other side, Hernandez seemed to give up several softly hit ground balls that found holes in the infield. One ball that was not hit softly though was Ellsbury's 16th home run, a solo home run in the 3rd. He's swinging a hot bat. And Pedroia got three hits to extend the streak to 19 games. But as I said, all of the batters seemed to have lady luck on their side against Felix as every batter got at least one hit.

Lackey's sole run came on a single by Suzuki on the first pitch, stole second on the 2nd pitch, and stole third on the 3rd pitch. Ackley hit a single to knock him in. Morales came in the 8th and had two on with 2 outs before giving up a home run to Carp. He's got really good stuff sometimes but seems to run into some bats every now and then. Bard finished the inning for him and Papelbon pitched a uneventful 9th.

Apparently it was in the upper 90's at Fenway for this game. Too bad for the Mariners as it's been a beautiful 70 degrees here in Seattle. They picked the wrong time to travel rather than host.

Game 96: Sox 4 Oreos 0

Miller's line looks way better than he deserved. Five and 2/3 innings, 0 runs on 2 hits. What jumps out is the 6 BBs to 3 Ks. He just couldn't throw his fastball for a strike to save his life. He was very lucky the Orioles didn't take advantage and even had a no-hitter going into the 5th inning despite walking the bases loaded in the 2nd. Albers, Bard, and Papelbon each had perfect outings to close out the game. Papelbon was pitching with the day off the next day just to give him some work.

At the plate, this game was powered by Ellsbury. He hit two home runs and they were both no-doubters. Gonzalez collected 4 hits the day after he responded to questions about whether participating in the home run derby had impacted his swing. He responded along the lines of once I have a 3-hit game, this will all go away. So there. It is still disturbing though his lack of power recently. He's still sitting on 17 HRs, only 2 more than Ellsbury. Pedroia hit a single in the 5th to extend his streak to 18 games but that was his only contribution at the plate.

Sox have the day off and then series against cellar dwellers Seattle (3-game) and Kansas City (4-game) next. Time to put the pedal to the metal.

Game 95: Sox 2 Oreos 6

Guthrie stymied the Sox this time around. Sox managed to only push across two on a two-run shot by Saltalamacchia, his second in as many games. Sox did manage to get 8 hits and a walk in 7 innings against Guthrie but he did a good job of keeping the batters off balance and staying in the game for 7 innings. Reddick continues his torrid pace collecting three hits. And Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 17 games. But not much more offense. Gonzalez, Crawford, and Drew combined to go 1 for 11 on Drew's single. We need these three to contribute, especially with Ortiz suspended.

Weiland made another spot start with Lester on the DL. He looked more comfortable this go around and got the tough luck loss giving up 3 runs in 6 innings. Aceves was looking good getting 5 outs before giving up a walk and back to back home runs in the bottom of the 8th.

Oh well, you can't win them all. And we've really been pounding the Orioles this year. Hopefully the hatchet is buried after the fireworks last series. Glad that the HBPs haven't been rearing their ugly head so far.

Game 94: Sox 15 Oreos 10

Well, how about that. After 16 innings of 1 run ball, the Sox and Orioles explode for 25 runs. This was actually a close game until the 8th. With the game tied at 7, the Sox exploded for 8 runs in the 8th. The Orioles brought in a pitcher with the strangest delivery I've ever seen, Mark Worrell. He's right handed and takes a step towards 1st base and then almost shot puts the ball in. Didn't seem to have great stuff but with a delivery like that you're living off of deception. Too bad for him Pedroia does not get deceived while he's on fire. Pedroia plated two to take the lead against Worrell.

Wakefield started the game but still couldn't add to his career wins total. He seemed to really have the knuckler dancing in the first four innings but after striking out the first two batters in the fifth, he gave up five hits including 2 home runs and 5 runs. Wheeler relieved him and went 2 1/3 scoreless innings to get the win. Williams pitched the 8th and gave up 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk. He looked terrible and I hope he's not with the big league team for very long.

Sox offense looked good against the Orioles pitching. Saltalamacchia and Reddick both hit solo home runs. Ellsbury got back into the swing of things collecting 3 singles. And Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 16 games with 2 hits. Gonzalez continues to struggle at the plate going 1-5 and Drew was the only batter who went hitless on the day. Crawford finally came off the DL and played in left today. With Ortiz serving his suspension for fighting with Gregg during the last Orioles series, Ellsbury was DHing and Reddick moved to centerfield. Boy, he did not look good playing in the middle but the Sox really need to find playing time for him as Drew and Crawford have both been disappointing this year.

Good start. Let's win three.

Game 93: Sox 1 Rays 0

Marathon! The ESPN announcers (who by the way, are infinitely better than last game's Fox announcers) were joking in the 10th that the Yankees, who play the Rays next, were probably at the hotel hoping this game goes 15 innings. Well, they got more than they wished for as the Sox and Rays played 16.

Great starting pitching from both teams. Beckett went eight innings and only gave up an infield single off of his foot in the first. No walks and 6 Ks. Jeff Niemann matched him going 8 innings with 2 hits, 2 walks, and 10 Ks. After the starters were out of the game, the Sox relievers outshone the Rays going 8 innings with 2 hits, 1 walk, and 7 Ks. The Rays relief gave up only 1 hit between the 9th and 15th but walked 9 batters! The Sox loaded the bases twice (the 9th and the 11th) and scored no runs. In the 11th, the Rays walked the first three batters in the inning and managed to sneak out of trouble unscathed.

Pedroia was really the only bright spot offensively for either team. Three for seven with a walk and the game's only RBI. Reddick walked to start the inning and Varitek sacrificed him over to 2nd. Scutaro reached on an infield single that got Reddick to third but it looked like the Rays were going to escape again as Ellsbury flew out to short left field for the 2nd out in the inning. But Pedroia hit a solid single to plate the run and win the game.

Good to win that series and put a little more distance between us and the Rays.

Game 92: Sox 9 Rays 5

Sox managed to get to Big Game James in this one and sneak a win in for Lackey. Rays jumped out to a 3 run lead in the first but the Sox came back with a long 2-run home run by Reddick in the second and 3 runs on back to back doubles by Ortiz and Drew. Ellsbury and Pedroia added solo home runs of their own as well. Ellsbury and Pedroia are both really hitting the ball well right now. Gonzalez continues to struggle however joining Saltalamacchia as the only 0-fers in the lineup.

Lackey pitched just well enough to win and Francona again pulled him before he could finish an inning for the win. Five and 2/3 innings, 10 hits, 1 BB, and 3 ER. The 7 Ks were good but he got lucky to get out of a couple of innings on a pair of double plays. In a close game he gets the L but the offense bailed him out this time. Jenks apparently went back on the DL for the third time this year so his replacement, Randy Williams, pitched a clean inning in relief. Bard went 4 outs and looked dominant. Papelbon gave up a run in the non-save situation but pitched pretty well. Kotchman's fly ball found the outfield wall and got by Drew for a triple. Longoria hit a solid line drive for the RBI but no one else even hit the ball hard.

A good win to get especially after yesterday's loss. The more I see the Rays, the more I feel like we should take care of business regularly against these guys. Outside of Longoria, there's not much punch in the lineup. And with their young pitchers, we shouldn't see more than 6 innings of them. Rubber game's tomorrow. Let's do it.

Game 91: Sox 6 Rays 9

We're back from the All Star break. It was really nice having 4 days off and with me being gone this weekend, it's been a week since I posted. Unfortunately, the Sox did not get to a great start in the 2nd half. Miller didn't pull his weight and gave up 7 runs in 2 and 2/3 innings. The nail in the coffin was Zobrist's grand slam in the 3rd. That was only 4 of the 9 runs the Rays scored but the whole game, that felt like the difference maker. Aceves pitched well in long relief going 2 1/3. Wheeler gave up a 2-run home run to Kotchman which really was the difference maker. Albers and Morales each pitched a clean frame to end it.

At the plate the Sox showed off some power and were almost able to climb back into it. McDonald, Ellsbury, and Pedroia each hit solo shots off of Price. Scutaro added a 2-run shot in the 7th. Sox did a great job of getting to Price and getting him out of the game. He left after 6 with 121 pitches. But we just couldn't climb out of that hole.

Lackey v Shields is next. Sox have really struggled against Shields so it's gonna take a clean game to even up the series.

Game 90: O's 6 Sox 8

Sox had a spot start by Weiland today, which was his very first game in the bigs. He pitched well enough getting snake bitten in the 2nd inning. He gave up 6 runs that inning but didn't give up very many hard hit balls. A couple of bloops, a couple of poor defensive plays, and one two-run home run was the story of the inning. He was set to get the win though as the Sox offense kept the team ahead of the Orioles. But with Friday night's fight, the umps were overly sensitive to HBPs and ended up tossing Weiland after he hit Guerrero on a ball that was very obviously unintentional. Instead Aceves pitched very well in three innings of relief to get the win. Bard held the eighth and Papelbon got the save.

At the plate, Reddick was the only batter to not record a hit and Ortiz Drew, and Scutaro were the only batters to only get one hit. Scutaro, Pedroia, and Youkilis all got home runs in the 2nd inning. The offense has looked very efficient lately. Perfect timing as the Sox are getting 4 days off with the All Star game upcoming. It is good timing for the injuries though so hopefully everyone stays hot after the break.

Great to get the sweep but it was disappointing to see the Orioles be so petty in the series. Yes they got beat around but the Sox were clearly the superior team and they didn't seem to be showboating about it. I think O's manager Showalter has had a negative influence on the team this year, taking some shots at the Sox front office and giving the Orioles a inferiority complex. Ortiz got thrown at again today but hopefully in the remaining series against the O's there won't be so much vitrol.

Game 89: O's 0 Sox 4

Good Lackey indeed! Six and 2/3 shutout innings and I thought he could have gotten the last out in the 7th. Three hits, 1 BB, and 7 Ks. When he's good. he's good. Too bad we don't see this more consistently. He also hit two batters but none of them were even close to intentional so yesterday's fireworks did not spill over to today. Bard pitched 1 1/3 clean innings and Papelbon finished the 9th in the non-save situation.

Ellsbury continues to be en fuego going 3 for 4 just a home run shy of the cycle. Youkilis is also seeing the ball well going 3-4 as well. And of course, Reddick is forcing Tito to play him by going 3-4 too. Youkilis and Reddick pretty much provided all the offense today and not much was needed with the way Lackey pitched.

Three wins so far. Going for the sweep!

Game 88: O's 3 Sox 10

This one got messy towards the end. Sox jump out to a quick 8 run lead in the first inning chasing the Orioles' starter after only 2/3 of an inning. Beckett didn't look dominant but was pitching good enough but came out with a "slightly hyperextended knee" (according to NESN) after only 5 innings. Hopefully that's more precautionary than anything else. His trip to the All Star game might be in jeopardy now. Then, with 1 out in the bottom of the 8th, Gregg appears to take a couple of shots trying to hit Ortiz. He doesn't hit him but gets close three times and Ortiz takes exception. The benches clear but no punches were thrown. Both sides get warned and with the next pitch, an inside fastball, Ortiz pops out. While on his way to first, Gregg starts yelling at Ortiz and the scrum is on. Benches and bullpens clear, Ortiz, Saltalamacchia, Gregg, and Orioles reliever Jim Johnson are ejected. Messy ending to what had been a fun game.

With the high run total, everyone seemed to contribute except Varitek and Navaroo who both went 0-fer. Ortiz had a long 3-run homer in the first and Pedroia hit his 10th, a solo shot, in the 6th. Ellsbury only had one hit but was twice robbed by Adam Jones in the triangle in straight away deep center field. In a lot of parks he would have had 2 home runs.

Albers and Wheeler looked good pitching in relief. Atchison did a good job of finishing the game with everyone hot after the altercation. One slipped pitch and we could have gotten right back at each other's throats.

Two down, two to go. Third time's a charm. Hopefully tomorrow's game features the good Lackey.

Game 87: O's 4 Sox 10

Sox explode against a weak Orioles pitching staff, including back-to-back-to-back home runs in the 7th. Those came courtesy of Mr. Ortiz, Mr. Reddick, and Mr. Saltalamacchia. In fact the whole game seemed powered by the long ball. Pedroia started things with a three run shot in the 3rd. He continues to drive the ball with power. A-Gon hit a solo shot in the 5th and Ellsbury added a two run shot in the 6th. So six home runs representing 9 of the Red Sox 10 runs. It's not just chicks who dig the long ball...

On the bump, Miller again did just enough to win. Five innings, 3 earned runs of which 2 came in the first inning. He had no strikeouts (none) and walked 4 so the wildness continues to be a problem. This brings me to an issue I've been thinking about but have bitten my tongue as it sounds irrational. Watching the NESN broadcast, I swear, when Don Orsillo comments that someone or some team hasn't done something in the last x games/innings/years, that event that hasn't happened happens so afterwards. He'll say something like, Felix Pie hasn't hit a home run in 350 at bats and two pitches later he hits a home run. Fortunately he spreads these ominous facts around so they don't always hurt the Sox but in this game he did it again. He said something like Miller hasn't walked more than three batters in a game all year. Miller promptly walks the next batter to get to 4 for the game. Stop it Don! Stop it!

Anyway, Miller's been good enough as a 7th starter. Aceves ate up 2 innings and Atchison, called up as Lester hit the DL, gave up 1 run on 1 hit in 1 inning. Jenks pitched a clean fram to close it out.

Every sweep starts with win one. Josh F Beckett goes for win 2 next. Who cares who the Orioles send to the mound to counter.

Game 86: Blue 4 Sox 6

Ellsbury and Youkilis won this game for us. Both went 3 for 5 with 2 doubles and a solo home run. Youkilis was playing first as Gonzalez got his first day off of the year. Navarro, playing third, also looked good, driving in our 5th run and scoring the 6th. He only got the one hit, a double, but he hit a couple of balls hard.

Wakefield had his good knuckleball today. Sure he gave up 3 runs, but he struck out 7 and lasted 7 innings. Glad to see him get the win. He's been a lifesaver with the rash of injuries to our starting pitching. Bard was having a lights out inning before the skies opened and delayed the game for half an hour. Wheeler got the last out of the 8th. Papelbon gave up another run while getting the save. Still, he looked a lot more dominant today than he did yesterday.

Good series win. We're hosting the Orioles next. A sweep sure would be nice!

Game 85: Blue 2 Sox 3

Despite the win, this was a disappointing game. Lester was looking great after four no hit innings with 5 Ks and 1 BB but then he came out of the game with only 50 pitches. Turns out he strained his left lat and was put on the DL the next day. So Albers, Morales, and Bard hold the three run lead and Papelbon promptly coughs up a 2 run home run to Bautista, gives up a single and a walk to put the tying run in scoring position, and only gets bailed out on the subsequent single because a) Encarnacion is slow and b) the umpire blew the call and called him out. All this the day after I praise him for how good he's been this year!

At the plate, no one got more than 1 hit but Pedroia's was a solo home run and Ortiz, Varitek, and Drew all got theirs in the second inning, plating 2 runs. Cecil actually looked really good pitching for the Jays, going the complete 8 innings for the loss. Gonzalez continues to struggle as well, striking out twice. Gotta get him out of his funk and I don't know that hitting in the HR derby is gonna do it.

Rubber game is next. Wakefield goes for career win number 198!

Game 84: Blue 9 Red 7

Of course it's bad mojo for the Sox to play MLB's only Canadian team on the 4th of July. The Sox were wearing goofy red trucker hats with an American flag as the background to the B logo. The Jays thumbed there nose at Independence day by wearing matching hats with the Canadian flag behind their logo. Boo, MLB. Boo.

Lackey got knocked around a bit but I have to admit, it wasn't as bad as all the vitrol had me believe it might be. He did give up 7 runs in 2 1/3 innings but besides a solo home run by Aaron Hill, none of the balls were hit all that hard. It was just a bunch of singles in a row. At least he wasn't walking batters. With a little better luck, he gets through the game with a relatively decent line. Wheeler pitched well in relief. Tito left Aceves in too long as he gave up 2 runs in 2 2/3 innings. Morales and Albers finished the game.

At the plate the Sox nearly made a comeback out of it after being down 7-0. Ellsbury is looking good with 4 hits including some balls hit with authority. Gonzalez continues to look off at the plate. Youkilis seems like he's been struggling with a myriad of nagging injuries lately. Add to that a HBP high off the back in the 4th inning and he got the rest of the day off. Seems like he would benefit from 3-4 days off. Maybe right before the All Star break.

Tough loss but not as bad as I thought it would be (although this was a very long 3:45 game). Lester's next: Win.

Game 83: Sox 2 Stros 1

It looked like another great start from Beckett was going to get wasted until Youkilis got an RBI BB in the ninth to give the Sox the lead. The only other run scored was by Youkilis on a throwing error by the Astros. The Sox were actually on base quite a bit (12 LOB); they just couldn't push anyone across. In 4 innings the Sox got a runner all the way to 2nd and couldn't score.

Beckett looked awesome again going 8 innings, 1 ER, and 11 Ks on 5 hits and no walks. He's just been filthy this year. Papelbon pitched the ninth for the save and looked very good himself giving up only a seeing eye single while striking out the side. It's nice to have that reliable closer at the end of the pen again this year.

Good to sweep and keep the road trip at least acceptable. Sox start a 3 game series at home against the Jays next. Yankees are streaking so we've got to take care of business to stay close.

Game 82: Sox 10 Stros 4

Sox score early and often and take advantage of the Astros' bullpen for a second straight night to get the W. Pedroia, Gonzalez, and Youkilis powered the offense all going 3 for 5. Navarro hit his first major league home run in the 7th and McDonald crushed a three run homer in the 8th. Dad told me he sat next to the guy who caught Navarro's home run the next day. Said it was an interesting story as he got a dinner and some signed apparel from David Ortiz for Navarro's ball. I figured if I was in his position, I'd want Navarro's bat in exchange for the ball.

Miller looked pretty good for the second straight start. As I was telling Dad, when he's throwing strikes, Miller looks great. But every now and then, he'll have an inning where it looks like he just can't throw a strike no matter how hard he tries. Seems like that's gotta be mental so hopefully he can iron that out. Aceves looked shaky in the 7th giving up 2 hits and a walk to load the bases. Bard walked a run in but got out of the inning unharmed. Jenks and Wheeler pitched the 8th and 9th with Wheeler giving up a run in the 9th to Bourne who, along with Pence, have been impossible to get out. He went 4 for 5 today.

Sweep day next and we've got Beckett on the mound!

Game 81: Sox 7 Stros 5

It wasn't pretty but it was a run. It was looking like the Sox would drop the first game of the series to the lowly Astros as the good guys were down 5-1 going into the 7th. But the difference between the big payroll teams and the small payroll teams is middle relief. Sox jump once starter Bud Norris took a seat and scored 6 runs in the 7th for the win.

Wakefield looked very mediocre giving up 5 runs in 5 1/3 innings on 11 (eleven!) hits. Wheeler got the win by finishing the sixth for Wake. Albers and Morales shared the 7th inning, Bard dominated in the 8th, and Papelbon got the save in the 9th.

Norris looked dominant against the Sox batters getting 10 Ks and only one hit (a home run by Scutaro to lead off the game) in 6 innings. The only thing the Sox did well was get that pitch count up. In the 7th inning, Norris finally tired and the Sox got three hits to start the inning and chase Norris. The "relief" allowed all of the inherited runners to score plus three more. No big hits; just a lot of singles and doubles. Youkilis was the only non-pitcher starter to go without a hit.

I've got three more games to catch up after the long weekend. Looking forward to getting the eyewitness account from Dad. He went to all three games with my brother and it sounds like he had awesome seats over the weekend.

Game 80: Sox 5 Phanatics 2

The Sox finally find the key to beating the Phillies' starting pitching: hit a line drive right at them so they have to come out of the game. Sox were'n't getting much of anything done against Hamels until Gonzalez hit him on his non-throwing hand, getting him out of the game. Sox hitters feasted on the Phillies relief pitching getting 5 runs between the 5th and 8th inning. Those runs came courtesey of a 3 hit day from Ellsbury, two solo home runs from Varitek, and another solo shot from Pedroia. Gonzalez hasn't been looking bad if you just looked at the box scores but it seems like over the last week he hasn't been seeing the ball well at all. He went 0-4 this game and just seems lost right now.

Lester pitched like the ace we needed to stop the skid. Only 2 hits and 2 BBs over 7 innings. Bard pitched a clean 8th but Jenks ran into trouble in the ninth giving up 2 runs on a home run to Howard. It seemed to me that Jenks would have been able to finish the inning but Tito brought in Papelbon to get the two out save.

Overall, losing the series to the Phillies isn't that big of a deal. Fortunately we didn't get swept. But with the losses to the Pirates and the Padres, the Sox will need to make up some games against the Astros, the worst team in MLB. Anything less than a sweep will make this road trip a failure in my mind. And failure is not an option!

Game 79: Sox 1 Phanatics 2

Ugh. Sox can't get anything going against the Phillies' number 6 starter. Worley spread out 5 hits and 2 BBs over 7 innings and only give up one run. And to add insult to injury, the one run came from a double from Lackey of all people. Reddick was really the only person who seemed comfortable out there going 2-3. Sox had Gonzalez play left and Ortiz play first to get some more offense but to no avail.

Lackey actually pitched really well giving up only 2 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk over 7 2/3 innings. And even then, Lackey really only struggled to get Ibanez out who was a triple shy of the cycle and knocked in both of the Phillies' runs. Morales got the last out in a game which should have been a complete game from Lackey.

Gotta avoid the sweep tomorrow in what is becoming a messy interleague series for the Sox. We'll send Lester but the Phillies will have Hamels on the bump.

Game 78: Sox 0 Phanatics 5

Yikes. Sox can't get anything going against Lee while the Phillies are the definition of efficient against Beckett. Sox only end up getting two hits (Scutaro single and McDonald double) and two walks (Pedroia and Youkilis) all game. Granted, with the left handed pitcher, the Sox didn't trot out their most explosive lineup today. McDonald and his 0.122 BA was batting 5th after all. The Sox did also seem to hit several line drive atom balls that might have resulted in something if they could have gotten a break.

The Phillies got their breaks though. They tagged Beckett for 5 ER but only on 5 hits. Two home runs helped but they only had 1 LOB until Jenks stranded 2 in the 8th. On a day when the Sox weren't going to score any runs (let alone get past 2nd base), there wasn't much room for error from Beckett.

Oh well. We've lost 5 of the last 6 but we know from the start to this year that baseball is a game of highs and lows. Let's start getting to one of those

Game 77: Sox 4 Jolly Rogers 2

What a messy game to avoid the sweep. Pirates commit 4 errors and the Sox add two more as only 2 of the 6 combined runs scored were earned. Miller pitched just well enough to win against a weak Pirates lineup but he didn't look nearly as nervous and fidgety as he did last time. Aceves, Bard, and Papelbon combined for 3 innings to hold the lead.

The offense was driven mostly by the Pirates' defensive miscues but Reddick seemed to have his name all over this one. He hit a fly ball in the 4th the ended up scoring Saltalamacchia when McCutchen overthrew the throw to third as Salty tagged up. In the 6th Reddick hit another fly ball that scored Youkilis on the sac fly. Pretty good for going 0-3. He also had a nice catch in right field that nearly doubled off the runner on first. Of course he also made up for this with an error of his own in the 3rd. He seems to be fitting in really well with his cup of coffee. And the way Cameron and McDonald have played, it might be hard to send him back down.

Day off today and a three game set against the Phillies next. This will be a big test for us as the Phillies are considered the favorite for the World Series this year. We'll send Beckett, Lackey, and Lester to the bump; the Phillies counter with Lee, Worley, and Hammels. Were lucky we don't have to face Halladay.

Game 76: Sox 4 Bucs 6

Sox just couldn't find their mojo in this game. Three home runs in the game (Gonzalez, Reddick, and Ellsbury) but they're all solo shots. It didn't help having to play NL rules as Wakefield was a waste of at bats and unfortunately, so was Scutaro batting ahead of him, going 0-4. NESN also kindly reminded us that the Sox were 0-8 on the day with RISP and 0-16 for the series so far. We've lost our mojo!

Wakefield had one of those knuckleball games, cruising for a few innings, running into trouble (especially whenever someone got on base) and got tagged for 5 runs over 6 innings. Most of the damage came from a 3-run home run by Overbay but the biggest problem for Wake today was the walks. He struggles with runners on so giving up 4 free passes is a problem. Albers gave up his first home run of the season and breaks a 77 inning homerless stretch (impressive!). Bard pitches a clean 1 1/3.

Well, it's really frustrating losing back to back series, especially to the Padres and Pirates. We gotta get a win tomorrow so we have some momentum going into the Phillies series. Miller's pitching next. Let's find our mojo!

Game 75: Sox 1 Pit Rats 3

Man oh man. Where has the offense gone? One run on 9 hits and 4 walks? Sox had golden opprtunities in the 7th and the 8th managing to score no runs with guys on 1st and 2nd with 1 out in the 7th and 2nd and 3rd with 1 out in the 8th. Yeesh. Both Gonzalez and Ortiz were in the middle of those inept innings.

Lester pitched okay. Eight hits over 6 innings was too many for the Pirates and walking the pitcher (the pitcher!) of all people to load the bases with no outs in the 2-run third was unbearable. Really, he seemed to be lucky to get out with what he did. Albers, Hottovy, and Wheeler pitched cleanly to finish the game but only one run against the Pirates is not going to win games.

Let's get this losing streak done with and start kicking butt again. We want wins!

Game 74: Friars 5 Sox 1

What a miserable day for baseball. Three separate rain delays before the game got called mid way through the 8th inning. And on top of that, we got bad Lackey. Three and 1/3 innings, 5 ER, 4 Hs, 4 BBs, and 4 Ks. It didn't start well with Lackey giving up a home run to lead off the game (Venerable's first of the year). In the 4th, he walked the first batter, hit the second, and gave up a bunt single on a wet infield to load the bases. He struck out the next batter but followed that with a bases loaded walk (I hate 'em!), a hit by pitch, a wild pitch, and a single resulted in 4 runs. Bad Lackey, bad.

At the dish, the Sox best opportunity came in the first. Cameron hit a single but was entirely surprised by the pick off throw, and was out standing only 2 feet away from the bag. Ellsbury and Pedroia both walked and Gonzalez gave us our only run of the game with a single. So it should have been either two runs in or 1 run and the bases loaded with no outs. Youkilis flew out and Ortiz grounded out to end the inning and the threat.

Ortiz seems to be struggling and I can't help but notice that he seems to have stopped trying to go the other way too. Seems like those two facts are correlated. Sox got the day off before starting a series in Pittsburgh today. It'll be interesting to see how Tito gets playing time for Gonzalez and Ortiz while playing without a DH. I say keep A-Gon in the lineup.

Game 73: Pods 5 Sox 4

I hate walks. Hate 'em. Giving the other team a free pass for doing nothing but standing in the box. Plus, they make the games take so much longer for me to watch.

Aceves had trouble mastering control of his pitches today. In the second inning, after two quick outs, Aceves proceeded to walk five batters in a row, plating two for the Padres. Of the 26 batters Aceves faced, only 6 saw a first pitch strike. Still, the game was tied at 4 in the 7th when Wheeler gave up two hits and an IBB to load the bases with one out. Bard nearly got us out of the jam but the ground ball hit to Gonzalez tied him up enough he couldn't go home for the force out.

The offense did well to keep us in the game but still wasn't very efficient. Thirteen hits and five walks should get us more than 4 runs. Pedroia worked three walks in the game which was impressive. David Ortiz also stole 2nd but struggled at the plate all day going 0-5 with a GIDP. Drew also continues to slump going 0-4 with 3 Ks. He seems to be to infatuated with his sense of the strike zone to adjust to the strike zone the umpire is calling. He's batting 0.230 and seems to have taken an inordinate amount of K's looking.

Rubber game is next. Hopefully we'll get the good Lackey.

Game 72: Dads 5 Sox 14

This game was actually a lot closer than the score appears. Sox got out to a 3 run lead early off the bats of Ortiz and Ellsbury. But the Padres rallied with a three run home run from Orlando Hudson in the 6th over the Monster (his first home run of the year). It looked like the Sox were going to get by with just a one run lead in the 7th. But with 2 outs, the Sox offense explodes for 9 more runs in the inning to make this one one-sided.

Andrew Miller started with Buchholz on the DL and didn't look bad against a raw Padres lineup. He looked very nervous and jumpy though. He had some great stuff with a low 90's fastball, a deceptive change, and a biting curve. But he was wild too often having difficulty throwing strikes even with the lead. He needs to be more consistent if he's going to stick.

Gonzalez gets the nod for MVP of the game going 3-5 with 3 RBI and 2 R although really everyone contributes when there's 10 run inning. Youkilis has been batting well but I'm surprised Tito keeps trotting him out there as his ankle seems to be really bothering him.

Beckett was supposed to go in the next game (today's) but has the flu so Aceves will start instead. After watching game 1, this is really a series we should sweep so hopefully Aceves can keep the wins coming.

Game 71: Brew Crew 3 Sox 12

Wakefield had the knuckler dancing tonight! Eight innings of dancing in fact to get the win. Sox offense exploded early for a 6 run 1st inning. Brewers rallied for 2 in the 2nd but the Sox came back with 2 in the 4th, 1 in the 5th, and 2 in the 6th to run away with it. The backbreaker came from Youkilis with a 3 run shot in the 1st to give the Sox the lead for good. Pedroia also added a solo shot; he's been hitting the ball well lately which is good to see. Scutaro hit a two run home run, taking advantage of Lowrie's time on the DL.

Feels good to win the series against a tough Brewers team. It was especially nice to have some short games to watch as I tried to make up the missed time being gone this weekend! Sox start a series against the Padres next with Andrew Miller starting in place of Buchholz who went on the DL with a back injury. Miller's looked good in the minors. Hopefully he can translate that to the majors. Sox face the Padres next so Miller should have success against a young team.

Game 70: Brew Crew 4 Sox 2

Well, that game just goes to show you that baseball is not fair. Lester has essentially the same line as Lackey yesterday and gets tagged with the L. He got knocked around early in the first giving up back to back solo shots and then gave up another solo home run in the 3rd. By the 4th inning, he settled down and had a final line of 8 innings 4 Rs (3 earned), 7 Hs, 3 BBs, and 8 Ks. Wheeler, Hottovy, and Bowden each get an out to finish the 9th.

The runs were short of winning the game though. There were a lot of hits against Wolf but he did a good job of spreading them out to avoid any damage. Saltalamacchia and Cameron drove the offense getting 2-out hits in the 2nd. You know it's either a high scoring day or a very low scoring day if those two names are the offensive highlights. Gonzalez seemed to struggle which was odd 1) because he's amazingly good, but also because b) he's got the most NL experience on the team.

Oh well. Rubber game will be Wakefield v Gallardo. Gallardo's been awesome of late but the Brewers probably haven't seen anything like Wakefield's knuckler before.

Game 69: Brew Crew 4 Sox 10

Lackey wins a game that it didn't look like he'd be in for very long. The offense explodes for 10 runs and Lackey settles down after giving up 4 in the first three innings. Lackey ended up pitching 8 innings giving up 8 hits and no BBs with 5 Ks. Albers pitched a clean 9th as the Sox were without Papelbon for this game and the next, serving a two game suspension.

The Sox were playing a tied game through 5 innings until they got 1 in the 5th, 2 in the 6th, and 3 in the 7th. Ellsbury started us off with a solo shot in the first and Gonzalez gave us the lead for good with his shot over the Monster in the fifth. Ortiz had a good game as well going 3-5 with a run and a RBI. Pedroia had a couple of web gems in the game two, one to start the double play from his knees and the other getting to a ball up the middle and throwing out the runner.

Couple of players left this game early. Crawford pulled him hamstring legging out an infield hit in the 1st. Hopefully that's not a lingering injury. Brewers starter Shaun Marcum also left after 1 inning, throwing 44 pitches. He might have just been bad but they said he left with a strained hip flexor. Lastly, Youkilis came out in the 5th with stomach pain, although he had been battling ankle pain after twisting it in the last game.

Good win. Glad to get it against a good team like the Brewers. Strange seeing them with interleague and all but my impression is that they've got some good pitching and a solid core of hitters in the middle (Weeks, Morgan, Braun, and Fielder). Sox will continue to have to exploit the bottom of the order from them.

Game 68: Sox 4 Devil Rays 2

What a great series! Good pitching from both sides. Sox just barely eek out the series win. This game didn't feel as close as it actually was as the Sox jumped out to an early 3 run lead in the second. But the Rays got a run off of Buchholz in the bottom of the 2nd and got a solo shot off of Aceves in the 6th. Gonzalez gave the Sox some insurance with his 14th home run, a solo shot, in the top of the ninth. It's a good thing too as Papelbon gave up a walk and an infield hit to third base to start the bottom of the ninth. He wiggled his way out of the jam though getting a pop up on the sac bunt attempt followed by 2 Ks.

Sox batters did a fantastic job of getting to Price early. He ended up leaving after 5 but I think he was up to about 70 pitches after 2 innings. The biggest news story out of this game though were the injuries. Lowrie appeared to reaggravate his ailing shoulder in the first inning on a swing and a miss. He came out of the game and it looks like a trip to the DL is in his future. Buchholz also came out early after only 81 pitches in 5 innings. Apparently his back was bothering him again. The Sox have a few days off coming up and Andrew Miller has been looking good so they may shuffle the rotation without sending Buchholz to the DL. But then again, with interleague games at NL ballparks coming up, I don't think the Sox want to see Buchholz holding a bat.

Great series and a great roadtrip! Sox are playing some of their best baseball in franchise history. Next up are the Brewers at Fenway so let's keep it up.

Game 67: Sox 3 Devil Rays 0

After getting shutout by Shields on Tuesday, the Sox counter with a one-hit masterpiece by Beckett. He was one swinging bunt, a worm burner, away from a perfect game. Fantastic to watch and a quick game too.

Hellickson pitched well for Tampa too so this game had a bit of that Pedro v. Clemens instant classic feel to it. In that game Trot Nixon hit a two-run shot in the top of the ninth with two outs to win the game 2-0 with both Clemens and Pedro throwing complete games. Hellickson didn't pitch a complete game but the only scoring against him was a triple by Pedroia followed by a IBB to Gonzalez and a three-run home run by Youkilis. Which was great for Youkilis because he really didn't seem to be squaring up the ball very well up to that swing.

Sox go for the series next but they face a VERY tough David Price next. It's not gonna be easy but as Tom Hanks said, "If it was easy, everybody would do it. It's the hard that makes it great."

Game 66: Sox 0 Devil Rays 4

Sox ran into a wall named Shields in this game. Shields pitched the complete game shutout limiting the Sox to 5 hits and 3 walks. Their best opportunity came in the first when they loaded the bases with two outs. Not a great opportunity but their best for the day. Gonzalez was the lone bright spot getting 3 of the 5 hits the Sox had on the day. Ellsbury put some good swings on the ball too but only came up with one hit and one walk. Youkilis struggled the most getting a K and 2 GIDP to go with some feeble swings. Yeesh.

Wakefield pitched pretty well going 7 innings, 2 runs (1 earned), 4 hits but 5 BBs. The first run came on a home run to LF Ruggiano who was today's "foul ball home runs turned home run down the line" candidate. The unearned run came on 2 BBs and 2 passed balls by Saltalamacchia. In the eighth, Hottovy had a messy inning hitting one batter and giving up hits to two lefthanders (which shouldn't be getting anything off of him). Aceves put out the fire but did give up an inherited run on a bloop single.

It was a good streak while it lasted but all good things come to an end. Too bad it came against the Rays but we've got Josh F. Beckett going next so the series is still very much up for grabs.

Game 65: Sox 14 Bluebirds 1

Hoo-hum. Another day, another Sox blowout. Sox again put up crooked numbers against the Jays and this time get an ace performance out of Lester. The runs came from, well... everyone. Gonzalez, Pedroia, Ortiz, and Youkilis all had home runs. Ellsbury extended his streak getting 2 hits and Saltalamacchia had 3 hits. Drew was the only starter without a hit and looked hopeless at the plate with 4 Ks. Who knows how many runs would have scored without that black hole in the lineup.

Lester was fantastic today working with efficiency. Eight innings, 2 hits, 1 BB, and 8 Ks on 102 pitches. The only run came off of a solo shot by Bautista, your MLB HR leader. The Sox did a good job of containing Bautista during the series and without him, the Jays lack very much punch.

A great series overall; you're almost disappointed to be having a day off tomorrow. But that they do. Next up are the Rays in Tampa. Should be a tough series but we're coming in hot.

Game 64: Sox 16 Bluebirds 4

Oh-wee, Sox keep hammering away! Sow win another series putting up crooked numbers in the 3rd, 5th, and 8th. Those numbers were brought to you by Pedroia, Varitek, and Ortiz. The latter two each hit a three-run home run in the 5th inning and went 2-3 on the game. Pedroia was 3-5 with 3 RBI too. Scutaro had a 4-hit night and apparently has a hitting streak going back to before he went on the DL. It hasn't seemed like he's been that consistent since coming back but that just goes to show what I know. Lowrie was the only starter to not get a hit (but no errors today either, playing 3rd base). Everyone got an RBI though.

Lackey pitched well enough to win going 6 innings with 4 ER, 6 Hs, 2 BBs, and 8 Ks. The Ks were good but the runs aren't great. Without an offensive explosion Lackey could have ended the day with an L. With the laugher on, Sox sent Wheeler, Hottovey, and Bowden out to finish the game. The Jays apparently ran out of pitchers (which was surprising to me) sending 5 relievers out after their starter was chased in the 5th. So shortstop Mike McCoy pitched a clean ninth featuring a 76 mph fastball and a 60 mph curve ball. Crawford, Scutaro, and Drew looked silly but that's probably because they're not use to waiting for the pitch so long.

Sox go for the sweep in tomorrow's day game sending Lester to the mound. Bring out your brooms.

Game 63: Sox 5 Bluebirds 1

Sox win again! Buchholz made quick work of the Jays going 7 innings giving up only 1 run on 3 hits, 2 walks, and 6 Ks. No sign of back pain too which was the best news. Bard pitched the 8th and Papelbon had a perfect 9th in the non-save situation.

In the field, Lowrie had a difficult night getting 2 errors playing SS; he know has 10 on the year. He didn't make up for it at the plate today either going 0-5 including 0-2 with RISP. He's a difficult guy to play because his SS defense is atrocious but he doesn't seem to have the bat to stick at third. With Pedroia at 2nd, where do you play him?

At the plate, the Sox continue to be led by white-hot Ellsbury. Jacoby had three hits today. Pedroia also went 3-5 and Gonzalez took advantage going 2-4 with 2 RBI. Sox didn't get any big hits but just hammered away at the Jays' starter getting 8 hits and 2 walks in 6 1/3 innings. It was a very balanced attack that's conducive to 7-game win streaks.

Lackey goes for 8 tomorrow.

Game 62: Sox 8 Yanks 3

What a weird game. The start was delayed 3.5 hrs by rain, then the Sox look like they're gonna lose a heartbreaker 2-0 before exploding in the 7th for 7 runs. Local time was nearly 2am by the time the game finally finished (all of the games in the series took about 3.5 hrs to play out). By the end of the game they were showing fans literally asleep in the crowd (which is ironic for the city that never sleeps, right?). The New Yankee Stadium doesn't have much personality and the fans seem separated from the game but this game was ridiculous. They might as well as have played to an empty stadium.

Beckett looks fantastic per his usual this season giving up 2 runs over 7 innings. His only blemish was a 2-run homer to Granderson in the first. Albers and Wheeler finished them off with Wheeler running into a little trouble in the 9th, giving up a run.

At the plate, Gonzalez looked particularly lost against Sabathia but woke up once he exited. Ortiz didn't seem to have much trouble facing the lefty going 2-4 with 2 RBIs. Ellsbury was another lefty who hit Sabathia well, although he's been en fuego recently. As expected with a 7-run inning, everyone got a hit today, although Scutaro (starting at 2nd to give Pedroia's knee a rest) didn't get his until the 9th.

Sox really exposed the Yankee starters in the sweep getting 18 runs in 14 innings. Sox are now 2 games up on the Yankees for the AL East lead, have the best record in the American League, and are only 1 game back of St. Louis for the best record in MLB. Let the good times roll!