Royals 8 Red Sox 6

What a disappointing game. It started off so well with the Sox up 4-0 going into the 4th inning. Then the Royals got hot, and crushed Penny, and then the Sox bullpen which used to be a strength, but has become more of the Achilles heal of this team over the last 10 games.

Boston was all over the Royals through 3 innings. Ortiz went deep again (his 11th of the year), and Youk even got it going with an RBI double. Penny was doing fine, but in the 4th inning he let up 3 runs, which raised his pitch count so he couldn't go more then 5 innings. The Sox bullpen then came in and were just awful. Delcarmen let up 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning. Masterson then followed with 2 runs of his own in just a 1/3 of an innings, and Ramirez was nothing special going 1 2/3 innings letting up a run.

This was a terrible game for the Sox. The good news is that Ortiz is officially back, but that won't mean anything if Bay, Youk, and the Sox bullpen can't get it going. With the loss the Sox are now tied for 1st place in the AL East with the Yankees.

Mariners 4 Red Sox 8

It was a bad series for the Red Sox, but at least it ended on a good note. After losing 2 close games to the Mariners over the weekend the Sox were finally able to pull one out. Pedroia and Ortiz started it off in the very first inning, as both of them took Morrow deep. The Mariners would not go down easy coming back in the 4th and 5th innings to take a 4-1 lead. Lester pitched well for the Sox. he let up 4 runs over 6 2/3 innings, but 3 of those runs were unearned.

Boston continued its HR parade in the 6th when Ellsbury took Morrow deep to tie the game at 4. It looked like it was going to be a nail biter, until the 7th inning when Seattle's bullpen cost them the game. Batista relieved Morrow, who had is longest outing of the season going 6 innings. Batista quickly lost control of this game. Ortiz had an RBI double, which was followed by Lowe walking in a run. Then Kotsay broke the game open with a single scoring 2 runs. This was all capped off with a run scored on a pass ball.

Masterson and Okajima finished up the game for Lester pitching 2 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball. Boston has to be happy that Ortiz is turning his season around in a big way, but Bay really needs to get himself going, as Boston has moved him to 5th in the batting order with his recent struggles.

With the win the Sox are still only 1 game up on the Yankees for 1st place in the AL East.

Red Sox 10 Orioles 11

Ugh do I have to write about this game?

Well lets get the epic collapse out of the game. The Sox were up 10-1 going into the bottom of the 7th inning. Then the best bullpen in baseball fell apart letting up 5 runs in the 7th and 5 more in the 8th to complete the biggest comeback in Baltimore Orioles history. Honestly it was the worst thing to watch in the world. Masterson let up 5 runs, and I was like "Ok, just not his night". Then Delcarmen comes in and get a couple outs, but also a hit. Then Okajima, who has been a stud for the Sox over the past couple of seasons and he lets up 4 runs. Saito? Yup he lets up a run, and it is all capped off when Nick Markakis hit a two-run double Papelbon. Ok, got it? Because I really don't want to get into it anymore. My overall feeling is that it was a rain delay and the Sox bullpen just had "one of those games".

Now lets get to some of the positive stuff. Smoltz looked good he pitched 4 innings letting up 3 hits 1 run with 2 Ks. He only pitched a little over 50 pitches last night and would have easily gone 6-7 innings if the rain didn't fuck everything up. The other good news is that the Sox offense finally starting putting runs up on the board. Pedroia and Youk both had a couple RBIs. Ortiz continues his resurgence with a couple hits. Pedroia just looks like a completely different player when he is batting in the #2 spot. I don't think we will see him moved from there ever again.

So, in the end it was a shitty game, but I wouldn't be over concerned. The bullpen has been great all year, and maybe this was just their "bad game". Unless we see more evidence that there is going to be problems I wouldn't read too much into this...

Sox 2 Mariners 3

Another heart breaking loss for the Sox, as they just can't seem to win on the west coast. A costly error late in the game now make the Sox just 2-4 on their west coast trip, and whatever road problems the Sox had last year seem to have followed them into this season.

Masterson pitched well as he went 6 1/3 letting up only 2 runs, but he did let up 9 hits, and if Seattle had any good hitters at all this could have been a really bad outing. Boston tied the game at 2 in the 4th inning when J.D Drew hit his 6th HR of the season, and it was a bomb. Then once again the Boston bats feel quiet. Ramon Ramirez came in to pitch the 9th. He didn't pitch bad, but a throwing error by Nick Green let the game winning run on base. He then scored on an RBI single by Gutierrez to hand Ramirez his first loss in a Red Sox uniform.

Boston has to find a way to get the bats going. They benched Ortiz for this series, and it will be interesting to see what they do when they bring him back. Does he still bat 3rd? If not then where? He is supposed to play on Tuesday so I guess those questions will be answered then. Boston is now 3 games back in the AL East and are just 9-12 on the road this season (13-4 at home).

Red Sox 4 Angels 3

Masterson struggled for most of his appearance, but was able to get himself out of a couple deep jams and ended up with a nice stat line (6 innings 2ER 5H 3Ks). The difference maker was the bullpen once again. The Red Sox have the third-best bullpen ERA in the American League, and once again they were stellar last night as Delcarmen, Ramirez, and Papelbon combined to throw 3 scoreless innings.

The Sox were down 3-1 going into the 8th inning, but then the Angels' bullpen began to collapse. Ortiz was hit by a pitch with the bases load which put the Sox within a run. Then Bay was able to tie the game on a sacrifice grounder to 2nd base. So, the stage was set in the 9th inning, and the most unlikely of people came through for the Sox. Varitek was actually the hero of this game hitting an RBI double in the 9th inning off Shields, raising Tek's average to .239 (if he hits .250 this year I would be very happy).

Papelbon came in for the 9th and got his 9th save of the season. Papelbon is now a perfect 9 for 9 in save chance. The Sox are still a game back of the Jays for first place in the AL East.

Red Sox 2 Indians 9

Masterson had his 2nd tough outing in a row, and you have to wonder if he is getting a little tired. We have seen it before that when guys are thrown between the bullpen and the starting rotation it can really take a toll on their arm. I think Masterson is a very good pitcher, but I do believe he is destined for the bullpen. We can see the holes in the bullpen when he is not out there, so hopefully Dice-K will be back soon.

Anyways, Pavano pitched a great game going 6 innings allowing only 2 runs. Masterson was having a very nice outing until the 5th inning when he let up 3 runs. He ended up going 6 1/3 inning allowing 6 runs. This was Masterson's first loss at Fenway (he was 7-0).

I wouldn't read too much into this game. The Sox were playing without Ellsbury, and Youk. As much as DP hates Ellsbury, even he would have to admit there is a big difference between Van Every and Ellsbury in CF. There were two bad plays made by Van Every in this game that really ended up costing the Red Sox at least 2-3 runs. Then on top of that you have Bailey in instead of Youk. Bailey just can't hit the ball right now, and Youk is one of our best hitters. Hopefully both of them will be back soon and the Sox can get back to their winning ways.

Toronto won last night so the Sox are now 2 games back, but still 3 1/2 games above the Yankees.

Red Sox 4 Yankees 1

This weekend has just been a sluggfest between the Red Sox and the Yankees. By Sunday neither team had much of a bullpen left, yet both were able to dig deep and find pitchers to help them through the game. Still, even with all the great pitching the story of the game was Ellsbury, who in dramatic style stole home on future Hall of Famer Andy Pettitte. It came during the Red Sox 3 run 5th inning (which ended up being the difference in the game). I always joke how Ellsbury looks like Benny "the Jet" Rodriguez from the Sandlot, and this play was just like the ending scene in that movie. He stole home, and Fenway just went nuts. Ellsbury has had his struggles this year, but you can't argue with the way he has been playing of late. His batting average is up to .282. He already has 10 SBs, and you can just see this lineup get hot when he gets on base.

Anyways, Masterson once again did his job going 5 1/3 innings allowing 1 run on 5 hits with 4 Ks. He has been great, and it was really good to see him go against a very good lineup and for the most part take care of it easily. Future starter Michael Bowden came in and ate up 2 innings, while not allowing a run. Then Saito came in for the 9th and got the save.

Boston has now swept the Yankees, and won 10 straight. They are still 1 game behind the Jays for 1st place as they travel to Cleveland for a 3 game series.

Just a few things...

-First off, I can't be happier that the Yankees are now going from the greatest franchise history to the greatest franchise in history to harbor steroid users. The best part is they still don't win. Special thanks to Giambi and A-Rod for solidifying their place in history as useless steroid users that can't win when it counts. I used to have respect for them, though I hate them, but its too bad that the sporting dilemma has gone from bad to worse.

-The news of A-Rod is not really surprising in our generation of roider's and cheats. Personally I don't believe that roids give that much of an advantage in baseball because either u can hit or throw or you can't. The distance and velocity doesn't mean shit if the player doesn't have the talent initially to make in to the show. However i was baffled that only A-Rod was called out on this list, either give up everyone or no one at all.

-I hate Bud Selig, this guy has fucked up big time. He did the right thing to take the necessary steps to deter steroid users from continuing their faulty decision making. But come on, why was this list that came out show up on the Mitchell report? I think its a conspiracy because he is no fool to letting his most marketable name be link with the use of performance enhancers. Like our country as a whole its time for baseball to go in a different direction and be lead by someone with youth and knowledge of the changing times to make the necessary changes that the sport needs to take to remain, and in some regards regain its role as the most followed sport in our culture. Plus, how do you fuck up an all star game? Seriously what kind of ass clown do you have to be to accomplish this?

-Well, well, well TO got cut. This is no surprise cause this guy is a selfish little cock sucking bitch that cries when his team can succeed without him being the cause. While Terrell has compiled hall of fame numbers he will never win a Super Bowl, and will continue his league wide merry-go-round of fucking each organization side ways until he retires. I can't say adding this threat won't provide results for the Bills, but they will never win with him and hopefully for the sake of Edwards and Lee he doesn't fuck up their continuity and deter them from progressing and improving year in and year out. Fuck you TO you fucking franchise ruiner.

-I have been enjoying the WBC this time around. Did the Netherlands really knock out the DR what the fuck is that about? I guess its true what they say that anyone can win on any given day. Who the fuck would have thought it would have been two loses to the fucking Netherlands. I don't know what to think about this, I am just baffled a team full of MLB stars can loose to a team that has two players in the show. Otherwise, this tournament has been entertaining with the USA make Venezuela their bitches, Japan showing that no one can compete with them in the general Asian area, and the entertaining play from guys who are auditioning for possible future MLB contracts a la Dice-K in the 2006 WBC.

-As for the Pats moving Cassell and Vrabel, I like the move because it allows them to sure up cap space to bring in more and younger players to fill the holes that fucked them in the ass last year. I would have loved to see a better draft choice but I trust in the brilliance of the hoody. I just love the out come of Cutler showing the world the bitch that he really is. My thoughts of the rumors surrounding him is that he shouldn't be surprised that he was shopped, hell who in their right mind wouldn't want a QB molded into the likes of Tom Brady, one of the greatest signal callers of all time? Oh and Culter get the sand out of your cunt and play, your making millions to play a sport that you just may be overrated in.

-Finally, Clay Buchholtz is showing the dominance that the Sox have been coveting for the last three years. I love this, I love seeing everyone jumping back on his nuts and proclaiming that he is nasty. My fellow blogger's kicked the kid when he was down saying he wasn't shit because he lost himself last year, but as usual people are quick to come to conclusions and down play the potential that our athletes posses. These signs of maturity and growth only adds to the prospects of the up coming season for the Sox. Be ready fans for a vastly improved pitcher that will make an unexpected, to you doubters, productivity. I believe that his reemergance will allow Tito and Epstien to keep Masterson in the bullpen to get those most out of their your pitchers.

Daily Red Sox Spring Training Update

Baltimore 5 Red Sox 3

- Justin Masterson started the game and looked filthy, everyone from the Boston Globe to CBS Sportsline is raving about this kid. Too bad I just don't think there is going to be a spot in the rotation for him this year. Still, Masterson is going to be one of the keys to the Red Sox season. Masterson pitched 2 scoreless innings allowing only 1 hit with 1 K.

- Daniel Bard, who I think will be int he bullpen by mid season threw a scoreless inning with no hits and 1 K. This kid has nasty stuff, and can throw around 100 MPH. He can be wild, but if Papelbon ever leaves look for this kid to be the future.

- The Sox didn't get much offense, but that was because Ellsbury was the only true starter playing. Most guys left for the WBC or are nursing injuries. Ellsbury went 1-3.

- Once again the Sox pitching looked great. The only two pitchers to let up runs were Billy Traber, and Adam Mills, so overall pitching wise it was a good outing.

Other notes:

- Penny may have his start pushed back a day or two, because he pitched his side session in the cold, and Francona doesn't want him to pull a muscle. Nothing serious.

- Rocco Baldelli has been getting some time off. Expect a lot of this during the season. Francona said that spring training is way too long, and that players will be ready to go in a week or two. He went on to say that he wants to keep guys "fresh".

Sox play the Reds today at 1:05pm on NESN.

Red Sox Offseason Preview: Relief Pitchers

JUSTIN MASTERSON
Just another young guy that the Red Sox have control of for a long time. Masterson is signed through 2014 for cheap money. He was a stud for the Sox this year, but I don't think that he will be a starter next year. They projected him, as he was coming up through the minors, to be a reliever, and I think that will be the Sox greatest concern going into next season. Masterson really improved that bullpen a lot at the end of the season. Imagine what he can do with another year under his belt.

JAVIER LOPEZ
Lopez is eligible for arbitration this offseason, and I think the Sox will bring him back next year. It is tough to get lefty relief pitching, and he can be very affective when used correctly. Hopefully the Sox will have a deeper bullpen next year, so they won't be forced to use him for more then one batter.

MANNY DELCARMEN
The Sox have Delcarmen under control through 2012. I have to say of all the players this year, I was most disappointed with Delcarmen. I really thought this was going to be his breakout year. He could still do it, but I am beginning to lose faith that he is going to be anything more then a average to below average reliever.

HIDEKI OKAJIMA
Okajima is signed through next season, and the Sox have to be happy to have this guy still on the team. He struggled for a good part of the season, but really turned it on at the end, and I think he will still be a great setup man next season (especially if it is a combo of Okajima and Masterson).

MIKE TIMLIN
Had a great career, but it is time to retire. He just had nothing left, and by the end of the season he was a 1 pitch pitcher. I'll miss him, but he should have retired a year ago.

JONATHAN PAPELBON
Paps is under the Red Sox control till 2011. One of (if not the) best closer in baseball, had another great year for the Red Sox. There are rumors that he may have injured himself at the end of last season, but I expect him to be fine. Still, the Sox need to find a way to use him less, and try to keep him to one inning (or not pitch him on back-to-back days). We have seen him have to be shut down if he is over used.

Offseason Previews done:
Starting Pitchers
Relief Pitchers

Click here to see the rest:
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-BMack

Red Sox Stun Rays With 8-7 Comeback Win

One of the greatest games I have ever seen. You would never have thought so with the way it looked during the first 6 1/2 innings. Dice-K was getting lit up, B.J. Upton seemed unstoppable, and Fenway Park looked more like the waiting line at a wake, then the stadium of the defending champions. All seemed loss. I had already began planning out the team for next year. Already I had sat back and thought of all the reasons this wasn't the year; Beckett's "problems", no production out of CF, World Series MVP Mike Lowell hurt, D.L. Drew plays only when feels like it, and our starting SS is someone named Jed. I was about to call it a night after Papelbon came on with 2 men on and no outs, and let up a double to B.J. Upton to make it 7-0. It was there that sinking feeling I hadn't felt in awhile. I was giving up...then it happened...

Lowrie comes up and rips a double to right, but then Tek and Kotsay roll over quickly for the next two out. 7 outs left, down 7, and Coco at the plate, sounds like a good time to start popping those sleeping pills (which I did). Crisp singles, still the Fenway crowd just seems like it has nothing left, a good 20%-30% of the fans are gone, I can't blame them, it looked hopeless. Pedroia fights off some pitches,
"fucking guy never gives up, good old "Little Dusty"", well once again Dusty reports for duty, and hits an RBI double scoring Jed Lowrie.

"Well good for Little Dusty at least he get one last hurrah, he had a hell of a season".

Papi comes up, instantly I kind of am pissed,

"this guy hasn't done anything all playoffs. He actually has a lower BA then Ellsbury. Is it his wrist? He is actually pissed about Manny?"

It very well may be his wrist, but he can still pull an inside fastball. Balfour makes that mistake, and Papi crushes one past Pesky poll. "Wow! At least they will make this interesting, they won't go down without some kind of fight."

Rays 7 Sox 4. Youk flies out to right, and the inning ends.

My mind starts racing..."ummmm ok 6 outs 3 runs. They can do that."

Papelbon makes quick work out of the Rays in the top of the 8th. "Man he is pumped up, but I don't think he can go another inning, his pitch count is already like 40."

Dan Wheeler comes out for the Rays in the 9th.

"They can hit this guy, but don't get too excited still a long way to go".

Bay walks, the sudden doomed look comes over Wheelers face. J.D. Drew hits a shot to right, and the Sox have now climbed within one.

"Fucking Drew, guy is so fucking annoying, he doesn't play, blah, blah, blah...has anyone been more clutch lately? Did I just compliment D.L. Drew.... Wow this really is a strange game."

Lowrie, and Sean Casey go down quickly (Casey came in for Tek). Kotsay hits a double, and you can just tell the Rays know what's coming, but Coco is at the dish. I am now on my knees in front of my TV. First time since I was a little kid and watch Glen Wesley hit the crossbar in the Stanley Cup Finals.

"Oh man I want anyone other then Coco up, he never comes through. I take that back I wouldn't want Tek either, but shit Coco just doesn't come through in games like this."

Coco hits a singe to right, Kotsay's got wheels and comes around to score.

"OMG, Coco did it, finally he's a hero". Then he gets thrown out trying for 2nd. "Fucking Coco, can't he let me enjoy him for more then 5 secs".

Inning over 7-7, text messages are pouring in.

Masterson comes in for the Sox for the 9th.

"Man they have asked so much out of this kid. It's unfair, really unfair".

Barlett gets on with a single. My heart sinks,

"God I feel for this kid, he doesn't deserve this".

Iwamura pops out, but then the walking God Upton comes to the plate. Masterson walks him.

"Best thing that could have happened", I say to myself, trying to be positive.

Pena's up, announcers then inform me that Pena has it into something like only 3 double plays on the year. The trap is set...Pena hits into the double play. Masterson makes it out of the inning. Sox have the best players on the team coming up.

Pedroia comes up and hits a ground ball off Longoria's glove, but Barlett is able to get to it, and throw him out.

"Oh no, Pedroia might kill someone".

Ortiz is up.

"Can he do it again, but no way they will throw inside to him."

2 pitches go by count is 1-1 and Ortiz tries to bunt down the third base line.

"What the fuck, you just hit a HR, why are you bunting???" I starting thinking of every reason possible. "Maybe his wrist is really fucked up, maybe he can't hit pitches away".

Ortiz strikes out on the next pitch.

"Oh God they are going to have to bring Masterson out again, poor kid".

Youk comes up, fights off 10 pitches, then hits a ball weakly to Longoria, who makes a hell of a play to get to it, but seemed to get too relaxed after he got the ball in his glove. He throws too short, and Pena can't control it, the ball goes flying, and Youk trots to 2nd.

"Wow they are going to do this, WTF is with Boston's teams".

Bay is intentionally walked.

"HAHAHAHA why would you do that? Drew is hitting like .700 against Howell".

3 straight balls to Drew, 2 pitches later Drew puts one over the right fielders head. Youk comes home, and the place goes nuts. I am now running aimlessly around my room, yelling at the top of my lungs.

"THIS TEAM HAS TAKEN YEARS OFF MY LIFE!!!!!". Sox live on for another day, and the legacy that is the Sox, since the Boone homerun, lives on....

-BMack

Sox Take Game 1 (2-0)

Everyone seemed to be saying last night before game 1, and I agreed. If the Sox win game 1 they will take this series. I know it's only one game, but I really don't have much worry about this series anymore.

Last night was a strange night. In the first inning it was business as usual, as Dice-K walked the bases loaded. In typical Dice-K fashion he got the next batter to ground out to 2nd, yet from this point on something changed. This wasn't a normal Dice-K outing. The innings went by, and I have to admit I didn't notice till about the 4th. I refused to say anything, instead just turned my computer to a friend and pointed at the stat line. There had been no hits. Could he do it? Would Francona let him if his pitch count got too high? All these questions raced though my head.

While Dice-K was dominating the were struggling against James Shields. It wasn't until the 5th inning that the Sox got something going, as Jason Bay started the inning with a walk. Then Mark Kotsay (who I am liking more and more) ripped a double to left field, putting bay at 3rd. Lowrie did his job and got the sacrifice fly, scoring Bay, but then Varitek came up and couldn't do what he was supposed to and grounded out to 2nd. I really don't understand how Tek can't get the ball to the outfield in that situation since all he does it pop out to the outfield. He has an uppercut swing, and he is the captain, but whatever we move on.

Dice-K just kept rolling, but there was a weird feeling in the air, that Dice-K was going to have one of "those" innings. He made it all the way to the 7th with the no hit attempted. In the 7th Crawford singled to right, then Floyd singled. My stomach started to sink, "this is it, we needed that run from Tek, Dice-K's not going to be able to do it". Next batter...pop out, then Gabe Gross (still don't know why he was even playing) strikes out. See this wasn't the normal Dice-K outing. He was hitting his spots, almost every time, and he seemed to have this confidence that I usually don't see from him. So, with two outs he gets Jason Bartlett to ground out, and the Sox moved into the 8th.

In the 8th the MVPs for the Sox went to work. Pedrioa got on, and stole 2nd, then Youk drove him home. How many times have we seen that this year? Later in the inning Drew was hit by a pitch. It was unintentional, but I was worried we may had seen the last of J.D. Glass, but he got up and stayed in the game. So, the Sox are up 2-0, but the question remained about, what to do with Dice-K. Do you bring him back out? He was at about 110 pitches, but this was a guy who can pitch 130 easy. They decided to bring him back out, but after two quick singles he was pulled for Okajima. Okajima did his job and got Carlos Pena to pop out, and I really thought that Francona would keep him in after getting one of the most dangerous hitters on this team out, but instead he pulled him for Masterson. I guess Francona knows his stuff, as Masterson got rookie of the year Longoria to ground into an inning ending double play.

Papelbon came in for the 9th, and we all knew it was over. He struck out 2 out of 3 batters, and the Sox took a 1-0 lead in the series. I really believe you are going to see a very good outing from Beckett tonight, and Lester has been dominant. So, I really think the Sox have control of this series. Game 2 is tonight at 8:07.

-BMack

Red Sox Put Away Angels

I was at Fenway for this game last night, and even though it was really cold out, the fans were pumped and there was trust in Lester that he would get the job done. I don't think anyone would have predicted the real hero in this game though.

Lester and Lackey pitched fantastic. Neither pitcher let up a run through the first 4 innings, as the game seemed to be just flying by. There was a feeling in the crowd that this game was going to be decided last in the game. Boston strikes first with 2 runs in the 5th as Ellsbury grounded out with men at 1st and 3rd, scoring a run. Then FINALLY little Dusty got his first hit of the series as he ripped a double to left scoring Varitek.

Lester just kept cruising and ended up pitching 7 scoreless innings allowing only 4 hits while striking out 4. Through 7 innings Lester had pitched 109 pitches, and a lot of people think that he should have come out for the 8th. Hind sight is 20/20, but it certainly seems like that would have been a good idea, as the Angels tied the game in the top of the 8th. Okajima didn't look bad as he was getting the 1st two outs of the inning, but then he walked Teixeira. Francona showed a complete lack of faith in Oki, and immediately pulled him for Masterson. Masterson came in and walked Vlad, then the ball got away from Tek and Teixeira and Vlad got into scoring position. Masterson still couldn't settle down as Hunter tied the game with a two run single.

The 9th had plenty of drama as the Angels had a man in scoring position with only 1 out. Aybar tied to bunt the run home, but missed as Willits tried to get a running start. Tek quickly chased him back to the 3rd, and got the tag on him for the 2nd out. There is a lot of questions over this, as after Tek applied the tag he fell to the ground and dropped the ball. Apparently by MLB rules it still counts as an out. Masterson was able to get the final out of the inning, and the stage was set.

J.D. Drew was the first one up for the Sox, and looked to be the guy that could be the hero of the game. Instead, Drew struck out looking on a 2-2 pitch. Jason Bay came up and ripped the ball to right field, it went into the stand, and Bay went to 2nd on the ground rule double. Kotsay got good wood on the ball, but it was right at Teixeira, who is one hell of a defense first baseman. Lowire came up with 2 outs and a man on 2nd. Schields threw a curve ball to Lowrie, and Lowrie was able to get enough on it to get it past a driving Howie Kendrick. Bay came flying around third, the throw was too late, and the Boston Red Sox will now face the Rays in the ALCS starting Friday. Lowrie is the youngest Red Sox player of all time to hit a walk off in the playoffs. Never would have thought in the beginning of the season that Jed Lowrie would be the hero to send the Sox into the next round of the playoffs.

-BMack

Sox Take 2-0 Series Lead With 7-5 Win

The Sox came into this game with a lot of questions. How hurt is Lowell? Why is Cora playing? Will Dice-K prove he is truly an elite pitcher? Can Masterson hold down the setup spot?

A lot of those questions are still unanswered, but we did find out that J.D. Drew is still a difference maker, even after missing 6 weeks. Many (including myself) thought that his season might be over, several times during those 6 weeks. The Sox had blown the lead it was the top of the 9th. Ortiz had doubled, but Youk failed to move him over. It was a tie game, and maybe one of the more unlikely heroes comes to the plate, and hits a shot to right field, and in a blink of an eye everything the Angels and K-Rod had done all year was on the ropes. The single season save record had blown a tie game, at home, against a team that had now beaten them 11 straight times in the postseason.

The Sox jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first, after a Drew RBI double, Jason Bay added a 3 run shot. It seemed like the Sox were going to be able to easily run away with this game, but Dice-K wasn't an ace. He was solid, but not an ace, and the Sox bullpen is just not good enough for anything less than 6-7 innings. Dice-K went 5 innings allowing 3 runs on 8 hits with 3 walks and 5 Ks. Like I said not bad, but many Sox fans were hoping to see him take it to the next level. Thank god no one other than Teixeira, Guerrero, and Hunter can hit the ball. Those 3 combined for 8 of the Angels 11 hits. What Dice-K and the Sox bullpen did do is not give up that big inning (Dice-K is been amazing at that all season). The Angels never scored more than a run in any inning, but the chipped away at the lead. Okajima came in and the Sox were still up by 2, but Okajima let up a run, but Masterson bailed him out with a strikeout. The Sox seemed like the dodged a bullet, but in the very next inning Masterson let up a leadoff triple to Figgins. So, Papelbon came into the game (I think he should have been in there to start the inning). He got Anderson to pop out, but Teixeira hit the game tying sacrifice fly.

J.D. Drew had his heroics, but it was great to see Papelbon dominate the likes of Hunter, Matthews and Kendrick. I still have not figured out why you would have Hunter try to bunt in the 9th, but I guess the Angels are just desperate. The Sox now own a 2-0 lead in the series with Josh Beckett pitching at Fenway on Sunday. Mike Lowell will be back in the lineup, and the Sox seemed poised to put this series away.

-BMack

Red Sox Take Game 1 (4-1)

The Red Sox took Game 1 tonight (or should I say morning?) with a 4-1 victory over the Angels. Lester pitched fantastic, and the Sox needed every bit of it, as their offense struggled for a good part of the night. In the first inning Lester struggled with his control, and seemed to be a little rattled, but he was able to get Kendrick to ground out with bases loaded. Lester was cruising, but in the 3rd Lowrie had an error, which would have gotten Lester out of in the innings, but instead Hunter hit an RBI single, and the Angels took a 1-0 lead.

All was quiet as Lester and Lackey dueled. The Sox came up in the 6th, and it seemed like Lackey was going to set the Sox down, much like he had all night. He struck out Papi, then walked Youk, but got the 2nd out as Drew popped out. Then the game changed for the night, as Jason Bay State hit a 2 run homerun to left field. That was all that Lester and the Sox would need. Lester set the Angels down in order by striking out the side in the 6th. Lackey was playing fine, but ended up getting taken out of the game in the top of the 6th, because Gary Matthews Jr. couldn't find a pop fly off Ellsbury's bat, and Jacoby came around all the way to third. That was the night for Lackey, but Oliver came in and he got Papi to strikeout and end the inning.

The Sox went into cruise control as Lester took the side out in order in the 7th. The 8th inning was scary as Masterson came in. I was really surprised to see him in the game and not Okajima. Just seemed like a lot of pressure to put on a rookie. I mean it was a 1 run game, but all is well that ends well. Ellsbury made a driving catch, which took a hit away from Teixeira. Vlad ripped a single, so the tying run is on, and Hunter is at the plate. This is when Vlad cost them the game. Hunter hits a bloop single over Youk's head, but Vlad tried for third. Youk was quick to pick up the ball and threw Vlad out by a mile. After a long at bat Masterson gets Kendrick to ground out, and the inning finally came to a close.

Boston added 2 more runs in the 9th on an Ellsbury/Ortiz RBI singles. So the stage was set for one of the best closers in the game, and he did what he does best...shut them down. He struck out the side, while allowing 1 hit. The Sox now have the advantage in this series, as they have 2 home games coming after the Friday's game.

Boston still has some things to worry about. Drew and Lowell combined to be 0-8, and Lowell seemed to be in a serious amount of pain towards the end of the game. Masterson controlled the setup spot, but it was a wild ride. In the end, the Sox did what they had to do, and Lester everyday is looking more and more like an ace. Game 2 is Friday at 9:35pm on TBS.

-BMack

Sox Sweep Indians With 6-1 Win

The Red Sox are still have a chance for the AL East crown, since Tampa Bay lost to the Tigers earlier today. Boston looked great tonight as Lester carried a no-hitter into the 6th inning. He fished with a very strong outing of 6 innings allowing only 2 hits 1 runs with 4 Ks to get his 16th win of the year. He didn't need to go deep into this game, as the Sox offense got off to a very fast starting scoring 5 runs in the first two innings. Then in the 7th Youk made his MVP case with a solos HR (btw I still think Pedroia has it locked up).

Even Boston's bullpen looked great, because even when Lester left the game, the Sox held the Indians scoreless for the rest of them. Masterson, Okajima, and Papelbon each worked an hitless inning. I think Boston was showing the setup that they will be using in the playoffs (in terms of their bullpen). I really like those 3 guys, and I know a lot of people are really down on Okajima, but he has looked really good lately. The only sour note for the Sox was that J.D. Drew didn't play, no word yet on if his back acted up, but I was expecting him to play at least a couple innings tonight.

-BMack

Rays Beat Sox 2-1

The game came down to the bottom of the 9th. Masterson was on the hill, Barlett hit a single, then Pena walked, which was very questionable since the Sox would have had 2 strikes on him, but a ball came onto the field and time was called (yet no one seemed to know other than the 3rd base umpire). So, there was a man on 1st and 2nd with no out. Masterson was able to get Longoria to strikeout (3rd time today), but Masterson couldn't keep the momentum as he hit Cliff Floyd with a pitch to load the bases. So, with 1 out and bases loaded Dioner Navarro hit a deep fly ball to center field. Ellsbury new it was too deep to have a chance to throw Barlett out at the plate, so he let it go and the Rays beat the Sox 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th. The Sox now are no longer tied for 1st, and can't do any better than tie the Rays when this series is over (since it ends after tomorrow's game). The Rays have to be pumped to get this win, since they are back into 1st, and they end their slide. It was really a wasted effort by the Sox, as Beckett went 8 innings allowing only 1 run on 3 hits with 7 Ks. So, at least it seems like Beckett is ready for the playoff push. The bad news is that Mike Lowell really looked like he is hurt, and I am beginning to question how much longer he is going to be able to play through this injury (torn labrum). Lowell can barley run to first, and after making a bare handed play in the field, he was grimacing, and limping noticeably. As always we will keep you updated on Mike Lowell's status, as more information becomes available.

-BMack

Sox Win Night Game Vs. Jays 7-5

The Sox really needed a win tonight after dropping a game earlier to the Jays. This game was far from being an easy win as the Jays scored 5 runs in the 2nd inning off Colon to take a 5-2 lead. Colon was able to keep his composure, and kept the Jays quiet through the rest of the 6 innings he pitched. Boston was down 5-4 going into the bottom of the 8th, until Jacoby Ellsbury drove in the go-ahead run on single as Toronto pitcher Scott Downs fell down going after the ball and the Red Sox rallied for 3 runs in the inning to go up 7-5. The Sox bullpen was the key to winning this game as Masterson, Lopez, and Papelbon combined to pitch 3 scoreless innings. Papelbon came in for the save in the 9th, and he easily got it for his 37th save of the season. Boston is now 2 games back of the Rays for the AL East lead, and 5 1/2 ahead of the Twins for the Wild Card lead. This loss will finally end the Jays season.

-BMack

Red Sox Bunt To Beat Orioles 5-4

This was one of the sillier games I had ever seen in my life. The Sox were down 4-2 in the 8th then Mark Kotsay (was has just been amazing in a Sox uniform) hit a game tying 2-run triple. Masterson (who got the win) shutdown the Orioles in the top of the 9th, then the silliness ensued. It started with an Alex Cora single, then Coco came up and bunted. This was no normal bunt as it looked to be going foul, but then (for some reason unknown) did a 180 and stayed fair. So, there was a man on 1st and 2nd with no outs, and Ellsbury at the plate. So what does Ellsbury do??? Well, of course bunt, and the Orioles try to get Cora out at third, but it is a wild throw and Cora walks home to win the game...ridiculous.

What a win for the Sox. Dice-K had a solid inning going 6 innings allowing 4 hits, 4 walks, 3 runs with 7 Ks. You would like to see the walk total go down, but we have been saying that all season. Dice-K didn't get the win and was actually on the hook for the loss until Kotsay's game tying triple. Dustin Pedrioa continues to make his case for AL MVP by going 3-4 with a solo HR. For a guy who is listed at 5-9 180lbs (but it more like 5-7) the kid can hit he is now hitting .333 on the season with 17 HRs, 76 RBI, and 17 SBs. You have to hope he can continue this as the Sox try to get healthy.

Sorry Clay It Just Ain't Your Time

First off, I personally like Buchholz and his skill as a pitcher. What you all need to understand is the dude is 24-25 years old. The guy threw a no hitter in the Majors, he does not suck so shut up with that retarded shit. Right now he is not ready to pitch in the rotation for a various reasons. Since coming back from the DL he hasnt been the same pitcher we have seen last year and earlier this year. With that said they should move him to the pen and put Masterson in to ensure some consistancy. With that said Im sick of the those who were on his nuts after he threw the no no and now are saying he sucks. So to those of you who have these thoughts, please remove your head out of your ass and stop being retarded. Thank You.