6 Sox, 3 Oakland

John Lackey did the job. It may not be the best line ever, 5.1 innings 3 earned runs, 2ks, but he got the win. I don't think many of us expect a better line than that going forward, but we will take it. John Lackey is our 4th starter, I don't care how much he's paid, as long as he doesn't give up more than 4 runs a start I don't care.

Now for people I like talking about, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez were responsible for 5 of the 6 runs the Sox scored this afternoon. Crawford hit a 3-run home run into the bullpen in the second inning off of Brett Anderson. Then Adrian Gonzalez hit a 2 run blast into the monster 2 innings later to put the A's away for good. David Ortiz went 3-4 and is amazing, he is now hitting .325 for the season. Salty had a 3-for-4 game of his own with a triple and 2 singles.

But isn't Adrian Gonzalez the best hitter anyone has ever seen in a Sox uniform. Since I never saw Ted play, I guess the comparisons would be Manny and Wade Boggs, and they never were able to do what this guy has done thus far.

We are a game back against the Yankees heading into NY this week.

Red Sox @ A's Preview

Man I can't stand west coast game, but the Sox are out in Oakland tonight. Tonight we get Lackey vs. Brett Anderson, and is it just me or do the Red Sox face a lefty every fucking game? Anyways, Red Sox Nation has their figures crossed that Lackey can pull a Dice-K and pitch a gem. Wow, I know I can't believe that I just wrote that sentence either, but it's true.

Lackey was skipped last time his turn was up, and has been awful this season going 1-1 with a 15.58 ERA. All the talk that he looked fit, and poised for a great season seemed to go out the window fast. Now the Sox are just hoping they can get something out of him.

Meanwhile, Brett Anderson is winless but is rocking a nice 2.29 ERA. This kid is a future ace in the making, and seems to be in line with all the great pitching the A's seem to get every year. Anderson has been solid versus the Red Sox, going 3-1, 2.61 ERA. After losing his first career start against the Red Sox, he's 3-0 with a 2.63 ERA and 24 strikeouts.

Boston has been rolling lately, and I would like to say I feel good about this game, but I don't. Still, Lackey in the past has been good against the AL West and is 17-5 in his career against the A's, so I'll be optimistic.

Red Sox win 5-4
Player of the Game: Pedroia
Game starts at 10:05pm

A's Give Cahill 5 Year Deal

"Billy Beane continued an Oakland tradition today, locking up yet another promising young starter. The A's GM agreed to sign Trevor Cahill through his arbitration years and then some with a five-year deal that the team confirmed this afternoon. The contract, which is worth $30.5MM in guaranteed money, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney, buys out Cahill's last pre-arbitration season, his three arbitration years and at least one free agent year (Twitter link). The A's have two options worth $13MM and $13.5MM for 2016 and 2017, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (MLBTradeRumors)."

Love the deal, but you always have to wonder how long the A's will stick with him. It seems like once a pitcher really gets tot he top of his game the A's ship him out. A lot of times it works (Zito), but at some point I would really like to see the A's go for it instead of doing the whole "money ball" thing. They have developed some of the best pitchers in baseball over the years, but yet we have not seen them go all the way.

Also, I think they should lock down Gio Gonzalez long term. That guy has showed that he is the real deal over the last year and it's time he got reward. He might even be the best pitcher on that staff, and has been quoted as saying he has his "fingers crossed" on a deal.

Uh Oh A's (UPDATED)

Oakland Athletics closer Andrew Bailey is going to visit Dr. James Andrews for a sore elbow in his throwing arm and the name Dr. James Andrews is pretty much a death sentence for every pitcher that has every played.

Which brings me to my next point, Andrew Bailey is a scumbag. You know why? He's from New Jersey. He probably needs Tommy John from fist pumping too much.

Luckily the A's picked up everyone passed around slut Brian Fuentes to step in and close if need be. Fuentes is serviceable and did an alright job in Anaheim and should be able to pick it up in Oakland.

***UPDATE***

Seems the A's dodged a bullet...

"Tests revealed Tuesday that Oakland closer Andrew Bailey has a strained forearm, news that came as a relief to the Athletics after they feared he had a serious elbow injury (ESPN)."

MLB Previews: Oakland A's

Offense:

Line-Up 2010 Stats
1. CF-Coco Crisp (.279 avg./.342 OBP/ 8 HR)
2. 1B-Daric Barton (.273/ .393/ 10)
3. RF-David DeJesus (.318/ .384/ 5)
4. DH-Hideki Matsui (.274/ .361/ 21)
5. LF-Josh Willingham (.268/ .389/ 16)
6. C-Kurt Suzuki (.242/ .303/ 13)
7. 3B-Kevin Kouzmanoff (.247/ .283/ 16)
8. 2B-Mark Ellis (.291/ .358/ 5)
9. SS-Cliff Pennington (.250/ .319/ 6)

The line up for the A's will be fiesty. They have a great blend of power and speed. Coco Crisp stole 32 of 35 bases last year and the additions of Dejesus, Matsui and Wllingham provide good sticks in the middle of the order. I'm not completely sold on DeJesus coming back to form or having a good year for the A's. Daric Barton had a pretty solid year too and look for him to build on that.

Pitching:
Brett Anderson (7-6, 2.80 ERA)
Trevor Cahill (18-8, 2.97)
Gio Gonzalez (15-9, 3.23)
Dallas Braden (11-14, 3.50)
Rich Harden (5-5, 5.58)

I'm not a big Cahill or Braden fan but they get it done. If Brett Anderson can remain healthy and if Gio Gonzalez can build on the great year he had, they will be in good shape. Harden on the other hand is an asshole, he is a shittier version of Erik Bedard. I like the A's bullpen with Andrew Bailey is going to be the closer this year after two straight all star appearances. The A's have solid left handers in Brian Fuentes, Craig Breslow, and Jerry Blevins that can pitch in any situation out of the pen. Michael Wuertz, Joey Devine, and newly acquired Grant Balfour give the A's three solid right handed options.

Overall
83-79

Yankees Fill Pettitte's Spot Via Trade?

The fallout from Pettitte retiring is causing all kinds of rumors on the internet. Most experts seem to think the Yankees will make some kind of move before opening day, instead of banking on guys like Nova, Colon, Mitre, ect at the back end of the rotation. The question now is who would be available?

Grienke already got dealt to the Brewers, the Indians are saying that Carmona is not on the market (though I have a hard time believing that), Felix Hernandez seems to be just a dream, and Blanton just costs too much for what they would get in return. Their best option might be to turn to the A's who love to trade guys for more prospects, and a player that might fit is left hander Gio Gonzalez. Gio is coming off a really nice year (15-9 3.23 ERA) and would fit the mold of being a Red Sox killer, since the Sox have so many lefties in their lineup.

If it isn't Gio I think the Yankees are going to have to wait and see what teams fall out of the playoffs. The White Sox have arms to deal if they falter. Edwin Jackson could quickly be available, and another name to watch is John Danks. The White Sox have been trying to extend Danks for awhile now, but he seems happy to sit back and wait for free agency in 2 years. Since the White Sox minor league system is pretty terrible they could easily move one of these two guys to rebuild it quickly.

There is a lot of panic in Yankeeland recently, and it will be interesting to see if they make some kind of overreacting move before the season starts to calm the nerves of the Yankee faithful.

Chone Figgins To A's?

"The A’s are trying to acquire Chone Figgins for Kevin Kouzmanoff and perhaps a pitcher, according to Joe Stiglich of the Contra Costa Times. Figgins, 33, could play third base for the A's, who missed out on free agent Adrian Beltre (MLBTradeRumors)."

Kind of interesting. It was only a year ago that Figgins was a coveted free agent after leading the league with 101 walks in 2009, stealing 42 bases and posting a .298/.395/.393 for the Angels. Yet, he fell back to Earth after signing with the Mariners (who doesn't?). His batting average went down to .259, and he walked about 30 less times (he did steal the same about of bases though). A lot of this could be due to the talent around him. Lets be honest Seattle is not exactly known for their offense. Then again, neither are the A's.

The Mariners owe Figgins $26MM through 2013 and the infielder's contract includes a vesting option for 2014, so I am a bit surprised the A's would wan to take that on. Maybe they wan Seattle to pick up some of that deal, but the A's were offering Beltre some serious cash, so maybe they got money to burn.

I have never been a Figgins fan. It could be because I hate his first name, but I also just never thought he was as good as everyone made him out to be. Plus he is now 33 years old, and so much of his game is based on speed, so I wonder how much longer he'll be good.

A's Sign Rich Harden

"The A's have agreed to a major league deal with Rich Harden, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (MLBTradeRumors)."

I love that people get excited about this guy. He has never done anything, yet is treated like he's friggin' Ace. He has never had more then 11 wins in a season, and that 11 win year was back in 2004. He is constantly hurt, and now the A's have signed him to just be a bullpen guy. Maybe that will be good for him, because he still a good strikeout guy, but then again having this guy pitching every day (or every other day) probably won't work out with his injury history.

A's Deal For DeJesus

The Oakland Athletics pulled off the first notable trade of the offseason Wednesday night, acquiring outfielder David DeJesus from the Kansas City Royals for two pitchers -- right-hander Vin Mazzaro and lefty Justin Marks -- giving the A's a full set of outfielders and opening left field for Alex Gordon on a permanent basis in KC. ESPN

Yes, I could care less about these 2 teams. However, this is a big deal due to Zack Greinke most likely moving on. He has said that he has had enough of the Royals trading good players for prospects. With all due respect to Vin Maz, he's not nearly going to make the impact David DeJesus will in Oakland. I think Grienke will probably be shipped off to Texas after they lose out to the Red Sox in the Lee sweepstakes.

5 Red Sox, 3 As

Four straight walks and 10 base runners couldn't even startle Josh Beckett last night as he went 6, struck out 7 and let in 3 runs for the W against the Oakland As.

Pinch-hitter Ryan Kalish hit a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth, J.D. Drew had a two-run double one batter earlier and the Red Sox rallied for a 5-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Sunday.

Boston won for only the fifth time in its last 13 road games. The Red Sox still have three games in Seattle starting Monday to conclude their second-to-last trip of the year.

I think we all have officially given up on the Red Sox this year, but I guess a win is good.

Scoring Summary

			BOS	OAK
	3rd	J Cust walked, C Crisp scored, D Barton to third, K Suzuki to second.	0	1
	5th	M Ellis doubled to deep right, D Barton and K Suzuki scored.	0	3
	6th	J Drew doubled to deep left, A Beltre and D Ortiz scored, M Lowell to third.	2	3
	6th	R Kalish singled to left, M Lowell and J Drew scored, R Kalish to second advancing on throw.	4	3
	8th	J Drew reached on infield single to pitcher, A Beltre to third, J Reddick to second, A Beltre scored, J Reddick to third, J Drew to second on throwing error by pitcher J Blevins.	5	3

Sheets Career Over?

Basically the worst situation for the A's and Sheets has happened. Ben Sheets has a torn flexor tendon that will require surgery to fix. Sheets missed all of 2009 with the exact same injury and surgery, so the road back will be rough, and it wasn't like he was very good this year (4.53 ERA).

I feel bad for him, because even if he makes it back he will never be that pitcher he was with the Brewers. The good news for the A's is that they only gave him a 1 year deal, so they are off the hook after this year. Sheets on the other hand is fucked, and I really would probably retire if I was him.

Red Sox @ A's Preview

The Sox have been absolutely crushed by injuries this year. The good news is that they start getting guys back today. Buchholz is back on the hill to face Gio Gonzalez. Buchholz has been out nice June 26th, but otherwise has had a fantastic season going 10-4 with a 2.45 ERA. Buchholz allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings of a 9-8, 11-inning loss in his only appearance against Oakland last July, but the A's are a terrible hitting team and I think Buchholz is going to be lights out today.

Along with Buchholz the Sox get Jed Lowrie back. People on WEEI are all excited, but I really don't get it. Sure he might be better defensively, but I am not big on this guy and don't think it is that much of an upgrade over Bill Hall.

Anyways, the A's have a guy on the mound who has had a solid year for himself. Gio Gonzalez is 8-6 with a 3.63 ERA. He is a strikeout guy, but can struggle with control at times. If the Sox are patient they should be able to get him out of the game early. Still, he does make me a little nervous since he is 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA in his last 5 starts, and is a lefty. Still, I am taking Clay and the Sox to win today.

Red Sox win 4-1
Player of the Game: Buchholz

Game starts at 3:35pm on NESN.

Phillies About To Make Moves

There are a bunch of rumors going around the MLB today, and most of them have to do with the Phillies. Basically they all have to do with the Phillies looking to unload Jayson Werth and/or grab another starting pitcher. The question is what level of pitcher are they looking for.

The hot rumor so far is that the Phillies are making a serious run at Oswalt, but they don't want to take on his contract unless they can move Werth (Oswalt is owed more than $7 million for the rest of this year and $16 million next season, and he has a $16 million option with a $2 million buyout for 2012). The other problem is that Oswalt will have to clear any trade, as he has a no trade clause. He has said he wants to stay more near Texas, but Philly is a proven winner, so I think if it came down to that he would go.

Other names that are being kicked around are Dan Haren, Jeremy Guthrie, and Ben Sheets. I'll tell you right now if the Phillies get Haren they are going to win it all.

In any of these deals (with the exception of Guthrie) the Phillies are going to have to free up some money (according to reports). Most people think that means Werth is on his way out. Werth has been linked to the Red Sox many times over the last month or so. It would be interesting what the Sox would have to give up to get him, but the price could be driven down quickly if the Phillies are able to land a starting pitcher for prospects.

Anyways, I do believe the Phillies will make a couple moves very soon, so keep an eye on this.

A's 5 Red Sox 4 (10th)

Can't really blame Wake for this game. He had 1 bad inning when he let up 4 runs, but he did go 6 innings, and you really just can't expect more from him at this point in his career. What killed Boston was the lack of clutch hitting. They put up 12 hits yet only scored 4 runs. They have to do better then that, but it really doesn't surprise me with the "key" offensive players they are missing.

Boston chased Braden out of the game after only 4 2/3, but the A's bullpen was fantastic last night going 5 1/3 innings without surrendering a run. The only good news for the Sox last night what that their bullpen looked strong, but that could have a lot more to do with the A's offense being terrible, then anything actually getting better for the Sox relievers.

Everyone for the Sox that started the game had a hit with the exception of JD Drew, so I really see this as a tough luck loss that wouldn't have happened if the Sox weren't starting AAA guys throughout a good portion of their lineup.

You even have to question if the A's deserved to win this game, because the 10th was a crazy inning. After Coco Crisp was ejected by plate umpire Bob Davidson following a strikeout to lead off the 10th, Daric Barton singled off Ramon Ramirez (WTF happened to this guy??), and Barton advanced to 2nd when Davidson called a balk on Ramirez. The Red Sox then intentionally walked Kurt Suzuki before Dustin Richardson came in and struck out Adam Rosales. Boston pitching coach John Farrell was ejected by Davidson during that at-bat for arguing a checked swing call. Kouzmanoff then lined a single to right field off Michael Bowden and Barton slid in safely ahead of J.D. Drew's throw home.

With the loss Boston is now 6 games behind the Yankees and 3 1/2 games behind the Rays. The good news is that Buchholz is back tonight, and Beckett will make his first start off the DL on Friday.

Red Sox @ A's Preview

Sox started their west coast road trip on the right foot last night, but it doesn't get any easier as the Wake faces Dallas Braden. Wakefield looks to avoid a 3rd straight loss. It has been a tough year for the old knuckleballer, he currently is sitting on a 3-8 record with a 5.65 ERA. That is not going to keep you in the rotation, as the Beckett and Buchholz get closer to returning. Wake went 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA against the A's in 2009 but allowed six runs in six innings of a 9-8 loss to Oakland on June 3.

Braden, who hasn't pitched since June 22, is 0-5 with a 4.31 ERA in 8 starts since tossing a perfect game against Tampa Bay on May 9. He is 1-1 against the Sox in 2 starts with a 5.79 ERA, but he could be helped out by an offense that has been far from stellar lately (Boston has scored 16 runs and hit .198 in its last six games).

I just don't have any faith in the Wake anymore, and I'm actually really looking forward to him not being the rotation soon. I know, I feel horrible saying that after all these years, but he has been basically painful to watch all year. Plus I don't trust the Sox lineup against lefties.

Sox lose 7-4
Player of the Game: Kurt Suzuki

Game starts at 10:05pm on NESN.

Red Sox 2, Athletics 1

The Sox needed a great start from Daisuke last night, and they got one. He only allowed 2 hits and 2 walks in 6.2 innings, allowing the Sox to score only twice and still claim the victory.

Daisuke's been throwing strikes lately. 62 of his 89 pitches were strikes, and he started 19 of the 24 batters he faced with strikes. Then again, he threw 8 of his 27 balls in the 7th, which is partially why Francona pulled him for Bard. Call me old-fashioned, call me greedy, but it'd be nice if a starter could throw 100 pitches and go 7+ innings. How often is Daisuke under 90 pitches in the 7th? It's a shame not to be able to take advantage of that, and have him go 7 or 8 innings.

Then again, if it were a 4-1 game when he allowed a walk and a double in the 7th, Francona's leash may have been longer.

Bard had his 20th Hold (3rd most in baseball), and Papelbon recorded his 21st Save.

The Sox scored both their runs in the 4th, as Ortiz hit a sac-fly, and Beltre knocked out his 15th homer of the season. Ortiz and Beltre have 59 and 59 RBI, respectively.

Wakefield faces Dallas Braden late night tonight.

-The Commodore

Red Sox @ A's Preview

The Sox are 3-7 in their last 10 games, and are starting to fall out of the playoff picture. Tonight they head to Oakland to face Ben Sheets and the A's, who have won 5 straight. Sheets, who missed all of 2009 following elbow surgery, has been mostly mediocre in his first season with Oakland (4-8 4.63 ERA), but has been pitching better of late. The problem with the A's (as it usually is) is their offense. They have scored over 100 less runs then the Sox on the season.

Boston tonight counters with Dice-K. He beat Sheets at Fenway Park on June 2, holding Oakland to 3 runs despite 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings of Boston's 6-4 victory. The good news is that Dice-K has been very good on the road going 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his last five starts away from Fenway.

Still, Oakland does if they Red Sox trouble, as Boston has dropped 12 of its last 16 at Oakland, averaging 2.6 runs in those games. Still, I have no faith in Sheets, and think the Sox are due for a good offensive game.

Boston wins 6-5
Player of the Game: David Ortiz

Game starts at 10:05pm on NESN.

A's 9 Red Sox 8

The Wake got lit up yesterday, and although the Sox did make a comeback it wasn't enough to top the A's. Early in the game the Sox looked like the may have luck on their side as Brett Anderson went down with a sore elbow after only 2 innings, but Wakefield was horrible letting 6 runs in 6 innings of work. This isn't anything new for Wakefield, who has been mostly terrible this season with a 1-4 record and a 6.02 ERA. The Sox are going to need him to play a lot better since Beckett is going to be out at least another month.

Boston got a lot of offense out of guys you wouldn't really expect. Bill Hall was 4-5 with 2 RBIs, Herminda was 3-5 with 2 RBIs, and Scutaro was 1-5 with 3 RBis, all 3 of these players has a HR.

Boston has a ton of hit (18), but poor pitching and lack of clutch hitting did them in. With the loss Boston is now 5 1/2 games behind the Rays, and 3 1/2 games behind the Yankees in the AL East.

A's @ Red Sox Preview

Boston has been red hot lately winning 8 of their last 10 including the last 4 in a row. A major reason for their turn around is the play of David Ortiz, who was named AL player of the month for May. Ortiz is hitting .393 with eight homers and 22 RBIs over his last 18 games. Still, he might not be playing today, as Brett Anderson is on the hill and Ortiz has been terrible against him (0 for 7).

Going against Anderson will be Tim Wakefield, who had a terrible start last time out against Kansas City letting up 9 runs in just 3 2/3 innings. The good news is the Wake is 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA in his last five home starts against Oakland.

Still, the Sox have their work cut out for them today, as Brett Anderson is flat out filthy. He is 2-1 on the season with a 1.88 ERA, and is a lefty, something that can cause problem for the Red Sox.

I wish I could say I have faith in the Wake, but not today, and not against a player like Brett Anderson.

A's win 8-2
Player of the Brett Anderson

Game start at 1:35pm on NESN.

Here is the Red Sox lineup for today's game...

Scutaro SS
Pedroia 2B
Martinez C
Youkilis 1B
Beltre 3B
Lowell DH
McDonald CF
Hall RF
Hermida LF

Pitching: RHP Tim Wakefield (1-3, 5.68)

Red Sox 6, Athletics 4

Who is Daisuke Matsuzaka? Is he an Ace, or a joker? In a sequence of three starts, we've seen Pedro-esque near no-hitter. Then a walkfest. Then a solid 6.2 inning, 3 run performance. He allowed 3 hits total in two of those three starts. He allowed 10 last night. He walked 12 men in two of those three starts. He walked 0 last night. Who is this guy?

Some of the credit for Daisuke's Quality Start should go to the A's, who are 25th in runs scored, and 24th in walks. Then again, the Rays have a solid offense, and he nearly no-hit them. The Royals are 28th in walks, yet Daisuke issued 8 free passes to them (which is 5.3% of their season total of 150).

Maybe he's just pitching's version of the Bermuda Triangle. Maybe it's like L0ST and there just is no explanation. Whatever. The Sox are beating up on a bad team, and that's good news.

David Ortiz's box score line looks like a slot machine. He was 2 for 2 with 2 runs, 2 RBI and he walked 2 times. He hit his 10th double and 12th homerun of the season. Youkilis also knocked in a pair, and Pedroia had his first RBI since May 14th.

The Sox go for the sweep this afternoon at 1:35. But it might prove difficult as Tim Wakefield faces the 2-1 record and 1.88 ERA of Brett Anderson.

-The Commodore