Indians 1, Red Sox 0

The Sox finally got a Quality Start. Jon Lester was superb, throwing 7 shutout innings, working his way out of what little trouble he found himself in. He just didn't get any support. And now the Red Sox are off to their worst start since 1945. And I'm starting to worry.

The bullpen once again failed the Sox. Give Cleveland credit for manufacturing a run, but Bard's inability to throw strikes helped Manny Acta do things like call for a squeeze play.

The only hitter in the lineup doing their job is Adrian Gonzalez. The Sox are getting baserunners here and there, but can't get hits to knock them in. They're now 7/44 (.159) with runners in scoring position this season. They're only hitting .181 as a team, so it's not like they're only struggling in clutch situations. They're struggling to hit in every situation.

Youkilis is pressing too hard. Maybe the thumb is still bothering him, but I think a combination of rust and pent up frustration is why he's swinging so freely, and why he's dropping balls in the field. Remember, he hadn't played a competitive game since August 2nd. He's not exactly mild mannered, either. I think he's trying too hard to force the hits.

The Sox are failing at even the little things. Darnell McDonald's moronically wide turn of 2nd base that ended this game is an excellent example. And Varitek can give all the excuses he wants, but he made a huge mistake last night in not tagging Buck.

The Red Sox need to turn things around at Fenway. It's Opening Day tomorrow, and time to start the season over again. Unfortunately, John Lackey is pitching. He faces Phil Hughes, who struggled in his first start.

-The Commodore

MLB Preview: Boston Red Sox (Hitting)

The Red Sox scored the 2nd most runs in baseball last year. They were 2nd in homeruns, 3rd in OBP, 2nd in slugging, 1st in OPS. In other words, they were pretty good at the plate. And they should be even better in 2011.

Adding Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez were the big stories of the off-season. Not to mention the returns of Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia, who only played in 102 and 75 games last year, respectively. These newcomers and returning producers should more than offset the loss of Beltre and Victor Martinez.

The middle of the lineup will be fierce. Gonzalez, liberated from San Diego's pitcher friendly park, should hit over .300, with an OBP close to .400, slug near .600, and approach 40 homers. Youkilis should hit nearly 30 homers, with an OBP well over .400, and slug around .570.

Putting Crawford and Pedroia ahead of them will result in abundant runs. Gonzalez could knock in 120, and Youkilis should easily surpass 100 RBI.

JD Drew's contract is up, so I think he'll actually play more than 140 games and produce. Then there's Ortiz, whose 32 homers and 102 RBIs were impressive in 2010. But he really struggled against lefties. Drew also can't hit southpaws. So against righties, the Sox will have an excellent 5-6 to keep the pressure on. Against lefties, you'll see plenty of innings ended by Drew and Ortiz.

The bottom of the lineup will be solid enough. I like Ellsbury as a 7th or 9th hitter, either keeping the middle of the orders' rallies going, or helping Crawford and Pedroia start a new one. He should hit .300, with a .350 OBP that keeps him from being a good leadoff option. Minimal power, but plenty of speed.

Scutaro had a decent year last season. But we've all sort of forgotten. So did Lowrie. Having both of them as options is a nice luxury. Both play good defense, and neither are easy outs. That's all you really want or need from the 8th spot in your lineup.

Speaking of easy outs, we come to Varitek/Saltalamacchia. They'll ground into so many double plays. That is, if they even make contact with the ball.

Anyway you stack it, this lineup is pretty sick. Mike Cameron can fill in for Drew against lefties. And the speed of Crawford and Ellsbury can help keep the whole batting order from slumping. And even if a tough lefty is on the mound, guys like Youkilis (.404 against LHP last year), can still give them problems.

The Sox scored 818 runs last year, or 5.05 per game. If they stay healthy, they'll score over 900.

You have an amazing offense, and suspect pitching. I'm reminded of the Cleveland Indians from 1995 to 1999. They'll be fun to watch. They'll win 100 regular season games. And they'll lose the World Series to a team with superior pitching. I'm thinking the Phillies. 1946 all over again.

-The Commodore

Youk Getting Ready To Play Third

Now that the MLB season is over, we all know that the "hot stove" is going to be getting pretty toasty. One of the biggest things going on this offseason (well at least from a Red Sox perspective) will be what the Red Sox do with their infield.

Beltre, V-Mart, Varitek, and Ortiz (if his option isn't picked up) are all free agent. One of the theories going right now is that Youk will slide over to 3rd, and the Sox will let Beltre walk.

Youk recently talked about this possible move...

"I'm preparing myself to play third base because if you prepare yourself to play third base and you play first, it's an easy transition," Youkilis said. "So, for me, I try and prepare myself mentally to play third. I'll probably take a little more ground balls this year, but hopefully we'll find out sooner than later."

Youkilis was then asked if he minded manning third base after become a Gold Glove first baseman. His answer? Not at all. "I love third base. I love playing it, I enjoy it. It's a lot of fun," he said. "I would love to play third base, but wherever the team needs me I'll play. First base, third base. No outfield. I'll play shortstop if they want me to play short. For me, anywhere in the infield is good (WEEI)."

There is no doubt in my mind that Youk can play 3rd everyday. The question is who is going to fill in that 1st base spot. I think we can all agree one way or another Ortiz will be back next season, so there goes the DH spot. There is a decent market for 1st base with guys like Dunn, Konerko, Pena, and so on. Plus there are rumors that the Sox could make a deal for someone like Fielder or Gonzalez.

In my eyes the Sox have to bring in a power hitting 1st baseman, and resign V-Mart. So, it'll be interesting to see what they end up doing, but at least Youk seems to be healthy and getting ready to slide back to 3rd.

Youk Done For Year?

The Boston Red Sox put first baseman Kevin Youkilis on the 15-day disabled list with a thumb injury Tuesday and acknowledged that his season could be over. Youkilis tore a muscle in his right thumb during Monday night's 6-5 loss to Cleveland. He lined out to end the first inning, grabbed his hand in pain and stayed in the game until the third. "It's a very unusual injury -- not a common occurrence for hitters to have this," Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said. "It's not clear how long it'll be or it's not clear if he'll need surgery. If he does need surgery, it can be fixed." Epstein said the injured muscle is one that helps move the thumb. Asked if surgery would end Youkilis' season, Epstein said: "Realistically, yes." CBS

Well this was a big kick in the balls. Even though Mike Lowell is a great backup, this injury probably KO's the Sox for the year. Thank God the Sox didn't give up a ton for a middle reliever during the trade deadline, because it would have all gone to waste.

I'm not really worried about Youk or the Sox this year, I'm nervous to see how Youk does when he comes back next year. Thumb injuries tend to linger and hopefully this won't be the case with Youk.

Either way this injury is just a kick in the balls, at least Mike Lowell can get some playing time.

Red Sox Injury Report

Good news coming from the Red Sox today, as Kevin Youkilis seems to be OK and said he plans to play tonight. He jammed his ankle while playing in the field in the bottom of the third inning and when he came to the plate in the fourth inning felt it "lock up" on him. X-rays were negative and Youk was moving around fine after the game. Obviously this is great news, because the Sox just can't afford to lose anymore guys to injury.

Josh Beckett is getting closer to returning with the Red Sox. He threw off a mound yesterday, and said that his back feels fine. The plan is for him to make two more rehab starts. The first would be Sunday at Pawtucket. If Beckett starts again July 16, his first game back with the Sox could be as early as July 21 in Oakland.

Rays 3, Red Sox 2

The Red Sox lost another close game to the Rays, thanks in part to some shoddy bullpen work. But more worrisome is that they might lose yet another key player. Kevin Youkilis left the game before leading off the 4th inning. He was in the on-deck circle, preparing to hit, when he gingerly tested his right foot, then went to the ground in pain. The Sox are describing the injury as "right ankle pain," so you can probably guess that he's still being diagnosed.

The Sox were forced to replace Youkilis with Niuman Romero. So not only did the Sox lose Youkilis, they lost Ortiz, as Romero's presence behind him in the lineup allowed the Rays to intentionally walk him 3 times.

Felix Doubrant was serviceable, allowing 2 runs in 5.2 innings. Okajima returned and really disappointed, giving the Rays an insurance run they'd wind up needing.

Without Youkilis, the Sox lineup really is toothless. And this team is getting unrecognizable. Imagine if you took a vacation 2 weeks ago to some remote place with no internet or TV. You come back and you'd think that you traveled through time. There are so many "video game players," on the Sox. These are the guys whose names sound like the token names that video games give new players when you do franchise mode stuff.

It doesn't look good for tonight's game, either. Wakefield opposes David Price, who's 11-4 with a 2.42 ERA.

-The Commodore

Kevin Youkilis Back Tuesday

After all the bad news I had to share with your earlier (Ellsbury out till All-Star Break, Dice-K/Hermida on the DL) we finally get some good news...

"After being hit by a pitch near his right elbow on Saturday, Red Sox 1B/3B Kevin Youkilis sat out Sunday's loss to the Phillies. According to WEEI.com, Youkilis said that he was available for the game, if needed, but manager Terry Francona wanted him to have an extra day off before Monday's off-day. "I had swelling, but I told them if they really, really needed me I’d be fine," he said. "[Manager Terry Francona] wanted to give me an extra day just to make sure it’s 100 percent for Tuesday. I’ll be good." The Red Sox open a three-game series against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday (Sportsline)."

Youk is also dealing with a bad back, but it seems like he will be good to go tomorrow. Youk is batting .316 with 40 RBI and his OBPs is about .450, so the Sox really can't afford to be playing without him.

Jays 8 Red Sox 7 (Sox Clinch Wild Card)

Certainly not the way the Sox wanted to get into the playoffs, but in the end I guess it doesn't matter. What does matter is this shaky start from Buchholz. This was supposed to be his final warmup for the playoffs. He had been so dominant over the last two months, but last night he was rocked for 7 runs over 5 innings.

There are basically going to be two ways to view this. On one hand Buchhoolz had been so good that he was due for a bad start, and he will be fine for the playoffs. On the other hand could this be a sign that he is regressing again when the spotlight is on him? Is he tired from all the innings he has pitched this year? Can the Sox trust him?

I don't have the answer to those questions. I want to believe that he is going to come up big, and be that #3 guy for the Sox, but if Dice-K can go out there and have another solid outing it is going to be tough decision for Terry Francona.

There is not a lot to talk about in this game. The Jays hit 6 HRs, 3 of them were courtesy of my man Adam Lind, who has been the lone bright spot for the Jays this year. The Sox were down 8-2, but got it within a run. In the 9th the Sox had men in scoring position with Youk up. He struck out looking and the game was over. All was not lost though as the Angels once again beat the Rangers to secure the Sox spot as the AL Wild Card.

I CAN'T Wait FOR THE PLAYOFFS!!!!

Jays 11 Red Sox 5

Josh Beckett was scratched from the start last night with a stiff back, caused by the plane ride back from New York. Michael Bowden took his spot, God he was awful letting up 7 runs over 3 innings of work. The Sox were actually lucky that this game was rained out in the 7th, so they could keep the important guys in the bullpen off the field.

I wouldn't read into this loss too much. I know it is 4 in a row, and they aren't playing great, but think of things that have gone wrong. Lester gets hit in the leg on a comebacker, Beckett's back stiffens up and he can't start, these are just strange things that happen during a season.

The question now is will Beckett pitch again before the playoffs starts. My thinking is that he won't. He has pitched more innings this season then he has ever before. I expect the Sox to rest him until the playoffs with some bullpen sessions and simulated games sprinkled in.

The one positive out of this game was that Boston showed some power. Youk had 2 HRs and Ortiz knocked out another one. These guys are starting to roll, and you add that to the way Bay has played over the past two months and this lineup looks playoff ready.

Orioles 0 Red Sox 10

Everything you wanted to see from the Red Sox they did last night, as they rolled over the lowly Orioles 10-0. Clay Buchholz was just awesome last night throwing 7 scoreless innings allowing only 3 hits with 5 ks.

Boston wasted no time demolishing Orioles prospect David Hernandez, as Boston got it first 8 runs by the way of HRs. Pedroia (twice), Youkilis, Gonzalez, and Drew all went deep, and then in the 7th inning Big Papi capped it off with a solo HR of his own. The Sox are just so good when they are playing at home, but they are going to need to find a way to win on the road constantly before playoff time.

Texas won last night, so the Sox are just 2 1/2 games up on them for the Wild Card.

Tigers 2 Red Sox 8

Youk started serving his suspension last night, but it didn't affect the Sox play, as Mike Lowell continues to be on a tear. Boston also was helped out by another great performance from their ace Josh Beckett...

Boston didn't waste much time jumping all over Miner. Lowell hit a solo shot in the 2nd, and Bay followed that up with one of his own in the 3rd. The Sox then put the game away in the 5th inning scoring 5 runs, as Beckett cruised letting up only 2 runs over 7 innings with 6 K's. He really looks like a guy who is going to make a strong run for Cy Young this year.

Scheduled starter Armando Galarraga was scratched with severe soar throat, so Miner had to step in for him. If you can remember Miner has already played this series took the loss in relief in Monday's series opener.

The Yankees won again yesterday, so Boston is still 5 1/2 games back, and Texas also won so the Sox are still only 1 1/2 games up on Texas for the Wild Card.

Breaking News: Youkilis and Porcello Suspended 5 Games

WEEI is reporting that Rick Porcello and Kevin Youkilis have been suspended 5 games each. This surprises me, because basically Porcello gets nothing for throwing at a bunch of guys at that game. I knew this was coming for Youk and I figured it would be between 3-5 games, but I am really surprised that Porcello didn't at least get 6 games...

No word if Youk will appeal, or be taken out of the lineup tonight...

Tigers 5 Red Sox 7

Strange game, but a win is a win. The night started with Tazawa getting rocked in the first innings letting up 3 runs. It looked like it was going to be another long night for the Sox, then Rick Porcello decided to just start beaning everyone, and Youk finally had enough charged the mound (which overall was a failure) and the benches emptied. It wasn't that big a deal, but Youk did throw his helmet so I expect him to be suspended 3 games, and Porcello to get like 6 games or something around there.

After the Sox tied it up in the 2nd off a Jason Bay 3 round HR (his 2nd in 2 days), the Sox got even more runs from the guy who replaced Youk, Mr. Mike Lowell. Lowell went off in this game hitting a solo shot in the 3rd followed by a 2 run shot in the 5th. What was really impressive was the way Tazawa was able to settle down and give the Red Sox 5 very solid innings. His final line was 5 innings 4 hits 2 BBs 3 runs (1ER) and 6 Ks. With the way Sox pitchers have been pitching that was a fucking gem.

Boston had a 4 run lead going into the 9th inning when Papelbon got into some trouble and let up a 2 run HR to Granderson, but in the end it didn't matter and the Sox got their 2nd win in a row and their 64 win of the year.

With the win the Sox are still 5 1/2 games behind the Yankees for the lead in the AL East, but now have a 1 1/2 game lead over the Rangers in the race for the Wild Card.

A's 8 Red Sox 6

This game really pissed me off. Penny was terrible letting up 5 runs in the first inning. I literally sat down and Penny threw his first pitch which was a HR to Adam Kennedy....I knew it was going to be a long night.

Boston fought back and scored 3 runs of their own in the bottom of the 1st off a Mike Lowell HR, but even though Penny settled down for a couple innings he ended up letting up another 2 runs and the game was out of reach.

The difference in the game was that youngster Brett Anderson showed more composure then Brad Penny. Anderson had 1 bad inning then was pretty much flawless from that point on. Bay and Youk combined to go 0-8 with 7 Ks, which is completely unacceptable.

I don't know what is wrong with the Sox right now. The night they hit their pitching gives out. When Beckett or Lester have a great game the bullpen implodes or the offense doesn't show up. The hope is that this is all just a bump in the road, but it is becoming alarming, almost like the Sox forgot how to put a complete game together (or how to win).

With the loss the Sox fall to 3 1/2 games behind the Yankees for 1st place in the AL East.

Red Sox 2 Rangers 4

The Sox are no longer in 1st place. Their offense can't get runs against anyone, and the local papers are pressing the panic button. Just another typical year in Red Sox Nation...

Last night the Sox got a complete game from Josh Beckett (his 3rd in his last 6 starts). He let up 4 runs, but that isn't bad at all against one of the most dangerous lineups in all of baseball. The problem was the Sox not being able to get anything going against Tommy Hunter. Hunter went 6 innings allowing 1 run on 4 hits. With this win he is now 2-1 on the season and has lowered his ERA to 2.17. Boston's only run against Hunter came in the 6th when Pedroia hit a 2 out single and Youkilis followed with a double into right-center.

Boston once against got nothing from their leadoff hitter as Ellsbury went 0-4. Drew is doing nothing as he went 0-4 lowering his batting average to .236 on the season. With each passing game it is becoming more and more obvious that Boston needs to go out and add a bat to shake up this lineup, because I just don't see this lineup fixing itself the way it is setup.

Royals 0 Red Sox 6

Beckett got his 100th win in this game and he did it in style. This one of Beckett's best games in a Red Sox uniform as he pitched a complete game shutout striking out 7 with only 3 hits allowed. I know it's the Royals, but still damn impressive.

Boston jumped all over the Royals pitching chasing starting pitcher Bruce Chen from the game in the 3rd innings. The Sox got RBIs from 5 different players and it is starting to look like Youk is going to breakout of his slump as he went 2-5 with an RBI and is playing better everyday.

So going into the All-Star break Boston is once again up 3 games on the Yanks as they fell apart vs the Angels over the weekend. The break could be good news for the Sox as their bullpen has looked tired of late, and guys like Lowell can use the time to get healthy.

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.

A's 6 Red Sox 0

Before we talk about the game I just wanted to say it was real classy of Sox fans to give Nomar a standing ovation...

The Red Sox only had 2 hits in this game, as Brett Anderson looked like a stud. Anderson has all the tools be a top pitcher in this league, he is just very young. Well last night we saw what he is capable of as he pitched 9 innings of shutout baseball on way to his 5th win of the season.

Boston looked terrible at the plate. They didn't have Pedroia, who had to be with his pregnant wife, and we all know the Sox are already playing without Lowell. The 3 big hitters (Youk, Bay, Ortiz) in the Sox lineup last night went a combined 1-11. When a lineup is shorthanded you really need your stars to step up, and the Sox stars fell right on their face last night.

Smoltz had another miserable outing letting up 5 runs on 10 hits in 6 innings. He doesn't seem to want to pitch to the inside of these hitters, which is a sign that he doesn't have faith in the velocity on his fastball. Smoltz is now 0-2 with a 6.60 ERA through 3 starts. Oakland is not a strong lineup and I have to say I was disappointed with Smoltz. I said I would give him 6 starts before I gave a true evaluation, but you have to wonder how long the Sox will go with him instead of Buchholz, who is tearing up the minor leagues.

The good news is that the Yankees lost too so the Sox are still up 1 game 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...

Red Sox 1 Marlins 2 (6 innings)

Ricky Nolasco shut down the Red Sox allowing only 1 hit in a rained shortened game. I really think the Sox would have got to him, but give the kid credit the only he let up was Youk's bomb. Lester didn't pitch bad, but he let up two HRs in the 2nd inning to Dan Uggla and Ronny Paulino. He didn't have his best stuff, but he was able to battle through some innings.

I hate when games get shortaned, because it leaves to many "what if's", but what can ya do? The good news is the Yankees lost again to the Nationals (HAHAHAHHHAHA), so the Sox are still 3 games up in the AL East.