Rangers seek to remain in playoff race

The Texas Rangers suffered a major blow when Cliff Lee left for the Phillies of Philadelphia. They began searching the free agent market for a powerful pitcher. Brandon Webb, who has missed most of the last two years with a shoulder injury that required surgery, caught their eye. Webb pitched in only one four-inning game in 2009, in which he gave up six runs in a no-decision. However, in 2008, Webb won 22 games and was edged out of the Cy Young award by Tim Lincecum in the first of Lincecum's two straight. Brandon looks to be the fourth starter on a Texas staff that is manned by C.J. Wilson, Tommy Hunter, and Colby Lewis. Although Derek Holland held the 5 spot on the rotation last year, he is expected to be challenged by Michael Kirkman and Matt Harrison, but Scott Feldman will not be ready by spring training.

Trivia
Brandon Webb won the Cy Young award in 2006, and he has pitched with the Arizona Diamondbacks in all seven full seasons of his career.

Trades and free agency

The Red Sox have made several moves to bolster their left-handed hitting and their bullpen. This was imperative since by the time they made their first move, Victor Martinez was gone, signed by the Detroit Tigers. Boston's first move was to trade three prospects to San Diego in return for left-handed first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. This means that it is almost certain that Adrian Beltre will not be re-signing with Boston, since Kevin Youkilis can play third base. Next, the Sox signed archenemy Carl Crawford, who has played the outfield for Tampa Bay for all nine years of his career, to add even more left-handed pop.

Before they made another move, tragedy struck baseball. "Rapid Robert" Bob Feller died on December 15th at the age of 92. The Cleveland legend was claimed by leukemia. Baseball fans all over America bowed their heads in reverence. In the wake of this tragedy, Boston signed a hard-throwing reliever from Chicago named Bobby Jenks, who had been a great closer for the White Sox before his myriad injuries. Two days ago, they signed Dan Wheeler, a relief pitcher, who, like Crawford, came from the Rays. Wheeler had spent 7 of his 11 seasons pitching with Tampa.

Meanwhile, the rest of baseball was trading strong. The Minnesota Twins signed Japanese middle infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka. The race for Cliff Lee was strong between the Yankees and the Rangers before Lee signed with a third party, the Phillies. The Milwaukee Brewers are closing in on a deal with Royals ace Zack Greinke, the 2009 Cy Young award winner. Finally, Red Sock Adrian Beltre is close to a deal with the Los Angeles Angels.

So, the Red Sox should look like this:
Starters: Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Josh Beckett, John Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka
Setup: Daniel Bard, Hideki Okajima
Closer: Jonathan Papelbon, Bobby Jenks
Catcher: Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Jason Varitek
First Baseman: Adrian Gonzalez
Second Baseman: Dustin Pedroia
Third baseman: Kevin Youkilis
Shortstop: Marco Scutaro
Backup infielder: Jed Lowrie
Left Field: Carl Crawford
Center field: Jacoby Ellsbury
Right Field: J.D. Drew
Backup outfielder: Ryan Kalish

Trivia
Buchholz finished second in the AL in ERA last year, while Lester was third in strikeouts

Playoff teams updated

Nothing was decided yesterday as the Red Sox and Yankees split a doubleheader. Eric Patterson's walk-off single in the second game gave the Sox the win. Earlier in the game, with the score 4-2 Yanks, Josh Reddick nailed a ground ball to Lance Berkman with Daniel Nava on second. Berkman tossed it to New York pitcher A.J. Burnett, but Reddick was called safe. Burnett argued with the umpire and did not notice Nava breaking for home until it was too late. The Rays, meanwhile, shut out K.C. 4-0, so the two teams are tied atop the A.L. East.

In the National League, nothing was decided about the playoffs. San Diego beat the Giants 4-2 as Tim Lincecum left in the fourth for the Giants. Meanwhile, the Phillies blew away Atlanta 7-0, so San Diego and Atlanta are tied for the wild card and San Francisco has a tight one-game lead on the Pods. At the end of the day today, all three of the teams could have identical records, as the three of them fight for two remaining playoff spots.

Trivia
The Rays broke their four-game losing streak last night.
They needed eight pitchers to shut out Kansas City.

Postseason teams and hopes

The Boston Red Sox were eliminated when they lost a game in the ninth inning in game three of their series in Chicago. However, the Rays and Yankees have been within a half game of each other in the last week or so. The AL is not much of a race other than that. The Minnesota Twins won their division, and have lost seven of eight, so it is possible that the Rays or the Yankees could have a better record then them. The Texas Rangers clinched the AL west easily, although they will not be in the running for top seed. The Red Sox will have their chance to do their part, though, since they have a series with New York and if they can beat the Yankees, New York will have to play Minnesota in the ALDS.

In the NL, the Phillies clinched the East over the Atlanta Braves. However, the Braves have a one game wild card lead, with two to play (more on that later). The Cincinnati Reds won the NL Central, taking down the Cardinals. The Reds made the postseason for the first time since 1995 with the clinch. In the West, San Francisco has a two-game lead over San Diego, but the final two games are against each other, so anything can happen. Even if San Diego does not win the West, they still have a chance at the wild card.

Trivia
The Cardinals were not in the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
The Padres and Rangers have been in the second division for the last few years before coming back and fighting for postseason spots.

September 12 game

Hello readers, and sorry for my not being with you lately. Let me give you a little recap. The BoSox were swept by the Chicago White Sox, but won two of three against Tampa Bay. They then lost two of three to the Oakland A's. It is the last Athletics game I am writing about today. Currently, the Sox sit eight games behind the league-leading Yankees and 7.5 behind the Rays in the wild card.

Josh Beckett was chosen to make the start for the Sox, looking to avoid the sweep at the hands of the Athletics. He ran into trouble in the third, walking four straight batters to give up a run. In the fifth, the A's grabbed two more on a two-run double for Mark Ellis, and the Sox were floundering. When J.D. Drew was up early in the game, he made too wide a turn at first and was gunned down by Jeremy Hermida. However, Drew redeemed himself when he doubled down the left-field line to drive in two and make the score closer. After Drew's smash, Terry Francona called on rookie Ryan Kalish to pinch-hit for the slumping Bill Hall. Kalish did not disappoint, poking a two-run single into left, with Drew coming all the way around from second base.

In inning number eight, it was Drew again, nubbing a swinging bunt to the left of the mound. Jeremy Blevins fielded it but made a horrendous throw all the way into right field. Adrian Beltre was able to touch the plate, and that meant that of the five runs the Red Sox scored, Drew was involved in four. In the ninth, with the score still 5-3, Jonathan Papelbon came on and needed just 13 pitches to strike out the side; however, the last K was disputed. It resulted in Derek Barton's being ejected, even after the game had ended.


Tonight, the Red Sox send Jon Lester to the mound in search of his 17th win. He is third in the league in strikeouts and needs just 4 Ks to earn 200 strikeouts this season.


Trivia
Hermida, who threw Drew out at first, has a weak arm and used to be a Red Sock.

September 2 game

Adrian Beltre led off the second with an absolute bomb over everything and into the left field stands, and the Red Sox never looked back. David Ortiz slapped a two-run single in the five-run frame. In the sixth, Daisuke Matsuzaka ran into trouble when he gave up four runs before being pulled for Scott Atchison. Atchison was able to shut down Baltimore for two innings with three strikeouts.

In the ninth, Jonathan Papelbon came in and was in trouble, with two men in scoring position with just one out. However, he got the next two batters to swing and miss at pitches right on the outside corner to finish off the O's 6-4. I think it is great that Pap has started to bear down and save games without giving up runs. Unfortunately, the Sox only gained ground by 1/2 game on the Rays, since C.C. Sabathia earned his 19th win in a 5-0 shutout of the A's.

Today's game has been rained out due to wind from Hurricane Earl, so the Sox play a doubleheader tomorrow. In game one, John Lackey will take on Gavin Floyd of the White Sox in a game that will feature Manny Ramirez's return to Fenway Park. In game two, AL ERA leader Clay Buchholz will oppose John Danks.

Trivia
Buchholz was named AL pitcher of the month due to his 4 wins in 6 starts and a 1.04 ERA in August.

September 1 game

Jon Lester gave up four runs in the first and was shaky over the first two innings, but settled down and retired eleven straight men. Meanwhile, a trio of Red Sox went deep. First, J.D. Drew crushed a solo shot in the fifth to cut the Oriole lead to 5-3. In the sixth, Lester escaped from a bases-loaded jam with his tenth strikeout of the night.

To start the seventh, Marco Scutaro hit a long drive into the seats for a game-tying two run homer. Victor Martinez then hit an RBI double to give the Sox the lead. And after David Ortiz was intentionally walked, Adrian Beltre smashed a three-run bomb over Felix Pie's glove to give Boston a lead they would not relinquish. I think it is awesome that some guys are finally hitting in the clutch. Jonathan Papelbon struck out one in earning his 34th save.

Tonight, the Red Sox and O's meet again for the rubber game of the series. Daisuke Matsuzaka, finally healthy, takes on Brad Bergesen.

Trivia
Lester has given up 4 or more in the first in two of his last three starts.

Saturday and Sunday games

On Saturday, Clay Buchholz blew a one-run lead by giving up a home run to B.J. Upton. However, Terry Francona left him in going into the eighth, and Clay blew another one-run lead. The Red Sox had acquired that lead thanks to Victor Martinez's third homer in two days. Then, leading off the bottom of the tenth inning, Dan Johnson dealt a crippling blow to the Sox as he blasted his second home run of the season for a walk-off win. Johnson had stunned the BoSox before. In 2008, he had tied the game at Fenway with a bomb to set it up for Carlos Pena. The Red Sox were sent stumbling towards the next game, which was John Lackey versus James Shields.

John Lackey came hot out of the gate, but gave up a run in the fourth due to a Carlos Pena solo bomb. The Red Sox got two in the fifth due to Yamaico Navarro and Marco Scutaro RBI singles. The Sox added another in the sixth with a Daniel Nava RBI. However, Lackey promptly gave up a two-run shot to Carl Crawford to tie the game, then the Rays picked up another run and another in the seventh, chasing Lackey. Joaquim Benoit set up neatly after giving up a homer to Victor Martinez on Saturday, and Rafael Soriano picked up his league-leading 39th save.

Trivia
Buchholz's scoreless inning streak ended at 26 when Carlos Pena scored in the seventh.

August 27 game

The Red Sox traveled to Tampa Bay for a very important series against the Rays. In game one, a sweet pitching matchup promised to be the story of the game. With two outs in the first, Victor Martinez started the offense with a blast to left that landed three rows deep in the stands. In the fourth, Jed Lowrie connected for a bloop single to send David Ortiz home from third and make the lead 2-0.  Good thing, since in the bottom of the inning, Jon Lester gave up his first hit and threw two straight wild pitches to bring the Rays closer 2-1. However, the run was unearned due to a leadoff error by Marco Scutaro. Amazingly enough, after four innings the sox already had hit for the team cycle.

In the top of the seventh, Victor Martinez came up again with two outs and crushed another home run to almost the exact same spot. That was all Lester needed, and he finished off the Rays in the bottom of the inning. His final stats for the game were two hits, one unearned run, five walks, one hit batter, three wild pitches and ten strikeouts. I think the walks are slightly excessive, but he was able to keep the game under control. In the ninth, Jonathan Papelbon walked two but struck out the side for his 33rd save.

Tonight, Clay Buchholz will search for his 16th win. Buchholz has the league's lowest ERA, at 2.26. He will oppose 13-7 Matt Garza, who has been a Red Sox killer.

Trivia
Buchholz has a 22 and 1/3 scoreless inning streak and has not given up an earned run in his last three starts.

August 25 game two

King Felix proved too dominant for the Boston Red Sox, who lost to Seattle for the doubleheader split 4-2. Daisuke Matsuzaka was reportedly feeling stiffness in his lower back and Jon Lester was pushed back to Friday so he could pitch against Tampa Bay. Thus, 3-9 Tim Wakefield got the ball. Wake had been pitching pretty well in relief, but I would have started Felix Doubront instead of Tim. Wakefield gave up four runs, three earned on eight hits through just five and two thirds innings. In the bottom of the sixth, the Sox got one back on a blast to dead center that just kept on going by J.D. Drew. 17th bomb of the season by Drew, but Felix hung on and struck out David Ortiz for his 1000th career strikeout, becoming the third youngest pitcher ever to K 1000 men.

The Sox get a much-needed off day today before traveling to Tampa Bay tomorrow. It should be a sweet matchup of David Price against Jon Lester. The two have combined for 28 wins this season.

Trivia
Doubront has not given up an earned run in relief.

August 25 game one

Going into the bottom of the sixth inning, both Josh Beckett and David Pauley had not allowed a run. However, Adrian Beltre started the scoring with an RBI infield single. Mike Lowell plated one with a sacrifice fly, and Beltre tagged and headed to second. Next, Daniel Nava smashed a two-run single. However, in the top of the seventh, Josh Beckett cooled off and Russell Branyan and Casey Kotchman both blasted home runs off him. however, Daniel Bard came in and stopped the bleeding.

In the Red Sox eighth, Darnell McDonald hit a hard shot over third base. Adrian Beltre came home, but Mike Lowell was thrown out trying to get to third. That's OK, because it added an insurance run. 5-3 Sox. Jonathan Papelbon came in, and the first batter hit a line drive right back at Pap's ribcage. Jon made an outstanding play to snare the ball before it hit him. The next batter, Casey Kotchman, had a long at-bat before grounding out, the batter after him did the same, and the Red Sox won. I think it is great that the Sox can bear down and win these games.

For the nightcap tonight, Jon Lester will face Felix Hernandez. I hope Lester can pitch well, although Felix is undoubtedly the M's ace. Last time out, Lester gave up nine runs in two innings.

Trivia
Bard has only a 1.82 ERA.

August 23 game

The Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners combined for 17 hits, all of them singles. Marco Scutaro had the two biggest ones, as he slapped a pair of two-run hits to lead the Sox to a 6-3 victory in Boston. Scutaro is on an absolute hot streak, as he has been hitting the ball everywhere. John Lackey pitched eight innings giving up three runs, two earned while striking out a season-high ten. Lackey earned his eleventh win, and it is very good that he is finally bearing down and winning games.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Papelbon struck out two to earn his 31st save. I am very glad that the Red Sox pitching is going so well. They have given up just seven runs in the last three games. Over in Toronto, the Yankees lost 3-2, with Jose Bautista hitting his 39th and 40th homers, but Tampa Bay won in LA, so the Rays and Yanks are tied atop the AL East and the Sox are 5.5 back in second.

Today, the Red Sox and M's clash again, with Josh Beckett taking on David Pauley. Beckett has lost his last two starts, as he is 3-3. In baseball news, the Red Sox claimed Johnny Damon off waivers from the Tigers, but Damon has a no-trade clause and would have to approve this.

Trivia
Out of the six runs, only three were earned for Boston last night.

August 22 game

After the start of the game was delayed 1:44 due to rain, Clay Buchholz and Shaun Marcum came out sharply. Buchholz walked three and gave up baserunners while Marcum was absolutely perfect. Through the first four innings, at least. In the bottom of the fifth, David Ortiz led off with a drive to center. He ran super hard and slid into third safely. It was a spark. Adrian Beltre doubled him in, then with one out Bill Hall blasted one over the Monster and out of Fenway. Clay Buchholz struck out seven through 6 scoreless innings for his fifteenth win, and Felix Doubront came out of the bullpen and closed his second save. I think it is great that Buchholz is contributing so well to the Red Sox.

Today, the Seattle Mariners roll into town for a 7:10 tilt. John Lackey will take on Doug Fister. I hope Lackey can come up with a fine performance to help the Red Sox earn a playoff spot.

Trivia
Clay Buchholz has a 22 and 1/3 scoreless inning streak.

August 21 game

Victor Martinez had a big day, knocking in three runs with three hits and Adrian Beltre added an RBI knock. Meanwhile, Daisuke Matsuzaka was pitching very well. However, in the seventh Lyle Overbay clubbed a game-tying two-run homer as part of a three-run frame. Daisuke finished the night with eight strikeouts through eight innings. In the top of the eleventh inning, Jed Lowrie dropped an easy popup in foul ground with two outs. On the next pitch, Jonathan Papelbon struck out the batter. So how did Lowrie atone for his sin? Simple. Jed, leading off the bottom of the eleventh, smashed a 2-2 pitch into the Red Sox bullpen for his first career walk-off home run. I am very happy that Lowrie has been contributing to this squad since he has come back. One final note: Marco Scutaro continued his hot streak with three hits and two runs scored.

The series wraps up today at 1:30 EST at Fenway. Clay Buchholz, possibly the best bargain in baseball, goes against Sean Marcum. Buchholz, with fourteen wins, is being paid only $475,000 this year, and he has the lowest ERA in the major leagues.

Trivia
Overbay had two home runs on Friday as well as one last night.

August 20 game

Jon Lester gave up five runs in the first and things went downhill from there. He was charged with nine runs as the Red Sox were humbled 16-2. Lester had one of the worst starts of his career as he was smashed up. A bright spot was Yamaico Navarro, who hit his first career major league hit. Tim Wakefield went two innings of relief in which he did not give up a single earned run. Scott Atchinson was forced to leave the game when his foot was hit by a ground ball. Meanwhile, Dustin Pedroia still out with soreness in his left foot, he hopes to be back ASAP. Luckily, the Yanks were shut down by King Felix and Ben Zobrist made an error to hand the A's a win over Tampa Bay. I think that the Red Sox still have a chance at the wild card, but they need to win games very soon.

Today, 8-4 Daisuke Matsuzaka takes on the ace of the Jays, Ricky Romero. I believe that it is absolutely imperative that Dice-K does not throw too many pitches or walk too many men.

Trivia
Lester's nine runs allowed and two-plus innings pitched are both career worsts.

August 19 game and standings

David Ortiz blasted his 27th homer, but Josh Beckett was hit hard again and gave up six runs, including a three-run blast to old Sox enemy Hideki Matsui, as the Red Sox lost 7-2. If the Red Sox had won, they would have swept the season series from the Angels. Instead, the Sox are 9-1 against the Halos. One other bright spot for Boston. Tim Wakefield threw two innings of scoreless relief. I think it is very good that Wake is throwing well in the bullpen. Dustin Pedroia was scratched from the lineup with soreness in his left foot. Yes, the same foot that landed him on the DL earlier this year. The Sox remain in third place in the AL East, 6.5 games behind New York and 5.5 behind Tampa in the wild card.

Today, the Red Sox try to move on from their defeat against the Toronto Blue Jays. Jon Lester will hurl for Boston against Brett Cecil. Lester will try to match Clay Buchholz for most Red Sox wins. Currently, Lester has 13 and Buchholz has 14.

Trivia
Jon Lester has a 14 and 2/3 scoreless inning streak going.

See you later

Sorry to all my readers, but I will be unavailable until Friday, possibly Saturday. This means that my blog will not get any new posts until Friday or Saturday, and I will be unable to cover the games in between today and Friday or Saturday.
Sorry,
Red Sox Boy

Trivia
Did you know that Fenway Park is the oldest stadium in the majors?

First two games of Rangers series

In game one against the Texas Rangers, the Red Sox blew an 8-2 lead to lose 10-9 in extra innings. The Sox could not take advantage of three straight home runs and Daniel Bard blew a save. Josh Beckett was shaky again as he gave up six runs in 5 innings. I think Beckett needs to pick up the pace a little or the Red Sox will falter. More bad news: Jacoby Ellsbury was placed on the 15-day DL for the third time this season.

Jon Lester was able to overcome 102-degree heat to win his second straight start, scattering five hits over eight shutout innings to win 3-1. Ryan Kalish scored two in the victory, going 2-4. Bill Hall had a clutch stolen base and started a nice double play for the Sox. In the double play, Mike Lowell made an excellent scoop at first base. I think Lowell has really adapted to first, and he can play as well as Youk did there. Lester made an absolutely excellent move to pick off Julio Borbon in the third inning, nailing him at second. Victor Martinez made an excellent throw in the ninth to gun down Vladimir Guerrero heading to second. I am very glad that Lester has rebounded from four straight losses to win these two.

Unfortunately, the Red Sox remain four games back in the wild card and six back of the division lead, since Kelly Shoppach's grand slam propelled the Rays to a 7-3 win over red-hot Baltimore, and Alex Rodriguez slammed three home runs to give the Yankees an 8-3 victory over Kansas City. I am annoyed that both the Yanks and the Rays are playing last-place teams, but the Red Sox are facing a first-place club.

Trivia
Lester has a 14 and 1/3 innings scoreless streak.

August 12 game

The Red Sox earned home runs from Jed Lowrie and David Ortiz, and took a 5-2 lead into the ninth inning at Toronto. However, Jose Bautista, leading off the ninth inning, blasted his 36th homer of the season to knock John Lackey out of the game. With a 5-3 lead, Jonathan Papelbon gave up four hits and blew his sixth save of the season. Daniel Bard came on and with one out, gave up a sacrifice fly to Fred Lewis. Papelbon was hit with his fifth loss of the season. Jacoby Ellsbury was returned to first in the order, and he singled and stole a base. The slumping Marco Scutaro was given the day off, and his replacement Jed Lowrie homered as part of a 1-3 night. Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 2-4 and threw out a runner as the catcher. I hope that Saltalamacchia can keep up his pace, since he is hitting pretty well. As a final note, Darnell McDonald tripled for the second straight night.

Tonight, the Red Sox travel to Texas to take on 9-1 Tommy Hunter and the Texas Rangers. Boston sends Josh Beckett to the mound, hoping Josh can rebound from his seven-run outing last start.

Trivia
McDonald only has two triples this season, the two that he has hit today and yesterday.

August 11 game

The Red Sox crushed the Blue Jays 10-1 at the Rogers Centre last night. Bill Hall clubbed two home runs and Adrian Beltre blasted a three-run bomb to highlight a five-run fifth. Clay Buchholz gave up an unearned run in the first but was strong after that. Marco Scutaro could not help the cause, as he went 0-5 for the second straight night. J.D. Drew also bombed a solo smash. Buchholz gave up just five hits in eight full innings, striking out four, while Dustin Richardson closed out the game with a 2-K ninth. Buchholz now has the club lead with 13 wins. I believe that the Sox needed this blowout to get their act together. They are now just 3.5 games behind Tampa Bay, as the Rays lost last night.

Today, the Sox go for the sweep, with John Lackey taking on Brad Mills. Lackey has only won ten games this season, but he will try to improve today.

Trivia
The Baltimore Orioles, in last place in the AL East, have won three straight games and eight of their last ten.

August 10 game

Felix Doubront earned his second major league win and Mike Lowell crushed a solo home run as the Red Sox defeated the Blue Jays 7-5. After Lowell's bomb in the eighth, Jed Lowrie doubled in an insurance run and that was all that Jonathan Papelbon needed to earn his 29th save. J.D. Drew also bombed a long home run. Jacoby Ellsbury continued to hit as he knocked in a run in the second inning. Ellsbury went 2-4 in the number nine spot while shortstop Marco Scutaro went 0-5 out of the leadoff spot. I think Jacoby should be moved back into the leadoff spot since Scutaro is stinking up the joint this year. Yesterday's game gave supporting evidence to my idea.

Today, the series continues with Clay Buchholz, who has won his last two starts, against 10-5 Shaun Marcum.

Trivia
Lowell has been hitting in key spots since coming back, first a go-ahead two-run bomb at Fenway, now this.

August 9 game

Jacoby Ellsbury, moved to ninth in the batting order due to a slump, tied a Red Sox record as he stole four bases. Jon Lester broke his 4-game losing streak with 6 and 1/3 scoreless innings. Daniel Bard gave up a run, but Jonathan Papelbon came on and earned his 28th save. The Red Sox won 2-1. I am glad that Lester broke out of his slump, as he is developing into a young ace. If him and Clay Buchholz can both be productive, I think the team is destined for the playoffs. The fact that Ellsbury came out of his slump is very good, because the Sox need a speedster who can play well.

Tomorrow, the Red Sox and Daisuke Matsuzaka take on Ricky Romero and his Toronto Blue Jays. Matsuzaka pitches very well when he does not walk a lot of batters. Matsuzaka is 8-3 with a 3.96 ERA.

Trivia
Bard only has a 1.88 ERA.

August 8 game

Josh Beckett gave up 11 hits and seven runs in only 4 and 2/3 innings, and the Red Sox offense could not pick him up as the Yankees dominated the Sox 7-2. Derek Jeter passed Babe Ruth on the all-time hits list, as he knocked in three runs with two hits. Ryan Mosely shut down the Sox to earn his second win of the season. I have to be mad at Beckett, as the Sox needed a win from their ace and did not get it, but the Red Sox offense needs to pick up the pace.

Today, Jon Lester will pitch for the Sox. Lester, who has lost his last four starts, will look to earn a split in the series. I hope this guy can stop his skid and pitch well.

Trivia
Mosely had to start due to an injury to A.J. Burnett.

August 7 game

John Lackey could not protect an early lead as the Red Sox fell to the Yankees 5-2. C.C. Sabathia started strongly for New York and Mariano Rivera held on for his 23rd save. Victor Martinez homered as part of a 2-run second, but the Yanks tied it in the bottom of the second. The New Yorkers added two in the fifth and one in the sixth to secure the win. Felix Doubront looked impressive in his first inning of relief, striking out two batters. I think the Sox need to use Felix more. I really think Lackey is being hit very hard this season.

Tonight, Josh Beckett takes on A.J. Burnett. Josh has pitched very well since coming off the DL, winning his last start after turning in eight three-hit innings. I hope Beckett can show the Sox that he can be the ace.

Trivia
Sabathia has now won 14 games, tied for the league lead.
A.J. Burnett has been very shaky this year.

August 6 game

Ryan Kalish picked a perfect time for his first home run as he walloped one to help the Red Sox earn a 6-3 win over the Yankees. David Ortiz also smashed a home run to help Clay Buchholz earn his twelfth win. Clay went seven and 1/3 strong innings while Jonathan Papelbon secured his 27th save. Buchholz is undeniably the ace of the Sox, if you ask me, while Pap is looking more and more like a reliable closer. In the second inning, Fransisco Cervelli dropped an easy popup to lead to three unearned runs in the frame.

Today, the series resumes with John Lackey taking on C.C. Sabathia. Lackey has pitched very well in the second half, and I agree with his prediction that he is a better second-half pitcher.

Trivia
Buchholz is leading the Red Sox in wins, while Ortiz has hit 24 homers.

August 5 game

The Boston Red Sox collected themselves and earned a gem from Daisuke Matsuzaka to beat the Indians 6-2. Shin-Soo Choo hit a bomb in the first inning to give the Tribe a 1-0 lead, which they would hold until the fourth. With two outs, Josh Tomlin threw a meatball to Adrian Beltre, who proceeded to smash a grand slam into the Monster seats for his 20th homer and a 4-1 lead. The Red Sox made it 6-1 in the eighth when J.D. Drew knocked a two-run single. Hideki Okajima gave up a run in the ninth, but Jonathan Papelbon struck out two for the save.

Tonight, the Sox begin a critical series against the Yankees. I think if the BoSox lose the series, the season is not over, but if they get swept, they are done. Clay Buchholz takes on Javier Vasquez.

Trivia
Since coming off the disabled list, Jacoby Ellsbury is 0-9. He has scored a run and reached base once on catcher's interference.

August 4 game

The Red Sox fell victim to seven unearned runs in a 9-1 loss at the Indians' hands. Jon Lester took his fourth straight loss in the second half and experienced some pain, meeting the trainer twice. Scott Atchinson gave up five runs in the seventh, all unearned. The only bright spot for the Sox was a David Ortiz solo blast. I really think that the Sox are going to have to tighten up their defense tonight to try for a split against the Tribe.

Tonight, Daisuke Matsuzaka goes against Josh Tomlin. The Sox aim for a split with the Indians. Unfortunately, Matsuzaka has been walking a lot of batters lately, so he has to get his act together.

Trivia
Ortiz leads the Sox with 23 home runs.

August 3 game

Josh Beckett looked very sharp, going eight innings of three-hit baseball to give the Red Sox a 3-1 win. Mike Lowell returned to the Red Sox and before his first at-bat, he received a standing ovation. I believe this shows how much the fans love Mike, giving him an ovation before he sees a pitch. Anyway, Lowell did not disappoint, blasting a two-run home run into the Monster seats on the first pitch he saw in the majors since June 28. Bill Hall also homered in the game.

The only bad news out of the game was that Kevin Youkilis left with thumb issues and went to see a hand specialist. Unfortunately, it was discovered that Youk had torn his thumb and would be out for the rest of the season. In New York, Alex Rodriguez finally crushed his 600th career home run, giving the Yankees a 5-1 win.

Trivia
Youkilis is third in the AL with a .411 on-base percentage.

August 2 game

John Lackey gave up six runs over just 5 and 1/3 innings as the Red Sox lost 6-5 to the Indians. The only bright spot for the Sox was Adrian Beltre, who crushed two homers and knocked in all five runs.Thank goodness for Beltre, otherwise the Sox would have been dead meat. It looked like the Red Sox might get out of the sixth with only one run when Manny Delcarmen induced a pop-up with one out. Unfortunately, Dustin Richardson gave up a two-run single and the Sox fell one short after Beltre's three-run bomb. I can't understand it. Richardson has been pretty darn good against lefties this season, but he gave up a hit that put the game out of reach.

The four-game series continues tonight with Josh Beckett on the mound for the Red Sox. Beckett has made two strong starts since his return from the disabled list. He will take on 2-9 David Huff. Beckett has been hit very hard by the Indians in the regular season. In his career, he has a 6.56 ERA, very ugly.We can only hope that the ace looks very sharp today.

Trivia
Among AL clubs, only the Blue Jays hit Josh harder than the Tribe.

Weekend Series

The Red Sox met the Tigers in a weekend clash. In game one, Jon Lester was hit hard and Jhonny Peralta clubbed two homers. Detroit led 6-1 going into the ninth. David Ortiz smashed a grand slam for his 22nd home run, but the Sox fell one short.

In game two, the Sox were behind 4-0 when they scored two in the seventh. Into the ninth, it was still 4-2. But Darnell McDonald beat out an infield hit and Eric Patterson ripped a double. Jim Leyland told Phil Coke to walk Kevin Youkilis to pitch to David Ortiz. Ortiz took two balls before fouling a pitch off. The next pitch was a fat one, and Ortiz ripped a gapper into left-center. All three runners hustled in to score, and the Red Sox won 5-4. That made it 7 runs in the ninth in two games for the Sox, all driven in by Ortiz.

The finale of the series had a pair of aces, 11-5 Clay Buchholz against 12-6 Justin Verlander. Buchholz gave up only two hits in eight innings, while the Sox stroked three runs against Verlander. However, in the ninth Clay gave up two straight hits, and Jonathan Papelbon came in. He gave up a monster two-run double to Miguel Cabrera, then a hard single to tie the game. He managed to get a double play, and got out of the inning.

In the bottom of the ninth, Jed Lowrie beat out an infield single, then Eric Patterson showed bunt and took four straight balls. On a 2-1 pitch, Marco Scutaro laid down a bunt on the left side. Weinhardt, the Tigers pitcher, fielded the bunt and threw the ball. Unfortunately for Detroit, he threw it away up the first-base line and Darnell McDonald, pinch-hitting, scored the winning run to make it 8 runs in the ninth in three days.

Trivia
Papelbon's blown save was his fifth of the year.
Cabrera has now knocked in 93 runs this season.

July 28 game

The Red Sox finished the West Coast trip at 6-4 after completing a three-game sweep of the Angels. Josh Beckett pitched seven strong innings and Marco Scutaro crushed a grand slam to left to give the Sox a 7-3 win. Ramon Ramirez finished the game with two strikeouts. The only runs the Red Sox scored were on homers. Two solo blasts in the second by Bill Hall and Adrian Beltre gave the Sox a 2-0 lead, but Beckett coughed up three runs. In the seventh, Kevin Youkilis smashed one to tie the game, and then in the eighth Scutaro bombed one.

The Sox will return home and have a day off on Thursday before taking on the Tigers at Fenway Park. Jon Lester will pitch the opening game against Armando Galaragga. The Tigers will take newly acquired Jhonny Peralta with them to Boston.

Trivia
Adrian Beltre and David Ortiz are in the top spots for the Red Sox RBI lead, with 64. Kevin Youkilis is in second place with 61.

July 27 game

Jed Lowrie had two hits and three RBI and Marco Scutaro added three hits as John Lackey became the third Red Sock to earn his tenth win. Lackey earned the win against his old team, the LA Angels. The Sox won 4-2 with Jonathan Papelbon earning his 24th save. With the Yankee loss to Cleveland, the Red Sox came to just 7 games behind the Yankees, but still five behind the Rays in the wild card.

Today, I have an update for you and will write a full article when the game finishes. Josh Beckett went seven strong innings and Marco Scutaro crushed a grand slam in the eighth to give the Sox a 7-3 lead.

Trivia
Lowrie has been battling mononucleosis all season.
Victor Martinez talked his way out of taking a day off today and is in the starting lineup.

News

Alex Rodriguez's search for 600 homers resumes tonight on his birthday, as he hopes for his big blast on the day he turns 35.
Last night, Matt Garza threw the first no-hitter in the history of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Tonight, Stephen Strasburg will hurl for the Washington Nationals. He will face the Atlanta Braves and the heavy-hitting Jason Heyward.
Joe Mauer collected five hits and seven RBI as the Twins steamrolled.
Finally, Dan Haren was injured after being traded to the Angels for Joe Saunders.

July 26 game

Clay Buchholz went seven strong innings allowing just five hits and one run. Meanwhile, David Ortiz clubbed two home runs. In the fifth, Kevin Youkilis knocked Dan Haren out of the game with a line drive off Haren's arm. Dan lost his ninth, while Clay won his eleventh. David Ortiz has now hit 21 homers this season, and the Sox won 6-3, with Jonathan Papelbon earning his 23rd save.

Victor Martinez made his return last night, going 1-4 for the big club, while Jacoby Ellsbury went 1-3 in the Gulf Coast League. Thankfully, only Ellsbury and Pedroia are left out of the starters on the DL. We can only hope they return soon. Tonight, John Lackey faces his old friends and Jared Weaver in LA.

Trivia
Haren is having a below-average season this year, only 7-9.

July 25 game

After winning the first two games in Seattle, the Sox had to settle for a split with the Mariners. Yesterday, Daisuke Matsuzaka went six strong innings, giving up just four hits and one run, but he walked five. If not for the walks, the events that unfolded might not have happened.

In the fourth inning, the Sox struck for two runs and held a tenuous 2-1 lead going into the seventh. Daniel Bard threw a shutout inning against the M's, but gave up a hit to lead off the eighth. Hideki Okajima came in and surrendered four straight hits before Kevin Youkilis turned a double play and Ramon Ramirez came in to relieve and get out of it. My question is, why on earth would you pull Bard, one of the Sox's best pitchers, out of the game when he gives up one hit? Why bring in Okajima, when he has been shaky to say the least this year? Some people, including me, wondered why Terry Francona pulled Dice-K after only six innings, but I can answer this question. It is because of his walks. He had 108 pitches after six, so he could not have gone longer.

Trivia
Daniel Bard had his 15 and 2/3 scoreless inning streak snapped yesterday when his runner scored.

July 24 game

Before their game started, the Red Sox had the news that the Yankees had lost 7-4 to the Royals. Unfortuntely, the Rays rolled past Cleveland, 6-3. Jon Lester held the M's to no baserunners through 5 and 1/3 innings, but Jeremy Saunders cranked a two-run blast. Seattle managed to add 3 more runs to win 5-1. The only bright spots for the Sox were Jon Lester striking out a career high 13 batters in 7 and 2/3 innings and Big Papi Ortiz powering a solo home run.

Tonight, the Red Sox try to take the series behind Daisuke Matsuzaka, looking for his third straight win. In Red Sox news, Victor Martinez is optimistic, saying he will return on Monday.

Trivia

Lester lost his perfect game bid on an error by Eric Patterson.

July 23 game

The Red Sox were fortunate enough to have Josh Beckett return from the disabled list to start against the Seattle Mariners. Beckett was effective, giving up one run and five hits in 5 and 2/3 innings. Unfortunately, he left with the score tied and did not earn the win. Scott Atchinson came on and shut down the M's. Then, in the top of the seventh Bill Hall crushed a drive to deep left field that easily made the stands for Hall's tenth home run of the season. Jonathan Papelbon worked the ninth for the save.

Tonight, Jon Lester looks to bounce back from his bad start against the Rangers. He will be taking on former Sox prospect David Pauley. Victor Martinez appears optimistic, saying that he should be ready soon to bounce back from a fractured thumb. Dustin Pedroia is hoping to come back as soon as possible, but there is no word on an exact date.

Trivia
Despited being 0-2, Pauley has a slightly better ERA than Lester. (2.40 against 2.81)

News around the league

The Yankees thrashed the Kansas City Royals yesterday, with Derek Jeter ripping an inside-the-park home run and Alex Rodriguez providing his 599th career home run to support C.C. Sabathia in a 10-4 win.
For the third time in three starts, Cliff Lee pitched at least eight innings, and this time he won 3-2.
Three Orioles were ejected as Carl Pavano picked up his seventh straight win, a five-hit shutout, as the Twins won 5-0.

Trivia
This is Lee's first win with the Rangers, despite throwing two nine-inning performances.

July 22 game

John Lackey came within four outs of a no-hitter, but Seattle scored five in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. In the thirteenth, Eric Patterson, who has really been delivering for the Sox, ripped a two-run double for an 8-6 win. Ichiro Suzuki made an absolutely magical play, leaping and reaching into the stands to rob David Ortiz of a home run.

Today, Josh Beckett comes back from the disabled list to face the M's. Meanwhile, Jeremy Hermida will be activated to start against righthanded pitchers and come off the bench.

Trivia

Beckett is only 1-1 with a 7.29 ERA.

This was undoubtedly Lackey's best start with Boston.

July 20 game and injuries

Tim Wakefield was once again plagued by the one bad inning. He gave up four runs in the third inning in a 5-4 extra-inning loss. Michael Bowden gave up a walk-off single, but Ramon Ramirez was hit with the loss. Marco Scutaro and Kevin Youkilis each hit RBI doubles.

This week, Red Sox begin to return from the disabled list. Today, Clay Buchholz is coming off the DL against Oakland, and he has given up one run. Meanwhile, Jed Lowrie is finally able to play, coming back from mononucleosis. In fact, he scored the first run on Adrian Beltre's RBI hit. And this Friday, the moment that all Red Sox fans have been waiting for happens. Josh Beckett will be pitching against Seattle for the BoSox. Unfortunately, Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Jason Varitek, Jeremy Hermida, and Jacoby Ellsbury remain disabled.

Trivia
The Oakland Athletics' starter last night, Dallas Braden, has not won a game since his perfect game on Mother's Day.

July 19 game

Daisuke Matsuzaka was very good as he went 6 and 2/3 solid innings against the Oakland Athletics. For Boston's offense, Adrian Beltre crushed his fifteenth home run of the season to deep left center. Eric Patterson smashed a triple and scored on Big Papi David Ortiz's sacrifice fly. Meanwhile, Jonathan Papelbon earned his 21st save.

The win brought the Red Sox to six back of the Yankees. Unfortunately, they remained 3.5 behind Tampa Bay, as the Rays took advantage of a seven-run third to throttle the Orioles, 8-1.

The Yankees start a series with the LA Angels of Anaheim tonight, while the Sox continue their monster West Coast trip with Tim Wakefield on the mound tonight opposing Dallas Braden, who tossed a perfect game on Mother's Day this year.

Trivia
Tim Wakefield is the current player with the most years in Red Sox service. (He joined the club in 1995)
Matsuzaka earned his second straight win, improving to 7-3

Weekend series

Unfortunately, the Red Sox were defeated in a four-game series at Fenway. The Rangers sent them stumbling onto the West Coast, where they have always had trouble. The sole Boston victory belonged to Kevin Youkilis. Youk drove in the tying run in the bottom of the ninth with a double, then hit a walk-off sac fly in the 11th for a win. Cliff Lee pitched nine outstanding innings, but the Red Sox poked two runs off him.

On Thursday, the Rangers exploded for six in the first off Tim Wakefield, and the Sox could not recover. On Friday, Bengie Molina hit for the cycle and clubbed a grand slam to win 8-4. On Sunday, Jon Lester threw eight innings but gave up four runs in a 4-2 loss, with Mike Cameron smashing a solo home run in the ninth to bring the Sox a little closer.

Now, the Sox will travel to the dangerous West Coast, where so many good Boston teams have been killed. They stay ten games, and hope that they can overcome injuries and the West Coast. In a fourteen-game stretch including the last four games, they play all four teams in the AL West.

Trivia
Lee threw his second straight nine-inning performance for the Rangers.

July 16 game

The Red Sox could not recover from the Texas Rangers' five-run fifth. In it, Bengie Molina clubbed a grand slam. In the sixth, Molina tripled to hit for the cycle. Adrian Beltre helped the Red Sox offense with a home run.

Felix Doubront had to withstand a rain delay in the fourth, and he had cooled off in the fifth, giving up four before being replaced. Personally, I can understand why they left him in, since he had been pitching well.

Tonight, Jon Lackey will aim for his tenth win, taking on MLB's WHIP leader Cliff Lee. Lackey considers himself a better pitcher in the second half, and we can only hope he is right. His record is 9-5, but with a 4.78 ERA and he has not seemed to pitch very well with the Sox. Lee is 0-1 with the Rangers with a 6.00 ERA.

Trivia
Texas's Vladimir Guerrero received a huge round of applause at the All-Star Game due to his power with the Angels.
Last night, Bengie Molina's triple was only the sixth in his career.

July 15th game

The Red Sox did not exactly start out the way they wanted to. Tim Wakefield gave up six runs in the first - mostly due to a controversial call by the umpire - and then one more in the third. With two strikes and two out in the first inning, with no runs in for the Rangers, the umpire called a foul tip on what was clearly a miss. Michael Young took a mighty swing and missed, but the ump called it a foul, prolonging his at-bat, and he singled.

The only offense the Red Sox could provide was a pair of solo home runs by J.D. Drew and Bill Hall. 7-2 was the final, the loss dropping the Sox to 5.5 back of the Yanks and 2.5 back of the Rays. Luckily, the Yanks and Rays begin a three-game series with each other tonight. Today, Felix Doubront goes against 8-5 Colby Lewis.

Trivia
Entering the game, Tommy Hunter had given up just three homers, but the Red Sox smoked 2 off him.

The End of an Era

The excellent All-Star Game last night was tinged by a death. George Steinbrenner, longtime owner of the New York Yankees, passed away at the age of 80. Mr. Steinbrenner died of a heart attack in his Tampa home on the morning of July 13.

About two years ago, he passed control of the Yanks to his son, Hank Steinbrenner. Even as a Red Sox fan, I bow my head in his memory. He brought the Yankees out of the second division and made them into a great team. He had a lot of money, true, but he knew how to use it, and he cleverly turned the Bronx Bombers into a team again.

We will remember him always and bow our heads in the memory of George Steinbrenner.

Trivia
Steinbrenner's 37-year reign over the Yanks was the longest in club history.
His nickname was "The Boss"
He often hired, fired, and then re-hired managers--sometimes within months.

Midseason Wrap

In the AL, the East is the division to watch. The Yankees lead the division by two games, and the Red Sox are still very much in the race, only five games back and three back of the Rays. Tampa Bay is focused on young pitching, the Yankees are slugging their way to the top, and the Sox are having new players step up due to a huge amount of injuries.

For the AL Central, the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers are battling for first. As of the break, the ChiSox led by 0.5 games. They have won 19 of their last 20 games. The Minnesota Twins are hanging back, 3.5 games back, ready to attack and win the crown. In the West, the Texas Rangers, 4.5 games up on the LA Angels, have just made their rotation even stronger with the addition of Cliff Lee.

In the NL, the East is in control of the Atlanta Braves, who rest four games up on the Mets and 4.5 games above the Philadelphia Phillies. In the Central, St. Louis and Cincinnati are the only two teams in the race. The Reds are leading by a single game. In the West, the surprise San Diego Padres are out in front by two games over the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Meanwhile, the SF Giants sit just four games back.
Trivia
This is likely going to be Bobby Cox's last year as manager.
The last place Baltimore Orioles have won four games in a row.

All-Star Game and Home Run Derby

The NL won its first ASG since 1996 on a three-run double by Brian McCann. The AL attempted a comeback in the bottom of the ninth but David Ortiz was thrown out at second on a single to right field. At first, it looked like the right fielder, Marlon Byrd, was going to catch it, so Papi held up, but the ball dropped and Byrd threw a bullet to second for the out.The NL won, 3-1. After the game, AL manager Joe Girardi was criticized for not replacing Ortiz with a pinch runner, since Ortiz is fairly slow. Personally, I believe Ortiz had no choice, since if Byrd had caught it and Ortiz had been running, Ortiz might have been doubled off first.

David Ortiz won his first Home Run Derby as he clubbed 32 homers. He swatted 11 in the finals to beat Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins.
Trivia
This was the first time that the National League has home-field advantage in the World Series due to the All-Star Game. 

News

The big Cliff Lee trade came, with the big lefty not going to New York. Instead, he headed to Texas and the Rangers. Lee currently leads the majors in WHIP. (walks and hits per inning pitched)

Ubaldo Jimenez will be starting in the All-Star Game for the NL. In his last start he was dominant. However, in the three starts before that he was 1-0 with a 8.66 ERA. This streak of ineffectiveness prompted fans to wonder if Josh Johnson, Roy Halladay, or Adam Wainwright would be chosen for the NL.
Trivia
Lee won a Cy Young award in 2008 with a 22-3 record.

Home Run Derby and All Star Game

This year in the Home Run Derby, five players are new. None of the players in the Derby are previous champions. Miguel Cabrera currently has the most out of the HRDers, with 22 round-trippers.

Ubaldo Jimenez will be facing David Price tomorrow night in Anaheim for the ASG. Jimenez carries 15 wins and a no-hitter into the midsummer classic, and Price is the youngest pitcher to start since Dwight Gooden. Jimenez is on a pace to win 30 games this year if he can keep up his pace.

Trivia
The last person to win 30 games was Denny McLain in 1968.

Weekend series

The Red Sox managed to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays in a three-game series, with Daisuke Matsuzaka winning and Jon Lester notching his eleventh win. The Red Sox broke out of their four-game slide on Friday in a 14-3 drubbing of the Jays. On Saturday, Jon Lackey was hit hard in an 8-5 loss. Yesterday, Jesse Litsch carried a no-hitter through five and two thirds innings. However, with two out, Marco Scutaro doubled, Darnell McDonald homered, and David Ortiz homered. Matsuzaka gave up two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but Daniel Bard was lights-out. Jonathan Papelbon threw the ninth, but after he gave up a two-out single, I expected a walk-off homer by Gregg Zaun. Instead, Zaun popped out to center, and the Red Sox won with three hits and three runs, 3-2.

Trivia
David Ortiz will be taking part in the Home Run Derby, and he has now hit eighteen dingers.

News

Unfortunately for Red Sox fans, Kevin Youkilis did not make the All-Star team. Nick Swisher beat him out, despite the fact that Youk had better stats than Swisher. The Red Sox are still sending three representatives (Adrian Beltre, David Ortiz, and Jon Lester) to the game. Lester starts tonight, looking for his eleventh win.

The Yankees will either acquire Cliff Lee or face him tonight. They are believed to be finalizing a deal for Lee in which the Yanks will give up a great number of players. Lee is slated to start for Seattle tonight against New York.

Trivia
Cliff Lee won the Cy Young award in 2008 for the Cleveland Indians.
Lester is third in strikeouts in the majors with 118 this year

June 7th game

The Red Sox could not overcome an early deficit against All-Star David Price. Although Tim Wakefield only gave up four hits in six innings, he walked six and threw two wild pitches in a 6-4 loss. Price held the Red Sox in check through eight innings of one-run baseball, and the Sox came back, but not enough. Tonight, (July 9) they look to snap a four-game losing streak in Toronto, with Jon Lester on the mound against Ricky Romero.
The Sox needed yesterday's day off to reset themselves and rest. Unfortunately, the Yankees defeated Seattle, so the BoSox fell to five back, three in back of Tampa Bay in the wild card.
Trivia
All three of the series' that the Red Sox and Rays played this year ended in sweeps.

All-Star Game and Home Run Derby

With only one day left until the Final Vote ends, Kevin Youkilis is barely out of first in the vote. Nick Swisher currently leads the Final Vote by a very slim differential. There are only about 21 hours left until voting ends. It ends at 4:00 Eastern Time Thursday.
David Ortiz will be participating in the Home Run Derby the night before the All-Star Game. He currently has 17 homers.

Trivia
Did you know:
Youk started his career at third base, and he now plays first?
This will be Ortiz's fourth Derby, and he has never won? (Although he enjoys it)

July 6 game

Unfortunately, the Red Sox could not provide enough run support to give Felix Doubront his second win, as the Rays beat the Sox 3-2. Doubront gave up only two runs over 5 and 2/3 innings, but Hideki Okajima gave up a run, so Eric Patterson's RBI triple left the Sox one short. David Ortiz was intentionally walked in his final three times at bat, even with a man on first. The Red Sox, because of the Yankee win, fell to 3.5 games behind New York, and 1.5 games behind the Rays in the wild card. The Sox try to avert a sweep tonight, facing the All-Star David Price.

My heart skipped a beat when I heard that Kevin Youkilis had to leave the game after fouling a pitch off his ankle. Luckily, it was not serious, and he will be in the starting lineup tonight.

Trivia
Did you Know:
Nieuman Romero, Youk's replacement, had only had 14 career at-bats entering the game?
The Red Sox have now lost three straight games?

Injuries

You have to wonder how the Red Sox are staying close to the Rays and Yankees with all the injuries they have sustained. The Sox have lost Jacoby Ellsbury, Jeremy Hermida, Clay Buchholz, Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Manny Delcarmen, Josh Beckett, and Jason Varitek to injuries. Tonight, on July 6th, the Red Sox will send Felix Doubront to the mound. The big lefty will look to win his second game in his second start. Due to injuries, they had to call him up. They also had to trade for Kevin Cash, get Eric Patterson, and call up Daniel Nava. Bill Hall is playing well at second base, and Darnell McDonald has been playing hard.

Trivia
Did you know:
Bill Hall can play any position except pitcher, catcher, and first base?
The Red Sox have seen two "brother matchups?" (J.D. and Stephen Drew, then Eric and Corey Patterson)
Daniel Nava hit a grand slam on the first pitch thrown to him in the big leagues, and in Jeremy Hermida's first at-bat, (with the Braves) he hit a grand slam?

See you tomorrow!

All-Star voting and Game (with trivia)

Well, fans have so far voted six Red Sox into the All-Star Game, but only three of them (Adrian Beltre, David Ortiz, and Jon Lester) will be attending. The other three (Clay Buchholz, Dustin Pedroia, and Victor Martinez) are currently on the disabled list. Pedroia broke a bone in his left foot, Victor broke his left thumb, and Buchholz has a hamstring injury.

Meanwhile, fans can still vote for the final All-Star spot, with Kevin Youkilis, Nick Swisher, Michael Young, Delmon Young, and Paul Konerko all vying for the last spot. Kevin Youkilis has a slim lead today, but voting continues until Thursday. Red Sox fans, Youkilis needs your help! Vote for Youk at http://mlb.mlb.com/index.jsp! In the National League, Joey Votto, Ryan Zimmerman, Billy Wagner, Carlos Gonzalez, and Heath Bell try to win the final spot, with Votto holding a tight lead.

Trivia
Did you know that both Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have thrown no-hitters?
Did you know that currently, Kevin Youkilis has about the same stats as David Ortiz, but Youk has a better on-base percentage?

See you tomorrow!

The July 5th game, with trivia

Well, the Red Sox fell to the Tampa Bay Rays, 6-5, with Daisuke Matsuzaka blowing a 5-1 lead and Ramon Ramirez allowing a run in the seventh to allow the Rays to take the lead. Eric Patterson led the offensive effort for the Sox, with two home runs. With the loss, the Red Sox fell to 49-34, 2.5 games in back of the New York Yankees, and 0.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays. I was not entirely surprised. I mean, Dice-K is not the best, and Ramirez is one of the Sox's worst pitchers.

Trivia
Did you know that this is Kevin Cash's second stint with the BoSox? (His first was in 2008)
This game was Eric Patterson's first multi-homer game in his career, and his first two with the Red Sox.

See you tomorrow! We can only hope the Red Sox do a little better tonight, July 6!