Ibanez dooms Red Sox

Raul Ibanez launched a home run to right field in the seventh inning to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 2-1 lead over the Sox, and that was all the bullpen needed to shut down John Lackey's Sox for the second night in a row. Philly is outscoring Boston 7-1 in the series, and their pitching has been superb. I mean, in the series the Phillies have 7 runs and Boston has 7 hits. Strangely enough (in a rare occurrence), Lackey did not pitch very badly last night, giving up just 2 runs in 7.2 strong innings. However, the only offense he got was from himself, launching an RBI double in the fifth to tie the game at 1. However, the rest of Boston's potent lineup just could not convert, picking up just 4 hits aside from the Lackey double. I hope they start hitting again soon. If not in Houston, then they better start picking up wins once they get their full lineup back in an AL venue. And also, hopefully the Red Sox pitchers can start to pitch around Ibanez, as he had 3 hits and both Philly RBIs last night.

Trivia
Lackey's loss was his 7th.

Sox can't figure out Lee

The Red Sox could not get to Cliff Lee, managing just 2 hits off the lefty to lose 5-0. Lee went the distance to extend his scoreless streak to 32 innings, fifth-longest in Philadelphia history. Meanwhile, Josh Beckett gave up five runs thanks to 5 hits, not too many hits but just enough to score a lot of runs. Beckett gave up two homers, both two-run shots: one to Dominic Brown and the other to Shane Victorino. Marco Scutaro nailed a single in the 6th and Darnell McDonald added a double for Boston, but they couldn't do any damage with the hits, even the leadoff double. I wish the Red Sox were able to get some hits and runs against Lee, but maybe they'll attack the Phillies pitcher tonight. (They'll need it, with John Lackey going) Jacoby Ellsbury's average dropped beneath .300 to .299 with his 0-4 performance last night, while Adrian Gonzalez dropped to .357. Hopefully these guys will start hitting again soon, and even if they don't, we as Sox fans can comfort ourselves with the fact that we'll be back at Fenway and facing AL teams again soon. After all, the Sox are now just 6-7 against the National League, and this poor performance has dropped them to second place in the AL East, 1.5 games behind the Yanks.

Trivia
Despite an 0-3 night from Gonzalez, he leads the AL in batting.

Big day for LA

Both Los Angeles teams had dramatic wins last night in interleague action. We start with the AL club, the Angels. They got a walk-off single by Maicer Izturis to give themselves a 4-3 walk-off win. They probably should have won a lot easier, except they left 14 men on base and Jordan Walden blew a save in the ninth inning, giving up a homer to Danny Espinosa with two outs in that inning. LA got 16 hits, including three from Alberto Callaspo and four from Peter Bourjos, but just could not win easily thanks to superb Washington defense. The walk-off single both spoiled things for Davey Johnson in his first game as manager of the Nats and allowed Izturis to salvage his day after making two errors from the field.

Meanwhile, the LA Dodgers of the National League won very easily, pounding out 25 hits and 15 runs while giving up just 4 hits to win 15-0 against the Minnesota Twins. Every member of the LA starting lineup garnered at least 2 hits, including 4-hit days from Tony Gwynn, Matt Kemp, and Trent Oeltjenn. The funniest thing about the day was that the Dodgers only hit three homers, all solo shots, so 12 runs came from 22 hits for LA. They left 12 men on base, but went 8 for 19 with runners in scoring position, so I guess it just all evens out in the end. Well, good thing the Red Sox aren't playing them this year!

Trivia
Matt Kemp's solo blast for the Dodgers gave him 22 homers, tops in the NL.

Sox win in sloppy fashion

The Boston Red Sox did not play well by any standard last night against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but they slipped away with a win to snap a four-game losing streak. The Sox made two errors, but the Pirates made 4, including an absolutely terrible throw by Andrew McCutchen that allowed Jarrod Saltalamacchia to score. Now, Adrian Gonzalez didn't get any recognition in this game because he did not score or knock in any runs, yet he singled twice to lead his team in hits for the day. This, a day after he smashed a homer and knocked in 2 in a losing effort. Ah well. While I like that the Red Sox were able to pull out a win, I hated their sloppy defense and hitting. I mean, they left 10 men on base and were 1-10 with runners in scoring position, but with 2 sacrifice flies. Darnell McDonald was terrible against his cousin James, going 0-4, leaving 8 men on base, and dropping his average to .109, lowest on the team. Isn't it funny that way? Mike Cameron and McDonald, both right fielders, have the lowest averages on the Sox team. Wow. Weak spot, maybe? Oh well. The Sox did get a nice pitching outing from Andrew Miller, as he gave up just 1 earned run in 6 innings for a 4-2 win, with Jon Papelbon picking up his 14 save. Well, at least they won.

Trivia
Gonzalez is hitting .361.

Interleague woes continue for Sox

The Boston Red Sox got a solid performance from Jon Lester but remarkably little offense as they lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1. Kevin Youkilis knocked in a run with an RBI groundout in the first inning, but the offense was quiet after that, aside from Adrian Gonzalez. Adrian got a pair of hits to boost his average up to .360, still highest in the league. Lester went 6 innings and gave up 3 runs, 2 earned, on 8 hits for a quality start. However, David Ortiz, when inserted as a pinch hitter in the pitcher spot, grounded out to second with two men on. I just wish that the Sox could get key hits like they did before they started interleague play. They are just 5-5 against the National League due to a three-game losing streak against the Padres and Pirates. Despite all this, in his last two games Gonzalez has gone 6-8 with an RBI for the terrible Sox. I mean, they left 11 men on base and went 0-8 with runners in scoring position! The bright spot for the day would be that the Yankees lost 4-2 to the Colorado Rockies thanks to Jason Giambi hurting his old team with a homer, so the Sox keep a 0.5 game lead on the Evil Empire. I hope they can do better tonight and revert to the form they had when they went on their winning streak. They did so well, they lead the majors in runs scored with 401.

Trivia
Ortiz is 0 for his last 9.

Sox get hurt after huge rain delay

John Lackey gave up a leadoff home run to Will Venable and gave up 4 more in the fourth as the Red Sox lost to the Padres 5-1. They scored just 1 run despite 10 hits, and Adrian Gonzalez did all he could. A-Gone got 4 hits and knocked in the only run for the Red Sox to lift his average to .359, still tops in the majors. Kevin Youkilis also got two hits, but David Ortiz went 0-4 and left 7 men on base in the loss. I find it amazing that Gonzalez keeps hitting no matter how badly the Red Sox do, but I wish Papi could have got a couple hits or even a homer. Dustin Pedroia added a pair of hits, so Boston got 8 hits from the 2, 3, and 4 hitters but lost due to stranding men on base. I wish Lackey could have done better, but he went only 3 and 1/3. Although, there were four rain delays in the game, and it was canceled in the eighth inning due to the precipitation. I love that the middle of the order can get hits, so if Ortiz produces and A-Gone, Pedroia, and Youk keep hitting, then the Sox are all set. Also, the Sox bullpen gave up just 3 hits and no runs, so that is definitely a plus for Boston. I always like it when the bullpen does well.

Trivia
This was Lackey's 6th loss of the year.

Sox erupt for 10-run seventh

The Boston Red Sox got a 10-run seventh that included three RBI from Adrian Gonzalez as they beat Adrian's old team the Padres 14-5 at Fenway. They have now outscored their opponents 38-16 in their last four games, including a 4-2 loss. A-Gone knocked in the first run of the seventh with a double to left and added a two-run single later in the frame to cap the inning, and Josh Reddick added a two-run single. Meanwhile, Andrew Miller threw 5 and 2/3 innings of 7-hit 3-run baseball in his season debut, and Matt Albers got the win in relief. I find it great that the Sox can just keep hitting and getting big wins over their opponents, scoring runs but getting good enough pitching to keep their opponents from scoring. Especially amazing is the fact that Adrian Gonzalez keeps hitting and driving in runs at a remarkable pace, grabbing three hits and three RBI last night, pacing the Sox in both categories. He is now batting .353 to lead the majors, has knocked in 67 runs to lead the majors, has 15 homers to tie for 7th, and is third in the American League with 54 runs scored. I love that he can just come up in a clutch situation and get a double or a homer or something. Oh yeah, and he's leading the league in doubles with 25 right now, also. I find it great that he can just keep knocking in run after run, not stopping at all.

Trivia
Prior to today, Miller had been 15-26 in major league appearances.

Sox romp over Brewers

The Boston Red Sox got a three-run homer from Kevin Youkilis as part of a 6-run first and Tim Wakefield gave up just 3 hits over 8 innings as the Sox crushed the Milwaukee Brewers 12-3 at Fenway. Adrian Gonzalez tripled for his 1000th career hit and added two RBI while Marco Scutaro and Dustin Pedroia each contributed homers. Adrian's average is up to .348 as he leads the AL in hits, doubles, average, and RBI. I think it is amazing that the Red Sox keep winning and keep scoring a ton of runs. I mean, they have the best record in the AL after starting out 2-10, as they have won 13 of their last 15 and have gone 41-18 since their terrible start. Even more amazing, after starting 0-7 on the road, they have hiked their record away from the Fens up to 22-14, better than their home mark. This means that they have gone 22-7 since their first 7 visiting games. Meanwhile, I find it absolutely unbelievable that the pitching is still strong even during these blowouts, with Wakefield contributing and Josh Beckett leading the league in ERA while 3rd in WHIP. Meanwhile, Jon Lester has 9 wins but has been rather shaky, but the thing that I find most amazing is the fact that Jon Lackey is 3-0 after coming off the DL. This is great, and Youk is going on a tear after starting badly. I'd give today's MVP to Kevin Youkilis.

Trivia
Gonzalez has 64 RBI in 71 games, on pace for 146 RBI this season.

Sox crush Brew Crew

The Red Sox got a strong pitching performance from Jon Lackey to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 10-4. Boston fell in a 2-0 hole before they batted, but Jacoby Ellsbury swatted his second leadoff homer in about a week and the Sox fought back to tie it 4-4. From there, Lackey retired 15 straight batters while Adrian Gonzalez smashed his 15th homer, giving him 62 RBI, and the Sox went on cruise control. Lackey gave eight innings for his fifth win of the season, and I find it great that the guys at the top of the order keep producing. Speaking of which, the top five spots in the Sox lineup combined for 11 hits and a .478 average, with A-Gone and David Ortiz producing three apiece. I find it awesome that the Sox just keep hitting and winning, as they came off an 8-1 road trip when  they played. I hope that these guys can keep producing and that Gonzalez can keep knocking in runs. Adrian now has a .352 average to lead the majors, so he is leading the league in two triple crown categories but is tied for 13th with 15 homers. Even so, he has been hitting very well, a great player. I for one am letting out a sigh of relief that this big multimillion dollar contract guy didn't just fizzle out, like Carl Crawford, who has just a .243 average, though he has been hitting remarkably better of late. Also, Lackey has been pitching well, having won his first 3 starts off the disabled list. Today's outing was just amazing for him.

Trivia
Despite his time on the DL, Lackey leads the team in losses, with 5.

Bruins win their first Stanley Cup in 39 years

Yes, I know I whined a bit about nobody caring that Beckett had thrown his best game in a Boston uniform. But I must admit, last night's Game 7 was pretty good. Patrice Bergeron started the scoring on a pass from Brad Marchand as he made a perfect shot right by Roberto Luongo. Next, Marchand slid in the puck on a wraparound goal that squeezed between the post and Luongo's leg, and Bergeron made a beautiful sliding shorthanded shot. Finally, Marchand got his second goal of the night on an empty net. Meanwhile, Tim Thomas was stoic in the net, shutting out Vancouver and not letting anything come close to heading in. Well, one thing came close. Unfortunately for the Canucks, Zdeno Chara was right there to make the save. So it is interesting to note that in this series, big hitter Chara had a save and big goalie Thomas had a hit. When the buzzer sounded, the Bruins leapt into each other's arms and celebrated. When Chara came to take the Stanley Cup, it was the highest it had ever been on ice due to Zdeno's hulking 6 foot 9 frame, the tallest man ever to play. One final thing to note, and this will tie back to the Sox: Tim Thomas, by not letting anything past him when it really counts, seems to do for the Bruins what Josh Beckett does for the Sox.

Trivia
Thomas won the Conn Smythe award for the most valuable player of the playoffs.

Beckett gives Sox his best

Josh Beckett threw a one-hit shutout with just 97 pitches in his best Red Sox start... and nobody cared. Kevin Youkilis smashed a clutch three-run homer in the seventh... and nobody was watching. During Beckett's beautiful outing, the Boston Bruins were facing off against the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals to win 4-0. However, I focus on the Red Sox game. Beckett gave up an infield single off the bat of Reid Brignac that Kevin Youkilis made his best effort on in the third, and then Beckett gave up absolutely nothing after that, retiring the next 19 batters of Tampa Bay. Meanwhile, Jeremy Hellickson pitched very well until the seventh inning, when Dustin Pedroia tripled off the right field wall and Adrian Gonzalez was intentionally walked. Next, Kevin Youkilis made solid contact and drove a pitch into the left-field stands for a 3-0 lead that Beckett would not relinquish. He now has a 1.86 ERA to lead the majors. I find it great that Josh is pitching so well and not giving up runs, while every Boston hitter is coming up big with clutch hits. After all, three Red Sox hitters have been named AL Player of the Week the last three weeks.

Trivia
Despite Beckett's phenomenal ERA, he has just a 6-2 record.

Yanks lose to Indians

Yes, I know this is a Red Sox blog. But with no Boston game last night, I have to focus on the bright side of things. The New York Yankees were stymied 1-0 against the Cleveland Indians thanks to Carlos Carrasco's seven shutout innings. This means that the Yanks are now 2.5 games back of Boston in the AL East. Also, Mark Teixeira went hitless, and thus Adrian Gonzalez zoomed ahead of him in AL All-Star voting. Derek Jeter moved closer to 3000 hits with a single in the first, but left with a calf strain and may be placed on the disabled list. I am a huge Sox fan, but I think Jeter is a great player. He seems to be one of the only players that doesn't take steroids or HGH or anything, and he is an absolute team player, sacrificing stats for wins. However, he needs just 6 hits to get to 3,000, but he might have to wait a while if he stays disabled. I love Jeter because he just keeps getting it done for the Yankees, although the team really doesn't matter. He is a great clutch hitter, filling the role for New York that David Ortiz fills for the Sox, though Ortiz might be better this season.

Trivia
Jeter is only hitting .260 this season.

Sox sweep north of the border

The Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays in huge style, 14-1. Adrian Gonzalez started the scoring with a solo blast, Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz each homered in the fifth, and Kevin Youkilis added a two-run blast for extra insurance in the ninth. I find it great that the Sox can keep winning, and even better, keep getting lots of hits and homers. Ortiz now has 17 homers while A-Gone is now leading the league in both hitting and RBI, with 60 RBI and a .341 clip, ahead of Jose Bautista, who also drilled a bomb last night for the Jays. The Sox have now won 9 consecutive games, and Jon Lester, unlike in his previous wins, was superb. He struck out eight and gave up just 2 hits over eight strong innings to earn his ninth win of the season, the most in the AL. I think it is amazing that the pitching is staying strong even when the Sox turn the game into a blowout. Meanwhile, Pedroia has been shooting strong after his knee was lubricated due to a bone bruise on the cap; he scored 2 and knocked in 2. Jacoby Ellsbury added 2 hits and 3 runs while being named the AL Player of the Week, which makes 3 straight weeks in which a Sox player has been chosen for the honor. I think it is absolutely unbelievable that Boston hitters keep going on amazing tears and winning.

Trivia
The Red Sox outscored Toronto in the series 35-6.
The Sox have scored 6 or more in an inning 3 times in the last 4 games.

Sox bomb Jays and ride eight-game streak

The Boston Red Sox, after sweeping the Yankees again in New York, beat Toronto... then crushed the Jays 16-4 behind Jon Lackey. Lackey pitched 6 innings to grab the win, and with that win the Sox are 2 games up on the Yankees in the East and are tied for the best record in baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies. I find this amazing, considering they started 2-10. The Sox have gone 36-16 since their abysmal start, and even more surprising is the fact that they have equivalent records at home and on the road, at 19-13. This is amazing because they started 0-7 away from Fenway, which means that they have gone on a 19-6 streak on the road. Anyway, back to the game. Adrian Gonzalez started the scoring with an RBI double, and the Sox went up 5-2 before the fifth inning. They scored seven runs, including a three-run shot by Jason Varitek, then David Ortiz capped the inning with a three-run big fly of his own to make it 12-2. The Sox never looked back after that, and I find it great that these guys can keep scoring runs over and over. I mean, this is the second time in three days that they've scored seven runs in an inning! That's pretty good, and the way A-Gone is knocking in runs? 58 RBI in 64 games. Wow. He's pretty amazing.

Trivia
Ortiz has moved his average all the way up to .325, with 16 homers.

Sox continue NY dominance

The Boston Red Sox continued their complete and total domination of the Yankees by winning their fourth straight game in Yankee Stadium 6-4. They are 6-1 against NY this year, and this one was really never in doubt.  Jacoby Ellsbury started off Boston with a bomb to lead off the game on a 2-2. Ells sent it about 8 rows deep into the bleachers in right-center, and the Sox wouldn't stop at just the one. After Dustin Pedroia took a walk from Freddy Garcia, Adrian Gonzalez legged out a triple and scored on a Kevin Youkilis sacrifice fly, giving Boston 3 in the first. Jon Lester did not look very good, giving up a run in the first and hitting 2 batters, including Mark Teixeira, who left the game in pain. He ended up giving up 3 runs in 6 frames, but David Ortiz gave him insurance with a two-run homer to deep right. Gonzalez now has 51 RBI through just 60 games, and he still leads the majors in that category. Meanwhile, Papi has 14 homers and was named last week's player of the week, so he is hitting well. I find it great that the top and middle of the order are hitting so well, and that Gonzalez keeps getting RBI. Also, Jon Lester now has 8 wins, the league leader in that category, despite having problems in May. Finally, Jonathan Papelbon, with the save last night, now has 200 in his career, and has reached that mark in the least games ever.

Trivia

The Sox now have 3 hitters over .300: Ellsbury, Gonzalez, and Ortiz