A Farewell to Wake?

Tim Wakefield goes tonight for the Red Sox in a game that no longer has any meaning in the standings. He is opposed by Roy Halladay who may become a big trading piece for the Jays in the off-season. Two pitchers going in different directions.

With back surgery looming for Wake in the off-season I'm wondering if this could be Wake's last time pitching for the Red Sox. At 43 Wakefield has lasted longer than most pitchers - who aren't on steroids - because of his knuckleball. It's a difficult pitch that he has learned to control & the flutter ball has extended his career. But that career could be over now as 40-somethings don't heal as fast as 20-somethings.

Wake will not be on the 25-man playoff roster, so his start at Fenway tonight could be a way for him to end his career at home. Hobbling around on one leg, I'm surprised that the Sox are starting Wake again tonight - unless it is for that reason. With the Wild Card clinched, they could certainly start one of the Triple-A hands.

Good luck, Wake. If it is your last start, make it a good one.

Sox Back Into Playoffs

The Texas Rangers officially ended their Wild Card run with a 3-2 loss to the LA Angels. The Boston Red Sox enter the playoffs now as the AL Wild Card.

Would it have been better to win your way in? Sure. But the regular season is a marathon of 162 games & the Red Sox did outrun the Rangers with 91 wins to date. They deserve to be one of the last 8 teams standing.

As one of my commentors mentioned, should Sox players be popping champagne after losing 5 in a row? Maybe not. They did, however, put themselves in a position to clinch the Wild Card with 2 weeks left in the season. The first goal is achieved to make the playoffs. Now we'll see how far they can go against a tougher LA Angels team than in the past.

Time to get Beckett & Lester healthy. We need at least one win in LA to return to Fenway with a chance to finish off the ALDS at home. LA does not like playing in Fenway. We saw that in their last series.

Enjoy the rest of the week, fans. The Wild Card race is over. We won!

Close, But No Cigar

For the first 7 innings the best thing about tonight's game were the 2 guys dressed up as umpires behind home plate. They were hilarious as they helped the home plate umpire bark out his calls.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox were getting hammered early & often again by the now-powerful Jays. When the first pitch ends up over the Green Monster you know you are in for a long night. Buchholz picked a bad time for his worst outing in his last several starts. He made 5 innings barely & allowed 7 runs.

But the Sox put a rally together in the bottom of the 8th with 5 runs to pull within one, 8-7. J.D. Drew's 3-run homer was the big blow. However, Youk looked at a 3-2 strike with the bases loaded in the 9th to end it. Close, but no cigar.

Now we have to wait again to see if the Angels beat the Rangers so we can back into the Wild Card. Do we care? Absolutely not. Let's get in anyway possible.

I'll take another Ranger's loss since we have Wakefield going against Halladay tomorrow.

Can't We Just Clinch?

OK, Red Sox players & coaches, the Nation is getting antsy. Can't we just win a game & get it over? I know I'm not the only one thinking this.

Texas lost again last night, so the magic number is down to 1. It would be nice to get into the playoffs on a winning note.

Michael Bowden just didn't have it last night as an emergency starter for Beckett. He gave up 7 runs in 3 innings & the game was history. Youk went yard twice & Big Papi hit a solo shot as well, but the Jays just kept scoring off the young kids.

Tonight is the night. As Larry the Cable Guy would say, "let's git r dun."

Lester Feeling OK

Jon Lester has been the best pitcher in the Red Sox rotation of late. So seeing him get hit in the thigh on Friday with a line drive in New York was not a good sight.

All reports are that it's just a bruise & Lester should be able to make one more start on Thursday as scheduled. More importantly, he should be ready for Game 1 of the ALDS versus the Angels.

Besides Lester, & now Beckett coming back to form, the Red Sox finally have their #3 & #4 starters in Buchholz & Dice-K. Both Buchholz & Dice have pitched well in September & will add depth to the starting rotation in the playoffs.

Don't let this weekend in New York worry you, fans. Players are getting days off. The lineup is being tweeked by Francona to see who makes the playoff roster. The division battle is over, so why worry about it. It's back to Friendly Fenway on Monday.

Yanks Take First Two

Life is good for the NY Yankees right now. They took the first 2 out of 2 from the Sox in the Bronx with a 3-0 win today.

Lost in translation was another excellent start by Dice-K today. As usual, he was in & out of trouble all day. But he went 7 strong innings, only giving up 1 run.

You know luck is not on your side when Johnny Damon gets his bat sawed in 2 off Billy Wagner & it results in a bloop 2-run single. Earlier Robinson Cano hit a 318 foot HR that scraped the top of the LF wall. As yes, life is good for the NY Yankees. Things are going their way.

The calendar will change to October soon. Maybe that will signal a change in the Yankees luck as well. Sabathia has been so doiminant there is only one place to go -- down. Bloop hits may turn into outs. Baseball is a funny game like that.

Let's get through this last game in New York & get back to some home cooking.

A Playoff Preview This Weekend

Red Sox. Yankees. Angels. Tigers or Twins. Get ready, fans, the playoffs are coming.

After this weekend the next possible time that the Red Sox & Yankees meet in 2009 would be in the ALCS. As we said on several podcasts, it always comes down to the Red Sox & Yankees, the best rivalry in all of sports. But, can each of these teams survive the ALDS?

The LA Angels are having a great year. Who knows if the late addition of Scott Kazmir will change their fate against the Red Sox who have owned the Angels in the post-season. The Sox offense is catching fire while the trio of Lester, Beckett, Buchholz looks as tough as any 3 starters around.

Can the Yankees sustain the momentum of a 100 win season? Questions abound about the playoff readiness of Sabathia, Burnett & Joba. Will Detroit with Verlander be too much in a short series? And what if Minnesota sneaks in?

Look at Tampa Bay & Philadelphia last year. Both got hot at the right time. And that's all it is in the playoffs -- whoever is peaking at the right time. We'll have a lot to talk about next week as the regular season winds down.

Magic Number Down To 3

Red Sox win. Rangers lose. Magic number down to 3 as the Red Sox-Yankees kick off the final 3-game series of the regular season in New York tonight. Lester goes against Joba the Hut.

The Sox slapped the Royals last night to earn a split in KC after dropping the first 2 games on Monday & Tuesday. Clay Buchholz pitched another gem. David Ortiz added another HR & 4 RBI. Jacoby Ellsbury contributed 3 hits & 2 more stolen bases. And Tito was able to rest Kevin Youkilis & J.D. Drew. The Royals committed several errors & looked like a Spring Training team after playing the Sox tough for 3 nights in a row.

Back to Buchholz, he had it goin' on last night with all 4 pitches. A 95 plus fastball, a sharp slider, an excellent curve & a devastating change kept the Royals batters guessing last night. Even when he missed, Buchholz kept the ball down. What a big turnaround for this kid who was part of several trade scenarios at the trade deadline. Since then, he has been on quite a roll & has locked up the #3 spot for the playoffs.

There could be champagne flowing in New York by Sunday night.

Ellsbury Settling In At Leadoff

My granddaughter's favorite player is Jacoby Ellsbury because he is "hot" according to her. She's thinking about becoming a Red Sox reporter in the future like Heidi Watney.

I agree with her. Ells has been hot recently for the Red Sox & has settled in nicely as the everyday leadoff hitter in the lineup. After 2 strikeouts in his first 2 at-bats last night, he roped a 2-run triple to left center & tied the game at 2-2. In addition to getting big hits, Ells has stolen more bases than any Red Sox in history. On the other side of the ball, he flies around in the outfield & gets to many balls others couldn't. He's had a nice season all around.

Whenever you don't hear the Boston media picking on a player like Ellsbury, you know that he must be doing something right.

Beckett, Ortiz Pace Sox in 9-2 Win

It was win #90 on the season last night as the Sox got good pitching & hitting to beat the KC Royals 9-2. The Red Sox magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to 5 with 11 games to go.

Josh Beckett gave up 2 runs over the first 6 innings. The bullpen of Okajima, Wagner & Papelbon closed the door thereafter. Beckett allowed 12 hits, but only 2 runners scored.

David Ortiz had 4 RBI, including a 3-run homer, to move him up to 88 RBI on the year. Even with his ups & downs, Ortiz will finish the season with 25+ homers & 90+ RBI. Not bad for 4 months of work after a poor April & May. We can use him with a hot bat in the playoffs.

Speaking of playoffs, it was a playoff lineup that Francona put out there last night. Lowell at third, Youk at first, Victor catching, Varitek on the bench. A number of sports reporters thought that this was inevitable with Varitek. I agree & I applaud Tito for putting the team first.

Zack Greinke Over C.C. Sabathia?

If Zack Greinke played for a big market team, his name would be known everywhere around the league. As it is, his numbers are so good that Greinke is a leading candidate for the Cy Young Award.

Will the Cy Young voters do the right thing? Will they vote for a guy with the best numbers or will they go for a big market guy like C.C. Sabathia? Greinke doesn't pitch in the AL East, but he didn't seem to have any trouble with the Red Sox last night. On the other hand Sabathia has the name, the big team, the big media exposure.

In 2007 Josh Beckett lost the Cy Young race to Sabathia on a close vote. Beckett went on to pitch lights out in the playoffs while Sabathia sub-performed for his team.

Let's hope the writers do the right thing & vote Greinke in.

KC Wins Again

The Red Sox have decided to roll the dice over the last 14 games of this season. They did the same thing in 2004 & that worked out pretty well. The Sox are resting their pitching staff & setting the rotation for the playoffs by allowing Tim Wakefield & Paul Byrd to make the first 2 starts in Kansas City.

Risky? Somewhat. With 14 games left the Sox magic number remains at 7. If you factor in a loss or two by Texas, the Sox can play sub .500 ball & still make the playoffs. But 2 straight losses to the Royals reminds me that it's not over until it's over.

Last night's game was over in the first inning when Byrd allowed 5 runs. Zack Greinke looked Cy Young worthy last night, shutting out the Red Sox on 1 hit over 6 innings. It was a mismatch of starters, so the result was not surprising. It does magnify, however, the loss on Monday night.

Look for Josh Beckett to right the ship tonight.

Bay, Martinez 100+ RBI Men

One of the few brights spots in last night's game in KC was the plateau of 100 RBI reached by Victor Martinez for the 3rd time in his career. He joins Jason Bay as the other slugger with 100+ RBI this year.

In the recent past you would see Manny, Big Papi & Mike Lowell breaking the 100+ RBI mark. Not this year as the Sox find themselves slowly turning the team around from the mid-2000's lineup. Youk & Big Papi still have a chance to reach 100, but they would both need an RBI per game for the remainder of the season. Lowell has a respectable total of RBI, given his limited playing time of late.

Runs win games. Victor & Jason has certainly been cleaning up the bases when runners are in scoring position. Let's hope they keep it up through the playoffs.

Walks, Walks, Walks

The weather was ugly. The game was ugly. The pitching was really ugly.

Tim Wakefield - 5. Manny Delcarmen - 4. Daniel Bard - 2. Billy Wagner - 1. 12 runs & 11 walks given up by Sox pitchers last night in a terrible 12-9 loss to the KC Royals. The pitching staff squandered leads of 6-0 & 8-2. Delcarmen has been especially horrible in his last few appearances, not even able to get through 1 inning of work.

This loss couldn't have come at a worse time down the stretch. The Sox were gaining ground on the Yankees & they could have reduced their magic number in the Wild Card to 6. Add to the fact that the Royals will send Cy Young candidate Zack Greinke to the mound tonight versus our #5 or #6 starter - the Byrd man.

It could be a long week in KC.

The Math of Reaching the Playoffs

The formula for reaching the playoffs in the AL East comes down to a magic number -- 95 wins. 95 is the number of wins that typically assures a team of a playoff birth.

How do you get to 95? If history is correct, it happens by playing .500 ball for about 4 months out of 6. One or two games above .500 is what the Red Sox did in April, June, July & August. The rest of the formula is to have 2 real good months. This year those months were May (10 games above .500) & currently September. 95 wins, 67 losses, 28 games above .500 = playoffs.

The Sox have 89 wins with 14 games left -- 7 on the road & 7 at home. With their magic number to clinch a spot at 7, even a 7-7 final 2 weeks will get them back into the playoffs.

The math is looking good.

Tim Wakefield Gets Another Start

We could be witnessing the end of an era as Tim Wakefield takes the mound in KC tonight. With a back operation scheduled to correct a nerve problem in the off-season Tim Wakefield may decide to call it quits at age 43.

Wakefield has been a steadying force for the Red Sox pitching corps for well over a decade. He's been a starter. He's been a reliever. He's been a closer. Wake was the guy who gave up the winning home run in the 2003 ALCS at Yankee Stadium. He also gave up his turn to pitch in the 2007 World Series & let Jon Lester pitch the series clincher. Wake was also selected to his first All-Star team this year. What a career!

It's been difficult to watch Wake pitch in his current physical condition. He limps to & from the mound. There is lots of difficulty in fielding his position & covering first base. Yet, he continues to help the team in anyway possible.

Wake is a professional & a classy guy. No controversy. Just someone who can give you about 200 innings per year. I hope we are not seeing the last of him in a Red Sox uniform.

Sox Sweep Final 3 With Baltimore

It was a long weekend for the Orioles who dropped 3 straight to the Red Sox. Other than a close 3-1 loss on Friday, the Orioles pitching staff lost 11-5 on Saturday & 9-3 today.

There were several players who had big weekends. Josh Beckett pitched well on Friday night. J.D. Drew had a big offensive night on Saturday. And Jacoby Ellsbury had a 3-hit game, including a home run, today.

The Sox are off to Kansas City for 4 games. It could be interesting if the Sox take 3 or 4 in KC & the Yankees stumble against the LA Angels. Next weekend's series in New York could mean something yet.

Last Road Trip

The Sox head out on the road for the last time this year. It's a 10-game, 3 city trip that could see the Sox clinch a playoff spot before returning home.

First up is Baltimore for 3 games. The Sox have owned the Orioles this year & there should be a very large contingent of Red Sox fans who make the weekend trip to Fenway South.

Next is a 4-game set in Kansas City. The Royals have good young pitching, but no offense. It should be a pleasant trip to the heartland.

Finally, the New Yankee Stadium hosts the Sox for a 3-game set next weekend. By then the games may not be meaningful in the standings, but it could be a preview to the ALCS. As I predicted in earlier podcasts, it's always Red Sox - Yankees at the end.

Enjoy the trip, fans, & get ready for a celebration back home.

What's With Varitek & Passed Balls Lately?

Jason Varitek had another crucial 3rd strike ball go through his legs last night & this time it cost the Red Sox in a 4-3 loss to the Angels. The ruling on the field was a wild pitch by Beckett, but not from what I saw.

This is the 2nd night in a row that Varitek lets a ball get by him at a crucial point in the game. Maybe his reactions are slowing down after catching more than 1 night in a row. While Victor was gone Varitek caught all 3 games in a row against the Angels.

It was an odd game in many ways last night. Sure-handed J.D. Drew muffed a fly ball over his head for a ground rule double. Francona decided to pinch-hit Baldelli with 2 outs in the 9th instead of Youk. Very strange.

Still, we took 2 out of 3 from the Angels & have opened up a 6 game lead on the Rangers with 17 games left. Even if the Sox play .500 the rest of the way, say 9-8, the Rangers would need to go 15-2 just to tie. Time is running out on Texas.

Angels Can't Win

It feels like the playoffs. Red Sox always find a way to beat an Angels team that coasts through the AL West Division every year.

The Angels came into Boston playing very well. They had their 1-2-3 guys in the rotation ready to go. The matchups favor them as we have our 4-5-1 guys on the hill. We had no Youk & no Victor. We also had no Pap last night. So far it's no wins, 2 losses for the Angels.

Game 1 saw John Lackey make a throwing error to open the floodgates. Game 2 saw their closer walk 2 batters in the 9th after getting 2 quick outs before losing the game on another walk & 2 more hits. The Red Sox curse is still alive & well this week as the Angels just can't seem to win at Fenway.

And little things come back to bite you. Example, Bobby Abreau had the big grin, smiling & yacking up a storm after his single in the 9th put the Angels ahead. No one likes a player who rubs it in. Plus he's an ex-Yankee, so enough said. It was nice to give it back to him.

Sox go for the sweep with Josh Beckett tonight. Keep smilin', Bobby!

Thank You, Ump!

If people have 9 lives like cats, then Nick Green only has 7 left. He used up 2 in his 9th inning at-bat last night which resulted in a wild 9-8 win by the Red Sox.

Bottom of the 9th. Bases loaded. 2 outs. Red Sox down 8-7. Fuentes on to close. No balls, 2 strikes on Nick Green.

First life -- Green checks his swing on the next pitch & the grimace on his face said strike 3, game over. Ump at first says no swing. The at-bat continues.

Second life -- Count is now 3 & 2. The Angels closer deliver a perfect strike, low in the zone but above the knees with plenty of plate. Plate umpire calls it ball 4. Green walks, tying run scores, 8-8 now.

The rest is history as Alex Gonzalez deposits a bloop single to left & the Sox walk-off with a 9-8 win. What a back & forth battle!

Over my coaching career I would always tell our players that you shouldn't make the game so close that an umpire's call can make the difference. The other saying around baseball is that good & bad umpire calls will even out over the course of a full season.

Looks to me like we got payback last night for all the bad calls throughout this season.

New, Improved Dice-K

It was an "iffy" night at the ballpark. Dice-K making his first start against Lackey. No Youk in the lineup. No Victor in the lineup. But everything turned out roses with a 4-1 win over the Angels.

The Red Sox continue to let the Angels know that their #1 starter can't beat them. Lackey can only blame himself with a throwing error to let in the game's first run. He gave up 3 runs in 8+ innings of work. Not a bad performance, but he was outpitched by Dice-K.

Matsuzaka exceeding everyone's expectations with 6 scoreless innings. He used mostly fastballs & cut fastballs to dispose of the Angels lineup. His command was very good for being off so many months.

At last look, Texas was losing to Oakland.

Rangers Split, Sox Up 4

With 20 games left in the season the Boston Red Sox have increased their lead in the Wild Card to 4 games over the Texas Rangers. While Boston was winning a doubleheader yesterday Texas split theirs, causing the Rangers to move another game back in the race.

The Sox now face a tough opponent in the LA Angeles for 3 games at home before heading out on the road to visit Baltimore, Kansas City & New York. The final stretch is upon us with 20 games in 20 days. An even 10 on the road & 10 at home. Even if the Sox play .500 ball & go 10-10, the Rangers would need a 14-6 record to tie. The Rangers still have 7 games left with the LA Angeles.

Not that it can't be done, but odds are looking better for the Sox at this point.

Lester, Wagner Shutout Rays 4-0

What a difference a day, or two, makes. Jon Lester had bases loaded, one out before the Friday rains came & cancelled the game. Tonight he was masterful, pitching 8 innings of shutout ball to give the Sox a sweep of the Rays.

Jason Varitek had a rare big hit in this game, a 2-run single that skipped around Aybar's glove at first. We'll take it. Jason Bay added a cheapy home run around the Pesky Pole for the 4th run. But they all count.

2 wins today keeps the pressure on the Rangers to win both of their games today. The Rangers are 3 games back with 20 to go. Time is winding down, although the Sox host the Angels for 3. It could be a tough series, given that we will have Dice-K & Paul Byrd/Tim Wakefield for 2 of the 3 starts.

It was a great weekend to beat the Rays 3 in a row. Enjoy the day off & watch the Patriots on Monday night.

Buchholz, Pedroia Key Big Win

Clay Buchholz & Matt Garza put up a lot of zero's in Game 1 today. However, the Sox pulled out a 3-1 win on the strength of a late inning 2-run homer by Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia has 3 home runs in his last 4 games.

There was no question that this game had the feel & atmosphere of a playoff game. Good pitching. Few run-scoring opportunities. Good for the Sox to beat Garza, someone who has had their number in the past. You could say Buchholz outpitched him or Joe Maddon left Garza in too long. Either is OK with me because we got a big win.

Lester & Shields are now tied up in a another tight pitching match-up in Game 2. Sox go for the sweep before their last off-day on Monday.

Beckett Back

It was the old Josh Beckett last night, pounding the strike zone with all 3 pitches in a rain shortened 9-1 victory. Rest easy, Red Sox Nation, our #1 guy is back.

An 8-run 3rd inning by the offense put this game away. At that point it was just a question of whether they would get an official game in before more rain came. The game had already been delayed 2 hours because of rain before the start.

Red Sox fans have a full day of baseball today with a day/night doubleheader. Buchholz goes in Game 1 & Lester will try it again in Game 2. We need to keep the pressure on Texas & open up a bigger cushion.

Finally, just a quick word about some offense. Victor drove in the 1st run with a single to right - big hit. Gonzalez cleared the bases with a 3-run double on a ball the Rays' Perez gave up on - strange play, but we'll take it. Youk added 2 hits, one being his 25th home run. Nice job offense!

Who Decided to Play Last Night?

Rain. Rain. Rain.

The Sox management, with their own weather station at Fenway Park, blew an important start by Jon Lester last night. They decided to start a game with rain predicted & it backfired after 1 out in the 1st inning.

I was also thinking about the poor Rays mindset. They have lost 8 in a row. They get bases loaded & have a chance to get to Jon Lester early in the 1st inning. Then the game gets called off. Bad luck continues.

I understand that Lester will start the 2nd game on Sunday. Hard to say how the warm-up & one inning last night will affect his performance.

Beckett goes today. Everyone in Red Sox Nation is looking for Josh to have a good start & bounce back to his Beckett-like form from mid-season.

Lester vs. Shields Tonight

Jon Lester tries to keep the ball rolling forward towards the playoffs tonight with a start at home against the Rays. He is opposed by James Shields who has had success against the Sox in the past.

Tampa Bay has had the Red Sox number this year, although the Sox did take 2 out of 3 at the Trop in their last meeting. The Rays have since floundered, losing several games in a row. They have moved from Wild Card contender to Wild Card spoiler as the Rays have games remaining against both the Sox & the Rangers.

Longoria has killed the Sox pitching this year. I say walk him every time or pitch around him. With Pena on the DL for the rest of the year there is no one else in that lineup that scares you with the long ball.

We need every win.

Another Big Hit for Victor

Victor Martinez has become the David Ortiz of old for this year's version of the Red Sox. He has a nack for getting the big hit when it's needed.

Off the bench as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 7th last night, Victor smokes the first pitch, a low outside tailing fastball, to the base of the wall & clears the bases with a 3-run double. Sox go on to win 7-5. Last night's win was an important victory over the Orioles to stay 2 up on the Texas Rangers in the Wild Card. Texas had beaten Cleveland 10-0 earlier in the day.

The other key to last night's win was Tito's continued use of the expanded bench. Pinch runners for Varitek & Lowell late in the game both scored. Francona is managing much differently down the stretch & I think it is working out well. You can't argue with wins in September.

A new podcast with the "brain trust" is coming up later today. We'll talk about this last stretch of 23 games.

Sox Offense Explodes in 10-0 Win

Clay Buchholz gave the Sox a 3rd quality start in a row, throwing 7 innings of shutout ball. The game was settled early as the Sox were up 8-0 after the first 4 innings.

The offense played home run derby with 6 balls leaving the yard. 2 by Pedroia marked the first time in his career that he hit 2 in one game. The big blow was a 3-run jack by J.D. Drew which made it 8-0. Youk, Gonzalez & Big Papi also joined the homer parade.

Buchholz has settled into a nice groove as the #3 starter. He seems more relaxed & more confident in his stuff. We can use it as we head into the stretch run & the playoffs.

Now if we can get one more good start in a row from Paul Byrd tonight.

Sox Stinko in Chicago

The Red Sox had a chance to put Texas in the rear view mirror this weekend, but they lost again yesterday 5-1, making their trip to Chicago 3 losses out of 4 games.

Josh Beckett finally gave the Sox a quality start, holding the White Sox to 3 runs over the 1st 7 innings. But Hideki Okajima, who has been in a funk of his own lately, gave up a big 2-run homer in the 8th to ice the game for the White Sox.

The Sox offense left multiple runners in scoring position & just couldn't get the big hit when they needed it. Youk drove in their only run in the first on a single to center scoring Ellsbury.

The Rays lost 2 to the Yankees yesterday, basically ending their run for the Wild Card. Carlos Pena broke 2 fingers when he was hit by C.C. Sabathia & his season is done.

It's the Red Sox vs. the Rangers the rest of the way for the Wild Card.

Lester Reaches 200 Strikeouts

Jon Lester hit a milestone yesterday on his way to a big win for the Bosox. He reached the 200 strikout plateau & is the only lefty in Sox history to do so.

Lester says strikouts are nice, but wins are better. He did both yesterday by adding 8 strikeouts & a win to his 2009 stats. One sports show mentioned that he has not lost in his last 9 starts.

Thank you. We need it in September. When all others Red Sox starters are up & down Lester provided a much needed quality start & win on a night when the Yankees, Rangers & Rays all lost.

Now it's Beckett's turn to keep the momentum going.

Pedroia & The Catch

We're use to talking about Jacoby Ellsbury laying his body out in center field to make spectacular diving catches. He does this with regular frequency & we are lucky to have such a talented outfielder.

Dustin Pedroia has made his share of spectacular catches at second base as well. I guess his most notable one, or the one that stands out, is the ground ball up the middle that he stopped to preserve the Buchholz no-hitter in 2007.

Yestersay's over-the-shoulder catch in the first inning absolutely turned the game into a win for the Red Sox. The White Sox don't score with men on first & second & no outs. Lester goes onto pitch shutout ball the rest of the way.

In my opinion this was a game changer for the Red Sox win.

Lester, Lowell, Martinez Strike Back

Jon Lester gave the Sox a much needed quality start. Mike Lowell & Victor Martinez struck long balls to drive in 5 runs. The Sox win a big game today in Chicago 6-1.

Jon Lester pitched 7 scoreless innings en route to his 12th win of the year. Had it not been for a slow April & May Lester would be in the high teens in wins.

Mike Lowell is not happy about his days off, but it may be working as he continues to swing a hot bat. He started the scoring today with a 2-run homer.

Victor Martinez, however, put the knife in the back. In the top of the 9th he hit a 3-run jack that opened the game wide up from a 3-1 squeaker to a 6-1 comfortable lead going into the bottom of the 9th.

Texas Rangers - lose. Tampa Bay Rays - lose. We are up 3 on the Rangers & 7 up on the Rays now. What a difference a day makes in a pennant race!

Wake: "A" For Effort

Tim Wakefield gets an "A" for effort. He hobbled around & pitched as long as he could yesterday. His limp to first base showed just how much he gave to the Red Sox yesterday. Wake gets the 2009 bloody sock award for going above & beyond.

The Sox have 4 more games in a row -- 2 in Chicago, then 2 at home vs. the Orioles -- before 2 off-days sandwiched around a 3-game home series against the Rays. Those off-days may prove to be invaluable as they get ready for a final 20 game run in 20 days to finish the regular season. It will give management a chance to line-up their pitching for the remainder of the year which features 3 against the Ray, 3 against the Angels & 3 in New York.

Right now Byrd & Tazawa are still in the rotation, assuming Wake will not be back. Don't be surprised to see a Michael Bowden or a long reliever make a start against one of the lesser opponents like Baltimore, Kansas City or Cleveland.

Hold on, pitchers. The end of the season is coming.

Sox Lose Again 5-1

White Sox pitcher Gavin Floyd was hot -- to the tune of a perfect game for 5-2/3 innings. The Red Sox were not for the 2nd game in a row.

Tim Wakefield gave his best, but he was outpitched today by Floyd. The Sox offense only scored 2 runs last night & 1 run today. Can't win unless you score runs.

Luckily, Texas lost today so the Sox take another game off the schedule without losing additional ground to the Rangers. We'll take it.

That's about it. Lester & Beckett give us a chance for a split over the next two.

Sox Lose Big 12-1

On a night where the game was decided by the 3rd inning we can take solace in losses by the Yankees & Rays as well. The Rangers, however, did win to move within 2 games of the Sox in the Wild Card.

Our #5 starters -- Byrd & Tazawa -- pitched like #5 starters last night. Combined they gave up 10+ runs in 3+ innings. The remainder of the game was like a scrimmage where everyone got to play in the field & get an at-bat.

I was mistaken about Tim Wakefield. He is the scheduled starter today, not Monday. After last night we can use him today. 28 to go & we need as many wins as possible.

Tim Wakefield on Monday?

Tim Wakefield threw 25 pitches yesterday & is penciled in as the Red Sox starter in Chicago on Monday. Assuming no setbacks from his side session, Wake would be a nice shot in the arm for this staff.

His one comeback game off the DL was superb. 7 innings of scoreless ball against the White Sox or Toronto I believe. For an old guy who made his first All-Star game on the strength of 11 first half wins, he certainly has had bumps in the road in the 2nd half.

However, an 80% Wakefield may be a better option than more starts by Paul Byrd & Junichi Tazawa. Dice-K looks a long way from the big show & we may never see him again with the big club this year. Getting Wake back will give the Sox 4 quality starters now that Buchholz has settled in. Francona can mix & match with the 5th starting spot over the remaining 28 games.

Stay healthy, Wake. We need you to finish the season.

Brad Penny & John Smoltz

OK, I'm tired already of hearing about how great Brad Penny & John Smoltz are pitching in the National League. Here's reality:

- Neither could make it in a big market city like Boston. The competition in the AL East is tough up & down the entire order. No cream puff #8 & #9 batters like in the NL.

- The Red Sox are in a pennant race. We don't have the luxury of babying non-performers down the stretch.

- Given enough time, both will resort to being average pitchers at best. They can both thank the Sox rehab program for their shoulders coming back & allowing them to play another year or two.

I wish them both well, but neither Penny nor Smoltz were a good fit in Boston. It's no surprise that both went back to the NL.

Buchholz Gets Another Win

Clay Buchholz seems to be settling into big league life. He pitched 6 innings of 3-run ball & helped the Red Sox to a 6-3 victory last night. 2 out of 3 wins in Tropicana Field against the Rays is a great start to this road trip.

The Red Sox seem to be hitting their stride in September after 2 months of a little better than .500 play. Buchholz is proving to be a dependable #3 starter. Jason Bay had a big 2-run double & is zeroing in on 100 RBI. Even the bench is contributing with a homer by Baldelli last night. A shortened game by Wagner - Bard - Pap is a nice recipe going forward.

I look at the Yankees & think that there is no place for them to go but down. They have won at an incredible rate since the All-Star break. Can they keep it up into the playoffs? Time will tell. Maybe they peaked too early. Similar to staying at a casino too long & losing your winnings. We know how A-Rod disappears in October.

Next up is Chicago. 3 out of 4 would be nice in the Windy City. Tim Wakefield may throw the last game on Sunday. It's a great September so far.

What Was Francona Thinking?

Bases loaded. One out. You need a run to tie in the 8th. Your #9 batter is scheduled to hit. Mike Lowell is on the bench. Tito will take some heat today for not pinch-hitting Mike Lowell in what turned out to be an 8-5 loss in Tampa.

I believe he was thinking of a slow runner like Lowell possibly hitting into an inning-ending double play. Also, Ortiz was pinch run for earlier & Lowell did take his spot in the order -- just in time to fly out for the last out of the game in the 9th.

Ramon Ramirez & Manny Delcarmen got lit up for 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th after the Sox had tied the game 5-5. Beckett gave up 2 more HR's early in the game & a rare costly error by Youk at 3rd added a big run for the Rays. Overall, not a good game by the Sox. Tampa outplayed them & won.

The rubber game of the series has Clay Buchholz going for the series win. If he can pitch anything like his last outing, we should be in good shape.

Big Start for Beckett

The Boston Red Sox can put the Rays in the rear view mirror with a win tonight. Tampa Bay is 6 behind in the Wild Card race with 31 games left.

Josh Beckett is due for a reversal of fortune. In May, June & July Beckett put together about 20 starts that were Cy Young Award quality. His last 3 -- not so much. Too many 2-out runs & balls leaving the park with unusual frequency.

Josh will be opposed by Matt Garza, a pitcher who has had the Red Sox number in the past. It was Garza that pitched Game 7 of last year's ALCS & pushed Tampa into the World Series.

Especially at the Trop, this would be a great place for a big game by Beckett. The Rays are on life support & Beckett could pull the plug.

6 Up, 6 Down for Pap

It was a great win in Tampa Bay tonight by a score of 8-4. Many heroes on both sides of the ball.

Start with 8 runs by the offense. Drew, Bay & Youk all went yard with long balls. Ellsbury had a big triple in the 8th to drive in an insurance run.

How about a great start by Jon Lester! 6 innings, 2 run, 9 K's. Add 2 more strikeouts by Billy Wagner who pitched a clean 7th. Okajima, very uncharacteristically, gave up 2 runs without getting an out in the 8th. That's 2 bad outings in a row by Oki.

Let's throw some defensive web gems in there. A nice play by Mike Lowell saved a big inning in the 1st. Ellsbury had 2 nice plays in center, although his diving catch in the 8th saved a big run with bases loaded.

But Jonathan Papelbon gets top dog honors tonight. He comes into the 8th with bases loaded, no outs, & gets a 1-2-3 inning with no runs scored. Pap then goes 1-2-3 in the 9th, ending the game by striking out Longoria & Pena. Huge 2 inning performance!

Make no mistake. Pap is the closer for this team.

Tedy Bruschi Retires

Number 54 called it quits after 13 seasons in the middle of the Patriots defense. Tedy will be remembered as a big game player who helped the Patriots win 3 Super Bowl titles in this decade.

If Bruschi were to wear a Red Sox uniform, his name might be Kevin Youkilis or Dustin Pedroia. Like Youk & Petey, Tedy did not have physical size. But he got the absolute most out of his abilities & overachieved his whole career.

When I watched his retirement speech I thought about the rewards of hard work. Then I thought about how lucky we are to see athletes like Bruschi, Youkilis & Pedroia who give everything out on the field. They are throwbacks to a bygone era.

Many sports shows were showing various highlights of Tedy's career. The one I remember most is he & his twin boys running down the field before the start of a Super Bowl game. Tedy can now focus on his health & family.

Good luck, Tedy, in the future & in all you do. Enjoy retirement.