Manny & Roger In The News

Manny Ramirez leaves LA like he did Boston - classless. Manny's last act as a Dodger is getting ejected. This after a year of injury & a 2009 suspension of 50 games for taking a female hormone. The White Sox are the latest team to be next guinea pig for Manny. Let's see how Ozzie puts up with the Manny act. Could be a case of reality being stranger than fiction.

And yesterday the Rocket man started his federal court case with a 'not guilty" plea. Clemens trial starts in April which will coincide with the start of the 2011 baseball season. Barry Bonds will be going to court as well next year. Just two more highly talented players who will bring back to the forefront the steroid era in baseball. I bet Bud Selig will be happy about that.

Who's the bigger head case -- Manny or Clemens? That could be a great poll question.

What a Weekend for Victor

Maybe his thumb is finally feeling better. Maybe he likes playing at the Trop. Victor Martinez almost single-handedly willed the Red Sox to 3 wins this weekend.

Victor had 2 home runs in a game 1 3-1 win. He put the Red Sox ahead in game 2 with an 8th inning shot. He had 2 putouts at the plate. He threw out a few base-stealers. He hit over .500 for the series. Not a bad weekend.

Where has this performance been all year? From Victor's side of things, a good finish to the season can only make a decision on his free agency contract for 2011 more complicated for the Red Sox brass. Should he stay or should he go? Should he catch or should he be a 1B/DH?

Victor will be one of several interesting player decisions facing Theo & Co. after the season is over. There will be no shortage of hot stove stories this winter.

Rays Win Again 5-3

It started off as a promising weekend with a 3-1 win behind Jon Lester. It went downhill on Saturday with an extra-innings 3-2 loss. And it turned ugly when the Sox pitching couldn't hold a 3-1 lead last night & end up losing 5-3. The Sox had leads on both Saturday & Sunday, but Buchholz & Lackey gave up HR's late in each game & the pen couldn't hold the Rays in check.

At 6 1/2 games out with 31 left it will take an incredible September of 22 to 23 wins in order for the Sox to dethrone either the Rays or Yankees from the playoffs. Possible? Yes, anything is possible. Probable? No, since this team has put together only 1 win streak of 6 games in a row all year.

Let's let the math play out. Either the Yankees or Rays, both tops in the majors with 80 wins, need to have a bad week for the Sox to get back into it. We need some help now.

A Very Big Loss 3-2

Victor Martinez should have been the offensive hero again last night with an 8th inning home run to give the Sox a 2-1 lead. If he could have a "do over" moment, Terry Francona would have used Daniel Bard at the start of the 8th inning. Instead, Clay Buchholz returned to the mound & gave up the tying homer to B.J. Upton. The Rays end up winning 3-2 in 10 innings on a walk-off homer by Dan Johnson off Scott Atchison.

The split of the first 2 games leaves the Sox with no gain in the standings. They will leave Tampa 4 1/2 back or 6 1/2 back. The Yankees also won last night to keep even with the Rays for first place. John Lackey goes against James Shields tonight on ESPN.

It was a pretty odd set of events for the Rays to score their first run last night. An errant pick-off throw by Buchholz moved Carlos Pena from first to third. Then J.D. Drew made a nice catch on a foul ball that ended up scoring Pena. Should Drew have let the ball drop knowing the run would score? That's a tough one. I think he did the right thing by taking a sure out.

A win today will make the 4th series in a row that the Sox win 2 out of 3. The problem is 2 out of 3 doesn't let you gain ground fast enough on the Yankees or Rays.

Pedroia May Need Surgery

Who's the medical team reviewing Ellsbury & Pedroia? Must be Johnny Carson's old doctor - Dr. Vinnie Boom-ba. In a year with all these injuries it is amazing how key players can be cleared to play & reinjure themselves.

Dustin Pedroia was not healed enough when he returned to play & may now need a screw to fix a broken bone in his ankle. He re-injured it when he played 2 games before going back on the DL. Some medical person obviously missed something. And that something may cause an operation & end of season for Pedroia.

If I was a Red Sox player, I'd get a 2nd opinion on my injury. Makes you wonder if Ellsbury was right & misdiagnosed all along.

HUGE WIN!

Jon Lester stood & delivered to outpitch David Price over the first 7 innings.

Victor Martinez stood & deliver 2 home runs to pace the offense.

And Jed Lowrie had a huge 0-2 single to plate the 2nd Red Sox run.

We win 3-1.

Say what you want about the slim chances of Boston making the playoffs, but tonight this team of half replacement players got the job done.

The Rays & Yankees are looking a little closer over their shoulder now.

What a start to the weekend! Let me say it again - WE WIN!

Here We Go!

OK, Red Sox fans. We are entering the last chapter of a mystery novel. The last 34-game push of the 2010 season starts tonight in Tampa Bay as the Sox visit the Rays for 3 important, change that to hugely important, games at the Trop.

Good pitching matchups are featured all weekend long. Our best 3 starters versus their best 3. It should be very entertaining baseball.

The Sox will need offensive production from anywhere they can get it -- from veterans like Ortiz, Drew, Beltre, Martinez, Lowell or from new guys like Hall, McDonald, Nava or Kalish. One or two in the lineup will need to get hot & come through with timely hits, like Scutaro did earlier this week. You wouldn't expect many scoring opportunities from these 6 pitchers.

At the same time that the Red Sox & Rays are waging war, the Yankees visit the White Sox for a tough weekend series of their own. A bad weekend by New York & Tampa can put the Sox right back in the middle of the race. It can happen.

For once I think the sports reporters got it right. It's all about who turns in the best starts from their pitchers. A game 1 win tonight will set a great tone for the series. Jon Lester is the best guy for the Sox to start it off.

Enjoy!

Another 2 Out of 3

The Red Sox took 2 out of 3 in each home series, going 6-3 to pick up a half-game on both the Rays & Yankees who lost yesterday. The Boston nine now sit 5 1/2 games back of the co-leaders in the East.

During the split with Seattle yesterday I had these thoughts:

- Bard & Pap are pretty tough lately. If the Sox pitchers can make it through the first 7 with a lead, we have a better-than-average chance to win.

- Why is Josh Beckett slamming stuff on the way out of the dugout? You won, dude. Yes, you gave up a couple of homers in the 7th after a long wait. So what? Bard saved your butt & you helped the team get a win. Chill out. It's all about winning now. And you haven't had a win for awhile.

- Many season ticketholders gave up their seats to veterans yesterday. Too bad it was such a crappy day to see a game. At least these service men & women got to see an afternoon win.

- Felix Hernandez is too cocky on the mound for me. His body language is way over the top. I'm glad J.D. Drew took him deep. We were one hit away from giving him a no-decision. Grow up, King Felix.

- I blame Dice-K for the loss last night. Tim Wakefield did a commendable job as a replacement starter. Dice-K just can't stay healthy & on the field this year, even when he's pitching well. Unreliable.

To say the series in Tampa starting tomorrow is a big one is a gross understatement. By Sunday night the Sox could be 2 1/2 back, 8 1/2 back or somewhere in-between. Let's hope it's the former & not the latter. Strap in, fans, for a huge 3-game set.



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No Johnny Damon in Boston

There's just too much water under the bridge. Johnny Damon decides to stay in Detroit with a team that put him on waivers. That's how much Damon dislikes the way his career ended in Boston.

I guess the knife cuts both ways. After 4 excellent seasons with the Red Sox the undisputed leader of the idiots in 2004 still can't get over the 4-years, $40 million offer by the Red Sox to stay. He went to New York for much more money &, in the process, missed out on another World Series win in 2007.

Claiming Damon off waivers was an interesting move by the Sox. It shows that Theo & Co. are still looking for help down the stretch. And it shows that they haven't thrown the towel in just yet.

Who's next? Manny?

Johnny Damon Back?

What an intriguing thought? Johnny Damon in a Red Sox uniform one more time.

I'm for it. Instead of a rookie in left field, you have a veteran of many playoffs at the twilight of his career. One more chance for a run to the World series has to be enticing since the Tigers are going nowhere.

There is the whole booing & cat calls by Red Sox fans from his 4-year stint in New York to contend with. One reporter mentioned a sign from the past that said "looks like Jesus, betrayed us like Judas & throws like Mary." OK, so fans let Johnny know how they really felt about him being a Yankee.

Regardless, Damon is a tough guy who played through a lot of injuries with the Sox. He is a good presence in the clubhouse & a good teammate. Fans will forget the past if he comes to Boston & helps the Sox reach the playoffs.

Scutaro, Lackey Deliver 6-3 Win

Marco Scutaro drove in 4 clutch RBI with 2 singles last night. And John Lackey pitched 8 strong innings, giving up just 2 earned runs, as the Boston Red Sox win 6-3 & stay alive for another day.

If you think about an iron man this year, Scutaro has been an anchor on the left side of the infield. He is playing through shoulder problems & gives the Sox a serviceable bat at leadoff.

Yes, it was the lowly Seattle Mariners, but John Lackey showed excellent control last night in the lower part of the strike zone as evidence by his 10 K's. We'll take it. His next start in Tampa Bay will tell us if he has turned the corner.

Let's see if Josh Beckett is also ready to turn a corner tonight.

Sox Pitchers Shutout Jays 5-0

After a 16-2 opening game loss Buchholz, Bard & Dubront shut the door on the Blue Jays offense today. Sox win 5-0 & take 2 out of 3.

It looked like rain would be the winner today with almost 3 hours of delays -- about 2 hours in a delayed start & another hour during the game. There were many hearty Red Sox fans that braved a 1:35 original start time & endured until the last out at 7:00 PM. Way to go fans!

Even with the in-game rain delay, Clay Buchholz was able to return to the mound & pitch 6 solid innings. Bill Hall added his 17th homer of the year & Big Papi chugged the bases for his first triple of the year. The Sox offense added 2 big runs in the bottom of the 8th to ice the game & save Pap from making an appearance in the 9th.

A 4-2 homestand thus far is helping the Sox keep pace with the Rays. With Seattle coming to town for 3 games I expect Lackey & Beckett to step it up. The Mariners are the team we need to sweep.

Big Walk-Off HR by Lowrie

Jed Lowrie has been injured for the better part of his career with the Red Sox. Just when you think he gets into a groove, an injury or illness pops up. This year it was mono. More recently, it was dehydration in the Texas heat.

Lowrie was inserted at 1B for Mike Lowell last night, playing only his 3rd game at that position. With 2 down in the 11th he dropped an easy pop foul ball for the 3rd out. Pap went onto get the 3rd out.

Jed made up for his error in the bottom of the 11th with a solo shot into the Sox bullpen in right-center. Game over. Sox win 5-4 & gain a full game on Tampa who lost out west to the A's by the same score.

The Sox have 4 games left on this homestand, an off-day on Thursday & then a huge 3-game series in Tampa next weekend. These next 7 games will tell a lot about the outcome of the pennant race going into September.

Toronto Bats the Sox 16-2

Not what anyone was expecting when Jon Lester takes the hill. The Red Sox got the crap beat out of them 16-2 in the opener of a 3-game home series with the Jays.

And Dustin Pedroia returned to the DL. He has too much soreness in his foot to play. Like Ellsbury, he may be done for the season.

Just a bad night overall.

Roger Clemens Indicted

I just want to make a quick comment on the Roger Clemens conviction by a grand jury for lying under oath to Congress.

Lou Merloni was asked for his comments last night about the Clemens conviction. I thought he was brief & to the point. Lou said:

1) What took Congress so long?

2) Clemens is so dilusional that he probably believes his own story that he never took PED's.

Forget that Brian MacNamee, his trainer, testified that he injected Clemens on 16 different occasions. Forget that teammate Andy Pettitte must have "misremembered" seeing him get a shot in the butt. Roger is living in Rogerland. (Sounds familiar like Mannyland.)

Even now, his attorney maintains his innocence. Unless Roger can pull an Ollie North, there is a good chance he will do time behind bars. That might bring him back to reality.

Sox Can't Sweep

In any other circumstance a team that wins 2 out 3 in a series feels good about themselves. However, during a pennant race in the AL East, 2 out of 3 is just not good enough. Red Sox take the season series with the Angels 9-1, but that 1 loss last night comes at the wrong time of year.

Josh Beckett did pitch well. Murphy's law applies as he makes 1 bad pitch on the night & it gets hit for a 3-run homer by Matsui.

Manny Delcarmen continues down the path of Okajima will no control. He put the game out of reach by giving up 3 runs in the 7th via walks & hits. Can't we find another mysterious illness to put him back on the DL?

And then, adding insult to injury, here comes Fernando Rodney with his crooked cap to finish the game. This is not an episode of gangland & boys in the hood. How about respecting the game that pays your salary & wear your uniform, including hat, correctly. I can't stand that junk. It's an "all about me" world & I blame management for letting him do it.

Given the sub-par performances of Lackey & Beckett all year to date, I guess winning 2 out of 3 in a series where they both pitch is about all we can expect. Lester, Dice-K & Buchholz give us a better chance to sweep Toronto this weekend.

Angels Pitching Terrible in 7-5 Loss

It looked like a night when John Lackey would give up his usual 5 runs & the Red Sox would lose. Not so fast! Angels' pitchers to the rescue. A wild pitch ties the game & a hit batter put the Sox ahead to stay.

Jon Papelbon closes the game for his 30th save, his 5th straight year with 30 or more saves. For all the hype about blown saves Pap continues to be one of the more consistent & more durable closers in the game. As Jerry Remy said, Pap used all 3 pitches & was as sharp as he has been all season.

Ortiz & Beltre continue to hit the ball all over the park. Whatever they are drinking, just keep it up boys. We need you to carry the offense.

Daniel Nava, recalled from Pawtucket to take Ellsbury's spot on the roster, contributed with a huge diving catch in left with 2 runners on in the 8th. He was also the hit batter with the bases loaded to give the Sox the lead in the 7th.

Dustin Pedroia had a hit, but his biggest offensive help came with a sacrifice bunt in the 8th to move Scutaro to 3rd with 1 out. Victor then hit a hard ground ball past Napoli at 1B to score a big insurance run.

Let's see if Beckett can fare better tonight than Lackey did yesterday. We need the sweep. 2 out of 3 isn't good enough anymore.

Buchholz, McDonald, Kalish Shine in 6-0 Win

Clay Buchholz pitched 7 scoreless innings, including an escape from a bases-loaded situation in the 6th, to earn his 14th victory.

Darnell McDonald, hitting out of the #9 spot, shocked Jered Weaver who had set down the first 8 by hitting a Monster shot over everything that broke a back window in a parked vehicle.

Ryan Kalish delivered a knock out blow by hitting a Weaver change-up into the Sox bullpen for his 1st grand slam. It was quite a picture to see Kalish & Daniel Nava sitting on the bench together - 2 rookies with grand slams to their resumes this season.

And Dustin Pedroia returned to action. No signs of any lingering effects from his broken foot. At least nothing serious enough to keep him out of the lineup. Pedroia is happy to be playing, even if it is at less than 100%.

The Sox win is the 8th in a row against the Angels who look nothing like their teams of the past. Last night's win keeps pace with the Yankees & Rays who also won.

Let's see if Lackey can keep the streak alive against his former teammates tonight.

Buchholz Goes for Win # 14

Coming out of Spring Training Clay Buchholz was fighting for the #5 starting job in the rotation with Tim Wakefield. Fast forward 5 months & Buchholz goes for a team high 14th victory tonight.

Right now you would be correct in saying that Buchholz & Lester are the 1st 2 starters in any playoff scenario should the Sox be able to unseat either the Rays or Yankees. Beckett & Lackey have unperformed. Dice-K is getting more consistent. But you can point to Buchholz as a steady performer every time he takes the hill.

As the Sox start their 9-game homestand against the Angels, Buchholz will be opposed by Jered Weaver. The Angels appear out of the running in the West, but can be a spoiler with their games remaining against the AL East.

I'm betting on Buchholz & Petey's return to get us a win tonight.

Off Day Thoughts

As we sit here on the August 16th off day, the BoSox find themselves 5 games behind the Rays & 6 behind the Yankees with 43 games remaining. If you do the math, the Sox need to gain about a game per week to catch either one for a playoff spot.

This week features the start of a 9-game homestand & the return of Dustin Pedroia. The Sox always play better ball at home & Petey's return should give the team a much-needed lift. Mike Cameron should begin a rehab stint later in the week in Pawtucket & his return before the end of the homestand can only help the depleted outfield.

That leaves Varitek, Ellsbury, Cash, Okajima & Youk on the DL. Varitek is still a couple of weeks away from returning. Ellsbury will get his injury fully evaluated in LA this week. Cash & Okajima will return from the DL as the need arises. Youk is out for the year which is too bad as we could really use him down the stretch.

The only way I see the Sox making a move is to have every starting pitcher get hot for 2 turns in a row, about 10 games, & have the team go on an 8-2 or 9-1 run. Pedroia will strech out the batting order which will help produce more consistent offense. It can be done, but the time to do so is now, starting with the LA series tomorrow night.

Faith is needed...

Sox Fall 7-3, Road Trip Ends 5-5

Could've. Would've. Should've. I think that sums up the 10 game road trip which saw the Sox go 2-2 in New York, 2-1 in Toronto & 1-2 in Texas. If they had not blown back-to-back leads on Thursday & Friday, we would be 3 games out in the Wild Card instead of 5. Delcarmen gets the choke today by giving up a 1st pitch 3-run homer in the 8th. Game over.

Tick. Tick. Tick. The clock is now ticking with 45 or less games left to the season. The Sox now need to make-up a game per week on the Rays as time is starting to become a factor.

Good news. Dustin Pedroia may provide the spark they need offensively & defensively to make a run. With LA, Toronto & Seattle coming to town for a 9-game homestand they need to win every series & go 6-3, if not better. The Sox can no longer tread water. They need to gain ground.

It's getting to crunch time now.

Ellsbury Out, Petey Ready to Return

It's another week of more comings & goings for the Red Sox roster.

Jacoby Ellsbury re-injured his ribs on Saturday night & is placed on the DL for the 3rd time this year. It would be a long shot to think he will play again this year, but his physician in LA will see him on Monday. What a wasted season for such a promising talent!

Taking Ellsbury's roster spot last night was Michael Bowden, a fresh arm for a worn out bullpen. Luckily, they did not need to use him in a pitcher's duel on Saturday night. Tito may need him today if Dice-K falters in the afternoon Texas heat today.

Mike Cameron said rest has done his ailing sports hernia a lot of good. He will make a rehab start or two in Pawtucket later this week. There's a guy that just won't quit.

And Dustin Pedroia made a successful start with the PawSox last night, going 1-3 & playing 2B. Barring any setbacks when he DH's in his 2nd rehab start today, Petey is ready to return to the Sox lineup on Tuesday when they start a home series versus the Angels. What a morale boost his presence in the lineup will be!

Regardless of their record, you have to take your hats off to every player that has worn the Red Sox uniform this year. We are watching a team that that has overcome & overachieved to this point of the 2010 season. A playoff spot would be icing on the cake.

Lester Huge in 3-1 Win

Last night Jon Lester started his game in the 100+ degree heat of Arlington, Texas knowing 2 things:

- His team badly needed a win after a poor start the night before by Josh Beckett that depleted the bullpen.

- He needed to go deep into the game since Daniel Bard & Jon Papelbon were not available.

Lester stood & delivered 8 innings of shutout ball to lead the Red Sox to a 3-1 win. That's what a #1 guy in the rotation does when the pressure is on.

Besides Lester, the Sox scored 2 very big runs in the top of the 9th to take a 3-0 lead. The Rangers homered off Scott Atchison in the bottom of the 9th, but a running miscue by Vlad Guerrero helped seal the win as Felix Dubront got the last out on a beautiful called 3rd strike.

The win leave the Sox 4 games behing the Rays in the Wild Card race with less than 50 games left. And with Dustin Pedroia ready to return on Tuesday he might be the added push they need to challenge the Rays down the stretch. It's going to be a fun 6 weeks!

Deja Vu All Over Again

Round 2 of "what happened?" occurred in Texas last night. A Sox lead of 8-2 turns into a 10-9 extra-innings loss. This is the 2nd night in a row that poor pitching results in blown leads & 2 very tough losses during a stretch run to the playoffs.

In Toronto it was a blown save opportunity by Papelbon. Last night it was 10 hits & 6 runs by Josh Beckett at the halfway point of the game. Beckett has been a non-factor throughout this whole season which is very disappointing. He also made Francona used several arms out of the pen which may have no Bard & no Papelbon today because of overuse. It was more of a Dice-K performance than a Beckett-like performance. His stuff seemed fine, just no location.

These losses just keep the clock ticking until the Sox are mathematically eliminated. This road trip can't end soon enough. Pedroia might be the spark that can get the team back on a positive roll when they get back to Fenway. He better be!

Nice Start for Saltie

Jarrod Saltalamacchia got his first start yesterday as catcher for his new team. He threw out a runner at 2nd & contributed 2 hits, albeit in a losing effort.

If he can return to form, it gives the Red Sox a big boost at catcher, 1B & DH. Saltie is a switch-hitter with power & only 25 years old. If you compare him to a Clay Buchholz, Jarrod likewise has early success in his career, so much so that the Sox were hot on his trail in 2008. Maybe a new team environment will suit him better.

So far, so good. A great pick-up.

What Happened?

No sweep in Toronto. 2 out of 3 isn't bad, but 3 out of 3 would have kept us 3 behind in the Wild Card. Red Sox lose 6-5 after going into the 9th with a 5-2 lead.

This is Pap's 6th blown save of the season. On the plus side he has 29 saves to his credit & will reach 30 before the season is over for the 4th or 5th year in a row. And Pap did just save a nail-biter in New York by striking out Teixeira. No doubt that the league has caught up to him & he has gone from a 95% close rate to somewhere like 85%.

What's it all mean? Probably nothing for the rest of this season - unless the blown saves continue. Pap has one more season available to him with the Red Sox before he hits free agency in 2012. Unless something drastically changes, Pap is still the closer for this year & next. I guess we have to expect 85% now.

Sox Outslug, Outpitch Jays 10-1

It was role reversal last night as the slugging Jays were held to 1 unearned run by Clay Buchholz. And it was the struggling Sox offense that sent 4 balls out of the park, 2 by Bill Hall, in a lopsided 10-1 win. The Sox win & Tampa Bay loss puts the Sox within 3 1/2 games of the Wild Card.

Buchholz looked very smooth over the first 8 innings to win his 13th game of the season. Bill Hall erupted for 3 hits, 4 RBI with 2 homers. J.D. Drew & Adrian Beltre also homered.

The Sox are on a good role, actually an unbelievable role, considering both Youk & Pedroia are out of the lineup. Petey makes a few rehab starts this weekend & should be back playing again at home on Tuesday. Maybe the darkest days, except for Youk, are over as more players return from the DL.

Can they keep winning? We'll see.

Mike Lowell Strikes Again

Yes, J.D. Drew homered & Jed Lowrie had 2 big doubles last night in a 7-5 win over the Jays in Toronto. Fleix Dubront made a good relief appearance & Dice-K was Dice-K.

But didn't the night belong to Mike Lowell whose go-ahead homer in the 8th was the game winner? Lowell has been waiting all year to contribute. And he made a difference last night in the absence of Youk. This may be his last year in baseball, but he's not done contributing yet.

Sometimes good things happen to good people / players. Mike Lowell is one on them.

Sox Split With Yankees

Hi everyone! I'm back. I agree with one of the commentors that 2-2 with New York over the weekend was not great, no bad, but not enough.

Having said that, you just can't kill the Sox yet. As of today, 4 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay for the Wild Card. While the Sox went 2-2 in New York Tampa Bay went 0-3 in Toronto. Both won last night.

Getting a win last night against a hot team at home is a great start to this 3 game series. Buchholz goes tonight & he has been solid since coming back off the DL. Speaking of DL returnees, 6 more games before Pedroia is back again.

Like I said, you just can't kill them yet...

Road Trip

As the Sox start their road trip, so do I. Unless I can get access to a computer, I'll be away during the Yankees series.

Feel free to hit the comment button at the bottom of this article & write your own comments about each game in the Bronx.

Have a good weekend! Stay positive!

Dice-K, Beltre Keys to Sox Win

Dice-K pitched 8-innings of 1-run ball. Adrian Beltre hit a grand slam. Sox win 6-2 to earn a split with Cleveland.

The Sox pick-up a half-game on the idol Yankees & a full game on the Rays who lost. As I said to a friend, you just can't kill them. They won't go away yet.

This win was especially meaningful on a night where the Sox learned they will be without Kevin Youkilis for the rest of the year. Youk joins the other heart-&-soul member of the infield - Dustin Pedroia - on the DL. As I mentioned to my podcast buddy Gaff, the Sox should get a lot of credit for the performance they have turned in this year, regardless of the playoffs. They should have died at least 9 times like a cat by now, but the Sox are still very involved in the playoff race.

A tough road trip starts tonight in New York for 4 games. Like the west coast road trip in July, this 10-game trip through New York, Toronto & Texas will be huge.

Red Sox Can't Beat Cellar-Dwellers

The Sox lose again to the Indians by a score of 9-1. No offense. Errors in the field. Too many homers given up by Sox pitchers.

I think Remy & Orsillo mentioned that the Sox record against Cleveland, Baltimore & Kansas City is a losing one. It's just one of those quirky years.

Not much else to say.

Lowell Back, Youk Out

The good news is Mike Lowell finally got to play for the big club. During a standing ovation he promptly hit the first pitch into the Monster seats. What a moment!

The bad news is Youk could be out for the season if he requires surgery on his tendon in his right thumb. He is on the 15-day disabled list for now & will be examined by a hand specialist today.

The up & down news continues as the Sox are activating Jacoby Ellsbury today. Ells went 3 for 5 in his start yesterday at Pawtucket. We can use him back in the lineup.

And the Sox did manage to beat Cleveland 3-1 last night on 8-innings from Josh Beckett & homers from Lowell & Hall. The Sox are 5 1/2 behind the Yankees who fell out of first place. Wouldn't George turn in his grave if the Yankees somehow became the odd team out?

One commentor wrote that the Sox are done & let's just root against A-Rod & the Yankees. I can see his point. But I'm not willing to give up on the Wild Card yet. There's too much baseball felt &, as history teaches us, anything can happen. Hang in there Sox fans!

Another Poor Outing By Lackey

6 runs on 9 hits. Is that really what you expect from John Lackey against a triple-A lineup from Cleveland? C'mon. Lackey should be totally embarassed by that performance last night. Where's the bulldog, playoff pitcher from last year? He has Dice-K itis when it comes to consistentcy.

Beltre rocked 2 more homers to provide most of the offense on a night that Kevin Youkilis suffered a strained thumb. We can't afford to lose Youk for any period of time. Pedroia & Ellsbury are inching back to playing shape & we need them before things are too far out of hand.

In addition to Youk, Mike Cameron went on the DL with his sports hernia. The only options for Cameron are rest or surgery. He has played through a very painful injury this year & won the respect of his teammates.

Yankees lose, Rays win. We are now 6 1/2 behind the co-leaders of the East. We really need to win the next 3 with the Indians before heading out on the road. As Bob Lobel use to say, it might be time to push the panic button.

Life in the AL East

The Yankees & Rays have accumulated the best records in all of MLB thus far with winning percentages of .635 & .625. The Red Sox have a respectible .571 winning percentage, but lie in 3rd place in the AL East. In other divisions, the Sox would be first in the AL Central, first in the NL East & first in the NL Central.

All of the Sunday sport shows paint a huge uphill battle over the next 2 months for the Sox to reach the playoffs. I have to chuckle because these reporters readily assume that the Yankees & Rays will continue to win at their current clip with both ending up over 100 wins. Not so fast, scribes!

In a race when you are in the lead there is only one way to go - that's down. The Red Sox have done enough to keep the pressure on the Yanks & Rays. And their organizations know that. And their players feel that. If you follow baseball, you know that nothing is over until the math says it's over. Remember the Yankees in 1967. Remember the Mets collapse a few years ago. Anything is possible. Don't count the Sox out just yet.

Sox Win in 9th Again

After Jon Papelbon blew a big save in the 9th, his offensive promptly won the game in the bottom of the inning with a huge Detroit miscue on a sacrifice bunt. It's not pretty, but we'll take the win.

Clay Buchholz outpitched Justin Verlander. The Fenway crowd got to see 2 elite pitchers going after the opposition batters all day. Buchholz took a shutout into the 9th, but was lifted when the first 2 batters reached base. In the blink of an eye Pap gave up 2 big hits & the game was tied. It was a very rough outing for Papelbon & his performance would be fodder for sports talk on Monday had his teammates not won the game.

The Sox have a great chance to gain ground in the Wild Card as Cleveland comes into Fenway for 4 games. It's almost necessary to sweep all 4 home games before the Sox start a 10-game road trip with a stop in Yankee Stadium next weekend.

Saltalamacchia In, Ramirez & Hermida Out

Theo Epstein just couldn't pull off a big deal to help the club down the stretch. The asking price for top prospects was just too high. They did make a couple of moves for the future.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia finally makes it to Boston from Texas. "Saltie" was rumored to be coming to Beantown last year. The Sox now have a 25-year old switch-hitter as a backup to Victor & perhaps a solid pinch-hitter off the bench.

Ramon Ramirez gets dealt to the Giants for a pitching prospect. No one would object to that trade.

And Jeremy Hermida got released with Ryan Kalish taking his spot. Hermida had several big RBI's in the first half prior to his collision with Beltre. Since coming back he has been shakey in the field & not producing with the bat. His release was the right move too.

What I didn't like, & thought was in very poor taste, was the NESN coverage of Hermida leaving Fenway in his vehicle - over & over again. Let it rest. The guy just got released, a nice word for cut. It's like showing an accident over & over again. Poor programming, NESN. It was very poor sports programming - just because there were not a lot of moves by the home team to talk about. Let the guy rest in peace.

Big Papi Completes Comeback Win

Big Papi did it. He came through with a clutch hit in the 9th to clear the bases for a 5-4 walkoff win over the Tigers. The Rays lost to the Yankees, so the Sox pick-up a game in the Wild Card.

As big as Big Papi's hit, I am now officially off the Dice-K band wagon. Let's get rid of him. He is killing the bullpen 8 out of 10 starts. Yes, he'll throw a few good starts in there - just to keep you saying he has turned the corner. But then you get 8 more starts like yesterday. The experiment should be terminated. I'd rather take my chances with Tim Wakefield.

Nice debut for Ryan Kalish. I saw him at Portland & in the Arizona Fall League. He is very heads up & can be a help to the Sox in the future.

Verlander will be a tough opponent in the finale today. The Sox need to win every series here on out. So it's a big game today.