Sox Finally Win 5-2

A much needed win today over the Phillies.

Jon Lester - great through 7 innings.

Jason Varitek - not 1, but 2 homers to provide the offense.

We'll take it.

No Hitting, No Win Again

The Boston Red Sox are facing a major power outage. They scored only 1 run, a run driven in by John Lackey, & lose a well-pitched game in Philly 2-1. This loss results in another series loss on the road. Interleague play can't end soon enough. Jon Lester will try to salvage the last game in Philly this afternoon before the team flies to Houston to open their last interleague series over the holiday weekend.

How about Jon Lackey last night! Give him credit. He was throwing strikes, making good pitches & kept his team in the game. We would take 15 more starts like that. That's the guy the Sox paid for.

Even the controversial Gonzalez, Big Papi adjustment on the field was overshadowed by the team's total lack of hitting. The Sox started the year 2-10 & they may end up the first half 2-10. They have been stuck on 45 wins for about a week. With 2 games left before the mathematical half-season mark of 81 games played the Sox could win their next 2 games to get to 47 at the mid-point. 47 X 2 = 94 wins which could get them into the playoff if they fend off the surprising Rays.

Sox are due for one of their 10+ run outbursts anyday. I hope it's sooner than later.

Time for Lackey to "Man Up"

Your team is in a slump, winning only 1 game in the last 6. You lose the first game of an important series on the road. Your team needs a spark.

Yes, John Lackey, it's time for you to earn that big contract. Stop with all the faces when a teammate makes an error or the ump doesn't give you a close call. Stop with the post-game nonsense about how you didn't pitch so bad in every loss.

Time to "MAN UP." Go out & help your team win a game & possibly salvage this series. Throw strikes early & go deep into the later innings. Give Red Sox fans a reason to hope that you & this team can pull out of the current funk.

It's time, John. It's time for you to step up.

Lee Pitches Phils to Win 5-0

Yes, Cliff Lee pitched another complete game. This time it was a 2-hit shutout against the slumping Red Sox.

This may seem like a weird statement, but I would put money on Josh Beckett if these 2 pitchers match up again in the post-season. I say that because of the current circumstances surrounding both teams. The Phillies are on a run like the Red Sox were in May. They may be peaking too soon. The Sox, on the other hand, are going through injuries & a power outage that will straighten itself out after interleague play is over.

Don't bet against Beckett next time.

Red Sox, Phillies Hype

It's a good tag line, but the World Series isn't played at the end of June. There's still another half season to go &, as we know all too well, anything can happen.

Both the Red Sox & Phillies come into this series not hitting well. The Phillies are averaging 3 runs per game, but their pitching is giving up less than 3 on a consistent basis. The Red Sox are starving for runs without David Ortiz' bat in the lineup & are also without the bats of Carl Crawford & Jed Lowrie.

At this point the Sox are just looking to win a series on the road. These games are no more important than the 3 just played in Pittsburgh & no less important than the next 3 in Houston.

The goal is to win this series, not the World Series. Beckett and Lee will make Game 1 an interesting one.

Sox Win, Bucs Boot Game

Sox finally get a road win 4-2 in Pittsburgh. The Pirates won in errors committed during the game 4-2. Not your classic game, but we'll take an ugly win anytime.

How about Andrew Miller stepping up & pitching another decent game? As one reporter noted, it's only be the Padres & Pirates, but Miller has kept the team in each start that he pitched.

The upcoming series with the Philadelphia Phillies will be overhyped as a preview of the World Series. I mentioned to one of my brothers that I wished the Sox were at full capacity with all of their starters in the line-up. But this should be a series dominated by pitching, starting with Beckett vs. Lee on Tuesday. A few runs by either side will go along way in Game 1.

An interesting subplot to this series in Philly will be John Lackey's start on Wednesday. If "Slackey" gives up another 6-7-8 runs like his last start, Tito has to start thinking about putting him into the bullpen when Buchholz gets back to the rotation on July 4th. And Lackey needs to go to Communication Class 101 to learn how to talk to reporters. His last press conference, like several others, was less than positive with the press.

And the David Ortiz, Adrian Gonzalez thing keeps going.

Should be another fun week with the Red Sox.

Sox Lose Again 6-4

Pittsburgh spoiled Tim Wakefield's return to the city where he started his pro career. Uncharacteristically, Dustin Pedroia made a huge error on a routine ground ball. And the Red Sox keep giving away games, even though the bats did come alive with 3 HR's. Sox lose their 2nd series in a row.

Too many unearned runs during this stretch of 4 consecutive losses. Too little timely hitting with RISP. The Red Sox are finding ways to beat themselves. That will stop.

As Pedroia said after the game, this team can turn around & win 4 in a row just as easy. And he said that the Sox team will come out Sunday & play hard. That's what you have to do - play through it.

Andrew Miller's 2nd start now takes on more meaning as the Sox try to avoid a sweep by the Bucs. Don't look now, but the Yankees took over 1st.

Poor Fundamentals Leads to Another Loss

Jon Lester was OK, just no great. Kevin Youkilis had a rough night at 3B. Mike Cameron made a costly error in RF. Sox batters left over 10 runners in scoring position. Pirates beat the Red Sox 3-1 for a 3rd straight loss by Boston.

You know it is going to be a long night when Darnell McDonald & Mike Cameron are hitting 5th & 6th with averages under .200 each. No timely hitting all night.

The issue about playing Gonzalez in RF will continue if this anemic lineup doesn't start getting a key hit here or there. Even Youk got pitched around without Big Papi behind him. Probably a smart move.

This could turn into a long 8 more games in National League parks. At least the Yankees lost to Colorado.

Almost At Half-Way Mark

The 2011 baseball season is nearing the halfway mark. The Sox have 7 games left before reaching 81. I'm sure that Gaff, Steve & I will get another podcast in soon to grade the first half of the season.

While the Sox can play .500 for a week & still be on track for 96 wins there are signs of concern as they head towards the All-Star break.

- Josh Beckett & Clay Buchholz are missing starts. Beckett has the flu & Buchholz has a nagging back injury.

- John Lackey's last start reminded everyone that he is still a pitcher with an ERA of 7.00+. He needs to be more consistent & his next start will be important to see if he returns to a 3-4 run pitcher per start or a 6-7-8 run pitcher per start.

- As one commentor to the blog mentioned, J.D. Drew is non-existent. Maybe Tito just goes with Reddick for awhile & let's Drew get a mysterious 15-day DL injury. I would put Mike Cameron in the same category as Drew, non-existent. $24 million between those 2 players for about .200 batting average.

On the flip side there is hope.

- Youk & Pedroia are starting to heat up offensively as everyone thought. It took awhile, but both are multi-hit game guys almost every time out now.

- Carl Crawford will be off the DL shortly. McDonald & Reddick have filled-in fine for a week & there is just one more week to go.

- Andrew Miller looks like a guy who can give the Sox quality innings. Some reporters think he could eventually replace Lackey in the rotation. Wouldn't that be interesting!

- Gonzalez & Ortiz are having career years. There are no signs that either one is slowing down.

As we all thought back in Spring Training, the race is between the Yankees & Red Sox with Tampa Bay still hanging around in 3rd due to their pitching. Baltimore & Toronto are fading.

The 2nd half of the 2011 season should be more Red Sox & more Yankees clubbing their way to the top of the AL East. Should be a fun summer for Red Sox Nation.

Gonzo: Outfield Or No Outfield?

I'm with Lou Merloni on this one. No, don't play Adrian in the outfield & weaken your team defensively.

What about a simple answer like rotate Big Papi & Adrian at first every other game? The odd guy out becomes the pinch-hitter for the night.

Take it even one further step back. The core issue is whether or not the AL & NL should have two rules about the DH. Either have one or not. Bob Ryan was right when he said before you think about realignment MLB needs to address the DH rule once & for all.

Every AL team is at a disadvantage when they play in an NL park. That's a fact. And with close pennant races your interleague record can effect the playoff picture.

How about we address the DH once & for all.

Terrible Pitching Again

More walks. More hit by pitch. Even a wild pitch. John Lackey & the Boston offense didn't get it done as the lose 5-1 to the Padres & drop their first series in a long time to one of the worst teams in baseball.

The Sox radio broadcasters mentioned that the Padres scored 10 runs in 2 games on only 4 hits. The other 6 runs scored via walks, HBP or wild pitch. You can't give a team that many free runs & expect to win.

The Sox start a 9-game interleague road trip that takes them through Pittsburgh, Philly & Houston. About 5-4 is all I'm expecting due to the fill-ins in the lineup, the sputtering pitching & the loss of the DH spot.

Too Many Walks

This is a simple, but true, baseball saying - "make 'em earn it."

Too many walks leading to cheap runs that ended in a 5-4 loss to the Padres last night. Alfredo Aceves, who reminds me of Julian Tavarez, just didn't have it in the 2nd inning. 5 walks in a row = 2 runs. That's just a horrible performance by a big leaguer.

If Lackey can throw strikes today & make them earn each base, we will take the series.

7th Inning Explosion Leads to 14-5 Win

A 3-3 game after 6 complete became a 13-3 game at the end of 7 innings. The Sox score 10 runs in the 7th to win 14-5. It was another terrific offensive performance.

Here's what I saw:

- It's easy to see why the Sox are high on Andrew Miller. Good fastball 94-95 all night long. Good curveball & change. His flaw is his control as he walked 3 in 5+ innings. Miller got out of trouble in the 4th & 5th, but that 3rd walk caught up to him in the 6th when he gave up a game-tying 3-run homer to the O-dog, Orlando Hudson.

- Red Sox fans got to see the power in Anthony Rizzo's bat as he hit one out to the 420 marker in deep center. Rizzo will be a fine major leaguer & he's getting his chance with the Padres, something he would not have done this early in his career if he was still with the Sox.

- I think Youk plays better hurts. It was obvious his ankle was bothing him on his trip around the bases late in the game. Having a nagging injury keeps him mean at the plate.

- Don & Jerry had a fun time in the booth last night as they enjoyed the fans down first base line with the rubber chickens, one with a chicken hat & one with a chicken in a Red Sox jersey. They even did their end of game promo after the 7th since the game was out of hand.

- One last thing. The Yankees are not going away. They may not be putting up double-digits every night like the Sox, but they keep winning. The Yankees are 1 1/2 behind. I thought that the Sox would be creating some space on this run, but so far the Yankees are keeping up.

Andrew Miller & Anthony Rizzo

There will be 2 first-timers at Fenway Park when the Red Sox & Padres collide tonight. Andrew Miller will make his first start for the Sox & Anthony Rizzo will get to face the team that traded him to the Padres in the A-Gon deal.

Miller has Randy Johnson size & has been working to correct his mechanics to eliminate wildness that has plagued his major league career to date. His last several outings in Pawtucket were very good, so he gets his chance to show the big club what he can do for 2 weeks while Clay Buchholz recouperates from back issues.

Anthony Rizzo was a prize prospect who hit for power with the Portland Sea Dogs before being traded to San Diego in the famous deal that brought Adrian Gonzalez to Boston. Rizzo tore up the Pacific Coast League with 60+ RBI in less than half a season. I had a chance to see him play in Spring Training & he reminds me of a young Adrian Gonzalez. Too bad the Sox couldn't keep him a few more years, but you can't argue with the addition of Adrian. You have to give up value to get value. This could be a great trade for both teams.

I'm looking forward to tonight's game.

Pedroia & Youk Getting Hot

Just in the nick of time. With the 15-day disabled list starting to grow Dustin Pedroia & Kevin Youkilis are getting hot at the right time.

With a rotation of Lowrie & Scutaro at shortstop, new faces in the outfield & new faces on the mound the Red Sox need their offense to power up & win a few games over the next 2 weeks while players like Crawford, Buchholz & Lowrie get well.

I've said all along that it has been great to see the offensive exploits of Adrian Gonzalez & the re-surgence of David Ortiz. But Petey & Youk are the heart & soul of this team. Having them get multi-hit games & long balls is the catalyst the Sox need to put a little distance between themselves & the Yankees.

Sox Club Brewers 12-3 in Finale

The ageless Tim Wakefield went 8 innings & gave up 3 runs. The Red Sox offense used 3 homers en route to another 10+ run offensive outburst. And the Sox win their 6th series in a row, this time against the Milwaukee Brewers with a 12-3 win today.

What could be better? A beautiful sunny day. Father's Day. The Bruins team throwing out the first pitch. Adrian Gonzalez legging out a triple. And 6 runs in the first inning to put the game out of reach early.

As Bono & U2's song goes, it's a beautiful day!

Happy Father's Day!

Fathers & sons & baseball go together. Many of us remember playing catch with our dads. My dad use to throw knuckleballs to me. His wasn't as good as Tim Wakefield's, but it did move & wiggle a little.

For those of us whose dads are no longer with us, we remember the simple things. The fun of a game of catch. Just him being there at our games. Being supportive. Waiting for the team bus to return late at night & giving us a ride home after a tough loss.

I hope everyone enjoys the good memories of their dads. And I hope everyone whose dads are still alive tell them thanks for everything. Happy Father's Day to all!

Milwaukee Strikes Back With 4-2 Win

Jon Lester spotted the Brewers 4 runs early, just as John Lackey had done the night before. This time, however, the Red Sox bats could only respond with 2 runs, not 10, & the Brewers even up their series in Boston at 1 game apiece. Tim Wakefield pitches this afternoon for the rubber game of the series.

I find it interesting that the Red Sox have beaten quality pitchers like David Price, CC Sabathia, Jared Weaver & others, yet a guy like Randy Wolf can limit this potent offense to just 2 runs. The same thing happened to the Yankees on Friday when they got shutout by Doug Davis of the Cubs.

In my day Wolf & Davis would be called junk-ball pitchers. They throws 2 different curveballs, one fast & one slower, along with showing a hitter a fastball in the mid-80's. They get batters out who overswing or just get fooled.

I guess there is room for all different kinds of pitchers. Look who's starting for the Red Sox today!

It's the Bruins Day in Boston

The Boston Bruins took their rolling duck boat tour through the city today with an estimated crowd of 1,000,000 fans cheering them on. It's a day that the players, coaches & fans will never forget.

I like the comment that Tito made before yesterday's Red Sox game. Wearing his Bruins jersey, Tito said that he hopes the fans realize how truly special these championship seasons are. I keep saying that it's magic how things aligned for the Bruins. At the same time, magic or luck seem to come to those teams who work the hardest. And no one outworked the Bruins as a team this year.

Congrats to the black & gold!

Sox Pound Brewers 10-4

The Boston Red Sox offense just keeps pounding away. They put up 10 runs against the Brewers last night to win 10-4. Ells & A-Gon went yard. Big Papi had 3 hits.

Several developments are worth a comment:

- John Lackey pitched well after giving up 4 runs in the first 2 innings. It was nice to see his fastball top out at 92 or 93 versus the 89-90 from previous starts.

- Carl Crawford's hamstring injury shouldn't keep him out of the lineup long. However, it's never good to see a starter come off the field.

- Same deal with Kevin Youkilis. Youk left the game with a sore ankle. Again, he should not be out long, but another starter going out is never good.

With Jed Lowrie on the DL & Clay Buccholz experiencing back spasms we are starting to see minor things add up. Throw Bobby Jenks in there too.

I guess we can't expect an injury-free year, but as they say in insurance - frequency can breed severity. We don't need a repeat of the 2010 season.

Dice-K Gone & Forgotten

Thinking about the Sox rotation I haven't heard one word about Dice-K. Do we miss him? No, especially not the way Tim Wakefield has pitched.

The Sox got 2 years of service out of a 5 year contract. Most reporters indicate that he will be lost for the rest of 2010 & most of 2011. The Vegas money says Dice-K will return in August or September of next year just to show other teams that he is healthy & worthy of another contract - somewhere else.

It was a gamble that didn't pay off. But the Sox did win a World Series in 2007 with Dice. His inability to adapt to American baseball will impact future signings from Japan. Too bad.

Road Trip Finishes 8-1

The Sox finished off an incredible road trip with a 4-2 victory in Tampa Bay. When is the last time that the Sox won a series at the Trop?

Clay Buccholz & his nagging back problem limited him to 5 innings, giving up just 1 run. The bullpen picked him up by pitching the last 4 & allowing only 1 run on a homer by Casey Kotchman. Just for good measure Adrian Gonzalez blasted a solo shot with 2 out in the 9th to give the Sox & Jonathan Papelbon a 2-run lead into the bottom of the 9th. Pap got 2 runners on base before settling down for the save.

Buccholz's back problem would be a concern to me. Even though he doesn't want a trip to the DL, Buck did say that he was compensating his delivery in the 5th & decided to come out. He will be examined today. Andrew Miller is waiting in the wings for a rotation spot & this might be a way to get Buchholz more rest between starts.

The injury bug may be starting to creep into the Sox dugout. Jed Lowrie had to leave last night after re-straining his left shoulder. Pedroia looked a little gimpie running from 1st to 3rd last night. And Youk got up slow after diving for a bunt. Let's hope nothing major surfaces before the all-star break.

It should be an entertaining weekend with interleague play back & the Milwaukee Brewers in town. Ryan Braun would look really good in a Red Sox uniform someday.

Bruins Are Stanley Cup Champs!

It's deja vu all over again.

It's the 2002 New England Patriots being introduced as a team, not individuals, & beating the St. Louis Rams for their first Super Bowl win.

It's the 2004 Boston Red Sox coming back from 0-3 to beat the New York Yankees in the ALCS & going on to beat the St. Louis Cardinals in 4 straight to win the World Series.

It's the 2008 Boston Celtics defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games to win the NBA title.

Now let's add the 2011 Boston Bruins to the list of world champions. The Boston Bruins personified t-e-a-m & outworked, outhustled & dominated the heavily favored Vancouver Canucks to win Game 7 4-0 in Vancouver & take home the Stanley Cup for the first time in 39 years.

There are too many heroes to mention, but Tim Thomas, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand & the Bruins 4th line all had a big say in the clinching win last night. The Bruins become the 4th major team in Boston to earn a world championship in the last decade. They are another great sports story that will live in Boston history for many, many years.

Beckett, Youk Power Sox to 3-0 Win

If James Shields can do it, Josh Beckett can do it too. Both star pitchers hurled complete game shutouts for their teams as the Red Sox & Rays split their first two out of three.

Beckett was more dominating last night as he 1-hit the Rays over 9 innings. The only hit by the Rays was a cheap infield roller down 3rd, a swinging bunt if you will. But that's the way the ball bounces sometimes.

Kevin Youkilis powered up for a huge 3-run jack to left in the 7th. After Dustin Pedroia tripled off the right-field wall the Rays intentionally walked Adrian Gonzalez to get to Youk who had had a miserable series at the plate up until then. Youk promptly parked a fastball into the stands. That was all the support Josh Beckett needed.

The finale should be another good matchup of young pitchers as David Price & Clay Buchholz go for the series win tonight.

It's All About the Bruins Tonight

Josh Beckett may be taking the hill in Tampa Bay to get the Sox back on another win streak, but all eyes of New England will be glued to Game 7 for the Stanley Cup in Vancouver, BC.

When it comes down to one game anything can happen. Both teams know that. In the past the refs have let pretty much anything go in Game 7's when it comes to calling penalties. It will have to be pretty obvious or draw blood to get someone in the box tonight. This should favor the Bruins style of play.

But Boston has been a Jeckyl & Hyde team. Look at Game 5 & Game 6 for contrast. If the Bruins take their game to the Canucks, it should be quite a season finale. If the Canucks are allowed to finesse their way around open ice, it could be a long night.

Tim Thomas & Roberto Luongo are as big a contrast as can be, each representing their team's style of play. Thomas is more in-your-face, rockem', sockem' while Luongo likes to sit back in his crease.

Game 7's are always great for the players to play in, but tough for the fans to watch. Like Mark Recchi said, enjoy it.

Sox Finally Lose 4-0

If the Red Sox win 9 out of every 10 games, I think we will be very happy. After a day of rest the Rays spoiled Carl Crawford's return to Tampa Bay with a complete game win by James Shields. Shields had control of all his pitches & used a very nasty change-up to his advantage all night long.

Besides the return of Carl Crawford a very good pitching performance by Tim Wakefield went by the boards & almost unnoticed. Wake pitched 7 innings & gave up only 2 runs. This was a much better start than his last one &, instead of a win, he gets a loss to show for his 100+ pitch night. You can't win when you don't score.

Josh Beckett looks to right the ship tonight.

MLB Realignment - Good or Bad?

I like the idea of returning to a simpler format. 15 teams in the AL. 15 teams in the NL. No divisions. The top 4 or 5 in each division make the playoffs. Each game in the 162 game season is as important as the next one.

Remember when teams from the AL West or NL West would make the playoffs with a sub .500 record while teams with 90 wins would sit out? That wouldn't happen any longer. You could see 3 teams from the AL East, for example, and none from the West.

I also like the idea of a 5th team making the playoffs to play a winner-take-all elimination game against the 4th place team. Currently, the 4th team or wild card gets the same rights as a division winner. No penalty for resting players or lining up pitchers for the playoffs. The 1-game playoff would spur teams in that 4th position to continue playing out the final games to move into the 3 spot. It would also reward the top 3 teams for finishing higher.

What's your thoughts about realignment? Again, I like it.

Luongo Eats Words in Game 6 Meltdown

Give the Boston Bruins a lot of credit. They stood tall as a team in the face of elimination & delivered 4 first period goals to beat Roberto Luongo & the Canucks 5-2 to force a Game 7 on Wednesday. With Nathan Horton in the house Game 6 will be remembered for a long time as the last game in the Garden for 2011.

Luongo obviously went to the LeBron James school of communication by stirring up fans over his unnecessary commentary on Tim Thomas' style of play. He couldn't back-up his words in Game 6 as he wilted under the pressure & choked on 3 of his first, & last, 8 shots that he saw last night. The $10 million man was pulled in the first period.

What's next for Luongo? If he wilts again in Game 7, is Roberto going to give a James post-game speech about going back to his mansion while all the other insignificant people return to their boring lives? That's the way to win hearts & minds!

Luongo & James are similar in that they like to talk before they have accomplished anything. And so far all they have done is put 2 hands around their neck & choked.

Odds & Ends

It's an off-day for the sizzling hot Red Sox who have won 9 in a row. Only the Phillies have a better winning percentage in all of baseball. It shows you how far this team has come since the end of April.

Here's a few thoughts on sports & life in no particular order:

1) LeBron Gone.
Finally, no more of ESPN's adoration of LeBron. Since ESPN aired the one-hour LeBron special about him going to the Heat it's been a lovefest between the two. Thanks, Dirk, for sending LeBron, the big 3 & the Heat back into an also-ran team that can't win the big one.

2) Bruins Game 6.
Regardless of the outcome of tonight's Game 6 at the Garden, the Boston Bruins have revived hockey in Beantown. No one thought the Bruins would make it past Montreal, let alone reach the Stanley Cup finals. The black & gold are giving the Canucks more than they can handle for a series that was suppose to be over in 4 games. It would be appropriate to get to a Game 7, wouldn't it?

3) Colon Injured.
The medical miracle that is Bartolo Colon came to a halt yesterday as the big guy injured himself covering first base. Maybe he needs HGH injected into his leg, not just his arm. I hear there are a multitude of washed-up pitchers knocking on his doctor's door in Central America.

4) Arnold Terminated.
The Terminator & ex-Govenator has replaced his action hero crown with a dunce cap. Thanks to my wife & friends, I met Arnold & got him to sign a movie poster for me on my 50th birthday. His philandering with women & his secret kids has left a sour taste in my mouth. Maria & her kids will live with his embarassment forever. His poster is coming down. Too bad we have so few people left to look up to.

5) Willie McGinest Back.
Linebacker Willie McGinest is looking for a 1-day contract with the Patriots so he can retire as a Pat. Why not? He was part of the Super Bowl runs with Tedy Bruschi & Company. I say do it Bob Craft. It may be the only good news about football for awhile as the coming season remains in jeopardy.

That's it for my off-day thoughts.

Sox Annihilate Jays for a Second Day in a Row

If 16-4 wasn't bad enough on Saturday, try 14-1 today. The Sox batters destroyed Jays pitching for a 2nd day in a row. Home runs for Gonzalez, Pedroia & Ortiz. Multi-hit games for several players. Unlike the cool & wet weather in New England this weekend, this Red Sox offense is on fire.

Jon Lester pitched 8 strong innings without the signs of wildness that plagued him in past starts. He gave up only 1 run, a homer to Jose Bautista.

A 6-0 road start to a 9-game trip through the AL East is more than anyone expected. A well-deserved day off on Monday is followed by a 3-game series in Tampa Bay. The Trop has not been a hospitable place for the Sox in the past. Let's see if the Sox stay hot.

Sox Stomp All Over Jays 16-4

Thank you offense. What a display of offensive power to score 16 runs on an AL East foe.

4 hits for Marco Scutaro. 3-run homers for Jason Varitek & David Ortiz. And on & on it goes.

Lackey pitched well enough to get another win. He has 2 wins in a row since returning from the DL. No giving up 7, 8, or more runs like before his DL stint.

Red Sox win another road series & go for their second road sweep tomorrow with Jon Lester on the mound.

Life is good for the Sox!

A Tired Sox Team Wins in Toronto 5-1

The best recipe for a quick, 3-hour win is good pitching. That's what the Sox got from Clay Buchholz last night.

Buck went 7 innings giving up only 1 run & working out of trouble when he needed to. Bard put up a zero in the 8th. Pap closed it out in the 9th. The Jays could only muster 4 hits.

I remain so impressed with Adrian at 1B & his fielding ability. In New York he took away some rockets hit by Teixeira. Same last night with a few of the Jay's lefties. Pitchers love pounding the strike zone when the guys behind them are sure-handed.

And how about petey getting 3 hits in his comeback. Not really a laser show with 2 infield hits, but he'll take them. Maybe he will get his offensive game going now.

Lackey goes this afternoon. A win today would give the Sox another series win on the road. I was hoping for 5-4 on this road trip. So far we are 4-0.

Petey Doesn't Need Surgery

Good news for Red Sox Nation came before last night's 3rd beating in a row of the sinking Bronx 9. Dustin Pedroia will not need surgery on his right knee.

Maybe just knowing that will let Petey relax at the plate. He certainly has not been himself on offense. Defensively, however, he & A-Gon are superior fielders on the right side. I don't remember seeing Pedroia take away so many hits up the middle.

Petey will be back in the lineup against the Jays tonight. He should bring a lift to a tired bunch.

Sox Steamroll Through Yankees

I did. I stayed up to watch the game last night until the last out because I thought it would be a pitcher's duel between Beckett & Sabathia. And it was until the 7th.

For 6 innings C.C. Sabathia was cruising with a 2-hitter & he looked overpowering for the Red Sox batters. I kept waiting for our right-handed hitters to do something, but it was actually Jacoby Ellsbury & Carl Crawford who had the only weak singles of the game. I'm thinking good, at least he won't pitch a no-hitter against us.

And Josh Beckett looked like he would be snake-bitten again. His only mistake was a 2-run jack to Granderson in the first. Then there were the hit-by-pitch balls to Jeter & A-Rod which eventually got Big Papi hit by C.C. in retaliation. Now I'm thinking OK here we go, a good old fashion Yankees-Red Sox brawl brewing.

Then the 7th inning came. The Sox scored 7 times off Sabathia & Robertson. It was hit after hit after hit after hit. Big Papi had a single & double in the same inning. The Red Sox batters clubbed the Yankees into a slow death that inning. It was so bad that I could actually felt a little bad for the pinstripe boys. Game over. Red Sox win 8-3. They become the first team to win back-to-back series in New York since the 1990 A's.

What a great win! Expect the Sox to be a little tired for the game in Toronto.

Red Sox, Bruins Win Again

It was a good night for 2 Tim's -- Tim Wakefield & Tim Thomas.

Red Sox 11, Yankees 6:
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The Sox offense pulled through for Tim Wakefield & Alfredo Aceves. Just when you thought the Yankees might mount a rally Jeter grounds into an inning-ending double play in the 8th & the Sox throw 3 more runs on the board in the 9th thanks to homers by Carl Crawford & J.D. Drew. The Red Sox win the series in the Bronx.

Did you see the sweat pouring off the cap of Aceves? It looked like he dunked his cap in a bucket of water before each inning!

Bruins 4, Canucks 0:
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Tim Thomas pitched a shutout. For the second game in a row the Canucks were man-handled by the Bruins & could not get the puck past Thomas. Horton's replacement on the first line, Rick Peverly, had 2 goals. The Bruins are exorting their will over the Canucks.

It's now a 2 out of 3 series. No question that Tim Thomas is the key. He is riding a wave of confidence.

It's a great time to be a sports fan in New England!

Sox Beat Yankees 6-4

The Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees at their own game -- the long ball. Jacoby Ellsbury hit a leadoff dinger to start the game. David Ortiz jacked a 2-run shot to right later in the game to provide 2 very big insurance runs. On the other side, the Sox pitchers kept the Yankees in the yard all night. An extra bonus is seeing A-Rod strikeout to end the game.

A notable injury to each side occurred during the game. Mark Teixeira left in the first inning with a knee bruise after being hit by a Jon Lester cutter. Bobby Jenks left after throwing 4 pitches in the 7th with a back strain.

It was a good team win in Game 1, but 2 players stood out to me. I thought that J.D. Drew played exceptionally well in right field. And Matt Albers came in from the pen to replace Jenks in the 7th & got out of the inning with a big double-play ball.

A.J. Burnett & Tim Wakefield go at it in Game 2 tonight. One more win out of the next 2 & the Sox can leave NY tied for first.

Can Old Yankees Hold Onto First?

The next time we talk about a Red Sox - Yankees series it will be the first weekend in August. The standings could look a lot different by then.

However, this middle-of-the-week 3 game series in June is for first place in the AL East. As long as neither team gets swept, only one game difference will occur in the standings. But let's not forget that the Sox did sweep the Yankees on their last visit to New York.

A-Rod, Jeter, Mariano, Posada, Colon, Garcia & others -- the Yankees are an old team with a lot of old-moving parts that could breakdown at anytime. Throw-in some bad blood between Yankee players & Girardi just for more intrigue. I think it's the Yankees, more than the Red Sox, that have something to prove this week.

Freddy Garcia goes in Game 1 tonight. He's the weak link to tee-off on & get the first win. Then we can relax in the final 2 games & hope for a split, or another sweep.

What a Big Win!

Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals will go down as a classic for the Boston Bruins. After Horton was knocked out on a cheap hit by Rome the Bruins started their complete domination of the Canucks that ended in an embarassing 8-1 loss for Vancouver.

The bad boy Canucks were outscored, outhustled, out-fought & outplayed by the Bruins for 3 periods. Tim Thomas was his usual stellar self. And Shawn Thornton addition to the roster let Vancouver know early that this was going to be a fight.

I'm not the biggest hockey fan, but I appreciate a good team effort when I see it. Last night was one of those games.

Great Story - Tommy Hottovy

The Sox latest call-up to the bullpen is quite an interesting story. At 29 years old Hottovy is finally getting his chance in the bigs.

Bob Neumier summarized the story of Hottovy on The Baseball Show last Saturday. Hottovy underwent Tommy John surgery at the young age of 24 & effectively missed 2 seasons of pitching. He was thinking of quitting baseball, but his wife who was 8 months pregnant told him to persevere through life in the minors a little longer.

Portland & Pawtucket continued to be stops along his minor league career. The call came from the big club when Rich Hill went down with an elbow strain. Hottovy has reinvented himself, a la Rich Hill, as a lefty specialist who drops down from the side. Thus far, he has 3 appearances for the Red Sox & has allowed no runs.

A good story like Tommy Hottovy is best shared. Thank you, Bob Neumier.

Sox Sweep A's

John Lackey did OK in his return from the DL. 3 runs in 5+ innings was good enough as the Sox won 6-3 to sweep the A's. The Sox finish their homestand 3-3 after being swept by the White Sox.

New-arrivals Carl Crawford & Adrian Gonzalez both homered to provide the bulk of the offense yesterday. It was nice to see Pedroia get 2 hits, the last one an RBI single to pad the lead. Saltie had a nice day at the plate as well.

Now it's off to Gotham for a 3-game series with the Yankees. Both start this series with 33 wins. To date only the Rangers, Phillies & Cardinals have more wins. The Sox & Yankees are starting to open up breathing room at the top of the AL East with Tampa Bay now 4 games back.

If not for the Wakefield start on Wednesday, I think we would have a good chance to sweep again. But I'd settle for 2 out of 3 in New York.

Bruins Lose in OT

C'mon, Bruins, you're killing your fan base with these late game losses. 11 seconds into overtime & the Canucks come away with another win & a 2-0 series lead.

At some point, & you hope it's tomorrow in Game 3, the Bruins will finish strong & win a game. They have shown that they can play with the Canucks. But they are like the Bad News Bears coming down the stretch. Everyone is just waiting to see what goes wrong at the end.

A good blowout win by 3 or 4 goals can cure a lot of ills. It could happen as the Bruins are getting their fair share of scoring chances. The puck needs to bounce their way a few more times.

Pap Implodes, But Sox Win 9-8 in Extras

A 4-run lead going into the 9th should be an easy win, right? Not so yesterday as Jon Papelbon gave up 4 runs & got tossed in the process. It took the Sox 5 more innings to pull off a 9-8 win in 14 innings. The Sox win their home series against the A's by winning the first 2 out of 3.

Did I see a smile from J.D. Drew after he hit the game-winning run home in the 14th? I think I did. If you are only going to hit .225, you might as well make the few hits you get count & that was a good time for one. Maybe that hit will get him going for a few weeks.

John Lackey makes his return in the finale today. He will be on a 90-pitch count. As one reporter said, Lackey can re-start his season today & forget everything else. He can only improve on his 8.00 ERA. Another win to sweep the A's would be great before heading out on a 9-game road trip again the AL East which starts in Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.

Bullpen, Offense Lead to 8-6 Win

Clay Buchholz had a rough outing, giving up 4 cheap runs in the first. His command was never there & it makes me wonder if his back tightness is bothering him more than he is letting on.

5 other pitchers, however, shutdown the A's offense. Big hits late in the game by Carl Crawford & Jarrod Saltalamacchia iced the game for a nice comeback win. This win snaps a 4-game losing streak.

My other thought is the #2 spot with Pedroia. He is struggling mightily at the plate & he may need a trip to the bottom 3rd of the order to straighten things out. Maybe move up Lowrie to the 2 hole & flip-flop spots with Petey for awhile. We'll see what Francona does, maybe nothing as long as they are winning.

It's A Parity League

Just for fun, I looked at the standing today. Here's my analysis:

30 teams

25 teams are 5 games above .500 or less

5 teams are more than 5 games above .500

It's a parity league this year. Several divisions, top to bottom, have a spread of 5 or 6 games separating the entire division. The AL East is one of them.

Don't start the talk again of 100 wins like was happening in May when the Sox were on a tear. Both the Red Sox & Yankees ended May with 30 wins. That equates to 90 for the season. I think 92 or 93 wins wins the AL East this year. Toronto, Tampa Bay & Baltimore are all too competitive this season for the Sox or Yankees to get to 95+ wins.

Dice-K, Hill to Have Surgery

The often controversial relationship between Dice-K & the Red Sox is over for this year & maybe for good. The Sox announced that their Japanese pitcher will undergo Tommy John surgery which has about a year's recovery time. By the time Dice-K is ready to pitch again it will be late 2012 & his contract will be expiring.

Unfortunately, Rich Hill may be headed in the same direction after his elbow popped in his last mound performance against the White Sox. Seeing Hill go down reminded me of a former teammate & subsequent Orioles great Mike Flanagan. The same thing happened to Mike in a national tournament in Oregon back in 1970. Luckily, he never needed surgery & he went onto win a Cy Young Award & a World Series ring.

When you see a crisp, sharp breaking ball there is a lot of stress put on a pitcher's arm to make that ball break. Hence, a lot of pitchers throw out their arms. Even today, my pitching arm is unable to fully straighten at the elbow from years of too many curveballs. Pitching is an unnatural act on your arm. But that's why the pro's get paid the big money.

Tommy John is a household word in the majors these days. That's why it's important for young kids in Little League not to start experimenting with breaking balls too soon.

Red Sox Get Swept, Bruins Lose

June 1st wasn't a kind day in Boston sports. The Sox lost for the 4th straight game as the White Sox finished off a sweep in Fenway 7-4. The Bruins looked to be headed to overtime when the Canucks scored the only goal of the game & defeated Boston 1-0.

David Ortiz homered for the 2nd straight day. But Jon Papelbon gave up a 2-run homer to Red Sox killer Paul Konerko to put the game out of reach. Konerko has hit over .400 against the Red Sox. The Sox have one more series in Chicago in late July. My advice - walk Konerko.

The Sox are 30-26 (as I predicted!) in 2nd place 2 games behind the Yankees. Quite an improvement from where they were on May 1st. We have a new podcast being made today that will assess the Sox going forward into June. Give a listen once it's uploaded.

White Sox Have Red Sox Number

Did you ever play or coach against one of those teams that you could just never beat? Sure you did.

This year it's Ozzie Guillen & the White sox who the Red Sox can't beat. The Boston Sox have lost something like 9 out of 11 at home to the ChiSox. Last night's 10-7 loss was just the latest casualty. The offense showed signs of life in the final 2 innings, but the rally fell short.

Tim Wakefield tries to prevent a sweep tonight. Even though Aceves got racked last night, he has given the Sox a few wins as a substitute starter. You really can't ask for more from he or Wake.

I hate to say it, but I hope Lackey gets back into the rotation soon. Maybe his "time out" did him well.