What Does May Hold for the Sox?

After another slow start this season in April the Sox can close out a disappointing month with an 11-11 record with a win tonight against the A's. The Sox are right where I thought they would be, given the number of tough series to start the season & their slow start from last year. Good news is no team in the AL East is running away with anything as 3 games separate top to bottom. What does the upcoming month of May hold? Well, there are 29 games. 18 at home & 11 away. The Sox are home against the A's (2), O's (3), Indians (4), Mariners (2), Rays (3) & Tigers (4). They are away against the Royals (3), Rays (2), interleague Phillies (3), and O's (3). Given the level of competition I'm going to predict an 18-11 record. What do you think?

Chicago White Sox & Red Uniforms

Here's a dumb question. Why did the Chicago White Sox - who typically wear white & black uniforms - wear red uniforms yesterday while playing the Boston Red Sox? Just wondering out loud.

Sox Streak Ends With 4-1 Loss

It was bound to happen. The Red Sox winning streak ended at 6 straight with a 4-1 loss today. Gavin Floyd was in command of his pitches all day, giving up a mere 1-run. Josh Beckett gave up 3 first innings runs & that was the difference in the game. On another night, when the Sox score 10, Beckett would have won handily. But that's baseball for you. The Sox will certainly take a 6-1 road trip anytime. The brightest spot by far is the improvement in starting & relief pitching. If Sox pitchers hold opponents to 5 runs or less, more often than naught they will win. The Sox come home now to open a series with Oakland A's. This is a road trip they can build on into month #2 of the season.

Lester Outduels Peavy 1-0

Big bats gave way to big pitching last night as the Red Sox squeeked past the slumping White Sox 1-0 for their 6th straight win, bringing their record to 10-10. Jon Lester pitched out of jams as needed over the first seven, middle relief did the same in the 8th & Alfredo Aceves pitched a 1-2-3 9th to close the game. Jake Peavy was a tough luck loser, giving up only 1 run on a Ryan Sweeney double & an RBI single to former Padre teammate Adrian Gonzalez. This is the 2nd series in a row that the Red Sox win. Beckett tries to keep the road trip perfect this afternoon against Gavin Floyd. For all the reporters who keep saying the Red Sox can't win, it's nice to see the Boston 9 keep proving them wrong.

Sox Win 5th In A Row

The Boston Red Sox have found consistency that eluded them over the first 2 weeks of the season. Another win over the White Sox last night by a score of 10-3 assures them of at least a split in the Windy City. You know things have turned around when a .121 hitter like Darnell McDonald gets 4 RBI including a home run. Here's what I'd like to know. Where are the reporters who bashed the Sox over the first 2 weeks? They have moved onto bash the Bruins, talk about the old Celtics & any other negative sports story they can find. Throw the bad start by the LA Angels of Anaheim in there too. We just can't be happy about a positive turnaround. Sports papparazzi needs negativity to feed on or they feel that they will lose their jobs. It's a one-sided coin with sports talk. Say what you want about Marlon Byrd not being the answer, but he has done nothing but produce in a Red Sox uniform. And Byrd has stabilized the CF position in lieu of Ells. Since his arrival the Sox have done nothing but win. Coincidence? One more win tonight & the Sox are back to the magical .500 mark. Top to bottom in the AL East is a spread of 3 games in the loss column. You don't win a pennant in April, but it's also nice to see no one pulling away from the pack. I'm looking forward to a tight race this year. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

Crawford to Miss More Time

Carl Crawford's elbow is becoming a bigger concern. He is expected to miss more time with some reports indicating it could be as long as 3 months. Crawford thinks it will be much less than that. At this rate Jacoby Ellsbury will be back before Crawford. Talk about a bad situation that started last year with Crawford getting even worse this year. It is my experience - in business & in life - that when something starts badly it hardly ever corrects itself. In this case I hope that I am wrong & Carl Crawford can become a productive player once he gets back on the field. Time will tell.

Youk, Salty Go Deep in 10-3 Win

The Red Sox win streak is now at 4 games, thanks to a double digit offensive night. It is nice to see both Youk & Salty swinging the bats well. Youk hit a big grand slam & Salty added 2 homers on the night to beat the White Sox 10-3. Felix Doubront pitched 6 innings to earn his first win. And Junichi Tazawa pitched 3 scoreless innings in relief. I was saying earlier in the day that it's not uncommon for White Sox pitcher Humber to have a bad game after a perfect one. We'll certainly take it. One more win tonight puts the Sox within a game of .500. It's deja vu all over again when you think of the similarities to last April. Let's hope this season doesn't resemble 2011 when we get to September!

Ventura Meets Valentine Again

Yhe Red Sox website mentioned one little comment about Robin Ventura meeting Bobby Valentine as a manager versus a player. Ventura played for Valentine as a Met years ago. You can be sure that Ventura wants to win against his former manager. And with Philip Humber of perfect game fame going for the White Sox he has a very good chance. The Sox counter with Felix Doubront who is coming off a very good outing against the Yankees. The Sox need to keep their momentum from Minnesota going into this 4-game series. The White Sox lost in extras to the A's last night in Oakland & maybe the Sox can catch a win off of a tired Chicago team tonight.

Sox Sweep Twins With 7-6 Win

Just what the doctor ordered. A sweep of the Twins in Minnesota brings the Sox record back to 7-10. I didn't get to see the game, but the box score shows plus & minus. Clay Buchholz couldn't make it through 6 innings, a minus. Padilla-Morales-Aceves shutdown the final 3 innings, a plus. Dustin Pedroia had a good night with 3 hits, a plus. However it gets done, a win & a sweep is a big plus. Let's see if momentum continues into the Windy City for their 4-game series against the White Sox.

Another Win 11-2

Good pitching. Offense scoring runs. No errors. That sounds like the recipe for a win & it was the correct recipe last night in Minnesota. Josh Beckett pitched through 6 innings & allowed only 2 runs. Ortiz, Aviles, Gonzo & others had excellent nights at the plate. And Marlon Byrd added stability in the outfield by making a few nice plays. When you have a bad start like the Sox you have to get healthy by beating the other bottom feeders like the Twins. The Sox win their 2nd series of the year & can go for a sweep of the Twins behind Clay Buchholz tonight. Perhaps the good ship Lucchino has stopped sinking & the Sox can tred water long enough to get to that elusive .500 mark before the end of the month.

Finally, A Win

Eck said it best on the post-game show. The Sox were due for a break & they got one last night when Josh Willingham hit a line drive right at Kevin Youkilis in the 8th with the tying run at 3rd. Daniel Bard pitched out of the pen & Alfredo Aceves got a save. Cody Ross enjoyed his first game at Target Field with home runs to left & right to lead the offense. Jon Lester held on for 7 innings so the Sox bullpen did not get overexposed. This was a good team win & just what the doctor ordered. Let's see if they can duplicate it again tonight.

Roster Starting to Change

As the Sox re-group on the way to Minnesota for an away series, there will be some changes on the field & in the dugout. Outfield help has arrived by way of Marlon Byrd in a trade with the Cubs. Byrd is a seasoned outfielder & a right-handed bat. A change of scenery may be what he needs to get his game going this year. Due to the rainout yesterday, Daniel Bard is now available for the next few nights out of the bullpen. Bard can only help the worst bullpen in all of baseball thus far. And Lars Anderson was called up to replace Jason Repko who went on the DL. Anderson may pinch-hit off the bench &/or try a game or two in the outfield. Look for Aaron Cook to be added to the starting rotation soon & Daniel Bard to permanently head back into the bullpen. Inconsistent efforts by the entire pitching staff, up & down run production by the offense & shoddy defense have produced the current 4-10 record. Changes are bound to continue as the Sox struggle to survive the early part of the season. Go Bruins!

Time for Call-Ups?

Is it getting close, only 2 weeks into the season, to see new faces join the Sox lineup? Mr. Bowtie from Fox yesterday reported that Marlin Byrd from the Cubs made be traded to Boston soon. There is also talk of Ryan Lavarnway & Will Middlebrooks coming up to add some punch to the lineup. It wouldn't hurt to get a few guys that can catch the ball as well. Mike Aviles made a big error to extend an inning & Cody Ross looks like a deer in headlights on balls over his head. Whatever can go wrong has gone wrong. It may not be much longer before we see things change. The Red Sox are a total embarassment right now.

Red Sox Hit Rock Bottom

This early season for the Boston Red Sox just can't get any lower than it has over the past 2 days. First, the Yankees beat the Sox yesterday to ruin the 100 year anniversary of Fenway Park. Today, the Red Sox blow a 9-0 lead to lose 15-9. And the bonehead people at Fox turn away from the game while the Yankees are catching up. Can Joe Buck be any more biased against the Sox? Just have him wear a Yankees hat next time he does a Boston-New York game. This has to be an all-time low, mostly because this occurred against the hated Yankees. I can't imagine anything else this season going worse than the game today. Let's just call the Yankees our daddies & get it over with. By the way, CC Sabathia pitches against the Sox tomorrow. I can't watch anymore. I'll read the box score.

Same Story - Again

No starting pitching as Buchholz gives up 5 home runs. No offense as only David Ortiz can crank a solo homer & hit the ball hard consistently. And the Red Sox lose for the 4th straight time & drop their series opener to the Evil Empire 6-2. Here's a few things that get under my skin: 1) Girardi brings in an unknown named Eppley to pitch the 9th in a 4-run game. After the 1st batter gets on, he brings in Mariano to close it out. Bringing in Eppley is like a slap in the face of the Boston offense. 2) A camera shot shows Adrian Gonzalez laughing with Dave Magaden in the Sox dugout in the 9th. Sorry, Adrian, but until you start hitting the ball consistently - & I don't mean bloop singles - try taking the game a little more seriously, especially against the Yankees. It's very frustrating to see a team with so much talent playing so poorly. Someone needs to step up & get hot. At this point 3rd place in the East is a stretch.

Fenway Turns 100 Years

Fenway Park turns 100 today. Lots of history for all those guys who enjoy remembering Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, etc. I'm sure the Red Sox will go it up right with a fitting ceremony. More important than history is the present. The Sox need to win this series with the Yankees to end their 3 game skid. And they need to get more consistency in all phases of the game. History is nice. A win would be better.

Beckett Good, Relief Bad

The Sox dropped their 3rd game in a row, losing to the Rangers 6-3.

Positives - Beckett pitched well enough to win. Youk hit his first home run & maybe he is coming out of his slump.

Negatives - Offense was flat against a lefty after destroying David Price & Matt Moore earlier this week. Franklin Morales was part of a 3-run 8th by the Rangers that sealed the game.

The Sox have not put a solid game together in all 3 phases during this mini losing streak. When they pitch, hit & catch the ball the Sox are as good as any team out there. But consistency is was separates the good teams from the bad ones. And right now the Sox are very inconsistent.

No time like the present to turn it around as the pinstripes invade Fenway for 3 games this weekend. Maybe this off day will help to get everyone regrouped.

Beckett A Stopper?

As bad as last night's loss was to the Texas Rangers, a good pitching performance by Josh Beckett tonight can stop a 2 game skid. Beckett has been the stopper in past years & it would be nice to see Beckett & the offense bounce back with a win tonight to earn a split of the short 2 game series against the reigning ALCS champs.

The Sox are running into a hot Texas team that boasts a 9-2 record. You can't get off to a better start than that. And the Rangers are not ready to give up their AL West crown to Albert Pujols & the Angels without a fight.

You need a short memory in this game. Let's hope the Sox put together a good effort in all 3 phases tonight.

Rangers 18, Sox 3

Jon Lester - stinko. Mark Melancon - stinko. Sox look like boys playing against men as they lose 18-3. Nuf ced.

Pull Bard Or Not To

As Woody Harrelson says in the HBO movie "Game Change" about Sarah Palin & John McCain, there are no do-overs. Same here. There are no do-overs when it comes to questioning Bobby V's decision to leave in Daniel Bard. It didn't work, period.

As a manager or coach, you go with information & your gut feeling. Some decisions work out. Some don't. If you're lucky, more decisions do work out than don't. But there is no going back.

Let's not forget that the offense was stymied by James Shields. You can't win with no runs no matter what decisions are made.

I hope the Sox get back on a winning streak tonight against the Rangers. It's one series at a time & let's not forget that we just beat the Rays 3 out of 4. Don't lose the big picture.

Shields Silences Red Sox Bats

A 1-0 loss today to James Shields & the Tampa Bay Rays concludes the Red Sox first series win of the season. The Sox take 3 out of 4 in their opening series at Fenway Park versus the Rays.

Now the heavy hitting Texas Rangers pop into the Fens for a quick 2 game series. Lester & Beckett get the honors of trying to silence the bats of Michael Young & company.

I'd take a split against Texas.

Youk Vs. Bobby's Comments

As the Sox approach .500 like the rest of the AL East, Bobby V.'s comments about Youk seemed out of character for a player who is usually too emotional & too physically wrapped up in games. Youk said he was confused by the comments which seem to have come out of nowhere.

Te 2 participants met this morning & I'm sure things are straightened out between the 2 of them. But the media will be like flies on crap until the next big thing happens. All of the morning talk shows are all over this.

I'm happy that the Sox have put a hurting on the Rays for the past 3 days. If they can beat James Shields today, the offense will have deafeated the heavy artillery of the Tampa pitching staff. That will send a nice message to the Rays for the rest of the year.

Great homestand so far. Let's keep it going today.

3 In A Row for Sox

Let's make it a perfect homestand so far. Your Boston Red Sox made it 3 wins in a row versus archrival Tampa Bay with a 6-4 win today.

The Sox were cruising 4-0 behind Felix Doubront. However, Tampa Bay made a nice comeback in the middle innings to tie the game 4-4. David Ortiz hit a very important RBI double to give the Sox the lead once again. Mike Aviles added a solo shot which padded the lead to 6-4. Vicente Padilla, Franklin Morales & Alfredo Aceves shutdown the Rays' bats over the final 3 frames to close out the win.

I give the Sox credit for finding ways to win without Ells, Crawford & Bailey. So far it's been a lot of offense & key relief pitching to backup the starters. One more win on Patriots Day will give the Sox a sweep of the Rays.

Sox Win Again 13-5

Looks like home cookin' agrees with the Boston Red Sox. The Sox have another big offensive inning in the 8th, scoring 5 more times, to ice the Rays 13-5. This win assures the Sox of no less than a split in the 4-game series at Fenway with Tampa Bay.

5 home runs powered the Sox offense. Salty, Petey, Big Papi, Aviles & Ross got to trot around the bases today.

Buck settled down to throw 7 innings, including 4 scoreless innings to finish his night. Morales & Aceves just blew away the Rays last 6 batters in the 8th & 9th.

The Sox need to keep winning until Crawford, Ells & Bailey can make it back onto the field. So far, so good. I will say that McDonald in the outfield doesn't seem to be a long term solution for the next 6 to 8 weeks.

Homestand Starts With 12-2 Win

I didn't get to watch this game. I understand that the Sox offense & Josh Beckett were the big positives today, but Jacoby Ellsbury's injury was the big negative. Let's hope that Ells is not out for any extended time.

I was visiting with my brother-in-law today. He is resting comfortably in a hospice house & he is waiting for the good Lord to call him home any day now. What did he do today? He watched the Red Sox win.

Many, many people look at the Red Sox as a link from the past to the present. Go into a hospice house or a nursing home on game day & you will hear TV's up & down the corridor with residents listening to their favorite Red Sox. It gives them something to look forward to. It gives them a sense of normalcy. It makes things OK.

I'm glad that the Sox put a beating on the Rays & David Price today. I'm even happier that my brother-in-law got to enjoy one more win.

Putting the Pieces Together

The 2012 edition of the Boston Red Sox have not put all the pieces together yet in the early going. Pitching, defense, offense & even luck have been up & down.

Over the course of 162 games things do even out. Balls find a hole. Umpires' calls go your way. Someone makes a big play or gets a timely hit.

This homestand will be no cake walk & the Sox can do a lot to silence their early critics by winning series against the 3 playoff teams they are facing. Tampa Bay is off to a good start, as is Texas. The Yankees will be the Yankees.

Let's hold off a little longer on pushing the panic button just yet. Let's see how this homestand goes & how many series the Sox can win in front of a friendly crowd. After losing my road prediction of 3-3 I'm predicting a home record of 6-3. What do you think??

Where's the Offense?

There are several guys on the Red Sox team who have not shown up offensively yet.

Jacoby Ellsbury has not been on base enough.

David Ortiz has been sporadic, not to mention a ground out today with the tying runs on base against a right-handed pitcher.

Youk is struggling mightily as are Salty & Cody Ross.

Other than Beckett & a snake-bitten Buchholz, the Sox should be 4-2 if the offense scores its usual 5.5 runs per game.

Yes, the back-end of the bullpen cost us 2 games. But, overall, the offense is underperforming. I would rather see more bunting to get runners in scoring position than these useless ground outs that don't advance runners.

What happened to those patient hitters who wore out pitchers? What happened to the team that scored the most runs last year?

Sox Lose Again 3-1

Several good efforts have gone for not in the Red Sox first 6 games this year. Another one went by the boards today as Jon Lester pitched a gem, but no offensive support by his teammates - again - results in a 3-1 loss. Sometimes it's no fun being the #1 guy in the rotation when you are always going against the #1 from your opponent. That's been Lester's luck so far.

If you're an optimist, you can say the Sox improved by 1 win over their start in 2011. Instead of 0-6 they are 1-5. In reality they have been in 4 of the first 6 & could easily be 4-2 right now. Just not getting a timely hit, making a necessary pitch or making a key play in the field can result in defeat - as we have seen.

Little things bug me. Take the Mike Aviles at bat in the 8th with 1 out & nobody on base. The score is 2-1 & Romero still has a low pitch count. McDonald had just made a quick out. Aviles swings on the first pitch & grounds out. Why? You're behind by 1. Don't you want to work the count at least until you get 1 strike to bump up the pitch count & maybe get Romero out of there? Sometimes I don't get. I stand by my opinion that Aviles is not the answer at short.

Starting this weekend some home cooking against the Rays, Rangers & Yankees have to produce more wins - right?

Sox Lose 7-3

Flat offense. First guy out of the pen was bad.

That kind of sums up last night's 7-3 loss for the Red Sox in Toronto. Daniel Bard exited the game with the score 3-1. In comes Justin Thomas & he gives up a walk to a lefty to load the bases, then a double to bring in 2 big runs. Game over.

Bard pitched well. My only observation is that he gave up a lot of hits with 2 strikes on the batter. True, most hits were singles, but they were still hits. His line score will look worse than it really was, especially due to the ineffectiveness of Thomas.

The Sox still have a chance to win the series in Toronto with a victory this afternoon. It's all about winning series after being swept in the first one.

Ozzie Suspended 5 Games

It's the first week of the new baseball season & already the new Marlins manager, Ozzie Guillen, is suspended 5 games. Ozzie said he respects Fidel Castro.

Not the best thing to say in a community of Cubans who are your fan base. The Marlins couldn't have asked for anything worse in a year where they are trying to fill a new park.

Ozzie gave a contrite speech today & said he will stay away from making political comments in the future. That may be too little too late for many Cubans who fled the oppression of Castro's regime years ago.

Not to be outdone, Ozzie has also made positive comments about Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. He hopes that his Venezuelan players will give him a pass on those comments as well.

Miami should have known what they were getting in Ozzie Guillen. He has a history of shooting his mouth off & now he may have gone one step too far.

Red Sox Win!

Finally, the draught is over. You might say the Red Sox & Blue Jays traded places with the Jays playing like the Sox did in Detroit.

A 3-run 9th inning gave the Red Sox & Bobby Valentine their first win of 2012, a come-from-behind 4-2 victory over a large opening day crowd in Toronto. For the first time this season the Sox got timely hitting & good relief pitching to seal the win.

Felix Doubront limited the Jays to 2 runs over the first 5 innings, even though his pitch count prevented him from going further. Scot Atchison pitched 3 scoreless innings of relief to keep the score close at 2-1. And Alfredo Aceves pitched a 1-2-3 9th after the Sox took the lead to seal the win.

Dustin Pedroia was the offensive star with a homer in the 6th to cut the Jays lead to 2-1. In the 9th Pedroia started things again with a double & tied the score on a sac fly by Adrian. Two walks later Ryan Sweeney found a hole between 1st & 2nd to score Darnell McDonald on a bad throw by Jose Bautista. For good measure Cody Ross scored an insurance run on a wild pitch by Sergio Santos who blew a save opportunity.

I have to say that I turned off the TV after the Sox went ahead 4-2. I couldn't watch the bottom of the 9th after 2 losses in the 9th in Detroit. Maybe some of you did the same thing.

With the Sox win & a save by Aceves Daniel Bard has a little less pressure in his first start tonight. Many fans are already clamoring for Bard to move back into the bullpen. It will be an interesting development to watch.

Sox Swept Out of Detroit

Clay Buchholz deserved better. Several seeing eye ground balls & a missed catch by Jacoby Ellsbury put the Sox in a 4-0 hole after 1 inning. Buck would leave this game after 4 innings & 7 runs.

Vicente Padilla would have been the hero with his 4 shutout innings of relief work. But Alfredo Aceves & the closer role don't seem to mix. Aceves gave up the winning hit on Thursday & today he gave up a 3-run homer to all-world Miguel Cabrera to blow a save.

The Sox took the lead again in the 11th, but once more those pesky Tigers would comeback to win the game with 3 runs off of Mark Melancon.

This loss 13-12 was actually worse than the 10-0 loss yesterday. It was nice to see the offense come alive today. But the back of the bullpen anchored by Melancon & Aceves is rough, very rough.

How long can Bobby V. stick with these guys over Daniel Bard? It may not be long.

A New Day

It's a new day. It's Easter Sunday. Happy Easter everyone!

Similar to the religious aspects associated with Easter Sunday, the Boston Red Sox hope to "resurrect" themselves with a win today behind Clay Buchholz. Motown has not been hospitable to Boston in the first 2 games.

I would expect to see Kelly Shoppach, Darnell McDonald & Nick Punto in the lineup today. A few changes can't hurt anything & they might get the offense going. Ellsbury, Youkilis, Ross & Aviles are still looking for their first hits of the season.

It's only 2 games into the season, one close one & one blowout to date, but it sure would be nice to leave Detroit with one win & a little momentum as the Sox travel to Toronto for 3 more.

Embarassment In Detroit

It was an utter embarassment for all Red Sox fans to be in Comerica Park & see such a lackluster effort by their Boston team. A 10-0 defeat today conjures up visions of last year's poor start & poor finish.

No offense. Shutout by 2nd rate pitchers. Only 2 runs in their first 18 innings.

No pitching. Beckett gave up 5 home runs in 4 & 2/3rds, 2 each to Cabrera & Fielder. Not the kind of start to the season he wanted.

No defense. Errors by Aviles & Salty extended innings unnecessarily.

It looked like mem against boys out there & the Sox deserve any bad press they get. The next 160 games can't go any worse.

Off Day in Detroit

What to do on an off day? Well, we learned more about Detroit by visiting the Motown Museum & the Ford Museum. Both were very educational & fun. I'd recommend them to anyone. Wear good walking shoes to the Ford Museum because it's pretty big.

We saw several Sox players around the hotel. Beckett does not look out of shape at all & he is ready to start on Saturday. Youk, Pedroia & McDonald were all moving around. I just said good luck & let them enjoy their personal time.

There should be more Sox fans in the park on Saturday & Sunday. We were sorely outnumbered on Thursday.

I still say 1 win in Detroit & 2 in Toronto puts us at .500 for the first road trip. Beckett &/or Buccholz give us a good chance for that first win (or two).

How Do You Spell Relief?

After being stifled offensively for 8 innings by the Tigers Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander, the Boston Red Sox tied the game in the 9th with 2 runs off of closer Jose Valverde. But there is a saying that the ball always finds you weakest spot & today that weak spot was the Boston bullpen.

After 7 excellent innings of 1-run ball by Jon Lester the pen gave up a big run in the 8th to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead. And then they gave up the game winning run in the bottom of the 9th. Sox lose the opener 3-2. Poor outings for Vincente Padilla, Mark Melancon & Alfredo Aceves. Bobby V. will have to hope for more out of those 3 guys.

Some of my takeaways from attending this game:

- It was cold, really cold with a 10-15 mile an hour wind blowing in the stands the whole day. My body will need a few hours to thaw out.

- I thought that the Sox missed an early scoring chance with Ortiz on 2nd & no outs. Youk hit an easy ground out to short, as opposed to hitting a ball to the right side to advance Ortiz to 3rd. Maybe Verlander made a good pitch, but we could have had 3rd & 1 out.

- Verlander is a pretty beloved player in MoTown & not only for his on-the-field accomplishments. He owns a suite at Comerica Park & had returning veterans from Afghanistan as his guests today.

- Pedroia had quite an at-bat to start the 9th with a ringing double to right-center. Ryan Sweeney just missed a homer to right to drive in the tying run. Pedroia, Big Papi & Sweeney all hit the ball well today.

I think we have a better chance to comeback with wins in games 2 & 3. I like Beckett & Buccholz over Fister & Scherzer.

Aceves To Close

Bobby V. made his choice. Alfredo Aceves is the closer - at least this weekend.

Aceves plus 12 other pitchers make the trip to Detroit as part of the Red Sox roster. Bobby said he may not take 13 pitchers for long, maybe not even into the 2nd series in Toronto.

But having more options due to the injury to Andrew Bailey is a good thing for now. You never know when an important match-up will determine a win or loss. I'd keep as many options available too!

Tiger Fans Optomistic

Riding in from the airport & meeting a few folks from Motown last night, it's safe to say that the mood in Detroit is one where Tiger Nation expects to win the AL Central. In fact, 48 out of 49 sportscasters around the country pick the Tigers as the favorites to win the AL East. Who can argue with that?

Having said that, not everyone is happy about the huge contract to Prince Fielder. This is a city that ran out of money recently & had to go on bended knee to the state for a bailout. According to the news, the bailout of Detroit was just approved, but it comes with a lot of strings.

While the car manufacturers are doing better than in the past, the full economic recovery of Detroit is still a long way away from happening. But at least the people of Detroit have their Tigers to bring them hope. I'd be happy with 1 win out of 3 here.

In Detroit

Ok, Red Sox fans, my wife & I are in Detroit & ready to report on game #1 of the 2012 season tomorrow. It's a great coincidence that we are staying at the same hotel as the Red Sox team. We are feeling at home.

After checking in, I saw a very trim David Ortiz making a phone call to someone off to the side of the lobby. I didn't interrupt him. At the hotel bar & grill we saw Don & Jerry come walking through. After dinner we were able to get a photo of Jacoby Ellsbury & Cody Ross. Our granddaughter will be ecstatic. We will post the picture to the blog when we get back.

It should be a great weekend in Detroit.

Bailey Out, Beckett OK

Who's the closer? That question will be asked about a million times tomorrow. Andrew Bailey is out until the All-Star break due to needed surgery on his thumb which will be done tomorrow in Cleveland.

Who gets the ball in the 9th? Melancon? Aceves? Does Bard go back to close? Bobby V. will have a field day with reporters tomorrow.

Good news today is Josh Beckett is OK to make his scheduled start on Saturday. His thumb must have just been a bruise.

Never a dull moment in Red Sox Nation.

2 Days Left Until Opening Day

Regardless of the status of Bailey, Beckett & Crawford, the Sox play their final pre-season tune-up game in DC today against the Nationals. Then it's off to Detroit to start the season on Thursday.

If there are any old guys out there who remember pitching on opening day for your Little League, school or summer teams, you know that there is a different buzz around the park on that day. Managers, coaches & fans can feel it too.

There's just something special about being the starting pitcher on opening day. Jon Lester gets his 2nd try at a win on opening day. It should be a great day & a great season. Being picked to finish 3rd this year is just fine with me after last year's prediction of 100 wins.

Now Beckett Getting His Thumb Checked

It appears that Andrew Bailey's thumb injury will need corrective surgery, per the Red Sox website.

In addition, Josh Beckett is heading to Texas today to get his right thumb checked "for peace of mind." He is not expected to miss his start on Saturday in Detroit. We'll see.

Now guys like Alfredo Aceves, Aaron Cook, Andrew Miller & Vicente Padilla become more important quickly. There is truth to the saying safety in numbers.

Andrew Bailey Headed to DL?

History has a way of repeating itself. Unfortunately, Andrew Bailey is learning that important history lesson again this year.

Bailey is likely to start this year like last year - on the DL. He has a thumb injury from a collision against the Pirates. Bailey originally thought the thumb just got jammed & it would work itself out, but no such luck.

Bailey flew back to Boston to get his thumb evaluated by doctors. Even if he skips the DL, it's a foregone conclusion that he will not be ready for the Tigers series when the season starts on Thursday.

Both Mark Melancon & Alfredo Aceves can fill the role of closer temporarily. I actually thought that Melancon's stuff looked better or as good as Bailey's. And how important is an arm like Alfredo Aceves now?

Too bad for Andrew Bailey. Hopefully, his injury is minor & he can get back into action in the 2nd series against Toronto. As a manager, you just like to have all your bullets in the gun when you start to play for real. 2 of Bobby's bullets will be missing without Bailey & Crawford.

Spring Training Winding Down

I attended my last Spring Training game last night. Even though a fan in the front row had a sign that spelled Cleveland wrong ("CLEVLAND), it was a great night for a game & it put an end to the practice tune-ups that I was fortunate to see all during the month of March. Spring Training is such a boom to small towns like Goodyear, AZ.

When the regular season for the Sox begins on Thursday I will be at Comerica Park in person to see the opening series against the Tigers. I'm really looking forward to it. Hopefully, I can bring you a little flavor of the atmosphere that you can't get on TV.

Get ready for the 2012 season. It's finally here.

Doubront, Bard Win Rotation Spots

The pitching picture to start the season is becoming clearer.

Felix Doubront is the #4 starter. Daniel Bard is the #5 starter.

Alfredo Aceves is upset, but is going back into the bullpen.

Aaron Cook & Vicente Padilla get compensation of $100,000 to remain part of the team until May 1st.

There are still a few bullpen & position spots to finalize, but the starting rotation was the last major piece.

I'm good with the choices by Bobby V. & I'm even more excited that Cook & Padilla get to hang around for another month.

Just remember - how you start is not how you finish.