Cook, Middlebrooks Spark 5-0 Win

Aaron Cook pitched a complete game shutout over the Seattle Mariners. He made it look so easy that I was thinking maybe I could pitch 3 or 4 against the Mariners myself! Good for Cook who has persevered through several setbacks to return to the majors. His spot in the new 6-man rotation is preserved. And, after several long fly balls died in the outfield over the first 3 innings, Will Middlebrooks hit a solo shot to left in the 5th which opened the floodgates. Another HR followed by Cody Ross, then Daniel Nava hit a 3rd for good measure. Salty added a 2-run blast in the 6th. Middlebrooks went into a mini-slump after the trade of Youk, but he hit the ball well last night & fielded his position well. His post-Youk adjustment is over.

Sox Lose Out West 1-0

I only made it through the first 6 innings. Time for bed after that. I saw this morning that the Sox lost 1-0 in the 9th on a dropped throw from Ross to Salty. If you like pitching, & I do, both Hernandez & Morales were getting outs pretty easily. They both had overpowering stuff & hitters looked overmatched. Too bad Morales didn't fare better. But the Sox should face easier pitching the rest of this road trip.

Big Papi Hits #399

David Ortiz is one big fly ball away from 400 home runs. In a 10-4 win today & a series win over the Blue Jays Big Papi unloaded homer #399. Sox fans were hoping to see #400 in his last at-bat, but it was not to be. Ortiz is putting up numbers in HR's & RBI that just can't be ignored. Maybe that offer of arbitration by the Sox this year isn't so bad now!

Petey Hits Sox to Victory 5-1

5 late runs off the Toronto bullpen gave the Sox a 5-1 win last night. Nice to see Petey come up big with a 2-run single with the bases loaded & 2 outs. With Youk gone Pedroia is one of the guys players look to for on-field leadership. And it looks like Petey is finally healthy & hitting his way out of a slump.

Doubront Bad, Sox Lose

Bad start for Felix Doubront last night in the first post-Youk game for the Sox versus division rival Toronto. Pitching is up in the air with both Beckett & Buchholz on the DL. We could have used a good start last night, but it wasn't to be. The starting 5 now consists of Lester, Morales, Cook, Doubront & Dice-K. Not what anyone expected leaving Fort Myers. The all-star break can't get here soon enough.

Kevin Youkilis Traded to White Sox

As Bobby V said post-game, it was perfect. On his last at bat in a Red Sox uniform Youk hit an RBI triple, sliding into 3rd to avoid the tag. Youk got a thunderous ovation coming off the field & was called back from the dugout for a curtain call. Thus ended the Boston career for a 9 year vet of 2 World Series teams. Youk will now play 3B everyday for the Chicago White Sox who come to Fenway in 3 weeks. Expect loud ovations again during that series for Youk who gave 100% each & every game for the Sox - to the point where his body broke down over the past few years. A change of scenery will be good for Youk & for the Red Sox. Adrian Gonzalez can now return to 1B & Will Middlebrooks has the task of replacing Youk at 3B. It was the right things to do for all sides.

Middlebrooks Stays Hot, Youk Sits

Remember when Drew Bledsoe got hit & Tom Brady came in? Different sport, but it's kind of similar with Kevin Youkilis & Will Middlebrooks. Middlebrooks is producing so well that it is basically impossible for Bobby V to take his bat out of the lineup. Middlebrooks had another homer last night to help the Sox to an 8-4 victory over the visiting Braves. And, even though it's the right decision for the betterment of the team, Youk deserves to be playing every day as he has earned that right over the past 10 years. Youk's body takes a pounding every year & this year is no different. He will be a contributing player again - just not for the Red Sox. It's a hard way for a home grown guy to leave the only team you have ever known. But the time has come for a trade to be made for Youk - sooner rather than later.

Braves Beat Sox 4-1

Well, I guess the Sox were due to lose a game. They had gone 7-1 or 8-1 before last night's loss. Hard to win when your offense only scores 1 run. Again, Lester pitched well enough to win the game on an average offensive night of 5 runs per game, but it was not to be last night. It would be nice, however, for the Sox to continue to win individual series by beating the Braves on Saturday & Sunday. I like opening the morning paper & not seeing them in last!

Ortiz Pounds the Media

David Ortiz went all nutty yesterday on the Boston media. His point is taken that, even amidst a 5-game winning streak, the media continues to hound Red Sox players about a toxic or disruptive clubhouse. So far all the players have stuck together. And maybe it was time for someone like Big Papi to b---- slap the press. Sportswriters aren't happy unless they can scoop a juicy story for ratings, even if half fabricated or more. I think it's good to put the sports paparazzi back onto reporting what goes on on the field. And things have been good lately on the field.

Kids Fuel Comeback Win

Will Middlebrooks. Daniel Nava. Ryan Kalish. Who would have thought that these 3 up & comers would contribute to a big come-from-behind win to sweep the Marlins 6-5 last night! Middlebrooks continues to make his case to be the everyday third baseman. Nava makes fans forget the loss of Carl Crawford. And Kalish will push Cody Ross & Ryan Sweeney for playing time once Ells comes back. A small thing, but a big thing, turned out to be Mike Aviles' at bat where he put the ball into play on a hit & run which found Ryan Kalish going from first to third on the play. Kalish later scored the winning run on Nava's single to center. Nice team effort for a 5th win in a row. Just what the doctor ordered!

Big Papi On Fire

David Ortiz is on his way to a 40 HR / 110 RBI season this year. You almost pencil him in for 1 home run per game these days because he is so hot at the plate. Give the guy credit for making a resurgence in his later years. With Gonzo, Petey & Youk having off years it has been the steady presence of David Ortiz in the middle of the order that has stabilized the Sox offense. The big guy is making a strong case to stay in a Red Sox uniform for a few more years after this season. I was one of the people saying that the Sox overpaid to keep #34 & they should not have offered him arbitration. Guess I was wrong.

Bombs Away in 15-5 Win

3 home runs, including a granny from Big Papi, led the way to a lopsided Red Sox victory over the Marlins 15-5. Like Buck the night before, Doubront was so-so, but he did limit the Marlins from scoring big in any inning, getting key outs when he nededed to. How about Daniel Nava going 4 for 5 in the leadoff spot! This kid has played his way into the lineup - like Middlebrooks - & Bobby V will be hard pressed to take him out when Carl Crawford get back. Take your time, Carl. No hurry. The combinations of Nava/Kalish in left, Ells in center & Ross/Sweeney in right look good to me.

Sox Offense Keys 7-5 Win

3 home run balls helped Clay Buchholz through a so-so outing as the Red Sox beat the Marlins 7-5 at home last night. Big Papi, Kelly Shoppach & newly returned Cody Ross all went deep. Buck pitched the 1st 6, giving up 5 runs, but benefitted from great bullpen work over the final 3 innings with Alfredo Aceves striking out Hanley Ramirez to end the game. Story of the night for me was the play of Ryan Kalish in CF. He made a diving catch to start the game, missed a ball that hit his glove, but then made another nice catch in the triangle. After the game he owned up to his error, all the while sporting a big grin to be back in the bigs & playing the outfield again in Fenway Park. Kalish's energy & enthusiasm can help change Buster Olney's "toxic" comment about the Sox clubhouse.

Clemens Acquitted

Roger Clemens was found not guilty of lying to Congress about his use of performance-enhancing drugs. Such was the verdict of a jury after 10 weeks of testimony. There's a good use of our tax dollars, right! Clemens now joins Barry Bonds as another player whom the courts could not prove guilty beyond a reeasonable doubt. The court of public opinion is another matter. Voters for HOF entrance are another matter as well. I think Roger should buy Andy Pettitte a nice gift for only being 50% sure of what he previously testified to.

Yankees On Fire

The New York Yankees are doing what Boston Red Sox fans hoped their team would do. Put it all together & go on an extended winning streak. The Yankees have won 10 in a row thanks to consistency in their pitching & hitting. Consistency is a term that has eluded the 2012 edition of the Sox thus far this year. Maybe our Boston team can learn from their rivals in pinstripes. All it takes is a nice win streak to turn things around. Perhaps it starts on the current 9 game home stand tonight.

Give Bobby V Credit

Everyone, including me, scratched their head when they learned that Bobby V. was starting Franklin Morales in place of Josh Beckett last night. But it looks likes Franklin was up to the test as he pitched 5 great innings to lead the Sox to a 7-4 win & another series win. David Ortiz stayed red hot with another homer & Ryan Kalish made his presence known with a go-ahead single. How many different outfielders will the Red Sox use this year?? Sox are back to the magic .500 mark as they come home for 9 games with the Marlins, Braves & Jays. If they are ever going to get some traction going, this homestand is the perfect time.

Lester, Salty Key Sox Win 4-3

Other than an excuse-me home run by the #8 batter in the order for the Cubs, Jon Lester pitched 7 strong & his batterymate provided a 2-run homer to clinch a 4-3 win in Chicago over the Cubs. Not only did Salty provide a multiple hit game on offense, he also threw out a runner stealing second base - a rarity for the Sox. With Josh Beckett on the DL Franklin Morales makes a spot start tonight to try to win this series at Wrigley before the Sox return home for a 9-game homestand. It would be a big win tonight as this would be a 2nd interleague series road win in a row.

Sox Lose to Cubbies 3-0

Ryan Dempster was hot & the Sox offense was not. Dice-K gave up 3 runs early & that was the difference in this game where the Sox offense could muster only 5 hits. And now Beckett is scratched from Sunday's start with shoulder stiffness. The Sox just can't get a normal lineup for any length of time.

Youk: Trade or Keep?

An off day is a good day to speculate about what the Sox may or may not do with Kevin Youkilis as this year winds on. Unlike Joe Haggarty on Comcast Sportsnet, I don't think they trade Youk because he yelled at an umpire. I don't know which sport, if any, Haggarty thinks he knows, but Haggarty has to give the most uninformed opinions on baseball at that station. And that's saying a lot since Comcast has Michael Holley & others! The decision for Ben Cherington is an easy one - keep Youk if management thinks he can help the team make the playoffs or trade him if they can get value in return. Everyone wants another quality pitcher for Youk. Not me! How about a right-handed power hitter to help the offense through these ups & downs? Lester, Beckett, Buchholz, Doubront & Dice-K have been pitching as well as any other rotation lately. They have Bard, Cook & even Aceves that they can use as replacement starters should someone go down. The bullpen got Mark Melancon back this week & will get Andrew Bailey back soon. I'd go for a right-handed power hitter, preferably an outfielder, to compliment Ells in center & Sweeney/Ross in right. Carl Crawford is too much of an unknown to count on.

Doubront, Papi Lead 10-2 Win Over Marlins

Since Daniel Bard was sent to AAA you have to admit that the starting pitching has been good enough to win every game. After a tight 2-1 win on Tuesday the Sox offense, & the top of the order, contributed mightily towards a 10-2 rout of the Miami Marlins to win the series 2-1 in Miami. The Marlins will be in Boston next week for a return match. Felix Doubront was in command over the first 7 innings. David Ortiz hit his 15th homer & the top 4 batters in the Sox lineup account for 9 or 10 hits. Odd bullpen moves at the end of the game were made by Bobby V & Ozzie. Vicente Padilla came in in the 8th to pitch to 1 batter with an 8-run lead & was then abruptly taken out. Similarly, Ozzie used his closer, Heath Bell, in the 9th with an 8-run deficit. Just weird use of the bullpen...

Buick, Shoppach Stop Slide With 2-1 Win

Clay Buchholz is back. 7 innings of 1-run ball with 2 big hits by Kelly Shoppach was all the Red Sox needed to defeat Mark Buehrle & the Marlins 2-1. It was the 1st win in 5 tries & it gives the Sox a chance to win this interleague series behind Felix Doubront tonight. Buck struckout a season high 9 batters with a devastating changeup to compliment his fastball & breaking balls. It wasn't pretty as the Sox offense was kept off balance by Buehrle & they eked out only 2 runs with most of the damage done by the bottom of the order. Sox offense was bailed out by the pitching of Buck, but we'll take a win these days anyway we can get one.

Sox Becoming Irrelevant

Let's blame the umpires. As a coach, I always told our players that there are only 2 things that you can control on the field - it's your attitude & your effort. There is no question that the Red Sox players are trying hard & giving a good effort, but their attitude that umpires are costing them games is misplaced. Like the weather, umpires are an "uncontrollable" factor in any game. One of my coaches use to tell me that the best way to avoid bad umpiring calls is to outplay the other team by a wide enough margin that one call doesn't effect the game's outcome. The Red Sox offense needs to look themselves in the mirror for a reality check. They are not getting the big hit when they need it & that's why they are losing games. Good example is the first inning last night. 2 on, no outs, a chance to have a big 1st inning against Johnson & the 3-4-5 batters make 3 outs in a row. That's the problem, not the umpires. Time for Bobby V & the boys to "man up" & stop making excuses.

Off to the Land of Ozzie

The Red Sox start a 3-game series tonight in the new home of the re-named Miami Marlins. Ozzie Guillen has already insulted people of Cuban descent in Miami by saying Fidel Castro was a good guy. Most recently, he told his players to start hitting or be demoted. Never a dull moment in the land of Oz. The Sox can't do any worse than they did against the Nationals, so maybe this will be a rebound series. Boston needs to get back to winning series, something that has escaped them in each of the last 2 against Baltimore & Washington.

Nats Sweep Sox At Fenway

It was a great weekend for a young & talented Washington Nationals team as they swept the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park. It was a sad weekend for the Red Sox who couldn't muster enough offense to win a single game. Alfredo Aceves, now 0-4 on the season, coughed up the winning run in the 9th today as the Sox lose the finale 4-3. Aceves has been more ineffective than effective lately. Perhap the closer experiment will come to an end when Andrew Bailey works his way back into the roster. In the interim maybe Mark Melancon can get back into pitching late innings out of the pen. The Boston Red Sox are a head-scratcher this year as their play in all phases of the game - offense, defense & pitching - continues to be erratic. Since Daniel Bard's demotion to AAA the starting pitching has been more than adequate to win games. It's either been the bullpen, lack of offense or both that can be blamed for 5 losses in the last 6 games. If the Sox don't right the ship soon, they may find themselves permanent cellar-dwellers.

Sox Drop 2nd Series in a Row

First Baltimore. Now the Washington Nationals. The combination of Strasburg - Harper in Game 1 led to a 7-4 Red Sox loss & Gio Gonzalez pitched the Nats to a 4-2 victory yesterday, spoiling the return of Dice-K. The Sox are back to 1 game under .500, but still not so far out of the AL East race that a good week or 10 days couldn't propel them into first. Look at the Yankees who went from 4th to 1st with a 7-3 record in their last 10 games. It's frustrating for me & obviously our blog viewers are frustrated as they visited the blog sparing this past week. With the Celtics out maybe folks will now focus more on the Sox - for better or worse. They need a good 10 game stretch.

Buchholz Shutout A Statement

I think Clay Buchholz made a nice statement last night. He is all the way back from his bad back. Buck threw a complete game in a 7-0 win & was in control of all his pitches. The biggest stat to me - no walks. His control was back on both fastballs, his curveball & his killer change-up. With Buck, Beckett & Lester all pitching well in their last starts, & you know the offense is going to score runs, I'm optimistic about the rest of June. Sox are only 3 games back of the leader. Don't look now but the Yankees are in 1st, winning 7 out of their last 10.

Celtics Lose Big, Go To Miami for Game 7

Regardless of the outcome of the next & final game of this Celtics-Heat conference finals series, you have to give the Green Team credit for making it to a game 7 when most reporters, including Boston reporters, thought that the Heat would dispose of the Celts in quick fashion. Too bad Pierce & Garnett were ineffective last night while everything LeBron threw up went in. It happens. This has been a good series for the NBA, probably more dramatic than the finals will be.

Gonzo Hitting 6th

I say good for Bobby V for having the sack to drop Gonzo in the order. He is not producing, not that anyone did last night. It just kills me to see Adrian swing at the first pitch he sees in an at-bat, especially with runners on base, & ground out to second or short. Gonzo has not been driving balls over the infielders heads &, uncharacteristically, he has not been working the count to his advantage. Until he figures it out, I'd leave Gonzo in the 6-spot as motivation to get back on his game offensively. He has not been the same guy since the home run derby in 2011.

No Offense Equals Another Loss

The starting pitching, other than Daniel Bard, has been good enough to win 2 out of the last 3. However, Tuesday night the bullpen is off & last night the offense is off. Result is a wasted quality outing by Josh Beckett as the Sox lose 2-1 for their 3rd loss in a row. Here we go back to .500 & last place again. With 35% of the season over the Sox are starting to see how they miss their starters who are on the DL. Even so, they are only 4 games back of Baltimore. If the Sox can keep hanging around until the DL men come back around the all-star break, they could do some damage in the 2nd half of the season. Until then I'm going to assume we will continue to sputter around .500 with inconsistencies in pitching, defense & offense. It would be nice for Clay Buchholz to break the spell of the O's against Boston at Fenway tonight.

Red Sox Lose, Celtics Win

In a back & forth game which Jon Lester pitched well enough to win the Red Sox bullpen under-achieved & caused an 8-6 loss to the O's. The Sox just can't seem to tame the birds from Baltimore this year. Even after a dramatic 2-out homer by Salty in the 9th to tie the game 6-6, Alfredo Aceves gave up 2 in the 10th to lose the game. Dustin Pedroia returned to the lineup with mixed results & Daniel Bard was optioned back to Pawtucket for a time out from the big league to find himself. Down in Miami the Heat bungled the last 2 minutes creating a Celtics win 94-90 to take a 3-2 lead in their series. LeBron was nowhere to be found again at the end & D-Wade put up a brick for a 3-point try with time running out. The noose is tightening around the Heat's necks as they now come to Boston for game 6 on Thursday. Go Celtics!

What To Do With Bard?

As I thought, every sports radio show has the answer for Bobby V on what to do with Daniel Bard. Most agree on one thing - take him out of the starting rotation. I agree with that thought. From there the opinions split. One group wants him to go directly to the familiarity of the Sox bullpen where they think he will quickly regain his form of a 7th or 8th inning guy who throws mostly 98 mph fastballs by 3 hitters for 3 quick outs. The other group wants him to spend time in Pawtucket to get himself back together, mentally as well as physically, before he returns to the big club as a starter or reliever. I'm with the 2nd group's opinion - go to Pawtucket - but return Bard as a reliever only. It's just about time to give Dice-K a whirl anyways. What do you think?

Boston Celtics & Tim Thomas

It's an off day for the Red Sox, so I wanted to give a "well done" to the old men of the Boston Celtics for evening up their series with the Miami Heat. A couple of great team efforts have propelled this conference championship into a 2 out of 3 series. LeBron & Wade can start to feel the choke hold around their necks as the series gets more pressurized with each game. And the other big story in Boston in Tim Thomas taking a year off. Who knows why, but maybe the guy needs a mental timeout from his demanding position. The problem, however, is that this break in action comes at a time when Thomas may be nearing retirement for good. So not great timing for Tim, but who can say a bad word about Tim Thomas after he led the Bruins to a Stanley Cup?

Sox Win Series, But Drop Finale 5-1

The Boston Red Sox have won 7 of their last 9 series. That's good. But Daniel Bard will be the fodder of talk show papparazzi for the next few days based upon an utterly disasterous outing in Toronto today. 6 walks, 2 hit by pitch, 1 home run & 5 runs scored in 1 2/3 innings of work. Sox end up losing 5-1. I saw the first pitch from Bard sail outside as his arm trailed behind his body mechanics. Body going one way, arm another way. I'm no pitching expert, but I said to myself that this is not a good sign. And it wasn't. He was out of control the entire outing. Bard's future as a starter, or a reliever for that point, are very much in question until he can throw quality strikes again with all 3 pitches. He really has major issues to figure out before returning to the mound in any capacity.

Sox Win Again 7-4

Felix Doubront pitched well enough. That's not a surprise. But Nick Punto having a big offensive day, including a homer, that is a big surprise. Punto is the latest of the less known to contribute to a win. You have to admire the group of "fill-ins" making the most of their opportunities on the field. As I wrote earlier, Bobby V will have some tough choices to make as guys continue to return from the DL. The Sox are now in sole possession of 4th place. Both the Red Sox & the 3rd place Yankees are starting to move their way to the top of the division.

Sox Beat Jays 7-2

Clay Buchholz pitched 8 innings of 2 run, 6 hit ball. Daniel Nava contributed 4 hits & 2 RBI. Scot Podsednik scored a run. Ryan Sweeney added 2 more hits. And the makeshift outfield for the Boston Red Sox continues to contribute in a big way. This win moves the Sox out of last & into a tie with the Jays for 4th place, one game behind the Yankees & only 3 games off the AL East lead. What will the Sox do when Ellsbury, Crawford, McDonald & Ross are ready to return? It will make for a crowded outfield which is a positive problem for Bobby V. You can never have too many guys who contribute.

Sox Close Out May 15-14

A sweep is a tough fete to accomplish against any team & the Sox will take winning 3 out of 4 anytime. Sox lose the finale 6-3 to the Tigers before moving onto Toronto for a weekend series against the Jays. This was one of those nights when the offense was sluggish, Josh Beckett was just OK & the bullpen didn't get the job done. It happens, but 3 for 4 is a step in the right direction. Keep winning series is the key. And the next 2 series are against AL East opponents in Toronto & at home against the O's. The Sox are winning a lot more than they are losing over the past 2-3 weeks. We need that trend to continue to have a June that ends 5 or 6 games over .500.