Red Sox, Yankees Again

Who would have thought that the Red Sox & Yankees, version 2013, would be taking on a weekend series for first place in the AL East? None of the supposedly informed media picked the Red Sox or Yankees to finish higher than 3rd or 4th this year. The games are played by humans, not mathematical models. Just like Mother Nature you can't predict outcomes when it comes to players with any degree of certainty. Look at the pre-season favorite pick of the media - Toronto Blue Jays - now solidly in last place. I give the Red Sox &, yes, the Yankees kudos for beating the odds makers for the first third of the 2013 season. The Yankees have lost 5 in a row & may be hitting the wall with the likes of Overbay, Nix & others trying to play above average for an extended period of time. The Sox come into tonight's game winners of 5 out of their last 7. It should be the usual good series between two good teams. Give the edge to the Sox with Lester & Buck going.

Check Out New Podcast

We completed a new podcast yesterday which my tech guy Dave nicely put onto the blog last night. Thank you, Dave! Give a listen if you get a chance.

Sox Bounce Back With 9-2 Win

No Pap last night. The Sox scored 4 runs in the first inning en route to a 9-2 win in Philly to split their home & home interleague series. Good spot start by Franklin Morales. Lots of hits & stolen bases (5) by Jacoby Ellsbury. Since his game-winning hit against Cleveland Ells has been on a tear with his offense & defense. His batting average is up to .270. And he has become a force at leadoff once again. For good measure Jonny Gomes hits a pinch hit home run & Big Papi lofted a nice high Philly fly ball to right that ended up in the bleacher seats. Just a good team win to turn around a 2-game losing streak. The Sox invade Gotham tonight for a 3-game set with the struggling Yankees who have suddenly hit a brick wall with 5 losses in a row. I'm hoping that the Yankees stay in a funk for 3 more games.

Red Sox, Yankees Lose Again

Sox have lost 2 in a row. Yankees have lost 4 in a row. Even Mariano Rivera blew a save on Tuesday. What's the world coming to? I think if this were the stock market, you would say that these recent losses are a market correction. Neither team will end up winning 96 or more game this year. John Lackey gave up 3 long balls last night & ended up losing 3-2. Nice comeback try in the 9th as the Sox score 1 & get the tying & go ahead runs on base. But it was not to be when Daniel Nava grounded out. Again, for the 2nd night in a row, an 8th inning home run does in the Sox. Tazawa gave up one on Tuesday. Uehara gives up one on Wednesday. I think it is a symptom of being overused by John Farrell. Tazawa & Uehara are on pace for 70 appearances. Miller & Bailey need to start shouldering more of the workload. Breslow has been so-so since his return. And Alex Wilson was optioned back to Pawtucket. Franklin Morales get the start tonight as Buck get pushed back again due to his shoulder issue. If Buck doesn't make a start in New York this weekend, Red Sox Nation should start getting concerned. A win tonight to split with the Phillies would be nice. I'm sick of seeing Pap already!

Return of JBJ

Jackie Bradley, Jr. returns to the big team tonight after a successful stay in Pawtucket. He will be used primarily as a pinch hitter & as a pinch runner. If Farrell needs to do a double switch, you may see Jackie in the outfield for a few innings as well. All good for his development as the heir apparent to Jacoby Ellsbury in CF. Bradley, Jr. is getting the necessary seasoning before making the full time jump to the big leagues. I hope he contributes to wins in Philly & New York. JBJ seems to have a mature outlook for a young kid.

Lee, Pap Tame Sox Bats

Not much offense. Sox lose 3-1 to Cliff Lee & the Phillies. Ryan Dempster pitched well enough to win, but not when Cliff Lee is dealing through 8 innings & Jon Papelbon closes it out in the 9th. Really not much else to say. Winning streak over. Series moves to Philly now where the Sox lose their DH for 2 games. As Eck said last night, the goal for Sox pitchers is to not get hurt when they hit or run the bases.

Red Sox Win 4th in a Row

Don't the Philadelphia Phillies look like a shadow of who & what they use to be? Ryan Howard leaves runners in scoring position with regularity. Doc Halladay is out. Chase Utley is out. Cole Hamels is having a down year after signing a big multi-year contract. Charlie Manuel's job is in question. And John Papelbon has only 9 saves since his team doesn't go into the 9th with many leads. Spot starter Alfredo Aceves pitched 6 innings of 1-run ball as the Sox cruised to a 9-3 victory on Memorial Day. Two first inning homers, one by Pedroia & one by Napoli, gave the Sox a 3-0 lead that they would never give up. It's hard not to notice the good job being done by Jose Iglesias at 3B in Will Middlebrooks absence. Iglesias is getting on base via walks, bunts, infield dribblers & a few solid hits to contribute offensively. His defense at 3B has been excellent for someone playing a new position. Middlebrooks may find it hard to get back into the lineup, a positive problem for John Farrell. At the very least Iglesias is enhancing his trade value. Dempster goes against Cliff Lee tonight. Let's go for 5 in a row!

Quite A Comeback Win!

Jacoby Ellsbury said it right when he credited the guys before him with some excellent AB's that allowed him to get the game-winning, walk-off hit in a thrilling 6-5 comeback victory over the Indians. It also happened to be New Hampshire Day at the Fens, so many NH folks came back home happy. The home plate umpire was fickle all day, calling near-misses strikes, then the same pitch a ball. Batters on both sides had issues with him. The Red Sox never would have gotten to Ells if the ump calls a border line 3-2 pitch to Petey a strike or another border line 3-2 pitch to Jose Iglesias a strike. But they both got the benefit of the call. That's baseball. Earlier in the game, Felix Doubront was doing his best impression of Dice-K by going 3-2 on just about every batter before inducing a strikeout or walk. He also served up a meatball to Kipnis on an 0-2 count which promptly got wrapped around Pesky's pole for a short home run. What ever happened to high & tight on 0-2 or a curveball in the dirt? Doubront gave up way to many 2 strike hits & he never seemed to be able to get the 3rd out & off the field. As I said, it was Dice-K-esque to me - 5 laborious innings, 100 pitches, lots of strikeouts & walks. He is a bullpen killer, even though he managed to go 6 innings. Sox take 3 out of 4 from the Indians & now welcome in the Phillies for 2 before going to Philly for 2 more. Crazy man Aceves gets the start today for Clay Buchholz who had a stiff shoulder. Odds are that Aceves gets sent down after his start today & Jackie Bradley Jr. may return.

Rodney No Robin Hood

Just like in the last Red Sox series Fernando Rodney blew another save, this time against the New York Yankees. Rodney was staked to a 3-1 lead in the 9th, but he couldn't hold it. The Yankees tied it in the 9th 3-3 & won in the 10th. A loss would have put the Red Sox & Yankees in a dead heat for 1st place. But no, mister crooked hat & mister arrow after a save couldn't get the job done. Rodney, or Robin Hood, may lose his job as closer. Joe Maddon made take away his bow & arrow. As one announcer said during this game, why can't a closer just congratulate his teammates & get off the field after a save? Because we live in an age where it's all about me, that's why.

Congrats, Bruins!

The Boston Bruins move on to play the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals after eliminating the New York Rangers with a 3-1 win at TD Garden last night. It was another playoff game, another goal for Torey Krug who tied the game 1-1. Krug has 4 goals in his first 5 playoff games. Gregory Campbell, a 4th liner, provided the game winner in the 2nd period & added an empty netter for good measure in the 3rd. The Bruins 4th line provided the difference again last night as they outplayed the Rangers 4th line. I'm not a hockey expert, but the Bruins looked pretty darn good for 3 periods last night. I understand that the Penguins are favored to win the next series, but don't underestimate a team with playoff experience like the Bruins.

Iglesias, Ciriaco Key Win

It was a great game for the #8 & #9 guys in the Red Sox order. Jose Iglesias moved over to short after playing 3B the night before. Pedro Ciriaco manned 3B in the absence of Will Middlebrooks. When I saw the bottom three in the order of Ross, Iglesias & Ciriaco I thought for sure that the Sox were in for a long afternoon & they would have trouble scoring runs against another lefty. Ross ended up striking out 5 times. Unlike Ross, however, Iglesias & Ciriaco were on base the entire game. Mike Carp comes in & gets a big pinch hit in the 8th. And a key error on a Daniel Nava pop up that lands between Asdrubal Cabrera & Michael Brantley breaks the game open. Sox win 7-4 on a day that Jon Lester was not at his best. Some guys don't like pitching in the rain. I was one of those guys. The ball always felt heavier & you could never grip the curveball tight enough to get good rotation. It was a blue collar, grind it out in the rain win today. A very good team win.

John Lackey - Another Good Game

Who is this new John Lackey? I guess surgery on his right arm agrees with him as Lackey pitched 7 innings of 1-run ball last night to lead the Sox over the Indians 8-2. This was Lackey's 2nd dominant start. Timing couldn't be better for Lackey to emerge as Ryan Dempster is in a mini funk & Felix Doubront is a 50-50 chance to pitch well or pitch badly. Reserve Mike Carp added a big 3-run homer in the 2nd to give the Sox a lead that they would never relinquish. Jacoby Ellsbury & Dustin Pedroia each added 2-run singles late in the game to expand the lead. Even crazy man Alfredo Aceves pitched a scoreless 9th. If the game does not get postponed by rain today, Jon Lester will have a chance to beat his ex-manager who once said that he thought of him as a son. It's certainly an interesting weekend with Tito back in town.

Indians Scalp Red Sox 12-3

Do you think that the players on Tito's new team were motivated to make his return to Fenway Park a memorable one? It sure looked that way as the Tribe pounded Ryan Dempster, Clayton Mortensen & Alex Wilson for 12 runs. This is the 3rd bad outing for Dempster who is not looking like the same pitcher from April. In the 3rd Big Papi admired his handywork for a few seconds before rounding the bases on his 3-run shot to right. But that was all that the Sox offense could muster. Pitchers can have a bad night, but I'm more concerned that the offense is swinging for so many balls out of the strike zone. They make mediocre pitchers look like world beaters. Today's another day. Let's see if John Lackey can build off of his last good outing.

It's Time for Tito's Return

I remember the first time I returned to my old place of employment after I had accepted a new position at another company. It was awkward to say the least. Terry Francona does that tonight as he returns to Fenway Park, 2 years after resigning / getting fired as the Sox manager after the 2011 season. He returns as a two time World Series winner & he should be loudly cheered by the Fenway faithful with several standing ovations throughout the weekend. And, by the way, his new team is in first place. The Tribe is playing better than they have in years & they currently lead a much favored Detroit Tigers team in the AL Central. Not bad for a guy who returned to a Cleveland team that his dad played for & for a team that he use to roam around in the clubhouse & dugout as a kid. If you haven't read Francona's book, you need to. All that being said, I hope the Red Sox steamroll the Indians for 4 straight wins.

Sox Win 6-2

Lots of very good things happened last night in Chicago. Sox win 6-2 & stop a 2-game skid to finish their road trip 6-3. Clay Buchholz gives up only 1 run over 7 innings to win his 7th game & keep his ERA the best in the AL. David Ortiz drives in a few runs. Mike Napoli alertly takes home on a passed ball. And Daniel Nava delivers 2 big RBI late in the game for breathing room. It was a nice turnaround from the first 2 games of this series where the offense couldn't help the pitching. Of all the players mentioned above, I think Daniel Nava deserves more kudos. He has been a solid #6 hitter, picking up runners when Ortiz or Napoli fail to do so. His is hitting for average & he has a good OBP. Nava was nothing more than a 4th or 5th outfield prospect at the start of spring training. Now he is contributing in the field or at the plate every night. It took awhile, but good for him.

Rangers Coach All Talk So Far

John Tortorella, what are you thinking? Is this series about you making an ass of yourself in front of the national media? There is a simple coaching axiom that says praise in public, scold in private. I guess John got the 2 confused. Why call out a player on your team & say he stinks? What greater good does that serve? Why swear at a reporter asking a simple question? There has to be a better way for Tortorella to motivate his team. His methods aren't working - obviously - since the Bruins are up 3 to zip. If you are going to lose, try to do it with some class. John is good theatre on TV & good for a sound bite, but he is not helping his team. Isn't that what a coach is suppose to do?

Sox Lose Again 3-1

The Windy City turned into the very rainy city at the end of last night's game, but umpires were hell bent on finishing this game in monsoon conditions. That's a little bit of whining on my part since conditions were the same for both teams. As soon as David Ortiz comes up in the 8th with the tying & go-ahead runs on base & he hits a first pitch grounder into a double play, it was game over. Even the big guy who said " I've been doing this for a long time, baby" didn't show any patience in a critical at-bat late in the game. The Red Sox had just scored a run on an error to make it 2-1 & the White Sox were shaky in the field. I'm saying to myself just hit a fly ball & Ells scores from 3rd & ties the game. But a low, inside pitch induces Big Papi to hit into a big DP. Game over after that. A win by Buck tonight gives the Sox a 6-3 road record (my prediction!) which is a very credible bounce back from a previous slump at Fenway.

Should MLB Do Away With Pitchers Won/Lost Records?

I was flipping around the TV yesterday & I got interested in a point that Brian Kenny from MLB Network was making. He thinks that MLB should do away with a pitcher's won-lost record. Why? It's a stat that does not measure the effectiveness of a pitcher, but only whether his offense outscored the other team on a particular night. Case in point - Clay Buchholz pitches 7 innings of 2 run ball. He doesn't get a win. Next game he gives up 5 runs, but the team scores 12 & he gets a win. Was Buchholz better or more effective in the 1st game or in the 2nd? Stats like ERA, WHIP & stranding RISP are tools that sabermetric fans rely on these days, more than if a pitcher is a 20-game winner. What do you think? Personally, I think a win-loss record is one indicator out of many. While it is dependent on the offense so are balls caught in the field by the defense. Hitters get hits sometimes because fielders don't get to balls or because a hometown scorer turns an error into a questionable hit. I don't think that there is one perfect measure of a pitcher's performance. How about a guy who doesn't have his best stuff, but stays out there to compete & save the bullpen? I remember games that I struggled through & won as much as my no-hitters. I think that a won-lost record should stay. Just use it as one measure, not "the" measure of a pitcher's effectiveness.

Sox Win Streak Over

Adam Dunn's 3-run shot to the right field bleachers in the 1st inning was a bellweather that this game would not go the way of the previous 5. Red Sox lose to White Sox 6-4. I'll take 5 wins every 6 games anytime. Will Middlebrooks made things interesting in the 9th with a 400-foot fly out to dead center with a man on base. A few more feet & it's a tie game. Nice to see Middlebrooks getting his power stroke back. Felix Doubront will need to pitch well tonight while avoiding any hurricanes coming up from Oklahoma. It's a nasty time of year to live in the mid-West.

Indians Come to Town This Week

Later this week Terry Francona & his first place Cleveland Indians come to Boston for a 3-game set. What a homecoming for Tito as he has taken a cellar-dweller like the Indians & made them into a force to be reckoned with in the AL Central. Of course, Tito made sure that the Indians ownership was going to spend money to acquire new players like Michael Bourn, ex-Yankee Nick Swisher & ex-Oriole Mark Reynolds. Pitching is the team's big question mark, but Justin Masterson has pitched like a #1 top-of-rotation guy & Ubaldo Jimenez has found his groove again. Vets like Carlos Santana & Asdrubal Cabrera are having good seasons as well. Throw in Jason Giambi for good measure & you have a collection of guys having fun & winning. You have to feel good for Tito who is managing the team that his dad played for & the team whose dugout & clubhouse he would hang around in as a young kid. Tito should get quite a standing "O" in Boston this week.

How About the Little Guy!

Dustin Pedroia is like Tom Brady in the sense that they both always feel like they have something to prove. Petey came up in 2007 & was part of the World Series team that beat Colorado. In 2008 he earned the American League MVP. Since then it's been injuries & frustration, culminating with his public friction last year with Bobby Valentine. Valentine proved to be no Tito. This year the second-baseman is producing offensively & he is playing like a gold glover in the field. I still don't like Petey as a #3 hitter, but he seems to have grown into the role & he has provided key hits & RBI over the first few months. Perhaps with his foot now totally healed, his wife not pregnant, Bobby V. gone & a familiar guy like John Farrell at the helm Petey can concentrate on playing baseball. He reminds me of Derek Jeter, a guy who just wants to go out & win every day. Keep it goin', Petey!

Sox Stay Hot, Win 5th In A Row

Even a 3 hour rain delay could not cool off the red hot Boston Red Sox. Sox sweep the Twins in Minnesota with a 5-1 win yesterday. John Lackey was very good for the first 6 & could have gone more if not for Mother Nature intervening. Will Middlebrooks hit a shot over the wall in right center before the rain. Dustin Pedroia hit one out in left field after the rain delay for a big 2-run jack to give the Sox breathing room. And so the Sox are 5-1 on this 9-game road trip. My prediction of 6-3 is looking pretty good now.

Big Papi - Big in Minnesota

David Ortiz was a Minnesota Twin a long, long time ago. The Twins gave up on him & the rest is history with the Red Sox. Big Papi single handedly clouted his current club to a 12-5 win last night. 2 homers & a single, 6 RBI is a good night's work. It was nice to see the offense come alive against a Twins pitcher that shut them down in Boston earlier this year. Pitching has been the key ingredient to 3 Red Sox wins in a row prior to last night. The offense took over on Saturday night on a night when Ryan Dempster & others just didn't have it. That's why baseball is a T-E-A-M game. Nice to see the Red Sox clicking again & keeping up with the pinstripers in New York. So much for the predictions of Boston & New York in the cellar of the AL East - at least for the 1st 2 months.

Sox Win Again in Extras 3-2

Clay Buchholz goes 8 strong innings, his only blemish being an excuse-me 2-run homer to the #9 batter for the Twins. The bullpen mows down the Twins in the 9th & 10th. Jacoby Ellsbury made his 1-5 night count with an RBI single to tie the game 2-2. Johnny Gomes who is hitting a buck eight-five gets a productive sac fly in the top of the 10th to knock in the go-ahead run. Sox win 3-2. Good pitching helps you win tight games & that's the story from last night at Target Field in Minnesota. The Sox have won 3 in a row now & are back to their winning ways. I like the fact that Will Middlebrooks bunted to move runners over to 2nd & 3rd in the 10th. It turned out to be the right play as Pedroia scored the 3rd run. Little things can make the difference between a win & a loss. The Sox have their positive mojo going again. Translation - good team win.

Where's the Arrow?

Hey, Fernando Rodney, where's the arrow? Take your crooked hat & eat crow after blowing a save to the Red Sox last night. Sox rally from a 3-1 deficit to score 3 runs off Rodney in the 9th & win 4-3 to take the series. It's the first series win in awhile for the Sox who may be coming out of their recent slump. In the 9th several walks & a huge 2 out, 2 strike base-clearing double by Will Middlebrooks sank Rodney & the Rays. As Eck said last night, it's only 1 win, but what a big one as it brings the Sox within 1 game of the Yankees who lost to Seattle. This win also gives the Sox the turnaround they needed to win an AL East series & move onto Minnesota tonight. Felix Doubront needed lots of help from the pen, but the Sox bullpen got it done. Junichi Tazawa was also huge in this game, pitching a scoreless 8th & 9th. Momentum is once again with the Sox. Thank you, Rodney! ------> Arrow to you!

Sox Win, Finally!

Jon Lester was good - again. The offense finally used their bats to beat David Price, last year's Cy Young Award winner. Sox get a much-needed win in Tampa Bay 9-2 last night. Stephen Drew had a big night, including a grand slam in the 8-run 3rd inning to put the game out of reach. Later, Will Middlebrooks took a nice, easy swing & put a ball into the bleachers in right field, a good sign for him. But for me it was Dustin Pedroia's single to right to score the first run in the 3rd that seemed to get things going for the offense. Having left so many RISP all week long, it was as if Petey's single said not tonight. And then the flood gates opened for 7 more runs. Felix Doubront gets the start in the finale, not Clay Buchholz. Maybe John Farrell listened to the guys on The Baseball Show last weekend when one said he needs to spread out Lester & Buchholz to make up for the #4 & #5 slots not performing. If Doubront is smart, he will make the most of rejoining the starting rotation with a good effort tonight. Just keep Longoria in the park & the rest of the lineup can be easy outs. A series win is certainly possible.

Red Sox Remain Snake-Bitten

An excuse-me half swing single. And a towering pop-up that gets lost among the catwalk structure at the Trop. That's how the Tampa Bay Rays erased a 3-run homer in the first inning by David Ortiz to win game 1 5-3. John Lackey gave up all 5 runs in the 4th. It was curtains for both offenses thereafter as the Sox struggle on offense continues & the Rays couldn't score on the Sox bullpen. It doesn't get any easier for the Sox offense tonight as David Price goes for the Rays. Jon Lester will need to throw another shutout to get his team back on track. Lester & Buck have the best chance to salvage this series if they can get some run support. Things have to change soon, right? I don't want to see goof-ball Fernando Rodney with his sideways hat & arrow gesture after he closes a game again this week.

The Comeback

One Boston team that plays on grass couldn't pull out a series win over Toronto this weekend. Another Boston team that plays on ice made a comeback to be remembered over Toronto to advance in the Stanley Cup playoffs after a heart-stopping 5-4 comeback win in overtime. If you are a sports fan, no matter what sport, you have to applaud the effort of the Boston Bruins. Down 4-1 in the 3rd they came back to tie the game 4-4 in regulation with less than a minute to play. Then in OT the relentless work of the Bergeron - Seguin - Marchand line culminates with a goal by Bergeron to send the Maple Leafs packing. It's not quite 2004 & the Red Sox 3-0 comeback on the Yankees which led to their first World Series win in 86 years, but it is still pretty special. With the Red Sox struggling, the Celtics out of the playoffs & the Patriots not started yet, the Bruins are "the" team in Boston for the month of May. Good luck to the black & gold the rest of the way!

18 Games Left in May

The Red Sox are 4-8 so far in May. With 18 games left in the month the Sox need to go 11-7 to end up at 15-15. Starting tomorrow night, the Sox are away for 3 in Tampa Bay, then 3 in Minnesota & then 3 in the Windy City against the White Sox. This 9-game road trip represents half the games left this month. 6-3 would be a nice goal to shoot for as they need to win series again. The Sox come home for 4 against the Tito Francona Indians & then for 2 more inter-league games against Pap & the Phillies. I'd be OK with a 3-3 record. Then the Sox finish out May on the road for 2 more against the Phillies & one against the Yankees. A 2-1 record in these last 3 games would bring them to 11-7 & 15-15 for the month. Let's see how my crystal ball works out.

Sox Stay in Funk, Lose 12-4

The Boston Red Sox had their chance to win this series by riding the positive emotion of Jon Lester's complete game win in game 1. But the bats went silent again in game 2 & the Sox lost 3-2. On Sunday Ryan Dempster was riding high - translation: every one of his pitches was high in the strike zone. That's a place where a homerun hitting team like the Blue Jays makes you pay. And they did. Dempster & the Sox lost 12-4. During May the Sox have not been in sync. Offense, defense, pitching - one of more of these ingredients has been missing in games this month. To be a good team you need to be consistent in all 3 phases of the game. Typically, every team has a month or two where they struggle to stay above .500. May is turning into one of those months. April's results were great & unexpected to say the least. May has been as bad as April was good. The truth should be somewhere in-between. If the Sox can get on a roll, win a few series, I hope that they can salvage May. There are a few positive signs to watch for. Andrew Bailey is back this week. Middlebrooks is starting to hit again. And maybe Mike Napoli found his HR swing again. Let's start winning series again on this upcoming road trip.

Sox Lose 3-2

Lots of opportunities. Just didn't cash in. And Jacoby Ellsbury makes the last out again. Because the pitchers - Clay Buchholz & yes, Junichi Tazawa - kept the Blue Jays under 5 runs this was a tight game. The offense fumbled all day against Mark Buehrle, swinging for a lot of pitches outside the strike zone. Good pitching by Lester & Buck the last 2 games has kept the Sox in this series in which they are 1-1. If Dempster can follow suit & the offense picks it up today, we can win a series which is a step in the right direction after getting swept in Texas & going 1-3 against the Twins. No question that we got spoiled by a 20-8 start in April. May has not gone well at all so far, but a series win is definitely possible. Let's win today.

Hanrahan Out for Season

Joel Hanrahan, we hardly knew ya. The closer that the Sox traded for is done. Hanrahan needs season-ending surgery to repair his right arm. Instead of Tazawa, Uehara, Bailey & Hanrahan to pitch late in the game we have only 50% of those 4 arms currently available. Bailey is injured also, but he is expected to rejoin the team this week. Tazawa & Uehara are overworked, as it showed in yesterday's 3-2 loss to Toronto when Tazawa coughed up a 9th inning homer to Adam Lind. Since Hanrahan was on a one-year deal it is speculated that he will not return to the Red Sox next year. But, given this injury, maybe he could get a base contract laden with incentives that would be do-able for the Sox. Now the 2nd guessers are starting with why didn't we sign Papelbon for $50 million. Answer - because $12.5 million per year & 4 years were not in the plan going forward for a closer with a lot of miles on his arm. In the long run Junichi Tazawa may be the best answer, just not now as he needs to get comfortable with his new role.

Jon Lester Stands And Delivers

Jon Lester acted like an ace, a stopper, a top-of-the-rotation guy last night as he limited the visiting Blue Jays to 1 hit in a complete game shutout. Sox win 5-0. Lester only had 5 punchouts, but he got many outs early in counts which allowed him to go deep into the game. I believe one inning was just 6 pitches for 3 outs. Also of note is the continued hitting of unsung hero Daniel Nava. Nava has come up with big RBI's in several games as he did again last night. If the offense puts up 5 runs a game, the Sox pitchers will win more times than not. Perhaps Lester has righted the ship for the rest of this series. Nice leadership, Jon!

Sox Can't Stop the Bleeding

Another loss to the Twins 5-3. Another sloppy performance in the field via a bad throw from John Lackey that ends up in center field. The error leads to 4 unearned runs. Maybe getting the Blue Jays into Fenway will help & the 1-2-3 of Lester, Buck & Dempster can stop the bleeding this weekend. Weather may play a part in getting these games in, just another aggravation to deal with. When it's bad, it's bad, & that's the situation the Red Sox find themselves in. We need crisper pitching for sure, but more runs to work with would be nice too, as would sound defense in the field so teams don't get 4 & 5 outs an inning. Given the bullpen woes, it really will primarily fall to Lester, Buchholz & Dempster to stop the bleeding & win this next series. Leaders lead. Let's see who that is.

Twins Unload on Sox 15-8

Maybe we should talk about the Bruins or Gronk's 4th surgery instead of the Boston Red Sox. The month of May depicts the kind of results that we thought we would see all year from the Boston Red Sox. They win 2 out of 3 in Toronto, get swept in Texas by the Rangers & drop 2 out of 3 at home so far to the lowly Twins. 3-6 in the last 3 series thus far. My man Allen Webster got rocked in less than 2 innings last night, giving up 8 runs. Call me crazy, but I would give him another start simply because he couldn't be that bad again. Felix Doubront throws 100 pitches in relief. Even new closer Junichi Tazawa can't pitch a clean 9th with the game out of hand. It was just another bad night in a bad stretch of games. Even a grand slam by Johnny Gomes couldn't carry the day. Someone has to step up & get this team on a roll again. The usual suspects - starting pitching. Lackey, Lester, Buck & Dempster need to have a couple of rounds through the rotation where they give up 3 or less runs like they did in April. These are your horses who need to perform in order to get this team back on a win streak.

Dan Shaughnessy Takes On Big Papi

I guess Shaughnessy likes to stir the pot by quizzing David Ortiz about steroid use due to the big guy's excellent hitting since his return from the DL. Big Papi says he's been tested several times for PED's & he has passed them all. Shaughnessy doesn't believe that mere hard work in your late 30's can account for better years since 2010. Ortiz said his hand injury kept him from swinging properly back then & now it's good. And he's been banging the ball around pretty well since 2011 at his advanced age. Question asked. Question answered. If you perform poorly, you are too old to play. If you perform well, you must be cheating. It's that kind of a mindset in today's sports world.

Closer By Attrition

First it was Joel Hanrahan. Then Andrew Bailey. Now with both guys on the DL Junichi Tazawa is the 3rd closer of the young season for the Red Sox. Tazawa has closer stuff &, if he can handle his new role, it may be difficult for Bailey & Hanrahan to get their old job back. Uehara has shown more bright spots than dull ones as a late-inning arm. I worry that the move of Tazawa to the 9th exposes holes in the 6th & 7th. Other than Uehara for the 8th, the pen will need to get bigger contributions from Miller, Mortensen, Breslow & even Doubront to form a bridge to Uehara & Tazawa. It's all hands on deck until Hanrahan & Bailey get right.

Sox Sloppy in 6-1 Loss

No David Ross. No Will Middlebrooks. No Andrew Bailey. No Joel Hanrahan. No fielding by Pedro Ciriaco. No offense. All these no's add up to no win. Sox lose game 2 to Minnesota 6-1 last night. Ryan Dempster deserved a better fate as he pitched well enough to win. But the Sox bats seem to go asleep when Dempster is on the mound. Still, the Sox are the only team in the majors with 21 wins, so we can't be too critical. It would be nice for the bats to wake up tonight to support a second start by young Allen Webster. Webster is replacing Felix Doubront in the rotation for the time being. Doubront is now the long man in the bullpen. A lot of people in & out of the organization are excited about Webster & I'm one of them.

Sox Get Much-Needed Win 6-5 in 11 Innings

A million years ago when I was playing baseball in a New England tournament I remember our league president telling the players that it is easier to win once you have done it before & most of us players had tournament experience. The converse is that it is really, really hard to get out of a losing streak as everything seems to go against you. Case in point is last night's game. Dustin Pedroia hits a go-ahead homer in the bottom of the 8th. Since Andrew Bailey is on the DL (again), recently activated Joel Hanrahan comes in to close & he gives up a tying homer to the Minnesota leadoff batter. Adding insult to injury, Hanrahan leaves during the 9th with an arm injury. Clayton Mortensen came in & shutdown the Twins for 2+ innings before Stephen Drew wins it for the Sox in the 11th with his 4th hit of the night. Good, hard fought, persistent win for the Sox players. It will be interesting to see who now gets to assume the closing duties for the Sox & who Farrell brings up to take Hanrahan's spot. Obviously they need a fresh bullpen arm. Maybe this is an opportunity for Daniel Bard.

Sox Swept

It was a rough weekend in Texas as the Boston Red Sox lose 3 in a row to the Texas Rangers. The offense took the weekend off, producing only 4 runs in 3 games. What bothered me about yesterday's game was the first HR that Jon Lester gave up to Mitch Moreland on an 0-2 count. What happened to coming in high & tight out of the strike zone on 0-2 to set-up a cutter away on the next pitch? Lester did get 2 big outs on 3-2 pitches to Pierzinski & Anders, but old nemesis Nelson Cruz hit a 2-run shot to tie the game on his 3-2 pitch. Rangers eventually win 4-3 in 10. Offense starts at the leadoff spot & Ells has not been getting it done. He pulls ground balls to 1B or 2B in about 80% of his at bats. Let's start going with the pitch to left please. I look for the Sox to rebound at home against the Twins. Farrell is hoping Buck goes deep into the game tonight as the bullpen is spent & Bailey is unavailable.

What's Up With Will Middlebrooks?

What has happened to Will Middlebrooks? Lately his play has been subpar on both ends of the stick. In the field he is making fielding & throwing errors, costly ones at times. At the plate he has no pitch selection & he seems fooled by every pitch thrown. He is swinging for a lot of balls outside of the strike zone which doesn't help him to get out of his current slump. Middlebrooks seems overmatched to be playing in the big leagues over the past few weeks. Maybe it's a sophomore jinx setting in. Or maybe it's time to try giving Middlebrooks a rest & play Mike Carp or Pedro Ciriaco at 3B for awhile. Middlebrooks doesn't seem close to being the guy he was last year before his wrist injury. Farrell will need to monitor his situation closely.

Sox Lose Again 5-1

The Texas climate has zapped all power out of the Red Sox bats, that & good pitching by the Rangers, who won again last night 5-1. To me the symbol of the night was Will Middlebrooks striking out in the 9th on a pitch over his head. Sox lose the 1st 2 games of this series & try to save face by beating Yu Darvish today. Jon Lester better be on his game today, not like his last 2 starts. And the offense has to get going. It might be a good day to get lefty Mike Carp into the lineup. We need something or someone to step up & get this team back to playing competitively against the Rangers.

Webster Gives Doubront Competition

Felix Doubront better watch over his shoulder because Allen Webster is kicking at his heels. Doubront has big league stuff, as evidenced by his high strikeout total, but his command & control are the issues that plagued him last year & continue to be a concern this year. Last night was his worst outing of the year in Arlington, TX. He is still a young pitcher that the Sox hope can give the team 15 good outings out of 30 as the #4 guy in this rotation. Doubront has been plagued with injuries from reporting to camp too heavy & he ran out of gas in the 2nd half of last year's season. Should Doubront pitch poorly 3 or 4 more times in a row, don't be surprised to see a phantom injury come up & Allen Webster take his spot in the rotation. Webster threw a gem in Triple-A last night, giving up only 1 run in 6 strong innings. Webster too has great stuff like Doubront, but he has the added advantage of a low walk ratio to innings pitched. 6 walks in 20 innings to go along with 24 K's. With Lester, Buck, Dempster & Lackey the Sox has 4 veteran starters who are all throwing pretty well. If Doubront can't do the job, give Webster a chance. Thank you, Magic & Dodgers!

Sox Crushed in Texas 7-0

No runs. No win. Very flat. Sox may have had jet lag because they sure couldn't get their offense, defense or pitching going last night. Rangers win game 1 by a score of 7-0. You knew going into this series that having your #4 & #5 starters pitch the first 2 games would make a win pretty tough to come by. But, given the early success of this 2013 Boston team, you almost expect the Red Sox to win every night. So a 7-0 defeat was not on anyone's radar. Maybe with a good night's rest Big Papi & Co. can come back tonight & at least be competitive behind John Lackey.

Mike Carp Keeps Hitting

What a good problem for John Farrell to have! A part-timer like Mike Carp just keeps crushing the ball when he gets a chance to play. Carp won one of the last roster spots out of spring training & he has made the most of his limited field time. He can play both corner infield positions & the outfield which makes Carp a versatile sub, like Pedro Ciriaco. When Big Papi or Shane Victorino need time off there are many options for Farrell -- Gomes, Nava, Carp, Ciriaco depending upon the left-right matchup. The Sox are lucky to have Carp. Nice job, Ben!

Sox Win Series in Toronto

If Saltie doesn't throw the ball into RF & give the Jays a couple of unearned runs in game 1, the Sox could have swept the Jays. As it is, the Sox win another road series by taking the rubber game 3-1 last night. Dempster & Tazawa induced opportune double play balls at crucial times in the game. Sox batters took 10 walks from Blue Jays pitchers & scored enough runs to win their 20th game. It doesn't take many to win when the other team scores only once. Nice pitching once again. The Sox move onto Texas for a series with the Rangers, owners of the 2nd best record in the AL. Doubront, Lackey & Lester need to pitch well enough to take 2 out of 3.

Stop, Melkey, Stop!

What a bone head play in last night's Red Sox - Blue Jays tilt! Your team is losing by 8 runs. You finally get a runner on base in the 7th. Melkey Cabrera comes up & hit a 1-hopper off the wall in right. The runner from 1st is going to 3rd. Melkey decides that he should turn for 2nd as Daniel Nava gets to his ball. Nava throws a strike to Drew who tags Melkey out by 5 feet. What are you thinking, Melkey? At that point in the game you need base runners. John Gibbons should have tore Cabrera a new one for running into one of the Jays last outs. Not performing the basics is why teams lose games, even when you're down by 8. It's called lack of professionalism.

Buck the Ace

Is there any question who the Red Sox #1 pitcher is? Clay Buchholz is his name, the owner of a 6-0 record & an ERA around 1.00. Sox used big bombs last night to beat the Blue Jays 10-1. Mike Napoli had 2 monster HR's to center to lead the way. Buck kept the Jays lineup scoreless through the first 7, the same Jays lineup that put up 9 runs in a win the night before. It was a nice win after a tough loss the night before. Ryan Dempster pitches the series deciding game tonight.