A-Rod & 8 Other Players to be Suspended

MLB is finally ready to hand down suspensions for violations of the league's PED policy. A-Rod is leading this cast of characters into the hall of shame. Not only did A-Rod allegedly use PED's supplied by Biogenesis, rumor has it that he also recruited other players like a salesman for Biogenesis. I wonder if he got a commission? If A-Rod appeals, Bud Selig said that he will invoke his powers as commissioner to keep him from playing this year. MLB is trying to clean up the whole PED situation as the pennant races get into full swing over the remaining 60 days. No one wants a cheater making a contribution to a playoff berth or a World Series win. It's taken awhile, but MLB is doing the right thing by issuing suspensions now. Heck, the Tigers traded for Iglesias because Perralta is one of the other 8 players who will be suspended. Let's get it over & done.

Sox Get Jake Peavey

Kudos to Ben Cherington! Jake Peavey is a great addition to this Red Sox team for the stretch run. Here's why. You gave up Jose Iglesias whose stock couldn't be higher right now. Iglesias is a gifted fielder & he can play multiple positions. Detroit had a need due to the pending suspension of Jhonny Perralta. The Red Sox are overstocked at SS with Drew now & Bogaerts perhaps later this year. Will Middlebrooks or Xander Bogaerts can man 3B for the rest of the year & provide some firepower from the right side of the plate. Peavey's signing also shows Clay Buchholz that the team is ready to move forward with or without him. If Buck gets back into the rotation, Brandon Workman becomes a valuable right arm out of the bullpen. If not, Workman continues as the #5 guy in the rotation. It's a win-win-win for Cherington & the Sox! Can't wait for last next 2 months.

Workman, Homers Lift Sox Over M's 8-2

It's nice to see Brandon Workman get his 1st win after pitching so well in his last 3 outings. Funny how we all heard about Webster, de la Rosa, Renaudo, Wright & others. But Workman just seemed to bubble to the top under the radar. The Sox offense came back to life with homers from Ells, Pedroia & Saltie. I guess anyone other than David Price seems hit-able now. Rays beat the D-backs to keep a slim 1/2 game lead over the Sox. All in all, a good start to the Mariners series since Felix will be pitching later in the week. I'm really happy for Workman.

What a Game!

Move over Red Sox & Yankees rivalry. Welcome to the new Red Sox & Rays rivalry. Earlier in the season, it was the Red Sox who were winning close 1-run games against the Rays. Now it's the Rays turn. Rays beat Sox 2-1 last night to leap frog into 1st place by 1/2 game. David Price threw another masterful gem. A bad call at home in the 8th negated a potential 2-2 tie. (One coach told me that if you play so close that the outcome can be determined by one umpire's call, shame on you for not doing more so that one call can't change the game.) And it came down to the last pitch with the tying & winning runs on base before we had a winner. I was impressed with the intensity shown by both teams. Both showed why they have 60+ wins. I'm looking forward to the final 3 games left in this head-to-head season series. The Sox finish a 10 game stretch against the Yankees (2-1), Rays (1-3) & Orioles (2-1) with a record of 5-5. The 2 wins in Baltimore were huge to keep the Sox from falling too far. Now the Sox face Seattle & Arizona at home. They will face King Felix, but I would expect the Sox to go 4-2 or 5-1 over this next stretch. Old friend Cody Ross will return to Fenway this weekend as a member of the D-backs. Question for this week: When do we see Michael Young, Will Middlebrooks or Xander Bogaerts at 3B?

Red Sox Take Series With O's

Just when things are looking the darkest, this team fights back. The Red Sox had dropped 2 out of 3 at home against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox were knocked out of first place. They drop the 1st game in Baltimore behind their best pitcher of late, John Lackey. And just when things could get much worse, what happens? The Sox win the next 2 in Baltimore to take the series & regain 1st place. That's one heck of an effort! Great effort by Jon Lester yesterday in the 5-0 win. Looks like Lester has turned the corner & is pitching at a high level again. David Ortiz goes 4 for 4 with a home run. This a day after he went nutty on a phone box in the dugout. I am tired of reporters who have never played the game saying that Ortiz was selfish when he went off over a terrible strike call & got ejected since the Sox were winning by 5 runs at the time. They don't get it! When something like that happens it is unplanned. As a player, your emotions get the best of you & then it's over. Lou Merloni wouldn't take the bait offered by Michael Felger last night as Lou said he was OK with the Ortiz fit & it happens to all players at some time in their career. Thank you, Lou, for putting a player's perspective on the situation. But back to the bigger point. This Red Sox team has met every challenge thus far during the 2013 season. Every time it looks like things are going south, they pick themselves back up. It's a team that fans can get behind & a team that will be in it to the end. I for one appreciate their effort.

Sox Find Offense & Win 7-2

Stephen Drew, a guy who hasn't contributed much offensively, hits 2 big homers & drives in 5 runs to help the Sox get back into the win column in Baltimore. Shane Victorino contributed an HR as well to go along with good play in RF. Ryan Dempster, Craig Breslow, Tazawa & Uehara limit the O's bats to just 2 runs. Sox win 7-2 to keep pace with the Rays who beat the Yankees 1-0. Umpires Tim Timmons (balls & strikes) & Laz Diaz (fair or foul) showed why they are horrible at their job. Big Papi got ejected on a very poor call of a 3-0 strike, then striking out. Funniest scene was Dustin Pedroia trying to restrain Ortiz from further punishment. At least in a win you can laugh about it. Middlebrooks &/or Bogaerts may not be far away from appearing on the left side of the infield if Iglesias' offensive woes continue. The Sox are reportedly in the race to land Jake Peavey. If it's just money & not much in the way of prospects, I'd do it. But, with so many teams looking for pitching, the asking price for Peavey may be too much. Trade deadline is looming on Wednesday.

Sox Offense Shutout Again 6-0

Is it time to try Will Middlebrooks? The Red Sox need to score runs again like the #1 run scoring team they are. 2 shutouts in 1 week is unheard of. The odd days - Monday, Wednesday, Friday - don't seems to be good hitters days as Moore, Price & Tillman quieted the Sox bats with ease. Too much ease actually. Where's the patient approach? Where's the swinging for strikes? Even David Ortiz started swinging out of the zone last night. The Sox are too good not to come out of this offensive funk. And it better start tonight. The Sox still have a chance to win 2 in Baltimore (even though that's not looking very likely) & then beat the Rays at home on Monday. A few wins would quiet the critics. Ben Cherington has to consider Jake Peavy, Cliff Lee, Giancarlo Stanton & anyone else out there that could help this team make the playoffs. Baltimore has added pieces. The Yankees just got Soriano. It's like Ben has a need to keep up with the Joneses in the AL East.

Lackey, Dempster, Lester Get O's

John Farrell announced that John Lackey, Ryan Dempster & Jon Lester will get the nods in the 3-game series in Baltimore this weekend. Lackey has been great. Lester is improving. It would be nice to see Ryan Dempster have a solid performance after being mediocre in his last 5 or 6 starts. Baltimore seems to have the Red Sox number this year, but 2 out of 3 wins against the O's would be tremendous. The Rays head into Yankee Stadium for a weekend series against the hot pinstripers who did well in Texas. Should be interesting to see who's in first by Monday when the Sox & Rays play their make-up game.

Enough About Hernandez!

The Patriots management & team captains have done their best mea culpa over the reckless behavior of Aaron Hernandez that took the life of Odom Lloyd. Enough media people! Let this franchise & its players get back to their job of playing football. As Chris Rock use to say, crazy is crazy. Hernandez needs to take personal responsibility for his actions & the court system will see that that happens. Move on, media. What else do you want the Patriots to do? Let the court system handle it from here. And let the Pats move onto football questions & getting ready for another season.

Trade Deadline Approaching

What will the Sox do? So far just a minor deal for Matt Thornton who hasn't exactly lit it up out of the pen. Jake Peavey's name is being tossed around. But in reality I hope that Ben & Co. agree with me - keep your young players & use them. We haven't seen Ruby de la Rosa yet. Allen Webster has the stuff, but he needs more seasoning. Brandon Workman has been great. He could be a valuable bullpen guy when the "Clay" man gets back into the rotation. Steven Wright & Drake Britton have looked good. Throw in de la Torre & Beato for good measure. The Sox offense has scored more runs than any other team. I would mix these young pitchers into the big club & take my chances. Why give away valuable pieces for a 2 month rental that may break down? Stay the course, Ben. Stay the course.

Price Pitches Second Complete Game

Two complete games in 3 nights. Unheard of in this era of middle relief, long relief, late innings relief & closers. David Price just about duplicated Matt Moore's performance of Monday in a 5-1 win over the Red Sox. The Rays are on a great roll, winning 19 of 21 or 22 games. And the Red Sox are facing them at the wrong time. However, what goes up, must come down. And the Rays will not continue their surge forever. In fact, a Sox win tonight will give them a series split against the hottest team in baseball. With John Lackey facing Jeremy Hellickson tonight I give the home team a good chance to pull off a win. A split is not bad when facing a team on a hot streak. What concerns me is the fact that the next series is in Baltimore against a team that the Sox can't seem to beat this year. The O's have added arms in Feldman & K-Rod recently. A win at home tonight to stay in first place could give this team momentum going into the weekend series in Baltimore.

Pedroia A Red Sox for Life

Dustin Pedroia will retire in a Red Sox uniform. Pedey finalized a 7-year, $100 million deal that begins in 2015 & it will take him through 2021 when he will be 38 years old. I say forget the money because every major leaguer is paid way too much. I like the fact that Pedroia, the Jeter-like guy for the Sox, will be around to help young guys remember that every game is a battle. His work ethic may rub off on guys like Middlebrooks, Iglesias, Bogaerts, JBJ & others who will come into their prime over the next few years. Dustin plays the game like an old timer who gives it his all everyday. No trotting down first base line on ground outs. No letting balls by you without a dive. And a tough out, especially when the game is on the line. Pedroia thanked the Red Sox for taking a chance on his 5'8" frame & drafting him when other teams passed him by. When David Ortiz retires the Red Sox will be Pedroia's team. I'm OK with that.

Sox Strike Back With 6-2 Win

The players in the first base dugout came out ready to retain their 1st place standing last night. Red Sox defeat the surging Rays 6-2 thanks to solid pitching by Jon Lester, Matt Thornton, Junichi Tazawa & Koji Uehara. Just like the night before, it was a well pitched game on both sides, but this time the Sox pitchers were better. I thought about Brandon Workman only giving up 2 runs over 6 innings the night before - just like Lester last night - except he got a loss. Baseball is funny like that. A 3-run bottom of the 8th helped add a cushion. Stephen Drew finally came up with a big 2-out RBI single to right to make it 4-2. Then the master of infield hits, Jose Iglesias, got a big hop over Longoria's head that plated 2 more runs. We'll take it! Tonight's game will feature Price & Doubront. I am interested to see how Doubront reacts to being depended upon now for another quality start.

Ryan Braun, A Liar & Cheat

After a pompous, self-serving speech that got an MLB tester fired when he beat PED charges last year, Ryan Braun got caught hands down with the goods this year from his time at the Biogenesis lab in Miami. MLB imposed a 65-game ban yesterday without pay. I'm sure Braun's lawyer crafted his statement about how glad he was that this is over. How about an apology to the guy you got fired? Or how about an apology for lying your ass off last time? The only thing that Braun is truly sorry about is getting caught. And since his team is in last place & there is no chance of getting playoff money this year, why not take the suspension now. Braun is signed through 2020, so 65-games without pay is just a blip on his radar. Braun's case shows the public the audacity of dirty players, a holy-than-thou attitude right up until the time you get caught. Maybe the Brewers should give his salary for 65-games to the guy who got fired.

Matt Moore Very Good

This will be short & sweet, kinda' like the Boston offense last night. 3-0 was the final score. Matt Moore frustrated Red Sox batters all night en route to a complete game win. Give the opposing pitcher credit as he shutdown the best offense in the AL. However, the pitching matchups for the rest of this series favor the Red Sox. I still think that the Sox can win the next 3 games.

Odds & Ends

Clay Buchholz is off to visit Dr. Andrews for a second opinion on his neck. Maybe a good result will get Buck back on the mound by August for the heat of a stretch run. "Clay" is an appropriate first name as Buck seems to be made of clay the last few years with his injuries. Brandon Workman gets the start tonight against the Rays. If he is anything like his first start, we should be in for a win. Jon Lester gets the nod on Tuesday. He was moved back for more rest due to general fatigue. I bet his energy level would be a lot higher if he was pitching like Felix Doubront or John Lackey. Stephen Drew's return to the lineup has been OK in the field, not so good at the plate. His timing is way off. Perhaps he is a guy that they move at the deadline. Is there anyone out there that the Sox could get without giving up Bogaerts, JBJ, Middlebrooks, etc.? I'm still of the opinion that they give their young guys a chance to play for the big club. I'm not interested in acquiring Michael Young for prospects. Look at Drake Britton, for example. 2 pretty good appearances at the big league so far. Matt Thornton finally delivered a 1-2-3 inning via 3 strikeouts, his 1st clean inning in a Red Sox uniform. Something for him to build off of.

An Ugly Series Win in 11 Innings 8-7

I turned the game off after 9 innings & the Sox blowing a 7-3 lead. To me Jose Iglesias is turning into Robinson Cano - a little to cavalier on balls coming his way. That attitude bit Iglesias in the butt last night when he made a costly error. I can't stand Cano who seems to be bothered anytime a ball is hit his way, like it's an imposition to catch it & throw the runner out. 3 errors committed by the Red Sox last night after 3 dumb base running plays the night before. When you get 7 runs off of Sabathia you should win the game in regulation. And it's great that Napoli had 2 blasts - including the game winner in the 11th, but he too just needed a fly ball in regulation with the bases loaded, but instead he grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Lucky, lucky, lucky - but we'll take it. The Sox keep a 1 1/2 game lead over the Tampa Rays who are in for 4 at Fenway starting tonight. Again, the Sox have not had trouble beating the Rays this year & I don't see this series being any different. The Rays have surged by beating a bunch of teams under .500. Let's see how they fare when facing a good team, a 1st place team.

Dempster to Pitch Instead of Lester

Ryan Dempster steps into the 2nd half limelight tonight on ESPN to face CC Sabathia. Dempster is moving up in place of Jon Lester who has general fatigue according to the Red Sox website. Sabathia is not having his usual dominant year & he is coming off his worst outing against the Twins before the break. Dempster is coming off a stinker of a performance last time out as well. Both veterans have the ability to stymie batters. We'll see which one is on their game tonight. The series win is in the balance tonight before the Sox start a big series with the surging Rays. The Rays are surging in part because they are playing teams under .500, so we'll see how the fare against a more competitive Sox team this week. Don't count the Red Sox short!

Sox Run Into A Loss 5-2

Not their best effort. Daniel Nava stumbles around 3rd, but instead of going back, continues home & is thrown out. Mike Carp tries to score on a wild pitch & looks like he has a piano on his back & gets thrown out at home. Daniel Nava tries to go to 2nd on a foul out by Dustin Pedroia & he gets thrown out again with Big Papi coming up. Too many outs on the bases. And then what's up with the Red Sox batters making a ton of outs early in the count! Where was that plate discipline, working counts & driving the pitch count up? Jacoby Ellsbury made 4 outs on 5 pitches. David Ortiz made his last 2 outs on 2 pitches. Did everyone have dinner reservations to get to? Hiroki Kuroda was good, but the Sox made him look way too good. John Lackey deserved a better fate. We did get to see Drake Britton in the 9th who looked like he throws the ball pretty well. All in all, a below-average effort by the Sox. Even Dustin Pedroia made an error a 2nd, only his 2nd in 98 games. Let's hope the red & blue come back with a better effort tonight.

Victorino Still Ailing

Hard to keep the flyin' Hawaiian on the field this year. He is a 2-way contributor on offense & defense when healthy. But Shane Victorino still has a nagging hamstring & lower back issues. Victorino played at less than 100% before the break. Even after the rest period during the all-star break, he had to be lifted in the 4th inning last night as his hamstring acted up. Victorino needs to get right once & for all. Let Nava & Gomes handle the corner outfield spots for 10 days until his hamstring & back are fully recovered. These starts & stops are not good for Victorino nor for the team.

Good News, Bad News

Good news. The Red Sox beat the Yankees 4-2 to start their 3-game series. Doubront, Tazawa, Breslow & Uehara all pitched great. Ells started things off on Andy Pettitte with a homer to right. Jonny Gomes added a 2-run homer later. And Jose Iglesias dumped a big single into right to score the 4th run. Bad news. Andrew Bailey is on the DL again, this time perhaps for the rest of the season. No doubt this will start the Papelbon talk again. Cherington has more than enough options within the system to handle the workload. De la Rosa, Wright, Workman, de la Torre, Britton, Webster to name a few. Some fresh, young arms may invigorate the Sox clubhouse throughout the next 2 months. Don't go outside the system. Give these guys their chance to contribute.

Doubront Versus Pettitte

2 lefties start the 3-game series between the Yankees & Red Sox. It's an improved Felix Doubront against an aging Andy Pettitte. If Doubront continues his recent hot streak of going 7 or 8 innings with 3 runs or less, the Sox should have enough right-handed firepower among Jonny Gomes, Pedey, Napoli, Nava & Iglesias to rough up Pettitte. Game 2 features the best pitchers of each team - Lackey versus Kuroda. To me game 2 is the big game. The Sox need to find a way to scratch out 1 more run than the pinstripers on Saturday. Game 3 features 2 more lefties who are not having their best years - Lester versus Sabathia. I still like the Red Sox to take 2 out of 3 at home.

Second Half Starts Friday

First it was the tough schedule in June after a so-so May. Then it was a recent west coast trip before the break. Now it's a 10-game stretch of games versus the AL East contenders. Reporters keep waiting for the Red Sox to falter & this weekend is no different. The unofficial start of the 2nd half begins with another "crucial" set of games against New York, Tampa Bay & Baltimore. Don't they get it - every game is crucial. Whether you beat New York or Houston it counts for the same amount of wins - 1. You play the schedule one game at a time. Don't be worrying about other teams. Control your own fate by taking care of your business on the field. If I were to predict, I think the Red Sox beat the Yankees 2 out of 3, they beat the Rays 3 out of 4 & drop the series in Baltimore with only 1 out of 3. The O's are the only team that the Sox have trouble with inside the division. So I'm looking for a 6-4 record to start the 2nd half.

No Suspensions For Cheaters This Year

MLB Players Association made sure that cheaters like A-Rod, Ryan Braun & others will not be suspended this year. Maybe next year if MLB can get through all the formalities by the Players Association. I'm sure that many clean players are upset that cheaters get to keep cheating. Other than announcing names in about a month, nothing will happen to these steroid users until 2014 at the earliest. What a crappy way to police your sport!

Guest Article - "Finding A Savior"

Rule 10.20 in the MLB official rule book defines a SAVE. Credit a pitcher with a save when he meets 3 of the following conditions. 1) He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his club. 2) He is not the winning pitcher. 3) He qualifies under one of the following conditions: a) He enters the game with a lead of no more than 3 runs & pitches for at least 1 inning; b) He enters the game regardless of the count, with the potential tying runs either already on base or at bat, or on deck (that is the potential tying run is either already on base or is one of the first 2 batsmen that he faces); c) He pitches effectively for at least 3 innings. No more than 1 save can be credited in each game. Kudos to John Farrell for finding a closer after auditioning a number of players. The ones the Sox got this year are Joel Hanrahan who pitched 9 games. He got injured & left with an ERA of 9.82, 4 saves, a record of 0-1 & a winning percentage of .333. Bailey is finding himself sort of like Bard. He is posting a current ERA of 3.77, 30 games, a record of 3-1 with 8 saves. Finally it appears John found a real closer in Koji Uehara!! His stats are awesome with an ERA of 1.70, 44 games, a record of 2-0. Looks like the real deal. As I was reading about saves & closers I thought I would look at some of the best the Sox had over the years. Here's what I found: 1) Jonathan Papelbon, 2005-2011, 219 saves, record of 23-19, ERA of 2.33; 2) Bob Stanley, 1977-1989, 132 saves, record of 115-97, ERA of 3.64; 3) Dick Radatz, 1962-1966, 104 saves, record of 49-34, ERA of 2.65; 4) Jeff Reardon, 1990-1992, 88 saves, record of 8-9, ERA of 3.41; Tom Gordon, 1996-1999, 68 saves, record of 25-25, ERA of 4.45. Other notables include: 6) Lee Smith, 1988-1990, 58 saves, record of 12-7, ERA of 3.04; 7) Bill Campbell, 1977-1981, 51 saves, record of 28-19, ERA of 3.57; 8) Ugueth Urbina, 2001-2002, 49 saves, record of 1-7, ERA of 2.81; 9) Heathcliff Slocumb, 1996-1997, 48 saves, record of 5-10, ERA of 4.02; 10) Mike Fornieles, 1957-1963, 48 saves, record of 39-35, ERA of 4.08. Maybe next time I will write about BLOWN saves? Might be a bit longer article to read. (Author Mike G.)

Farrell Deserves Credit

Thank goodness the all-star game is over for another year. Sports reporters need to find topics for their shows during the break & John Farrell's name came up as one topic. Some say he has been OK or standard since anyone had to be better than Bobby Valentine. I believe that Farrell has done a very good job. If you have ever coached a team, you know it's unpopular & very hard to take out a veteran & insert a rookie. But that's exactly what Farrell did by playing Iglesias over Drew & Middlebrooks. He also took a no-nonsense approach to Alfredo Aceves who is now in limbo with his team. Farrell makes decisions to put the best players on the field & to win. Unlike his good friend Terry Francona, who got into trouble by looking the other way too many times, Farrell manages with discipline as well. He is not concerned with number of appearances by Uehara & Tazawa since there are more arms in Pawtucket or via an addition or two that can be made at the trade deadline. Bailey & Thornton should be able to pick up more innings in the 2nd half. We may see less of Mike Napoli & more of Mike Carp in the 2nd half if Napoli can't get his offense going again. All good things as players realize that competition is alive & Farrell will play the best man. I've been on teams where the coach plays favorites & does not act in the best interest of the team. I've also been that Francona-type coach that let a few things slide & I got burned for it. So I appreciate the job that John Farrell has done to date. In my mind he gets a lot of credit for where the Sox are at the break.

Idiot Pouncey Brothers

Dear Pouncey Brothers: I think you both have had too much blood rush to your head as centers in the NFL. You both obviously have a brain injury from having your head down below your ass so much. How else can you explain your smiling picture with "Free Hernandez" caps? The normal populace of the world doesn't find murder a funny topic. Ask the family of the victim in the Hernandez case if they think your caps are funny. You Maurkice (nice first name by the way) & you Mike are total idiots! You bring shame to the Steelers & Dolphins organizations. You demonstrate a lack of respect for human life. I hope you enjoy your 15 minutes of idiot fame before your NFL teams & the NFL think about a nice hefty fine or suspension for both of you. I'm sure your family & friends are very proud of you. After all, you are just 2 more brainless NFL players bringing shame to a game that pays you more than you could ever make in the real world. Laugh on, Pounceys, but the crowd isn't laughing with you. They are laughing at you, morons!

Aceves Off 40-Man Roster

Alfredo Aceves doesn't seem to be a long-term player for the BoSox. He was removed from the 40-man roster, placed on waivers & no one claimed him. What does that tell you? Maybe his recent mysterious rib injury that allowed him to pitch only 2 outs instead of going much longer in a game had something to do with it. Farrell hasn't taken his crap all year & now Alfredo is on the outside looking in. No Bobby Valentine this year. Shape up or ship out. Looks like Alfredo will be shipping out. Good by me.

A-Rod Getting Plea Deal?

A-Rod decided to skip his rehab start yesterday after talking to MLB officials about his impending suspension for PED use in Miami. The word is that MLB is offering A-Rod a plea deal of a 150-game suspension. If MLB lets him go retroactive to the start of this year, it's really a slap on the hand as A-Rod is nowhere near playing shape yet. Given his propensity for malingering, A-Rod probably would have missed this whole season anyways. And what about the other 20 guys like Gio Gonzalez, Nelson Cruz & Melkey Cabrera? Is everyone getting a deal or just A-Rod? It's a mess! Clean players want these guys suspended. But MLB needs to keep fans in the seats. At what cost though? We don't need anymore high school & college athletes dying from PED use. The A-Rod's of the world are a poor, poor example for kids to emulate.

Should Farrell Have Pulled Workman?

My only thought after the Sox loss to the A's 3-2 in extras yesterday was about Brandon Workman getting a no decision. Workman, almost Billy Rohr like from 1967, took a no-hitter into the 7th inning. The score was 2-0 after big RBI's by Dustin Pedroia & Brock Holt. Old friend Coco Crisp hit a ground ball up the middle that Pedey made a diving play on, but his throw was too late to first. No-hitter over. At that point Farrell could have taken Workman out, then 90+ pitches into the game, so that his effort could only result in a win, not a loss. Farrell decided to leave him in to face Donaldson. When the count ran 3-2 everyone in the park knew a fastball was coming next. Unfortunately, Workman sent a fastball right down broadway & Donaldson took it out of the park. Workman left having pitched 6 1/3 & only allowing 2 hits & 2 runs. A very good effort for his first big league start & certainly something he can build on. It's a Monday morning quarterback call, but I would have taken Workman out after the Crisp hit.

24 Versus 40

That's the pitching matchup for the series finale in Oakland today. 24-year old Brandon Workman versus 40-year old Bartolo Colon. Youth versus experience. I remember that Colon quit on the Red Sox a few years ago & then went to some voodoo doctor in South America who performed a miracle operation on his arm. Since then he has been a very good starter for Oakland, as reflected in his 12-3 record this year. I heard that Bartolo's doctor has a line of pitchers camped outside of his door, like 100 to 150 deep, to get the same surgery to resurrect their careers. Colon remains an out-of-shape, older guy, but his throwing arm is like brand new. How many pitchers at 40-years old are 12-3 at the all-star break? You do the math. I'd love to see Workman out-pitch the big guy today.

Thornton Should Help the Pen

Matt Thornton's addition to the Sox bullpen should allow John Farrell to apportion innings to his new lefty that would have gone to Andrew Miller. Miller is now done for the season after his injury & recent foot surgery. Thornton is like Miller - big in size & throws hard. He is a tough guy for lefty to feel comfortable with in the box. Good pick-up by Ben Cherington. Or should I say "another" good pickup by Cherington.

A's Win 3-0

As I've said before, no runs equals no win. A.J. Griffin bested Jon Lester last night as the Sox bats went silently into the night. It was one of those games where everything hit hard by Sox batters was right at someone in yellow & green. Twice there were balls deflected by Griffin that went to his infielders. And so it goes. The A's are not pushovers by any means & it would be great to escape with a series win today. Then we all take a break this week for the all-star game which means "something" only in the mind of Bud Selig.

Red Sox Beat A's 4-2

John Lackey. Brock Holt. Dustin Pedroia. Andrew Bailey. Koji Uehara. All these guys played a major role in the Sox win in game 1 against the 1st place Oakland A's. John Lackey - 7 innings of 2 run ball. Most impressive was his return to the mound in the 7th with his pitch count over 100 to get the A's 1-2-3. He deserved the win last night. Brock Holt - 2 run single early in the game to give the Sox an early lead 2-0. Farrell was correct to bring him up for his left-handed bat against a string of righty starters. Dustin Pedroia - 2 run single in the 8th to put the Sox ahead for good. Pedroia to me is the Derek Jeter of the Red Sox. He plays hard & wants to win everyday. Pedey also snagged a sharp line drive in the 7th to start a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning. At the time the A's had runners on 1st & 3rd with the scored tied 2-2. Dustin deserves a lot more credit for the year he has put together thus far. Andrew Bailey - Yes, that Andrew Bailey. He pitched a scoreless 8th inning with 2 strikeouts. That's 6 scoreless appearances for Bailey who could help take pressure of Tazawa & Uehara in the 2nd half. Uehara - 3 strikeouts in the 9th for a save. Koji doesn't throw hard, but his ball movement is tremendous. A's batters looked baffled. It was another good win for the Sox 4th in a row. Only 2 games left now before the break. It would be nice to see a good effort from Jon Lester tonight.

Guest Article - "Money Ball"

No, I am not talking about Billy Beane. I am talking about the way ownership throughout both leagues seek to make $$$ out of every possible nook & cranny in their respective parks. Have you noticed in the last couple of years how our sacred ball fields have become to resemble the coveralls on a NASCAR driver rather than a ball park? Every possible place they can put advertisement seem to be covered. While the batter is swinging an ad scrolls or turns over in the background. When an outfielder is making a play more ads are flipping behind him. The Red Sox placed Coke bottles on the beloved Green Monster. Can you imagine what fans would have thought in 1967 if they went in & saw Coke bottles? I understand that you need money to pay salaries, keep up the field, and most importantly keep the owners happy. The owners would blame salaries but they have no one to blame except themselves when it comes to overpaying for mediocre players. Many professional sports have imposed salary caps to protect the owners from themselves. It is what it is. Money is the boss. If we have to desecrate our shrines to make more of it, so be it. Too bad! (Author Steve B.)

Quite A Win!

I am on a family vacation & this was family Red Sox day. When the Sox fell behind 5-1 my grandson said "don't the Red Sox know this is family Red Sox day? They have to win." And win they did with a great comeback 8-7 victory in 10 innings. Dempster didn't have it today & he got knocked out early. In came knuckleballer Steven Wright for 5+ innings & he did have it going on. Wright did a great job slowing down the Mariners offense to allow the Sox offense to catch up. Daniel Nava's single in 10th drove home JBJ with the winning run. Koji did his thing, a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th & the Sox escaped with a great come-from-behind win. The win keeps the Sox 3 1/2 ahead of the surging Rays. Now it's onto a tough Oakland series for the final 3 games before the all-star break. But let's savor today as another great 1-run win.

Sox Crush Mariners 11-4

The Boston Red Sox brought their bats to last night's game, scoring 11 runs for the 2nd night in a row to defeat the Mariners 11-4. David Ortiz set the record for most hits by a DH with a double & home run. Felix Doubront pitched 7 strong innings of 1-run ball. And Brandon Workman got a taste of the big leagues by pitching the final 2 innings. I appreciate the effort of Shane Victorino who is not at 100% by any means. The last 2 nights he has contributed to 2 wins with his play in RF & at the plate. I'm sure that Jacoby Ellsbury was more than ready to return to the lineup after JBJ hit a home run last night. Jake did get 3 hits to keep his hitting streak alive. Ryan Dempster goes for the series win this afternoon. Nice comeback by the Red Sox after a 3 game losing streak.

Sox Win 11-8 to Break Skid

It wasn't quite as anyone would draw up a plan to win. Behind 5-1 after 2+ innings. But the Sox big bats came out last night. I went to bed when the score was 8-7 in the Sox favor. Big Papi, Pedey, Napoli & JBJ had all homered by that point. It was great to wake up this morning & see that they held on for an 11-8 win. A win is a win, especially after a mini losing streak of 3 games. Allen Wbster was not good. You have to wonder if Workman will get a chance with the big club after the break. But let's take the win.

Guest Article - "Deja Vu All Over Again"

The success of the 2013 Red Sox brings back great memories of the 1967 Impossible Dream team. The Sox had a cast of characters that often came through with a well pitched game, a big hit or a great catch when it was least expected. How about the play of Dalton Jones, Jose Tartabull, Jerry Adair & Billy Rohr to name a few. They made the plays when it counted. That is not to say that the Sox did not have players who had the greatest year of their career: Rico Petrocelli, Jim Lonborg & Triple Crown Winner Yaz. The Sox also benefitted by getting Elston Howard to help the catching corps & Hawk Harrelson to play the outfield in place of an injured Tony C. The 1966 Sox finished in the bottom of their division just like the 2012 Sox. The manager of the 1966 Sox was Billy Herman/Pete Runnels. Ironically, both the 1966 & the 2012 teams finished 26 games out of first place. I guess I do not have to tell you who the manager of 2012 was. Both Dick Williams & John Farrell's approach seem to move the team in the right direction. Dick turned the Sox country club into the Sox boot camp. This was no surprise as Williams played for some of the great Brooklyn Dodger teams. But what about John Farrell? His claim to fame was as a pitching coach. As a manager for the Toronto Blue Jays his team was at best mediocre. So what happened this year? Was it Farrell's approach? His knowledge of pitching? Players signed in the off season? Or was it the magic of Ben Cherington? As Dick Williams did in 67 with the boot camp approach it was "No Nonsense." Boys, let's leave the chicken & beer for after the game. No calls to KFC for takeout during the 7th inning stretch! Is discipline the key to success??? Who knows what the Sox will do in the second half of the season? If the last 81 games are remotely comparable to 1967 - get ready for one hell of a ride on the emotional roller coaster called a pennant race!!! Thank you Mr. Williams for making a losing franchise into a winning one. (Author Mike G.)

Sox Lose 3rd Straight 11-4

I went to bed when the score was 2-2. I'm glad I did. I could see that Jon Lester was losing his control in the 4th inning & his pitch count was rising. I thought that the Sox did a good job scoring 2 off of King Felix to tie the game. But it looks like the Sox got crushed from that point on. Not having Ellsbury & Victorino in the lineup doesn't help. As usual with these west coast road trips, the Sox are in survival mode until the all-star break. I was hoping for a 3 out of 4 in Seattle, but I'll take a 2-2 split. I hope Allen Webster is up to the task tonight as the team needs a good start from him after last night. It's a good time for the Sox rookie to step up.

Guest Article - "What's Happened to Baseball?"

Individual markets notwithstanding, it is sad to see the decline of our "national pastime" in the media. I understand that football, basketball & hockey have their followings, but their seasons are over now & the main focus should be on baseball. The Bruins had a great year; the Celts not so much; the Pats haven't played since the end of January. I know that shakeups & trades happen, not to mention criminal activity. But we have a team that is in first place by more than just a couple of games; a team that many predicted to finish last in the division; a team that is over achieving both at the plate & in the bullpen. So why aren't more of these so called "sports talk shows" spending meaningful time talking about the Red Sox? I really don't care where Dwight Howard is playing until October. The same, but to a lesser extent, goes for Jerome Iginla & Bead Stevens. ESPN STILL spends more time showing dunks than baseball highlights. Maybe baseball needs to lose its milk toast commissioner Bud Selig & replace him with a Roger Goodell or a David Stern. Baseball needs a commissioner that can not only run the show, but market the product. The trade deadline is coming & teams will be filling their holes & strengthening their squads. The second half push begins. Here's hoping baseball gets its due! (Article by Steve B.)

Sox Lose Finale 3-0

No runs equals no win. John Lackey was good. Jared Weaver was better. To me this series changed in Anaheim's favor when the Angels scored 4 runs in the 9th in game 2. It happens. From what we saw of the Angels defense, or lack of it, they have a lot of holes to fill if they are to contend in the AL West. Texas & Oakland will be tough for the Halos to leap-frog over to get into the playoffs. The Sox are off to Seattle to face King Felix tonight. You would expect the Boston 9 to right the ship against the Mariners & take 3 out of 4.

The Game That Got Away

I stayed up until 2 A.M. expecting to see a 7-3 victory by the Red Sox. Instead, Brandon Snyder did an imitation of Angels' infielders by throwing a ball away. Angels tie the game 7-7 & go on to win 9-7 in 11 innings. I turned it off after the game went into extras. Funny how quickly a game can change. The Red Sox had multiple opportunities to blow the game wide open throughout the earlier innings, but they never got the kill shot with RISP. The Angels committed 3 more errors last night & they looked completely out of it - until the 9th. Ryan Dempster deserved a win. And now the Sox need to beat the Angels tonight to take the series behind John Lackey. If anything, last night's game shows that the Sox need more quality arms in the bullpen. Andrew Miller got hurt with what looked to be a sprained ankle, so there may be a roster move coming. One bright spot was Andrew Bailey coming into the game to induce a big double play in the 7th & pitching a scoreless 8th. Maybe he can contribute again.

West Coast Swing Starts With A Win 6-2 Over Halos

Here's my take on various guys involved in last night's game. Laz Diaz - horrible strike zone. Mike Scioscia - poor positioning of left side of his infield which led to 2 hits, poor decision not to start Mike Trout on a 3-2 count that led to a big double play & a real poor decision to pitch to David Ortiz late in the game with first base open. Angels left side of infield - poor range, 1 throwing error. Angels corner outfielders Schuck & Hamilton - poor D that led to 2 unearned runs. C.J. Wilson deserved a better fate as he gave up only 1 earned run through the first 7. But the Red Sox power of Big Papi & Mike Napoli salted the game away in the 8th & 9th when each clubbed a home run. For Ortiz it was a pinch hit 2-run homer high into right field in the 8th that gave the Sox a 5-2 lead. For Napoli it was a long, long solo shot into deep center field in the 9th that lengthened the lead. Koji did his 1-2-3 thing in the 9th. Felix Doubront went 6 2/3, giving up only 2 runs, but it wasn't an easy 6 2/3. Doubront still scares me when he starts walking batters, but he managed his way out of trouble. All in all, a good win to start the road trip. The Red Sox played like a 1st place team. The Angels played like a team under .500.

What is WAR?

WAR is another one of those sabermetric terms that is being thrown around these days. I got the rest of this definition from Wikipedia. "WAR stands for Wins Above Replacement. It determines the value of a player's total contribution to their team. WAR is claimed to show the number of additional wins a player would contribute to a team compared to a replacement level player at that position, usually a minor league player or bench player. The purpose is to determine how much better a player is compared to a readily available substitute. WAR does not reflect a true talent level, but rather is a descriptor of the value of contributions made by the player." For me, I let my eyes figure out how important a player is to a team. WAR does nothing for me. It seems as though these sabermeticians are stretching the limits of usefulness with some of these stats.

A Little More Breathing Room

Red Sox win. Orioles lose. That gives the Red Sox a 4 1/2 game lead going into the start of play tonight. With a 10-game western swing through Anaheim, Seattle & Oakland the Sox can play .500 ball & still remain in first place by the all-star break. Toronto had won 10 of 11 a few weeks back, but they have been losing again, including a recent poor performance in Boston where the Jays lost 3 of 4. The Yankees are tumbling downward & they struggle to play .500 ball. The Rays are picking it up recently. Even the Orioles are starting to slide a bit. So the Red Sox are quietly gaining a game a week on the rest of the AL East pack with their lead now at 4 1/2. If the Sox can maintain their 4 or 5 game lead going into the break, I think it bodes well for when Buchholz returns for the 2nd half. By the way, Will Middlebrooks is crushing the ball in Pawtucket & he looks like he is ready to compete for playing time again. Stephen who? No one has missed the presence of Stephen Drew, thanks to the play of Brandon Snyder & Jose Iglesias. Maybe the Sox will make Drew available at the trade deadline. Should be an interesting July as a few deals - like Feldman from the Cubs to the O's - get done early. The Red Sox will be buyers, but only if it doesn't cost them top prospects.

Sox Sweep Padres With 8-2 Win

Happy 4th to all! And the crowd at Fenway Park was treated to another win today, this time by a score of 8-2. Good for Allen Webster to get his 1st big league win. He threw 6 innings of 2-run ball. Good that the bullpen guys were able to take care of the final 3 frames without using Tazawa or Uehara. Even Andrew Bailey threw a 1-2-3 7th inning! Brandon Snyder had a homer to right today. The 1-2-3-4 batters in the order stay hot. Ells hit a homer to go with his multi-hit game. The Sox offense couldn't be held down for a 2nd day in a row. It's off to Anaheim to start a series against the Angels tomorrow night. Get your nap in during the day as it will be a late weekend of TV games starting at 10 PM. Then it's 4 in Seattle & 3 in Oakland before the all-star break.

Another Walk-Off HR for Jonny Gomes

I wasn't happy in the 8th that with runners on 1st & 2nd & no outs that John Farrell didn't have Daniel Nava bunt the runners over. Nava strikes out on 3 pitches & the Sox end up stranding the go-ahead run at 2nd. But no worries. Lester goes the 1st 7 & gives up just one run. Tazawa & Uehara pitch a clean 8th & 9th. Jonny Gomes pinch hits for Brandon Snyder to start the 9th. Gomes hits a 2 strike slider just over the monster in left to win the game 2-1 for the Red Sox. As Eck said after the game, you just felt like the Sox would do something dramatic to win this game. A win by the Sox & O's puts the Rays & Yankees at 6 behind & the Jays 10 behind in the standings. It's becoming a 2 horse race in the AL East between Baltimore & Boston as teams head towards the all-star break. One more win at home would be a nice way to finish off this home stand. Allen Webster goes for his 1st win this afternoon.

Dopey Questions from Sean McAdams

What's up with Sean McAdams trying to bait John Farrell & John Lackey after the game in the post-game interview? McAdams first asks Farrell about "winning the fans back" by John Lackey & Farrell basically said Lackey's hard work after surgery & in the off-season is paying off. Not satisfied, McAdams asks Lackey himself about "winning the fans back" & Lackey says the fans like good pitching & wouldn't go further. Really, Sean, is that the depth of your reporting skills after all these years? You're worried about fan reaction over results? I think McAdams was planting a question to get Lackey stirred up & he didn't take the bait. I don't mind McAdams & his reporting on most days, but I thought that he stooped to a new low last night. No reporters can enjoy the fun of winning shown by this team because it makes their predictions look bad. Well, Sean, maybe you should be sent back to Pawtucket until you learn to ask questions that matter after a game. Poor reporting. Bush league.

Sox Win 4-1

It seems like every player called up contributes. Latest in a long line this year is Brandon Snyder. A 3-run double by Snyder propels the Red Sox to a 4-1 win over the NL Padres. John Lackey continued his torrid pitching, throwing 8 innings of 1-run ball. Koji comes in for a 1-2-3 save in the 9th. Another call-up, Jose Iglesias, chipped in with 2 more hits & an RBI to keep his BA over .400. There is a special feel around this team. While many who picked the Sox for last continue to be naysayers & fatalists about the 2nd half, let's enjoy what we have going into the 4th of July. We have a 1st place team.

Do We Need A Closer?

Different thoughts on this subject on the air waves. We can leave Koji Uehara there & bring up another arm - like Rubby de la Rosa - to be 7th inning guy with Tazawa handling the 8th. We can go after a Jonathan Papelbon or Glenn Perkins (Twins), but that will cost the Red Sox prospects & money. Personally, I think that this team will continue to piece it together & find a way to win. Pap is a blast from the past & he may upset the clubhouse atmosphere. Perkins is a big lefty who throws hard &, again, it's unknown what kind of influence he would be in the clubhouse. Maybe Bailey will find it again over the 2nd half. Maybe the starters will go further into games & give the bullpen less innings to pitch. Let's not bring unknowns into a good dugout & a good clubhouse. Let's win or lose with the guys who are here & with the guys who got us into first place. Nuf ced!

July Means Trade Deadline

Get your motor running & hold on. The chit chat for the next 4 weeks will be about who the Red Sox may trade or who they may acquire. Overall, this team has shown amazing depth at all positions. Jackie Bradley, Jr. & Jonny Gomes are quality outfielders. Will Middlebrooks is hitting home runs again in Pawtucket. Allen Webster is getting better as a starter. Alex Wilson has been good more than bad out of the pen. Fixing Andrew Bailey can only help. Xander Bogaerts is waiting in the wings. Rubby de la Rosa is also waiting for his chance. It seems like this team has all the depth it needs for the 2nd half run. I would be against giving up any players or prospects mentioned above. I would keep Jacoby Ellsbury & let him play out his year. Ells has quietly done a good job getting on base & becoming a singles, doubles hitter. He & Victorino create a lot of havoc at the top of the order. Forget bringing in Jon Papelbon or Cliff Lee. That would be a backwards move. Keep the youth movement going. If there was a 1 year, rent a player situation that just cost money, I think Ben would consider that. But don't mess with the team chemistry that is performing so well to date. Remember - this was suppose to be a rebuilding year. I guess no one told the players that!

Sox Win 50th Game

The Boston Red Sox have a flare for the dramatic. After Koji Uehara gave up a 9th inning homer to the real Man of Steel Jose Bautista, Shane Victorino took advantage of an error at first base to plate Jonathan Diaz with the winning run & the Sox walk off with a 5-4 win & a series win of 3 out of 4 against the once hot, but cooled off, Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays lose 3 of 4 & Baltimore sweeps the Yankees this weekend to move the AL East into more of a 2 team race between the Sox & O's - at least for the moment. Even without Saltie & Big Papi in the lineup, the Sox found a way to scratch out an important win. Ryan Lavarnway & Brandon Synder both contributed with 3 RBI between them. Ryan Dempster threw well enough to keep the game close. It's up to Lackey, Lester & Webster to keep the quality starts going in the next series against the Padres. Monday is a well-deserved off day before this last home series & a looming 10-game west coast trip. Sox finish June with a record of 17-11. And, yes, the Sox remain in 1st place with their 50th win. Only the Cardinals have more wins at 51.