May 8th Red Sox

        So this Will Middlebrooks kid, he has got some serious game. The problem is what do the Sox do with him when Youkilis gets back? I mean Youk has had a rough start to the season, but he’s a proven player and you don’t bail on someone like that twenty-five games into the season because a Triple AAA guy had a great first four games. However, that isn’t to say Middlebrooks has to be sent back down to the minors either. With Ortiz swinging the best bat of his career at DH and Adrian Gonzalez being one of the best hitters in baseball when he is at his best you don’t have anywhere Youk can move to so he’s locked in at third. 

         My question would have to be can he learn to play the outfield. He has good speed and he is clearly a good athlete so I don’t think it would be that big a stretch to throw him in right field. I mean we put Lars Anderson out there a couple times and he is half the athlete Middlebrooks is. His numbers were ridiculous in the minors and now he has three home runs in his first four major league games, not to mention tying a record for most runs batted in during the first four games of a career. He is batting .381 with six extra base hits as well as a stolen base. They say he is a five tool player and he is proving it. Last night after the game the analysts were considering the possibility of trading him when Youkilis gets back, which is outrageous. He has proven himself during the past two seasons with monstrous numbers in the minors and he is continuing it with the Red Sox. Just because you don’t have a spot in the starting lineup for him right now doesn’t mean you try and get an average player for him. 

        Worst case scenario if they decide they don’t want to try him in the outfield is he backs up Youkilis. He could get the start when Youk, Ortiz or Gonzalez needed a day off. I understand that isn’t often, but if he is swinging a hot bat you can afford to give those guys a day off every couple of weeks. 

        Now the Red Sox got a much needed win last night in Kansas City. I fooled you didn’t I. After they got on that winning streak to get back to .500 you thought they would be atop the AL East in a week or two, but no they lost five straight and find themselves almost seven games behind the Rays and Orioles. Once again I’m not in panic mode because I know they have over 130 games left. However, I am very worried about Clay Buchholz. He hasn’t had a start this year that he has allowed fewer than five runs. I don’t know what his problem is, but if he continues to struggle it may be his spot that Dice-K ends up taking in order to give Buchholz some time to figure it all out. 

        The Aaron Cook experiment didn’t go so well. In his one shot to prove himself up here during Beckett’s start he didn’t make it past the third inning. Why people try to say numbers in Triple AAA has any correlation to how a guy with pitch in the majors is beyond me. You have to look at a guys stuff which yes to be honest he did look good, but clearly the awful hitters aided that. 

May 3rd Red Sox

        Well that wasn’t the start to the home stand the Sox were looking for. After taking the first game against Oakland, the A’s pitching shut us down winning the last two to take the series. Once again the Sox find themselves staring up at .500 and in the basement of the AL East. The Orioles come into town for a weekend series, but that doesn’t sound quite as good as it has in past years. Baltimore brings a 16-9 record to Boston after having taken a series against the Yankees. 

        The Sox have more injury problems, Kevin Youkilis has been placed on the disabled list and Josh Beckett will miss his start on Saturday, but that seems more like 

an excuse for Aaron Cook than anything. However, fortunately for the Red Sox they have Will Middlebrooks while Youkilis is out. In his first big league game he went 2 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base. He was batting well over .300 in Triple AAA and was leading the PawSox with nine home runs. He has a tremendous combination of speed and power and the Sox may have to find a roster spot for him after Youkilis comes back. It is nice to see someone from the farm system getting the call because it seems like the Sox have been going away from that recently, we don’t want to turn into the Yankees. Sorry Nick Punto, but if this kids for real you may need to find a new home.

       Now for the pitching situation, we all new Aaron Cook was coming up, but no one knew what they were going to do with him. Beckett apparently is feeling a “bit stiff” so Cook will start in his spot on Saturday. What happens after that, well your guess is as good as mine. I imagine that whoever has the worst start out of Dubrount, Bard, and Cook will be moved to the bullpen, but it is really just a complete and utter mess. The Sox brought up Clayton Mortensen to the bullpen for a few days until Cook is actually needed, turns out the guy has some real stuff. He struck out six batters in three innings, allowing just one baserunner during that time. Are you really going to send him down for Cook after a performance like that? They said they are going to so they most likely will, but I feel like someone else in the bullpen should probably get the boot. 

       The Red Sox also added Jose Iglesias, the strong fielding shortstop, who many wanted to start the season as the Sox shortstop. The problem is he can’t really hit and his speed is useless if he isn’t getting on base. Aviles’ glove has been fine this year and he is hitting great and even running on the bases so don’t expect Iglesias to last past Youkilis’ return. He will probably get a start at shortstop or pinch run for someone, but they are just trying to give him a little taste of the Bigs while they have the chance. 

April 30th Red Sox

         The White Sox scored early on Beckett and that was the difference in the ball game. Chicago scored three runs against him in the first, the only runs he would allow in the 6.2 innings that he pitched. Unfortunately for the second straight day the Sox offense was slowed down by the White Sox pitching. After four innings it was looking a lot like the Sox might get perfect gamed, but a walk to Cody Ross with two outs in the fifth ended that. The no hitter lasted until the seventh when Dustin Pedroia grabbed the first hit of the game for the Red Sox, eventually coming across to score their only run of the ball game. 

         The bullpen for Boston allowed just the second run in their last twenty innings pitched, no surprise the Sox went 6-1 during that stretch. I don’t think any Sox fan will overlook the importance of a strong bullpen after this season. It may very well be what makes or breaks the Sox all season long and determines if they have a chance at the World Series. 

         Once again it was Kelly Shoppach doing the catching behind the plate for Josh Beckett. When asked about it after the game he denied him being Beckett’s personal catcher, but I think everyone knows that without him admitting it, he is. Kevin Youkilis was a late scratch before the game due to back stiffness, but it sounds like it isn’t something to be too worried about. The Sox haven’t had any days off in the past twenty days except the rain out before they hit the road. Youkilis had some injuries last season and I’m sure it was just to be very cautious and Valentine wanted to get Nick Punto into the lineup anyways. Everyone thought it would be a pluton between him and Aviles at shortstop, but with Mike playing so well that just hasn’t been the case. Punto is going to have a tough time finding playing time with Youkilis, Aviles and Pedroia in front of him and Iglesias waiting in the weeds behind him. 

         The Sox get to head home after there nice winning streak for hopefully a little home cooking. Once again their schedule is favorable as well as the pitching match-ups. They have three games at home against Oakland before an off day on Thursday and then the surprising Orioles come to town for a weekend series before the Sox out to Kansas City for a very quick three game set with the Royals. Then they will head right back to Boston for a four game series with Cleveland followed by a short two game stint with the Mariners. With the way the Sox have been hitting the ball and with the pitching finally coming around the Sox have the potential to take the lead in the division. Yes I said it, take control of the AL East. 

April 29th Red Sox

         The Sox did it, what seemed to be the impossible a week ago has come true. Boston won their sixth game in a row raising their record to 10-10 and now sitting at

.500 just a few games behind Baltimore and Tampa Bay for the lead in the division. It took the best pitching performance of the year for the Sox, but it was a huge confidence booster for everyone involved. Jon Lester went seven very strong innings striking out seven without allowing a run. He turned the ball over to the bullpen with just a one run lead and absolutely no margin for error. Franklin Morales and Vincente Padilla combined to pitch a scary, but scoreless eighth inning leaving Alfredo Aceves three outs to get and he did. Aceves pitched his first inning without allowing a baserunner and striking out one. Once again the bullpen looked strong. 

         On the other side over shadowed by the Sox sixth straight win was Jake Peavy’s great performance allowing just one run in a complete game. He allowed just five base-runners all night and struck out seven, but his offense couldn’t come through for him. This kind of win even gives confidence to the offense, realizing they aren’t going to have to score ten runs a night in order to get a win. Jon Lester got his first win in his last eight starts dating back to last season, hard to say that doesn’t give him a ton of confidence especially knowing if he had allowed a single run he wouldn’t have got it. 

        What I don’t understand is why Ryan Sweeney isn’t playing everyday, regardless of whether the opposing pitcher is a lefty or not. The guy is batting .391 and is in the top five in the American League in batting average, at least give the guy a chance to see how he hits them on this hot streak. Clearly he is seeing the ball remarkably well and another lefty on the team, David Ortiz, happens to be hitting .400 for the season and against lefties alone. Now I know he isn’t Big Papi, but Ortiz is hitting lefties well for the first time in a long time and it just so happens it’s while he is swinging the hottest bat in the league. Can’t tell me those two things don’t have some correlation, so why not give Sweeney a chance against lefties, especially when you have a shorthanded outfield. 

        The Sox look for a seven game winning streak tomorrow, all on the road and a four game sweep of the Chicago White Sox. They will be matched up against Gavin Floyd who has had the Sox number in the past, career 6-0 against them. However, Josh Beckett has been pitching much better as of late and the Sox are just finding ways to win. It should be a great final game to the road trip. 

April 28th Red Sox

         The Red Sox kept the winning streak alive last night with an identical 10-3 win in the second of four games against Chicago. Along the way the Sox answered a few questions, at least for now. Daniel Bard will stay the fifth starter for now, tossing seven innings with just two earned runs coming home. Once again he looked really good in the starters role and his stuff is just working. People really underestimate how difficult it is to go from being a setup man or closer to a starter and he has gone back and forth just this week. Things are going to get pretty complicated when Aaron Cook’s contract is up and Dice-K is back from rehab, but for the moment the rotation is going to stay as it is. 

         The Sox offense continues to shine scoring ten runs again, they must be leading the league in most games with double digit runs. The unlikely hero last night was Darnell McDonald, perhaps my least favorite Red Sox. He hit a bases clearing double in the sixth inning to break a 3-3 tie giving the Red Sox a lead they would never again let up. McDonald is a hard worker and all, but I just don’t think he should be on the Sox major league roster. I would much rather see one of the young speedy kids in the farm system get a chance while Ellsbury and Crawford are out. His 2 for 4 night with four runs batted in skyrocketed his batting average to .147. Any guy in the majors without a great track record should not be playing with any consistency if they are hitting that low. He has a decent glove and moderate speed, but neither are so stunning that they alone should keep him up here. I would much rather see a prospect that can come in to run in the ninth and steal second or come in to shut down center field. For a guy with little power and moderate speed, batting with a career average under .250 just isn’t working for me, especially given that he is thirty-three years old and on the downside of a lousy career. 

         Well I kind of do feel bad for slamming Darnell after he had a great night for the Sox and I fully expect him to be the utility man for the Sox while Ellsbury and Crawford are injured, but I just don’t think it’s the best man for the Sox. What I do like about him is he cares and works very hard to try and keep his spot so as long as he can sprinkle in a night like this once a month than I will keep my mouth shut for now. Tomorrow each teams ace take the hill in what could be the first time the Red Sox reach .500 this season. When I said they need to go on a tear to reach .500 before May I didn’t think it was possible, but Lester and Sox will have a chance tomorrow against Jake Peavy. 

April 27th Red Sox

       The Sox were lucky in enough to face Humber the start after his perfect game, but they didn’t let him contain their hot bats. Instead the Sox erupted for nine runs against him during his five innings, raising his ERA from 0.63 to a rough 4.66. I said in yesterdays entry that the White Sox have some good pitching, but I wasn’t sure if they were going to be able to slow down the Sox offense and that was certainly the case last night. On the other side of things Felix Dubrount continued his consistency tossing six innings allowing just three earned runs. Perhaps the best moment of the night was seeing Junichi Tazawa combine three scoreless innings to record his first save of his major league career. He missed the entire last season with Tommy John surgery, but he looked very sharp last night. The Sox had high hopes for this kid before his surgery and the bullpen could use a few more outings out of him like last night. 

        The Sox continued to display their power last night as well as their early dominance, scoring two in the first and adding another five in the third inning. That early run support is going to be a key factor in the success of the Sox starters for the remainder of the long season. Kevin Youkilis may have finally busted out of his slump with a grand slam in the top of the third inning. He went 3 for 4 with two runs and four runs batted in. Just behind him in the lineup catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia had a big night, going deep twice against not-so-perfect Phillip Humber. The Sox lacked power early in the season, but it is a big boost to a lineup when guys up and down your order have the potential to go yard at any given time. With Aviles showing great power in the past few games and Salty yesterday the Sox may not have a thirty home run guy on their squad, but they have plenty who can hit at least twenty. 

        Tomorrow it will be Daniel Bard taking the baseball to the mound for the Sox hoping to extend their winning streak to five games and one win shy of .500. It will be interesting to see how Bard performs after having pitched out of the bullpen on Monday. He looked like he was really getting into a rythm before the weather disrupted his routine and he knows he is fighting to stay out of the bullpen. Sox fans aren’t really sure where they want Bard and his next couple of performances will have a big impact on wether or not he stays in the rotation or takes over the closer role. The bullpen had another scoreless performance and I don’t dare say it but...

 

April 26th Red Sox

        Dustin Pedroia fell a home run shy of the cycle in the Sox scary final game of their sweep. The Sox appeared to be cruising to their third win in a row until Buchholz hit a road block in the sixth inning. It appeared he would finally get a nice start under his belt until he couldn’t record an out in the sixth inning. He left in the middle of the inning with the bases juiced and the bullpen didn’t come through for him (big surprise I know). Scott Atchinson and Justin Thomas came in to face three batter without managing to record an out. It took a huge Matt Albers double play to let the Sox escape with their head just barely above water with a 7-6 lead. Somehow, someway that is how the game ended. The twins had seized all momentum, but the Sox bullpen kept them scoreless after the sixth. 

        Of course Aceves came in for a heart-attack save in the ninth, allowing two base runners with no margin for error, but he got out of the inning unscathed. All in all it was actually a good outing for the Sox pen allowing just one earned run the 3.2 innings they pitched and it turned out to be a great series for just about everyone involved, especially the bullpen. Maybe Daniel Bard’s appearence gave everyone a little extra confidence (while I doubt that to be true it sounds good and it makes Bobby V actually look good for once, well I’m not sure if I actually want that). 

         While the matchups looked promising for the Sox, with the way they were playing a sweep on the road seemed damn near impossible, even if it was against the now 5-14 Minnesota Twins. The Sox bats once again came alive when they needed them, scoring a combined twenty-five runs in the three game series. What I am most pleased to see is the production they have been getting early in the games, we can finally see what happens when our starting pitchers are able to work with a lead. 

         The Sox now head to the windy city to take on a very beatable Chicago White Sox team. They have some good starting pitching, but with the way Boston is swinging the bat right now I am not sure if they have quite the stuff to tame the Sox. What I do know is the White Sox lineup is not strong and the Sox starters actually need to take advantage of that for once. It will be the bottom end of the rotation in the first couple of games, but they have actually been two of the more reliable so far this season. The Sox need to continue this winning streak if they want a taste of .500 before May strikes. 

April 25th Red Sox

        The Red Sox dominated the Twins in every category last night. Josh Beckett took the hill hoping to build off a little momentum from the night before. He gave the Sox six strong innings with just two runs allowed and for the second straight night the bullpen was able to perform. Most of the time you have confidence when your team takes a 10-2 lead into the bullpen, but not this year, at least not right now. The Sox bullpen needs to build up confidence in both themselves and the fans before everyone stops holding their breath during the last few innings. 

        This looked a lot like the Sox hitting team we were getting used to during the Rays series. Mike Aviles and Adrian Gonzalez combined to reach base in eight of their nine at bats, touching home on five separate occasions. Ortiz added an absolute blast for his third home run of the season, tallying three runs batted in. This is a strong lineup top to bottom, but the top of the lineup has potential to ridiculous damage and with a few weaker bats at the bottom they are going to need the top to get hot for a while. Boston needs some solid run support while the starting pitchers and bullpen try to finally get their feet underneath them. 

        In his second game as Red Sox Marlon Byrd went 2 for 5 with a run and a few nice grabs in centerfield. I wasn’t happy to see this trade go through, but the Sox did have the right idea. They need a steady glove and a veteran to help manage the outfield while Crawford and Ellsbury are out with long injuries. After having hit .070 for the Cubs I don’t expect him to come over and hit .300, but it would be nice if he could sprinkle in a few nice games like last night. 

        Kelly Shoppach once against caught Beckett last night. It has now been every start since his first that Shoppach has been behind the plate when he takes the bump. Valentine was very adamant during spring training when talking about everyone would catch everyone, but that seems to now be out the window. However, Valentine and everyone else knows that this is a good thing. While it is annoying that Beckett is so picky as a pitcher what matters most is he is doing well and if that means starting Shoppach every fifth day than so be it. He is a veteran game caller and he has actually been swinging a pretty hot bat this season while Salty hasn’t. Catchers need a lot of days off and that is how it has been in the Sox organization for a while now and I hope Valentine doesn’t mess with that. The Sox look for a much needed sweep of the Twins tomorrow night with Buchholz. 

April 24th Red Sox

        Last night has left Bobby Valentine one of the toughest decisions he will face this season. He must decide whether or not to keep Daniel Bard as a starter or move him back into the bullpen. They brought him in last night with a man on third and one out and he stranded the man there something nobody in the bullpen has been able to do all season. I heard Bard talking about the decision to put him in the bullpen for the night and he was only willing because he knew the team needed it, he wants to be a starter for the Red Sox and that will a key factor in the final decision. Valentine committed to Bard as a starter at the beginning of the season and now that is what Bard wants. 

         The decision must be made quickly because the Sox have to decide whether they want to bring up Aaron Cook from Triple AAA and make him the fifth starter or if they are going to let him go. In three starts for the PawSox he is 3-0 with an ERA under 2. There is a huge difference between pitching down there and in the big leagues, but he has a lot of experience and he is throwing the ball extremely well right now. If the Sox don’t bring him up by May 1 he comes a free agent and the Sox could end up wasting a potentially strong fifth starter. Also good ol’ Dice-K made his first rehab start yesterday and while his numbers weren’t pretty I imagine the goal is to give him a spot in the rotation when he is ready. 

         I am not really sure which side I am rooting for. It is one of those decisions that will severely impact the Sox and how they play, but both sides have just as much potential. Bard is coming off a great start against the Rays where he held them to just one run in six innings. He has looked really good as a starter this season, but the Sox need a closer and he is the only guy on the roster that has the right stuff and the right confidence to do that job. Alfredo Aceves is a great pitcher, but he is just not fit for the closer job. Mentally he is not the right guy and he is trying to change his pitching style and it is causing him to overthrow the ball. He doesn’t have blow you away stuff and he doesn’t need it, but that is the typical profile of a closer. I love Aceves and the Sox need him to be the guy he was last year and the only way to do that is put him back in the same role as last year. 

         I think that if they go with Bard as a starter for now then they have to go out and get someone that close out games for them. I am not sure if they have anyone in the farm system ready or if that means making a trade, but the job is just not for Aceves and Melancon certainly didn’t pan out. The problem really is that Bobby V screwed everyone by committing to Bard as the fifth starter, and that is why I think he is going to keep Bard as a starter and Aceves as the closer.

          What would have made sense was giving Aceves the fifth spot in the rotation and make Bard the closer early in the year. That way when Dice-K comes back or if they wanted to call up Aaron Cook they could have and just moved Aceves into the bullpen. Aceves is used to having a funky job in the bullpen and making spot starts, Bard isn’t. I am confused as to what the game plan is for when Dice-K comes back, I mean they knew it wasn’t going to happen sometime. That means unless someone is injured you have to either move Dubrount or Bard to the bullpen, but they are “committed” to these guys as the starters. So even if he keeps Bard as a starter someone is eventually going to get screwed out of the rotation so why not just put Bard into the bullpen now because you know he is the most valuable in the pen. I understand he has great potential as a starter and I was really excited to see him start, but he also will be one of the best closers in the league if given that role. He has proven himself in the bullpen, not as a starter so why take that risk instead of leaving him where you know he is strong. Especially when you have no one else on your roster that has any experience closing out games. I know everything is messed up because Andrew Bailey is supposed to be the closer and they only committed to Bard as a starter because they thought he was going to be the closer, but there is no problem switching Bard after seeing an injury and what has happened to the Sox pen this season. It will be interesting to see what happens to Bard during the next few weeks because it will have a big impact on many pitchers in the Sox organization. 

April 23rd Red Sox

Well after thinking the Sox had finally figured everything out and thinking they had all the confidence in the world they lose their final five games of the home stand. After scoring at will with thirty-one runs in just three games against the Rays. They managed to cross the plate just seven times in the next four games. I don’t care if your pitching is awful or unreal that isn’t going to get the job done. Then when the bats finally come alive for the Sox and Dubrount shuts down the Yankees the bullpen comes in and allows back to back touchdowns in the seventh and eighth inning to blow a 9-0 lead. Fortunately for the Red Sox their Sunday night showdown with the Yankees was postponed so they get a much needed day of rest and avoid a game against the Yankees when they are clearly not playing well. 

I have said before that I am not panicked and I am sticking to my word, but I am stunned at what has happened to the Red Sox. They just don’t look like a team right now. The fans don’t have a lick of trust in manager Bobby Valentine, the bullpen has no confidence what so ever and quite frankly it looks like the Sox are still hungover from what blew up in the clubhouse last season. Granted it isn’t an easy thing to put past you, but it’s a new season guys show us you are pissed off about game 162. 

The real problem is this team just doesn’t have as many “true” Red Sox players as past years. They still have Lester, Beckett, Ortiz, Pedroia and Youk, but they don’t have the chemistry of prior Sox ball clubs. They don’t have the fire at the end of games that Papelbon brought they don’t have a cowboy up guy in Kevin Millar. Watching the Red Sox celebrate the 100 year anniversary made me realize these Red Sox aren’t like those guys. There is no more Varitek ,no more Wakefield, no more Nomar or Pedro. Not even Manny being Manny. And sadly no more Terry Francona (though it was very nice to see him show up to the anniversary). 

This is a new era of Red Sox and I don’t think fans are ready to accept that and they shouldn’t. Guys like Ortiz are trying to lead the new guys, but there is just to much controversy getting in the way. The Sox needed a hot start this season to put away the media concerning a new manager and the great collapse from last season, but they have just created more by starting 4-10. And by the fashion in which they have done so, blowing game after game in the bullpen in heartbreaking fashion. 

The Sox have made an interesting decision to skip Bard’s start and go with Lester today in Minnesota. I assume Valentine just wanted to make sure Lester and Beckett stay on schedule so they can get into a groove, but what is to come of Bard now. Is he available for the bullpen? When will he make his next start? These are all questions that Bobby V has to answer and I just don’t feel comfortable with him making the right call. The Sox need to shut everyone up and end this losing streak. They may be heading on the road, but their schedule is much more favorable than the one they just got done with. They have some good pitching match-ups lined up in their favor and they need to exploit them.

April 22nd Red Sox

        Good ol’ Bobby Valentine. Can we trust him? Is he the right fit for the job? Is he to blame for this horrendous start by the Boston Red Sox. I can really only answer the last question with any certainty, the answer is no, but he is a good scapegoat. Quite frankly I just don’t like the guy, he is arrogant and he succeeds one of the most likable guys ever in Terry Francona. He comes into a bad situation media wise and playing around with the media is the last thing the Sox need from him. 

          To me he seems like a guy that is trying to do to much just to say he did. The Sox have a bunch of great players and they don’t need Bobby V to do much for them to win. They don’t need him coming in here changing up the lineup and making a bunch of weird bullpen decisions, he hasn’t earned that right. In Francona’s final years as Sox manager he would make a small tweak in the lineup when the Sox were slumping, but the difference one he had proven himself and they always seemed to work. Had he been doing that for seven years and not one a championship he wouldn’t have lasted. Sure the Sox need a little spice from him, but he is doing way to much which is why the blame is being placed on him. Managers are the face of franchises and they are the easiest to blame and that is the case here. He can’t go out there and toss a shutout or hit home runs, but if the Sox guys aren’t doing that then fans get cranky and all eyes look to the new guy who happens to also now be the face of the franchise.

          For the past decade Boston fans have been treated with three of the best coaches in their respective sports and arguably the top in their sports. It is no surprise that all of them have brought home at least one championship in their respective sports during their coaching reigns. Sox fans know what a good coach is and that is why they aren’t putting up with all of Valentine’s bullshit. He comes into Boston acting like he owns the place, but fans aren’t going to deal with that if he isn’t winning games. He has a cocky attitude which can work if you have proven track record and your ballclub is winning games, he has neither of those things going for him. He and Cherington haven’t been the best of friends since their arrivals this summer and it won’t be long until people put him on the hot seat if the Sox don’t start winning games. 

         He has done two things that I just can’t even comprehend. First he calls out Kevin Youkilis for not putting in the effort he thinks he should be getting from him. He is the last guy on the Sox I would call out for a lack of effort. He wears his heart on his sleeve and despite being in a slump, every Sox fan out there knows Youk is working his tail off for the Sox. He is one of the few veterans left on this team and he is not the guy to call out. I don’t know if Valentine thought saying that would set a spark off for the Sox, but it didn’t and it just got both Sox fans and players very upset with Valentine. He also said that Derek Jeter was overrated. Don’t get me wrong I hate the Yankees and I hate Jeter, but I have respect for Jeter, he is one of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen. I hate him because he plays for the Sox rival and he is one of the main reasons why the Yankees are good not because he is overrated. I have never been a fan of coaches talking trash about the other team before a game or series and if anything that sparked the Yankees not the Sox as you saw in the result of the series. Bobby V had better hope the Sox start winning and he keeps his mouth shut or else his stay in Boston could be very short. 

April 16th Red Sox

        The Red Sox bats failed to complete the sweep of the Rays, but it was still a good sign for the Sox. As nice as it would’ve been to see them get back to .500 it was nice to see Daniel Bard pitch a gem. He had nasty stuff and if he could have kept it in the strike zone the result may have been in favor of the Sox. I have to imagine his pitch count was wearing on him and that is what lead to his loss of control in the seventh inning. He ended up walking home the only run of the ball game, but surprise Justin Thomas came in a got a key double play to get the Sox out of the inning. Unfortunately they ran into red hot James Shields who fell two outs away from what he does best, toss complete games. 

         The Sox bats were finally tamed, mustering up just four hits against the duo of Shields and Rodney. This was the series the Sox need though and they are now just a couple games behind the entire division. The pitching has looked a ton better, allowing just twelve runs in the four game series. However, it was the bats that really erupted and that is just what the Sox needed. They need to start jumping out to early leads and giving the pitching staff some solid run support. These guys need confidence and the Sox lineup is capable of doing so. 

         Texas comes to Boston tomorrow for a quick two game series. If the Sox aces, Lester and Beckett can pitch well and contain the Rangers potent offense the Sox will find themselves at .500 entering a three game series with the hated Yankees. Lester has pitched extremely well so far this season and hopefully he can continue that against the Rangers. The best way to beat Texas is by pounding their pitching and the Rangers are coming to town at the wrong time. The Sox have finally got their bats going and the match-ups look good for the Sox. Against one of the best teams in the league this is an important series for the Sox confidence. 

April 15th Red Sox

         Finally the Sox bats gave the pitching a little early run support and it was the difference in the game for the Sox. Cody Ross blasted a three run homer in the bottom of the second to get it started for the Sox. A double by Kelly Shoppach added another run in the fourth to give the Sox a 4-0 lead. Unfortunately Dubrount lost his stuff in the fifth and sixth and allowed the Rays to tie it up, but because the Sox finally had the early lead the three run fifth and one run sixth only tied the game. With the game up for grabs Big Papi answered for the Sox with an RBI double in the bottom half of the sixth to give the Sox the lead that they never gave back. Aviles hit a blast in the seventh to provide a very important insurance run for the shaky bullpen. 

          The pitching looked very good again for the Sox. The fourth and fifth starters were supposed to be the weak spot in the Sox team, but they have been one of the few bright spots on the pitching staff to open the season. While Dubrount didn’t finish with a strong pitching line his stuff looked scary good. He seemed to lose focus towards the end of his outing and the Rays capitalized. He was hitting his spots for the first four innings and then it was like he got lazy and it cost him. If he can continue to pitch like this and the top three Sox pitchers get back on track the Sox will be a force to reckoned with this season. 

          The Sox send Daniel Bard to the bump tomorrow in hopes to hit .500 for the first time this season. The Sox bats will face a tough matchup against ace James Shields, but it won’t be easy to tame the red hot Sox bats. You never expect to sweep a division rival and it would a be a huge four game sweep if the Sox can find a way to pull it off tomorrow.

April 14th Red Sox

The Red Sox looked right at home again today, piling on a slew of runs against the Rays in a 13-5 victory. After 25 runs in the past two games the Red Sox have the most runs scored in all of baseball. The eighth inning was kind to the Sox again as they scored five runs to seal the deal. However, the Sox got off to another slow start allowing the Rays to score four times in the top of the first. The Sox scored first in just one of their eight games this season, that is a stat they are going to have to change if they want to have a successful season. 

Buchholz settled in very nicely after allowing four in the first. He went seven innings allowing five runs on six hits. Morales looked very strong coming out of the pen once again securing the Sox lead until they broke it open in the bottom half of eighth. It was a home run derby for the Sox, who went yard five different times during the slug fest. Big Papi hit a two run shot, part of his five RBI day, and Mike Aviles broke the 5-5 tie in the seventh with a solo shot. Yet none was better than Cody Ross’s monster clearing bomb to cap the Sox victory. 

Cody Ross had a huge spring and many thought he would come out of the gates on fire, but it was just the opposite, he entered todays game hitting under .200 to start the season. He hit the ball hard today in all five of his at-bats. He only ended up with a hit in two of them, but it is a good sign for Sox fans. He has the potential to be a deadly Fenway hitter and he showed why today. Someone has to step up in the outfield with Crawford and Ellsbury out and he and Sweeney are doing just that. 

I thought it might be Sweeney who got a chance at the top of the order but Valentine elected to go with Mike Aviles instead. Aviles went 3-5 with two runs scored. It will probably be a combination of Aviles and Punto at the top spot. We have already seen Punto at the top once and it worked out well so don’t be surprised if whoever is at shortstop is also leading off. 

The Sox look to pull even with the Rays with a win tomorrow and pull with one game of .500. It won’t come easy though, the Rays send young phenom Matt Moore to the mound in hopes of containing this red hot Sox team. For the Sox it will be Felix Dubrount. 

April 13th Red Sox

       Welcome back to Fenway Park. The Red Sox crushed the Rays with a huge eighth inning to seal the win in their home opener. Josh Beckett pitched an absolute allowing just one run on five hits in eight innings of work. He probably would have come back out for the complete game had the Sox not added eight insurance runs in the bottom half of the eighth. Yet, there was still bad news to come from the win in the home opener. The Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, is out indefinetly with what sounds like a dislocated shoulder. He left the game in the fifth inning after being landed on by the Rays shortstop in an attempt to break up a double play. 

        An outfield that was set to be Crawford, Ellsbury and a combination of Cody Ross and Ryan Sweeney has now become Ross, Sweeney and good ol’ Darnell McDonald. That is a big hit to the Sox lineup and now Bobby V is going to have to decide who will take over as the leadoff man. Dustin Pedroia has has had success at the top of the order, but I am not sure if that is who Valentine will slide up there. My vote would be Ryan Sweeney. He is red hot with the bat and you don’t disrupt any of the veterans spots in the lineup. Then when Carl Crawford gets back have him take over. 

        The game was still a huge win despite the loss of Ellsbury. Josh Beckett rebounded with a great start, proving that is thumb is fine. The Red Sox went 10-17 as a team with runners in scoring position while the Rays were 0-5. I have said this before, but that eighth inning could be what gets this Sox team going. Every run they put across just builds their confidence. It will be interesting to see how this team responds after losing Ellsbury. It is still unclear exactly how much time he will miss. The intial report is a dislocated elbow which would put him out 6-8 weeks. Then once it is healed they would have to evaluate him for surgery which would mean the end of his season. 

        Kelly Shoppach caught Beckett and that may be something we see every time Beckett takes the hill. Beckett has a bad history with Salty and he pitched very well with Shoppach. Shoppach also performed very well at the plate, going 3-4 with three runs and two runs batted in, along with one of the ugliest stolen bases I have ever seen. It appears he will be the guy sharing the work load behind the plate with Salty. 

         The Sox need to keep this momentum going tomorrow when Buchholz and Hellickson face off. Hellickson shut down the Yankees in his first start, going 8.2 innings without allowing a run. Buchholz had a rough first outing, but many forget how good he can be. Two years ago he finished with a top five ERA in the American League and was pitching well last year until his back injury. The Sox need him to return to form against the Rays tomorrow. 

April 12th Red Sox

       One run just isn’t going to get the job done. Jon Lester had another great outing, but once again he lacked the run support. Why the Sox bats disappear at the beginning of the season is beyond me. The start of this season is beginning to look almost exactly like lasts. Last year the Sox started the season without producing any runs and the pitching couldn’t contain the other team. While the starting pitching hasn’t been awful for the most part so far this season, the bullpen and hitting has been. This is supposed to be the most dangerous lineup in baseball and they mustered up three hits against Ricky Romero? 

       I’m not really sure what is causing the entire Sox lineup to play so poorly. It isn’t always that haven’t been getting hits either, it is that they don’t get hits when runners are in scoring position. Yesterday the Sox went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position while the Blue Jays went 2 for 4. That is one of the most important offensive stats in baseball and the Sox just aren’t performing when they need to.

        The Red Sox are hitting .236 as a team. In my opinion this is a good to hear. Knowing that the Sox are 1-5 you know something has to be going terribly wrong and we know it has been for the most part the bullpen and hitting. What would be bad was if the Sox were hitting .270 as a team and not winning. They have a lineup filled with guys who have proven themselves in past years at the plate so I am confident they will begin producing. All hitters go through slumps, it just so happens the majority of the team is in a slump right now and it is the beginning of the season. Going 1-5 in any stretch hurts, but it hurts the most when you have no other wins on the year. Going 1-5 in July could very well go unnoticed, but not to start the season. 

        The main problem with starting the season so poorly is guys begin to get anxious and they lose confidence. Fans lose confidence, the media becomes worse than ever. The season after one of the worst collapses in baseball history as well as hiring a new manager and GM, is not a good time to start the season with doubts. While I am confident these Sox will turn it around, many others are losing faith very quickly. 

        The Sox now get a much needed day off before their home opener with the hot Tampa Bay Rays. It will be Josh Beckett who will try and stop the bleeding for the Sox. Unfortunately it is not a good matchup for the Sox. They go against lefty David Price who shut down the Yankees in his first start of the season. The Sox have a lineup packed full of lefties so it is going to be tough for the guys to finally get it going against Price. As for Beckett he better hope he pitches well or he may find himself on the DL due to his thumb. 

April 11th Red Sox

       I had a feeling this was going to be a tough game to win for the Sox. After stealing one from the Blue Jays with three runs in the ninth before you knew they were going to come out determined. The Sox never really had a chance in this one. I think that is the Sox biggest problem and it really has been the past few years. In too many games they start behind. It makes it so tough on the starters when they have no run support to work with early in the game. 

       If you didn’t catch the game and you just saw the box score you probably think Bard pitched awful, but I don’t think that was the case. I was very interested to see how he was going to perform in his first start and to tell you the truth I really wasn’t expecting much. He gave up eight hits in five innings, but it wasn’t like Toronto was crushing the ball off of him. His stuff looked really good they were just hitting it where the Sox weren’t. He gave up no long balls and he only granted one free pass. Toronto is feisty at the plate and they looked it last night. If he can keep the walks down like he did last night I think this experiment may actually be successful. 

        The real problem last night was the Sox offense. I understand they aren’t going to score eight runs a game to win a tight one 8-7, but producing basically one run against Toronto’s fifth guy is just unacceptable. The Sox made Drabek look the Cy Young last night. The Sox were only out hit 11-9 and the Sox combined for five doubles as a team. How can you only produce one run in the first eight innings of the game with numbers like that? Guys are going to have to come through when their teammates are on base. The Sox hitters, for the most part, really just look clueless up there. I mean these are proven hitters producing nothing at all. I know it is early, but they have got to start hitting. 

        I am not in panic mode yet, not by a long shot, but I just want to know when these guys are going to show a little heart. They need to show me that they care. I thought the ninth inning rally the night before might spark them, but they were back to their passive selves last night. It would be a big confidence booster if the Sox can go out and take the series from Toronto with ace Jon Lester on the mound. He pitched very well against Verlander and the Sox are going up against one of the worst aces on a team in Romero. They need to avoid yet another treacherous start.

April 10th Red Sox

        That was the game the Red Sox needed. It was a confidence booster for everyone on the team. Bobby V gets his first win as the new Red Sox manager. Alfredo Aceves gets a clean save under his belt. Felix Dubrount pitched well in his first start. The Sox finally mounted a successful comeback of their own. Similar to the ninth inning rally against Jose Valverde on opening day, Pedroia got it all started with a double. Scott Atchinson provided three scoreless innings of relief to keep the game close. Not only did his performance help the Sox stay in the game he gave the bullpen a much needed a rest on a day when Dubrount could only go five innings. 

         Regardless of how Daniel Bard does in his first start in the Majors you can’t expect him to go deep in the ball game. Most pitchers early in the season are held to reasonable pitch counts and you can expect Bard who is used to pitching no more than two innings in a game to be monitored very closely tonight. I know I said I think Bard will eventually be the closer this season for the sox, but I really would rather that not happen. Because if that doesn’t happen it means whoever the closer is they are doing a fine job and it means Bard is having some success as a starter. I am very worried that he just isn’t built to start, but the Sox need him to do well. They need a strong fifth man. Also I really do like Aceves, I want him to do well, hopefully last night will give him the confidence he needs. So many times closers say it is all about stepping onto the mound in the ninth and believing you are going to shut the other team down. It is a lot like golf, where people say you have to forget what happened on your last shot and just focus on your next. Aceves needed to forget what happened in Detroit and focus on shutting down Toronto and he did. Not many people can do that, but he is going to have to if he wants to keep his role as closer. 

        Last night the Sox avoided what would have been the first time in their history that they started he season 0-4 in consecutive seasons. Both teams have their fifth starters going tonight so expect a higher scoring game than last night. Toronto has a stronger lineup than most people realize and the Sox hitters are going to have to give Bard some run support tonight. It is never easy to go into a division rivals ball park and sweep them, especially in their home opening series, but if the Sox can get a win tonight I like there chances with Lester going against Romero on Wednesday. 

         I was truly impressed with Felix Dubrount last night. He did work extremely slow, but he had good stuff last night. To be honest, I was surprised to see him as the fourth guy in the rotation to start the season, but I think he has got some real potential. He struggled last season coming out of the pen, posting an ERA over six, but he looked like a different guy last night. His fastball isn’t overpowering but his breaking ball is nasty. He was dominate against the lefties last night and he kept Jose Bautista off the bases. I think walks could be his downfall, he found himself in to many full counts last night. However, if he can keep his control I think he could be effective as the fourth guy in the rotation. 

         The Sox aren’t looking for him to go out and win twenty games, instead they just want him to go out and there and try and get through the sixth inning and hope the Sox bats back him up. That is why his control is going to be key, they need him to consistently get the Sox into the sixth and seventh inning. When Dice-K used to be the fourth guy he would throw a hundred pitches just to get a couple guys out in the fifth, that wears down a bullpen as the season progresses. Hopefully Bard does well tonight and the Red Sox don’t have to worry about the starting rotation just yet. 

April 9th Masters and Celtics

        What a day at Augusta National. Louis Oosthuizen made the first double eagle on the second hole in Masters history and just the fourth every on any hole at the Masters. It vaulted him into the lead and held him there for the rest of the day. However, Bubba Watson spoiled his Easter afternoon with a stunning back nine. The playing partners finished off the 18th hole with pars sending them into a playoff at ten under par. After the final pairing of Mickelson and Hanson finished up on eighteen, Oosthuizen and Watson went back to eighteen to continue their battle for the 2012 green jacket. They each played eighteen beautifully, both burning the edge on their birdie attempts. 

       They played the tenth hole next where Watson teed off first. Bubba is arguably one of the longest players on tour, but he let the ball get away from him on the tenth tee. His ball never cut and it went soaring into the trees onto the pine straw to the right of the fairway. Oosthuizen then switched from driver to three wood knowing all he needed to do was put one down the middle, something he had been consistently doing all afternoon. However, he too left his out to the right and they both nervously left the tee box just praying they would have some shot at the green. Oosthuizen’s ball kicked out into the rough, will a clear line to the green. With Bubba deep in the woods he was just aiming for an easy par, but he caught his ball thin and landed short of the green leaving a tough up-and-down for par. 

       This shot opened the door for Bubba to punch out into the fairway and have to force anything. However, Bubba did what he does best. He hit the shot of his life. I was watching him survey his options and to me there only appeared to be one. Hit a punch shot leaving an easy wedge into the green. Instead Bubba attempted to play a 40 yard hook high in the air with his gap wedge. A shot no one, but him thought possible. He executed the magical shot perfectly leaving it just ten feet away for birdie. Oosthuizen, who thought the green jacket was all but his, was now forced to get up-and-down to have any chance at all. The pitch shot rolled out too far and he was still away. He narrowly missed his par attempt, so all Bubba had to do was two-putt for the win and that is exactly what he did. 

       The two men who had been battling each other all day long, provided one of the most memorable Masters in history. For Bubba, it was his first major title of his career, and hopefully not his last. He is a breed of new golfers and he is exactly what the game needs. He said he has never taken a golf lesson in his life and it shows with his swing, but it works for him. Bubba is one of the most creative players on tour and he his long drives makes him a thrill to watch. When his putter is on he is one of the most dangerous golfers out there and it wouldn’t surprise me if this isn’t the last Major Championship that he wins. 

       I was pulling for Watson all afternoon. He is a great guy and he was playing better golf than anyone else at the top of the leader board. It is his no fear mentality that makes him such a fan favorite. His style is very similar to another lefty, Phil Mickelson, who can hit every shot you can think of with a wedge. Many feared that golf would lose its support with Woods at the top, but the young guys have been providing quite the show lately. Guys like Rory Mcilroy, Dustin Johnson, Keegan Bradley and Bubba Watson have emerged to provide the excitement. Many people consider golf one of the most boring sports, but it would be tough to argue that statement after what happened on the course yesterday. The Masters truly is a tradition unlike any other. 

       How bout them Celtics. The old guys are making a statement. The Celtics, who have been struck hard by the injury bug this season, have played their way into a three game lead on the four seed in the Easter Conference. Coach Doc Rivers made a statement by starting Avery Bradley over future hall-of-famer Ray Allen. Allen missed a couple of weeks due to an ankle injury and Bradley performed extraordinary during his absence and has earned the start. Avery Bradley is exactly what Doc wants in his players. He is tenacious on the defensive end and is smart on offense. Are the Celtics a threat to the Heat or Bulls in the playoffs? I would have to say yes. While I think it will be tough for the Celtics to beat either of them in a seven game series I do expect them to have a chance. The Celtics are one of the best defensive teams in the league and they are filled with experience. That is a recipe for success in sports. 

       This could very well be the last year for the Big Three so you know they will be giving everything they have left in the playoffs. I get the feeling that in a lot of the regular season games, especially on back-to-backs we probably aren’t seeing 110% effort. These guys realize that while home court would be nice they are better off staying strong and healthy and locking up a four seed. These Celtics have been very pesky in the playoffs in recent years and I expect nothing less out of them this year. They play the Heat on Tuesday and that could be a big statement game. I expect a great game on Tuesday and don’t be surprised if the Celts edge out the Heat. 

April 8th Red Sox

        Wow, just wow. That is one of those games that makes you question why you watch the Red Sox. I think that that game was my worst nightmare, and without a doubt Bobby Valentine’s. I said earlier that there is no way that Daniel Bard keeps his job as a starting pitcher and I am feeling pretty good about that statement unfortunately. Jonathan Papelbon must laughing his ass off in Philadelphia. In case you missed the madness that unfolded on Easter Sunday, the Red Sox lost a pitchers duel to the Tigers 13-12 in eleven innings. Oh and by the way the Sox blew not just one save but two during the four hour and forty-five minute marathon. The two potential closers combined to pitch two-thirds of an inning allowing six earned runs and two blown saves. Just three days after they combined to let the Tigers walk-off with a victory on opening day. It may take a no-hitter for Daniel Bard in his first start for him not to be handed the closer role. 

        I said the Sox needed two things to happen today if they were going to win. Clay Buchholz needed to pitch well and the Sox needed to jump out to an early lead. Well that perfect scenario was thrown out the window when the Sox fell to a quick four run deficit after the first. However, the Red Sox battler back with their bats and Vicente Padilla provided four strong innings without allowing a run. Had either Melancon or Aceves been able to their job the Sox could have left Detroit with their first win of the season. Instead they head to Toronto, heart broken, and still in hope for a win. Aside from Jon Lester and Padilla the Sox pitching has been absolutely treacherous. So much for the Sox top three in the rotation being able to carry the staff. Instead the Sox turn to youngsters Felix Dubrount and Daniel Bard. This season is already looking far too similar to lasts. 

        I know Bobby V probably wants to stick to his word and turn Bard into a starter, but they don’t have anyone that close a game. I know it has only been three games, but they need someone whose actual job is to close out games. That means bring Bard back to the bullpen or go out and get a closer quickly. They are about to face a Toronto team that was successful in coming back against the Indians two out of three times to start off their season. In amongst all of the madness the Red Sox have created I have not been able to mention that similar dismal start by the hated Yankees. Mariano Rivera blew a save in the season opener and the Yankees lost the two games against the Rays that followed. If you had told me that the Sox and Yanks would be tied after the opening series I would’ve been happy, but unfortunately they are tied at 0-3. That needs to change tomorrow night in Toronto.