Live Look-In: Sox-Yanks, Game 2

Well they didn't end up stealing the first game today - they got smoked 12-4 - and right now the Sox are trailing 5-1 to the Yankees and The Fat Pugnacious Aruban, Sidney Ponson. Oh the shame. We cannot lose to Sidney Ponson.

The new Yankees lineup keeps coming at you, and it's positively insane to think what they'll be like when/if Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield return. The best team money can buy, hands down. They're also much better with Robinson Cano off the DL. Kid's a good ballplayer.

Now the Sox have something going, baby. Youkilis and Loretta come up with big hits and it's 5-4 all of a sudden. Nine runs scored and we're not out of the second inning yet -- this puppy's going past midnight. I knew I should have taken the over. Big Papi K's for the third out. 5-4 heading to the top of the 3rd.

Johnson Holding His Own Against Wang

Well, at least he was a few seconds ago... (plus I had to write that headline)

Now Kyle Snyder is in the game and the Yankees have a 4-1 lead as we head to the bottom of the 5th at Fenway. Johnson gave up a home run to the traitor, and back to back hits to Jeter and Abreu before being pulled for Snyder. I guess overall we should be pleased that we're still in the game with the recycled combo of Johnson/Snyder against the mighty, brave Bombers.

Manny just hit a true Fenway home run, flicking one around the Pesky Pole in right. Sox are now down 4-2, and Youk just got robbed by A-Fraud to end the inning. What I don't like about A-Rod? Many things, of course, but I especially hate how he styles after he makes a play or even when he makes an out. The guy's played absolutely porous D all year long, he makes a play, and then he prances and struts off the field like he's mother f'in Brooks Robinson. A-Rod is the new Reggie Jackson - the guy we most love to hate. Even Yankee fans can't stand him, which isn't saying much.

Mike Lowell just led off the bottom of the 6th with a walk, and now we'll see if newcomer Eric Hinske can bring him around. Hinske's had a good day, with two doubles in his first two AB's, a run scored, and a nice catch in right. Count's in his favor at 2 and 1 and he rips another one to the right-center gap for his third double! What a debut. Sox have men on second and third with nobody out and Javy Lopez at the dish. Fly ball's all we're asking for brother. And where's the only place you can hit it and not get the runner home? A meek grounder to the pitcher for the first out. Jesus, Javy. Can't let this opportunity go by. Now it's Gonzo's turn, and he smacks one to left-center. The traitor makes a nice diving catch - he's having himself a hell of a day too - but the Sox get the run in. 4-3 Yanks. Coco flies out to end the 6th. Three more innings to see if the Sox can steal this one.

Lookalikes

This could be the greatest lookalike find of all time -- the great Royals submarine reliever Dan Quisenberry and that masquerading, self-promoting fraud, Dr. Phil. Just visually slap a KC hat on Dr. Phil. It's a carbon copy.

Exhale...

As predicted, after a day of gnashing our teeth we're officially back on the bandwagon - at least through the upcoming 5-game Armageddon this weekend against the Yankees at Fenway.

Last night's sweep-averting 6-4 victory over the Tigers was a surprise considering the pitching matchup of 43-year old David Wells against Detroit phenom Justin Verlander. In typical Wellsian fashion, the portly portsider went 6-plus innings, gave up 10 hits and a couple of home runs, and got the key outs when he needed them. By contrast, Verlander struggled with his command all game - he ended up walking 7 - and the Sox took the lead in the 5th on a Big Papi homer into the Sox' bullpen. The Tigers clawed back to take the lead, but Coco Crisp hit a clutch double in the 6th to give the Sox a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Craig Hansen was the bridge to Papelbon, who finally had a clean 1-2-3 inning to seal the deal.

Even better, the Bombers lost to the Orioles last night 3-2, so the lead is 2 as the big, big series gets underway this weekend. Today's an offday for the Red Sox, while the Yanks play the Orioles - and hopefully that one goes 26 innings.

The Sox reportedly have also made some personnel moves. The Herald is reporting that they've finally obtained some left-handed hitting in the form of Blue Jays corner infielder/outfielder Eric Hinske and Carlos Pena, the young slugging first-baseman from Haverhill who began his career with the Tigers, then fell off the radar. He's been in the Yankees' farm system, most recently at AAA Columbus. Not sure what the plan is for both guys, but Hinske may be able to add some lefty pop while Nixon and Varitek are on the DL.

Reality Check?

Another discouraging loss last night, and it's time to start wondering if this team just isn't made for a postseason run. I know we're knee-jerk reactors around here - a couple of wins and we'll be sucked right back in - but the trends are disturbing, and it isn't going to get any easier.

To start with, our two aces - Schilling and Beckett - have been anything but ace-like over the last couple of weeks. Schilling's been okay (he lost a tough one last night to Jeremy Bonderman and the Tigers), but Beckett has been an enigma. He's been able to stay completely healthy this year, but hitters have been teeing off on his flat fastball to disastrous results. The same old story with the bullpen has continued - try as he might, Terry Francona gets into situations where he has to use the twin gas cans - Rudy Seanez and Julian Tavarez - and quite honestly, neither should be on a major league roster. Though hard to quantify, the loss of Jason Varitek hurts big time. If Papi and Manny aren't hitting, we're in trouble. There's absolutely nobody who inspires confidence coming off the bench to pinch-hit. And over the last week or so, Francona has made some truly head-scratching moves, like letting Seanez pitch an extra inning Monday night against Detroit. If you get a clean 1-2-3 inning from Rudy, count your blessings and move on.

Can you tell we lost last night, and are now 3 games behind the Yankees? Even worse, the Yanks came from behind last night to beat the pathetic Orioles and Johnny Damon played a key role, hitting a big home run and a triple. It's getting ugly, and the Nation today is wondering: Will Theo do something - maybe as drastic as what Sports Illustrated suggests ths week (moving Papelbon into the rotation) - or will he continue to stubbornly refer back to his goddamn 'long term plan?' I'm all for development and scouting, but this town won't take kindly to being rubbed out of the race by the Yankees this coming weekend.

Tonight, the Sox try to salvage this series against Detroit - who very much looks for real, by the way - by hoping that David Wells can do what he did last time out. Then the Bombers come to town for the epic 5-game series that everyone's been talking about for the last month. Brace yourself, Red Sox fans. We're going to be seeing plenty of Jason Johnson, Kyle Snyder, Rudy Seanez, and Julian Tavarez against that potent Yankee offense, and honestly, I'm more nervous about Josh Beckett getting whiplash in his start from watching all the screaming line drives. I hate to say it, but unless several things turn around quickly, this team just doesn't have the horses to match up with the Yankees, Tigers and White Sox. Thank God for the Patriots. (Of course, a win tonight and I'll be back to my glass-is-half-full mentality).

Beckettology

So what the hell is up with our supposed young ace, Josh Beckett? Man, has he been downright disappointing since he signed the big $30 million contract last month. Tonight, the Tigers pounced on him early for five runs, and the Sox ended up losing 7-4. The 8th inning was the key frame as Rudy Seanez gave up a couple more runs in the top half, and then third base coach DeMarlo Hale suffered a brain fart in the bottom half waving Manny Ramirez home from second on a sharp single. Manny - not being very, ah, fleet-footed - was out by a country mile. (We'll give DeMarlo a pass, though; as Francona said after the game, 'pretty good when you guys (media) are asking him questions for the first time in mid-August...')

The play was a huge rally-killer, though. Had Manny pulled up at third, it would have been bases loaded, 1 out, 7-4 ballgame, and a hot Wily Mo coming up. All in all, a very frustrating night particularly with the Yankees and White Sox both winning. If this is the best Beckett can give us, we're in deep doo-doo.

Sox are now 2 games behind New York, and 3 games behind Chicago for the wild card. Curt Schilling vs. Jeremy Bonderman tomorrow in Game 2.

Live Look-In: Sox-Orioles

We're in the bottom of the 8th at Fenway on a sunny Sunday - Sox have an 11-7 lead, as Doug Mirabelli just hit a home run to straightaway center. That makes it three straight games with a homer for Mirabelli and I have to say, I love watching his home run trot. I can't even describe it. Youkilis just made the last out in the inning -- Manny's hitting streak is probably over at 27 as we head to the top of the 9th.

Hansen stays in for the 9th to try to seal the deal and the sweep. Yanks have already gone down to the Angels, 5-3, in the Bronx. The Angels have NY's number - for some reason, they're a matchup nightmare for Joe Torre's band of courageous, gutsy warriors. A fan just ran on the field, and though we can't watch on TV, was tackled pretty nicely by a Fenway security guard. Orioles have men on first and second with 1 out, and Francona just brought in Papelbon. Despite his recent troubles, Papelbon's ERA is a ridiculous 0.91.

Pap walks Corey Patterson, and now the Orioles have the bases loaded for... well, wouldn't you know... Kevin Millar. The Cowboy gets a chance to inflict some revenge on his former employers. He likes the fastball, and we know Papelbon likes throwing his. 1-1 count. Millar hits a grounder to short - a surefire double play ball just like old times - and it's booted by Cora. It's now 11-8 with the bases still juiced. Nick Markakis up, who's had a pretty good day. Tough break for the Sox. Full count on Markakis, and Papelbon whiffs him. Huge out! Now he's gotta deal with Brian Roberts. Pap's thrown 20 pitches in the 9th so far. 3-0 count now on Roberts, with Melvin Mora This, Mora That waiting on deck. And Papelbon walks in a run, making it 11-9. A struggle for the young closer right now, who can't seem to find the plate. He goes to another full count on Mora with his 28th pitch of the inning. The announcers just let us know that this is the most pitches Pap has thrown in back-to-back appearances all season long - not a good thing with the Tigers coming to town tomorrow night. Mora keeps fouling 'em off. The fans are standing - they want to go home happy. The sneer from Papelbon, the pitch, and it's a groundball to third - stopped nicely by Mike Lowell with a little pirouette, and he's out at first. Game over. Whew.

Home Sweet Home

What a difference 48 hours and sleeping in your own bed makes. The Sox came home in the wee hours of Friday morning with their tails between their legs, having lost five in a row on the road to the woeful Devil Rays and woeful-er Royals. I still have the sight of Royals fans - Royals fans, for crissakes - with brooms on Thursday night seared into my brain. How they know about this tradition I'm not quite sure.

Thinking about this current homestand, beginning with the Orioles - another AL weak sister - I thought the bats would come alive back in the cozy confines of Fenway, but our pitchers for the first two games worried me -- David Wells on Friday, followed by Jason Johnson today. Not exactly inspiring.

On Friday night, the Sox erupted for 7 runs in the third inning to give Boomer an 8-0 lead. That took some pressure off, and Wells proceeded to throw a typical Wells game -- 7 ip, "scattered" 9 hits, 1 run, 4 k's, 1 walk. If he's able to contribute down the stretch, all of a sudden he turns out to be your trading deadline "acquisition."

Today's game was satisfying because the Sox clawed their way back from a 5-1 deficit, tied it at 7 in the 6th inning, and then won it in the 10th on a walkoff single from somebody other than David Ortiz. This time, the big hit came from Manny, who also extended his hitting streak to 27 games at the same time. Jason Johnson was ineffective - giving up 7 runs over 5 1/3 innings - but the bullpen was fantastic, as Tavarez, Hansen, Timlin and Papelbon shut down the Orioles the rest of the way. Final score: 8-7.

Yankees won again, so Sox keep pace and remain two games out of first. They're two behind the White Sox in the wild card standings, along with the Twins who may fall with Liriano being out.

Jon Lester goes for the sweep tomorrow afternoon against Daniel Cabrera. Last time we saw Cabrera, the Sox had an easy "walk" in the park.

Embarrassing

Okay, I'm back. I've been cowering in the corner of my living room since about 11:00 last night, all coiled up in a shivering, quivering ball of pissed-offness. The unthinkable happened in Kansas City for the second straight evening, as the Sox frittered away a 4-2 lead and lost to the Royals again, 5-4. That's right - the 30-games-below-.500 Royals swept our juggernaut (first time since 1991 in KC) and we're all left to ponder whether this team really was a juggernaut in the first place. Ortiz and Manny have kept them in the race, and everyone else looks just plain old and slow, kind of like pitching coach Dave Wallace when he makes a trip to the mound, or Papi when he makes an out and trudges back to the dugout. All the pundits agreed that the Sox had to go 5-1 on this trip, or at worst, 4-2. They went 1-5, and have now lost five straight. Embarrassing to say the least.

The one bright spot last night was that the Yankees also lost - finally - so the lead stands at 3 games. All the callers to the local sports radio station today will want to bury the Sox, and I'm close to feeling that way too. The other half of me says maybe this serves as the ultimate wake-up call for this floundering squad. They've lost five straight to Tampa and KC, and will take on the Orioles tonight at Fenway in the start of a weekend series. Hopefully, being in the home environment snaps them out of this ugly funk. We find out how this team responds in its darkest hour at 7:05 tonight. Our stopper? The rotund one, David Wells, goes against Adam Loewen. In the meantime, I'm going to nail several mattresses to the walls of my living room, and I'm thinking about installing a punching bag. Better safe than sorry - ya know what I mean?

Wily Mo is a Man

Wily Mo Pena -- Little Papi -- is a freak of nature. He hit one of the farthest home runs ever at Royals Stadium on Tuesday night, and he just tagged a three-run blast to left-center to give the Sox a 4-2 lead going into the bottom of the 7th. A huge home run.

Must Game in August?

If there is such a thing, tonight's game against the Royals most definitely qualifies. This short road trip against the AL's have-nots - first the Devil Rays and now the Royals - has been an absolute nightmare. Our boys have lost four in a row, including a gut-punch loss last night when they blew a 4-0 lead and Papelbon gave it up in the 9th. As we sit here at 8:10 p.m. ET waiting to see if Curt Schilling can pick his team up yet again (he's 18-6 with a low 2 ERA in games following a Sox loss), the Red Sox are three games behind the Yankees and four in the loss column. Needless to say, things are ugly here in the Nation. The sound and the fury (as Theo calls it) is rapidly heating up.

Of course, they're not done with 50 games to go, even if they (gulp) get swept tonight by the lowly Royals. But this is as close as you can get to a must-win in early August as I've seen in my 30 years of following this soap opera. We need the ace to give us at least a solid 7. And we need the bats to pounce, and pounce early on Royals starter Runelvys Hernandez. They're calling for periods of rain in Kansas City tonight.

Off-Day Thoughts

* Something tells me we're about to see the first collision of the 'way Theo wants to run the team' and the way 'Larry wanted to run the team.' My best guess on the reasons behind TheoGate are that a) Theo's philosophy of having a long-term plan - and building a championship team with homegrown talent - was not high enough in the organization's overall philosophy; and b) he was sick of all the Hollywood, PR bullshit. Don't get me wrong - this new ownership team has done an awesome job of making the fans more comfortable, and preserving the greatest ballpahk ever - but they go way overboard on the schmaltzy, entertainment stuff. The opening night for "Fever Pitch" comes to mind, the makeovers that some of the players got from the "Queer Eye" TV show, the Red Sox Nation membership card.

Of course, a month or so after Theo left Fenway - in a gorilla suit no less - all the conversations between Henry, Lucchino and Theo that should have taken place actually did take place. Things were ironed out. Theo was able to voice his complaints directly to the owner of the team, and the owner of the team evidently gave Theo his backing on how the team should be run. That's all Theo wanted in the first place, but holy crap, the hurdles he had to jump through to get there. And is it a coincidence that Larry Lucchino -who before TheoGate was so visible that he had his own weekly morning slot on the local sports radio station - has completely gone underground?

The point I'm getting at is this: The recent trading period was the first time Theo has been fully behind the controls, and in the end, the team did nothing. Every trading partner wanted one or more of the young pitchers (Lester, Hansen, Delcarmen, Papelbon) and Theo dug in his heels and resisted making a move that might only yield short-term benefits. Many believe that Theo wouldn't have pulled the trigger on the Beckett/Lowell for Ramirez/Sanchez for the same reasons. Not making a move at the deadline looks bad right now because the Yankees have shot into the AL East lead and the guys they acquired at the deadline are contributing. The Sox are going to have to get lucky, healthy, and/or make some sort of deal to catch them but we've got a lot of baseball left to sort it all out. If the Sox crash and burn, it will be interesting to see if Theo comes into the crosshairs.

* Why did it take WEEI so long to say goodbye to crusty Ted Sarandis and hello to the wacky Mike Adams? Sarandis was such a dink -- cutting callers off, generally being rude and intolerant -- and Adams is on the other extreme. Goofy, fun, affable, can lead a good baseball discussion, and actually lets the callers dictate the program. The Sunday baseball show featuring Adams, Sean McAdam from the Providence Journal, and the Herald's Steve Buckley, is great radio.

* And while we're on the subject of 'EEI, what exactly is their fascination with Steve DeOssie and Larry Johnson? I don't want to hear a 'roided up football player opining on baseball. Just not a good match.

* Since the 2005 All-Star Game, a period comprising 161 games, David Ortiz has hit 60 homers and driven in 161 RBI. I don't want to hear any DH bias during MVP voting time. Papi is the MVP, with Jeter a respectable second.

* Switching sports for a minute - I can do that, I'm the proprietor - it was a nice sight today seeing hard-hitting safety Rodney Harrison on the Patriots practice field. Harrison tore multiple ligaments in his knee after an ugly collision in Pittsburgh last September.

* Just to vent for a moment, my fantasy team sucks. This was the first year we did auction style and I blew my wad early on Johan Santana ($40), David Ortiz ($36) and Miguel Cabrera ($28). All three have been solid, but I think I screwed myself for adding high-quality depth. Let's just say I've got Scott Hatteberg, Pedro Feliz, Casey Blake, Preston Wilson and Josh Barfield in my starting lineup. 'Nuf ced.

* Globe rookie Sox beat writer Amalie Benjamin is doing a nice job in place of Chris Snow, who left to work in some NHL team's front office. Snow was good but he went a little Charlie Pierce on us every now and then - using words that send you to the dictionary. Benjamin has a more casual, free-flowing style that makes for a nice read. Gordon Edes was great during the trading deadline too.

* The Sox have an absolutely brutal month of August ahead of them. After six coming up against KC and Baltimore, they play 11 straight against Detroit, the Yankees and the Angels. Where the rubber hits the road, as they say... and we're going to have to do it without Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield.

* Some impressive candidates on this year's Comeback Player list, including Jim Thome, Nomar Garciaparra, and Curt Schilling.

* Two things about the bullpen scare me, and maybe three. 1) Julian Tavarez; 2) the glaring lack of a lefty specialist; and 3) Mike Timlin. I'm willing to give Timlin some more time, but he's been downright dreadful lately - and oh yeah, he's also on my fantasy squad. Got the Midas touch, don't I?

* Two guys who if they pick up their games in the second half will help the Sox get to the postseason for the fourth straight year: Josh Beckett and Coco Crisp.

* I've been irritated with Yankee fans who think their "injury-depleted" team deserves the Purple Heart for keeping the race tight with the Red Sox. The folks at Fire Joe Morgan have eloquently put my thoughts into words:

"I am the 2006 New York Yankees! Here is my line-up:

CF Johnny Damon. $13 million.
SS Derek Jeter. $19 million.
1B Jason Giambi. $18 million.
DH Gary Sheffield. $13 million.
RF Bobby Abreu. $13 million.
3B Alex Rodriguez. $25 million.
LF Hideki Matsui. $13 million.
C Jorge Posada. $9 million
2B Robinson Cano. $381 thousand.

(Total for starting nine position players: $123 million. More than the Red Sox' 25 man-roster.)

How is this relevant? Well, when you have a lineup of players worth $123 million, and you lose $26 million worth of player, you still have a pretty (expletive) good lineup. The crazy patchwork lineups the Yankees have been trotting out there, full of (I'm not the good) M. Cabreras, A. Guiels, (the wrong) B. Crosbys, and A. Phillipses, are still anchored by the very expensive Misters Jeter, Rodriguez and Giambi, to say nothing of the fairly expensive Senors Damon and Posada. Spare me the what-a-goddamn-hero-Joe-Torre-is routine. The lineup at the beginning of the year was lethal -- a mockery of the game of baseball, in fact. No "winning culture" accounted for its ability to withstand the loss of two of its better hitters -- and not, I might add, its two best."

Couldn't have said it better meself.

Trop Flop

The Red Sox visited their own personal House of Horrors for three games this weekend, and ended up losing 2 of 3 to the no-name Tampa Bay Devil Rays. They even caught a break this time and didn't have to face Scott Kazmir, the Sox killer who's currently on the DL. Mood-wise, this is the lowest Red Sox Nation has been all year long. The Yanks fortified themselves with the Abreu/Lidle trade, and have played well since the All-Star break. The Sox, by contrast, have floundered over the past few weeks, and now find themselves down 2 games in the AL East and out of the wild card picture if the playoffs started today. This is what happens when you give up home runs to guys named Greg Norton, Ben Zobrist, Travis Lee, and Dioner Navarro, and you lose a 6-2 lead. Just plain ugly. This one was the proverbial kick in the gut.

On the bright side, what's the very best thing that could happen to a struggling Red Sox team? How about a three-game set against the Kansas City Royals? That was the prescription the last time we were depressed (after getting pummeled by the A's at Fenway) and hopefully it does the trick this time too. Sox are off today (what's an offday in Kansas City like?) and then face the Royals starting tomorrow night. A sweep is a must, especially with Lester, Beckett, and Schilling going. Yanks are off as well and start a series in Chicago tomorrow night against the White Sox. 'Bout time for Ozzie Guillen's team to start playing some $#%@! baseball. 'Bout time the other Sox did too, or we could be on the outside looking in come October.

One note on the weekend series against Tampa - Big Papi became the first Red Sox hitter to ever hit 40 HRs in three straight seasons. Manny should join him at some point this season.

See-Saw Season for Beckett

Is Josh Beckett having one of the strangest seasons you've ever seen or what? Downright dominant one outing, putrid the next. And the hallmark of all those putrid outings has been his propensity to give up home runs, many of them hit very hard and very far. Not that I know what I'm talking about, but it seems like he's at his best when he's got the curveball working and he can get hitters off balance. Then his 98 mph fastball becomes that much harder to hit. When the curve's not working, hitters just sit on the heat.

The curve wasn't working too well last night and the Indians - who have shown in the past that they like hitting off Mr. Beckett -- pounced on him for six runs in the 6th inning and held on for a 7-6 win. Beckett gave up homers to Aaron Bleeping Boone, Hafner and to "Choo, Cho, whatever his name is" - as he said in his press conference - and he has now given up a total of 31 on the season. In the last month, he's given up three homers in a game three times. He's challenging the single-season mark of 50, set by the greatest pitcher ever from Holland, Bert Blyleven, in 1986. Bert followed that up with 46 more in 1987. Yikes. Live ball era?

Meanwhile, the Yankees are hot, and their new acquistions - Abreu, Lidle, and Craig Wilson - have already made key contributions. The Yanks now lead the division by a game. They're in Baltimore tonight, while the Sox are in Tampa to tangle with the Devil Rays. They've got three in Tampa, then three in Kansas City and they need to win 4 of them.

News item: Sox have agreed in principle with the Orioles on a deal for Javy Lopez. Still not clear who the Sox are giving up, but word has it that Lopez is in Tampa right now, and could be in the lineup tonight. Javy's not the player he was, but not a bad addition under the circumstances.

Comeback Loretta

Poor Fausto Carmona. The guy who sounds like a character from a Bill Shakespeare play was once again the victim of some Sox dramatics last night. Let's set the scene: bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, nobody on. Carmona began by whiffing Wily Mo and Coco, and then the proverbial wheels came off. He plunked Mirabelli and Gonzalez, and then walked Youkilis. Bases loaded (without a hit) for Mark Loretta. Loretta had been watching Carmona's meltdown from the on-deck circle, and knew he was going to get a couple of heaters near the plate - especially with Big Papi looming. Loretta got one he liked and slapped it off the Monster, giving the Sox an incredulous 6-5 comeback win over the Indians.

The fans at the game deserve a little bit of credit here too. There weren't many empty seats when there were 2 outs in the 9th, and the decibel level clearly rattled Mr. Carmona to the point where he couldn't find the plate. Fenway has become one of the greatest home-field advantages in baseball, and it's awfully damn nice to see.

Finale against Cleveland tonight at 7:05 has Josh Beckett going against Jake Westbrook. If the Sox take 3 of the 4 games, Eric Wedge is going to have nightmares. He may be using a new closer this evening.

Ouch

Not a fun day. Jason Varitek - the most indispensable player other than maybe Ortiz and Manny - needs knee surgery for a torn meniscus and is out for 4-6 weeks. It's something he has supposedly been battling since spring training, but he aggravated it running around second base Monday night. This one is truly a tough blow - now we've got 30 games of Dougie Mirabelli coming up. But hey, maybe they'll rally and rise up to the challenge of having to play without Varitek. 'Tek is to us what Jeter is to them.

Oh yeah, there was a game tonight at muggy, humid Fenway. Jason Johnson and the Sox fell behind early, and ended up on the losing end, 6-3, to the Indians and C.C. Sabathia. Funny note from watching the game -- there's an advertisement on the wall behind home plate for Giant Glass. Whenever C.C. moved a certain way, it read GIANT ASS.

Yankees at last check were beating Toronto - if it holds, we're all tied up. Like we expected anything else...

Ho-Hum

Is this guy a freak of nature or what? Big Papi again delivered in the clutch last night, smashing a three-run homer in the bottom of the 9th to beat the Indians 9-6. Absolutely incredible. He also hit another home run early in the game, and now has a major league-leading 37 to go along with 105 RBI's.

Papi's blast rescued David Wells, who for all intents and purposes made his rehab start last night against major league hitters. Wells has always been reluctant to do his rehab work in the minors, and last night's lucky winner was Indians OF Casey Blake, who hit two homers off Wells. Boomer's final line: 4 2/3, 8 hits, 8 runs. Manny and Wily Mo also went deep, and Kyle Snyder pitched quite effectively in middle relief. Allow me to give myself a little pat on the back, as I wrote these words a couple days ago: "Snyder has started out well in each of his starts, and then he usually blows up in the 4th or 5th inning. Put 'em in there for a few innings if a starter has a short outing." I know, I'm just plain brilliant.

The dramatic win came with a cost, however, and today we'll know how high that cost is. Jason Varitek pulled up lame after rounding second base, and left the game with what was called a knee sprain. He'll undergo a battery of tests today to see what's wrong. Fingers crossed for the Captain.

The other big news yesterday was the Sox ultimately not making a big move at the trading deadline. Today's Globe reports that they were very close to acquiring a Houston fireballer (no, not that one.)

Tonight's game has C.C. Sabathia going for the Tribe against (gulp) Jason Johnson, who was called up to pitch in place of Snyder. The Yanks and Jays start their series in the Bronx. A.J. Burnett vs. Jaret Wright. The lead is 1. (Boston.com photo)

Nada, Nicht, Nyet...

The 4 p.m. trading deadline has come and gone, and the Yanks appear to have gotten the upper hand. They traded nothing for Abreu and Cory Lidle, and today they traded nothing (Shawn Chacon) to get Pirates 1B/OF Craig Wilson. The Red Sox, meanwhile, literally traded nothing. No moves announced from Yawkey Way today, despite rumors that they inquired about Soriano and Andruw Jones. Why do I let myself get excited about these things?

Schill Schelled

Maybe we should have known that the law of baseball averages would eventually catch up to Curt Schilling, who came into last night's game unbeaten on the home sod. The hard-hitting Angels gave Schilling whiplash last night, hitting three homers in the third and cruising to an easy 10-4 victory.

With the Sox losing 2 of 3 to the Angels - and the Yanks winning 2 of 3 from the Devil Dogs, and getting reinforcements in Abreu and Lidle - there's some pressure on Theo and his staff to come up with something today. Jayson Stark on ESPN.com this morning mentioned that the Sox have suddenly thrust themselves into the Alfonso Soriano sweepstakes. With Trot Nixon going down last night with what looked like another oblique problem, and Coco Crisp continuing to play CF like Ray Charles, the Sox could definitely use some more offense and another outfielder. I just hope they're not thinking of trading Loretta and putting Soriano at second - that would be a huge downgrade. But I like how Theo's thinking big. He knows that Lowell and Loretta have probably peaked, and that the offense needs a shot of energy. They've been scuffling big-time since the All-Star break. Needless to say, it should be a verrrrry interesting day around these parts. If they do nothing, the fans won't be happy.

Sox are in action tonight against Cleveland at Fenway. David Wells makes his remarkable return versus Paul Byrd.

Prayers Answered!

Ask and ye shall receive! Joe Morgan - the worst analyst in the history of televised baseball - is not in the booth tonight. ("Now watch this, Jon... this is a fastball... see how fast that ball moves?") He's not sick; rather, he's in Cooperstown with his fellow immortals toasting another class of inductees. Orel Hershiser is pinch-hitting. We're off to a good start...

Yankee$ Get Abreu, Lidle

We heard early on that Georgie Porgie liked Bobby Abreu, and the Boss finally got his man today. In a pure salary dump by Philly, they send Abreu and Cory Lidle to the Yankees for two no-name minor leaguers. It wasn't the prospects that got this deal done, it was the cash. Abreu, whose HR power is significantly down (he's got 8) this year, will average around $17 million over the next few years, and we all know the Yanks are the only team in baseball who can take that on. Am I worried about this deal? Abreu will make an already potent lineup better, and Lidle is obviously an improvement over Sidney Ponson. But we also know that just throwing money around doesn't guarantee success (see Pavano, Carl; Brown, Kevin).

As for the Sox, they've supposedly been one of the more active teams but no news yet... we'll keep you posted through the night as we do a little running commentary on tonight's Angels-Sox game. I'm hoping Joe Morgan calls in sick.

Live Look-In: Angels-Sox, Game 2

The Red Sox have stormed back from a 6-3 deficit against the hot Angels to tie the game at 6. We're in the bottom of the 9th, Youkilis on second with a leadoff double, and Papi was just intentionally walked. One down - Loretta popped up, failing to move Youk over. Now it's Manny's turn, and he grounds into an inning-ending double play. Rats. Loretta's at-bat was key. Heading into extras...

(Couple of thoughts during the commercials... my buddies and I love coming up with guys whose name sounds either white or black, and then you find out it's the reverse. ESPN's Bill Simmons calls these guys the Reggie Cleveland All-Stars. You hear the name Reggie Cleveland (left photo above) you think maybe a fleet-footed black guy, but Cleveland was actually a portly white dude from Ontario, Canada who pitched for the Sox. Other examples of names that sound black but aren't include 2B Marcus Giles of the Braves and Mariners LHP Jarrod Washburn. Howie Kendrick of the Angels is a reverse example (sounds white but is black). Try it - it's fun.

The Globe reports today on their Boston.com blog that the Sox offered Coco Crisp to the White Sox for Mark Buerhle and they were turned down. Crisp is coming around with the bat a little bit, but he needs a GPS system. His tracking of flyballs this year has left something to be desired, and we thought he was going to be a defensive improvement over Judas Damon.)

Anyway, back to the action... we're now in the bottom of the 11th, tied 6-6, and Coco just grounded out. 1 down with Gonzo up. Base hit to left, and now it's Youk's turn again. Jerry Remy's doing the game for FOX today and had a good point earlier - Sox games have been a little longer this year because Youk sees so many pitches. And it's a bloop single to right. Sox have men on first and second with nobody out, and Loretta, Ortiz, and Manny coming up. Loretta's worked it to a 2-2 count. Now it's full. Papi is swinging menacingly in the on-deck circle. 3-2 pitch, and Loretta fans on a fastball. Two outs, and it's up to Papi. Scioscia is bringing in a lefty... Can Ortiz possibly do it again? All we need is a well-placed single, big feller... groundball to the left side of the infield... through!! Sox win 7-6 as the legend of Papi grows and grows... what a game...

Yanks were losing to the D-Rays 6-4 at last check...

Seventh Heaven for Angels

A tight, well-pitched ballgame last night between Jon Lester and Kelvim Escobar quickly turned sour for the Sox, as the Angels put together a six-run 7th inning to pull away. First game goes to the Orange County Anaheim Angels of Los Angeles, 8-3. And it gets tougher today with rookie phenom Jered Weaver (7-0, 1.15 ERA) going for the Angels.

The loss created a virtual dead heat in the AL East, as the Yankees continued to roll last night behind a gem from Chien Ming Wang. The gap is now a half-game, and the teams are tied in the loss column. Of course, the annoying Yanks fans are puffing out their chests this morning on the local sports radio station. Every now and then, I get thisclose to calling in and making a few points, but I just can't seem to bring myself to do it. Besides, that's what blogs like this are for...

What kills me about Yankee fans right now is that they truly believe their team deserves Purple Hearts for keeping the race close without Sheffield and Matsui. Are you kidding me? They say that it would be exactly like the Red Sox losing Manny and Ortiz. Yeah, okay... only problem with that analogy is that the Yankees can absorb the loss of two key bats because their deep pockets allow them to field a pretty deep lineup. Yank-me fans forget that they've got Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, and Jorge Posada to pick up the offensive slack. Who do the Red Sox have to pick up the slack if Manny and Papi were out at the same time? Ummmm... Trot Nixon, Mike Lowell, and Jason Varitek? It's not even close.

We're starting to see some trades trickle across the wire as we head toward Monday night's deadline. Biggest one so far was Brewers trading Carlos Lee to the Rangers for Francisco Cordero, Kevin Mench, and Laynce Nix. Some relievers have also changed uniforms. Today's Herald reports that the Sox are making Trot Nixon, Wily Mo Pena, and (hmmmm...) Coco Crisp available. Are they making an all-out effort for Dontrelle?

The Globe Touts Hardball Heaven!!

OK, not really... but in Gordon Edes' nice piece this a.m. about what should be a great weekend series, way at the end, buried on page 2 in the very last paragraph... he mentions our site. Sort of.

Will They Make a Move? Or Stand Pat?

For all the hype and noise about potential trades, not much has happened... yet. All the big media outlets are claiming that it's a seller's market, but that may change as the clock keeps ticking toward Monday's trading deadline. Alfonso Soriano could be a Tiger or a White Sox or an Angel or even a (gulp) Yankee again come Monday night.

From most accounts, the Red Sox seem to be pretty active in pursuing pitching. Some reports have them talking with Florida about the tantalizing possiblity of acquiring Dontrelle Willis. They're also scouting Phillies starter Cory Lidle, who pitched very well today against Arizona in front of a few scouts. ESPN's Buster Olney is dropping hints that the Red Sox are trying to come up with some sort of creative, multi-team deal. That crazy Theo...

Here's my humble opinion on what the Red Sox need to do in order win their second world title in three years:

Scenario #1: Make the big splash move and get Dontrelle - if they have any shot at all to get him, and it takes a Dustin Pedroia or Craig Hansen - DO IT.

Barring the big move, here's Scenario #2:

1) Get Lidle. His numbers are deceiving as he had a few crappy outings early on, but he's been solid lately. Today, he handcuffed the Diamondbacks for seven innings, let in two runs, and struck out 8.

2) Replace the Gas Can Twins, Seanez and Tavarez, with Kyle Snyder and Kason Gabbard. Of all those who've auditioned for the No. 5 spot, these two showed the most promise. Snyder has started out well in each of his starts, and then he usually blows up in the 4th or 5th inning. Put 'em in there for a few innings if a starter has a short outing. Gabbard could be the lefty situation reliever they need.

3) Get a left-handed pinch-hitter for late game situations. And I have just the guy for you -- Todd Walker, now playing for the Cubs. Walker was on the 2003 Red Sox and came up with clutch hit after clutch hit (I remember a huge late-season homer against the Orioles). He's currently mired on the going nowhere Cubs, and could probably be had cheap. When it's Sox-Yanks in late September, and Mariano Rivera is on the hill, who would you rather see at the plate -- Alex Cora or Todd Walker? (Plus, his wife is un-ba-leeeee-vably hot).

Anyway, that's my thinking.

Like Watching Grass Grow

Yesterday's finale against the A's did nothing to help counter the argument that baseball can be a boring game. This one was tough to watch, listen to, or follow along on the Web. B-o-r-i-n-g. Sox lose 5-1 on a getaway day after mustering only four hits against A's starter Danny Haren.

Kyle Snyder (not to be confused with Schneider from One Day at a Time "fame") started this one, and stuck to his M.O. - pitching well through three innings, and then getting smacked around in the fourth and fifth. Adding insult to injury, he gave up two bombs to the ancient, hobbled Frank Thomas, whose nickname - the Big Hurt - is certainly appropriate these days. I think I've seen enough of Mr. Snyder to believe he's not the answer for the fifth spot in the rotation - though he may be a nice addition in the 'pen for middle relief. If he can provide three quality innings, and fill the role that Bronson Arroyo used to play occasionally, there may be a spot for him on the roster for the last two months of the season.

Day off today for the Sox, and then they have three this weekend against the Angels, who are tied for first in the AL West. Great mound matchups in this one -- Lester vs. Escobar tomorrow night; Beckett vs. young stud Jered Weaver on Saturday; and then Schilling vs. Lackey on Sunday Night Baseball.

Bay Area Bashers

For a moment last night, it looked like the Sox had frittered away a 6-1 lead and were going to suffer another tough-to-take loss. Schilling was cruising until the bottom of the 5th, when Oakland closed the gap to 6-4. They scored another run to make it a razor-thin 6-5 lead, and then the Sox exploded in their half of the 8th. Key hit was a bases-loaded double by the Captain that cleared the bases and gave the Gas Can twins (Tavarez/Seanez) some breathing room to "operate." Final score: 13-5.

Nice to see Schilling get his 13th, but more encouraging to see the bats wake up in Oakland. Through the first two games of this series, the Sox have scored 20 runs on 28 hits. Manny's in a home run groove (4 in the past week), Varitek is starting to rip the ball, Coco looks more comfortable at the plate, and Youkilis seems to be coming out of his late first-half slump.

Everything's looking up for the boys, who may see the return of David Wells within the next week. If Theo believes Wells can contribute down the stretch, the Sox might switch gears and look for offense at the trading deadline. They need a prototype #5 hitter behind Ortiz and Manny, and the rumor mill (speculative as it may be) has them considering Bobby Abreu. I think that's a stretch, though, as Abreu's huge contract will be an obstacle. They also could use a left-handed stick off the bench (Todd Walker?) for late-game pinch-hitting duties. The Herald is reporting today that Theo is interested in Phillies SP Jon Lieber and OF Pat Burrell, who would fit nicely in the 5-hole. Question is, what do you do with Trot? As always, stay tuned...

Matinee game today (3:35) as the Sox go for the sweep in Oakland. Kyle Snyder opposes Dan Haren, and this may be the game that the frustrated A's decide to plunk a Sox batter. Not that I'm encouraging that type of behavior, mind you, but MLB is due for a classic bench-clearing brawl. If it happens, Papi better get a bear hug around Carl Everett, Jr. (Milton Bradley) ASAP. That guy could do Mickey Rivers-type damage.

Manny Taketh Away; Manny Giveth

One day after his maddening (non) play in the outfield in Seattle, Manny Ramirez showed why we overlook these things, smashing a three-run homer in the third to give the Sox and Josh Beckett a comfy 4-0 lead over the A's in Oakland. The Sox went on to win, 7-3, behind Beckett (now 13-5) and additional homers from Papi and Alex Gonzalez. The bullpen also did its job well, with good outings from Craig Hansen, Mike Timlin, and Jonny Papelbon.

The Spanks beat Texas earlier in the day, 6-2, so the lead stays at 2 1/2 games. We have to start talking about the Blue Jays, too, who lost to Seattle 7-3 last night. AL wild card standings this morning look like this:

1. White Sox --
2. Yankees 1.5
3. Minnesota 2
4. Toronto 4.5
5. LA Angels 8.5
6. Oakland 8.5
7. Texas 9

The White Sox have struggled in a big way since the break, but yesterday signed KC closer Mike McDougal and are reportedly close to adding the mercurial but insanely talented Alfonso Soriano. By contrast, the Twins have been on an absolute tear (9-1 in their last 10) behind their twin aces (Santana and Liriano) and the M&M boys (Morneau and Mauer). The AL Central battle is going to be a bloodbath. The Angels and A's are tied in the weak AL West.

Curt Schilling tries to match Beckett with lucky win #13 tonight in Oakland vs. Jason Windsor. Mike Mussina goes against Adam Eaton in Texas.

Lost Opportunity

Yesterday's finale in Seattle was a punch to the gut, as the Sox lost a wild one, 9-8, on a Richie Sexson walk-off homer. Jon Lester's homecoming left something to be desired, but the Sox still should have won this game.

The key play came in the bottom of the 8th, when Adrian Beltre hit a smash to center field. The bright sun had been causing problems in the OF all day, and Coco Crisp blatantly misplayed this one. He jumped up to try to make an over-the-fence catch, and the ball hit the wall several feet to his right. Now, a misplay in that sun is understandable, right? There's a guy backing up Coco to make sure Beltre gets only a double, or at worst, a three-bagger, right? All reasonable assumptions, of course, unless the guy doing the backing up consistently has his head up his ass. Manny looked just as clueless as Coco, and all he had to do was look on the ground, grab the ball and fire it in. Instead, Manny gave a little shrug and pointed at the ball, leaving Coco to sprint after it. By that time, Beltre had rounded third and was sliding across the plate with an inexcusable inside the parker.

Still, it wasn't over. In the top of the 9th with two down, Jason Varitek crushed a home run to right off Mariners closer J.J. Putz to tie the game at 8. Francona elected to keep Mike Timlin in the game in the bottom of the inning, and that decision proved costly as Sexson's blast landed just a few feet from where Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon was warming up. Final score: Mariners 9, Red Sox 8. This is one we may remember for a while, made worse by the fact that the Yanks had already lost again to Toronto earlier in the day. These lost opportunities are starting to kill.

No time to stew, though. The Sox are in Oakland tonight to try to exact some revenge from a couple weeks ago. Beckett vs. Zito in Game 1. Keep an eye out for a continuance of the beanball issues we saw at Fenway.

Home Run Derby, Then King Felix

The Sox took Game 1 vs. Seattle in a breeze Friday night, hitting five homers off Mariners starter Jamie Moyer. Final score was 9-4. Dongs came from Ortiz, Varitek, Manny, Gonzalez and Youkilis.

Game 2 was an entirely different story, thanks to young Mariners phenom Felix Hernandez who fireballed his team to a 5-2 win today and stopped the Sox' five-game winning streak. King Felix has suffered from the sophomore jinx this year, but he was dominant through seven before giving way to the bullpen. The Sox, meanwhile, brought up a young lefthander named Kason Gabbard from Double-A to start today in what would have been Tim Wakefield's spot. Gabbard pitched respectably, giving up two runs in five-plus innings. He was the hard-luck loser, and didn't get any help from Alex Gonzalez, who made a key error in the fifth that helped the Mariners take the lead.

Yankees beat Toronto today, so the lead is 2-1/2 games. Rubber game is tomorrow at 4:05. Native son Jon Lester vs. Jarrod Washburn.

On a Roll

Our boys are waking up in Seattle this morning after dispatching the tough Rangers yesterday in a makeup game at Fenway. Sox won 6-4 behind a gritty performance from Curt Schilling, who improved to 12-3 on the season and 8-0 in front of the hometown crowd. Nice thing about this one was they won without Papi in the lineup (resting a sore back - not a big deal) and without Mike Lowell at third. Wily Mo Pena pitched in with a couple of key RBI. The other nice thing about this one was that it put some pressure on the Yanks, who played last night at Toronto. Vernon Wells took Mariano Rivera yard in extra innings to put the Yanks 2 1/2 back.

On Wednesday, the Sox swept the Royals in their second consecutive 1-0 game. Josh Beckett was outstanding, mixing in a great curveball with his usual gas. Manny hit a solo HR for the only run. After the game, the team announced it had signed Beckett to a new three-year contract worth $30 million. After much deliberation, I think this is a good deal. Beckett has stayed injury and blister-free so far this year (knock on wood), he's supremely talented, and he's only 26 years old. Why let him become a free agent and let someone else set the market for him? One thing I do wonder -- were they waiting until he threw a gem to announce this? If he had given up four bombs to the Royals, would there have been a press conference after the game? Go ahead and laugh, but I wouldn't put it past this PR-conscious management team.

Anyway, the Sox have now won four straight after the Oakland ugliness, and are in the caffeine capital of the world tonight to face off against Ichiro and the Mariners. Seattle is in last place in the AL West, but only five games out. Kyle Snyder (ugh) against Jamie Moyer tonight in game one.

The Cure For What Ails Ya

Two games against the Royals, two one-run victories to get the reeling Sox back on track. Game 1 on Monday night wasn't looking good. Down 4-1 in the 7th inning, Doug Mirabelli came through with a huge three-run homer into the first row of the Monster seats to tie it up. In the 8th, Manny hit a medium-depth sac fly to left to score Willie Harris (just barely). That made it 5-4 and it was Papelbon time in the 9th. One fun note from this one: David Ortiz stole his first base of the year with a nice hook slide into second.

Tonight was the Jon Lester Show. The lefty from Tacoma, Washington pitched eight innings of one-hit ball in what was a much-needed quality start. Where the hell would we be without this kid? He walked four tonight, but he was able to stay out of jams. And how about his poise? He's calm on the mound when the pressure builds, and you can see it in his overall demeanor when he's being interviewed. Not too up, not too down. Sox win the second game against KC the old-fashioned way, 1-0. Alex Gonzalez had the lone RBI of the night, driving in Jason Varitek with a single up the middle. Thank God for the Kansas City Royals.

Nice highlight of this one was the fans giving Jason Varitek a loud ovation. Once the game became official, 'Tek replaced Carlton Fisk on the all-time games caught list for the Sox -- 991 to 990.

In other Sox news, lots of comings and goings today. Willie Harris was designated for assignment and Javier Lopez sent down to Pawtucket to make room for the returning Wily Mo Pena and Jermaine Van Buren, who should serve as the medium-long man. Tim Wakefield's back is hurting and he's going in for more tests. And David Wells may be on the verge of making an improbable comeback. Just another day in the greatest sports soap opera going.

Game 3 is a rare scheduled day game tomorrow - Josh Beckett tries to right his ways against (another lefty) Mark Redman. 1:05 game time. Get those ESPN GameCast's cranking.

Late update: the friggin' Yankees came back from a 4-2 deficit to the Mariners to tie the game in the 9th, but then the heavens opened up and it's now raining heavily in the Bronx. Game is currently being delayed.

Pleading the Fifth

Not exactly a blistering start to the 2nd half for our heroes. The Sox go down again yesterday to that juggernaut from Oakland, 8-1, at Fenway. Making matters worse, those stiffs from Chicago got swept by the Yankees in New York over the weekend - so the lead is now basically no longer a lead. The Sox and Yanks are separated by a half-game this morning.

Again, the issue of not having a reliable fifth starter reared its ugly head. Kansas City cast-off Kyle Snyder pitched a clean game through four innings, before reality caught up with him in the top of the fifth and the A's put a five-spot on the scoreboard. The only two highlights on the Sox' side involved Alex Gonzalez, who made a dazzling double play and smacked his sixth homer of the year.

Part of me wants to sit here this morning and bitch and moan about why the Sox couldn't pull away from the Yankees in the first half. I want to know why Theo didn't pull the trigger on a deal that would help provide some separation. I want to know why he pulled the trigger on the Arroyo/Pena deal, when most intelligent fans hated it from day one. We may have ended an 86-year drought in 2004, but second-guessing is still in our blood. Everyone knows this is the year the Red Sox have to win the division, and as various Yankees kept falling in the first half, the pieces seemed to be in place.

The other part of me knew this was coming. After all, if we've learned one thing throughout all of our Yankee-hating years, it's to not discount the Bombers. Mussina, Jeter, and Randy Johnson could have gone down and the Yankees would still be breathing down our necks. Nothing comes easy in these parts, which in a weird, sadomasochistic kind of way, makes it all fun. It should be one hell of an interesting trading deadline.

If you're looking for a panacea for the ailing Sox, there's 25 guys from Kansas City rolling into Fenway tonight for the first of three games. The descendants of George Brett, Amos Otis and Frank White are 27 games below .500 in the tough AL Central. The Sox need to take at least two of three. If they don't, there will be panic in the streets of the Back Bay. Yanks take on Seattle in the Bronx.

The Ace Steps Up

David Ortiz is being interviewed on NESN right now, and he's wearing a necklace that looks like a bicycle chain. Of course, Papi can afford that chain and - even cooler - have his own brand of salsa because he hits the baseball a very long way. He hit his major-league leading 32nd bomb tonight (90 rbi's) but far more impressive was his two-run triple (not a misprint) in the 4th inning to give the Sox and Curt Schilling an early 3-0 lead. They went on to win 7-0, notching their first shutout of the year and getting a much-needed victory after last night's beating.

There were some questions about Schilling coming in - he got hit in the elbow last time out - but he pitched his best game of the year going seven innings and giving up only two hits. He really had the A's guessing what he was going to throw next, and the velocity was consistently 92-95. Schilling is now 7-0 at Fenway this year.

Papi's triple was the big hit of the game, as he was able to slice one down the right-field line, and then it rattled around a bit before Carl Everett Jr. could haul it in. That gave the Sox a 3-0 lead and they were off and running.

Kyle Snyder has been called up from Pawtucket to make the start tomorrow in place of Tim Wakefield, who is still battling back discomfort. Wake will start Monday. Joe Blanton goes for the A's.

Hot Bummer Night

Not a fun Friday night at Fenway, as the Sox were humiliated by the punch-and-judy Oakland Athletics by the final tally of 15-3. Josh Beckett got racked, the bats went silent, and the bullpen - particulary Javier Lopez and Julian Tavarez - blew more things up than the Israeli military. Things got so bad that even Carl Everett's illegitimate son -- Milton Bradley, shown above throwing one of his many tantrums -- put together a 4-hit night.

Are you concerned about Beckett? I am. He's been nothing but shaky and inconsistent over the past couple of months. We keep seeing this stat about batters absolutely killing him on the first two pitches, which are undoubtedly fastballs down the middle. Dennis Eckersley last night opined that because Beckett's not getting his curveball over, it lets batters lay back and wait for the heater. Whatever the problem is, a mid-season adjustment is in high order. No Beckett, no postseason. Pretty simple.

The bats? Either it was just an off night, or it was another example of their struggles against tough lefties, this time Barry Zito. They'll bounce back today against Danny Haren, who they've had some success against.

As for the "relief," we know we've got the right arms when we have a lead -- some order of Timlin, Delcarmen, Hansen and Papelbon has instilled confidence. When we don't have the lead and we're trying to keep a game close, however, it's an entirely different story. Lopez and Tavarez last night allowed a 7-2 game to get completely out of hand, giving up a combined 7 hits and 8 runs in two innings. I don't think Papi can hit a 13-run homer, though I guess we shouldn't make fast assumptions when it comes to the AL MVP. Theo and crew will no doubt be looking for middle relievers at the trading deadline - the question is are there any good ones out there?

One last note before we move on from this debacle. One night after Mark Loretta made a crucial error, Alex Gonzalez made one last night to allow an inning to continue. Watch out tonight, Mike Lowell. Someone's sticking pins in their Red Sox voodoo doll, maybe somewhere a couple hundred miles to the south? Making matters worse, the Yankees pulled out a dramatic 6-5 victory against the White Sox last night, so the lead is now a razor-thin 1- 1/2 games.

Sox try to regroup tonight behind Curt Schilling, who last time we saw, had to leave a game in Chicago after taking a hard liner off his elbow. No word on how he's doing, but he's still scheduled to make the start - and you know how Curt loves being the stopper. Haren goes for the A's.

News Flash: Red Sox Infielder Makes Rare Error

Well, what looked like a nice win last night in the first of three against Oakland turned into a tough extra-inning loss. Big play came in the top of the 7th when the normally sure-handed Mark Loretta took his eyes off a grounder and let it get by him, allowing the A's to tie the score at 3. They went on to win 5-4 in 11 innings. Yanks were idle, so Sox' lead is now 2 1/2.

Jon Lester pitched true to form - lots of pitches and too many walks, but good damage control when he needed it. He left with a 3-1 lead. Pinch runner Willie Harris had another bad miscue on the basepaths, getting picked off late in the game. Willie may be looking for a new employer soon.

Game 2 tonight at the Fens features a good pitching matchup, which means the final score will be something like 11-10. Josh Beckett vs. Barry Zito.

Mid-Year Review , Part I

You can look at the Sox' performance in the first half of 2006 several ways. The glass-is-half-full view is that they're in good shape to finally supplant the Yankees as AL East kings. They're three games up at the break and the schedule (nine games against KC) is favorable. The negative nellies in the Nation, however, can point to the fact that the Red Sox went on that huge winning streak, are 20 games over .500, and yet those dreaded New Yorkers are still hanging around. If we've learned one thing over all these years, it's don't let the Yankees lurk.

Let's take a look at the starting position players. We'll do pitcher recaps in a separate post.

Kevin Youkilis, 1B:Right now, Youk's one of two or three guys who would get strong consideration for the 10th player award. He's finally gotten the chance to become more than a character from "Moneyball" and he's seized it in a big way. We knew he was a disciplined hitter, but we didn't know he'd be a good leadoff man and we certainly had our doubts about his switch to play first base full-time. The Greek God of Walks has answered his doubters resoundingly. Big question going forward is how he can handle the full 162-game grind. He slumped badly right before the break.

Mark Loretta, 2B: Sure, Theo's made some questionable moves, but you can't question this one. Loretta for Mirabelli, and now we've got Mirabelli back. I initially liked the pickup because of Loretta's offense, but I didn't know how solid he was defensively. Not the best range, but if he can get to it, it's an out. Also, when you hear about how 'professional' the Sox have become - through their conscious Idiotectomy - this is one of the guys leading the charge. Would be nice to see a little more pop from his bat in the second half.

Alex Gonzalez, SS:He went from A-Gone to Gonzo in about a month or so. Historically a weak hitter but one of the best we'll ever see playing shortstop. Smooth like butt-ah. The bonus is that he's started to swing the bat with a little more confidence, and in a short period of time has raised his average from Mendoza territory to above .275. If he keeps it up, he may have a new long-term contract to ponder.

Mike Lowell, 3B:10th player award is between Lowell and Youk. Another well-respected professional. Entering this season, all we heard from the sky-is-falling Boston media was that his bat speed was slow as molasses. He was all washed up. To be fair, he didn't have a good year last year with the Marlins - but what a difference a year makes. He's a doubles machine, occasionally hits the timely home run, and is stellar at third. A pretty good throw-in in the Beckett deal, wouldn't you say?

Jason Varitek, C:Not the best of halves for the captain, particularly with the lumber. If he can pick the offense up a notch in the second half, it would be a huge plus. Still can't figure out why Tito had him play all 19 against the White Sox in the last game before the break.

Manny Ramirez, LF:All-Stargate aside, Manny has been a pleasant surprise both on and off the field so far in 2006. On the field, he's seemed as focused as he's ever been. He's playing good defense and has been his normal imposing self in the cleanup spot. Sure, he still lollygags it down to first, or doesn't back up his fellow outfielders, but I think it's safe to say we're all glad he didn't leave. Papi needs the protection.

Coco Crisp, CF:Tough to grade Covelli Loyce Crisp at this stage. He missed a couple of months with the wrist problem, and some have questioned - based on his performance since he's been back - whether he's fully healed. Youk's done such a nice job batting leadoff that Tito has been able to drop Coco down in the order to take some pressure off. Logic would indicate that as he gets healthier, the hits - and SB's - will come. And maybe he goes back into the leadoff slot. His highlight of the first half was far and away the Superman catch he made off David Wright to beat the Mets.

Trot Nixon, RF:Not hitting for much power, but Trot's had a good half average-wise. Would love to see him or Lowell step up and be the solid No. 5 hitter this team badly needs. He's in a contract year, so hopefully that serves as a nice carrot down the stretch. He's gone 30 games without homering.

David Ortiz, DH:If Papi duplicates what he's done in the first half, he might need some space on his mantle for an MVP Award. The shift has certainly had a negative impact on his batting average, but the shift don't work when he's blasting balls into the bleachers. He's on track to become the first Sox basher to swat 50 since ol' Double X, Jimmie Foxx, did it back in 1938.

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad...

Well, it coulda shoulda woulda been an impressive sweep of the defending world champs in their house, but it wasn't meant to be. After beating the ChiSox 9-6 on Saturday in the series' second game, the Red Sox lost to their stockinged brethren yesterday (last night), 6-5 in 19 innings. That's right - 19 innings. This one just kept going and going, and when it was all over, 40 players had participated, and 569 pitches had been thrown by 16 pitchers. In the bad news department, Varitek and Nixon went a combined 0 for 17 yesterday, and our superstud closer, Jon Papelbon, gave up a rare 9th-inning run for a blown save. In the good news department, the bullpen -- particularly Delcarmen, Hansen, and Tavarez -- was outstanding late in the game.

So we head into the All-Star break with a 3-game lead over the Yankees. Sox are 20 games over .500, at 53-33. Yanks are 50-36. When play resumes on Thursday, the Sox will be taking on the Oakland A's, and the Yanks will be hosting these same White Sox.

Enjoy the break. Monday and Wednesday are the only two days during the year that the four major sports leagues in the U.S. are quiet, so use the time to get reacquainted with family and friends! I'll have a mid-year recap to share in the next couple of days.

Update: Wake Hurting

We heard yesterday that Tim Wakefield was hurting with some back issues, and today we read in the Herald that he's concerned about pain that isn't going away. He's having an MRI today in the Windy City - cross fingers that it's something minor.

Battle of the Soxes

Round 1 in this much-anticipated series against the White Sox goes to the good guys last night, 7-2. It wasn't as easy as the final score might indicate, however.

The Sox (Red, that is) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first thanks to a Papi home run off White Sox starter Mark Buehrle. Remember when Papi had trouble with lefties? A long-forgotten memory. The homer was Ortiz' 30th - the first Sox hitter to ever clout that many before the All-Star break. The ChiSox fought back and tied it at 2, but the Red Sox added single runs in the 4th, 5th, and 7th innings and then iced it with two solo bombs from Mike Lowell and Coco Crisp in the 9th.

Lowell had a terrific game with both the bat and the glove. So nice to be listening to the radio, bases loaded with White Sox, one out, score tied at 2, ground ball to Lowell - and you just know it's an automatic double play. The other offensive star - besides Papi - was Alex Gonzalez, who raised his batting average above .280 by going 4 for 4. Gonzo has been awesome at the plate the last few weeks. Jon Lester labored again - 95 pitches through six innings - but his performance was very impressive considering he was going up against the World Champs in their ballpark. The kid is cool out there, and knows how to pitch his way out of jams.

All in all, a very nice start to this series between two AL powerhouses. Yanks won last night 1-0 behind Jaret Wright's 10 K's so the lead stays at 3. Josh Beckett vs. Freddy Garcia today at 1 on Fox. Something tells me a few balls might leave the yard.

That's More Like It

What looked like a somewhat easy win over Tampa last night turned into a nailbiter before - who else? - David Ortiz iced the victory with an 8th inning grand slam. Shift this, sayeth Papi. Sox win going away, 12-5, and a much-needed win it was. You can never, ever lose four straight to Tampa Bay, and they certainly didn't want to be leaving for a tough three-game set against the White Sox on a down note. Thanks to the bats, they left with a little air under their wings and maintained their three-game edge on the Spanks.

Now we're looking at what hopefully will be a great matchup between the last two World Series champions. The Tigers may be leading the AL Central, but the White Sox know they're better. May be a little subplot story too, with Manny's apparent decision not to play for the AL All-Stars, who will be managed by White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen. Game 1 is at 8:30 tonight, and it's a matchup of southpaws. Jon Lester vs. Mark Buehrle.

Three Down, One to Go

Man, the Devil Dogs are starting to own us again. The Sox lost their third straight game to Tampa Bay tonight in a contest that featured a little bit of everything, including a catcher's interference call, a shot off one of those ridiculous catwalks that should have been a 2-run homer but instead was a rally-killing out, and a straight steal of home by Devil Ray dynamo Carl Crawford. (Looked just like the picture, which shows the great Jackie Robinson swiping home). Unfortunately, each of these rare happenings went against the Red Sox and they end up 5-2 losers.

The D-Rays jumped early on erstwhile No. 5 starter Jason Johnson, and the Sox couldn't climb back. Youkilis hit a bomb in the third inning that would have been out of any park, 'cept it hit the wrong catwalk and Carl Crawford (there he is again) caught the carom for one of the toughest-to-swallow outs you'll see. After that, the Sox seemed to lose a little steam.

This No. 5 starter thing is killing us right now. No offense to Jason Johnson, but he didn't have it again tonight - and he may be a memory after the All-Star break. This is where Theo has to be kicking himself for trading Bronson Arroyo away. The jury's still out on how much of Bronson's quick start is due to the weak-sister NL, but wouldn't it be nice to have him as your spot starter/long reliever right about now? I bet the lead over the Yanks would be more like 6 or 7 than the current 3 (Yanks beat Tribe, 11-3, tonight). In Theo's defense, though, we didn't know Matt Clement was going to completely lose it, and we thought we had gotten lucky with David Wells. They had to bring up Jon Lester, and thank goodness he's been as good as he's been or we'd be in deep doo-doo.

As it is, we've got a three-game cushion over the Yankees that should be more like double-digits. They friggin' lost Matsui, Sheffield, and Cano, and now Damon's out with an injury. But the Red Sox haven't been able to twist the knife. Should be a verrrry interesting trading season this year. Sox flaws: fifth starter, 6th and 7th inning relief, offense off the bench (Reggie Sanders?)

Another 'L' in Tampa

Another lefty. Another loss. Sox go down 9-6 in Tampa tonight. At least we know George isn't enjoying his birthday cake tonight - the Yanks are getting thumped in Cleveland right now. Indians lead 19-1 heading into the ninth. Time for A-Rod to hit one out.

Kazmired

Scott Kazmir always pitches well against the Red Sox, but last night he was at a different level, taking a one-hitter into the 8th inning and ending up with 10 K's and a complete-game shutout against a pretty potent Boston offense. Final score: D-Rays 3, Sox zip.

Imagine if the Mets hadn't traded Victor Zambrano for Kazmir? This was in the pre-Omar Minaya days - as Omar is quick to remind us - but man, what a horseshit trade. Who was at the wheel for that one? This kid's going to be a great one when it's all said and done. Wonder what his contract status is - we should just collect all the good lefties (Willis, Lilly, Kazmir) that give us trouble.

Anyway, back to the game. Beckett pitched well but was again hurt by the longball. Tampa's runs came on three solo shots, including two from the legendary Ty Wigginton. Not sure what it is about Beckett's fastball, but hitters have been on it this year, especially on the road. Francona actually made the point last night that Beckett supplies most of the power with his velocity. That's a true players manager for you.

The good news is that the Sox can wake up this 4th of July morning, lick their wounds, and know that they didn't lose any ground to the Yankees, who lost 5-2 last night to the Indians. The lead stands at 4 games, 5 over Toronto.

Schilling vs. Casey Fossum today at 4. After being passed over for the All-Star Game (in his hometown area of Pittsburgh no less), the betting here is that Schilling throws a gem.

Happy 230th birthday, America...

A Different Sense of Urgency?

As the Sox settle back into an AL schedule this week and get ready for the All-Star break, the sense of urgency to win the division has never been greater - and it's encouraging that we saw some signs in the first half of the season that show Terry Francona agrees. There's a pretty good chance that the AL wild card entry this year will come from the AL Central.

The axis of power in the dominant American League (.620+ winning pct. this year vs NL teams)still very much revolves around Boston and New York, but the AL West - particularly the Angels and the Mariners - has lost a step to the AL Central, which features the Tigers, the White Sox, and the suddenly resurgent Twins, who are riding the two best lefty starters in the game in Santana and Liriano.

All of which means the Red Sox really need to win the division this year and make it easy on themselves. While the huge winning streak was a hell of a lot of fun to watch every night, the fact of the matter is that the Yankees - with their long list of key injuries - are still lurking. They're missing Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui, and Robinson Cano and they're still hanging around. Hopefully, the Sox can spread the gap this week - they're in Tampa to face the D-Rays and the Yankees start four tonight in Cleveland. Sox then head to Chicago while the Yanks get a turn to beat up on Tampa.

If I'm Terry Francona, I'm managing this week like we're fighting for a playoff spot. No days off for anyone. Less exposure for Taverez and Seanez. Short leashes when a pitcher's getting banged around. I can remember a few occasions so far where he's pulled a starter early, which he didn't do a lot of last year. Hopefully, this sense of urgency continues. It's time to put some serious YAC (yards after catch) on the Yankees.

By the way, the Sox placed four players on the AL All-Star squad - Manny, Ortiz, Papelbon, and Loretta. Figured Varitek wouldn't make it, but Schilling should be there.

The Beat Goes On

The streak stands at 2, after the Sox again dispatched the Marlins, this time winning 4-3 on a late sacrifice fly from soon-to-be-All-Star-2B Mark Loretta. Sox are now 50-29 on the season - their best start since, ahem, 1986 - they've won 14 of their last 15, and they've got a 4 1/2 game lead on the Yankees, who are playing the Mets tonight in the Bronx.

Jon Lester started this one and struggled, but again showed that he has the poise and mettle to get out of tough jams. Papelbon came on in the 8th and got the last four outs for his 25th save - breaking the rookie record set by the original "Monster," Dick Radatz, in 1962. Youkilis, Varitek and Papi all hit solo homers.

Sox now head up the interstate to Tampa-St. Pete to tangle with those pesky Devil Rays for four big action-packed games. From there, it's on to Chicago for what should be a good series against the White Sox next weekend. Maybe exact a little revenge for last year's ALDS white-washing. And then, believe it or not, we're at the All-Star break. Sox could conceivably place six guys on the AL team: Manny, Ortiz, Papelbon, Schilling, Loretta, and Varitek. Rumor has it Loretta's going to make the team because of Robinson Cano's injury.

Home Run Derby

Nobody told us it was going to be Fireworks Night at Dolphins Stadium. The dynamic Dominican duo of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez combined last night to go 5 for 8 with 4 homers (2 each), 9 RBIs, and 5 runs scored. Former Marlin Mike Lowell pitched in with three doubles as the Sox cruised past Florida, 11-5, in hot, muggy Miami. It was nice to see Wakefield get some much-deserved run support. The errorless streak (a new MLB record) was snapped when Doug Mirabelli threw wildly trying to get a runner stealing second.

It was also a night for milestones. Manny's three-run bomb in the first inning was his 2,000th career hit; the win was Wake's 150th (15 wins with Pittsburgh, 135 with the Sox).

Yankees and the Big Ugly Unit lost to the Mets yesterday 8-3, so the lead stands at 4 games. Good matchup of young'uns today. Jon Lester versus Josh Johnson.