Baseballs over Fenway: Sox slug 3 homers in win

Sox 9, Jays 4
WP: Matsuzaka (11-6)
LP: McGowan (5-5)
HRs: BOS-Ortiz (15), Hinske (4), Tek (9); TOR-Glaus (12), Hill (10)

SUMMARY
Boston jumped out to an early 4-1 lead, but suddenly struggling Daisuke Matsuzaka couldn't hold it.

But have no fear, RSN, because Captain Tek was there to provide a clutch two-run homer that broke the tie, and the Sox went on to put five runs up in the bottom of the sixth and won going away.

#1 STUNNER Varitek 1-4, R, 2BI, HR
I don't believe the Captain has won this coveted prize yet this season, but he certainly deserved it tonight as he saved not only Dice-K's bacon, but also rescued his team from what was shaping up to be a gut-wrenching loss.

PAN's FAUN Alex Rios 0-3, BB, GIDP, K
After torching Boston in the first two games of the series, one of the hottest batters in the league went cold when his team needed him most.

Not only did he fly out with a man on second in the first and ground into a double play in the fifth, he badly misplayed a shot by Ortiz that went for a ground rule double in the 3rd that allowed Coco to score the Sox third run of the game.

RECAP
Whew, that was close.

The Sox salvaged a victory from what was heading towards the "crushing defeat" category when the offense exploded for five runs in the sixth, but just minutes earlier the Faithful had been in a state of despair after Matsuzaka coughed up a three-run lead in the top of the inning.

But on a night when David Ortiz hit his first homer at Fenway in more than two months and Julio Lugo had his second three-hit game this week, Boston was not going to be denied, especially after what started out to be an easy win.

For the third straight game the Sox scored in the first inning, and for the second straight night it was a home run by one half of the Dynamic Duo that got Boston on the board first.

After Jays starter Dustin McGowan (5IP, 8H, 6ER, 2BB, 4K, 3HRs) quickly got the first two batters out, Papi worked the count to a favorable 3-0, and then uncoiled his patented, upper cut swing, crushing the next pitch into the Toronto bullpen and breaking a lengthy longball drought in the process.

Unbelievably, the shot was Ortiz' first at home since April 21st against the Stanks, a span of 129 at bats and 32 games. Even more incredible, it was only Papi's fourth Fenway homer all season, after hitting 22 of his 54 last year at home.

While the Boston hitters were busy trying to build Matsuzaka (6IP, 9H, 4ER, 2BB, 2K, 2HRs) a comfortable lead, Dice was busy fending off Toronto baserunners, since he was letting the Jays batters play wall-ball off of him all night.

In the top of the second Troy Glaus (3-4, 2R, 2BI, 2B, HR), who had a huge game, smashed a high, arcing drive off the top of the Monster that nearly went over, but as the beefy third baseman raced around first, a near-perfect relay throw from Manny to Pedroia appeared to nail Glaus at second base.

He was called out, but upon further review although the ball did beat him to the bag, Glaus cleverly raised his sliding hand over Pedroia's glove, then touched the bag on the other side, thus eluding the tag and getting robbed of an extra base hit.

The play turned out to be a big one because the next two Jays batters reached base, but when Dice retired the next two batters on a pop out and a ground out, the Sox had escaped the inning unscathed and Toronto saw an opportunity to turn the tide of the game go by the wayside.

Thanks, ump.

After Toronto got a batter to second base for the third straight inning but couldn't score in the third, Boston padded its lead with a nicely executed two-run inning in the bottom of the frame.

After Eric Hinske, playing for J.D. Drew, popped out to begin the inning, Lugo lined a single to left center to extend his hitting streak to four games, which is DiMaggio-esque for him.

Two pitches later Coco (2-3, 2R, 2BB, BI) launched a deep drive to center that rolled past Vernon Wells, and by the time he caught up to it, Lugo had scored Boston's second run on Crisp's fourth triple of the season.

Dustin Pedroia failed to get the run in with his groundout, but Big Papi lifted his team again when Rios couldn't corral his blast to deep right that bounced next to the right fielder and into the stands for an RBI ground rule double and a 3-0 Boston lead.

Sweet. All Dice had to do was hold the ship steady and he could bring home a nice, easy win.

But Toronto finally got a runner past first base in the fourth when Glaus got revenge for the bad call by crushing a Matsuzaka fastball high over the Monster and off the Volvo sign for a towering, "take that" homer, and when Aaron Hill (3-4, R, 2BI) followed will a wall scraper double one out later, flags were raised that Dice might not be able to hold the lead.

Matsuzaka once again escaped further damage by getting the last two batters out, and when Big Hit Hinske ripped a two-out homer off McGowan in the bottom of the fourth, the three-run lead was restored and RSN could start to relax a little.

Surely Dice wouldn't blow this lead now, would he?

You already know the answer to that one, and it was a resounding YES, because for the second consecutive start Matsuzaka had problems with his control, leading to problems with the other team scoring.

Frank Thomas and Glaus hit back-to-back doubles to open the sixth to cut the lead to 4-2, and before you could even begin to worry about what would happen next, Dice allowed a mammoth homer to Hill that erased the lead--and the crowd's enthusiasm--with one swing of the bat.

Again Matsuzaka got the next two batters out, but this time he didn't limit the damage, he got hammered, and everyone watching knew he was out of the game after that horrible inning ran his pitch count to a whopping 110.

Luckily for him he's got some thoughtful teammates, and they didn't want to see their snubbed All Star teammate go out like that.

Professional Hitter Mike Lowell got the go-ahead rally started when he singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth, and after fouling off the first pitch, Varitek took a McGowan offering and obliterated it, sending into the seats above the wall in straightaway center for a titanic two-run blast that brought the crowd to its feet and probably had Dice doing one of his little bows in the dugout.

McGowan hit the showers after that one, but the Sox didn't stop hitting. After Hinske struck out against Brain Tallet, Lugo caught Glaus napping and reached on a bunt single, Coco followed with a walk, and Pedroia lofted a single to shallow center that scored Lugo with run #7.

Manny (sac fly) and Youk (single) would drive the last two runs in off another Jays reliever, but for all intents & purposes the game was over after Tek's blast. Toronto had driven the Diceman out of the game and had more than its share of chances to steal this one, but after the Captain left the building with another clutch hit, the Jays had to concede this victory to Boston.

So Matsuzaka pitched pretty poorly again, but unlike his disaster in Detroit, this time he was bailed out by his teammates' blazing bats.

Come to think of it, I think he owes Varitek a nice steak dinner. Make it Kobe beef.

NOTES

• The teams combined for 23 hits, with three batters (Lugo, Glaus, Hill) netting three hits apiece, and three others (Crisp, Papi, Wells) notching a pair each
• Despite being held hitless, Manny racked up his 7th RBI of the series with his sac fly in the sixth
• The 9-1 hitters, Coco & Lugo, were on base seven times and scored four runs
• Lugo has more hits in his last nine games (12) than he had in the whole month of June (7); his recent streak (12-30, .400) has raised his average from .190 to .209
• Manny Delcarmen relieved Matsuzaka in the seventh and nearly got his head taken off on a single up the middle by Lyle Overbay in the eigth; he hasn't allowed a run in his last 7 apps
• Hideki Okajima handled the ninth and allowed a two-out single to Wells before ending the game
• Before his homer Tek was having a rough night; he got hit in the throat by a foul ball in the second, then he took a pitch square off his left wrist when he & Matsuzaka got their signals crossed in the third. Adding insult, he was charged with a passed ball on the play
• After allowing just four homers in his previous seven starts, Dice K has allowed five homers in his last two, surrendering 10 runs and 19 hits in 11 innings over that stretch
• As expected, Drew was given the night off, and probably tomorrow, too, with the hammy acting up again
• Hinske's homer may have snapped an 0-13 streak, but it should be no surprise the hit was a big one; he's got just 18 hits on the season, but 11 are for extra bases (5-doubles, 2-triples, 4-homers) Freaking amazing!
• Glaus and Hill each had a single, double and homer off Matsuzaka. Yikes.

QUOTES

"I was disappointed from beginning to end."--Dice

"They come back to tie it, Daisuke's coming out of the game, and 'Tek takes a gorgeous swing." --Tito, who once again displays a knack for summimg up the game perfectly

"That's why he is a superstar. I'm sure he is hurt, but he is out there every day and one swing can burn you in a hurry."--Toronto mgr John Gibbons on Ortiz

RECORD: 55-35
AL EAST: Up 10 on NYY
STREAK: W-1
LAST 10: 6-4
UP NEXT: Sun vs. TOR 2:05

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Game Preview: Jays @ Sox GM3

McGowan (5-4, 4.65) vs. Matsuzaka (10-6 3.84)
Fenway Park 7:05

After last night's near four hour marathon loss in which the lead switch hands four times and another Sox player had to leave a game with an injury, Boston could really use an easy victory tonight to ease the pain of losing four of their past five games.

Luckily they will have one of the best candidates to supply an easy win on the mound, Daisuke Matsuzaka, who had been one of the hottest pitchers in the majors until his three-homer meltdown in Motown last Sunday.

Prior to that loss to the Tigers, in which he allowed 10 hits and 6 earned runs in five lousy innings of work, Dice had been on a roll in June, posting a 3-0 record to close the month while letting up only six earned runs in 42 innings (1.28 ERA) over six starts.

His opponent on the hill will be young Dustin McGowan, a strapping (6'2", 220) righthander who has shown flashes of brilliance for Toronto (took a no-hitter into the ninth in a 5-0 win over the Rockies June 24th) and, as per usual with a second year starter, crashes of youth (8 hits & 6 runs allowed in 1.2 innings vs. the Dodgers.)

For Boston several starters are nursing injuries and one, J.D. Drew, will probably be out of tonight's game. Drew left last night's game shortly after he beat out a double and scored in the third inning, and word is he tweaked his hammy that he had injured earlier this year.

Look for the ever-cautious Sox to rest him in favor of Hinske, and keep an eye on the Youk's quad injury and Papi's bad knee; if either of those two combine with Drew to miss significant time, things could go south in a hurry for the Sox.

Much like his last start we need Matsuzaka to come up big tonight and prevent another tough loss from turning into a losing streak. With a record of just 18-20 since May 30th, Boston needs to string some wins together, or it's only a matter of time before you-know-who will be creeping over our shoulders.

Go Sox!

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See saw game sees Jays pull out the win

Toronto 6, Sox 5
WP: Marcum (5-3)
LP: Snyder (1-2)
SV: Accardo (12)
HRs: BOS-Manny (12)

SUMMARY
Boston survived another shaky start by Julian Tavarez and overcame an early two-run deficit to take a one-run lead after three innings.

But after Julie left the game Kyle Snyder couldn't hold the lead, surrendering two runs with two outs in the sixth and the Jays would hang on for the win.

#1 STUNNER Alex Rios 3-4, 2-2B, R, GW RBI
Talk about riding an All Star high.

The HR Derby runner up continued to feast on Boston pitching, notching his second three-hit game in a row including a double that knocked in the go-ahead run in the sixth, and with two of the hits coming off Julian Tavarez, who he absolutely owns (see bleow.).

PAN's FAUN Snyder 1.2IP, 2H, 2ER, 1BB
Things started out okay for Kyle when he retired the first four batters he faced in relief of Tavarez, but Toronto scored two runs with two outs in the sixth to turn what looked like a nice Sox win into a tough-luck loss.

RECAP
I got one thing to say about this game:

What the hell happened?

I spent the day getting toasted at the beach, in more ways than one of course, and after I got home, grilled the wife & I some dinner and plopped down on the couch for the game, I was more than a little bit spent.

So I was thrilled to see the Sox take another early lead when Manny followed a two-out single single by Ortiz by ripping an offering from Jays starter Shaun Marcum (6IP, 7H, 3ER, 1BB, 6K) over the Monster for a two-run jack and a quick 2-0 Boston lead.

And I was still coherent enough to remember Tavarez, who allowed at least two base runners in each of the first four innings, coughing up the lead in the third when Toronto strung together four hits, a hit batter and a walk to plate four runs and grab the lead back from Boston.

The damage could have been worse, but the Sox cut down a run at the plate when Manny & Lugo sent perfect relay throws to Tek on a double by Gregg Zaun to nail Aaron Hill trying to score, keeping the game at 4-2.

But it was in the bottom half of the inning that I started to get a little drowsy from a devastating combo of sun, beer and my big comfy couch, so I was happy to see Boston slap three runs on the board to take a 5-4 lead before I completely nodded off.

J. D. Drew got the inning started with a hustle double to left on a ball that got between Troy Glaus and the bag at third and trickled into the outfield. Unfortunately Drew would leave the game later after re aggravating his balky hammy on the play. Figures.

Anyway, Dustin Pedroia did his duty by grounding out and getting Drew to third, and with Papi coming up it looked like a run in the books for sure for Boston.

Except this David Ortiz isn't the same Ortiz that would capitalize on a situation like this time and time again over the past few seasons thanks to his myriad ailments, and when Marcum got him to line out to short on a check swing it looked like the scoring chance would be wasted.

It was up to Manny, who like Rios is another member of the All Star team riding high since his return to action, to pull out a clutch two-out hit. He had already driven in five runs in the series, and with first base open you would think Marcum would be careful with him.

Nope. Manny (2-5, R, 3BI) roped Marcum's third pitch for a solid single to left center, scoring Drew for his third RBI of the game and slashing the Sox deficit to 4-3. Still, there were two outs and a man on first, so it looked like they'd have to settle for just the one run.

Not so fast my friend.

The Sox got a gift when Troy Glaus butchered Kevin Youkilis' grounder for an inning-extending error, and Mike Lowell, the Sox other hot All Star and leading RBI man went to work on erasing the deficit completely.

Lowell, he of the team-leading 64 ribbies, worked the count to 3-1 before uncorking a towering drive to straightaway center that bounced high off the wall, along with center fielder Vernon Wells, scoring Ramirez & Youk easily on the veteran's 2nd three bagger of the season.

Okay, his name change is now official: Mike Lowell, Professional Hitter/RBI Guy.

Although Tek would fan to end the inning, the damage was done, the Sox had a 5-4 lead, and now I could start to relax a little bit more.

This is when I started to fade in & out of consciousness. I remember Julie working into and out of trouble in the fourth, the Sox go down meekly in the bottom of the frame, and then Tavarez get pulled after allowing a leadoff single to Glaus (2-4, R, RBI, BB) in the fifth.

And then I blacked out.

When I awoke I was wondering what day & time it was, then I looked at the set and saw that it was the bottom of the sixth and Toronto had pulled ahead, 6-5.

What the hell happened?

Thankfully (or not) through the magic that is the DVR I was able to find out what happened, and as you can surmise, it wasn't good for Boston.

Snyder came in to relieve Julie in the fifth and induced a fly out and then a line-out double play to escape the inning unscathed, then he retired the first two batters in the sixth before allowing a two-out walk to Vernon Wells (0-4, R,BB.)

No biggie, right?

Wrong again. Pesky Reed Johnson (2-4, 2R, BI) sizzled a 2-2 pitch from Snyder into right for an RBI double, and suddenly the game was tied, the go-ahead run was in scoring position and Toronto's hottest hitter, Rios, was at the plate.

Three pitches later Rios had his third hit of the evening, a wall-scraper double that plated Johnson with the lead run, and Snyder was out of the game, one batter too late and not able to get that elusive final out.

Mike Timlin did, though, when he got Frank Thomas to fly out to deep center to end the inning, and the Sox had to feel confident about their chances to score one run over the next four innings.

Wrong again.

A combination of relievers Scott Downs and Casey Janssen shit down the Sox in the 7th and 8th, and when Janssen allowed a two-out double to Cap'n Tek in the 8th, Jays manager John Gibbons brought in closer Jeremy Accardo to get the increasingly common four-out save.

Accardo, who has filled in nicely with high-priced bust BJ Ryan on the DL again, got Coco to pop out harmlessly to short to end the threat, then all he had to do was set down the Sox in the 9th to preserve the win.

That wasn't as easy as it sounds. Wait, that doesn't even sound easy. Ah fuck it...

Julio Lugo (1-4) led off the ninth with a sharp single to right to get the tying run on board, and after Wily Mo, who replaced Hinske who replaced Drew, whiffed (of course), Lugo stole second and Pedroia followed with a gritty 3-2 walk.

So the scene was set. The potential tying run was in scoring position, the potential winning run (in the form of pinch runner Alex Cora) was on first, and the Big Boppers were coming to the plate--a golden opportunity for a seldom seen (this year) walk-off win for the Sox.

Only it wasn't meant to be.

Papi, who must be hurting from the way he missed this pitch, flied out harmlessly to center, and once again it was up to Manny to come through with two outs to save the day.

Although he did hit a solid drive to right the ball was easily caught by Rios (appropriately), and the Sox still cannot seem to put together a decent winning streak unless they are playing the D-Rays.

Speaking of, the Rays knocked off the Stanks and his highness Roidger Clemens tonight down at the Trop.

So we got that going for us.

NOTES

• The Sox tallied 10 hits while the Jays had 12 base knocks
• Drew was replaced by Eric Hinske in the fourth, went 0-1, and was then replaced for pinch hitter Wily Mo in the seventh; Pena singled in that at bat, his first pinch hit in 11 tries this season
• Timlin had another terrific outing (2.1IP, 0H, 0R, K) and has not allowed a run in his last seven appearances
• Joel Pineiro came off the DL and pitched the ninth; he got two quick outs before allowing a double to Thomas and a walk to Glaus, giving way to Javier Lopez, who struck out Overbay to end the inning
• Manny's homer was #582 of his career and 54th against the Jays, his most vs. any team
• As I mentioned above, Rios absolutely owns Tavarez. The slugger is 10-14 lifetime against Julie with two doubles, a triple and a homer. Yikes.

QUOTES

"He may take it to a new level now that he's played in that All-Star game. I think he probably enjoyed that."--Gibbons on Rios

"I'm seeing the ball good. The first couple games I've felt great."--Rios. Thanks Captain Understatement!

"We've seen David [win games] so often. Then Manny rifles the ball to right but it didn't find the outfield grass. It was a great swing."--Tito on the disappointing ending

RECORD: 54-35
AL EAST: Up 10 on TOR, NYY
STREAK: L-1
LAST 10: 5-5
UP NEXT: Sat v TOR 7:o5

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Game Recap: Sox get back on winning track vs. Jays

Sox 7, Tortonto 4
WP: Wakefield (10-8)
LP: Halladay (10-4)
SV: Papelbon (21)
HRs: TOR- Rios (18), Stairs (14)


SUMMARY
Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz showed signs of breaking out of an offensive funk, the Sox battered Roy Halladay and Tim Wakefield won his third straight decision, fifth straight at Fenway, as the Sox defeated the Jays 7-4.

#1 STUNNER(s) Manny & Papi 5-9, 2-2B, 3R, 5RBI
The Dynamic Duo, fresh of an All Star trip to San Fran, came to play in the second half opener, driving in the first two Sox runs in the first and then the last two in the 6th to turn a one-run nailbiter into a three-run breeze.

Pan's FAUN Halladay 5IP, 8H, 5ER, 4BB, 2K
The former Cy Young winner was not on form tonight, getting hammered early & often by the Boston batters in suffering his fourth defeat of the season, his second to the Sox.


RECAP
Now that's what I call starting the second half off with a bang.


Amidst the confusion of players from all corners of the continent, injuries & rumours of injuries, plus a three game losing streak, Boston climbed off the mat tonight to open the second half of the season by showing the rest of the league what they're made of.


With bold predictions coming from the Bronx about running down the Sox for the division and plenty of negativity in the press regarding the Sox recent run of back luck, the best team in baseball went out and displayed why they are just that, smacking Halladay all around the yard right from the get-go and pulling away late for a well-deserved win.

And the best news of all for RSN was that Ortiz (3-5, 2B, 2R, 2BI) and Ramirez (2-4, 2B, R, 3BI)each had multi-RBI games at home for the first time this season and only the third time all year.

Read that stat and it makes you realize how truly amazing it is that they own a 10 game lead in the East.

The other bit of good news from the game regarding the hitters production is that it didn't take long for Boston to pounce on Halladay, pushing four runs across in the bottom of the first after Toronto had jumped out to a 1-0 lead on singles by Vernon Wells & Alex Rios and a sac fly from the Big Hurt in the top of the inning.

Boston wasted no time erasing that deficit, though, as J.D. Drew hit the second pitch he saw from Halladay for a leadoff single up the middle, and Dustin Pedroia followed with a hard-fought walk after fouling off six Halladay pitches.

That set the stage for the Big Boppers to capitalize on an early gift from the Jays starter, and despite a gimpy knee that Ortiz now says might be a torn meniscus, he roped the second pitch he saw for a single to left, scoring Drew with the tying run and sending Pedroia to third with Manny coming up and still no outs.

Ramirez has been in the throes of a of a slump, both batting-wise and production-wise, the last couple of weeks, so a hit and/or RBI was not guarantee in this case. Shit, who knew how long it would take Manny to get in a groove after he actually made the cross-country trip to participate in the All Star game this year.

But Manny Being Manny is all about expecting the unexpected, so when he followed Papi's double with a double of his own that scored Pedroia with the go-ahead (and game-winning) RBI, it really should have come as no surprise that just when we thought he would either strike out or perhaps liner into a double play, he came through with the clutch, run-scoring hit when his team needed him to.

Youk (ground out) and Professional Hitter/RBI Machine Mike Lowell (single) followed those two with RBIs to make the score 4-1 after one, and in the second inning the boys struck again when Drew walked, Ortiz laced a single to right that got Drew to third and Manny blasted a sac fly to right to plate Drew with run #5 in inning #2.

Luckily for Boston and the up & down Wake (6IP, 9H, 4R, 0BB, 2K, 2HR) this was one of his 'up' nights, as the crafty vet won his third straight game by limiting the explosive Jays to two runs through five innings, until Matt Staris and HR Deby runner-up Rios hit back-to-back homers in the sixth to slice the Sox lead to 5-4.

But that's when the Boppers got the hearts of the Nation really pumping after being on life support following that wretched Tigers series.

With Halladay out and the immortal Brian Tallett on in the sixth, the Sox set to padding the one-run lead to make life easier for the pen. After getting two quick outs, Tallet allowed a single to Pedroia (1-4, R, BB) and then Ortiz scorched a double to center that scored Pedroia and gave the Sox some breathing room at 6-4.

Manny made the breathing for the last three innings even easier when he ripped Tallet's second pitch for a hard single to right, scoring the gimpy Big Papi to push the lead to three runs, effectively ending the game right there with Boston's biggest weapons waiting to enter the contest

RSN got a taste of what could be a deadly (for the opponent) 7th-8th-9th inning trio in the second half of Delcarmen, Oki and Paps when Manny D. came into the game in the 7th.

Delcarmen continued to show why the Sox brass are so high on him now that he's matured as he zipped through three Jays hitters on 12 pitches, and although Oki had a little trouble when he allowed a double to Rios and a single to Troy Glaus in the 8th, he got out of a jam--once again-- by getting Lyle Overbay to fly out.

All that was left was for All Star closer Jonathan Papelbon to close the door, and even a drama in the form of a one-out double by Greg Zaun couldn't stop the Sox Stars tonight.

Paps fanned Howie Clark on three pitches, then got Vernon Wells to line out to right to end the game, and just like that the memories of the horrible skid to enter the break were gone and the hopes of the Sox staying steady and riding this hot first half all the way to the division crown remained strong.

And if it took Papi finally admitting his knee is bothering him and Manny finally attending an All Star game to get them out of their offensive doldrums, then so be it.

NOTES:

• Boston smacked 11 hits, and every starter except Youk and Mirabelli had at least one hit; the top four batters (Drew,Pedroia, Ortiz, Manny) went 7-17 with 7 runs scored and five knocked in
• Julio Lugo (2-4) had two more hits to raise his average above the Mendoza line (.201) for the first time since June 20th. Kidos.ugo
• Youk texted Tito over the break and told him his quad was okay and he would be ready to play tonight. After getting confirmation from the doctors, Francona inserted the gamer, who had missed 6 of the last 8 games with the injury, into the lineup. He played first and batted 5th and went 0-2 but did walk twice
• Oki's ERA dropped to 0.81 and Papelbon's is now down to 1.87
• Wake dropped his mark to 4.47 and he won his fifth straight start at Fenway
• All Star Alex Rios, whom I said to keep an eye on, had three hits including a double and a homer, plus scored a run and drove one in. he's a stud.
• Vernon Wells, in the midst of a slump, batted leadoff

QUOTES:

"It wasn't anything major. "I just kept playing through it last year. This year, it's been bothering me more than it used to."--Ortiz on the knee when asked why he didn't get it fixed in the offseason

"They're going to do it at some point. You're not going to hold those guys down all year."--Youk on Manny & Papi

"Manny and Ortiz are just good hitters. They'll have big second halves."--Jays manager and noted dickhead John Gibbons (for once I hope the a-hole is right)

RECORD: 54-34
AL EAST: Up 10 on NYY
STREAK: W-1
LAST 10: 5-5
UP NEXT: Fri vs. TOR

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Series Preview: Toronto @ Boston

Blue Jays (43-44) @ Red Sox (53-34)
4 Game series at Fenway
Standings: Bos up 10 on TOR
Season Series: BOS leads, 5-3

• Game1Thu 7 Halladay (10-3, 4.46) v Wakefield (9-8, 4.39)
• Game2Fri 7 Marcum (4-3, 3.62) v Tavarez (5-7, 4.97)
• Game3Sat 7 McGowan (5-4, 4.65) v Matsuzaka (10-6, 3.84)
• Game4Sun 2 Litsch (1-3, 4.74) v Beckett (12-2, 3.44)

Keep an Eye On: Alex Rios.294/17HR/62R/53BI--the talented 26-year-old has finally blossomed into an All Star after a 2006 season marred by illness and unfulfilled potential. The right fielder was a participant in both the Home Run Derby and the All Star Game this year, and he leads the loaded Jays in average, homers, runs, RBIs, OBS and steals.

Preview:
The Sox kick off the second half with a four game set against their pesky division rivals to the North, the Blue Jays.

Although Boston has won five of the eight games between the two this season, it lost both contests at home back in late April, and the team always seems to have a tough time beating the scrappy Canadian club.

That one of the best pitchers in the game happens to start for the Jays might have something to do with their travails, and unfortunately for the Sox it seems like they must face perennial Cy Young candidate Roy Halladay about 10 times per season.

Boston begins the second half saddled with the sour taste of the three game Motown Wipedown last weekend and with numerous question marks surrounding the growing list of injured players.

On top of pitchers Curt Schilling (shoulder), Brendan Donnelly (forearm), and Joel Pineiro (ankle), hitters like Kevin Youkilis (quad), Mike Lowell (hand) and David Ortiz (hammy, quad, knee) are nursing some degree of injury.

The Herald in fact reported yesterday that Ortiz admitted his knee, which he tweaked last season during bunting drills in New York, has bothered him off & on all year, and he will probably need surgery in the off season, and hopefully not sooner.

Gulp.

I don't need to remind anyone of the similarities to the disastrous second half of 2006, do I? You know, when Boston owned an identical record and a slimmer (3 games) lead on New York, yet came unglued mainly due to some untimely injuries to key players like Tek and most notably Papi.

But for some reason this season just feels different. The team is deeper, for one, the pitching staff is stronger and has capable backups at Pawtucket to fill in, and there is an aura about the team and its fanbase, the ever-loyal, ever-expanding Red Sox Nation, that gives off the vibe that things won't end the way they did last year.

As long as Papi stays off the DL and the Stanks keep imploding from within.

Game 1 Preview:
Halladay brings a stellar record but a less-than-impressive ERA to Fenway for the second half opener, and the Cy Young winning righty has already made three starts against Boston this season. Although he's compiled modest stats, by his standards, in those games (1-1, 5.31 ERA), the crafty vet always has the potential to shut a team down on any given night.

Tim Wakefield continues his roller coaster season, bouncing back from a 1-4, 7.98 stint to post a 4-1 record with a more palatable 4.78 ERA in his last five starts. The knuckleballer has won two starts in a row and four straight at Fenway, so we got that going for us.

I know the odds are against Boston, with Papi ailing, the team riding a three game losing streak, and one of their more unpredictable hurlers on the hill, but...

...the joy of seeing the first place Sox, possessors of baseball's best record, open the second half in the friendly Fenway confines, in front of 36,000 fans on a mid-July evening is enough to make me be live they will torch Halladay and the Jays, setting the tone for a second half run to the AL East title.
MY PICK: Sox baby!

Go Sox!

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Sox Notes: Top 10 First Half Games

As the first half fades away and we're set to start the all-important second half of the 2007 season (you know, cause none of the games in the first half mean anything according to the 'experts'), I want to take one last post to put a wrap on First Half '07.

Without any further adieu, here are the Top 10 Games of the First Half for our Sox.

As usual if you have any discrepancies, feel free to comment.

10) Boston defeats Texas in a surreal game in Arlington 5/25
In perhaps the oddest contest of the first half, Daisuke Matsuzaka battled a stomach virus, wild mushrooms growing in the outfield due to monsoon-like rains and the Texas Rangers batting for the cycle in the fourth inning to hang on for a 10-6 win. Throw in a bunch of bad hops, tricky bounces and Manny getting tagged out on both sides of 2nd base, and you have a game straight out of a Twilight Zone episode.

9) Sox shut down Barry, beat Giants 1-0 on Manny HR 6/16
This game was a real gem to watch, as the rookie phenom Matsuzaka battled the legendary slugger Bonds on a picturesque Saturday afternoon at Fenway in front of a national TV audience. Boston won the pitcher's duel 1-0 on a 4th inning homer by Manny, and Dice and countryman Okajima got Barry out in key situations to preserve the win. Unfortunately I didn't get to see it because I was in new York. But still, I imagine it was great.

8) Beckett bests Peavy in battle of ML top teams, pitchers 6/24
In a game that should have been a preview of the starting pitchers for the All Star game (damn you Leyland!), Josh Beckett out-dueled NL starter Jake Peavy in an epic battle of the titans from each league. Boston won the game 4-2 behind a triple and a homer by Tek, and the Sox ripped Peavy a new one en route to Beckett's 8th straight victory.

7) King Felix dominates Sox in 1-hit gem 4/11
I know I shouldn't include a loss on this list, but this early season game was filled with so much hype & drama that it was hard to ignore. It was the second game of the season at Fenway, the home debut of Dice-K, and he was squaring off against former Japan League adversary Ichiro for the first time. Zillions of people all over the world tuned in, but what they saw was a near no-hitter that put that King Felix on the map instead.

6) Sox tally 13 runs in first three innings, trounce Rays 15-4 7/5
Gotta include a good old-fashioned ass-kicking on this list, and who better to play the victim than the hapless Rays. In the throes of a 10-game losing streak, Tampa Bay starter J.P. Howell allowed six runs in the first, including a mammoth grand slam by Coco, and Boston would jump to a 13-2 lead after three innings and cruise to its fourth win in a row courtesy of the wretched Rays.

5) Sox comeback vs. Stanks in the 8th 4/20
Down 6-2 to the hated Stanks heading into the 8th inning in the first game of their first series of the season, Boston rallied for five runs in the eighth inning, including a miraculous triple by Coco Crisp off Mariano Rivera to tie the game at six, and when Alex Cora followed with an RBI single, the Sox had an incredible come-from-behind win and would go on to sweep the series.

4) Trot returns, Youk hits inside-the park HR on Memorial Day 5/28
In an emotional return to his old stomping grounds, Trot Nixon was welcomed back with open arms and endless ovations by the always-appreciative Fenway faithful, but it was the new version of the original Dirt Dog who stole the show; Kevin Youkilis' memorable inside-the-park home run highlighted an exciting and spirited 5-3 Sox win over Cleveland.

3) Schill comes within two outs of history in 1-0 win over OAK 6/7
Arguably the biggest game of the first half since the Sox were staggering with four consecutive losses to begin a tough West Coast swing. But the ace came up aces with a masterpiece of a game, making Papi's 1st inning homer hold up by tossing eight no-hit innings; the only blemish came on a one out, ninth inning single by Shannon Stewart (dam you Shannon!) Just a couple of weeks later Schill would go on the DL.

2) Sox score six in the 9th to beat O's on Mother's Day 5/13
In another classic contest that I, and probably many nation members, didn't get to see due to the day it fell on, Boston overcame a 5-0 9th inning deficit when it plated six runs in the final frame, the last two runs coming home when Baltimore closer Chris Ray dropped a toss at first base that would have been the final out of the game. Instead Tek and Hinske raced home with the tying and winning runs, and the Sox delivered the best Mother's Day present to all the RSN moms out there.

1) Boston goes back-to-back-to-back-to-back vs. NY 4/22
On ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball against the Stanks in the finale of a three game series at Fenway, Boston batters Manny Ramirez , J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek made history by becoming just the fifth set of teammates to homer consecutively, and after trailing 5-4 the Sox scored three in the 8th and hung on to defeat the Stanks, 7-6, and sweep their hated rival at Fenway for the first time since 1990.

Best the best part of all was that I was watching the game with my son, who jumped in my arms and said "Dad, I'll never forget I got to see history with you" after witnessing the magical, rare baseball occurrence. Good times.

That's my list. I know I left out some other good ones, like Drew's impressive power display (2HRs, 7RBI) in Arizona and the other Sox seventh inning comeback vs. New York on June 2nd, but it's my list and I can include what I want.

Okay, enough of the first half recaps. Let the pennant race officially begin!

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All Star Notes: Wrap Up

Amid the fantastic finish, record-breaking moments and overall pomp & pageantry surrounding the 78th annual All Star Game, I realized I forgot to go over a few items of note, like ARod getting thrown out by a country mile by Ken Griffey Jr, and he looked like a total pansy doing so.

It might have had something to do with all the margaritas & Heinekens.

Remember, my son is still away with the grandparents, so...

Before we roll into the second half of the season tomorrow night, let me put a cap on the 2007 Midsummer Classic, in words and pictures.

-Ichiro: Best Day Ever.
Forget the fact that he hit the first inside-the park home run in the history of the All Star Game, or that he became just the fourth leadoff hitter to win the MVP award, joining Bo Jackson, Joe Morgan and Willie Mays, or even that he seemed to find a new soul mate in his fellow English-challenged buddy Manny Ramirez.

More importantly for Ichiro, word leaked out before the game that the slim center fielder is about to sign a 5-year, $100 million dollar contract extension with the Mariners, a stat that really puts his ASG accomplishments into perspective now, doesn't it?

I mean what's better, making exhibition game history and joining the ranks of some of the games luminaries, or inking a deal that will pay you $20 million per season to hit .34o with 200+ hits and 70 RBIs?

He won't have to answer that question because he's about to do both within the span of a couple of days.

I'm sure the sudden retirement of Manager of the Year candidate Mike Hargrove, a longtime adversary of Suzuki's who was believed to be a major roadblock to his resigning with Seattle, had nothing to do with his decision to remain in the Pacific Northwest, right?

Let's just say life is good for the Mariners leadoff hitters for now and the foreseeable future.

-LaRussa game "strategy" angers his MVP first baseman
Ego maniacal manager Tony Asleep at the Wheel LaRussa has once again incurred the wrath of one of his players, but this time it's not a beat-up & slumping third baseman he's upset, but his stud perennial MVP candidate Albert Pujols.

Phat Albert was the only position player not to get into the game for for the National League even though he says he was loose and ready to go when the NL had the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with a chance to win the game with one swing of the bat.

But after Orlando Hudson and Aaron Rowand hit instead of Pujols, one of the great young clutch hitters in the game, LaRussa reasoned that he was saving him for a potential extra-inning double switch/pinch hit situation, a rationalization that didn't sit too well with Albert.

"It's the All-Star Game. He can do what he wants. He does whatever he wants. If I wasn't expecting to play, I wouldn't have come up here," Pujols was quoted saying after the game.

Alrighty then. Sounds like the guy who is supposed to be such a managerial whiz once again is having trouble keeping his own star players happy.

By the way, his excuse is ridiculous. You don't play for the potential of extras when the man sitting on the bench can end the game with the flick of his wrists; he could have turned K-Rod into the next Brad Lidge, but his own skipper kept him glued to the pine.

Good luck in the second half, Tony. The Sox would love nothing more than to rub your smug mug in the St. Louie dirt once again, you pompous ass.

-Sox stars contribute a mix of good, and & inconclusive
The best news for Red Sox fans to come out of the game is that our first half pitching ace, Josh Beckett, who already has accumulated the most wins in the majors, earned the victory despite being snubbed to start by a bitter Smoky Jim Leyland.

Dan Haren, Leyland's choice to start, got touched for a run in the first inning to give the AL and early deficit, then Beckett came in in the third and fourth innings and weathered a fluke double by Jose Reyes (nice play, ARod) and a near-homer by Barry Bonds to hold the fort.

It turned out Beckett was the pitcher of record when Ichiro did his fluky bounce home run thing, and therefore the majors' winningest pitcher added an All Star victory to his already impressive first half resume.

As for the other five members of the Boston contingent, here's a brief rundown of how their night went:

• Big Papi: 0-2, reached on error, lined to RF; Ortiz may not have done much statistically this weekend, but he sure had fun with whatever else he did. From hitting baseballs at a blow up sneaker in McCovey Cove to handing the magic bat to Vlad Guerrero that he used to win the HR Derby, Big Papi had a good time and made the best of his All Star experience. No surprise there.


Papi chills on teammate Torii Hunter's back during the Derby

• Manny: 0-1, flied to RF in only plate appearance; just the fact that Manny made the trip, especially after suffering his annual mid season malady (this year: "intestinal issue") on Sunday in Detroit, is a minor miracle in itself. Throw in the stunning realization that Manny also had a good time while he was there, attending parties, joking with guys like Ichiro and Pujols, and doing this odd jig in the dugout during the game, just proves there is no end to the cultural phenomenon that is Manny Being Manny



Did anyone else catch this MBM moment? Check out the dude's face next to him. Classic.




• Mike Lowell: 1-1, singled and scored on Soriano's HR in the 8th; leave it to professional hitter Mike Lowell to come up with a big hit in his only AS at bat. Plus he made a couple of nice plays at third, and was on the field when the AL walked off as winners (although this high five with Posada kinda scares me)

You know he didn't want to, but he had to

• Jon Papelbon: 1IP, 1H, 2K; the Boston ace did his thing when called upon in the eighth instead of his usual 9th inning spot. One can't help but think if he were in for the 9th, that NL comeback wouldn't have happened, and then a Bosox pitcher could've had the win & the save. Damn you Leyland!

Paps heads to the dugout after doing his job in the 8th

• Hideki Okajima: DNP; I repeat, damn you Leyland! All those people spent all that time stuffing the on-line ballot box, and you don't reward them with letting the guy make an appearance? What a jackoff.
  Sorry, but this is the only shot I got of Oki--serving as a backdrop for a Pistol Pete report

In fact him and his buddy LaRussa both came off as jackoffs in the game. Between the great plays, memorable moments and thrilling conclusion, I think there's no question who the real heroes and goats of this game were: the players, and the managers.

Bring on the second half!

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78th All Star Game: AL wins 10th straight; Beckett gets the W

American 5, National 4
WP: Beckett
LP: Young

SV: F. Rodriguez

HRs: AL- Ichiro, V. Martinez, C. Crawford; NL-Soriano

Box Score

Shortly after Ichiro crossed home plate, the ball he bounced around AT&T Park was on its way to the Hall of Fame

Ichiro wins the MVP on the strength of his inside-the-park home run, the AL hangs on after a tense 9th inning, and Josh Beckett picks up the win in a thrilling edition of the Midsummer Classic

#1 STUNNER: Ichiro 3-3, 2R, 2BI, HR, MVP
Suzuki carved out three hits--including a history-making inside-the-park homerun in the fifth-- and drove in a pair of runs to rightfully earn the MVP award in his 8th All Star appearance.

PAN's FAUN: J.J. Putz 2/3IP, 2H, 2R, 1BB, 1K, 1HR
The Seattle closer, of whom AL manager Jim Leyland earlier said he would pitch him six innings if he could, almost blew the game for the AL with a horror-show 9th.

After recording two quick outs Putz gave up an infield single and then a homer to Alfonso Soriano that cut the score to 5-4; he followed that with a walk to J.J. Hardy, then he received a seat on the bench next to the manager who was slurping him a few innings earlier.

Say it with me now: "What a couple of putzes!"

RECAP:
Well that made up for the Home Run Derby.

On a night that hometown hero Barry Bonds was supposed to steal the show, along with the hearts of some fans across the country, a hitting machine of a different kind stepped in and turned the spotlight onto himself.

Ichiro Suzuki, the slight superstar who honed his skills in Japan and plays in the relative obscurity of the Pacific Northwest, unleashed his game on the rest of the world and dispayed what a dangerous, valuable--and soon to be exppensive--weapon he truly is.

The Mariners centerfielder had a historical night at the 78th Midsummer Classic, notching a record-tying three hits from the leadoff position and hitting the first indside-the-park home run in All Star game history en route to winning the MVP in what had to be one of the quickest votes ever.

Sox fans had reason to smile as well, and seeing as this is a Sox blog, I thought I'd better mention why. Josh Beckett (2IP, 1H, 2K) earned the win with two strong innings of work, Mike Lowell grabbed a base hit in his only at bat and rode home on Victor Martinez' 8th inning homer, and Jonathan Papelbon tossed a solid 8th inning (although he should've pitched the ninth--damn you Leyland!)

But not to be lost among all the stats and accolades is the fact that with its 10th consecutive win (not including the Selig Tie), the American League retains homefield advantage for the World Series, and not to be lost on RSN is that if the Sox just play...

...shit, I almost did it. Let me get back to the game.

Jake Peavy started for the NL and allowed Ichiro's first hit, a slap single to right, on his second pitch of the game. After Jeter grounded into a double play, Papi reached on a lazy error by Prince Fielder, but ARod grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

In the bottom of the first Smoky Jim Leyland's decision to start ERA leader Dan Haren instead of Beckett came back to bite him immediately as Haren gave up a run just minutes after taking the mound.

Lightning-quick catalyst Jose Reyes (3-4, R), who also had three hits from the leadoff position along with Ichiro, led off with a single on the second ball he saw from Haren, then stole second on a 1-1 pitch to Bonds. Lightning.

After Carlos Beltran struk out swinging, Ken Griffey, Jr., another "old timer" who was feted this weekend along with Bonds, lined a single to center that scored Reyes with ease and the NL had a 1-0 lead before anone had even recovered from that horribe Nation Anthem (Chris Issac? Really?!)

Brad Penny pitched a 1-2-3 second for the Nationals, and Haren worked around a leadoff walk to Prince Fielder in the bottom of the frame before exiting the game for pinch hitter Manny Ramirez in the third.

Yes folks, not only was Manny at the Home Run Derby, not only was he at the All Star Game, but he actually made an appearnce in the game and had an official at bat.

Unfortunately he flied out to right on two pitches.

But hey, at least he made it!

Following Manny's at bat Ichiro blooped his second hit of the game into leftfield and Jeter followed with a single, and look who was coming up to bat--Mr. Clutch himself, Big Papi.

Unfortunately he lined out to right on four pitches to end the inning.

But hey, at least he helped Vlad Guerrero win the Derby. Okay, I'm reaching.

Beckett got a good dose of Reyes when the Mets speedster bounced a routine grounder to Alex Rodriguez at third, but the ball took a tricky hop off the lip of the infield grass and bounced away from ARod and in the blink of an eye Reyes was on second base with no outs.

Gulp.

And Bonds was up next.

Gulp. Fuck!

Beckett ran the count to 1-1 before making a mistake that Bonds nearly hit out of the park to the opposite field, but as he did a Sosa-like bunny hop out of the box, the ball drifted and landed in leftfielder Magglio Ordonez' glove, and a disappointed Bonds and his fans had to settle for a long, loud out instead of a historic memorable moment.

After getting Beltran to ground out, Beckett fanned Griffey (1-2, 2BI) on a nasty 1-2 slider and the AL escpaed the jam with the 1-run deficit intact.

The score would remain that way until Ichiro entered the history books in the fifth by striking a ball of the oddly angled rightfield wall and racing for the downs.

Brian Roberts drew a leadoff walk from Padres ace Chris Young (we remember him), then Young got Georgie Posada to fly out to center to bring Ichiro to the plate.

After two pickoff attempts by Young over to his brawling buddy Derek Lee at first, Ichiro smacked a low and away offering from the 6' 10" righty and drove it at the jutting bricks out in deep right.

As Griff tracked the ball, it took an unethical bounce at a right angle from the point of impact and headed straight back towrds the infield, and in the opposite direction of Junior.

It then became a race against Seattle Mariner time--the older, creakier, and surgically repaired Griffey against the younger, swifter and fast as a cheetah Suzuki-- to see who would make the bigger play.

Griffey would eloquently state after the game, "I tried to make a good throw to the cutoff man and hoped that he would fall down."

He didn't.

Ichiro raced around the bases and scored without hardly breaking a sweat, and even though he got fanned with a towel by his new BFF Manny in the dugout following the run, my buddy Butch & I noted that he didn't even appear winded after that stroll into the record books.

In the long and storied history of the Midsummer Classic, not one player had ever hit an inside the parker until now.

Which is what makes watching baseball great--the possiblilty of seening history being made at any given moment.

With a 2-1 lead in hand the AL pitchers set out to preserve the lead and the important homefield advantage for the Fall Classic, and when Carl Crawford of all people added a solo shot off Francisco Cordero in the 6th, and then Cleveand catcher Victor Matinez nailed a two-run shot in the 8th to make the score 5-2 Americans, it looked as if the win was in the bag.

Especially with guys like Okajima, Paps, Putz and K-Rod left in the pen.

Paps struts off the field after another terrific outing

Papelbon did his part when he got the call in the bottom of the 8th. After allowing a leadoff single to Lee, he set the next three batters down in short order, fanning Orlando Hudson and Aaron Rowand and getting former Sox prospect Freddy Sanchez to fly out to Ichiro to end the inning.

Well done. Now it was up to Leyland's personal favorite Putz to close the door.

Except Putz lost his edge after retiring Matt Holliday and Brian McCann to start the ninth. That's because ppinch hitter Dmitri Young hit a routine grounder to second that Roberst had in his glove but it bounced out, allowing Young to reach on a questionable hit and the inning to continue.

Unfortunately the next batter, Alfonso Soriano, made the AL pay for the mistake when he blasted a two-run shot to right to cut the lead to 5-4, and just like that the easy victory had turned into a nailbiter.

When Putz walked Hardy (there were so many Js out there I thought a band had roamed in from Haight/Ashbury), Leyland went with Rodriguez, and although K-Rod made things exciting with by walking Lee and O-Dog to load the bases, he got Rowand to fly out to right with a steaming Albert Pujols sitting on the bench, and the AL had its 10-game winning streak.

It was an exciting end to an exciting game, and one that had the best results for Red Sox nation.

A win for our starter, and the potential to host the first game of the World series at Fen...

There I go again.

Congrats, Beckett and the American League, and let's bring that advantage home to Boston, boys!

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David Ortiz hitting balls into McCovey Cove

Many thanks to reader Chris for providing this link to Papi's pre-All Star game exploits.

Even when he's pimping his own shoe, he's still entertaining; that's why you gotta love the big fella!

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All Star notes: Vlad wins HR Derby w/ a little help from Big Papi

Guerrero is going to owe his buddy a steak dinner after Papi assisted in his Derby win

With a bat handed to him by good buddy and fellow Dominican David Ortiz, Vlad Guerrero won the 2007 State Farm Home Run Derby.

Just in case anyone cares.

In a marathon mashathon that took over three hours to complete and contained approximately 4,732 horrible one-liners from Chris Berman, Guerrero clubbed 17 homers in the early rounds and then bested finalist Alex Rios 3-2 in the championship round to take home the coveted trophy.

The contest started out slowly, with the leaders after one round tallying just five homers, the fewest for a first round leader since 1995, but as the contest dragged on the remaining sluggers picked up the pace.

The biggest surprise may have been defending champ Ryan Howard getting eliminated in the first round after hitting a paltry two longballs; joining him on the bench were the two guys with the most homers at the break who were in the contest: Justin Morneau (24) and Prince Fielder (29).

I thought it was my duty to print this picture of Papi and Erin Andrews, just because...

As the shadows covered the field the players started to see the ball better, resulting in more shots being hit-and at greater distances-later in the event. Pujols and late addition Matt Holiday joined Vlad & Rios in the second round before the latter two advanced to the finals.

But the highlight of the night, other than Guerrero's gargantuan 503-ft. blast that nearly landed in the giant baseball mitt far beyond the centerfield wall, was when Big Papi gave a friendly assist to his good pal after Vlad started the contest with three straight misfires.

Carrying a large wooden case and a big grin, Ortiz strode to home plate, opened the box and pulled out a pristine wooden bat, a scene reminiscent of "The Natural", only instead of Robert Redford wowing some cute kid it was a couple of happy-go-lucky, hard swinging Dominicans pleasing a nation of adoring fans.

After smooching the lumber for good luck, Papi handed the stick to Guerrero, and Vlad immediately went on to homer on five of his next nine swings and cruise to the finals, where he outlasted a tired Rios.

The fact that Guerrero later admitted the bat was really his and that he and Ortiz "had it planned that if I wasn't doing well at the beginning, he was going to bring it out to me," didn't diminish the moment, one of the few genuinely entertaining parts of a long night of longballs.

Sox All Star closer Jonathan Papelbon takes in the Derby action

Glad that's finally over with. Now we can get to the real entertainment of the evening: the Celebrity/Legends All Star Softball Challenge.

Cause nothing beats watching Kenny Mayne and Jimmy Kimmell try and out-funny each other while a bunch of prima donnas and overweight former athletes try to avoid tearing any ligaments while playing on a miniaturized field.

Oh and you can best ESPN was pissed that the fading Derby pushed back the premiere of its mega-hyped miniseries, "The Bronx is Burning."

Glad they had to suffer as much as we did.

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All Star Notes: State Farm Home Run...(yawn)..Derby

We have a Manny sighting! Yes, that is actually Manny Ramirez, present & accounted for at the All Star festivities. Unless it's a body double he found on eBay.

The 2007 State Farm Dog & Pony Show, errr Home Run Derby kicks off in a few minutes, and boy let me tell you I can barely contain my excitement (insert sarcastic tone here.)

Here's this year's lineup: Justin Morneau, Albert Pujols, Alex Rios, Matt Holiday, Vlad Guerrero, Prince Fielder, Maggs Ordonez and defending champion Ryan Howard.

Talk about a mixed bag; Pujols, Vlad and Howard are great, but the others? Feh!

I'm not sure when the once immensly popular Derby lost its luster, but one thing is crystal clear regarding the prestige this event currently carries: it is now on par with the NBA Slam Dunk contest as the most overhyped, overblown, and overrated exhibition spectacles in all of sports.

Did it start to go downhill when we got wise to the fact that most of these guys are on steroids and/or launch the ball out of ballparks with such ease & regularity that it's no longer fun to see them try & kill themselves doing it?

Or was it when, like the Dunk Contest, the superstars started backing off from participating, leaving scrubs like Jason Bay, Hee Seop Choy, Bret Boone and Matt Holiday to partake in the contest formerly reserved for longball legends?

Maybe it just because like the dunk the homerun became so glamorized and immortalized as the biggest play in its respective sport that the backlash forced the two signature events focusing on these feats to jump the shark.

In any case I know I'll probably sit through another edition of it, subjecting myself to another year of nauseating Berman nicknames, awkward post-homer sideline chit chats, and god-awful uniforms while I try to pick out the next guy who is going to fuck up his swing so badly that he goes into a tailspin for the next year & a half.

A phenomenon I like to call Going Abreu.

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All Star notes: Haren, not Beckett, will start for AL

Haran will oppose Peavy in San Fran tomorrow night
Detroit Tigers manager Smokey Jim Leyland, fresh off his team's three-game ass reaming of the BoSox, delivered another blow to the already angry team: the All Star skipper selected Oakland's ERA king and talented young righty Dan Haren to start the Midsummer Classic over longtime frontrunner Josh Beckett.

Perhaps the Marlboro Man was swayed by the fact that the game is in San Fran, and Haren pitches across the Bay in Oakland. Or it could have been the simple fact that Haren leads the league in ERA at 2.30, a mark that is at least a full run better than Beckett (3.44) and C.C. Sabathia (3.58), and nearly half a run better than John Lackey (2.91) of Anaheim, the other candidates for the job.

Still something tells me that the bitter old smokestack that Leyland is just wanted to stick it Boston once more, shunning them like his team shunned the Sox this weekend and not wanting to bestow the honor on a pitcher he perceives could line up against him in a playoff series.

I know I'm reaching, but I'm bitter. First the sweep, and now the snub.

Well, at least he didn't pull a Torre and select his own fucking guy, Verlander.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that Beckett pitches two quality innings, Papi hits a homer, Oki gets a hold, Lowell makes a great play at third, Manny shows up, and Paps saves the game.

That'll show Leyland.

Unless of course the Tigers make it to the series again and our Sox have helped them get the homefield advantage needed to win.

Oh, Captain Cancer Stick also named his starting lineup. Here it is along with the NL list:

POS: AL/NL
1B: Papi/ Fielder
2B: Polanco/ Utley
3B: ARod/ Wright
SS: Jeter/ Reyes
C: Rodriguez/ Martin
RF: Vlad/ Griffey
CF: Ichiro/ Beltran
LF: Maggs/ Bonds
SP: Haren/ Peavy

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