Sox bounce back as Beckett bests Birds

Sox 6, Baltimore 2
WP: Beckett (15-5)
LP: Olson (1-1)
SV: Papelbon (27)
HR: None

SUMMARY
The Sox got just what they needed from ace Josh Beckett today--a dominating performance in which the righty came within one pitch of a shutout and kept the surging Stankees at bay for one more day.

#1 STUNNER Beckett 8.2IP, 8H, 2ER, 0BB, 8K
If it weren't for a foul tip by Miggy Tejada with two outs in the 9th Becks would have had his first complete game shutout since April of 2005. Instead he had to settle for becoming the majors first 15 game winner.

PAN's FAUN Garrett Olson 6.1IP, 8H, 4ER, 6BB, 6K
The rookie did his best against the potent Sox lineup, but 14 baserunners in 6+ innings isn't going to cut it against most major league clubs, let alone the best team in baseball.

RECAP
In my preview post I half-joked that the only way the Sox would be assured of a victory today, due to recent bullpen struggles and offensive woes, was if Josh Beckett pitched a complete game shutout.

Little did I know how close I would come to impersonating Miss Cleo.

Beckett came within one strike of making me the newest seer on the block, but those pesky Os wouldn't go down easy and managed to not only spoil the shutout and complete game but forced Tito to use two members of the beleaguered pen just to escape the game with the victory.

Did I mention that my power went out shortly after Manny Delcarmen came in to relieve Becks?

Eerie otherworldly incidents aside Boston got the performance it needed from its ace at just the right time--coming on the heels of last night's late-inning meltdown by Eric Gagne and Hideki Okajima that marked a rare bad outing for baseball's best pen.

And for more than 8 innings it looked as if the bully wouldn't get the chance to repeat the feat today.

Although it didn't look that way from the beginning. After the Sox squandered leadoff walks to Pedroia and Youk in the top of the first, Baltimore countered right back with a pair of baserunners off Beckett in the bottom of the inning.

Corey Patterson reached on an excuse me check swing single that Beckett mishandled, then Nick Markakis (2-4) followed with a soft single to left that put runners at first and third with one out.

But Beckett got Tejada to ground into a double play to escape the jam, and it turned out to be the last scoring threat the Birds would have until the final inning.

On the other side of the spectrum the Boston batters were getting on base with regularity against young Garrett Olson, putting at least two runners on in each of the first four innings, but despite myriad baserunners they only managed to plate a pair of runs in the second and third frames.

Jason Varitek got the ball rolling when he led off the second with a single to right, and J.D. Drew (3-5, R, 2BI) moved him to third with the first of his three hits on the day, a sharp double to right field.

After Coco's grounder to Olson kept the runners in place, Julio Lugo drove them both home with a double to deep left, and the Sox had an early 2-0 lead on the recently recalled lefty.

The third inning had a similar ring to it: Manny worked a one-out walk, Mike Lowell laced a double down the third base line, and after an intentional walk to Tek loaded the bases, Drew looped a ball that landed right on the right field line for a 2-run single that gave Boston a 4-0 lead.

A double play grounder by Coco would end the inning, but the way the Sox hitters were getting to Olson it looked to be a matter of time before they blew the game wide open.

Unfortunately for the thousands of Nation members who flooded Camden that blowout never happened as the Sox would kill rallies in each of the next two innings with groan-inducing double plays, leaving the door open for another Baltimore comeback.

Luckily for those thousands of Faithful fans who made the trek down to the Inner Harbor Josh Beckett was on his game and made sure there would be no such miraculous comebacks.

Beckett was working his heater with nasty accuracy all day, placing 97 mph cheese on every corner of the plate, and when he wasn't blowing his gas by the Baltimore batters he was baffling them with 77 mph off speed stuff.

How good was he? He didn't allow a leadoff batter to reach base until the 9th and had thrown only 83 pitches through seven innings, with no walks and six Ks up to that point.

Boston once again got two batters on base in the seventh when Youk walked and David Ortiz (1-5) singled to center, but Paul Shuey came on to relieve Olson and got Manny to strike out and Lowell to fly out to squash yet another Sox scoring threat.

But in the 8th the onslaught of Sox baserunners finally resulted in a couple more runs, aided by three consecutive walks, and RBI single by Pedroia (2-4, BI) and a bases-loaded free pass to the walking man, Youkilis.

Staked to a 6-0 lead and cruising along it was obvious everyone associated with the sox wanted Becks to complete his gem, and if it weren't for the never-say-die Birds we might have had our wish.

But when the man who started last night's game winning rally, Brian Roberts, led off the 9th with a ground rule double to deep left center, something in the gut screamed "bring in Papelbon" before this thing got too close for comfort.

Sure enough after Beckett retired Patterson on a foul pop to Tek and whiffed Markakais with 95+ heat, Tejada barely foul tipped what would have been strike three to end the game, then deposited a single to left to score Roberts, breaking the shutout and spoiling Becks afternoon of near-perfection all in one swing.

When old buddy Kevin Millar followed with an RBI double to score Tejada Tito summoned Manny D from the pen, and Beckett raced off to a standing O, ran down the dugout steps to the clubhouse and most likely took out his frustration on an unsuspecting tray of food or a water cooler.

As Delcarmen battled Audrey Huff in an epic 12-pitch at bat my power went out, nearly causing me to blow a gasket, and by the time it returned I got to see Papelbon get Melvin Mora to pop out to Pedroia and put an end to any thoughts of a second straight miraculous comeback.

So the ace did his job and got the team back on track and became the first Sox to lead the league with 15 wins since Pedro in 1999, and now it's up to Curt Schilling to keep the ball rolling tomorrow and end this long road trip on a high note.

As for my prediction on tomorrow's game....

...stay tuned...

...or for just 9.95 per minute you can dial my 1-800 number...

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Game Preview: Sox @ Baltimore GM2

Beckett (14-5, 3.31) vs. Olson (1-0, 3.86)
Camden Yards 3:55 FOX

The Sox will try to put the bitter memories of last night's late inning collapse behind them today, and they get just the right pitching matchup necessary to make it possible to do so.

ML co-wins leader Josh Beckett will try and right the ship for Boston, which has lost 3 of its last 4 games; Becks bounced back from a two-game losing skid with a 1-run, 9K gem in Seattle last weekend, but he has still dropped 4 of his last 6 decisions after starting the season 9-0.

His mound opponent will be rookie lefty Garrett Olson; Olson was just recalled from AAA to replace struggling starter Brian Burres and will be making just his 3rd career start, and Boston needs to capitalize on the combination of playing a horrible team with a young starter on the mound.

Last night's gut-punching loss left the Sox with a slim 5-game lead over the streaking Stanks, who after knocking off the Indians in Cleveland have now won 9 of 11 games and 21 of 29 since the break.

It's up to the horse of the Sox rotation to get the team back on track and stop this latest slide from becoming a division lead-imploding funk.

And with the way the quote/unquote best bullpen in baseball has fared recently and the offense has struggled to score runs, he might just have to hurl a complete game shutout to do so.

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Birds beat up baseball's best bullpen

Baltimore 6, Sox 5
WP: Hoey (1-0)
LP: Okajima (3-1)
HRs: None

SUMMARY
A beautiful pitcher's duel ended in a wild way as Boston scored five runs in the 8th to take a 5-1 lead, but Baltimore bounced back with 4 runs in the bottom of the inning against Eric Gag-me, then scratched the winning run off Hideki Okajima in the bottom of the 9th to stun the Sox.

#1 STUNNER Brian Roberts 2-4, 2B, R
The pesky second sacker has been a thorn in Boston's side this season, none more so than when he led off the 9th with a double and came around to score the winning run on a sac fly

PAN's FAUN Gagne 1/3IP, 3H, 4ER, BB
To say the trade for the former Cy Young winner has been a disaster would be an understatement. Not only is the bullpen NOT better with him as the setup man, it has become decidedly worse, screwing with Oki's psyche and altering what had been the perfect 1-2 late inning punch.

RECAP
You know what they say, payback's a bitch.

Nearly 3 months to the day after the Sox laid one of the most embarrassing losses in Baltimore history, known as the Mother's Day Miracle, on the Orioles, the Birds returned the favor with a stunning late comeback that snatched a victory out of the jaws of defeat.

The fact that they accomplished the feat against the best bullpen in baseball made the loss sting that much more.

While I was at Raymond James Stadium witnessing a brief cameo by Tommy B. and very few recognizable Patriots in a 13-10 preseason loss to the Bucs, the Sox were engaged in an expected pitchers duel for eight innings before an Arena Football-esque scoring binge broke out in the final two frames.

The Pats could have used some of that firepower.

After I got home and shed my sweat-soaked Brady jersey, I plopped down on the couch and fired up the DVR and for seven innings I was treated to exactly what I had expected would take place with two of the AL's best hurlers on the mound.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (7IP, 4H, 1ER, 4BB, 7K) gave up one run in the first inning after Corey Patterson walked, stole second, then came around to score on a single by Miguel Tejada.

That would be the only blemish on the rocking rookie righthander, who has allowed just 5 earned runs with 28 strikeouts in his last 27.1 innings for a scintillating 1.65 ERA over that period.

Although Dice would get into a few jams over the course of his outing, including 2 men on situations in the 2nd & 5th innings, he had control of his pitches and was able to work his way out of any jam he created.

Meanwhile Baltimore starter Eric Bedard, who has been the AL's hottest hurler while ripping off an 8-0 streak since early June, held onto that 1-run lead like it was a historic home run ball, allowing just 3 baserunners in the first seven innings, and using a pair of double plays to escape any potential damage.

Then came the 8th inning.

Bedard (7.2IP, 4H, 3ER, 2BB, 7K) began the frame by fanning Kevin Youkilis but followed with a walk to Mike Lowell, and the wheels proceeded to fall off from there.

Captain Tek singled sharply to left to get runners at first and second with one out, but when Coco's grounder to short forced Lowell at third for the second out, it looked as if Bedard and the Birds would escape the inning unscathed.

Not quite.

Whiffy Mo Painful, who earlier this week expressed his desire to be traded, hit a slow rolling single to left center that scored Tek with the tying run and chased Bedard from the game.

On came ex-Sox Chad Bradford, and Julio Lugo (2-5, R, BI) promptly greeted him with a sac bunt that eluded all the Baltimore infielders and scored Coco with the go-ahead run, much to the delight of the mass of RSN that had packed Camden Yards.

After Dustin Pedroia reached on an infield single to load the bases, Bradford was relieved by Jamie Walker, and Big Papi jumped on Walker's first offering an lined a single past the shift in right to score two more runs, and suddenly Boston enjoyed a 4-1 lead in a game that looked like 1 or 2 runs would be enough to win.

So when Manny stroked a single to left two pitches later to score Pedroia with Boston's 5th run, and the Boston bullpen troika of Gagne-Oki-Paps chomping at the bit to get into the game, it looked like this one was all but over.

Not so fast, Sox fans.

Reliever Jim Hoey (who?!) came in to retire Youk on a fly to center, and then Boston trotted out struggling setup man Gagne for the bottom of the frame.

That's when things really got ugly, and I'm not just talking about the Seth Rogen lookalike's mug.

Patterson (1-2, 2R) got the rally started with a double to deep right on Gagne's second pitch, then came around to score on a single by Nick Markakis to slice the lead to 5-2. No biggie, right?

Wrong.

After walking Tejada and inducing idiot Millar to tap back to the mound, former D-ray Audrey Huff roped a double to the wall in right to plate two more runs, and after Okajima relieved Gagne, Melvin Mora lined a single to left to score pinch runner Brandon Fahey, and just like that the game was tied.

Wow.

As if that turn of events wasn't bad enough, what happened in the next inning was enough for the visiting chowderheads to spit out their crab cakes in disgust.

Boston managed to get two men on in the top of the 9th against Hoey but failed to get one home, and then in the bottom of the inning the end came as quickly as a mid summer thunderstorm.

Brian Roberts, who has torched Boston to the tune of a .316 average (12-38) with 6 doubles, a homer and 7 runs scored this season, drilled a ground rule double to deep center to lead off the frame, then was sacrificed over to third one pitch later by Patterson.

On Oki's very next pitch Markakis lofted a ball to shallow center, and with Coco Crisp possessing the arm of a 12-year-old girl, every Boston fan in the building knew the game was over right there.

Sure enough Roberts scampered home with the winning run, touching off a celebration that had a certain "in your face" quality to it, and the Birds had given the Bosox a taste of their own comeback medicine and sent the thousands of Nation members home with a disgusting feeling in their guts.

Maybe it was from the crab cakes.

Now the Sox will have to shake off the loss and get ready for today's nationally televised game on FOX at 4:00, and luckily for us we have AL co-winds leader Josh Beckett on the hill against rookie callup Garrett Olson.

Which should spell a Boston win.

As long as Beckett pitches a complete game.

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Series Preview: Sox at Orioles

Red Sox (69-45) at Baltimore Orioles (52-61)
Standings: Sox up 6 on NYY, 16.5 on BAL

Season Series: Sox lead 6-2

Probable Pitching Matchups:
GM1 Fri 7:05 Matsuzaka (13-8, 3.70) vs. Bedard (12-4, 3.09)
GM2 Sat 3:55 Beckett (14-5,3.31) vs. Burres (5-5, 4.61)
GM3 Sun 1:35 Schilling (6-5, 4.31) vs. Trachsel (5-7, 4.88)

Keep an eye on: Eric Bedard 12-4, 3.09, 192Ks--the lanky lefty has quietly developed into one of the best starters in the league, and his recent hot stretch (8-0 in his last 9 starts) has put him in the top 10 in nearly every important pitching category in the AL.

Preview:
The Sox are back on the east Coast (thank god!) and will take on their division rival in a three game set this weekend before returning to Fenway for a much-needed 7 game homestand on Monday.

But just being back on the right coast (and you can take that two ways) and playing a lousy team doesn't ensure success for our struggling club.

In fact despite having its three aces lined up to pitch in a series for the first time since early June, this series will be a tough one for the Sox to win.

First off you have tonight's contest, which will feature two of the best pitchers in the AL and promises to be another pitchers duel that could be decided by one fluke play or one bad pitch.

Matsuzaka and Bedard are both hotter than the current heatwave sweeping the Northeast and only the lack of run support Dice-K has received (or not received) over the last few weeks has prevented him from having more wins than he has.

Bedard, meanwhile, merely leads the league in strikeouts, is 4th in ERA & WHIP (1.10) and hasn't lost since June 10th. This game promises to be a doozy.

After tonight the matchups definitely slant in Boston's favor as co-AL wins leader Beckett will face young lefty Brian Burres in Game 2, and Schill will oppose aging vet Steve Traschsel in the finale.

Burres did beat the Sox back in May but has lost 3 of his last 4 decisions and has allowed 28 hits and 19 earned runs in his last six starts for an 8.55 ERA. Decided advantage for Becks.

Schilling will be making his second start sice returning from the DL and although he pitched well enough to win in Anaheim, a boatload of boneheaded plays including a couple by him contributed to the loss, and no one knows how his hand will respond to the ball that nearly broke his finger in that fateful game.

Trachsel pitched well last time out against Boston, allowing just 1 run (none earned) and five hits in six innings on August 1st, but his bullpen let him down and he was saddled with an ND.

Bottom line is Boston is going to have to work hard to take two of three or (hopefully) sweep the series, and with Big Papi still nursing his achy shoulder and
likely to miss tonight's game, guys like Pedroia, Manny and Drew are going to have to step it up to help deflock the Birds before heading back home to face the putrid Rays.

Ironically despite the early start tonight I will be watching the game later this evening because I will be at the Pats/Bucs preseason game. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!

Go Sox!

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Sox Drawer: Moss back to PawSox; Pats game tonight

The much-maligned outfielder returns to minors for more seasoning
According to today's Globe the Sox have optioned outfielder Brandon Moss back to AAA after his less-than successful brief major league debut.

The 23-year old prospect replaced Eric Hinske on the team for the Angels series while Hinske took a leave of absence and went 1-7 at the plate and o-for 1000 in the field; his three miscues helped contribute to Boston's loss in Curt Schilling's return to the mound in Game 1 on Monday.

I'm not gonna crucify a young player who didn't perform well in a cup of coffee cameo, but with the stellar debut of Jacoby Ellsbury and the solid play of Jeff Bailey and David Murphy in their brief call ups, Moss' exploits were that much more magnified.

I think it's safe to say that Moss needs a bit more minor league seasoning before he's ready for the Big Show.

Tonight's Sox game will be pre-empted by the Pats
Sorry I didn't post at all yesterday but I, much like the team and the rest of the Nation, needed a break after that lengthy, late night series with the Halos.

Myself and the team had a day to regroup before tackling the Birds in B-More tonight, but unfortunately I might not be able to finish watching tonight's game until the wee hours of the morning, either.

That's because my good buddy Joe T. is taking me to the Bucs/Pats preseason contest at Ray Jay tonight.

You and I both know that preseason football games carry about as much weight as Amy Winehouse on Slim Fast, but this game will stand out for a few reasons:

1.) It's the debut of the 30-year-old, two-timing, bun-in-the-oven-having Tom Brady and his new band of receivers

2.)It COULD be the Patriots debut of Randy Moss, if he plays on the sore hammy he developed last week

3.) It's the first game since all-time good guy and great fullback, not to mention huge local fan favorite, Mike Alstott announced that he will not play this season and may never play again, and he's sure to get a ginourmous ovation when they announce him at the start of the game

4.) It's the debut of Joe T.'s new seat upgrades--from the field seats he had last season to the club seats he swapped for this season. And I'm lucky enough to break the seats in, against my beloved Pats no less.

So you see there are quite a few reasons to be excited about this game. Well, for me at least.

I'll be sure to tip back a cold one in honor of all my Boston buddies who can't be here to personally witness this historic event.

By halftime I'll probably be tipping them back in the parking lot as the scrubs take over and the crowd gets all misty-eyed at the reappearance of Vinny Testaverde in Tampa.

Go Sox/ Go Pats!

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Sox salvage win in a LONG, wild game at the Big A

Sox 9, LA of A Angels 6
WP: Okajima (3-0)
LP: Speier (1-3)
SV: Papelbon (26)
HRs: BOS-Pedroia (5)

SUMMARY
In a marathon finale to this lopsided series Boston survived some horrible pitching and more sloppy defense to prevail over LA in what turned out to be the longest 9-inning home game in the history of the Angels franchise.

Okay, so it only tied the record, but it's friggin 2:10 in the morning, so forgive me.

#1 STUNNER Pedroia 3-5, 3R, BI, HR
After three Boston pitchers combined to blow two Sox leads Dustin led off the 7th inning with a drive that barely cleared the left field fence--and Garret Anderson's glove--for what proved to be the winning run.

That play occurred at 12:57 a.m., but I guess it was worth the wait.

PAN's FAUN Jon Lester 3.1IP, 8H, 5ER, 3BB, 3K, 93 pitches
For the third consecutive outing Lester was less than impressive, allowing 7 hits and 3 runs on 51 pitches in the first two innings, then after the Boston batters fought to take a 4-3 lead, he gave it right back in a 2-run 4th.

His ERA is now a Tavarez-esque 6.43.

RECAP
Ah, nothing like a little 4 hour marathon to end an already lengthy and disheartening series out West.

At least the Sox managed to win this one, but I would definitely classify it as a war of attrition.

Much like the last couple of nights I am in no position to recap this 15 run, 25 hit, 352 pitch extravaganza, a game that had more twists and turns than the Autobahn and ended mere hours before most of civilized society gets up for work.

Not to mention my notebook contains more scribbles than a 3-year-old's artwork.

I will briefly summarize by saying the Boston batters showed a lot of moxie to keep fighting back after it looked as if the Halos were headed to their first series sweep of the BoSox since 2001.

Down 3-0 after two innings the Sox hung a four-spot on LA of A in the 4th, highlighted by five consecutive hits including three straight doubles, but the Angles answered back with two in the bottom of the frame to regain the lead, 5-4.

Determined not to be swept the Sox responded with a two-run 5th, only to see the Angels tie it right back up with a run in the bottom of the frame, which marked about the sixth time I nearly turned the game off.

Although many will question the sanity of sticking with such a frustrating late night contest, those who stayed awake were rewarded when Pedroia led off the 7th with a solo shot that bounced out of Garret Anderson's glove, seemingly the only break Boston caught all series, and when the Sox tacked on a couple more runs in the 8th it was as if a giant weight had been lifted from everyone's shoulders.

So the Sox gained a game back on the Stanks, who were drubbed by the Jays, and will enjoy a MUCH needed day off tomorrow (today) as they wait to start the series in Baltimore on Friday.

And all of RSN can celebrate one thing--the last of the fucking West Coast games this season!

Good night now.

Morning.

Whatever.

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Game Preview: Sox @ Angels GM3

Lester (1-0, 5.09) vs. Moseley (4-1, 4.43)
Angels Stadium 10EST

To say the Sox need a win tonight is like saying Britney Spears needs an image makeover.

Boston has been manhandled by the Angels so far this series, suffering from defensive lapses, mental breakdowns and an inability to catch a break (or make one) for two straight games.

Tonight they will pin their hopes of ending this mini-funk on the shoulders of the young lefty, Jon Lester.

Lester has pitched well since returning from cancer treatments last month, but after allowing just five hits and two runs in 6 innings of a 6-2 Boston victory in Cleveland on July 23rd he has come back to earth, surrendering 14 hits and eight earned runs in 11 2/3 innings over his last two starts, both no decisions.

The Angels will counter with another young starter of their own, 25-year-old righty Dustin Moseley, who has appeared in 35 games for the Halos this season but will be making just his 5th start of the season.

Last time out Moseley allowed only four hits and three runs in 5 1/3 innings of an 8-4 loss to Oakland; hopefully tonight he'll get shelled.

According to Tito today on EEI, J.D. Drew will start in center field tonight to give Coco a break, and Brandon Moss will get the call in right.

Gulp.

But no matter who plays where the Sox need to knuckle up and come out of this series with a win, before all the Stankee fans really come out of the woodwork.

Oh, by the way, Toronto did the sox a favor by clubbing the Stanks 15-4 tonight.

All the more reason for Boston to pull out a victory and get that East lead back to six games.

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Sox Drawer: Welcome to the Dog Days

As the Sox slump in sunny LA, the Stanks have made the AL East officially a two team race--again
With the month of August barely a week old the one thing that nearly every baseball fan has predicted from the beginning of the season has come true: Boston and New York will duke it out over the final two months of the season to decide which team is the real Beast of the East.

New York's recent hot streak (the Stanks have won 20 of 27 games since the break and are averaging an incredible 7.8 RPG) combined with Boston's recent struggles (15-11 since the break) have every member of RSN hearkening back to the Summer of '78, when the Sox enjoyed a sizable lead late in the season only to see their pennant hopes go up in flames thanks to a 1-game playoff and Mr. Bucky Bleepin' Dent.

So the big question lingering over everyone's head like a 6,000lb. rally monkey is, will the Stanks catch the Sox/will the Sox tank the division yet again?

The way things are going right now the answer would appear to be 'yes'. But look closer and we realize that the outcome is not set in stone. While Boston has been playing playoff contenders like Seattle and the Angles, the Stanks have feasted on the likes of Kansas City, Tampa Bay and Toronto.

True Boston has played some of those teams as well since the break, but the point is wait until New York has to play some tough teams and they come back to Earth a bit. As long as Boston can maintain its current pace, New York would have to continue this blistering pace for the rest of the month just to keep up.

We will all find out soon enough when the two heated rivals hook up in the Bronx in three weeks.

Who knows which team will be in first place then.

Wily Mo wants to be traded
The Globe's Gordon Edes reported yesterday that Wily Mo Pena had been placed on waivers after the Sox failed to deal him before the trade deadline, and after clearing the waiver wire he can now be dealt to any team that wants him.

Following last night's game in Anaheim, Pena went on to say that he definitely wants to be traded so he can play every day. Problem is, with a .223 average, 5 homers and horrendous defense, who the hell is gonna want a guy who's promise has been overshadowed by his performance?

Unfortunately for him he's on the wrong team at the wrong time. A club sporting one of the greatest hitters of all time, one of the game's best defensive center fielders in the game, and an overpaid bust who still plays terrific D isn't exactly the best team to try and break into a starting outfield position.

Here's hoping the affable man child finds a home soon and blossoms into a solid major leaguer.

Maybe the D-Rays can pick him up.

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Another late night, another lousy loss

LA of A Angels 10, Sox 4
WP: Saunders (6-0)
LP: Wakefield (13-10)
HRs: BOS-Mirabelli(5); LAA-Matthews (14)

SUMMARY
For the second straight night the Sox were outhit, outhustled and generally outplayed by the Angles, who countered Boston's three-run fifth inning with a 5-spot of their own, and combined with New York's win over Toronto their lead in the East is now down to five games.

#1 STUNNER Gary Matthroids Jr. 3-5, 2B, HR, 3R, 4BI
His 2-run single in the 5th put the Angels back on top, 5-4, and his homer in the 8th capped the scoring, but it was his home run-robbing catch of a Coco Crisp drive in the 4th that will make all the highlight reels--again.

Someone please check his urine.

PAN'S FAUN Wakefield 4IP, 7H, 7R, 6ER, 3BB, 2K
Handed a 4-2 lead after Boston's 3-run fifth, Wake gave it right back when he agve up two walks, two hits and three runs in the bottom of the inning which allowed the Angels to take control of the game.

RECAP
I swear if I have to stay up for another one of these late night horror shows I'm going to lose my fucking mind.

At least when they lose on the East Coast you can go to bed at a decent hour.

For the second consecutive night a game that looked promising for Boston early on ended in a disgusting mess of a loss, and once again fielding miscues, bad calls and
boneheaded decisions led to the Sox demise.

All this on a night when Barry Bonds passed Hank Aaron for the all-time home run record, and the Stanks beat the Jays despite Clemens and Torre getting ejected in a beanball filled affair.

And then the lead was five.

One of the most frustrating aspects of these past two 'L's is the fact that in both contests Boston's two veteran starters were given early leads to work with, yet neither Schill nor Wake could hold on to them.

Tonight the Sox jumped on young lefty Joe Saunders (5.1IP, 8H, 4ER, BB, 2K) when they pushed a run across in the first inning thanks to a singles by Dustin Pedroia and Youk (2-4, BI) and a pair of fielder's choice groundouts by Ortiz and Manny.

Not exactly earth-shattering offense, but hey, a lead is a lead.

But the Angels answered back in the third when the Sox committed the first of several blunders on the night.

Casey Kotchman, the pride of Seminole High, blasted a drive over Wily Mo's head in right for a gift double and then last night's hero, Maicer Izturis, singled off the mound, scoring Kotchman with the tying run.

Luckily it didn't matter that Coco overthrew the cutoff man, allowing Izturis to take second base, but it was yet another example of the head-up-ass disease that has plagued Boston in this series so far.

Things have been going so bad for the Sox out in the land of fake breasts and drunken celebutards that when LA of A scored another run in the 4th on (another) single by Izturis (damn that pesky little fucker!) and a double by Jeff Mathis to take a 2-1 lead, I half thought the game was over right there.

But the Sox had other plans, and when they put three runs on the board in the 5th, it looked as if maybe, MAYBE, they would be able to pull off a win after all.

Wouldn'tcha know Wily Mo (1-1, R, BB) would get the rally started when he doubled hard off the right field wall to lead off the inning. Three pitches later Doug Mirabelli crushed an offering from Saunders deep into the left field seats for the go-ahead 2-run homer, and when Pedroia singled and Youk drove him home with a double down the third base line to run the score to 4-2, I half thought the game was over right there. Again.

Wrong again, jackass.

The Angles immediately struck back in the bottom of the inning with a scoring outbust that was as quck as it was effective.

Spark plug leadoff man Chone Figgins (1-4, R), who leads the league in hitting since June 1st, started it all off with a four-pitch walk, stole second mere moments later, then came around to score when old friend Orlando Cabrera doubled to the rightfield gap two pitches later.

Still, at 4-3 Boston had a chance to escape the inning with its lead intact if Wake could get that knuckler to do some serious dirty dancing.

No such luck. After walking Vlad Guerrero (1-3, 2R, 2BB) thanks to a couple of questionable non-calls, Wake got Garret Anderson to hit a routine grounder to short that could have been a rally-killing double play.

Except Julio Lugo bobbled the ball for his 12th error and everyone was safe, and the Halos had the bases loaded with no outs.

Tito yanked Wakefield and handed the ball to Manny Delcarmen, and the suddenly shaky reliever quickly poured gas on the fire when he surrendered Matthew's single to center that scored OC and Vladdy and gave LA a 5-4 lead.

Unfortunately it got worse from there.

After Kotchman's groundout advanced the runners, Izturis bounced one to Pedroia, who came home firing. But like very other play in the series the Sox were a day late and a dollar short, and Anderson scored run #6, and suddenly i KNEW the game was over right there.

Just for good measure the Angles rubbed the Sox faces in their own feces when Mathis executed a perfect suicide squeeze, and when Delcarmen fumbled the ball, everyone was safe and I turned my PIP over to the Giants game just in time to watch Bonds' historic at bat.

While squinting at the minimized screen I saw Julian Tavarez surrender three doubles in a span of three batters to bump the lead to 9-4 in the 6th, and by the time Kyle Snyder gave up Matthews' dinger in the 8th I was in full blown Bonds media mania, anything to avoid watching the disgusting display being put on by our boys at the Big A.

There were other awful events, like Matthews' aforementioned robbery of a ball Coco earmarked for the left field stands and Mike Lowell getting nailed at the plate on a Coco drive that went all the way to the wall in the 6th, but none of it mattered.

All that matters is that now we've got what every Sox fan knew & dreaded would happen come August--a full blown pennant race with our hated rivals.

Let the (real) games begin.

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Game Preview: Sox @ Angels GM2

Wakefield (13-9, 4.55) vs. Saunders (5-0, 3.22)
Angel Stadium 10EST

The Sox will try to put last night's deflating loss behind them when they send Tim Wakefield, one of the AL's top winners, to the mound to face young Angels lefty Joe Saunders.

Wakefield joined the 13-win club last time out when he allowed 3 runs and 6 hits in a 7-4 victory over Baltimore on Thursday. The veteran knuckleballer has won his last three starts and 6 of his last 7 overall, and sits in 2nd place in the AL in wins, tied with teammate Daisuke Matsuzaka among others.

LA of A will pin its hopes on the promising 26-year-old Saunders, who has won 5 of his 8 starts this season and boasts of a career record of 12-3 in his 2+ seasons in the majors. He has never faced Boston in his brief career.

Boston needs to grab a win here as the red-hot Stanks are breathing down their necks, sitting just six games back after tooling on the likes of KC, Tampa Bay and now Toronto, and to put the bitter memories of last night's heartbreaking defeat behind them.

Let's just hope Brandon Moss doesn't get into this game.

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Promising start ends in disaster

Los Angeles 4, Sox 2
WP: Speier (1-2)
LP: Schilling (6-5)
SV: Rodriguez (28)
HRs: BOS-Youk (12); LAA-Izturis (3)

SUMMARY
Curt Schilling returned to the rotation after a 6 week absence and could have had a win, but a number of boneheaded plays, the ejection of Manny and questionable managerial decisions led to a depressing defeat at the Big A.

#1 STUNNER Maicer Izturis 1-4, R, BI, HR
The light-hitting second baseman drilled a Schill splitter into the seats for the go-ahead homer to lead off the seventh, breaking a 2-2 tie and spoiling Curt's comeback.

PAN's FAUN Terry Francona
For one of the few times this season, Tito's managerial maneuvers backfired on him.

First he let rookie Brandon Moss replace Manny after his ejection, and he was a disaster in the field; then he left Schill in for the seventh despite owning the best bullpen in baseball; and to top it all off he allowed Moss to hit with two on & two out in the 9th with Wily Mo and Cora on the bench.

RECAP
There were so many things that went wrong for Boston in this game it would take me till dawn to cover all of them.

But since it's already close to 2:00 in the morning, I'll give you a Cliff Notes version of the events before I head off to bed with visions of muffed plays and questionable calls dancing in my head.

-Manny Ramirez was ejected for arguing a third strike in the fourth inning, a hasty decision by the ump that would come back to bite the Bosox big time

-Curt Schilling was cruising with a 2-0 lead courtesy of a Kevin Youkilis home run when he decided to try and bare hand a Vlad Guerrero liner past the mound, a move that nearly caused him to lose a finger; he wasn't the same afterwards

-rookie Brandon Moss made his major league debut following Manny's ejection and misplayed three balls in the outfield, then struck out to end the game

-two more questionable calls by the umps cost Boston as well: a double by Jeff Mathis in the 7th that looked as if it might have been foul that led to LA's 4th run, and a foul tip catch on strike three by Mike Lowell that appeared to have bounced first with two men on in the 8th

The list goes on & on, but as I said, it's late and I have no desire to try and decipher my notes and make sense of this good game gone bad right now.

The only note that matters is this one I scribbled after Tito replaced Schilling with Julian Tavarez after Mathis' double:

Schill's gone, Tavrez is on, game over.

Good night now.

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Series Preview: Sox @ LA Angels (Schill's return)

Boston (68-43) @ LA of A Angles (64-46)
STANDINGS: Sox up 6.5 in AL East; Angels up 3.5 in AL West

Season Series: Sox lead 3-0

Probable Pitching Matchups:
GM1 Mon 10EST Schilling (6-4, 4.20) vs. Weaver (7-5, 4.00)
GM2 Tue 10EST Wakefield (13-9) vs. Saunders (5-0, 3.10)
GM3 Wed 10EST Lester (1-0) vs. Moseley (4-1, 4.43)

Keep an eye on: 3B Chone Figgins .336/57R/28SB--the former utility man extraordinaire has played mainly one position this season, and his production reflects the new found stability. He is currently 5th in the AL in average and steals and adds another dimension to the powerful Angels lineup

Preview:
The Sox travel to Los Angeles to take on the team it has fought all season for the best record in baseball, but the focus for Boston in this series won't be on the opponent so much as on the performance of one of its own players.

World Series hero Curt Schilling will take the mound tonight in Anaheim for his first start since June 18th in Atlanta when he allowed 6 runs and 10 hits in 4 1 /3 innings of a 9-4 loss to the Braves.

That horror show led some Braves players such as Chipper Jones to suggest that Schill's stuff was so off from his normal repertoire that he must have been hurt to pitch that poorly.

Turns out Larry Wayne Paternity Test was right.

The ironic part about Schill's sudden shoulder ailment was that it cropped up less than two weeks after one of Curt's best starts of his career--a near no-hitter against the A's in Oakland on June 7th.

But following that performance the veteran allowed 19 hits and 11 earned runs over his next 9 1/3 innings, and shortly after that Atlanta debacle came the news that the ace had to be shelved.

Sure the Sox have fared pretty well in Schill's absence, going 24-18 and maintaining a decent lead over the hated Stanks, but there's nothing like getting a 2-time World Series champion starter back for the stretch run to boost the confidence of an already confident club.

As for the opponent, LA of A comes into this series with a .500 record since the break (11-11) and despite the fact that it owns two of the best starters in the league, John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar, neither will face Boston in this 3-game set, a decided advantage for Boston.

Instead the Sox will have to contend with the likes of Jered Weaver, who after a spectacular rookie season (11-2, 2.56) last year has started to resemble his underachieving brother Jeff; Joe Saunders, a young lefty with good numbers who will be making just his 24th career start against baseball lifer Tim Wakefield tomorrow night; and rookie Dustin Moseley, who will square off against Boston rookie Jon Lester in the series finale on Wednesday.

But the eyes of the baseball world--and especially RSN--will be looking towards that Anaheim mound tonight wanting to see what kind of return the king of courageous comebacks will make tonight.

Maybe he should bust that bloody sock out of the HOF, just for good luck.

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Road Warriors: Sox, Beckett remain hot away from Fenway

Sox 9, Seattle 2
WP: Beckett (14-5)
LP: Batista (11-8)
HRs:BOS-Manny (19)
RECORD: 68-43 AL EAST: Up 7

You moose-t be kidding me; the Sox nearly lost Coco Crisp to a freak fourwheel accident. Who's under that costume, Nicole Ritchie?

SUMMARY
Josh Beckett pitched 6 2/3 innings of 1-run ball and the Boston offense exploded for 6 runs in the last three innings to turn a close game into a blowout as Boston won a series in Seattle for the first time since 1999.

#1 STUNNER Josh Beckett 6.1IP, 8H, 1ER, 2BB, 9K
After a couple of tough losses in a row Josh Beckett righted the ship with a dominating performance in his first ever start at Safeco Field and joined C.C. Sabathia and John Lackey as the AL's only 14-game winners.

PAN's FAUN Ichiro 0-5, R
The league's leading hitter capped off a horrible series against the Sox with his second straight 0-5 showing. Suzuki was 1-14 in the three game series and ironically is now 1-14 lifetime vs. Beckett.

SUMMARY
So this is what it feels like to win a series in Seattle.

For the first time since the turn of the century the Sox left the land of laptops and lattes with a series victory under its belt, and it only took a near four-hour marathon and a close call with a moronic mascot to end an eight year drought here.

Other than that it was a piece of (coffee) cake.

On a picture-perfect day in the Pacific Northwest the Sox wasted no time in jumping on Seattle starter Miguel Batista, the Mariners winningest pitcher who was vying for a career-high 12th victory.

Coco Crisp, who would be in the middle of the action all day, including the moose incident, led off the game with a sharp double to center, then took third on a flyout by Youk and waited there while David Ortiz drew a walk.

With Manny up rookie Adam Jones, who manned center today while Ichiro rested at DH, didn't realize how deep he should have been playing the Sox slugger.

He soon learned when Ramirez (2-4, R, 2BI) smoked a 2-2 offering from Batista a long way towards straightaway center field, and Jones used all his ample speed to track the bomb down. But once he caught up to the drive it doinked off his glove for a miserable 2-base error, and Boston led 1-0 mere minutes into the game.

They would quickly extend the lead when Batista (6IP, 5H, 3R, 2ER, 5BB, 3K) intentionally walked J.D. Drew to load the bases, then unintentionally walked Jason Varitek to force in another run, and the Sox enjoyed an early 2-0 lead with just one hit.

Beckett would escape a jam in the bottom of the frame when he gave up a two-out single to Jose Guillen (3-4) and Ben Brousard reached when strike three got away from Varitek.

Three pitches later Beckett got Adrian Beltre to ground out, but it would be the first of many jams Becks would have to work his way out of in order to record the win.

Despite myriad baserunners for both teams the score remained 2-0 until the fifth inning. That's when Manny sent a deep drive to an area that even the fleet-footed Jones couldn't get to--the patio just beyond the left center field wall for his 19th longball and a 3-0 Boston bulge.

Following that frame there was more excitement on the field for Boston, but it didn't involve a homer or a great defensive play.

Between innings the Mariners mascot, brilliantly named Mariner Moose, was performing one of those inane ATV-fueled acts, riding around the field throwing t-shirts and delighting pre-pubescent kiddies all over the ballpark.

Only this time the act veered into an episode of Hot Pursuit as the moose nearly ran over Coco Crisp as he went to jog out to his position in the field.

Unharmed, Crisp (2-4, 2R, BI) laughed off the faux pas and mockingly threatened to throw his glove at the mascot, but I don't think Coco realized just how close he came to a lengthy DL stint courtesy of the moronic mascot.

Or as Remy so aptly put it, "imagine losing your center fielder to the Mariner moose?"

RSN shudders at the very thought.

With the near catastrophe averted the teams got back to baseball, and the Ms finally scratched a run off Beckett in the sixth on singles by Broussard, Ibanez and an RBI knock from backup catcher Jamie Burke, but Boston would get that run back and then some over the next three innings.

The Sox scored two in the 7th on a walk, a triple by J.D. Drew and an infield single by Lowell, then plated three more runs on a sac fly by Coco, an RBI double by Youk and a run scoring single by Ortiz in the 8th.

Dustin Pedroia added a pinch hit RBI double in the 9th to account for Boston's final run, and the game was so out of reach that the few fans who stuck around for the end of the game didn't even mind when Kyle Snyder gave up an RBI single to Jose Vidro with two outs in the 9th.

By then the Sox were already packing their bags for the flight to LA, anticipating the return of Curt Schilling tomorrow night and basking in the glow of the first series win in Seattle in the aughts.

Oh and thanking their lucky mocha lattes that their center fielder didn't get run over by a moose.

NOTES & QUOTES:

--Busy day: Not only did Coco nearly get run over, he was almost hit by a pitch from Batista in the 6th, made another CocoCatch to rob Vidro of a hit in the 7th, and slapped an Ichiro-esque double down the leftfield line in the second

--"I'm not an angry man. It was an accident. I mean, I'm not going to run over and clothesline the guy."--Coco

--Pick me: each team had a baserunner picked off the basepaths; Beckett nailed Ibanez leaning off second base in the 4th, and Julio Lugo got caught in between second & third in the 6th

--Eric Hinske will be gone from the club for three days to deal with the impending birth of his baby and the untimely death of his grandmother. The club has said that Pawtucket outfield prospect Brandon Moss will be called up and join the club in Anaheim

--Ichiro's 0-12 skid is one at bat away from a season high

--Boston racked up 13 hits and 8 walks; every starter except Tek had at least one hit

--pitching coach John Farrell laid into the mascot and Mariners officials after the moose incident, and although Tito was in the loo when it occurred, ESPN reports Seattle GM Bill Bavasi sent an apology to the Sox dugout immediately afterwards

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Game Preview: Sox @ Seattle GM3`

Beckett (13-5, 3.41) vs. Batista (11-7, 4.23)
Safeco Field 4EST

The Sox will try to win two in a row at Safeco after ending a 9-game losing streak here last night while Josh Beckett attempts to become the majors' third 14-game winner.

But the task won't be an easy one. Beckett has never pitched at Safeco, and coming off two straight losses he will have to overcome his strong desire to get back on the winning track as well as the unfamiliarity of the venue in order to prevent a new Safco losing streak from starting.

Not to mention the fact that he will be opposed by Seattle's hottest hurler.

Miguel Batista will be going for a career-high in wins when he takes the mound this afternoon, and the 12-year vet has been unbeatable since the break.

In four starts since the All Star break Batista is 3-0 with a 2.91 ERA, allowing 22 hits and 9 earned runs with 18 strikeouts in 24.2 innings over that span.

His career high for wins, 11, was accomplished twice while he was with Arizona, in 2001 and 2006.

However with several Seattle hitters having little success against Beckett, including Ichiro, who is just 1-10 career vs. Josh and 5-31 vs. Boston this season, another win in latte land is not such a reach.

Boston will try and jump start Beckett's Cy Young campaign before heading down the coast to LA for Curt Schilling's re-debut tomorrow night against the Angles, and he should get plenty of help from hot-hitting Big Papi.

Ortiz has been on a tear the last few weeks, batting .357 (15-42) with 3 doubles, 3 homers, 7 RBIs and 12 runs scored in his last 10 games; he's had at least one hit in 18 of his last 19 games.

As long as Becks can keep Ichiro, the majors leading hitter, off the bases, contain speedy spark plug outfielder Adam Jones and keep pesky Yuniesky Betancourt from leaving the yard again, that 14th win should be there for the taking.

But no matter who wins, at least the game won't get over in the wee hours of the morning.

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Ding dong the Safeco streak is dead

Sox 4, Seattle 3
WP: Matsuzaka (13-8)
LP: Washburn (8-8)
SV: Papelbon (25)
HRs:SEA-Beltre (17), Betancourt (7)

SUMMARY
The Sox stopped their 9-game skid at Safeco Field as Dice-K struck out a career-tying high 10 batters, Captain Tek hit the go-ahead 2-run double, and after Eric Gagne allowed a run in the 8th, Paps escaped a two-on, two-out jam to end the Safeco slide.

#1 STUNNER Dice-K 7IP, 6H, 2ER, 3BB, 10K
Following his tough-luck loss at Tampa Bay Matsuzaka turned in an awesome performance, escaping a couple of jams thanks to a pair of double plays and baffling the Mariners hitters with his nasty fastball.

PAN's FAUN Jose Guillen 0-4, 4K, BB
The ill-tempered outfielder took home the Golden Sombrero tonight with his pitiful 4-K effort, and if it weren't for a lousy home town call he could have added a 5th strikeout in the 9th. He also airmailed a throw to third base that allowed Boston's 3rd run to score.

RECAP
At least this game got over earlier than last night's.

Instead of ending at 1:30 this one wrapped up at 1:20 EST.

But hey, at least this time those of us who stayed up got to witness a win, Boston's first at Safeco Field in its last 10 tries.

Although the victory didn't come easy. New bullpen addition Eric Gagne gave up his second run in as many appearances when he allowed three hits in the eighth, and Jonathan Papelbon walked two batters after he fanned the first two batters in the 9th, but he retired Adrian Beltre on a foul pop to Varitek to escape with the much-needed win.

Just like last night this one ended way too late for me to put together a coherent recap of events, so I will attempt to tackle that task later this morning.

At least tonight we can all go to bed happy.

Alright, I'm back and after downing a gallon of java I am ready to recap the latest late-nite extravaganza our Sox were involved in way out there on the left coast.

As most of the last 9 games have gone for our boys out there, this one didn't start off too well either. Daisuke Matsuzaka, who allowed a 7th inning home run to Dioner Navarro last Sunday in Tampa Bay to break a scoreless tie, wasted little time in matching that dubious feat tonight, surrendering a solo shot to Adrian Beltre with one out in the second to give the Mariners an early 1-0 lead.

After the Sox wasted an infield single by Lugo when he was erased on a double play in the top of the third, Dice-K got into another jam in the bottom of the inning when he hit Jose Lopez to start the frame, then surrendered a single to pesky Yuniuesky Betancourt (2-4, R, BI) and after Ichiro grounded into a fielder's choice, Jose Vidro reached on an infield single to load the bases with one out.

But Matsuzaka buckled down and got Guillen to strike out, then retired Raul Ibanez on a fly ball to escape the inning unscathed.

The Sox batters would finally crack Jarod Washburn (6.1IP, 8H, 4ER, 2BB, 4K)in the fourth, and the rally started when the smokin' hot Big Papi (2-4, 2R) laced a solid single to left, then took second when Ibanez bobbled the ball.

Washburn walked Manny on four pitches, then after Lowell popped out, Varitek stepped up with a chance to do some damage to the team that traded him away for the immortal Heathcliff Slocum.

And the Captain didn't disappoint.

After running the count full, Tek roped a double to deep left, easily plating Papi and Manny, running hard from first and nearly colliding with DeMarlo Hale, slid home and tagged the plate with his hand to score the go-ahead run.

In the sixth the Sox would get some insurance, and Guillen, who had a run-in with the Sox earlier this season at Fenway, played a big part in the rally.

Youk (2-5, R) led off the inning with a double to deep center, one of six two-baggers for Boston, and then Papi followed dropped a single to right. But the overanxious Guillen thought he could gun Youk down at third, and when his throw sailed into the stands behind the bag, Youk trotted home and Ortiz took second, and
Boston had the kind of break it needed to snap the Safeco slide.

When Manny ripped a double to center two pitches later to score Papi with the Sox 4th run, all it would take was a couple more solid innings from Dice-K and then Tito could hand the game over to his new 1-2 bullpen punch and escape this contest with a 'W'.

Matsuzaka barely did his part, wriggling out of a 2-on, no-out jam in the bottom of the sixth by retiring the next three batters, two by strikeout, but after he surrendered Betancourt's second homer in as many nights on the first pitch of the seventh to cut the lead to 4-2 it looked like the Ms might find a way steal another win in Boston's personal house of horrors.

And Boston's new setup man didn't do much to quell that sick feeling when he made his second appearance in the eighth.

Gagne allowed a cheesy run in his first outing courtesy of a wind blown double at Fenway on Thursday, but there was nothing cheesy about this rally that cut the Sox lead to one run.

Just like Thursday Gagne retired the first two batters he faced, then got into trouble when he surrendered a hard single to center by Ben Broussard, and after allowing him to waltz to second, Kenji Johjima drilled a single to left that scored Broussard with the run that had every (awake) member of RSN thinking "oh no, not again!"

But after Lopez doubled on the very next pitch, Gagne got Betancourt to tap back to the mound, and everyone breathed a big sigh of relief that Boston's biggest trade acquisition in three years didn't blow the game in his 2nd appearance in a Sox uni.

All that was left was for Papelbon to come in and shut down the Ms in the 9th and the streak would be over, but even the normally stingy Paps couldn't end this one easily.

He fanned the first two batters, making Ichiro () look foolish on a heater up and away, but then walked the next two hitters to set up another possible crushing defeat here in the land of Starbucks and Microsoft.

But sanity prevailed when Beltre popped up to Varitek on the first pitch he saw, and Boston's 9-game losing streak finally came to an end as most of the rest of the country slept.

Matsuzaka now joins teammates Josh Beckett & Tim Wakefield along with 4 others for second place in the league in wins, and it only took a 3000 mile journey and a nail-biting finish to get there.

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