Sox sweep Royals in grand style

Sox 11, Royals 8
WP: Matsuzaka (8-0)
LP: Bannister (4-6)
SV: Papelbon (14)
HRs: BOS-Drew (4), Lowell (6); KC-Guillen (6), Olivo (6)

SUMMARY:
The Red Sox had a lot to celebrate this afternoon - grand slams by JD Drew and Mike Lowell, Daisuke Matsuzaka picking up his AL-leading 8th victory, extending their winning streak to a season-high 7 games - but nearly as many things to lament, such as another shoddy job by the bully and 6 more walks from Dice-K.

Still a win is a win is a win, and now the Sox will head West as owners of the best record in baseball.

SUPERSTAR(s): Drew & Lowell 5-8, 5R, 2B, 2GS, 8BI
Talk about a 1-2 punch.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Brian Bannister 5.1IP, 12H, 7ER, 1BB, 4K, 1HR
So much for that day/night differential.

(Dis)Honarable mention: Boston bullpen 3.1IP, 7H, 5ER, 2BB, 3K, 2HR
Yet another uninspiring performance from the weakest link on an awesome team

RECAP:
This afternoon's victory over the reeling Royals wasn't pretty, it wasn't easy, and it sure as hell wasn't impressive, at least not pitching-wise.

But in the major leagues the end result is all that matters, and the end result of this one means the Sox now own the best record in baseball, the longest team winning streak in two years, the starter with the most wins in the American League, and an offense that appears to be as unstoppable as any assembled in recent memory.

And it's a good thing that offense is so potent, because the team needed every ounce of its power this afternoon.

Because despite ringing up 11 runs and 14 hits including two grand slams Boston nearly blew this game thanks to what has become the Achilles heel of this club, the unreliable bullpen.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (5.2IP, 6H, 3ER, 6BB, 7K, 118P) had another mezza mezza game en route to his 8th victory, and he continues to be the team's most puzzling piece; is he the decisive #1 starter who has the best winning percentage and 2nd lowest ERA in the AL? Or is he an implosion waiting to happen, as evidence by his league-leading walk total and inordinately high number of pitches thrown per start?

Right now the answer appears to be a little bit of both.

He keeps walking batters at an alarming rate (6 more today, 42 in 65 1/3 inn on the year) and has yet to pitch into the 8th inning so far this season, mainly because he throws a minimum of 100 pitches each time out. (He threw a season-high 118 today)

But he still hasn't lost this season and has been the backbone of a staff that has been riddled with injuries and inconsistencies at times.

Go figure.

Today he was not on top of his game from the get-go, as he allowed a run in the first inning on a walk, wild pitch and RBI single by Jose Guillen (4-5, 3R, 3BI, 2B, HR), and after issuing another walk he finally got Miguel Olivo to strike out to end the frame.

But not before he tossed an ungodly 34 pitches, with a 50/50 split of balls and strikes.

Yikes.

Good thing for him his offense was on top of its game, and it didn't take long for the Boston batters to penetrate the unbeatable daytime version of Brian Bannister, who had been 4-0 with a sub-1.00 ERA in afternoon starts this season.

After retiring the Sox in order in the first inning, Bannister collapsed in the second as Boston loaded the bases with no outs on an infield single by Manny Ramirez, a bleeder through the shortstop hole by Lowell and a seeing eye single by Youk.

Then JD Drew, who missed yesterday's game with a sore knee, worked the count to 2-2 before sending a pitch high to the opposite field for a Monster grand slam, his first home run since April 11th against the Stanks and a blast that reminded everyone of his monumental granny in Game 6 of the ALCS last year.

Staked to a 4-1 lead Dice still appeared as if he was going to cough it up at any time, with baserunners reaching in every inning against him, so it was nice when Youk (2-4, R, BI) singled in Lowell, who had doubled, in the 3rd to give Boston a 5-1 lead.

But Matsuzaka finally fell off the tightrope in the 5th when KC scored a pair of runs on a walk to Alex Gordon and back-to-back doubles by Guillen and Olivo (3-5, R, 5BI), and suddenly what seemed like a potential Boston blow out had turned into a nail biter.

Well at least for an inning.

The Sox chased Bannister in the 6th when Drew led off with a single, Kevin Cash, getting a rare non-Wakefield start, followed with a single and Julio Lugo drove Drew home with a sac fly to make the score 6-3 Boston.

Jimmy Gobble entered the game and promptly walked Jacoby Ellsbury, surrendered a deep double to left by Dustin Pedroia that scored Cash, and after David Ortiz popped out for the second out of the inning, KC manager Trey Hillman elected to walk the ice cold Manny Ramirez to load the bases for Lowell.

Not only that, but Hillman chose to leave the lefthander Gobble in to pitch to the righthanded Lowell.

Both moves backfired like a 76 'Nova when Lowell crushed a 1-0 pitch into the Monster seasts for the Sox second grand slam of the game, the first time Boston had accomplished that feat since Billy Mueller did it himself in Texas in 2003, and what had quickly turned into a close game just as quickly turned into a rout at 11-3 Boston.

Or so we thought.

With Matsuzaka having been replaced by Javier Lopez to get the final out of the 6th, Francona called on Craig Hansen to work the 7th. Evidently the Nova was still parked on the concourse because Hansen was horrid, allowing a leadoff homer to Guillen, a walk to Mark Teahen and then a booming double to Olivo to slice the Sox lead to 11-5.

As bad as Hansen was (his ERA is now a robust 7.56), David Aardsma was worse. Although two of the hits he allowed in the 8th were of the infield variety, the homer he gave up to Olivo was anything but cheap as it cleared the Wall with room to spare, and now the lead was back to a minuscule three runs, 11-8.

Gulp.

Even Tito's safety net, closer Jonathan Papelbon, nearly fell victim to the shitty bullpen flu as he allowed two hits after recording the first two outs in the 9th.

But sanity prevailed as Paps got Gordon to fly out harmlessly to left to end the wild affair, and the Sox had the longest winning streak since the summer of 2006 just as they head out to the West Coast for yet another 10 game road trip.

While the homestand was impressive, as the Sox won all seven games and improved to an ML-best 21-5 in the cozy confines of their home park, the real test will come when they take their sub-.500 record to Oakland, Seattle and Baltimore.

If they can come close to duplicating the magic the offense and starting pitching provided during this streak, they'll be in great shape.

You think 10 consecutive complete games would be too much to ask for?

RECORD: 31-19
AL EAST: Up 2.5 gms
STREAK: W7
LAST 10: 7-3
UP NEXT: Fri @ OAK 10:05 Wakefield vs. Harden