And the beat goes on: Sox lose on late home run

Rays 2, Sox 1
WP: Dohman (2-0)
LP: Buchholz (1-2)
SV: Percival (5)
HRs: BOS- None; TB-Iwamura (1)

SUMMARY:
A brilliant pitcher's duel between two promising young starters was decided with one swing of the bat when Akinori Iwamura slammed a Clay Buchholz pitch deep over the wall in right for a 2-run homer in the 8th inning, sending the Sox to their 4th straight loss and the Rays to their 5th consecutive win.

SUPERSTAR: Buchholz 8IP, 3H, 2ER, 2BB, 9K, HR
Hard to give this honor to someone who gave up the game-losing homer, but Buchholz was so strong for so long in this one, it's hard to fault the guy for making one bad pitch. If only his offense could've helped him out...

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Shawn Riggans 0-2
Hard to find a loser in this brilliantly played game, but the young catcher's nonchalant chasing down of a wild pitch allowed Coco Crisp to go from 1st to 3rd and eventually score Boston's only run of the game.

RECAP:
Boy, did this one hurt.

Boston was four outs away from celebrating the best performance by a starting pitcher this season until the Rays snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat with Aki Iwamura's 8th inning home run.

Up until that point Clay Buchholz had been simply spectacular. He had allowed just one hit before the 8th, a double by BJ Upton leading off the 4th inning, and even after he surrendered a 2-out pinch hit single to Dionner Navarro prior to Iwamura's homer, it felt like a blip more than a sign that he was tiring or in trouble.

Francona certainly must have thought that way because he had Okajima and Delcarmen ready in the pen yet he let Buchholz pitch to Iwamura, a move that he is probably regretting at this very moment.

Alas hindsight is 20/20, and had he pulled the kid everyone would have been moaning "why not leave Buchholz in, with the way he was pitching?"

And with the way the bullpen has performed lately, can you really blame him for sticking with the hot hand?

The reason the game came down to that pivotal play is because Rays starter Edwin Jackson was nearly as flawless as Buchholz. After getting out of the gate with a 2-0 record and sub-1.00 ERA, Jackson had come back to earth hard in his last two starts, losing both while surrendering 11 earned runs in just 9 1/3 innings.

But tonight Jackson (7IP, 5H, 1ER, 3BB, 4K) was on his game again, limiting the Sox to just a handful of hits and surrendering a single run, and that one came courtesy of a wild pitch, a botched play by his catcher, and an infield single.

Coco Crisp began the 5th inning with a solid single to rightfield, and after Jackson got Jason Varitek, making his first start in 7 games, to strikeout, he threw a wild pitch with a 2-2 count on Jed Lowrie that eluded catcher Shawn Riggins for a second.

But after Riggans finally figured out where it was he casually scooted back to the backstop to retrieve the ball, and Crisp seized the moment by motoring all the way from first base to third before Riggans even knew what happened.

Jackson ended up walking Lowrie, and after Julio Lugo struck out, Jacoby Ellsbury, who started in right field, laced a shot down the third base line that Evan Longoria knocked down, but by the time he threw to first Ellsbury (2-4) was safe and Coco had scored the first run of the game.

And that's the way it stayed until the 8th.

Boston had a chance to add to the lead when Joe Maddon replaced Jackson with Trevor Miller to being the 8th and he gave up a 2-out walk to JD Drew, who took over DH duty and 3-spot for the scratched David Ortiz. But Maddon then called on last night's winner, Scott Dohmann, to face Manny Ramirez, and Dohmann froze Manny for strike three to end the inning and set up Iwamura's heroics in the bottom of the inning.

After Aki's blast, which was high and deep and a classic no-doubter, a dejected Buchholz struck out Carl Crawford to end the inning, and Boston had one last chance for another miraculous comeback.

Only new Rays closer Troy Percival would have none of that, needing just 10 pitches to retire Youk, Coco, and Tek to save the game, and suddenly the Sox are out of first place (by percentage points) for the first time in a while and the Rays are only one game back of Boston and Baltimore in what is turning out to be a crazy AL East race.

And speaking of crazy, my son's Little League team won their tournament game this afternoon, 21-16, and he had a big 2-run homer that tied the game at 8 and propelled us to the win and a spot in the quarterfinals tomorrow.

Who knows, maybe his team and his favorite team will be able to pull off big wins tomorrow.

The way the Sox and his team have been playing, I like my son's chances a lot better right now.

RECORD: 15-11
STREAK: L4
LST 10: 6-4
AL EAST: Tied for 1st
UP NEXT: Sun 1:40 @ TB Beckett vs. Shields

GO Sox & G.L.L.L. Braves!

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Game Preview: Sox @ Rays GM2

Buchholz (1-1, 4.79) vs. Jackson (2-2, 4.63)
Game 2 of 3 7:05 Tropicana Field

If the Sox are going to get back on the winning track, they will have to do so without the services of two of their best hitters tonight.

The Globe is reporting that David Ortiz was a late scratch from tonight's lineup, with the possible reasons ranging from a mild cold he's been battling, to his sore, surgically repaired right knee, to his 0-6 performance in last night's 5-4 extra inning loss.

Although the o-fer dropped Papi's average to .177, his RBI production (17 ribbies in the last 10 games) has made his presence in the lineup invaluable the past few weeks.

On top of that news it appears 1B Sean Casey, who has filled in admirably since Mike Lowell went down, strained a hip flexor while scoring in last night's game and is headed to the DL. Boston called up Opening Day hero Brandon Moss to replace Casey on the roster, so a move appears imminent.

As if all that news wasn't bad enough tonight's game will feature two starting pitchers, Boston's Clay Buchholz and Tampa Bay's Edwin Jackson, who are like Forest Gump's proverbial box of chocolates: every time they take the mound, you never know what you're gonna get.

Buchholz, the lanky 23-year-old with the no-no under his belt, has been shaky at times this season (10ER & 14 hits allowed in 8.2IP in losses to New York and Toronto) and spectacular at others (1ER & 9 hits in 12IP against the Stanks and Texas.)

But the righty has struck out 18 batters while walking only 8, and his last outing, a 5-hit shutout performance in 6 innings against the Rangers last week, was more reminiscent of his no hit stuff than his early season struggles.

Jackson, meanwhile, has also been more up & down than a congressional page. His first two starts of the season, he was lights out (7H, 1ER in 14IP), winning his first two games against the Stanks and Seattle.

Since then he's allowed 11 ER and 11 hits in losses to the Stanks and ChiSox, pitching just 9 innings over those two starts while watching his ERA balloon from 0.64 to 4.63.

So needless to say it's anybody's guess how these two young studs are going to fare tonight.

The Sox are in desperate need of a win or they will see their division lead shrink or disappear depending on what the Orioles do in their doubleheader today, while the Rays, winners of 4 in a row, would love nothing more than to take another game from mighty Boston, a victory that would pull the upstarts to within one game of the AL East lead.

Crazy times.

Hopefully not too crazy.

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From streaking to skidding - Sox lose third straight

Tampa Bay 5, Sox 4 (11)
WP: Dohman (1-0)
LP: Timlin (2-2)
SV: None
HRs: None

SUMMARY:
The revamped Rays took the game right to the big, bad Bosox tonight at the Trop. They refused to give up after trailing 3-1 early and not only did they manage to tie the game, but wound up winning it in extra innings on the strength of solid defense and terrific bullpen work.

SUPERSTAR: Carl Crawford 3-6, 3R, BI, 2-3Bs
The speedster known as C.C. got the Rays on the board early when he scored following his first inning triple; he tied the score at three when his 2nd triple drove in Aki Iwamura in the 4th; and he scored the winning run after leading off the 11th with a solid 2-strike single to the opposite field off loser Mike Timlin.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Timlin 2/3IP, 2H, BB, ER
It's gotten to the point that as soon as he enters the game a chill runs down my spine and I mutter to myself "game over." And not in the Mariano Rivera way, either.

RECAP:
I missed most of this game live because I was at my son's Little League tournament (we won Game 1, 14-1), and I was certainly surprised when I got home at 10:30 and the game was still on.

And then I saw the score (4-4) and the inning (10th) and my surprise turned to dismay.

Not because of the score but because I knew Boston would have to be deep into their bullpen, and this season that prospect is a grim one to say the least.

Sure enough the Rays, who all of a sudden own one of the best pens in the league, patched together a few solid innings, thanks to a pair of slick double plays turned in the 10th and 11th, while the Sox pen fizzled once again as tired arm Timlin couldn't get three outs in the 11th, costing the team a chance at a win and extending the Sox losing streak to three games.

Needless to say after witnessing my son's game and then the outcome of this one I was in no mood to watch the whole game on the DVR recording, but in order to have the proper perspective on what happened I had to see for myself.

Plus I could always fast forward through the rough parts.

To say neither the Red Sox nor the Tampa Bay starter was effective early would be putting it very mildly.

Tim Wakefield (6IP, 6H, 3ER, 5BB, K), who normally treats the Trop like his own backyard, was all over the place tonight, surrendering 11 base runners in 6 innings, including a brutal stretch of 3 walks and a wild pitch in a four batter span in the 2nd, although he did settle down enough to keep the game close.

Fortunately Rays starter Matt Garza (5IP, 5H, 3ER, 3BB, K), who was making his first start after coming off the DL, had a 2nd inning to forget as well. He gave up a leadoff single to Manny (3-5) and then walked three straight batters, the last to Julio Lugo with the bases loaded to force in a run, and then allowed a sac fly by Kevin Cash and RBI single by Jacoby Ellsbury before getting Pedroia to foul out to end the inning.

After the field turf dust settled, somehow the Sox had a 3-1 lead.

But Wake coughed it right up as the Rays scored one in the 3rd on a single by BJ Upton, a HBP and RBI single by rookie Evan Longoria, and then they took the lead in the 4th when Carl Crawford tripled in Aki Iwamura and then came in on an error by Lugo, his league leading 7th of the year.

The damage could have been worse, and extra innings avoided, but the Sox got a favorable call on a play at third base in which Upton appeared to be safe on a double steal but was called out just before Longoria's hit.

As it turned out, all that blown call did was prolong the agony.

Boston tied the game at four in the 6th on back-to-back singles by JD Drew and Jed Lowrie and an RBI groundout by Lugo, amidst alternating chants of "Let's Go Red Sox" and resounding boos by the home team's fans, like a Tampa Bay take on the "taste's great/less filling" chant, and the game stayed quiet for the next few innings until an eventful 9th.

(ah the joy of using that 'fast forward' button has no end.)

In the top of the 9th the Sox got two men on against Dan Wheeler thanks to an an odd play. Cash (3-3) reached on single to third and one out later Pedroia hit a tapper to second, but Iwamura couldn't tag Cash, who stopped running, and threw to first too late to get Pedroia, and miraculously both runners were safe.

With a break like that, the big boppers coming up, and Papelbon warming in the pen, you'd think the win was in the bag, right?

Think again.

Wheeler got Ortiz (0-6) to fly out to shallow center and then fanned Manny on four pitches to preserve the tie, and then it got worse from there.

After Tampa bay left the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th when Javier Lopez got ex-Sox Eric Hinske to fly out to end the threat, Boston squandered two opportunities to score when a pair of twin killings erased base runners and ended the 10th & 11th.

In the bottom of the 11th it was all up to Timlin to get the team to the next inning, but as soon as Crawford lined a leadoff single to left you knew it wasn't going to get to another inning.

Sure enough Crawford stole second and after Upton drew a walk, seldom-used utility man Nathan Haynes (yes, THE Nathan Haynes...wha, who???) sliced a single to right that easily scored the speedy C.C., and the Rays had a hard-fought win in the books, the kind that could resonate for a franchise in what could be a turnaround season.

Meanwhile the Sox are backsliding so badly that the Orioles are now just a 1/2 game back in the East, and lo and behold these very Rays are in third place, at 12-11, just 2 games back.

It's a new day in Tampa Bay indeed.

RECORD: 15-10
STREAK: L3
LST 10: 6-4
AL EAST: Up 1/2 gm
UP NEXT: Sat @ TB 705 Buchholz vs. Jackson

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Series Preview: Red Sox @ Tampa Bay

Red Sox (15-9, 1st in AL East) at
Tampa Bay Rays (10-13, 4th in AL East)
3 game series @ Tropicana Field, St. Pete
Game 1 Fri 705
Wakefield (2-0, 3.96) vs. Garza (0-0, 9.00)
Game 2 Sat 705
Buchholz (1-1, 4.79) vs. Jackson (2-2, 4.63)
Game 3 Sun 140
Beckett (2-1, 5.12) vs. Shields (2-1, 3.30)

What to watch for: Wakefield's dominance at the Dome
It's no secret that Tim Wakefield loves to pitch at the dingy (yet improving) Dome known as Tropicana Field, home of the Rays. In 14 career starts there, Wake has a stellar 9-1 record with a 2.41 ERA, having surrendered just 71 hits and 27 earned runs in 101 innings of work under the Teflon-tarped structure.

His lone loss came at the end of last season, September 23rd, when he gave up 7 hits and 4 runs in 5 innings as the Sox lost, 5-4.

Who to watch for: 3B Evan Longoria .282 (11-39)/2HR/7R/8RBI in 12 GP
The rookie with the celebrity-esque name and the Hollywood-esque game has been the talk of the town since spring training, when his play dictated he should have made the big club but instead he was sent to AAA, supposedly for monetary reasons.

Two weeks later he was in the bigs, and a week after that the team dispelled the money talk when they signed the slick fielding third baseman to a long term contract, locking up a player whose talent and attitude should make him an All Star-caliber player for many years to come.

Preview:
The Red Sox make their first trip to Tropicana Field this season for a 3-game set against the improving, no longer 'Devil' Rays.

And when they take the Turf Field tonight, they will find much has changed since their last trip to Pinellas County in September.

For one thing the 'Devil' has been exorcised from the name, making the team just the plain old 'Rays', although everyone still refers to them as the Devil, or D, Rays.

The next big change is the unis and team colors. Gone is the olive green and white, and in is Royal blue and yellow.

Both moves were criticised heavily at first, but now the new merchandise is flying off the shelves and you'd be hard pressed to find anyone sporting the old rainbow turquoise/purple/black garb anymore.

Hey, anything to separate yourselves from a decade of last places finishes, right?

The changes have not been strictly cosmetic, though. The new ownership has increased the team payroll from $24 million in 2007 to 43 million in '08, and the brass has locked up key players such as James Shields, Carl Crawford, Longoria and Carlos Pena to multi-year deals and signed significant contributors such as closer Troy Percival and ex-Sox utility man Eric Hinske in the offseason.

In other words, these aren't your relocated grandfather's Devil Rays anymore.

So far the results of these changes have been mixed. While the record, attitude and effort have improved significantly, attendance is still down and the euphoria of a terrific spring and the addition of exciting players like Longoria and starter Matt Garza, who was acquired from Minnesota for malcontent slugger Delmon Young, has not carried over the way management had hoped.

Still, the aura surrounding the team has improved dramatically. The culture of losing, so prevalent here for the last decade, is eroding thanks to positive players like 2007 Comeback Player of the Year and MVP candidate Pena and clubhouse cutup and seasoned vet Percival, resulting in a team that believes it has to chance to win every night, rather than a club just waiting to take its next beating.

Which is why this should be such an interesting series this weekend.

The Rays have always played the Sox, and the Stanks for that matter, tough, losing more than they win but always proving to be a thorn the side of the perennial beasts of the AL East.

With the new regime and attitude, things should be no different this year.

The rotation is the first place these changes should be noticed. Even with ace/2007 strikeout king Scott Kazmir on the DL, the Rays will throw a formidable trio at the Sox this weekend.

Tonight's starter, Garza, is fresh off the DL with an ulnar nerve injury, but the Rays plan on the young righty being a cornerstone of the rotation for years to come and not the next Juan Guzman, the last big pitching signee to get hurt in his first start for the club.

Tomorrow Edwin Jackson, an annual prospect who showed excellent signs of fulfilling his promise with two quality starts to begin the year, gets the nod. He has regressed in his last two starts but can be dominant if he's on.

And Sunday the #2 starter Shields will take on the Sox ace, Josh Beckett, who missed his last start with a stiff neck/flu.

All in all it shapes up to be a solid series. The Sox were hot until the Angles cooled them off, but that was with a depleted squad. The Rays are hot, having swept the Jays in Orlando, and brimming with the confidence it takes to knock off the top team in the division. And the Trop should be packed this weekend, giving the owners reason to smile.

Who knows, maybe even the majority of fans will be rooting for the home town team this time.

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Masterson's effort wasted by horrid penmenshit

Angels 7, Sox 5
WP: Saunders (4-0)
LP: Delcarmen (0-1)
SV: Rodriguez (9)
HRs: BOS- Ortiz (4); LAA-Napoli (5)

SUMMARY:
A brilliant major league debut by AA starter Justin Masterson went for naught as a quintet of Sox relievers combined to cough up the lead and blow what should have been the kid's 1st big league win.

SUPERSTAR: Masterson 6IP, 2H, 1ER, 4BB, 4K
When a kid from Double A pitches this well against one of the best offensive clubs in the AL, you'd expect a slew of experienced MAJOR LEAGUE relievers to be able to nail down the win for him. Guess not.

THE BIGGEST LOSER(s): Boston bullpen 3IP, 7H, 6R, 5BB, 3K
Javier Lopez got the ball rolling when he allowed the only two batters he faced reach base in the 7th, and then Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima, David Aardsma and Julian Tavarez followed suit as none of them could keep the Angels off the basepaths or the scoreboard.

RECAP:
Welcome to the major leagues, Justin Masterson.

You've heard about The Show from your fellow draftees who've already made the big club, sniffed what it's like to face veteran hitters in the spring, and hoped and prayed one day you would get your chance to shine on the major league level.

And when you finally do get your chance, and you shine brighter than most 23-year-old AA hurlers have in the past, a bunch of major league relievers rain on your parade by fumbling away what should have been the first win of your career.

That's the part of baseball that you don't envision when your preparing for this moment as a kid in your backyard.

Today's matinee at Fenway went from odd to awful in the span of about 15 minutes as the Angels took the third and final game of the series in a game that swung so abruptly from one side to another you'd have sworn the playing field was populated by politicians and not ballplayers.

Masterson, starting in place of Jon Lester, who started in place of Daisuke Matsuzaka last night, was simply spectacular in his debut. The rangy righty surrendered 2 hits and made just one mistake, a 1-1 pitch that Mike Napoli hit into the rightfield seats, in 6 innings while making a slew of clutch pitches and nifty plays in the field.

But after throwing 95 pitches and with the Sox leading 3-1, Francona decided it was time to remove the youngster let his experienced pen men steer his victory into the garage.

Unfortunately the band of 'oh, brothers' missed the garage and drove directly into the wall. At full speed.

As I said the game had an odd tone to it from the start. Boston loaded the bases in the 2nd inning with no outs on a bloop base hit by Manny, a walk to Youk and a single by Jed Lowrie, yet they only scored one run, on an RBI groundout by Coco Crisp (2-4, R, 2BI, 2SB).

While Masterson, who was sent back down to Portland after the game, was confounding the Angels batters with his fastball and sinker, Boston scratched out a couple more runs in the 4th off LA starter Joe Saunders (6IP, 7H, 3ER, 3BB, 3K), and there was more oddity involved.

Crisp, who returned to the lineup after missing 8 games with a pulled hammy, hit a wind-swept ground rule double to center to drive in Youk, who had walked again, and then Kevin Cash followed with a wind-swept ground rule double to center of his own to almost the exact same spot to score Coco.

The game also featured two Angels outfielders colliding to drop a pop fly by Manny; Youk crashing into the tarp attempting to catch a foul pop; and passed balls, errors, missed tags and numerous wind-aided plays that combined to turn the contest into Circe de Fenway.

But things were going so well for Boston that not even Napoli's leadoff homer in the 5th could dampen the spirits of the Faithful.

Masterson escaped a potential jam in the 6th when he walked Vlad Guerrero to lead off the inning but then induced Garrett Anderson to ground into a double play, and he finished his afternoon by striking out Torii Hunter on three pitches, exiting the field to a much-deserved standing ovation.

And that's when the good times came to an abrupt halt.

Six straight batters reached base in the 7th off three Sox relievers, the first two off Lopez, the next two off loser Manny Delcarmen, and the last and biggest blow, a liner to center by Gary Matthroids Jr (3-5, 3BI - please check his urine!), off Hideki Okajima that plated two and gave the Angels their first lead of the game at 5-3.

Oki did finally retire three batters in a row in impressive fashion to end the inning, but that only makes you more pissed when you think "why the fuck couldn't he have done that when he first came in?!"

Making matters worse David Aardsma, who has slipped lately after a strong start, gave up a run in the 8th and Tavarez surrendered the 7th Angels run in the 9th, and both runs would prove costly.

That's because David Ortiz slammed a 2-run shot with two outs in the 9th to pull Boston to within two at 7-5, but then K-Rod came in to close it out, and when Manny's deep fly didn't get wind-blown or dropped but was caught by Hunter in center, the Angels had a come-from-behind win of their own.

And a talented kid from the minors got a taste of what it's like to be a major leaguer for a day.

I bet next time he's up he asks to pitch the whole game.

RECORD: 15-9
STREAK: L2
LAST 10: 7-3
AL EAST: Up 1 1/2 gms
UP NEXT: Fri at Tampa Bay 705 Wakefield vs Garza

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Game Preview Angels @ Sox GM3

Saunders (3-0, 2.15) vs. Masterson (NR)
Game 3 of 3
1:35PM Fenway Park

The revolving rotation continues as Sox tap AA pitcher Justin Masterson to start today

The come up, they go down. And the "who's gonna start?" wheel spins 'round & 'round.

With Sox starters being scratched two days in a row Tuesday and Wednesday Terry Francona and the Boston brass have had to scramble to realign the rotation and provide fill-ins for Josh Beckett (stiff neck) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (flu.)

On Tuesday PawSox righty David Pauley made his first major league start start since 2006 and didn't exactly set the world on fire (4.1IP, 7H, 5ER, 2BB, 3K, HR), and last night Jon Lester moved up a day to replace the ailing Matsuzaka, and those results were less than stellar (5IP, 9H, 4ER, 2BB, 1K, 2HR) also.

Today the team will try something completely different, calling upon Double A hurler Justin Masterson to fill the empty spot in the rotation made by Lester pitching a day ahead of schedule.

Masterson, a 23-year-old who was Boston's 2nd round draft pick in 2006, will use his large frame (6' 6") and heavy sinker to attempt to baffle the hot-hitting Angels, who have racked up 12 runs and 24 hits, 12 for extra bases, in two games against Boston.

Although this will be Masterson's first major league start, he has lit it up at Portland (19IP, 2R, 14H, 23K, 5BB), and the combination of his specialty pitch and the fact that the Halos have never seen him could give the youngster an advantage Pauley and Lester did not have.

At least that's what the team and the Nation are hoping.

To make room on the roster for Masterson the team sent Craig Hansen, who was called up yesterday afternoon and ended up taking the loss last night when he surrendered a 6th inning home run to Casey Kotchman, back to Pawtucket.

The move to bring up Masterson allows Francona to keep his rotation in tact for this weekend's series against the Rays. Tim Wakefield will start the opener here tomorrow night, followed by Clay Buchholz on Saturday, and if all goes well, Beckett will take his regularly scheduled turn on Sunday. (Fingers crossed)

In other illness/injury related news, Jason Varitek will sit out the 5th straight game today as he's still recovering from the flu, and with Wakefield throwing tomorrow night, Kevin Cash will accomplish the ultra-rare feat (in the Tek era) of starting for a full week.

Coco Crisp, who has been nursing a bad hammy, will make his first start in a week today against Angels' lefty Joe Saunders, and Kevin Youkilis is back in the lineup after sitting out last night's game with a stiff back.

After today's getaway matinee the Sox should have most of their regular lineup back intact for the series at the Trop, but in the meantime they will have to rely on replacements and kids like Masterson to patch the holes created this week.

No pressure, kid. It's just the first place defending World Champs you're playing for.

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No comeback tonight - Sox finally lose

Los Angeles of Anaheim 6, Sox 4
WP: Garland (3-2)
LP: Hansen (0-1)
SV: Rodriguez (8)
HRs: BOS- Ortiz (3); LAA- Kotchman (6), Matthroids Jr., 2 (4)

SUMMARY:
Ravaged by illness and injury, the undermanned Sox tried to stage another come-from-behind win, but Boston couldn't stave off the relentless Angels, who scored runs in six separate innings to hand the Sox their first loss in seven games.

Superstar: Casey Kotchman 2-3, R, RBI, BB, HR
He's had big homers in each of the last two games, but unlike last night, when his solo shot merely tied the game, tonight's 6th inning blast off Craig Hansen wound up being the game winner.

The Biggest Loser: Hansen 1.2IP, 2H, 1ER, 0BB, 3K, HR
The youngster was called up earlier in the day to do one thing - get batters out. Allowing game-winning homers after your team has scratched & clawed to tie the game up is not part of that equation.

RECAP:
Once again the Comeback Kings tried to swipe a victory from the jaws of defeat.

But after going to that well about a dozen times this season, they finally found the spring had dried up.

Facing deficits of 1-0, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2 and 4-2 thanks to a shoddy start by Jon Lester, Boston fought back to tie the game in the bottom of the 5th inning on a 2-run homer by David Ortiz, only to see the fruits of their labor washed down the drain when Kotchman's homer off Hansen gave Anaheim the final lead they would need to salt this one away.

I know, I know, they say all good things must come to an end.

But that stupid saying doesn't make the end hurt any less.

The worst part about this game isn't the fact that Boston lost - I mean with the clubhouse resembling the #4077th and the grounds crew installing a revolving door on the mound, a defeat in the near future was inevitable - but it was how they lost that was so frustrating.

I would rather they suffered a good old-fashioned woodshed beatdown than lose the game, and the six game win streak, in the manner they did tonight.

As I mentioned, Lester (5IP, 9H, 4ER,2BB, 1K, 2HR), who was forced to start on 3 days rest for the first time in his career when Daisuke Matsuzaka came down with the flu, was magnificently mediocre in his 5th start of the season. He was hit early (1 run in each of the first 3 innings), he was hit hard (2 homers by Gary Matthroids Jr exited the ballpark - please check his urine), and he was hit often (at least 1 hit allowed in each of his 5 innings of work), yet he was off the hook for the loss when Papi's homer landed in the first row of seats in right field.

At that point I think every member of the Nation assumed okay, they came all the way back to tie it, this win's in the bag now.

You know the old saying about assuming, I, ah, assume?

With the game tied at four and Lester having gone the requisite five, Francona called on callup Hansen, the fireballing righty who along with Delcarmen, Lester and Buchholz is projected as a key future piece of the staff. Although he was making his first appearance in the bigs since 2006, all he had to do was set the Angels down for an inning or two and let the Boston batters do the rest.

And he did just that - except for one big hit allowed.

After retiring the first two batters in the 6th, Kotchman, the former Seminole High standout whose father owns a baseball academy down here, deposited a 1-0 offering from Hansen into the right field seats to give the Halos a 5-4 lead, and even though Hanson went on to get a few more big outs, the damage, as they say, was done.

To make any chance of a comeback that much harder, Mike Timlin, who continues to look every bit of a 42-year-old reliever with 1000+ games under his belt, gave up a huge insurance run in the 9th, and when Frankie K-Rod Rodriguez trotted out for the bottom of the 9th with a 2-run lead, it was okay for the fans who made up the 400th consecutive sellout at Fenway to head for the exits.

Yes it was a disappointing way to end the streak, but considering how many players are hurt or sick, the loss wasn't all bad. In fact there were quite a few positives to take away from this one, such as: every member of the team except JD Drew registering at least 1 hit; Julio Lugo (9 gms) and Dustin Pedroia (12 gms) extending their hitting streaks; Ortiz racking up his 15th RBI in the last 8 games; and Sean Casey recording 2 more hits and yet another double.

Plus the game was played in under 3 hours!

But as I said before, just because the good times had to end doesn't mean we have to like it.

I guess you could say we've been spoiled, but a team that finds a different way and a different player every day will do that to a fanbase.

At least we don't have much time to dwell on it - day baseball tomorrow, time to start a new streak. If only we could figure out who's going to start...

RECORD: 15-8
STREAK: L1
LST 10: 8-2
AL EAST: Up 2 1/2 gms
UP NEXT: Thu vs. LAA 135 Saunders vs. ?????

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Game Preview: Angels at Sox GM 2

Garland (2-2, 4.81) vs. Lester (1-2, 5.06)
Game 2 of 3
705 Fenway Park

Daisuke Matsuzaka won't start due to the flu

For the second straight night the Red Sox starter has been scratched from the lineup just hours before his scheduled start.

Last night Josh Beckett had to bow out when a neck spasm flared up unexpectedly. Tonight the situation isn't as dire, but does put the Sox in a bind regarding the rotation for the next few games.

On top of that item Francona got word earlier that Kevin Youkilis, one of the league's hottest hitters, will not be in the lineup because of a sore back that he incurred while making a play at third base in last night's 7=6 Boston win.

Ay yay yay!

The flu that is going around the Boston clubhouse had claimed numerous players and personnel, with captain Jason Varitek set to miss his third consecutive game because of it. Now Dice-K, the American League co-leader in wins (4), and 2nd in strikeouts (28) will have to miss his 5th start, and that puts Terry Francona in a tough spot regarding the rotation.

For tonight Jon lester will move up a day and get the start against Anaheim's Jon Garland, and Beckett is scheduled to start Sunday down here against Tampa. But who gets the nod tomorrow and Friday has yet to be determined.

Francona could move Tim Wakefield from Friday to Thursday, but he absolutely slaughteres the Rays at the Trop, so that option seems highly unlikely.

The more likely scenario, according to the Globe, would be bringing up recently demoted reliever Kyle Snyder for a spot start, or double promoting AA prospect Justin Masterson for a one game audition.

Either way the situation around the Fens is not so hot right now, 6-game win streak or not.

You've got Tek, Delcarmen and Dice-K ailing, Youk, Coco and Beckett stiff, Lowell and Cora on the DL and no starter for tomorrow night.

No worries, though, as we know whoever is in that lineup will do everything in their power to keep the winning streak going.

Even if it means staging another dramatic, late inning comeback.

NOTES:
-Happy Birtday, Tito: Francona celebrated his 49th birthday yesterday, and his club gave him the only present a major league manager could ever ask for- a win!

-No sophomore slump: Don't look now, but the Little Big Man, Dustin Pedroia, has climbed all the way to the top of the American League in batting (.364), thanks to an 11-game hitting streak in which he is hitting a scalding .477 (21-44) with 9 doubles, 11 RBI and 10 runs scored.

-Ex-Sox shortstops: there's an intriguing and enlightening article about former Sox shortstops Edgar Rentaria and Orlando Cabrera on ESPN.com today. It seems that the products of soccer-crazed Colombia have less than an amicable relationship, for reasons rooted in national pride and bitter jealousy. It's a good read for Sox fans especially.

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Repeat after me: Sox comeback to win. Again

Sox 7, LA of A 6
WP: Timlin (2-1)
LP: Oliver (1-1)
SV: Papelbon (8)
HRs: BOS- Ellsbury 2 (3), Youk (2); LAA- Kotchman (5), Mathis (3)

SUMMARY:
Stop me if you've heard this one before: the Boston Red Sox came back from a substantial deficit midway through the game and put together a late-inning rally against the opponent's bullpen to pull out another come-from-behind victory.

What's that? Okay, I'll stop now.

Superstar(s): Pedroia & Ellsbury 7-10, 4R, 3BI, 3 2Bs, 2HRs
Ellsbury (3-5) started the scoring with a first inning home run, and Pedroia (4-5)ended it in the 8th when he doubled in Jacoby, who'd reached on a bunt single, from first base for the deciding run of the game.

In between Ellsbury slammed another homer that gave Boston a 6-5 lead, and Pedroia ripped two more doubles as the two combined to give Boston a potent dynamic duo at the top of the order.

The Biggest Loser: Jered Weaver 5IP, 10H, 5ER, 0BB, 4K, 2HR
He's beginning to resemble his big brother Jeff more and more every year, and not just in the looks department.

Staked to a 5-1 lead after four Weaver fell apart by the 5th, surrendering four runs and the lead and wasting an opportunity for his team to get off the schneid vs. Boston.

RECAP:
Three or four games ago I said I was running out of ways to describe these comeback wins. After this one tonight I might have to take a creative writing class just to keep up with these guys.

Trailing 5-1 after spot starter David Pauley couldn't seem to retire the Angels in the first four innings, Boston mounted a methodical and businesslike comeback, scoring once in the fourth and three times in the fifth to tie the game before they kicked into late game heroics overdrive a few innings later.

It says something about your team when they shrug off a four-run deficit like it was nothing to worry about, confident in their ability to both score plenty of runs and not wilt when the pressure would crush lesser squads.

And that something is that this is yet another potential championship-winning ballclub.

In all fairness to Pauley, he did the best he could under the circumstances. Called up to potentially start just in case an ailing Beckett couldn't go, he was first told they wouldn't need his services but then management quickly reversed that decision when Boston's ace showed up at the ballpark with a stiff neck and was scratched.

Facing one of the top offensive teams in the league and making his first ML start since 2006, Pauley (4.1IP, 7H, 5ER, 2BB, 3K, 2HR) was a bit over matched. Handed a 1-0lead courtesy of Ellsbury's 1st career leadoff homer, the young righty gave it right back in the third when he surrendered three straight hits, a walk, and after two outs, a 2-RBI single by Garret Anderson that gave Anaheim a 3-1 lead.

In the next inning the pesky Maicer Izturis walked with one out, stole second and
was driven home when catcher Jeff Mathis (2-4, 2R, 3BI) homered over the Monster to give LA of A a 5-1 lead.

But rather than panic the Sox just blew on their nails, spit in their palms and said, okay, time to go win this one.

In the bottom of the 4th singles by JD Drew, Kevin Cash, starting his 3rd consecutive game for the ailing Varitek, and Julio 'En Fuego' Lugo cut the Angels' lead to 5-2, and the deficit was erased in the 5th when Ortiz singled in Pedroia, who had doubled, and Youk brought Papi home with his 3rd homer of the season that evened the score at 5 and brought the Fenway Faithful to their feet.

The crowd got even more raucous when Ellsbury hit his second homer of the game with 2outs in the 6th off reliever Darren O'Day to give Boston aa 6-5 lead, but Julian Tavarez gave the nation reason to worry when he gave up back-to-back singles by Chone Figgins and Gary Matthroids Jr to start the 7th.

Tito called on Hideki Okajima, who hadn't pitched in a week due to a stiff neck of his own, to the mound, and after getting Vlad Guerrero (0-5, 2K) to fly to right, Oki retired Garrett Anderson and Torii Hunter to escape the jam, much to the delight of the nervous Nation.

The euphoria was short-lived, however, when Oki surrendered a solo homer to Seminole High's Casey Kotchman to lead off the 8th, and now with the score tied again, Boston would have to go into comeback mode to pull this one out.

Not a problem for a team that had already won 10 such games this season.

Ellsbury got the winning rally started against former Sox reliever Darren Oliver when he dropped a gorgeous bunt single in the Bermuda triangle between the pitcher and 1st & 2nd basemen, completing his rare trifecta of homering twice and recording a bunt single in the same game.

Scott Shields then relived Oliver to face Pedroia, and the little big man greeted him with a lser double down the third base line that scored Ellsbury all the way from first with what turned out to be the game winning run, and the comeback was nearly complete.

All that was left was for Papelbon to come in and slam the door, and throwing 100mph cheese, that's exactly what he did. Not having pitched in a couple of days, Paps ripped off one blazing fastball after another, fanning Matthroids and Guerrero before getting Anderson to pop out to end the game, and the Sox' 11th comeback win of the season was complete.

And while it's nice to know the team is capable of such late game heroics, it would be nice to have an old fashioned wire-to-wire win now and then.

You know, just to keep the heart rate down.

For the fans, not these ice water-in-the-veins assassins.

RECORD: 15-7
STREAK: W6
LST 10: 9-1
AL EAST: Up 3 gms
UP NEXT: Wed vs LA of A 7PM Garland vs. Matsuzaka

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Series Preview: LA of A Angels @ Sox

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (12-8) at Red Sox (14-7)
3 game series

Game 1 Tuesday 705
Weaver (1-3, 3.72) vs. Beckett (2-1, 5.12)
Game 2 Wed 705
Garland (2-2, 4.81) vs. Matsuzaka (4-0, 3.14)
Game 3 Thu 1:35
Saunders (3-0, 2.15) vs. Lester (1-2, 5.06)

What to watch for: rematch of the 2007 ALDS
The Sox and Angles have become familiar foes these last few years despite playing on opposite coasts thanks as both of Boston's championship runs have begun with ALDS sweeps of the Halos.

Who to watch: Torii Hunter .319/4HR/11BI/12R
The newest, and most expensive, addition to the potent Angels lineup. Hunter brought his solid hitting and stellar defensive play to the West Coast from Minnesota when the Angles signed him to a 5-year, $90 million contract in the off season. He's already made one hightlight reel, game saving, home run-robbing catch this season, and his prescense in the lineup provides extra protection for Vlad Guerrero and Garrett Anderson.

Preview:
The series hasn't even started yet and already the Sox have been beset with bad news.

Tonight's scheduled starter Josh Beckett was scratched from the game due to a stiff neck. According to the Globe, the injury popped up out of nowhere and the team is not sure if it will cause Becks to miss his next start.

PawSox righthander David Pauley, who made 3 starts for the parent club in 2006, will make his first start in the majors since June 11th of that year when he spells Beckett tonight.

On top of that bitter pill Boston will also be without the services of Jason Varitek for the second straight game and Manny Delcarmen, who are both suffering from flu like symptoms (aka the flu) and will not be available tonight.

So as the team is riding high on the 4-game sweep of Texas, winners of 9 of their last 10 games, they will have to take on one of the best teams in the American League without their top starter, catcher and valuable set up man.

Who smells another come-from-behind win?

Anaheim won't be shedding any tears for Boston, though, as they have been without their top 2 starters, John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar, for the entire season so far and have been booted from the playoffs 2 out of the last 4 seasons by the Sox.

That alone should give tonight's starter Jered "don't call me Jeff" Weaver extra motivation to beat Boston, and if that doesn't do it how about the fact that the Sox lit him up for 6 runs in 4+ innings last August in Fenway, then defeated him in Game 3 of the ALDS to complete the sweep.
Assuming Weaver is able to best the youngster Pauley, the next two pairings should even out. Matsuzaka will take his AL best 4-0 record to the mound against the artist formerly known as Jon Garland tomorrow night, and then on Thursday the enigma that is Jon Lester will oppose pleasant surprise starter Joe Saunders for Anaheim.

The series figures to ve a high scoring one anyway, with Boston and LAA 1-3 in the AL in runs scored and 1-2 in batting average. Look for both bullpens to be busy early and often in this one, and with Boston scoring 5+ runs in each of the last 9 games, Anaheim's pen men best be up to the task or it could be a repeat of the comeback kings again.

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No comeback necessary: Sox trounce Texas

Sox 8, Texas 3
WP: Buchholz (1-1)
LP: Nippert (1-2)
SV: None
HRs: None

SUMMARY:
The Red Sox didn't need to stage another come-from-behind thriller this afternoon at Fenway - a run-of-the-mill blowout was on the menu for this Patriot's Day affair; Boston scored all 8 runs off Texas reliever Dustin Nippert in the 4th & 5th innings and cruised to the 4-game series sweep.

Superstar: Clay Buchholz 6IP, 5H, 0ER, 2BB, 6K
The young righty had his best start of the season, giving Tito six quality innings of shutout ball while lowering his ERA nearly two full runs in the process (6.75-4.79) in leading his team to the sweep.

The Biggest Loser: Nippert 2.1IP, 9H, 8ER, 4BB, 2K
The Rangers bullpen was atrocious all series, but this performance takes the cake.

RECAP:
Well that was nice for a change.

For the first time in what seems like forever Boston did not need to rely on late-inning heroics to pull out a miraculous victory as the Sox manhandled the Texas bullpen for the 4th consecutive game.

The only reason Texas had to go to the bully so soon was because starter Kason Gabbard had to exit the contest after the second inning when a slip on the mound caused his back to stiffen up.

Thus the expected matchup of two former PawSox starters, Gabbard and Buchholz, did not come to be, and my half-joking prediction that Gabbard would probably throw a no-hitter today went down the tubes.

Which was just fine because Buchholz pitched as well as he had since his no-no last September.

After battling to a scoreless tie through 3 1/2, including both teams leaving the bases loaded in the second, Boston broke it open in the bottom of the 4th shortly after Dustin "Don't call me Al" Nippert came in to replace Gabbard.

That 4th inning played out like a Little League game, complete with bloopers, blunders and very few hard hit balls.

Instead of describing what happened, let me run it down for you, blog style:

-JD Drew leads off with a walk, Nippert balks him to 2B
-Jed Lowrie pops up a bunt to SS, he's safe at 1st, Drew to 3B
-Lugo singles just past Nippert's hand, Drew scores Boston's 1st run
-Kevin Cash, playing for Tek, hits a soft liner to Ian Kinsler at 2nd, he throws to 1st to double off a leaning Lugo, but the ball goes down the line and Lowrie scores, Lugo to 2B (2-0 BOS)
-Thurston pops out to short
-Ellsbury hits an infield single to SS as Lugo hops over the bounding ball; Ellsbury then steals 2B uncontested
-Pedroia laces a double to right center field, the hardest hit ball of the inning, to drive in both Lugo and Ellsbury (4-0 BOS)
-Big Papi skies a ball to deep left that appears playable for Milton Bradley, until he ducks for cover at the last minute as he loses it in the bright sunlight. It falls in for a double as Pedroia scampers home with run #5
-Youk walks
-Drew walks to load the bases
-Lowrie strikes out just as the marathoners enter Kenmore Square

When the carnage was over Boston had scored 5 runs on 5 hits, 3 walks, an error, a balk and a highlight reel worthy blooper in an 1/2 inning that saw Nippert throw 41 pitches and took 29 minutes to complete.

In case the game didn't appear to be over at that point, Boston tacked on three more runs in the 5th, with one run coming in on a double by Ellsbury (2-4, 2R, BI, BB) and the other two scoring on a legitimate double by Ortiz, marking his 11 ribbies of the series.

I'd say he's out of his slump.

Then again the Rangers pitchers can get anyone out of a slump. Boston racked up a dozen hits in this game and also walked 11 times. In fact every Boston batter reached base at least twice except Thurston, and five batters reached at least 3 times.

By the time Texas struck for a pair of runs off David Aardsma and Javier Lopez in the 7th it was much too little, way too late, and even an RBI double by Josh Hamilton off Manny Delcarmen in the 9th couldn't dampen the spirits of the Nation who had just witnessed a sweet, rare 4-game sweep at home on Marathon Monday.

Alas it's no rest for the weary as the AL West-leading Angels come to town tomorrow night.

But at least this Patriots Day was worth celebrating, even though the festivities started early instead of late.

NOTES:
-No Manny: Despite his 2nd inning ejection yesterday, Francona decided to rest Manny anyway as previously planned. His replacement, Joe Thurston, was the only member of the team not to record a hit (0-5). Sean Casey also got the day off, as Youk moved back to 1B and Lowrie manned the hot corner

-Tek sick: for just the second time this season Jason Varitek did not catch when someone other than Tim Wakefield was on the mound. he reportedly was feeling under the weather. NESN broadcaster Jerry Remy was also ailing, prompting a stint in the booth by former As skipper Ken "paint dry" Macha

-Lugo on fire: the shortstop went 4-4 with a walk and is batting .346 (17-49) over his last 13 games, raising his average from .238 to .314

RECORD: 14-7
STREAK: W5
LST 10: 9-1
AL EAST: Up 2 gms
UP NEXT: Tue vs. LAA 7PM Weaver vs. Beckett

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Game Preview: Brunch with the Bosox

Gabbard (1-0, 2.41) vs. Buchholz (0-1, 6.75)
Game 4 of 4 11AM NESN/Extra Innings

The Minuteman is as much of a symbol of Patriot's Day as orange slices and cold ones

It's that time again, New Englanders - Patriot's Day/ Marathon Monday, a.k.a the regional holiday that is as much an excuse to party and watch sports as it is to honor the memory of the Battle of Lexington & Concord.

When I tried to explain to my Florida-born son why the Sox were playing at 11:00 in the morning, I told him it's a local holiday in the area and the Sox always play at that time while the Boston Marathon is winding up downtown.

The first thing he asked me was "do the kids have off from school?"

"Yup, it's a big day up there" I responded.

"You were lucky to grow up there" he replied.

And I realized how right he was.

Growing up in the area I know we looked forward to Patriot's Day as much as any other holiday, like Christmas, Thanksgiving or Memorial Day. We would either head to a spot on the Marathon trail and watch the runners pass by, head down to Kenmore to get caught up in the excitement of the race and the game, or head to the local "Qs" (quarries) to down a few kegs and do what rambunctious teens will do when given a Monday off towards the end of a long school year.

Now the only way I recognize the day is if I happen to get laid off around this time, which unfortunately just happened to me last week.

But I'm trying to look on the bright side. I've got the game on the baseball package, the race on Versus and a couple of keg (cans) close at hand.

If only I had taken my son out of school, he could see what it was like growing up in the Hub. Minus the lousy weather and crowds.

GO SOX.

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Yet another late comeback propels Sox past Rangers

Sox 6, Texas 5
WP: Wakefield (2-0)
LP: Wilson (0-1)
SV: Papelbon (7)
HRs: BOS-None; TEX-Kinsler (1), Bradley (1)

SUMMARY:
They did it again! They did it again! The comeback kings did it again!

Trailing 5-0 after six innings and without ejected slugger Manny Ramirez, Boston rallied for a pair of runs in the 7th, then plated four in the 8th with the game-winner coming on a bases loaded walk as the Sox took their third straight game from the stunned Rangers.

And I missed it because my son had a game. *@!%!$#*&&@!!??%$!!!

Superstar: Dustin Pedroia 1-1, R, BI, PH 2B
After sitting on the bench for most of the day, the little big men came off the pine to provide the most clutch hit of the game, a 2-out double to deep center that tied the game and gave the Sox the opportunity to win it minutes later.

The Biggest Loser: C.J. Wilson 0IP, 2H, 2ER, 3BB, 0K
Look at that line score and nothing even needs be said. Just let it be noted that not only did this stiff not record an out in the 8th, but he walked three consecutive batters (1 intentionally) after surrendering RBI hits to the first two batters he faced.

Ah, those Texas relievers. They're as reliable as an oilman's ego.

RECAP:
I'm beginning to run out of ways to describe these comebacks by Boston.

Especially when I don't see them live for myself.

The Red Sox staged yet another late come-from-behind victory this afternoon against the Texas Rangers at Fenway, and if they keep this up they won't even have to play the first 6 innings of the game anymore. The can just roll out there for the 7th, see how many runs the opponents scored while they were lounging in the clubhouse, and then go out and score at least one more than that.

I mean this team is the living embodiment of the age old baseball adages 'it ain't over til it's over' and 'play til the final out'; following the immortal words of the late Jim Valvano, they don't ever give up.

Which is more than I can say for some of their fans.

After witnessing the Sox fall behind early by a score of 2-0 thanks to a rocky start by Tim Wakefield (IP, 7H, 5ER, 0BB, 5K, 2HR), who allowed a homer to leadoff the game to Ian Kinsler and another run in the second on two singles and a groundout, I figured it was just a matter of time before the Boston batters erased that lead against fading Texas ace Kevin Millwood.

Except Millwood (6IP, 10H, 2ER, 2BB, 7K) decided to pitch like it was 2005 again, holding the Sox scoreless for six innings while "scattering" 10 hits.

That's because Boston couldn't scratch out a run despite having runners on base in every inning from the second to the sixth, including the bases loaded in both the fifth and six innings.

One reason the Sox couldn't capitalize on one of those opportunities is because the blazing hot bat of Manny Ramirez was absent from the later innings after he got ejected for arguing a called strike three against him in the second.

That left greenhorn Joe Thurston, who was signed in the off season and called up Wednesday when Alex Cora went on the DL, to bat with the sacks full in the 5th, where he promptly grounded out on one pitch, leaving every single member of the Nation groaning "if only Manny had been batting there..."

Turned out all that moaning and groaning would be all for naught.

But not before Texas made a comeback that much harder.

Wakefield had finally settled down and kept the game close, but in the 6th he ran into trouble when Michael Young and Josh Hamilton singled with one out, and then Milton 'memba me? Bradley crushed the first pitch from Wake over the Monster for a gigantic 3-run bomb that pushed the Texas lead to 5-0.

At that point even the most diehard fan thinking there's no way Boston could come back from that deficit, not without Manny and just 3 innings left.

Especially after Boston left the bases loaded again in the bottom of the 6th, and even though Wake needed just 14 pitches to get through the 7th, things looked bleak for the team at that point.

And it was at that point I had to leave for a makeup game for my son's Little League.

Now I had given thought to DVRing the rest of the game, but I quickly thought to myself "5 runs, 3 innings, no Manny, team looks unable to score a run today...NAH!"

Another terrific decision by yours truly.

When I got back I checked the Internet and saw what happened and I had the combination euphoric/sick-to-my-stomach feeling you get when something great happens to your team, but you were stupid/busy/lazy and missed it.

Evidently the rally began about four minutes after I left the house as super sub Jed Lowrie (2-5, 2R, BI) doubled off Millwood to lead off the 7th and David Ortiz singled him in to break the shutout and give the Sox fans hope.

Or so I would imagine.

After Thurston was hit by a pitch by reliever Wes Middleton and Youk grounded into a double play, JD Drew singled in Ortiz to make it 5-2 and set the stage for the final comeback in the next inning.

To make a long story short (since I didn't actually see it), Ellsbury started the winning rally with a 2-out single, and when Lowrie doubled him in to make it 5-3, Ron Washington brought in CJ Wilson, which marked the beginning of the end for Texas.

What happened next seems like something I would have seen at the LL field. Wilson allowed an RBI single to Ortiz, an RBI double by pinch hitter Dustin Pedroia that tied the game, and after intentionally walking Kevin Youkilis, Wilson walked Drew and Sean Casey, the last one "driving" in the winning run and sent Fenway into a frenzy.

Or so I would imagine.

And now the Sox can complete the sweep with a Marathon Monday win against ex-Sox starter Kason Gabbard.

Maybe they should spot him a 5-run lead, just for shits & giggles.

RECORD: 13-7
STREAK: W4
LAST 10: 8-2
AL EAST: Up 1 1/2 gms
UP NEXT: Mon vs. TEX 11AM Gabbard vs. Buchholz

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