Buchholz battered again as Twins take 3 of 4 from Sox

Minnesota 7, Sox 3
WP: Hernandez (6-1)
LP: Buchholz (2-3)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Manny (8); MIN-None

SUMMARY:
Despite scoring three in the first inning, two on Manny Ramirez' 498th career home run, and outhitting the Twins for the fourth straight game Minnesota managed to take three of four games from Boston, thanks to a horrendous outing by Clay Buchholz and another clutch hit from Craig Monroe.

SUPERSTAR: Monroe 1-2, R, 2BI, 2B
With the Twins leading but just one slim run (4-3) in the 5th and Boston primed to mount another comeback Monroe sliced a Buchholz offering down the left field line for a two-run double that opened the game up, and Minny never looked back.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Buchholz 4.1IP, 8H, 7ER, 5BB, 4K
For the second game in a row the rookie got shelled like Chuckles the Clown when he dressed as Peter Peanut, walking the leadoff batter in three of the five innings he started and generally pitching like he wants an express trip back to Pawtucket.

RECAP:
Let me start off by saying I missed the first few innings of this game because I was at my son's last Little League game of the season;, we were eliminated in the final game of the Top Team tournament, 10-1.

And then I got home and watched the rest of this stinker plus the Celts stumble on the road again to even their series with the Cavs.

Guess you could say I hit the 'shitty sports night' trifecta.

But as bad as mine and the Celts night was, neither of our miseries can compare to the pain Clay Buchholz must be feeling right now after he posted his second consecutive lousy start tonight at the Homerdome.

And to think he didn't even allow a home run.

When you combine the numbers from young Clay's last start against the Tigers a week ago with the stats he put up tonight, the results are hideous enough to merit a warning to hide the women and children before reviewing them:

-8 1/3IP, 18 hits, 12 earned runs, 6 walks, 10 Ks

In case you don't have a stats converter handy those figures add up to a 13.01 ERA and a WHIP of 2.89, numbers that are closer to Julian Tavarez than a guy who pitched a no hitter at the end of last season.

And we all know where Julian is now (wait, do we?)

Not to say that Buchholz is bound for a trip back to the minors, but let's face it with the Sox apparently clearing space on the roster for a possible promotion for Bartolo Colon, someone on the starting staff is going to have to pay the price, and it ain't gonna be Beckett, Dice-K or Wake.

That leaves Buchholz and Jon Lester ticketed for a potential "seasoning" trip back to the PawSox with neither of the youngsters pitching very well of late, and since Buchholz has the least amount of major league experience it could very well be the lanky righty who draws the shortest straw

Tonight he was staked to a quick 3-0 lead courtesy of David Ortiz RBI single followed by an opposite field bomb by Manny Ramirez, the slugger's 498th of his career and 8th of the season, but he wasted no time in coughing that lead right up and then some.

Minny got two back in the bottom of the inning on three consecutive singles and another error by JD Drew, his second in a week, and then the Twins took the lead for good in the 4th on a pair of walks, a pair of singles and an RBI groundout by Delmon Young. Only an inning ending double play prevented the damage from being any worse, but as it turned out it was about to get worse anyway.

While ageless Twins starter Livan Hernandez (6IP, 10H, 3ER, 1BB, 1K, 1HR) escaped a number of jams, Buchholz couldn't get out of any of his self-induced tough spots and Minny was able to add to its lead in the bottom of the 5th.

Last night's hero, Craig Monroe, ripped a double down the third base line and into the left field corner, scoring Joe Mauer, who had walked to open the inning, and Michael Cuddyer, and when Young (2-4, 2BI) followed with an RBI single up the middle, Buchholz night was over.

And with the score 7-3 Twins, so was the game.

The next three innings were rather uneventful (or perhaps it was because I was watching the Cs/Cavs on the main screen with this clunker relegated to the PIP window), but Boston did manage to attempt another 9th inning comeback when Alex Cora (2-4) and Dustin Pedroia got on base with one out, providing the Nation with some hope with the big boppers ready to step up and work their magic.

Alas reliever Jessie Crain retired Ortiz and Ramirez (2-4, r, 2BI) on one pitch apiece, and just like that the good vibes from the Sox recent winning stretch were erased in a disappointing weekend series in the moribund Minnesota Metrodome.

There was some good news on the night: the Rays knocked off the Stanks, 7-1, in St. Pete.

Oh but that's also bad news, too, since its the Rays who are nipping at the heels of our Sox, not the hapless Stankees, so we can't even take solace in the fact that the Stanks got spanked anymore.

Making what was already a depressing night in my sports world a lot more unenjoyable.

NOTES:
-Lugo still ill: with the effects of his head knocking still lingering, Lugo again got the night off in favor of Alex Cora, who had a couple of hits and 5 in the series. Anyone sense a similarity to the Pedroia situation of a year ago?

-The Mayor returns: after missing 15 games with a hip injury Sean Casey returned to the lineup and recorded a hit and made a couple of nice plays in the field as well. He spelled Kevin Youkilis, who got a rare day off despite having hit 6 homers in his last 10 games

-Manny 500: with his first inning bomb Manny got to within two homers of the (once) magic 500 milestone. It was just Manny's 2nd homer in the last 20 games.

-Huh?: Boston lost 3 of 4 in the series despite outhitting the Twins 51-39, including 16-8 in extra base hits

RECORD: 24-17
AL EAST: Up 1/2 gm on TB
STREAK: L2
LAST 10: 6-4
UP NEXT: Tue @ BAL 705 Beckett vs. Guthrie

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Game Preview: Sox @ Twins GM4

Buchholz (2-2, 4.50) vs. Hernandez (5-1, 3.83)
705 @ The Metrodome ESPN

If the Sox hope to split the series against the Twins tonight, they'll have to do so against one of the better starting pitchers in the league thus far in '08.

Veteran journeyman Livan Hernandez was supposed to be more of a mentor for the young Minnesota starters this season when he was acquired from Arizona in the offseason, but he has decided to let his leadership on the mound speak for itself.

Coming off a brilliant complete game in which he allowed one earned run and scattered 9 hits against the Chisox, Hernandez ran his record to 5-1 and lowered his ERA from 4.43 to 3.83, the best numbers on a staff filled with green starters like Boof Bonser, Nick Blackburn and Scott Baker.

Boston will counter with a green starter of its own, Clay Buchholz, who got roughed up last week in Detroit (10H, 5ER in 5IP) and is still searching for that elusive first road victory of the season.

But the big news of the day for Boston came away from the field, as veteran swingman Julian Tavarez was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for the return of Sean Casey. The Sox now have 10 days to either trade or release him outright.

The Globe has been reporting that the Rockies are interested in acquiring the 57-year-old starter/reliever, but if a deal can't be worked out the club will most likely let Julian go so he can catch on somewhere else and light that team's staff on fire.

Tavarez, who spent the last 2 years with Boston, had an 0-1 record with a 6.40 ERA this year and had given up three earned runs in in 3 of his last 7 appearances.

Also on the roster front, Manny Ramirez should be back in action tonight after sitting out last night with a strained hammy, and with the return of Alex Cora and Casey, the team should have its opening day roster back and active for the first time in a while.

Now if they can juts go out and get a lead, hold it, and get a win to split the series, all will be well in the Nation.

So long, Julie, and thanks for the (mostly horrible) memories.

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Sorry Moms, no miraculous comeback tonight

Minnesota 9, Sox 8
WP: Blackburn (3-2)
LP: Wakefield (3-2)
SV: Nathan (12)
HRs: BOS-Crisp (2); MIN-Monroe, 2 (4), Everett (1)

SUMMARY:
The relentless Boston offense kept coming back despite facing deficits of 7-1 and 8-4, but ultimately it could not overcome three Twins home runs, even though the Sox outhit Minnesota 15-10.

SUPERSTAR: Craig Monroe 2-4, 2R, 4BI, 2HR
The former Tigers castoff has found a new home in the Twin Cities, and after hitting two homers tonight, including what turned out to be the game winner in the 7th, you can bet he will be a fan favorite at the Homerdome for a while.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Mike Timlin 1.2IP, 1H, 1ER, HR
At the time the homer he gave up to Monroe to lead off the 7th, which made the score 9-6 Twins, seemed innocent enough. But a 9th inning rally would have tied the score had Tired Arm not given up that gopher ball, so the hit proved mighty costly after the fact.

RECAP:
Last year on this day, the Red Sox delivered a special present to all the Nation's moms when they mounted a miraculous comeback by scoring 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to beat the Baltimore Orioles in dramatic fashion, 6-5.

Tonight we almost had a repeat performance.

After trailing the entire game by as many as six runs, Boston kept pecking away at the Minnesota lead until the game came down the Sox with the tying run on second base and pinch hitter Manny Ramirez at the plate facing Twins closer Joe Nathan in the 9th inning.

But instead of miracles we were treated to heartache as Ramirez grounded out meekly to end the game.

And so ended a wild contest at the Metrodome that saw the Sox outhit the Twins but Minny out-slug the potent Sox, as light-hitting Craig Monroe popped two homers and lighter hitting Adam Everett hit his first homer in nearly a year, and it all added up to another difficult loss for Boston, the third such agonizing 1-run defeat in the past five days.

Can't they just friggin' get blown out?

Sox starter Tim Wakefield was coming off his best start of the season, a 2-hit, 8-inning shutout last Tuesday in Detroit, and his success in domes like Tropicana Field is well documented.

But tonight Wake got hammered like Kiefer Sutherland at a wrap party, surrendering 7 hits and 6 earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings of work, putting his teammates in a huge hole before the game was even three innings old.

Luckily for him he's got one of the league's best offenses on his side.

Unlucky for him he also has fellow geriatric hurler Mike Timlin on his team.

After Monroe's first homer, a 3-run blast in the bottom of the second, and Everett's first since last June 3rd gave Minny a 5-0 lead after two innings, Boston started chipping away at the deficit. They scored once in the 3rd on a sac fly by Mike Lowell, but that was all they could get despite having the bases loaded and no outs to start the inning.

To make matters worse the Twins tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the inning on a single by Friday night's hero Mike Lamb to make it 7-1, prompting Francona to yank Wakefield after less than three innings, his shortest outing since last September 11th when he went three innings against the D-Rays.

After his departure the Sox got right back in the game in the 4th when Coco Crisp (2-5, 2R, 3BI, 3B, HR) tripled over Delmon Young's head in left and scored on a single by Kevin Cash. Cash then came around to score on a throwing error by shortstop Matt Tolbert on a grounder by Dustin Pedroia, and another run scored when Kevin Youkilis hit a hot shot off Lamb at third base, cutting the Twins lead to a manageable 7-4.

Too bad it wouldn't stay manageable for long.

The Twins got one run right back when Julian Tavarez (1.1IP, 1H, 1R, 2BB, 1K) loaded the bases in the bottom of the 4th and Mike Lowell made an error on a tough grounder off the bat of Monroe to push the lead back to four at 8-4, but the Sox came right back again when Coco cracked his 2nd homer in two nights off reliever Matt Guerrier to slice the lead to 8-6.

That's when things really got screwy.

Timlin, who has allowed 9 earned runs and 14 hits in his 6 innings of work this season, came on in the 7th and immediately surrendered Monroe's second homer of the game, and with the lead back to three runs (9-6), it was going to take a minor miracle for the sox to pull this one out now.
And they nearly got one.

Joe Nathan, who had only allowed 1 run all year, took the hill in the 9th and everyone figured it would be 1-2-3 it's over time.

Everyone except the Boston batters.

Youk dropped an infield single to short with one out to start the rally, and Lowell followed with a sharp single to center, and suddenly the sox had something cooking against the Twins All Star closer.

When JD Drew hit a tracer over center fielder Carlos Gomez' head for an RBI double to make the score 9-7, the thoughts of last Mother's Day started creeping into everyone's heads.

Coco then hit a comebacker to the mound that Nathan bobbled, and although Lowell scored what would have been the tying run had Timlin not been so Timlin-like, the closer did manage to get the force out at third base for the all-important second out of the inning.

So it was all up to Manny, who sat out the game with a sore hammy, but the mojo was not in Boston's favor this year as ManRam tapped out to shortstop, and the thrilling comeback ended up just one run short.

Thanks a fucking lot, Timlin.

Maybe you should take a seat on the bench with Lugo.

NOTES:
-Bye bye Jed: with Alex Cora activated from the DL the Sox shipped Jed Lowrie back to Pawtucket, as expected. In other words, they gave him the Brandon Moss treatment - hit a big homer, get sent to the minors.

-Other DL news: Mayor Casey is scheduled to be activated tomorrow, meaning another body has to be jettisoned. Expect reliever Craig Hansen to hop back on the PawSox shuttle.

RECORD: 24-16
AL EAST: Up 1.5 gms
STREAK: L1
LAST 10: 7-3
UP NEXT: Mon @ MIN Buchholz vs. Hernandez

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Four home runs propel Sox to win vs. Twins

Sox 5, Minnesota 2
WP: Matsuzaka (6-0)
LP: Perkins (0-1)
SV: Papelbon (11)
HRs: BOS-Youkilis (8), Lowell (3), Crisp (1), Lowrie (1); MIN- None

SUMMARY:
A tightly contested game highlighted by strong starting pitching and solid defensive play was decided by a longball barrage by Boston, which launched four solo homers including back-to-back jacks in the 7th by Coco Crisp and Jed Lowrie that gave the Sox the lead for good.

SUPERSTAR: Lowrie 3-4, 2R, BI, HR
Not a bad time to get your first career home run - with the game tied and time running out. Lowrie also added a double and a single on the night, making it harder for the club to send him back to Pawtucket when Sean Casey and Alex Cora come off the DL next week.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Glen Perkins 6IP, 9H, 3ER, 0BB, 3K, 3HR
It wasn't a terrible performance for a kid making his first career start, but when you're 9 outs away from a win and you allow home runs to light hitting Coco Crisp and the first homer of a rookie's career, you're gonna earn the 'loser' tag.

RECAP:
A game that started out great for Boston suddenly turned sour, but things got better as the game went on, leading to a satisfying win.

Welcome to the Homerdome.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (7IP, 6H, 2ER, 3BB, 7K) pitched himself into - and out of - a few jams on this evening, especially when he walked in the tying run after Youk had given the Sox a 1-0 lead with his 5th homer this week in the 2nd inning.

But despite falling behind on an RBI single by Justin Morneau in the 5th, Boston hung in there until they could finally get to the youngster Perkins, who was making his first start of his career, having just been called up from the minors to take the place of disabled Pat Neshack.

The comeback came quickly and from a couple of unexpected sources, but that's the way this team has been playing all year, by getting contributions from each and every part of the lineup.

Crisp, who hadn't homered since last September 6th, began the 7th with a deep drive into the left field seats to tie the game at two, and if that was an unlikely hit the next one was even more surprising.

That's because Jed Lowrie, for all the good he's done since his callup, hasn't showed much power. Until tonight.

After getting a reprieve when Matt Tolbert dove and slid but couldn't snag his foul pop up down the right field line, Lowrie swung at the next pitch, a breaking ball away, and somehow managed to pop it into the left field stands as well, giving the Sox a 3-2 lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Mike Lowell added his third homer of the week, and the season, to lead off the 8th, and after Hideki Okijima pitched aa 1-2-3 bottom of the 8th, the Sox tacked on an insurance run in the 9th when Lowrie singled, went to second on a sacrifice, and scored on a base hit by Dustin Pedroia.

That was more than enough cushion for Jonathan Papelbon, who returned to his usual robo-closer self by striking out two of the three hitters to record the save.

So once again the Sox bounced back from a disheartening defeat to pull out a spirited win, preventing any losing streak from building up while riding the wave of having won 9 of its last 12 games.

Just think if the big boppers start hitting it out of the Homerdome.

RECORD: 24-15
AL EAST: Up 2.5 gms
STREAK: W1
LAST 10: 7-3
UP NEXT: Sun @ MIN 8pm ESPN Wakefield vs. Blackburn

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Paps' 2nd straight blown save leads to another tough loss

Minnesota 7, Sox 6
WP: Crain (1-1)
LP: Papelbon (2-2)
SV: None
HRs: None

SUMMARY:
For the second time in three games Boston fell behind early thanks to shaky starting pitching then fought back to take a late lead, only to see it frittered away by the previously unhittable Jonathan Papelbon.


SUPERSTAR: Mike Lamb 1-2, 2BI
Inserted into the game in place of injured second baseman Brendan Harris the journeyman infielder, who was in the midst of a 3-20 skid, blooped a single to left field with two on in the bottom of the 9th to win the game for the ecstatic Twins.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Papelbon 2/3IP, 2H, 2ER, BB, BS, L
It seems as if the bullpen bug has finally bitten the closer, who had not blown a save since last September and now has two in the last three days.

And this time he didn't have Julio Lugo to blame for the loss.

RECAP:
Not much more to say about this game than I already have except HOLY SHIT THIS ONE SUCKED!

Another epic comeback by the never-say-die offense was thrown down the toilet after the closer couldn't finish the deal, turning what one minute appeared to be a sweet series-opening victory into a bitter defeat in the blink of an eye.

I know Papelbon is only human and not an indestructible, flame throwing dancing machine that is programmed to mow down hitters and follow each save with an eye bulging primal scream, but when you hand him a 6-5 lead and then he gets beat the way he got beat tonight, it's tough to keep the proper perspective like that.

The first batter to reach in the 9th, Delmon Young, has been a monumental bust since being dealt from the Rays in the off season for pitcher Matt Garza, batting just .264
with 4 extra base hits and 10 ribbies. Always known for his defense, he badly butchered a fly ball by Mike Lowell in the 5th that allowed the Sox to get right back in the game.

Yet he somehow sliced a single up the middle to start the 9th, and things went downhill from there.

After a sacrifice moved Young to second, Paps got Adam Everett to foul out to first for the second out of the game, and with young Carlos Gomez and retread Mike Lamb coming up, it looked like 'that's all she wrote time' then.

Except the fat lady wasn't done singing yet. In fact she was just getting warm.

When Young stole third base uncontested, no one cared because all Paps had to do was blow Gomez away and they were out of there.

But the kid who was acquired in the Johan Santana trade, who had walked only three times all season, somehow worked the count full and then watched as ball four went by him, and suddenly the Twins had new life.

When Gomez stole second uncontested, no one cared because all Paps had to do was blow Lamb away and they were out of there.

But Lamb missed the plan, and after fouling off a couple of 97 mph heaters, he stroked a soft single to left field just over the infield and too far in front of Manny, and both the uncontested runners came around to score in a moment that was both mesmerizing and agonizing for Sox fans Nationwide.

The fact that it had come to that point, that Boston held the lead after such a horrendous start to this game, was a testament to the unrelenting offensive attack the team has possessed the past 10 days or so.

Sox starter Jon Lester (5.1IP, 8H, 5R, 3ER, 1BB, 2K) got them in a hole early, allowing two runs in the 1st inning and two more in the 2nd after Boston had tied it at two in the top of the frame.

By the time Gomez singled home Matt Tolbert, who had doubled with one out in the 4th and moved to third on a wild pitch, it felt like it just wasn't meant to be after the team had to fly in to Minny in the wee hours of the morning following the Detroit series.

That theory was disproved shortly thereafter as the Sox struck for four runs in the top of the 5th inning as the first four Boston batters reached base against Twins starter Boof Bonser (4IP, 7H, 6ER, 3BB, 3K), the big blow being Lowell's booming 2-run double that could have been caught by Young if he didn't take a most circuitous route to the ball at the wall.

Staked to a 6-5 lead, Lester retired the next four batters until Young's single in the 6th led Francona to bring in David Aardsma to face Tolbert.

After Tolbert fanned, Everett hit a shot to the left center field gap that appeared to be headed for the wall until Jacoby Ellsbury cut it off,a nd a perfect relay throw from Ellsbury to Pedroia to Tek nailed Young at the plate and preserved the one run lead.

For the moment.

Two scoreless innings by Hideki Okajima left the Sox in perfect position for Papelbon to slam the door in the 9th, but alas the best laid plans...

It was a game filled with odd/bad plays, such as Youk reaching on a strikeout and then scoring Boston's first run, balls hitting base runners, wild pitches, missed cutoff men and another error by Julio Lugo, but it also featured many good things, like Boston swiping 3 more bases and the Sox stringing up another dozen base hits.

Unfortunately the bad far outweighed the good in this one.

It usually does when your robo-closer goes all HAL 9000 on you.

RECORD: 23-15
AL EAST: Up 2.5 gms
STREAK: L1
LAST 10: 7-3
UP NEXT: Sat @ MIN 710 Matsuzaka vs. Parker

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Series Preview: Sox at Minnesota

Red Sox (23-14, 1st in AL East) at
Minnesota Twins (17-16, 1st in AL Central)
4 game series @ the Metrodome

Game 1 Friday 810
Lester (2-2, 3.94) vs. Bonser (2-4, 4.29)
Game 2 Saturday 710
Matsuzaka (5-0, 2.43) vs. Perkins (NR)
Game 3 Sunday 800 ESPN
Wakefield (3-1, 3.33) vs. Blackburn (2-2, 3.65)
Game 4 Monday 705 ESPN
Buchholz (2-2, 4.50) vs. Hernandez (5-1, 3.83)

What to watch for: can the Twins keep it up?
Nobody, and I 'mean not even native Minnesotans, thought the Twinks would contend this season. Not after they traded the foundation of the pitching staff, Johan Santana, especially with the young phenom who could've replaced him, Francisco Liriano, recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Yet here they are 1/5th of the way into the season and sitting atop the AL Central. Sure their record is barely above .500, but given the other alternatives I think people are pretty happy in the Twin Cities.

Who to watch for: CF Carlos Gomez .279/19R/7 2B/11RBI /13SB/.302OBP
The speedy centerfielder was one of the key pieces in the Santana trade, and he is starting to pay dividends already. The 22-year-old became the first Twin to hit for the cycle since Kirby Puckett in 1986 when he accomplished the rare feat Wednesday night against the Chisox.

Sure he has 31 strikeouts and just 3 walks, and he has a paltry .302 OBP, horrid numbers for the leadoff man. But he's in the midst of a 14-40 (.350)streak, and his hustle and enthusiasm have provided a spark for the notoriously stodgy club.

PREVIEW:
Thanks again, schedule makers.

Boston just played a four game series at Detroit with no off day between that one and the next one in Minny, and it has to play another 4-gamer with no off day before it heads to Baltimore for that series, which starts Tuesday.

Not only are there no off days in between, but they don't even get the customary afternoon game on getaway day to give them more time to get to the next city.

So the Sox might be a little tired this evening when they take on the Twins in the first game of the series, but they way they've been playing this past week, it might not matter.

Boston has won 8 of its last 10 games since dropping five straight at the end of April, and to say the offense is finally clicking on all cylinders would be putting it mildly.

Since that scoring drought that saw the team average a meager 1.3 runs per game over a six game stretch, the Boston bats have come alive, averaging almost 7 1/2 RPG in the seven games since.

And the best thing about it is almost everyone has been a contributor in some way or another, whether it be big home runs (Youk, Lowell), high average (Big Papi), clutch base hits (Pedroia) or just plain getting on, getting over and getting in (Ellsbury).

The best news of the latest surge, though, has been the resurgence of Ortiz. Since taking an 0-6 and subsequently sitting out two games with a sore knee sustained belly-flopping into first base in St. Pete, Papi has been on an absolute tear. He has 15 hits in his last 35 at bats (.429), raising his average 55 points, and he has been driving in runs like the Big Papi of old (8 in his last 8 games).

The other encouraging part about this streak is that the pitching has performed nearly as well as the hitting, save for that 10-run clunker Wednesday night in Motown.

Not counting that debacle, Boston has allowed just 20 runs in the last 11 games, or a little over 2 runs per game, and that combined with the awesome offense has added up to Boston owning the 2nd best record in the majors and being tied for the largest division lead as well.

Minnesota will present some problems for Boston, not the least of which is playing in that godawful Dome, but the Twins pitchers should not be one of them. Gone is the rotation of Santana, Liriano and Radke, replaced by guys like Boof Bonser, Nick Blackburn and unknown rookie Glenn Perkins.

The one Twin who is pitching well is the ageless Livian Hernandez. Picked up in the offseason, the former Marlin, Giant, Expo, National and Diamondback hurler has a stellar 5-1 record and a sweet sub-4.00 ERA, but he has surrendered 8 home runs, second most in the American League.

If the Sox can take care of business against those lesser-known hurlers, maybe Big Papi will make his return to Minnesota memorable with a big bomb off Hernandez in the series finale, and perhaps the Sox can take 3 of 4 again before they head to Baltimore to close out this brutal 10 game, no off-day roadie.

No thanks to the schedule makers.

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Sox end season with a loss, but who the hell cares?

Minnesota 3, Sox 2
WP: Garza (5-7)
LP: Tavarez (7-11)
SV: Nathan (37)
HRs: BOS-Varitek (17)

SUMMARY
The Red Sox wrapped up the 2007 regular season with a meaningless game that ended in an inconsequential loss. Terry Francona began pulling starters midway through and used 16 position players, and Boston escaped the season finale with mission no. 1 accomplished: everyone stayed healthy for the playoffs.

The Sox finished the regular season with a record of 96-66, tied for the best record in baseball, and ended up winning the East division by two games over New York. They will open the American League division Series against the AL West champion Angels on Wednesday night at Fenway, with Josh Beckett scheduled to pitch opposite LA of A's John Lackey.

The times of the first round have yet to be determined, but Game 2 will be Friday in Boston, with the matchup likely being Curt Schilling facing Kelvim Escobar, and Game 3 will be on Sunday out in Orange County where Daisuke Matsuzaka will make his MLB postseason debut when he squares off against Jered Weaver.

Tonight the team gets to rest and let the grind of the regular season seep out of them, recharge the batteries for what should be a tough ALDS, and then after taking care of business in the opening round, start preparing for what could be the third ALCS between the Sox and Stanks in the last five years.

The regular season was fun, memorable, and historic for many reasons.

But this postseason has a chance to be one for the ages.

The drive to bring championship No. 2 of the new millennium to the Hub begins on Wednesday in what will be an electric atmosphere in the best baseball city in the world, and by this time next week we could know if another meeting with the Bombers is in the cards.

But first things first for the club. First enjoy the rally tomorrow, then shoot 18 holes or lounge around your cribs all day Tuesday, because on Wednesday the white-hot spotlight of the postseason will be beaming down on Beantown.

And there's no place else the Sox and its Nation of faithful would rather be.

Congrats, Sox, and let's kick some Angels ass.

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Game Preview: 2007 Season Finale (Sox vs. Twins)

Boston will put a cap on the regular season with an utterly meaningless game against the Twins

Garza (4-7) vs. Tavarez (7-10)
205 @ Fenway Park

The Red Sox will finish the 2007 season this afternoon at Fenway in game that carries about as much importance as a mid-March matchup at Chain O' Lakes Park.

How meaningless is this contest?

With both the East title and best record in baseball wrapped up, Boston elected to scratch scheduled starter Curt Schilling and replace him with scrub starter Julian Tavarez, a move that says as much about the Sox postseason pitching plans than the unimportance of this contest.

With nothing left to play for Schilling will be rested presumably to start Game 2 of the ALDS on Friday against the Angels, and Tito will cross his digits and pray that nobody gets injured in this game today, even if he has to pull every regular before the fourth inning.

As the hangover subsides and reality sets in, this game will give Boston a chance to sit back, relax, and asses their postseason plans. Decisions need to be made on who will make the roster and who will be left off, but by electing to begin their series on Wednesday it appears the sox will be content to bring only three starters into the first round.

Obviosuly ace Josh Beckett is the No. 1 man, and by pulling Schill today to set him up for Game 2, that would leave struggling starter Daisuke Matsuzaka to start Game 3 in Anaheim on Sunday. And with Wakefield pitching poorly the last month + and Clay Buchholz being shut down with the dreaded but convenient "tired arm" syndrome, it makes sense for Boston to use three starters for a series that will be stretched out over eight days.

So there's nothing left but the shutting down of the regular season and getting on with the postseason plans today at Fenway, and you can bet by the middle of this game all the regulars will be relaxing in the clubhouse, the Sox brass will be brainstorming their playoff roster, and the Faithful will be gearing up for the rally Monday evening at City Hall Plaza.

Like last year the Sox are playing another meaningless game on the last day of the regular season.

But this time its for all the right reasons.

Congratulations and thanks for an awesome, memorable regular season, BoSox.

Now let's get to work on scheduling another duck boat invasion come late October.

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Simply the Best: Sox win + Tribe loss gives Boston the best record

Sox 6, Twins 4
WP: Wakefield (17-12)
LP: Blackburn (0-2)
SV: Okajima (5)
HRs: BOS-Drew (11), Lowell (21); MIN-Mauer (7), White (4)

Things are going so well right now even Drew is right in the middle of the good times

SUMMARY
A day after wrapping up its first AL East title in 12 years the Red Sox secured the best record in baseball and homefield advantage that goes along with it as J.D. Drew hit a three-run homer in the seventh to defeat the Twins and Kansas City staged a late comeback to beat the Indians.

No, Papelbon didn't strip & dance on the mound to celebrate this milestone victory.

#1 STUNNER J.D. Drew 3-4, 2R, 3BI, 3B, HR
The ridiculed right fielder continues to smash out of his season-long slump just at the right time, drilling three more hits tonight, raising his average to the highest point its been at since mid-May, and helping people forget about his post game celebration no-show after last night's division-clinching win.

GAGME The Cleveland Indians
All their pitchers had to do was keep lowly K.C. from scoring any runs and then let the powerful Tribe offense lead the team to victory. Instead Jake Westbrook surrendered three runs in the first inning, the offense got shut down by a host of horrid Royal relievers, and the bullpen surrendered the best record-losing run in the bottom of the eighth.

Not exactly a clutch performance on the eve of the postseason. But thanks, though.

RECAP
He might not have been there for last night's maniacal & hysterical post game celebration, but J.D Drew did his part to ensure there would be another, perhaps more subdued, fete tonight when he blasted a three-run homer to help lead the Sox to the best record in baseball.

So what if he didn't get to see Papelbon in his Under Armor, coated in champagne & beer and acting like a pledge at a kegger, in person last night?

By now it's been well-documented that Drew left the park following last night's game due to family concerns (pregnant wife, healing son; if there's one thing we have learned about this quiet, quizzical player it's that he is a family man first and foremost), but with the support of his teammates and a blazing hot bat, Drew continued to play a major role in the Sox late-season resurgence.

The right fielder is batting .393 in his last 18 games and has raised his average from .252 to .270 (as in $70 million...?) in that time, and he was directly involved in most of the scoring action tonight.

After Sox starter Tim Wakefield (7IP, 6H, 4R, 3ER, BB, 2K, 2HR) spotted the Twins a 2-run lead on a pair of solo homers--a leadoff job by the ancient Rondell White in the third and a one-out shot by catcher Joe Mauer in the fourth--Drew ignited the Sox first rally with a solid triple to deep center field, then scored on a single by Kevin Youkilis (3-4, BI) to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Wake, who once again wasn't sharp by was good enough to earn his first win since August 25th, allowed RBI singles by Brian Buscher in the fifth and Mauer in the sixth to run the Minny lead to 4-1, but then Sox MVP Mike Lowell (2-4, 2R, 2BI) launched a solo shot to open the sixth to slice the lead in half, and after Wake set the Twins down in order in the seventh, Boston mounted a comeback that put an exclamation point on what has to be considered a spectacular regular season.

Coco Crisp led off the frame with a single to left off Twins reliever Nick Blackburn, and after Alex Cora followed with a single to move Crisp to second, Lowell negated a Manny strikeout with an RBI single to left, his 120th ribbie of the season, setting the stage for Drew's dramatics.

Drew battled Blackburn to a full count before depositing a fastball into the rightfield stands for his third homer in his last eighth games, and he rounded the bases to a rousing ovation from the Faithful, it felt as if this team is finally where we had all hoped it would be at this time of the season:

clicking on all cylinders.

On the heels of the news the Tribe had lost, Boston announced that Curt Schilling will not start the season finale tomorrow, fueling speculation that he will be the starter for Game 2 of the ALDS vs. Los Angeles of Anaheim, and you can expect a patchwork crew of position players to take the field for what has turned out to be an absolutely meaningless game on Sunday at Fenway.

And boy doesn't it feel good?

It's been a long, up & down road to this point, and hopefully the best is yet to come.

Enjoy football this Sunday.

After all, the Sox have given the Nation the gift of its first lazy Sunday in a long time.

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AL EAST CHAMPS! Sox win first division title since '95

Sox 5, Minnesota 2
WP: Matsuzaka (15-12)
LP: Slowey (4-1)
SV: Papelbon (37)
HRs: BOS-Papi (35); MIN-Morneau (31)

SUMMARY
The Boston Red Sox ended the 10-year stranglehold the New York Stankees held on the American League East, first by knocking off the Twins at Fenway and then by watching Baltimore come back to defeat the Stanks in 10 innings, and for the first time since 1995 the Red Sox can call themselves division champs.

#1 STUNNER Daisuke Matsuzaka 8IP, 6H, 2ER, 2BB, 8K, 2HR
Although there was no shortage of candidates for this one, Dice-K's effort stands out as reason number one why Boston clinched the division tonight. He held the Twins scoreless for six inning while the Boston offense built a big enough lead, and even though he falteres a bit in the seventh, he still gave the club a much-needed quality after a month of disappointing outings.

GAGME Mariano Rivera 1IP, 3H, 3ER (NYY vs. BAL)
I know, he didn't play in this game. But if he hadn't blown a three-run 9th inning lead against the Orioles, people wouldn't be dancing down Comm Ave in nothing but their skivvies right now.

Thanks again, Mariano. What, no tip of the cap?

RECAP
So I didn't get to see most of this game, and I found out the Stanks lost well after the fact, but who the hell cares, because I still get to say

THE RED SOX ARE THE AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST CHAMPS, BABY!

Sorry, I just got done watching Dick Vitale on the USF football game.

By the time I got home from work and then coaching my son's LL game, this one was just about in the books. I came in just in time to see Dice-K surrender his only two runs of the game in the seventh, and then I got to watch Big Papi blast another homer run in the 8th, Matsuzaka bounce back with a three-batter eighth, and finally Papelbon close the division-clinching win out with a 1-2-3 ninth.

And now the Sox have the satisfaction of knowing that despite a late-season slide that saw the Stanks slice a mammoth lead into a minuscule margin, despite numerous costly injuries and a couple of untimely slumps, Boston has weathered the baseball battles of the 2007 season and come out as the best team in the best division in baseball, with a chance to end up with the best record in the game.

And as I get ready to hit the sack hard in a few minutes, I'm sure my dreams will be filled with visions of champagne showers, giddy grown men acting like kids, and Jonathan Papelbon dancing around the Fenway infield in nothing but his Under Armor and a pair of goggles.

Enjoy it tonight, boys.

Soon enough it will be time to get back down to the business of winning another meaningful title.

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Another one-run loss keeps Sox two games short

Minnesota 5, Sox 4
WP: Bonser (8-12)
LP: Beckett (20-7)
SV: Nathan (36)
HRs: BOS-Papi (34), Tek (16); MIN-Cuddyer (16), Jones (2)

SUMMARY
For one of the few times this season Josh Beckett couldn't provide a quality start as the Cy Young candidate had his worst outing in weeks in his final start of the season.

Becks surrendered five runs and 10 hits in just six innings of work, and although his teammates tried to stage a comeback, the deficits proved too much to overcome.

New York won as well, leaving Boston's "magic number" at two games.

#1 STUNNER Jason Bartlett 3-5, 2R, 2B
The unknown shortstop was a catalyst all night from the leadoff spot, reaching base and scoring in two of the first three innings and providing a spark for what had been a moribund Minny offense.

GAGME Beckett 6IP, 10H, 5ER, 0BB, 6K, 2HRs, E
Not only did Becks surrender double-digit hits for just the fourth time in 30 starts, he allowed the leadoff batter to reach base in each of the first five innings, gave up runs in five of his six innings, and made a costly error, just his second of the season.

Not exactly the kind of game a Cy Young front-runner wants to end his season with.

RECAP
All season long Josh Beckett has picked this team up with his clutch outings, huge wins, and excitable nature.

But tonight, in his final start of what will be remembered as one of the best seasons a starting pitcher has ever had in a Boston uniform, not just for the numbers but for the way he carried this club month after month while all the other starters suffered steep dips in production, the Texas steed was unable to ride off into the sunset in proper fashion:

with a win under his wild west belt buckle.

From the get-go you could tell this just wasn't his night when he allowed a single and a triple to the first two batters of the game, and he was fortunate to escape further damage when Minnesota ran into a foolish out at home plate and then ended the inning with a strike-'em-out/throw-'em-out double play.

Boston's blazing offense grabbed the lead right back in the bottom of the first when Pedroia led off with a single, and after he was forced at second on a great diving play by third baseman Brian Buscher that robbed Manny of a hit, David Ortiz (4-4, 2R, 2BI, BB) roped the first of his four hits, a double off the Monster, to score Ramirez all the way from first to tie the game.

Papi now has 51 doubles, second in the majors, is batting .425 (17-40) in his last 10 games, and owns and an ungodly .444 OBP, first in MLB by a mile.

Too bad his homers are down, huh?

Lowell, who also had a rough night (0-5), grounded out and moved Ortiz to third, then another hot Sox hitter, J.D. Drew, stroked a single to left center to score Papi and give Boston and Beckett a 2-1 lead.

But as I said before, this wasn't Becks' night, and as if to confirm those suspicions (fears?) he surrendered a Monster homer to Michael Cuddyer on his third pitch of the second inning that tied the contest at two.

It only got worse from there.

Minny put single runs on the board in five of the first six innings against Beckett, giving new meaning to the term "chipping away", and none of those runs allowed was more embarrassing than when he botched another brilliant defensive play by Pedroia in the fifth.

Nick Punto led off the inning with a double but appeared to be stranded there as Beckett got the next two out. Torii Hunter then smacked a hard grounder up the middle that Pedroia dove for and somehow reached, and as Punto sped around towards home, Dustin popped up and fired a strike that probably would have nailed Punto at the plate.

Except Beckett cut off the throw and then airmailed it to Tek from 10 feet away, and Minnesota grabbed a 4-2 lead on one of the rare times that Beckett has looked both awkward and awful all year.

The gaffe hurt even more when Ortiz led off the bottom of the inning with a titanic blast way over the bullpens for his 34th longball, slicing the lead to 4-3, but after
Beckett finally retired the leadoff man in the sixth, someone named Garret Jones slammed a 1-0 fastball from Josh to far and deep to straightaway center field to push the lead back to two, 5-3.

After getting out of that inning Beckett was replaced by Bryan Corey for the seventh, then Hideki Okajima made his first appearance since the club shut him down 10 days ago due to fatigue in the eighth.

Oki looked good, allowing a single to his second batter but striking out the last two hitters of the eighth, and when Varitek crushed an opposite-field homer into the Monster seats to cut the deficit to 5-4 in the bottom of the inning, there was a rising sensation in the Nation that this might be the night for one of those miraculous, 2004-esque comeback wins.

Ah, no.

It's not like they didn't have their chances, putting two runners on base after Tek's homer but failed to score, and then we had to suffer thorough the 5,725th time Boston couldn't do anything with a bases loaded situation in the ninth.

Brandon Moss, who ran for Manny in the 7th, started the inning off right with a double off the top of the Monster scoreboard, and when Ortiz walked to bring up RBI king Lowell with two on and no outs, the Faithful could sense a rally in the rain-soaked air.

Unfortunately even the team's hitting MVP couldn't get the job done tonight as Lowell grounded out to first base, moving the runners up, and when Twins closer Joe Nathan intentional walked Drew to load the bases, the game was in the hands of Varitek, a.k.a Captain Clutch.

Nathan fanned Tek and made him look pretty awful doing so, then he embarrassed pinch hitter Kevin Youkilis on a check swing strike three to end the game, and just like that the magic feeling dissipated into the misty September sky.

After coming through in the clutch all season, Beckett and Lowell didn't get the job done tonight.

Maybe their teammates can do them a favor and pick up a division title tomorrow.

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*Series Preview: Twins at Sox (*final series of the season)

Minnesota Twins (77-81) at Red Sox (94-64)
4-game series @ Fenway
Standings: BOS up 3 gms in AL East, MIN 17 GB in AL Central
Season Series: BOS leads 2-1

Probable Pitching Matchups:
GM1 Thu 705 Bonser (7-12, 5.09) vs. Beckett (20-6, 3.14)
GM2 Fri 705 Slowey (4-0, 4.57) vs. Matsuzaka (14-12, 4.48)
GM3 Sat 705 Silva (13-14, 4.22) vs. Wakefield (16-12, 4.80)
GM4 Sun 205 Garza (4-7, 3.92) vs. Schilling (9-8, 3.87)

Preview:
The last series of the regular season begins tonight at Fenway Park when Josh Beckett will try to win his 21st game against the disappointing Minnesota Twins.

Let's all hope the celebrating will follow about three to four hours later.

Boston can wrap up its first division title since '95 tonight with a win and a Stankees loss at Tampa Bay, and judging by New York's makeshift lineup for the first game after clinching its 13th consecutive postseason appearance, they have already conceded this two horse race to the front runners.

Now all the Sox have to do is go out and take care of business and lock this sucker down and we can all party like it's 1995. Whatever that may entail.

They certaainly have the right man for the job on the hill as the club's pitching MVP Beckett will attempt to secure yet one more major victory for his team this season. The Cy Yong frontrunner has been on a roll for the last month, rolling up four straight wins and limiting opponents to just 7 runs in 28 innings for a 2.25 ERA in that time.

Boston should also benefit from the fact that it will not have to face Twins ace Johan Cytana, who pitched last night at Detroit. That means the Sox will face the sorry quartet of the erratic Boof Bonser, rookie righty Kevin Slowey, puzzling-but-talented Carlos Silva, and youngster Matt Garza.

Not exactly the 1972 Baltimore Orioles rotation.

So Boston should have a good chance to win the East tonight. Manny is back and swinging a hot bat (4-5 in fist two games since coming back), J.D. Drew has found his sweet opposite field swing at just the right time (11-36, .305 w/ 9 RBIs in his last 10 games), and Jacoby Ellsbury, Papi and Lowell just keep cranking out big hits every single night.

And a makeshift Stankee lineup is going up against Scott Kazmir in the Rays home finale.

All the Sox need is for their season-long savior to carry them to one more clutch victory, and then the Sox and the Nation can crack open the bubbly and prepare to take on the Indians when the real season starts next week.

Go Sox!

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Series Recap: BOS @ MIN

Sox win series, 2 games to 1

GM 1: BOS, 2-0
GM 2: MIN, 2-1
GM 3: BOS, 4-3

STATS: BOS/MIN:
HITS: 24/18
RUNS: 7/5
AVG: .240/.194
HRs: 1/0

This one had to be considered another successful series for the Sox. Minnesota was the best hitting team in the majors coming in, but the stellar Boston pitching staff held the depleted Twins offense in check and the bats did just enough to earn a couple of wins, although many players left the Twin Cities with averages considerably lower than when they arrived.

And who woulda thunk that Dustin Pedroia would be the hitting hero of the series? The put-upon young second baseman carried a .180 BA like an albatross around his neck into the weekend, but with the backing of his manager he shed that weight and turned in a sparkling series.

Let's take a look at the composite box for the batters, but beware, some of these figures are not pretty:

• Lugo: 0-10, 2K- his .221 avg. got him Sunday off
• Youk: 2-12, R, RBI, 2K- what, no walks?
• Papi: 1-10, R, RBI, HR, 4BB, 3K- dipped under .300
• Manny: 3-8, 2-2B, BB, K- raised avg 57 pts in a week
• Drew: 2-10, 2B, R, 2BI, 2BB, 2K- .266 and falling fast
• Lowell: 0-11, BB, K- talk about a no-show at the plate
• Coco: 2-9, RBI, 2K- he was heating up
• Cora: 5-8, 3B, 2R- scorching no matter where he plays
• 'Tek: 2-5, RBI, BB, K- has a modest 4-gm hit streak
• Pedroia: 5-6, 3-2B, R, RBI- raised avg 59 pts in 2 games
• WMP: 1-4, R, 2K, E-
• Hinske: 0-4, 2K

As you see by those bleak stats it wasn't exactly a hitting clinic being conducted at the Metrodome.

Not that the Twins batters fared much better. Torii Hunter was the only member of the Minnesota lineup to have a decent series (5-10, extended hitting streak to 20 games), but MVP Justin Morneau (2-9) and batting champ Joe Mauer (1-3 before heading to the DL w/ a quad injury) were no-shows. Combine that with Michael Cuddyer being unavailable for the last few games and it added up to very little offense over the three games.

On the flip side the batters will tell you that the poor stats are a reflection of quality pitching. Either way, let's shine some light on the performances by the pitchers, where low numbers are good numbers:

• Schilling: 6.2IP, 8H, 3ER, 2BB, 7K, W- the ace is looking solid at 4-1
• Tavarez: 6IP, 4H, 2ER, 3BB, 7K, L- he's pitched better than 1-3 indicates
• Wake: 7IP, 3H, 0R, 3BB, 2K, W- he's like the Energizer Bunny; ERA: 2.11
• Papelbon: 2IP, K, 2SV- what shoulder problem?
• Okajima: 1.1IP, 2H- finally allowed a run to score, but still
• Donnelly: 1/3, nothing allowed
• Romero: 2/3, H, K
• Pineiro: 2IP, nothing allowed

Yep, if there's one thing this series reiterated to everyone it's that the pitching staff still rules the roost for Boston. But as long as these guys to continue to pitch like they have, it doesn't matter if the high-priced shortstop is batting .220 and the high-priced right fielder's average has plummeted 109 points in 2 1/2 weeks.

Nope, the Sox are sitting pretty in first place by 5 1/2 games, owners of the second-best record in baseball, and oblivious to all the hubbub going on in the Bronx.

After all, when you've got an explosive staff like this, who needs to add any rocket fuel to it?

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Sox, Schill hold of Twins to take series

Sox 4, Twins 3

WP: Schilling (4-1)
LP: Ponson (2-4)
SV: Papelbon (10)
HRs: None
Soxbox

RECAP:
Just call me Usher, because this is my confession, part II: I didn't see today's game, either.

I kind of hinted at that prospect yesterday, but I just want to get it out there so nobody thinks I'm trying to fake it.

No it seems as if the rigors of attending a Little League game, a wedding, and a major league baseball game with thousands of exuberant Little Leaguers in a span of 27 hours is not conducive to catching up on missed ballgames.

It is conducive to catching up on missed sleep, though, which is what I did when I got home from the Rays game today. Well, not sleep, exactly, I think it's called collapsing.

When I awoke from my brief slumber I checked out the vital stats of the game and was relieved to see that the Sox hung on for the win. I knew they hung on because at the Trop when the scoreboard flashed 4-0 Boston, everyone and their son told me, knowing that I am the resident Sox nut on our team.

After perusing the box score, recap and highlights I noticed a few things:

1.) Schill pitched a whale of a game (6.2IP, 8H, 3ER, 2BB, 7K) but was probably kept in there too a bit long. He was cruising with a shutout through 6, then fell apart in the 7th, when he allowed 2 runs and Oki gave up the third, which was added to Curt's tab. Then again,I didn't see the game, so I may be wrong here.

2.) Dust Pedroia finally had a good f-ing day at the plate: three hits and run scored, two of the hits were doubles. Maybe that '50 at bats' shit Tito was spewing last week wasn't so wacky after all.

The ironic thing is that the guy who is supposed to replace Pedroia at second base, Alex Cora, started at short and contributed 2 more hits and scored 2 runs to raise his average to .405, so now I guess it's Lugo who should watch his back.

Who are we kidding? If they wouldn't sit a kid in his second year making $380k, they sure as hell ain't gonna bench a $36 million dollar free agent. Suddenly the Curse of Rentanerror is looking mighty strong at that spot.

3.) Thankfully, Jonathan Papelbon is as healthy and dominant as ever. With that blown save last week, and the three days of panic & worry it created in the Nation, we had to be thinking "okay, let's see some signs of him not being alright."

Apparently none are there as the menacing glare and crackling fastball are still as nasty as advertised. Thanks to Paps having everyone's back, on a day when Schill gave another quality start but faltered late, and the normally unhittable Okajima allowed a run to score (although he would induce MVP Morneau to ground out after that), the Sox came out Minnesota with a series win and head into the offday tomorrow on a high note.

I'll have a full recap on this series tomorrow, that way maybe I'll know what the hell is going on. I feel so out-of-the-loop.

Now what's this I hear about Clemens signing with the Stanks?

RECORD: 20-10

AL EAST: Up 5.5 games on NYY (they're coming baaaack)

UP NEXT: Off Monday; @ TOR Tue

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Sox fall to Twins despite Tavarez besting Santana

Minnesota 2, Sox 1
WP: Santana (4-3)
LP: Tavarez (1-3)
SV: Nathan (8)
HR: none

RECAP:
I'm not even going to pretend that I saw any of this game. I could do like some bloggers do and just glean the highlights from SportsCenter & a bunch of web sites, but I'm not going to do that.

I'm too tired.

In the last 12 hours I coached my son's baseball team in the 90 degree heat, attended a wedding on the beach- in said 90 degree heat-, danced the night away at the reception, and then came home and crashed on the couch just in time to catch the DeLa Hoya/Mayweather fight.

If you saw that fight you can understand why that Ambien-inspired travesty, plus a combination of a few too many Bacardi & Cokes (ahem, open bar) has made me a little groggy and left me with no desire to replay back the game on the DVR. Normally I would do that in the morning and give a review then, but we're headed to luxurious Tropicana Field in the A.M. for Little League Day at the Trop, and by the time I get home from that I'm not going to feel like watching Sunday's game, never mind tonight's.

But I digress. Or I'm babbling. Anyway, from what I gather the Sox had a pretty rough time of it tonight at the Metrodome this evening. Julie Tavarez actually out pitched Johan Santana- let me write that again, just so I know I'm not hallucinating from the rum- Julie Tavarez out pitched Johan Santana, yet the Sox stranded 12 baserunners and couldn't crack the solid Twins bullpen.

It's too bad I missed this one because it sounds like it was a real thriller; Minny scored its two runs on a fielder's choice groundout and an infield single, while Boston plated its only run on a ground-rule double. Yawn.

Long story short, Santana only lasted five innings but the Twins bully shut down the Sox lineup for the rest of the game, and Boston dropped a game in which a scrub starter out-pitched a two-time Cy Young winner

Glad I missed it.

RECORD: 19-10

AL EAST: Up 5.5 games on 3 teams

UP NEXT: @ MIN 2P EST
Schilling vs. Ponson ( I shouldn't have to watch that mismatch!)

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Game Preview: Sox @ Twins, GM2

Tavarez (1-2, 7.58 ) vs. Santana (3-2, 3.60) 7P EST

I don't have a whole lot of time to go over this one; I just got back from my son's LL game (we won, 16-0, and finished the season outscoring the opponents 34-0) and I am headed out to a wedding down on the beach.

Anyway, what else needs to be said about this game other than it will be a minor miracle if they pull this one off. Boston's worst starter squaring off against Minny's best, who also happens to be one of the best in the league, does not bode well for the boys from Beantown. It doesn't even matter that Santana is coming off a couple of poor starts and has lost two in a row at home, or that he hasn't fared well in his career against Boston (3-4, 3.55 ERA), or that Gascan Tavarez is coming off of his best start of the season, a win in Yankee Stadium on Sunday.

We all know that Cy-Tana is capable of tossing a no-hitter just as we know it's possible Tavarez might not be able to register one out.

All that matters is the way the Sox are playing right now, they feel like they can win every game they play in. And when you have that kind of feeling on a ballclub, anything is possible. In true Little League spirit, each player is picking up the other's slack and taking turns contributing to this hot streak (12-4) they are on. If it's not Manny or Papi knocking in the key run, it's Lowell or Cora. Drew has been slumping, now Coco is heating up. Willy Mo spells Cora and hits a monster grand slam and goes 4-4 the other night. And the pitching staff is doing the same thing.

So like I said, they way this team is (hate to say it cause of that obnoxious, overplayed ad) gellin', a win today isn't out of the question.

They just have to go out there, give it their best shot, and let the ball fall where it may.

At least that's what we tell 'em in Little League.

Go Sox!

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Sox shutout Twins to retake best record in MLB

Sox 2, Minnesota 0
WP: Wakefield (3-3)
LP: Silva (2-2)
SV: Papelbon (9)
HR: Big Papi (8)
Soxbox

Mirabelli getting tagged out at the plate by backup catcher Mark Redmond was one of several nice plays the Twins made tonight

SUMMARY
This game was a stark contrast to last night's wild & woolly 15-run, 21-run affair.

Tonight's game was a pitcher's duel all the way, with the lone run before the 9th coming on an upper deck blast by Big Papi, and thanks to crisp defense and quality pitching the game was completed in a tidy 2 1/2 hours. Nice.

HERO: Davis Ortiz 1-3, R, RBI BB, K, HR
The way both pitchers were dealin' a shutout through five innings you could sense that the first run was going to be a big one.

Leave it to Big Papi to make sure the first run was really, really big, as his triple deck moonshot simultaneously broke the baggie barrier and deflated the Twins fans' hearts in a mere 2.2 seconds.

GOAT: Julio Lugo 0-5, 5 LOB
Coming off his horror show of a fielding display last night and colder than dry ice at the plate, the $8 million dollar shortstop really needed to have a solid game tonight.

He didn't. He was 0-5, flied out twice, popped out twice and hit into two fielder's choice grounders; he's now in a 4-27 funk that has dropped his average to .231. Soon he may be dropped from the leadoff spot, too.

RECAP

Just what Boston needed after the hysterics and high drama off the past few games: a nice, easy, stress-free "W", one that required minimal effort as far as scoring runs & running bases and that ended before most games that started an hour earlier did.

That's because we had two pitchers that were just mowing down batters, and when they did allow a hit, there was either a nice defensive play or big out made to negate the damage.

Tim Wakefield was back to his early-season dominant self, looking like the pitcher that had his knuckler moving and hitters frustrated to the tune of a league-leading 1.35 ERA four starts ago.

Although Minnesota came in as the best hitting team in the AL, the crafty vet (it's mandatory writers must describe Wake that way) held the Twins lineup in check, allowing just three hits and three walks with two strikeouts in seven masterful innings.

The problem for Boston was that Minnesota starter Carlos Silva was pitching nearly as well as Wake. Best known as the man who actually surrendered more home runs than Josh Beckett last year (38-36), the burly right hander allowed only five hits and a run to go along with two walks and a strikeout in his seven innings of work. Too bad that one run was Papi's titanic blast that broke the scoreless tie in the 6th inning.

Both teams would have scoring opportunities sprinkled here and there- Minny left two runners on in the 1st & 2nd innings and Boston wasted a leadoff double in the 3rd and a 2-out triple in the 5th- but the pitchers or their fielders always seemed to find a way out of any jams.

Therefore the game quickly came down to what would happen in the 9th inning: could the Sox tack on an important insurance run or would the Twins be able to tie it with one swing of the bat, and if so who would be throwing that pitch for Boston in the bottom of the 9th?

The answers came as soon as J.D. Drew stepped up to the plate to face one of Minnesota's best relievers, Juan Rincon (1.29 ERA coming in). The slumping & sickly Drew drove Rincon's 3rd pitch deep into the gap in left center, and as Torii Hunter leapt and missed the ball, Drew raced around the bases with a leadoff triple, and all that remained was to get him in.

Coco Crisp would get the job done by lining a sharp single to right off Rincon, and Boston had the all-important insurance run (I'm surprised someone like Geico or Progressive hasn't bought the naming rights to that phrase yet) it needed.

The only other thing it needed was Jonathan Papelbon to step onto the plastic Metrodome grass and silence all the whispers about his health once and for all. And when he did the entirety of Red Sox Nation let out a massive sigh of relief.

Minutes later we'd let out another sigh after yet another CoCoCatch. Justin Morneau led off with a deep blast to straightaway center that Coco ran back for and snared just in front of the wall. Sure it wasn't one of his patented perpendicular plays, but in the context of the game it was friggin' awesome.

After that scare Paps quickly dispatched with the next two batters, the Twins, and the notion that he is anything but healthy enough to be the dominant closer we need him to be.

As I said before the game the Sox needed to grab this one, because to say the matchup tomorrow (Tavarez vs. Santana) doesn't favor Boston is like saying Sanjaya can't sing.

NOTES:

-Hunter extended his hitting streak to 19 games by beating out an infield single in the first; he would add another hit and is now batting .340. He's also hitting Wakefield at a .380 clip in his career.

-Boston had an odd assortment make up its eight hits: 3 singles, 2 doubles, 2 triples and 1 home run

-Drew returned to the lineup after missing 2 of the last 3 games with a stomach ailment and was 0-2 with a walk before his 9th inning three-bagger

-Did anyone else notice that advertisement behind home plate for a water company that featured a young pageant model who bore a disturbing resemblance to Jon Benet? No, it was just me? Okay.

-Alex (I cant believe I'm not starting yet) Cora got the nod tonight and slapped another 3-hit game on the board for all to see. The super-sub had a triple and a pair of singles and raised his average to a sizzling, and highly ironic given the history of the number with this team, .406; meanwhile Rusty Dusty logs in at a buck eighty.

-Can someone please tell me why Nick Punto was staring down J.C. Romero after Romero froze him solid on strike three in the 8th? Punto, dude, you suck and you got made a fool of, stop staring and take it back to the bench!

QUOTES:

-"I love pitching inside, obviously. And I like pitching in here. ... I can't explain it. I really don't know, but it's one of those things where the ball moves a little bit more here." -Wake, trying to explain his success (7-3 lifetime)in the Metrodome

-"He was fantastic. And he's about 48 hours removed from a couple of IV bags."-Tito talking about how Wake handled the bug that has bitten members of the team in recent days

RECORD: 19-9

AL EAST: Up 6 1/2 games on all 4 teams

UP NEXT: @ MIN 7P EST

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Series Preview: Sox @ Twins

Minnesota Twins (15-13)
AL Central standing: 3.5 games back
Team Avg: .281 (1st in AL) Team ERA: 3.92 (4th)

Pitching matchups:
GM1 FRI, 8EST Wakefield (2-3, 2.59) vs. Silva (2-1, 3.10)
GM2 SAT 7EST Tavarez (1-2, 7.58)vs. Santana (3-2, 3.60)
GM3 SUN 2EST Schilling (3-1, 3.15) vs. Ponson (2-3, 6.67)

KEY PLAYERS:

• Justin Morneau- the reigning AL MVP is off to another good start, hitting .270 with a team-leading 6 homers and 17 RBI
• Torii Hunter- the superb centerfielder is blazing hot right now and has seemed to put his playoff gaffe behind him. Hunter leads the Twins with 6 homers, 14 doubles, 20 RBI, 20 runs and 6 steals, and he has hit in 18 straight games, raising his average from .250 to .330
• Joe Mauer- oh yeah, the reigning batting champ is also off to a torrid start, too. He's 5th in the league in batting at .354 and looks to be the heir apparent to Mike Piazza as the next great hitting catcher
• Johan Santana- the two-time Cy Young winner is not exactly tearing it up so far this season, but you know by the end of the year he'll be in the running for another Cy for the mantle

Although the Twins are leading the league in batting, overall they are not impressing anyone so far. But after what happened with them last season, nobody's counting them out of the race.

Minny languished for over half the season before it got hot and caught & passed the Detroit Tigers for the Central title on the final weekend of play, then came crashing down when it got swept by Oakland in the Division Series. But the team could boast of the league's best hitter (Mauer), pitcher (Cy-tana) and player (Morneau), although fans of David Ortiz think it's ludicrous that the guy won the award over Papi.

This season they seem to be following the same pattern-lay low for a half a year, then come on strong late. The team was really affected down the stretch in '06 by the loss of phenom Francisco Liriano, who jumped out to a 12-3 start, then had to shut it down and have Tommy John surgery.

That loss has also carried over to the staff this season, as Cy-tana has to shoulder the load of being the 1st, 2nd & 3rd best starters on the team. To make matters worse, normally solid closer Joe Nathan has had his troubles so far; he's blown 1 save and taken a bad loss, both versus the Rays, and he's given up 19 hits and 5 runs in 13.1 innings

Boston may have closer troubles of its own, though, as Jonathan Papelbon has been unavailable to pitch since his 35-pitch, blown save meltdown Wednesday night. Could just be precautionary, could be related to his shoulder woes from his phenomenal rookie campaign, when he and Liriano were running neck & neck for the Rookie of the Year until both had to shut it down. If he can't answer the bell tonight, then RSN should start worrying.

Luckily for Boston their offense has been able to compensate for any pitching problems- just ask Dice-K. With Lowell on fire, Manny heating up, and Papi providing the necessary key hit or RBI, this team is as loaded as any in the league, and ready to start this 6 game road trip off on a high note.

Especially with the Gascan facing Cy-tana in Game 2 tomorrow.

Go Sox!

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