Series Preview: Texas @ Sox

Texas Rangers (7-9) at Red Sox (10-7)
4 game series at Fenway

Game 1 Fri 7PM
Mendoza (0-1) vs. Matsuzaka (3-0)
Game 2 Sat 7PM
Jennings (0-3) vs. Lester (1-2)
Game 3 Sun 135P
Millwood (1-2) vs. Wakefield (1-0)
Game 4 Mon 11AM
Gabbard (1-0) vs. Buchholz (0-1)

What to watch for: a pair of old Sox return to Fenway
Former Sox players Kasson Gabbard and David Murphy make their first visit to Fenway since being traded for colossal bust reliever Eric Gagne last July 31st.

With Murphy (.305, HR, 6BI, 9R) and Gabbard (1-0, team low 2.41ERA) off to good starts and showing signs of becoming solid contributors for years to come, and Gagne off blowing saves for the Brewers, this could be one of those trades that comes back to haunt Boston for years to come.

Who to watch: Josh Hamilton .308, 3HR, 15RBI
This kid represents the comeback story of all comebacks as he has gone from prospective big league bust to one of the majors best success stories in the last couple of years.

The former Tampa Bay phenom and No 1 draft pick has battled years of substance abuse and MLB-sanctioned suspensions to climb back to the majors, earning Comeback Player of the Year honors with the Reds last season before being traded to Texas in the off season. His 5-tool talents and sweet swing make him one of the most exciting players to watch in the game.

PREVIEW:
The Sox return to Fenway and finally catch a break with the schedule as the lowly Texas Rangers come to town for a 4-game wraparound series that concludes with the Patriot's Day morning game on Monday.

Fresh off a couple of long games against the Stanks in the Bronx Boston should welcome the Rangers to Fenway with open arms. The Rangers notoriously own one of the worst pitching staffs in the league, and having guys like Luis Mendoza and Jason Jennings throw in this series should be a welcome relief from having to face the Mike Mussinas and Andy Pettittes of the league.

The highlight of this series should be the return of a couple of young prospects the Sox gave up at the trade deadline last season for a man who will forever be reviled in the Hub.

Outfielder David Murphy, who had worked his way up from the minors to make the big club and looked like a potential mainstay in the Sox outfield for years to come, and pitcher Kasson Gabbard, who along with Jon Lester promised to be the backbones of the Boston rotation for many seasons as well, were surprisingly sent packing for washed-up former closer Eric Gagne.

With Gagne already gone and Murphy and Gabbard having the potential to be quality contributors at the major league level for years to come, that move will go down in the annals of bad Sox trades alongside Larry Anderson for Jeff Bagwell and Babe Ruth for cash.

Okay, maybe not that bad, but don't you just get the feeling that Murphy will come back to beat his old club with a clutch later homer and Gabbard will twirl a masterpiece to defeat his former team?

Aside from those guys, the Rangers are looking like the typical Rangers teams of the past few...decades: plenty of offense, lousy pitching. "Ace" Kevin Millwood is 27-28 in his 2+ seasons with the club, and their No 2 starter is the immortal Vincente Padilla.

After losing guys like Gary Matthroids Jr, Gagne, Mark Teixeira and closer Francisco Cordero, this team has gone from potential contender in the AL West to a sure fire division doormat for the foreseeable future.

Hopefully Boston will be able to take advantage of this break in the schedule and rattle off at least 3 wins in this series before the potent Angels come to town on Tuesday.

And keep your fingers crossed that Murphy doesn't tear it up over the weekend and Gabbard doesn't toss a no-no on Marathon Monday.

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Sox bounce back as Beckett stymies Stanks

Sox 7, New York 5
WP: Beckett (2-1)
LP: Mussina (1-3)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Manny, 2 (5); NYY-Cabrera (3)

Maybe Manny screamed BUNKO! every time he hit a round tripper

SUMMARY:
Josh Beckett had his best outing of the season in a game the Sox desperately needed after last night's humiliating defeat, and Manny Ramirez continued his demolition of New York pitching with a two-homer, 3-RBI night as Boston split the two game series in the Bronx.

Superstar: Manny 3-5, 3R, 3BI, 2HR
The Bronx-bred boy ravaged his hometown team once again, slamming the 54th and 55th homers of his career against the team he grew up admiring. He also had 3 hits for the second game in a row and is now batting .343, has 18 RBI, and is just 5 homers away from 500.

The Biggest Loser: Mike Mussina 3IP, 7H, 5ER, 0BB, 2K, 2HR, 2HBP
Not only did Manny hit his 2nd & 3rd homers off him this week, but the regressing veteran has given up 9 earned runs in 8 2/3 innings against Boston over the past 6 days.

RECAP:
Can't really recap this one, because I didn't get to see it.

And of course it had to be the exciting Sox victory I miss, not the travesty of baseball that was last night's abortion of a game.

The story behind it is (are you ready for a good laugh?)...I had to vacate the house tonight because the wife was having the girls over for Bunko.

Not sure what that is, single fellas out there? It's when a bunch of women gather round, drink too many cocktails, tell too many dirty stories and lament about their families all in the guise of playing a meaningless, no-strategy card game.

Okay, you can stop laughing.

Anyway, it wasn't a big deal because they would be done by 9:00-9:30ish, and I had set the DVR to record the game. After taking my son (as a responsible dad I can't expose him to the nonsense) to the batting cages and out to dinner, I would retreat to my den and rewind the game to catch up with what I missed, since it would probably only be in the 4th or 5th inning by then.

Except when I got home the wife had breaking news for me, you know, the kind of news that makes you want to break something.

"Honey, you're not gonna believe this. Right after you left the power went out and the TV and stuff is dead."

After recovering from that sucker punch, I just figured I go reset the breaker and settle for watching the last half of the game.

Nope. "I tried to reset the breaker, but it wouldn't stick" she informs me.

Luckily my son was standing there as well as a couple of Bunko stragglers, so I summoned up all my willpower and didn't toss anything.

Although after checking the score on the computer, I wanted to toss my cookies.

I quickly learned that Beckett was in the midst of handcuffing the cocky sons of bitches from the boogie down, and that Manny had mashed not 1 but 2 dingers off that dickhead Mike Mussina, and that's when the hurt really started to sink in.

All the three TVs with cable boxes were dead, and with the game on Extra Innings, the two with no boxes were about as useful as Eric Gagne in a close game.

From what I "saw" on Game Cast, Boston built a 7-0 lead on Manny's homers, RBI singles by Pedroia and Tek and an RBI double by J.D. Drew, but the Stanks touched Beckett (8IP, 6H, 3ER, 1BB, 5K) for 3 runs in the 5th to slice the lead to 7-3. After giving way to Paps in the 9th, New York tacked on two more against the Boston closer to make a blowout look much closer than it was.

The bad part about following a bunch of dots and stats online is I didn't get to see Kyle Farnsworth nearly decapitate Manny in the 7th, nor did I see Manny's classic irked/amused expression after it happened.

I didn't get to see it, but I probably had a similar look on my face at the time.

After all, how else do you handle missing a great Sox/Stanks contest because of a power surge and a bunch of ladies screaming "BUNKO!"?

RECORD: 10-7
STREAK: W1
AL EAST: Up 1/2 gm
UP NEXT: Fri vs TEX 7PM @ Fenway Mendoza vs. Matsuzaka

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Stanks outslug Sox in sloppy game in the Bronx

New York 15, Sox 9
WP: Hawkins (1-0)
LP: Tavarez (0-1)
SV: Bruney (1)
HRs: BOS-None; NYY- Abreu (2), A-Rod (4)

This screenshot says all you need to know about the game

SUMMARY:
Another day, another interminable, near unwatchable Sox/Stanks slugfest, this one featuring 24 runs, 30 hits, 9 pitchers and 341 pitches, all contained in a tidy 4 hours and 8 minutes. The Stankees had 4 innings in which they scored at least 3 runs, or once more than they had done it all season prior to tonight.

Ug-ly.

Superstar: Georgie Posada 2-5, 2-2Bs, 2R, 3BI
He might be too sore to catch, but he can still hit, and he burned the Sox twice tonight. His first double in the 5th brought the Stanks back to within one run at 8-7, and his second double provided plenty of insurance, plating 2 in the 8th to push the NY lead from 11-9 to 13-9.

The Biggest Loser: take your pick-

• Clay Buchholz - gave up back-to-back homers in the 1st inning, and that wasn't the worst part of his night. By the time he was finished he had been charged with 8 hits and 7 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings, and miraculously he didn't take the loss


• Chien Ming Wang - fresh on the heels of his 2-hit gem last Friday, Wang was gonged to the tune of 8 runs and 9 hits in 4 innings, and he didn't take the loss


• Julian Tavarez - was handed a 2-run lead after the Sox rallied for 6 runs in the 5th, only to revert back to the Julie of old by allowing 4 runs and 3 hits in an inning and a third; he did take the loss


• Mike Timlin - made sure Boston could not stage another 9th inning comeback when he surrendered 4 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks in the 8th. His ERA is now a Fisk-like 27.00.

The list could go on and on, but I guess I'll stop there.

RECAP:
How do you summarize a game like this? I mean without using 4,000 words and 3/4 of them being curses?

I actually missed the first 3 innings because I was at my son's Little League game, which his team won 12-6; by the time I got in the score was 4-3 Stanks, and little did I know the teams were just getting warmed up, or that my son's game would actually be the more entertaining, better played contest I would see this evening.

You've heard of that genre of movies called 'horror porn'? Well the Rivalry has turned into horsehide horror porn, full of disgusting, over-the-top images that make the viewer want to turn their head, only you can't because you are mesmerized by the sickening sights you are seeing in front of you.

Except these major league gross-outs are about 3 times longer than any of the installments of 'Saw' or 'Hostel'.

I can't find the right words to describe what happened, so I'll revert back to an old lazy blogger trick and let the numbers (and bullet points) do the talking:

• The teams combined for 30 hits (Bos-14, NY-16), and 10 players had at least 2 hits apiece


• 17 players scored at least one of the 24 runs with 7 scoring a pair of runs


• 14 batters drove in at least 1 run, and 7 knocked in at least 2 runs


• Boston trailed 3-1 after one inning, tied it at 3 in the 4th, surrendered 4 in the bottom of the 4th to fall behind 7-3, then exploded for 6 in the 5th to take a 9-7 lead


• Not to be outdone, New York countered that 6-spot with 4 of their own in the bottom of the 5th to take an 11-9 lead, then tacked on another 4-run inning to blow the doors off


• Out of the 30 hits, only 10 went for extra bases, and Boston scored all 9 runs without the benefit of a home run


• Jacoby Ellsbury (0-5) was the only starter on either side not to record a hit

It was one of those games that after its over, you can't really remember exactly what happened and when it happened. It comes back to you in bits and pieces, like a bloop single here and an RBI double there, a big hit by Jeter here and a monumental error by Julio Lugo there...

You know, just like the scenes in a horror porn flick. You can't remember exactly what point in the movie the guy got his larynx sliced open with a rusty butcher knife, but you recall it happening at some point in the picture.

Basically that's all I've got to say about this one. I've already snapped at the wife and berated the dog, so now I'm gonna go play a violent video game on the 360 and take some of my frustrations out on a horde of unrelenting alien attackers.

Maybe then I'll rent Turistas and try and forget about this game.

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Series preview: Sox @ Stanks

Red Sox (9-6) @ NY Stankees (8-7)
2 Game series, Yankee Stadium

Game 1 Wed 7PM ESPN
Buchholz (0-1, 3.27) vs. Wang (3-0, 1.23)
Game 2 Thu 7PM
Beckett (1-1, 6.35) vs. Mussina (1-2, 4.15)

What to watch for: see if the Sox (4 straight wins) can keep on rolling
Boston has not lost a game since last Friday, when tonight's starter, Chien Ming Wang, beat them with a complete game 2-hitter. The Sox would love nothing more than to defeat Wang tonight and extend their winning streak to 5 games

Who to watch for: Wang
All eyes will be on the Stankee ace to see if he can duplicate the success he had last week and keep his spectacular start to the 2008 season going.

PREVIEW:
Weren't we just here?

Not here as in new York, but talking about a Sox/Stanks series?

Indeed we were, and thanks to MLB's scheduling buffoons we get a rematch of last weekend's series, in which Boston took 2 of 3 at Fenway, just three days later in the form of a mid-week, 2-game mini series in the Bronx.

My question is, why?

For one thing these 2-gamers suck. They're useless, go by too quick, and don't give an adequate reading of how one team compares to another.

Except for the ones against the Indians. If the Sox played a 100-game series against those chokers, the outcome would be the same 99 times - come from behind victory for Boston.

Thanks to a pair of those in Regressive Field coupled with the last two Boston won against New York, the Sox are riding a 4-game winning streak into the House that Ruth Built (and the city is ready to tear down), and that run has put the them squarely back where they belong: in 1st place in the AL East.

But with all of the teams in the division closely bunched together (last place Tampa Bay is only 2 1/2 games out), the Sox need to keep winning to place some distance between them and the rest of the pack.

And what better way to start than by knocking off their arch enemies and the man who made them look like pony leaguers last weekend, Cheien Ming Wang?

Wang was masterful last Friday at Fenway, allowing just a solo homer by JD Drew and a bunt single by Coco Crisp in defeating Boston 4-1. In three starts this year the righty has allowed just 12 hits and 3 runs in 22 innings, while striking out 11 and walking just 4 batters.

And to think some people question whether or not he should be called an ace?

But there is no reason to think that his fortunes can't change on any given night, and the way Boston has been swinging the bats since that game and the confidence they got from staging two emotional comeback wins in Cleveland says to me that the Sox are ready to end Wang's run and continue their own streak.

Who's with me on this?

Good.

So enjoy the series while it lasts. Tomorrow night we get a classic matchup of a motivated Josh Beckett (a +6.00 ERA just won't cut it for him) and a deteriorating Mike Mussina, so that should be fun. After that the rivals don't play again until the 4th of July weekend in Boston.

By that time Boston should be in full control of the division, while the Stanks are calculating which pitcher they are going to acquire at the trade deadline to make up for letting Johan Santana get away.

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Comeback kings crown Cleveland in 9th again

Sox 5, Cleveland 3
WP: Aardsma (1-1)
LP: Lewis (0-1)
SV: Okajima (1)
HRs: BOS-Tek (3)

SUMMARY:
Jason Varitek slammed a pinch hit home in the 9th inning off Jensen Lewis to break a 3-3 tie, and Boston tacked on an insurance run to continue its streak of come-from-behind wins against Cleveland, dating back to last year's American League Championship Series.

**On a side note, my mom called me with the news that my sister had to be taken in for an emergency C-section just as Tek's homer was sailing over the fence. She and the baby are fine now, so I know her and Paul will take the timing as a sign that little Luke is destined to be a slugger for the Sox someday. Be well Sis and I love you.**

Superstar: Tek 1-1, R, BI, HR
This distinction could have gone to a number of players, such as rookie Jed Lowrie, who had three ribbies in his ML debut, but when the team captain comes off the bench to hit a game-winning homer, well the honor is all his.

The Biggest Loser: Lewis 1.2IP, 5H, 2ER, 2BB, HR
With Cleveland placing closer and yesterday's Loser Joe Borowski on the DL today, it's nice to see they have someone capable of filling his shoes.

It's to be expected though, because the only thing worse than a guy with two first names is a dude with two LAST names.

RECAP:
Wow, are these Indians expert chokers or what?

First the Tribe blew a 3-1 series lead in last year's ALCS by getting bludgeoned in the final 3 contests by a combined score of 30-5, permanently etching their names in the All Time Chokers almanac.

Then yesterday the misery trickled into this season as Cleveland gagged away a late 4-1 lead and lost when Boston scored three times in the 9th, highlighted by a 2-run homer by Manny Ramirez.

And then came tonight's game.

If the playoff losses were gut punches, and last night's was a sucker shot, then this one must have been the kick to the groin.

You know how the song goes: kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down.

But for a little while it looked as if Cleveland was going to exact a small measure of revenge for all these demoralizing losses Boston has inflicted on them the last 7 months.

They grabbed a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth, on a 2-run single by Victor Martinez off Tim Wakefield (6IP, 7H, 2ER, 4BB, 4K), which came just minutes after the Sox scored the first run of the game on a fielder's choice groundout by callup Jed Lowrie.

Then after Lowrie (1-4, 3BI) drove in a couple more runs the conventional way with a soild single past the shortstop to score Youk and Ellsbury, who had both been walked by reliever Jorge Julio (0IP, 2H, 2ER, 2BB) in the 7th, Cleveland tied the game right up in the bottom of the inning, thanks to another awful relief effort by Manny Delcarmen.

People, Cleveland announcers included, love to point out that Delcarmen has "closer's stuff", but might not have the mental makeup to perform well in that high pressure role. Games like tonight, and most of his appearances this year, are proving that axiom to be true.

After Javier Lopez got the first two outs in relief of Wake to start the 7th, he allowed a pair of base runners on a single and hit by pitch, and Delcarmen was called in to put out the fire and keep the lead at 3-2.

Fat chance.

He promptly walked Jhonny Peralta on 5 pitches to load the bases, then hit Ryan Garko on the hand on a 1-0 count to force in the tying run. He got the next batter to end the threat, but the damage was done, and at that point it seemed like momentum had swung in Cleveland's favor.

Maybe, just maybe, this would be their night to stage a miraculous comeback.

Yeah, right.

Boston nearly staged the comeback as they loaded the bases in the 8th when Manny was hit by a pitch (anyone say 'payback'?), Youk (2-4, R, BI, 2B, BB) doubled and Jacoby Ellsbury was intentionally walked. But Jensen got Julio Lugo, who was 3-3 up to this point, to ground into a soul-killing double play, and the stage was set for Cleveland to pull it out.

Except Delcarmen and David Aardsma kept the Tribe off the board in the bottom of the inning, setting the stage for Tek's heroics in the 9th.

As is the captain's homer wasn't enough of a back-breaker, Boston padded the lead when Coco singled to center, Pedroia followed with a double that was misplayed by rightfielder Franklin Guiterriez, and two batter later Youk singled in Coco for a totally unnecessary insurance run.

Didn't even matter that Pedroia got tagged out at the plate, because Hideki Okajima set the Tribe down in order in the 9th, two by strikeout, and the Sox have a 4 game winning streak heading into the 2-game set with the Stanks tomorrow.

If only they could play Cleveland every night.

NOTES:
-Big Jed: how sweet it must have been for the kid who was called up to replace injured World Series MVP Mike Lowell to get his first hit and RBI (3, in fact) in his first major league start?

-Big Papi: he's not completely back yet, as evidenced by his GIDP in the first, but he did add another hit to his season total and drove a ball deep to the warning track in the 8th. His average is now up to .113 (6-53). Baby steps.

-Lineup changes: with Wake pitching Kevin Cash got the start, and with JD Drew getting the night off, Ellsbury moved to righfield and batted 6th with Lugo hitting 7th. Ellsbury reached base 3 times (2BB, 2B) and scored twice, while Lugo went 3-4 to raise his average to .280

-Payback: anyone who doesn't think Manny being hit with no outs in the 8th is crazy. The Indians have been pissed at him since he Cadillac'd on that meaningless homer in Game 4 of the ALCS, and with two Indians batters getting plunked the previous inning, payback was in order. Manny knew it, too, and smiled it off, as usual.

RECORD: 9-6
STREAK: W4
AL EAST: Up 1/2 game
UP NEXT: Wed @ NYY 7PM, ESPN Buchholz vs. Wang

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Game preview: Sox @ Cleveland GM 2

Wakefield (1-0, 3.27) vs. Byrd (0-2, 11.05)
7PM Progressive Field

The Sox will try to take both games of this micro series when two crafty old vets, 41-year-old Tim Wakefield and 37-year-old Paul Byrd, he of the whirly bird delivery and HGH rumors, take the mound tonight at the stadium previously known as the Jake.

The matchup will be a rematch of Game 4 of the 2007 ALCS, when Wakefield gave up five runs in the 5th inning to get tagged for the loss while Byrd threw 5 innings of 6-hit, 2-run ball to get the win.

But it was just before that game that a report surfaced about Byrd's possible involvement with performance enhancing drugs, and it cast a shadow over his start and career that still has not lifted.

Neither pitcher has thrown well this year, with Byrd getting tagged for 11 runs and 13 hits in 7.1 innings over 2 starts, while Wake has given up 9 hits and 8 walks in his two starts but only 4 earned runs.

Speaking of shitty pitching, last night's goat, Tribe closer Joe Borowski, said he will probably have his arm examined to see why he had no velocity in the 9th inning, causing him to cough up a 1-run lead. On the moonshot that Manny hit off him to win the game, the 2007 saves leader said "It's like I'm stuck in one gear. I had no extra gear. Not only that, I couldn't locate."

It wasn't hard to locate the pitch he threw to Manny, though.

With Papi rapping 2 hits to raise his average over .100, Manny, Youk, Coco and Drew aall in a groove and Byrd on the mound, tonight would be a good win to get as the Sox head to the Bronx tomorrow.

If Borowski pitches again, that win might be guaranteed.

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Sox steal one in Cleveland thanks to Manny's late bomb

Sox 6, Cleveland 4
WP: Timlin (1-1)
LP: Borowski (0-2)
SV: Papelbon (5)
HRs: BOS-Youk (1), Manny (3); CLE: None

SUMMARY:
The Red Sox practiced what us coaches preach to our Little Leaguers every week: it ain't over till it's over. Down 4-1 after six innings, Boston scored 1 in the 7th, 1 in the 8th and 3 in the 9th, the big blow a 2-run homer by Manny Ramirez off closer Joe Borowski that helped beat his former team in a rematch of the 2007 ALCS.

Superstar: Manny 2-5, R, 2BI
He hadn't had the best game up until that point- striking out looking twice, once with the bases loaded to end the 7th- but another thing we always teach the kids is you're always gonna get another chance to redeem yourself, and Manny sure did tonight.

The Biggest Loser: Borowski 2/3IP, 4H, 3ER, HR, BS, L
No sooner had the announcers made a point of Borowski's tendency to give up a lot of base runners and runs, noting his plus-5.00 ERA last year despite 45 saves, did the 37-year-old closer allow plenty of both in turning what seemed like a sure fire Cleveland win into a heartbreaking loss in a matter of minutes.

RECAP:
It was another near 4-hour game, but at least it was worth waiting for the outcome of this one.

Down by 3 runs with just three innings to play, Boston scratched away for solo runs in the 7th off starter Jake Westbrook and the 8th against lights out reliever Rafael Betancourt before breaking the game open with a trio of runs in the 9th inning to earn its third straight victory and send Cleveland to its 4th loss in the last 5 games.

But the game had a couple of twists to it before we even got to that point.

Boston took a 1-0 lead in the first when Pedroia walked, David Ortiz broke his 0-17 skid with a bloop single to the opposite field, and after Ramirez struck out, kevin Youkilis hit a clutch 2-out double to right to give the the Sox the early lead.

With Jon Lester (4.1IP, 5H, 4ER, 5BB, 3K) cruising through the first three innings without allowing a hit, Westbrook struggling early, and Papi primed to break out of his slump, it looked as if Boston would win this one going away.

Then, like the weather across the country this spring, things changed in a hurry.

In the 4th inning Lester lost all semblance of control, and his shot at another win at the scene of his return to baseball after beating cancer went along with it. He walked the leadoff batter and then surrendered a single to Travis Hafner, then followed that with an RBI single to Victor Martinez, and after striking out Jhonny Peralta, gave up an RBI single to Ryan Garko that put Cleveland ahead 2-1.

Meanwhile Westbrook (6.1IP, 7H, 2R, 1ER, 3BB, 5K) settled down, retiring the Sox in order in the fifth, including Papi swinging to end the frame. But in the bottom of the inning Hafner (2-5, R, 2BI) laced a 2-run single to right that chased Lester from the game and brought Julian Tavarez in from the pen, eliciting gulps and "oh wells" from the Nation

Surprisingly, though, Tavarez (2.2IP, 2H, 4K) pitched effectively, striking out Garko and David Delucci to end the threat, and then breezed through the 6th, prompting Steve Phillips to insinuate that he may be doctoring the ball because it had so much movement on it.

Hey, when Julie pitches as well as that, one can't help but wonder if he's cheating to do so.

Anyway, Tavarez' solid relief work helped his teammates get back in the game. Pedroia knocked in Lugo with an infield hit to cut the deficit to 4-2 in the 7th, but when Betancourt relieved Westbrook and fanned Papi and Manny with the bases loaded to squelch the rally, it didn't look like a comeback was in the works.

Or was it.

Youk's solo shot to lead off the 8th off the fireballing reliever, who was so good in the ALCS, suddenly brought the Sox to within one, 4-3, and if they could just mount a rally against Borowski they could pull this one out.

Which of course you know by now, they did.

Lugo started the winning rally with a double to left to lead off the 9th, and then Coco, who is playing his best ball now that he is injury free and not under pressure to be the man, sacrificed him to third. Pedroia lofted a sac fly to left to tie the game and bring the Faithful back to the edge of their seats, and wouldn't you know Papi blooped another single to the outfield to keep hope alive.

Sometimes it's the little things from the big fella.

What came next was not little, though, as Manny crushed the first pitch he saw from Borowski over the wall in left center for a momentous game-winning blast, and as his smiling teammate Ortiz greeted him at home plate you got the feeling that this will be Manny's year to bask in the accolades that come from delivering the clutch, game-0winning hits for a pennant contending club.

No problem here.

As long as those hits keep coming, we don't care who's delivering them.

RECORD: 8-6
STREAK: W3
AL EAST: 1/2 GB
UP NEXT: Tue @ CLE 7P Wakefield vs. Byrd

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Series preview: Sox @ Cleveland

Red Sox (7-6) at Cleveland Indians (5-7)
2 game series at Progressive Field

Game 1 Monday 7PM ESPN
Lester (1-2, 4.50) vs. Westbrook (1-1, 2.76)
Game 2 Tuesday 7PM
Wakefield (1-0, 3.27) vs. Byrd (0-2, 11.05)

What to watch for: Sox return to the scene of 2007 ALCS
Bitter Cleveland fans will be booing in full force tonight as the Red Sox make their first trip back to the Jake by the Lake, now renamed Progressive Field, for the first time since staging their miraculous comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the 2007 American League Championship Series.

Who to watch for: DH Travis Hafner
The slugger known as Pronk has yet to get off this season (2HR, 8BI), so you know it's just a matter of time before he starts mashing. Hopefully that time won't be this series.

Preview:
The name of the ballpark may have changed, but the Sox hope the good feelings they have from the last time they played here are still lingering as they take on the Indians tonight in a rematch of the ALCS.

Every Nation member worth his membership card knows that the Sox came back from a 3 games to 1 deficit to win the series last fall, using that emotional win as a spring board to a World Series sweep of the over matched Rockies. But the odd thing about that is that despite the outcome of the postseason for both clubs, neither team made many significant changes in the offseason.

That lack of turnover will make this series all the more interesting, as basically the same cast of characters will face each other in this mini 2-game set. Of course Mike Lowell will not participate, and unfortunately Boston won't face CC Sabathia or Fausto Carmona, whom they treated like human pinatas in their four ALCS starts.

The Sox will have to face Jake Westbrook, the righty who did pitch well against them in Cleveland's Game 3 victory and pitched pretty decently but took the loss in the Gme 7, series-clinching triumph. So you can bet revenge will be on his mind when he takes the hill tonight.

Meanwhile Boston starter Jon Lester will return to the site of one of his most memorable professional moments. It was here last July 23rd that Lester returned to the majors after battling cancer and missing the better part of a year while receiving treatments, and he pitched a gem (6IP, 5H, 2ER, 3BB, 5K) in front of his parents and fans, becoming an inspiration for millions of cancer survivors world wide.

But all that won't matter tonight. All that matters is both teams, who shared the ML lead with 96 victories last season, are struggling to find their footing this early in the season, mired in mediocrity and riddles with slumping superstars (Ortiz & Sabathia) and more questions than answers.

Of course not all the answers will be found in this micro series, the only 2 games Boston is scheduled to play in Cleveland this season.

But they know they'd better get their acts together if the want to meet again here in October.

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Sox hang on to win 2 of 3 from Stanks

Sox 8, New York 5
WP: Matsuzaka (3-0)
LP: Hughes (0-1)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-None; NYY-Giambi (2)

SUMMARY:
The Sox survived a long and arduous rubber match against the Stanks, hanging on for a close victory after jumping out to a 7-1 lead after three innings. Daisuke Matsuzaka picked up his third win of the season, although he wasn't sharp at all, and 5 Boston batter notched two hits apiece while battering New York wunderkind Phillip Hughes.

Superstar: Sean Casey 2-3, 2B, R, BI
The Mayor continues to prove he could be one of the most invaluable pickups of the offseason for any of the contenders as he rapped two more hits, raising his average to .318, drove in a pair of runs and made a number of nice hustle plays at first base.

The Biggest Loser: Hughes 2IP, 6H, 7R, 6ER, 3BB, 3K, WP
The kid was not hot tonight as the young right hander struggled with his control early and often, resulting in a messy 2 innings of work. he exited the game with his team down 7-1, and he found out the hard way what the Rivalry is really like.

RECAP:
Well, so much for a quick game.

Thanks to an excruciating amount of walks (14) and pitches (336), this game just ended at a few minutes past midnight, and thankfully the Sox pen had enough to save what could have been a horrible loss.

Dice-K again made us wonder when, or if, he will ever completely dominate the league for a long period of time like he is supposed to, yet somehow he was not bad enough to lose it.

I can already tell I am not making coherent sentences, a result of spending the afternoon at Tropicana Field with a stadium full of Little Leaguers, so I think I'm gonna hit the hay and wrap this one in the morning.

In the meantime, talk amongst yourselves. Goodnight.
--------------------------------------
And good morning.

Now that I've put my 8+ hours of baseball Sunday behind me, I feel like I can finally put together a few paragraphs and wrap this game up.

If I could just remember what happened.

The first few innings are pretty clear, but everything gets pretty hazy after that. I remember Boston jumped all over 22-year-old Phil Hughes like a Jack Russell on a fresh leg, scoring three in the first inning on 2 hits, 2 walks, a sac fly, a passed ball and an error, but the fact that the inning took nearly an hour to play was a bad sign of things to come.

After Dice-K (5IP, 5H, 4ER, 6BB, 2K, 116P) managed to toss a fairly quick second inning, he gave a run back in the third when he walked Judas Demon (for the 2nd time) and then after Demon stole second (also for the 2nd time, New York's first two steals of the season) gave up a deep double off the top of the scoreboard to Bobby Abreu to slice the lead to 3-1.

But when Boston drop-kicked Hughes in the bottom of the frame, scoring four more times and sending the kid to the showers before he even had time to get a feel for the mound, it looked as if the game was as good as over.

Except it wasn't nearly over. Not by a longshot.

The rally that got Hughes out of the game began innocently enough, with a walk to hot-hitting JD Drew (0-2, 2BB, 2R), who was hitting in Papi's 3-hole as Tito decided to give Ortiz the night off to clear his head. That pass was followed by a single to deep short by Manny, and when Youk and Casey both lined RBI singles to bulge the lead to 5-1 and drive Hughes from the game, it should have been easy sailing from then on.

Especially after the Sox tacked on two more off rookie reliever Ross Ohlendorf, the first on a wild pitch (the second gift run the Stanks allowed that way in three innings) and the 7th run on a clutch 2-out RBI single to right by Jacoby Ellsbury.

7-1 after three and the game was nearly 2 hours old. Time for Dice-K to bear down and get this game over with, right?

Unfortunately Matsuzaka was in his "every other game I'm good" mode, and since he was terrific in his lat outing, he was contractually obligated to be horrible tonight. As Dice got behind batter after batter and the pitch count piled up, it became quite apparent that this game wasn't going to be a slam dunk win by any means.

Sure enough Dice let New York right back in the game in the 4th when he allowed 2 doubles, a single, a walk, a wild pitch and a sac fly to Demon, and next thing you know it's 10:00, the Stanks had cut the lead to 7-4, and the Sox bullpen was going to have to be called on before Matsuzaka's pitch count reached 200.

This is where I started to lose it, seeing the time and the game drag on and knowing that by the time the game got over I was going to be either bored to death or incredibly upset, neither of which option did my mindset any good.

So to wrap it up quicker than they did, David Aardsma pitched 2 solid innings in relief of Dice, Mike Timlin came in to start the 8th and immediately had a case of deja vu when he surrendered a solo shot to Jason Giambi for the second time in three nights, and Boston put a key insurance run on the board when Ellsbury (1-3, R, BB, 2BI) knocked in Coco with a sac fly that capped the scoring and gave manny Delcarmen some breathing room in the 9th.

Luckily Delcarmen didn't even need it as he fanned A-Rod for the second out and then got Matsui to ground out to mercifully end the series, and at just past midnight eastern Standard time the first Sox/Stanks series of 2008 was in the books.

And just think, they get to play again on Wednesday!

Rest up.

NOTES:
-Papi off: citing the always helpful "mental day off", Tito decided that rather than have Ortiz try to break out of his 3-44 slump against the hated Stanks, he would let him rest and give it a go on Monday against the Tribe. That put Manny in the DH spot and gave the Sox the rare outfield look of Coco in center and Ellsbury in left; the duo combined for 3 hits, 3 runs and 2 RBIs while Manny had a pair of hits and runs and knocked in a run

-Hit parade: five Sox had two hits apiece (Pedroia, Manny, Youk, Casey, Coco), four drove in runs (Ellsbury, Manny, Youk, Casey) and six Sox scored at least one run (Ellsbury, Drew, Manny, Youk, Casey, Coco)

RECORD: 7-6
AL EAST: 1/2 GB
STREAK: W2
UP NEXT: Mon @ CLE, 7PM ESPN Lester vs. Westbrook

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Game Preview: Sox/Stanks Game 3

Phillip Hughes (0-1, 5.00) vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka (2-0, 2.82)
8:00 Fenway ESPN

If the rubber game of this initial Sox/Stanks series of 2008 is anything like the first two, expect to see plenty of solid pitching, timely hitting, poor weather and quickly played contests.

Then again if every game in the history of the rivalry went as expected we wouldn't have so many bleeping nicknames for past pinstriped players.

For two good reasons to expect the unexpected tonight look no further than the two starting pitchers who will get the call tonight. One one side you've got a highly-touted prospect making getting his initiation into the Rivalry, and on the other you've got a guy who has been more up & down than

And the outcome of the series may depend on which pitcher handles the heat of the battle better than the other.

For New York young righty Phillip Hughes will make his first start against Boston in his 16th career start. The 22-year-old has been on a fast track for major league success since the Stanks selected him with the 23rd pick in the 2004 draft, and now that washed up geezers like Randy Johnson and useless paraplegics like Carl Pavano are out of the picture, its Hughes' and fellow phenom Ian Kennedy's time to step up.

Whether he's ready to handle the intensity of Sox/Stanks, even this early in the season, remains to be seen, but the kids gotta get into the thick of it sometime.

Daisuke Matsuzaka may be sporting a 2-0 record and low ERA, but he has been anything but consistent in his second season in the majors after an illustrious career in Japan. Blessed with a variety of pitches and a deceptive delivery, his inability to throw strikes consistently, and pitch late into ballgames as he did in his homeland, has plagued him the entire time he's pitched for Boston.

Case in point: in the season opener in Japan, Dice K tossed 6.2 innings of 2-hit ball, and after shaking off some early jitters, settled down to hold the As to one run and pick up the win on his native soil. But last week against the Tigers he needed 108 pitches to get through 6.2 innings, walked 4 batters and seemed to be on the ropes consistently even though he shut Detroit out.

Thus is the mystery of Dice K. He was a hot commodity that Boston paid dearly for, but 15 wins last year and a, pardon the expression, dicey start this year is not what the Sox brass, or the Nation, had in mind for their $102 million dollar investment.

So let's just say Matsuzaka better get the best of the kid tonight, or the grumblings are going to start that Boston might have been better off investing in kids from the farm like Lester and Buchholz rather than investing in a .500 pitcher from a foreign land.

As for the speed of the game, it starts at 8:00, you've got two pitchers starting who will probably throw a lot of pitchers, Boston's middle relief has been atrocious, and the last two games have been played in under three hours.

In other words, see you 'round midnight.

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Mannny mauls Mussina as Sox defeat Stanks

Sox 4, New York 3
WP: Beckett (1-1)
LP: Beckett (1-2)
SV: Papelbon (4)
HRs: BOS-Manny (2)

SUMMARY:
Manny Ramirez nearly single-handedly defeated his hometown team with a pair of extra base hits and 3 runs batted in, and Jonathan Papelbon weathered a 2+ hour rain delay to strike out Alex Rodriguez with the game on the line as Boston took Game 2 of the series.

Superstar: Manny 2-4, 2R, 3BI
His towering solo shot in the 4th, which hit 3/4 of the way up the Volvo sign atop the Monster, may have been the more memorable blast of the day, but it was his 2out, 2-run double that put the Sox ahead to stay in the 6th that was his more important hit of the afternoon.

The Biggest Loser: David Ortiz 0-4, K, GIDP
Papi's slump has now reached epic proportions (3-44, .070), and it was downright sad to see him ground into a double play on a check swing with two on and nobody out in the first inning.

RECAP:
The first Sox victory over New York in 2008 may have been a long time in the making, but it was well worth the wait.

Well, that's easy for me to say, I was only watching it on TV.

New York had two runners on base with two outs in the 8th, down 4-3, and Tito had just made the call to the pen to bring his closer in to relieve Hideki Okajima and face Alex Rodriguez with the game on the line.

Unfortunately that's right when Mother Nature decided to intervene in what had been a thrilling installment of the Rivalry, and just as Paps was about to take the mound the drizzling skies opened up, the umps called for the tarp, and the game would be halted for over two hours.

No problem for me, as I finished the yard work I had abandoned, cooked a few steaks on the grill, took a shower and watched the end of the third round of the Masters.

The downpour wasn't as enjoyable for the brave souls who chose to stick it out at Fenway to see the game to its conclusion, but at least when play finally resumed 2 hours and 11 minutes later, Paps made those who stuck it out got their money's worth.

When play resumed A-Rod was at the plate with a chance to at least tie the game or put New York in front with a base hit. But Paps would have none of that. He quickly made mincemeat of Rodriguez, needing just three pitches to strike the reigning MVP out, and Papelbon punctuated the moment with his signature primal scream/first pump/crazy glare/ hop-step as he bounced off the field.

It was the moment everyone who braved the delay had been waiting for, and as I said before it was worth the wait.

The game leading up to that point had been just as good, before Mother Nature cast her untimely spell on those of us who had been waiting for a BOS/NY game that didn't involve a New York pitcher completely shutting the Sox offense down.

Instead Josh Beckett (6.2IP, 5H, 3ER, 1BB, 5K) bounced back from a rough first outing with a solid second showing, limiting the Stanks to just four singles and a double over 6+ innings before giving way to Manny Delcarmen after allowing New York to close to 4-3 in the 7th.

Manny Ramirez got the scoring started with a mammoth solo shot in the 4th off Mike Mussina (5.2IP, 8H, 4ER, 0BB, 1K, HR), a ball that would have sailed over Lansdowne if not for the billboard blocking its trajectory.

But New York took the lead two innings later by stringing together a couple of hits mixed in with a sac bunt, a sac fly and a wild pitch, and it started to look like Boston was going to lose another tough one to the boys from the Bronx.

Except another boy from the Bronx would have none of that.

Ramirez, who always does his best hitting against his hometown club, came up with two outs and Jacoby Ellsbury at third and Dustin Pedroia at second and did what his partner in crime Ortiz couldn't do before him- drive in the big runs in a key situation.

Manny laced a double the opposite way to the triangle in right center, easily plating both runners and eliciting a huge ovation from the crowd as he stood on the second base bag and soaked it all in like a victorious politician.

That's the version of Manny being Manny we all love.

The rest, as they say, is history. Beckett came out after New York sliced the deficit to one, and Manny Delcarmen recorded his biggest out of 08 when he struck out Jose Molina with the tying run on second to end the 7th.

After the dramatic, rain-lengthened 8th, Papelbon returned for the 9th and quickly dispatched the three Stankee hitters, striking out Giambi and Posada before getting Robinson Cano to ground out to end it, and a mere five hours after the game started it was over, and the Sox had a big win heading into the series finale tomorrow night on ESPN.

Hopefully Mother Nature cooperates in that one or it could be another long night.

RECORD: 6-6
AL EAST: 1.5 GB
STREAK: W-1
UP NEXT: Sun vs NY 8PM, ESPN Hughes vs. Matsuzaka

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Wang dominates Sox with 2-hit CG gem

New York 4, Sox 1
WP: Wang (3-0)
LP: Timlin (0-1)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Drew (3); NYY-Giambi (1)

SUMMARY:
The first installment of Sox/Stanks 08 brought one of the best pitched games the series has seen in years. Chien Ming Wang and Clay Buchholz battled through rain drops to a 1-1 draw for 6 innings before Boston went to the beleaguered bullpen and saw the game slip away as a rusty Mike Timlin allowed a go-ahead homer by Jason Giambi, while Wang shut down the Sox with a complete game 2-hitter.

Superstar: Wang 9IP, 2H, 1ER, 0BB, 3K, HR
One of the best pitching performances the series has ever seen and eerily reminiscent of the 1-hitter Mike Mussina pitched on a Sunday night in Fenway in September 2001. Only a homer that should have been caught and a 9th inning bunt single by Coco Crisp kept Wang from achieving Buchholz-like immortality.

The Biggest Loser: Tito Francona
No, I'm not awarding this honor to Timlin - it's not his fault he just came off the DL and was as rusty as an old nail. It's his manager's fault for sticking a guy who is basically still in spring training mode into a tied, pressure-packed rivalry game, no matter how experienced and ready he was.

And don't even get me started on him using Okajima for just 2 batters before turning to Javier Lopez and David Aardsma.

RECAP:
What a difference a day makes.

Less than 24 hours after one of the sloppiest, ugliest, poorly pitched games in recent memory ended at Fenway when the Sox clubbed the Tigers 12-6 in a 386 pitch, 4-hour marathon, we witnessed a pitcher's duel that was shaping up to be an all-time classic.

Until Tito substituted a tiring Clay Buchholz for a soon-to-be-retiring Mike Timlin to start the 7th inning, turning what looked like a possible extra inning affair into a one man highlight reel.

New York starter Chien Ming Wang won the battle of talented young hurlers tonight by outlasting his greener counterpart and by refusing to allow the Sox hitters an inch of wiggle room when it came to maximizing his pitches.

Wang needed just 93 pitches, 61 of them strikes, to spin his 9-inning masterpiece; by contrast Tim Wakefield threw 108 in his 5 innings of work yesterday, while Tiger starter Nate Robertson tossed 107 in 5 1/3 innings.

That's what I call using your pitches effectively.

For a while it looked like neither pitcher was going to allow a run in this one as both teams put zeroes on the board for the first four innings. In fact there were only 2 baserunners through four - a 1-out single by Hideki Matsui in the second, and when Dustin Pedroia reached on a error by Alex Rodriguez in the bottom of the 4th, a play that could just as easily have been ruled a hit (ask Rem Dog.)

But in the 5th both teams broke the scoreless tie. Buchholz (6IP, 4H, 1ER, 3BB, 3K) showed signs of wearing down when he gave up back-to-back walks to Matsui and Georgie Posada to start the inning, then after getting Giambi to strike out, he surrendered an RBI double to Fill-in-the Molina for the first run of the game.

Another walk to Jeter replacement Alberto Gonzalez loaded the bases, and if it weren't for a great defensive play by mayor Casey, who snared a hot liner by Melky Cabrera and then doubled off a clueless Gonzalez to end the inning, the damage could've been a lot worse.

As it turned out the missed opportunity hurt New York when in the bottom of the inning red hot JD Drew (1-3, 8-gm hit streak) blasted a 1-0 offering from Wang over the outstretched glove of right fielder Bobby Abreu and into the Boston bullpen to tie the game at one.

If only Abreu, who had just made two nice grabs on deep drives by Papi and Youk, could have jumped more than 2 inches off the ground, Wang might have been taking a no-hitter into the 9th a-la teammate Mussina in that memorable pre-9/11 game.

Buchholz escaped another jam the next inning when ARod (single) and Matsui (double) put runners on 2nd & 3rd with two outs, but he got Posada to ground out to end the threat, which would also mark the end of his night.

Then Timlin entered to start the 7th, and that would mark the end of the Sox chances to win this game. The veteran reliever, who has been out since late March with a lacerated ring finger, was making his first appearance of the season, and I even remarked to my son "he just came off the DL-this is going to end badly."

Sure enough after working the count to 3-2, Giambi blasted a pitch high and deep over the top of the wall in left center to break the tie, along with the spirits of the rain-drenched Faithful.

Because we knew the way Wang was pitching that if he didn't come out of the game, the Sox weren't going to score again.

He didn't, and they didn't.

A couple of days ago there was a running thread on the excellent baseball blog Bugs & Cranks about whether Wang is a true ace or just an above-average starter on a loaded offensive team.

I think he put an end to that debate tonight.

NOTES:
-Lowell disabled: Boston placed Mike Lowell on the 15 day DL today, and they hope he won't need longer than that to recover from his sprained thumb. Infielder and 2007 Sox minor league player of the year Jed Lowrie was called up to replace Lowell on the roster.

-Corey out of the house: to make room for Timlin on the roster, reliever Bryan Corey (14.54ERA) was released. First Kyle Snyder and now Corey; is this what you call addition by subtraction?

-Ay Papi: Ortiz (0-3) saw his early season slump get even even deeper as his latest 0-fer dropped his average to .077. He has three hits and three RBIs this season, and those game in two games, April 2nd @ Oakland and April 6th in Toronto.

RECORD: 5-6
AL EAST: 1.5 GB
STREAK: L-1
UP NEXT: Sat vs NY, 3:55 FOX Mussina vs. Beckett

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Series Preview: The Stankees are coming (again)

New York Stankees (5-5) at Red Sox (5-5)
3 game series, Fenway Park

Game 1 Fri 705
Wang (2-0, 1.13) vs. Buchholz (0-1, 3.00)
Game 2 Sat 3:30 FOX
Mussina (1-1, 3.09) vs. Beckett (0-1, 9.64)
Game 3 Sun 8:00 ESPN
Hughes (0-1, 5.00) vs. Matsuzaka (2-0, 1.47)

What to watch for: Joe Hardass Giaradi's managerial debut in the series
It's gonna be strange looking over to the visitor's dugout and not seeing the familiar schnoz and droopy gaze of Joe Torre peering out from the brim of his NY cap. Instead we get to find out how the hyped-up, modern manager Girardi, who has seen plenty of these games from a player's perspective, handles the series.

He's already made a buffoon of himself by complaining that the D-Rays were playing too hard in spring training; wonder how he'll take it when a few of his players get hit this weekend. Cause you know they will. Even without Petey around.

Keep an eye on: Sean Casey and Alberto Gonzalez
The Mayor will have a chance to prove what a valuable offseason addition was as he gets the call to start at first base while Youk shifts over to third with Mike Lowell going on the DL; Gonzalez has the unenviable task of filling in for captain Derek Jeter while he is out with bad quads.

Preview:
Call me crazy or take away my RSN membership, but I've got the same feeling about the 90 zillionth installment of The Rivalry as I do about having to wake up extra early on any given morning: "It's too fucking early! Hit the snooze button and let me know when its really time to get up!"

These meetings used to feel like special occasions, games to look forward to and to watch every pitch of every inning to see if the cursed Sox could finally get over on the blessed Stanks.

But over the last 4-5 years, everything has changed. One reason is that Boston has won 2 World Series since the last time New York tasted champagne-drenched postseason success. Another is because of the damn unbalanced schedule MLB has adopted, the teams play each other 18-19 times per season, watering down the freshness of what used to be a rare thing. Throw in a postseason matchup nearly every year and what you get is too much of what was a special thing.

You know the old saying about eating ice cream every day? That's what this series has become.

Maybe my blase attitude has to do with the fact that neither team is looking like beasts of the AL East right now. Both are struggling with injuries to key players, both hold identical mediocre .500 records, and neither one has seemed to find an identity early in the season.

In other words it's hard right now for anyone to have reason to hate either team other than going off that 100 years of hatred thing.

Anyway the teams have the series scheduled, and a rematch next weekend in the Bronx, so we might as well try to enjoy it, right? Who cares if they are looking up at the surprising Orioles in the division now, or that the players opposing fans love to hate, Jeter and Curt Schilling, won't play in the series? It's still Sox vs. Yankees, the fans still hate the other team, and by golly if we have to see them play each other 20+ times a year then I might as well root for the Sox to rip their fucking faces off, right?!

Maybe I am ready for this series after all.

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Sox prevail in long, messy game at Fenway

Sox 12, Tigers 6
WP: Wakefield (1-0)
LP: Robertson (0-1)
SV: Papelbon (3)
HRs: BOS-None; DET: Ordonez (1)

SUMMARY:
The Sox survived what was an interminable and nearly unwatchable debacle of a game tonight when they strung together three 4-run innings to hold off the Tigers. The contest featured 18 runs, 23 hits, 16 walks, a wild pitch, 2 hit batters, an error and a passed ball. And it took 3:45 to complete.

But at least they won.

Superstar: JD Drew 3-3, 2R, 2BI, BB
The hottest hitter on the team is none other than the man who Sox fans were lambasting for being too brittle when he had to miss the first three games of the season due to back issues. After this 3-hit effort, Drew is now batting .440 (11-25) and has hit safely in all 7 games he's played in.

The Biggest Loser(s): 8 of the 9 pitchers who threw in this game
Of the nine hurlers who tossed baseballs tonight, only one, Hideki Okajima, did not allow a hit, walk or a run. Only three did not allow a walk and only two did not allow a run.

Absolutely putrid.

RECAP:
After witnessing the second straight four hour debacle against the steaming mess that is this Detroit Tiger team, on top of a Little League game last night and tossing an hour of BP at practice tonight, I think I am at a loss for words to describe this game.

Let's just say that my kid's game last night was by far more crisp, entertaining and watchable than these last two against Detroit.

Anyway, I'm completely spent from all this baseball, so I'm gonna hit the sack and try to get a better handle on this in the morning.

And whatever you do, don't watch the NESN replay of this game if you want to keep your sanity.
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Okay, I'm back. And it's amazing how in the light of day this game doesn't seem as bad as it did watching it last night. I guess the combination of me being dog tired and the fact that no pitcher on either team could retire the side in order just made the game seem like one long, bad George Clooney sports movie.

Actually there were a couple of 1-2-3 innings, but only thanks to a pair of double plays turned by Detroit; at least one batter reached base in every inning for each team.

What it all added up to was a near 4-hour marathon with 386 pitches thrown, and when the dust settled Boston had to be content with coming out of their first home series with a 5-5 record while the Tigers are left scratching their heads, wondering how a potential World Series squad can already be out of it at 1-8.

Detroit did manage to take an early 2-0 lead when Tim Wakefield (5IP, 3H, 1ER, 5BB, 5K) got wild and allowed a walk, a single, a wild pitch, a sac fly and an RBI single to Placido Polanco in the 4th, but Boston answered with in the bottom of the frame when they roughed up Tiger starter Nate Robertson (5.1IP, 8H, 4ER, 2BB, 6K) for four runs on three hits and two walks.

After Papi (0-3, 2BB), the only Sox player who didn't register a hit, struck out to open the inning, Manny and Youk both walked and Drew followed with an RBI single to right. Hot-hitting Coco Crisp (2-3, R, 2BI, 2BB) then sliced a ball off Pesky's Pole for a double that scored Youk, and a groundout by Sean Casey and single by Kevin Cash each resulted in runs.

The game stayed at 4-2 for a few innings despite the numerous baserunners allowed by each starter, and in the 6th inning both managers called on their pens to keep the score as is. Evidently neither pen got the message.

After pitching scoreless sixths both Zack Miner and Manny Delcarmen came unglued in the 7th. Manny D, who continues to regress from promising set-up man to future Paw Sox mop up man with every outing, gave up a monster shot to the previously homer and RBI-less Magglio Ordonez with one out in the 7th, pulling the Tigers to 4-3, which then prompted Tito to pull him one out later. Okajima got the final out of the inning to keep the lead at one.

Fortunately Miner (1IP, 1H, 3ER, 3BB, 2K) was worse than Delcarmen. After walking Pedroia and Manny with one out in the bottom of the inning, ManRam (1-3, R, 2BI, BB) delivered a booming double to deep left center that scored both runners and gave the team some breathing room at 6-3. Righty Francis Beltran fared no better as he walked Drew and Coco then surrendered a single to Casey (2-5, 3BI) that scored pinch runner Ellsbury and Drew for what seemed like a commanding 8-3 lead.

Long story short Julian Tavarez came on in the 8th (why Tito took Oki out nobody knows) and couldn't get anybody out; he gave up two walks and three hits before a double play grounder killed what could have been an even bigger inning for Detroit, and before we knew what happened the score was 8-6 and Francona had to bring in Papelbon to end the inning, which he did with just two pitches.

Boston put the game away for good in the 8th by scoring four more times, highlighted by a 2-run double by Youk, and by the time Paps got Marcus Thames to ground into a fielders choice to end the game everyone that had witnessed this ugly affair was just glad the Sox came out on top.

And speaking of long, ugly affairs, the Stanks come to town tomorrow night.

Rest up, Nation.

RECORD: 5-5
AL EAST: 1.5 GB
STREAK: W1
UP NEXT: Fri vs. NYY 705 Wang vs. Buchholz

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Game 2 not quite as festive as Opening Day

Detroit 7, Sox 2
WP: Bonderman (1-1)
LP: Lester (1-2)
SV: None
HRs: Bos-None; DET: Thames (1)

SUMMARY:
The Sox pitching was pitiful and the hitting wasn't that much better as the Tigers finally broke their season-opening 7-game losing streak, scoring half as many runs in this game as they had in the previous seven. Throw in the fact that Mike Lowell left the game with a sprained thumb and it all added up to a bad loss for the roller coaster Sox.

Superstar: Edgar Rentanerror 3-4, 2R, 2BI, 2-2Bs, BB,
The 1-year blunder at shortstop was a thorn in Boston's side all night, ripping three hits and opening the floodgates on the Tigers scoring with a key 2-run double in the 4th despite constant harassment from the fans.

Doesn't it figure that a day after the Faithful welcomed back a former goat that a more recent object of the fans' derision would come back to haunt us?

The Biggest Loser(s): Sox pitchers 9IP, 10H, 7ER, 8BB, WP, HBP
From starter Jon Lester (4R, 4H, 4BB in 5.1IP) and middle man Bryan Corey (2R, 2H, BB in 1/3IP) all the way to Javier Lopez, who surrendered a homer and two other base runners in the 9th, the Boston pitching was piss poor again tonight.

RECAP:
Can you say "letdown"?

Coming of the high of yesterday's festive, fun-filled Opening Day display, you had to know that there would be some sort of letdown factor tonight. Kind of like a Tangueray hangover after one of my wife's Christmas parties.

Especially with shaky Jon Lester taking the hill to face a Tiger team so hungry for a win Jim Leyland might even resort to doing something drastic, like threaten quit smoking, if the team didn't get off the schneid soon.

But after jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning thanks to a bases loaded walk to Jacoby Ellsbury and an RBI single by Julio Lugo (a.k.a. Rentanerror 2.0), it looked as if the team might ride the emotional wave of Opening day to another victory over the toothless Tigers.

Unfortunately the wave came crashing down on the Sox in a hurry, starting with an injury to a key player and ending with a miserable loss to the formerly winless Tigers.

It was in that second inning that we learned that Mike Lowell apparently sprained his thumb when he made a diving stop of Miguel Cabrera's grounder in the first inning. Though his replacement, Sean Casey, did have a hit in his first at bat in Lowell's spot to start the rally and later doubled, the 2007 team MVP's absence was a somber reminder that this team is a couple of key injuries away from turning into the D-Rays.

And it was shortly after the Sox took that 2-0 lead in the second that the the game fell apart, too.

Lester retired the floundering Magglio Ordonez to start the 4th, then proceeded to walk Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Guillen to bring the hated former Sox shortstop to the plate with a chance to tie the game.

But this is the same guy who never got a big hit the entire year he was in a Boston uniform, right? Surely he would bounce into a DP or strike out to squelch the threat. Right? Right?!

Instead Rentanerror sliced a double to the wall in left center that sent both runner home and tied the game at two, and if you squinted a bit it was almost as if you could see him standing at 2nd base with a finger to his lips telling the unruly Fenway masses to hush their foul mouths.

It only got worse from there when Lester hung a lazy breaking ball to the next batter, which happened to be Detroit's musclular left fielder Marcus Thames, who turned on the fat pitch and drove it halfway to his namesake river in England to give the Tigers a 4-2 lead they would not relinquish.

That's because Detroit starter Jeremy Bonderman (5IP, 5H, 1ER, 4BB, K) and 4 Tiger relievers shut the Sox down the rest of the way, while Boston's bully continued doing their best Eric Gagme imitations as a quartet of hurlers couldn't keep the score where it was and give the offense a chance to get back in the game.

It all added up to a disappointing night at the yard, and now with Lowell's status uncertain, Papi's continued hitting woes (0-4, .091 for the year) and the instability of the pitchers, suddenly the promise of the preseason has turned into the despressing reality that this team could be in last place in the eat when the Stanks come to town tomorrow night.

But at least they've lost two straight to the Royals.

So we got that going for us.

RECORD: 4-5
AL EAST: 3 GB
STREAK: L 1
UP NEXT: Thu vs DET, 715 Robertson v Wakefield

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Welcome back: Sox win in Billy Buck's return to Hub

Sox 5, Tigers 0
WP: Matsuzaka (2-0)
LP: Rogers (0-2)
SV: None
HRs: None

Don't cry, Billy Buck--all's forgiven now

Superstar: Dice K 6.2IP, 4H, 4BB, 7K
He wasn't overpowering, but he was incredibly effective, limiting the struggling Tigers to 4 singles while striking out 7. And when he came out of the game with 2 outs in the 7th, Matsuzaka received a huge ovation from the Faithful, because this is the Dice K we expect to see every time he takes the mound.

The Biggest Loser(s): The Tigers
Combine an anemic offense (5 singles, no runs) with a sloppy defense (2 errors, numerous missed plays) and bad pitching and what you get is an 0-7 team with a $139 million dollar payroll and more problems than a math major.

RECAP:
All that was missing from the Red Sox 2008 home opener was Mike Dukakis, New Kids on the Block, Calvin Schiraldi and a holographic "forgive me" message from Harry Frazee.

Other than that it seemed like every other former hero or goat in the city's history was on hand today as the Sox celebrated the 2007 title team by trotting out familiar faces and championship trophies from all 4 Hub sports franchises, as well as some famous Boston celebrities.

From the moment the pregame festivities began (which of course I didn't get to see live since Extra Innings would never carry that kind of stuff) the entire day had the atmosphere of a gigantic celebration more than a baseball game. It was like Opening Day, Mardi Gras, New Years Eve, Carnival, the Festival of Lights, the Olympics Closing Ceremonies and the Oscars all rolled into one.

Some of the highlights included:

-current and former members of the Patriots, Bruins and Celtics taking the field while wielding their respective trophies

-the unfurling of the 2007 championship banner over the Wall as it replaced the 2004 banner, a cool sight in what hopefully will become an annual tradition

-the handing out of the championship rings to the entire organization, from coaches & trainers to former and current players (hey, a Doug Mirabelli sighting!), all scored to the themes songs of various cinematic classics

-and finally, the most climatic moment of the day - Bill Buckner emerged from Manny's door in the Monster and walked towards to the mound to a chorus of cheers and a long-awaited standing ovation, 22 years after his infamous World Series play became the modern symbol of Sox futility and made him a pariah in throughout New England and the Nation.

It was a moment, despite its contrived and Sox-serving nature, that was both memorable and emotional for all those involved. It was a completion of the cycle from the "woe is us, we're always gonna suck and this is why" sports town to a city of champions chock full of happiness and good will, and it was the ultimate way to say all is forgiven, not just from the fans to Billy Buck but from Billy Buck to the once-bitter fans.

Then Buck threw out the opening pitch, and appropriately it was a perfect strike to Dewey Evans (my all-time fave Sox player, by the way). Following fellow Sox legend Johnny Pesky's cry of "Let's play ball", the pregame pomp & circumstance was over and finally it was time to play ball.

Boston jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead by the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Coco Crisp and a triple by Manny that he scored on when the relay throw went into the Tiger's dugout, but the game felt like an afterthought to the pageantry of the afternoon.

Something that didn't get lost on the crowd was the effort of Daisuke Matsuzaka. Freed from the obligations of pitching in his homeland and starting two of the Sox first three games on two different continents, Dice-K was masterful for much of the afternoon. With the Tiger offense continuing to sputter without its leadoff man/catalyst Curtis Granderson, Matsuzaka mowed through the lineup like Grant through Richmond, allowing just 4 baserunners through the first five innings before escaping a bases loaded jam in the 6th.

By that time it was 3-0 Boston, and when the Sox tacked on another pair of runs in the bottom of the 6th on an RBI double by Youk (3-3, R, 2BI, BB) and a bases loaded walk to JD Drew, the game was all over but the shouting.

And by shouting I mean local boy Steven Tyler's screeching rendition of God Bless America, which sounded like a cat with laryngitis, followed by Neil Diamond's absurd taped offering of Fenway anthem Sweet Caroline, complete with a back up band, dancing Wally and lifeless Sox CEO Tom Werner.

It was about that time that I fast forwarded to the end of this overblown spectacle, just in time to catch Oki blow through the three Tiger hitters, putting the finishing touch on this day of joy and celebration.

So the homecoming was an absolute success. Bucker was feted. Tiger SS and new pariah Edgar Rentanerror was booed. The Sox got back on the winning track, and the now infamous ballpark hawk even made a guest appearance during Youk's at bat in the 6th inning.

Now can we get on with the regular season?

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Series Preview: Home sweet home! Tigers vs Sox

Tigers (0-6) vs. Red Sox (3-4)

Game 1 Today 205 Rogers (0-1, 3.00) vs. Matsuzaka (1-0, 2.31)
Game 2 Wed 705 Bonderman (0-1, 5.68) vs. Lester (1-1, 3.38)
Game 3 Thu 705 Robertson (0-0, 9.00) vs. Wakefield (0-0, 4.50)

What to watch for: two teams with high expectations and even higher payrolls will go toe-to-toe to prove their horrendous start is just an early-season fluke

Players to watch: the Tigers lineup was being compared to the '27 Yankees this spring, but with Gary Sheffield, Miguel Cabrera and Curtis Granderson all hurting, the potential Murderer's Row has resembled Training Room Terrors. 2007 MVP candidate Magglio Roidonez has no homers or ribbies yet this season, so keep an eye on him to bust out. If he's on a cycle right now.

Preview:
To paraphrase the immortal words of the late, great Dr. Martin Luther King, home at last, home at last, thank God almighty the Sox are home at last!

After 2+ months abroad, traveling from Florida to Japan to Southern California to Northern California to Toronto, spanning over 16,000 air miles, the World Champion Boston Red Sox finally make their 2008 home debut this afternoon on what will be a chilly day at Fenway Park. But something tells me the players will embrace the spring chill a bit more than the spring rolls of a few weeks ago.

Never in the history of sports has a team had to endure such a grueling schedule to open a season, let alone the defending champs of the sport, so it goes without saying that the boys were a little gassed when they finally reached Toronto on Friday.

That ultimate case of jet lag combined with a hungry Jays squad added up to a debacle of a 3 game sweep at the Rogers Center, lowlighted by games filled with shitty pitching, shoddy fielding and spotty hitting.

But at least the Sox have a legitimate excuse for their doldrums.

Detroit spent lavishly in the offseason to acquire a couple of young Marlins, slugging third baseman Cabrera and struggling former ace Dontrelle Willis, and by the time the shopping spree was finished the Tigers had the 2nd highest payroll in the majors at $139 million, trailing only the Stanks' $208 mil ledger.

Where did all that free spending get them? To the bottom of the division they were supposed to run away with, the AL Central, after a winless first week that featured 6 straight home losses in which they were outscored 39-15.

To be fair they have had a number of unfortunate injuries. Stud relievers Fernando Rodney and Joel the Guitar Hero Zumaya both missed most of spring training, starting centerfielder Curtis Granderson suffered a broken hand at the end of the spring, a rib injury recently sidelined Cabrera and a the perennially injured Sheffield just dislocated his finger the other day.

But the team is still loaded with quality hitters (Ordonez, Guillen, Inge, Polanco, Rodriguez) and pitchers (Bonderman, Verlander, Jones), so there's no reason they couldn't have finished with a Sox like record of 3-3 or 2-4 at least.

Either way the slow starts make this series all the more meaningful. Neither club wants to get into any deeper of a hole, and both want to prove that not only were the lofty expectations of reaching the playoffs and winning it all warranted but absolutely attainable.

All we in the nation care about right now is the fact that our team is finally back on home turf. Back to the cozy confines of the field by the Fens, where the hot dogs are warm and the seats will be as cold as the beer.

Rings will be presented. Banners will be draped. Fighter jets will roar overhead and the packed house will roar in approval for the first game played at home by the defending champs.

Makes me wish I could be there in person instead of having to watch it on DVR later.

All I can say is Play Ball!

And welcome home.

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