Youk blasts game-winning home run in return to hometown

Sox 6, Reds 4 (10)
WP: Papelbon (3-2)
LP: Lincoln (0-2)
SV: Hansen (1)
HRs: BOS-Youk (11), Crisp (3); CIN-Dunn (18), Phillips (13), Encarnacion (11)

SUMMARY:
After the Boston bullpen blew yet another lead, including a rare blown save by Jonathan Papelbon, Kevin Youkilis capped off a successful return to his home town when he hit a home run off Mike Lincoln in the top of the 10th to give the Sox a rare and much-needed road victory.

#1 STUNNER Youk 3-5, 1R, 2BI, 2K
Is there a better way to return home, with 150 family & friends in the stands, than to hit a game-winning extra inning home run against the team you loved growing up, and that snubbed you in the draft just a few years ago?

Thought not.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Lincoln 1.1IP, 3H, 2ER, 1BB, 2K, 2HR, 29P
The Reds had all the momentum after tying the game with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, but Lincoln put out that fire quicker than you can say "longball" as he surrendered back-to-back homers to Youk and Coco in the top of the 10th.

RECAP:
"YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUKKKKK!"

The familiar chant that is heard at both Fenway Park and stadiums all over the Nation every time the good-natured, high-strung Sox first baseman comes to bat or makes a great defensive play was never heard in such full throat as it was this afternoon in his return to the city he grew up in.

In a storybook game that could have been penned by George Will Kevin Youkilis came back to the Queen City in grand style this afternoon, clubbing three hits and a pair of RBI with 100+ family members and friends sitting in the stands cheering for him, each hit bigger than the one that came before it.

The scene was made all the more amazing by the fact that he had struck out in his first two at bats of the day against hard-throwing Reds righty Edinson Volquez, perhaps because he was pressing, or perhaps because Volquez is good enough to do that to anyone.

But the stubborn, chrome-domed slugger, who has toned down his post-at bat antics since a dugout scuffle with teammate Manny Ramirez a week ago, fought through the butterflies and stayed patient, and he was rewarded with an experience he will never forget for the rest of his life.

And neither will the Reds.

To give you an idea of how big Youk is in Cincy, where he grew up, went to the University of Cincinnati and owns almost all the major offensive records at the school, when my son and I went to see the Big East college baseball championship a couple of weeks ago, players on the UC team were imitating his unique batting stance while goofing around in the on-deck circle before the game.

Simply put the "Greek God of Walks" is a god a UC and universally beloved in a city that has probably produced more home-grown major league talet than any other metropolis in the country outside of New York.

So for him to do what he did today, in a game that was an awesome, back-and-forth exciting affair right til the very end, was like living out a boyhood fantasy that any kid who's ever dreamed of being a major leaguer has ever had.

But the way things had gone just minutes before his dramatic homer it didn't look like the Sox were going to have anything to celebrate today.

Not after another bullpen implosion that saw three men waste a hard-fought 4-2 lead and a spectacular effort from Tim Wakefield that nearly sent the Sox to their 22nd road loss of the year.

Boston jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead against stud starter Volquez (7IP, 7H, 3R, 2ER, 1BB, 9K, 101P) when Jacoby Ellsbury led off the game with a single, went to second on a wild pitch by Volquez, stole third after one pitch to Dustin Pedroia and trotted home when cather Paul Bako threw the ball into right field trying to gun Ellsbury out.

But Cincy tied it right up when Dunn launched his second homer in two days and 18th of the season off Wakefield in the bottom of the 2nd inning, a blow that was lessened when Brandon Phillips got greedy after stealing second and was gunned down trying to take third when the ball got away from the Boston infield.

The mistakes continued as Boston took the lead in the fourth when J.D. Drew (2-5, 2R, 2B, 3B) tripled over Dunn's head in left field and then waltzed home on another wild pitch by Volquez.

Now the score was 2-1 Boston, although both starting pitchers were pitching brilliantly.

Wakefield (7IP, 4H, 2ER, 2BB, 6K, 2HR, 89P) continued to stymie the Cincy hitters, retiring 10 out of the next 16 Reds batters while Boston added to its lead on an RBI single by Youk, driving in Pedroia who had led off the sixth with an infield single.

Staked to a 3-1 lead Wake's bugaboo - the longball - came back to bit him again when he surrendered an upper-deck shot to Phillips (2-5, R, BI) to lead off the 7th to cut the Sox lead to 3-2.

But Boston quickly recaptured its 2-run lead off reliever David Weathers when Drew led off the 8th with a double, again to the opposite field, and Mike Lowell followed with an RBI single to push the lead to 4-2.

Unfortunately a botched play by third base coach DeMarlo Hale cost the Sox a chance at breaking the game open and preventing the late-inning heroics.

After Lowell's single Youk drove a pitch from Weathers over Jay Bruce's head to deep right center, but instead of settling for runners at second and third and no outs Hale sent Lowell home all the way from first where he was easily thrown out.

Still, a 4-2 lead with just six outs to go seemed pretty solid.

Except Oki shit the bed again.

Things started out bad when Bako hit the first pitch from Oki for a leadoff single, and when Bruce walked on four pitches one out later Tito quickly went to the pen and removed the struggling Japanese lefthander.

But instead of calling on Paps for the five out save, he brought in Manny Delcarmen, who immediately gave up an RBI single to pinch hitter Javier Valentin to cut the lead to 4-3.

The only thing that saved Boston from losing the game right there was Ken Griffey Jr (0-4, BB, 2K) swinging at a 3-0 pitch and grounding into an inning-ending double play, yet another in a long line of botched and boneheaded plays in this game.

No worries, though, as all paps had to do was get three outs and this one was in the bag.

Papelbon (1IP, 1H, 1ER, 1BB, 1K, 1HR) got Phillips and Dunn to each ground out to second to nearly wrap things up, but then he got sloppy with Edwin Encarnacion and the third baseman ripped a 2-2 offering into the left field stands for a game-tying, shock-inducing home run, and suddenly what looked like an exhilarating victory was resembled a devastating defeat.

And the came Youk.

After Lowell struck out to lead off the 10th, Youkilis pounced on a 2-2 fastball from Lincoln and deposited it into the right field seats for the game winner, and as his teammates and cheering section celebrated Coco cracked the next pitch to almost the exact same spot for a big insurance run, and at 6-4 Sox this one was all but wrapped up.

Sorta.

Craig Hansen relieved Paps and quickly retired the first two hitters in the bottom of the 10th before Jolbert Cabrera singled to center and Junior walked, but Hansen got Phillips to fly out to Drew on the warning track for the final out, and the fans piled onto Pete Rose Way knowing they got their money's worth.

And they were all chanting Yooooooouuuuuukkkk!

RECORD: 43-28
AL EAST: Up 1.5 gms
STREAK: W1
LAST 10: 7-3
UP NEXT: Sun @ CIN 1:35 Beckett vs. Bailey

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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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Masterson's effort wasted by horrid penmenshit

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

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

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

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

RECAP:
Welcome to the major leagues, Justin Masterson.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sox clinch playoff berth as Rays closer gags again

Sox 8, Tampa Bay 6
WP: Gagne (4-2)
LP: Reyes (2-4)
SV: Papelbon (36)
HRs: BOS- Tek (15), Drew (10), Lugo (8); TB- Pena, 2 (42)

SUMMARY
The Red Sox became the first team in the majors to clinch a playoff berth as their win coupled with the Tigers loss guaranteed their postseason spot; all that's left to be determined is whether they will enter as the AL East champs or the Wild Card.

The berth was in doubt after Javier Lopez coughed up a 5-3 eighth inning lead, but Rays closer Al Reyes blew his third save against Boston when he allowed three runs in the ninth, and Jonathan Papelbon needed just 12 pitches to lock the win down.

#1 STUNNER Varitek 3-3, 1R, 2BI, BB, HR
The Captain came through in the clutch again when he led off the ninth inning with a game-saving home run. It was Tek's 2nd homer in as many nights, and his three hits nearly matched his total for the last 10 games.

Just when we needed him most...

GAGME Reyes 1IP, 4H, 3ER, 1BB, 2HRs
The Sox are so far up in this guy's skull right now they can see what he's thinking about wearing on the links next week. Reyes blew his third save of the season against Boston, and in 7 outings against them he has allowed 13 hits and 8 earned runs in 7 innings of work for a 10.29 ERA.

Honorable Mention: Javier Lopez dude, you're bought in to do one job--get the opponent's big lefty bat out, not allow a game-changing homer to said slugger

RECAP
In a season chock full of firsts it's only fitting that the Sox became the first team to clinch a playoff spot tonight.

Now if only they can work on being the last team standing come the end of October we'll be all set.

For a change Boston won a game that it looked destined to lose, whereas a week ago it probably wouldn't have, but despite being shorthanded and under intense scrutiny brought on by their near historic collapse, they have come down here to Tampa Bay and taken care of business and earned the right to play postseason ball.

Not that it was easy, of course. Nothing ever is with this team.

The Sox got a decent six innings out of fading starter Daisuke Matsuzaka (6.2, 6H, 5ER, 3BB, 7K, HR) tonight; unfortunately he pitched 6 2/3 innings. But for the first six innings of the game he gave his team a chance to win, and he avoided the big inning that has plagued so many of his appearances this season.

Matsuzaka was handed an early lead when the Sox plated a run on two bunts (base hit by Coco, sacrifice by Lugo) and another clutch hit by Jacoby Ellsbury (2-5, 2B, BI), a single blasted through the box that scored Coco with the game's first run in the third.

In the next inning Boston would strike for two runs against young Rays righty Andy Sonnanstine (5.1IP, 8H, 5ER, 2BB, 1K, HR), the first coming home on an RBI double by J.D. Drew following a walk to Mike Lowell, and then after Sonnanstine wild pitched Drew to third, Cap'n Tek came up with his first big hit of the evening, a solid single to right to score Drew and make the score 3-0 Sox.

The three-run cushion would be shredded next inning when Comeback player of the Year shoo-in Carlos Pena (2-3, 2R, 4BI) belted his first big hit of the night, a solo shot on Dice-K's second pitch of the top of the fourth that sailed into the right field seats and down the stairwell to the concourse below.

Hmmmm, wonder where the Rays got this guy?

Matsuzaka ran into more trouble when he gave up a one-out single to Delmon Young, and after the rookie right fielder stole second, Greg Norton singled him home to slice the Sox lead to 3-2.

Dice-K buckled down from there as he struck out Jonny Gomes and Dioner Navarro to end the inning, and after both clubs exchanged 1-2-3 fifth innings, Boston would pad its lead when it scored another pair of runs in the sixth.

After Ortiz flied out against Sonnanstine to lead off the sixth, Lowell (2-4, 2R) dropped a single into right, but with Drew coming up, an inning-ending double play was just as likely as a two-run homer.

Fortunately for Sox fans Drew (2-4, 2R, 3BI) chose to surprise everyone for a change when he rocked a 3-1 offering from Sonnanstine into the same right field location as Pena's shot, a drive that pushed the Boston lead to 5-2 and with only four innings left to play it looked like that elusive 15th win for Dice was finally in the bag.

As Coach Corso said on College Gameday this morning, Not so fast my friends.

Matsuzaka gave one run back in the bottom of the inning when he gave up another RBI single to centerfield by Norton, but with the bullpen in turmoil Tito decided to bring him back out for the seventh inning despite Dice exhibiting signs that he might be fatigued.

That decision, like so many other theses past few weeks, backfired almost immediately on Boston when Matsuzaka walked fellow countryman Aki Iwamura and some dude named Jorge Velandia after getting two quick outs in the seventh, and with Pena up next that forced Francona to go to his pen to bring in the lefty specialist Lopez to face the sizzling slugger.

Yet another decision that backfired.

Lopez added his name to the lengthy list of Sox relievers who have imploded in crucial game situations during their precipitous fall from grace when after he got ahead of Pena 0-2 he allowed the one time Boston first baseman to work the count full before he pounced on a 3-2 pitch from the sidearmer and sent it soaring high into the Teflon sky.

By the time the ball landed in the right field seats, the lead was gone, the Rays fans were raucous, and it felt like the only time this team could win was when Josh Beckett was on the mound.

Mike Timlin came on and got Upton to strike out to end the inning, but the damage was done, and it looked as if only a miracle would save Boston from losing another heartbreaking game this month.

And a miracle it must have been if Eric freakin' Gagme got the win.

Dan Wheeler came in for the eighth and promptly retired Papi (K), Lowell (K) and Drew (fly out), and then Tito backed up his claim that he was not going to back away from using the embattled reliever in tight situations, and despite giving up his requisite baserunner on a two-out walk to Gomes, Gagme had a pretty routine inning for a change.

Which led to the ninth inning theatrics.

Al Reyes has had a decent season for the Rays, establishing himself as a reliable and failry inexpensive closer for this relatively inexpensive team, but for some reason when he faces Boston his stoic face belies the queasiness he must feel deep down inside.

The last time he faced the Sox, September 12th in Boston, Reyes surrendered a two-run homer to Papi to hand the Sox a 5-4 come-from-behind victory, and in three of his last five appearances against the Sox he had allowed at least one run.

Too bad for rays fans he didn't allow just one run tonight.

Captain Tek led off the frame, and when he took Reyes' second pitch and sliced it the other way for a game-tying home run, the Boston half of the crowd went wild, the Boston dugout went wild, and you could almost sense that that particular hit could be the one that salvages the division title for Boston.

It had that kind of feel to it.

As if that weren't bad enough, the next batter Eric Hinske slammed a Reyes offering down the right field line for a double, and after Coco popped out, Julio Lugo stepped up with a chance to exact revenge on his old team just as Pena had done two innings earlier.

And exact he did when he turned on the first pitch from Reyes and sent a scud missile into the left field seats to give Boston an 8-6 lead and send the Nation into a fist-pumping frenzy by providing the follow-up blow that assured us the comeback would be complete without having to sit through extra innings.

Provided Paps could get the save.

When Papelbon breezed through three Rays batters using just a dozen pitches, one leg of Boston's long, rough, exciting journey was complete. The Sox, like most contending clubs, had set four goals for themselves: make the playoffs, win the division, win the pennant, take home the championship.

First mission accomplished.

Over the next few weeks we will get to find out how much more of that plan will be fulfilled.

Until then, enjoy the fact that no matter what this team will be playing meaningful baseball in October again.

And after the stench of last season, it's okay to smell the roses, even if it's not the bouquet we've all been waiting 11 years for.

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Gagne steers sinking Sox directly into the rocks

Toronto 4, Sox 3
WP: Burnett (9-7)
LP: Gagne (3-2)
SV: Downs (1)
HRs: BOS-Lugo (7)

If only Gagme would go back to comedy, the Nation would be a lot better off

SUMMARY
Another appearance, another meltdown for the artist formerly known as Eric Gagme as the portly, washed-up reliever came on in the 8th and turned a 2-1 Sox lead into a 4-2 deficit by loading the bases and then allowing a walk and a double, effectively putting a torch to Jon Lester's masterful outing, and hopefully his career in a Boston uniform.

#1 STUNNER Gagme 1IP, 2H, 3ER, 3BB, 0Ks, BS, L
This clown has gotten so bad that he is now officially a valuable weapon for the opposing team. Congrats on getting him out of the pen tonight, Toronto. Well played!

PAN'S FAUN Gagme
With the hysteria over Pan's Labyrinth having died down (probably due to the fact that it wasn't nearly as good--or scary--as it was hyped to be), it's time to re-name this ignominious category: the loser of the night will hereby be rewarded with the Gagme.

Hey, he's earned that honor.

RECAP
1978.

1986.

2003.

2006.

2007?

As every Sox fan knows, word association for that list would go "Bucky Bleepin Dent"; "Billy Buckner"; "Grady's Braincramp"/"Aaron Bleepin Boone"; "The Boston Massacre II"; and now "Gagnegate"

The embattled reliever continued his uncanny and unnerving streak of allowing runs to cross the plate at an alarming rate when he gave up three runs on two hits and three walks in the eighth inning tonight, turning what looked like a possible season-saving win (aren't they all right now?) into another soul-crushing loss.

In what now has to be one of the worst trades in Boston history, Gagme has allowed 14 earned runs in 14 innings of work and singlehandedly lost four games since arriving from the Rangers on July 31st for promising young pitcher Kasson Gabbard and talented outfielder David Murphy.

It doesn't take a math major to calculate that had Gagme not blown those wins the Sox would own a 6 1/2 game lead in the East with 10 games left to play, and the Nation would be breathing a lot easier today instead of coping with that all-too-familiar pang of dread that is linked to yet another season of promise going down the drain.

The WWL was kind enough to point out via a terrific little video montage that the Sox have lost their last three games on Jeter's 8th-inning homer off Schilling, three longballs from long-in-the-tooth Jays slugger Frank Thomas, and yet another late-inning meltdown from their key mid-season trade acquisition.

Way to roll into the postseason guys.

The worst part about this loss was the fact that lefty Jon Lester (6.2, 3H, 1ER, 4BB, 5K) pitched a whale of the game after a shaky start put him and his team in an early hole, taking a 2-1 lead into the 7th inning before he gave way to Manny Delcarmen with two outs and no one on, his 5th victory of the season apparently well in hand.

Perhaps if the Boston offense hadn't continued to be as stagnant as Cuba Gooding's career the Sox and Lester wouldn't have had to sweat out the end of the game and could have enjoyed a satisfying win. But Jays starter A.J. Burnett, who has been on fire since coming off the DL at the end of August, bent but didn't break by holding the Sox to two runs through six innings despite scattering 8 hits and 3 walks in that time.

Burnett (8.2IP, 9H, 3ER, 3BB, 11K) was bailed out by a couple of double play balls off the bats of youngsters Jacoby Ellsbury (1-5) and Brandon Moss, and by the 11 Ks he recorded, including Ellsbury and Big Papi three times each.

Lester survived a rough first inning when he allowed a pair of walks and and a pair of hits, the big blow and RBI double to deep right by Alex Rios. But he, was bailed out by a nice play by Lowell and Tek to nail Rios at home on a grounder by Aaron Hill, and despite the fact that they had five baserunners in the inning, the Jays managed just one run.

Sounds like the Sox offense.

Speaking of which, it was held off the scoreboard for the first three innings of the game by Burnett despite having at least one batter on base in each of those frames. After Ellsbury led off the game with a single to left he moved to third with one out on a stolen base, his 7th in 7 attempts, and subsequent throwing error by Toronto catcher Gregg Zaun.

But Burnett got Papi to strike out and then retired Lowell on a fly ball, and yet another Boston baserunner was left stranded 90 feet from home plate.

Singles by J.D. Drew and Tek were wasted in the second when Hinske struck out and Moss grounded into a double play, and in the third a leadoff single by Lugo was quickly erased when Ellsbury GIDP'd to sqelch that potential rally.

Ah, young guys. They may giveth excitement, but the ability to stay out of the inning-killing double play they taketh away.

Boston finally got on the board in the fourth when Lowell reached on an infield single with one out, Drew walked, and after Hinske struck out again, Captain Tek laced his first big hit in weeks into the leftfield corner to score Lowell and tie the game at one apiece.

The Sox would grab the lead in the next inning thanks to a two out single by Dustin Pedroia and a double to deep center by Papi, but after Lowell was intentionally walked Drew obliged the Jays by striking out swinging, and still another possible big inning was shot in the ass.

Lester and Burnett both held serve for the next couple of innings, and after Hector Luna drew a one-out walk from lester in the seventh, Tito allowed the young lefty to get one more out before bringing in Manny D. to face Wells with the game on the line.

Delcarmen did his job, getting Wells to fly out to Ellsbury in center, and after Burnett set the Sox down 1-2-3 in the top of the 8th, it was Gagme's turn to redeem himself to his team and the Nation.

Mission NOT accomplished.

Truth is the mission should have been aborted long before it got to the hideously ugly point that it did, and the debate about why Tito left this guy in there to absorb yet another career-killing loss will rage for weeks and possibly a lot longer if the Sox end up blowing this thing.

From the minute they showed two the Seth Rogen/Sasha Baron Cohen look-a-like trot out of the pen with a look that screamed "why do I feel like I'm about to shit myself right now?", I sensed disaster in the air. As a matter of fact, when my son sat down on the couch a few minutes later and asked what was going on, I replied "the Sox are about to lose this game, Gagne just came in", only half-sarcastically.

Sure I said it, but after so many awful outings, a brief stint to rest his "tired arm", and a couple of decent appearances in garbage time recently, I didn't really believe I would witness a repeat of one of those unforgettable horror-shows.

Unfortunately that's exactly what happened, and just to add to the torture effect, the roly-poly reliever got two quick outs in the inning before he ran everyone through the wringer.

What a dick.

After those two quick outs the game spiraled into a surreal, movie-like collapse of epic proportions. Seemingly from out of nowhere Gagme couldn't find the plate, walking Frank Thomas on four pitches (in all fairness a couple of those were pretty close), then after Aaron Hill singled to left on one pitch, Gagme walked Matt Stairs on six pitches to load the bases, and that familiar queasy feeling began to take hold in the pit of the Nation's stomach.

Gagme quickly went to 3-0 on Zaun, and despite numerous mound meetings with Tek, proceeded to walk him two pitches later to force in the tying run, and now the feeling of dread carried that special "all-time choke job" tinges that we are all so familiar with.

Curiously, instead of pulling the train wreck for a warmed-up Papelbon, Tito allowed the carnage to continue, and when pinch hitter Russ Adams sliced a drive through the glove of Drew for a two-run double, it was like watching the finale of a horror-porn flick.

The fact that Zaun was thrown out at the plate to end the inning, or that Lugo added a "thanks, anyway" homer in the ninth to deny Burnett the complete game and make it just another one-run loss for Boston, means little to the frantic Nation worldwide.

Even though losing the division would still result in yet another Wild Card birth for the team that won the series via that route in '04, this is full-fledged panic time, folks.

But it's not like we haven't been here before.

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Porous pen brings Sox streak to an end

Toronto 6, Sox 4
WP: Accardo (4-3)
LP: Okajima (3-2)
HRs: BOS-Varitek (13); TOR- Wells (16), Glaus (20)

SUMMARY
The Sox supplied starter Curt Schilling with two leads tonight but the bullpen could not close the deal. Manny Delcarmen allowed a solo shot to Troy Glaus to tie the game in the 8th, and Hideki Okajima gave up a 2-run shot to Vernon Wells in the 9th that brought Boston's 4-game winning streak to an abrupt halt.

#1 STUNNER Wells 3-5, 2R, 2BI
Wells came into the game on an 0-12 skid, went 0-2 in his first two ABs, then ripped off three straight hits including the game winner, a deep drive to straightaway center that got out of the park in a hurry and left the Faithful in stunned silence.

PAN's FAUN (s) Oki & Manny D 2IP, 3H, 3ER, 2K, 2HR
When your veteran starter gives you a quality start and your offense scratches & claws to retake the lead, you would think the artists formerly known as the best bully in baseball could close the game out, right? Right!?

RECAP
Ah, we shoulda seen this one coming.

The Red Sox playoff wagon was starting to ramp up to ridiculous speed following four wins that featured a no-hitter, an explosion of offense, the rise of a new young superstar outfielder and three consecutive appearances (and saves) from the closer for the first time all season.

So anyone wearing a scruffy old Sox hat made in the previous century should have known that the good times would end sooner rather than later, and when the fun finally did end, things could get sideways in a hurry.

And boy did things get out of hand fast.

The third straight quality start for Curt Schilling ended with a no decision beacuse when he exited the contest after six innings two of Boston's top two relievers could not get the outs that were necessary to secure the game and Schill's 9th win.

That's coachspeak for Delcarmen & Okajima sucked ass.

Boston jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning on another fielder's choice groundout that could have been a double play, exactly how yesterday's first run scored, but Schill (6IP, 8H, 3ER, BB, 2K) gave that up and more when he surrendered three runs after two were out in the top of the fifth.

After issuing a one-out walk to Greg Zaun Schill retired John MacDonald on a pop out, apparently ending any Toronto rally.

But the Jays batters, led by Wells' first hit in 14 at bats, then stroked four consecutive singles, the last three each driving in one run as Schilling could not stop the station-to-station bleeding.

Finally Curt got Troy Glaus to line out to Jacoby Ellsbury in left, but the 1-0 lead, along with all the good Fenway vibrations, had disappeared in a matter of minutes.

Still, it was early, and when Boston loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning on a walk to Tek, a beautiful bunt single by Coco and, after a failed bunt/strikeout by Alex Cora, a single by Julio Lugo, it looked like they would get right back in the game.

Well, not quite.

Ellsbury did manage to get his bat on a low sinker from starter Shawn Marcum (5IP, 5H, 2ER, 3BB, 2K) and drive it deep enough into center firled to score Tek with the Sox second run, but when Big Papi fouled out on a nice play by Glaus at third, the potential big inning was reduced to a single run.

Then for some reason the insane Jays manager John Gibbons (it fucking amazes me this dickwad still has an MLB head coaching job) decided to remove Marcum, his hottest pitcher and winner of seven of his last eight decisions, and the Sox batters wasted no time teeing off on reliever Brian Wolfe.

Wolfe got the first two outs of the sixth and then much like Schill he fell apart a bit when he was on the doorstep of getting out of the frame.

The first mistake came when he nailed Youk with a pitch which not only opened up a pretty good gash on his right forearm but also put the tying run on base, but he followed that bit of stupidity by practically placing a fastball on a tee for Captain Tek, who proceeded to hammer the generous offering into the bleachers in right to put the Sox ahead again, 4-3.

With Schill done for the night, all the pen had to do was get nine outs and this one was in the bag.

Turned out to be easier said than done.

September callup and 2006 coffee drinker Bryan Corey came on first and although he did allow a single by Wells to lead off the inning, he got a ground ball by Matt Stairs that Cora turned into a slick double play, and then he got Alex Rios to ground out to end the inning.

Six more outs to go.

But Boston blew its chance to break the game wide open when another bases loaded situation ended without a run crossing home plate in the seventh.

Gibby used three relievers in this inning and they all allowed baserunners, but after Casey Janssen walked Lowell to pack the sacks he struck out J.D. "Boo!" (it's official now) and Youk to escape the jam unscathed.

You know what happened next.

Delcarmen came on for the 8th and gave up a towering, slicing drive to Glaus that just stayed fair but left the building entirely, and just like that everyone knew this game was going to spell the end of the winning streak, and temporarily, the good times on Yawkey Way.

That suspicion was quickly confirmed when Okajima took the mound in the 9th, promptly hit Zaun with a pitch, and then gave up a heatseeking missile to Wells that soared above the tall center field wall and officially put an end to the feel-good mini-streak.

Now it's off to B-More, a team falling apart faster than Senator Craig but one that has been a pain in Boston's side all season.

At least Papelbon should be ready to go again.

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Bullpen meltdown costs Sox shot at DH sweep

Angels 7, Sox 5
WP: F. Rodriguez (5-2)
LP: Gagne (3-1)
HRs: LAA-Matthews (16)

SUMMARY
For six innings the Sox looked dead in the water, held scoreless by Earvin Santana, until a late comeback gave the team hope. But Manny Delcarmen surrendered two runs in the 8th, and after Boston bounced back with four in the bottom of the inning, Eric Gagne coughed up three in the 9th for another demoralizing loss.

#1 STUNNER Santana 6.1IP, 4H, 1ER, 0BB, 5K
The struggling starter was called up before the game for his first start in a month, carried an ERA over 6.00 into the contest, then shut down the Boston offense for six plus innings.

PAN's FAUN Gagne 1IP, 3H, 3ER, 33P, BS, L
MotherfuckingcocksuckingCanadianbaconlovingSethRogenlookingwashedupdouchebag can go back to fucking Texas, California, Canada or anywhere they want his sorry, goateed, flabby, floppyhaired, goggle-eyed ass!

Nation, we must unite in producing a curse that will prevent this man from ever taking the mound in a Boston uni again!

SUMMARY
What the fuck just happened?

In the blink of an eye a potential banner day in Beantown was washed away in a flood of fortuitous base hits and faulty pitches, and before anyone could even register what they had witnessed, the Sox split a doubleheader that just minutes earlier it looked like it was destined to sweep.

That's what happens when the so-called best bullpen in baseball suddenly goes all Amy Winehouse, wasting another solid start by Josh Beckett and turning a feel-good come-from-behind win into the kind of loss that sparks fights with spouses and causes beer intake to rise dramatically throughout the Nation.

Label it alcoholic spousal abuse, brought to you by Eric Effin Gagne.

For the third time in a week and seemingly the umpteenth time since he first donned the Boston uniform three weeks ago, Gagne imploded on the mound and coughed up a Boston lead, blowing a save for the second time since Sunday and erasing what could have been one of Boston's biggest wins of the season.

All while Jonathan Papelbon sat in the pen and watched.

Look, I know Tito wants to be careful with the closer, and he did throw 22 pitches in the opener, but would his arm really had fallen off if he came in to close this one out?

After all, it's not every day this club comes back in a big way in the later innings against a quality club like the Angles, let alone with the chance to hang a doubleheader sweep on the second best team in baseball.

The ironic part about the whole thing is that for most of the evening it looked as if Boston was going to go down without a fight, barely able to scratch out a hit let alone score a run off suddenly stingy spot starter Santana.

The former Angel ace had been battered so badly this season that he was put on the AAA shuttle back in July after a dismantling at the hands of the Devil Rays, and was only brought back today to fill in due to the double dip.

The 24-year-old did more than fill in as he held Boston hitless for 4 1/3 innings while his mates built a 2-0 lead thanks to some key hits and ghastly fielding by Julio Lugo.

Beckett (7IP, 5H, 2R, 1ER, 1BB, 8K) worked out of a two on, two out jam fueled by Lugo's bobble of an Orlando Cabrera grounder in the first inning, but Anaheim touched him for a run in the third when Cabrera singled and Vlad Guerrero, who was a beast in this game, doubled deep into the left field corner for a 1-0 LA lead.

After misplaying another ball that was fortunately scored as the first ML base hit for rookie catcher Ryan Budde, Lugo's third miscue of the game would come back to bite Boston & Beckett in the sixth.

Guerrero (3-5, 2R, 2 2B, 3B, 3BI) hit a routine grounder to lead off the inning that Lugo bobbled & butchered for his 6th error in his last 13 games, and after Garret Anderson singled him over to third and Gary Matthroids struck out, Sox killer Maicer Izturis dumped a single into right that scored Vlad with the unearned run, and Boston trailed 2-0 after six.

Meanwhile Santana was pitching like his namesake, Johan; Boston's first hit of the night was a bloop single by J.D. Drew in the 5th, and even though Lugo tried to atone for his gaffes with a solid double to the triangle in the 6th, Santana retired Jacoby Ellsbury and Pedroia to escape the frame unscathed.

But things would finally change in the 7th as Boston scored a run on a single by Papi, a double by Drew (2-4) and after Justin Speier replaced Santana, an RBI groundout by Mike Lowell that cut the deficit to a manageable 2-1.

Then came Bullpen Meltdown #1.

Manny Delcarmen got the call to replace Beckett in the 8th and immediately turned the close game into what seemed like an impossible dream.

His line looked like this: Guerrero triple on 1st pitch, Anderson sac fly 2 pitches later, Matthroids 2-run homer three pitches later.

Six pitches, three runs, and that 2-1 lead was now 4-1 with Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez waiting in the pen.

Time to pack it in?

C'mon, it's the fucking Sox.

In the bottom of the 8th Boston staged one of those 2004-esque comebacks, an aspect of their game that had been sorely lacking so far this season but one that has started to reappear lately.

And just like '04, Big Papi was right in the middle of the action.

Reliever Scot Shields retired Eric Hinske to start the inning, then proceeded to walk Lugo and Ellsbury and allow a solid single to Pedroia to load the bases.

As Coco came in to run for Pedroia, Rodriguez entered the game for the Halos in hopes of recording the rare 5-out save.

No tonight, K-Rod.

With Ortiz standing at the plate Rodriguez uncorked a wild pitch that (barely) scored Lugo from third and advanced the other runners up a base, and on the next pitch Papi (2-4, 2R, 2BI) scorched a double to the left centerfield gap that brought Ellsbury & Crisp home to tie the game, and suddenly the park was rocking like it was 2004 again.

One pitch later Manny laced a shot down the third base line that rattled around the corner long enough to score Papi with the go-ahead run, and at this point everyone watching thought, shit, it is 2004 again.

Alas Drew grounded out and Lowell flied out to end the rally, but the damage was done, and all Boston had to do was record three quick outs and the sweet double header sweep was all theirs.

Except instead of the menacing glare and 97 mph heater of Papelbon on the mound, the Angels saw the roly-poly 92 mph Cheez Whiz of closer-turned-clown Gagne staring at them from behind befuddled, bespectacled eyes.

Exact excerpt from my notes: Gagne's on for the save. Oh shit.

Things started off badly when pinch hitter Reggie Willits took Gagne to 13 pitches before finally flying out, and I couldn't help but think if he needed that many tosses to retire Reggie freaking Willits, we're in trouble.

Things got worse as Gagne followed that adventure by walking pinch hitter Casey Kotchman on five pitches, and then the proverbial wheels fell off, and the worst part about it was it was like witnessing a car crash in horrible, super-slow motion.

Chone Figgins singled to right, sending pinch runner Manny Aybar to third, and O.C. needed just two pitches to rip a single to left that scored Aybar to tie the game; by the time Vlad crushed a 2-run double two pitches later , the boos were cascading down so hard on Gagne you'd have sworn they were yelling "Yooooooooouuuukkk".

Interestingly enough the next two big plays would involve Youk, who replaced Hinske to start the 9th: he speared a liner by Anderson for an inning-ending double play, then was tossed, along with Tito, for arguing a strike three call on a ball he foul tipped in the bottom of the inning.

So an afternoon that began with so much joy came to a bitter conclusion, but at least we know that the next time Gagne takes the mound we can just turn off set and go about our lives, secure in the knowledge that this man will probably never have a quality outing in a Boston uniform.

Unless they're playing the D-Rays.

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"Best" bully blows another as Gagne continues to gag

Baltimore 6, Sox 3
WP: Bradford (1-4)
LP: Snyder (2-3)
HRs: BAL-Millar (11), Tejada (11)

SUMMARY
Boston ended its 10 day road trip on a major down note when Eric Gagne gave up a 2-run homer to Miguel Tejada to tie the game in the 8th, then Kevin Millar hit a 3-run jack off Kyle Snyder in the bottom of the 10th to win it for Baltimore.

And the Sox lead in the East now sits at a slim 4 games...

#1 STUNNER Millar 3-5, 2R, 3RBI
The original idiot did a number on his former mates, notching two of the five hits Curt Schilling allowed and then pummelling a Snyder fastball for the game-winning homer.

PAN's FAUN Gagne 2/3IP, 1H, 1ER, 1K, 1HR
The supposed bullpen savoir has been a bullpen sinker as the former Ranger closer has been absolutely horrid in his brief stint with the Sox; he's now allowed 10 hits and 7 earned runs in 4 innings with Boston for a 15.75 ERA.

Worse than his performance, however, is the fact that his stunning awfulness is rubbing off on the rest of the bullpen.

RECAP
Raise your hand if you're starting to get that sickening, 2006 feeling again, Red Sox fans.

If you're hand's not raised right now you're either lyin' or denyin', cause all of a sudden a season that had World Series written all over it is looking more and more like last year, when the Sox broke out to a promising start only to collapse like Lindsay Lohan after one too many 8-balls.

Boston's AL East lead was sliced to a minuscule 4 games thanks to the Stanks' sweep of the Tribe this weekend, all that separates them from a Boston Massacre redux is the fact that they might already be out of first place by the time the two rivals hook up again in two weeks in the Bronx.

Which begs the question, would it be better to give up the division lead this week and go into that series trailing the Stanks, or do we really want to undergo the soul-crushing humiliation of letting our arch enemies ruin our season once again?

Discuss.

I know, I know, I can hear all you eternal optimists out there saying "hey, we've still got a four game lead, we're playing the D-Rays next, and the Stanks embark on a tough road trip themselves this week, so don't give up hope yet."

What I say to that is most of you glass-half-full people are under the age of 30 and are judging the chances of the Sox success on the mere fact that they came back to stun the Stanks in the 2004 playoffs, not the numerous heartbreaking collapses the team has undergone over the last, oh, seven decades before that.

To break it down scientifically, the score stands History 1,487, Sox 1.

Look I'm definitely not ready to throw in the towel and I realize that this band of talented veterans and confident youngsters isn't about to pack it in either, but when things start happening to a team like what happened on this trip, it's hard to ignore the familiar, ominous signs of a season on the brink.

Blown saves, terrible baserunning, awful errors, mental gaffes and lack of timely hits were all staples of the sliding Sox on this roadie, and all of those factors came into play in the finale today.
The worst part about it is that for the third straight game Boston got a great effort from its starter, yet they lost 2 of the 3 contests.

Curt Schilling, in his second start since coming off the DL, held the Baltimore lineup in check, surrendering just 5 hits and 1 unearned run over 6 innings while hitting 90+ regularly on the gun, although for the first time in his storied career he didn't allow a walk or a strikeout.

The only blemish on his linescore came when Millar hit a 1-out single in the 2nd, then went to third on a Buckner-esque error by Julio Lugo and came home on a groundout by Melvin Mora for the game's first run.

The error, which should have been an inning-ending double play, was Lugo's 14th of the season and 3rd on this trip, although he made numerous other mental miscues in the field.

The Sox bounced right back with two runs in the 3rd, but much like seemingly every other game this season the team had a zillion chances to blow the game wide open early but couldn't capitalize.

After getting one runner on in the 1st and two on in the 2nd against struggling Baltimore starter Steve Trachsel (6.1IP, 10H, 3ER, 3BB, 1K) Boston finally broke through in the third, but once again the damage could have been worse.

Kevin Youkilis (1-3, R, 2BB) began the rally when he drew a one-out walk, then went to third on a double off the right field wall by Big Papi, who came within a few feet of a home run if not for his ailing shoulders.

Manny followed with a liner to the right center field gap that scored both runners to give Boston a 2-1 Boston lead, and it looked a big inning was at hand.

Then another untimely edition of Manny Being Manny reared its ugly head, and that was all she wrote.

With J.D. Drew at the plate Baltimore catcher Paul Bako mishandled a Trachsel pitch that squirted a few feet away from him. For some reason only beknownst to Manny, the loopy right fielder broke for third and was thrown out by a country mile, a play that stung that much more when Drew promptly laced a single to right that would have scored Ramirez anyway.

Boston added to its lead when Tek and Lugo doubled in the 4th, but from then on it was same shit, different inning for the Boston offense.

6th inning: Lowell & Tek singled, Hinske grounded into a double play
7th inning: Youk singled, Ortiz walked, Manny grounded into a double play

By the time the 8th inning rolled around both starters were on the bench and it was up to Boston's bullpen to nurse that slender 3-1 lead instead of the 6 or 7 run bulge it should have been had the team been able to get one friggin big hit in any of those innings.

I think you know what happened from there.

Okajima, who seems to have acquired some of Gagne's bad mojo by sitting near him in the pen, walked Corey Patterson to open the 8th, and after Markakis moved him to second with a grounder, Tito did something that made every Sox heart skip a beat:

he summoned Gagne from the pen.

Seven pitches later Tejada launched a blast into the left field seats, and just like that Schill's yeoman effort, much like Dice-K's on Friday night, was gone in the blink of an eye, much to the chagrin of the thousands of Nation members who had invaded Camden for the series.

To make a long and depressing story a little shorter, Boston wasted baserunners in the 9th & 10th, and after Kyle Snyder got the call for the 10th and allowed a leadoff single to Patterson, we all knew the game was about to end, it was just a matter of how.

Markakais singled Patterson over to third and one out later Millar sent a Snyder fastball into the seats for the game winner, and at just that moment if you listened real closely you could hear the sound of millions of tv sets clicking over to the PGA Championship as well as loud exclamations of "FUCK!" coming from every RSN househould across the land.

And so the Sox will limp back to Fenway after a humiliating 4-5 road trip in which its East lead was cut in half and its aura of invincibility was shattered like an egg.

Hey, at least we got the D-Rays next, right?

Maybe they can take two of three from them.

As long as Gagne stays nailed to the fucking bench.

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Birds beat up baseball's best bullpen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Pats could have used some of that firepower.

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

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

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

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

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

Then came the 8th inning.

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

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

Not quite.

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

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

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

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

Not so fast, Sox fans.

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

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

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

Wrong.

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

Wow.

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

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

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

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

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

Maybe it was from the crab cakes.

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

Which should spell a Boston win.

As long as Beckett pitches a complete game.

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Sox come back from Paps' blown save to beat Rays

Sox 12, Rays 6
WP: Snyder (2-2)
LP: Stokes (2-7)
HRs: TB-Gomes, 2 (10), Paul (1)

SUMMARY
The Sox nearly gave away what seemed like a sure victory when Jonathan Papelbon allowed a two-run homer to Jonny Gomes in the 9th to tie the game, but thanks to the Rays' shoddy bullpen, Boston hung six runs up in the 12th and pulled out a tougher-than-expected victory.

#1 STUNNER Julio Lugo 2-5, 2R, 2BI, 2BB, SB
Tough to decide who should get this honor in such a sloppy, stat-infested game, but I guess the man at the top of the order who walked twice with the bases loaded, including a huge free pass to "drive" in the winning run in the 12th, is as good a pick as anyone.

RECAP
Let me start out by saying I don't have the energy--nor the desire--to review this game in its entirety.

Okay, stop the cheering.

The reason being I spent the majority of this hot & humid Florida summer day chasing little dimpled balls all around the course at a charitable golf tournament for my good friend, the late, great 'Chicago' Bob Allen.

After five+ hours in the heat with 120 other golfers, then three more hours at Bob's favorite watering hole celebrating his life, to say I was a little bit spent would be a gross understatement.

Upon arriving home I immediately crashed for an hour and a half, then woke up just in time to catch the start of the game. Little did I know I could've slept another couple of hours and still been able to catch the meat of this crazy contest.

In short the Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead despite the decent performance of Tampa Bay starter James Shields (5IP, 6H, 3ER, 1BB, 7K) thanks to an RBI single by Jason Varitek and a bases loaded walk by Julio Lugo in the second and an RBI single by J.D. Drew in the third.

But the Rays, losers of _ in a row and 25 of 30, chipped away at Sox starter Jon Lester (6.2IP, 6H, 4ER, 1BB, 3K, 2HR), scoring single runs in the fourth and sixth to cut the lead to 3-2.

When Boston added a couple of runs in the seventh on and RBI single by Big Papi against the shift and a sac fly by Manny, it looked like this game was in the bag and I'd be heading off to la la land soon enough.

Not quite.

The Rays touched Lester for a pair of solo shots in the bottom of the seventh, one a moonshot from Jonny on the spot Gomes , the other an opposite field tracer that barely cleared the wall in right by freshly activated catcher Josh paul, and suddenly the Sox lead was sliced to one, 5-4.

No worries though, because with Oki and Paps chomping at the bit to come in and finish this one of, it looked like Boston would hold on, especially after Coco knocked in the sixth run with a
fielder's choice in the eighth after Mike Lowell (4-6, R) had singled to lead off the inning.

After Oki threw a scoreless 8th a rested Paps came on for the 9th, but things got squirrelly in a hurry when Delmon Young led off the bottom of the 9th with a single to center on Papelbon's first pitch.

No problem, he'd just plow through the next three batters and it was enter sandman time for me.

Wrong.

Gomes got a hold of Paps' 2-2 offering and launched it into the seats in left for a jaw-dropping, game-tying homer, and just like that a Lester win turned into a blown save, just the All Star closer's second of the season, and another extra inning affair.

Fucking great.

After both teams escaped two-men-on situations in the first couple of extra frames, the sox finally got deep enough into that horrid Tampa Bay pen, and finally in the 12th inning Boston broke through and put this thing away.

Lowell started it with a one-out single to left off Brian Stokes, he of the 7.90 ERA, and then Tek and Coco followed with walks to load the bases. After nailing Lowell at the plate on a fielder's choice by Alex Cora, Stokes walked Lugo on five pitches to force in the seventh run that broke the tie, and after that reliever Jae Kuk Ryu (who?) gave up a bases-clearing double to Youk and an 2RBI double by Manny, and finally, after a LONG day and night, it was time to put this one to bed.

Meaning myself of course.

After all, I gotta be up bright and early to head to the Trop for the Dice-K/Scott K. showdown.

Those Boston boys better get some sleep, too.

That means you, Youk...stay away from Ybor City!

RECORD: 64-40
AL EAST: Up 9 on NYY (thx, Baltimore!)
STREAK: W-3
LAST 10: 8-2
UP NEXT: *Sun @ the Trop 1:40
*Look for me on TV--I'll be the one wearing the Dice-K tee shirt and Sox cap sitting on the 3rd base line, you won't be able to miss me!

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A-Rod takes Papelbon deep to help Stanks take series

New York 6, Sox 5
WP: Bruney (2-1)
LP: Papelbon (0-1)
SV: Rivera (5)
HRs: NYY-Rodriguez (20)

SUMMARY:
This one hurts.

Boston overcame a 4-0 deficit with a 5-run fifth, only to see its two best relievers hand the game right back to New York. Hideki Okajima allowed the tying run to score in the 8th, then closer Jonathan Papelbon served up a solo shot to Alex Rodriguez in the top of the 9th to lose the game and the series.

HERO: Dustin Pedroia 2-5, R, 3RBI
The little second sacker continues to get big rips; this time it was a 3-run double in the fifth that put the Sox on the board and gave Boston a chance to win this game. Oh yeah, and the hit extended his hitting streak to 13 games.

What, you thought I was gonna give it to freaking A-Rod?!

GOAT(s): Papelbon & Okajima 1.1IP, 3H, 2ER, 3K, HR
The Sox two best bullpen men looked like a couple of high schoolers when the going got tough tonight. Six outs away from another comback win, these two normally rock-solid specialists couldn't close the deal, and it cost the Sox the game.

RECAP:
Like Michael Richards once famously said, back when he was still known as Kramer: "I'm out."

As in, I'm out of breath, out of words, and out of ways to describe and talk about this series between the Sox and Stankees, one in which there were more comebacks than in the heavyweight division, and more twists and turns than a bad Memento ripoff.

So after three games of back-and-forth baseball, and a couple of nights pounding out roughly 1,500 words attempting to recount what had taken place on the soggy field at Fenway, I'm going to keep this one short and sweet.

Maybe that way it won't sting so much.

Josh Beckett (6.1IP, 8H, 4ER, 3BB, 5K) spotted the Stanks a 4-run lead, with a little help from Mike Lowell. The first run came in the second, when Posada doubled, Matsui singled him to third, and Josh Phelps brought him home with a single to center. New York would plate three more in the fifth after Phelps and Melky Cabrera singled, Abreu walked, and A-Rod hit a shot to third that Lowell tried to play barehanded, like he had the day before.

But the throw bounced in front of Youk and skipped into right field, allowing two runs to score and when Posada (2-5, R, RBI) followed with another single, the score was 4-0 Boston, and things were looking bleak.

Have no fear, because in the bottom of the frame, the Comeback Kids were here.

Tek, Wily Mo and Coco led off the inning with singles off of Andy Pettitte (4.1IP, 7H, 5R, BB, 3Ks); Boston's hottest hitter (sorry, Youk) Dustin Pedroia, then smoked a belt-high Pettitte fastball for a Monster-rattling double that cleared the bases and brought the Sox right back in it, 4-3.

Papi followed one pitch later with a bloop single to right that Bobby The Butcher Abreu misplayed into a three base hit for Ortiz that easily scored Pedroia with the tying run. That play chased Pettitte from the game (thank your rightfielder for that, Andy), and when Luis Vizcaino came in and allowed a sac fly to Youk (1-3), it looked as if Boston would have another comback victory on its resume.

Ah, not so fast my friend.

After Lopez, Donnelly & Okajima combined forces to escape a two-on, one-out jam in the 7th, Matsui singled off his former Japan League teammate Okajima to begin the 8th. Robinson Cano then took Oki's second pitch deep to center that hit high above the Stoppie sign and kicked back to right, and by the time Pena relayed it back in, Cano had a triple and the Stanks had a 5-4 lead.

And the chattering crowd fell silent.

As if that weren't disheartening enough, to go along with the frigid temps and steady rain, what happened in the 9th would assure all members of RSN would go to bed cold & angry tonight.

Papelbon got Jeter to ground out, then fanned Abreu to get the Sox within one out of extra innings. Unfortunately, A-Rod had had enough of the deriding catcalls and plastic girl masks for the weekend, and he didn't want to stick around any longer. Rodriguez unloaded a Papelbon heater into the bully for a deflating home run that silenced the critics and put a capper on a wet, weird, and wasted weekend at Fenway.

And so it's on to a brutal 7-game road trip through Oakland and Arizona for the Sox before they head home to play the Rockies and Giants at Fenway.

Thankfully, we won't have to see the friggin' Pinstripes again until late August.

And thankfully, even by taking 2-0f-3, the Stanks are still 12 1/2 games behind the Sox in the East.

SCOREBOARD!

NOTES:

• Hit parade: every Sox player had a hit, with Pedroia and Manny notching two each
• J.D.Drew sat for the second straight game with hammy problems; Wily Mo took his place in right and went 1-4 with a run scored
• Pedroia batted second for the second consecutive game, with Pena batting 8th and Coco, who had been hitting 2nd for a few games, hitting 9th. It was the fourth time this year Dusty had 2 doubles in a game, the third time in less than a week time in
• More Dusty: Pedroia is batting .489 during his streak (23-47) and has raised his average 85 points, from .253-.338
• Manny's two hits raised his average to a season high .288; he has hit in 11 of the last 12 games at a .435 (20-46) clip
• Twins? in his last 7 innings pitched, Paps has allowed 7 hits and 3 runs, walking 4 while striking out 10; Oki has been just as shaky as his bullpenmate; in his last 7.2 innings, he's allowed 7 hits and 3 runs, with 3 walks and 5 Ks. Freaky, huh?
• Papi nearly took Rivera deep in the 9th, but a combination of the rain drops and Ortiz' "barking" hammys kept the ball in the yard
• Lugo (1-3) was thrown out at the plate by Jeter trying to score on a double by Pedroia in the 6th, although he argued the call, replays showed he was out

QUOTES:

"I heard some, but it's always in good fun. I think the Boston fan always has a lot of fun and I appreciate that. It's not a big deal."--Rodriguez on the series-long ridicule he dealt with this weekend

RECORD: 37-18
STRK: L-1
LST 10: 6-4
AL EAST: Up 10.5
UP NEXT: Mon @ OAK, 10P EST

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