Game Preview: Sox @ Rays GM3

Into the belly of the beast
Matszaka (9-1, 3.21) vs. Kazmir (7-3, 2.28)
Game 3 of 3 710 ESPN @ Tropicana Field

As the Sox try to salvage one game from this washout of a series on Florida's left coast I am heading down to the Trop to try and do everything I can to prevent a catastrophic sweep from occurring.

In other words I'll be sporting my Sox gear, swilling much beer and screaming my head off in the general direction of any suddenly smug Tampa Bay Rays fan that dares stick it in my face that they have the best team in baseball right now.

Which could be, like, 3/4 of the stadium.

Honey, get the bail money out of the account.

Let it be known that for the first time in the history of this formerly feeble Rays franchise I had to buy tickets at a premium price through fan fave StubHub.com. That's because I asked my wife to contact her ticket connection too late to procure ducats for this highly anticipated series, and as I was browsing Ticketmaster the few remaining seats were snatched up quicker than I could maneuver my mouse.

And so for a mere $60 a a pop my stepson and I are going to brave the insane scene that will be taking place in and around Tropicana Field this evening in what is likely the biggest game to be played in this building since the Lightning packed in 27,000+ hockey fans for a playoff game against the Flyers over a decade ago.

In fact this thing might even be bigger than the annual home show, which is really saying something in these parts.

Another reason this game is so big, aside from the fact that the Rays can put the Sox 3 1/2 games out of first place with a win, is the starting pitcher match up.

For Boston wins leader Daisuke Matsuzaka will be faced with the challenge of stopping the runaway train that is the recent Rays, and for Tampa Bay Red Sox killer Scott Kazmir will try and improve on his already stellar record against the defending champs.

Although the young lefty is just 6-6 in 18 starts against Boston over the course of his career, his ERA is a terrific 2.82 in 105.1 innings of work, and he has struck out 123 Boston batters while walking just 51 in that time.

This year he is 0-1 against the Sox, losing a 7-3 decision at Fenway in early May in his first start of the season after spending the opening month on the DL.

On the other side of the mound Matsuzaka has not fared very well against the Rays in his brief ML career. He is 1-3/4.09 in five starts overall and 0-2/4.26 at the Trop. That record will have to improve - quickly - if Boston is going to pull this one out.

Especially since Boston's offense has apparently gone on holiday while visiting scenic Tampa/Clearwater/St. Pete. Not only has the team managed just five runs and 14hits in two games, but stalwarts like Manny Ramirez, Jason Varitek and Jacoby Ellsbury are all in protracted slumps that have hurt the club immensely over the past two weeks.

Evidently all Ramirez can hit right now is someone in the Sox clubhouse (rimshot, please.)

It all comes down to which team wants it more, and for the last couple of nights that team has been the Tampa Bay Rays. They've pitched better, they've hit better, their fans have come out to cheer better, and it's added up to the position the Sox find themselves in now - hurtling towards the middle of the division as they enter a 4 game set against the Stanks this weekend.

But I aim to help change all that tonight. I just hope Dice-K and the boys got my back.

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Dice-K strikes back with solid effort in win over Houston

Sox 6, Astros 1
WP: Matsuzaka (9-1)
LP: Hernandez (0-1)
SV: Papelbon (24)
HRs: BOS-Drew (15); HOU-Abercrombie (1)

SUMMARY:
The Red Sox began a(nother) 10-game road trip with an impressive victory over the unimpressive Astros. Daisuke Matsuzaka bounced back from a horrible start to earn the win and J.D. Drew provided all the offense the team would need with a three-run bomb off emergency starter Runelvys Hernandez in the third inning.

Boston outhit Houston 12-4, with 7 of the knocks coming from Pedroia and Youkilis.

#1 STUNNER: Drew 1-3, R, 2BB, HR, 3BI
Mired in a 2-19 skid and coming off sitting out the finale of the Arizona series due to Randy Johnson syndrome, errr a stiff neck, Drew picked back up where he began the month by hitting another huge home run.

Honorable mention: Matsuzaka 5IP, 2H, 0ER, 3BB, 4K, 87P
An excellent effort by the Sox top starter allows everyone to breath a sigh of relief that Boston's $101 million investment has not turned into a broken down bust.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Hideki Okajima 2/3IP, 2H, 1R, 0BB, 0K, HR, 15P
While everyone has been worrying about Dice-K's health, it's Boston's other Japanese import who is now causing brows to furrow throughout the Nation. This month the unconventional lefty has allowed 9 earned runs in 8 2/3 innings of work, raising his ERA from 0.72 to 3.21.

I mean seriously, what's wrong with this guy?

Dishonorable mention: Manny Ramirez 0-4, K
Manny is now mired in a 2-15 slump and hasn't homered in 13 games or knocked in a run in his last 10 contests. Can you say power outage?

RECAP:
You can put away the rosaries and stop pounding sake. Everything appears to be okay with Dice-K.

After suffering his worst loss since he came to the Sox in his last outing, his first since spending nearly a month on the DL, Daisuke Matsuzaka made up for that horror show against the Cardinals with a strong showing tonight in Boston's first ever trip to Houston's Minute Maid Park.

Thanks to a potent offensive attack and a strong effort on the back end by Jonathan Papelbon, Matsuzaka finally earned his ninth victory of the season, 36 days after he logged his then league leading eighth win on May 22nd against the Royals.

In fact it's been so long since his last victory Hillary Clinton was still running for President, the Celtics hadn't won title #17, and people thought the Happening might actually be a good movie.

Yeah, that's how long ago.

Before we get too exited that the shoulder trouble that sidelined Daisuke for a month is all in the past let me state that he didn't have an absolute lights out performance tonight.

For example he barely made it through the requisite five innings to earn the win when he loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth before inducing David Newhan to pop out to shortstop to preserve the Sox shutout.

He also walked three batters, including Astros starter Runelvys Hernandez, who hadn't hit in a major league game since September of 2006, and struck out twice at the plate himself.

But the good far outweighed the bad for Matsuzaka this evening, and it was apparent from the start that this outing would be quite different from the last time he took the mound one week ago tonight.

In that game six St. Louis batters reached base in the first innings as the Cards jumped out to a four run lead, and the carnage continued in the second inning when Dice-K loaded the bases with no outs on a single and a pair of walks.

Tonight was the exact opposite of that as Matsuzaka not only didn't allow a run or base runner in the first inning, but he began the game by striking out the side with all three batters swinging at strike three.

Talk about night and day.

After putting three batters on in the first two innings Boston finally broke through in the third against Hernandez (5IP, 5H, 3ER, 3BB, 5K), who was called up to start in place of disgraced/released starter Shawn Chacon.

Matsuzaka led off with a strikeout before Coco Crisp drew a one out walk and Dustin Pedroia (3-4, 2R, 2B, BI, BB) followed with a ringing double to left field. Three pitches later J.D. Drew slammed a towering, titanic blast to right that banged off the facade of the upper deck for a key three run bomb, and just like that Dice-K had some breathing room to work with.

It was a good thing, too, because had the game been scoreless who knows how he would have handled the pressure packed situation he faced in the fifth.

Geoff Blum lined out to right to begin the frame, but then Hunter Pence walked and Humberto Quintero singled to right to set up runners at second and third with one out.

Darin Erstad (I know, he's still alive!) pinch hit for the pitcher and promptly struck out, and it looked like Matsuzaka would escape the jam easily. But he walked Michael Boure to load the bases, and suddenly it was finger nail biting time in the Boston dugout.

Before they could reach the cuticles Dice-K got David Newhan to pop out harmlessly to short on a wicked breaking ball, and with that Houdini act Matsuzaka's night was over.

The Sox scored another run when Julio Lugo led off the seventh with a bloop single to right and two outs later Pedroia drove him in with a sharp single to center, and although they missed out on a golden opportunity to blow the game open when Youk (4-5) and Tek both singled with one out in the eighth, with Boston sporting a four run lead and just six outs to go this one was all but over.

And then Hideki Okajima entered the game.

The embattled Boston reliever has been tattooed more than Eddie House the past month, and tonight would be no different.

After getting ex-Sox second sacker Mark Loretta to fly out to open the inning, Bourne took an Okajima offering all the way to the left field wall before Jacoby Ellsbury caught it on the track.

The next time he wouldn't be so lucky.

Pinch hitter Reggie Abercrombie, who has only appeared in 155 games in his career and has just seven homers to his credit, turned on a 2-2 pitch from Oki and deposited it on that silly train track the 'Stros have way up at the top of the stadium, and just like that the shutout was gone and the game was on.

When Miguel Tejada followed that blast with a ringing single off the left field scoreboard Tito had seen enough of Oki's antics and brought in Paps to nail it down.

A strikeout of Lance Berkman (1-4) ended the inning, and when Boston tacked on a couple more runs on a two run single by Mike Lowell in the ninth this one was in the bag.

Sure enough paps tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his 24th save, and Boston had it second straight impressive win against a lesser National League opponent.

In those two wins the Sox have outscored the opposition 11-1, outhit them 24-7, and generally outplayed the mediocre competition of the senior circuit.

And with Dice-K looking healthier, Drew still mashing longballs and Pedroia and Youk hotter than asphalt in August, things are looking good for the team.

Although they still just have a slim 1/2 game lead over those pesky Rays.

They'll have to take care of that problem starting Monday.

RECORD: 50-32
AL EAST: Up 1/2 gm
STREAK: W3
LAST 10: 6-4
UP NEXT: Sat @ HOU 7:05 Lester vs. Backe

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Matsuzaka gets blitzed as Sox lose 2nd straight at Fenway

Cardinals 9, Sox 3
WP: Boggs (2-0)
LP: Matsuzaka (8-1)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Drew (14); STL: Glaus (10), Miles (1), Ankiel (12)

SUMMARY:
Daisuke Matsuzaka made his first start since going on the DL almost a month ago, and he looked as rusty as an old swing set; he allowed 9 baserunners in one+ inning of work, and rookie reliever Chris Smith did him no favors by giving up a grand slam to the second batter he faced after coming in with no outs in the second inning.

The loss was the Sox 2nd straight at Fenway, only the second time this year they've lost two in a row at home.

#1 STUNNER: Troy Glaus 2-4, 2R, 4BI, BB, GS
The surly, burly third baseman has been hot in June, and his seventh homer of the month was a doozy as his second inning granny off Smith blew the game open and turned the last eight innings into yard work time.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Matsuzaka 1IP, 6H, 7ER, 3BB, 1K, HR, 48P
We all knew the guy would need some time to round back into form, especially with just one rehab start under his belt. But this outing could be considered a major step backward for the previously unbeaten starter. He. Had. Nothing.

RECAP:
Well that didn't go too well now, did it?

On a picturesque day at Fenway in front of a national TV audience, with its full compliment of players in the lineup and its winningest starter on the mound, it appeared as if a Sox victory was all but certain.

And then the game started, and it quickly became apparent that not only would Boston probably not win this game, but it might lose it in humiliating fashion.

Less than an hour into the game the Sox trailed 8-0, and any hopes of winning this series and Matsuzaka earning his 9th victory of the season were gone in a barrage of Red Bird base hits and bases on balls.

The Cards opened up an industrial strength-sized can of whup ass on Dice-K and the Sox this afternoon, and by the time the second inning was over the team was in worse shape than before Matsuzaka came back from his shoulder injury.

Suddenly the once solid staff is in a spot of trouble, because in the last few days Bartolo Colon and Mike Timlin have gone on the DL, Curt Schilling has all but called it a career, Hideki Okajima has developed a case of Steve Blass disease, and now it appears Daisuke's problems may be more than what a quick trip to the DL can cure.

Is it too late to trade for Santana?

It was obvious right from the beginning that Matsuzaka was either not fully recovered from his sore shoulder or just real, real, rusty. He walked the first batter of the game, the immortal Skip Schumaker, on five pitches that weren't really close to the strike zone, then surrendered a two-run homer to Aaron Miles for a lightning-quick 2-0 St. Louis lead.

Following last night's theme of the Cardinals scrubs doing the damage it was the light-hitting Miles' first homer since last September.

Unfortunately before he was out of the inning Dice K would let every one get in on the act as he followed the longball by allowing a single to Ryan Ludwick, a one out single to Troy Glaus, and after a ground ball moved the runners into scoring position, a two-run single by Jason LaRue (2-5, 2BI) pushed the lead to 4-0 before the Faithful had downed their first $9.00 beer.

Boston looked like it might jump right back in it when Jacoby Ellsbury dropped a leadoff double down the left field line, but rookie Mitchell Boggs, making his third career start in his fourth career appearance, got Pedroia, Drew and Manny to fly out to left, center and right, and before we knew it Matsuzaka was back on the mound.

But not for long.

Second verse, same as the first. Only worse.

Schumaker walked, again, for the second time in two innings, and then Miles (2-5, 2R, 2BI) dumped a single to center and Ludwick walked and the Cards had the bases loaded with no outs and it was all the fans could do to keep from booing Matsuzaka off the field.

Luckily for him this is the kinder, gentler, more forgiving post-titles Fenway crowd.

Mercifully Francona made the trip to the mound to pull his piss-poor starter, and on came rookie Chris Smith, who had been up and down from Pawtucket three times this year without ever getting into a game.

So he gets to come into a bases loaded, not outs jam with Ankiel and Glaus due up.

Welcome to the bigs, kid.

Things looked promising at first when the 27-year-old righty got Ankiel to strike out on three straight knee-bending breakers, but when he tried a similar tact with Glaus the strapping third baseman caught up to a hanging curve and swiftly deposited it into the seats above the Monster, and at 8-0 this one was all over save for the stat-padding.

Alas Boston couldn't even do that, managing a mere six base hits on the afternoon, and although they did scratch out a couple of runs in the bottom of the second off Boggs (5.1IP, 5H, 3ER, 2BB, 1K, 1HR) on a two-run double by Alex Cora, the only other run the Sox could muster on the afternoon was a solo shot by Drew, aka Juno, to lead off the sixth to slice the deficit to five, 8-3.

Ankiel got that run right back when he took Javier Lopez deep to begin the seventh, and about the only good sign for the Sox on the day was David Aardsma pitching his second consecutive 1-2-3, 3K inning in two days in the eighth.

So we got that going for us.

Thanks to Dice-Ks destruction and another win by the motherlovin' Rays, the Sox lead in the East has been reduced back to a minuscule 1/2 game.

Now Jon Lester will be faced with the task of preventing a humiliating home sweep when he takes the mound tomorrow afternoon, and he doesn't have to pitch another no-no.

Just keep the score under 8-zip after two, please.

RECORD: 46-31
AL EAST: Up 1/2 gm
STREAK: L2
LAST 10: 6-4
UP NEXT: Sun vs. STL 1:35 Pineiro vs. Lester

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Game Preview: Cards @ Sox GM2

Boggs (1-0, 5.56) vs. Matsuzaka (8-0, 2.53)
Game 2 of 3 3:55 FOX @ Fenway Park

The return of Daisuke Matsuzaka from the disabled list this afternoon is a blessing for Boston's beleaguered rotation, stung by the loss this week of Bartolo Colon and the news that Curt Schilling will not be joining it at all this season, but it is also a bonus for the bullpen as well.

To make room for Dice-K the team placed reliever Mike Timlin on the DL for, of all things, a bad knee. You guys sure it has nothing to do with his noodle arm?

Either way it's another day and another set of moves for the constantly flowing Red Sox roster, which has had more changes to its makeup this season than the cast of "Dancing with the Stars."

When we last saw Dice K on the mound he was pitching in Seattle at the end of May. After pitching four innings and allowing two runs, Matsuzaka grabbed his side while warming up before the fifth inning began and was immediately removed from the game.

Turns out he injured his shoulder reaching for a throw while covering the first base bag earlier in the game, and after nearly a month on the DL and one rehab start, the Japanese righthander stated he is ready to pitch at the big league level again.

That remains to be seen about his tired armed teammate Timlin.

When Matsuzaka went down he was leading the league in wins and was second in ERA. One month later he's still tied for the third most wins in the majors and can jump right back into the ERA leaders with a solid performance today.

You can bet Tito & John Farrell will have a close eye on their stud starter, and should his pitch count get high or he appear to be struggling at all he will probably be on a short leash.

The fact that he's facing rookie righty Mitchell Boggs can only benefit Matsuzaka and the Sox. A veteran of 2 major league starts, the 24-year-old Boggs has pitched fairly well since being being called up on June 7th, but his inexperience combined with pitching in Fenway for the first time against one of the top offensive clubs in baseball should play into Boston's favor.

The Sox hope to rebound from last night's messy loss, in which the hurlers surrendered three homers to three obscure Cards and Julio Lugo was the key offensive contributor but also committed a pair of errors in what was a lackluster performance for the team coming off a solid 4-2 road trip.

So it's no excuses today. The top starter is back. The starting lineup (minus Papi) is intact. And a greenhorn is on the mound to face the World Champs in a national TV game in the ballpark where Boston has lost only 8 games all season.

Let's not eff this one up, fellas.

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Sox Drawer: Matsuzaka to the DL

The results of the MRI on Daisuke Matsuzaka's shoulder revealed a mild strain of the rotator cuff and the team decided to place the undefeated starter on the disabled list retroactive to Wednesday.

The good news is that the damage was minor and Dice-K feels well enough that he thought he could pitch through the discomfort, but luckily he is not in charge of such decisions and the Boston brass opted to protect its $101 million investment and let him rest for 15 days before reevaluating his condition.

This makes Dice K the third Sox starter to make a trip to the DL this season, following Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz, but luckily for Boston the rotation is deep enough, especially with the addition of Bartolo Colon, to weather this latest setback.

Plus Buchholz is due back soon and Justin Masterson is just a phone call away, so hopefully this situation won't come back to bite Boston in the ass.

To take Matsuzaka's place on the roster Jeff Bailey, who was already summoned to Baltimore from Pawtucket in preparation for this scenario, was activated.

Another day, another setback for the defending champs. Time for someone (ahemJoshBeckett) to step up and fill the void created by losing the AL leader in wins and second leading ERA man.

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Sox Drawer: Still undecided on Dice K, Sox call up Bailey

The Red Sox recalled Pawtucket outfielder Jeff Bailey yesterday and had him meet the team in Baltimore, although his activation to the roster is dependant on whether or not they place pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka on the disabled.

That decision will come after the results of Dice K's MRI are examined this morning.

Bailey, who had a cup of coffee with the big club last summer and even hit a homer off Detroit's Nate Robertson, has been one of the hottest hitters in the International League over the past few weeks.

He is currently 8th in the league in hitting (.318), 3rd in homers (16) and 2nd in RBI (44) after a recent power surge in which he's hit 6 long balls and knocked in 14 runs in his last eight games. That includes three multi homer-games and three games in which he had at least 3 RBI (he had five in one game).

But the big news is not the addition of yet another talented position player ready to step in and contribute at the major league level, a la Brandon Moss, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie and Joe Thurston.

The main concern is obviously Dice K's shaky shoulder and the probability that he will have to miss at least one start if not more. Just how bad is the shoulder - skip Tuesday's turn bad, or miss a couple of weeks and cross fingers & toes that it all goes away in that time bad?

That is the $101 million dollar question facing the Nation right now.

Stay tuned.

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Sox Drawer: Dice K has shoulder injury

Daisuke Matsuzaka leaves the field last night in Seattle after tweaking his shoulder before the 5th inning of Boston's 4-3 loss (AP photo)

When Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka was removed from last night's game against Seattle after tossing a couple of warm up pitches prior to the 5th inning, it was assumed he had a problem with either his side or back.

Turns out it could be a lot worse than that.

The official diagnosis from the front office is that Boston's 8-0 ace has what is commonly referred to as "shoulder fatigue", which in turn sounds both potentially benign yet incredibly ominous.

Evidently this problem has struck the 27-year-old righthander a few seasons into his professional career in Japan. And with a kid who once threw 250 pitches in a game and then pitched again the next day, is it any surprise that he would have arm troubles?

And therein lies the problem. Although he is relatively young, there are so many pitches already on his arm that he is a candidate for a major shoulder injury at any time. And it's not like he's keeping his pitch count down this year, either.

Not only does Dice lead the league in wins, he also leads the league in walks and is 13th in total number of pitches thrown with 1,121.

That number is magnified because 10 of the 12 pitchers ahead of him are in the top 20 in innings pitched, while Matsuzaka has accumulated his large tally as the 32nd place hurler in innings pitched.

In other words he's thrown a shitload of pitches compared to the amount of time he's actually in the game.

The team has sent the pitcher back to Boston to have an MRI on his shoulder, and Francona refused to declare whether or not he will make his next scheduled start Monday in Baltimore.

But let's be frank, here. The Sox have $101 million invested in this guy, and with a past history of shoulder trouble and as many pitches as he's thrown this year, they almost have no choice but to rest him for a week or so, get him some therapy and rehab and hope and pray that this goes away and is never a problem again.

Because the alternative - throw him out there Monday and then have him suffer a full-blown major injury - is just too much of a risk to take.

In other words, look for Clay Buchholz or Justin Masterson to get the start against the O's.

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Sox lose Dice K, Lugo, Tito and the game on a walk-off hit

Seattle 4, Sox 3
WP: Putz (2-2)
LP: Timlin (2-3)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Manny (9); SEA-None

SUMMARY:
In what turned out to be an ugly, costly game in the Pacific Northwest Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzaka had to leave the game with an undisclosed injury, Julio Lugo and Terry Francona got tossed for arguing a check swing, and Mike Timlin gave the game away when he allowed two hits and a walk in the 9th inning, handing the Ms their first win in the last 8 games.

SUPERSTAR: Manny Ramirez 1-3, R, 3BI, HR, A
The game wouldn't had come down to a walk off situation had ManRam not knocked his 499th career homerun over the right field wall in the 6th, tying the game a three and prolonging the agony for the Nation. He also contributed an outfield assist, which at the time staved off late game misery as well.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Timlin 2/3 IP, 2H, 1ER, BB, L
It's time to give Tired Arm his walking papers, a la Kyle Snyder, Julian Tavarez and Bryan Corey before him, because as soon as he entered the game you knew it was over.

RECAP:
Repeat after me: "I friggin stayed up til 1:10 in the morning for that!"

Now say it again.

What's that, you turned it off before the agonizing 9th?

Lucky bastard.

Because for those of us who did stick around til the bitter end it was a long, sour night of baseball, filled with insults, injuries, ejections and frustration as Boston lost for the fourth time in five games and saw its road record drop to an anemic 11-18.

For some perspective that mark is worse than teams such as Texas and Milwaukee and equals that of Kansas City, which has an aggregate record of 21-30.

I'm too tired right now to do a complete recap, so I'm gonna give you the lazy blogger version:

-Daisuke Matsuzaka gave up three runs in four innings before leaving the game with what appeared to be a side or back strain prior to the 5th

-Julio Lugo got the hook from third base umpire Angel Hernandez after apparently arguing a check swing non-call on Raul Ibanez in the 5th, and after a heated on field exchange Francona joined his shortstop in the clubhouse

-Manny Ramirez tied the game in the 6th after an error by SS Yunieski Betancourt and a walk to David Ortiz; it was his 499th career home run and first in 12 games

-after scoreless efforts from David Aardsma, Manny Delcarmen (!) and Hideki Okajima, acting manager Brad Mills went with Timlin over Papelbon in the 9th. Timlin proceeded to allow a leadoff single to someone named Wladimir Balentien, and after a pair of ground outs, he intentionally walked Ichiro before allowing the game-losing single to Jose Lopez.

And there you have it in a nutshell. It was an awful night and a depressing finish against an awful team the Sox should have beaten. And with that I'm gonna finish my 7 olive martini and hit the hay.

More in the A.M.

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Game Preview: Sox @ Seattle GM2

Matsuzaka (8-0, 2.40) vs. Batista (3-6, 5.83)
GM 2 of 3 10:00 @ Safeco Field

The Sox will try to make it two wins in a row when they send the AL's wins leader to the mound tonight at Safeco Field.

Daisuke Matsuzaka will put his perfect record on the line in what is probably the most Japanese friendly ballpark in the majors. Seattle is the home of Ichiro, Kenji Johjima and a large Japanese-American population, so Dice K should feel right at home when he toes the slab looking for win number nine this evening.

As we all know Matsuzaka's quest for perfection has been anything but perfect as his starts have featured a slew of base hits, walks and pitches thrown.

Yet here we are nearly into June and the perplexing righty has yet to lose a start, so who are we to complain?

We'll at least wait until he loses to start that shit.

Against the Mariners Matsuzaka owns a 1-1 record with a 4.33 ERA. The loss came in the memorable showdown last April with Felix Hernandez, Dice-K's first career start at Fenway, which was spoiled when King Felix blanked Boston with a 1-hit masterpiece.

At Safeco Matsuzaka is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in two starts, so his undefeated record here is at stake as well.

His mound opponent will be veteran journeyman Miguel Batista. The lanky righty has tooled for 8 teams in his 13 year career, some more than once, and his second season in Seattle has been the kind that will get him shipped out again.

In his last 4 starts Batista has allowed 29 hits and 19 runs over 16 innings for an ERA of 10.69 in losing 3 of the 4. Needless to say those stats don't bode well for a team that has lost 7 games in a row and is facing the best offensive team in the AL.

But anything can happen in this game and we know Matsuzaka has to lose sooner or later, and what better place than the house that Ichiro, his countrymen and former Japan League nemesis, built?

Fingers crossed.

NOTES:
-Youk out? Kevin Youkilis is still smarting from the mysterious hand injury that kept him out of last night's game and according to the Globe he is questionable for tonight. Hopefully he didn't hurt it smashing something, like that idiot pitcher for the Royals.

-Lester named Player of the Week: technically the soft spoken lefty had to share the honor with Detroit outfielder Magglio Ordonez, but he'll take it. I guess a no hitter doesn't carry as much weight as it used to. For the week Lester was 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA, earning his first ever POTW award. Great job, Jon.

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Sox sweep Royals in grand style

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Go figure.

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

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

Yikes.

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

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

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

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

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

Well at least for an inning.

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

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

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

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

Or so we thought.

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

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

Gulp.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Game Preview: Royals at Sox GM4

Bannister (4-5, 4.29) vs. Matsuzaka (7-0, 2.15)
Game 4 of 4 1:35 @ Fenway Park

How can a team top a no hitter, a terrific performance by a Double A pitcher for his first major league victory, and a reclamation project earning his first win in nearly a year?

By having its top pitcher earn his American League-leading 8th win by lowering his ERA to and American League-leading sub-2.00, and extending the team's winning streak to a season high 7 games before the club heads out on another grueling 10-game West Coast/Baltimore road trip.

That's how.

Daisuke Matsuzaka will be in the position to do all of the above when he takes the mound this afternoon in a getaway day matinee at Fenway against the Royals, vying to become the AL's first 8 game winner against the team his made his major league debut against last April.

If he were to defeat the Royals again, as his did in that game, he would give Boston its longest winning streak since the summer of 2006, move the team to a season high 12 games over .500, and provide another 1/2 game cushion to their AL East lead, as the 2nd place Rays have the day off today.

Other than that there's not much to play for this afternoon.

If the Sox are going to do all of the above they will have to beat the Royals' resident day tripper, Brain Bannister.

In what has to be the oddest day/night disparity since the age of Count Dracula, the 27-year-old righty has been unbeatable in day games (4-0, 0.62) but he can't buy a victory at night (0-5, 8.13)

Hopefully the blazing Boston offense will be able to put an end to his daylight dominance, and you have to think for a club that has only scored fewer than 3 runs twice in the last three weeks that shouldn't be a problem.

It's day baseball time at Fenway, so it's time to flip on NESN HD, crank up the surround sound, grab a few keg cans and watch another spectacular performance by a Boston starting pitcher.

Fingers crossed, of course.

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Dice goes to 7-0 thanks to Big Papi's big blast

Sox 5, Milwaukee 3
WP: Matsuzaka (7-0)
LP: Suppan (2-3)
SV: Papelbon (12)
HRs: BOS-Ortiz (8); MIL-Cameron (4), Braun (11)

SUMMARY:
Daisuke Matsuzaka had one of his best outings of the year, limiting the Brewers to 7 hits and a pair of runs in 6 2/3 innings of work, and David Ortiz provided all the run support Boston would need when he slammed a 3-run, opposite field homer over the Monster in the second inning to propel the Sox to the win.

SUPERSTAR: Ortiz 2-2, 2R, 3BI, 2BB, HR
Ortiz' early blast set the tempo for the day and got the team off on the right foot following 2 1/2 days of inactivity. Papi was on base four times, raising his average to .244 and OBP to .353, and knocked in his 30th, 31st and 32nd runs of the year.

In other words, Here. Comes. Papi.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Jeff Suppan 6IP, 9H, 4ER, 2BB, 1K, HR
The former Sox draft pick settled down after a rocky first couple of innings, but unfortunately it was the runs he gave up in those couple of innings that cost his team the game.

RECAP:
Game 1 is done and thankfully the boys started the day out in style.

Because the last thing you want is a lousy loss in the opener of a doubleheader, especially when the team has to turn right back around and play the next game in an hour and a half.

Actually the last thing you would want is extra innings in the opener, but thankfully the baseball gods decided not to subject us to that.

We in the Nation can also be thankful for the combo of Daisuke Matsuzaka and David Ortiz, as it was those two studs who led the team out of the doldrums of a 4-game losing skid and back to the promised land of a potential winning streak.

After the Sox handed him a 4-0 lead after two innings, the first run scoring on a bases loaded walk to JD Drew in the 1st and the next three on Papi's Monster shot in the 2nd, Matsuzaka made it hold up despite facing a couple of game-changing situations in the next few innings.

In the 5th inning the Brewers loaded the bases with two outs on a single, hit batter and a walk, but Dice got Mike Cameron to fly out to center to end the threat. And in the 6th inning Ryan Braun (3-5, 1R, 1BI) led off with a single and then Prince Fielder moved him to third with a double before Matsuzaka retired the next three hitters, two by strikeout, to nip that bid in the bud.

But in the 7th Dice-K finally cracked and allowed a pair of runs, both scoring after two were out when Ricky Weeks reached on an error by Kevin Youkilis at third (yes, you read that right) and then Cameron belted a two-run bomb to cut the Sox lead to 4-2.

It was Youk's first error at any position since last July 25th, but his errorless streak at first base still stands at 222 games.

That would be all for Dice-K, but luckily the Boston bully made the lead hold up, and when Jacoby Ellsbury (2-5, R, BI) doubled in Jason Varitek, who had also doubled, in the 8th inning to push the lead to 5-2 it gave Papelbon one more run to work with for the save.

Good thing, too, because Paps gave the run right back when with two outs Braun turned on a fastball and launched it into the Monster seats to give the Brewers hope for a comeback, but Paps got some help when Alex Cora made a nice over the shoulder catch of a popper by Fielder to end the game, and Boston came away with a much-needed win.

Now it's time to catch a bite to eat, maybe a quick catnap, do a few stretches and get right back out there for game number two.

It's the kind of day that can only make Ernie Banks happy.

And maybe Little Leaguers.

RECORD: 25-19
AL EAST: 1GB
STREAK: W1
LAST 10: 4-6
UP NEXT: Tonight vs. MIL 8:30 Bush vs. Wakefield

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Four home runs propel Sox to win vs. Twins

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

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

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

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

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

Welcome to the Homerdome.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Sox survive a dicey Matsuzaka outing to beat Tigers

Sox 6, Detroit 3
WP: Matsuzaka (5-0)
LP: Bonderman (2-3)
SV: Papelbon (10)
HRs: BOS-Lowell (1), Youk (4), Ortiz (6); DET-None

SUMMARY:
Boston won despite its pitchers issuing 10 walks thanks to the resurgent offense, which racked up 11 hits, six for extra bases including three long balls, and Daisuke Matsuzaka extended his perfect record, even though his outing was far from perfect.

SUPERSTAR: Lowell 3-5, 2R, 2BI, 2B, HR
How nice was it to see the World Series MVP back in vintage Mike Lowell form tonight?

His 2nd inning homer got the Sox on the board, he doubled in the 4th and came home on Youk's blast, and he narrowly missed a second homer when his 7th inning drive was caught at the wall in left.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Matsuzaka 5IP, 2H, 1ER, 8BB, 1K, 109P
I know it's tough to hang this honor on a guy who actually won the game, but with a linescore as odd as this one I thought it was appropriate. If not for the fact that the Tigers are an absolute trainwreck right now, Matsuzaka easily could've come away with a loss tonight.

RECAP:
I was trying to think of a theme for tonight's post, and it took me about 2.3 seconds to come up with not one but a few:

-Walk on the Wild Side
-Walk This Way
-Walk Like an Egyptian
-Walking in Motown
-I'm Walkin'
-Walk it Out
-Dice-K Walks
-Walking on Sunshine

I nixed those 8 ideas because they were a bit too obvious. But then I came up with a couple more:

-Walk the Line (up)
-Walk Right In

By the 10th "walk" I was tad burned out, though, so I decided to write a normal post, sans theme.

But you get the drift, right?

Somehow the Sox managed to win this game tonight even though its starting pitcher, Daisuke Matsuzaka, surrendered an astounding 8 free passes and threw 109 pitches in five innings. By comparison, Cleveland starter Cliff Lee, who is also 5-0, has walked only 2 batters ALL YEAR.

Dice-K matched that total in the first inning this evening.

That the Sox managed to win in spite of the erratic effort of Dice-K, who had men on base in each of his five innings yet he didn't surrender a hit until Curtis Granderson laced an RBI single to center in the 4th, is a testament to how well the offense has been playing since that week-long scoring slump led to five game losing streak.

And the offense was led by a few familiar faces.

Manny got the ball rolling when he doubled off Detroit starter Jeremy Bonderman (6IP, 7H, 4ER, 2BB, 4K, 2HR) to start the 2nd inning, and two pitches later Boston had a 2-0 lead when Lowell homered to left, his first four bagger since last September.

After escaping a 2-on, 1-out jam in the bottom of the 3rd when Matsuzaka got Magglio Ordonez to strike out and Miguel Cabrera to fly out to center, Boston added another pair of runs in the top of the 4th when Lowell led off with a double and Kevin Youkilis brought him home with aa 2-run blast to left field.

Staked to a 4-0 lead, not even the walking wonder could mess this up, although he sure as hell tried.

In the bottom of the 4th the Tigers finally got on the board when Gary Sheffield led off with a walk and Pudge Rodriguez walked two outs later. That's when Granderson, who has been smacking the ball all over the yard since coming off the DL two weeks ago, ripped a single to center to score Sheffield and give the Tigers hope that they could finally capitalize on all the freebies they had been handed.

But Matsuzaka ended those ideas when he got Placido 'Mr Potato Head' Polanco to pop out to short, ending the threat and keeping the Sox lead at a shaky three runs, 4-1.

It would remain that way until David Ortiz (2-4, R, 2BI), back after sitting out yesterday's game with a sore knee, lined an opposite field single off reliever Clay Rapada after Pedroia had doubled in the 7th to make it 5-1, but Detroit got right back in it in the bottom of the inning thanks to more shaky Boston bullpen work.

Craig Hansen, called up yesterday to take Brandon Moss' roster spot, had a quick 1-2-3 inning in the 6th in relief of Matsuzaka, but he ran into trouble in the 7th when he began the inning giving up a leadoff single to Polanco and then botched a slow roller to the mound by Carlos Guillen for a questionable infield single.

A double play by Ordonez looked like Hansen would escape the jam, but two out walks to Cabrera and Sheffield brought Tito to the mound and Okajima into the game, and he promptly surrendered a 2-run single to pinch hitter Marcus Thames to slice the lead to 5-3, and suddenly it was a game again.

Following a scoreless 8th, Ortiz provided a huge insurance run when he homered off Todd Jones with one out in the 9th, and then it was up to Papelbon to bring it home.

Thankfully the Boston closer has been the one reliable reliever in the pen all year, and he threw another 1-2-3 9th onto his stat sheet to sew this one up, but not before a few "whew"s were uttered in the Nation.

It wasn't pretty in many respects, but as they say, it was effective. Still, Boston has won four in a row, while the reeling Tiggers have dropped four straight.

I guess with the hometown Celts in the midst of the NBA playoffs, it looks like the Sox took a page out of their playbook: survive and advance.

RECORD: 21-13
AL EAST: Up 3.5 gms
STREAK: W4
LAST 10: 6-4
UP NEXT: Tue @ DET 705 Wakefield vs. Robertson

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Sox crush Rangers behind Papi's grand slam

Sox 11, Texas 3
WP: Matsuzaka (4-0)
LP: Mendoza (0-2)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Ortiz (2), Pedroia (1); TEX-Blalock (3)

The score didn't remain 1-0 for long as Papi watches his shot clear the bases in the 3rd

SUMMARY
David Ortiz broke out of his season-long slump in a big way tonight, blasting a 3rd inning grand slam to the opposite field and driving in another run with a single in the 8th, and Daisuke Matsuzaka became the AL's first 4-game winner as Boston rolled the Rangers at Fenway.

Superstar: Ortiz 2-4, R, 5BI, GS
Not only did Papi hit his first homer since April 2nd in Oakland, but he knocked in more runs in this game than he had all year, and he raised his average 23 points. He's still only batting .134, but he's been swinging the bat much better this past week.

The Biggest Loser(s): Rangers pitchers 8IP, 11R, 11H, 5BB, 4K, 2HR, HBP
Starter and former Red Sox farmhand Luis Mendoza (7ER in 3 innings) was awful, but relievers Josh Rupe and Dustin Nippert weren't much better as each got hammered like chopped meat, turning this game into glorified BP for Boston.

RECAP:
Finally, RSN has a reason to thank the MLB schedule makers.

After beginning the year thousands of miles from home in three different countries, then playing a brief homestand and another road trip that had them facing the Stankees 5 times in the last week, the road warriors were rewarded when they returned home tonight to open a stretch of 15 out of 18 games at Fenway:

the pitching-challenged, perennially disappointing Texas Rangers.

In the words of Ricky Bobby, thank you sweet baby Jesus.

The Sox treated the break from the pressure-packed, media-centric Stankees series' like a CPA treats April 16th - like an unofficial vacation day, as they clobbered the Rangers pitchers early and often en route to a ho-hum 11-3 victory.

Although Daisuke Matsuzaka (5.1IP, 5H, 3ER, 2BB, 4K, HR) wasn't sharp again, especially early on when he surrendered a pair of hits and a couple of walks, plus a stolen base and a sac fly in the first three innings, his offense remained hot enough to bail him out and allow him to win his 4th consecutive start, making him the first four game winner in the American League this year.

And it didn't take long for the offense to get him out of that 1-0 hole, thanks to the resurgent bat of David Ortiz.

Following the Ranger's sac fly in the 3rd that gave them the lead, Boston immediately loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning against former prospect Mendoza on a double by Jed Lowrie (2-3, R, BI) and consecutive walks to Ellsbury and Pedroia.

Up stepped Papi, whose bat came alive a bit in the series in New York and had shown signs of coming out of his season-long funk. What a perfect opportunity to silence some of the growing critics who have been whispering that he is either too hurt or getting too old to continue putting up Ortiz-like numbers.

All it took was one pitch for Papi to dispel those rumors as he launched a Mendoza offering high and deep over the Monster for a crowd-pleasing, critic-silencing grand slam, the 8th of his career and first since last August 18th against the Angels' Jered Weaver.

Hilarity ensued as his teammates gave him the silent treatment at first when he entered the dugout, only to jump up and mob the affable giant moments later as he strolled down the bench looking slightly bemused.

The good times continued to roll in the next inning as Boston drove Mendoza from the game when they scored 5 more runs to blow the game wide open. A leadoff walk by JD Drew, the only starter not to record a hit, was followed by a booming double off the top of the Monster by Cap'n Tek to push the lead to 5-1, and when Mayor Casey (2-4, 2R) followed that hit with a single, Mendoza was yanked in favor of Josh Rupe.

Unfortunately for Texas manager Ron Washington, the Sox treated Rupe like a rube, greeting his arrival with a sac fly by Lowrie, a triple over the center fielder's head by Jacoby Ellsbury, and a 2-run homer by Pedroia that ran the score to 9-1 and essentially turned the remainder of the game into garbage time.

When Hank Blalock blasted a 2-run shot off Dice-K in the 6th, Tito pulled the tiring starter (101 pitches thru 5 1/2) and saw his bullpen turn in 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. In the "insult to injury" department, Boston got those two runs back on a single by Ortiz in the 8th that scored Casey, and when the cutoff got away from everyone, Ellsbury scampered home to finish the scoring and send the crowd home happy to see a blowout in the team's return to home turf.

There were a lot of good things to build off of in this one, and with three more games coming against Texas, including the Patriot's Day brunch game on Monday, the team could be in excellent position to enlarge its division lead before the tough Anaheim Angels come to Fenway on Tuesday.

As long as Papi keeps hitting like he's capable, and the rest of the team stays hot, the sky's the limit for this club as it finally shakes off the jet lag from the early travels.

No thanks to the schedule makers for that, though.

RECORD: 11-7
STREAK: W2
AL EAST: Up 1/2 gm
UP NEXT: Sat vs Tex 7pm Jennings vs. Lester

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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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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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That's more like it: Sox look like champs in 2-1 win over As

Boston 2, Oakland 1
WP: Matsuzaka (1-0)
LP: Blanton (0-1)
SV: Papelbon (1)
HRs: Oak- Cust (1)

Superstar: Daisuke Matsuzaka 6.2IP, 2H, 1ER, 0BB, 9K
Away from the bright lights of his home city, Matsuzaka was near perfect in his 2008 stateside debut.

After surrendering a solo shot to Jack Cust in the 2nd inning, Dice K went into operation shutdown mode, limiting Oakland to one hit the rest of the way and giving his team a chance to come back and win it. They did, but unlike in the opener he actually benefited with a victory this time.

The Biggest Loser: Big Papi 0-4, 3 LOB
I know its early, but Ortiz notched his 3rd straight 0-fer tonight, and once again he came up with men in scoring position and couldn't do what he is paid handsomely to do- drive in runs.

He is now 0-8 on the season and has stranded 11 baserunners in 3 games. Ay Papi!

RECAP:
With some sense of normalcy finally taking hold for the first time this spring, Boston played like the team that calmly, coolly and collectively won the world championship last season.

Daisuke Matsuzaka overcame the Opening Day jitters that plagued him in his homeland and an early deficit to record his first win of the year; the Sox offense, though far from dominant, was opportunistic enough to take a late lead despite being robbed of a home run; and Jonathan Papelbon shook off the rust with an impressive 3- strikeout 9th in what was an all around team effort this evening in chilly Oakland.

I won't go into details here, because it's 1:00 am and I have to get up in 6 hours, but let's just say that this win temporarily put to rest any doubts that this team has what it takes to battle for another ring.

Down early and facing a tough opposing starter in Joe Blanton (6IP, 7H, 2ER, 1BB, 3K), the Sox chipped away at the burly righty for to tie the game in the 5th on an RBI single by Jacoby Ellsbury (1-5), and then took the lead the next inning after a triple by Youk (3-4, 2R) and a double by Tek that should have been a home run.

After being handed the lead Matsuzaka buckled down even more, retiring the next 6 batters on 2 strikeouts, 2 flyouts and a ground out before giving way to Hideki Okajima with 2 outs in the 7th. Oki walked Cust but then got Game 2 hero (and Game 1 goat) Emil Brown to pop out to Pedroia to end the inning.

When Oki allowed a single to Bobby Crosby to lead off the 8th, Tito let him retire the next two batters before bringing Paps in for an early season 4-out save despite the fact that Papelbon looked shaky in his appearance in Japan.

Not this time as Paps got pinch hitter Mike Sweeney to ground into a fielders choice to end the inning, then plowed through the trio of Travis Buck (0-4, 4 Ks), Mark Ellis and Daric Barton in the 9th to earn his first save of the season and give the Sox a chance to take this long, strange series tomorrow afternoon.

What, an afternoon game? By the time the Patriot's Day 11:00am tilt is in the books the Sox will have played at every conceivable hour within the first month of the season.

As long as they keep winning, who cares what the fuck time they play.

UP Next: Wed @ Oakland, 3:35EST

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Opening Day, take 2.

Red Sox (1-1) vs. Oakland (1-1)
(resumption of 4 game series from Japan)
Game 3 Tue 10:00EST: Matsuzaka (0-0, 3.60) vs. Blanton (0-0, 4.76)
Game 4 Wed 3:35EST: Lester (0-1, 9.00) vs. Harden (1-0, 1.50)

Raise your hand if you've ever seen a series in which all four starting pitchers pitched two games apiece in cities 5,000 miles apart?

Anyone...anyone...Bueller?

Didn't think so.

The maddening mystery tour that is the start of the 2008 season for the World Champs continues tonight when the Sox resume their 4-game set with the A's, this time in glorious Oakland, which last time I visited the Bay Area was a far cry from the site of the first two games of this series, Tokyo.

And luckily for us on the East Coast, instead of waking up before dawn to catch our Sox we have to stay up past 1:00am to see the entire first game of the regular season to take place in America. Yipee!

Wait, aren't the champs supposed to have the scheduling advantages the following season? What is Bad Hair Bud taking his scheduling cues from the NFL?

All lamenting aside it's just nice to see the Sox playing actual games that count in the United States. And it will also be nice to get away from the media circuses that have plagued this club since they set down in Tokyo a week and a half ago. Between that surreal scene over there and the farce exhibition game against the Dodgers last Saturday that drew 155,000 spectators, it will be a welcome change to play in the cavernous yet quaint (attendance-wise) Oakland Mausoleum.

Dice-K will get a chance to redeem himself far away from the fanfare befitting a movie star he received in his homeland, and hopefully being away from all those distractions will help him focus on the task at hand this year: pitching consistently and becoming the dominant pitcher everyone has been waiting for.

He's shown flashes of brilliance since coming to the Sox last season, but the up and down aspects of his starts have started to look more like a pattern than an aberration. perhaps pitching in front of 22,000 fans who couldn't care less about him will help improve his game.

It's almost time for Opening Day number 2, and we should be in for a late night.

Let's hope we at least go to bed happy.

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