Sox look clueless in lackluster loss to Rays

Rays 3, Sox 1
WP: Garza (7-4)
LP: Wakefield (5-6)
SV: Balfour (2)
HRs: None

SUMMARY:
The Red Sox offense has disappeared without a trace as Boston could muster just six hits - 5 singles, two of the infield variety, and one meaningless 2-out 9th inning double - off three Rays pitchers, and once again Tim Wakefield pitched a brilliant game and got nothing to show for it.

The loss dropped the Sox 2 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay, the furthest they have been out of first place this season.

#1 STUNNER: Dionner Navarro 2-4, 2BI
The Rays catcher drove in two of Tampa Bay's three runs, both were big and both came with two outs.

THE BIGGEST LOSER(s): Hansen & Delcarmen 1IP, 1H, 1ER, 2BB, 2K
Can anyone in that fucking bullpen come in and get three consecutive outs? Is that too much to ask of a bunch of guys who throw 95+ mph and are supposed to have such scintillating stuff?

Evidently so.

RECAP:
As I was sitting on my sofa and watching tonight's game on the HD set, trying not to get annoyed with the nauseating Rays announcers I'm stuck listening to down here, I suddenly realized the similarities between tonight's and last night's games are pretty freaky:

-Tampa Bay jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning of both contests

-the Sox didn't get their first hit until the 4th inning, when they went on to tie the game at one

-the Rays came right back to take the lead again in the bottom of the 4th, both times for good

-Tampa Bay's starter handcuffed the Boston batters for the better part of the night

-the Sox had a chance to tie or win the game in the 9th, but a late rally came up short

-the Rays won both games

The other similarities between the two games has been the anemic Boston offense.

In two games Boston has tallied five runs, 14 hits, four extra base hits and just four walks. By contrast in their game against the Astros on Saturday the Sox scored 10 runs, ripped 13 hits including 6 XBHs and walked four times, although they lost that game too, and they were facing inferior pitching.

But my point is the Rays pitching hasn't been all that great, it's just that the Sox offense has sucked worse than The Love Guru.

Case in point tonight. Starter Matt Garza (7IP, 5H, 1R, 0ER, 0BB, 3K, 102) was nowhere near as dominant as he was in his 1-hitter against the Marlins last week, and he threw mainly fastballs near the plate the whole night, yet the Sox batters could do nothing with his heater.

Ditto interim closer Grant Balfour, who was "bringing the heat" with 93 mph cheese, yet the Boston batters acted like they were facing a pre-injury Joel Zumaya. Fouling pitches off, looking at strikes right down the plate, LATE ON 93mph FASTBALLS.

Guys this is the freakin' major leagues. If you can't crush a mid-90s fastball get back down to AAA, okay. I mean you'd have thought the Sox were facing Nolan Ryan and Bob Gibson, not a 24-year-old head case and 30-year-old mediocre middle reliever for crying out loud.

Like last night the Sox had their share of chances in this game too, thanks to some shoddy fielding by the Rays MLB-best defense, which committed three errors on the night, all while Jacoby Ellsbury (2-4, R, SB) was burning down the first base line.

After Tampa Bay took the lead in the first on a walk, a ground out, an error by Alex Cora and a wild pitch by Wakefield (7IP, 5H, 2R, 1ER, 3BB, 4K, 115P) Boston tied it up in the fourth when Ellsy reached on an infield single and made it all the way to third base when Navarro threw the ball into right field.

One out later J.D. Drew hit a sac fly to tie the game, but just like last night the Rays wasted no time taking the lead right back.

In the bottom of the inning Evan Longoria (1-3, R) reached on a one out infield single, moved to second on another Wake wild pitch and scored on a clutch two out single to right by Navarro before Eric Hinske struck out to end the inning.

And the score would stay 2-1 for a while despite Boston getting men on base in each of the next five innings.

In the fifth a two out single by Brandon Moss (2-4) went nowhere when Cora ended the inning by grounding out; in the sixth Ellsy again reached on an infield hit and made it to second on an error by shortstop Jason Bartlett, followed by a bloop single by Dustin Pedroia, but Drew popped out and Manny fouled out to squelch the threat.

The seventh was deja vu of the fifth - Moss two out single, Cora shit the bed. Then the eighth represented Boston's best chance yet to take control of the game once and for all, but again the inept offense couldn't get the job done.

Ellsy (stop me if you've heard this before) reached on a error by pitcher J.P. Howell to lead off the frame, then stole second in front of a walk to the Little Big Man, and with Drew, Manny and Lowell due up it was rally time for sure, right?

Wrong.

Drew inexplicably watched three straight mid-80s pitches from the junkballer Howell go right down the plate to earn the statuesque strikeout (June's over, guess he's back to being Nancy), and after Manny (0-3, BB, K) drew a walk from newly inserted Balfour to load the bases, Lowell grounded out meekly to short, and the Sox hopes to pull this game out might as well have died right there.

I only say that because Tito called upon the Boston pen to keep it a one run game, and lately that's like asking Nick Hogan to drive your kids to school.

Craig Hansen, he of the nasty 95 mph stuff, walked Carlos Pena and Cliff Floyd sandwiched between a couple of outs, and then for some reason Francona thought Manny Delcarmen would be a better candidate to get out of the jam than the similarly armed Hansen.

Delcarmen, he of the nasty 95 mph stuff, went to 2-2 on Navarro before the portly catcher laced a single into center to score Longoria with the all too important insurance run, and with the way Boston had been batting it might as well have been 13-1 instead of 3-1.

Turns out the run was big (what a shock) when Cora miraculously lined a two out double down the third base line to keep the Sox hopes alive, but Balfour (1.1IP, 1H, 1BB, 3K), juiced up on adrenaline, get Jason Varitek to strike out to end the game and the Trop nearly imploded under the joyous screams of all the new Rays fans.

Two games, two putrid performances and a 2 1/2 game deficit in the AL East. If the Sox don't find a way to hit Rays ace Scott Kazmir tomorrow night, and Dice-K doesn't reprise his outing from last Friday in Houston, it's gonna be a long trip to the Bronx for this team.

So I suggest the boys eschew the temptations of Ybor City and Channelside tonight and hit the sack early.

After all, they can't hit anything else here.

RECORD: 50-36
AL EAST: 2nd, 2 1/2 GB
STREAK: L4
LAST 10: 4-6
UP NEXT: Wed @ TB 710 Matsuzaka vs. Kazmir

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Bailey lives up to his name as Sox hammer Reds

Sox 9, Reds 0
WP: Beckett (7-4)
LP: Bailey (0-3)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Drew (11), Crisp (4), Ellsbury (4), Pedroia (5); CIN-None

SUMMARY:
After two tight games in this series Boston batters teed off on the ragged Reds pitching staff today, blasting four home runs including three off appropriately-named starter Homer Bailey, as the Sox took the series two games to one.

#1 STUNNER: Jacoby Ellsbury 3-5, 2R, HR, RBI, 2SB
The electric Sox outfielder sparked the offense today when he led off the game with a single, stole second and third base, and came around to score on a sac fly. He also contributed a home run to lead off the 3rd, and his two steals gave him the Red Sox all-time rookie record of 33.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Bailey 2.1IP, 4H, 5ER, 3BB, 0K, 3HR
The only thing worse than a pitcher with the name of 'Walk' is a hurler with a moniker as unfortunate as 'Homer', especially when he lives up, err down, to his handle.

RECAP:
No Manny?

No Papi?

No biggie.

Despite the absence of the team's top two sluggers Boston still managed to club four home runs, three by the most unlikely trio of Coco Crisp, Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia, and inflict an 11-hit, 9-run beatdown on the Reds in the finale of the first Sox series in Cincy since 1975.

And the beneficiary of all the unexpected offensive largess was Josh Beckett, who pitched just well enough (7IP, 6H, 2BB, 6K, 98P) to earn his second win in his last three starts and seventh of the season, helping Boston win its 16th road game as they start to distance themselves from the bottom of the pack in road losses.

But the story in this one wasn't the pitching but the source of Boston's unlikely offense.

It's one thing to have guys step up when your big guns go down. That's what heavy-hitting vets like Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek and J.D. Drew are paid and expected to do.

It's another story entirely when smallish "sluggers" like Coco (2-5, R, 4BI) and Pedroia and fleet-footed rookies like Ellsy power your offense to its most one-sided victory in a season already full of 'em.

What it says is that top to bottom this team is capable of beating any other even when it isn't at full strength, and when guys like Justin Masterson, Bartolo Colon, Coco Crisp and Little Big Man step up and fill a void and lead the Sox to victory, it bodes well for a club hell-bent on going deep in the playoffs this year.

Not that we'd rather go with these guys than Manny, Papi, Dice-K and Schill, but it's like having a comfy security blanket knowing they're there if we need 'em.

I already mentioned above how Boston scored its first run, on those fleet feet of Ellsbury as he stole two bases in the first inning to surpass a team rookie record that had stood since 1908. His 33 steals are 33 off the AL rookie mark, held by Kenny Lofton, but he's got a LONG way to go if he hopes to break the ML mark of 110, set by Vince Coleman in 1985.

Beckett escaped a jam in the second when he struck out Adam Dunn looking with runners on 1st and 2nd, courtesy fo a walk and Julio Lugo's league-leading 13th error, and Boston began its homer barrage in the top of the second when Crisp smacked a 3-2 pitch from Bailey over the wall in right with Tek aboard for a 3-0 lead.

And with that shot, Coco's second in two days, the seal was officially broken.

After Becektt worked out of another 1st & 2nd situation by striking out the pitcher Bailey (gotta love the NL) and then getting phenom Jay Bruce to pop out, Ellsy showed off his versatility and showed up his centerfield counterpart by lining a leadoff homer into the rightfield seats for Boston's fourth run of the day.

Two pitches later, following a fly out by Pedroia, Drew (1-2, 2R, BI, 2BB) knocked another Bailey meatball to nearly the same spot for his 7th homer in June and a 5-0 Boston lead.

When Bailey followed that bombing with a five pitch walk to Lowell, he was out of the game and the game was soon gonna be out of hand for Cincy.

As Becks was in the process of retiring 10 Reds in a row, Boston piled on in the 5th when Youk (1-5, R, BI) hit an RBI single off Jeremy Affeldt to score Drew, who had walked, to make the score 6-0, and Coco followed that with a 2-RBI single off Dan Majewski for an 8-0 lead to make the game an official laugher.

By the time Pedroia (1-4, R, 2BI) took Majewski deep for Boston's fourth homer and ninth run of the game in the 6th the sold out stadium was basically empty as every Reds fan had already headed out to celebrate Father's Day in a more enjoyable fashion.

About the only ones left, aside from the Cincy diehards, were Sox fans and Youk's family, and the last three innings resembled an intimate gathering at the local muni field.

When Mike Timlin retired the side in order in the 9th the game was mercifully over, and Boston had its second straight road series win under its belt as it headed to its next destination, fabulous Philly.

So the Sox say goodbye to the Queen City again.

At least the memories were a lot better this time around.

NOTES:
-Manny's hammy: Ramirez sat out his second straight game with that tender hammy. He played only 7 of a possible 21 innings in the series, including a pinch hit appearance in the 10th inning yesterday

-Drew's back: after going 0-4 yesterday to snap an 11-game hitting streak Drew picked up where he left off by belting his seventh homer of June. He's now batting .446 (21-47) with 7 homers, 19 runs and 16 RBI in the month.

-So is Tek: after missing the last three games with a sore throat Jason Varitek returned to the starting lineup and went 0-2 with a run and two walks. he was removed in the 8th for Kevin Cash.

RECORD: 44-28
AL EAST: Up 2.5 gms
STREAK: W2
LAST 10: 7-3
UP NEXT: Mon @ PHI 705 ESPN Colon vs. Hammels

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Wake roughed up again as Boston's winning streak ends at 7

Oakland 8, Sox 3
WP: Harden (3-3)
LP: Wakefield (3-0)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Pedroia (3); OAK-Thomas (7), Ellis (4)

SUMMARY:
Tim Wakefield continued his recent ineffective streak as the A's pounded him for 8 runs and 8 hits in 5 innings, and Frank Thomas and Rich Harden picked right up where they left off earlier this season in propelling Oakland to the win.

SUPERSTAR: Thomas 3-4, 2R, 2BI, HR
His 3rd homer this year off Boston, which gave Oakland a 3-0 lead in the first inning, set the tone for the night.

Doesn't matter what uniform he's wearing, the Big Hurt puts a big hurtin' on the Sox.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Wakefield 5IP, 8H, 8ER, 4BB, 4K, 2HR
Over his last three starts Wake has allowed 23 hits, 17 earned runs and 5 homers in 13 innings for an ERA of 11.77 and a WHIP 2.38.

That knucklin' luck has to run out eventually, right?

RECAP:
We knew the winning streak had had to end sometime, but did it have to be so soon?

As I hinted at in my preview post Oakland's best chance to grab a win in this series had to be tonight. Rich Harden, Oakland's ace (when healthy), who had pitched well earlier this season against the Sox, was on the hill for the A's while Tim Wakefield, who had not been pitching well of late, was on the mound for Boston.

Sure enough form held and just like that seven games of joy and a week's worth of celebrating went down the tubes in front of 29,000 at the Oakland Mausoleum.

The only good thing about the loss was that it was pretty much guaranteed early on, as Oakland put up three runs in the first inning and then four more in the third to take a 7-0 lead, enabling the viewers on the East Coast to tend to other matters such as watch a movie, engage in carnal activities or both.

Since it was such a shitty game and it is so late here I'm gonna do a quick recap and then hit the sack and try to forget all about this one.

Don't worry, it won't take long. Like I said, it was over quick.

After Harden (6IP, 4H, 2ER, 3BB, 8K, HR) pitched a 1-2-3 first inning including two strikeouts, Oakland got right to work in the bottom of the inning. With one out Bobby Crosby doubled to the left field corner, Jack Cust singled him home two pitches later, and on the very next pitch Wake threw Thomas launched a drive to deep left for a confidence-crushing two run homer that gave the A's a 3-0 lead before most people had even settled into their easy chairs.

Two more 1-2-3 frames by Harden left the Sox struggling to catch up, a feat that would prove impossible after Wake allowed four runs in the bottom of the third to all but seal the loss.

Crosby flied out to start the inning before Cust walked, the first of two bases on balls to he had to add to his league leading total of 39 coming in. Thomas followed with a single to left and after a wild pitch moved Cust to third Ryan Sweeney singled to drive in Cust to make the score 4-0 Oakland.

Wakefield did manage to get A's leading RBI man Emil Brown (0-4, 2K) to strike out, but then second baseman Mark Ellis, who had missed 9 games with a hammy problem, deposited a 1-0 pitch from Wake into the left field seats and right then the winning streak was over and the rest of the game was reduced to garbage time.

Boston did have a chance to get back in it, scoring its first run on its first hit of the game, a solo shot by Dustin Pedroia in the top of the 4th and then plating another in the 5th when Jacoby Ellsbury (2-4, 2BI) drove in JD Drew, who had doubled to lead off the inning, to cut the A's lead to 7-2.

But the game was basically decided in the following inning when Boston got men on 2nd and 3rd with one out but couldn't get a run home as Youk fouled out and JD Drew struck out to end the threat.

In the bottom of the inning the A's scored again on a walk, double and a sac fly, and even though David Aardsma and Mike Timlin combined for 3 innings of no hit relief, the offense couldn't muster enough steam to overcome the large early deficit.

More misery came for Boston as bench coach Dave Magadan was ejected for arguing with the ump about how much pine tar Drew had on his bat, and Ellsbury was cut down stealing for the second time in his career (and this week) when he overslid the bag in the 7th after he had singled in Julio Lugo for the Sox third run.

It was that kind of night in Oaktown.

Now it's time to move on and hope Beckett bounces back from his 4-homer debacle to right the ship tomorrow.

No need to start another losing streak here, fellas.

RECORD: 31-20
AL EAST: Up 1.5 gms
STREAK: L1
LAST 10: 7-3
UP NEXT: Sat @ OAK 905 Beckett vs. Duchscherer

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Welcome to the party, Bart! Sox defeat KC again

Sox 6, Roylas 3
WP: Colon (1-0)
LP: Tomko (2-5)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Ellsbury (4), Tek (7), KC-None

RECAP:
The Red Sox keep right on rolling, even with a reclamation project on the mound as Bartolo Colon won his first start for Boston thanks to a 12-hit attack that included home runs from Jacoby Ellsbury to lead off the game and Jason Varitek to tie it before Boston broke the game open.

SUPERSTAR: Colon 5IP, 6H, 2ER, 2BB, 4K, 74P
From the scrap heap to a spot in a World series caliber rotation. Colon may have resurrected his career tonight and in the process provided Boston with another veteran arm to bolster its staff for a potential long postseason run.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Mark Grudzielanek 0-4
Grudz came into this series leading the league in hitting, but after his latest 0-fer he has no hits in 10 at bats in the three games and his average has dropped 24 points (.331-.307)

RECAP:
Another night, another win for the Red Sox express.

With the third straight impressive performance by an unlikely Boston starter it doesn't seem to matter whose driving the train as long as it stays pointed in the right direction.

And that direction is atop the AL East standings.

With the win tonight coupled with Tampa Bay's loss earlier today in Oakland the Sox now own a 2 game advantage over the Rays in the standings and a huge psychological edge over the entire league thanks to its recent run of outstanding pitching.

First Jon Lester shocked the Nation with his no hitter Monday. Then Justin Masterson's terrific performance earned him his first career victory last night. And tonight it was Bartolo Colon's turn to get a piece of the action as he made his first start for Boston, and first anywhere since last September 29th with Anaheim.

Next thing you know Roidger's gonna wanna come back and get in on the fun.

Bart, who suffered elbow and shoulder injuries the past two seasons, was not the same fire balling ace who won the Cy Young award in 2005, but he was effective enough to limit the free-swinging Royals to six measly singles, most of them of the blooper variety and including one bunt base hit.

He quickly learned how valuable his offense is as well because he very easily could've taken a loss or ND tonight if not for the relentless determination of the Boston batters.

After working his way out of a two-on, two out situation in the top of the first, Jacoby Ellsbury staked Colon to a quick 1-0 lead when he led off the bottom of the inning with his 4th home run against KC starter Brett Tomko (4.1IP, 7H, 5ER, 1BB, 2K, 2HR).

The Royals would strike back for a run in the third on a single by Joey Gathright (2-2, 3R, 2BB), a walk to Alex Gordon and a broken bat single to left by Jose Guillen, his first hit of the series, and then KC used a bunt and two bloops to take a 2-1 lead in the fifth.

But just when it looked as if the big fella wouldn't walk off the Fenway mound a winner in his debut, on comes Captain Varitek to save the day.

Following a pop out by Youk, Tek (2-3, R, BI, BB) fell behind 0-2 before he drove a 1-2 pitch from Tomko into the Sox bullpen for his 7th homer of the year and 3rd in the last six games, and suddenly the game was tied and Colon was off the hook for the 'L'.

And it just got better from there as Boston broke the game open as Coco Crisp doubled to left center, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Julio Lugo's sharp single up the middle to make it 3-2 Boston.

Not content to stop there Ellsbury (3-4, 3R, BI, BB, SB) drove Tomko from the game with a single to left, and after Dustin Pedroia singled to load the bases off ex-Sox reliever Ron Mahay, another pair of runs came home on a sac fly by David Ortiz and wild pitch of his own by Mahay.

When the dust settled it was 5-2 Boston, Colon's night was done and it was up to the Boston pen to make sure he got the win he earned.

In other words hold your breath time, Bartolo.

But lo and behold the bully held up, and it was a trio of recently unreliable relievers that (finally) got the job done.

First Craig Hansen tossed a 1-2-3 sixth, then Javier Lopez worked his way out of a leadoff walk to Gathright in the seventh, and wouldn'tcha know even Manny Delcarmen came up with a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth for his contribution to the cause.

Geez, you know things are really going well for the club when that happens.

By the time Tired Arm Timlin surrendered a meaningless two out run in the 9th the champagne (or beer, most likely) was being uncorked in the clubhouse, and when Ellsbury squeezed the final out of the night the Colon comeback was complete, and the Sox brass look like geniuses for making a move that no one else dared to make.

And it paid off.

Again.

Tomorrow Daisuke Matsuzaka goes for the sweep, the AL wins lead and 8-0.

Wonder who his biggest cheerleader will be?

I would venture to guess the new kid on the block, an old veteran who's just happy to be along for the ride.

NOTES:
-Drew out again: JD Drew got the night off after fouling a ball off his knee last night. Ellsbury started in right with Coco getting the call in center

-Manny's woes continue: With an 0-3 night tonight including a strikeout and double play Manny is in the midst of a 3-22 slump that has dropped his average to .292. As Remy mused yesterday, it appears as if the quest for home run #500 is really wearing on him (he sits at 498 and has only homered twice in his last 66 at bats).

-Rhymin' & stealin': His 7th inning theft gave Ellsbury 19 on the season, 2nd only to Ichiro's 21 in the AL, and he has stolen 3 straight since being caught for the first time in his career Sunday against the Brewers. Also, his 3 hits raised his average to .290 and his OBP to .390

-Speaking of OBP: before he was finally retired by Javier Lopez in the 7th inning Alex Gordon had reached base in 7 consecutive plate appearances dating back to last night's game (2 doubles, 2 singles and 3 walks)

RECORD: 30-19
AL EAST: Up 2 gms
STREAK: W6
LAST 10: 6-4
UP NEXT: Thu vs. KC 135 Bannister vs. Matsuzaka

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Repeat after me: Sox comeback to win. Again

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You know, just to keep the heart rate down.

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

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

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Anatomy of a Catch: Ellsbury's 'sliding in foul ground' gem

The exciting youngster adds to his growing legend with a spectacular grab in last night's game.

Can you give a brother a hand? Ellsbury asks for assistance after his sliding catch sent him hurtling into the Boston bullpen seats

You may have noticed I didn't mention Jacoby Ellsbury's highlight-reel catch in my post about last night's 8-1 Sox win over the D-Rays.

That's because the more I thought about the 5th inning grab, in which Ellsbury started in straightaway left, motored all the way to the Sox bullpen area in foul territory, caught the ball as he stumbled over the mound, then crashed into the bullpen chairs and skidded just short of the outfield wall, the more I realized that play was going to need a post of its own.

The 24-year old Navajo American has been drawing comparisons to Grady Sizemore and Judas Demon for his hitting ability, basepath savviness and fearlessness in the field, and that unbridled willingness to sacrifice his body in order to make the play has been on full display in the three weeks since his recall from the PawSox.

Whether it's banging into the scoreboard on the Monster, crashing face-first into the outfield wall in Camden Yards, or what he did last night at the Trop, it's that trait more than any other that has helped endear him to the Nation quicker than any other home-grown player (farm system-wise) since Nomar.

The the fact that he's hit safely in 16 of 17 games for a robust .381 (24-63) average with 9 extra base hits, 13 runs scored , and 7 steals (in seven attempts) since his callup also might have something to do with it, and we can't disregard his movie-star good looks, as my wife calls him a "hot-hot-hottie", which enables him to instantly capture the all-important pink hat demographic.

But the Nation reveres blue-collar type players who lay it all on the line and are willing to sacrifice their body for the good of the team, a-la Trot Nixon, and this kid has proven that he falls into that mode.

So without further adieu, here is a breakdown of the catch. Sorry for the graininess, but the speed of the play combined with an SD signal made for some pretty blurry pix.

It all began with a harmless foul pop...

...Jacoby started out all the way over in left field...

...then raced to the sidelines in pursuit of Greg Norton's foul pop...

...right when he hit the bullpen mound...

..he simultaneously caught the ball and tripped on the elevated dirt...

...causing Ellsbury to slide into the metal chairs...

...and come to a crashing halt at the base of the left field wall

And just like that a legend is born.

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Is your team in trouble? need a late-season lift?...

...call the offices of Jacoby, Buchholz and Lester

to solve any of your team's needs.

Jacoby, Buchholz, and Lester. *Specializing in providing speedy resolutions to your offensive and defensive needs and reinvigorating aging pitching staffs for at least 30 days in September and hopefully way beyond.

All three are available at a moment's callup and a bus ride from Pawtucket, ready, willing and able to come to the defense of a backsliding ballclub in need of a little youthful injection.

Jacoby, Buchholz and Lester. Call now.
(*offer not valid unless employer is the Boston Red Sox baseball organization)

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Beckett wins 17th in another fun one at Fenway

Sox 5, Toronto 3
WP: Beckett (17-6)
LP: Halladay (14-7)
SV: Papelbon (33)
HRs: BOS-Ellsbury (2), Youkilis (16); TOR-Stairs (19)

The energetic Ellsbury has been the ring leader of the Fenway Fun Bunch

SUMMARY
In an NL-esque pitchers duel Josh Beckett bested former Cy Young winner Roy Halladay en route to earning his major league-leading 17th victory, and Jacoby Ellsbury continued to blaze since his recall, ripping three more hits including a homer and a triple as Boston won its fourth straight game.

#1 STUNNER Ellsbury 3-3, R, 2BI
The speedy rookie continues to amaze Red Sox fans & management with his heady play and hot bat. Since his recall on Saturday Ellsbury is batting an astounding .667 (8-12) and is making it very hard for Francona to leave him out of the lineup.

PAN's FAUN Lyle Overbay 0-4, K, GIDP
The struggling first baseman had a game to forget, ending three innings when he flied out with a man on to end the fourth, grounded into a double play to end the sixth, then watched a 96-mph Papelbon fastball whiz past him for strike three to end the game.

RECAP
I might not have witnessed a no-hitter, but I did get to watch an entertaining, well-played and unusually short American League contest between two division foes.

Plus I nearly won a $50 Best Buy gift card to boot.

Not exactly history-making stuff, but pretty damn fun nonetheless.

And that's the one word I would have to use to describe the current iteration of this team, one that has morphed personalities roughly 147 times this season and has seemed to employ a different lineup for each one of them.

Fun.

The Red Sox are playing fun baseball, it's fun to watch them play baseball, and it looks like they are actually having fun out there playing baseball, not going through the motions waiting for the regular season to end or shrinking away like an anorexic starlet in the presence of a hated arch rival.

And the biggest reason for all this giddiness has to be traced to the exuberance that youngsters like Ellsbury and Buchholz have added to the clubhouse.

The unbridled enthusiasm these guys brought from Pawtucket, along with their suitcases full of talent, seems to have rubbed off on the grizzled vets on the club, turning a loose-but-professional team into a bunch of happy-go-lucky kids.

Fun.

And to think less than a week ago the one word I would equate with this team was 'miserable'.

Tonight's game promised to be entertaining from the get-go when the pitching matchups were announced and we learned that current leading Cy Young candidate Beckett would be squaring off against 2003 Cy winner Halladay in a battle of team aces.

The two did not disappoint, although neither was at his very best.

Halladay (8IP, 9H, 5ER, 2BB, 7K) was definitely the shakier of the pair, allowing at least one base runner in each of the first four innings before Boston broke through for four runs in the frame.

And wouldn't you know it was one of the Fun Bunch who brought the Faithful to their feet again.

J.D. Drew led off the inning with a five-pitch walk from Halladay, then Youk (2-4, R, BI) dropped a single into right to send Drew to third and set up Boston's first real scoring threat of the night.

After Varitek struck out on three pitches Coco tapped an offering from Halladay to second base for what looked like a potential rally-killing double play, but the fleet Crisp barely beat the relay throw to first base as Drew came home to score the first run of the game.

Then the fun really begun. (Sorry, I'll stop now)

On the very next pitch Ellsbury drove a Halladay fastball on a low arc into the Red Sox bullpen for his second major league homer and second longball in three days, and just like that a 0-0 game had become 3-0 in the span of two swings of the bats.

Boston finished the inning with back-to-back doubles by Lugo and Pedroia (2-4, BI), and flushed with a 4-0 lead and their best pitcher on the hill it looked like a potential easy win for the Sox.

Ah, I didn't say it was always fun.

Toronto climbed back into the game in a flash when Aaron Hill led of the fifth with an infield single off Beckett's foot, John McDonald walked and with two outs old friend Matt Lumpy Stairs launched a three-run bomb over the Jays bully to slice the Sox lead to 4-3.

But Beckett (8IP, 5H, 3ER, 2BB, 7K) was lights-out from then on, retiring 9 of the last 10 batters he faced with the one being erased on a double play, and he finished his night in style, striking out Alex Rios looking at a nasty yakker to end the eighth.

Youk added a big insurance run in the bottom of the inning when he blasted a solo shot high & deep to straightaway center field off a tiring Halladay, and the only question left was, with Paps & Oki presumably off limits after pitching two days in a row and Gagme on the shelf with a bruised ego, errr sore arm, which reliever would Tito call on to close out the game?

The answer was a surprising one as the intimidator himself, Papelbon, trotted out for the final inning; it was a miracle Remy didn't tumble out of the booth.

All season long Tito has used his prized closer as if he was made of bone China out of fear that Paps balky shoulder from last September would rear its unwanted mug again.

But sometimes the kid gloves approach came back to haunt him, most notably when he wouldn't use his closer in both games of a doubleheader against the Angels, resulting in one of Gagme's more infamous blown saves of his sure-to-be-brief Sox tenure.

So to see the squared cap and menacing glare of Paps enter the game was, to put it mildly, a major fucking shocker to most of the Nation.

Luckily, the All Star closer didn't make the decision look like a mistake.

Papelbon needed exactly 9 pitches to dispatch the Jays including the above-mentioned tracer to Overbay to end the game with a fist-pumping flourish, and the young & talented closer has saved the last three Boston wins without allowing a base runner.

Suddenly the resurgent Sox have won four straight without the services of Manny Ramirez and with Tim Wakefield's status in doubt due to a tricky back problem.

No worries around the Fens, though, cause the kid's have got things all under control.

Oh, yeah the Best Buy gift card part.

On the great baseball website Bugs & Cranks they have what's called an indoor four contest, where you pick a player who will hit an inside the park home run and the first player to reach the feat each month wins a $50 BB card for whomever was astute enough to pick him.

Of course I waited until the final month of the season to do so, but my obscure choice almost made a winner out of me tonight: Jacoby Ellsbury.

With guys like Coco, Jose Reyes, Carl Crawford and even Dontrelle Willis all taken already, I decided to take a darkhorse candidate, a speedy September callup who might just pull the feat.

Hey if Kevin Youkilis and Derrek Lee can do it, why not?

In the sixth inning tonight Ellsbury almost made it happen when he drove a ball deep over Alex Rios' head in right field that landed on the warning track, hit the base of the wall and then kicked right back to Rios, who quickly fired it back to the infield.

By that time Ellsbury had scampered into third with a stand up triple, and I was standing up as well, screaming for Rios to bobble the ball and/or Ellsbury to go for broke and try and make more Red Sox history while making me a little richer, entertainment wise.

Alas we had to settle for the three bagger, but at that point I didn't even care...

...because it sure was fun anyway.

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Nifty 50: Sox bats explode (finally) in win #50

Sox 7, Texas 3
WP: Gabbard (2-0)
LP: McCarthy (4-5)
HRs: TEX-Wilkerson (10)

SUMMARY
The Bosox bats finally busted out of their weeklong slumber with a 10-hit, 7-run performance, and it was a total team effort that featured a number of big hits in the clutch (for a change.)

Kason Gabbard pitched well enough for the win and four relievers combined to stymie the hot Texans as Boston notched its 50th win of the season.

#1 STUNNER Jacoby Ellsbury 2-2, 2R, 2BB, SB
This could have gone to Hinske, whose 3-run triple sealed the win, but it was the heady play of the speedy young rookie that made the biggest impression on this Sox fan tonight.

After beating out another infield hit with his blazing speed in the third, the 24-year-old center fielder laced a conventional single to right in the fifth, stole second, and then came around to score the winning run on a wild pitch minutes later. From second base.

Way to go, kid, and welcome to the Show.

PAN's FAUN Texas pitchers McCarthy & Eyre
I had to include both these clowns because their numbers were almost identically pathetic.

Starter Brandon McCarthy lasted just 3 2/3, tossing 81 pitches while allowing six hits, four walks and four earned runs; his successor, Willie Eyre, threw 83 pitches in his 3 1/3 of work, surrendering three runs on three hits and five free passes in that time.

That's what I call equal opportunity suckage.

RECAP
All together now: FINAL-FUCKING-LY!

I'm sure that's what most of the Nation was thinking and/or yelling after the Sox pulled off one of the, shall we say, most important wins of the first half of the season.

I know it's tough to classify a mid-season victory over a mediocre team by a club that has 50 wins and a winning percentage over .600 as a 'must-win', but the way the team had been spiraling downward recently amidst a rash of freak injuries, spotty pitching and inability to score, this one ranks right up there as a huge victory for Boston.

And the greatest part about the whole thing was the boys dispensed of all the recent 'can't come through with a big hit in the clutch' negative mojo it had incurred in losing six of its last eight games almost right away tonight...

...well, not right away. As I peruse backwards in my notes I do recall that Boston blew another golden scoring opp in the very first inning, when Lugo (who actually led off again; of course he didn't get a hit) walked and Ortiz singled after Pedroia struck out.

So with men on first and second and only one out against a guy making his first start since coming off the DL, what does Manny do? He grounds into a double play, that's what.

It was at this point in my scribbles that I wrote in large, jagged letters "will somebody please get a friggin timely hit with men on base?!"

And like a gift from the baseball gods, two innings later my chicken scratch prayers were answered.

Eric Hinske (2-4, R, 3RBI) led the inning off with a bloop single to center, and Ellsbury followed with his second hit of his career and second infield hit after the ball bounced high between the pitcher and second basemen and neither one had a chance to throw out the speedster.

After Lugo (0-2, 2BB) sacrificed the runners over, which brought a cheer from the suddenly softening Fenway Faithful, Dustin Pedroia (1-5, 2R, BI) stepped in with his Little Man's Syndrome and socket-dislocating swing and roped a double deep down the rightfield line that easily scored both runners and give Boston a much-needed early lead.

And the Nation all went "whhhheeeeeewwww!"

A groundout by Ortiz (1-5) got Pedroia over to third, and when Manny followed with a booming double high off the centerfield wall that brought Pedroia home, the three run cushion truly seemed like a gift from heaven.

With the way a more relaxed Gabbard was throwing (5.2IP, 3H, 3ER, 4BB, 5K, HR), it hardly seemed like a big deal when the Sox added a fourth run to their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, but as it turns out that run would be the most important one of the game.

This inning started off innocently enough with Tek grounding out to open it and Hinske popping out to short after that. But that's when The Kid stepped up to the plate and began the trip that would enter him in Sox lore forever.

Ellsbury took the first pitch he saw from McCarthy and deposited it in right field for his first hit out of the infield in three games. Not content to settle for sitting at first base with two outs, after a couple of throw overs and a pitch out, he took off for second and made it easily for his first career stolen base.

But what happened next will live forever in the minds of hardcore, diehard Sox fans, cause we know it's the little things that sometimes make the biggest impact in a game.

After walking Lugo again (how do you walk a .190 hitter twice in four innings?), McCarthy was done and Eyre came in to stop the threat before the game got out of hand. Except he made a little mistake--he threw the fifth pitch to Pedroia in the dirt and it skidded away to the left of catcher Gerald Laird, allowing the runners to advance a base.

Well, it doesn't have to be one base.

Ellsbury, who was just a blinding blur of arms & legs, glided around third and headed for home without ever breaking stride, and by the time he crossed home plate with the Sox fourth run of the game, the Rangers were stunned, the Nation was ecstatic, and the first Navajo American to play in the major leagues had just ran his way into history.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't historical, but it sure was fucking sweet!

The good times were tempered a bit (and the Nation Nausea momentarily returned) when Gabbard had his only bad inning of the night in the fifth when he allowed a walk to Marlon Byrd, a single to Laird and then a three-run bomb to Brad Wilkerson to slice the lead to 4-3.

However Boston would quickly relieve the upset stomachs of their fans in the bottom of the frame when part-timer Eric Hinske delivered yet another big hit despite his low average and limited playing time.

The consummate veteran has played in just 39 games this season and has only 17 hits in 77 at bats (.218), but he's also scored 17 runs and driven in 11, and of those 17 hits, 10 (5-2Bs, 2-3Bs, 3-HRs) have gone for extra bases.

So it should have come as no surprise when Hinske, playing for Youk (quad strain), followed walks to Drew and Manny and an infield single by Tek with a towering triple to deep center just over Kenny Lofton's head that cleared the bases and created a large enough, late-enough lead that had even the most cynical Sox fan thinking this win was in the books.

Although both teams would have more scoring chances the actual scoring was over, and by the time potential All Star Hideki Okajima got Travis Metcalf to fly out to (appropriately) Ellsbury to end the game, the 600-lb gorilla was off Boston's back and the team finally had reason to celebrate it's and five All Star selections, plus its 50th victory to boot.

Once again, can I get a FINAL-FUCKING-LY?!

Amen.

NOTES

• Boston batters had 10 hits and walked eight times, and six players reached base at least twice
• Four players had two hits (Manny, Tek, Hinske, Ellsbury) and three batters walked at least twice (Lugo, Drew, Ellsbury); Lowell (0-4) was the only starter to go hitless
• Despite not registering a hit Lugo in his last 31 at bats, Tito threw Lugo back into the leadoff spot; he went 0-2 but did walk three times, and he was cheered for executing a sac bunt and before he grounded out with two on to end the seventh; a kinder, gentler Nation?
• Drew (0-2, R) was issued three free passes on the night and has now walked 10 times in his last six games--talk about having an amazing eye at the plate
• Lofton was held hitless for the first time in the series
• Timlin (1IP, 1H), Lopez (1/3IP), Snyder (1IP, 1H) and Oki (1IP, 1K) combined to shut down the Texas offense that had been raking Boston pitching up till that point
• Although Gabbard looked much better than he did in Seattle and ran his record to 2-0, he's now walked 10 batters in his last two starts covering nine innings-yikes
• Boston had 50 wins at the halfway point last season as well (this was Game #81), and we all know how that turned out-shhhhh!
• New Celtics guard and future injury list regular Ray Allen threw out the first pitch and was a guest in the booth with Rem & Don (once agin, my thoughts on the deal: love the guy, hate the trade)

QUOTES

"I had my mind made up early. I saw the wild pitch early and I saw De Marlo waving me as I was almost by him."--Ellsbury describing his Welcome to the Nation moment

"I didn't feel comfortable from moment one."--McCarthy, cranking up the excuse machine

"I was told during batting practice. I just tried to get prepared as I always do."--Hinske, on his late addition to the lineup. Told you he's a consummate pro.

RECORD: 50-31
AL EAST: Up 10
STREAK: W-1
LAST 10: 5-5
UP NEXT: Tue vs. TB (!) 7:05

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