The comeback kings return, just in the nick of time

Sox 5, D-Backs 4
WP: Smith (1-0)
LP: Qualls (1-6)
SV: Papelbon (22)
HRs: BOS-Pedroia (7); ARI-Tracy (4)

SUMMARY:
The Red Sox snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat tonight when they plated four runs in the eighth inning to overcome a 4-1 deficit and eke out a one-run win. Mike Lowell tied the game with a 2-run double and Jason Varitek won it with an RBI single, giving rookie reliever Chris Smith his first major league victory.

#1 STUNNER: Smith 2IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 1K, 28P
Lowell and Tek both had clutch two-out hits that allowed the Sox to pull out the win, but they're supposed to do that shit. Smith bouncing back from allowing a grand slam to his second major league batter on Saturday to pitch two no-hit innings and earn his first ML win - that deserves star of the game honors.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Chad Qualls 2/3IP, 4H, 2ER, 0BB, 1K, 24P
With a line score like this he might want to go back to being a DJ.

RECAP:
Let me start off by saying I missed most of this game due to technical difficulties with my Extra Innings package.

The picture would flash on and off in spurts, freeze at some points, and go black at other times.

It got so bad that I was frustrated to the point of watching the premiere of "Wipeout", that Americanized/ESPN-ized version of "MXC" that ABC shoved down our throats throughout the entire NBA Finals, which wasn't so bad because from what I could gather from GameCast the Sox were getting wiped out as well.

In between blank screens I found out that Dustin Pedroia put the Sox ahead 1-0 in the first inning with a titanic blast off Arizona starter Doug Davis, but the 'Backs tied it right up in the top of the second inning on an RBI single by Chad Tracy off Justin Masterson (6IP, 7H, 4ER, 4BB, 4K, HR, 101P).

While I was watching a bunch of effeminate dudes and one pretty hot chick getting covered in mud, blasted in the package and bouncing face first off giant balls (teehee, get it?), Arizona was busy taking the lead when light-hitting Tracy (3-4, 1R, 4BI) launched an 0-1 pitch from Masterson over the Red Sox bullpen for a three run homer and a 4-1 Diamondbacks lead.

Speaking of a blast in the package.

Luckily the score stayed that way for a while because I missed all the action in between, like Masterson working out of two on, two out situations in the fourth and fifth innings and Boston doing absolutely nothing off Davis (7IP, 3H, 3ER, 1BB, 6K, HR, 98P) after the first inning and prior to the eighth.

By the time my reception got back to 21st century standards it was the bottom of the eighth inning and Jacoby Ellsbury had just singled to right to put runners at first and second (evidently Julio Lugo had just singled as well) with nobody out.

That development got Davis, who has now tossed three straight quality starts and has nothing to show for it, removed from the game in favor of Chad Qualls, a move that backfired on Arizona manager Bob Melvin worse than New Coke.

Pedroia (2-4, 2R, 2BI) worked the count by fouling off four consecutive pitches before driving a single into center field to score Lugo and cut the deficit to 4-2, and with two on, no one out and JD Drew and Manny Ramirez coming up it looked like the Sox were going to break this one wide open.

But then Qualls got the suddenly slumping Drew (0-4, 2 for his last 19) to strike out, and one pitch later Manny grounded out to third, although he did advance the runners up a base.

That little piece of fundamental baseball proved to be mighty advantageous for Boston
because Mike Lowell (2-3, 1R, 2BI) took a 2-0 pitch from Qualls and popped it off the Monster for a clutch-as-hell two run double that tied the game at four and brought the Faithful back to life.

But the heroics didn't end there.

Up stepped captain Tek, who just snapped a career-worst 0-24 skid last night with a double off of Dan Haren and was mired in a brutal 1-30 stretch entering this at bat.

After looking at strike one from Qualls, the captain said "what fucking slump?" as he dropped a single into right field that scored Lowell with what wound up being the game winning run, provided Papelbon could brush off a couple of recent blown saves and nail down the win in the ninth.

Eric Byrnes (1-4) made things interesting when he worked Paps for a 9-pitch at bat that resulted in a base on balls with one out, but the steely closer buckled down and got Stephen Drew to strike out and Orlando Hudson to ground out to end the game, and Boston had a much needed come from behind victory to stay one game ahead of the Rays in the East.

The crisis may have been averted tonight but the Sox are still an extra inning home run and a couple of clutch two out hits away from an 0-5 record on this home stand, and if they don't start getting it together soon those effing Rays will overtake them for first place.

And that would be a HUGE blast to the package.

NOTES:
-Yoooouuuuk!: Kevin Youkilis, still recovering from the shiner he received courtesy of an errant warm up toss from Lowell last night, came on in the 9th inning as a defensive replacement for Brandon Moss and fielded the last out of the game, ironically a semi-low throw from Lowell

-Rem Dog honored: it was Jerry Remy day at the ballpark as the club honored the likable Sox second baseman turned analyst turned president of Red Sox Nation with a lengthy pregame ceremony. The cool thing was Extra Innings decided to carry the event live as a bonus for subscribers. The bad news was between the pregame rain and my shitty reception, I barely got to see any of it

-Speaking of rain: for the third straight game the start was delayed by showers, this time for 36 minutes. The two previous contests saw 32 and 50 minute interruptions

RECORD: 48-32
AL EAST: Up 1 gm
STREAK: W1
LAST 10: 6-4
UP NEXT: Wed vs. ARI 7:05 ESPN2 Johnson vs. Wakefield

Read More......

Sox bounce back but nearly blow win vs. O's

Sox 6, Orioles 3
WP: Colon (4-1)
LP: Olson (5-2)
SV: Papelbon (19)
HRs: BOS- Tek (7), Lowell (9); BAL-Scott (10)

SUMMARY:
The Red Sox pounced on Baltimore starter Garrett Olson for five runs in the first inning and Bartolo Colon made it stand up as he bounced back from his only loss of the season. But the Boston bully made us sweat it out as the tying run came to the plate in the ninth inning before Papelbon closed it down.

#1 STUNNER: Colon 6IP, 5H, 1ER, 1BB, 7K, HR, 93P
After the debacle of his last start, in which he gave up six runs and made a pair of costly errors in an 8-0 loss, it was nice to see the big fella rebound with a solid performance like this.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Olson 5.1IP, 7H, 6ER, 3BB, 0K, 2HR, 98P
The surprise ace of the O's staff got his team off to a horrible start with that putrid first inning, and even though he settled down after that the damage was too much for his club to overcome.

RECAP:
See, I knew if the game didn't start at 6:00 the results would be better.

Boston readjusted nicely to the regular starting time by pounding O's starter Garret Olson for five runs on three hits, two walks a stolen base and an error in the first inning and they never looked back despite some nail biting moments in the 9th when Mike Timlin turned a comfy 6-1 into a shaky 6-3 margin with the tying run at the plate.

But when you have one of the best closers in the game at the ready it was almost anti climatic when Paps came on and calmly got the final out, as if he was saying "sorry, Mike, you had your chance and blew it, now let the big dog take this one home."

Notice Hideki Okajima wasn't anywhere near the field in this one.

With last night's and tomorrow's games starting an hour earlier presumably to accommodate Celtics fans the Sox took full advantage of the usual seven o' clock start after Bartolo Colon tossed a 1-2-3 top of the first.

Jacoby Ellsbury wasted no time starting things off when he singled to center on Olson's third pitch of the game, and after Dustin Pedroia popped out quicker than you can say "watch him go" Ellsy was on third base when Olson's errant pickoff throw on his steal attempt wound up in rightfield.

That miscue meant an easy RBI situation for the league's hottest hitter in June, J.D. Drew, and the rightfielder didn't disappoint as he roped a double down the rightfield line to score Ellsbury with ease for the first run of the game.

Manny Ramirez, the next hottest hitter on the team, managed to move Drew (1-3, R, BI, BB) to third with a groundout, and the extra base proved beneficial when Olson threw a wild pitch on ball four to Mike Lowell and Drew scampered home for a 2-0 lead.

Olson lost it from there as he surrendered another walk, this time to Kevin Youkilis after he had Youk 0-2, and then Captain Tek (1-4, R, 3BI) made him pay for his sloppiness when he blasted a towering shot over the Monster and out of the park for a back-breaking three-run homer that apparently landed on the windshield of a car in the parking lot across the street, according to the NESN cameras.

Staked to a 5-0 lead Colon went about his business, allowing a base hit here and there but never seeming worried or out of sorts like he was in his last start.

A single and a double were negated by a double play in the second inning, and although Sox killer (it's official now) Luke Scott (2-4, R, BI, 2B, HR) touched him for a solo shot to lead off the fourth, Colon responded by retiring six of the last eight batters he faced before exiting the game after six quality innings.

Despite the early success off Olson Boston could only muster one more run against the rookie southpaw, a solo shot by Lowell (1-2, 2R, BI, 2BB) to lead off the sixth, and so it was up to the bullpen to hold the five-run lead.

(gulp)

David Aardsma was first out of the pen and the hard-throwing righty, who's only pitched twice so far this month, fared pretty well, surrendering a two-out double to Adam Jones (1-4) before getting Freddie Bynum to strike out to end the inning.

After Boston blew a great chance to pad the lead when they loaded the bases on three walks in the bottom of the inning, it was Javier Lopez' turn to stifle the comeback-prone Oriole's bats in the eighth.

The lefty, who has allowed just one run in his last 12 appearances, allowed a one-out walk to fellow Sox killer Nick Markakis (1-3, BB), but a 6-4-3 double play by Melvin Mora quickly squelched that potential threat.

And then came the ninth.

With Okajima all but banished from pitching against Baltimore and the game not in a save situation, Francona called upon Tired Arm Timlin to get the last three outs and nail down the win.

Timlin's pitched less than Aardsma this month, ever since he allowed a hit and two walks in the 12th inning of Boston's 5-2 win on May 30th at Camden. So this was a chance at a little redemption for the old timer.

Instead he did his best Oki v. Baltimore imitation and had to leave the game with egg on his face.

The first batter of the ninth, last night's hero Audrey Huff, belted a double to deep right, and suddenly everyone watching had a sick feeling of where this one was heading.

Two pitches later Baltimore's Sox Killer #3, Kevin Millar, scraped a double off the wall to score Huff and the Sox sizable lead was sliced to 6-2 with a runner in scoring position and nobody out.

(GULP!)

Timlin did manage to retire Scott, who is now batting .455 against the Sox in '08, as Millar moved to third, and then a lineout by Ramon Hernandez seemed to get Timlin off the hook.

But Pedroia put his pitcher right back on the hook when for the second time in two games he booted an easy out in the ninth inning on a grounder by Jones, and as Millar crossed the plate the score was cow 6-3 Boston and everyone in the Nation was reaching for the antacids in anticipation of what was gonna happen next.

What happened next was recent callup Oscar Salazar, a former member of the Detoit Tigers who's spent the better part of the last six years in the Mexican league, slapped a single into left, and with the tying run coming to the plate Timlin could've walked off the mound right then, knowing it was time for the close to save the day.

It took five pitches for Paps to get Brian Roberts (0-5) to ground out weakly to Youk, and just like that another crisis was averted and Boston finally had a win against Baltimore after dropping the last two decisions to them by a combined score of 16-9.

The good news is the Rays lost this afternoon so the Sox gained a game in the standings and now lead the east by two games.

The bad news?

Tomorrow's starting time is six o' clock.

NOTES:
-Manny's on a roll: even though he didn't hit a homer, something he's done in four of his last five games against the O's, Manny did manage to extend his hitting streak to 15 games with his infield single in the third inning. It's the longest streak by a Bosox batter so far this season

-Colon 150: the win was career victory #150 for Bartolo Colon, who appeared to be on a fast track to 200+ wins before injuries derailed his promising career. The Sox got a scare when Colon was briefly injured when a liner by Markakis caromed off his wrist in the top of the fourth, but he shook it off and remained in the game, and pitched very well at that.

RECORD: 41-27
AL EAST: Up 2 gms
STREAK: W1
LAST 10: 7-3
UP NEXT: Thu vs. BAL 6:05 Guthrie vs. Lester

Read More......

Comeback kings crown Cleveland in 9th again

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And then came tonight's game.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fat chance.

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

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

Yeah, right.

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

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

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

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

If only they could play Cleveland every night.

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

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

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

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

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

Read More......

Sox clinch playoff berth as Rays closer gags again

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

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

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

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

Just when we needed him most...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hmmmm, wonder where the Rays got this guy?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yet another decision that backfired.

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

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

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

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

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

Which led to the ninth inning theatrics.

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

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

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

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

It had that kind of feel to it.

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

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

Provided Paps could get the save.

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

First mission accomplished.

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

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

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

Read More......

Ding dong the Safeco streak is dead

Sox 4, Seattle 3
WP: Matsuzaka (13-8)
LP: Washburn (8-8)
SV: Papelbon (25)
HRs:SEA-Beltre (17), Betancourt (7)

SUMMARY
The Sox stopped their 9-game skid at Safeco Field as Dice-K struck out a career-tying high 10 batters, Captain Tek hit the go-ahead 2-run double, and after Eric Gagne allowed a run in the 8th, Paps escaped a two-on, two-out jam to end the Safeco slide.

#1 STUNNER Dice-K 7IP, 6H, 2ER, 3BB, 10K
Following his tough-luck loss at Tampa Bay Matsuzaka turned in an awesome performance, escaping a couple of jams thanks to a pair of double plays and baffling the Mariners hitters with his nasty fastball.

PAN's FAUN Jose Guillen 0-4, 4K, BB
The ill-tempered outfielder took home the Golden Sombrero tonight with his pitiful 4-K effort, and if it weren't for a lousy home town call he could have added a 5th strikeout in the 9th. He also airmailed a throw to third base that allowed Boston's 3rd run to score.

RECAP
At least this game got over earlier than last night's.

Instead of ending at 1:30 this one wrapped up at 1:20 EST.

But hey, at least this time those of us who stayed up got to witness a win, Boston's first at Safeco Field in its last 10 tries.

Although the victory didn't come easy. New bullpen addition Eric Gagne gave up his second run in as many appearances when he allowed three hits in the eighth, and Jonathan Papelbon walked two batters after he fanned the first two batters in the 9th, but he retired Adrian Beltre on a foul pop to Varitek to escape with the much-needed win.

Just like last night this one ended way too late for me to put together a coherent recap of events, so I will attempt to tackle that task later this morning.

At least tonight we can all go to bed happy.

Alright, I'm back and after downing a gallon of java I am ready to recap the latest late-nite extravaganza our Sox were involved in way out there on the left coast.

As most of the last 9 games have gone for our boys out there, this one didn't start off too well either. Daisuke Matsuzaka, who allowed a 7th inning home run to Dioner Navarro last Sunday in Tampa Bay to break a scoreless tie, wasted little time in matching that dubious feat tonight, surrendering a solo shot to Adrian Beltre with one out in the second to give the Mariners an early 1-0 lead.

After the Sox wasted an infield single by Lugo when he was erased on a double play in the top of the third, Dice-K got into another jam in the bottom of the inning when he hit Jose Lopez to start the frame, then surrendered a single to pesky Yuniuesky Betancourt (2-4, R, BI) and after Ichiro grounded into a fielder's choice, Jose Vidro reached on an infield single to load the bases with one out.

But Matsuzaka buckled down and got Guillen to strike out, then retired Raul Ibanez on a fly ball to escape the inning unscathed.

The Sox batters would finally crack Jarod Washburn (6.1IP, 8H, 4ER, 2BB, 4K)in the fourth, and the rally started when the smokin' hot Big Papi (2-4, 2R) laced a solid single to left, then took second when Ibanez bobbled the ball.

Washburn walked Manny on four pitches, then after Lowell popped out, Varitek stepped up with a chance to do some damage to the team that traded him away for the immortal Heathcliff Slocum.

And the Captain didn't disappoint.

After running the count full, Tek roped a double to deep left, easily plating Papi and Manny, running hard from first and nearly colliding with DeMarlo Hale, slid home and tagged the plate with his hand to score the go-ahead run.

In the sixth the Sox would get some insurance, and Guillen, who had a run-in with the Sox earlier this season at Fenway, played a big part in the rally.

Youk (2-5, R) led off the inning with a double to deep center, one of six two-baggers for Boston, and then Papi followed dropped a single to right. But the overanxious Guillen thought he could gun Youk down at third, and when his throw sailed into the stands behind the bag, Youk trotted home and Ortiz took second, and
Boston had the kind of break it needed to snap the Safeco slide.

When Manny ripped a double to center two pitches later to score Papi with the Sox 4th run, all it would take was a couple more solid innings from Dice-K and then Tito could hand the game over to his new 1-2 bullpen punch and escape this contest with a 'W'.

Matsuzaka barely did his part, wriggling out of a 2-on, no-out jam in the bottom of the sixth by retiring the next three batters, two by strikeout, but after he surrendered Betancourt's second homer in as many nights on the first pitch of the seventh to cut the lead to 4-2 it looked like the Ms might find a way steal another win in Boston's personal house of horrors.

And Boston's new setup man didn't do much to quell that sick feeling when he made his second appearance in the eighth.

Gagne allowed a cheesy run in his first outing courtesy of a wind blown double at Fenway on Thursday, but there was nothing cheesy about this rally that cut the Sox lead to one run.

Just like Thursday Gagne retired the first two batters he faced, then got into trouble when he surrendered a hard single to center by Ben Broussard, and after allowing him to waltz to second, Kenji Johjima drilled a single to left that scored Broussard with the run that had every (awake) member of RSN thinking "oh no, not again!"

But after Lopez doubled on the very next pitch, Gagne got Betancourt to tap back to the mound, and everyone breathed a big sigh of relief that Boston's biggest trade acquisition in three years didn't blow the game in his 2nd appearance in a Sox uni.

All that was left was for Papelbon to come in and shut down the Ms in the 9th and the streak would be over, but even the normally stingy Paps couldn't end this one easily.

He fanned the first two batters, making Ichiro () look foolish on a heater up and away, but then walked the next two hitters to set up another possible crushing defeat here in the land of Starbucks and Microsoft.

But sanity prevailed when Beltre popped up to Varitek on the first pitch he saw, and Boston's 9-game losing streak finally came to an end as most of the rest of the country slept.

Matsuzaka now joins teammates Josh Beckett & Tim Wakefield along with 4 others for second place in the league in wins, and it only took a 3000 mile journey and a nail-biting finish to get there.

Read More......

Sox hang on for another comeback win

Sox 4, Arizona 3 (10)
WP: Okajima (2-0)
LP: Cruz (2-1)
SV: Papelbon (14)
HRs: BOS-Tek (7); ARI- Drew (3)

SUMMARY:
Boston swiped a victory from the jaws of defeat when it turned a 3-0 deficit after five innings into a one-run extra inning win.

Stephen Drew gave his team the 3-run lead with a 2-run homer in the 4th, but Tek tallied three ribbies to tie it, and Mike Lowell hit a sac fly with the bases loaded in the 10th to secure the win.

HERO: Tek 2-5, 2B, HR, R, 3RBIs
The Captain came through in the clutch-again. He got the Sox on the board with his homer in the 6th, then tied the game with a double in the 8th.

There is a reason he wears that 'C' on his chest.

GOAT: Brandon Lyon 2IP, H, R, BB, 3Ks
All the former Red Sox hurler had to do was retire the Sox in the 8th and then hand the ball over to closer Jose Valverde in the 9th.

Except Lyon choked against his former mates, allowing a leadoff walk to Youk and then a one-out double to Tek that tied the score and put Boston in a position to steal a win.

RECAP:
At least this one was worth staying up for.

The doldrums of a four-game slide have turned into thoughts of a weekend sweep in the desert as the Comeback Kids pulled one of their patented "think you've won it, no you don't" wins over the dumbfounded Diamondbacks.

'Zona came into this series having won 14 of 18 contests with a starting rotation that was a blistering 10-1 during that stretch, while Boston limped into Phoenix having lost 6 of 7 before Schilling's slump busting gem on getaway day in Oakland Thursday.

One blowout and one come-from-behind win later and the tables have turned, with the D-Backs looking like hapless wannabes and the Sox regaining that championship form it had displayed all season before the mini-slump.

It didn't appear that would be the case early in the game though, because even though Julian Tavarez provided a chance for Boston to win, he was in trouble early & often, and the Sox hitters couldn't crack Arizona's young phenom Micah Owings (6IP, 7H, 2ER, 2BB, 4K, HR).

After escaping a 2-on, 2-out jam in the first inning, Julie allowed a run on an RBI double in the second. Following a 1-2-3 third, Tavarez gave up a double to Mark Reynolds leading off the fourth, then three pitches later Stephen Drew said "anything you can do, I can do better" to J.D. as he sailed a ball over his brother's head and into the stands in right field for a 2-run homer and 3-0 D-Backs lead.

He only had one more homer and five ribbies to go to match his elder sibling's output from last night.

Things stayed that way thru five innings as the Sox either blew scoring opportunities (bases loaded in the second, leadoff walk in the fifth) or were getting blown away by an impressive Owings. The big kid from Gainesville had his full repertoire of pitches working, including a 97-mph heater and drop-off-the-table slider that kept foiling Boston's eager bats.

But the Sox finally broke through in the sixth when J.D. Drew (3-5) stated a two-out rally with a bloop single to right. Jeez, this guy really does slaughter Diamondback pitching! Five pitches later Varitek took an Owings offering deep to right center for Boston's first two runs of the game, and now you could sense that there was a chance to pull this one out.

By the 8th Owings was already out of the game and ex-Sox Brandon Lyon was in. Lyon had a brief stint with Boston in 2003, appearing in 49 games and posting a 4-6 record with a 4.12 ERA.

Perhaps he was just trying to repay an old debt when he walked Youk to start the frame. After Drew forced him out at second base, Varitek stepped in and went to battle for his team like a good captain always does. After running the count to 2-1, Tek laced a Lyon slider to the left center, scoring Drew all the way from first with the tying run, and suddenly the many raucous members of the Nation in the house had reason to celebrate.

Hideki Okajima worked around a Julio Lugo error in the bottom of the inning and would contribute two big scoreless inning to allow Boston a chance to pull off the win. And when Boston loaded the bases with no outs in the 10th off fireballing Juan Cruz, it was time to do just that.

Papi started the winning rally with a walk, and then Youk and Drew followed with singles to pack the sacks full of Sox. After Tek struck out (hey, he can't do it all), Lowell pinch hit for Okajima and quickly got behind in the count.

But just like Rem Dog predicted he would do when he fell behind 0-2, Lowell patiently waited for the right pitch to take the opposite way,and when he launched a sac fly to right, Ortiz scooted home with the go-ahead run, and the comeback was nearly complete.

All that was left was for Jonathan Papelbon to make his first appearance since the A-Rod debacle and shut the door on the win. Firing off 97 mph blazers, Paps looked healthy & rested- until he hit Chris Young and allowed a single to Conor Jackson.

Have no fear, because Paps then reared back, dug deep and got Reynolds to softly line out to second base, and just like that a losing streak has turned into a winning streak, and a sweep is a possibility if the Sox can knock off Randy Johnson tomorrow.


NOTES:

• Due to interleague play: Lowell, Manny and Pedroia didn't start the game, although Lowell and Pedroia did bat later. Youk moved to third while Papi manned first, and Eric Hinske filled ManRam's sizable shoes in left field
• As part of Tito's new sliding lineup, Coco moved back to the 2-hole and went 1-5, while Youk took Manny's four spot and went 1-4 with a walk
• Tek (2) & Drew (3) had half of Boston's 10 hits
• Fashion police: will someone please explain why the D-Backs wore white with red unis last night, then hideous all-black spring training rejects tonight? And what's with the retarded block lettering? Fucking expansion teams!
• Eric Byrnes had his 15-game hitting streak snapped as well as a 30-game on base mark
• Drew's six hits in this series match the amount he's had in the past three weeks
• RSN represents: the announced attendance of 49,826 was apparently a new D-backs record; wait a minute, didn't these guys play in a World Series?
• Pedroia pinch hit for Tavarez in the 7th and struck out but reached base on a wild pitch by Tony Pena; another odd play for the season archives
• Ex-Sox sighting: Tony Clark is still alive! The veteran of the 2002 Sox team has evidently been playing out here in the desert for three years now; I seriously thought the dude had retired-and should have after that heinous '02 campaign
• Tavarez, who played in the NL for years, reached base twice, on a hilarious bunt single and a walk

QUOTES:

"He had good stuff, but he made one mistake to me and we capitalized on it."--Tek. Brilliant!

"It's a great club we're playing, arguably the best in baseball."--Owings. Ah, son, there is no arguement there

"He didn't sit around all night. He stretched, hit, was in the cage. That's the type of guy he is."--Tito on the ever-ready, always professional Lowell

RECORD: 40-21
STREAK: W-3
LAST 10: 4-6
AL EAST: Up 10.5
UP NEXT: Sun @ ARI 4:30p

Read More......