Sox lose Youk and another game at Fenway

D-Backs 2, Sox 1
WP: Haren (8-4)
LP: Beckett (7-5)
SV: Lyon (16)
HRs: None

SUMMARY:
Boston lost for the third time in four games when Dan Haren out dueled Josh Beckett in a well-pitched nail biter at Fenway.

More costly than the game, though, was the injury suffered by Kevin Youkilis who caught a between innings bad hop below the eye, forcing him to leave the game and leaving the Sox shorthanded on the bench with Sean Casey serving his Raysbrawl suspension.

#1 STUNNER: Haren 7IP, 2H, 0ER, 1BB, 5K, 98P
The man who had never won at Fenway tossed an absolute gem at the old ballyard tonight by limiting the potent Sox lineup to a pair of hits and a base on balls.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Beckett 8IP, 5H, 2ER, 2BB, 8K, 115P
I know he pitched a whale of a game himself, but when the game was winding down and the sphincters were tightening up, Becks folded like a TV tray in a 33-pitch seventh inning when Arizona scored both its runs.

The Josh Beckett of 2007 would not have allowed that to happen.

RECAP:
The Boston Red Sox are kings of their castle no more.

After losing just seven out of its first 35 games at home, suddenly the Sox have dropped three of four in the perhaps too friendly confines of Fenway.

Making matters worse is who they've lost to - an overachieving bunch of scrappy nobodies from St. Louie, and now to a slumping Diamondbacks squad that had dropped 9 of its last 12 games away from the desert and owned a 19-29 mark against teams outside of the squishy soft NL West.

Adding injury to insult was the loss of Sunday's extra innings hero Kevin Youkilis, who caught a bad hop from a Mike Lowell throw while warming up before the fifth inning and had to leave the game when a large black and blue bulge appeared under his right eye socket.

The injury didn't appear to be serious and normally it wouldn't have affected the Sox all that much had Sean Casey been able to come in and back Youk up.

But Casey was unavailable as he began serving his Raysbrawl suspension today (figures), and the incident did end up coming back to cost the team later on when Brandon Moss misplayed a routine grounder into what ended up being the game-winning run.

Guess we can blame it on the Rays. (cue Reggae Paps and Manny D)

For six innings, though, this game was all about the starting pitchers. Haren and Beckett were sporting near-identical records and ERAs coming in to this one, and both were being counted on to pick up the slack from slumping star starters, Brandon Webb and Daisuke Matsuka.

And after a 30+ minute rain delay at the start of the game, both hurlers did just that.

Beckett allowed a two out double in the first inning to Orlando Hudson, another two bagger to Justin Upton with one out in the third, and an infield single to Chris Young with one down in the sixth and that was it for Arizona base runners in the first six innings.

Becks had all his pitches working as he flummoxed the helpless 'Backs batters with a variety of splitters, vertigo-inducing curve balls and filthy heaters; poor Chad Tracy struck out three times on the night against Beckett, all looking.

But as good as Beckett was Haren was a bit better. The only base runners he allowed early on were on a lead off double by Varitek in the third, which broke an 0-24 skid for the captain, and a walk to Jacoby Ellsbury two outs later. That's it.

Sure he wasn't blowing guys away or leaving looking perplexed at the plate like Beckett, but he was getting the job done by doing whatever it took to stop the best lineup in baseball, including going parallel to the ground to snag a botched bunt by Coco Crisp immediately following Tek's double.

In any case both guys were untouchable for the first 2/3 of the game.

And then came the seventh.

It began ominously when Beckett walked his first batter of the game to lead off the inning, Conor Jackson, and progressively got worse as after Tracy struck out (again) Mark Reynolds (1-3, R, BB, 2K) blooped a single to shallow left to set up runners at first and second with one out.

That wouldn't be so bad except where Beckett was breezing earlier he was now laboring, and when Chris Young stepped to the plate with the chance to break the scoreless tie Josh had already thrown 16 pitches in the inning.

Seconds later Young (2-3, 2B, BI) crushed an 0-1 pitch off the Monster for an RBI double, and even though it was just 1-0 I got the feeling the Sox were not gonna win this one.

It was almost as if Beckett had to throw a complete game shutout to ensure a Sox victory tonight.

If that ball that nearly put a hole in the wall wasn't proof enough then the next play just about sealed the deal. With men on second and third Tito had the infield playing in to prevent the run from scoring, and it looked like the strategy would work out when Beckett got Chris Snyder to tap a 3-0 pitch to Moss, who took over at first for Youk.

Except the novice first baseman bobbled the easy grounder, and by the time he found the handle the only play was to tag the runner coming down the line as Reynolds scored to put the Backs up 2-0.

But the way Haren was pitching it might as well have been 12-0.

Boston did get to the tiring righthander in the bottom of the inning when Haren hit Manny (0-3) on a 3-2 count and allowed a single to Mike Lowell one pitch later, but he quickly retired Moss and Tek to escape the mini-jam and end his evening.

A better chance to get this one in the win column fell by the wayside when Boston loaded the bases with one out in the eighth off reliever Tony Pena, Jr.

But after J.D. Drew's sac fly got the Sox on the board, Reynolds make a spectacular snag on a laser beam line drive by Manny down the third base line that would have surely tied the game or gave the Sox the lead but instead ended the inning, and that was that.

After David Aardsma worked his way into and out of a bases loaded jam of his own in the ninth, ex-Sox reliever Brandon Lyon needed just five pitches to dispatch his former team in the bottom of the inning to put a bow on this hard-fought, well-played but ultimately frustrating game for Boston.

If the Sox don't take the next two games it could be time to push the panic button in Beantown. And with trade rumors already swirling regarding this team every game from here until the trade deadline will be like a three hour version of American League Idol.

RECORD: 47-32
AL EAST: Up 1 gm
STREAK: L1
LAST 10: 5-5
UP NEXT: Tue vs. ARI 7:05 Davis vs. Masterson

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Deja Youk: Homer wins it in extra innings after Paps blows save

Sox 5, Cards 3 (13)
WP: Lopez (2-0)
LP: Parisi (0-3)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Youk, 2 (13); STL:None

SUMMARY:
For the second weekend in a row Jonathan Papelbon blew a save with two outs in the 9th against a National League club, and for the second straight Sunday Kevin Youkilis bailed out his dance-impaired teammate with an extra inning homer. This one came with one on in the bottom of the 13th and helped Boston avoid the sweep and remain in first place.

#1 STUNNER: Youk 2-5, 2R, BB, 3BI, 2HR
His second multi-homer game of the season ended with the first walk-off shot of his career, and it's safe to say Paps owes him an expensive steak dinner for the latest save he provided for his closer.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Rick Ankiel 0-6, 2K
Not only did the ex-pitcher, ex-juicer have a lousy day at the plate, but in the 8th inning the Cards' centerfielder fell after over-running a ball hit by Coco Crisp that wound up as a leadoff triple and allowed the Sox to tie the game.

RECAP:
Wow. This game had more going on than a CGI-laden summer blockbuster.

It was a pitcher's duel as both starters, Joel Pineiro and Jon Lester, threw seven solid innings of two-run ball.

It was a pitcher's nightmare, evidenced by Paps' blown save and Mike Parisi's blown game. Also, Hideki Okajima allowed 5 base runners in 1 2/3 innings and Chris Perez walked three straight batters to force in the go-ahead run in the seventh.

It's was a hitter's heaven, with the two team's combining for 29 hits. Seven players had at least two hits, two guys racked up three knocks, Dustin Pedroia ripped four hits and Aaron Miles tallied five base hits on the day.

It was a hitter's hell, as Ankiel went 0-6, Troy Glaus 0-4, and Jason Varitek and red-hot J.D. Drew both suffered through 0-5 afternoons.

It had highs & lows, "ahhhhs" and groans, and a couple of plays that made you sit and scratch your head.

Did I mention it was delayed by rain for nearly an hour at the start and there were 13 pitchers used today?

Let's just hope there's not a sequel in the near future.

The craziest part about the game was that it started out as an ordinary pitcher's duel, with both St. Louis starter/ex-Sox hurler Pineiro (7IP, 7H, 2ER, 0BB, 1K, 1HR, 81P) and Sox lefty Lester escaping numerous jams early to keep the game scoreless for five innings.

With 29 combined hits and just 8 runs scored, you gotta figure there were a lot of men left on base, which there were, but there were also four double plays, a caught stealing and a runner gunned out at the plate that combined to keep the score down and the pitch count up (362 total) in this game.

In fact in the first four innings the teams hit into three double plays and two fielder's choices which killed a few potential rallies, but the Cards finally broke the seal when they scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth on back-to-back doubles and an RBI single by Ryan Ludwick (1-6, BI).

Lester (7IP, 9H, 2ER, 1BB, 3K, 101P) worked his way out of that situation without any further damage, and Boston sliced the lead in half in the next inning when Youk hit a solo shot over the Monster with two outs in the seventh.

And this is when things started to get wild.

Boston finally got Pineiro, who was signed by the Sox prior to last season and was at one point going be the closer for the club, out of the game when Ankiel misplayed Coco's routine flyball into a leadoff triple to start the eighth.

On came reliever Chris Perez, and soon the St. Louis lead would disappear in a sea of bad pitches.

Julio Lugo worked the count to 3-1 before driving a ball to right to score Coco easily, and thanks to Ankiel's blunder the game was tied at two.

After getting Jacoby Ellsbury to ground out for the second out of the inning, Perez allowed a single to Pedroia (4-5, 2 2Bs, R), and after the Little Big Man stole second, the St. Louis righty walked Drew, Manny and Mike Lowell to force in Pedroia with the go ahead run, 3-2.

Perez did strike out Youk with the bases loaded to end the inning, but needing just three outs and with Paps on the mound it appeared as if the game was over.

Ah, not so fast Faithful.

Last Saturday Papelbon entered the game in Cincinnati with Boston leading the Reds 4-3 when Edwin Encarnacion took the closer deep with two outs and two strikes to send the game into extra innings, where Youk and Coco hit back-to-back jacks in the 10th to win the gaame.

Couldn't happen twice in the span of 8 days, right?

Well, it didn't happen exactly like that, but when Papelbon walked Chris Duncan with two outs it did bring up similar feelings of "not again". After all, it was just paps' fifth bases on balls he had issued this season.

Sure enough pinch hitter Adam Kennedy (3-3, BI) drilled a fat fastball into deep center, and this time it was Coco's turn to misplay the ball as he got a bad jump on it, came in first then went back as the ball helplessly bounced off the base of the wall and Duncan came around to score the tying run.

And the park was shrouded in silence.

Paps (1IP, 1H, 1ER, 1BB, 2K, 19P) bounced back to get Skip Schumaker to ground out to end the inning, but the damaage was done and it was time for the emotional closer to take out his frustrations on his mitt in the dugout.

After the Sox went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 9th, the next three innings went simialr to the first three - plenty of baserunners, but nobody scoring.

Hideki Okajima took over for Paps in the top of the 10th, and Oki did his best Timlin impersonation when he gave up a single and a walk sandwiched around an out before retiting the last two batters to escape the jam.

Boston, meanwhile, got a leadoff double from Ellsbury in the bottom of the 10th, got him to third on a sac bunt by Pedroia, but left him stranded when Drew struck out and pinch hitter Sean Casey flew out.

Oki (1.2IP, 4H, BB, K, 28P) was no better in the 11th as he allowed singles to Yadier Molina, Kennedy and Aaron Miles (5-6) before Craig Hansen came in and struck out Ludwick to squelch the rally.

The frustrations continued in the bottom of the inning when Lowell (3-5, R, BI, BB) led off with a two bagger and Youk and Coco walked, but Jason Isringhausen struck out Alex Cora and ellsy to squelch that threat.

Is this thing ever gonna fucking end?!

Hansen tossed a 1-2-3 12th before Boston got yet another leadoff double in the bottom of the inning, but Pedroia was nailed at third on a bouncer back to the mound and then casey hit into a double play to sq....ah screw it.

The game finally wrapped up in spectacular fashion in the 13th inning, which was an unlucky frame for St. Louis but proved to be very lucky for Boston.

After Javier Lopez releived Hansen with one out to face Duncan the slumping Cards' first baseman drove a double into deep center, and one pitch later Kennedy lined a single to right that looked like it would plate the go-ahead run.

But as Drew ran in and scooped up the ball, Duncan barrelled around third, and instead of trying to slide under Tek's tag Duncan tried to plow him over. Bad move.

Tek hung on to the ball and applied the tag and a disgruntled Duncan was out at the plate, and two pitches later Schumaker flied out to set up Youk's heroics.

Lowell led off the frame with a single to left and five pitches later Youk unloaded on a Mike Parisi fastball and drilled it over the Monster for a long-awaited walk-off homer, and finally this 5 1/2+ hour (with delay) marathon was over.

So the Sox avoided what would have been the first Fenway sweep since 2006 and enlatged its lead in the east with the Rays loss to the Astros.

Next up is a series with the slumping Diamondbacks, and its safe to say the Sox could use a herculean effort from Josh Beckett so the rest of the staff can get some rest after this wild and wooly affair.

RECORD: 47-31
AL EAST: Up 1 1/2 gms
STREAK: W1
LAST 10: 6-4
UP NEXT: Mon vs. ARI 705 Haren vs. Beckett

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Youk blasts game-winning home run in return to hometown

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

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

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

Thought not.

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

RECAP:
"YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUKKKKK!"

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

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

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

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

And neither will the Reds.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Except Oki shit the bed again.

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

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

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

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

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

And the came Youk.

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

Sorta.

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

And they were all chanting Yooooooouuuuuukkkk!

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

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Boston's longball barrage buries B-more

Sox 9, Orioles 2
WP: Lester (5-3)
LP: Guthrie (3-7)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Lowell (10), Drew (10), Youk (10); BAL-None

*Note: sorry I was late posting this but after I started it I watched the Celtics game, and after witnessing one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the NBA playoffs I was in no condition to blog about baseball! GO CELTS!

SUMMARY:
A trio of 10th home runs sent the Orioles out of Beantown on a sour note as Boston used a pair of two-run shots, from Youk and J.D. Drew, a grand slam by Mike Lowell and a solid start by Jon Lester to defeat the O's and take 2 of 3 in the series.

#1 STUNNER: Drew 2-4, 2R, 2BI, BB, 2B, HR
The torrid streak continues as Drew reached base three more times and smacked another two extra base hits, including his 6th homer in his last 11 games. He is now batting .500 in June (18-36) and is creeping up on Milton Bradley for the league lead in on base percentage.

This is the J.D. Drew the Sox expected to see when they laid out $70 mil for him a year and a half ago.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Dennis Sarfate 1IP, 1H, 2ER, 1BB, 1K, 1HR
Starter Jeremy Guthrie didn't pitch well, but he left with a deficit of just 5-1. Chad Bradford chipped in with 1 1/3 innings of hitless relief, but then Sarfate let the game get away when he surrendered Youk's two-run homer in the seventh.

RECAP:
Whadda ya know, the game started at six and was over by nine!

Plus the Sox won and there were no fisticuffs or blown saves.

Now that's what I call a sweet win.

Boston dispatched the pesky Birds with a decisive seven-run victory that gave the Sox five wins in their last seven games against Baltimore, a team they (thankfully) won't see again until after the All Star break.

Like the game yesterday the Sox jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but this time instead of the Boston bullpen suddenly letting Baltimore creep back in the game the Boston batters kept adding to the lead to make sure there would be no Bird comeback or blown save tonight.

The Sox got on the board in the second inning against O's starter Jeremy Guthrie (4.2IP, 7H, 5ER, 5BB, K, HR, 107P) when Youk singled sharply to center with one out, moved to second on a groundout by Coco Crisp and came around to score on a single underneath the glove of first baseman Oscar Salazar for a 1-0 Sox lead.

The funny thing about that play is that normally Kevin Millar would have been over there and might have made the play, but he had to come out of the game after fouling a ball off his knee in the top of the second.

Sometimes you eat the bar, and sometimes the bar eats you, Kevin.

The game stayed at 1-0 for a few innings as Guthrie continued to struggle, but caught a few breaks like when Youk got tagged out at home in the fourth and Kevin Cash, playing in place of Tek who has strep throat, couldn't capitalize with two men in scoring position

Jon Lester, meanwhile, was mowing through the Baltimore lineup, showing no ill effects of having his start pushed back a day due to his Raysbrawl suspension.

Lester (7IP, 7H, 2ER, 1BB, 3K, 101P) retired 13 of the first 17 Baltimore batters
before running into his only trouble of the night in the sixth inning. But by then the Sox lead had grown to 5-0, and it was another case of deja vu that brought them to that point.

Jacoby Ellsbury (1-5, R) started the fifth inning off with a single to right, then one out later moved to third base on a double to the base of the Wall by white-hot J.D. Drew. And then O's manager Dave Trembley did something that he can't really be blamed for, but it came back to bite him in the nads anyway:

he intentionally walked Manny Ramirez to get to Mike Lowell.

Granted most managers would make the same decision in his situation, what with Manny being a member of the 500 homer club and one of the most feared right handed hitters of all time, but sometimes playing the percentages doesn't always work out.

Just ask Jimmy Gobble.

On My 22nd at Fenway the Royals reliever was also instructed to walk Manny to load the bases and pitch to Lowell, and Lowell responded by taking him over the Monster for what wound up being the game-winning grand slam in an 11-8 Boston win.

Fast forward to tonight and it was deja vu all over again as Lowell (1-4, R, 4BI) took an 0-1 offering from Guthrie and golfed it over the Monster for a back-breaking granny, and from there it was all over but the piling on.

As I said Lester did hit a rough patch when he surrendered three doubles in the sixth inning to cut the Sox lead to 5-2, but when Audrey Huff (2-4, BI) inexplicably failed to score from second on a two-out single by Ramon Hernandez that would have sliced the Boston lead to two runs, the game was all but over.

The Sox put this one away against a pair of Baltimore relievers when Youk (2-2, 2R, 2BI, 2BB) drove the first pitch he saw from Dennis Sarfate over the wall for a two run homer after Manny had walked again, and in the 8th Drew added to his incredible June numbers and put a cap on this game and series when he blasted a two-run shot off Jamie Walker for the final margin of 9-2.

So a lot of things went right for Boston and the Nation tonight. Drew continued to make people forget Papi has been out of the lineup. Youk showed signs of coming out of his month-long slump. Boston blasted three homers for the first time in a couple of weeks. Jon Lester looked great after an unexpected extra day of rest.

And the game ended in less than three hours, allowing all of us to catch a miraculous Celtics comeback to take a 3-1 Finals lead over the hated Fakers.

A good night at the old ballyard indeed.

NOTES:
-Going Streakin': Manny had his 15 game hitting streak stopped with his pair of walks, while Drew extended his to 11 games; he has now hit safely in every game since Ortiz went on the DL

-Lugo-no: the Sox shortstop committed his league-leading 13th error on a routine grounder in the 8th inning. Is he a remake of Rentanerror or what?


RECORD: 42-27
AL EAST: Up 2.5 gms
STREAK: W2
LAST 10: 7-3
UP NEXT: Fri @ CIN 7:10 Masterson vs. Harang

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Beckett steers Boston back on winning track

Sox 5, Detroit 1
WP: Beckett (4-2)
LP: Verlander (1-6)
SV: None
HRs: BOS- Youk (7); DET-None

SUMMARY:
Josh Beckett did what aces do - stop a losing streak by shutting down the opposing team. Becks rode the strength of a 13-hit attack and an early 3-0 lead to stymie the Tigers on six hits and a single run in seven innings as Boston took three of four in Motown.

SUPERSTAR: Youk 1-5, R, 2BI, HR
Hitting in Manny's 4-spot, Youk made like Ramirez when he launched a 2-run homer in the 5th inning that gave the Sox a more comfortable cushion and provided the final margin of 5-1. It was Youk's 4th homer of the series and 8th lifetime at Comerica.

No word if Mike Illitch tried to sign him to a pizza-laden contract after the game.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Curtis Granderson 0-4, 4K
Detroit's sparkplug from the leadoff position had a series to forget - 2-18 with 8 strikeouts - capped by this Golden Sombrero stinker. No wonder the Tiggers had such a horrible offensive series.

RECAP:
Now that's more like it.

After a heart wrenching loss last night, the Sox needed to end this series on a positive note lest they head to play the first place Twins riding a two game losing streak that would have destroyed all the momentum they had built during their five game winning streak.

Have no fear, RSN, because Josh Beckett was here.

Looking more and more like the Cy Young winner he should have been last year, Beckett (7IP, 6H, 1ER, 0BB, 8K) stifled the same Detroit bats that had drubbed Sox pitchers for 18 hits and 10 runs last night, leading his team to a series win as they head into the first place showdown at the Metrodome this weekend.

And it's a good thing he was as solid as he was tonight because Boston had numerous opportunities to blow the game open but they could not capitalize, leaving 10 mean on base including the bases loaded in the 8th inning.

But when your starting pitcher only has one bad inning that results in just one run scored, and your relievers finally come in and don't allow any runs, five runs is enough to win, especially against the reeling Tigers.

Boston would get all the runs it would need in the 2nd inning when eight men came to the plate and three of them scored when the Tigers had a terrible inning that typified their season thus far.

Mike Lowell, who had two more hits tonight and went 8-19 in th series, led off with a single to center against struggling Detroit starter Justin Verlander (6IP, 9H, 4ER, 1BB, 5K, HR), and JD Drew followed with a single to right. A wild pitch moved both runner up a base, and the Jason Varitek lined a shot off third baseman Carlos Guillen that trickled into left field, allowing not only Lowell but Drew to score.

On the ensuing throw to the plate the ball hit Drew and scooted away, allowing Tek to take second base, and then Coco Crisp (3-4) poured gas on the fire when he beat out another bunt hit to set up a 1st & 3rd, no out situation.

Verlander then did what everyone in the Nation would love to do - hit Lugo with a pitch - and when Jacoby Ellsbury lofted a sac fly to make it 3-0, it looked like the rout was on.

But Verlander got Dustin Pedroia to fly out and then fanned David Ortiz to end the threat, and Boston had to settle for a three run lead.

As it turned out, that was plenty.

Beckett worked out of a mini jam in the 3rd when Detroit got two on with two outs, but in the 4th he wasn't so fortunate. After recording two quick outs the Tigers rapped three straight hits off Becks, the last an RBI single by seldom-used shortstop Ramon Santiago, and the Boston lead was sliced to 3-1.

Fortunately for Boston Kevin Youkilis, aka the Comerica Killer, was up in the next inning, and after Ellsbury (2-4, R, BI) led off with a single Youk took the first pitch he saw from Verlander over the left field wall and just out of the reach of rookie Matt Joyce for a 2-run bomb that pushed the lead to 5-1 and let the entire Nation breathe a little easier.

It was Youk's 8th homer at the cavernous ballpark, the most - by a half dozen - that he has hit in any road park.

The rest of the game was a mere formality as Beckett kept mowing down Tiger batters, setting down 10 in a row to end his evening, including a strikeout of Brandon Inge to start the 7th which was the 1,000th K of the young stud's career.

Craig Hansen came in to pitch a 1-2-3 8th in relief of Beckett, and Manny Delcarmen tossed an uneventful 9th (although he did allow a hit, of course), and Boston avenged last night's soul-crushing loss with a decisive win.

Now it's off to that glorious stadium known as the Metrodome for a date with the surprising Twins. I'm gonna have to do some research as to which Sox hits the Teflon cover off that dreary dome.

RECORD: 23-14
AL EAST: Up 3.5 gms
STREAK: W1
LAST 10: 8-2
UP NEXT: Fri @ MIN 810 Lester vs. Bonser

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How sweep it is! Sox broom Rays out of town

Sox 7, Tampa Bay 3
WP: Lester (2-2)
LP: Kazmir (0-1)
SV: Papelbon (9)
HRs: BOS-Youk (3); TB-Pena (7)

SUMMARY:
The Red Sox jumped out to a 4-0 lead against Scott Kazmir, who was making his season debut, before Tampa Bay closed to within one run. But Kevin Youkilis drove in the final three runs to put the game away, and Boston completed the payback sweep against the Rays.

SUPERSTAR: Youk 3-4, 2R, 4BI, 2-2B, HR
He drove in the first run of the game with a sac fly, the 5th run with a homer to straightaway center, and the 6th & 7th runs with his second double of the day in the 8th, single handedly collecting more RBI than the entire Rays team.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Carlos Pena 1-4, R, BI,HR, 3Ks
He did provide the Rays first run of the game with a homer in the 6th inning, but he also fanned three times, including twice with men on base and twice to end innings.

Classic case of all or nothing.

RECAP:
If payback's a bitch, then Boston just sicced one nasty, rabid, Cujo on the Chihuahua's known as the Tampa Bay Rays.

Upset and embarrassed over the three game sweep Tampa Bay inflicted on them last weekend at the Trop, the Sox wasted no time making sure any thoughts of a repeat performance were quickly dispatched from the minds of the Rays and all the Nation haters out there.

Beginning with a solid 7-3 victory on Friday night, Boston proceeded to trounce the Rays, 12-4, on Saturday, and they completed the sweep today on a dismal afternoon at Fenway when the majority of the Commonwealth was watching the Celtics defeat the Hawks in Game 7 of their first round playoff series at the new Garden.

But it didn't matter to the Red Sox that Fenway was not quite filled to capacity, or that most Boston sports fans had the Cs on the main screen while the beloved Sox were relegated to the PIP window.

All that mattered to them was showing the Rays and the rest of the division that last weekend's sweep was a result of combination of them facing tough pitching while their offense was struggling, and now after scoring 26 runs and rapping 39 hits in three games, it's safe to say that things are back to normal.

For the second game in a row, Boston set the tone early by scoring in the first inning. Jacoby Ellsbury led off the game with an infield single to second, and Dustin Pedroia, the hero of last night's game drew aa walk off the rusty and erratic Kazmir (4IP, 6H, 4R, 3ER, 3BB, 5K).

But despite a rare double steal that put runners on second & third with no outs, Boston could only manage to plate one run in the inning, on a sac fly to center by Youk, batting in the three hole in place of David Ortiz, who got the day off due to his balky knee (plus the fact that it was a shitty day and he is only 7-37 career against Kazmir.

The missed opportunities didn't hurt Boston though as they quickly added to their lead when they plated two more runs in the third inning. Once again the first two batters reached base (Pedroia single, Youk double), and then Kaz hurt his cause by tossing a wild pitch that allowed Pedroia to scoot home with the second run of the game.

On the next pitch Manny Ramirez, who had rough series (2-13, 5Ks), doubled down the left field line to score Youk, and for the third straight game Boston had jumped out in front by a score of at least 3-0.

After adding another run on an RBI groundout by Pedroia (1-4, R, BI, BB) in the fourth, the new and improved Rays did what they've done all year long - fought back to make a potential blowout game interesting.

Through five innings Jon Lester (6IP, 4H, 1ER, 3BB, 5K, HR) had been cruising along, allowing the occasional base runner here and there but not having to face any real threat or jam.

But in the 6th Carlos Pena touched him for a solo shot to right that put the Rays on the board and gave them the opening they needed to get back into the game.

And get right back in it they would, against none other than Manny the anti closer Delcarmen.

Delcarmen, who has allowed 21 base runners and 10 earned runs in 12 1/3 innings of work this season, retired the first batter of the inning before surrendering a single to slpa hitter Jason Bartlett and then a triple to Sox killer Aki Iwamura, slicing the Boston lead to 4-2.

That disgusting display brought Hideki Okajima into the game, and even though he allowed an RBI single to Carl Crawford, he then struck out BJ Upton and Pena to end the inning and the threat.

Suddenly faced with a 1-run game Boston responded immediately in the bottom of the 7th when Youk took reliever Kent Birkins deep to the tarp in straightaway center to push the lead to 5-3, and in the 8th Youk extinguished any thought of a Rays comeback when he doubled in Lugo and Ellsbury for the final 7-3 margin.

Just to be sure none of his crappy relievers blew this one, and because he was already warming when the margin was just two runs, Francona brought in Papelbon to close it out. And the closer did just that, retiring the final three batters on three consecutive groundouts, and the re-sweep was complete.

So the Celts knocked off the pesky hawks and the Sox swept the pesky Rays on the same miserable day in the Hub.

I'd say order has been officially restored to the sports world.

RECORD: 20-13
AL EAST: Up 3 gms
STREAK: W3
LAST 10: 5-5
UP NEXT: Mon @ Detroit 705 Matsuzaka vs. Bonderman

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Sox comeback to knock off plucky Birds

Sox 5, Baltimore 4
WP: Lopez (2-1)
LP: Parrish (2-2)
SV: Papelbon (24)
HRs: BAL-Markakis (11), Tejada (8)

New setup man Eric Gagne's arrival in the pen brought a standing O from the Fenway Faithful

SUMMARY
On a night Boston fans were introduced to its two newest stars, the Sox appeared to be headed to its third consecutive defeat until a four-run uprising in the bottom of the 7th catapulted the Sox to another come-from-behind victory.

#1 STUNNER Youk 1-4, 2RBI, 2B
He hasn't had a lot of hits lately, but boy has he made them count. For the third time in five games the chrome-domed first baseman ripped a run-scoring extra base hit that played an important part in a Boston win.

PAN's FAUN Chad Bradford 1IP, 2H, BB
Although he wasn't charged with a run the ex-Sox sidearmer allowed Youk's 2-run double that turned the game around and gave the Sox their first lead of the series.

RECAP
Yooooooooooouuuukkk!

That familiar serenade that echoes down from stadiums all over the Nation never sounded sweeter than in the seventh inning tonight when Boston's latest Dirt Dog turned a game full of frustration and missed opps into a cause for jubilation and celebration.

For six innings Baltimore stymied the suddenly slumbering Boston bats, holding the Sox to just five hits and one run a day after limiting the fifth best offense in the majors to a mere four hits and three runs in a disappointing 5-3 defeat.

And it's not like the Birds had a top-flite starter like Eric Bedard on the hill tonight, either.

Aging veteran Steve Trachsel held Boston to one run on five hits and five walks in six innings of work, his best outing in over two months, and despite the Sox racking up baserunners like Lindsay Lohan racks up DUIs, it wasn't until the 67-year-old righty left the game that Boston could put together a multi-run inning.

For the second straight night things got off to a bad start when an Oriole homered in the first inning. And even though Nick Markakis' Monster shot wasn't hit on the first pitch of the game, the fact that spot-starter Julian Tavarez allowed a run right from the get-go sent the message that it was gonna be an uphill battle against these blasted Birds yet again.

Boston went right to work filling the LOB category of the stat sheet in the bottom of the inning when Dustin Pedroia (3-4, R, BI, SF, SB) hit a one-out single and Papi followed with a walk but Manny killed the rally when he grounded into a double play.

As has been the case for the past few weeks (or is it months now?) that blown chance immediately came back to haunt Boston when Baltimore plated a couple more runs in the second on a single by Jay Gibbons and back-to-back doubles by Chris Gomez (1-2, R, BI) and Brian Roberts to push the lead to 3-0 after two.

The Sox finally cracked Trachsel in the third thanks to a walk by Coco Crisp (0-0, R, 4BBs!), an infield single by Lugo combined with a throwing error by Miggy Tejada, his second in two nights, that got Coco to third and a sac fly from Pedroia.

But after Ortiz walked again, Manny (0-4, R)flied out to right and another potential scoring chance went by the boards.

The game followed this maddening pattern for the next three innings; Boston would get a couple of men on base, then find a way NOT to get them home. Against Steve friggin' Trachsel, a guy the Devil Rays gave up on years ago.

Tavarez (5IP, 7H, 3ER, BB, 0K) exited after giving the team a decent start in place of traded Kason Gabbard, and after Kyle Snyder tossed a 1-2-3 sixth, Boston had another golden opportunity to seize control of the contest when Lowell singled off the Monster and Coco walked in the bottom of the inning.

Except Wily Mo Pena was up next, and after he hit a weak grounder to short it was beginning to look like another miserable night for the frustrated & silent Faithful.

And then Trachsel came out of the game, and suddenly it was as if a great weight had been lifted off Boston's shoulders.

Paul Shuey came on to begin the 7th and Lugo (1-4, R) led off with a four pitch walk, then Pedroia rapped his third knock of the game up the middle, and quickly the energy returned to the ballpark as the Big Boppers waited to take their licks against the weak Baltimore pen.

Shuey was replaced by John Parrish, and three pitches later Papi roped an opposite field double off the Wall that scored Lugo easily to cut the lead to 3-2 and set up a 2nd & 3rd situation with no outs, and with Manny coming up it soon became bases loaded and no outs as Ramirez drew his 12th intentional free pass of the season.

That brought Bradford into the game and Youk to the plate, and after a typical lengthy Youkilis at bat the Mr. Clean doppelganger sliced a double to deep center field that scored Pedroia and Ortiz and gave Boston its first lead since the 12th inning of Saturday night's game at Tampa Bay.
Jason Varitek added an RBI single to center to run the score to 5-3, and it was up to the new & improved (?) Boston bullpen to bring the win home.

With newly acquired set up man Eric Gagne already in the pen (he trotted out there between the 5th & 6th innings, to a rousing ovation of course), All Star Hideki Okajima came in for the eighth and surrendered his third longball of the year, a massive shot by Tejada (1-3) that cleared the Monster and landed on Lansdowne, before handing the game over to JP in the 9th.

Coming off his second blown save of the year (of course it was the game I went to), you could tell Paps had that extra determination in his menacing glare, and the All Star closer quickly dispatched the pesky Birds on a groundout and two Ks, the last one punctuated by his patented fist pump that closed the door on what could have been another disheartening loss.

Instead it went in the books as another comeback win.

And Boston didn't even need to trot out its new toy to get it.

NOTES:

• Easy money: After relieving Snyder with two outs in the 7th, Javier Lopez came in and got Markakis to ground out to end the inning and earned the win for his two-pitch effort
• Manny's 12th intentional walk places him third in the AL, behind Bad Vlad (20) and Pronk Hafner (14)
• Coco's four-walk oddity was the first such game of his career, and the intentional pass was his first of the season
• 7th heaven: Baltimore used 3 pitchers who surrendered four hits, four runs and three walks (2 intentional) in the fateful 7th inning
• NESN reported that J.D. Drew was not at the park due to a family emergency with his son; thus Whiffy Mo (0-4) got his second straight start in right, and he didn't even strike out
• Heads up/heads down: when Ortiz walked in the first inning Pedroia was already in the process of stealing second, so when he saw the Papi Shift had left third base uncovered, Dusty raced all the way to the bag before anyone on Baltimore even knew what happened
• Oki okay? After not allowing a home run since Opening Day, Okajima has now surrendered two dingers in his last 7 appearances. The solo shot raised his ERA over 1.00 (1.03) as well
• After singling off the monster in the sixth Mike Lowell was nearly knocked off first base by an over-zealous Kevin Millar; Mike then playfully yet forcefully jabbed his former Marlins teammate in the ribcage
• New Celtic Kevin Garnett threw out the first pitch, then watched the game from a luxury box

RECORD: 65-42
AL EAST: Up 7 on NYY
STREAK: W-1
LAST 10: 7-3
UP NEXT: Thu vs. BAL 105

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Sox stay hot, dispose of Rays--again

Sox 7, Tampa Bay 1
WP: Wakefield (12-7)
LP: Hammel (1-1)
HRs: BOS-Youk (10)

SUMMARY
Rays starter Jason Hammel held the Sox to one hit through five innings, but after walking a pair in the 6th, reliever Juan Salas came in and immediately allowed a 3-run blast to Youk, and when Boston tacked on four in the 8th, a tight game turned into a rout.

#1 STUNNER Youk 1-5, R, 3RBI, HR
After hitting two line drives that were caught in his first two at bats, Youk greeted Salas with a shot that only the fans could catch, preferably one of the many members of RSN in attendance.

PAN's FAUN Shawn Camp 2/3IP, 4H, 3ER
Sure the shot off Salas blew the lead for the Rays, but Camp's horrendous appearance took what could have been a winnable game and made it a laffer.

RECAP
Tim Wakefield is a very decisive man.

In 21 starts this season, the knuckleballer has recorded a decision in every single one of them, and by recording his 12th victory tonight Wake climbed into a tie for second place in the majors in victories, alongside such Cy Young contenders as Dan Haren, John Lackey, and teammate Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Not bad for a 40-year-old veteran of 500 career games and possessor of just one quality major league pitch.

But for the first half of the game tonight it looked like that decision streak was going to continue with a loss, because despite Wake (6IP, 6H, 1ER, 3BB, 7K) allowing just one run in six innings, the Sox were having a hard time figuring out young Tampa Bay starter Jason Hammel.

Thank Christ for the Rays bullpen.

Hammel, a 24-year-old righty who has made 20 appearances in his brief career but just one other start, Saturday in the Bronx, befuddled the blazing Bostons batters with a variety of pitches for five straight innings tonight.

The only blemishes against him were a shift-busting single to right by Big Papi with one out in the fourth inning, Boston's first base runner of the night, and a walks to Cora and Lugo with one out in the sixth inning, an inning the Rays staff didn't even think the reliever-turned-starter was going to reach anyway.

By that time Wake had already weathered a couple of brief Tampa Bay storms, surrendering only one run after the Rays put four consecutive batters on after two were out in the second, and working around baserunners he allowed in the 1st, 3rd and 4th frames.

Then after Hammel tired and gave up those two freebies to start the sixth came the moment that all those Nation members that packed the Trop had been waiting for: the time that the Sox batters woke up and turned the game around.

Keep in mind like I mentioned in my preview, Tampa Bay has one of the worst bullpens in modern history. I have no facts to back that up, but I live here, I see & hear things, and it's an inescapable fact for those who follow the team.

Enter Juan Salas.

Up intil now the 28-year-old Dominican's claim to fame was that he is one of the select few who have served a 50-game suspension from MLB for testing positive for a banned substance (ahem, 'roids), but nevertheless the needy Rays still welcomed him to their putrid pen with open arms when he was reinstated on Monday.

Five days later he entered this game in relief of Hammel, who had outdone himself with his performance against one of the hottest offenses in the league, and Salas finally became well-known for something he did on the field: he allowed a three-run home run to Kevin Youkilis four pitches after entering the game, a blow the Rays would not recover from.

For good measure he followed that disaster by surrendering a double to Manny (2-4, R) and a walk to J.D. Drew, although he did fan Papi, and it took old friend Casey Fossum, who just returned from paternity leave, to end the inning by getting Coco to line out to right on a nice catch by Delmon Young.

With the game now swung in Boston's favor, Wake could relax and he pitched one more inning before giving way to Manny D. in the seventh.

After Delcarmen set the Rays down in order on 7 pitches in the top of the seventh, Boston teed off on Tampa Bay's Shawn Camp, who came on to relieve Fossum after he walked Papi (1-4, R, BB, 2K) with one out in the eighth.

Two pitches after arriving Camp allowed a single to Manny to put runners on 1st & 3rd, then four pitches later J.D. Drew singled to right to score Ortiz.

Camp did get Lowell to pop out to shallow center, but then Coco sliced an opposite field double to left that Carl Crawford could not come up with which plated Manny and Drew, and on the very next pitch Mirabelli lined a single to right to score Crisp from second, and just like that the Rays pen had made mincemeat out of a close contest once again.

Delcarmen pitched around a leadoff single to BJ Upton in the eigth and then Kyle Snyder brushed off a leadoff walk to potential future teammate Ty Wigginton in the 9th to set the Rays down 1-2-3, and the decision streak continues for the man who continues to defy time and psychics.

Good thing he doesn't have THAT pen working behind him or he'd never get a decision.

Or a win.

NOTES

• Wake is now an incredible 17-2 vs. Tampa Bay in his career and a perfect 8-0 at the Trop.
• On top of Young's inning-saving catch to end the sixth, Upton made a nice running grab of a Lugo drive to the warning track in center to lead off the fourth
• Both teams compiled seven hits after TB held a 6-1 advantage in that department through the first five innings
• While only only Sox hitter, Manny, had multiple hits, three Rays (Iwamura, Upton, Navarro) accounted for six of their seven knocks with two each
• The Sox caught a break when a single by Iwamura nailed Navarro, who had also singled, in the side as he was breaking for second base to end the fourth
• Lugo went 0-4 to snap his career-best 15 game hitting streak; he raised his average from .189 to .225 during that time
• Papi extended his streak to 12 games with his single that scooted by from the shifted infield; he also hustled from first to third on Manny's single in the seventh despite his gimpy knees
• Cora (0-3) played in place of Dustin Pedroia, and Youk got the start in the two-hole

QUOTES

"I like pitching here. I like pitching inside. The ball seems to move a lot more in a dome."--Wake

"I was locked in. Sometimes the body doesn't catch up."--Hammel on his tiring in the sixth

RECORD: 63-40
AL EAST: Up 8 on NYY
STREAK: W-2
LAST 10: 6-4
UP NEXT: Sat @ TB 705

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Reason #497 why we love Youk

Despite a 22-game hitting streak, a .354 batting average, and the fact that the Sox enjoy a double-digit lead on its nearest division competitor, Youk was still furious that he struck out to end the game, taking his aggressions out on an unsuspecting piece of dugout furniture.

We love you, Youk!

Just don't injure yourself in a fit of rage over one loss!

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Tribe tramples Matsuzaka, ends Sox win streak

Cleveland 8, Sox 4
WP: Byrd (6-1)
LP: Matsuzaka (7-3)
HRs: BOS-Lowell (10); CLE- Sizemore (9), Shoppach (2)

SUMMARY
The Indians pulled the E-brake on the Red Sox express, belting out 18 hits and running Dice-K from the game with a 4-run 6th.

Paul Byrd shut down the Boston lineup, Matsuzaka lost his first game since mid-April, and J.D. Drew racked up another 0-4...

...but at least Youk extended his hitting streak to 22 games.

HERO: Byrd 6IP, 9H, 2R, 1ER, 0BB, 1K, W
He wasn't spectacular-he rarely is-but Paul you old Byrd did something not many hurlers have been able to do lately: shut down the potent and usually patient Boston offense.

GOAT: Dice-K 5.2IP, 12H, 6ER, 0BB, 4Ks, HR, L
In his last two starts he has allowed 19 hits and 11 earned runs in 10.2 innings of work.

Somebody call Mr. Miyagi, please.

RECAP
What started out looking like another chapter for the 2007 Championship Season DVD turned into a major buzzkill for the Sox and its Nation as Cleveland came out with sticks swinging and gave Boston a taste of its own medicine in the form of a come-from-behind win.

More troubling than the loss itself, though, was the way Daisuke Matsuzaka got battered around like an origami swan in a tsunami. For the second straight outing he had one particularly bad inning that severely shifted the momentum of the game; last time the Boston batters were able to bail him out of that potential disaster, this time they could not.

Last week against the Rangers it was a sudden bout of stomach flu that caused Dice to give up the cycle +1 homer while allowing five runs in the 4th inning in Arlington. Tonight there were no convenient excuses as to why Cleveland was able to string together four consecutive hits and five total in the 6th off Dice-K, the big blow being a 2-run homer by Grady Sizemore (2-5, 3R, 2RBI) that bulged what started as a 2-2 tie to a 6-2 Tribe edge.

Okay, granted his record is a very respectable 7-3, but with tonight's debacle thrown in, Matsuzaka has now had four games where he has allowed five or more earned runs in his 11 starts, not so great for a $103 million dollar investment who has a veritable Tank Johnson-like arsenal of pitches and a supposed rubber arm.

But let me get off the Dice-K ragfest (I'll leave that to the Boston writers/EEI shows) and explain how the good times came to a emphatic finish tonight at Fenway.

The Sox hitters got Matsuzaka a quick lead when they brought a run across in the 2nd inning on an error by Josh Barfield that allowed Drew to reach, a double by Mike Lowell (2-4, R, 2BI) and an RBI ground out by Tek.

They would add a second run in the 4th, when birthday boy Manny Ramirez (1-3) led off the inning with a double to deep right, then moved to third on a wild pitch by Byrd. Drew grounded out (of course), but at least he got the RBI as Manny scooted home with run #2.

You knew it wouldn't last though because Dice was wriggling out of jams from the first inning on, when he loaded the bases before inducing an inning-ending DP by Trot (1-5, R). In the 5th all that dancing finally caught up with him when Cleveland tied the score on a single by Kelly Shoppach (4-5, 3R, RBI), a double by Sizemore, an RBI ground out by Casey Blake and an RBI double by Travis Hafner.

Before anyone could even get settled into the fact that it was a new game again the Tribe laid the beatdown on Dice in the 6th, and it was all over but the thwarted comeback.

Trot started the onslaught (of course) with a ground rule double into the stands in right. After Peralta flied out deep to Coco, Dave Delucci doubled to score Trot, then Barfield singled to score Deluccci and make the score 4-2 Cleveland.

Not content to let up there, Shoppach lined a single to left, and it didn't even matter that Manny picked Barfield off rounding second, because Sizemore then drilled a belt-high splitter over Drew's head and into the bullpen, sounding the death blow for the Boston winning streak.

Boston would have a great shot at getting back in the game in the bottom of the 7th, but when that platinum-plated opp fell by the wayside, you could tell it just wasn't meant to be.

The Sox loaded the bases on consecutive singles by Tek, Cora and Pedroia, chasing Byrd from the game, but Coco quickly fouled out to third, Youk fanned, and after nearly wrapping one around Pesky's Pole, Papi lined out to meekly end the threat.

J.C. Romero would make sure Lowell's 2-run homer in the bottom of the 8th was meaningless when he came in and allowed two runs in the top of the inning, including a home run to Shoppach on the first pitch he threw.

And so the 5-game winning streak ended, as well as Youk's consecutive multi-hit game streak and Dice-K's streak of wins in his last six decisions.

As they say, all good things must come to an end.

As long as the Stankee's run of 10 straight division titles falls as well.

NOTES:

• Papi returned after a three game hiatus and went 1-4 with single, but still appears hampered by his myriad of minor ailments
• The Sox did manage 10 hits themselves, 2 each by Lowell, Tek & Pedroia, but the team that leads the league in walks on drew only one base-on-balls beacuse...
• ...Byrd has not allowed a walk in 43 innings spanning six games
• Ramirez celebrated his 35th birthday by getting his 10th double and has now had a hit in 8 of the last 9 games
• Sizemore does matter: after beginning the series 0-9 with 6 Ks, Grady went on a rampage, reaching on a double, homer and walk before grounding out in the 8th
• Former Sox property Shoppach also went ballistic, ripping off half as many hits and the same number of runs tonight as he'd had all month
• Pedroia's pair of hits extended his streak to 10 consecutive games and his aveage climbed to .308
• Drew had a bead on Sizemore's homer, but appeared to ease up when he got near the low bully wall where he cracked his spine earlier this season
• No relief: for once the Sox pen was shaky, too; three relievers (Snyder, Romero & Pineiro) combined to allow 6 hits, 2 walks and 2 runs in 3 1/3
• Lugo got the night off; Coco was 0-4 in his leadoff spot, although he did have a sac bunt and another nice diving catch (not quite a CoCoCatch, though)
• Lowell took over the team lead with his 10 homer; Papi, who has 9, hasn't homered in 16 games & 56 ABs, longest drought of his career
• Matsuzaka threw 106 pitches and his ERA rose to 4.83 (okay, I'm done with him!)

QUOTES:

"Not only my fastball, but, overall, I think I had problems with my control."--Dice-K; how do you say 'Captain Obvious' in Japanese?

"We knew coming in he is not going to walk anybody. You have to hit
him to beat him."--Tito on Byrd

"I take a lot of pride in making them earn their way to first base."--Byrd

RECORD: 36-16

AL EAST: Up 11 gms on BAL

UP NEXT: Thu-off; Fri vs. NYY 7P

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Smokin' hot Youk, Sox smack Tribe again

Sox 4, Cleveland 2
WP: Beckett (8-0)
LP: Sowers (1-5)
SV: Okajima (4)
HRs: BOS- Youk (8), Tek (5)

SUMMARY:
Josh Beckett made his return from the DL a successful one, tossing 7 solid innings allowing just three hits and two runs while fanning seven, and Kevin Youkilis extended two hitting streaks with a homer and a double and the good just times keep on rollin' for the Sox, who have now won five in a row.

HERO: Youk 2-4, 1R, 2RBI, 2B, HR
21-game hitting streak, 9 consecutive multi-hit games, .358 batting average...I know Beckett had a great game coming off the DL, but until this guy either stops getting hits or at least pares it down to a single hit per game, he's getting this award from here on out.

GOAT: Grady Sizemore 0-4, 3Ks
Cleveland's leadoff hitter is the spark that lights their offense, so when he whiffed his first three times up and then grounded out with two men on in a 2-run game to end the 8th, well there's not much of a spark to light a flame now is there?

RECAP:
Like I said the other night regarding the exploits of Kevin Youkilis, I'm quickly running out of superlatives to describe the incredible goings on surrounding our beloved Boston ballclub.

All right, now I'm so fucked up I'm writing in putrid prose.

But as the wins pile up and quality teams get discarded like Paris Hilton boytoys, the analytical blogger in me wants to say "why so surprised, you called it yourself, dumbass?", and after looking at the lineup and rotation this club was going to have, plus Paps at the back end, who in the Nation didn't?

Only analysis and explanations start to go out the window when a team starts playing baseball like this, stringing together magical moments and memorable wins like so many sweet rings on a candy necklace, and the unique feelings associated with a team, no, a Boston team, playing head & shoulders above the competition can bring normally critical, analytical people to the brink of babbling bliss.

I will stop now and try to analyze the events of tonight's ballgame, minus the pathetic poetry.

Becks came straight off the DL and picked right up where he left off: he fanned the first batter he had faced since May 13th, then after giving up a single to Jhonny Peralta (3-4, BB), got to Travis Hafner to fly out to Coco, who then alertly fired back to first to catch a napping Peralta, who took off for second base, for an unconventional inning-ending double play.

As has been the case all year when Beckett pitches, the Sox wasted no time getting him a lead to work with (one big reason he is undefeated is he has been the beneficiary of mega run support, as in 8 1/2 runs per start, tops in the majors), putting a run on the board in the bottom of the first. And wouldn't you know, the man to put his team ahead is the one who has been driving this runaway train for the past month, Kevin Youkilis.

Julio Lugo led off with a bunt single and Coco tried to duplicate him but ended up flying out to center. Youk then wasted no time extending his hitting streak to 21, taking the third pitch he saw from Jeremy Sowers and slashing into left for an RBI double, and just like that the crowd was in full throat, with the calls of "Yooooookkkkkk" showering down on Fenway with a little extra gusto in appreciation for all this man has been doing for this team the past few weeks.

The score would remain 1-0 til the 5th, with Beckett mowing down Indians (he set down 8 straight before walking nemesis Peralta in the 4th) and Sowers settling down to retire 9 straight Sox. The the Captain led off the fifth with a shot over the Monster that if you weren't paying attention you would have thought it was hit by Manny or Wily Mo.

By the time the ball landed across Lansdowne, Tek was being congratulated in the dugout, and the good times were indeed rolling at the ballpark again.

So you can imagine how festive the atmosphere got when Youk blasted a Sowers offering into the Monster seats for a leadoff homer in the 6th, his 8th of the season and second in two nights, although this one was the more conventional variety; that hit gave him at leat two knocks hits in nine straight games, a feat last accomplished by Magglio Ordonez in 2002.

Boston would chase Sowers (5.2IP, 6H, 4ER, BB, K, 2HRs) from the game after Lowell doubled, and reliever Fernando Cabrera walked three straight batters, including Dustin Pedroia with the bases loaded, to force in run #4.

With Beckett cruising it seemed like the four runs would be as good as his usual eight, but in the 7th, quicker than you can say "right back in it", Cleveland strung together a single by Peralta (!) a triple by Hafner that eluded Drew's lunge and rolled around the right field corner, and an RBI ground out by Victor Martinez to cut the lead in half.

That development-plus the fact that he had thrown 91 pitches already-brought Donnelly into the game to start the 8th, and he immediately hit Ryan Garko and after registering a couple of big outs gave up a single to pinch hitter Casey Blake. On came 1-man lefty specialist Javier Lopez, who induced Sizemore to ground out with just two pitches, and just like that the game was all but over.

Well, not before some 9th inning teeth-gnashing courtesy of Okajima. With Papelbon unavailable, Oki took over the closing duties and retired Peralta (finally) to lead off the 9th but walked Hafner after a couple of questionable calls. The Sox let him take second, but Oki bore down and got Martinez to strike out, then (fittingly) K'd Trot to end the game.

And so another chapter was written in the storybook-like season for the Sox. The team keeps getting better & better, finding ways to win despite or because of injuries, ineffective hitters, inconsistent pitching from certain starters (ahem,Schill), and individual accomplishments.

The Sox will head into the month of June with the best record in baseball, the biggest lead in any division, the best pitcher, hottest hitter, and most complete team the game has seen in a long time.

If that doesn't drive someone to write crappy & cliched cornball commentaries I don't know what will.

NOTES:

• In all the excitement I neglected to mention that Papi sat for the third straight game with a sore hammy/groin; he should return tomorrow
• After two solid games in a row, Drew went back to his usual 0-4, grounding out to the left side of the infield 3 of his 4 at bats. He also took a ball off the face on Peralta's 7th- inning single
• Manny (1-3) notched his 9th double and has now hit in 7 of the last 8 games (12-24, .545)
• Beckett became the first Sox starter to win his first 8 decisions since the Rocket (booo!) started 14-0 in 1986; the last Sox pitcher to win his first 8 decisions? None other than El Guapo, Rich Garces, in 2000.
• Pedroia's 5th inning single extended his hitting streak to 9 games (13-29, .448) and he has raised his average all the way up to .302; guess Tito knew what he was talking about
• The last Boston player to record multi-hit games in 9 consecutive outings? Jim Ed in 1978

QUOTES:

"We don't need Papi." --a joking Youk on the team's success (3-0) without him

"He looks like a guy who hadn't missed a game." --Eric Wedge on Beckett's performance

"They basically don't have a flaw in their lineup, so your margin of error is small."--Sowers; I told you this kid would be overwhelmed by the situation

RECORD: 36-15

AL EAST: Up 11.5 on BAL

UP NEXT: Wed vs. CLE 7P ESPN HD

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Trot's return was the passing of the baton

The former Dirt Dog chats with his replacement before Monday's game (Globe/AP)

Was it just me or did anyone else notice the irony of Kevin Youkilis circling the bases for an inside-the-park homerun on the night that the last man to accomplish that rare feat in a Boston uniform, Trot Nixon, was making his return to Fenway Park?

And could it have been some karmic twist of fate that made Youk pump his arms like a sprinter running a 4x100 relay, hands reaching back as if he had just received the baton from his (former) teammate and was trying with all his might to bring the glory home?

To a believer of all things serendipitous, it was like time folded on top of itself last night, with the former fan favorite returning home to a rousing chorus of cheers, and the new emblem of the Boston Dirt Dog mentality doing something the original dirt dog himself had done just a couple of seasons ago.

Okay, I know I'm starting to make about as much sense as Carl Sagan on peyote (I think it's because I watched that convoluted piece of cosmic claptrap, Deja Vu, the other night), but what I'm trying to say is that something was in the air over Kenmore Square last night, and even living 1,500 miles away I could feel the ties that bind a fan to a franchise were strengthened by the events on the field and the efforts of those two men in particular.

During his 10 seasons in Boston, Nixon was the ultimate fan favorite because he exhibited hustle and passion for the game every time he took the field. Plays like inside the park home runs, all- out dives and crashing into walls for catches, brawling with opponents or knocking over a catcher to reach home plate, all embodied what baseball in Beantown is all about.

Trot became the symbol of baseball in Boston, and his exit at the end of last season coupled with the defection of Judas Demon & exodus of Kevin Millar the year before suddenly turned the cast of the original Dirt Dogs into the Departed.

Then along came Youk. If ever a guy was going be be the new face of the Dirt Dog Nation, it was the one with this mug:

It's a face on a mother could love, and even then with great trepidation. Add that to the barrel body and sweaty bald dome, an attitude on the field that rivals a pit bull's and a penchant for soaking up the night life, and it all adds up to the perfect hero for RSN, someone's who's not a pretty-boy metro with an entourage and PDA.

Now in his 4th season in Boston, his skills and aggressive nature had already made him a cult hero in the Nation, with calls of "Yoooooooook" cascading down from stadiums everywhere he went. But now his 20-game hit streak and blazing hot bat (8 straight consecutive multi-hit games, 4th-highest BA in AL) has elevated him to national star status.

Then came last night.

After extending his streak to 20 games with a hustle double in the fourth, delighting the sellout (duh!) crowd, he took a Roberto Hernandez (ahem ex-Ray) fastball and torched it off the bullpen wall in the triangle, then raced around the bases and into Boston baseball history.

With the last man to do that sitting in the opposite dugout, having enjoyed the adulation of the crowd at least four times already in the evening, Youk briefly stepped out of his dugout for a winded curtain call and let the appreciation of the Nation wash over him.

And a new Dirt Dog was born.

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Sox rough up Hudson, take 2 of 3 from Atlanta

Sox 6, Atlanta 3
WP: Gabbard (1-0)
LP: Hudson (5-2)
HRs: BOS-Youk (6)

Kason, we hardly knew ye; after his brilliant performance, Gabbard was optioned back to Pawtucket

RECAP:
The Sox stung Atlanta starter Tim Hudson for 8 hits and 6 runs in just 4 2/3 innings and Kevin Youkilis extended his hitting streak to 13 games with three hits including a home run as Boston won the third game of this wet & wild series .

HERO: Kason Gabbard 5IP, 6H, 2ER, BB, 7Ks
One day after the Braves rang up 18 hits and 14 runs on a beleaguered Boston staff Gabbard made his 2007 ML debut and shut down Atlanta by throwing a mixture of pitches that kept the hitters off balance all day.

GOAT: Hudson 4.2IP, 8H, 6ER, 2BB, 0K, HR
The man with the second-best ERA in the NL allowed as many runs in the first inning today (4) as he had in his last 17 innings combined; the six earned runs Hudson gave up was almost half as many as he had surrendered all season (13)

Honorable mention: Andruw Jones: 0-5, five strikeouts (yikes!)

SUMMARY:
Just before 4:00PM EST the sun started to shine over Fenway and the grounds crew began to remove the tarp from the field in hopes that the horrible weather would hold off long enough to play the finale of this interleague series.

Shortly after 4:30, following a 2 1/2 hour rain delay, emergency call-up Kason Gabbard threw a ball to emergency call-up Martin Prado, and the game was underway-finally.

Less than a half hour later the Sox had hung a 4-spot on the man who had been allowing less than 2 runs per 9 innings this season, effectively putting the game out of reach thanks to the stellar pitching of Pawtucket padawan Kason Gabbard.

And immediately after his performance Gabbard suffered the same fate as yesterday's emergency starter- he received a slew of "thank yous" and a bus ticket back to the PawSox. Boston brought reliever MattapanManny Delcarmen back to the club to provide bullpen depth for the series with the Stanks

Such is life these days around the old ballteam, a strange existence featuring a revolving-door rotation, games played in, or with the threat of, constant rain, and a still-unfathomable 10 1/2 game lead on the nearest competitors.

When the rain finally subsided things got bright in a hurry for Boston, and I'm not just talking about the skies over Kenmore Square. After Gabbard retired the Braves on 12 pitches in the top of the first, Boston went to work right away on Hudson, the former Oakland ace who has had a rough time winning at Fenway throughout his career.

Coco grounded out to start the inning, but then Youk got the first of his three hits, a single to left that extended his hitting streak to 13 games. Papi then belted a soaring blast to right that somehow eluded right fielder Jeff Francoeur and landed at the base of the bullpen wall, and runners were at second and third with just one out.

Manny then hit a shot up the middle that smacked Hudson in the leg (reminiscent of Lugo's blow to Jeff Karstens) and ricocheted to third base. Trouble is, Youk broke for home as soon as the ball caromed off Hudson; right play, unfortunately the ball bounced right to charging third basemen Chris Woodward, whose throw to home easily nailed Youk fort the second out, with Manny safe at first.

Rally over, right?

Wrong.

J.D.Drew walked to load the bases and then Cap'n Tek, possibly warming up for some of his patented Stankee bashing, ripped a ball into the right field corner that ended up as a bases-clearing triple, a demoralizing blow to Hudson who thought he would escape the inning unscathed.

Eric Hinske followed Tek's hit with an RBI single to right two pitches later, and the Sox enjoyed a 4-0 lead before any of the seats had even dried.

Boston would add a run in the second inning thanks to a leadoff double by Pedroia, a sacrifice by Coco, a walk to Youk, and a bobble by Prado on what should have been a double play grounder by Papi that allowed Ortiz to be safe at first and Pedroia to score the 4th run. By the time Youk wrapped a shot around Pesky's Pole to make it 6-0 in the 5th, the game was all but over.

That's because Gabbard was pitching like an old pro, retiring 12 of the first 13 batters he faced before allowing back to back singles by Francoeur (3-5) and Matt Diaz (4-5) in the fourth. And like an old pro, he pitched out of that mini-jam by getting Andruw Windmill Jones to stike out swinging to end the threat.

After allowing a single and a double to open the sixth, Gabbard walked off the mound to a rousing, and deserved, standing ovation. Unfortunately Brenden Donnely would ruin Gabbard's shutout when he allowed both inherited runners to score, but even a meaningless run allowed in the 9th by Jonathan Papelbon could dampen the spirits of this club or those of RSN.

It was a crazy weekend series in Boston, one that featured 39 runs, 71 hits and nearly 72 straight hours of rainfall.

But in the end the Sox took the series, retained its huge division lead, and head to the Bronx with all the confidence in the world that they can pull off a Bronx sweep.

And if they don't, so what? Right now, being a part of the Red Sox is good, even if that person is only visiting.

NOTES:

-Atlanta outhit Boston 13-9

-Youk is batting .446 (25-56) during his streak

-Mike Lowell & Julio Lugo had the day off

-Cora, Manny & Coco were the only starters not to register a hit

-Diaz had an incredible series for Atlanta (7-12, 2R, 3RBI) as he continues to solidify himself as a big league regular

-Hudson was 1-4 with a 7.92 ERA at Fenway Park coming into this game, and he certainly didn't help those numbers any

-After allowing the inherited runners to score, Javier Lopez came in and got Scott Thorman to ground into a double play to end the inning and squelch the attempted comeback

-Papelbon allowed his first run since May 1st, a span of five appearances

-Okajima pitched the 8th and allowed two hits but kept his scoreless inning streak intact at 20.1

QUOTES:

-"I never really had a chance to get into a rhythm. They got me pretty quick and early. I just didn't have good stuff."-Hudson accurately summing up his outing

-"That ball gets through, different ballgame."-Braves skipper Bobby Cox on the Lopez double play ball. Yeah Bobby, and if wife beating were a sport you'd be a Gold Medal winner, what's your point?

RECORD: 30-13

AL EAST: Up 10.5 on BAL & NYY

UP NEXT: MON @ Stankees 7P

Bring on the Feeble Empire!

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