Game Preview: Sox/Stanks Game 3

Phillip Hughes (0-1, 5.00) vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka (2-0, 2.82)
8:00 Fenway ESPN

If the rubber game of this initial Sox/Stanks series of 2008 is anything like the first two, expect to see plenty of solid pitching, timely hitting, poor weather and quickly played contests.

Then again if every game in the history of the rivalry went as expected we wouldn't have so many bleeping nicknames for past pinstriped players.

For two good reasons to expect the unexpected tonight look no further than the two starting pitchers who will get the call tonight. One one side you've got a highly-touted prospect making getting his initiation into the Rivalry, and on the other you've got a guy who has been more up & down than

And the outcome of the series may depend on which pitcher handles the heat of the battle better than the other.

For New York young righty Phillip Hughes will make his first start against Boston in his 16th career start. The 22-year-old has been on a fast track for major league success since the Stanks selected him with the 23rd pick in the 2004 draft, and now that washed up geezers like Randy Johnson and useless paraplegics like Carl Pavano are out of the picture, its Hughes' and fellow phenom Ian Kennedy's time to step up.

Whether he's ready to handle the intensity of Sox/Stanks, even this early in the season, remains to be seen, but the kids gotta get into the thick of it sometime.

Daisuke Matsuzaka may be sporting a 2-0 record and low ERA, but he has been anything but consistent in his second season in the majors after an illustrious career in Japan. Blessed with a variety of pitches and a deceptive delivery, his inability to throw strikes consistently, and pitch late into ballgames as he did in his homeland, has plagued him the entire time he's pitched for Boston.

Case in point: in the season opener in Japan, Dice K tossed 6.2 innings of 2-hit ball, and after shaking off some early jitters, settled down to hold the As to one run and pick up the win on his native soil. But last week against the Tigers he needed 108 pitches to get through 6.2 innings, walked 4 batters and seemed to be on the ropes consistently even though he shut Detroit out.

Thus is the mystery of Dice K. He was a hot commodity that Boston paid dearly for, but 15 wins last year and a, pardon the expression, dicey start this year is not what the Sox brass, or the Nation, had in mind for their $102 million dollar investment.

So let's just say Matsuzaka better get the best of the kid tonight, or the grumblings are going to start that Boston might have been better off investing in kids from the farm like Lester and Buchholz rather than investing in a .500 pitcher from a foreign land.

As for the speed of the game, it starts at 8:00, you've got two pitchers starting who will probably throw a lot of pitchers, Boston's middle relief has been atrocious, and the last two games have been played in under three hours.

In other words, see you 'round midnight.

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Mannny mauls Mussina as Sox defeat Stanks

Sox 4, New York 3
WP: Beckett (1-1)
LP: Beckett (1-2)
SV: Papelbon (4)
HRs: BOS-Manny (2)

SUMMARY:
Manny Ramirez nearly single-handedly defeated his hometown team with a pair of extra base hits and 3 runs batted in, and Jonathan Papelbon weathered a 2+ hour rain delay to strike out Alex Rodriguez with the game on the line as Boston took Game 2 of the series.

Superstar: Manny 2-4, 2R, 3BI
His towering solo shot in the 4th, which hit 3/4 of the way up the Volvo sign atop the Monster, may have been the more memorable blast of the day, but it was his 2out, 2-run double that put the Sox ahead to stay in the 6th that was his more important hit of the afternoon.

The Biggest Loser: David Ortiz 0-4, K, GIDP
Papi's slump has now reached epic proportions (3-44, .070), and it was downright sad to see him ground into a double play on a check swing with two on and nobody out in the first inning.

RECAP:
The first Sox victory over New York in 2008 may have been a long time in the making, but it was well worth the wait.

Well, that's easy for me to say, I was only watching it on TV.

New York had two runners on base with two outs in the 8th, down 4-3, and Tito had just made the call to the pen to bring his closer in to relieve Hideki Okajima and face Alex Rodriguez with the game on the line.

Unfortunately that's right when Mother Nature decided to intervene in what had been a thrilling installment of the Rivalry, and just as Paps was about to take the mound the drizzling skies opened up, the umps called for the tarp, and the game would be halted for over two hours.

No problem for me, as I finished the yard work I had abandoned, cooked a few steaks on the grill, took a shower and watched the end of the third round of the Masters.

The downpour wasn't as enjoyable for the brave souls who chose to stick it out at Fenway to see the game to its conclusion, but at least when play finally resumed 2 hours and 11 minutes later, Paps made those who stuck it out got their money's worth.

When play resumed A-Rod was at the plate with a chance to at least tie the game or put New York in front with a base hit. But Paps would have none of that. He quickly made mincemeat of Rodriguez, needing just three pitches to strike the reigning MVP out, and Papelbon punctuated the moment with his signature primal scream/first pump/crazy glare/ hop-step as he bounced off the field.

It was the moment everyone who braved the delay had been waiting for, and as I said before it was worth the wait.

The game leading up to that point had been just as good, before Mother Nature cast her untimely spell on those of us who had been waiting for a BOS/NY game that didn't involve a New York pitcher completely shutting the Sox offense down.

Instead Josh Beckett (6.2IP, 5H, 3ER, 1BB, 5K) bounced back from a rough first outing with a solid second showing, limiting the Stanks to just four singles and a double over 6+ innings before giving way to Manny Delcarmen after allowing New York to close to 4-3 in the 7th.

Manny Ramirez got the scoring started with a mammoth solo shot in the 4th off Mike Mussina (5.2IP, 8H, 4ER, 0BB, 1K, HR), a ball that would have sailed over Lansdowne if not for the billboard blocking its trajectory.

But New York took the lead two innings later by stringing together a couple of hits mixed in with a sac bunt, a sac fly and a wild pitch, and it started to look like Boston was going to lose another tough one to the boys from the Bronx.

Except another boy from the Bronx would have none of that.

Ramirez, who always does his best hitting against his hometown club, came up with two outs and Jacoby Ellsbury at third and Dustin Pedroia at second and did what his partner in crime Ortiz couldn't do before him- drive in the big runs in a key situation.

Manny laced a double the opposite way to the triangle in right center, easily plating both runners and eliciting a huge ovation from the crowd as he stood on the second base bag and soaked it all in like a victorious politician.

That's the version of Manny being Manny we all love.

The rest, as they say, is history. Beckett came out after New York sliced the deficit to one, and Manny Delcarmen recorded his biggest out of 08 when he struck out Jose Molina with the tying run on second to end the 7th.

After the dramatic, rain-lengthened 8th, Papelbon returned for the 9th and quickly dispatched the three Stankee hitters, striking out Giambi and Posada before getting Robinson Cano to ground out to end it, and a mere five hours after the game started it was over, and the Sox had a big win heading into the series finale tomorrow night on ESPN.

Hopefully Mother Nature cooperates in that one or it could be another long night.

RECORD: 6-6
AL EAST: 1.5 GB
STREAK: W-1
UP NEXT: Sun vs NY 8PM, ESPN Hughes vs. Matsuzaka

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Wang dominates Sox with 2-hit CG gem

New York 4, Sox 1
WP: Wang (3-0)
LP: Timlin (0-1)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Drew (3); NYY-Giambi (1)

SUMMARY:
The first installment of Sox/Stanks 08 brought one of the best pitched games the series has seen in years. Chien Ming Wang and Clay Buchholz battled through rain drops to a 1-1 draw for 6 innings before Boston went to the beleaguered bullpen and saw the game slip away as a rusty Mike Timlin allowed a go-ahead homer by Jason Giambi, while Wang shut down the Sox with a complete game 2-hitter.

Superstar: Wang 9IP, 2H, 1ER, 0BB, 3K, HR
One of the best pitching performances the series has ever seen and eerily reminiscent of the 1-hitter Mike Mussina pitched on a Sunday night in Fenway in September 2001. Only a homer that should have been caught and a 9th inning bunt single by Coco Crisp kept Wang from achieving Buchholz-like immortality.

The Biggest Loser: Tito Francona
No, I'm not awarding this honor to Timlin - it's not his fault he just came off the DL and was as rusty as an old nail. It's his manager's fault for sticking a guy who is basically still in spring training mode into a tied, pressure-packed rivalry game, no matter how experienced and ready he was.

And don't even get me started on him using Okajima for just 2 batters before turning to Javier Lopez and David Aardsma.

RECAP:
What a difference a day makes.

Less than 24 hours after one of the sloppiest, ugliest, poorly pitched games in recent memory ended at Fenway when the Sox clubbed the Tigers 12-6 in a 386 pitch, 4-hour marathon, we witnessed a pitcher's duel that was shaping up to be an all-time classic.

Until Tito substituted a tiring Clay Buchholz for a soon-to-be-retiring Mike Timlin to start the 7th inning, turning what looked like a possible extra inning affair into a one man highlight reel.

New York starter Chien Ming Wang won the battle of talented young hurlers tonight by outlasting his greener counterpart and by refusing to allow the Sox hitters an inch of wiggle room when it came to maximizing his pitches.

Wang needed just 93 pitches, 61 of them strikes, to spin his 9-inning masterpiece; by contrast Tim Wakefield threw 108 in his 5 innings of work yesterday, while Tiger starter Nate Robertson tossed 107 in 5 1/3 innings.

That's what I call using your pitches effectively.

For a while it looked like neither pitcher was going to allow a run in this one as both teams put zeroes on the board for the first four innings. In fact there were only 2 baserunners through four - a 1-out single by Hideki Matsui in the second, and when Dustin Pedroia reached on a error by Alex Rodriguez in the bottom of the 4th, a play that could just as easily have been ruled a hit (ask Rem Dog.)

But in the 5th both teams broke the scoreless tie. Buchholz (6IP, 4H, 1ER, 3BB, 3K) showed signs of wearing down when he gave up back-to-back walks to Matsui and Georgie Posada to start the inning, then after getting Giambi to strike out, he surrendered an RBI double to Fill-in-the Molina for the first run of the game.

Another walk to Jeter replacement Alberto Gonzalez loaded the bases, and if it weren't for a great defensive play by mayor Casey, who snared a hot liner by Melky Cabrera and then doubled off a clueless Gonzalez to end the inning, the damage could've been a lot worse.

As it turned out the missed opportunity hurt New York when in the bottom of the inning red hot JD Drew (1-3, 8-gm hit streak) blasted a 1-0 offering from Wang over the outstretched glove of right fielder Bobby Abreu and into the Boston bullpen to tie the game at one.

If only Abreu, who had just made two nice grabs on deep drives by Papi and Youk, could have jumped more than 2 inches off the ground, Wang might have been taking a no-hitter into the 9th a-la teammate Mussina in that memorable pre-9/11 game.

Buchholz escaped another jam the next inning when ARod (single) and Matsui (double) put runners on 2nd & 3rd with two outs, but he got Posada to ground out to end the threat, which would also mark the end of his night.

Then Timlin entered to start the 7th, and that would mark the end of the Sox chances to win this game. The veteran reliever, who has been out since late March with a lacerated ring finger, was making his first appearance of the season, and I even remarked to my son "he just came off the DL-this is going to end badly."

Sure enough after working the count to 3-2, Giambi blasted a pitch high and deep over the top of the wall in left center to break the tie, along with the spirits of the rain-drenched Faithful.

Because we knew the way Wang was pitching that if he didn't come out of the game, the Sox weren't going to score again.

He didn't, and they didn't.

A couple of days ago there was a running thread on the excellent baseball blog Bugs & Cranks about whether Wang is a true ace or just an above-average starter on a loaded offensive team.

I think he put an end to that debate tonight.

NOTES:
-Lowell disabled: Boston placed Mike Lowell on the 15 day DL today, and they hope he won't need longer than that to recover from his sprained thumb. Infielder and 2007 Sox minor league player of the year Jed Lowrie was called up to replace Lowell on the roster.

-Corey out of the house: to make room for Timlin on the roster, reliever Bryan Corey (14.54ERA) was released. First Kyle Snyder and now Corey; is this what you call addition by subtraction?

-Ay Papi: Ortiz (0-3) saw his early season slump get even even deeper as his latest 0-fer dropped his average to .077. He has three hits and three RBIs this season, and those game in two games, April 2nd @ Oakland and April 6th in Toronto.

RECORD: 5-6
AL EAST: 1.5 GB
STREAK: L-1
UP NEXT: Sat vs NY, 3:55 FOX Mussina vs. Beckett

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Series Preview: The Stankees are coming (again)

New York Stankees (5-5) at Red Sox (5-5)
3 game series, Fenway Park

Game 1 Fri 705
Wang (2-0, 1.13) vs. Buchholz (0-1, 3.00)
Game 2 Sat 3:30 FOX
Mussina (1-1, 3.09) vs. Beckett (0-1, 9.64)
Game 3 Sun 8:00 ESPN
Hughes (0-1, 5.00) vs. Matsuzaka (2-0, 1.47)

What to watch for: Joe Hardass Giaradi's managerial debut in the series
It's gonna be strange looking over to the visitor's dugout and not seeing the familiar schnoz and droopy gaze of Joe Torre peering out from the brim of his NY cap. Instead we get to find out how the hyped-up, modern manager Girardi, who has seen plenty of these games from a player's perspective, handles the series.

He's already made a buffoon of himself by complaining that the D-Rays were playing too hard in spring training; wonder how he'll take it when a few of his players get hit this weekend. Cause you know they will. Even without Petey around.

Keep an eye on: Sean Casey and Alberto Gonzalez
The Mayor will have a chance to prove what a valuable offseason addition was as he gets the call to start at first base while Youk shifts over to third with Mike Lowell going on the DL; Gonzalez has the unenviable task of filling in for captain Derek Jeter while he is out with bad quads.

Preview:
Call me crazy or take away my RSN membership, but I've got the same feeling about the 90 zillionth installment of The Rivalry as I do about having to wake up extra early on any given morning: "It's too fucking early! Hit the snooze button and let me know when its really time to get up!"

These meetings used to feel like special occasions, games to look forward to and to watch every pitch of every inning to see if the cursed Sox could finally get over on the blessed Stanks.

But over the last 4-5 years, everything has changed. One reason is that Boston has won 2 World Series since the last time New York tasted champagne-drenched postseason success. Another is because of the damn unbalanced schedule MLB has adopted, the teams play each other 18-19 times per season, watering down the freshness of what used to be a rare thing. Throw in a postseason matchup nearly every year and what you get is too much of what was a special thing.

You know the old saying about eating ice cream every day? That's what this series has become.

Maybe my blase attitude has to do with the fact that neither team is looking like beasts of the AL East right now. Both are struggling with injuries to key players, both hold identical mediocre .500 records, and neither one has seemed to find an identity early in the season.

In other words it's hard right now for anyone to have reason to hate either team other than going off that 100 years of hatred thing.

Anyway the teams have the series scheduled, and a rematch next weekend in the Bronx, so we might as well try to enjoy it, right? Who cares if they are looking up at the surprising Orioles in the division now, or that the players opposing fans love to hate, Jeter and Curt Schilling, won't play in the series? It's still Sox vs. Yankees, the fans still hate the other team, and by golly if we have to see them play each other 20+ times a year then I might as well root for the Sox to rip their fucking faces off, right?!

Maybe I am ready for this series after all.

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Sox prevail in long, messy game at Fenway

Sox 12, Tigers 6
WP: Wakefield (1-0)
LP: Robertson (0-1)
SV: Papelbon (3)
HRs: BOS-None; DET: Ordonez (1)

SUMMARY:
The Sox survived what was an interminable and nearly unwatchable debacle of a game tonight when they strung together three 4-run innings to hold off the Tigers. The contest featured 18 runs, 23 hits, 16 walks, a wild pitch, 2 hit batters, an error and a passed ball. And it took 3:45 to complete.

But at least they won.

Superstar: JD Drew 3-3, 2R, 2BI, BB
The hottest hitter on the team is none other than the man who Sox fans were lambasting for being too brittle when he had to miss the first three games of the season due to back issues. After this 3-hit effort, Drew is now batting .440 (11-25) and has hit safely in all 7 games he's played in.

The Biggest Loser(s): 8 of the 9 pitchers who threw in this game
Of the nine hurlers who tossed baseballs tonight, only one, Hideki Okajima, did not allow a hit, walk or a run. Only three did not allow a walk and only two did not allow a run.

Absolutely putrid.

RECAP:
After witnessing the second straight four hour debacle against the steaming mess that is this Detroit Tiger team, on top of a Little League game last night and tossing an hour of BP at practice tonight, I think I am at a loss for words to describe this game.

Let's just say that my kid's game last night was by far more crisp, entertaining and watchable than these last two against Detroit.

Anyway, I'm completely spent from all this baseball, so I'm gonna hit the sack and try to get a better handle on this in the morning.

And whatever you do, don't watch the NESN replay of this game if you want to keep your sanity.
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Okay, I'm back. And it's amazing how in the light of day this game doesn't seem as bad as it did watching it last night. I guess the combination of me being dog tired and the fact that no pitcher on either team could retire the side in order just made the game seem like one long, bad George Clooney sports movie.

Actually there were a couple of 1-2-3 innings, but only thanks to a pair of double plays turned by Detroit; at least one batter reached base in every inning for each team.

What it all added up to was a near 4-hour marathon with 386 pitches thrown, and when the dust settled Boston had to be content with coming out of their first home series with a 5-5 record while the Tigers are left scratching their heads, wondering how a potential World Series squad can already be out of it at 1-8.

Detroit did manage to take an early 2-0 lead when Tim Wakefield (5IP, 3H, 1ER, 5BB, 5K) got wild and allowed a walk, a single, a wild pitch, a sac fly and an RBI single to Placido Polanco in the 4th, but Boston answered with in the bottom of the frame when they roughed up Tiger starter Nate Robertson (5.1IP, 8H, 4ER, 2BB, 6K) for four runs on three hits and two walks.

After Papi (0-3, 2BB), the only Sox player who didn't register a hit, struck out to open the inning, Manny and Youk both walked and Drew followed with an RBI single to right. Hot-hitting Coco Crisp (2-3, R, 2BI, 2BB) then sliced a ball off Pesky's Pole for a double that scored Youk, and a groundout by Sean Casey and single by Kevin Cash each resulted in runs.

The game stayed at 4-2 for a few innings despite the numerous baserunners allowed by each starter, and in the 6th inning both managers called on their pens to keep the score as is. Evidently neither pen got the message.

After pitching scoreless sixths both Zack Miner and Manny Delcarmen came unglued in the 7th. Manny D, who continues to regress from promising set-up man to future Paw Sox mop up man with every outing, gave up a monster shot to the previously homer and RBI-less Magglio Ordonez with one out in the 7th, pulling the Tigers to 4-3, which then prompted Tito to pull him one out later. Okajima got the final out of the inning to keep the lead at one.

Fortunately Miner (1IP, 1H, 3ER, 3BB, 2K) was worse than Delcarmen. After walking Pedroia and Manny with one out in the bottom of the inning, ManRam (1-3, R, 2BI, BB) delivered a booming double to deep left center that scored both runners and gave the team some breathing room at 6-3. Righty Francis Beltran fared no better as he walked Drew and Coco then surrendered a single to Casey (2-5, 3BI) that scored pinch runner Ellsbury and Drew for what seemed like a commanding 8-3 lead.

Long story short Julian Tavarez came on in the 8th (why Tito took Oki out nobody knows) and couldn't get anybody out; he gave up two walks and three hits before a double play grounder killed what could have been an even bigger inning for Detroit, and before we knew what happened the score was 8-6 and Francona had to bring in Papelbon to end the inning, which he did with just two pitches.

Boston put the game away for good in the 8th by scoring four more times, highlighted by a 2-run double by Youk, and by the time Paps got Marcus Thames to ground into a fielders choice to end the game everyone that had witnessed this ugly affair was just glad the Sox came out on top.

And speaking of long, ugly affairs, the Stanks come to town tomorrow night.

Rest up, Nation.

RECORD: 5-5
AL EAST: 1.5 GB
STREAK: W1
UP NEXT: Fri vs. NYY 705 Wang vs. Buchholz

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Game 2 not quite as festive as Opening Day

Detroit 7, Sox 2
WP: Bonderman (1-1)
LP: Lester (1-2)
SV: None
HRs: Bos-None; DET: Thames (1)

SUMMARY:
The Sox pitching was pitiful and the hitting wasn't that much better as the Tigers finally broke their season-opening 7-game losing streak, scoring half as many runs in this game as they had in the previous seven. Throw in the fact that Mike Lowell left the game with a sprained thumb and it all added up to a bad loss for the roller coaster Sox.

Superstar: Edgar Rentanerror 3-4, 2R, 2BI, 2-2Bs, BB,
The 1-year blunder at shortstop was a thorn in Boston's side all night, ripping three hits and opening the floodgates on the Tigers scoring with a key 2-run double in the 4th despite constant harassment from the fans.

Doesn't it figure that a day after the Faithful welcomed back a former goat that a more recent object of the fans' derision would come back to haunt us?

The Biggest Loser(s): Sox pitchers 9IP, 10H, 7ER, 8BB, WP, HBP
From starter Jon Lester (4R, 4H, 4BB in 5.1IP) and middle man Bryan Corey (2R, 2H, BB in 1/3IP) all the way to Javier Lopez, who surrendered a homer and two other base runners in the 9th, the Boston pitching was piss poor again tonight.

RECAP:
Can you say "letdown"?

Coming of the high of yesterday's festive, fun-filled Opening Day display, you had to know that there would be some sort of letdown factor tonight. Kind of like a Tangueray hangover after one of my wife's Christmas parties.

Especially with shaky Jon Lester taking the hill to face a Tiger team so hungry for a win Jim Leyland might even resort to doing something drastic, like threaten quit smoking, if the team didn't get off the schneid soon.

But after jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning thanks to a bases loaded walk to Jacoby Ellsbury and an RBI single by Julio Lugo (a.k.a. Rentanerror 2.0), it looked as if the team might ride the emotional wave of Opening day to another victory over the toothless Tigers.

Unfortunately the wave came crashing down on the Sox in a hurry, starting with an injury to a key player and ending with a miserable loss to the formerly winless Tigers.

It was in that second inning that we learned that Mike Lowell apparently sprained his thumb when he made a diving stop of Miguel Cabrera's grounder in the first inning. Though his replacement, Sean Casey, did have a hit in his first at bat in Lowell's spot to start the rally and later doubled, the 2007 team MVP's absence was a somber reminder that this team is a couple of key injuries away from turning into the D-Rays.

And it was shortly after the Sox took that 2-0 lead in the second that the the game fell apart, too.

Lester retired the floundering Magglio Ordonez to start the 4th, then proceeded to walk Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Guillen to bring the hated former Sox shortstop to the plate with a chance to tie the game.

But this is the same guy who never got a big hit the entire year he was in a Boston uniform, right? Surely he would bounce into a DP or strike out to squelch the threat. Right? Right?!

Instead Rentanerror sliced a double to the wall in left center that sent both runner home and tied the game at two, and if you squinted a bit it was almost as if you could see him standing at 2nd base with a finger to his lips telling the unruly Fenway masses to hush their foul mouths.

It only got worse from there when Lester hung a lazy breaking ball to the next batter, which happened to be Detroit's musclular left fielder Marcus Thames, who turned on the fat pitch and drove it halfway to his namesake river in England to give the Tigers a 4-2 lead they would not relinquish.

That's because Detroit starter Jeremy Bonderman (5IP, 5H, 1ER, 4BB, K) and 4 Tiger relievers shut the Sox down the rest of the way, while Boston's bully continued doing their best Eric Gagme imitations as a quartet of hurlers couldn't keep the score where it was and give the offense a chance to get back in the game.

It all added up to a disappointing night at the yard, and now with Lowell's status uncertain, Papi's continued hitting woes (0-4, .091 for the year) and the instability of the pitchers, suddenly the promise of the preseason has turned into the despressing reality that this team could be in last place in the eat when the Stanks come to town tomorrow night.

But at least they've lost two straight to the Royals.

So we got that going for us.

RECORD: 4-5
AL EAST: 3 GB
STREAK: L 1
UP NEXT: Thu vs DET, 715 Robertson v Wakefield

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Welcome back: Sox win in Billy Buck's return to Hub

Sox 5, Tigers 0
WP: Matsuzaka (2-0)
LP: Rogers (0-2)
SV: None
HRs: None

Don't cry, Billy Buck--all's forgiven now

Superstar: Dice K 6.2IP, 4H, 4BB, 7K
He wasn't overpowering, but he was incredibly effective, limiting the struggling Tigers to 4 singles while striking out 7. And when he came out of the game with 2 outs in the 7th, Matsuzaka received a huge ovation from the Faithful, because this is the Dice K we expect to see every time he takes the mound.

The Biggest Loser(s): The Tigers
Combine an anemic offense (5 singles, no runs) with a sloppy defense (2 errors, numerous missed plays) and bad pitching and what you get is an 0-7 team with a $139 million dollar payroll and more problems than a math major.

RECAP:
All that was missing from the Red Sox 2008 home opener was Mike Dukakis, New Kids on the Block, Calvin Schiraldi and a holographic "forgive me" message from Harry Frazee.

Other than that it seemed like every other former hero or goat in the city's history was on hand today as the Sox celebrated the 2007 title team by trotting out familiar faces and championship trophies from all 4 Hub sports franchises, as well as some famous Boston celebrities.

From the moment the pregame festivities began (which of course I didn't get to see live since Extra Innings would never carry that kind of stuff) the entire day had the atmosphere of a gigantic celebration more than a baseball game. It was like Opening Day, Mardi Gras, New Years Eve, Carnival, the Festival of Lights, the Olympics Closing Ceremonies and the Oscars all rolled into one.

Some of the highlights included:

-current and former members of the Patriots, Bruins and Celtics taking the field while wielding their respective trophies

-the unfurling of the 2007 championship banner over the Wall as it replaced the 2004 banner, a cool sight in what hopefully will become an annual tradition

-the handing out of the championship rings to the entire organization, from coaches & trainers to former and current players (hey, a Doug Mirabelli sighting!), all scored to the themes songs of various cinematic classics

-and finally, the most climatic moment of the day - Bill Buckner emerged from Manny's door in the Monster and walked towards to the mound to a chorus of cheers and a long-awaited standing ovation, 22 years after his infamous World Series play became the modern symbol of Sox futility and made him a pariah in throughout New England and the Nation.

It was a moment, despite its contrived and Sox-serving nature, that was both memorable and emotional for all those involved. It was a completion of the cycle from the "woe is us, we're always gonna suck and this is why" sports town to a city of champions chock full of happiness and good will, and it was the ultimate way to say all is forgiven, not just from the fans to Billy Buck but from Billy Buck to the once-bitter fans.

Then Buck threw out the opening pitch, and appropriately it was a perfect strike to Dewey Evans (my all-time fave Sox player, by the way). Following fellow Sox legend Johnny Pesky's cry of "Let's play ball", the pregame pomp & circumstance was over and finally it was time to play ball.

Boston jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead by the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Coco Crisp and a triple by Manny that he scored on when the relay throw went into the Tiger's dugout, but the game felt like an afterthought to the pageantry of the afternoon.

Something that didn't get lost on the crowd was the effort of Daisuke Matsuzaka. Freed from the obligations of pitching in his homeland and starting two of the Sox first three games on two different continents, Dice-K was masterful for much of the afternoon. With the Tiger offense continuing to sputter without its leadoff man/catalyst Curtis Granderson, Matsuzaka mowed through the lineup like Grant through Richmond, allowing just 4 baserunners through the first five innings before escaping a bases loaded jam in the 6th.

By that time it was 3-0 Boston, and when the Sox tacked on another pair of runs in the bottom of the 6th on an RBI double by Youk (3-3, R, 2BI, BB) and a bases loaded walk to JD Drew, the game was all over but the shouting.

And by shouting I mean local boy Steven Tyler's screeching rendition of God Bless America, which sounded like a cat with laryngitis, followed by Neil Diamond's absurd taped offering of Fenway anthem Sweet Caroline, complete with a back up band, dancing Wally and lifeless Sox CEO Tom Werner.

It was about that time that I fast forwarded to the end of this overblown spectacle, just in time to catch Oki blow through the three Tiger hitters, putting the finishing touch on this day of joy and celebration.

So the homecoming was an absolute success. Bucker was feted. Tiger SS and new pariah Edgar Rentanerror was booed. The Sox got back on the winning track, and the now infamous ballpark hawk even made a guest appearance during Youk's at bat in the 6th inning.

Now can we get on with the regular season?

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Series Preview: Home sweet home! Tigers vs Sox

Tigers (0-6) vs. Red Sox (3-4)

Game 1 Today 205 Rogers (0-1, 3.00) vs. Matsuzaka (1-0, 2.31)
Game 2 Wed 705 Bonderman (0-1, 5.68) vs. Lester (1-1, 3.38)
Game 3 Thu 705 Robertson (0-0, 9.00) vs. Wakefield (0-0, 4.50)

What to watch for: two teams with high expectations and even higher payrolls will go toe-to-toe to prove their horrendous start is just an early-season fluke

Players to watch: the Tigers lineup was being compared to the '27 Yankees this spring, but with Gary Sheffield, Miguel Cabrera and Curtis Granderson all hurting, the potential Murderer's Row has resembled Training Room Terrors. 2007 MVP candidate Magglio Roidonez has no homers or ribbies yet this season, so keep an eye on him to bust out. If he's on a cycle right now.

Preview:
To paraphrase the immortal words of the late, great Dr. Martin Luther King, home at last, home at last, thank God almighty the Sox are home at last!

After 2+ months abroad, traveling from Florida to Japan to Southern California to Northern California to Toronto, spanning over 16,000 air miles, the World Champion Boston Red Sox finally make their 2008 home debut this afternoon on what will be a chilly day at Fenway Park. But something tells me the players will embrace the spring chill a bit more than the spring rolls of a few weeks ago.

Never in the history of sports has a team had to endure such a grueling schedule to open a season, let alone the defending champs of the sport, so it goes without saying that the boys were a little gassed when they finally reached Toronto on Friday.

That ultimate case of jet lag combined with a hungry Jays squad added up to a debacle of a 3 game sweep at the Rogers Center, lowlighted by games filled with shitty pitching, shoddy fielding and spotty hitting.

But at least the Sox have a legitimate excuse for their doldrums.

Detroit spent lavishly in the offseason to acquire a couple of young Marlins, slugging third baseman Cabrera and struggling former ace Dontrelle Willis, and by the time the shopping spree was finished the Tigers had the 2nd highest payroll in the majors at $139 million, trailing only the Stanks' $208 mil ledger.

Where did all that free spending get them? To the bottom of the division they were supposed to run away with, the AL Central, after a winless first week that featured 6 straight home losses in which they were outscored 39-15.

To be fair they have had a number of unfortunate injuries. Stud relievers Fernando Rodney and Joel the Guitar Hero Zumaya both missed most of spring training, starting centerfielder Curtis Granderson suffered a broken hand at the end of the spring, a rib injury recently sidelined Cabrera and a the perennially injured Sheffield just dislocated his finger the other day.

But the team is still loaded with quality hitters (Ordonez, Guillen, Inge, Polanco, Rodriguez) and pitchers (Bonderman, Verlander, Jones), so there's no reason they couldn't have finished with a Sox like record of 3-3 or 2-4 at least.

Either way the slow starts make this series all the more meaningful. Neither club wants to get into any deeper of a hole, and both want to prove that not only were the lofty expectations of reaching the playoffs and winning it all warranted but absolutely attainable.

All we in the nation care about right now is the fact that our team is finally back on home turf. Back to the cozy confines of the field by the Fens, where the hot dogs are warm and the seats will be as cold as the beer.

Rings will be presented. Banners will be draped. Fighter jets will roar overhead and the packed house will roar in approval for the first game played at home by the defending champs.

Makes me wish I could be there in person instead of having to watch it on DVR later.

All I can say is Play Ball!

And welcome home.

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International Men of Misery: Sox swept by Jays

Toronto 7, Sox 4
WP: Halladay (1-1)
LP: Beckett (0-1)
SV: Accardo (3)
HRs: BOS- Drew (2), Varitek (2), Ellsbury (1); TOR-Thomas (2), Wells (2)

Going...going...and the road trip is gone...along with confidence in Delcarmen

Superstar: Frank Thomas 1-4, R, 4BI, GS
The Big Hurt continues to live up to his nickname, especially in this series. Thomas had the big blow for Toronto for the third straight game, this one a game-changing grand slam off Manny Delcarmen in the 5th, and he wound up going 4-12 with 2 homers and 8 ribbies in the series to help the Jays pull off the sweep.

The Biggest Loser: Manny Delcarmen 1/3IP, 1H, 1ER, 1BB, GS
His stat line might not show it because three of the runs were charged to Josh Beckett, but this guy cost Boston the game more than anyone. When you come into a close game with the bases loaded and two outs, all you gotta do is get your starter off the hook.

Instead Delcarmen served up a meatball to Thomas on his first pitch of the afternoon that sailed over the leftfield wall and effectively ended the game right there.

(Dis)Honorable mention: Julio Lugo 0-4, 3 errors, 1 misplay that led to a run

RECAP:
Boy do I wish I could start this recap the same way I stared the last two -- by saying I missed the game.

Instead I sat through every agonizing minute of this road trip from hell-ending debacle, and like every other member of the Nation out there I was disgusted by most of what I saw. For example:

-four Sox errors, three by Julio Lugo, as well as numerous other miscues

-another terrible outing, the second in a row, for the once heralded and now dreaded Mattapan Manny Delcarmen

-another unproductive game from the trio of Ortiz, Manny & Lowell (2-12, RBI)

-the TBS announcing team of Chip Carey & Buck Martinez ( a couple of Carey-isms included "Manny Ortiz" and "exhibit # A"-ugh)

Don't get me wrong there were some good things that happened in this game, including a decent performance by Josh Beckett (4.2IP, 3H, 5ER, 4BB, 6K, HR) in his first start of the year, who looked very healthy before tiring late; three Sox homers, all coming from the 6-7-8 spot in the lineup; and the fact that Boston outhit Toronto, 10-5, a stat that ultimately is meaningless when you check the final score.

But for the third straight game the bad far outweighed the good, and it was painfully obvious that this long, season-opening road trip has in fact exacted a mighty toll on these road weary road warriors, despite earlier claims to the contrary.

The loss was made all the more painful because the expectation and excitement level was at a peak heading into the game. Not only because Beckett was making his 08 debut after spending a few weeks on the DL with a bad back and hip, but the game was the first to be broadcast on TBS' new Sunday afternoon national baseball package, horrible announcers be damned.

And for the first four innings the game lived up to the billing. Beckett began the game with a 98 mph heater for a strike to Shannon Stewart, and then proceeded to bring the blowtorch for most of the outing. Jacoby Ellsbury gave Boston an early lead when he homered off Roy Halladay (8IP, 8H, 4ER, 1BB, 6K, 3HRs) to lead off the third, at which point he was 4-4 with two longballs against the former Cy Young winner, and after Beckett gave the lead up on a two-run shot to Vernon Wells in the 4th, Bsoton tied it right up when Cap'n Tek hit his second homer of the season to lead off the 5th.

Alas that would be the end of the good times for Boston and the Nation. In the bottom of the 5th things unraveled in a hurry for Beckett, as he loaded the bases after getting two quick outs on a single by Aaron Hill and back-to-back walks to Rios & Wells, and by the time Tito went to his struggling bullpen, everyone in the Rogers Center had a pretty good idea of what was coming next.

And by next I mean the very next pitch, as the struggling Delcarmen tried to sneak a first pitch fastball past the veteran DH Thomas, who has been around a little bit too long and is too good a hitter to be fooled by that kind of crap. Thomas turned on the pitch quicker than Mike Vick's cousin, and just like that a close, winnable game became a rout in the blink of an eye for the second straight game, and despite tacking on a couple of runs late you could tell Boston was in full "get us to our home and our beds" mode as soon as the ball cleared the fence.

So the Sox wound up the trip 3-4 and in last place in the East after traveling around the world and back in the last three weeks, and it may be too early to tell what kind of lasting effect this journey to the ends of the Earth will have on this club, suffice it to say it definitely will not be looked at as a positive influence on the situation the team finds itself in now.

Nothing a little home cooking can't cure.

Not to mention a homestand that kicks off with fellow struggling pennant contenders, the winless Tigers.

RECORD: 3-4
STREAK: L3
AL EAST: 2 GB
UP NEXT: Off Mon; Tue vs. Det @ Fenway 2:05

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Beckett returns from the DL not a moment too soon

Boston (3-3) @ Toronto (3-2)
Beckett (NR) vs Halladay (0-1, 3.86)
1:00 Rogers Center TBS HD

Last year Josh Beckett was the savior of the Sox pitching staff. While compiling a 20-7 record with a 3.27 ERA en route to a second place finish in the Cy Young voting, Beckett was counted on many times to stop Boston losing streaks and subsequently start a Sox winning streak, all while sending a statement to opponents by matching up against their own aces.

Today, as Beckett returns from the DL due to spring back troubles, will be no different than last year.

After taking 3 of 4 from Oakland to start the season, Boston has traveled back to the Eastern time zone to run into trouble with their AL East nemesis to the north, the Blue Jays. The Sox have dropped 2 straight at the Rogers Center to start this series and 7 in a row to the Jays dating back to last season, and with the starters struggling and the bullpen faring worse, it will be up to the Sox Superman to save the day.

Trouble is Beckett doesn't bat, and the Boston batters haven't exactly been hitting the cover off the ball early in the season. The team is hitting .242 with 5 homers and 19 runs scored in 6 games, while big boppers David Ortiz (.091, 1HR, 2BI), Manny Ramirez (.250, 1HR) and Mike Lowell (.208, 0HR, 0BI) have yet to get untracked.

But the one thing Becks can contribute is stability to the staff, and that is what Boston will be hoping he can provide for them today. The team ERA is currently at 4.50, the starters have a record of 2-2, and members of the pen are touting ERAs of21.60 (Kyle Snyder) and 11.25 Bryan Corey), prompting the release of Snyder and a retooling of the relievers.

Facing Beckett will be Toronto's own perennial Cy Young candidate, Roy Halladay. Doc was a victim of bad defense and no run support both in the spring and in his first outing, in which he allowed 7 hits and 3 runs to the Stanks over 7 innings but lost 3-2, and he's had little success against the Sox over the years. But with Boston's pen in shambles and the hitters yet to show up this season since the opener, this could be the day he dominates the Boston lineup.

All of this adds up to the perfect time for Superman to fly in and save the day. The Sox don't need much from him; 7 or 8 scoreless innings of 2-hit ball will suffice.

Nothing he hasn't provided before.

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Bullpen woes continue as Sox fall to Jays again

Toronto 10, Sox 2
WP: Litsch (1-0)
LP: Buchholz (0-1)
SV: None
HRs: Tor-Thomas (1)

Superstar: Jesse Litsch 5IP, 5H, 2ER, 3BB, 2K
He wasn't spectacular, but the former D-Rays bat boy from down here in Pinellas County pitched well enough to earn the win.

The Biggest Loser(s): the Boston bullpen 3IP, 5H, 3BB, 0K, 6ER, HR
For the second straight game the supposed strong suit of the Boston pitching staff shit the bed like an old timer at Sunny Acres nursing home. While starter Clay Buchholz kept the damage to a minimum, the duo of Kyle Snyder and Bryan Corey dumped a can of butane on the game and tossed a match to it.

You know it's pretty bad when Julie Tavarez (2.1IP, 1H) is the lone bright spot.

RECAP:
Thankfully I didn't have the misfortune of catching this game today.

Stop me if you've heard this before. Because it was the same opening I used for my last game recap, and the sorry thing is it is just as appropriate today as it was yesterday.

I did miss the game today, thanks to the f-ing FOX blackout that trumps the Extra Innings package, and I am glad I did because it appeared, from trying to follow it on GameCast, to be the type of game that many expletives would have been flung around, possibly along with some small, tossable objects (like my clickers need any more tape on them.)

This loss was especially painful because unlike the night before Boston actually held a lead today, albeit a slim and short-lived one. But when Manny (1-3, BB, BI) doubled Papi in for a 1-0 lead in the first, and then Mayor Casey, making his first start of the season, singled in JD Drew for a 2-1 lead in the top of the 4th, it looked as if the offense was going to get on track and Clay Buchholz (5IP, 6H, 4R, 3ER, 2BB, 7K) was going to be able to put his horrible spring behind him and get the club back on the winning track.

In the words of coach Corso, not so fast my friends.

The high-fiving for Casey's first Red Sox ribbie barely subsided before the team would soon be lamenting his first Boston error, and it proved to be a costly one, too. In the bottom of the 4th Lyle Overbay (2-4, R, BI) singled with one out, Aaron Hill reached on a bunt single, and after Marco Scutaro walked to load the bases, 9th place hitter Ger Zahn hit a routine grounder to first that should have been an inning-ending double play.

Except the man who just set the consecutive game errorless streak for a first baseman, Kevin Youkilis, wasn't on the bag today, and his replacement, Casey, booted the ball for a 2-run, 2 base error that gave the Jays a 3-2 lead, and when David Eckstein (2-5, R, 3BI) followed with an RBI single it was just about over.

Not that a 2-run deficit would be impossible to overcome, but the Sox batters have been unable to muster any substantial offense against the Jays pitchers, and once again the bully was abysmal when called on to hold the game to a manageable deficit.

Kyle Snyder continued his rapid descent to being a has-been reliever when he gave up two walks, a sacrifice and a wild pitch to the three batters he faced, and Bryan Corey continues to make the Nation wonder why the fuck Theo ever picked him up last year when he immediately allowed RBI hits to Eckstein, Alex Rios, Vernon Wells and then a 2-run blast by Frank Thomas to cap a 6-run sixth inning and turn a close contest into a rout.

For his efforts this season Snyder (1.2IP, 2H, 2BB, 4ER, 21.60ERA) was shown the door after the game, given his outright release, but the question remains what to do about the hemorrhaging pitching staff. None of the starters have turned in a dominant performance so far this season, and not only has the bully not been a strength, but it has appeared to be more unstable than Britney Spears on crank.

What's that, the ace, savior and shoulda-been Cy Young winner Josh Beckett comes off the DL to start the nationally televised contest against the Jays' Roy Halladay tomorrow afternoon?

Well in that case, never mind.

Thankfully I will be able to catch that one.

RECORD: 3-2
AL EAST: 1 GB
UP NEXT: Sun @ TOR, 1:00EST, TBS HD

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Bullpen falters to blow JD Drew's game-tying homer vs. Jays

Toronto 6, Boston 3
WP: Marcum (1-0)
LP: Aardsma (0-1)
SV: Accardo (2)
HRs: Bos-Drew (1); Tor-Stairs (1)

Superstar: Shawn Marcum 7IP, 3H, 3ER, 1BB, 8K, HR
Toronto's talented young righty stifled the Boston batters on 1 hit and no runs through 6 innings; his only blemish was the 3-run bomb he surrendered to JD Drew in the top of the 7th, which tied the game and could have cost him the win if it weren't for a horrid outing by Boston's bully.

The Biggest Loser(s): Boston pitchers 8IP, 10H, 6ER, 4BB, 6K, HR
Tim Wakefield did alright in his first start of the season--until he surrendered 3 runs in the 6th, starting with a solo shot from fellow AARP member Matt 'Lumpy' Stairs; after Drew tied the score at 3, reclamation project David Aardsma walked the only batter he faced, Javier Lopez surrendered a single to the only one he faced, and Mattapan Manny D., after recording two foul outs, served up a 2-run double to Big Frank Thomas to put the seal on this one.

RECAP:

Thankfully I didn't have the misfortune of catching this game tonight.

I went to a company-sponsored function at the Clearwater Threshers game, and suffice to say that game was more exciting--and fun--than this debacle. Throw in the fact that my son won $87 and change for tossing a tennis ball from the stands into a tire on the field after the game, and the decision to take in an A ball game on a beautiful Florida spring evening over this major league mess was a no-brainer.

Actually, from what I could gather from highlights and recaps, this game wasn't ALL bad; J.D. Drew did hit his first homer of the year to tie the game late; Tim Wakefield (6IP, 6H, 3ER, 3BB, 4K, HR) pitched pretty well and shut out the mighty Toronto lineup for 5 innings before stumbling in the 6th; and Wake's new personal catcher, Kevin Cash, had a double and no passed balls in his first game behind the dish.

That's where the good side of things end. The bad included Wake falling apart in the 6th when he gave up a home run, two singles, two walks and a wild pitch; Boston batters being held to four hits - Cash's double in the 3rd, a single by Mike Lowell followed by Drew's homer in the 7th, and a 9th inning single by Manny; and of course the collapse of the Boston pen, which was supposed to be the strength of the depleted pitching staff.

Maybe it had something to do with the Jays wearing the Garth Iorg-era powder blue unis.

After Delcarmen's latest effort, the time is coming where many in the Nation will doubt if he will ever have what it takes to be an effective set up man, let alone superstar closer some day. Blessed with a live arm and calm demeanor, he has what it takes to shut down opponents, yet time and time again he cannot seem to get the necessary outs the team must have to pull out games like this.

Had he been able to get Thomas, who was just 1-7 with 3 Ks against him before tonight, the game might have gone in a completely different direction. But after falling behind 2-1, Thomas put a big hurt on Delcarmen's next offering, slicing a double to the left center field gap to score David Eckstein and Shannon Stewart, and the game was essentially over.

Luckily for Boston they will have a chance to immediately redeem this loss when they take on the Jays for a 1:00 game Saturday afternoon. That's when two young studs, Clay Buchholz and Jesse Litsch-will try to see which one has the moxie to lead his team to a big win.

And if Buchholz can't pitch a complete game, maybe the bully will get the chance to prove that it can be the backbone of the staff, and not the Achilles heel.

RECORD: 3-2
AL EAST: Tied for 1st
UP NEXT: Sat @ Tor 1:00

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Papi powers Sox to series win vs. Oakland

Sox 5, Oakland 0
WP: Lester (1-1)
LP: Embree (0-1)
SV: None
HRs: Bos- Papi (1), Tek (1)

Superstar: Big Papi 2-4, R, BB, 2BI, HR
Ortiz finally broke out of his 0-11 slump, first with a single in the 5th and then in a more Papi-like way with a 2-run bomb in the top of the 7th. His shot gave the Sox all the runs they would need to win the game and the series and put to rest any doubts that despite several injuries and surgeries Papi will still be Papi.

At last he's back where he belongs - in this category and not the next one.

The Biggest Loser: Manny 0-4, BB, 2K, GIDP, 6LOB
He left 2 men on base in the 1st and 5th innings when he whiffed both times, then grounded into a double play with the bases loaded to end the 8th. In between he failed to budge from home plate when he smashed a deep drive to center following Papi's homer, proving that despite several signs to the contrary, Manny will still be Manny.

Just a flat out awful game for ManRam.

RECAP:
Jet lag, what jet lag?

Boston continues to stifle any talk that the opening trip to the Far East and the West Coast will diminish its ability to successfully defend its title as the Sox swept the two games in Oakland thanks to a quality start by Jon Lester and another big, timely hit from David Ortiz.

Coming off a dreary performance in Japan Lester (6.2IP, 3H, 3BB, 3K) pitched a solid game, allowing just a pair of singles and a double in 6+ innings of work. Although he walked three batters he was bailed out when his teammates turned 3 double plays, including a catch & throw to first by J.D. Drew to nail Mike Sweeney to end the fifth.

Unfortunately I didn't get to see most of the first six innings since the start time for this one didn't coincide with my work schedule, but by following it on ESPN GameCast it seemed as if this one was shaping up to be a heartbreaking loss due to a number of missed opportunities by the Boston offense.

Oakland starter Rich Harden (5IP, 4H, 4BB, 6K) wasn't nearly as effective as he was in Japan in Game 2 of the series, but he still kept the game scoreless before giving way to the pen to start the 6th. The Sox loaded the bases in the first with no outs before Harden fanned Manny & Lowell and got J.D. Drew to--what else--ground out to first in his first at bat of the 2008 season to squelch the threat, then Harden worked out of a 2-on, 2-out jam in the 5th when he caught ManRam looking at strike three.

Boston would load the bases again in the 6th against Andrew Brown and had four men reach base in the inning, two on HBPs, yet still couldn't score thanks to a strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play and fielder's choice grounder by Pedroia, but in the 7th Boston and Papi would finally break through and score all the runs they would need to take this series.

Lucky for me that's right when I got home from work and turned on the trusty Extra Innings feed.

Youk (2-4, R, BI) got the party started with a hustle double to left center, then stood and watched as Ortiz launched Alan Embree's second pitch high and deep over the wall in right center for his first homer and RBIs of the season, and just like that Papi's early season slump was over and the so was the game.

The Sox would tack on a few insurance runs to take the pressure off the pen, two in the 8th on five consecutive base hits, including RBI singles by Pedroia (2-5, BI) and Youk, and a single run in the 9th on a solo shot by Cap'n Tek, runs that allowed Tito to rest his closer and get Manny Delcarmen his 2nd appearance of the season.

Now the team will head toward home to play a game in the Eastern time zone for the first time this season when they open a 3-game set against the Jays in Toronto Friday night. After two games at 6:00 am , one at 10:00 pm and one at 3:30 in the afternoon, it will be nice to sit in front of the set and see the Sox playing meaningful baseball games at a normal hour of the day.

What a quaint idea.

NOTES:

Youk's the man at 1st base: When he fielded Jack Cust's grounder with two outs in the 9th and beat him to the bag it was an appropriate way for Youk to end this game; he became the all-time record holder in consecutive error less games played at the position, besting Steve Garvey's mark of 193 games in a row. In honor of the achievement the As gave him the first base bag as well as the ball, which should both be headed to Cooperstown. Throw in the fact that he got two more hits and is now batting a robust .400 on the season and it appears the legend of Youk, along with his goatee, is only going to continue to grow.

Drew's back is back: After sitting out the first three games of the season with back spasms, J.D. Drew returned to the lineup and played right field, and as usual he had an interesting game. He was 1-5 with a single, struck out twice including once leading to a double play, and nailed a runner at first for an outfield assist. Fitting his first at bat of the season resulted in a ground out to the left side of the infield. Some things will never change, playoff grand slam or no.

Hit Show: for the second time in the series the Sox reached double digits in hits (13), with every starter except Manny & Lowell notching at least one and 6 players (Pedroia, Youk, Papi, Tek, Coco, Cora) racking up a pair of hits apiece.

Altered states: With the day game today and an off day tomorrow, Francona mixed up the lineup today, sitting Jacoby Ellsbury and Julio Lugo in favor of Coco Crisp and Alex Cora. The moves paid off as the two replacements combined to get on base 6 times with 4 hits, a walk and a HBP.

Beckett set for Sunday: more good news for the club came when Josh Beckett pitched in a minor league game and was declared ready to start his season Sunday against Roy Halladay and the Jays in Toronto. It just so happens that game will be the first on TBS' new slate of Sunday afternoon games, and it should help the upstart net garner nice ratings for a game this early in the season.

UP Next: Friday @ Toronto 715EST (yay!)

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Sox @ Oakland, Game 4

Red Sox (2-1) at Oakland (1-2)
Lester (0-1) vs. Harden (1-0)
3:35EST Oakland Mausoleum

The Athletics gave permission to MLB to allow this game, previously scheduled to be a night contest, to take place at 12:30 Pacific Coast Time in order to accommodate the road-weary Red Sox. This way they can get out of Oaktown later this afternoon and head to Toronto instead of waiting until after a night game and arriving north of the border in the middle of the night.

Thank goodness for small favors.

The other bonus of this switch is that it allows us sleep-deprived members of RSN get to bed at a normal hour tonight, helping to make up for the late-night/early morning contests that have been hallmarks of this crazy beginning to the 08 season.

In the getaway game today Jon Lester will try to do what Dice K did last night: shake off the rust from his first start in Japan and hang in there long enough to earn a win. Lester was pretty lousy in the Sox loss in Tokyo, allowing 4 runs on five hits and 3 walks in four innings in game 2, and his performance didn't exactly make everyone feel confident that he can pick up the slack in the absence of Curt Schilling.

On the other side of the hill Rich Harden was damn near perfect in Japan, shutting down the Sox lineup on 1 run and 3 hits while fanning 9 in six innings of work. Not bad for a kid who missed most of last season with an arm injury.

The other thing to watch for today is whether or not David Ortiz can finally get off the schneid. Big Papi has been the Big 0-Fer this season, hitless in 11 at bats while leaving numerous men stranded on base. Sure it's early, but these games count, too, and if he can't get untracked soon it's not gonna get any easier when the Sox start playing actual playoff quality clubs starting next week.

So sit back, relax, watch (or follow) the game today and then enjoy getting to bed early and waking up at a normal hour before we get to actually watch the Sox at a normal hour tomorrow night in Toronto.

Although they have to travel to another foreign country to do so.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UP Next: Wed @ Oakland, 3:35EST

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Opening Day, take 2.

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

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

Anyone...anyone...Bueller?

Didn't think so.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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2008 Season Preview

On the eve of the Sox season opener on American soil, here are five burning questions RSN will be looking to answer this year:

5.) Will the pitching staff be healthy--and ready--enough to guide the team to the postseason

Josh Beckett's already on the DL. Curt Schilling will be out until mid-season at the earliest, and then who knows how long it will take him to provide any meaningful contributions this season, if any. Tim Wakefield is approaching retirement age, has a history of back problems and lost his designated catcher this spring. Dice-K is starting to resemble the type of pitcher that makes you cross your fingers every time he comes to the mound, just praying that this isn't the inning or game he implodes. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz are like SNL's "also featuring" cast members-young & talented but maybe not quite ready for prime time just yet.

This is the biggest question mark the team faces this season, and obviously everything hinges on Beckett's health; if he can make this trip to the DL a distant memory by mid-May and come back to dominate the league like last year, then we can all hope everyone else falls into place. But if the ace encounters a year's worth of arm and/or blister problems, then the failure to trade for Johan Santana is going to hang over this team's head like an April raincloud.

4.) Will Manny be Most Valuable Manny?

Everything is in place for ManRam to have a monster year: he had a disappointing season last year, failing to reach 100 RBIs for the first time in a decade, hit his fewest homers (20) since 1997 as well, and slugged at less than a .900 clip for the first time in his career (in a full season.) So why does that make Manny my choice for the AL MVP? All together now: "Because he's in a contract year!"

If anything can motivate the mercurial ManRam it's the thought that if he has another down year the Boston brass might not pick up his option for 2009, forcing Ramirez to actually leave the team he's threatened, promised and hinted at leaving for the better half of the last decade.

Notice the early arrival at spring training, the lack of any MBM issues like grills and wheels for sale, the mashing of 5 ribbies in the Japan series? Not a coincidence folks. Sure he'll still Cadillac it on balls that stay in the park and intercept a stray cutoff throw now and then, but all signs point to Manny having a major offensive season, and those signs look like this: $$$$$$$$$$$

3.) Will the Coco/Ellsbury situation be a distraction?

Only if Crisp makes it one. If he's smart he'll keep his mouth shut, play a few times a week, come in for the occasional pinch-running and late-replacement duties and try to get another ring on his finger. If he really wants to be the superstar starting center fielder he thinks he is, he can go to a bad team, play every day, hit .255 with 15 highlight-reel catches a year and watch the playoffs on television.

Your choice Coco. Well, until Theo dumps you in a deal for another arm. Then it's the team's choice. Until then, in the words of native new Englander John Tortorella, shut your yap.

2.) How long before brittle JD Drew is replaced by Brandon Moss as the starting right fielder?

May 17th.

1.) Can the Sox repeat?

It may be an unpopular thought in the Hub and throughout the Nation, but all signs point to "no". Between the crazy opening to the season, with trips to Japan, California and Toronto, followed by 13 of 17 contests against playoff-caliber clubs and the rash of injuries and questions with the rotation, it would be a near miracle if this team could pull off the repeat.

Do I think they have the talent to get it done? Absolutely. But a lot of things will have to fall into place, not the least of which is Beckett's health, as well as that of Drew, Papi and Wakefield. Let's face it, the decision not to alter the makeup of the championship club was a noble one and certainly placated the now-zillions of Sox fans Nationwide, but with the brutal schedule and injury bug already playing a factor this early in the season, a repeat seems like a lot to ask for from a club that has already accomplished what no diehard ever thought they'd see in their lifetime: another championship flag flying over Fenway.

But here's to hoping they can beat the odds and put a third banner up before the next generation of misery begins.

For more on the 2008 baseball season, visit my other blog.

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Circe de Sox continues: 115k watch exhibiton game vs LA

As if a trip to the Far east weren't punishment enough, Boston had to play an exhibition game in a Coliseum with Little League dimensions in front of an MLB-record crowd in Los Angeles yesterday.

Does Bud Selig have pictures of Theo, Tom Werner, Larry Lucchino and John Henry in a foursome with Eliot Spitzer's mistress or what?

Whatever the reason it seems that MLB is doing everything in its power to prevent the Sox from successfully defending their championship. I mean has anyone ever heard of a defending champ opening the next season with two regular season games in Japan, then coming back to the states to play three spring training games 3000 miles away from home, followed by two more regular games against the team it played in Japan, followed by a trip to Toronto for a three game series, all before stepping foot on home soil?

Save the thinking cap, the answer is no.

On the heels of that travishamockery that was the goodwill trip to the land of the rising sun to play regular season games comes this preseason spectacle. Over 155,000 fans packed the LA Coliseum to witness a glorified softball game between the Sox and Dodgers in honor of the team's 50th anniversary of bolting New York for LA.

With the distance down the left field line a mere 201 feet and a 60-ft high net atop the stands, the field looked more like an MTV Rock & Jock set than an actual major league game. Safe to say this one took the word 'exhibition' to a whole notha level.

The Sox would end up winning this dog & pony show, in which there were 5 homers hit, 4 to the Williamsport Porch, but that really doesn't matter. What matters is MLB is treating this team like its very own personal teacup chihuahua, wanting to prance it around and show it off to anyone and everyone who wants to fawn over it, or comment how disgusting it looks up close.

When you throw in the fact that half the team has bad backs, Dice K looks about as stable as a wind sock, and the team is going to rely on young players at key positions, all this nonsense adds up to make it look like a near impossible mission for Boston to become the first team to repeat as champs since the 1999-2000 Stankees.

But if they should happen to survive this early season circus and weather the storm, hang around near the top of the division until mid season and shake off all the early season adversity to win another title, well then this team would go down as possibly the greatest Sox squad of all time.

Or at the very least of all time zones.

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As, Harden send Sox packing with series split

Oakland 5, Boston 1
WP: Harden (1-0)
LP: Lester (0-1)
SV: None
HRs:Bos: Ramirez (1); Oak: Brown (1)

Paris & LA got nothing on this City of Lights

Superstar: Rich Harden 6IP, 3H, ER, 3BB, HR, 9K
The oft-injured Oakland righty tossed a brilliant game in his first start since last July 7th. Despite falling behind in the count to 8 of Boston's first 11 batters, Harden minimized the deficits by tossing strikes on the next pitch every time, and when he did get in trouble he recorded a big out to escape a jam.

The Biggest Loser: David Ortiz 0-3, BB, K, 3 LOB
This title could've gone to starter Jon Lester, who was anything but solid, but for the second straight game Big Papi had opportunities to drive in key runs and couldn't get the job done; his foul out with 2 on & 2 out in the third was an early momentum killer.

RECAP:
Now that the trip to the Far East is over, the one thing I learned is that it's a lot more rewarding waking up at 5:45 in the morning to watch your team play when they end up with a win.

But when you get up before the crack of dawn for the second straight day and witness another lackluster pitching performance that is not backed up by clutch offensive fireworks, the end result is a long, lumbering day marked by moments of sleepiness interspersed with baseball-related cursing like "why the fuck did I get up that early to watch that friggin turd of a game?!"

Game 2 of the first series of the regular season started much like the first one, with Boston falling behind early thanks to some heroics by Oakland's merry band of nobodies and has-beens, but instead of the better team rallying for a late victory, this time the As held the lead on the strength of a huge pitching performance from onetime phenom Rich Harden.

The pomp and pageantry that marked the opener that was mainly due to the return of Daisuke Matsuzaka was considerably muted this morning in Japan, and with jets waiting on the tarmac to take the teams stateside as soon as the game was over, you got a sense that everybody was already in getaway day mode.

That includes this audience member.

Whereas yesterday I was somewhat bright-eyed despite the ungodly early start, today I may have woken up at quarter til six, but after flopping down on the couch and toning down the surround sound I didn't actually open my eyes until about an hour later.

By that time Oakland had already grabbed an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single by someone named Chris Denorfia, and Jon Lester (4IP, 5H, 4ER, 3BB, 4K, HR) was clinging to the hope that he could be like Dice and keep the score close until his offense could bail him out.

No such luck, sushi breath.

After Boston failed to score in the top of the 3rd when Big Papi fouled out to third on a nice play by Jack Hannahan with two men on base, Oakland seized control of the contest in the bottom of the inning thanks to a redeeming hit by last night's goat, Emil Brown.

Brown went from hero to zero in the opener when his one out, 10th inning RBI double off Jonathan Papelbon sliced the Sox lead to 6-5 in the bottom of the extra frame, but he squashed any hopes of a comeback when he was inexplicably nailed off second even though he represented the tying run.

The gaffe hurt even more as the next two batter laced base hits off Paps, virtually ensuring that Brown would indeed have scored to tie the game and making him the butt of Little League-esque jokes from Kyoto to Quincy.

But Brown would get the last laugh today when he came up with two on and one out in the bottom of the third. No sooner did Gary Thorne, a walking, talking gaffe machine himself, declare that this was Brown's opportunity to redeem himself did the former Royals prospect do just that, ripping a 1-0 meatball from Lester deep into the left field stands for an emphatic 3-run homer, a shot that erased the bad memories of the game prior for him and guaranteed a plane ride full of new ones for the boys from Beantown.

Staked to a 4-0 lead Harden wasn't about to fold like a house of cards as his teammate Joe Blanton did the day before. Harden, who never pitched again after that July 7th start last year, culminating what has been 3 injury-riddled seasons as Oakland's future ace, only got better after being handed the big lead. He allowed just three baserunners over the next three innings, one erased on a double play, and the only run he surrendered came on a Manny solo shot in the 6th that merely served as a shutout breaker and got the mercurial rightfielder to within 9 homers of the magical 500 plateau.

The only thing that followed was adding a bit of salt to the wound as former Sox relievers Burger Keith Foulke and Alan Embree slammed the door shut on any comeback hopes with a pair of scoreless innings in the 8th and 9th, and no sooner did Jason Varitek make the final out did the team start heading for the buses for the long return trip back to this country.

A trip that is guaranteed to be even longer thanks to that depressing loss.

NOTES:
-No red bats, no problem: Ramirez finished the trip 3-9 with 2 doubles and 5 RBI but fanned 4 times, 3 today including looking at three straight strikes from Foulke to end the 8th. This after he was forced to buy new bats in Japan because league officials wouldn't allow him to use his special Red Sox red models.

-What have you done for me lately?: Following his 0-3, 3K performance today, Game 1 hero Brandon Moss learned about the harsh realities of life in MLB when he was given the news that he would be heading to Pawtucket, not to LA with the rest of the club, upon his return to the States. Something tells me he won't be there long, and that something is J.D. Drew's brittle body

-Coco's back: Crisp made his debut in CF today after sitting out the opener in favor of phenom Jacoby Ellsbury. He went 1-3 with a double in what was probably the beginning of an early season audition for any teams that may need a center fielder when they break camp

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