Righting the ship

So, Wake is on the mound tonight for the Sox as they begin the last road trip of the season. Three games in Toronto, three in Tampa Bay with an off day in the middle. Then it's back to Fenway for the final 6 games.

The magic number is still 9, after the Sox lost to the Yankees last night. A very frustrating game - they were down by one run in the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded and the man you'd want to see at the plate is there. But David Ortiz popped out, and the Yankees squeaked out another victory.

But being a glass-half-full kind of girl, I see some good. We definitely lost those games - the Yankees didn't beat us. We lost due to some poor bullpen management, and to some dead bats. The game we won - Saturday's 10-1 victory - made a huge statement. When our pitchers are at their best - and Josh Beckett has been at that point all season - and when they're backed up by some good offense, we are unbeatable. We dominated the Yankees Saturday - and that bodes well for the post-season.

Manny is still out, although I think he's close to coming back. I'd rather he not rush - we want him at 100% come October 1st. Youkilis is also out - he got hit by a pitch Saturday, and has a bad bruise. We need him, too!

And my pop culture note for the weekend. They showed "Highlander: The Source" on the SciFi Channel Saturday night. Now, I'm a HUGE fan of the series - have most of the episodes on tape! - but this was a bloody mess. The plot made absolutely no sense, the special effects made me dizzy. The only bright spots were the smoking hot Adrian Paul and Peter Wingfield. That's two hours of my life I'm not getting back.


And in the random photo of the day:Photo by AP
Apparently, Russell Crowe and Michigan coach Lloyd Carr have gotten to be great mates. They became acquainted when Crowe heard that Carr was using his film "Cinderella Man" to inspire his team. Saturday, Crowe gave a pre-game pep talk to the Michigan squad, and it seems to have been very effective. Michigan beat Notre Dame 38-0. Go Blue!

Magic Number is now 9

Photo by Jim Rogasch
Fantastic game yesterday. After the horrors of Friday night, it was like a refreshing drink after a bitter dish. Whereas all went bad Friday, after we totally lost control in the 8th, Saturday's game was all about dominance. We dominated the Yanks from the 2nd on - Jeter's home run was really the only blemish on the day. After that, Joshua Patrick settled down - and only allowed one more hit. Final score, 10-1. A huge statement win for both the team and Josh. Many (like, Fox) were claiming this was the showdown for the Cy Young. If so, game set match to Mr. Beckett. While Wang was pitiful, Beckett was pitiless.

My favorite play of the game was, of course, Eric Hinske knocking the crap out of Posada:

Pnoto by Winslow Townson

What was great about this moment? The Fenway crowd gave Hinske a standing ovation for the hit as he walked back to the dugout - and the Fox announcers claimed the ovation was for the gutty play of Posada. Ha ha.

Tonight - a matchup I've been impatiently awaiting all day. Rogah Clemens returns to Fenway - and faces our old ace, Curt Schilling. Oh, it'll be fun!

Movin on to California

Getty Images photo/Elsa
I can't dwell on last night's game. First, I hate when ESPN decides to broadcast on of our Sunday games, because it means an 8:00pm start. And Yankee-RS games always last forever! So it was well after midnight before A-Rod ended the game with a home run in the 9th...We lose 6-5.

But I had to chuckle over the NY newspapers this morning. All making it sound like this series will turn around the Yankees' season. They've still got a lot of ground to make up. And we need to keep winning, because any team in the AL East could catch us if we run into injury trouble.

Meanwhile, the game ended at 12:13 and at by 2am the Sox were on a flight to the West Coast. Three games vs. Oakland starting tonight at 10pm, and then 3 games in Arizona. Brutal to follow the Yankee series with a West Coast series....But very cool to think that the next time the Sox are out on the Coast, I'll be with them!

But here's the best news: Dustin Pedroia (above) was named the AL Rookie of the Month for May. According to mlb.com:

Pedroia started the month with a .172 average, but batted .415 over the month to increase his season average to .308. He also had a .600 slugging percentage in May.

A well-deserved honor - and we hope his hot streak continues. Go Munchkin!!

Yanks-RS Round Two

Globe photo by Matthew Lee
So, if Friday night's game looked like target practice (five hit batsmen), Saturday's game looked like a football match. And Mike Lowell was at the center of two plays. In the photo above, he's taking out Robinson Cano, who was trying to turn a double play. And later, in the seventh, he collided with Doug Mientk (well, you know, the guy with the long name who kept a certain baseball) as he tried to beat out a fielder's choice. "Eyechart" (as he was known in Boston in '04), had to be carted off to the hospital - he looked dazed, confused and injured. Yikes - very scary.

But Mikey was also a key offensive player - had a homerun and four RBIs. Yeah! And the Sox bounced back from Friday night's loss to win 11-6 - mostly due to a 5-run 7th.

One of my buddies - who doesn't follow any sports, let alone baseball - told me today, "Boy, that was an exciting game. I watched part of it"! Yes, the Red Sox will convert all....

Hot time in Boston

Herald photo by Mark Garfinkle
Last night was the first game in yet another three game series against the Yankees. This is actually the last time we'll play them until September - thank heavens! These games make me so tense - I'm bouncing all over the place and/or raiding the kitchen. My waistline will be glad for the break.

This series seems different to me than others, however. There is a definite air of desperation surrounding the Yankess - they began Friday 13 1/2 games out of first, their weakest position since the early '90s. A-Rod was being vilified and mocked in the NY papers all week. First he was photographed entering and leaving a strip bar in Toronto with a blonde not his wife; they were followed to his hotel. Hmm.. That night, in the game vs. the Blue Jays, A-Rod seems to have violated an unwritten behavior code. As he ran the base path between 2nd and 3rd, he cut behind the 3rd baseman as he was attempting to catch a high pop-up. Right behind him, ARod yelled "Mine," so the infielder backed off the catch, thinking the short stop had it. Wrond - the ball fell to the ground uncaught, and the Yankees had a cheap run. Not cool.

So a lot of interest for the game last night at Fenway. Here is the scene by the Yankee dugout - ARod's fans donned "princess" masks in honor of his Blonde Bombshell:
Photo by Mark Garfinkle

Tough game to watch if you were a Sox fan, because the Yankees really put the game away fairly early. Lowell had a dazzling play in the first, but then got beaned on the wrist and had to leave the game. Coincidence? I think not. Later, when a player tried to steal third (and the Yankees were already ahead by 6 at the time) and was caught, Torre got into a huge screaming match with the 3rd base ump, and was ejected. Seemed like a desperate attempt to light a fire under the Millionaires club. And the last straw was in the bottom of the 9th: Scott Proctor hit Youkilis (who had extended his hitting streak to 23 games) nearly in the head. (That's the photo on top). The benches leisurely cleared - no fights, although Youkie looked ready to take them all on!

Could be an exciting game today. Schilling is pitching - and he's been known to "avenge" such incidents. However, I think the best revenge is to take the next two games, and send Torre to the unemployment line! I dread today's game for one thing, however: it's on Fox. Aaargh. McCarver and Buck - hey, bartender....

Res Sox Yanks

First, Happy Birthday Batty! Today is Julian Tavarez' 34th birthday - and he's starting against the Yankees. Here's hoping MY birthday wish comes true for him - a win!

Last night's game was kind of bummer. We lost 6-3, but it was never really close. Yanks scored two in the first, two in the second, and that pretty much put it out of reach. And a bummer for me - no NESN, so had to choose between the YES network and ESPN. Both crews are pretty horrific when compared to our NESN boys. Although, John Flaherty on YES is a little more palatable than Rick Sutcliff (who never shuts up!) The win puts the Yanks "only" 9 1/2 games behind us.

It's only May....It's only May

The devil went down to Houston

and found this guy.

So, dramatically, Roger Clemens announced in the seventh inning of today's Yankees game that he was rejoining the team. I was totally caught off guard by my intense emotional reaction to the announcement. Besides screaming profanities at the t.v., I felt bereft. I really thought he might end his career in Boston - complete the full circle of his career. Instead, he followed the money.

But, in further contemplating it, it's not totally shocking. He had stated he wanted to play for a contender this year - and the Astros weren't burning up the National League. The Sox are. But that could be the problem - our pitching rotation. We've got Schilling, Beckett, Matsuzaka. All pitching well. There really isn't room in the Boston press for Rogah. He would be at best a 4th starter. He can't play the Diva in Boston. New York, however, is all set up for him.

The Yankees rotation in disarray and mostly on the DL, and Rogah is desperately needed. He can be seen as the hero on the white horse, riding in to deliver a championship to King George. And yet, he still will probably only be a #3 starter for them - and probably can only deliver 5 or 6 innings per start for them. This brings no relief for their bullpen - which is where they really need help.

I thought this observation from someone on SoSH was interesting:

If he starts on June 8th, Clemens can make his first 3 starts against NL teams (Pittsburgh/@ Arizona/Colorado).

And he will probably put up some good numbers. However, I suspect that Mr. Clemens will find a different story when he starts facing the opposition in his own league. We've seen so many examples recently of the difficulty of the transition to the other league - how Beckett took a year to adjust to the AL, how Arroyo prospered in the NL once he didn't have to face AL batters. To paraphrase Kelly, I suspect Clemens will have his hat, spikes and ass handed to him by AL hitters.


Enough of this Clemens crap.

Schilling pitched another gem - and the bats came somewhat to life. The Sox beat Minnesota 4-3, winning 2 out of 3 at the Metrodome. Pedrioa must be feeling Cora breathing down his neck, because he broke out and hit 2 doubles and a single. Yeah, Munchkin. And the sight of Manny and Tavarez in the dugout was high-sterical - Manny was actually petting Tavarez' shaved head like a kitty.

You'd never see Manny rubbing down Rogah like that!

Random Wednesday Thoughts

Globe Photo by Jim Davis
1) Last night's game against the A's was a slight return to reality after the Yankee series. We actually led 4-0 at one point - but ended up losing in ten innings, 5-4. Jonathan Papelbon had his first blown save of the year. Yes, he's not perfect - which seems to have taken some people by surprise. He was perfect in April - and I guess we thought it would continue. Totally unrealistic, I know. And maybe it'll do him - and us - a world of good to have him fail. And happening this early in the season isn't going to hurt us. That which does not kill us makes us stronger!

2) Mike Lowell is using a new glove. He seems to be punishing his regular game glove for causing him to make errors!

3) One of the sickening parts of last night was seeing Schilling waste a decent outing. He's looking more and more like the Schill of 2004 - which is a fantastic sign.

4) Nick Cafardo has a great article about Terry Francona in today's Globe. His premise is:

But even the skeptical minority would have to say Terry Francona is managing this year about as well as any manager in the history of the franchise.

Hmm.. I agree he's doing a great job managing his players right now. And he's certainly built an impressive track record in the past three years. But I'm going to wait a little bit longer to call him the greatest.

5) When he pitched against us in the 2004 World Series, I knew Julian Tavarez was a little loopy. Punching a wall with your pitching hand as your team is heading into the post-season is NOT a wise or sane decision. And one of the first times we saw him in a Red Sox uniform, he was taking a swing at Joey Gathright. But he continues to endear himself to me. He could be this year's Millar - lightening up the locker room, always with the great quote. Like in today's Herald:

As for his own status, Tavarez is content. “I’m just taking one day at a time and I’m ready for anything. I’ll do anything. If they say clean the office I’ll go clean the office. As long as I have my uniform I’m a member of the Red Sox.”

Aww.

6) Trying not to revel in the Yankees' problems. But I have to admit to feeling a little sorry for their pitchers. They all seem to be wearing a target on their backs. After we broke their started Karstens on Saturday, now their hot prospect Hughes has gone down with a pulled hamstring. Sad too because he was pitching a no-hitter into the 7th. At the time of his call-up, I worried that they were pushing him too soon - that's basically what happened with Hansen last year. But they really had no choice - they have few other options for starting pitching. This will certainly make the Clemens chase interesting.

Bronx bombshells

Getty Images photo by Nick Laham

So, we've played the New York Yankees six times in the last two weeks - and we've won five of those games. I know it's only April - repeat, it's only April! - but I can still feel great, can't I??

Yesterday's game was the only low spot - we lost 3-1. The game was broadcast nationally on Fox - and I got to watch it! Never was I so glad to listen to McCarver and Buck! I just wish the final had been in our favor.

But today we turned it back on. Of the three games, I was sure this would be the dicey one - we had Julian Tavarez starting for us. I know he gets some negative feedback on the RS blogs - but, he's certainly an adequate fifth starter. He eats up innings, saving our bull pen - and he pitched 5 innings - 5 hits and 3 runs - which, against the Yankees, I think is pretty respectable.

We had three homers today. Two were no surprise - Manny and Ortiz. But, CORA?? His homer was a complete surprise - and then a triple?? I think Dustin Pedrioa is very talented - the future of our franchise. But how can you deny Cora playing time? He's definitely got the hot bat right now. Tito has some big questions to answer about who is our second baseman.

I had to listen to the YES Network today - that was the station of choice on Extra Innings. Michael Kay is a total homer - and incredibly annoying. But the other two announcers were (formerly, briefly, a RS) John Flaherty and pitcher Al Leiter (who is best remember for his stint with Fox during the '04 World Series). These two are really good - lend some real insights to the broadcast, and they play off each other in terms of information really well. Made wonder what it would be like if NESN got a former player to join Orsillo and Remy in the booth. (Calling Kevin Millar)

One of my fav moments: when Ortiz was batting, Kay starting asking why he's so beloved. He sounded so disappointed and confused that "everyone" in the league seems to love him. Leiter said that when he'd seen Papi earlier, Papi had enveloped him in a big hug and laughed and smiled with him. Leiter said, how can you not love a guy like that? Kay said, well, the Yankees have a player like that, who everyone loves. Oh - who is that? Jason Giambi!! Now, yes, Giambi is usually voted one of the Player Favorites - but he's hardly universally loved like Papi is!

So day off Monday. Phew. And nice that it was an afternoon game. Last week's Sunday night game put me at an incredible sleep deficit all week!

In first place....it's only April, but I love it!!

Random Wednesday Thoughts

Actually had this post ready yesterday - which was, in fact, Wednesday - but forgot to hit publish!

A beautiful sunny day here - time for some ramblings:
1) I know it's only April but I can't tell you the joy I feel in seeing the Yankees in last place in the division. I know - they'll be back- but let me bask for a moment or two...

2)Finished basking - and hopefully, so have the Sox. The two games against Toronto were a real letdown - but I think they felt spent. I know I sure did. We're off on a road trip now - two games in Baltimore at Fenway South - and then three at Yankee Stadium. I can't imagine the weekend games could top the first three - but I'll be glued to the tv nonetheless. (Well, except for Saturday - I'm sure we'll get the National League game)

3) Mike Lowell is hot! Well, in general, yes, but also at the plate. He had two homers the other nght - has a five game hitting streak going. Amazing sometimes how being in a contract year effects ones production. It's amazing to think that last year he started as such a question mark - and he's really emerged as a team leader.

4) This year's pleasant surprise is pitcher Hideki Okajima (or "Oki," as Francona is calling him!) He flew under the radar - at his signing, we were more interested in that "other" Japanese pitcher. But Oki came out Friday and shut down the Yankees in front of a rabid Fenway crowd - and still was smiling. Looking forward to his performance this year.

5) Millar tonight! I really miss seeing him - I hope he makes an appearance or two on NESN. He would be a great presence in the NESN booth when he retires - he's absolutely hysterical!

A glorious spring weekend

Globe photo by Jim Davis
What an exciting weekend of baseball, Red Sox v. Yankees-style. Friday night's come from behind, Saturday's game which featured Big Papi homering - they were both overshadowed by Sunday night's game. Wow! Some of the more exciting parts:

*Well, of course, number one was the four-in-a-row homers by the Red Sox in the 3rd. Down 3-0, Manny Ramirez hit one over the Monster with two outs. I'd felt he was due to start breaking out of his "slump," so I took that as a welcome sign. Next up was JD Drew, who powered one into the bleachers behind the Bull Pen. Yeah, score now 3-2. Then it's Mike Lowell - another one into the Monster seats, and suddenly we're tied!. I couldn't believe it! I looked away from the tv for a second, and I hear Jon Miller making the homer call - and I figured they were replaying Lowell's homer. No, it was Jason Varitek following up with ANOTHER one over the Monster, and now we're ahead 4-3. I was screaming "Unbelievable" at the tv - scared the cat and, I'm sure, my neighbor! Then Wily Mo stepped up - and if anyone has the power to make it five in a row, it's him. Unfortunately, he struck out - Lowell said that when Wily Mo came into the dugout, everyone was saying "Yeah, you suck" to him!

This is only the 5th time a team has hit four consecutive homers - and the first time since 1963 they've hit four off one pitcher. The last time for the four homers was last year, in a Dodgers-Padres game. The Dodgers hit four homers off two pitchers to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th - a game won in extra innings with a homer by Nomar. And who hit one of those four homers? J D Drew - who hit the second home run in BOTH instances. Strange.

Even stranger coincidence is that in the previous time this feat was accomplished in 1963, one of the home runs hit by the Cleveland Indians was by our manager's father, Tito Francona. Karma, baby, karma.

PS - I love that photo. It's actually from later in the game -when Lowell hit ANOTHER homer, this time for 3 runs - but it shows all four of our "homers" together.

*ESPN had some great reaction shots to the homers. The best were the shot of Manny in the dugout and Theo in the luxury box. When Lowell's shot went out, they showed Manny leaping around the dugout, hugging everyone in sight. Say what you will about our Manny, it appears that his teammates aren't nearly as disenchanted with him as the press would have you believe. He was like a big puppy, bounding around to everyone's clear delight. And as for Theo - here's a screen capture I grabbed from "Surviving Grady" this a.m.:
Doesn't look too detached, does he?

*This was first three-game sweep of the Yankees at Fenway since 1990.

*Daisuke had a few control problems all night, most noticeably when he hit two batters. Of course, I couldn't think of two better batters to hit than A-Rod and Jeter! If Matsuzaka wanted to win the heart of RS Nation, that's one way to do it!

*I know - it's only April. We've got a long way to go. But an exciting series like this really makes you glad we have baseball back. And just whets the appetite for the rest of the season. We've got quite a week ahead of us - two games v. the Toronto Blue Jays; two games at Baltimore; and then three games over the weekend at Yankee Stadium. I hope the boys aren't too emotionally let-down tonight...