Best Sox Brawlers: Revised

Wicked Good Sports has a list of their top 5 Red Sox brawlers from the past two decades. Everything looks good - Greenwell seems rough enough around the edges; we've spoken many times about how Tavarez was crazy (and even saw him go into full action mode once for no apparent reason); Trot Nixon's "dirt dog" moniker stems as much from his willingness to charge into any fight (particularly against the Rays) as it did from his body-destroying style of outfield defense; but the list falls flat at Rich Garces. Really? El Guapo was the best you guys could come up with out of twenty years of players? I can tell you who jumps to mind as a much better alternative with less than sixty seconds of thought: Tom Brunansky.

In case you're not vigorously nodding your head, here are some points in Bruno's favor:

• The 'Stache. When you're looking for a group of guys to back you up in a fight, you can never go wrong with someone who's got a well-developed lip covering. I'm working on a theory that a good mustache is worth at least six months of training as a boxer.
• Slugging Power. Brunansky won't ever stand out as a phenomenal hitter, but he was certainly someone poured out of the classic slugger mold. Sluggers are big guys, big guys are good to have in a brawl.
• The Nickname. Who would you rather have guarding your back? A guy whose nickname means "The Beautiful One," or a guy whose nickname makes him sound like a mob enforcer?
  

Runner up/sixth man for the team: Gabe Kapler. Ask the Pride of Worcester about the Hebrew Hammer's fighting skills.

Manny Versus the Knights of the Keyboard

Glad to see my prediction about slug fests in Boston came true, even if we lost one of them. Oh, and the close loss, too. It's like I'm a goddamn psychic or something.

But losing two out of three to the Yankees at home isn't important; beating on Manny Ramirez is! Red Sox sports pages are full of stories today adding their own twist to Manny's comments about his dissatisfaction with the supposedly adversarial relationship between himself and the owners of his contract, from Ken Davidoff's shrugs ("they've done this dance many times before") to Sean McAdam's full-blown blockbuster trade exploration (Manny for Pat Burrell sounds interesting, but only because Burrell's a rental having a career year) to Dan Shaughnessy's triumphant crowing. No doubt there's some meat to this story - I certainly don't deny that Manny said what he said - but what I find fascinating (and more than a bit repugnant) is how quickly these situations turn into a firestorm of ugly, escalating geometrically like the payload of a nuclear weapon. It's always the same, too: Manny says something, the press reacts, Manny reacts, the press reacts and all of the sudden it's World War III, sports writers want Manny's head on a pole (and they write like everyone else does, too) and Manny wants to play for a team where the local columnists have better things to do with their time than write scathing polemics.

Here's the real mindblower though: with the exception of last year (when we all rightly focused our ire on Eric Gagne and his string of disasters), Manny and the sports press have done this little dance every year since 2003. Every year the problem resolves itself, Manny goes back to hitting, the dogs go back to their kennels, and we wonder whether or not we'll have to deal with this same BS the next year, because we all know full well that Manny's a linchpin in the offense. You'd think by now that both sides would have learned enough self control to stop sniping at each other and keep these escalations from happening in the first place. Of course, that assumes two things: that Manny has the foresight to keep his mouth shut and that writers will stop waving their red capes at every possible opportunity. Somehow, I think that kind of self control is something neither side is willing to acquire.

Games 39, 40, and 41: Dome Divers

Final Scores: Boston Red Sox 5, Minnesota Twins 2
Boston Red Sox 8, Minnesota Twins 9
Boston Red Sox 3, Minnesota Twins 7

The Boston Red Sox have NEVER played well in Minnesota but now it looks like Eric and I aren’t the only ones leaving the weekend with a hangover. Maybe it’s something about that trash bag that sucks all hope out of the Beantown crew. The results are usually ugly, but there were some bright spots in this 1 for 4 stretch in the land of 10,000 lakes.

Although Dice-K got the win (his 6th) the victory on Saturday was a redemption of sorts for Papelbon. After 2 consecutive blown saves, Paps got a gimme save and did so with gusto. A nice bounce back for the most valuable arm in the bullpen. Also back to back shots from Lowrie and Coco. Wow that’s even hard to type.

Sunday was a big tease. After going down big early (Wake looked awful), the Sox kept it close even with Manny on the bench nursing his hammy. So why did he pinch hit in a clutch situation in the late inning (only to line out)? No clue. Sox fell short in the 9th. Not pretty, but a good showing for the return of Cora. Lugo sat as Cora got some big hits and so great plays with the glove. No win to show for it though.

Monday night was the return of Casey and the return of the inconsistent Buchholz. Manny got his 498th round tripper, but that was the extent of the offence. Buchholz gave up some big runs early and the Sox never came close to recovering. Lets get out from under the dome before anyone gets smothered.

The biggest stories of the weekend are the moves and shakes in the bullpen. Bryan Corey was traded to San Diego for a player to be named later. I only hope the PTBNL isn’t Bryan Corey.

Also, I am sad to report that the Sox have parted ways with a man I have gotten some great laughs from over the last 2 seasons. Like a psychotic on lithium, the Red Sox have gotten a lot less crazy… Julian Tavarez has been designated for assignment in preparation for a trade to Colorado. No more balls being rolled to first base, no more Freddy Kruger jokes, no more human sacrifice scares. I’m tearing up just thinking about it. Sigh… at least I can take solace in the fact that he was a terrible pitcher. Yep, I feel better already.

Game 14: The First “How Did We Win That Game?!?!” Of The Year

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 6, Cleveland Indians 4

I’ll give one thing to Jon Lester: He has balls (usually four per batter). I mean he is as inaccurate as I have seen from a pitcher. He has good stuff, but can almost NEVER get it over the plate. It is excruciating how he labors with every batter and it makes every start a white knuckled affair for any Sox fan. Don’t get me wrong, I love the guy and his story as a cancer survivor is amazing, but sometimes I wonder if I am gonna survive him.

So even though the Sox got the early lead on a cold Cleveland night, Westbrook looked good and kept them to one run while Lester fell apart in the 4th and 5th. It looked grim.

Then in steps Tavarez. Yes JT Killer was a strikeout machine and kept it close for the remainder. He was a baby stomping scarefaced monster… only in a good way. It’s kinda hard to describe. Timlin looked good too (bout time) and kept the game in reach.

So down by 1 in the 9th (after a big fly from Youk) Tribe closer Borowski comes in to lead Cleveland to a one run victory. At least that’s what I figured. Isn’t it too early in the season for late inning drama? Shouldn’t we get settled into summer before the heroics grip us again? Hmmmm… maybe not…

After Lugo (big double), Coco (sac bunt) and Pedroia (sac fly) get the run across to tie it, Big Papi steps in and hits a TALL bloop the opposite way… and I couldn’t be more happy. The second hit of the night for the big guy who got a weird ceremony before the game from the rest of the team. It seems to have worked cause Ortiz was taking some very good swings….almost as good as Manny’s last swing. The Bad Man Manny deposited his 493rd homerun in the Cleveland stands to give the Sox a hefty 2 run lead.

Cue Papelbon (5th save), exit drama, enter the win. I love me a comeback victory. Now instead of being mad at Lester before I go to bed, I get to sleep well and worry about him tomorrow. Not too shabby.

Game 9: Can’t Lose Em All

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 2, Detroit Tigers 7

Maybe it’s Detroit Walk City. The Tigers pulled 8 free passes between Lester, Aardsma, Corey, Tavarez and Lopez. Every one made me want to pull my hair out. Lester continues to frustrate. He takes forever on the mound, he throws ten thousand pitches and manages to walk a guy an inning. He gave up a 2 run double to the detestable Renteria and a SHOT into the monster seats for Thames. Not a good start...

After a pretty good 2 inning band aid from Aardsma, Corey pretty much pitched himself onto waivers. To save a roster move, DC suggested that when Timlin comes back he should just shoot Corey and bury him under the backstop.

Tavarez added some excitement by loading the bases, but with a slow tapped back to the mound from Sheffield, he and Tek combined for a 1-2-3 double play. Tavarez celebrated by eating a fetal pig. Good times. Oh and Lopez gave up a solo shot in the 9th. Bad times.

The Red Sox bats looked patient and hot to start (Bonderman looked ripe for a shelling) but the could get nothing done with men on. After a bases loaded walk, Lugo (who had a good night) muscled in a single for another run in the 2nd… but that was as good as it got. Lots of guys left on, lots of bad breaks, lots of squanders. Now factor in Mike Lowell’s thumb injury (just a sprain, Casey filled in) this was pretty much a downer all the way around.

The biggest disappointment at the plate HAS to be Ortiz. He is now 1 for the last 19 and is making everyone wince a little when he comes to the plate. Besides the fact that he is getting nothing to hit, he just looks uncomfortable out there.

So the Tigers finally get one in the win column. You had to figure they weren’t going to lose 162 games… I’m just pissed the drought happened to end in Boston.

Anyway, tomorrow it is the return of Wake to Fenway and a special guest game blogger! Our own angry commenter DC will be in attendance and will bless us with his first-hand recap. Couldn’t be more excited!

Ankle Injury? You’re a Hero! Shoulder Injury? You’re Unemployed!

Ok everyone who is going be a starting pitcher on the Red Sox next year raise your hand.

Woah woah woah… not so fast Curt Schilling.

Apparently, Curt wasn’t so forthcoming in the injury department when Theo signed him to his 1 year $8 million dollar contract for the 2008 season. I guess when you have the reputation that Schilling has garnered, you get a simple “How’s the shoulder?” “Dude, its fine” instead of a complete physical when dealing with the Red Sox front office.

So it turns out that Mr. 38 Pitches has this major rotator cuff tear that may require season/career ending surgery OR at the very least he will be out till the All-Star break. Now besides the fact the Sox are down a major player in the rotation, they are also out a few barrels of kimchi due to Curts big ‘ol payday. Yet, it seems Curt may have knew his shoulder was no good (didn’t anyone see how banged up he was last season?) and the Sox are trying to void his contract.

That fact alone leads me to believe that Schilling will never play for the Sox again. No way you try to get out of a deal with this blabber-mouth and think that it’s all going to be hunky-dory when he gets better. No way. Do you know how much blog mileage he is gonna get out of this? I bet he’s already talked John McCain’s ear off about how nobody should disrespect him like this. Ugh… this can only end in separation.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Curt Schilling. I recognize his greatness, his accomplishments and I was looking forward to him ending his career in Boston. Also, I was expecting 12 wins out of him… but the guy is old, hurt and talks too much. Time to cut the chain.

On a similar note, I love our front office, but HOW is this a surprise to anyone? The guy was a legendary “workhorse” pitcher that’s now on the wrong side of 40! He was going to be the walking wounded even if his arm wasn’t already falling off.

Anyway, this is a roster spot easily filled by Buchholz and Tavarez paring off like oddest couple since Felix and Oscar, so it isn’t a disaster by any stretch of the imagination. I just feel that this would have been best handled a few months ago, but now we’re going to go through the whole “surgery no surgery, contract no contract” rigmarole. I can tell you right now that this is going to be draining.

But it’s not ALL bad… Truck Day on Saturday! Pitchers and Catchers! It’s almost baseball time baby!

And it's COCK FIGHT TIME! Wait... what?

UPDATE: It only took a few hours for the whole situation to get screwy. Now Schilling says he won't get surgery, didn't mean to cause trouble, and will fall in line. He's gonna rehab it out till after the All-Star break. We have to wait and see i guess.

What to Do...What to Do

It wouldn't be a hot stove season at Keep Your Sox On unless our pal DC had a few pearls of baseball wisdom to dispense to the fortunate masses. Here's his take on how the front office is doing as they gear up for the 2008 campaign. Enjoy...

I've been promising to give my opinion of the off-season needs of the Old Towne Team ever since the World Series ended. So why am I so late in doing so? Well, let’s just say that living with Robin can apparently make you lazy through osmosis. So yeah, I know Theo and the boys have already done some things but its never too late to chime in. So without further ado, we might as well start with what’s already happened...

Moves Made:

• Schilling Re-signed – I would have approached this exactly as the front office did. The pitching market this off-season is as dreadful as Ron Jeremy’s physique, so why wouldn’t you throw a one year deal at Schill? Even if he’s no longer a top two guy, he's still a workhorse who competes, drives the rest of the pitching staff, and wants to win. Maybe he can even teach young Clay how to put a little meat on his bones.
  
  
• Lowell Re-signed – This too was ideal in my eyes. I was saying during the World Series that they should offer the Cuban George Clooney a 3 year deal with a club or mutual option for a 4th. Turns out, they got the man with the golden glove for 3 years without the option. So now we all win, Lowell gets paid, the Sox get a World Series MVP, we all get to enjoy his flawless defense and my girlfriend still has someone to think about while we’re in bed...yeah, don’t ask.
  
  
• Wake’s Option Picked Up – This was a no-brainer! Timmy Knuckles continues to be one of the biggest bargains in the league. The guy gives you quality innings, saves your pen, and is one of the vets who keeps things loose. Wake’s option will be picked up every year until he decides to hang it up...and then hopefully he’ll go teach the knuckleball to our A and AA squads.
  
  
• JT’s Option Picked Up – Much like signing Schilling, this makes total sense. The free agent relief pitchers this year are like a who’s who of crap. The devil that you know is much better than the devil that you don’t...particularly when the devil that you know is nuttier than squirrel turds and a quality relief option.

Work To Be Done:

I like the strategy that Theo and the moneymakers seem to be following. In short, secure the starting line up, re-arm the bullpen and then fill in the bench. So let’s look at these three tasks in order:

• Starting Lineup – With Lowell signed, the only decision to be made is who’s in center field. Personally, I like Coco. The guy is a freaking vacuum in center field, only if a vacuum was jet-propelled and was able to fly through the air like Bobby Orr. That being said, Jacoby is clearly the talk of the town and is clearly talented. Sounds like a no lose situation to this guy.
  
  
• Bullpen – As of right now we have a pen of Paps, Okie Dokie, MDC, JT Killer, Javier the Lesser, and Franken-Bronson. Unfortunately a quick perusal of the free agent market leaves you feeling like you just ate a crate of Hot Pockets. While optimistic Sox fans may have faith in the emergence of Bryan Corey and Brendan Donnelly, the reality is we’re talking about a 34 year old with only 3 years of experience in the bigs and a guy coming off Tommy John surgery. So, the front office is going to have to rescue some arms off of this year’s free agent scrap heap and they already missed out on the likes of Kerry Wood, David Riske and Scott Linebrink. Here are some viable options:
  
  
• Mike Timlin – This guy is quickly becoming the ageless wonder. Just when we were all writing him off this season, he came back and cut through more lumber than Paul Bunyan. As long as Tito doesn’t overuse him, he'll be great for 2008.
  
  
• Jeremy Affeldt – Managed to rejuvenate his career for this year’s NL Champs and he’s one of the few free agents who’s actually under 30.
  
  
• Ron Mahay – I don’t know...why not? I trust him more than LaTroy Hawkins.
  
  
• Bench – At this point our bench consists of Alex Cora and the aforementioned Ellsbury. That means we probably have 3 spots that need to be filled and they most likely need to be an outfielder, catcher and utility guy...
  
  
• Catcher – I know somehow Belli fell out of favor with the Boston fans. But here’s the deal, no other guy in the league is a sure thing when it comes to catching Timmy Knuckles. There is no youth available so you’re not getting Tek’s future replacement this off season. So why not go with the sure thing?
  
  
• Outfielder - Bobby Kielty: that huge home run in the World Series has got to be worth something right?
  
  
• Utility - Rob Mackowiak, Eric Hinske, Mike Lamb – None of them are going to carry a team any time soon. But each will give you innings at multiple positions and they all have experience starting games if need be.

Irons in the Fire:

You didn’t think we could go through this roundup without discussion of the blockbuster trade rumors, did you? Honestly, the Santana trade makes me uneasy because of the size of the contract that it will take to complete this deal. $25 million a year is a lot of money for any pitcher. At this point, making a trade for Erik Bedard is more enticing. This trade will cost the Sox fewer prospects and less money. In fact, the ideal move here would be something along the lines of Lester, Coco, Jed Lowry and a mid-to-low level prospect for Bedard and Kevin Millar. This gets Theo the splashy pitcher that he wants, solves the need for a utility guy and makes Boston the most fun-filled clubhouse in the league again. Everybody wins! Regardless of who the Sox trade for (Santana, Bedard, Haren) the real concern here is what does this mean about Dice-K? Do Theo and the boys no longer see him as Schilling’s replacement as 1A to Beckett’s 1?

The Party's Over

The party's over, and people have started to leave. As the overhead fluorescents flicker back on, the mood lighting disappears in a blast of blue-white glare and you're left holding what you hope is the jacket you wore on the way in. The World Series is over, the rolling rally has rolled on into history, and it's time to figure out who's coming back in 2008 and who's hitting the dusty trail to another city and another team. As the announcements start to pour in, however, let's hope the powers who manage our favorite team learned one thing from the aftermath of 2004: trying to duplicate success with cheaper replacement parts dances with disaster at every turn. So far, they haven't figured out that means bringing back Mike Lowell, but there have been a few other moves of note:

Exploring New Opportunities

• Curt Schilling - No surprise here; Curt's been talking his next move since the Sox declined to extend his contract by a year back in the Spring. The master of media relations has been keeping the media and fans abreast of select negotiations matters through his blog, including an announcement intended to dispel rumors that he's ceased discussions with Boston management. Should Curt stay in Boston: behind the fate of Mike Lowell, that's the biggest question about this championship team. I've been inclined to say no, to give both Lester and Buchholz space to shine in next year's rotation, but that means Matsuzaka would need to have a much more consistent year in 2008. Safe money would have Schilling back for one more year.
  
  
• Doug Mirabelli - Dougie filed before the Sox announced they'd be exercising Wakefield's option and before Kevin Cash chose free agency over assignment to Pawtucket, so it's likely he'll be back in Boston for another year, come hell, high water or the promotion of catcher Dusty Brown. When it comes to the knuckleball, I can't see the Sox making the same mistake twice.
  
  
• Bobby Kielty - I wonder how much that pinch-hit, game-difference, helped-win-the-World-Series-with-one-swing home run added to his contract value as a utility player. I'd wish this guy luck, but with Eric Hinske testing the waters I wonder whether or not Kielty might end up making a good bench option for 2008.
  
  
• Matt Clement - I think that marks the end of the "We Don't Need Pedro...We Can Sign Two Starters for Double the Effectiveness at Half the Cost!" experiment Theo launched in 2004. I'd say it all worked out poorly for Boston (I still have nightmares about David Wells taking the mound), but the Sox were right: Pedro's arm is now seeking to finalize the divorce from his shoulder, and the Mets are still paying him to rehab. I guess the winners are the teams that got the compensatory draft picks.
  
  
• Eric Gagne - So, um...don't let the door hit you on the way out, ok?
  

Demonstrating Their Commitment to the Team

• Tim Wakefield - A year without Wakefield on the mound in a Boston uniform is a year I don't want to face, and fortunately neither does the Sox Front Office: they picked up the 2008 version of the recurring option for another year of Knuckleball Fun Featuring Tim Wakefield after an arthogram revealed his aching shoulder just needs rest. I say he goes for 18 wins next year.
  
  
• Julian Tavarez - The Sox didn't put him on the post-season roster, but they still decided to bring the highly versatile and slightly crazed Tavarez back for a third round of erratic pitching, wild gesticulations and blood-soaked baby sacrifice. My theory: either Tavarez is Theo's backup plan in case either Lester or Buchholz turns into a bust, or the Sox couldn't bear to part Manny from his static electricity partner.
  
  
• John Farrell - "Those, rumahs, erah, aboutah Pittsburgh, were, erah, spread by my enemies to discredit me." Probably a good thing if the pitching coach for the team with the lowest ERA in the AL stayed around after that team won a championship, hmmm? Might help contribute to future titles and all that?
  

Entering a Mutually-Chosen Period of Readjustment

• Royce Clayton - Clayton was the acquisition most people (including myself) don't remember Boston making in August; the guy who played six games and sat on the bench in the post-season, and now he's gone, just like that. Royce, we hardly knew ye, and at age 37, it seems a little unlikely any other team will, either. We'll always have Taco Bell, though.
  

Game 144: Bitching and Pitching

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 3, Baltimore Orioles 2

Josh Beckett threw another good 7 innings and is now an 18 game winner, but I’m not happy. Okajima threw a perfect 8th inning and has an ERA smaller than his wispy mustache, but I am not happy at all. Paps got his 35th save and struck out two, but I have to be happy or he’ll come to my house and stare me down.

116 pitches. That’s what it took to get Beckett through 7 innings. Yeah I know our relief core is a bit depleted right now, but that’s a TON of pitches for a guy who should be prepping for the playoffs soon.

Part of that aforementioned relief core is the increasingly tired Oki. He has pitched in pretty much every single game this season and I think it’s starting to get to him. He looked pretty sharp today, but his overuse could be devastating in October. I know this problem almost totally contradicts the first issue… but what are we gonna do? They need to stretch these innings somehow and not overwork these guys before it counts. With Gagne out, they need someone to step up and fill this space. Be it Buchholz, Tavarez or Corey… there needs to be another step before we get to Papelbon.

Oh… and it would be GREAT if we could score these guys some runs too. Another 9 guys left on base and a ton more hair pulled out of my head. What’s with all the bunting? This epidemic of bad bunting is making me crazy and it’s NOT scoring any runs. Hit the ball you morons. A double moves guys over just as effectively.

Thankfully, Coco came through in the 8th with an RBI single and that magic number shrinks to 14. Know how he did it? Not bunting, that’s how.

Game 135: Ouch Ouch Ouch

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 8, Baltimore Orioles 9

Days of pain are among us. With Belli and Manny already down with injuries, it was only a matter of time before other players would follow suit. Wake (tonight’s original starter) was scratched with a sore back (could mean anything) and the long over due for an injury winner J.D. Drew bounced a foul ball off the top of his foot, managed to finish the at-bat, and then cried like a girl as he limped his way back to the dugout. Wuss. Other potential trouble in this game happened to Coco (banged into a wall), Ortiz (hit in the ribs) and Youk (hit in the arm).

Anyway, so that means we have Tavarez starting, Hinske in left and Kielty (who’s ALSO hurt) playing right. This has all the makings of a disaster. If I only knew.

It was a travesty. Apparently nobody told Tavarez that he was pitching past the 3rd inning and fell apart like Brittney Spears career. Now I remember why this guy is a reliever. And speaking of relievers, Timlin’s 1,000th appearance was one I wish he didn’t make. He came in, looked tough, and sucked hard. I just cry when I remember how money this guy was for us over the years… and what he’s become now. PLEASE RETIRE after this year. It’s time to bow out gracefully.

To add some salt and lemon to these wounds, the Sox almost managed to WIN this embarrassment. In the 9th, the ALWAYS atrocious Danny Baez tried to throw the game away, but Tek wouldn’t let him. He hit into a double play to end it with the tying run on 2nd. Where is the clutch? Where are the walk-offs? Where are the heroes? The pain… the pain...

Game 131: I Almost Feel Bad (almost)

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 11, Chicago White Sox 1

Was this like taking candy from a baby? Not really. It was more like taking candy from a baby, then beating up the baby’s dad right in front of the play pen and nailing his mother on the jungle-gym just for fun. This was a pants down spanking. A brutal butt kicking with some embarrassment sauce. Every Red Sox hitter was firing on all cylinders and kept the dominance that was rolling all weekend. 4 win sweep, 10+ runs in every game and 46 total. I mean the White Sox are BAD… but the credit has to go to the Red Sox bats. I mean EVERYONE has been hitting well. Papi, Pedroia, Drew, Kielty, Theo and the hotdog vender hit like gangbusters in this assault on Chicago. To put this beating into perspective, the last time the Sox had an offensive explosion like this was in the 1950’s.

With all these runs (46!! Ha Ha) it’s easy to lose track of what the pitching has done. Tavarez has been crazy good (and just plain crazy) for this team. His 6 awesome innings killed any chance that this DISMAL White Sox team could crawl back into this game. They never had a chance with J.T. Killer and the bullpen super crew running things. MDC (good), Gagne (better), Papelbon (masterful). I mean come ON! Paps in an 11 run game? That’s like using a rocket launcher to swat a fly. He struck out the side just to put the final touch on this crap fest.

This was a great warm up for the Yankees this week. It was like playing a junior varsity team right before you play the state champs. Oh, and those champs? Well, they lost their game with the Tigers and now sit a cozy 7.5 games back. With the Sox having an off day on Monday and the Yankees finishing off their series in Detroit, we could be 8 games up before the Yankees even throw a pitchI hope we can have that 11 game back lead by the end of the week. So much for the sky falling.

Game 124: A Bad Finish

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 1, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3

Sunday afternoon game right before the road trip… why not rest everybody? Sox debut for Bobby Kielty cause our expensive left fielder can’t hit lefties, Sox debut for Kevin Cash cause our backup catcher is a hurt fat ass and the return of Tavarez cause we need more crazy in our lives.

Cash (a defensive specialist) had nothing that resembled a good at-bat, while Kielty had 2 hits and an AMAZING catch to rob Kotchman of a 2 run homer. Must be that ginger-kid luck. Those guys freak me out.

Meanwhile, Julian had trouble in the first (the kind that scored 2 runs) and then trouble in the 3rd (the kind that clears benches). In the 3rd J.T. Killer hit O-Cabs on what looked like innocent wildness. Lando didn’t think so as he and Julian exchanged pleasantries. Everyone joined the discussion but no pushes or punches were thrown. I honestly think this wasn’t intentional. Why would he hit a guy loved by every other person on the Sox? Looked like it was just frustration from O-Cabs because he’s been so hot lately.

But he couldn’t have been as frustrated as the Sox were against Joe Saunders. Tavarez actually pitched a good game, but he had no support due to Saunders (rhymes with squanders) shutting the Sox down all day. By the time they got to him, it was already the 8th and Angels bullpen limited the damage to 1 run.

Enter Gagne (oh God no), who sprinkled 2 hits around striking out the side in the 9th. Good job you Canadian jerk. Where were you Friday night?

Didn’t matter cause the Sox couldn’t get to K-Rod and the series ends in a split. Now only 4 games up on the Yankees. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.

Game 114: Finding Ways to Win

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 9, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 6

This looked like it was going to be a game I tell my therapist about when I finally have my Sox induced psychotic break. Instead, it turned into a game I want to tell my children about… when I create them out off old jerseys and baseball cards during my psychotic break.

The score went back and forth so often, it seemed like it was keeping up with my pacing around the room. Lester looked pretty bad (more on him later) and the Sox offence was doing its typical anemic squander mumbo-jumbo it’s been doing lately… until everyone remembered how to hit at the same time. In the 4th the Sox came back with a 4 run inning on 3 doubles and a whole lot of smiles from the crowd at Fenway west (I’m not sure I even saw any Angels fans there). Then Lester and the constantly mediocre Tavarez gave the lead right back… and then the Sox came back… and then Timlin gave up the tying run… and then Pedroia went deep… urrrp! Excuse me. I got sea sick again just thinking about this rocking boat.

Anyway, just when you figured that the score could go either way, the Sox finally unleashed a weapon I hope makes some regular appearances. The “Oki, Gagne, Paps” combo is devastating to other teams. Call it the 6 inning game. If you don’t have the lead in the 6th… you won’t have the lead EVER. When you see these guys it’s like the Death Star blowing up, the Titanic sinking and Harold and Kumar getting to White Castle… the show is OVER… file out in an orderly fashion. It is always worth staying up to the wee hours just to see those 3 guys in action. Well, that and the fact that for the first time since I-have-no-idea-when the Sox managed to put up some late inning insurance.

The offence was firing, the bullpen was hot and the Sox won to prevent the sweep and regain a 6 game lead over the Yanks. So why am I still unhappy?

Something about this game didn’t sit well with me and it’s a feeling I had before during the first game in the Seattle series. I am hesitant to bring this up for fear of being unpopular, but here goes:

Maybe Jon Lester isn’t that good…

Now hear me out before you get your torches and pitchforks. Lester throws a TON of pitches and very often none of them are strikes. He never goes late into games and he always looks like he’s two batters away from getting creamed. I know he does the Houdini act to get out of those jams and I know he is only the 5th starter and I even know that this guy is a hero who beat cancer… but he really hasn’t looked good out there. Look, I’m not giving up on the guy and I think a bunch more starts will be good for him… I just don’t think he makes a playoff start or anything like that.

Maybe he’s green, and maybe he’s rusty, but I hope we don’t have to depend on him to go the distance when it counts. I don’t think he’s ready.

Game 112: Treated Curt-Ly

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 2, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 4

Fresh off a dominating stint in rehab (honestly who dominates rehab? Well besides Lindsey Lohan?) Schilling took the mound against the mighty City Winged Humans of Another City. It was good to see him back, he seemed to have command on all of his pitches… but honestly I’m not sure how he did. Keep in mind that I watched this game from beginning to end, I looked at the stats and the box score, I was aware of his mound presence... and yet with the inconstancy and awful umpiring from James Hoye in this game, you could make an argument that Schilling was WORSE than he appeared. The same argument could be made for Weaver. They (and the bullpen) got some head scratching strike calls that borderline on criminal offenses.

Assisted pitching lines aside, Schill did look ok in his return. His shoulder looked as strong as advertised and he seemed to be making his pitches. Unfortunately, the hits came so quickly it was almost as if they were just subtle mistakes during an otherwise well pitched game. It just so happens that he made a few more mistakes than Weaver. In the 7th, things really started to fall apart and Tavarez came in to… I dunno… prove his near worthlessness? Just an ugly inning full of homeruns, weird plays and distraught looks from me. Combine that with the dozen or so wasted opportunities the Sox had batting and this makes for an awesome pile of puke.

Going back to what I was talking about before, there was some really odd officiating in this game. Well I guess it’s only “odd” if you think a “totally rage inducing event” is “odd”. On an 0-2 count, Manny held up (and replays show he HELD UP) on an inside pitch, James Hoye said he swung and then tossed him after less than 5 seconds of arguing as he walked back to the dugout. This forced roster move meant that it was call up Brendan Moss facing K-Rod in the 9th inning as the go-ahead run. Guess how that turned out. It was HOGWASH all around and it wasn’t the first time it’s happened this season. Add this to all the OTHER awful calls he made (Lowell’s phantom strikeout comes to mind) and I think this game should be protested by the Sox management… I’m not even kidding.

Maybe umps are getting power hungry or something because they wield the “I’m tossing you!” penalty like a 7 year old with his dad’s gun. These zero tolerance ejections are counter intuitive, counter productive and seem to be for the sake of the umpire’s ego. There needs to be a serious investigation into the conduct of these “eject first, ask questions later” umpires. But lord knows I don’t expect Bud Seilig to do anything worthwhile as he’s busy following those record breakers around… somehow that’s the true priority with this messed up sport.

Please excuse me as I step down from my soap box. Didn’t mean to make things uncomfortable. Kinda awkward huh? Good thing we signed that Carrot Top looking freak Bobby Kielty to lighten the mood.

Yeah… it’s not working for me either.

Game 107: Baby Come Back!

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 5, Baltimore Orioles 4

Oh that feels so good. Throw some Player on the hi-fi and listen to a golden oldie… cause any kind of fool could see, there was something in everything about you (man, I don’t think anybody is gonna get that).

70’s music aside, this was a fantastic win in a fashion I thought was no longer viable. With Tavarez making his spot start an exercise in stranding runners and Trachsel dealing (yeah Steve freaking Trachsel), I thought it was going to be another depressing night for the Red Sox. Honestly, I can’t even remember the last time they had a comeback like this. Was it all the way back to Mother’s Day? That’s awful.

Anyway, the Sox were trailing by 2 in the 7th when Baltimore picked some random guys off the street and decided to call them a bullpen. Seriously, Paul Shuey RETIRED 4 years ago (not a joke) and “Hanging” Chad Bradford was bad when he was on our team. However, even with the lower degree of difficulty the Sox have had trouble getting late runs. Not tonight thankfully. Papi, Youk (biggest hit of his season?) and Tek all came up huge when it mattered. The other big contributor Dustin Pedroia (still quietly having a ROY season) was 3 for 4 and had the other RBI of the night. Timely hitting from the Sox makes me smile like a curveball pitcher throwing to Wily Mo.

Great comeback aside, I think the biggest excitement came from the guy throwing out the first pitch. New Celtic Kevin Garnett threw a floater in to Ortiz and then came up for one of those big Papi bear hugs (he should raffle those off) and then I think he ended up pitching for the Orioles later in this game. Seeing KG there with Papi made me realize something… Minnesota must freaking HATE everyone in Boston right now. The Sox turned a Twins castoff into Big Papi the superstar, the Pats grabbed their former Vikings star wider receiver Randy Moss and now KG is a Celtic and the talk of the town. Kinda funny when you think about it… except if you’re from Minnesota. No hard feelings, ok guys?

Game 106: Beckett and the Big Man

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 3, Baltimore Orioles 5

Oh, Beckett...hoisted by the lone Bedard. There's a stat on Baseball Prospectus called Expected Wins, which acts a bit like the Pythagorean win expectation formula, in that it crunches some numbers and states where the pitcher should be in the wins column right now (as opposed to where they should be at the end of the year). It's an interesting stat to look at to see whether or not a pitcher is leading a charmed life, perhaps with a chance of a terrible comeuppance at some point in the future. Josh Beckett, who falls to 13 and 5 after tonight's dalliance with the mediocre, has an expected win total of 8.0. Yikes.

However, we shouldn't expect Beckett to come down to earth any time soon, at least as far as win totals go; he's outstripped his Expected Wins total every year since 2004 and combined with the above average bullpen aid and high run support he's benefited from this year, there's no reason why Beckett shouldn't keep winning games and end up somewhere between 15 and 20 victories in 2007, even if the numbers say otherwise. Stats are fun like that.

But moving on past Beckett's loss tonight, past the game-ending ground outs from Lugo and Pedroia (why you gotta swing at the first pitch, P-Dawg? Why you gotta hurt me like that?) that gave the failed rally an even bitterer taste, Wily Mo's "0 for 1 with a walk, this is how I rebound post trading deadline" style and the win of gaining Gagne, I want to give a special moment of praise to my man with the long bombs.

Tonight's offense for Boston came entirely courtesy of David Ortiz, who took two separate off speed pitches from two different pitchers into the no-man's land of right center for home runs, marking his 26th multi-homer game as a member of the Sox. For Big Papi, who hadn't hit a home run since the middle of July, everything looked in place: the smooth swing, the perfect connection, the weight landing on the front foot and dropping into place to propel the ball out of the confines and into the books. It makes me feel really, really good to see those elements fall back into place.

Game 102: The Very Charmed Life of Julian Tavarez

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 14, Cleveland Indians 9

Everyone who picked up Kason Gabbard for their fantasy teams after the magic of his last four starts is probably feeling pretty foolish right now. Gabbard, who as we all know is now in competition with Jon Lester for the fifth spot in the rotation /pitching well enough so Schilling's return doesn't demote him back to Triple A did his best not to impress this evening, suffering a four run fifth inning freak out that had Francona worried enough - despite the 9 to 5 lead (go Manny!) - to pull the young southpaw an out before Gabbo could qualify for his fifth win. Was it bad? You betcha; the two run double and a one run single Gabbo surrendered after claiming his second out looked better than the final three batters of the night: walk, walk, hit by pitch. Control much?

Once upon a time, you'd call Kyle Snyder in to clean up these situations and eat up some innings until either the offense scored enough runs to make putting a 12 year old with a broken arm on the mound a viable option, or the game moved into the late innings and bringing in short relief made more sense. Time was, but that time seems to be no more; it's been almost ten days since we've seen hide or hair of young Frankenbronson.

Instead, we have our old pal Julian "JT Killer" Tavarez, who recently his inevitable return to the bullpen to make rotation space for the feel-good case of the year, Jon Lester. I can almost imagine JT Killer holding a bloodletting in the visitor's clubhouse of The Jake, scene of so much ritual magic, praying to the dark gods who gave him the 10 and 2 year for the Indians 12 years ago to let him have another shot at making a difference. The man's dedication to his team is truly inspirational and he repaid that trust with two and a third innings of best and the worst he has to offer. Did Ryan Garko fly out to end the fifth, killing the bases loaded threat? He did - and Tavarez made him do it. Julian also magicked up a one-two-three sixth, pitched around a throwing error by Lugo to pick up the first two outs of the seventh, entered the home stretch, you can make it, Julian...you can give up those four runs first, if you want to. No, really, it's ok: Wily Mo brought his good game for once and hit a line drive home run in the top of the inning.

So congratulations, Julian: you didn't pitch great and your offense totally bailed you out, but you pitched (literally) when it counted and you got another win. Don't let anyone say the Man keeps you down.

Game 99: Jon Lester, No Longer a Clubhouse Cancer

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 6, Cleveland Indians 2

The return of Jon Lester is the biggest feel good story of this Red Sox season. No, not just because Joel Pineiro was DFA’ed and Tavarez was sent to the pen… the man came back from cancer to play baseball! If that doesn’t make you sit back and say “wow” then you must have been completely desensitized by the millions of human interest stories that this has spawned. Actually, that may have happened. I mean this guy is basically Lance Armstrong without steroid allegations and Frenchman hatred. That alone should be enough to saint Lester.

Now combine that with the fact that he pitched pretty freaking good…

Yeah it’s amazing. He got into a few jams (highlighted perfectly with shots of his mother doubled over in the stands with her head in her hands), but like the Houdini he was last season, he managed to wiggle his way past the walks (the ump was AWFUL). Some well timed double plays and some HUGE strikeouts were all he needed to secure his first of what I hope will be MANY victories this season. Rejoice for the healed Jon Lester and take him to the hallowed halls of Sox lore. Move some bloody socks and Ortiz walk-offs… we’ll find some room.

Lester isn’t alone in this comeback parade. Timlin looks like he is officially back from the old folk’s home with another inning plus of solid relief, Delcarmen is back from his vacation of suck he had with the White Sox and the offense is back even without Papi (still resting the sore shoulder) and it’s all because of Manny swinging a big stick again and Coco hitting everything in sight (10 hits in 3 games). This is the Sox team I signed up for! 4 wins in a row baby!

So the win was great, and the story was great, and the atmosphere was great, but we need to realize this may not be a permanent thing with Jon boy. How long the golden child Lester will stay with the big club is uncertain. When Schilling comes back in August it will either be Gabbo or Lester sent down to make AAA starts cause it’s no use wasting either of them in the pen. However long it is, it’s great to have Jon “Tough as Nails” Lester back in the rotation. Just keep him away from Cheryl Crow and everything will work out fine.

Game 97: I Think That Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Gave This Team the Runs

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 11, Chicago White Sox 2

So in a game where the Red Sox score 11 runs… how is it that Manny (2 walks) and Ortiz (didn’t play but the MRI was clear on his knee) had NO HITS? Well thanks to the amazing offense from Coco, Lugo, Drew and Hinske the Sox were still able to score more runs then I ever could have hoped (even with the umps blowing the Lowell out a home call). I can’t verbalize how much I love seeing the dregs produce when the heavy hitters struggle. It’s like losing your wallet on the subway, but then finding three grand in the street.

Speaking of finding gold… is it too late to jump on the Kason Gabbard bandwagon? The only run the Pale Sox scored on him should have been unearned (awful fielding from Wily Mo, somebody him out of MY misery) and he allowed only 3 hits in 7 innings. Combine this with Schilling looking good in AAA and Tavarez running out of crazy magic, I think this means Julian gets sent to the pen while Gabbo is here to stay. Oh and I hope Tavarez doesn’t know where I live because he’d kill me in my sleep for saying that.

Finally, I am not 100% sure these last two games are complete signs that the Red Sox have found a way to turn the “we can’t score runs” thing around. Not to take anything away from the great performance of the lineup OR from the masterful work from Gabbo… but the White Sox suck. I mean they REALLY look awful and lost out there. Who the hell walks in 3 runs?? That’s madness. I’ll need at least a week more at this level and some other teams to test the waters with before I can start screaming about how we’ve turned a corner. But who knows? I hope this is the norm and not some fluke like Wily Mo’s grand slam earlier this year (I heard he’s on roids now! Somebody help me spread that rumor).

Game 94: Kevin Youkilis is in a Slump

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 5, Kansas City Royals 6

More than the fifth wretched Tavarez appearance in a row (the specter of Lester is rising, Julian), more than the blown lead in the fifth that saw KC answer a Boston set of four with four of their own, this game was about one thing: Coco Crisp smacking a triple in the bottom of the eighth that missed a home run (and the glove of an inexperienced Mark Teahen) to tie the game by a foot and a half, then Julio Lugo flying out to end the inning and stranding Crisp on third.

This statement is not meant to be an indictment of Lugo - for once - as the slow-starting shortstop is currently the hottest hitter on the Sox, with eleven singles, two doubles and a home run over his last 26 at-bats, but a statement about the state of the team. As Robin reminded us yesterday, low-hanging fruit like the Royals is an opportunity for easy pickings, not bashing yourself in the head with eighteen men left on base over two games. The Yankee threat looms large and the complacency I mentioned after the first game is a killer.

I do wonder how much of the lost spark stems from Youkilis's post-All Star Game slump, which continued this evening with an 0 for 3 with a walk. Since the restarted last week, Youkilis is batting .150, with four walks and six strikeouts over 23 at-bats. It's an upsetting situation, for while Youkilis has struck out and walked about equally all season, he's not only on pace to have his best season yet, but has been the redeeming life of the lineup all year. Tonight there were times where he looked lost (his lone strikeout) and other times he got unlucky (a hot shot handled by Mark Grudzielanek at second), but nothing indicative of the hoped-for breakout. Seeing the Red Sox play under .500 in seven games since the All-Star break and lose three of those games by one run while Youkilis falters calls to mind potential correlations that I'd really rather not see.