It's Official

11.19.2008

The 'Rese Rice of the Sox is gone
Red Sox trade Coco Crisp to K.C.

Written by: Boston Sports SID

It's a official.

The Red Sox media relations team is at the top of its game again as they officially announced the trade of Coco Crisp to the Kansas City Royals for right hander Ramon Ramirez earlier today.

Since acquiring Crisp for Andy Marte during the 2005-2006 off-season, the Sox former centerfielder has not lived up to the expectations of a lead-off hitter. Along with that, when Jacoby Ellsbury emerged on the season in 2007 and dazzled the Red Sox fans and management with his play at the plate and in the field, it became quite obvious Crisp was the odd man out. He platooned most of the 2008 with Ellsbury and took over the starting position in Game Five of the ALCS, when Ellsbury struggled throughout the playoffs but the position belonged to Ellsbury.

We wish Coco all the luck in Kansas City as the Red Sox welcome 27-year-old right hander Ramon Ramirez to the Hub of the Universe. Ramirez comes to the Sox after spending two seasons with the Colorado Rockies and one with the Royals. In his two years with the Rockies, 2006-2007), he had 6-5 record, a 4.45 ERA with 76 strike outs and 33 walks in 85 innings of work. Last season in Kansas City, Ramirez was 3-2 with a 2.64 ERA, 70 strike outs, 31 walks and one save in five chances in 71 games.

-- Boston Sports SID

What’s Cooking on the Hot Stove for 2009?

10.22.2008
Positions in Much Need of Attention

Catcher

When Akinori Iwamura stepped on second base to record the final out of the ALCS, eliminating the Red Sox from the playoffs, the Rays also ended Jason Varitek’s career in Boston. In previous years, the Sox turned a blind eye to the limited offensive production the longtime Sox catcher provided at the bottom of the order because of his excellent game calling ability. Since signing a four year $40 million contract following the 2004 season, Varitek hit .256 (433-1693) with 64 homeruns, 236 RBIs and 448 strike outs. His best year was back in 2005 where he was 132-for-470 (.281) with 22 homeruns and 70 strike outs but since then he has gone down hill quickly. Varitek finished last season with a .220 batting average, .313 on-base percentage, .359 slugging percentage and a .672 OPS, all well below his career average.

Just like the quarterback position in football, trying to find a catcher who is a good game caller and adds some spark at the plate is nearly impossible. They are hard to come by, which is why there are only three elite catchers in Major League Baseball today, Russell Martin in Los Angeles, Joe Mauer in Minnesota and Brian McCann in Atlanta. And these players are all home-grown talent. The Red Sox have a great farm system but do not have any catchers who are ready or close to being ready to fill in the big shoes left by Varitek.

Heading into the 2008 season, the top catching prospect is Matt Wieters in the Baltimore Orioles organization. There is no way the Orioles will part ways with their number one prospect so the Sox are going to have to look else were. One solution is making a deal with the Texas Rangers’ catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. In the past the Red Sox had already expressed interest in the first year catcher and with Taylor Teagarden waiting in the wings, it makes Saltalamacchia expendable. After being acquired from the Braves for Mark Teixeira at the 2007 trading deadline, the Rangers used the rookie nearly as many times at first base as they did behind the plate (38 times at first, 47 at catcher). To make a deal for Saltalamacchia the Sox would have to part ways with either Clay Buchholz or Michael Bowden, probably leaning more towards Bowden with the way Buchholz pitched this year.

In a perfect world the Sox would sign Varitek to a one year contract to mentor the 23-year-old catcher. But with Scott Boras as his agent I do not see that happening any time soon. The Red Sox are in a similar predicament the Patriots faced in the first week of the season. Go with a stop gap veteran or go with the inexperienced.

Center field

If Jacoby Ellsbury really is the center fielder of the future, then this is the off-season to trade away Coco Crisp. His trade value will not get any higher so if the Sox are really looking into trading Crisp, now is the time to do it. Many expected Crisp to be traded before the end of the season but when the rookie struggled in the post-season was right there to step in and produce. In the post-season, Crisp was the Sox’s best hitter with a .417 batting average,a .517 on-base percentage, .500 slugging percentage and a 1.017 ops in seven games played. On the season the veteran outfielder, had his best season in a Sox uniform, with a line of .283/.344/.407/.751 at least ten points higher than his previous high in Boston (.268/.330/.382/.712 in 2007).

In his first full season in the big leagues, Ellsbury has not impressed the fans like he did in the 2007 post-season. Although he led the league in stolen bases with 50, the rookie hit .280 with nine homeruns, 47 RBIs as well as had an OBP of .336 and an OPS of .730. Not mention his 0-for-20 streak in the ALCS where he was replaced by Crisp in Game Five.

Shortstop

Biggest question here, is Jed Lowrie ready to be the starting shortstop for a full year? In half of season with the big club, Lowrie was just 67-for-260 (.258) with two homeruns, 46 RBIs, 35 walks and 60 strike outs. The first full year in the majors is always tough on young players as we saw with Ellsbury this past year so we do not know how Lowrie will respond with his first full season on a major league roster. After going through four shortstops in the last four years, the Red Sox need to take a different approach at the position. The Red Sox will most likely keep Julio Lugo on the roster and use him as an emergency plan should Lowrie look like he can not keep up with the physical demands of playing a full season in the majors, as what happened with Ellsbury.

#4 Hitter

Kevin Youkilis did an outstanding job as a clean-up hitter for the last two months of the regular season and playoffs but the Sox first baseman is not your typical #4 hitter. The Red Sox should make a concerted effort to sign Mark Teixeira to be their 2009 clean-up hitter. With Scott Boras as Teixeira’s agent, it will be difficult to sign the All-Star free agent but Theo Epstein has a good history with Boras and found ways of making the Super-Agent look foolish (i.e. Daisuke Matsuzaka).

If the Sox acquire Teixeira then the team has so many options. They can move Youkilis back across the diamond, because you do not know what Mike Lowell is going to be like following off-season hip surgery. Or if Lowell is healthy, they might entertain the option of using Youkilis’s low salary as trade bait for pitching. If the Sox do not acquire Teixeira, then all things are status-quo and they will go into the 2009 season with a .289/.385/.472/.857 hitter in Youkilis in the fourth slot in the order.

Onto Game Seven

10.19.2008
RED SOX DEFEAT RAYS 4-2; SERIES TIED 3-3

Jason Varitek’s first hit of the post-season keeps Sox World Series hopes alive for another day
Jon Lester takes the hill in do-or-die Game 7

(October 18, 2008) – It is Rivalry Weekend.

With Boston College hosting their former Big East and current ACC rival the Virginia Tech Hokies, the Eagles found themselves down 10-0 early, it made Superfans question whether they should have stayed home and watched Game Six. But if there were at home they would have been just as angry at TBS as they were at quarterback Chris Crane in the first quarter.

Due to a power-outage in Atlanta, TBS sent all of Red Sox Nation into a frenzy. Living room phones were ringing off the hook as everyone was in disbelief about what was happening. But as soon as the lights came on, so did the Red Sox bats against Big Game James Shields. After B.J. Upton, gave the Rays the early 1-0 lead but Kevin Youkilis would get that run back for Josh Beckett with solo-blast to left to lead-off the top of the second.

Just as Crane was bringing the High Flyin’ Eagles of Chestnut Hill back from a 10-0 hole, Youkilis was bringing the Sox back from the brink of the elimination. In the top of the third, Dustin Pedroia drew a four pitch walk from Shields before David Ortiz drove a line drive just out of the reach of Carlos Pena at first for a double, sending Pedroia to second. Youkilis came through once again by putting the bat on the ball and grounding out to Jason Bartlett at shortstop to drive home Pedroia from third.

The Rays would eventually came back to tie up the game in the fifth inning on Bartlett’s first RBI of the post-season when he lifted a homerun solo-homerun to left center to tie the game at two a piece. The light hitting but sure handed shortstop had just one round-tripper on the season but he came through for Tampa Bay when they needed it most. But the lead would be short lived as another unexpected hero came through in the clutch – this time wearing the visiting greys.

Coming into Game Six, Jason Varitek was 0-for-12 in the ALCS against the Rays and in his previous two at-bats were nothing to write home about but it was his third plate appearance of the night that brought Sox fans to their feet. After which Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura made tremendous play jumping up and robbing Mark Kotsay of a base hit and then Shields catching Jed Lowrie staring blindly at strike three, a collective groan from Sox fans world wide could be heard with Varitek stepping to the dish.

Good things happen when you always seem to least expect them. How many fans can honestly say they expected Varitek to take Shields deep to give the Sox the lead once again and ultimately win the game? If you said you did then you are lying. Varitek’s barely made it over the right center field fence but it does not matter if it was 502 feet or lands in the first row of the seats (a la Varitek’s), it all counts for the same thing.

Although Beckett did not have his best stuff he was much more effective than his first start, in Game Two, against Tampa Bay. After giving up eight runs on nine hits in his first start, the Sox fireball right hander cut his earned runs by three-quarters while allowing four hits, walking three and striking out three. In the other dugout, Shields was something other than Big Game James, where the Rays Ace went 5.2 innings allowing three earned runs on nine hits while walking three and striking out three.

When the bullpen was the weakest link for the Sox in the first four games and for the Rays in Game Five, it turned out to be the strongest in last night. Hideki Okajima, Justin Masterson and Jonathan Papelbon combined to keep the Rays batters off balances while allowing just one walk and three strike outs. The Rays bullepn was just as strong as they kept Sox batters guessing by allowing one hit (against J.P. Howell) while walking three and striking out one.

For the second consecutive year, the Sox force a Game Seven in the ALCS after being down 3-1 to begin the series. They will send Jon Lester, who hopes to rebound after his worst outing of, realistically, the year when he went 5.2 innings allowing five runs – four earned – on eight hits while walking two and striking out seven last Monday. The Rays will send Matt Garza to the hill in hopes that he can match his Game Three performance, where he went six innings allowing just one run while scattering six hits, walking three and striking out five.

But do not count the Rays out. When their backs are against the wall they have come through in the clutch themselves. In September, with the division on the line in Fenway Park, the Rays took two of three from the Sox.

RED SOX 4, RAYS 2

WIN: Josh Beckett

LOSS: James Shields

SAVE: Jonathan Papelbon

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Top 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Jason Varitek, BOSTON --- 1-4 HR, RBI
2. Coco Crisp, BOSTON --- 3-4 Run-scored
3. B.J. Upton, TAMPA BAY --- 1-4 HR, RBI

Drew Comes Through, Again!

10.17.2008

RED SOX STORM BACK AGAINST RAYS TO WIN 8-7; RAYS LEAD SERIES 3-2

J.D. Drew prolongs Red Sox season with Game-Winning base hit to right to cap off an 8-7 win

(October 16, 2008) – Remember when your teachers would tell you even if you forget your homework one day just turn it in the next because it is “better late than never.” Well that is apparently the philosophy the Red Sox live by in the ALCS.

J.D. Drew is quickly become a Red Sox folk hero. After coming through with a two-run homerun earlier in the game to bring the Sox within one in the bottom of the eighth, Drew drove in Kevin Youkilis with a line drive base hit over Gabe Gross’s head to prolong the Sox season. Before Drew’s at-bat, Youkilis singled to third and advanced to second on Evan Longoria’s throwing error. The Rays would intentionally walk Jason Bay for the lefty-lefty match-up between Drew and J.P Howell, a decision that Tampa Bay would later regret.

When Joe Maddon pushed Big Game James Shields back a day and gave the ball to the Southpaw Scott Kazmir, the Tampa Bay manager also gave Sox fans an early Christmas present. All season the Red Sox have killed Kazmir pitching so it was almost assured the series would be going back to St. Petersburg with the Rays leading the series 3-2.

But the man who once dominated the Red Sox return to his old form and shut out the Sox for six innings on 110 pitches. In those six innings, he scattered two hits while walking three and striking out seven Boston hitters and it looked like the Tampa Bay was on the road to their first World Series appearance in franchise history. But what was so dependable for the Rays during the season and in the playoffs, the bullpen coughed up the lead like the Patriots defense did in the Super Bowl.

Facing elimination for the second time in two years in the ALCS, the Red Sox had the man they wanted taking the hill against the Tampa Bay Rays. Ironically in the 2008 ALCS, Daisuke Matsuzaka was the only Sox starter that had success against the raging Rays. In Game One Matsuzaka took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and ended up shutting out the AL East Champions to put Boston up in series 1-0. Now, three games later, Matsuzaka was called upon to keep the Red Sox season alive for another day.

It took Tampa Bay six innings to get their first hit off of Matsuzaka in Game One but in Game Five it took Akinori Iwamura just six pitches before he lined a single into right field. Sox fans were out in full force, hoping for another magical come-from behind series victory but with one swing of the bat B.J. Upton, once again, let the air out of crowd with a two run on a 1-1 fastball giving the Rays the early 2-0 lead.

A one-out single up the middle in the top of the third inning by Upton put the “P” in MVP of the ALCS to bring the Rays first baseman, Carlos Pena, to the dish with a man on base. Against Matsuzaka, the Northeastern Alum hit a towering fly ball over Pesky’s Pole and when it came down Tampa Bay had a four-run advantage. The Rays continued their power surge when Evan Longoria went back-to-back with Pena, by depositing a 3-2 offering into the second row of the Monster seats and the collective growns of Red Sox Nation “oh here we go again” could be heard in Framingham.

Matsuzaka retired the next five Ray batters before walking Iwamura in the top of the fifth and turning the ball over to fellow country-man Hideki Okajima. Between the two Japanese pitchers, they retired eight out of 10 Tampa Bay batters since Longoria’s long ball back in the third inning.

Manny Delcarmen came in to begin the seventh inning but did not last long. He was quickly was pulled after walking both Jason Bartlett and Iwamura, back-to-back, in favor of the fire-ball closer, Jonathan Papelbon. Papelbon was rudely welcomed into the game when Upton rocketed a double off the corner of the scoreboard in left to drive in Bartlett from second and Iwamura from first to give the Rays the 7-0 advantage.

After a long seventh inning, Maddon opted to go to his bullpen after Kazmir already threw 110 pitches. Tampa Bay had one of the best bullpens in the league this season so it was almost a foregone conclusion that they would continue to dominant by getting the last nine outs of the game to cruise into the World Series. But these are the never say die Red Sox and a double into right by shortstop Jed Lowrie reignited the Fenway Faithful.

Coco Crisp kept the inning alive with a two-out single into center field to bring Dustin Pedroia to the plate and “The Little Pony” came through with a base hit to right field to drive in Lowrie and send Crisp to second. David Ortiz struggled all through the post-season but when the game is on the line and there are runners on-base in the late innings, Ortiz is the man you want up at the plate. And once again he proved it as he launched a shot to the same exact area where Pena’s homerun came down four innings prior.

Papelbon was able to retire the side in order in the top of the eighth to get the Sox offense back to the plate. Since coming on in relief of Grant Balfour, Dan Wheeler walked Jason Bay to lead off the inning and there is one thing in baseball that is worse than a hit for a pitcher and it is a walk. J.D. Drew had already been a post-season hero once, last year against the Indians, and he came through again this year, bringing the Sox within a run with homerun just right of the Rays bullpen. Wheeler would get Lowrie to fly out to left and strike out Sean Casey, who pinch-hit for Varitek before Mark Kotsay doubled over Upton’s head in center. He came around to score on a base hit to right by Crisp after fouling off numerous pitches from Wheeler until he got the one he wanted, to send the game the game into extra innings.

The Sox send Josh Beckett to the hill in Game Six where he will be opposed by Big Game James Shields. Beckett is coming off one of his worst performances in the playoffs where he gave up the lead three times during Game Two while Shields pitched a tremendous Game One but was outdone by Matsuzaka.

RED SOX 8, RAYS 7

WIN: Justin Masterson

LOSS: J.P. Howell

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The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. J.D. Drew, BOSTON ---- 2-4 Homerun, Double, 3 RBIs

2. Coco Crisp, BOSTON --- 2-4 RBI

3. B.J. Upton, TAMPA BAY ---- 3-4 Homerun, Double, 4 RBIs

J.D. Drew’s third inning RBI double put Sox back in the driver’s seat of the AL East

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RED SOX TOP RAYS 5-1; MOVE TO 37-25
J.D. Drew’s third inning RBI double put Sox back in the driver’s seat of the AL East

(June 4, 2008) – The Red Sox bounced back into first place with the 5-1 victory behind J.D. Drew’s RBI double to right in the third. Josh Beckett earned his sixth win on the season by pitching six innings allowing one earned run on seven hits while walking none and striking out five Tampa Bay hitters.

Rays starter Edwin Jackson had not allowed a hit until the first batter in the bottom of third and that is when it all unraveled for the Tampa Bay right hander. Center fielder Coco Crisp led off the inning with a base hit back up the middle into center. Rookie Jacoby Ellsbury hit squibbler with one-out to drive Crisp home from second. With Ellsbury on first, Jackson caught the Sox young outfielder getting cocky, leaning too far to second and decided to check him back to the bag. But the Rays first baseman, Eric Hinske could scope Jackson’s low throw and the ball escaped to the fence along the Sox dugout allowing Ellsbury to advance to second. He would score on Drew’s two-out ground rule double that bounced into the stands in right field. Manny Ramirez followed Drew’s double with a single of his own into center to score the Sox right fielder from second.

The lone Rays run came in the top of the fourth when third baseman, Evan Longoria lined a one-out double to deep center field. After catcher Dioner Navarro grounded out to shortstop, forcing Longoria to third, former Sox outfielder and first baseman Eric Hinske drove in the Tampa Bay rookie with a base hit into center field. But those would be all the runs the south western Florida team would record all game.

Crisp would gain that run back for the Sox by driving in first baseman Kevin Youkilis with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning. After Youkilis and catcher Jason Varitek with back-to-back base hits to lead of the fourth, the Sox true center fielder lifted a fly ball to center fielder B.J. Upton to plate Youkilis for the fourth Boston run. Youkilis would add the fifth run in the seventh by driving in Drew – for the second time – with a two-out single to left field.

The Sox will send Jon Lester to the mound against, no not fellow Southpaw Scott Kazmir but Rays right hander James Shields to complete try to complete the three game sweep of Tampa Bay. Lester is 3-3 on the season with a 3.67 ERA, 49 strike outs and a 1.38 WHIP. He is coming of a no-decision against the Baltimore Orioles on May 31 where he went five innings allowing three runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out four. After being the Rays ace for the first month of the season with Kazmir on the disabled list, Shields is 4-3 on the season with a 3.24 ERA, 58 strike outs and a 1.15 WHIP. He is coming of a 2-1 win against the Chicago White Sox on May 30 where he pitched six innings allowing one run on seven hits while walking one and striking six.

WIN: Josh Beckett (6-4)

LOSS: Edwin Jackson (3-5)

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The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. J.D. Drew, BOSTON ---- 2-3 Double, RBI

2. Coco Crisp, BOSTON --- 2-2

3. Evan Longoria, TAMPA BAY --- 2-3 Double, Run-scored

Justin Masterson’s first Major League victory gives Sox their fifth win in a row

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RED SOX EDGE PAST ROYALS 2-1; MOVE TO 29-19
Justin Masterson’s first Major League victory gives Sox their fifth win in a row

(May 20, 2008) – It did not matter if it was a young 23-year-old rookie or a 41-year-old veteran whoever followed Jon Lester’s dazzling no-hit performance last night was going have a tough time. A no-hitter is just one of those things that the next pitcher in the rotation looks at and says “Geez I have to follow this? Why me?” But the young Justin Masterson, who was called up earlier today, pitched followed Lester’s no-hitter with a brilliant performance of his own.

Making only his second start of the year, Masterson pitched 6.1 innings allowing just one run on three hits while striking out five before turning the reigns over to the bullpen – which was really scary. The last time the young Born-Again was up in the big league, on April 24, the Sox bullpen blew a 3-1 lead in the top of the seventh and any hopes of giving the young pitcher his first Major League win. But Masterson would have another shot three weeks later with Clay Buchholz on the disabled list tonight.

Although he did not receive much run support, two runs were enough to earn his first career win. The runs were provided by one of the more unlikely sparks of the line up: Julio Lugo. In the bottom of the second inning, Kevin Youkilis lined a one-out single up the middle and into center field. Right fielder J.D. Drew followed the first baseman’s base hit with one of his own to center as well. Having control issues, Royals starter Gil Meche walked catcher Jason Varitek to the load the bases and bring Lugo to the plate with just one out.

Lugo has notoriously been known for his lack of hitting during his time in Boston – and even dating back to the 2006 post-All-Star break when he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays. But tonight the shortstop came through to drive in Boston’s first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to right scoring Youkilis and sending Drew to third. Center fielder and lead off hitter Coco Crisp drove in Drew with a double to right that would bounce over the fence forcing Varitek to hold at third base. But those were the only runs the Sox would need in the game.

When Masterson turned the reigns over to Javier Lopez in the middle of the top of the seventh, all Red Sox fans were collectively holding their breaths. They knew what happened to the young gun in April and did not want to see him get burned again. Lopez struck out first baseman Ross Gload for the second out of the inning before being yanked by Terry Francona in favor of the right handed Manny Delcarmen to face the right handed catcher John Buck.

Buck lined a single into center to drive in right fielder Mark Teahan who walked to lead off the inning and advance to second on a ground ball back to the mound by Billy Butler. Could it be happening again? Would the Sox bullpen blow another possible first win for Masterson? No. Delcarmen would strike out pinch hitter Alberto Callaspo, who pinch hit for shortstop Tony Pena, Jr. to end the inning.

Hideki Okajima would start the eighth inning but ran into trouble quickly allowing a lead off ground rule double down the right field line off the bat of center fielder David DeJesus. Okajima would get second baseman Mark Grudzielanek to ground back to the pitcher for the first out of the inning but allowed DeJesus to move up to third. The Sox left handed reliever would walk two of the next three batters with a strike out in between to load the bases before Francona opted for Jonathan Papelbon to record the last four outs of the game.

The Sox will return to Fenway for game three of the four game series against the Kansas City Royals. Bartolo Colon will make his first appearance of the 2008 season for the Red Sox. He is hoping to rebound from a dismal 2007 season with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim where he was 6-8 with a 6.34 ERA, 1.62 WHIP and just 76 strike outs. He will be opposed by Royals right hander Brett Tomko. Tomko is 2-4 on the season with a 5.32 ERA, 33 strike outs and a 1.42 WHIP. He is coming off his second win of the season against the Florida Marlins where he pitched six innings allowing two runs on five hits while walking just one and striking out four.

WIN: Justin Masterson (1-0)

LOSS: Gil Meche (3-6)

SAVE: Jonathan Papelbon (13)

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The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Coco Crisp, BOSTON --- 1-4; Double, RBI

2. Justin Masterson, BOSTON --- 6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K

3. Alex Gordon, KANSAS CITY --- 3-3; 2 Doubles

Twins designated hitter Craig Monroe’s two homer night gives Minnesota their 19th win

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RED SOX COME UP SHORT TO THE TWINS 9-8; MOVE TO 24-16
Twins designated hitter Craig Monroe’s two homer night gives Minnesota their 19^th win

(May 11, 2008) –The Twins should thank Mrs. Monroe for allowing her son to spend an extra five minutes in the backyard swinging the bat because Craig Monroe’s second homerun was what gave Minnesota the 9-8 victory. If it was not for his seventh inning homerun the Twins and Red Sox would still be playing after Coco Crisp drove in Mike Lowell in the top of the ninth with the Sox’s eighth run.

The Sox tried valiantly to make Mother’s Day 2008 as memorable to their mothers and all of Red Sox Nation as they did last year. With one out in the top of the ninth, Lowell lined a single into center field sending Kevin Youkilis to third. (Youkilis reached by beating out Adam Everett’s throw to first on a ground ball to shortstop.) J.D. Drew would drive in Youkilis with a double over the head of Twins center fielder Carlos Gomez to send the hottest hitter of the game to the plate in Crisp. But the boys from Boston came up one run short when Manny Ramirez, pinch-hitting for catcher Kevin Cash grounded out to shortstop.

In his shortest outing of the year, Wakefield pitched just 2.2 innings allowing seven runs on seven hits while walking and striking out two. The Twins hit Wakefield hard in the bottom of the second when Canadian-born first baseman Justin Morneau led off the inning with a base hit into left center followed by a double to left by Michael Cuddyer. With nobody out and two runs on, designated hitter Monroe got Minnesota’s offensive show on the road with a three-run homerun. But the inning was not over yet.

Wakefield forced left fielder Delmon Young to ground out to Lowell at third base but walked Friday night’s hero, Mike Lamb to set up Everett’s first homerun of the season. With one swing of the bat the Twins had a 5-0 lead that the Sox would have to dig their way out of. But they have done it before on Mother’s Day so it was not completely out of the question.

They had a great opportunity to put some runs on the board and run Blackburn from the game in the top of the third after the Twins starter hit Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia to lead of the inning. David Ortiz drove his second hit of the game into right field but Ellsbury and Pedroia could only advance one base. What a perfect opportunity bases loaded nobody out and the Greek God of Walks stepping to the plate.

After striking out in the first, Youkilis had chance to redeem himself but his perfectly hit line drive found the web of Lamb’s glove on a diving ESPN web gem. You could not ask for a better, text book hit than Youkilis’s, Lamb just made a miraculous game saving catch. Have to give him credit for that catch. But the Sox would at least get one run out of the inning with sacrifice fly into right by Lowell to plate Ellsbury.

But Minnesota would keep widening their lead in the bottom of the third, starting with another base hit by Morneau. Young would walk after Cuddyer and Monroe struck and grounded out, respectively to give Lamb a chance to step to the plate in the inning. The Minnesota third baseman lined a base hit up the middle to plate two more runs for the Twins.

Boston would not give up; they are indeed the “Never say die Red Sox.” Just when you think it is over, it is not over with this Red Sox team. In the top of the fourth, Crisp led of the inning, with a stand up triple that bounced over the head of Young, and would score on a base hit up the middle by Cash. Shortstop Alex Cora singled into center to put runners on first and second with no one out until Ellsbury lined out to left.

Pedroia made up for Ellsbury’s mistake, batting out a would-be Twin killing. Minnesota second baseman, Matt Tolbert would airmail his throw to first into the first row of seats behind the Sox dugout allowing Cash to score the fourth run of the game. But the Twins would add another run in the fourth when catcher Joe Mauer walked with two outs and scored on when Lowell could not handle Monroe’s ground ball down the third base line.

After Ellsbury went 0-for-4 on the night, Crisp has proved to manager Terry Francona and Red Sox Nation that he, and only he, should be starter in centerfield. After a triple in the fourth inning, Crisp capped off his night with a two-run homerun in the top of the seventh, driving in J.D. Drew. The Sox right fielder kept the inning alive when he lined a two-out single into right field to bring Crisp to the plate.

But, yet again, the pesky Twins would not go away. In the bottom of the inning Monroe hit his second homerun of the game and drove in his fourth RBI of the game. Care to guess who the number one star of the game is, now?

The Sox look to split the series in Minnesota tomorrow when they send Clay Buchholz to the mound against Twins right hander Livan Hernandez. After the game, the team will hope on the silver bird and fly back to the east coast where the Orioles will host a two game set in the land of oh so many crab-cakes.

Buchholz has pitched remarkable on the season, owning a 2-2 record with 39 strike outs. The future is bright for the Red Sox in the starting pitching department – when they are at home. When the team is on the road it has been a different story for the young pitching phenom. Away from the Old Ballpark, Buchholz is 0-2 with a 7.40 ERA in four games with six walks and 24 strike outs and an opponent’s batting average of .300. Compare those numbers with his at Fenway, where he is 2-0 with an ERA barely above 1.00 while holding opposing hitters to just .226. The Sox tall, lanky right hander is coming off a 10-9 loss to the Detroit Tigers where he pitched just four innings allowing five runs on 10 hits while walking one and striking out six, on 82 pitches. Buchholz will look to improve his road numbers with his third win of the season against the Twins.

The Cuban defector, Hernandez will be in search of his sixth win of the season when he faces the Red Sox for the third time his career. Against the Sox, Hernandez is 0-2 with a 12.38 ERA with five strike outs and an opponent’s batting average over .400. But this season, the Twins’ right hander is 5-1 on the season with a 3.83 ERA and 20 strikeouts. He is coming off a 13-1 win against the Chicago White Sox last Wednesday where he pitched a complete game allowing one run on nine hits while walking one and striking out three. On average, Hernandez has thrown 95 pitches per game and in four of his last five starts he has thrown above 100 pitches.

WIN: Nick Blackburn (3-2)

LOSS: Tim Wakefield (3-2)

SAVE: Joe Nathan (12)

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Game Notes:

Alex Cora has been activated for tonight’s game with the Twins and in the starting line up. Starting shortstop, Julio Lugo’s CT scans were clean and the Sox shortstop’s eyes appeared clearer when he came into the Metrodome visitors’ clubhouse. Infielder Jed Lowrie has been optioned to Pawtucket. Sean Casey has joined the team in Minnesota but has not been activated from the disabled list yet.

Manny Ramirez is not in the starting line up tonight due to a sore hamstring. He apparently tweaked the muscle after running hard down the line to stay out of the double play. Personally I would rather have Ramirez loaf it down the line than to pull a hamstring trying to beat out a throw from shortstop. He is not worth anything if he is sitting on the DL with a strained hamstring.

WEB GEMS:

Mike Lamb diving line drive catch off the bat of Kevin Youkilis in the top of the third inning, keeping the score, then, at 5-1.

Jacoby Ellsbury – diving line drive off the bat of Joe Mauer in left.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Craig Monroe, MINNESOTA ---- 2-4 2 Homeruns, 4 RBIs

2. Justin Morneau, MINNESOTA --- 3-3 2 Runs Scored

3. Coco Crisp, BOSTON ---- 2-5 Triple, Homerun, 3 RBIs, Run-scored

Beckett, bullpen retire 16 of last 17 Tiger batters to win the season series 5-2

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RED SOX TOPPLE OVER TIGERS 5-1; MOVE TO 23-14
Beckett, bullpen retire 16 of last 17 Tiger batters to win the season series 5-2

(May 8, 2008) – So far on the beginning of this road trip the second inning has been very, very good to the Red Sox. Except for yesterday, the Sox scored at least twice in the second inning. Tonight behind Josh Beckett’s masterful pitching performance the Sox took three out of four against the 15-21 Detroit Tigers with a 5-1 victory.

The lucky second inning started off with third baseman Mike Lowell, who appears to be coming around after starting the season hitting just above the Mendoza Line. Lowell and J.D. Drew lead off the inning with back-to-back base hits to center field and right field respectively, before catcher Jason Varitek stepped to the dish. Now everyone knows the captain is not known for his offensive prowess but the guy can and will produce at the plate from time to time. Varitek took the Justin Verlander offering and lined it just past the reach of Tigers shortstop Ramon Santiago.

After a base hit by center fielder Coco Crisp, moving Varitek up to second, Verlander hit Sox shortstop Julio Lugo. Even though, Beckett hit yesterday’s Red Sox killer, Placido Polanco, in the hand in the first, Verlander’s pitch was not retaliation. The ball just sailed too far inside and plunked Lugo on the back elbow. But pretty much that is all Lugo is useful for after making the costly error in the ninth last night.

On the mound, Beckett was pitched extremely well although he did run into some trouble in the bottom of the fourth inning. After getting the first two batters of the inning, Miguel Cabrera and Matt Joyce, to ground out and fly out, respectively, he gave up a single to left off the bat of Tigers designated hitter Marcus “It’s a river in England” Thames. Infield and back upt catcher, Brandon Inge was giving starter Ivan Rodriguez the night off behind the dish but delivered Detroit’s only run with a single into right field to drive home Thames.

With the Red Sox lead cut down to two and Detroit back in the ballgame, first baseman Kevin Youkilis decided it was up to him to put the Tigers back in their proper place in the fifth. After David Ortiz swung on a 3-0 count and flew out to left with Jacoby Ellsbury on first, the most patient hitter on the team wasted no time at the plate in his third at-bat of the night. On the first offering from Verlander, Youkilis saw what he liked and lined a pitch in the Sox bullpen in left field just over Tigers leaping left field Joyce. And just like that the Red Sox were on top 5-1 and would not look back.

Beckett went on to pitch two more innings retiring 10 consecutive batters after Santiago’s base hit in the bottom of the fourth. The Sox ace would go on to pitch seven innings allowing just the one run on six hits while walking none and striking out eight Detroit batters. How many batters did he strike out, Teddy? Beckett turned the reigns over to Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen to get the final six outs of the game. Hansen pitched a terrific eighth inning getting the side in order, one-two-three, making it 13 Tiger hitters retired by Sox pitching. Delcarmen could have made it 16 but gave up a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth to Thames.

After tonight’s game the Sox will board their charter to New England’s feeder state – Minnesota – to personally thank the Timberwolves, Vikings and Gophers. Without their contributions, Boston would not be the City of Champions that they are today. Thank you, Minnesota for the Big Ticket, KG, Kevin Garnett, Randy Moss and the former University of Minnesota Gopher Laurence Maroney.

The Boston baseball team will send the young left handed, Jon Lester to the mound in Boston’s first trip to the Land of 10,000 Lakes to face Twins right hander Boof Bonser. (And no I am not joking with Bonser’s first name.) Bonser is 2-4 on the season with a 4.29 ERA with 27 strike outs and a 1.24 WHIP while Lester stands at 2-2 with a 3.94 ERA and 27 strike outs and a 1.49 WHIP.

Last time out for the Sox young lefty, Lester pitched six innings in a 7-3 win against the Tampa Bay Rays last Sunday. After throwing 112 pitches, Lester allowed just one earned run on four hits while striking out five and walking just three Tampa Bay hitters. Bonser on the other hand is coming off a no-decision 7-6 Twins win against the Tigers last Sunday also. The Twins’s righty went six innings where he allowed six runs – five earned – on eight hits while striking out five Tigers on 99 pitches.

WIN: Josh Beckett (4-2)

LOSS: Justin Verlander (1-6)

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Game Notes:

Manny Ramirez got the night off for the last game against the Tigers. Jacoby Ellsbury will start in left field in place of Ramirez.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Josh Beckett, BOSTON --- 7IP, 6H, 1ER, 8K

2. Kevin Youkilis, BOSTON --- 1-5 Homerun, 2 RBIs

3. Coco Crisp, BOSTON --- 3-4

Kevin Youkilis and Company do some spring cleaning and sweep Rays north of the border

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RED SOX SWEEP RAYS 5-3; MOVE TO 20-13
Kevin Youkilis and Company do some spring cleaning and sweep Rays north of the border

(May 4, 2008) – After being swept at Tropicana Field last weekend, the Red Sox returned the favor with a sweep of the Rays behind left hander Jon Lester. The Sox southpaw out-dueled Rays southpaw Scott Kazmir for just his second win – and first since his 5-0 victory in Oakland on April 2 – of the season.

The Sox got out to the early lead in the bottom of the first when lead-off hitter and left fielder, Jacoby Ellsbury reached on ground ball up the middle and would move up to second on a walk by Dustin Pedroia. Ellsbury would swipe third on his tenth stolen base of the season while Pedroia went to second with his fourth. Replacing David Ortiz in the third spot of the order, Kevin Youkilis drove in the Sox’s version of the Greek God Nike with the first run of the game.

The Rays lefthander showed glimpses of his Red Sox dominance in his first start of the season but they were not enough. In the third inning, the Sox got to the young Rays ace again when Manny Ramirez doubled off the wall in left field to drive in Pedroia and Youkilis with the second and third runs of the game. Crisp would add the fourth Sox run off of Kazmir on a ground out to third by Pedroia. The Sox center fielder reached base on a single to center and then steal his fifth base of the season off of catcher Shawn Riggans. Riggans throw to get the stealing Crisp would be off line and bounce into center field allowing the Sox center fielder to take third.

Kazmir would exit the game after throwing 90 pitches, 55 for strikes, in four innings allowing four runs on six hits while striking out five Sox batters. The Tampa Bay bullpen would keep the game 4-0 and allow the Rays to get back in the game. And they would start to do just that. In the top of the sixth inning when Northeastern grad Carlos Pena hit his first homerun since April 12 – seventh on the season – to right field off Lester.

The following inning, Manny Delcarmen relieved Lester who completed six innings allowing one run on four hits while striking out five Ray batters. After getting the first batter of the inning to ground out to third, Jason Bartlett singled into left field and would come around to score on a triple to the Triangle off the bat of second base man Akinori Iwamura. The speedy left fielder Carl Crawford would drive in Iwamura with Tampa Bay’s third run of the game. But that was as close as the Rays would get.

Youkilis would add and insurance run in the bottom of the seventh with his third homerun of the season to center field off Rays reliever Dan Wheeler. The Greek God of Walks would add two more insurance runs the following inning with a double off the wall in left to drive in Lugo and Ellsbury. But before Youkilis’s two RBI double, Ellsbury pilfered second for his second stolen base of the game and eleventh of the season on the Sox’s second double steal of the game. (Lugo stole third for his fourth of season.)

Just when the weather starts to turn out good for baseball in Boston, the Red Sox will jettison out on a 10 game road trip beginning with a four game series in Detroit. It will be the Sox first and only visit of 2008 to the Motor City, where it has been noted to be one of least safe biggest cities in the country. At least it is no East St. Louis. From Detroit, they will travel west a time zone for another four game series with the Twins in Minneapolis and then fly to Baltimore County for a two game series with the Orioles.

The last time these two teams met Detroit was searching for their first win of the season and riding a five game losing streak, April 8-10. The Tigers salvaged one game of the series win the middle game while the Sox provided the bread to the Tigers peanut butter and jelly in the middle. Although the Sox are 1,001-942 against the Tigers overall, the boys in red are 62 games below .500 in Motown but are 19-15 in Comerica Park since it was opened April 11, 2000.

The Sox will send Daisuke Matsuzaka to the hill for the seventh time this season to face Detroit right hander Jeremy Bonderman. Matsuzaka is coming of a no decision against the Toronto Blue Jays where he pitched seven innings allowing zero runs on two hits while walking just two and striking out four. Last time out against the Tigers on April 8, Matsuzaka recorded his second win of the season with a 6.2 inning shut out, allowing just four hits and four walks while striking out seven on Opening Day at Fenway.

Bonderman is making his seventh start of season in search of his third win for the Tigers. The Detroit righty is 2-2 on the season with one of those wins coming against the Red Sox on April 9, where he pitched 5 innings allowing one earned run on five hits in the Tigers first victory of the season. Bonderman is coming off a 6-2 win against the Yankees where he went 7.2 innings allowing two runs on five hits whiling only striking out one.

WIN: Jon Lester (2-2)

LOSS: Scott Kazmir (0-1)

SAVE: Jonathan Papelbon (9)

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Game Notes:

Brandon Moss was taken to Mass General yesterday for an emergency appendectomy. Manager Terry Francona said the team was not worried too much about Moss but they wanted to be safe rather than sorry. Moss left the clubhouse 30 minutes before the start of last night’s game and under went surgery during the game. According to team sources he is now “resting comfortably.” Although I do believe the word “comfortably” is all relative, you do not usually feel all that well after major surgery. Francona told the media that Moss will go home for about 10 days and then begin his rehab in Fort Myers. So look for Moss to be thrown on the Disabled List in the next few days.

Jacoby Ellsbury was not initially in the starting line up but started in left field in replace of Manny Ramirez who replaced David Ortiz as the designated hitter. Ortiz was a last minute scratch to the line up due to soreness in that surgically repaired knee of his. But on the brighter side, B.J. Upton is back in the line up for the Rays.

Jonny Gomes was robbed of a double off the wall in left. The ball hit the yellow stripe on the wall but third base umpire Bill Welke called the ball foul.

Jonathan Papelbon came on in relief of Hideki Okajima to face pinch hitter Dioner Navarro in the bottom of the eight. Papelbon would retire the final four batters of the game to earn his ninth save of the year.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Kevin Youkilis, BOSTON ---- 3-4 2 Doubles, Homerun, 4RBIs

2. Manny Ramirez, BOSTON --- 1-4 Double, 2 RBIs

3. Coco Crisp, BOSTON --- 2-3, SB, Run scored

Sean Casey’s 3 RBIs help push the Sox past the Tigers

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RED SOX POWER PAST TIGERS 12-6; MOVE TO 5-5
Sean Casey’s 3 RBIs help push the Sox past the Tigers

(April 10, 2008) – The two most disappointing players from the 2007 season provided the offense to take the rubber game against the Detroit Tigers. J.D. Drew’s one out single was the spark plug for a four run rally by the Sox in the fourth inning after the Tigers scored two runs of their own in the top half. Drew finished the game 3-for-3 with two runs batted. Center fielder Coco Crisp and catcher Kevin Cash would follow Drew with two RBI base hits of their own in the Red Sox’s 12-6 victory against the Tigers.

The veteran right fielder was batting with one out and two runs aboard in bottom of the fourth, Drew sent a Nate Robertson pitch into right field. Ramirez, who reached with a walk, decided that DeMarlo Hale’s stop sign was just a suggestion. Well there it was a good thing there were no Waltham cops in the ballpark tonight because Ramirez was safe at the plate. (Fearing Magglio Ordonez’s throw to the plate was going to be off line, Tigers first baseman Carlos Guillen quickly decided to caught off the throw.)

Crisp would follow Drew’s lead by sending a double down the right field line that would bounce into the stands. On first look, it appeared as if fan interference would be called but on replay the umpires made the correct call. The ball was not touched by a fan in the field of play, it took a hop off the warning track and caromed off the right field foul pole. Because the foul poles are set back in the stands the ball technically left the field of play hence why it was a ground rule double. Third baseman Kevin Youkilis, who had also walked, would score the tying run on the base hit while Drew had to be held at third. Drew would score the go ahead run on first baseman Sean Casey’s ground out to first before Cash would plate Crisp with the fourth run of the game.

The knuckleballer was not particularly sharp against Tigers hitters but he pitched well enough to get his first win of the season. Early on in the game, Tim Wakefield faced some difficulty. He walked four and hit two Detroit batters in the first three innings but thanks to the defense behind him he was able to get the outs when he needed them the most. The walks would come back to haunt Wakefield because the forced the right hander to throw more pitches then he wanted, thus forcing him from the game early with 108 pitches.

The Tigers would get a run back in the top of the seventh with a homerun to left field by Magglio Ordonez to make the score 4-3. But the Sox would bat around in the bottom half of the inning. Ramirez and Casey would give the Sox insurance runs with a double and single, respectively, in the bottom of the inning. Ramirez doubled to left scoring Dustin Pedroia (who stole his first base of the season off Tigers pitcher Zach Minor) and David Ortiz. Casey would push Jacoby Ellsbury (who ran for Ramirez) and Drew, who was intentionally walked.

Detroit would claw away at the Sox five run lead in the top of the eighth against reliever Julian Tavarez. The Tigers took it one base at a time against the Red Sox reliever. Edgar Renteria would lead off with walk, followed by a single by Ivan Rodriguez sending Renteria to third and then a walk to Marcus Thames to load the bass. Brandon Inge and Placido Polanco would drive in their second runs of the game with singles before Taverez got his first out of the inning with a ground ball to Lugo at short who quickly turned the double play. With the looks of Tavarez resorting back to his old self, Jonathan Papelbon was called on to get the final four outs of the ballgame.

The archrivals come into Fenway Park tomorrow night for a weekend, three game series with the defending champions. The New York Yankees currently sit tied for third in the division with the Red Sox at 5-5. Clay Buchholz will toe the rubber still in search of his win of 2008 while the Yankees will send the 2-0 Chien-Ming Wang. Wang is coming off a 2-0 win to Tampa Bay where he pitched six innings allowing four hits while striking out six Rays. Currently he is 2-0 on the season with a 1.38 ERA and eight strike outs whereas Buchholz is 0-1 on the season with a 5.40 ERA and seven strike outs.

WIN: Tim Wakefield (1-0)

LOSS: Nate Robertson (0-1)

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Game Notes:

Third baseman Mike Lowell was placed on the 15-day DL with a sprained left thumb. Minor league infielder, Jed Lowrie was recalled from Pawtucket to take Lowell’s place on the 25-man roster.

Coming into tonight’s game, David Ortiz is 1-for-18 in his last five games. The one hit was an RBI single in Sox 7-4 loss to the Blue Jays on April 6.

Kevin Youkilis hit a ground rule double to right to drive in Pedroia and Ortiz. Youkilis was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. J.D. Drew, BOSTON 3-3 2 RBI, Run-scored
2. Sean Casey, BOSTON 2-5 3 RBIs
3. Coco Crisp, BOSTON 2-3 Double, 2 RBIs, Run-scored

The Golden Donkey Award goes to: Julian Tavarez for allowing three earned runs on three hits in the top of the eighth inning to make the score 8-6