Regular Season Ends--On to the Playoffs!

Well, it was not a great way to finish what was, overall, a memorable season for the Sox. The team lost a pair to the O's after leading early in both. The final game had the Hose u0p five zip until the last of the 5th and then were ties at five and in the next inning behind 7-5, the final being 7-6. The Sox outhit the O's, but were unable to get the timely hit that would have given them their 2004-equalling 98th win. The two losses to the O's meant that the Birds are the only AL East team to win the season series against the Hose. Yesterday, Lester's outing was mediocre at best, while today's starter was Webster, who entered with a nine plus ERA, and pitched as if he were an ace, going three no-hit innings and leaving with the lead. After continuing the on-going shutout through the 4th, Dubront started the 5th and lasted just another third of an inning. When he left, he'd allowed five hits and a pair of passes, leading to five O's scores. In the Birds' 6th, first Thornton and then Demp each surrendered a run, accounting for the Birds' scoring for the day.
The Sox added one in the 9th to make it close, but, as we all know, close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades, neither of which was in the mix today at the park.
On a positive note, both Jake and Berry added homers and Berry also had his third swipe of the year, not bad when you remember he's only been up for a few weeks. Assuming the Sox keep Jake after his free agency, can we possibly see a fairly regular outfield including both of them, with Danny Nava in the third slot, all backed by occasional relief from the very clutch Gomes? 
Well, now that it's final, we look to the post-season and the AL wild card situation is not quite final. Three teams, the Tribe, the Rays and the Rangers, are all within a game of each other, Terry's Indians at the top of the pack. So, we could have a clearly defined pair for the wild card, or we could, at the other extreme, have a three way tie for the two slots, with the final determination being established by extra playoff games before the real playoffs begin late in the week. Really be something to see Terry back at the Fens facing the Sox. With the A's loss yesterday, the Hose have home field advantage throughout the AL League championship series.

Lackey, Sox Lack It vs. Rox

Well, the Sox winning streak of at least six games against the Rockies is over. Lackey took to the hill tonight and, although his numbers for the most part were winnable (is there such a word?), he made three bad pitches and paid--with three shots to the cheaps. Hose never recovered from the early onslaught, and lost 8-3. Of the few positive things tonight, Salty got a homer of his own and Bradley, continuing his very late season surge, got a hit and a steal. He's approaching the Mendoza line, in fact.
For those asking what difference it makes for the final few games since the Sox have clinched the Division, there are two reasons why it makes a great difference. First, the team with the best won-lost record entering the playoffs gets home field advantage through out the league playoffs. That, at the moment, is the Sox. But they're only one game ahead of the former Sox-laden A's for that honor, and missed a great opportunity tonight to expand that lead as the A's were beaten by the Halos down in LaLa Land, three zip. There are four games to go, and the Sox should not miss this opportunity. While they certainly have acquitted themselves well in road games, even against other playoff teams and contenders, their home record is one of the best in baseball this year.

Sox Win East Division Title!!

That about says it all for last night's game at the Fens. This is the first Division crown for the Sox since 2007, and we all know what came next then--a World Series championship! As for individual feats, Lester continued his second half brilliance, going seven and allowing only one hit. When he got in an early jam he really pitched out of it, going from bases loaded no outs to two on with two gone to out of the inning unscathed. Offensively, the team was led by Pedey, with  three  hits in 5 at bats, Bard, with three ribbies and two hit games from both Salty and Nava. Papi also picked up another ribbie on his quest to the century mark. From the Sox pen, after Tazawa gave up a two run shot to get the Jays within three, The Ninja came in to beat the Jays to death with his repertoire. He got a five out save allowing no further damage and closed the door, thus putting the exclamation point on the Sox Division Title.

Back to the Post-Season!!

Well, it took four years, but the Sox are officially BACK in the POST-SEASON! The year's not yet over. There are still eight games to go in the regular season, and still other goals to reach and achieve. But this clinch tonight is oh, so sweet after the increasingly sever travails of the last three years. If anyone's memory requires refreshing, 2010 looked promising--until a record string of injuries gutted the lineup and left the Hose just short of the playoffs. The next year, 2011, should be spoken of with a spit on the ground--it was the great collapse, when what appeared a 'sure thing' for the Sox entering September became a punch in the collective stomach of Red Sox Nation and no playoffs. That led to Terry's "departure" and stories of beer and fried chicken. Then, as if the aforementioned weren't bad enough, 2012 arrived and with it Bobby Valentine, who from day 1 showed the direction his reign and the team's fortunes would follow--a very steep dive into the cellar and the worst Sox won-loss record since 1965 (that's 47 years for those of you who played hooky during math class)!
But 2013 began with a hopeful move. John Farrell was obtained as manager, and he re-established the spirit that Terry had fostered during the early 2/3 of the last decade. All of this led to tonight--as a first step only--and the return to the post-season. It has been a collection of many things. Jake has played almost as well as in his 2011 season, not so much power, but all of the speed on the bases. The Dustman has been The Dustman, hovering near .300 all year in spite of a thumb injury that happened on day 1 and would have sidelined anyone else for weeks, if not months. His leadership has been all Pedey as well. Papi, in spite of missing most of the first month and change with painful heel issues, has so far produced 28 HR's and 96 ribbies, and seems likely to pass 30 and 100 even without that lost time. Also, his season BA has remained over .300, and, barring a final slump, will finish there.
Pitching: Farrell's special expertise: Lester returned to his old form, particularly down the stretch. Lackey has come back from his lost season with elbow surgery to post a mid-3 ERA and look like the hurler he used to be, including his 16th career complete game tonight, a two hit, two walk gem, in which the first O's hit didn't come until the 7th. The Sox picked up Peavey at the trade deadline, and he's also provided solid innings to help the overall effort. The pen has, overall, been awesome. Exemplifying how the Sox refused to give in to adversity, when both closers they'd acquired in the off-season went down with season ending arm injuries, they gave the job to Uehara. He responded with a vengeance, at one point running off 37 straight outs.
There are too many other stories that make up important parts of this year so far, but you get what I'm saying. They're back and it was definitely worth the wait. My brother has continued to say all year that while he's very happy, the team still looks like a bunch of "spare parts". Well, Phillip, sometimes a machine needs a few spares to get running properly again, and it certainly looks as if the mechanical team of Cherrington and Farrell have a garage that would give the folks at Porsche a run for their money.
Tonight: aside from the already mentioned complete game victory by Lackey, everything came for the Sox in the 2d. In rapid succession, JD's little brother took the first pitch he saw into the center field cheaps to score himself and Salty ahead of him. This shot was followed by Jackie Bardley getting a solid two bagger, setting himself up to his eventual score when Pedey drove him in with a base hit. That was the offense for the Sox tonight, and it was enough. With the Rays' loss to Texas, the Hose now lead by nine with eight to play.

Uehara's Streak Gone

Well, it had to happen sooner or later. After 37 consecutive outs, Sox closer Koji Uehara finally was reached. I'd hoped that he would have made it into record territory, but it wasn't to be. Every closer in history, whether it was Rivera , Gagne or Eck eventually gets taken down, if only for the moment. The Sox proved that with Rivera, who, although the greatest closer in MLB history, somehow was more susceptible to Sox bats than any other team. Tonight it was Koji's turn. The Birds' Valencia led off the 9th with a triple, removing any doubt as to how much longer the streak would last. Then, the very next batter sacflied his pinch runner home with what would be the winning run. With that, Koji started a new streak by not only getting the fly out, but also retiring the next two batters on a grounder and a K. Three and counting. As the Hose only were able to muster a total of three hits the entire evening, one of them a leadoff 1st inning shot into the cheaps by The Dustman, the outcome was not too difficult to predict. Even so, the Sox had the tying run, Salty, on base in their half of the 9th, but couldn't get him home.
On the bright side of things, the Sox swiped three bases, two by Drew, and cut their magic number by one as the Rays also lost to remain nine back with only ten to play for the Sox. The Rays have a dozen left, I believe.

Farewell, MO -- Sox Sweep Yanks!

Well, tonight is an unusual one for Duffys. We've got a pair of things to cover, one the game and one the last time ever of one of baseball's all time greats at the Fens.

Covering the latter first, tonight was scheduled as the final possible time Mariano Riviera would ever pitch at Fenway, barring a post-season appearance if the Stripes were to get that far. So, the Hose had a special pre-game ceremony to recognize the man and his achievements. Yes, he is a member of the Evil Empire. Yes, there have been times when he  closed out a NY victory over our Sox. But, more important, he's the best ever at his position, bar none; and he's also a true gentleman--in my Yiddish parlance, a mensch. Unlike some other stars in the game today (I needn't name names--they're known to all), Mo does his job. He gets called, he pitches and more often than not, he shuts down the opponent. Period. He's done it 651 times in regular season and 42 times in the post-season, the latter number being interesting as it's his uniform number. By the way, the number's being retired when he leaves as well because it's Jackie Robinson's and MLB decreed that after any current player wearing it had retired, the number would be permanently retired in honor of Jackie. Even that is fitting that the last player to wear it is Mo. So, before the game began, the Sox had an on-field presentation ceremony for him. The entire team assembled on the field and, with Pedey, Papi, Lester and Uehara making the presentations, the Sox gave him a painted portrait of him celebrating a save, a Fenway seat from 1934 that had his number, 42, on it, an autographed bullpen rubber, and, perhaps best of all, his Green Monster pitcher's number. What that last item is, is a solid steel plate about two feet square that has his uniform number on it. As the scoreboard at the Fens is a manually operated one, whenever a pitcher enters a game, at Fenway or at any other game anywhere, their number is hung next to their team's name on the board. When they're replaced, the relieving pitcher's number replaces theirs. The numerals are painted in white against a background of, what else, green. Mo's was presented to him and it had an extra that no other numbers have. It was autographed by every member of the Sox.  If all of this weren't enough, the managing brain trust owning and operating the team then appeared and gave Mo a check, amount unannounced, but you can be certain it's substantial, as a donation from the Red Sox foundation to the school for disadvantaged children that Mo's foundation has established in his home nation--Panama. Ceremony over, the game then began. But throughout the evening, the camera kept returning to the Yankee bullpen area where Mo could be seen patiently autographing anything and everything that fans thrust at him. It was always a smile, a signature, best wishes and move on to the next one. No fees for the autographs were charged; no-one was refused; and everyone was happily satisfied. Because the Stripes never got close enough to warrant his appearance on the mound, he finished the Fenway portion of his career in the pen.  But he will never be forgotten. When the game was over, and all players had departed for their respective locker rooms, where was he to be found? Still standing in the Stripes' pen, pen in hand and still patiently signing autographs: a smile, a signature, best wishes and on to the next. He truly is one for the ages.
Now, as for the former item, the game, Sox swept the series, the victory being the sixth of the last seven games they've played the Stripes. Bucky was making his second start since coming off the DL and he wasn't particularly sharp for the first few innings. But, as he got into the 5th and 6th, he got better, until he looked so good in the 6th (his last), there was open discussion if he might not be allowed to go further by Farrell. However, Farrell isn't considered a master at handling pitchers for nothing. Bucky was gone since the start of June and is just coming back into regular rotation. No reason or need to push him too far, too fast. He gave up a lone unearned run in the top of the 1st due to his own error, a misguided pickoff attempt at first sending the runner, Granderson, to third, followed by a ground ball out. Including the original walk that got the Grandy Man to first to begin with, Bucky allowed just a pair of hits and four passes, while taking down four by K. He gets his 11th win, and reduced his ERA to a minuscule 1.51, the opponents' BA dropping to .190.
Having started off behind for the first time in a few games, the Hose then wasted no time at all getting even and reclaiming the lead. In their half of the 1st, they quickly started the ball rolling. After a leadoff out by Pedey, Nava reached on the first of a pair of doubles, a part of his four hit evening. He was followed by a ribbie single from Papi, who, in turn, was plated by a solid shot to the center field cheaps by Nap. Suddenly, it's Sox three, Stripes one, and it got better (or, if you root for the Evils, worse) from there as the evening progressed.
The final was 9-2, Sox, and the second Yanks run was in the 9th on a defensive indifference advance, followed by a base hit. But that was it for the night. Sox leaders tonight included Nava's aforementioned four hits and Nap's homer. Also important were Papi's pair of RBI-producing hits and Bogaert's pair of hits, a two bagger included. The win put the Sox at a new season high 33 games over .500, and left them 9.5 games over the Rays, who lost today, with eleven to play. I'd misquoted games left last night as eleven when it correctly was a dozen. But after tonight, it really is just eleven. The W was also the Sox' 17th out of 20 games, a winning percentage of .850.

Early Barrage Supports Lester Gem

Well, contrary to last night's methodology, today the Sox reverted to a much easier, less tension filled sway to win. Get four runs early, add some insurance later and let John Lester handle the baseball. After a scoreless 1st, the Sox sent a half dozen to the plate and put the first run on the board. They followed this with an additional pair of runs in the 3d, when seven Sox batsmen went to the plate and batter by batter moved the two runs around. It began with Pedey's single and Vic's sacrifice. Papi wasted no time and dropped his 36th two bagger into left to plate his 92d ribbie. This score was shortly followed by consecutive singles by Nap and Gomes, plating Papi with the Sox third run. Score: three zip, Sox. After the teams swapped single scores, the Sox still held a three run lead until the 5th, when the Sox added an insurance score for what became the final score, 5-1. 
The rest of the way it was Lester tossing a cool three hit gem over eight innings. He K'd five against just a pair of freebies. His game WHIP was a stunning 0.625. He's now got 14 wins on the season, and a chance at possibly tow more by season's end.
Today's win is the Sox 16th in their last 19 games, and the fifth out of six against Mr. Hankie's Yankees. It's also the eighth straight series the team has won. In addition to grabbing a game on the Stripes, the Hose picked up one on the O's, who lost to the Jays. As for the Rays, their game started later and, as of the moment, they lead two zip in the bottom of the 3d. Worst case, the Sox maintain their 8.5 game lead over the Rays, with just eleven to go. Also, if you like looking for omens, with the win today, the Sox are now 32 over .500. The last time they had that big a W-L margin was the final day of the 2004 season, and we all remember what happened then.

Bolt From The Blue, Take Two

Tuesday night it was Carp who put a big FOUR on the board in the 8th after the Rays had tied the game at 4, and the Sox thus snatched the W. Uehara closed it out. Tonight, the game started with the Sox looking as if they would blow out Yankees starter Kuroda and the Stripes along with him. Immediately in the 1st, the Hose put four on the board before everyone had even had much chance to even get settled in their seats. They then jammed the sacks in the 2d with just a single out, and it looked like bye-bye time for Kuroda. However, he worked out of that jam and another almost as serious in the 3d, at the end of which the Sox led 4-1.  From that point things remained unchanged until the NY 6th, when they picked up another run and the 7th, when on Cano's third dub of the night, they tied the game at four. Only workman's speed and solid pitching for the third out of the inning saved the Sox from worse at that moment.
It also set things up for the Hose in their half of the inning. Vic led off with a single, and the new pitcher brought in to deal with Papi couldn't. He hit the big DH and now there were two on. Both teams then substituted. Gomes pinch hit for Carp, while the Evil Empire brought in another guy from their pen. Result: Gomes won the matchup and picked up a freebie to load the bases, and still no one was out. Nava K'd to bring Salty to the plate. After a first strike, he then struck--just like Carp on Tuesday. A smooth solid swing and the ball leaped off the bat heading for its ultimate resting place--the other side of the Sox pen. It was almost a no-doubter. I say almost because, while it looked like a solid shot, it took about a second to be certain that it was going all the way and not just a double. By the time he reached first, it was gone, and with it, any hope and spirit that Mr. Hankie's Yankees might have developed in the top of the inning. Grand slam! In fact, the play by play announcer's commentary as he initially came to the plate and then circled to return to the plate was one of the most enjoyable I've heard in a season of enjoyment. He was saying, as Salty stepped in, the Sox lead the Majors in runs scored from the 7th inning on, with 241 so far this year. Then Salty swung, and the play by play said, "Make that 245." Nothing else needed to be said.
From that point on, it was all Sox pen. First Tazawa picked up the 8th with a perfect 10 pitch contribution. Then Uehara did his thing in the 9th--perfection, and on just nine pitches, one of which was another K. He now has retired 37 consecutive batters, the most by any pitcher since Jenks of the Pale Hose eliminated 41 in a row in 2007.

Like A Bolt From the Blue!

Tonight's game was actually three games in one. First, the Sox, backing a solid five innings by Dempster, took a three zip lead. Then, while Dempster was still on the hill, they began giving the runs back. Dempster gave up the first in the 3d inning, but then left with the score still at 3-1, Sox. In the 7th, Longoria drove home Zobrist with his second double of the night, and things started getting a bit uncomfortable. However, up to that point, whenever the Hose got themselves into a jam, they produced an unbelievable fielding play in their infield, topped off by a 4-6-3 classic started with a great move by Pedey. Finally, Workman, having allowed the Rays second run, in the 7th, was looking good, and it appeared that barring a mistake, he'd hand the ball to Uehara to slam the door again. Unfortunately, in the 8th, he made a mistake. He left a curve hanging out over the middle of the plate, about belt high, with no speed or break to speak of, for Loney. Knowing a gift when he saw one, Loney promptly 'unwrapped' it--over the fence to tie the score. The shot was on a laser like line and definitely a no-doubter from the moment it left his bat.
The Rays got no further, but the damage had been done.  The Sox were unable to do anything at all against the Rays fireballer, Rodney, and the call went to Uehara to at least get the Hose into extras. As always, he did what was expected. While it took a few extra pitches tonight, 17 in all, than he normally needs, it was another Uehara classic three up, three down inning. Included were a pair of K's. By eliminating the three hitters tonight without exception, he extended his perfect string of batters to 34. That's as in how many consecutive batters have been unable to reach base against him, no matter how they tried. The last time a reliever had a string like this, according to the announcers on ESPN, it was 1907. I'm skeptical about the year as the game was played differently then and relievers were an almost unheard of fixture back then. But, no matter the date. Whenever it was, it wasn't any time in the recent few years.  It's like he's pitched his own perfect game and started on the first two and a third innings of the next. But, when he left the mound at the end of regulation, the score was still tied at three.
Peralta came on to pitch the 10th for the Rays. He used eleven throws to walk two of the only three batters he faced. The third batter, Vic, sacrificed Pedey to second. Enter Hernandez, the eighth and final Rays hurler of the evening. He got the final two Sox outs, BUT--and it's a major BUT, not before he walked another pair, Papi intentionally, and faced Sox extra Carp. Carp, who is hitting over .300 on the season always seems to get his cuts when someone needs a rest or in pinch hit situations. With anyone else, he'd be starting. Well, he may not have started tonight, but he sure finished--the inning, the game and the Rays, in that order! Not waiting for anything, he swung at the first offering from Hernandez. The title above tells you all you have to know.  A nice fat pitch out over the center of the plate and belt high, Carp swung. The ball looked like a launch from Cape Canaveral, not coming to rest until it "splashed" down beyond the wall in dead center field. Grand slam, four runs and a 7-3 Sox lead. The next two Sox batters were quickly retired and Tazawa came in to give Uehara a rest. No sense wasting his talents with a four run lead. Other than a four pitch walk, Tazawa shut down the Rays with nothing, and the Sox lead over them grew to 9.5 games--with fifteen to play.
Pedey went 2-4 and Nap, keeping on his recent tear, had a run scoring two bagger, picking up a pair of ribbies.
By winning tonight's game, the Sox won their seventh consecutive series. The run began in San Francisco, and continued from there to now.

The Bucky and Koji Show

Well, tonight had lots of meaning in a number of areas. It marked the opener of a very important series with Tampa Bay, the team immediately behind the Sox in second, and played at the Rays' home field, the Trop. It also marked the return from about four months on the DL of Buchholz. Leading the league in wins with nine (against zero losses), coupled with a sub-2 ERA, when he left with a strained neck, he had recently been undergoing a rehab assignment between the Hose' Lowell and Pawtucket minor league teams. The rehab had varying results, but everyone agreed that if he were to be of value to the team this year, Tampa Bay was about as good a time as any to see exactly what was going to happen.
Matched against the reigning Cy Young holder for the A. L., Price, the plan was to have him go no more than 70-80 pitches max. As it turned out, he threw 74 pitches that carried him and the team through five innings of three hit, one walk shutout ball. Toss in a half dozen K's and a game WHIP of 0.8, and it was an inspiring return. Price was more or less matching him pitch for pitch, and then some.

However, in the 5th, the Sox broke through. No Sox player having reached base through the first four innings, Nap led off with a long drive to the wall in center that the Rays fielder couldn't quite get a handle on. Nap ended up on second and was followed by a Gomes single to center that put the Sox up one zip. Gomes continued on to second on the throw home trying in vain to nail Nap. He was then sacrificed to third by Nava, and ultimately plated by a Salty sac fly.  Now it was two-zip, Sox. Bucky finished out the bottom half of the inning and would ultimately get the win.  However, the game had to be finished first. As Price hung in there through the 8th, allowing just three hits and striking out nine, the Sox pen was going to have to do a top notch job. Task assigned, task accomplished!
First Breslow contributed a pair of shutout innings, allowing only two freebies to reach base. Then, Tazawa put the first pair of Rays batters away in the 8th. When a Ray finally got a hit, Uehara came on for a four out save attempt. Thirteen pitches and a pair of K's later, the save was complete, the Sox had won, and the Sox closer had extended his consecutive perfect string to 31. It's almost as much fun listening to the sportscasters discussing his pitching as it is to watch it. As guest commentator, Derek Lowe (yes, THAT Derek Lowe) said, he just throws that 89 mph fast ball and dares you to hit it, and no-one can.  That's because he's also got the best splitter in history of any closer this side of Mariano Rivera. Mixing them the sway he does is like watching Rembrandt paint.  You can't describe it; you just watch and marvel at the results.
Separately, there were some great fielding plays. Salty threw out three attempted base stealers, the last being the finish of a strike out/throw out DP. Another great DP was started by, who else--the Dustman. Pedey took a sharply hit grounder and tagged the Rays runner on his way to second, then calmly threw out the hitter before he could reach first. Best of all, it looked like it was scripted to be done that way. The guy is a future Cooperstown resident, and he makes everything look easier than breathing. With the win, the Sox go up 8.5 on the Rays, ten on the O's and stay 10.5 ahead of the Stripes. Sixteen games to go.

Napoli Erupts -- Again!

Didn't get a chance to post after last night's thrilling turnaround over Mr. Hankie's Yankees, but, suffice to say, it was in large part due to the bat of Nap. Going 3-3, including a homer and a double, as well as a pair of passes, he got on base every time he went to the plate. The big blow, of course, was with the Sox behind, 8-4, largely off a surprising bad night by Dubront. Sox loaded them up, Nap came to the plate and sent one off to the right field porch, just clearing Ichiro's leaping grab for the ball. Grand slam--TIE SCORE. The Sox took the lead for keeps in the following innings, finally winning their second in a row at the House that George Built, and moving ten games ahead of the Stripes, and 7.5 up on the Rays.
Which brings us to today's game, one played as baseball was meant to played, in the sunshine. Starting quickly in the 2d, Papi doubled, followed by Nap. Continuing on the recent tear he's having, he wasted no time and rifled a shot into the left field cheaps on a three and oh count. No taking a pitch here. Score, two zip, Sox. After the Stripes took one back in their half, the Hose continued their surge. Gomes to the plate and not waiting a bit. One pitch, a swing and the ball came to rest more or less in the same suntan seats in left as had Nap's and it's 5-3, Sox. After the Stripes took another single run in their half, the Sox sent nine to the dish, and when the smoke had cleared, had a 10-2 lead, compliments of a sac fly by Papi and six Sox hits, including a pair of two baggers. At that point it was beginning to look like a replay of the Sox game against the Tigers that ended 20-4. But, pay attention. This is the Evil Empire.
They took back a single run in their half of the inning and then, the Sox added a pair in the 5th, via a two run shot to the same set of cheaps from recent call-up, Bogaerts, scoring another rookie, Jackie Bradley, ahead of him. The score was now 12-3, and looking more and more like a Tigers repeat.
N   o   t     S   o    F   a   s   t! In the bottom of the 6th, the Yankee hitters started pounding and trying to spoil the Sox weekend party. Sending ten men to the plate, the Stripes picked up four runs, all of them with two gone. The culprits were a combo of the usual suspects and a few ho-hum inserts to their lineup. Suddenly, it's Sox 12, Stripes 7, and it's only the 6th inning! Now, I realize that even with Hank's Yanks this close, my five run safety rule still applies, but still, the momentum appears to have shifted, and in a direction I didn't particularly care for. If that weren't uncomfortable enough, after their pitching held the Sox bats in check for a couple of innings, the Stripes tacked on another pair of runs in the bottom of the 8th. Sox 12, Stripes 9. Worse, in addition to Ichiro, a future Cooperstown honoree if ever there was one, the Sox years long nemesis, Overbay, will also bat. If the Hose can only add on some insurance.
Not to worry. After Papi K'd leading off, Nap worked the count to 1-1, and then--another rocket shot to the same left field cheaps as all other Sox taters of today have gone. Score, 13-9, Sox, and while that's all they'd get, at least it was a little added comfort. Now, for the home team to take its final try. Tazawa is still pitching, after having closed out the Stripes 8th by quickly taking out the last two Stripes players. The first he faces in the 9th, he easily retires. Looking good. Maybe this won't be so trying after all. Wait a minute--this is my home town cardiac causing team we're talking about here. After all, it IS the Sox who, even in championship years, that the saying, "Good luck to you and the Red Sox" is about. Next batter, Overbay, and, true to form, he reaches base, this time on a four pitch freebie from Taz. Time for the showers, Taz. Uehara is not a preferred option here, even though with last nights 12 pitch perfect inning, he now has 27 consecutive perfect innings (his own version of a Perfecto). He's pitched in two consecutive games. Breslow comes in. Hail to Yale! Ichiro pops to the catcher and Wells, another historic long time Sox thorn, grounds out. Six pitches, perfect 2/3 of an inning.  Why do I worry so? (Because I'm a six and a half decade Sox fan)Game over--Sox win--AGAIN! Sox are now eleven up on Mr. Hankie's Yankees with 18 to play. For the margin over the second place Rays, have to wait for their final. That's tonight. Sox are also now thirty over .500 on the year. One other interesting stat: BY getting at least nine runs a game for each of the three games so far, the Sox have become the first team in over 100 years (actually 1912) to do that to a Yankees team in New York. In fact, in 1912, they weren't yet called the Yankees; it was the Highlanders, and there was no Yankee Stadium; it was Hilltop Park.

The Ghost of Dave Roberts, Uehara and Boston Strong

Last night's game was a walk in the park. Tonight's couldn't have been scripted by Hollywood. Peavy starts and goes a strong six before opening the 7th with a BB and a hit, the walk coming after he had Ichiro at 1-2. Leading 7-2 at that point, the Sox proceed to be unable to get anyone out and by the time the Stripes have finished the inning, 10 Yankees have gone to bat and the score is 8-7, Stripes. In the Sox 8th, they go quietly, 1-2-3, and after Breslow holds the Stripes scoreless in the last of the 8th, the Hose come to face the greatest closer of all time, Big Mo. Rivera is usually death to any hopes of coming back against the Yankees, but the one possibly encouraging thing is that if any team can do it, the record shows that over the years, none other than the Sox have by far the best record coming back against Rivera. In fact, in the League championship three zip comeback against the Evil Empire, it was against none other than Rivera that the Hose began that unprecedented turnaround.
Tonight, with two out in the 9th and down to their last strike, the Sox pulled a repeat. Napoli got a hit to right and was immediately pulled for a pinch runner, Quintin Berry. Berry is part of the late season expanded roster call-up, and wasted no time in doing his best Roberts. In that famous comeback in '04, it was Roberts who started things going for the Sox by stealing second base against the same Rivera. Tonight his second coming wasted no time in doing an excellent imitation of the event. Even better than the Roberts theft of nine years ago, however, the ball ricocheted on the pickoff throw into left center and, after a moment's hesitation, Berry set sail for third and came in without a throw. Drew, realizing there was no better time to get what was his only hit of the evening, rifled one into right field and Berry scored. Tie ball game! Blown save for Rivera. Once again, the Sox had shown the baseball world that you can get to Mo.  Not often to be sure, but not impossible.
The next heartstopper came in the Stripes' half of the same inning. With one out, Soriano reached base on a freebie, and stole second after he should have been dead and gone with his base running. He was caught so badly off 1st by Breslow that it was only a poor throw by the Sox hurler that instead of out, he was on second as the potential winning run. About then, I'm thinking, "gotta' get a pair of K's, or this game will be over.' Soriano made it even better than that for the Sox. Perhaps emboldened by his good fortune in getting to second, he took off for third as Breslow was into his leg kick. Looked like a sure steal, but n o t  s o  f a s t. Instead of going to the plate, Breslow turned and pegged a perfect throw to Middlebrooks at third. Dead to rights, but Soriano is quick. Realizing he had less than no chance at all to make it safely to third, he quickly reversed direction, chased by Midds. Midds was taking no chances. He quickly threw to the Sox SS, Drew, who, as the chase moved ever closer to second tossed it ahead to Pedey. Pedey placed the tag a good two feet in front of the bag, and the Stripes' threat was dead. Then, Breslow got the K--inning over. So was regulation. In the 10th the Hose wasted no time. Rivera had left after the end of the 9th and was followed by Chamberlain. Now, I don't know what you think of Joba, but I've never thought that much of him either talent wise or attitude. He stares at the plate with that pig-eyed squint and then throws. Now, sometimes he is very hard to hit. But unless he's really, really on, he's reachable--VERY reachable. Tonight, happily, was one of those nights. With one gone, Jake singled and promptly swiped second, the ball again ricocheting into center. However, this time it wasn't far enough for Jake to take third right away. No matter. Vic came up and rifled a single into right and you had the perfect matchup on the play at the plate--Ichiro's cannon-arm vs Jake's hypersonic speed, speed that Terry once referred to (also in a Yankees game) as "breath-taking". It was very close, but Jake beat the throw by an eyelash and the Sox had what was to be the winning run--as soon as they got through the Yankees' half of the inning.
How to do that? Why, Uehara, of course. Entering with, according to the play-by-play on ESPN, a string of 25 perfect innings, the Sox closer started by getting AFraud on a two pitch pop to the infield, and then slammed the door with a pair of K's. Game over. Sox win and extend the current win streak to three. This one took a bit longer than his usual perfection. Instead of his 13 pitch average per outing, he took nineteen to do the job. But, when it was over, the result was the same. His ERA is now down to 1.14 and the opponent's BA is .134. He doesn't do it with an overpowering heater. He uses a combo of a splitter and a split finger slider (if there is such a pitch) that both have movement that would make a snake envious.
As things turned out, I'd place bets that the cardiologists in both the Hub and the Big Apple had a sudden surge of patients after the game tonight. And this is just the first of seven against this same team in the next fourteen days. Sox are now twentyeight over .500 and have twenty to go in the season.

Tigers Nuked--Sox Tie HR Mark

Following on last night's nail biting 2-1 victory, tonight's Sox performance was the most literal example of 'from one extreme to the other' you'll ever likely see on a baseball diamond. After five innings, the Sox were barely ahead, 5-4, the lead going back and forth between the teams. Then came the explosion! Already having hit three homers, the Sox sent eleven men to the plate in the 6th and scored eight runs, six of them on homers by Middlebrooks and Nava, Midd's being a slam. One of the other runs came on an RBI double by Papi, his 2,000th hit of his career. The two bagger was far from his only contribution of the evening, however. He also put a pair into the cheaps, passing Billy Williams for 47th place on the all-time home run list. He now has 427, and, assuming he plays at least a couple of more years, has a shot at the magical 500.
The eight homers in a single game tied a franchise record, originally set on July 4, 1977 against the Jays, also at Fenway. The twenty runs falls short of the team record for runs in a game, but, let's face it. Twenty runs is still twenty runs and a most impressive total nevertheless.  While it would be unreasonable to expect this type of onslaught to go beyond a single game, maintaining the hitting frenzy the team may be in the midst of would not be. They won't likely get 19 hits in a game against the Stripes, who they begin a series against tomorrow, but a healthy ten or twelve knocks would be a respectable total for a game. The Sox hitting spree was so all-inclusive, the only starter who failed to get at least one hit was Pedey, and he gave it a damn good shot. In the 5th, with the score tied for the last time in the game, he hit a hard rapidly sinking liner to left, the Tigers fielder barely snatching it above the surface of the grass. Since it plated a run, it counted as a sacfly and the Dustman got himself another ribbie.
Overall, the Hose hosed Detroit pitching for 19 hits, an even dozen of which were for extra bases, including the already mentioned eight round trippers. None of the Tigers hurlers was immune, and their final pitcher, Reed, got off the lightest only allowing a pair in a single inning.  Everyone else: avalanche! Just to show the 6th wasn't a total fluke, the Sox then tacked on another five in the 7th, compliments of the eight batters the Sox sent to the dish. The featured strokes of this inning were two-run shots by both Lavarnway and Papi, his second shot of the evening and a no-doubter as soon as he completed his swing.
Off the field , some news about a pair of pitchers. Bucky, a new daddy (congrats!), is set to join the team in New York. Former Sox set-up man, Daniel Bard was claimed off waivers by former Sox GM Theo Epstein for the Cubbies. Good luck, Danny. You do leave some fond memories here.

Sox Pitching, Timely Hits Beat Bengals

Tonight's story came down to a very basic combo for winning baseball--good pitching backed by timely hitting.  After losing a well pitched effort from Lackey last night, the Hose threw their left handed ace, Lester, at the Tigers and the league winning leader, Scherzer, who came into tonight's game as just the third hurler in history to open a season 19-1. The prior two are the NY Giants' Marquard, and the Stripes Rocket, Roger Clemens. Only the Rocket advanced to 20-1. Scherzer began his evening as if he was going to be the second to accomplish that feat. After striking out the side in the 1st, he allowed a single hit in the 2d, and then threw a pair of perfect innings. During this time, the Motowners picked up what would be their only run for the evening, that coming on a two bagger by former Sox infielder Iglesias. 

However, other than that lapse, Lester was the master of the activity. He went seven strong innings, allowing just the single run on eight hits. Balancing his allowing not a single free pass, he picked up a season high nine K's. On three occasions during the time he was on the mound, he faced jams from combos of hits, with each situation threatening to put the Tigers in full command of the game. Yet, each time he pitched out of trouble and preserved the status quo. Regular followers of this site know what I mean by pitching in such situations. Anyone can throw a ball up there and dare a batter to hit it. Only someone who knows how to pitch, as opposed to throw, can do that and have a better than even expectation to get away with it. Lester has that quality. When he is on his game, he becomes very difficult at best to score on. Tonight's W, his 13th of the year, is the sixth consecutive gem of this type, a streak that has him pitching with an ERA of below 2.0 for the skein. In fact, this is becoming a happy stat for the starting rotation. In its last 14 games, Hub starters have given up three runs or less in 13 of those games.
After Lester headed to the showers, the Sox pen picked him up, making the sole run he'd allowed the only Detroit score on the evening. This was accomplished by four Sox relievers who, between them, allowed a single hit and no freebies at all. Other than the sole hit, the pen was perfect for the night, with Sox closer Uehara again putting the cherry on the top with a nine pitch, two strikeout effort to slam and lock the door. He was so good, in fact, that Eck, subbing for the regular Sox announcer, Remdog, couldn't stop raving about how great Uehara was, and "what a machine" the Sox closer was. Tonight was his 17th save, and had he been the anointed closer for the entire season, he'd surely be knocking on the door for his 40th.
Which brings us t the timely hitting by the Sox batsmen. You don't get to 19-1 being lucky. Scherzer is a damn good pitcher, and as things were going through the aforementioned first four frames, the Hose had to strike when they could and make it stand up. Trailing one zip after four and a half, they took their shot in the 5th.  With one already gone, Gomes got a hit and was moved along to 3d by Drew's ringing two bagger. Then, after Scherzer appeared to have again taken control with another K, Middlebrooks stroked a well placed single to center that plated both Sox runners.  After that, the Sox moundsmen limited the Bengals to a total of a well scattered three singles, with Uehara closing things out as already mentioned.
At this point, the Sox closer is sporting a near-Gibsonian 1.16 ERA and is allowing opposing hitters only a collective .136 BA for the season. He's not totally untouchable--no-one is. But he's as close to it as you're likely to see in the immediate future.