Hard to Believe & Frustrating!

Well, when last we chatted, the Hose were on a two game win streak, having ganged up on the Twinkies. Since then, two games have been played: another against the aforementioned T's, which our heroes won in 11 innings on a Carl Crawford double that drove pinch runner Iglesias in from 1st. Oki got the W, Pap got his first BS of the season in spite of a one hit shutout inning (the hit was what blew the save), and JB's ERA & frustration continued to go in opposite directions: the ERA down under 2 and the frustration must be up in the sky as he more than pitched well enough to win, left ahead, one zip and got a no-dee again.Both hitting steaks extended to 18--Jake & Gonzo rolling along.
The second game since our last visit, unfortunately, is the perfect exemplar of frustrating and unbelievable. I mean, how often does a team get 16 hits while outhitting its opponent by almost 2-1, have a pair of doubles, three HR's, a couple of swipes and lose? Happened tonight to the Sox. Starting a road trip against the Jays' our heroes were expected to take the opener with Lester on the hill. Not his night, however--gave up a threespot in the 1st, five runs in under six innings, had a game WHIP of over two, and left trailing 5-4.He had been ahead 4-3 an inning earlier. It seemed that no matter what the Hose put on the board, in total and form, the Jays matched or went them one better. Unlike last night when Crawford finally settled things once and for all, tonight in extra innings, when he had an opportunity to do likewise, he went flat, taking the collar for the evening's activities.
On the plus side, yes, Virginia, there's always a plus--you may have to look a bit harder to find it, but it will be there if you try hard enough; both Sox hitting streaks reached 19 tonight. Jake and Gonzo were each 3-6, with Jake getting three singles and adding his 11th stolen base, while Gonzo included a pair of home runs in his totals.His ribbies now total 28, which will give him the league lead if the Chisox' Konerko didn't increase his pre-game total of 27. While we're at it, Big Papi also had a dinger, his 5th, to accompany a two-bagger as parts of a 3-5 evening. As far as the hitting streaks go, they are the longest in MLB currently continuing. Of course, they are far shy of the just terminated 30 game streak of the Dodgers' Ethier, and nowhere remotely close to any of the all-time leading streaks of DiMag (56) and Rose (44). So, for now, my take is be happy they're streaking, hope for some continued upward move by the Hose and that those guys who are still below their norm, finally get back to normal--and SOON!
By the way, in that regard, a table in today's SF Chronicle compared Crawford in April with his results for May. The diffs are scary! Before tonight's game, he was hitting .361 for May, with 5 runs scored and a steal in nine days, while for the whole month of April he was just a .155 hitter with a single HR and 4 swipes. The comparison gets worse when one looks at K's for each month. Last month, he had 17 K's in 97 AB's; so far this month, it's 7 K's in 36 AB's. He's over the Mendoza apparently for the season now, and it looks like he may, just maybe, be getting on a bit of a tear. We hope so. His hitting and basepath speed would be a great compliment to Jake's running and the bulk of the order's hitting.

Twin Win vs. Twins

For those of you who follow us, sorry for the last few days' absence. We've been fighting viruses on a daily basis, but, hopefully, have chemo'ed the problem and here we are again! During our absence, Sox lost a pair to the Twinkies, and then have come back with W's in the last two, including today's in support of Dice's pitching. After giving up a trey in the first inning, the Diceman firmed up and the Hose bats hosed Twins hurlers to the tune of 14 hits, along with Jake's tenth swipe of the year. This barrage, included three two-baggers, a trip by Crawford and Gonzo's 4th homer of the year. While I'm on the subject, in case anyone has noticed, Crawford's recent output has gotten him back over the Mendoza and he's really producing! The three-bagger today is just the latest example of what the Sox hoped to be buying when they pulled the trigger in the off-season.Speaking of coming around, have you been watching Yoouukk, Papi and Jake? The first pair each had two hits today, including Yoooouuukk's double, and Jake, beside the swipe I mentioned earlier, was 3-5, with a solid double.
We're still two below .500, but I think this team will be okay as they continue on.

Oh, just hot off the tube: Lakers LOSE by 36!!SWEEP!! Now for the Celtics to beat Miami and go for their 18th!

Twoi In A Row:Sox Bats Get Hot!

Well, 'hot' is, in this case, a relative term, but today's game was the perfect illustration of what can happen when the team batting order is producing from end to end. If one guy is off for the day, someone else picks up, and if that someone is collared for the game, than another steps up and gets the job done. Today, facing the leading starter in the league for the young season, Weaver, 6-0, coming out of April, the Sox had their work cut out for them. Yet early on they took a slim one zip lead in the 1st. Unfortunately, Bucky allowed a tying run in the 3d and a lead run in the 5th. Not looking good, Suddenly, Sox lightning began to strike.With Crawford on 3d and Jake on 2d (fielder's choice and his 7th swipe of the year), Dusty worked a 13 pitch at bat into a two run scoring single, 3-2 Sox. Then, just to remove any doubt about who the eventual winner would be, the Hose batted around and tacked on six, capped by Papi's shot into the Monster seats. Although the Halos would later pick up three runs over the last few innings, the Hose had them down for the count once again. In fact, were it not for Wheeler's looking like a member of the Arson Squad, rather than a fireman, the final would have been more lopsided. Never mind. Terry had that one solved too. When it began to get a bit hot for Wheeler,Oki came on in the 9th and, after allowing a two bagger to score tha Angels' final run, got his stride and closed out the Angelinos over the rest of the inning to end the game and preserve Bucky's W.
Leaders this time: so many: Jake, Yoouukk, Papi and Crawford each had a pair of hits (two games in a row for Crawford--one more sign that he may finally have gotten his stride).Papi had the aforementioned homer and Jake, Gonzo, Yoouuuk and Crawford each had a two bagger to move the attack further along.It was Gonzo's 11th for the year and that, along with his 18th ribbie and Yoouuk's 17th, may allow us to start seeing a higher place in the race and more Sox players in the league leaders as soon as tomorrow a.m.

Gotta' Turn It Around

Well, after we got out of Baltimore, back to the Fens and facing the Mariners, one would have thought things would be ripe for another win streak. That's what one would have thought, but not to be. We lost the first two to Seattle in a pair of frustrating losses--either not getting the timely hit (2x with bases jammed in game 2)or having the pitching fail at the worst time: Jenks blowing a save & taking the loss with some horrible throwing out of the pen in game 2.Just a couple of examples. Add to this: Crawford not doing much yet, Pedroia in a slump and the rest of the team just missing on getting some continuity going and you have another frustrating start to a home stand.
Fortunately, in the finale today, the Hose got it together and won the game in the last of the 9th. Facing the M's best starter, Fernandez, the Sox gave a spot start to Wake and the knuckler was definitely fluttering. In 5 2/3 innings, he held the M's to just three hits and left leading two zip. Enter Jenks--do we have to see this train wreck again. It's like Groundhog Day--over and over and over--same story. In just a third of an inning, he faces five batters, gives up a hit and three freebies (a pair with the sacks jammed)and, voila--the score is tied! Another Blown Save and BS is a perfect description of his pitching so far this season. At least back in the Windy City, he'd fit right in as the Chisox are in literal free fall at the moment. But enough of the bad. Starting the next inning,another new pen member, Albers, came on and gave the Sox just what they needed at that point--a pair of perfect innings,lowering his season ERA to 1.13 in the process. He was succeeded by The Laser, who once again looked like the original Pap, not last year's version. In a perfect inning of his own, he got one K, dropped his ERA to 1.74 and got credit for the W. Oh, yes, the W--Lowrie gets up and lofts a seemingly easy fly to right field. Easy except that Ichiro can't see it because he is totally blinded by the sun. It falls harmlessly, hitting him as it does, and when the base path dust clears, Lowrie is standing on third with a triple. Up comes another new Sox member; one who is still trying to show he's worthy of his seven year, $140 Mill contract. You guessed who: Carl Crawford. At this point, he's 1-3, still well below the Mendoza Line, but hitting at his highest level for the year. When you're batting in the .160's for the year and it's your best, you really have to get better! What does he do? He rockets a shot back up the middle for a hit, drives in Lowrie and wins the game! I guess that's what Theo was hoping for when he hired him. Hopefully, it'll continue for the rest of the season.

Finally, Out of Baltimore!

Well, after the first two games in the series with Baltimore, it was beginning to look as if the Hose were getting another run in their Sox, and not the kind they wanted. What was the most frustrating was Game 2 when, after coming back to tie in the 7th from a four run deficit, the Sox immediately surrendered the winning run in the very next inning to the O's. It was a combo of errant pitching and a passed ball by the usually steady Tek that set up the winner on 3d and it came home on a single.Then came game 3. After an early 1-1 tie, the Sox pushed ahead by a run, only to have one of Lester's very few mistakes bite him. In the 6th Vlad Guerrero deposited it in the cheaps and the score was once again tied, now at 2. This time, however, the Guys from the Fens went to work like they had in last week's streaks. With Lester continuing to pitch well (sub-1 game WHIP), the Hose pushed across a single run to retake the lead in the 7th, and salted it away with a trey in the 8th.Hitting by the Hose was spread throughout the lineup. Crawford got a double, a sign that maybe he is slowly coming around. Both Jake and Gonzo had three hit games, with the former getting a double and Gonzo doubling that total. Gonzo's now over .300 on the season and getting close to the league leaders in ribbies with 14. Though still in the nether regions of the division, they're showing some of the ability that pre-season predictions credited them with. Should be an interesting summer at the Fens. Seattle's in tonight for a weekend series.

The Streaks Continue!

Well, fellow Red Sox Nation citizens, the streaks by our Hose Heroes continued today with their seven zip thrashing of the Halos in Anaheim. In case you've not been paying attention here recently, today's win is the fifth in a row, eighth out of nine. Just as impressive, in putting together a staff ERA for the series of 0.60 (that's NOT a misprint!), the Sox have equalled the team record I mentioned yesterday for the most consecutive games where their starter has gone at least five innings and given up fewer than three runs. The now equalled record, dating to 1946, is nine in a row.
Heroes today obviously start with the Hose starter, Lackey, who still hasn't lost a game against his former team. Allowing six well scattered hits and just a single BB, he not only shut out the Angels, but put together a game WHIP of 0.875. As with the other Sox moundsmen, this continues the recent sterling performance of this outstanding staff. Offensively, Sox bats accounted for 11 hits, including the first homer by Carl Crawford in a Sox uniform, one of a pair of hits he had today. Looks like he definitely may be coming around. The other major off-season acquisition, Gonzo, also contributed heavily to the carnage today, getting three hits and driving two runs across the plate. Add in both Jake and Scoot each picking up a pair of hits and the glory was spread pretty well across the order. This is the kind of baseball we all were looking forward to coming out of the off-season wheeling and dealing by Theo. May it long continue!
And, for those of you who are used to this comment here, as well as those who are still used to reading the Herald in the Hub (For all I know, the Globe may also be using the format--it's been awhile since I've had my hands on one), tomorrow's sports page head will read Sox, C's Win. Congrats to the Celtics who swept the first round playoffs against the Knicks.

Rool Them Dice!

Based on the last couple of outings, it looks as if JB has some company in the "Return to the Real (insert pitcher's name)" game. Coming off his 9-1 win at the Fens last week against the Jays, the Diceman tonight took the hill against the Angels on the road. When the smoke (all his) had cleared, the Sox had a five zip victory, their seventh in eight games and fourth in a row! Dice was awesome! Everything he threw, the Halos came up craps. At the end of eight innings, he had 9K's against just three passes and only a single off his glove smash single in the 2d inning. His game WHIP was 0.5 and his K's to BB ratio was 3 to 1! Dice only has one game where he had more K's than this and that was just barely--10 K's!
Offensively, the Hose weren't looking bad either. Crawford had a pair of hits and a ribbie, Yooouuukkk was back from his temporary discomfort and got his 4th Hr of the year, a two run shot, while Jake had a couple of hits and a pair of swipes, giving him a fin for the year. I was wondering when he was going to get going and if this is it, this could be quite a larcenous season for the Sox when you add he, Crawford and Dusty together. A century's worth of swipes would not be out of the question.
In addition to that 7 of 8 mentioned above, the is the longest streak the Sox have had since 1946 (that's 65 years ago; also a League Championship) where they've had at least eight games in a row of the starter going at least five innings and allowing less than three runs. The team record is the 1946 Sox, who went nine in a row. We're not back to .500 yet, but looking better every day! Go Sox!