Red Sox Acquire Melancon From Astros For Lowrie, Weiland

Today, the Red Sox made a move to significantly bolster their bullpen-- acquiring Mark Melancon from the Astros. In doing so, they had to give up Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland. Melancon has proven himself very effective the past couple of years, going 8-4/2.78/66 in 71 games and 74 1/3 innings. Melancon was traded from the Yankees to Houston in the Berkman deal at Trading Deadline 2010. He'll get his chance to annoy the Yankees, as they gave up on him pretty quickly. I'm kind of surprised the Red Sox traded both Lowrie and Weiland for Melancon. Lowrie was expected to be traded this offseason, but I would've thought they could get a starter for him. Weiland was expected to serve a role in the bullpen this upcoming year, but Melancon will be taking that role from him so he may as well go. I'm excited that Cherington finally made his first real move, but I'm surprised they gave up so much for him.

Red Sox Suffer Bad Loss At The Wrong Time (89-71)

Last night was a terrible game, but it held a greater significance as the Rays won to tie it up in the Wild Card spot. In the 2nd inning, with Marco Scutaro at 1st, Jacoby Ellsbury doubled into left-center. Matt Angle grabbed the ball and threw it back into the infield, but it wasn't near anybody, and Scutaro was able to score. In the bottom of the 2nd, however, Matt Weiters homered to left field to tie it at 1-1. In the 4th, Jed Lowrie took a high change and belted it to right for a solo home run. In the 5th, the Orioles tied it as Chris Davis hit a ball back up the middle. In the 6th, it was Chris Davis again as he lined a ball down into right field to score one and make it 3-2 Orioles. Later in the inning, Robert Andino crushed a ball high in the air to center field. Jacoby Ellsbury was unable to get it as it deflected off his glove, and Andino was able to round the bases with an inside-the-park home run to make it 6-2. A Dustin Pedroia RBI single in the 9th made it 6-3, but it wasn't enough.
      Josh Beckett was very good until the 6th inning, but total he allowed 6 runs in 6 innings to close his season at 13-7/2.89/175, one of the best seasons of his career. He was relieved by Alfredo Aceves and Kyle Weiland with a scoreless inning each. Jacoby Ellsbury had a good game, going 2-4 and scoring a run. Dustin Pedroia also had a good day, going 2-4 and driving in a run. David Ortiz went 2-5. Jed Lowrie went 1-4 with a solo home run, as he is now .257/6/36. Tonight, the Red Sox will hope for a Yankees win and will send Erik Bedard (5-9/3.50/119) against Zach Britton (11-10/4.44/95).

Bright Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- a scoreless inning
Kyle Weiland- a scoreless inning
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4 with a run scored
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4 with an RBI
Jed Lowrie- 1-4 with a solo home run

Dull Spots:
Carl Crawford- 0-5 with 4 LOB
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and 4 LOB

This was a tough game, and we really really need the Yankees to win tonight.

Red Sox Able To Win When It Counted (89-70)

Entering the game, the Red Sox faced a dire predicament. If they lost, they would be tied with the Rays for the wild card, but they didn't lose. With runners on 1st and 2nd and 1 out in the 1st inning for the Yankees, Mark Teixeira was the beneficiary of some bad defense and was able to score on an inside-the-park home run to make it 3-0 early. After a one out triple by Jed Lowrie in the 5th, J.D. Drew drove him in with a single in his first game since July 19. With runners at 2nd and 3rd in the 6th inning, Adrian Gonzalez hit a hard grounder to first but a diving snag by Mark Teixeira allowed only one run to score. In the 7th, the Red Sox were able to put Mike Aviles on 3rd with one out. Marco Scutaro would double into left to score the run and make it 3-3. Then, the next batter, Jason Varitek singled up the middle to score a run and give the Sox a 4-3 lead. However, a sacrifice fly to deep center by Chris Dickerson would tie the game again in the bottom of the 7th. It stayed that way until the top of the 14th inning, when with runners at 1st and 3rd and two outs, Jacoby Ellsbury lifted a ball into the Yankees bullpen for a 3-run homer to make it 7-4.
       John Lackey was actually pretty good last night. After that homer by Mark Teixeira in the 1st inning, he was lights out, and he wound up allowing 4 runs, 3 earned in 6+ innings. However, behind him was some lights out relief as Alfredo Aceves, Daniel Bard, Jonathan Papelbon, Franklin Morales, and Felix Doubront were all very good and didn't allow the Yankees to get anything going. Jacoby Ellsbury went 2-7, however, one of those hits was the key 3-run homer, as he is now .322/31/103. Adrian Gonzalez (left) went 1-4 with an RBI, but if Mark Teixeira hadn't made a fantastic play, he would've been 2-4 with 2 RBIs. Jed Lowrie went 2-3 with a run scored, as he was a big catalyst for this team. Marco Scutaro went 2-4 with 2 runs and an RBI, including an intentional walk by Mariano Rivera, a sign of respect. Tonight, the Red Sox will head to Baltimore and send Josh Beckett (13-6/2.70/170) out against Tommy Hunter (4-4/4.86/43).

Bright Spots:
John Lackey- 4 runs in 6 innings, but only one came after the 1st
The Bullpen- 8 shutout innings, allowing only one hit and striking out 8
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-7 with a key 3-run homer
Carl Crawford- 2-7 with a run scored
Dustin Pedroia- 2-6
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-4 with an RBI
Jed Lowrie- 2-3 with a run and 2 very important hits
Marco Scutaro- 2-4 with 2 runs and an RBI

Dull Spots:
David Ortiz- 0-6 with 4 LOB

This was quite a game, and we came out on top so it's all good!

Red Sox Make Hats Out Of Orioles (88-66)

In the top of the 1st, the Orioles took an early lead as, with runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs, Nick Markakis singled through the right side. The next batter, Vladimir Guerrero lined a ball to right field that would be caught for a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. Later in the inning, Chris Davis singled to right field to score a run to make it 3-0. In the bottom of the inning, the Red Sox had runners at 1st and 2nd with 1 out as Dustin Pedroia grounded out to make it 3-1. After a double by David Ortiz, Jed Lowrie ground out a long at-bat, eventually crushing a ball to dead left for a three-run homer to make it 4-3 Red Sox! In the 2nd the Red Sox had runners at 1st and 3rd with 1 out and Marco Scutaro had a great hit for a double down the 3rd base line to make it 5-3. Then, in the same inning, Dustin Pedroia knocked a liner through the right side to score another run. However, the Orioles loaded the bases in the 3rd, and they scored two on a bloop single to right by Nolan Reimold to make it 6-5. In the 3rd, the Sox scored one as Chris Davis could not pick J.J. Hardy's throw to first, and the Sox scored. Later in the inning, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a high fly ball to left which dropped at the wall and allowed another un to score and make it 8-5. The next batter, Marco Scutaro, singled up the middle and Ellsbury scored to make it 9-5. After a single by Adrian Gonzalez, the runs kept coming as Dustin Pedroia lined a ball to right-center to score another run.  Then, the next batter David Ortiz bounced a ball to second and beat it out, so another run scored and made it 11-5. With 2 outs in the 4th, Matt Angle scored on a triple into the corner by Nick Markakis to make it 11-6. A sacrifice fly by Nolan Reimold cut the lead to 11-7, and the next batter Ryan Adams singled up the middle to make it 11-8. In the 6th, the Orioles scored again, as Nick Markakis scored on a double by Vladimir Guerrero to make it 11-9. Our big inning started in the 7th, when Jacoby Ellsbury led off the inning with an inside-the-park home run into the triangle. Three straight singles by Marco Scutaro, Adrian Gonzalez, and Dustin Pedroia would make it 13-9. After the Red Sox walked the bases loaded, Jed Lowrie singled into right field to make it 14-9. Then Conor Jackson came up to the plate, and promptly lined a ball into the monster seats to make it 18-9.

       To put it simply, John Lackey was awful but lucky. He allowed 8 runs on 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings, but he didn't lose. He was relieved with a scoreless 1 1/3 innings by Scott Atchison, then 2/3 of one-run ball by Franklin Morales. Matt Albers threw a scoreless 2/3 and Michael Bowden threw 2 scoreless innings. Jacoby Ellsbury (left) had a great game, going 3-6 with 3 runs and 2 RBI, including the inside-the-park home run as he is now .319/28/98. Marco Scutaro had an equally good game, going 3-5 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs, as he is now .298/6/51. Adrian Gonzalez helped the batting average, going 3-3 and scoring a run. Dustin Pedroia had an awesome game, going 3-4 with 2 runs and 4 RBIs, as he is now .300/20/88. David Ortiz had a great game as well, going 2-4 with 2 runs and an RBI. Jed Lowrie went 2-5 with 3 runs and 4 RBI, including a very important 3-run homer, as he is now .254/5/35. Conor Jackson only went 1-4, but that one hit was pretty big as the grand slam now makes him .245/5/43 on the season, and .143/1/5 with the Red Sox. Even Darnell McDonald had a good day, going 2-5 and scoring a run. Tonight, Erik Bedard (5-9/3.50/119) will face his former team, and specifically, Rick VandenHurk (0-0/6.00/3).

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 1 1/3 scoreless innings
Michael Bowden- 2 scoreless innings
Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-6 with 3 runs and 2 RBI, including an inside-the-parker
Marco Scutaro- 3-5 with 3 runs and 2 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-3 and scored a run
Dustin Pedroia- 3-4 with 3 runs and 4 RBIs
David Ortiz- 2-4 with 2 runs and an RBI
Jed Lowrie- 2-5 with 3 runs and 4 RBI, including a 3-run homer
Conor Jackson- 1-4 with a grand slam
Darnell McDonald- 2-5 with a run scored

Dull Spots:
John Lackey- 8 runs in 4 1/3 innings
Jason Varitek- 0-4 with 4 strikeouts

This was an awesome game offensively, but John Lackey....

Red Sox Rally Late, Stay In First (83-52)

Last night, the Red Sox played a roller-coaster game and wound up winning 9-5 to keep them in 1st place. With Eduardo Nunez on 2nd and 2 outs in the 3rd inning, derek Jeter blooped a ball to center field that deflected off Jacoby Ellsbury's glove for an RBI single. However, in the bottom of the 3rd, the Sox led off the inning with a single and a double, and a groundout by Dustin Pedroia tied the game up. Later in the inning, Jed Lowrie lined a ball hard down the 1st base line to give the Sox a 2-1 lead. With 2 outs, in the 5th, Adrian Gonzalez singled, and David Ortiz quickly drove him and himself home with a no-doubter home run to center field. Mark Teixeira was hit to lead off the 6th, and after a wild pitch put him on 2nd, Robinson Cano doubled him home to make it 4-2. After a Nick Swisher walk, Eric Chavez lined a ball down the 1st base line and into the corner, Josh Reddick couldn't handle it and two runs scored. Later in the inning, another run scored as Eduardo Nunez hit a sacrifice fly to center field to make it 5-4 Yankees. After Josh Reddick walked with 1 out in the 6th, Jason Varitek hit a perfectly placed ground ball down the 3rd base line, where Reddick would dash around all the bases and score to tie it at 5-5. Soon after, Jacoby Ellsbury crushed one, a 2-run homer that would give the Sox a 7-5 lead. In the 9th inning, Josh reddick led off the inning with a double, and he was quickly brought home as Jason Varitek homered to make it 9-5.
     Josh Beckett was pretty good up until the 6th inning, and total he allowed 5 runs, 4 earned, in 7 innings as he is now 12-5/2.54/149. Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon closed it out with an inning each and the game was in the bag. Jacoby Ellsbury (left) had a good game, going 2-5 with 2 runs and the 2-run homer, as he is now .313/24/84. Dustin Pedroia went 2-5 with an RBI in a good game for him. David Ortiz went 1-3 with that important 2-run homer, as he is now .313/28/88. Jed Lowrie went 1-3 with an RBI in a good day. Josh Reddick went 1-3 with 2 runs scored in a good day for him. Jason Varitek had a great day, going 2-4 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs, including a 2-run homer, as he is now .240/10/32, as he is having a decent year for a backup catcher. Tonight, the Sox will look for a series win with Jon Lester (14-6/3.09/150) going against A.J. Burnett (9-11/5.31/137).

Bright Spots:
Daniel Bard- a scoreless inning
Jonathan Papelbon- a scoreless inning
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-5 with 2 runs and a 2-run homer
Dustin Pedroia- 2-5 with an RBI
David Ortiz- 1-3 with a 2-run homer
Jed Lowrie- 1-3 with an important RBI
Josh Reddick- 1-3 with 2 runs scored
Jason Varitek- 2-4 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs, including a 2-run homer

Dull Spots:
Nobody!

This was a good game for the Sox, and I'm very glad they won!

Red Sox Hit Their Way Into First Place (78-50)

Last night, as we've seen so often this season, the Sox were hitting machines, beating the Rangers 11-5 and pounding out 14 hits. It all started in the top of the 1st, when Jacoby Ellsbury singled to right to start the game. After he stole 2nd and Marco Scutaro bunted him to 3rd, Adrian Gonzalez crushed a home run to the 2nd deck in right field. Singles by Jed Lowrie and Carl Crawford led off the 2nd, and after a Ryan Lavarnway strikeout, Jarrod Saltalamacchia hooked an RBI double to right. Later in the inning, a sacrifice fly by Marco Scutaro made it 4-0. After Dustin Pedroia struck out to lead off the inning, two singles by Josh Reddick and Jed Lowrie put runners on base. Carl Crawford then hit a long sac fly to right field and Ryan Lavarnway doubled into the left-center gap to make it 6-0. However, the Rangers began scoring in the bottom of the 2nd, as three straight singles by Yorvit Torrealba, Endy Chavez, and Ian Kinsler. The Rangers finally got to the scoreboard when Elvis Andrus walked a run in, and later in the inning on back-to-back sacrifice flies by Josh Hamilton and Michael Young to make it 6-3. In the 4th, Adrian Gonzalez gave the Sox an insurance run as he went to the opposite field on a line drive for his 2nd homer of the game. In the 5th, Josh Hamilton got that run back though, as he crushed a home run to deep right. In the 8th, Ryan Lavarnway stood at 3rd and Jarrod Saltalamacchia at 2nd due to a single and double with 2 outs for Marco Scutaro. Scutaro delivered, hitting a beautiful line drive to left which bounced off the top of the wall for a 2-run double to make it 9-4. After Adrian Gonzalez was intentionally walked, Dustin Pedroia doubled to left, scoring 2 more and making it 11-4. In the 9th, Ian Kinsler homered to left but it wasn't enough and the score was final at 11-5.
     John Lackey was decent, allowing 4 runs in 6 2/3 innings and striking out 5; but it was enough to give him the win and make him 12-9/5.98/91 this season. He was relieved with Franklin Morales, who did his job and got Josh Hamilton out in a pressure situation. He was relieved by Alfredo Aceves with a scoreless inning, an Dan Wheeler allowing a run in an inning. Marco Scutaro had a good game, going 1-3 with a run and 3 RBIs. Adrian Gonzalez had a great game, going 3-4 while scoring 3 runs and driving in 3 runs, he is having a remarkable season at .346/20/97. Jed Lowrie went 2-5 and scored 2 runs, setting up some key rallies for the Sox. Carl Crawford went 1-3 with a run and an RBI. Ryan Lavarnway had a good game at 2-5 with a run and an RBI. Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 2-4 with a run and an RBI, both of his hits being doubles in a good game. Tonight, Josh Beckett (10-5/2.46/137) will go against Matt Harrison (10-8/3.28/99) in game 3 of this series.

Bright Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- a scoreless inning
Marco Scutaro- 1-3 with 3 RBIs
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-4 with 3 runs and 3 RBIs, with 2 home runs
Jed Lowrie- 2-5 with 2 runs scored
Carl Crawford- 1-3 with a run and an RBI
Ryan Lavarnway- 2-5 with a run and an RBI
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4 with a run and an RBI, with 2 doubles

Dull Spots:
Nobody!

This was a good day for the Sox, and a bad one for the Yanks, so we now stand tied for 1st place.

Francona Reign As Tito's Unusual Lineup Whacks 13 Hits (76-48)

Last night, the Red Sox pulled off a lopsided 7-1 win against the Royals, despite one of Terry Francona's strangest lineups this year. The Royals actually scored first as Mike Moustakas doubled to left to lead off the 3rd. After Alcides Escobar bunted him to third base, Alex Gordon hit a long fly ball into the gap and Jacoby Ellsbury made a fantastic running catch (Check Web Gems or something), Moustakas still scored but it could've been much worse. In the 4th inning, Carl Crawford doubled down the 1st base line to lead off the inning. One batter later, Darnell McDonald hit a long blooping liner into the gap, it just evaded Melky Cabrera's glove and once all the dust settled, it was an RBI triple. The batter later, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a fly ball to center field and McDonald scored on. In the 5th, the Sox led off the inning with singles by Jed Lowrie and Ryan Lavarnway (Congrats on his 1st MLB hit!!!). After an out, Jarrod Saltalamacchia took an 0-2 changeup over the wall for a 3-run homer to give the Sox a 5-1 lead. It stayed that way until the 8th inning, when Jacoby Ellsbury was hit square in the back to start the inning. He stayed in the ballgame though and after a double down the 3rd base line for Mike Aviles, the Sox were in business. Adrian Gonzalez flew out to Alex Gordon to score a run and make it 6-1 and after a ground ball hit by Dustin Pedroia skipped under Alcides Escobar's glove, the Sox scored another and made it 7-1.

Andrew Miller was very sharp in his spot start, he only allowed 3 hits and a run through 5 1/3 innings and walked only 1 batter. After last night's start, he stands at 5-1/4.99/33. He was relieved by Alfredo Aceves, who really did a great job by saving the bullpen, he pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just a hit and striking out 3. Jacoby Ellsbury played a good game, going 1-3 with a run and an RBI. Mike Aviles also did well against his old team going 2-5 with a run scored and a double. Adrian Gonzalez broke out of his slump, going 3-4 with an RBI and 2 doubles. Jed Lowrie went 3-4 with a run scored in a good day for him. Ryan Lavarnway only went 1-4, scoring a run, but congratulations on your first major league hit, the beginning of a long and fruitful career we hope. Jarrod Saltalamacchia (left) only went 1-5, but that one hit, the 3-run homer, was the key play of the game, as it changed the game from a nailbiter to a rout, he is now .246/12/41. Darnell McDonald went 1-4 with a run and an RBI, but that hit was a triple, his 1st of the season. Tonight, Tim Wakefield (6-4/4.90/66) will seek 200 wins for the 5th time, this time against Felipe Paulino (1-5/3.76/75 with the Royals) and the Royals.

Bright Spots:

Andrew Miller- he was very sharp, allowing just 1 run and 3 hits in 5 1/3

Alfredo Aceves- pitched great out of the bullpen with 3 2/3 scoreless innings

Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-3 with a run and an RBI

Mike Aviles- 2-5 with a double and a run scored

Adrian Gonzalez- 3-4 with an RBI and 2 doubles

Jed Lowrie- 3-4 with a run scored

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-5 with a key 3-run homer

Dull Spots:

Nobody!

This was a great game for the Sox, and I'm really glad we're hitting again!

Furbush Stymies Red Sox In Series Finale (73-46)

Today, the Sox had another depressing loss to the Mariners, this one was 5-3 in a very tough game. After Wakefield shut down the M's for the first 2 innings, they got to him in the third after a leadoff single for Casper Wells. He then stole 2nd and advanced to 3rd on an error before a Jack Wilson infield single brought him home for a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, Franklin Gutierrez smacked a ball to left field which would land in the glove of Carl Crawford for a sac fly. Later in that same inning, Mike Carp smacked a ball to right for a base hit to extend the lead to 3-0. In the 4th, Adrian Gonzalez rushed home on a sacrifice fly by Jed Lowrie to make it 3-1. However in the 5th, an RBI single for Dustin Ackley made it 4-1. Then in the 6th, Casper Wells led off the inning with a homer to left to make it 5-1. In the 8th, Kevin Youkilis hit a home run to left to make it 5-3 but it wasn't enough.

Tim Wakefield was decent, with a complete game effort despite allowing 5 runs in 8 innings. He again fell short of 200 wins and is now 6-5/4.90/66. Adrian Gonzalez had a pretty good game for the Sox, going 2-4 and scoring a run. Kevin Youkilis (left) also improved his numbers by going 1-3 with a 2-run homer, as he is now .267/17/78. Jed Lowrie was decent, going 1-3 with an RBI on a sac fly. In the first game of Tuesday, the Sox will send Jon Lester (11-6/3.32/135) up against James Shields (11-9/2.80/167) and the Rays.

Bright Spots:

Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4 with a run scored

Kevin Youkilis- 1-3 with a 2-run homer

Jed Lowrie- 1-3 with an RBI

Dull Spots:

Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-3 with a strikeout

Carl Crawford- 0-3 with 2 strikeouts and 3 LOB

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 0-4 with a strikeout and 2 LOB

Darnell McDonald- 0-4 with a strikeout and 2 LOB

This was not a fun game for the Sox.

Red Sox Blast Three Homers To Overrun Mariners (73-44)

Last night the Sox played a good game, as they came back from deficits of 2-0 and 4-2. The Mariners were in business in the 1st inning, as they loaded the bases to start the game. Mike Carp then singled up the middle, scoring two and giving the M's a 2-0 lead. However, the Sox quickly got those runs back in the top of the 2nd as David Ortiz led off the inning with a home run over the center field wall. Later in the inning, the Sox put runners at 1st and 3rd with 1 out, and Mike Aviles knocked a fly ball to score Carl Crawford and tie the game. However, in the 2nd, Lackey loaded the bases again and this time a Dustin Ackley single brought home one to make it 3-2. In the 4th, Franklin Gutierrez was doubled home by Mike Carp to make it 4-2. However, in the 5th, the Sox cut the lead again, as Jed Lowrie led off the inning with a crushed homer to right. In the 6th, after Jarrod Saltalamacchia led off the inning with a single, he was quickly brought home on a long home run by Josh Reddick to give the Sox a 5-4 lead. In the 7th, the Sox padded their lead on an RBI single by David Ortiz to make it 6-4.

John Lackey was decent, as he settled down for just a run in 4 innings after the first 2. He did earn the win, and is now 11-8/6.13/79 this season. Franklin Morales pitched a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless 1 1/3 and Jonathan Papelbon earned the save with a scoreless inning. Jed Lowrie only went 1-5, but that hit was an important home run as he is now .264/4/26. Adrian Gonzalez went 2-4 with a run scored. Dustin Pedroia just went 2-4. David Ortiz (left) had a great game, going 2-5 with a solo homer and another RBI, as he is now a very good .299/24/79. Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 2-4 and scored a run in a good day. Josh Reddick went 1-3 with a 2-run homer as he is now .322/6/25. Mike Aviles also had a good day, going 1-3 with an RBI, as he is now .333/0/1 since joining Boston. Tonight will be a great pitching matchup as Josh Beckett (9-4/2.17/127) and Felix Hernandez (10-10/3.31/174) will go head-to-head.

Bright Spots:

Daniel Bard- 1 1/3 scoreless innings

Jonathan Papelbon- a scoreless inning

Jed Lowrie- 1-5 with a solo home run

Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4 with a run

Dustin Pedroia- 2-4

David Ortiz- 2-5 with a solo homer and 2 RBIs

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-4 with a run

Josh Reddick- 1-3 with an important 2-run blast

Mike Aviles- 1-3 with a sac fly

Dull Spots:

Nobody!

This was a great game, and on a rare occasion, no dull spots!

Lowrie Or Scutaro?

For the first time since mid-June, Jed Lowrie (right) is off the DL and is playing baseball for the Boston Red Sox. This arouses the question, who is the starting shortstop, Jed Lowrie or Marco Scutaro? Lowrie started the season on a torrid streak, as he and Dustin Pedroia were the only ones doing anything in April. However, he then fell into a mind-numbing slump, and the two extremes have evened out to a .266/3/25 season for Lowrie. However, despite being solid to good in the past, he has been a very bad fielder this season, making 11 errors in 57 games, and 9 in 45 games at shortstop; this averages out to an error every 5 games. This is unacceptable, especially given that last year he made 5 errors in 59 games.

Marco Scutaro, to me, has been a very solid shortstop in his 2 years with the Red Sox. After going .275/11/56 and being a rock with his versatility, as he spent much of the year leading off due to Jacoby Ellsbury's injuries. This year has been more of the same for Scutaro as he is batting .280/5/25, and has been especially hot of late, batting .433 in his last 10 games. He has been considerably better at fielding than Lowrie, making 8 errors in 72 games. What I would say is that Scutaro should be starting for now. If he cools off or goes in a slump and Lowrie is hitting better, then they should start Lowrie. Please vote on my poll about this "pressing matter." Also, if you have something to say about this, you are welcome to comment and I will reply.

Red Sox Beat The Weather, Extend Division Lead (36-26)

Last night, the Red Sox concluded a 3-game sweep of the Yankees with an 8-3 win over their arch-rivals. The Yankees got off to an early lead after Curtis Granderson homered, scoring Derek Jeter. It stayed as a duel until the 7th inning, when after a David Ortiz single to lead the inning, a Jed Lowrie triple plated him. Mike Cameron proceeded to tie the game, scoring Lowrie with an RBI double. Mike Cameron soon came in on a Jacoby Ellsbury single to make it 3-2. Jason Varitek came in to score on an RBI single by Adrian Gonzalez, making it 4-2 Red Sox. Jacoby Ellsbury then came in on a single by Kevin Youkilis to advance the lead to 5-2. Finally, a David Ortiz 2-run double capped the rally, making it 7-2. In the top of the 9th, Marco Scutaro came in to score on an RBI single by Adrian Gonzalez, making it 8-2. In the bottom of the 9th, Brett Gardner came around on a groundout by Derek Jeter, making it 8-3.

Josh Beckett was very good, allowing just that 2-run homer through 7 strong innings. He earned the win, and is now 5-2/2.06/73, as he has been so good this year. Matt Albers pitching a scoreless inningbehind him and Dan Wheeler allowed a run in an inning after Albers. Jacoby Ellsbury had a good game, going 2-4 with a run and an RBI. Adrian Gonzalez went 2-5, scoring a run, and having 2 RBIs. Kevin Youkilis went 1-4 with a run scored and an RBI. David Ortiz capped the rally, going 2-4 with a run scored and 2 RBIs, as he is now .326/15/36. Jed Lowrie went 1-4 with a run scored and an RBI triple. Mike Cameron went 1-4 with a run and an RBI, as everyone had a hit. Tonight, the Sox will head up to Toronto and send Clay Buchholz (4-3/3.82/49) up against Jo-Jo Reyes (2-4/4.16/44).

Bright Spots:

Josh Beckett- only 2 runs on the homer through 7 innings, earning the win

Matt Albers- a scoreless inning of relief

Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4 with a run and an RBI

Adrian Gonzalez- 2-5 with a run and 2 RBIs

David Ortiz- 2-4 with a run and 2 RBIs

Jed Lowrie- 1-4 with a run and an RBI triple

Mike Cameron- 1-4 with a run and an RBI double

Dull Spots:

Nobody!

What a game, and a series, it's about time we're living up to expectations!

Red Sox Can't Hold On, Swept By White Sox (30-26)

Today, the Red Sox completed a tough series in a sweep, losing 7-4 to complete the sweep. They took an early lead in the 2nd inning, as with runners on first and second, Jed Lowrie smacked a ball that bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double. In the same inning, both Lowrie and Carl Crawford came home on a single by Jarrod Saltalamacchia, making it 3-0 Red Sox early. It stayed like that until the 4th, when Alexei Ramirez scored on a double by Brent Lillibridge. In the 5th, Ramon Castro came in from 3rd to score on a groundout by Alexei Ramirez to cut it to 3-2. Later in the same inning, Juan Pierre raced home on a double by Carlos Quentin to tie the game at 3-3. In the 6th, the White Sox took a lead as Brent Lillibridge homered over the monster to make it 4-3 White Sox. However, the Red Sox got it right back as David Ortiz continued his hot streak with another homer to make it 4-4. The White Sox took another lead in the 7th, as Alexei Ramirez came in on a single by Paul Konerko to make it 5-4. In the 9th, it was Paul Konerko knocking in Ramirez again, as Konerko delivered a massive home run over the green monster to make it 7-4.

Tim Wakefield (top right) was OK, allowing 4 runs in 6 innings, as he is now 2-1/4.40/20. Matt Albers allowed

a run in a third of an inning, and Rich Hill could not record an out before leaving the game with an elbow injury. Daniel Bard, with 1 2/3 innings, and Jonathan Papelbon, two runs in 1 inning, closed it off. Dustin Pedroia went 2-4, raising his average up to .245, as he has been on an off year so far. David Ortiz had a very nice game, going 2-4 with 2 runs and a solo home run, as he is now a very good .313/13/28. Jarrod Saltalamacchia (left) only went 1-4, but he did have that very clutch 2-run single, his 16th and 17th runs batted in of the season. After an off day tomorrow, the A's will come to town on Friday and Clay Buchholz (4-3/3.41/44) and Josh Outman (1-0/2.08/4) will battle.

Bright Spots:

Daniel Bard- 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief

Dustin Pedroia- 2-4

David Ortiz- 2-4 with 2 runs and an RBI on the solo home run

Jed Lowrie- 1-4 with an RBI and a run scored

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-4 with a 2-run single

Dull Spots:

Jonathan Papelbon- 2 runs in an inning of relief

Kevin Youkilis- 0-4 with 3 runners left on base

Josh Reddick- 0-4 with a strikeout and 2 runners left on base

This was a depressing series, need I say anything else?

Red Sox Show Cubs Why They Left For 93 Years (24-20)

Last night, the Red Sox crushed the Cubs in their first trip back to Fenway since the 1918 World Series. The Red Sox took an early lead in the 1st inning, when Koyie Hill made an error trying to catch Jacoby Ellsbury stealing third, and letting him score. It became 2-0 when Dustin Pedroia scored on an Adrian Gonzalez single. An RBI double by Aramis Ramirez and an RBI groundout by Carlos Pena tied the game. A Kevin Youkilis sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Jed Lowrie gave the Red Sox a 4-2 lead. In the 4th, a 2-run single by Adrian Gonzalez and a 2-run homer by Kevin Youkilis made it 8-2. An Alfonso Soriano RBI single and a Reed Johnson 2-run double cut it to 8-5 in the 5th. A Jarrod Saltalamacchia home run and Jacoby Ellsbury scoring on a double play made it 10-5 Red Sox. In the 8th, 2-run singles by Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury, along with an RBI single by Adrian Gonzalez made it 15-5.

Jon Lester was actually not particularly sharp, allowing 5 runs in 6 innings, but his offense backed him up. He earned the win, and is now 6-1/3.68/63 on the season. Scott Atchison relieved him with 3 innings of perfect relief, no runners even got on base. Jacoby Ellsbury had a great game, going 3-6 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs, he is now .297/4/21. Dustin Pedroia had a good day as well, going 3-4 with 2 runs scored. Adrian Gonzalez was 4-6 with a run and 4 RBIs, as he is now .326/9/41. Kevin Youkilis also had a great day, going 3-5 with a 3 RBIs and a home run, as he is now .271/8/30 this year. David Ortiz went 2-5 and scored 2 runs. Carl Crawford went 1-5 with a 2-run single, as he is now .212/1/13. Jarrod Saltalamacchia went 2-3 with 3 runs scored, and a home run, as he is now .236/2/11. Tonight, Alfredo Aceves (1-0/2.60/9) will go up against Carlos Zambrano (4-2/4.89/39) as the Sox look for for an 8-game win streak.

Bright Spots:

Scott Atchison- 3 innings of scoreless relief

Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-6 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI

Dustin Pedroia- 3-4 with 2 runs

Adrian Gonzalez- 4-6 with a run and 4 RBIs

Kevin Youkilis- 3-5 with 3 RBIs and a home run

David Ortiz- 2-5 with 2 runs scored

Jed Lowrie- 2-5 with an RBI

Carl Crawford- 1-5 with a 2-run single

Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 2-3 with 3 runs scored and a home run

Dull Spots:

None!

The Red Sox had a great night last night from all aspects of the game, and it is now a 7-game win streak.