World Series Theme Song

(Sung to the tune of the Gilligan's Island Theme Song)

Just sit right back and you'll hear of a game,
A playoff game for sure
That started with the threat of rain
Soon to be a downpour.

Bud Selig was commissioner,
Couldn't read the weather maps.
The fans in Philly they showed up
All wearing their rain caps, wearing their rain caps.

The weather started getting rough,
The tiny park was tossed,
If not for the bravery of the grounds crew
The series would be lost, the series would be lost.

The rain and wind shut down that game and now who can we blame?
Bud Selig
The network too
The millionaires and their greed
Charlie Manuel and Joe Maddon
They all ruined that game!

Another MLB Embarrassment

Bud Selig continues to prove he's incapable of making decisions for the good of the sport, rather than for the good of today's finances. We've already belabored the topic of a whole generation of children who are getting no joy from baseball's postseason. They are off to bed when the drama happens, and wake up just to read a headline. Wow, pretty exciting.

Under Bud, the All Star Game has continually been evolving from a true spectacle of a game, to nothing but a spectacle. All aspects of it being an actual competitive game, rather than a circus show to parade baseball's heroes around, had disappeared steadily until 2002 when both teams basically ran out of pitchers and the game had to be stopped in a tie in extra innings. Desperate to breathe life back into the All Star Game, Selig pushed for the new rule that the All Star Game would determine home field advantage in the World Series. A creative solution, that should never have been necessary.

Now, rather than look at what every rational person knew was inevitable and simply postpone last night's Game 5, Selig was worried about the television implications with Fox rescheduling. Look, Selig, grow some stones would ya? Baseball is a hot commodity right now. Look at the weather forecast and think about how this will play out. How will this affect the glory of the game for fans to huddle in the rain, while players risk injury? There are no other baseball obligation to worry about. This is the last series of the year. He said it himself (after the fact), that they can wait until Thanksgiving if they have to.

So, DO IT! Look at the weather forecast and say, "the weather is miserable. This is not the stage for the glory of baseball to end this year on. We will wait a day or two until the clouds pass and resume action". If FOX TV has a problem with that, tell them, "Too Bad!". Tell them, "we are playing baseball in two nights. Deal with it!".

The end result is that MLB has screwed with history. The Phillies do not have a deep starting rotation. They had their only ace, Cole Hammels, on the mound in the series clinching game, which they fought for and deserved. Cole may have gone 7 or 8 innings and thrilled the world with a clutch game to secure a championship for his team. Now, he will be unable to continue as the starter in this game, and has to hand the torch to someone else, with a full 3 innings remaining in a tie ballgame.

MLB has essentially given the Rays a new chance. This is similar to stopping a boxing match in the middle of a round when one fighter is in trouble, toweling him off, giving him a swig of water, and resuming the round from neutral territory. The rhythm of the fighters is lost, the dance starts all over again.

This is just ridiculous and embarrassing. If you aren't outraged yet, imagine if this had been the Red Sox in the Phillies' position, with the only pitcher we felt fully confident in was Jon Lester, and the game got stopped and we had to resume with perhaps Tim Wakefield as the fill-in. Does that sound fun?

Playoff Game Times

When "your team" is in the playoffs, game times may be challenging but are never an obstacle. They could start at 2:00 AM, and you'd find a way to watch them. But, with my team, the Red Sox, out of the picture, my outside life and sanity begins to take more precedent, and the World Series is a fun thing to watch and be a part of, but not worth serious sacrifice.

In other words, why the hell do they need to run so late? I know - prime time. So tell me, does prime time cover the hours after 11:00 PM (All times are EST unless otherwise specified)? No. So, do they expect viewers and high priced ads after, let's say, midnight? Games are generally starting right around 8:00, but some at 8:30. The is the very beginning of prime time, and then the games run well after prime time. Throughout the entire season, east coast games started at 7:00 PM. We have two east cost team in the World Series. How about starting the games at 7:00, like we are used to? What about a game during hours that kids could watch?

The most exciting and thrilling part of a playoff game is the end, especially for a game 7. Nothing is more thrilling. But, if that ends at 12:30 in the morning, millions of people who would love to see it will miss out. I'd love to see the Phillies celebrating on the field after a stunning game 7 win in the 12th inning. But, guess what? I'll have been in bed long before. This is not "my team" and I have to work in the morning.

So, what about starting games at 7:00? They should end around 10:30-11:00. They would start prior to prime time, and cross right through it? What about the West Coast? Hmm, what do I look like, a programming genius? But, why skew east coast games? Why not let the game time favor the home team for each game?

Meanwhile, the series is all tied up at one game each. The Phillies had tremendous opportunities to win the second game, but they could not hit with runners in scoring position. Hmm, could be Rays pitching, because they did a similar thing to the Red Sox. The Phillies continually got the Rays against the ropes, but failed to land any damaging blows.

But, against the Dodgers, the Phillies looked vulnerable until they got home. So, don't be surprised the comforts of the home park help them light up the scoreboard. Looking for some real excitement and drama in this one.

Why You Should Root For Philly

With the World Series looming, and the Red Sox eliminated, baseball fans are now turning their attention to the World Series. But, if you have been cheering for the Red Sox all season, who should you support in the World Series? This is not always an easy question. You may have a secondary reason to support one of these teams. Maybe you have a friend who is a big supporter of one team and you now want to join in (or take the other side just to be a pain in the ass). Maybe you went to college in or near Philadelphia and have sympathy to them, or have an affinity to a player on one of the teams.

But, if you have no such secondary ties, and are wondering what to do, I am here to help.

My advise, is to simply root for the Phillies! I heard that. You just muttered, "another bitter Red Sox fan can't stand to see the team they lost to have more success than they did", or something to that effect, right? Well, I can see why you'd think that, but it is not true. As I have said before, the Rays were good all season, and deserve to be where they are. I harbor no ill will towards them (unlike our mortal enemies, the 'you-know-who' from 'you-know-where').


My reasons are more historic in nature, and lesson-building. Sometimes what is painful in the short term (like having a tooth pulled) is the best thing for the long term. If you are a parent, you'll understand the concept of not wanted to spoil your kids and make things too easy on them. Life is a struggle, and without struggling, we never learn how to succeed in life. When your child wants a new bicycle, do you run out and buy them one? When I was a teen in this situation, I was told that I could have a new ten-speed bike. All I had to do was earn the money and buy it. See what I am getting at?


Now, how does this relate to baseball? Being called "Champion" comes with struggle. Being a solid baseball community with undying support and loyalty to the home town nine takes years of work, hardship, and struggle. The Red Sox fan base understands this. The Red Sox have been in business since 1901 (as the Boston Americans who became the Red Sox in 1908). We endured 86 years of struggle starting after 1918, occasionally reaching the World Series, only to be denied the final victory. We had decades to grow, evolve and become part of the very fabric of the Red Sox. Our history has been built on generation after generation. The Red Sox, in part, defines who we are, and who we have been.

This is also true for the Philadelphia Phillies, who have been a team since 1883! They are also woven into the lives of generations of baseball fans. They also know the emptiness of forsaken years, and the frustration of years where the ultimate goal was within reach but slipped away unattained. They are now built on a foundation of rock. They have paid the price, and are due the reward. The Phillies have reached the World Series 5 times prior to this year, and have come away victorious only once, in 1980 when they defeated the Kansas City Royals. They are due.

The Rays, in contrast, were founded in 1998, over a century AFTER the Phillies. This is the very first generation that has been exposed to baseball in the Tampa Bay area. For many of them, they did not realize they had a team until this very October. They have not experienced any heartbreak whatsoever. "But, they have been a dismal team for 10 years, never winning more than 70 games prior to this year. How can you say they have not experienced heartbreak?", I hear you say.

It is true, they have experienced failure. But failure is not necessarily heartbreak. If I walk up to Cameron Diaz (presuming the restraining order had been removed) and ask her on a date, and she said no, that would not be heartbreak. That would be the expected result. On the other hand, if my wife of 16 years walked out on me, that would be true heartbreak. On the one hand, success was never a real possibility, an the other, success had seemed like it was a sure thing, and proven with the test of time.

The Rays, in the scheme of Baseball, are just children. They are cute, energetic, and bright. They make us proud, and show lots of promise. Like most children, they are idyllic and see the world as a wonderful place where good things are sure to come to them. They have not yet been beaten down by reality. Giving them the ultimate goal, so soon in their development, with so little effort, will only spoil them and avoid teaching them life's real lessons. This is like buying them a new car on their 16th birthday.

If we want to help the Rays, the best thing is to let them experience the hardship of life. Let them learn how elusive true success really is. Pull their fan base in and make them unite through trying times. The United States was never more close and united than after a tragedy, such as 9/11. Supporting each other and uniting in the face of tragedy may be necessary to build a strong nation. This could be the beginning of generations of Rays fans bonded in baseball.

Or, it could be short lived. An easy win over the Phillies could spoil them. They'll wander away, wondering why everyone else gets so worked up over these things. That wasn't so hard. Then, when the Rays have a bad season, no one will show. They will know this is not one of "those years", but those years will come. They will think baseball is about only showing up for the occasional "good year", and reveling in an easily attained title.

The Phillies need to correct that thinking. Let the Rays learn and grow and become ingrained in baseball, ingrained in their team. Let them grow into a true baseball town!

Convinced? Okay, let's go Phillies! Your nation's time is at hand. To battle!

Who's To Blame for the Red Sox Loss? You Are!

The Red Sox lost, for the second time in history, when they were faced with an opportunity to advance to the World Series (the other time was in 2003 against the Yankees). Back to back World Series appearances would have been incredible to see, but that did not happen. Why? Was it because Terry Francona stubbornly stuck with Jason Varitek? Was it because Big Papi lost his mojo? Was it the loss of key members of the offense, like Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell (MVP's of the last 2 Red Sox Championships)? Was it too much pressure for some of the new guys (Jason Bay, Mark Kotsay)?

I think the real blame lies with one of you fans out there. Yes, you know who I am talking about. We all have our lucky traditions that always ensure a Red Sox victory. It might be the shirt you wear while watching the games, it might be where you watch the game. Maybe, between each inning you hop around the couch on one foot while singing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game".

Whatever it is, one of you did not stick with your tradition. Theo Epstein asked me to help him track you down, so make this easy on all of us and confess. Did you accidentally wash the socks you've worn throughout the series? What was it? These guys fought hard throughout these playoffs, and you go and forget your silly little tradition and now look what happened!

How about the game itself? Aside from the disgusting spitting going on out there, Matt Garza did a terrific job. Garza went 7 innings and only allowed 2 hits, one of them a first inning solo home run to Dustin Pedroia. When Pedroia hit that one, I thought Garza might be in for a long night. The problem was that he was afraid of the crowd. Garza came out with, what looked like, tissue crammed into each ear. I guess if you cannot mentally block out the crowd, you do it physically. What he needed to do was embrace the noise, which he did in the second inning, and rolled through the game after that.

You may be tempted to blame the Sox hitters, but, other than Pedroia's home run and Jason Bay's single, no one could put the bat on the ball. Batters were tentative and unsure. I've never seen so many check swings! Speaking of which, I flipped out when the home plate umpire called JD Drew out with bases loaded on a check swing. The ball was no where near the strike zone, and the check swing was borderline (Varitek later was given a ball for a worse check swing). At least check with the third base umpire! I hate seeing the umpire take the bat out of their hands, but at the same time, Drew did not know what to do with those pitches. Just wish he had another chance.

Also, what was with the mystery strike three on Mark Kotsay in the 9th inning? Clearly a ball, and replays showed it (even though the announcers glossed over that one). Yes, I'm unhappy about those calls, because each little thing matters at that stage of the game. But, that's not why they lost. They lost because the Rays stymied the Sox bats. The Sox pitched great; Jon Lester was terrific allowing only 3 runs in 7 innings. You cannot expect to win when you only score one run. That is the problem. The Rays' pitching did not succumb to the pressure. They shook it off, and pitched great. The umpires helped a bit, in the examples I cited, but that is all part of the game too.

It turned out to be a well done, well played, exciting series. The Rays had a great year, never let up, and managed to survive a classic Red Sox ALCS comeback. They deserve their place in the World Series. Now, get out there and make this an exciting WS for us, represent the American League well, and we'll be back to do it all again next year.

Red Sox Smell Blood

I'm still a little confused. Are the Rays named after a fish, or a beam of light? They have a fish tank in center field full of Rays, and yet they have a sunshine sort of symbol on their jerseys. If they are fish, I might quip, "the tide is going out fast on the Rays' first post-season", or I might say "the sun is setting on the Rays' brilliant season", or something like that. Either way, I cannot help but hum a Queen song in my mind as I think about their plight; "Under Pressure".

I think the Red Sox have made it clear, once and for all, that it is simply a waste of time to count out a playoff team, even when their back is to the wall. You cannot say, "it looks like it is all over for the Red Sox this year", or anything like that. Instead, you need to say things like, "the Red Sox are down 3 games to 1, and are in a perfect position to make this a truly exciting playoff series".

Yes, I was very nervous about Terry Francona's move to start Josh Beckett in yesterday's game. I knew Beckett would battle like a gladiator, but there is only so much a wounded soldier can do. In the end, Beckett was no where near his 2007 post-season brilliance, but he did pitch well, relying on spotting his fastball, and mixing in the curve ball more than usual. The result was that he lasted 5 innings, only allowing 2 solo home runs. The bullpen gave him incredible support with 4 shoutout innings from Hideki Okajima (2 innings), Justin Masterson, and Jonathan Papelbon.

The Sox matched the Rays' solo home runs with 2 of their own, thanks to Kevin Youkilis and our very own captain, Jason Varitek. Tek had made us all groan in the second inning when the Sox looked like they were about to run Rays' starter, James Shields, out of the game. But runners at first and second with two outs, Varitek ended the inning with an easy fly out. The solo home run in the 6th inning made up for that nicely.

The Rays did not completely implode last night, but they look like they are feeling the pressure. The swagger has lost a touch of its swag, the head held high is drooping just a bit. This team has never faced this kind of heat. Playoffs are one thing, but getting bowled over in game 5 by an historic come-back team while standing directly in the bright hot light of the national media seems to be getting them nervous.

The largest crowd, by my estimation, ever to attend a Rays' home game was in the stands last night. 40,947 people came out and brought a real playoff atmosphere to the dome. I tip my hat to you all for that. Hopefully even more will turn out tonight. Regardless of the outcome, tonight's game will be a piece of baseball history. Either the Red Sox will have miraculously escaped, yet again, from the jaws of defeat, or the Rays will be on their way to their very first World Series.

Now, if the contest was to see who could spit the most times per inning, I'm afraid Jon Lester would have his work cut out for him. Matt Garza can spit with the very best players in history (just watch him tonight, and count how many times he spits in an inning). But, thankfully, spitting does not count, and a rested Lester should prove to be a hell of a challenge for the Rays tonight. My real concern is for Papelbon. He did a nice job last night, but his fastball was about 5 or 6 miles per hour slower than normal. I doubt that was intentional. If he was fatigued last night, he'll be more so tonight. If this game is close, I can't imagine being with an effective Papelbon. Keep you fingers crossed on that one.

Under Pressure!

Jon Lester or Josh Beckett?

This is not a new topic here. Prior to the series, I wrote a discourse about how I would approach the Red Sox pitching rotation for the ALCS. My choice for the first four games matched Terry Francona's. For the final 3 games, I indicated that I would use the results, the series standing, and pitching performances of the first 4 games to guide the choices for the last three games.

I intended to use Josh Beckett in game 5, if he was sharp in game 2 and not in need of extra rest, otherwise I would go with Dice-K. Tito went with Dice-K.

For game 6, I wrote that I would use "Lester (if this is a Sox elimination game) / Dice-K (if this is a Sox clinching game)". Guess what? It is an elimination game. I stick by that. But, what I am missing is the inside, up close contact with the guys that Tito has. My thought is that pitching Lester today puts him on normal rest. The last game he pitched with extra rest, he was less sharp and lost (game 3). Beckett, on the other hand, is clearly not himself, and likely trying to fully heal that oblique pull (or the elbow is nagging him again). Either way, give him the extra day of rest to be ready for a game 7 showdown.

In the end, I have to say that I trust Francona. He wants to win more than you or I. If putting Beckett out there today and not tomorrow would hinder their chances, I don't believe he would do it. I have to conclude that the coaching staff feels Beckett is ready to go, and able to perform well. If they manage to win, we all will appreciate having Lester in game 7!

But, my only concern is that, IF Beckett is not truly ready, then he will have to come out early, and then we throw everybody and anybody out there. That's fine, but I'd rather do that in a final game 7, not having to worry about staffing one more game the very next day!

So, Tito, I'm trusting you here. Let's get this done.

Rays Live True Cinderella Story in Dramatic Game 5 Loss

Yes, this is truly a Cinderella story. The King, Bud Selig, was throwing a huge party at Fenway Park, called the ALCS. The Rays wanted to go, but they had no superstars and no confidence that they should be there. So, their Fairy Godmother, played by Joe Maddon, showed up, and pulled out his magic wand. Joe convinced them they belonged there, and he cast a spell to make sure it stuck. He took a flopping Devil Ray out of the tank in Tropicana Field, and turned it into a plane to take them to Boston. Then, he cast spells on all of them.

He took Evan Longoria and Gabe Gross and turned them from mice into horses to pull the Rays on their journey. He took lizards named Dan Wheeler and J.P. Howell and turned them onto footmen to guide and care for the Rays during the journey. Finally, he found a rat named Grant Balfour, and turned him into a coachman to lead the charge through the late innings.

As all Fairy Godmothers will tell you, these spells only last until (roughly) midnight, eastern standard time. Joe warned them of this, and they all promised they would remember.

But, at the party, they were having so much fun. They met an opposing starting pitcher named Dice-K Matsuzaka, who was famous and exotic. Everyone wanted to meet Dice-K, but under the Fairy Godmother's spell, Dice-K only had eyes for the Rays. They danced with Dice-k and had so much fun that they hit home runs and jumped out to a 5-0 lead after only 3 innings. Later, they met Manny Delcarmen and Jonathan Papelbon and enjoyed playing with them too, scoring 2 more runs. They became so elated with their great fortune, that they lost all track of time.

The clock began chiming, the midnight warning blaring out. But, the Rays could not get out of Fenway yet, it was only the bottom of the 7th inning. Grant Balfour, as the coachman, grabbed the reins of the Rays' horse-drawn carraige and snapped them to lead the charge through the late innings and out of the ballpark. Suddenly, Balfour was surrounded by swirling sparkles and right before our eyes, he changed back into a rat. Dustin Pedroia smashed the rat with an RBI single to score Jed Lowrie from third base. Then, Big Papi clobbered the rat with a three run home run.

The score was now 7-4, and Joe Maddon knew he could not win with a rat, so he sent the footmen, Wheeler and Howell in to help. Wheeler was barely starting when the swirly sparkles swirled around him, transforming him back into a lizard. As a lizard, there was not much he could do when JD Drew crushed his offering for a two run home run and the score was now 7-6. He gave it one more try, only to watch as Mark Kotsay doubled and Coco Crisp toyed with him for 9 pitches before lacing a single to tie the game at 7!

Godmother Joe had one idea left before it was too late. The clock had chimed 11 times, but maybe he could still escape. Joe sent Howell in to save them, but Howell was already turning back into a lizard. Kevin Youkilis ripped a ball to third, and Evan Longoria tried to field it and throw to first, but in mid throw, he suddenly transformed back into a mouse. This horse was gone, and the ball sailed away from Carlos Pena at first base and Youk ended up on second. Then JD Drew stepped up and smashed a line drive to right field. Gabe Gross raced back to make the catch, but half way there, he too changed back from a horse into a mouse, and a mouse will never catch a JD Drew line drive. Nor can a mouse throw out Youkilis steaming home from second base.

Youkilis scored, and the Cinderella story was over. They forgot to watch the time, and the clock ran out. Their juggernaut turned back into a flopping Devil Ray, which is what is was all along.

News Flash - Tampa Bay is for Real!

I have been hearing the moaning, complaining, and second guessing from Red Sox fans growing louder and louder. You are frustrated, angry, and gnashing your teeth grasping for reasons why the Red Sox are ruining your October. I can answer that question pretty easily. The Rays are better than the Red Sox right now, at this moment in time, which is the only thing that matters. Did you ever notice how when one of your batters strikes out, it is his fault - he is a bum. It's not the pitcher who was masterful. When your guy hits a home run, he's a great hitter, but when they other guy hits a homer, it's because your pitcher stinks. In this case, you need to starting thinking the other way. We don't stink, they are just playing better.

As far as the Rays go, we are so used to them being a meaningless team that this transformation is difficult to embrace. But, you know the saying, "if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck"? That is what we are dealing with here. The Rays took over first place in the AL East midway through the season. We all wondered when they would collapse, but they never did. They had injuries and kept winning. They never let go of first place. They faced off against the Red Sox, their only true threat this season, in Fenway Park in September, and they survived and held on to first place. They survived a temporary losing streak in early September, and retained first place. They ended the season in first place with most home wins of any team. They passed their first post-season test by walking over the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS.

This team is for real, get used to it. Their pitching is running on all cylinders right now. They are hitting well, running well, and playing excellent defense. They are good. They are better than the Red Sox right now. That's what we are seeing. All those strategies you are juggling in your mind won't help. Batting Papi 6th, sitting Varitek, pulling Beckett sooner, mixing things up, are all interesting, but futile.

So, you admit the Rays are a good team playing great ball right now, right? But, aren't the Red Sox a great team? Aren't they the defending World Champions? Technically, yes, but practically speaking, no.

This is not last year's Red Sox team. Last year's team had Manny Ramirez batting 4th and Mike Lowell batting 5th. Last year's Red Sox had Jacoby Ellsbury creating all kinds of problems for the opposition, this year he can't get on base. Last year's team had one of the best post-season starters in history (Curt Schilling) on the roster, and Josh Beckett pitching the best games of his career. This year is different. Schilling is not available, Beckett is obviously not 100% healed from an oblique strain, and that takes a huge 1-2 punch out of the starting rotation. Big Papi is struggling to hit, and from watching his swing, I am certain his wrist does not feel 100%.

So where does that leave us? Is it all over? Not yet. The Sox came back from an 0-3 deficit against the Yankees in '04, and came back from a 1-3 deficit against the Indians last year. This is not over, and they won't give up. I think their chances are bleak, given everything described above, but they can still make this interesting. Here's why...

Daisuke Matsuzaka pitches tomorrow night. He had a terrific outing in Game 1. The Sox are due to break out the bats, and they are at home, and don't like losing there. I think we can all envision this game being a tough battle, but the Sox could pull out a win. That would make it 2-3 in the series. So, we head back to Tampa Bay for Game 6. Personally, I'd be inclined to pitch Lester in Game 6. He has been brilliant up until his last game, during which he was good, but gave up 2 fatal home runs. Erase those home runs and it was a good outing. So, if Lester bears down and returns to ALDS form, they could win Game 6.

That would set up a Game 7 showdown, which is all we can ask for at this point. Beckett takes the mound, pops a few aspirin, and who knows? So, don't give up yet, but do know you are simply getting outplayed by a very good team right now. Give them some credit for that, as we regroup to take the battle back to them on Thursday. Time to get hot, and go on our own little 7 game winning streak!

Sox and Rays Empty All Barrels

Sox fans are feeling a bit queasy as they disembark the roller coaster ride that was game two of the ALCS. The night started when all of us Sox fans wearing our best red shirts with the blue "B"'s on them them boarded the roller coaster car. The ride started out fun as we climbed high up that first hill, lifted by a Jason Bay two run double. But the hill did not last long as we came soaring back down the other side when Josh Beckett gave up a two run, game tying home run to Evan Longoria.

Back up in the third on a Dustin Pedroia solo home run, and back down again when BJ Upton matched the feat and Carl Crawford singled to score Longoria and give the Rays a 4-3 lead. This ride was a real thriller. When Cliff Floyd homered to extend the Rays' lead to 5-3, we thought the ride might be over. But three home runs by the Red Sox in the 5th inning, by Pedroia, Youkilis, and Bay, shot the Red Sox back into the lead.

The thrill was short lived when the Rays scored 3 run of their own in the bottom of the 5th to regain a 2 run lead. We were dizzy, stressed, and begging for the ride attendant to stop the thing. The Sox came back, tied the game, and the end was no where in sight. Into the wee hours of the morning we flew up the hills, down the slopes, around the bends.

Then came the 11th inning. The ride attendant decided to end it for us and sent Mike Timlin in, the final reliever on the roster. Timlin walked the first two batters he faced, and we saw the final bend in the ride approaching. A ground out sent the runners to second and third and Iwamura was intentionally walked as we felt the brakes on the roller coaster car begin to engage. Finally the car pulled up to the exit platform and BJ Upton himself escorted us off the car with a soft sacrifice fly.

Off to bed we all went, the Dramamine long ago worn off. As we slept we could still feel our bodies flying up the hills and soaring back down. It was a restless sleep, and during the night I had a terrible nightmare. I dreamed that the Red Sox were in the ALCS on the brink of a potential second straight World Series appearance. But in the dream, the Sox had lost last year's ALCS MVP. Josh Beckett, in the dream, was ineffective, lacked confidence in his fastball, and got burned with home runs whenever he went after a batter.

Then I woke up, and the dream had come true.

Who Wins the Battle of the Fans, Red Sox or Rays?

Anyone who has watched (or attended) Red Sox games hosted in Tampa Bay has been shocked, awed, and even overwhelmed by the huge amount of Red Sox support in "enemy territory". It is a similar situation in Baltimore, but not to the level that it is in Tampa.

You've all read various articles about the lack of enthusiasm of the Rays fan base, and their late arrival to the show. According to Ballparks of Baseball, Tropicana Field has a seating capacity of 43,772. If that is true, get this. The publicized attendance for the first two ALDS playoff games in Tropicana Field were 35,041 and 35,257. More people attended a mid-September game against the Red Sox (September 17 - attended by 36,048). That means the first two playoff games ever for the Rays had approximately 8,000 empty seats!!!

2008 is the very first season that the Rays have made the playoffs, and did it as AL East Champions. I for one, and very impressed, and if I were in Florida, I'd be incredibly excited about playoff baseball meaning something in my own home town. Where are all the Rays fans? Perhaps there are only 35,000 fans in total, who knows?

Anyway, what I am curious to see tonight, is whether or not the influx of Red Sox fans to the game fills the park, and what the ratio of Red Sox to Rays fans is. Don't you think it would be incredibly embarrassing to get overwhelming cheering and support for the Red Sox that drowns out the local support for the Rays in their own park?

To be honest, I wish that would not happen. It's just not right. The Rays have done something incredible this year, and deserve strong home crowd support. They should not have to suffer through an enormous cheer going up when a Sox player (JD Drew tonight?) hits a home run, or when a Rays player strikes out to end an inning. Not on their own field. Until the Rays fans can muster enough support to sell out a home playoff game, they do not deserve the title.

I know there are good Rays fans out there (at least 30,000 or so). Get out there and support your team!

That all said, a brief moment of business. I'm looking forward to these first two games. Dice-K is strong, healthy and rested. No excuses. He needs to pitch well, keep them in the game, and hopefully get through at least 6 innings, if not 7. Then, the big question will be how Josh Beckett looks in game 2. If we see the Beckett of last year's playoffs, we'll be in good shape. If he pitches like he did in the ALDS, I'm worried. We need to win at least one of those two games, and then return to Boston for 3 straight. We've played the Rays well in Boston, and we would have a chance to turn up the pressure. Losing both in Florida would not be fatal, but would turn this into a slow tug of war as they even it up back at home.

Let's get it on!

Josh Beckett Watch - Game 1 Starter?

I mentioned, buried deep in yesterday's post, what I am watching for regarding Josh Beckett. According to the Red Sox, Josh's health is fine, and his recent oblique strain had nothing to do with his sub-par performance in the ALDS. Apparently, we are simply dealing with some rust.

So, here's the deal on how to see through this. Aside from the fact that Jon Lester is the heir apparent, Josh Beckett is still the "ace" of the Red Sox staff. You want to start your ace in game 1, that is a no-brainer. In this case, we don't need to debate whether or not our ace is really Jon Lester, because starting Lester on Friday in game 1 would be using him on short rest, which is unnecessary at this point, and foolish.

So, the answer is easy. You start Josh Beckett in game 1, unless he is hurting. For Josh, he'd be going on normal 4 days of rest, and if rust is the only concern, getting him out there sooner is better than giving him extra rest. So, if Beckett starts Game 1, the team believes he is fine. If he gets pushed off, maybe he is hurting.

But, we have to consider one more thing, namely Daisuke Matsuzaka. We need Dice-K in the ALCS, and he last pitched on Friday. Starting Dice-K in Game 1 would put him on 6 days rest, which is roughly the norm in Japan. Starting him in Game 2 extends that to 7 days rest, and Game 3 pushes him out to 9 days rest. That is simply too much; it is important to stay sharp. So, I think Dice-K has to pitch game 1 or 2.

There you have it. Josh Beckett and Dice-K are your Game 1 and Game 2 starters. Who goes first? I would guess Dice-K first and then Beckett. That serves two purposes. First, Beckett (who none of us believes is truly fine physically) gets the benefit of one extra day of rest. Second, Dice-K gets to start on 6 days rest, and not 7.

Now, you must be screaming, "what about Lester, the hero of the ALDS?". Don't worry, we've got that covered. Lester starts Game 3, in Boston. That works out quite well, with the only possible drawback being that he will be on 6 days rest. Lester has pitched a lot of innings this year, and I think that the extra rest would be good, he sure is not rusty. But there is more.

Jon Lester has had more success at home compared to on the road (11-1 at home with a 2.49 ERA compared to 5-5 with a 4.09 ERA on the road). So, starting him out at home is a good idea. Also, Lester is 3-0 against the Rays this year in 3 starts, and all three of those starts have come in Fenway Park. That's right, Lester has yet to pitch in Tampa Bay this year. That all should make you feel good about starting him at home in Game 3.

Finally, this allows Lester to be available to pitch in Game 6 on normal rest, or Game 7 on 5 days rest.

So, here is what I would do:

Game 1: Dice-K
Game 2: Beckett
Game 3: Lester
Game 4: Wakefield/Byrd

Game 4 I'd start Wakefield on a short leash. He has stymied the Rays in the past, and he's gotten beaten as well. Start him off, and see how his stuff looks. If he looks sharp, ride him, if not, send Byrd in before the roof collapses.

Now, what about Game 5, 6, and 7? You know, that completely depends on how things have turned out up to now. Is Beckett healthy with no issues? Is he pitching sharp? How about Dice-K? Also, what is the situation? Is the series even 2-2, or are we on the brink of elimination, or the brink of clinching? Is this an emergency or not? Because of all that, I'd wait until after Game 4 to write Game 5's starter in pen. But, for fun, let's say, hypothetically, that the series is even 2-2, and everyone is pitching well and healthy. Based on that, here's what we do...

Game 5: Beckett

Remember, the assumption is he's healthy and pitching well. That puts Beckett on normal rest, and hopefully gets the Sox a win and puts them up 3-2, on the brink of clinching. Now, if Beckett were hurting, this start would go to Dice-K.

But, Game 6 might depend on how Game 5 went. If the Sox won Game 5, pitch Dice-K in Game 6. Why? That puts Dice-K on 7 days rest, and if he is pitching well, he'll be strong and need the work. He also fared better this season on the road, and Game 6 would be in Tampa. Holding him until Game 7 would put him on 8 days rest - too much? Also, if Dice-K can win Game 6, the Sox clinch, and Lester is set up to pitch Game 1 of the World Series in Fenway. Gotta like that! If not, Lester is your guy on the mound in the final Game 7 showdown.

Now, if they lose Game 5 and are down 2-3 and on the brink of being eliminated, I might think differently, but maybe not. If Dice-K was very effective in Game 1, I might want to stick with the strategy, knowing I'd have Lester in Game 7. However, loser goes home, so you might put Lester in Game 6 on normal 4 days of rest to help ensure there will be a Game 7. Then, Game 7 has to go to Dice-K; you just roll the Dice! Of course, in Game 7, it would be all hands on deck, so if Dice-K gets in trouble, you bring in everybody you can.

So, you can see, beyond Game 4, you really have to wait and see how things have gone. Remember in 2004? Derek Lowe was not in the starting rotation, he was relegated to the bullpen for the playoffs. But, guess who started Game 7 of the ALCS? Yes, Derek Lowe. That wasn't the plan, but plans change as the series progresses.

So, a final recap:

Game 1: Dice-K
Game 2: Beckett
Game 3: Lester
Game 4: Wakefield/Byrd
Game 5: Beckett (if Beckett were hurting, it would be Dice-K)
Game 6: Lester (if this is a Sox elimination game) / Dice-K (if this is a Sox clinching game)
Game 7: Lester/Dice-K (depending who went in Game 6)

You can picture how this all changes if there is an injury. Then you are looking at Byrd or Wake taking one of those slots, like Lowe did in 2004.

More to come, including an introduction of a much loved Fenway character.

Rays Give the Red Sox the Old Rope-A-Dope

If you are a boxing fan, you are surely familiar with the "rope-a-dope" strategy that Muhammad Ali used in defeating George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle fight. In using the rope-a-dope, Ali would simply lean back against the ropes, put up his gloves in defense, and allow Foreman to hit away. In the process, Ali suffered minor damage while puffing up his opponent's confidence and tiring him out at the same time. Then, when the time was right, Ali jumped off the ropes and put a beating on the suddenly unsuspecting Foreman. The result, like the Rays' series win over the Red Sox, was a knock out.

Granted, the comparison is not perfect, but the parallels are there. Monday night, the Rays let the Red Sox pound away at them, and suffered a 13-5 loss. They took the damage, knowing it was not enough. Then the Rays came back and beat the Sox, and Josh Beckett, 2-1 on Tuesday, and completed the knockout against a reeling Red Sox team last night with a knockout 10-3 victory.

Why is it a knockout? Because a critical Division Title tie breaker was on the line. The Red Sox and Rays faced each other 18 times this season. Going into last night, the Rays were ahead 9-8. A win by the Red Sox would even up the season series. Then, in the event the Red Sox and Rays ended the season in a tie, they would be forced to play a one game playoff, winner take all. Instead, the Rays won, and now, should the two teams end up in a tie, there will be no playoff game, the tie will go the Tampa Bay. That means to win the Division, the Red Sox need to finish ahead of the Rays, not tied with them.


The Red Sox are 89-63 with 10 games remaining, which the Rays are 90-60 with 12 games left. Since the Rays have lost 3 fewer games, the Red Sox need to win 4 fewer games the rest of the way. Mathematically, that means the Rays have to lose AT LEAST 5 games. If the Rays go 7-5, the Sox would need to go 9-1. If the Rays go 6-6, the Sox need to go 8-2. Not easy feats. Last night's win may have just knocked the Sox out of contention for the division.

The Wild Card, on the other hand, has become a near certainty with the Twins losing to Cleveland last night. The Sox are 7 games ahead of the Twins with both teams having 10 games left. The Red Sox have to lose at least 7 of their remaining 10 games to give the Twins a chance.

So, enjoy the rest of the regular season, but start gearing up for a first round in the playoffs as the Wild Card facing off against the Angels. Not such a bad place to be, just ask New York.

The Fish that Got Away - Rays Win 2-1 in the 9th

I have to say, last night's game was more like it. The night before, a 13-5 cake walk, was embarrassing. But, last night the Rays regrouped and put up a proper playoff fight. Their players shaved their heads into Mohawks and lined up to do battle against Josh Beckett. They knew their chances were slim, but they went at it anyway.

Beckett had a brilliant night, only making one mistake on a pitch to Carlos Pena leading off the 7th inning, that turned into a solo home run. That erased the Red Sox' 1-0 lead and was the only blemish on Beckett as he went 8 complete innings only allowing 3 hits and one walk while striking out 7. For a while, it felt like Beckett might even make a run for a no hitter, until Cliff Floyd registered the Rays' first hit with one out in the 5th inning. Unfortunately for Beckett, the Red Sox offense was silent, which is pretty typical the game after scoring runs in double digits. The Red Sox only run came on a sacrifice fly by Kevin Youkilis in the 6th inning. Otherwise, Rays' starter Andy Sonnanstine, was able to match Beckett's outing.

Other than brilliant pitching in general, Rays' catcher, Dioner Navarro, was the hero last night, twice. In the 8th inning, with one out, Jacoby Ellsbury singled. This was big for the Sox. If Ellsbury steals second with one out, the sox would have a great shot at scoring a run and taking the lead. That would put Papelbon on the mound in the 9th inning. So, Ellsbury took off for second, and Navarro fired one of the more perfect throws to second I have ever seen. A laser of a throw that landed perfectly in Akinori Iwamura's waiting glove. Iwamura did not have to even move the glove, he simply had to close it around the ball as Ellbury slid in to it. if the ball had been throw just a foot off, Ellsbury probably would have touched the base before being tagged out.

So often in baseball, the guy who makes the big defensive play comes up later and gets the big hit. I don't know if it is adrenaline, or a self confidence from the big play, but you can almost always count on it. Last night was no exception. With the score still tied, Justin Masterson was sent in to get the Rays out in the bottom of the ninth inning. The first batter, Jason Bartlett, barely got the bat on the ball, but ended up on first base as the looping fly ball landed in that spot behind first base that no one can reach. Then, Masterson dug himself a deep hole. He walked Carlos Pena, struck out Evan Longoria, and then plunked Cliff Floyd on the knee to load the bases. That brought up Navarro, who smashed a 2-2 fastball deep to center field, easily bringing home the winning run from third.

So, faced with the prospect of losing possession of first place outright, the Rays stepped up and showed some life. I tip my hat to that. But, even though the Sox lost, they still moved forward in the playoff race as the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Twins all lost last night. The losses reduce the Yanks and Jays elimination number to a mere 3, while the Twins' elimination number in the Wild Card race dropped to 5. With 11 games to play, the Sox are more solidly entrenched as a playoff entrant. The question that is becoming the only remaining question, is who will be the Division Winner, and who will take the Wild Card spot between the Red Sox and the Rays?

The Sox were without Jason Bay last night, who flew quickly back to Boston to be present for the birth of his daughter, Evelyn Jane, last night. Word is Jason got there with only 45 minutes to spare. Ah, the life of a major league family. I'm Bay is already on a plane back to Florida to play in tonight's game. But, there will be plenty of time this off season to play with the baby.

I am concerned about Mike Lowell. Having been forced to retire from baseball with a bad hip myself, I cringed last night as Lowell came up limping after making a barehanded grab of a softly hit ground ball and making the throw to first. It was a nice play, but the twisting motion clearly aggravated Lowell's right hip, which has been diagnosed with a torn labrum. The right hip is also the center of a right handed batter's strength. A hobbled Lowell will still be able to contribute, but not at the levels he is fully capable of. Bad timing for that injury, but Mike has been there before, barely recovering in time from a broken bone in his left hand prior to the 2003 playoff with the Marlins. Let's hope he still has some magic healing powder left.

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Red Sox Went to Fight, But the Rays Never Showed Up

Someone needs to call down to Tampa Bay and send the message. This is the height of the playoff race. Now is the time to get down to business. The Rays have impressed everyone all season, never more so than taking two out of three games from the Red Sox last week in Boston. Now is the time for them to drive the nail home and take what they have fought for all season long. I was looking forward to a real battle between these two teams yesterday. Scott Kazmir against Daisuke Matsuzaka, both teams vying for possession of first place, late September drama.

What did we get? We got a spring training game. Kazmir opened the game walking the first two batters on 8 straight pitches, then surrendered a 3 run home run to David Ortiz. That was just the beginning. Mike Lowell hit a solo home run to put the Sox on top 4-0 after one inning. Home runs were the theme, with the Red Sox hitting a season high 6 home runs last night to score 13 runs. By the 5th inning, with the Sox leading 11-1, the game was over. In the 6th inning, Terry Francona started getting all his backup in the game for extra work and gave his starters some rest. The Rays sent Mitch Talbot out to replace Kazmir in the 4th inning. This was Talbot's major league debut - being sent out to take one for the team! Mitch pitched 3 innings, and allowed 4 more runs to score. He save the bullpen some wear and tear, but did not have a distinguished start to his career.

I guess Terry Francona felt a little sorry for the Rays, and rather than have the gave get too out of hand, he send in a Chris Smith present for them (pronounced Christmas). Chris Smith brought gifts of two run home runs, surrendering one in each of the two innings he pitched. But, driving up the score from 13-1 to 13-5 will not show up on Red Sox radar, so no worries there.

The only real Red Sox concern was Daisuke Matsuzaka, who remains a bit of a mystery. He get the win, setting the single season record for Japanese born pitchers at number 17. He also only allowed 1 run on 3 hits and two walks, and struck out 7 batters in 5 innings. Pretty good, right? Absolutely. But, did you know he needed 101 pitches to do it? 101 pitches to get through 5 innings, but only allowed 1 run? That worked last night, but in the playoffs, I'd sure love to see him get deeper into the game than that!

Maybe the problem for the Rays is a lack of fan support. I am excited at the emerging talent on the Rays, and I would vote wholeheartedly to get them moved to someplace that cares. Maybe the Rays took two out of 3 in Boston last week because they could feel the playoff intensity in the air. Last night, possibly the biggest baseball game played to date in Tropicana Field, only 29,722 fans bothered to show up. The seating capacity at the Trop is 43,772. That means the dome was only 68% full! Of those 29,722 fans, at least 10,000 were Red Sox fans. How can a team truly get into playoff mode in that atmosphere? Just sickens me.

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Tampa Bay is for Real

Many people have been strongly questioning whether Tampa Bay would be able to sustain their success long enough to make it into the playoffs and be a true contender. When Tampa ran into a steamrolling Toronto club and lost the bulk of their AL East lead, doubters took that to be a sure sign of Tampa's imminent collapse.

Their next test was to come in to Boston, in the middle of a grueling road trip, and take on their closest AL East threat head to head. Three games later, the Rays stand victorious claiming victory in two of those three games in two tightly fought contests. I think we now have our answer, Tampa Bay is for real, and they will be a serious threat to any playoff contender.

Now, are you a bit on edge after last night's 4-2 loss in extra innings, and dropping 2 of three at home to the Rays? Don't be. Yes, it was depressing to lose two games in a row to a team we could have overtaken. No question there. But, what are we looking for? We are looking for a playoff spot, and a chance to enjoy some exciting baseball in October, with a shot at a possible World Series appearance. That is still well within the Red Sox' grasp. Remember the Rational Sox Fan formula? 94 wins puts you in the playoffs. The Red Sox have 17 games remaining and are currently 85-60. They need to go 9-8 to hit 94 wins. Yes, Toronto will be a tough opponent, but the Sox do not need to win every remaining game. They only need to win 9 more.


Can the Sox take the Division from the Rays? Yes, certainly. They are well within reach, and sliced 3 games off that lead so far in September. Will they take the Division? Well, that's why we watch the games, to find out what will happen. They certainly have a tight grip on the Wild Card, although they are still a couple of weeks away from clinching. But, the Twins don't seem like they are poised to go on a tremendous winning streak, nor do the Sox look like they are poised to go into a nose dive. I would not be surprised at seeing the current standings hold fast.

What about the Blue Jays? Yes, they are on a serious winning streak, but you remember what happens to streaks in baseball? They end. Toronto is due to hit a speed bump soon, hopefully that speed bump will be losing two of 3 to Boston in this upcoming series. But, does Toronto really have a shot at a playoff spot? Mathematically, yes, but logically, no. They do have the pitching needed to succeed in the playoffs, but I think their winning streak is too little too late. They are playing loose right now, because they have nothing to lose. If they miss the playoffs, that is what is expected. The wins are not "must wins". They are "spoiler wins". Their wins are just thorns in the side of playoff hopefuls. But, as their chances at a playoff spot creep closer, the pressure will also increase, and the tension will build up, and they won't be playing so loose anymore. The wave will have past, and they will have come close, but not quite made it.

On the other hand, if they do go full steam ahead and force their way into a playoff spot, we will have the joy of watching history in the making. But, don't hold your breath.

Not too much to say about last night's game. A well fought battle between two good teams. A bullpen is like a rubber band. If you stretch it far enough, it will eventually break. The Red Sox rubber band broke first. I would guess the Rays' rubber band only had one more inning left in them. Mike Timlin gave up the winning runs in the 14th inning. The Sox only had David Aardsma (just back in the pen from an injury), Devern Hansack (just called up from the minors), David Pauley, and Chris Smith left. Timlin was as good an option (without the benefit of hindsight) as any of the others.

By the way, I have no issues with JD Drew not getting out there last night. Drew went through a full rigorous workout to test the back, and it was a success. Hours later, it started tightening up again. It is a bulging disc. Yes, he could have sucked it up and gone in to bat, but if his back was stiff, his swing would not be normal, or smooth. Watching him strike out or pop out because he could not swing cleanly and confidently would be no help. If you are all ranting about Drew, just take a deep breath. You are simply frustrated that they lost after you promised everyone in your office the win was guaranteed, and now you need to take it out on someone. There's no need. Take a breath, grab a coffee, and have fun on the playoff run roller coaster!

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Sox Miss Chance at First Place

It was the bottom of the ninth inning, and all of us Red Sox fans in the audience were still rubbing our eyes and asking ourselves if what we saw really happened. Did Jonathan Papelbon really just give up a home run and back to back doubles to blow a 4-3 lead? We were all filled with joy a mere 1/2 inning before, when we watched Jason Bay crush a laser beam line drive that barely cleared the top of the Green Monster for a 2 run home run that did away with the Rays' 3-2 lead. The woman sitting behind me quietly said, to no one in particular, "Manny Who?", as Jason rounded the bases to the roar of the packed house.

But, we all know a one run lead in the ninth inning can be quickly erased, and we knew Big Papi would be batting this inning. Mark Kotsay lead off the inning against Troy Percival with a walk. We all thought, "okay, here we go". Then, Jason Varitek stepped up, and began to work on laying down a bunt to move Kotsay to second. Percival has been around a long time, and was not about to make it easy on 'Tek, and threw him terrible pitches - high and off the plate, to bunt at. While this futile battle was being waged, I turned to those around me and asked, "If Francona wants to get the runner in scoring position, why doesn't he send in Jacoby Ellsbury to pinch run? He can steal second, then we'd have the runner in scoring position with no outs. That would let Varitek be able to swing away, and with Ellsbury's speed, we increase the chances of safely scoring from second on a single." Everyone agreed, this made sense. But, we continued to watch as Varitek fouled off strike two, then froze as Percival snapped a curve ball across the strike zone for strike three.

Then, Big Papi stepped in and worked the count to 3-1, then put the bat on a fastball, only to fly out to right field. Now, with two outs, and the hot hitting Coco Crisp coming up, Terry Francona send in Jacoby Ellsbury to pinch run! We all looked at each other and said, what the heck has he been waiting for? Why wait until there are two outs to send in Ellsbury? So, Ellsbury takes off for second, is safe by a mile, and to top it off, the throw gets away from the second baseman, and Ellsbury wastes no time flying over to third base. Unfortunately, Coco popped out to second base to end the game.

Now, picture how differently this inning would have gone for Troy Percival had Ellsbury been sent in to pinch run immediately. No outs, and the league leading base stealer on first base while clinging to a one run league in Fenway Park with the division lead on the line. Percival would have spent half of his concentration on trying to keep Ellsbury close to first, and Varitek would have been swinging away, no trying to bunt. Had Ellsbury executed a similar steal, we could have had him on third with no outs. Big Papi's fly to right may have scored him to tie the game!

So, I am not trying to be revisionist here, and I am not at saying this is why they lost. They may have lost anyway. But, I still just don't get why they waited until there were two outs to send in Ellsbury! It just made no sense.

Daisuke Matsuzaka was okay. As usual, he had one clumsy inning, this time it was the third inning. He slipped and fell trying to field a bunt with no outs, then walked the next two batters to load the bases. Dice-K then threw a pitch more or less in the dirt, but it nicked the foot of Cliff Floyd, giving the Rays their first run. The good thing is that he stopped the bleeding pretty quickly. He retired the next 3 batters in a row, giving up only one more run on a sacrifice fly. Dice-K gave up one more run int he fourth, and left the game after 5 innings, already up to over 100 pitches, with the Rays leading 3-2. Not a great outing, but good enough to keep the Sox in the game. The bullpen, Javier Lopez, Manny Delcarmen, and Hideki Okajima, held the Rays silent until Papelbon imploded.

Papelbon, from where we sat, looked off right from the first pitch. I don't know why, he just was not on his game. Hopefully it is nothing but a bad night. The game tying solo home run was given up to Dan Johnson, who had just been called up from AAA Durham. It was Johnson's second at bat of the season. His first at bat came on April 2nd against Boston when he was with the A's. In that at bat, he grounded out harmlessly to Dustin Pedroia. So, it seemed like a match up in favor of the home town team. That is, until Papelbon left a fastball out over the plate, and Johnson planted it out in to the center field stands.

The rubber match takes place tonight. Josh Beckett against Andy Sonnanstine. The Sox don't "need" to win this game, they seem to be in pretty good control of the Wild Card spot. But, winning this game, and pulling back to within 1/2 game of the Rays would be a big boost. We'll take whatever playoff spot we can get, but the Division Champ gets home field advantage, and we'd love to see that.

Red Sox Take First Game 3-0, Cut Rays Lead to 1/2 Game

Very nice start to the series last night. Jon Lester pitched like a seasoned veteran, going 7 2/3 innings, allowing 6 hits and 3 walks, but preventing any runs from scoring while striking out 9 batters. Rocco Baldelli, our own Rhode Island major league player, was the victim of 3 of those strikeouts. In fact, I was a little confused in the 8th inning. Jon Lester got the first two batters out, then gave up a single and a ground rule double to put runners on second and third. The next batter up was Rocco Baldelli. I know Lester's pitch count was 119, but since he had struck out Baldelli three times already, it looked to me like Lester would be the guy I wanted facing him.

Instead, Terry Francona went to the bullpen and brought in Jonathan Papelbon. Papelbon threw 6 pitches to Rocco, all of them 95+ mph fastballs, and struck out Baldelli anyway. Papelbon then finished up the 9th inning to preserve the win and earn his 36th save of the season.

The Red Sox scored all of their 3 run in the first inning. If you watch baseball to see runs scored, you could have turned the game off right then. With one out, Big Papi doubled off the Monster to score Mark Kotsay all the way from first base. Then Kevin Youkilis singled to center to score Ortiz, but the relay home was cut off, fooling Youk who had headed to second base. Youk got tagged out easily for the second out, and then Jason Bay launched a solo home run to wrap up the offense for the evening.

You have to tip your hat to Rays' starter, Edwin Jackson. After the first inning, it looked like the start of a big blowout. But, Jackson stayed in the game, settled down, and ended up pitching 7 complete innings allowing no further damage.

But, the Rays could not get on the score board, dropping their 6th game of September. The Rays are now clinging to a mere 1/2 game lead. A loss tonight would turn the lead over to the Red Sox. But, don't put down a Red Sox win in your score book just yet. The Rays have not scored a run in their last 18 innings, suffering back to back shutouts. If you follow baseball at all, you've probably noticed the pattern. A team scores a ton of runs on game, and the next game cannot seem to be able to score at all. Same thing goes in reverse. When you go too many innings without scoring, it all bottles up and often explodes all at once in a flurry of runs.

Tonight, the Rays will be facing Daisuke Matsuzaka. Dice-K has pitched well lately, but he has also been known to give up a big inning now and then, often around the 4th inning. If the Rays are simply destined to break out, this could be a tough game for Boston. Facing Scott Kazmir is no easy task. If the Rays break out, the Sox will find it a challenge to keep pace. But, we are also seeing how a new team to the playoff race is handling things - not too well. Tonight is a big test. Will they shake off the losses of the past two weeks and get back to business, or will they continue to play tight and not get into a groove?

I'll be at the game, sitting near the visitor's bullpen. We'll do out best to rattle the relief crew. The rest is up to the Sox.

(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)

Red Sox Bullpen Collapses - Hands the Broom to Tampa Bay

That was one of the worst, and most depressing games the Sox have played this season. Dice-K Matsuzaka started out shaky in the first inning, walking three batters, but was fortunate that it only cost the team one run. After that, he settled in nicely, holding the Rays scoreless through 5 innings. But, with the walks come a higher pitch count. After 5 innings, Dice-K had thrown 101 pitches. Normally, there is a good chance Terry Francona would have sent him back out for the 6th inning, but this was only his third game since coming off the DL for shoulder weakness. That being the case, Tito made the prudent move to be cautious and go to the bullpen holding on to a 4-1 lead, and the nightmare was looming ahead.

First out of the pen was Hideki Okajima who has been like a Forrest Gump box of chocolates this season (you never know what your gonna get). Yesterday was a good day, and Okajima pitched a scoreless 6th. Next up, Manny Delcarmen (cue the gloomy music). Manny had been very shaky early in the season, and then settled in to a very nice rhythm. But, that rhythm has been faltering lately. Manny faced three batters, resulting in a double, and two singles. With the score now 4-2, Tito made the right move and yanked Manny before the game could get out of hand.

So, Craig Hansen came in with runners on 1st and 3rd, no outs. So what does he do to help? Nothing! He walks the first two batters to score a run, then gives up a double to Evan Longoria, scoring two more runs. There goes Dice-K's opportunity for a win, the score now 5-4 in favor of the Rays, and still no outs. David Aardsma got one out on a ground out, and Javier Lopez got a second on a strikeout, but gave up a two run single before getting out of the inning.

The 6 run 7th inning was devastating. The Red Sox tried to claw back into it, but lost by 1 run, the final score 7-6. The Sox needed some hitting, and Dustin Pedroia decided he was the guy. Here's how Pedroia's at-bats went: Home run, triple, double, fly out, double. Just a single shy of hitting for the cycle! JD Drew also hit a triple and drove in a run. So, some of the Sox cylinders where hitting, but not all of them. Manny Ramirez went 0-5, but he did bring in a run from third on a ground out.

Jason Varitek is still in a funk at the plate, and the Rays took advantage, in embarrassing fashion. In both the 5th and the 7th innings, the Rays intentionally walked Kevin Youkilis with two outs to pitch to Varitek. Varitek did not make them pay, grounding out once, and striking out the other time. He'll snap out of it, but right now, Jason is a hole in the lineup, and the other teams see that. Let's hope he finds his stroke in NYC this weekend.

That's right, while the Rays proudly hold the best record in all of baseball, the Sox and the Yankees finally meet up again, but this time in a battle for second place. This is not time for the Sox to be on a losing streak. Red Sox fans have been proclaiming they are not afraid of the Yankees, and the Yankees do not have the pitching to compete this year. Well, let's find out! Today's game features a lefty-lefty match up with Jon Lester going up against Andy Pettitte. Sounds like a fair fight. So, let's hope the Sox find some fight in them and keep the Yankees from climbing back into the race.

(Photos Courtesy of Yahoo Sports)

Red Sox Out-Pitched and Out-Managed in Loss to Rays

Do you miss Big Papi yet? The Red Sox sure do. Last night they were once again unable to get any real offense going in a 3-1 loss to the surging Rays. They are batting like zombies up there! Either Tampa Bay pitching is better than advertised, or the Sox need a rest. For the second night in a row, Rays pitching retired each batter in the Red Sox lineup in order the first time through. Two nights in a row the first 3 innings go 1-2-3. Last night, there were no solo home runs to tease us into thinking the offense was about to get going. As the key was turned in the ignition to get it started, the offensive engine sputtered, choked, coughed, and let out a sigh as it collapsed, refusing to start.

Even JD Drew, the hottest batter this past month for the Sox, was unable to get it going. JD went 0-3 with 2 strike outs, the worse of those coming in the 8th inning. With one out and runners on first and second, the Red Sox had the makings of a rally started, but JD stood there and watched three straight pitches go by, each one of them called a strike. JD, wake up - you have to swing at least once! To JD's credit, he was credited with the Sox' only RBI of the night in the 4th inning. Jacoby Ellsbury had singled advanced all the way to third base when he hit a dribbler that catcher, Dioner Navarro, threw past first base for an error. JD Drew managed to hit a sacrifice fly to score Ellsbury from third, and that ended the Sox' offense for the evening.

Manny Ramirez remained silent at the plate, also going 0-3 with a walk and a strikeout. Even Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis were cold, both of them going 0-4. In games like this, the manager will try to shake things up with a timely pinch hitter. Terry Francona tried to shake things up, but failed in two ways. First, he fell for a little bait and switch by Rays' manager, Joe Maddon. Joe sent starter, Matt Garza, who had already thrown 102 pitches, back out to the mound to start the 8th inning. Joe knew that Tim Wakefield was most likely done for the evening, and that meant that the lead off batter for the Red Sox that inning, catcher Kevin Cash, was likely to be pinch hit for. He played Francona like a fiddle. Terry went for the bait and sent in left handed hitting Sean Casey to bat for Cash. As soon as he saw the move, Maddon marched to the mound and made the move he was planning all along. Maddon sent in the left handed reliever, JP Howell, in to replace Garza.


Then, Tito proceeded to make his second mistake. The Sox had only 3 players on the bench last night with Coco Crisp serving his suspension. That left Sean Casey, Jason Varitek, and Julio Lugo, who was getting a night off. We all love Varitek, but he has been mired in a slump lately and looks terrible at the plate. Meanwhile, Sean Casey is batting .358. But, Casey bats left handed, so shouldn't that favor NOT sending him up to face Howell? It might, but Casey is batting .350 this season against left handed pitching! So, who gives the Sox a bigger chance to create a spark for the offense? You say Sean Casey? Terry did not think so, and he pulled Casey, now ineligible to return to the game, and sent Varitek up to bat right handed. Varitek watched the first pitch go by for a strike, then swung at and missed the next two pitches. Then, in the 9th inning, with two outs and Alex Cora on second base with a double, the batter was again Jason Varitek, facing the right handed Grant Balfour. This would have been a sweet spot to have Casey batting, but alas, we again got to see Varitek strike out on three straight pitches to end the game.

Meanwhile, poor Tim Wakefield, who went 7 innings, allowing only 2 runs (one of them unearned), got saddled with the loss. It is nights like that when you realize how meaningless wins and losses can be as a meaningful statistic on the effectiveness of a pitcher. Wakefield pitched even better than we could have expected, and not only doe not get the win, but adds another loss to his name. Has to be frustrating.

The Red Sox have yet to win a game in Tampa this season. Can they break that streak tonight with Daisuke Matsuzaka facing off against Scott Kazmir? Kazmir is a tough lefty that will cause trouble for the Sox who have largely left handed outfield and bench. Ellsbury, Moss, and Drew will all have their work cut out for them, and Casey will be forced to ride the pine again. it would be a nice time for Manny Ramirez to get his fire going again, and for the Dice Man to keep them in the game long enough to get past Kazmir and start working on the bullpen. A loss would send the Sox on to face the Yankees trailing the Rays by 3 1/2 games. A win would cut the Rays' lead to only 1 1/2. Let's work on a win!

(Photos Courtesy of Yahoo Sports)