Fenway West - The Boston Red Sox Western Home: 8/31/08 - 9/7/08

Sunday, September 7, 2008

The Yanks fall to 4th (FOURTH!) place in AL East!

Today, the Yankees lost to Seattle (last place Seattle!) while the Jays beat the Rays, leaving the pinstripers at the door to the basement. The Yankees stand all alone in 4th (FOURTH!) place in AL East today, with only the Orioles any lower.

Looking at the remaining schedule of the Yanks and the Jays, it is quite possible that the Yankees will not rise back up to 3rd place. Their schedule includes 9 road games against the Angels, Jays, and Sox, along with home games against the White Sox and the Rays. The only weak link in their schedule is a 3 game home stand against the O's. If the Yanks go 9-10, and the Jays go 11-9, which is quite doable for them, as they are a good team, that would leave the Yanks at 85-77 and the Jays at 87-75.

They've kept putting that humble pie to the back of the frig, but now it's time to eat it, as old and moldy as it is.

Byrd v. Byrd

Earlier this summer, we saw Drew v. Drew when the Sox played the D-Backs and the Drew brothers played against each other on opposite sides of the scorecard. Today, Paul Byrd and Marlon Byrd faced each other with Paul of the Sox pitching against Marlon of the Rangers. These Byrds however, are not of a feather and most likely not related. So who bested whom? Marlon got a single in his 1st AB but failed to score. Paul made him pay by getting him to ground into a DP, 1-6-3 in his next AB, and then got him to fly out to center in his 3rd AB. This round goes to Paul.

Texas Two Step

The Boston Red Sox beat Texas to take two out of three and win another series today. The win, along with a Rays loss, put the Sox within a game and 1/2 of the division lead. Paul Byrd picked up another win giving up just 3 hits in 6 2/3 scoreless innings. Coco Crisp stayed en fuego with another multi-hit game. Jason Bay and Big Papi left the yard but after the game Ortiz said the wrist is still bothering him. The Red Sox return to Fenway to start an important three game series with Tampa Bay tomorrow, Lester will pitch the first game. If you hadn't noticed, the Yankees have fallen to 4th place in the division behind Toronto.

Red Sox Win 7-2 BOX SCORE

Red Sox Nation In Iraq

Another sign that Red Sox Nation is bigger than Hank thinks it is.

Today's Red Sox Lineup 9/7 in Texas

Ellsbury RF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Youkilis 3B
Bay LF
Casey 1B
Varitek C
Cora SS
Crisp CF

Byrd SP

Kevin Millar Wants To Hit the Last Home Run at Yankee Stadium

Red Sox fans may get another thing to tease Yankee fans about if Kevin Millar gets his way. The Orioles will play against the Yankees in the final game at Yankee Stadium in a few weeks. Millar told the NY Daily News the following:

Personally, it's been one of, if not the funnest place to go play," says Kevin Millar, the Baltimore first baseman who played a key role in that most painful of Bronx memories, the 2004 ALCS. "You're always hated when you wear a Red Sox uniform, and being an Oriole the last three years, you're still hated because you did wear a Red Sox uniform....It would be nice to be the last home run, to go down in history that way," Millar says. "I'm sure there's a guy who hit the first one, and it would sure be nice to hit the last one." Told that the guy who hit the first one was the Babe himself, Millar says, "So, Ruth and Millar. That sounds normal."

It may seem a little too greedy, but it would make for a fun off-season if the Yankees lost in their last game in Yankee Stadium and Millar hit the final home run.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Wake Gets Shelled, So Does Pen

Tim Wakefield was supposed to be enjoying his historic night but it ended early for him with a new piece of personal history. Wake left the game after just 1 2/3 innings; his shortest outing as a member of the Red Sox. He gave up 4 hits, walked 4, threw a wild pitch, and hit a batter in the short appearance. He did not have any K's on the night and gave up 7 earned runs. This game got ugly in a hurry but Youk gave the Nation some hope with a 3 run tater in the top of the 3rd. Chris Smith gave 2 of the runs back when he served up a gopher ball in the bottom of the inning. Lopez pitched well before Timlin resumed the bloodletting by giving up 4 more runs in 2 innings. Pauley pitched the final 2 innings for Boston giving up 2 more runs. Coco and Lowell stayed hot at the plate with multi-hit games but the game was really over after the 2nd. The Red Sox can win another series if they can get a victory in the third game with Texas tomorrow afternoon.

Red Sox Lose 15-8 BOX SCORE

Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 9/6 in Texas

Kotsay will lead off and Youk is back in the there.

Mark Kotsay, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Jason Bay, LF
Mike Lowell, 3B
Jed Lowrie, SS
Coco Crisp, CF
Kevin Cash, C Tim Wakefield, SP

Johnny Damon is A Fool

Look at what Johnny Damon told the NY Post after the Yankees were almost no-hit by the worst team in the AL last night.

"We saw that Boston won and that makes it a lot tougher,"Johnny Damon said. "The number of games doesn't count us out yet. We are still wearing the Yankees' uniform and that commands respect."

He can keep living in denial. The Yankee brand does not carry respect anymore, their own media is calling them fools.

Speaking of respect, the Yankees have not honored Babe Ruth in their final year in the "House that Ruth Built."

Friday, September 5, 2008

Red Sox Are Ridin' High in Texas

Can we start the playoffs now? The Red Sox are, to quote Obama, "fired up, and ready to go." Tonight's game was filled with good news; lets start with the return of Beckett and Lowell. Josh Beckett pitched 5 scoreless innings with 4 hits, no walks and 7 K's. You can't ask for much more than that. As for Mike Lowell, he did not miss a beat. In the second inning he put the Red Sox on the board with a home run and went 3-5 with 4 RBI's on the night. The bottom of Boston's order continued to stay hot with Tek going 2-4 and Coco going 3-5 while driving in 3. All this and the Rays lost tonight.

Red Sox Win 8-1 BOX SCORE

Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 9/5 in Texas

Mike Lowell and Sean Casey were activated, Lowell is in but Casey does not get the start as Kotsay will play first tonight. Youk is still out with back problems.

Jacoby Ellsbury, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mark Kotsay, 1B
Jason Bay, LF
Mike Lowell, 3B
Jed Lowrie, SS
Jason Varitek, C
Coco Crisp, CF

Josh Beckett, SP

While You're Waiting For Tonight's Game

Sometimes there is nothing worse than having to wait for the next baseball game after an off day. But have no fear, we have this squirrel to entertain us.

Hurricane Hanna

The Sox head out of town for 3 games in Texas and the timing couldn't be better! Hurricane Hanna is due to hit New England Sunday morning while they're gone. Let's hope Hanna clears out before the Rays show up on Monday. Meanwhile, TBY will be in the comfy confines of Rogers Centre over the weekend. I was so hoping they would be at home and getting washed out this weekend, forcing them into doubleheaders and make up games, but y'know what?! We don't need no stinkin' hurricanes to help us out! Go Sox!

The Pirates May Want To Give Hansen Back

I was one of the people who believed that the Red Sox gave up too much for Jason Bay but Craig Hansen's performance since he has been in Pittsburgh has changed my opinion. Boston paid Manny's salary to L.A. and now it looks like they should have paid Pittsburgh to take Hansen too. Last night Craig Hansen pitched 1/3 of and inning and gave up 3 runs blowing the save in the 8th inning. Since going to the Pirates he has an ERA of 10.45 with 3 K's and 14 walks.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Yanks scare the snot out of the Rays

It was lookin' like the Yanks were gonna go belly up on the Rays tonight, down 7-0 headin' into the top of the 9th tonight. The Yanks finally showed up and scored a not-quite-enough 5 runs off of Hammel before Wheeler came in to get the final out and the save.

Yankees? We don't need no stinkin' Yankees!

A-Rod in the game for the records, not the rings

I was just reading the story about Giambi’s run-in with an intimate object that Fenway West just posted, when I spotted this nugget:

Having passed Mike Schmidt into 12th place by himself with 549 home runs, Alex Rodriguez knows Reggie Jackson is next on the list at 563.
"Reggie is next, that's the guy I really want," Rodriguez said.

So he’s not in it for the WS rings, he’s only in it for the HR record. At least, that’s the very first thought I had when I read that line.

Mark Kotsay Roundtable

I am participating in a Red Sox blogger's roundtable over at Firebrand of the American League. This week's topic is what will happen to Kotsay when J.D. Drew comes back. Take a look.

Jason Giambi Gets Beat Up By an Inanimate Object

Jason Giambi had trouble navigating through a doorway yesterday. I'm sure it was just a simple mistake and there was no alcohol involved. After all, the Yankees are in the middle of a pennant chase would need to stay on top of their game. Oh wait, no they aren't, he was probobly hammered.

"I would like to have something to tell you, something like a fight or anything else," Giambi said. "But it was nothing like that. I walked into the bathroom door at the hotel and split it open.

The State of the Nation

As we head down the stretch it is time to take a look at where things stand. The Red Sox have their last 6 series and are now only 3 game behind the Rays and have a 5 game lead in the wild card standings. The team has been playing this well without the help of Lowell, Beckett, and Drew. Not to mention Casey and Lugo on the DL and the reoccurring back problems with Youk. Boston has 14 more home games and 9 more road games. They will face the Rays 6 more times before the season ends so there is a real chance of winning the division. If Beckett can return to form before the end of the regular season the Red Sox will be a force in October. The comfort level is pretty high right now for Sox fans and I can't think of any of them that are worried about not making the playoffs or the Yankees somehow catching them. Enjoy these games now because once October hits the team will only be as good as its last game and the pressure will return.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Instant Replay Used for the 1st Time

A-Rod just hit a long fly ball in top of the 9th that was very difficult to determine if it was fair or foul. The ESPN replays could not decisively declare fair or foul. It was reviewed by the umpires and ruled a HR giving the Yanks an 8-3 lead. The chief umpire took 2 minutes and 15 seconds to review the play and rule it a HR, the 1st time the technology has been used under the new rules.

John Kruk on ESPN's 'Baseball Tonight' opined that it was perfectly fitting that it was a ball hit by of all players, A-Rod to be the first player to be involved in the 1st implementation of the controversial new rule.

This 'who to root for' question

So we're in a situation where we're actually rooting for the Yankees to win. No biggie, we'll take the help, should they prevail. And if they don't, so what? The Sox will still prevail over the Rays when all is said and done, Yankee's help or not.
But that's not the point of this post. What I'm smiling about is that with every Yankee win over the Ray's, they are helping the Sox overtake the Ray's. I'm smiling because of the predicament that causes Yankee fans! They want their team to win, but wins in these 3 games only help the Sox! What a pickle it puts Yankee fans in! ROTFLMAO!!!!!

Red Sox Rally From 4-Runs Down to Sweep Orioles

Kotsay's 2 RBI triple in the 8th tied the game at 4 setting up a dramatic win for the Red Sox. Masterson came back out for the top of the 9th and pitched another perfect inning. In the bottom of the 9th Cora led off the inning with a single. Coco then had a bunt single and moved Cora over to second. Ellsbury came up and put down another bunt that was fielded by the pitcher who tried to get Cora a third. The throw missed the bag and Cora came around to score the winning run and complete the sweep of the O's.

Red Sox Win 5-4 BOX SCORE

Best Yankee Joke Ever?

The Red Sox are in the middle of a pennant race one September as elementary school in Boston reconvenes. The teacher, being a big baseball fan, decides to break the ice with the new class by asking who likes the Sox. All the kids, save one, have their hands in the air. Teacher asks the boy why he doesn't like the Sox. He explains that he just moved to Boston from New York, and that he likes the Mets because his parents like the Mets. The teacher then says, "Y'know, you don't have to be *exactly* like your folks. What if your mom was a crack ho and your dad was a pimp and a thug? What would that make you?"

" A Yankees fan."

Today's Red Sox Lineup 9/3 vs. Baltimore

Ellsbury, RF
Lowrie, 3B
Ortiz, DH
Pedroia, 2B
Kotsay, 1B
Bay, LF
Varitek, C
Cora, SS
Crisp, CF

Matsuzaka, SP

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Injury Update

Youk: Back spasms scratched him from tonight's start and right now it looks like he will miss tomorrow's game too. A trip to the DL is unlikely.

Beckett: After throwing today he is on track to start on Friday.

Mike Lowell: A pain free BP session has him looking to get back in the lineup on Friday with Beckett

J.D. Drew: Took indoor BP and is eligible to come off of the DL but will not until next week at the earliest.

Sean Casey: Eligible to come off of the DL at the end of the week.

Red Sox Crush O's

Red Sox hitters feasted on Orioles pitching tonight with 20 hits. Every starter had at least one hit, Ortiz, Pedroia, Kotsay, Tek, Cora, and Crisp each had a multi-hit game. Papi drove in 4 and Pedroia one-uped him by driving in 5. Lester earned the win but was taken out after 5 innings after giving up 6 hits, 4 walks, and a run, not a bad night but the walks were a little concerning. Boston has won another series and is in position to get the sweep that has eluded them lately in a day game tomorrow.

Red Sox Win 14-2 BOX SCORE

Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 9/2 vs. Baltimore

Jacoby Ellsbury, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Kevin Youkilis, 3B
Mark Kotsay, RF
Jed Lowrie, SS
Jason Varitek, C
Alex Cora, SS
Coco Crisp, CF

Jon Lester, SP

Pedroia MVP Talk Heats Up

When you look at the Red Sox this season you see how many different players have helped carry the team. Ortiz, Drew, Youk, and Lester have all had great months but now it is Pedroia's turn in the spotlight. If he can keep up the production he has to be considered for the A.L. MVP.

September . . . A new Season?

September: A new season: or a "pre playoffs". . . I've said this many times and will continue to say it, the way a GM and Manger plays the "GAME" of call ups, team roster management, and usage of the players in september, can make a good team great, and a bad team terrible, it's a whole different ball game and the pressure on the team, is much like if not MORE important than the playoffs. . .

Let me explain, we're five games behind to a team, in my opinion, doesn't have the post season experience, the depth or the horses, quite frankly for the post. The Rays have had a great season, have had everything go right for them, BUT, if they had any of the injury issues the Sox or the Yanks even have had, they'd be in the cellar, or darn close to it. September, the month of the 40 man roster, the call ups, the auditions for the show, the usage of the minor leagers, and resting your starters are all a HUGE part of the chess game behind the game. . .

AND . . . Theo and Tito are masters at it. . .

That 5 game lead, is like 1/2 game lead for anyone else in my estimation, we have more home games, we have a roll going into these next few, we are a winning team with the right horses available at the right time, and even though we haven't been 100% all season, we have had certain guys step up in a big way (Lowrie, Lester even Ellsbury).

I look for us going to the playoffs and ready to go in the fashion we're expected to do, dominate, and get to the World Series, I never expect less, but this year, I just flat out like the resiliance, the strength, the depth, and the talent we have.

Ok, I've said enough for the day, OREGON DAVE OUT!

Monday, September 1, 2008

Red Sox Start September With a Bang

The last month of the regular season is upon us and the Red Sox have shown that they are ready to play well into next month. Paul Byrd has proven to be a great pickup for Boston after getting another win tonight against Baltimore. He went 7 innings giving up 4 runs on 7 hits and was efficient as always with just one walk. Tek and Bailey went yard for the Red Sox. MVP candidate Dustin Pedroia was 2-4 with 2 RBI's and broke Del Pratt's Red Sox record of for hits by a second baseman with his 184th hit this season.

Red Sox Win 7-4 BOX SCORE

Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 9/1 vs. Baltimore

Jacoby Ellsbury, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Kevin Youkilis, 3B
Jason Bay, LF
Jed Lowrie, SS
Jason Varitek, C
Jeff Bailey, 1B
Coco Crisp, CF Paul Byrd, SP

Colon To Make Last Rehab Start Today

At 1:05 eastern today, Bartolo Colon will make his last rehab start for the PawSox before rejoining the Red Sox. After pitching on Saturday Michael Bowden was sent back to the minors. Short of a disaster or re aggravation of his injury, Colon will rejoin the rotation next week. The Red Sox wil have Beckett, Dice-K, Lester, Wake, Byrd and Colon in their starting staff for the late season push.

UPDATE: Colon is off to a great start; he has pitched 4 scoreless innings giving up just 2 hits. You can follow the action here.

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