Fenway West - The Boston Red Sox Western Home: 8/16/09 - 8/23/09

Saturday, August 22, 2009

The Lost Penny

Brad Penny is out of the rotation. With Wake returning on Wednesday, Penny is now out of the starting rotation. RedSox.com has TBA for the starting pitcher for Thursday, but I'm picking Tazawa for the start. I’m calling it right now.

Beckett
Lester
Wakefield
Buchholz
Tazawa

(JIC you were scratchin’ yer noggin.)

And then Dice-K will be along momentarily.

I love it when the Yanks are on Fox!

This season the Yankees are 2-6 when the game is aired on Fox, and includes losses by these football scores: 22-4, 16-11 (against the Sox), 14-8, 14-4, and now 14-1.

From a 9 run loss to a 13 run win: SWEET!

That train called New York Yankees that came through last night and flattened that Penny that was sitting on the track derailed today after a 14-1 woodshed session administered by the Red Sox. The Sox were looking to rebound after being swept in a 4 game series in New York earlier this month. Last night's 9 run loss had everyone scratching their heads wondering who in the hell are these guys? They're not the ones who lost 8 straight to the Sox earlier this season.

Kevin Youkilis led the charge to right the ship, albeit one day late (no thanks to Penny), with 2 HR's, 3 hits total, and 6 RBI's. Junichi Tazawa tossed a great game as he scattered 8 hits over 6 scoreless innings. All the bazillions of dollars the Yanks spent on Burnett couldn't save him today as the Sox pounced on him for 7 runs before the 2nd inning was over. They never looked back, totalling up 14 runs on 15 hits. The lonesome Yankee run was a moot point solo shot by Swisher in the 7th inning.

Sox Win 14-1 BOX SCORE

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Yankees	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	12	0
Red Sox	3	4	0	0	2	3	0	2	0	14	15	0

Today's Red Sox Lineup 8/22 vs the Yankees

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Dustin Pedroia 2B
Victor Martinez 1B
Kevin Youkilis 3B
David Ortiz DH
Jason Bay LF
J.D. Drew RF
Jason Varitek C
Alex Gonzalez SS

Junichi Tazawa SP

Wakefield Will Pitch Sox into the Playoffs

Josh Beckett will do his part. Jon Lester will keep the Red Sox in the hunt and Buchholz looks like he can pitch well in the bigs. When you add Wakefield back into the rotation the Red Sox will have a staff capable of getting them into the playoffs no matter who the 5th starter is. Tazawa or Penny could be that placeholder until Dice-K comes back and the team will be OK. Wakefield's rehab is done and he should make a start with the team next week. Here is what he told Pawtucket broadcaster Dan Hoard aftert his last night's game:

"I felt great physically," Wakefield told me after the game. "Compared to last week, I think my strength has increased a tremendous amount from last week to tonight. I was able to obviously throw more pitches, I had to cover first base - there's still a little limp there - but nothing's really bothering me to pitch."

Brad Penny Answers Questions After the Loss

If you think that Brad Penny is going to change his approach after last night's game you are mistaken. He did not acknowledge that he only has 1 pitch (a fastball) and batters are sitting on it. His insight into his pitching does not give you much confidence in him improving a whole lot this season. Watch below:

Friday, August 21, 2009

FAILHAT Friday Strikes Again

Brad Penny showed he only has a fastball and the Yankees jumped all over it. He was gone in the 5th and Bowden came in for long relief. The FAILHAT's bad mojo rubbed off on Bowden who didn't have much working. The hit parade continued for the Yankees who put up 6 runs in the inning.

Jacoby Ellsbury tied the Red Sox stolen base record in the game and the offense did put up 11 runs on 12 hits but the pitching was abismal.

Red Sox Lose 20-11 BOX SCORE

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Yankees	2	4	0	0	6	3	1	0	4	20	23	1
Red Sox	1	0	0	0	3	3	0	0	4	11	12	1

Report: Red Sox Place Waiver Claim on Wagner

According to a report the Boston Red Sox have placed a waiver claim on Mets reliever Billy Wagner. They now have 3 days to try to work a trade with the Mets or could claim him if he is released.

Which Penny will show up tonight?

Will we see the shiny Penny that pitched 6 innings of shutout ball against the Yankees on June 11th, striking out 6 while walking only 1? Or will we see the flat Penny who has won only one game since June 18th?

Big League Brain Fart by Toronto's Cecil

Jason Bay advanced from 1st to 3rd last night in the top of the 4th inning on rookie Brett Cecil's big league brain fart. The score was tied at 1-1 with Bay, who had drawn a walk to lead off the inning, standing on 1st base. After missing wide with a ball, Toronto catcher Rod Barajas weakly threw the ball back to Cecil who missed the catch, walked towards the SS to retrieve the ball, looked at it very quickly, and threw it into the Blue Jays dugout without calling for a time out. The ball was still live, Bay advanced to 2nd base and was eventually awarded 3rd base on the throwing error. Cecil had his arms up in the air as if to say 'What did I do?', as it took the umpires an extra moment or two to realize that he hadn't called for the time out. Bay turned out to be the winning run when two batters later, Mike Lowell singled to bring him in to score.

Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 8/21 vs NY

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Dustin Pedroia 2B
Victor Martinez C
Kevin Youkilis 1B
Jason Bay LF
David Ortiz DH
Mike Lowell 3B
J.D. Drew RF
Alex Gonzalez SS

Brad Penny, SP

Bowden, Cabrera, Baldelli, Anderson and Duncan

The Red Sox have called up Michael Bowden. Check out the interview that Red Sox Sonoma conducted with Bowden last month. Fernando Cabrera was sent down to make room.

Rocco Baldelli is coming off of the DL and Brian Anderson is being sent to Pawtucket.

The Red Sox have released Chris Duncan, the player they traded Julio Lugo for.

Nick Swisher is Wicked Retahded

In a recent interview New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher was asked what was his favorite park to play in. His response: Camden Yards because "it has been there for so long and I think the tradition they have there is amazing." Um Nick, Camden Yards was built in 1992 and there has not been one World Series game played there. You can watch him share his brilliance below (comment at 1.25 minute mark)

Pride Goeth Before A Fall

If you read some of the New York papers you would think the Yankees have already won the World Series. Look at this crap from the Daily News:

And barring a Mets-like September meltdown, the Yankees' only worry would be finishing with a better record than the Angels to get home-field advantage in a potential ALCS meeting....More and more it looks as if the Angels will be the Yankees' biggest obstacle toward winning a championship. But they need to put the Red Sox away, at least from a division standpoint, while they have the chance.

Oh, I didn't know the Yankees had won the division and had also won the ALDS and were facing the Angels in the ALCS. When did this happen? Did I somehow miss the last month of the season?

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Yankees: Beware

This is not the same Sox team you swept earlier this month in your house. You're playing in Fenway against a team that has resumed it's winning ways prior to the All Star Game. The Sox just swept the Toronto Blue Jays, always a good team, just in the wrong division. The Sox beat Toronto tonight by a score of 8-1 behind the pitching of Jon Lester and 2 HR's from J.D. Drew. Lester went 8 innings, allowing 3 H's and 1 R while striking out 5. Drew went 4/4, and Martinez added another HR.

The Sox are 6.5 GB the Yankees. Penny and Tazawa are the next 2 pitchers up for Boston. Let's hope they turn in a pair of good performances and the bats stay hot. This series ends on Sunday with Beckett up against Sabathia. Beckett will be looking to rebound after a rare poor performance in his last outing. Sabathia beat Buchholz in a pitcher's duel the last time he faced the Sox.

Sox Win 8-1 BOX SCORE

Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 8/20 vs Toronto

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Victor Martinez, C
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Jason Bay, LF
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Lowell, 3B
J.D. Drew, RF
Alex Gonzalez, SS Jon Lester, SP

2009 WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon

2009 WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon

Red Sox Nation San Diego Watch Party & Jimmy Fund Fundraiser

Help strike out cancer!

Host: Red Sox Nation San Diego

Friday 8/28 @ 4:00pm

RT Longboard's Grill

To RSVP or get more info:
rsnsd.mayor@gmail.com

2009 WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon

2009 WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon -

Red Sox v White Sox August 27, 2009 3rd Ave Sports Bar & Grill, 77 E Third Ave, San Mateo
4p start but please stop by anytime during the game. Former player(s), food, and goofy fun all for a great cause. If you are unable to attend please check out the website for more info www.jimmyfund.org. or pick up the phone 877-738-1234, a gift of $15 or more is tax deductible.

This is a 50 Statewide challenge on the 27th & 28th.

Let's show Red Sox Nation that California can represent!

Karen Doherty
Gov, Red Sox Nation, CA
cagov@redsoxnation.com

A Weekend of a lot of baseball...and a lot of rain!

So, it's goes without saying that I am having a hard time focusing on anything right now. Work? Not likely. My mind is focused on one thing and one thing only....that I am Shipping Up To Boston tomorrow and have tickets to the Red Sox/Yankees. Do I have tickets to one game? Yep. Two games? Yep. All THREE games? I sure do.

Excited is the understatement of the century. I got to see Red Sox play the Yankees at Yankee Stadium...and unfortunately lose in a 15 inning marathon. And now, I get to see the Red Sox play the Yankees at home....and hopefully WIN.

Friday. Brad Penny is on the mound. I know he's not the most liked by Red Sox Nation, but I am not one of the haters. I seem to have a habit of having a fondness for the players that others give a hard time too...coughs...Drew...coughs. (Not Lugo though...nope, loathe him just like the rest). I happen to think Penny is decent...and for a #5 guy, not too shabby. Pitch count is obviously an issue. I know it. You know it. B Penny knows it. Other than that, I think the guy does pretty well and usually gives us a shot to win if our bats are anything close to alive.

Saturday. Tazawa is the guy. I wish it was Michael Bowden, but the Red Sox don't make their rotation to my wishes. I like Taz though. I think he has tons of potential....and has pitched well so far. We know how his pitching last time against the Yankees turned out. Let's hope this time, he gets some revenge.

Sunday. Swoons. Joshie Beckett. I love seeing him on a mound. Can't we make copies of him like the movie Multiplicity? We promise to not make copies of the copies. Can we? It is Beckett vs. Sabathia. Umm...can't wait. Josh got his sucky start out of the way and I am sure he will be back to his Kick Arse Commanderness.

Of course...the wrench in the works. The weather report. That tropical storm or hurricane...Ana or Bill...is looking to really mess with the weekend weather report. Glares. Hopefully the games will get played. I just plan on getting all kinds of wet.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!

Minor League Manager Fight

Here's something you don't see very often; two managers going at it on the field.

Here's the explanation from Fargo's manager:

"I know that it was a breaking ball, but it still hit me in the face. So our pitching staff was just making a statement in a professional way.

"(Ace) went and threw a ball at Nic Jackson's hip. That's all he was doing, just making a statement saying, 'Hey, we're gonna protect our guys.' It may not have been on purpose, but we still gotta protect our players, and we're going to do it in a professional manner.

"The unprofessional part about it was when people in their dugout started yelling at us, yelling at our pitcher. I thought that was garbage. That's how the whole thing started."

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Buchholz would have none of that

Buchholz would have none of that 'pitching like an ace and losing' crap anymore. In his last 2 starts Buchholz was finally looking like the prospect as he has been touted: 13 IP, 4 H's, 3 ER's, 6 K's, total for the 2 games. Unfortunately he was bested in those pitcher's duels by Justin Verlander of the Tigers and CC Sabathia of the Yankees.

Tonight was no different, except that the Sox bats were alive and there was no bullpen implosion, either. Buchholz can probably see that 'Entering RI, The Ocean State' sign disappearing fast in his rear view mirror. (The perps only got to 2 of his rims before being nabbed, and not the rear view mirrors.) He turned in another great game tonight: 6 IP, 6 H's, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K's, lowering his ERA to below 4.00, and got run support this time. The Sox tagged Toronto ace Halladay for 5 runs by the time the 5th inning had ended. Ortiz, Bay, and Martinez all had HR's for the Sox, who banged out 10 H's total.

Sox Win 6-1 BOX SCORE

A beginner's guide to baseball

Chris Erskine of the LA Times provides this humorous look at 'A beginner's guide to baseball.'

From the 'mound' (a small hill) to the 'bullpen' (far, far away), the game is a simple one. But don't forget the food.
By Chris Erskine August 19, 2009 11:52 a.m.

Sadly, many folks still don't understand the game of baseball well enough to appreciate our local teams' fairy-tale seasons. So here's the deal on this beautiful and occasionally arcane sport -- a beginner's guide to baseball:

Baseball is a simple game with a million rules, all subject to the interpretation of four blind but very assertive people known as "umpires." These umpires are usually assisted by 30,000 to 40,000 beery-eyed witnesses, all of whom are sure they saw the close play better -- from a quarter-mile away. They are blind too.

One of the first things you notice is that the players often wear white, representing purity and innocence of spirit. This is one of many baseball traditions. White also shows the dirt best. To stay loose, the players scratch themselves a lot, but only when the TV camera is on them. No one knows why.

A game begins with a group song, then a man goes to a little hill. His purpose is to throw the ball past an opposing player, from his little hill, sometimes called a "mound," to the catcher, who takes a position behind home plate. So yes, technically, they are throwing the ball out of bounds with every single pitch.

When a "batter" misses the ball three times, he is considered "out," and it is baseball tradition for him to bark something rude to the vision-impaired (blind) person behind home plate. But not too rude. If you bark something too rude, you are asked to please leave, thank you very much. As you can tell already, baseball is a very passive-aggressive experience.

Now, if a batted ball lands on or within the chalk lines, the batter runs counterclockwise in sequence to the four bases. Why you would want to run in a big circle, basically getting nowhere, is one of the glories of the game and is considered a template for life itself. First, second and third base are also popular euphemisms for sexual conquest, assuming you have such things in your life.

As with romance, there are many ways to be called out in baseball. You can strike out, as mentioned earlier, or you can get tagged out. Various scenarios involve tagging second, third or home, providing that it's a "force play" situation. In double plays, the shortstop doesn't even need to have the ball when he swipes second base. He just needs to pretend.

Are you with us so far? Good.

When a team records three outs, what happens next is that all the fans get up and go to the snack bar for ridiculously overpriced food. In another baseball tradition, items that are supposed to be hot are cold (hot dogs), and items that are supposed to be cold are hot (beer).

Fans will also use this time to stand in line at the restroom (which is free but probably not for long).

By the time the fans return, it is often about the fifth inning. There is usually much circling of the bases by the batters about this time, which makes everyone happy, except the manager and the pitching coach, who are all the time going out to the mound to consult with the pitcher and to make sure he is not drunk or something.

If the manager is unhappy, or the pitcher is drunk, the manager will motion for another pitcher to come in, someone who is worse than the one before.

At that point, another new player trots in, usually from the farthest point possible from the pitching mound itself. They call this distant area "the bullpen." The journey is basically like going from the Continental terminal for a connecting flight to the American terminal -- except it takes longer.

Even after the new pitcher finally arrives, the game cannot resume yet, for although he has been warming up, this new pitcher needs to warm up some more.

No one knows why.

After a long delay, the game begins again, and this new pitcher will often face only one or two batters before the manager will "yank" him for another pitcher, because the next batter is right-handed, and he doesn't want his lefty to face a righty because batters see the ball better when it is thrown by someone of the opposite persuasion.

Still with us? Amazing.

In almost every game, there will be a big flare-up, a batter will be hit by a pitch or maybe a "balk" will be called. No one completely understands balks, except for three old-timers and they are all living in an assisted-care facility in Palm Springs. So whenever a balk is called, there is much discussion.

Discussions like this are frequent in baseball, and occasionally venomous. Anger is essential to the game of baseball and provides much of the visual entertainment. Anger is almost as important as eating, which provides the main action.

Honestly, if you took away the food, no one would go to a baseball game at all.

chris.erskine@latimes.com

Wake and Dice-K

As reported on redsox.com, Tim Wakefield will make a start in Pawtucket on Wednesday, while Dice-K will throw a side session on Friday. Wakefield's return is imminent, provided he has a good outing. Dice-K will pitch in the Gulf Coast League and then return to Boston next week. After the medical staff clears him, he will make 2 starts for Portland before moving on to Pawtucket.

Jerry's Back!

MLB.com is reporting that Jerry Remy will resume broadcasting this Friday when the Yankees return to Fenway. He will be working games at home to start, and not join the club on the road, wanting to ease back into his old routine while his health continues to rebound.

Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 8/19 vs Toronto

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF

J.D. Drew, RF

Victor Martinez, C

Kevin Youkilis, 3B

David Ortiz, DH

Jason Bay, LF

Casey Kotchman, 1B

Nick Green, 2B

Alex Gonzalez, SS

Clay Buchholz, SP

Pedroia Talks About Distractions

Dustin Pedroia became a dad yesterday. He spoke with Rob Bradford of WEEI.com about some of the distractions he has had this season.

“I wasn’t really worried about baseball,” he said. “I was worried about my wife and my baby. That’s the biggest thing. We’ve just had to deal with it day to day. I’ve just been trying to come out here every day and help us win, and then go home and take care of her....It’s been kind of a weird year. After last year, I had such a great year, and then there were all the expectations. My biggest goal this year was to be consistent. That’s all you can do as an everyday player. That’s all I’ve been focusing on, being consistent. The stuff with my wife happened and it doesn’t take away from what I’m trying to do. Obviously, that’s more important than this. But I still have a job to do.”

Pedroia will be back with the team tonight in Toronto.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

But who will catch Wakefield?

With Tim Wakefield’s return looming on the horizon, what will become of the Sox’s catching situation? George Kottaras has done an admirable job of catching that fluttering ball that comes out of Wake’s hand. When Kottaras and Wakefield both come off the DL, what will happen to Kotteras? Who will catch Wake? Will the Sox carry 3 catchers? Victor Martinez can play 1B, but he’s also been working with Wake catching his bullpen sessions. Martinez has never caught a knuckleball before.

“I thought it was O.K.,” said Martinez, who wore a bigger catcher’s mitt during the session. “I dropped some balls, obviously, but we’ll see. I’ll get another bullpen session to try it again. I’m going to do my best and see what happens.”

If Martinez can figure out that screwy pitch, it will not bode well for Kottaras. The Sox sorely need Wake back in the rotation. Let’s hope that V-Mart can handle that pitch. If he succeeds, then Tito will have the luxury of shuffling him to 1B, Youk to 3B, and giving Mike Lowell another day off, before returning to the dish and giving ‘Tek a break.

Now I know some will be calling for Wake to retire, but if he can stay healthy, he’s a steal at $4M/year. Given his longevity, he could be asking for a lot more, but this just gives the Sox the luxury of being able to spend that $$$ on others, knowing full well what they can expect from Wake each year: 10-15 wins, 150+ innings.

Beckett and Paps Implode, Bats Come to the Rescue

The Cy Young season of Josh Beckett hit a road bump tonight in Toronto as the Red Sox ace struggled mightily. Beckett gave up seven earned runs on nine hits including three home runs in five and a third innings.

The Red Sox offense came up big tonight with a four run second inning and continued to pile on the runs, scoring ten runs on twelve hits. Ortiz and Bay each had homers in the game.

Bard came in to pitch the eighth and got two quick outs but then gave up back to back hits. That was enough for Tito to call Paps in for a four out save. Papelbon quickly walked the first batter he faced and then allowed two baserunners to score and on a single. He got out of the inning on a long fly ball to the warning track. He continued to be shaky in the ninth by walking the first batter before recording the first two outs on a hard hit fly balls. He then walked another batter to put the winning run on but then earned the save by coaxing a foul out from Rod Barajas.

Red Sox Win 10-9 BOX SCORE

WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Red Sox Auction

Here is a great opportunity to bid on sixteen once in a life time experiences and items, while also supporting the lifesaving mission of the Jimmy Fund, which is raising critical funds for pediatric and adult cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. The auction is currently on eBay and bidding ends on August 24. This auction is in conjunction with the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio Telethon. The eighth annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon is on August 27 and 28, broadcast live from Fenway Park.

Selection of Items:

Kelly Clarkson Meet & Greet VIP Concert Experience for Two
Throw First Pitch at the Red Sox Game on August 27 with Denis Leary & Lenny Clarke
Meet & Greet with Jersey Boy Frankie Valli in Boston for Two, Plus a Signed Jersey Boys Souvenir Book
New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox Weekend Package with Airfare and More
Score a Home Game From Inside the Green Monster at Fenway Park!

But the best item might be having your voicemail recorded by Eck, I'm sure he'd throw in a few "salad" references if you'd like.

Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 8/18 vs Toronto

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
J.D. Drew, RF
Victor Martinez, C
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Jason Bay, LF
Mike Lowell, 3B
David Ortiz, DH
Nick Green, 2B
Alex Gonzalez, SS

Josh Beckett, SP

40 Years Ago Today

To get you a little pumped up for tonight's game with Josh Beckett on the hill I give you this piece of Rock and Roll history from 40 year ago on this date.

Make or Break Time

After yesterday's off day the Red Sox are now ready to begin a tough stretch that will determine if they will be playing golf or baseball when the regular season ends. They will play 22 games in a row against the Jays, Yankees, White Sox, Rays and O's before the next off day. 12 of those games will be at home. With V-Mart and Alex Gonzalez, Tito will use a variety of lineups to get players some rest and we should see Wake at some time during this stretch. Hold on because it's gonna be a bumpy ride but hopefully the Red Sox will be in the playoff hunt when it is over.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Yankees lose, Sox do not

The Oakland A's shut out the NY Yankees today by the score of 3-0. The Red Sox did not lose today and remain 7 games behind the Yanks.

Kid catches two foul balls off bat of Josh Hamilton

A young fan in Texas catches 2 foul balls off of the bat of Josh Hamilton. Watch the video here, courtesy of MLB.com. After the page loads, scroll to the bottom and click on page 3. Look for the video added on 08/17/09: "A young fan catches two straight foul balls." As more videos are added by MLB.com, this video may be moved to page 4 or 5.

UPDATE:
Try this link and go to page 2.

Win Your Own Lane for the 2009 Beckett Bowl

Here is your chance to win a lane at the Josh Beckett “Beckett Bowl” at Lucky Strikes Lane in Boston, MA. Netraffle.org is raffling off this prize package which includes 4 Bowler Credentials, personal coaching by Josh Beckett for one frame, parking passes, gift bags, t-shirts, two autographed Josh Beckett jerseys, 2 tickets to a Red Sox game in Josh Beckett’s personal seats and more! The raffle benefits the Josh Beckett Foundation.

Entry Deadline is Monday September 7th, 2009 @ 11:00am EDT

Red Sox Injury Report

J.D. Drew: He missed the Rangers series with a sore groin. He should be back tomorrow against Toronto.

Jed Lowrie: The diagnosis of his injury is "nerve irritation," he is taking medication and should be able to return next week.

Rocco Baldelli: Can return to the team on Friday from his time on the DL with an ankle contusion.

Tim Wakefield: He is still having problems with his calf and will most likely make another minor league start before rejoining the team

Dice-K: He will throw a bullpen session today.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

David Ortiz Fails at Blogging

David Ortiz's blog has a grand total of 2 posts, the last one was on July 8th. When he started his blog he wrote the following on his reason for creating it:

because I've got a whole bunch of stuff going on off the field, and I think this would be a great way for the fans to connect with me directly rather than just going somewhere else that's not focused on what I want to do....Fans can also hear what's on my mind when it comes to myself, the team and what might be going on around the league.

The blog would have been a great way for Big Papi to communicate with his fans about having to move down in the lineup or the PED accusations but it has gone silent. If Ortiz wants to get fans back in his corner he can't just be there in the good times. He had no problem talking about his hot sauce or his new restuarant, it would be nice if he could now share some recent baseball related new.

Red Sox Drop to 2nd in Wild-Card Race

The Red Sox lost another game and another series to Texas today and are now 1/2 game behind the Rangers in the wild-card race. Red Sox starting pitcher Junichi Tazawa had some Dice-K like escapes early in the game but the Rangers were able to hit him pretty well. Tazawa gave up 10 hits and 3 walks without striking out a batter. He gave up two homers and 4 earned runs to take the loss.

The Sox offense looked good at times with homers by Ortiz and Pedey but they left the tying runner in scoring position in the 8th and this time Francisco won the battle of the 9th getting the Sox in order. Ells had his worst game in a long time going 0-5.

Red Sox Lose 4-3 BOX SCORE

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Red Sox	0	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	3	8	0
Rangers	0	1	2	0	0	1	0	0	0	4	11	1

Today's Red Sox Linuep 8/16 vs Texas

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Victor Martinez, C
Jason Bay, LF
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Lowell, 3B
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Brian Anderson, RF
Alex Gonzalez, SS

Junichi Tazawa, SP

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