Red Sox Resurrected

In what was the most improbable finish to a baseball game in my 40+ years of experience, the Red Sox somehow willed themselves past the Rays last night. Just unbelieveable !!! This game mimicked the pattern of the stock market earlier in the day, as the Dow was down over 300 points and somehow recovered to post a 400 point gain. But it was even more hopeless than that.

For 6 full innings, Scott Kazmir made Joe Madden look like a genius, allowing only two meager singles and nothing close to a run. While he was doing his thing, the relentless Rays were piling on once more and breezing along, making the RS look very old. Homers and speed had paralyzed the RS once more, and all looked lost for sure.

Finally, the mitey mite Pedroia dumped a hit to right to score a run, and then the Big Bear awoke as Big Papi launched a 3 run dinger to at least make the score respectable at 7-4. This blast ignited the crowd and before you knew it, Drew had homered to make it a pulsating 7-6. Coco then had the at bat of his life, and outlasted Wheeler in a most memorable 10 pitch battle, before lining the tying single to right. Fenway was roaring.

Masterson wiggled out of a two on, one out jam in the ninth by inducing a doubleplay ball from Pena. In the bottom of the inning with two out, Drew struck again, slamming a high Howell changeup over the head of Gross in RF to win it, as pandemonium broke loose in the old Fens. The Sox had come all the way back from being embarrassed again through six to score eight runs and stun the young Rays. Just an incredible finish !! It happened all right, but I don't know if I or anyone else can adequately describe the magnitude of this improbable eruption. In fact, I think it's the greatest win in the golden Sox era, greater than any single Yankee game and better than any game against Cleveland last year.

Unlike all the previous games, I thought Francona did a very good job here. Like Maddon earlier in the series, Tito broke his bullpen pattern and pitched them upside down this time, with Papelbon in earlier than ever. Nice job !! He still now has Beckett and Lester lined up for Tampa, if they have anything left in their tanks. Also, as we have been imploring him to do here, they FINALLY started to move Upton off the plate with hard stuff in, almost hitting him a couple of times. Even then, it looked like the horse was already out of the barn, as he really hurt them several times again. I'm sure there will be more of the same Saturday night from Beckett. They could not react at the time, but Beckett will make someone remember the ball thrown right at Youk's head.

Joe Maddon had a tough night with his decisions. The worst, walking Bay to get to Drew, who burned them.

The pressure now is sqarely back on the Rays, and I think they will play like it. The RS have inserted doubt now when there was absolutely none before. Tampa better bring Darrin McGavin and his Night Stalker kit to kill these RS. The stake was out last night and ready to be driven home, but the monster escaped again.

I'm not sure how the RS can win in Tampa, with the Rays CLEARLY the superior team if you have been paying attention. Never say never though !!

Rays Embarrass Red Sox Lead 3-1

The supremely confident Rays paralyzed Tim Wakefield and the Red Sox tonight pounding their way to an incredibly easy 13-4 drubbing. The Wake start was just as abysmal as expected given his age and inactivity. The Rays took him deep often then ran the bases at will leaving a dazed and subdued Wake, as he got the necessary early hook from Tito. To add to his misery, Wake wrenched his neck on the botched slow roller by Crawford. Never did he look older than when he remained sprawled on the grass after that play. It looked like the old saw, "I have fallen and can't get up".

Following the barrage of home run blasts, the wheels totally fell off for Boston in the agonizing sixth, where they simply could not get an out for the longest time. The array of dribblers, chinkers, bloopers, and well placed grounders assured even the most ardent RS fan that this was a complete mismatch and there was no hope for this game. The main culprit this time was Manny Delcarmen, and he deserved a far better fate.

The inept RS offense was silenced on only 1 hit through the first seven innings by the immortal Andy Sonnanstine and his assortment of breaking pitches. A miracle HR by Kevin Cash was the only blemish. These hurlers are not the Orioles fearsome staff of McNally, Palmer, Flanagan, Cuellar, Dobson, etc. of yore, but heretofore obscure #2 type starters silencing the RS once-vaunted OBP offense.

Give Francona some credit here for FINALLY making some adjustments to the batting order, but Wake's ineptitude rendered them useless. Except for some much better swings late when the verdict was long since decided, what a feeble attack. Believe it or not, Big Papi finally hit a ball hard. Where has that been ?? Tito made a very nice move by inserting Timlin again after his debacle in Game #2, but he is just not capable any more and got cuffed around again. There was also a Sean Casey AB. The question begs, what are Wake, Timlin, and Casey doing on the roster when the manager clearly has no faith at all in them ?? The answer, as always with Tito, loyalty. Granted this threesome is not the main problem, but they just are not capable major league players any more.

On the brink now, maybe just maybe, the RS hurlers will pitch INSIDE to the carefree Rays and re-take this critical part of the plate back. If some pitches wander a little and some get hit, at least they will know the RS pitchers are out there. Given the last three games where they have given up 9 runs or better, it is time to be counted. Don Drysdale would cringe if he were alive watching these batters lean over the plate with no fear of retribution. After thinking about it though, he would be a lot more concerned with his Dodgers also down 3-1 to the Phillies in the Jayvee series.

I have had about enough of B.J. Upton in CF too. He is as gifted, graceful, and talented as anyone, but quit the "Stylin" and play baseball. Straighten out your hat or your head, whichever is cocked to the side. No wonder why Joe Maddon has sat him numerous times this year for behavioral problems.

We have seen this dire situation before and somehow recovered, but I do not expect a complete turnaround this time with the potential last 2 games in Tampa and Beckett obviously hurting. I would not count on getting back to Lester for redemption, but crazier things have happened around here the last few years. There are just so MANY things wrong now and the RS have shown zero resistance. Miracles don't usually happen so often or they would not be called miracles. Red Sox nation is in mortal danger and the Fat Lady is warming up in the bullpen.

Rays Shock Sox - Lead Series 2-1

Tampa scored early and often versus the heralded Jon Lester and outclassed the RS in a critical Game 3 at Fenway earlier today. The man with the fast-growing big reputation was outpiched by Matt Garza, whose stuff is every bit as good as Lester's. The RS played as if there were no doubt they would win by the sheer fact that Lester was on the mound. Au contraire, my dear readers, the game is played on the field, as the Beantowners painfully learned today. They and the fans were clearly far too confident.

Right from the outset, the Rays dictated the pace/style of the game, no doubt emboldened by two moonshot homeruns from B.J. Upton and Evan Longoria. They then put pressure and forced the issue on the RS once they got ahead in every way possible, from bunts to stolen bases to hit and runs, etc. This was precisely the formula the Angels would have liked to use, but they could not get ahead and could not hit the ball out of the park.

Garza was immense. He featured an upper 90's fastball and a big breaking pitch which overmatched most of the RS hitters. His innings were kept short because he got the first batter out in the first six innings. Lester, on the other hand, put the lead runner on in three consecutive innings, hastening his downfall. On the two killer homeruns, Lester let both Upton & Longoria extend their arms on waist high pitches, which they both drilled over the Monster.

Boston had minimal opportunities to score. In the important second, in which Garza escaped from a second and third with one out problem, the Boston bottom of the order was limp. In fact, the 7-9 guys continue to have no chance in this series. they are virtually helpless to do even the slightest damage. Add to that Ellsbury (who should not be in there and replaced by Coco) at the one spot, and there are 4 consecutive sure outs each time through the order. How much longer will the stubborn Francona live with Ellsbury ?? He is now 0 for 20, and still he was allowed to bat in the seventh against the lefty Howell when it was still a relatively close game. There is loyalty, and then there is stupidity !! Anyway, Howell did a nice job containing the damage.

Never have I seen the RS hitters so confused. In contrast to the Rays hitters, they are not aggressive enough. The number of checked swings bears this out. Both Ortiz and Youkilis checked their swings 3-4 times per plate appearance it seemed !! The Rays continue to throw soft stuff away and pound Ortiz in tight with fastballs. He continues to miss even the mistakes they have left over the plate, fouling them off each time. He looks totally flustered. Kotsay, in contrast, took several nice swings today, even though some were atom balls. He and Petey were in the great minority though.

Somebody in the organization needs to speak with Ellsbury. Last year when he was the darling of the post season, he was slapping the ball the other way and up the middle, bunting, and generally being a pest. Since he has hit a few homers, he now pulls off the balls and pops up or whiffs. He needs to hit the ball on the ground and utilize his speed, because without it, he would not hit .220.

The result of the bad pitching and worse hitting is that we now have a series, after each team has won in the other's park. Boston is at a distinct disadvantage because the Rays have wrested back the home field advantage while wading through the two pitchers thought to be Boston's strength. On top of that, Wakefield is the next RS starter. He may do well, but I defy anyone in Boston to state that they are confident in him except the ever-loyal Tito. Besides, he has not pitched in a LONG time. Ask Timlin what that experience was like.

If nothing else, I hope the Sox learned from this drubbing, or it was a complete waste. In addition to Upton and Longoria mentioned above, both Pena and especially Iwamura must be pitched to the inside. They are all most succeessful when allowed to extend their arms over the plate. Not so Baldelli, as he proved with that missile of the Sports Authority sign. Somehow, the RS must get ahead, or else there will be no slowing down the running game against Wakefield. If the speedy Rays get on via base hit or walk, they might save everybody time and walk right over the mound and past Wake to second base. He needs to minimize baserunners, and that is not his strength.

Beating Lester the way they did really hurt the psyche of the Boston nine. The Rays were playing to their style very well in a loose and carefree manner. As we have seen countless times though, momentum can shift very quickly. When presented an opportunity to apply pressure by scoring early, the RS must seize it, unlike today in the second inning. Just the opposite of today, the expectations are that the Rays will render Wake useless. Hopefully, the RS somehow can get back to even at 2-2, or they may rue not fatally hurting the chances of the Rays by winning that 11 inning marathon in Tampa.

Let's see what Francona comes up with. Does he stand pat or make some necessary changes ?? At the moment, he is beings clearly out-managed by a WIDE margin. Otherwise, he will have to rely upon a complete reversal by his very good (slumping) players to make him look like a great manager again. Stay tuned !!!

Rays Get Even

What began as a WILD, exciting, almost carefree game of home run derby, morphed into the super contentious one run, extra inning game that these two teams are fast becoming famous for playing. Extremely tight, pressure packed, edge-of-the-seat baseball for six full innings deep into extra frames requires six hours of your leisure time and a full refrigerator. It was really two games, one free-wheeling one through the fifth and another extremely tightly played one until the finish. Finally, when both clubs were well past using pitchers they were comfortable with, the Rays eeked out the win on a very shallow pop and tag from third by the speedy Fernando Perez.

At the beginning, runs were scoring at a furious pace by both sides with balls flying out of the park at a record-tying rate. Each time one side would forge ahead, they would be outdone in the other half of the inning. This was best illustrated by the interminable fifth, that lasted almost one full hour to complete, or just longer than a Tim McCarver story. From the RS perspective, the balls that didn't carry out were perhaps more important than the ones that did. Ortiz took a giant cut and just missed one in that fifth, and Mark Kotsay nearly hit a 3-run homer to right that would have changed the final outcome. Close, but no cigar. Meanwhile, the Rays were teeing off on Josh Beckett as if he were a Texas Ranger pitcher.

Why on earth Francona elected to send Beckett out for the fifth is beyond me, and after Pena tied it again at 6-6, the ever loyal Tito STILL stayed with last year's ace, until the Rays eventually moved the tally to an ungodly eight runs and almost salted the game away. The crap explanation of trying to get through the fifth to set up his bullpen doesn't wash. By contrast, Joe Maddon, faced with the very same situation created by his ace, immediately brought in his best reliever (Balfour) in the fourth to try to stem the furious tide. When this blew up in his face with the RS whacking moonshots off him, Maddon brought in his second best reliever (Howell) and finally calmed things down. He did what he had to do as the situation DICTATED, not relying on some canned formula decided before the game. This was Francona at his very worst, a kind of Grady Little stubbornness leaving the former Big Guy in way too long.

Both bullpens really strutted their amazing talent and depth. For the Rays, Wheeler was immense in that 3 plus inning stint, with the only blemish that crazy wild pitch to tie things up. He literally saved the Rays season. For the RS, Delcarmen, Okajima, Masterson and Papelbon were their best playoff selves. After Wheeler and Pap, things got really dicey for both managers, as the game had gone on too long and they were out of pitchers that they had full confidence in. Maddon opted for the super rookie Price, and Tito for the age-withered Timlin. Price was clearly nervous and still has not thrown his breaking pitch for a strike. Despite this, Boston could not touch his heater. Timlin commenced by immediately walking his first two hitters, the kiss of death in this situation. To be fair, he then made some really tough pitches, including inducing the little pop to Upton which ended the game. Timlin obviously was rusty, not pitching in a month. What must Paul Byrd be thinking, as he should have been out there.

I thought the home plate umpire calling the balls and strikes was excellent almost all night. Like the players though, I think he tired near the end and clearly made a bad mistake on the Kotsay very wide strike three call and the Timlin missed strike which got pitching coach John Farrell tossed. Overall, he was very good.

Without Terry's Grady-like gaffe leaving Beckett in far too long, the RS would likely be heading home with Jon Lester pitching ahead 2 nothing. Maddon's quick response now has his team still in it. Lester will have to be dazzling again, especially with Wakefield lined up in back of him. For the RS, this is a MUST win.

Going forward, loyal Terry must replace Ellsbury who is simply awful at bat now. He had enough gumption to do it last year in reverse, so Coco should play and Ellsbury should sit. Still absolutely nothing from Big Papi, but he is being pitched very carefully, as evidenced by his three walks. The Balfour blow up was a huge surprise, and he too must turn things around quickly for his team to continue.

After two games, the series is 1-1 as expected, although not quite in the manner this writer expected. Boston still has the home edge now, but must perform there. I don't know how these next games can be any more competitive than the first two were. There is not much to choose either way so far.

Sox Draw First Blood - Rays Shut Out

Another night, another sparkling baseball game, another win for the Red Sox against an opponent who thinks they are better. Ho hum !!! This teeth-gnashing thriller was the very best yet. A pulsating affair to the end. These games are not for the faint of heart.

After shaky first innings, Dice-K and "Big Game" James Shields (more on that later) really engaged in a mano-a-mano pitching duel. They both threw every pitch in their bountiful arsenals and made some really good hitters look very bad. Dice-K was splendid in that seventh inning mess with first and third with nobody out. Wiggling out of it was pure artistry. As good as these two were under pressure, I thought both managers buckled at key times.

First, let's examine Joe Maddon and the Rays. On two different occasions he gave the green light on 3 and 0, and both times the batters failed miserably. Longoria earlier was one thing, but that swing by Pena, likely ball 4, really let Oki and the Red Sox off the hook in a huge spot. If he took as he should have, the Rays would have had the bases loaded and nobody out down only 2-0 in the eighth. This is a PRIME example of what I had forecasted in the Series Preview where the Youth and Enthusiasm hurt the Rays dearly. Under pressure, one must force the other team to make the mistake, by taking only what they give you. Another example, later in the same inning, Longoria swung at a really low 2-0 offering to get to 2 and 1, giving Masterson the chance to throw that sweeping slider that Longoria rolled over into that killer double play. Inexperience with poor managing decisions !!!!

The biggest mistake by Maddon was inexplicably leaving the lefty J.P. Howell in to face Youk, the RS best hitter all year with runners in scoring position. This with the fire-balling righty Grant Balfour ready in the pen. Youk naturally responded by smashing the ball to the feet and past Crawford in left allowing the second run to score. Balfour then arrived on the scene after the horse was out of the barn, and blew everyone away after nearly taking Drew's head off on the first pitch. Very poor decision again, worse than the one above.

Tito, not to be outdone, had his own decision-making brain cramps. In a game tighterthanthis, he chose not to bunt the runners on first and second over in the seventh in a 1-0 game. Come on Terry, this had to be done. I don't care if the batters after Kotsay are shaky. You gave away a chance to score a run on an out or a misplay in a taut battle. AWFUL.

Even more shaky, after a 20 minute bottom of the seventh, he allowed Dice-K to go back out for the 8th, a decision he almost lived to regret. Dice-K was already at 108 pitches, and worse, he worked like hell in the bottom of the 7th to escape thay grave-looking mess. All year long, Tito made the right decision, but he froze here. PRESSURE !!!! And don't give me that crap about fearing B. J. Upton taking Oki yard, that's hogwash !! As it was, Oki barely got Pena WITH his help. JUST TERRIBLE TERRY !!!

How do the yahoos get off calling Shields Big Game James ? What big game did he win before? Seems to me the Rays have made the playoffs for the first time. Where did he get that moniker, in Little League or High School ? PLEEEAASSSSEE. Besides, he lost !!!!!!!! Mr. October won the World Series for his efforts, hence the deserving nickname. Shields has won nothing of note yet.

As chronicled in the Preview, the Rays are getting in deep now after losing to Dice-K. They are lurching right into the very strength of the RS, Beckett and Lester. One more loss at home tonight to Beckett and they will be cooked.

Hoping for the old Beckett performance tonight, but it will be hard to out-do Dice-K. Can't wait.

Red Sox/Rays Preview

Right from the proverbial frying pan and into the fire. The RS were very LUCKY to win that clinching game, and the prospects of Dice-K pitching a deciding Game #5 at Anaheim were extremely worrisome. Not to worry, better lucky than good, and both is a tough combination to beat. Let's try to examine the strengths/weaknesses of both the RS and the Rays and try to determine who will win this series.

One must begin with Pitching and then Defense since they are as much as 80-90% of these games sometimes.

The RS triumvirate of Dice-K, Beckett, and Lester is probably baselball's best when they all pitch to their abilities. That effort turned in by Dice-K in Anaheim should give you shivers though. It is far easier to live on the edge in the regular season where every pitch is not so important. The decision to have him begin the series is a good one though. If he loses, it is easier to recover than later in the series. If he wins in Tampa, you have hit the jackpot. The last Beckett start should probably be dismissed as little more than ring rust. His experience and guile should see him through in good stead. You should see much better control of his fastball, even though the velocity is down 4-5 mph, which makes me think he's hurting. Jon (Steve Carlton) Lester is just untouchable right now, and should remain dazzling. Wakefield is a crapshoot. The middle/late relief acts of Oki, Masterson, Lopez, and Delcarmen are all top notch. This writer thinks Delcarmen is better than Masterson and should assume the eighth inning role. The reason, he is a strikeout pitcher. Masterson, especially in Tampa on the turf, will give up some spinning, crazy-looking hits. I vote to keep the ball out of play. Finally, Papelbon was very shaky in the season's last week, but was better than ever when the big lights came on. If he keeps throwing occasional splitters/sliders and his current run should continue, because his heater is ALIVE.

Tampa's starters are all very capable with live arms. Like the Angels, however, they do not really have that number one anchor, and are all really 2's. Kazmir has had that deer-in-the-headlights look lately though. Shields is solid with that changeup but not spectacular. Add in Edwin Jackson for this series, and they are formidable, but not lights out. The RS should get to them a little. They had better, because the middle relief of Howell and Balfour are really tough and will be hard to do much against. Wheeler on the back end (with Percival out) is good, but not super. There will be opportunities to win games late against him. Overall, the Red Sox should have a solid edge on the mound.

The defense of the Angels was very poor at best, and it really hurt them not just on the scoreboard, but also by keeping their pitchers under constant pressure. Unless there is a single major gaffe, that is unlikely to happen here because these two teams can really pick it. Boston's outfield defense is superb, along with the right side of their infield. Varitek is great catching, especially considering all the intangibles he brings to the table. The infield defense of the Rays is superior to that of the RS. Longoria, Iwamura, and Pena are stalwarts. Bartlett at short is a major upgrade of either of the RS choices, especially when his superior range is factored in. Their outfield defense in CF with Upton is exquisite, although on either side the RS are superior. Both outfields are very speedy. Navarro at catcher is good. Overall, I'd have to give a slight edge to the Rays, and that is saying something !!

Power is the next most critical commodity. The RS devasted the Angels with their longballs, but there are really only three guys to be concerned with. Ortiz, Youkilis, and Bay are solid. Ortiz must step up here, with an occasional big fly from some of the others most welcome. Pena of the Rays has really hurt the RS, and a healthier Longoria is a major threat. This category rates a tie on paper, but they play the games on the field. We'll see.

For speed, the RS are very slow, but the guys who can run are very good. Keeping Ellsbury and Coco in check is a must for the DevilDogs. Upton and a healthier Crawford propel the Rays. Slight edge - Boston.

Both managers are generally excellent. That missed opportunity to have Varitek bunt in the 7th the other night was UNACCEPTABLE. This category is dead even though.

There are several intangibles to mention. First, Boston is not made for the Tampa turf, only going 7-17 this year on fake grass. However, the Twins and Rays, the teams that have turf, were hard to beat on any surface this year. Still, a big disadvantage for Boston. The Youth and Enthusiasm of the Rays cannot be overlooked. They feel they are on a mission and have refused to give in, evidenced by winning many games in the very late innings. Boston, on the other hand, has old and grizzled leaders who have been through the baseball wars many times now. They are incorporating the new blood in seemlessly.

Time to stand and be counted. My pick, Boston by a whisker. However, if Dice-K and Beckett revert to form, I think it will be easier. The first two games are key. If the Boston pitchers continue to knock the bats out of the hands of very good hitters like they did in the Angels series, they will prevail. For that club to have no homers from the 2-5 hitters was remarkable. Of course, two of those games were pitched by Lester.

In the JV tilt, I think Philly wins pretty easily. No matter what happens, the AL winner will be the champion.

Red Sox Squeeze by Angels

Just when it was all about to blow up in their faces, the RS got a huge break on a missed suicide squeeze bunt by Eric Aybar (the best bunter on the Angels) and prevailed in the bottom of the ninth on a 52 hop single to right by Jed Lowrie scoring Jason Bay. For the third consecutive post season series the RS have played them, the Angels once again were vanquished by Boston. Unlike their first two tries though, this time was not at all easy.

As chronicled in yesterday's blog, Jon Lester proved to be the genuine article. He was DOMINANT here, even better than his first start where he handcuffed the Halos and got the win. He featured that overpowering heater at 96 for most of the night to go along with his nasty cutter and probably the best curveball he's had all year. What a performance !! The Angels had no chance of beating him tonight.

For the Angels, Lackey again was very good, but ran into trouble in the fifth when the RS inched across two runs. Still he persevered and kept his club right in it. Steve Shields was very effective striking out 3 batters in a row until things unravelled in the ninth. The Angels defense was shoddy most of the night, with Figgins making a bad throw to second, Kendrick bobbling a double play ball to let the first Boston run score, and Aybar letting a grounder by Bay get by him. Curiously, manager Scoscia inserted Reggie Willits into right for the pivotal ninth instead of Gary Matthews (a much better outfielder), who might have caught Bay's dying fly ball.

I thought Francona made some glaring mistakes. In the 7th, with a skinny 2-0 lead, there is NO WAY Varitek should be allowed to swing away. The sacrifice bunt there may have squeaked across another run. If nothing else, the pressure surely would have been greater on the pitcher. Just a terrible decision in a really close game. Once again, I was convinced Tito stayed too long with Masterson while Delcarmen was more than ready in the pen for the ninth. Unfortunately, I was proven right as Delcarmen was summoned only AFTER the Kendry Morales double and sacrifice, with Willetts on third with only one out. What a spot to bring someone in, but by then the RS had to try for the K. When Manny went to 2-0 on Aybar, you had to KNOW that Aybar would try to squeeze, since Delcarmen HAD to throw a strike. Somehow, Aybar jabbed at it and MISSED, then was run down by Varitek. What luck !! Past editions of the RS surely would have watched a successful squeeze and have gone home a loser. Not anymore, as Boston now has Leprachauns helping them out when they need it most !! It is very hard to beat a very good team that has luck on it's side.

Overrall, Boston's pitching was slightly better in the series. They hit well with runners in scoring position and the DEFENSE was superior to the Halos. Still, the series was hanging in the balance until the failed squeeze. LA lived by the sword and eventually died by it.

Now, Boston travels to Tampa for the right to go to the World Series again. The Hub baseball junkies just keep getting their fix !!

Jack

Game 3 - Angels Outlast Sox

Nothing is a given in these playoff series, and reputation does not guarantee a win. If so, one could pencil the Yankees into the World Series every year. As we know, they have been watching just like the rest of us. The RS big gun, Josh Beckett, had almost nothing but gutted through 5 very rough innings. The unsung All Star Tony Saunders, outpitched Beckett just as he has done all year long, especially against Boston. The outcome was truly not a surprise with the desperate Halos starting the better hurler right now. What was very enjoyable was the grit and determination demonstrated by both clubs after the SLOPPY first five frames. Great stuff !!

Beckett was under constant pressure by the Angels from the first batter onward. His fastball location was TERRIBLE, and only got worse as he struggled onward. He clearly was not close to 100% physically, and if this were the regular season he likely would not have been out there. Combined with the rust from not having pitched in a real game in 2 weeks, he could not put the ball where he needed and wanted to. In addition, twice he did not get over in time to cover first base. These were egregious blunders. The 3-2 curveball to Napoli was over the heart of the dish, about a half foot from Varitek's set-up location. Not the worst pitch ever but it was a little high, and give credit where it is due, Napoli CRUSHED it. The second Napoli homer was even more symptomatic of his location troubles. That heater was supposed to be down and away too and ended up and in, whereupon Napoli jumped on it and hit a SCREAMER into the second row of the Monster seats.

On the other side, Saunders was dealing, but was the victim of High School type communication error between a jittery Howie Kendrick and Torii Hunter. From this writer's viewpoint, Kendrick was the culprit. He was playing under extreme duress because of his FLAILINGS at the plate in the first two games, and did not take charge as he should have. Normally, the CF is at fault on these since he has the right of way, but Hunter has a bum knee and Kendrick panicked and backed off at the last second. If they had lost and had to go home, this blunder would have haunted them for a long time, considering the monkey they already had on their backs with the long losing streak against the RS in post season. However, Napoli pulled them even with the first of his two BOMBS and later put them ahead with the second drive.

After the LASER hit by Youkilis to dead center which hit off the wall tied the affair in the fifth, the bullpens TOOK OVER. The Arredondo/Shields/Oliver/K-Rod/Weaver fivesome stifled the Sox at every turn. There were a couple of really good opportunities to break through, but they held the fort. Conversely, the RS bullpen crew of Delcarmen, Oki, Masterson, Papelbon, and Javy Lopez matched them pitch for pitch, until Javy finally spit the bit. Truth be told, he pitched very well also, but got beat by a couple of ground ball singles and a BLOOP after the perfect sacrifice.

Those 2 bullpen efforts by both sides clearly demonstrate why teams are always looking for POWER ARMS in the playoffs. They keep the ball out of play with the K's. Contrast them to the contact guys who must have the defense behind them. Some of those grounders/bloopers just cannot be caught, no matter how good the defense is.

Give the Angels a lot of credit. First, Kendrick was dropped from the 6 spot to eighth, with Napoli moving up one. How did that WON work out ?? Also, Chone Figgins was back to his table-setting best, at least for the majority of the game. At the end, he made two really nice defensive plays too, the last on Cora to end it a BEAUTY.

For the RS, Petey, Lowell, and Papi are really struggling. Pedroia is getting caught between the customary second batter duties and his third batter type stroke. He cannot move the runners over so far and has taken some room service fastballs with Ellsbury usually on in front of him and trying to steal second. He still needs to move the runners when the situation calls for it, but he must be aggressive and hit away, even if Ellsbury is on the move. The Lowell injury sitaution dictates that he must NOT play. He should be saved for a key pinch hit occasion ONLY. Besides, both he and Ortiz are clearly GUESSING and taking pitches they would normally smash. Ortiz, especially against the immortal Darren Oliver (he was HORRIBLE here), is getting caught in beween and guessing. He needs to go back to just seeing the ball and hitting it. Both he and Pedroia MUST hit or we will all have to endure another Dice-K debacle, this time for all the marbles. Not too many fans here I know have the stomach for that, or the 5 hours it will probably take early in the morning in a REGULATION game for him to pitch it.

All that brings us to tonight. Clearly, Lester is the best up-and-coming pitcher in the AL, but he must PITCH to that level of excellence. Lackey can be a tough cookie, but I'm betting the RS can get to him. Certainly 6 hits again tonight probably won't suffice. I doubt it, but this could again turn out to be a bullpen game late, but tonight will be different with both top relievers on both sides nearly spent. Maybe one inning MAX for both.

It should be fun, BRING IT ON !!! I think the Angels will be flying back to California ALONE though.

BYE

Game 2 to the Defending Champions - BARELY

Whewwww, J.D. Drew !!!

Game 2 played out like a heavyweight prize fight. What a donnybrook ! The favored challengers took a huge haymaker right at the start, thanks to another Jason Bay BOMB with two outs, but somehow staggered back to the corner and survived. Over the course of the rest of the epic battle, they scratched and clawed, finally drawing EVEN, only to be laid out for good by Drew's one, last, desperate, huge swing with two strikes. What an exciting, nerve-wracking, competitive affair this was. This game embodied what this writer envisioned in an earlier tome in a series that figured to be justthisclose.

The faint-of-heart should not watch ANY game pitched by one Dice-K, but especially when it means this much to both teams. He was his usual STAGGERING self with ungodly stuff, but once again could not go beyond 5. He proved that you cannot get away walking the first two batters of an inning and prosper like during the regular season, no amount of wiggling would see him through because these Angels were desperate and came to PLAY.

The weakness of the Halos is their starting pitching, in that they are all number 2 types, very good but not dominant. Thank goodness you can get to them a little bit, because that bullpen is DOMINATING. Aside from their old Red Sox like 2-5 batters, they have not provided ANYTHING else offensively, an even those bashers have only hit singles. Poor Howie KKK-KKKKendrick, fanning 7 times in 2 games stranding runners like a full bus passing awaiting passengers at future stops. The RS hurlers have kept the supporting cast at BAY, kept the ball in the yard, and are ahead 2 games to zero because of it.

Despite the heroics at the beginning and end, DEFENSE, and in the Angels case lack of defense, allowed the RS to prevail. The tack on run in the 4th by Boston should not have happened. Rightfielder Riviera took a very bad route to Ellsbury's double. He was only out there because the Halos needed his bat, for the reasons mentioned above. Later, when he was replaced by Willits for speed on the base paths, Reggie could not come up with the big fly by Big Papi, despite a great try. Gary Matthews, the game one starter who didn't hit, catches BOTH those balls maybe allowing the Angels to win !!

BASERUNNING hurt the Angels badly in Game 1, and almost did again in game 2. Why in the world did the third base coach send Texiera from second on that hard-hit single to left with NOBODY out !! He made it, of course, but just BARELY, and only because of a magnificent slide and hand tag around Varitek. It is one thing to want to be aggreesive, it is quite another to be RECKLESS. They have been the latter and it has hurt them. I'm hoping for more of the same. Every out you get on the bases is one less of the 27 you must get at home plate with your pitching.

To hit a HOMER last night, the ball had to be launched !! Serious bids by Pedroia, Youkilis, Garret Anderson, and the previosly mentioned Ortiz shots somehow stayed in the yard. The ball appeared to carry much better early when Bay launched his. The final blow by Drew was just a blasted, MAJESTIC shot through the thick air.

There were some minor gaffes by the RS though. Ellsbury, with one out, the bases full and the shortstop and second baseman playing back, only had to put the ball on the ground in the 6th to score a run. Instead, he fanned and Pedroia hit a one hop bullet to second and the Angels escaped unscathed. Using his god-given gifts right there and putting the ball on the ground with a drag bunt would have stretched the precarious lead. Also, Youkilis was not able to move Coco over in the ninth, which should have been a very big mistake, but Drew took care of that. Don't get me wrong, both Arredondo and K-Rod had a lot to do with those at bats, but they MUST be accomplished.

Tito should be second-guessed too. He clearly left Masterson in one batter too long allowing the Figgins triple. Also, why Oki was left to face Vladi earlier, no matter what he was 0-4 prior, was another error FrancoMa lived to tell about.

The pressurized 7th inning was the best of the game. Arredondo wiggled out of the bases juiced mess getting Ellsbrady and Petey, and then I though Masterson did a good job in his half with the sacks full, despite the walked run. Pressurized baseball, nothing better !!!

Finally, back to Drew HR. The pitch selection by the Angels was TERRIBLE. There were at least 3, maybe 4, changeups in that at bat. As a pitcher, you NEVER want to get beat on your THIRD best pitch, but that's exactly what transpired. That room service MEATBALL looked like a BP pitch. Give Drew credit for crushing it though, and for Tito hanging with Drew when I would not have.

HO HUM, just another game !! NOT !!!!!!!!! The Angels are in grave danger now losing two at home, but Boston must play well with Beckett in top form to close them out. Joe Saunders for them has been great all year, particularly against Boston. But as Dice-K learned last night, this is NOT the regular season anymore. It would be very helpful if Petey could get going. It's not over yet, but Sunday cannot come soon enough.

BYE

Manny Are Called, Few Are Chosen

I LOVE this time of the baseball season. There are so many interesting things going on I don't have time to comment on everything.

I just HAVE to chime in on one of my favorite foils, ManRam, as that idiot Jim Rome calls the former 24 turned 99. I have heard more baloney in the last few days about this prima donna from The Heard, Bill Simmons, etc., that I feel it is about time someone from the HUB sets these guys straight.

Shaughnessy, in his column on the Jerk by the jerk, was very entertaining. I hope you don't need his Barf Bag after mine though. Here goes .............

LA, we are HAPPY that you have this guy !! In fact, we are soooooo happy that the RS agreed to pay his salary to play in Chavez Ravine. Boston tried many times to GIVE this jerk away, but never found any takers due to his ginormous salary. This time, PT Barnum was right, and the DAAAAAHGERS are the suckers. His Laziness is whacking the pea right now, but he usually does and that is not the issue. He is saying AND doing all the right things and LA could not be happier with him. A great clubhouse guy, consummate teammate, gives to charity (yikes, all he did here was TAKE, and not just on 3 and 0), life couldn't be better for team Scully. To top it all off, the Powder Blues have the best team in the National League by the throat ahead 2 naught.

Boston would have given him up for a beat up catcher's mitt. In the end, they got rid of THE PROBLEM, gave away two decent prospects to Pittsburgh, and received a very good BASEBALL PLAYER in Jason Bay. Since the addition by subtraction, the Crimson Hose have played very good baseball and continue to do so. The clubhouse and the players are GENUINELY happy. The sideshow antics have disappeared quicker than a Coco Crisp haircut (he's had a least 4 in the waning weeks of the season).

Back to the Dodgers. The modern day EDDIE HASKELL is acting extremely polite in his new digs. However, WALLY, BEAVER, and Red Sox nation know what will transpire next. The Washington Heights Con Man is very close to leeching another 100 million dollar salary from the Hollywood Nine. Somewhere around June or July next year, as is his custom when not working his sting, Rag Head will need time off for a bum Knee, Hammy, Pedro's grandmother's death (she has died at least 3 times I know of), etc. GUARANTEED !!! Buyer beware, Koufax kooks.

Now, 99 is not a rocket scientist. Where do you think he learned this scam ?? Right here in Boston, from the aforementioned Skinny Man Martinez. This guy was as skilled as his cohort but MUCH slicker. Pedro had his own rules and marched to his own beat. M-Ram paid close attention and made the Schtick his own. But, like I said, Pedro was the inventor of the scam and Ramirez just a follower. When it came time to pull the trigger and shoot his way out of town, Manny shot himself in the foot. It turns out it was only a superficial wound, and as we know, he has fully recovered.

There are a LOT of athletes out there just like this melon head. The latest one, Plaxico Burress, because he is so skilled, had 20 warnings before he was FINALLY suspended. Albery Belle was another. The NBA is loaded with them. Because they are so good at what they do from so young an age, they are coddled and given a lot more rope than the average athlete. The best never hear the word NO until thet are well into their professional careers. The average and worst are dropped immediately. If they perform, they stay, period. I could go on and on with this line of thinking, but I will stop for now.

Ramirez, MANNY are not as good as you are, but you are NOT chosen. Your just another very good hitter. You are, have been, and always will be a jerk (take note for the last time LA). Manny being Manny means to hell with the rules and worry only about yourself in the ultimate team game. You were weaned that way, learned from the master manipulator in Boston, and are perpetrating your fraud in La La Land. GOOD RIDDANCE !!!

Game 1 Review - RS Almost PERFECT !!

Repeat after me, pitching and defense, pitching and defense, pitching and defense ...........

What a TREMENDOUS baseball game the RS played. Lester easily diffused a high-powered lineup, Jason Bay hit the requisite BOMB, Ellsbury was on base all night wreaking havoc, they tacked on a couple in the ninth for insurance, Papelbon finished it off. Except for the really bad error by Lowrie, perfect game !!!

The RS outfield defense is the best, and Ellsbury made a very important sliding catch to start the ninth. As great as that play was, the one by Youkilis a couple of batters later was much better. This writer is not and huge fan of Youk defensively as I think he is very overrated and I have seen much better even on the RS (George Scott), but for all the years the RS employed those lumbering defensive liabilities over there, Youk is a breath of fresh air. He SNATCHED that quail on one hop while diving toward the outfield (when is the last time you can say you've seen THAT) and whirled and threw to Lowell almost in one motion to get a STUNNED Vlady. The hustle and wherewithall to pivot and fire was just an eye-popper by a very heady player. Between the two of them, they bailed out Masterson (the young Bob Stanley with that NASTY sinker that provides chinkers of all kinds in every direction). Other RS editions are still playing that inning and are way behind. This team can catch that baseball and it is the difference between winning and losing !!

The ability to add on (in the popular parlance) in the ninth was huge and gave Pap breathing room, which was important because he has been shaky lately. That swing by Kendry Morales on the hit to right was SMASHED though. We are not used to seeing those kinds of AB's against the closer. When he went to the split after getting ahead of Figgins, he was his old devastating self. Figgins swung over the two of them thinking they were fastballs. To the RS insiders, if the populace can see that Pap has been one dimensional with that heater you surely must see it too, but have been in denial about it or something. Mix it up !! How about the occasional slider ?? Where has that been ??

Whichever of the two basepath pests gets on consistently could determine the eventual winner. Ellsbury was on 5 times last night while Figgins took the collar. These two guys clearly make these teams go. With the Halos murderers row in back of him, Figgins must be kept in check or the RS will lose this series.

Despite the impeccable game, there were issues. Terry is loyal to a fault, and JD does NOT belong in there. He was completely flummoxed at the plate and was painful to WATCH sitting on the bench. Kotsay must play !! The RS situational hitting was abysmal, with something like 1 for 16 with RISP, OUCH !! Jason Bay obliterated most of that with one gargantuan big fly. Would anybody out there trade him back for Manny ?? This guy can really play, Manny was a sideshow.

Can't wait for Game 2. No matter what happens, I don't think the RS can play a more CRISP game than last night. Besides, Dice-K is pitching. If you thought last night was late, I would not plan anything before noon on Saturday after this Friday night excruciating test of baseball torture. GREAT STUFF last night though.

Red Sox/Angels Preview

With Beckett and Lester pitching twice apiece in a best of fiver, the RS were a lock to beat the favored Angels. When fate stepped in and knocked Beckett back to the third game, things are now a lot dicier.

This should be a verycloseseries. Pitching and defense are the order of the day, and the RS are still solid on the mound with the league's best defense. Their lineup is very suspect after Bay, so the top of the order MUST do damage. The most serious issues revolve around health. M. Lowell is moving around like the present day 89 year old Johnny Pesky and is a HUGE concern. J.D. (Nancy) Drew's contributions are also a crapshoot. They must get some production out of those two, or the inexperienced subs, although good, will be forced to play. The bullpen middle relief guys are really pitching well right now, with Delcarmen looking awesome the last month. Papelbon has been shaky lately, and is a bit of a concern, despite the experience of previous years. He will have to be lights out to win.

The Angels, on the other hand also have good pitching, although I would be very WORRIED about those last 2 starts by Lackey (10 runs in 2.2) and Santana (shelled too). Any hiccup by those two again could spell doom for the Halos. They are like the old time RS with offensive bombers at many positions. If the RS pitchers make a mistake, some will take them yard. With the league's best bullpen, the RS hitters must get to their starters. Joe Saunders has been super all year though. Shields in middle relief is very strong. Arredondo and K-Rod, although not invinceable, will make life very difficult late.

I look for a grinder of a series, a hero-maker for some player. Hopefully, he wears the Boston red hose. From yesteryear, can anyone say HENDU ??? It will take something heroic like that for the winners.

Bring it on !!!!!!!!!!