The legacy of any player to spend time in the Red Sox organization is established when his time at the organization ends and he moves on in his career. The exception to this is former Sox players whose paths lead them to the rival Yankees. This scenario has popped up multiple times this offseason, as both Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima have agreed to minor league deals with New York over the past couple months.

Delcarmen and Okajima in Boston

Delcarmen was a member of the Sox bullpen from 2005-2010 when he was traded to the Colorado Rockies. He grew up in the Boston area and was fun to watch for the first few years of his time with the Red Sox, including throwing 74.1 innings in the 2008 season while posting a solid 3.27 ERA. However as time passed, he became notably less effective, only appearing in 9 more Major League games after his trade to the Rockies.

Okajima started his big league career in 2007 when he burst onto the scene as a rookie out of Japan, making the All-Star Game via the final vote and being a key contributor in the bullpen for the Red Sox 2007 World Series Championship. He quietly lived in the shadow of Daisuke Matsuzaka, but made an impact in the game as he became one of the best left-handed relievers in the game in his first few years. However slowly the league started to figure out his awkward delivery and his ERA rose to 4.50 in 2010. He played in just 7 games last year after contract disputes with Boston and ended up signing with New York.

Yankees Bullpen

While Delcarmen and Okajima give little reason to believe the New York Yankees bullpen is any better, it is noticeable that they have a large amount of depth to their roster. With tremendous set up men like David Robertson and Rafael Soriano backing up Mariano Rivera, these two small additions show how deep the Yankees could be in 2012 if their bullpen is hurt by injuries as they were in 2011 with both Soriano, Joba Chamberlain, and Pedro Feliciano. Their additions of Hiroki Kuroda and Michael Pineda only further their strength in pitching, something usually lacking with typical New York teams. Either way, it should be interesting to see if Delcarmen or Okajima can make the club and if the Sox will get a crack at their old teammates.

© Matthew Bond for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox.

When the New York Yankees went ahead and revamped their starting rotation, trading for 23-year-old pitching phenom Michael Pineda and signing Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year deal, they immediately became the favorites to win the AL East again in 2012.

On paper, that is. (Allow me this one glimmer of hope, please and thank you. September 2011 was not kind to me.)

It of course prompted immediate speculation on how the Red Sox would respond. What would rookie-GM Ben Cherington do to answer Boston’s biggest rival? Would the Red Sox continue to sit pat? Would they make a play for Roy Oswalt, purportedly only asking for a one-year contract in the range of $8 million?

According the WEEI’s Rob Bradford, the Red Sox would reportedly have to move payroll in order to meet Oswalt’s contract demands. Yup, the team with player salaries already topping $170 million, the same ownership group that signed off on $142 million worth of Carl Crawford, aren’t willing to take the luxury tax hit. Apparently John Henry maxed out his credit card buying $300 headphones to massage his players’ egos and eardrums.

With Kuroda, Ryan Madson, and Oswalt all available for what amounts to the spare change rolled up in the tarp at Fenway, the Red Sox remain remarkably and ridiculously steadfast (read: stingy) in keeping together a team that squandered a nine-game lead in less than a month. (So the Red Sox are shooting for that newfangled extra wild card spot? Is that it?)

For the sake of argument, let’s say Cherington comes to his senses and realizes how desperately he needs a reliable frontline starter to hedge his bets on Aaron Cook, Carlos Silva, and Vincente Padilla. On a scale of “No Way, José Valentin” to “Manny Being Manny,” who would the Red Sox unload to make the numbers work?

Sawx Foh-evah

Clearly Cherington won’t unload any cornerstones of the franchise, particularly the homegrown talent that has been central to Red Sox success in recent years. That means Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, and Clay Buchholz with their long-term, team-friendly deals won’t be going anywhere. Nor will Adrian Gonzalez, who cost the Red Sox a pretty prospect. No way, no how for any of those guys.

If Julio Lugo and Edgar Renteria had a Child…

On the other side of untradeable, these are the terrible players and their monster contracts that not even Frank McCourt pre-divorce would try to take on. I’m talking about you, John Lackey ($15.25 million per year), Carl Crawford ($19 million), Daisuke Matsuzaka ($10 million), Bobby Jenks ($6 million), and yes, even you, Josh Beckett ($15.75 million). They’re all immovable objects, and not just because of their beer guts.

That is, unless Cherington can convince the San Diego Padres to reopen negotiations on John Lackey. But without a Red Sox secret agent at the helm, it may be tough to pull off another heist like the Gonzalez trade (Anthony Rizzo almost lasted a full year before they deemed him a bust!).

Forgive Me, Father, For I Have Sinned

This possibility makes me want to let Carl Everett headbutt me until it makes sense, but it can’t be overlooked: Jacoby Ellsbury.

I’m well aware that he just finished second in the 2011 MVP voting and that he is the sexiest player this side of El Guapo. But his salary arbitration will skyrocket every year if he keeps it up, or he’ll merit a lucrative long-term deal (if Crawford got $142 million, what will Ellsbury command?!). And if the Red Sox can’t even shell out $8 million to Oswalt this year, how do they expect to hang onto Ellsbury in the future? Could it be that they trade him for a serious haul of top-level prospects?

My suspicion (call it a conspiracy theory) is that the Red Sox are actually refusing to go after Oswalt in order to reset their luxury tax payments and reserve that money for signing Ellsbury to a massive extension. Let us pray.

The Real Deals (To Be Made)

Now, obviously the small contract guys like Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Ryan Sweeney, Mike Aviles, Franklin Morales, and company can be written off because they don’t even make a splash next to John Henry’s yacht. Seriously. They probably make as much as Henry’s seaward butlers.

No, the Red Sox have two players they might be able to move to clear space for Oswalt: J.D. Drew Kevin Youkilis and Marco Scutaro. I’ve already outlined why I think Youkilis could make a decent trade chip. To recap, he has value as one of few power-hitting third basemen in the major leagues and is relatively affordable at $12 million this year. The Red Sox could get a decent return on such a trade, and it’s not like he has been extremely reliable on the field or in the clubhouse for Boston the last two years. He’s also 33.

Scutaro is also on the back-end of his career, in the last year of his contract before Jose Iglesias presumably takes over. That makes his $6 million option eminently expendable, with no long-term role on the team. His trade value probably isn’t as high, but Scutaro is a reliable starting shortstop with decent fielding and the second-best batting average among players at his position in 2011.

Who wants to make a deal?

Paper-Thin Dreams

Unfortunately, the Red Sox traded the one player best primed to take over for either Youkilis or Scutaro, shipping Jed Lowrie to Houston for reliever Mark Melancon. Mike Aviles could presumably serve as a suitable replacement for either player, but that would figure to be a significant downgrade offensively.

Still, to essentially trade Youkilis or Scutaro for Oswalt’s consistently sub-4.00 ERA (career 3.21), strong strikeout-to-walk ratio (over 3 to 1), and pedigree as an ace unafraid to pitch under pressure? Might not be a bad idea.

On paper, that is.

© Nick Bohlen for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Featured, Opinion, Red Sox.

With their latest addition of Vincente Padilla, the Red Sox continue their spree of signing old and terrible pitchers. To the frustration of many fans, the Red Sox continue to pass on established starters such as Roy Oswalt for the likes of Carlos Silva and Aaron Cook. Meanwhile, the Yankees acquired Hiroki Kuroda and Michael Pineda to create quite the formidable starting rotation. Simply put, the competition got a lot better. Did somebody just say “third place threepeat”? Probably.

Nevertheless, two observations can be made with these “low-risk, high reward” signings. For starters (pun) the Red Sox are really cheap. Secondly, Boston is clearly trying to imitate the 2011 Yankees’ plan of striking lightning by adding pitching depth with low-cost deals. The only problem? The Yankees did it the right way, while the Red Sox are doing it the wrong way.

The Yankee Plan

Instead of overpaying via trade of free agency for starting pitching in 2011, New York opted for low-risk deals. Heading into spring training they were ridiculed, and deservedly so. A Yankees rotation that included Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon was unacceptable. Neither of these old and injury riddled pitchers had been effective for years. But to everyone’s surprise, these two exceeded expectations. Garcia put up a solid 12-8 record and 3.62 ERA, while Colon could boast a respectable 8-10 record with a 4.00 ERA. Sure, these players were only shadows of their former selves, but they were productive in the sense that the Yankees weren’t doomed to lose whenever they pitched.

But here’s the thing–both of these pitchers already had accomplished resumes. Garcia and Colon were both two-time All-Stars. Garcia led the league in ERA in 2001. Colon was the 2005 America League Cy Young winner. At one point or another, both were effective pitchers. If either could recapture just a glimpse of their former glory, the Yankees would be more than set. With a division title to show for it, the Yankees certainly did a decent job.

Boston’s Problem

Roy Oswalt is apparently not happening. Instead we are reading about Carlos Silva and Aaron Cook coming to Boston. Fans are being assured not to worry– after all that this is what the Yankees did and look what happened to them! The only problem is that there is no truth to that whatsoever.

Most starting pitchers don’t get significantly better in their late thirties. As seen with the Yankees, Colon and Garcia had at one time been great pitchers. Their older, injury-prone selves were not going to pitch any better than they did seven years ago, but maybe they could accomplish just a fraction of that. The ceiling was high, albeit unlikely to reach.

On the other hand, these pitchers signed by the Red Sox have always been pretty darn terrible. Aaron Cook has only won more than ten games twice. He’s never thrown 100 strikeouts. Carlos Silva has had an ERA under 4.00 only two times. In addition to being insane, Vincente Padilla has a career ERA of 4.31, and has never had an above average season. My point? These pitchers are horrendous and always have been. Cook and Silva are 32. Padilla is 34. They are not going to get better. As a result, their ceiling is too low for even Dustin Pedroia. None of these three will ever be a decent major league pitcher, just as they never have. The Sox are better off keeping the ancient Tim Wakefield. I honestly think a Daisuke Matsuzaka or John Lackey months away from recovery could pitch better.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the 2012 rotation you can look forward to!

What to do?

It goes without saying that most low risk/low reward signings don’t pan out. For every Freddy Garcia, there is a John Smoltz or a Brad Penny. But the Yankees only needed Garcia and Colon to be not awful. The Red Sox don’t have the same luxury of only depending on mediocrity. Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and Clay Buccholz are not the most durable players around. The truth is, in addition to consistency, Boston needs some productivity.

If they want to turn to low-risk signings, they should be looking at starters who were actually talented at some point. Instead of Cook, Silva, and Padilla they should set their sight on Ben Sheets, Brandon Webb, and Rich Harden. Those names are coming from obscurity, but so are the excuses of starting pitching the Red Sox have signed so far.

As a last thought, Roy Oswalt is reportedly seeking $8 MM (Chump change for Boston). I know the math doesn’t work out perfectly, but at one point, do all these small scale deals approach or surpass $8MM? Sox management is trying to avoid spending pennies and it makes no sense. Maybe if we all agree to purchase Oswalt jerseys, it will compensate for his salary and the resulting luxury tax? In the meantime, let’s get excited for Vincente Padilla.

This may take a while…

© Josh Segal for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | 15 comments
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox.

Friday night, the New York Yankees, quiet players in the offseason to this point, made two moves to improve their chances in the AL East. GM Brian Cashman shipped top prospect Jesus Montero, a possible catcher and probable DH, to the Seattle Mariners for breakout star Michael Pineda. Later that night, he let the second shoe drop – signing free agent starter Hiroki Kuroda.

The past few seasons have not been kind to baseball’s perennial powerhouses. Both New York and Boston have found that their ability to roll over most of the league in the regular season is not necessarily a precursor to playoff success or, in the Red Sox case, even  guaranteed entry to the post season. Through the mid-2000s, sought after players were often fought over in bidding wars between these titans, and the American League Wild Card was the consolation prize that allowed both teams to play into October.

After the emergence of the Tampa Bay Rays, however, the road to the World Series became more complicated. Major League Baseball has seen the Rays, Blue Jays, Rangers, and even the lowly Kansas City Royals build strong organizations despite less financial might than Boston and New York. As much as Yankees GM Brian Cashman is a product of having the largest wallet in sports history, his work Friday created a truly horrific Friday the 13th for Red Sox Nation.

Michael Pineda

In Michael Pineda, the Yankees have acquired one of the most prized commodities in baseball: young pitching. At just 22 years old (he turns 23 on January 18th), Pineda dominated the AL as a rookie while winning nine games for the offensively inept Mariners. His first season in the big leagues also brought his first appearance in the All-Star Game and earned him fifth place in Rookie of the Year voting. Standing at 6’7” and capable of bringing upper 90s heat, the righthander is likely a star in the making. His rookie success wasn’t just small sample sizes either as Pineda tossed 171 innings while racking up just over a strikeout per frame. Combined with a walk rate of just 2.9 per nine innings, he brought swing-and-miss stuff as well as command. As a bit of extra sweetener in the deal, Pineda came bundled with five full years of team control.

Hiroki Kuroda

At 36 years old, Hiroki Kuroda is no spring chicken, but he remains a fierce competitor. The Japanese righty arrived relatively unheralded from Japan and has quietly put together a nice major league resume. In three of his four years in America, Kuroda has tossed between 183 and 202 innings, only in his injury-shortened 2009 did he not start at least 31 games per season. Unlike some older pitchers who enter MLB to succeed their first year because teams have not yet built up a scouting profile of their arsenal, Kuroda has actually improved as he becomes more familiar with American baseball. His strikeout rate has inceased from 5.7 per 9 in 2008 to 7.2 per 9 in 2011 and his strikeout to walk ratio was at least 3.29 since 2009.

A one-year deal for just $10 or $11 million dollars is a bargain for the veteran. The Yankees are able to limit their risk on an older pitcher moving to the toughest division in the harder league. With research showing that strikeout rates for pitchers peaks at age 25, acquiring both a young up and comer and a veteran who has so far bucked this trend, the Yankees have had a very good 24 hours of preparing their team for the 2012 season. A rotation lead by C.C. Sabathia, Michael Pineda, and Hiroki Kuroda takes pressure off of the unpredictable A.J. Burnett and the still developing Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova.

Looking Ahead

These acquisitions have made the Red Sox rotation, their major strength over the Yankees, weaker in comparison. Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and Clay Buchholz are a good match for the Yankees top three and with Alfredo Aceves and Daniel Bard transitioning to the rotation, the back end of the Boston rotation has quite a bit of upside. With the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays in the division as well, the Red Sox have almost 60 games against tough division rivals.

© Mike Carlucci for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Featured, MLB, Red Sox.

Change is inevitable. For the Boston Red Sox, it’s necessary. As far as the outfield goes, Carl Crawford is in left and Jacoby Ellsbury in center. That begs the question; who is in right?

J.D. Drew’s contract is up and there is no way the Red Sox re-sign Drew after his lack of production in recent years. As an alternative, the Sox may look to an overseas player to fill the void.

One player creating a lot of hype is Cuban Yoennis Cespedes. It is said that he is a five-tool player and can make an immediate impact. The Red Sox were one of the teams that attended his workout this past week. Does that mean he is a possibility? Not so fast.

With Ben Cherington the new GM for the Red Sox, two things could happen: he could try to pull off some impressive moves and sign some big name players. or he could make smaller moves in hopes that they pay off. It’s more likely he does the latter of the two and holds off from making any huge mistakes right away.

One of the largest mistakes former GM Theo Epstein made was the acquisition of Daisuke Matsuzaka. Dice-K was a highly touted pitcher from Japan who was widely considered to be the most talented pitcher to come out of that country. Epstein made the mistake of overpaying for the pitcher who only had one successful season in the majors. Does Ben Cherington want to make a similar mistake? Not at all.

Cespedes does “sound” like he could be an impact player in the majors and his numbers back that assumption up. In Cuba’s Serie Nacional, he hit .333 with a .424 OBP, .667 slugging percentage and a league record 33 home runs in 99 games in the 2010-11 season. In the 2009 World Baseball Classic he hit .458/.480/1.000/1.480 with a double, three triples and a homer in 24 at-bats for Team Cuba. (stats from WEEI.com)

At 26 years old, Cespedes might be a good fit to take over in right field for years to come. Even if he has predominately played in center field in his career, it is said he is capable of playing all three outfield positions.

Another Bidding War?

The only problem with signing him is that the New York Yankees are also very high on the outfielder. That means that there could be a bidding war for Cespedes and the last time that happened between the Red Sox and Yankees for an overseas player was Dice-K (in the form of a $51.1M posting fee), and that didn’t turn out too well.

If the Red Sox can get him for a reasonable price and certainly don’t overpay for him, then why not try him out? There’s no way he could be any worse than Drew was.

It might also be easier for a position player to translate to the majors rather than a pitcher. Dice-K had a hard time because he didn’t understand the language and his stuff just wasn’t overpowering. Cespedes has seen many different pitchers and some of the best in the majors back in 2009 at the WBC. Besides it’s much easier for a hitter to adjust than a pitcher because of the dynamics that go into pitching.

Former Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman got a contract of $30.25 million over six years from the Cincinnati Reds and Cespedes is expected to get a similar contract. With the Yankees involved, the contract could get much higher.

An Alternative in RF?

If the Red Sox don’t go after Cespedes, then an alternative is Carlos Beltran. Beltran is eight years older (will be nine in April) and has had a history of injuries. He played in 142 games this past season with New York and San Francisco, but only played 81 games in 2009 and 64 in 2010 with the Mets.

If the Red Sox have to decide between Cespedes and Beltran, then Cespedes would be the better choice because of age and versatility. Any doubt of his talents then check out this video, and he’ll make anyone a believer.

This is a move Red Sox Nation should want to be made, but if it’s a bidding war between Boston and New York, then in end it might not be worth the gamble. Cespedes has the potential, but sometimes potential doesn’t translate into success in the majors (see Andrew Miller).

© Greg for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox.

What could hurt the Red Sox more than the 7-20 September collapse and the unbelievable news that followed (fried chicken, beer, video games and painkillers)? Hmm. How about David Ortiz wearing pinstripes next season? What once seemed unthinkable is more possible than ever: Big Papi very well could join the Yankees.

Yep, just like Babe Ruth, Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens and Johnny Damon before him, Ortiz could join the Dark Side after several years with the Red Sox. In an interview with ESPNBoston.com, Ortiz complained that there was “too much drama” in the fallout of the Red Sox collapse.

“There’s too much drama. I have been thinking about a lot of things. I don’t know if I want to be part of this drama for next year,” Ortiz said.

How about the Yankees, then?

“That’s something I gotta think about,” Ortiz said. “It’s a good situation to be involved in. Who doesn’t want to be involved in a great situation where everything goes the right way?”

Reaction

Personally, it appears that Ortiz is just doing some classic free agent posturing. Why would he say he would never sign with the Yankees, the team with the most money? The best thing for Ortiz to do for himself is to create a big enough market for him to get one final multi-year deal.

Last season, Ortiz hit .309 with 29 HRs and 96 RBI and made $12.5 million. I think a two-year deal worth around $15 million (ideally less) would be a reasonable contract for a soon-to-be 36-year-old designated hitter.

While I think it was some free agent posturing, I do think he would consider signing with the Yankees if the Red Sox don’t low-ball him too much.

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox, Top Story.

Blame it on the rain. On a night that started out looking like everything could be forgotten. The Red Sox would make the playoffs and the collapse would be nothing but an after thought. The Rays were down 7-0 to the Yankees and the Red Sox were up on the Orioles.

Unfortunately, the baseball gods had already made their minds up. The 2011 Red Sox had no business in the playoffs. The skies in Baltimore opened up and the Red Sox went to a rain delay. Then the tides of fate turned.

The Sox were one out away from a win. the Rays were one out away from a loss.  A lot can happen before that third out and now we know all too well what can happen.

Game Recaps (Red Sox vs. Orioles & Yankees vs. Rays)

Red Sox Take Early Lead

The trouble started for Baltimore in the top of the third inning when Orioles starter Alfredo Simon surrendered a leadoff walk to the Sox number nine hitter Mike Aviles. MVP candidate, Jacoby Ellsbury then slapped a fastball to left field that not only extended his hit streak to 13 games but set the table for one of the stars of the night, Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia wasted no time taking the first pitch he saw straight to center to score Aviles and give Boston an early 1-0 lead.

Rays Fall Behind 5-0

After the Sox captured the lead and the Yankees, who were already up 1-0 on the Rays, added to their lead thanks to a grand slam off the bat of Mark Teixeira.

Red Sox & Orioles Exchange Blows

Everything seemed to be setting up to go just as Red Sox nation was hoping when JJ Hardy took Lester deep to left for a home run to put Baltimore up by a score of 2-1 in the bottom half of the inning.

Like a good heavyweight bout the Red Sox took the punch and then fired a right hook right back in their next trip to the plate in the fourth. Marco Scutaro doubled and worked his way to third. There he stood when Aviles stepped into the box. Scutaro took an extended lead and with a few shuffle steps towards home he forced a balk from Simon. He was awarded home to tie the game at two.

The next inning, the tiniest of Red Sox proved again that he does big things on big stages. Dustin Pedroia hit a solo shot to left off Simon and the Sox were back in the lead 3-2.

Yankees Push Rays Deeper Into Hole

In an eerie coincidence, Mark Teixeira sent a ball screaming over the fence again in Tampa to put the Rays down 6-0 at nearly the same time as Pedroia’s dinger. Suddenly thoughts of a subpar September started to drift away because things were just going Boston’s way.

Scutaro Flashing Leather

In the bottom half of the fifth inning Mark Reynolds stepped in and hit a hard line drive single off the wall in right for a double. After advancing to third, Reynolds was sent on contact with one down in the inning and Marco Scutaro took center stage once again.

The Sox infield was playing in and Scutaro plucked the grounder off nearly the lip of the grass and fired it home to Lavarnway who applied the tag to save the tying run from scoring.

Threat averted.

Worrisome Red Sox fans began to tremble again when Lester walked the first two batters he faced in the sixth. (Insert Scutaro heroics here). Scutaro ranging to his right stabbed a grounder off the dirt and tossed it straight out of the glove to Pedroia at second. Petey snagged the feed and turned and fired a strike to first to complete the double play. Lester then eventually struck out Jones swinging to escape another potential crisis in the sixth.

The Rays were down 7-0 and the Red Sox were avoiding any and all danger up 3-2.

Then the rain came.

Rays Rally

With the Red Sox sitting in the clubhouse with a storm overhead, a storm started rolling over the Yankees.

The Rays were rocking a revolving door of New York relievers capped off by an Evan Longoria three run jack to left in the eighth. Suddenly Tampa Bay was back in the fight against the Yankees and in the wild card hunt. It was now 7-6 heading into the ninth.

The Yankees got two quick and easy outs in the ninth inning when Dan Johnson came out of the dugout to pinch hit. What are the odds? The Sox had to be in the clear. The Rays were going to lose right here, right now. Right?

Wrong!

Johnson hit a laser that just cleared the fence in right to tie the game at seven in the ninth. 

Red Sox Blow It

When the Red Sox returned to the diamond, Aceves was on the hill and hit two of the first three batters he faced. He’d settle down and survive the inning, but the Sox couldn’t survive the game.

Jonathan Papelbon would come on in the ninth to close the door, except instead he opened it. He got two outs and with two strikes he surrendered an RBI ground rule double to Nolan Reimold and the game was tied.

In no time Robert Andino singled to left in front of a sliding Carl Crawford. Crawford in a microcosm of his entire season, just couldn’t make the play and Reimold scored to steal game 162 from the Red Sox.

Rays Take Wild Card

Just as eerie as when Pedroia and Teixeira homered almost simultaneously, the Rays wasted no time after the Sox lost to run away with the Wild Card. 

Evan Longoria hit his second home run to left in the bottom of the 12th inning and just like that the 2011 season for the Red Sox came to an abrupt close.

There’s Always Next Year

In one night the Rays and Red Sox summed up the entire month of September with these two games. The Rays did everything right and the Red Sox did everything wrong. For anyone who doesn’t remember pre-2004, this is how every year felt.

Heartbroken.

Now Red Sox fans have to turn to the age old saying they lived by for 86 years. “There’s always next year.”

Follow Brian Moller on Twitter: @Brian_Moller

© Brian Moller for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | 3 comments
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox, Top Story.

Boston just can’t seem to get it together, and lost once more to start a doubleheader Sunday 6-2. And yet again, their opponent beat them down early, and as usual, the Yankees never let them back into the game. The omens started early, too, with Jacoby Ellsbury getting picked off in the 1st inning after getting caught in a rundown. New York followed that up with two bunt singles and stolen bases to start their game, and after a missed catch error, passed ball and wild pitch, took a 2-0 lead.

New York struck again in the 3rd, with a two-run homer from Jorge Posada, who bat fourth in the lineup. Jacoby Ellsbury homered in the 4th to cut the deficit to 4-1, but after two singles in the 5th for New York (the first of which also saw a fielding error on Carl Crawford), New York made it 5-1.

Ellsbury homered yet again in the 6th, but in the bottom of the frame, a single, sac bunt and ground-rule double made it 6-2. A.J. Burnett kept everything going good for the Yanks through 7.2 innings, forcing Boston to waste a lead-off double in the 8th. Boston never got any momentum going, and the way they’ve been playing lately, why should they?

Sox’ Stud of the Game: Jacoby Ellsbury

Two home runs in one game is a good day for anyone, but alas, one man does not a team make.

Sox’ Dud of the Game: Tim Wakefield

Wakefield gave up five runs (three earned) and five walks in 4.0 innings and two batters. Laboring the way he did doesn’t win games, and only taxes the bullpen further.

Game Notes:

W: A.J. Burnett (11-11)
L: Tim Wakefield (7-8)

• Adrian Gonzalez grounded into two double plays, giving him 28 for the season, second only to Albert Pujols.
• Ellsbury is the only person in Red Sox history to have at least 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in the same season.
• While warming up for the 8th, Scott Atchison left the game due to injury. He was seen clutching at his groin.
• Boston is only 0.5 games ahead of Tampa in the Wildcard race with four games left (to Tampa’s three remaining). The Angels are 2.0 games out with four remaining, including leading Oakland 2-0 in the 6th as of press time.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox, Top Story.

The nightmarish September of the Red Sox only got worse on Saturday as they were demolished by the New York Yankees 9-1.

The Yankees took control of the game early, knocking around Boston starter Jon Lester for 8 runs in 2 2/3 innings, and handed the Red Sox their 13th loss in their last 16 games.

The trouble started with one out in the second inning. Robinson Cano hit a bouncer just past the dive of shortstop Marco Scutaro for a single. Lester then walked Nick Swisher, bringing up Andruw Jones. Jones hit a grounder that Scutaro fielded to his right, but third baseman Mike Aviles was not near the bag, so Scutaro had to turn and fire to second, too late to get Swisher.

With the bases loaded, Lester fell behind the rookie Jesus Montero 3 balls and one strike. Montero belted the next pitch into left for an RBI singe.

Russell “I Hate the Red Sox” Martin followed with a soft liner to left. Carl Crawford raced over, slid, and had the ball clang off his glove for a two-run single.

Derek Jeter was next, and he smashed a 3-run home run to right center to make it 6-0.

Lester finished the inning, but he was chased in the third when Montero crushed a 2-run double to give the Yankees an 8-0 lead.

The Boston offense could do nothing against Yankee starter Freddy Garcia, who tossed 6 shutout innings and picked up the win. It was the first time in September that Garcia had allowed less than 3 runs, or pitched more than 5 innings in a game.

In Lester’s last three starts, all against Tampa and New York, with the team desperately needing a win each time, he’s gone 0-3 with a 10.53 ERA.

The Sox continued to follow their September blueprint of horrible starting pitching, abysmal defense, and untimely offense. Over the last 19 games, their starting pitchers have 3 wins and a 7.34 ERA. For the month, the team has an utterly ridiculous record of 1-17 when scoring 11 runs or less. Their lead over Tampa in the Wild Card race has shrunk from 9 games three weeks ago down to 1.5 games, after the Rays defeated Toronto on Saturday night.

On Sunday, the Sox send Tim Wakefield and John Lackey to the mound in a day-night doubleheader against the Yankees, desperately hoping that one of them will be able to come up with a win. But in his last 5 starts, Lackey is 0-3 with a 9.12 ERA; while Wakefield has one win in his last 9 starts, and has allowed 16 runs in his last 16 innings pitched.

Things are grim and look to only get grimmer as the Red Sox try to cling to what’s left of their once-once comfortable lead in the playoff race.

© Dan Davis for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox, Top Story.

We’re almost a week away from October, and that means it’s almost time for the playoffs to finally begin. Just the Phillies and Tigers have locked up spots so far (by way of a division title), but the largest elimination number remaining for a division is seven, and the Yankees shouldn’t have too much trouble with that. In fact, the AL East is the only division that can still be won by three different teams. Teams on the outside are hanging by a thread, but that’ll just make them fight harder than ever, so let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Monday, September 19, before the day’s games:

National League

#1 Philadelphia Phillies vs #3 Arizona Diamondbacks

The Phillies‘ recent record is a bit deceiving; their Big Three in the rotation is putting up championship numbers. Arizona still has to deal with holding off the Giants’ eight-game win streak and isn’t in a position to do anything about Philadelphia.

#2 Milwaukee Brewers vs #W Atlanta Braves

Milwaukee is dangerous at home, and they recently swept Cincinnati on the road. Atlanta recently had some trouble with the Mets, and they really can’t hope to do much against Greinke and Gallardo in Milwaukee.

American League

#1 New York Yankees vs #3 Texas Rangers

Texas is 7-3 in its last 10; New York is 4-6. Texas has plenty of offense, and while New York has a good bullpen, there are questions about whether or not the starters can get to that point. If they can’t, and especially if C.C. Sabathia can’t put together two gems, then Texas will walk away with the series (again).

#2 Detroit Tigers vs #W Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox have been on a very large slide at the very worst time of the season. With the bullpen getting taxed and the starters and defense slipping (and the offense banged up and not what it should be), Detroit has a big advantage.

Final Standings Predictions

Playoffs Predictions

© John for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, MLB, Red Sox.