Mike Napoli and Will Middlebrooks Named American League Co-Players of The Week

All of the intrigue about the Red Sox making the playoffs this season has been taken away, not that I'm complaining, as they have put some serious distance between themselves and the rest of the American League: 7.5 games on Tampa Bay entering tonight with both idle, four more wins than Oakland and five more wins than Detroit for the best record. Boston only has 17 games left in the regular season, meaning the AL East crown and home-field advantage is a formality at this point.

Two of the main catalysts of their recent surge have been third baseman Will Middlebrooks and first baseman Mike Napoli. This afternoon, both were named AL co-Players of the Week. Over those seven games, the Red Sox went 5-2 and scored 56 runs. Both guys put up video game numbers: Napoli hit .467 with .577 OBP and 1.143 SLG. Not to be outdone, Middlebrooks hit .464 with .500 OBP and eight runs scored. Each player slugged four home runs (including a grand slam) and nine RBIs.

The last time two Red Sox shared this honor was in April: Napoli and reliever Andrew Bailey, remember him? If they want to go anywhere in the playoffs, Middlebrooks and Napoli will be a key part of their gameplan. We know that Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and to a lesser extent Shane Victorino will get on base. Jacoby Ellsbury is sidelined indefinitely with a broken bone in his foot so who knows when he'll return. On paper, Boston doesn't have the most imposing lineup until you see them in action. They wear pitchers down and run up high pitch counts to get them out early and face the weak middle relievers.

What makes this so impressive is that Mike and Will went through serious slumps at various times this season, so bad that they made you wonder if they'd ever bounce back to be productive in 2013. Middlebrooks was sent down to Pawtucket (Triple-A) for a month and a half but since he returned to the Red Sox on August 10, he's hit .368 with 1.055 OBP, six homers and 16 RBIs. He'll never be Paul Molitor in terms of bat control and being impossible to strike out but he definitely addressed his biggest flaw: chasing bad pitches out of the strike zone plus swinging and missing way too often.

From July 31-August 26, Napoli looked lost: he hit .188 with 38 strikeouts. He's already struck out 172 times this season, meaning he's going to set a new Red Sox single season record so it's pointless to get him to change his softball swing. That's who he is, all or nothing basically every time he steps to the plate. You just have to hope that he continues his hot streak since the Red Sox certainly enjoy his power. The good news is that throughout his career he's been a solid performer in October: in 32 games, he's hit .272, .373 OBP and .457 SLG with five homers and 19 RBIs.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

RIP Andrew Bailey & Boston's Ability To Trade For Good Closers

At this point, the Red Sox deserve an intervention when it comes to their stupid idea to trade for closers on bad teams. My cat could write a detailed paper on how it's so obvious that method has been a disaster. Mark Melancon was awful last season then got traded to the Pirates where he became an All-Star set up man this season. Joel Hanrahan came over from Pittsburgh and got hurt almost immediately. With today's news that Andrew Bailey could be facing season-ending shoulder surgery, what else is there left to say but mercy?

We all thought it was time to let Jonathan Papelbon go when it came time to hit free agency but who wouldn't take him back with open arms (he's never been on the DL in his career) at this point? Boston's biggest issue (besides Clay Buchholz's health) heading into the second half of 2013, beginning tonight, starts and ends with their shaky bullpen. Along with Hanrahan and Bailey, Andrew Miller is done for the season with a foot injury and their former ace setup man Daniel Bard's career has reached Rick Ankiel territory in Portland (Double A).

Getting Matt Thornton last weekend was nice but it's hard to see them surviving while they keep shuttling in all these Triple A nobodies. Hey, no worries though since the Red Sox signed washed up scrubs Brandon Lyon and Jose Contreras this afternoon and sent them to Pawtucket. Haha what is it 2003?

The trade deadline is July 31 so you have to assume that the Red Sox aren't done making moves. I doubt that it'll be anything big involving their plethora of promising prospects (alliteration!) but you never know. It should be an interesting 65 games for the hometown team.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Red Sox Beat A's 4-2 In Series Opener With More Help On The Way-Matt Thornton

You couldn't possibly ask for anything more (within reason) from the Red Sox at the moment: thanks to their 4-2 win tonight against the A's at O.Co Coliseum, Boston (58-37 overall, 27-21 away) moved to a season-high 21 games over .500 while also opening up a 4.5 game lead over the Rays for first place in the AL East (Tampa Bay lost 2-1 to Houston). Oh by the way, they also flipped something called Brandon Jacobs (not the former Giants running back) and cash to the White Sox for reliever Matt Thornton. Damn.

Thornton will be 37 in September but he's still one of the better lefthanded relievers in MLB and a more than suitable replacement for Andrew Miller. He was an All-Star in 2010 and has a career line of 32-41 with 23 saves, 169 holds, 3.53 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Keep in mind that it's hard to gauge numbers for setup men, especially ones that have been on some really bad teams-like this year's edition of the White Sox. He is a big guy (6-6, 235 pounds) that throws in the mid-90s and should be a welcome addition to Boston's ragtag bullpen that only had one lefty (Craig Breslow) remaining in it since Miller got hurt on Saturday.

It has gotten to the point where I'm actually expecting a good start from John Lackey (7-6) every time out. He went seven innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits with five strikeouts and four walks. Don't be surprised if a pitcher pulls out of the All-Star Game for the AL in the next few days that Lackey could be heading to Citi Field. Seriously.

Oakland (54-39 overall, 28-15 home) got a fine outing from Jarrod Parker (7 innings, 2 earned runs, 3 hits, 3 strikeouts) but reliever Sean Doolittle (3-3) was the weak link as he gave up a two-run single to Dustin Pedroia (2 hits) that made it 4-2 in the eighth. Former A's closer Andrew Bailey pitched a scoreless eighth with two strikeouts for his eighth hold and Koji Uehara struck out the side for his eighth save of the season.

Boston never trailed as Brock Holt opened the scoring with a two-run single of his own in the second. The A's chipped away with an RBI single by John Jaso in the fifth and former Red Sox great (stop laughing) Jed Lowrie tied it with a solo homer off Lackey in the sixth.

Mike Napoli was 2 for 4 with a triple and run in the win, the fourth straight for the Red Sox who improved to 5-3 on this endless West Coast road trip.

Tomorrow night (10:05, NESN) Jon Lester (8-5) tries to end his first half on a good note as he takes on A.J. Griffin (7-6).

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Red Sox Have The Most Wins In MLB, Because America!

Today the Red Sox celebrated the Fourth of July exactly like our forefathers would want them to: by pummeling the hapless Padres 8-2 at scalding hot Fenway Park. With the win, Boston (53-34 overall, 31-16 home) swept the three-game series from San Diego (40-46 overall, 15-28 away), completed an impressive 8-1 homestand and head to the West Coast for a 10-game road trip heading into the All-Star break with the most wins in MLB (sorry Pirates).

There were many subplots in this victory for the Red Sox that could prove to be more important down the road later this season. Rookie Allen Webster (1-2) finally picked up his first career win in MLB: six innings, two earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts and four walks. He will be in the rotation for at least a couple more turns so this should help his confidence. Jacoby Ellsbury (3 hits, 3 runs, 14-game hitting streak) hit his first homer since April 7, haha seriously only his second of 2013. Last but not least, Andrew Bailey pitched a 1-2-3 seventh with two strikeouts when Boston led 7-2. He might not close again this season but the Red Sox need him to be productive to help their bullpen survive the dog days of summer.

To move a season-high 19 games over .500, Boston had 18 hits. All nine guys in the lineup had hits and Brandon Snyder was the only one with just one hit but it was a solo homer (his 1st of the season) so he's forgiven. Shane Victorino was 2 for 4 with a double and run, Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a double, David Ortiz was 2 for 5 with two RBIs and a double, Mike Napoli was 2 for 5 with two runs and a double, Jonny Gomes was 2 for 4 with double and RBI, Ryan Lavarnway was 2 for 4 and Jose Iglesias was 2 for 4 with a double, run and RBI.

San Diego has lost six games in a row and it's not difficult to figure out why they were swept: they scored a grand total of four runs in the three games. Ouch babe. The Padres two run explosion today came on Chase Headley's sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Jesus Guzman (3 for 3, double, walk).

Without question, these next 10 games are the toughest stretch of the season (so far) for the Red Sox: three at the Angels (40-44, 3rd in AL West), four at the Mariners (37-47, 4th in AL West) and three at the A's (50-36, 1st in AL West). Putting aside the fact that the Angels have been really disappointing again and the Mariners are awful as always, playing 10 games in a row on the other side of the country presents plenty of challenges.

Red Sox fans should get some rest since two games against the Angels, three against the Mariners and two against the A's will be 10:05 p.m. or 10:10 p.m. starts on the East Coast. Felix Doubront (4-3) faces C.J. Wilson (8-5) tomorrow night in Anaheim (10:05, NESN), Ryan Dempster (5-8) takes on TBA on Saturday night (10:05, NESN) then Boston gets the Sunday Night Baseball treatment (8, ESPN) as John Lackey (6-5) returns to face his former team and Jered Weaver (2-4)-storyline that they'll hit you over the head with alert!

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Help Wanted: Red Sox Closer

Ever since the Red Sox decided not to pay Jonathan Papelbon two winters ago and let him sign with the Phillies, they have found very little success replacing him. Joel Hanrahan was terrible then out for the season months ago and now Andrew Bailey has blown four saves. This comes after missing most of 2012 with various injuries. At least they ruined Daniel Bard's promising career (the obvious next closer after Papelbon left) by stretching him out last season and trying to convert him into a starter. Ugh.

Tonight, Boston (44-31 overall, 21-16 away) led Detroit (40-31 overall, 24-12 home) 3-2 in the ninth inning of the series opener at Comerica Park. Bailey walked Victor Martinez then allowed a two-run walk-off homer to Jhonny Peralta. After the game Red Sox manager John Farrell alluded to the fact that the Red Sox will change closers, however he left out the important part about who he had in mind for this important job. I'd nominate Junichi Tazawa since Koji Uehara is perfect for the eighth inning and Andrew Miller is way too unpredictable to trust in that role.

Like every walk-off loss, it was a bitter setback since Boston played well enough to beat one of the best teams in the AL in their home park. David Ortiz hit a solo homer in the fourth, his 15th, then Jacoby Ellsbury drove in Jose Iglesias with an RBI single in the fifth. Iglesias had tripled.

Torii Hunter tied it with a bloop two-run single in the fifth for the Tigers. John Lackey had his sixth quality start in his last seven outings: 7 innings, 2 earned runs on 7 hits with 5 strikeouts and 1 walk. For Detroit, former Red Sox prospect Jose Alvarez went five innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

Detroit reliever Drew Smyley (3-0) went two scoreless innings with four strikeouts for the win. Ortiz put Boston ahead with an RBI single in the eighth after Shane Victorino doubled and stole third base.

Tomorrow night (7:08, NESN), Jon Lester (6-4) meets Doug Fister (6-4) in a game that at least on paper looks like a nice pitcher's duel. That's assuming Lester is the guy from early in the season and not the bum from the last month.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Red Sox Sweep Day-Night Doubleheader With Rays, Continue To Own Tampa Bay This Season

It was a particularly long but ultimately enjoyable day of baseball at Fenway Park as the Red Sox beat the Rays 5-1 and 3-1 in a day-night doubleheader. With the pair of victories, Boston (44-29 overall, 23-14 home) is a mind-blowing 9-2 against Tampa Bay (36-35 overall, 15-19 away) this season. So the Red Sox own the Rays and the Orioles own the Red Sox in 2013, got it?

Alfredo Aceves (4-1) had another good spot start in the first game before the rain came. After a 2:59 rain delay, Boston extended its 4-1 lead with an RBI triple by Shane Victorino (2 hits, 2 runs, stolen base) in the sixth inning. Jacoby Ellsbury (3 hits, 3 runs) had tripled before Victorino's three-base hit.

The Red Sox never trailed in the first game as Dustin Pedroia had a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Crazy Luke Scott tied it with an RBI double in the second inning but David Ortiz answered with a two-run single in the third then an RBI single in the fifth.

Aceves didn't return after the rain delay (obviously) so Junichi Tazawa, Andrew Miller, Koji Uehara and Craig Breslow each pitched in with a scoreless frame for Boston.

Game 2 was the Felix Doubront show with appearances by Daniel Nava and Jonny Gomes. Doubront pitched the best (and longest) game of his MLB career: 8 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits, 6 strikeouts and 0 walks. At 93 pitches, it was surprising when Red Sox manager John Farrell lifted him for closer Andrew Bailey (3-0). Predictably, Bailey blew his third save of the season on Kelly Johnson's solo homer.

No problem, Nava walked to start the bottom of the ninth against Joel Peralta (1-3) which set the stage for a two-run walk-off homer by Gomes (his 5th of the season) over the Monster. Nava's solo homer in the second, his 10th of the season, looked like it might be the only run.

David Ross (concussion) went on the 7-day DL and Clay Buchholz (neck) was placed on the 15-day DL so catcher Ryan Lavarnway and reliever Alex Wilson were called up from Pawtucket. Tomorrow night (7:10, NESN) as we all get ready for Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final, Ryan Dempster (4-7) opposes Jeremy Hellickson (4-3) in the series finale.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Walk-Off Home Runs By David Ortiz Will Never Get Old

It had been almost four years (August 26, 2009 to be exact) but tonight at Fenway Park, David Ortiz proved that he can still hit a walk-off homer with the best of them. Ortiz's three-run shot off Michael Kirkman (0-2) gave Boston (37-24 overall, 19-13 home) a 6-3 win over Texas (36-23 overall, 18-15 away) coupled with a series victory against the American League's top team.

It was the 11th homer of the season for Ortiz and ironically enough his 11th walk-off homer (10th as a Red Sox) and 19th walk-off hit (regular season and playoffs) for Boston. He only needs one more walk-off homer to tie Babe Ruth, pretty elite company huh?

The funny part is that Rangers manager Ron Washington decided to intentionally walk Dustin Pedroia after Jonny Gomes (4 hits, run) had doubled to lead off the bottom of the ninth. I'm not sure if Washington was doing lines in the tunnel but I couldn't tell you a logical explanation for pitching to Ortiz with two guys on and no outs. Oh well.

Lefties Derek Holland (6 innings, 2 earned runs, 9 hits, 4 strikeouts, 3 walks) and Jon Lester (6 innings, 3 earned runs, 7 hits, 4 strikeouts, 3 walks) pitched to a standstill, at least according to ESPN's game scores which gave them both a 47.

The Red Sox bullpen was flawless: Junichi Tazawa pitched around a double and single for a scoreless seventh, Koji Uehara had a 1-2-3 eighth with two strikeouts before closer Andrew Bailey (2-0) pitched a scoreless ninth.

Texas actually blew a three-run lead as Jeff Baker hit a two-run bomb in the second and former Red Sox Adrian Beltre (3 hits)-who always seems to kill Boston-added a solo homer in the third.

Dustin Pedroia's (walk, run) two-run double in the third brought Boston within a run (3-2) then Jacoby Ellsbury (4 hits, 2 runs, 2 doubles) tied it by scoring on Mike Napoli's fielder's choice in the seventh.

Weather permitting, the Red Sox get their first look at the underachieving Angels (26-34 overall, 3rd in AL West) this weekend with three games at Fenway. Felix Doubront (4-2) faces Tommy Hanson (2-2) tomorrow night (7:10, NESN), Clay Buchholz (8-0) looks to stay undefeated on Saturday night (7:15, NESN) vs. C.J. Wilson (4-4) and Ryan Dempster (3-6) closes it out Sunday afternoon (1:35, NESN) vs. Joe Blanton (1-9).

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

I'll Never Badmouth Stephen Drew Again, Haha Yeah Right

When Stephen Drew gets elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, we'll all remember this night. Haha I'll try again. When the Red Sox win the World Series this October, May 6 will be a game we should point to as a turning point. Ok that's unlikely but at least somewhat in the realm of possibilities.

Boston (21-11 overall, 12-5 home) desperately needed a win after getting humbled and swept by the Rangers this past weekend in Texas. They made it harder on themselves than it had to be since Joel Hanrahan blew a save in the ninth but ultimately the Red Sox got a 6-5 win over Minnesota (13-15 overall, 6-9 away) in 11 innings tonight at Fenway Park. Drew (4 for 5 w/HR, 3 RBIs) was the hero with a walk-off double that scored Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Another reason that the Red Sox couldn't afford a loss is because their ace-Clay Buchholz-was going against a bad team, at home. The reverse lock struck again as Buchholz struggled (relative term) for the first time this season: 6 innings, 4 earned runs, 7 hits, 9 strikeouts, 2 walks.

The Twins actually had a 3-0 lead thanks to an RBI double by Josh Willingham and RBI single by Justin Morneau in the first inning followed by an RBI double by Aaron Hicks in the fourth. Former Phillies great Vance Worley (5 innings, 3 earned runs, 9 hits, 3 strikeouts) couldn't protect the lead. His former teammate Shane Victorino hit his first home run as a Red Sox (to right field) to cut it to 3-1 in the fourth.

Morneau made it 4-1 with a sacrifice fly in the fifth but Drew's RBI single in the fifth, Mike Napoli's RBI single in the sixth and Drew's solo homer to right in the seventh (2nd of the season) tied it at four. Dustin Pedroia also hit his first homer of the season, over the Monster in the eighth to give Boston a 5-4 lead.

With Andrew Bailey placed on the 15-day DL (right biceps strain) earlier today, Craig Breslow was called up from Pawtucket (where he was rehabbing) and he had a 1-2-3 eighth with one strikeout. The road predictably got much bumpier in the ninth where tub of goo Joel Hanrahan couldn't nail down the save against the Twins (great sign). Brian Dozier tied it with a solo shot to center. Later in the inning, Hanrahan left with another injury (he recently recovered from a hamstring issue), what they termed "right forearm tightness." Maybe the Red Sox should stop trading for injury prone closers from terrible teams? Just a thought.

No worries, we all knew that Drew would wind up leading Boston to victory for one fleeting game. His double off the scoreboard on the Monster was a nice moment for a guy that has been a disaster so far in his brief Red Sox career. Clayton Mortensen (1-2) picked up the win with 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.
If Boston is in a save situation tomorrow night (7:10 p.m., NESN), I have no idea who will take the hill. All I know is that Ryan Dempster (2-2) gets the start against young lefty Scott Diamond (2-2).

UPDATE 5/7: Step right up Junichi Tazawa, you're the next Red Sox closer (for a few days at least before you inevitably get hurt or aren't effective)!

UPDATE 5/7: Hanrahan went on the DL again, Allen Webster was called up to start tomorrow night's game and Felix Doubront was sent to the bullpen. Doubront will reportedly be available in relief beginning tonight.

UPDATE 5/9: That tub of goo Hanrahan went on the 60-day DL and he's going to see Dr. James Andrews on Friday so I doubt we'll see him again this season. Webster was sent back to the PawSox and Jose De La Torre was called up. For now, Junichi Tazawa is Boston's closer.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Red Sox Take Series With A's After A 6-5 Win At Fenway

After Alfredo Aceves' stinkbomb last night in a miserable rain-shortened 13-0 loss by the Red Sox (that earned him a demotion to Pawtucket today), Boston needed to regroup and find a way to bounce back against Oakland. The Red Sox (14-7 overall, 7-5 home) did just that by holding off the A's (13-9 overall, 7-5) 6-5 this afternoon at Fenway Park. With the win, Boston took two of three against Oakland-the best team that they have seen so far this season.

Jon Lester improved to 4-0 even though he had his worst outing of 2013: 5.2 innings, three earned runs, six hits, five strikeouts and six walks. Chris Young's three-run homer in the fourth gave Oakland a 3-0 lead. Boston responded with three runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth. That was enough to hold off single runs by the A's in the seventh and eighth.

Mike Napoli fittingly started the rally with an RBI double and Stephen Drew (yes him) tied it with a two-run triple. Shane Victorino's RBI double (he later left with a stiff back) put Boston ahead 4-3 then David Ortiz (2 hits, double, run) and Daniel Nava (2 hits) each added RBI singles. After Josh Donaldson's RBI single in the seventh, Young crushed a solo homer off Koji Uehara (second straight appearance that he's allowed a run) in the eighth.

Former A's All-Star closer Andrew Bailey struck out the side in the ninth for his fifth save. Of course, he had some help from the umpires since Jed Lowrie's (3 hits, double, run) possible double into the right field corner was ruled foul. It was too close to call and he ended up being the third out. I would say that Bailey has locked down the closer's position: in his last three appearances he has gone three innings, allowing no hits and no runs with seven strikeouts and one walk for two saves. Let's see Joel Hanrahan do that!

Boston received a gift from the MLB scheduling gods since this longest homestand of the season (10 were scheduled, 1 will be made up) is capped off by four games against Houston (7-14)-the worst team in their new league (American).

Clay Buchholz (4-0) faces Philip Humber (0-4) tomorrow night (6:35 p.m., NESN), Ryan Dempster (0-2) gets Erik Bedard (0-1) on Friday (7:10 p.m., NESN), Felix Doubront (2-0) takes on Brad Peacock (0-1) on Saturday night (7:10 p.m., NESN) then John Lackey (0-0) returns to oppose Bud Norris (3-2) in the series finale on Sunday afternoon (1:35 p.m., NESN). Good seats are still available for these awful games, the Red Sox need to win at least three against the hopeless Astros.

UPDATE 4/25: Ryan Lavarnway was called up from the PawSox, taking Aceves' spot on the roster.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Red Sox Use The Long Ball (Grand Slam, 3-Run HR) To Beat A's 9-6

The Red Sox probably won't be one of the American League leaders in home runs this season but tonight, they couldn't have asked for much more timely power. Mike Napoli hit a grand slam and Will Middlebrooks added a three-run shot as Boston beat Oakland 9-6 in the series opener at chilly Fenway Park.

Boston (13-6 overall, 9-4 home) had lost both games in a day-night doubleheader on Sunday to Kansas City so this was a nice way to bounce back against a quality opponent. The A's were swept in Tampa Bay last weekend so they have now lost four games in a row.

Felix Doubront (2-0) threw a career-high 113 pitches in 6.2 IP. He allowed three earned runs on three hits with eight strikeouts and five walks. Oakland (12-8 overall, 6-4 road) scored a pair of runs in the second inning on a wild pitch and former Red Sox great Josh Reddick's RBI single.

Napoli (who leads the AL with 25 RBIs, seriously) got the Red Sox on the board with an RBI double in the second then Middlebrooks crushed his homer (5th of the season) over the Monster in the fourth off A.J. Griffin (2-1). After Chris Young's sacrifice fly in the fifth, Napoli responded with his grand slam (fourth homer of the season) in the home half to end Griffin's night and Jarrod Saltalamacchia added an RBI double for the 9-3 lead.

Boston appeared to be on their way to an easy win but Clayton Mortensen allowed a two-run double to Josh Donaldson in the eighth and Reddick chased him with an RBI double of his own. This meant that Junichi Tazawa had to come in and get the last two outs of the eighth (no problem) for his fifth hold of the season. Working his third day in a row (meaning that he won't possibly be available tomorrow), closer Andrew Bailey pitched a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts for his fourth save of the season.

If the rain holds off enough to play a baseball game, Alfredo Aceves (1-0) is scheduled to face Bartolo Colon (2-0) tomorrow night (6:35 p.m., NESN). The game-time temperature was 45 tonight and it's expected to be even colder tomorrow with rain all day.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Mike Napoli & Andrew Bailey Named American League Co-Players Of The Week

In their 12-6 start to 2013, two of the Red Sox' best players have been first baseman Mike Napoli and reliever Andrew Bailey. For their efforts last week, they shared the American League Co-Players of the Week. It's the third time in Red Sox history that a pair of teammates have received the honor: Mike Lowell and David Ortiz (August 2007) plus Pedro Martinez and Trot Nixon (July 2002) were the others.

Napoli has been crushing it (3 homers, 21 RBIs, 21 hits, 9 doubles, 10 runs, .276 AVG/.313 OBP/.539 SLG) batting fifth in Boston's lineup. He was 10-for-29 (.345) last week with five doubles, a triple, homer and 10 RBIs in seven games. The highlight for him had to be the walk-off double that scored Dustin Pedroia on Patriot's Day as the Red Sox beat the Rays 3-2. That was the third walk-off hit of Napoli's MLB career and ironically, it gave Bailey his first win of the season.

With Joel Hanrahan struggling then going on the DL with a hamstring injury, Bailey has been great as the fill-in closer (why the Red Sox traded for him before last season). Whenever Hanrahan returns, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see their roles reversed.

In five appearances last week (five innings), Bailey was 1-0 with three saves, eight strikeouts and one walk. In 10 appearances this season (he started out as the set-up man for Hanrahan), Bailey has four holds, 15 strikeouts, a 1.93 ERA and 0.86 WHIP.

For the Red Sox to keep their lead in the AL East and continue to play good baseball, they'll need Napoli and Bailey to have more weeks like that.



Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

As Big Papi So Eloquently Said, "This Is Our Fucking City!"

This dream start for the Red Sox in 2013 continued this afternoon as they returned to Fenway Park for the first time since the Marathon Bombings on Monday. Fittingly, they won it in memorable fashion. Daniel Nava hit a go-ahead three run homer in the eighth and Andrew Bailey hung on for the save as Boston beat Kansas City 5-4 for its seventh straight win.

Boston's (12-4 overall, 5-2 home) starting pitchers extended their streak to 16 games (all of this season) of three earned runs or less. Clay Buchholz (4-0) went eight innings, allowing two earned runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and a walk. Bailey gave up a solo homer to Lorenzo Cain (4 for 4, 2 doubles, 3 runs) but he worked around a walk and single to record his third save of the season.

Former Rays great James Shields finds himself in another MLB blackhole but unlike Tampa Bay, Kansas City (8-7 overall, 4-5 away) hasn't been good for at least a decade. He went six innings, allowing one earned run on four hits with eight strikeouts and three walks.

Jeff Francoeur got the Royals on the board with an RBI single in the fifth. David Ortiz tied it with an RBI single of his own in the sixth. Salvador Perez's RBI triple in the seventh gave Kansas City a 2-1 lead but Nava crushed a three-run shot (his fourth of the season) to right center in the eighth.

Last night's postponed game will be made up tomorrow as part of a day-night doubleheader. Ryan Dempster (1-1) faces Ervin Santana (0-1) in the afternoon (1:35 p.m., NESN) then Allen Webster (obtained from the Dodgers in that blockbuster trade last summer) makes his MLB debut vs. Jeremy Guthrie (2-0) at night (7:05 p.m., NESN) in the series finale.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Red Sox Beat Orioles 3-1 In Fenway Opener Behind Buchholz's Gem & Nava's Blast

It was a perfect day for the Red Sox' 2013 home opener at Fenway Park: it was sunny, the temperature was mild and most importantly, Boston beat Baltimore 3-1 this afternoon.

Clay Buchholz (2-0) pieced together his second quality start of the season and this one topped last week's effort vs. the Yankees since he went seven scoreless innings. He allowed three hits with eight strikeouts and four walks. Boston's (5-2 overall, 1-0 home) bullpen looks rock solid as Andrew Bailey (1-2-3 8th with two strikeouts for his third hold) appears to be a nice fit as the setup man for closer Joel Hanrahan, who picked up his third save of the season despite allowing a solo homer to Adam Jones in the ninth.

Baltimore (3-4 overall, 2-2 away) starter Wei-Yin Chen (0-1) matched Buchholz for a while but his one mistake was a big one: a three-run homer he served up to Daniel Nava (his 2nd of the season) in the seventh inning. Chen went 6.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

Each team only notched five hits apiece with Nava (2 hits) being the only guy with multiple hits. Mike Napoli (double) and J.J. Hardy provided the other extra base hits.

Tomorrow is an off day so they'll get back at it on Wednesday night (7:10 p.m., NESN) with Ryan Dempster (0-1) facing Miguel Gonzalez (1-0) in the middle game of the series.

UPDATE 4/10: Get ready to hate Stephen Drew who was activated today while Jose Iglesias was sent down to Pawtucket. John Lackey went on the 15-day DL while Alex Wilson was called up from the PawSox. It's all happening!

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Red Sox Trade For Another Closer From A Bad Team, Good Luck Joel Hanrahan

For the second off-season in a row, the Red Sox have proceeded forward with the idea that closers on inferior teams should be able to make a smooth transition to the rigors of the AL East. How did that work out last season for Mark Melancon (formerly of the Astros) and Andrew Bailey (formerly of the A's)?

After much talk about the possible trade last week, it was made official today as Boston traded Melancon along with minor leaguers Stolmy Pimentel (pitcher), Ivan De Jesus (infielder) and Jerry Sands (first baseman/outfielder) to PIttsburgh for closer Jack Hanrahan and minor league second baseman Brock Holt.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a nice move for the Red Sox since Hanrahan is a two-time All-Star in the National League (2011, 2012) and they didn't give up much in return. Melancon was a complete disaster in 2012 (0-2, 6.20 ERA in 41 appearances) and who knows if Pimentel, De Jesus and Sands will pan out. Pimentel was in Portland (Double A) last season while De Jesus and Sands came over in the huge trade with the Dodgers. None of them were any of the Red Sox' elite prospects by any means.

Hanrahan is not young, he turned 31 in October and made his major league debut for the Nationals in 2007. After 2.5 years with Washington, he's spent the last 3.5 in Pittsburgh. So that means he played for two of the worst teams in baseball (this was before the Nationals were competitive) and hasn't sniffed a playoff spot let alone played meaningful games in September and October.

He had 40 saves in 2011 and 36 last season. In 2012, he was 5-2 with a 2.72 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 63 appearances. In 59.2 innings, he allowed 40 hits, 18 earned runs and eight home runs with 67 strikeouts and 36 walks. Hanrahan is a big guy (6-foot-4, 250 pounds) so he's a power pitcher. It makes you wonder what Boston plans to do with Bailey (7.04 ERA, 6 saves, 3 blown saves in 19 appearances) who was injured most of last season then terrible when he finally was activated late in the miserable campaign for all involved.

There is still over two months before spring training starts so expect the Red Sox to continue making moves to bolster a roster which as it stands, still appears to be the fifth best in the AL East. Pennants aren't won in November and December but it's hard to argue with all the improvements made by the Blue Jays. The Yankees, Orioles and Rays haven't done much but they were better teams than the Red Sox to begin with so I don't think that has changed.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

1 Last Soul-Crushing Defeat To Throw On The Dumpster Fire As Red Sox Secure Last Place In AL East

If you thought the Red Sox, the worst team in franchise history since 1966 was going to go out quietly, well you are lucky since you haven't been paying attention to this entire shitshow of a season. Or 13 months to be exact.

In the penultimate contest of their 2012, Boston (69-92, 35-45 away) had a 3-1 lead on the Yankees (94-47, 50-30 home) heading into the bottom of the ninth at Yankee Stadium. No sooner had I tweeted "not over yet" but Curtis Granderson (2 runs, 2 hits, walk, stolen base) singled and pinch-hitter Raul Ibanez tied it with a two-run homer (his 19th of the season) off closer Andrew Bailey (3rd blown save).

Ibanez was the hero again in the 12th with an RBI single against Andrew Miller (3-2) that scored Francisco Cervelli with the winning run. If you're looking for something to root for Red Sox-related tomorrow night (7:05 p.m., NESN) in Game 162, you want Boston to lose and Miami to win. If that happens, they'll "earn" the No. 6 draft pick in 2013. By virtue of their loss and Toronto's win, the Red Sox sealed last place in the AL East for the first time in 20 years. Marvelous.

The Yankees all too predictable comeback win was extremely important to them since Baltimore had already beaten Tampa Bay 1-0. This means both teams are tied heading into the final regular season game with the AL East up for grabs.

Playing with a broken finger, Dustin Pedroia (2 for 3, run, walk) was an inspiration with his RBI double in the first inning. Cody Ross knocked him in with a sacrifice fly and the Red Sox led 2-0.

Jon Lester went five innings, allowing one run (0 earned) on eight hits with one strikeout and one walk. David Phelps went 5.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Eduardo Nunez (2 for 3 with double) got the Yanks a run with an infield single in the second inning. James Loney (2 hits) hit a solo homer (2nd with the Red Sox) off Rafael Soriano in the 9th which gave Boston a temporary 3-1 advantage.

Mark Melancon (1.2 scoreless innings) and Vicente Padilla (1 scoreless inning) were able to clean up Bailey's mess but the final salt in the wound was that our old drinking buddy Derek Lowe (9-11) earned the win for New York with two scoreless innings of his own.

Pedro Ciriaco was 2 for 4 with a walk and stolen base in the loss. Derek Jeter (double), Nick Swisher (double, 2 walks), Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano each had two hits for the Bombers.

If you like car crashes-and who doesn't-make sure to check out the season finale of the Dead Man Walking Red Sox. Witness Bobby Valentine and Daisuke Matsuzaka's (1-6) last game in a Red Sox uniform. Hiroki Kuroda (15-11) gets to send this historically bad team to another tumultuous offseason filled with drama. I can't even predict what wacky thing those two jokers will pull? Perhaps Bobby V gets thrown out during batting practice or Dice-K finally unleashes the gyro ball? Whatever happens, it is destined to be hilarious.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Now Seems Like A Perfect Time For Felix Doubront's Best Start Of His Career

I thought Felix Doubront should have been shut down weeks ago since what was the point of still running him out there? He's one of Boston's few pitching prospects that has a bright future.

For one day, the Red Sox (69-85, 34-45 home) proved there was some method to their madness as he helped them beat the Orioles (87-65, 45-33) 2-1 this afternoon at Fenway Park.

The win allowed Boston to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of Baltimore which wasn't hurt too badly since New York lost to Oakland, keeping them one game back in the AL East and one game ahead of the A's for the top AL wild card spot.

Doubront received a no-decision but that won't stop me from raving about his outing which I saw about three seconds of: he went seven innings and allowed one earned run on four hits with 11 strikeouts (a career-high) and two walks.

Junichi Tazawa (1-1) had a 1-2-3 eighth inning on six pitches and closer Andrew Bailey survived two hits and a walk (loading the bases) to record his sixth save. He forced Manny Machado into a fielder's choice then struck out Ryan Flaherty to end it.

Chris Tillman gave Baltimore a solid start: six innings, one earned run on six hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Today the thing that will likely bury them in the playoffs-their lack of offense-bit them in the ass.

Cody Ross scored on Robert Andino's throwing error in the fourth as Boston led 1-0. Machado tied it with an RBI single in the fifth but Ross responded with an RBI double in the eighth which plated Dustin Pedroia (2 hits, double).

Scott Podsednik added two hits in the win. Afterwards, Ross admitted that he has already started negotiations with the Red Sox on a new contract since he's currently playing on a 1-year deal. It would be one of the only smart decisions Boston has made in the last few seasons, Ross has done everything and more you could ask of him in this trying year (his first here).

The Red Sox are off tomorrow then they host the Rays (83-70, 3rd in AL East; 3.5 out in wild card) for two games. Mercifully, it's the last series at Fenway in 2012. Personally I can't wait for Spooky World to open there in October, forget playoff baseball. That's way more fun and important.

Clay Buchholz (11-6) will face David Price (18-5) on Tuesday night (7:10 p.m., NESN) for the second time in a week. Jon Lester (9-13) takes on Alex Cobb (9-9) on Wednesday night (7:10 p.m., NESN). Boston won two of three in Tampa Bay last week at the Trop.

UPDATE 9/24: Yesterday, the Red Sox recalled outfield Che-Hsuan Lin. I don't know why they didn't do this earlier since he's just been sitting around since Pawtucket's season ended last week. Weird.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Red Sox Beat The Rays Again, 7-5 This Time

When the Rays look back on the 2012 season after they miss the playoffs, they can point to the last two nights as one of the main reasons they are watching October on TV like the rest of us slobs. Somehow a nine-inning affair took 4:09 and honestly, it felt like longer than that.

The Red Sox (68-81, 35-38 away) rallied for a 7-5 win tonight at Tropicana Field, the second game in a row that they've beaten Tampa Bay (78-70, 39-34 home) to start this critical series for the sons of Joe Maddon.

Ironically, Boston has won four of five and looks somewhat rejuvenated while Tampa Bay appears lifeless and accepting of the fact that they are done. The Rays have lost seven of their last eight games and four straight. Unbelievably, the Red Sox are 9-5 against the Rays this season, including a 5-2 mark at the Trop.

Felix Doubront (11-9) was effectively wild. In six innings, he allowed three earned runs on one hit with five strikeouts and five walks. After Ben Zobrist's two-run single in the third and Evan Longoria's sacrifice fly, he settled down immensely.

Jeremy Hellickson was kept on a short leash. He went four innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.

The Red Sox chipped away as the Rays struggled to get anything going at the plate (3 hits, 8 walks). James Loney had an RBI single in the fourth then Boston tied it with two in the fifth on Jacoby Ellsbury's RBI single and Dustin Pedroia's sacrifice fly.

The go-ahead run scored on an error by Sean Rodriguez in the sixth. Jarrod Saltalamacchia had an RBI single in the seventh and Ryan Lavarnway (2 hits, run, walk) stroked an opposite field two-run double in the following at bat.

Clayton Mortensen was charged with two runs in the seventh (on a two-run single by Zobrist) but Craig Breslow had a clean eighth inning after inheriting a runner and Andrew Bailey recorded his fifth save with a scoreless ninth.

Cody Ross was 2 for 4 with a double, two runs, a walk and stolen base.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-5) faces rookie Chris Archer (0-3) tomorrow night (7:10 p.m., NESN) in what amounts to a must-win for Tampa Bay.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Jacoby Ellsbury's Walk-off Hit Pushes The Red Sox To A 4-3 Win Over The Yankees

For the first time in weeks, maybe months, baseball was fun again for one night at Fenway Park. Jacoby Ellsbury (4 hits, double, 2 RBIs, run, stolen base) celebrated his 29th birthday in style by hitting a walk-off RBI single as the Red Sox beat the Yankees 4-3 in a better than expected series opener.

These games mean nothing on the surface to Boston (64-78, 33-41 home) while New York (79-62, 38-34 away) fell back into a first-place tie in the AL East with the surging Orioles (who beat the Rays 9-2).

Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia (3 hits, 2 RBIs) and Yankees killer Pedro Ciriaco (2 hits, 2 runs) did most of the damage with nine of Boston's 12 hits. The reason the Red Sox won a game (seems weird to write that) is because they were 5 for 12 with runners in scoring position. The Yankees were 1 for 12 which will never get it done when you want to make the playoffs.

Jon Lester (3 earned runs, 5 hits, 5 strikeouts) was extremely wild, issuing seven walks in 5.1 innings but the Red Sox bullpen picked him up. Junichi Tazawa (1.2 scoreless innings) struck out three, Craig Breslow had a scoreless eighth and Andrew Bailey (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless ninth.

Hiroki Kuroda (6.1 innings, 3 earned runs, 8 hits, 6 strikeouts) also had a no-decision but David Robertson (1-7) was the scapegoat for New York since he allowed three hits including Ellsbury's walkoff.

Robinson Cano gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the first with a ground out. Ellsbury and Pedroia's RBI singles made it 2-1 Red Sox in the third. Derek Jeter put New York back on top with a two-run double in the sixth. Pedroia (15th of the season, 3rd in 4 games) answered with a solo shot in the home half of the frame, that set the stage for Ellsbury's memorable single to right which scored Ciriaco with the winning run ahead of Ichiro's throw.

Aaron Cook (3-9) faces David Phelps (3-4) tomorrow night (7:10 p.m., NESN) in a game that has no chance to match the excitement of this one. I guarantee it.

UPDATE 9/12: Scott Atchison was activated off the 60-Day DL and Franklin Morales went on it to make room on the 40-man roster.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Red Sox Decide To Give That Winning Thing A Try

Get the Duck Boats ready, the Red Sox won't go 0-9 on this West Coast road trip! Boston (63-74, 31-36 away) dug itself a 3-0 hole (which to them is more akin to 30-0) before rallying for a 4-3 victory tonight at Seattle's (66-71, 35-33 home) Safeco Field. That snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Red Sox which had sucked the life out of an already dead team.

Jon Lester (9-11) went six innings, allowing three earned runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and two walks. The real heroes were Junichi Tazawa (2 outs to wiggle out of a jam in the seventh), Vicente Padilla (scoreless 8th, 23rd hold) and Andrew Bailey who recorded his second save with a clean ninth.

The immortal Blake Beavan (9-9) couldn't get the job done for the Mariners. He went 5.2 innings and allowed four earned runs on eight hits with one strikeout and no walks.

Jesus Montero (3 for 5) had an RBI single in the first then Franklin Gutierrez (3rd of the season) and Kyle Seager (16th of the season) went back-to-back in the third for the 3-0 advantage.

Dustin Pedroia (2 hits, run, walk, stolen base) extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a single in the sixth. Even better, Cody Ross blasted his 20th homer-a 3-run shot-and two batters later Ryan Lavarnway (1st of the season) went deep in that frame. Things were going so well that Jose Iglesias (previously 0 for 17) notched his first hit of the season: a double.

James Loney was 2 for 4 with a double in the extremely rare Red Sox victory. Dustin Ackely was 2 for 5 with a run and stolen base for Seattle. Him, Seager and Montero are a nice trio, if only the Mariners would spend some money and surround them with proven veteran hitters.

In the finale of this torturous road trip, Aaron Cook (3-8) faces Kevin Millwood (4-12) tomorrow night (10:10 p.m., NESN). Make sure to flip over when there are commercials during the Giants-Cowboys game. Watching that instant classic pitching matchup should be almost as entertaining as seeing Tony Romo and the Cowboys pee down their legs like always.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate

Red Sox & Dodgers On Verge Of A Huge Trade; Boston Beats Kansas City 4-3

I know this sounds crazy but something actually overshadowed the excitement of a Red Sox-Royals game in late August when both can't even dream of the playoffs. Boston (60-66, 30-37 home) snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-3 win in the series opener at Fenway Park this evening against Kansas City (55-69, 29-36 away).

The big news of the night (and the season for that matter) was that the Dodgers and Red Sox were about to make a huge trade. Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez and Nick Punto (haha) would be sent to Los Angeles in exchange for first baseman James Loney, pitcher Rubby De La Rosa and prospects Allen Webster (RHP), Ivan DeJesus Jr. (INF) and Jerry Sands (OF). The whole purpose of the move for Boston would be to not only get out from under some awful contracts but also to become younger and most importantly, change the toxic culture in that clubhouse. The deadline for the deal to be completed is Sunday (1:30 p.m. ET) so stay tuned since it looks almost certain to happen because Crawford and Beckett have supposedly said OK (they had no-trade clauses).

Jon Lester (8-10) went seven innings before leaving with a leg cramp. I bet he wanted to share one last beer (or ten) and some Popeye's with the Texas Toughguy before he left for good. Maybe they were able to catch a few songs by Tim McGraw at Gillette Stadium (hate myself for knowing he was there). He allowed three earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts and four walks.

Former Red Sox great Bruce Chen continued to amaze the world simply by the fact that he's still in MLB. He went six innings, allowing three earned runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and a walk.

My only takeaway from this win was that Andrew Bailey recorded his first career save for Boston after 1.1 scoreless innings. Alfredo Aceves is upset from losing his closer's job but he had to know it was only temporary until Bailey returned. This is why they traded for him last winter.

David Ortiz returned from the DL and immediately showed the Red Sox what they had been missing: he stroked a two-run single on the first pitch he saw in the first inning. He would later double.

Kansas City tied it in the third on an RBI double by Alex Gordon and solo homer by Eric Hosmer (12th of the season). A run scored on Johnny Giovatella's infield single in the fourth as the Royals went ahead 3-2.

No worries, we've got Pedro Ciriaco (2 hits, stolen base, run) who delivered a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh. Shoutout to Worcester's Tim Collins, a sneaky great lefty reliever for the Royals. He's tiny (5-foot-6) but he throws nearly 100 mph and he struck out Jacoby Ellsbury (2 hits, run) and Ortiz to end the seventh.

Beckett (5-11) is scheduled to face Jeremy Guthrie (2-3) tomorrow night (7:10 p.m., NESN), but if he actually shows up on the mound I will definitely cry and throw things at whatever TV or radio I'm listening to. Please let this trade go through!

UPDATE 8/25: Daniel Nava went back to the DL with a sprained wrist. To take his spot and the three guys that went to the Dodgers, the Red Sox called up shortstop Jose Iglesias, outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin and pitcher Junichi Tazawa. Felix Doubront was activated off the DL and he'll start on Sunday.

Oh and Alfredo Aceves was suspended three games (starting tonight) for spazzing out last night after being passed over for the save opportunity. Haha the circus is still in town on Yawkey Way.

Tweet


Follow @RichSlate