Chris Tillman Threw A Gem & Ryan Flaherty Hit A Grand Slam As O's Crushed Red Sox 9-1

How do you know your season should have been over months ago? When luminaries like Chris Tillman and Ryan Flaherty are having career-nights against you.

Baltimore (90-67, 45-34) simply crushed Boston (69-88, 35-41 away) 9-1 at Camden Yards tonight in a series opener that didn't feel nearly that close. The Orioles remain one game back of the Yankees and comfortably sitting two games ahead of the Angels (one ahead of the A's) for the top AL wild card.

The only hit for the Red Sox in the entire game was a lead-off bunt by Scott Podsednik-the first batter of the game. Not getting no-hit allows them to shoot for something in their last five painful games.

Even if nobody has ever heard of him, Tillman (9-2) seems like a promising young pitcher (24) that is having a nice season. He went eight innings, struck out four and walked two.

This was over in a rapid 2:23, I guess Boston wanted to enjoy that legendary Baltimore nightlife, but the O's did most of their work in the first inning. Chris Davis hit a two-run homer (his 29th of the season) then Portland, Maine's Ryan Flaherty hit his first career grand slam (6th homer of the season) to make it 6-1.

In what could have been his last start in MLB, Aaron Cook (4-11) pitched like a guy that has nothing left and should hang it up immediately. He went 1+ innings and was charged with six earned runs. Alfredo Aceves was happy to add some gasoline to that fire as he gave up the other three runs on six hits.

Manny Machado (2 for 4, 2 runs) and Flaherty added RBI doubles in the fifth and Taylor Teagarden had an RBI single. Jim Thome was 3 for 4 with a run and Mark Reynolds had a double, two runs and a walk. Gee, do you think the Orioles are a team of destiny or what?

Boston's only run came courtesy of Dustin Pedroia (walk, stolen base) who drove in Podsednik with a sacrifice fly in the first. Yes, the Red Sox led 1-0 for the briefest of moments.

Felix Doubront (11-9) faces something called Steve Johnson (4-0) tomorrow night (7:05 p.m., NESN) who I'm sure will be lights out. Be sure to not watch a second of it.

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The Night The Rays' Playoff Hopes In 2012 Died

Some easy tell-tale signs that a baseball team is on life support or worse in 2012: 1) They lose to the Red Sox, 2) They argue with each other in the dugout and 3) They lose six of seven and score 21 total runs in that miserable span.

Tonight, in the series opener of four games that the Rays (78-69, 39-33 home) absolutely have to win, they fell 5-2 to the Red Sox (67-81, 34-38 away) in a mostly empty and depressing Tropicana Field.

Things had been going so well for Tampa Bay up until a 1-5 road trip last week against the Orioles and Yankees and now they find themselves fading quickly in the playoff hunt: 5.5 games behind New York for 1st place in the AL East and 5 games back of the Orioles for the second wild card spot.

Aaron Cook (4-10) outdueled Alex Cobb (9-9) and after Cobb drilled Jose Iglesias in the back with a pitch, Cobb and his catcher Jose Molina had an animated argument in the dugout. Cook went six innings, allowing one earned run on five hits with one strikeout and one walk. Cobb went six innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on two hits with four strikeouts and three walks.

Jacoby Ellsbury (3 for 5) and Mauro Gomez provided Boston with all the runs they would need. Ellsbury's two-run homer (his 4th of the season, really) made it 2-1 in the sixth and he added an RBI single in the seventh to extend the Red Sox lead to 5-1. Gomez had a pinch-hit two-run single earlier in that frame to open it up.

The Red Sox and Rays both only notched six hits but Tampa Bay couldn't do nearly as much. Boston was 3 for 8 with runners in scoring position, Tampa Bay was 0 for 2. B.J. Upton (3 for 4, run) had half of their hits while Ryan Roberts' ground out in the fifth and Ben Zobrist's ground out in the ninth accounted for their two runs.

For a team that has really overachieved the last few seasons, you wonder when Tampa Bay's front office will realize that they need another big bat to pair with Evan Longoria (out tonight with an injury). All the young talented arms are nice but in October, you need timely hits just as badly. Something to keep an eye on since it looks like the Rays will go home early this season.

Rich Hill (7th) and Junichi Tazawa (8th) both had clean innings with two strikeouts apiece for the Red Sox.

Tomorrow night (7:10 p.m., NESN), Felix Doubront (10-9) faces Jeremy Hellickson (8-10). Expect Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon-one of the best in MLB-to pull out all the stops to try and coax some runs out of his awful lineup and lifeless squad.

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That's More Like It, Red Sox Rally Falls Short Against Yankees

Jacoby Ellsbury had two walk-off hits in a row last season but he couldn't record the same feat this season-obviously-as the Red Sox fell 5-4 to the Yankees tonight at Fenway Park in the middle game of three.

Baltimore beat Tampa Bay 3-2 on a walk-off hit by Nate McLouth so the Orioles and Yankees remain tied for first place in the AL East. The Rays dropped to three games behind both teams.

To show you how important this game was to New York (80-62, 39-34), Joe Girardi used seven pitchers in a nine-inning contest and nobody had to leave early with an injury.

Boston (64-79, 33-42 home) were down 5-1 in the seventh inning but scored twice in that frame on a ground out by Mauro Gomez and Mike Aviles' RBI double. Jarrod Saltalamacchia (double, triple, walk) cranked a solo homer in the ninth (his 24th of the season) against Yankees closer Rafael Soriano. After Aviles reached on an infield single, Ellsbury represented the winning run. He never swings at the first pitch, except then as he grounded to Soriano, who got his fourth and final out for his 37th save.

New York was 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position but it didn't matter since they scored all their runs on three homers. Curtis Granderson had a solo homer in the fourth and two-run bomb in the seventh (his 37th of the season). Robinson Cano had a two-run homer (30th of the season) of his own in the fourth.

David Phelps (4-4) earned the win after 5.2 innings, one earned run on five hits with five strikeouts and a walk. Aaron Cook (3-10) went five innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and no walks.

Things got wacky in the late innings, try to keep up. Dustin Pedroia (2 for 3 with double, run) left in the seventh inning to attend the birth of his second child; Derek Jeter (2 for 5 with run) hurt his ankle running to first base in the seventh and had to leave the game. Cody Ross was called out on a totally bogus third strike to end the eighth with a runner on second, he went bananas leading to his ejection along with manager Bobby Valentine (6th of the season, new team record) and third-base coach Jerry Royster.

James Loney (2 for 4 with double) produced Boston's first run with an RBI single in the fourth which cut it to 3-1. Nick Swisher was 3 for 5 with a pair of doubles while Eric Chavez also had two doubles.

Tomorrow night (7:10 p.m.) is the series finale and the last Red Sox-Yankees game at Fenway in 2012. Felix Doubront (10-8) faces Phil Hughes (14-12).

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I Was One Game Off On My 0-9 Road Trip Prediction For The Red Sox

The West Coast trip from hell came to a quiet halt tonight as Boston fell 2-1 to Seattle at Safeco Field.

That wraps up a 1-8 stretch for the Red Sox (63-75, 31-37 away) while the Mariners (67-71, 36-33 home) clinched the series and basically guaranteed that they will finish with a better record in 2012 than the Red Sox. What's more, Seattle could even be .500 which is amazing when you consider the utter lack of talent they possess.

It was a battle of two guys that probably should not have jobs in MLB anymore as former Pawtucket Red Sox great Kevin Millwood (5-12) was a little better than Aaron Cook (3-9). Both went six innings but Millwood allowed one earned run on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Cook allowed two earned runs on seven hits with a season-high five strikeouts and three walks.

The only offense from these two punchless teams came via Dustin Ackley's two-run single in the fourth and Cody Ross' (3 hits) RBI double in the sixth.

Seattle has found a good new closer as Tom Wilhelmson struck out two in the ninth for his 24th save and the second of the series.

Boston returns home to Fenway Park and a city that is ready to eat them alive, that is if anyone is paying attention anymore since the Patriots get started for real this weekend. After an off-day tomorrow, the Red Sox and Blue Jays (61-75, 5th AL East) will find out who is the undisputed worst team in the division.

Felix Doubront (10-7) faces Henderson Alvarez (7-12) on Friday night (7:10 p.m., NESN), Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-4) opposes Ricky Romero (8-13) on Saturday night (7:10 p.m.) and best of all, Clay Buchholz (11-5) and J.A. Happ (10-11) get started at 1:35 p.m. on Sunday in the series finale that will be watched by five people (since the Patriots-Titans game starts at 1 p.m.).

If there is any justice, the Red Sox will finally acknowledge that their sham sellout streak has ended and the miserable souls that show up to these pointless games boo everything from start to finish. After another day off on Monday, they host the Yankees for three games as New York tries to hang on in the AL East.

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Everyone Knows That A 6-Run Lead Is The Most Dangerous In MLB, Especially In The 7th Inning

I don't know what it is but the Red Sox really despise extra innings in 2012. They fell to 2-8 overall and 0-6 at home when it goes past nine innings with a 10-9 loss to the Royals tonight at Fenway Park in 12 innings.

Tony Abreu's RBI single off Junichi Tazawa (0-1) in the 12th was the game-winning hit. Francisley Bueno (1-0) got five outs for the win and Greg Holland had a 1-2-3 12th for his seventh save of the season.

Making this one extra rough was the fact that Boston (60-67, 30-38 home) led 9-3 in the seventh inning yet gave it all back to Kansas City (56-69, 30-36 away) in that frame. Did I mention that the Red Sox had 20 hits? Haha it was the first time since 1960 that they had at least nine runs and 20 or more hits but lost. That takes some serious skill.

Eight Red Sox had multiple hits, only pinch hitters Che-Hsuan Lin and Jose Iglesias failed to get a hit. Mauro Gomez led Boston, going 4 for 6 with his first MLB home run and three RBIs. Cody Ross was 3 for 5 with a run and RBI but he left after tweaking his knee trying to make a diving catch. Word is that him and David Ortiz (who sat out tonight) could be going on the DL tomorrow.

Scott Podsednik, Jacoby Ellsbury (2 runs, double, stolen base), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (run, RBI), Ryan Lavarnway (run, walk), Mike Aviles (3 RBIs) and Pedro Ciriaco (run, walk) all had two hits for Boston.

The Royals won because they were an absurd 8 for 13 with runners in scoring position. The Red Sox were a pedestrian (by comparison) 5 for 11 and they left 10 on base.

Kansas City has no power (one of the million reasons they always blow) but they still got it done this evening. Billy Butler was 3 for 6 with two RBIs, a double and run and Alex Gordon was 2 for 4 with four RBIs, two runs, a double and walk. Alcides Escobar (2 runs, walk), Eric Hosmer (run, double, walk) and Tony Abreu (RBI) each produced two hits for the Royals.

Aaron Cook allowed three runs in the first inning (on four straight hits to begin the game) but he settled down and went six innings. He allowed those three earned runs on seven hits with no strikeouts and one walk.

Former Orioles bum Jeremy Guthrie was lit up for seven runs (6 earned) on seven hits in 2.2 innings. Unfortunately, Boston's bullpen falling apart let him off the hook.

Gordon had a two-run double (he leads the AL in doubles with 41) and Butler added an RBI single for an extremely early 3-0 Royals advantage. Gomez hit a solo homer in the second inning then former Royals great Mike Aviles put Boston ahead with a three-run blast (his 13th of the season) in the second.

A run scored on Gomez's infield single in the third and Guthrie's error opened the door for a gift run on top of that. Salty had a sacrifice fly in the third then Ross and Gomez had RBI singles in the fourth. At 9-3, who knew that the Red Sox would A) blow the lead and B) not score in the next eight innings. Baseball is a funny game as every 100-year-old writer will wax poetic and tell you.

Andrew Miller (4 earned runs) and Mark Melancon (2 earned runs) teamed up to shit the bed in the seventh when Boston choked just like they did two nights earlier against the Angels. Haha remember that? Seems like ages ago. Gordon started it with a two-run single, Butler had an RBI double, Salvador Perez had an RBI single then Ross totally misplayed Mike Moustakas' fly ball into a two-run triple (sweet ruling there Fenway scorekeeper). That must have been when he got hurt as well, adding insult to injury as they say.

Felix Doubront (10-6) makes his first start since August 9 tomorrow afternoon (1:35 p.m., NESN), it should be memorable too since he faces Big Willie Style himself Will Smith (4-5). I think it is sad that the actor/rapper has been forced to take on a third job as an anonymous pitcher for Kansas City but maybe he's studying for a new role? I promise to bring some quality Will Smith jokes tomorrow if I get caught in the trap of wasting time watching that terrible matchup.

UPDATE 8/26: Lin was sent down, James Loney was activated and reliever Pedro Beato (obtained in the Kelly Shoppach trade with the Mets) was called up.

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Everything Is Cured When You Play The Red Sox

Los Angeles was plummeting down the AL West and wild card standings after going 3-7 on a 10-game homestand and losing their last four games in a row. However, they should change their tune in the next 10 days as they play Boston six times in that time frame.

The Angels (63-60, 30-31 away) didn't have the feel of a team in disarray tonight as they beat the Red Sox (59-64, 29-35 home) 5-3 in the series opener at Fenway Park.

Boston honored the late Johnny Pesky before the game and all the Red Sox wore his No. 6 while the grounds crew cut his number into the grass beyond the shortstop position. It was a classy gesture, likewise for the patches the Angels wore on their jerseys for him. Making the mood even more sad for NESN viewers, tonight was also the Jimmy Fund telethon so we were treated to an array of heartbreaking stories about cancer.

Aaron Cook (3-7) might have started his last game for the Red Sox since he continues to get hit hard. In five innings, he allowed five runs (four earned) on 11 hits with four strikeouts and a walk.

Ervin Santana (7-10) would fit well in Boston's rotation since he's been brutal this season but he was fine this time around. He lasted 6.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Boston was 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position, Los Angeles was 3 for 6. More and more, I understand that is one of the most important statistics in baseball which usually determines who wins and who loses.

When you look at all the talent on the Angels, it's hard to believe they came in only two games above .500. Albert Pujols (2 hits, double) had an RBI single in the third, Erick Aybar had an RBI single in the fourth and Providence native (and URI track and field star) Chris Iannetta added a run on an infield single later in the frame as Los Angeles took a 3-0 lead.

Mark Trumbo (2 hits) crushed his 30th homer of the season in memorable fashion, 440-feet over the Green Monster for a two-run shot and a commanding 5-0 advantage. Rookie superstar and MVP favorite Mike Trout was 2 for 4 with a run and walk in his Fenway debut and first ever game against the Red Sox.

Boston finally got on the board in the sixth on Jarrod Saltalamacchia's (21st of the season) two-run homer that just got over the fence in right field. Scott Podsednick (2 hits, double) scored on Jordan Walden's wild pitch in the seventh.

The Angels are always known for their outstanding bullpens and this one looks like no exception. Scott Downs and Kevin Jepsen both got two outs before closer Ernestro Frieri had a 1-2-3 ninth for his 15th save of the season.

I guarantee I won't say this more than once or twice the rest of this pointless season but you should tune in to tomorrow night's (7:10 p.m., NESN) Red Sox game. Clay Buchholz (11-3) opposes Jered Weaver (15-3) as two of the most talented pitchers in baseball square off. It has all the makings of a classic pitchers' duel but when it appears so obvious, it'll probably be the exact opposite.

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Red Sox Piss Another Season Down The Drain, Misery Continues In Baltimore

Aaron Cook had a no-hitter entering the sixth inning and the Red Sox led the Orioles 2-0. As quick as you could say, no October baseball at Fenway, Baltimore scored five runs en route to a 5-3 win tonight at Camden Yards.

Boston (57-61, 28-27 away) latest slide all but guarantees that September will be completely meaningless. There is no chance this team will push for a playoff spot, at this point they are going to struggle to finish over .500 and in front of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Baltimore (64-53, 32-28 home) only had six hits but they made them count by going 4 for 13 with runners in scoring position. The Red Sox were 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position while they both left six men on base.

The uniquely terrible aspects to this loss for Boston included a throwing error by Cook that led to three runs plus the ejections of Adrian Gonzalez and Bobby Valentine. After Pedro Strop quick pitched Gonzo in the eighth then got him to ground out, the normally church mouse quiet first baseman sort of showed some emotion. Valentine came out to defend him/fire up his worthless team but you can see from the final score how that went.

Cook (3-6) went 5.1 innings, allowing five runs (two earned) on three hits with one strikeout and three walks.

Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez (5-2) went six innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts and a walk. Baltimore's bullpen locked it down, especially Strop who had a 1-2-3 eighth with two strikeouts for his 20th hold and closer Jim Johnson who notched his 35th save with a clean ninth including a strikeout.

Jacoby Ellsbury's (2 hits) RBI double and Carl Crawford's sacrifice fly scored Nick Punto (2 runs) staked the Red Sox to a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning.

The Orioles sixth included an RBI single by Nate McLouth, Adam Jones grounded into a fielder's choice and Cook threw the ball away which allowed J.J. Hardy to score, Matt Wieters had an RBI double and Mark Reyonlds ended it with a two-run double.

All Boston could muster after Baltimore's big sixth inning was an RBI ground out by Crawford in the seventh.

Clay Buchholz (10-3) is all that stands in the way of a three-game sweep by the Orioles tomorrow night (7:05 p.m., NESN) as he takes on Chris Tillman (5-2). The only question is how will the Red Sox find a new and different way to lose?

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I Don't Think Even Aaron Cook Expected To Pitch That Well Against The Rangers

There was plenty to like about Monday night's game at Fenway Park. Boston blew out a very good team, they racked up 14 hits, Aaron Cook pitched a gem and it was all over in two hours and 47 minutes which gave us plenty of time to watch tape delayed London Olympics events in which we already knew the final outcome.

The Red Sox (55-55, 29-32 home) rolled 9-2 over the Rangers (63-45, 29-24 away) in the series opener.

Cook (3-5) went seven innings, allowing one earned run on six hits with two strikeouts and three walks. Yu Darvish (11-8) looked like Dice-K if he struck out more batters. He stayed out there for 6.2 innings (don't ask me why) and 123 pitches but was rocked for six earned runs on 11 hits with nine strikeouts and four walks.

The top of the Red Sox lineup had their most productive game of the season. Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford, Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez combined for seven runs, 11 hits (8 doubles) and eight RBIs. As a team, Boston went an impressive 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position.

Ex-Red Sox David Murphy gave Texas a short-lived 1-0 lead in the second with an RBI single. Boston responded with two runs in the third and three in the fourth. Crawford and Gonzalez had RBI doubles then Ellsbury had an RBI double, Crawford had a sacrifice fly and Pedroia had an RBI double.

Gonzalez's RBI single in the seventh made it 6-1 and the Red Sox scored three more times in the eighth. Crawford had an RBI double, Gonzalez added another run-scoring single and Cody Ross notched a sacrifice fly.

Another ex-Red Sox, Adrian Beltre, blasted a solo homer (19th of the season) in the ninth but Boston was able to limit the Rangers to that last run.

Boston looks for its third straight victory tomorrow night (7:10 p.m., NESN) as Jon Lester (5-9) takes on Ryan Dempster (0-0). I've got a feeling it's going to be a high-scoring affair, a pitcher's duel would totally shock me.

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The Aaron Cook Experiment Settles Into A Predictable Fate

After four good starts in a row since returning from the DL, the wheels have started to fall off for sinkerballer Aaron Cook (2-5). He's struggled in his last three starts (especially the past two) and as a result, hasn't recorded a win since June 29.

Boston (53-52, 27-29 home) weren't able to complete the three-game sweep of Detroit (55-50, 27-29) as the Tigers jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the fifth tonight vs. Cook and held on for a 7-5 win at Fenway Park. It also snapped the Red Sox' four-game win streak.

Cook doesn't walk anybody (4 walks all season) but he also doesn't strike anybody out (4) which means he's pitching to contact. Lately, he's been leaving fastballs and hanging curveballs up in the zone, leading to many home runs. The game got out of reach when Miguel Cabrera (2 hits) hit a two-run homer (26th of the season) over everything in left in the fifth which was followed by Prince Fielder's (2 hits) solo homer to center (17th of the season), making it 6-1 Detroit.

In 4.2 innings, Cook allowed six earned runs on nine hits. Rick Porcello (8-6) usually struggles against the Red Sox and he wasn't great this evening (5.2 innings, 4 earned runs, 8 hits, 6 strikeouts, 2 walks) but he handed it over to a nearly flawless bullpen.

Phil Coke allowed a solo homer to Carl Crawford (2nd of the season) in the seventh to make it 6-5 Detroit but Octavio Dotel (1 inning, 1 strikeout), Joaquin Benoit (1 inning, 1 strikeout) and Jose Valverde (1 inning, 2 strikeouts; 21st save) combined for three perfect innings.

Cody Ross (2 hits) gave Boston a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the first. Brennan Boesch tied it with an RBI single in the fourth then the Tigers scored five runs in the fifth. Austin Jackson added an RBI single and a run scored on Quintin Berry's ground out before the long balls from Cabrera and Fielder.

The Red Sox showed signs of life with three runs in the sixth. Jarrod Saltalamacchia grounded into a double play but a run scored. Pedro Ciriaco and Will Middlebrooks kept the inning alive with RBI singles.

In the eighth, Delmon Young's (2 hits) homer to right (12th of the season), that wrapped around Pesky's pole proved to be a valuable insurance run.

Adrian Gonzalez was 2-for-3 with a run and walk in the loss. Craig Breslow made his first appearance back with the Red Sox (he played with them briefly in 2006) as he was the first guy out of the bullpen. He went 1.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out two.

The schedule does the Red Sox a huge favor as the terrible Minnesota Twins (44-60, AL Central) come to Fenway this weekend and they will meet four times. I would normally say that they have to take at least three but we all know that the middling Red Sox will probably win twice.

Jon Lester (5-8) faces rookie Samuel Deduno (2-0) tomorrow night (7:10 p.m., NESN) to open the series. Felix Doubront (10-5) gets Brian Duensing (2-6) on Friday night (7:10 p.m., NESN). Clay Buchholz (9-3) opposes rookie Cole De Vries (2-2) on Saturday night (7:10 p.m., NESN) and Josh Beckett (5-9) meets Nick Blackburn (4-6) on Sunday afternoon (1:35 p.m., NESN). If Lester and Beckett can't beat the Twins, they might not win another game respectively in 2012.

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Adrian Gonzalez Picks Up His Biggest Hit In A Red Sox Uniform-3-Run HR-As Red Sox Beat White Sox 5-1

Only the Red Sox in 2012 would pick up one of their best wins of the season but have it completely overshadowed by a freak injury to their most valuable player.

Adrian Gonzalez came through in the clutch and late in the game for once with a three-run homer in the eighth (his 7th of the season) as Boston (46-44, 23-24 home) began a seven-game homestand with a 5-1 win against the White Sox (49-40, 25-18 away) this evening at Fenway Park.

During Gonzalez's homer, over the Monster and off lefty reliever Leyson Septimo, David Ortiz (run, hit, walk) stumbled around second base and limped home. He walked gingerly to the dugout and was replaced. Mike Aviles (stolen base) followed up with an RBI single later in the inning but the Fenway crowd was stunned at another potentially serious injury to a Red Sox player. Ortiz will get an MRI tomorrow on his Achilles.

Aaron Cook dazzled for seven innings: one unearned run on five hits with no strikeouts or walks. Vicente Padilla (3-2) pitched a 1-2-3 eighth with a strikeout for the win and closer Alfredo Aceves had a scoreless ninth despite the fact that he warmed up thinking they would need a save.

Cook was ultra efficient: 97 pitches (66 strikes), 15 out of his 21 outs were on ground balls and the game was over in two hours and 40 minutes. Can he pitch every game please?

Carl Crawford had a single, two runs and a walk in his first game of 2012 for the Red Sox. Batting ninth, Pedro Ciriaco heated up after a quiet weekend with three more hits including a double.

Kevin Youkilis (3 for 4, 2 doubles, run) did his best to star in his first return back to Fenway as a visitor. Unfortunately for Youk, his teammates couldn't do much (combining for two hits) other than starting pitcher Dylan Axelrod who went 6.2 innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits with eight strikeouts.

After a classy and deserved standing ovation before his first at bat, Youk singled and eventually scored on an error by Gonzalez. It turned out to be Chicago's only run. They were 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left four on base.

Gonzalez tied it with an RBI single in the bottom of the first. Boston went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position, they left seven on base.

One positive for the Red Sox is that the Orioles, Rays and Blue Jays-the three teams they can realistically finish higher than in the AL East this season-all lost tonight.

Tomorrow night (7:10 p.m., NESN) Mr. Perfect Game turned bum Philip Humber (3-4) takes on Jon Lester (5-6). Even though Lester has been garbage this season, you have to think this is a good matchup for him since Humber has been repeatedly hammered since his fluke perfect game in April.

UPDATE 7/17: The MRI showed no tear in Ortiz's Achilles which is good news. He's wearing a boot and thinks he'll be out a week but the Red Sox are expected to make a decision tomorrow whether to put him on the DL or not (something they hate doing for some reason).

In other Red Sox news, Franklin Morales is being moved back to the bullpen so Boston will return to a 5-man pitching rotation.

UPDATE 7/18: Ortiz is on the DL and expected out for at least two weeks. Mauro Gomez was recalled from Pawtucket.

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In The Latest Chapter Of Rock Bottom, Red Sox Get Swept By A's To Complete 2-5 Road Trip

Is it possible to pretend that the Red Sox' West Coast trip to Seattle and Oakland simply didn't happen? I wish that was the case although at least we can take heart in the fact that it is mercifully over at long last.

Boston (42-40, 21-19 away) might as well have walked home as they lost 3-2 this afternoon to the A's (41-42, 22-19 home) at O.co Coliseum. Happy 4th of July, Oakland swept all three games against Boston (for the first time since May 2008) which meant the Red Sox went 2-5 against the Mariners and A's-two of the worst teams in the American League.

Want more depressing stats? Sure why not. Boston was held to two runs or less for the fifth straight game and sixth time in its last seven contests. As a team, the Red Sox hit .200 in this lost week. Finally, Oakland improved to 5-1 against Boston this season.

Dustin Pedroia (thumb) and Will Middlebrooks (hamstring) sat on the bench today, since the Red Sox are too smart to put injured players on the DL. That would make sense, it's better to have them eat a roster space and not be able to use them at all or better yet to stick scrubs in their spots.

Former average or worse Red Sox Coco Crisp, Josh Reddick and Brandon Moss collectively had the best series of their careers going 12-for-29 with six runs, four homers, nine RBIs, triple and two walks. Moss was the star today as he went 3-for-4 with two runs, a double and solo homer. Crisp was 2-for-4 with a triple and run while Reddick was held to a single and walk.

Aaron Cook went 6+ innings and did his job, only allowing three earned runs on nine hits with one walk and no strikeouts. Of his 18 outs, Cook had 13 ground outs so his sinker was working for the most part.

One of the most shocking aspects of Boston's lack of offense on the West Coast was that they faced mostly average starters and rookies. Felix Hernandez was the only certified ace or even No. 2. Step right up Oakland rookie A.J. Griffin who had a nice outing in only his third MLB start. He went six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

It was a shame that David Ortiz's 400th home run came in such a forgettable loss on a holiday when probably most fans weren't even paying attention. His 22nd of the season was a solo shot that was a no-doubter to right field. It tied the game at one in the fourth.

He became the 49th player in MLB history to hit 400, the eighth active guy to reach that mark (Paul Konerko did it earlier this season). Ortiz is the sixth player to reach it while he was a Red Sox (Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Andre Dawson and Manny Ramirez) and the first to do it since Manny in 2005.

Moss had given the A's a 1-0 lead in the second with his 10th homer of the season to center.

Adrian Gonzalez kept his 15-game hit streak intact with an RBI single in the sixth which made it 2-1 Red Sox. Unfortunately, Boston's only other hit was a double by Mauro Gomez (the 1st hit of his MLB career).

Brandon Inge (2 hits) tied it at two with an RBI double in the sixth and Jemile Weeks had the game-winning hit, an RBI single in the seventh which scored Crisp who had led off with a triple.

You think Boston wanted to get on the plane for the long flight home? It took 33 combined pitches to retire them in the 7th-9th innings since they didn't walk or get a hit against any A's relievers. Grant Balfour got five outs, Jerry Blevins struck out the one player he faced (Ortiz to end the eighth) then All-Star Ryan Cook only needed seven pitches to record his eighth save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

The best news for the Red Sox is that they have tomorrow off before beginning their last series of the first half. They host the New York Yankees (49-32, 1st in AL East) with four games this weekend including a day-night doubleheader on Saturday. The rivals have only played twice so far in 2012 with New York winning both (April 20-21) which culminated in the original rock bottom reference by Bobby Valentine. The third game was rained out, hence the makeup date now.

Since they trail the Yanks by 7.5 games and are tied with the Blue Jays for last-place in the AL East, it's not hyperbole to say that this could be a make or break series in terms of even dreaming of giving New York a scare in the second half. If the Yankees win the series, it's time to focus solely on the two Wild Cards. Ditto if the Red Sox win the series but at least they'll head into the All-Star break on a high note as opposed to this current down in the dumps feeling.

Josh Beckett (4-7) faces Hiroki Kuroda (8-7) on Friday night (7:10 p.m., NESN), Franklin Morales (1-1) pitched 1.1 innings of relief for shits and giggles today but he faces Phil Hughes (9-6) on Saturday afternoon before Felix Doubront (8-4) gets Freddy Garcia (2-2) on Saturday night (7:15 p.m., Fox). MLB's first half closes on Sunday night with Jon Lester (5-5) opposing Ivan Nova (9-3) on Sunday Night Baseball (8:05 p.m., ESPN).

Red Sox-Yankees games always take forever, let's hope that with four games packed into three days, maybe they can speed the pace up just a bit. Haha I'm sure the reverse will actually happen.

UPDATE 7/6: Looks like I got my wish (a month late) as ESPNBoston.com reported this evening that Pedroia will be placed on the DL with his new injury. If you want to believe the Red Sox, it is to the same right thumb as before which caused him to miss seven total games in June. Ugh, it never ends.

Pedro Ciriaco has been called up with Pedroia going on the DL and Rich Hill being moved to the 60-day DL since Ciriaco wasn't on the 40-man roster. Nick Punto will start at second base tonight in the series opener with the Yankees. Shoot me now please.

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Just Your Regular Old 2-Hitter By Aaron Cook, Wait What?

Short of a perfect game or no-hitter, you'll be hard pressed to see a better pitching performance than the one turned in by Red Sox starter Aaron Cook tonight in Seattle.

In only his third start for Boston (41-36, 20-15 away), the veteran sinkerballer threw a two-hitter as the Red Sox blanked the Mariners (33-46, 14-22 home) 5-0 at Safeco Field. It was the 12th complete game of Cook's career and third shutout.

Cook didn't walk anybody and only struck out two guys. He was super efficient and quick (the game took 2 hours and 18 minutes) since he needed just 81 pitches to get it all done. Of the 27 Seattle outs: 15 ground outs, 10 fly outs and two strikeouts.

This being the Mariners, who have one of the most wretched lineups in MLB history, we have to treat this is an anomaly. Still, it shows that Cook has something left in the tank if he can stay healthy.

In five innings, Hector Noesi (2-10) allowed all five earned runs on seven hits including four home runs.

After four scoreless innings, the Red Sox blasted a trio of solo homers in the fifth. Will Middlebrooks (10th of the season) and Cody Ross (12th of the season) went back-to-back before Daniel Nava (3rd of the season) also went deep.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia (15th of the season) continued his late All-Star push (yes I know voting is already over) with a two-run shot in the sixth. The 2012 All-Star teams are announced on Sunday afternoon. David Ortiz is the only lock for the Red Sox which says something about how much their other "stars" have underachieved in the first half.

Boston's defense clearly enjoyed playing behind a pitcher that worked fast, a big issue with almost every other starter, as they turned two double plays.

Josh Beckett (4-7) returns from almost three weeks on the DL tomorrow night (10:10 p.m., NESN) to face Erasmo Ramirez (0-2), a converted rookie reliever making his fourth MLB start. Franklin Morales and Cook have both put up zeros in the first two games of this series so it's not too much to ask of the Texas Toughguy to shut out this awful opponent.

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Red Sox Beat Braves 9-4 To Take The Series 2-1 & Finish 11-7 During Interleague Play In 2012

Obviously Kevin Youkilis's trade to the White Sox overshadowed what happened at Fenway Park this afternoon but I'll get to that in a subsequent post.

For now, let's take a minute to recognize another interleague series win for the Red Sox (38-34, 19-20 home) who moved a season-high four games over .500 with a 9-4 over the Atlanta Braves (38-34, 23-17 away).

Boston enjoyed its interleague experience in 2012 since they finished 11-7 against mostly National League East teams and the Cubs who more closely resemble a Triple A squad if I'm being generous. They won five out of six series 2-1 (plus a three-game sweep in Miami) while the Nationals (three-game sweep at Fenway) were the only team to beat them decidedly. It was the eighth straight season that the Red Sox have been over .500 against NL teams so don't tell me the National League is better because it's not.

Today's stars were Aaron Cook and Cody Ross. Cook (1-1) subbed for Clay Buchholz and picked up his first win in a Red Sox uniform after five innings, three runs (two earned) and six hits with no strikeouts and no walks. Ross had a three-run homer and a two-run homer.

Braves starter Mike Minor (3-6) didn't have much and an error on shortstop Andrelton Simmons led to three unearned runs. Minor went 4.2 innings, allowing seven runs (four earned) on six hits with four strikeouts and three walks. He also served up three home runs which never helps your pitching numbers.

The Red Sox offense got off to an exciting start as Ross (10th of the season) and Adrian Gonzalez (6th of the season) hit back-to-back homers in the fourth to give Boston a 4-0 lead. Ross's came with two runners on base.

Tatted up old friend Eric Hinske (2 hits, run) had a two-run triple in the fifth and Juan Francisco's groundout cut it to 4-3.

Boston responded right away to push the lead back to a comfortable four-run advantage (7-3) after five. Will Middlebrooks scored a run with a sacrifice fly and Ross hit another homer over the Monster, this time a two-run blast.

Jason Heyward's (3 hits, 2 runs) career seems to be back on track as he crushed a solo homer to center (his 11th of the season) in the sixth to trim it to 7-4.

Daniel Nava (2 hits, run) came through with an RBI double in the sixth and in his last at bat as a member of the Red Sox, Youk drove in Gonzalez with a generously scored "triple."

With interleague over, the Red Sox get back to facing the boring old American League. The Toronto Blue Jays (37-35, 5th place in AL East) visit Fenway starting tomorrow night for a three-game series. The teams have already played two series in Toronto with Boston going 3-3 thus far.

Felix Doubront (8-3) faces Henderson Alvarez (3-6) tomorrow night (7:10 p.m., NESN), Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-2) gets Aaron Laffey (0-0) on Tuesday night (7:10 p.m., NESN) and Jon Lester (4-5) opposes Ricky Romero (8-1) on Wednesday afternoon (1:35 p.m., NESN) in the series finale and last game of a nine-game homestand for the Red Sox before they head to the west coast.

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The Red Sox Lose For The 9th Time In Their Last 10 Games At Fenway

Josh Beckett's laziness is now causing physical harm to his teammates, yet another reason to hate the Texas Toughguy.

If the Boston Red Sox hit "rock bottom" in Bobby Valentine's words two weeks ago after blowing a nine-run lead to the Yankees, wonder what he called today? A game where the Baltimore Orioles led 8-0 in the third inning and Red Sox starter Aaron Cook (0-1) had to leave with a gruesome cut on his leg. It was all part of another forgettable game at Fenway as the O's (18-9, 10-5 away) cruised to a 8-2 win over the reeling Red Sox (11-15, 4-9 home) this afternoon.

To say that Boston is a mess would be way too generous. They've lost four in a row but bigger picture, Baltimore is 7-2 against them since last September while the Red Sox have lost nine of their last 10 at Fenway (worst 10-game stretch for them there since 1994).

This all goes back to Beckett since he couldn't possibly make another start on time after throwing a career-high 126 pitches last Sunday. Nope, instead Cook had to be called up from Pawtucket in his place. There was talk during the game too that Beckett could miss another start or two. Tell me again why the Red Sox kept this pathetic loser? Anyway, Cook got spiked when he covered home plate on a passed ball in the second inning. After getting a quick fix, he stayed in until the third inning when he couldn't go any longer. Not to mention the fact that he gave up seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in 2.2 innings with a walk and no strikeouts.

Cook reportedly had to get 11 stitches to close that gash, I'm sure Beckett never said a word to him either. Cook's struggles show how much of a jump it is from Triple A to MLB since he had been tearing it up with the PawSox in April.

It's hard to gauge whether the Orioles are really this good or simply slightly above average and the Red Sox are awful. Starter Jason Hammel (4-1) went 6.2 easy innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits with eight strikeouts and a walk.

After Chris Davis scored on Jarrod Saltalamacchia's passed ball in the second, Baltimore pushed seven across in the third. Nick Markakis and Wilson Betemit (2 hits) had RBI singles sandwiched around a two-run homer by Adam Jones (7th of the season) off Cook and a three-run bomb by Mark Reynolds (2 hits) off reliever Clayton Mortensen. Both went over The Monster, Jones' went onto the parking garage on Landsdowne Street.

The Red Sox avoided the shutout as Ryan Sweeney had an RBI double in the seventh and Cody Ross had an RBI single. Adrian Gonzalez had three hits for the second straight game but no RBIs so who cares?

This is where Boston is right now: Scott Atchison (3 scoreless innings, 1.50 ERA) is currently their best pitcher. The same guy that they sent down to Pawtucket and recalled a million times last season. Yup.

Tommy Hunter (2-1) faces Clay Buchholz (3-1) tomorrow afternoon (1:35 p.m., NESN) in the series finale and I can pretty much guarantee that Buchholz will get rocked and the Red Sox will get swept. More importantly, can I interest you in an authentic Fenway brick? Hey, let's just sing "Sweet Caroline," that'll be awesome.

UPDATE 5/6: Cook went on the DL and Andrew Miller was called up from Pawutcket.

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Vicente Padilla Added To Legion Of Bums Vying For 4th-5th Spot In Boston's Rotation

It rightfully hasn't been getting any attention but with today's reported signing of veteran Vicente Padilla, we can conclude that the Boston Red Sox are accumulating quite the collection of bums interested in being their fourth or fifth starter.

Thanks to John Lackey and Dice-K's injuries plus the defections of Erik Bedard and Tim Wakefield (prays), the Red Sox are in desperate need of depth behind Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Josh Beckett. It looks like Daniel Bard and Alfredo Aceves will get a chance to be starters too, although I'm not a huge fan of those moves but who asked me?

Padilla is 34 and he missed most of last season with the Dodgers due to neck surgery. When he was able to take the ball for Los Angeles, it was strictly as a reliever. In his career, he has a 4.15 ERA with 91 strikeouts in 113 innings as a reliever. Still, he's been a starter for most of his life so we'll see what happens when he's in Boston.

I'm not expecting anything from him, Aaron Cook or Carlos Silva, the three most notable scrubs that the Red Sox have brought in on small money in hopes of one or two of them having decent seasons. They're all washed up and none of them were particularly good to begin with.

Funny note on Padilla: my buddy from college that is a Phillies fan always said that Padilla was terrible in day games when he was in Philly since he has a drinking problem so he was usually hungover. Haha, something to look forward to this season if he even makes it out of Spring Training before getting hurt-what he does best.

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