Red Sox Outlast Yankees 6-5 in 19 Innings/Longest Game in Team History (6:49)

My brain is completely fried, all thanks to the Red Sox-Yankees 19-inning marathon tonight at Yankee Stadium. Thankfully, Boston (3-1 overall, 3-1 away) came out on top 6-5 after blowing three one-run leads in the ninth, 16th and 18th innings. New York (1-3 overall, 1-3 home) could be the worst team in the AL East so this would have been a terrible loss for the Red Sox. I doubt there has ever been many crazier fourth games of the regular season in MLB history since this also featured a needless 16-minute delay in the 12th when some lights went out.

Steven Wright (1-0) pitched the equivalent of a short start: five innings, two earned runs on six hits with one strikeout and three walks. He blew it in the 16th as Mark Teixeira tied it at four with a towering home run to left field (his second of the season) and in the 18th on Carlos Beltran's RBI double. Rookie Mookie Betts provided the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the 19th that scored Xander Bogaerts (4 for 8 with walk, stolen base).

Wade Miley's Red Sox debut was a good one, well at least until the sixth inning when he allowed an RBI single to Alex Rodriguez (yes, that loser) and sacrifice fly by Brian McCann which cut it to 3-2 Boston. Miley went 5.2 innings, allowing the two earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts and two walks. He works exceptionally quick and he's a lefty that doesn't throw hard with a beard, so I'll call him Mark Buehrle lite.

Seven Red Sox relievers appeared between Miley and Wright. Some highlights: Robbie Ross got the last two outs in the sixth, Alexi Ogando had a 1-2-3 seventh, Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless eighth, Anthony Varvaro got four outs in his Red Sox debut, Tommy Layne recorded five outs (including three strikeouts) and Craig Breslow had two clean innings.

Pablo Sandoval hadn't done much in the three-game opening series at Philadelphia so it was nice to see him come through with a 4-for-9 night with RBI singles in the first and 18th. Daniel Nava's two-run single in the sixth gave Boston that short-lived 3-0 cushion. Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi (formerly of the Marlins) seems like your classic guy that throws hard but doesn't really know how to pitch. He was charged with three earned runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings of work.

Hanley Ramirez was 3-for-9 at the plate which was good but he made a poor read on a play in left field (get used to that) and also got gunned down at third by a mile following Sandoval's clutch single in the 18th. You just know that he is going to be super frustrating to watch every day.

The Edward Mujica as closer joke went as expected in 2015 with Chase Headley hitting a bomb off him in the ninth that sent it to extra innings. It sounds like Koji Uehara could be back by Monday for Opening Day at Fenway and not a moment too soon even though this was Mujica's first save chance of the young season.

Perhaps the craziest part of this whole silly event is that the game on Saturday happens to be in the afternoon (1:05, NESN) so sleep fast fellas! Joe Kelly opposes Adam Warren which doesn't inspire any thoughts of a pitcher's duel or anything of the sort but another four-hour plus contest.

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Red Sox Avoid 3-Game Sweep in Tampa Bay

You knew that at some point, the Red Sox (48-57 overall, 22-31 away) would stumble into another win maybe even before July ended. What perfect timing today as Boston beat Tampa Bay (51-54 overall, 24-20 home) 3-2 this afternoon at Tropicana Field in the series finale. The victory snapped Tampa Bay's 9-game win streak and their own five-game skid.

Allen Webster (1-0) made his 2014 Red Sox debut: 5.1 innings, 2 earned runs, 3 hits, 4 strikeouts and 5 walks. His location was off all game but Boston's bullpen bailed him out thanks to the work of Edward Mujica (2 outs), Andrew Miller (scoreless 7th), Junichi Tazawa (scoreless 8th w/2 Ks) and Koji Uehara (scoreless in 9th inning and he struck out of the side for his 21st save).

Tampa Bay's Chris Archer (6-6) was ok except for one big mistake: David Ortiz crushed a three-run bomb of him in the third inning for a 3-0 Red Sox advantage. It seems like every time Ortiz gets a hit, RBI or especially home run these days it's a new record and this was no different: it was his 25th homer of the season. I'm not going to delve too deeply in it since I think it's a moronic argument but I have to acknowledge that after the game, Archer was complaining about Ortiz flipping his bat after the homer. Here's a thought: make a better pitch. I'm so sick of the Rays and how much whining they do which is saying something for a baseball team.

Desmond Jennings hit a two-run double in the home half of the third but that would be the final time that either team scored a run. They combined for only 11 hits but Daniel Nava (2 for 4, walk, run) and Dustin Pedroia (2 for 3, walk, run, stolen base) both had good days at the plate. Oddly enough, the Red Sox won the first game of their just completed road trip and the last; it was those five games in between that proved to be so elusive.

Toronto won three of four vs. Boston to start the trip and now the Blue Jays (56-50 overall, 2nd in AL East) come to Fenway Park for three games (the final series before the trade deadline on Thursday). It's an interesting stretch as Boston then hosts the Yankees for three games and travels to St. Louis and Anaheim (I refuse to say LA)-both serious playoff contenders-for three games apiece.

Tomorrow night (7:10, NESN) it is Clay Buchholz (5-6) vs. R.A. Dickey (8-10), followed by Rubby De La Rosa (3-3) vs. Marcus Stroman (6-2) on Tuesday (7:10, NESN) and Jon Lester (10-7) vs. Mark Buehrle (10-7) on Wednesday (7:10, NESN). Those first two matchups occurred last week and Toronto won in each instance. Odds are that there will be at least one trade involving the Red Sox in the next few days as they continue to shuffle the deck. Reports have surfaced that they're looking at Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp which I'm all on board with. It's a weird position to be in as Boston tries to play spoiler against Toronto and to a lesser extent New York (since I don't think they can sustain a playoff push).

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So It Looks Like This Red Sox Season Will Be Much More Interesting Than We Thought

Listen, we all figured that the Red Sox were toast a long time ago so there's no need to lie and say any sane person that we know felt otherwise. Still, I'm happy to report that Boston (46-52 overall, 26-26 at home) is finally playing some good baseball in 2014 (it only took them nearly 100 games!) as they blanked Kansas City (48-49 overall, 26-24 away) 6-0 this afternoon at Fenway Park for the three-game sweep.

The Red Sox have won seven of their last eight games to climb within six games in the Wild Card and 7.5 in the AL East. Jon Lester (10-7) continued to consistently perform like one of the top pitchers in MLB: eight innings, four hits, eight strikeouts and two walks as he lowered his ERA to 2.50. The only reason he didn't stay in for the shutout was that he threw 115 pitches. At this point, he is a serious Cy Young contender and with each outstanding start, his already hefty price tag continues to go up. If only he had accepted Boston's joke offer (4 years, $70 in spring training)!

There aren't many things you can count on in life anymore or at least you realize that when you grow up, however Kansas City never ceases to fall apart in the middle/dog days of the season. Seriously, will they ever truly be relevant again on a national level? Young fireballer Yordano Ventura (7-8) was no match for Lester's brilliance as he allowed six earned runs on nine hits in only 4.1 innings.

The Red Sox took the lead in the first inning as Dustin Pedroia's fielder's choice scored Brock Holt (2 for 5). Daniel Nava's (2 for 3, walk) ground-rule double knocked in David Ross (2 runs, walk) and Jackie Bradley Jr. (2 for 3, 2 runs, walk) in the third inning. David Ross' two-run homer in the fourth went over the Monster, his sixth of the season, and it also drove in Shane Victorino (2 for 4, double). Boston added the final insurance run a few batters later as Nava plated Bradley Jr. with a sacrifice fly.

The next two weeks represent Boston's best chance to really get back into those respective races that I mentioned. You see, they have 13 games in a row against AL East opponents: they go to Toronto for four games then Tampa Bay for three. The Red Sox return home to face the Blue Jays three more times then they host the Yankees in three games right after the Trade Deadline (July 31).

Toronto (51-48 overall, 3rd in AL East) is only 4-6 in their last 10 games but they've won their last two (vs. hapless Texas) heading into this critical series vs. Boston. Other than no Lester, the Red Sox' pitching lines up pretty well against the Blue Jays who still don't have an ace or No. 2 if we're being honest. John Lackey (10-6) faces Drew Hutchison (6-8) on Monday night (7:07, NESN) followed by Jake Peavy (1-8) vs. J.A. Happ (7-5) on Tuesday (7:07, NESN). Clay Buchholz (5-5) takes on knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (7-10) on Wednesday (7:07, NESN) then they wrap up on Thursday afternoon (12:37, NESN) with Rubby De La Rosa (3-2) facing fellow rookie Marcus Stroman (5-2).

I'm certainly not predicting it will happen but I'd like to note before the series begins that if Boston could sweep Toronto, they would be tied in the loss column. Something to keep in mind as the series progresses if the Red Sox win the first two or three games.

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Red Sox End The Miserable First Portion of Their Season By Knocking Around the Astros

Time will tell if Boston (43-52 overall, 20-26 away) can gain any momentum in the second half (final 67 games) from taking four out of their last five contests heading into the All-Star break or it was just a result of playing the terrible White Sox and Astros (40-56 overall, 21-28) back-to-back? Houston's woes need no introduction as Clay Buchholz (complete game, 3 hits, 12 strikeouts, 0 walks; 1st Red Sox to strike out 12 w/no walks since Hideo Nomo in 2001) completely broke their sprit from the beginning en route to one of his best starts ever (obviously the no-hitter his rookie year trumps it).

The Red Sox cruised to an 11-0 victory at half-empty (if we're being generous) Minute Maid Park. It was the fifth career shutout for Buchholz and the 12 strikeouts set a new career-high.

With a few days off now, it was only right that Brock Holt (5 for 6 with 2 runs) had a career-day including a leadoff homer (his 3rd of the season) in front of his family (he's from Texas) and former college teammates at Rice. The immortal Brad Peacock (3-6) couldn't get three outs let alone two so he had the rare opportunity to be pulled after one out in the first for the Astros.

Dustin Pedroia (2 for 4), Daniel Nava (2 for 4 w/2 runs), Stephen Drew (2 for 4 w/run, walk) and Christian Vazquez (2 for 4 two RBIs and one run) all had multiple hits as well, Boston notched a season-high in runs and 16 hits as a team. Boston added two runs in the third on Jackie Bradley Jr.'s RBI single and a sacrifice fly by Xander Bogaerts (remember him?). Houston allowed two runs on the same play in the fifth: an infield single by Vazquez scored one run then on a throwing error by All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve.

Things started to get out of hand for the second time this weekend (in Boston's favor, they won two out of three) when the Red Sox pushed across two more runs in the seventh on Vazquez's sacrifice fly and a bases loaded walk by David Ortiz. Mike Carp had a pinch hit two-run triple because why not and the final run scored on Ortiz's groundout. Buchholz has looked way better recently since returning from the DL but I don't know how much you can take away from even a gem like that vs. Houston.

Not to plan the week ahead for you but the Home Run Derby is tomorrow night, the All-Star Game is on Tuesday and the 2014 ESPYs are on Wednesday hosted by Drake. MLB is off for the next four days so expect many lucky bastards to take exotic vacations. Boston returns with three games against Kansas City (48-46, 2nd in AL Central) next weekend at Fenway Park.

UPDATE 7/16: That bucket of crap A.J. Pierzynski was officially released today after nobody wanted to trade for him, shocking I know.

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I Can't Believe That I'm Saying This But Did We Count Out the Red Sox Too Soon?

Let's be honest: it would take one hell of a turnaround for the Red Sox to push for a Wild Card spot let alone compete in the upside down AL East. Still, the last few days have been a revelation in terms of showing us that maybe there is a reason to tune in and hope for the improbable for the rest of 2014.

Boston (42-51 overall, 19-25 away) won their third straight game as they opened the final series before the All-Star break with an 8-3 win at Houston's (39-55 overall, 20-27 home) Minute Maid Park. The Red Sox had 12 hits and led 8-1 in the sixth inning en route to a very rare laugher (in a good way). They are within eight games of the second Wild Card spot and 9.5 behind first-place Baltimore.

Pitching in his home state, John Lackey (10-6) became the first Red Sox pitcher to reach double digit wins this season. His usual pinpoint control was off (3 strikeouts/5 walks) but he still lasted six innings and only allowed two earned runs on four hits.

For once, Boston built an early lead and proceeded to increase it over the next few innings just like a good team. Brock Holt (2 for 4, double, 2 runs, walk) had an RBI triple in the third and Dustin Pedroia followed with an RBI double for the 2-0 advantage. Rookie catcher Christian Vazquez had quite a memorable night: recording his first MLB hit, extra base hit and RBI. He added an RBI double in the fourth as the Red Sox went up 3-0 on the hapless Astros.

Enrique Hernandez's RBI single cut it to 3-1 in the fourth but Scott Feldman (4-6) couldn't keep it even that close as he was charged with seven earned runs on 11 hits in 5.1 innings. Vazquez notched a two-run double in the sixth and David Ortiz greeted lefty Darin Downs with a bases clearing double that put this in the win column for the Red Sox.

Chris Carter went over .200 and boosted his stats with a pair of garbage time solo homers in the sixth and eighth (his 18th and 19th of the season). Houston finished 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position and they left 10 men on base. Daniel Nava and Jackie Bradley Jr. each collected two singles and scored a run in the victory.

Assuming that he's not traded before first pitch (4:10, NESN)-a very real possibility-Jake Peavy (1-7) will take the mound tomorrow vs. Brett Oberholtzer (2-7). As you can tell by their records, this is unlikely to be a pitcher's duel but rather a battle of bullpens and a long game so stock up on some adult beverages to get through it comfortably.

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The Curse of A.J. Pierzynski is Broken, Red Sox Start a Fresh New Chapter

A funny thing happened to the Red Sox tonight on the way to another heartless loss: they actually pulled out an improbable comeback capped off by a walk-off single by Brock Holt to beat the White Sox 5-4 at Fenway Park. Chicago (44-48 overall, 20-27 away) had been up 4-0 in the eighth inning before Boston (40-51 overall, 22-26 home) scored three in the eighth then two in the ninth for their seventh walk-off win of the season.

With their ace Chris Sale (7.2 innings, 4 hits, 1 earned run, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts) on the mound, this was a game that the White Sox had no business losing. He left after throwing 107 pitches; relievers Jake Patricka and Javy Guerra (0-1) each gave up two earned runs to blow it after Chicago had won the first two games of the series. It sounds cheesy but wins have been so hard to come by lately that I almost forgot how sweet they can feel in situations like that.

Rubby De La Rosa (5 innings, 6 hits, 3 earned runs, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts) made his first start for Boston since June 21 after he was called up to take Brandon Workman's place (while he went back to Pawtucket). Rookie catcher Christian Vazquez made his MLB debut and with Boston designating A.J. Pierzynski for assignment earlier in the day, this means that the highly touted youngster will be getting plenty of playing time to see what he can do.

Jose Abreu (2 for 4) hit a solo homer to center field, his 28th of the season (!), in the first inning. Conor Gillaspie (2 for 4 with double, 2 runs) followed with a solo shot of his own in the second for a 2-0 White Sox advantage. Chicago scored a run in the fourth on Mike Napoli's error and it was 4-0 in the seventh following an RBI double by Adam Eaton.

The Red Sox' rally started with something I've never seen before: an infield double by Mookie Betts (2 for 3 with 2 runs, double). Dustin Pedroia drove him in with a single then David Ortiz (2 for 4 with run) crushed an opposite field double off the wall in left center to cut it to 4-2. Jonny Gomes (2 for 3) made it 4-3 with an RBI double.

He batted ninth as part of Boston's five rookies in the lineup (their most since 1987) but Betts came through again in the ninth. He was hit by a pitch then scored the tying run on Daniel Nava's pinch hit double. That set the stage for Holt's first career walk-off hit and who better to provide it with how incredible he's been since he was called up (again).

It didn't seem like much at the time but this victory wouldn't have been possible without Craig Breslow (1-2-3 6th), Junichi Tazawa (scoreless 8th) and the newest All-Star Koji Uehara (5-2) who struck out the side in the ninth to set the tone.

In their last home game before the All-Star break, Jon Lester (9-7) faces Jose Quintana (5-7) tomorrow afternoon (4:05, NESN) as Boston tries to split the four-game series with Chicago.

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Red Sox Beat Indians 5-2 in Series Opener at Fenway, See That Wasn't So Hard Guys

It still doesn't feel like summer (come on weather!) and the Red Sox are still scuffling like there's no tomorrow but at least they played well tonight. Boston (30-36 overall, 16-17 home) began a four-game series with Cleveland (33-34 overall, 12-23 away) and seven-game homestand at Fenway Park with a rare (in 2014) easy 5-2 victory.

Jon Lester (7-7) pitched like an ace, going 7.2 innings and allowing only two runs (one earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts and one walk. After Jason Kipnis (2 for 4) singled with two outs in the eighth, Lester was lifted after 109 pitches. Junichi Tazawa struck out the ghost of Carlos Santana (the baseball player) before a 1-2-3 ninth with one strikeout for Koji Uehara's 14th save (in 14 opportunities) of the season.

After the mediocre Indians swept the Red Sox last week in dumpy Cleveland, it was nice to see Boston come out with somewhat of a pulse as former Indians star Grady Sizemore had a ground-rule double in the second that scored Mike Napoli (2 for 4) for a 1-0 lead.

If any opposing manager in MLB could understand the danger of pitching to David Ortiz, you'd figure it would have to be Cleveland's Terry Francona (that still doesn't sound right) but for some odd reason, he let Josh Tomlin (4-3) go after him with two outs in the fifth and Jackie Bradley Jr. (single, walk, stolen base, 2 runs) on third base with first base open. You'll never guess what happened next! OK, a baby could, as Ortiz went deep to center for his 15th home run of the season and a 3-0 Red Sox advantage.

Cleveland's two runs in the sixth were a gift by multiple Red Sox as Lester couldn't handle a relatively easy throw at first base from Napoli then Kipnis lined a two-run single (generous ruling) under Dustin Pedroia's glove, a play that the Gold Glover normally makes in his sleep. Bradley Jr. made up for those miscues with an awesome catch of Michael Bourn's sinking line drive to center in the seventh then he doubled off "Friendly" Mike Aviles at first base for the third out.

Boston added a pair of insurance runs in the home half of the sixth on a two-run double by Brock Holt (2 hits). Daniel Nava was 3 for 4 in the win which is a monumental achievement given his alarming struggles in 2014. Even Jonathan Herrera got in on the act, well kind of, going 2 for 4 with a triple (his second extra base hit of the season!) and scoring a run.

It is supposed to rain all day tomorrow but if they get the game in, it will be John Lackey (7-4) vs. Justin Masterson (4-4) scheduled for a 7:10 p.m. start. Masterson pitched a gem (7 scoreless innings in a 3-2 win) against his former team last week at Progressive Field. He can't do that twice in a row, right?

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It Can't Get Much Uglier Than This for the Red Sox

If you tried to draw up about the worst possible game in April for the Red Sox, Tuesday night's frozen contest at U.S. Cellular Park would do the trick. Chicago (8-6 overall, 6-2 home) beat Boston (5-9 overall, 3-5 away) 2-1 on a walk-off throwing error by Xander Bogaerts. Oh and it was in the 30s with a million empty seats at that big generic dump of a stadium. The Red Sox have now dropped eight of their last 11 games which is completely unacceptable particularly this early in the season.

More than his underachieving teammates (who combined for three total hits, three), Red Sox pitcher Jake Peavy was really solid with his third straight quality start (6 innings, 1 earned, 3 hits, 8 strikeouts, 4 walks). The catch is that he's yet to record a decision as Boston continually struggles to put any runs on the scoreboard for any of their starting pitchers but especially him and Lester thus far.

White Sox rookie Erik Johnson (not the Avalanche defensemen) was even a little better than Peavy. He went 6.2 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits with nine strikeouts and two walks. Chicago's bullpen combined for 2.1 innings broken up between Scott Downs (1 inning), Jake Petricka (2 outs), Donnie Veal (1 out) and Daniel Webb (last out which earned him the win).

Before the error, the only runs in the game came via home runs. Adam Dunn went deep against his former teammate and good pal Peavy in the second inning. Daniel Nava answered with a long blast, his second of the season, in the fourth inning. The problem with Boston's lineup is that they aren't doing anything right now. Dustin Pedroia is still out (although he did pinch run) and Mike Napoli-who's been their best hitter-gruesomely dislocated his finger trying to slide headfirst into second base (Little League coaches everywhere weep) in the ninth.

The Red Sox received a scoreless seventh from Junichi Tazawa but it was a certainty that they'd give up a run with the likes of Andrew Miller, Burke Badenhop and Chris Capuano called on to keep it tied. In a way, it's kind of good that the game didn't go extra innings so the Red Sox didn't have to burn more of their bullpen than they had to.

Napoli was called day-to-day with his finger while Pedroia is reportedly coming back to full-time action tomorrow (8:10, NESN). Clay Buchholz (0-1) faces John Danks (1-0). It's hard to see Buchholz succeeding in crappy weather so get ready to watch him struggle. On second thought, the NHL playoffs start on Wednesday which is great news for the Red Sox: less people (myself included) will be focusing on them.

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Red Sox Beat Rangers 5-1 for Their 1st Win at Fenway Park In 2014

The Red Sox had a lost weekend vs. the Brewers (getting swept in 3 miserable games at Fenway) and the bad feelings started to build up as Will Middlebrooks (calf strain) joined Shane Victorino (hamstring) on the 15-Day DL. With people calmly wondering what was going on with Boston (3-4), they bounced back to defeat Texas (3-4) 5-1 tonight at rainy Fenway Park in the series opener.

It still feels kind of weird to say it but John Lackey (2-0) has morphed into one of the best pitchers in the AL East. He improved to 2-0 thanks to one unearned run on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks. He was done after 95 pitches and he handed the ball over to Chris Capuano who pitched a scoreless eighth for his second hold and Koji Uehara who worked around two hits for a scoreless frame in a non-save situation (did they have to use him there?).

The Red Sox had 14 hits as a team, led by Mike Napoli (3 for 5), A.J. Pierzynski (3 for 5 w/2 runs) and Jackie Bradley Jr. (3 for 4 w/run & 2 RBIs). They still left 11 on base but at least they were 4 for 13 with runners in scoring position which was a dramatic improvement so there's that.

Bradley Jr. gave Boston a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI single that scored Xander Bogaerts. The Rangers tied it in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Mitch Moreland that scored old friend Adrian Beltre. That's all that Texas would get though as Bradley Jr. added another RBI single in the fourth then the Red Sox notched three important insurance runs in the eighth.

A run scored on a Rangers error, Daniel Nava had an RBI single and Dustin Pedroia's ground out still scored the final run. Boston will be looking to start their first win streak of the season tomorrow night (6:10) as Felix Doubront (1-0) faces Martin Perez (0-0) in the middle game of the series.

Utility infielder Ryan Roberts aka the tatman (since he's covered in tattoos) was signed earlier today for depth and Boston manager John Farrell already said that he'd play tomorrow and possibly Wednesday as Texas uses a pair of lefty starters. Don't expect much from him since he got released by the Cubs, which is never a good omen for your career.

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Another Head-Scratching Brutal Loss By a Boston Sports Team, This Time in the World Series!

When the Patriots lost last Sunday on a call that had never been made before in NFL history, we shrugged our shoulders (after throwing things at the TV) and said, oh well "it's only October." It was a much different story tonight as the Red Sox lost 5-4 to the Cardinals in Game 3 of the 2013 World Series at Busch Stadium. St. Louis takes a 2-1 lead in the series with Game 4 tomorrow night (8:15, Fox).

The winning run came home on an obstruction call against Will Middlebrooks vs. Allen Craig that negated what would have been one of the most famous double plays (Pedroia to Salty to Middlebrooks and back to Salty). It's impossible to make a full-proof case either way on that plus Salty was dumb to throw it to third to begin with; what I'm more interested in is the fact that it apparently had only decided a game once before in MLB history (a 2004 regular season game: Tampa Bay vs. Seattle) so it will keep us up at night wondering why this had to happen?

Of course, this ignores the fact that Boston was lucky to be hanging around in many ways. They are struggling to hit again like in the ALCS (aside from Game 1's blowout). The Red Sox only had six hits tonight while the Cardinals had 12. Likewise, St. Louis left 12 men on base and Boston only left six. In the biggest start of his career, Jake Peavy could only give his team four lousy innings. You get the point.

St. Louis wasted no time grabbing a pair of runs in the first on RBI singles by Matt Holliday (double, run) and Yadier Molina (3 hits, walk). Joe Kelly (5.1 innings, 2 earned runs, 2 hits, 6 strikeouts, 3 walks), another child that throws nearly 100 MPH for St. Louis kept Boston scoreless through the first four innings before Xander Bogaerts tripled to lead off the inning and pinch-hitter Mike Carp drove him in with a fielder's choice.

Starting in place of Jonny Gomes, Daniel Nava proved his worth with an RBI single in the sixth that tied it at two. Holliday hit a clutch two-run double in the seventh to put the Cardinals back on top at 4-2. The Red Sox refused to die as they scored twice against Carlos Martinez on Nava's fielder's choice and Bogaerts' chopper up the middle.

Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal blew the save but picked up the cheap win. The good news for the Red Sox is that both Martinez and him threw 20 pitches apiece in high leverage situations; that should tax them if they're used in Game 4. Keep in mind Craig Breslow, Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara all worked as well but Breslow (5) and Uehara (3) were kept to a minimum amount of pitches.

Both leadoff hitters had two hits as Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 5 with a run (they've gotta find a way to get him running) while Matt Carpenter was 2 for 5 with two runs. Fat lard Matt Adams was 2 for 5 with a double for St. Louis.

I'm confident in terming tomorrow night's game a must-win for the Red Sox; they won't win three in a row (facing elimination) against the Cardinals, they're too good and I doubt that their pitching would crack like that. If you're positive, Boston's most talented pitcher Clay Buchholz takes the ball and they've been so resilient all season. However, he's been shaky in this postseason plus all these rumors swirl about his bizarre health status. Another kernel of positivity: St. Louis starter Lance Lynn stinks so maybe Boston's bats from Game 1 will reappear. All I do know is that it should be another hell of a game, let's just hope this time it doesn't end on some cheesy call (either way) that makes us want robot umpires.

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Red Sox Nearly Get No-Hit, Fall 1-0 to Tigers in Game 1 of ALCS

Well I guess that we should at least be happy the Red Sox didn't get no-hit in Game 1 of the ALCS vs. Tigers, that would have been even tougher to take than tonight's 1-0 loss at Fenway Park. Anibal Sanchez (6 IP, 12 Ks, 6 BBs) was brilliant and three Detroit relievers got it to the ninth where Joaquin Benoit pitched a scoreless ninth with a strikeout for the win.

Obviously Jon Lester (6.1 IP, 6 hits, 1 ER, 4 Ks, 1 BB) gave Boston exactly the type of ace start that they needed. Jhonny Peralta (2 doubles) provided the only run of the game on an RBI single that scored Victor Martinez in the sixth.

Benoit recorded the first out in the ninth before Daniel Nava blooped it into center field for what turned out to be Boston's lone hit. All the lights out pitching by the Tigers (17 Ks, 6 BBs) made this super intense and nearly four hours (3:56) because the Red Sox were basically doing the same thing.

Common sense says that tomorrow night's (8:07, Fox) game is a must-win for the Red Sox. They are at home where they play so well and they cannot afford to go to Detroit down 2-0 in the series. It could be another low-scoring game in Game 2 because Max Scherzer (he of 21 wins during the regular season) takes on Clay
Buchholz.

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Red Sox Win Their 1st AL East Crown Since 2007, 7th In Franchise History

Well that didn't take too long. Roughly 24 hours after they clinched a playoff spot, the Red Sox (94-61 overall, 52-27 home) wasted no time dispatching the hapless Blue Jays (70-83 overall, 32-43 away) 6-3 tonight at Fenway Park. Boston clinched its first AL East title in six seasons, the seventh in franchise history.

They remain 2.5 games up on Oakland for the best record in the AL so their hearty celebrations in the clubhouse and back on the field afterwards were well deserved especially after they didn't do anything following Thursday's victory over Baltimore.

There is plenty of work for the Red Sox to do in October in order to accomplish what is well within their grasp: an American League pennant and World Series title. Still, baseball is such an insane grind that it was nice to see them live in the moment for a second and enjoy their excellent regular season. As the last few seasons have shown, AL East (the best division in MLB) titles don't come around that often.

Jon Lester (15-8) set himself up to no question be the No. 1 starter when the playoffs roll around as he put together another stellar outing: seven innings, one earned run, five hits, eight strikeouts and two walks. Junichi Tazawa created a few scary moments when he gave up a two-run homer to Adam Lind in the eighth, cutting Boston's lead to 5-3. No worries, Koji Uehara would just be summoned for a five-out save.

Uehara allowed two hits (which is unheard of for him) and threw 26 pitches but he didn't allow a run and struck out two including Brett Lawrie to end it for his 20th save of the season. More than any other pitcher on the Red Sox, he earned the right to get the biggest out of the season (so far).

Boston's first two runs were gifts as Dustin Pedroia (3 hits, double) scored on a wild pitch in the first and Mike Carp (single) walked with the bases loaded in the second inning. Lawrie got the Jays on the board with an RBI single in the fifth but Boston added three in the seventh on David Ortiz's (run, two walks) RBI single and a two-run single by Carp. How good has Carp been?

With the big league hangovers that they're sure to all have this morning, it's best for the Red Sox that they don't have a game until tomorrow night (7:10, NESN). Clay Buchholz (11-0) faces Mark Buehrle (11-9), who Boston typically owns.

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Red Sox Sweep Yankees To Finish 13-6 vs. New York This Season; Magic Number Down To 4

The Red Sox have become a wagon in 2013 and the Yankees didn't stand a chance this weekend or most of the other times they met this season. Boston (92-59 overall, 50-25 home) won 9-2 over New York (79-71 overall, 35-40 away) tonight at Fenway Park and truthfully, it didn't even feel that close. The Red Sox swept the three-game series (outscoring them 22-7) from the Yankees and finished 13-6 vs. New York, their best record against them since 1973.

Mariano Rivera's cute retirement tour was well done with plenty of unique Fenway/Red Sox related items but Boston did all they could in these past three games to make sure that he'll never face them again. The Red Sox are a season-high 33 games over .500 with the best record in MLB. Their magic number to clinch the AL East is only four.

Clay Buchholz (11-0) went six innings, allowing one run (0 earned) on two hits with three strikeouts and four walks. OBP machine Daniel Nava went 4 for 5 with two doubles, a run and RBI. Mike Napoli set the tone with a two-run blast in the first inning off the back wall over the camera in center field, his 22nd homer of the season. David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with two RBIs, a run and walk. Dustin Pedroia (2 walks, 2 runs) had a two-run double and Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 3 with double, two runs and a walk.

Ivan Nova (8-5) was New York's best pitcher for a long stretch this season but he has been hit hard lately. In 4+ innings, he allowed five runs (4 earned) on six hits with four walks.

The regular season ends two weeks from today; Boston has six more games left on their final homestand of the regular season. They host the Orioles (79-70 overall, 3rd in AL East) beginning on Tuesday (7:10, NESN) at Fenway. After tomorrow's day off, the Red Sox send Ryan Dempster (8-9) to the mound on Tuesday vs. Scott Feldman (12-10). Wednesday (7:10, NESN) gives us Jake Peavy (11-5) against Wei-Yin Chen (7-7) and Thursday (7:10, NESN) wraps up with John Lackey (9-12) vs. Chris Tillman (16-6).

UPDATE 9/17: With Pawtucket's season over, the Red Sox added three more players to their already bloated roster: Steven Wright, Brock Holt and Brayan Villareal.

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Red Sox Become 1st Team To 90 Wins After 8-4 Triumph Over Yankees

We are still a couple weeks away from the postseason but I'm already struggling to find new ways to state that the Red Sox are having an incredible regular season and I hope you're enjoying it half as much as them. Each game brings new heroes and highlights plus bushy beards to tug on. Tonight Boston (90-59 overall, AL-best 45-28 at home) beat the Yankees (79-69 overall, 35-38 away) 8-4 in their series opener at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox are 11-6 against the Yankees with two games left in the regular season. It looked like it was going to be a blowout in the first inning as Boston piled up four runs on Hiroki Kuroda (11-11). A run scored on Mike Carp's ground out, Daniel Nava (2 hits, run) drove in a run with an RBI single and Stephen Drew doubled off the wall which scored two teammates.

Boston starter John Lackey allowed a solo homer to light-hitting Brendan Ryan (2 hits, 2 runs) in the third inning then Lyle Overbay's sacrifice fly in the sixth cut it to 3-2. Robinson Cano (4 for 4 with 3 doubles, run) tied it for the Yankees in the seventh with a two-run double.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia stepped up big time with the deciding play: a grand slam to right center field in the seventh inning. That proved to be the difference, his third career grand slam and 13th homer of the season.

Junichi Tazawa offered a glimpse of what he had been earlier in 2013: a 1-2-3 eighth inning on 10 pitches (9 strikes!). It wasn't a save situation, ugh, but closer supreme Koji Uehara still appeared and recorded his own 1-2-3 ninth inning on 9 pitches (8 strikes) which included a strikeout. I've never seen a Red sox closer or pitcher for that matter on this type of roll, it's amazing.

Dustin Pedroia (2 for 5 with run) continued to bat leadoff with Jacoby Ellsbury out indefinitely. In a matchup that feels like it's happened a bunch of times this season, tomorrow afternoon (1:05, NESN) Jon Lester (13-8) takes on C.C. Sabathia (13-12). Every game is life or death for New York because they are only two games behind Tampa Bay for the second AL Wild Card spot. The Red Sox might not be in it but the chase for the wild card is intense: Cleveland is half a game up on the Yankees, Baltimore is half a game behind New York and the Royals are 3.5 behind the Rays. Got it?

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Red Sox Outlast Rays 7-3 in 10 innings thanks to Carp's Pinch-Hit Grand Slam

Tune into a Red Sox game on almost any given day or night and odds are that this season you'll them do something spectacular. Tonight, Boston (89-58 overall, 42-33 away) beat Tampa Bay (78-66 overall, 44-28 home) 7-3 in 10 innings at Tropicana Field. Koji Uehara (4-0) set a team record as he has now retired 34 consecutive batters while ho hum Mike Carp cranked the first pinch-hit grand slam in extra innings in Red Sox history.

The win put Boston 9.5 games up on the Rays which means that the race for the AL East is all but officially over. It also helps that the Red Sox are 12-6 vs. Tampa Bay this season with just tomorrow night's game remaining in the regular season at least. Ryan Dempster (5 innings, 4 hits, 1 earned run, 5 walks, 7 strikeouts) was OK but the real story in terms of pitching for the Red Sox was Franklin Morales (1-2-3 6th), Uehara and Junichi Tazawa (scoreless 10th inning).

The Rays handed the Red Sox their first two runs in the third inning when Wil Myers bungled Mike Napoli's sinking liner into a two-run double. Daniel Nava's (2 hits) ground out scored David Ortiz (2 walks, 2 runs) to make it 3-0 good guys. David Dejesus got Tampa Bay on the board in the home half of the third with an RBI double. Evan Longoria (double, walk) cut it to 3-2 with an RBI double in the seventh and former Red Sox great James Loney tied it with a solo homer off Brandon Workman in the eighth.

Roberto Hernandez (don't call him Fausto Carmona) had the honor of giving up Carp's ninth home run of the season, which came on the first pitch he saw. Batting leadoff for the second straight game, Dustin Pedroia reached base three times (2 singles, walk, 2 runs). Boston has already clinched another series win and they continue to open up their lead on other AL contenders (5 more wins than Detroit and Oakland) for the best record in the league.

Jake Peavy (11-5) takes on Jeremy Hellickson (11-8) tomorrow (7:10, NESN) in the series finale. The Rays desperately need a win since they've gone 3-7 in their last 10 games and the Yankees have pulled within a game of their spot as the second AL Wild Card. What's more, the Indians and Orioles are only 1.5 games back and the Royals are just two games behind Tampa Bay.

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Red Sox Hang 20 Runs (!) On The Tigers Including A Franchise Record 8 Home Runs

How would the Red Sox respond a night after their best win of the season (2-1 over the Tigers)? How about by setting numerous club records in an absurd 20-4 beatdown at Fenway Park? Boston (84-57 overall, 47-25 home) took two of three from Detroit (81-59 overall, 37-32 away) and in the process won their MLB-best 29th series of the season. It gets better: they also went up 2.5 games on the Tigers for the best record in the American League.

Seven different guys hit homers for the Red Sox, including two by David Ortiz who was the man of the hour after notching his 2000th career hit. There were many crazy aspects to this historical victory (their largest margin of defeat in 10 years) but my favorite is that Boston ended the game by scoring the final 17 runs. That's right, they actually trailed 4-3 in the fourth before Ortiz tied it with a solo homer (his first roundtripper of the game) then the Red Sox never looked back.

It's hard to overshadow a grand slam but that's exactly what happened to Will Middlebrooks' four-run missle. Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Napoli had solo shots while Stephen Drew, Daniel Nava and Ryan Lavarnway cranked two-run bombs as Boston had eight homers (tying a team record from 1977). In six innings, Ryan Dempster (8-9) allowed four earned runs with seven strikeouts but that was long forgotten by the time he earned the win.

It got so bad that you almost bad for all the poor Tigers relievers forced to come in and getting absolutely destroyed. Haha just kidding, I loved every second and never wanted it to end. The Rays won last night and this evening to remain 5.5 games in back of the Red Sox.

I don't know how they've hung around but the Yankees (75-64 overall, 3rd in AL East) are one of the hottest teams in MLB. Boston gets a chance to really damage their playoff hopes with four games in the Bronx starting tomorrow night (7:10, NESN) with Jake Peavy (11-5) vs. Ivan Nova (8-4). Felix Doubront (10-6) takes on 95-year-old Andy Pettitte (10-9) on Friday (7:10, NESN). Both weekend games are 1:05 starts as John Lackey (8-12) faces David Huff (2-0) on Saturday and Jon Lester (13-8) meets Hiroki Kuroda (11-10) on Sunday.

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Tigers Completely Shut Down Red Sox 3-0 In Series Opener

John Lackey (8-12) continues to pitch very well this season but for whatever unexplainable reason, the Red Sox (82-57 overall, 45-25 home) can't ever seem to score many runs for him. This afternoon at Fenway Park, the Tigers (81-57 overall, 37-30 away) blanked Boston 3-0 thanks to seven shutout innings by Doug Fister (12-7) and just enough offense.

The Red Sox had their first two batters reach base in the first, second and seventh inning but they could never push any of them across thanks to some deft work by Fister (4 hits, 4 strikeouts, 4 walks). Lackey (7.1 innings, 3 earned runs, 7 hits, 5 strikeouts, 1 walk) matched Fister for a while but Andy Dirks broke the deadlock with an RBI triple in the seventh. Detroit scored a run on a double play but Lackey was able to escape further damage.

The Tigers had the bases loaded but after Matt Thornton relieved Lackey, all he allowed was Prince Fielder's sacrifice fly in the eighth that scored Austin Jackson (2 for 4, double, stolen base). Somehow the Tigers improved to 9-2 this season with no Miguel Cabrera in their lineup.

Daniel Nava's (3 for 3, 2 doubles, walk) excellent season continued but unfortunately, he had half of Boston's hits. Fireballer Bruce Rondon who hit 102 MPH struck out two in the eighth after Phil Coke got the first out then Jose Veras recorded a scoreless ninth inning for his 21st save of the season. That number is misleading since most of those saves came in Houston; now, he's only the closer in Detroit when Joaquin Benoit needs a break.

Expect another low-scoring pitcher's duel (kiss of death) tomorrow night (7:10, NESN) as Jon Lester (12-8) faces Max Scherzer (19-1).

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Jon Lester Looks Like An Ace Again: In A Pitcher's Park Against a Crappy Lineup

After losing three series in a row and going 3-7 in their last 10 games, not to mention holding on by the skin of their teeth (1 game lead on Tampa Bay) to first place in the AL East, tonight the Red Sox desperately needed a win. Jon Lester (11-7) delivered the goods with his best performance of the season (8.1 shutout innings, 6 hits, 3 strikeouts, 2 walks) as Boston (74-53 overall, 34-30 away) began a six-game road trip with a 7-0 pasting of the Giants (55-69 overall, 31-32 home) at AT&T Park. The Rays opened their pivotal series in Baltimore with a 4-3 win to remain one game back of the Red Sox.

The ghost of Tim Lincecum (6-13) stopped by for a little while (5 innings, 5 earned runs, 9 hits, 104 pitches) but he turned out to be an imposter with short hair and nothing but junk pitches in his arsenal. For whatever reason, he's not fooling anyone these days and Boston made him pay rather quickly for being no better than average. The Red Sox plated three runs in the second inning on Will Middlebrooks' sacrifice fly, Daniel Nava (3 hits, 2 runs, RBI, walk) scored on a wild pitch and Shane Victorino (3 hits) drove in Stephen Drew (2 hits) with an RBI single.

Drew added an RBI double in the fifth then Jacoby Ellsbury scored on another wild pitch (this time by reliever Guillermo Moscoso) in the sixth. Jarrod Saltalamacchia's (2 hits, 2 runs, walk) RBI double in the ninth and Nava's RBI single served to pad their stats. The Red Sox ended up with twice as many hits (12-6) as the Giants, who it's safe to say won't be winning their third World Series title in four seasons this fall.

John Farrell wanted Lester to get the complete game but he was lifted after allowing back-to-back singles with one out in the ninth and throwing 115 pitches. Brandon Workman came on to strike out the last two San Francisco batters to secure the shutout.

Tomorrow night (10:15, NESN) Jake Peavy (9-5) faces Ryan Vogelsong (2-4); Xander Bogaerts was called up today along with David Ross and both are expected to be in the lineup for the middle game. That would be the MLB debut for Boston's top positional prospect who has been tearing it up all summer at Portland (Double-A) and Pawtucket (Triple-A).

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Who Needs Timely Hits? Not The Red Sox In Another Frustrating Loss, 2-1 to Blue Jays

For most of the season, the Red Sox' patchwork lineup has been better than the sum of its not that impressive parts. However, that wasn't the case tonight in Toronto (56-65 overall, 31-32 home) as Boston (72-51 overall, 33-30 away) fell 2-1 to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The Red Sox lost the series (2-1) and as a result went 4-6 on this bumpy road trip through Houston, Kansas City and ending in Toronto. They head back to Fenway for the weekend before going away for six more games.

You might never see another game where a team has 11 hits and three walks yet they only score one run. Boston went 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position and they left an alarming 12 men on base. Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 5, Daniel Nava was 3 for 4 with two doubles and a run while Ryan Lavarnway went 2 for 4. Nobody on the Red Sox could get a key hit when it mattered though and Blue Jays closer Casey Janssen pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 22nd save of the season.

For the second time in three starts, Jake Peavy (9-5) pitched very well for Boston: 6+ innings, 2 earned runs, 5 hits, 4 strikeouts and 0 walks. On the other side, Mark Buehrle (9-7) wasn't fooling anyone but he kept getting out of trouble. In seven innings, he allowed 10 hits but only one earned run with four strikeouts and two walks.

Darren Oliver allowed a two-out double to Nava in the eighth then he walked Will Middlebrooks (not an easy thing to do) but he recovered by striking out Ellsbury to end Boston's last great threat.

Ellsbury drove in the only run for the Red Sox, a fielder's choice in the fourth inning, but even that illustrated their struggles all night: it happened with one out and runners on first and third.

Brett Lawrie tied it for Toronto in the seventh with an RBI single and Mark DeRosa's sacrifice fly turned out to be the difference. Boston was 9-5 vs. Toronto after Tuesday's 11-inning win but following back-to-back crushing losses, they settled for 9-7 vs. Blue Jays with three left at Fenway September 20-22.

With Boston's loss and Tampa Bay's win, the Rays pulled to within two games in the AL East. More troubling is the fact that they are now tied in the loss column so the Red Sox have played four more games than never-say-die Tampa Bay.

Alex Rodriguez's Circus featuring the Yankees (62-58 overall, 4th in AL East) pays a visit to Fenway for three games beginning with tomorrow night's matchup of Felix Doubront (8-5) vs. Andy Pettitte (7-9). The rivalry isn't what it once was but don't tell that to the network executives since they gave it the usual primetime treatment: John Lackey (7-10) faces Hiroki Kuroda (11-7) on Saturday afternoon (4:10, Fox) then Ryan Dempster (6-8) takes on C.C. Sabathia (10-10) in Sunday Night Baseball (8, ESPN).

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Another Game, Another Walk-Off Win (No. 11 of the season) for the Red Sox

As far as I know, tonight's incredible comeback win by the Red Sox occurred but for the life of me, I couldn't find a picture of it hence why I had to use a picture from Jake Peavy's press conference earlier in the day. Sorry! Boston (66-44 overall-season-high 22 games over .500, 37-20 home) was down 7-1 in the eighth and 7-2 in the ninth before mounting one of the craziest rallies you'll ever see in MLB. Daniel Nava (2 hits, double, run, walk) ended it with a walk-off single as the Red Sox beat the hapless Mariners (50-58 overall, 21-30 away) 8-7 at Fenway Park for a three-game sweep.

It was the 11th walk-off victory of the season for Boston which leads MLB (2 off their team record set way back in 1940) and is their most since 1978. Did I mention that they also have the most wins in MLB since the Pirates lost? I dare say that this is the most likable Red Sox team since 2004, care to disagree after they won in 15 innings and did this less than 24 hours apart?

For so many reasons, this will go down as one of the best wins of the season. Seattle had no business losing this game since Felix Hernandez (7 innings, 1 earned run, 6 hits, 8 strikeouts, 2 walks) shut Boston down and Ryan Dempster (6 innings, 7 earned runs, 9 hits, 6 strikeouts, 5 walks) got shelled. Things got so bad for Dempster-why did they sign him again?-that he gave up a grand slam to scrub backup catcher Henry Blanco in the fifth for a 7-1 Mariners lead.

Kyle Seager's (2 hits, 2 runs, walk, stolen base) bunt single scored a run in the first and Justin Smoak (2 hits, run, walk) drove in another with an RBI single in the third. Boston got a run in the home half of the third on David Ortiz's sacrifice fly but nobody could have predicted what happened in the eighth and ninth. Kendry Morales' (4 hits, run) RBI single preceded Blanco's grand slam over the Monster.

Victorino's solo homer in the eighth was his sixth of the season, cutting it to 7-2. The Mariners couldn't have choked worse in the ninth: it started with closer Tom Wilhelmsen (4 earned runs) failing to get anyone out (closers are useless in non-save situations) and extended to interim manager Robbie Thompson (Eric Wedge had a minor stroke last week) bringing in the wrong reliever (Oliver Perez).

Brock Holt started the comeback with an RBI double in the ninth and Victorino greeted Perez with a two-run single. Dustin Pedroia brought the Red Sox within one thanks to an RBI single and Jonny Gomes (who made a diving catch earlier then had an outfield assist in the same inning) tied it with an RBI single of his own. By the time Nava came up with the bases loaded and one out, you knew it was over.

Steven Wright (2-0) earned the improbable win with three scoreless innings of relief. The knuckleballer only allowed two hits and struck out two on the same day that he was recalled. It's been that kind of season for Boston, everyone is positively contributing. Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 4 with two runs, a double and walk. Even Ryan Lavarnway was 2 for 4 with a run.

Boston gets another taste of interleague play with Arizona (55-53 overall, 2nd in NL West) coming to Fenway for three games this weekend. Say hi to the cheerful Cody Ross for me! Jon Lester (10-6) faces Randall Delgado (3-3) tomorrow night (7:10, NESN), Peavy makes his Red Sox debut on Saturday night (7:10, NESN) vs. rookie sensation Patrick Corbin (12-2) and Felix Doubront (7-5) wraps it up Sunday afternoon (1:35, NESN) vs. Brandon McCarthy (2-4).

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