Thanks for Everything, Big Papi

Clearly everyone that calls themselves a sportswriter, blogger, reporter, author etc in New England (or with ties to these six wonderful states) has chimed in with the token David Ortiz farewell piece at this point since he announced his retirement last winter. Still, seeing him officially play his final game ever for the Red Sox tonight at Fenway Park (that sounds so weird to say) as they were swept by the Indians in the 2016 ALDS, I couldn't help but feel like I should chime in with a few thoughts of my own.

Like a great song, album, TV show or movie, the best athletes and teams always have a special way to transfer us back to a unique time in both their careers and as a fan, in our own collective minds. Big Papi anonymously joined Boston in 2003 (which seems like a lifetime ago) and by now, he's carved out his place not only in Boston sports history-as the most clutch Red Sox ever-but in MLB as well. Name another pro athlete that is more universally beloved, I'll wait. For a sport that is all about individual accomplishments not to mention filled with too many hardos and rednecks, Ortiz was always a breath of fresh air with an enormous smile permanently etched on his face.

He was the best Red Sox in my lifetime and I feel confident in saying that sadly we'll never see another player like him (for many reasons). For a native of the Dominican Republic, he reached such a mythical level that he basically became a member of all our extended families. He appealed to every age (from children to grandparents) and demographic (rich or poor) and while he was larger than life on the field (especially in the unbelievable postseason performances), he still seemed like an actual human being as he won three World Series titles in Boston (2004, 2007, 2013).

The dream scenario was obviously to see him go out on top once again but it wasn't to be. Such is life. However, nothing will ever diminish all the sheer joy and fun that he brought to our lives for the last 13 years. We can only hope that he sticks around the Red Sox in the future with a front-office job. He has become such a part of the fabric of this region that it would be a shame to see him move elsewhere. I won't rattle off the best moments in his Red Sox career since they're so widely known but at the same time, we all have our own memories of him that are singularly important to us. In short, he was everything to everyone and that's why there will never be another David Ortiz.

You are the best, Big Papi. You will always hold a special place in all of our hearts, forever. Don't be a stranger!

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Red Sox Experience a Perfect 2015 Home Opener vs. Nationals Including a 9-4 Win

Even the most negative Red Sox fan (which are few and far between these days) would have a hard time complaining about anything that transpired on Monday afternoon at Fenway Park. Boston (5-2 overall) pounded Washington (2-5 overall, 1-3 away) 9-4 in the 2015 home opener that featured a moving pregame ceremony with my man Pete Frates and Jane Richards among others. Oh and did I mention that it was 70 degrees and sunny without a cloud in the blue sky? The fact that it was my first ever home opener made it extra special too, if I'm smart I should probably never attend another one since I doubt that this one can be topped.

Once the game started, Red Sox rookie center field and leadoff hitter Mookie Betts was the unquestioned star. He robbed Bryce Harper of a possible two-run homer in the first inning, roped a three-run homer (2nd of the season) over the Monster in the second (for a 4-0 Boston lead) and also stole two bases on one play then added an infield single that opened it up to 7-0. Rick Porcello (1-0) picked up his first career win for Boston with an eight-inning effort: four runs (three earned), on four hits with six strikeouts and a walk.

The Nationals have gotten plenty of hype but so far in the very early going of this season, I couldn't tell you why. For some reason, they played like they didn't want to be there. They dropped two pop-ups that would make average Little Leaguers weep. Jordan Zimmermann (1-1) was charged with eight runs (seven earned) in 2.1 disastrous innings. The only real offense that they could mount was a solo homer by Ryan Zimmerman in the fifth inning and Danny Espinosa's homer to right center.

As most expected, the Red Sox lineup looks dangerous and versatile. David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with solo homer and RBI single and Pablo Sandoval was 2 for 4 with a run. Xander Bogaerts continued to be on fire, going 2 for 3 with two runs, RBI and a walk. Finally, Sandy Leon was 3 for 4 with run and RBI against his former club that traded him to Boston a few weeks ago in Spring Training.

It wouldn't be part of the full Hanley Ramirez experience if we didn't worry about an injury barely a week into the regular season. He left in the sixth inning after fouling a ball right off his foot, ouch! We can only hope that it's not too serious since he's been known to miss weeks for numerous injuries in the past few years.

Tomorrow night's game is a weird start time (6:10, NESN) and it features Justin Masterson (1-0) making his return to Fenway vs. Stephen Strasburg (0-1) who hasn't looked right for years.

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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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Anthony Ranudo Earns Win in MLB Debut, New Look Red Sox Beat Yankees 4-3

Even with Yoenis Cespedes on the bench (his flight from Oakland arrived late this afternoon in Boston), I have to say that I looked forward to tonight's Red Sox (49-60 overall, 27-29 home) game as much as any others that I can remember from this very forgettable season. Seeing a team that was basically half Pawtucket Red Sox beat the Yankees (55-53 overall, 30-27 away) 4-3 at Fenway Park was pretty gratifying. Anthony Ranaudo (1-0) made his MLB debut and it was a good one: 6 innings, 2 earned runs, 4 hits, 2 strikeouts, 4 walks.

Former Red Sox Chris Capuano (1-2) got the start for New York and he continued to prove that he's nothing special at this stage in his overachieving career. They will probably lose a bunch of games from here on out but I'll give the Red Sox credit for addressing many (who needs pitching?) problems facing the team. You hear all the clichés but it really was cool to see new faces like Allen Craig (1st hit for Boston-a double) blend with youngsters such as Mookie Betts and Will Middlebrooks who are trying to win everyday jobs for next season.

Brock Holt tripled and Dustin Pedroia (2 for 4 w/run) drove him in with an RBI double in the third inning. David Ortiz knocked in Pedroia with an RBI single for a 2-0. Carlos Beltran cut New York's deficit in half with a solo homer in the fourth inning-his 13th of the season. Middlebrooks doubled in the fourth
and David Ross delivered an RBI single that ended with him limping off the field. Clearly his foot is in rough shape so he should be out for a while (DL?).

Beltran came through again with an RBI double in the sixth that scored another former Red Sox-Jacoby Ellsbury. Dustin Pedroia's RBI single in the 7th turned out to be the insurance that Boston needed as Derek Jeter hit a solo homer over the Monster in the eighth.

Another PawSox Tommy Layne pitched a 1-2-3 7th and Junichi Tazawa surrendered the homer to Jeter before Koji Uehara locked it down with a 1-2-3 9th (1 strikeout/13 total pitches) for his 22nd save of the season.

It's another wretched (at least on paper) pitching matchup tomorrow afternoon (4:05, NESN): Allen Webster (1-0) vs. Shane Greene (3-10). Did I mention that it's supposed to rain all day? So yeah, might want to skip out on the tickets that you know your friends, family and co-workers will be trying to dump on you.

UPDATE 8/2: The Red Sox sent Ranaudo back to Pawtucket (womp womp) and added Joe Kelly to the active roster. Additionally, Ross went on the DL and the Red Sox called up catcher Dan Butler from the PawSox. Finally, Yoenis Cespedes is in the lineup this afternoon and playing left field in his Red Sox debut.

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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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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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Are You Not Entertained? Another Day, Another Walk-Off Win for the Red Sox

At this rate, we can only conclude that A.J. Pierzynski is the anti-Christ while Dan Shaughnessy puts together his newest classic: "The Curse of A.J." The Red Sox improved to 2-0 in the post-Pierzynski era (that has a nice ring to it) and both came in walk-off fashion vs. the White Sox' dogshit bullpen. This afternoon on a perfect summer day at Fenway Park, Boston (41-51 overall, 23-26 home) came away with a 4-3 win in 10 innings thanks to Mike Carp's RBI single that scored Daniel Nava.

In the home finale before the All-Star break, the Red Sox earned a split of the four-game series with the White Sox and built some momentum (what a concept!) heading into the last series of the unofficial first half: three games in Houston.

I'm not Jon Lester's agent, though I wish I was with the dump trucks of money soon coming his way, but this game served as a perfect example of why Boston would be crazy to let him go either in free agency or via trade. He's pitching as well as he ever has in the regular season. It went down as a no-decision but he was brilliant, going seven innings and allowing one earned run on seven hits with 12 strikeouts and no walks. His ERA is down to 2.65.

Boston had more runs than total hits (3), so how did they come out on top? Well Chicago was 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base, sound familiar? White Sox starter Jose Quintana (7 innings, 3 earned runs, 2 hits, 7 strikeouts, 2 walks) pitched well too but for the second game in a row, Chicago's pathetic relievers blew it.

Jose Abreu (2 for 4, walk, stolen base)-who is a lock to be AL Rookie of the Year now that Masahiro Tanaka is on the DL-made it 1-0 with an RBI double in the first that scored Adam Eaton (3 for 5). Quintana was working on a perfect game until the sixth when Boston tied it on Jackie Bradley Jr.'s RBI single and went ahead 3-1 on David Ortiz's two-run double off the Green Monster.

That looked to be enough for the Red Sox as Junichi Tazawa worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning with two strikeouts. Koji Uehara couldn't nail down the save though as pinch-hitter Conor Gillaspie took him deep for a two-run bomb wrapped around Pesky's Pole. Alexei Ramirez was 3 for 5 with a double, run and stolen base in the loss for Chicago.

No worries, Nava led off the bottom of the tenth with a walk then Mookie Betts sacrificed him over with a bunt. After Stephen Drew was intentionally walked, Carp (pinch hitting for David Ross) delivered with an opposite field single to left that scored Nava. Andrew Miller (3-5) had worked around a single and intentional walk to Abreu to survive the top of the frame.

I'm still not used to having the Astros (39-54 overall, 4th in AL West) in the AL (change is hard!) because I wanted to call this an interleague series. By looking at their record, you'd think Houston is awful and I suppose that yes they still are really bad. The difference is that now they have young stars like Dallas Kuechel and UConn's George Springer doing their thing in H-Town.

The two Texas starters on the Red Sox get outings in their home state-shoutout to Brandon Workman toiling away in Pawtucket!-as John Lackey (9-6) faces Scott Feldman (4-5) tomorrow night (8:10, NESN) in the series opener. Clay Buchholz (3-5) takes on Collin McHugh (4-8) on Saturday afternoon (4:10, NESN) then the jets will be lined up on the runway Sunday afternoon (2:10, NESN) when TBA opposes Houston's Jarred Cosart (9-6). After that, John Farrell, his coaching staff, Lester and Uehara will head to Minnesota for the Midsummer Classic while everyone else scatters around the country with four glorious days off in a row.

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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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For Now, Jon Lester is the Only Red Sox Going to the 2014 MLB All-Star Game

I think the best way to sum up Boston's miserable first half was revealed tonight as they only have one player-Jon Lester-headed to Minnesota next week for the 2014 MLB All-Star Game. It is almost impossible to have it like that since the Red Sox are coming off a World Series title, in a big market with multiple superstars and don't forget that manager John Farrell is in charge of the American League.

Whatever his motivation-playing for a new beefy contract is the easy theory-Lester has been great from Opening Day: 9-7 in 18 starts, 122 innings, 122 strikeouts/29 walks, 1.15 WHIP, .242 BAA (batting average against) and 2.73 ERA.

There are always injury replacements since the game is still more than a week away (next Tuesday) so stay tuned on that front. Boston has one player who is regarded as the first alternate-Koji Uehara (4-2, 18 saves, 52 strikeouts/6 walks, 0.74 WHIP and 1.30 ERA)-as far as pitchers go. Him and Lester have been the only two guys on the Red Sox to maintain or even improve their performance level from 2013. It's easy to see him getting moved in the next few weeks should Boston continue to sink like a stone in the AL (they have the exact same record as the Mets and Padres).

Apparently David Ortiz (19 home runs, 55 RBIs, .261 AVG, .361 OBP, .494 SLG) turned down a chance to join the AL team in favor of Farrell taking younger DHs having better seasons (Nelson Cruz, Victor Martinez and Edwin Encarnacion although he's hurt) than him. That makes for a nice story, oh look how unselfish Big Papi is being, but the truth is that he probably just wants an extra break after this rocky first half.

Dustin Pedroia (4 home runs, 32 RBIs, .284, .354 OBP, .387 SLG) has heated up lately but he hasn't played like himself for most of the first half. Therefore his spot isn't automatic every year since there are some good second baseman in the AL (Robinson Cano and Jose Altuve) and thankfully the fans realized this.

There isn't even a Red Sox in the running for the final spot in the AL, five players from other teams will do the honors. I'm guessing the home field advantage for the World Series won't play quite as big a role for this edition of Boston compared to last season. With four days off in a row next week, you have to believe that GM Ben Cherington begins to blow this awful team up. Otherwise, what are they doing here?

UPDATE 7/9: Red Sox designated A.J. Pierzynski for assignment today (yes!) and called up Christian Vazquez who is making his MLB debut. Also, Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka went on the DL with an elbow injury so Uehara is going to the All-Star Game after all. That's cool and well deserved for him, especially since he's never been before.

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Red Sox Fall a Season-High 10 Games Under .500, Drop Into AL East Basement

Like a car crash or late night porn on HBO, I have to admit that I can't help but intently watch the Red Sox even when their season becomes more and more over by the day. This afternoon, Boston (39-49 overall, 21-24 home) lost 7-6 to Baltimore (48-40 overall, 25-19 away) in 12 innings (5 hours and 5 minutes!) at Fenway Park. The Orioles clinched the series and went up nine games on the Red Sox who also find themselves in last place in the AL East after Tampa Bay won at Detroit.

How can the defending World Series champs that didn't lose anyone of real importance besides Jacoby Ellsbury and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (and that's stretching it) get this bad seemingly overnight? The easiest explanation is that Boston's offense is terrible which is totally true. There are rare occasions like this though where they score enough runs but the pitching stinks. It sounds simple but they can never get those two facets going at the same time. Plus their defense is spotty and baserunning could be described as incredibly poor.

The O's built a 6-1 lead in the seventh inning before the Sox battled back to tie it in the home half of the frame. After four scoreless innings, J.J. Hardy (2 for 4, run, walk, 3 RBIs) knocked in David Lough-who had tripled-with the winning run. Brad Brach (4-0) cruised through three innings of relief to earn the win and closer Zach Britton worked around a single and struck out two for his 14th save of the season.

It's easy to dump on him since he's close to being washed up and had many clunkers this season but lately, Jake Peavy (6 innings, 6 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts) has been the victim of virtually no help from his teammates. On a good team, he could have some value particularly in the JV NL so look for him to get traded before the deadline (July 31).

Orioles youngster Kevin Gausman (5.1 innings, 4 hits, 1 earned run, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts) is still very raw but with his stuff, he has the potential to be a top of the line starter which is what Baltimore still lacks. The O's led 2-0 after an error on Xander Bogaerts (2 for 5, run, RBI) in the fourth and sacrifice fly by Caleb Joseph in the sixth inning.

David Ortiz (4 for 5 with double, walk, 2 RBIs) cut it to 2-1 with an RBI single in the sixth. Baltimore put up four runs in the seventh as Nelson Cruz (3 for 6, 2 runs, double) had an RBI single, Hardy's single scored two and Ryan Flaherty's (2 for 4, walk) RBI single made it 6-1 Orioles. All-Star Adam Jones was 2 for 5 with a run and walk in the win for Baltimore.

Surprisingly enough, David Ross' solo homer (his 5th of the season) got the rally started for Boston then Bogaerts, Daniel Nava, Ortiz and Napoli kept the line moving with RBI singles of their own. Dustin Pedroia can't get extra base hits anymore but his batting average is rapidly climbing (3 for 6) with all those singles. Jackie Bradley Jr. (2 for 4 with run, walk) might have put together his best game of the season as he made a spectacular diving catch at the wall then also threw out Manny Machado at home on another play (he would have been credited with a second assist if Ross could have held onto a throw).

Losses like this are brutal for many reasons, foremost on the list is that Boston burned six relievers so you know a few of them won't be available tomorrow namely Koji Uehara (2 scoreless innings, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout). Boston has two more series, seven games in total (4 at Fenway, 3 in Houston) before the All-Star break officially starts a week from tomorrow.

The White Sox (42-47, 4th in AL Central) visit with Clay Buchholz (3-4) facing rookie Scott Carroll (2-5) tomorrow night (7:10, NESN), Brandon Workman (1-2) gets John Danks (7-6) on Tuesday (7:10), most likely Rubby De La Rosa will be recalled to take on Chris Sale (8-1) Wednesday (7:10, NESN) then Jon Lester (9-7) meets Jose Quintana (5-7) on Thursday afternoon (4:05, NESN). Chicago is similarly blah but at least you can see Sale (who is up for the final AL All-Star spot) and slugger Jose Abreu who is tied for MLB lead with 27 home runs.

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Red Sox Sweep a 3-Game Series With Twins By Scoring 5 Total Runs

It was a complete grind, from the first inning on Monday night until the 10th inning this afternoon but the Red Sox somehow managed to sweep the Twins thanks to a thrilling 2-1 victory at Fenway Park in 10 innings. For the first time in franchise history, Boston (34-38 overall, 20-19 home) hit back-to-back homers in extra innings. David Ortiz tied it with his 16th of the season then Mike Napoli followed with a blast to center that just got out for his seventh of the season and ended it.

I can't ever recall a team playing worse offensively in a series than what Minnesota (32-38 overall, 17-21 away) turned in this week. After getting shut out on Monday, they managed only single runs on Tuesday and today. Red Sox fans were treated to a perfect baseball game: 86 degrees, 1:35 p.m. start and it only went 2 hours and 31 minutes. The win pulled Boston four games under .500 and just four games back in the Wild Card (yes it's mid-June) which makes me puke but hey, it's progress (5-2 homestand).

John Lackey was superb again, he went nine shutout innings, allowing only three hits with nine strikeouts and one walk. For whatever reason, Boston can never seem to score runs when he's on the mound this season similar to what happened with Jon Lester a few seasons ago. Lackey didn't factor into the decision but his ERA dipped to 2.96. I never thought I'd say this but he deserves to be an All-Star if he keeps this up.

Coming into a scoreless game in the 10th proved to be Koji Uehara's (2-1) kryptonite: he allowed a solo homer for the immortal Chris Parmelee (3 for 4). What made it even more strange is that he got the first two outs including a strikeout before Parmelee took him deep to right field. So he probably didn't deserve the win based on today's performance but call it a gift from his otherwise flawless campaign.

Twins youngster Kyle Gibson pitched about as well he you can if you're not named Clayton Kershaw. In seven innings, he allowed only one hit with eight strikeouts and no walks. I have no clue why Minnesota didn't use their solid closer Glen Perkins in the tenth when they had the 1-0 lead. He hadn't worked the last few nights but instead, Casey Fien (3-4) turned into the sacrificial lamb who allowed both bombs.

The Red Sox won't play at Fenway again until June 30 vs. Cubs. Before that, they have a grueling 10-game road trip covering Oakland (4 games), Seattle (3 games) and New York (3 games). All three of those teams are over .500 (yes even the Mariners) while the A's (44-28) have the best record in baseball and look the part. Boston took two of three at home against Oakland in the beginning of May but I feel like they always struggle on the West Coast.

Jake Peavy (1-4) faces Scott Kazmir (8-2, seriously) tomorrow night (10:05, NESN), Felix Doubront (2-4) returns on Friday (10:05, NESN) to face Jesse Chavez (6-4), Rubby De La Rosa (2-2) takes on Brad Mills (0-0) who makes his A's debut on Saturday afternoon (4:05, NESN) and Jon Lester (8-7) closes it out on Sunday afternoon (4:05, NESN) vs. Tommy Milone (5-3).

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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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David Ortiz Saves the Day For the Millionth Time in His Red Sox Career

We all know that there currently is little reason to tune into Red Sox games. Still, once again David Ortiz proved to be must-watch TV whenever he steps to the plate. Boston (28-34 overall, 13-17 away) was headed to its sixth straight loss at Detroit's (33-26 overall, 16-15 home) Comerica Park until Ortiz connected for a go-ahead three-run bomb (his 14th of the season and 445th of his career) against former overhyped Yankee Joba Chamberlain (1-3). Joba rules got to be the Tigers closer for a night since Joe Nathan has been a mess this season.

They can't be too worried about the standings yet, however it should be noted that the Red Sox gained a game on all four of the other teams in the AL East since they all lost earlier in the day. Boston finally found a way to beat Detroit after starting 0-5 against everyone's pick to win the American League in 2014 (ever hear of Oakland?). It was the 27th game-tying or go-ahead hit in the ninth inning or later for Ortiz on Boston, the 16th that was a homer.

Ortiz will receive all the credit but a couple other guys kept the Red Sox in it, laying the foundation for his almost routine heroics (we are so spoiled). John Lackey (8 innings, 3 runs, 2 earned, 7 hits, 5 strikeouts, 1 walk) is still Boston's best starting pitcher while Brock Holt (4 for 5 with a triple and run) has morphed into Pedro Ciriaco circa 2012 (let's hope the team's season is a little different). Meanwhile, Mike Napoli returned with a bang: 3 for 4 with a solo homer in the sixth that tied it at two (his sixth of the season) and his first stolen base of the season. Oh and Koji Uehara pitched a 1-2-3 ninth on 13 pitches for his 12th save of the season, haha his ERA is 0.68 so I guess 2013 wasn't a complete fluke.

Dustin Pedroia gave his team a 1-0 lead in the third with a sacrifice fly. After that, Anibal Sanchez (6 innings, 2 earned runs, 6 hits, 7 strikeouts, 2 walks) kept the Red Sox in check except for Napoli's blast to right field. Tigers rookie shortstop Eugenio Suarez (great name) provided a boost with RBI singles in the third and seventh inning. Victor Martinez put Detroit up 2-1 in the fourth with an RBI single. The greatest hitter of his generation-Miguel Cabrera-was 2 for 3 with a double and run before he tapped out in the sixth with a tight hamstring. It's too much to ask for him to be in shape I guess, at least as far as we know he's not a drunk anymore.

This victory means nothing if the Red Sox can't build up some positive momentum. They have been so schizophrenic: losing 10 games in a row, winning seven and dropping the last five before tonight's Sunday Night Baseball. Here's an idea: be more consistent. Toronto (38-26) looks like the team to beat this season in the AL East while Baltimore (31-30) and New York (31-31) are the epitome of average. Tampa Bay (24-40) is the one team I think that you can completely write off in the division, assuming you haven't done that already with Boston.

The Red Sox can chip away at their 3.5 game gap behind the Orioles beginning tomorrow night (7:05, NESN) at Camden Yards. Boston plays three games against Baltimore, the Red Sox are 4-3 so far in 2014 against the O's. Jake Peavy (1-3) faces Bud Norris (4-5) in the opener, Brandon Workman (0-0) opposes Chris Tillman (5-2) on Tuesday (7:05, NESN) and Rubby De La Rosa (1-1) takes on Wei-Yin Chen (6-2) on Wednesday (7:05, NESN) in the series finale.

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Happy Memorial Day from the Red Sox

As you would expect, the Red Sox' first win in nearly two weeks (May 14 at Minnesota, same night the Bruins were eliminated by the Canadiens) couldn't be simple and straight forward. Nope, their 8-6 win over the Braves on Memorial Day afternoon at Turner Field in the series opener had to include a rain delay that was one hour and 26 minutes long. The game itself was wacky enough as Boston (21-29 overall, 11-12 away) trailed Atlanta (28-22 overall, 18-11 home) 6-1 after four innings as they rallied to snap a 10-game losing streak.

The two biggest hits for the Red Sox were provided by none other than Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz in the fifth inning. Pedroia roped a two-run single then Ortiz crushed a three-run bomb to left center, his team-leading 12th of the season. Boston went ahead for good with a pair of runs in the seventh on Ortiz's sacrifice fly and an RBI single by A.J. Pierzynski.

Due to Clay Buchholz (8 walks) leaving after only three plus innings, in addition to the rain delay, Boston needed six relievers to piece it together but somehow they managed to pull it off. Burke Badenhop allowed two inherited runners from Buchholz's mess to score but got all three outs in the fourth, Chris Capuano had a scoreless fifth with one strikeout, Edward Mujica (2-1) pitched a scoreless sixth for the win, Junichi Tazawa had a 1-2-3 7th, Andrew Miller picked up his second hold with a scoreless eighth then Koji Uehara notched his tenth save in only eight pitches.

Boston had scored first, on Jackie Bradley's sacrifice fly in the third but Atlanta put up three runs in both the third and fourth innings. Justin Upton had a two-run double in the third and Gerald Laird notched an RBI single. The Upton brothers (don't forget that jackass B.J.) both had RBI doubles in the fourth and Andrelton Simmons closed out their scoring with an RBI single.

Jon Lester (4-6) faces Aaron Harang (4-4) tomorrow night (7:10, NESN) in the pseudo series finale as the Braves come (back) to Boston for two more games starting on Wednesday. Cool schedule right?

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Cue the Duckboats, Red Sox Finally Reach .500 Mark Again In 2014!

You know what they say, the ninth time is always the charm. Haha that's how many times it took the Red Sox to reach the .500 mark this season after they went 0-8 when they were one game under .500 following the first couple days. Boston (17-17 overall, 10-11 home) also picked up their first sweep of 2014 as they beat Cincinnati (15-18 overall, 7-11 away) 4-3 tonight at Fenway Park. Granted it was only a two-game set against a banged up and mediocre National League team but the Red Sox will take it and hopefully now they won't look back so they'll continue to climb the standings both in the AL East and AL as a whole.

It was a nice win for the home team for reasons other than what I just led with; they also rallied from two different deficits to come out on top. Skip Schumaker gave the Reds a 2-0 lead with a two-run bomb in the third. It was only the 26th home run of his 10-year MLB career.

Boston tied it in the sixth with a pair of runs on David Ortiz's (2 for 4) RBI single and Mike Napoli's (run, walk) RBI double. Both starting pitchers pitched pretty decently but neither factored into the decision: Mike Leake went seven innings for Cincinnati, allowing two earned runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks while Jake Peavy went six innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and four walks.

The Reds took a 3-2 lead in the seventh on a ground out but the Red Sox answered once again with two runs in the eighth. A.J. Pierzynski (2 for 3, walk) sliced a ground-rule RBI double into the right field stands by the Pesky Pole and Will Middlebrooks followed with one of the bigger hits of his young career-an RBI single.

Boston's bullpen was superb with every guy doing his job: Chris Capuano (1 out), Burke Badenhop (2 outs) and Craig Breslow (2-0; scoreless eighth) paved the way for Koji Uehara's first 1-2-3 inning since April 9. Oh by the way, his eighth save of the season was completed by striking out the side.

The Red Sox get their second off day in the last four days (when does that ever happen without a rain out?) before they go to Texas (17-17 overall, 3rd in AL West) for three this weekend then three in Minnesota (15-17 overall, 4th in AL Central). Boston's next game at Fenway isn't until Friday, May 16 vs. Detroit. Boston always seems to struggle in Texas but at least on paper their pitching matchups look OK: Clay Buchholz (2-2) vs. Yu Darvish (2-1) on Friday (8:05), Jon Lester (3-4) vs. Martin Perez (4-2) on Saturday (8:05, NESN) and John Lackey (4-2) takes on Robbie Ross (1-3) Sunday afternoon (3:05, NESN).

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For Once, The Rays Don't Look Like Much of a Threat in the AL East

Due to major injuries to starting pitchers Matt Moore and Alex Cobb, the Rays are a bit of a mess at the moment. Since manager Joe Maddon took over in Tampa Bay (11-16 overall, 4-9 away) I have always been in awe of what they can do with tight pockets and few fans. Honestly, I have feared the Rays more than the Yankees in recent history since they usually seem to give the Red Sox fits.

However, this season could be a bit of a trip back to their shitty Devil Rays past as Boston (13-14 overall, 6-8 home) beat them 7-4 tonight at Fenway Park in their first (of 19) meeting of the season. John Lackey (4-2) had his second straight really good outing that lasted eight innings (2 earned runs, 6 hits, 5 strikeouts, 1 walk). It was actually 7-2 in the ninth before the Rays scored two runs on an infield single by Yunel Escobar and throwing error by Xander Bogaerts.

With one runner on base, Red Sox manager John Farrell made the curious decision to put in closer Koji Uehara. Still, he struck out Ben Zobrist on three pitches to end it for his sixth save of the season. Other than Lackey, Shane Victorino (4 for 4, double, 2 RBIs) was the main attraction. We know that he can't do it for a full season anymore but he is certainly valuable when Boston can get him on the field.

Former Red Sox great Erik Bedard got the start and actually only allowed one run but in typical fashion he threw way too many pitches (104) in just five innings. That meant that Boston did their damage vs. Tampa Bay's crappy middle relievers. Victorino had driven in Boston's first run in the fifth with a sacrifice fly which is what Evan Longoria answered with in the next frame. For once, the Red Sox hung a crooked number (5) on the scoreboard in the sixth. A.J. Pierzynski (2 for 4, run) started it with an RBI single then Will Middlebrooks, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Victorino knocked in a combined four runs with doubles.

Andover's Ryan Hanigan cut it to 6-2 in the seventh with an RBI single but David Ortiz regained the five-run advantage with an RBI single in the eighth. Tomorrow (7:10, NESN) is the sixth time that Boston can get back to the .500 mark in April (they've failed the previous five occasions) as Felix Doubront (1-3) fights for his job against Chris Archer (2-1). There are three Game 7s in the NHL tomorrow night so if you can focus primarily on this contest then you are a very sick person.

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Red Sox Win Ugly Game in Gross Way: Walk-Off Error

You are excused if you either didn't watch the Red Sox-Orioles game tonight or at least changed it after Boston went down 5-0 in the sixth inning. Who could have predicted that Boston (9-10 overall, 4-5 home) would rally for a wild 6-5 win at Fenway Park over bumbling Baltimore (8-9 overall, 4-5 away)?

It was tied at five in the bottom of the ninth when Mike Carp lined out to left but David Lough made a terrible relay throw and third baseman Jonathan Schoop ran from the ball like it was a grenade. The bottom line was that Dustin Pedroia scored the winning run as Boston escaped with an improbable 6-5 victory. The best part for all involved (players, fans, media) is that it didn't go to extra innings since Marathon Monday is tomorrow with its customary 11 a.m. start time.

The Jake Peavy of late 2013 made the start and Baltimore scored three in the first inning on a homer by Nelson Cruz (his third of the season, all against Boston), Matt Wieters had an RBI single and J.J. Hardy added a run with a sacrifice fly. Things got worse as Lough had an RBI double in the fifth and Adam Jones (4 hits, double, run) made it 5-0 with a run-scoring single.

For a while, Ubaldo Jimenez looked pretty good but then he remembered how much he always struggles against the Red Sox. Jonny Gomes started the comeback with a three-run bomb in the sixth (his second of the season) and David Ortiz cut it to 5-4 with an RBI single in the seventh. The tying run scored on a fielder's choice by Mike Napoli. Speaking of Nap, he got drilled right on the kneecap in the ninth but somehow stayed in the game on a cold night. Props to him, that had to kill. Coupled with his mangled finger, this hasn't been the best week of his life by any means.

It was a tough night for Lough, he actually was unwittingly Baltimore's last out as he struck out against Edward Mujica (the only batter he faced). For those four pitches, Mujica picked up his first win as a Red Sox (1-1). Boston has won the last two games after dropping Friday's series opener; they'll go for the series win this afternoon as Clay Buchholz (0-1) looks for his first victory of the season against Wei-Yin Chen (2-1).

It should be an emotional day at Fenway with the Boston Marathon going on in the background. Patriot's Day is always a special time in Boston and this year in particular with last year's bombings fresh in our minds should be particularly meaningful. The Red Sox did a great job with a touching pregame ceremony before tonight's contest. Expect more stuff tomorrow dedicated to the victims, first responders and runners.

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He's Still the Same David Ortiz

It's hard to call any MLB game before say late August a must-win but it was clear that the Red Sox needed a jolt of life after scuffling through the first week plus of the 2014 regular season. Obviously David Ortiz (double) would be the one to deliver them out of their funk as he crushed a go-ahead three-run homer (his second roundtripper of the season) around Pesky's Pole in the eighth to spark a 4-2 win Boston this afternoon at Fenway Park vs. Texas.

The Red Sox (4-5 overall, 2-4 home) were able to take two of three from the Rangers (4-5 overall, 2-4 away) who are understandably a shell of themselves with the litany of injuries that they have already suffered in spring training and early on this season. Ortiz's usual heroics saved what had been a really solid outing by Jake Peavy (6.2 innings, 1 earned run, 3 hits, 8 strikeouts, 4 walks) that looked like it would be wasted.

Boston held a 1-0 lead on Dustin Pedroia's infield single and throwing error by the Rangers starting pitcher Robbie Ross in the third inning. Mitch Moreland tied it for Texas with a solo homer into a bullpen in the seventh then Alex Rios put them up 2-1 with a sacrifice fly in the eighth. The teams combined for nine hits as reliever turned spot starter Ross was effectively wild (5.1 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 4 strikeouts, 6 walks).

Andrew Miller (1-0) allowed the run to Texas in the eighth but he still "earned" the win. Koji Uehara pitched a 1-2-3 ninth on 11 pitches including a strikeout for his second save of the young campaign.

Are you ready for Red Sox-Yankees? Me neither! However, we'll just have to deal with it as they meet four times this weekend in the Bronx. Sickly Clay Buchholz (0-0) opposes Michael Pineda (0-1) tomorrow night (7:05, NESN), Jon Lester (0-2) takes on anorexic C.C. Sabathia (1-1) on Friday night (7:05, NESN), John Lackey (2-0) gets Hiroki Kuroda (1-1) on Saturday afternoon (1:05, NESN) then Felix Doubront (1-1) wraps up what promises to be a very long series on Sunday night (8:05, ESPN) vs. Ivan Nova (1-1).

It is the first of 19 games against the Yankees over six series. This will be Boston's first look at Jacoby Ellsbury (assuming he can make it through the next few days healthy) in a New York uniform.

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Red Sox Take Opening Series With Orioles

After losing the season opener on Monday, the Red Sox bounced back to win on Wednesday and tonight 4-3 against the Orioles (a team that has owned them the last few years) at Camden Yards to take the series (2-1). Boston (2-1) showed that it can win a close game, on the road, versus a quality opponent.

This game shouldn't have been so close since once again the Red Sox struggled with runners in scoring position (2 for 10) and they left nine on base. However, they put up 14 hits as a team so they were able to do just enough to scratch out their second straight victory.

It was mostly about the youngsters as Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with two runs, Will Middlebrooks was 2 for 4 with a double and run while Jackie Bradley Jr. was 2 for 4 with a run and RBI. Felix Doubront (1-0) wasn't great (5.1 innings, 3 earned runs, 6 hits, 4 strikeouts, 1 walk) but David Ortiz was (3 for 5 with RBI) like always. I would say the most impressive contribution was Koji Uehara's 1-2-3 ninth for his first of the season; he threw only seven pitches and that included a strikeout!

Boston spread its runs out into four different innings. Middlebrooks killed a possible big inning with a double play ball in the second but a run still scored. Ortiz had an RBI single in the third and David Ross added one in the fourth for a 3-0 Red Sox lead.

Matt Wieters (3 for 4 with run and RBI) gave Baltimore its first run with an RBI double in the fourth, Delmon Young knocked him in with a single. Bradley Jr.'s RBI single in the sixth turned out to be important since Chris Davis (2 for 4 with double, 2 runs) scored a run on Brandon Workman's wild pitch. Things settled down from there as Springfield MA native Chris Capuano had a 1-2-3 seventh with one strikeout in his Red Sox debut. Junichi Tazawa worked around two hits for a scoreless eighth.

The action packed week continues for the Red Sox as they host the Milwaukee Brewers (1-2) this weekend at Fenway Park, the start of a six-game homestand that also includes three vs. Texas (2-1). Tomorrow (2:05, NESN) is the 2014 home opener where Boston will get their World Series rings and celebrate that team one last time.

As for the games, Jake Peavy faces Marco Estrada tomorrow, Clay Buchholz takes on Wily Peralta Saturday night (7:10, NESN) and Jon Lester (0-1) meets Yovani Gallardo (1-0) Sunday afternoon (1:35, NESN) in a battle of aces that should be awesome.

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