Our Regional Nightmare is Over: Lackey Headed to St. Louis, Craig & Kelly Coming to Boston

He bounced back in a big way last season and helped the Red Sox win a World Series title but even then, it was always difficult to pretend to cheer for that jerk John Lackey. The good news for Boston fans is that now that awkward situation is behind us since he was traded to St. Louis (56-50) along with minor league pitcher Corey Littrell and cash considerations for outfielder Allen Craig and right-handed starter Joe Kelly.

Lackey is 11-7 with 3.60 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 116 strikeouts in 21 starts this season. At age 35 (36 in October) and coming off a major elbow injury, it's a miracle that he has returned to this level. His team option for next year is only $500,000 which shows how little faith the Red Sox had that he could ever be himself again.

Like Yoenis Cespedes, acquired earlier today from Oakland, Craig was an All-Star last season. The difference is that this year, he's gone off a cliff coming back from a foot injury (remember that from the World Series?). This season he's hitting .237/.291/.346 with seven homers, 44 RBIs, 17 doubles and 34 runs in 97 games. Last season, he hit .315/.373/.457 with 13 homers, 97 RBIs, 29 doubles and 71 runs in 134 games. Granted it was a smaller sample size but last season's breakout wasn't that crazy since he was good in 2011 and 2012. At age 30, he's a good guy to take a chance on.

Kelly is 26 and this is only his third full season in MLB. He's also been banged up, dealing with a hamstring injury hence why he's only made seven starts in 2014. He's 2-2 with 4.37 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. He was solid last season, 10-5 in 37 games (15 starts) with 2.69 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 79 strikeouts/44 walks in 124 innings. Since the Red Sox' pitching rotation is now wide open, Clay Buchholz is the only holdover from Opening Day, Kelly should have a great chance to earn a spot for at least the next few years.

UPDATE 7/31: Looks like the Red Sox are done for the day after they shipped Andrew Miller (3-5, 2.34 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 69 strikeouts/13 walks in 50 appearances) to Baltimore for Double-A pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (their No. 3 prospect). Miller is having a career year but he'll never be better than this; get ready to see him facing David Ortiz a million times a season.

Showing that they have a good sense of humor, the Red Sox traded one bucket of crap-Stephen Drew-to the Yankees at the last minute before the deadline for a bucket of shit-second baseman Kelly Johnson. That means that Xander Bogaerts will get to move back to shortstop (where he should have been all season) and Will Middlebrooks will return from purgatory aka Pawtucket. The ironic part is that New York comes to Fenway for a three-game series starting tomorrow night. At least there is a reason to watch the rest of the season with all these new guys on the Red Sox.

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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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The Red Sox Still Love Them Some Drew Brothers

So far in 2014, the defending World Series champs have been on the fast track to nowhere. A big reason that the Red Sox have been so mediocre is that three of their young players expected to have big roles-Xander Bogaerts (.269 batting average, 2 homers, 7 RBIs), Jackie Bradley Jr. (.205 batting average, .303 OBP, 13 RBIs) and Will Middlebrooks (.197 batting average, 2 homers, 9 RBIs)-aren't playing up to their projected capabilities. Today, Boston began to rectify that by signing shortstop Stephen Drew to a one-year deal worth $10 million (the prorated portion of $14.1 million that he turned down in the offseason). Yes the same guy that was a puddle at the plate last October but at least played outstanding and reliable defense.

I would love to ask "has it really come to that?" but the sad answer is that yes it has. With Middlebrooks on the DL (broken finger) as usual and Bogaerts playing subpar defensively at shortstop, this move at least makes sense at this moment. Drew will join the team tomorrow vs. Toronto at Fenway and probably slide into the everyday shortstop spot for the time being while Bogaerts shifts to third base. Where this leaves Middlebrooks when he returns is anyone's guess (trade bait?).

The main worry for the Red Sox is that this shakes Bogaerts' (4 errors, .974 fielding percentage) confidence since you know, he is still only 21 years old despite being their top prospect and one of the best young players in MLB with a veteran's mindset. He at least has started to come around more at the plate so the last thing they need is for him to go in the tank with Drew back on the team playing what he probably perceives as his natural position.

Bigger picture, this is the first sign that the Red Sox (20-23 overall, 3 games back of 1st place New York) publicly acknowledge that they are flawed. Fans have been saying as much basically since the first week of the season but at least now we understand that the front office is on the same page. It looks like the AL East is very down so even if the Red Sox aren't a 95 or 100-win team this season, 90 wins or something around that would take it.

The obvious roster move is that Brock Holt could be sent back to Pawtucket but Mike Carp and Grady Sizemore shouldn't feel too comfortable either since they could be designated for assignment. It should be an interesting few days for the Red Sox with all these uncertain roster moves on the horizon.

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Red Sox Complete an Incredible Turnaround in 1 season, Capturing Their 8th World Series Title

If you had told me in 2003 right after the Red Sox lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Yankees in Game 7 of the ALCS that the next year they'd win the World Series (for the first time in 86 years) then twice more in the next decade, I would have laughed for about an hour. Tonight was one of those special moments that sports singularly provides as Boston beat St. Louis 6-1 in Game 6 of the 2013 World Series to win the series 4-2. They are the first team in MLB to win three titles in the 21st century.

The Cardinals finally figured out they didn't have to pitch to David Ortiz, he walked in four out of five plate appearances (two intentionally) but still scored two runs and picked up the World Series MVP trophy. John Farrell became only the sixth manager in MLB history to win a title in his first year with a club (last one ironically was Terry Francona here in 2004). Red Sox became only the second team in MLB history (Twins, 1991) to finish in last place in their division one season then win the World Series the following season.

This was the first time since 1918 that the Red Sox had won the title at Fenway Park, giving the night some legit historical significance. Red Sox also became the first team in MLB to win three times in the past decade and this was their eighth title in franchise history. You can't help but be astounded at how much changed in one season: Boston was the worst team in the AL in 2012 and now they're back on top for the eighth Boston sports title since 2000 (3 for Patriots and Red Sox; 1 for Bruins and Celtics).

The easy storyline is John Lackey (6.2 innings, 1 earned run, 9 hits, 5 strikeouts, 1 walk) who picked up the clinching win. I think that's well established by now so I'd rather focus on Koji Uehara getting the last three outs in a 1-2-3 9th capping his insane run as Boston's closer. You want more unlikely heroes? How about Stephen Drew (2 hits) hitting a solo homer and Shane Victorino driving in four runs after he missed Games 4 and 5 with back problems.

Michael Wacha is a great young pitcher, one of the best in MLB, but his magic carpet ride came to a screeching halt as he allowed six earned runs in 3.2 innings. Boston actually scored all the runs they needed on Victorino's bases-loaded double in the third to make it 3-0. The Red Sox tacked on three more runs in the fourth on Drew's solo homer into their bullpen, Mike Napoli's RBI single and an RBI single by Victorino. In past years, you'd worry about something bad happening to the Red Sox but I have to admit that once they got up five or six runs, I was very confident that it was all but over.

In probably his last game for the Red Sox, Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 4 with a double, walk and two runs scored. St. Louis' only real chance to threaten (or at least make it interesting) came in the bottom of the seventh, Junichi Tazawa came in with the bases loaded and two outs but he got one-legged Allen Craig to ground to first. Did you know his foot was hurt? The only run for the Cardinals came on Carlos Beltran's RBI single earlier in the seventh.

Rookie Brandon Workman had a 1-2-3 eighth which set the table for Uehara's last appearance of the season. Fittingly, this incredible journey ended with him striking out Matt Carpenter (3 for 5, double) to end it.

Every championship is different and I hate to compare them; you have to appreciate each one and I think we will certainly do that after all the garbage and drama of the last few seasons on Yawkey Way. 2004 is what everyone will always remember for obvious reasons, 2007 was complete domination and this year was about restoring pride in this beloved team. Mission accomplished, what else can you say? The Red Sox exceeded all expectations except their own, they were a likable team that had fun playing baseball and enjoyed being around each other. What more do you want? Enjoy the parade on Saturday.

UPDATE 11/2: The Red Sox picked up Jon Lester's option for 2014 ($13 million) and declined Matt Thornton's.

UPDATE 11/4: Boston made qualifying offers (1 year, $14 million) to Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Napoli and Stephen Drew. They didn't make offers to Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Joel Hanrahan and John McDonald so they are free agents that can sign with any team and that club doesn't have to give up a draft pick.

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As They Have All Season, Red Sox Bounce Back With Win-This Time in Game 4 of the World Series

Even in professional sports, the best teams-ones that win championships-often defy logical explanation, that's what makes them so fun to follow. Isn't that how you would describe the Red Sox in 2013? An overachieving group that consistently finds ways to squeeze everything out of their diverse talents. In the biggest game of the season, Clay Buchholz was limited to four innings but five relievers helped Boston hold off St. Louis 4-2 in Game 4 of the 2013 World Series at subdued Busch Stadium.

The Red Sox' win tonight makes it 2-2 and guarantees a Game 6 back at Fenway Park, now the question is who will be playing for a title in that one. Game 5 is tomorrow night (8:07, Fox), the third game in three nights in St. Louis with Jon Lester (1-0) facing Adam Wainwright (0-1). After Game 3's bizarre ending, Game 4 staked its claim in baseball history as pinch runner Kolten Wong was picked off first base by Koji Uehara (1st save) to end it.

Boston received contributions from many guys as usual but Felix Doubront (2.2 innings of relief, 3 strikeouts) picked up the win and Jonny Gomes hit the deciding three-run homer in the sixth inning. Carlos Beltran gave St. Louis a 1-0 lead in the third with an RBI single but ironically he was the guy at the plate when Wong committed his most unforgivable of mistakes. It was only Uehara's third successful pickoff of his MLB career.

Naturally, Stephen Drew tied it in the fifth with a sacrifice fly that scored David Ortiz (3 for 3, double, 2 runs, walk) who is hitting 8 for 11 (.727) in the World Series. Lance Lynn (0-1) cruised through the first four innings but he started to fall apart after Boston forced him into long at bats and increased his pitch count.

If the Red Sox win two more games, Gomes' three-run blast in the sixth will go down in Boston sports lore. It was a no-doubter and he celebrated right out of the box but don't tell Braves hardo catcher Brian McCann about that fun detail. He was a last-minute addition to the lineup since Shane Victorino's back tightened up on him.

Craig Breslow's magic is gone but Red Sox manager John Farrell hasn't seemed to figure that out yet. He keeps throwing him out there which isn't resulting in positive outcomes for Boston. Tonight he allowed an RBI single to Matt Carpenter (2 for 5, run) that cut it to 4-2. Junichi Tazawa was summoned to face Matt Holliday with runners on first and second but he retired him on a grounder to second to end the threat.

The last time John Lackey pitched in relief was in 2004 and he hadn't done it in the playoffs since his rookie year (2002) but this evening, he pitched a 1-2-3 eighth for the hold. Who could have imagined that scenario the last few years with all of his drama and poor performances for the Red Sox?

Lester will need to give Boston's taxed bullpen some innings tomorrow night but he should be up to the task after pitching very well in his previous postseason outings. They are at home but now the pressure falls squarely on St. Louis because if they lose Game 5 then they'd have to win twice in Boston which is a tall order for any team even one as good as they have proven to be this October.

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Turns Out We Might Have Been Overestimating The Rays Just a Tad

Listen, it's not over by any means but oh boy, Red Sox fans have to be thrilled with how things have gone so far vs. the Rays. Tonight, Boston beat Tampa Bay 7-4 to take a commanding 2-0 lead (they've outscored them 19-6) in the ALDS and put the Rays on the brink of elimination. Game 3 is Monday night (6:07, TBS) at Tropicana Field as Clay Buchholz faces Alex Cobb.

David Ortiz hit a pair of solo homers (first time he's done that in his career in a playoff game, crazy right?) and David Price (0-1) was awful in what could have been his last start for Tampa Bay: 7+ innings, 7 earned runs on 9 hits with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks. John Lackey (1-0) wasn't great but unlike in the regular season, his teammates picked him up when he needed it (5.1 innings, 4 earned runs, 7 hits, 6 strikeouts, 3 walks) with some ample run support.

In their first somewhat difficult task, the Red Sox bullpen collectively was superb. Craig Breslow got five outs without allowing a hit, Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless eighth and Koji Uehara earned his first save with a 1-2-3 ninth with two strikeouts (all 11 pitches were strikes!).

Boston never trailed in Game 2 as they scored twice in the first inning on Dustin Pedroia's sacrifice fly and Ortiz's first long ball. Delmon Young had a sacrifice fly in the second but the Red Sox answered with two more runs in the third on Jacoby Ellsbury's (3 hits, 3 runs, stolen base) RBI double and a groundout by Pedroia.

Stephen Drew extended the lead to 5-1 with an RBI triple in the fourth but James Loney (2 hits) knocked in a pair of runs in the fifth with an RBI double. Pedroia finished his sneaky big performance with an RBI double in the fifth. Scummy Yunel Escobar (2 hits, run) cut it to 6-4 on an RBI single in the sixth but Ortiz's second homer-in the eighth-gave Boston some breathing room not that the bullpen needed it.

The other three series in MLB are all tied 1-1 after two games so the Red Sox are the only team with a chance to sweep their first round opponent. It would be most excellent if they could knock the Rays out and then watch the Tigers and A's go five games. First things first, take care of business on Monday in Tampa Bay.

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What We've Known For A While Is Official: Red Sox Are Back In Playoffs For 1st Time Since '09

If the last few humbling seasons have taught us anything, it is that you cannot take winning for granted in MLB, even in a big market like Boston with almost unlimited resources. Baseball playoffs are outstanding and they are so rewarding after sitting through a regular season that is way too long and often very boring. Tonight, the Red Sox (93-61 overall, 51-27 home) clinched a playoff spot with a tidy 3-1 win over the Orioles (81-71 overall, 39-38 away).

Boston is back in the postseason for the first time in four years while they try to get their first playoff win since 2008 (seriously). It is the 21st time in franchise history that they've reached the postseason and tomorrow night they have the chance to capture their first AL East title since 2007.

Easy storylines were falling out of the sky as Boston had 93 losses last season and John Lackey (10-12) pitched a complete game, probably his best ever performance for the Red Sox in his season of redemption. The Red Sox were the first AL team to secure their place in October and they did it only a few hours after the Dodgers won the NL West. Can you imagine a Red Sox-Dodgers World Series? How about Red Sox-Indians ALDS or Red Sox-A's ALCS? It is so enjoyable to know that we can bank on a few more weeks (at least) of quality baseball.

Lackey actually carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning but Adam Jones ended that with a solo moon shot over the Monster. Lackey only allowed one other hit and struck out eight with two walks on 113 pitches.

Orioles pseudo ace Chris Tillman (16-7) had been 3-0 in four starts against Boston this season but predictably, that came to an end as the Red Sox prevented a sweep by Baltimore. He went seven innings but allowed all three runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts and two walks.

Another reason that this game felt like a dream is that it was completed in 2:18, imagine that! Stephen Drew (triple) hit a two-run homer (his 13th of the season) that just scraped over the Monster in the second and Dustin Pedroia (double) followed later in the frame with an RBI single that scored Jackie Bradley Jr. (2 hits, double).

Get out to Fenway tomorrow or Saturday since Boston's magic number to win the AL East is down to one, the weather is supposed to be awesome and it is their last home series of the regular season. Those lovable punching bags from the North-the Blue Jays (70-82 overall, 5th in AL East)-stumble into town for three games. Red-hot Jon Lester (14-8) takes on Esmil Rogers (5-7) tomorrow night (7:10, NESN); Clay Buchholz (11-0) will try to stay unbeaten Saturday night (7:10, NESN) against Mark Buehrle (11-9) and on Sunday afternoon (1:35, NESN) when we're all watching the Patriots play the Buccaneers, Felix Doubront (10-6) gets another start vs. R.A. Dickey (11-9).

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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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Down 8-3, Red Sox Rally For 12-8 Victory Over Yankees; Boston Now Has Most Wins in MLB

Don't look now but the Red Sox are suddenly the team to beat this October in the American League. It's hard to recall a team that has rallied so many times and pulled out one improbable win after another in a single regular season. Tonight, Boston (86-57 overall, 39-32 away) trailed New York (75-66 overall, 43-30 home) 8-3 after five innings but they managed to score five runs in the seventh and four in the eighth for a soul-crushing 12-8 triumph.

This was Boston's fourth win in a row and 11th in their last 13. Last night and this evening show what makes the Red Sox so tough to beat: they can win any style of game. Their offense usually carries them (see: tonight) but they get enough pitching and help from the bullpen to be in almost every contest. It also helps when they compete in a glorified Little League park like Yankee Stadium (foreshadowing!).

Dustin Pedroia (3 hits, double, walk, run) started the rally in the seventh with an infield single that scored David Ross (2 hits, RBI). Mike Napoli (3 hits, 3 runs, double, 2 walks) flied out to right, I mean got extremely lucky to hit a grand slam (sixth of his career; third this season) just over the reach of a leaping Ichiro to tie it at eight. It was his 19th homer of the season.

New York's clownshow bullpen lived up to that moniker (which I just created): Shane Victorino (2 hits, 2 runs)-playing center field and batting leadoff with Jacoby Ellsbury resting-hit a two-run homer (his 14th of the season), Daniel Nava aka Mr. OBP (.392) walked with the bases loaded and Stephen Drew (2 RBIs) made it 12-8 with an opposite field single.

Brandon Workman (5-2) got the win after playing the role of Junichi Tazawa and recording four outs (2 strikeouts). I'm not a fan of using Koji Uehara's precious right arm in non-save situations but he didn't seem to mind, retiring the Yankees 1-2-3 in ninth on 12 pitches/11 strikes (2 strikeouts). What do I know?

Earlier highlights were Alfonso Soriano's two-run homer in the first, his whopping 13th since he was traded to New York. Will Middlebrooks (2 hits, 2 runs) continued to rake out of the nine-hole with a solo shot in the fifth (his 14th of the season).

In a shocking development, both games this weekend are 1:05 p.m. starts. It's almost as if these teams are telling you to enjoy college football on Saturday and the glorious NFL on Sunday. Tomorrow afternoon (NESN), John Lackey (8-12) faces converted reliever David Huff (2-0).

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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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Red Sox Sweep White Sox & Rays Get Swept By A's, Nice Weekend

At this point with only 24 games left in the regular season, I'm comfortable in saying that reaching the playoffs is almost a foregone conclusion for the Red Sox. Boston (82-56 overall, 45-24 home) swept the hapless White Sox (56-79 overall, 24-45 away) in three games this weekend, culminating with a 7-6 victory this afternoon at Fenway Park. The sweep felt that much better since the Rays dropped all three of their games in Oakland so suddenly they trail Boston by 5.5 games for first place in the AL East.

The Red Sox can be excused for going up 5-0 on the White Sox by the third inning then putting it on cruise control, they are 8-2 in their last 10 games and have won seven of their last eight games. Chicago cut it to 5-4 in the fourth and 7-6 in the eighth but they couldn't come all the way back. Felix Doubront (3.2 innings, 4 earned runs, 7 hits, 90 pitches) was the main reason why this was way tighter than it had to be. Staked to the big lead, he just couldn't put guys away.

Brandon Workman (4-2) got the win in relief but the real stars out of the bullpen today for Boston were Franklin Morales (4 outs), Junichi Tazawa (got out of bases loaded jam to end the seventh) and of course Koji Uehara who recorded a 1-2-3 ninth for his 16th save of the season.

Jacoby Ellsbury (2 runs, walk, stolen base) started the scoring with a two-run single in the second and David Ortiz came through with a two-run double in the same frame. Stephen Drew made it 5-0 with his 11th homer of the season, a solo shot to left center in the third.

White Sox kept getting on base in the fourth and Jeff Keppinger "put in on the board!" (Hawk Harrelson's deranged voice) with a sacrifice fly. Dayan Viciedo followed with an RBI double and Conor Gillaspie trimmed Boston's lead to 5-4 with a two-run single.

The game took so long (3:39) because there were numerous delays: White Sox manager Robin Ventura was ejected for arguing a call, the Red Sox used six pitchers and Shane Victorino left with a hip injury. Dustin Pedroia (2 hits, run, walk) reached base on an infield hit in the fourth and Ellsbury scored on Gillaspie's throwing error. Ortiz knocked in another run in the inning with an RBI single.

Paul Konerko (2 hits, run, walk) drove in Alexei Ramirez (3 hits, w runs, 2 stolen bases) in the fifth with a single and Tyler Flowers (2 hits) smashed a solo homer in the eighth.

It being September 1, the Red Sox made numerous moves since the rosters expanded: for me the two important ones were the trade for Providence College (my alma mater) alum John McDonald (East Lyme, CT native who lives in Scituate, MA) and designating Daniel Bard for assignment. McDonald is a spectacular shortstop and second basemen that should give them some options in the postseason and down the stretch while Bard's career is truly at a crossroads now.

Thankfully the next five series for the Red Sox are all against teams above .500, that should be good preparation for October not to mention way more entertaining contests. The Tigers (80-57, 1st in AL Central) come to Fenway for a marquee three-game series starting tomorrow afternoon (1:35, NESN)-Labor Day. The possible ALCS preview begins with John Lackey (8-11) vs. Doug Fister (11-7). Max Scherzer (19-1) goes for his MLB-leading 20th win of the season on Tuesday (7:10, NESN) against Jon Lester (12-8) and Ryan Dempster (7-9) wraps it up on Wednesday (7:10, NESN) vs. Rick Porcello (11-7) in what could be a real life version of Home Run Derby.

Boston has experienced incredible luck in the past few weeks in terms of missing top pitchers (Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Clayton Kershaw, Zach Greinke and Chris Sale) and that continues against Detroit since Justin Verlander pitched today vs. Cleveland. Additionally and perhaps more importantly, Miguel Cabrera has sat out the last two games with an injury so who knows his status for these three games. The baseball fan in me wants to see him out there but since the Tigers have such a huge lead (7.5 games over Indians), it would be silly to throw him out there at less than 100%.

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Red Sox Keep Finding Ways To Win & Quiet The Few Remaining Naysayers

Everyone enjoys winning and the Red Sox have done plenty of that this season but one of the things that has made them so extra enjoyable to watch is that it feels like they're competitive in every single game. Indeed, the Orioles (70-61 overall, 32-32 away) led 3-1 in the seventh inning tonight at Fenway Park but choked that two-run lead away as Boston (79-55 overall, 42-23 home) won their fourth straight contest by a score of 4-3.

There were plenty of heroes for the Red Sox' cause: pinch hitter Mike Carp drove in the winning run-Jacoby Ellsbury (2 hits, run, walk, 2 stolen bases) with a bloop RBI single to left field. Craig Breslow (4-2) sneaked away with the win after getting the last two outs in the eighth and Koji Uehara had a 1-2-3 ninth with a strikeout for his 14th save of the season.

Early on it was the Chris Davis and Manny Machado show. Davis had an RBI double in the first and he clocked his MLB-best 47th homer in the sixth for a 3-1 O's lead. Machado (2 hits, 2 runs) had a solo homer of his own in the third inning. Boston hung around as Shane Victorino got them on the board with an RBI single in the third and Dustin Pedroia (2 walks) came through with a clutch two-run single in the seventh.

Stephen Drew doubled, walked twice and scored two runs while Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 2 for 4 with a double and run. The Red Sox chased Bud Norris after 5.1 innings, he had only allowed one earned run on five hits but his pitch count was 105. John Lackey lasted two innings more and threw 13 less pitches. It wasn't his best performance but as always, he gave them innings and didn't walk anybody (1 walk).

Boston will try to sweep the series tomorrow night (7:10, NESN) and throw a serious wrench into any plans Baltimore had of making the playoffs for the second year in a row. Jon Lester (12-7) meets Chris Tillman (14-4).

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At This Point, Barry Zito Is Straight Up Stealing Money From the Giants

The Giants have already mailed it in for 2013 and the Red Sox were able to take advantage of that clear fact this afternoon with a 12-1 pounding at AT&T Park in their interleague series finale. Boston (75-54 overall, 35-31 away) had the pleasure of teeing off on piñata Barry Zito (4-9): 3.2 innings, 6 earned runs, 7 hits. San Francisco (56-70 overall, 32-33 home) lost two of three in the series and they remain in last place in the weak NL West.

The Red Sox also received some help (finally) from the Orioles as they beat the Rays 4-2, giving Boston a one-game lead in the AL East over Tampa Bay. By pounding out 12 hits (6 for extra bases), they were able to go into tomorrow's off day with some smiles. Felix Doubront (9-6) was excellent, he went eight innings and allowed one run on five hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

Three players on Boston had multiple hits led by Jacoby Ellsbury (3 for 4 with 2 runs, double and MLB-leading 46th steal), Shane Victorino (3 for 5 with run, double and RBI) and Dustin Pedroia (2 doubles, 2 runs and RBI). As they have usually done this season after a humbling loss, the Red Sox bounced back immediately with an important victory.

Will Middlebrooks (2 runs, walk) started the barrage with a two-run homer in the second, his 11th of the season. Light-hitting Joaquin Arias (2 hits) provided the Giants' only run with a solo shot in the second. Pedroia had an RBI double in the third and Jonny Gomes notched a two-run single.

San Francisco had totally checked out by the time they let Victorino's harmless fly ball drop in for an RBI double in the fourth. The only bad news of the day for Boston is that David Ortiz left in the fifth inning with lower back tightness. Yikes, hopefully he'll be alright for this weekend in Los Angeles. The Red Sox poured it on in the seventh with five runs on a two-run single by Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Stephen Drew's three-run blast (his 10th of the season). The Giants gave Boston one more parting gift-an error in the eighth that plated their final run.

This weekend's series against the Dodgers (74-52, 1st in NL West) will be really hyped and for once, I'll say that it totally should be. Since their poor start, the Dodgers have been on fire and they feature rookie Cuban outfielder Yasiel Puig-possibly the most exciting player in MLB this season. Oh and who could forget former Red Sox greats Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto (RIP Josh Beckett) who were traded to LA basically at this time last year.

Boston is lucky to miss both Clayton Kershaw (who pitches tomorrow vs. Miami) and Zach Greinke (who pitched today). Instead, it'll be John Lackey (8-10) vs. Ricky Nolasco (9-9) on Friday (10:10, NESN), followed by Jon Lester (11-7) vs. Hyun Jin Ryu (12-4) on Saturday afternoon (4:05, FOX) and culminating with Jake Peavy (9-5) against Springfield Mass native Chris Capuano (4-6) on Sunday night (8:05, ESPN).

Boston should have swept San Francisco but I'd take two out of three at Dodger Stadium in a heartbeat. This truly could represent a World Series preview for this fall and promises to be one of the best series of the regular season.

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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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Middlebrooks Returns To The Red Sox & They Finally Beat the Royals Again

It only took five tries but the Red Sox (71-48 overall, 32-27 away) managed to beat the Royals (60-54 overall, 31-26 home) again, 5-3 this evening at Kauffman Stadium to snap a four-game losing streak (two games in this series). The three easy to use storylines coming out of this win for Boston was Will Middlebrooks' (2 hits, 2 RBIs, 2 runs) triumphant return from purgatory I mean Pawtucket RI, Jacoby Ellsbury's (4 hits, 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, stolen base) great night at the plate and five scoreless innings by the Red Sox bullpen (4 pitchers).

Compared to last night, this was a pitcher's duel except for the fact that Felix Doubront only lasted 4+ innings (not long enough for the win) while Jeremy Guthrie went six innings but allowed five earned runs on 10 hits. Brandon Workman (3-1) got four outs in relief (including three strikeouts), Craig Breslow retired the two men he faced to end the sixth, Junichi Tazawa (19th hold) struck out two in two scoreless innings and Koji Uehara had a 1-2-3 ninth (on 12 pitches!) for his 12th save of the season.

After no runs in the first three innings, the Red Sox looked like they were about to pull away when they scored four times in the fourth (it was meant to be!). Stephen Drew had an RBI double, two runs scored on Middlebrooks' bloop single down the right field line and Ellsbury notched his first of two RBI doubles.

Kudos to the Royals for fighting back right away and nearly tying it in the fifth. Eric Hosmer (2 hits) started the pseudo-rally with an RBI double, Billy Butler (3 hits, 2 doubles) continued to own the Red Sox (he's 7 for 12 in the series) with an RBI double and old man Miguel Tejada greeted Workman with an RBI single.

With Boston's bullpen on lockdown mode after that one inherited run scored in the fifth, Ellsbury added another RBI double in the sixth which scored Middlebrooks. Mike Carp was 2 for 3 with a run and walk in the victory.

Thanks to Tampa Bay and Baltimore's losses today, the Red Sox improved to three games and five games respectively ahead of their biggest competition this season in the AL. Haha with their loss the Yankees fell 11 games behind the Red Sox which is fantastic if you think about it. Tomorrow's game (2:10, NESN) is so important to both teams psychologically because the Royals have been on fire and they could win the series (3-1) while the Red Sox are looking to get out of town with a hard-earned split. John Lackey (7-9) faces former Rays star James Shields (6-8) in what should be a close contest.

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It's Never A Good Sign When A Scrub Like Bruce Chen Shuts You Down

The Red Sox have made it a habit this season of coming from behind to win games. That has been thrilling for sure but it's not exactly how you want to play every night: finding yourself down by multiple runs and being forced to battle back. Tonight in the series opener at Kaufmann Stadium-home of the multi-colored water fountains-the Royals (59-53 overall, 30-25 home) topped the Red Sox (70-47 overall, 31-26 away) 5-1.

Kansas City only scored in two innings: the first and eighth but that was more than enough to beat Boston when the Red Sox chose to sit red-hot David Ortiz. Perhaps the most telling sign of their struggle at the plate was the fact that Bruce Chen (5-0), one of the only MLB pitchers that I think I could honestly get a hit off of, was dealing like you read about: 7.2 scoreless innings, five hits, two strikeouts and a walk.

This was not vintage Jon Lester (10-7) either, like when he no-hit the Royals back in 2008. Nope, this was the guy that throws way too many pitches (121) and gave up three runs right off the bat. Alex Gordon hit a sacrifice fly and Mike Moustakas (2 hits) drove in two with an RBI single. I'll give him credit for lasting seven innings (3 runs, 1 earned, 4 hits, 4 strikeouts, 2 walks) but last time I checked this isn't Little League so he won't be receiving a trophy of any kind.

Chen made that hold up as Boston only managed seven hits, two each for Jacoby Ellsbury and Stephen Drew. Rubby De La Rosa looked great on Tuesday in Houston but predictably against a real MLB team, he struggled big time. Any chances of a Red Sox rally were put to bed as he served up solo homers to Billy Butler and Justin Maxwell.

The only embarrassment that Boston saved themselves from was avoiding a shutout. Jonny Gomes (who batted fourth) doubled with one out in the ninth and Drew (who batted fifth) knocked him in with an RBI single. No worries though as Mike Napoli (dropped down to 6th) proceeded to ground into a double play to end it. He continues to be mired in a soul-crushing slump.

Jake Peavy (9-4) will try to get his new team back on the right track tomorrow night (8:10, NESN) as he takes on Ervin Santana (8-6). Expect Ortiz to be back in the lineup and he'll probably produce too.

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Red Sox Must Be Sad That They'll No Longer Face The Astros This Season

Admit it, you knew somehow the Red Sox were going to pull out tonight's game. Given Boston's (70-46 overall, 31-25 away) propensity for rallying (18 wins in their last at bat) this season, it came as no surprise when they came back for the second night in a row to beat the hopeless Astros (37-76 overall, 19-39 home) 7-5 at Minute Maid Park.

The win gave Boston the series (2-1) as they finished 6-1 against Houston in 2013-Welcome to the AL! The Red Sox trailed 5-4 in the ninth but former Sea Dogs/PawSox pitcher Josh Fields (who got the save on Monday) couldn't get his new job done. After a single by Mike Carp and walk for Jonny Gomes, Stephen Drew (2 hits, walk) was the hero for the second time in a week with a three-run homer (his 9th of the season) to right field.

Junichi Tazawa (5-3) earned the win with two excellent innings of relief (0 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts) and Koji Uehara worked around a single in the ninth to strike out the side for his 11th save of the season.

Oh by the way, the Red Sox have now passed last season's pathetic win total so let's never speak of it (especially Bobby Valentine) again. The good news kept pouring in as the Rays even lost to the Diamondbacks meaning that Boston grabbed a 2.5 game lead on Tampa Bay for first place in the AL East.

Boston actually led 2-0 after a ground out by Brock Holt in the second and a run scored on Carp's double play ball in the third. Ryan Dempster (5 earned runs, 7 hits) wasn't able to take advantage of the lead though as he promptly gave up a two-run homer to Robbie Grossman (double, run) to tie it at two in the third.

The Astros scored three more runs in the sixth on Jose Altuve's RBI single, Jason Castro's (2 hits, run) RBI double and a sacrifice fly by Marc Krauss. I admit that I totally thought Gomes (3 walks, 3 runs) was a worthless pickup when the Red Sox signed him over the winter but I'm happy to say boy was I ever wrong. Mr. Clutch came up with yet another big hit-a two-run homer to left in the seventh (his 10th of the season) that jumpstarted his slumbering teammates.

Both teams had guys ejected as Shane Victorino was tossed for arguing from the dugout in the seventh then Astros manager Bo Porter (Bo Knows Baseball!) became the first member of his team to be thrown out all season (how's that possible?) when he took exception to a bad call (should have been a foul tip) that went against Houston in the ninth.

For the second game in a row, David Ortiz had four hits and they were all singles. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 2 for 4 with a double and walk in the win. Brett Wallace was 2 for 4 in the loss.

This was just the start of Boston's 10-game road trip. From here, they don't get a day off as they proceed directly to Kansas City where they have four games with the much improved Royals (58-53 overall, 3rd in AL Central) beginning tomorrow night (8:10, NESN) with Jon Lester (10-6) facing the immortal Bruce Chen (4-0). On Friday (8:10, NESN), Jake Peavy (9-4) makes his first start on the road for his new club and he takes on Ervin Santana (8-6). On Saturday, Felix Doubront (8-5) meets former Oriole Jeremy Guthrie (12-7) who the Red Sox have always owned. Then assuming his ankle doesn't blow up too much, John Lackey (7-9) takes the mound on Sunday afternoon (2:10, NESN) vs. former Rays standout James Shields (6-8).

Not that I don't enjoy predictable results against the worst team in MLB (Houston) but this weekend should be way more entertaining since we might actually see some good baseball, unlike the slop at Minute Maid Park the last few nights. The Royals are an MLB-best 16-4 since the All-Star break and they finally appear to be making strides after countless years of losing.

UPDATE 8/8: Daniel Nava was reinstated from the paternity list and Steven Wright was sent back to Pawtucket.

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If Buchholz Ever Decides To Return This Season, The Red Sox Would Have Some Kind of Rotation

They are doing it in many different ways and the bottom line is that the Red Sox continue to stack up victories and series wins in 2013, a far cry from 2012 (only 1 win away from last year's pathetic total). Boston (68-45 overall, 39-21 home) moved to a season-high 23 games over .500 with a 4-0 shutout of the Diamondbacks (56-55 overall, 26-31 away) this afternoon at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox have the most wins in MLB, one more than the Braves and Pirates, and they won the series (2-1) while wrapping up a memorable homestand (5-2 with a pair of walk-off wins and Jake Peavy's debut being the main highlights besides today). They also lead MLB with 23 series wins.

There was a time when Felix Doubront (8-5) could be counted on for short outings and high pitch counts. This latest quality start marked 15 straight outings where he's given up three runs or less, not bad right? He went seven solid innings, allowing five hits with five strikeouts. My two favorite numbers for him: 95 pitches and zero walks.

Rookie Drake Britton still hasn't allowed a run in MLB, he pitched a scoreless eighth and Koji Uehara had a scoreless ninth (don't ask me why he appeared with a four-run lead). Matt Thornton left with an oblique injury, he was the first guy out of Boston's bullpen.

Brandon McCarthy (2-5) kept Boston off the scoreboard for four innings but Jacoby Ellsbury changed that with a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Dustin Pedroia added an RBI double two batters later.

The Red Sox added two more runs in the sixth which was more than enough. Ellsbury and Shane Victorino (2 hits) each had RBI singles. I'd say that the top of the lineup got it done today for Boston. Ellsbury owed his RBI to Arizona right fielder Gerardo Parra who lost his easy fly ball in the sun, this came after a first inning error by Parra.

Cody Ross and Martin Prado each had a pair of singles for the Diamondbacks in the loss.

Boston will play 16 of its next 19 games on the road. There next 10 contests are all away from Fenway (longest road trip of the season), starting with three in Houston (36-74, 5th in NL West)-MLB's worst team-beginning tomorrow night (8:10, NESN) with Texas native John Lackey (7-8) vs. rookie Brett Oberholtzer (1-0). Knuckleballer Steven Wright (2-0) makes his first career MLB start on Tuesday (8:10, NESN) vs. Jordan Lyles (4-5). Ryan Dempster (6-8) closes it out at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday (8:10, NESN) against another rookie-Jarred Cosart (1-0). The Red Sox swept a four-game series with the Astros April 25-28 at Fenway.

That's followed by four against the red-hot Royals (seriously) in Kansas City and three in Toronto against the hapless Blue Jays. Boston's next game at Fenway isn't until August 16 vs. Yankees.

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Jake Peavy Makes Quite The Positive Impression In His Red Sox Debut

The natural fanboy/honk reaction to Jake Peavy's excellent start tonight is to think "see, that's why the Red Sox traded for him!" Clearly I'm excited that he looked really good but let's pump the brakes before we start anointing him as the starter for Game 1 of the World Series this October.

Boston (67-45 overall, 38-21 home) beat Arizona (56-54 overall, 26-30 away) 5-2 at Fenway Park as Peavy (9-4) was able to outduel young Diamondbacks ace Patrick Corbin (12-3). It was 1-1 in the seventh until Jacoby Ellsbury (40th stolen base) drove in Stephen Drew (2 hits) with an RBI single and Shane Victorino (2 hits) scored Brock Holt with a sacrifice fly.

Aaron Hill (2 hits) cut it to 3-2 in the eighth with an RBI single but Junichi Tazawa was able to get out of an inherited bases loaded and no outs jam by only allowing one run. Jonny Gomes-who is making a late run at a Gold Glove (haha)-threw out Cliff Pennington at home to keep the Red Sox ahead by a run. That was Tazawa's 18th hold of the season.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia added two important insurance runs with a two-run homer to center, his 10th of the season, in the home half of the eighth. From there, Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless ninth for his 10th save of the season. Uehara walked a batter (his ninth of the season) but I guess he's excused since he has 70 strikeouts and a 1.43 ERA.

Let's be real, Peavy is not an ace anymore but maybe he can catch lightning in a bottle (cliché alert) for a few months and get the Red Sox deep into the playoffs. Who is Clay Buchholz? The native of Alabama (Roll Tide!) went seven plus strong innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.

Corbin matched him most of the way, he went six innings and allowed three earned runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and two walks. As a lefty, his stuff is nasty so there is a reason he looks destined to win many awards this season and in his entire MLB career.

Paul Goldschmidt has enjoyed his weekend at Fenway, he cranked his second homer in as many nights. This time it was to straightaway center, for a 1-0 Arizona lead in the fourth. Victorino answered with a rocket that just found its way into the first row of the Monster seats, his seventh homer of the season, in the fifth inning to tie it at one.

Diamondbacks catcher Wil Nieves was 2 for 3 with a run in the loss.

Both teams go for the series victory tomorrow afternoon (1:35) as Felix Doubront (7-5) takes on Brandon McCarthy (2-4), who is coming off the DL.

UPDATE 8/4: Daniel Nava will go on the paternity list for the Astros series and Brandon Workman will replace him on the active roster.

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Cody Ross Pummels The Red Sox In His Inaugural Return to Fenway Park

I know that we all passed around an industrial size bottle of bleach after last season ended for the Red Sox-thereby erasing most of that nightmare. However, one of my only positive and lasting memories from the miserable 2012 campaign was Cody Ross. Tonight, in his first game back at Fenway Park with the Diamondbacks he went 4 for 4 with two doubles, a solo homer, two runs and three RBIs as Arizona (56-53 overall, 26-29 away) beat Boston (66-45 overall, 37-21 home) 7-6.

Believe it or not, the Red Sox had a great chance at notching their third consecutive walk-off win as Stephen Drew (2 hits, 3 RBIs) and Jacoby Ellsbury (2 hits, triple, run) were on first and second with one out but Diamondbacks closer Brad Ziegler got Shane Victorino to fly out and Dustin Pedroia grounded out to end the threat and game.

Boston lost because Jon Lester (4.1 innings, 6 earned runs, 11 hits) went back to his dark place after two great outings in a row. The best player in MLB that you've never heard of-Paul Goldschmidt-gave Arizona a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the first. David Ortiz answered with a two-run homer of his own during Boston's first at bat, his 21st of the season came off Diamondbacks starter Randall Delgado (4-3).

The Red Sox took a 4-2 lead in the next inning on a pair of sacrifice flies by Drew and Brock Holt. Lester coughed it up as Ross cut it to 4-3 with an RBI single in the third then Arizona scored three times in the fifth to chase the big lefty. Martin Prado (2 doubles, 2 runs) and Ross had RBI doubles while Jason Kubel (2 hits) ended Lester's night with a run-scoring single.

I can't explain it but Drew has been on a tear the last few weeks (for him) and he came through with a two-run homer, his 8th of the season, to tie it in the sixth. Fittingly, Ross had the last laugh though with a solo homer off Pedro Beato in the seventh.

Arizona had 16 hits, six guys had multiple hits including former Blue Jays star Aaron Hill (2 for 5 with double, 2 runs). Mike Napoli was 2 for 5 with a run in the loss but Boston was held to nine hits.

Scoring figures to be way down tomorrow night (7:10, NESN) as NL rookie of the year/Cy Young candidate Patrick Corbin (12-2) takes on Jake Peavy (8-4) in his Red Sox debut.

UPDATE 8/3: Red Sox recalled reliever Rubby De La Rosa and sent Pedro Beato back to Pawtucket.

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