Rangers take 3 of 4 at Fenway, send Sox on do or die West Coast swing

Even before they acquired ace Cliff Lee, I thought the Texas Rangers were finally a legitimate threat to take the sisters of the poor AL West and more importantly, make some noise in October.

They always have a formidable lineup and this year is no exception. Now with Lee, they boast one of the most underrated and deep pitching staffs in MLB.

It's no surprise that they took 3 of 4 from the Red Sox at Fenway Park this weekend. What's surprising is the one game they lost was the one that Lee started on Saturday night. Granted, he went nine innings and the Sox tied it in the ninth before winning in 11 innings.

Yesterday it was former closer C.J. Wilson's turn to completely shutdown to Boston (52-40) as the Rangers (53-39) won 4-2.

Wilson (8-5) went 6.2 innings, striking out a career-high 10 as he gave up one earned run on three hits with five walks.

As of today, the Red Sox are 3.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the AL wild card and 6.5 games behind the Yankees. The good news is that Clay Buchholz is scheduled to start Wednesday in Oakland and Josh Beckett is set to return on Friday in Seattle. The bad news is that Boston's next 10 games are on the West Coast and 20 of their next 27 are away from the friendly confines of Fenway.

They are not going to catch New York period, end of discussion. I don't think they'll catch the Rays either but that's their only hope. The A's are average, the Mariners are terrible and the Angels are OK, so even though this trip will be a test of endurance, a .500 mark is certainly reasonable.

Sox ace Jon Lester (11-4) couldn't win yesterday despite eight solid innings. He allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits with three walks and six strikeouts.

Possible trading chip Michael Bowden made his first appearance of 2010 for Boston and it was a good one: a clean inning with two strikeouts. Time will tell if he's a solution in the bullpen but right now, he's a better option than Ramon Ramirez, Hideki Okajima, Scott Atchison, Manny Delcarmen or Dustin Richardson.

Adrian Beltre gave Boston a 1-0 lead in the second with an RBI double.

Texas scored two in the fourth on Nelson Cruz's (2 hits) double and an error by Beltre. The Rangers added a run in the fifth on a double steal by Elvis Andrus (3 hits) and Julio Borbon, the latter whom stole home. Finally, Ian Kinsler added an RBI single in the eighth when Andrus just beat the tag at home by Kevin Cash.

Mike Cameron hit a solo homer in the ninth off Rangers closer Nefalti Perez but he was able to work around that with two strikeouts for his 24th save of the season.

As if the 10:07 EST start time tonight in Oakland wasn't bad enough, Dice-K faces Ben Sheets. This could very likely set the record for longest game in MLB history after they faced each other earlier this season in a complete shitshow.

All-Star break? Uh yes please

The 2010 All-Star break couldn't come at a better time for the Boston Red Sox. They currently have 11 players on the disabled list (including Dustin Pedroia, Clay Buchholz, Josh Beckett, Victor Martinez, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Varitek, Jeremy Hermida, etc) and they all need a few days of rest.

Boston (51-37) ended the unofficial first half on a high note as they beat Toronto (44-45) 3-2 yesterday afternoon at the Rogers Centre.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (6-3) took advantage of some crazy shadows with the roof partially open and went six solid innings. He allowed two earned runs on six hits with no walks and five strikeouts.

Marco Scutaro, David Ortiz and Darnell McDonald provided all the offense for the Sox. After Scutaro doubled in the sixth, McDonald drove him in with a two-run bomb. Ortiz followed that with a solo homer, Boston's second back-to-back homers of the series.

Aaron Hill hit a two-run homer in the seventh to pull the Blue Jays within one but Daniel Bard (2 scoreless innings, 1 hit, 1 strikeout) and Jonathan Papelbon (1 inning, 1 hit) combined to shut the door in the last three innings.

Papelbon picked up his 20th save.

The news wasn't all good as Adrian Beltre left the game with a strained hamstring. There are reports today that he'll miss the All-Star game tomorrow night (his first) but we'll have to wait and see I guess.

Through 88 games, the Red Sox have to be considered a huge success to be only three games behind Tampa Bay (the Wild Card leader) and five games behind the Yankees, who have the best record in baseball. It is also without a doubt, the best mangering job of Terry Francona's career so far. There's been so many lineup changes and a constant carousel of minor league players coming up and Tito has done a superb job of pulling all the right strings.

Is it time for the All-Star break yet?

Yikes, this is getting ugly. With the Triple A lineups the Red Sox are forced to trot out each night, they have no chance against anyone, particularly a good team like the Rays. Boston's hand is forced too because they don't really have many trade chips and not to mention there have so many needs (middle of the lineup bat, relievers) to fill.

Last night, Tampa Bay (51-33) swept the Sox (49-36) 6-4 at Tropicana Field as David Price became the first 12-game winner in the AL (probably solidifying that he'll start the All-Star game next week).

Price (12-4) went 7.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on eight hits with a walk and 10 strikeouts.

Tim Wakefield fell to 3-7, lasting 5.2 innings but allowing six earned runs on four hits with six walks and three strikeouts.

Mercifully the Red Sox have an off-day today and then a three-game series in Toronto before they can regroup and hopefully return somebody next week when they start back up.

This was actually a game that Boston deserved to win but unfortunately they got in way too big a hole early. The Rays went up 2-0 in the fourth on Evan Longoria's solo homer and B.J. Upton's infield single. Tampa added three more in the fifth: Kelly Shoppach scored on a passed ball, Carlos Pena had an RBI single and a run scored on Sean Rodriguez's groundout.

David Ortiz started the ill-fated Sox comeback with an RBI double in the sixth. Carl Crawford answered with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth which turned out to be the deciding run.

Mike Cameron (3 hits) hit a solo homer in the seventh then a sacrifice fly in the ninth. That wacky Joe Maddon even had Matt Garza close out the Sox (since Rafael Soriano had worked four games in a row) and he nearly gave it away as Darnell McDonald (3 hits) hit an RBI double and Ortiz walked before Kevin Youkilis flew out to center to end it.

Ride it 'til the wheels fall off

If you've been paying attention to the Red Sox lately, you had to see this coming. With an unfathomable amount of injuries to key players piling up each day, the Sox were getting by with backups and scrubs but right now, it seems like the wheels are beginning to fall off.

For the second night in a row, Boston (49-35) lost to Tampa (50-33) at Tropicana Field, this time it was 3-2. After losing their way a bit, the Rays seem to have regained their step, no surprise with all the talent they possess and the Yankees continue to chug along at the top of the AL East.

Rookie Felix Doubront (1-1) did enough in his second MLB start to garner a win or at least no decision for the Red Sox but instead he was saddled with the loss. He went 5.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts.

Rays starter Jeff Niemann improved to 7-2 with six innings of fine work: one run (unearned), four hits, three walks and five strikeouts.

Jason Bartlett gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead in the third with a sacrifice fly that scored John Jaso.

Boston tied it up in the fourth with an RBI infield single by Daniel Nava (2 hits).

A run scored on Jaso's groundout in the fifth and then Carl Crawford had the game's biggest hit: a solo homer off Hideki Okajima in the eighth.

Boston scratched out a run in the ninth with an RBI triple by Eric Patterson which scored Bill Hall. However, with Kevin Youkilis pulled in the fourth inning with an ankle injury and David Ortiz getting intentionally walked, Niuman Romero ended the game with a harmless groundout.

Rafael Soriano converted his 23rd save despite allowing two walks.

Marco Scutaro had two hits, a walk and a stolen base in the loss.

Tim Wakefield takes on David Price tonight as the Red Sox try to avoid the sweep and tread water in the AL East.

Same old Dice-K

Stop me if you've heard this one before: Dice K's pitch count gets way too high early, he can't hold a lead and the Sox end up losing a game they had firmly in their grasp.

I've said before that Matsuzaka is the most unpredictable player in MLB but you have to admit that he's good at racking up insane pitch counts and blowing leads.

Last night in Tampa was an especially ugly one as the Sox (49-34) led 5-1 going into the bottom of the fifth but eventually lost 6-5 to the Rays (49-33).

Dice-K went five innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits with four walks and four strikeouts.

One of the most frustrating parts of the loss was the fact that Boston had gotten Rays starter Matt Garza (4 earned runs, 7 hits) out after just three innings. No surprise though, Tampa's bullpen is better than Dice-K and our god-awful middle relievers (Ramon Ramirez).

The Red Sox also wasted a career night by utilityman Eric Patterson who is filling in for Dustin Pedroia. Corey Patterson's little bro had two solo homers and a double.

Carl Crawford (3 hits) put the Rays up 1-0 in the first with an RBI double.

Boston answered with four two-out runs in the top of the third. Patterson hit his first homer, Kevin Youkilis had an RBI triple, Adrian Beltre had an RBI single and Bill Hall (2 hits) had an RBI single.

After Patterson's second blast in the fourth, Boston's offense was completely silenced.

Tampa Bay scored two in the fifth on Evan Longoria's sacrifice fly and Crawford scored on Kevin Cash's passed ball.

John Jaso tied it up with a two-run single in the sixth and Jason Bartlett produced the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Rafael Soriano (who somehow didn't make the All-Star team even though he's 22 of 23 on save chances) worked the ninth for the save.

Felix Doubrant gets his second start for Boston tonight against Jeff Niemmann. Coupled with a Yankees win last night in Oakland, the Red Sox are 2.5 games behind New York and half a game behind Tampa Bay. They can't afford a slide going into the All-Star break even though they're completely decimated by injuries.

Baltimore still has a baseball team?

Before yesterday's game vs. the Orioles (the 82nd game of the 2010 season, ie. the start of the second half), six Red Sox were named to the AL all-star team: Adrian Beltre, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz. Kevin Youkilis is also one of five candidates for the last spot, online voting ends Thursday. Pedroia and V-Mart won't be playing in the All-Star game due to their injuries.

That news far overshadowed the actual game which was a sun-soaked dirty diaper. Baltimore (25-56) avoided the sweep with a 6-1 win over Boston (49-33). If they had won and the Yankees lost, the Sox would have jumped into first place in the AL East. Instead, they're 1.5 games back of New York and half a game ahead of Tampa Bay.

The Orioles victory was all thanks young lefty Brian Matusz. My buddy works for the Bowie BaySox, Baltimore's Double A team and he has raved about Matusz since he was called up last season. He improved to 3-9 with seven shutout innings. He allowed two hits, walked three and struck out eight.

John Lackey (9-4) started out well but his defense and lack of offense behind him was his undoing. He went 7.1 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits with a walk and seven strikeouts.

It was scoreless until the fourth when Nick Markakis (3 hits, 2 runs) scored on Lackey's wild pitch. Scott Moore added an RBI single in the frame.

Baltimore scored two more in the eighth thanks to Marco Scutaro's throwing error and a sacrifice fly by Adam Jones.

When Julio Lugo is hitting RBI triples you know its over and that's exactly what happened in the ninth for the O's. Markakis padded his stats with an RBI single.

Boston finally got on the board in the bottom of the ninth as Youk hit a solo homer over the Monster. It was one of only three hits on the day for the Sox, Beltre had a double.

The Red Sox hit the road for three in Tampa Bay starting tonight then three north of the border in Toronto.

Dice-K takes on Matt Garza tonight at 7:10 p.m.

Sox bullpen is a complete mess

It's a familiar complaint by fans of pretty much any MLB team: we don't have enough arms in the bullpen.

However, the Red Sox (47-32) are in a serious crisis mode with their bullpen in 2010 because Hideki Okajima, Manny Delcarmen and Ramon Ramirez all have ERAs over 4.5 and they are struggling with a capital S.

The Tampa Bay Rays (45-32) salvaged a game at Fenway Park last night with a 9-4 win as they scored six runs in the eighth off Delcarmen and Ramirez.

All told, Dice-K gave Boston a good start by his low standards. He walked the bases loaded in the first but obviously got out of it. He went six innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits with four walks and seven strikeouts.

Matt Garza (9-5) continued his mastery of the Sox as he gave his team the solid outing that desperately needed: seven innings, three earned runs on six hits, two walks and five strikeouts.

Tampa went up 3-0 in the fourth on a two-run double by Kelly Shoppach and an RBI single by Ben Zobrist.

David Ortiz cut it to 3-1 in the sixth with an RBI double which scored new guy Eric Patterson.

The Rays clinched this one with the six runs in the eighth. Carlos Pena hit an RBI double, Sean Rodriguez had a two-run single and Jason Bartlett hit a three-run bomb off Ramirez and into the Monster seats.

Ortiz fueled a minor comeback in the eighth with a two-run double and Adrian Beltre drove in the other run with a long sacrifice fly. That was one of at least three or four deep fly balls the Red Sox hit to the warning track.

The Fourth of July is always a big deal in Boston and the Sox will be home with the Orioles playing the role of jobber for what should be some big holiday weekend crowds.

The Red Sox are off tonight and then they get things started against the hapless O's tomorrow night.