Birdman daddy, I fly in any weather

Can I say it? I really like this team.
The 2009 Boston Red Sox are not going to win the AL East, we can agree on that, right? But they have a very good chance to win the wild card and once you get this team in the playoffs, I like their chances.

Yesterday's strange season took another unexpected pit stop as the two newest Red Sox (Paul Byrd and Billy Wagner) helped to shut out Toronto, 7-0 at Fenway as Boston swept the three-game series.

The Byrd Man was back with his old-timey delivery and right-handed Jamie Moyer-esque stuff. The Blue Jays (58-70) have clearly checked out and are dreaming of a miserable winter in Toronto mixed in with plenty of losses by the Leafs and Raptors. Just kidding, no players live there in the off-season.

Byrd pitched six scoreless innings, as he gave up three hits, walked three and struck out one. For one afternoon at least, he provided some stability to the back end of a rotation that has seen more action than Paris Hilton's bed. WOW!

He had been out of baseball and pitching to his 13-year-old son's team (really) when the Red Sox brought him back.

Acquired from the Mets last week, Wagner was impressive in his Red Sox debut as he struck out the side in the eighth.

Ignoring what chief moron Jonathan Papelbon had to say, Wagner is a welcome addition to a bullpen that was understandably getting tired and needed another left-hander. The fact that Papelbon has been shaky as well, makes this a no-brainer pick up.

The Sox (76-54) moved to 3.5 games up in the wild card on the Rangers and 5.5 on the Rays.

They also beat Roy Halladay for the second straight time. Think he wishes he got traded in July? Youk (2 hits, 3 RBIs) gave Boston a 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI double which scored Victor Martinez.

Rocco Baldelli made it 2-0 in the second with a solo homer before Youkilis had a sacrifice fly in the third, putting Boston up 3-0.

Alex Gonzalez (2 hits), who's swinging a hot bat, extended the lead to 4-0 in the fourth with an RBI single. Finally, the Sox scored three in the seventh on an error and another RBI single by Youk.

After the off-day today, the Sox have three games at the Trop starting tomorrow. If they can win at least two, they'll bury Tampa Bay for all intents and purposes. However if Tampa Bay continues to own Boston (especially at home), they will get right back in the wild card race.

Full Tilt, Full Time: Saluting one of the greatest Patriots of all-time

Like so many things in life, the pivotal moments happen when you least expect them.

Last night, I got a text from a buddy that Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi was retiring. It wasn't unexpected by any means since Bruschi was not getting many reps in training camp and in the preseason games so far this summer.

Still, to see a guy that played his whole career with New England (13 seasons) call it quits is big. Bruschi was never the best player, although he did make a Pro Bowl in 2005. Rather, he was the consummate professional: he always showed up in the most important games and when he was at his peak, he made countless game-changing plays.

Think the Miami game in the snow where he had the pick for a touchdown. The strip and fumble recovery vs. the Colts in another snowy playoff game. Or the sack in the Super Bowl against the Eagles.

Things were never the same after Bruschi suffered a minor stroke in February 2005, 10 days after the Pats had won their third Super Bowl in four seasons.

He returned that fall and played four more years but it was clear since he had lost a step (or two) that his career wasn't going to top what he had already done.

At this point, it's weird enough to root for guys on the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins and Patriots that are now years younger than me, but nothing will make you feel your age like seeing one of your favorite athletes retire.

Whether Bruschi felt like he would be released before this season started is irrelevant. He wanted to go out on top, before he's crippled for the rest of his life (like so many other NFL players). He has a wife and young kids that mean the world to him. The Patriots will hook him up with a nice job (if he wants it) or he'll move on to coach/commentate, whatever.

Today is all about Tedy Bruschi, one of the greatest Patriots players I'll ever see in my lifetime.

You can always count on J.D. Drew

Fielding probably their best lineup of the season last night in Toronto, the Red Sox swept the hapless Jays with an 8-1 win.

The most frustrating athlete on the planet J.D. Drew was the star of the game, going 4 for 4 with two home runs and three RBIs.

Jon Lester (10-7) was outstanding after he escaped a bases loaded, no outs jam in the first while only allowing a run. That would be the only run he gave up in eight innings of work. Toronto (55-64) had three hits off him, he walked two and struck out five.

Drew hit a solo shot in the third to give Boston (69-51) a 1-0 lead.

Mike Lowell's RBI single in the fourth and Drew's two-run blast put the Red Sox ahead 4-1. They added two more runs in the fifth, one in the seventh on a Victor Martinez homer and one more in the eighth before departing from their neighbors to the North.

The red-hot Yankees are in Boston for the weekend and the Sox find themselves 6.5 games behind the Bombers and a game ahead of the Rangers in the wild card. These three games likely won't mean much since New York is almost a sure thing to win the division but taking two out of three or heaven forbid a sweep, would make things interesting coming down the stretch.

The pitching matchups in the first two games do not line up favorably at all for Boston as tonight Brad Penny goes again Andy Petitte.

Jars of Clay

Looks like Clay Buchholz might be a decent big league pitcher after all. It's still ludicrous that the Sox wouldn't trade him and other prospects to get Roy Halladay but last night Buchholz outpitched Halladay as the Red Sox won 6-1 in Toronto.

Buchholz improved to 2-3 as he went six strong innings, allowing only one run on six hits with a walk and four strikeouts.

Halladay (13-6) like Josh Beckett the night before, was not on his game for whatever reason. He went just five innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on eight hits with four walks and seven strikeouts.

Boston (68-51) took a one game lead in the wild card thanks to its win and the Twins comeback victory over the Rangers.
David Ortiz (2 hits) continued to swing a hot bat as he hit a solo shot in the second inning. New shortstop Alex Gonzalez (2 hits) singled home Casey Kotchman later in the inning to make it 2-0 good guys.

In the fourth, Jacoby Ellsbury tripled home Gonzalez for a 3-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning, the Blue Jays (55-63) scored their only run of the game when Vernon Wells drove in Aaron Hill with a single.

Boston tacked on two in the fifth on Jason Bay's two-run bomb and one in the ninth on Victor Martinez (2 hits) solo homer.

Jon Lester takes the mound tonight as the Red Sox try to sweep the Blue Jays before coming home to face th

Red Sox survive Beckett's clunker

Going into last night's game, Josh Beckett was shaping up as the odds on favorite to win the AL Cy Young. After last night's performance, he might have lost ground to Roy Halladay and Zach Greinke.

Most importantly, the Red Sox (67-51) held on 10-9 in Toronto (55-62) even though Beckett resembled John Smoltz.

In 5.1 bumpy innings, Beckett allowed seven earned runs on nine hits with a walk and four strikeouts.

Luckily, Blue Jays rookie Ricky Romero has been good against everyone except the Red Sox. He gave up six runs (five earned) in 3.2 innings.

This game looked over early as Boston built up leads of 4-0 and 7-3 but Beckett's uncharacteristic outing made for some tense moments.

David Ortiz's RBI double in the second scored two, Alex Gonzalez drove in a run with a ground out and Jacoby Ellsbury (2 hits, 3 RBIs) singled home Oritz for a 4-0 cushion.

Recent call-ups Randy Ruiz (3rd inning) and Travis Snider (4th inning) hit solo homers to cut the Boston lead in half.

The Red Sox scored twice more in the fourth on an Ortiz solo homer and a sacrifice fly by Ellsbury.

Edwin Encarnacion made it 6-3 with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Jason Bay (2 runs, 2 walks) hit a solo homer to make it 7-3 before Adam Lind's (2 hits, 2 RBIs) two-run double brought Toronto within two in the bottom of the fifth.

Rod Barajas (2 runs, 2 hits) tied it with a two-run bomb off Beckett in the sixth which ended Beckett's night.

The Red Sox responded once again with three in the eighth. Alex Gonzalez's bunt to pitcher Casey Jannsen was thrown away, allowing Ortiz to score. Then Ellsbury hit another sac. fly and Victor Martinez (2 hits) came through with an RBI double.

Jonathan Papelbon came to Daniel Bard's rescue in the eighth as the rookie continues to scuffle after his incredible start.

Unfortunately, Papelbon is almost as shaky as Bard at the moment. Papelbon allowed two inherited runners to score as Marco Scutaro hit a two-run double in the eighth.

The ninth was just as crazy for Papelbon who threw 33 total pitches, 17 for strikes. To get four outs, he worked around two hits and three walks. And most of the balls the Blue Jays hit for outs just fell short of being home runs. In the end, Papelbon recorded his 29th save but he obviously won't be available tonight.

Clay Buchholz for the third time in a row draws an ace, this time in the form of Halladay. After pitching great but losing to C.C. Sabathia and Justin Verlander, maybe tonight is the night his luck turns around.

Winning on the road is overrated

The Red Sox concluded their weekend series in Texas yesterday with a 4-3 loss.

Boston (66-51) has now lost three series in a row and four out of five but who's counting?

Pitching hasn't been the issue lately as the Sox' starters for the most part are having decent outings. The offense is the culprit is timely hitting seems to be a foreign concept. It seems like the only way Boston scores on the road is via solo homers.

Rookie Junichi Tazawa (1-2) made his third appearance, second start, and it wasn't as good as his first start against the Tigers last week.

In five innings, he allowed four earned runs on ten hits with three walks and no strikeouts.

With the win, the Rangers (66-50) flip-flopped with the Sox and now lead the AL wild card by half a game. The season series is over and Texas won seven of the nine games between the teams. It's also troubling that the Sox' biggest competition for the wild card, Tampa Bay and Texas, own Boston this season.

Dustin Nippert (4-1) pitched well for Texas, going six strong innings. In 95 degree heat, he allowed two earned runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

After the worst outing of his career on Friday night, Rangers closer Frank Francisco bounced back with a 1-2-3 ninth yesterday for his 17th save.

David Ortiz (2 runs, 2 walks) hit his second homer of the series, a solo homer in the second which gave the Sox a 1-0 lead.

Ian Kinsler responded with a solo shot of his own in the home half of the inning. Texas went up 3-1 in the third with a Josh Hamilton (everybody's favorite recovering addict) RBI double and Kinsler's RBI single.

Recently promoted Brian Anderson cut it to 3-2 Texas with a sacrifice fly in the fourth but Taylor Teagarden hit a bomb of Tazawa to open the sixth.

Dustin Pedroia hit a solo homer in the seventh (see the theme?) but that was as close as the Red Sox would get.

Victor Martinez (2 hits) was the only Boston player with more than one hit in the game.

An off day today is followed by three in Toronto beginning tomorrow. The Blue Jays are playing the role of spoiler as usual but the Sox will have their hands full as they have to face Roy Halladay and Ricky Romero.

This Verlander guy can pitch

I went to Fenway Park yesterday afternoon, hoping for a Red Sox sweep but knowing full well that Tigers ace Justin Verlander is one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Therefore it wasn't shocking (especially since Kevin Youkilis is currently serving his suspension and Dustin Pedroia got the day off) that Verlander completely silenced Boston's (65-49) bats as the Tigers (60-54) salvaged the fourth game, 2-0.

Verlander (13-6), who is Josh Beckett's biggest competition for the AL Cy Young this season, threw eight shutout innings before giving way to Detroit closer Fernando Rodney, who recorded a 1-2-3 ninth for his 24th save.

Verlander allowed just four hits, he walked one and struck out eight with a manly 123 pitches. Most impressive, on his last two pitches of the day in the eighth, he made Jason Bay swing and miss at 100-mph fastballs.

For the second straight outing, Clay Buchholz pitched well enough to win but unfortunately he faced another team's ace (C.C. Sabathia was the last one). Clay (1-3) lasted seven innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

In the fourth, Ryan Raburn provided all the offense the Tigers needed as his infield single drove in Miguel Cabrera.

With a solo homer over the Monster in the seventh by Raburn, everybody knew it was game set, match.

After the game, Boston departed for Texas where it has a pivotal three game series with the Rangers. The Red Sox lie half a game ahead of Texas in the AL wild card standings so hopefully last weekend's no-show against the Yankees is a distant memory.