The Sox are morphing into a very likable team

Remember when the Tampa Bay Rays looked unbeatable in April and May and the Red Sox looked like a third-place team that was going nowhere?

It's funny how much can change in the grind of a MLB season, I'm just glad that I didn't put money on the Rays to win the World Series (in Vegas) since they look like a talented team that's coming apart at the seams for whatever reason.

In the first game of a short two-game set, the Sox (47-31) beat the Rays (44-32) 8-5 last night at Fenway Park behind one of John Lackey's best starts and some pop from David Ortiz (3-run homer) and Bill Hall (2-run homer).

Lackey (9-3) has amassed a nice record but he's mostly been the beneficiary of some fine run support. Last night, he was the innings eating horse he was touted as. He went seven innings, allowing one earned run on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

This one was a laugher (8-1) that got serious as Tampa Bay scored two in the eighth and two in the ninth. This ensured that Daniel Bard (1 out) and Jonathan Papelbon (1 out, 18th save) had to be roused from the bullpen but they threw six and five pitches respectively so they'll be available tonight.

James Shields (6-8) was matching Lackey for the first few innings but he ran into trouble in the fifth when he gave up the three-run bomb to Big Papi.

Jason Varitek added an RBI single in the sixth and Daniel Nava reached on an infield single with a run scoring and Shields' night was over. He lasted five innings, allowing five earned runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

Evan Longoria got the Rays on the board in the seventh with an RBI single but Varitek (sacrifice fly) and Hall (two-run homer) increased the Sox lead to 8-1 in the bottom of the seventh.

Willy Aybar hit a two-run homer in the eighth and Ben Zobrist added an RBI single in the ninth. Carl Crawford had four hits in the loss for Tampa Bay.

Adrian Beltre was 4-for-4 with two runs scored in the win.

Dice-K takes on Matt Garza tonight as the Sox tries to sweep the Rays.

Crippled Sox close out 2010 interleague play with 13-5 record

After beating Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum and doing everything but grab a win vs. Ubaldo Jimenez, the 2010 interleague season for the Boston Red Sox was a complete success as they wrapped up their domination over the NL with a 5-1 win over the Giants yesterday afternoon at AT&T Park.

As they usually do in baseball, the expected pitcher's duel between Lincecum and Jon Lester never panned out. We'll have to see if it's because of an injury or maybe just a severe case of the munchies but Lincecum (8-3) was off in his meager three innings of work. He gave up four earned runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

Conversely, Lester (9-3) put up a good case for why he just might be the best starting pitcher in baseball. He threw a complete game, giving up one earned run on five hits with a walk and nine strikeouts.

It's hard to believe how well the Sox are playing given their absurd rash of injuries: on top of Josh Becket and Jacoby Ellsbury missing most of the season, in San Francisco this weekend, Dustin Pedroia broke his foot (Friday), Clay Buchholz pulled his hamstring running the bases (Saturday) and yesterday Victor Martinez broke his thumb.

Pedroia is going to be out for at least a month you'd have to assume. That's a fatal blow for the Sox since he's the heart and soul of the team. Buchholz should be fine and who knows if Martinez will go on the DL or try to play through his injury.

In the top of the first, David Ortiz continued his resurgence with a solo homer (16th) into the water in right, the 53rd splashdown in AT&T Park history.

Aubrey Huff tied it up in the bottom of the first with an RBI groundout but that's all the offensively challenged Giants would get. With their pitching, imagine if they had any type of lineup?

With the bases loaded and one out in the second, Lester gave it a ride (would have been well gone at Fenway) but he had to settle for a long sacrifice fly. Marco Scutaro (2 hits) added an RBI single in the inning.

Bill Hall (2 hits) had an RBI single in the third and finally Adrian Beltre notched a solo homer (his 12th) in the ninth.

The Sox came home last night and gratefully had today off. They have two against the reeling Rays at Fenway and then some more AL East matchups (vs. Toronto and Baltimore) before the All-Star break in two weeks.

Laser show bro, relax!

It's official: laser show, relax has jumped the shark since Don Orsillo said it twice last night but who cares?

Dustin Pedroia had a career night, going 5-for-5 with three home runs, five RBIs and four runs. The Sox (44-30) needed all of it as Jonathan Papelbon blew another save for the second night in a row.

Boston held on for a 13-11 win in 10 innings, salvaging a game at Coors Field after losing the first two to the Rockies (38-24).

It figures that one of the wackiest games of the season would be started by Dice-K. Matsuzaka only went five innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts.

Brad Hawpe (4 RBIs) got things rolling for the Rockies with a two-run single in the first but like most Dice-K starts, he settled down after a shaky first inning.

In fact, Boston jumped ahead with four runs in the fourth. Pedroia had his first laser (solo style), Mike Cameron added a two-run double and Dice-K hit an RBI single off Rockies starter Jason Hammel (4 innings, 4 runs, 7 hits), who had come in on fire.

Adrian Beltre (3 hits, 3 RBIs, 3 runs), who has been unbelievable so far in his Red Sox career, continued the hit parade with a two-run homer in the fifth.

The Rockies started to beatdown the Red Sox bullpen with four runs in the sixth inning leading to a 8-6 advantage.

In the seventh, Beltre cut it to 8-7 with an RBI single and then Jason Varitek put his team ahead with a two-run double.

Pedroia's second bomb (a two-run shot) in the eighth made it 11-8 and it looked like things were wrapping up nicely.

However, Jason Giambi (Wednesday night's hero) came through once again as a pinch hitter, this time in the eighth with an RBI single. That set the stage for Hawpe's two-run single off Papelbon in the ninth.

Pedroia is the hottest hitter in baseball at the moment and he closed out his memorable night with a two-run homer in the 10th off Huston Street.

Papelbon (3-4) was put back out there in the 10th but he got three outs and ended this bonkers game.

The Sox end interleague play this weekend in San Francisco. Tim Wakefield takes the ball tonight against the underrated Jonathan Sanchez.

Jimenez has worst start of season but Rockies win on Giambi's walkoff HR

After losing 2-1 to the Rockies in the series opener on Tuesday night (the first meeting since the 2007 World Series), the Sox (43-30) looked poised to pick up a big win last night at Coors Field as they knocked around ace Ubaldo Jimenez for a season-high six earned runs.

A 6-5 lead in the ninth inning wasn't enough as closer Jonathan Papelbon (2-4) gave up a solo home run to tie it then a two-run walkoff homer by Jason Giambi aka the Giambino.

The Rockies (38-33) are a decent team but this was a bitter loss given the lack of his A stuff from Jimenez. He gave up six earned runs on 10 hits in 5.2 innings with no walks and seven strikeouts.

Once again, John Lackey was not good but he hung around. In 6.2 innings, he allowed five earned runs on 10 hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.

Colorado led 4-0 after three on Miguel Olivo's two-run homer in the second, Brad Hawpe's groundout in the third and Seth Smith's sacrifice fly.

Rookie sensation Daniel Nava cut that lead in half for the Sox with a two-run double in the fourth.

Jimenez helped his own cause with an RBI single in the fourth (Lackey also had two hits off Jimenez after being 1 for 31 in his career) to make it 5-2.

The Sox went ahead with four runs in the sixth inning on Nava's RBI double, Darnell McDonald's two-run homer and Scutaro's RBI single.

Victor Martinez had three hits in the loss and survived a scary collision at the plate where his arm got bent back at tried to prevent a run.

Dice-K opposes Jason Hammel tonight as Boston looks to avoid the sweep before taking off for San Francisco.

Celts lose Game 7 of the NBA Finals, 83-79 to the Lakers

If I told you that the Celtics held the Lakers to 32.5% shooting as a team and Kobe Bryant shot 6-of-24 from the floor in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, you would think Banner 18 is being fitted for the rafters as we speak right?

It wasn't a classic game, especially given the outcome, but in the most hotly-contested game of the series, the Lakers found a way to get it done and came away with the franchise's 16th championship.

Off the top of my head, I can't remember being as proud of a team in defeat. Not to get all Little League parent on you but the Celtics completely maxed out for the last two months in the playoffs and they nearly won another title because of it. There's absolutely no shame in the way they lost even though they went back to LA up 3-2.

I'd love to see the Big Four get one more season to try to win a title with a few key free agent pickups but who knows what'll happen next season? Doc Rivers seems to be out the door, Rasheed Wallace will probably retire and Ray Allen is a free agent. Other than that, it should be a pretty quiet off-season.

Kobe was named Finals MVP (for the second time) but offensively he was awful tonight: he had 23 points but more impressively he had 15 rebounds. Therein lies how the Lakers won a game in which their offense was completely locked down. LA owned the glass, to the tune of a a 53-40 overall rebounding edge (23-8 in offensive boards).

Pau Gasol was a strong second banana with 19 points and 18 rebounds while the ultimate wild card, Ron Artest came through in the biggest game of his life with 20 points and five steals.

With Kendrick Perkins out with a knee injury, Sheed started (11 points, 8 rebounds) and all five Celtics starters were in double figures: Paul Pierce had 18 points, 10 rebounds, KG scored 17 points and blocked four shots, Rajon Rondo nearly had another triple-double with 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds while Ray Allen added 13 points but struggled all night with his shot going 3-for-14. Ray gets a pass though since he was the one shutting down Kobe.

The C's were up 23-14 after the first quarter and 40-34 at the half. The Lakers tied it up early in the third quarter like you knew they would but the Celts rallied to go back up by nine and as much as 13. Boston led 57-53 going into the fourth but they couldn't hang on.

Only one bench guy from either team really played and subsequently did anything: Big Baby had six points and nine rebounds while Lamar Odom had seven points and seven rebounds.

The Celtics shot 40.8% from the floor but the Lakers took 20 more free throws and made 10 more of them. It's not worth arguing about that though since the rebound numbers tell you all you need to know, the Lakers earned those trips to the line by going hard inside. Boston had seven more assists (18-11) and four more blocks (7-3).

All I can think is that I feel like one of the players, I'm physically and mentally drained and I couldn't be happier to be getting out of dodge this weekend and going to my cousin's wedding in Upstate NY aka the end of the Earth. It will take plenty more time to fully digest this loss.

McCain is not happy: Diamondbacks lose their 12th straight road game

There is still one more day before people start paying attention to the Red Sox, or maybe a few more weeks if you count the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but they're playing well at the moment.

Boston (39-28) beat Arizona (26-40) 6-2 last night at Fenway, handing the Diamondbacks their franchise record 12th straight loss.

Jon Lester (8-2) won his eight consecutive start. Since losing his first two games of the season, he's 8-0 with a 2.01 ERA. He went seven innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits with three walks and seven strikeouts.

Dustin Pedroia (2 runs, 2 hits, steal) has been heating up and he continued to swing the bat well, notching a two-run homer in the first which scored Marco Scutaro (2 hits).

Justin Upton (2 hits) tied it up with a two-run bomb of his own in the second inning but you knew it wouldn't hold with Rodrigo Lopez (2-6) on the mound for Arizona.

He went seven innings but gave up six earned runs on 10 hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

J.D. Drew had an RBI double in the third (scoring Pedroia) and the next batter, Adrian Beltre (2 hits), drove in David Ortiz with an infield single.

Finally, Kevin Youkilis crushed a two-run homer in the seventh off Lopez which scored Ortiz.

Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless eighth and Ramon Ramirez started the ninth with the 6-2 lead. He got two outs but after throwing only 10 of 19 pitches for strikes, he allowed a hit and walk which made Jonathan Papelbon come in for one out.

Paps got the out and his 15th save.

Boston goes for the sweep with John Lackey taking on ace Dan Haren, an hour earlier (6:10 start to accommodate the NBA Finals). Haren has a 7-4 record and 4.61 ERA so he hasn't been up to his usual level but he can always spin a gem.

Lakers stomp Celtics, force Game 7

Conventional wisdom was that the Lakers would win Game 6 back at the Staples Center and make the 2010 NBA Finals go the full seven games like David Stern and his lackeys want.

Still, nobody could have expected the complete no show from the Celtics as they scored the second lowest total in Finals history in a 89-67 loss.

Making matters worse, Boston center Kendrick Perkins left early with what looked like a fairly serious knee injury. He's getting an MRI today but even if he suits up for tomorrow night, he'll be no better than Andrew Bynum (2 points, 4 rebounds in 16 minutes).

Kobe Bryant led the way with 26 points, 11 rebounds and four steals. Pau Gasol almost had a triple-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists. Even Ron Artest was hitting 3-pointers (two) on his way to 15 points and six rebounds.

It didn't take long to realize this wasn't the Celtics' night. Between Artest hitting shots for once, Gasol running a fastbreak and finishing it and scrubs like Jordan Farmer, Sasha Vujacic (8 points) and Lamar Odom (8 points, 10 rebounds) making plays, well it wasn't meant to be.

Ray Allen was the only Celtic on offensively, he had 19 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Paul Pierce had 13 points, Kevin Garnett scored 12 and Rajon Rondo had 10.

LA was up 28-18 after the first quarter and 51-31 at the half, game over.

Game 7 is great for the NBA since this highly watched series will get one more monster rating. I honestly don't know what to expect; it should be close either way, hopefully the C's have one more good game left in them.