Beating the Yankees cures all

After a slow start to his 2011 season, Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz has settled in during May. He's 3-0 so far this month and shows signs that last season wasn't a fluke and likewise he won't be suffering much of a sophomore slump.

Boston (18-20) won 5-4 last night at Yankee Stadium behind another strong outing from Buchholz (4-3), a nice start to an important series against the Yankees.

He went seven innings, allowing five hits, two earned runs, one walk and seven strikeouts.

After his shady stem cell surgery, Yankees (20-16) pitcher Bartolo Colon (2-2) is pitching like it's 2005. He went six innings, allowing five hits, three runs (two earned), three walks and four strikeouts.

I for one am not surprised at all that he's throwing in the upper 90s again. Makes total sense really, haha!

The Red Sox got out to a 2-0 lead in the fourth on a solo homer by Adrian Gonzalez (eighth of the season) and a ground out by Carl Crawford, which scored Kevin Youkilis.

Russell Martin, that noted Boston killer, tied it with a two-run bomb in the fifth (his seventh of the season). Once again, I'll note that we could have had him for peanuts this season.

Gonzalez put the Red Sox back ahead with a sacrifice fly in the seventh and Youkilis followed with a two-run blast (his sixth of the season) off his nemesis Joba Chamberlain.

Daniel Bard came in for the eighth and he was erratic. Curtis Granderson scored on his wild pitch but he survived by only giving up the one run.

Jonathan Papelbon entered in the ninth and also gave up a run, on an RBI single by Granderson (which scored Jeter) but he did enough for his sixth save of the season.

Jacoby Ellsbury had two hits, a run and stolen base in the win.

Josh Beckett and the Red Sox will try to build some momentum as he takes on CC Sabathia tonight in the Bronx. Beautiful scheduling there by MLB, three straight night games. Don't ask me why today isn't an afternoon game, especially with the Bruins-Lightning series starting tonight at 8 p.m. Just Bud being Bud.

You knew this day was coming

After the Boston Celtics lost the first two games of the 2011 Eastern Conference semifinals to the Miami Heat, you could sense that the championship window was rapidly closing.

The Celts were not going to comeback far enough in the series and barring big changes (namely an infusion of young talent), this team is destined to become the San Antonio Spurs of this season (a formerly great team that craps its pants in the first round of the playoffs).

Boston actually led 87-81 last night in Game 5 at AmericanAirlines Arena but from there, LeBron James and the Heat closed the game and the series on a 16-0 run. The Heat won 97-87 for a 4-1 series win and a berth in the Eastern Conference finals against either the Chicago Bulls or the Atlanta Hawks (Bulls up 3-2 with a chance to close out the Hawks tonight).

Losing the series had nothing to do with the shady NBA referees or the Kendrick Perkins trade. Yes, the Heat got to the line at will but that was because they drove rather than settle for jumpers like the Celtics. And yes, Perk would have made the Celts tougher and better defensively but Miami still would have won in six or seven games.

Dwyane Wade had a game-high 34 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals while LeBron put up 33 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Proverbial third wheel Chris Bosh had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Ray Allen led the C's with 18 points, Kevin Garnett had 15 points and 11 rebounds while Paul Pierce had 12 points. Rajon Rondo was limited to six points and three assists. He rightfully sat at the end of the game since between injury and inability to pose a threat offensively, the Heat didn't even have to cover him.

Delonte West had 10 points off the bench while Jeff Green (9 points), Nenad Krstic (8 points) and Glen Davis (6 points) all had their best games of the series but it didn't matter.

Boston came out strong with a 24-16 lead after the first quarter. They led by 10 points but it was fools gold since that happened for much of the series and the latter part of the season. The Celts didn't have the firepower to step up at the end of games while the Heat got it done when it really mattered most.

The Celts led 49-47 at halftime and 73-71 after three quarters. True to form, Miami owned the fourth quarter (26-14) and sent the Celtics home.

Head coach Doc Rivers said after the game that he's a Celtic and he's leaning toward returning next season. Davis is a free agent and Allen said he'll pick up his option and return. That's all fine and dandy but everyone will be a year older while Derrick Rose and the Bulls improve and the Heat continue to mesh more too.

For the game, Boston shot 49.3% to 46.4% last night. The Heat made 12 more free throws (26-14) and grabbed eight more rebounds (38-30). The C's had two more assists (15-13) and two more blocks (5-3) but the Heat had two more steals (7-5). Eight more turnovers (17-9) absolutely killed Boston along with 10 more fast break points (12-2), 10 more points off turnovers (22-12) and six more points in the paint (36-30) for the Heat.

2011 Boston Red Sox cannot seem to get to the .500 mark to save their lives

It's going to happen eventually, I hope, but for the time being the Boston Red Sox simply cannot get to the .500 mark let alone jump over it.

For the third time in the 2011 season, they had a chance to get to .500 last night but once again, they fell short in a 7-6 loss in 11 innings at the Rogers Centre.

Jon Lester wasn't right from the start, giving up three runs in the first inning but the Red Sox (17-19) battled back to tie it multiple times, including a ninth-inning run off Blue Jays (16-20) closer Frank Francisco.

Lester struggled through 5.1 innings, allowing seven hits, five earned runs with five walks and five strikeouts. He was done after 114 pitches.

The poor pitching by Boston ruined a great night by its bipolar offense. The Red Sox put up a season-high 16 hits led by Adrian Gonzalez (3 hits, 3 RBIs, 2 runs), David Ortiz (3 hits, 2 runs, RBI), Jacoby Ellsbury (3 hits extending his hit streak to 19 games, stolen base), Dustin Pedroia (2 hits, 2 walks, run, stolen base) and J.D. Drew (2 hits).

Rookie Kyle Drabek (5 innings, 8 hits, 4 earned runs, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts) didn't give the Blue Jays much but his bullpen was just a hair better than Boston's.

Carl Crawford (10 game hit streak) cut it to 3-1 in the second with an RBI single. A solo homer by Ortiz (fifth of the season) in the fourth and Gonzalez's two-run blast in the fifth gave the Red Sox a 4-3 advantage.

Jose Bautista and J.P. Arencibia had solo homers in the fifth and sixth respectively to put Toronto back ahead 5-4.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia tied it in the eighth with an RBI single.

Rookie David Cooper hit a solo homer in the eighth off Daniel Bard but Gonzalez came through with the clutch homer in the ninth off Francisco to tie it.

With Matt Albers (0-1) on the mound, Rajai Davis singled in the tenth then stole sceond and third base on him and Jason Varitek. Cooper drove Davis home with a deep sacrifice fly to center.

This mini-series ends tonight with John Lackey opposing Jesse Litsch. You know what that means: I won't be watching much since A) Lackey will be shelled as per usual and the Celtics are facing the Heat while Miami has the chance to close out Boston.

It was fun while it lasted

It doesn't get much more painful than last night's 98-90 overtime loss for the Celtics to the Heat. Miami takes a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals and has a chance to close out the Big 3 tomorrow night in South Beach.

With its home crowd at TD Garden going nuts, Boston had a chance to win it at the end of regulation but a screwed up play led to Paul Pierce's (27 points, 8 rebounds) hopeless fadeaway jumper that rimmed out.

That was the Celtics' season right there and on a bigger scale, it means that a crazy offseason (with tons of roster turnover) is now days away.

Miami dominated in overtime (12-4) as the Celts were out of gas and realized that they were done this season and perhaps for a long time moving forward.

The Heat's Big 3 of LeBron James (game-high 35 points, 14 rebounds), Dwyane Wade (28 points, 9 rebounds) and Chris Bosh (20 points, 12 rebounds) owned the game and they've owned the series as a whole.

Ray Allen had a quiet 17 points while Kevin Garnett was held to seven points (1 for 10 shooting) and 10 rebounds. It was hard to believe that KG was the same guy that had 28 points and 18 rebounds in Boston's Game 3 win. With that guy, the C's had hope. If he plays like he did last night, it's over in Game 5.

Rajon Rondo played and showed more heart but he was undoubtedly affected by his left elbow (which was dislocated then popped back into place on Saturday night). He had 10 points and five assists.

Delonte West has been Boston's only bench player that has stepped up in the pressure cooker that is known as the NBA playoffs. West had 10 points and three steals while Jeff Green (7 points) and Glen Davis (4 points) continued to be enigmas. Green has already established himself as completely unpredictable but what has happened to Big Baby in the playoffs? He was great for most of the regular season but now he's a puddle that can't seem to do anything right.

Nobody else on the Heat put up more than four points but who cares? It's the NBA and this team is showing that three stars and a bunch of bums can get it done (so far).

This was truly a game that the Celtics let slip away as they led 31-28 after the first quarter and as much as 11 in the second quarter before settling into a 53-50 halftime advantage. Boston won the third quarter (20-19) barely but Miami tied it up in the fourth (17-13) when it turned into a tractor pull of a defensive struggle.

For the game, the Heat shot 44.3% to 42.9% for the Celtics. Boston hit two more 3-pointers (5-3) but Miami snatched an unforgivable 17 more rebounds (45-28). The Celts had five more assists (15-10) and six more fast break points (15-9) but the younger, hungrier Heat pounded it inside to the tune of 48-32.

I have tomorrow night off from work so I'm ready to devote my full attention to the Celtics' last gasp effort to try and extend this series. In my heart of hearts, I think if Boston can win Game 5, they can definitely win Game 6 at TD Garden but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Game 5 is all that matters and the Celtics have to prove they can win in Miami before the Heat can start sweating.

Carl Crawford, for the win!

I think it's time for Carl Crawford to move up in the Red Sox' lineup. He is finally ready to get out of the eighth spot hitter's purgatory. Haha although don't ask me where to put him, maybe fifth?

For the second time on the homestand, he had a walk-off hit to help Boston win. Last night it was an RBI double in the 11th that took care of the Minnesota Twins (12-21) at Fenway Park.

It let the Red Sox (17-18) end the season-high 11 game stay at home 6-5 with their third straight win over the Twins while inching them one game away from .500. Baby steps right?

Josh Beckett was outstanding, throwing seven scoreless innings but he wound up with the no-decision after Jonathan Papelbon blew the save opportunity in the eighth (his first of the season). Beckett allowed six hits with one walk and five strikeouts.

Hideki Okajima (1-0) was the unsung hero as he threw a career-high 42 pitches and managed to submit a scoreless 10th and 11th despite allowing two hits and walking two. He also struck out three.

Nick Blackburn was similarly good for Minnesota but he departed with a no-decision as well. He went 6.1 innings, allowing seven hits, one earned run with three walks and five strikeouts.

Adrian Gonzalez (2 hits) continued his excellent play with an RBI single in the fifth that scored Jason Varitek (2 hits) and gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead.

Jason Kubel broke his bat but was able to get an RBI single off Papelbon in the eighth which plated Denard Span.

Crawford's RBI double in the 11th was off the Monster and rookie Jose Iglesias (pinch running for Jed Lowrie who walked) raced around and just beat the relay for the exciting win.

Jacoby Ellsbury extended his hit streak to 18 games with a single.

Boston hits the road for two in Toronto then their first visit to Yankee Stadium this season takes place this weekend.

Jon Lester goes up against on Kyle Drabek tonight at the Rogers Centre.

Seguin Put to the Test in Conference Finals

A few weeks ago on this blog, I questioned why Tyler Seguin was not being used in the playoffs. I asked why, given his tremendous offensive skills, he was a healthy scratch. I wanted him in the lineup, but was proven wrong in the form if Michael Ryder's heroics in their first round series against Montreal.

Now it looks like I will be getting my wish, although not under ideal circumstances.

Thanks to Claude Giroux's hit on Patrice Bergeron during Friday night's game 4, Tyler Seguin will get the chance he has been looking for, taking Bergeron's place on the roster for what looks like the remainder of the postseason.

Although Seguin can certainly add some offensive firepower to the Bruins' Power Play, replacing Bergeron will be no easy task. Bergeron has been the Bruins most consistent forward thus far in the playoffs in all three zones, and it may be too much to ask an untested rookie to replicate that type of production.

Claude Julien has shuffled the lines around at practice due to Bergeron's concussion, placing Seguin on the third line alongside Michael Ryder and Rich Peverley. This "checking" line loses some of its physical nature because the shakeup sends Chris Kelly up to the second line, centering Mark Recchi and Brad Marchand.

The overachieving Kelly has played very well in all three zones in the playoffs and is the closest replacement to Bergeron as the Bruins are going to get. Seguin will play wing on the third line, and Peverley will shift to Center to replace Kelly.

While Seguin skated with the fourth line at great lengths during the regular season, Julien does not want to disrupt that chemistry, because the fourth line has been relied upon to provide energy and physicality at times so far this postseason. Given Julien's lack of trust in Seguin defensively, it is unfathomable that he would reinsert Seguin back into the fourth line.

Seguin simply doesn't "fit" into the playoff lineup at this point, but Julien's hands are tied. He is the only forward available that has a season's worth of experience with the Bruins, and has been skating with the team in warmups to get a feel for the playoff atmosphere.

Julien praised his dedication and effort at practice, saying, "The way Tyler practiced today, it was really encouraging. You saw his speed, his skill. And again, watching the playoffs, it really does make you hungry." Although Julien was cearly trying to boost his confidence, he also expects a little more production for Seguin, who will be joining the Bruins' speediest line.

Seguin must impose himself a little more defensively, fighting along the boards and battling for 50/50 pucks, especially against the skilled Tampa Bay forwards. This is his chance to prove he belongs in a Bruins uniform, and he has a prime opportunity to be a key contributor in the Bruins' quest for the Stanley Cup.

Seguin must remember that he is taking Bergeron's spot on the roster, not replacing the player. The pressure of the playoffs is enough to make even the savviest of veterans wilt, nevermind 19 year olds. The true test for Seguin will be just doing his job, while not being a defensive liability. It will be interesting to monitor his minutes and how his addition to the third line will affect their ice time as a whole.

My guess is that we will see a little more of the fourth line, as Julien will try to even out playing time and minimize the risk of putting Seguin out there for stretches of time.

Either way, Seguin has the opportunity of a lifetime in the next few weeks, as he gets a chance to compete for a championship for a fanbase that has been salivating for a Cup since 1972.

Jacoby Ellsbury & Adrian Gonzalez are on fire

Despite what the Bill James' and stat geeks of the world will tell you (through 1000 page books and boring websites), baseball is and will always remain a simple game.

To that point, when you have a leadoff hitter that is consistently getting on base and a middle of the lineup bat that is driving guys in, you are going to have a potent offense.

Such is the case right now with the Boston Red Sox, leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury and Adrian Gonzalez (their No. 3 hitter).

Ellsbury had three hits, a run and a stolen base yesterday afternoon and Gonzalez had a grand 29th birthday with three hits (including a solo homer), two runs and two RBIs as the Red Sox (16-18) beat the Minnesota Twins (12-20) 9-5 at Fenway Park.

After losing the series opener on Friday night (its third loss in a row), Boston has bounced back with back-to-back wins against Minnesota, who is a complete mess at the moment. Much of the Red Sox' spotty success lately has been due to Ellsbury and Gonzalez who are both currently on fire.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (3-3) was at his frustrating best yesterday as he gave up three runs in the top of the first but settled down to go six innings, allowing only one more run. He gave up five hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Connecticut native Carl Pavano (2-4) has had a terrible start to the 2011 season-trust me, I had him on two fantasy teams-and that continued yesterday. In five innings, he allowed ten hits and seven earned runs with a walk. With that, I dumped him from both teams (and yes, I know you care).

The Red Sox banged out a season-high 14 hits with Kevin Youkilis (4 runs, 2 hits) and David Ortiz (2 hits) also recording multiple hits.

Jason Kubel (3 hits, 2 RBIs) had an RBI single to start Minnesota's big first inning. Danny Valenica (3 RBIs, 2 hits) topped that with a two-run single of his own.

J.D. Drew began the Red Sox comeback with an RBI ground out in the second. In the third, Jason Varitek cut it to 3-2 with another RBI ground and Gonzalez delivered an RBI single in the third to tie it at three. Youk's fielder's choice put Boston up 4-3 in the third before Drew came through with an RBI single to cap off the five-run third for Boston.

Valencia's solo homer in the fourth made it 5-4 Red Sox but Gonzalez answered with a solo shot (his fourth of the season) in the fifth over the Monster. A fielder's choice by Drew increased the lead to 7-4 in the same frame.

Jed Lowrie put this one in the win column with a two-run single in the seventh.

The Twins got one more run on Kubel's RBI single in the eighth.

Matt Albers went two innings (giving up three hits and one earned run but striking out three) and Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless ninth.

Josh Beckett faces Nick Blackburn tonight in the series finale. A win here by the Red Sox would cap off a nice 3-1 series. Beckett last started during the rain delayed game against the Angels last Wednesday, so he should be raring to go since he only went 4.1 innings then.