RED SOX REPORT: JULY TO THE ALL-STAR BREAK

As the Sox opened a new month, they were still recovering from their toughest loss of the year, blowing a 10-1 lead in the late innings to the Orioles. It was important that the Sox rebound from such a shocking defeat, because such losses can shake the collective psyche and send a team into a nosedive.

Rookie Brad Bergesen started Wednesday afternoon’s finale (7/1) for the O’s against Josh Beckett (9-3, 3.48). While it appeared to be a mismatch on paper, that’s why they play the game on the field…In the bottom of the first, Roberts walked leading off, stole second and scored on Felix Pie’s base hit to left (Pie was gunned down 7-4 on a close play trying to stretch the hit into a double-the ump missed the call as the ball wasn’t even in Pedroia’s glove). Luke Scott took Beckett’s first pitch of the bottom of the second out of the yard to put the O’s up 2-0. The Sox picked up a run in the third when Pedroia doubled in Drew (Pedroia was thrown out at third trying to stretch the play into a triple). Andino singled leading off the bottom of the third, went to third on Roberts’ base hit to right and both scored on Markakis’ double to right. Ty Wigginton led off the bottom of the fourth by lining a bullet over the leftfield wall as Beckett’s command appeared to be really off.

Other than that single run in the third, Bergesen had the Sox’ hitters dead on arrival through the first eight innings, but after he departed things got very interesting in the top of the ninth. Johnson came on to close things out and did anything but. Pedroia walked leading off and scored on Youkilis’ bomb to right. Suddenly, it was 5-3 with nobody out. Exit Johnson, enter Sherrill (who struck out Bay and Ortiz). Ellsbury then singled up the middle, then Sherrill walked Bailey and Varitek to load ‘em. Up stepped pinch hitter Rocco Baldelli, who hit a seeing-eye grounder up the middle scoring Ellsbury and Bailey with the fourth and game-tying runs. What a comeback! Daniel Bard pitched a clean ninth and Ramon Ramirez pitched a clean tenth. In the top of the eleventh, Ellsbury led off by ripping a line drive double down the left field line. He tagged and went to third on Bailey’s fly to right and scored on Lugo’s single. Papelbon entered and retired the Orioles 1-2-3 to earn his 20th save and established a new Red Sox record for saves.

In light of what had occurred the night before and the first eight innings today, this was a big, big win for the Red Sox. They could’ve rolled over and played dead today, but they didn’t quit and, in the process, preserved their 2 ½ game lead over the Yanks.

Seattle Sizzles, Sox Fizzle…

Seattle came to town for a weekend set that kicked off a 10-game homestand at the old ballyard. Last year, the M’s were horrid, but so far this year they’re above .500 and enjoying a bounceback under new manager Don Wakamatsu and the return of Ken Griffey, Jr. Ichiro is again at the top of the pack, hitting .362 and the well-traveled Russell Branyan has already hit 20 homers. In addition, David Aardsma (who really struggled last year in Boston) has emerged as the M’s closer and is pitching lights out ball.

In the opener (7/3) King Felix started for Seattle against Wakefield, but neither figured in the decision, as the M’s picked up a pair of runs in the 11th to come away with a 7-6 win. The Sox had an early 2-0 lead that Seattle chipped away at eventually going on top 5-2. Drew homered in the bottom of the seventh to make it 5-3, then the Sox tied it in the bottom of the eighth on Nick Green’s double (that missed going over the wall by inches). Ramon Ramirez allowed a single and a walk to open the eleventh, and Rob Johnson came through with a two-run double to put the M’s ahead for good. George Kottaras hit his first MLB homer in the bottom half of the inning, but it was too little, too late. The star of the night was Chris Jakubauskas, who pitched two no-hit innings in the 9th and 10th, to pick up the win.

In the middle game (7/4), there were no holiday fireworks at Fenway as Varitek’s two-run homer in the second was all the offense Boston could muster as they wound up losing 3-2 in the ninth, on Chris Woodward’s RBI single of Saito. Once more, Brad Penny had another very good outing (6IP, 6H, 2ER, 6K) only to be denied a victory due to a lack of offensive support. Garrett Olson (whom the Sox used to tattoo when he pitched for Baltimore) also kept his team in the game with 6 ⅓ very good innings’ of work, and old friend Aardsma shut the door in the ninth. The Yankees just keep on rolling and now the Sox’ lead is down to…one game. Jeff Bailey suffered an ankle sprain and will be heading to the DL, which is a shame.

In Sunday’s finale (7/5) Jon Lester got the start against Brandon Morrow. The Sox needed to avoid a sweep as the current one-game lead precariously hung in the balance. The Sox got first inning solo homers from Pedroia and Ortiz, and Lester was in a groove until the fourth when he allowed a bases-loaded triple to Ronny Cedeno. In actuality, JD Drew badly misplayed the ball as he slid to catch it near the foul pole and the ball rolled a long way before he was able to track it down. The Mariners picked up another run in the fifth and Morrow had settled in well and shut down the Sox hitters. The Sox hitters were basically DOA until Ellsbury hit a solo homer with one out in the bottom of the sixth to give the fans a ray of hope. Lester was through after 6 ⅔, after walking Griffey and turned things over to Masterson, who struck out Franklin Gutierrez to end the inning. In the bottom of the seventh, the Sox batters lit the fuse and the fireworks finally started (better late than never). Miguel Batista entered in relief for Seattle (the Sox have historically hit him well). With one out, Drew walked and Pedroia singled. With two outs, Ortiz drove in Drew with a base hit to right. After a pitching change, reliever Mark Lowe walked Bay to load the bases and walked Ellsbury, bringing in Pedroia with the tying run. Kotsay followed with a base hit that scored Ortiz and Bay, and (after another pitching change), a passed ball brought in Ellsbury. The Sox put up a big crooked number and were safely ahead 8-4. They avoided a potentially catastrophic sweep and maintained their slim margin atop the AL East (for now, anyhow…). If anything, this recent stretch reinforces how much Mike Lowell’s presence in the lineup means.

On Sunday, MLB announced the All-Star selections, and most notable among the six Red Sox players chosen was Tim Wakefield, who, at age 42, will be making his first trip to the Midsummer Classic. Only Satchel Paige at age 46 (?) was older as a first-time All-Star. It’s about time for Wake, as he’s leading the AL in wins and his knuckleball continues to “float like a butterfly”. Also selected were: Pedroia, Bay, Beckett, Youkilis and Papelbon. The six Boston players chosen comprise the largest contingent by any one club this year. Congratulations to all.

Oakland Comes To Town & Nomar Returns:

Nomar returns to Fenway for the first time since having been traded away at the 2004 trade deadline. It probably won’t be just another night at the ballpark for him, or for the Fenway Faithful. Nomar is now in “the twilight” of what seemed to be a Hall of Fame career that unraveled due to injuries. In many ways, his career parallels Fred Lynn, who played in Boston like the second coming of Stan Musial, but whose prowess rapidly declined along other stops along the baseball map. After having left Boston, Nomar was no more than a shell of the player who stood the baseball world on its ear in 1999-2000. As is the case with Lynn, Red Sox fans are left with only the question of “what if”.

During his peak, there were fewer players more beloved in Boston; he was simply an absolute joy to watch. But somehow, between the injuries and his rancid attitude that developed over contract negotiations (having “allegedly” walked away from a 4/60 proposal) and the intrusive media presence, he was no longer “beloved” by the new ownership and management that took over and was ultimately shipped to the Cubs in a complex deal that brought Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz to Boston. The Sox went on to win the Series that year while Nomar’s career went into a precipitous decline while playing in more media friendly markets. During that time, Nomar has earned slightly more than half of what he could’ve had he accepted the Sox’ offer in ’04. For all the thrills he brought Red Sox fans, it’s sad to see such a career end with a whimper instead of a bang.

It was simply a perfect night for baseball at the old ballyard. In the opener (7/6), the A’s 21-year old rookie lefthander, Brett Anderson pitched a complete game two-hit shutout as the A’s scored four runs in the fourth en route to a 6-0 win. John Smoltz started for the Sox and really struggled, allowing 10 hits and 5 earned runs over six innings of work. There were just too many breaking balls and sliders left over the plate and the A’s batters hammered him good. Nomar received a thunderous and sustained standing ovation from the crowd in his return to Fenway, and went 2-4 with a run batted in. Anderson was outstanding tonight, simply dominant. Adam Bates was recalled from Pawtucket to take Jeff Bailey’s spot on the roster and was immediately inserted in the starting lineup. He appears to be not quite ready for prime time. There wasn’t much else to report, as it was a bad night for the Hometown Nine.

After a day of scattered thundershowers, the skies cleared just in time to start at 7:10. The middle game of the series (7/7) marked the official halfway point of the season and proved to be whole lot better from the Sox’ point of view as Beckett shut down the A’s hitters and the offense chipped in with timely hitting en route to a 5-2 win. Newly acquired Scott Hairston put the A’s on top with a solo homer in the first, but Bay tied it in the bottom of the second with his 20th homer of the year. The Sox went ahead when Ortiz followed with a double, moved to third on Varitek’s single and scored on Green’s ground out. A’s starter Dana Eveland had trouble throwing strikes in the early going. (NOTE: Eveland was DFA’d after the game). The Sox tagged him for two more runs in the third when Eveland loaded the bases on a double and two walks and Varitek drove in Bay and Drew with a bouncing base hit up the middle. Beckett had a momentary blip in the fifth inning when Ryan Sweeney doubled and scored on Adam Kennedy’s double, but quickly got out of the jam by getting Orlando Cabrera to ground out to short. The Sox capped off the scoring in the sixth when Ellsbury led off with a double and scored on Pedroia’s two-out single to left. Okajima and Masterson held down the fort until Papelbon entered in the 9th and struck out the side to end the ballgame and pick up his 21st save of the year. After 81 games, the Sox are 49-32, 1 ½ games ahead of the Yanks in the AL East.

In the finale (7/8), Tim Wakefield was looking for his 11th win against rookie Trevor Cahill (who looks like the kid who’s pushing shopping carts at the local supermarket). The Sox came out flat offensively, though Wake’s knuckleball was doing the tarantella out there. The A’s picked up a run in the second when Matt Holliday doubled leading off and scored on Jack Cust’s line drive single to left. Through the first six innings, Wake struck out eight but the A’s also stranded seven runners. Meanwhile, Cahill really shut down the Sox’ hitters, allowing only one hit. All of that changed in the bottom of the sixth, as the Sox broke through for four runs. Leading off, Drew tied up the ballgame with a bullet to deep right. Pedroia singled, Youkilis walked and everyone came home on Ortiz’ 10th homer of the year, a no-doubt bomb that landed far in the rightfield grandstand, and the Sox were up 4-1. The Sox ended up loading the bases against the two Oakland relievers that subsequently entered, but squandered the opportunity to push across any more runs. After Wake opened the seventh by allowing back-to-back singles, Manny Delcarmen entered in relief and both runners to score on a two-out base hit. Ortiz drove in a run in the bottom half of the inning to make it 5-3. Papelbon entered in the ninth to close things out, but getting through the inning was akin to pulling teeth. He allowed a walk, single and sacrifice fly before settling down and striking out two batters to end a very tight ballgame and pick up his 22nd save. How ‘bout that Wake? 11 wins!

KC To The All-Star Break:

Kansas City came to town for a four game set leading up to the All-Star break. Brad Penny got the call in the opener (7/9) against Luke Hochevar. It was a night worth forgetting, as the bullpen blew a big lead and the Sox lost, 8-6. In the process, their lead in the AL East (once up to five games on June 24th) evaporated and now the Yanks are tied with the Sox for first. It’s a long season and all, but it’s disappointing to see the Sox lose to the doormats of the American League.

At the start, things went as well as could be expected for the Sox. Pedroia doubled in the bottom of the first and scored on Youkilis’ single to left. Ortiz tagged a two-run shot and the Sox were quickly ahead 3-0. Penny allowed three runs in the fourth on three singles and a double. Pedroia gave the Sox a cushion run with a leadoff homer in the fifth and things looked fine. Then Delcarmen entered in the sixth and everything fell apart. Teahen doubled and scored on Callaspo’s two-out double. Masterson came on and he was even worse. Freel singled and DeJesus hit a two-run homer, and the Royals were ahead for good 7-5. Both teams scratched out runs in the eighth inning, but the Sox ended up taking a bitter loss and now face the prospect of falling out of first place to a Yankee team that looks like they’re on a steamroll through the American League.

If pitching's your thing, then Friday night's game (7/10) was right up your alley. Jon Lester and Brian Bannister each pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning before the Sox pushed across a run on Pedroia's single came away with a hard-fought 1-0 win. The game was quiet until the bottom of the fifth when Ellsbury led off with a single, stole second, went to third on a ground out but was called out while trying to score on Green's grounder to second. On the replay it appeared as if he was safe, and when Derryl Cousins' thumb went up, Ellsbury slammed his helmet down and was immediately excused from further participation in the game. Rocco Baldelli replaced him in center and made a great catch off of Willie Bloomquist's long fly to end the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth, Mark Kotsay singled leading off. Aaron Bates ran for him and moved to second on Green's beautiful 2-3 sacrifice bunt. Bates moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Pedroia's line drive double off the wall. Papelbon entered in the top of the ninth and was dominant, setting down the side in order. The game was played in a crisp 2:29. As an added bonus, the Yankess lost in Anaheim, and the Sox went back on top in the AL East.

One of the beautiful things about this game of baseball is you never can tell what will happen from one night to the next. Twenty-four hours (7/11) after both teams were locked in a pitchers’ duel, they combined for 25 hits and 24 runs as the Sox withstood a furious rally by the Royals and prevailed 15-9. John Smoltz got the start, looking for his first Red Sox victory, and the Sox battered his counterpart Gil Meche pretty badly as the Sox went out to a 9-0 lead through the first four innings. In the first, Pedroia tripled and scored on Youkilis’ single to left. Ortiz walked and Bay reached on an E6, with Youkilis coming in. Ellsbury hit a sacrifice fly with Ortiz coming in with the third run. In the second, Drew doubled with two outs and scored on Pedroia’s double. Youkilis followed with a two-run shot over the wall in left to make it 6-0. One inning later, Varitek homered with one out to make it 7-0. The Sox pushed across two more runs in the fourth on Ortiz’ bomb. The last time the Sox had this big of a lead, well, things didn’t exactly go their way. Smoltz was finished after five, allowing a run and the bullpen took over and melted down, as the Royals threatened with seven unanswered runs before the Soz came back with three in the seventh and three more in the eighth to avoid another humiliating loss. Daniel Bard entered and was able to shut down the Royals hitters where Masterson, Delcarmen and Okajima could not. The Sox really dodged a bullet in this game and the Yanks lost, giving the Sox a two-game lead in the AL East.

In the series finale (7/12), Josh Beckett started against the well-traveled Bruce Chen in what appeared to be a complete mismatch. And so it was as Beckett went the distance, allowing only three hits in a 3-0 shutout. The Sox scratched a run in the first when Pedroia doubled and scored on Youkilis’ base hit. In the fourth, the Sox chased Green from the game as Green walked and scored on Aaron Bates’ double off the wall. After a pitching change, Ellsbury reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second. Pedroia walked, and Bates scored on Ortiz ground out. Bay and Varitek then walked with Ellsbury coming in to make it 4-0. The Sox manufactured single runs in the fifth and the eighth to account for the 6-0 final. Aaron Bates was the hitting star of the afternoon, going 3-4 with two doubles and really stinging the ball every time up. A day like that will do wonders for the kid’s confidence. Meanwhile, Beckett was awesome, striking out seven and in complete command all day long. The Yankees were swept over the weekend in Anaheim and the Sox go into the All-Star break with a record of 54-34, three games up in the AL East.

In a story that somewhat flew under the radar, the Sox recently signed 19-year old Cuban defector shortstop Jose Iglesias to an $8 million contract. According to reports, Iglesias defected last year in Canada and is projected to have a top shelf glove with limited power. It’s a little perplexing to hear of that sort of dough being invested in the second coming of Alex Gonzalez. Maybe the Sox’ scouts and management see a lot more potential than that. Let’s hope for that kind of money the kid proves to be a player of substance, not a flash in the pan.