Rolling Into the Heart of August

This is the time of year when the weather around here changes ever so subtly. The midday sun can still be a scorcher, but sunset arrives noticably earlier and the nights are cooler. Some of the leaves on the trees have already begun to turn and flocks of geese have been seen flying above in a generally southern direction. Pretty soon the kids will be heading back to school and those magical Sunday afternoons with the NFL will once again be upon us. Let’s not hurry things along but savor these days of being out and about in the beautiful weather.

The Endless Road Trip Continues…

The Sox traveled to Toronto for the second leg of their three-stop tour through North America. The Jays have generally played the Sox tough at home and this series should be no different. In the opener, Daisuke (8-3, 3.96) started against the promising lefthander Ricky Romero (9-7, 3.37). Daisuke struck out the Jays in order to start things off, then the Sox put three runs on the board in the second as Ortiz and Beltre each doubled followed by a double from Lowrie and a base hit by Ellsbury. Adam Lind homered for Toronto to make it 3-1 but the Sox came back with another run in the third when Martinez singled, Ortiz doubled again and Beltre scored on Lowell’s sacrifice fly. But Daisuke simply can’t stand prosperity. In the bottom of the third, he walked McDonald and Lewis then Travis Snider hit a three-run shot to tie the score. JD Drew put the Sox ahead once more with a solo shot in the top of the fifth, but Daisuke’s control problems finally led to the manager pulling the plug with two outs in the bottom of the sixth and two runners on. Felix Doubrount came on and was able to strike out Snider and preserve the lead…but not for long. In the bottom of the seventh, he served up a gopher ball to Jose Bautista (who’s having a career year) and the game was tied. That was the 46th homer the bullpen has served up this year, the most in the AL. Not to worry, the Sox put the game away for good in the top of the eighth, courtesy of Lowell’s homer and an RBI double by Lowrie (who finally appears to be healthy for the first time in two years). Papelbon came on for the ninth, allowed a double to Snider, but otherwise escaped to pick up his 29th save.

There was an ugly brawl in Cincy tonight that was the result of Brandon Phillips popping off in the media about his dislike for the Cardinals. Both teams are neck-and-neck in the NL Central and maybe Phillips thought he was firing up his team. It backfired. When he stepped to the plate, the Cardinals catcher, Yadier Molina, took umbridge with his remarks and a lot more than the usual pushing and shoving transpired. The benches emptied and there was a rolling fracas that ended up with a pile of players getting trampled near the backstop. Both managers were ejected, but Phillps and Molina stayed in the game and the Cardinals smoked the Reds. It will take the home office a little while to dissect the video, but there will probably be some suspensions and a bundle of fines levied. Dopes.

Prior to the middle game, Kevin Cash was placed in the DL with a mysterious “hamstring injury” and the recently acquired Jarrod Saltalamacchia was recalled from Pawtucket. Carlos Delgado continues to get ready at Pawtucket and Dustin Pedroia will go there shortly for a rehab stint as well with a planned return date at Fenway next week.

Clay Buchholz (12-5, 2.66) started for Boston against Shaun Marcum (10-5, 3.44). It was yet another ghostown at f/k/a SkyDome, where, once upon a time, the Jays were drawing 4 million fans. The Jays may no longer be the powerhouse they once were in the early ‘90’s, but they’re a good and competitive team. In the top of the first, Marcum walked Scutaro and Ortiz then hit Beltre to load the bases with two outs. Marcum then walked Lowell on a pitch that could’ve gone either way. The Jays tied the score in the bottom of the first as Snider hit a routine grounder to first that went through Lowell’s wickets, went to second on a ground out, to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly to right. Lowell giveth and Lowell taketh away. Bill Hall put the Sox ahead 2-1 with an upper-deck solo shot leading off the second. In the top of the fourth, Hall homered again, this time a two-run shot way back in left, then Drew opened the fifth by crushing one into the third level in right, man, what a pop. Martinez and Ortiz followed with back-to-back singles, then Beltre hit a three-run homer into the bullpen area in right and it was 8-1. Mr. Gaston came out of the dugout looking for the baseball. Lefthander Brian Tallet (and his Elvis sideburns) came on and Lowell greeted him with a double to the gap in right center. With one out, Hall came up again and drove in Lowell to make it 9-1. After that, the manager decided to empty the bench of his position players. In the eighth, Darnell McDonald hit a long drive to center that bounced off the top of the wall and back into play for a triple. He later scored on Martinez’ liner down the rightfield line. Buchholz finally went over the 100-pitch mark in the eighth as Saltalamacchia made his Red Sox debut behind the plate. Salty was once so highly regarded by the Rangers that they reportedly turned down Buchholz in a trade proposal. Through eight innings, Buchholz had allowed only five hits while striking out four. He stepped out after the eighth and the manager entrusted the resoultion to Dustin Richardson, but the young lefty struggled to put this garbage time game out of its misery as he allowed two cheapie singles after two were out before retiring Encaracion on a 6-4 force.

It appears as if the career of the great Chipper Jones may be over. Jones had already talked of retirement at year’s end before he made a great leap and throw of a hot shot to third last week in Houston. But he landed awkwardly and blew an ACL, putting him on the shelf for the season. He wanted to coincide his departure with that of Manager Bobby Cox, so if that’s the way his career ended, it’s a shame. He does have a nice consolation prize waiting for him in Cooperstown in a few years. Jones later confirmed that he would undergo season ending surgery but would attempt a comeback in 2011.

Thursday afternoon’s finale (8/12) featured John Lackey (10-7, 4.60) against lefty Brad Mills (1-0, 4.09). Lackey was looking to rebound from last Saturday’s so-so outing at Yankee Stadium where he unraveled after one bad inning. Scutaro was given a well-needed day off and Saltalamacchia made his first start for the Sox behind the plate. The Jays came out in their classic ‘70’s powder blue uniforms, the roof at f/k/a Skydome was open and it was a picture perfect afternoon for baseball in Toronto. With one out in the bottom of the first, Escobar ripped a curve ball down the line in left for a double but Lackey struck out Bautista and Wells to end that threat. With two outs in the second, the Sox had runners on second and third after Drew walked and Saltalamacchia hit a bloop double to right, but Mills whiffed McDonald and a golden chance went by the boards. In the bottom of the second, Saltalamacchia threw out Hill, which was an encouraging sign as he reportedly suffered from a case of the yips while with Texas. The Sox got on the board in the third when Ellsbury singled and Lowrie walked. The Sox then executed a double steal and Martinez hit a sacrifice fly bringing in Ellsbury. Papi then hit a long double off the wall driving in Lowrie, and Drew hit a ground-rule double to right. Hall was caught looking at a curve ball and the chance to score more had passed. That’s 6 RISP and only 2 runs, not good enough. In the bottom of the fourth, the Jays put runners on the corners after Bautista walked and Sluggo Wells ripped a base hit up the middle. Bautista later scored on Lind’s double play grounder, and all of those baserunners left by the Sox in the second and third looked pretty big. Not to worry, as Lowrie took the first pitch of the fifth over the wall in center to make it 3-1. It was his first homer in ages and he was smiling from ear to ear when he got back to the dugout. With one out, Papi launched a long bomb to right to make it 4-1 and that was the afternoon for young Mr. Mills. He does have very good off speed stuff, so the bad pitches are all part of the learning curve. Fred Lewis led off the bottom of the sixth with a long double off the wall in left. Lewis has been a valuable addition to the Jays after having been picked up on waivers from the Giants earlier in the year. Escobar singled, putting runners on the corners. Bautista then hit into a double play and Lewis came in the back door to make it 4-2. Adam Lind led off the bottom of the seventh with a double off the wall in center. With one out, Snider hit a long drive to center that died on the warning track and Lackey was able to get out of the inning unscathed. In the sixth and seventh, Lackey served up a number of long and loud outs and his pitch count had esclated to the point where the bullpen needed to get ready. Saltalamacchia doubled for the second time today with two outs in the eighth thr Darnell McDonald ripped a triple to the gap in right to make it 5-2. Lackey came out for the ninth and Bautista promptly hit a bomb to left that bounced off the façade of the third level to make it 5-3 and that was the afternoon for Lackey. Papelbon came on and gave up a long double to Sluggo then Lind drove him in with a base hit up the middle. Two pitches, two runs. Dewayne Wise, pinch running, stole second. Aaron Hill then followed with a grounder up the middle that struck Papelbon’s right foot and bounced away. Hill was safe and there were runners on the corners with nobody out. THIS IS WHY WE CONTINUE TO HARP ON THE SOX’ INABILITY TO EXECUTE WITH RISP. IT NEVER SHOULD HAVE COME TO THIS POINT! Papelbon struck out Snider swinging for the first out, but Encarnacion followed with a double down the left field line to tie the score. After Overbay received a free pass, Papelbon was yanked in favor of Bard. In the past year or so, Papelbon’s ability as a shut-down closer has seriously eroded and the team needs to consider another option at this point. Next year will be his last arbitration-eligible year and he looks to command in excess of $10 million. Lewis hit a sacrifice fly to center and the Jays won 6-5. That was just an absoultely brutal way to lose. If they play any more games like that here on out, there will be no October baseball in Boston.

On to Texas…

The Sox finished off this brutal road trip fittingly enough in Arlington where the temps will be hovering around 100° with awful humidity. This is usually the time of year when the Rangers wilt under the oppressive weather, but so far they’re hanging in with a healthy lead in the AL West. In Friday’s opener, native Texan Josh Beckett (3-2, 6.21) got the call against Tommy Hunter (9-1, 3.01). Baltimore (dressed in garish all-orange uniforms) beat the Rays earlier today, so the Sox had a chance to tighten things up in the Wild Card race with a win. It’s already football season in Texas as the seats are half empty. It must be disconcerting for the players to work their tails off all year only to see half the fans leave as training camp opens for the Cowboys. But that’s the way it is in Texas, where football is a god. Ellsbury ran Hunter over trying to make his way to first on a grounder down the line and made an awkward tumble. The Rangers put runners on the corners with two outs in the first as Hamilton and Vladdy Guerrero hit back-to-back singles. Nelson Cruz followed with a comebacker that bounced off of Beckett’s foot and Hamilton came in with the first run. After Beckett walked Murphy, he struck out Molina, but the pitch count took a major hit. Murphy made a very nice catch of Kalish’s long fly to left, taking the ball at the fence and denying the Sox a chance with runners on first and second. After getting traded to Texas in the disastrous Eric Gagné trade three years ago, Murphy has fashioned himself a pretty nice career with the Rangers. He’s also a native Texan, so playing in this weather is not much of a problem. Texas went up 2-0 in the second after Mitch Moreland singled leading off, went to second on a ground out and scored on Andrus’ base hit up the middle. Lowrie led off the Sox’ third with a long homer to right to cut the lead to 2-1. Earlier in the year, while Lowrie was still on rehab, the Sox reportedly offered him to the Rockies for catcher (and RI native) Chris Ianetta, but were rebuffed. Hamilton made a terrific catch off of Scutaro’s drive to the gap in right center, giving chase and stabbing the ball. An hour into the game, the temperature cooled to a lovely 96°. Papi tied it in the fourth with an opposite field homer, his 26th, then Beltre went back-to-back into the leftfield grandstand to put the Sox ahead 3-2. Then Drew went back-to-back-to-back with a long bomb to right that struck the upper deck façade. Whoa, daddy! Ron Washington had seen enough and made the call for righty Scott Feldman, who went 17-8 last year but has struggled so far and found a seat in the bullpen. Lowell walked and Kalish singled up the middle. With one out, Ellsbury hit a routine grounder to second that Blanco flubbed trying to turn two and the bases were loaded. Hence, another situation arose where the Sox needed to make some hay. Scutaro delivered with a line drive single that scored Lowell to make it 5-2, but this was a golden opportunity to give Beckett a commanding lead with which to work. VMart also came through, driving in Kalish and Ellsbury with a base hit. Ortiz then hit into a 4-6 force (busting it down the line) and Scutaro scored to make it 8-2. Ellsbury (batting a robust .118 since his return) was replaced by Eric Patterson in the bottom of the fourth. Perhaps he was hurt again in that first inning collision. Murphy started things off for the Rangers with a double down the line in left. It’s really good to see a player for whom the Red Sox held such promise getting a chance in the majors and performing well. At the time he was traded, there was really no place for him on the 25-man roster, but he’s certainly found a home with the Rangers. With one out, Moreland then hit a two-run homer to center to make it 8-4. The ball was carrying extremely well tonight, but Beckett was able to avoid further trouble (for now) by retiring the next two batters. Michael Young led off the Rangers’ fifth with a homer that just made cleared the foul pole in right and the Sox’ lead narrowed to three. Hamilton then followed with a homer to right-center to make it 8-6 and bodies started getting loose in the Boston bullpen. With two outs, Murphy hit a long drive to center that Patterson couldn’t reach and wound up on third, but Beckett struck out Molina swinging to keep the lead at two. Beckett was at 94 pitches through five and on a night like this had to be running low in the tank. Hamilton then made an astounding catch off of Lowrie’s deep drive to center. He went back to the wall, leaped high against it and robbed Lowrie of a homer. That catch will certainly win a “web gem” award from the BBTN crew tonight. Patterson followed with a single to right and stole second. After VMart was given a free pass with two outs, Darren Oliver was brought in to face Ortiz and retired him on a liner to second. Dustin Richarson came on in relief of Beckett to start the sixth and quickly gave up a double to Blanco. He was immediately replaced by Oh No Atchison, who retired the side in order including a strike out of Young. Drew hit his second homer of the night with one out in the seventh to make it 9-6. With Doubront now pitching in and one out in the Rangers’ seventh, Hamilton singled, Cruz doubled and Murphy brought in Hamilton with a sacrifice fly to left. Needing seven outs, the manager then turned to Bard. Molina lined a double to right and Cruz came in to make it 9-8. Julio Borbon came on to run for Molina but Bard was able to strike out Blanco to perserve the one-run lead. Rookie Alexi Ogando came on in relief for the eighth, and he has electric stuff, with an incredible WHIP of 1.083 in 22 appearances. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Hamilton ripped a double down the line in right for his fourth hit. Guerrero just beat out an infield hit and Hamilton came flying around the basepaths and slid in with the tying run. On to the ninth, and lights-out Neftali Feliz came in for the Rangers and easily disposed of the next three Sox hitters. Delcarmen came on for the bottom of the ninth and was able to get through an inning without any runs having been scored. Papelbon entered in the bottom of the tenth, looking for redemption after yesterday’s disastrous outing in Toronto. With two outs, Hamilton walked and stole second, but Papelbon whiffed Guzman and it was on to the 11th. Darren O’Day took to the hill for Texas and retired the side in order. The Sox, now having emptied the bullpen, turned to Wakefield, and Cruz promptly took his first pitch way out of the yard and the Sox lost, 10-9. Saw this one coming a mile away…

Prior to Saturday night’s game, Jacoby Ellsbury was placed on the DL once again after re-injuring his ribs last night in a first-inning collision with Rangers’ pitcher Tommy Hunter. At this point, they should shut him down for the rest of the year. So the Sox will have to move forward with the patchwork outfield with which they’ve dealt for most of the year. Pitcher Michael Bowden was recalled from Pawtucket to fill Ellsbury’s roster spot. After last night’s game, Jed Lowrie experienced some heat exhaustion symptoms, which is not surprising considering the oppresive conditions and having recently made a recovery from a bout of mono. There was some good news on the injury front as Dustin Pedroia started his brief rehab stint in Pawtucket and hopes to be ready to go when the Sox return to Fenway on Tuesday.

Looking to rebound from two straight walkoff losses, the Sox sent Jon Lester (12-7, 2.94) to the mound against Colby Lewis (9-8, 3.37). If there was ever a night when Lester needed to bail out the bullpen, this would be it. The temperature at game time was 100°. Perhaps the umpires should resort to using iron baseballs to keep the score in check. There was practically a full house at f/k/a Bankrupt Mortgage Company Ballpark as the Cowboys were not playing or practicing tonight. Eric Patterson started in place of Ellsbury as the manager had to shuffle around the lineup once more. Drew was slotted in the two-hole and he’s been hitting decently of late. Josh Hamilton is hitting .556 in his last four games and is in the midst of an MVP-type season. Considering the fact that he nearly self-destructed, his life’s recovery and the resurrection of his baseball career has been amazing. Beltre made a bad throw on Andrus’ grounder to third to start things in the Rangers’ first, but Lester was able to retire the next three batters, so no harm, no foul. Ortiz and Beltre started the Sox second with singles and, with one out, Kalish walked. But Hall struck out looking and Patterson hit a weak pop and once more, the offense failed to “keep the line moving”. An hour in and it’s still triple-digits out there. Hamilton led off the Rangers’ fourth with a single, but Guerrero (slower than molasses these days) was thrown out on a play he would’ve beaten by five steps not so long ago. The Sox went on top 1-0 in the fifth as Kalish singled leading off went to second on a passed ball with one out, to third on Scutaro’s base hit and scored on Drew’s single to right. Through five, Lester had only allowed four hits and was on top of his game. In the Sox’ seventh, Hall singled with one out and stole second. After Scutaro followed with a walk, Colby Lewis’ night was through. He had gone 114 pitches, and on a night like this, should’ve received hazardous duty pay. Ogando entered in relief and was able to retire the side. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Cruz tripled off the wall in right but Lowell made a nice stop of Murphy’s grounder and held Cruz at third. Cantu followed with a grounder to second and the triple proved harmless. In the bottom of the eighth, Lester retired the side in order but was up to 109 pitches, presenting a conundrum for the manager as the bullpen was toast from last night. Lowell doubled to the left-center gap leading off the ninth and Kalish followed with a base hit to right. Billy Hall singled in Lowell to make it 2-0 as the Sox had a chance to provide Lester with a cushion heading into the bottom of the inning. After a pitching change, Eric Patterson laid down a beautiful bunt that Harrison picked up too late and Patterson was safe. Scutaro followed with a short fly to center that was dropped by Borbon and Kalish scored. After Drew hit into a 4-2-3 double play, Martinez was intentionally walked and the Mighty Big Papi strode to the plate and he…grounded out to second. The manager trotted out Oh No Atchison for the ninth and, with one out, Hamilton hit an opposite-field bomb to make it 3-1. Vladdy Guerrero then hit a sharp grounder deep in the hole at short on which Scutaro made a nice play to handle, but Vladdy slid into the bag at first and was barely safe. That was all for Oh No Atchison as Feliz Doubront came in for the first time in a high-leverage relief appearance. Vladdy tried to steal second and was thrown out by five feet. What on earth was he thinking, he’s slower than Grandma Moses. Doubront then caught Moreland looking at a curveball that dropped in for strike three and the Sox came away with a very satisfying 3-1 win. Jon Lester had simply an amazing night for the Sox, pitching so well under such oppressive conditions. Give this team some credit, they’re still giving it everything they’ve got despite the rash of injuries and disappointing losses. Most of the Red Sox teams of the past would’ve folded up their tents under similar circumstances.

On Sunday afternoon (8/15), the game time temperature was 99°, but under the bright sun the heat index was calculated at 110-114°. There weren’t many brave souls who ventured out to the ballpark, and ESPN wouldn’t allow MLB to switch the game to an evening start due to its exclusivity rights for Sunday night broadcasts. So it’s OK for people to pass out from heat exhaustion at the ballpark under a hot sun so that tonight’s Phillies-Mets game can be an MLB exclusive. Don’t get me started…Joe Morgan…mindless drivel…ugh. The stands are barely full and the Rangers probably lost a bundle in potential gate receipts all because of contractual intransigence. Seriously, outside of the local markets, who gives a rat’s ass about this matchup on Sunday Night Baseball? Whatever happened to making accomodations based on common sense? Some ESPN lawyer would argue that there are no contractual provisions for common sense. Someone needs to ask such highly-credentialed nitwits whether they would allow their child to sit at a ballpark for three hours under such conditions.

Thank goodness that this trip ends today, In the finale, Daisuke (8-3, 4.09) got the call against lefty C.J. Wilson (10-5, 3.30). Wilson has owned the Sox this year, winning twice already and allowing only one run in 15 ⅓ innings. The Sox stranded a couple of runners in the first two innings but couldn’t deliver. The Rangers picked up a run in the bottom of the second when Cantu singled and Moreland walked to start things. Both runners advanced on a ground out and Cantu scored on Blanco’s sacrifice fly. Beltre doubled in the fourth and made it to third but no further as Wilson retired the next two batters…and the scoreboard thermometer read 101°. Daisuke also pitched quite well through 6, allowing only the run, four hits and striking out 8. In the bottom of the sixth, Moreland singled and moved into scoring position by Teagarden’s bunt. Daisuke was well over 100 pitches by this point and went through an 11-pitch at bat with Blanco before getting him to ground out to second. With Moreland now on third, Borbon laid down a text book Jerry Remy drag bunt down the first base line and Moreland could’ve crawled home to make it 2-0. That was one smart baseball play. Andrus followed up with a line drive single and it was time for Daisuke to leave, after 116 pitches. The Red Sox could not have asked more of him under such trying conditions. Manny Delcarmen came on and served up a first-pitch meatball that Michael Young hammered for a three-run homer to make it 5-0. (Sigh) Come this off season, Theo needs to go through that bullpen with a blow torch. In the top of the eighth, Borbon robbed Hall of extra bases by tracking down a long drive at the wall. (When it’s not your day, it’s just not your day). After Patterson reached on a bunt single, Wilson was lifted in favor of Pedro Strop. That was 7⅔ more innings of scoreless ball Wilson’s pitched against the Sox this year, and on a brutal day such as this was dominant. The Sox finally got on the board after Scutaro doubled over Murphy’s head in left. Darnell McDonald promptly followed with a line drive homer to right that barely made it over the fence, and the Sox were right back in the game. Michael Bowden made his first trip to the mound since having been recalled and struggled after getting two quick outs. Hamilton made it to second on a throwing error by Bowden, then Teagarden singled putting runners on the corners. Blanco singled to right and Hamilton came in to make it 6-3 and Borbon followed up with another single to right and it was 7-3. Good Grief! Neftali Feliz came on for the Rangers to shut the door, and he had little difficulty doing so. The Sox closed out the trip 5-5 (should’ve been 7-3) and still sit 5 ½ back of the Yanks and Rays. Nobody could’ve faulted them much for losing today in a blast furnace, but the final game in Toronto and the first game of this series (where they blew an 8-2 lead) are critical losses at a juncture where every loss compounds the pressure. They had chances to draw closer in the race and couldn’t deliver.

The Rangers look like legitimate post season challengers this year, and credit goes to their young GM Jon Daniels. It looks like he’s put together a team that can play in these conditions. Just as it takes a “special player” to make it under the media scrutiny in Boston and New York, it takes a unique player to withstand playing in the Texas heat. Daniels has put together the right mix for this year.

From The Diamond To The Pitch:

USA v. Brazil (International Friendly) 8/10/10:

The sun has barely set on last month’s World Cup and the international cycle that will culminate in the 2014 World Cup has already begun. USAMNT and Brazil played before a packed house (over 77,000) at the New Meadowlands Stadium in Jersey. This venue is magnificent and NFL fans will not be disappointed this fall. (With the cost of PSL’s, far more fans will be watching the action from their couches) The fate of Coach Bradley going forward is still yet to be determined and it’s a good bet that many of the US players dressing for this match won’t be around when the tournament arrives in four years. USA came out in all white while Brazil wore their traditional yellow and blue kits. Many of Brazil’s World Cup regulars (Kaka, et. al) didn’t make the trip but the nation has a limitless pool from which to draw that this year’s “B” team may very well feature the superstars of tomorrow.

Donovan broke into the box cleanly on a pass from Buddle in the 3rd, but was kicked from behind, no foul called. Maurice Edu took a rough knee knock and was down for a few moments but was able to continue. Alexandre Pato had Brazil’s first real chance in the 9th but his shot trickled wide left. USA came out with a quick tempo, but the Brazilians kept a patient pace and were routinely getting opportunities in the Americans’ end. In the 22nd, Tim Howard made a really nice stop of Andre Santos’ shot from inside the box. In the 28th, Brazil’s Neymar scored on a brilliant bang-bang header from a perfect cross service from Santos. The goal came with such amazing execution as Santos broke with the ball on the left wing and fired the ball across the box to Neymar, who was standing on the right and rocked the ball past Howard. Pato crashed the goal five minutes later and the ball went behind Howard, but the referee ruled that Howard was knocked over and nullified the goal. A minute later, Donovan’s free kick was spot on, but Victor knocked it away. Howard then made another stop off of Robinho breaking down right wing in the 37th. Neymar had another tricky chance in the 43rd that Howard had to scramble to recover. Pato made it 2-0 Brazil in stoppage time as he broke in alone into the box on a beautiful pass and fired the ball past the defenseless Howard. USA’s defense was either asleep or out to lunch as that was an embarrassing display. In the first half, we learned that the Americans’ midfielders and defenders simply do not have the talent to compete with an elite side like Brazil. The best they could hope for would be to work their tails off and keep things close. When they outworked the Brazilians, they were able to hold Brazil in check. When USA went through the motions, Brazil ran them off the pitch.

Opening the second half, Brad Guzan replaced Howard in goal and Jozy Altidore came on for Edson Buddle. Since it is a friendly and the weather conditions were muggy, the benched would be emptied during the course of the half. Less than a minute in, Robinho nearly made it 3-0 but his volley hit the side of the net. In the 53rd, Robinho hit the right post. USA scored in the 57th on Bradley’s header from Donovan’s corner, but the assistant referee had the flag up, no goal. Altidore was fouled in the 67th that led to a decent free kick from Kljestan that was turned aside by Victor. In the 70th, Neymar had another golden chance, breaking down the middle of the pitch and letting loose on Guzan. In the 78th, Ganso’s pop from outside the box hit the right post and Robinho followed with another shot that Guzan stopped. In the 83rd, Guzan made a terrific diving stop off of Eduardo’s point blank blast. In the last 30 seconds of stoppage time, Guzan made another leaping save of Santos’ line drive to keep things at 2-0. Don’t be fooled by the final score. If this match had mattered, Brazil would’ve won 8-0.

Wrexham Kicks Off:

Match 1 v. Cambridge United (8/14/10):

Saturday started the brand new football season in England and while the rest of the world breathlessly awaits each match in the EPL, the focus here remains with our beloved Wrexham Dragons of Wales, who currently play in the Blue Square Premier League. Over the summer, there were 11 new players brought in with a veteran presence, guys who want to be part of a promotion-driven squad not simply kids who are using the experience to move up the football ladder. They expended the necessary funds to bring in the right players and are expected to compete for a playoff spot.

Dragons opened up the 2010-11 campaign at home against Cambridge United, with one goal: to return to The Football League by season’s end. It was a great day at the Racecourse, as Andy Morrell’s goal in the 25th propelled Wrexham to the 1-nil win before a packed house of the faithful. The gaffer (Dean Saunders) was very pleased with his team’s performance, as they had much the better of possession in the Cambridge end and the defense held up well. Today, top of the table, tomorrow the world…

Revolution Match 18 v. Houston Dynamo (8/14/10):

Revs went into this match without the injured Kevin Alston, and decided to part ways with Joseph Niouky, who started at midfield for 16 combined matches. He was basically invisible and the management decided to cut their losses. Dynamo also came into this one minus starting goalkeeper Pat Onstad (abdominal strain), defender Adrian Serioux (hamstring strain) and midfielder Brad Davis (L quad strain).

Unlike the weather in Texas (which the Red Sox are currently suffering through), it could not have been more perfect weather in Foxboro on Saturday night.

Serbian Ilija Stolica made his first start up top for the Revs as Coach Nicol was looking to create more scoring opportunities for the offense. In the early going, Cory Gibbs and Marko Perovic put shots on Tally Hall in Dynamo’s goal that were knocked away. Revs then committed a couple of fouls, the second of which led to a shot by Danny Cruz that was turned away by Reis. Dynamo kept up the pressure in the Revs end that led to shots by Ching and Lovel Palmer that missed the net. In the 24th, Ching’s free kick went off target and, minutes later, Shalrie Joseph’s shot from inside the box missed the net. In the 34th, Khano Smith’s shot from Perovic’s corner went wide. Three minutes later, Smith followed up with another blast from the left corner of the box that missed. Cruz was booked in the 41st, but the sides played out the remainder of the half with nothing of note.

Dynamo substituted Joseph Ngwenya for Corey Ashe to open the second half. Houston’s midfield was dictating play in the opening minutes as Revs couldn’t generate anything up top. Revs got on the board first in the 62nd, as Stolica converted on a cross from Nyassi and banged the ball home to make his first start for New England memorable. Gibbs nearly made it 2-0 in the 70th, but his shot from the left corner missed. Five minutes later, Perovic had a good chance that missed as well. Anthony Obodai was booked in the 78th for a rough foul on Khano Smith and was quickly replaced by Cameron Weaver. Khano Smith departed in the 87th in favor of Betu Linck. Nyassi then had a chance in stoppage time but misplayed the ball. Stolica’s goal held up and the Revs extended their unbeaten streak to eight matches. Give credit to the defense, as Cruz’ shot in the 9th was the only one Reis had to handle and the Serbian combo up top were the difference tonight. At 6-9-3-21, Revs are now back in the playoff conversation. But they face two critical road matches next week in Chicago and Kansas City, so we shall see…

From The Pitch To The Gridiron:

Roughriders Game 7 v. British Columbia Lions (8/12/10):

The 4-2 Riders had less than a week to recover from their disappointing loss in Montréal before returning home to face the 1-5 BC Lions. It was the Canadian Football Hall of Fame Game and among the honorees was the Riders’ great wide receiver, Don Narcisse, whose incredible journey from a small college in Texas to a Hall of Fame career in Regina (1987-99) was quite remarkable. His was the story of an undersized receiver who was considered too small for the NFL and was cut out of Cardinals’ camp only to work hard and achieve great success north of the border. He had seven straight seasons of 1,000+ yards gained and 75 touchdown catches. The only sad note to his induction is that his mom passed away a few days before enshrinement.

Riders kept the retro look going for another week, coming out in their traditional green and white. Another packed house at Mosaic awaited the Riders on a hot and humid Friday night in the Prairies. BC won the toss and started out their opening drive at the 45, courtesy of a personal foul on the Riders on the kickoff. Their regular starter, Casey Printers was out of the lineup and the Lions have really missed his veteran presence. On the first play. Jackson hit Geroy Simon for a short gain. It was the 800th career reception for Simon. Jamal Roberstson then went off right tackle and down the sideline for 35 yards and deep into Riders’ territory. At the 15, Jackson was sacked by Jerrell Freeman, and the Lions settled for a 32-yard field goal from Paul McCallum. Durant brought out the Riders’ offense at the 30 to start things. Riders went two n’ out on two incompletions and after Johnson’s punt, BC took over at their 20. On second-and-10, Jackson was picked by Lance Frazier, who returned the ball to the 3. From there, Wes Cates carried off left tackle and into the end zone. With Congi’s point after, the Riders went ahead 7-3. After a decent return, Jackson brought the Lions’ offense out at the 45. Robertson carried twice for a first down. Jackson found Darius Passmore over the middle for another first down then Davis carried on a counter left to the Riders’ 10. With first-and-goal, Robertson carried left for 5, but Jackson’s pass intended for Simon was overthrown and the Lions had to settle once more for a chip shot from McCallum to make it 7-6. Starting at their 27, Durant found Bagg to the left, who muscled his way for a first down at the 50. On second-and-8, Durant scrambled to the right for a first down at BC’s 49. Durant was then sacked by Kerey Banks for a 7 yard loss. A holding penalty wiped out what would’ve been another first down and Johnson punted away. Andrew Harris fumbled the return but was able to recover the ball in the scrum. A reverse by Emanuel Arceneaux was stopped cold by Brent Hawkins. A penalty against BC set the ball back to the 10, and after an incompletion, McCallum punted away with the Riders taking over at BC’s 51. Cates carried for a first down on the quarter’s final play and the Riders were in decent shape to open the second.

Durant scambled to the right sideline down to the 30, and after a defensive holding call, the Riders set up shop at the 15. On second-and-7, Durant carried straight up the gut on a quarterback draw for the touchdown to put the Riders up 14-6. Kitwana Jones popped Davis but good on the kickoff return and BC started out at their 20. Paris Jackson made a nice catch in traffic to pick up a first down, but #1 pick Shomari Williams stuffed a run on the next play and BC had to punt. Dorsey was able to return the punt to midfield. On first down, Cates went off left guard for 15, but two incompletions forced the Riders to punt away. Jackson immediately connected with Simon for a first down at the 35 and Robertson carried for 6. Jackson was then sacked by Barrin Simpson and the Lions were forced to punt. Dorsey returned the punt to the 50. On second-and-4 at midfield, Fantuz took Durant’s pass in traffic for a first down. A procedure penalty against the Riders pushed the ball to the 48 and Durant’s long pass over the middle was intercepted by Ryan Phillips, who returned to the 50. Durant should’ve kept that one in his back pocket. On second down, Jackson was sacked again by Jerrell Freeman, as the wall around him completely collapsed at midfield. The Lions’ Anthony Reddick was flagged for a face mask in punt coverage, then Stanley Franks was called for a late hit on Durant’s first down rush and the Riders were able to pick up an extra 30 yards. Cates banged off right guard for another first down at BC’s 39 and Durant was able to scramble up the middle for another 10. From there, Bagg took a quick hitter from Durant to the 2, some serious YAC there. On second-and-goal, Cates went uncontested off right tackle and the Riders were up 21-6 with less than 30 seconds left in the half.

Dorsey had a nice return of the opening kickoff to the 50 that was wiped out by a holding call and the Riders started out at their 16. The Riders’ drive quickly went backwards and Davis returned Johnson’s punt to the Riders’ 51. On first down, Davis took the ball left, then perfectly cut back against the grain and took it to the house, what a run! Dorsey was smacked down returning the kickoff by Joe Henderson and the Riders started out at the the 33 and the drive went nowhere. Starting at the 11, Simon’s shoe top catch was challenged by Coach Miller and was ruled incomplete. McCallum then ran out of the end zone, conceding the safety and putting the Riders ahead 23-13. On the Riders’ next possession, Fantuz made a nice catch in a crowd for a first down, and then made practically an identical catch on second down at the 41. On second down, Durant connected with Bagg down to the 25, and followed that with a completion to Fantuz to the 13. On second down, Durant went back to pass, and finding no one available, took off to the left and scored to make it 30-13 Riders. After the Riders held BC to a two n’ out, they were able to keep their next drive alive thanks to a questionable pass interference call on BC’s Kerey Banks at the 35. Durant’s pass intended for Fantuz was high, yet the referee threw the flag. From the 25, Durant was intercepted again by Phillips in the end zone. Someone must’ve blown an assigned route as Durant heaved the ball and no player in green was anywhere close to Phillips.

Moving into the fourth quarter, BC was able to move the ball into Riders’ territory as Jackson was able to complete two straight passes for the first time tonight. But Jackson’s second down pass was broken up by Frazier and McCallum punted away. Durant carried up the middle on a draw to the 35 for a first down. Prechae Rodriguez then made a nice grab and run for a first down, but Getzlaf was flagged for a clip, putting the ball at the 45. Getzlaf made up for his gaffe with a nice catch on the left sideline for a first down at BC’s 30 and followed that up with a touchdown catch on the next play, with the point after it was 37-13. He was wide open at the goal line and took one step into the end zone for his first touchdown reception of the season. It was officially garbage time at this point. Freeman picked up his third sack of the night, then BC turned the ball over on downs when Hawkins knocked the ball out of Jackson’s hand. Ryan Dinwiddie came on for Durant with the game out of reach. The Riders turned the dogs loose on Jacskon and everytime he went back to pass, they brought the house. Coach Buono should stuck to the running game as they had much more success moving the ball with the Davis/Robertson combo (84 yards each). The final score was a bit deceptive, as the Lions played hard and had some measure of success with the running game, but their pass defense (especially the secondary) is seriously lacking in playmakers and Durant was able to exploit this weakness.

Patriots’ Pre-Season Game 1 v. New Orleans (8/12/10):

The only thing that matters at this point is that the regulars get a few reps and everybody walks off the field healthy. It’s also an important time for the rookies and bubble guys to play well. The Patriots already have enough problems, missing Logan Mankins in an ugly contract dispute and losing his replacement Nick Kaczur to a back injury. Ty Warren will also be lost for the season after needing hip surgery. Three days after the Saints’ game, the Pats announced that they had placed Torry Holt on season-ending IR with a knee injury, and that probably spells the end of what was a magnificent career in the NFL. Holt had signed with the Pats as a free agent during the off season after one year in Jacksonville, but is best remembered for his 10 years with the Rams where he was an integral part of the “Greatest Show on Turf”. Does he merit serious Hall of Fame consideration? Absolutely.

Prior to the game, the Patriots inducted the team’s all-time rusher, Sam “Bam” Cunningham into the team’s Hall of Fame. He was also selected to the Patriots’ 50th Anniversary Team last year. Sam Bam was part of one of the Pats’ greatest drafts in ’73, when he, John Hannah and the late, great Darryl Stingley were all selected on the first round. Sam arrived in town earlier in the week and spent some time with the current #39 (Maroney), who seemed to be in awe of The Bam. Hopefully Maroney will watch some film of Sam and gain some instruction in the art of how to run straight ahead.

The Super Bowl champs had arrived in Foxboro two days earlier for a couple of days of joint practices, which is something a lot of teams seem to be doing to supplement two-a-days. Belichick regarded the experience as highly beneficial. Julian Edelman had a great 41-yard punt return to put the Pats’ in great shape on their first possession. The Saints’ punter, Morestead was injured on the play. Dan Connolly started at right guard and eyes were watching closely. Gostkowski kicked a 35-yarder to give the Pats an early 3-0 lead. The Pats started their next drive deep in their end, but were able to move the ball into the red zone on catches by Moss, Tate and Edelman. Ben-Jarvus Green-Ellis then carried in from the 7 and the Pats went up 10-0. On the Saints’ third possession, Brees stuck to the ground with success, before hitting Shockey in traffic for a first down as the quarter ended.

The Saints went for it on fourth down, and Darius Butler was flagged for illegal contact giving the Saints a first down at the 35. Reggie Bush picked up another first down on a quick hitter up the middle. From the 5, Bush went off left tackle and into the end zone to make it 10-7. Brady (5-8-67-0-0) checked out for the night and Brian Hoyer came on in relief. Hoyer promptly hit Edelman on a 14-yard gainer, then Green-Ellis for 9. Edelman came up with another long reception and run that brought the ball to the 25. After a defensive penalty, Maroney took it up the chute from the 5 to make it 17-7.

First-round pick Devin McCourty had a great return of the second half kickoff, bringing the ball to the Saints’ 40. Hoyer then found Aaron Hernandez for 20 and the Pats were in business. On third-and-goal from the 1, Maroney went off right tackle for his second touchdown to make it 24-7. Larry Beavers then returned Gostkowski’s kick 97 yards for a touchdown, thanks in large part to several missed tackles by the kicking team around the 20 yard line. Maroney had another very good carry, as it finally looks like he’s running straight ahead instead of tip-toeing into the hole as we’ve seen for the last few years. The Saints’ Adrian Arrington took a pass from Patrick Ramsey and went for 51 yards, as there were more missed tackles (Wilhite and Sanders). On first and goal, Chris Ivory jumped over the pile and into the end zone to pull the Saints to within a field goal at 24-21. McCourty ripped off another great return into Saints’ territory. Seventh-round pick Zac Robinson took over at quarterback as all the regulars and second-stringers had taken a seat and the players out there were all flying around and trying to impress the coaches and earn a roster spot. With four minutes left, the Saints were knocking on the door at the 2 with a chance to take the lead. On third and goal, Chase Daniel rolled left and was hauled down for a loss by Terrance Wheatley. The Saints had to settle for a field goal to tie the score with 2:40 left. From the 30, Robinson connected with UDFA Darnell Jenkins on a slant play left and Jenkins went down the sideline for 51 yards and the Pats were “sittin’ in the catbird seat” at the 12. The Pats then wound down the clock to 57 seconds and Gostkowski knocked in a 28-yarder to put the Pats ahead to stay at 27-24. At the end, Eric Alexander picked off a deflected desperation pass from Daniel, to send everyone home happy.

The young players who stood out included ILB Brandon Spikes, who looks as if he may be the perfect compliment to Jerod Mayo. Devin McCourty had two terrific kick returns, possibly adding a new dimension to the return game. Aaron Hernandez also had a good night as well as punter Zoltan Mesko. The best performance came from Julian Edelman, who had 6 receptions for 90 yards. Other than Brady suffering a “non life threatening” injury to one of the fingers on his throwing hand, the team got through this game in good health.

Best wishes to 49’ers running back Glen Coffee (the Terror of Tuscaloosa), who abruptly retired from pro football to pursue a higher calling. You have to admire the young man’s priorities and principles.