The BoSox Blog

Here’s what you need to know for the Red Sox/Mariners game tonight:

Red Sox (57-43, 2nd in AL East) | Mariners (38-60, 4th in AL West)

Pitching Matchup: Jon Lester (7-3, 3.38) vs. Jarrod Washburn (4-8, 4.83)

Starting Lineup:

General News & Notes:

- The Red Sox have won just three of their last 14 games at Safeco Field dating back July 2006.
- Boston has lost five straight on the road, and six of their last 10 losses away from Fenway have been by one run.
- The Red Sox are hitting just .248 with runners in scoring position on the road.
- Dustin Pedroia has hit safely in 22 of his last 23 games, batting .453 (59-for-130). He also has a 21-game hitting streak on the road dating back to May 31, batting .457 (42-for-92). Nomar Garciaparra holds the club record with a 24-game road hitting streak (1998).
- With his next home run, Manny Ramirez will become the eighth player in MLB history with 20 or more home runs in 14 or more consecutive seasons — joining Hank Aaron (20, 1955-74), Babe Ruth (16, 1919-34), Willie Mays (15, 1954-68), Barry Bonds (15, 1990-2004), Eddie Mathews (14, 1952-65), Mike Schmidt (14, 1974-87) and Rafael Palmeiro (14, 1991-2004).
- Coco Crisp is hitting 10-for-21 (.476) with five home runs and one home run lifetime against Jarrod Washburn.
- The Mariners have lost nine of their last 14 games.
- The Mariners rank last in AL in runs (390), on-base percentage (.313) and OPS (.687).
- Seattle is averaging just 3.98 runs per game.
- Adrian Beltre leads the Mariners with 16 home runs.
- Raul Ibanez is 2-for-3 (.666) with two doubles lifetime against Jon Lester.

Here’s hoping this losing streak ends tonight.  The Mariners for all intensive purposes are just garbage, and getting a series win should not be too exhausting for the Red Sox.  Plus getting onto a nice run of form would be wonderful considering the series with the Yankees is coming up this weekend.  And this series actually is an important one, unlike the previous ones pumped up by ESPN.  So getting the boys firing on all cylinders is a big necessity.  Hopefully Lester will start it off right tonight.

Well that was pretty sad. Three game sweep at the hands of the Angels. Tampa Bay also lost so the gap at the top of the division is still 1.5 games, so on that front — nothing lost, nothing gained. But I did see, or gain, a little something watching these three games. Not only was it the first time in a while that I managed to watch an entire series, but the Red Sox strategy as it pertains to pitchers is pretty, odd.

Game one with Buchholz gets tossed out the window. He was simply shelled. But games two and three is where a repeat managerial decision proves to be costly.

Game two of this series, Josh Beckett pitching. Beckett is cruising heading into the seventh inning. Gives up a solo home run to Vladdy. Later on in the inning bases clearing triple by pinch hitting Erick Aybar. The case could have been made that after the home run, you take it to the bullpen. Bring in Okajima. Of course leaving Beckett in IS an understandable mistake. Hindsight is 20/20, and I needed to use this as a quasi example in order to properly complain about yesterday.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one, Tim Wakefield was cruising through six innings. Only to give it all up in the seventh. Now I’m not blaming Wakefield. He should be gone as soon as he can. Because Wakefield might be pitching well, but it’s not because of Tim Wakefield. The weather might be conducive to a good knuckleball or whatever. True he was flaming guys with that 72mph heat and bending knees with that 54mph hook but you know he’s only 2-3 off pitched away from a big inning and that’s what happened. Then to bring in Mr. Gas Can, Manny Delcarmen to keep his trend of one earned run, one walk and one strikeout per nine going. Beckett I can understand, he knows how to close games out. But Wakefield? Get his old ass out of there.

Tonight we’ll the Sox make their way up to Seattle. The pitching match up will be for Boston: J. Lester (7-3, 3.38) and for Seattle: J. Washburn (4-8, 4.83)

Quick Red Sox News & Notes:

- Boston placed RHP David Aardsma on 15-day disabled list with a strained right groin and recalled RHP Justin Masterson from Class AAA Pawtucket.

- Boston has lost five straight and is 2-10 in the last 12 games on the road.

- 2B Dustin Pedroia has hit safely in each of his last 21 road games dating to May 31, batting .456 (42-for-92).

- Pedroia leads the American League with 41 multi-hit games this season.

- LF Manny Ramirez has hit safely in nine straight games, batting .483 (15-for-31), and has homered three times in his last eight games.

Heading into the second half the Red Sox were where I thought they would be, in first place in the AL East. Now getting to that position, and the team they had to battle for the top spot come the break is something I couldn’t have expected. But the Rays are the surprise of the season and a welcome addition to the AL East since the division has been less than deep for that past… well… long time.

57-40. By no means earth shattering, but in the American League — pretty damn good. But the Red Sox do have some things that I feel need to be addressed if a repeat of last years success is to take place.

Pitching has been a relative strength for the Red Sox all season. The pitching staff has put up a 3.80 team ERA which is seventh best in the Major Leagues. The bullpen has been shakey, the bullpen ERA is 3.95 (18th in the MLB). It’s not a total lack of ability, but there are some guys who I think just shouldn’t see the field short of a total emergency. Timlin, Hansen, Delcarmen. The three headed ‘gas can’ monster. Have a flammable situation? Put anyone of these three in and enjoy as shortly after the stadium burns to the ground. Hansen and Delcarmen are billed as top prospects, but both have yet to give me any confidence. Manny has good stuff, but it seems that along with the stuff his show an absolute love of grooving fastballs and hanging off speed pitches. Hansen got his sleep apnea corrected, and now is pitching in a nightmare state. I was big on Hansen in 2006, even though he was far from being effective. I thought he was a good replacement for Timlin. And I was right — if the Red Sox want to replace Timlin with another 6.00+ERA guy. And as for Timlin, simply put, I haven’t like Timlin in a very long time. I think he’s benifited from being one of Francona’s favorites and the sooner his old ass retires the better. Getting Alan Embree out was phase one of the greatest plan ever devised, getting Timlin out is phase two.

Juilio Lugo is worthless to me. Yes his average is up to a respectable .268, but he offers nothing positive to the Red Sox overall. With any luck Jed Lowrie will show himself to be just as good as Lugo during this opening at shortstop and will get the break many Red Sox fans he should have gotten much earlier in the season.

The Red Sox have the team to do damage the rest of this year and on into the playoffs. Getting Ortiz back will obviously be a great boost to the offense that even with all the injuries to different players, is third in baseball when it comes to runs scored.

1.5 games back of Tampa Bay as I type this, and while I certainly no longer feel as sketchy about the Rays as I did before, I still think this division is Boston’s to win. Now the fun part comes, seeing if they can do it.

Congrats to J.D. Drew on winning the All-Star game MVP.  Not that I watched too much of the game, but congrats all the same.  Of all the Red Sox that deserved to be on the All-Star team (i.e. anyone but Varitek), Drew was heading the list.  He’s had a great year thus far and the year I thought he’d have in his second season in Boston.

Josh Hamilton’s first round peformance last night was amazing.  Everyone knows his story, and the 1000 references to it by the “experts” at ESPN made sure of that.  Even though he came up short in the final, the memory of him bouncing 500+ ft. off the crowd in right field will be my lasting memory of the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium.

Well, maybe, let’s see what and how the teams play tonight.

After a long absence, I’m back online.  I’m finally finished moving into the new home and have gotten the cable and internet back fired up, so all systems are go.

Damn have I been in a funk these past few weeks. I honestly have no paid one second of attention to the Sox for a while. And anything I have seen has been strictly in the form of ESPN highlights. But hopefully it is understandable as I’m still coping with/celebrating the news that my wife is pregnant with our first child. Hooray! In all honesty, I’m obviously ecstatic! But I cannot allow my wife, nor my freshly conceived child interfere with what REALLY matters. Red Sox baseball.

Tonight sparks off another inter league match up, this time with the Philadelphia Phillies. Whom as everyone knows, are basically hitting EVERYTHING. The series is going to be played at Citizens Bank Park, which is annoying because of the whole no DH thing but I think this series should be interesting. The Phillies are for my money the cream of the NL right now, along with the Cubbies. So seeing the Sox go up against them should be a nice gauge of where the Sox are right now.

——

Boston, 44-28 (Road: 16-21) | Philadelphia, 41-30 (Home: 21-13)
BOS: B. Colon (4-1, 3.41) | PHI: C. Hamels (6-4, 3.27)
TV: ESPN, WPSG | 7:05pm ET

——

Starting Lineups

Things are starting to look a little stable in the AL East. The Red Sox are a game and a half up on the Rays and as playing good baseball right now. 8-2 in their last ten games, and even more impressive is the fact that the Red Sox have a home record of 26-6 while the road has only produced a 14-20 record.

The team is benefiting from nice starting pitching. I say “nice” because Daisuke is injured, and nobody would think at this point in the season that John Lester would be the team leader not only in innings pitched (82.1), but ERA as well (3.50). A perfect example of the Red Sox pitching staff this season is what Justin Masterson did yesterday. Brought for the few spot starts due to injuries, Masterson has been very reliable for the Red Sox.

Nothing amazing about that line. But the wonderful thing is, a line like that puts them in a great place to win the game. Add some timely hitting (ala J.D. Drew yesterday) and the Red Sox will win the critical one run games that can make or break a season. Just like they did yesterday.

Tomorrow night Josh Beckett will try to keep the mojo going and get a dominate outing in there. Against the Orioles you’d think would only add the the probability of that happening. The Red Sox hitters will get the great joy of going up against the enigma that is Daniel Cabrera. Cabrera has no gray area. He is either really good, or just plain terrible.  Here’s hoping he’s complete shit.

• Drew swings into action
• Ortiz’s situation uncertain
• Masterson a tough cookie
• Brain trust batting around ideas

• David Ortiz hopes time, cast heals wound
• Red Sox slay Rays
• David Ortiz keeps brave face, but worries about wrist
• Rays take wait-and-see approach with Manny Ramirez
• Red Sox prepare for draft
• Who’ll drive ‘em home?
• Doc offers ‘partial’ diagnosis
• Ortiz lost for season?
• Crisp’s double breaks tie as Sox win without Ortiz

No breaking news here, but in case the situation is new to you:

After injuring his left wrist during the Red Sox’ victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night, Ortiz learned yesterday he has tendon sheath damage that will keep him sidelined indefinitely. According to a source, Ortiz’ wrist will be immobilized for roughly the next month to determine whether the injury can heal on its own.

If it cannot, the Red Sox and Ortiz very well may face a harsh reality: Season-ending surgery.

That according to the Boston Herald.

Now that’s pretty big damn news, especially if the worst case comes to fruition.

• Avg .252
• HR 13
• RBI 43
• Runs 36
• SB -

And of course the stats don’t really tell the whole story.  The fact that he is allowed to see so many pitches because of Manny hitting behind him, the duo forces pitchers to pitch to him.  I don’t really think that whomever the Red Sox place in that 4 hole to back up Manny (whom I presume will move up), I don’t see Mike Lowell, for instance, striking the same amount of fear.

The effect on the look of the team overall shouldn’t be too catastrophic.  I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Manny move into the DH role and an outfield of Ellsbury - Crisp - Drew.  While not a offensively explosive, it’s actually a defensive upgrade.

I’m going to wait and here the definite answer as to what is going to happen to Ortiz before I get any more worked up about anything.  As far as I’m concerned, at this moment, it’s just a 15 day DL stint.