The lone run came on three consecutive two-out singles by Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez, and Jason Giambi in the third inning. Frustrating, of course, for Josh Beckett, the Sox starter, because he delivered another solid performance against the teams' much hated rival, tossing 7 innings himself, allowiing 9 hits while striking out six . Though Ortiz was back in the lineup, the Sox offense was anything but dangerous. They were without the Yankee-killer, Manny Ramirez, who sat out because of a sore knee. It seemed, because of his absence, their offense was off kilter. Ortiz wasn't expected to do much, realistically, because this was his first game back in action since June, therefore putting the majority of the load onto the shoulders of Dustin Pedroia, Mike Lowell, Kevin Youkilis, and J.D. Drew. None of these prominent players produced, as seen in the score, as those four hitter combined to go 3-15 with 6 strikeouts. That's what doomed Boston in this contest because none of the other hitters have been, nor were, able to positively effect the team offensively, with the exception of Jed Lowrie, the shortstop, who had a single. Jacoby Ellsbury's average has declined drastically of late, as he now sits at .259 after another day at the plate. Jason Varitek and Coco Crisp, sitting at the bottom of the order for good reason, have been downright dreadful. Lowrie has been doing the best he can to get on base, but with the likes of Crisp, Varitek and Ellsbury batting behind him, he's not going to have a chance to score.

Now some credit should be given to Chamberlain, who fooled their hitters with a nasty assortment of to blow hitters away, but now the rest of his pitches are working in full force, including a devastating curveball, and a above average slider. He used each of his pitches to perfection, confusing the hitters by mixing up his repertoire during every at-bat, catching them off-guard and guessing, reasoning for his allowing just three singles.

The Sox only got a rally started after Chamberlain exited the game, against Kyle Farnsworth. He allowed a single to Lowrie, and with one out (of course Varitek wouldn't come up big) Crisp singled, to my surprise. My hopes that the Red Sox would actually conjure up a run were dashed when Mariano Rivera came in. He struck out Ellsbury with ease on three pitches, and forced Pedroia to weakly ground out to end the once promising threat.

To top the frustrating night off, Manny Delcarmen, Boston's reliever left with an injured arm (an injury that probably means damage to either the shoulder or the elbow, meaning he will be out for a while, I suspect, allowing Boston to go out and make another Eric Gagne-type trade for a washed up reliever).

With Ortiz back, hopefully Manny will come back for the second game of the series and restore order in the lineup and give them a much needed boost.

The Red Sox and Rays sit atop the American League East tonight as the Yankees come into town.  Joba Chamberlain will take the mound as a starter facing Josh Beckett. From what I have read it seems as if he will have to face chants of "Jus-tin! Jus-tin!" from the Fenway crowd. Apparently Justin is Joba's given name, a name his niece couldn't pronounce as a baby. Joba made the mistake of letting it be known that he dislikes being called Justin. You can read more about this on Boston Dirt Dogs.com.

David Ortiz  will be back in the lineup tonight for the first time since going on the DL. Just in time to face the Yankees. He will have to do his best without Manny in the lineup. It will be interesting to see who will be in 1st place come Monday morning!

Bulletin: on Red Sox original design bandanas- there are only 8 left in size M/L. No more stock on these until October! You can get these at Brown Dog Treasures.com (Fenway Dog's parent company) with FREE shipping!

Remember when A-Rod was greeted at Fenway by Boston fans wielding plastic masks of a blond bombshell during that strippergate situation? Well, the Sox & Dawgs Blog (Boston people like to spell "Dogs" this way, because it's supposedly clever and cool, or at least it was in 1997) offers up a new and inevitable mask for this weekend's series--the Madonna mask, and boy is it hideous. It was bound to happen and it should be funny for exactly 10 seconds. In order to counteract this mask nonsense, I've come up with my own mask that Yankee fans can wear for next month's series--the Julio Lugo mask. While it may not be as ugly as Madonna (debatable), it sure is funnier. Say what they may, Sox fans hate Julio Lugo and will hate Yankee fans even more for reminding them (mockingly) of Lugo's presence on their team. So, let's start a dueling mask movement of our own. Don't worry, all Julio Lugo masks come equipped with a confused look upon his face (of course).

Three quick observations for you all from my POV as a BoSox fan:

First, the Joba experiment has worked out much better than I ever anticipated.  Despite the completely messed up way that Chamberlain was handled by the Yankees, Joba's transition to a starting role has been almost without bumps.  Now, they're counting on him in one of the biggest spots of the season.  Will he crack?  I don't think so.  At least, I don't think Chamberlain will under perform until the end of the season when he's worn down, if at all.

That said, the whole Joba thing doesn't worry me much.  In fact, I think the Yankees did Red Sox Nation a favor by converting Joba.  Let's say he pitches a lights out game tonight and gets the Yankees that all important first game victory at Fenway.  So what?  Joba is one and done.  The Red Sox won't have to face him again.  When he was a reliever, he might have had an impact in all three games.  As it stands now, the Sox just have to deal with him once.  I'll take my chances facing him once when he has to be out there for many innings at a time versus having to face him for short spurts everyday.  And that's why I still think The Yankees made a mistake pulling him out of the bullpen.

Finally, the Yankees piss me off and scare me because for the last two years they've reminded me of a James Bond movie.  I'm much too lazy to actually look up the movie or get the dialogue exactly right, but the scene I'm thinking of goes like this...

James Bond is tied down on a table.  He's on his back and his legs are spread apart and restrained.  Bond's enemy (the usual megalomaniac, evil, lunatic) has a laser beam started and charting a path toward Bond's cherished family jewels.  Bond asks the villain "do you expect me to talk?".  The villain replies "no, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die".  Then, of course, Bond doesn't.

For the last two seasons, the Yankees have started out like Bond.  Seemingly done and about to die.  But, only then, they don't.  If I wasn't a Red Sox fan I guess I'd admire it.  Posada's been hurt as has much of the rotation they started the year with.  Yet, there they are still in the thick of it. 

Last year, I was pretty sure the Yankees were finished.  I could see Torre getting fired and the dynasty ending.  And then they made the playoffs.  While they did fire Joe Torre, it seems like replacement Joe Girardi is using Torre's script from last season.  Once again, the Yankees are rising from the almost dead.

You have to give them credit.  Unless, you are a Red Sox fan like me.

The last five years have been a great time for me baseball-wise.  Suddenly, the culture in Sox Nation has changed from how will we blow this to we'll come through in the clutch.  I've seen the Red Sox win two world series titles after I resigned myself to possibly dying without seeing that happen even once.

I'd like to see a third that includes a total collapse by the New York Yankees.

Is that too much to ask, Mr. Bond?

So Buchholz turned in a decent effort. Sort of. He pitched just over five innings and allowed three runs on seven hits, but all three runs were scored with the long ball: a solo homer by Ibanez in the fourth and a two-run homer by Vidro in the sixth. On the bright side, he walked only two, struck out seven, and managed to lower his ERA from 5.88 to 5.81. A little-known fact: dude has a lightning-fast pickoff move. Ichiro had no chance.

Masterson made an appearance in relief and was perfect. Surprise, surprise. No runs, hits, or walks and three strikeouts in 2.2 innings. It kills me to see him in relief. It just kills me. It's such a waste. Buchholz is the one who allowed three runs on two homers. Let him relieve. In a rare moment of brilliance, Okie and Delcarmen were both perfect. Okie being brilliant is surprising me less and less lately, though, which is a good sign. It isn't too late for him to come around, and perhaps he will. Delcarmen, on the other hand, still scares me. Pap got the win and improves his record to 4-3, and Craig Hansen got the save, his second of the season and of his career.

So the pitching in yesterday's contest was a little Twilight Zone-esque, no? You had Masterson relieving. You had Okajima and Delcarmen pitching perfectly. You had Buchholz faltering. You had Papelbon winning and Hansen saving. That has to be one of the weirdest, most counterintuitive sequences of pitching I've ever seen.

The offense was a very nice example of the fact that you win when you have contributions from up and down the lineup. Youk, Crisp, and Casey each had an RBI, and Lowell had two. We scored three in the twelfth and made no errors (no errors!). Pedroia earned a steal (his tenth of the season) and a caught-stealing (his first of the season) while batting .321.

Manny Ramirez was out with a sore knee. I'm a big Manny fan, and I love the guy, but right now he's a little exasperating. It's not like we don't need him in the lineup against New York. Terry Francona was pretty good-humored about it, though:

"...jaywalking, if you do it right, you won't hurt your knee."

Manny being Manny. You've got to take the good with the bad, I guess. In the long run it's always more good than bad. But lately the bad's been ugly.

Smile, Red Sox Nation; we're goin' home! Finally, some consistency. We're 24-32 away but 36-11 at home, and now would be a bad time for a meltdown at Fenway. Josh Beckett opposite Joba Chamberlain Friday night. Should be fun. The Stud versus The Kid Who's Out of the Stud's League.

By the way, did you know Dice-K is undefeated on the road?

AP Photo

So we went without the Sox for four days. Four very long, sports deprived days. Following the sweep of the Twins and two of three from the Orioles you figured the Sox were ready to turn it on and get to work.

Well, we were all wrong. Instead of keeping the winning going they opted to take a dump in a hat. Yup, getting swept by the best team in baseball (record wise) and continue to look like a lost kid at K-Mart on the road. 21-32 on the road is pathetic and before we know it, the Sox will be in third looking up the ass of the Yankees.

Following the sweep by the Angels ESPN brought us the wonderful ESPY's. Well, why not just rename the award show to The Absolute Bias Against New England and Boston. Seriously let's recap how the ESPY's are a fucking joke and how Boston was screwed.

Male Athlete of the Year - Tiger Woods

Seriously, the bias against the Patriots in this country is that fucking ridiculous that a year when Tom Brady rules football breaking Peyton Mannings records he's not the athlete of the year? Are you kidding me? Golf? Just because he didn't win the Super Bowl? That's bullshit.

Record-breaking Performance - Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers

Um, same fucking thing. Brett Favahrrer is the media's Golden Boy. This guy shits cotton candy and pisses rainbows. Hanging on past your prime to break a record? Ridiculous! Tommy should have taken this one too.

Championship Performance - Tiger Woods, U.S. Open

I guess no one saw Paul Pierce own the NBA Finals. Whatever. More bullshit from ESPN and the anti-Boston sediment.

Baseball Player - Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees

Really? What the fuck has this lipstick wearing, gorilla stripper dating jerk ever won? That's right nothing. How about anyone off of last years World Champion Red Sox team? Beckett ruled in the post season. Where was A-Rod? That's right home on the couch.

NBA Player - Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Um, rapist. Made it to the Finals and then sulked, oh and lost. How about KG? Um he only helped with the greatest turn around in NBA history and topped it off with a Championship.

NFL Player - Tom Brady New England Patriots

Holy Shit they got one right!

Team - Boston Celtics

I may pass out. They gave Boston two awards?

For reference sake, I didn't bother to watch the ESPY's. Waste of my time and it probably would have pissed me off even more than I already was about the whole debacle.

Now the Sox head north to Seattle for three games against the last place Mariners. They should sweep this team but will likely drop two of three (after all these are road games). Francona needs to punch someone in the mouth and get this club banging on all cylinders before the team is out of it by mid-August.

And once again, the Los Angeles Angels have proven to us that they may not be the prettiest club, but they do have what it takes to make it happen. Eric Aybar, pinch hitting at the time, hit a base clearing triple catupulting the Angels to their 4-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

All of this comes as great news to the Angels, who were elimated in the first round of the playoffs by Boston in 2004 and have never won against the BoSox in the offseason. In fact, Boston has not lost a series against the Angels in the regular season since 2001. Well Boston, welcome to the club because at this rate, the Angels are going to beat everyone in the MLB to a pulp.

ESPN.Com Game Notes:

Josh Beckett (9-6) took a four-hit shutout into the seventh, but Vladimir Guererrohit the 28-year-old right-hander's first pitch over the left field fence for his 16th homer.

Torii Hunter and Garret Anderson followed with singles before pinch hitter Reggie Willits sacrificed. Beckett walked Howie Kendrick intentionally for his only walk of the game before Aybar pulled a grounder inside first to clear the bases.

Beckett struck out Chone Figgins before Coco Crisp kept the Angels from scoring at least one more run by making a leaping catch of Casey Kotchman's drive as he crashed into the center field fence.

Beckett pitched his first complete game of the season, allowing nine hits and four runs. He struck out six.

Jose Arredondo (4-0) earned the victory despite facing only two batters. He walked Dustin Pedroia with two outs and a runner at second in the seventh before throwing a called third strike past J.D. Drew.

The Red Sox loaded the bases against Scot Shields with two outs in the eighth before Jed Lowrie struck out on three pitches. Francisco Rodriguez worked the ninth for his big league-leading 39th save in 42 chances. The Red Sox put two runners on base with one out before Rodriguez retired Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell on popups.

Kevin Youkilis hit a two-run homer off Joe Saunders in the second for Boston's only runs. It was Youkilis' fourth homer in six games, giving him a career-high 17 this season. Saunders allowed six hits and two runs in 6 2-3 innings.

big news 'round these parts (particularly on sports radio) had been manny manny manny.  dude apparently has lost his mind.  his numbers are good, i mean, he's manny so they're actually not great (has a team leading 18 homers and 60 rbi's w/ a .293 average).  but from pushing the 60 year old traveling secretary to going back into the monster to chat on his cell to whining about being treated unfair by the management (dude, you make the most money on the team, shuttit!), manny is wearing thin on the fans it seems.  i don't see the extension at the end of the year happening.  and it's too bad, b/c i have LOVED watching this guy play.  and they'd not have won 2 world series without him.  but, i think he really needs meds.  for serious.

and i almost forgot, bitch slapping youk!  yes, manny and youkalis got into a tiff in the dugout.  no one knew why at first, but it turns out that manny - of all people - was pissed at how youk handles his K's, and that is very badly.  youk might need anger management.  but, he's leading the team with 63 rbi's, tied with pedroia for 1st on the team with a .314 average.  and this gold glove candidate first baseman made it to his 1st all-star game, and it was very well deserved.

another well deserving first time all-star was second baseman dustin pedroia, and there's no doubt this kid has been the 1st half mvp.  check it out - 1st in the team in games (95), at bats (395), runs (67), hits (124), doubles (28), and as stated is tied with youk with a .314 batting average.  dude.  friggin' incredible!  now, yankees fans, pay attention - this is how you win!  bringing great young players up through the farm system!  you know, like the yanks used to do!  pedroia is a destroy-ah :)

now, one all-star selection that confused a lot of people was that of captain v-tek.  sports radio has been inundated with people complaining about tek.  you'd think he was the worst catcher in the game!  but, he was selected by the PLAYERS.  they know he's the anchor of the reigning champs, and that he calls as good a game as anyone.  yes, his plate performance has been awful, but he's a catcher.  it's not the end of the world.  the real concern is no young prospects (ironic that i just talked about how great the farm system is!) coming up.  but that's a phenomenon throughout the league.  great catchers are probably the hardest thing to come by in baseball right now.  so, relax all you tek haters.  the man is the captain.  and his tree trunk thighs will crush you!

now, as we speak there is a traffic jam just north of me in pawtucket.  why?  b/c big papi is @ mccoy w/ the paw sox!  all 4 games are sold out, so that sucks for me, but it'll be good to see papi getting back into the swing of things.  oddly, he's going to AA portland after those games instead of before.  and then it's back to boston!  and to top it off, he became an american citizen!

now, one guy whose been a bit of a disappointment has been jacoby ellsbury.  i think after the end of last season and how impressive he was, we got a little too high on hopes for him being a star from the git-go.  but, he is great on the base path, and his team leading 35 steals is very impressive.  his hitting needs work, but he is a rookie.  probably not rookie of the year (which i thought would be a lock), but the point is he's young and has a lot more upside then down.

oh coco, you throw a mighty swing!  crisp had a bit of a tussle with the rays back in june, in case you forgot.  it was good times.  but, he's still in town (notice i say that every month).  and he's played in 71 games (that's 9th on the team).  so, he's on the field more often than not.  i guess it's good they kept him around this long.  his speed has been handy, and obviously his fists, too :)

mike lowell has been, well, mike lowell at 3rd.  solid on both sides of the game, lowell seems to be back in top form, batting just under .300 and hitting well.

friggin' julio lugo.  this is the stuff that makes me say "no, theo epstein is NOT a boy genius!"  this guy sucks.  but, you can't have a great player at every position, and i'd say that the other 8 all have good players filling in.  that being said, having the worst defensive shortstop in baseball can be a HUGE liability.  i've said it a million times, but why they chose to give this numbnuts the money and years instead of orlando cabrera or the defensively amazing alex gonzalez is completely beyond me.  he does offer some speed on the bases, but that aint gonna cut it.  i want him gone ASAP.

and filling in nicely have been guys like sean casey (43 games, 126 at bats and a .373 average!), brandon moss, alex cora, jed lowrie and catching for wakefield, kevin cash (no relation to johnny).  onto the pitching.

the only sox pitcher to play in this years all-star game (and get booed by a bunch of NY guido dumb dumbs!  HE WAS ON YOUR SIDE YOU FRIGGIN' FOOLS!) was jonathan papelbon.  paps has 28 saves and all of ny/nj can kiss his bud light box wearin', irish jig dancin' backside!

the starting pitching has been good.  a bit dinged up, and at times inconsistent, but overall has been good - must be, considering the sox record!  the best pitcher has been, without a doubt, dice-k.  matsuzaka was out for a bit with injury, but still is tops on the team with a 10-1 record.  dice-k's 2.65 era is also the lowest of all sox starters.  it's nice to have the k man back.

now i don't know what's going on with josh beckett.  he's got a team leading 107 k's, but his 9-5 record and 3.94 era are not very, well, josh beckett-like.  this season has reminded me of his first season in boston.  it's been kind of a game to game thing.  maybe the 2nd half can be a turn-around for him.  hope so.

jon lester is great.  definately runner-up to dice-k as the sox best pitcher this year.  his no-no was fantastic, and he's continued on leading the team in games & innings pitched, and has a 7-3 record, 3.38 era, 82 k's and 2 complete games (both shutouts, one being the no-hitter).

timmy wakefield is a dynamo.  now, i realize he pitches a knuckleball, and therefore has much longer staying power, but to be turning 42 in a few weeks and still be 2nd on the team in games & innings pitched is impressive.  and, his pitching has been a great asset to the team in that it also gives varitek a needed break every 5 games.  wake has 3.60 era with a 6-6 record (he's usually right around .500, with the exception of last years 17-12 record) and suprisingly is 2nd on the team with 84 k's.  and he's pitched a complete game.  i still have a very hard time watching him, though.  the knuckleball is boring, sorry.

justin masterson was a nice addition to the team while dice-k was out.  and he is currently in the process of being turned into a bullpen pitcher in pawtucket.  Lord knows the sox need help in the 'pen, and this kid probably has the goods.  and he has a great attitude, which helps.  while starting, he went 4-3 with a 3.67 era, and had 39 k's in the 9 games he pitched.

another 9 games pitched guy is clay buchholz.  though, this kid has been disappointing thusfar.  like ellsbury, i think we all expected too much too soon based on that no-hitter at the end of last season.  clay maybe spending too much time with penthouse pets and not enough time pitching.  i dunno.  but his 2-4 record & 5.70 era aint gonna' cut it.

bartolo colon has been a great help with his 6 starts.  i'm not sure what the sox have in store for him, if he'll be the 5th starter or not, but i'll take the colon over the clay.

and on a final note, it's basically been determined that curt schilling's career is over.  and what a career it has been.  now, he doesn't cut it in regard to the "traditional" stats that make a hall of fame career, but this guys performance in the post season is easily all-time top 5 stuff.  he's been simply amazing in the playoffs.  and he deserves to be in cooperstown.  God bless you, curt.  instead of 2 world series championships in 4 years, we'd be looking at 89 years without 1.  so, let me just say, thank you.

my 2nd half prediction:  sox win the AL east, sox win the AL and sox win the world series!  of course, i don't base this on anything aside from my hopes :)  GO SOX!

• There's no reason to be surprised or (if you're one of the dozen existing Rays fans) concerned about the Tampa Bay Rays 7 game losing streak. Think of it as a "regression towards the mean." The Rays have some top notch starting pitching among Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Matt Garza, and even Andy Sonnanstine has put up 10 wins, but they're 8th in the American League in runs scored. Their everyday SS, Jason Bartlett, has 9 extra base hits (8 doubles, 1 triple) in 273 at bats! With the exception of rookie Evan Longoria, none of their "big bats" are performing anywhere up to par. From last season to this season, B.J. Upton has gone from a .300/24/82 with a.894 OPS to a .276/6/44 with a .787 OPS; Carl Crawford has gone from a .315/11/84 with a .821 OPS to a .270/8/47 with a .700 OPS; and Carlos Pena has gone from a .282/46/121 with a 1.038 OPS to a .236/14/47 with a .778 OPS. In order for the Rays to seriously compete with the Red Sox for the division crown, they'll need major improvements from just about every offensive player on their roster in addition to adding at least one big right-handed bat and a shortstop with more power than a little leaguer. Realistically, the Rays are a 90-92 win team and serious contenders for a Wildcard berth, which is nothing to laugh at considering their pathetic team history.
• The Yankees are toast. And I'm not just referring to this season, but to next season as well. A team with a salary of over $200 million should NEVER have gone into a season relying on THREE rookie pitchers to carry them. Joba looks like the real deal but don't you think they might be reconsidering not giving up Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Melky Cabrera for Johan Santana now? As it stands, they have somewhere on the order of $75 million coming off the books this offseason (Jason Giambi - $23.5 million, Bobby Abreu - $16 million, Andy Pettite- $16 million, Mike Mussina - $11 million, Carl Pavano - $11 million (remember him), Kyle Farnsworth - $6 million, the main culprits), but as a result they'll have a number of huge holes. With no minor league position players they can realistically fit into their lineup, how do they not offer Mark Teixera 7 or 8 years at $150 plus million as well as $100 million plus to Ben Sheets and/or CC Sabathia? Not to mention, what do they do with Right Field? Do they sign Pat Burrell or Adam Dunn for $50 plus million, move Johnny Damon back to Center and put Melky Cabrera in Right? No matter what way you slice it, the Yankees will be forced to either overpay for position players or trade some or all of their top prospects for a player like Matt Holliday. And yet again, they'll need to completely overhaul their bullpen aside from Rivera. They're a disaster and I'm loving it.
• Most people didn't notice but the Boston Red Sox may very well have won the World Series during last Friday's 7-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles: JULIO LUGO TORE A QUADRICEPS AND WILL BE OUT FOR 4-6 WEEKS! Oh happy day! I'm not sure I've ever mentioned this but I have an almost irrational hatred of Julio Lugo. My enjoyment of watching Red Sox games is seriously hampered by his presence on the team. I would actually rather see him strike out with the game on the line rather than get a basehit at this point because of the possibility that that hit might extend his stay on the Red Sox. Now we get to see talented rookie Jed Lowrie take over -- something which should have happened last season -- and hopefully never give the job up. Julio Lugo getting injured is the equivalent of adding an Albert Pujols or Hanley Ramirez to the lineup, that's how much he detracts from the team by his presence. At this point, I can't see how the Red Sox don't win the World Series -- unless they put Lugo back in the lineup in September that is.
• There are 3 Jewish All-Stars out there tonight: 1B Kevin Youkilis (.314/15/63), 2B Ian Kinsler (.337/14/58), and 3B/LF Ryan Braun (.286/23/66). A pretty nice trio I'd say. I don't know if there are any All-Star Jewish Shortstops on the horizon, but we certainly could put together a nice Jewish infield. Oy!
• My apologies to Cliff Lee, but Roy Halladay should be the starting Pitcher for the AL. I know that Lee has the better record and a slightly better ERA (2.31 to 2.71), but Halladay's 7 complete games and 2 shutouts are remarkable in this day and age. If Halladay were on any other team than the Blue Jays, he would be openly discussed as one of the great pitchers of his generation.
• I'm usually fairly biased when it comes to anything related to Red Sox-Yankees, but there's absolutely no question that Mariano Rivera should be the AL closer over Jonathan Pabelpon. Rivera's had the better season, end of story. But the treatment that Pabelbon and his wife received during this afternoon's Red Carpet parade of All-Stars down Avenue of the Americas, where he was booed unmercifully and some threats were hurled at him and his wife, was typical no-class chickenshit behavior from Yankees fans that was completely uncalled for. Now I hope Rivera is used in the 5th inning or not at all. Maybe they can detonate Yankee Stadium with those ass-clown "fans" sitting in the stands.

Game time! Finally, mercifully!

Whoops, my bad, the longest pre-game introductions in the history of sport continues.

• George Steinbrenner being wheeled out to the mound doesn't quite give the same level of chills as when Ted Williams was brought out at the 1999 Fenway Park, does it?
• Ted Williams at Fenway was one of those special moments that only sports can deliver.
• From my fiancee: "Wade Boggs looks weird. Like a serial killer."
• I think we're possibly within 45 minutes of game time.
• I'm predicting a 6-4 AL victory. The AL's pitching advantage is the difference. But for the first time in a LONG time, I would actually favor the NL's line-up, particularly at the top. Ichiro/Jeter gets schooled by Hanley Ramirez/Chase Utley. You wouldn't know it by listening to Tim McCarver, but Jeter is an average baseball player at this stage of his career. Ichiro has finally brought his average up to .300, but Hanley Ramirez is one of the Top 5 offensive players in the game.

First Inning

Top Half:

- Hallelujah, the game's on!

- I can barely watch the T.V. when Hanley Ramirez is on. To think that I could have been watching him for the past two seasons instead of Julio Lugo!!! Sure, it's nice having Beckett and Mike Lowell, but trading a future Hall-of-Famer always has its drawbacks.

- Wow, Cliff Lee is fired up. Let's hope -- for Cleveland's sake -- that he doesn't overthrow and have to go on the DL like Pedro Martinez did after striking out 5 in a row to start the 1999 All-Star game.

- Nice, quick half inning. 17 more of those and it might make up for the 2 hours worth of pre-game introductions.

Middle Half:

- How is Milwaukee going to deal with the impending free agency of Ben Sheets AND CC Sabathia? I like the trade they made, they saw an opportunity to boast one of the top rotations in the game and they took it -- unlike the New York Yankees, who have quickly grown into chickenshit "let's hold onto all of our precious prospects" mode -- but I doubt the Brewers can sign both. I would sign Sheets if I were them. Sabathia has pitched a lot of innings and would soon look like Jabba the Hut after a year or two of living in Milwaukee.

- What a chump A-Rod is for not participating in the Home Run Derby. The whole "it screws up your swing" meme is complete bullshit and he knows it. You think that Josh Hamilton regrets his experience? A-Rod's a coward, that's why he didn't participate in the Derby. He was afraid of looking bad. While he may undoubtedly be remembered as one of the greatest players to ever play the game, he'll never be a legend.

Second Inning

Top Half:

- Wasn't Albert Pujols supposed to have blown out an elbow by now?

- Who saw this season coming from Chipper Jones?

- Ryan Braun strikes out! Jews everywhere hang their heads in disgust.

Middle Half:

- That Kevin Costner movie "Swing State" looks painfully bad. My advice: rent the 1993 Clint Eastwood-directed Kevin Costner movie, A Perfect World, instead. Very under-rated film. Highly recommended.

- The Red Sox don't have much choice other than to pick up Manny Ramirez's option for next season. What else are they going to do? Sign Pat Burrell or Adam Dunn to an overpriced 4 or 5 year contract, trade Kevin Youkilis and Craig Hansen to Colorado for Matt Holiday (that was a proposed trade), or give LF to rookie Brandon Moss? It's only a one year commitment, hardly a difficult decision.

- I always liked Milton Bradley. Crazy as all hell, but I'm glad he's doing well for himself. It's doubtful that he'll be able to maintain his equilibrium though -- If I were the Rangers, I'd trade him before the deadline and restock my minor league pitching depth.

- Kevin Youkilis strikes out! The Jews are growing restless!

Third Inning

Top Half:

- Yogi Berra making fun of Derek Jeter. Classic.

- Is there a more pathetic thing in sports than Yankee fans who wear those fake Jason Giambi moustaches? Yay, he's hitting again, so let's forget that he's a steroid-taking, gold thong wearing moron. If the average human body is 60% water, I would guess that Giambi's is 15% water an 45% HGH at this point.

- I wonder if "Fukodome" is actually prounounced "Foo-kay-dome" in Japan? Are there any Japanese out there that can confirm this for me?

Middle Half:

- I also have to say that I loved the Chicago Cubs trade for Rich Harden. Pair him with Carlos Zambrano and that's nice 1-2. Unfortunately Harden is as fragile as a leg-shaped lamp and there's at best a 10% likelihood that he makes it to the post-season in one piece.

- Nobody hits into a smoother double play than Derek Jeter. He's truly a gifted athlete.

Fourth Inning

Top Half:

- Raise your hand if you're excited for the X-Files Movie? Nobody?

- Halladay is a free agent after the 2009 season. It's funny you don't hear any discussion of the Blue Jays considering putting him on the trade block. I would expect they could extract no less than 2 top tier prospects as well as a couple of mid-grade prospects for him.

- What a laser from Ichiro to gun down Pujols at second. There's nothing more enjoyable than having an outfielder on the team you root for who has a gun for an arm like Ichiro or Vlad Guerrero. I still miss Dwight Evans.

Middle Half:

- Madonna? Seriously, A-Rod? That's who you end your marriage for? Just when you thought he couldn't sink any lower, he starts dating a 49 year old woman. He could have had a Paris Hilton/Lindsey Lohan sandwich, but he settled for someone who was born in the 1950s.

Fifth Inning

Top Half:

- Pineapple Express will be a huge hit. I read the screenplay and it is hands-down hilarious. After The Dark Knight it's the movie I'm most looking forward to this summer.

- Home run by Matt Holiday and we have a run on the board!

- If the Rays are serious about this season, Holiday would be a good addition. They certainly have the prospects to get the job done. It's a question of whether they have the desire. I doubt it.

Middle Half:

- I was a little surprised that Billy Beane traded Rich Harden. The As are 7 games over .500 and had a realistic chance at the Wild Card. Methinks Beane might know a little something about the health status of Rich Harden that he's not letting on. To think of all the pitching talent that Oakland has traded over the years -- including Danny Haren, the guy on the mound for the NL -- and they still have the best ERA in all of Major League baseball!

- Ian Kinsler with a stolen base! First the Jews control the media, the banks, and Hollywood, and now we're taking over baseball. What will we think of next?

- Thankfully for Derek Jeter there are already two outs so he can't hit into a double-play...Only a ground out to the pitcher. Rally killed.

Sixth Inning

Top Half:

- If I were Jason Varitek I would be significantly embarrassed to be named to the All-Star team. I know, it's a great honor to be chosen by the players, but have a little self-respect and come up with a "hamstring injury" or something. Is his .218 average the worst in baseball All-Star game history? To think just how much A.J. Pierzynski has to be hated by his fellow players for them to choose Varitek over him.

- Lance Berkman drives a deep out to Sizemore in Center, Hanley Ramirez tags up, and the NL takes a commanding 2-0 lead.

- You can choose to call it classy, but I prefer to see it as Terry Francona embarrassing himself with this whole removing A-Rod and Jeter in the middle of the inning so they can get a big cheer. Terry, have a little respect for yourself. These Yankee fans deserve an opportunity to be dipped in a barrel of feces before they deserve an opportunity to cheer for their hometown clowns.

Middle Half:

- I feel like it's time for a good All-Star game beaning. Milton Bradley is coming up soon. Maybe we could get the first brawl in the history of the All-Star game.

- That was a nice pitch by Haren to strike out Sizemore. Again, I reiterate, it's incredible the amount of talent the As have had to trade.

Seventh Inning

Top Half:

-Apparently Pabelbon's pregnant wife getting threatened by Yankees fans is a lead story on the Nightly News here in Los Angeles. I wonder if this story will get national attention? I ask you, do Yankee fans have any decency?

- Can we all agree that it would be nice if the Minnesota Twins overtook the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central?

- I just saw the the Clippers traded a 2nd round pick to the Nuggets for Marcus Camby. Good move by the Clippers, I'm shocked. Camby's only under contract for 2 seasons and will improve their interior defense signifcantly. Probably not the move that Clippers fans were hoping for after losing Elton Brand, but they may be better off in the long run.

Middle Half:

- Wait, Corey Hart is in right field? Is he wearing his sunglasses at night?...Sorry.

- Edwin Volquez really does look like a young Pedro Martinez out there. He brings the ball up higher before his release, but very similar to Martinez.

- J.D. DREW ties it up with a 2 run jack! I think I've mentioned this before, but J.D. Drew's emergence into an All-Star this season has me worried that the apocalypse is just around the corner. I will never be shocked by anything for the rest of my life after his turn-around.

Eighth Inning

Top Half:

- If I were Jonathan Pabelbon, I would just turn and start firing pitches into the stands. Fucking cowards.

- And the next time the Red Sox face New York, I'd plug a few Yankees batters for good measure.

- Yankees fan start chanting "over-rated," which of course is a chant they stole from Boston Celtics fans. How pathetic. I have a chant for Yankee fans: how about "YEAR 2000!...YEAR 2000!...YEAR 2000!"

- NL takes a 3-2 lead after Navarro throws a ball into centerfield, allowing Tejada to get to third and score on a sac fly.

Middle Half:

- You know what, it might be a good thing if the AL loses, because that way the Red Sox would be able to celebrate at Fenway Park after their 4 game sweep of the World Series.

- Hey, were you aware that this is the last season at Yankee Stadium?! Shouldn't they have been drilling that into our heads every 5 minutes for the entire length of the game?

- I'm going to go out on a limb and predict 10 All-Star appearances for Longoria's career. He ties the game with a double down the left field line.

Ninth Inning

Top Half:

- K-Rod is into the game. Apparently he has 38 saves on the season! I take back my earlier comment that Rivera should be closing this game. He'll be a free agent this offseason, can you say 5 years, $55 million?

- Oh please God, let Rivera blow this game.

- Seriously, Terry, neither Rivera nor his mongrel fans deserve your deference.

- Oh well, strike em out, throw em out and the inning is over.

Middle Half:

- C'mon Kinsler, hit a walk-off. Do it for the Jews!

- Oh my sweet Lord, the Yankees are coming to Fenway Park next week! Let's pray that Radio Shack is stocked up on batteries!

- Kinsler strikes out. First the Exodus and now this! Haven't we suffered enough?

- J.D. is going hit another one, I can feel it...and he strikes out.

Tenth Inning

Top Half:

- Rivera's still out there. I like Terry's strategy now: wear out Rivera in the All-Star game before the Yankees come to town next week. Brilliant.

- 1st and third with one out. Rivera may blow this yet.

- Crap, double play. It looks like Rivera will get out of the game unscathed...unless Terry is thinking of bringing him out there for a third inning? That would be too good, but it's not happening.

Middle Half:

- Uggla was Uggly on that play.

- Uggla does it again, right through the wickets and it's first and third with no outs. Oh right, Uggla was also the batter who just hit into the double play. You think he might just want to dig a hole out at second base right about now?

- Walking the bases loaded. I like the strategy, not much else you can do at this point.

- Oh thank goodness Uggla didn't choke on that one, might have scarred him for life. One out, bases still loaded.

- Longoria up with a good chance to be MVP if he can get the run home...And he grounds out feebly to third and there's two outs. This game has had quite the ending.

- WOW, what a play by Tejada! He has to charge hard, the ball hits the lip of the glass, he fields it and then he makes a powerful off-balance throw to just catch the runner! How about Aaron Cook's performance under pressure there?

- How excited is Uggla right now?

Eleventh Inning

Top Half:

- If this game ends in a tie, I am going to be SO pissed off for spending my entireevening doing this live blog. If I do a live blog, I'm going to pretty much demand that I at least get to see a winner and a loser.

- Rafael Soria pitches to Christian Guzman -- quite the parade of stars.

- Well, that half inning was quite a downer from the theatrics of bottom of the tenth. Let's hope this game ends soon.

Middle Half:

- Kinsler with a lead-off single! The Jews may rise again!

- Kinsler caught stealing on a pitch-out! And he wasn't even tagged by Tejada! These umpires are all anti-Semites, I tell ya!

- J.D. Drew singles up the middle which should have been the game-winning hit. He still might get the MVP unless there's a walk-off home run.

- What a play at the plate! Great throw by McLouth, great block by Martin. There's nothing better than a bang-bang play at the plate.

- On to the 12th. My fiancee is NOT happy.

Twelfth Inning

Top Half:

- I promised to get my fiancee Pinkberry when the game is over so I think I've bought myself another inning or two.

- What the hell kind of flip was that from Morneau? This isn't a egg-tossing contest, throw the ball!

- Then Morneau fields a bunt that was going foul. Is he trying to make Dan Uggla feel better about himself?

- Francona decides to walk the bases loaded.

- Longest game in ASG history. Figures.

- Uggla strikes out. Is it possible to retroactively revoke a player's All-Star selection?

- A pitching change? Seriously, Terry? This might have been one of his worst coached games ever. I'm dying.

Middle Half:

- Carlos Guillen DEEP TO LEFT...and it's off the wall. It's officially the game that never ends.

- Uggla almost boots another one, but gets the out. Will they walk the bases loaded and try for the double play?

- Nope, they bring the infield in. Strange, I would have at least put a runner on at first base and tried for a conventional double play.

- Longoria strikes out and the fiancee is getting very restless.

- Now they intentionally walk Morneau and Kinsler again has the chance to be the hero.

- Kinsler grounds out to third. Maybe he's only half-Jewish?

Thirteenth Inning

Top Half:

- I'm slowly losing my will to live, but I'll press on.

- How long before one of those broken maple bats lodges into a pitcher's face?

- Now I'm starting to wonder, what happens if the AL runs out of pitchers? Scott Kazmir threw 104 pitches on Sunday so he won't be able to go too long. Will they have to bring in a position player? In which case would Kazmir have to play in the outfield? Or will they just call it a tie? This is incredibly intriguing.

- Was George Sherrill and his 4.08 ERA really the best that the Orioles had to offer this season? I can't tell you how thankful I am not to be an Orioles fan.

Middle Half:

- Someone named Carlos Marmol is now in the game to pitch for the NL. Even Peter Gammons is scrambling for his program to figure out who this guy is.

- Marmol has an ERA of 13.50 for his last 12 appearances. My mistake, All Star all the way.

- Oh my dear Lord, ANOTHER error for Uggla? I feel like the crowd at the end of Braveheart: Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!

- J.D. Drew steals a base. He can taste that MVP trophy now. He will NOT be denied.

- I'm guessing that Marmol is a Dominican based on his Pedro Martinez-like delivery. This is incredible: there must be an entire generation of Dominican pitchers who based their delivery on Pedro and will soon decend on Major League Baseball. I'm very excited.

Fourteenth Inning

Top Half:

- McLouth drills it to right, back, back, back! And J.D. Drew brings it it at the wall. I could have sworn that one was long gone. It was like the hand of God kept that one in the park. This game might not be ending anytime soon.

- And Russell Martin clocks one deep to right...and Drew catches it just short of the track. What's it going to take?

- You can't deny George Sherrill, son! On to the bottom of the 14th.

Middle Half:

- Why is Clint Hurdle using Brandon Webb when he has Brad Lidge still in the bullpen?? Webb also pitched on Sunday and the D-Backs didn't want him in the game. This makes absolutely no sense.

- And Brandon Webb mows the poor AL down.

Fifteenth Inning

Top Half:

- Scott Kazmir is in the game. Now I'm really hoping that this game goes beyond this inning and we find out what happens when the AL runs out of pitchers. What recourse does Major League Baseball have if there's a tie? It's not like they can retroactively declare that the league that has the better record in interleague play has home field advantage in the World Series, can they? I bet they'll have to do something stupid like a coin flip. Too funny.

- Kazmir walks Wright but gets a one pitch groundout from Guzman. My vision is growing blurry. At least I live on the West Coast and it's not even 11 PM yet.

Middle Half:

- Now Brad Lidge is in the game, the last pitcher for the NL. Oh please let this game make it to the 16th inning!

- Leadoff single by Morneau. You know the AL is going to win now that I want it to continue.

- Ryan Ludwick makes a great diving catch on Ian Kinsler. Anti-Semite!

- Dioner Navarro singles to center and J.D. Drew is up with the MVP on the line. One lousy, little single and he's got it.

- J.D. walks. He's now been on base three times with a steal and has 2 RBIs. He may have the MVP yet.

- Young with a fly to right...play at the plate...SAFE! Wow, that was close. He might have made it by a toe. AL WINS!

- Terry Francona is a little TOO excited. Eleven wins in a row for the American League. I guess the Red Sox will be celebrating in Chicago or Arizona this year. Alas.

- J.D. Drew gets the MVP after all. Suck it Yankees fans, suck it! Ha ha!

Peace, I'm out of here.

Stadium Scenes - Hafner (SS18) /75, Randy Johnson (SS1), /699, Pedro Martinez (SS33) /699

Franchise History - Hafner (FH17) /99

Cut from the Same Cloth - Damon / Damon (CSC-DD) /149, Varitek / Matsuzaka (CSC-JD) /799, Griffey, Jr. / Dunn (CSC-GD) / 75

Box Score Memories - Carlos Lee (BSM-27) /699

Timeless Moments - Ryan Howard (TM-38) /699, Johan Santana (TM-33) /699

Franchise Memories - Hernandez / Bedard / Beltre / Johjima (FM4-12) /799, Jeter / Cano / Giambi (FM3-15) /799

Inserts Numbered /100 or less

Yankee Stadium Legacy - 1641, 1666, 1691, 1716

Red Parallels - Brian McCann (9) /149, Erick Threets (140) /149 (Damaged Corner)

Autograph

Game Used Jerseys

Hollywood Memorabilia

There`s one that I needed for my set - its a shirt that Jim Carrey wore while filming Bruce Almighty.  I am making good progress with this set - I picked up one of the SPs on Friday, so only two of those left.

There has been much debate about which Red Sox starter is the Ace in Beantown:  Wakefield, Beckett, Lester or Matsuzaka.

UM....I guess Wakfefield doesn't fit into the discussion too much.  That 68 mph flutter ball and his advancing age does NOT get much love.

Well........ 

The “Ace” is an imaginary designation which doesn’t mean much beyond bestowing extra praise and pressure on a player.

But for the fun of it, I’ll take a shot at it.

Let’s start by looking at the starting staff overall – and then focusing on just the four guys who have made 71 of the team’s 96 starts.

The team ERA for all Sox starting pitchers is a combined 3.77 before the man from Tokyo makes the Sox’s last pre-All Star break start today.

3.77 ? 

Soxaholics, let us not ever, ever complain about our starters this year.    Heck, we’ve had stretches of the inverted -- 7.33.

Our motto used to be, “We’re good, we’ve got enough pitching.”.  

The Yankees motto was, “You can never have enough pitching.”.

Wow.

Our world is upside down.  Cats sleeping with dogs.  Hank Steinbrenner admitting he’s brash.  The Rays and Cubs in first place.

The Sox are just one small step from pitching dominance akin the Orioles of the late sixties-early seventies.

Dear God, grant us one decent middle reliever, load him up with a nasty sinker, a change and a slider, and make his name Justin Masterson.

This season is making me dizzy.

But  -- back to the question at hand -- who is the Ace ?

Wakefield’s made 19 starts, 13 quality starts, with a 3.60 ERA.  Team 9W-10L.

Beckett’s made 17 starts, 11 quality starts, with a 3.93 ERA.  Team 10W-7L.

Lester’s made 20 starts, 11 quality start, with a 3.38 ERA. Team 13W-7L.

Matsuzaka’s made 15 starts, 10 quality starts, with a 2.84 ERA. Team 12W-3L.

I go by quality starts, i.e., a start in which the pitcher goes 5 to 7 innings, hangs up a game ERA that is below 4.00, and thus gives his team a good chance to win.

Immediately, Tim Wakefield becomes the default Ace.  He’s got the most quality starts, a very respectable ERA, and you can throw out the team 9W-10L record when he starts because wins and losses do not reflect the quality of pitching.  W’s and L’s are all about the team performance.

Besides, if we went by wins and losses only, we’d have to evaluate who Julio Lugo has screwed more with his poor fielding.  The guy has almost as many errors as he does RBI.

And, if we were going by W’s, Matsuzaka walks away as the Ace by virtue of his 12W-3L team record.  The team just consistently outscores the competition when Matsuzaka is walking the tightrope, getting out of jam after jam.

Run support per start is very close among these 4 guys -- Matsuzaka at 5.33 Runs per start, Beckett at 5.82,  Lester 5.1,  and Wake 5.2.

And that closeness in average run support is matched by closeness in percent-of-quality starts among Wake, Beckett and Dice Kay.  (Range:  65% to 68% quality.)

Translation:  You get about the same chance of a quality start whether it is Wake, Beckett or Matsuzaka who starts. 

So, there is no real Ace.   

My hair-splitting & inconsequential vote at the break for Sox Ace thus goes to the 41 year old (turns 42 on Aug. 2) senior citizen of the staff.   He’s the most boring starter, throwing the 68 mph knuckler 85% of the time, mixing it w an 80 mph slow, uh, I mean, fastball.  He gets my vote by virtue of having accumulated 2 more quality starts than anyone else.

Had Matsuzaka not missed 4 starts he may have eclipsed Wake in quality starts. 

In the long run, this Race to Be Ace may turn out in Matsuzaka’s favor.  It’s a long season and we’re only 59.8% done.

Then again, Dice Kay's high pitch counts could produce a fatigued arm by Labor day.

What do you think ?

-Karl Cicitto

Suffield, Ct.

As Drew has cooled off during these 11 July games, others have stepped up. The team doesn't boast a great record once again, 6-5, but individuals are starting heat up. Dustin Pedroia has been a hitting machine over the past month and a half, hitting at a .364 clip over that time; Kevin Youkilis, fresh off a grand slam, and a career-high six runs driven in, has been on a tear as well, batting .339 since the first of June, helping the Red Sox offense survive without Ortiz.

Without Ortiz in the lineup, the Red Sox became more of a running team. That means putting on more hit and runs, and attempting to steal more bases. The team, surprisingly enough, has averaged more runs per game (5.2 to 5.1) without Ortiz. They have done so by manufacturing runs, made possible by the brilliant offensive play by Drew, Pedroia and Youkilis.

It hasn't been all fun and games, but their record is still very good (56-40 overall; 24-18 since Ortiz's injury) Despite the teams respectable record, sometimes the teams' play has been downright unbearable. Though individual players have been solid, the Red Sox have many holes on their team. Jacoby Ellsbury, the teams' rookie lead-off hitter, has had his talent showcased in spurts this season (35 stolen bases, 60 runs scored), but has not produce with the consistency (.273 BA, .348 On-Base-Percentage, batted .245 in June) that a team needs from someone in the top spot in the line-up. I like the way that Terry Francona, the teams' manager, has dealt with Ellsbury though. He allows him to work out his problems, whether it be mechanical or mental, without dropping him in the line-up or showing frustration in his play to the media. He did the same last season with Dustin Pedroia, who was struggling during the first couple months, before finishing the year strong, winning rookie of the year. Ellsbury has been on Pedroia's track so far as he has come around of late, hitting at a .300 clip for this months' play. If he can get on base with regularity, and the rest of the hitters keep playing solidly, the Red Sox will be a force to be reckoned with.

The offense is only half of the puzzle. I have heard the saying "they can hit their way to the promise land" for years, but it never seems to work. if you don't have good pitching, then you'll do what the New York Yankees have done in recent seasons: barely make it to the playoffs, and get eliminated in the first round. The Red Sox World Series campaign of last season was because, yes good hitting, but more importantly, even better pitching. They had one of the best rotations in the game, anchored by Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling and Daisuke Matsusaka. This year however has been a totally different story, however. Josh Beckett has been up and down, by his standards (9-5, 3.94 ERA). He has a good record, but an ERA around four for a pitcher of his quality is most unusual (considering he almost won the CY Young last year, and was dominant in the playoffs). He has had some brilliant starts, but also some bad ones, partly resulting in the teams inconsistent play.

As for Curt Schilling, his career is presumptively over after suffering a shoulder injury that cost him the season. The team loses his veteran leadership, but the rotation has gotten a lot younger because of it. Who knew what Schilling had left in the tank. He is a pitcher who has scared me at times throughout his tenure in Boston, mainly because if he isn't sharp, he gets hit hard.

Daisuke Matsuzaka has been superb this season (9-1, 2.48 ERA), helping guide the Red Sox staff. Jon Lester has been impressive, boasting a 7-3 record and a 3.38 ERA, while, like Dice-K, being a pitcher that can be counted on every fifth day. Tim Wakefield, the ageless knuckle-baller, has been very solid as well. He has lasted 7 or more innings in eight of his past nine starts, giving Boston some dependability at the back end of the rotation. The 5th spot in the rotation has been an uncertainty since Clay Buchholz was sent down to the minors to work on his mechanics. The primary pitcher who had taken over that role (before Buchholz's recent call-up) has been Justin Masterson, who has done very pretty good in his stead, (4-3, 3.67 ERA) but has struggled at times.

Though the hitting and starting pitching seem to be whipping into shape, possibly the most important part of the team, the relief pitching, has struggled mightily. Set-up men such as Manny Delcarmen, Craig Hansen, and Mike Timin have all had a rough go of it s far this season. Each posses huge ERA's (4.70 for Delcarmen, 5.47 for Hansen, and 6.31 for Timlin) and have blown countless close games. The road to Jonathan Papelbon never has been this unusually hard, but Papelbon has made the most of his opportunities, as he sports 27 saves and a 2.27 ERA.

The team has been erratic at times, but even with all of the inconsistencies they're only 1/2 game out of first place. If everything gets on the right track, Boston could once again have a dangerous team come October.

While many folks in south Florida were focused on the Marlins 5-2 victory over San Diego yesterday -- Scott Olsen was back in pimptastic form, earning his first win in over 2 months -- we had our eyes fixed on another match-up in the world of baseball. Around the same time Mike Jacobs was launching his 19th homerun of the season, two men who used to call Miami their home were doing battle over in the American League.

Beckett. Livan. Two of this town's biggest heroes. Two men who also wound up leaving this place shortly thereafter, to continue their careers elsewhere. And watching both of them on screen, doing their thing for the Sox and Twins (although "their thing" yesterday would be "giving up a lot of runs" and "leaving the game early"), kinda made us think a little.

Earlier in the day, Sully Baseball posed the question:

The man who shut down the Cubs and then clinched the World Series at Yankee Stadium against the big guy who kept winning games with the help of his nasty stuff and Eric Gregg's strike zone which was as wide as... well.... Eric Gregg.

Is their nostalgia?
Is their bitterness?
Is their resignation?

Or have you all just moved on?

Remember all those times your dad told you about the good ole days, back before free agency, when you followed a specific player? And how now you just have to follow a logo, because the players keep changing every year? Well maybe other fan bases have trouble dealing with that. Maybe that's why Red Sox fans were so bitter over Johnny Damon signing with the Yankees. To those fans, that was their player. He betrayed them by signing with their arch enemy.

But Marlins fans? We understand, more than any other fan base, that we're just rooting for a logo. The names and number keep changing, but the teal and black stay the same. We've been conditioned to this sorta' thing. Livan comes in, wins a World Series and then it's time for him to go. A few years later, it's Josh Beckett's turn. When Beckett cashes in on his payday, it's Hanley's turn.

Sure, there were some ruffled feathers when Cabrera and D-Train were shipped off to Detroit, but all those people got real quiet when Andrew Miller started winning. Miggy's name doesn't even pop up on sports radio down here anymore. It's more about when Cameron Maybin is going to get his shot at playing in Dolphin Stadium. Or how Josh Johnson and Chris Volstad are going to improve the pitching staff when they come back.

Josh Beckett? Livan Hernandez? There will always be a spot in the Florida Marlins short, rich and storied history. (Don't laugh. we did just say "rich and storied history." Show us your last championship ring, Mr Met. Awfully dusty, eh?) But there will be others. And after those players leave their mark, there will be others beyond that. It's not all that different from the rest of the league. With free agency and inflated contracts, this sorta thing affects every team, every single year.

As Marlins fans, we're just more accustomed to dealing with it.

We're interested in knowing where the rest of you stand on this. What are your thoughts?

Kevin Cash and Kevin Youkilis trotted the bases for the Red Sox after the third inning. Youkilis had a big day with four RBI's. Josh Beckett was credited with the win even though he pitched five innings and letting up five runs. Twins' pitcher Livan Hernandez let up six runs on eleven hits for the loss. Red Sox won 18-5 and completed the sweep.

I'll be taking a break of about ten days, but I'll leave you with this. Now that we're halfway through, it's time for report cards. In the middle of every season, Boston.com invites you to grade the Red Sox offense and pitching player by player and overall. Here's what I came up with:

Jason Varitek: A

He's getting old, and he's not as offensively productive as he used to be, but that was never what was important with him. He's not our captain because he can hit or because he can field, which he does extremely well by the way (two errors, .996 fielding percentage). He's our captain and we love him because he's a team leader and because he does wonders with the pitching staff (3.72 catcher's ERA). You try catching in a club full of high-profile personalities, aces, and rookies; it's difficult, but Varitek makes it look easy. In 2006, he was out with a knee injury and the whole team fell apart. If that doesn't show how important he is, I don't know what will.

Kevin Youkilis: A

Youk...nuff ced. Errorless at first base for 233 games. One error in 2008. That alone is grounds for an A, but he also is batting above .300 and slugging above .500. He was hit below the right eye with a ball being thrown around the horn between innings and returned to the lineup two days later with a black eye. He moved to third in the middle of a game and looked like he's been there for months. He even played a little right field. Definitely an A.

Dustin Pedroia: A

The only thing that stopped me from giving him an A was his lack of offense until July. Other than that, he's a perfect second baseman, and I think he's the best there is. He can hit, now more than ever since he's at a torrid pace of offensive production. He can field like no other. He's lightning fast when making plays and was largely responsible for preserving Clay Buchholz's no-hitter. He rarely gets through a game without dirt on his letters. He even runs a bit; he's perfect in thefts so far. And he's got a great personality, which comes in handy in the clubhouse. When he first came up, he took his veteran teammates' cracks and then cracked right back. He's even told the likes of David Ortiz to put on his sunglasses during a game in preparation for the laser show he intends to put on with his bat.

Julio Lugo: C

We all know his offense has made some sort of improvement since last year (if you think he's out for sure now, think back to '07), and we all know he can fly around the bases. But that doesn't make up for the fact that he's already made 16 errors. And those errors are turning into runs for the opposition. Cora's hitting just as well as Lugo but only has two errors on the season. At this point, I'd suggest having Cora start more often.

Mike Lowell: B

Spent some time on the DL earlier, but he's fine now. He isn't producing as much as he did last year, but he's finally well on his way to getting there. His average is .297, but his slugging percentage is above .500. His fielding is as good as ever, with only six errors on the season. Who knows? A Gold Glove at third may come to Boston this year.

Manny Ramirez: A

Manny joined the 500 club this year. He's grappled with hamstring issues, but he's back in the field and he hasn't lost a step. The quality of his fielding could never be matched by any other left fielder in Fenway's left field conditions. He's a pro at playing the Green Monster, even if the depth of his position is sometimes controversial. As far as his hitting goes, it's Manny being Manny. He's slugging above .500 and hitting in the high .200s.

Jacoby Ellsbury: B

While I hope he'll win Rookie of the Year, one can not survive on stolen bases alone, even if he is the fastest in the game. His numbers are down from what they were last year, the reason being that pitchers have figured him out. But that's when the hitter makes adjustments to the pitchers, but his numbers haven't reflected this process as much as they should. He's started to snap out of his slump, but I think Ellsbury could be producing much more than he is now.

JD Drew: A

Whoever doesn't give JD Drew an A has been sleeping for the past month and a half. If JD Drew doesn't deserve an A, I don't know who does. He's doin' it all: hitting, slugging, fielding, throwing (what an arm), and running (not many thefts, but speed comes in very handy in right field). He's mastered the right field corner, and he's as good as any right fielder we've ever had. His offense doesn't seem to be slowing down at all, his personality is coming through, and he's officially a dirt dog (I've seen him make diving catches, sliding catches, and every other kind of catch just to get the out). Welcome to Boston, my friend.

David Ortiz: B

At the start of the season, David Ortiz found himself in the worst slump of his career. Basically, if the ball stopped right in front of him, he couldn't hit it. He snapped out of it when the Yankees brass excavated his jersey from the foundation of the new Yankee Stadium, and he snapped out of it in classic Papi fashion: with a grand slam. But he hadn't been out of his slump long enough to raise his batting average above .252. Even his slugging percentage, while still impressive, is down at .486. It's been a bad run so far for Big Papi, but he's still the best DH, hands down.

Coco Crisp: B

He's hitting now, that's for sure, and that's more than we could say for him last year. He's fast, and he makes catches in center field that I never thought could be made. He even jumped into the Green Monster to make a catch. Personally, I thought he should've won a Gold Glove for his work in center last year, and he's just as good this year, with only one error so far. He's 13 for 16 in stolen bases as well. But I'd say his biggest and most valuable contribution by far is his work in center field.

Alex Cora: B

He was hitting above .300 and then saw his average drop, but that doesn't change the fact that he's an excellent shortstop. He should definitely start more often.

Sean Casey: A

Basically, what we have here is a backup first baseman of starting caliber. What more could you want? He's hitting above .350 and slugging above .400. He hits line drives like nobody's business, and there's nothing to complain about as far as his fielding is concerned.

Brandon Moss: C

His offensive numbers are low, and that seems contrary to his experience as a ballplayer. His production just hasn't shown what other outfielders in the system have shown, Jacoby Ellsbury notwithstanding. But offensively speaking, he's coming out of his shell more and more. I refer you to his recent game-winning efforts on our behalf.

Kevin Cash: B

Not bad for a backup catcher, and certainly better than Doug Mirabelli. Don't get me wrong, I loved having Belli on the team just as much as the next person, but the truth of the matter is that Belli couldn't hit. Cash can. His first home run of the season and in three years was a three-run shot, and his average is above .200. That's already better than Belli. Belli was perhaps better at catching Wakefield, but Wake's knuckleball is no longer what it was when it made John Flaherty retire. Kevin Cash is perfect for his role.

Offense Overall: B

Simply put, we could do more. A few more runs here, a few more runs there, and we could win a lot more games. The close calls, the contests decided by one or two runs, and the bullpen snafus could be ours if we increase our production even just a little bit. The key, of course, is to have offensive contributions from up and down the lineup. That's what we learned in the 2007 ALCS. As soon as the whole lineup started producing, we were playing the Colorado Rockies in Game 1 of the World Series.

Josh Beckett: B

2008's Josh Beckett is not the same as 2007's Josh Beckett. He's still a dominating power pitcher, and he's still an ace in our staff, but it's clear that he just isn't the same, and it's difficult to pinpoint why. I don't think it's the neck problem he had in Spring Training that's somehow carrying over. Maybe it's an off-year for him. And if this is what his off-year looks like, you can be sure he hasn't lost his touch.

Daisuke Matsuzaka: A

His record is 9-1. His ERA is 2.84. There is no doubt in my mind that he's turned the corner. He used last season as an adjustment period and still managed to walk away with a win after starting Game 3 of the World Series, and he's got a ring to prove it. The adjustments and improvements he's made have been outstanding. This is the Dice-K we saw in Japan, and he's just been dominating hitters this year for Boston.

Jon Lester: A

The Jon Lester we're seeing now is the Jon Lester the Minor League coaches have been raving about. He started and won Game 4 of the World Series and no-hit the Kansas City Royals, and his numbers are fabulous. He has a nasty cut fastball that hitters just can't seem to figure out. And after all that he's been through, he's as good as ever and an inspiration to all of us.

Tim Wakefield: A

For a 42-year-old knuckleballer, he's pitching a lot better than I thought he would. His last few starts have been lasting seven or eight innings, and he's been dominant. I don't know what it is, but I hope it sticks.

Bartolo Colon: A

Acquiring Bartolo Colon was a great move. What he's given us is a reliable extra arm that can supply quality innings, and we saw his value when Dice-K was on the DL. The problem? He thinks he's David Ortiz during Interleague; he's on the DL with back stiffness because he took one of the mightiest swings I've ever seen.

Justin Masterson: A

This kid has really gone above and beyond. He was called up from Double A for his first Major League start, a valiant effort spoiled by the bullpen. He proceeded to win his next two starts before transferring to Triple A. He was again called up, and he's been cruising ever since. It's unusual when a start of his doesn't last at least six innings, and according to Terry Francona he's a great guy with a mature personality who can shoulder the responsibility of pitching in the Major Leagues. It's a joy to watch him in action.

Clay Buchholz: B

Although he has the nastiest off-speed stuff I've ever seen, his command is lacking, especially of his fastball. So, he was sent down to work on it. He no-hit the Baltimore Orioles last year, proving that he's Major League material, but I don't think he's quite ready for the big time yet. It's difficult to say exactly why, but I think the best explanation is that you need to have a fastball to pitch in the big leagues, and Clay's fastball isn't as good as it should be. But he's on the brink of returning, and his Triple A stats say that his Minor League stint has done him good.

David Aardsma: A

He's the only player who precedes Hank Aaron alphabetically. But more importantly, he was a great move; he was such a nice surprise. His stuff is unbelievable. His ERA is currently 2.84. At times he shoulders a pretty heavy workload, but he's done it with a lot of success. He's becoming an '07 Hideki Okajima.

Craig Hansen: C

Inconsistency is perhaps his worst enemy. His stuff is there, no question. Dude can throw in the high nineties. But for some reason, he hasn't been able to find stability and lock into a groove at the Major League level. He's a young guy, only 24, so he's got time. But he's also got his work cut out for him.

Manny Delcarmen: B

A great power pitcher, he gives Boston a lot to be happy about. He dominates hitters, but he sometimes makes mistakes, like when he took the loss against the Houston Astros after allowing three runs late in the game. It just seems like that type of thing will inevitably happen with Delcarmen on the mound. The question is how often. The answer? Often enough to give him a B.

Javier Lopez: A

Javier Lopez is also quickly becoming an '07 Hideki Okajima. Last year, inconsistency was his worst enemy. This year, he's been in top form for a significant stretch. His lefty sidearm delivery confuses hitters, and he's really finding the strike zone.

Mike Timlin: D

This is the worst grade I gave. Simply put, Mike Timlin is old. When he's not on the DL, he's not finding the strike zone. His velocity is rapidly diminishing, and he just hasn't been able to transition well to a pitching style more centered around finesse. Might want to think about retiring.

Hideki Okajima: C

He's lost his touch in 2008. Definitely not the lights-out set-up man he was last season. I'm not sure what it is; maybe we worked him too hard in 2007 and it's carried over. Maybe the league suddenly woke up one morning and figured out how to hit the Okie-Doke. But he's healthy, he's in shape, and he's gotten plenty of rest. He's still a great pitcher, and who knows? Maybe before the season's over he'll return to form.

Jonathan Papelbon: B

Jonathan Papelbon is, without question, the best closer in the game. His velocity is overpowering and his glare is intimidating. Not to mention the fact that his personality and his dancing have become staples in Boston. He adds fire to the club, and he always brings. He's been a little inefficient lately, and he's blown some saves, but that could happen to anybody. One of the reasons why he's so great is that with him, these things never last long.

Pitching Overall: B

As with the offense, we could do more. We could find the strike zone more, have better command, get just a little sharper. And you'd be surprised how many more runs we could prevent and how many more games we could win. Last year, our pitching was, in the long run, spic-and-span. This year, we're not quite there yet, but we're getting there.

Boston Red Sox Overall: B

We're doing a good job. As I always say, we've got a deep team that puts up a fight in every game. We've got all five tools covered to the max: hitting for average (Casey, Dusty, Youk, Drew, etc.), hitting for power (Manny, Papi, Drew, etc.), fielding (Crisp, Manny, Drew, Ellsbury, Youk, Lowell, Dusty, Tek, etc.), arm strength (Drew, Youk, Lowell, etc.), and running speed (Ellsbury, Crisp, Lugo, etc.). If we keep doing what we're doing, we'll eventually find ourselves at the top. If we just tighten up a little bit, we're as good as gold. Either way, it's a win-win, and with momentum favoring us again as of this homestand, I think it's safe to say that the Red Sox are having a good season so far.

Boston Globe Staff/Jim Davis

We out-hit the Yankees by a ratio of 2:1, and in a rare occurrence all three Boston thieves (Ellsbury, Lugo, and Youk) were caught stealing. Youkilis collected two RBIs on his almost-home-run triple, and may I say that Johnny Damon looked like an absolute fool. Here's what happened. Youk hit an exceptionally deep fly ball. Damon runs to the wall to make the catch but instead collides with the wall and drops the ball. Damon goes down with his feet in the air, and the ball hangs precariously on the wall but then falls back into the infield next to Damon. Damon has no idea where the ball is until (get this) a fan has to tell him where it is. He then leaves the game with a left shoulder contusion, and Youk has himself a mighty fine triple. Lowell collected four RBIs, three of which came on his smoked home run off Rasner in the fifth.

Ellsbury is laying down perfect bunts. It's a beautiful thing to watch. It's basically textbook-quality work. And if he gets on base, you may as well just score it as a double. Yesterday's caught-stealing was only his sixth of the season.

We're gettin' it done, that's for sure. We're doing all the right things at this point. If we keep playing like this, and just tighten some things here and there, all we have to do is wait. The Rays will lose eventually, and when they do we'll be all over it.

I hope everybody had a great Fourth of July. The All-Star Selection Show will air on Sunday at 6:00PM on TBS, so tune in to find out which of the boys are making the trip. Masterson at Mussina this afternoon. This should be good.

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During the 2004 season, each of Oakland's Big Three aces had something to prove. Tim Hudson was determined to demonstrate his recovery from a recurring injury. Barry Zito had to show the world that after a ho-hum 2003, his 2002 Cy Young Award was not a fluke. Mark Mulder missed the 203 playoffs entirely with a stress fracture, but the way he saw it, he simply needed to be himself-the natural-born pitcher.

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Wakefield was his usual self at the Trop, pitching seven innings and allowing one earned run on five hits, walking three and striking out four. Hansen allowed the third run, and Delcarmen was perfect. So all in all, the usual solid effort from Boston pitching. Too bad the offense didn't do much to help the cause. Drew batted Ellsbury in from third for the one Boston run. How did he end up at third? It's actually a very funny story. Ellsbury tapped the ball to the infield, Navarro picked it up and threw high to first base. The ball rolled all the way to the backstop, and before Tampa Bay knew what was up Ellsbury was at third. Drew with the sac fly. On the bright side, the run was scored in true Boston dirt dog fashion. Both Tampa Bay and Boston had six hits. The Rays committed three errors, while the Red Sox only committed one, and Lugo had nothing to do with it. No, seriously.

Red Sox Nation does have something to celebrate, though. The Yankees are now 7.5 games out! They just keep burying themselves in their own weaknesses. This is something that will make me realize that no matter what happens, we'll never be as bad as the Yankees. It's great, isn't it?

Hideki Okajima could be on the block. Last season, he posted an impressive 2.22 ERA over 66 relief appearances with five saves. This season, he's posting a 3.15 ERA over 34 relief appearances while converting only one of seven save opportunities. He blew the other six. Brian Fuentes of the Rockies, Joe Borowski of the Indians, and George Sherrill and Chad Bradford of the Orioles are possibilities. Less likely but still possible are Scott Schoeneweis of the Mets, Kevin Gregg of the Marlins, and Damaso Marte of the Pirates. At first, when I heard that Okie might be traded I thought it was too rash of an action. But let's look at the facts: we're almost halfway through the season, Okajima's had plenty of rest, and he hasn't shown any improvement. It's becoming more likely by the blown save that last year's phenomenal performance was a fluke. Because the Red Sox are currently teetering on the brink of domination right now, it could potentially become urgent that we get ourselves a reliable set-up man. But the front office should also be wary of another Eric Gagne debacle, because that was a total and complete disaster. We might also be looking to add a fifth starter, possibly the likes of CC Sabathia (the dude who basically stole Josh Beckett's Cy Young), Roy Oswalt, or Rich Harden. All you can do is trust in Theo. He's a genius, no question. Sometimes he makes mistakes, like the Gagne debacle, but you have to hope that he'll learn from that and maybe put that extra bit of consideration into what would be worse, having an inconsistent and unreliable set-up man that rocked '07 or having an inconsistent and unreliable new guy.

AP Photo

The offense did a nice job of answering opposing runs. Dustin Pedroia, who is now batting .304, hit a solo homer in the third to tie it at 1-1. Manny Ramirez hit a solo homer in the seventh to tie it at 2-2. The difference was Mark Loretta's RBI, which came while David Aardsma was on the mound and which put the Astros ahead, 3-2. The hits column was also close; Houston out-hit us, 10-9. And the speed was going, too; Lugo and Pedroia both recorded thefts, making Pedroia 9 for 9 on the season so far.

There's no reason to deny that these next two series are very important. With the All-Star break coming up, we should conclude the first half of the season on a high note for us and on a low note for the Rays, who could be on their way to dropping out. They're a young team; they can't keep this up for all of 2008. And the Yankees of course should be put in their place. So we've got some work to do.

In other news, the Red Sox received a threat by mail from Memphis, Tennessee. The suspect is believed to have come originally from Baltimore, and the threat targets African-American and Latino players, mentioning at least two by name. That's just a disgrace. It's been 61 years since Jackie Robinson's Major League debut, and 53 years since Roberto Clemente's. Grow up and be a man. Enough already.

AP Photo

• According to MLB.com, Andruw Jones will resume everyday duties in the Dodgers' outfield when he returns from the disabled list, leaving Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier in a platoon. I wonder if Ned Coletti & company read Jayson Stark’s book about baseball’s most overrated and underrated players before they signed him to a contract that pays an average of $18 million per season. Now might be a better time than any for Joe Torre to pick the book up, before the Dodgers make the mistake of inserting Jones’s atrocious .165 batting average back into the everyday lineup and cutting the playing time of two very productive hitters, as he plans to do.

• Francisco Liriano Watch: Liriano got torched again, giving up 5 earned runs and serving up two homers over 5-1/3 innings. He only struck out only three batters in this outing. The good news for the Twins is that they will not be forced to move Liriano up any time soon, thus avoiding an arbitration case between the two parties after the 2008 season. Liriano is slated to take the mound again on Monday.

• Johnny Cueto pitched a gem against Cleveland on Saturday. It appears that he is beginning to harness his tremendous talent, and has himself back on track to becoming the pitcher we heard all the hype about prior to opening day.

• A.J. Burnett boosted his trade value on Sunday, throwing seven shutout innings, while striking out eleven en route to a 1-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves. Despite the high ERA on the season, Burnett is striking out nearly a batter per inning. If Burnett stays healthy, he has a history of being a stronger pitcher in the second half of his previous seasons. This could be especially true this season if he is dealt to an NL contender