The Man Just Won't Go Away

Check out my take on the Brett Favre saga.

Green, Delcarmen Throw It Away

Sox lose it in the Ninth, Comeback in the 11th Not Strong Enough

Up 7-4 in the 8th inning with Papelbon coming on many TV sets in Red Sox Nation were switching off. Buchholz had given the Sox a quality start, the bats had come alive, and the dynamite Sox pen looked as if it were about to seal the deal against the lowly A's. Shortstop Nick Green, the embedded Yankee, had other thoughts.

"I really like Baseball," Green said after game, "and I wanted to keep playing. Sometimes nine innings just isn't enough."*

With Papelbon looking for his 29th save of the season, Green's rocket-arm turned two groundballs into errors by sending the throw meant for first-base somewhere between the bag and the moon, and three Oakland runs.

The A's tied the game in the 9th and went on to win it in the 11th against a shaky and tired-looking Manny Delcarmen. In other news, Delcarmen also looked like he had a vagina on his face.

Oak (42-57) 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 0 2 < >< >< >9 21 0
Bos (58-41) 0 0 5 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 < >< >< >8 14 3

Buchholz 5.2IP 9H 2ER 5K
R. Ramirez 1.0IP 1H 1ER 1K
Okajima .2IP 3H 1ER 1K
Bard .2IP 1H 0ER
Papelbon 1IP 3H 2ER 1K
Delcarmen 1.2IP 3H 2ER 1K
Saito .1IP 1H 0ER

Stuff you need to know:
The Sox retired Jim Rice's #14 jersey last night, after his Cooperstown induction on Sunday.
Last night was just the second time ever that Papelbon blew a three-run lead.
Before last night the Sox' bullpen hadn't allowed a run in 25 innings.

Boston Globe game report
Herald game report

3 Strikes

• Daisuke's frustrated with his re-hab and throwing program.

That's funny, because everybody else is frustrated with him sucking. And then complaining about it.

• The Sox traded outfielder/high-fiver Mark Kotsay and cash to the White Sox for outfielder/albino Brian Anderson (stats).

So? Just thought you might want to know who the new guy is. Plus, he's really goofy-looking. The new Brian Scalabrine? Only time will tell.

• Mark Buehrle set the major league record by retiring 45 straight batters (over two games.)
  

After tossing a perfect game over the weekend, he had a perfecto going into the 7th last night. And he's on both of my fantasy teams.

Big News:
The Sox are rumored to be pursuing Roy Halladay, but there are conflicting reports as to the package Theo's offered the Jays.
Team sources denied that they had offered Buchholz, pitcher Michael Bowden and outfielder Ryan Westmoreland, as old friend Gordon Edes first reported. Thankfully, the team reportedly told Jays' GM J.P. Ricciardi that Daniel Bard was untouchable.

Tonight:
Oak (42-57)
Anderson (5-8) 4.32ERA
at
Bos (58-41)
Penny (7-4) 4.71ERA
Game time 7:10pm

Thanks Josh: A Holiday from Halladay Talk

Sox Beast Oakland 8-3 behind Beckett, Dusty, LaRoche

I'm not saying the Sox's starting pitching wouldn't be unbeatable with Roy Halladay. But they're pretty unbeatable without him too. And if you need anymore double-negatives I wouldn't not talk to me about it.

OAK (41-57) 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 3 9 0
BOS (58-40) 1 0 1 3 1 0 2 0 - 8 14 1

WP: Beckett (12-4) LP: T. Cahill (6-9)

Beckett7IP 8H 3ER 10k
Bard 1.0IP 1H 0ER 2K
Delcarmen 1.0IP 0H 0ER


Stuff you need to know:
Pedroia 5th HR of the year (solo 1st inning)
New-Guy LaRoche pulling a Jason Bay 2-4 1R 1RBI. He's batting .417 with the Sox (5/12)

There's something in the (dirty) water:
Beckett is 7-0 at Fenway this year, in his last 5 starts 5-0 1.19ERA and 36K

Beaten Down quote of the Day:
"That's really a good lesson for a lot of our young pitchers to watch the way he pitches. He's aggressive. He mixed in his sinker and the breaking ball but he did throw them all for strikes."
-Oakland manager Bob Geren (via espn.com)

Beat you Down quote of the Day:
"The biggest thing tonight is we just kept putting pressure on them every single inning. When we have a lineup like we do, it's bound to happen."
-Jacoby Ellsbury (via espn.com)

Boston Globe game report
Herald game report

3 Strikes

• Juicers don't belong in the Hall, according to Gerry Callahan.

Only at your local stadium.

• New Boston sports radio WBZ-FM loses out on the Lou Merloni sweepstakes.

Besides the yearly Bachelor Auction at Framingham High, that has to be the only time the phrase "the Lou Merloni sweepstakes" has been used.

• NESN analyzes Theo's options at the trade deadline.

Theo's busy analyzing the Canadian WBC team roster. Hell, it worked last year, right?


Breaking News:
Jim Ed not a Horse, A Real Good Ballplayer, in fact.
The Sox retire #14 tonight, in honor of Cooperstown-enshrined Jim Rice. Tears? I don't think the Eck will be able to hold them back tonight.

For All of You Tweeps Out There:
The Man of the Hour might be retired, but he's still kickin it with the internet, that Twitter-thingy, and that damn rap music.


Tonight:
Oak (41-57)
Mazzaro (2-7) 4.75ERA
at
BOS (58-40)
Boy Wonder* (1-1) 3.72ERA

Game Time 7:10


*Buchholz

All is Well Until the 6th Inning

It was looking real good,  like Wedding Crashers before the sappy, terribly drawn out ending.  John Smoltz was cruising in Texas and making good on the promise he made in mid-June about his arm not being finely tuned until his fifth or sixth start, and then three very quick home-run's later, the Rangers had six runs.

His last outing was easily his most impressive of the year, albeit against the Kansas City Royals, and tonight's looked to be a close second, but the Texas bats just exploded in the sixth inning scoring five runs.  

David Murphy looked like he was hitting a Titleist, which makes that home-run less John Smoltz's faults and more Isaac Newton's, but the Michael Young blast he left up in the zone.

Overall Smoltz had some filthy stuff going on tonight.  The back door cutter he through to punch out former teammate Andruw Jones was disgusting, and his split finger was extremely effective through the first five innings.  

While obviously a discouraging loss, the Sox shouldn't be too worried heading into tomorrow's matchup with Josh Beckett on the hill facing Tommy Hunter, a young right-handed pitcher. 

No Halladay, No Problem

The timeliness of yesterday's Halladay v. Boston showdown couldn't have come at a more convenient time for all the Red Sox fans out there who possess an aching void in their soul for the six-time all-star to make his permanent residence in Massachusetts. 

While there's no doubting a Beckett, Lester, Halladay combination would serve as Fenway Park's very own Cerberus, the thought of giving up three or more crucial contributors for the 2011, 2012 and beyond teams wouldn't be worth the deal (unless of course it paid off with a third ring in six years)...

Looking towards the three game series with Texas that starts tonight, the Sox are up against one of the surprise contenders that the American League has to offer and a tough team that's just three games behind Anaheim in the AL Central.  Kevin Millwood, who finds himself going up against former mentor John Smoltz tonight, has led the pitching staff while Nelson Cruz, Ian Kinsler and Michael Young are major contributors in a potent offense that's currently tied with the Yankees atop all of Major League baseball in home runs.  

While they're still up one game on New York (who start a series with Baltimore tonight), the Red Sox could easily find themselves looking up in a few days at their long time rivals for the first time in a while.

Finally...It's Clay Buchholz

Tonight is the eagerly anticipated season debut for the Red Sox number one prospect Clay Buchholz.  His statistics in Pawtucket this season have been phenomenal.  So impressive in fact, that the thought of trading him for Roy Halladay (a hopelessly hypothetical situation) before July 31 is making Red Sox fans equally as nervous to send him inside the division as Ricciardi is of sending Halladay over here.  

Nobody knows how long Buchholz will be up in the big leagues, regardless of how impressive he is in tonight's spot start, but the performance will none the less be scrutinized over and over again in the debate adhering to whether or not Boston should accommodate him into a six man rotation.