Red Sox 7, Orioles 0

The Sox, having lost 3 straight, needed a good start from Buchholz and some production from their offense. They got both. Buchholz went the distance, allowing 4 hits, only walking 1, striking out 6, and shutting out the Orioles.

Over his last three starts, Buchholz has pitched 24 innings and allowed 4 runs (1.50 ERA). He's striking batters out, he's getting them to ground out (he induced 3 double play balls last night), he's finally pitching as well as his 6-2 record suggests he can pitch. He's no longer a worry in the rotation.

Brian Matusz struggled to throw strikes, and the Sox took advantage. They drew 5 walks off him. And were up 4-0 by the time he was pulled in the 3rd. If anything, they could have scored more runs off him. But I'll take the 7 runs and the win.

Nava and Gonzalez each knocked in 2 runs. Pedroia and Youkilis each had an RBI.

This was the first time the Sox beat the Orioles in Fenway Park since September 19, 2011. Brian Matusz got the loss that night as well. I'm glad that shameful streak is over.

The good news is that the Sox didn't fall below .500. And the great news is that Buchholz is pitching extremely well. Right now, I'd say that Buchholz is the best pitcher in the rotation, with Beckett a close second. Doubront would be a solid third. If Lester could get going, then the Sox could start to scare opponents. Beckett, Buchholz, and Lester all at their best are quite formidable. Add Doubront's solidity, then Daisuke's potential to be a quality 4/5 guy, and the sky is the limit.

The Sox bats will be challenged this weekend as the 1st place Washington Nationals come to Fenway. Doubront faces 6-1 Stephen Strasburg tonight.. Strasburg has a 2.35 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. Although he has had a shaky May.

-The Captain

Orioles @ Red Sox Preview

It's happening again. The Red Sox are sliding. This is exactly what Rob was talking about, and exactly what they can't afford to do. These nice little winning streaks they go on are nice, but it doesn't end up meaning anything if they end up sliding on a losing streak a couple weeks later.

Baltimore has already proven they can handle Buchholz, who has allowed 10 runs in nine innings over two starts against Baltimore this year. He has been pitching between (2 ERs over last two starts 15 innings), so hopefully he is turning the corner. It would be huge for this team if he has.

Brian Matusz is pitching for the Orioles, and he has actually been pretty good against the Red Sox in his career with a 3-1 record and a 3.58 ERA. Matusz has a really tough start to the year, but has seemed to have found the stuff that made him such a prized prospect. He has not let up more then 3 runs in any of his last 5 starts, including a 6 1/3 1 ER 9 Ks outing against the Red Sox.

I don't like this matchup. I don't like the way the SOx are playing, and I don't like they finding their groove against a lefty who is pitching very well.

Orioles win 7-4
Player of the Game: Hardy
Game starts at 7:10pm

2 Orioles, 1 Red Sox

It was fun being over .500, but now we are right back there after a 2-1 loss.

You can't knock Josh Beckett's game, he had 8 innings, lets up 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk and 5 Ks with only 92 pitches. That's everything you would want from this scumbag. His ERA has steadily dropped and is just a tick over 4 and is probably the Sox best pitcher. With Lester being inconsistent, Buchholz being awful, Doubront doing his damn thing, and Ace K coming back Saturday, we need him to put in starts like this.

I hate the Adrian in the outfield thing. He gets pinch run for way too early in the game, last night in the 7th and I just hate getting rid of the best bat early. It came back to bite us in the ass in the 8th when his replacement, Scotty Pods came up with 2 people on base and failed to drive in runs.

We need to really figure out the Youkilis situation because as much as he's a good player, he may be hurting us more than helping us.

Orioles @ Red Sox Preview

The Orioles look to win their seventh straight game at Fenway Park for the first time in their history Wednesday night when they go up against Josh Beckett, after beating them last night in the 10th inning. Beckett is looking to bounce back after giving up a shit load of hits last night out. I expect he does bounce back as it is rare for him to go long stretches without a good outing, but that is basically nothing more than a guess on my part. Beckett scares me a lot now, he doesn't throw as hard, so if he isn't paint the corners and locating well he can get lit up quick.

Going against Beckett is Wei-Yin Chen. Wei-Yin Chen (4-2, 3.75) was knocked around for five runs and five hits in the first inning against the Rays on Friday. He ended up calming down and doing pretty well after that, but he has an ERA of 7.31 ERA in his last 3 starts. The Sox were able to put 4 runs up against him in 5 innings last time they faced him. I expect the Sox to be able to score 4-5 runs off this starter, so the question is really what Beckett we get tonight. Sorry, I just don't trust him right now.

Orioles win 7-6
Player of the Game: JJ Hardy
Game starts at 7:10 pm

Orioles 8, Red Sox 6 (10 Inn)

Lester was good, not great, but good enough. The Sox scored a few runs. But the bullpen blew it. Twice. Atchison laid an egg in the 7th. Then Aceves lost it in the 10th.

The bullpen is one part of this team that I have almost no confidence in. There are some good hitters on this team, and the role players have exceeded expectations. And the starting pitching has potential to improve. But the pen is worrisome. They're just not reliable, not trustworthy.

Alfredo Aceves has been put into a role that he didn't expect to be in. And he hasn't done well. He was a life-saver for the Sox last year. But relievers are notoriously inconsistent from year to year. Maybe this role is too uncomfortable for Aceves. Maybe he won't be very good in any role. All I know is he has a 5.02 ERA, 3 losses, and 3 blown saves.

The bullpen isn't a complete mess. But they are going to blow games like this, more than just occasionally.

Maybe Daniel Bard will wind up in the bullpen. I think that's the best place for him, and it's the best for the Sox. He can close, Aceves can set-up, and everyone else's workload gets lighter.

On the bright side, Jarrod Saltalamacchia has been a more than adequate player. It's nice to once again get offensive production from a catcher. It's sort of a bonus. He's hitting .279 (better than Adrian Gonzalez), he's slugging .593 (.186 more than Gonzalez), he hit his 11th homerun (7 more than Gonzalez), and knocked in his 27th RBI (2 less than Gonzalez). And unlike Gonzalez, he's getting big hits in important situations.

The Sox have lost two straight now, and 3 out of 5, so they can't let this snowball. Beckett is pitching tonight and it's his chance to stop a losing streak before it happens. The offense also has to remember how to get hits with runners in scoring position.

Beckett faces Wei-Yin Chen who is 4-2 with a decent 3.75 ERA. He's been very good this year at giving the Orioles a chance to win in his starts. If Beckett brings his A game, he can outclass Chen, even if Chen does well. If Beckett has his C game, it's all up to the Sox offense. And that bullpen.

-The Captain

Orioles @ Red Sox Preview

The Red Sox are 3 games out of first place and just 2 games behind the Orioles, who have lost 10 of their last 13 games. I think he all knew this would happen to Baltimore. They were overachieving but I did think their pitching would be their downfall, but lately it's been their hitting. The Orioles have scored 20 runs the last eight games while hitting .175 with runners in scoring position. That's kind of shocking with the lineup they have.

Tonight Lester is on the hill. He has pissed me off for the most part this year. I don't know what he will do tonight. He is 14-0 with 2.47 ERA against Baltimore in his career. Yet, he is 1-1 8.10 ERA in his last 3 starts, so like I said I don't know what he is going to do.

Jason Hammel is pitching for the Orioles he is 6-2 with a 3.06 ERA. He has been a nice surprise average almost a K an inning. He is 1-2 with a 5.34 ERA against the Red Sox in his career and he got beat up a bit last time out giving up four homers in 6 2/3 innings of a 4-1 loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday.

Red Sox are the better team.

Red Sox win 7-5
Player of the Game: Ortiz
Game starts 7:10pm

Dodgers Make Offer To Roy Oswalt

Rumors are going around that the Dodgers have made an offer to Roy Oswalt, but it is also being reported that the two sides are not close. From everything I have read it sounds like it is just a matter of time before the Rangers sign him. The Dodgers, Red Sox, Orioles, and Phillies are said to all be in the running, but from the start we have heard the Phillies and Rangers were the most likely. I see no chance the Red Sox will be in this. They already made him an offer during the offseason and he didn't jump on it, plus they really don't have a spot for him at this time, unless they change course and send Bard back to the bullpen.

Oswalt is rumored to be making his decision within the next week or so.

Orioles To Extend Adam Jones

If it wasn't for Josh Hamilton then Adam Jones would most likely be you AL MVP to this point in the season. He is currently batting .311 with 14 HRs 29 RBIs and 6 SBs. The rumor is a deal somewhere around 6 year $120 million, which is a lot of money, but this kid is 26 years old and that deal gets him during his prime years and seems to be just reaching his potential. The Orioles are in first place, and although I very much doubt they will be there at the end of the year they have a lot of the building blocks for the future. If they could just add some pitching they could really be a dangerous team.

Red Sox 6, Orioles 5

The Sox are 22-22 and just took 2 of 3 from the Orioles. Why am I so happy at this? Because I like the way the Sox won these games. And I prefer consistently winning 2 of 3 as opposed to stretches of 5 straight wins then 5 straight losses.

I'm not as optimistic about Daniel Bard. He's looking more and more like Daisuke Matsuzaka. He's not throwing enough strikes (49 strikes, 41 balls today), he's walking batters (4 more today, he's now walked more batters than he's struck out), his pitch count is getting high early, and he never seems to have the same pitches working for him from start to start.

It's not been a major problem. So far. He's not getting crushed. He's not wild. He got two very timely double-plays yesterday that helped him avoid disaster. And with runners in scoring position, he held the O's at bay.

It doesn't seem like a long-term successful way to pitch, though. This is his fourth start that he's failed to go 6 innings. He's tied with Justin Masterson for the 6th most walks in all of baseball.

Bard only allowed 2 earned runs. The homerun he surrendered today was only the 3rd he's given up all season. That's why the walks haven't been deadly for him. And there's no alternative starting pitcher to take his spot. So for now, Bard is will remain the rotation. He hasn't been a significant problem. Yet.

The offense was provided by some surprise sluggers. Nava, Shoppach, and Podsednik each hit homeruns. Adrian Gonzalez better watch his back because Nava and Shoppach are only 1 homerun behind him. They each have 2. Nava has 2 homers in his last 26 at-bats, and this is after going 171 ABs without a homerun. Podsednik hadn't hit a homerun since September 2010.

All season long, the Sox have been getting contributions from unexpected sources. Doubront has been the most reliable starter in the rotation. Cody Ross, Ryan Sweeney, Will Middlebrooks, Daniel Nava, Mike Aviles. Hell, Kelly Shoppach is hitting .281. These are the Bill Mueller, Mark Bellhorn kind of guys that added to the star power of the 2004 Red Sox. The glue that held the big pieces together.

Now we just need the star pitchers to consistently pitch like stars, the high-priced free agent slugger to earn his pay, and the bullpen to figure itself out.

Sox have an off-day, then host the Rays for 3 over the weekend. It's a great opportunity to claw back into the AL East race. The Sox have done well against Tampa Bay this season. Lester faces Alex Cobb, a 24 year old who was born in Boston and has made 10 Major League starts, 7 of which were Quality Starts. That makes me feel uneasy.

-The Captain

Red Sox @ Orioles Preview

The Red Sox have been winning a lot of games, so games like last night happen, or at least that is what logic tells me. Yet, last night pissed be off. The Red Sox got a great pitching performance from their #4 starter, and their offense didn't show up. Yes, Matusz has been pitching well, but it still pissed me off. Then again, the Red Sox have trouble against lefties.

Moving on, the Red Sox get a day game today as they wrap up this 3 game series with the Orioles. Bobby V was on WEEI this morning and it sounds like Gonzalez will be back in RF, so I expect Youk, Middleboork, Gonzo, and Oritz all to be in the lineup. They are going to need all of that offense with Bard on the mound who is looking to avoid his 4th loss in 5 starts.

Bard's overall numbers aren't bad for a #5 starter he is 3-5 with a 4.85 ERA, but what is troublesome is the fact that he only has one more K (26) then BB (25). That is never a good sign. In each of the last 4 games Bard has walked more guys then he has struck out, which is a big reason why he is 1-3 during that strech and has let up a total of 15 runs.

Facing Bard is Jake Arrieta, who thank God is a righty. Arrieta is 0-2 with a 5.51 ERA against the Red Sox in his career. He was good last time out going 7 innings allowing only 1 run with 9 Ks against the Nationals, but his two previous starts before that gem he let up 13 runs and 19 hits in 10 innings.

Arrieta is good, but if the Red Sox are going to ever make anything of this season they are going to have to hit this "above average" pitching. All the stats make me want to take the Orioles, but I just can't.

Red Sox win 7-6
Player of the Game: Ortiz
Game starts at 12:35pm

Orioles 4, Red Sox 1

The Sox managed only 2 hits and apart from a Youkilis homerun, Brian Matusz utterly silenced the Sox' lineup. Aviles, Pedroia, and Ortiz went 0 for 12. It's unfair to single them out, though, because apart from Youkilis' homer and an Adrian Gonzalez single, the entire lineup was quieted.

Youkilis started at first. Gonzalez was in the outfield. Cody Ross' injury was convenient for Youkilis and/or Middlebrooks as it allowed them both to stay in the lineup. Gonzalez is not a long-term solution in the outfield, but the Sox don't have much of a choice.

Doubront had another good start. It went to waste last night, but it was still very encouraging. He struck out 9, which is just as many as Matusz. 6 innings, only 2 runs. Without him, the Sox would be completely screwed. Especially with how Bard and Buchholz have struggled. Not to mention Matsuzaka's health concerns. Doubront has anchored the bottom of the rotation.

The Sox got shut down by a good lefty. It happens. The problem with the Sox is they allow it to happen too often.

So today is a good chance to rebound. Daniel Bard faces Jake Arrieta. This is a great opportunity for Bard to step up and win a game when the Sox could really use a win to keep their momentum going. Arrieta's overall numbers aren't dazzling, but he's had the occasional brilliant start. His last one was 7 innings and 1 run. And on May 2nd he pitched 8 shutout innings against the Yankees. There were 10 innings and 13 runs between those starts, though. He's been inconsistent.

-The Captain

Red Sox @ Orioles Preview

It has been a long time since I think I can sit back and say I was proud of the Red Sox, but right now even the biggest negative nancy has to be at least a little impressed with the Red Sox current run. Boston has one 9 of it's last 11 games, and is finally back to .500. Yes, I know that they really shouldn't be praised for such a feat, but when you look at a team that is starting an OF of people who aren't even good enough to be AAA players on some teams, plus all the injuries that happened before the year even started (2 SPs, closer, ect) you have feel at least a little better about the team.

The Red Sox have a chance to be just 4 1/2 games back of the Orioles for 1st place in the AL East with a win tonight, and on paper I think there is a damn good chance they get it done. The Orioles have Brian Matusz on the mound and even though he is a lefty this is a guy the Red Sox should feast on.

A closer look at Matusz and you can see he is starting to pitcher better though. In 4 of his last 5 starts he has let up 3 runs or less. This kid has the stuff to be a good pitcher, but his confidence is shaky and I think it's something the Red Sox should be able to take advantage of. In his career against the Red Sox he is 2-1 with a 4.02 ERA. If he lasts past the 5th inning tonight I will be disappointed.

The Red Sox counter with Felix Doubront. He is riding a 4 game winning streak, and has been one of the Red Sox most consistent starters all year long. One thing he really has to start doing better at is his location. His 18.6 pitches per inning rank among the highest in the majors, and as a result he has yet to last longer than 6 1/3 innings in any outing. I don't mind it as much from him or Bard because they are young, but with Buchholz being the worst pitcher ever those guys are going to need to step up and start going deeper into games, so that bullpen doesn't get worn out.

Youk is supposed to return tonight, and the rumor is Gonzo will be seeing more time in the outfield. We will get you the lineup when it comes in.

Red Sox win 9-5
Player of the Game: Pedroia
Game starts at 7:05pm

Red Sox Lineup:
1. Mike Aviles, SS
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Adrian Gonzalez, RF
5. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
6. Will Middlebrooks, 3B
7. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
8. Daniel Nava, LF
9. Marlon Byrd, CF

Red Sox 8, Orioles 6

Joy to the world, the Sox are .500. It was thanks to a struggling Tommy Hunter, a red hot Mike Aviles, and some contributions from Pedroia, Ortiz, and Middlebrooks.

Clay Buchholz sucks. He has no confidence out there. Once one or two things go wrong, and he disintegrates. He falls into quicksand and can't free himself. If not for a double-play ball in the 3rd, he might have been tagged for 6 or 7 runs. Nevertheless, he still allowed 5 in 5.1 innings. Far from impressive.

Ideally, I'd put Bard in the bullpen and Buchholz in Pawtucket until he sorted himself out. Unfortunately, the Sox don't have replacements for these struggling SPs. We'll just have to endure both of them until Daisuke returns. Then decide which one to exile.

I don't see much progress with Buchholz. He's still laboring through innings. He got some fortunate bounces last night, and that helped. But without those bounces, he gives up 7 and doesn't go 5 innings.

But this was a good win, nonetheless. Hunter seemed like a guy the Sox should hit. And they did that. And not only are the Sox .500, they are tied with the Yankees for 4th place. Cue the duckboats.

Doubront faces Brian Matusz tonight. Matusz has had mostly bad starts with a few good starts mixed in. He's a lefty, so he has a shot against the Sox. But they should get a few across the plate against him.

-The Captain

Red Sox @ Orioles

The Red Sox have lost 7 of the last 8 times they have faced the Orioles, and the Orioles currently hold a 6 1/2 game lead for 1st place in the AL East. Just writing that sentence makes my head hurt. Is their a glitch in the matrix? This isn't supposed to happen.

Well, the Red Sox have a very good chance to right some wrongs and let me sleep better at night. The Sox have won 8 of their last 10 games, and if they were somehow able to sweep this series they would only be 3 1/2 games of first place. Then again, if they get swept that's a 9 1/2 game lead for the Orioles. So, this is a pretty important series.

Tonight we get Buchholz vs Hunter. Buchholz's ERA is the worst in baseball, but his 8.80 run support average is more than a run higher than any other pitcher in the majors. I guess you can say Buchholz is starting to pitch better. He has let up 3 runs or less in each of his last 2 starts, but I am still not sold.

The good news here is that I think Tommy Hunter sucks. He is 2-1 against the Sox in his career, but has 1 7.02 ERA. I'm seeing a high scoring game.

Red Sox win 9-6
Player of the Game: Ortiz
Game starts at 7:05pm

Another Lost Weekend for the Sox

Baltimore first baseman Chris Davis went 2 innings, allowing 0 runs, 2 hits, and stuck out 2. Adrian Gonzalez and Jarrod Saltalamacchia were struck out by a first baseman. A first baseman got a pitching win against the Sox. That's how bad things are.

The Red Sox lost all three of their games to the Orioles, but it felt like four due to the length of Sunday's loss. In fact, the Fenway Park grounds crew is still cleaning up all the runners the Sox left in scoring position during the series.

I gave Clay Buchholz a pass for April. He's started slow in the past, so he gets a Mulligan for that month. It's May now. No more free passes. It's time to send him down I-95 to Pawtucket and let him work out his problems there. He's making too many mistakes. I wouldn't mind giving him one more start in Boston, but it has to be a good start. Not just decent, not just solid, I'm talking 7 innings, 2 runs, 5 hits good. Otherwise, it's Triple-A for Clay.

In extra inning losses, the tendency is to look at all the scoring opportunities that weren't capitalized on. The Sox went 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position. One more hit in those situations and the game ends in 9 innings or 12 innings or 15 innings. But it was the starting pitching that cost the Sox the game. It was Clay's 3.2 innings. That's why Darnell McDonald was on the mound in the 17th, because the bullpen had pitched 12.1 innings of relief at that point. And had only allowed an unearned run.

If Clay pitches better, the Sox don't even get into an extra inning situation. They can win in 9 innings. Even if they do go extras, McDonald doesn't have to pitch for another 3 innings.

Will Middlebrooks hit a Grand Slam, and has done well since his call up. But what the hell is he doing not running down the line on a ball that's 50/50 fair or foul? Who does this 23 year old, #64 wearing kid think he is?

It's the type of attitude that a large number of the Sox seem to have. Middlebrooks will fit right in with that crap.

Then the other half of the team is pushing too hard. Aviles was caught-stealing twice. Pedroia was caught also. The Sox are 8 for 13 when trying to steal based, which simply isn't good enough. These caught-stealing outs are free outs given to opponents. It's better to stay at first than to steal second base 60% of the time and get thrown out 40% of the time. The out is much more valuable than the base.

Speaking of pushing too hard, why the hell was Aaron Cook allowed to go back into the game on Saturday? He got his legs sliced up, then comes back out for his next shift like it was Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Don't get me wrong, it was extremely refreshing to see a pitcher with guts (as opposed to Josh "the Blister" Beckett, who Cook was replacing that day), but we also saw other parts of Cook's internal anatomy that day. And I think the Sox risked too much by letting him resume the game.

The Sox need pitching, but they need it for 5 more months, not 5 more innings in a game in May. They shouldn't have let him go back out there.

I know the Sox are plagued with injury right now. But every team endures injuries. The problem with the Sox is that their healthy players aren't doing their jobs. Buchholz, Lester, Beckett, Aceves. Adrian Gonzalez never seems to get a hit when the Sox really need him to get one. Darnell McDonald's ERA is lower than Mark Melancon's. More than 22 runs lower. Not a single starting pitcher has an ERA below 4.45. Sox starters have a combined ERA of 5.72.

You don't win without starting pitching. Poor starting also exposes an overworked and undertalented bullpen.

Maybe a trip to Kansas City will give the Sox a chance to collect some wins. Doubront faces Jonathan Sanchez tonight. Who isn't very good.

-The Captain