Beckett Tosses One Hitter

After Kevin Youkilis failed to make a tough throw to first on a grounder to third in the third inning last night, Josh Beckett didn't allow another base runner for the rest of the night. Beckett went the full nine, earning the third shutout of his Sox career. Youkilis would make up for his play in the field later by providing the margin of victory with a three run homer in the seventh. The fact that it came against the Rays, for whom I have the most contempt, makes it all the more sweet.

Beckett is emerging as a Cy Young front runner. These things are always debatable of course, but he is leading the AL in ERA (1.86), batting average against (.174), and is tied for the lead in WHIP (0.92). Now if he can keep from getting a blister or some slight indigestion that puts him on the DL...

Red Sox: Road Warriors

Usually this west coast road swing is the kiss of death for the Sox. In spite of the team's improved play recently I still had some trepidation as they headed for the bay area to start this trip. So far, so good. The Sox have won three in a row and are getting ever closer to .500.

Josh Beckett continues to be masterful, and I for one am going to enjoy it until he gets a hangnail or goes on the DL after a paper cut disaster. He pitched eight innings allowing only two runs last night against the Angels. The Sox certainly needed him as they stranded 13 runners. Hitting with RISP continues to be an issue, but Boston was able to push runners across when it mattered most in the top of the 11th. Adrian Gonzalez got it done with two run double.

Another thing that is tempering my enthusiasm is the injury to Kevin Youkilis. He fouled a pitch off his shin early in the game and was forced to leave. The severity of the injury has yet to be released, but TV cameras showed an egg plant colored welt.

The Sox still have a long way to go on this trip. They have three more game in Anaheim then they fly back east to the Charm City for a series with the Orioles. I will hold on to my optimism for now, especially with Jon Lester toeing the rubber tonight.

NOOOOOO!

Well that's the end of that. Kevin Youkilis is out for the year with a torn muscle in his thumb. Apparently this injury is extremely rare in baseball, but there is nothing that can be done. He needs surgery. This is very disheartening as Youk was on his way to another great year statistically (.307/.411/.564). Fortunately, another Mike Lowell trade didn't happen, and he will be able to play some first base. As long as he gets scheduled rest Lowell can be an effective player offensively and defensively.

It's amazing that the Sox have been able to win as many games as they have with all of the injuries. They're going to win 90+ games this season even with a roster of no names and prospects. Unfortunately sometimes that's not good enough in baseball's toughest division.

Sox Bust It Open Late

After Jon Lester and Jeremy Guthrie locked horns in a pitchers' duel for the first seven innings, the Sox bats finally pounced. The six run ninth turned things from a tight 2-0 contest to a 8-0 rout. The Sox held on to win 8-2 after the scrubs gave up some garbage time runs. Guthrie must have been pissed. He pitched his ass off, and his teammates couldn't get him a single run. Then the bullpen gets bombed liked Guernica.

The O's (or should be zerO's) definitely had their chances, getting runners in scoring position several times. But they were turned away at each opportunity by a determined Jon Lester. Lester needed a bit of help from Daniel Bard when Lester left the game with one out in the eighth and the bases loaded. Lester had avoided walking anyone all game, but walked the bases loaded in the eighth. Bard was able to keep those runners right where they were by inducing two harmless pop-outs as to end the threat.

The Red Sox seemed to have found a rhythm the past few weeks. They're winning two out of three most series and have settled into the playoff hunt. (Facing the A's, Orioles, and Cleveland next sure helps.) I do have one criticism though. As good as David Ortiz has been playing, I can't see him staying in the three spot. That spot in the line up should be reserved for your best, most versatile hitter. For the Sox, that is Kevin Youkilis. He is batting .312 with a .400+ OBP. He is consistent and can hit to all fields. Ortiz has been reduced to a three result player (HR, BB, K). My ideal line up at this moment would be Scutaro, Pedroia, Youkilis, Martinez, then Ortiz.

Lester Outlasts Liriano

While Francisco Liriano was chased from tonight's game after 4 2/3, Jon Lester pitched the 5th complete game of his career as the Sox won 6-2. Though he allowed a couple of runs late, Lester was untouchable throughout. All the off-speed stuff, particularly the change up, looked nasty. The most impressive sequence was when Lester struck out the side in order in the seventh. Among the victims were both Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Lester was incredibly efficient as well completing his start with only 103 pitches, 27 less than his no-hitter in '08.

On the offensive side, the Sox jumped all over Liriano early. Kevin Youkilis contributed with a three run homer and an RBI double as the Sox built up a 5-0 lead before Liriano left. Victor Martinez joined the party with three doubles scoring two runs as a result.

Finally the Sox really handle a quality opponent. The problem all year has been that the Sox fold when matched against a team that will directly compete with them for a playoff spot. They've been mediocre at best against the likes of the Yankees, Rays, Tigers, and until tonight and last night, the Twins. It's nice to beat up on the Royals and all that, but the Sox need success against the legit AL contenders.

Boston Bounces Back

The Rangers and Sox both entered this series riding losing streaks, so something had to give. Fortunately for Boston it was Texas who buckled under the pressure of two close games that ended in walk off wins for the Sox. Last night saw Kevin Youkilis bust out of his slump. He is 4-10 in the series including a double for the game winning RBI last night.

I think there is a trend happening with the Red Sox that has revealed itself in this series. With little offense coming from the some positions, Francona is going to have pinch hitters late in games based on match ups. Hall, Hermida, McDonald, Reddick, and Cameron will all see action. This is something Sox fans are unaccustomed to. There were more substitutions in game one of this series than in all of 2009 it seems.

I like the fact that Mike Lowell is getting some at bats now. At this point he is making a much more effective DH than David Ortiz. He may not be able to move, but he can still hit a little. Hey, Ortiz can't move either so what's the difference. Lowell has been making the most of his opportunities and making it very difficult to take him out of the line up (or put Ortiz in). It's a small sample size, but Lowell's line looks pretty good: .375/.474/.563. Ortiz has a larger sample of at bats and the disparity is staggering: .146/.222/.268 plus 17 strikeouts in 41 AB's. Boston is lucky that trade to Texas didn't go through.

Youk Loses Mind

Kevin Youkilis has been hit by pitches one too many times in the past week, and some one had to pay last night. The recipient of Youk's rage was Detroit pitcher Rick Porcello. Charging the mound and throwing his helmet resulted in a five game suspension for Kevin.

This is going to be a significant problem for the Sox once that suspension goes into effect. Mike Lowell hasn't had to play five days in a row in the field in a long time. And although he hit two HR's once coming into the game for Youkilis, Lowell's hip is always a big concern. Youk has dropped his appeal; the suspension starts tonight.

A bright spot in the game was the play of Junichi Tazawa. After a first inning in which he looked over matched and gave up three runs, he settled down nicely. All told he pitched 5 innings, giving up just the three runs, and managed to strike out 6 in the process. If you told the Red Sox that would be his final line, I'm sure they would be pleased.