The Boston Globe reports that the scaled down version of the Celtics and Clippers mega deal is also off the table now. Danny Ainge himself has called the deal, ‘dead’, and still expects Doc Rivers to coach the Celtics next season.

News broke Saturday that a deal that would send Rivers, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Clippers for DeAndre Jordan, Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler was near completion. Talks broke down when the Clippers became reluctant to include Bledsoe in the trade. The two teams resumed negotiations on Monday morning when the Celtics said the Clippers could take Bledsoe off the table if they were willing to take back the contracts of Jason Terry and Courtney Lee. The Clippers once again determined that this was not an option for them.

Late yesterday afternoon talks once again stalled when the Celtics offered a much scaled down version of the deal that was essentially Rivers and Garnett for Jordan and two first-round picks. The Clippers once again backed out because they did not want to sacrifice two picks. Reports also claim that the Clippers got cold feet about the large contract Rivers would require if the Celtics let him out of his current one. The other potential snag is the $3 million trade kicker in Jordan’s contract that the Clippers would have to eat if the deal went down.

Although things appear to be dead at the moment, Clippers star point guard, Chris Paul, can influence talks with his impending free agency. If Paul were to make it clear that he would certainly resign if Rivers and Garnett were aboard, it might force the Clippers’ hand in the matter.

These talks further cloud an offseason of uncertainty for the Celtics, who now have less than two weeks to determine Pierce’s future with the franchise.

© Nathan for Sports of Boston, 2013. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Celtics, Featured, NBA, Top Story.

The Boston Bruins defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday night, giving them a 2-1 lead in the best of seven series, which will remain in Boston for Game 4 on Wednesday.

Coming off of two thrillers in Chicago, which included a combined four overtime periods, the teams remained deadlocked through the first period. But in the second period, it was Daniel Paille who again gave Boston a dramatic lead. Corey Crawford didn’t stand much of a chance after Paille gained control of the puck to the right of the net, turned, and fired at close range, giving him his second consecutive huge goal.

Patrice Bergeron scored an insurance goal on the power play later in the second period, but the story of the night was once again the tremendous play of Tuukka Rask. He has now allowed one goal or fewer in nine of 19 postseason games, with the shutout his third over that stretch and second consecutive at home. Rask is a pair of wins shy of replicating the performance of Tim Thomas in the playoffs two seasons ago when the Bruins won the Cup.

A significant factor in the game was the absence of Marian Hossa, who was apparently injured during warm ups, and the Blackhawks clearly suffered without him leading their offense.

Game 3 proved to be the first definitive victory by either side in the series to this point. The Bruins played well but let Game 1 slip away, while the Blackhawks were cheated by the officiating crew on a possible goal in regulation in Game 2. And despite difficult conditions on the ice, which caused a great deal of bouncing pucks, the Bruins were at their very best on Monday night as they took control of the series.

© Matthew Bond for Sports of Boston, 2013. | Permalink | No comment
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The Red Sox have never been about stolen bases. It’s nothing new. We all know that the Sox have always been loaded with lineups consisting of lumbering sluggers. Many teams were built around hitters who could take advantage of the ballpark’s friendly dimensions. They were righties whose only goal was powering the ball to left and lefties who aimed for Pesky’s pole. The Sox were your typical flatfooted American League team, well before there was even a true difference between how the two leagues played.

There’s nothing wrong with not stealing bases. There’s no true connection between success and failure among teams that steal a lot and teams that don’t. I’m not trying to make a case for that. What my focus is is the culture of Red Sox teams that just never cared much for stealing bases. Red Sox fans are certainly used to it too. It’s been that way for pretty much a century. Generations and generations of fans grew up with teams that weren’t much to write home about on the base path.

I’ve been really thinking about the Sox and stolen bases lately. It all started with Jacoby Ellsbury and his five-stolen-base performance against the Philadelphia Phillies. He broke Jerry Remy’s record of four thefts in one game and now he’s the proud owner of three distinct Red Sox stolen base records (more on that later).  His playing style is pretty unfamiliar in Boston. Base stealing just hasn’t been the norm when it comes to baseball around here.  Here’s a brief history that highlights the good and bad of Red Sox base path burglary.

From Bad to Worse

The last time Boston led the American League in stolen bases was 1935, when they had 91 thefts on the year. That same season, Red Sox third baseman Billy Werber stole a whopping 29 and actually led the American league in ransacking sacks. That was the first, last and only time the Sox have ever, as a team, led the league in stolen bases. As for finishing dead last, well you’d have to go all the way back to 1904. That was the very first time the old town team finished in the basement in packet pillages. The Sox would then go on to embarrass themselves on the base path for the next one hundred years. They would go on to finish dead last in that category again in 1906, 1907, 1915, 1916, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1930, 1936, 1939, 1951 (only twenty that year) 1956, 1957, 1963, 1964 (only eighteen that year) 1966, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993 (tied with Baltimore), 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005 and 2006. The Red Sox absolutely dominated the 1980s when it came to immobility. With power guys like Jim Rice and pure hitters like Wade Boggs on the team, why bother running? Whitey Herzog would have quit after two days if he was managing these 80′s teams.

Twenty-seven times since 1901, the Boston Red Sox have had players finish first or at least in the top five in poached pouches. Buddy Meyer, Billy Werber, Tommy Harper and Jacoby Ellsbury are the only Sox to lead the league more than once. Each of them have two stolen base crowns each, as no Boston player has ever had a third.

In 1915, Boston finished with a league-worst 118 thefts and had been caught stealing 117 times. That’s actually pretty impressive. Considering stolen bases were still a huge part of the game then, and the Sox had both Tris Speaker and Harry Hooper.

Joe DiMaggio’s litter brother Dom DiMaggio was a terrific centerfielder. In the annals of baseball history he is criminally underrated and should get way more credit for being a terrific ballplayer. The seven-time All-Star was Boston’s token speedster and in 1950 he certainly showed it, sort of. Joe’s little brother led the American league with 15 stolen bags, the fewest ever to lead either league in the history of the game.

Here is, in my opinion, the absolutely most interesting piece of statistical history I can share with you, dear readers. The year was 2002, and the Boston Red Sox signed 43-year-old future Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson. The man already had the most stolen bases by any player ever. At the time, Henderson had amassed 1,395 stolen bases. The Boston Red Sox as a franchise (one that started about a hundred years prior) had amassed 1,382 thefts. A single player for the Red Sox had more stolen bases than the 100-year-old franchise that he played for. The Red Sox have since then caught up to and passed Rickey in thefts.

The Best of the Best

There are of course some bright spots in Boston’s abysmal base stealing buffoonery (J. Jonah Jameson would have enjoyed that alliteration). Here are the best of the best:

Honorable Mention:

Dave Roberts. Most fans aren’t too sure exactly how many stolen bases Roberts had in 2004, but only one really matters. We all remember game four of the 2004 American League Championship Series. I’m sure Mariano Rivera certainly does. Ironically enough, one of the most important plays in the history of the Boston Red Sox was a bottom of the ninth, pinch run stolen base. He’ll always be remembered for that one stolen base.

The Best:

Otis Nixon. Nixon is an incredibly underrated base stealer. The center fielder has 620 thefts in his career. He really never gets any credit because he never led the league in stolen bases. That’s what happens, I guess, when you share your era with both Rickey Henderson and Tim Raines. He’s on this list because during the strike-shortened 1994 season he stole 42 for Boston and in my estimation could have easily ended up with the single-season record.

Amby McConnell. The second baseman played for Boston from 1908-1910 and during his 1908 rookie year he set the Sox rookie single season record for stolen bases. Pretty cool, but ol’Amby only had a hundred years to bask in his accomplishment. Ellsbury broke that record in 2008.

Jerry Remy. Years before he was a marketing gimmick and buying hotdogs for dolts from out of state, he was an excellent base stealer. It’s true that his best days of his very short career took place in California for the Angels, but in 1978 for Boston he did manage to swipe 30 bases. He was one of the main base stealers on pretty much every Red Sox team he was on (98 steals during his Sox tenure) and even had the then-record of four swipes in a game.

Tommy Harper. Harper is what I would consider a “lost great of the game.” Harper is an incredibly underrated player whose name never comes up in conversation. He was an excellent hitting outfielder and base runner. He had a 24-game hitting streak, three games with three stolen bases, led the league in runs twice, holds the Brewers single-season record for most stolen bases and had held the Sox record as well. In 1973 Harper stole 54 (now passed by Ellsbury) and was named Red Sox MVP. He was the gold standard for snitched satchels in a single season. I highly encourage everyone to read more about his awesome career.

Tris Speaker. The Golden Eagle was one of the game’s best centerfielders. He was a true legend that got his start right here in Boston. Some 267 out of his 436 career thefts came in a Red Sox uniform (he played in Boston from 1907-1915). One of the team’s premier base burglars, Speaker stole 50 bases and had the original single-season record in 1912.

Jacoby Ellsbury. He has done a lot of cool things during his time for with the Red Sox, which is why he is so high up on my list. In 2008, he had a 25-game stolen bases streak, just two shy of the major league record. He broke the one hundred year rookie record for stolen bases in a season. In 2009 he led the league with 70 stolen bases, breaking Tommy Harper’s record by 16 and in 2011, he became the Sox very first 30/30 man. Then, of course, a few weeks ago, he stole five bases in a game. Pretty good for a guy who’s only played what, ten games in his career?

Harry Hooper. From 1909-1920, Harry Hooper was a Red Sox mainstay in right field. A terrific hitter (the first man to hit a leadoff home run in both games of a doubleheader) and run producer, Hooper was a part of some of the game’s best lineups and a huge part of the early Red Sox dynasty. But what put him at number one on my list? With exactly 300 stolen bases as a Red Sox, he is the franchise all-time leader in thefts. He’s number one. He is the man no one’s come close to in nearly a hundred years.

© andrew macdonald for Sports of Boston, 2013. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Opinion, Red Sox.

1. Bruins:

Offense

* Seguin’s best game as a Bruin
* Bruins are a great overtime team
* Jagr is 0-51 shooting in the playoffs (he’s getting closer though)
* Peverley won 9 of 11 faceoffs / Kelly lost 10 of 16 faceoffs
* Ten hits for Lucic
* No power play goals for either team (0-5)

Defense:

* Almost time to take a roughing penalty on the next guy who bumps Rask
* Their effort was insane
* Is Shaw in Chara’s head (Chara looks tired)
* Ference is leaking oil
* Ference has to be leading the world in icings
* That should definitely be it for Krug (see Mo Lomay)

Blackhawks:

* Hungrier team coming out of the locker room
* Chara will remember the one-handed slash from Brandon Saad
* Michal Handzus was all over Rask on the first goal

Stats:

* Chicago out-shot Boston 19-4 in first period
* Blackhawks had 17 takeaways to Bruins 4

NBC:

* I can’t believe that the Stanley Cup wasn’t on NBC in prime time
* I hate when big productions causes producers to show prepared graphics as opposed to relevant replays

Other:

* It was amazing they were only down 1-0 after a period
* Is it me or are officials getting in the way more than usual?
* Don’t forget you can’t keep Horton, Rask and Lucic this offseason
* Let me restate my disdain for fan glass banging (wish the glass would fall and they would either be charged for it or the player could reach in and pull them out on the ice)

2. US Open:

* Great eagle by Phil
* Did Justin Rose give his wife a wet willie when he learned he had won?
* Tiger – 20 straight majors without a win
* Nicklaus came in second place in 19 majors

3. Red Sox:

* 44% of the season over
* Buchholz and Lester were 12-0 on 5/15 and are 3-4 since
* Isn’t this a great time to trade Iglesias?
* With their last cut, Sox had to pick between Carp vs. Overbay: Carp (8/25/.324) Overbay (8/ 30 / .240)
* 22-21 since May 2nd
* April 18-8 / May 15-15 / June 9-6

4. Around the MLB:

* Miguel Cabrera is on pace for: 131 runs / 85 extra base hits / 167 RBI
* Pujols & Hamilton update: on pace to combine for .235 / 47 HR / 151 RBI
* Rivera on pace for 56 saves

5. Doc Rivers / Kevin Garnett trade:

* I like what they are asking for: DeAndre Jordan and Eric Bledsoe and two picks
* Will Danny take over as coach?
* Let Pierce go ($15mm), trade Rondo ($12mm) Terry and Fab Melo to Lakers for a sign and trade for Howard and sign Gasol: Giving you a starting five of Bledsoe, Avery Bradley, Jeff Green, Howard and Jordan with a bench of Gasol, Sullinger, Bass and you need to sign up a back up point guard

6. NFL Coaches:

Don Shula is ranked ahead of Bill Belichick on ESPN poll– are you f-ing kidding me? I would rate Shula one of the most over-rated coaches in NFL history. Coached before free agency so he could control his players for their career. Bill’s playoff record is superior (.692 to .528), and he has more Super Bowls (3 to 2)

* Hall of Famers under Shula – Czonka, Griese, Little, Warfield, Buoniconti, Langer
* Hall of Famers under Belichick – Brady, Law and Vinatieri (note Shula would have been able to keep Law and Vinatieri)

7. Amazing Stats:

Size of the top 5 in home runs compared to 50 years ago in 1963:

2013 (average 6-4 – 233 lbs)1. Chris Davis – 6-3 232 lbs / 2. Carlos Gonzalez 6-1 – 205 lbs / 3. Domonic Brown 6-5 – 205 lbs / Adam Dunn 6-6 – 285 lbs / 5. Miguel Cabrera 6-4 – 240 lbs
1963 (average 6-1 – 191 lbs)1. Harmon Killebrew 6-0 – 195 lbs / 2. Hank Aaron 6-0 – 180 lbs /3. Willie McCovey 6-4 – 198 lbs / 4. Dick Stuart 6-4 – 212 lbs / 5. Willie Mays 5-10 – 170 lbs

8. Old School:

From the superb publication from Baseball Hall of Fame – Memories and Dreams: Fun facts from Johnny Vander Meer’s second of his two back-to-back no hitters:

* June 15, 1938 – Vander Meer was 23
* First game under the lights in New York – Ebbets Field against the Brooklyn Dodgers
* Pitching on three days rest
* 38,748 (turned away 10,000) in attendance – which included Babe Ruth and Jesse Owens exhibition
* Tickets $1.10
* First pitch 9:45 p.m.
* Leo Durocher made the last out after Vander Meer walked three
* He finished his career 119-121 record

9. Just a Little Bit Outside:

With Tebow and Brady on the same team – what other mega superstars have graced the same roster in this town:

* Bobby Orr and Derek Sanderson
* Pedro and Curt Schilling (Could Manny be in this group?)
* Bill Russell and Bob Cousy
* Larry Bird and Bill Walton
* John Havlicek and Dave Cowens?

10. Randomocity:

* College World Series game times: 2-0 Indiana win 3:21 / Mississippi State 5-4 win 3:10 /
* How can Tebow hurt you?
* Great article for high school / college hitters on Chris Davis: http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9350672/jonah-keri-baltimore-heavy-hitting-chris-davis

© Michael for Sports of Boston, 2013. | Permalink | 2 comments
Filed under: Featured, Now!, Top Story.

Daniel Paille had the game-winner in overtime on a beautiful pass from Tyler Seguin, who corralled a turnover in the Blackhawks zone. The result? The Bruins win Game 2 to knot the series at one game apiece.

Check out the winning goal:

© KC Downey for Sports of Boston, 2013. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Bruins, Featured, Top Story, Video.

According to a source from Boston Globe, Doc River’s ‘dream scenario’ is to coach Kevin Garnett on the Los Angeles Clippers next season.  The Celtics currently have Rivers locked up for three more years at $21 million, and Garnett under contract for the next two.

This afternoon, multiple media outlets reported that the Celtics and Clippers are engaged in discussions of a trade that would send Rivers, Garnett, and Paul Pierce to LA, for a deal built around DeAndre Jordan, Eric Bledsoe, Caron Butler and draft picks. The Clippers are reluctant to include Bledsoe in any such deal, and his exclusion could derail the talks entirely.

It has been widely speculated since the Celtics were bounced out of the 2013 playoffs that team management want to begin rebuilding now.The Celtics currently have three players over the age of 35 in Pierce, Garnett and  Jason Terry. If the Celtics pull the trigger now they may still be able to get a good return on their players. It is believed that Rivers is wary of another rebuilding process and wants to either coach a contender, or return to the broadcasting booth. If Rivers does leave the Celtics with Garnett, the Celtics would need to be heavily compensated.

The Boston Herald reported Thursday night that the Celtics have denied the Clippers any chance to talk to Rivers, unless a deal is already in place. Celtics GM Danny Ainge has been mum on the subject of this season, but if  Ainge is given a package that he cannot resist, then it’s probable that the Celtics would let go of their three headliners.

Once Rajon Rondo returns from his ACL tear, the Celtics could feature a fast break offense with an up tempo style of play. It has been a long time since the Celtics have been able to do this consistently throughout a season. The Celtics have played at or near the league’s slowest pace in recent seasons.

© bwebber for Sports of Boston, 2013. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Celtics, Featured, Rumors, Top Story.

John Lackey showed resilience on the mound as he guided the Boston Red Sox to an important 5-4 victory over the division rival Baltimore Orioles.

Lackey entered Saturday’s contest coming off of a rough start in Tampa Bay last week, and it appeared his misfortune was fated to continue. The Oriole offense took the right-hander by storm opening up the game with four straight hits and two quick runs. With men on first and second with nobody out, Lackey buckled down and induced a ground out from the hot hitting Chris Davis and retired the next two batters to quell the Baltimore rally.

From that point forward, Lackey dominated the Oriole lineup, surrendering just three hits and zero runs over his remaining six innings. Even after Dustin Pedroia committed his first error of the season in the fifth inning to put Orioles on first and third with nobody out, Lackey emerged unscathed retiring consecutive batters to work out of the jam.
The Texas native had plenty of help from Jarrod Saltalamachia, who threw out both Nate McLouth and Manny Machado as they tried to steal second base and move into scoring position at critical points in the game.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox offense had free reign on the base paths, swiping three bags and ultimately got back on track after going their previous 18 innings without run.

Mike Carp led the charge drilling a fastball into the left field seats for a two-run home run in the fourth and Stephen Drew followed up with a two-out RBI double.
Jacoby Ellsbury came around to score after leading off the fourth inning with a single and Jonny Gomes hit a solo home run in the fifth to give Boston the run support that they needed.

Jose Iglesias was able to extend his hitting streak to sixteen games after beating out a ground ball to the shortstop in the top of third inning. Iglesias has now notched the longest hitting streak of all Red Sox this season.

After Koji Uehara struck out the side in the eighth, closer Andrew Bailey secured the win, but only after surrendering two more runs in the ninth inning. With the game-tying run on first base, the Red Sox capitalized on a base running error by pinch runner Alexi Casilla to end the game on a double play. The Red Sox improved to 42-28 overall on the season and will look to even the series on Sunday behind the arm of Jon Lester.

© Scott M. Siegler for Sports of Boston, 2013. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Boston, Featured, MLB, Red Sox.

“How the Red Sox Explain New England” is a very interesting account of the history of the Boston Red Sox. Rather than reading like a droll history novel, it is more of a collection of 13 different topics relating to the Red Sox, their players, their history and whatever other fun tidbits fans, athletes and media have come up with. In addition to media and team figures, the book features stories directly from fans that are the epitome of the loyalty and respect Boston fans have for their beloved baseball team.

Not only is the book packed with historical facts and trivia, but their are also some pictures scattered throughout to further illustrate topics; some of the pictures are quite old and rare, which makes it even more fun to have a direct link to the memories of the past, especially for those of us who happened to be alive during those famous (and sometimes infamous) moments. The occasional anecdote separated from the main body of a chapter makes the reader feel even more like they’re right there with everyone else instead of holding a stack of paper (or some sort of tablet, for the techie crowd).

Chapter 1: First Experiences

After a brief foreword, introduction and preface, the book kicks off its introduction with a few stories from some lifelong and die-hard fans about their introductions to the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Park. From a man whose father immigrated from Italy to native residents of Massachusetts, everyone just has a natural attraction to the Red Sox. The camaraderie and history of fans draw others to them and inspire great loyalty. The biggest fans among them even do everything in their power to make the Red Sox a part of their career.

Chapter 2: Little Fenway

The second chapter leaves Fenway Park to take a road trip to Vermont, where one man had the dream and vision to bring Fenway to the state, and created a 23% scale replica of the park in his backyard. Rather than hosting baseball games, wiffle ball is played on the smaller version of Fenway. Tournaments are hosted for the sport, and various Red Sox players have even made the trip up to visit. Little Fenway has taken on a life of its own, and shows what some fans will do to get closer to their team.

Chapter 3: Comedy

The third chapter leaves the direct baseball realm for a bit and heads into New England’s comedy clubs. The chapter allows a few area comedians to discuss the influence they’ve received from the Red Sox for their routines, especially prior to 2004. Before Boston got good, the misery experienced by every loyal fan made for some great jokes at the Red Sox’ own expense, and was a good way to cope for another year.

Chapter 4: Tim Wakefield

Chapter 4 is a brief but informative interview with Red Sox legend Tim Wakefield. He discusses his favorite times with the Red Sox and favorite things about New England.

Chapter 5: Fenway Weddings

Chapter 5 talks about an experience few get have but many would love, getting married at Fenway Park. Going out on the field, walking the warning track and even experiencing being on top of the Green Monster, all are breathtaking experiences that some people have waited lifetimes to take in. Even stripping down the length of the ceremony to get married between innings mid-game serves to heighten the Fenway experience, with a wedding party of thousands.

Chapter 6: Inspiration

Many people follow the Red Sox religiously, and have extensive collections of baseball cards and other memorabilia. This chapter details those who have been inspired by the team to use writing as a means to get closer to their favorite club. Be it fan fiction or sports writing, having a way with words allows one to put themselves right there with the greats, and maybe get on the field now and then. What better way to enjoy Fenway than by making a career of it?

Chapter 7: Connecticut

Most of New England is firmly attached to the Red Sox, but Connecticut is the exception. The chapter examines the divide that exists in the state between fans of the Red Sox and the Yankees, and attempts to look for where the dividing line might be. It’s interesting the different proportions of fans you find in various towns, especially when a town’s government is divided between the two teams.

Chapter 8: Twitter

This chapter details the tweets some fans sent out Twitter during the Red Sox / Yankees game on August 19, 2012 over the course of the game. Since the Red Sox were in the middle of their worst season in a very long time, this didn’t have the usual feel of a game in this legendary rivalry, which gave the fans ample opportunity to take pot shots at their favorite targets. (Surprisingly, Bobby Valentine wasn’t the most “popular.”)

Chapter 9: Bartending

Without being at Fenway, the next best way to be part of a Red Sox crowd is to go to a local bar and hang out, especially in the postseason. Few things are more gut-wrenching than leaving the bar dejected after the 2003 loss to the Yankees. Of course, 2004 more than made up for it, although the first three games started out the same way. By the time 2007 came around, the whole atmosphere changed among the bar crowds, who went from hoping for a victory to expecting it in just a few short years.

Chapter 10: New England Sox

This chapter looks at the direct connection made between team and sport by profiling baseball players from New England who have been fortunate enough to play for their home team. Who can forget Carlton Fisk, Mo Vaughn and Jerry Remy, among others? The book tabs them along with other New England native Red Sox players from the past to create Boston’s All-New England team. It really does create a unique look at Boston’s native sons.

Chapter 11: Bill “Spaceman” Lee

This chapter serves as a biography of the career of noted Boston pitcher Bill “Spaceman” Lee. It gives descriptions of some of his most notable moments and games, all within a couple of paragraphs each. The most amazing part? Even approaching old age, he can still mix it up in a game here and there.

Chapter 12: Johnny Pesky

Similarly, Chapter 12 goes over the career of Johnny Pesky, though in the form of a continuous story instead of bits and pieces. And of course, it had to be discussed how much personality he brought to the Red Sox, Fenway and spring training even up to his final days. To that end, the chapter concludes with a touching eulogy presented at Pesky’s funeral that’s sure to have you choking up.

Chapter 13: Changing Teams

As a fitting ending, the book discusses the endings of the Red Sox careers of various players throughout team history, and the fans’ reactions. They don’t necessarily blame a player just for leaving, unless of course they head on over to the Evil Empire in New York. The management is blamed for making lopsided trades without getting much in return or letting loved players leave to free agency. Injuries can shorten careers in very unfortunate circumstances as well, and such players are sent off with loving hearts. Whatever the case, it’s a wide range of reactions to be sure.

“How the Red Sox Explain New England” is available at online retailers and bookstores everywhere.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2013. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Now!, Red Sox.

The Boston Red Sox did not have many chances to score in this game and were stymied by Chris Tillman and the Baltimore Orioles’ bullpen in the 2-0 loss on Friday evening. The Red Sox have now lost four of five game to the Orioles in 2013.

Ryan Dempster had his fourth straight quality start and ended up with his seventh loss of the season with a lack of run support. He lasted 7 2/3 innings while allowing five hits and two earned. He walked five and struck out four on 122 pitches.

Tillman got the win and gave up only three hits in his six-plus innings of work. He walked four batters to go along with three strikeouts.

The Orioles got on the board in the second inning on a solo shot from Chris Davis that just squeaked over the left field fence to make it 1-0 O’s.

With runners on first and third and two outs in the third, Adam Jones came to the plate and slow tapped a grounder to third. He was able to beat it out and Nate McLouth scored to make it 2-0.

The Red Sox had a chance in the fourth to get on the board. Jose Iglesias reached on a one-out bunt single to make it first and third with one down in the frame. Will Middlebrooks came up to the dish and promptly served a shallow broken-bat flyball to right that was not deep enough to score Mike Carp from third. David Ross struck out to end the inning.

In the seventh inning, Iglesias led off the inning with a double down the right field line. Tillman was pulled and Darren O’Day took over. O’Day was able to retire the next three Red Sox hitters in order to end the threat.

Jim Johnson came in to record his 24th save of the season. He hit Daniel Nava with one out, but Iglesias then grounded into the game-ending double play.

The Red Sox will look towards John Lackey to end the two-game slide against the Orioles on Saturday afternoon. He will face Freddy Garcia.

© Brian Roach for Sports of Boston, 2013. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox, Top Story.

Three nights after pulling out a 10-8 win in 14 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Boston Red Sox couldn’t recapture the extra inning magic against the Baltimore Orioles, losing 5-4.

Chris Davis delivered the walk-off win with a bloop single to left after Nick Markakis walked and Adam Jones singled, all with two outs. Alex Wilson got the loss after 2.2 strong innings, before being unable to get the final out in the 13th.

Wilson was the sixth Red Sox pitcher to take the mound Thursday night, prompting manager John Farrell and general manager Ben Cherington to call up highly touted prospect Rubby De La Rosa as reinforcement for the recently taxed bullpen. De La Rosa was the centerpiece the Red Sox got back in last August’s trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Wilson is the odd man out, making the return trek to Pawtucket for the second time this season despite strong performances out of the bullpen.

The Orioles jumped out to a 3-0 in the third inning behind former Red Sox Danny Valencia‘s home run and RBI singles by Manny Machado and Davis. Red Sox starter Felix Doubront wouldn’t last much longer, only pitching 4.2 innings while giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits. He struck out five against one base on balls.

The Red Sox climbed back within one run on back-to-back home runs by David Ortiz and Mike Carp in the fourth. Carp replaced Mike Napoli at first base after Napoli was forced to leave the game due to illness.

After the Orioles had increased their lead to 4-2 on an RBI single by catcher Matt Wieters, the Red Sox would tie it up with some small ball in the seventh. Struggling shortstop Stephen Drew lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 4-3, and Jacoby Ellsbury evened the score by beating out the relay throw to stay out of the double play on a slow roller to second. The Red Sox would only have one baserunner the rest of the way, with Ellsbury getting on base via a catcher’s interference call in the tenth inning. He was stranded at second after swiping his 29th bag of the season.

Despite his promise as a prospect, De La Rosa likely won’t make much of a splash in the big leagues, at least for now. He is still being treated cautiously two years after Tommy John surgery, only cracking the five inning mark in his most recent start at Pawtucket. Nonetheless, he boasts a sparkling 1.14 ERA with 31 strikeouts to 14 walks over his last eight starts. Red Sox fans will watch any appearances closely to see what they might have in the 24-year-old moving forward.

With De La Rosa in the fold now, the Red Sox will look to get back in the win column and extend their AL East lead over the second-place Orioles on Friday night. Ryan Dempster will pitch opposite the Orioles’ Chris Tillman. First pitch is at 7:05 PM.

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