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Was the Hate Towards Jonathan Papelbon Really that Necessary?

Josh Segal — Fri, 25 May 2012 22:49:33 +0000

The Red Sox series against the Philadelphia Phillies this past weekend marked more than the first inter-league games of the season. Jonathan Papelbon, formerly Boston’s closer for six years, faced his old team for the first time. While the standard reunion between player and former team typically involves over exaggerated reminiscing over this past relationship (unless you’re Josh Reddick), this meet-up was surprisingly not more of the same.

Rather, the outspoken Papelbon received considerable criticism from Boston fans and media alike. It is no question that Papelbon does not shy away from the mic, but is the reaction from the Boston-end justified? No way.

Leaving Boston

When he chose to enter arbitration year by year over taking a multi-year contract, Papelbon made his intentions clear–when it came to free agency he was looking for top dollar. Any chance of a hometown discount? Forget about it. So now, months later, people inexplicably view Papelbon with hostility. This in itself is absurd. Papelbon did not snub Boston by accepting Philadelphia’s offer of 4 years/$50 MM. In fact, the Red Sox never made a legitimate attempt to retain their closer. If anyone belongs in the dog house for that one, it’s Ben Cherington and friends.

But that’s besides the point. Whether it’s shortsighted fans or ignorant bloggers, there is still this aura of hatred around Papelbon, almost as if he “owes them something.” Because one of the best players in Major League Baseball is in personal debt to specific no-name fans of the Boston Red Sox. Because they deserve it. Never mind Papelbon’s four all-star appearances and World Series victory for their entertainment. How Boston doesn’t understand why the fan base gets such a bad rep, I have no idea.

The Quips

So when there are negative feelings towards an athlete, what do you do? Express your utter contempt by taking complete offense towards everything he says. Combine Papelbon’s (overblown) loud mouth and you have a recipe for disaster.

“Papelbon isn’t afraid of facing the Red Sox.” “Papelbon says Philly is just like Paris.” “Philadelphia fans have a higher IQ than Boston fans.” If he said it, there’s an enraged blog post somewhere. At the time, the Red Sox had bigger problems like the fact that, I don’t know, the team with an $170 MM payroll was below .500. It’s not like Papelbon was going to change his mind and come back to Boston. Let it go.

So?

Ruben Amaro Jr. offered Papelbon an easy $50 MM and, bless his soul, he took it. Since then he’s posted a 2.20 ERA and 12 saves in 12 chances. For all the hate, the Red Sox could really use someone like that. Does this mean the Red Sox should have offered a relief pitcher an absurd, long-term contract? Probably not. But the fact doesn’t change that whether you like him or not, he is still one of the top three closers in the game.

Furthermore, it is also evident that baseball fans hate trash talking. Ozzie Guillen, Luke Scott, anyone this season who has said anything not completely boring has been showered with criticism. Is anything fun allowed in baseball? When “Bobby V” is considered one of the most colorful figures in your sport, there is something horribly, horribly wrong. In the NBA or NFL, nothing Papelbon said would make a headline.

And look at it from his perspective. This is a guy who played for the Boston Red Sox for six years. From Manny Ramirez to Terry Francona, how many teammates and colleagues did he see leave Boston only to be immediately smeared by the Stalin-esque Red Sox ownership and PR machine. Is there something so bad about turning the tables for once? Good for him.

As a fan in this modern age of professional sports, it is impossible to have allegiances to both teams and players without expecting these interests to come into conflict. Papelbon is a pitcher who brings a feeling of security whenever he steps foot on the mound, something not very many baseball teams can boast. He even manages to be entertaining in the process (something the game of baseball itself can no longer do on its own). He wanted to be paid accordingly and he got his wish.

And if Red Sox fans don’t understand that, maybe they really do have lower IQs.

Curt Schilling’s Video Game Company 38 Studios Lays Off All Employees

KC Downey — Thu, 24 May 2012 23:56:50 +0000

Forgive the cliche, but it’s nearly game over for Curt Schilling’s video game company, 38 Studios.

The company laid off all of the employees on Thursday, one week after it was unable to make payroll. The company had nearly 400 workers.

38 Studios was founded six years ago in Maynard, Massachusetts, but later moved its headquarters to Rhode Island, where officials issued the company a $75 million loan guarantee in 2010.

Last week, Rhode Island officials held emergency meetings two weeks after the company was unable to make a $1.1 million loan payment back to the state. The company later bounced a check before actually making the payment.

The company produced one video game called “Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning” and had a new massively multi-player online game on the way for 2013 tentatively titled “Copernicus.” The game, still in development, has already cost the company tens of millions of dollars to produce.

With the online game on the way, 38 Studios has tried hard to find additional investors to keep the company afloat, but has failed so far.

“I have not given up,” Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee told Boston.com. “But I am also a realist. What we’ve learned from (industry) experts is grim news. Very, very grim.”

The state of Rhode Island has already given Schilling’s company $49 million.

Schilling has poured more than $30 million of his personal fortune into the company, but he, too, is tapped.

If the Playoffs Started Today – MLB Week 7

John — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:00:44 +0000

May’s almost over, and interleague play’s first series is over and done. The Orioles are still contending for the AL crown. The Indians are starting to build some room in their division. The Dodgers continue to dominate the standings. There’s certainly plenty going on, so let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Thursday, May 24 at 1:00pm:

National League

#1 Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers are the first team to make it to 30 wins. They’re still an impressive 19-4 at home, and have proven that they don’t need Matt Kemp to do well. So when he does come back, the Dodgers will be that much more scary.

#2 Washington Nationals vs #3 St. Louis Cardinals

Both teams have similar record, but the Cardinals have also won three straight. Both teams are barely clinging to division leads. The Nationals are good at home, but have had a so-so road season so far. The Cardinals now know they may very well be without Lance Berkman for the season, if not multiple months, but they have room to prepare. All in all, momentum favors the reigning champions.

#W1 Atlanta Braves vs #W2 Cincinnati Reds

The Braves have lost three in a row and the Reds have won five in a row, and both teams are still contending for their divisions. But those three Atlanta losses? They’re all to Cincinnati. The edge here clearly goes to the Reds.

American League

#1 Baltimore Orioles

Despite dropping two of three to the lowly Red Sox (now finally back at .500), the Orioles are still hanging in there nearly two months into the season. They’re only 13-11 at home, but a muscular 15-6 on the road. Even hosting the Orioles, teams won’t be safe.

#2 Texas Rangers vs #3 Cleveland Indians

Texas is running into issues lately, while Cleveland is getting better. They’re even on the verge of sweeping divisional rival Detroit. With Josh Hamilton, the Rangers always have a chance, but with things going the way they are, this will be the upset if there is one.

#W1 Tampa Bay Rays vs #W2 Toronto Blue Jays

The Rays have taken the past two of three against Toronto to stay in the hunt with Baltimore. In a series that could have seen Toronto surpass Tampa in the standings, the Rays came through and still have a solid team with which to make a run.

What Might Change Next Week:

St. Louis is busy with Philadelphia and Atlanta, so Cincinnati has an excellent chance to take over the division.
Any trouble against Toronto and Baltimore will find themselves behind Texas (and likely Tampa [which owns the tiebreaker over Texas] as well).

Sox Rebound in Rubber Match after 4-1 Loss to O’s

Nick Bohlen — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:56:58 +0000

Finally back at .500, the Boston Red Sox squandered their first opportunity at a winning record this season, falling 4-1 Tuesday night to the Baltimore Orioles.

Felix Doubront pitched a solid six innings, striking out nine and giving up just four hits, allowing his only runs on a Steve Tolleson two-run home run in the second inning. Matt Albers gave up another two-run blast to Wilson Betemit in the bottom of the eighth, all but putting the game out of reach with the way the Red Sox were swinging the bats.

The Red Sox bats were silent all game, scoring just one run on a Kevin Youkilis solo shot in his first game back from the disabled list. The only other hit the Red Sox mustered was an Adrian Gonzalez single off Orioles starter Brian Matusz, barely a blip among the 9 Boston batters Matusz sat down with strikeouts. The Red Sox lineup had even worse luck against the suddenly vaunted Baltimore bullpen. Baltimore relievers combined to shut the door for 2.2 hitless innings, including a 1-2-3 top of the ninth on just eight pitches from Orioles closer Jim Johnson.

Thankfully, nearly everything about Wednesday’s game was the polar opposite of the night before, from the Red Sox starter “earning” the win despite a poor performance, to the Red Sox lineup awakening from its slumber to crank out 13 hits. The end result was a 6-5 Red Sox win to rebound from Tuesday night’s disappointing loss and take the rubber match of the three-game series from the first-place Orioles. The Red Sox are now back at .500 with another chance to get on the right side of winning.

Just Good Enough

While neither starting pitcher was sharp enough to make it out of the sixth inning, Daniel Bard managed to (barely) outpitch the Orioles’ Jake Arrieta. Bard only gave up two runs on five hits, but continued his wildness by walking four Orioles batters in just 5.1 innings. He has now walked 19 batters in his five starts during the month of May. Luckily, Arrieta was even worse, surrendering four runs on eight hits and three walks in 5.2 innings. Both starters coughed up a home run.

Same Bullpen, Different Result

Similarly, the Red Sox bullpen managed to simply outlast their Oriole counterparts with one run to spare. The Red Sox finally managed to break through against the Baltimore for a couple of much-needed insurance runs, giving the Boston bullpen a little breathing room for their usual adventurous visits to the mound in the late-innings. Lefty Andrew Miller was tagged for two runs on a Nick Johnson home run (the same Nick Johnson who was out of baseball for a year, and a left-handed hitter, no less), and Padilla gave up a sacrifice fly to Betemit in the eighth inning.

On the brighter side, Rich Hill struck out the only two batters he faced in relief of Miller (at least one lefty specialist was effective), and Alfredo Aceves shut the door with a perfect four-out save, his eleventh of the season.

A Sleeping Lineup Awakened

Thanks to the dearth of healthy outfielders in the Red Sox clubhouse, Gonzalez shifted to right field the past two games to make room at first base for the returning Youkilis, with Will Middlebrooks staying at third base (for the time being, anyway). Even with Youkilis, the Red Sox lineup struggled to score runs yesterday with Ryan Sweeney and Cody Ross on the disabled list.

On Wednesday, the difference on offense came from key contributions from their AAA replacements. With the way Daniel Nava has been hitting since his call-up ((his line now sits at a blistering .350/.491/.600), his home run to put the Red Sox on top 3-2 comes as no surprise.

But the real hero – and the real surprise – was Scott Podsednik. The 36-year-old outfielder was recently acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies and signed to a minor league deal, then brought up from Pawtucket with the injuries to Ross and Sweeney. After pinch-hitting last night for Marlon Byrd (he grounded out), Podsednik got his first start since 2010 on Wednesday and quickly made the most of it. With the Red Sox up 5-4, Podsednik cranked a solo shot over the wall in right that proved to be the winning run. It was just the 42nd home run of his career.

Next Up

After going 5-3 on their road trip, the Red Sox now travel back home to start a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Jon Lester (3-3) will face Alex Cobb (1-0) Friday night at Fenway. First pitch is at 7:10pm.

Red Sox Bats Overcome Buchholz’s Struggles in Win Over Orioles

Matthew Bond — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:26:23 +0000

The Red Sox are no longer in the basement of the American League East. Well, at least they’re not in the basement alone. The 8-6 win over the first place Baltimore Orioles combined with the New York Yankees loss tied the rivals with even 21-21 records for fourth place in the division. The win was led by a late offensive surge and solid relief pitching, making up for the early struggles of Clay Buchholz.

Mike Aviles had been hot, homering in his last three games and he got things started with an RBI single to center in the third inning. He finished the game with two hits and continues to find success in the leadoff spot. Dustin Pedroia added a sacrifice fly to give Boston an early 2-0 lead against Tommy Hunter.

Buchholz Wild Again

However, Buchholz gave the lead right back in the bottom half of the inning. He was wild and looked lost on the mound, allowing a base hit and walk to the seventh and eighth hitters in the Orioles lineup. Then, as number nine batter Robert Andino attempted to bunt, Buchholz struggled with his command, eventually allowing a bunt single after missing with the first three fastballs of the at bat.

With the bases loaded and no one out, he walked Xavier Avery, scoring the first Baltimore run. Then, J.J. Hardy laced a base hit up towards the middle of the infield, where a ranging Aviles at shortstop couldn’t get the ball out of his glove or an out as he attempted to get the force at second before throwing to first too late. With the bases reloaded and the game tied, Buchholz walked Nick Markakis, his third free pass surrendered in the inning as the Orioles took a sudden 3-2 lead.

The momentum of the game seemed to change in a sense when Adam Jones, arguably the most dangerous hitter in the Orioles lineup, bounced into a 6-4-3 double play. While a run scored, Buchholz went on to get the third out of the inning and limit the damage so Baltimore had just a 4-2 advantage, a potentially simple task for the Sox offense to overcome.

Red Sox Rally For Late Lead

After a Chris Davis solo home run gave the Orioles a 5-2 lead, the Sox went to work in the sixth against Hunter. David Ortiz only had one hit on the night, but it was a home run blasted deep to right field. Adrian Gonzalez followed it up with a double, eventually scoring on a sacrifice fly to cut the lead down to 5-4. With Will Middlebrooks on third base, Hunter was called for a balk, tying the game before the pitcher got out of the inning.

The game remained tied until Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the seventh to put Boston on top 6-5. They added two insurance runs when Middlebrooks drove home Pedroia in the inning and Pedroia smacked an RBI single the following inning. Middlebrooks had been slumping lately, but he collected three hits and raised his average up to .297 on the year.

Solid Sox Pen Seals the Win

The bullpen was effective in maintaining the 8-5 lead, as Andrew Miller earned the victory pitching 1.2 innings of scoreless work, striking out two batters. Rich Hill was roughed up, but only allowed one run as Vicente Padilla worked out of a jam in the bottom of the eighth.

Alfredo Aceves closed out the win, earning his 10th save of the season. The Red Sox have now won nine of their last 11 games and are one of the hottest teams in all of baseball. Unfortunately, all was not perfect on Monday night, as Buchholz did struggle mightily as he has done nearly all season long. He pitched 5.1 innings, allowing 5 ER, and walked four batters while only striking out two. His ERA for the season stands at 7.84, and he remains one of the key areas of concern going forward.

Additionally the Sox received bad news with regards to the injury to Cody Ross, learning that the outfielder has a broken bone in his foot. He becomes the sixth Sox outfielder to go to the disabled list this season.

Tuesday night, the teams will square off again as the Sox send Felix Doubront to the mound, who has been one of the most consistent pitchers for the team all year. Baltimore counters with southpaw Brian Matusz, who has won three of his last four starts.

Cody Ross Injury Update: Broken Bone in Foot

Matthew Bond — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:25:53 +0000

The Red Sox received bad news Monday with regards to the injury to Cody Ross, learning that the outfielder has a broken bone in his foot.

He will likely miss at least 6-8 weeks.

Ross becomes the sixth Sox outfielder to go to the disabled list this season, joining Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford, Jason Repko, Darnell McDonald and Ryan Kalish.

Look for Che Hsuan Lin, Marlon Byrd and Daniel Nava to continue to fill in in the outfield for the time being.

Ryan Sweeney, meanwhile, may have suffered a concussion after his diving catch Saturday night.

Aviles, Saltalamacchia Homer in Red Sox Rubber-Match Win

Matt Goisman — Sun, 20 May 2012 21:25:34 +0000

In a typical start by Philadelphia ace Cliff Lee, teams that manage two runs count themselves lucky. The Boston Red Sox scored five against the dominating lefty Sunday afternoon, and they didn’t waste them.

Mike Aviles and Jarrod Saltalamacchia both homered for the second straight day, and Josh Beckett held the Phillies to one run over 7.2 innings, giving the Red Sox a 5-1 rubber-match road victory over the Phillies.

Boston has now won eight of its last 10 games. They haven’t lost a series in three weeks.

Red Sox Go Score Early

Aviles led off his second game in a row with a home run, depositing a 1-1 off-speed pitch into the left field bleachers. He added an RBI single in the top of the second, driving in Marlon Byrd with a grounder between third and shortstop. Aviles finished the game 2-for-5, one of just two Red Sox to finish with two hits.

The Red Sox got to Lee again in the third, with Adrian Gonzalez (2-for-4) singling and Will Middlebrooks doubling with one out. That set the stage for Saltalamacchia, who crushed a 2-0 change-up from Lee into the standing area behind the center field seats for a 5-0 Red Sox lead. At this rate, perhaps Saltalamacchia should intentionally get stitches in his ear before every game.

Lee settled down after Saltalamacchia’s home run, retiring the next 11 Red Sox. Despite several long innings early, three 1-2-3 middle innings allowed Lee to pitch a full seven on a season-high 112 pitches. He gave up nine hits and a walk, suffered his second loss of the season and saw his ERA rise from 1.95 to 2.66.

Lee also struck out six, including the side in the first. His curveball proved especially difficult for Red Sox hitters, dropping out of the strike zone at the last possible moment.

Beckett Runs Scoreless Stretch to 14.1

Beckett followed up a seven-inning shutout with another excellent performance, holding the Phillies scoreless over the first seven innings. He allowed two on base just once during that stretch: the bottom of the third, when second baseman Freddy Galvis led off with an infield single – one of four by the Phillies – and Lee moved him to third with a one-out double.

Beckett exited the third unscathed, however, getting a grounder to third that couldn’t score Galvis and then a liner to David Ortiz at first to end the inning.

The lineout reflected a strong day in the field for Ortiz, who committed no errors and made several fine defensive plays. He dove to corral a Shane Victorino grounder in the fourth, which would’ve resulted in an out had Beckett covered the bag correctly, and he jumped to snag a Hunter Pence liner one batter later. He also finished two double plays.

Beckett only ran into trouble in the eighth, giving up a one-out double to pinch-hitter Pete Orr. Two batters later, Orr scored from third on a sacrifice fly by left fielder Juan Pierre. Beckett walked his next batter, then Vicente Padilla replaced him.

Padilla walked his first batter, then got third baseman Ty Wiggington to ground out with the bases loaded to end the eighth, pushing Padilla’s impressive streak of stranded inherited runners to 13. Alfredo Aceves set the Phillies down 1-2-3 in an efficient, nine-pitch ninth.

Picking up the win, Beckett evened his record at 4-4. He gave up one run on seven hits and two walks. He struck out five thanks to solid off-speed pitches that, while perhaps not quite as sharp as Lee’s, still kept Phillies hitters very off-balance. He threw nearly 70 percent of his pitches for strikes, and started off 21 of his 30 batters faced with strikes.

Only lead-off hitters gave Beckett any trouble, with five Phillies beginning their innings by getting on base. None of them, however, scored.

Due to a scoreless streak of 14.1 innings, Beckett’s ERA has plummeted from 5.97 all the way to 4.38 in just 10 days. If Beckett continues pitching as he did Sunday, that number will only continue to fall.

Red Sox Launch 4 Home Runs, Top Phillies 7-5

KC Downey — Sun, 20 May 2012 04:01:16 +0000

After watching Jonathan Papelbon close out the Red Sox on Friday and do his signature poses in the process, there’s no way the Sox could let that happen again on Saturday.

So, the offense took over, clubbing four home runs to back Jon Lester, who despite a shaky outing, managed to earn the win in a 7-5 final.

Mike Aviles started it all with a leadoff home run, and the Red Sox picked up two more runs in the second on Joe Blanton’s error and Jon Lester’s ground-ball double play with men on first and third and no outs. The Sox led 3-0.

After Philly picked up a run in the third, Will Middlebrooks (2-4) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (3-4) hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning to give the Red Sox a 5-1 lead.

The Phillies picked up three runs off Lester in the bottom of the fourth, making it a 5-4 game.

But, the Red Sox answered right back again, with first baseman (yes…FIRST BASEMAN) David Ortiz hitting a two-run shot to make it a 7-4 game.

It wouldn’t be a Red Sox game without the bullpen allowing at least one run. Lester left the game after six innings, and Vicente Padilla was the first man on to protect the lead. He did his job in the seventh, but could only record one out in the eighth while allowing two hits.

Rich Hill came on and got Juan Pierre to ground out to first, and then Bobby Valentine called on Alfredo Aceves to get out of the eighth. Aceves, of course, allowed a single to Jimmy Rollins, scoring Ty Wigginton (run charged to Padilla), but he got out of it and closed out the Phillies in the ninth to preserve the win.

Lester’s Performance

Lester was coming of a complete-game win over the Indians, but struggled at times Saturday against the Phillies.

He allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk in 6.0 innings. He threw just 90 pitches (59 for strikes) in capturing his third win of the year.

The Red Sox will go for the series win on Sunday afternoon with Josh Beckett on the mound.

Kevin Youkilis Trade Rumors: Where Will He End Up?

Mike Carlucci — Sat, 19 May 2012 14:00:44 +0000

The 2012 Boston Red Sox look a lot like the 2011 version of the team, at least on paper. Two players entered this year as potential free agents: David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis. Ortiz, enjoying a tremendous resurgence, may have already guaranteed himself another arbitration deal with the Red Sox, but Kevin Youkilis, over whom the Sox have a $13 million option for next season, may not even finish 2012 in a Boston uniform. The question is: if he’s not playing in Fenway, where is he?

2012 did not start the way Youkilis wanted. Right off the bat, his new manager was calling him out to the media questioning not his health or his playing ability but his intangibles: Bobby Valentine criticized his passion for the game. The new Sox skipper said Youk just wasn’t “as physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past.” While both sides tried to dismiss the comments and focus on the team – struggling mightily at the time – Ken Rosenthal is reporting that, according to a baseball executive,“Valentine wanted Youkilis out as far back as spring training, viewing him as a liability.”

If that wasn’t enough, the third baseman soon hit the disabled list and prospect Will Middlebrooks go off to a roaring start and, with a few slumps, is hitting .259/.295/.552 with 4 home runs. Middlebrooks has proven himself in the minors and has held his own in the majors, and is generally expected to become the starter in 2013. If the Red Sox think he is ready to stay, maybe when Youkilis returns from the DL, he’ll be featured for a trade.

Who’s Looking?

There are a few teams who could use help at the infield corners who might be interested in the veteran “Greek God of Walks.”

Dodgers

The Dodgers, led by superstars Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw, are off to a surprising start in a weak NL West. Their current starter at third base? Juan Uribe. Uribe is hitting just .250/.302/.338 with a home run and a healthy Youk would be an improvement on Uribe’s .640 OPS.

The story doesn’t get much better across the diamond: James Loney, who never developed into the player the Dodgers always thought he would, is hitting .233/.310/.336. If a move back to first base could keep Youkilis healthy, an option the Red Sox don’t have, the Dodgers’ current roster construction wouldn’t make that very difficult.

Giants

North of LA, the San Francisco Giants, also looking at the weakness of the rest of their division, and currently without Pablo Sandoval (aka Kung Fu Panda), could be interested as well. Sandoval is currently sidelined with a hand injury, and while he should return in another month or so, Youkilis might be ready before then.

Like the Dodgers, the Giants also have a question mark at first base. Prospect Brandon Belt hasn’t forced the team to pencil him into the lineup every day, giving an opening for Youkilis to take over. Belt also has experience playing the outfield, which could allow the Giants to upgrade offensively at two positions if Belt can really get into gear – he has the ability, just not the track record in the Majors.

Cubs

What Red Sox trade talk would be complete without including his former boss, Theo Epstein? The breakout of Bryan LaHair at first base has been well publicized: the formerly-labeled quad-A player has slugged 10 home runs already this season while hitting (an unsustainable) .330/.422/.670. While the power is real, his other stats will likely regress a bit as the season goes on. Behind LaHair is former Sox and Padres first base prospect Anthony Rizzo. Rizzo will eventually inherit the first base job when LaHair is traded or shifted to the outfield.

But, the hot corner is occupied by Darwin Barney. Barney is a fine stopgap while the Cubs rebuild, but the Cubs may decide to play up their Red Sox knowledge again. Adding Youkilis to man third base this year, and possibly next year, would give the club a veteran leader with a solid batting eye. Youkilis is injury prone at this point in his career and can’t be expected for 162 games, but Epstein and Hoyer know this. The money isn’t a huge obstacle for the large-market Cubs and even the option is just a one year commitment.

Like every rebuilding team, the Cubs need to balance putting a decent product on the field with their efforts to become competitive again. Alfonso Soriano is a high-priced player well past his prime, but Youkilis probably still has something left in the tank, and it might be enough to warrant an upgrade from Barney to keep the team looking respectable, if not competitive. Even an understanding fan base likes to go to the ballpark with a chance to see their team have a good game.

Full Circle

In a way, the situation facing Kevin Youkilis today is not all that different than the one he was in during 2004. Bill Mueller, the 2003 batting champion and Red Sox third baseman at the time, went on the disabled list. The Sox called up the already Moneyball-famous Youk to take over at third base. Youk impressed, but not enough to win the job away from Mueller that season. In 2005, Youk got in work at third and first as Kevin Millar, John Olerud, and the immortal Roberto Petagine spent time in a first base platoon. In 2006, the starting job at first was his because of the arrival of Mike Lowell (with Josh Beckett) to handle the hot corner.

Maybe Middlebrooks will stay cool until Youkilis returns. Maybe he’ll heat up and force the Red Sox hand on a trade before Youk gets going himself. Maybe Carl Crawford has another setback but Middlebrooks ends up returning to the big leagues as a left fielder this season. As they say, these things have a way of working themselves out.

Red Sox Home Runs Not Enough in 6-4 Loss in Philadelphia

Matthew Bond — Sat, 19 May 2012 04:10:13 +0000

The adventures of Daniel Bard as a starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in 2012 continues. On Friday night, the erratic pitcher continued to miss the strike zone early against the Philadelphia Phillies in what ended up a 6-4 Red Sox loss. The Phillies’ offense walked all over Bard in the first, and from there, three Red Sox home runs weren’t enough as former Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon shut the door.

Bard’s Wild First

Bard allowed four runs in an awful first inning where his command was completely off. He allowed a leadoff walk to Jimmy Rollins, and then consecutive one out walks to Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence. With the bases loaded, Carlos Ruiz singled to center, scoring two runs and giving the Phillies an early 2-0 lead.

A sacrifice fly from Ty Wigginton made it 3-0, and an RBI double by John Mayberry Jr. smoked down the left field line scored the fourth run. Bard threw 32 pitches in the inning, the most he had thrown in any inning all season long.

The Red Sox tried to claw their way back into the game against Cole Hamels, who entered the day 5-1 with a 2.28 ERA. Mike Aviles got the Sox offense started with a solo home run deep to left by the foul pole. It was his sixth home run of the season and it cut the Philadelphia lead to 4-1.

After a sacrifice fly by Daniel Nava in the fourth, Philadelphia responded in the fifth as Hunter Pence went deep off of Bard for the tenth time this season. Later in the inning, things got scary on a hit-by-pitch to Wigginton. A fastball in by Bard hit the batter and ricocheted off of the side of Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia‘s head. He went to the ground for a few minutes before leaving the game with what the team described as a laceration of his left ear.

One of the most disliked players in Philadelphia for his success in the 2010 NLCS, Cody Ross homered in the sixth off of Hamels to cut the lead again, as the Sox then trailed 5-3. In the eighth, Adrian Gonzalez came a day late on his guaranteed home run as he obliterated a ball deep to right field. Unfortunately, the Phillies regained their insurance run in the bottom half of the inning when Freddy Galvis also homered, setting the stage for Papelbon to attempt to close out his former team with a two-run lead.

Fireworks in Papelbon’s Save

The Red Sox are no strangers to dramatic ninth inning saves from Papelbon, and Friday was no different. A lead off line drive infield single to third allowed Kelly Shoppach, who came into the game for Saltalamacchia, to reach to begin the inning. A groundout moved him to second, with Marlon Byrd coming to the plate. Byrd hit a ground ball up the middle, but a ranging Rollins at shortstop scurried to the ball and fired to first, just barely getting Byrd.

Bobby Valentine immediately challenged the call, as it appeared the first baseman Wigginton may have come off the bag as Byrd raced past the bag. Valentine screamed and jumped up and down to first base umpire Gary Darling, earning an unquestionable ejection. The call however was debatable upon television replays showed Wigginton may indeed have stepped off of first.

With two outs an Shoppach now on third, Papelbon struck out Nick Punto on three pitches to end the game. He improves to 12-12 in saves this season for Philadelphia while Boston falls to 18-21.

On Saturday afternoon, the Sox send Jon Lester to the mound against Joe Blanton in the middle game of the interleague series.