If the Red Sox and Daniel Bard could have eliminated the first inning in tonight’s ballgame against the Philadelphia Phillies they would have walked away with a victory. Instead it was Daniel Bard doing the walking. He walked three batters in the first inning that led to four Philadelphia runs. Bard seemed to be aiming the ball and did not get his arm up into his ideal release point. I saw one fastball that reached 96 mph. The rest hit 92-93 mph. His best pitch in the five innings he worked was his slider. He kept it down and away from hitters from right handed hitters and utilized his changeup to lefties. It wasn’t a bad outing but Bard continues to have problems with his control. As I’ve said in the past, if he doesn’t throw his fastball 95-97 mph, as he did as a set-up man, to go along with a much improved slider and changeup, he’ll have problems becoming a successful starter.

There was some drama in this game as Jonathan Papelbon came in the ballgame in the ninth to close the game. His adrenalin must have been running high as he faced his old team. He gave a leadoff hit to Kelly Shoppach but then got the next three outs including a game-ending strikeout by Nick Punto. It was Papelbon’s twelfth straight save this year. He looked weird in a Phillies uniform.

Bobby Valentine got thrown out of the game after arguing the first base umpire’s call on a high throw from shortstop Jimmy Rollins. It looked like Bobby had a good argument because replay showed his foot did seem to come off the base. Unfortunately the call was not reversed and the runner was out.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia got hit with a foul ball that caromed off his arm and hit him in the left ear. He suffered a left ear laceration. He was down on the ground in pain for a good length of time and finally had to come out. My guess is that he’ll be back in the lineup tomorrow.

Lefthander Cole Hamels pitched a very good game. He mixed his pitches effectively and struck out nine Red Sox hitters. Many of those strikeouts came when he needed them most, with runners in scoring position. Philadelphia has their share of injuries to star players but one thing they do have that can make up for those injuries and that’s outstanding starting pitching. Let’s hope the city of brother love and their Phillies will be kinder to the Sox tonight.

Tampa Bay Rays are in first place in the AL’s Eastern Division. Last night they showed the Red Sox why  they’re in first place and why they have a good chance to stay there all year. No surprise to anyone, it’s their pitching. Right-hander  Jeremy Hellickson,  the Rays starter last night, and a guy who’s had problems with the Red Sox in the past, kept them way off balance in the six innings he pitched. He had a good change up and a fastball with lots of movement.  The only offense the Sox could muster was in the fourth inning when Daniel Nava knocked in Saltalalmacchia  after he doubled to right. The Tampa Bay closer Fernando Rodney was really impressive. He featured a 97 mph fastball and a wicked split-finger fastball that acted like a knuckleball and 10 mph slower than his fastball.

As for the three Red Sox balks in this game, well, it is highly unusual. Fortunately only one of them cost the Sox a run. That happened in the second inning with Tampa runners on first and third. Clay Buchholz made a movement in his motion and then stopped. The run scored from third and that was all the damage. The other two balks were by Franklin Morales. One balk came in the 7^th and the other in the 8^th with no damage done from either one. Let’s not panic about the balks. The problem can be easily solved by pitchers focusing more when there are men on base. Balks usually occur when a pitcher is unsure whether to throw to the base to keep the runner close or to go home with the ball. They still should keep runners close and not be concerned about balking.

I wasn’t concerned about the balks that much but what concerned me more was the terrible play in right field by Cody Ross. In the 6^th inning the Rays hit back to back singles by Matt Joyce and Carlo Pena. Joyce sprinted around to third so that left runners on 1^st and 3^rd with no outs. Luke Scott came up and hit a shallow fly ball to Ross in right field. He ran in for the ball and suddenly darted to his right and caught the ball with his body almost turned around towards center field. When Joyce saw the awkward catch he tagged up and scored the go-ahead run. That’s the second poor attempt at catching an easy fly ball by Ross. The other was at Fenway in left field. It cost the Sox both games.

The other unusual thing that happened in this game was when Franklin Morales hit second baseman Will Rhymes with a fast ball on his right arm. You could hear the sound of the impact on TV. Rhymes wanted to stay in the game so he started to walk to first base when all of a sudden his knees started to buckle and he went down on the ground. It looked like he had a seizure but when the trainers came out they calmed him down. They finally took him off in a cart and drove him to the hospital. He may have a broken arm because it was swollen to twice the size. Every sport has its risks and fortunately for Rhymes it was his arm and not his head.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention clay Buchholz. He pitched a pretty good game and didn’t deserve the loss. A lot of people think Bobby Valentine should have left him in the game but I agree with taking him out. You had lefties coming up and he was not throwing as well as he was earlier in the game. I loved the way he was going at the hitters. He should get more stamina as he goes further along in the season.

At this point in the season I can’t judge how good or bad this team is going to be .  I want to see them with Crawford, Ellsbury, Youkilis and Baily all healthy then we can all make a fair judgment. Whether they’ll all be healthy at the same time remains to be seen.

The Red Sox paid a wonderful tribute to the late Carl Beane before tonight’s game at Fenway Park. Carl was known as the Voice of Fenway. He passed away Thursday when his car veered off the road and hit a tree at the end of a gorge. The accident might have been caused by a heart attack.

 I knew Carl for over thirty five years. Prior to getting his “dream job” with the Red Sox he worked in radio interviewing players from all the major Boston professional teams. He carried his tape recorder and backpack everywhere he went. He worked diligently and professionally at all times. He did the same as the Voice of Fenway. I also knew him personally as well as professionally. Carl was also a terrific family man. He was also a man of faith, a born again Christian, who lived out his faith. His faith in Christ gave him new meaning to his life. He was so thankful for everything he had.  There’s no doubt where he is right now, probably announcing the name of each person that enters  heaven because that’s where he is. My deepest condolences go out to his family and friends. We’ll all miss him very much.

As for the game, Josh Beckett got shelled by the Cleveland Indians. He lasted 2 1/3 innings giving up 9 hits and 2 home runs. He’ll probably play a few rounds of golf today to keep his handicap low. Too bad his ERA isn’t low and too bad his lack of velocity and command isn’t very good. There’s talk about him having arm problems again. Sorry, I have no compassion for him at this time. If he has a problem with his arm put him on the disabled list and get someone who is healthy and wants to pitch. He’s acting like a prima donna, a spoiled brat, a self-centered narcissist. He’s changed so much from his years with the Marlins and early years with the Red Sox. He had fire in his eyes coupled with a 97 mph fastball. He showed it in 2007 but has been going downhill from there. I don’t think he can get it up to 97 or 95 any longer. I think he’s worn his body down including his arm and can’t do it any longer. Stop babying him. Trade him if you can before it’s too late. I won’t change my opinion even if he does have a sore arm. Five bullpen pitchers had to be used in last night’s game because Beckett couldn’t get through the third inning. Jason Kipnis and Jack Hannahan, (who the hell are they) hit home runs off him. There was a time he would have blown both of them away and many other hitters a lot better than those two. I hate to see any player’s ability diminished but it looks like Josh Beckett has seen his better days.

Good teams are supposed to beat up on the weaker teams but it wasn’t the case in this series against the Oakland A’s. The Sox lost two of three games to the worst hitting team in the league. I’ll give credit to Oaklandstarter Brendon McCarthy. He had good movement on all his pitches and also had Sox hitters off balance. But c’mon he wasn’t Pedro Martinez. Sox hitters missed hittable pitches all evening. Right hander Ryan Cook entered the game in the 7th and struck out Adrian Gonzalez with the bases loaded. The Red Sox offense battled back in the ninth when Mike Aviles beat out a grounder to short for a base hit. Dustin Pedroia then hit a double to left to knock in Aviles. First baseman Adrian Gonzalez had a chance to keep the rally going or possibly tie the game with a home run but lefthander Brian Fuentes got him to ground out to end the game.

There were two important incidents that were the turning points in last night’s game and they were both by the Red Sox. The first came in the 5th inning. Saltalamacchia reached first base on an error by Josh Reddick in right field.  Reddick, by the way, is a terrible outfielder. Rookie Will Middlebrooks, who was in the lineup at third base, beat out an infield hit to third base. It was his first hit in the major leagues (but not his last for sure). That left runners on first and second and no outs. The next batter was Marlon Byrd. Bobby Valentine gave Byrd the bunt sign which was a good move since the score was 1-0 in favor of Oakland. Byrd made two weak attempts at bunting the ball but fouled both pitches off. He then swung away and hit a short fly ball to right field. Here we go again. A simple bunt by a major league player is all you ask for but he couldn’t do the job.

The second incident came in the 6th inning. After a base hit by Reddick and a fly ball out by center fielder Yoenes Cespedes, DH Seth Smith hit a high fly down the left field line. Cody Ross loped toward the ball like someone coming off one of those dizzying rides at an amusement park. He ended up overplaying the ball to his right and then tried to circle back to make the catch. After doing a 180 dippsy-doodle the ball landed on the warning track to his left. Oakland ended up scoring three runs in the inning. These are fundamentals that must be executed in order to win games. It didn’t happen last night. Those two mistakes were critical.

Finally, I want to comment on Daniel Bard’s performance. He started the game and went into the 6th inning before Matt Albers relieved him. Bard was clocked at 92-93 mph most of the night. Who talked him into throwing his fastball slower so he can have better command? If he throws 92-93 mph the rest of the year he will not become a successful starter. What happened to the 97 mph fastball? It’s a speed he can put hitters away with. He had one strikeout last night. Bard’s slider is not that good, either. He hangs it a lot and doesn’t have a good enough change-up to consistently fool hitters. He also needs to throw a two seem fastball. You don’t put a scare into opposing hitters with a 92 mph fastball but a 97 mph fastball? Ouch!

After coming off a 6-1 road trip where they hit the ball well and scored a ton of runs, the Red Sox offense continued their torrid hitting at friendly Fenway tonight against the Oakland A’s. If I had to judge this year’s Oakland team by the first six innings of last night’s game, I would say the A on their hats stood for a minor league class A team. The better players in their lineup are Coco Crisp, Josh Reddick, Kurt Suzuki and recently acquired Brandon Inge.

Clay Buchholz looked terrific as he showed excellent control with all his pitches throughout six innings of the game. He had a good curveball along with a 93 mph fastball and a biting cutter. His control was excellent the first six innings. If it was a six inning game he would have pitched a masterpiece. Unfortunately it was the usual nine inning game. He looked to me like he started to get a little tired even though his pitch count was low. After a hit, a walk, then two straight outs, it seemed as though he would get out of the jam. But another walk, a hit, and a three run homer by former Sox outfielder Josh Reddick got everyone a little nervous. The five runOaklandinning made the score 11-6. Bobby Valentine decided to keep him in the game but to no avail as he gave up another hit and then hit the next batter. Valentine saw enough and Buchholz was headed to the shower. I think the 7th inning would have been his last anyway but because of the bad inning Valentine ended up having to use five pitchers out of the bullpen to pin this game down. That’s what puts a lot of wear and tear on the bullpen and that’s why the relief staff gets worn down by mid-August.

Buchholz did get the win thanks to the two home runs by David Ortiz, a two run shot off the light tower in left center field by Darnell McDonald and a three run blast by Mike Aviles in the fifth inning. Dustin Pedroia and Mike Aviles both made good defensive plays to get out of jams and preserve the win. Aviles, especially, has shown a lot better range at shortstop as some of us thought. He’s playing similar to Scutaro did last year for the Sox with more power at the plate.

Marlon Byrd is doing a nice job since coming over to the Red Sox. He has a good bat and is a decent outfielder. I like Darnell McDonald because he is a long ball threat and always has good at bats.

The Red Sox are beating up on the teams they should be winning against. Once they get Ellsbury and Crawford back full strength they’ll have an even better lineup. They need Ellsbury more than Crawford because they can get by nicely in left field with either Ross, Byrd or McDonald. The one man they cannot afford to lose from an offensive standpoint is David Ortiz. He is the heart and soul of this lineup. Make no mistakes about it.

Listen in on my interview with WGAM talking about my appearance at Fenway Park for the 100th year anniversary and my opinion on how the Sox are doing so far this year.

Red Sox pitching cooled off the Texas Ranger bats tonight at Fenway. They only gave up six runs in this game which seemed like a squeaker compared to Tuesday night’s 18-3 debacle. Josh Beckett started the game and pitched pretty well. He was staked to a two run lead in the second when Kevin Youkilis hit his first homer run of the year to left field with David Ortiz on second base. Beckett gave up a run in the third on a walk and three base hits but his big mistake came in the fourth inning when he threw a fastball to the inside part of the plate to Texas catcher Mike Napoli . The ball landed in the last row of the Green Monster seats in left-center field for a two run homer. That gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead which they would not relinquish. Red Sox pitchers better start throwingNapolimore curve balls and change-ups or else he’ll continue to crush the ball against them. He just wears Sox pitching out.

The bullpen couldn’t hold the score at 3-2.  Lefthander Franklin Morales came in the game in the eighth and  gave up a  hit, a couple of walks, a hit batsman and a double to none other than, you guessed it,  catcher Mike Napoli. The Sox came back in the bottom of the ninth to score a run but fell short against formerMinnesotacloser Joe Nathan.

The top of the eighth inning was the killer for the Red Sox. Morales throws a 96 mph fastball and has an excellent curve ball. His big problem over the years has been his control.  After loading the bases by giving up a hit, an intentional walk, followed by another walk he then hits pinch hitter Craig Gentry in the foot allowing a run to score. Bobby Valentine had Vicente Padilla warming up at that time. He must not have been ready because Valentine let Morales pitch toNapoli. The big right handed hitter got another fastball inside and hit a missile off the wall in left center field that scored two more runs. Did Bobby Valentine get confused or was there something physically wrong with Padilla?  Matt Albers came in and got a double play to end the inning. Should he have started warming up earlier and been called in the game to faceNapoli? The result tells us that there should have been a right hander facing both pinch hitter Craig Gentry andNapoli. The Ranger lineup is hot right now and you have to make it a little tougher on them in any way you can.  The good news is that Beckett pitched well. The bad news is he still got the loss. A day off today might do them some good. Things won’t get easier, however with the Yanks coming into Fenway.

Will Cody Ross ever hit a curveball this year? I haven’t seen it yet. The book on him is strictly fastball hitter.

Last night’s performance by John Lester might have been his worse since being in a Red Sox uniform. His command  was terrible as was his cut fastball.  His curveball was nowhere to be found and he threw very few change-ups.  The Rangers got to him in the second for four runs in which he gave up a two run homer to the designated hitter Mike Napoli. It was a bomb that cleared the monster seats in left and landed in Somerville. That homerun seemed to deflate Lester. He seemed to lose his aggressiveness and focus after that and never got it back. He went out to the mound in the third and promptly gave a hit and two walks and then got the hook.

The Ranger hitters did not let the Red Sox bullpen off the hook. Scott Atchison came in and couldn’t keep the Ranger base runners from scoring. By the end of the third it was 7-0 Texas. Matt Albers did a decent job but it was a different story for Mark Melancon. In the eighth inning he couldn’t even register an out. He gave up a three run missile shot to Josh Hamilton that might have been the longest ball hit to right field since Ted Williams’ red seat blast. It went over twenty rows up the bleachers. After a
walk he then gives up a two run shot to Nelson Cruz. I never saw so many pitches down the middle of the plate since watching the Home Run Derby during the All-Star break. Texas has an awesome line-up and may be the best team in the American League. They’re loaded with talent and there’s no way you can beat them if you constantly throw pitches down the middle of the plate.

Everyone thought the Red Sox bullpen was going to be a problem after leaving spring training. Well, last night solidified that concern because the pitching, starter and bullpen, was atrocious.

I can just hear it now, “the problem has to be the situation that occurred over the weekend with Valentine, Youkilis and Pedroia.” That’s a bunch of hogwash. Once a player goes out on the field his focus should be totally on his hitting, fielding, base running, etc.
That’s whether he likes or dislikes his manager. There have been many players and managers who have not gotten along. Players and teams still have good years. The Yankees are a good example when Billy Martin was there.  Earl Weaver and the Orioles are another example and how about Dick Williams and the whole 67 team. There are many more examples where players didn’t get along and yet teams still won and players had good years. I realize its different now. Managers try to discipline a player behind closed doors and still end up getting fired. The Red Sox need to pull together, play good fundamental baseball, and be aggressive on the field.

The other thing I wonder about is if the Red Sox have enough talent to make the playoffs this year. That’s a discussion for another day.

You couldn’t have scripted it better. The pre-game festivities were terrific and the team followed with a 12-2 win against the Rays. Three of the four Red Sox broadcasters from radio and TV were the Masters of Ceremony. Jerry Remy was left to guard the broadcast booth. After announcing the trainers, consultants, medical staffs, physical therapists, dentists, proctologists, coaches, managers, players and starting lineups from both teams they finally announced Johnny Pesky.  The fans went wild with a five minute standing ovation.  Johnny, one of the most beloved Red Sox of all time, with some help, walked out on to the field. It was great to see him out there. He was the man who moved me to shortstop when I signed with the Red Sox way back when.  He later gave the “Play Ball” proclamation over the microphone and the ballgame was about to begin.

I also thought the Red Sox did a great job bringing in Tim Wakefield and Jason Veritek to throw out the first ball. The two have had terrific careers with the Red Sox especially helping to bring the World Series championship to Boston in 2004. Having two of the all-time Red Sox greats Dwight Evans and Hall of Famer Jim Rice be their catchers added a little more spice to the occasion.

There was a ball game to be played and the man with the most pressure on him was  Josh Beckett. Fans and media alike were not very happy with his performance in Detroit where he gave up five home runs to the Tigers. Facing Tampa Bay would not be a picnic either. They have a good lineup and an outstanding pitching staff. But this would be Beckett’s day. He mixed his pitches in and out and threw more fastballs than he did in Detroit. His velocity topped out at 91mph but he did not give the Rays many fat pitches to hit. It was a very good outing and it made Bobby Valentine and Red Sox Nation very happy.

The offense gave Beckett some breathing room after a shaky second inning . They scored three in the third, one in the fourth and  eight in the eighth inning  to put the game away. This was against what is supposed to be the best pitching staff in the American League. Their big lefthander David Price had a terrible day throwing eighty three pitches in three innings and at times couldn’t find the plate.

Kelly Shoppach had three hits. Youk and Gonzalez had three RBI and the clutch hits kept coming in this game. The only negative was the injury to Jacoby Ellsbury. He got hurt while sliding into second trying to break up a double play. After throwing the ball to first base Ben Zobrist landed on Ellsbury’s  right shoulder. If he’s out for a long length of time it will be very hard to replace him. Sweeney and Cody Ross  are not the everyday player Ellsbury is. Ijt will really hurt this ball club especially with Crawford out of the lineup. We don’t need any more bad news from this team.

All eyes were on Daniel Bard tonight in Toronto to see if he has what it takes to be a good starting pitcher for the Red Sox. I was not necessarily impressed by his outing except for the fact that he was able to throw 96 pitches and still had good velocity on his fastball.

Bard’s best pitch was his slider. He used it for his strike-out pitch which is surprising for a pitcher who has a 97 mph fastball. The problem with his fastball is that it’s straight as a string. He threw his best fastball against the American League’s top slugger Jose Batista in the third inning striking him out.

Bard needs a two seam fastball, which sinks and tails, to go along with his straight four-seamer. He also needs a changeup which will keep hitters a little off balance. His command was good early in the game and then in his later innings. He should improve his control and he’ll build his stamina the more he pitches. Right now he’s a thrower and not yet the pitcher he’ll need to be to have success as a starter. He has a chance to be a successful if he can put everything together. Most pitchers learn how to pitch in the minors but Bard will have to learn in the Major Leagues. It looks like he has the talent to be very good.

On this night Red Sox hitters could not put together a big inning against the Jays. Kyle Drabek, also a fifth starter, kept the Red Sox hitters from mounting any serious attack against him. His fastball moved and he featured a good breaking pitch. Ellsbury continues to struggle but Kevin Youklis broke out with two hits in the game. However, he hit into a rally busting double play in the 6^th with runners on first and third. Saltalamacchia struck out in the 5^th with a runner in scoring position. The Sox left a lot of men on base in this game. One thing I’ll say about the Red Sox offense, though, they’ll battle you right down to their last out. They scored two in the ninth last night but fell short. By the way, have there been any Carl Crawford sightings?