I figured out who my anonymous Javier Vazquez fan is

My readership has been growing steadily over the last few years. I have some regular readers and commenters and I have a few people who don't always like what I type.

Pirate fans seemed to get ticked at me because I wouldn't praise the great work of Neal Huntington who in three short years transformed the Pirates from a bad team to the Worst Team in Baseball.

Some Twins fans wrote some nasty things to me when I wrote my tongue in cheek defense of the Metrodome. So much for Minnesota nice.

And there have been other instances... and frankly I find them to be funny.

But I've had a few posts from an anonymous reader that has attracted my attention. He brings up the classic lame argument when I criticize a pitcher which is "He's a better pitcher than YOU." Well yes... that's setting a very low bar.

Major League Baseball players are asked to perform at a high level and are paid as such... and when they do so on the highest stage, they are not immune to criticism.

But this poster only seems to come out of the woodwork when I pick on Javier Vazquez.

Now to be sure, I have written some bad stuff about Vazquez.

But I've also written bad stuff about other pitchers too.

Javier Lopez...

Trevor Hoffman...

Armando Benitez...

I've criticized Daisuke Matsuzaka...

Brad Lidge...

John Smoltz...

Joba Chamberlain...

No problem with any of those. But when I pick on a guy who is on every Yankee fan sh*t list and is in the doghouse on his own team and by any reasonable judging standard is having a lousy year in the Bronx, he shows up with the predictability of the sun rising.

And his defense of Vazquez is odd...

".And as for Vazquez, don't insult the guy. He has more wins the that Dice-K guy that you worship even though Dice-K is a starter and Javy is in the bullpen."

He's in the bullpen because he has been awful as a starter... and since when do I worship Dice-K?

"You clearly have a lot of time on your hands if you're complaining about someone who can pitch way better than you."

Again bringing up how Javy can pitch better than me... interesting.

"Sully is a fool who doesn't know what he's talking about. I don't know why I'm still reading his blog. Javy is a waaaaaaaaaaaayyyy better pitcher than Sully!!!!"

I figured it out with this post.

I don't know why it took me so long to figure out the mystery. It is as simple as a Scooby Doo mystery when you take 2 steps back and think about it.

The 12 "a's" on waaaaaaaaaaaay better gave it away.

The anonymous poster.... is none other... THAN JAVIER VAZQUEZ HIMSELF!

Who else could get THAT worked up over blog posts pointing out that he isn't an elite pitcher and that his complaining about being taken out of a game too early was bush league... and that he isn't a bust?

Javy was Googling his own name and stumbled across what I wrote and anonymously wants to set the record straight.

Well, let me just say Javy, I for one am glad you are reading my blog and you might be interested in knowing that you were included in my Home Grown vs. Acquired Roster for the Montreal Expos.

Keep reading the blog, Javy and I hope the Yankees trade you away this off season and you can have a stress free year putting up stats and getting another big contract.

Lord knows I can't pitch as well as you or make your dough.

Then again, you should aim higher than out pitching me!

The Giants have their ace back

It was only a few weeks ago that I was lamenting the Bengie Molina trade and wondering if Tim Lincecum was ever going to pitch like an ace again.

The Giants needed him to come up big as an ace and all throughout his gruesome August, he came up small.

But his last game was solid... and tonight he was terrific.

Oh he's had better games over all, but he started perfectly, pitched into the 7th, struck out 11 and gave the Giants the chance to keep the pressure on the Padres, Phillies and now the Braves (who are the leader of the Wild Card since Philadelphia leap frogged them into the Division Lead tonight.

There was a bigger significance to this game.

The Giants are pitching again. And they are starting to hit. Things are clicking and if Sanchez and Cain and Bumgarner pitch well and Wilson keeps saving games, the Giants will probably be playing in October.

But as for the ace... I think Paul Newman said it best in The Color of Money.

"Hey... I'm Back!"

What the hell kind of season is Dallas Braden having?

It is a strange season for him, no doubt about it.

He has had surreal controversy regarding A-Rod walking on his mound.

He had the heart warming Mother's Day perfect game and his grandmother telling A-Rod to stick it.

He did a good job delivering a Top Ten list on Letterman.

He's got 5 complete games plus 2 shutouts (which lead the AL).

So he has the aura of being a good pitcher.

But he has a losing record... and not just a hard luck Cole Hamels kind of losing record... he's gotten BOMBED.

And tonight, with the A's having a sliver of hope, and Texas already in the loss column... he coughs up 5 runs in a brutal second inning that takes the A's out of it early and makes their wild 9th inning seem like desperation rather than a genuine comeback attempt.

And I thought Dice-K was tough to figure out!

Folks... that might be it

Poor Robert Manuel. The guy is trying to log in some big league innings and what does he do?

He let's up 3 homers in 1 1/3 innings.

He got 4 batters out and let up 3 homers.
I don't understand EVERY new stat thrown at me, but I am sure that is a bad ratio.

I am sure his WAR is bad.

Heck, I think Manuel wouldn't compare favorably if he was replaced by Manuel from Fawlty Towers.

At least there was no suspense tonight.

A nice, clean asswhuppin'.

I TOLD the Red Sox to get Dayan Viciedo!!!!

I was watching the Tigers/White Sox blow out on MLB Network while helping my son out with his homework. (Don't look at me like THAT! We did it all!)

By the end of the game Ozzie was basically looking down the bench and yelling "Who hasn't played yet?" and made the box score cluttered with September call ups like a split squad Spring Training Game.

I looked up and saw a house of a dude at the plate that I had never seen before. #24. Big huge right handed batter. He just LOOKED like a ballplayer.

They flashed who it was.

It was Cuban sensation Dayan Viciedo... who showed off his right handed power with both Birmingham and Charlotte in the White Sox farm system.

The guy who at age 21 gives the White Sox a potential right handed stud in the infield (along with Alexi Ramirez and Gordon Beckham could be putting together an awesome infield on the South Side.)

The guy who already has 3 big league homers.

The guy who, sight unseen, I BEGGED the Red Sox to sign him because potential right handed power hitting studs don't grow on trees!

I saw him walk.

And I can already tell... the Red Sox should have listened to me!

Giants... let Lincecum do what he needs to do

Tim Lincecum is about to make arguably the biggest start of his career. After a month or so when the Giants couldn't get any decent starting pitching, suddenly things have turned around.

And a lost season is looking more and more found as the Giants remain 2 back in the loss column for the NL West lead and 1 game in the loss column for the NL Wild Card with 24 to play. (And a possible season making 4 game series in San Diego starting day after tomorrow.)

He had a grotesque August where he went 0-5 with a 7.82 ERA and pitched just over 5 innings a start.

His first start in September was a solid 8 innings 1 run win.
They need another start like that against the D'Backs. They need Cy Young Lincecum.

Which means, Giants... let him do WHATEVER he was doing in 2008 and 2009 when he won his first two Cy Young Awards.

Look away, say "Do what you've got to do" and don't ask questions. Yeah he got in a little bit of trouble in the off season... and no, I am not condoning any illegal activities.

Just wink and say "I don't want to know."

If there was a guy showing up in a Tie Dye shirt listening to Phish on days Lincecum pitched last year... FLY HIM IN!

The Giants have a shot to make the post season and possibly line up a playoff rotation that could send them right to the World Series.

And they need Lincecum to be an ace. And if it was smoke and mirrors (and smoke) that helped him win, then cue up the Marley and make it work.

And don't get all Holier than Thou about strange dudes showing up to the Giants clubhouse with substances.

Lest we forget...

Glass Half Full for the A's

The A's are a sub .500 team and are 7 games out of first place... a whole week behind with only 25 games to play. And they aren't exactly playing barn burning baseball, going 5-7 in their last 12 games.

Their disabled list is filled with people who you might have heard of (Eric Chavez, Ben Sheets, Justin Duchscherer) and when Daric Barton and Kevin Kouzmanoff are your top offensive threats after Labor Day, it is time to play out the string and hope to finish above .500.

So why am I still keeping track of them for the post season?

Because the wheels are falling off the Rangers bandwagon in a hurry. I wrote in June that I wasn't buying the Rangers until I saw how they were after Labor Day. Well guess what? They have a 7 game lead after Labor Day and I'm STILL not buying them.

They've been playing losing ball for a while now and are a combined 14-19 since August 1. And only 1 win this month.

Throw in the fact that Cliff Lee hasn't been himself and needs to skip starts and have a cortisone shot. Throw in their MVP candidate, Josh Hamilton, who is out indefinitely.

Oh yeah, they are also going to play a tough Blue Jays team then an obsessed Yankees team this week.

Could the Rangers go on a prolonged Padres-esque losing streak?
Sure! Why not?

Could the A's feast on the Mariners and a waving the white flag Red Sox team?
It's possible.

Let's just say the A's and Rangers move a little closer to each other in the standings... let's say the A's could cut the lead to 3 or 4 by the time September 23rd comes along.

Then Texas comes into Oakland for a 4 game series...

It's possible. Anything is possible when you take a team's Cy Young Candidate and MVP Candidate out of the equation.

So keep playing hard A's... despite being a losing team with a huge deficit to make up, you are still in it.

Well THAT wasn't so hard, was it Red Sox?

A nice, no doubt about it win (save for that inning where Robert Coello's major league debut left a lot to be desired) and Jon Lester matched his career high for wins.

Actually there was something a lot of fun about last night's win.
The youth.

Ryan Kalish, 22, hit a grand slam.
Josh Reddick and Yamaico Navarro are 23 and 22 respectively.

Lars Anderson, who seems like he has been a Sox prospect forever, finally made his big league debut. Lest we forget, he's only 22.

And Lester, the grizzled veteran, is 26.

I like this kind of line up. I like holes being filled with young kids who want to win in the Red Sox uniform instead of picking the bones of other organizations.

Let's have more wins like this shall we? And go into 2011 with a lot of questions answered with the response "We can fix that within the organization."

Taking stock as the season winds down

I took stock on the season at the 1/3 mark, and then at the half way point.

I had promised to do so on Labor Day as the season goes into its final lap and here I am.

There's not much suspense for the Yankees, Rays, Rangers and Reds who all seem to have their playoff spots locked up.

But looking at San Diego and their current implosion shows you can never be 100% sure who is going to end up where. (Has anyone else noticed the Rockies aren't dead yet?)

There are injuries that make some of the awards up for grabs as well as some slumps that turned front runners into mere contenders... or in Tim Lincecum's case totally off the board.

So with more or less a month to go, let's take a look at the playoff picture and who should be in line for post season hardware (and compare those to my 1/3 picks and 1/2 way picks.)

If the playoffs started today...

AL East Champion New York Yankees
Would have home field advantage over
AL West Champion Texas Rangers

AL Central Champion Minnesota Twins
Would have home field advantage over
AL Wild Card Tampa Bay Rays

(The Chicago White Sox would be within 3 games in the loss column of a playoff spot.)

NL East Champion Cincinnati Reds
Would have home field advantage over
N. L. Wild Card Philadelphia Phillies

NL East Champion Atlanta Braves
Would have home field advantage over
NL West Champion San Diego Padres

(The Giants are within 1 game of a playoff spot.)

(At the 1/3 Mark, The Rays had home field over Oakland, the Twins had home field over the Yankees. The Cardinals had home field over the Braves while the Padres still had home field over the Reds

At the 1/2 way mark, the Yankees had homefield over the White Sox while the Rangers would host the Rays. Meanwhile the Braves would have homefield over the winner of a Rockies and Dodgers playoff while the Padres would have homefield over the Reds.)

AL MVP:
MIGUEL CABRERA, Tigers
I had Josh Hamilton here, but his ribcage injury might take him out of commission. Cabrera has the OPS, the Average, the power and ranks at the top of W.A.R. It's not his fault the Tigers faded.

In the running:
EVAN LONGORIA, Rays. ROBINSON CANO, Yankees. JOSH HAMILTON, Rangers.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Miguel Cabrera as the MVP.
At the 1/2 way mark, I had Josh Hamilton as the MVP.)

NL MVP:
JOEY VOTTO, Reds
He is pulling away from Pujols in OPS and is near the top in virtually every single offensive category. And oh yeah, his Reds have opened up a big lead with Joey Votto as their main man.

In the running:
ALBERT PUJOLS, Cardinals. CARLOS GONZALEZ, Rockies. ADRIAN GONZALEZ, Padres.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Albert Pujols as the MVP.
At the 1/2 was mark, I had Joey Votto as the MVP.)

AL CY YOUNG:
FELIX HERNANDEZ, Mariners
Yeah, I know his record is only 11-10. He also leads the league in ERA, strikeouts, innings pitched and a lot of other categories that I don't understand. If the Cy Young goes to the best pitcher, then King Felix is the best.

In the running:
CLAY BUCHHOLZ, Red Sox. CC SABATHIA, Yankees. TREVOR CAHILL, A's. DAVID PRICE, Rays.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Jon Lester as the Cy Young.
At the 1/2 way mark I had David Price as the Cy Young.)

NL CY YOUNG:

ROY HALLADAY, Phillies
The fascinating Cy Young chase could come down to the last few weeks. Right now Halladay has been the horse the Phillies need and has the gaudy stats to back up his "Ace" title. He right now is the pitcher to beat.

In the running:

UBALDO JIMENEZ, Rockies. ADAM WAINWRIGHT, Cardinals. CHRIS CARPENTER, Cardinals. TIM HUDSON, Braves.

(At the 1/3 mark AND the 1/2 was mark, I had Ubaldo Jimenez as the Cy Young.)

AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
NEFTALI FELIZ, Rangers
A couple of bad games made his ERA swell, but he has supplied the AL West leading Rangers were a steady hand at the back end of the bullpen.

In the running:

BRIAN MATUSZ, Orioles. AUSTIN JACKSON, Tigers. JEREMY HELLICKSON, Rays. JOHN JASO, Blue Jays.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Mitch Talbot as the AL Rookie of the Year.
At the 1/2 way mark, I had Brennan Boesch as the Rookie of the Year.)

NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:
BUSTER POSEY, Giants
Posey has been everything and more that the Giants could have asked for. He hits for average, for power, gets on base and has supplied a team starved for offense a spark and a flair for the dramatic. Seems to be solid behind the plate as well.

In the running:
JAIME GARCIA, Nationals. GABY SANCHEZ, Marlins. JASON HEYWARD, Braves.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Jason Heyward as the Rookie of the Year.
At the 1/2 way mark, I had Jamie Garcia as the Rookie of the Year.)

AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR:
OZZIE GUILLEN, White Sox
I was leaning towards Joe Maddon, but the recent surge by Ozzie's White Sox shows just how dangerous they can be. Could Manny's prescience be a positive thing in Chicago. They just want him for a month (maybe two.)

In the running:
RON WASHINGTON, Rangers. RON GARDENHIRE, Twins. JOE MADDON, Rays. JOE GIRARDI, Yankees.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Joe Maddon as the Manager of the Year.
At the 1/2 way mark, I had Ozzie Guillen as the Manager of the Year.)

NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR:
DUSTY BAKER, Reds
The recent collapse by the Padres took Bud Black out of the running for top spot here. The Reds were supposed to be a fringe contender... not cruising to a Division title with home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

In the running:
BOBBY COX, Braves. JIM TRACY, Rockies. BUD BLACK, Padres.

(At the 1/3 mark AND the 1/2 way mark, I had Dusty Baker as the Manager of the Year.)

AL COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR

VLADIMIR GUERRERO, Rangers
How often do you pick up a 100 RBI guy from the scrap heap? There will me more responsibility on his shoulders with Josh Hamilton's injury.

In the running:
VERNON WELLS, Blue Jays. ALEX RIOS, White Sox. EDWIN JACKSON, White Sox. FRANCISCO LIRIANO, Twins.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Vernon Wells as the Comeback Player of the Year.
At the 1/2 way mark, I had Vladimir Guerrero as the Comeback Player of the Year.)

NL COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
TIM HUDSON, Braves
Forget comeback player... Hudson is making a run at the Cy Young Award. 15 wins and a 2.30 ERA will do that.

In the running:
SCOTT ROLEN, Reds. RICKIE WEEKS, Brewers. AUBREY HUFF, Giants.

BIGGEST BUST IN THE AL:
JAVIER VAZQUEZ, Yankees
He was brought back to the Bronx to be a solid #2 starter as Yankee brass was convinced he no longer had the jitters that he showed in his first Yankee tour. It turns out he still had them. His starting stats have been disastrous for the Yankees who need rotation stability in order to repeat.

In the running:
JOSH BECKETT, Red Sox. JOBA CHAMBERLAIN, Yankees. MILTON BRADLEY, Mariners.

(At the 1/3 mark I had Josh Beckett as the biggest bust in the AL
At the 1/2 way mark I had Milton Bradley as the biggest bust in the AL)

BIGGEST BUST IN THE NL
JASON BAY, Mets
Bay had become a symbol of how the Mets use money poorly while the Yankees (at least in 2009) spent wisely. Everyone and their dog knew Jason Bay would struggle in CitiField, except evidently the Mets front office. His season ended in late July with a concussion, but his stats were ordinary at best with the Mets.)

In the running:
AKI IWAMURA, Pirates. ARAMIS RAMIREZ, Cubs. MARK DeROSA, Giants.

(At the 1/3 point I had Carlos Lee as the biggest bust in the NL
And at the 1/2 way point I had Carlos Zambrano as the biggest bust in the NL)


So here we go... the players in the running can all win some off season hardware with a push in September.

I hope to be back here at the end of the regular season talking about the great Red Sox comeback.

I'm pumped for Red Sox and Rays! Oh who am I kidding...

For God's sake, the Red Sox are in third place. Not just for the Division but in the Wild Card hunt. The White Sox leap frogged the Red Sox this weekend.

My team is 8 games back in the loss column on Labor Day. And last time I checked, the Rays aren't the Padres and won't be dropping 10 games any time soon.

It's time to play for pride and count down our TRAGIC number.

So in honor of Fred Lynn, the Red Sox tragic number is 19.

Any combination of Red Sox losses and Rays wins that equal 19 will put this season out of its misery.

(Which means a sweep by the Rays will make the number 13!)

Then again a Red Sox sweep will put the Sox 5 games back in the loss column with 23 to play.

That's it. I AM pumped for this series!

Let's go Lester! Go for win #16!

Witnessing the collapse from a block away

I've had a wonderful weekend in San Diego with my family as we've been staying just across the street from Petco Park. It's a lovely part of a truly beautiful city and I've been witnessing first hand a really tremendous collapse.

The first place Padres have dropped their last 10 (TEN!!!) and I've witnessed that daze of the fans walking around the Gaslamp Quarter as they can't believe their team is folding like a tent.

And as much as I have enjoyed San Diego and their people and as much as I appreciate the story of the no budget Padres winning the division, my second team is the Giants and if the Red Sox can't win, I hope my dad's Giants can.

Which makes my dinner last night all the more surreal.
My wife, kids and I went to the Tin Fish Bar for some seafood Sunday night. And the TV there was showing the Giants/Dodgers game of which I had great interest.

But I couldn't cheer loudly, or at all really.
the Tin Fish is literally a block from PetCo Park and is filled with Padres decorations. And many of the people nursing beers were grumbling about the Friars... many dressed in Padres gear.

It would not have been in good form to be cheering for the team that is hoping to crush the squad whose team plays in the stadium I could see while scarfing down fish.

It isn't quite being in the Cask'N Flagon cheering on the Yankees down the stretch in 1978... but the principle is the same.

The Giants caught them in the win column and is back now by 2 in the loss.
The four game series starting on Thursday at Petco might indeed be epic.

Giants fans travelling south, there are evidently good tickets available. Go stop by the Tin Fish Bar... just don't cheer too loudly.

Did I miss when Colby Rasmus became a big star?

There's a big story going around about Colby Rasmus not happy with his playing time.
Colby Rasmus wants out of St. Louis.
The press wants to know Colby Rasmus' thoughts.
"Hey Albert Pujols, what's YOUR take on Colby Rasmus?"

I even had a reader write me and say, I am quoting you dear reader... "You MUST have an opinion of Colby Rasmus!"

Um yeah. He's an OK outfielder with 2 years experience. He had a nice first month and a half this year but his stats are nothing special.

And I guess he wants to play every day. OK, hit more. This isn't Matt Holliday or Yadier Molina making a stink. It's a player who is OK and will probably end up a 4th outfielder.

STOP THE PRESSES! We've got to make sure HE'S happy!

Are we going to devote MLB Tonight time to Felix Pie next?

Did I get what I wanted this weekend?

Maybe I should rephrase the title "Did ANYTHING happen the way I wanted it to this weekend?"

I made a wish list for the weekend... let's see how awfully it turned out.

RED SOX vs. WHITE SOX
I wanted the Sox to sweep. They did. Unfortunately it was the WHITE Sox who did the sweeping. The Red Sox season is basically done... but the White Sox are rampaging.

YANKEES vs. BLUE JAYS
I wanted the Jays to sweep. They lost 2 of 3... but showed that there are cracks in the Yankees armor in terms of their starting pitching.

METS vs. CUBS
I wanted to see the Mets take 2 of 3 and R. A. Dickey to pick up a win. The Cubs took the first two before being thrashed today. Dickey got the loss on Friday.

ORIOLES vs. RAYS
Wanted an Orioles sweep. The Rays took the first game but lost the next two. Not that it helped the Red Sox in the standings any!

PHILLIES vs. BREWERS
I wanted the Brewers to take 2 of 3 but Halladay to take the win on Saturday. Hamels finally got a close win, Halladay won his 17th on Saturday but the Brewers avoided a sweep today.

PIRATES vs. NATIONALS
The fans at this series never have to prove their loyalty to their team in any other way. I wanted the Pirates to take 2 of 3. Naturally the Nats did.

BRAVES vs. MARLINS
I've never been a fan of the Bobby Cox Braves, so I wanted a Florida sweep to knock them out of their perch, to use a fish term. The Marlins took 2 of 3 including a thriller today.

RANGERS vs. TWINS
No offense to Minnesota, but I wanted the Rangers to sweep so Chicago could keep pace. It was the Twins who swept and kept pace with the surging White Sox. And oh yeah, one of the games ended on a crazy ticky tack interference call.

TIGERS vs. ROYALS
I wanted a Zack Greinke win. The bullpen blew a lead for him. I wanted an Armando Gallaraga win. He got a no decision. I also wanted a 28 inning game. I got an 11 inning one. Close enough.

CARDINALS vs. REDS
I wanted the Cardinals to take 2 of 3. They did. But I was hoping Wainwright's 18th victory would come this weekend, which it didn't.

ASTROS vs. DIAMONDBACKS
I didn't care about this series so basically I wanted three winners. Specifically I wanted 30 inning games, but I would settle for thrillers. I got three one run victories, including a wild comeback from Houston on Saturday as they took 2 of 3.

ANGELS vs. A'S
I still don't like the Angels and I hoped for an Oakland sweep. I got 2 of 3 for the A's. Both Cahill and Santana got wins to keep padding their win total.

INDIANS vs. MARINERS
I wanted them to go back in time to 1995 when they were both contenders. I also wanted Felix Hernandez to get a win. They stayed in 2010 but King Felix did indeed get a "W."

ROCKIES vs. PADRES
I spent the weekend in San Diego. It's a lovely city and the Padre fans have been wonderful. But I am rooting for the Giants to win it all if the Red Sox can't. I wanted a Rockies sweep. That's exactly what I got.

GIANTS vs. DODGERS
I hoped the Giants could inch closer to a playoff spot by sweeping L.A. While it wasn't a sweep, Juan Uribe is etching his name into the history book of late season Giants heroics as he powered San Francisco to two wins in three games.

So all in all, I didn't get a lot of what I wanted...
The Red Sox season appears to be over.

However, my dad (and my son Aidan) should be thrilled to see the Giants climbing back into the thick of things.

So as long as my family is happy... I'm happy.

Was it REALLY necessary to end a game like that?

A thrilling game was played today with post season implications in Minnesota.
The Rangers and the Twins are both fighting for home field advantage in the Division Series (which might be huge in trying to upset either the Yankees or the Rays in the first round.)

The Twins were going for the sweep... the Rangers were rallying in the 9th.
It is everything that you want in a meaningful September Labor Day weekend baseball game.

So what are people going to talk about?

The fact that Michael Young's hand briefly touched third base coach Dave Anderson's hand as he rounded third as the potential tying run.

Interference. Third Out. End of Game.

Really?
I mean I know that technically the brushing of hands isn't allowed, but shouldn't there be the equivalent of the swallowing of a whistle at this point in a game? In a big game in the 9th inning with 2 outs... shouldn't the ump come over to Anderson after the play and say "Watch out. You touched him as he rounded the bases. Next time I'll call that"?

Did the brushing of hands REALLY help Michael Young or affect the play in any way shape or form. It's not like he was Forrest Gump picking up Bubba and Lt. Dan from the Vietnam gunfire. Their hands brushed in a wild and nutty 9th inning.

Seriously, Alfonso Marquez, was it REALLY necessary to END a game like this... the last meeting of these two in the regular season, on a ticky tack call?

Now I know I am going to get people writing in saying "A rule is a rule and it needs to be enforced at all times."

I remember when I got on Bob Davidson for ejecting John Lackey in 2009 for what I thought was a ticky tack and garbled reason, I got people writing saying that rules need to be enforced no matter what the situation is.

Why?
Seriously... why?
In other sports you see the refs let the players play the game. You try not to have games decided on a cheap hand check or a cheap penalty to cause an overtime powerplay.

If Texas finish a game behind the Twins at the end of their regular season, I am sure it will be a great comfort to Rangers fans to know they are starting the playoffs on the road because Michael Young's hand briefly touched Dave Anderson's.

THE PLANETS ARE ALLIGNING FOR THE GIANTS

The Padres have lost a comical 10 games in a row.
The Phillies got bombed early and the Brewers let their early lead stick.
Even the Braves lost.

Things are lining up in a way where Giants fans wouldn’t dare dream.
No need for a dream now.

Focus Giants…
If Jonathan Sanchez and the Giants can beat Hiroku Kuroda and the Dodgers… the Giants will be 2 games back in the loss column for both the West AND the Wild Card going into Labor Day.

You want meaningful games in September? The Giants are 3 games back in the loss column of having home field advantage in the Division Series!

Stay focus Giants… an alignment doesn’t happen like this every year!

Can there be ANYTHING good taken from today's game?

This was rough.
REALLY rough.

The Rays lost... the Yankees lost... The Sox got a come from behind lead and an OK start from Josh Beckett...

And EVERYTHING went wrong in the 9th.

Here's a note. If you give up 5 walks in the 9th inning, chances are something TRULY horrible is going to happen.

I guess if ANYTHING positive happened today is that they didn't LOSE any ground.

Oh who am I kidding?
Evidently myself because I am going to update the tally.

DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 47

April 4 - 9-7 win against Yankees (On Opening Night, the Red Sox overcome a 5-1 Yankee lead with a game tying HR by Pedroia and a go ahead passed ball.)
April 10 - 8-3 win against Kansas City (Beckett out pitches Zack Greinke and nearly gets decapitated by a line drive.)
April 14 - 6-3 win in Minnesota. (Okajima gets Morneau to pop up with the bases loaded in the 7th and Papelbon wiggled out of a 9th inning jam.)
April 20 - 7-6 win against Texas. (Darnell McDonald introduces himself to Boston with an 8th inning game tying homer and a walk off hit in the 9th.)
April 21 - 8-7 win against Texas. (The Red Sox were down 4-0 early only to win it on Youk's 2 out 11th inning double.)
April 23 - 4-3 win against Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 3-0 lead but win it on Adrian Beltre's bases loaded walk.)

April 24 - 7-6 win against Baltimore. (The Red Sox score 6 in the 7th and hold off a late Baltimore comeback attempt.)
April 26 - 13-12 win at Toronto. (The Sox blow an early 5-0 lead but hang on for dear life in a slugfest.)
April 27 - 2-1 win at Toronto. (Buchholz holds the Jays down for 8 but it takes a bases loaded walk in the 8th to go ahead.)
April 28 - 2-0 win at Toronto. (Daniel Bard wiggles out of trouble in the 8th to help Lester shut down the Blue Jays and finish the sweep.)
May 4 - 5-1 win against the Angels. (Juan Rivera misplays Jeremy Hermedia's 2 out flyball into a 3 run game winning double)
May 5 - 3-1 win against the Angels. (Papi and Beltre homer and the Sox hang on despite squandering many potential rallies.)
May 6 - 11-6 win against the Angels. (Dice-K puts the Red Sox in a 4-0 hole before they even bat. The Sox bats respond.)
May 10 - 7-6 win against the Blue Jays. (Sox blow an early 2-0 lead, take advantage of some errors and hang on.)
May 18 - 7-5 win in New York. (Sox climb back from a 5-1 hole. A day after hitting a walk off homer, Marcus Thames drops a fly ball to start the winning rally for the Sox.)
May 25 - 2-0 win in Tampa. (Big Papi supplies all the offense as Papelbon wiggles out of a 9th inning jam.)
May 29 - 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Zack Greinke holds the Sox to one run, but they make it stick)

June 1 - 9-4 win against Oakland. (Lackey puts the Sox in a 4-0 hole but Victor Martinez goes 5-5 and the Sox score 9 runs late.)
June 2 - 6-4 win against Oakland. (Dice-K puts the Sox in a 3-0 hole before they come to bat, but come back thanks to Papi's homer.)

June 8 - 3-2 win at Cleveland. (With Papelbon unavailable, Okajima, Ramirez and Bard hang on to make a winner out of Wakefield.)

June 19 - 5-4 win against the Dodgers. (Sox make 4 errors, blow a late lead and let Manny homer, but they win it in the bottom of the 9th on a Pedroia single.)
June 20 - 2-0 win against the Dodgers. (Dodgers blow an early bases loaded scoring opportunity and allow Buchholz to settle down for the win.)

June 24 - 13-11 win in Colorado. (The bullpen lets up 9 runs in 5 innings, but Pedroia homers 3 times including with 2 outs in the 10th to win a wild and stupid game.)
June 26 - 4-2 win in San Francisco. (An injury running the bases takes Buchholz out in the second, but the bullpen and Mike Cameron's bat and glove win the game.)
July 2 - 3-2 win against the Orioles. (Wakefield gets the win and J.D. Drew homers twice, but it is Nava's 2 out 8th inning bloop that landed between three fielders that breaks the tie.)

July 11 - 3-2 win in Toronto. (Jesse Litch took a no hitter into the 6th but back to back homers by McDonald and Big Papi win the game.)
July 17 - 3-2 win against Texas. (Youk ties the game in the 9th off of Cliff Lee and wins it in the 11th with a sacrifuce fly)
July 19 - 2-1 win at Oakland. (Beltre homers and Dice-K holds on to the win.)
July 22 - 8-6 win at Seattle. (Lackey lost a no hit bid in the 8th and the Mariners scored 5 in the 9th to tie before the Sox won in 13)
July 23 - 2-1 win at Seattle. (Bill Hall's barely fair homer gives the Sox the win on Beckett's return.)

July 26 - 6-3 win in Anaheim. (Papi homers twice and Buccholz and Papelbon each wiggle out of jams to get the win.)
July 27 - 4-2 win in Anaheim. (Jed Lowrie's 2 run 7th inning double gives the Sox the lead and makes a winner out of John Lackey. )

July 28 - 7-3 win in Anaheim. (Youk ties the game in the 7th with a homer and Scutaro wins it with an 8th inning grand slam to sweep the Angels.)
July 31 - 5-4 win against Detrout. (Big Papi hits a 3 run walk off double to crush the Tigers in the 9th.)
August 1 - 4-3 win against Detroit. (Sox blow a 3 run 9th inning lead but the Tigers throw away a 9th inning sacrifice bunt to give the Sox the win.

August 3 - 3-1 win against Cleveland. (Lowell homers on his first pitch back and plays sparkling defense to preserve the win.)

August 6 - 6-3 win in Yankee Stadium. (Cervelli drops an easy pop up, setting up the winning rally for the Sox.)
August 9 - 2-1 win in Yankees Stadium. (Marcus Thames' bid for a game tying homer hits the top of the wall as Lester, Bard and Papelbon hold on for the win.)

August 10 - 7-5 win in Toronto. (The Sox blow a late lead but Mike Lowell puts them on top for good with an 8th inning homer.)
August 14 - 3-1 win in Texas. (Lester wiggles out of jams and a botched hit and run play kills a potential 9th inning Texas rally.)
August 18 - 7-5 win against the Angels. (The Sox fell behind 5-2, but came back with Beltre's homer, a wild pitch, a hit by pitch and some great Nava defense)
August 21 - 5-4 win against Toronto. (Jed Lowrie hits a walk off 11th inning homer, masking a come back rally by the Jays against Dice-K.)
August 23 - 6-3 win against Seattle. (Scuatro drives in the go ahead runs and Lackey throws a gritty 8 innings)
August 25 - 5-3 win against Seattle. (Beckett throws a shutout into the 7th and the Sox rally for 4 in the 6th in the rain and fog, including a strange RBI single off the pitcher by Beltre.)
August 27 - 3-1 win at Tampa Bay. (Victor Martinez homers twice and Papelbon wiggles out of a 9th inning jam as Lester out duels David Price.)
September 1 - 9-6 win in Baltimore. (A 6 run seventh inning uprising turns an early Orioles lead into a Sox win.)
September 2 - 6-4 win in Baltimore. (The Sox score 5 in the second and hang on for dear life.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 42

April 6 - 6-4 loss against the Yankees. (Scutaro's error leads to the winning run.)
April 7 - 3-1 loss against the Yankees. (Sox leave the winning run on in the 9th only to lose on Granderson's 10th inning homer)
April 9 - 4-3 loss in Kansas City. (Bard coughs up the lead, denying Wakefield a win.)
April 17 - 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Sox can't score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th... lost it in the 12th.)
April 17 - 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox comeback falls a run short, leaving two on in the 8th)
April 25 - 7-6 loss to Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 4-1 lead, leave the winning run on second in the 9th, let up 3 in the 10th and could only score 2 in the bottom of the 10th)
April 30 - 5-4 loss in Baltimore. (Tejada ties the game with a 2 out 8th inning homer and wins it with a bloop in the 10th)
May 1 - 12-9 loss in Baltimore. (Dice-K and Wakes get pounded, wasting 2 homers from Ortiz and an early 4-1 lead.)
May 2 - 3-2 loss in Baltimore. (Varitek is thrown at home trying to score with 2 outs in the 8th. Sox get swept in the 10th.
May 12 - 3-2 loss against the Blue Jays. (The Sox rally in the 9th comes up a run short and Kevin Gregg gets an ugly save.)
May 15 - 7-6 loss in Detroit. (The Sox blow a 6-1 lead and lose it on a 2 out bases loaded walk in the 12th.)
May 17 - 11-9 loss in New York. (The Sox come all the way back from a 5-0 first inning hole to take a 9-7 lead in the 9th... but Papelbon lets up a 2 run game tying shot to A-Rod and a 2 run walk off shot to Marcus Thames.)
May 21 - 5-1 loss in Philadelphia. (Big Papi's bid for a game tying 9th inning grand slam is caught at the warning track.)
May 27 - 4-3 loss to Kansas City. (Dice-K walks the go ahead run in and lets another score on a wild pitch as the Royals no name bullpen shut down the Hot Sox.)
May 28 - 12-5 loss to Kansas City. (Sox blow a 3-0 first inning lead to be blown out in Fenway.)
June 3 - 9-8 loss to Oakland. (Sox lose a slugfest where two Boston runners are thrown out at home.)

June 6 - 4-3 loss in Baltimore. (Sox rally to tie the game in the 9th only to lose it on a small ball rally in the 11th.)
June 10 - 8-7 loss in Cleveland. (Sox blow an early 5-0 lead and then after rallying in the 9th to take the lead coughed it up with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th)
June 13 - 5-3 loss to Philadelphia. (Sox 9th inning rally comes up short)
June 22 - 2-1 loss in Colorado. (The Sox waste a solid Lester start and twice leave the bases loaded.)
June 23 - 8-6 loss in Colorado. (The Sox batter Ubaldo Jimenez around but Papelbon lets up 2 homers in the 9th to lose it.)
June 25 - 5-4 loss in San Francisco. (The Sox strand 11 runners in the last 4 innings wasting a solid Wakefield performance.)
July 5 - 6-5 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox spoil a 5-1 lead and 2 homers by Eric Patterson when Dice-K and the bullpen couldn't hold down the Rays.)
July 6 - 3-2 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox bats go dead and Kevin Youkilis goes down to injury.)
July 7 - 6-4 loss in Tampa Bay. (Matt Garza comes out of the pen, shuts down a late rally as the Rays sweep the Sox.)
July 10 - 9-5 loss in Toronto. (The Sox give Lackey an early 5-3 lead that he couldn't hold.)
July 18 - 4-2 loss to the Rangers. (Lester loses a rare game at home that included a Rangers steal of home.) July 20 - 5-4 loss in Oakland. (The Sox go up 4-0 after 2 but don't score again and lose it in the 10th)
July 21 - 6-4 loss in Oakland. (Buchholz can't hold on to an early lead as the Sox lose the series.)
July 24 - 5-1 loss in Seattle. (Lester's perfect game is foiled and the Red Sox bats die.)
July 25 - 4-2 loss in Seattle. (Okajima misplays a sacrifice bunt and the Mariners rally in the 8th to win.)
July 30 - 6-5 loss to Detroit. (Papi's grand slam makes it a 1 run game in the 9th but Cameron strikes out looking with the winning runs on base.)
August 2 - 6-5 loss to Cleveland. (Beltre drives in 5 runs by himself but the Red Sox leave the tying run on base with Big Papi on deck.)
August 12 - 6-5 loss in Toronto. (The Jays score 4 in the 9th inning to avoid the sweep.)
August 13 - 10-9 loss in Texas. (Beckett can't hold an early 8-1 lead as the Sox lose in 11.)
August 15 - 7-3 loss in Texas. (Young's homer breaks open a tight game.)
August 25 - 4-2 loss to Seattle. (The Sox knock out King Felix but can't score on the bullpen.)
August 28 - 3-2 loss in Tampa. (Buchholz was wonderful but Upton's homer in the 8th tied it and Dan Johnson's homer in the 10th was the winner)
August 29 - 5-3 loss in Tampa. (Dan Johnson once again sinks the Sox with a late game RBI single)

August 31 - 5-2 loss in Baltimore. (Beckett pitches well but 2 8th inning homers sink the Sox.)
September 4 - 3-1 loss to Chicago. (Manny acts contrite, Konerko gets 3 hits and Danks shuts down a lifeless Sox team.)
September 4 - 3-1 loss to Chicago. (Nope, it isn't a typo. They lost twice in the same day by the same score.)
September 5 - 7-5 loss to Chicago. (Papelbon implodes as the Red Sox blow a 5-3 lead in the 9th thanks to 5 ninth inning walks.)

Down to +4.

I really hoped this upcoming series with Tampa was going to mean something. I guess

Once again, I compare Javy Vazquez to a stand up comic

Back when Javy Vazquez was dealt to the Braves in 2009, I compared him to a stand up comic who had one good set and was coasting on this reputation.

Well, Vazquez brought back memories of my stand up comedy days this morning. I remember there were many times I would see a comic absolutely EATING it on stage.

I'm not just talking about not getting laughs. I am talking hostility from the crowd. People walking out. And the comic just... wouldn't... get... off... the... stage.

The MC would be blinking the light and waving their arms to get their attention. Sometimes they would turn music on. I saw one club owner shut the mike off.

And here's the thing that always blew my mind about those comics:
They would ALWAYS complain about being taken off the stage too soon.

"What the hell? I wasn't done with my set!"

They would bitch and moan like crazy. And I would always think "Why would you want to STAY on stage when you are bombing like that?"

I bombed plenty of times and guess what? When I was eating it, I was BEGGING for the MC to get me off the stage!

Which brings us back to Vazquez.
He was brutal this year... as he has tended to be all year.

He let up 5 runs and 8 baserunners in less than 5 innings. And remember he has been taken in and out of the rotation all year because instead of being a #2 starter, he's been a complete bust.

And according to the Daily News he was upset that Joe Girardi took him out of the game in the 5th inning.

"the fact that I got taken out early, that wasn't good."

Um... Javy. You were bombing. Why would you WANT to stay on and get bombed some more?
Girardi was doing you a favor.

Can pitchers with a 5.01 ERA really bitch and moan when they are taken out? As a starter he has a 5.23 ERA and averages less than 6 innings a start (he is a workhorse, remember?) can he really complain about when he is taken out?

You got the light, Javy. Get off the stage!

Cheer up Roy... I think you should win the Cy Young Award

Last night's performance by Roy Halladay was far from his best this year.
Then again, he threw a perfect game earlier this year... safe to say he isn't topping THAT any time soon.

He struggled early and put the Phillies behind 2-0 and 3-2... then he settled down. He gave the Phillies 7 innings and allowed them a shot to win. Which he did.

For those who are in love with wins, he has 17, the same as Adam Wainwright and Ubaldo Jimenez.

Halladay's ERA is just .02 more than Wainwright's but he's thrown many more innings.

And unlike Wainwright, Halladay picked up a win today that his team sorely needs.

As of this writing, he's my choice to win the Cy Young Award.

That could change at any moment.

3 is a big number for the Giants right now

The number 3 is retired at AT&T Park in San Francisco for former New York Giant great Bill Terry. He was a Hall of Fame first baseman and was the player/manager for the 1933 World Champion Giants.

I bet most Giant fans have no clue who he is.

But they should be thinking about his number in regards to the playoff push.

They were sunk tonight in Los Angeles... down 4-0 in the 7th... down 4-3 in the 9th inning... they were on the verge of letting wasting another chance to take advantage of the Padres struggles.

Then Juan Uribe did his best Brian Johnson impersonation and slugged a gigantic homer against L.A.

It was a big one... one of those if the Giants DO win this Division, it will be shown again and again on the Diamondvision by China Basin.

The standings say the Giants are 2 games back of the freefalling Padres.

Actually they are 3 back in the loss column, which is probably a better barometer of what the Giants have to do.

They are also 3 games behind the Phillies for the Wild Card. Now granted, the Phillies look like a run away freight train. Good luck stopping them.

But the Giants have 26 games to make up 3 in the loss column to these two teams.
They come to San Diego for four games next weekend.

And how does the season end? With a series between the Giants and the Padres in San Francisco.

How many games in that series?

Three.

Did I just have a Deja Vu?

I was out to dinner with the wife and kids tonight and I checked my phone to see the Red Sox score from the second game of the double header.

Oddly they were still listing the score from the FIRST game, the 3-1 loss to the White Sox, but they were strangely listing the game as still in progress.

Then it dawned on me.
They were losing 3-1 AGAIN!

It was history repeating itself. And one set of Sox were folding while the other set of Sox are stampeding back into the playoff hunt to the tune of a 5 game winning streak.

(Watch Scott Boras show how this PROVES Manny is the difference maker in the pennant race.)

Let's update the tally... there won't be many more times to do that.

DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 47

April 4 - 9-7 win against Yankees (On Opening Night, the Red Sox overcome a 5-1 Yankee lead with a game tying HR by Pedroia and a go ahead passed ball.)
April 10 - 8-3 win against Kansas City (Beckett out pitches Zack Greinke and nearly gets decapitated by a line drive.)
April 14 - 6-3 win in Minnesota. (Okajima gets Morneau to pop up with the bases loaded in the 7th and Papelbon wiggled out of a 9th inning jam.)
April 20 - 7-6 win against Texas. (Darnell McDonald introduces himself to Boston with an 8th inning game tying homer and a walk off hit in the 9th.)
April 21 - 8-7 win against Texas. (The Red Sox were down 4-0 early only to win it on Youk's 2 out 11th inning double.)
April 23 - 4-3 win against Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 3-0 lead but win it on Adrian Beltre's bases loaded walk.)

April 24 - 7-6 win against Baltimore. (The Red Sox score 6 in the 7th and hold off a late Baltimore comeback attempt.)
April 26 - 13-12 win at Toronto. (The Sox blow an early 5-0 lead but hang on for dear life in a slugfest.)
April 27 - 2-1 win at Toronto. (Buchholz holds the Jays down for 8 but it takes a bases loaded walk in the 8th to go ahead.)
April 28 - 2-0 win at Toronto. (Daniel Bard wiggles out of trouble in the 8th to help Lester shut down the Blue Jays and finish the sweep.)
May 4 - 5-1 win against the Angels. (Juan Rivera misplays Jeremy Hermedia's 2 out flyball into a 3 run game winning double)
May 5 - 3-1 win against the Angels. (Papi and Beltre homer and the Sox hang on despite squandering many potential rallies.)
May 6 - 11-6 win against the Angels. (Dice-K puts the Red Sox in a 4-0 hole before they even bat. The Sox bats respond.)
May 10 - 7-6 win against the Blue Jays. (Sox blow an early 2-0 lead, take advantage of some errors and hang on.)
May 18 - 7-5 win in New York. (Sox climb back from a 5-1 hole. A day after hitting a walk off homer, Marcus Thames drops a fly ball to start the winning rally for the Sox.)
May 25 - 2-0 win in Tampa. (Big Papi supplies all the offense as Papelbon wiggles out of a 9th inning jam.)
May 29 - 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Zack Greinke holds the Sox to one run, but they make it stick)

June 1 - 9-4 win against Oakland. (Lackey puts the Sox in a 4-0 hole but Victor Martinez goes 5-5 and the Sox score 9 runs late.)
June 2 - 6-4 win against Oakland. (Dice-K puts the Sox in a 3-0 hole before they come to bat, but come back thanks to Papi's homer.)

June 8 - 3-2 win at Cleveland. (With Papelbon unavailable, Okajima, Ramirez and Bard hang on to make a winner out of Wakefield.)

June 19 - 5-4 win against the Dodgers. (Sox make 4 errors, blow a late lead and let Manny homer, but they win it in the bottom of the 9th on a Pedroia single.)
June 20 - 2-0 win against the Dodgers. (Dodgers blow an early bases loaded scoring opportunity and allow Buchholz to settle down for the win.)

June 24 - 13-11 win in Colorado. (The bullpen lets up 9 runs in 5 innings, but Pedroia homers 3 times including with 2 outs in the 10th to win a wild and stupid game.)
June 26 - 4-2 win in San Francisco. (An injury running the bases takes Buchholz out in the second, but the bullpen and Mike Cameron's bat and glove win the game.)
July 2 - 3-2 win against the Orioles. (Wakefield gets the win and J.D. Drew homers twice, but it is Nava's 2 out 8th inning bloop that landed between three fielders that breaks the tie.)

July 11 - 3-2 win in Toronto. (Jesse Litch took a no hitter into the 6th but back to back homers by McDonald and Big Papi win the game.)
July 17 - 3-2 win against Texas. (Youk ties the game in the 9th off of Cliff Lee and wins it in the 11th with a sacrifuce fly)
July 19 - 2-1 win at Oakland. (Beltre homers and Dice-K holds on to the win.)
July 22 - 8-6 win at Seattle. (Lackey lost a no hit bid in the 8th and the Mariners scored 5 in the 9th to tie before the Sox won in 13)
July 23 - 2-1 win at Seattle. (Bill Hall's barely fair homer gives the Sox the win on Beckett's return.)

July 26 - 6-3 win in Anaheim. (Papi homers twice and Buccholz and Papelbon each wiggle out of jams to get the win.)
July 27 - 4-2 win in Anaheim. (Jed Lowrie's 2 run 7th inning double gives the Sox the lead and makes a winner out of John Lackey. )

July 28 - 7-3 win in Anaheim. (Youk ties the game in the 7th with a homer and Scutaro wins it with an 8th inning grand slam to sweep the Angels.)
July 31 - 5-4 win against Detrout. (Big Papi hits a 3 run walk off double to crush the Tigers in the 9th.)
August 1 - 4-3 win against Detroit. (Sox blow a 3 run 9th inning lead but the Tigers throw away a 9th inning sacrifice bunt to give the Sox the win.

August 3 - 3-1 win against Cleveland. (Lowell homers on his first pitch back and plays sparkling defense to preserve the win.)

August 6 - 6-3 win in Yankee Stadium. (Cervelli drops an easy pop up, setting up the winning rally for the Sox.)
August 9 - 2-1 win in Yankees Stadium. (Marcus Thames' bid for a game tying homer hits the top of the wall as Lester, Bard and Papelbon hold on for the win.)

August 10 - 7-5 win in Toronto. (The Sox blow a late lead but Mike Lowell puts them on top for good with an 8th inning homer.)
August 14 - 3-1 win in Texas. (Lester wiggles out of jams and a botched hit and run play kills a potential 9th inning Texas rally.)
August 18 - 7-5 win against the Angels. (The Sox fell behind 5-2, but came back with Beltre's homer, a wild pitch, a hit by pitch and some great Nava defense)
August 21 - 5-4 win against Toronto. (Jed Lowrie hits a walk off 11th inning homer, masking a come back rally by the Jays against Dice-K.)
August 23 - 6-3 win against Seattle. (Scuatro drives in the go ahead runs and Lackey throws a gritty 8 innings)
August 25 - 5-3 win against Seattle. (Beckett throws a shutout into the 7th and the Sox rally for 4 in the 6th in the rain and fog, including a strange RBI single off the pitcher by Beltre.)
August 27 - 3-1 win at Tampa Bay. (Victor Martinez homers twice and Papelbon wiggles out of a 9th inning jam as Lester out duels David Price.)
September 1 - 9-6 win in Baltimore. (A 6 run seventh inning uprising turns an early Orioles lead into a Sox win.)
September 2 - 6-4 win in Baltimore. (The Sox score 5 in the second and hang on for dear life.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 41

April 6 - 6-4 loss against the Yankees. (Scutaro's error leads to the winning run.)
April 7 - 3-1 loss against the Yankees. (Sox leave the winning run on in the 9th only to lose on Granderson's 10th inning homer)
April 9 - 4-3 loss in Kansas City. (Bard coughs up the lead, denying Wakefield a win.)
April 17 - 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Sox can't score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th... lost it in the 12th.)
April 17 - 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox comeback falls a run short, leaving two on in the 8th)
April 25 - 7-6 loss to Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 4-1 lead, leave the winning run on second in the 9th, let up 3 in the 10th and could only score 2 in the bottom of the 10th)
April 30 - 5-4 loss in Baltimore. (Tejada ties the game with a 2 out 8th inning homer and wins it with a bloop in the 10th)
May 1 - 12-9 loss in Baltimore. (Dice-K and Wakes get pounded, wasting 2 homers from Ortiz and an early 4-1 lead.)
May 2 - 3-2 loss in Baltimore. (Varitek is thrown at home trying to score with 2 outs in the 8th. Sox get swept in the 10th.
May 12 - 3-2 loss against the Blue Jays. (The Sox rally in the 9th comes up a run short and Kevin Gregg gets an ugly save.)
May 15 - 7-6 loss in Detroit. (The Sox blow a 6-1 lead and lose it on a 2 out bases loaded walk in the 12th.)
May 17 - 11-9 loss in New York. (The Sox come all the way back from a 5-0 first inning hole to take a 9-7 lead in the 9th... but Papelbon lets up a 2 run game tying shot to A-Rod and a 2 run walk off shot to Marcus Thames.)
May 21 - 5-1 loss in Philadelphia. (Big Papi's bid for a game tying 9th inning grand slam is caught at the warning track.)
May 27 - 4-3 loss to Kansas City. (Dice-K walks the go ahead run in and lets another score on a wild pitch as the Royals no name bullpen shut down the Hot Sox.)
May 28 - 12-5 loss to Kansas City. (Sox blow a 3-0 first inning lead to be blown out in Fenway.)
June 3 - 9-8 loss to Oakland. (Sox lose a slugfest where two Boston runners are thrown out at home.)

June 6 - 4-3 loss in Baltimore. (Sox rally to tie the game in the 9th only to lose it on a small ball rally in the 11th.)
June 10 - 8-7 loss in Cleveland. (Sox blow an early 5-0 lead and then after rallying in the 9th to take the lead coughed it up with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th)
June 13 - 5-3 loss to Philadelphia. (Sox 9th inning rally comes up short)
June 22 - 2-1 loss in Colorado. (The Sox waste a solid Lester start and twice leave the bases loaded.)
June 23 - 8-6 loss in Colorado. (The Sox batter Ubaldo Jimenez around but Papelbon lets up 2 homers in the 9th to lose it.)
June 25 - 5-4 loss in San Francisco. (The Sox strand 11 runners in the last 4 innings wasting a solid Wakefield performance.)
July 5 - 6-5 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox spoil a 5-1 lead and 2 homers by Eric Patterson when Dice-K and the bullpen couldn't hold down the Rays.)
July 6 - 3-2 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox bats go dead and Kevin Youkilis goes down to injury.)
July 7 - 6-4 loss in Tampa Bay. (Matt Garza comes out of the pen, shuts down a late rally as the Rays sweep the Sox.)
July 10 - 9-5 loss in Toronto. (The Sox give Lackey an early 5-3 lead that he couldn't hold.)
July 18 - 4-2 loss to the Rangers. (Lester loses a rare game at home that included a Rangers steal of home.) July 20 - 5-4 loss in Oakland. (The Sox go up 4-0 after 2 but don't score again and lose it in the 10th)
July 21 - 6-4 loss in Oakland. (Buchholz can't hold on to an early lead as the Sox lose the series.)
July 24 - 5-1 loss in Seattle. (Lester's perfect game is foiled and the Red Sox bats die.)
July 25 - 4-2 loss in Seattle. (Okajima misplays a sacrifice bunt and the Mariners rally in the 8th to win.)
July 30 - 6-5 loss to Detroit. (Papi's grand slam makes it a 1 run game in the 9th but Cameron strikes out looking with the winning runs on base.)
August 2 - 6-5 loss to Cleveland. (Beltre drives in 5 runs by himself but the Red Sox leave the tying run on base with Big Papi on deck.)
August 12 - 6-5 loss in Toronto. (The Jays score 4 in the 9th inning to avoid the sweep.)
August 13 - 10-9 loss in Texas. (Beckett can't hold an early 8-1 lead as the Sox lose in 11.)
August 15 - 7-3 loss in Texas. (Young's homer breaks open a tight game.)
August 25 - 4-2 loss to Seattle. (The Sox knock out King Felix but can't score on the bullpen.)
August 28 - 3-2 loss in Tampa. (Buchholz was wonderful but Upton's homer in the 8th tied it and Dan Johnson's homer in the 10th was the winner)
August 29 - 5-3 loss in Tampa. (Dan Johnson once again sinks the Sox with a late game RBI single)

August 31 - 5-2 loss in Baltimore. (Beckett pitches well but 2 8th inning homers sink the Sox.)
September 4 - 3-1 loss to Chicago. (Manny acts contrite, Konerko gets 3 hits and Danks shuts down a lifeless Sox team.)
September 4 - 3-1 loss to Chicago. (Nope, it isn't a typo. They lost twice in the same day by the same score.)

Down to +5.

If the WHITE Sox win tomorrow, they will leap frog the Red Sox into second place for the Wild Card.

It's looking bleak... but I've said that already.

Speaking of Deja Vu, please enjoy this Monty Python sketch... one of my all time favorites.