Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - July 24, 2013

Is Francisco Rodriguez a good pick up for the Orioles? And should Robinson Cano follow Dustin Pedroia in signing a long term deal?


Those questions and more on today's episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Ryan Braun was lying the whole time, to the shock of exactly nobody. And I can't honestly look you in the eye and say I wouldn't juice to help my show.

duardo Nunez, Gerrit Cole, Adrian Gonzalez and Jarred Cosart all owned baseball on July 23, 2013.


To see the up to date tally of "Who Owns Baseball?," click HERE.
Subscribe on iTunes HERE.

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - July 24, 2013
 

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - January 14, 2013

Comedian Clayton Fletcher joins The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast today.
We talked about the Baltimore Orioles, run differential and what we should do with Buck Showalter.

Follow Clayton of Twitter HERE.


 Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - January 14, 2013

 

CARL Ripken Jr?

Did you notice this subtitle on the Orioles/Rangers broadcast?

Who is the guy between John Smoltz and Ernie Johnson?

CARL Ripken Jr.?

Really TBS? Is CAL Ripken too obscure a player for you guys?
Nobody there checking the spelling of the name of the most beloved Orioles player ever during the Orioles first post season game since 1997 when CAL Ripken was playing?


Watch them spell Marc Rzepczynski correctly.

 

I am rooting AGAINST the Red Sox for the first time in my life

I am doing something this weekend that I have never done in my life:
I am rooting against the Boston Red Sox.

They lost yesterday and I was happy. I want them to lose today and tomorrow.

Let me explain.

I have stood by the Red Sox through thick and thin.
I've been a Red Sox fan since the late 1970's.
I have hazy memories of the red hats of 1978 and vivid memories of the 1979 squad.

I cheered for Carlton Fisk, Fred Lynn and especially Butch Hobson.

I had a Yaz poster and loved Jim Rice. I cheered for Roger Clemens, cried in 1986 and was in the stands in 1988 when they lost the pennant in Oakland.

I have not lived in Massachusetts since 1987 and could have abandoned the Sox many times.
I lived in the Bay Area when the Bash Brothers ruled Oakland and they won three pennants and the 1989 title.

The Giants played a Hum Baby brand of ball and won a division and a pennant.

I lived in New York for the bulk of Joe Torre's run.

I am living in Los Angeles in time to see two Dodgers and two Angels division winners.

I've stayed loyal to the Sox every time.

I wore my Red Sox hat proudly in Oakland and the Bronx for post season games.

I appeared on HBO, ESPN2 and NESN as a representative of Red Sox fandom.

My Red Sox fan credentials can not be questioned.

I have earned them.

So why am I rooting against them for three days?

It is simple.

There is nothing to gain for the Red Sox by winning this weekend.

The season is over. It is a disaster. It has a chance to be the worst season since 1966.

The worst year before the Impossible Dream of 1967 revived the team.

So winning a few games here or there is not going to save the year.

But Red Sox fans can take heart in knowing the Yankees are struggling and could possibly lose the division to the upstart Orioles. And maybe even have to win out to clinch a spot in the post season at all.

There is Red Sox misery this year. It has already happened. But to couple that with Yankee joy would be unbearable.

Hoping the Yankees are scrambling for a playoff spot in the final three games, not resting starters, using Sabathia when they do not want to and having an aura of panic set in the Bronx is worth three more losses in a lost season.

And who do the Yankees play at the end of the year? That would be the Red Sox. And you bet the spirit of Dom DiMaggio, Ted Williams and Johnny Pesky that I will be rooting for the Red Sox in those three games.

It is worth it to see the Red Sox lose Saturday and Sunday to see them have the chance for a spoiler role as the season concludes.

Hoping for misery in the Bronx is almost as important as rooting for success in Fenway.
There will be no success in Fenway this year.

But ending the year knowing that the Yankees could lose the Division and at best use their best pitcher in a one game playoff at the Red Sox hand?

That would be a sweet ending to a rotten year.

All it takes is a 3-2 record the rest of the way. Two losses to Baltimore and three against the Yankees.

Forgive me 2012 Red Sox. But you haven't earned my love this year. Knock the Yankees out. It could be the only thing the team does right all year.

For two games, go Orioles. Then everything goes back to normal.


 

I will be a guest on Midday with Dan Rodicks CALL IN

Today I will be a guest on Midday with Dan Rodricks on WYPOR 88.1, public radio in Baltimore.
We will be discussing the Orioles unlikely season, why things have turned around, why some people can't give them credit and the effect of the Smiling Bird Cap.

I will be on around 1:30 PM East Coast Time and 10:30 AM in California.

Call in!
866-661-9309

And listen live at this link!


 

Manny Machado shows he can hit Triple A pitching

20 year old phenom Manny Machado was called up to the Orioles this week. The third overall pick was at Double-A Bowie when he got the call to the parent club.

The Orioles seemed to time to promotion well. Instead of exposing him to big league pitching, they Machado play the Royals and essentially a Triple-A staff.

He responded with a triple, 2 homers, a .500 average and a 2.000 OPS over his first two games.

I say one more weekend against Triple-A pitchers and then have him face big league pitching when they play the Red Sox next.

Even then, it is a good strategy. The Red Sox are not much better than Kansas City. The Orioles seem to be building him against lousy pitching teams.

A week from today he will be facing Justin Verlander and the Tigers. He should have a week of lousy big league pitching on his resume by then. THAT should be a descent challenge.

If he is still batting .500 with a 2.000 OPS, then that would be impressive.
 

Should Nationals Fans Be Called 'Long Suffering'? - The latest for Bleacher Report

There hasn't been a Washington DC World Series title since 1924.

That should be enough to label DC fans as "Long Suffering" right?

But does the 30 year absence of baseball and the success of the Orioles relieve it?

These are the burning questions I asked in my latest article for Bleacher Report.

You can read the article HERE.

   

I love that the Beltway Series is meaningful

The last time either team on the Beltway finished at .500, it was 2005 which was the Nats first season in Washington.

The last time Baltimore and Washington both had winning teams at the same time?
That would be 1969. The Senators finished a surprising 86-76 under manager Ted Williams. That was 23 games behind the Orioles who went 109-53 and could only be beaten by a team of destiny (that would be the Mets.)

Here we sit on May 18 and the Orioles are the best team in the American League.
Let that fact sink in for a moment.

And the Nationals are hovering around first place but some recent stumbles pushed them off the top spot.

Yes, they are ahead of the Rangers and Rays. Yes they are in front of the inconsistent Yankees and the upstart Indians.

And yes, Adam Jones got another key hit tonight in the 11 inning 2-1 Orioles victory in Washington.
And yes, the Jake Arrieta vs. Edwin Jackson match up was outstanding, as is the Orioles bullpen.

And yes, the Wei-Yin Chen vs. Stephen Strasburg match up on Sunday should be must watch TV.

It's only May. I realize that. Last year the Indians and Pirates were in first place and various parts of the season and both finished under .500.

But savor this, Beltway fans. As recently as 2010, both teams were 90 loss clubs.
The Orioles haven't had a winner since 1997 and Washington has had one since the first landing on the moon.

And let the "Harper or Jones" debates last a decade.

  

Is every Adam Jones homer a big one?

Soon it will be late May and the Orioles are still tied for first place. Even a 4 game winning streak by the Rays couldn't knock them out of a share of the top.

And it seems like Adam Jones is a big part of every win.
I'm not saying he is! Those of you about to fling a crap load of stats at me proving he's only the 7th most valuable Orioles, don't bother.

I'm just talking as a casual observer who mainly catches the Orioles on highlights. It just seems like whenever there is a Baltimore win, Adam Jones makes his way onto the highlight reel.

Last night he started the game 0-6, which sucks no matter which stats you use.

Then in the 15 inning, he homers, it puts the Orioles on top and he's the lead part of the story and the big hero.

I am sure there were people who had better games than Adam Jones' one swing of the bat, but he's the one I am typing about.

He's got 12 homers so far and I'm better 13 of them have tied the game or given Baltimore the lead.

I'm pretty sure about that stat.

  

The Orioles Magic Number is 129

 

Here we are almost at Mother's Day. Who is on top of the AL East? The Red Sox? The Yankees? The Rays? The Blue Jays?

Nope.

It's the Baltimore Orioles. at 21-12, only the Rangers are better in the American League. And they can expand their lead with another win against the Rays.

The Magic Number is 129 to eliminate the Rays. Any combination of Orioles wins and Tampa Bay losses equaling 129 will give the Orioles the crown.

128 would eliminate the Yankees and 127 would put away the Blue Jays?

The Red Sox? Don't worry about them, Baltimore. They are doing it themselves.

So let's see some more butts in the seats, Orioles fans!

And smile like those smiling bird hats.

(I told you changing back to the old school hats was a good idea!)

  

The loser from Josh Hamilton's 4 homer night

Josh Hamilton became the 16th player to hit 4 homers in one game.

Yeah, the Orioles lost the game but there is a bigger loser tonight.
You know somewhere in the world there was someone who forgot to put Hamilton in their starting line up for their fantasy team.

Or worse yet, someone thinking they would be cute and say "I am putting Hamilton on the bench. I have a hunch he is going to have an 0 fer tonight."

Where those two schmucks are, they lost a 5-5 performance with 4 runs scored, 4 homers and 8 runs batted in.

I don't care what rules your league uses and what stats make up the points.
I am guessing you could use those numbers for one night.

 

OK American League... it is time to step up in 2012

So here we are in early May.
It is still early in the season and a lot can happen. But a whole month has transpired in the 2012 campaign and some interesting developments have occurred that should make some dormant teams wake up.

The Angels? One month in, they stink. Sure any team can have a lousy month. But save for Jered Weaver's perfect game and Torri Hunter and Kendrys Morales' performance, there has been nothing much to cheer for near Disneyland. Plus I am STILL tied with Albert Pujols for home runs.

The Red Sox? They look like a classic "Win 6 and lose 6" team with inconsistent pitching and a bullpen that will drive New England bonkers all year.

The Yankees? Well they are about to find out how long they can survive with a shake rotation and inconsistent offense without the 9th inning being automatic. The specter of Mariano Rivera closing out the 9th made up for a lot of inconsistencies. They won the 2005 AL East basically by saying "Just club the opposition to death and hand Mariano a lead." This year it has been "OK, the rotation hasn't been good, but scratch a lead together and make sure Mariano has a lead." This organization and fan base hasn't dealt with the 9th inning being anything but a lock since the strike (and back then, they were not a presumptive playoff participant.)

So what does this mean?
That means three teams that are regular playoff contenders are, to be extra ordinarily generous, shaky.

Throw in the fact that the Tigers, who just about everyone picked to win the AL Central, is off to a .500 start (they'll recover), and the American League could be in as much in flux as the unpredictable National League.

The Rays and the Rangers are making their cases for best teams in the league. And you'd think that winning back to back pennants would have made the Rangers more of favorite going into this season.

But there are five playoff spots this year and the chances of the Yankees, Angels AND Red Sox all missing the post season is not outlandish.

If there is any year a team like the Orioles or Blue Jays to have that elusive October cameo, it is this year. If any season could have the Indians sneak in or maybe the A's spit in the face of their detractors, it is this year.

In other words, take a close look at Memorial Day. If Baltimore, Toronto, Oakland or Cleveland are still at or near the top of their standings or close to the Wild Card by then, it would behoove them to buckle down.

Maybe this is the year they hold onto their veterans and fill a hole or two.

The Goliaths of the League have all stubbed their toes and are more vulnerable than anyone could have predicted. 

For all of you who have complained that the Red Sox and Yankees win too much and you can just buy a pennant... the season you've been waiting for may have arrived.

 

It's GOT TO BE the Smiling Bird!

Did you notice that the Orioles are hot?



Not just based upon their 5 run bottom of the 9th win today capped by Wilson Betemit's walk off 3 run jack.



But Buck Showalter is entering the month's final game tied for first in the Division. The Orioles have a better record than the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Tigers, the Angels and many other teams that were expected to contend.



Adam Jones is off to a great start. Red Sox nemesis Nolan Reimold is hitting the ball well. Matt Weiters is driving in runs. And Tommy Hunter looked terrific today (I thought last year he was a good pick up for Baltimore.)



Jim Johnson has been spot on as a closer and while the Red Sox and Yankees try to piece together a rotation, Jason Hammel and Wei-Yin Chen join Hunter as solid starters so far. If Jake Arrieta and Brian Matusz can get their acts together, this would be a deep staff.



So who should get credit for this?

Buck Showalter?

Dan Duquette?



Of course not.

It's the smiling bird hat.



This is their best start since 2008 when they won 16 games in April. And we all know how THAT season ended. (Actually I bet you didn't. They were a .500 team in mid July but went 23-52 after the 4th of July to finish with 93 losses.)



But the feeling in Baltimore is good right now.

And that bird has reason to smile.

Josh Bell just got designated for assignment

Did anyone else notice that?
The guy who was the center piece of the George Sherrill with L.A. and was ranked as the #60 prospect in the game by Baseball America was DFA'd today.

Granted, it was a roster move in order to bring catcher Luis Exposito to the team. It's not like he's being cut. He's not even on the major league roster. He's 3 for 32 in AAA Norfolk and the Orioles want to use Exposito on the 40 man roster ahead of Bell.

If he clears waivers, it will simply be a clerical issue.

But there is the thing.
Why have him clear waivers?

Sure at age 25 he looks like a classic Quadruple A player.
But he's got talent. He was good enough to be a highly regarded prospect coming into this season.

What if a change works out for him?
What if an opportunity with a team that has a need in the infield says "Hey, we'll give you a shot"?

Hell his original organization, the Dodgers, are playing Juan Uribe and Adam Kennedy at third. Each is in their mid 30s and not going to light up anything.

What about the A's? Renato Nunez is years away from taking over third base. Josh Donaldson's OPS+ is currently -42.

The Padres could have spot on their bench. So could the Cubs. And the Mariners.

I'm not saying he is going to be a star. But how many times do you see a talented player (which he evidently is) just need a chance to show his worth?

What's the worst thing that could happen by claiming a top 100 prospect on waivers and forcing the Orioles to make a trade?

Make the move.

Can a DC playoff run put Davey Johnson in the Hall of Fame?

There's some real excitement about the youth in Washington.
Bryce Harper is super cocky and talking like he belongs in the same conversation with Albert Pujols (even though he is currently tied with ME in all MLB statistical categories.)
Stephen Strasburg could be heading a rotation with Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann.

Ryan Zimmerman is the veteran leader of the team and he's only 27.

If the Phillies age catches up with them, the Braves don't improve, the Marlins implode and the Mets continue being the Mets... the Nationals could become winners sooner rather than later.

And who can benefit the most with this wave of youth and hope?
69 year old Davey Johnson.

If he leads the Nationals to the playoffs, he might have a decent argument for the Hall of Fame.

As of this writing, he is 38th all time in wins for a manager. A .500 season would put him ahead of Billy Martin and just behind Whitey Herzog.

He took over the Mets in 1984 and led them to their first winning season since 1976. Yeah he benefited from the arrival of Dwight Gooden. But it was JOHNSON'S idea to bring him right up from A Ball before he turned 20.

He was the first National League manager to win 90 games in his first five seasons.

OK, he only won World Series title with all of that talent. But Johnson's mentor, Earl Weaver, only won one World Series with all of HIS talent! And he's in the Hall of Fame.

Whitey Herzog only has one World Series title.
Same with Leo Durocher.

He turned the Reds around and brought them to the 1995 NLCS. (The Reds were in first place when the strike ended the 1994 season.)

He was dumped by Marge Schott because he wasn't married and living with his girlfriend. (Interesting morality, Marge. Living unmarried? Bad. Hoarding Nazi memorabilia and defending Hitler? Not so bad.)


He went to Baltimore and led them to their only playoff appearances in Camden Yards.

He had three straight seasons in the League Championship Series.

He butted heads with Schott and Peter Angelos who let Johnson walk even after winning the 1997 manager of the year. (The Orioles haven't contended since.)

His two seasons in Los Angeles were not memorable, but he was stragely out of managing in the bigs for a decade.

And here he is now, being handed a potential franchise pitcher and player like he had with Gooden and Strawberry with the Mets.

And only 9 managers with 10 or more seasons have a better winning percentage than Johnson.
He already turned 3 franchises around from losers to playoff teams.
And he has a ring.

If he brings October baseball to the Nation's capitol for first time since 1933, then a Cooperstown berth should at least be discussed.

I suggested that Terry Francona should manage the team. But Davey Johnson is in town and has his eyes focused on the playoffs.

Who knows?
It could be his ticket to immortality.

For 2012... ONE of these teams needs to play in October

Happy New Year my readers.
Going into 2012, obviously I want the Red Sox to win it all... but I doubt that they will. They have too many holes and I want them to treat 2012 as a year to take stock.

I'd love to see my National League team, the San Francisco Giants win. I think they have a solid shot to win the N.L. West, especially if Buster Posey comes back.

And of course I'd like to see the Yankees crash and burn.

Other than that, besides drama I would really like to see one of five teams make the playoffs this year:

The Orioles, the Nationals, the Pirates, the Blue Jays or the Royals.

Not one of those 5 teams played in the post season in the 2000s.
(The Royals and the Nationals/Expos franchise didn't see October baseball in the 1990s either!)

Teams shouldn't go two decades without a post season appearance and we have 8 years to remedy the situation. The Rangers and Reds didn't play in October for any season in the 2000s but quickly changed that in the 2010's. Hell, if the Rangers got one more strike, they'd take themselves off of the "Waiting for a Championship" board.

But let's pick it up. ONE of those teams has to have a shot. Don't tell me it is hopeless. Who predicted the Rays could have won a pennant in 2008 in a division with the mighty Red Sox and Yankees?

The Red Sox are in flux and the Yankees are old. The Orioles or Blue Jays could sneak in.

Who is the powerhouse in the A.L. Central? The Tigers? A young talented Kansas City team could surprise everyone.

The Phillies are a year older and as Ryan Howard showed us, potentially prone to injuries. And the Nationals have a talented rotation. Why not them?

Why can't the Pirates, who were contending in July, put it together for a whole year in a tightly packed NL Central?

If ALL of those scenarios come true, then it will be odd.
But ONE of them? How hard could it be for ONE to come true?

Let's go.
Your fans have been waiting long enough.

New Sully Baseball Video - Smile At The Birdy

The Latest Sully Baseball Video is up.
Today I talk about the Orioles first step to returning back to the World Series: The brought back the smiling bird cap.

My faithful readers will recognize that I first addressed this back in 2007 with this blog post.

To watch the other Sully Baseball videos, check out my ShortForm TV channel.

Celebrating Dan Duquette

The Baltimore Orioles finally got a GM.
It got so bad and so many people were turning them down that I have a feeling that EVENTUALLY I would have been offered the gig.

Instead they got one time Red Sox GM Dan Duquette.

Some people are snickering at the move. Clearly it is an undesirable gig.
Sharp minds like Frank Wren, Syd Thrift and Andy MacPhail couldn't keep the Orioles from 14 straight losing seasons.

Plus Peter Angelos is still running the club and they are still in a Division with the Yankees, Rays and Red Sox. At least Blue Jays put a winning team on the field.

The Oriole job sucks. And Duquette, who has been out of baseball for 10 seasons, wants back in in the worst way. And the Orioles ARE the Worst Way.

Who knows how this will end?
But one thing is for sure... the Orioles lucked into a good solid baseball mind.

Now as a die hard Red Sox fan, it might be strange to hear me celebrating Dan Duquette. The end of his time in Boston was, believe it or not, newbies, even more awkward than the present Red Sox situation.

Duquette was the guy who let Roger Clemens walk. He fought with the insanely popular Mo Vaughn until he left. He fired Kevin Kennedy after he did a terrific job and sparred with Jimy (sic) Williams even when he kept the club in contention while riddled with injuries.

He seemed paranoid and thrived on turmoil, having an outrageous amount of roster turnover.

I have called him the Richard Nixon of Red Sox history. Brought down by his own shortcomings and imagined enemies.

His dismissal, like Nixon's resignation, was a great relief when the new ownership came in.

So why am I praising him?

Because as the GM of the Red Sox, the dream job for the Dalton native, is possibly the most under appreciated hero in Sox history.

He joined the Red Sox just after assembling the greatest team in Montreal Expos history, the tragic 1994 squad whose World Series hopes were crushed by the strike.

He arrived in Boston where the stench of the awful Yawkeys still hung in the air. The team remained lilly white and they had no scouts in the Dominican Republic.

Read that sentence again.
As some teams were bringing in MVPs and All Stars from the Dominican, the Red Sox didn't bother sending a scout to the island.

That ended under Duquette's watch. So did the tension of what to do with Mo Vaughn. There was a lot of talk of possibly trading him, because what could the Red Sox do with a budding All Star native New Englander first baseman. (Gee Whiz. I wonder what quality of Mo Vaughn the Yawkey family didn't like. Hmmmmmm. Tough one.)

The Red Sox had a lousy strike shortened 1994 but by 1995, Duquette's stamp was on the team.

Kennedy was in as manager. Nomar Garciaparra and Carl Pavano were drafted.

And the team's crazy constantly changing roster brought the Red Sox an unlikely Division Title. But there was something very different about the team.

Players like Lee Tinsley, Troy O'Leary, Willie McGee, Reggie Jefferson and Wes Chamberlain were on the squad. So were Juan Bell, Luis Alicea and Alejandro Pena.

It's hard to understand this now, but it was kind of startling to see so many NON WHITES on a Red Sox team! Usually there would be Jim Rice or Ellis Burks and maybe 2 or 3 others. Remember just 10 years prior to the 1995 team, the Red Sox LOST a racial discrimination case.

The whole "Red Sox are a racist team" aura wasn't subtle. Neither was Ellis Burks who asked "Why would a brother play there?" when the team simply non tendered him after the 1992 season. (He would play for 12 more seasons.)

The culture of the Red Sox was saved and for the best reason: Duquette wanted to put the best team on the field. He was no Branch Rickey wanting to change the game. He put blacks, latino and white players on the field in Montreal and he was going to do it in Boston.

Tim Wakefield made his Sox debut in 1995. Nomar made his debut in 1996.
During the 1997 season, Duquette dealt Heathcliff Slocumb for Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek.
After the 1997 season he traded Carl Pavano and Tony Armas Jr, for Pedro Martinez.

He brought in Manny Ramirez as a free agent and one of his final moves as Red Sox GM was signing Johnny Damon from Oakland. And in his final draft he brought Kevin Youkilis and Manny Delcarmen into the system.

His foray into Latin America made Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez farm hands who were later used as the key chips for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell.

Pedro... Damon... Manny... Youk... Lowe... Wakefield... Varitek... all 2004 heroes and all brought in under Duquette's leadership.

10 years after Duquette discovered they didn't have a scout in the Domincan Republic, the Red Sox were THE team on that island, thanks to the emergence of Manny, Pedro and Big Papi.

And the aura of the Red Sox being a racist organization has died down as African Americans, Latin and Asian players have all thrived and won World Series rings in Fenway.

Even Ellis Burks returned in 2004, obviously finding a reason to play there.

Will Dan Duquette bring the Orioles back to the glory years of Earl Weaver?
I doubt it.

But as Red Sox fans with some distance from the 2001 debacle, let's praise a native of Massachusetts who left a gigantic thumb print on the World Championship we all wanted to see.

And at least tip our caps to the new Orioles GM.

Did the Orioles hire Dan Duquette or Dan Aykroyd?

It's clear that they hired someone named DAN.

But which one?

Even with the two pictures above, can you tell which is which?

Which is Elwood Blues and which is the architect of the Expos and resurgent Red Sox?

Look closely. It's harder to figure out who is who than you think.

Quite a big swing between today's potential outcomes

A Yankee friend of mine, no doubt pushing my buttons, asked me where the Red Sox collapse of 2011 ranks.

I wouldn't give him a definite answer because there currently IS none.

How can I rank something that hasn't ended yet?
There is a very big difference between what could happen.

If the Red Sox lose and don't make it to the playoffs, then it is one of the great collapses in baseball history and remembered for all time.

If the Red Sox win and make it to the playoffs, their September swoon will be totally forgotten by Friday.

That's a big swing... All Time or Friday.

Last night we ALL thought that the Orioles were going to win with a walk off homer. You did. I did.

But the Red Sox somehow won.
They won the Lavarn-Way!

Teeth were ground. Bullets were dodged. And the season comes down to Jon Lester pitching like Jon Lester of April-August and not the chump pitching this September.

I'm updating the tally.

DODGED BULLET GAMES - 48

April 8 - 9-6 win against the Yankees. (The Sox end their 6 game losing streak with a slugfest. John Lackey stinks but Phil Hughes stinks even more.)
April 10 - 4-0 win against the Yankees. (Beckett and Sabathia duel in a game that was 1-0 until the late innings.)
April 20 - 5-3 win in Oakland. (Red Sox survive a lead off homer and two bases loaded situations and facing the tying run at the plate to win their first road game.)
April 21 - 4-2 win in Anaheim. (The Red Sox stranded 15 men on base and Josh Beckett's went 8 strong with no decision. But the Sox rallied in the 11th to win.)
April 22 - 4-3 win in Anaheim. (Peter Bourjos makes a 2 run errors and the Red Sox survive a bizarre passed ball by Jarrod Saltalamacchia that let a run scored from second.)
May 1 - 3-2 win against the Mariners. (Ichiro loses a ball in the sun that turns into a 9th inning triple for Lowrie. Crawford singles him home for the win.)
May 8 - 9-5 win against the Twins. (Dice-K lets up 3 runs in the first but settles down as the Red Sox clobber Carl Pavano.)

May 9 - 2-1 win against the Twins. (A bullpen breakdown cost Beckett the decision but Cark Crawford ended the game with an 11th inning walk off hit.)
May 13 - 5-4 win in the Bronx. (Youkilis homers off of Joba and Bard and Papelbon make it more interesting than it needed to be.)
May 15 - 7-5 win in the Bronx. (Sox fall behind 4-1 but come back as Youk, Papi and Salty all homer.)
May 16 - 8-7 win against the Orioles. (Down 6-0 after 6 innings, the Sox rally and win it with a 2 run walk off double by Adrian Gonzalez)
May 18 - 1-0 win against Detroit. (With 2 outs in the 8th, Salty doubles home Crawford from first for the only run. Papelbon gets himself in and out of 9th inning trouble.)
May 19 - 4-3 win against Detroit. (Bard blows Beckett's lead but Carl Crawford wins it with a walk off hit.)
May 24 - 4-2 win in Cleveland. (Varitek throws two runners out and homers as the Red Sox win their first game against the Indians.)
May 29 - 4-3 win in Detroit. (The Red Sox blow an early 3-0 lead but David Ortiz wins the game with a pinch 9th inning homer.)
June 3 - 8-6 win against Oakland. (Buchholz lets up 4 runs in the first but the Sox come back thanks to Carl Crawford's 2 run single.)
June 4 - 9-8 win against Oakland. (Red Sox blow a 4 run 9th inning lead and trail in the 11th before Ellsbury ties it and Drew wins it in 14.)
June 7 - 6-4 win in the Bronx. (Papelbon strikes out A-Rod to end the game with a runner on base.)
June 9 - 8-3 win in the Bronx. (Down 2-0 to Sabathia in the 7th, the Sox score 7 runs as Papi exacts revenge after getting plunked. A 3+ hour rain delay pushed the game past 1:30 AM)

June 15 - 3-0 win in Tampa Bay. (Youkilis homers in the 7th for the only runs in Beckett's 1 hit masterpiece.)
June 16 - 4-2 win in Tampa Bay. (Papelbon wiggles out of a 2 on, nobody out jam in the 9th thanks to Youk's diving catch.)
June 26 - 4-2 win in Pittsburgh. (The Pirates make 4 errors and the Red Sox score 2 in the 7th to avoid a sweep by the Bucs.
June 30 - 5-2 win in Philadelphia.(An injury to Cole Hamels leads to the Red Sox bats waking up.)
July 1 - 7-5 win in Houston. (The Sox score 6 in the 7th inning to come back and win.)
July 3 - 2-1 win in Houston. (The Red Sox score a run in the top of the 9th on a walk to break a tie.)
July 5 - 3-2 win against Toronto. (Lester gets hurt but Darnel McDonald throws out the tying run at the plate to end the game.)
July 6 - 6-4 win against Toronto. (The Sox score 4 in the 4th to take the lead and Wakefield and company hang on for dear life.)
July 10 - 8-6 win against Baltimore. (The Orioles score 6 runs off of rookie Kyle Weiland in the second, but the Red Sox hit three homers in the bottom of the second to tie the game and hold for dear life.)
July 16 - 9-5 win in Tampa. (Lackey puts the Sox in a 3-0 first inning hole, but 3 Sox homers bring them back for the win.)
July 17 - 1-0 win in Tampa. (Beckett throws a masterpiece and the bullpen throws 8 amazing innings. But the Sox bats go dead, leaving 17 men on base before Pedroia drove in a run with 2 outs in the 16th inning.)
July 18 - 15-10 win in Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 6-2 lead but score 8 runs in the 8th to take the game.)
July 22 - 7-4 win against Seattle. (John Lackey beat Felix Hernandez and Mike Carp's error helped the Red Sox score 5 in the 7th to give them some breathing room.)
July 23 - 3-1 win against Seattle. (Ellsbury gets Beckett off the hook in a tight pitchers duel when he got a 2 out, 2 strike 2 run go ahead single in the 8th.)
July 26 - 13-9 win against the Royals. (The Sox trailed in the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th before the bats exploded in the 5th.
August 2 - 3-2 win against Cleveland. (Youk tied the game with a 6th inning homer and Salty dove home for the winning run in the 9th.)
August 3 - 4-3 win against Cleveland. (Ellsbury hits a walk off shot in the 9th.)
August 7 - 3-2 win against the Yankees (The Sox rally off of Rivera in the 9th and win on Josh Reddick's 10th inning single)
August 8 - 8-6 win in Minnesota. (Down 5-1, the Red Sox rally back, then score twice in the 9th to give the Sox the win.)
August 9 - 4-3 win in Minnesota. (Darnell McDonald's homer ties the game and Ortiz singles home the game winner as Bard worked out of trouble in the 7th.)
August 12 - 6-4 win in Seattle. (Reddick and Ortiz homered to bail out Lackey.)

August 16 - 3-1 win against Tampa Bay. (Pedroia makes a diving catch in the 9th to help preserve the win.)
August 18 - 4-3 win at Kansas City. (Sox hold on despite having three base runners thrown out by the outfielders.)
August 31 - 9-5 win against the Yankees. (Beckett blows a 4-1 lead but homers by Ellsbury and Varitek put the Sox on top.)
September 13 - 18-6 win against Toronto. (Wakefield blows 2 early leads but the Sox bats explode in the 6th to earn Wakes win #200.)

September 16 - 4-3 win against Tampa Bay. (Beckett, Aceves, Bard and Papelbon all wiggled out of jams to give the Red Sox a critical win.)
September 19 - 18-9 win against Baltimore. (Lackey was given 11 runs to work with but the Orioles cut it to 11-9 before a 7 run rally put the game away.)
September 25 - 7-4 win in the Bronx. (The Red Sox came back from a 3-0 hole to win in the 14th on Jacoby Ellsbury's 2 out 3 run homer and avoid a sweep.)
September 27 - 8-7 win in Baltimore. (Ryan Lavarnway hits 2 homers and somehow Papelbon hangs on to keep the Red Sox tied with the Rays.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 45

April 1 - 9-5 loss in Texas. (The Sox tie Opening Day in the 8th with an Ortiz homer only to have Bard implode and the Sox let up 4 in the bottom of the 8th.)

April 5 - 3-1 loss in Cleveland. (The Sox drop their 4th straight as the bats are dead in Cleveland.)
April 7 - 1-0 loss in Cleveland. (Sox blow a great Lester performance on a squeeze bunt and Darnell McDonald overrunning the bag to end the game.)
April 12 - 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay. (A solid Lester performance is wasted as Kyle Farnsworth of all people shuts down the Sox.)
April 15 - 7-6 loss to Toronto. (Bobby Jenks implodes with a 4 run seventh inning as the Red Sox waste Pedroia and Youkilis homers and a clutch RBI double by Scuatro.
April 19 - 5-0 loss in Oakland. (Pedroia gets picked off, the Sox bats go dead and waste a solid Lackey start.)
April 26 - 4-1 loss in Baltimore. (Buchholz pitches tentatively and the Sox let Kevin Gregg of all people to close out the 9th.)
April 27 - 5-4 loss in Baltimore. (The Sox tie the game with a 3 run 8th only to have Bard lose it in the bottom of the 8th.)
April 29 - 5-4 loss to Mariners. (Bobby Jenks blows a 7th inning lead, wasting 2 Mike Cameron homers.)
April 30 - 2-0 loss to Mariners. (The Sox strand 11 runners and let Milton Bradley double home the go ahead run.)
May 4 - 5-3 loss to Angels. (7 hours with rain delays and stranded runners. Marco Scutaro was thrown out at the plate in the 12th)
May 10 - 7-6 loss in Toronto. (8th and 9th inning heroics, including a homer by Adrian Gonzalez, are undone by a walk off sacrifice fly by David Cooper.)
May 21 - 9-3 loss to Cubs. (Up 3-1 in the 8th inning, the bullpen and defense implode. The Cubs score 8 runs while both teams wear their 1918 uniforms.)
May 23- 3-2 loss in Cleveland. (The Sox blow a 2-1 8th inning lead when the Indians rally with 2 outs. Crawford ends the game on a double play.)
May 29 - 3-0 loss in Detroit. (Verlander keeps the Sox off base and prevents the sweep.)
June 1 - 7-4 loss to White Sox. (Konerko drives in three, spoiling a game tying Ortiz homer.)

June 14 - 4-0 loss in Tampa Bay. (Wakefield's solid outing is spoiled. Longoria scores on a passed ball.)
June 18 - 4-2 loss to Milwaukee. (The Brewers hit three homers early off of Lester and hang on.)
June 21 - 5-4 loss to San Diego. (Ortiz hits a double play in the 9th to stifle a potential winning rally.)

June 24 - 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh. (The Red Sox strand 7 runners in scoring position.)
June 25 - 6-4 loss to Pittsburgh. (The Red Sox fall out of first as Pedroia's error leads to a Pirates run.)
June 29 - 2-1 loss in Philadelphia. (Vance Worley duels John Lackey and slumping Raul Ibanez drives in both runs.)
July 4 - 9-7 loss to Toronto. (John Lackey's miserable start puts the Sox in too big a hole to climb out of.)
July 19 - 6-2 loss in Baltimore. (Scutaro gets thrown out stealing and the Orioles tack on 3 big runs late.)

July 25 - 3-1 loss to the Royals. (Scutaro botches a potential game winning squeeze play in the 12th as the Red Sox lose in 14.)

July 28 - 4-3 loss to the Royals. (Crawford's bid for a walk off homer falls just short.)
July 29 - 3-1 loss to the White Sox. (Sox blow a late 1-0 lead and spoil a solid Wakefield start.)

August 1 - 9-6 loss to Cleveland. (Asdrubal Cabrera's second home run was an 8th inning tie breaking shot off of Daniel Bard.)

August 4 - 7-3 loss to Cleveland. (Carlos Santana's homer broke a 3-3 tie.)
August 5 - 3-2 loss to the Yankees. (The Sox leave the bases loaded in the 5th and the Yankees score 3 in the 6th to take the lead.)
August 10 - 5-2 in Minnesota. (The Twins score 3 in the 8th, spoiling Ortiz's game tying homer.)
August 13 - 5-4 loss in Seattle. (Mariners score 5 in the first and the Red Sox come back falls short.)
August 14 - 5-3 loss in Seattle. (The Red Sox comeback falls short as Wakefield loses a complete game).

August 16 - 6-2 loss against Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox pull a triple play but a late rally by the Rays puts the game out of reach.)

August 21 - 9-4 loss at Kansas City. (The Royals' 8 run 6th spoils a 4-1 Sox lead and Wakefield's bid to win 200 games.)
August 30 - 5-2 loss to the Yankees. (Sabathia finally beats the Sox and Cervelli's homer sparks bean balls.)
September 1 - 4-2 loss to the Yankees. (Russell Martin's 2 run double in the 7th put the Yankees on top for good. Rivera struck out Gonzalez with the bases loaded to end the game.)

September 5 - 1-0 loss in Toronto. (Beckett sprains his ankle and Brett Lawrie homered in the 11th to win.)
September 7 - 11-10 loss in Toronto. (Bard melts down in the 8th, preventing Tim Wakefield's 200th win. Aviles is thrown out trying to steal to end the game.)
September 10 - 6-5 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox get 2 homers in the 9th to tie the game only to lose it in the 11th.)
September 14 - 5-4 loss to Toronto. (Adam Loewen singled home 2 runs in the Blue Jays 3 run 8th inning, making Bard a loser AGAIN!)
September 17 - 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay. (Scutaro grounds out to end the game with the tying run on second.)
September 19 - 6-5 loss to Baltimore. (Kyle Weiland gets bombed, Darnell McDonald drops a ball, a fair ball is called foul... just a bad day all around.)
September 20 - 7-5 loss to Baltimore. ( hit a 3 run double with 2 outs in the 8th to give Baltimore the win.)
September 21 - 6-4 loss to Baltimore. (Crawford goes 3-4 but Beckett can't hold onto a lead as the Orioles rally in the 8th.)
September 26 - 6-3 loss to Baltimore. (An inside the park homer off of Ellsbury's glove put the game away and the Rays caught Boston.)

Back up to +3.
Something to remember when this season ends... they've won more games they should have lost than lost games they should have won.

Interesting.

The tally will be updated no matter what the outcome tonight.