A bad day’ll make you really notice ones that’s good
And that’ll make things a little better understood

Adrian Beltre doesn’t just scare children anymore.

Grown men cower in his presence.

Between the first and second innings I was thinking to myself, “Actually Zach, he’s thrown all his pitches for strikes and displayed more than zero command.  He hit some corners and got a few swings and misses with the change.”  And then Willie Bloomquist connected for a home run.  His first real, over the fence homer of 2007.  Middle in, 86, wet.  Maybe if the Red Sox allowed K-Gab to catch his breath and knock back a little vitaminwater during the top of the second, things would have been different.  Like, Willie Bloomquist may have rolled it over to short.  Certainly not shuttlecock to the groin.  “Get this kid a Power-C IV, stat.”

Its not yet time to take the curfew off Manny Delcarmen, when the score is close he withers like a delicate flower.  He was filthy in the bottom of the fourth in what looked like mop-up duty, but found the middle of the plate in his second inning after Lowell tripled to tie it.  His contribution was probably a net wash, as two runs were expected to score in the situation he entered, but close and late is not his jurisdiction.

While Javy Lopez gets the loss, he’s been so solid to this point its easy to overlook this performance.  My fear is that Francona will stick to his current usage pattern.  Remember, this is a pitcher with a career .300 OBA versus RHH.  I don’t care that he’s held righties to a .182 BA in 2007, he’s only struck out two in 22 PA, and been lucky on balls in play (.200 BAbip vs RHH).  He shouldn’t be facing Richie Sexson in a tie game.

Can someone explain to me why the Seattle scoreboard flashes “FUNK BLAST!” after a Sexson homer?  If that’s some kind of pun involving his last name and “saxophone” the Mariners stadium marketing department should be forced to listen to Jamiroquai’s “Virtual Insanity” for all eternity.  I’m just confused.

Mike Blowers, FSN Northwest color commentator on Joey Alex Cora before the game: “nice little ballplayer” and later “known for his pop.” It turns out I’m not the only one that’s confused.

So what’s become “a little better understood”?  Gabbard again showed some potential, if he can shake off the anxiety;  Lopez should face righties only in mop-up duty; Manny Delcarmen hasn’t put it all together, but he’s close.

4:35 EDT: Daisuke Matsuzaka at Ryan Feierabend

I think Feierabend needs a few more vowels in his last name.  He’s allowed 17 earned runs in 18.2 innings pitched, but managed to pick up a win along the way.   Don’t be late, the opening pitches will have most of the fanfare.

Boston 4
Seattle 9

All I can really do is shrug my shoulders here, and concede that Julian Tavarez will lay an egg or two over the course of the year if he starts 25-30 games.  At this point, it’s not really worrisome, but what if Curt Schilling can’t return to his usual effectiveness?  What if Wakefield’s coin flips start coming up “tails” much more often, as they did in his last start? 

Beckett and Matsuzaka both appear to be healthy and reliable right now, but after those two, the question marks are really presenting themselves (as we thought they would before the season began).  Aside from the injured Schilling, the group of Tavarez, Wakefield, Gabbard, Lester, and whomever else toes the rubber after the 1 and 2 (Matt Clement?) will pitch some decent games, but they will also have their lunches handed to them every once in a while.  In those cases, we can only hope that the offense breaks out. 

Unfortunately, it didn’t happen last night, as the team was beaten by Jeff Weaver.  (Not a typo.  Jeff Weaver won a Major League Baseball game last night.  He defeated the best team in the league.)

The situation makes the Mark Buehrle trade talks all the more interesting. 

Along with the stinging defeat in the nation’s Suicide Capital came the continuance of several trends. Coco Crisp and J.D. Drew both continue to surge, and Julio Lugo and Mike Timlin both continue to beg for less playing time.

Crisp: .321/.353/.444 in June
Drew: .308/.370/.554 in June

Lugo: .091/.143/.165 in June
Timlin: turning opposing hitters into Stan Musial (.338/.384/.618)

Tonight, Kason Gabbard comes back after an excellent start against the Braves back in May.  David Murphy is sent back down to Pawtucket with a .500 batting average on the year, and Gabbard (1-0, 3.60) will have his work cut out for him, as he battles “King” Felix Hernandez (4-4, 4.00), the guy who came withing 2 outs of no-hitting the Red Sox early in the season. 

It’s a strange feeling, and it rarely happens: going from extreme happiness to extreme sadness in a matter of seconds.

It happened to me today, while I was watching the end of the Red Sox game (with no sound on the TV) at my cousin’s high school graduation party.  The extreme happiness came when closer Jonathan Papelbon dispatched the gritty San Diego Padres in the 9th inning, clinching the interleague series between the best teams in their respective leagues.  The extreme sadness came when NESN flashed a picture of a very familiar face, an amicable cherubic face of a guy who loved the game of baseball and loved life…with the numbers “1968-2007″ underneath. 

Rod Beck recorded 286 saves during his 13 year career, mostly with the San Francisco Giants.  He is the 2nd on the all-time Giants saves leaderboard (behind Robb Nen), and amassed an ERA+ of 124 for his career.  During his 2+ years with Boston, he was past his prime and no longer featured the bite on his heavy sinker, a pitch once feared in the National League throughout the 90’s.  However, he pitched well enough in Fenway, the toughest of environments: a 3.46 ERA over 135.1 innings.

I’m not sure what the cause of death is, and I won’t speculate.  Whatever happened, it happened way too soon.

There are several good Beck stories floating around, as he was a quotable character.  All I can offer (that you won’t hear on ESPN et al) is this simple tidbit: his liscense plate.  A friend of mine spotted his car leaving the player’s lot one night: a 70’s muscle car (what else), with a license plate reading: “9S MINE”.

Indeed it was, old buddy.  Indeed it was.

He was 38.

If you’re a baseball fan, it doesn’t get any better than the matchup in Petco Park this afternoon.  The #1 and #2 ranked teams will be squaring off, both sending their aces to the hill in a Sunday afternoon rubber match. 

1) Red Sox
With the divisional lead back up to double digits, the eyes of Red Sox Nation turn to the pitching staff, where Curt Schilling is struggling and on the DL, and there is talk of a possible trade of prospects for Mark Buehrle.  Clay Buchholz is likely untouchable, but other than him, anything goes.

2) Padres
After silencing Boston last night, Chris Young now has his ERA down to 2.08.  Over his 3 year career, the big lefty sports an ERA+ of 122, and continues to make Texas regret that trade.

3) Angels
The Angels are 8-2 over their last 10 games, and Reggie Willits is putting up numbers that harken back to the dead ball era: .349/.449/.420 with 18 steals in 20 attempts.

4) Tigers
Say what you want about Gary Sheffield, the guy is undeniably a Hall of Fame hitter.  The man with a career OPS+ of 145 is running away with the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award, hitting .294/.400/.538 in a pitcher’s haven.

5) Indians
The Tribe keeps sticking with Detroit.  Check out the performance from their backup catcher Kelly Shoppach: .373/.447/.627 (in only 76 PAs, but still impressive).  There’s a Bob Lobel quote that may be applicable here…

6) Brewers
The Brewery is on fire, as Milwaukee has won 5 straight and 9 of their last 10.  Ben Sheets, their ace, has been surprisingly healthy, and has been winning without huge K totals (only 65 in 96 innings). 

7) Dodgers
Want to hear something funny? Grady Little has a career winning percentage of .568.  If you’re scoring at home, that is
good for 13th on the all-time list, right ahead of Davey Johnson and Bobby Cox.  I shit you not!

8) Mets
Carlos Delgado is 35, but is playing like he’s 65, as the slugger has an anemic OBP of .289.  The good news? Pedro is throwing the ball well in bullpen sessions, and should begin a rehab assignment soon.

9) Yankees
The momentum built up from last week was pissed away in interleague action, as the team was swept by Colorado and lost a heartbreaker to San Fran yesterday.  I have to be honest, the combination of Kei Igawa and Roger Clemens is looking like an obscene waste of money on the part of Brian Cashman.

10) Oakland
Eventually, that starting rotation is going to come down to earth.  When that happens, Billy Beane and Bob Geren better pray that Bobby Crosby and Dan Johnson start hitting as advertised, because the Angels might be tough to catch down the stretch.

Conveniently, it’s Lester’s day to pitch but considering his inconsistency at AAA it seems a few weeks early for the call up. There is little reason to rush him.  Even if Hansack/Gabbard/Pauley struggle this team still has 3-4 very capable starters.  And Schilling, the man they are replacing, wasn’t setting the world on fire.  With the question marks surrounding the rotation, this isn’t a bad time for the offense to start clicking. Oh? What’s that? They demolished the Braves 11-0 last night? About freakin’ time. Shutouts are nothing to scoff at; when they happen on consecutive nights against the class of the senior circuit in their ballpark its time for a celebration.

According to the Herald there is no structural damage in Schilling’s shoulder. There is clearly something wrong, and its not cosmetic. The silence in details is curious and frightening. I’d be saddened, but not surprised, if we’ve seen the last of Schilling in a Sox uni. However irritating his Bible thumping schtick grows, he’s put a lot on the line for the team and a fitting exit this is not.

Cancel the family barbeque this Sunday. Josh Beckett (10-1) squares off against Jake Peavy (9-1) in the marquee matchup of the first half at 4:05 EDT. I’m kicking myself failing to realize this was the out of town series to watch instead of repeating the trek to the Trop.

Red Sox  4
Braves    0

“What more could you expect from that at-bat?” And truer words have never been spoken.  Josh Beckett drove in and scored a run, while pitching effectively for six innings.  He fell short of domination, but a highlight reel catch by every one’s new best friend didn’t hurt.

While I am a proud member of the Josh Beckett fan club, I have yet to partake in the Coco Kool-Aid.  I’m hoping he’s turned the offense around, but I am holding out until July 1 to make my decision.  As telling as his 2004 and 2005 seasons may be, the last 200ABs must carry a little weight as well.  What’s better: a chronic slow starter, or Mike Lowell?  We’ll see how fast Coco’s second half is.

Thinking about Julio Lugo gives me great pain.  Typing that sentence induced a 30 second migraine.

The Francona Factor contributed a minor blunder, but Terry had little influence on the outcome of this game.  Alex Cora’s sacrifice fly to tack on a run in the sixth made Tito’s job far simpler.  He avoided the tough choice of pinch hitting for Beckett in the sixth with the bases loaded and one out if they walked Cora, but the fourth run was comforting.  Of course, Beckett didn’t come back after a 48 minute delay to start the 7th, but I wonder why Snyder was allowed to let a runner reach in the 8th if Terry was willing to go to both Okajima and Papelbon.  Yes, with a four run lead it’s probably wise to save the closer, but putting Okajima in a far worse situation (1 on, none out instead of opening the inning) is unfair.  I don’t have the numbers in front of me, but I’d guess facing the top of the order in the eighth with a runner on was the higher leverage situation.

In 2007, Okajima has been more valuable than Papelbon.  If you’re unconvinced by the visual evidence, let me show you some numbers: 24.1 IP, 0.99 WHIP, versus 34.2 IP, 0.81 WHIP is like choosing between a Maserati and a Ferrari, but I know which I would pick.  Furthermore, our Ferrari has been pitching with a trunk full of cement, entering 10 games with a runner on base and 19 times with the score within 2.  Papelbon has inherited runners only twice, and made 12 appearances with the team within 2 runs.  No complaints can be made with results, but it’s clear who has been a larger part of this season’s success.

How much do I love Baseball-Reference?  It took me about 12 seconds to find exactly the numbers I wanted in the last paragraph.  There are a few baseball sites I couldn’t live without (http://www.minorleaguesplits.com/, http://www.soxprospects.com/) but B-R is at the top of the list.

Tonight: Julian Tavarez (4-4, 4.97, 1.42) at Buddy Carlyle (1-1, 4.44, 1.19)

The 29-year-old Carlyle is making his fifth start of the year.  His three June appearances have been solid, which means he’s due for a little regression.  Of course, the same can be said for Mr. Tavarez. I smell a barn burner.

For the first time in 14 years, Curt Schilling left a start without recording one strikeout, as the Atlanta Braves circled the Red Sox wagon train, captured the men, and performed unspeakable acts to the women and children.  Since nearly throwing no-hitter, Curt has been slapped around like a cat toy, as he’s given up 19 hits and 11 runs in the 9.1 innings since he threw the 1-hit gem.

Did I mention that I hate Interleague play?  Oh yeah, I did.  Just the sight of Curt Schilling wearing a batting helmet sends off warning signals, similar to the feeling one would get if they spotted Michael J. Fox climbing into the cockpit of a 747.  Something must be done here.  Again, I’ve been against this even when the Sox were routing these teams.  If MLB insists on scheduling Interleague games, they should at least incorporate the DH across the board.  In today’s specialized era of baseball, it’s painfully obvious that pitchers have no business at the plate.  What exactly would we be missing if pitchers didn’t bat? The double-switch and terrible bunts?  Oh no, what will we do without those?! 

I’m not sure why the player’s union doesn’t fight for this, since it would create 16 additional high-salary starting jobs.  Let it be noted that I was once in favor of getting rid of the DH, and having the pitcher bat in the AL.  This was back when I was a young, naive purist. 

Back to the game: where Coco Crisp and J.D. Drew picked up where they left off: shaking off the cobwebs of the early season.  Crisp’s about-face has been the most noticable, as he’s been hitting the ball much better than what we’ve seen in the first 2 months of the season.  Crisp nailed his second and third homers of the year to garnish a perfect 4-for-4 game last night, and Drew added his fifth of the season.

June numbers:

Drew: .292/.352/.542
Crisp: .304/.339/.429

On a rather disturbing note, Mike Timlin continues to look like a guy who can no longer hang in The Show.  His fastball has been registering around 89 MPH, and he was always the type of pitcher who operated around the plate.  The guy is just throwing batting practice at this point.  Alas.

Aside from Coco’s career night, this was an ugly game all-around.  The Sox send their ace to the hill tonight to exact revenge upon these savage Braves.  Beckett (9-1, 3.39) will face familiar foe Tim Hudson (6-4 3.25).

Life can be described as a series of peaks and valleys.  The past week of Red Sox baseball featured a prime example of that extreme terrain.  After losing a series to a sub-par Colorado team (and giving up ground to the surging Yankees), the Sox came back to sweep a San Francisco team, beating 3 tough pitchers on consecutive days.  

Adding to the encouraging vibe from the sweep is a nice performance from a couple of guys who are in the middle of the crosshairs of Red Sox fandom angst: J.D. Drew and Coco Crisp.

Drew: 5-11, 2 BB
Crisp: 4-7, 1 BB, 1 SB

A tip of the cap also goes to the Boston bullpen, which contributed 7.1 scoreless innings in the sweep, including three straight appearances (?) from Hideki Okajima.

The Barry Bonds fiasco came and went, and was somewhat predictable: there were a few donkeys in the stands with giant cardboard syringes and asterisks, Bonds went deep once, and now the whole situation is dust in the wind.  Barry will get to pursue his record in the cozy confines of the National League after this week.

The Sox now embark on a six game expedition into dangerous waters: National League parks.  Despite the team’s recent record of dominance against the senior circuit squads, I hate, hate, watching the Red Sox play baseball by National League rules.  It’s similar to watching a manatee swim up to the Gulf of Maine, or watching Ann Coulter try to smile; you can tell it’s a process that simply should not be happening. 

Adding to this uneasy feeling is the fact that the Sox get to face two of the toughest teams from the NL: their “natural rivals” in Atlanta, and the NL-West leading San Diego Padres. 

Tonight, Curt Schilling (6-3, 3.80) will try to bounce back from the Colorado massacre, as he takes on Atlanta’s Chuck James (5-6, 4.16).

Consider this a “beta version” of our weekly Power Rankings, as Jeff is working on a more technical and objective system for doing this.  Definitely an improved method from my older system (ranking Boston 1st, New York 30th, and the other teams in alphabetical order).

Anyway, I’m going to try it with just the Top 10 this week, and will possibly expand it out in the coming weeks.  I’ve listed each team with their actual record, their Pythagorean record, and their recond in the last 10 games.  Without further ado:

1) Red Sox
43-24, PYT 41-26, L10 6-4
After a brief hiccup against an unfamiliar Colorado, the Sox have continued to breeze through the National League.  Daisuke Matsuzaka has a 1.80 ERA with 25 K in his last 20 innings, and Dustin Pedroia is looking like one of the better second basemen in the league, and a ligitimate ROY candidate. 

2) Angels
43-26, PYT 41-28, L10 6-4
Casey Kotchman has risen from the depths of “busted prospectville”, mashing to the tune of .333/.411/.556 after an awful 2006.  Their team ERA of 3.77 isn’t too shabby, either.

3) Yankees
34-32, PYT 39-27, L10 9-1
The hottest team in baseball might still be a long way from 1st place in their division, but they’ve certainly made their presence felt in the AL power struggle.  The addition of Clemens is only the beginning; this team is always a buyer in the July market.  

4)  Padres
39-28, PYT 42-25, L10 5-5
The Pads sport the highest Pythagorean record in the league, and as expected, their pitching has been simply ridiculous (team ERA of 2.92).  Trevor Hoffman is likely adding the final piece to his Hall of Fame resume this year.

5) Tigers
38-29, PYT 39-28, L10 6-4
Justin Verlander continues to shine, without the huge K rates we’ve been expecting from him.  Once he learns how to consistently fool the American League batters with his killer stuff, look out.

6) Indians
39-28, PYT 37-30, L10 4-6
The best race in baseball will probably be between the Lake Erie rivals, as Cleveland should be expecting better performances from guys like Cliff Lee and Jeremy Sowers, and better offense from guys like Trot Nixon and Dave Dellucci.

7) Brewers
38-30, PYT 35-33, L10 6-4
Like father, like son: Prince Fielder is on pace for 59 homers this season.  Really makes you wonder why Milwaukee would select Matt LaPorta (semingly a strict first-baseman) in the early first-round of the draft last week.

8) A’s
37-30, PYT 39-28, L10 6-4
Danny Haren is 8-2 with a 1.64 ERA, but let it be known that I personally wish to travel to Oakland, shove a chloroform-drenched rag is his mouth, and shave that silly beard off of him.

9) Dodgers
39-30, PYT 37-31, L10 5-5
The typical LA team: sub-par offense (team OPS+ of 91), but stellar pitching (team ERA+ of 119).  The Juan Pierre deal isn’t looking any beter in June than it did in December. 

10) Diamondbacks
39-30, PYT 35-34, L10 4-6
Doug Davis forgot to bring his fairy-dust to the interleague games, and Chris Young still has much to learn at the plate and on the field.  However, those young bats should pick up some steam soon.

In the wake of the perplexing finale of the most critically acclaimed television series of all time, I just had to make some sort of tribute.  Since this is, essentially, a Red Sox blog, I tried to find a correlation between our favorite baseball team and our favorite fictional crime syndicate.  Surprisingly, the correlations are quite strong in some areas (and obviously a stretch in some others – bear with me, the Sox just got crushed 12-2). 

Anyway, let’s see how the characters on The Old Town Team measure up to the characters on The Sopranos.

Manny Ramirez :: Paulie Walnuts
He’s been a huge asset to the organization for years.  But, his loyalty might be in question.  In the past, he’s made some ill-advised remarks about his dream to join our archrivals.  However, one cannot dispute his dedication to his talent, whether it’s hitting a 500 foot home run, or strangling an old woman for a shoebox full of cash. 

David Ortiz :: Silvio Dante
A fun loving guy, he’s the driving force behind the entire organization, and probably produces more than any other member of the team.  Well dressed and with a great sense of humor, he’s a hit with the ladies and produces consistent numbers year in and year out.  When the organization is in need of a big hit against a RHP or an FBI-informant girlfriend, this guy is usually the one to step up. 

Kevin Youkilis :: Bobby Bacala
He was never a gifted athlete, and had drawn many remarks about his “bad body” as he rose through the ranks.  His biggest trait was always his patience.  Recently, he has become a very important member of the team, and has stepped up to take on a more productive role in the absence of others.

Mike Lowell :: Patsy Parisi
Was acquired from another organization a few years back.  When he came over, people were skeptical of his abilities, and some thought he wouldn’t be worth jack shit.    However, he’s surprised everyone with his production, and is a key role-player on this crew.

Dustin Pedroia :: “Vinny” from Doogie Howser (Benny Fazio) 
The smallest member of the team has recently come into his own.  He took a real beating last year, and many people thought he might never recover.  However, he’s come through with several big hits, including doubles down the line and heroin dealers in an SUV.

Roger Clemens :: “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero
He was great for us.  However, he committed the ultimate dishonor to this organization.  Don’t even speak his name.

Tim Wakefield :: Junior Soprano
He’s been a member of this organization longer than anyone else.  You never really know what you’re going to get with this guy.  His output is usually erratic.  Some days, it seems like he’s on the ball, but then he just falls apart.  Some people love him, but some can’t stand watching him.

Matt Clement :: Furio Giunta
We acquired this guy a few years ago, and were expecting big things from him.  At first, he was amazing, and was considered a star on the team.  But, eventually he had his problems, and became persona non grata in the organization.  Nowadays, nobody really knows what he’s doing.  Where the hell is this guy?

Kelly The Ball Girl :: Meadow Soprano
The camera should really show more of her.

J.D. Drew :: A.J. Soprano
He’s the whipping post, the guy who the fans love to dislike.  For some reason, he’s considered to have a bad work-ethic and a poor attitude, but I really haven’t seen much evidence of that this year.  Some of his actions in the past have tarnished his reputation a bit.  He seems to be improving recently, which is good to see.

Curt Schilling :: Tony Soprano
Although the entire organization is driven by a team effort, the big guy will usually get most of the press.  He never minces his words, and he has a very conservative outlook on life.  He’s obviously a key member of the organization, the de-facto leader. 

However, we are not sure what happens to him after this year.    

Rockies 1
Red Sox 2

Pedroia, Youkilis, Ortiz, Manny.  It’s got that 900 run new-car-smell already.  Keep the speed at the bottom where they can steal bases, and keep the hot hand and OBP at the top.  This isn’t rocket science.

Big things tend to happen against sinker-ballers when they’re forced to go to something besides the sinker.  Entering the game, Cook had thrown a version of his fastball 82% of the time (insider).  Even fellow ground ball specialists Derek Lowe (71%) and Brandon Webb (77%) mix in their off-speed stuff more.  Last night Cook showed in a few curves early but relied exclusively on the hard stuff after the third inning.  He struck out Mirabelli and Manny with the hook, but Lugo also laced a curve for his third inning double and Youkilis’ two out RBI double was a poorly located slider.  Cook has to keep those secondary pitches in the back of hitters’ minds, and his success depends more on the quality of his breaking stuff than the consistency of his sinker.  Good and bad, big things happen when a sinker-baller shows his other stuff.

Against an American League lineup Wakefield would have been knocked around like a pinball last night.  Well, he certainly wouldn’t have made it to the eighth, and handing it to Papelbon would be out of the question.  Knucklers were high were regularity.  There were a bevy of good ones as usual, but Wake gets hurt on the mistakes.  The S.S. Colorado was sailing uncharted waters - Helton led the team with one at bat against Timmeh - and it showed.

It was a good win, now its time to string them together.

Tonight: Josh Fogg (1-5, 5.06, 1.62) at Curt Schilling (6-2, 3.49, 1.25)

The Velvet Fogg gets by on smoke and mirrors.  His stuff is underwhelming, he possesses a fastball that tops at 88 mixed with an average curve and slider that he has trouble throwing for a strike.  I can see David Ortiz licking his chops.  Last week I said “a win this afternoon would go a long way to convincing me to trust Schilling in a big spot.”  And what did my fellow blogger journalist do?  A near perfect game.  Well, I bow to you, Curt the Verbose.

I have a “small” philosophy on life.

I drive a small car.  I live in a small apartment.  I receive a small paycheck.  I have a small…er…laptop. 

I enjoy playing small-ball when I take an exam.  In other words, I spend 2 hours on one question, making sure I get it right, and leave the other nine blank.

I enjoy playing small-ball when I’m on a date.  In other words, when the waitress brings the check, I contribute a shiny nickle, assuming my date will come through with the remaining $75.  (Thought I was going somewhere else with that one?  Get your mind out of the gutter.) 

So, I can’t really fault Terry Francona for bunting 1) when filling out the lineup card, and 2) with the tying run on first base and the premier slugger in the league on the bench.  I probably would have done the same thing.  But, then again, I don’t mind losing.  It makes things easier when I set the bar low.

Our very own Jeff lays it out nicely here.

While the Sox have seemingly begun to slow to a more normalized pace, a couple of promising signs of life can be seen in J.D. Drew’s bat, as well as the second-straight impressive start from Daisuke Matsuzaka, after laying an egg against New York.  It will be good to see this team get the hell out of the NL’s Bank One Ballpark, because watching our pitchers try to hit is about as entertaining as a battery-acid enema.

The Sox are off today, and the Colorado Rockies stomp their way into town on Tuesday.  Not to mention, we have something new for y’all to look forward to: our weekly Power Rankings, beginning this Sunday. 

There are two things I couldn’t let slip by on Sunday.

1.  The Toronto Blue Jays had Matt Stairs in the starting lineup on Sunday. Oh, and he was batting second.

2.  David Eckstein has 1,000 hits. What’s next? Wilton Veras starting at third in the All-Star Game?

This year’s amateur draft is slightly different than what we’ve been used to, as the Red Sox have no first round picks, and their first selection is #55 overall. 

Here is a quick overview of how the Sox drafted on Day 1.

1. (#55) Nicholas Hagadone, LHP, University of Washington
Hard-throwing lefty was his team’s closer this season, but was a starter before that.  Scouting director Jason McLeod mentioned yesterday that they’d like Nick to start.  Has a plus fastball, plus breaking ball, and a big pitcher’s frame.

2. (#62) Ryan Dent, SS, CA HS
Athletic, possible 5-tool player.  Draws comparisons to Rafael Furcal (minus Raffy’s penchant for booze).  Signed a letter of intent to UCLA, so the Sox will need to make it worthwhile.

3. (#84) Jeffrey Morris, 3B, AL HS
This type of player gives Boston scouting directors a raging hard-on: a big power hitter with plate discipline.  Still very raw but with a powerful frame (6′4″, 200 lbs), the young slugger set the Alabama state record for walks in a season last year.  Has committed to Auburn University. 

4. (#114) Brock Huntzinger, RHP, IN HS
Dominated the Indiana high school circuit with a microscopic 0.27 ERA in his senior year.  Hard thrower with a mid-90’s heater and a slider.  Will likely be an easier sign than the two guys above. 

5. (#144) Christopher Province, RHP, Southeastern Louisiana University
Another fireballer, this one a reliever.  Didn’t have the best statistics, but features a fastball that touches 97 MPH and an improving slider in the high-80’s.

6. (#174) William Middlebrooks, 3B/RHP, TX HS
A double-threat high schooler, the Sox reportedly like him as an infielder, despite his 94 MPH fastball.  Has the makings of a heavy-hitting third baseman.  Might be a tough sign, as he is a 4.0 student committed to Texas A&M, and would be a punter on the Aggies football team.

Overall, it looks like the Sox were high school heavy in the early stages of the draft, which, to be honest, I prefer.  I’m a big fan of the steep convexity on the draftee yield curve, provided by the talented high school kids, the tough signs (think Lars Anderson and Michael Bowden). 

It might be risky, it might not be the Moneyball way, but a team like the Sox can afford the risk.

Here it is folks: the losing streak. Four and counting as well as six of their last seven after dropping their third straight to the A’s last night. Before this week, the Sox had lost back to back games only twice. Yet, they are maintaining a huge lead in the AL East. Bravado? Check.

If anybody in the division was playing solid baseball there would be cause for concern. Frankly, if anyone in baseball (outside the NL West) was playing well I’d wringing my hands and sweating like John Kruk. The Jays and Rays are leading the East over their last 10 with six wins. The Angels and A’s have fared slightly better at 7-3; but the only division setting the world ablaze is the NL West. The DBacks are winners of 11 of 12 and 15 of 17. Unfortunately for Grandma Mildred and Grandpa Seymour out in the dry heat of Pheonix, the Padres have come out on top in 12 of their last 14. Our East Coast powerhouses are rolling over like scared puppies, and the NL Worst has become baseball’s best division.

Thus is the nature of the game. The 116 win Mariners of 2001 had a four game losing streak, including three straight to the A’s. Let’s keep it right there. Good teams (and good managers) take rough patches such as this in stride, and gain some perspective. To function properly over the long haul, a little adversity is good.

3:35 EDT: Schilling (5-2, 3.91, 1.38) at Blanton (5-3, 3.81, 1.13)

Joe Blanton threw a complete game (3 H, 0 BB) shutout his last time out. Schil struggled through five, giving up 9 hits (2 HR) and four earned. Draw your own conclusions, they’re not a mystery. A win this afternoon would go a long way to convincing me to trust Schilling in a big spot.

Gustavo Chacin and Kei Igawa have nothin’ on Lenny DiNardo.  In the ultimate kick to the groin, the Red Sox were dominated by their former Rule 5 (don’t say V) pick and current A’s Rule 5 pick Lenny DiNardo.  His repeated gifting speaks volumes about his lack of potential, but the plethora of takers shows his usefulness.  We knew failing to protect Lenny would be problematic, but it manifested itself in the worst way possible: an 0-2 loss against our $100 million import.

Considering all the run support he’s gotten, Daisuke was due for a tough loss or two.  He was shaky out of the gate, falling behind hitters routinely and giving up lots of hard-hit ground balls through holes.  His 129 pitches in seven innings seem to be about par for the course.  It could have been worse, but he made good pitches in big spots and got some generous calls en route to eight strike outs.

As a loyal mlb.tv subscriber lacking the stamina for west coast games (even pitching duels), I urge you to check out the condensed games the following morning.  While, of course, avoiding all contact with friends, the internet, or ESPN’s Bottom Line.  I’ve been bested by the former on a number of occasions, and its IMPOSSIBLE to look away from that fickle mistress.

Tonight: Tim Wakefield (5-6, 4.24, 1.34) at Joe Kennedy (1-4, 3.30, 1.36)

Wake has come back to Earth after his ridiculous start, which in my mind is good news.  He’s gotten those shellackings out of the way, because we all knew he wasn’t going to maintain that sub-2.00 ERA.  It’s also no surprise that Manny (9-21, 5 2B, HR, 3 BB) crushes Kennedy, a “crafty lefty.”  Let’s just hope we don’t have to file this one with Chacin, Igawa and DiNardo.

By the time Eric Chavez hit the game-winning HR off of Kyle Snyder in the 11th inning last night (2 AM this morning, technically), I was working on my 3rd or 4th nightmare of the evening.  MLB really needs to consider starting these west coast games at 8 PM Eastern Time.  I honestly don’t think the Californians would mind all that much.  Am I selfish?  Yes.  But, am I irrational?  Yes.

Anyway, I made fun of Danny Haren yesterday, so sure enough, he went 7 strong innings, giving up 2 runs on only 4 hits.  The Sox essentially had their entire bench in the starting lineup for this one, and the majority of the offense came from the two Dominican behemoths: David Ortiz and Wily Mo Pena.  Ortiz hit his first HR in what seems like an epoch, and he reached base 4 times, raising his OPS to 1050.  Pena went deep in the 7th, and also delivered the game-tying RBI in the 9th-inning, setting up the heroics of Chavez later in the game. 

Julian Tavarez was not very sharp at all.  And, in related news, Jon Lester pitched in his 9th rehab start of the year, and continues to toy with the AAA lineups. 

Jon Lester’s AAA numbers: 6 games started, 1.26 ERA, 28.2 innings, 18 hits, 20 Ks, 8 walks.  A change is nigh.

Tonight, the Sox will take a walk down memory lane, as the A’s send lefty Lenny DiNardo to the hill against Daisuke Matsuzaka.  DiNardo has been uncharacteristically effective this season.  Methinks it’s time the Red Sox make our old buddy regress to the mean.  (Who knew statistics could sound so threatening?) 

Like Tony Soprano’s New Jersey crime syndicate, the Red Sox were unable to get the upper-hand over New York last night in the nationally televised rubber-match.  The Yankees sent their most reliable button man to the hill, but the left-handed Andy Pettitte (I cannot confirm if any of his “goomars” were in attendance) imploded in the 5th inning, giving up 5 runs.  However, the NY bullpen decided wax nostalgic, and actually kept the Sox offense in line throughout the rest of the game.  Pettitte’s fellow generously nasally-endowed battery mate, Jorge Posada, continues to tear AL pitching a new asshole, and of course, the killing blow came from Public Enemy Number One himself in the top of the 9th.

Josh Beckett, if anything, was relentless in his futile pursuit of win #9. The Texan was knocked around a bit, but managed to throw 117 pitches in a gutsy pitching performance (definition of “gutsy pitching performance”: when a starter pitches at least 5 innings, gives up 4 or more runs, and leaves with the lead).

Hideki Okajima tried to hold the line in the 8th inning, but was treated to his very first American blown-save. I’m starting to get a bit concerned about the frequency of his usage, as the lefty is on pace to throw just under 100 innings in his first MLB season.  Perhaps the ground crew can construct a Pyongyang-style bunker system under the pitcher’s mound, and Oki can just live down there (rather than run from the bullpen every night)?  Scott Proctor can share the bunker with him whenever the Yanks are in town. 

Jonathan Papelbon’s allowance of the 9th inning HR at the hands of A-Rod was on a very ill-advised pitch, an 0-2 fastball, right over the outside part of the plate.  That situation was begging for either a high fastball or the splitter, but the slugger accepted the 93 MPH gift, and deposited the eventual winning run into the Sox bullpen.  Alex owes either Papelbon or Jason Varitek a fruit basket. 

New York leaves town with a bit of spring in their step, after taking 2 out of 3 in Fenway (which means they only need to complain about 1 loss to the Commissioner’s Office, so some paperwork should be saved).  Not a desirable result, but at least the game was entertaining.  The “look what I’ve found!” catch by Bobby Abreu’s embalmed corpse in the 8th inning was especially maddening, as the lead-footed fielder likely saved the game with that fortunate stab.  The guy who hit the liner to Abreu, Dustin Pedroia (finally moved up to 2nd in the batting order), continues to tear the cover off the ball, and is now among the lead-leaders in batting average and on-base percentage.

The Sox will now hop an a plane and fly across the country to face Oakland.  Pitching for the A’s, apparently, is some homeless guy.  Alas, Billy Beane can even detect talent near burning trash cans, as this homeless guy happens to have a 1.64 ERA (maybe $5 pints of vodka enhance velocity?).  Boston will send resident madman Julian Tavarez to the hill, as they try to climb back on the wagon of American League dominance.