Orioles Overcome Red Sox

BOSTON: 2 2 0 5 0 0 1 0 0 - 10 16 0

BALTIMORE: 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 5 x - 11 16 1

There was a seventy-one minute rain delay in the middle of the fifth inning and unfortunately Smoltz did not return to pitch in the bottom of the fifth. In his second outing for the Boston Red Sox, Smoltz was outstanding and had plenty of run support at the time of the delay. It is a real shame that he was not allowed to return to the game against the Baltimore Orioles. What is the pitching theory for not letting him back in? How could the last place Orioles have a record setting comeback against the first place Red Sox?? Why did the Boston bullpen fall apart??? Will the Red Sox redeem themselves in Oriole Park tomorrow afternoon? Does anyone have any answers?

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BOSTON: Starting Pitcher: John Smoltz, Losing Pitcher: Takashi Saito (1)

BALTIMORE: Starting Pitcher: Rich Hill, Winning Pitcher: Mark Hendrickson

BALTIMORE: Save: George Sherrill

BOSTON: Homeruns: Kevin Youkilis (13), Jacoby Ellsbury (4)

BALTIMORE: Homerun: Oscar Salazar

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RED SOX: Wins: 47, Losses: 30, AL East Standings: Boston, New York, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Baltimore

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Next game: Wednesday 1 July 2009, 10:35 a.m. PT, Baltimore Orioles, Oriole Park, Josh Beckett

Boston Bursts Baltimore, 4 to 0

BOSTON: 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 - 4 11 0

BALTIMORE: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 6 0

Pitching and hitting worked together for the Boston Red Sox tonight in Oriole Park. Keeping the Baltimore Orioles scoreless and getting double digit hits again is a great start to this three-game series. Lester had another good outing and Drew was a double short of the cycle. Great combination! The game was the fourth shutout by the Red Sox this month. Excellent!

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BOSTON: Starting Pitcher: Jon Lester, Winning Pitcher: Jon Lester (7)

BALTIMORE: Starting Pitcher: Jason Berken, Losing Pitcher: Jason Berken

BOSTON: Save: Jonathan Papelbon (19)

BOSTON: Homerun: J. D. Drew (10)

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RED SOX: Wins: 47, Losses: 29, AL East Standings: Boston, New York, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Baltimore

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Next game: Tuesday 30 June 2009, 4:05 p.m. PT, Baltimore Orioles, Oriole Park, John Smoltz

Atlanta Blasts Boston

BOSTON: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 1 5 1

ATLANTA: 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 x - 2 6 2

Outside my favorite New England sports living bar, I did a crossword puzzle while waiting for Andrew to arrive and open up the bar. It was a movie-themed puzzle. Films are another of my great interests, but that's for a different blog. Running late, Andrew arrived and I helped take down a few chairs from the tables. Also, Rich has returned from back East where he had been vacationing and attending his son's wedding. Rain was the theme of his visit. As for the Boston Red Sox - no sweep on Sunday was their theme. It was another pitching duel with the Atlanta Braves and unfortunately for Boston, Atlanta prevailed in this game. The series finale at Turner Field was won on homeruns by the Braves and insufficient hitting by the Red Sox. There was a bases-loaded opportunity in the fourth that didn't produce any runs. Boston hasn't hit in double digits since Tuesday's game against Washington. Time for more bat contact. This was the last game of Interleague play for Boston and they ended up winning eleven and losing seven Interleageue games. Now it's back to American League teams and the Red Sox head to Baltimore for the first time this season. Going into the three-game series with the Orioles, Boston will be coming off a series win, holding the best record in the American League, and leading the AL East. I know it's repetitive, but a mantra can be good for the soul and can be every Red Sox fan's theme going forward - "series win, best record, leading East" - repeat as needed!

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BOSTON: Starting Pitcher: Brad Penny, Losing Pitcher: Brad Penny (3)

ATLANTA: Starting Pitcher: Tommy Hanson, Winning Pitcher: Tommy Hanson

ATLANTA: Save: Mike Gonzalez

ATLANTA: Homeruns: Chipper Jones, Garret Anderson

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RED SOX: Wins: 46, Losses: 29, AL East Standings: Boston, New York, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Baltimore

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Next game: Monday 29 June 2009, 4:05 p.m. PT, Baltimore Orioles, Oriole Park, Jon Lester

Red Sox Blank Braves, 1 to 0

BOSTON: 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 1 6 0

ATLANTA: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 4 0

Deja vu. Another Saturday. Another pitching duel. Another shutout of the Atlanta Braves. Now if only all the Saturday games the Boston Red Sox played had the same result. Or all the days even. Jason Bay had a rest day and Julio Lugo went into play. Although I prefer a hitting game, I do appreciate the elegance of a matchup between pitchers and keeping batters off base. Fortunately, Boston had sufficient hitting in Turner Field today to get one batter all the way around the bases. Tomorrow Boston goes for the sweep and the Red Sox usual standings remain the same - series win, best AL record, lead over Yankees in East. And finally, here is my haiku celebrating the shutouts:

Saturday shutouts.

Young ace Beck plus old ace Wake,

Pitch summer glory.

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BOSTON: Starting Pitcher: Tim Wakefield, Winning Pitcher: Tim Wakefield (10)

ATLANTA: Starting Pitcher: Javier Vazquez, Losing Pitcher: Javier Vazquez

BOSTON: Save: Jonathan Papelbon (18)

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RED SOX: Wins: 46, Losses: 28, AL East Standings: Boston, New York, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Baltimore

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Next game: Sunday 28 June 2009, 10:30 a.m. PT, Atlanta Braves, Turner Field, Brad Penny

Red Sox Bust Braves, 4 to 1

BOSTON: 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 - 4 7 1

ATLANTA: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 1 8 0

Oh Terry, why didn't you let Beckett stay in the game so that he could have another complete game shutout against the Atlanta Braves, as he did on Saturday? Complete games are good. Anyway, congrats on your eight hundredth managerial win! To continue, the Boston Red Sox have started well at Turner Field in this three-game series against the Braves. Would have preferred that a homerun was not given up to the Braves in the ninth inning. Let's hope the Red Sox improve over the last Boston and Atlanta series and they leave on Sunday with a sweep.

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BOSTON: Starting Pitcher: Josh Beckett, Winning Pitcher: Josh Beckett (9)

ATLANTA: Starting Pitcher: Jair Jurrjens, Losing Pitcher: Jair Jurrjens

BOSTON: Homerun: David Ortiz (8)

ATLANTA: Homerun: David Ross

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RED SOX: Wins: 45, Losses: 28, AL East Standings: Boston, New York, Toronto, Tampa Bay, Baltimore

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Next game: Saturday 27 June 2009, 1:00 p.m. PT, Atlanta Braves, Turner Field, Tim Wakefield

Washington Wacks Boston

BOSTON: 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 - 3 8 2

WASHINGTON: 4 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 x - 9 11 1

No sweep by the Boston Red Sox of the Washington Nationals. John Smoltz's Red Sox debut in Nationals Park did not have the desired outcome. Boston was not able to come back and produce enough runs to win the game and have the sweep. The Red Sox leave the Capital and head to Atlanta to continue with Interleague play on the road. At the end of the day, Boston still has the series win over the Nationals, the best record in the American League and a four-game lead over the Yankees in the AL East.

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BOSTON: Starting Pitcher: John Smoltz, Losing Pitcher: John Smoltz (1)

WASHINGTON: Starting Pitcher: Jordan Zimmermann, Winning Pitcher: Jordan Zimmermann

BOSTON: Homerun: Rocco Baldelli (4)

WASHINGTON: Homerun: Willie Harris

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RED SOX: Wins: 44, Losses: 28, AL East Standings: Boston, New York, Toronto, Tampa Bay, Baltimore

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Next game: Friday 26 June 2009, 4:30 p.m. PT, Atlanta Braves, Turner Field, Josh Beckett

Happy 24th Birthday Daniel Paul Bard!!!

Daniel Bard is a right-handed batting and throwing pitcher. He is a relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. Daniel signed with the Boston Red Sox on Monday 4 September 2006 when he was twenty-one years, two months, and ten days old. Daniel made his Major League debut with the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday 13 May 2009 when he was twenty-three years, ten months, and eighteen days old. The Red Sox played the Los Angeles Angels in Angel Stadium that day and Daniel pitched two innings of no earned runs relief in the eight to four loss. Daniel wears number sixty.