The Turning Point, The Injury Front, and Sleep Tremors

The Turning Point

There's no better way to enter the playoffs than on a hot streak, unless, of course, your opponent is reeling in defeat.

The ninth inning of last night's game must have put a real damper on the spirit in the Los Angeles clubhouse. After reclaiming their lead in the ninth against the unhittable, untouchable Daniel Bard, the Sox were able to steal the victory away when closer Brian Fuentes unraveled with one out to go.

As David Ortiz walked to the plate in the ninth against a left-handed Fuentes, hearts were simultaneously dropping all over New England. Two outs, down one, no one on, and Ortiz hasn't been able to touch lefties since 1945. The game was all but over...

A-Gon’s Bat

Damn Alex Gonzalez for giving us hope. OK. Maybe that was overdoing it, but A-Gon is not nearly the batter he has shown since being traded to Boston from Cincinnati.

For the type of hitter fans expected to get in the trade, there's no doubt Alex Gonzalez has endeared himself to fans with his recent performance. With all the shortstop troubles the team has had since Nomar and Orlando Cabrera left, a competent stopgap is exactly what the doctor ordered.

MLB Potpourri – FireBrand Style

With a very active weekend and Monday, Firebrand presents a comprehensive roundup of the latest Red Sox actions and news. Draft signings, playoff outlooks, and veterans returning to health, FireBrand Potpourri has it all...

A lot happened in Red Sox Nation this past weekend. Instead of wondering, let's get into the gritty details.

-The Sox Drop Two of Three in Texas

The Sox lost two to the Rangers. Yeah, it's too bad. The Sox stand one game back of Texas in the Wild Card, but that's history and it's time to look to the future. Junichi Tazawa struggled in his latest taste of big league hitting, allowing 2 HR and 3 BB against 0 strikeouts. Brad Penny had his moments and held his ground against a good Texas offense. However, he is still no more than a back-of-the-rotation starter, which showed this weekend.

The clock continues to tick on Michael Bowden, representing the last of the Red Sox reserve rotation arms. While he sports a glowing scouting report and a pristine 3.20 ERA in triple-A Pawtucket, it is getting more and more difficult to see him being a success at the major league level this year. With just a 6.40 K/9 and 3.36 BB/9 this season, he is far from a sure thing...