5/2 Online Seates Game Thread: Sox Must Save Face in Baltimore

GAME NOTES Just hours after the Boston Red Sox, coughed up a second straight loss to the struggling Orioles, the boys from Beantown will take the field one last time in Camden Yards to try to pull a win out of the series and avoid the sweep. Josh Beckett will need to improve on the sub-par performance of Daisuke Matsuzaka during last night's loss, as the O's send Kevin Millwood to the hill.

4/26 Online Seats Game Thread: Red Sox Flock North

The Boston Red Sox will head north to Canada, kicking off week-long road stand against the Dana Eveland and the Toronto Blue Jays.

4/21 Online Seats Game Thread: Sox Try to Turn Two Against Texas

The Boston Red Sox were able to regain some footing last night after trumping Texas, but will the Rangers rebound to take the second game of the series at Fenway?

4/16 Online Seats Game Thread: Running to Home

The Boston Red Sox will return home to face Tampa Bay, and Josh Beckett tries to set the pace against the red hot Rays.

4/9 Online Seats Game Thread: Boston Bets on Beckett

After a lackluster opening night performance, Josh Beckett looks to make it right by leading the Boston Red Sox against the Kansas City Royals, after dropping the first game of the series last night.

David Ortiz: To Pinch Hit or Not To Pinch Hit?

After Sunday's win - on a day after a thrilling come from behind opening night, a day on which Josh Beckett signed a contract which gives the Red Sox baseball's best rotation through 2014, and a day during which we were all recovering from Neil Diamond jumping the shark - all anyone on WEEI could talk about was David Ortiz. As I sit down to write this column, Ortiz has just popped out to center with Kevin Youkilis on second base, in the eighth inning of a 5-4, Yankee-led ballgame. It's the second game of the season, and the second time Ortiz has come up against a lefty in a key situation. With Mike Lowell on the bench, it's worth exploring the question of whether to pinch hit for Ortiz or to let him settle in and see what happens.

Herb Brooks and Neil Diamond Stop By, Sox Take Season Opener

On a night when the Boston marketing department pulled out all the stops, the players on the field managed to match them every step of the way. There was no shortage of excitement in this one. From Neil Diamond's 8th inning appearance to Pedroia's two-run bomb, this game had everything and more. Even Herb Brooks and Pedro showed up which, early on, seemed to be the only exciting parts of the game. I, myself, was forced down the street to Buffalo Wild Wings before the game due to a blackout on MLBTV - missing the NESN broadcast - and jotting down game notes on a napkin. Though I try to avoid chain restaurants when watching the Red Sox, it was nice to see the Red Sox Faithful well-represented in Colorado - and just as intolerant as in New England of the crap Yankee fans will try to pull. Nonetheless, it was a classic, back-and-forth matchup that had plenty of surprises, late heroics, and everything you could want in an Opening Day salvo. Though cruising through the bottom half of the first inning, Beckett got roughed up early. Noticeably absent was his usual dominating stuff - which should have been an easy holdover from his strong spring. Having difficulty finding the plate and falling behind in the count often, he found himself "Yanked" after just 4.1 IP, walking three while striking out only one. Yielding five earned over his inefficient 94 pitches, the silver lining is that he wasn't hit as hard as the overall line suggests. Other than two second inning home runs, many of the Yankees' hits found holes or were just out of the reach of defenders - especially up the middle in the fourth...

And the Season Begins…

And the season begins… There’s no doubt the bureaucrats “got it right” on this one – pairing the league’s biggest rivals in the 2010 MLB opener. All signs point to a classic, fit with a marquee pitching matchup, palpable hatred on both sides, and the two best teams from the past decade kicking off the new one. Josh Beckett takes the hill against C.C. Sabathia as the two AL East juggernaughts begin their annual battle for divisional supremacy. Get to your TV at 8:00 pm sharp – or 6 pm if you’re like me in the Mountain Time Zone – and prepare to watch baseball at its finest. Keys of the Game Starting Pitcher Coming off a strong spring, striking out 22 in 19.1 innings while walking just 5, Beckett certainly has the edge over Sabathia, who has looked sluggish in 18.2 IP thus far (15 K, 8 BB). Though spring stats are rarely an indication of long-term success, they are a good indicator of a hurler’s readiness at the season’s onset. If C.C. continues to struggle with his command, he could be in for a long night. Expect Beckett to be sharp as the team gets off to an early lead in the first few innings.

Theo’s “95-Win Team”, Beckett’s Extension, Falling Dominoes, and the Mailbag

Theo’s “95-Win Team" In recent years, one of the most important axioms put forth by the Theo Epstein and the Red Sox front office is the law of the “95-Win Team”. According to this directive, the team’s goal is to target 95-wins annually in an effort to compete every season. This is really a great piece of wisdom, as a team that wins 95 games will make the playoffs most years. In fact, the Wild Card winner since 2003 – the first year Theo took the esteemed office of Red Sox General Manger – has averaged a record of just about 95-67. However, this doctrine relies on one major assumption – that this team will always be able to perform up to their expected level... Josh Beckett's Extension Over the past few days, rumors have been circulating that the Sox and the Josh Beckett camp have been discussing a contract extension. Adding fuel to the rumors, Beckett and agent Michael Moye have indicated that there will be no hometown discount for the Sox, so the team will have to be ready to shell out quite a bit of cash. Introducing the FireBrand Mailbag And, finally, introducing the FireBrand mailbag, where we will answer all of your darkest, most burning questions about Red Sox Baseball. If you would like to ask the writers a question to be answered on the site, please forward your inquiries to Mike_Silver_FireBrandAL@yahoo.com.

BOS 11, CLE 6: Bats Boost Beckett Past Indians

The Boston bats had Beckett's back last night, in a big way. Alliteration aside, the Red Sox starter struggled through five innings, but came up with the win, his seventeenth of the season, as the Sox took a third game from the Cleveland Indians. With only one game left in the regular season, the quiet Red Sox backs woke up, as Aaron Laffey and the rest of the Tribe's pen were lit up, on the way to an 11-6 loss.