Sox Take R&R in KC, Buchholz Picks Up Where He Left Off

R&R in KC After winning the home opener, the Sox looked quite sluggish in their encore performances against the Yanks. What they needed was a little R&R against a weak out-of-division opponent -- and the KC Royals came to the rescue. Though the pitching staff managed to make the series interesting -- including dropping the first content by virtue of Okajima’s and Bard’s eighth inning bullpen lapses -- there were many positives to take away from the road trip to Missouri...

JOE WEST HAS A POINT AND TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP

One of the beautiful aspects of baseball is the lack of a clock. A game ends after 27 outs (when the game isn’t tied, which is another wonderful element). But baseball is not watched in a vacuum. Few things in life are not influenced by time. Hence, I agree with Joe West that MLB games should be sped up…to make the game more fan friendly.

As far as I know, no fan dislikes a hitter stepping out of the box or a pitcher shaking off a sign or even two. The issue is the number of mound meetings that, in some cases, are just done to buy time for the relief pitcher to get warm. As Red Sox fans, we have seen Jorge Posada too many times go out to the mound to be immediately followed by a Joe that pulls the pitcher. A number of rules could be implemented to eliminate mound visits to warm up a relief pitcher.

4/10 Online Seats Game Thread: Buchholz makes debut

Clay Buchholz makes his season debut for the Boston Red Sox. He's got a good first opponent in the hapless Royals, but can the inconsistent youngster put it all together? With Daisuke Matsuzaka around the corner, can Buchholz afford a misstep?

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.

4/9 Online Seats Game Thread: Sox play catch up in KC

Tim Wakefield is set to enter his 16th season with the Boston Red Sox against the Kansas City Royals, to kick off the first away game of the 2010 season.

4/7 Online Seats Game Thread: Sox Set to Rebound Against Yanks

A night after the Yankees battled back to even up the opening series of the 2010 season, John Lackey looks to make his debut with the Boston Red Sox a memorable one.

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.

4/6 Online Seats Game Thread: Boston Red Sox Look to Keep the Yankees Down

After an opening night for the ages, the Boston Red Sox under the wing of Jon Lester, will aim to clip the Yankees' wings even further, sending the World Champions to an 0-2 start.

Best- and worst-case scenarios for the Red Sox

Best-case scenario: The Red Sox figure to have a powerhouse rotation, airtight defense and an offense that, despite its alleged warts, should rank in the upper echelon of the majors. Baseball Prospectus projects Boston to win the AL East with 95 wins. It’s easy to see that happening. For everything to break right, players must perform up to expectations, which is a lot to demand of a roster of 25. Fortunately, the Sox have players who not only have produced in the past and expect to continue to produce, but also have the right mindset to succeed in Boston.

Worst-case scenario: As an aging team banking on several returns to prominence by players (Adrian Beltre, David Ortiz) as well as sustained production from players on the wrong side of 30 (John Lackey, Victor Martinez), it’s easy to see things going wrong. Beltre could be finished as a productive hitter. Lackey has a recent history of injury problems. It’s not a stretch of the imagination to see a scenario where injuries and attrition just can't overcome what is otherwise a truly talented club, setting up another 2006. Boston has a good stable of depth, but if one key player goes down, the cracks will show.

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...