10/9: Can Beckett do it?

Owned in Anaheim

As often happens when the Red Sox venture out West for a playoff series (as often happens), there's no more painful post to write than the one scheduled to hit the wires the morning following a late night start like we had in Game One of the ALDS - except of course the post following a game that saw the Red Sox hit their side of the Win Probability ledger only for one fleeting at bat the night prior. That chart pretty well sums up the Red Sox offense all night against Angels starter John Lackey; flatline.

So, who’s winning this Sox/Angels battle?

The Red Sox are set to do battle with the Angels later this week to decide who gets to play for the American League pennant. Boston and Los Angeles are certainly familiar with each other, having done battle in the 2004, '07 and '08 DCS. In fact, Boston went 9-1 in those games and the Angels' futility extends all the way bac to 1986 and Donnie Moore. Do the Angels have a chance to put their Boston voodoo behind them or will the Sawx manhandle L.A. all the way towards what seems to be an inevitable date with the Evil Empire? Read on to see pitching breakdowns, a look at the offense and defense, musings on hometown advantages, and the official prediction.

Sunday Notes: Wake done, Farrell staying, etc.

Happy Sunday, everyone. It's the last day of the 2009 regular season. Mixed emotions abound... a dark winter is foretold, but the most exciting time in baseball is well within our grasp. Let's check out what's going on in Red Sox land...

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.

TOR 11, BOS 5: Too Much To Ask

Michael Bowden was stretched too thin, giving up five hits and five earned runs in just over two innings of work. The bullpen did not help matters, as Hunter Jones handed the Blue Jays another four on the way to an 11-5 loss.

Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz would not go silently into the good night, but the pitching, or lack thereof, proved to be a bit too much to overcome, especially in a rain-shortened game.

9/28: Bowden subs in for Beckett

GAME NOTES: Josh Beckett has been scratched with mild back spasms with Michael Bowden taking his place. We looked so good going into October: a great bullpen, a good 1-4 rotation and a clicking offense. Now? Our top two pitchers are hobbled and our offense looks feast or famine. Good times.

BOS 9, KC 2: Do Unto Others…

Just one night after Paul Byrd dropped five runs in the first frame against the Kansas City Royals, KC found out what it was like to watch an entire game slip away in one inning. Behind a six run fifth inning, the Boston Red Sox gave the Royals one such beat down, taking their first win of the series off of KC, 9-2, last night. The win was their 90th of the season, and brought the magic number in the Wild Card Race down to five.

9/23: Beckett + KC lineup = Bloodbath

GAME NOTES: Josh Beckett looks to grab his 16th win and continue his exit from the doldrums. Boston will face Luke Hochevar, who recently learned that he was tipping his pitches and thinks it's part of his struggles since entering the majors. He shut out the White Sox his last turn out, so maybe there's something to his claims. We'll see. All I know is that it took outsiders to let Hochevar know he's been doing it for years. Ah, the Royals...

KC 5, BOS 1: Byrd Gets His Wings Clipped In First

A five run first inning by the Kansas City Royals did the Red Sox in last night, as the boys from Boston drop the second game of a four game series, 5-1.

Paul Byrd shook off the missteps of the first inning and went on to throw 6.2 innings, but the damage was already done, as Zack Greinke held off the Boston bats with another dominating performance.