7/21: “I solve problems”

Those pesky Yankees are back aside us at the top of the AL East. I couldn't think of a better day for the Stopper to come to work.

Reminds you of the "Wolf" doesn't he?

7/20: (ex) Brave new world

One time teammates with the Braves, John Smoltz and Kevin Millwood, square off tonight in Texas. Jacoby Elsbury tops the lineup we all expected to see most of the year. We're bringing the "A" team tonight!

Ellsbury, Pedroia, Youkilis, Ortiz, Bay, Drew, Lowell, Varitek, Lowrie.

Red Sox acquire Rangers reliever Littleton

In a move that may be the clearest yet that the Red Sox are moving towards having Justin Masterson and Clay Buchholz battle it out for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, the Red Sox have acquired reliever Wes Littleton from the Texas Rangers in exchange for two players to be named later or cash.

Littleton, 26, has a career 3.69 ERA in 102.1 career innings. A sidearmer, his current claim to fame is notching the save in the Rangers' 30-3 drubbing of the Baltimore Orioles in 2007, pitching three innings to close out the game.

Analyzing the Coco Crisp/Ramon Ramirez trade

Coco Crisp - Evan Brunell

This trade is excellent from the Red Sox's perspective. The Sox had a very solid bullpen last year but now add Ramirez to their corps of young, cost-controllable arms that are capable of setting up and/or closing.

This trade is the first of many dominoes that will start to fall for the Red Sox. The question is, where will these dominoes fall?

Wherever the Sox go from here, the opening salvo of the Sox's offseason was the Crisp/Ramirez trade, and it's going to impact the rest of the offseason fundamentally.

Notes: Josh Beckett, Derek Lowe, Texas catchers

Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels confirmed the Red Sox approached the Rangers in July about two catchers. Expect the Red Sox to make overtures again.

Apparently not only was Derek Lowe interested in Boston, Boston was interested in Lowe.

Josh Beckett apparently "struggled" to put his shirt on prior to the game and would have needed another cortisone shot had the Red Sox advanced.

9/7: Byrd Dog

Prev. Gm: Boston Red Sox (83-58) @ Texas Rangers (70-73) Paul Byrd (10-11, 4.58) @ Brandon McCarthy (1-0, 2.25) 3:05…

TEX 15, BOS 8: Wakefield falters

One big inning – a seven run inning – was all it took to knock the Red Sox out of…

9/6: Heatin’ Up

Prev. Gm: Boston Red Sox (83-57) @ Texas Rangers (69-73) Tim Wakefield (8-9, 3.76) @ Matt Harrison (6-3, 5.73) 8:05…

9/5: Down in Texas

Prev. Gm: Boston Red Sox (82-57) @ Texas Rangers (69-72) Josh Beckett (11-9, 4.34) @ Kevin Millwood (9-7, 4.84) 8:05…

8/14: A sweep is just what we need

Prev. Gm: Texas Rangers (61-60) @ Boston Red Sox (69-51) Tommy Hunter (0-1, 10.61) @ Daisuke Matsuzaka (13-2, 2.90) 7:10…