Home Sweet Home

Nothing like getting back to Fenway to right the ship. In the first game since Ortiz officially went on the DL, the Sox got the kind of team effort their going to need to get through this stretch of the schedule.

Justin Masterson gave the Sox another solid effort to pick his second win of the season, Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew homered, Jason Varitek and Coco Crisp had big hits in the decisive 4-run, 6th-inning rally, and the bullpen even pitched well.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 7, Rays 4

The depth and all-around talent on the Sox roster and in the farm system is what separates them from the rest of the teams in the division and will allow the team to continue to win despite injuries to key players.

In contrast to the success the Red Sox have had with their young players and role players, the Yankees' desperation move to put Joba Chamberlain in the rotation began with a thud as he couldn't even get out of the third inning in a loss to the Blue Jays.

New York's farm system must be pathetic that they can't bring someone up to start, and now that Joba is out of their bullpen they may never be able to protect a lead and get the ball to Rivera. It's only a matter of a time before Stank Steinbrenner blows up the whole experiment and demands Joba go back to the pen.

The Sox have now won 11 straight at home, are a ridiculous 22-5 at Fenway this season and moved within 1/2 game of the Rays for first place. You had to love the Beat L.A. chant that started up late in the game too!