Drew Does It Again

J.D. Drew is starting to make people forget about David Ortiz. Last year's whipping boy - until the huge grand slam against Cleveland - is this year's stud.

Drew had 4 more hits Wednesday afternoon, including a 3-run bomb in the 1st to set the tone, as the Sox won the rubber game of the 3-game series in Philly and finished the brief road trip 4-2.

His hot streak has gotten ridiculous. Since Big Papi was injured on May 31, Drew is batting .441 (26-for-59) with nine homers and 21 RBIs in June. He's raised his average to .327, second in the AL, and his slugging percentage is a Barry Bonds-like .601. Those are MVP numbers.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 7, Phillies 4

The most impressive thing about Drew's tear is that he's done it when the team needed it most with Ortiz out and Manny Ramirez missing a lot of time too. He's stepped into the No. 3 slot in the lineup and the offense hasn't missed a beat.

Mike Lowell, batting cleanup with Manny out, homered right after Drew to make it 4-0 and the Sox never looked back from there.

Dustin Pedroia continued to break out of his slump with three more hits and Sean Casey, filling in again for Kevin Youkilis, got his usual two hits. Casey is just a professional hitter, raising his average to .373.

Justin Masterson has been a huge boost to the rotation, picking up his fourth win in five decisions despite not having his best stuff.

Manny Delcarmen had a big role in the victory as well, coming on in the 7th when the Phillies had cut the lead to 7-4 and had a runner on base. Delcarmen shut the door with 2 scoreless innings setting up Jonathan Papelbon for his 21st save.

The Sox have always done well in Interleague play and this year is no exception as they are now 7-2.

Lester Keeps Rolling

Jon Lester is turning into this season's most consistent starter. Another dominating performance Tuesday night against a great-hitting Phillies lineup improved Lester's record to 6-3 with a 3.18 ERA, including 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA in his last 3 starts.

He wasn't in much trouble all night, and when the Phillies did get some base runners on, Mike Lowell was there to start two inning-ending double plays.

Lester struck out Ryan Howard all three times he faced him and made him look bad in the process. He's not walking guys -- only one walk last night and two in his last 20 1/3 innings -- and he's keeping the ball down which is always a winning combination.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 3, Phillies 0

The offense was once again led by new slugger Coco Crisp. Coco slammed his 5th home run of the season, a 2-run shot in the 2nd inning to give the Sox the early lead. It was his third homer in four games on this road trip.

Coco also singled, stole second, and scored on Julio Lugo's double in the 6th for the Sox' other run.

The Red Sox had six stolen bases Tuesday, as even Sean Casey swiped a bag. This team continues to do anything it has to do to win.

Pounded in Philly

For the first time in my life, and most likely the last, I actually agree with something that Stank Steinbrenner said -- the National League rules regarding the use of a DH suck.

The Red Sox had two golden opportunities to score early in Monday night's game, but both times Bartolo Colon, a .120 lifetime hitter who hasn't even had an at-bat in three years, struck out to end the rallies.

BOX SCORE: Phillies 8, Red Sox 2

Watching Big Bart taking his hacks was pretty comical, but it's time both leagues have the same rules. For every Micah Owings' and Carlos Zambrano's there are 50 Brett Myers' and Tim Hudson's. At least none of the Sox pitchers got hurt running the bases!

The NL purists need to face the facts - it's much easier to find a player to DH than find a pitcher who can hit. Plus, having nine legitimate hitters in a lineup makes the game more exciting and makes pitchers earn their way to quality starts.

As for the game, Big Bart got shelled early by the Phillies' big hitters. Jimmy Rollins led off the 1st with a bomb to right, then three batters later Ryan Howard hit an opposite-field 2-run homer. Howard hit another one out to left in the 3rd. Both shots probably would have been singles off the Wall in Fenway.

The lone bright spot on offense for the Sox was Dustin Pedroia who busted out of his lump falling a triple short of the cycle. Dustin blasted a solo shot in the 5th and J.D. Drew followed that with another bomb to cut the lead to 4-2. It was the 8th time this year the Sox have hit back-to-back homers.

One inning later the game was essentially over as Mike Timlin was pounded for 4 runs in 2/3 of an inning. Even after the Phillies scored two runs, Francona left Timlin in to face Howard who hit a blast to center off Ellsbury's glove for a triple and two more runs.

Hideki Okajima pitched a perfect 8th inning. Hopefully this will get him back on track.

Strong Finish to the Weekend

No Manny. No Papi. No problem.

After dropping the series opener to the Reds Friday night, the Sox bounced back in a big way with a dramatic 10-inning victory on Saturday and a dominating rout on Sunday.

Manny Ramirez rested his sore hamstring both days, but the Sox got big contributions from just about everybody, especially Kevin Youkilis, Coco Crisp, J.D. Drew and Jacoby Ellsbury.

Coco homered in both games, as he's gotten hot just at the right time. This seems to be a running theme with this year's team -- whenever somebody goes out or struggles, someone else comes in and picks up the team. This is exactly what championship tams do, and is very reminiscent of the 2004 team.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 6, Reds 4 (10 innings)
BOX SCORE: Red Sox 9, Reds 0

Ellsbury on first base has to be one of the scariest sights any catcher can see these days. The guy is just stealing bases at will. The Sox have never had a guy that can dominate a game on the bases like this. He is going to shatter Tommy Harper's Red Sox record for steals in a season, the AL rookie record for steals in a season, and is on his way to leading the Majors in steals.

J.D. Drew keeps hammering the ball and is the team MVP to this point in the season. He is doing everything -- a lot like Mike Lowell did a year ago.

And then there's Youk. He had to be nervous and pressing coming into the series with the Reds. Playing in front of hundreds of friends and family in his home town against the team he grew up rooting for, all he did was go 3-for-5 with the game-winning home run in the 10th on Saturday. I think he was even more excited when Coco followed with a back-to-back shot to give the Sox a 2-run cushion.

The pitching was solid both days with the exception of the usually reliable Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon on Saturday. Okajima is definitely not the pitcher he was last season. Francona might want to rest him a bit and use him more against just lefties until he works his way out of this slump.

Paps got tagged with a game-tying homer in the 9th on Saturday for his third blown save of the season. Those things will happen to closers and he will undoubtedly bounce right back.

The good news out of the bullpen is the rest of the guys seem to be back on track. Manny Delcarmen has looked good for a couple of weeks now, Craig Hansen has been better and even Mike Timlin has had a couple of good appearances in a row.

Tim Wakefield had another solid start on Saturday and Josh Beckett was lights out on Sunday. He has been dominant against the National League since coming to the Sox, so hopefully he'll get a on a roll these next couple of weeks.

Boston heads to Philadelphia now where some are calling it a World Series preview. I wouldn't go that far just yet, but the Phillies have a really good team with some big hitters so the Red Sox will have their work cut out for them.

Road Trip Starts With a Dud

The Red Sox offense could never get untracked against Cincinnati Reds right-hander Aaron Harang Friday night as the Sox dropped another road game in the Interleague opener.

The futility on the road has officially become a major concern as Boston is now 14-21 away from Fenway, the worst road record in the division.

It's hard to understand because this team is so well-rounded and is able to play different styles depending on the circumstances of the game, so being in a different ballpark shouldn't affect them. With two more games in Cincinnati followed by three in Philadelphia the Sox will be lucky to split the road trip.

BOX SCORE: Red 3, Red Sox 1

The lack of offense spoiled another solid outing from Justin Masterson. This kid has been huge for the staff. He gave up a couple of solo homers, but pitched well enough for the win.

Manny Ramirez provided the Sox with their only run with a single off the wall in the 4th inning that scored Jacoby Ellsbury who had doubled earlier, but the offense managed just three other hits besides those two.

Manny's hit tied it 1-1, but Masterson gave the lead right back to the Reds allowing two runs in the bottom of the inning. It's always a key for a pitcher to shut down the opposing team's offense after your team scores, but he couldn't do it.

The Cincinnati crowd gave Sean Casey a standing ovation during his first at-bat. Casey broke in with the Reds and played seven seasons with them. They have some classy fans there in the Queen city.

Kevin Youkilis should be back in the lineup tomorrow. It's a huge series for him as well. Youk grew up a Reds fan in Cincinnati and will have many friends and family at the game.

Boston's Tenth Homer Club

Mike Lowell, Kevin Youkilis and J.D. drew each belted their 10th home run of the season as the Sox took the rubber game of the 3-game series with the Orioles.

The big blast was Lowell's second grand slam of the season which gave the Sox a commanding 5-0 lead in the 5th. The Monster shot came after the Orioles intentionally walked Manny Ramirez to load the bases. This is just what Lowell did last year and exactly what the Sox need to continue to cover up for the absence of Big Papi.

Jon Lester had a great start going 7 strong innings for his 5th win of the season.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 9, Orioles 2

Drew continued his ridiculous hot streak, going 2-for-4 with the 2-run homer. He is now 18-for-36 with six homers and 15 RBIs since Ortiz got injured. Drew has raised his average to .324 - 2nd in the American League.

Manny Delcarmen pitched a perfect 8th inning with 2 strikeouts and Mike Timlin had a perfect 9th with 1 K. I like that Francona went back to Timlin a night after he was lit up. The bullpen has really picked it up of late after a slow start.

Big First Inning Leads to Win for Big Bart

After jumping out to a 5-0 first-inning lead, it looked like it was going to be a laugher Wednesday night, but the offense didn't do much after that and the bullpen almost blew it the 9th as the Sox held on for a 6-3 win over the Orioles.

Bartolo Colon bounced back from his worst outing of the year to improve to 4-1. The big man looked good all night, going 6 strong innings allowing just 1 run on 5 hits and striking out 7.

The victory evened the season series with the pesky Birds at 4 games apiece.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 6, Orioles 3

J.D. Drew had another big hit, doubling down the line to score Ellsbury with the first run of the game. A few batters later, Jason Varitek capped the inning with a 3-run shot over the Monster to make it 5-0. It was Tek's 7th homer of the season and first hitting right-handed.

Reports after the game said Tek isn't feeling well and most likely will get the day off on Thursday.

Mike Lowell also homered in the 6th to make it 6-1.

It got a little dicey in the 9th. Mike Timlin started the inning with a 5-run lead, but was tagged for 3 hits and a couple of runs, forcing Jonathan Papelbon to have to come in and get the final out for his 19th save of the season and making his fantasy owners very happy.

In Timlin's defense, he should have gotten out of the game after allowing just one run, but Dustin Pedroia couldn't handle a hot shot by Adam Jones that would have ended the game.

Despite getting a couple of hits Tuesday night, Dustin went 0-for-4 again and is still scuffling at the plate. His struggles have carried over into the field too as he has committed a couple of errors in the last few weeks. Being the pro that he is, it's just a matter of time until he breaks out of it.

Birds Bash Beckett, Bullpen

Just when it looked like Josh Beckett had regained his form from 2007, the Orioles jump on him for 4 runs in the 2nd inning leading to a 10-6 victory over the Sox.

Beckett didn't give up any more runs in the game, but he was hit hard and had to throw 113 pitches to get through 6 innings. The offense got Beckett off the hook, storming back to take a 6-4 lead in the 5th, but Hideki Okajima was shelled by Baltimore again and the Sox were unable to rally for a second time.

BOX SCORE: Orioles 10, Red Sox 6

Okajima has been pounded for 7 runs in his last two appearances against the Orioles. It looks like they have him figured out, but he has still been very effective against the rest of the league, so maybe he just shouldn't pitch against Baltimore.

Manny Delcarmen had another excellent outing keeping the Sox within 1 run going into the 9th inning, but some shaky defense and even shakier pitching from Craig Hansen led to three more Baltimore runs in the 9th and put the game out of reach.

J.D. Drew is on fire. He hit another bomb, this one landed about 12 rows beyond the bullpens in right, to give the Sox a 5-4 lead in the 5th. Manny followed that with another shot over the Monster to make it a 6-4 lead, but that was all the Sox would get.

Ellsbury returned to the lineup and looked good at the plate and Dustin broke out of his mini slump with a couple of hits to spark the offense.

Big Bart looks to get back on track Wednesday night against Garrett Olson, who is 0-2 in 4 career starts vs. Boston.

Back on Track

After getting embarrassed in the series opener by the Mariners, The Sox answered back with an 11-3 blowout win Saturday and a solid 2-1 win over Erik Bedard Sunday.

There can be no more complaints about J.D. Drew. Ever since he hit the grand slam in Game 6 against the Indians last season, all has been forgiven. Now, he is arguably the MVP of the team to this point.

He is crushing the ball, playing excellent defense, and doing everything the team needs, especially with the absence of Ortiz. Saturday, he was a double short of the cycle and Sunday he hit the game-winning home run in the 6th and made a great catch to take away an extra-base hit from Richie Sexson in the 2nd.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 11, Mariners 3
BOX SCORE: Red Sox 2, Mariners 1

Manny has been tearing the cover off the ball too. His bomb over everything in left in the first inning Saturday set the tone for the game. Not that I want to see Ortiz out of the lineup, but I like Manny at DH with a much better defensive outfield. If there's one guy that can just go up there and mash the ball and not care of he's playing the field or not, its Manny.

Solid starting pitching and good work out the bullpen also contributed to the successful weekend. Wakefield has been much more consistent lately and Justin Masterson is making a case that he may be the top young pitcher in the system despite the success Lester and Buchholz have had. The Sox will have a tough decision to make onece Dice-K comes off the DL, but it's a good problem to have.

Home Win Streak Snapped

I think we all saw this one coming. After last night's emotion and excitement, it was natural to expect a letdown. Add in the fact that the lineup was missing Manny, Big Papi and Ellsbury and facing a pitcher that has always been tough on the Sox and you get an 8-0 thrashing.

It started out bad and never got better. Big Bart didn't have his good stuff and couldn't make a good throw to second base. His two errors led to the Mariners' first three runs of the game.

However, if Lugo was even an average defensive shortstop, he would have caught the ball in the first and possibly turned an inning-ending double play instead of whiffing on it and opening the door to two unearned runs.

BOX SCORE: Mariners 8, Red Sox 0

Felix Hernandez was never really in trouble and breezed through six innings. The Sox did have the bases loaded with 2 outs in the 2nd, but Coco struck out on a weak check swing.

The Red Sox have now inexplicably dropped 3 of 4 to the worst team in baseball. At least they have only one more series with Seattle after this weekend.

Coco rightfully got suspended 7 games for inciting Thursday's brawl. It was a stupid thing to do, but Coco will never admit that. For some reason Lester was suspended 5 games, but he'll just be pushed back a day so it won't really affect the rotation.

The other big news from Thursday was the blow up between Youk and Manny in the dugout. Reports say Manny was reacting to Youk throwing another tirade after a bad at-bat. Apparently the team has spoken to Youk about this before, so after initially figuring Manny was at fault, it looks like Youk might have had this coming. Hopefully they can move past this and become one big happy family again.

Fight Night at Fenway

What a day to be a Boston sports fan! First the Red Sox fight with the Rays and each other while completing the 3-game sweep of their first-place showdown series, then the Celtics play an inspirational game to take Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Lakers in a game worthy of the '80s classics.

Maybe the Sox watched some clips of Kevin McHale taking down Kurt Rambis in the '84 NBA Finals or possibly Robert Parish decking Bill Laimbeer in the '87 Eastern Conference Finals to get pumped for their final game with Rays and the Celtics-Lakers game.

Whatever it was, they were in a fighting mood and let the Rays know. Coco Crisp started a bench-clearing brawl when he charged the mound after being hit in the leg by Scott Shields in the 2nd inning. The whole thing started the night before when Coco stole second and Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett blocked the bag with his leg spraining Coco's thumb on the slide.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 7, Rays 1

A couple innings later it looked like Coco got his retribution when he slid hard into Akinori Iwamura and took him out of the play. Coco then jawed with Rays Manager Joe Maddon about the incident.

He had to expect some retaliation today and he got it when Shields hit him. Shields threw at Coco's leg so it wasn't a dirty play.

Coco acted like a punk charging the mound and then made matters worse saying the Rays acted like little girls when they were scratching him and pulling his hair during the brawl. That may have been true, but you've got to be smart about these things and try to not get suspended, especially with the Sox's injury situation.

Then in the 4th inning, Jacoby Ellsbury makes a great sliding catch, but his wrist gets caught underneath him and bent back awkwardly. He left the game, and Youk had to play right field with J.D. Drew moving to center. X-rays were negative on the wrist, but it looked pretty bad.

To top the night off, Manny, who homered and had 5 RBIs in the game, got into a shouting and shoving match with Youk in the dugout and Manny actually took a swipe at Youk. What the hell is going on. Is this the 2008 Red Sox or the '77 Yankees?

Terry Francona said it was a misunderstanding and no big deal, but it was shocking to see Manny and Youk going at it. I think now would be a good time for Big Papi or Tek to settle the guys down and make sure everyone is on the same page.

A few innings later, Manny had to leave the game after straining his hamstring while checking a swing. It looked like his knee buckled on the play.

Overshadowed by all the crazy events of the night was an excellent start by Jon Lester who allowed 1 run in 6 1/3 innings, striking out 5 and walking none.

The Sox welcome the Mariners - who own the worst record in baseball - to Fenway for a 3-game weekend series. It will be interesting to see what kind of lineup they field with all the injuries and possible suspensions.

Another Home Win Sends Sox Back Into First

Early on Wednesday night it looked like Josh Beckett didn't have his good stuff, but he was able to settle down and give the Sox a solid 6-inning effort and beat the Rays.

The team's 12th win in a row at home, and second straight over the Rays, put Boston 1/2 game ahead of Tampa Bay in the AL East.

Jon Lester starts Thursday as the Sox go for the sweep of the 3-game series. Sweeping the Rays will send a message that they're not quite ready to challenge the big boys.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 5, Rays 1

Beckett allowed just 1 run on 7 hits. He had 5 strikeouts and didn't walk a batter. He seems to have found a groove as he has given up 2 runs or less in his last three starts and lowered his ERA to 4.07.

The offense stepped up again too as everyone seems to be contributing in Big Papi's absence. Drew, Ellsbury, Youk and Coco all had 2 hits each.

In the bottom of the 7th, Manny was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a sacrifice fly by Tek. Manny didn't look like he was running too hard - which we've come to expect - but why does he keep sliding to the side of the plate and trying to touch the plate with his hand? It looked like he would have been safe had he just slid at the plate.

Hopefully someone will tell Manny that the object is to touch the plate as fast as possible, kind of like when they had to tell him to stop playing 10 feet behind the shortstop last season.

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!

Rough Night: Sox Blow Late Lead; Ortiz Goes on DL

It wasn't bad enough that Hideki Okajima had his worst game in a Red Sox uniform turning a 3-2 lead into a 6-3 loss, but then right after the game ends it's announced that Big Papi is going on the 15-day disabled list, will likely be sidelined at least a month and there's a possibility of season-ending surgery. Crap!

The Sox should be OK in the short term being able to play Coco or Casey and getting Manny some time at DH, but it would be tough to win without Ortiz if he's out for a long time.

It looked like it was going to be a happy night on the field Monday after the Sox rallied from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the 8th with Okajima warming up. But Okey Doke got pounded for 4 runs and couldn't get out of the inning.

BOX SCORE: Orioles 6, Red Sox 3

He couldn't find the strike zone and then made mistakes after falling behind the hitters. Hopefully this is just a bad night and nothing to worry about. Even with the pummeling Okajima's ERA is just 2.10 and I still want to see him out there in the 8th inning.

Okajima almost got out of the trouble with the score tied 3-3, but Ellsbury couldn't make a great catch on the bases-clearing double by Adam Jones that won it for Baltimore.

Manny just missed tying the game flying out to right with two runners on to end it. It looked like a pitch he could have hit out. He'll need to keep up his home run binge with Papi out.

Masterson starts in the first game of the big showdown with the Rays Tuesday night. I like that move instead of rushing Buchholz back. This is a big series. Tampa is no fluke. The Rays will be in the race the whole season and have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs.

Offense On a Roll

The Sox continued to flex their muscles Sunday in Baltimore banging out 16 hits, including three more home runs, in a 9-4 pasting of the Orioles.

Boston has now won three straight in Baltimore and outscored the Orioles 20-9 in the process. The Red Sox have a chance to sweep the 4-game series and go .500 on the 10-game road trip with Tim Wakefield on the mound Monday night.

Sunday's game was never in doubt as the Sox scored one in the 2nd and then three in both the 3rd and 4th to take a commanding 7-1 lead. From there, Big Bart Colon kept the Orioles in check allowing 4 runs in 6 innings for his third win in three tries as a Red Sox.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 9, Orioles 4

Colon has been a huge addition to the staff. With all the injuries the team has endured, he has stepped right in and given the Sox exactly what they needed. It looks like he's close to his Cy Young form of a few years ago which means he'll be staying in the rotation for the rest of the season.

Manny didn't waste any time adding to his 500-home run total, smashing another one to right in the 4th. Mike Lowell followed that with a homer down the line in left as the Sox hit back-to-back home runs for the second straight game. J.D. Drew crushed one to right in the 7th making it two games in a row that the team has hit three homers.

Everybody got into the act as Ellsbury had three hits and even Lugo got a couple. Big Papi missed the game as he is headed back to Boston to get more tests on his wrist. The Sox are downplaying it, but the comments from Ortiz that there's "a little click going on in there that's not normal," are a major concern.

The 500-Homer Man

Manny finally did it. He smacked his 500th career home run to help the Sox beat the Orioles Saturday night and cement his place as a certain Hall of Famer.

Congratulations Manny Ramirez! The guy who has brought us so many memorable moments - most good, a few bad and a lot funny - will go down as the greatest home run hitter in franchise history and probably the second best overall hitter the Sox have ever had behind only Teddy Ballgame.

Manny's blast in the top of the 7th was a no-doubter and Manny milked it for everything it was worth, standing at home plate and staring at it as it flew over the right field fence. He then took a slow trot around the bases with a big smile on his face. There was no talk of Manny showboating this time, however. He deserved to have his moment under the lights.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 6, Orioles 3

No. 24 is the 24th major leaguer to reach the 500-home run plateau and third in a Red Sox uniform joining Jimmy Foxx and Ted Williams.

It was nice that Manny hit the home run in Baltimore - the Sox's home away from home - as a Sox fan caught the ball and gave it to Manny to keep in exchange for some memorabilia. That's why we are The Best Fans in Baseball! Manny says he will auction the ball and give the money to charity.

As for the rest of the game, Dustin and Papi hit back-to-back homers in the 2nd to erase a 2-0 deficit and then the Sox took advantage of Baltimore's weak bullpen to put the game away after falling behind 3-2 in the 5th. Ortiz had to leave the game in the 9th, however, after hurting his hand on a swing. The Sox are saying it's a minor thing, but there's been talk about the hamate bone which would be a big problem.

Jon Lester had his typical outing - 3 runs in 5 innings - but David Aardsma continued his solid season picking up the win with two perfect innings before handing it off to Okajima and Papelbon to close it out. Aardsma has been a savior this season picking up the slack for guys like Delcarmen and Timlin who have struggled.

O's in Giving Mood, Sox Take It

It's nice to get a few breaks sometimes. The Orioles played defense like they had nine Julio Lugo's in the field in the 13th inning and gifted the Sox a win Friday night that they'll gladly take.

Baltimore made four errors in the game, including three in the 13th allowing the Sox to get three unearned runs and steal Game 1 of the 4-game series.

Mike Lowell had a good night going 3 for 5 and driving in the game-winning run with a double that scored Manny. Ellsbury was all over the bases with three hits and three steals, giving him 23 on the season - one behind the MLB leaders.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 5, Orioles 2 (13 innings)

Josh Beckett looked good for most of the night, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits and striking out 10 in 6 innings. He had to throw 118 pitches though to get through the 6 innings and walked the bases loaded before escaping the jam to end the 6th. He's still throwing a lot of pitches and giving up too many home runs which is a concern.

J.D. Drew missed another game. It is being reported that he has vertigo. The team doesn't seem to be concerned, but I'm wondering why. Vertigo is what ended Nick Esasky's career and has turned David Duval from one of the best golfers in the world to a guy who struggle to stay on the PGA Tour. Hopefully it's nothing serious.

The bullpen pitched pretty well with the exception of Timlin who actually got the win despite giving up a hit and 2 walks in his 1 inning of work. Okajima and Hansen looked good as did Papelbon who was overpowering in the 13th to close it out.

Stymied in Seattle

I think we all saw this one coming. With the Sox struggling on the road and facing a tough lefty in Erik Bedard, not a lot was expected.

But two hits and another shutout - the fourth this season and second in five days - is pathetic. The Sox are now 1-5 on this trip and 1-9 in their last 10 road games.

The anemic offense overshadowed an outstanding start by Mr. Inconsistent Tim Wakefield. He was in command all night, going the distance and making just one mistake. Unfortunately, that mistake was hit out of the park by the Mariners' No. 9 hitter Yuniesky Betancourt for the only run of the game.

BOX SCORE: Mariners 1, Red Sox 0

The Sox had a few chances, as they worked 6 walks, but they never came close to scoring. Coco Crisp grounded out to second for the final out of the game with runners on first and second.

For some reason, Francona pinch hit J.D. Drew for Kevin Cash to lead off the 8th and then had to insert Varitek to catch, leaving neither Tek nor Drew available to pinch hit for Coco in the 9th.

The Red Sox now find themselves 1 1/2 games behind the Rays who keep winning. They'll get a much needed day off Thursday before ending the trip with four games in Baltimore. I know there's no such thing as a must-win game in baseball in May, but with Beckett pitching Friday night they could really use a win.

Manny's Heroics Not Enough; Dice-K Injured

Despite a game-tying 3-run homer and some excellent plays in the field from Manny Ramirez, the Sox bullpen blew another game and a chance to move back into first place Tuesday night.

To make matters worse, Dice-K left the game after throwing two warmup pitches in the 5th with what looked to be a back injury, but is now being reported as "shoulder fatigue." What the hell does that mean? Whatever it is, it doesn't sound good.

BOX SCORE: Mariners 4, Red Sox 3

I guess this is why they say you can never have enough pitching. Early reports say Dice-K may miss his next start in Baltimore. With the Sox having a day off on Thursday, they should be able to get through this week with four starters. After that, if he's out for an extended period of time, Buchholz should be ready to re-join the rotation with Colon keeping his spot.

Dice-K had struggled most of the night giving up two runs in the 1st and another in the 3rd.

Now is the time for Beckett to step up his game and pitch like the Ace he is.

Manny crushed career home run No. 499 after a two-week drought since hitting No. 498. He also made a nice sliding catch in the 2nd and threw out Adrian Beltre trying to go from first to third on a single in the 6th.

The comeback was wasted though as Timlin gave up the game-winning hit with two outs in the 9th.

Lugo and Francona got thrown out of the game by umpire Angel Hernandez in the 5th for arguing a check swing call. Hernandez looked like he had a short temper and even baited Francona into the ejection.

It seems like more and more umpires are being combative with players and managers. Considering all the botched home runs calls and other missed plays, I think the umps should be held accountable for inciting ejections. Baseball is getting to be as bad as the NBA, where the refs are pathetic.

Big Bart to the Rescue

Bartolo Colon gave the Red Sox exactly what they were hoping for in Seattle Monday night as the Sox finally got a victory on the road.

Colon was outstanding needing just 84 pitches while allowing one run in seven innings. If he continues to pitch like this, Buchholz might have to stay in Pawtucket for a while.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 5, Mariners 3

The big man has won his first two starts in a Red Sox uniform and is throwing in the high 90s with a lot of confidence. He especially looked good on his four strikeouts Monday, quickly turning his back on the hitter after setting them down as if he's saying, "I just struck you out and I have a giant ass."

He may not be at the El Guapo level yet, but I'm sure a few meals with Manny and Papi will take care of that.

The offense woke up last night as well and got to Felix Hernandez for four runs in the eighth which was a great sign since Hernandez usually gives the Sox trouble. Dustin had the huge hit again. His ground rule double scored Lugo from second to give the Sox the lead for good.

Ortiz hit his 12th homer of the season, Manny had a clutch RBI single, Drew had two hits and Tek continued to hit the ball hard, although he went hitless thanks to an incredible catch by Ichiro.

The Sox have a favorable matchup Tuesday night as Dice-K tries to remain unbeaten against Miguel Batista who is a pig with a 6.47 ERA and 1.97 WHIP.

Wasted Weekend in Oakland

All of a sudden the Sox are the Celtics. After cruising through an undefeated 7-game homestand, the boys go on the road and get swept in a 3-game series in Oakland.

The Red Sox always struggle in Oakland, but getting outscored 17-6 and not even being competitive in the three games is reason for concern. Now the Sox find themselves once again in second place behind the pesky rays, who look like they're in the race for the long haul.

On Saturday, Boston managed just one hit - a seventh-inning single from David Ortiz - off former Red Sox farmhand Justin Duchscherer. The Sox didn't even come close to getting another hit. Manny got a much-needed night off, which was probably good as he likely would have just extended his slump.

BOX SCORE: A's 3, Red Sox 0
BOX SCORE: A's 6, Red Sox 3

Things looked much better on Sunday as the Sox jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on a solo shot from Big Papi, but Lester gave it right back allowing the A's to tie in the bottom of the order - so much for the back-to-back no hitters.

Lester came back to Earth giving up 4 runs in 5 innings, but the Sox battled back to make it 4-3 on a 2-run single by Manny in the fifth. Manny went 3-for-4 as it looked like the day off paid dividends.

The bullpen imploded again, however, as Hansen and Lopez were both ineffective. their struggles combined with Delcarmen's pathetic performance of late has to have the Sox brass deeply concerned and looking for some relief help.

Good teams take care of business at home, which the Sox have done with a MLB-best 21-5 record at Fenway, but they also are competitive on the road and usually at or above .500. After 7 straight losses away from The Fens, the Sox are now 10-17 on the road and it doesn't get any easier with three in Seattle and four in Baltimore before heading home for a crucial series with Tampa Bay - that's something I never thought I'd say.

Boston now turns to the Round Mound of Rosin - Bart Colon - to get things straightened out, but the offense will have a tough matchup against Felix Hernandez.

Wakefield Whipped, Win Streak Ends at Seven

Tim Wakefield didn't have it again and the Oakland A's took advantage hanging an 8-spot on him and ending the Sox' 7-game winning streak.

It's getting very difficult to watch Wake pitch these days. He does eat up a lot of innings, but at some point if he continues to be ineffective a tough decision may have to be made. Francona always seems to leave him in a little too long also. I guess he thinks Wake can work his way out of jams, but he rarely turns it around once he starts off bad.

The Sox never were really in this one as the A's jumped out to the 3-run lead in the first and then added four more in the third.

BOX SCORE: A's 8, Red Sox 3

Mark Ellis hit a 3-run shot off Wake in the third that Manny almost made a spectacular catch on. He climbed the wall like that guy in Japan did a few years ago and just missed robbing the homer.

Manny has been lobbying for a Gold Glove this year. While he may not be at that level, he's definitely playing much better in the field.

Dustin and Ellsbury were the only bright spots as Pedroia hit a solo shot in the fourth and Ellsbury had 2 hits and 2 RBIs. He was caught stealing for the second time in his career, but he had the bag stolen only to overslide the bag and get tagged out.

Slamfest!

Now that's the way to end a homestand. It's always a good day when the Sox smash two grand slams in one game.

Every starter in the lineup had at least one hit and of course Drew and Lowell hit grannys. Lowell continued his hot streak banging out 3 hits to raise his average to .283, and the Sox raised their MLB-leading team average to .295.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 11, Royals 8

I don't know why the KC manager would walk Manny to load the bases and let the lefty face Lowell. I guess that's why they're the Royals.

Dice-K was wild again, but he keeps on winning. He's going to drive us crazy all year with the walks, but as long as he keeps getting out of the jams and getting the run support we can handle it.

The bullpen tried to make it interesting as Hansen and Aardsma both got pumped and forced Papelbon to come in and get the save in the ninth. Paps actually gave up a couple of hits and seems a little out of rhythm right now.

Let's hope the momentum carries over to the road trip.

Colon Comes Through

Another night, another pitcher helping out. Bartolo Colon looked good in his Red Sox debut and could be a huge a factor if he can even come close to regaining his Cy Young form.

Colon did exactly what the team needed, allowing 2 runs in 5 innings. He only threw 74 pitches, which is perfect for his first start, and looked in control the whole game.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 6, Royals 3

He could be the perfect addition to the team not only for his pitching but he's also very close with Manny and friends with Ortiz. He will be a great replacement for Tavarez as Manny's buddy. Maybe Manny will rub Bart's belly in the dugout instead of petting his head.

The bullpen was solid too. It's a great sign that Hansen and Delcarmen had perfect innings.

Ellsbury and Dustin had the big games on offense, but Lugo actually got a big hit driving home the 2nd run in the 4-run 5th giving the Sox a 3-2 lead. Manny was 0 for 3 and is now 0 for 10 with 5 strikeouts in the series and 2 for 18 with no runs or RBIs in the 5 games he's played on the homestand.

I never worry about Manny though. He usually starts slow, and this year he didn't, so maybe this is just making up for that a little bit. I doubt his slump will last as long as Ortiz's.

What a difference a week makes as the Sox go for the clean sweep of the 7-game homestand with Dice-K on the mound Thursday after losing 4 in a row on the road. The Sox are dominating at Fenway. They have the best home record in the majors leagues, 20-5, and passed the Diamondbacks for the best overall record in the majors leagues.

It worked out perfectly that Thursday is a day game so there's no conflict with Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The double home victory will have the town buzzing.

Master of His Domain

The farmhands keep contributing as Justin Masterson got the call Tuesday night and came through with an impressive performance for his first Major League victory.

Masterson gave up just 1 run on 3 hits, striking out 5 and walking 3 in 6 1/3. The bullpen did a nice job and Papelbon came in to bail out Okajima from a bases-loaded jam in the 8th and then shut the door in the 9th.

It was Masterson's second emergency start of the season. He was very good against the Angels in April when he also only allowed 1 run in 6 innings, but he got a no-decision that night.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 2, Royals 1

The continued development of the farm system and success of the young players has the Sox in a great position. It seems like every guy the Sox call up contributes, and the core of young players is now as important as the veterans.

Not much to talk about on offense Tuesday night, but the boys scratched out a couple of runs in the 2nd and that was god enough. Ortiz had two more hits as his average continues to climb.

Wednesday's game will be big - in more ways than one - as Batolo Colon tries to impress management and earn a spot on the squad.

Lester Tosses No-Hitter

Holy Crap! Lester throws a no-hitter a little more than eight months after Buchholz threw his. How good does Theo look now after keeping all the young guys instead of trading for Johan Santana?

This one was even more surprising than Buchholz's. A month ago, it looked like Lester might not even stick with the big club after a rough start, but he has turned it around nicely since then capped off by his brilliant performance Monday night.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 7, Royals 0

The biggest thing for Lester was the use and command of his fastball. He's never thrown it as consistently and effectively than he did against the Royals. Hopefully Buchholz will take note, because he needs to trust his fastball like Lester did.

Ellsbury's catch in the fourth was almost as good as Dustin's play that saved Buchholz's no-hitter. It's fitting that the two young stud position players preserved the no-hitters for the young pitchers. The resurgence of the farm system is very exciting and is comparable to the early '70s when the team was able to develop stars like Fisk, Burleson, Dewey, Rice and Lynn.

So now the Sox have two 24-year-old studs who have both thrown a no-hitter in the Majors to go with Beckett, Dice-K, Wakefield and maybe Colon and Schilling eventually, and with Okajima and Papelbon at the end of the bullpen the staff is looking like a strength once again.

Lost in the shuffle a bit on Monday was the fact that Tek set the MLB record for most no-hitters caught with his fourth. Especially with the young guys, you have to believe he had a lot of influence over the games. For good measure, he also hit a two-run bomb in the 6th to close out the scoring.

We're a little more than 1/4 of the way into the season. The big question in the AL East in March was which young pitchers would be the most effective - Lester and Buchholz or Kennedy and Hughes. It's been no contest to this point and the standings reflect it as the Sox have opened up a 6 1/2-game lead over the last-place Yankees. It's looking more and more like the Rays and not the Yankees are the team to watch now.

Bats Bail Out Beckett

It's a good thing the Brewers were throwing some meatballs at the Sox Sunday. Ortiz, Dustin and Youk came up big to give the Sox the three-game sweep.

Big Papi is on fire. Three more hits, including two shots to right, raised his average to .250 and gives him 10 homers on the season. Youk is trying to keep pace as he smashed his ninth. He's got to be an all-star this year.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 11, Brewers 7

Ellsbury got caught stealing for the first time in his major league career. It took a pitchout and a perfect throw to get him and he still made it close. He will lead the league in steals at some point in his career if not this year.

Beckett is getting bombed at a pace similar to 2006 when he gave up 36 homers in 204 innings. He served up four more gopher balls Sunday making it 9 in 54 innings.

He was able to go 7 innings and looked pretty good when they weren't hitting bombs off him so maybe we chalk this one up to a couple of bad pitches and some good hitters on Milwaukee.

Braun is a stud. They have a good lineup, but their pitching sucks. I guess any team that gets Gagne to be their closer must have a bad staff.

Let's play the National League all the time. The Sox are 31-8 in Interleague play since 2006 and 18-3 at Fenway. The rest of the Interleague schedule might be pretty tough though with series against the Reds, Phillies, and Astros on the road and the Cardinals and Diamondbacks at home.

The Sox are calling up Justin Masterson and Bart Colon to pitch Tuesday and Wednesday. If Colon does well he could be a huge addition to the staff. He knows how to win and he could have the biggest ass on the team since El Guapo.

Double the Pleasure

It turns out the rainout was just what the doctor ordered as the Sox sweep the doubleheader with the Brewers.

A doubleheader sweep is always tough to pull off, but this one was especially nice since it ended the 4-game losing streak and got the Sox back into 1st place.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 5, Brewers 3
BOX SCORE: Red Sox 7, Brewers 6

Dice-K looks like the Ace we thought he was going to be. He's 7-0 with a 2.15 ERA now, but the only thing I ever look at with him is walks. He doesn't give up many hits so as long as he limits the walks he'll be tough to beat. We'll take two walks and 6 Ks every time.

What's up with all the errors? Youk made his first error of the season, but he was playing third so he still has the consecutive streak going at first base.

At least the Brewers were even worse. They basically handed the Sox the second game with the two errors in the seventh after they erased the 5-0 deficit. That's a tough loss. Bill Hall can hit, but he's brutal in the field - he's almost as bad as Lugo.

Papi's heating up - it was just a matter of time. Delcarmen finally had a decent outing. It would be huge for the bullpen if he could regain his form.

Sox Finish Tough Trip on Sour Note

How many 3-0 leads can one team blow in a season? Maybe the Sox need to try a new formula. For the third straight game, Boston jumped out to a 3-0 lead and couldn't hold it.

This time they held the lead heading into the bottom of the 6th, but the bullpen eventually imploded sending the Sox to their fourth straight loss and sixth in the last seven games. They ended what started out to be a promising road trip as 4-6 and in second place, 1/2 game behind Tampa.

BOX SCORE: Orioles 6, Red Sox 3

There was one highlight moment, however, and it was provided by Manny Ramirez. It wasn't a towering home run or anything on offense as you might expect. This one was a great catch followed by a classic "Manny Being Manny" moment.

After making a running, over-the-shoulder grab of a Kevin Millar drive in the gap with runners on first and second and one out in the fourth to preserve a 1-0 lead, Manny kept running and did a Bo Jackson run up the wall, took time to high-five a Sox fan in the first row of the outfield, then hurled the ball back to the infield to Pedroia who fired a strike to Youk to complete the double play.

The best moment though was in the dugout when a bunch of players gathered around the camera to watch Manny's act and started busting up when they confirmed what they thought they saw. Manny then acted out the scene for Big Papi in case anyone missed it.

It's nice to know the team is still loose despite the recent losing streak.

The Sox get a much-needed day off Thursday before opening a brief 7-game homestand with the Brewers and Royals. With Buchholz going on the DL with a broken nail (no one ever said pitcher's were tough), the day off couldn't have come at a better time.

Beckett Can't Hold 3-0 Lead

For the second straight night, the Sox jumped out the 3-0 first-inning lead. This time, they had Josh Beckett on the mound meaning an easy win right? Wrong?

Beckett promptly proceeded to give up the lead by the end of the third and once again a Sox rally fell short and the boys dropped their third straight, fourth in the last five nights and fell 1/2 game behind the Rays for first place.

To make matters worse, J.D. Drew left the game in the third with a sprained wrist - he had been driving the ball well lately so hopefully this isn't something that will linger.

Then in the 6th, Coco Crisp left the game with an upset stomach - that better have been a bad case of diarrhea or something for him to leave a game after we had already lost an outfielder - forcing Youk to play right field for the first time in his career.

Finally, Big Papi gets ejected in the 9th for arguing a horrible strike three call by Laz Diaz on a check swing. Hopefully there won't be a suspension later on.

BOX SCORE: Orioles 5, Red Sox 4

The most troubling sign of the night though was Beckett not being able to hold the lead. Like all Sox fans I was feeling pretty good about our chances after grabbing the early lead and having the Ace on the mound, but it was not to be. Boston's No. 1 starter is now 3-3 with a 4.21 ERA after allowing 5 runs on 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings. It's time to stem the tide.

Buchholz Bombed

Good riddance Minnesota. After losing three of four to the Twins, the Sox get out of town barely clinging to a 1/2-game lead over the upstart Rays. Do we even have to worry about the Yankees anymore?

The latest clunker from the starting rotation came from Clay Buchholz. He has become extremely inconsistent. The next big thing has been a lot like our basketball team - dominating at home, 2-0 with a 1.04 ERA, and getting pounded on the road, 0-3 with an 8.64 ERA.

Francona probably left him in one batter too long - something that's becoming a disturbing trend - but it probably wouldn't have mattered on this night since the offense disappeared after putting up a 3-spot in the 1st.

BOX SCORE: Twins 7, Red Sox 3

It looked good after Manny went deep to make it 3-0, but no one could get that big hit the rest of the game. Drew hit the ball hard all night and Cora had 2 more hits. Let's see if the 3 days off will clear Lugo's head.

Now it's up to Beckett to be the stopper that he needs to be. Hopefully Manny can hit one out in in Camden Yards and then smash No. 500 when the Sox return to Fenway.

Wakefield Rocked, Rally Comes Up Short

The enigma that is Tim Wakefield strikes again.

Five days after throwing one of his best games in a Red Sox uniform, the 41-year-old knuckleballer got lit up for 7 runs -- 6 earned -- in 2 2/3 innings as the Sox dropped their second game in three nights at the Metrodome. Clay Buchholz will try to give Boston a series split Monday night.

The Sox, who trailed 7-1 after three innings, kept chipping away all night, but ultimately fell one run short when pinch-hitter Manny Ramirez grounded out to short with the tying run at second base. Manny asked for the night off after feeling tightness in his hammy when he awoke Sunday morning. Presumably he hurt the hamstring trying to beat out a double-play ball in the 9th inning the night before.

BOX SCORE: Twins 9, Red Sox 8

Jacoby Ellsbury started in left and went 0-for-4 for the second straight game lowering his average to .268. But filling in for Manny was the new Sox power hitter Coco Crisp.

Coco went deep for the second straight night. He added a triple and was robbed of a hit when he hit a line shot off the pitcher in the 9th which scored a run, but led to the second out of the inning when J.D. Drew was caught in no man's land between second and third. Coco did reach base and was able to steal second setting up the dramatic at-bat for Manny, but was stranded.

Whether Coco is in it for the long haul or is auditioning for other teams, it is a great sign that he is starting to hit for power and contributing on offense.

Alex Cora went 3-for-4 in his first game back from the DL and is now 6-for-7 on the season. If he can hit for any kind of an average I think Francona may have to at least platoon him and Lugo given Lugo's pathetic performance in the field thus far.

Ortiz, Youk, Drew and Kevin Cash all had 2 hits apiece as the lineup continues to produce no matter who is in.

Wakefield was drilled for 5 runs in the 2nd and it looked like Francona was going to take him out in the third after a couple of batters got on. But he was able to get 2 guys out and Tito stuck with him one batter too long as new Sox killer Mike Lamb singled in 2 more runs to knock Wake out of the game.

It probably wouldn't have mattered as Tavarez looked pretty bad and probably would have given up the hit too. I hope the trade rumors with Colorado are true. I never feel good when Julian comes into the game.

Aardsma pitched well again and could easily take over Tavarez' role. Timlin gave up a solo home run in the 7th which didn't help either. It turned out to be the game winner.

Bombs Away in Minnesota

Usually if the Sox hit four homers in a game you've got to figure that Manny and Ortiz would have had a hand in it. Not this time.

The two big boppers combined to go 0-for-9, but the rest of the guys picked them up.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 5, Twins 2

Youk started the long ball barrage with a solo shot in the 2nd - his 8th on the season and 6th in the last 7 games. Then with the Sox trailing 2-1 in the 7th, two of the most unlikely power sources on the team struck.

First Coco yanked one into the seats in left for his first home run of the season. The next batter, Jed Lowrie, then went down and golfed one out for his first career home run. It turned out to be the game-winner as the familiar formula of Dice-K, Okajima and Papelbon limited the Twins to 2 runs on 7 hits.

Lowrie had a huge night going 3-for-4 with the homer and 2 runs scored. He also was flawless in the field, which after the last few debacles at shortstop by Lugo, was a welcome sight.

Mike Lowell chipped in with another solo blast in the 8th to make it 4-2.

On the mound, Dice-K got off to a shaky start walking three in the first two innings, including one with the bases loaded, but he settled down to only walk one more batter over the next 5 innings to go with seven strikeouts and improved to 6-0.

Okajima pitched a perfect 8th to lower his ERA to a miniscule 0.50 and Papelbon got back on track striking out two in the 9th for the save.

Sox Lose Another Heartbreaker

Didn't we just see this script two nights ago? The Sox fall behind, make a great comeback and then inexplicably blow it in the 9th inning with Papelbon on the mound.

The only difference between this loss to the Twins Friday night and Wednesday's in Detroit was that the costly error from Lugo came in the 2nd inning instead of the 9th.

This time, it was a routine ground ball that "the pig" couldn't handle which directly led to 2 unearned runs for the Twins and a 4-2 deficit for the Sox. That makes a major league-leading 11 errors for the Boston shortstop in 35 games this season. Projected over the full season, Lugo will commit a staggering 50 errors.

BOX SCORE: Twins 7, Red Sox 6

It's not just that he's making errors either. He's hit into 6 double plays already and he's a terrible base runner despite his great speed. Are the Sox going to have to eat another huge contract for a shortstop who was a bust? Is anyone else wishing we still had Renteria?

It's very surprising that Papelbon has blow two straight saves. I wouldn't be concerned just yet, but this time it was all Pap's fault. He was one strike away from closing the game twice, but for some reason he threw splitters to Gomez and Lamb instead of trying to blow it by them with the heat. Especially surprising since they are both weak hitters.

On a positive note, Lowell has possibly surpassed Youk as the hottest hitter on the club. Two more hits including the huge two-run double in the 5th has raised his average to .269. All the starters had at least one hit, Aardsma looked good and Okajima got 6 outs on 15 pitches and looked dominant.

Beckett, Youkilis Shine in Win Over Tigers

The Sox picked up a big win Thursday night behind solid pitching from the Ace, and another bomb from the hottest player in the league.

Beckett went 7 strong innings allowing just 1 run on 6 hits, while striking out 8 -- including his 1,000th in the Majors -- and walking none.

Youk continued his home run barrage with a 2-run shot in the 5th to put the game out of reach.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 5, Tigers 1

It's always important to come back strong from a loss, especially one as tough as Wednesday night's.

The Sox are now 9-9 on the road this season and have a nice start to this 10-game trip.

Everyone in the lineup had at least 1 hit except for Lugo. Craig Hansen pitched a scoreless 8th and looked good, and Manny Delcarmen actually pitched a scoreless 9th allowing 1 hit and getting a strikeout.

The good news didn't stop there either. Sean Casey and Alex Cora each had productive nights on their rehab stints in Pawtucket and should be called up this weekend. That should allow Francona to give Lugo and Youk some much needed rest and substitute for Lugo on defense late in games.

One last note -- how surprising was it that J.D. Drew didn't leave the game after getting hit by the throw from left field when he scored on the hit by Tek in the 2nd inning? I'll set the over/under at 3 games on how many Mr. Fragile will miss when he wakes up in the morning and his arm is sore.

Lugo's Error Turns Comeback Win Into Blown Save

(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

He finally cost the Sox a win. Error No. 10 for the early leader for "Pig of the Year," Julio Lugo, opened the door for the Tigers to get the last laugh in a crazy game and cost Pap his first blown save of the season.

Two home runs by Youk, a tying three-run homer by Lowell, and a go-ahead pinch single in the eighth by Dustin were all rendered meaningless thanks to the $10-million-man who can't field a grounder.

BOX SCORE: Tigers 10, Red Sox 9

What should have been an epic comeback from two 4-run deficits became a gut-wrenching loss that sent Papelbon into a fit of rage that he took out on a couple of water coolers in the dugout.

Francona needs to seriously think about using a defensive replacement for Lugo late in close games. He has become that much of a liability. Cora can't get back soon enough.

Wake Spins a Gem; Sox Win 5th Straight

The old man can still do it. You never know what you're going to get when Wakefield takes the mound, but Tuesday night the knuckler was almost unhittable.

Starting pitching is a key for any team, and if the past couple weeks are any indication, the Sox may end up running away with this thing. In their last 10 games, which represents two turns through the rotation, Sox starters have allowed just 19 earned runs in 88 innings, an earned run average of 1.94.

There were so many good signs Tuesday, how can anyone argue with Tigers Manager Jim Leyland when he said the Sox are the best team in the league.

Big Papi and Manny hit back-to-back homers for the first time since 2006, Youk went 2-for-3 to raise his average to .314, Kevin Cash had another good game going 3-for-4 with an RBI -- does anyone even remember Mirabelli? -- and even Timlin chipped in with a scoreless inning.

BOX SCORE

Ortiz has officially shaken his slump going 11-for-26 with 3 home runs and 7 RBIs in his last six games.

Oh yeah, and to top off the night, the Yankees got beat by the Indians when Joba Chamberlain served up a 3-run homer in the 8th to blow it. As good as he is, I'm not sure he's got the right mentality to be a pitcher. He was devastated after losing the game. As a reliever -- or a starter -- you have to be able to shake off a bad pitch or outing and come back strong. It will be interesting to see if this one stays with him.

Power and Pitching - A Recipe for Success

So Dice-K walked 8 guys Monday night. But he still only gave up 2 hits and 1 run, got his 5th win without a loss and lowered his ERA to 2.43.

Don't get me wrong, the lack of control is very troubling, but Dice just seems to find a way to get in and out of trouble. The difference between this year and last year seems the be that when he does get into trouble, he's not getting rattled like he did last season. He trusts his stuff and Varitek's calls and makes the key pitch at the key time.

A couple of great signs on offense with Lowell getting finally getting into the power categories, Big Papi coming through with a big RBI single and the insurance home run and Youk hitting a bomb.

BOX SCORE

It's amazing that the Sox had gone 20-13 in the first 33 games of the season with Lowell have no home runs or RBIs! Let's see what happens when he starts hitting like last season. I think this 3 1/2 game lead is about to grow.

Sweep of Rays Complete

Is there anywhere in the order that Youk can't bat? He might be the MVP of the team considering his versatility and excellence at playing first base or third base and the fact that no matter where he's plugged into the lineup he produces.

Last year when they needed him to leadoff he came through with a .400 on-base percentage. Once Dustin got hot, they put him in the No. 2 spot and he moved runners over, executed hit-and-runs, drove in runners and did anything necessary to help the team. When Drew struggled or Manny was hurt, he stepped into the middle of the lineup and hit for power and drove runners in.

Sunday was another perfect example. Big Papi needs the day off, so 20 minutes before the game is supposed to start, Francona decides to put Youk in the 3-hole and he naturally comes through with a 3-for-4 performance with 2 doubles the big home run in the 7th when the game was on the line and 4 RBIs.

BOX SCORE

It was great sign too that the Sox were able to get to Kazmir and knock him out early. Even though it was his first start of the season, that guy has killed the Sox his whole career.

And how about the 5 stolen bases without getting caught. Even Dustin is getting into the act with 4 steals on the season.

Off to Detroit, Minnesota and Baltimore for a tough 10-game trip. It will be important to get off to a good start in the 4-game series with the Tigers.

Sox Pound Rays

Now these are the Red Sox and Rays that we all expected to see coming into the season.

The Sox have owned the Rays over the years -- especially at Fenway -- and they continued that domination Saturday night.

Beckett was just average, but he was good enough to pick up his third win of the season thanks to the offensive explosion led by Dustin and Papi.

BOX SCORE

It seems that every night we mention something about Dustin that helped win a game. If you have kids, tell them to watch Dustin all the time. -- in the field, on the bases, at the plate -- he does everything right.

It was good to see Manny get in the RBI column again and all the starters got a hit.

Bats Heat Up After The Wait

Finally a few runs and a win.

Dustin keeps rolling along. He's easily the early favorite to start the All-Star Game. Is Ellsbury the fastest Red Sox player of all-time? I think it used to be Tommy Harper. Ellsbury's definitely faster than Harper. It will be a shock if he ever gets thrown out stealing.

Moss is huge filling in for Drew. It's great how the Sox can just call guys up that contribute consistently.

Maybe they should have just promoted Moss instead of singing Drew for $60 Million. That kind of cash could by quite a few decent relievers.

BOX SCORE

Offense Still MIA

The lack of offense has officially become a concern. Let's give credit where it's due, the Blue Jays threw some pretty tough pitching at the Sox, especially Halladay and Burnett, but come on - 3 runs in three games? The amazing thing is the Sox actually took two of the three games thanks to outstanding pitching of their own.

BOX SCORE

Over the last seven games, the numbers are anemic -- a .189 team batting average, 13 runs scored, 11 extra base hits and 44 strikeouts. The team has scored a total of 5 runs in the last 50 innings.

They're going to need to shake the slump quick as the Rays come in for a first-place showdown ... that's right, Tampa is tied with Boston for first place on the second day of May.

The Rays are not a laughing stock anymore and actually have some decent pitching, which will get a boost when Sox killer Scott Kazmir takes the mound for the first time this season Sunday. Let's hope the bats wake up.

But things could be worse -- we could be Yankees fans. What a mess they have in the Bronx!

First Month Report Card

We got started a little later than we wanted, but as the saying goes, better late than never.

Here at Boston's Tenth, we will have daily Red Sox updates from the fan's perspective, because after all, we the fans are Boston's Tenth Man, and we are Baseball's Best Fans.

So as we close the books on April - and March - how are our boys doing?

Overall, if you asked any of Boston's Tenth if on May 1 the Sox would be 17-12, in first place and 3 games ahead of the Yankees, I think we'd take it. With the Japan trip and the rest of the early-season travel, a .500 start after 30 games was about what was expected.

Grading the different aspects of the team, here is where we're at...

Starting Pitching - B
Beckett and Dice-K look great. It's nice to see Dice limiting the walks and the ERA is outstanding, but the high pitch counts are still a concern. Wakefield is the same old Wake. He'll get his 15 wins, but it's still scary almost every time out. The last few starts for the kids have been excellent. Lester really needed that outing to get his confidence back and the sky's the limit for Buchholz.

Relief Pitching - C
If it wasn't for Papelbon and Okajima, this would be even worse. Delcarmen has become a steady candidate for pig of the week. Aardsma and Tavarez have been OK in middle relief, but Timlin is still stuggling a bit and you never know what you're going to get from Lopez. Maybe Hansen can turn the corner and become the pitcher we all thought he would be. Look for a mid-season move to shore up the Pen.

Hitting - B+
This would be an A if Papi wasn't struggling so much. At least his power numbers are there, but the swing just doesn't look to be the same as in years past. Manny is on an MVP pace, Youk and Dustin are tearing the cover off the ball, Ellsbury is on base all the time, Drew and Coco have gotten off to decent starts and Tek and Lugo have come up with some big hits. Casey has been a great addition before his injury, and hopefully Lowell will pick it up now that he's back. I don't think we'll have to worry about the Sox lineup.

Defense - A-
Once again the defense has been outstanding. The only reason it's an A- is because of Lugo's pathetic first month performance. To be fair, he has made a couple nice plays, but any time the ball is hit to short Red Sox Nation holds its collective breath hoping he makes the play. On a brighter note, Dustin keeps making spectacular plays, the corner infielders are as good as there are in the game, and the combination of Coco and Ellsbury in the outfield is stellar.

Coaching - B
I don't think any Red Sox manager we'll ever get an "A," we're just too tough on them. If Francona can win another title though, he'll enter Belichik waters and we may have to treat the Sox brass like we do the Pats and just not question anything they do.

If you missed any of the first 29 games, check below for recaps of all the action.

4/30 – Tek Provides Another Walkoff Win

4/29 – Lester Outduels Halladay; Youk Wins it With Walkoff Single in 9th

4/27 – Sox Swept by Rays

4/26 – Buchholz’s 1 Mistake Leads to 2-1 Loss to Rays

4/25 – Sox Lose 5-4 in 11 Innings; Casey Hurt

4/24 – Bullpen Blows Masterson’s Masterful Performance

4/23 – Angels Snap Sox’ 6-Game Win Streak

4/22 – Pedroia, Ellsbury Spark Sox Over Angels

4/21 – Sox Complete Sweep of Rangers With Patriot’s Day Victory

4/20 – Sox' 1-2 Punch of Ortiz, Ramirez KO's Rangers

4/19 – Manny’s Moster Shot Lifts Sox Over Rangers

4/18 – Papi Back in the Swing of Things; Sox Rout Rangers

4/17 – Manny Homers Twice in Win Over Yankees

4/16 – Sox Lose Slugfest in New York

4/15 – Tek Comes Through in a Pinch

4/14 – Comeback Kids Strike Again

4/13 – Sox Outlast Yankees, Take 2 of 3

4/12 – Girardi Learns the Hard Way – Don’t Pitch to Manny

4/11 – Buchholz’s Solid Effort Wasted; Yankees Take Series Opener

4/10 – Bats Awaken in Rout of Tigers

4/9 – Tigers Get First Win; Lester Tagged

4/8 – Sox Ring in the New Season at Fenway With Shutout of Tigers

4/6 – Swept Away in Toronto

4/5 – Bullpen Implodes; Sox Routed by Jays

4/4 – Drew Ties It, ‘Pen Blows It

4/2 – Ortiz, Lester Shine in Shutout of A’s

4/1 – Dice-K, Clutch Hitting Lift Sox Over A’s in US Opener

3/26 – Harden Nasty; Sox Drop Game 2 in Japan

3/25 – Unlikely (Moss) and Likely (Manny) Heroes as Sox Take Opener in 10