Marco Scutaro’s throw sailed into right field. Boston’s playoff hopes may have sailed away with it. Scutaro’s two-base error on a throw to second base in the third inning allowed the winning run to come home in the Baltimore Orioles’ 5-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Tuesday night at Camden Yards, the Orioles struck first. In the first inning, Nick Markakis hit a one-out double off Red Sox starter Josh Beckett, who came into the game 4-3 with a 6.50 ERA. In his previous start, Beckett pitched 6.1 innings against the Seattle Mariners, allowing three earned runs while striking out seven in a 5-3 win. Two batters after Markakis’s double, Luke Scott singled to right, driving him home. Beckett escaped further damage in the first inning and then enjoyed a 1-2-3 second.
Continue reading Scutaro Error Proves Costly as Red Sox Fall to Orioles »

It’s amazing how quickly things turn around. A week ago, the Red Sox made a bold move in claiming Johnny Damon off waivers in an effort to add outfield help as the Sox pushed toward the playoffs. Johnny Damon said “Screw You” to Theo Epstein in not so many words, and the Red Sox arrived in Tampa as they have at every ballpark all season: shorthanded. After the Red Sox won Game 1, they were just 4.5 games back, and many started thinking a playoff run was possible.

Then, the Red Sox blew two consecutive games, fell seven games back in the division, and realized a playoff spot may not be that realistic.

With the waiver trade deadline looming, the Red Sox parted ways with one of their good soldiers in the bullpen, Manny Delcarmen, sending him to the Rockies for a minor league pitcher. Continue reading Red Sox Trade Manny Delcarmen to Rockies, Waive White Flag »

The Rays and Yankees are still tied with 31 games to go; the Red Sox are 7.0 games back. The Cardinals (and pretty much the Giants) have seemingly died. The Padres have too, but they still had a huge division lead built up to eat the blow. And assuming Manny doesn’t help the White Sox all too much and Lincecum stays funky, the playoff teams are pretty much in there.

Once more, the top eight teams were in the previous rankings, and the bottom two are new appearances. The biggest move of any team was three spots, followed by four movements of two spots. And as you might expect, the top two spots were easily retained.

As usual, teams get 10 points for a first place vote, then nine points for a second, and so on. Ties are broken based on who received the most first place votes, then the most second, and so on. The second tiebreaker is position in the previous rankings.

With just a month left in the season, we’ll also be giving our thoughts on what the Red Sox need to do to get back in the playoff race. Continue reading SoB MLB Power Rankings 8-31-10 »

Have you ever said something so much you believed it? Like that time you told your parents you got a B+ on that algebra test when you failed it? Then, when you got your grade at the end of the term, you were surprised to see that you had a C in the course despite all B’s (and really one F)? Sound familiar?

That’s the kind of situation former Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens finds himself in. Despite an enormous amount of circumstantial evidence, reported DNA evidence, and tremendous witness testimony from Brian McNamee, Andy Pettitte, Chuck Knoblauch, and others, Clemens seems convinced that he’s absolutely correct. Just ask him. He didn’t take steroids or HGH.

Well, Roger tried using that strategy with the government, and it has him in a heap of legal trouble. Continue reading Roger Clemens Pleads Not Guilty in Perjury Case »

With just over a month left to go, things are finally starting to fall into place. Baltimore has officially been eliminated, and Pittsburgh could still win their division, if they win their last 32 and Cincinnati loses their last 32. The Yankees were the first team to 80 wins, but were joined hours later by the Rays. That leaves Boston 6.5 games out, with an elimination number of 26. If they’re not careful, Toronto will finish better. Even Baltimore could still mathematically do it. After being so close for so long, the Reds are 5.0 games ahead of the Cardinals, with Joey Votto and Albert Pujols competing for the Triple Crown. With waiver-wire trades coming to a close and the rosters about to expand to 40, let’s look at what would happen if the playoffs started as of Monday, August 30, before the day’s games: Continue reading If the Playoffs Started Today – MLB Week 21 »

After the Chicago White Sox were awarded a waiver claim on Manny Ramirez, the Dodgers will simply hand him and his $4.3 million obligation to Chicago Monday, according to baseball sources. Ramirez was reportedly looking for a contract extension in exchange for waiving his no trade clause, but withdrew that demand when he was benched for the last four games.
Continue reading It’s Official: Manny Belongs to Chicago »

It’s been almost five years since any Boston Red Sox catcher threw out Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Carl Crawford. He has stolen 35 consecutive bases. Sunday night, when the Red Sox and Rays played the rubber match of their three-game series at Tropicana Field, he stole no bases. Instead, he did his damage with his bat. Crawford’s two-run home run tied what was a 3-1 deficit in the sixth and catalyzed a Tampa Bay offense that up until that point had managed just one run on four hits (three of which were singles). After that the floodgates opened, as the Rays scored three runs in the sixth and another in the seventh as part of a 5-run, 11-hit attack. The end result: a 5-3 Rays victory over the Red Sox.

The game featured a battle of 12-win pitchers, with John Lackey facing off against James Shields. The similarities between the two pitchers did not stop at the number of victories. In each pitcher’s previous start (Lackey versus Seattle, Shields versus Los Angeles) he went eight innings, striking out ten while allowing two earned runs. Both games resulted in decisive victories for their clubs. And during the first two innings of Sunday’s game, both pitchers allowed just a lone two-out single to the opposing hitters. Unfortunately, after that the two pitchers started to separate. Engaged in a tremendous pitcher’s duel through three innings, it was Lackey who faltered first. With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Carlos Pena crushed a 1-0 pitch deep into the right-field bleachers. Thankfully, Shields faltered just an inning later, giving up a lead-off double to Mike Lowell. Lowell came around to tie the game one out later, when Yamaico Navarro drove in the first run of his major-league career. Darnell McDonald, having walked and gone to second on Navarro’s hit, was also driven home as well, this time by Marco Scutaro. The Red Sox put up a third run in the top of sixth on a Daniel Nava RBI single, but after that everything went south in a hurry. Continue reading Crawford Crushes Red Sox; Boston Now 6 1/2 Back in Both Races »