With last nights 8-4 win at Tropicana Field, the Red Sox did more then set the Tampa Bay Rays back in their attempts to climb back into the Wild Card race (they are now 6 games back of the BoSox) they also got a monkey off their back.

After losing 13 of their last 15 games at the Trop, the Red Sox desperately needed a win and they got it last night on the back of Jon Lester who passed Bruce Hurst for the Red Sox record for most strikeouts in one season by a left-hander. With his 9 strikeouts last night (nice work JL) he has notched 196 strikeouts in the 2009 campaign and is now the left-hander strikeout king for the Red Sox.

It wasn't just Jon Lester that got it done last night, the Sox offense is finally starting to click and this is important if they plan to go deep into the playoffs. While I do believe we will hold on for the wild card, I also think when we get into the playoffs, especially if we go deep into the playoffs, with the state of our pitching rotation we are going to have to win more games by scores like 8-4.

In order to do that we are going to need the bats of Jacoby Ellsbury, Victor Martinez, Dustin Pedroia, Jason Bay and David Ortiz to light up like they have been over the last couple of weeks. We are going to need big hits in big spots, like Big Papi did for us to take us home against the White Sox last week.

Let's be real, the Red Sox pitching rotation is shakey at best at this point so we are going to need big bats in big spots.

Last night it took the whole team to get it done. With the exception of Dustin Pedroia all of the local nine notched hits last night, Papelbon came in and got 3 strikeouts and went two innings to get the job done with a little help from Jacoby Ellsbury on an AMAZING catch at the end of the game and of course their was the pitching from Jon Lester through 6 innings.

It was a win that the Red Sox needed to keep pace in the wild card as the Texas Rangers won against the Blue Jays last night as well. The Red Sox remain 3.5 up in the wild card and with the Yankees on a 5 game winning streak of their own, there is virtually no hope of catching the Skanks for the AL East division win. I think we did alright the last time we got in as the wild card.

- Adam

Labels: Boston Red Sox, Bruce Hurst, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Jason Bay, Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Tropicana Field, Victor Martinez

Will the real Josh Beckett please stand up? We need him back in a BIG way. Our stopper. Our ace. Our go to guy, is nowhere to be found and at the most crucial time for our beloved Boston Red Sox.

When Junichi Tazawa can come in and pitch six scoreless innings and close the door on a Yankees lineup who admitedly has been pounding the ball, shouldn't Josh Beckett be able to do the same thing the very next night?

Brad Penny? Now that was somewhat excusable and he is paying the price for giving up an insane amount of runs to the pinstripes, but Josh Beckett? Up until the last two games, he was the odds on favorite to win the AL Cy Young award. NOT ANYMORE.

This Josh Beckett has given up 15 runs over his last two starts and gave up 5 home runs last night alone...yes in ONE GAME. This is NOT the Cy Young winner we have grown to love in the Boston area. This is a guy who just a year ago was pitching in the Japanese Industrial League...oh wait that was the guy who WON this weekend.

The Red Sox went into this weekend on the brink of turning things around. They had just taken three straight from Toronto (which admitedly is not saying much) but with even a couple of wins this weekend they could've been right back into the hunt for the top spot in the AL East. Instead, the normally solid Josh Beckett let the team down when they needed him the most.

The Red Sox are now 7.5 games back of a NY Yankees team that is showing no signs of letting up. The only silver lining for the BoSox is that the Rangers and Rays pounded on each other over the weekend, which has Boston still standing at the top of the AL Wild Card chase by one game.

Labels: AL Cy Young, Boston Red Sox, Josh Beckett, Junichi Tazawa, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays

My what a difference three games make. After getting swept by the New York Yankees and dropping two out of the three from the Texas Rangers, the Red Sox found themselves out of the AL Wild Card lead and on the brink of dropping out of the conversation as to who is the top team in the AL East, but some cool, fresh, Canadian air was all they really needed as they completed the sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays last night at the Roger's Centre.

Labels: Boston Red Sox, brad penny, Clay Buckholz, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Junichi Tazawa, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Tim Wakefield, Toronto Blue Jays

Adam and Timmy are back to put the wraps on a weekend full of disappointment. Tiger blew a 54 hole lead for the first time in 15 tries. The Red Sox blew a chance to distance themselves from the surging Rangers in the AL Wildcard race. The Pats were the lone bright spot but even that was before the weekend. Adam and Big Papi both have issues with their "laundry" which the guys will get to in due time. Thanks for checking out the show and enjoy the week ahead. It's all right here on Monday Night at Wicked Pissa Dude.

Labels: AL East, al wildcard, ALCS, Big Papi, Boston Red Sox, monday night show, New England Patriots, Texas Rangers

Who would've thought that the few people clamoring that the Rays would inevitably slip up and let the Red Sox back into the chse would've been right. Among these select few was our very own Timmy. Yes, my friends, Timmy predicted that the chase for 1st place would come down to the next six games between the Red Sox and the Rays, starting tomorrow night at Fenway Park.

It's true, Tim mentioned a couple weeks back on Wicked Pissa Dude Radio that the Red Sox would be within striking distance of 1st place and when the Rays come into the Fens this week, the Red Sox would have a chance to grab 1st place back from the Rays for the first time since the All-Star Break.

Now, with a 7-2 win over the Texas Rangers this afternoon behind 6 2/3 innings from Paul Byrd and David Ortiz's first home run in twenty games, the Red Sox are only 1 1/2 games back of the Rays going into the upcoming three game set against the Rays.

So, here's how things could shake out. The Red Sox could sweep the Rays in Fenway Park and build a small but significant lead in the AL East heading into the final weeks of the season. It could go 2-1 in favor of the Red Sox and the two teams would be for all intensive purposes tied. The Rays could take two of three and not much would change. the absolutley devasting outcome would be a sweep by the Rays which would allow them to build a seemingly insurmountable lead over the Red Sox and our beloved Sox would have settle for the wild card.

There's only one kink in this plan, the fact that the Red Sox, a week later, travel to Tampa Bay for a three game set. So really no one really knows for sure how things will shake out, but one thing is certain we will have a clearer picture of the AL East race by Wednesday September 17th. Or maybe we won't if all goes according to plan. Here's to an exciting playoff run for all!!

adam@wickedpissadude.com

Labels: Boston Red Sox, David Ortiz, Paul Byrd, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers

"After that first inning when they had us down 10-0, I think everybody in the ballpark and everybody in all of Massachusetts thought that the game was over," said Rangers manager Ron Washington, whose team had 20 hits for the second straight game.

Yes sir Mr. Washington, you are correct. Those were my sentiments exactly and that's why you may have noticed there was nothing posted about the end of this game. After a 10-run first I was comfortable switching over to the Olympics and watching as Michael Phelps broke into the record books over and over and over again. Little did I know that the Red Sox and Rangers would be doing that last night as well.

On the power of 17 hits, 4 home-runs and 19 runs the Red Sox outlasted the Rangers in one of the greatest shows on Earth, Boston Red Sox baseball in late summer. Youklis' 2nd dinger of the night came at an opportune time when the Red Sox needed it the most, the eighth inning, down by a run. K-Youk's three run blast sent Fenway Park into a frenzy and left the Rangers to hang their heads and wonder how they squandered what could've been the greatest comeback against a Red Sox team in history.

In all, the game saw 37 hits, 11 doubles, 5 home runs and 36 runs. And when all the dust settled the Red Sox were left standing, Hideki Okajima got the win and Jonathon Papelbon got the save.

Click here for the boxscore.

RED SOX WIN!!!

adam@wickedpissadude.com

Labels: Big Papi, Boston Red Sox, David Ortiz, Fenway Park, Hideki Okajima, Jonathon Papelbon, Kevin Youklis, Texas Rangers