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

Jason Varitek was not behind the plate last night in the Red Sox 10-9 win over the Toronto Blue Jays and yet all was right with the world, well almost all. The buzz this morning is over Josh Beckett's performance and the 7 runs he gave up. What, he's not allowed to have a bad start?

Labels: Boston Red Sox, Jason Varitek, Josh Beckett, New York Yankees, Victor Martinez

The trade deadline has come and gone and if you were subscribed to our ATOS feed you would know that the Boston Red Sox made some nice moves with the last minute manuvering of one Theo Epstein.

In his last minute moves, Theo made two plays that will position the slumping Red Sox nicely moving forward for a playoff push. Nostradumbass got it half right when he said that Victor Martinez would be in a Red Sox uniform after the trade deadline, because we got him, but instead of trading our roid rage clutch hitter Big Papi, we sent Justin Masterson, Bryan Price and left-handed pitcher Nick Hagadone to Cleveland. Martinez will spend his time giving Jason Varitek a breather and can be used at 1st base as well.

In another move that gives the Sox more go-to room on the bench, Theo dealt Adam LaRoche to Atlanta for Casey Kotchman. This move undoubtedly will be good when the Red Sox are playing October baseball!!

-Adam

Labels: Bryan Price, Casey Kotchman, Cleveland Indians, Jason Varitek, Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone, Victor Martinez