Sweep, I Got Yer Sweep, RIGHT HERE...

For the first time this season I'm checking in after a series not due to procrastination (which is a much better term than laziness, wouldn't we agree) or incredible business surrounding work and/or family (the latter of which supersedes blogging any day), but solely because I wanted to post THAT headline...after the humiliating sweep in Tampa last week, which I was too disgusted to face as you may recall, we needed to send a little message that this is still our division, and if the Rays want into this decade plus two team battle, they're going to have to earn it...

The Rays came to town riding a wave that included that 3 game sweep of our boys, and they must have been feeling pretty good about themselves...sure, they beat some of our second string arms, and sure, we were missing a few guys in the lineup, but a sweep is a sweep, and even in early in the season I'm sure they were happy with themselves after winning those games...their little post game 3 congratulations seemed more enthusiastic that usual...something I noticed (I think it happened, I really do...but perception is a funny thing...who knows, maybe I was just pissed) and hoped would be shoved back at them, and soon...

We didn't have to wait long, as redemption was a dis served up by the Red Sox offense...the bats awoke for this series and order was restored in the AL East universe...before getting to the game action, which I won't spend too much time on since there was very little actual "action," just a good old fashioned whomping, I'll illustrate the point with these numbers:

4-5, 1-2, 0-3, 7-3, 12-4, 7-3

What are the scores from the last 6 Red Sox - Rays games, Alex? That is correct...notice that the pitching was just fine all along, even when trotting out the David Pauleys and Justin Mastersons of the world...so let's add that up quickly, first three games we scored 5 runs total...lost them...last three games, 26 runs...theeeeeeere we go...talk about a correction...I apologize to the Rays organization and their fans for the false hope, but the Red Sox are back in the swing of things, and your pitchers had to take the punishment...here are the brief synopses since there wasn't much drama for building:

Game 1: Clay Buchholz vs. Edwin Jackson: This game was over when: bottom of the 4th...the Sox tacked on 5 more to their 1 run lead, and Clay wasn't going to let that go on that particular night...he was still up and down with the command (4 BB, 6 K) but he wiggled out of enough and got it to the pen...the Rays scratched out 2 unearned runs in the 7th thanks to a Lugo error (number 8, putting him on pace for 40 or so...this frightens me...a lot) but we were able to throw back a "not so fast" run in the 8th to make sure they knew that there would be no 9th inning rally...Oki and Pap worked their innings, done deal...

Game 2: Josh Beckett vs. James Shields: This game was over when: Shields stepped onto the mound...last week he wrecked the Sox and made our boys look foolish...a complete game 2 hit shutout, 1 BB, 7 K last week...now, you just DO NOT do that to the Sox (especially not your WS champion Sox) and live to tell about it...his line for this one looked a little different...try 3.2 innings, 7 nice big EARNED runs, 3 BB and 3 K...Sox led 3-0 after 1, and even though Beckett was a little off the offense didn't stop, and he was up 9-4 when he left after the 8th...no HR from the Sox in this game, just a relentless 15 hit attack...like saying, you want to f*ck with us, we're going to f*ck with you...

Game 3: Jon Lester vs. Scott Kazmir: This game was over when: we remembered this was the "just off of the DL" Kazmir, not the "I kill the Red Sox" Kazmir...he lasted 4 innings in his comeback game, giving up 3 ER...not horrible and I'm sure the Rays will take it, but considering his prior work against us, we'll take it too...Lester didn't progress much in terms of control and put up a trademark Lester line...6 inning,s 112 pitches, 3 BB 5 K and somehow only one ER allowed...I don't know how he does this...we're going to have to give him some sort of magic nickname, like Houdini or the Great something...if you have any ideas, hit me with them...I'll think of one by his next start, so you have 4+ games...anyway, we beat up on their pen and Delcarmen gave up his obligatory runs, which is a little bit of a concern now too, but as long as we have Oki and Pap back there I'm going to try not to freak out too much...still, we may have to address the pen sooner rather than later if Timlin doesn't return to form and Delcarmen keeps on like this...

So, life is much better in Soxland today...feels like we're about to put a stretch together...in fact I felt so good I went out and got my seasonal Sox hat...every season since 2003 I've gone out and gotten a Sox cap for the season, but only when it felt right...sometimes that was way before the season (like in 2004 when I couldn't WAIT to get back on the field) and other times it's at a relevant point during it...but always before the All Star break...this felt like the right time...I even picked up my official 2007 WS champs cap, which I had been meaning to do...like I said, right now it just feels right...could be time to put together some consistent, Red Sox baseball and see if we can win some games and put some distance between the contenders and the pretenders...

The Mighty Tigers, everyone's fancy pre-season AL pick for supremacy, are next...and the boys have to travel...I hear Detroit is lovely...umm...never, so they must be enjoying that...they're enjoying the game so far, Dice looks to have pitched a good game and the power stroke is going...up 5-1 going to the pen in the 7th...not sure when the Tigers will realize that pitching wins championships, but until they do...

GO SAWX!!!