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August 20, 2007
LACK OF ATTACK: They pitched fine, and they played defense well enough to land two spots on ESPN's top five Web gems for the day (the home-run saving catch by Bobby Kielty in the first inning, and the second-inning grounder in which both Mike Lowell at the start and Kevin Youkilis at the end made superb plays). But their offense continues to lurch and sputter and Joe McDonald reports that yesterday it cost them a game as the Red Sox fell to the Angels, 3-1. The Boston Herald's Tony Massarotti points specifically to the maddening at-bat of J.D. Drew in the eighth inning -- when, with two on, two out, and Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez still in the bullpen, Drew looked at six straight pitches and was called out on strikes without ever taking the bat off his shoulder (above, Journal photo by Bob Breidenbach), ending the Sox' last chance to win the game -- and says it was a sympton of their baffling inconsistency since the end of May, inconsistency that, coupled with the Yankee surge, has once again shaved their A.L. East lead to four games.
THE LONG ROAD BACK: There isn't a Red Sox fan anywhere who won't point out that the lead would still be a healthy seven games were it not for Eric Gagne -- who was the main culprit in the Sox' blowing a 5-1 eighth-inning lead in Baltimore a week ago Friday, a 3-1 eighth-inning lead in Baltimore a week ago Sunday and a 5-4 ninth-inning lead against the Angels last Friday night -- and he was greeted accordingly when he entered the game in the ninth inning yesterday. But Sean McAdam notes that yesterday was a good day for Gagne, one he hopes he can build on.
HE WHO LAUGHS LAST . . . Gagne's struggles haven't gone unnoticed 160 miles to the south. The New York Post's Joel Sherman says the Yankees, who were beaten by the Sox in the bid to acquire Gagne, may have won the battle, after all.
BITS AND PIECES: The McAdam/McDonald/Paul Kenyon notebook has items on the bad blood between Julian Tavarez and Orlando Cabrera, Kielty's Boston debut, and Youkilis' mind-bending slump. Kenyon also profiles new catcher Kevin Cash, who made his Boston debut yesterday and will begin his real job -- taking over as Tim Wakefield's personal catcher from the injured Doug Mirabelli -- tonight in Tampa.
IF WE DO SAY SO OURSELVES: The Angels were proud of themselves for coming up big in the finale of what had been a tough weekend for them. (Los Angeles Daily News)
LOST IDENTITY: Curt Schilling says he's ''nowhere near as consistent as I can be, or should be, and I continue to change as much as I can to adjust to the new stuff I have, or don’t have.'' (38pitches.com) Writing for FoxSports.com, Chad Finn worries that Schilling is ''just as likely to be a liability as he is an asset to Boston's championship aspirations.''
NO REPEAT: Because of the wild card, FoxSports.com's Dayn Perry says the current A.L. East race bears no resemblance to the epic Red Sox-Yankee struggle of 1978.
NOTHING PERSONAL: Joe Posnanski insists he doesn't hate Jim Rice; he just doesn't think Rice belongs in the Hall of Fame. He says Rice fans fail to make the distinction, and they probably won't now, either, after Joe writes that Rice's best season (1978) doesn't compare to Rocky Colavito's best season (1961). (thesoulofbaseball.blogspot.com)
ROLLING A SEVEN: In a Sports Illustrated poll of major league players, Fenway Park was listed as the seventh-best venue in which to hit. (SI.com)
ALL TOGETHER NOW: The Nationals got the whole Wily Mo Pena package -- a home run, two strikeouts and some shaky defense in right field -- in Sunday's loss to the Mets. (Washington Times)
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT . . . Joe McDonald talked to Bronson Arroyo after the Pena trade, and Arroyo says he appreciates Theo Epstein's comment that the Pena-for-Arroyo trade was a mistake. He also reiterated that he'd love to return to the Red Sox.
YIN AND YANG: Johnny Damon sounds like he wants out of the Bronx if he can't play every game (New York Times) Even so, he says he still enjoys being a Yankee, especially after days like yesterday. (New York Daily News)
VINDICATION: The calls for Brian Cashman's head were overwhelming earlier this year, when the Yankees were struggling. But he stuck to his plan, and the Daily News' Bill Madden says it's paying off.
SO LONG, PAL: On the LoHud Yankees Blog, Peter Abraham writes that Chien-Ming Wang may be bothered by the release of Mike Myers, who was his best friend on the team and who tried to break Wang out of his quiet, introverted shell. Yesterday Wang wasn't as good as he's been all season, but he was a lot better than he'd been in his last two starts and it was enough to get him the victory. (New York Daily News)
HIP HIP JORGE! Writing for the Journal-American's print edition, Abraham says Jorge Posada could very well be a Met next year.
I'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE . . . Joba Chamberlain reminds the Tigers of their own Joel Zumaya. (New York Post)
WRONG MONTH: The calendar says August, but the Detroit Free Press' Mitch Albom says the slumping Tigers need to begin playing like it's September.
RECORD? I DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' RECORD: Johan Santana had 17 strikeouts through eight innings and could have tied the Roger Clemens/Kerry Wood mark for strikeouts in a single game by fanning the side in the ninth, but basically decided that eight (innings) was enough and turned things over Joe Nathan in the ninth. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
HELLO GOODBYE: SI.com's Jacob Luft lists the Padres' Jake Peavy as the favorite to win the N.L. Cy Young Award. (His A.L. pick: The Orioles' Erik Bedard.) Even so, Peavy doesn't expect to be in San Diego beyond the end of his contract in 2009, and even thinks he may be traded before then. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
GOOD DEAL . . . MAYBE: The Daily Southtown's Phil Arvia says the Carlos Zambrano contract extension will work for the Cubs if it gets them that elusive World Series championship.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Jermaine Dye, whom the Red Sox tried hard to acquire at the trading deadline, gave the White Sox a bit of a hometown discount in agreeing to a two-year, $22 million contract extension over the weekend. (Chicago Tribune)
QUICKLY: Roy Oswalt (strained oblique muscle) will probably miss his next start for the Astros (Houston Chronicle) . . . The Blue Jays -- or at least some members of the Toronto media -- have buyer's remorse regarding Vernon Wells (Toronto Sun) . . . It's not imminent, but the Mets' Billy Wagner is thinking retirement (New York Times).
LOCAL BOYS: Ex-Providence College star John McDonald played a big role in the Blue Jays' win over the Orioles yesterday (Toronto Sun).
OLD FRIENDS: Mike Myers, released by the Yankees earlier this month, has resurfaced in Chicago with the White Sox (Chicago Tribune) . . . Lenny DiNardo is emerging as the ace of the A's starting rotation (San Francisco Chronicle) . . . The Cubs aren't sure when Cliff Floyd, mourning the death of his father, will come off the bereavement list (Chicago Sun-Times).
-- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone 
at 6:56 AM | Permalink
