Scorching Sox September Surge

It wasn’t such a pleasant Sunday for New England football fans. Patriot backers had little to cheer about after they marched into the Meadowlands and suffered a meltdown at the hands of Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets. New England led at halftime, but it all went downhill from there. Boston baseball aficionados had more to celebrate and cheer about after the Red Sox inched closer to the AL Wildcard. Boston coasted to their 10th win in 11 games. Sunday’s victory over Baltimore, combined with a Texas Rangers loss, reduced the Red Sox wildcard number to seven. Boston now has an eight game edge over the suddenly slipping Rangers. The Sox outscored the Orioles 23-9 in completing a three game sweep at Camden Yards.
Daisuke Matsuzaka started just his second game since returning from a three-month stay on the disabled list. Matsuzaka allowed three runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings as Boston beat Baltimore 9-3. Baltimore’s rookie hurler from Green Bay, Wisconsin, Jason Berken, coughed up six runs in three innings of work. The Red Sox jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first frame on a Jason Bay single and a pair of Mike Lowell RBIs. Bay was playing on his 31st birthday as he returned to the lineup for the series finale in Baltimore. Berken walked two of the first three batters he faced and left his team in a hole before they even stepped to the plate. In the second inning, Victor Martinez crushed a single off the rookie to extend his career best hitting streak to 19 games. Jacoby Ellsbury added a double good for two runs in the second. The ball was clocked with backspin and sliced away from the fielder in left-center. Bay connected off relief pitcher, Chris Waters, two innings later for a 7-0 Red Sox advantage. Bay was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the sixth to drive in his third of the afternoon, and Ellsbury contributed a solo shot in the seventh to account for the remainder of Boston’s runs. The talented centerfield leadoff man was 3 for 4 on the day, with three RBIs and a stolen base. The Orioles only scoring came on a bottom of the fourth Luke Scott two-run tater and a bases loaded walk in the sixth. The pass came off Ramon Ramirez in relief of Matsuzaka.
Bay is having a phenomenal season in only his first full year donning Boston red. He is the leading MVP of the team, and a potential candidate for AL MVP too. His offensive resume is pretty impressive despite a less-than spectacular batting average. Bay’s 35th blast yesterday marked a career high for the All-star outfielder. Kevin Youkilis has also grabbed headlines in Boston with his versatility and plate patience. Youkilis is batting .314 with 85 RBIs and 25 long balls. While the Orioles are not a very good team, the Sox swung the bats well and built on an early lead. Ellsbury was a triple short of hitting for the cycle and the offense took care of business against a less than talented team. The Red Sox are rolling but must hold things together the rest of the season. Rest is important as the teams hit the homestretch and there will be some challenges along the way. But Boston is close to clicking on all cylinders and there is not much room for improvement. The pitching is healthier than it was earlier in the year and starters are locating their pitches more effectively. Clay Bucholtz gutted his way through six innings during his last start, and despite not throwing quality breaking balls or changeups, has matured and emerged as a number three starter. He is 5-0 in his last seven starts. The Sox need him to make pitches and have good command if they expect to succeed beyond September. The pitching staff posted a 1.87 in their last nine games before yesterday. If they can sustain their pitching, the Sox can get within a handful of games as they head into a key matchup with the Yankees next weekend.

Parting Points: Song of the day- “Last Night” by the Strokes
Goodbye Summer!