Boston Sports Then and Now

How many people thought the Red Sox would have had the best record in baseball after the 1^st month? How many people thought the Red Sox would be in 1^st place in the AL East on June 5^th? The answer is not many. I’m sure if you got inside Ben Cherington’s head or even Larry Lucchino’s head they wouldn’t have thought the team would be in first place, (Seeing what else is in Lucchino’s head might be pretty scary!!) but the Red Sox, like the Yankees have surprised fans and analysts alike.

After taking 2 out of 3 from the Yankees in the Bronx, and then demolishing the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night, 17-5, the Red Sox have a 2.5 game lead in the division over both the Yankees, and Baltimore Orioles. In fact the entire division, with the exception of the Toronto Blue Jays, are separated by just 4 games.

The Blue Jays were hyped up to be the best team in baseball just as the Red Sox were before the 2011 season. Now Toronto looks more like the 2012 Red Sox as they have yet to turn a corner and start winning consistently, like the 2011 Red Sox did in May of that year.

Daniel Nava

The Red Sox have had some pleasant surprises along with a few concerns in the third of the season that has been played. One surprise has been Daniel Nava, who was once an Independent League ballplayer. Nava has been with the Red Sox organization since 2008, and made his Major League debut in 2010 when he hit a grand slam on his first ever major league pitch. He spent all of 2011 in Pawtucket, and many fans, including myself, probably didn’t realize he played in 80 games for Boston last season. Read the rest of this entry →

The Bruins used to goals in 31 seconds to get to overtime and shock the Maple Leafs in Game 7.

A lot has happened since the last edition of Boston Bruins: By The Numbers. The B’s nearly blew a 3-1 series lead, then made hockey history, then sent the Garden into a frenzy with the overtime winner in Game 7 against the Maple Leafs. Over the last two weeks, there have been many eye-catching statistics, including something that hadn’t happened since the Eisenhower administration and something that hadn’t happened…ever. I could have just done Bruins-Maple Leafs Game 7 by the numbers (and yes, that was not more than two weeks ago), but here’s the entire last two weeks.

0: The Rangers had no players with better than an even rating in Game 5.

0:13: Tyler Seguin managed 13 seconds of short-handed ice time in Game 7 against the Leafs.

0:37: Dennis Seidenberg played just 37 seconds in the Game 7 win after leaving with an undisclosed injury.

1: There has now been just one team to ever come back from a three-goal deficit in the third period of a Game 7: the 2013 Boston Bruins.

1: Cody Franson now has one career two-goal night in 266 career NHL games. A Game 7 wasn’t a bad time to pick it up.

1: Game 7 against the Leafs was the first time in the playoffs that the team won without both Andrew Ference and Wade Redden in the lineup.

Read the rest of this entry →

Dustin Pedroia scores from a Jonny Gomes sac fly Friday night.

Last week at this time the Red Sox were losers of five of six and heading to Tampa Bay for a three game set with the pesky Rays.  After losing to Matt Moore on Tueday the Red Sox have not missed a beat.  Wednesday’s game David Price left early with an injury and the Sox pounced on the Rays bullpen winning 9-2 highlighted by a Stephen, don’t call me J.D. Drew grand slam.  Thursday’s game was much more drama filled as the Sox were down to their last strike with the bases loaded and Will Middlebrooks drove a Fernando Rodney pitch to the left field wall to clear the bases and win the game 4-3.  Getting to the Tampa Bay bullpen is not an easy task.  They always seem to develop great young arms and stockpile them in the bullpen if their rotation is full of other young guns.  The Red Sox scored off the bullpen and took the series.  Winning series has taken upon a bigger role this season I feel with the Sox.  If you can take two of three from a good team you are a good team.

This weekend the Red Sox traveled to Minnesota and had some lengthy games to say the least.  All games were over three and a half hours.  All games were won by the Red Sox though. Friday night’s game was won 3-2 by a game winning sac fly from Jonny Gomes scoring Dustin Pedroia in the 10th inning.  Alex Wilson got his first major league win in relief and Koji Uehara got his first save in a Red Sox uniform.  The Red Sox have made Vance Worley owner of a 6.02 ERA look like a Cy Young candidate twice in the last week only being able to get four runs off him in two starts.

Saturday’s game was a game of offense as the teams combined for 25 hits in a 12-5 Red Sox win.  David Ortiz homered twice bringing his season total to seven.  Daniel Nava also added his sixth homer of the season with a late inning insurance run.  Ryan Dempster however only lasted 4 and two third innings walking six.  Dempster has had some stinkers lately but, he has been a beneficiary of good run support.  Craig Breslow got his first win of the season in relief and has looked good after the first month on the disabled list.  Of late him and Andrew Miller have combined to look great out of the pen from the left side and if Franklin Morales comes back as a reliever the Sox will pack some punch in the late innings.

Sunday’s game was interrupted by a three hour rain delay in the seventh inning with the Red Sox leading 3-1.  I for one would hate to see my team lose after a three hour rain delay.  There were probably less than 400 fans at Target Field when the game resumed.  The Sox got some insurance runs after the rain delay from a Dustin Pedroia two run home run off of left fielder Josh Willingham’s glove in the top of the ninth that scaled the wall and just got over and the Sox took the game 5-1 and finished off the sweep.  John Lackey gave up only one hit in his six innings of work and got his second win on the season.  He admitted to wanting to pitch longer only having 84 pitches after the six innings but when the rain delay struck the Sox weren’t going to throw him back out there after three hours which is the right decision.  Lackey won’t have starts like this all the time giving up only one hit but, he has looked good since being sidelined early with a forearm injury.

Fresh off the sweep the Red Sox head to Chicago for a three game set with the White Sox.  Andrew Bailey will be activated in time for tonight’s game and expect him to retake that closer role back from Junichi Tazawa.  Manager John Farrell does not expect to use Bailey in back to back games right away however until he feels more comfortable.  Tazawa will go back to his role of middle relief which is where he was greatly effective early on in the season.  If the team needs a big out in the 6th of 7th now they can go to him, without fear of needing someone for the 9th.

Junichi Tazawa will relinquish the closer role back to Andrew Bailey on Monday.

Jon Lester gets the ball tonight opposite of righty Dylan Axelrod. Lester is looking to go 7-0 on the season.  Tomorrow is a big start for Felix Doubront.  The team is having Franklin Morales pitch in rehab games as if he is a starter.  This of course points out that the team might not have too much faith in Doubront.  Doubront is 3-1 on the season however he has a 6.02 ERA.  Wins and loses don’t always tell the story about a pitcher.  Doubront will face fellow lefty Jose Quintana. The marquee matchup of the series is on Wednesday as Clay Buchholz will oppose White Sox lefty Chris Sale.  Both have pitched like aces this season and runs will be hard to come by on Wednesday night.

What a difference a week makes as the Sox went from losers of five of six to now winners of five of six.  They get their closer back tonight and will look to continue on with a successful road trip.  The offense has looked good since John Farrell said he was sticking with his lineup and it was not time to panic.  Showing faith in the team must have gave the players some confidence to work with.  Every team slumps but it’s how you get out of those slumps that matter.  This week the Sox want to finish this road trip the way they started.

Matt Bartkowski played in Games 5 and 7 in the first round of the playoffs against Toronto.

As we all know, the Bruins skated past the Maple Leafs by the hair on their chins with an unbelievable comeback win on Monday night. What may not have been quite as obvious or even quite as important at the time was how they were able to get it done. Obviously, they needed to be able to score two goals in less than two minutes, but there was a reason they were within striking distance – if you want to call it that.

Through six games, the B’ had been 3-0 with both Andrew Ference and Wade Redden in the lineup and were 0-3 without both of them in there. In Game 7, however, neither veteran was on the ice and it came down to two rookies – Matt Bartkowski and Dougie Hamilton – playing well enough to get the win. Bartkowski even chipped in with his first career NHL goal in the first period and with Dennis Seidenberg leaving the game very early on, they each played big minutes and logged a lot of ice time.

By no stretch of the imagination were either of these players amazing, but they did enough to help the team win. They combined for just three hits and one blocked shot as well as five shots on goal, but they minimized their mistakes. For Hamilton, especially, he was much better than he was in Game 2 and even late in the regular season, though he was on the ice for the second Toronto goal in Game 7. In Bartkowski’s case, he took advantage of his ice time from Game 5 nearly tripling to make an impact on the game both offensively and defensively.

With returns from Seidenberg, Ference and Redden not looking too likely before the Eastern Conference Semifinals begin Thursday, these two will obviously be counted on for a lot of mistake-free minutes again. Not that it matters, but on the final two Toronto goals in Game 7, mistakes were made by Johnny Boychuk, Adam McQuaid and Zdeno Chara – none of whom are rookies. Boychuk couldn’t seal of Phil Kessel for the rebound on the third goal and after Chara pinched up to allow a Leafs two-on-one, McQuaid was unable to get to Nazem Kadri quick enough to prevent him from putting home the rebound.

So, looking forward to the next series, a lot of the Bruins’ success will weigh on how well Hamilton and Bartkowski will be able to play. As I have said, they did all right in Game 7 when the team had just five defensemen left on the bench. Now, they have had two days to practice with Torey Krug, who is likely to go in Game 1 tonight, as well. This means new partners for almost everyone except Hamilton, who is fairly used to playing with Chara.

The key against the Rangers will be how well the makeshift defense of the Bruins stacks up against some of the tougher forwards in the league from New York. It’s not just Rick Nash, who was not even close to their most productive forward in the first round, but New York has more than a few forwards who can make plays and score goals. Sure, Chara may be on the ice for most of Nash’s shifts, and as we saw in Game 1 of the Kings-Sharks series, that can be effective, but there are other ways this team can beat you. The young defenders will have to step up since Chara cannot play 60 minutes a night.

Read the rest of this entry →

I still can’t believe it.

It will finally sink in when the Bruins take the ice versus the Rangers on Thursday.

Who knows what to expect from this team….but you have to believe they can do it now after the “Miracle On Causeway”.

Bergeron…..Bergeron…

Pawtucket, RI -

The Pawtucket Red Sox Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox certainly provide the entertainment of big league ball games at minor league prices.  The PawSox were 2012 International League Champions and now with many players back from that team and continuing to develop, this years team could be playing well into September as well.  Of course every minor league players focus is to make it to the big leagues and not ever have to come back to the minor leagues.

Jackie Bradley Jr. is on the disabled list due to a right bicep injury.

The Pawtucket Red Sox roster boasts talent like Alfredo Aceves and Jose Iglesias as well as young guns Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa.  Jackie Bradley Jr. is on the disabled list after a short sample with Pawtucket that has been good.  Often times we know the names of the hot prospects and fringe players who spend almost the same amount of time on Interstate 95, back and forth, as they do on the field.  Players who are not household names sometimes can provide a spark to a big league club with a brief stint should an injury occur.  Last year Red Sox fans became familiar with Pedro Ciriaco after he mashed against the Yankees.  Now Ciriaco is on the big league club as a utility infielder.  I’m here to tell you about the players who may not be household names.

This year the PawSox have some impressive outfielders and corner infielders.  Late spring training signing Brandon Snyder, who has major league experience with the Rangers and Orioles, has been impressive in 33 games.  Snyder has 7 home runs and 26 RBI’s to go along with a .299 average.  Snyder who plays mostly first base has gotten some time at third base since Will Middlebrooks crashed into David Ross.  Third base is the thinnest depth wise in the organization but, the team should not sleep on Snyder.  The only problem is, Snyder does not have a spot on the 40 man roster should an occasion arise where he is needed.  Putting a player on the 60 day disabled list could create a spot like Alex Hassan who has not played in a game all season.

Mark Hamilton who plays first base and the corner outfield positions also has major league experience with the Cardinals.  He signed a minor league contract during the offseason with the Sox and has looked good as well.  He was recently named the International League Player of the Week.  Last week he hit 4 home runs and had 10 RBI to lead the league.  In 31 games he is hitting .275 with 6 home runs and 27 RBI.  Hamilton could surely provide some insurance behind Mike Napoli and Mike Carp, who has looked good in a small sample size.  Daniel Nava has appeared in a few games at first base but now seems to have unseated Jonny Gomes as the everyday left fielder.

Jeremy Hazelbaker who was drafted by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2009 draft has rotated between the corner outfielder positions.  He spent the later part of last season with the PawSox after being with Double A Portland for most of the season.  Hazelbaker has also provided some pop down the order for the PawSox hitting .283 with 5 home runs and 19 RBI.  Hazelbaker is also not on the 40 man roster but could potentially be a piece they trade for some help near the trade deadline.  He seems to me like a Brandon Moss type player.  Provide some pop off the bench and maybe be a average starter for a mid market team.

The PawSox leadoff hitter last night was Justin Henry who was acquired from the Tigers by trade early this past off season.  Henry is a utility player who last night played center field but opening night played third base.  He is a valuable piece of the bench and I think he could potentially replace Ciriaco is he continues to struggle on the field.  Henry has no major league experience.  Henry this season is hitting .315 with 1 home run, 13 RBI and 6 steals.  Henry has speed and as I said can play many positions defensively and play them well.  Last year the Red Sox forced Ciriaco into the outfield and he did not really excel.

Bryce Brentz is ranked as the 7th best Red Sox prospect according to MLB.com.

Bryce Brentz who fits in as a right fielder with a cannon of an arm is ranked as the Red Sox number 7 prospect according to MLB.com.  Brentz missed most of spring training due to a handgun accident which may have set him back with the big league club in terms of path of the majors.  He could have potentially played in more games for the big league club to prove who he is as a player playing against major league talent.  He along with Hazelbaker came up to the PawSox late last season and started this year with the club.  Brentz is hitting .275 with 6 home runs and 26 RBI.  He has a heck of a swing and hits line drives with the best of them.

Those five players could potentially become household names to Red Sox fans.  As I stated all of them are not on the 40 man roster, which makes it harder for them to be called up to Boston.  Should they continue to perform in Pawtucked the Red Sox will have a decision to make.   These players could even come up in September when the rosters expand and more injuries are almost certain.  One thing is for certain the PawSox roster is certainly talented and the players are looking for their chance to prove they can help the big league club.