Jennifer R. Richmond's Boston Red Sox fan blog

When I posted on Monday about the Blue Jays weekend series, I was afraid I wouldn't have any finger nails left by the time Dice-K and Kazmir left the mound. Turns out it was a fear unrealized - at least 24 hours ago.

Monday's first game against the Rays saw Kazmir so off his game he had already given up nine runs by the third inning. And by the time Dice-K left the mound there were several more on the board. Why you may ask? It's all because Monday wasn't a baseball game. It was a long-ball game. Of the nine starters on the bench, 6of them, that's right, six of them, hit balls out of the park; which is quite a feat since the Trop is hidden inside a dome. As a matter of fact, Jason Bays' homer was hit so hard it disappeared inside one of the catwalks never to be seen again.

But that was Monday night. A great game not only because we won, but because the win tied us with the Rays for first place in the AL East. A place the Sox haven't seen since before the All Star break.

Continue reading "What a Difference a Day Makes"

Only Saturday's morning game was the blemish on the series. The three others were all great games with awesome catches, timely hits and even a few nail biting moments.

Friday's game saw Wakefield pitch the game he wanted to pitch against the Rangers last week. Instead of an inning and 2/3, the knuckler pitched a solid 8. They were so solid that not one Jay scored. While the rain bogged down spectators and players alike, it clearly didn't hamper Wake's knuckler which was floating every which way. With 4 K's and not a single walk, it's probably one of Wake's best outings this season.

Meanwhile on the offensive Jed Lowrie went two for two with a pair of RBI's. Papi had a 2-run double in the 7th and Kevin Cash hit one over the monster for three more in the bottom of the 8th. Those seven runs gave the Sox a much needed win on a night when most of the other games on the east coast were rained out including the Rays/Yankees opener.

Continue reading "Sox Take the Series from the Jays"

After a horrific weekend against the Jays, the Sox are back in a groove.  They've taken the first two games against the Orioles and are thereby keeping a tight grip on the lead in the wild card race.The good news that I referred to in the title is that the Sox are on the road and so far they're winning.  Better news is that Varitek hit home runs in each of the first two games in Baltimore.  And after 3 and a half weeks as a member of the Red Sox, Jason Bay is making it obvious the trade of Manny was a smart move.  He had two homers in the first game and three hits in yesterday's.  And while Youkilis was hitless in Monday's game, he helped give the Sox some breathing room last night when he launched homer #24 into the cheap seats in the 5th inning.And speaking of br

Continue reading "Good News and Bad News"

In case you missed last night's game, it was a roller coaster.  Dad was so sure we'd won, he actually called me at the end of the first inning.  Now, as I've mentioned before in this blog, I TIVO the games, which means if you know what's going on, DO NOT, under any circumstances, tell me.  I'll see the game eventually and I don't want to know.  But sometimes Dad can't help himself and he ruins it for me.  So, yesterday he called all excited.  "I know you don't want to know, but I have to tell you," he said"Fine, tell me."  "We're up 10-zip and it's only the first inning."  Well, it was only the first inning and these are the Red Sox after all.  Needless to say 10-zip wasn't the final score.  Dad... may

Continue reading "Wait, What was the Final Score?"

So the Red Sox split the series with the White Sox this weekend. The two they lost, they lost by just a run or two. The two they won, they won by 4 runs each.
Seems the bats don't like to play every day. Too bad, because our players show up on a daily basis and deserve to hit the ball. I don't know if it's a lack of batting or if the other team's pitching is really good, but something's gotta change. The Sox can win every other day and expect to make the playoffs. As a matter of fact, it's a miracle they're still leading the wild card albeit by only a game and a half. But that's another blog for another time. Let's get back to this weekend the the first stint against the Chi Sox.The two games we lost weren't due to bad pitching on the Red Sox's part. Let me rephrase that. It wasn't due to

Continue reading "Are the Bats Back?"

The newest member of the Red Sox and a rookie are the reason behind the Sox winning the past two games. (We won't talk about the first game and the fact that Buchholz still can't seem to locate his fast ball.)

Yes, Jason Bay is doing so well in left, most of the Fenway Faithful can be heard whispering "Manny who?" Believe it or not, today marks the one-week anniversary of the new left fielder. And over the course of that week, Bay has made a serious statement. He's hitting .423 over the last six days and that includes two doubles, a triple, a homer and six RBI's, three of which came during the past series against Kansas City. While he only had two hits in last night's game, he came around to score on both of them.

Everyone kept talking about how much pressure there would be for Bay to fill Manny's shoes. Well, based on the past week and this series especially, it looks as if Bay ain't feelin' no pressure.

Continue reading "Sox Take 2 out of 3 Thanks to Bay and Ellsbury"

Over the three game series against the Oakland A's there were a lot of posters and signs welcoming Jason Bay to Fenway.  But my favorite had to be "The Manny Show Cancelled for Baywatch."  And as a TV writer, let me tell you - this midseason replacement was just the breath of fresh air the Red Sox Channel needed.This weekend Bay made the Fenway Faithful believe in life after Ramirez.  While he may not have the stats Manny has, he's not too far behind the guy.  And he proved in his first three starts as a Red Sox, that his heart is firmly planted in the game.  Something we haven't seen from Manny in a long time.  Over his 11 at bats, Bay had four hits including the triple in the 12th inning that led to the Sox win on Friday and the homerun that cement

Continue reading "Bay Helps the Sox Sweep"

Who would've thought there'd be something else to talk about the day after the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim swept the Sox at Fenway?  Certainly not me.  But boy am I happy I was wrong.  See, I didn't really want to talk about the Angels sweeping the Sox for the second time in two weeks.  I'd much rather talk about my shock and awe over Manny Ramirez being traded.You might be surprised that I'm shocked, but can you blame me?  I mean, with all the rumors swirling around about Manny being traded did anyone really believe it was going to happen?  Again, not me, mainly because Manny and the Sox have been doing this dance every year for the past three.  And every year nothing ever comes of it.Well this year, the rumors finally became a reality.&

Continue reading "Angels Sweep Silenced by Manny Trade"

I was seriously debating not watching yesterday's final game against the Yankees. Not because I didn't want to see my Sox play, but because I couldn't bare another loss at the Fens. Especially against the Yankees. I had hope (what Red Sox fan doesn't) but after Friday and Saturday's games, that hope was dim. I never thought we'd lose two in a row at home, not when they're 37-13. I mean, when the Sox play at home it's a guarantee, right? Wrong. And that's what Friday and Saturday were.

But I'm not here to talk about the first two games of the series, I'm here to talk about the last. The question is, what to talk about first.

Should I talk about Papi's homer to right field that not only gave the Sox a healthy 7-0 lead but officially announced the designated hitter's return to his home base? Or should I talk about Ellsbury's three hits which gave him his first multi-hit game since July 9th? What about the fact that Pedroia can't seem to get through a game these days without getting a hit? Or the fact that in the middle of the press maelstrom that is Manny Ramirez, he still managed to get two doubles and two RBI's?

Continue reading "Whew!"

I know it's been awhile since I've posted... sorry, it's been a crazy week. But I've seen every game since my last post and I'm happy to report the Red Sox are BACK IN FIRST PLACE!

After they swept the Twins, the Orioles came to the Fens. And while the Sox dropped the first game against the Baltimore team, they took the next two.

The first game the Sox won without question. It was a blowout thanks to the third inning. But let's start with the first when JD Drew got the Sox on the board with a homer over the green monster. Then Manny stepped up and took the first pitch he saw to the Red Sox bullpen for back to back homers that would put the Sox on top 2-zip. But it wasn't until the third inning when the Red Sox really opened things up.

Although Liz got the first batter he faced to strike out, the next 10 men would not go quietly. Pedroia started a new hitting streak by lining to left. JD Drew walked, and Manny was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Liz then walked in a run by by giving Lowell a free pass. Then Youkilis stepped up, and on a 3-1 pitch, he launched the ball over the monster seats for the first grand slam of his career. Now the Sox are up 7-1. Another six men would come to the plate before the inning was over and by the time the dust had cleared two more runs had scored and the Sox were up 9-1. They'd add three more to their total making the final score 12-1. Since the Rays lost yesterday the Sox were now only a half game away from leading the East.

Continue reading "Red Sox Back Where They Should Be"