I update the board with pleasure!!!

Best win of the year!

I’ll say it… yes even better than Jason Bay homering off of Rivera.

This was the definition of a teeth grinder in the making. Heck it even had the stupid image of Buchholz running, stopping and getting thrown out!

It was the game that was going to knock the Sox off a playoff spot.

They were ONE STRIKE FROM LOSING!

They’ve won 4 of 5 since the Yankee series against good teams. And this one was a Remo Williams-esque bullet dodging.

DODGED A BULLET GAMES – 16

April 17 – 10-8 win against Orioles. (Overcame 7-0 deficit.)

April 24 – 5-4 win against Yankees. (Bay homers off of Rivera in 9th to tie it.)

April 25 – 16-11 win against Yankees. (Overcame 6-0 deficit.)

April 29 – 6-5 win at Cleveland. (Overcame 5-0 deficit.)

May 12 – 4-3 win at Anaheim. (Down 3-1 in the 8th.)
June 11 – 4-3 win against Yankees. (Down 3-1 in the 8th. Rallied against Sabathia.)

June 12 – 5-2 win at Philadelphia. (Overcame Ryan Howard’s 9th inning shot to win in 13)

June 21 – 6-5 win against Atlanta. (The wind turns Nick Green’s fly ball into a walk off shot)

June 27 – 1-0 win at Atlanta. (Masterson and Papelbon wiggle out of late jams.)
July 1 – 6-5 win at Baltimore. (Sox score 4 in the 9th and Lugo wins in in the 11th)

July 8 – 5-4 win against Oakland. (Wind keeps Hairston’s 9th inning go ahead homer in the ballpark)

July 10 – 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Pedroia drives in the only run with 2 outs in the 8th.)

July 30 – 8-5 win against Oakland. (Ortiz tests postive then hits a 2 out 3 run go ahead homer.)

July 31 – 6-5 win at Baltimore. (Youk’s 2 run homer saves Smoltz from another bad start.)

August 10 – 6-5 win against Detroit. (Sox snap 6 game losing streak with 7th inning rally.)

August 14 – 8-4 win at Texas. (Victor Martinez hits a 2 run 2 strike 2 out double to take the lead and make up for Buchholz’s baserunning mishap.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES – 21

April 14 – 6-5 loss at Oakland. (Sox blow early 3-0 lead. Lose in 12)

April 28 – 9-8 loss at Cleveland. (Sox blow early 5-1 lead. Lopez drops 3rd out.)
May 14 – 5-4 loss at Anaheim. (Ortiz goes 0-7 stranding 12 runners.)
May 15 – 5-4 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox blow their second 4-0 lead in three days.)

May 17 – 3-2 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox strand two in the 9th. Lose in the bottom of the 9th.)

May 23 – 3-2 loss to the Mets. (Papelbon lets up a 2 out 2 run homer in the 9th to Omir Santos)

June 18 – 2-1 loss to the Marlins. (Rain washes out a tight game after 5+ innings.)

June 28 – 2-1 loss to the Braves. (Tying run on base in the 9th. Solid Penny outing wasted)
June 30 – 11-10 loss at Baltimore. (The Red Sox blow a late 10-1 to the lowly Orioles.)
July 3 – 7-6 loss to Seattle. (Red Sox comeback in the 8th only to lose in the 11th.)

July 4 – 3-2 loss to Seattle. (Saito walks three in the 9th as the Mariners rally to win)

July 9 – 8-6 loss to the Royals. (Bullpen blows early 4-0 lead.)

July 21 – 4-2 loss at Texas. (Beckett loses a complete game and the Yankees take over first.)

July 22 – 3-1 loss at Texas. (Sox are swept for the first time all season.)

July 28 – 9-8 loss to Oakland. (Sox blow 3 run lead in 9th. A’s rally with 2 outs in 9th and 11th.)

July 29 – 8-6 loss to Oakland. (Down 5-0 in the first, Sox comeback falls short)

August 4 – 4-2 loss in Tampa Bay. (Longoria hits 13th inning walk off with first base open.)

August 5 – 6-4 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox gets swept in a 2 game series with the tying run at the plate).

August 7 – 2-0 loss in New York. (A-Rod’s walk off with 2 outs in the 15 ends a teeth grinding marathon.)

August 9 – 5-2 loss in New York. (4 outs from avoiding a sweep, Bard lets up back to back homers to Damon and Teixeira.)

August 13 – 2-0 loss to Detroit. (Verlander wiggles out of early and late jams.)

-5… let’s win this series tomorrow.

For those of you who didn’t understand my Remo Williams reference… here’s a clip that will probably clarify NOTHING.

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Victor Martinez gave me a heart attack… and tested my parenting skills

When I drove home to South Pasadena tonight, I was listening to the Red Sox on my beloved XM Radio. And it was clear that this was going to be yet another “dead from the neck up” night for the Red Sox offense.

Kevin Millwood was all but begging the Red Sox to get a big hit off of him… and they wouldn’t oblige.

And Jon Lester who let up an early homer was going to be a tough luck loser.

So I came home and had dinner with my wife, my kids and my wife’s friend was is staying over with HER two kids.

So now there are 4 kids in our home… one 9 year old, my two 4 year olds and a 1 year old.

We have dinner, take a walk… and check my phone and the Red Sox are still losing in the 9th. I am preparing my Sully Baseball entry in my head where I talk about how this is gut check time.

We get home and the kids are getting antsy and clearly need a bath, get their PJs on and have stories… and all of those are MY jobs.

The kids play with their toys for a minute as I see the Red Sox are rallying, so I flip on MLB.tv in time to see a mind bogglingly confusing play.

Literally I clicked on the view and I saw the Rangers left fielder jumping up. I couldn’t see if he caught it or not. The scoreboard said 4-3 Rangers and there were two Red Sox players rounding third.

Wow… maybe the Red Sox were going to take the lead. Who was the skinny Red Sox player rounding third?

Please tell me Ellsbury.
Or at least Green.

I heard the announcer say Buchholz.

Buchholz? CLAY Buchholz? Does he even know how to run the bases?

Evidently not!

He was smoked at the plate.

Still confused by what the hell was going on (did the guy catch it? Why were there two guys rounding third? Why in the name of Dave Roberts was Clay Buchholz running?) I saw the score was now 4-4.

I guess someone scored earlier… yeah it is too bad to see the go ahead run shot down but at least the score was tied… RIGHT?

Nope.
Some dope at the Rangers TV network jumped the gun and gave the Sox the score.

So now I didn’t even know what the score was.

It was still 4-3 Rangers… the Red Sox 1 out from losing and falling behind in the Wild Card race and two strikes quickly on Victor Martinez.

And I heard my wife saying “Shirts off pants off… time for baths.” So I was in full “Come on Victor… get me a big hit so I can give my kids a bath!”

So naturally he kept fouling off pitch… 

After pitch…

And I could see I had to turn the game off at any second to give my kids a bath.

I started thinking “Oh please misbehave!” A quick “I’m NOT talking a bath” could sneak an extra few minutes here.

Finally my children were marching up the stairs naked to their bath and Martinez fouled one more off.

There was no avoiding it… but I couldn’t think “Oh just make an out and end this game.”

Karmically I couldn’t root for a loss just so I can give my kids a guilt free bath.

Finally V-Mart (what an awful nickname) delivered a 2 run double down the line… giving me hope for the Red Sox… keeping the Sox in the playoff hunt… and most importantly allowing me to give my kids a good solid bath.

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Does someone hit for the cycle everyday?

Doesn’t it seem like every day someone has hit for the cycle this year?

Felix Pie, the one time Cubs phenom who I just assumed would be just another Sil Campusano like overhyped outfielders, is the latest to do the trick.

He’s the seventh who did it this year. He’s the third to do it this month (along with Troy Tulowitzki and Melky Cabrera.)

Why doesn’t it seem like a bigger deal?

If there were three pitchers who threw a no hitter in a month, I’d remember it.

And hitting for the cycle is kind of the hitter’s answer to the no hitter.

Since 1882, when Chester Alan Arthur was President, there have been 287 major league games where a someone hit for the cycle.

That’s almost as rare as a 9 inning no hitter (there have been 263 of those.)

There have been whole seasons where nobody hits for the cycle.

And yet for me at least the memory of those who accomplish the feat fade from memory.

I never forget no hitters. You can mention just about any no hitter in my lifetime and I have some vague memory of it. And I always associate pitchers with their no hitters.

Clay Buchholz? He still is defined by it.

Mark Buehrle? He’s got two of those babies now and I still can’t remember if it is B-U-E or B-E-U.

Even some of the obscure ones like Bud Smith, and Eric Milton throwing to the Angel’s B lineup, or Joe Cowley or Juan Nieves still bring back specific memories.

Al Leiter’s no hitter is fresh in my mind, but mainly because MLB Network always shows the clip of it as if it is the greatest baseball moment since Bobby Thomson’s home run!

Heck, I even remember the no hitters that don’t count! Like Harvey Haddix’s extra inning masterpiece… or Pedro Martinez letting up a hit in the 10th… or Andy Hawkins losing a game even though he let up no hits!

And yet I look at a list of players hitting for the cycle… and I barely remember them.

Mark Kotsay did it? Really? Last year before joining the Red Sox?

Why does that not jolt a memory?

Fred Lewis did it? I was living in the Bay Area when he did that. 

Eric Valent? Brad Wilkerson did it twice?

Did you remember A-Rod did? I didn’t!

Shouldn’t that be like a Hall of Fame pitcher cementing his legacy?

Dave Winfield did it… as an Angel!

I forgot Dave Winfield even PLAYED for the Angels.

Freddie Lynn, Dwight Evans, Rich Gedman, Mike Greenwell and Scott Cooper all hit for the cycle as members of the Red Sox.

As of 2 minutes ago, those facts were not known to me… and I am an obsessive Red Sox fan.

Hall of Famers like Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Goose Goslin, Joe DiMaggio, Rod Carew and Willie Stargell all did.

Willie Mays didn’t.

Future Red Sox bench warmer Jack Brohamer did.

That’s right, there is something on Jack Brohamer’s resume that isn’t on Willie Mays’.

Or Hank Aaron’s.

And nothing will change.

We’ll remember the no hitters more and guys who hit for the cycle will be forgotten. It’s not fair… but neither was the Don Denkinger call. 

I do know this: In 3 years I will be saying “Felix Pie hit for the cycle? Really? Why don’t I remember that?”

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