Dropping like flies

The media has been burying the 2010 Red Sox for several days.

I agree, this hasn't been a pretty start to the season. As Theo Epstein said today:

"It's not the time for excuses or sugar-coating it. We've played bad baseball. It's a bad stretch of play and when you do that at the start of the season, it looks even worse. We haven't played well, there are no excuses for how we've played. We haven't played smart baseball; we haven't really played aggressive baseball."

But the GM is confident things will turn around:

"We'll get back to our level. As an organization we have a track record. We have a standard we need to live to up to. One way or another we're going to get there collectively."

I'm trying my best to keep a positive attitude. I was OK with the news that Mike Cameron could be gone for a while; I think Josh Reddick will play well. I'm a little concerned that our other center fielder, Jacoby Ellsbury, joined his elder teammate on the DL. OK, I'm very concerned because I've never heard of his replacement - journeyman Darnell McDonald.

Tonight, they're still playing bad baseball after six innings. Tim Wakefield has given up six runs and Victor Martinez has allowed nine - NINE! - stolen bases. Yikes. Rangers 6, Red Sox 4.

Phillies: Kyle Kendrick, possibly pitching for his career, outpitched Tommy Hanson. In the 7th, Phillies 3, Braves 0.

Prospectin'

I still have Disney World on my brain. One of the nicest rides we had this weekend was on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We really had fun on that one - plus, there was no line so we pretty much walked right on.

The train is in Frontierland, which sets the mood for Baseball America releasing its list of top 100 prospects. I'm pleased with the SoxandPhils representation. I get just as proud with the organizational success of our teams as their on-field accomplishments.

The Phillies Domonic Brown (15) tops the SoxandPhils contingency, followed by the Red Sox quartet of Ryan Westmoreland (21), Casey Kelly (24), Josh Reddick (75) and Lars Anderson (87).

The Phillies also have Phillippe Aumont (93) on the list.

What's more impressive is that they had a decent showing on the list when each team has dealt away prospects in recent years. Former SoxandPhils farmhands include former future Phils Kyle Drabek (25), Michael Taylor (29), Jason Knapp (64) and Travis d’Arnaud (81), and former future Sox Nick Hagadone (44).

Not on the list is Brad Wilkerson, although he was ranked in 2001 (35) and 2002 (63) when he was an up-and-coming Expo. He was in Red Sox camp last year, but retired after two games in the minors. Now, he's with the Phillies. Christine thinks this line explains the move: Wilkerson is "a close friend of Phillies backup catcher Brian Schneider."

In my Baseball Mogul game, team happiness matters, and sometimes you have to acquire a player's friend to make him happy and improve team chemistry. We hope Brian Schneider is happy now.

[Photo credit: CoasterGallery.com]

Best of plans

In the afternoon tilt - you know, the SoxandPhils game we could not watch because of work - Cliff Lee pitched another beauty, winning his home debut 3-1 against the Rockies. He went seven innings, giving up one run on six hits and a walk with nine strikeouts.

John Smoltz - in the game we should have been able to watch - did not make it out of the 4th, getting tagged for eight runs in a 13-4 blowout through the 8th, which means the dominance against the Yankees probably ends tonight.

I found this Tony Masarotti tidbit interesting:

According to one baseball source, the Sox had serious discussions with the Indians for both Martinez and starter Cliff Lee, at least until Cleveland wisely broke the tandem apart and effectively sold them off as condos. The point is that the Red Sox wanted a hitter and a pitcher, or, more importantly, they felt they needed both. In the upper corners of Fenway Park, the inhabitants know this team has holes.

Stupid Indians.

Lots of other news today. J.A. Happ is staying in the rotation. Kevin Youkilis started in left field because Jason Bay has a hamstring injury. Josh Reddick is back because Rocco Baldelli was DL'd. David Ortiz was going to talk about steroids this afternoon, but now he's going to do it tomorrow.

I know, kind of a weak post given everything that's going on, but it's been a rough night. I had to teach myself how to change a car battery (took longer than I thought) and then had to prepare the bathroom shower to be recaulked and the rest of the house to get new windows.

At least the chores kept me from having to watch this debacle against the Yankees.

Interesting: They just showed the clip of Pedro Martinez taking out Don Zimmer in the 2003 ALCS. Christine sighed as she realized he's her problem now.

Master-Lee

"I guess you're going to see more than one inning," Christine told her early-to-bed, early-to-rise husband last night after Cliff Lee quickly dispatched the first three batters he faced as a Phillie.

"He's going to outhit the entire Giants lineup," I joked after Lee got his first hit as a Phillie in the 4th inning.

Two innings later, I was finally able to go to sleep after Juan Uribe sliced one down the line, breaking up a no-hitter in the 6th inning.

What a performance for the Phils big midseason acquisition. Lee tossed a 109-pitch complete game, with just one run on four hits and a walk. He struck out six. Oh, after I fell asleep, he added another double, so while he didn't outhit the Giants, he did halve them. Pretty darn good debut. Phillies 5, Giants 1. And, he's pretty smart - going the distance and avoiding Brad Lidge.

Hopefully, his former teammate, Victor Martinez, has an equally memorable debut for the Red Sox tonight against the Orioles. He's batting third, playing first base. He struck out in his first at-bat. Also making his first start for the Red Sox is prospect Josh Reddick in right field. The Sox spotted Josh Beckett a 1-0 lead in the 1st.

Phillies still playing on the late coast.