Farewells

After six weeks, Daddy Daycare closed up shop yesterday. Sadly, it's time for me to return to work on Monday and for Trent to go to real day care after nothing but Mommy and/or Daddy for his first 12 weeks home.

I haven't been informed of any special ceremonies, such as the "Thanks, Mike Night" the Red Sox are holding today for the retiring Mike Lowell.

But Lowell won't be the only 2010 Red Sox not returning for 2011. Adrian Beltre, who took off for the birth of his child, cleaned out his locker, a sign suggesting he's one and done. Plus, there's always the speculation about the Red Sox ancient warriors, such as Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield, and those who may have just overstayed their welcome, such as Jonathan Papelbon and Jacoby Ellsbury.

So today, let's enjoy the present, remember the past and look forward to good things in the future. Of course, for the Phillies, there's no use worrying about 2011 yet when they have Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels lined up for the playoffs.

Life lesson: winning

We took Trent to a local baby parade today. Because it wasn't a pure cute baby contest and relied more on the ingenuity and creativity of the babies' parents in crafting floats and such, Tackle Box Trent did not come home with a prize.

It's OK. It was his first lesson that winning isn't everything. He didn't seem bothered by it.

Later in the day, when Carlos Ruiz failed to get a big hit in the 9th inning with the Phillies trailing the Mets 4-3 with two outs and a man on third, Trent took it much better than his mother.

Red Sox: Not that they matter ... actually, they do matter. We shouldn't stop caring about them just because they're not going to win this year. Well, tonight they're actually winning, 1-0 over the A's in the 6th.

Mike Lowell, a winner of a person, announced his retirement. It was an awkward year, but I am glad he got to play regularly at the end and wish him well.

Mike Lowell almost was the next Mike Stanley

Good news: Mike Lowell is in the starting lineup, which means he wasn't traded to the Yankees.

Bad news: Mike Lowell is in the starting lineup, which means Kevin Youkilis is on the DL.

The last time the Yankees and Red Sox swapped players, Mike Stanley was traded back to the empire and we got Tony Armas Jr., who was included with Carl Pavano in the Pedro Martinez deal. So I guess dealing with the devil isn't necessary all that bad.

Joining Youkilis on the DL is his fellow SoxandPhils first baseman, Ryan Howard. Unbelievable.

Tonight's games, aces up: Roy Halladay and the Phillies lead the Marlins 6-1 in the 8th, and Josh Beckett has the Red Sox ahead of the Indians 3-1 in the 7th.

Unexpected

When we posted last night, the Phillies were losing to the Indians and the Red Sox were getting shut down by Ubaldo Jimenez. But then, the Phillies won a dramatic game, keyed by Jimmy Rollins' first career walkoff home run, and then the Red Sox beat around Cy Jimenez but lost the game when Jonathan Papelbon blew it in the 9th, giving up three runs on two home runs.

Baseball's like life - you never know what's going to happen until it happens.

Today, Joe Blanton pitched 7 2/3 strong innings as the Phillies routed the Indians 12-3. {The rain delay probably kept him from pitching a complete game. By the way, Greg and I are watching the game replay right now. Given our luck over the past few years with bad weather at Phillies games, we're shocked we didn't have tickets to today's matchup.} With the sweep, the Phillies are now 8-7 this year in interleague play with just one series left - the "road" games in Philly against the Blue Jays. Nelson Figueroa's back on the roster, replacing the injured Chad Durbin.

The Red Sox and Rockies just started. Daisuke Matsuzaka, whose return to the roster meant a trip to the DL for Mike Lowell, put them in a hole already. It's 2-0 in the 3rd. Dice threw 37 pitches in the 1st inning.

Tidbits

1. Greg Dobbs cleared waivers and will report to AAA on Friday. I'm sure we'll see him up in the majors again before the year is over. Paul Hagen muses that the Phillies may make other unexpected roster moves to shake things up and get this team going.

2. Red Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland, who underwent brain surgery earlier this year, seems to be recovering well. Who knows if he'll play baseball again, but it's good to hear that he's doing better.

3. Darren Daulton will be enshrined on the Phillies Wall of Fame in August. Like many other women in the Delaware Valley, my mom had such a crush on him in 1993. Greg and I had a Phillies TV program on over at her house a few weeks ago, and she couldn't believe what he looks like now. (Side note: I can't believe that the 1993 season was 17 years ago. I'm old.)

4. Mike Lowell doesn't seem to be long for the Red Sox, and the Sox roster seems to be in flux.

5. It's pretty much a lock that, for the first time in a long time, no Red Sox position player will be starting in the All-Star game. Chase Utley will start from the Phillies, but Placido Polanco's spot is in danger. I was so disappointed on Saturday to find out that the paper ballots are no longer available at the ballpark - voting is online only at this point of the process.

6. The Phillies stink. More specifically, Kyle Kendrick stinks, especially at home. How bad does he stink? Shin-Soo Choo has two home runs tonight. (Another tangent: When we did vote for All-Stars earlier this season, I kept voting for Choo. If he has to go back to South Korea for military service after this season, I thought that an All-Star appearance would be a nice going-away present.) In the 7th, Indians 5, Phillies 4.

7. Red Sox lost to the Rockies 2-1 last night. Tonight, they face Ubaldo Jimenez. Not fun. In the 3rd, Rockies 2, Red Sox 0.

8. The Phillies have a day game tomorrow. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Boo to the businessperson's special. All they do is screw over the workers who can't watch the game on the job.

9. I didn't have time to write about it tonight, but I'll tell you soon about our six degrees of separation with Major League Baseball.

It ain't over till it's over

Last night when we posted, the Red Sox trailed the Rangers 6-4 and seemed destined for another listless loss. The Phillies led the Braves 3-0 behind Kyle Kendrick, who, as Bob Brookover said, was painting a Rembrandt after producing sloppy finger painting in his first two starts.

But the Phillies bullpen imploded in the 9th and 10th innings, and the unknown minor league journeyman who I had never heard of hit a game-tying pinch-hit home run in the 8th and then sent everyone home with a hit off the Monster in the 9th.

Darnell McDonald's night, was, as Peter Abraham put it, a great example of why we love baseball. McDonald loved it too:

"I couldn't write a script any better than this," McDonald said. "A lot happened. A dream come true. That's why I signed over here to be able to play in this type of atmosphere."

Previously, McDonald's career highlight might have been losing a race to the famous thoroughbred Zippy Chippy. Funny, when McDonald first strolled to the plate, I had a feeling that he was going to be the 2010 version of Jeff Stone. I wasn't the only one.

Tonight, McDonald hit another home run (Christine says: Test him), and the possibly rejuvenated Red Sox lead the Rangers 7-4 in the 7th. Yes, I know there's plenty of baseball left to be played. Mike Lowell, who pinch hit for David Ortiz last night, is DH'ing and has a home run. J.D. Drew hit a grand slam.

Phillies: Roy Halladay is pitching a gem, and the Phillies lead the Braves 2-0 in the 9th. Let's hope that unlike last night Roy can finish the job and that both leads hold up.

Raul helps team chemistry

Everyone was pleased with the way Raul Ibanez replaced Pat Burrell last year, even though the Phillies didn't achieve as much as they did in 2008.

Ibanez isn't resting on his laurels and, in a true spirit of SoxandPhils, has even helped the Red Sox. When Adrian Beltre considered whether to sign with the Red Sox, he was concerned about stealing Mike Lowell's spot.

Today's story by the Globe's Amalie Benjamin almost suggests that Beltre didn't want to come to Boston purely out of respect to the 2007 World Series MVP. But Ibanez, who played with Beltre in Seattle and is a friend of Lowell, put those feelings to rest:

"I talked to [Ibanez] and said I was thinking about calling Mike before," Beltre said. "He said, 'Don't. Just talk to him when you're in spring training. Mike's a great dude, and he'll understand.'"
[...]
"Those are things that you can't control," Ibanez said. "You can't look to the left or to the right or behind you. You can only look at what's right in front of you and control what's right in front of you."

And, now despite a situation that can't be welcomed for Lowell, the two are handling things very classy and professionally:

Their stories are intertwined, the new third baseman and the old. Their lockers are close together. They take ground balls one after the other, inhabiting a spot big enough for only one. A situation that could have bred distrust and strife in a clubhouse has not, from all evidence, though it is clear that, on many days, Lowell would rather be just about anywhere else.

Perhaps that's because they are, as Ibanez calls them, "two of the best people I've had the pleasure of knowing."

Thanks, Raul. If Lowell's still around in October, I'm sure he'll tip a bottle of champagne to you before he dumps it on Beltre.

Christine's psychic powers strike again: Yesterday, Christine and I were discussing Jamie Moyer's good spring. I noted that Tim Wakefield, the other SoxandPhils elder statesman, was also exceeding expectations. She asked me what the Red Sox were going to do with their rotation, and I said they'll probably start Daisuke Matsuzaka in the minors on injury rehab and then see what unfolds.

"Oh yeah," she said. "And he hasn't even had his annual spring injury yet."

Oops. A stiff neck has officially reduced the number of starters the Red Sox could use to start the season from six to five.

And, last week, Christine and I were talking about Ryne Sandberg, and she noted how no one else has that name. Today's spring training update: "Josh Beckett is sick and will not start today. Minor leaguer Ryne Miller will get the nod."

Her insulting questioning of Beckett being sick on a Sunday morning will be ignored.

When one old lefty moves out, another moves up

When Randy Johnson announced his retirement this week, it did have some meaning for the Phillies - well, one of them anyway.

With Johnson out of the picture, Jamie Moyer has moved up in a couple of categories on the ol' active leader lists, according to The Bill James Handbook.

Before the Big Unit retired, J-Moy already led active pitchers in games started (609), losses (195) and home runs allowed (491).

Now, he will open the season also leading in wins (258), innings (3,908.2) and batters faced (16,642).

Moyer also moved up to fifth in complete games (31), third in strikeouts (2,342), second in walks (1,117) and third in hit batsmen (138).

Moyer - whose fastball averaged a league-low 81.4 mph last year - will be the active strikeout leader if Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz don't play in 2010.

Another old Phillie: Brett Myers, who has a been a Phillie for so long that his major league debut occurred during our honeymoon, is officially gone. He's now with Ed Wade and the rest of the Philadelphia Astrox. Christine laments the end of an era. We said our peace to young Brett in November.

Mutual (g)love society: Mike Lowell once told Nick Cafardo that Adrian Beltre was the best third baseman he's seen:

"Tools-wise, Adrian Beltre is the best one," he said. "He can be the best one. He's very, very quick. He comes in on the ball incredibly. I relate it to the way I can catch some ground balls. But I see some balls he gets down the line where I really have to concentrate on setting my feet to make a good, strong throw and he's off-balance throwing from the side and it's a rocket that comes out of his arm.

"So I enjoy watching his tools. I wish I could have that ability to flick the ball across the diamond and it goes like a bullet. In the minors, he was like a man playing against boys."

Beltre, supplanting Lowell at third for the Red Sox, returned the kind words today:

New Boston Red Sox third baseman Adrian Beltre has played against Mike Lowell since they were in the minor leagues, and said Lowell has the best hands of any third baseman in the game. "I know Mike Lowell," he said after his introductory press conference in Fenway Park on Friday. "I'm a huge fan of Mike Lowell. Mike is a great guy."

Thanks: Big kudos to Cafepress.com. Christine's Chooch T-shirt was a little too small. We asked to exchange it for a larger one. They just sent us a larger one without asking us to send the other one back. It arrived today. Great customer service.

D-Fence and the new-look Red Sox

It's quite clear by now that Theo Epstein thought the best way to improve the Red Sox was via leather and pitching. Run prevention is the new catch phrase in Boston.

So Jason Bay was banished to New York, and Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek were sent to the bench, and Jacoby Ellsbury was sent to left field.

What?

Interestingly, I was looking at defensive stats this morning in The Bill James Handbook and was surprised to see that, defying conventional wisdom, both Ellsbury and Shane Victorino rank among the worst center fielders in the game. So although I was surprised when news broke this afternoon that the Red Sox will play Mike Cameron in center, I wasn't completely shocked.

I'm really psyched for the new-look defensive Red Sox, even though I'm sure some, like this moron particpating in a Rob Neyer chat, will question Theo's logic:

Steve (NYC)
Rob, do you think the Sox are putting too many eggs in the UZR basket? They've improved their defense, but from a distance it also looks like they've added mediocre bats to 1/3 of their lineup. Are we really so confident in the relative value of defense to offense that these "WAR" numbers are gospel? I guess we'll find out, but I personally find the Sox a lot less scary than in previous seasons.

Rob Neyer (12:10 PM)
Cameron has been an above-average hitter in each of the last 11 seasons; Beltre has been above average in four of the last six seasons. So, no.

Thanks, Rob.

A little longer defense of the Red Sox D-Fence comes from Dave Cameron:

Beltre isn't just a good defender. He is in the conversation of the best defensive third baseman of all time.
[...]
It isn't just the numbers, either. When you watch Beltre play third base, you are amazed at the things he can do. He has perfected the charge on a bunt – no one in baseball comes in on the ball as well as he does. His lateral range is hilarious at times, as he regularly fields balls that are hit directly at the shortstop, just because he can. He has a great arm, often throwing lasers across the field without transferring his weight, showing pure arm strength.

Nuggets gleaned today from Bill James: Chase Utley was the best base-running second baseman in 2009 and was second only to Michael Bourn among all players. Mike Lowell was the worst base runner at third base - another reason the Adrian Beltre signing makes sense. Although he's not an excellent base runner, at least Beltre is on the positive side of the ledger, unlike the guy he is replacing.

Brad Lidge had the worst OPS (.912) among relievers with at least 50 games. He was also tied with the second worst save percentage (74 percent).

Ryan Madson tied for second with 29 appearances in which he pitched on the previous day. But with all the talk about not using the injured Lidge on consecutive days, the closer did have 21 such appearances.

[Photo credit: HuggingHaroldReynolds.com]

Back to work

Rob Neyer opened his morning blog post with the observation: "When I have to work every day, I want a day off. When I have days off, I want to work. Go figure ..."

I interpret that as saying that he updates his blog even if he is off. Andy Martino, however, does not. I know it's the holiday season and Phillies news has been slow, but he's gone nearly two weeks since posting. That's ridiculous. Even if he has a good excuse like a personal reason for being unable to work, you'd think a colleague would post something every couple of days to stave off the blog's stagnation.

Christine and I returned to work today after a nice holiday break. I did have time to peek at a couple of pages of The Bill James Handbook that Christine got me for Christmas.

Among the early SoxandPhils highlights is the closest vote ever for a Fielding Bible Award. At second base, Aaron Hill and Dustin Pedroia were tied at 76 points with Chase Utley in third with 73 points. Hill won the tiebreaker with more first place votes than Pedroia.

And the best two catchers at blocking bad pitches? Jason Varitek (95.9 percent) and Carlos Ruiz (95.8 percent). See, Chris Coste, maybe you getting yanked in the 9th inning was more about Chooch and less about you. (That sentiment isn't as bitter toward Coste as it sounds. I was just a little defensive about Christine's favorite Phillie.)

Red Sox still working: But Mike Lowell won't be working as much in 2010. Welcome aboard Adrian Beltre. I like that this is a one-year deal; I'm just perplexed what it means for Lowell's role with the team.

Two class acts send different messages

Mike Lowell is a beloved champion in Boston.

Roy Halladay is beloved in Toronto and has a good chance of being a beloved champion in Philadelphia.

They have both won over fans through their gritty play and the way they handle themselves with grace and class. Each popped up in the news today.

Halladay thanked the fans, the Blue Jays and the city of Toronto for the support they gave him for the past 15 years:

"I am sincerely grateful for the incredible support and compassion the Blue Jays fans have always shown me," he states in the ad. "I am in awe of your overwhelming passion."

I assume that Toronto Sun columnist Brett Clarkson speaks for the majority of Blue Jays fans when he wrote:

Philadelphia is one lucky town.
[...]
Here's hoping Roy gets what he deserves during his time in City of Brotherly Love -- a World Series ring.

Unless of course, he finds himself in a rematch of the 1993 World Series.

It's rare to see a mega star like Halladay leave a town without some sort of resentment, but Blue Jays fans seem to overwhelmingly blame the organization for his loss. And Halladay has been very careful to be grateful to his roots while making it clear that his decision to leave was not about them or money. He's a ballplayer who wants an opportunity to win, which he was not going to get in Toronto.

I hope he gets that ring. Unless, of course, he finds himself in a rematch of the 1915 World Series.

Mike Lowell, meanwhile, seems to critique the way the Red Sox handled his thumb injury, saying that he would have preferred to have the surgery in October and that the Red Sox were aware that he was hurt before the season ended:

"I was in constant communication with the training staff," Lowell said. "This did not crop up anywhere. I told them two weeks later, four weeks later and seven weeks later until I finally got the MRI."

Lowell also disputes the Red Sox' assertion that the injury wasn't a point of emphasis in the team's exit interview.

"It definitely was [brought up]," he said. "You have to understand the exit interview is the last day and it was hurting at the time. That's where I defer to the medical staff. If they had told me to get an MRI that day, I would have done it."

Lowell didn't criticize management for attempting to trade him, but it will be interesting to see whether this entire episode festers some resentment. Whatever happens, I bet that if and when Mike Lowell leaves, he will make certain that he will leave on good terms with the fans of Boston.

[Photo credit: Toronto Sun]

Mission aborted

Mike Lowell's bum thumb thwarted the Max Ramirez trade, making a pretty interesting offseason more intriguing.

Do the Red Sox remain on the the path of pitching and defense and sign Adrian Beltre, relegating Lowell to part-time DH and pinch hitter?

Do they opt for Casey Kotchman at first base to open the season and then send him to the bench when Lowell returns?

Do they cut Lowell or dump him to another team, eating his contract without even getting a warm body in return?

The Red Sox are in a position with Lowell that is similar to the one they have seemingly handled with Jason Varitek. They know these veteran warriors are greatly diminished, yet they can't just toss them aside because of what they mean to their teammates and fans.

This is going to be a tough balancing act, and although it may seem heartless, I am confident the Red Sox will prioritize the best interests of the club on the field ahead of loyalties.

Trading away a classy champion

It's not official, but the odds are the Red Sox will complete their deal with the Rangers, and Mike Lowell, who went from a throw-in in one of baseball's greatest trades to World Series MVP, will soon be a former Red Sox.

As I said last year, Mike Lowell is the type of player who is sometimes hard to appreciate if you're like me and don't get to see your team play every day. I still don't know whether I would have re-signed him after the great 2007, but I understand a bit more why the fans, enamored with his grit, defense, selflessness and toughness, demanded his return.

I'm sad to lose a player of his character but understand that he is shot. His battered body couldn't even play adequate defense last year. Max Ramirez isn't the catching prospect on the Rangers that we have been coveting, but I'm sure he will be more productive for the team than Lowell would have been - even with the countless millions the Red Sox will pay the third baseman to play for the Rangers.

There seems to be frustration in Boston that the Red Sox aren't going tit for tat with the Empire. I say be patient. We are not the Yankees. We can win without a $200 million payroll and a mercenary roster with All-Stars at every position. Theo Epstein knows what he's doing, and even though I'm not a big Adrian Beltre fan, I can understand the logic if he is playing in the Fens next year, even if Peter Abraham isn't certain:

If the impending trade of Lowell to Texas leads to the Sox signing Beltre, don't just look at Beltre's numbers at the plate. Look at his ability to prevent runs. Based on advanced defensive metrics (UZR and UZR/150), Beltre was roughly the second or third best defensive third baseman in the game last season.

That means fewer singles into left, more double plays, less pitches thrown, etc. There's value in that.

The question is whether it's worth eating $9 million on Lowell and paying whatever Scott Boras is going to demand for Beltre. That I'm not so sure of.

So, if this plays out, I thank Lowell for his service and his contribution toward the second World Series Championship in my lifetime. I also thank him for being able to be called by Nick Cafardo "one of the classiest individuals to ever don a Red Sox uniform."

That's pretty impressive considering the lengthy history of the franchise and the fact that he spent just four seasons in Boston after he was a money dump throw-in in the Josh Beckett for Hanley Ramirez swap.

Names in the news: If the deal is consummated, we could have Max Ramirez on the bench and two Ramon Ramirezes in the bullpen. No word yet whether Theo has contacted the Dodgers about bringing Manny back to fill the void in left field.

The Red Sox also signed one of our favorite baseball names, Boof Bonser. Christine and I have always enjoyed his name. We just found out that it has reminded each of us of a different cheesy Michael J. Fox movie. Me - Back to the Future because of Biff. Christine - Teen Wolf because of Lisa "Boof" Marconi. {Note to Greg: Back to the Future is not cheesy.}

Finally, the Phillies lost Carlos Monasterios in the Rule 5 draft, meaning there's just one remaining player from the Bobby Abreu trade. At least those of us at SoxandPhils who are spelling-challenged won't have to worry about screwing up his name again.

Civil War over

In May, I took a look at how both of our teams' bullpens were outperforming their starting rotations. Things improved when I took another look in June, but they've pretty much evened out now that I take a fresh look at the numbers.

Basically, the Red Sox bullpen has come down to earth while the overall dominance of Josh Beckett and Jon Lester has improved the rotation's numbers (we'll ignore the disasters of Brad Penny, John Smoltz, etc.).

The Phillies, meanwhile, have also seen their bullpen numbers dip to mediocrity, thanks largely to Brad Lidge and all the countless souls who have rotated through the injury-ravaged bullpen, but their starters have shaved more than a full run off their ERA. Perhaps the Phillies should have sold Jamie Moyer on his new assignment by saying it's not a demotion, but an opportunity to help the bullpen stabilize its ERA.

Here are the numbers:

BOS starters
May 18: 5.76 (28th)
June 4: 5.05 (26th)
Today: 4.59 (17th)

PHI starters
May 18: 6.35 (30th)
June 4: 5.58 (29th)
Today: 4.37 (12th)

BOS relievers
May 18: 3.02 (3rd)
June 4: 2.86 (1st)
Today: 3.67 (6th)

PHI relievers
May 18: 3.97 (12th)
June 4: 3.72 (9th)
Today: 3.90 (14th)

BOS total
May 18: 4.77 (21st)
June 4: 3.31 (14th)
Today: 4.28 (14th)

PHI total
May 18: 5.59 (27th)
June 4: 4.88 (27th)
Today: 4.21 (11th)

After looking at the numbers, I once again realize the Phillies fortunes are rising and the Red Sox are sinking.

To quote Mike Lowell after Friday night's embarrassing 20-11 loss:

I think that it was plain and simple that we got our asses kicked pretty good. Those are easier to forget than the ones that you lose, 2-1, because we didn't have a chance today. So we move on, and we'll see if things play out a little differently tomorrow.

They did. I had a feeling that Junichi Tazawa would have a statement game and he did, pitching six scoreless innings against the Yankees in the 14-1 revenge game. Hopefully, Josh Beckett gets the better of CC Sabathia tomorrow night, and this temporary patch of Yankee dominance will soon be over.

After losing a tight one to the Mets on Friday and watching them celebrate 1969 tonight, the Phillies trail the Mets 1-0 in the 6th. Jeez, does J.A. Happ have to pitch a shutout every night?

Scenic and scoreboard sights

As we watch Pedro Martinez officially become a SoxandPhil, we'll write about some of the outtakes from Sunday's game.

To the left is the back of the digital sign outside Citizens Bank Park. It needs a fresh coat of paint.

It's bad enough that this sign blocks an otherwise picturesque view of Center City, but it's downright embarrassing to have the World Champions' logo faded in front of the city's prime real estate.

I think they can can afford a couple cans of paint - especially with the money they're saving by sending Jamie Moyer to the bullpen.

We all know how ugly Sunday's game got after Shane Victorino's infamous ejection in the 7th inning. We got the sense that the scoreboard operators were purposely trying to soothe whomever was left in the stands.

We'd never seen Bongo Cam before. They played a surprisingly effectively calming island rhythm, and fans pretended to beat along.

Other than the half-naked old man, it was the only thing that distracted the fans from the mess on the field.

And Bongo Cam had several extended solos to give plenty of time for Renyel Pinto, who was replacing an injured pitcher, to warm up.

To the left is one of Christine's favorite scoreboard distractions. She likes the frog that seems to jump out of the Phillies' heads during the innings sponsored by the Philadelphia Zoo.

We can't decide whether Eric Bruntlett is terrified or disgusted by the little green critter.

Maybe that explains his poor season: He's afraid that if he hits the ball, an amphibian will suddenly appear.

Finally, I just liked this picture Christine snapped. If you look, it's a picture of the scoreboard showing a ball hit to left field during the Alumni Batting Challenge, so it's a picture of a scoreboard, in a scoreboard, in a scoreboard, in a scoreboard, etc.

Today's games: Pedro's pitches look sharp despite a mediocre start. He's faced 13 through three innings, giving up a run on four hits with four strikeouts. He's thrown 55 pitches. In the 4th, Phillies 8, Cubs 1.

Josh Beckett took a no-hitter into the 5th before giving up a home run to Carlos Guillen. Get ready to see Jason Bay and Mike Lowell on Bubba Burger's Who's Hot list. They each homered again. In the 7th, Red Sox 8, Tigers 1.

OK, I'll jinx it. Our teams are back on track to collide in October.

Sick players, sicker bats

Antonio Bastardo, who unexpectedly helped the Phillies weather the loss of injured Brett Myers, has a doctor's appointment Monday to have an MRI on his shoulder. That can't be a good thing. Off the top of my head: Bastardo, Myers, Brad Lidge, Clay Condrey and Scott Eyre have been injured this year. If I were a member of the Phillies pitching staff, I'd be looking into some insurance policies right about now.

***Update*** Chan Ho Park left tonight's game in Toronto, either struck by a ball or a twisted knee trying to avoid said ball. A month ago, I was nearly hoping Park would get injured - now that he has become a solid bullpen performer, it could be the body blow to the Phillies pitching staff. {No, it won't. They'll be fine, eventually.}

Less surprising, but more disturbing, is Mike Lowell's balky hip. He's had a history of hip problems, but the remedy is the disturbing part. I never heard of the injectable man-made lubricant Synvisc. It just sounds like something that would get you a 50-game suspension.

Meanwhile, Bastardo and Lowell aren't the only things in SoxandPhils-ville that were ailing tonight. Both teams' bats could use a shot of Synvisc. The Phillies were held hitless for six innings by Ricky Romero. They finished with three hits in the 6-1 loss to the Blue Jays.

"I wouldn't want to be around Charlie tonight," Christine said in reference to the media speculation that Charlie Manuel is getting ready to blow his top at his underperforming team.

Other notes ... Cole Hamels got ejected, and Brad Lidge made his first appearance since coming off the DL. He stunk - two runs on two hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning. Ironic that the Mike Lowell link contains a reference to Keith Foulke's balky knees after closing for a World Champion team.

The Red Sox bats were not as bad, but they didn't need much with Josh Beckett pitching. He blanked the Braves for seven innings. David Ortiz hit his 8th home run of the year, and the Red Sox beat the Braves 4-1.

Concerning pitching

Entering the year, the SoxandPhils had two of the most certain closers in baseball. Brad Lidge's struggles have since been well-documented here, and now Jonathan Papelbon is joining him.

The Sox won this afternoon, 6-5 over the Twins, but it should not have been so close. Up 6-3 in the 9th, Papelbon gave up a two-run home run to pinch-hitter Joe Mauer, which raised Papelbon's ERA to 2.57. (But it's still minuscule compared with Lidge's 9.15.)

Papelbon has been so automatic for the first few years of his career that any blip is a concern. One mitigating factor is that he needed only 14 pitches to give up a hit and a home run while still managing a strikeout. Without seeing the game, those facts make it seem that today was just a case of a great hitting beating a great pitcher, who managed to preserve his team's lead.

Other notables: The Red Sox didn't drop David Ortiz in the lineup; he was benched against lefty Francisco Liriano. Jacoby Ellsbury went 2-5, extending his hitting streak to 20 games, but he still has an OBP of .333. Mike Lowell led the way with four hits, and Dustin Pedroia had three and four others had two. Decent game for Brad Penny (5-1) who won his third in a row, giving up three runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Phillies: I have a feeling the 4th inning will sum up the night for Jamie Moyer. After pitching three scoreless innings, he walked Hanley Ramirez and Jorge Cantu. He ran the count to 2-2 to Wes Helms before throwing a fastball right over the heart of the plate. The former Phillie was frozen, but the umpire called ball. Next pitch? Home run. J-Moy then set down the next three, but now, thanks to a bum call, he's down 3-2 in the 5th inning in another pursuit of his 250th career win.

Incidentally, no Phillies starter issued a walk against the Yankees this weekend.

Craziness

Between adoption class and final preparation for our charity walk and little gathering, Christine and I had little time to sit and watch the games today. We missed two doozies.

The Red Sox outlasted the Yankees, 16-11. I finished cutting the grass just in time to see Mike Lowell's three-run home run in the 7th, which put the Red Sox up for good. This game looked like a painful one to watch.

We saw a little more of the Phillies' 6-4 10-inning win over the Marlins - the second straight night the Marlins took a lead into the top of the 9th but wound up losing to the champions.

Funny moment: Driving in the car, I was zoning out as I heard a home run call. Christine started laughing - it was Chan Ho Park.

Not-so-funny moment: Brad Lidge's 10th inning. He had three strikeouts. But he threw 34 pitches and loaded the bases.

Can we get a pair of sweeps tomorrow? If so, the Phils will be at .500 and the Red Sox will have run their winning streak to 10 and could be tied for first. In other words, the SoxandPhils 2009 World Series is back on!

A season's series in one day

Assuming the Red Sox (currently up 7-3 in the 8th inning, thanks to just-called-up Jeff Bailey's three-run homer) finish off the Twins before midnight, then they would have swept their entire slate of home games against Minnesota in one day. This is the only time the Twinkies visit Boston, and the schedule makers made it a two-game set.

Rain cancelled Monday's game, shortened today's day game and has delayed the nightcap. I hope they get this one in so the red-hot Red Sox can keep their Thursday off day and rest up for the first meeting against the Yankees this weekend.

Speaking of the evil empire, I had fun watching and listening to bits of their game with a co-worker who is a typical Yankee fan and apparently still believes in mystique and aura after all these losing years.

In the Red Sox day game, Tim Wakefield pitched his second consecutive complete game - even if the game was shortened to seven innings. He gave up a run on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Is it too late to change my Cy Young prediction?

Kevin Youkilis, my MVP pick, continued to click, joining Mike Lowell and Nick Green with two-run home runs in the first three innings of the 10-1 win.

***BREAKING NEWS*** The Phillies game wasn't on TV, so we were listening to the radio broadcast as we cleaned the house for a weekend party. They said every time the World Series trophy handlers make an appearance, they buy a plane ticket for the trophy so it can sit on a seat, not in the cargo area. OK, this looks stupid in print, but Christine and I were very amused by this. {Does the trophy ask for the window seat?}

In the game, Phillies wasted a serviceable Joe Blanton performance - three runs over six innings should be a winnable game, but despite putting the potential tying run on base in the 9th, the Phillies could only manage one run off Braden Looper and the crappy Brewers bullpen.

Seems like old times

We got to watch both SoxandPhils games today. With the Red Sox beating the Angels and the Phillies winning out West, it was a little reminiscent of last year's playoffs.

Red Sox: Forget about Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka - Josh Beckett's No. 2 will be Brad Penny this year, just like it's the Florida Marlins from 2001 to 2004. OK, Penny's days of dominance are over, but I'll take three runs over six innings every time from him.

The bats showed some life with two homers from Jason Bay and one from Mike Lowell, which accounted for all the runs in the 5-4 win.

Jonathan Papelbon was summoned for a four-out save. He made it a little too nerve-wracking in the 9th, giving up a run and walking the bases loaded before ending the much-needed win. Let's hope Josh Beckett makes like the Easter Bunny tomorrow afternoon and hops out of Anaheim with the Sox back at .500.

Phillies: Brett Myers was shaky, but the Phils managed an 8-4 win over the Rockies. Christine thinks he needs to gain back the weight to start pitching better. In his first game as a starter, Chris Coste nearly got Charlie Manuel to blow a gasket by dropping a pop-up, but he recovered to bare hand the ball before it hit the ground.

They're alive: All the starting position players had a hit - hopefully not just a Coors Field mirage.