The Boston Globe

After the Red Sox were informed that they had signed international FA Travis Edmonds 3B, they decided to start him in Mike Lowell's place. In return, the Red Sox were rewarded with this: 14 hits and a .378 average, 1 home run, 1 stolen base, and 9 RBI's. The Red Sox couldn't be more happy with the way their MLB Rookie is starting his career. Overall their offense is exactly what they hoped for. The top of the lineup is getting on base, starting with Ellsbury's .419 AVG with 7 swipes, and the middle is driving guys in. Carlos Peña is showing that his 18 million dollar a year contract was worth it with 6 home runs and 13 RBI's in the 5 spot through the first 10 games. Although Ortiz is tied for second on the team with 3 long balls, he only connected for 10 hits for a .256 average. So far the Boston pitching has somewhat lived up to their hype. Kazmir does have one loss and a 5+ ERA but they are confident that he will get the job done in the end. Perez and Matsuzaka are both showing good signs, each with 2 wins and ERAs of 3.80 and 3.86 respectively. Lester also has one win with a 3.77 ERA. The mop-up man Dustin Richardson suffered a two week long injury on April 10, so the Red Sox have to bring up some one from the minors to fill his position. Also Beckett is injured for just 4 more days, so once that is up, they will have their complete rotation back at full strength. The bull pen also seems to have settled down from last season, with Papelbon getting 2 saves. New comer Brian Fuentes pitched one inning on April 6 vs. Baltimore, walking one and striking out one without allowing a hit or a run.

Injuries
1B Lars Anderson *A* Wrist Stress Fracture (20 days)
C Mark Wagner *R* Broken Foot (21 days)
RP Dustin Richardson *MLB* Hairline Wrist Break (10 days)
SP Josh Beckett *AAA* Dislocated Shoulder (4 days)
SP Devern Hansack *AAA* Ankle Stress Fracture (19 days)

Team Leaders Hitting
AVG-Jacoby Ellsbury (.419)
HR-Carlos Peña (6)
SB-Jacoby Ellsbury (7)
R-Manny Ramirez, Carlos Peña (10)
RBI-Carlos Peña (13)
OBA-Jacoby Ellsbury (.490)

Team Leaders Pitching
ERA-Jon Lester (3.77)
IP-Oliver Perez (21)
K-Oliver Perez (24)
W-Scott Kazmir, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Oliver Perez (2)
L-Daisuke Matsuzaka, Dustin Richardson, Jon Lester (0)
S-Jonathan Papelbon (2)

Milestones
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Awards
--

Blue=League Leader
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Red Sox already great so far this season, and Beckett hasn't pitched a game yet! Scary!

yeah just wait until he's back!

The Red Sox have been strong through the second sim of 08, going 17-7 total with a 1 game lead in the East. The Red Sox offense has been mostly out performing expectations, especially in the power area. They are overall tied for second with 37 home runs as a team, with Carlos Peña leading the charge with 10. Jason Varitek is trying to earn his spot back as the starting C for the Sox and so far he has succeeded. He has picked up 14 hits in 16 games with 4 home runs and 9 RBIs. The top of the order has overall struggled in the average department, but their OBAs are all over .350, which is what the Sox have been looking for out of Ellsbury, Pedroia, Ortiz, and Manny. Also with Pedroia down for 8 days, look for Jimmy Rollins to be put into the 2 spot in an attempt to maybe even land a starting role there. The Red Sox pitching is beginning to return to their normal form, bad. Kazmir has a 3-2 record with a very high 5.86 ERA as their ace, but Perez has in turn picked up the slack with an identical record and a 3.57 ERA. Surprisingly, the Red Sox closer, Jonathan Papelbon, is leading the team in wins with 4, as well as saves with 2 (tied with Fuentes). Set-Up man Okajima has struggled, giving up 5 runs in 5 innings, so look for a replacement by next sim. Also with their struggling staff, Beckett will return from AAA and go into the role as the staff ace.

Injuries
SP Devern Hansack *AAA* Ankle Stress Fracture (4 days)
RP Kyle Snyder *AA* Shoulder Bursitis (2 days)
2B Dustin Pedroia *MLB* Stretched Ankle Ligament (8 days)
SS Julio Lugo *AAA* Pulled Hamstring (5 days)
2B Alex Cora *AAA* Strained Wrist (2 days)
1B Lars Anderson *A* Wrist Stress Fracture (5 days)
C Mark Wagner *R* Broken Foot (6 days)

Team Leaders Hitting
AVG-Jacoby Ellsbury (.362)
HR-Carlos Peña (10)
SB-Jacoby Ellsbury (17)
R-Jacoby Ellsbury (23)
RBI-Carlos Peña (21)
OBA-Jason varitek ( .458 )

Team Leaders Pitching
ERA-Oliver Perez (3.57)
IP-Oliver Perez, Scott Kazmir (35.1)
K-Scott Kazmir (36)
W-Jonathan Papelbon (4)
L-Matt Clement (0)
S-Jonathan Papelbon, Brian Fuentes (2)

Milestones
LF Manny Ramirez 500^th Home Run ( April 22, 2008 )

Awards

Retirement

Blue=League Leader
White=AL Leader

After the last sim the Red Sox still stand first atop the AL East by 2 games ahead of the Yankees. Both the overall offense and overall pitching haven't been s sharp as they could be, but apparently they have gotten by. Jacoby Ellsbury is still proving his greatness as their leadoff hitter, with a .348 average, .425 on base average, and 24 stolen bases. Ortiz has been struggling so far, hitting just .264 with 5 home runs and 41 strikeouts. Carlos Peña is still leading the team in homers with 12 although he will be out for four more days with a knee injury. Eddie Rogers, who filled in for Pedroia has really shown that he can compete, going 20-for-53 with 3 home runs, and 5 RBI's. The Red Sox are trying to figure out how to keep his hot bat in the lineup. The ace Scott Kazmir has continued to struggle as a Red Sox, with a 5+ ERA and a 3-2 record. Also Josh Beckett has returned and looked like the ace of a staff s usual, going 2-0 in his first 3 starts with a 2.14 ERA and 18 strikeouts. Perez has picked up most of Kazmir's slack with 6 wins on the season, which ties 4 other guys for the lead in the majors.

Injuries
1B Carlos Peña *MLB* Spiked Knee (4 days)
RP Andy Paulauskas *AA* Elbow Inflammation (2 days)

Team Leaders Hitting
AVG-Jacoby Ellsbury (.348)
HR-Carlos Peña (12)
SB-Jacoby Ellsbury (24)
R-Jacoby Ellsbury ( 38 )
RBI-Travis Edmonds (34)
OBA-Manny Ramirez (.440)

Team Leaders Pitching
ERA-Josh Beckett (2.14)
IP-Oliver Perez (53)
K-Daisuke Matsuzaka (54)
W-Oliver Perez (6)
L-Josh Beckett (0)
S-Jonathan Papelbon (4)

Milestones

Awards

Blue=League Leader
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Maybe Kazmir can't handle the pressure of Boston, and needs to be traded?

maybe....

*Detroit pops his head in*

Did i hear Kaz and trade in the same sentance?!?!

The Red Sox have been rolling through the 3rd sim and their season is looking very good. They went 8-5 in the last sim and their offense and pitching has been good. They still hold the same 2 game lead in the East as they have throughout the season. As always, Ellsbury keeps getting the hits and keeps getting on base. He holds a .362 BA and a .444 OBA to this point. Ortiz has been phenomenal in the base hit department, going 16 for his last 38 at bats, with a .318 average on the season. Edmonds has been cashing in on RBI chances, with 44 on the season, leading the team, and 6 RBIs in the last 10 games. Eddie Rogers has cooled off rather quickly, going 5-for-34 and lowering his average to .287 on the season. The Red Sox are more than likely going to remove him from the starting lineup and mix things around to get Byrnes back in. Dustin Pedroia is going to be moved back to the 2 spot, as the Red Sox feel that Jimmy Rollins is better suited to be an RBI man, the 5th spot. The pitching has been just as good for the Sox, with Perez picking up a win and a loss, and lowering his ERA to 3.62. Also Josh Beckett has remained perfect, 3-0, with 30 strikeouts in 6 starts. Kazmir has begun to settle down, being worked a lot with over 113 pitches for 8 straight starts, going 2-0 in the sim with an ERA of 2.75, and 18 K's in 13.1 IP. Papelbon also picked up a win and 2 saves (6) and Manny Delcarmen has settled nicely into the set-up man role.

Injuries
2B Alex Cora *AAA* Bruised Shin (1 day)
SP Scott Kazmir *MLB* Dislocated Collar Bone (1 day)

Team Leaders Hitting
AVG-Jacoby Ellsbury (.362)
HR-Carlos Peña (12)
SB-Jacoby Ellsbury (43)
R-Jacoby Ellsbury (55)
RBI-Travis Edmonds (44)
OBA-Jacoby Ellsbury (.444)

Team Leaders Pitching
ERA-Oliver Perez, Josh Beckett (3.62)
IP-Oliver Perez (74.2)
K-Daisuke Matsuzaka (75)
W-Oliver Perez (7)
L-Josh Beckett (0)
S-Jonathan Papelbon (6)

Milestones

Awards

Blue=League Leader
White=AL Leader

The Red Sox are tearing it up on the diamond, and it starts with young sensation Jacoby Ellsbury. This is just Ellsbury's second year, but he is already sending shock throughout Red Sox Nation. The 24 year lead-off, former ROY has played in all but 3 games and is certainly proving his worth. He has already picked up 103 hits for a .372 AVG on the young season, with .457 OBP, 73 runs scored, and 53 stolen bases. The Red Sox had been humoring offers on him, but thoughts of his moving have been completely thrown out the window. The heart of the order has been performing as well, Ortiz and Many both have .312 and .315 averages respectively, while Peña is leading the team in long-balls. Travis Edmonds has been earning his pay leading the team in RBI's and holding a .285 average. Eric Byrnes is also second on the team in home runs with 10 and is 5th in the AL in outfield assists with 8 from left field. The Red Sox pitching has been unexpectedly average this season with Perz and Beckett getting 8 and 6 wins. Beckett is leading the team in ERA while Kazmir is holding up as a Boston starter with a 7-4 record.Manny Delcarmen has filed the shoes of the struggling Okajima with a 1.59 ERA as the Botons set-up man with Papelbon getting 7th in the AL with 11 saves. Boston has been talking with few teams about trades, but with the way their guys have been performing, any moves are highly unlikely.

Injuries
C Jason Varitek *MLB* Twisted Ankle (2 days)
2B Douglas Callan *R* Inflamed Rotator Cuff (26 days)
SP Daisuke Matsuzaka *MLB* Hand Stress Fracture (10 days)
RP Craig Hansen *AAA* Finger Stress Fracture (15 days)

Team Leaders Hitting
AVG-Jacoby Ellsbury (.372)
HR-Carlos Peña ( 18 )
SB-Jacoby Ellsbury (53)
R-Jacoby Ellsbury (73)
RBI-Travis Edmonds (52)
OBA-Jacoby Ellsbury (.457)

Team Leaders Pitching
ERA-Josh Beckett (3.76)
IP-Oliver Perez (91.1)
K-Daisuke Matsuzaka (89)
W-Oliver Perez ( 8 )
L-Josh Beckett (1)
S-Jonathan Papelbon (11)

Milestones

Awards

Blue=League Leader
White=AL Leader

The Red Sox have been performing phenomenal this year, drawing in a full house in all of their home games this year. Their offense has been rolling from the top spot all the way down, but the stand-outs are found at the top of the order. The top four guys in the order have batting average's above .310 with Ellsbury leading it at .349 and 62 stolen bases. Just under those guys Carlos Peña is putting up the power with 25 home runs thus far in the season. Wily Mo Peña filed in for injured Eric Byrnes and from what the talk around the clubhouse has been, he's earned a starting role for the time being. In his last 10 games he has a .350 average with 4 home runs and 9 runs batted in. The Red Sox catcher woes continue as Estrada has been batting just .200 on the year with just 17 RBIs. The Red Sox have been talking about releasing him and his $18 million contract. The Red Sox pitching has as usual been struggling, with the focal point of Oliver Perez. In his last 4 starts he hasn't gotten through the 4^th inning giving up 6 earned in 3 of the four. Clement stepped up for Daisuke Matsuzaka and picked up a win and a no decision along the way. Papelbon has been the force in the bullpen as usual with his 3.03 ERA and 17 saves.

Injuries
SP Josh Beckett *MLB* Finger Stress Fracture (8 days)
RP Craig Hansen *AAA* Finger Stress Fracture (1 day)
SP Daniel bard *A* Foot Stress Fracture (6 days)
SS Jimmy Rollins *MLB* Strained Knee (9 days)
LF Eric Byrnes *MLB* Pulled Groin (1 day)
1B Chris Carter *AAA* Sprained Finger (10 days)
2B Douglas Callan *DL* Inflamed Rotator Cuff (12 days)

Team Leaders Hitting
AVG-Jacoby Ellsbury (.349)
HR-Carlos Peña (25)
SB-Jacoby Ellsbury (62)
R-Jacoby Ellsbury (81)
RBI-David Ortiz (62)
OBA-Jacoby Ellsbury (.435)

Team Leaders Pitching
ERA-Josh Beckett (3.47)
IP-Oliver Perez (104.1)
K-Scott Kazmir ( 98 )
W-Oliver Perez, Scott Kazmir ( 8 )
L-Josh Beckett (1)
S-Jonathan Papelbon (17)

Milestones

Awards

Blue=League Leader
White=AL Leader

Through the 8^th sim of the 2008 MLB Season, the Red Sox have stayed very consistent, keeping 2^nd place Tampa Bay at arms length in the AL East by 6.5 games. The Red Sox rolled into the All Star break winning 3 against the Royals at home, although they lost the final game of the series by a run. The Red Sox began to worry, losing their last game heading into the All-Star Game, about the post-All Star collapses which have plagued their team throughout the years. The Red Sox sent three players to the All-Star game, DH David Ortiz, CF Jacoby Ellsbury, and RP Manny Delcarmen, although only Ortiz saw playing time as the AL won it 8-6. After the break, the Red Sox concerns showed as they lost 2 in a row after beating the O’s once, but quickly made up for it with another win in Baltimore, splitting the 4 game set, and the next day Kazmir went 8 innings allowing just 2 hits and 2 walks pitching 134 pitches in his shut-out before handing the game over to Okajima who gave up 3 runs in just 0.2 innings, then gave it to Papelbon for the save. The struggling Lugo will come out of the lineup for next sim as Jimmy Rollins will return healthy and ready to get back in the lineup. Clean up hitter Manny Ramirez will probably be moved in the lineup with his struggles beginning to stand out. Manny went just 6 for his last 36 with 2 RBIs and 8 Ks. Daisuke has also been pitching well as of late, getting 3 wins in his last 3 decisions, making up for Perez who hasn’t pitched since July 5^th and has really been getting lit up on the mound. On another good note, Matt Clement has pitched well, and hs been stretched through games, throwing at least 100 pitches in his last 9 starts, including AAA ball. Since being brought up he has a 4-0 record, with one of the wins coming on April 29^th against the Yankees where he went 7.1 innings giving up just 2 runs.

Injuries
SP Daisuke Matsuzaka *MLB* Strained Ankle (8 days)
RP Brian Fuentes *MLB* Twisted Ankle (5 days)
RP Beau Vaughan *AA* Sprained Back (4 days)

Team Leaders Hitting
AVG-Jacoby Ellsbury (.355)
HR-Carlos Peña (27)
SB-Jacoby Ellsbury ( 68 )
R-Jacoby Ellsbury (90)
RBI-David Ortiz ( 68 )
OBA-Jacoby Ellsbury (.443)

Team Leaders Pitching
ERA-Scott Kazmir (4.00)
IP-Scott Kazmir (114.2)
K-Scott Kazmir (113)
W-Scott Kazmir (9)
L-Matt Clement (0)
S-Jonathan Papelbon (21)

Milestones

Awards
DH David Ortiz All-Star ( July 12, 2008 ) *908, 909 Votes*
CF Jacoby Ellsbury All-Star ( July 12, 2008 ) *263, 060 Votes*
RP Manny Delcarmen All-Star ( July 12, 2008 )

Blue=League Leader
White=AL Leader

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The Red Sox have extended their AL East lead once again, although only by 1 game this time. They are looking very strong through the 9^th sim, even with Beckett not making a start and Rollins coming off the bench in the last sim. The Red Sox will have to play down even more so this sim, with injuries to stars such as Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Peña, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Oliver Perez. Although Perez and Daisuke have been struggling lately, they were forced to bring someone up from minor league ball, and they decided on 27 year old rookie Tommy Hottovy. Hottovy played all of the 2008 season in AA ball and was nothing more than average. He posted an even .500 record with 6 wins and 6 losses. There have been pitchers that are doing better in the minor leagues, but they decided on to give the 27 year old his first major league start with great confidence. The Red Sox are confident in his ability to strike out hitters, and they believe that will be key to his success in the majors. With the injury to leadoff hitter Ellsbury, Jimmy Rollins will be starting as the leadoff hitter until he is healthy. Rollins has great speed but has struggled in the average department, just .267 to this point, but the Red Sox are hoping he will change that with him moving to the leadoff spot. As you may have imagined, the Red Sox are starting another catcher in place of the struggling Jason Varitek and Johnny Estrada. They decided to bring up 25 year old rookie George Kottaras from AAA to start for sim 9. For Pawtucket, George went 132 for 383 for a .345 average with 12 long balls and 74 RBIs. He has limited speed, but was able to leg-out 44 doubles along with one 3-bagger. If he produces the way he did in the minors, the Red Sox may be looking at their new starting catcher. The starting pitching for the Sox has been nothing less than fantastic, compared to their usual standards. Kazmir has settled down with his 11-4 record and 3.99 ERA. They also are happy to have Beckett back. He is 7-1 on the year and holds a 3.47 ERA in 72.2 IP. Along with bringing up rookie Hottovy for a couple of starts, closer Jonathan Papelbon is happy to invite his brother, Josh Papelbon, to the bullpen as the long reliever for the Sox. Josh was lights out in AA, with 12 saves, a 1.65 ERA, and just a .213 opponent’s batting average. With the Royals and Yankees coming up for 3 games each, the Red Sox hope to post a winning record and extend the AL East lead even more. July 31^st marks the trade deadline, and it is just a day away. The Red Sox haven’t been in many trade talks as of late, but the Tigers are looking to exchange conversation including SS Jimmy Rollins and RP Hideki Okajima. The Red Sox aren’t necessarily ready to give up either of the two stars, but they will probably still be involved in talks of them.

Injuries
CF Jacoby Ellsbury *MLB* Sprained Back (12 days)
1B Carlos Peña *MLB* Bruised Ankle (2 days)
SP Kris Johnson *AA* Finger Blister (3 days)
SP Oliver Perez *MLB* Sprained Finger (7 days)
SP Daisuke Matsuzaka *MLB* Hand Stress Fracture (18 days)

Team Leaders Hitting
AVG-Jacoby Ellsbury (.342)
HR-Carlos Peña (28)
SB-Jacoby Ellsbury (73)
R-Jacoby Ellsbury (96)
RBI-David Ortiz, Carlos Peña (73)
OBA-Jacoby Ellsbury (.434)

Team Leaders Pitching
ERA-Josh Beckett (3.47)
IP-Scott Kazmir (128.2)
K-Scott Kazmir (125)
W-Scott Kazmir (11)
L-Josh Beckett (1)
S-Jonathan Papelbon (24)

Milestones

Awards

Blue=League Leader
White=AL Leader

As has been the story all through the 2008 season, the Red Sox are atop the AL East by 7.5 games, right above the playoff hopeful, AL Wild Card leading Tampa Bay Rays, and 10 games better than the struggling Bronx Bombers. The Red Sox began to pick up the pace in August, after dropping 2 of 3 to the Royals, who are 27 games below .500, they went to the Bronx for their second showdown at Yankees Stadium. In the 3 game set the Red Sox rolled right over New York sweeping the series and out scoring the Bankees 22-10. The Red Sox then went on to win 4 of 6, counting the Yankees sweep making it 7 of 9 propelling themselves for an almost guaranteed AL East Title for 2008. With the injured star Jacoby Ellsbury benched for 12 games, Jimmy Rollins took over as the lead off man and showed he could do it. In his last 10 games Rollins holds a .396 AVG with 4 RBIs and 4 SB. 4 time All-Star David Ortiz has also been hot as of late, hitting in 10 straight games with 8 RBIs and 10 BB.
Coming off an injury that held him out for 2 weeks, Josh Beckett has come back strong. On the season Josh Beckett has a team best 3.53 ERA and a record of 8 wins to 2 losses. Although Kazmir has earned 2 losses in his last 3 starts, he pitched well in all 3 of them. Combined he has gone 22.2 IP allowing just 4 ER and 11 hits. Kazmir is just 24 years old and the Red Sox are hoping that he has a long and fulfilling career as a Boston starter. 27 year old fill-in starter Tommy Hottovy has proven to be quite an arm in the Red Sox staff. He made 2 starts filling in for Daisuke Matsuzaka and went a combined 13 IP allowing 2 ER and a mere 4 hits. He really proved his worth in his start against the Yankees on August 6th in the midst of the 3 game sweep the Sox put up. In that start, Hottovy went 7.0 IP allowing no ER and the Yankees just mustered 2 hits against the crafty left hander. In the ninth inning of the\at game, Hideki Okajima blew the shut out by allowing a home run to 1B Juan Miranda on a 3-2 curve ball that caught a bit too much of the plate. Closer Jon Papelbon has been lights out, earning the save n his last 6 outings allowing a total of 4 hits in 5.2 innings over that span. Manny Delcarmen seems to have lost his job a the Red Sox set-up man. On August 9th vs. the White Sox, Delcarmen came on to pitch the 9th and hold a one-run deficit to just that. All hell broke lose when he began the ninth. Delcarmen let up 5 runs on 5 hits allowing the ChiSox to expand their lead to 7-1 and win the game. The Red Sox manager is intent on giving the job to the left hander Brian Fuentes who hasn't let up a run in his last 6.2 IP, earning the win twice.

Injuries
SP Daisuke Matsuzaka *MLB* Hand Stress Fracture (4 days)
LF Manny Ramirez *MLB* Bruised Hip (1 day)
1B Chris Carter *AA* Dislocated Shoulder (20 days)

Team Leaders Hitting
AVG-Jacoby Ellsbury (.342)
HR-Carlos Peña ( 28 )
SB-Jacoby Ellsbury (73)
R-Jacoby Ellsbury (96)
RBI-Travis Edmonds, David Ortiz (81)
OBA-David Ortiz (.436)

Team Leaders Pitching
ERA-Josh Beckett (3.53)
IP-Scott Kazmir (151.1)
K-Scott Kazmir ( 148 )
W-Scott Kazmir (12)
L-Matt Clement, Josh Beckett (2)
S-Jonathan Papelbon ( 28 )

Milestones

Awards

Blue=League Leader
White=AL Leader

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keep'em comming

Here you go:

Sim 12 of SBH2 brought new fears to Red Sox Nation. Before this sim the Red Sox were (basically) guaranteed an AL East Title with the best record in the MLB. Now that the Yankees have begun playing elite, New York caliber baseball, they began to creep up on the Red Sox to the point where a famous late-season Red Sox collapse is almost eminent. The Red Sox manager said, "I should have seen this coming. Once we saw our names atop the AL East standings, we decided to become too lackadaisical on, and off, the field. The worst part is, I allowed it." The Red Sox are used to the Yankees turning it on late in the season and seeing this should be nothing out of the ordinary. The Red Sox have still been playing good ball, but their 9-4 record in September isn't good enough for the Bean Town stars. After an injury to the All-Star center fielder, Jacoby Ellsbury, he came back more than cold. In his last 10 games, Ellsbury has just a .182 AVG with 8 hits and 9 Ks. "He is a great player. That's it. He will turn it when we need him to and everyone here in the clubhouse knows it," said the Boston manager after Jacoby suffered an 0 for 5 night in their last game against Toronto. Although the reigning ROY has been struggling at the top of the order, the middle of the Bosox's lineup has picked up the slack, and more. Ortiz has really turned it on as of late, picking up 17 hits in his last 10 games, with 4 doubles, 6 HRs, and exactly an RBI per hit. Ortiz has a hit in 9 of his last 10 games, and 6 of those games were multi-hit performances. While Ortiz has gotten on base with a team leading .421 OBP, Manny has cleared him off the bases with 10 RBIs in his last 10, along with 12 hits, 7 of them for extra bases. The Red Sox have also put up some good all around power numbers, with 9 guys, including bench, in double digits in home runs. Now onto the Red Sox pitching, which is led by their arguable ace former Rays starter Scott Kazmir. Kazmir has been dominant this season, with 15 wins to 7 losses. Scott has an ERA of 3.73 which is second only to the injured Josh Beckett, who has been arguably more dominant with 12 wins to just 3 losses. In place of the injured Beckett, the Red Sox have called up 23 year old rookie Daniel Bard to make some starts. Bard impressed the Red Sox in the minors with a 10-0 record in single A, and an equally good start to his AA season going 3-0 with a 2.75 ERA. The Red Sox are confident that he will post some good outings on the mound, and hopefully eat up some innings for the Sox with his good endurance. Bard has pitched less than 120 pitches in just 2 of his last 10 games in A and AA. Also in their bullpen, Fuentes has moved to the closer role with Papelbon out for at least 8 more days. Fuentes has been good this year with 6 saves, a 5-1 record, and a 4.04 ERA in 69 IP. The Red Sox are excited going to Yankee Stadium for a 3 game set, and are in need for a series win, if not a sweep. The Red Sox then have the D-Rays for 4 games and the Yankees again at Fenway. If the Red Sox can beat the Yankees in the next and last 2 series, they have an easy schedule after that (D-Rays again then Orioles), then they have a good shot at taking the AL East crown.

Injuries
CP Jonathan Papelbon *MLB* Ruptured Knee Ligament (8 days)
SP Josh Beckett *MLB* Dislocated Shoulder (2 weeks)

Team Leaders Hitting
AVG-Jacoby Ellsbury ( .318 )
HR-Carlos Peña (32)
SB-Jacoby Ellsbury (91)
R-Jacoby Ellsbury (122)
RBI-David Ortiz (115)
OBA-David Ortiz (.421)

Team Leaders Pitching
ERA-Josh Beckett (3.32)
IP-Scott Kazmir (176.1)
K-Scott Kazmir (170)
W-Scott Kazmir (15)
L-Josh Beckett (3)
S-Jonathan Papelbon (30)

Milestones

Awards

Blue=League Leader
White=AL Leader

Very nice writeup!

Thanks!

The Red Sox late season break down almost came when they dropped their last 2 to Tampa Bay, but they managed to keep the Yankees a game out and still have a good shot at securing the AL East. When asked about how he feels the Red Sox chances are at securing the AL East title are in the last 3 games of the season Red Sox manager said, "It's always good to be on top going into the final couple of games. That way some of the pressure is off. If we were playing from behind, like the Yankees are now, then we would have even less room for error. We are just glad that most of the pressure has been put on the Yankees shoulders." The Red Sox have been longing for an AL East title for years and after their amazing come from behind series victory, and winning 8 straight playoff games to win their first world series in....well...a LONG TIME, they feel their luck has finally turned and that they have a good shot at finally wearing the AL East crown.

Season Leaders will be posted after final Regular Season sim

The Boston Red Sox have finally made it to the top. They have always been competitive in the AL East and are almost always there in October, but this year they finally took home the AL East crown, and look like a World Series team on the field. Going into the last 3 games of the year with New York right on their tail, the Red Sox came up big by sweeping the Orioles as the icing on the cake of their best season since 1912. The Red Sox went to Camden Yards and outscored the O's 18-5 in the 3 game set, with young-gun sensation Jacoby Ellsbury capping off a 10-1 victory on the last day of the season by hitting 2 home runs and driving in half of the teams runs that day. The Red Sox haven't posted their post season roster, but it is not likely to change with the results they are getting. Also in the Baltimore series, Josh Beckett came up huge October 1^st by going 8 innings, allowing 4 hits, and striking out 8. Beckett made just one mistake early in the 2^nd inning by letting up a homer to SS Miguel Tejada on a 3-1 sinker, but settled in after that, allowing just 3 more hits and no more runs. The Red Sox will return home for 2 days before the Angels come to Fenway for the first round of the Octoberfest in Red Sox Nation. The Red Sox are confident that they can take this series, although the Angels have gone 8-2 in their last 10. If they do win, they will be taking on either their rivals from New York or Detroit. The Red Sox are 3-3 against Detroit, sweeping one series and getting swept in the other, and are almost even with the Yankees, at 8-7.

Injuries
None

Team Leaders Hitting
AVG-Jacoby Ellsbury (.319)
HR-Carlos Peña (34)
SB-Jacoby Ellsbury ( 98 )
R-Jacoby Ellsbury (141)
RBI-David Ortiz (133)
OBA-David Ortiz ( .418 )

Team Leaders Pitching
ERA-Josh Beckett (3.19)
IP-Scott Kazmir (191.1)
K-Scott Kazmir (185)
W-Scott Kazmir (15)
L-Josh Beckett (3)
S-Jonathan Papelbon (32)

Milestones

Awards
CF Jacoby Ellsbury AL Stolen Base Leader ( 98 )

Blue=League Leader
White=AL Leader

I wanted to thank you as well for all the story's you did this year. They've all been great and they add alot to the site.

"I love you man!"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, J/K I actually hate your guts ;-)

GO DETROIT!

Game 1

The first round of the playoffs is over and so are the Angels. In the first game the Red Sox star, Scott Kazmir, had a terrible outing, going just 2.2 innings, throwing 83 pitches, and letting up 5 runs. Every Angel stroked a hit, with all but 2 driving in a run. In the first inning, Vlad hit a two run double to break things open after Kazmir let up a lead off hit by Reggie Willits. The Red Sox failed to score in the first, while in the very next inning, Gary Mathews hit a 2 run homer for his only hit of the game. The game was quiet for a while after that, until the Red Sox exploded to tie the game with a 5 run 6^th. It started with 3 straight singles off Lackey by Ramirez, Edmonds, and Varitek, and then a 2 run double to start the rally. The Red Sox then proceeded to bat around back to Edmonds, scoring 3 more runs in the process. The next three innings, the Angels proceeded to score 4 runs off three different Red Sox pitchers, one in inning 7, 8, and 9.

Angels lead 1-0

Game 2

The second game brought much hope to the Red Sox, although the Angels managed to score right away for the second straight game. Unlike the last game, the inning was some what quiet, with Kendry Morales getting the 2 out single to score Howie Kendrick. The Red Sox immediately answered back with a run of their own, led by leadoff superstar Ellsbury. Jacoby hit an infield single on a 3-0 changeup, and then went ahead and stole 2 bases. He then scored on a sac fly by DH David Ortiz. After Beckett pitched a scoreless inning 2, the Red Sox showed their offensive prowess by putting up a 4 spot in their half of the 2^nd. It started with a single by RF Travis Edmonds, and three batters and one walk later, Rollins provided a spark out of the 9 hole with a 3 run bomb to right. The very next batter was Jacoby again who this time triples to right center and was later driven in on another sac fly by 2B Dustin Pedroia for his second run of the game. Scoring was quiet until the 4^th with an RBI double by Pedroia driving in Rollins for Dustin's second RBI of the game. The Angels could manage nothing more than an 8^th inning home run to center by Gary Mathews off of Josh Beckett. The Red Sox answered back again with back to back shots by Carlos Peña and Manny Ramirez for their final 2 runs, before Gagne came in to slam the door in the 9^th.

Series tied 1-1

Game 3


Game 3 of this first playoff series didn't feature as much offense as the first two games, but in the middles innings the teams started to score often. It started in the 5^th with a single by C Jason Varitek. Lowell then reached base on a throwing error by 3B Brandon Wood. The run was produced by Jimmy Rollins hitting a sac fly to RF Vlad Guerrero and although he has a cannon on his right arm, it wasn't enough to prevent Varitek from reaching home. Like the scoring has been all through this series, back and fourth, the Angels scored in their half of the inning. Reggie Willits singled to right and reached second going for the extra base. After being moved over on a ground out by Kendrick, Vlad did his thing by singling home Willits to get the Halos on the board. The Red Sox then scored again in inning number 6. Ortiz coaxed a leadoff walk on 4 pitches to start it. After consecutive K's by Peña and Ramirez, Edmonds doubled home Ortiz all the way from first. With Perez still on the mound, the Angels responded with 2 runs on 3 singles, with Gary Mathews picking up the 2 RBIs. With 2 outs in the inning, Delcarmen came in and struck out Willits on the payoff pitch of that at-bat. The Red Sox finally capped off the scoring in the seventh with a little bit of small ball. Lowell opened the frame with a walk on a full count. The next batter, Jimmy Rollins, singled back through the box, advancing Lowell just to 2^nd. The next two batters, Ellsbury and Pedroia, laid down 2 straight sac bunts, with Pedroia's scoring a run, before Ortiz came up and doubled home the go ahead and eventually winning run in Rollins. Delcarmen stayed on the mound for the Sox and pitched 2 scoreless innings, until he handed it to the closer Papelbon for the save.

Red Sox lead 2-1

Game 4

The Red Sox were a little nervous going into game 4 with Daisuke Matsuzaka on the mound. Daisuke went just 9-8 on the season, with a team high 5.40 ERA. The Angels foolishly elected to start 24 year old rookie Jose Arredondo in what could be the deciding game of the opening round. The scoring started in the top of the second with the Red Sox. After a single and wild pitch, allowing Ramirez to stand on second, Edmonds doubled home Ramirez on a 1-2 fastball that caught too much of the plate. 2 batters after Varitek singled, drove in Edmonds, and succeeded on reaching second, Rollins picked up another hit and another RBI for the third run of the game. The Angels cut the lead to 2 in the next inning with a leadoff hit and one out walk by Cotchman and Napoli respectively. After a fielder's choice by Orlando Cabrera and runners on first and third, 2 straight singles resulted in 2 straight runs for the Angels. The Angels then proceeded to tie the game on a homer by C Mike Napoli, but the Sox answered back immediately in the next inning. Ellsbury led off the inning with a single. He then stole 2 bases again, whilst Pedroia struck out. With Ellsbury on third, Ortiz, like always, got the job done and hit another sac fly for another RBI. Peña then came up and hit a long home run to the opposite field on a full count. The scoring would stop there until the 9th. Ortiz got it going with a 2 out home run to left field. Peña then followed that with a single to center. After Eric Byrnes came in to play LF in the seventh and struck out in the 8th, he made up for it by hitting a 2-run shot to gain the Red Sox 2 insurance runs in the ninth. Manny Delcarmen then came back to pitch his third and final inning and after letting up one run on a single by Morales, he got 2 ground outs to end the game, an ultimately the openning round of the 2008 Playoffs.

Red Sox win 3-1

Game 1

Josh Beckett took the mound for the Red Sox in game 1, against Tiger star Justin Verlander. The Red Sox scored first in the bottom half of the first on a David Ortiz home run to center after Beckett pitched a perfect top of the 1st. After Beckett let up 2 lead off hits in the 2nd, he settled down and got a ground out to second. With runners on 1st and 3rd, a run would have scored on the play if it weren't for a lackadaisical move on the part of Elijah Dukes. Pedroia went to 2nd for the force and because Dukes didn't break for home right away, he was looked back to third, preventing Detroit from tying the game. Beckett then picked off Guillen who reached on the fielder's choice in the previous play. Beckett got out of it only to see the Red Sox add another run to their lead on a home run by Carlos Peña. Another scoreless inning by Beckett was followed by another Red Sox run, the 3rd in 3 innings on a walk, a balk, and a double by David Ortiz for his 2nd RBI, scoring Ellsbury. The Red Sox threatened in the 5th, but failed to score due to a double play ball by Dustin Pedroia. In the 6th, the DH David Ortiz went deep for the 2nd time in the game, this time to left. The Red Sox would score again on a wild pitch by Verlander, but Detroit answered the next inning on 3 hits, and a ground out RBI by Shane Victorino. Beckett had pitched his final inning of the day after working out of the 7th with his first run given up, and Hideki Okajima came on to pitch 2 scoreless innings to end the game and give the Red Sox the early advantage in this series.

Red Sox lead 1-0

Game 2

Game 2 featured more offense, but not enough in the Red Sox favor. The opponent scored in the first once again, like they have so often in this years playoffs, starting with the cardinal sin in baseball, Kazmir walking the lead off man to open up the game. Like usual the lead off walk scores. It took Victorino 3 more hitters ending with a sac fly by Elijah Dukes. The Red Sox, though, scored in their first hacks, with Jacoby the man to do it. He led off the game with a single and went for 2nd and made it. He then used his legs by swiping third and then scoring on a sac fly by David Ortiz tying it up. Detroit broke the 1-1 tie the 1st chance they had, the top of the 2nd. Kazmir, once again, walked the lead off man Carlos Guillen, who moved to 2nd the very next pitch on a wild pitch by Scott. C Alex Argunov picked up the RBI with a singled to left which is all the Tigers mustered that inning. The game was scoreless from then until the Red Sox struck 3 times in the 4th. After Manny Ramirez led of the inning with a strikeout, he was followed by a single by Peña, a walk by Edmonds, and a single by Lowell to load the bases. Varitek then came up and reached 2nd on a 2 run error by CF Elijah Dukes. The third run was driven in by Rollins on an RBI ground out, which ended the scoring for the Red Sox. The Tigers scored once in the 6th to pull within one, on another lead off walk, this time by Fuentes, and an RBI double by Polanco. The Tigers then broke it open in the 8th with 3 runs on 5 consecutive hits, which put away the Sox in game 2.

Series tied 1-1

Game 3

Going into game 3, the Red Sox were a little shaky on the pitching match up to come. The Tigers sent their ace LHP Johan Santana to the mound against the struggling lefty Oliver Perez. Perez showed dominance early, with 3 no-hit innings under his belt, and an early lead put up by a solo homer by Travis Edmonds in the second. After the Red Sox scored in the 4th on a double by Ramirez, the Tigers turned it around completely, breaking it open with 6 runs on 5 hits. It started with what has been the plague of the Red Sox, the lead off walk. Granderson walked on a full count, followed by an Elijah Dukes full count home run for 2 runs. Dan Johnson then came up and worked the 3rd full count in a row, which ended in another walk for Perez. 1 out later, and 2 straight singles later, resulted in 2 more runs for the Tigers. Theroit then singled on the first pitch he saw and immediately stole second to put runners on 2nd and 3rd. Victorino struck out in the next at-bat, which made the Red Sox think he could come out of the inning with, somewhat, limited damage. The hope, and Perez\'s outing, was ended after a 2 run single by Polanco made the Detroit lead 4. Delcarmen came on an struck out the first batter he face to end the inning. Detroit then scored twice more in the 7th on Elijah Dukes 2nd 2-run homer of the night, which was enough to put the Tigers ahead, for good. The Red Sox managed to score in the 8th and 9th, the 8th inning run on a bases-loaded free pass to Carlos Peña, and in the 9th and Varitek homer and an Ortiz single produced 2, but that wasn't enough for the Red Sox as they lost the 2nd straight game to Detroit.

Tigers lead 2-1

Game 4

This one looked like a pitchers duel early, but ended in a mildly high scoring affair. Verlander looked great early, throwing 4 innings of perfect baseball, which was broken up by a Manny Ramirez single in the 5th. Matsuzaka looked just as strong, although he let up one hit in each of the 1st 5 innings, but the Tigers could manage nothing during those innings. The scoreless pitching continued until the top of the 8th where Boston scored the first run of the game. It started with a 2 out single by Rollins, and then a steal of 2nd after the new pitcher, Tim Byrdak, came in to pitch. Ellsbury then drove him in with a single to to center. After another 2 out hit by Pedroia, and with runners on 1st and 3rd, Ortiz came up and struck out for the 2nd time in the game. The Tigers matched the 8th inning score by the Sox with a rally of their own. After Daisuke struck out Kaz Matsui to open the frame, the Tigers posted 5 straight hits, which resulted in 4 runs and a 3 run lead for the Detroit sluggers. The Red Sox threatened to tie the game in the ninth with a lead off walk to Manny, and a home run by Carlos Peña to pull the Red Sox withing one. Travis Edmonds continued the rally with a single on an 0-2 count off of the closer Houston Street, After a sac bunt by Eric Byrnes, Street got Varitek with a full count strikeout. The Tigers brought in Jose Capellan to get the final out, which he did, on a strikeout of Jimmy Rollins to end the game.

Tigers lead 3-1

Game 5

The Red Sox were hoping to continue their playoff rallying ways in the 5th game, and they would have a good chance with Beckett on the mound and Bonderman for the Tigers. Bonderman showed his inner ace in game 5, going 8 innings with just 2 hits allowed. The Tigers would start the scoring in the 3rd, with a triple by Granderson, and an RBI ground out by Dukes, for 2 runs in the inning. Those 2 runs were all the Tigers needed, although they did score 4 more times with 1 in the 5th, 1 in the 6th, and 2 in the 7th. The Red Sox would end the shutout in their final hacks, with 2 doubles by Rollins and Pedroia for 1 run, and then after 2 consecutive walks to Ortiz and Ramirez, Houston Street came on to get a game and series ending double play to Carlos Peña.

Tigers win 4-1