Red Sox July Recap and Look Ahead

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

Set it off....

 

July record for the Red Sox = 14-13 (.500 baseball)

A very slow start to the month had the Red Sox crawling into the All Star break. However, being represented by 5 players the AL took the game which gives them home field advantage in the World Series. The Red Sox leave the month of July with a 5 game win streak and leading into August with a series against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park.

 

other notes for July:

- the Orioles are out and the Toronto Blue Jays are in

- we saw the return of Curt Schilling as he helped keep our sinking bullpen together

- we leave July with a 2 1/2 game lead in the AL East

- the pitching staff comes around with Wade Miller and David Wells looking much stronger

- no Manny trade = bad news for the other AL East teams

- the Yankees finish the month of July with a 17-9 record

 

Look ahead to August:

The Red Sox have 15 home games this coming month with 13 on the road. The teams they will be playing have an overall record of (451-489). Meanwhile the Yanks will have 14 home games and 13 on the road with those teams having an overall record of (526-466). A big opportunity for the Red Sox to create some room.

 

- Keith Foulke will make his return soon but which Foulke will show up?

- Schilling will make his move back to the rotation

- can the Yanks get any pitchers healthy or will they look to the additions of Embree, Leiter, Nomo, Chacon, and Small to be the difference.

[yankeessuck013]

Heres the August Schedules for the Yankees and Red Sox:

 

Red Sox:

 

3 vs KC

3 @ MIN

3 vs TEX

OFF DAY

3 vs CWS

3 @ DET

4 @ LAA

OFF DAY

3 @ KC

3 vs DET

3 vs TB

 

Yankees:

 

3 @ CLE

3 @ TOR

3 vs CWS

4 vs TEX

3 @ TB

OFF DAY

3 @ CWS

4 vs TOR

3 vs KC

3 @ SEA

 

halladay is supposed to be back for that 1st series vs the yankees.

 

Certaintly the schedule looks more favorable to us, but only time will tell. And I think foulke will be back to form after he gets a couple apperances under his belt, since he is not rehabbing at AAA

[sarasoxfan]

i think we have more home games remaining than anyone else so that might help too.

[riverside sluggers]

yeah next 36 out of 61 games will be played at Fenway they had said

[yeszir]

I guess this lats winning streak has made it seem like the sox have played better than .500, but I guess not. It's just like last year, only we aren't 10 games back and struggling.

[riverside sluggers]

14-13 for July, hey at least they played one game over .500 for last month and still held onto the lead despite bad goings in the middle of the month

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

I think the best signs are the pitching is doing a better job. David Wells is playing very well and Wade Miller gave us a true glimpse of what this second half may be. Bronson Arroyo struggled from time to time as did Wakefield but they had good moments as well. Clement struggled and got hurt but lets just hope it doesn't effect his play....and these young guys coming up look pretty good.

 

This team has a nice streak going and it could get better if everything falls into place.

 

Schilling could lead the way and give us the best matchup everytime he is on the mound. Hopefully Varitek can keep Clement in line so he doesnt fall apart in the second half, David Wells can remain healthy, and Wade Miller can add on to the last performance. That can all happen but the biggest question from here out......

 

Keith Foulke

[soxie thefangirl]

Yeah Foulke really is the biggest question. Him and Schilling I think. If they were to go back to what they did last year, we'd be more than all set.

[CalvnHobs6]

FIFTEEN GAMES AGAINST KANSAS CITY AND DETROIT IN ONE MONTH?

 

Pinch me, please. That's ridiculous. The CWS, TEX, MIN stretch could prove to be a little tough, as the White Sox are clearly the team to beat, Texas is always an offensive force, and any game against Santana doesn't look to fare too well. But the Sox NEED to capitalize against those weaker teams. And if they can take down the Angels, who really don't have the spark this year, that'll be for the better. I'd love to see the Sox leave august with a 20-9 record. Imagine sweeping the Royals three times? Good lord.

[CalvnHobs6]

I just checked the schedule, that last series is against Tampa, not Kansas. My assessment remains.

[yankeessuck013]

ooops. sorry about that, typing too fast

[riverside sluggers]

I just checked the schedule, that last series is against Tampa, not Kansas. My assessment remains.

 

It will still be a tough series. Gotta remember they arent the same team anymore of years' past. Starting to be a very competitive team, just look at the last series Boston had played Tampa

[riverside sluggers]

I still stand by that A's have a shot at taking the AL West title as they are now just one game behind the Angels

[yankeessuck013]

great article on red sox.com

 

Sox gearing up for another stretch run

Core of team retained, Boston focuses on East, playoffs

 

BOSTON -- Late Sunday afternoon, there was an electric vibe permeating in the Red Sox clubhouse, and not just because of a Hollywood ending by rejuvenated slugger Manny Ramirez.

 

Instead, the team was embarking on the final two months of the regular season knowing that the core that won the World Series last October was still intact.

 

And after going 42-18 from Aug. 1 through the end of 2004, there's a sense that the Red Sox, already in first place by 2 1/2 games, haven't truly clicked.

 

With the cloud of uncertainty removed by the passing of the trade deadline, this might be the time they do just that. As it is, the 59-45 Sox take a five-game winning streak into Tuesday's contest against the Royals.

 

"We've been pressing forward. Now there's going to be no gray area," said Red Sox catcher and leader Jason Varitek. "We go on without a gray area. For some, whose names have been brought up [in rumors], for everybody, that's a tremendous amount of relief. But still, I think this team did a good job of just trying to play, just like we planned on doing."

 

Now, they gear up for the biggest part of the season.

 

A year ago, general manager Theo Epstein looked at a team that had been stuck in the mud for three months and decided that defense was a "fatal flaw." So, he traded Nomar Garciaparra for Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz and added Dave Roberts in another transaction -- and the rest is history.

 

This time, Epstein didn't make a move on deadline day, though he made some modest tinkers (Chad Bradford, Alex Cora, Tony Graffanino, Gabe Kapler, Jose Cruz Jr.) to the roster throughout July.

 

Ultimately, Epstein didn't see a move at a reasonable cost that would have made a significant improvement to the existing cast. And besides, this group has recent history that was tough to ignore.

 

"This is a first-place team," said Epstein. "This team has a chance to win the division. This team has a chance to go deep into the postseason. I think July is always the tensest month of the season, especially in Boston. We weathered it. We had our trials and tribulations and found a way to get through it with our heads held together as a team. And now we move on to August.

 

"The last couple of years, we have played our best baseball of the year in August, September and into October."

 

Yet another reason the Red Sox didn't make a blockbuster is that they have what amounts to late-season additions on the way. Closer Keith Foulke, out since July 4 after undergoing knee surgery, is on the mend and is determined to regain his form upon his return. The man filling the closer's role right now -- Curt Schilling -- hopes to be ready to reclaim his spot at the top of the rotation as soon as Foulke gets back.

 

"We're excited to have Keith Foulke coming back," said Epstein. "It is safe to say that we are relying on Keith Foulke and we have a lot of confidence in Keith Foulke. He's going to be a huge part of our bullpen as soon as he comes back."

 

As for Schilling?

 

"I think in general we're very happy with the decision to use Schil out of the bullpen," said Epstein. "He's been able to maintain his delivery, you've seen his stuff improve, he's been in competitive situations and I think he's much more prepared to become a starter now than he was the day we made the decision to put him in the bullpen. Don't draw any conclusions from that, that's Terry [Francona] and Dave Wallace's decision."

 

And given everything that has transpired over the last seven days, it's hard to ignore the happy ending involving Ramirez, the lethal right-handed hitter.

 

Did he really want out of Boston? Was he being selfish by not playing last Wednesday at Tampa Bay when the team was short-handed? How close did he come to going to the Mets?

 

None of those questions have definitive answers, but the smile was back on Ramirez's face by Sunday and the zest was back in his game.

 

Leave it to Ramirez to come up with the line of the week following his game-winning pinch-hit on Sunday.

 

"Forget about the trade," said Ramirez. "Just Manny being Manny. This is the place for me."

 

Epstein, in the end, agreed.

 

"Things are good with Manny right now," said Epstein. "I think you have to take him at his word. He's really happy to be here. This is where he wants to be. This is where he is. We're kind of always going to be aggressive and open-minded when it comes to potential changes to our club, but that doesn't necessarily mean you don't want somebody. It's just sort of part of the gig here in Boston. It's part of the gig at the trade deadline. It took a lot of strange turns ... and it worked out well in the end."

 

It's fair to say that certain players get frustrated at times by Manny's "Manny being Manny" moments. But to a man, it's hard to find anyone in the clubhouse who doesn't think the 2005 Red Sox are a better team with Ramirez's bat in the cleanup hole.

 

"Now we get to keep the best right-handed hitter in the game," said Varitek.

 

In a year in which only the White Sox have established dominance in the American League, the Red Sox feel good about their chances to make another deep postseason run.

 

"Our core is strong," said Red Sox third baseman Bill Mueller. "I've been a part of it the last couple of years. I'm happy that it's still intact and we can go make a run."

 

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050801&content_id=1153615&vkey=news_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos

[Sox fan in Tex]

Yep, as many of you I'm sure can't remember, I'll try to do my best to speed up your memory. It was the first four series in July that really cost us. Losing 2-of-3 at home to Toronto started the month then after beating the Rangers 2-of-3 in Texas, the Sox lost three out of four in Baltimore and against New York. Then I guess I might add that there was no series edge in Chicago (splitted two games) which didn't help any.

[riverside sluggers]

no I do remember now, but cmon dude thats the past now

[BoSox21]

this is the time of year when the cream truly rises to the top and the teams with players who know how to win during this time of year usually pull through which is why I like our chances

[riverside sluggers]

off the subject i know, but like to let everyone know that former Red Sox relief pitcher John Halama, who was designated for assignment July 26, has signed with the Washington Nationals

[sarasoxfan]

in other startling news alan embree pitched an inning and a third without causing any significant damage.

[Ray10]

When is Foulke do back from the D.L?. And I hope the Sox can play better baseball in August not the best start last night loosing 12-0 to Minnesota. Once Schilling gets back in to the rotation our pitching should be better and more balanced . Let's see if Foulke can perform well after having the knee surgery. He has already struggled this year and the knee surgery hopefully won't affect him at all. I dunno we'll have to wait and see but August needs to be a good month for the Sox.

[riverside sluggers]

reliever Matt Perisho who was with the Florida Marlins and just picked up off on waivers from the Sox is making his presence known in Pawtucket that he wants a call up. In his first 3 games, 3.2 innings pitched has given up no runs, just 1 hit and 2 Ks. Ricky Bottalico recently required from the Brewers pitched in his 1st game last night with the Paw Sox, a scoreless inning with a walk and a strikeout.