RedSoxRally

Price pitching really well early on. I'd be great to get him a little support.

Mookie ran a helluva long way and still made the catch look easy.

11 pitches and out of the inning for Price. Nice start David.

Nice call Remy.....the dome looks like a circus tent. He ain't wrong.

Wow, panic on trying to catch the pop up. Tropacana Field is such a freaking dump.

Yesterday's bullpen collapse was ugly for sure. Not the greatest way to end opening day but then again, these things happen. Time to recover and get a win tonight.

I am among those who think the asking price is higher than what most teams are willing to take at this time. By the trade deadline, if there are teams around the MLB in need of a 1st baseman, the asking price won't weigh as much on another owner as it may have before. My guess is that the Red Sox are currently shopping around as to see where the best fit for Kevin is. Sooner or later I think Youkilis will be dealt somewhere else and Middlebrooks's hot start will continue to fuel any trade rumors that much more.

Well NativeBostonian, I understand where you are coming from and I am sticking with this team all the way through. As one already mentioned: -The Yankees are really starting to play well -The Rays despite injury problems, do the best with what they have they have that since of urgency the Red Sox are beginning to find. -Not sure how long the Orioles can sustain their pace, but I still think they are going to continue battle for the top spot in the AL East. Boston is playing much better ball than they were a month ago, but they have put themselves in a tough spot as they are forced to dig their way out of the cellar. They can't continue to trade wins with the division leaders. Somehow the Red Sox are going to have to win series's (2-1, 3-1, and maybe 2-2) if they're going to really make a dent in the AL East standings.

I take my last statement back, the strikezone has changed to where you have to throw the ball right down the middle of the plate and Rodriguez made us pay for it. Thanks Angel.

Looks like the strike zone has gotten tighter to make for good drama.

Luke Scott's imitation job is a huge insult to X-Men's Wolverine character. What an *******.

Maddon does look a bit lost. Shift as many times as you wish but it won't help if the ball goes flying over the wall.

Once again, the Rays pitching staff is scared to death of the Red Sox hitters. Terriffic flip of the script and a beautiful thing to watch. Let the beat go on fellas.

It's fun to watch a Rays pitcher squirm when our guys have let him off the hook too many times in one game. Now Boston is laying off the fastball and sitting back on Hellickson's off speed stuf, and now our hitters are getting the fat part of the barrel on the ball, it changes the pitchers outlook on how easy it was before. After the 3 run homerun, Hellickson has wanted nothing to do with giving anything remotely good to hit. He is missing his spots and the Red Sox are the ones on the attack.

Until Gonzalez's go-ahead homerun and even prior to last night's walk off job by Salty, it's hard to think that since the 2008 season, Fenway Park had turned into Tropicana North. The Rays have hit better and fielded better as if it was their home field. Now that Boston's offense is no longer limited to their 2,3,4,5 hitters, I think the tide is turning and that is building a chemistry we had often mentioned the Red Sox had been lacking. I love what we're seeing from Boston now.

It's amazing to watch the crap Hellickson has thrown all afternoon. We continued to bail him out knowing damn well we were going to continue to see mostly off speed pitches. As good as Buchholz pitched, as long as Boston failed to put up a major threat, Tampa's resourcefullness was bound to cash in. Finally we forced Hellickson to pitch deeper in the count than he was going early on. AGon let his bat freely fly through the zone and his effortless swing just took the first lead of the day.

Buchholz is looking sharp and his off-speed pitches has the Rays guessing not to mention most of his pitches are low in the strike zone. Hitting wise, Hellickson's velocity is so that he has to rely on an assortments of other pitches. Boston has seen a steady diet of off-speed stuff that sitting dead set on the fastball allows for Hellickson to make subtle adjustments of any at all.

Following the way last night's game ended between Boston and Tampa Bay, the Red Sox 10th come from behind win was no bigger than Salty's pinch hit walk-off homerun off Rodney in the 9th. That ball was absolutely tattooed and it was a no doubter the second it left his bat. Watching Salty round the bases with Fenway in zoo mode while seeing the popular helmet flip as he approached the celebratory team mob at home plate made it awfully hard not to get goosebumps. If you're a baseball fan (especially a Red Sox fan at that) you don't have a pulse. Anytime the Red Sox win in walk-off fashion at home, hearing Dirty Water only enhances the moment that much more. Beautiful way to win a game and against the Rays no less. Now back to .500, the Sox have a great chance tomorrow to take the rubber match and continue to gain ground in the AL East standings. Look foreward to watching tomorrow.

There is a ton of baseball left to be played and the All-Star Break isn't until early July. With Ellsbury and Crawford shelved until at least the All-Star Break, this Red Sox team is in some serious trouble, however things can still be turned around. If things persist, I see Boston being the team who spoils the party for another AL East contender such as the upstart Orioles and/or the unpredictable Blue Jays. Right now Boston is well on the outside looking in and this is not something they haven't seen in nearly 8 years. Who knows what this team will be like when Ellsbury and Crawford return and we really don't know what will happen after they are back in the everyday lineup. I get a bad feeling Crawford will be a limited player in an everyday lineup with his recent history of season-altering injuries. On the other side I think Ellsbury will be ready and healthy to play once he's cleared to play.

This isn't 2011 where Boston's slow start didn't take them completely out of the chase for a playoff spot. This is 2012 and Boston is now 11-15 and 7.5 games out of 1st place. Tampa Bay and Baltimore are jostling for the top spot, Toronto is putting on a good show for the time being and the Yankees are now without Mariano Rivera but will still give themselves a chance to contend. I don't know if Toronto has the staying power to contend for the postseason, but I think Baltimore will stick around longer than most think. Tampa Bay is the team to beat in the AL East. They are possibly the most resourcful team in the majors while having will and resiliency to bounce back from tough situations with injuries and all. This 2012 Red Sox team can't seem to get out of their own way. Between Bobby V's constant psycho-babble BS who has no problem making out 150 different lineups, struggling starting pitching, a bullpen who pisses their pants on their way in to relieve the previous pitcher, deflating body language, here again/gone the next offense and overall inconsistent play are sending the Red Sox's chances of contending into no man's land. The AL East is easily one the best if not the best divisions in the MLB. Add Baltimore in the mix with Tampa Bay and New York and making a push for the postseason just got that much more difficult. Playing their way back to a .500 record with such a shallow reserve list had to have taken quite a bit out of Boston. How many more times can Boston go on a 4 or 5 game losing streak before the opportunity is too far gone?

Ok I'll bite. On October 2, 1978 Bucky F@#ing Dent shot Boston's chance of making the playoffs down sending a homerun over the Green Monster. On October 16, 2003, Bret F@#ing Boone ruined the Red Sox chance of advancing to the World Series with a walk-off homerun. I wanted to throw my TV set through the window of my dorm room. Although a lot of liquor isn't the permanent answer to a dagger in the heart, that night was a night of temporary bliss. October 17, 2004, Boston trailed the Yankees 3-0 in the ALCS until a leadoff walk to Millar and a steal of second base gave the Sox a new life. Ortiz awakened Sox fans with a monster blast off Paul Quantrill and hearing Joe Buck's "See you tonight" call still sends chills down my spine. That night was the prelude to the biggest comeback in sports history as Boston came from 3-0 to not only avenge Bret Boone's homerun from '03, but went on to sweep the St. Louis to win the 2004 World Series. Tito's Red Sox once again went on to claim another World Series title. Francona's 8 years as Boston manager and 2 World Series titles was an incredible run and will never be forgotten. Look back on this really makes one appreciate the past just a little.

I really like Kevin Youkilis but over the past couple of years, his temper is getting the best of him way too often. Even when he is not slumpping he argues everything. As much as I love fire in a player his demeanor is beginning to affect his overall play. I'm not sure I see Boston moving him anytime soon. His ability to get hot makes him one of the toughest out in the majors, but the question is when will he snap out of it. In order to get top value for Youkilis, it's been said already, he has to start hitting.

Everyone has their version of how keeping a strict pitch count favors starters or hinders starters potential to stretch the games out by going deeper. Nolan Ryan has expressed how he wants his pitchers to go back to old school pitching and I like what he is getting at. However some pitching staffs have pitchers where they are lucky to make it through 6 innings and at the same time, a lot of pitchers know that and either ones with questionable arms or they lack confidence in their ability to push the limits.

What a coincidence, I have seen his stuff as well. My point is that 2 good outings in the first 14 games is an encouraging and I want to see more before it's decided he's the end-all be-all of bullpen help for the Red Sox. As the season wares on he will continue to get better and I look forward to it.

Pumpsie Green....I agree all the way. Tazawa has pitched in 2 games for a total of 3.1 innings and to read too much into it is taking too big of a leap.