Rolling

As easy as it was to criticize the Red Sox at the beginning of the season, it is just as easy now to sing their praises. The dark skies have been replaced by sunshine. The wails of lamentation have given way to a Hallelujah chorus. And I am pretty sure I've seen those animated bluebirds flying around my head once or twice.

Seven wins in a row, including a doubleheader sweep against the Twins yesterday. Ortiz is finally starting to find his swing. Youkilis is destroying the ball and has an OBP of .522, which is just ridiculous. The bullpen has surrendered just 13 runs in 15 games over a collective 47 innings of work, which works out to about a 2.49 ERA. Reclamation project Brad Penny is 2-0 and Tim Wakefield, the only Boston player who remembers the city in the mid-90s, is 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA.

Yes, life is good in Boston right now.

Boston stands at 9-6, just 1.5 games off the pace set by Toronto (??) and tied with the Yankees for second. That is just one win off from where Boston stood at this point in 2007 (10-5). So for all the angst and worry caused by Boston's poor start, they are pretty much where we want them to be at this point in the season. And while I would have enjoyed a couple of more wins for the Sox, I definitely will not complain.

It was a joy to watch them take out the Twins yesterday. Neither game was ever in any doubt. They handled supposed ace Francisco Liriano with ease in the nightcap while Penny gave them six solid innings. I can't imagine there are too many pitchers who are 2-0 with a 7.80 ERA. But I'll take it.

And just to twist the knife with Aviv a touch, it would be remiss of me not to mention the play of Nick Green. The one-time Yankee, playing for just $500,000 this year, has been a great sub for the Sox thus far in 2009. He's batting .313 with a .934 OPS in 11 games. And while his glove hasn't been the best (a mild understatement, with three errors last night), his errors have tended not to cost Boston any runs while his bat has definitely given the Sox some pop at important times. He's definitely no Cody Ransom, that's for sure.

Today is an off-day, a well-deserved rest for the Sox. And we'll need it since tomorrow renews the greatest rivalry in baseball as the Yankees come to town. The pitching matchups are intriguing across the board. You have the young guns Friday in Lester and Joba. Saturday gives you the injury-prone aces Beckett and Burnett. And Sunday is a youth/experience clash between Masterson and Pettitte. Those three matchups could go either way and it wouldn't be a surprise.

That said, I am expecting the Sox to take at least two of three. Don't let me down, boys.

Veras Straightens Out

Jose Veras has had a rough couple of weeks.

Unable to throw strikes and keep the opposition from scoring, Veras had lost the confidence of Joe Girardi and had been relegated to mop-up duty.

But when called upon Wednesday in a big spot, Veras delivered a dominating performance, striking out four and allowing just one walk in 3-1/3 innings before Melky Cabrera's two-run homer lifted the Yankees to a 9-7, 14-inning victory over the A's at Yankee Stadium.

Veras, after solid outings in his first two appearances, had walked at least one batter in each of his next five appearances and allowed six runs as his ERA ballooned to 8.53 entering Wednesday.

And when Girardi summoned Veras to get the last out of the 11th, it looked like Veras hadn't quite worked out his problems. He walked Jason Giambi after getting ahead 1-and-2. He fell behind Matt Holliday, and when he got Holliday to fly out to right, every Yankee fan had to be praying the offense would somehow push across the a run and end it right there.

Of course the bats had gone cold and the game continued. Girardi sent Veras back out there for the 12th, and suddenly something clicked. Veras became the strike-throwing machine that was dominant for stretches last season. He set down the side in order in the 12th ... and the 13th.

Girardi elected to gamble with Veras for one more inning in the 14th rather than give the ball to rookie Steven Jackson, who would be making his debut. Veras didn't disappoint. Another 1-2-3 to set the stage for Melky's heroics.

The Yankees entered the season expecting big things from Veras, whom they were counting on to be the seventh-inning guy. When he struggled, the bullpen became questionable, though Phil Coke and Jonathan Albaladejo have started to show they are capable of getting big outs in the sixth and seventh.

Mariano Rivera is the anchor of the Yankees' bullpen, but Veras is its key. The Yankees need Veras to pitch like he did Wednesday. He throws gas and can blow batters away. When he's doing that, the bullpen become deeper and more formidable. More importantly, it takes the burden off the starters to go seven innings every time out.

The Good
In addition to Veras, the rest of the bullpen was terrific, even with Brian Bruney unavailable. Coke got the last out of the seventh after CC Sabathia had surrendered the lead, and Albaladejo pitched a solid eighth. Mo did the expected in the ninth and Marte was shaky, but got an out in the 10th before Edwar Ramirez pitched next 1-1/3 innings.

The offense was potent for six inning with Hideki Matsui and Melky hitting consecutive homers in the second. Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher each drove in a run in the third. Derek Jeter homered in the fourth, doubled in a run in the sixth and scored on Mark Teixeira's single. Teixeira has driven in at least one run in each of the last five games. The Yankees were 4-for-7 with four RBI with runners in scoring position through the first six innings. Unfortunately, it went 1-for-5 with no RBI the rest of the way.

The Bad
Sabathia was anything but ace-like, allowing seven runs -- six earned -- on six hits and four walks. His control was off again and he failed to hold leads of 5-4 and 7-5. He was bailed out by the bullpen and the offense this time, but the Yankees expect and need more from him. Fortunately, his track record indicates he'll bounce back in May and June.

The offense also had its bad moments and could have avoided extra innings all together if it had been able to come up with a productive out. Tied a 7 in the seventh, the Yankees loaded the bases with no outs. It's a situation in which they have to come away with at least one run. But Melky struck out on a pitch around the eyes. Brett Gardner pinch hit and popped to third. Jeter ended the inning with a pop to short. The offense went dormant after that until the 13th and 14th.

What We Learned
Sabathia walked off the mound to boos. His honeymoon period is quickly coming to an end. He needs to start dominating soon or fans will start wondering if Sabathia is just another version of Randy Johnson.

Runners On Third With Less Than Two Outs
Wednesday
4 Opportunities
1-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, K
Season
26 Opportunities
6-for-22, 3B, BB, 3 SF, 15 R, 12 RBI, 2 K, 2 GIDP

Up Next
Friday at Boston, 7:10 p.m., YES
Joba Chamberlain (0-0, 5.06) vs. Jon Lester (1-2, 5.50)

Yankees Execute The Plan

They should all be like this.

Andy Pettitte pitched seven solid innings, the offense backed him up with a balanced, grinding attack and the bullpen locked down a 5-3 victory over the A's Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. (Note: I'm officially dropping "the new." This is the Yankees' home now, and unless there is a need to refer to the old park, there is no need to keep referring to this building as "the new Yankees Stadium.")

When Joe Girardi envisions how a game will play out, this is the formula. And once Chien-Ming Wang gets straightened out, there is no reason to believe the starters can't consistently deliver this type of performance or that the the middle relief can't handle that kind of work load.

Pettitte (2-0, 2.53 ERA) allowed two runs on nine hits without a walk or strikeout. He threw 67 of 105 pitches for strikes. He has been solid in all three starts so far, going at least seven in each and allowing the Yankees to win all three.

Pettitte's importance to the staff has only been enhanced, not only by his performance, but by Wang's terrible start. Where' would this staff be without him? Probably not 8-6 and in second in the AL East.

Meanwhile, the offense got going early and got contributions throughout the lineup. Every starter, including Cody Ransom, had a hit, except for Nick Swisher, who drew a leadoff walk and scored the Yankees' first run in the four-run second. Brett Gardner had a two-run single in the inning, and Johnny Damon, who also homered in the sixth, and Mark Teixeira added RBI singles as the Yankees went 4-for-6 with runners in scoring position in the frame and 4-for-11 for the game.

The Yankees knocked out A's starter Dana Eveland after four innings and 99 pitches.

And of course, Brian Bruney got the lead to Mariano Rivera, who saved a victory for Pettitte for the 57th time, tying the record held by the A's Dennis Eckersley and Bob Welch. Imagine if Pettitte never went to Houston.

The Good
It was a very good day for the Yankees. Not only did they get a "routine" win, they got good news about Xavier Nady and Alex Rodriguez.

The new reports on Nady is that he might not need surgery on his elbow. Nady will try to rehab the elbow and if all goes well, he could be back with the Yankees, albeit in a limited role, in 4-6 weeks. The possibility of surgery still does exist, but if Nady can return, he'd give the team a right-handed DH and pinch hitter, which would help them matchup better against left-handed starters. In addition it would allow the Yankees to spot Hideki Matsui more and give that balky left knee regular break.

Nady's return also means Swisher and Melky Cabrera would continue to play important roles. The Yankees will need Swisher's offensive production in right and they'll need Cabrera's glove off the bench because neither Nady nor Matsui will be able to play the field.

A-Rod is nearing the point in his rehab when he can start playing in rehab games. The Yankees remain firm on the May 15 return date, but it's still possible he might return at least a week earlier.

Matsui's knee seems to solid again. Matsui when 2-for-3 Tuesday and is 4 for his last 7 raising his batting average from .148 to .235. If healthy, we all know what kind of hitter Matsui is. He's going to need to be open with the team about when that knee is bothering him and Girardi is going to have to spot him enough rest to get him through the season.

The Bad
Just one thing: Bruney gave up a run. No one is going to be perfect, but he limited the damage and got the lead to Mo. This should be just a blip.

What We Learned
Wang's bad start really distorts how effective the starting staff has been. In 11 starts, Pettitte, CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Joba Chamberlian have combined to go 5-1 with a 3.38 ERA. They've allowed 26 earned runs in 69-1/3 innings (an average of nearly 6-1/3 innings), while striking out 46.

Runners On Third With Less Than Two Outs
Tuesday
4 Opportunities
3-for-4, 3 R, 3 RBI
Season
22 Opportunities
5-for-18, 3B, BB, 3 SF, 13 R, 10 RBI, 1 K, 2 GIDP

Up Next
Wednesday vs. A's, 1:05 p.m., YES
Brett Anderson (0-2, 4.85) vs. Sabathia (1-1, 3.57)

Awakening Colossus

Be very wary, fellow denizens of the AL East. For the Boston Red Sox may have found their bats. And for you, that is a very bad thing indeed.

Yesterday's 12-1 shellacking of the Orioles completed a four-game sweep of Baltimore. Boston is now 7-6, above .500 for the first time since Opening Day. And in case you were curious, that is just one game off of where the Sox were in 2007.

The attack yesterday was led by the Boston bats. Only two starters failed to get a hit; Rocco Baldelli (who's first at-bat resulted in getting to third on an error and pulling his hamstring) and Nick Green. The top of the lineup, which has been killing the Sox, pulled a 180 and just crushed the ball all day long. Ellsbury, Pedroia and Papi went a combined 9-16 with seven runs scored and six RBI. Then there is Youk, who is getting the royal treatment...lots of walks.

Youk went 1-2 yesterday because of three walks. The Baltimore pitchers were afraid to give him anything to work with. He's sporting a Williams-esque .469 batting average. His OPS is a ludicrous 1.335, which seems like one of those imaginary numbers used by mathematicians. If he isn't the Player of the Month for April they should stop handing out the award.

Let's give a nod to the captain as well. 'Tek is batting .250 but has an OPS over .900 so far. He is providing some production from the bottom of the order. If he can just be the 'Tek of 2004 or even 2007, the Sox will be that much better off.

Yesterday was a display as well of the depth Boston has in their pitching. Justin Masterson came out of the bullpen to take the place of the injured Daisuke Matsuzaka. In 5.1 innings of work, he gave up just one run on four hits in what was, to that point, a relatively close game. Tito wisely pulled him after a little more than 80 pitches and relied on his deep 'pen to finish the job. That is exactly what happened; the Delcarmen-Okajima-Lopez combo got the Sox to the ninth. By that time, the Sox were well ahead and they brought AAA call-up Hunter Jones in to finish the game.

The was the Red Sox at their best, using their potent bats and pitching depth to great effect. They haven't really been able to get both working at the same time. But over this four-game stretch with Baltimore, the pieces finally seem to be meshing. Their win streak now stands at five games. If they can just keep playing at this level, which frankly isn't any kind of super-human achievement, Boston should be able to catch up to a Toronto team that is playing out of their minds right now and take over first.

First Pitch Strikes

Masterson faced 21 batters yesterday and was able to get a first pitch strike/out on 14 of them. That's a titch better than 66%, which is just fantastic. That kind of control allows Boston to hold a slender lead until their bats get into gear, which is exactly what happened yesterday.

Next Game

April 21/ Home against Minnesota/ Wakefield vs. Baker/ 7:10 PM