SB Nation - Daisuke Matsuzaka

Braves 2009 Season in Review: Kenshin Kawakami

gondeee — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:39:40 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

Atlanta Braves' starter Kenshin Kawakami.

Atlanta Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami took one month of the regular season to adjust to American baseball. His April starts produced a 7.06 ERA. While it was only four starts, including one really bad start, Kawakami made the adjustments and compiled ERAs of 3.03 and 3.33 the next two months, but because he still wasn't going deep in those games, he only won 3 of 10 starts in May and June. For the year he had the lowest quality start percentage of any of the Braves regular starters, as only half of his starts were considered quality starts.

The real theme of Kawakami's season was that his good games were really good, and his bad games were really bad. In his 12 losses he compiled a 6.24 ERA, giving up 74 hits in 57.2 innings; but in his 7 wins he had a 2.00 ERA and held opponents to a .196 batting average. He became known as the "dragon slayer" for his ability to pitch his best when his opposite on the mound was one of the top pitchers in baseball.

This "dragon slaying" started in Toronto when KK tossed 8 innings of 3-hit ball to best Roy Halladay. He out dueled fellow countryman Daisuke Matsuzaka a month later with 6 strong innings. He matched Clayton Kershaw pitch for pitch with 7 scoreless innings as the Braves bullpen picked up the win. Then he took down Johan Santana and the Mets by tossing 7 innings of 1-run ball. And in his last start he knocked of the Marlins ace Josh Johnson.

In his final month as a starter (August), Kawakami pitched his best; compiling a 2.87 ERA and 5 of his 6 starts were quality starts. The Braves then made him a reliever for the rest of the year to allow Tim Hudson to join the starting rotation. Kawakami made a good adjustment to the pen. While he added two losses to his record, he did compile a 2.63 ERA as a reliever.

Overall KK finished with a respectable 3.86 ERA, but had a 4.21 FIP, so he may not have pitched as well as his ERA shows, or his bad games and his bad first month could have distorted the FIP number. He had the highest walk percentage and extra-base hit percentage of any of the Braves starters, but he received the lowest run support, so that 6-and-12 record looks bad, but it probably should have been a little better.

It's doubtful that the Braves choose to trade Kawakami this off-season, as they currently have 6 starters and one will likely have to go. He showed last year that he can be effective as a major league starter, and he showed that he can adjust to the challenges of the big league game. He knows now what it will take for him to pitch every five days (in Japan he pitched every 6 days), and what it will take to approach 200 innings as a starter. We saw that he was a tireless worker who takes pride in his craft, and he should arrive next spring ready to re-assume his role in the starting rotation and improve upon his positive games of 2009. Perhaps it would help if the Braves put him in the position in the rotation to face the other team's number-1 starter every time out.

Minor League Update -- 10/18/2009

Ben Buchanan — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:50:49 -0000

I swear I had found a good picture of Jose Iglesias somewhere recently. But today all I could find was this, and I'm sure not putting that up on the front page.

Fall & Winter Leagues Underway

Four of the six winter leagues are now underway, with the Sox sending players to three of them. The Arizona Fall League is by far the most impressive group—as it does tend to be the premiere league—including names like Ryan Kalish, Casey Kelly (SS), Jose Iglesias, Luis Exposito, and Dustin Richardson.

The Venezuelan Winter League team is headlined by Felix Doubront, who is joined by a number of young pitchers all bearing huge "work in progress" stickers.

The Dominican Winter League Sox contingent is small, but with some good talent, as Stolmy Pimentel, Mark Wagner, Yamaico Navarro, and Oscar Tejeda are all set to play. They are joined by Jose Capellan, who has been on a long downward trend with the Sox since coming out strong in his trip from the DSL to Lowell.

Early Returns

The Sox' Arizona Fall League team, the Mesa Solar Sox (which they share with the Angels, Cubs, Marlins, and Twins) is off to a rocky start, going 2-3 in their first 5 games. Let's start with the bad for the Sox Prospects on the team: Kalish and Exposito are not exactly lighting the world on fire, going 2-10 and 1-7 respectively, each with a walk and 4 strikeouts.

Now for the good. The pitching has been pretty impressive. Two Sox starters-turned-relievers, Chris Province and Dustin Richardson, had seemingly turned around their careers with the transition last year, putting up ERAs of 2.60 and 2.71 respectively. Richardson even managed to see some time with the major league team, pitching 3.1 scoreless innings. Their success has carried over to the first few games, with Province throwing 2 hitless innings giving up only a walk while striking out 2. Richardson has been equally if not more impressive, with 3.1 scoreless innings giving up a hit and a walk while striking out 5. Richie Lentz has been slightly less impressive, giving up 1 run in 4 innings on 3 hits, but hasn't walked anyone and has recorded 5 strikeouts.

While one of the Sox' top offensive prospects in Ryan Kalish hasn't been hitting, the team is getting some offense from unusual places. Most remarkable has been Jose Iglesias' first few plate appearances, during which he's gone 3-5 with 2 walks, a double, and a home run. He's even hit the ball fairly hard in making his outs. For a guy who's not supposed to have any bat, this is an encouraging, if small, start. Casey Kelly, much to everyone's chagrin, has also not failed in the one game he's seen action in, going 1-2 with 2 walks and a strikeout.

In the Venezeulan league, Felix Doubront gave up 4 hits in 2 innings, allowing 1 run to score while striking out 2. Jose Alvarez, a lefty reliever who has struggled at higher levels, has pitched 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing 1 hit and 2 walks while striking out 3.

Little to report in the Dominican Winter League. Yamaico Navarro is 2-7 with a strikeout and a stolen base, while Mark Wagner is 1-5 with a strikeout.

Sox Sign Top Independent Prospect

Reynaldo Rodriguez, the Rookie of the Year in the Golden Baseball League and Baseball America's #1 Independent League prospect, was signed by the Sox on Wednesday to a minor league deal. After struggling in the Yankees' system at the GCL level and missing the 2008 season due to injury, Rodriguez was released and, after earning MVP honors in the Colombian Winter League (.378/.468/.558 in 172 ABs), Rodriguez earned rookie of the year honors in the Golden Baseball League by putting up a line of .335/.380/.486.

The 23-year-old is a great defensive first baseman with limited home run pop, but with a large frame that projects to add more. He has a bit of speed—especially for a first baseman—and doesn't strike out much. Rodriguez will hope to follow in the footsteps of 26-year-old Daniel Nava, who has been tearing his way through the Sox system since being signed by the Sox out of the Golden League, where he put up an OPS of 1.100 in 256 at bats.

Sox to Meet with Japanese LHP Yusei Kikuchi

Kikuchi, 18 years old, is fresh out of high school and faces the tough decision of whether to stay in Japan and enter the draft, or go to America and enter a MLB system. It's quite likely that, were he to come to America, the Sox would hold a distinct advantage over the other major league teams given the presence of Daisuke Matsuzaka—though that's not to say the other teams are devoid of certain influential talent.

Kikuchi's fastball sits around 90, topping out at 95, and he has a good looking slider. Throws—believe it or not—an Eephus pitch—and is developing a curveball. At 18, Kikuchi can be expected to add some velocity as he progresses.

The Chunichi Dragons have announced their intentions to draft Kikuchi regardless of whether or not he has decided to leave Japan.

Dissecting the Red Sox Roster: Pitching

Ben Buchanan — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:01:09 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

Make no mistake, Jon Lester is the current and future ace of this Red Sox staff. Sorry, Beckett, but it's time to pass the torch. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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I was originally going to post this the day we lost-I had written it as something of a therapeutic exercise-before I realized that this might be a "the body is still warm" situation. I thought that fit with the title. Anyways, we've all had time to cool off, time to grieve, and I think it's about time we move on. The stove is warming up, so let's get right to work, starting with a player-by-player review of the current and free-agent bound Red Sox. Who's going, who's staying, and who has trade value.

Daniel Bard: As a young, cost controlled player, Bard provides an immense positive for the Red Sox in the pen. Groomed as a closer throughout his career, Bard may not be ready yet, but he certainly gives the Sox flexibility in the event that Papelbon does become a sought-after commodity, both in the decision to act on a potential trade, and in the pieces they may get back, since they would not necessarily need a closer in return.

Josh Beckett: In the final year of his contract, Beckett actually has a lot to prove. Beckett has largely been living off his 2007 reputation with the Sox. While he was by no means bad this year, his 4.03 ERA in 2008 is not what we expect of an ace-type pitcher, nor is his 3.86 this year. Looking further into the stats, he's giving up quite a few more walks and homers, and striking out fewer of late too. This has lead to a steadily rising FIP from 3.08 in 2007 to 3.24 in 2008 and 3.63 in 2009. His tRA has also risen dramatically from 3.09 in '07 to 4.57 in '09. Ultimately, the Sox cannot approach Beckett's free agency with the idea that he's a necessary commodity. 2 years ago this idea might seem ridiculous, but as is Beckett may be a very replaceable pitcher for the money he will want.

Clay Buchholz: With his salary in check and his potential finally starting to show, Buchholz should be a valuable part of the Red Sox for years to come, whether as a future ace that many project him as, or as a solid #3 man. The real question with Buchholz is what his trade value is. There haven't been many trades mentioned throughout this last year that haven't involved the young hurler, but it seems that the Sox and potential trade partners just cannot agree on his worth. While his much-improved showing during this regular season may have raised his stock, it's still questionable whether the rest of the league sees him as being worth as much as the Sox feel he is. I doubt the Sox deal him unless he gets value near that of a potential ace.

Paul Byrd: The Byrd man is gone, possibly for good. After getting no interest from anyone until the Sox were forced to sign him due to injuries and poor results from FA signings, Byrd may even choose to go out on his own terms and retire. Either way, there are better options for the Sox in the offseason.

Manny Delcarmen: Around the trade deadline, the Sox had a great chance to get value for Delcarmen. Now they'd be lucky to get any trade offers. Even with a good start to the season, teams would need to see prolonged success to believe in him. Given the talent he's got, it would be smart for the Sox to keep him on as a low-leverage bullpen man if the rest of the pen gives them the option, and then trade him the second a team shows significant interest. He's still under team control for a number of years though, so it's not a big risk (yes, I know, low-risk high-reward is a crap buzzword right now).

Jon Lester: Not much to say here. He's our ace, he's young, he's under team control for many years. He's one of the most definite of the Red Sox' pieces.

Daisuke Matsuzaka: Much has been made of Daisuke's difficulties with the management and coaching staff of the Red Sox. And certainly the Sox can't be happy with him after he all-but-sacrificed his season with the team to pitch in the WBC. He is young, he isn't too expensive (well, not now after the posting fee) and he does have plenty of ability, but there are many questions as far as Daisuke's future is concerned. If Daisuke recommits himself to the team this offseason, then perhaps the Sox will recommit themselves to the idea of the Wunderkind Daisuke. But if the Sox can get good value on him, despite their weak bargaining position, they may jump at it, even if it does mean hurting their position in the Japanese prospect market.

Hideki Okajima: Okajima will be entering his first year of arbitration-not free agency-and as such is likely not going anywhere anytime soon. However, Sox fans do have to question how good Oki is going to be from here-on-out. 2009 was a down year for Oki, as his ERA rose to 3.39, though his peripherals were largely unchanged. He lost a few strikeouts, and gave up 2 more homers (though, when you're giving up 6 on a year, that's not a small deal), but his HR/FB% was up similarly, and his BABIP was up too, suggesting it might be some luck. The fear has to be that the league has figured out Oki and his bizarre delivery. In this case, only time will tell. If Okajima can return to form, it'd be a significant boost to the Red Sox' pen.

Jonathan Papelbon: After blowing up to end the season on a horrible note, plenty of Sox fans were calling for Paps' head. The post-loss fervor seems to have died down, but the idea is still out there. Papelbon has not been as good as he was in 2007, though he has by no means been bad, average, or even just above average. Let's make no mistake, he's one of the games best. However, the Sox are going to lose him one way or another in a couple of years, and Daniel Bard certainly has the stuff to replace him soon, if not now. Ultimately, it seems likely the Sox very quietly inform the league that his name is out there, and then if someone decides to overpay for a relief pitcher due to the "closer" title, give it a long, hard look.

Ramon Ramirez: Another cost-controlled pen arm, Ramirez started the season hot but struggled as the year went on. While his 2.84 ERA is still very low, his high walk rate and middling strikeout rate lead to a high FIP and ERA. If Ramirez can return to early-season form next year, he'll be a valuable part of the pen. If he returns to being a guy they can't trust in late innings, though, the organization will have to choose when to cut and run.

Takashi Saito: Saito is an interesting case. The team holds a $2.5 million option on him, and while his tiny ERA would seem to make this an easy decision, there are many things that suggest otherwise. The first is that his peripherals are universally worse. His K/9 are down, his BB/9 up, his HR/9 up. His FIP and tRA have risen tons compared to his career averages, and he seems to have lost his ability to induce ground balls. The team has also shied away from using him in pressure situations, and if he's only gonna pitch blowouts and 6^th innings than he's likely not worth the money it would take to keep him-especially if his numbers regress towards what his process suggests they should.

Note: South Coast Ghost correctly points out that the option is actually worth quite a bit more, as Saito fulfilled all his incentives for remaining on the active roster, as well as two for innings pitched. This brings the option value up to $6 million with $1.5 million in incentives remaining to be had. If it was a tough call for Sox management before, it's even harder now.

Billy Wagner: To the Red Sox, Wagner represents draft picks. Beautiful, beautiful draft picks. A type-A free agent, Wagner will net the Sox the top draft pick of any team that signs him, and a supplementary pick after the end of the 1^st round-assuming he doesn't retire. While earlier, it was questionable whether the 38-year-old Tommy-John patient would garner enough interest for a team to sacrifice a pick, 26 strikeouts in 16 innings should turn a few heads, not to mention a 1.72 ERA. The Sox have already agreed to pass on Wagner's $8 million team option, and it seems unlikely he will accept arbitration if the Sox offer it, since his reason for demanding they pass on his option was his desire to close. In essence, the Sox have a chance to recycle Carter and Lora for first-round talent. Now that's a deal.

Tim Wakefield: As per usual, Wakefield outperformed his 4 million dollar option, and as usual it would be foolish of the Sox not to pick up his contract if he's willing to come back. But given his status as a perpetual injury risk, the Sox had also better be sure they have a back up ready. If he chooses to call it a career, then it will be the end of a long and fruitful career that set the bar for loyalty.

My experience at Game 3

Poseidon's Fist — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:15:26 -0000

Last night was my first playoff baseball game. For those of you who could not attend, I'll try to chronicle the experience at Game 3, the first playoff game at Coors Field since Jon Lester clinched the World Series for Boston almost two years ago.

I expected to feel exhilaration, anxiety and excitement for the game. Oddly, my first two strong emotions were frustration and confusion. In spite of arriving an hour early, I missed the first half inning, as the line to enter the stadium took over 50 minutes.

Then the confusion set in as I walked through the tunnel to my section. There wasn't supposed to be snow in the forecast...why was this kid wearing a ski mask? What was with the dry snow falling down around me? Then I realized it wasn't snow at all. The kid was silly overprepared and the white stuff wasn't snow at all. It was white fibers billowing off of 50,109 white and purple oscillating Rocktober towels. Ah, playoff baseball at last.

Highlights:

The game was exceedingly hard-fought. Each time the Phillies scored, the Rockies responded soon thereafter, keeping the shivering witnesses in the game.
There was no wave at any point.
There seemed to be very few Phillies fans, though the one I ended up sitting next to was one of the nicest and agreeable fans of an opposing team I have come across.
I told PhillieFan that it was about time to see a Carlos Gonzalez line drive home run to right. Four pitches later, he delivered.
I am completely positive the Tulo chant echoed all the way to Philadelphia. Or at least to Golden. As I commented in the GT last night, it literally vibrated my seat.
To pass the time in a long entrance line, several loud and spontaneous "GOOOOO!!!! ROOOOOCKIES!!!" chants reverberated around home plate.
Gotta love those towels.

Lowlights:

We lost.
My feet shrugged off the double sock effect and did their best Mr. Deeds impression.
It was freezing cold. While some fans remained rowdy, the chilly temperatures sucked the life out of what I would expect for a playoff crowd. In the critical ninth, few stood and even the big screen that pined for life from the crowd wasn't enough motivation to thaw the fans. The towels didn't have quite the desired effect. This isn't an indictment, as I myself was fairly stagnant. It was just cold.
I saw Utley get hit on his ninth inning "single" from the upper deck.
We still have a lame assortment of walk-up music.

I look forward to seeing a thawed out version of Purple Fever later today. I've included a few other Photos under the fold.

One fan actually had a Jason Giambi jersey. A Rockies Giambi jersey.

Players had new NLDS-style photos. While the Phillies trended towards imitating a biker gang mug shot....

Yorvit Torrealba decided to go with a sad puppy look. Most of the Rockies sported disinterested/spacey mugs, including this one of Tulo or this one of the Little Pony.

But of course, Dex is incapable of not smiling.

Waving the white towel is very different from waving the white flag.

Scott Eyre delivers a pitch that would eventually end up in left-center field after a CarGo double.

Smoke lingers above the field after a short burst of seventh inning fireworks.

It was a tough, tough game to lose, though I'll certainly remember it for its frigidity as well as my initiation to playoff baseball. We'll get them later today with Baldy on the hill, then all bets are off for Game 5. It's not like we haven't won a Cook/Hamels matchup at CBP or anything...

Optional workout notes, Nick Green still "not good enough to play"

Randy Booth — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:10:43 -0000

More photos » by Mary Schwalm - AP

3 months ago: Boston Red Sox's Nick Green talks to David Ortiz in the dugout after pitching the eighth and ninth innings of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009. The White Sox beat the Red Sox, 9-5. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

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The Red Sox held an optional workout todayy before the team hopes the plane for a 3:15 p.m. flight to the West Coast:

The players in attendance here are Nick Green, Brian Anderson, Casey Kotchman, Jason Bay, Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield, Jacoby Ellsbury, Billy Wagner, George Kottaras, Takashi Saito and Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Green still is having difficulty with his back, though he said he was better, but "not good enough to play."

The rest of the team appears eager to get out of Boston and to Anaheim, Calif. They were simply playing out the string in the regular season, and now the true fun begins.

"This is kind of where it starts," Jason Bay said. "I think everyone's aware of that, but once we get to Anaheim, start working out, it will kick in a little bit more. But, yeah, you work your butt off from February to this point, ultimately on a game-to-game basis now."

Anyone want to take any bets if we're going to see Nick Green this postseason? I think it's a definite he won't be ready for the ALDS, but from the sounds of it, it looks like we won't see him at all for the rest of October. This means Jed Lowrie is the team's backup shortstop. Let's hope he is healthy enough, too.

Game 160: Red Sox 6, Indians 2

Ryan — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 03:42:42 -0000

More photos » by Mary Schwalm - AP

As Jason Varitek goes for a foul ball, a Sawx fan shows off his spoon-swallowing skills.

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This series so far has to me felt like Spring Training games, though the two teams have different goals in mind for them. Boston's Terry Francona is trying to give his players enough playing time to stay sharp, but also keep them rested and healthy, while Eric Wedge is just trying to get this last weekend over so he can move on to other things. Meanwhile, the Indians lost their record thirteenth straight on the road.

Jeremy Sowers checked out early after giving up 3 runs on four hits and two walks, giving way to a series of relievers just getting their work in. Meanwhile, the offense had a goal to shoot for: scoring a run. The offense hadn't plated a run in over two games, and had to be closing in on some kind of team record for sustained futility. Luis Valbuena and Trevor Crowe finally broke the ice in the fifth off Daisuke Matsuzaka, but they had a couple opportunities before that, beginning with Michael Brantley's double to lead off the game. Matsuzaka took three meandering pitches to accomplish what every one good one would do; if he had to be that fine against this Indians lineup, I don't like his chances against deeper and more talented lineups in the postseason.

Next Up: Laffey vs. Beckett, 7:10 PM

via www.fangraphs.com

Highest WPA		Lowest WPA
Luis Valbuena	.091	Jeremy Sowers	-.213
Tony Sipp	.084	Jhonny Peralta	-.140
Travis Hafner	.041	Shin-Soo Choo	-.111

Game 160: Dice-K wins his 3rd game since coming off DL

Randy Booth — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 03:17:27 -0000

More photos » by Mary Schwalm - AP

2 months ago: Boston Red Sox's Victor Martinez, right, is congratulated by teammate Rocco Baldelli (5) after scoring on a double by Jason Bay during the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park in Boston, Friday, Oct. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

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Don't look now, but Daisuke Matsuzaka is making this Red Sox team scary good.

Dice-K pitched six solid innings and earned his third win since coming off the disabled list with a 6-2 victory over the Indians on Friday night.

Matsuzaka gave up two runs on five hits and three walks in his outing. He struck seven while throwing 105 pitches. He ran into trouble in the 5th by giving up three runs on three hits and two walks, but he was able to work out of it.

The offense was solid behind Dice-K, picking up six runs on eight hits. Victor Martinez and Jason Bay each had two hits, while Kevin Youkilis had two RBIs thanks to a double in the 8th.

Billy Wagner, Ramon Ramirez, Daniel Bard and Takashi Saito combined for three innings of scoreless relief.

Another win against a lowly team. Hey, at least we get the Indians at the end of the year, right? Someone has to play a team with no real future and no real manager. It might as well as be the Sox.

Two more with the Indians. Last weekend of regular season baseball, folks! Soak it in while it lasts. Then it's postseason ... get excited.

Go Sox!

Bloody Sox Laundry, 9/25 - Debate Time

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:00:39 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

Why do people refuse to acknowledge that we weren't watching the same Papi we've seen in the past, and now, earlier this season?

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We need some good discussion today. Topics to choose from include:

Will Jed Lowrie Ever Get His Job at Shortstop Back? - NESN.com

Answer the question. Or, if you'd prefer...

Jason Bay, Not Matt Holliday, Is the Red Sox' Answer for 2010 - NESN.com

Any thoughts here? Perhaps this will affect your decision:

The story behind how Jason Bay started stealing bases - Full Count

Oddly, when I went to check the EqBRR's of each of the choices, Bay (0.86577) beat Holliday (-0.90399). I would have expected the opposite, but I guess this is one of those cases where the guy without speed learns better techniques.

And, for the less confrontational, here's a less controversial topic...

Guess the postseason roster - Extra Bases

Fire away - after you check to see how the current rotation schedule sets up:

Rotation change - Extra Bases

Friday Sept. 25: Jon Lester

Saturday Sept. 26: Daisuke Matsuzaka

Sunday Sept. 27: Paul Byrd

Monday Sept. 28: Josh Beckett

Tuesday Sept. 29: Clay Buchholz

Wednesday Sept. 30: Tim Wakefield

Thursday Oct. 1: Jon Lester

Friday Oct. 2: Daisuke Matsuzaka

Saturday Oct. 3: Josh Beckett

Sunday Oct. 4: Clay Buchholz

After the jump: Schill shares his wisdom, Dice-K shows off, Beck feels confident, the Instructional League rosters are revealed, I try to rewrite Papi's stats, we reminisce about the past decade, and thank the injury bug for staying away this year, for the most part.

Schilling: ‘There Are No Fakes and Frauds In October’ - Full Count

Just the ones who manage to have a great series because of random variance, and then are regarded as clutch for years to come.

Matsuzaka’s Feats of Strength - Full Count

Beckett: ‘I definitely think I threw the ball better today than I have in a while’ - Full Count

Fall Instructional League Rosters - SoxProspects.com

USG shared this yesterday, but it's good to make sure everyone's up to date.

The DH Rules - Fire Brand of the American League

Maybe Papi's OPS is so low because of the HORRIBLE first two months of this season? I would hesitate to even say that was Papi batting during that time, but some imposter instead. Seriously people, stop looking at the stats without making an effort to analyze them correctly - consider whether the change in performance was random, an a actual change in skill, or the result of an injury. The eye condition thing? Sounds like the last of those 3 to me.

Red Sox represented in All-Decade honors - Fire Brand of the American League

Not sure if Evan was trying to link to the Sporting News page that actually had all this info, or if was just an auto-mention. Fun to think back on the past several years - anyone want to share a favorite moment (aside from the obvious)?

Injuries Among the Contenders - Fire Brand of the American League

Even with the injuries to Jed, Youk, Wake, Green, and Lowell, we really haven't been hit as hard as we could have.

BtB Power Rankings Updated

And, finally, for those of you who happen to have one of a certain series of devices:

FanGraphs iPhone App - FanGraphs Baseball
NICE. Too bad I lack the hardware.

Let the debates begin! If you'd rather just comment or share links, don't feel pressured. It's just what all the cool kids are doing, that's all.

Game 148: Dice-K, Sox sweep Orioles

Randy Booth — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:40:23 -0000

More photos » by Gail Burton - AP

2 months ago: Boston Red Sox Victor Martinez and Jacoby Ellsbury celebrate their 9-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles after a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

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Final - 9.20.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston Red Sox	3	1	2	1	0	1	1	0	0	9	14	0
Baltimore Orioles	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	3	9	0
WP: Daisuke Matsuzaka (3 - 5) LP: Jason Berken (5 - 12)

Complete Coverage >

Red Sox vs Orioles recap
Red Sox vs Orioles boxscore

Game. Set. Match.

Behind a solid performance from Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Sox beat the O's on Sunday, 9-3, to sweep the three game series.

Dice-K gave up three runs in 5.1 innings to earn the win for the Sox. It wasn't the best start -- he did give up eight hits -- but I'll take this out of Mr. Matsuzaka.

The Sox were led by Jason Bay and Jacoby Ellsbury. Ells had three hits and three RBIs, while Bay had two hits and three RBIs. They each hit home runs in the victory. Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez and Alex Gonzalez all had two hits.

It was a good series for the Sox. A sweep is always nice. Now it's off to Kansas City for a four-game series. Let's hope the Sox can pull off another sweep.

Boston Bats Come Alive as Sox Squash Orioles 11-5

Ben Buchanan — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:06:48 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

2 months ago: Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester throws to a Baltimore Orioles batter during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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On a night when Jon Lester did not have his best stuff, the Red Sox' bats came alive to give him all the support he needed.

Against a team he traditionally dominated, Lester was shaky, and often seemed bothered by the condition of the mound. Commentator Dennis Eckersley observed he looked generally uncomfortable throughout much of his start. While giving up 10 hits including 2 homers would usually result in a few more runs, Lester managed to avoid serious damage, letting only 3 Orioles cross home plate and recording the quality start.

David Hernandez, the Orioles starter, had a pretty similar night. 7 hits, 3 walks, and a home run added up to 3 runs over 6 innings. But it wasn't the Orioles' starter that would give up the game, but their bullpen and defense. Matt Albers would give up 2 runs while recording only 1 out. Alberto Castillo fared even worse, facing 3 batters and giving up a hit to each. Finally, Bob McCrory would put the game well out of reach with a little help from Ty Wigginton, whose error would allow Victor Martinez to reach base in the 8^th. 4 batters, 2 homers, and 5 runs later the Red Sox were firmly in control.

The Sox' offense came from all kinds of places, with every starter recording a hit. Josh Reddick put the Sox up early 2-1 with a 2-run homer in his first at bat, David Ortiz had 2 doubles, Mike Lowell went 3-4, and JD Drew went 3-5 with a double and a 3-run shot. Even Brian Anderson managed to knock one out.

There was some mild drama in the 9^th inning as Manny Delcarmen would fail to record an out, offering up 2 homers to the first 2 batters he faced and then walking the next 2 men. Ramon Ramirez would come in to clean up after him, getting a pop out and a double play while giving up only a walk.

Red Sox Nation will get its second look at the recuperated Daisuke Matsuzaka tomorrow after a good start against the Angels. The Orioles counter with Jason Berken, who Sox fans might remember for his last performance against the team when he gave up 7 hits, 2 walks, and 6 runs before exiting with 1 out in the first on August 2^nd. Hopefully the Boston batters will have as much success when they go for the sweep tomorrow.