Lucchino Departs at Season's End

Love him or hate him, Larry Lucchino left his mark on the Red Sox.

Lucchino is stepping away from his role as president and CEO of the Red Sox when this season ends. He'll be replaced by current vice-president and COO Sam Kennedy, who was brought to the Red Sox as a intern by Lucchino in 2002.

Lucchino leaves a mixed legacy in Boston, but far more on the positive side. After stints in Baltimore and San Diego, where he helped develop both Oriole Park at Camden Yards and Petco Park, he joined the Red Sox with John Henry and Tom Werner when the club was sold in 2001.

When I hear his name, I'll always think of the way he turned up the rivalry with the Yankees by calling them "The Evil Empire" in 2003. He was instrumental in bringing in Theo Epstein as GM for the Red Sox in 2002, and was also responsible for Theo leaving Fenway in a gorilla suit and his temporary resignation in 2005. Lucchino could rub people the wrong way, and come off as meddlesome and a bit of a tyrant at times.

And also don't forget, he was the one who wanted Bobby Valentine as manager in 2012.

But the shining stars on his Red Sox resume are the three championships the Sox won in 2004, 2007 and 2013. And the renovation of Fenway Park was also on his watch, making the park a far more livable and watchable place to watch a game.

Larry also showed up many years ago at a BLOHARDS meeting at the Yale Club, and actually came off as a rather friendly individual.

I can remember years ago Red Sox fans who were totally disgusted with Lucchino's meddling and wondering when he'd be gone as team president. Conspiracy theorists are already speculating as to whether Lucchino is taking the fall for the Red Sox' awful last couple of seasons. According to Gordon Edes at ESPN, it sounds like Lucchino was phasing his role down for the last couple of seasons, and the team did not want to lose Sam Kennedy to another organization. (He had been wooed by the Toronto Raptors and Maple Leafs about a president position.)

Changes within the Red Sox continue, and I didn't see this one coming. I wish Larry Lucchino well.

Shane Exits With Class

The dismantling of the Red Sox began in earnest on Monday, as Shane Victorino was traded to the LA Angels for utility infielder Josh Rutledge.

The Flyin' Hawaiian stamped his name into Red Sox legend with two enormous hits that will forever be remembered: the 2013 Game 6 ALCS home run that put the Red Sox ahead to stay against Detroit, and the triple that cleared the bases against St. Louis in Game 6 of the World Series.

Injuries have derailed the last two seasons for Victorino, and now he moves to a contender in Anaheim.

And Shane leaves the Red Sox with class:

All the best Shane, and I'll never hear this song again without thinking of you:

Thanks For The Memories, Pedro

We all know this has been a lost season for the Red Sox, and the less said and written about this on-going travesty, the better.

Today, before many thousands of fans at Cooperstown, NY, Pedro Martinez will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, along with Craig Biggio, Randy Johnson and John Smoltz. All four men are indeed worthy of induction.

The festivities will be broadcast on MLB Network at 1:30 PM today. I will be watching, and listening to what should be an entertaining speech Pedro is sure to give.

Pedro will also have his number 45 retired by the Red Sox this coming Tuesday night before the game at Fenway with the White Sox. That is sure to be fun as well.

Fans have been posting their favorite Pedro moments and games on Facebook over the course of the last few days. I had the pleasure to be at Game 3 of the 1999 ALCS at Fenway, where Pedro beat the Yankees and Roger Clemens, 12-1. He was simply dominant that night, and it being a postseason game, meant so much more. That is my favorite memory of him with me being in the building.

But my favorite of all is what I call the best pitched game I have ever seen.

On September 10, 1999, Pedro and the Sox faces New York at Yankee Stadium. The Sox were still in the race for the AL east title, trailing the Yankees by 6 1/2 games with 21 to go. Pedro hit Chuck Knoblauch, the first batter, and he was caught stealing. In the second inning, Chili Davis hit a shot into the right field bleachers to make it 1-0 New York.

Little did anyone realize that Davis would be the last Yankee to reach base.

Mike Stanley hit a two-run homer in the 6th, and Jose Offerman had an RBI single in the ninth to give Pedro all the offensive support he'd need.

In the bottom of the fourth, Bernie Williams grounded out to third. Of the remaining 15 batters Pedro faced, 12 would strike out, 2 would foul out, and Scott Brosius will lead off the sixth by flying out to left. That was the last fair ball the Yankees would hit in that game.

It was sheer dominance. Seeing the Dominican fans in the Yankee Stadium bleachers putting up Ks and rooting Pedro and the Sox home to victory was simply surreal. Pedro was knocking down the Yankees like bowling pins, and they had their "A" team out there that night. (And would win the World Series the following month.)

It still is the best game I have ever seen (and I saw it on TV; wish I could have been there live).

Congratulations to Pedro on the well-earned trip to immortality today.

Here are the edited highlights from that night. Enjoy.

Say Goodbye To Hollywood & The 2015 Season

I had a bad feeling about the Red Sox after that last game against the Yankees before the All-Star break.

The Sox had been playing going into that final game, and needed to win it to take the series. New York won, 8-6. And it left me with the feeling that they were going to come out flat in Anaheim. I just didn't think it was going to be THIS bad.

I looked at the schedule and saw the first ten games after the break with three contenders: LA Angels, Houston and Detroit. It was 10 games, and figured the Red Sox needed to go at least 7-3 if they had any hope of getting back in the race, and 4-3 on the opening 7-game road trip.

Both are impossible now. The first ever four game sweep in Anaheim by the Angels over the Sox put that to rest, and pretty much any hope the Red Sox had given their fans after a decent three-week stretch in late June and early July.

The numbers are simply putrid.

The Sox scored just 4 runs in 36 innings in the four games, the first time since 1965 they scored as few as four runs in a four-game series. They never had the lead in any of the four, and the last three runs were scored in garbage time of the final game. Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramirez went a combined 0-for-44. With the exception of Wade Miley's brilliant 7 innings on Friday, the starters were awful. LA outscored them 22-4. They ran into a hot Angels team, who are now in first place in the AL West, having won 15 of 18. Take nothing away from their starters, who were brilliant in the four game sweep.

The Sox bats were still in the All-Star break. What does that say about the motivation on this team? Not very much. They are now 42-51, 9 games behind New York in the AL East, and are tied with Seattle for the worst record in the American League.

I was waiting until the White Sox series next week to see whether the Red Sox were buyers or sellers for the July 31st trade deadline. Now, it's pretty clear. They are absolutely sellers. I think even the most cockeyed optimist of fans realizes that now.

Time to put together a plan for 2016.

Take a Break. Then Improve the Pitching.

Back in early April, if I had said to you that between the Red Sox and Yankees, one team would be 48-40 in first place, and the other 42-47 in fifth place, who would you have put where?

Yep, me too.

That the first half of the 2015 season has been a major disappointment for the Red Sox is not any startling news. The front office rolled the dice with the pitching staff and it has mostly come up lemons. Justin Masterson has been a complete flop, Joe Kelly is starting in AAA (maybe he should be relieving in Boston?), and Wade Miley has been too wildly inconsistent. Clay Buchholz has returned yet again to the DL, but Eduardo Rodriguez has shown real promise. And we'll see stud rookie lefthander Brian Johnson for the first time shortly after the break.

The bullpen? Yikes. No one trustworthy other than Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa.

If New York wins 88 games (the pace they are on right now), the Sox would have to go 47-26 in order to pass them. A tall order to say the least.

It's pretty clear that if the Red Sox are still withing shouting distance of first place by July 31, the pitching needs major improvement. Who to go after? That is still to be determined, and the bidding wars for those available will get going soon. Buchholz' loss makes getting a quality starter even more important than ever.

The offense got it cranking in June and early July. They have played more like they were advertised, and the fact the Sox went 15-9 to conclude the first half is testament to that. And it appears Dustin Pedroia will return to the lineup this weekend in Anaheim.

Losing the last series to New York this past weekend hurts, as 4 1/2 back and winning a series from your first-place rivals sounds a whole lot better than being 6 1/2 back. I can't say my optimism is overflowing for the second half beginning, as the Sox start it off with seven games against the two-best teams in AL West, the LA Angels and Houston Astros, both on the road.

I would recommend most fans take a break from this frustrating season for a few days. While the math doesn't say the Red Sox are done by any stretch, there's little room for error as the second half begins. A bad road trip could make the Sox sellers by July 31st. We'll just have to see.

The Race Gets Tighter

It's starting to get interesting for the Red Sox in the AL East.

The Red Sox swept two games from the Miami Marlins, and have now won four games in a row for the first time in 2015. The 6-3 win last night means the Sox have won nine of their last twelve, and thirteen of their last twenty. On June 20th, they were 10 games back. Today, they sit just 5 games behind New York, and 1 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay in fourth. No one in front of them has played better than .500 ball over the last 10 days, and the Sox have taken advantage of that.

Last night's win was important mainly for Rick Porcello, who has been absolutely awful. Of all the pitchers who qualify for the ERA title race in the AL, Porcello was dead last at 6.08 going into last night's game.

Porcello was very good, going six innings and allowing just two earned runs. His ERA with Ryan Hanigan behind the plate is noticeably lower, and this was his his first start since Hanigan returned from his injury.

And very quietly, Koji Uehara seems to have regained his 2013 form. He was once again 1-2-3 in the ninth, and he has now allowed just one base runner in the last 29 he has faced, compiling 21 saves.

Now, the Evil Empire returns to Boston this weekend, in the first important series with New York in quite some time. It is the last series before the All-Star break, so the Sox can end the first half on a high note by taking this three-game set.

Is That Light I See Ahead In This Tunnel?

Well, all of a sudden, guess who the hottest team in the AL East is?

Yes, your Boston Red Sox.

The Sox took 2 of 3 from the AL West-leading Houston Astros at Fenway this past weekend. (Easily could have been a sweep if not for some bad base running and some questionable bullpen moves.) They've won three consecutive series, and 12 of their last 19 games. They are averaging 5.5 runs per game over that 19-game stretch, best in MLB.

Granted, the division is not strong at all. I wouldn't get too overly excited just yet. The Red Sox still trail New York by 6 games, and fourth place Toronto by four games. But no one ahead of them is hot right now, and no one appears ready to pull away from the pack.

But the signs are pointing in the right direction. The Sox have just five games left before the All-Star break: 2 with Miami and three with New York, all at Fenway.

BTW, a really odd thing happened yesterday. As David Ortiz played first base in an AL game for the first time since 2006 (Mike Napoli is THAT bad at the plate right now), not one putout was recorded at first base, the first time ever in team history that has happened.

And on the subject of Papi at first base, I don't think it's a bad thing to see him at first base a little more often. It allows Hanley Ramirez to DH, as he is no stellar outfielder. But Ortiz is not the butcher at first base he's made out to be. The last time he made an error at first was in 2009. (Granted that is only 28 regular season games since 2010, and doesn't include the World Series games he's played in, which he actually played flawless defense.) Sure, he's no Gold Glover by any stretch of the imagination, but putting him there once in a while might help. He would be exposed if he played first regularly. But Hanley Ramirez in left scares me a lot more.

Yes, put Papi on first base, and no one wants to throw the ball to him. Very odd.

Halfway There

They're teasing us again.

The Red Sox hit the halfway point of the 2015 season last night, with a 12-6 win over the Blue Jays in Toronto. They had the biggest first inning of the season, scoring 8 runs off a rookie named Matt Boyd, who faced seven hitters, and they all scored. (And how many of you were like me, thinking Wade Miley was going to give away that big lead in the 2nd?) David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez hit back-to-back home runs in that inning. It was a glimpse of a Red Sox team we thought we'd be seeing a lot more of 2015.

Last night was Game 81 of the 2015 season. The Sox conclude the first half at 37-44, six games out of first place, five games out of second. They ended it winning 5 of 7 on the road trip to Tampa Bay and Toronto.

Once again, the Red Sox are fortunate that there is no strong team in the AL East. Right now, the top four teams are separated by just one game in the standings. The Red Sox are the only fifth-place team that is not double-digits out of first place.

So, is there hope? The math may say yes, but this team still has to play consistently well, especially inside their division, to have a chance. And the month of July is no cakewalk. They play six games with Houston, three with New York, four with the LA Angels, three with Detroit, and one with Tampa Bay (to end the month), all teams with playoff aspirations. The Sox went 14-14 in June. Nothing to shout about, but it was much better than the awful May they had, where they finished a putrid 10-19.

The trading deadline is four weeks away, so are the Red Sox buyers or sellers? I would have to say now it maybe too early to tell. It will really depend on where they stand the morning of July 31st. There are really only seven teams right now who appear to be completely out of it right now (PHI, CIN, MIL, SEA, OAK, CHW and COL).

This holiday weekend's series at Fenway with the surprising AL West-leading Houston Astros will tell us a lot about where the Red Sox are heading right now, and if they can carry some of that newly built momentum home against a playoff contender. I'm not loaded with optimism, but things look a lot better than they did after losing 2 of 3 to Baltimore last week. Stay tuned.

Look To The Future Now

It's time to look at the future. Time to play the kids.

I wasn't jumping for joy with the week the Red Sox had last week. They split four games with the Atlanta Braves, and then went to Kansas City and took two of three from the defending AL champion Royals, with the last game being a convincing 13-2 win. The Sox had also been awoken at the plate, having a team .294 batting average for the month of June, best in MLB.

But my fears were confirmed when they returned to Fenway and dropped two of three to division rival Baltimore. The Sox are now an abysmal 11-22 against the AL East (and they have a winning record outside the division), and 4-9 against the Orioles.

On May 31st, the Sox stood at 22-29, 4 games back in the AL East. I took a look at the schedule for June, and it appeared to be favorable to the Sox, with most of their opponents at or below .500. They had 28 games this month, and I figured they needed to go at least 16-12 in order to get back to some respectability and try to get back in the AL East race.

That now officially won't happen with yesterday's loss, as they are now 10-13 with five games remaining in June. I think even the most cockeyed of Red Sox optimists realize it just isn't happening in 2015, and Dustin Pedroia heading for the DL just adds to the misery.

Time for the Sox to turn the page on 2015 and look to next year. Jackie Bradley Jr. returned from Pawtucket yesterday, where he was having a terrific year and went 2-for-4 at the plate and threw out a runner at home in the ninth inning. Time to put Bradley in right field and leave him there. For the player's own well-being, they should see what he can do the rest of the way, and make a decision on him: keep him or trade him.

Eduardo Rodriguez got rapped around the second time through the Baltimore order yesterday, after retiring the first 10 hitters he faced. But the kid is still the goods, and will be a top-notch starter in year's to come. He is someone you can build a future rotation around. He's taking his lumps, but that is expected. He'll be an All-Star sooner rather than later. And we should be seeing the much-heralded Brian Johnson called up for a start shortly. He is 8-4 with a 2.57 ERA at Pawtucket.

Joe Kelly, who in March predicted he'd win the Cy Young Award this year, was sent down to AAA yesterday after yet another rocky start. He still has terrific stuff at times, and I can see him being the future closer of the Red Sox. He maybe one of those guys who is better suited to a one or two inning role in 2016.

The Sox will obviously be sellers on July 31. They have a few pieces they can move, like Mike Napoli for instance (although they won't get much for him). Quite frankly, they are stuck with guys like Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval and Rick Porcello. The future is with guys like Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley. They'll be worth coming out to see when the standings say the Red Sox as a group aren't worth it.

Hideous

No, I'm not talking about the latest Red Sox loss. (And the less said and written on that subject, the better.)

I'm talking about those new hats that MLB will debut for this year's All-Star Game. My first question about them is: why a new hat?

One of the special parts about baseball's All-Star Game (there aren't many left to be honest) is that each player wears his complete regular-season uniform, where as in other sports all-star games they all have to wear the same uniform, due to the nature of the sport. (And they usually are nothing to write home about anyway.)

I can only think of one reason: money. Something else for MLB to promote and make money off of. They could at least put together something a little more pleasing to the eye, and almost classic, like the hats the Pittsburgh Pirates wore on occasion in the 1970s (see above). I always thought they were pretty cool.

I know, I'm a traditionalist, and I'm guessing in the world today that is not looked upon as a good thing. But MLB could have come up with something far better than what they debuted yesterday. And of course, why do the players need to wear something special at the All-Star Game anyway? The "special" rapidly disappeared a long time ago.

Bad Times Don't Diminish 2013

Times are bad, folks.

No use in recapping a truly awful weekend, as most of you either saw it or heard about it.

The AL East is now a four-team race, as the others are either playing well or in a position to make a run. (Remember how everyone was calling the division the worst in MLB? It is now the only division with four teams at .500 or better.) The Red Sox are the lone exception, now five games out of fourth place, and they are the second-worst team in the AL. And falling fast.

And now the question must be asked: will the Red Sox lose 100 games this year? Not out of the question, after the recent putrid displays of baseball I've recently seen.

I'm no longer angry. All my anger is used up. I'm just numb.

Bad trades, bad free agent signings, bad contract extensions. An unholy mess. Will John Farrell and/or Ben Cherington survive the season? It's looking more doubtful by the day.

And to conclude. I love these so-called "fans" (and so-called "pundits") who now want to practically disregard the 2013 World Series championship as either a "fluke" or an "aberration." It was neither. You DO NOT win 108 games and a title on just luck. And certainly not on a "fluke." A lot of things went very right in 2013. And the Sox earned their 2013 championship. That is forever. That cannot be changed. EVER.

It has been sandwiched around some bad teams. That's a fact, too. It seems to me a lot of these "critics" seem to forget the really "bad old days" of the early 1990s, when a championship seemed like an elusive dream that we might never see in our lifetimes, as the Sox were mired in mediocrity. But we did. Three times in this century. That should never, ever be lost in what is a team that has gone completely off the tracks.

Yeah, times are bad. Very bad. But remember there have been some very good times in the recent past. Nothing changes that, even if some want to harp on the negatives since 2011.

The Sox won it all in 2013, just two years ago. Deal with it.

As The Season Circles The Drain

So much for getting the season back on the right track.

The Red Sox sweep over the Oakland A's last week proved to be an aberration, as they promptly got swept in Baltimore. And it wasn't pretty.

Eduardo Rodriguez is the best thing I can say about this team right now. He was stellar in his third MLB start on Tuesday night, going six innings and allowing no runs, while striking out seven. He deserved a win, but naturally the offense couldn't be bothered to make an appearance, and the Orioles won, 1-0, and on a wild pitch that scored the only run.

And the next night was no better, as Baltimore won again, 5-2. Rick Porcello, who is being paid like an ace but sure isn't pitching like one, and allowed five earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. The offense was gone by the sixth inning, as the last nine men went down feebly in order to end the game.

Last night completed Baltimore's sweep, 6-5. Wade Miley had absolutely nothing, giving up five runs, including three home runs, in four innings. And then had the nerve to question John Farrell over being removed at that point. The offense showed some life in the top of the fourth, getting three runs, which included a two-run double by Pablo Sandoval. it was 4-3 and Miley proceeded to give up a bomb of a HR to Manny Machado. Miley didn't have a clean inning. Farrell had no choice.

Dennis Eckersley and Steve Lyons had plenty to say about this mess afterwards:



It now leaves the Red Sox back in last place, at 27-34, seven games behind New York. And now, one of MLB's hottest teams, the Toronto Blue Jays, come to Fenway on an eight-game winning streak.

So, when do NFL training camps open again?

Best Win of the Year So Far

Well, if this comeback doesn't jump start the Red Sox season, nothing will.

The Sox took the first two games from the Oakland A's this past weekend, but by the fourth inning of Sunday's game, it appeared a sweep over the worst team in the AL wasn't in the cards. Clay Buchholz was struggling, and had given up four runs after the fourth. The Sox could do little with Kendall Graveman, who allowed only six hits and one run after seven plus innings.

But the A's went to the pen in the eighth, and they exploded for seven runs, right after Rusney Castillo's first home run of 2015. Xander Bogaerts had the big blow, a two-run double to put the Sox up to stay at 5-4. (Castillo also drove in the last run on an RBI single.) Tommy Layne pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save and preserved a 7-4 Red Sox victory.

It was the first time all year that the Red Sox came from four runs down to win. It was also the first time they won three straight since the second week of April.

The Red Sox pulled themselves out of last place with the win, and sit at 27-31, 5 1/2 games behind New York.

The Sox have a favorable schedule for June. They are 5-2 since June 1, with 21 more games to play for the month. The only opponents they play that have winning records are Kansas City and Tampa Bay.

I know, I know. They are suckering us in again. But they really need to go at least 16-12 this month to get the ship in the right direction and show they are serious about getting back in the AL East race.

We'll see.

A Lifeless Loss Against a Nobody

Last night's lifeless 2-0 Red Sox loss in the second game of a doubleheader opened my eyes.

After beating a decent Twins pitcher in Game 1, Phil Hughes, 6-1, they were facing somebody named Trevor May. I never heard of him, so I had to look up his stats. And they were nothing to write home about.

He was 3-3, with an ERA over 5.00. He is 6-9 over two seasons, with a career ERA of 6.42. This is the kind of pitcher the Sox would (and should) beat up on, if they are serious about getting into the AL East race.

They looked absolutely impotent against this guy. May allowed only two base runners, both on hits in the third inning. He went seven innings, striking out nine, and retired the final 13 hitters he faced. The Twins pen then retired the final six batters for the shutout win. I don't take anything away from May, but he's not Felix Hernandez or Chris Sale. If you're serious about being a contender, you have to feast against a pitcher like this, not make him look like Bob Gibson. And especially in front of your home fans. Last night was simply an embarrassment in the middle of an embarrassing season.

After a convincing 6-1 win in the opener, where Eduardo Rodriguez looked superb in seven innings in his second MLB start, the momentum died as Game 2 began. Rick Porcello was terrific, going eight innings, allowing just 2 runs on 5 hits, with no walks. He allowed two runs in the second, his only trouble the entire game.

If I had quoted those stats to you before the game, and said some guy with a career ERA over 6.00 was going for Minnesota, you'd figure an easy win for the Sox, right?

Guess again. Yet again, the Red Sox offense showed absolutely nothing, and at home, which is no longer a Red Sox fortress. No fire, no spark. And with that no guts and no heart. My eyes are seeing things more clearly: that this team has no business being near a pennant race. Outside of players like Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz, they seem comfortable, and content with losing. And that makes me really angry as a fan. Did you also notice the empty seats in both games of the doubleheader yesterday? And with Hanley Ramirez feebly striking out to end Game 2, the boos from the crowd could be heard on TV.

I'd really like this team to prove me wrong. But I'm betting they won't. I'll predict they will not see .500 again in 2015, not with half-assed offensive efforts like yesterday's Game 2.

I'm not one to yell for firings, as that isn't the answer to this team's problems. But if they crash and burn again into a fourth or fifth place finish this year, some major changes need to be made when it all ends.

I'm getting tired of this act, and I know many other Sox fans feel like I do.I've seen enough lifeless baseball from this team already. And it isn't even summer yet.

Don't Look At Me, I Don't Have Any Answers

So which loss was worse in the two games that ended the Red Sox 1-6 road trip: Saturday or Sunday?

Saturday was a lifeless 8-0 drubbing by Texas, in a game the Red Sox weren't in from the get-go. The Rangers scored a run in the first, and the Sox didn't get their first hit against Chi Chi Gonzalez (wasn't he a golfer?), who was making his MLB debut, until the 6th inning. It was yet another embarrassing loss in season where they have been piling up in 2015. No hit, no pitch, no field (three errors). A lethal combination.

Sunday was a game where the Red Sox scored a run in the first, but Joe Kelly gave it back in the bottom of the inning (this trend of giving up runs to start the game must stop), but the Sox got the lead at 3-2 by the sixth. Kelly went the first five, and the bullpen was terrific until the ninth.

Pablo Sandoval made his second error of the game (he has been less than stellar at third so far), and that opened the gates for Texas. With a man on third and two outs, John Farrell had Koji Uehara walk the red-hot Prince Fielder, and took his chances with the just-returned Josh Hamilton, who came up as a pinch hitter and promptly doubled in both runs to give Texas a 4-3 win and they took three out of four in the series.

So, to answer the above question: Sunday was far worse. One out from victory, and the Rangers never led in the game until the final pitch. Beyond brutal. Social media is hammering Farrell for walking Fielder, but that was a pick-your-poison moment. What if Fielder had driven in the tying run, or worse, blasted a game-winning home run? "You should have walked Fielder!" the armchair managers would have been screaming in unison.

May ends a truly awful month for the Red Sox. They went 10-19, and had one of the worst month of May in their history. They averaged just 2.83 runs per game in the 29 contests, which is the third lowest rate in club history, behind just the 1906 and 1907 teams. (Thanks to Joy of Sox for the stats.) Once again, everyone knows they are in a very weak AL East, as they are just 4 games behind New York and Tampa Bay, who lead with paltry 26-25 records.

Simply stated, the Sox are a complete mess. Don't be fooled by the number of games back they are. I'm not going to sit back and offer any solutions as to what's going on. I have none. This is a team that has just not clicked since they started the year at 7-3. They are 13-26 since. That's .333 ball, folks. I don't know if firing John Farrell is any answer, who continues to remain calm through this never-ending storm.

I'd like to remain optimistic, but my optimism took a direct hit yesterday. It was one of those bad losses that can sink a season. Yeah, the math says 2015 isn't over, but really, what does your heart say?

A Glimpse of the Future in Arlington Last Night

The Red Sox gave Eduardo Rodriguez his first start in Texas last night, and the much-hyped pitching prospect sure didn't disappoint.

The lefty went 7 2/3 innings, allowed just three hits and two walks, no runs to a hot Texas Rangers lineup. He struck out five, and was never really in any serious trouble throughout the game. He showed lots of poise, and never seemed overwhelmed or intimidated.

It was the best MLB debut by a Red Sox starter since Billy Rohr's legendary near-no-hitter against the Yankees in 1967, when he pitched a shutout.

Even before Rodriguez' start last night, manager John Farrell said that no matter how it went that he would be returning to Pawtucket after it was over. But really, how do you send him back now?

Granted this is just one start, and he hasn't won any Cy Young Awards yet. But for a much-maligned starting rotation that has been much better of late, I don't see how you send back just yet. Rodriguez has earned a second look at the MLB level. He will probably be sent back at some point. But give him that first start at Fenway next week.

The moribund offense also came alive last night, especially Hanley Ramirez, who hit a bomb of a home run off Nick Martinez last night for the second Sox run. It was also nice to see the struggling Blake Swihart get two hits and drive in two runs that put the game on ice in the 8th inning.

It's been a slog of a season so far, but Eduardo Rodriguez sure gave Red Sox fans something to hope for last night. There's a long way to go, but the future may have been on display in Arlington, Texas last night.

And I hope NO ONE calls him "E-Rod."

Squandering Good Pitching Again and Again

This is getting monotonous, don't you think?

Another night of the Red Sox pitchers throwing well, and the hitters not showing up.

They dropped the series to the lowly Texas Rangers, who were struggling coming into the series. They were befuddled by two Texas lefties who aren't exactly household names.

The Red Sox offensive numbers over the last eight games are simply butt ugly. They are averaging less than 2 runs a game over the course of those games, while they have gotten a quality start from their starters in every game. They are 4-4 in those games, and with some decent support, could be 8-0.

The Sox fell behind 2-0 in the first inning last night with Clay Buchholz on the mound, and it was 3-1 by the fourth. Didn't it feel like they were 10-1 instead? That's what the pitiful lack of production has made it feel like, even when the opposition lead isn't insurmountable.

They left 12 men on base on Wednesday night, and could manage just one run. They are a staggering 0-for-12 with the bases loaded for the month of May.

OK, I'll stop there, as I could roll out many more depressingly pitiful offensive numbers, from a team that was suppose to be one of the dominant offensive forces in baseball.

Some good news: they are only three back in the rather weak AL East at 19-22. And rumors are flying that Rusney Castillo is about to be called up. He won't be a "savior" for this offense, but he could provide a spark the team desperately needs.

And sure beats watching Daniel Nava and his .172 average in right field.

An Even Split On The Road

That was one bizarre road trip the Red Sox just came off of.

They lost the first two games in Toronto by wide margins, right after firing pitching coach Juan Nieves. I was hoping they could split the ten games and not fall into last place to stay in the AL East. I thought after the first resounding defeats we'd see a 2-8 or 1-9 road trip.

Carl Willis took over as pitching coach on the last game in Toronto, and all of a sudden the pitching turned around in a hurry. (Coincidence? Perhaps.)

They beat the Blue Jays that Sunday, then went to Oakland and won the series there, and split four games in Seattle this past weekend, including beating Felix Hernandez on Saturday. They came out of the ten-game road trip 5-5.

The Sox had only one badly pitched game out west, losing the second game in Oakland, 9-2. Rick Porcello pitched two very good games and beat Hernandez. Wade Miley pitched well in Oakland and got a win, pitching 6 2/3 shutout innings. Clay Buchholz was terrific last Friday night, allowing just a run in eight innings in Seattle while striking out 11. Rookie reliever Matt Barnes got two wins out of the pen this past week, and the bullpen overall was excellent.

But what also was on display out west was the Red Sox offense struggling mightily. They were shutout on Sunday, scored just one run on Friday in a loss, and two in wins on Wednesday and Thursday.

Now, you can thank goodness for the excellent pitching this past week, or this would really have been a disasterous trip out west.

The Sox are averaging 3.97 runs per game overall, which ranks them 12th overall in the AL, and have scored two or fewer runs 15 out of 38 games so far in 2015. Pretty feeble.

Once again, they are fortunate the AL East is not a strong division. They sit right now in third place, 3 1/2 games behind New York, at 18-20.

Time to get the bats heated up again. The Sox start a six-game homestand tomorrow with the Rangers and Angels.

Time To Go West

When I looked at the Red Sox schedule last Friday and saw a 10-game trip to Toronto, Oakland and Seattle, I figured they'd have to split the trip in order to get back on track.

It sure didn't start out encouraging.

Two lifeless defeats to the Blue Jays, 7-0, and 7-1. More games where the Sox didn't hit or pitch well at all. And changes began happening.

Pitching coach Juan Nieves was fired and replaced by former Indians and Mariners pitching coach Carl Willis. Edward Mujica was DFA'd and traded to the A's. Allen Craig and Robbie Ross were both sent down to Pawtucket, replaced by Jackie Bradley and Steven Wright.

David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia held a players-only meeting after Saturday's loss. In the short run, it seems to have helped.

Clay Buchholz went to the mound in yesterday's finale, and was given a 4-0 lead in the first, capped by a Mike Napoli three-run blast. Buchholz walked three in that inning, but a double play helped him out. It looked like another one of those games, but Clay settled down, allowing three runs in 6 1/3 innings. Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara slammed the down to the get the Sox a much needed win, 6-3.

At this point, the Red Sox can really only look internally for help. Any pitching quality that teams might want to trade will not go until the July 31st deadline. At this point, their appear to be no changes to the rotation, but that could change if the next seven games prove to be a continuing misery.

BTW, how bad was Craig? Alex Speier had this incredible tidbit.

Of the 591 non-pitchers who've made at least 100 plate appearances in a Sox uniform, he has the all-time lowest BA, at .130 in 53 games. Talk about historically awful. This was from the same guy who led MLB in batting average with runners in scoring position in 2013. With Joe Kelly's struggles, it is making the John Lackey trade of last July 31 look like the worst move Ben Cherington has yet done. The Sox are stuck with Craig for two more years at $25 million. Maybe the Cardinals knew something. Yikes.

So, can the Sox take 4 of 7 from the A's and Mariners? The west coast has always been hard historically for the Red Sox, but neither team is doing well right now. (Nobody but Houston is over .500 in their division.) Right now, the Sox sit at 14-17, 5 1/2 games back.

Granted, nobody wins a pennant in May. But you can fall hopelessly out in May. It's an important week for the boys, make no mistake about that. Rick Porcello, who has been good the last two times out, begins the series in Oakland tonight.

The First Heads Roll At Fenway

As the Red Sox pitching struggles continued through Wednesday night, they took action on their Thursday off day on two fronts.

They fired pitching coach Juan Nieves. The Sox are ranked dead last in ERA in the AL, and next-to-last in MLB. Somebody as to take the fall for this slow start, and as the old saying goes "you can't fire the players," so Nieves is out. He was the pitching coach since 2013, and the Sox won it all in his first season. So, I guess he's gone from genius to dummy.

Will this have any long term positive effect on the pitching staff? Hard to say, as they have not named a replacement for him. Many people in the media are painting Nieves as a scapegoat for the Red Sox pitching troubles, and they maybe right. He didn't put together this underwhelming starting staff. I believe that is Ben Cherington's call.

Cherington said this yesterday:

"John and I simply got to the point where we felt that, in order to continue to push forward and make improvements, we needed to make a change and have a different voice in that particular position."

Make of that what you will.

Actually, the Red Sox did "fire" a player on Thursday, as the long national Edward Mujica nightmare has come to an end, as he was designated for assignment. He was a disaster of a free agent signing before the 2014 season, and this season he got off to a lousy start, with a 4.61 ERA in 13 innings. He blew the save in Yankee Stadium in early April that led to the 19 inning marathon the Sox eventually won.

It may be time to flush out more dead wood like Mujica, and the Sox brought up young reliever Matt Barnes to take his place. More moves are sure to follow.