This report covers games from Friday, May 31st through Thursday, June 6th.

May 28, 2013; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (15) dives for a ground ball during the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Second, and most important, Pedroia is the ultimate “dirt dog” an affectionate term used in Boston for a throwback type gamer who plays hard, gets dirty and will do anything to win no matter what. You have to remember that Pedroia bought a place that overlooks Fenway Park and paces the house on game day looking for the batting cages to be rolled out. Once he sees this happen he’s gone. He’s the first to come and the last to leave. Pedey will be taken out of the lineup only when he’s spent and  can’t go anymore. That’s simply they way the guy is wired and we love him for it.

“I didn’t expect this to come out,” Pedroia told MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “As players here, we all want our medical stuff to stay private and all that stuff. I kind of feel uncomfortable talking about it. When players are playing, we don’t want to talk about injuries and stuff like that.” Well Pedey, in any event it’s out there and as soon as you slump, if you slump, the story will grow legs again. It’s the nature of playing in the Boston media fishbowl.

May 14, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (15) misses a ground ball during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

After a lapse in leadership in 2012 – publicly sniping with then manager Bobby Valentine and sporting a sub par (for him) slashline of .290, .347, .449, .797 – Pedroia is back in fighting form in 2013.

As of Friday night’s tilt against the Twinkies in Minneapolis, Pedroia’s slashline was a gaudy .340, .429, .421, .851. Among MLB players, he is eighth in average and sixth in on base percentage. True, his pop hasn’t been present this year – a bizarre single home run after averaging 13 per year in his first six seasons – but in all other regards the guy has been killing it.

He leads all second basemen in batting average, on base percentage and walks (25) and is in a five way tie with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.

Then there are intangibles. His intensity, never say die attitude and gritty dirt dog playing style have not abated throughout his career and 2013 is no different.

The Red Sox have had plenty of good second basemen over the years; Mike Andrews, Jerry Remy, Marty Barrett, Billy Goodman and Jody Reed. With the exception of the great Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr, none of them could hold Pedey’s jock.

We have been spoiled by his consistently superior play. Don’t take it for granted. Relish his time on the field and savor the level of excellence he achieves day in and day out. Boston has him under contract through 2015 when he will turn 32. At this rate and given good health, Pedroia should be able to finish his career in Boston and be paid handsomely to do so.

Bobby Doerr’s Career Stats:
Played for Boston: 1937-1944, 1946-1951 (13 years)
Boston Stats: 1,865 G, .288 BA, 223 HR,1,247 RBI, 2,042 H, 1,094 R, 381 2B, 809 BB

Dustin Pedroia Career Stats to Date:
Played for Boston: 2006-Present (6.25 years – almost exactly 1/2 of Doerr’s career)
Boston Stats: 897 G, .304 BA, 91 HR, 426 RBI, 1079 H, 586 R, 255 2B, 374 BB

Pedroia’s Projected Stats (over the same 13 year career)
1,570 G, .289 (based on 5% drop in average in last half of career), 159 HR, 746 RBI, 1,888 H, 1,026 R, 446 2B, 655 BB

July 5, 2012; St. Louis, MO. USA; Grass is removed from St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Allen Craig (21) broken bat during a game against the Colorado Rockies at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

How can I put this delicately? The World Baseball Classic is the worst thing to happen to Major League Baseball since the Black Sox and steroids cheating scandals combined. The WBC does to MLB what the owner of a prized triple crown horse would do if she were to have it run races in other countries with no prize at stake and no clear benefit to horse racing. The horse runs three races, pulls up lame and then can’t realistically compete in The Derby, The Belmont Stakes or The Preakness. If that were to happen the owner would sooner be shot than the horse.

So why does Major League Baseball persist in this risky business other than to promote the sport worldwide and, in the process, line it’s own pockets? Honestly, clue me in. Respond to the post. I need to know the rationale. The players don’t benefit. In actuality a situation is created in which a 162 games season is at risk while turning spring training team unity on its head.

The BSI staff can cover it if they like. The WBC will not get a word from me after this post unless it relates to it’s downward spiral or players whose seasons and/or careers and have been jeopardized as a result of their participation. Think about it from a business perspective. What business person in their right mind would want to take any performance based product and deliver it to marketplace scratched and nicked up? I thought so.

The WBC is wrong and Major League Baseball is a pimp for promoting it. The WBC creates a climate for injury. It distracts players from focusing on what they are richly paid to do; win championships in Major League Baseball with their teams.

There. I feel better. Well, almost.

Click here for a list of team USA’s participants.

Dirty deeds and they’re done dirt cheap
Dirty deeds and they’re done dirt cheap
- Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, AC/DC

September 18, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (15) at bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

He’s the rarest of breeds in professional sports. Drafted by his team out of college, he came up through the minors and after breaking into the bigs has stayed with the same team for his career. He’s only 29 and remains one of the premier second basemen in Major League Baseball. Dustin Pedroia has been an All-Star, an MVP, a World Champion and, as of 2012, the recipient of an ass-kicking by the entire league on a losing Red Sox team for the first time in his career. Now, as he recently told WEEI, he wants to be a member of the Red Sox for life.

In an appearance on WEEI’s Red Sox Hot Stove show, Pedey remarked on Boston’s desire to talk about a contract extension this year, saying “That definitely, it made me smile. Obviously, I want to be a Red Sox my whole career and play in that city, turn this whole thing around to get back to where we were my first couple years there.”

It’s a feel good story that fans may want but carries with it some weighty realities that will need to be thought through. Boston owns Pedroia’s contract for the next two years with an option for 2015. By the time his next contract kicks in he’ll be 32. If he’s as serious about staying in Boston as he says he is, he’ll be looking for 3-4 years and a fat payday.

A contract of that term would take Pedroia into his mid-thirties and put the Sox on the hook when the possibility of his risk to injury and resulting potential loss of production is more of  a reality. Given Pedroia’s history of flat out, no holds barred field play and vicious swing at the plate, the odds tilt in favor of an injury, possibly career-ending or long-term debilitating.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the guy. Up until last season, when I wished I had seen a different kind of leader emerge instead of the sometimes snarky and petulant Pedroia, he hasn’t been able to do any wrong. I’d take eight other guys just like him and go to war any day, any time.

But baseball is a business too. If Boston both wants to think this far ahead and thinks enough of Pedey to essentially grant him the baseball equivalent of franchising, they should also plan for the future. Crap happens. People get injured. Circumstances change. If Boston is going to do it, be bold. Extend the contract and be equally forward thinking by looking at the hottest high school and early career college second basemen in the nation. Ice one, bring him along through the system and for goodness sake give him enough time with with Pedroia so that Pedey can help to hone the skill set. The work ethic and the fire in the belly, however, needs to come from within to be consistently at the top of your game.

How exactly is this accomplished? If I knew that I’d be at the right hand of Ben Cherington and not popping off from the comfort of my chair at home.

Takes a second to say goodbye
Say goodbye, oh, oh, oh
It takes a second to say goodbye
Say goodbye, oh, oh, oh, say bye bye
- Seconds, U2 

September 26, 2012; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (15) is introduced to the crowd as part of pre-game ceremonies prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Rays during at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-US PRESSWIRE

Over the past two days writers Conor Duffy and Mike Lavery have been all over second base – from Dustin Pedroia‘s new opportunities to lead both on the field and in the clubhouse to Boston’s prospects and bench players who can both spell Pedey over the course of a long season or play a longer term role if he goes down for a prolonged period of time.

Let’s get down to business. Pedroia had an off year last season. Although he’s still a top tier second baseman, his average was off 13 points from his career average. As you work down the list – OBP, off 22 points; Slugging, off 12 points, On Base Plus Slugging, off 33 points – it simply wasn’t a typical Pedroia year at the plate. At 15 homers, he still had some pop but also had some stretches where he was simply ineffective, especially after coming back from his thumb injury. He was great in the field as usual, sucking up anything that got close to him and frankly getting to balls that the majority of second baseman in the league couldn’t approach.

Remember, this is a guy who religiously practices diving for balls to both his left and right. He comes of the practice field dirty and leaving it all out there.

With the retirement of Boston’s elder statesmen Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield, Pedroia – along with David Ortiz – is at a point in his career where the torch has been passed. If you aggregate a number of off-field comments and actions from the 2012 season, Pedey appears to have missed the handoff. He publicly took on Bobby Valentine early in the season and when the chips got down he appeared to turn inward.

Yeah, it sucks being on a losing team. Anyone who has ever played sports understands that and remembers the pain. If you’ve ever been on a really bad team you also remember those on the team who rose above it and created something cool in the midst of the frustration as well as those that wallowed in the abyss and made it worse. This is the crux of Pedroia’s challenge as the clock starts to inch toward spring training and as he stands firmly at the mid-point of his career.

September 18, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (15), center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (2) and shortstop Jose Iglesias (58) high five teammates after they beat the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 7-5. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

If he can infuse young talent with the same passion, work ethic and love of the game that he possesses – prospects like Sean Coyle, Jose Iglesias and Xander Bogaerts – they will more quickly gel and the destruction of the team from the inside out that has taken place over the past two years can more quickly become a thing of the past. Show Pedro Ciriaco some tips about plate discipline and he’ll shine ever more brightly. Once Ciriaco is able to work a count properly he can be a threat over the course of a season.

It’s up to you Pedey. What kind of leader do you want to be? Whether you know it or not, all eyes now turn toward you to set the tone of professionalism, grit and determination. Channel your inner fire and ignite a new crop of teammates. You are the cornerstone on the road back.

Can’t stand up on my feet in the city 
Got to get back to the real nitty gritty 
Yes sir, No sir 
Don’t come close to my 
Home sweet home…
- Last Child, Aerosmith 

So what can we expect from Pedroia next season?

Bobby Valentine congratulates Dustin Pedroia after they beat the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Although I was well ahead of the rest of the media pulling for a Jacoby Ellsbury for Elvis Andrus trade (One of my many Ells/Andrus articles), it seems right now that Ellsbury will stay in Boston for this season with Arizona a more likely candidate to trade with Texas. With Ellsbury plus the Red Sox resigning Ortiz make some pretty good pieces of bread in the Pedroia sandwich.  Yum. So we should expect Pedroia to put up numbers that we’ve gotten use to watching. Barring an injury Pedroia should continue to be a top-3 second baseman with Robinson Cano being the only clear cut player ahead of Dustin. He will drive in a solid amount of runs while having a steady bat behind him to drive him in as long as he continues to get on base.

The last question I have about Pedroia is this – Will Dustin emerge as a team leader? I’m not saying he hasn’t been a leader of some sort in the past but last season seemed like a year without a focus, without a leader, without a voice, and without a sniff of the playoffs. Besides Pedrioa, the only obvious leader on the team is David Ortiz. And we saw Ortiz take things personally with the media and personally with the management. A lot of things we heard from him were about his contract concerns. It went from we’re gonna get you to I gotta get mine. Maybe with a multi-year contract Ortiz will focus on leading this team again. But what about Dustin? It would be hard to envision a team with Ortiz after this contract runs out and maybe Pedroia needs to step up to be the top dog on the team. A player who played cribbage daily with Terry Francona lost his (figurative) competitive edge last year maybe bringing back Terry’s former pitching coach John Ferrell to manage the team will put a spark into Pedroia and develop a leadership relationship with the manager. Let’s not forget that Bobby Valentine quickly lost his connection with the veterans last year that can be restored this season starting with Pedroia.

It would appear that less than 24 hours after being diagnosed with a fractured finger, Pedroia will indeed be in tonight’s lineup at New York (in his usual spot – playing second base and batting second) and plans to play in the season’s final two games. Pedroia, according to Rob Bradford on WEEI earlier this afternoon, said he wanted to play in the games because they still mean something even though the Red Sox are completely out of the playoff chase. New York stands just a game ahead of Baltimore, and with two games remaining on the season the outcome of these last two Sox games may play a big role in which team ultimately is crowned AL East Champion. Boston may not have anything to gain by winning tonight and/or tomorrow’s games at the Yankees, but by winning those games they can potentially help one division rival unseat another atop the standings.

While it may prove for naught if Baltimore can’t defeat the Tampa Bay Rays in their final two games, it’s tough to find fault in Pedroia’s stance and his desire to play. Hopefully his presence in the lineup proves to be helpful and he doesn’t hurt himself any further by playing, which he’s likely doing in spite of doctor’s orders.

Everyone is doing great and there is another Pedroia in the world.  We also learnt this morning that Pedroia will rejoin the club sometime this weekend in Toronto.  Manager Bobby Valentine had nothing but praise for his second baseman and indicated he wasn’t certain what day exactly Pedroia would be available to suit up in his beloved Red Sox uniform.

“He’s one of the best players in baseball,” Valentine said. “There’s a few of them that are out of that lineup. We miss him. We hope he hurries back.”

With the Red Sox out of contention and not playing for anything other than respect, Pedroia deserves the time off to be with
his family during this joyous time.  Pedey has always played with his heart on his sleeve and over the past month his bat is heating up as he approaches the .300 batting average, more indicative of his career.

Whenever Pedroia does return you can bet he’ll have the same passion and fire that he always plays with.  The Red Sox 2012 season will be one to forget, but Pedey and his family, the year 2012 has it’s reasons to celebrate and we wish him and his family nothing but health and happiness.

Pedroia will not be in the lineup on Thursday as he will be with his family during this joyous occassion.  Ivan De Jesus, one of the players who came over from the LA Dodgers as part of the Adrian Gonzalez trade will occupy second base tonight in Pedroia’s absence.

It is not known how soon Pedey will rejoin the club or if he’ll depart with them for the upcoming road trip that sees the team head to Toronto this weekend and then on to sunny Tampa Bay for a four game set that opens up on Monday.

Congratulations to the Pedroia’s.

Feb 25, 2012; Fort Myers FL, USA; Boston Red Sox president chief executive officer Larry Lucchino (left), owner John W. Henry (center), and chairman Thomas Werner (right) hold a press conference prior to spring training at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Not having posted my usual weekly column in about three weeks due to vacation and a persistent lack of willpower due to RedSox-itis – the symptoms of which include repeated kicks to the solar plexus causing pain, loss of wind and a finger that just can’t stop pointing – I knew I had to man up today and face the music. If only the team could do the same.

And Now Back To Another Installment of “As My Gut Churns”…
We now know that nearly three weeks ago Adrian Gonzalez and other frustrated Red Sox players fired off a text message to Sox owners Larry Lucchino and John Henry, apparently incensed after Bobby Valentine left Jon Lester in a July 22, 11-run beat down. The usually quiet Gonzo was among the most vocal critics of Valentine along with Dustin Pedroia.

The meeting, attended by some but not all Red Sox players, underscored another issue with the club; those in the camp that are purportedly scapegoating Valentine to deflect attention away from their own sub-par performance and those that will have none of it.

The meeting was held, grievances were aired and as GM Ben Cherington later told the media, “The intent of the meeting was to provide a forum for people to express whatever frustration needed to be expressed at a time during the season when things were not going exactly the way we wanted to on the field in hopes that we could put whatever issues were there aside and focus on playing games the rest of the season.” (as reported by Yahoo! Sports Jeff Passen).

They had the meeting, Cherington and Boston brass hoped that getting this out in the open would ignite a fire and a late season streak would ensue. Three weeks later it’s apparent that the meeting did not have the desired effect.

Meanwhile Back On The Baseball Field…
Clay Buchholz continued to chug along, amassing a 10-3 record while lowering his ERA to a respectable 4.19. He achieved this over the past three weeks with one great complete game outing and one solid, gutsy performance in Baltimore on Thursday night.

Pedro Ciriaco continued to impress in the field and at bat (.316, .414, .609). He DH’d for a still injured David Ortiz (prediction, Papi is gone for the year), played second, short and third and was in the offensive mix. What’s not to like about this guy?

Jon Lester had one very good outing over the past three weeks. Josh Beckett had zero.

Scott Podsednik was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of the Matt Albers deal, was released by the D Backs and picked back up off the waiver wire by the Sox. Tonight Scotty Pods is playing right field in Yankee Stadium. In 25 games for the Red Sox, Podsednik is batting .384 with a .410 OBP and .479 slugging percentage. Hint; hold on to this guy at least until the end of the year.

Will Middlebrooks suffered a broken wrist on August 11, went on the DL but reportedly will not need surgery and today was spotted performing fielding drills with a cast on.

Boston dropped two of three against the Orioles this week in Baltimore to kick off the stretch run to the end of the season. Oh how times have changed. Who would have thought that the perceived aberration at the end of the 2011 season would become a trend in 2012.

When World’s Collide…
What’s are the two common threads that bind these two worlds together?
1. The inmates are spending more energy running or at least attempting to run the asylum.
2. Front office management isn’t managing.

Players: Take care of business on the field and everything else takes care of itself. If you were in first place looking 12.5 games down on the Yankees right now your team spirit-crippling issues would be mere blips on the radar.
Owners: When you send a letter to Red Sox Nation stating that “We want to play October baseball”, mean it. Larry Lucchino published a July 13 letter shortly after the All-Star break stating just that. What happened? Zero, zilch, nada. Matt Albers and Scott Podsednik for Craig Breslow (the left-handed Matt Albers) was the move that was going to turn things around and put the team over the top?

Lack of will, lack of trust, lack of leadership and lack of respect distracted the team at a critical juncture in the season. NESN broadcasting duo  Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy said during game one of the Yankees series Friday night that they believed it had all blown over and that the team, owners and Valentine had more respect for one another. A 6-4 New York win Friday night contradicts that statement.

Didn’t you know 
I was waiting on you
Waiting on a dream 
That’ll never come true
Didn’t you know 
I was waiting on you
My face turnt to stone
When I heard the news
- Real Bad News, Kanye West 

August 16, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) pitches in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE

Thursday night in Baltimore Clay Buchholz continued to be a bright spot in an otherwise blotchy Red Sox starting rotation in Boston’s series finale against the Orioles. He got down early, bent, did not break and actually got better and stronger as the game progressed.

Early on, it looked like a typical Sox starter scenario. Buccholz gave up two runs in the first on an Adam Jones double that scored Nick Markakis and J.J. Hardy and got down 3-1 in the second on a Mark Reynolds homer (Boston got a run in the top of the second on a Scott Podsednik single to score Nick Punto).

Boston’s bats awakened in the middle innings when they scored two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth. Orioles pitcher Chris Tillman wild pitched Carl Crawford home in the fifth with Adrian Gonzalez at the plate and Gonzo then hit a sac fly to score Dustin Pedroia. In the sixth inning, Pedey, Gonzo and Cody Ross strung together three singles with Podsednik and Carl Crawford aboard to put Boston up for good 6-3.

After the second inning, Buchholz shut down the Birds the rest of the way until he was replaced in the ninth inning by Alfredo Aceves. Buchholz retired the Orioles in order in the third, fourth and sixth innings. Even in the eighth when it looked like Buchholz was tiring after a one out double by Nate McLouth he reared back firing some serious stuff, getting Jones to pop out and striking out Matt Wieters to squelch the threat. Buchholz scattered eight hits, struck out seven, lowered his ERA to 4.19 and moved his record to 10-3.

Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you’re chewing on life’s gristle
Don’t grumble, give a whistle
And this’ll help things turn out for the best…
And…always look on the bright side of life… 
Always look on the light side of life.
- Always Look On The Bright Side of Life, Eric Idle (Monty Python) 

Yes, there are many reasons to dislike Big John and to further rub salt in the wounds we have to watch him in the dugout every night, smiling and joking with his teammates and all we can think is “how dare he sit in there and disrupt things.”  We also love to slander Lackey and blame him for the toxic clubhouse that we’ve been led to believe is happening with our beloved Red Sox. He was also labelled as one of the three culprits in the chicken and beer scandal that rocked Red Sox Nation last season, further cementing his status and dis-likability factor with Red Sox fans.

But have we been to hard on Lackey?  Have we, the passionate fan, judged a book by it’s cover, only to discover that what’s inside is actually quite likable and enjoyable?  That appears to be the case, at least according to a few of Lackey’s teammates.

John Tomase of the Boston Herald has the story and it’s quite an interesting read.

Lackey was seen in the Boston clubhouse sipping on a cold Bud Light after Thursday’s loss in Cleveland, a loss that further kicked the Red Sox hopes down another rung on the insurmountable postseason ladder.  How dare Lackey drink beer in the clubhouse after all that happened last year.  Right?  Wrong!  Turns out drinking in the clubhouse while on the road is not against team rules and Lackey wasn’t the only player enjoying a bubbly.

His teammates stick up for Lackey at the drop of a hat and they can’t understand why all the hate the 33-year old recieves.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was quoted by Tomase as saying the following:

“The reason nobody has anything good to say about him is the media writes nothing but bad (expletive) about him for some reason,” Saltalamacchia said. “Nobody understands why. He’s a great teammate because he cares about every person in this clubhouse, he does the right things, he’s not a prima donna who thinks he’s better than the game.”

Dustin Pedroia has respect for the former Angels ace because of his work ethic and desire to compete:

“The guy went out and pitched last year with a torn elbow. It’s hard enough playing in this atmosphere alone, but the guy went out and pitched for his team and grinded and did all he could. Yeah, his numbers weren’t what they normally are, but there’s a reason for that. He was hurt.”

“He never complained. He took the ball and now he’s rehabbing. That’s the part that’s frustrating.”

What about having him travel with the team while he’s rehabbing, even though he’s likely to miss the rest of the 2012 season.  Shouldn’t that be disallowed?  Actually no. The collective bargaining agreement allows Lackey to rehab where he chooses, which happens to be with the Red Sox everyday medical staff instead of staying in Fort Myers, Florida.

I have been a huge critic of Lackey and was ready to write an article further ripping the Texas native, arguing that it’s his influence that we’ve seen affect Jon Lester and Josh Beckett so poorly over the past three years.  It seems every start that Beckett and Lester make now a days they have a gripe with the umpire over a missed call and they’re not afraid to have their body language show it.  Something that Lackey was famous for.  Coincidence or just bad timing?  How about a bad influence?

Tomase elaborates on this particular topic and it turns out that Lackey is one of the most popular guys in the clubhouse, especially with his fellow pitchers.

From Jon Lester:

“People think he’s the reason we supposedly have a toxic clubhouse,” Lester said. “People think we have cliques here. He’ll go from talking to Mikey Aviles to talking to Mark Melancon to hanging out with me to talking to Buchhy to over there talking to Scotty Pods(ednik). He doesn’t care who you are, what you do, how much money you make, he’s your friend, he’s your buddy.”

Here’s the part that raised my eyebrows.  Lackey is known for picking up dinner tabs and cab fares for the rookies and younger players.  Not because they can’t afford it, but because he believes it helps to build a tight-knit team.  Something that Josh Beckett has been stating the Red Sox have all season long.

Lackey tells his teammates that guys took care of him when he was a young player and he wants to do the same for those on this team.  It’s his way of giving back to a game that has given John Lackey a lot over his 10-year playing career that started out with the now defunct name, Anaheim Angels.

So we read the warm and fuzzy stories on John Lackey and it should help in changing our opinions of him.  But in a sport where it’s “what have you done for me lately” Lackey still has to win the fans back.  Picking up tabs and being a good teammate is all fine and dandy and it’s nice to hear, but until he starts helping this team win ballgames, the team that Red Sox Nation adores so much, the verdict on John Lackey is unlikely to change.  Until he starts earning that lucrative contract and not just chewing bubble gum in the dugout and slamming back beers in the clubhouse, John Lackey will remain at the top of the villain list amongst Red Sox fans.  Afterall, it’s winning that we care about and for now, he’s still an overpaid reminder of another poor contract that Theo Epstein handed out in his final years in Boston.

Good luck John.  If you truly are this remarkable teammate then I’ll pull for you when you return next season.  Let’s just hope that you return to your Los Angeles form, otherwise the warm and fuzzies are all for not.

Aug 10, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (left) is congratulated by designated hitter David Ortiz (34) after his complete game win over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

There are times during a lousy season, even in the midst of a particularly terrible stretch of baseball, when you can’t help but get caught up in a special performance. It’s the most delicious of escapes. Your team has consistently let you down all year but for, in the his case, 2 hours and 40 minutes you suspend belief that your team is for all intents and purposes not playing October baseball and revel in the excellence.

The 2012 Red Sox are a very ordinary and sometimes maddeningly self- flagellating bunch. Big change needs to happen to shake up the team and it appears the starting gun was fired today. Shortly before game time at Progressive Field as the Sox looked to snap a three-game losing streak it was announced that Boston had placed Mike Aviles, Carl Crawford, Nick Punto and Kelly Shoppach on waivers.

Thus the stage was set for Clay Buchholz who responded in a big way, tossing a two-hit, two-run, complete game win. After starting off by giving up a solo homer in the first to Asdrubal Cabrera, Buchholz went to work in earnest. Save for a fielding error by Dustin Pedroia and a throwing error by Aviles on the same play in the sixth inning that allowed another run, Buchholz was in control.

It took Buchholz just 104 pitches – 72 for strikes – to bag the win. His control and pitch placement were spot on and he had his full arsenal of pitches working for him. He retired the last 12 Indians in a row and 18 of the last 19 batters he faced.

Many Cleveland hitters looked helpless against Buchholz, who struck out six and walked none. Since the All-Star break Buchholz is 2-1 with a 1.79 ERA and continues to be Boston’s bright spot in the starting rotation.

Boston tied the game in the fourth when Pedroia singled to score Aviles. Cody Ross put the Sox up 3-1 with a two-run bomb in the sixth after Pedroia had singled. That’s all Buchholz would need.

The game essentially meant next to nothing. Yet there I was pulling for Buchholz and the Sox in the ninth and celebrating when Boston’s righty moved his record to a very respectable 9-3. Addiction is a terrible thing.

Downer of the Night:
Will Middlebrooks getting hit by a pitch on the wrist in the top of the ninth and getting removed from the game.

Beckett was awful right from the outset, allowing the first three batters to reach base that included a two-run triple by Josh Hamilton.  Adrian Beltre would bring in Hamilton on a sac fly and it was 3-0 Texas before Beckett could record an out.

But Boston battled and the bats showed up starting in the bottom of the first scoring two runs on an Adrian Gonzalez and a single by Cody Ross. The Red Sox would tie the game in the third thanks to a Ross home run, his 17th of the season, before Beckett would serve up two more meatballs in the fifth on home runs to Mitch Moreland (a solo shot) and Hamilton (a two-run shot).

Yet again, the Red Sox offense wouldn’t roll over on what was a gorgeous afternoon at Fenway.  Gonzalez ripped another run scoring double and would later score on a pass ball by reliever Roy Oswalt, pulling the Sox to within one.

Then Beckett was back out there for the sixth and he again did his best to try and sink the Sox, serving up his third home run of the day, this time a two-run blast to Geovany Soto to extend the Rangers lead to 8-5.

Texas would get one more in the seventh when Nelson Cruz went deep, setting up a dramatic bottom half of the inning that saw yet another rally by the Red Sox.

Gonzalez collected his third double of the day and third RBI, plating Dustin Pedroia, before Will Middlebrooks tied the game with one swing of the bat, belting his fifteenth home run on the season, a three-run shot.

Rather than have a heroic day at Fenway, the bullpen, namely Alfredo Aceves could not give the Sox that chance.  Aceves, who has looked a little worn out lately, took over for Clayton Mortenson who put the first two men on.  Andrus advanced to third thanks to a Hamilton single and was brought home on another Beltre sac fly, giving Texas the lead.

The Sox did catch a break when Nelson Cruz’s long, hit ball was deemed foul, avoiding another two-run home run and essentially giving the Sox a chance.

The bottom of the ninth provided more drama when Cody Ross doubled to left, putting the tying run in scoring position.  But the veteran reliever Joe Nathan would get a pair of rookies to strike out swinging on his nasty slider to end the ball game.  Both Will Middlebrooks and Ryan Lavarnway bit hard on Nathan’s put away pitch, ending the game and ending any hope of a walk-off victory.  You could feel the slider coming when Nathan got ahead of both kids, but the inexperience maybe showed through on this day.

The loss puts the Red Sox back to two games below the .500 mark and something must be done about Josh Beckett.  He isn’t even close to being an effective starter lately and we’ll have more on that in a post tomorrow.

Pedroia has struggled this season when you compare his numbers to those of his career.  Injuries have played a major part of that and Pedey is also not used to losing, something he has never really experienced during his Red Sox tenure.  So when he was called out on a disputable checked swing call by the first base umpire and Pedroia continued his bantering in the ninth inning, he was clearly frustrated with more than the call and needed to vent.

Some might say he embarrassed himself as it was only the second ejection of his career.  Some might say he embarrassed the Red Sox even further in what has been a circus like atmosphere in and around the club, right from the outset of Spring Training.  Or you could say he was showing his frustration, something that everyone at the Sox club is sure to be feeling.  In a sense you could argue that Pedroia took one for the team, taking the spotlight away from what was another heartbreaking loss for starter Jon Lester and a loss that once again sends the Sox below the .500 level.  A stat that will only fuel the headlines and snickering from around baseball from the people that love to hate on the Red Sox.

Much has been made of Pedroia’s leadership or lack there of this season, a debate for another day.  While I won’t sit here and condone what he did or how he did it, I will say that I understand as to why he did it.  Perhaps he was showing his teammates that he does care and he’ll take the lead in expressing to the umpires (who had a rough night) that in a game so critical to the Sox season, they won’t roll over and be abused.

Jon Lester was brilliant for the first five innings, allowing two hits and keeping the Rangers powerful offense at bay.  The problem was the Red Sox could not muster much against Ryan Dempster who started for Texas as he kept it a scoreless game entering the sixth inning.

The next two frames were a little rough for the Red Sox lefty.  He’d surrender four more hits and four earned runs, but still left an impressive outing on the mound despite being saddled with the loss that sees his record drop to a jaw dropping 5-10 on the year.  His last two performances, Lester has not been rewarded for fine outings and he, like so many others are clearly frustrated. Something to build on?  Sure it is, but he needs a few bounces to go his way to keep his confidence where he needs it to be in order to excel at this level.

The offense was dormant for most of the night, with the exception of the seventh inning when Will Middlebrooks pinch hit for Nick Punto and the kid did not disappoint.  With two men on, Middlebrooks roped a frozen line to left, a call that would be reviewed and would stand, giving the rookie third baseman his 14th homer of the year.

That is as close as the Sox would come when the bullpen surrendered two more runs, both singles in the eighth and ninth, capping off an extremely frustrating night of baseball.

With the day game on Wednesday and the rubber match of the series, is it too soon to start calling it a must win?

Pedey goes double wild. Aug 6, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (15) hits a double and drives in a run against Texas Rangers starting pitcher Yu Darvish (11) during the fourth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE

Yu Darvish has been pretty good this year. The 6′ 5″, 215 lb. righty from Japan, while not setting Major League Baseball afire, was 11-7 going into last night’s game with a 4.38 ERA. He’s chewed up over 130 innings so far in 2012, is fifth in the AL in strikeouts (145) and is seventh in opponent batting average (.229). Yep, Darvish has been pretty good. Just not Monday night.

The good news for the Rangers is that Darvish struck out nine Red Sox batters. That bad news was that when he wasn’t striking them out they were hitting him – hard. For Boston hitters at the top of the lineup, Darvish’s offerings became the daily double. Dustin Pedroia banged out three two-baggers, Jacoby Ellsbury smoked him for two doubles and both Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzales each got one double as Boston scored early and often (Crawford would later bang another RBI double high off the scoreboard against Texas reliever Michael Kirkman).

When the pounding stopped Darvish had given up 11 hits and six runs over 6 2/3 innings and the Sox were off and running en route to a 9-2 romp over arguably the best team in the American League.

Ellsbury (3-5, 1 RBI, 3 runs scored), Crawford (2-4, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored), Pedroia (3-4, 1 RBI, 1 run scored) and Adrian Gonzales (3-5, 3 RBI) simply destroyed the Rangers, needing very little help from the bottom of the lineup.

Darvish was off for sure. Conversely, Aaron Cook was dead on. Over seven complete innings, Cook scattered six hits, gave up one earned run and completely tamed the Rangers’ big bats. Josh Hamilton and David Murphy each went 1-4 with limited damage. Three Texas hitters went 0-fer as Cook retired the side in order in the third, fourth and sixth.

I said, hey! you! get off of my cloud
Hey! you! get off of my cloud
Hey! you! get off of my cloud
Don’t hang around cause twos a crowd
On my cloud, baby
- Get Off Of My Cloud, The Rolling Stones 

There have been bright spots this season that gave us hope that maybe this club is on the verge of turning things around.  After a miserable start to the last road trip the Red Sox take two of three from the Evil Empire in the Bronx, something that very few people saw coming.

Then they return home and take two of three from the Detroit Tigers, a team many thought would walk away with the Central division but find themselves under performing, much like their Boston foes.

The Sox entered the four game set against the Twins just 3.5 games back in the Wild Card hunt and very much alive and well after winning the last two series.  And with the bottom feeding Twins in town, surely three of four would be possible for the Red Sox.  Now, they’ll have to try and salvage a split.

The reaction on Twitter immediately following the game last night was a mood that Debbie Downer would be proud of.  Reactions such as “what a rotten game” and “stick a fork in them.”  Others weren’t so polite using rated R words that are best not repeating.  Other reactions included “everyone on waivers tomorrow, Ben” and “time to start thinking about draft position.”  This is a fan base on the edge of the cliff and ready to jump given their devotion to this club, only to be disappointed as one wrote on Twitter “just when they build you, they tear you down.”  Well said.

But the Sox had chances to win the game.  Not only did they get out to a 5-1 start, they had the bases loaded in the eighth with only one out.  Jacoby Ellsbury struck out and Dustin Pedroia flied out to right.  Wait, what?  Both Ellsbury and Pedroia failed to bring in what would have been the winning run?  Yes, sadly both players who have been so dominant in their careers in those late game spots could not come through when needed.

Then again in the ninth after two lumbering bats of Cody Ross and Adrian Gonzalez failed to get on base, the kid Ryan Lavarnway doubled off the Monster to again give the Fenway Faithful hope that maybe their club could salvage this game.  With Will Middlebrooks at the dish, I for one envisioned a long double off the wall in left to score the winning run.  Cue the shredder, Nick Punto when Middlebrooks reaches home.  Sadly I was left to wonder what could have been when the rookie grounded out to third.

After the Twins scored in the top half of the tenth, the Sox went away quietly in the bottom, handing the game to the Twins in what was as heartbreaking loss as one can recall in recent memory.  For whatever reason, this club just doesn’t have that killer instinct. Some blame the manager, some blame the players or the owners.  Some blame the players for blaming the manager.  Either way you cut it, this club is below .500 and appear to be a hovering .500 club for the season until proven otherwise.  This latest loss confirms that.

There are a few notes that are worth highlighting as we get set for the Red Sox Hall of Fame Ceremony prior to the game tonight.  Most noticeably, Mike Aviles returns to the lineup after missing five games with a turf toe condition.  Aviles is penciled in at the number nine slot and will play his usual shortstop position.

Recent call-up Ryan Lavarnway will serves as the DH tonight meaning the speedy and entertaining Pedro Ciriaco has the night off.  Given how well Ciriaco has played since being called up, some Red Sox fans are wondering if suddenly Aviles could become expendable?

Dustin Pedroia will return to his common number two spot in the lineup after experimenting in the number three hole.  Carl Crawford had spent numerous games batting second in hopes of kick starting his season and given his success in Tampa Bay as the number two batter, it was worth a shot.  Alas, Crawford continues to hit a mere .222 on the season and has been again put in at the number seven spot.

Kelly Shoppach, who’s name was swirling in the winds of trade last month will get the start behind the plate tonight.  One staggering statistic that bodes well for Shoppach and not so much for Salty is that the Red Sox are 24-13 when Shoppach starts and just 29-39 when Salty gets the nod.  Call it coincidence or call it fate, maybe Salty’s name should be the one that is shopped around this month on the waiver wire.

For the record, Ryan Lavarnway got the start last night and technically the Red Sox are 0-1 when the kid is catching.

Felix Doubront gets the ball for the Red Sox.  He’s 10-5 with a 4.37 ERA and he’ll be opposed by Brian Duensing for the Twins who’s 2-6 with a 4.53 ERA.