The Boston Red Sox have clinched at least a Wild Card berth in the 2008 Major League Baseball Playoffs with a 5-4 win over the Cleveland Indians and Cliff Lee at Fenway Park in Boston.
This will be the 5th visit for the Red Sox in 6 years having won the World Series in 2004 and 2007.
The Red Sox will take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the American League Divisional Playoffs.
The Boston Red Sox, with a 3-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, have just about sealed at least a tie for the wild card playoff position for the Major league Baseball Divisional Playoffs. Fittingly, if the New York Yankees lose tonight in the last ballgame at Yankees Stadium, the Red Sox will clinch reach the playoffs. The Los Angeles Angels and the surprising Tampa Bay “Devil” Rays have already clinched playoff spots. The Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins are battling it out for the last playoff spot in the American League. As it looks at this moment, the Red Sox will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Angels. There are a lot of Red Sox fans in the area, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are the most famous, but playing the Angels will be tough. If the Devil Rays falter and lose their one and one-half game lead over the Red Sox the Sox would play either the Twins or the White Sox. The White Sox currently lead the Twins by two and a half games. The divisional playoffs are a best of five series which is kind of crazy. I’d like to see the series expanded to seven games for more excitement and more meaningful games, but I guess that is a lot of games to play in one season.
The Boston Red Sox on Monday will set a Major League Record for consecutive home game sellouts at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox’s 456th consecutive game sellout streak began on May 15, 2003 and will break the previous record set by the Cleveland Indians from 1995-2001.
The Boston Red Sox head to Chicago to take on the AL Central leading Chicago White Sox.
This series is crutial to both teams.
The Red Sox are two and a half games behind AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays while the White Sox are only a half game up on the 2nd place Minnesota Twins.
The White Sox are a hot 37-17 at U.S. Cellular Field Ballpark while the Red Sox are 26-33 on the road.
Jason Bay, traded for Manny Ramirez and appearing in his first game as a Red Sox, was instrumental to the Red Sox’s 2-1 victory over the Oakland A’s on Friday night. Jason hit a two-out triple in the bottom of the 13th inning and was driven home as the winning run.
Manny hit into a double play in the ninth inning of his first game with the Dodgers as the Dodgers lost to the Diamondbacks.
Wow. Red Sox trade Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers and get Jason Bay from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
It is the end of an era.
I will root for Manny being Manny as a Dodger this year, should be very interesting.
Jason Bay is a stud. Jason Bay and Manny have very similar stats. Manny hits a little better for average. Bay is younger, cheaper and less of a headache for the front office.
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim certainly have the Red Sox’s number this year. To make matters worse, Angels pitcher has a no-hitter going on the Red Sox through 8 innings. Lackey has walked one Red Sox. Angels lead 6-0.
Update: Dustin Pedroia broke up the no-no with a single to left, then Kevin Youkilis broke up the shut out with a two run home run. Still, the Angels are looking to make it seven straight victories over the Sox.
Rumors will be flying until the MLB trade deadline that the Red Sox will trade Manny Ramirez.
What a sorry state of affairs for Red Sox Nation, one that happens every year or so.
Theo Epstein will dangle Manny to the Dodgers, Cubs and others hoping to snag a once in a lifetime deal that will not happen.
Manny has always been ”Manny being Manny”. Manny has not changed, Manny deserves to get paid.
Manny has embarassed the Red Sox front office with Manny spouting about a trade or optionson tv and radio, but if the Red Sox cannot deal with Manny, how can they deal with big stuff like ticket prices?
I should not be so hard on the Sox front office, they have to deal wih Manny and hs evil super agent Scott B. who wants to get paid too. Manny probably should not be saying he would rather play in Iraq than Boston.
Either way, this is all talk about nothing, manny won’t get traded before the deadline and the Sox will win the pennant.
O’s snap 5 game losing streak with 7 win over Boston; Roberts goes 3-for-5, misses cycle by a home run.
Seven Red Sox All-Stars in 2008: Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz were selected as starters although Ortiz cannot play due to injury.
Jonathan Papelbon, Jason Varitek and J.D. Drew were all honored with selections as back-ups.
