CATCHING UP

Okay, I haven't done the Man of the Game, or the B*tch-Goat in quite some time, so I'm going to play some catch up to get back on track.

6-5, @ NYY, L 13-5:
Man of the Game: Jason Giambi* - 1 for 2, 3 run HR, 3 walks, 3 runs scored

B*tch-Goat:
Beckett: 0.7 - 1.1 IP, 7 ER, 8 R
Van Buren: 0.3 - 1.1 IP, 5 ER

6-6, @ NYY, L 2-1:
Man of the Game: Chieng Meng-Wang - 7 IP, ER

B*tch-Goat:
Crisp: 0.2 - 1 for 4, 4 LOB
Nixon: 0.2 - 0 for 4, 3 LOB
Varitek: 0.1 - 0 for 4, K
Cora: 0.1 - 0 for 3, 4 LOB
Seanez: 0.1 - inherited runner scored
Pauley: 0.3 - 6.2 IP, 2 ER

6-8, @ NYY, W 9-3:
Man of the Game: Curt Schilling - 8 IP, 3 ER, 4 K

6-9, TEX, W 4-3:
Man of the Game: Trot Nixon - 4 for 4, 3 run, 2 out HR, double

6-10, TEX, L 7-4:
Man of the Game: Hank Blalock - 3 for 4, HR, 2 RBI, 3 Runs, BB

B*tch-Goat:
Lester: 0.6 - 4.1 IP, 3 ER
Tavarez: 0.2 - 2.1 IP, 2 ER
Foulke: 0.1 - IP, 2 ER
Lowell: 0.1 - 0 for 4, 3 LOB

6-11, TEX, W 5-4:
Man of the Game: David Ortiz - 2 for 4, 4 RBI, GW 3 run HR with 2 outs, down by 2 runs

6-11, TEX, L 13-6:
Man of the Game: Mark DeRosa - 4 for 6, 2 RBI, 2 Runs, SB

B*tch-Goat:
Pauley: 0.6 - 5 IP, 6 ER
Tavarez: 0.1 - 1.1 IP, ER
Seanez: 0.2 - 0.2 IP, 2 ER
Foulke: 0.1 - 2 IP, 4 ER

6-13, @ MIN, L 5-2:
Man of the Game: Johan Santana - 8 IP, ER

B*tch-Goat:
Tavarez: 0.7 - IP, 4 ER
Crisp: 0.3 - 0 for 6, 2 K, 7 LOB

6-14, @ MIN, L 8-1:
Man of the Game: Justin Morneau - 2 for 4, Grand Slam, BB

B*tch-Goat:
Clement: 0.4 - 4.2 IP, 3 ER
Van Buren: 0.2 - 0.2 IP, 4 ER
Delcarmen: 0.2 - 1.2 IP, ER, Grand Slam HR
Nixon: 0.1 - 0 for 3, 3 LOB
Varitek: 0.1 - 0 for 4, 6 LOB

6-15, @ MIN, L 5-3:
Man of the Game: Carlos Silva - 6 IP, 0 ER

B*tch-Goat:
Wakefield: 0.5 - 6 IP, 3 ER, 4 R
Ramirez: 0.2 - 0 for 5, 2 K, 6 LOB
Mirabelli: 0.2 - 0 for 3, PB
Tavarez: 0.1 - IP, ER

6-16, @ ATL, W 4-1:
Man of the Game: Jon Lester - 6 IP, ER, 3 K

6-17, @ ATL, W 5-3:
Man of the Game: David Ortiz - 2 for 3, 2B, HR, BB, 2 RBI, 2 Runs

6-18, @ ATL, W 10-7:
Man of the Game: Kevin Youkilis - 2 for 6, 2 run HR in 8th

6-19, WAS, W 6-3:
Man of the Game: Manny Ramirez - 2 for 5, 2B, HR

6-20, WAS, W 11-3:
Man of the Game: Mark Loretta - 3 for 5, 3 RBI, Run

6-21, WAS, W 9-3:
Man of the Game: David Ortiz - 2 for 4, 2 out Grand Slam, 4 RBI, 2 Runs, BB

6-23, PHI, W 10-2:
Man of the Game: Josh Beckett - 8 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 8 K, no-hitter thru 5.1 IP

6-24, PHI, W 5-3:
Man of the Game: David Ortiz - 2 for 5, GW 2 run HR in 10th

6-26, PHI, W 8-7:
Man of the Game: Kevin Youkilis - 2 for 6, 2B, game tying RBI in 12th, scored game winning run on Ortiz single

6-27, NYM, W 9-4:
Man of the Game: Manny Ramirez - 2 for 4, 2B, 2 RBI (both with 2 outs), Run, BB, Assist

6-28, NYM, W 10-2:
Man of the Game: Josh Beckett - 7.2 IP, 2 ER, 7 K

6-29, NYM, W 4-2:
Man of the Game: Curt Schilling - 7 IP, 2 ER, 6 K, Pickoff

So there we go, all up to date.

SMALL BALL AND DEFENSE? NOT YOUR FATHER'S RED SOX WIN 12th STRAIGHT

Bunt singles, diving catches, stolen bases, sacrifices, and some great pitching combined for a 4-2 Red Sox victory over the Mets for sweep #3 in a row, and the 12th win in a row. The last time the Sox won 12 straight was in '95 during Morgan Magic. That was also the last time we won the AL East.

David Ortiz hit homer #23 of the season and his 200th career blast. 111 of those have come in the past 3 years. Loretta also knocked one out. The Sox had 3 bunts, two of which were for singles, one was a sacrifice that moved Crisp to 3rd base to be knocked in by a Youkilis Sac-Fly.

Crisp had a sparkplug kind of night with the bunt single, scoring the go ahead run, stealing 2nd base beforehand, and making a sensational catch on a ball that would have tied the game and extended the 8th inning.

The Sox move to 4 games up on the idle New York Yankees and 5 up on the Blue Jays. The Sox fly down to the Port of Miami (Rick Ross song) to play the upsurging Marlins. Newcomer Jason Johnson faces Dontrelle Willis in the opener. Wake goes against Brian Moehler in Saturday's game. In the finale, Jon Lester goes against Josh Johnson.

After the Marlins, the Sox stay in Florida to play the (Devil) Rays, then go to Chicago to play the White Sox. Then it is All-Star break time. This time, it counts!