WELCOME BACK BRADY, AND NICE TO MEET YOU JULIAN EDELMAN

When your team goes 11-5, doesn't make the playoffs, and is welcoming back their MVP QB, it's hard not to get overly excited for a preseason opener. I'm probably a bit more optimistic than I should be after a 27-25 preseason victory, but I do think we saw some nice signs Thursday night.

Obviously the big story was Tom Brady. He played almost the entire 1st half, completing 10 of his 15 passes, for 100 yards, 2 TDs, and a pick. He looked good, but just a bit rusty. His interception was the worst pass I've seen him throw in 5 years. But he was also missing by a few inches on his completions. He threw one to Moss that was thigh high instead of waist or chest high. He hit Chris Baker just right of his collarbone instead of at his chest. He underthrew Galloway on a slant and the DB was able to get his fingers on the ball. But all this seemed normal rust, which was especially understandable. The last real game Brady played was the Super Bowl 2 years ago.



I did want to see Brady take a hit. I'm glad that the pass protection looked so good, but I'm still curious to see how Brady handles himself after a crunching knock.

A slightly less hyped return to action was made by Laurence Maroney, who was featured heavily in the early stages of the game. The Pats had 14 offensive plays in the 1st quarter, 6 of those were Maroney rushes, and nobody else had a carry in the 1st. He finished with a disappointing 14 yards on those 6 carries, and looked a lot like the inconsistent Maroney we've seen in the past. However, when Morris and Taylor start splitting carries with him, I think he'll improve. And I did like how aggressively Maroney tried to hit the hole.

Julian Edelman, 7th rounder out of Kent State, with the audacity to wear Drew Bledsoe's #11. I should temper myself after 1 preseason game, but I'm in love with this guy already. He just seems like a Patriot. He plays receiver, returns like Wes Welker, and was a QB in college.

After Moss, Galloway, and Welker, there is room for Edelman to be a #4 or #5 receiver, playing in certain situations, maybe in short yardage.

Chris Baker also introduced himself to Patriots fans. He caught both of Brady's TD passes, and also did some nice work as a blocker. The Pats have 4 TEs in Baker, Alex Smith, Tyson DeVree, and Ben Watson. There's only going to be room for 3 of them, and Baker just decreased his chances of being the odd man out.



It was refreshing seeing a truly unleashed Randy Moss out there. With Cassel, Moss was just a bit subdued, and Welker was clearly the #1 target most of the time. Thursday night he caught 3 passes for 54 yards. If you include the 56 yard interference call, he'd have 110 yards and a 27.5 average.



The first team defense impressed me more than anyone else. They did a good job of pressuring McNabb from different directions, had good coverage on WRs most of the time, and made solid tackles. They weren't dominant, they weren't game changing, but they excelled in the red zone. They made some big plays when it mattered most, and kept the Eagles limited to field goal attempts for the first 40 minutes of the game.

I loved the outside pressure the Pats got. Imagine being a QB in the pocket, two defensive ends are blocked to the outside, so they're pushed behind your vision. That's rattling. When a QB knows guys are behind him, even if they're blocked, that clock in his head starts ticking. So even if he doesn't get sacked, he'll be rushed.

And then, of course, you occasionally get sacks. Both Tully Banta-Cain and Myron Pryor sacked McNabb, and both had help from a teammate preventing McNabb from escaping.



For the most part, the Pats' D was aligned in a 4-3, which was a bit of a surprise. But a surprise that makes sense. There is a lack of quality at linebacker, but an abundance of talent on the defensive line. Wilfork, Warren, and Seymour can be supplemented by guys like Le Kevin Smith, Jarvis Green, and Myron Pryor. At the same time, the LB corps is much thinner.

And as much as I love him, I don't mind not seeing Tedy Bruschi on the bench at all. And if he does play, it should be in specific situations and for extremely limited time.

The Pats come home next Thursday, hosting the Bengals. I expect to see similar amounts of playing time for guys like Brady and Maroney.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credits:
AP Photo/Mel Evans
AP Photo/Michael Perez
AP Photo/Matt Slocum

RETURN OF THE KING

Pedro Martinez made his Phillies debut last night, securing career victory #215, and his first win since August 31, 2008. He went 5 innings, allowing 3 earned runs off 7 hits, and 1 walk. He struck out 5.

What really impressed me is how much of a pitcher he's become, and by that I mean he's smart, crafty, and tricky with hitters. His fastball is nowhere near what it once was. He scratched 90 a few times and that was it. And this means that his once devestating changeup isn't as good either. But he's still able to work hitters over and get outs. Watching him strikeout Alfonso Soriano brought back some nice memories.

He did tire in the 5th inning, missing his spots, walking the opposing pitcher (who wasn't even the starting pitcher at that point), leaving the ball up, and allowing 3 hits and 2 runs in the inning.

His next start is scheduled for the 18th at Arizona.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

SOX WIN, THEN SOX LOSE

The Sox should play the AL Central leading Tigers more often. They're 6-1 against Detroit, only losing their first game in the season series this afternoon. But even though the Sox lost a tight one today, you have to be happy that in a Buchholz vs. Verlander matchup, you were even in the game at all.

Buchholz has looked better and better since his 4 inning, 7 run outing in Baltimore. And to those Varitek lovers out there, it was Victor Martinez behind home plate today, calling Buchholz's 7 innings of 2 run work. Martinez also had half the Sox' total hits with 2.

The Sox might lose some ground today, with Texas winning 4-1 as I write this, and the Yankees playing in Seattle, but taking 3 of 4 from a potential playoff team is a pretty big step on the Red Sox' road to the postseason.

No rest for the weary as a HUGE series with the Rangers starts tomorrow night. The Sox are only 1-5 against Texas this season. Lester faces Millwood Friday night, then it's Penny vs. 5-7 Derek Holland, and Tazawa against 3-1 Dustin Nippert.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Elise Amendola

YOUKILIS AND PORCELLO SUSPENDED 5 GAMES

It's always tricky with baseball suspensions. A position player gets suspended 5 games, and it means he'll miss 5 games. A starting pitcher gets suspended 5 games, and it means he'll have a start pushed back a day.

Youkilis is getting the harsher of the two suspensions. But I think he hurt his case by throwing his helmet at Porcello. That just doesn't look good.

But I'm not too upset. It that means Martinez stays at 1st, Lowell at 3rd, Ortiz at DH, and VariteK behind the plate. It will suck to have TeK in the lineup for 4 games, but the Sox can probably get through it.

Source:
NewsDay

TAZ MORE LIKE IT

I must admit that Junichi Tazawa impressed the hell out of me last night. In the 1st inning of his 1st Major League start, Nick Green's errant throw spoils a potential inning ending double play. Tazawa kept the damage to a minimum, and cruised once he got out of the inning. He was cool as a cucumber, going 5 innings, and truly earning his first MLB win.

In a game that had multiple ejections, Mike Lowell made perhaps the biggest statement of all. He replaced the ejected Youkilis, and went 2 for 3 with a pair of homers. He hasn't been playing much lately. He's had 7 of the last 22 games off. And I don't think he's too happy about it. Honestly, I think he should be sat in order to keep him fresh, but not as often as he's been benched. His bat is so much better than Varitek's.

The whole beanball thing? Well, that was just one of those baseball kind of things. I'll give credit to Rick Porcello for the nice takedown on Youkilis. And I can't blame Youk for charging the mound after getting hit yesterday, and already seeing Victor Martinez thrown at.



Hopefully, it's all settled now.

The Yankees came behind to beat the Jays 7-5. The Indians shutdown the Rangers 5-0. The Rays were shutout 6-0 by the Angels. So the Sox now have a 1.5 game cushion in the Wild Card.

The Tigers send Amando Galarraga to the hill to face Josh Beckett Wednesday night. Beckett hasn't allowed a run in 14 innings.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credits:
AP Photo/Elise Amendola

PENNY SAVER

I did not expect the Sox to win this game. Brad Penny had looked awful recently, and Edwin Jackson is perhaps the most underrated pitcher in the AL. But Penny's first Quality Start since July 24th, and homeruns from Pedroia, Green, and Bay propelled the Sox to their first win in over a week.

It wasn't too pretty. Manny Delcarmen blew a save, which seems to be a nasty habit the bullpen's picked up. But thankfully Papelbon hasn't succumbed to peer pressure. He came in and got a 4 out Save, needing only 11 pitches to do so.

The Sox got contributions from everywhere in the lineup. Only Victor Martinez was held hitless.

Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 5, scoring twice. He also stole his 51st base, surpassing his total from last season.

Dustin Pedroia hit his 9th homerun in the 1st, scoring Ellsbury and giving the Sox an early 2 run lead. In 1 inning, they matched their run total from the final 3 games of the Yankees series.

Youkilis was 2 for 4, Ortiz had an RBI, Drew was 2 for 3 with a walk, J-Bay hit his 22nd homerun, Kotchman was 2 for 3 and made a nifty play at first base, and Nick Green knocked in his first RBIs of August.

And making this win even sweeter was Tampa Bay losing 8-7 to the Angels, and the Yankees falling 5-4 at the hands of the Blue Jays.

Junichi Tazawa makes his first Major League start Tuesday night against Rick Porcello.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Charles Krupa

TAZ TAKES SMOLTZ'S SPOT

The Sox signed then 22 year old Junichi Tazawa, thinking it would take him a few years to adjust from dominating the Japanese corporate league to America's minors and eventually the Majors.

After going 9-5 in AA Portland with a 2.57 ERA, he was promoted to AAA Pawtucket on July 27. That's right, he has about two weeks experience at the AAA level. He only made 2 starts for the PawSox, going 0-2 with a 2.55 ERA.

He made his Major League debut in that 15 inning torture Friday night in New York, giving up a homerun to Alex Rodriguez, and taking the loss.

The fact that he's now in the rotation, scheduled to start Tuesday against the Tigers, speaks volumes about the Red Sox' desperation. Remember when people were suggesting a 6 man rotation? Well now the Sox have reached armpit deep into the well to produce Tazawa as a savior.

Nothing against Tazawa, but his insertion to the rotation really depresses me. This team can't hit, has a trio of #5 pitchers who can't go further than 6 inning, and a bullpen that seems to be betting on the other team.

What happens with Smoltz? It seems as though teams like Houston and Texas are considering him. He could go down to AAA Pawtucket and convert to a reliever for the Sox. He could retire. It's pretty much up to him. I think he can be valuable as a reliever, considering how well he went through lineups the first time they saw him.

And the Sox need bullpen help, almost as bad as they need help with everything else.

A BRONX FAIL

It was such a pristine and magical moment. Victor Martinez ending the Sox' scoreless streak with a 2 run bomb that gave his new team a 2-1 lead with only 6 outs to record. Even though the trip as a whole could be written off as a failure, it would have ended with some brightness.

But Daniel Bard can't stop giving up homeruns in 1 run games. And to all those overly optimistic Sox fans out there who've only watched this team since 2003, and who are already projecting Bard as Papelbon's replacement, the kid has to come through in a close game for such a theory to be even remotely believable. And to the even more extreme fuckos out there who called into WEEI and didn't want to trade Bard straight-up for Roy Halladay, get a shotgun, learn how to pull the trigger with your toe, and put us all out of your misery.

Then there's Jason Varitek. The one good thing about Varitek is that when he comes to the plate with 2 outs and runners in scoring position, it's a good time to go to the bathroom, or maybe take a trip to the kitchen and fix yourself a sandwich.

Why is Jason Varitek in the lineup more than once or twice a week? That batting average of his has regressed to his norm, a poultry .221. He made that one good play in front of home plate, but it's easy to have the energy to make those plays when you never run the bases, and get to sit on the dugout after striking out so often.

Here's another thing that annoys me about Varitek. He's an easy out, in terms of a pitch count. It took Pettitte and the Yanks 18 pitches to retire him 4 times. That's 4.5 pitches per at-bat.

Fun fact, Mariano Rivera has converted 101 of his last 105 save opportunities.

The future doesn't look much brighter. Although the Sox come home, they face the AL Central leading Detroit Tigers. Edwin Jackson, with his 8-5 record and 2.62 ERA face against Brad Penny.

The Sox are tied with the Rangers for the Wild Card lead. The Sox go down to Arlington next weekend.

Oh yeah, Teixeira, put your fucking bat down. He should get beaned for carrying his Louisville Slugger around the basepath with him. He and A-Rod both had purple lips. What's up with that?



Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credits:
AP Photo/Kathy Willens