The Red Sox completed a much-needed three game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays last night with an 8-1 win at the Rogers Centre. J.D. Drew had a pair of home runs and Jon Lester went eight innings for his tenth win of the season.
Amalie Benjamin says that the calendar is starting to catch up with the Red Sox and they are responding. John Tomase has Drew continuing his habit of earning his money when the games count the most. Joe McDonald has balance and order restored to the Red Sox lineup.
Tony Massarotti says that the perception that the Yankees just buy players while the Red Sox develop them is incorrect. He points out the key players on their current roster that the Yankees have developed on their own. Steve Buckley says that the Red Sox absolutely need to shine during the tough schedule ahead. Bill Burt looks at how Jason Varitek and Jorge Posada have each quietly been the backbone of their franchises. Alex Speier examines the Red Sox new, deep lineup.
Adam Kilgore has a look at J.D. Drew’s huge night out of the 8th spot last night. Buckley has a look at Jon Lester giving the bullpen a rest last night. McDonald has a look at Alex Gonzalez providing his trademark dazzling defense at SS in his return to the Red Sox. Brian MacPherson has Brad Penny trying to find some consistency. Joe Haggerty looks at another weekend of Red Sox/Yankees on tap. Jon Couture says that this is a big series for both teams.
Some Bruce Allen guy is trying to read the Red Sox tea leaves.
Kilgore’s Minor League notebook checks in with phenom Casey Kelly, who is trying to start his career as both a pitcher and position player. Silverman’s Minors Notes has a look at the Red Sox success in getting draft picks signed. Speier has a look at The Class of ’09.
Benjamin’s notebook has the Red Sox finally able to put their best lineup on the field last night. Tomase’s notebook has Dustin Pedroia back with the team after a short stint of diaper duty. McDonald’s Red Sox journal has more on Pedroia’s return to the lineup.
Chad Finn chats with Sean Casey about his new role with the MLB Network. Bill Doyle has Gary Tanguay saying there is nothing personal in the new rivalry between 850 AM and 98.5 FM
Patriots
On Patriots Daily, Chris Warner has his Gut Check column from last night. Check back at noon for Scott Benson’s “Game Ball” post.
Christopher L. Gasper says that the best thing you can say about last night’s Patriots 7-6 preseason loss to the Bengals is that the game is over. Ian R. Rapoport has Tom Brady getting the hits he was looking for. Shalise Manza Young says Brady might want to be careful about what he wishes for. Andy Vogt has the Patriots needing to get better. Mark Farinella has the Patriots looking pretty rusty last night.
Mike Reiss has Fred Taylor looking pretty good in his first carries as a Patriot. Christopher Price and Tim Weisberg each line up 10 things that we learned last night. Jeff Howe has Jerod Mayo picking up more responsibilities with the Patriots defense. Rich Garven has the Patriots still seeking a pass rush. Jennifer Toland has Brady taking his hits and playing on.
Reiss has Ron Brace still getting used to NFL play. Guregian has a look at a tough night for Terrence Wheatley in the secondary. Eric McHugh has more on Wheatley’s tough night. Hector Longo says that the secondary might be new, but it isn’t improved, and calls the potential of the young players back there “horribly overblown.” Weisberg looks at the play of Laurence Maroney last night, which once again wasn’t all that impressive.
Chris Forsberg has Chad Ochocinco stealing the show last night with his unexpected kicking prowess. Ron Borges has Ochocinco letting his foot do the talking. Jim Donaldson is glad Ochocinco gave him a little entertainment on a boring night.
Robert Lee has a look at the Patriots Hall of Fame inductions. Julian Benbow has the Patriots remembering Jim Nance last night. Glen Farley has more on the honors for Nance and Billy Sullivan. Farinella also reports on the ceremonies at the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Karen Guregian says that Rex Ryan may come to regret his comments about Bill Belichick and the Patriots. Borges has Plaxico Burress getting a real world lesson.
Gasper’s notebook is talking “Brady rule.” Rapoport’s notebook has Kevin O’Connell getting extended playing time last night. Young’s Patriots journal has several key Patriots getting back out on the field. Farley’s notebook reports on a Plymouth man (and Patriots fan) winning $1 million in the new Patriots instant ticket from the Massachusetts State Lottery. Farinella’s notebook has Fred Taylor satisfied with his Patriots debut. Garven’s notebook has more on Ochocinco.
Boston Sports Media Watch 
“I don’t think they get the credit they deserve. I believe they are taken for granted, especially in this great rivalry.”
That’s a quote from Bill Burt’s article.
Are you f’n kidding me, Gary Tuck?
No one in recent sports history has received more credit than they deserve than Jason Varitek.
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Hear, hear.
Did anyone else besides me watch that Sox game last night and think: “hey, with Varitek out of there and Drew batting 8th, suddenly they don’t have three black holes at the bottom of the lineup”?
Chad Finn’s blog the other day was spot-on: make Varitek the “caddy” catcher for Beckett, if they must, but limit his appearances when Beckett does not pitch to maybe 1 other game in 10 days, just to give Martinez’ knees a break. He’s a backup catcher with a starting catcher’s mentality at this point in this career, and his apologists who rave about his game-calling skills apparently don’t want to hear that the guy who will be replacing him at catcher next season has caught the last two American League Cy Young winners in Cleveland.
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Hey, I know Jim Nantz does great on the masters and called our SoupBowl but how come he’s in the Pats hall of fame, and why is his daughter black?
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For the record Bruce, Nantz has never called a SB featuring the Pats, so please don’t give him more jobs than he already has. He calls enough regular season games as it is.
I still wonder how the career of Nantz (and for that matter, the CBS Sports Department) would have changed had Lobel said yes to the Eye all those years ago? That has to rank as one of those ‘Back to the Future’ moments like when Biff stole the sports almanac and created that alternate reality.
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Steve Burton was insufferable. Every time they cut to him down on the field he was there ‘shilling’ some thinly-veiled commercial…whether for Boston Lager, the Lottery, or some other ‘paid-for’ endorsement. These pre-season games are simply a bunch of commercials…most obvious and some not-so-obvious. And imagine Mr. “lifetime work guarantee’ Burton whining about not being a ‘millionaire.’ Making himself out to be some pauper or something. Insufferable.
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