The Red Sox lost to the Royals 4-3 Wednesday night in Kansas City. The Royals took two-of-three from the Red Sox; it was the third straight series loss for the Red Sox. Starter Jon Lester battled, throwing 108 pitches before being pulled after five innings. The umpires made some questionable calls in the game, which upset manager Bobby Valentine. The Red Sox return back to Boston tonight in the first game of a four-game series with the Cleveland Indians.

‘Just too many pitches’– Sean McAdam looks at the night for starter Jon Lester.

Bobby Valentine boils over– Scott Lauber looks at the questionable calls that upset the Red Sox manager.

This Ross ‘pop out’ really hurt– Michael Vega has the miscues in the outfield that came back to hurt the team.

Will Middlebrooks hits, Kevin Youkilis sits– Ron Borges says when Kevin Youkilis returns from the DL, Will Middlebrooks should still be the starting third baseman.

Daniel Bard is playing out of position– Tony Massarotti doesn’t like Daniel Bard in the starting rotation, he says he belongs in the bullpen.

A major topic on the local airwaves yesterday was the discussion of Josh Beckett, who reportedly was seen playing golf last Thursday on the teams’ day off with Clay Buchholz. It was announced the day before that Beckett would miss his next start (last Saturday), due to tightness in his right lat. Beckett takes to the hill tonight at Fenway.

Carl Beane, the Red Sox public address announcer for the past nine seasons tragically died in a one-car accident on Wednesday in Sturbridge, Mass.

Carl Beane was much more than the ‘voice of Fenway Park’– Mike Petraglia has an unbelievably well-written, personal piece remembering the man who was “living his dream” as the Red Sox public address announcer.

‘Voice of Fenway’ Silenced– Gordon Edes remembers the hard-working man, who truly loved his job.

The Celtics and Hawks will play Game 6 tonight at TD Garden. The Celtics can close out the Hawks with a win.

More Kevin Garnett best bet vs. Hawks– Steve Bulpett says Kevin Garnett is playing his best basketball since becoming a Celtic five years ago.

Game 6: It’s Rajon Rondo time– Paul Flannery has how the Celtics need Rajon Rondo more than ever.

Should Allen return to the starting lineup?– A. Sherrod Blakely asks the question of should the Celtics shake things up and insert Ray Allen into the starting lineup.

The ultimate swing game– Chris Forsberg looks at the importance of Game 6 for the Celtics, and not letting the Hawks force a Game 7.

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Published by Bruce Allen

Automattician.

14 thoughts on “Royals take two-of-three from Red Sox, Celtics prepare for Game 6”

  1. The Golf incident even made ESPN.com, along with being a major subject on BBTN. Anyone watch BBTN lately? I normally love Kruk but lately he produces analysis that is on par with how horrible Barry Melrose is. It isn’t so much what he says but he seems to just ramble on and on, at points not even knowing what he’s saying really or understanding him.

    I was expecting WEEI, esp D+C, to make a “big deal” over SportsHub
    making a big deal (they seem to do this lately) over PitcherGolfGate.
    From what I had time to listen to this morning, they didn’t seem to be
    doing this, but instead actually being concerned about this. They seemed to be doing a victory lap themselves for having “a better source” who backs this up.

    Something interesting on this: I saw this rt’d 4 days ago.:

    @SteveOReilly Funny how Beckett is scratched from a start but feels plenty good enough to go play golf. Yeah, really sore…mmm hmmm

    https://twitter.com/#!/SteveOReilly/status/199287305926737922

    (twitter search does wonders)

    Unfortunately, it made 0 rounds. Nobody made a big deal about it. This guy had to be the source for someone.

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    1.  “taking the opposite position of SportsHub and making a big deal that the other station is making a big deal”

      You hit the nail on the head.  I find it extremely funny because it’s so petty and amateurish.  Who knew a little competition would make the people at EEI (management and “talent”) completely loose their mind.

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      1. If that is their strategy, so let it be.

        The problem is that people who listen to and call SportsTalk are the types who do take that stuff seriously (even if gossipy).

        It just seems like the “inverse everything” strategy is almost like.. how some cable news networks treat the other (sorry, I hate politics, but it reminds me of this). Take whatever the competition that now beats you in ratings and 1/over it.

        The funny thing is that they made sure to get Beckett out of there on the first plane back to Logan, CB said no to reporters on questions, and you still have 0 out of BobbyV/GM out of this. Is Valentine waiting for his Michael Kay radio hour to make a better statement?

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  2. Beckett played golf Thursday and had a side session Monday and was deemed ready for his next start.  I have no idea why he wasn’t used instead of D-Mac on Sunday.  The biggest reason he had his start skipped was not because of injury but rather that Cook could get a start as he needed to be called up from Pawtucket or released.

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    1. First, only a clinically insane manager would flat-out skip their #2 starter solely to make sure an injury-prone “depth” signing just up from AAA gets a start.  The Sox had to ACTIVATE Cook to keep him.  They didn’t have to pitch him.  If Beckett didn’t pitch, it was because someone (Beckett, the team doctors/trainers) said he couldn’t.  And I’ll give dollars to donuts it was Beckett himself who removed himself.

      Second, with respect to why Beckett didn’t pitch an inning on Sunday….  I’m actually surprised that Pete Abraham’s comments on Monday’s pregame show didn’t get more play.  Per Pete, around the time of Atcheson’s two innings (which were the most they were going to use him, given that he had pitched 3 the day before), Valentine went looking for volunteers from the starters to throw an inning (with Lester exempted, because he had apparently already thrown his side session during the game).  Nobody volunteered.  So Dee McDee was told he was going to pitch the 17th — he didn’t volunteer to do it.  Therefore, the reason Beckett didn’t pitch is because he didn’t volunteer to pitch, and — for whatever reason — Valentine was not willing to force him to pitch.  Because your instinct is correct:  there was absolutely no reason not to use him for 30 or so pitches on Sunday, so long as he was healthy.

      Between the “lines of communication weren’t used” comments from Valentine, the skipped start, and the no-show on Sunday, I’m starting to think that Beckett is, for lack of a better phrase, “acting out” like a six-year-old under Valentine’s management.  And I think this little pissing contest is going to get worse before it gets better.

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      1.  They had to activate Cook, yes, but they also wanted to see what they had in him.  I think Beckett could pitch if needed (he wasn’t injured enough to go on the DL), but he was a little sore so they get to kill two birds with one stone: rest him and test out Cook.

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      2. I’m pretty sure Bobby V didn’t make the deciscion to call up and pitch Cook.  That order likely came from the GM’s office.

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        1. Really?  You think that first-time-ever-GM Ben Cherington called and dictated to BOBBY VALENTINE, the owner’s best bud, who he was going to start in a given game?

          Get effing real.

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          1.  They presumably worked together on it. I don’t see a reason why Bobby V would object to seeing what Cook could do in the bigs – he was pitching great in AAA. 

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  3. Garnett is not playing better than he did in 2008.

    To even approach crafting this opinion is absurd.

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  4. And Flannery is correct.  It’s been this way since AFTER 2008.  As goes Rondo, so goes the team.

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  5. I listened with absolute fascination this morning to the interview that D & C did with Debbie and Wade Boggs concerning Oil Can Boyd’s comments about how racist Boggs and his father were.  Wade Boggs is arguably my least favorite Red Sox player of all time.  He raised self centered, diva behavior to new levels…might I even say he was the trailblazer for guys like Mike Greenwell, Josh Beckett and John Lester.  Whereas we have no idea what actually went on in that clubhouse…different time…different paradigm, I will say I tend to believe Boggs that the drugged out Boyd is delusional.  However, what amazes me is that Boggs would turn to Debbie Boggs, who for some unknown reason is still with him, to defend him.  I like to think I have seen and heard it all and yet I am continually amazed. She proudly stated on Boston radio that they have been together for 35 years.  Anyway… WEEI was able to manufacture its own controversy to get away from golf gate.  We will see what the legs for it are.

    As for golf gate…it is pretty fascinating how the story has unfolded.  What is more interesting to me is no one has a real answer as to what to do.  Beckett is a 10-5 guy.  Clearly Valentine is clueless as to how to get through to this guy.  I am not sure what options the Sox have.  Listening to the pundits I am not sure any of them know either.

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    1.  People can and do reconcile their marriage after one or both people in it cheat.  There’s nothing strange about that.

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      1. I understand people reconcile. I don’t understand having your wife fight your public battle with an admitted drug dealer when no one is questioning your credibility. Which goes back to my incredulity that she is still with him. He is a real piece of work.

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