Game time: 7:05 pm

Scheduled starters: Jake Westbrook (7-7, 4.31) v. Josh Beckett (13-5, 4.76)

Boston weather: 2 pm observation at BOS: Wind out of the northwest at 15 mph, with gusts to 22 mph, visibility 10 miles, broken clouds at 5,500 feet and 15,000 feet, temperature 93F, DP 69F


Forecast: There's the potential for severe thunderstorms this afternoon. The daytime heating has produced a lot of potential energy in the atmosphere, and the approaching cold front, which is just east of the eastern Great Lakes right now, will provide the upper level cold air needed to fire off severe storms. Right now, the only convective activity is in western NY an northwestern PA, but the instability is moving eastward, and we could see some rain and thunder before the end of the day.

At 2 pm, the winds at Logan airport were out of the northwest, gusting to 22 mph. That's blowing out toward right. The winds should diminish later in the day. It will be in the upper 80's at game time.

We'll update as more info becomes available. Right now, there are no watches or warnings.

Now a thunderstorm watch through 10 PM for most of the state of Massachusetts, including Boston. Nothing on the radar yet.

Not a good thing if the wind is blowing out to right for Beck..

Interesting to see if Javvy Lopez gets through waivers and if the Sox then make a deal for him (the Yanks can't block it, they're ahead by .02 in winning percentage, and beat the fading Jays this afternoon)

For all of us Out-of-Towners the game will also be on ESPN2 tonight

Time for Beckett to settle down and start leading this staff; it's pennant race-time: now is the time to step up, young man, and prove you'll be the ace that leads us for the next five yrs.

By the way, Wily Mo >>>Trot. We didn't pick-up a bat for the bench, but I'd like to see Wily Mo start in Rf and Trot as our killer bat off the bench come September/post-season time.

We've got a weak backdoor cold front moving across the coastal area right now, and the winds at Logan are out of the EAST at 16 mph. That's blowing in. Good news. It's also cooled off to 74F at Logan as of the 5 pm observation. It's about 10 degrees warmer just 20 miles west of the city.

This front is not the main front, which is moving from the northwest. That will arrive later this evening. There's a chance of showers and thunderstorms tonight, but right now it looks like the main activity is off to the southwest.

I'll tell you what else he's got to step up and do tonight: He's got to get a little pay-back for the 95+ mph fasballs that drilled Mirabelli, our starting catcher (gulp), and AGonz, our starting SS. I know that Carmona didn't do it on purpose, but someone's gotta pay tonight. I was watching that game last night and thinking "thank goodness there's another game," because it would really suck to have them leave town (possibly with a W), and not have a shot at evening the score. I don't really care who he pops, but I hope he gets one of them.

Hopefully, Huckaby is able to handle Beckett...

I don't know. No drilling, no win last night, so if I'm Tito, I let it go. I mean the guy could have beheaded Youkilis too, he was so screwed up wild. If it's not intentional, I think you pass, especially with Beckett's "tendency" to give up the long ball at times.

Yeah, if we hit anybody, I just hope it's not two somebodies in a row in the 9th inning.

[codebox]Cleveland Boston
--------- ------

Pos Player HR RBI AVG. Pos Player HR RBI AVG.
--- ------ -- --- ---- --- ------ -- --- ----
CF Sizemore, Grady 16 49 .304 1B Youkilis, Kevin 11 48 .294
2B Inglett, Joe 2 8 .322 2B Loretta, Mark 4 43 .303
DH Hafner, Travis 30 89 .298 DH Ortiz, David 37 105 .289
C Martinez, Victor 12 63 .309 LF Ramirez, Manny 30 85 .316
1B Blake, Casey 15 49 .304 3B Lowell, Mike 13 54 .287
LF Hollandsworth, Todd 6 27 .242 RF Pena, Wily Mo 6 25 .328
RF Choo, Shin-Soo 1 1 .190 CF Crisp, Coco 4 20 .269
SS Luna, Hector 0 0 .100 SS Gonzalez, Alex 9 38 .285
3B Boone, Aaron 5 38 .248 C Huckaby, Ken 0 0 .000
P Westbrook, Jake (7-7, 4.31) P Beckett, Josh (13-5, 4.76) [/codebox]

yeah, you may be right. Is Aaron Boone still on the Indians? If so, we must drill him. Often.

Edit: Boone is still on the Indians, and batting 9th tonight. Do your job, JOSH!

So Huckabys first and hopefully last start with the Sox. Hopefully Lopez becomes the full time C until Tek returns.

Payback? For what? Getting us a win?

You don't hit people because the other teams closer is a headcase and lost all of his compusure in a one run game.

Hmm Javy Lopez is now on the Sox. Can we get him to the game in time?

*MOJO* - BOS vs CLE - Ice Cream Truck Day 2



The Ice Cream Truck is once again making it's rounds, and today it brings the delicious Orange Creme bar.



Orange Creme often goes over looked in the chocolate and berry dominated ice cream bar market, but it is one of the sweetest options coming from the side of everyone's favorite dessert delivery truck. (Well, maybe second, after the pudding van with mounted whipped cream cannon.)

Orange Creme may never get the press of Fudgicles or Berry Blast Bars, but that makes them no less delicious. And sometimes, it is the unsung ice cream novelties that pick you up and cool you off when you need them most. Hood may never pay to put a giant Orange Creme bar up in right field, but that doesn't mean Orange Creme won't be there for you.



Here's to you, Orange Creme, the most underappreciated of the ice cream bars.

So Huckaby was responsible for injuring Derek Jeter...

And that's about the only thing he's ever accomplished in his pitiful career. Unfortunately Jeter already played today.

I don't think there's any better feeling than sitting down on the couch, turning on the TV, bleakly flipping around, then seeing the Red Sox on ESPN2. Can't be beat. (Yes, I'm an out-of-towner.)

Three pretty well-struck balls to start off the game.

Uh Lowell is becoming like clockwork with his weak outs.

Yep, OBP was down to .336 before tonight. When Trot + 'Tek come back, hopefully it looks like this (factoring in Tito's thinking - obviously I don't want Loretta in the 2-hole, but such is life):

Youkilis
Loretta
Ortiz
Ramirez
Nixon
Pena
Lowell
Varitek
Gonzalez

I don't think they will bench Crisp.

If he's still hittimg like this when Trot's back, they've got to.

But he's our best contact hitter. He has only 44 SO and leads in Hits: 130. He's just made for batting 2nd

I swear, if i see that commercial with that gray-haired American Idol ****, i'm gonna go on a killing spree at my local Ford dealer.

That looked WAAAAAY too familiar.

Wow Boone hit a HR, big ****ing deal. Its still 3-1 assholes.

I hope Beckett's got it out of his system now...

Every time Ortiz hits a HR against the Yankees do they play footbage from the 2004 ALCS? No, so then let it go.

Aaron Boone: go die in a fire.

That woulda been foul at the toilet. Can we swap those two shots?

1st pitch homers...

I don't get why they still boo Boone. It was 2003. Or, 1 B.W.S. ("before world series").

Hell, I woulda given him a standing O. He set in motion the events that led to the title in 04.

I did not realize that Lowell was that slow.

wow, was that some slow baserunning by Lowell!!!
He is starting to be a little useless now, just not hitting at all, is he?

And why isn't WMP hitting fifth yet?

Lowell hits it to the 2B, he loses it, finds it, juggels it for a little while, makes balloon animals for kids, signs some auto-graphs, than fires to first to get out Lowell.

Except contact and Ks don't mean much. Would you want the 2005 Jose Reyes batting 2nd? He's not an awful OBP guy, but when Trot comes back, there's a clear superior option (vs. RHP).

He was slow because he was limping because of a pitch he fouled off his foot.

No way that he was running hard the whole way...I think even Mirabelli could have beaten that out if he was running hard.

Nice DP.

1-6-3. Easy as pie.

Regardless your take on A-Gonz's range, he is simply outstanding turning the DP.

WOW.

hell of a pick my Youk too. That was not an easy scoop

Regardless of your take? He's the Sox position player MVP for the last couple of months.

Foulke in Pawtucket: 1 IP, 0 hits, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 18 pitches, 10 strikes.

Encouraging.

When is he pitching again?

Tina does seem dumb as a brick. Good thing she's got her looks.

Maybe tomorrow, I knoe they wanted to test him back to back. We could really use an effective Foulke right about now.

Seabass' defensive value was hotly debated on this very board earlier this year, particularly his range. In John Dewan's Fielding Bible his range comes off as relatively mediocre, I tend to agree.

He "makes up" for it, IMO, by being one of the very best middle infielders on the double play.

Position Player MVP? Seabass has been a very, very pleasant surprise, but I'll take Manny Ramirez thank you very much.

If he comes back (in '04 form) that bullpen will be nasty.

I think Timlin will be all right, Tito just can't ride him like a rented mule like previous years.

Unfortunately, I highly doubt he comes back effective. He's lost the ability to be a high-K pitcher and has like the worst G/F in baseball.



Timlin has a 4.58 K/9 and has become a flyball pitcher. That's a pretty shitty combination. He's toast.

Yeah, lost my head there, but Gonzo's defense is the best on the team (Lowell second) IMO, and everybody keeps giving credit to the Sox defense for being a big difference maker this year, including Sox management. Gonzo is good to have and isn't going anywhere.

OK, time to get Hafner with a runer on.