Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Your Morning Dump... Where at least we have Adrian

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Gonzalez entered last night’s game against the Indians leading MLB in average (.409) and RBI (27) since the All-Star break. And after blasting a two-run homer in the fourth inning, he now has as many homers (six) in 25 games this half as he managed in 86 games during the first half.

“There’s a feeling I had in ’08 and ’09 that I didn’t have in 2010 and 2011 because I had a bad shoulder,” Gonzalez said. “So my swing went through a phase where I just did whatever I had to do to help the team. If that meant cutting my finish off, doing certain things, so be it.

“This year, coming into the season, I said, ‘I’m healthy, I can go back to it.’ And searching for that old swing, I found myself getting into some mechanical problems.”

Even after hitting homer No. 12 last night, Gonzalez accepts he probably won’t end the season with 30. He’d be happy with 20 if they’re accompanied by a high average and a ton of RBI.

Herald - Adrian in the swing of things

The Red Sox are a world of negativity right now, so I thought it may be best to focus on one of the only good things going on at Fenway right now: the resurgence of Adrian Gonzalez.

And, like most things in baseball, it's all thanks to a slight mechanical tweak.  Gonzalez's 'power stroke' was completely screwed up from compensating for his bad shoulder.  But he kept trying to make it work.  It wasn't.  So he decided to scrap that swing and, well, the results speak for themselves.  He's destroying the ball right now.

He's probably not going to put up the same numbers he put up last year -- even if he continues at this pace -- but that's OK.  This season is the definition of "lost cause".  What's important is that he has a swing he's comfortable with, and even more important, one that works. 

That will allow him to fine-tune that swing this offseason.  That will allow him to enter next year without the burden of trying to figure it out.  That will allow him to be the Adrian Gonzalez we traded for.  Whatever the roster looks like in 2013, we should have at least have one All-Star that we can depend on.  That's a start.

Rest of the links:

Herald -Fast unraveling for laboring Felix Doubront | Sox postseason quest trips out of block in Cleveland | Globe -Relievers paying a toll to get by | Lowly Indians give Red Sox a beating | WEEI -Ranaudo's season could be over | Sox promote Bogaerts to Double-A | Bailey touches 94 in scoreless frame | Formula for failure: Red Sox' offense loses its way | CSNNE - Haggerty: Signs are there that Sox are giving up season | Doubront struggles with command, possible fatigue

How we see it goin' down: Red Sox - Indians series

First Pitch: Thursday 7:05, Friday 7:05, Saturday 6:05, Sunday 1:05

Arms: Thursday: LHP Felix Doubront (10-5, 4.56) vs. RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (8-11, 5.29)

Friday: RHP Clay Buchholz (9-3, 4.48) vs. LHP Chris Seddon (0-0, 7.71)

Saturday: LHP Franklin Morales (3-2, 3.14) vs. RHP Zach McAllister (4-4, 3.60)

Sunday: LHP Jon Lester (5-10, 5.36) vs. RHP Corey Kluber (0-0, 6.10) 

   Yard: Progressive Field   Watch it: NESN   Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 55-57 (4th in the AL East)	Record: 51-60 (3rd in the AL Central)
On road: 26-23	At home: 28-27
Streak: Lost 2	Streak: Won 1
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Ortiz (.316)	Average: Brantley (.295)
Homers: Ortiz (23)	Homers: Choo (13)
RBI: Gonzalez (72)	RBI: Kipnis (58)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Doubront (10)	Wins: Jimenez (8)
ERA: Morales (3.14) | Atchison (1.76)	ERA: McAllister (3.60) | Pestano (1.26)
K's: Lester (117)	K's: Masterson (118)

Last time

The Sox last played the Twins back in May. The Sox entered the series a miserable 12-18. Josh Beckett lost the opener to Derek Lowe, who's been so good this year that Cleveland designated him for assignment last week. The Sox regrouped and won the final three games of the series, topping Ubaldo Jimenez and Zach McAllister, both of whom are due to face Boston again in this series.

This time

Laser Show: Adrian Gonzalez 

It's all Adrian all the time right now. He's riding a 1.300+ OPS for the month -- no reason to think it'll stop now. The Indians are tossing out one ineffective pitcher, two new guys, and one who's been OK. Adrian should feast on them.

Pitch Around: Asdrubal Cabrera

I choose Asdrubal not due to his success against the Sox this year (an OPS below .600), or a favorable home split (.779 OPS at home, .779 on the road), but because he has the best name in baseball.

Don't Fall Behind: Ubaldo Jimenez

Ubaldo hasn't been the same since coming over to Cleveland, but I'm going to take "don't fall behind" kind of literally. He's got talent, even if his fastball isn't what it once was. If he gets a little confidence going, he can still strike guys out. Best to get to him early and keep him on edge. The Sox should be able to wait him out as he has serious command issues.

How we see it goin' down

This is a .500 team heading into a four-game series. I see no reason to expect anything other than a 2-2 split.

Taking stock: Rangers - Sox series

After every series, we'll take stock of how each individual and group performance affects their overall value.

Lineup

Jacoby Ellsbury: Started hot with a three-hit game but didn't have any in the final two games. Ells is down to a .664 OPS on the year...not exactly MVP caliber like 2011.

Carl Crawford: Carl's rolling. A six-game hitting streak, extra-base hits, some speed, and even (a little) less flailing at sliders out of the zone. This is what we paid for. 

Dustin Pedroia: It's been a disappointing year for Dustin, but might he be on the verge of a hot finish? Six hits including three doubles in the Rangers series, not to mention a stolen base. Keep it up Pedey.

Adrian Gonzalez: In August, Adrian is hitting .484/.543/.774/1.317. Hence, the big arrow. The lineup isn't to blame for how mediocre this team is. Adrian is back to MVP-level performance and is the guy we're building around. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Cody Ross: No complaints about Cody. Six more hits, including a homer in yesterday's disappointing loss. He was the best move Cherington made last offseason. I'm looking forward to some dumb team overpaying him this offseason.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia: More of the same from Salty -- a couple hits, but he's still a K machine. Will Ryan Lavarnway's presence light a fire under him?

Will Middlebrooks: Two dingers for Will, but perhaps more importantly (in the long term), two walks yesterday. Will's batting eye has been his downfall this year, with just 13 walks in 73 games (a .327 OBP compared to a .292 AVG). If he improves his eye, he's going to be a really good player.

Mike Aviles: Aviles isn't a bad player, but enough is enough with him at short. I know he just got back from an injury, but there's no reason for him to be there. Either keep up the good vibes with Pedro Ciriaco or #freejoseiglesias.

The Bench: Rough series for Shoppach, Ciriaco, and Kalish. I guess I could have been more generous; Will Middlebrooks' homer two days ago was of the pinch-hit variety, so I could have credited that to the bench.

Starting Pitching

A good start by Cook, but Beckett and Lester failed us again. It's no secret: They're what's wrong with this team's performance in 2012. I don't know if it's injuries, mentality, work ethic, or just an erosion of talent (and neither do you), but the Sox need to find a solution. 

Bullpen

Five runs in 8.1 innings. I credit Mortensen for bailing out Beckett (even though he got the loss), but nonetheless the performance wasn't there overall.

Managing

I just don't care about Bobby V. that much. He does some things right, some things wrong (like all managers), but the problems with this team aren't his fault and the successes aren't his credit. He's not the solution; the whole management team needs to be reworked.

Overall

It's hard to feel good about this team right now. They're not a playoff team, I don't care what Bobby V. tells you. It's nice to see the heart of the order (and the big-money guys) tearing the cover off the ball, but as long as Franklin Morales is their best starter, the Red Sox are going nowhere.

Your Morning Dump...where the real Adrian Gonzalez steps up.

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

It started modestly with a few 1-for-4 games that featured a single a night in late June. But the drumbeat soon picked up, a 2-for-5, a 2-for-3, a 2-for-4, a 2-for-5.

Game after game, the hits have been coming for Adrian Gonzalez He entered the All-Star Break having hit in 18 of his last 19 contests, the only exception being an 0-for-1 night in the last game of the first half when he had to leave after one plate appearance due to illness.

But now, since his return after a slightly lengthened break (back spasms kept him out of the first two games of the second half), the first baseman has taken his performance to another level. Though Cody Ross delivered the biggest blows in the Red Sox' 10-1 victory over the White Sox, the most significant performance of the night may well have belonged to Gonzalez.

Gonzalez went 3-for-4, putting the Sox on the board after the White Sox scored in the top of the first with a game-tying RBI single to right in the bottom of the inning, wrapping up the Sox’ scoring with a two-run single to right in the sixth and, most significantly, blasting a home run over the Monster to left-center in the bottom of the fourth.

WEEI:Return of the real Adrian Gonzalez

Welcome back Adrian! It's great to see you return as the hitting machine that you are!

He's hit in 22 out of his last 23 games, has had multi hit games in 8 out of his last 13 and is hitting .404 since going back to playing first base full time, and because of it his batting average for the season has gone up 39 points since then. (.257 in June 19, .296 after last night's game). The two homers in three games is also an added bonus at this point. As long as he's able to hit and drive in runs, that's all that matters.

With Gonzalez hitting anything in sight again, it makes losing David Ortiz an easier pill to swallow. It also doesn't hurt that the two speed demons, Ellsbury & Crawford, are getting on base and making life hell for opposing pitchers.

It took a season and a half but we're finally seeing how scary good the offense could be with those two at the top of the order and then have Adrian or David Ortiz or even Cody Ross drive them in. It's nice to see everyone get hot and for Adrian's sake, it gets fans off of his back for a little bit.

Rest of the Links: Globe: Ross blasts away | Doubront first Sox pitcher with 10 wins |  Crawford deals with racial slur, trade rumors |  Herald: Cody Ross, Sox dig deep |  Felix fulfills promise forseen by Bobby V | Ortiz on 15-day DL | Crawford soldiers on |CSNNE: Power's on | New rules change MLB's trade deadline|  Will trade rumors affect Crawford's confidence? | WEEI: Ross rocks White Sox | Return of the real Adrian Gonzalez

 

Your Morning Dump...where Gonzalez finds his power

 

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Homerless in 63 at-bats dating back to June 24, Gonzalez came to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning of last night’s game against the Chicago White Sox with two runners on and the score tied.

With one sweet swing, Gonzalez ended his power outage and propelled the Red Sox[team stats] to their third win in four games since the All-Star break. Gonzalez’ blast off of Chicago reliever Leyson Septimo landed in the front row of the Monster seats. The Sox added another run to pull out a 5-1 win in front of a season-high 38,334 fans at Fenway Park [map].

“It feels great to win the game,” Gonzalez said. “I’m not really worried about home runs or any of that stuff. I’m just trying to have good at-bats.”

Herald | Adrian Gonzalez hits clutch home run as Red Sox win

It's been a rough year for Adrian, but he came through in a big way last night. 

There's no reason to give up on the guy -- he's still a great hitter. He's just been playing badly. His swing has not looked right all year. To my amateur eye, it seems that his bat speed is down. Even last night, he was fouling off fastballs, just a split second late. The homer came off a hanging slider, and he took advantage of that natural inside-out swing we hear so much about.

It was so nice to see the team perform the way you expect a good team to perform. Solid pitching, then clutch hitting late. Eighth inning, nobody was pressing, Carl Crawford and David Ortiz knew what was important was to get on base, and Adrian knew it was time to bring them home.

One last thought about Adrian. Everyone seems to get down on him not being a clutch player, mostly (I think) because he shows no emotion so everyone forgets when he's good. The stats say otherwise. Even this year, when he's been lousy, his OPS is markedly better in high-leverage situations and than in medium- or low-leverage ones. He also has a .957 OPS with RISP and 2 outs.

On page 2, we check up on Papi's odd heel injury suffered while rounding second base on the homer.

Your Morning Dump...Gonzo's vacation could be to blame for his back injury

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Adrian Gonzalez felt fine when he worked out with the Red Sox on Thursday night at Tropicana Field. A routine trip to the mall on Friday changed that.

Gonzalez was getting a cup of coffee at the International Plaza in Tampa when he bent over to say hello to a child in a stroller. That’s when he felt his lower back lock up.

“I have no idea how it happened,” said Gonzalez, who has never had back problems before. “It was something I’ve done a million times.”

[...]

Gonzalez isn’t concerned. He said his back felt better on Saturday after receiving treatment and medication. He has been speaking to teammates about back injuries they had.

“It’s a day-to-day thing, you get it calmed down and you go play again,” he said. “I’ll be fine. We’re being careful because we’ve had so many guys on the disabled list already this season.”

Gonzalez believes the injury is related to the All-Star break. He spent a few days on Cape Cod with his family relaxing.

“You shut your body down for a few days and then you start it up again and it’s like ‘Whoa.’ I think that could have been a factor,” he said. “That’s what the trainers said.”

Globe: Fluky back injury sidelides Gonzalez

This sucks. I know that Gonzo has not been producing to his potential, but when he is scratched and replaced by Brett Lillibridge, it is awful.

I don't fault him for going to the Cape and vegging, or making his presidential campaign look good by kneeling down and greeting a child. I'll even let the free International Pizza shout-out slide, but it raises a question...why was he getting coffee from a pizza place? Adrian, you make $423K per week, go to Starbucks.

This is a fluke thing and there is nothing to fault Adrian for.

Related: Herald: Gonzalez' back requires rest

The rest of the links:

Herald: Despite end, Clay Buchholz story is six strong | Sox late flop at Trop | Plenty of ammo on arms market | Here's to Yoooooouk! | Globe: Numbers back up Boggs | Red Sox fall to Rays | ESPN Boston: Takeaways from the Trop | CSNNE: Two wild card better than one for Red Sox? | Mistakes prove costly for Sox | Buchholz encouraged, sees room for improvement

Your Morning Dump...Where the prospects are taking over

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Numbers like 50, 55, 66 and 77. Spring training numbers in July. The kind of numbers that when in a starting lineup at this time of the year spell forced surrender when matched up with the one the New York Yankees had hanging on their clubhouse wall.

With little other choice available due to the growing parade of infirm Red Sox, manager Bobby Valentine sent out four offensive linemen and a fullback to tackle the Yankees in the first game of a day-night doubleheader. Predictably, the Sox lost by a field goal and a safety, 6-1.

Baseball is a game obsessed by numbers. It is driven by numbers, defined by numbers. Numbers give the game a certainty other games do not possess, the belief being that a player who has put up numbers for a number of years will eventually do so again unless his number is up.

[...]

Yesterday afternoon’s lineup was one that should have been used in Fort Myers in March not Boston in July, a lineup that included Daniel Nava (66) in left field, Mauro Gomez (50) at third base, Pedro Ciriaco (77) at second and Ryan Kalish (55) in center. These were not your father’s Red Sox. These were Pinky Higgins’ Red Sox.

Herald: Sox' numbers don't lie

We are pretty much watching the Pawsox play the Yankees in this series. With injuries plaguing this team and set-backs in rehab stints, the Red Sox don't have much of a choice but to keep dipping into the Pawsox roster. That's what they are there for. The problem is, these guys have become more likable and productive than the Sox' regulars.

Ciriaco and Gomez will likely be back in Pawtucket before you know it. Their production will also be short-lived, but for now, they are flying high and winning their place in the hearts of fans.

We will likely see most of these guys in the lineup tonight and then some will make the 45 minute drive back to Pawtucket after the All-Star break. Ellsbury is making his way back and will soon return to the lineup. Who knows about Carl Crawford, and Middlebrooks could be in the lineup at any time.

This is just a very quick flash of brilliance for the "replacements" and you can't fall in love with these guys too quickly. The Red Sox have a $173 million reason why you shouldn't.

Related: Globe: This team has big-time trust issues

On Page 2, Gonzo's hitting streak is all about the singles, or is it?

Recap: Sox lineup leads way to second straight win

The Sox concluded their homestand with a 10-4 win over Toronto this afternoon.

Jon Lester pitched adequately, yielding four runs over seven innings. He struck out just four, but didn't walk anybody. It at least beat the day Ricky Romero had. The Jays starter walked six and gave up seven hits over three innings. The Red Sox were up 10-1 after the 4th and never looked back.

I didn't watch the game, but the big standout of the box score is the difference in walks. The Blue Jays didn't walk all game; the Sox had seven reach base that way. Someone call Michael Lewis and tell him Moneyball is still working!*

Adrian Gonzalez continues to hit well. He drove in three runs out of the 5-hole, and is 12 for his last 36 at bats. Hopefully he can carry the good vibes out to Seattle, where the Sox kick off a seven-game West Coast road trip against the Mariners and Athletics. If they can perform well out there -- say, 5-2 -- they return to Fenway for a pre-All Star Break four-game series with the Yankees. It could be a good barometer of the team's potential to make a run.

Box score

* I hope you note that I realize this is not what Moneyball is about, and that the Red Sox don't apply because they throw money around like it's caviar on John Henry's yacht. Iz joke.

A primer on the 2012 Red Sox, or what you missed while watching the Celtics

Hey, I know how it is.

It's March, and you get wrapped up in the NCAA tournament. And then the Celtics start magically returning to form. And the Bruins, despite every lazy second you watch them play, are still a favorite with the playoffs on the horizon.

The Sox start slow -- really slow -- and your temptation is to spend your sports energy elsewhere.

The Bruins provided less of a distraction thanks to a first-round flameout, but the Celtics gutted their way to an Eastern Conference Finals game 7, finally surrendering to LeBron and Co. last night. 

Which leaves us with today, June 10th, the day when you have no reason but to start putting your energy back into the Red Sox. 

I know, it looks bleak. They're currently in last place in the AL East, and are a game below .500 at 29-30. How did they get to this point? What happened while you were gone?

Here are ten things to know about the last couple of months' happenings on the diamond, and what to expect going further:

Sox fall back to .500 in 2-1 loss to Orioles

The Red Sox couldn't get anything going on offense, wasting a superb start by Josh Beckett and falling to the AL East-leading Orioles 2-1. 

Beckett went eight strong, throwing just 92 pitches in the effort. He scattered five hits, walked one, and struck out five. For all the hulabaloo over him in the offseason, Josh's ERA is now just a touch over four, and he looks like he's really rounded into shape. With one starter scuffling (Lester), one starter being atrocious (Buchholz), and one starter so bad they had to demote him (Bard), Beckett is at least joining Felix Doubront as an effective member of the rotation.

I have to question Bobby V a little for his performance this game. I'm all for accountability and everything, and I know Adrian Gonzalez has not been on this year. But he's the best hitter on the team, and he's currently playing out of position while the team tries to not ruin its one good prospect and also not create a major distraction by benching Kevin Youkilis. (A little showcasing doesn't hurt, either.)

For his unselfish efforts, he's dropped to sixth in the lineup, and then pinch-run for in the 7th. Of course, the Sox managed to get some baserunners, so much so that in the bottom of the 8th with two on and two out, Gonzalez's spot in the lineup was at the plate...but in the form of Scott Podsednik. You're not going to believe this, but Scotty Pods didn't come through.

There's no question Adrian has been a disappointment, but there's no reason to treat him like an ancillary player. He's the best player on the team, just underperforming. He makes pitchers work, and he needs to be playing all the time and be left alone in the lineup. We need to figure something out with Youk, because this is getting ridiculous.

Box score