Red Sox-Blue Jays (May 29, 30, & 31)

The Red Sox open an important series against their AL East rival Blue Jays beginning tonight in Toronto. The Blue Jays currently are only 3.5-games behind the Sox for first place. The Red Sox send the struggling Matt Clement (4-4, 6.31) to the mound tonight against Toronto's ace, Roy Halladay (6-1, 2.77). Clement just doesn't seem like he can pitch effectively right now -- he is falling behind in almost every count and looks to be hesitant to throw on the inner half of the plate. Clement may be looking at the bullpen. The game starts at 7:07 and will be broadcast on NESN and WEEI. On Tuesday night Josh Beckett (7-1, 3.80) will square off with Gustavo Chacin (5-1, 5.31) at 7:07 on NESN and WEEI. Beckett has been outstanding through his first two months with the Red Sox and although 22-year-old Hanley Ramirez, the key player involved in the Beckett trade, has been great in Florida (.324 BA, 2 HR, 18 RBI, .396 OBP), the addition of Beckett is one of the main reasons the Red Sox are playing as well as they are. Add Mike Lowell's contribution -- Lowell was a "throw in" in the trade -- and it seems the Red Sox got the best of the deal. And when the Marlins have another fire sale in a couple of years, Ramirez might just return to the Sox. In the series finale on Wednesday, Red Sox killer Ted Lilly (5-4, 4.00) faces David Wells (0-1, 8.64). Wells' return from the DL was going great on Friday night against Tampa Bay until he caught a line drive off the injured knee in the sixth inning. The Sox are saying Wells will be fine but that will have to be seen. This is a 7:07 start on NESN and WEEI.

Schill Hits The Big 2-0-0

Congratulations go out to Curt Schilling who pitched seven strong innings and won career game No. 200 on Saturday night in the Red Sox 6-4 victory over Tampa Bay. Schilling is now the 104th pitcher in baseball history with 200 wins. Schill ran his record to 8-2 on the season.

Hudson To Red Sox?

The New York Post and ESPN.com's "Insider" is reporting that Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Tim Hudson may be available if the Braves do not get back into contention in the NL East. The soon to be 31-year-old is signed through 2009 on a contract worth $33-million. Hudson is 4-3 with a 4.13 ERA so far in '06 and has a career record of 110-51 with an ERA of 3.37. If this report is true, the Red Sox would be wise to jump in on Hudson. As he showed in his years with Oakland, he can dominate in the American League. Also, the Sox desperately need starting pitching. Matt Clement has been a bust since the '05 All-Star break, David Wells has been hurt (and is 43), and Tim Wakefield has been shaky so far this year. Adding Hudson to Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett would give the Sox a powerful 1-2-3 combination at the top of the rotation. Of course, the price of Hudson would not be cheap. The Braves would most likely ask for at least one of Boston's top pitching prospects -- Jon Lester, Craig Hansen, Manny Delcarmen, Edgar Martinez -- as well as at least one or two mid-level prospects. The Sox may also have to send Clement while eating a good portion of his guaranteed money left on his current deal which runs through 2007. Other potential starters on the market that would help the Sox are Florida's Dontrelle Willis and Oakland's Barry Zito. And don't forget Roger Clemens either. Something to keep an eye on.

Red Sox-Devil Rays (May 25, 26, 27, & 28)

Josh Beckett (7-1, 3.80) started off the weekend four-game series with the Devil Rays in dominating fashion Thursday night. The early AL Cy Young favorite pitched six shutout innings as the Red Sox went on to win 4-1. With the Yankees not playing last night, the Sox lead in the AL East is now 1-game. David Wells (0-1, 15.75) returns from the disabled list tonight to try to give the starting rotation a much needed boost. At 43, this may be Wells' last shot at producing in the bigs. The impressive Scott Kazmir (7-2, 2.39) -- another early Cy Young candidate -- goes for Tampa Bay. It is amazing that New York Mets dealt Kazmir to Tampa two years ago for Victor Zambrano -- imagine how good the Mets would be with the flame-throwing lefty. NESN and WEEI have the game at 7:05. On Saturday, Curt Schilling (7-2, 3.80) -- coming off of a great start against the Yankees on Monday -- faces Seth McClung (2-5, 5.72). McClung is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in two career appearances at Fenway so if you're a betting man, take the Sox and the over. Saturday's game is a 7:05 start on NESN and WEEI. In the Sunday finale, Tim Wakefield (3-6, 4.57) will be opposed by Mark Hendrickson (3-4, 3.50) at 2:05. In the past, Wake has always pitched well against the Devil Rays while Hendrickson has struggled with Boston. Tune into NESN or WEEI for the game. Having started out so well last night, the Red Sox need to ride their momentum and take at least 2-of-3 over the weekend. The Sox can't afford to lose games to Tampa Bay as they will come back to haunt them in September if they do.

Red Sox Minor League Player of the Week (May 15-21)

The Minor League Player of the Week for the week of May 15-21 is Wilmington Blue Rocks centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury, a first round pick of the Red Sox in the 2005 draft, is hitting .304 with 1 HR, 11 RBI, 7 stolen bases, and a .368 OBP in 17 games. Ellsbury is considered the future centerfielder for the Red Sox. The Oregon State product has been compared to another former Sox centerfielder -- Johnny Damon.

Red Sox-Yankees (May 22, 23, & 24)

Get ready for over-the-top media hype, four hour games, and the biggest rivalry in sports. Yes, that's right, the Yankees are back in Boston. Make sure to send the schedule makers a big pile of goose dung for Christmas this year for scheduling another Sox-Yanks series on a Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. In Monday's opener, Curt Schilling (6-2, 4.17) again tries to get back on track after a few rough outings. He will be opposed by Chien-Ming Wang (4-1, 3.79), who is currently the "ace" of Steinbrenner's $800-billion starting rotation. NESN and WEEI have this one at 7:05 and ESPN will carry the game nationally. In Game 2, Tim Wakefield (3-5, 4.17) faces Jaret Wright (1-3, 4.94). Wake has always been a Yankee killer (excluding Aaron Bleepin' Boone) and Wright is far from being a dependable starter. NESN and WEEI have the game at 7:05. In the finale, Matt Clement (4-3, 5.36) will go up against the struggling Randy Johnson (5-4, 5.62). Actually, on the Red Sox afficial website, the Yankees starter for Wednesday is listed as TBA -- so keep an eye on the Underachieving Unit. As in the other two games, NESN and WEEI have the coverage at 7:05. This is another key May series for the AL East leading Red Sox. The Yankees are right behind the Sox so it is crucial for Boston to take at least 2-of-3 to maintain the division lead. The more pressure the Red Sox can apply to the scuffling Yanks the better, especially with a Steinbrenner explosion due any minute now. Beating up on the Yankees this week may force New York's hand before June arrives on the calendar.

Red Sox-Phillies (May 19, 20, & 21)

Matt Clement (4-3, 5.36) kicked off the first interleague series of the season for Boston on Friday night with a solid 6.2-innings in a 5-3 Sox victory. Boston was powered by homeruns by David Ortiz, Mike Lowell, and Jason Varitek. Jonathan Papelbon recorded his 15th save while Philadelphia's Jon Leiber (3-5, 5.81) was the loser. On Saturday the Red Sox will send Josh Beckett (5-1, 4.24) to the mound against Brett Myers (2-1, 2.73). This game is a 7:05 start on both NESN and WEEI. The eyes of Red Sox Nation will be focused on Beckett's pitching hand to see if the swirling rumors of a blister problem are even remotely true. He, of course, angrily denies there is a blister problem but his past troubles with blisters have RS Nation on edge. On Sunday, Lenny DiNardo (1-1, 6.17) faces Cory Lidle (3-4, 4.84) of the Phillies. I'll go out on a limb and predict this one to be a high scoring game. The finale will be played at 1:35 on NESN and WEEI. In one other Red Sox note, it is time for Terry Francona to develop the bullpen a bit. Don't get me wrong, the three-headed monster of Papelbon, Mike Timlin, and Keith Foulke has been great so far but the 'pen needs at least one more consistent arm to avoid burnout for the top three guys. Now, the question of where this arm comes from is not an easy one to answer. Can Julian Tavarez or Rudy Seanez step up from within? Are any of the potential minor league options -- Craig Hansen, Edgar Martinez, Manny Delcarmen -- truly capable of stepping up for a World Series contender? Or will Theo have to go shopping? This point isn't to sound greedy -- the Red Sox are definitely dealing from a position of power because of Papelbon, Timlin, and Foulke -- but remember what happened to the 2004 Yankees. Everything looked fabulous in NY, with Tom Gordon and Paul Quantrill setting up Mariano Rivera. But the innings piled up fast in the Bronx in '04 and before Torre knew it, the end of his bullpen was out of gas. I personally think Julian Tavarez can be the guy who takes on more of the work load. He may be a hot head at times but he has the ability to pitch effectively at the end of ball games. And if he isn't the answer, Craig Hansen just may be.

Red Sox Minor League Player of the Week (May 8-14)

TheBostonInsider's Daily Blog M.L.P.O.T.W. for May 8-14 is Double-A relief pitcher Edgar Martinez. Martinez, Portland's hard throwing righty, is 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA in 12 appearances for the Sea Dogs. He struck out 19 and allowed only 12 baserunners (9 hits, 3 walks) in 17-innings. Martinez, as reported by Peter Gammons among others, could fill a need in Boston at some point in 2006. Keep an eye on him.

Red Sox-Orioles (May 15, 16 & 17)

Rain soaked from Boston, the Red Sox will (hopefully) open a three game series with the Baltimore Orioles tonight at Camden Yards. Josh Beckett (4-1, 4.70) goes against the struggling Rodrigo Lopez (1-5, 7.03) tonight at 7:05 pm on NESN, ESPN, and WEEI. Beckett hasn't pitched since last Tuesday when he shut down the Yankees. In Game 2, Curt Schilling (5-2, 3.76) tries to bounce back from a rough outing in New York last Wednesday. He will be opposed by another struggling Oriole starter, lefty Bruce Chen (0-4, 8.42). NESN and WEEI have the game at 7:05 pm. In Wednesday's series finale, the red-hot Tim Wakefield (3-4, 4.03) faces lefty Erik Bedard (4-2, 4.63), one of Baltimore's lone bright spots. As in the other two games, this is a 7:05 pm start on NESN and WEEI. The first place Red Sox should take at least 2-of-3 from the lowly Birds. They need to jump on the poor pitching of the Orioles and hope that their top three starters are on their game.

Baseball Tonight

As the Red Sox deal with the team that just can't win a World Series this century (those AL East titles mean as much as the division titles the Bruins used to gobble up in the '80s and '90s) ...

... Rich Hill takes on the Incredible Bulk with 714* on the line in San Francisco.

Cubs-Giants (May 9, 2006)

Cheater or not (and he is a cheater), Barry Bonds will get his first crack at passing Babe Ruth on the all-time homerun list tomorrow night in San Francisco against the Chicago Cubs. Bonds, who is sitting out the Giants makeup game today against the Houston Astros, hit career homerun No. 713 last night in Philadelphia -- a monster shot that was still rising when it blasted off the right field upper deck facade at Bank One Ballpark. As for the first pitcher who will get his shot at Bonds, Milton, MA native Rich Hill (0-1, 11.25) gets the nod for the Cubbies tomorrow. Will Rich be a footnote in history? Or will he mow down the mighty Bonds? Find out tomorrow at your local bar that has the MLB package -- I know for a fact that the Eire Pub in Dorchester will have the game, a 10:15 pm start on the east coast. I say that Hill K's the cheating SOB twice and walks him once.

Red Sox-Yankees (May 9, 10, & 11)

Get it up. Red Sox vs. Yankees, 2006, Part II. After playing only one game in Boston last week, the Red Sox and Yankees renew the greatest rivalry in sports tomorrow night in the Bronx. In the opener, Josh Beckett (3-1, 4.86) returns to Yankee Stadium for the first time since winning Game 6 of the 2003 World Series and the '03 World Series MVP as a member of the Florida Marlins. He will be opposed by the Big Unit, Randy Johnson (5-2, 5.02) in what looks like a terrific pitching matchup. In the middle game of the three game set, Curt Schilling (5-1, 3.02) squares off with Mike Mussina (5-1, 2.35) in another great pitching matchup. Schill and Moose are both early season favorites for the A.L. Cy Young Award, a trophy that neither hurler has ever won. In Thursday's finale, Tim Wakefield (2-4, 3.97) faces Shawn Chacon (4-1, 3.94). If Wake had gotten a few more runs in his support, that 2-4 record might just be 4-2.

Red Sox-Orioles (May 5, 6, & 7)

The Red Sox begin a three game series with the Baltimore Orioles tonight. Curt Schilling (4-1, 2.88) faces the struggling Rodrigo Lopez (1-3, 6.81) at 7:05 pm on NESN and WEEI tonight. On Saturday at 7:05 pm, Tim Wakefield (1-4, 3.89) will matchup against Oriole lefty Erik Bedard (4-1, 3.58) on NESN and WEEI. In Sunday's finale, Lenny DiNardo (0-1, 7.36) -- in what might be his last start for a while -- goes up against Mr. Anna Benson (4-2, 3.32) at 2:05 pm on NESN and WEEI. This series should find the Sox taking at least 2-of-3 from the lowly O's. The most excitement all weekend should come when "Cowboy Up" Kevin Millar makes his return to Fenway Park for the first time.

Another Possible Boston Homecoming?

Doug Mirabelli rates a private jet and a police escort to Fenway. That's for a backup catcher. Roger Clemens will command anywhere from $12-$15 million dollars, use of private planes to commute to work from Houston and many, many other perks. That will be the bid for the greatest pitcher in baseball history. Now, where would a former All-Star shortstop and current firstbaseman fit in on the "Return to the Red Sox" scale? Yeah, I'm talking about bringing Nomar Garciaparra back to Boston. Seriously. Why Nomar? Because the Red Sox desperately need offense and the return of Garciaparra to the Hub of Baseball is exactly what the punchless lineup needs. Imagine a season in which Clemens returns to bolster the pitching staff, Nomar returns to add some needed punch to the lineup, and Mirabelli returns to make Wakefield a 12-game winner. So far, Nomar has been very good for the Dodgers. In just nine games (after coming off the disabled list), he is batting .313 with 2 HR, 9 RBI, an OBP of .410 and an outstanding OPS of 1.066. Yes, the time frame is a short one but numbers are numbers and history has shown us all that a healthy Nomar is a hitting Nomar. The Nomar return would hinge on some mitigating factors. One, is he healthy enough to play shortstop? Alex Gonzalez is a spectacular defensive player at short but he isn't hitting Casey Fossum's weight right now. However, shortstop isn't his only option. Garciaparra is actually playing firstbase for Grady Little's Dodgers and if there were an injury to either firstbaseman Kevin Youkilis or thirdbaseman Mike Lowell (Youk would move to third), the Sox would have a need for a corner infielder with pop in his bat. A long shot? Certainly. But with Mirabelli already in uniform and Clemens weighing his options, a guy can dream. Can't he?

Red Sox-Blue Jays (May 3 & 4)

The Red Sox game against the Yankees was rained out tonight. It will be made up as part of a day/night doubleheader on Friday, August 18. Wednesday night kicks off a two-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Sox have already dropped 4-of-6 against Toronto in 2006 so taking these two-games would help them gain some equal footing with an AL East rival. Josh Beckett (3-1, 4.50) will try to bounce back from his last start, a terrible outing in Cleveland, against Blue Jay ace Roy Halladay (3-1, 2.84) in the opener, a 7:05 pm start on NESN and WEEI. On Thursday night, Matt Clement (2-2, 6.14) goes for Boston against Josh Towers (0-5, 10.45). Thursday will also be a 7:05 pm start and will be on both NESN and WEEI. Another quick Red Sox note, closer Jonathan Papelbon was named American League Rookie-of-the-Month for April. The hard throwing 25-year-old was 10-for-10 in save opportunities.

Patriots Draft

Although my mock draft was an unmitigated disaster, the Bill Belichick/Scott Pioli/New England Patriot draft was a complete success. In the first round, at pick No. 21, the Patriots grabbed Minnesota running back Laurence Maroney. Maroney is slated to be the back of the future in New England as he begins what should be a productive apprenticeship under Corey Dillon. His 2005 season -- the only year Maroney started for the Gophers -- produced 1,464 yards and 10 touchdowns. In the two previous seasons -- splitting time with current Dallas Cowboy Marion Barber III -- Maroney ran for 1,348 yards and 12 TD's (2004) and 1,121 yards and 10 TD's (2003). This was a great pick for both the present and the future. In the second round, the Pats grabbed Florida wide receiver Chad Jackson. They traded up to pick No. 36 to grad this productive pass catcher that they almost took at pick No. 21. Jackson had 900 receiving yards in 2005 and scored 9 TD's. He is known for his terrific hands and is a great addition for the receiver-thin Patriots. The Patriots then added Texas tight end David Thomas in Round 3 and Tulsa tight end Garret Mills (who will probably be converted to fullback) in Round 4. Both are solid pass catchers who will provide All-Pro quarterback Tom Brady with more options in the passing game. Also in Round 4, the Pats took Memphis kicker Stephen Gostkowski. The 2005 Conference USA special teams player-of-the-year may be the replacement for Patriot legend Adam Vinatieri. Let's just hope he can make some clutch kicks. In the fifth round, New England selected mammoth (6'7, 363) California right tackle Ryan O'Callaghan. O'Callaghan was thought by many to be the best right tackle in college football in 2005 and with that position a question mark for the Pats, expect him to make a play to start as a rookie. Rounding out the draft, the Pats acquired Florida defensive end Jeremy Mincey, Notre Dame guard Dan Stevenson, Nebraska defensive tackle Le Kevin Smith and Baylor safety Willie Andrews. Now, it would be idiotic to grade this draft -- these guys haen't even played a snap in mini-camp yet. But the players taken should help form another solid Patriot draft class.

Red Sox Notes

Back from a few days away from the magic box... When I said that the Red Sox might take a look at re-acquiring Doug Mirabelli later in the season, I meant June or July -- not four days later. However, the Sox had different plans. They traded for Tim Wakefield's safety net at catcher yesterday and even got Mirabelli into Fenway to start last night's game against the Yankees. In making the move for Mirabelli, Boston dealt Josh Bard, who has talent, Pawtucket reliever Cla Meredith and cash to the Padres... The Red Sox offense is most likely what will be their undoing in 2006. Other than David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, their just isn't enough consistency. The loss of Coco Crisp has hurt them but it is ridiculous to think he can instantly return and make this offense similar to the 2003-2005 Red Sox that bashed their way to three playoff appearances and a World Series championship. Getting Mark Loretta, Trot Nixon, Jason Varitek and Mike Lowell to consistently hit as a group will be paramount to the fortunes of 2006. This lineup can't afford to have any of them go through prolonged dry spells. The bench is of almost no help -- other than Wily Mo Pena -- in the offensive area as well. Theo Epstein faces the problem of not having a bat waiting in the minors to jump start the offense. The likes of David Murphy, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury are at least a year (if not more) from impacting the Boston lineup. The pitching is going to be solid. Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, Wakefield, Jonathan Papelbon and the rest will assure us of remaining a contender. But can the offense start to click? That is the $64,000 question... How long until Craig Hansen hits Boston is the question running through my mind. In his first appearance for Pawtucket, the 2005 first round pick pitched 2.1 scoreless innings and struck out two. Another two or three weeks of outings like the first and Hansen could be at Fenway... Speaking of the minor leagues', the TBI Minor League Player of the Week is Pawtucket first baseman Hee-Seop Choi. Choi, acquired by the Red Sox off of waivers from the Dodgers at the end of spring training, may provide some offensive relief off the bench in Boston at the end of his rehabilitation stint with the PawSox. In 17 games (58 at-bats), Choi is batting .328 with 3 homeruns and 11 RBI's. If J.T. Snow continues to struggle in his reserve role with the Red Sox, anticipate Choi coming to Boston.