Random Thoughts (July 25, 2007)

All of a sudden everything is just fine in Red Sox Nation. The team has won five consecutive games, the bats are producing again when it counts and the pitching is still fantastic. Last night Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched seven shutout innings, leading the Sox to an impressive 1-0 win over C.C. Sabathia and the Indians. Hideki Okajima pitched a perfect eighth inning and Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth for his 23rd save. Even with the Yankees on a tear (more below), the Red Sox remain 7.5 games ahead of New York in the AL East standings. Mike Lowell drove in Kevin Youkilis for the game's only run in the fourth. It was Lowell's team leading 71st RBI of the year. Matsuzaka was very good on a night he had to be for his team to win. Over his seven shutout innings he spread out four hits and three walks, striking out five Indians. Cleveland batters were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, including a Jhonny Peralta strikeout with the bases loaded in the bottom of the first. Dice-K is now 12-7 with a 3.79 ERA. Josh Beckett (13-3, 3.41; 6-0, 1.71 on the road) goes tonight against 12-game winner Fausto Carmona. With the way things are going for the Sox right now -- David Ortiz returns to a hot lineup after missing four games with a shoulder strain -- they could keep the pressure on the Yankees and the rest of the American League... Speaking of those Yankees, what a roll they are on. Winners of 11-of-14 since the All-Star Game, the Bronx Bombers are scoring at a pace that would make the New York Jets jealous. In their last five games (three against Tampa Bay and two against Kansas City) the Yankees have scored 63 runs (the most in a five game span since 1931) and have cut their deficit in the AL East to 7.5 games and have pulled to within 4.5 games of AL Wild Card leader Cleveland. Everyone knew the Yankee lineup was more than capable of going on a tear. Pitching staffs in Tampa Bay and Kansas City are not built to stop the likes of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Jorge Posada and the rest of the guys in pinstripes. Heck, Reggie Jackson could go deep off the Devil Rays or Royals. I still do not think they are going to make the playoffs. Too many of their players are past their best days and they just don't have the great pitching a team in such a big hole needs to climb out. This is an impressive run they are on but in the end, I don't think it will be enough for them... In addressing the Tim Donaghy scandal yesterday, commissioner David Stern said that as far as he knows (from what the FBI has told the NBA), Donaghy is the only referee who was potentially betting on games. Although I don't like the fact that Stern is relying on government information (the NBA has not yet conducted their own investigation into the issue), I will take him at his word... The Patriots were on my mind last night but not because they open training camp on Friday. Late last night I received a disturbing phone call from a friend who said that he heard -- from a reliable source -- that Pats linebacker Tedy Bruschi had died. I believed this horrible news for two reasons: the person who called me would never make up such news and with Bruschi's health history, something like this is quite possible. I waited for the local or national news to break this story but by the time I fell asleep, I had heard nothing. It turns out that it was untrue (thankfully). Stuff like this happens from time to time but that doesn't make it right. Whoever started this ugly rumor (and I know it wasn't my friend or his source) is thoughtless idiot. It is irresponsible, gutless and flat-out wrong to start such a rumor, especially when the person is as well known as Bruschi, which makes it spread faster than Britney Spears' legs after a few cocktails... On a more positive note, Hollywood bimbo Lindsay Lohan was arrested yesterday morning on DUI charges and possession of cocaine. Why is this positive news, you ask? Because with a history of drinking-and-driving and cocaine abuse, Lohan is now probably on her way to prison. And hopefully such a turn of events will push her out of lucrative movies and into some roles where she bares her ... oh, you know... Enjoy Josh Beckett tonight...