How long did it take the Red Sox to get over their most humiliating defeat in 20 years?

Less than 18 hours.

The Red Sox, down 5-1 to the Orioles, stormed back with four runs in the top of the ninth to send the game into extra innings. The Sox went on to win 6-5 in the 11th.

What a great comeback for Boston. They could have hung their heads and left Camden Yards losing two of three, but instead, not only did they win the game and the series, but they completely erased the embarrassment of last night's debacle by staging a comeback of their own. Sure, Baltimore's comeback was twice as difficult, but now the Sox have left town on a high note, while the Orioles didn't even get a full day to celebrate their amazing rally. It's a shame, because that team, while currently floundering at eight games under .500, has some great potential, starting with Nick Markakis, who has become a thorn in the sides of both the Red Sox and Yankees.

It should be noted in this 6-5 victory, that Julio Lugo drove in the winning run. Yes, that Julio Lugo. If his heroics against Baltimore have a familiar ring, you may recall the now famous Mother's Day Miracle, wherein I predicted, albeit cautiously, the Red Sox's eventual World Series championship in 2007. 

Up next, the Sox face Seattle at home starting Friday night. It's a lopsided affair on paper, but Seattle plays Boston well. Tim Wakefield goes for win number 11, but that may get put off with King Felix starting for the Mariners.

I must have dozed off during the rain delay. I remember John Smoltz was pitching well (4 innings, 1 run), and the Red Sox were doing the usual against Baltimore--beating the daylights out of them--by a score of 9-1. Then the rain came and I'm sure I fell asleep.

I had the most hilarious dream.

William Shatner had taken over as Baltimore's manager. And the team started hitting like the Red Sox. And the Red Sox bullpen started pitching like the Orioles bullpen. And then--get this--Jonathan Papelbon came in and blew the save. Crazy, right?

It must have been the Moo Goo Gai Pan I had for dinner.

It couldn't possibly have happened. If it had, it would have been the biggest comeback by a last place team to beat a first place team. It also would have been the biggest comeback by the Orioles since they moved to Baltimore in 1954.

No need to check the paper today. I'll just assume the Sox won 15-3 or so. And even if it hadn't been a dream, all's well. Josh Beckett takes the hill today and he will not put up with any crap from our favorite AL East punching bags. Expect the ace to go a minimum of eight sharp innings today, assuming the rain stays away.

Why not?

Sure, it probably won't be as intense as watching Pedro striking out five out of six batters like in 1999, but how fitting in this age of juiced up players to have a guy on the mound lobbing a 65-MPH knuckleball past the likes of Albert Pujols, Ryan Braun and Chase Utley.

His performance against Atlanta on Saturday was sensational: six innings, three hits, one walk, no runs scored in a 1-0 victory that notched his tenth win.

That tenth win puts him in a four-way tie for the league lead along with Roy Halladay, Zach Greinke and, somehow, Kevin Slowey. Josh Beckett is one shy with nine wins, and deserving of a spot on the All-Star roster himself.

It's possible that Wake's ERA of 4.18 could be the reason he doesn't get the ball in the first inning--especially when compared to Greinke's incredible 1.95. But at this stage of his career, Tim Wakefield deserves some recognition and a little potato salad on the side.

Maybe I'm putting too much stock in 42 year old John Smoltz, but his presence on the team reminds me a lot of Curt Schilling in 2004. Sure, there's no typical Schilling bluster and no curses to take care of, but in his own quiet way, Smoltz could become the postseason force for Boston in '09 that ol' No. 38 was in '04. He could be the guy that pushes Josh Beckett to be even better in October than he's been this season. And, along with Jon Lester, he could complete the trio that can keep any offense in check.

Let's compare Schilling and Smoltz when it counts:

Curt Schilling in the postseason: 11-2, 2.23 ERA
John Smoltz in the postseason: 15-4, 2.65 ERA

Yes, I'm getting way ahead of myself here. Smoltz could be just a mediocre pitcher after this latest surgery and let's face it, the guy is not a kid anymore. For all we know he could finish the season on the DL. But if all that's true, why do I feel so amped up about Smoltz's debut tonight against the worst team in baseball?

I think the Red Sox could have in Smoltz a mid-season addition that just might be better than any deadline deal that could take place at the end of July.
 

From Steve Buckley's column in the Boston Herald:

"Let's say, in the end, they start using a five-man rotation without me and that's working well," Matsuzaka said through interpreter Masa Hoshino. "If those guys are pitching well and the rotation's working well all throughout the year, maybe there won't be a space for me to come back."

Poor Dice-K. He went from World Baseball Classic MVP to injured starter whose spot in the rotation was immediately taken by John Smoltz. Meanwhile, somewhere in Pawtucket, R.I., Clay Buchholz is hoping for one more injury to hit the Red Sox rotation. Behind him, Michael Bowden thinks he's ready for prime time.

Theo Epstein's Plan B is working out just fine. After losing the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes, he immediately went out and signed Brad Penny for short money--5 million plus incentives--and that signing is paying major dividends. Apart from Penny's 6-2 record, and the fact that his velocity is improving with every start, his presence in the rotation along with Smoltz has fans unconcerned that Matsuzaka, who racked up 33 wins in his first two seasons, might not return until 2010. No Dice-K, no problem.

An MRI on his shoulder showed some weakness but no major damage and Matsuzaka landed on the disabled list for the second time this season. How many other teams can lose their Number 3 starter and get nothing but yawns and shrugs from their fans? If you were to start a new team with the three guys who haven't pitched yet--Smoltz, Buchholz (5-0, 1.90) and Bowden (3-3, 3.26)--many other teams would consider that an upgrade to their regular starting three. Sure, I know Smoltz's arm could fall off during his debut on Thursday, but I'm betting against it. The guy has come back from surgeries before and this time he's got an ax to grind with his former employers.

And while Dice-K may or may not make his way back from the DL, the Red Sox rotation just got a bit more interesting. Honestly, can Smoltz be any worse than 1-5? No matter how you look at it, Dice-K's loss is the team's gain.

Talk about a rough schedule.

The Red Sox made it into in the record books (or at least the trivia books) as the only team to have ever faced consecutive series against four first-place teams. The good news is that it was a very successful run. Although they did drop two of three to Texas, they went on to sweep Detroit and New York (knocking the Yanks out of first place), and then took two out of three from the reigning World Champs in Philly.

Next stop: At home, hosting the Marlins. During this series, Sox fans can see up close in Hanley Ramirez just what it took to get Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell here. I think that trade is still one of the best deals that worked out for both sides: Florida got the young face of their franchise with all the makings of a future MVP, while the Red Sox got themselves a bona fide ace in Beckett and, with Lowell, a World Series MVP.

It's amazing to think that Mike Lowell came here as a salary dump in that trade after his awful final season in Florida. I remember writers speculating that Mike could be a bench player or possibly get released from the team, but it was worth it to get Beckett. These days, Lowell is one of the most loved and respected players on the team.

File Under: Good guys finish first.
 

OK, fine, I'll admit it: I'm pretty happy today.

The Red Sox blew a slim one run lead in the seventh inning only to come back and complete the sweep (again) of the the New York Yankees.

I would have preferred a 1-0 victory over the eventual 4-3 win, if only to spotlight that until the seventh, the only run scored was a David Ortiz home run. But the real credit goes to Brad Penny, who pitched six scoreless innings while allowing just one walk.

And this is the guy we might trade? Yes, the Red Sox a brimming with good pitching. Perhaps this will be the year they finally put the six-man rotation in place. I'm not sure if Penny is pitching over his head because he doesn't want to be traded or maybe he has returned to this old 2007 self. If Dice-K can get over his post-traumatic World Baseball Classic stress disorder, the Red Sox will be in a position to trade for some of the best talent at the deadline.

Today, I assume, is a dark day for Yankees fans--even though they could potentially be back in first place by late tomorrow night. The Sox are in Philly and that team knows how to win.

Tonight Jon Lester faces Joe Blanton.

Bad news, Sox fans. If ever there was a scenario where the Yankees had the upper hand and could finally beat the Red Sox this year, it's tonight. Their Number One vs. our Number Five.

Those who assume CC Sabathia will get lit up tonight have selective memories. Although he was knocked around in the 2007 ALCS by the Red Sox, he has only had two regular season starts against Boston since 2006. And in those two games he split the victories, but he pitched 15 innings with 15 strikeouts allowing just two earned runs--an ERA of 1.20.

So sure, he was a disaster in the playoffs, but in the regular season he was dominant. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are starting the Pitcher Most Likely to be Traded once Smoltz proclaims himself ready in a few weeks. Brad Penny has been effective for a back-of-the-rotation guy, but he has also been the beneficiary of the most run support on the team. That's one very shaky 5-3 record, as shown by the 5.85 ERA.

But then again, maybe the bats will come alive again for Penny and the Sox will continue their streak. Maybe John Harper is right and the Red Sox are winning the mental game where New York is concerned. OK, OK, I've convinced myself: it's time for another sweep.

Forget his awful start this year, the high ERA and the rumors that maybe Josh Beckett never quite healed from his injury-riddled 2008 season.

Instead, let's look at Beckett's recent history:

In his past six starts prior to last night's win, Beckett has gone 5-0 with an ERA of 1.70. Last night he went six innings, allowing just one hit to a team that had been scoring five or more runs per game on a regular basis.

His current record now stands at 7-2 with an ERA of 3.77--that's way down from the 7.22 he was sporting back in April.

As for A.J. Burnett--the Yankees pitcher I'd pick over CC Sabathia--he just didn't have it last night against the Sox. He seems to be an all-or-nothing pitcher. Lucky for Boston, it was an off night. When Burnett is on his game, he is unhittable.

Like Josh Beckett was last night.

Rumors have been circulating about Orlando Cabrera's possible return to Boston. But don't count on it. Here's why:

1. This Isn't 2004. Cabrera is simply not, at age 34, the same player he was five years ago. He's batting .236 and he's already committed eight errors. By contrast, while Julio Lugo "only" has 4 errors, he's played less than half the games that Cabrera has. This tells me one thing: Lugo has an outside chance (really, really outside) at playing better and raising his average with more time on the field, whereas, Cabrera, who has played every day, has shown himself for what he is at this stage of his career.

2. Money. The Sox would have to take on about $2.5 million in Cabrera's remaining salary in addition to the $9 million they're handing over to Lugo--not to mention the short money they're paying Nick Green and Jed Lowrie. That's about $13 million committed to four shortstops, none of whom is producing on the field or at the plate this season.

3. Cabrera's Exit. To this day, you'll find threads on forums discussing the mystery of the Red Sox's decision not to bring back Cabrera for the 2005 season. Very few of the rumors talk about Theo Epstein's preference for Edgar Renteria over Cabrera. Instead there's chatter about partying and inappropriate behavior, none of which has been officially confirmed or denied by any reliable news sources.

So for now, expect the bumbling Julio Lugo and the inept Nick Green to add gray hairs and extra pitches for Boston's starters until Jed Lowrie returns from the DL in three to four weeks.