Beltre Slam Lifts Sox Past Indians
Adrian Beltre's fourth inning grand slam was more than enough for the Red Sox as they beat the Indians 6-2, salvaging a split in the four game series with the Tribe. Daisuke Matsuzaka blew through eight stellar innings, allowing just a first inning homer to Shin Soo Choo for his eighth win of the season.
J.D Drew added a two-run double in the eighth inning to help pad Boston's lead to 6-1. Hideki Okajima ran into some trouble in the ninth after getting the first out. Jonathan Papelbon came in to record the final two outs. While it's nice for the Sox to record a win, Okajima's ineffectiveness cannot be brushed over.
For Terry Francona, I don't think it's too much to ask for him to have a reliever he can go to with a five-run lead in the ninth inning that can get three outs against a bad offensive team. Instead, he needed to go to his closer when Papelbon should've had a day off. These are exactly the types of small things that will haunt the Red Sox the final third of the season. They can't afford to tire out good players because every last man on the roster needs to contribute in order to catch the Yankees and Rays.
Youkilis Out for Season
Kevin Youkilis is out for the rest of the season with a torn muscle in his thumb. It will require season-ending surgery and can be added to the list with all the other key players who have suffered long-term injuries for the Sox this year.
The first baseman has been playing with pain in the finger for about two weeks, but managed to play through it until an at-bat Monday night against the Indians. Two MRIs this week confirmed that surgery is the only way to go. His thumb will be imobilized for six weeks after the surgery and he'll be re-evaluated then. It's another major blow as Youkilis had been the primary hitter keeping the lineup afloat while waiting for the return of Victor Martinez, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury.
The Big Shamrock
Shaquille O'Neal officially became a member of the Boston Celtics today. The veteran center signed a two year deal at the veteran's minimum, which will pay him about three million dollars over the two seasons. The 38 year old will help the team absorb the loss of Kendrick Perkins for the first half of the season.
While O'Neal likely won't provide much more than the 12 points and seven rebounds he averaged last season for the Cavs, the big man remains highly motivated to capture yet another title and is still one of the biggest bodies in the NBA. With respect to building up the bench and finding players who will maximize their effectiveness in a limited amount of time, Shaq is one of the best players they could find.
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