Sox Win Despite Francona & Varitek Ejections

The Boston Red Sox were riding the bat of Jason Varitek and the arm of Josh Beckett on Thursday afternoon as the Sox took the final game of their series with Minnesota by the final of 3-1.

Varitek hit two home runs for the Sox and that’s all the offense Boston would need as Beckett allowed three hits and one run through seven innings as Boston’s ace struck out eight Twins hitters.  Varitek’s two solo blasts give him ten homeruns for the season as the Boston captain hit 13 homers last season.

The Sox captain was also ejected in the seventh inning after arguing a call from home plate umpire Todd Tichenor.  Tichenor then proceeded to eject Terry Francona in the same sequence after tossing Minnesota’s catcher and manager earlier in the game.

Hideki Okajima settled the Sox down in the next inning by pitching a scoreless eighth as Jonathan Papelbon shut the door in the ninth to record his 13th save of the season.

Boston now heads north of the border as the AL leading Sox take on the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield takes the mound as he will square off against Toronto’s Casey.

Clay Buchholz was the topic of trade rumors throughout the offseason and was also the topic of discussion in Spring training.  So now with the 2009 Major League Baseball season almost a quarter of the way complete, what does Buchholz’s future look like in 2009?

I don’t think anybody knows.

One thing is for certain, however, as the 24-year-old is tearing it up in Triple-A Pawtucket. The right-hander took a perfect game into the ninth inning on Monday for the PawSox. 

So with the starting rotation struggling for Terry Francona and the local nine, Red Sox nation should look out for a minor league call up for the right-hander as Buchholz could be donning a Sox uniform in the near future.

There will be no more waiting and seeing for Kevin Garnett as the Boston Celtics were eliminated by the Orlando Magic on Sunday.

Garnett is now scheduled to have surgery sometime next week due to the C’s Game 7 loss to the Magic.  KG was waiting to see if his right knee could get healthy enough to play later on in the postseason.  However, that won’t be a problem anymore as the Celtics forward is slated to have right knee bone spur surgery.

The surgery will not require an extensive rehab for Garnett as the Celtics brass assume that their defensive centerpiece will be at full strength come October.

With The C’s & B’s Now Done, What Can Boston Sports Fans Look Forward To?

The Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins sports seasons both came to a screeching halt this past week as both teams find themselves eliminate from the playoffs.  Now, with only two major Boston sports teams in action, the Boston Red Sox and New England Revolution, what can sports fans look forward to?

Well, these times certaintly would be more interesting and more exciting if the Bruins and Celtics were still fighting for their playoff lives but the fans of Boston must remember that times weren’t always this good. The Sox host the Toronto Blue Jays this week at Fenway Park as the Red Sox look to regain the AL East lead.  

Terry Francona has the best bullpen in baseball and with stars like Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Jason Bay all primed for great seasons, what can Red Sox fans NOT be excited about.  I mean, we haven’t even seen a single home run from David Ortiz yet this season and for everyone other than Tim Wakefield, the Sox starting rotation has been a mess.  But the local nine are 22-16 and trail the Blue Jays by 3.5 games. These summer months should be exciting as the Sox should make a push for another World Series title.  

But, as we all know it, the Red Sox can’t be the only team to tide our curiosity over.  So that’s why we have the New England Patriots and the offseason’s of both the Bruins and Celtics to help us get through these tough times.  

The New England Patriots have already begun their workouts as training camp looms in the distance. Questions that arise for this years squad are the health of Tom Brady, the need for a go-to running back, and the development of the defensive secondary.

For the Bruins and Celtics, fans must keep a watchful eye on the wheeling and dealing both teams do. There are going to be a lot of difficult decisions for Peter Chiarelli and Danny Ainge come this offseason in the sense of what direction both franchises choose to follow. The Bruins look to have the advantage of either team heading into the offseason and next year as the Black and Gold are young and primed to repeat as a top-seeded playoff contender.  The Celtics, however, have limited time left with Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett.  Danny Ainge must decide whether or not to keep the likes of Glen Davis and Leon Powe around for the future or whether he should make moves immediately to help bring at least one more championship to the hub before the Big 3 leave town.  

Although many hearts were recently broken from the Boston sports teams losing, sports fans can still find ways to quell their curiosity in these spring and summer months as Beantown has plenty of stories to tide us over until football season begins.

Happy sporting.