Kuzul

The Boston Red Sox entered the opener of a three-game series with the Oakland Athletics having won 10 of their past 13 games.

Nearly every hitter is in a groove. Designated hitter David Ortiz has caught fire, raising his batting 37 points during that stretch. Adrian Beltre continues to swing a hot bat, with his average still hovering around the .330 mark.

Only the likes of former MVP Dustin Pedroia and offseason acquisition Marco Scutaro entered the month of May swinging cold bats. Neither Pedroia nor Scutaro did much to improve their batting average against Oakland, but Beltre, first baseman Kevin Youkilis , and catcher Victor Martinez managed to.

The trio worked their magic after the struggles of John Lackey , their starting pitcher and huge offseason investment, continued. His control was poor once more, but even when he did find the strikezone his repertoire couldn’t fool Oakland.

They tagged him for four runs in the opening five innings, allowing two each in the third and fifth. The four-run deficit could have been much larger. He worked around two two-out singles in the second, a two-out triple in the third, and escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fifth after quickly surrendering two runs in the frame.

Boston’s bats took advantage of the Athletics inability to push across more runs, teeing off on 24-year-old starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez in the bottom of the fifth. Martinez clubbed his second double of the evening after Pedroia’s batting average dipped to .252 with a leadoff groundout, then stayed put as Youkilis’s hot-shot to third base ate up Kevin Kouzmanoff .

After Ortiz struck out, which has been a rare occurrence over the past few weeks, Beltre followed by doing what Ortiz has been accustomed to doing, striking a Gonzalez curveball into the front-row seats of the Green Monster for a three-run homer , pulling Boston within one.

That would be all the production they would obtain in the fifth, but certainly there was more to come. Lackey managed to work out of a two-on, one-out situation in the top of the sixth, and the Red Sox offense thanked him for his efforts, no matter how ineffective he was overall.

Twenty-three-year-old reliever Tyson Ross replaced Gonzalez to begin the inning, walked left-fielder Bill Hall and center-fielder Darnell McDonald , somberly shuffled off the mound upon being taken out, then watched Craig Breslow , a former-Red Sox, load the bases by missing with a full-count fastball to Scutaro.

Breslow benefited from Pedroia, who is in a rut similar to Ortiz’s April slump. The second baseman grounded into a double-play, a presumed rally-killer even though the tying run scored on the play.

Now, two were out with McDonald on third. Boston could have been in a much better situation if Pedroia managed to right his wrongs at the plate, but thanks to Martinez, his struggles didn’t completely end the threat. Martinez pummeled a Breslow offering deep to center-field, deep into the triangle over 400 feet away. It was his third double and it gave the Red Sox a 5-4 lead.

The unanswered runs would continue, as Hall tripled in J.D. Drew in the sixth and the floodgates opened in the eighth. Not surprisingly, Martinez was involved in the lengthening of the lead.

On-deck with Pedroia at the plate, he watched the short, stocky second-place hitter do what he himself had done three times already: sock a double. And this one rivaled his sixth inning two-bagger in length.

He made sure Pedroia’s first hit in 23 at-bats wouldn’t come in vain, slicing yet another double, this one lunging over the short-porch in right field on one bound. Five hits, four of which were doubles , becoming the first catcher to accomplish such a feat since Sandy Alomar did so in 1997 at Fenway.

The final of nine unanswered runs were tallied by rbi-singles off the bats of Youkilis and Drew. With that, the Red Sox notched another win, their 30th of the season, placing them five games back of American League East division-leading Tampa Bay, whom they had swept at Tropicana Field just before their successful series opener against the A’s, the unlikely leader of the AL West.

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After Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon surrendered a pair of two-run jacks in the bottom of the ninth inning at Yankee stadium Monday night, the BoSox fell to 8.5 games back in the thickly competitive American League East.

Now well behind the Tampa Bay Rays and their rotation of rising stars and streaking young mashers—not to mention their failure in beating the New York Yankees—the Red Sox were never really in contention to begin with.

Between depletion in run production, an awkwardly inefficient defense, an increasingly older and more ineffective bullpen, and a starting rotation that simply lacks its expected consistency and dominance, this 2010 Red Sox team is good at finding ways to lose games.

General Manager Theo Epstein recently contended that his team is playing “uninspired” baseball, and nothing could more accurately describe that lack of urgency and aggression with which these ballplayers have been taking the field over the first six weeks.

While the Tampa Rays and New York Yankees bolted from the starting gate with the seriousness of purpose necessary to reach the 2010 World Series, the Boston Red Sox arrived on this season’s scene with timorous overconfidence and as much an overabundance of seasonal patience.

Aggression may be the path to the dark side, but it’s what’s needed right now in the most competitive division in baseball.

What’s more, the Red Sox are too late to play catch up.

This isn’t panic time. This isn’t time to be a fair-weather fan. This isn’t an overreaction to early season woes.

This is pragmatism. This is realism. This is baseball’s version of “compassionate conservatism.”

Setting aside any personal repugnance for that political philosophy, such “tough love” is precisely what’s needed with the 2010 Red Sox.

This is the year of the Yankee and the Ray. This is the year of the Cardinal and the Giant.

This is not the year of the Red Sock.

However, next year could easily be that year.

If 2011 is to be the Red Sox year, Theo Epstein and Terry Francona must begin rebuilding now.

As a first step, Red Sox Nation must come to terms with the fact that competing every year and staying in the race are somewhat anathema to rebuilding.

As distasteful a business as it may be, the Red Sox must become sharp sellers from now through the trade deadline.

Suffering from a chronic buyer mentality, this could be a tough pill to swallow. Surely many of us have personally swallowed this pill throughout the economic crisis of the past few years.

For the Red Sox too it is time to tighten the belt and care for a new little nest egg—one that may hatch in the Spring of 2011.

Who should they sell and what should they seek?

At the end of 2010, the Red Sox kiss goodbye the outstanding salaries they’re now paying to the likes of Baltimore’s Julio Lugo ($9,000,000), Atlanta’s Billy Wagner ($1,000,000), and Toronto’s Alex Gonzalez ($500,000).

Scott Atchison, Boof Bonser, Bill Hall, Mike Lowell, Victor Martinez, Hideki Okajima, David Ortiz, Ramon Ramirez, Scott Schoeneweis, and Jason Varitek will all either be coming off the books or should be released. Their collective salaries equate to $41,235,000 in 2010 payroll.

J.D. Drew is a free agent at the conclusion of the 2011 campaign and his stock may never be higher. As valuable both offensively and defensively as he is, Drew and his $14,000,000 salary should be on the block.

All of these players should, in fact, be on the block. All, except perhaps Varitek, whose presence and poise as the backup catcher remain invaluable. Varitek must stay to nurture the likes of Clay Buchholz and Daniel Bard.

Anything in return for the others is worth the while. While David Ortiz may achieve Type B status by year’s end, the Red Sox would never decline his club option and offer him arbitration.

Even Victor Martinez—should his bat awaken—could make an excellent trade chip. As a catcher, Martinez’ future in Boston is dubious at best. As a hitter he may turn a corner—as evident by his two homers at Yankee Stadium Monday night—but he’s likely not a good long-term answer for the Red Sox.

Okajima and Ramirez are quickly showing that their once powerful presence in the bullpen may have been more flash in the pan than something around which one can build an effective pitching staff.

Hopefully, some of these players can surge toward the trade deadline and fetch even low-level prospects in return when dealt to contenders.

Essentially, $51,735,000 can easily be shed from the Red Sox payroll entering the 2010 offseason.

Add the trading of J.D. Drew to that tally, and nearly $66 million becomes available to go shopping among a strong free-agent class.

Now, who the Red Sox might acquire via trade remains an item of even more significant speculation, but power bats like those of Prince Fielder, Adrian Gonzalez, and Miguel Cabrera should be a focal point of any trade discussions.

With so much available payroll, the 2011 Red Sox could and must restock with players like Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth, and Matt Guerrier.

Start dealing now and the 2011 Red Sox might be able to contend with the juggernaut Yankees and pesky Rays.

They can and will if they are able to build a roster like this:

SP Josh Beckett

SP Jon Lester

SP John Lackey

SP Clay Buchholz

SP Tim Wakefield

RP Daniel Bard

RP Matt Guerrier

CL Jonathan Papelbon

1B Kevin Youkilis

2B Dustin Pedroia

SS Marco Scutaro

3B Adrian Beltre

LF Jacoby Ellsbury

CF Carl Crawford

RF Jayson Werth

DH Prince Fielder

This lineup spells championship gold.

You may ask, “What about a catcher and a handful of relievers?” Those are holes to which I cannot speculate at this time. Both must be filled via trade.

What about Mike Cameron? Let’s assume perhaps that Ellsbury must be dealt to acquire Fielder or the like. Boston’s new outfield would look something like this:

LF Carl Crawford

CF Mike Cameron

RF Jayson Werth

Whatever specific moves Theo Epstein needs to make, he needs to start making them soon.

Not to contend this year, but to play meaningful ball in 2011.

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Last night against New York, Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched 4.2 innings, giving up seven runs on nine hits.

So far this season, he is 2-1 with a 7.89 ERA.

He has pitched in four games and three have been awful. His third outing, against Toronto, was perhaps the best of his Major League career, going seven, allowing one run on three hits. He fanned nine and walked none.

As for the bad starts, he has been let down in each one by one bad inning. Twice it was the first—as was the case last night, as the Yankees got to him for five runs—and once the sixth.

It is very much reminiscent of Jon Lester’s start last year. Lester went on to have a very good season, but in April and May, almost every outing was tarnished by one weak frame. Now Matsuzaka is going through the same thing.

He has pitched 21 and two thirds innings on the season. Take out the three bad innings, and his ERA drops from 7.89 to 1.98.

Obviously, I know that you cannot just erase three innings from the statistics, but the fact is, outside of those bad frames, Daisuke’s been very, very good. I wouldn’t panic just yet. He’s closer to being back than you think.

There is another issue here, though. And it relates to comments made after the crushing loss last night.

Catcher Victor Martinez said: “I’m just back to try and help [Matsuzaka] go through the game. At the end he’s the one who has the ball in his hand.”

“At the end, he’s the one who has the last word. He’s the one who has the ball in his hand. I’m just putting suggestions and he can say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”

In other words, Martinez was saying Daisuke’s performance was Daisuke’s fault. This raises two points.

One, it is very unusual to hear a catcher come out after a game and throw his pitcher under the bus. I can’t remember a time when the likes of Jason Varitek, Jorge Posada, or Brian McCann said anything like this. While they never condone or make excuses for bad pitching, they don’t blatantly attempt to distance themselves from the game.

Two, what if it isn’t all Daisuke’s fault?

What I mean by that is, what if the pitchers are having trouble when Victor is behind the plate. There’s no doubt that the rotation can do better than they have done and Beckett now effectively has Varitek as his personal catcher.

Being a backup suits the ageing Varitek nicely. He won’t get worn down as quickly and will be more effective down the stretch. However, with this team fast running out of time to get started, perhaps giving the captain more starts is worth a shot.

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Since the conclusion of the 2009 season, I’ve frequently been seen plastering the Bleacher Report’s proverbial walls with my 2010 MLB predictions, some reasonable and some outlandish.

Well, most are outlandish.

Here’s a review of my predictions, an update on the reality set against my fantasy, and a grade of my performance.

Please feel free to tell me I’m full of it when you see an outrageous prediction with early success, but don’t forget to pick me up when you see me suffering an early reality check.

All in all, I judge myself to be 7-5-4. Hey, that’s a winning record.

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