On this day 70 years ago, Ted Williams made his major league debut, going 1-for-4 with a double while hitting sixth against the New York Yankees.
Twelve men involved in that game went on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, including Williams, Joe Cronin, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Bobby Doerr, and Jimmie Foxx.
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After jumping out to a lackluster start, dropping two out of three games to the Rays, Angels, and Athletics, the Red Sox are starting to see some of the success they envisioned for the 2009 season.
The turnaround started, some could say, on April 15, when Tim Wakefield and his trusty knuckleball helped "wake up" the Sox, carrying a no-hitter into the eighth inning when it was broken up by Oakland catcher Kurt Suzuki.
Despite the no-hit bid broken, the Red Sox won the game 8-2, and have been on a great tear since then. Granted, the only team the Sox have played since then are the Baltimore Orioles, but it is still encouraging that the team is showing signs of life.
On Friday, new acquisition Brad Penny served up eight runs to Baltimore, but the Red Sox still ended up winning that game, thanks not only to the offense for putting up some huge numbers, but to the bullpen, who blanked the Orioles for six innings en route to the victory.
Since the third inning of Friday's game, the Red Sox have looked like an entirely different team.
On Saturday, the Red Sox won 6-4. Youkilis was the star of the show, going 4-for-5, driving in four runs and scoring twice. Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek each had an RBI as Josh Beckett pitched six innings and got the win.
Sunday was a low scoring affair, something the Red Sox had not yet seen early in this season. Jon Lester dominated all afternoon, striking out nine while allowing four hits and two walks over seven innings.
Ramon Ramirez pitched the eighth, keeping his ERA at an even zero. The only Baltimore run came off of Takashi Saito, who came in and recorded the save. Jonathan Papelbon was given the day off.
Today, we saw a true beat down, as the Orioles were crushed 12-1. Mark Hendrickson, Baltimore's starter, continued his trend of miserable outings at Fenway Park, as Justin Masterson allowed one earned run over 5.1 innings.
For seemingly the first time this year, someone other than Kevin Youkilis showed up at the plate today.
Jacoby Ellsbury was all over the place, going 3-for-6, scoring three runs, driving in a run, and stealing a base. Dustin Pedroia also had a big game, going 4-for-6, with three RBI, and three runs scored.
David Ortiz contributed in a different way today, hitting a two-run triple off of Orioles reliever Dennis Sarfate. Jason Varitek added a solo home run, and Youkilis walked three times in five at-bats, driving in a run with his only hit.
Like Ramon Ramirez, Manny Delcarmen pitched an inning-and-one-third today, keeping his ERA at 0.00. Lefthander Hunter Jones made his major league debut in the ninth, retiring all three batters that he faced.
Despite the strong weekend, the Red Sox face some speed bumps in the road ahead.
While still enjoying the benefits of playing at Fenway Park, they play host to the feisty Minnesota Twins next, then the New York Yankees. They'll then begin their nine-game road trip in Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and New York.
Despite these upcoming tests, it is hard not to feel confident in their chances.
After a rough start, everyone seems to be coming around. Pedroia and Ellsbury are starting to look like different hitters, and for the moment, Youkilis is showing no signs of slowing down at the dish.
Even more encouraging, the bullpen is starting to perform better than anyone could imagine. The bullpen has allowed only two earned runs in the past six games, and have been almost as instrumental as the Youkdog in keeping this team afloat.
Red Sox News
More good news keeps pouring in for the Red Sox, who are gaining momentum like a snowball rolling down a hill. Recent news:
Josh Beckett's recent suspension has been reduced to five games following his appeal, and will not end up missing a start from this incident.
Despite Nick Green performing better than expected during his chance to start at shortstop, Julio Lugo, who is determined more than ever to show Red Sox fans and executives alike that he was worth his contract, is set to begin his minor league rehab assignment at Pawtucket tomorrow.
When asked about how his knee is feeling, Lugo said it felt great, pain-free.
John Smoltz continues to progress on his road back to the major leagues. He recently threw 20 pitches in live batting practice, and his next activity has yet to be determined.
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