Tuesday night’s Fenway crowd was treated to frigid weather and frozen batters. Both Jays’ Ace Roy Halladay and the Sox’ Jon Lester had stellar outings in the tidy two-hour and fifteen minute game. Read the rest of this entry »
After dominating Games 1 and 2 of their first round NBA Playoff series, the Boston Celtics and anyone who watched the massacres began to write off the Atlanta Hawks. The only problem with that is it looks like the Hawks never got the memo after beating Boston convincingly in Game 3 and pulling out another gutsy 97-92 win in Game 4 to even the series at 2-2 to bring the match up back to Boston for a crucial Game 5 on Wednesday night. Read the rest of this entry »
Two weeks after a David Ortiz Red Sox jersey was removed from two feet of concrete at the site of the new Yankee Stadium, it sold on eBay in a charity auction for the Jimmy Fund for $175,100 dollars. The jersey had been buried by Turner Construction worker Gino Castignoli, in hopes that by planting the uniform he would be cursing the Yankees new home.
The highest bid came from Kevin Meehan, the owner of Imperialcars.com in Mendon, Mass. The auction received 282 bids for the scruffy No. 34 David Ortiz jersey. Jim Holzman, owner of Ace Ticket, was rumored to be the winning bidder. Holzman has been on the winning end of a few Red Sox charity items in the past. Most notably Holzman won the famed Theo Epstein Gorilla suit and the FP 1 (Fenway Park 1) license plate. “Although this jersey would have been a great addition to my collection of Sox merchandise, I’m glad to hear its staying local. Mr. Meehan’s bid was very generous and I congratulate him and the Jimmy Fund. They are both winners today”.
“I actually thought it was going to sell for more money,” said Meehan on nbcsports.com. His bid came only in the final seconds of the 7-day eBay auction that ended at 12:30 p.m. “I have three young boys that I take to the games and they would have killed me if I didn’t buy the shirt.”
For his winning bid, Meehan will also receive a new David Ortiz game jersey, two tickets to a Red Sox game in which he will be presented the buried uniform and also a Yankees T-Shirt.
For all of his generosity, the Ortiz jersey will be shipped for free.
It has been a long time since fans in Boston have been excited about playoff basketball, so this time around they’re enjoying every minute of it. Celtic supporters were raucous in all 4 quarters of Boston’s second playoff victory over the Atlanta Hawks, in which they cruised to the 96-77 victory last night at the TD Banknorth Garden to take a 2-0 series lead.
Five Celtics scored in double figures, led by Kevin Garnett’s 19 point, 10 rebound performance which came on the night when he was awarded the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year trophy in pre-game ceremonies. When he was handed the trophy at mid-court, he motioned for his teammates to come over and join him as he accepted the award.
“It’s not one person but it is all of us that make up this award,” Garnett said.
The team then went out and backed up Garnett’s statement, contributing very evenly up and down the line up in another showing of pure domination over a Hawks line up that just can’t hang with the big boys.
“This has been an experience,” said Josh Smith of the Hawks, who dropped 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the loss. “When we return home, we are going to need our fans as much as ever.”
The Boston fans played a big role as the 6th man in games 1 and 2, getting into the head of Hawks starting point guard Mike Bibby. Bibby, a ten year veteran of the NBA, made some surprising comments regarding the local fan base after the game 1 loss saying that they were ‘fair weather fans who jumped on the bandwagon’.
Bibby certainly heard it last night from the Garden crowd, receiving boo’s every time he touched the ball, chants even reigned down on him in the 4th quarter when he was on the bench like, “Where is Bibby?” and “Rondo’s Better.” Combined in games one and two, Bibby shot 4 for 17 from the floor and only had 2 assists. Rondo, on the other hand, has been a leader on the court shooting 12 of 20 in both games with 17 assists and only 1 turnover.
Celtics head coach Doc Rivers had high expectations of the young point guard for the year, but never imagined this type of immediate production and contributions Rondo has made to the team.
“He puts so much time into his game so it’s nice to see a guy who works on it and see it come to fruition,” Rivers said. “He’s so ahead of the curve. He started last year with a great IQ, which always helps because then you have something to work with. And then he has this self motivation that he wants to be good, that he wants to be the best. And he has the stubborn streak that sometimes gets in his way, but he has learned to move that out of the way and allowed himself to be coached.”
On nights like last, the players make Doc’s job easy. The Celtics held Atlanta to another awful shooting night from the field at .383 % and out rebounded them 58 to 40. It was simply another display of dominance by the Eastern Conference favorites and makes one wonder if the Hawks are tying, or if this first round of the playoffs is simply a formality for them.
Along with Garnett scoring in double figures, the Celtics received 15 from Ray Allen, 14 from Paul Pierce, 12 from Rondo and 10 from Sam Cassell off the bench. Kendrick Perkins added 8 points and 9 rebounds in another solid game in the low post.
The series will now shift to Atlanta for games 3 and 4, with the Hawks hoping to have better luck in front of their home crowd. They will need to win at least one game to keep the series alive. The Celtics have other plans, and look to keep their quest for Green 17 alive.
Celtics Playoff tickets available for all potential games and rounds. Full refund for any game not played.
The New York Jets are coming off of a disappointing 4-12 campaign in 2007 and look to make strides towards reaching the playoffs in 2008. With The New England Patriots in their division, the Jets will have a tough time capturing the title and will be aiming for an AFC wild card bid. Read the rest of this entry »
For the third time in four games, the Boston Red Sox overcame an early deficit to pull out a 7-6 victory in last night’s game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Trailing 5-1 going into the bottom of the 4th, the Sox rallied to tie the score in the 5th inning, capped by a Kevin Youkilis two-run homer that landed in the heart of the Monster Seats.
In a game that had the potential to be a stellar pitching match up, Red Sox starter Josh Beckett was scratched from the lineup a few hours before the scheduled first pitch with soreness in his neck. David Pauley was pulled up from Triple-A Pawtucket to make the spot start in his absence and lasted 4 1/3 innings allowing 5 runs on 7 hits.
Angels starter Jered Weaver allowed a leadoff homerun to Jacoby Ellsbury but settled down after his club put 3 runs up on the board in the 3rd inning. Weaver looked dominant in the bottom half of the 3rd striking out the side in Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Angels catcher Jeff Mathis added 2 more runs on his 3rd homer of the year in the 4th.
Boston found themselves in a familiar situation, down by a few runs and in need of some clutch hitting to pull out a win. Luckily for them, that hasn’t been a problem.
“We didn’t quit,” Pedroia said. “They had a lead. We strung together at-bats.”
The rally began with a Julio Lugo RBI single in the 4th that knocked home left-fielder J.D. Drew to make the score 5-2 in favor of Anaheim. Lugo has now hit safely in the last 8 games, recording 14 hits and raising his average to .324 on the year.
Julian Tavarez relieved Pauley in the 5th and was able to force Tori Hunter of the Angels to ground into an inning ending double play, giving the Sox some momentum heading into their at bat.
Pedroia kept it going by leading of the inning blasting a double to right center field that Vlad Guerrero made a play on but the ball hit the webbing in his glove, popped out and was ruled a hit. Ortiz then singled through the shift to center field knocking in Pedroia to cut the lead to 5-3. Ramirez was up next and nearly tied the game with a shot down the right field line, that almost found its way into the stands behind Pesky’s Pole, but Guerrero redeemed himself making a great catch on the run that took away a homerun from Manny.
However, no one was catching Kevin Youkilis’s bomb over the wall into the Monster Seats that tied the game at 5-5. The shot made the Fenway Faithful forget all about Josh Beckett being scratched from his start
“Baseball isn’t a one-man game. It’s different guys every game,” said Kevin Youkilis. “There’s a lot of times when Josh will pitch well. There’s times when we’re going to need to score some runs for him.”
Jacoby Ellsbury cracked his second solo homerun of the game in the 6th inning giving the Sox the 6-5 lead which would hold for only an inning before the Angels Casey Kotchman belted a solo shot into the right field stands, tying the game at 6-6.
In the bottom of the 8th, Ellsbury got things going again reaching base on a bunt single. Pedroia then ripped a double to left for his fourth hit on the night, and Ellsbury scored all the way from first giving the Sox a 7-6 lead that would hold up. Jonathan Papelbon came in and pitched a perfect 9th inning to record his 8th save on the season. The closer’s fastball peaked at 100mph during his impressive performance.
The win is the Sox 6th in a row and puts them at 15-7 overall on the season, good enough for the best record in the American League. What makes that record stand out even more is the fact that they’ve been winning with Mike Lowell on the DL, Josh Beckett already missing two starts, Curt Schilling not playing (although that may be a good thing) and David Ortiz’s early season struggles.
When it comes down to it, good teams find a way to win. The Boston Red Sox aren’t making excuses; they’re simply going out and playing hardball each night with the mentality that they’re in every single game until the last out is made. They’re winning as a unit, and it seems like each game there’s a different hero delivering the knock out punch.
These are all signs of a good team, and the best part, they continue to get better and better each night.
Check out Red Sox tickets for all games now.
After some enthralling game 7’s the 1st round of the 2008 NHL Playoffs is now complete. 2nd round matchups are now set and NHL Playoff tickets are now available for all games.
Eastern Conference
Montreal Canadiens vs Philadelphia Flyers: Both teams played a hard fought 7 game series in round 1. After getting off to a 3-1 game lead over the Boston Bruins the Canadiens were forced to play game 7 at home. The Habs shutout the Bruins 5-0 in that deciding game to advance. The Flyers won game 7 in overtime against the Washington Capitals.
Canadiens Playoff Tickets
Flyers Playoff Tickets
Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers: The Penguins made quick work of the Senators in round 1, sweeping Ottawa in four straight. The New York Rangers also had a quick 1st round, eliminating the Devils in 5 games.
Penguins Playoff Tickets
Rangers Playoff Tickets
Western Conference
Colorado Avalanche vs Detroit Red Wings: The Avalanche needed 6 games to get past The Wild in round 1. Colorado will face the Red Wings in round 2. Detroit also had a 6 game 1st round series disposing of the Nashville Predators.
Avalanche Playoff Tickets
Red Wings Playoff Tickets
Dallas Stars vs San Jose Sharks: The Stars needed 6 games to eliminate the Anaheim Ducks in round 1. They will face the San Jose Sharks in the 2nd round. The Sharks are coming off an exciting 7 game series with the Calgary Flames.
After having to rally two games in a row for victories, the Boston Red Sox were in complete control in their 8-3 win over the Texas Rangers completing the four game series sweep on Marathon Monday in Boston. The game’s first pitch was thrown at 11:06am to correspond with marathon runners passing through Kenmore square during the middle and late innings of the game.
Rookie Clay Buchholtz hurled 6 innings for the Red Sox allowing 0 runs on 5 hits while striking out 6 Rangers in the outing for the win. This was Buchholtz’s first victory of the season, and first win as a starting pitcher since he hurled a no-hitter at Fenway on Sept 1st last fall.
While Buchholtz was solid on the hill, his teammates made sure that his effort would not go to waste, posting 5 runs in the 4th inning and another 3 in the 5th to take an 8-0 lead that would prove to be more then enough. Julio Lugo led the Sox at the plate going 4-4 on the afternoon, scoring 2 runs, knocking in an RBI and reaching base again on a walk.
DH David Ortiz got into the action as well belting two RBI doubles in back to back innings, good for 3 RBI’s on the day. He has now hit safely in 7 of 8 games and raised his average .107 points over that span (.070 up to .177). He has been hitting better ever since his number 34 jersey was unearthed from the construction site of the new Yankee Stadium mid last week.
Youngsters Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury each chipped in with 2 hits a piece. Pedroia knocked in 2 RBI’s while Ellsbury added 1 RBI, a walk and 2 stolen bases.
The Rangers sent former Red Sox starter Kason Gabbard to the mound, but after only 2 innings he was removed from the game due to back spasms. Gabbard did not allow a hit but did surrender 3 walks in his brief outing. He was relieved by Dustin Nippert who would pitch a scoreless 3rd inning before allowing all 8 of the Red Sox runs over the 4th and 5th frames and took the loss.
Former Red Sox farm hand Dave Murphy paced the Rangers at the plate going 2 for 3 on the day, scoring a run and recording a walk. SS Michael Young also had 2 hits, scored a run and walked in the game.
The Sox will now welcome the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to Boston for a three game series. LA is currently in first in the AL West with a 12-8 record while Boston sits atop the AL East at a 14-7 mark.
Tuesday’s match up will feature Josh Beckett throwing against the young fireballer, Jered Weaver. Wednesday the Sox will send Dice-K Matsuzaka to the hill to face Jon Garland, and in the final match up before the Sox hit the road for a weekend series in Tampa Bay, Boston sends Jon Lester to the mound to duel against Joe Saunders on Thursday.
Tickets are still available for all of these match ups!
On Sunday night the Celtics and Hawks opened up their first round playoff series at the Garden. The C’s handled Game 1 much like the other three meetings between the two this season, notching a double digit win. Boston’s defense stifled the Hawks, holding them to 33% shooting from the floor.
In his first playoff appearance in four years, Kevin Garnett had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, both 3 years removed from their last playoff games, had 16 and 18 points respectively.
The C’s had another monster third quarter, stretching their lead to 18 and only allowing ATL two consecutive baskets once. Boston’s attack was balanced all night; 6 players finished with double digits in points, and the team spread the ball around with 22 assists. Boston had the benefit of 36 of their 104 points coming off the bench - keeping the Atlanta defense guessing all night, as well as keeping the starters fresh.
Rajon Rondo’s first playoff game was very impressive. Rondo scored 15 points; while piling up 6 rebounds, 9 assists, and not committing a turnover.
The series continues at 8pm on Wednesday night.
Bruins’ Center Patrice Bergeron may see action in tonight’s game 7 against the Habs. B’s coach Claude Julien said he “would not hesitate to use him” if he is medically cleared to play today. Bergeron has been out since October 27th after suffering a concussion in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Bergeron said that his doctor had not cleared him to play as of this weekend, so Patrice suiting up and sitting on the bench tonight may be more for team morale than for direct impact during the game. Players coming back from grade three concussions need to be very careful with returning to sports activities, as it is very easy to re-injure yourself, or cause an even worse injury.
Tonight’s game is the first time the Bruins and Canadiens meet at the Bell Centre since 1979. That game included the infamous “too many men on the ice” debacle with Don Cherry.