By: Dan Podheiser, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
I pulled off the impossible Friday night.
My girlfriend is the biggest Red Sox fan I’ve ever met. She worships Bill Mueller, owns about 37 different Sox “player T’s” and even has a Dice-K poster that reads “The Gun from the Rising Sun.” She’s dedicated.
But like anyone who has followed the Red Sox this year, she has absolutely no confidence in their bullpen.
And on Friday night, with Boston leading 2-1 heading into the ninth inning and Jonathan Papelbon on his way into the game, something very weird happened.
Her: “I bet you [Papelbon] blows it.”
Me: “OK, you’re on. Loser buys a six-pack.”
Her: “Deal. Get ready to pay up.”
I actually got my girlfriend to root against the Red Sox — with beer on the line.
But can you really blame her? After all, once you get past Daniel Bard — who has 21 holds and a 1.71 ERA — in the Sox bullpen, the game essentially becomes a free-for-all.
Thursday night was the perfect example.
John Lackey was pitching his best game of the season, and one of the best of his career. He had a no-hitter through seven and two-thirds, and left the game after eight innings with a 6-1 [...]

By: Jess Lander, YawkeyTalkies Editor
Three games is nothing in baseball. Especially the first three. But, after a close opening series against the Yankees in which the Red Sox gave up 1-2, there are some things we can take away.
Five things we can take away from the first series:
1. Even if our offense doesn’t come out all the time, it is there. In the third game, we scored one lone run. This was a showing of the reality we knew was coming. Sometimes, we’re just not going to score. We’ve built a defensive team and we know it. But, in game one we scored nine runs, and in the second, four. Four runs shows what we might expect on average, and nine shows that we definitely do have it in us when everything falls into place. We had it in us enough to out-power the Yankees on Sunday, so I’d guess there are a majority of other MLB teams that we can out-hit on a regular basis. Kansas City this weekend will give us more insight, of course. With that, and the fact that our pitching rotation looks to about only have to compete with the Yankees, I’d say we’re looking [...]

By: Jess Lander, YawkeyTalkies Editor
I feel like anyone who was at the game last night can relate when I say waking up this morning was struggles, and the trend has continued throughout the day. But, totally worth it. Here’s my take on Opening Day, probably a bit different from what you’ll read on NESN.
First, my four reasons why this was the Best Opening Day EVER.
1. Against the Yankees. This is obvious. What better way to start the season than against our biggest rival?
2. It was about 80 degrees. It’s the first week in April and I wore shorts and a jersey to a Red Sox game. AM I IN ACTUALLY IN BOSTON? Last year, Opening Day was postponed due to rain, and every other year I can remember before that was just frigid. I actually have a sunburn. 10 points to the Weather Gods.
3. Neil Diamond. No, it wasn’t a great performance, or even a good one. The guy practically talked through the song. But, come on, he’s ancient, and the genius responsible for Fenway’s anthem. Signing along with the man himself was just awesome, er, so good, so good, so good.
3 1/2. Steven Tyler? Also pretty cool, yet terrible [...]

By: Ian Tasso, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
The 2010 Red Sox season presents many questions. Of the top 20, here are numbers 10-15.
15. What are the chances of the Red Sox getting Adrian Gonzalez at the deadline, and what would they have to give up to get him? (Eric; Amherst, MA)
You’ve got to think the chances are very high; and a big part of that is because the Sox kept their wallet closed when it came time to reel in the big sluggers this offseason: Jason Bay or Matt Holliday.
Think about it – the Red Sox really didn’t grab a big bat this offseason. And that’s probably because they’re waiting a few months to do so. After all, we all know a hefty slugger was on Boston’s grocery list – and this front office has shown time and time again that they get what they want.
Not only that, but the Sox also did a nice job in holding on to both Clay Buchholz and Daniel Bard (especially in the V-Mart trade), both of which could prove vital in a swap with San Diego somewhere down the line.
On top of that, this year, unlike last, Gonzalez is entering the final year of his [...]

By Ben Barker, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent
When the Boston Red Sox take the field in 2010, New England will see a local nine unlike any other this decade. The days of back-to-back homeruns from Manny and Ortiz are gone. Even the replacement for Manny is gone. In a winter that was supposed to be centered on bringing back Jason Bay, Theo Epstein quietly put together one of the more balanced teams in the league – with defense as the foundation.
Opting to go with pitching and defense over high-powered offense has caused the term “run prevention” to be tossed around quite a bit.
And while the Sox were taking the road less traveled, the all too predictable Yankees once again flexed their financial muscle. Instead of bringing back Matsui or Damon, the Evil Empire added Curtis Granderson to a lineup that already boasts sluggers like Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez. Those three bats alone should produce close to 110 homeruns for the Yankees this season.
Beating out the Yankees for the AL East title could be a daunting task for Tito and the boys in 2010. But should we expect to see the Red Sox in the playoffs at all? The answer is yes, and this [...]

By Jordan Liebhaber, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
You know spring is in the air when Red Sox talk hits the air waves.  Too bad the weather outside won’t cooperate.  Fenway Park is still frost bitten and covered by tarps, but the infamous truck left for Fort Myers last week and Sox fans are ready for some baseball.
So how about those Sox?  The last two seasons have been somewhat of a disappointment compared to what we were used to seeing.  After two World Series championships in three years, we are hardly satisfied with just a mere playoff entry.  No, we want it all.  So what chance does this edition of the Boston Red Sox have against the rest of the American League and the (I really hate saying this) defending champion New York Yankees?
As the old adage says, pitching and defense wins championships.  The 2010 Red Sox will feature one of the best rotations in baseball, led by “J cubed” (Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and John Lackey).  Dice-K will come into the season with a rested and healthy right arm, and groin (that injury he lied about all season).  Budding star Clay Buchholz will pitch in the number 5 slot.  As always, the [...]

By Evan MacDonald, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent
With the season less than 40 games from the finish mark, most teams in the majors have their identity by now. The New York Yankees, for example, are a slugging team with some big-name starters and a shaky bullpen. The Los Angeles Angels are a small-ball outfit with a strong pitching staff.
The Boston Red Sox? Well, they remain as bipolar as they come.
Early in the season, the Red Sox relied on strong pitching and a rock-solid bullpen to pull the load. When Daisuke Matsuzaka went on the disabled list and Brad Penny and Jon Lester struggled, the offense did most of the heavy lifting. When the offense went into a funk, Lester and Josh Beckett combined to scrape together wins for a faltering ballclub.
The Red Sox have been able to sustain a number of slumps and injuries, but at this point in the season it’s a bit unnerving to be unsure of what your team can do. Until Wednesday, when Tim Wakefield came back from injury with seven strong innings against the Chicago White Sox, the Fenway Faithful weren’t even sure who would be the third starter if the Red Sox were to make the playoffs.
Pitching, [...]