By Peter Karl, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent
Well, they got in. It was an ugly road to the playoffs, but the Red Sox have clinched a postseason spot for the fifth time in the six-year Terry Francona era. After last night’s almost-enough-effort in front of the Fenway faithful, where the Sox gave up 3 homers for the first time since 2004, the Sox didn’t get to shower beer around Fenway just yet. Instead, they had to wait ’til one in the morning to celebrate without their fans, as the Rangers lost to the Angels in Anaheim, handing the Sox the Wildcard spot in the most unorthodox way possible.
So, thanks Angels. I guess you’re really looking forward to losing to us, again.
To say the Sox have stumbled into the playoffs is an understatement. In fact it is very reminiscent of the struggle Ace Venture once had trying to exit a mechanical rhino. You see the similarities? Despite losing their last five games (one fewer than the season’s longest losing streak), Boston is in and, of course, the players are promising better results in the playoffs.
Dustin Pedroia couldn’t have said it better, “It doesn’t matter how you do it, as long as you’re in.”
With five games remaining in the season, (one more against Toronto tonight, and four against Cleveland) the [...]

By Joe Ballway, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent
Turns out we’ll see plenty of Phil Kessel this year–just not in a Bruins uniform. According to TSN, Kessel signed a 5-year, $27 million contract with Toronto on Friday after the Leafs acquired his rights from Boston. In exchange, the Bruins received a first and second-round pick in the 2010 draft, as well as a first-round pick in the 2011 draft.
The deal signals the end of Kessel’s tenuous relationship with the Bruins. Drafted fifth overall in 2006, his talent never really came to fruition until last season, when he spearheaded Boston’s much-improved offense with 36 goals in just 70 games. Prior to his breakout he had never scored more than 19 goals in a season, and questions of his work ethic and character lingered. In the 2008 first-round playoff series against Montreal, Kessel was benched due to his unwillingness to commit to the physical and defensive aspects of the game. While the benching served as a wake-up call heading into last season, he continues to be criticized for his one-dimensional play; his softness was again exposed in the conference semi-finals against Carolina last season, when he failed to score in six of the seven games and [...]