Middlebrooks Is Day-To-Day With Back Spasms

AP File Photo

UPDATE: Middlebrooks Goes To DL
It was bad enough that the Red Sox lost to old friend Terry Francona in a 12-3 drubbing, but the news that Will Middlebrooks is injured again made the loss far worse. The 24-year Boston third baseman left Thursday night's game with back spasms that may have been caused by one of his last at-bats in the White Sox series. The back issues are unrelated to his rib injury. Unfortunately, Middlebrooks was just starting to look like the hitter we've come to expect before this new setback. More than likely, Pedro Ciriaco will fill in at third—a woefully poor substitute. If Middlebrooks needs a DL stint, you may see an infield call-up.

Wait, Aren't Canadians Supposed To Be Nice?

Something's 'Brewing' In Toronto

Don't tell Nate McLouth that Canadians are the nicest people on planet Earth. Not after what he experienced last night at SkyDome (we refuse to call it Rogers Centre—with that annoying "e" on the end of 'center'). After tumbling into the left-field stands to make an outstanding catch, McLouth was showered with some 'strange brew' from a disgruntled Blue Jay fan (see pic). No word yet on whether it was a Molson Canadian or a Red Racer IPA. Sargent Preston could not be reached for comment.

Fenway Fans Treat Tito The Way He Deserves

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

The Red Sox ownership may have kicked Terry Francona to the curb, but the real embodiment of the Red Sox franchise—its fans—gave Tito a sustained standing ovation at the end of last night's first inning. Before the game, Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino did stop by to say hello to Francona—which is more than can be said for owners John Henry or Tom Werner. After the video board displayed a reel of his managerial highlights in Boston, Francona waved to the crowd and tapped his heart. That's all he had to do, we understood. We will always understand. Of the tribute, he said, "These are some of the best fans in the world. If you like baseball, this is a good place to be and I got to be a part of that. I feel very fortunate." Amen.

Tito And The Tribe Ambush Red Sox, 12-3

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Terry Francona had to love this first trip back To Fenway clothed in enemy laundry. For all the talk of his downplaying the visit, the fact that his new players awarded him a 12-3 laugher of a win has got to be sweet. Kudos to the Sox ownership for playing a well-deserved video tribute to Francona after the first inning. As Mark Reynolds said, "It was just neat to see the organization do that for him. I think I saw him teary-eyed a little bit during that thing. It was pretty neat and I was glad to be a part of it.'' Reynolds was pretty glad to be walking to the plate against Ryan Dempster, too—who lasted just three innings giving up four earned runs. David Ortiz got the Sox close with his eighth home run (a three-run shot), but this one was all Tito's. Angst Level: ELEVATED

Victorino To Miss Fourth Straight Game Tonight

UPDATE: Victorino Goes To DL
While he has not been placed on the disabled list yet, it may just be a matter of time for Red Sox outfielder Shane Victorino. The team announced today that Victorino will miss his fourth straight game tonight with a hamstring injury. It's still unclear whether he'll be able to return for Friday's night's tilt. Given the spate of wet weather in the offing for Boston over the weekend, the Red Sox might view it as more prudent to keep the 32-year old off the field for a while.

Papi Joins Old Buddy Millar On 'Intentional Talk'

Heroes United Again

David Ortiz will appear on the MLB Network telecast of Intentional Talk this afternoon at 5PM Eastern. Big Papi's former teammate (and fellow 2004 Red Sox hero) Kevin Millar co-hosts the show with Chris Rose. The Red Sox designated hitter is expected to talk about his charitable efforts to help the victims of the Boston Marathon terrorist attacks. You can find out more about Intentional Talk HERE.

Fenway Park Raffle Benefits Pan-Mass Challenge

There aren't very many charitable endeavours more worthy or more successful than the Pan-Mass Challenge. Since 1980, the PMC bike-a-thon has raised $375 million for Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Now, the Red Sox and WEEI radio are offering fans the chance to help the PMC and win an "Ultimate Fenway Experience". For the cost of a $2 raffle ticket, the winner and three guests will get four field level dugout seats to the June 19th game against the Rays. On top of that, the winners also get a tour of Fenway Park, and presence on the field while the Sox take batting practice! Dinner for four is also included at Fenway's EMC Club. Where are you going get that kind of luxury for two bucks? You can order your raffle tickets for The Ultimate Fenway Experience HERE.

Sox Fans Deserve A 'Retraction' From Owners

Allow us to start off this screed with a clear recognition of reality: this ownership group is not building a New Fenway Park. Ever. We gave up the ghost on this one a long time ago (even though we insist that Red Sox fans deserve a 21st century replica of the old girl). So, with reality firmly in hand, we suggest the next best thing. Consider for a moment the weather for the upcoming week-end series against Terry Francona's Indians: rain, rain and more rain (see graphic). Next, try to recall how many times you've sat in your obstructed view Fenway seat—knees scraping against the 1912 wood on the seat in front of you—waiting out a two or three hour rain delay. Then, try to recall how many times that long, expensive wait resulted in the announcement that the game was postponed. Wouldn't it be nice to never have to worry about that again—like fans is Seattle, Phoenix, Miami, Milwaukee, Houston, and Toronto? All of these venues have a retractable roof system that forever eliminates the angst associated with rainouts. So, here's an idea for the NOG: sell that crappy seventh place European soccer team you own, and use the proceeds (likely $650 or so million dollars) and hire a smart young architect who can figure out how to retrofit a retractable roof on Fenway. The fans will be willing to trade off the obstructed views and cramped seating if they know they'll at least be dry and have some predictability in their planning. What do you say, fellas?

FenwayNation Restores 'Angst Advisory' System

After putting it on the shelf for two years, we've decided to re-introduce the FenwayNation Angst Advisory System. Each day, we will display the angst level of The Nation through a graphic (see example pic) accessible via our top o' the site navigation bar (labelled "Sox Angst"). Obviously, fans did not need such a warning system in 2011—we had the greatest team in baseball history! Uh, never mind. And in 2012, Bobby Valentine was his own walking, talking Angst Advisory. In 2013, we have moderated back to a typical "yin/yang" Red Sox year that screams out for a comforting tool like the Angst Advisory. You can access today's advisory HERE. Look to the top of the site every day and find out exactly how worried you should be about our beloved Carmine Hose.

Buchholz Five-Hits Pale Hose In 6-2 Sox Win

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Clay Buchholz—now a serious contender for the AL Cy Young Award—won his seventh decision last night in a 6-2 win over the White Sox. The righty went seven innings, giving up just one earned run. He walked three and struck out four. Buchholz mixed all his pitches well—keeping the Pale Hose off-balance all night. David Ortiz knocked in two runs in the first to give Boston a lead it never relinquished. Andrew Bailey finished things off by pitching the ninth—although he gave up a home run to Paul Konerko. The Sox come home to face the Indians and old friend Terry Francona—then the suddenly mediocre Phillies come to town starting on Memorial Day.

Ellsbury Still Atop The Red Sox Lineup Tonight

Despite the rumors that Jaocby Ellsbury might be dropped down in the Red Sox lineup, manager John Farrell is hitting him in his customary lead-off spot tonight against the White Sox. Jonny Gomes will hit second, and Will Middlebrooks is in the seventh spot.

FenwayNation Debuts FanTab Confidence Poll

FenwayNation is now offering its readers a new way to express their confidence (or lack thereof) in The Olde Towne Team. FanTab is "a Web-site and mobile application that enables fans to contribute their sentiment or confidence regarding their favorite sports teams". That sentiment is then aggregated to create real-time, chartable indexes of fan confidence. This measure will be an interesting counterpart to our existing Dalton Jones Industrial Average Panel rating. Get started and submit your rating right HERE.

Francona Speaks About Prodigal Fenway Return

Associated Press Photo

On his way to returning to Fenway Park as manager of the Cleveland Indians, Terry Francona has been besieged by a raft of media interviews. One thing he revealed—which probably won't surprise you—is that he hasn't spoken to any of the Red Sox owners since the publication of Francona: The Red Sox Years. And, in general, it appears that he's moved on from the acrimonious split after the disastrous 2011 season. Truth be told, he got them two rings and he was treated like "ring around the collar".  As he put it, "Eight years in Boston, I think I was pretty honest about it, it's one of the most awesome jobs you can ever have, but it's difficult and it wears on you." No kidding. In any event, he comes to Fenway with a first-place club in tow—a game and a half up on the vaunted Tigers. How do you not love this guy?

Pale Hose Ring Up "No Sale" On Red Sox

The chances of the Red Sox salvaging one game on the South Side of Chicago increased dramatically with word that White Sox ace Chris Sale will not make Wednesday night's start. Thus, Red Sox ace Clay Buchholz will go up against someone named Hector Santiago. Sale is 4-0 with a ridiculous 1.18 ERA over his last five outings. Reportedly, the lefty hurler is experiencing "mild tendinitis in his shoulder". Buchholz has had good success against the Pale Hose over his career—going 1-1 with a 1.71 ERA in his last three match-ups.

Memorial Day Sox Caps Help Veterans Charity

The brand new caps that will be worn by MLB teams on Memorial Day are now available for sale—with proceeds going to the Welcome Back Veterans Fund. The new-look hats feature a camouflage design and brown coloring (see Red Sox version in photo). You can purchase one of these cool Red Sox hats and help a very deserving cause by clicking HERE.

Ellsbury And Red Sox Have Not Started Talks

No Talking!

According to sources reported on by WEEI.com's Rob Bradford, Jacoby Ellsbury and the Red Sox have not started negotiations on a new contract extension. Absent an extension, the Boston center fielder will become a free agent at the end of this year. There has been some discussion in the media that—given Ellsbury's sub-par 2013 performance—both sides might agree to re-up a one-year deal for somewhere in the neighborhood of $12 million (up from this year's $9 million). This would offer Ellsbury another opportunity to have a big year in the run-up to his first free agency bid—and give Jackie Bradley, Jr. more time to mature in AAA. Of course, Ellsbury could still turn it around this year and compile the kind of numbers that would enhance his marketability right away.

Felix Doubront Pitches Better; Still Loses, 3-1

Brian Kersey/Getty Images

The most amazing part of Felix Doubront's pitching performance last night was that when he hit 85 pitches it was the sixth inning, not the second. To paraphrase a character in the 'Airplane!' movie: "Felix picked the wrong night to stop stinking". The other "Sox" hurler—Chicago's Jose Quintana—took a no-hitter through 6 1/3 innings and shut down Boston's bats in the process. Doubront's one major lapse—a two-run HR to light-hitting octogenarian Jeff Keppinger—spelled ultimate defeat in the 3-1 loss. The Red Sox had their chances—like when Stephen Drew struck out with the bases loaded—but this one seemed out-of-reach anyway. At least the Empire lost as well.

Victorino Out Again With Hamstring Issues

Shane Victorino, the 32-year old outfielder of the Boston Red Sox, is out of action again—this time with a hamstring issue that occurred on Monday night. Victorino has missed a total of nine games so far this year with back-related injuries—but it's unclear whether this hamstring issue is related to that. It's likely Victorino will miss at least Tuesday night's game against Chicago. If it's necessary to place Victorino on the DL, look for the second elevation of fan favorite Jackie Bradley, Jr.

Sox Closer Andrew Bailey: "I'm Ready To Go"

Bailey: Back And Ready

Although he wasn't needed to close on Monday night, Andrew Bailey is ready. Pronouncing himself feeling, "as good today as I did day one", the reliever was aching to get back into action. With Joel Hanrahan lost for the season (and likely forever as a member of the Red Sox) with Tommy John surgery, Bailey's effectiveness at the end of games is a prerequisite for this team's contention down the road. If Bailey can stay healthy and perform to the level he did in Oakland (and even earlier this year), Boston has a chance to be a contender. Without that stability at the back end of the 'pen, they will go nowhere. Given the instability at this position since Jonathan Papelbon left for free agency, it makes you wonder whether Ben Cherington should have given Paps whatever he wanted to prevent him from "Shipping Out Of Boston".

Rogelio Moret Can Breathe Easy; Sox Lose 6-4

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Jon Lester was trying to become the first Red Sox lefty to win his first seven starts in a season—a record held by Rogelio Moret in 1973. After getting the first two outs of the first inning, Lester lost his command and the result was a 3-0 deficit. Two more runs in the second pretty much assured Moret's place in Carmine Hose history, as Boston fell to the Pale Hose, 6-4. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was responsible for two of the Sox runs with a home run—and he almost got a second two-run shot that would have tied the game in the seventh. In addition to his two-RBI double, Will Middlebrooks nearly tied it again with a two-run shot in the ninth, but the 400-foot blast ended up going for a long out. Tonight, Boston battles the White Sox and severe weather on the South Side.

Ellsbury And Drew Back In Sox Lineup Tonight

Jacoby Ellsbury and Stephen Drew are back in the Red Sox lineup tonight in their opening tilt with the White Sox on the South Side of Chicago. Jon Lester will try to go 7-0 tonight, while the Pale Hose will send right-hander Dylan Axelrod to the mound. Despite being 3-3 lifetime against Axelrod, Pedro Ciriaco will not be in the lineup tonight. Boston is 5-1 on the current road trip and will look to improve on that mark in the three-game series. Start time is 8:10 PM Eastern.

Tweedledum Steinbrenner: Tickets 'Affordable'

'Tweedledum' And Yankee Fan

I have to admit, I never remember which Steinbrenner offspring is Tweedledum and which is Tweedledee. Frankly, who cares? Anyway, one of them (I think it was Hal Steinbrenner—AKA 'Tweedledum') actually said the following about ridiculously high Yankee ticket prices: "You hear about that in the media. You don’t hear that there are thousands and thousands of affordable seats in the $25 range for every game, not to mention the specials that we do, that we used to do at the old stadium. We have done every year. It is nothing new. We want to make sure that everyone that comes out here to see a Yankee game can get here and see one. There are plenty opportunities." So, get with it, Yankee fans! Go to StubHub and get your butt into a $25-seat—which happens to be in a different Bronx zip code from the one at home plate. This guy makes John Henry look like Bob Kraft.

The 'Thrill' Is Coming Back For Middlebrooks

AP Photo/Genevieve Ross

The success of Will Middlebrooks in the early stages of his MLB career evoked the nickname "Will The Thrill". Then, after pitchers started exploiting some holes in his swing, his performance tailed off. More recently, Middlebrooks is showing his old form again—e.g., now leading the team in home runs with eight. He's raised his average over the Mendoza Line (he's now hitting .213) and has seven doubles in his last ten games. The Red Sox need Middlebrooks to be a legitimate power threat in the middle of the lineup to take pressure off David Ortiz and Mike Napoli. Let's hope this positive trend continues.

Notice To FenwayNation's Mobile App Users

Many of our mobile readers have been asking us about the status of FenwayNation's iPhone and Android apps. Unfortunately, the company that developed FenwayNation's apps is no longer supporting any mobile applications. As we mentioned earlier, FN is seeking a new mobile app partner, but until then we encourage all of our mobile followers to download the free Red Sox News app—which posts every FenwayNation story in its news feed (see pic). By downloading this app, you will also have access to several other Red Sox-related news sources—like MLB.com, Yahoo! Sports, the Boston Herald and Boston.com. We will keep you posted on the launch of our new FenwayNation Mobile Apps. Until then, you can download the Red Sox News app for the iPhone HERE.

Sox Survive 3-Hour 'Chicken Rondelet', Win 5-1

AP Photo/Genevieve Ross

Maybe they're making up for all the time they played in the Metrodome. In any event, the Twins (or more precisely the umpires) subjected us all to a 3-hour rain delay—which stretched the total time of the Red Sox 5-1 win to 6 hours 30 minutes. John Lackey hurled six stellar innings, giving up just one hit and one un-earned run. Andrew Miller, Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa continued the torrid bullpen streak by shutting down the Twinkies the rest of the way. Will Middlebrooks hit his team-leading eight HR to start the scoring, and Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run shot to cap the scoring. Boston now heads to Chicago for three against the Pale Hose.