So Manny will be coming back to Fenway yet again, not as big of a deal since he’s already faced the Sox earlier this season but it will be nice to hear the boos when he steps up to the plate.

Now on to the preview:

Schedule

Red Sox games are available over the radio on the WEEI Red Sox Radio Network and on NESN in the New England TV market (unless noted.)

Tuesday, August 31 @ Orioles 7:05 PM

Wednesday, September 1 @ Orioles 7:05 PM

Thursday, September 2 @ Orioles 7:05 PM

Friday, September 3 vs White Sox 7:10 PM

Saturday, September 4 vs White Sox 7:10 PM (also on MLBN)

Sunday, September 5 vs White Sox 1:35 PM (also on TBS)

Baltimore TV:  MASN

Chicago White Sox TV: CSN

Opponents In-Depth

Baltimore Orioles

48-83

5th in AL East (32.5 GB)

Probable Line-Up

Julio Lugo, 2B
Felix Pie, LF
Nick Markakis, RF
Luke Scott, DH
Ty Wigginton, 2B
Corey Patterson, CF
Matt Wieters, C
Cesar Izturis, SS
Josh Bell, 3B

Injuries

Jason Berken, SP (Shoulder) 60-day DL. Out for the season

David Hernandez, SP (Ankle) 15-day DL. Out until at least early September

Adam Jones, CF (Shoulder) Questionable for Aug. 31 vs. Boston

Julio Lugo, 2B (Head) Questionable for Aug. 31 vs. Boston

Brian Roberts, 2B (Hip) Questionable for Aug. 31-Sept. 2 series vs. Boston

Pitching Match-Ups

8/31: Beckett vs. Matusz

Matusz’s numbers in August? 3-1, 2.32 ERA. Beckett? 2-2, 6.82 ERA. Oy.

9/1: Lester vs. Arrieta

The rookie Arrieta has been struggling in his last few starts- going against Lester means his troubles will continue.

9/2: Buchholz vs. Bergesen

Bergensen is coming off back-to-back wins against the Rangers an Angels. I suspect that streak will end this week.

Who’s Hot

Felix Pie: .289 BA past 14 days

Who’s Not

Cesar Izturis: .171 BA past 14 days

Chicago White Sox

70-60
2nd in AL Central (4.5 GB)

Probable Line-Up

Juan Pierre, LF
Omar Vizquel, 3B
Alex Rios, CF
Manny Ramirez, DH
Paul Konerko, 1B
Carlos Quentin, RF
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Alexi Ramirez, SS
Gordon Beckham, 2B

Injuries

Erick Threets, RP (Elbow) 15-day DL. Out for the season

J.J. Putz, RP (Knee) 15-day DL. Out until at least mid-September

Matt Thornton, RP (Forearm) 15-day DL. Out until at least early September

Jake Peavy, SP (Shoulder) 15-day DL. Out for the season

Pitching Match-Ups

9/3: Lackey vs. Danks

Allow me to quote Bill Simmons: “I’m going to be 45 years old by the time Jon Lackey’s contract ends. Just shoot me in the forehead.”

9/4: Matsuzaka vs. Floyd

Dice-K is hurt. No surprise. However he should be able to blow his start this week against the Orioles.

9/5: Beckett vs. Buehrle

Battle of the Bs. However Chicago’s arm has the edge in this match-up.

Who’s Hot

Paul Konerko: .469 BA/4 HR past 14 days

Who’s Not

Gordon Beckham: .250 BA past 14 days

My Outlook

We’ll take care of the Orioles but the White Sox will be a struggle. 3-3.

How do you think the Sox are going to fare this week? Leave them in the comments or let Patrick know on Twitter: @dmbosstone

Herodotus, the famous Greek historian, once wrote “Do you see how the god always hurls his bolts at the greatest houses and the tallest trees. For he is wont to thwart whatever is greater than the rest.” 

Perhaps this explains the horrid streak of luck that the Sox have encountered this year.  Maybe it was because we had gotten too proud of the success of the Sox and our hubris, as in many of those great Greek tragedies, caused our downfall.  Maybe we had simply begun to take winning for granted, and after two Championships, we were spoiled and needed to be reminded of what being a Sox fan means.  Whatever the reason, the Sox seem doomed this year.

The blows started early, for no sooner had spring training gotten under way than Daisuke Matsuzaka was sidelined.  Then Adrian Beltre annihilated most of the outfield.  Then the catchers fell, followed by the right side of the infield.  The only three pitchers who avoided the injury bug were Lester, Lackey, and Wakefield.  I hold my breath as I almost anticipate the announcement that Scutaro and Beltre both had a case of season ending food poisoning last night when they ate some bad shrimp scampi at a Tampa Bay seafood restaurant together.

The effects of this affliction range from cruel to downright bizarre.  Take, for example, the mysterious case of the catchers.  No sooner had Victor Martinez gone down with a broken thumb than less than a week later, our Captain and superbackup, Jason Varitek, fouled a ball off his foot and followed the guy he was understudying to the DL.  This, of course, resulted in the acquisition of Kevin Cash, reminding all of us how much we took for granted the services of Doug Mirabelli.  Following several grueling weeks of watching Cash, first as a starter then as a backup, show us just how good even the worst of Major League pitching really is, salvation came at the deadline with the difficult-to-spell Jarrod Saltalamacchia.  His debut went off with a bang, and it seemed that Theo’s trade deadline was perhaps better than what we believed.  Of course, that was before Salty’s leg got infected from doing God-knows-what and he went to the disabled list to get catching tips from Varitek.

Who can forget how Dustin Pedroia, coming off the single greatest performance of his career with going 5-5 with three home runs in a single game, fouled a ball off his foot and broke it the next day.  The Boston Globe reported yesterday that word has just been leaked from a major league source claiming that Pedroia will likely be out the rest of the season, joining Youkilis, Cameron, and likely Ellsbury.  Just like that, the heart and soul of the Red Sox was lost.

Wednesday also had another curious incident.  The Red Sox had a double header on a day where both the Yankees and Rays lost.  After winning the first game thanks to a solid Josh Beckett, it looked like they had a chance to gain some serious ground on their division rivals.

But fate had other ideas.

First, Daisuke Matsuzaka reported a problem with his back, resulting in the completely unbalanced matchup of the unpredicatable Tim Wakefield against the future Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez.  Then in the second inning, Adrian Beltre was inexplicably ejected by rookie homeplate umpire Dan Bellino.  We’re not sure if it was because he was speaking in Spanish and maybe Bellino just can’t stand the sound of the language, or if it was because he was enjoying himself too much with King Felix.  Didn’t Beltre know?  This is a game; you’re not allowed to have fun.  Whatever the reason, the Sox lost their best hitter, then their manager, then the game.

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Herodotus may have a point with his observation about hubris, this year’s precipitous decline in the Sox’ television ratings and reports of scalpers being unable to get rid of tickets seem to indicate that Red Sox Nation may have begun to take winning for granted.  But another sage once made an equally as wise observation of his own, “There is no crying in baseball”.  The Red Sox haven’t given up yet.  No matter what forces have conspired against them, the likes of Nava, Dubrount, McDonald, and Kalish have kept them in the race.  Today, in testament to how good the Pawsox are, they sit a mere 5.5 games back of first place in the AL East.  They still have six games left against each the Yankees and the Rays.

Their destiny is still in their hands.

Jeff: “Write about Damon.”

Me: “What is going on with Damon, I thought I saw a headline…” (Note: I have been out all night and not paying attention to the news.)

Jeff: “The sox claimed him on waivers.”

Patrick: “WTF!”

Ultimately Damon decided not to leave Detroit but there are two views I’m going to take on this.

Johnny Damon as a baseball player

We know this isn’t the Johnny Damon of 2005.

Despite a power surge last year (which you can blame on Yankee Stadium,) there has been erosion in his contact rate and speed. He is definitely not the .300/20/20 guy you might have expected a few years ago. However he is still a consistent bat that could of helped a Red Sox outfield that just lost Mike Cameron and Damon’s successor in Jacoby Ellsbury.

But how much could we expect from a month of Damon? His career average in the months of September/October is .275 and his Sept/Oct average the last three years are .313 (2007), .250 (2008), and .247 (2009.)

At 36 he’s clearly in the twilight of an amazing career and we should expect him to maintain that .270 average with a couple of HR and SB thrown in.

Johnny Damon as a Red Sox

It was hard to see Damon leave the Sox for the Yankees. He’ll forever be remember by Red Sox Nation as the leader of “The Idiots” that helped break the curse in 2004. However he left Boston on a sour note when he signed with New York in 2005. It didn’t help him that he said, “There’s no way I can go play for the Yankees, but I know they’re going to come after me hard. It’s definitely not the most important thing to go out there for the top dollar, which the Yankees are going to offer me. It’s not what I need.”

Well we can tell top dollar is really what you were after.

Even today Damon is still willing to hold out for the deal he wanted. After the Yankees let him become a free agent he didn’t find work (well work that wasn’t in the ring) until Detroit signed him February of this year.

In today’s free agent world the one thing fans will be loyal with are the teams. Damon as a Red Sox we cheered and Damon as a Yankee we boo’d. Does this mean Damon as a Red Sox again would of solicited our forgiveness?

Schedule

Red Sox games are available over the radio on the WEEI Red Sox Radio Network and on NESN in the New England TV market (unless noted.)

Tuesday, August 24 vs Mariners 7:10 PM

Wednesday, August 25 vs Mariners 1:35 PM

Friday, August 27 @ Rays 7:10 PM

Saturday, August 28 @ Rays 7:10 PM (also on MLBN)

Sunday, August 29 @ Rays 8:00 PM (on ESPN)

Seattle TV:  FSN

Tampa Bay TV: Sun Sports/Bay 9

Opponents In-Depth

Seattle Mariners
49-76
4th in AL West (21.5 GB)

Probable Line-Up

Ichiro Suzuki, RF
Chone Figgins, 2B
Russell Branyan, DH
Jose Lopez, 3B
Franklin Gutierrez, CF
Casey Kotchman, 1B
Adam Moore/Josh Bard, C
Ryan Langerhans/Matt Tuiasosopo, LF
Josh Wilson, SS

Injuries

Jack Wilson, SS (Hand) 15-day DL. Out for the season

Erik Bedard, SP (Shoulder) 60-day DL. Out for the season

David Aardsma, RP (Bruise) Questionable for Aug. 23-25 series at Boston

Milton Bradley, LF (Knee) 15-day DL. Might be out for the season

Shawn Kelley, RP (Elbow) 15-day DL. Out for the season

Ryan Rowland-Smith, SP (Back) 15-day DL. On Triple-A rehab assignment

Michael Saunders, LF (Shoulder) Doubtful for Aug. 24 at Boston

Pitching Match-Ups

8/24: Beckett vs. Pauley

Beckett faces off against David Pauley, a former Red Sox prospect who is coming off two wins in a row… to Cleveland and Baltimore. Pauley is enjoying minor success so far in his first extended stay in The Show.

8/25: Lester vs. Hernandez

This week’s battle of the Aces.

Who’s Hot

Ichiro Suzuki: .321 BA/2 HR/2 SB past 14 days

Who’s Not

Chone Figgins: .188 BA past 14 days

Tampa Bay Rays

Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin

76-48
2nd in AL East (.5 GB)

Probable Line-Up

BJ Upton, CF
Jason Bartlett, SS
Carl Crawford, LF
Evan Longoria, 3B
Carlos Pena, 1B
Ben Zobrist, RF
Willy Aybar, DH
Sean Rodriguez, 2B
Kelly Shoppach, C

Injuries

Wade Davis, SP (Shoulder) 15-day DL. Expected to return for Aug. 24 start at L.A. Angels

Jeff Niemann, SP (Shoulder) 15-day DL. Expected to return for Aug. 25 start at L.A. Angels

Grant Balfour, RP (Ribs) 15-day DL. Out until at least early September

Gabe Kapler, RF (Ankle) 15-day DL. Out until at least early September

J.P. Howell, RP (Shoulder) 15-day DL. Out for the season

Pitching Match-Ups

8/27: Matsuzaka vs. Price

With a 8.33 K/9 maybe we should be calling Price Dice-K. However Dice-K has 23 Ks over 20.1 IP in his last three starts. This could actually be a duel.

8/28: Buchholz vs. Garza

Coming off four straight wins he’ll now have to face Matt Garza who is no pushover by any means.

8/29: Lackey vs. Shields

Even though Lackey has been pitching better of late, this is a match-up of two former aces.

Who’s Hot

Evan Longoria: .345 BA/3 HR past 14 days

Who’s Not

Ben Zobrist: .171 BA past 14 days

My Outlook

With a win already notched in for the week I say they end it 4-2.

How do you think the Sox are going to fare this week? Leave them in the comments or let Patrick know on Twitter: @dmbosstone

20 weeks later and most of Red Sox Nation is already looking towards football season. 20 weeks later and Jacoby Ellsbury is back on the DL with only 18 games played so far this year. 20 weeks later and I saw the Sox lose to the Rangers this past Friday despite hitting five home runs.

But alas we must carry on and look forward, not backwards. So let’s take a look at what is up for the Sox this week.

Schedule

Red Sox games are available over the radio on the WEEI Red Sox Radio Network and on NESN in the New England TV market (unless noted.)

Tuesday, August 17 vs Angels 7:10 PM

Wednesday, August 18 vs Angels 7:10 PM

Thursday, August 19 vs Angels 7:10 PM (also on MLBN)

Friday, August 20 vs Blue Jays 7:10 PM

Saturday, August 21 vs Blue Jays 7:10 PM

Sunday, August 22 vs Blue Jays 1:35 PM

Los Angeles Angels TV:  FS-W

Toronto TV: SNET

Opponents In-Depth

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

AP Photo/Alex Gallardo

60-59
2nd in AL West (8 GB)

Probable Line-Up

Bobby Abreu, LF
Erick Aybar, SS
Alberto Callaspo, 3B
Torii Hunter, RF
Hideki Matsui, DH
Howard Kendrick, 2B
Mike Napoli, 1B
Jeff Mathis, C
Peter Bourjos, CF

Injuries

Joel Pineiro, SP (Oblique) 15-day DL. Out until at least mid-September

Rich Thompson, RP (Shoulder) 15-day DL. Out until at least early September

Kendry Morales, 1B (Ankle) 15-day DL. Out for the season

Jason Bulger, RP (Shoulder) 15-day DL. On Triple-A rehab assignment

Brian Stokes, RP (Shoulder) 15-day DL. On Triple-A rehab assignment

Chris Pettit, CF (Shoulder) 60-day DL. Out for the season

Pitching Match-Ups

8/17: Buchholz vs. Haren

Best match of the series. Haren is an Ace but is trying to buck his history of second half slumps and isn’t getting a whole lot of run support from the Angels.

8/18: Lackey vs. Weaver

Lackey faces his former team and an unlikely ace in Jeff Weaver.

8/19: Beckett vs. Kazmir

Beckett is still looking for his mojo while Kazmir is a Red Sox killer. This won’t end well.

Who’s Hot

Bobby Abreu: .370 BA past 14 days

Who’s Not

Jeff Mathis: .100 BA past 14 days

Toronto Blue Jays

Reuters Photo

63-55
4th in AL East (9 GB)

Probable Line-Up

Fred Lewis, LF
Yunel Escobar, SS
Jose Bautista, 3B
Vernon Wells, CF
Adam Lind, DH
Aaron Hill, 2B
Lyle Overbay, 1B
Travis Snider, RF
Jose Molina, C

Injuries

John Buck, C (Thumb) 15-day DL. Expected to begin Double-A rehab assignment Aug. 16

David Purcey, SP (Ankle) 15-day DL. Out until at least early September

Dirk Hayhurst, RP (Shoulder) 60-day DL. Out for the season

Jesse Litsch, SP (Hip) 15-day DL. Out for the season

Dustin McGowan, SP (Shoulder) 60-day DL. Out for the season

Pitching Match-Ups

8/20: Lester vs. Cecil

Battle of the lefties!

8/21: Matsuzaka vs. Romero

Romero is putting together a pretty solid season while Matsuzaka is putting together a house of cards that represents his season.

8/22: Buchholz vs. Marcum

What a week for Buchholz after facing Haren in LA he’ll have to face Toronto’s ace to end the week.

Who’s Hot

Adam Lind: .425 BA/3 HR past 14 days

Who’s Not

Fred Lewis: .152 BA past 14 days

My Outlook

I have a really bad feeling about the pitching LA has to offer. I say it’s a 3-3 split.

How do you think the Sox are going to fare this week? Leave them in the comments or let Patrick know on Twitter: @dmbosstone

All the way past the Trade Deadline.

What did I miss? Well more injuries for one. Lots of injuries. In fact I’m back just in time to see Kevin Youkilis get sidelined with another torn muscle in his right thumb. The DL continues to eat up players from the roster like Albert Haynesworth at a CiCi’s Pizza buffet.

The trade deadline would of been a good chance to stock up on some 2nd half help, but the only acquired player of note is Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who isn’t even in the majors right now.

A real quick breakdown of Salty, the catching prospect that is finally with Boston after a season or two of trade rumors: since making his debut in 2007 he hasn’t developed the power potential that many have seen in him. At the same time he hasn’t been given the playing time as well.With V-Mart back, Saltalamacchia is nothing more than a prospect who’s window is closing.

So at 60-45, 6.5 games behind in the AL East and in the AL Wild Card, it looks like a lackluster season for the Sox. However with a weekend series against New York, can they make a move to keep some playoff hopes alive?

Schedule

Red Sox games are available over the radio on the WEEI Red Sox Radio Network and on NESN in the New England TV market (unless noted.)

Wednesday, August 4 vs Indians 7:10 PM

Thursday, August 5 vs Indians 7:10 PM

Friday, August 6 @ Yankees 7:05 PM

Saturday, August 7 @ Yankees 4:10 PM (on Fox)

Sunday, August 8 @ Yankees 8:00 PM (on ESPN)

Cleveland TV:  STO

New York Yankees TV: YES

Opponents In-Depth

Cleveland Indians
45-61
Tied for 4th in AL Central (15 GB)

Probable Line-Up

Trevor Crowe, CF
Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
Shin-Soo Choo, RF
Shelley Duncan, LF
Jordan Brown, DH
Matt LaPorta, 1B
Lou Marson, C
Jayson Nix, 3B
Jason Donald, 2B

Injuries

Travis Hafner, DH (Shoulder) 15-day DL. Out until at least late August

Carlos Santana, C (Knee) 15-day DL. Out until at least late August

Aaron Laffey, RP (Arm) 15-day DL. Out until at least late August

Mitch Talbot, SP (Back) 15-day DL. Out until at least late August

Anthony Reyes, RP (Elbow) 60-day DL. On Double-A rehab assignment

Grady Sizemore, CF (Knee) 60-day DL. Out for the season

Pitching Match-Ups

8/4: Lester vs. Masterson

Masterson faces off against his former team once again- still not afraid.

8/5: Matsuzaka vs. Westbrook

Jake Westbrook was the best the Indians could get? Yikes. However Westbrook is just good enough to give Dice-K a run for his money when he implodes and walks eight batters.

Who’s Hot

Shin-Soo Choo: .333 BA past 14 days

Who’s Not

Jordan Brown: .125 BA past 14 days

New York Yankees
66-40
1st in AL East

Probable Line-Up

Derek Jeter, SS
Nick Swisher, RF
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Lance Berkman, DH
Curtis Granderson, CF
Jorge Posada, C
Brett Gardner, LF

Injuries

Alfredo Aceves, RP (Back) 15-day DL. Out until at least early August

Nick Johnson, 1B (Wrist) 60-day DL. Might be out for the season

Damaso Marte, RP (Shoulder) 15-day DL. Out until at least early August

Andy Pettitte, SP (Groin) 15-day DL. Out until at least mid-August

Pitching Match-Ups

8/6: Bucchholz vs. Vazquez

Advantage Boston as long as Vazquez continues his lackluster performance.

8/7: Lackey vs. Sabathia

No way Lackey could keep up with CC. Lackey couldn’t even keep up with his own no-hitter.

8/8: Beckett vs. Burnett

Beckett’s looked good since he’s come back from the DL- this will be his biggest test this season.

Who’s Hot

Nick Swisher: .302 BA/6 HR past 14 days

Who’s Not

Lance Berkman: .182 BA past 14 days

My Outlook

Well with the Cleveland series already halfway done, I’m going to instead look at the Yankees series and hope we can go into the final game on Monday with two out of three. However that is wishful thinking and highly dependent on the pitching.

But hey we can dream can’t we?

How do you think the Sox are going to fare this week? Leave them in the comments or let Patrick know on Twitter: @dmbosstone

It also could have been a harbinger of things to come – or things that have already arrived and been ignored – in which case the big question on everyone’s mind should be the following: When do the Patriots get started, anyway?

Sunday’s 4-2 setback at the hands of the Seattle Mariners is, in the 162-game scheme of things, just another loss. But that’s oversimplifying a bitter, nasty defeat that could have dangerous lingering effects. At the very least, it exposed the Red Sox as a still-flawed club, healthy or not.

AP Photo

Because for all the injuries the Red Sox have survived – and we all know it’s been a biblical flood – none truly affected the bullpen. And that remains the team’s biggest Achilles Heel.

If Sunday did one thing, let’s hope it relegated Hideki Okajima to mop up duty until the end of the year, at which time he should be set free. The Sox got more than could be asked of him during his first three years, and are now watching his explosive demise in Technicolor.

His brain lock on an eighth-inning bunt touched off a disastrous inning that typified a roller-coaster weekend. What followed was a mess that won’t be forgotten by Red Sox Nation for a long time, especially if it was the latest step in a late-season crumble.

But Okajima has proven himself inept this season. Same for Ramon Ramirez. And Manny Delcarmen seems dead set on making it a trio.

So who do you trust besides Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon, the latter of whom hasn’t been unblemished himself? Scott Atchison?

Has it really come to that?

And here’s the trouble. Atchison has done a nice enough job, but his spots have been expertly picked. Start putting him into seventh-inning danger on a regular basis and he’ll quickly be exposed.

AP Photo

The Seattle series was a frustrating four-game tour of everything that is wrong with the Sox right now. The lineup is impotent because half of the bats are missing. And a team constructed on the premise of pitching and defense lost one game each due directly to the two tenets of that philosophy.

Jon Lester’s perfect game, no-hitter, shutout and lead evaporated in the blink of an eye Saturday night after Eric Patterson committed a monumental gaffe in center. The Sox had survived laughably poor defense just two nights earlier, when Marco Scutaro and Bill Hall conspired to ruin another near no-hitter and five-run lead, this one belonging to John Lackey. But they couldn’t survive Patterson’s blunder, which was followed by a Lester loss-of-focus and Seattle rally.

But Sunday was the spoiled icing on a moldy cake. Okajima couldn’t get anyone out, and compounded the issue by flubbing a pair of bunt attempts. And Francona could do little but watch the train wreck because he’d already used his only reliable set-up man and didn’t want to insert his closer with his team down by two runs.

And here’s the kicker: Help is anything but on the way, at least from outside the organization. The asking price for relief pitching right now is insanely high, and it would do the Sox little good to gamble on an arm by giving up one or two prized prospects, especially because one bullpen hurler might not be enough.

Super Felix?

So the Sox are going to have to look internally for a solution. Michael Bowden, perhaps. Maybe Felix Doubront. But the prospect of throwing untested youngsters into the heat of a pennant race has the potential to combust faster than you can say Eric Gagne.

So was the weekend meltdown in Seattle the beginning of the end, or just another frustrating four-game stretch in a long season that still has more than 60 games remaining?

The optimist in me says the latter, especially with Victor Martinez coming back tonight and further reinforcements in the form of Dustin Pedroia on the way soon. And if the Sox can sneak into the postseason, they have perhaps the deepest starting rotation in baseball to lean on at a time when good starting pitching trumps all.

But the pessimist in me wonders how this team will make up any ground if it can’t hold a lead beyond the sixth inning the rest of the way. Okajima’s effort on Sunday was not only ugly, but also frightening, because Francona had nowhere to turn and everyone – both on the field and off – knew it.

And there’s nothing comedic about that.

Seeing how the starting pitcher only shows himself once every five days, it was rather unfair to issue a pitching trimester report card.  However, now that it’s past the All-Star Break, it’s time for the Pitching Midterms.

Comments: What I’ve seen so far has been completely unacceptable, especially given your extraordinary abilities.  You owe it to yourself to do a better job.  I have every bit of confidence that you will.

Globe Photo / Jim Davis

Reuters Photo

Daisuke Matsuzaka: The Red Sox Japanese import has had a rollercoaster of a season so far.  Coming off the absolute lost season of 2009 in which he was rocked in almost every outing before disappearing for the majority of the season onto the disabled list. He started the season on the DL again, having hurt himself in spring training.  Upon his return in May, it seemed that Matsuzaka was doomed to repeat last year’s pathetic showing; that first month he put up a pathetic 5.77 ERA.  Since then, after another DL stint, that number has gone down to where it currently sits, at 4.29 with a solid 7-3 record.  Also, since june 2nd he has gone 5-2 with a 3.12 ERA.  Dice-K is heating up and if he can continue to limit the walks and throw his offspeed pitches for strikes, he will find consistency.

Comments: You would have had a perfect A+ if not for the time you missed.  Attendance is important in this class, Clay.  Be more careful next time!

Associated Press Photo / Ben Margot

He has worked to make sure Doc Rivers returns for one more year as the head coach.

He worked to re-sign Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, all the while maintaining some spending flexibility for the remainder of the offseason and for future seasons.

Ainge locked in Rivers, Pierce, and Allen, all for at least one more year, and kept the core of a championship team together for one more run.  And he did all of this without the need for a one-hour infomercial to glorify himself or any of the players involved.  How about that?

Credit has to be given to all parties involved.  Rivers, who had a sincere desire to spend more time at home watching his children excel in sports, honored the last year of his contract and decided to return.

Ainge was loyal to Rivers in 2006 and ’07, and River was right to reward that trust with one more season.

As for Pierce and Allen, they did what we wish athletes would do more often – they made decisions that appear based on something other than salary.  And both made the correct decisions.

Pierce, who was set to earn $21 million next season, opted out of his contract and in return, he has security for the next four years at roughly $15 million per season.  The four-year deal also likely guarantees that Pierce, who will be 33 by the time next season begins, will retire a Celtic.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Ray Allen was reportedly recruited by some of those big name free agents we all are tired of hearing about.  He didn’t want to play their waiting game, and chose instead to return to Boston for a two-year deal at $10 million per season, with the second year being a player option.

Allen said all along he wanted to stay in Boston.  But he also made nearly $19 million dollars last season.  With all the money teams have to spare this offseason, and with all the three-pointers Allen has made in his career, it is likely some team out there would have given him more money.

Ray, though, didn’t wait, didn’t drag the process out.  He wanted to be in Boston, was reasonable about his contract demands, and signed to stay a Celtic, with the deal being announced on the first day deals could be signed.

Good job all around.

Then why am I still not sold on the 2010-11 Celtics, and why do I know that Danny Ainge still has a great deal of work to do.

That is because the goal is to win a championship.  Every year, that is the goal for Boston, but it will be particularly so next year.  Rivers, Allen, and Pierce stuck around in part out of loyalty, but in part to make one more run at a championship.

They won one in 2008 and were real close in 2010.  All involved know that 2011 will likely be their last shot.

Even with all Ainge’s moves to bring back the team’s key ingredients, all Ainge has accomplished has been to keep the team relatively even from last year.   Considering the age of Pierce, Allen, and Kevin Garnett, and the injury to Kendrick Perkins, staying even won’t bring a championship to Boston in 2011.

Moving forward, there have been two noted additions.  First, Ainge drafted Avery Bradley out of Texas.  That was a good first step for Ainge this offseason, especially if Bradley proves to be a versatile player and can come in at either point or shooting guard.

ESPN.com Illustration

And earlier today, Ainge made another move official, signing the 31-year old Jermaine O’Neal.  I point out O’Neal’s age because in the playoffs this year, when he was with the Heat, O’Neal looked to be a player much older than that.

Thus, you can see why I am not too excited about that signing.

Best case scenario, O’Neal matches the output Boston got from Rasheed Wallace in the postseason.  If that is the best case, then it is difficult to see how O’Neal brings the Celtics closer to a championship.

I like signing Jermaine O’Neal better than the other rumored options – Shaq or Kwame That, however, clearly is not saying much, and Ainge must continue to work to fill out the bench with players that Rivers can rely on in any situation.

There are two areas that concern me the most.

The first is added front-court depth, even for when Perkins comes back.  I’d like Ainge to find an athletic big man who can run the floor with Rajon Rondo and finish at the rim when Rondo drives and dishes.

The other area that is just as pressing, if not more so, for Boston to fill is finding someone to step into the role played by James Posey in 2008.

Remember that Posey did not put up huge numbers for the Celtics.  But he was someone Rivers felt comfortable playing at any point in any game.  He could defend multiple positions, could knock down open shots, and maybe most importantly, he could give Paul Pierce a rest.

AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

Pierce looked tired at the end of each of the last two postseasons, and not coincidentally, the Celtics have not had anyone on their roster the last two years to really give him a breather.

Ainge did not replace Posey in 2009, and the Marquis Daniels experiment did not work this past season.

Where exactly does Ainge turn?

I am not exactly sure, and I do not for a second pretend to fully understand the various and numerous restrictions and limitations on NBA contracts.  I will just say that Ainge needs to get creative.

Players to keep an eye on could be old friends Ryan Gomes or Leon Powe, former Boston College star Craig Smith, or maybe get on the phone with the Golden State Warriors to discuss Anthony Randolph and Anthony Morrow (especially if the Warriors sign David Lee).

Ainge did his part in bringing Rivers, Pierce, and Allen back. Don’t stop now Danny.  Those three came back for one more run; the fans expect the same.

By any means necessary, do what you have to in order to reward them for coming back.  And also to get the horrid taste out of my mouth the remains from Game Seven.

*******

And if I may offer one comment about the entire LeBron James saga:  no professional athlete of his, or close to his, stature has ever done anything to embarrass himself more, or to turn people against him more, without breaking the law or being involved in other scandalous activity, than LeBron James has done to harm himself in this free agency process.

*POOF* And I'm gone! (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Other writers have written it much better than I could, but regardless of what he chooses tonight, he has proven, once and for all, that his ego is too big for his own good and that he cares more about attention than he does about basketball.

If he goes with Cleveland, he basically made a team and a city beg to keep him and put them through hell for two years as he made them all fear he would leave.  His actions look even worse in comparison in the wake of Kevin Durant’s quiet, understated resigning yesterday with Oklahoma City.

If he chooses Miami, well then, he has shown he doesn’t believe he has what it takes to lead a team to a title and would rather just rely on other stars.  He wants a title, but doesn’t want to put forth the effort necessary to get one.  He wants a shortcut to a championship, a short cut to a place next to the other all-time greats.

I don’t believe there is such a shortcut to basketball immortality, and all I can say is that from now on, I will certainly be rooting against James in his attempt to get there.

And yet, next week Ortiz will take part in both the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game, headlining a list of six Red Sox selected to the midsummer classic. Dustin Pedroia and Victor Martinez were also selected, while Adrian Beltre and pitchers Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz received their first career nods.

(Reuters Photo)

Of course, you can cross-reference that list with the disabled list and strike a handful of players off the active roster for next Tuesday. Pedroia and Martinez will both be absent, and Buchholz was just placed on the disabled list, as well, and will likely miss the game.

What’s more, the Sox could end up with seven representatives, as Kevin Youkilis – who certainly has the numbers to warrant a selection – is one of the five players eligible for the fan vote that will fill the final roster spot.

All-Stars are nothing new to the Sox, who have had a host of players in the game almost annually over the last handful of years. But this season’s list is particularly satisfying, given both how the team started and who it is taking part in the annual showcase.

Adrian Beltre took a one-year deal with the Red Sox for short money in hopes of resurrecting his career. All he’s done is hit better than .340 while driving in more than 50 runs. And Clay Buchholz entered his first full season as a starter with plenty of questions and enters the All-Star break in the top three in the league in both wins and ERA.

But the best story, at least to this observer, is Ortiz. He was being skewered by the Boston media after the second game – the SECOND game! – of the season against the Yankees, and what followed was a month long slump that had people wondering if the Sox would consider releasing Big Papi.

All he’s done since is turn white hot, anchoring a lineup that has had to play through injuries to just about every key player in the heart of the order. His batting average remains pedestrian, but his power and run production numbers no longer reflect a poor start. He’s deserving of the All-Star honor.

Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis

Much was made on the Boston airwaves over the last few days of the fact that the Red Sox didn’t have anyone voted in by the fans to start the game. That was used as clear evidence that interest in the team is waning and that Red Sox Nation doesn’t have as strong a voice as it once had.

That may be true. In fact, it was almost inevitable. After the storybook seasons of 2004 and 2007 and the ensuing burst of new followers, there’s almost nowhere to go from a fan excitement perspective but down.

But the All-Star game proves the rest of the league is still paying attention. From new stars to old stars, putting six names on the American League roster is quite an accomplishment for a team that began the season playing .500 ball for the first 40 games.

And there’s no better representative in that regard than Ortiz. So tune in Monday to watch Big Papi take his cuts in the Home Run Derby.

For the Boston Red Sox.

Note: Stats are accurate prior to Sunday’s games. Game times are EST and pitching match-ups are subject to change.

How was everybody’s 4th of July? For the Sox fireworks are going off as more players are hitting the DL. Last week I mentioned V-Mart and now Vartiek is sidelined as well. Luckily we brought back Kevin Cash to fill in the gaps- and looking at his stats that’s all he’s doing: just another warm body to catch pitches. Clay Buchholz has also hit the DL adding to a Who’s Who of injured players (Felix Doubront will be recalled to fill in his slot, making his 2nd MLB start.) I visited the depth chart over at the Red Sox’s webpage to get an idea of the DL situation:

It wasn’t good. Look the list can hard stay on the page!

So what’s ahead for our wounded warriors? Let’s cut straight to the chase in this week’s shortened edition of the preview.

Schedule and Opponents

Red Sox games are available over the radio on the WEEI Red Sox Radio Network and on NESN in the New England TV market (unless noted.)

Tuesday, July 6 @ Rays 7:10 PM (also on MLB Network)

Wednesday, July 7 @ Rays 7:10 PM

Friday, July 9 @ Blue Jays 7:07 PM

Saturday, July 10 @ Blue Jays 1:07 PM

Sunday, July 11 @ Blue Jays 1:07 PM

Tampa Bay TV: Sun Sports

Toronto TV: SNET

Pitching Match-Ups

Tuesday, July 6

Rays: Jeff Niemann, RHP (6-2, 2.80)

Doubront will return to Fenway Tuesday (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Last start: 7/1 @MIN: 6.2 IP/6 H/3 R/5 K/2 BB

Red Sox: Felix Doubront, RHP (1-0, 5.40)

Last start: 6/18 vs LAD: 5.0 IP/6 H/5 R/2 K/2 BB

Wednesday, July 7

Rays: David Price, LHP (11-4, 2.42)

Last start: 7/2 @ MIN: 8.0 IP/4 H/2 R/6 K/4 BB

Red Sox: Tim Wakefield, RHP (3-6, 4.96)

Last start: 7/2 vs BAL: 8.0 IP/7 H/2 R/4 K/1 BB

Friday, July 9

Blue Jays: Ricky Romero, LHP (6-5, 3.39)

Last start: 7/3 @ NYY: 2.2 IP/7 H/8 R/3 K /2 BB

Red Sox: Jon Lester, LHP (10-3, 2.76)

Last start: 7/3 vs BAL: 7.0 IP/5 H/1 R/7 K/1 BB

Saturday, July 10

Blue Jays: Brandon Morrow, RHP (5-6 4.69)

Last start: 7/4 @ NYY: 6.0 IP/9 H/5 R/7 K/1 BB

Red Sox: John Lackey, RHP (9-4, 4.40)

Last start: 7/4 vs BAL: 7.1 IP/8 H/4 R/7 K/1 BB

Sunday, July 11

Blue Jays: Jesse Litsch, RHP (0-3, 6.98)

Last start: 6/30 @ CLE: 6.0 IP/4 H/2 R/2 K/2 BB

Red Sox: Daisuke Matsuzaka, LHP (5-3, 4.50)

Dice-K gets another start this week in Toronto. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Last start: 6/30 vs TBR: 6.0 IP/4 H/3 R/7 K/4 BB

Opponents In-Depth

Tampa Bay Rays
48-33
3rd in AL East (2.0 GB)

Probable Line-Up

Ben Zobrist, CF
Carl Crawford, LF
Evan Longoria, 3B
Willy Aybar, DH
Matt Joyce, RF
Sean Rodriguez, 2B
Carlos Pena, 1B
Jason Bartlett, SS
John Jaso/Kelly Shoppach, C

Last Week/Upcoming

Lost one out of two at Boston, won three out of four in Minnesota.

Injuries

J.P. Howell, RP (Shoulder) 15-day DL. Out for the season

Who’s Hot

Carl Crawford:  .378 BA/5 SB the last two weeks

Who’s Not

Ben Zobrist:  .147 BA last two weeks

Toronto Blue Jays
41-42
4th in AL East (10 GB)

Probable Line-Up

Fred Lewis, LF
Alex Gonzalez, SS
Jose Bautista, RF
Vernon Wells, CF
Adam Lind, DH
Aaron Hill, 2B
Lyle Overbay, 1B
John Buck, C
Edwin Encarnacion, 3B

Last Week/Upcoming

Lost three in Cleveland, last two out of three in New York. Will play three against Minnesota before Boston comes into town.

Injuries

Shaun Marcum, SP (Elbow) 15-day DL. Might return for July 20 start at Kansas City

Travis Snider, LF (Wrist) 15-day DL. On Class A rehab assignment

Dirk Hayhurst, RP (Shoulder) 60-day DL. Out for the season

Aaron Hill, 2B (Illness) Questionable for July 6-8 vs. Minnesota

Vernon Wells, CF (Illness) Questionable for July 6-8 series vs. Minnesota

Dustin McGowan, SP (Shoulder) 60-day DL. Out for the season

Who’s Hot

Jose Bautista: .283 BA/3 HR last two weeks

Who’s Not

Edwin Encarnacion: .125 BA last two weeks

My Outlook

3-3 split, we already lost the opener to the Rays- let’s just get to the All Star break.

How do you think the Sox are going to fare this week? Leave them in the comments or let Patrick know on Twitter: @dmbosstone