Boston Red Sox Midseason Review

Well, we are nearly halfway through the season, and already the Red Sox have made changes to the team. With Julio Lugo and Jed Lowrie going down early on due to injuries, Nick Green had to play full time. No one expected much out of him, but he has surprised the fans with his range, his gritty play, and his surprising ability to hit for average. The beginning of the year also saw the 2008 ALCS rival Tampa Bay Rays return to Fenway and take two out of three from the Sox. While Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and Daisuke Matsuzaka struggled early on, Tim Wakefield turned in one of the best starts to a season in his life. New pitcher Brad Penny, meanwhile, gave the Sox the innings and starts they needed to keep their bullpen fresh and the team in the game. Perhaps the most painful moment of the season early on was to watch David Ortiz. The Big Papi of years past slimmed down this offseason, but his bat disappeared on him, too. Through April and mid May, Ortiz was hitting under .200 and with no home runs. ... (link)