THE MAGIC CONTINUES

If it seems like every entry into this blog touches on another Red Sox rally, you're onto something. However, it's not getting old anytime soon. Once again the Red Sox battled back to secure another victory in what is turning out to be an awfully exciting April. Against Los Angeles, in the first game of a three-game series the Red Sox rallied from a four-run deficit to claim a 7-6 victory to keep their current winning streak alive.

Dustin Pedroia's RBI double in the eight inning scored Jacoby Ellsbury from first base and Jonathan Papelbon nailed down the victory with his eighth save of the season. Pedroia was 4 for 5 at the plate with three doubles and is now hitting .364 on the season. The win was the Red Sox sixth in a row and their 10th in the last 11.

The Sox trailed 5-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning after Los Angeles roughed up starting pitcher David Pauley. However, the Red Sox began to write a familiar early season script. Julio Lugo continued his charge at the plate with a run scoring single to pull the home team to within three runs. In the fifth, David Ortiz had an RBI single and Kevin Youkilis smacked a two-run homer to tie the game up. That set the stage for Ellsbury, who put the Sox ahead with a solo shot in the sixth inning. It was Ellsbury's second homer of the game after leading off things in the first inning to give the Sox a 1-0 lead.

Los Angeles ralliied to tie the score in the top of the eighth when Casey Kotchman hit a solo shot off Hideki Okajima, but the Sox would not be shaken. Ellsbury reached on a perfect bunt with one out off Darren Oliver. Scott Sheilds took over to face the righthanded hitting Pedroia. And with Ellsbury running on a 2-1 pitch, Pedroia slammed the ball down the line in left field. The ball rolled to the wall and Ellsbury scored without a throw. Papelbon then got a 1-2-3 ninth inning to slam the door shut.

The game was yet another example of this team picking each other up. Pauley got the start for Josh Beckett, who was scratched with a stiff neck. The kid got a little roughed up in the third and fourth innings, but the pen kept the Angels off the board while the offense got on track. And after Okajima gave up Kotchman's game tying homer, the offense got the lead right back.

While the Sox would much prefer a more comfortable means of victory they are once again showing how tough a team they are. Big Papi had been struggling mightily until recently, Mike Lowell is still on the DL and the pen has been spotty at best. And you could probably add a few more things to that list if you wanted to be hyper critical. However, this team has just kept moving forward by playing hard and picking each other up. The result of that has been a 15-7 record. While no team ever wins a pennant in April the Red Sox are showing that they don't intend to lose one either.

ELLSBURY MAKING HIS CASE

By now everyone has an opinion on the topic of Ellsbury vs Crisp. But the rookie centerfielder is starting to make the decision obvious. Ellsbury is now hitting .308 with 3 HR's to go along with 19 runs scored and eight stolen bases. He came into this evening's game with an OBP of .444 and he's playing a sparkling centerfield.

With Coco Crisp still banged up with sore legs it seems Ellsbury has shown he's more than ready to be the everyday player. While Crisp is batting a respectable .325 here in the early going, Ellsbury has displayed the ability to be electric at the top of the Red Sox order. His emergence would allow Kevin Youkilis to stay somewhere in the lower portion of the order even with the eventual return of Lowell to give Boston one of the most lethal balanced lineups in the American League.

Right now, it looks as if Theo Epstein will be looking for a trade partner some time in the near future to give Crisp a chance to play on a regular basis and give Ellsbury the full-time spot in the order. I don't see how anyone can justify Keeping Ellsbury in a platoon.