Projo Sox Blog

"This guy, in my opinion, is the MVP of the league," was Paul Byrd's assessment last night after Dustin Pedroia had two more hits (including a game-turning, two-run single in the sixth) and a pair of sterling defensive plays, not to mention a stolen base, in the Red Sox' 7-4 win over the Orioles. It came on the heels of a 4-for-4 performance in Daisuke Matsuzaka's 8-0 conquest of the White Sox Friday night and another 4-for-4 night (as the cleanup hitter, no less) Saturday as Michael Bowden won his major-league debut, 8-2 over Chicago. It's gotten to the point that when he fails -- as he did Sunday, making the final out and leaving the tying runs on base in a 4-2 loss to the White Sox -- you're stunned. (All stories projo.com)

In the here-and-now it may be enough, writes Sean McAdam, to earn Pedroia American League Player of the Month honors for August; he already got David Pinto's nod as the Baseball Musings' AL Hitter of the Week. But Pedroia's building a legacy that goes beyond transitory awards. His stature in the game is growing; Jim Donaldson writes of Ozzie Guillen's respect and admiration for him (and Chad Finn points out a Guillen quote for the ages regarding Pedroia). It's been quite a run, one that led to Dan Lamothe of Red Sox Monster asking: "What can't he do, exactly?"

One thing, perhaps: Smile when an Olympic gymnast -- in this case, Brown's Alicia Sacramone -- comes into the dugout to say hi.

BEST AGAINST THE BEST: On his Hacks With Haggs blog, Joe Haggerty points out that Matsuzaka has done some of his finest work this season against the five potential American League playoff teams. One of the collateral benefits, chortles a gleeful Finn, is that he may finish with a better winning percentage than Ron Guidry had in 1978.

ON TRACK: On Friday, Steven Krasner reported the news that Josh Beckett's elbow checked out okay. And McAdam tells us today that Beckett is still on target to make his scheduled Friday start.

OTHER MEDICAL NEWS: McAdam reports that Mike Lowell may also return Friday. Kevin Youkilis, after missing a couple of games with flu-like symptoms, got back last night.

BUILDING IT BACK UP: The Globe's Adam Kilgore discovers that Clay Buchholz is regaining his confidence in Portland.

DODGING THE BULLET: Both Jonathan Papelbon and Kevin Millar have houses that were in the path of Hurricane Gustav, but the Boston Herald reports they seem to have survived without much damage.

MOVIN' ON UP: The Sox have crawled into fifth place in FoxSports.com's Power Rankings.

ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION: Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times came to Boston to talk to Manny Ramirez' former teammates about playing without him and found that the Red Sox "got rid of one of the best hitters in baseball history and got better, pending an October test." The numbers tell the story: The Sox are 19-9 since trading Ramirez, and the Dodgers are 14-16 since trading for him.

GUESS AGAIN: Dugout Central's Don Ehrke predicts the next two uniform numbers to be retired by the Red Sox will be 26 for Wade Boggs and 24 for Dwight Evans, but neither of them currently fits the Red Sox' criteria for retiring numbers. And besides, if Jim Rice makes the Hall of Fame this winter -- as he might -- his No. 14 will be immediately retired.

SEPTEMBER TO REMEMBER: Two members of the Red Sox -- Jason Varitek and Jacoby Ellsbury -- are on SI.com's John Donovan's list of 10 players who need to turn their seasons around as their teams head down the stretch. They're joined by three ex-Sox -- Pedro Martinez, Orlando Cabrera and Bobby Howry -- and R.I. native Paul Konerko.

IT ALREADY IS: Joey Johnston of the Tampa Tribune writes that, for the first time in franchise history, September games mean something for the Rays. Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times thinks it'll be a challenge for the inexperienced -- in the ways of a pennant race -- Tampa Bay players, but the Tribune's Martin Fennelly says they're still loose even though the atmosphere is tight. Joe Maddon, for his part, is pleased with the way the team has handled the pressure so far. (Tampa Tribune)

NEW MEETS THE OLD: Tonight the Rays begin a three-game series at The Trop against the Yankees, and the Tribune's Joe Henderson chronicles how the Yanks' fall has been as quick as Tampa Bay's rise.

ONE TO BUILD ON? The Yankees head to central Florida having broken their two-game losing streak as they held off the Tigers, 13-9, in a makeup game yesterday in Detroit. (New York Daily News)

GET REAL: But it doesn't really matter, says the Daily News' Mike Lupica; he doesn't think the Yanks are good enough or tough enough.

GET OFF MY BACK: The erratic -- and lackadaisical -- Robinson Cano (being congratulated by Alex Rodriguez after throwing out Gary Sheffield yesterday) has caught plenty of heat as the Yankee season has swirled down the drain. Yesterday he fired back, a bit, at his critics. (New York Daily News)

'PENNED IN: Joba Chamberlain has been activated by the Yanks and will spend the rest of the year back in the bullpen. (New York Post) The team says he'll return to the starting rotation in 2009.

THE BEST-LAID PLANS . . . Joel Sherman of the Post writes that the Yankees' offseason rebuilding plans hinge on signing CC Sabathia. But Sabathia's second cousin, the PawSox' Joe Thurston, tells Joe McDonald that the big left-hander wants to stay close to his West Coast home and has become comfortable in the National League.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW . . . Speaking of Sabathia, the Brewers are sending a DVD of the one hit he allowed Sunday against the Pirates to MLB headquarters, hoping to get a scoring change from hit to error and giving Sabathia a belated no-hitter. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

MY MAN: One more reason Joe Posnanski thinks Twins manager Ron Gardenhire is a genius: His team has scored more runs than the Yankees this year. (joeposnanski.com)

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES. NOW SCRAM: Doesn't sound as if the Detroit Free Press' Michael Rosenberg misses Ivan Rodriguez very much.

DITTO: Jeff Kent will undergo what could be season-ending, and career-ending, knee surgery today. (Los Angeles Times) The Times' T.J. Simers, nothing Kent's prickly personality and penchant for doing and saying the unpopular, thinks that if this actually is it, no one on the Dodgers will be throwing any farewell parties for him as he leaves.

'AN ABSOLUTE MESS WITH NO APPARENT STRENGTH': That's how the Kansas City Star's Bob Dutton describes the reeling Royals, and general manager Dayton Moore agrees. He's vowing major changes before spring training begins next year.

NOT SO 'BIZARRO': Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi is baffled by his underachieving veteran free agents, but the Canadian Press' Cathal Kelly thinks the "post-steroid era in baseball has skewed the stats of older stars."

PROBLEMS OF HIS OWN: Now it's Koby Clemens in trouble with the law; he and two of his Salem Avalanche teammates were arrested early Sunday morning after an altercation in a restaurant parking lot. (New York Daily News)

A.L. RACES: It's all even in the Central, as the idle Twins pulled into a tie with the White Sox by virtue of Chicago's 5-0 loss to Cliff Lee and the Indians. (Chicago Tribune) They both trail the Red Sox by three in the wild-card chase.

TWENTY AND COUNTING: The victory was Lee's 20th of the season, making him the first 20-game winner in the majors this year. (Akron Beacon Journal)

N.L. RACES: The Mets now lead by two in the East after they beat the Brewers, 4-2 (New York Daily News), while the Phillies were losing to the Nationals, 7-4 (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . It's three losses in a row for the Cubs, as they were blanked by Roy Oswalt and the Astros, 3-0. (Chicago Tribune) Milwaukee's defeat, however, keeps them 4 1/2 ahead in the Central . . . The status-quo was maintained in the West -- Arizona by 2 1/2 -- as the Diamondbacks beat the Cardinals (Arizona Republic) and the Dodgers beat the Padres (Los Angeles Times) behind Greg Maddux' 354th career win (above) . . . The Brewer and Cardinal losses kept Milwaukee's wild-card lead at 5 1/2.

A PAIR OF CYCLES: Both Stephen Drew of the Diamondbacks (East Valley Tribune) and Adrian Beltre of the Mariners (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) hit for the cycle yesterday.

NOW BATTING, AND ON DECK . . . FoxSports.com's Dayn Perry calls the Dodgers this year's "most thunderous flop." But Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan says that title will pass to the Cubs if they suffer another first-round playoff ouster.

HERE AND THERE: Ben Sheets had to leave yesterday's start against the Mets after five innings because of tightness in his left groin (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . Chris Carpenter is back, but the Cardinals plan to use him as a reliever the rest of the season (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) . . . Carlos Beltran hurt his knee yesterday in a collision with an umpire but says he'll be okay (New York Post) . . . The Padres have released both Tadahito Iguchi and Brett Tomko. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

OLD FRIENDS: David Eckstein, playing second base, went 2-for-4 in his Arizona debut (Arizona Republic) . . . Eric Gagne blew another save yesterday (mlb.com) . . . Lenny DiNardo took one for the team Saturday, allowing 15 runs in three-plus innings but saving the bullpen as Sacramento readied its pitching staff for the upcoming PCL playoffs. (Sacramento Bee)

AND FINALLY . . . It's playoff time in the International League, and McDonald reports the PawSox are hoping to make it a banner year.

-- ART MARTONE