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After a tough 10-8 loss on Friday night followed closely by a 6-1 whooping Saturday afternoon at the hands of the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox fans were not overly optimistic of the team’s chances heading into Game 2 of the day/night doubleheader.

On Friday, the Yankees put five runs up in the first inning against the Sox, to which Boston answered with five runs of their own.

Saturday afternoon the Yankees struck first again, putting four runs on the board in the first inning.

Saturday evening, the Yankees followed the pattern, adding three runs in the top of the first. Red Sox Nation was boiling over with frustration. A loss is hard enough to take, but losing to the Yankees is extremely painful—like having to watch an eight-hour marathon of The Nanny painful.

After a bad first inning, Sox pitcher Felix Doubront settled down and held the Bronx Bombers to just four runs in 6.1 innings pitched, allowing just three earned.

The offense, on the other hand, found its spark in the most peculiar of places.

Pedro Ciriaco, a career minor-league player, was added to the roster with the injuries to both Will Middlebrooks and Dustin Pedroia putting a large dent in the armor of the infield.

Most fans couldn’t have picked out Ciriaco in a crowd before the start of the game.

By the seventh inning the Fenway Faithful were chanting “Pedro, Pedro, Pedro” in waves reminiscent of Pedro Martinez cheers.

Ciriaco sparked the offense by going 4-for-5, adding a double that drove in three runs, scoring twice and stealing third base in the seventh inning.

Defensively, Ciriaco made a couple of eye-popping plays at short that roused Red Sox fans out of their seats.

He put on a show, simply put.

Going into today’s action, Ciriaco had only played in 31 career major-league games for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2010 and 2011. He racked up 815 minor league games.

In the minors he is a career .272 batter with speed and a solid glove. If the Red Sox decide to ride the hot hand in the absence of Middlebrooks and Pedroia, they certainly could do a lot worse than the hero of the day, Ciriaco.

In his last at-bat, coming in the bottom of the eight, Ciriaco came to the plate to a resounding standing ovation from Red Sox fans. Proper thanks given from a fanbase in need of a spark to man who just yesterday was an unassuming recipient.

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Sometimes a little change is all you need as a catalyst for success.

In a season that has proven to be full of surprising surges for some players and teams alike, and disappointing starts for others, there is hope on the horizon. The non-waiver trade deadline is approaching faster than Sandra Bullock driving a bomb-laced bus in Santa Monica.

Several teams that were assumed to be major players coming into the 2012 season have fallen surprisingly flat on their faces. While some may try to stitch together some semblance of a season after the All-Star break, some heavy decisions must be made in short order.

Here is a list of six hitters who could benefit from a change of scenery and provide monstrous impact in a new city.

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The trade deadline may be over a month away, but time will move very quickly over the next few weeks. Major League Baseball will start to see which teams are contenders and which are pretenders.

While the Dodgers are a team that has been struck with the injury bug, they still own the second best record in all of baseball, best overall in the National League.

They’ve been lucky. Maybe you want to call it… Magic?

Either way, if the team is looking to play deep into October this year, there are moves that can be made to help cement their legitimacy. Unfortunately, those moves will cost pieces. 

Here is a look at some of the prime trade assets the Dodgers own that other teams would want.

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I know the Boston Red Sox lost their series opener against the Atlanta Braves, but I can’t lie to you. When I saw that the lineup featured Daniel Nava, Ryan Kalish and Will Middlebrooks, I was very intrigued.

It was nice to see Adrian Gonzalez back at first base with Cody Ross in right field.

Of course, the only tragedy of the night was that Atlanta’s Jair Jurrjens threw a three-hit gem of a game to stifle the Red Sox bats.

That said, two of the Red Sox’s three hits came off the bats of Nava and Middlebrooks in the eighth inning. Both ripped off solid doubles, first Middlebrooks, then Nava to drive him in.

That was pretty much all the offense from Boston for the night.

However, watching the youth play, I am inspired to think of what this team could look like in the coming years. The reality is, Carl Crawford will be the left fielder for the foreseeable future, assuming he can come back at contribute at all.

Jacoby Ellsbury will be leaving Boston.

Let that sink in for all of the pink hats.

Ellsbury is a Scott Boras client, and he’s had his share of adversity in Boston. When he hits the open market, someone is going to pay big money for his services, and it won’t be Boston. Why should they? They have Kalish, who can play center just fine.

As much as Ross is liked by Boston fans, odds are he is a one-and-done type of player in town. He’ll get another contract at the end of the season, providing he isn’t traded before then. Having a young trio of outfielders anchored by Kalish, Nava and Ryan Sweeny is not a bad thing.

Then there is Will Middlebrooks, who has been long deserving of the starting gig at third base. Now, he finally has it.

This Red Sox team is a team in transition. That transition is an extremely bright one. Combined, Middlebrooks, Sweeney, Nava and Kalish are batting .303 for the Red Sox.

Though they’re young, the team has a lot of talent. As the trade deadline approaches, it would be awful to see any of these young players get moved unless it was an absolute blockbuster of a deal.

General manager Ben Cherington missed his opportunity to start the rebuilding process during the winter time. He should have dealt Ellsbury and possibly even polarizing ace Josh Beckett when they had high trade values.

Instead, the team is held back in what moves they can make. 

That said, one thing is for sure: while they’re still around, I’ll enjoy watching the kids take the field, and the kids are alright.

Follow @THEChrisBenvie

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In an article written by the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, the trade market is starting to formulate with a couple of big names.

While the early litmus test says the likes of Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, Zack Greinke, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels all could be changing teams mid-season, one that should intrigue the Los Angeles Dodgers is none other than Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez.

This is purely speculation on my part, but the addition of a player like CarGo would be an impressive statement on behalf of the new ownership group.

Gonzalez is on a cash-poor team in Colorado on the threshold of hitting the expensive years of his contract.

Next season his contract bumps up to $7.5 million before jumping in to double-digit millions in 2014.

Big money for a team like Colorado.

Small potatoes for the Dodgers. Not a need at all but small potatoes.

As Sherman says,

You would have to worry if he is a Coors monster, since his home OPS this year is 1.174 compared to .847 on the road and 1.075 to .787 since joining the Rockies in 2009. Also, there are questions about his motor — if he plays hard all the time.

The fact of the matter is, Gonzalez is a young stud that would likely be an All-Star caliber player regardless of where he plays.

For the fans, the outfield would be comprised of fantasy baseball caliber All-Stars.

Realistically speaking, this is a move that the Dodgers will not pursue. The money would certainly be wiser spent on a Cole Hamels in the summer time to deepen the pitching staff.

As constituted, the team payroll for 2012 is only at $97.3 million. If the Dodgers wanted to dream big… they certainly have the wiggle room.

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June 29, 2011—Adrian Gonzalez takes the field for the Boston Red Sox against the Philadelphia Phillies in interleague play.

The only problem is the Gold Glove first baseman is not positioned in his comfort zone. He would play right field that night for the first time in a Red Sox uniform and for only the second time in his career.

The only other time came in 2005 as a member of the Texas Rangers.

Going into that June night’s action, Gonzalez was batting .357 with a .412 OBP, .605 SLG and a 1.017 OPS.

He had racked up 16 home runs and 71 RBI through 319 at-bats and 114 hits. Roughly, that translates into a hit in every third at-bat with a home run every seventh hit.

Since taking the field June 29, 2011, Gonzalez has hit exactly 16 home runs with 81 RBI. That comes with 569 at-bats and 166 hits.

Those statistics roughly translate into a hit in every 3.5 at-bats, and a home run every 10 or so hits.

For those that have theorized that perhaps the decline of his production came at the hands of participating in the 2011 Home Run Derby, these numbers disprove that case. Gonzalez has been on the decline since doing what was “best” for the Red Sox and playing in a position he was unaccustomed to.

Since then, Gonzo has been placed in right field a total of 19 times.

Surely he did not sign up for this when deciding to play in Boston. While Sox fans can commend him for his willingness to play the outfield, it is having an obvious impact on his bat.

The bottom line is the Red Sox need to get Gonzalez back playing first base every day and back in to his comfort zone. 

Normalcy is the key to rekindling the fire in the star first baseman’s bat.

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I’m not ready to blow up the 2012 Boston Red Sox.

That being said, within the next three to four weeks, general manager Ben Cherington and Co. will need to make some very tough decisions. Namely, shall they become buyers or sellers?

Until some of the injured troops can return to the lineup, it is not an easy situation to gauge. 

All things considered, even if the likes of Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford, Cody Ross, Andrew Bailey, etc. come back healthy and strong within the next few weeks, the time to assess what the Red Sox really are will be fleeting.

Can you really rely on two weeks (at best) watching returning players to judge if this team can make a significant push towards the playoffs?

I find it unlikely, at best.

That leaves Cherington to play the role of fortune teller. Can this team be brought back to life?

Obviously, that’s hard to say. What can be said, though, is the lack of chemistry and identity this Red Sox team is facing.

I hate to say it, but this roster reminds me of the New York Mets of the early 2000s—a bunch of big names on the roster with big contracts and not enough chemistry to win.

So, should the Red Sox come to the conclusion that the season is a loss, the team needs to rebuild and they don’t care about continuing the facade otherwise known as a sellout streak, the best chip they hold is Jon Lester.

The 6’4″ lefty is under team control through 2014 at relatively short money ($11.65 million for 2013, with a $13 million team option in ’14.)

He is 4-4 on the season with a deceptive 4.00+ ERA. Lester has been pitching well lately, going 3-1 in his last seven starts.

Historically, he is a 3.61 ERA pitcher who will give you eight or so strikeouts per start and win 16 games. There are plenty of contenders who would love that type of contributor. If the Red Sox are leaning towards selling off some of their chips, Lester provides them with the best opportunity at packaging up some waste that other teams may not want to touch otherwise.

At the very least, he would bring back the highest return, likely in the form of high level team prospects that are major-league ready.

As much as fans may be tied to some of the players on this roster, if the Red Sox decide to sell, be prepared to see big shake ups, not just minor blips on the team radar.

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I want to like Dee Gordan, I really do. But the 24-year-old Gordon just isn’t getting the job done for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In just his second season as a major league ballplayer, Gordon is obviously struggling at the plate as well as on defense. Gordan has put up a meager .234 average in his 57 games thus far in 2012. He has also committed 10 errors on the defensive end.

That doesn’t seem to fit in what the Dodgers are trying to do.

Having signed Matt Kemp to a lucrative contract, as well as Andre Ethier, the Dodgers are a team that is in the middle of serous transition. We’re not talking some minor-league level transition period. No, we are talking about Magic Johnson and Company spending some serious coin on the blue to turn the team into a contender for more than just the 2012 season.

Realists understand that Gordan is not a part of that future.

Under the old Frank McCourt regime, perhaps Gordon would be afforded a longer leash than what is expected right now. However, while somewhat dazzling defensively, at the plate, Gordon just falls short.

The Dopdgers could typcially afford to take the time to transition and develop Gordon, but it almost appears as though the team views him as a lost cause to some lesser degree.

Having just extended Andre Ethier, the front office needs to start addressing the rest of the organizational needs. That, in and of itself, should be evidence of the Dodgers need to unload Gordan.

Offense will boost the team far in to the playoffs; their constituted pitching will win them a World Series.

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Sure, the non-waiver trade deadline is just about two months away. That doesn’t mean the Boston Red Sox are not kicking the tires on some starting pitchers.

Their competition is, that’s for sure.

The American League East division is a rat race right now. Only three games separate the first place Tampa Bay Rays and fifth place Boston Red Sox. Every team has their own respective strengths. (Interestingly enough, all are different.) 

That said, the one thing that gets a team into October is pitching. Pitching, pitching, pitching, pitching and more pitching.

I can’t stress that enough.

With that in mind, the Red Sox are obviously floundering in that department at the moment. True, generally speaking the starters have settled down and are stringing together some solid starts; however, adding quality arms should be a priority.

Here’s a look at five realistic pitching options you can be sure the Red Sox are keeping alive.

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It certainly gets hot in the desert. Right now, things are starting to boil over.

Arizona Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick was featured on Prostopreps.com via telephone interview with Brad Cesmat on Monday. In the interview, he questioned Stephen Drew’s commitment to returning to the field this season and referred to All-Star outfielder Justin Upton as an “enigma.”

Currently, the Diamondbacks are third in the NL West, but they own a losing record of 25-30. It has clearly been a disappointing start for a team that found itself in a groove at the end of the 2011 season and clicking on all cylinders when the calendar turned to October.

Now, however, frustration is mounting in the front office—so much so that Kendrick went on to call out two of the Diamondbacks’ key players. In the case of Stephen Drew, Kendrick had this to say:

“I’m going to be real candid and say Stephen and his representatives are more focused on where he is going to be a year from now than going ahead and supporting the team that is paying his salary. All you can do is hope that the player is treating the situation with integrity. We have our concerns.”

While it never seems appropriate to question a players integrity, especially mid-season, the D’backs have a history of calling for players to return from injuries before they’re ready. 

Brandon Webb anyone?

While Drew has not played in any games this season for the snakes, his replacement, Willie Bloomquist, has played admirably well in his absence. Bloomquist is currently batting .283 with 10 RBIs and 21 runs scored.

Drew is a career .270 hitter who offers more RBIs, but isn’t missed as much as he could be right now.

Justin Upton’s situation, on the other hand, has been more alarming.

“I think Justin is an enigma at this point,” Kendrick said, “I know he had an injury. It was something of a nagging injury, but he’s played…He’s certainly not the Justin Upton he has been in the past, and we would expect of him. He’s 24 years old. It’s time for him to be a consistent performer, and he’s not been that.”

Upton has the tools to be the next Barry Bonds. Not the steroid fueled Bonds, the Pittsburgh Pirate Bonds. The problem is, he’s just…well, not.

Kendrick hit the nail on the head; right now, Upton is an enigma. His .243 batting average isn’t exactly leaving opposing pitchers shaking in their boots.

The D’Backs need their stars. They need them healthy and committed. Right now, that is something the team can’t say with confidence that they have.

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