A POWERFUL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

June 28, 2007 ... No game scheduled ... Playing catch-up before the locals renew acquaintances with the Red Sox, return home for the first of seven games against the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Devil Rays, with a quick trip to Detroit next weekend taking them to the All-Star break:

Despite being swept three games in Seattle, which leaves them with a losing record for June (12-13), the Sox return a game further ahead in the standings than they were when their 7,611-mile, three-city, nine-game trip began. But the second-place team in the American League East has changed.

They now lead the Toronto Blue Jays by 9 1/2 games. The Yankees, who were 8 1/2 games back when the trip began, lost seven of eight in a disastrous trek through Colorado, San Francisco, and Baltimore. The Sox, who have spent the last 67 days in first place, reached the high-water mark of their season, 22 games over .500, when Daisuke Matsuzaka outdueled Greg Maddux last Friday night in San Diego. They've lost four of five since.

While they were away, Coco Crisp resembled the viable offensive weapon the Sox thought they were getting when they acquired him from Cleveland. The numbers are impressive - Crisp on the trip raised his average from .233 to .262 by batting .444 (16 for 36). He had a four-hit, two-homer game in Atlanta and since then has continued to drive the ball with authority.

Curt Schilling went down with shoulder tendonitis on the first day of the trip and won't be back until after the All-Star break. But Matsuzaka's start in Seattle Wednesday (8 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts) suggested that the Japanese right-hander may finally be finding his comfort level. Matsuzaka dominated the Mariners, showing his full array of pitches. Best of all, he broke out the best fastball he's had all season.

His record in five June starts is just 2-2, but that's only because the Sox have scored five runs for him in that span. He has a 1.59 ERA over that stretch, has struck out 42 batters in 34 innings, and has held opponents to a .179 batting average. Of the 22 hits he has allowed, only six have been for extra bases, one home run and five doubles.

Is Matsuzaka an All-Star? With 11-game winner Josh Beckett and closer Jonathan Papelbon seemingly locks to make the team, it's hard to see All-Star manager Jim Leyland adding Matsuzaka to the squad, as much as the marketing possibilities appeal to Major League Baseball officials with input on the decision. If another Sox pitcher is added to the team, Leyland is more likely to take Hideki Okajima as a left-handed specialist out of the bullpen, but even Okajima's gaudy numbers make him a long shot, because of the stipulation that every team be represented. Matsuzaka is also scheduled to start the Sunday before the All-Star Game, which all but makes him ineligible to be picked.

While rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia maintained his high average (.322) on the road and impressed Sox watchers with his continued progress in the field, especially his ability to turn the double play, Julio Lugo's epic slump shows no signs of abating. It's 0 for 31 and counting, he's batting a major league-low .190

The Sox are far from making a permanent place on the bench for Lugo, who is signed for another three seasons, but just as when Pedroia was struggling, Alex Cora will play more until (if?) Lugo gets on track.

It was a quiet trip for David Ortiz (.219, 5 RBIs, 2 home runs his only extra-base hits) and Ramirez (0 for 10 in Seattle, though his 0 for 5 Wednesday couldn't have been more misleading, his line drives all finding gloves). Third baseman Mike Lowell continued to show the effects of his thumb injury, going just .185, 0, 4 on the trip.

Four games against the Rangers and three against the Devil Rays, whom the Sox will be facing almost every other week the rest of the way after not playing them in the first three months, should energize the slowest bat.