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Boston Red Sox vs Oakland Athletics Series Recap

The Red Sox will be back home in Boston after their 11 day road trip. Facing the Oakland Athletics are Rick Porcello, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Chris Sale. The Sox have won the last seven out of 13 games, while Oakland won five out the last 12 games. The Red Sox will face pitcher Sean Manaea for the first time since his no hitter game in April. The Sox hope that being on Fenway soil will help them defeat the Athletics. This series will also be the last time that the Red Sox will face the Athletics during the regular season.

Porcello vs. Manaea

Sean Manaea pitched a no hitter to the Red Sox last month. J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers each hit a solo home run for the Red Sox. Porcello let up five runs and nine hits over six innings, and struck out five. Trailing in the fourth inning, the Athletics grasped the lead with three runs. Lucroy had a two-run double into the left-field corner before Fowler tripled off the Monster. The Red Sox caught up 4-3 in the fifth, when Hanley Ramirez scored a run with a ground ball. J.D. Martinez hit straight out to the Sox bullpen in the eighth to score. Benintendi and Ramirez got back to back RBI singles. Unfortunately, it was not enough, and Oakland won Monday night’s game 6-5.

“We talked about not expanding down in the zone,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “Overall, we did a good job of it. His stuff is still good.”

“2B Dustin Pedroia (recovering from offseason left knee surgery) started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket. He singled and scored a run in three at-bats while playing five innings at second base.”

Rodriguez vs. Mengden

Due to the weather, the 7:10 start time moved to 8:50 on Tuesday night. As a result, Oakland beat the Sox in nine innings. Rodriguez took his first loss of the season after Oakland had six hits through the first three innings, starting with back-to-back singles by Semien and Pinder to start the game. Piscotty hit a monster home run out of Fenway Park in his first at-bat against Rodriguez. Piscotty’s home run was the first he had hit since his mother’s death on May 6th. Andrew Benintendi hit a homer and Mitch Moreland hit two doubles.

“It was pure joy. It’s been an emotional week,” said Piscotty, whose mother, Gretchen, died May 6 after a one-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. She was 55.”

“We haven’t been able to put them away,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “They’re young and it seems like they’re turning a corner. Whatever they’re doing over there is pretty good.”

Sale vs. Cahill – A Sale Day Win to Avoid an Athletics Series Sweep

In Rafael Devers’s 100th major league game, the Sox came out with a win. Xander Bogaerts hit a three run homer, and J.D. Martinez hit a two run homer. Chris Sale gave up two runs and two hits in five innings. Sale also struck out nine and walked four. Trevor Cahill gave up three runs out of the first four batters he faced. After Sale’s career high 15 strikouts in his last outing, he struggled, but hung on long enough to keep the Sox up over the Athletics. Craig Kimbrel grasped his 12th save of the season and avoided the Sox meeting their season high losing streak. The Sox beat the Athletics 6-4 after Xander and J.D. had quite the night.

“It’s pretty impressive what he does when you’re behind looking at him,” Bogaerts said. “Normally I’m a guy who gets to the on-deck circle a little bit later. I’ve got to get there early if he swings at the first pitch and gets a hit. He hits some bombs on the first pitch.”

“Four walks, that’s not my game,” Sale said. “That’s not who I am. Obviously, you want to be better than that. Anytime your bullpen throws almost as many innings as you do, that’s not what you’re looking for.”

Up Next

The Red Sox will be at home again to face the Orioles for a four game series starting Thursday. David Price will be up first for his Fenway return. Dustin Pedroia will play another game in Pawtucket by the end of the week as Tuesday night’s game was postponed due to the weather. Jackie Bradley Jr. is still spending an immense amount of time on the bench as he has constantly had bad games. Cora is hoping that Bradley Jr. will come out of his slump soon, as he has been working on improving both his defense and his offense.

Sources

Statcast

MLB

Red Sox Twitter

NESN

ESPN

Looking Ahead for the Boston Bruins

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TOUGH ENDING FOR THIS SPECIAL TEAM

It’s been a few days since the second round exit of the Bostons Bruins, and things are settling down. As with any team that has been eliminated, everyone has their take on what happened: what went wrong, and was it all on Rask?, Marchand’s “lick gate” antics, what can be improved, lack of defense, etc. When it comes right down to it, Tampa was faster and better at clearing the zone. The Bruins couldn’t adjust and found themselves playing from behind. The officiating was extremely frustrating (to put it nicely), but there’s no question; we need better defense. Despite the loss, this team did a lot. If you think about it, they weren’t even projected to make it in, never mind being mixed in the playoff conversation. Things looked tough in the beginning of the season, but the season turned around and Boston fans got to see some really great hockey.

YOUTH MOVEMENT

In the beginning of the 2017-2018 season, the Black and Gold knew they would be in the rebuilding phase, which is why the Bruins weren’t expected come out as they did. Boston had many first year guys, mixed with a few veterans, with no playoff experience. Let’s not forget, Bruce Cassidy was in his first full season as head coach of the Bruin. He had his work cut for him. In the preseason, the Bruins looked pretty good, but things had to improve. As the regular season rolled around, the Black and Gold had a tough start. Injures started and some of the new guys started to pick up some slack. The cohesiveness wasn’t there yet. and after a trip out west, the Bruins started winning games. They gelled. They became that special team.

MANY FIRSTS

Fans were able to witness many first NHL goals for many of the young guys- seven to be exact. The youth movement was in full swing. But injuries were plaguing this team. As we saw, the Bruins showed not only the rest of the NHL, but themselves that nothing would stop them. As one guy went down, another stepped up and every line contributed. The Bruins steamrolled through their opponents and became that team no one wanted to face. Our first line alone was one of the best in the NHL. But even in this series, they were having a hard time producing any offense, despite combining 23 points over five games.

The mentality and strong resiliency did not go unnoticed by their opponents. As Jon Cooper, head coach of Tampa stated,

“All right, I’ll tell you — I guess I can say it now. Boston set the bar for us. And we played them three times late in the year, and the first two times we played them, they literally manhandled us. The scores were tight, the first one was 3-2 and then they beat us here, and it was men amongst boys. And we knew if we were going to go anywhere when we made the playoffs — or if we made the playoffs — that we had to be as good as Boston. And it happened. We beat them 4-0 (in the final regular-season meeting), and that gave us a bit of confidence. Well, it gave us a lot of confidence. But they set a bar for us to better our team. And ultimately, we carried that through into this playoffs round.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

Admittedly, it’ll be sad not to write about the Bruins doing the improbable: a team in their rebuild phase winning the cup. It’s about exciting as having a team like Vegas making into the playoffs in their inaugural year. Winning the Stanley Cup is one of the hardest trophies to win, and hockey isn’t for the weak. It’s a tough sport with tough athletes. They give their bodies for this sport, playing through a car wreck of injures. This year’s Bruins team won as a team and they lost as a team. For fans, understand this year’s Bruins were a treat. There were lots of ups/downs and Don Sweeney will no doubt look make some moves. They made it in with a bunch of young, fresh-faced players who will now have the experience needed for the new season.

CLOSING QUOTE

Captain Zdeno Chara had some great insight:

“If we’re gonna look back throughout the whole season, I think there is a lot that we can be proud of. There’s a lot that we can take from this and use as a positive. A lot of people didn’t expect us to be a playoff team. A lot of people didn’t expect us to be a 50-win team. And we were fighting for the first position in our conference.

“We went through some challenges and obstacles this season and we handled it very well. There’s a lot to be proud of and a lot to be looking forward to next season.”

For this writer, October can’t come soon enough.

To the Boston Bruins, thank you for one hell of a season.

Follow Liz Rizzo on Twitter: @pastagrl88

Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays Recap

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In the final leg of the road trip, the Red Sox head north to face the Blue Jays for a three game series before heading back to Fenway. Cora made the announcement that Dustin Pedroia and Tyler Thornburg will be playing on Monday and Tuesday for rehab assignment in Pawtucket. David Price is also back with the team after missing a game to get x-rays on his hand in Boston. Chris Sale, Davis Price, and Drew Pomeranz will be the starting pitchers in this series.

Sale vs Sanchez – Toronto Takes the Win

Chris Sale pitches his best game of the season. Fifteen strikeouts in nine innings. Xander Bogaerts hit a homer towards center field to bring the score 2-1 Sox leading in the second. The Sox ultimately fell to the Blue Jays 5-3 in 12 innings. Sandy Leon struck out swinging, but the ball bounced back, allowing Brock Holt to score coming from first base. Chris Sale struck out 15 of the Blue Jays and let up zero walks. He joins Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens as only the third pitcher in Sox history to do so. Jackie Bradley Jr. sat out for his third straight game to hopefully get him out of his slump. He is expected to be in the lineup the next day.

“That was impressive,” Alex Cora said. “That slider was the best of the season. He was outstanding. ”

“You’ve got to tip your cap, he had himself a heck of a night. “

Price vs Estrada – A Comeback win after Injury

David Price made his first appearance since the x-rays we’re taken on his hand to discover that he had Carpal Tunnel. The Sox took the lead 5-2 for the game win. In 93 pitches, Price let up: five hits and three walks. He struck out six Blue Jays. Hanley Ramirez hit a two run homer, after Andrew Benintendi hit a double to bring in Rafael Devers and Mookie Betts. Ramirez had himself quite a game, racking up three home runs and seven RBIs in the last four games. The Sox scored at least five runs for the 24th time this season, which is the most in the MLB. Both Hector Velazquez and Joe Kelly pitched scoreless innings before Kimbrel entered the game. Craig Kimbrel came out to get his 11th save of the season.

“I saw something different in the way he pitched today. Everything. There was a difference in speeds. Mixing up the breaking ball is very important. He induced some weak contact. They hit a few balls hard too. But I think he pitched great ” – Cora on Price’s performance

“It was good to get back out there,” Price said. “The more I threw, the better I felt. To me, that’s always a good sign.”

Pomeranz vs Biagini – Sox Return Home with a win in Toronto

All players in the MLB wore pink in honor of Mother’s Day on Sunday. Hanley Ramirez, although he wasn’t in the lineup, had on catchers gear and was ready to play. A loose Hanley leads to a fun and much looser Red Sox lineup. Drew Pomeranz let up three runs and four hits, while only making it under six innings. Toronto was up 5-3 in the fifth as Hector Velazquez came in to replace Drew Pomeranz. J. D. Martinez homered and had three RBI’s, while Mookie Betts made the unbelievable “deal catch” to prove that he really is a Gold Glove player. Joe Kelly racked up his second save of the season Sunday afternoon.

“He’s becoming a force, not only the field but in the clubhouse, in the dugout,” manager Alex Cora said. “He’s becoming a leader. It’s fun to watch. On a daily basis you’re expecting something great and he’ll do it.”

“To come out of a road trip like that is definitely something to be proud of,” said reliever Joe Kelly.

Up Next

The Red Sox will be back home at Fenway to face the Oakland Athletics Monday through Wednesday. Then the Orioles will come to town for a four game series. Dustin Pedroia will start his rehab assignment on Monday in Pawtucket with Tyler Thornburg. Pedroia hopes to return during the end of May.

Sources

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MLB

ESPN

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What If the Celtics Landed Kevin Durant?

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Disclaimer: This is 100% speculation. It’s impossible to tell what would actually happen, but I decided to take a really unrealistic jab at it.

After the conclusion of the 2015-2016 NBA season, six-time All-Star and former MVP Kevin Durant became one of the most coveted players to appear in free agency in a long time. A player with such natural superstar talent hadn’t been available like this since Dwight Howard became a free agent in 2013. Teams swarmed Durant and his agent at the beginning of the summer in pursuit to acquire one of the best players in the NBA. The early front-runners were the super team Golden State Warriors, the superstar-starved Boston Celtics, and Durant’s former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

On July 4th, 2016, Kevin Durant announced in The Players’ Tribune that he intended to sign with the Warriors. His decision came down between Boston and Golden State, and he chose to join the team that already possessed championship talent. But what if Durant chose the latter and went to Boston?

Durant Becomes a Celtic

In an alternate universe, Durant chose to don Celtic green rather than staying in the Western Conference. Boston gives Durant his promised max contract deal worth around $26 million, but he only accepts a one year deal with a player option, similar to the one he took with GSW. He joins newly signed Al Horford, who accepted a four-year deal worth $113 million two days earlier, as the highest cap hits on the team. Boston does not exercise Amir Johnson’s contract option to reallocate $12 million in cap for Durant.

2016-2017 Season

The Celtics still had the third pick in the 2016 NBA Draft earlier in the summer and still selected Jaylen Brown, Guerschon Yabusele, Ante Zizic, Demetruis Jackson, and Ben Bentil. All of those draft picks except Brown still play elsewhere for the 2016-2017 season. When it’s all said and done, Boston’s starting five is as follows: Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Kevin Durant, and Al Horford.

Boston easily locks up the first seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with an offense led by IT and Durant. Isaiah Thomas has his Renaissance season, but not to the same degree. Instead of averaging 28.9 points a night, he only drops closer to 20. It’s Durant’s world and the rest of the Celtics are just living in it. Him and Horford become the leaders that Brad Stevens and the Celtics craved for since Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were traded. Durant becomes the offensive workhorse of the Celtics, dropping close to 30 a game like his younger days in OKC.

The Celtics slide by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. Durant exploits his match-up with Otto Porter in the second round against the Wizards instead of Porter lighting up Boston’s defense. Without his production early into the series, the Wizards fall to the Celtics in six games instead of seven.

The Celtics do not get eliminated in five games against the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Because Isaiah Thomas does not exert himself as much in this alternate universe, he does not suffer a season-ending hip injury. Avery Bradley does not become the workhorse of the C’s offense, and 20 year old Jaylen Brown isn’t assigned to guard LeBron. Durant against LeBron becomes one of the best match-ups in the playoffs. The red-hot Cavs are taken to seven games and crack under pressure. The Celtics advance to take on the Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals.

The Warriors did not land Durant in the off-season, so they kept a similar lineup compared to their 2015-2016 run. They don’t sweep the first three rounds, but they still found themselves easily making the Finals. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are no match for Boston. The Celtics ultimately fall in six to the Warriors. Durant wins regular season MVP but does not earn a ring.

Summer of 2017

Though Durant doesn’t earn a ring, luckily enough for Boston he is willing to stay. He picks up his player option to play another season with the promise of a ring. Free agent Gordon Hayward never teams up with his former coach, Brad Stevens, and stays in Utah. However, the Celtics still have the assets to make the trade for Kyrie Irving still happen. Boston sends off IT, Crowder, Zizic, and picks for Irving. Kelly Olynyk and Jonas Jerebko walk still, but Gerald Green returns on a one year deal. They also still bring in Aron Baynes on a one year deal.

In the 2017 NBA Draft, the Celtics trade down not to third, but to the eighth pick via trade with the Knicks. The Celtics swap the first overall pick and Avery Bradley for Kristaps Porzingis. They then select Dennis Smith Jr. out of NC State instead of the Dallas Mavericks. The Celtics have become a super team almost overnight, just to impress Durant.

The new starting five consists of Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Kevin Durant, Kristaps Prozingis, and Al Horford.

Conclusion

If Durant signed with Boston (and decided to stay), Danny Ainge had an interesting situation in front of him. He could either stay with his “build for the future” route or he could also press the “win now” button. If he wants to win now, Boston would have to lease talent to win a few championships quickly. I went the latter route here, but I also made the assumption that everything worked out perfectly in Boston’s favor.

If I were a NBA GM I’d avoid doing something this drastic. Three years down the road Boston could only afford probably one of those players they acquired. In real life, the Celtics’ current situation is a perfect storm. They acquired All-Star talent in Kyrie and Hayward, and without them this team has shown that they already have the talent to contend in the playoffs. Durant or no Durant, don’t mess with the C’s.

Cover image courtesy of SB Nation.

Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees Series Recap

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The long-awaited face off has arrived since the early April bench clearing brawl. The Red Sox and Yankees rivalry was in full blast as Joe Kelly and Tyler Austin went at it after Austin was hit by a pitch. The meeting of the two teams was highly anticipated by all.

Pomeranz vs. Severino

Tuesday night, the Sox fell to the Yankees 3-2, allowing the two teams to tie for first place. Betts and Benintendi made it on base to lead to the Sox first run of the game. In the second inning, Drew Pomeranz broke a nail, causing some concern to bring the trainers out. Giancarlo Stanton hit two solo home runs. Luis Severino struck out 11 players against Drew Pomeranz’s six strikeouts. Mookie Betts hit an RBI triple in the seventh to tie the game. Joe Kelly came in to a sea of boos and chants from all of Yankee Stadium. Kelly came out as the Yankees loaded the bases with only one out to prevent more runs. The Yankees are now on a 16-1 win streak, and are showing true competition for first place as Porcello will face Masahiro Tanaka.

“They’re good hitters. They were fighting off a lot of pitches. They have a great team. I was trying my best, but I was battling.” -Severino on the Sox at bat

“We’re playing good baseball, doing it a lot of different ways. Tonight was tough. Boston is really good. They battle, battle, battle; kind of hung around. ” -Manager Aaron Boone on the win against the Yankees biggest rivalry

The 24 Hour Yankees AL East Lead Porcello vs. Tanaka

Rick Porcello pitches a game earlier than normal, as David Price was sent to Boston for x-rays. In the past few games, he had experienced problems in his hand, causing the x-rays to be needed. Later we found out that Price was okay and would be pitching in the upcoming series. Hanley Ramirez, Andrew Benintendi, and Mitch Moreland all hit homers on Wednesday night. But it was nothing compared to the electric eighth inning that the Yankees had. Brett Gardener hit a triple allowing two to score, and Aaron Judge’s 117 MPH homer allowed the Yankees to go up 9-6. Rick Porcello only struck out three players, ending Wednesday with a 2.79 ERA. The Yankees have taken the lead over the Sox to be in the AL East first place. Tomorrow Eduardo Rodriguez will face CC Sabathia in the series finale.

“It got my attention. I looked around a little bit that inning. It’s May and it’s bedlam.” -Aaron Boone on the win to bring the Yankees into first place.

The Sox and Yankees are Tied Again Rodriguez vs. Sabathia

The rain never stopped the Red Sox as they were 4-0 at the delay in the fifth inning. The Red Sox escaped a Yankees sweep with a 5-4 win on Thursday night. The Yankees scored four runs in the seventh to tie the game, but Martinez wanted the win and hit a homer in the eighth to take the win. Joe Kelly came in again to clean up the mess of players on base and got Giancarlo Stanton out on a grounder to retire the side. Craig Kimbrel has his 110th save. Ramirez hit a homer to the visiting bullpen to allow the Sox to reach the rain delay with a lead.

“Definitely. You saw it today. They don’t give up. I’m very confident in what we’ve got. This is our team right here and we’re concentrating on what we can do and see what we can do better to keep winning.” -Hanley Ramirez when asked if the Sox and Yankees rivalry is the best in baseball

“I hit it, and I was like blowing, praying, doing everything I can to push it over. I knew it had a chance.” -J. D. Martinez on his homer that won the game

Up Next for the Sox

The Red Sox will travel to Toronto to face the Blue Jays before heading back home to play the Oakland Athletics. Up first in the series against Toronto will be Chris Sale and Aaron Sanchez. David Price will return to pitch this series after x-rays in Boston. Alex Cora also reported that Jackie Bradley Jr. will be back in the Saturday line up while Brock Holt will return on Friday.

Sources

Red Sox Twitter

MLB.com

ESPN

Statcast

Q&A with Patriots Offensive Lineman LaAdrian Waddle

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photo cred- www.zimbio.com

This past week I had the opportunity to connect with New England Patriots offensive lineman LaAdrian Waddle via Facebook. LaAdrian is a cool dude and simply posted the question, “what is ok to mix with your eggs?”, in which I put my two cents into his discussion. We had a back and forth that eventually turned into a quick Q&A. Shout out to LaAdrian for taking the time to answer my questions, and to Boston Sports Extra for giving me the opportunity to write for them and reach out to players and be able to speak with them on a level I never thought I could.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with LaAdrian, this dude is a MONSTER. He stands at 6’6 and weighs in at 315 pounds. In other words, the dude is a mack truck. LaAdrian is a Texas native who played his college ball at Texas Tech University, the same college as former Patriot receivers Wes Welker and Danny Amendola. The big man went undrafted out of college and signed on with the Detroit Lions before being cut after an injury ruined his 2014 campaign. He was eventually signed by the Pats and recently re-signed after testing out free agency (Dallas showed interest). We are glad to have him back.

NOW, LETS GET DOWN TO THE Q & A SHALL WE?

Q: What is your all time favorite meal or food?

A (LaAdrian): “Chinese food”

-Not a bad choice at all big fella.

Q: Do you have any superstitions or rituals you carry out before a game?

A: “Nope”

– A man of few words… Nothing wrong with keeping it short and sweet!

Q: Favorite artist out right now if you had to choose one?

A: “Juicy J”

– Okay, can’t lie on this one bud… JUICY J?!? I was hoping for J.Cole, Post Malone, or Kendrick Lamar… But JUICY J? COME ON MANNNNNNN.

Q: Favorite movie of all time, and are you big into the Avengers movies?

A: “Haven’t seen the Avengers yet but I do like all those movies. Don’t really have one favorite movie, just a long list of ones I like.”

– Much respect for being an Avengers/Marvel fan, but everyone has ONE favorite / go to movie, don’t they?!

Q: It seems like Fortnite is the new craze hitting college dorm rooms, living rooms, and even locker rooms. Has it hit your home yet? Are you part of the Fortnite frenzy?

A: “Yeah I be on there getting beat by little kids”

– I feel your pain brother… I’d laugh but honestly the same happens to me, hence why I stopped playing the game…. Damn kids and their video games!

Q: For the most part do you enjoy living in New England?

A: “It’s alright minus the brutal winters. Boston is a cool city but I’m not about that traffic”

– Traffic in Boston… You don’t say?! I hear ya bro, Boston is a great city to be in but I am all set with traffic on a daily basis too big guy!

Q: Who do you got winning the NBA Finals? Give me your “expert” prediction

A: ” Rockets vs Celtics….Rockets win in 7″

– Wow, okay big man. I can’t say I don’t like the picks… Even with Kyrie and Gordon injured I think we still take the East but lose to the West… But my pick is Golden State

Q: Who would you choose as your favorite college teammate at Texas Tech and your favorite teammate on the Patriots?

A: “I’ve had a bunch of great teammates over the years. That’s what makes this game so special.”

– Kept it humble and to a minimum, so no feelings were hurt. I see what you did there!

Q: What is your most memorable moment playing in the NFL?

A: “Playing in Super Bowl LI”

– Cant lie, Super Bowl LI is one of my favorites as a fan too… FALCONS BLEW A 28-3 LEAD… #NeverForget

Q: What ultimately lead to you re-signing with the Patriots? Was it playing for another ring? Playing with Tom and for Bill?

A: “It was the best situation”

– Okay, easy to see Belichick has these guys trained well when it comes to giving answers! NOT EVEN MAD ABOUT IT.#InBillWeTrust

Q: Who are your most competitive teammates on the Patriots on both sides of the ball?

A: “If you’re a Patriot, you’re competitive lol”

– I think he is under the impression I’m trying to set him up. Don’t worry big fella, I see what your doing. I wouldn’t get you in trouble with the locker room!

Q: What are your expectations for the upcoming season?

A: “Have the best season of my career and help this team win a bunch of big games”

– I cant argue with that big man, do your job right?! I like the sound of that!

Q: We all see how crazy Tom Brady is about winning but from your perspective being inside the locker room and being on his side of the ball at practice and during games, just how crazy is he and do you consider him the GOAT like many of us do?

A: ” The reason you play is to win! He is the GREATEST”

-Basically confirmed what we ALL already know… Brady is a MANIAC and he is truly the G.O.A.T.

photo credit- www.nesn.com

This concludes my Q & A with LaAdrian Waddle. Again, I want to give a big shout out to him for taking the time to answer these and give me some insight on him as a person and as a football player. Stay tuned for more to come! Check out Boston Sports Extra on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more articles from our talented and knowledgeable writers!

GO PATS!

Celtics vs Sixers: The Rivalry Renewed

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photo cred- phillyvoice.com

Celtics vs. Sixers: NBA Playoffs Round 2

In every sport there are rivalries that always have fans hooked to the TV. In the NBA, one of those rivalries have come back to life after the 76ers turned themselves, along with the C’s, into one of the better young teams in the NBA. After years of tanking and being the laughing-stock of the league, the Sixers are FINALLY back to being a top-tier team. This renewed rivalry with the Celtics is great for the NBA and its fans.

This will be the 20th playoff match-up between the two teams. The Celtics have gotten the better of these match-ups throughout their rivalry, with a 54-46 record in the postseason. This rivalry goes back to the days of Bill and Wilt, Larry and Dr. J, and now our young guns vs. their young guns. With guys like Simmons, Embiid, Saric, Tatum, Brown, Rozier, and veterans like Horford and Reddick, this series has ALL the makings of an INSTANT CLASSIC. Let’s not forget that the C’s are on this playoff run with All-Star players out of the lineup (Kyrie and Hayward) and with a banged up Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown.

NBA FANS GET YOUR DINNER TRAYS READY, TAKE THE FOOD OUT OF THE OVEN AND FIND A SEAT IN THE LIVING ROOM… THIS SERIES IS GOING TO BE INCREDIBLE!

GAME 1 WRAP-UP

photo cred- www.sbnation.com

The Celtics took Game 1 at The Garden 117-101, which saw three Celtics players with 20+ points. Terry Rozier was absolutely on FIRE after continuing his dominant play at home, shooting a CRAZY 7/9 from three point land. Al Horford posted a solid line of 26/7/4, while Tatum contributed 28/3/2. Tatum did not show signs of being a rookie at all (as mentioned by C’s great Kevin McHale). There were contributions all around in this game both on offense and defense, and the Celtics bench outplayed the Sixers bench. Overall, we basically ran them out of the gym all while missing TWO SUPERSTARS!

Game 1 was neck and neck for a while, with the Celtics losing some double-digit leads but ultimately got it together. Trust me, I have my doubts with this series because of the talent the Sixers have compared to the injuries Boston has. But after last night I am convinced we can STEAL this series. However, it’s going to take ONE thing: WINNING ON THE ROAD, which the Celtics have failed to do so far in this postseason.

Predictions & X-Factors

Celtics fans have to be happy with getting an early jump on this young, athletic, and talented Sixers team. Although we are missing key players due to injuries, I believe we match-up better in this series with their starting five and bench than we did last series having to deal with Giannis and Middleton.

The X-factors in this series are multiple guys who will need to help this team win. In my opinion, the Celtics need Rozier, Horford, Smart, Tatum, and Brown to continue playing well at home and on the road. The bench production will be hot and cold for both teams. But, ultimately it will come down to how the starters play both at home and on the road. Plus they need to make sure the defense contains Ben Simmons and J.J. Reddick because let’s face it, Joel Embiid is going to do WORK!

I love the way this team is playing now with young guys firing on all cylinders. There is one guy I think that should get more playing time against Embiid, and that’s Greg Monroe. Monroe hasn’t played since early in the Bucks series. I think he can be a huge compliment to Baynes and Horford when it comes to an inside presence. However, like the old saying goes, “If it aint broke, don’t fix it”. Another X-factor for me will be the atmosphere inside the Garden, which was electric last night. The fans always seem to pump this team up, and last night they hit Ben Simmons with a “Not A Rookie” chant, which was an absolute classic!

Series Prediction

My prediction for this series is the Celtics FINALLY get a road win and they take the series in 6 games, moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals where they will meet LeBron James and the streaky Cleveland Cavaliers. Yes, I get it, the Cavs aren’t what they use to be, but they still have LBJ and Kevin Love mixed with championship experience that I think will get them by the Toronto Raptors.

Judging by the picture below of the Sixers bench completely leaving the court with 10.5 seconds still remaining. It seems that Scary Terry did his job and had them retreating to the locker room in FEAR.

LETS GO CELTICSSSS!!!!

Stanley Cup Round 2- Bruins Meet Tampa

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WELCOME TO ROUND 2

TAMPA- Boy, it was a hot one Saturday afternoon. The race to clinch the Atlantic Division bounced back and forth between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning. Throughout the regular season Tampa came out and dominated, leaving very little room for any other team to overtake first place. But when it comes to the playoffs, all bets are off and regular season stats go out the window. For the Boston Bruins, they have managed to once again get into the minds of the Lightning, as they clobbered their way to a 6-2 victory.

A GOOD START

The Bruins quickly came out strong with Rick Nash scoring on a power play in the first period. Patrice Bergeron scored another goal in the second. Forward Brad Marchand looked to score what would be their third goal, however it was waved off as a cross checking penalty on David Pastrnak was called prior. This is where things got a bit wild.

BOLTS STRIKE BACK WITH A BIT OF CONTROVERSY

As the Lightning were looking to gain momentum, Tuukka Rask had some wardrobe malfunction as a skate blade came off, limiting his movement in net. As he tried to get the attention of the refs, Tampa took advantage and Mikhail Sergachev scored cutting the goal deficit by one. To say he was frustrated was putting in mildly, but the referees made the right call. The NHL public relations quickly explained the rule #9.6:

“There is no goal for referees to stop play for a broken piece of equipment, regardless of whether the equipment belongs to a goaltender or a skater. the lone exception is when referees may stop play after a goaltender has lost his helmet.”

Tuukka has a wardrobe malfunction & the Bolts capitalize 🚨 pic.twitter.com/v88IUwgyP3

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) April 28, 2018

HUSTLE AND FLOW

The Marchand-Bergeron and Pastrnak line has produced a total of 12 goals and 41 points in their last five games. Rick Nash got the Bruins on board from an assist with David Pastrnak during a power play. Forty-two seconds into the second, once again, Pastrnak found Patrice Bergeron and got the Bruins on board, making the score 2-0. However, Tampa answered back as Dan Girardi got the Lightning on board two minutes into the second. A waved-off goal by Marchand and with Pastrnak in the penalty box, the Bruins were able to kill a power play off. Rick Nash quickly scored his second goal of the game, giving the Bruins a 3-1 lead.

WHAT’S UP WITH THE REFS?

After an interesting call on Jake DeBrusk for “interference” and the Rask blade controversy in the second, Tampa were looking to close that gap. But Boston kept control of the game. The Bruins shook off the remnants of wild second period and with goals from Marchand, Bergeron, and an empty netter by DeBrusk. Boston defeated Tampa 6-2.

lick at this i mean look at this goal from Brad Marchand!

Stream the #StanleyCup Playoffs here: https://t.co/ypEzC9zVuL pic.twitter.com/W96AkobGV9

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) April 28, 2018

SHINING IN NET

Tuukka Rask stopping a shot

After looking shaky in net in the last few games of the series, many will be looking to Tuukka Rask to have more confidence. There have been many narratives about Rask getting the start in net against Tampa. In Game 1 of this tough series, it’s easy to see that Tuukka was in the zone. He allowed only two goals throughout the game and stopped 34 shots on net. Pretty good numbers if you consider he was screened by his own defensemen and lost a blade on his left skate.

“These freaking skates nowadays, the blades come off. I was yelling at the ref for 10 seconds. He didn’t hear me. It sucks. I’m glad we won.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

Tuukka Rask and Rick Nash were the stars of this game. Vasilevsky was shaky in net, but much like with Toronto, Boston will have to take it one game at a time. Rask needs to continue to shine in net. Offensively, the Bruins need to drive to the net full force and bring back that momentum when they return to Boston. The last time these two teams met was in 2011, and that series went to seven games (with Nathan Horton scoring the clinching goal at the Garden). And we all know how that year ended. This will be a tough series and will only get tougher as we head into June. Will the 2018 Boston Bruins see a repeat of what happened in 2011?

Let the best team win.

Follow Liz Rizzo on Twitter @pastagrl88

No Need to Panic After Sox Lose Twice in a Row

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Sox Drop Two in a Row

After an incredible start to the season at 17-2, the Red Sox finally looked human. Over the weekend they dropped two straight games to the Oakland A’s at the Coliseum. The first one was just the offense flat-out taking a nap. Well, maybe the second one too, but we’ll get to that in a moment. Sean Manea of the Oakland A’s had one hell of a performance on Saturday night throwing a no hitter that was not cheap by any standards. Some may say the Leon pop up was a hit, that maybe Benintendi stayed in the baseline, but whatever. That was a no hitter in my eyes. He just flat-out shut our offense down. An offense that was red-hot and the best in the league. So a tip of the cap to Sean Manea.

The second loss might have been a little more frustrating as the offense once again struggled up until the 7th. At that point Brock Holt came on with men on first and second with one out. He ripped a double to right, scoring a run and putting runners on second and third. Vasquez popped up on the first pitch and Tzu Wei Lin struck out on three pitches (although the umpire made some iffy strike calls on that one). This was the turning point in the game. They really could have benefited bringing in an extra run or two for the lead. But they just couldn’t do it.

David Price was pitching great up until the bottom of the eighth, when he got into a jam. With runners of first and second and only one down, he struck out Jed Lowrie. He then gave up a three run homer to Khris Davis on the very next pitch to give the A’s a 4-1 lead. That ended up being the final score. Many will blame Alex Cora for leaving Price in, but I had no problem with it. Price is your horse, a guy who’s supposed to go deep into games and get out of his jams. The fact that he was only at 92 pitches at that point was a good reason to keep him in as well.

The only questionable thing today from I saw today from Cora was the lineup. I didn’t understand why Mookie and Hanley were getting the day off. I know that he plans these days off days ahead of time. But why give them a rest when the next day is a day off for the whole team? Nonetheless, the Red Sox lost two tough games in a row. But if you’re panicking, don’t, because you know what? Despite losing two in a row, this team has still won eight of their last ten games and are 17-4 on the season. 17-4 isn’t that bad of a record last I checked. You also have to remember that this is baseball season, the best of the best lose at least 50-70 games. It happens. It’s a long year, and it’s only April.

The Red Sox also ran into a hot Oakland A team. Ever since being 5-10 last week, Oakland now has won five of their last six and are 11-11 on the year.

Boston got a day off today to recharge before heading to Rogers Centre on Tuesday to take on the Blue Jays for a three game series. Rick Porcello will take the mound and try to get the Sox back into the win column against J.A Happ in game one.

If you have worries after these last two games, just remember that this team has a 17-4 record. It’s going to be okay. We just have to shake these losses off, go into Toronto and win the series before going back home.

Series Review – Red Sox @ Angels

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Game 1 – Shohei Ohtani vs. David Price

This game had a lot of hype going into it. MLB Network was broadcasting this game, and many in Japan were watching, for baseball’s new phenom was pitching for the Halos. Shohei Ohtani, before this game had pitched two games, both being against the Athletics. He had a 2.08 ERA in 13 innings pitched in those two starts. The latter of the two starts, Ohtani had a perfect game through 6 ⅓ innings. Furthermore, if you add in the three home runs and the .367 batting average, that is a recipe for national attention.

Courtesy: USA Today

This game didn’t go so well…. for Ohtani. The Japanese Babe Ruth pitched two innings, while giving up three earned runs on four hits. Apparently, Ohtani had a blister, and in addition to the terrible pitch count after two innings (66 pitches), that is why he didn’t pitch long.

It was a different story for David Price. After pitching one inning and giving up four earned runs on three hits, Price looked for redemption in the better weather. He was typical David Price, as he pitched five innings, giving up only one earned run on three hits. He could’ve gone longer, but with Alex Cora’s approach to keeping starters fresh, he pulled Price after 78 pitches. Also, the bullpen looked great, with Brian Johnson going three strong innings and Marcus Walden pitching the 9th.

Certainly, the story of this game was offense. The Red Sox scored ten runs in the game on six home runs. These home runs came from Brock Holt, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Rafael Devers. But the star of this game was Mookie Betts. Betts hit three home runs in this game, one of them coming off Shohei Ohtani in the first at-bat of the game, further lengthening his record of 12 leadoff home runs (at the time). Mookie also tied Ted Williams’ franchise record of three career 3-home run games.

Final Score – Red Sox 10 Angels 1

Game 2 – Tyler Skaggs vs. Rick Porcello

This game had nowhere near the hype that game one did, but this was an important game nevertheless. If the Red Sox won the game, they would remain among the few teams to not lose a series yet this season. The Angels wanted to win this game in order to give them a chance to win the series the next day. Tyler Skaggs had gotten off to a good start this season before this series, having three starts, with a 1.69 ERA through 16 innings of work. Rick Porcello was having the best start of his career through three starts. He was 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA in 19 ⅔ innings.

Porcello continued his amazing start of the year, pitching six innings, and gave up zero earned runs. Tyler Skaggs couldn’t say the same, as he pitched 4 ⅓ innings, giving up six earned runs on eight hits. The Red Sox bullpen continued their great work, with Carson Smith, Marcus Walden, and Craig Kimbrel all pitching scoreless innings. The Red Sox continued their hot offensive streak, scoring nine runs total. Two hitters accounted for eight of the runs, as Rafael Devers hit his first career grand slam, and Mitch Moreland, my player of the game, also had RBIs. Two of the RBIs were on base hits in the first and third innings, and the other two were on a 2-run homer in the ninth inning. JD Martinez also hit a homer in the seventh inning.

Final Score – Red Sox 9 Angels 0

Game 3 – Nick Tropeano vs. Eduardo Rodriguez

This pitching matchup had no excitement around it, as Nick Tropeano isn’t quite a household name, and Eduardo Rodriguez is at most the fourth-best starter in the Red Sox rotation. Rodriguez had come off a great start against his former team, the Orioles, where he pitched six innings, giving up one earned run on five hits. Tropeano’s first start of the year was against the Royals, where he pitched 6 ⅔ innings of shutout ball.

Eduardo Rodriguez had a good start in this one, working six innings, giving up only two earned runs. On the other side of things, Nick Tropeano was probably the best starter for the Angels this series, but this doesn’t mean much. Tropeano pitched 5 ⅓ innings, and gave up four earned runs on seven hits.

The Red Sox offense continued their hot streak in this one. Remember that leadoff home run record Mookie Betts added to in Game 1 off of Shohei Ohtani? Well, he did it AGAIN. Make that 13 career leadoff home runs. Mookie Betts is off to a ridiculous start, and should be a serious MVP candidate this season. Then, Andrew Benintendi finally got his first home run of the year. On top of that, he had a two-RBI knock in the ninth inning. JD Martinez had a RBI, Mitch Moreland had a RBI flyout, and Rafael Devers had two RBIs.

Final Score – Red Sox 8 Angels 2

Cover image courtesy of Jae C. Hong, AP