Eli gets shown the money???

By Josh Bremberg

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Is it just me or did I miss something here...

Eli Manning has agreed to a 6-year $97 million dollar contract (w/ $35 million guaranteed)! Eli Manning?! Are you kidding me?! Peyton's little brother?! Seriously?

The contract is coming after two of the greatest seasons of Manning's young career: 3,238 yds, 21 TDs, and only 10 INTs in '08 & his upset Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots in '07.

Regardless, I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that Eli is making that much money... sure, he won a Super Bowl (thanks to the D-line pressuring Brady all game & Asante Samuel dropping an easy pick), but would you spend that kind of money on Peyton's little brother?

Enjoy your pay day Eli... maybe you can share some of that money with your defense, the real stars of the Giants.

Notre Dame's schedule: Built for success or set up for failure?

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

There are officially 31 days remaining until Notre Dame football kicks off and only a few days until two-a-days start. Along with that comes more and more buzz surrounding the Fighting Irish. Will this team finally realize its full potential? Will Charlie Weis be able to hold his job? Is a BCS bowl a legitimate possibility for the Irish?

For all the talk of how soft the schedule is, there are quite a few teams that will provide serious challenges for the Irish. While actual preseason polls by the AP and USA Today don't come out a little while yet, some have already gone ahead and made their own and it's interesting to note some of the tough matchups found on this "easy" schedule:

According to CollegeFootballPoll.com, which uses strictly computer-generated projections, Notre Dame has three Top-25 teams on its schedule: USC at No. 3, Michigan State at No. 7 and Pittsburgh at No. 12. It also has both Michigan State and USC going undefeated, so take this as you would any computer ranking, with a grain of salt. Still, many times computers have the advantage of not overthinking things and this particular computer module has been pretty accurate.

At any rate, if you put any stock in these rankings, Notre Dame (ranked 45th by the computer, by the way), faces a total of five teams in college football's Top-50 and seven in the top half, giving them a strength of schedule that ranks 38th. On top of MSU, USC and Pitt, Nevada ranks 33rd, while Boston College ranks 41st. Connecticut comes in at 55, while Stanford ranks 60th.

Outside of these teams, the competition does drop off. But then again, Florida plays Florida International and Missisippi State. Washington, Washington State and Purdue all are all but sure to be wins and while they might be a tad underrated, Notre Dame has dominated Navy with the exception of 2007. So let's just assume (yeah, we all know what that does) that these are four wins in the books. Despite the fact Michigan is ranked 77th, you can't consider any game played at the Big House a definite win, so they don't fall into this category. That leaves the Irish with eight potentially "lose-able" games. Let's take a look at each matchup and what Notre Dame needs to do to win.

USC
Even without Mark Sanchez, the USC offense will be fully charged and ready to give the Notre Dame defense all it can handle. Nine returners, including the entire offensive line will make it a long day for the Notre Dame front seven. The only shot Notre Dame really has in this game is to take advantage of a young USC secondary. The problem with that lies in the fact that though they're young, the Tojans are exceptionally talented on defense. Weis will need to do some serious coaching to try and get Tate and Floyd out on an island in the passing game. Still, it probably won't be enough.

Michigan State
Javon Ringer won't torch the Blue And Gold for 200 yards this year and it's hard to tell exactly what the identity of the offense is going to be this season, making this a very difficult game to break down so early. The key may lie in an improved Spartans' defense. They did not do an excellent job at getting at the quarterback last year and if the Notre Dame offensive line can give Clausen time, it could very well spell victory for the Irish

Pittsburgh
Last year's classic 4OT game was a heartbreaker for the Irish and pretty much the epitome of their season. This year the biggest factor in this game could be turnovers. With LeSean McCoy gone, the Panthers will have to rely on Bill Stull, a quarterback with a career 11-10 TD-INT ratio. Notre Dame did not do much in the way of forcing turnovers last year, but if they are able to put pressure on Stull and force some mistakes, it puts the team in a very good position. If Clausen can also avoid turnovers himself (something he managed to do in last year's matchup, surprisingly), chalk up an Irish victory.

Nevada
Nevada's offense has been well-documented and the Irish's woes in stopping the run last year, while not as well documented, were also apparent. Moving to a 4-3 defense should help with that as the defensive line will be this team's main strength. While the Blue and Gold like to blitz under defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta, but will probably have to be more disciplined against a great running team like the Wolf Pack. Offensively, Jimmy Clausen and company will have plenty of chances against the defense that ranked 119th in the league last season. To use a Maddenism, it will come down to who can score more often and given the weapons the Irish have in the passing game in Golden Tate, Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph, they have to be considered to have an edge.

Boston College
The Eagles' main strength last year becomes a major question mark this season with the departure of B.J. Raji and Ron Brace and the fact that All-American linebacker Mark Herzlich is not expected to play at all while battling a rare bone cancer. The linebackers and secondary are still solid, but major holes exist on the defensive line. If Notre Dame can generate a running game, something they've lacked the past two seasons, it will make life a lot easier on Clausen. The Eagles most likely will rely on the running game. They probably would have done this with or without Dominque Davis, who was suspended and announced he's transferring, but now the ground game becomes ever-important. The Irish have to remain stout against the run and make the passing game (led by whichever backup wins the starting job) beat them. But let's not forget that Irish teams better than this year's have lost to BC teams worse than this one.

Connecticut
The Nutmegers have just decided rightly not to accept Notre Dame's proposal of a series in which UConn's home games would be played at either Foxboro Stadium or the Meadowlands. They're basically saying they're big-time enough that they don't need Notre Dame. Now's their chance to prove it. However, they'll be trying to do so without Donald Brown and his 2,000-plus yards. Defense will be a huge key in this game. UConn quietly put together one of the best defensive seasons in the country last year. Most notable in regards to this matchup is the fact that they were ninth in passing defense, allowing just 168.2 yards per game. They were also very good against the run, but are much weaker this season on the line, so if the Irish can put together some kind of rushing attack and hold onto the football, they should be able to control this game.

Stanford
Stanford has gotten better each of the past two seasons and looks to continue improving. Throw on top of that the fact that Stanford could have a chance to play spoiler the way they did for USC two years ago and this is a dangerous matchup. If Stanford somehow gets a lead, they can use Toby Gerhart to control the clock. That is, IF Stanford can get the ball back by any other means besides a kickoff. The Cardinal's defense is less than spectacular, ranking in the bottom half of the nation in points allowed and total defense and the offense doesn't figure to be able to put up as many points as they are letting up. If the Irish can get a big enough lead and put the game in Tavita Prichard's hands, they are in a good position.

Michigan
Year two of the Rich Rodriguez experiment will be in full swing and the team's expectations will be the exact opposite of a year ago. Last season the defense was expected to make up for the lack of offense. This season, the offense holds the strength in their experience and having a year or Rodriguez's spread option under its belt. The defense turned out to be dismal last year with a boatload of star power and that is all but gone this year, leaving the cupboard very bare for defensive coordinator Greg Robinson. The Irish would welcome a shootout with the Wolverines and jsut might get their wish.

Fantasy Football: Committee approach hurting RB stats

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Who to grab at running back?

While that has been the No. 1 position to land on draft day in any type of format over the years, the running back position is starting to take a back seat to the wide receivers. It's pretty simple, too. The running back by committee approach is really hosing fantasy owners, while the increasing-popular points per reception has given wideouts more fantasy appeal.

I'm not saying running back aren't important, but having to play the juggling act between rotating tailbacks takes away from overall fantasy production.

So, obviously, the key is to draft those backs that have won the starting job outright and don't really have the share the workload with anyone else.

TOP 20

1. Adrian Peterson -- Vikings

The 6-foot-1, 217-pound featured back from Minnesota just keeping getting better. Now entering his third season, AP will be looking to increase his production of 1,760 yards and 10 rushing TDs with 21 receptions and 125 yards. Just think if the Vikings would use Peterson a little more in the passing game. But either way, you can't go wrong with landing Peterson as your featured back. Plus, he's a workhorse who gets the ball quite often -- 363 carries last year.

2. Matt Forte -- Bears

As a rookie Forte, a second-round draft pick out of Tulane, was a force in both the rushing and passing game. He had 1,238 yards rushing and 63 catches for 477 yards with 12 total touchdowns. Could you make a case for him as your No. 1 back or the top overall running back selected? No doubt. Forte might even be stronger this year with Jay Cutler now running the show at QB. Watch Forte's numbers blow up -- rushing, receiving and total touchdowns. He's a fantasy force.

3. Michael Turner -- Falcons

Turner the Burner proved that he's a top-flight running back, considering he had spent his previous years as a backup in San Diego. Turner just knows how to find the end zone -- he had 17 TDs and 1,699 yards as a first-year starter. With the way Matt Ryan led the Atlanta offense last year, expect Turner to carry the load once again. Don't be surprised if he duplicates that TD total. One downer for Turner owners: He's a non-factor in the passing game (6 catches last year).

4. Brian Westbrook -- Eagles

Say what you want about Westbrook -- he's injury-prone (he's missed at least one game in the last 3 years), but he's usually on the field playing hurt and he's still productive and dangerous while being wounded. Westbrook is that true double-threat (rushing, receiving) that you should covet on draft day. He's averaged 1,162 yards, 74 receptions, 402 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns in the last three years. I know he's coming off injury and that's always a scary scenario, but when the Eagles' offense is going strong, Westbrook is the one that's breaking down opposing defenses. 

5. DeAngelo Williams -- Panthers

Williams might split time with Jonathan Stewart in the Carolina backfield, but there's no mistaking who is the go-to back. Williams was a fantasy delight last season with 1,515 yards and 20 touchdowns. We all know the Panthers love to take the air out of the football and use their hulking offensive line to wear down defenses, and Williams is the ultra-quick back that teams just can't bring down -- especially in the fourth quarter when they are gassed from getting beat on the entire game. Don't sleep on Williams. He didn't score 20 times last year for nothing. He'll carry your team.

6. Maurice Jones-Drew -- Jaguars

While I'm still not sold on Jones-Drew (I'm still questioning how he'll do as the featured guy in Jacksonville since Fred Taylor is now a member of the Patriots), there's no questioning that he's a productive fantasy guy. In shared duties last year, Jones-Drew rushed for over 800 yards and caught 62 balls for 565 yards, while scampering into the end zone 14 times. All in all, that equated into a very good season. But the question still remains: How will the 5-foot-7 back handle a full-time load. Can he take a pounding, while carrying the ball over 300 times and keep producing? Prove it to me. I'm not drinking that silly-juice just yet. I like the points he puts up, but is he the real deal and should I be believing all the hype?

7. Steve Slaton -- Texans

Slaton is simply a burner, but a real tough burner at that. As a rookie, he carries 268 times for 1,282 yards, and also added 50 catches for 377 yards and 10 total scores. Mind you, that was as a rookie. Slaton has quickly become a legit running back, no doubt earning the right to be considered a RB1 guy on draft day. When a guy proves that he's durable and has the uncanny knack and potential of scoring every time he touches the ball, then that's the type of guy you want leading your ballclub. Don't be afraid of a sophomore jinx.

8. Marion Barber -- Cowboys 

Marion The Barbarian took a little break last year, and had an off year with only 9 total touchdowns due to a nagging toe injury. If the Cowboys don't lean on this stud and pound the rock -- he also has great hands and can be utilized in the passing game -- then they are just plain crazy. Barber runs with such force and power, the Cowboys seem afraid to really give him the ball 25 times per game. Barber's rushing carries for the last three years are: 135, 204, 238. It's just not enough. Even if Barber doesn't rack up the major rushing totals (he had 885 last year and 975 in 2007), he can make up for it with receptions (52 last year) and touchdowns (remember, he had 16 in 2006). Some owners might be worried about Barber's production, but not me. He's primed for a bounce-back season.

9. Chris Johnson -- Titans

Johnson, as a rookie, produced game after game. The East Carolina product rushed for 1,228 yards, while catching 43 passes and scoring 10 times. This was all while splitting carries with bigman LenDale White. Expect more sharing of the workload. If you know anything about the Titans you know they are physical and lean heavily on the run. It'll continue this year, but Johnson will once again get his numbers. While he may have games where White gets 2-3 goal-line vulture TDs, Johnson will get the stats from in between the 20-yard lines. Plus, his big-play ability is simply too good to pass up on.

10. LaDainian Tomlinson -- Chargers

What, LT at No. 10? It can't be, can it? You bet, this isn't the same LT from 2006 where he scored 31 TDs. But this version -- the 30-year-old shaky legs tailback -- is still good enough to help you get a fantasy title. Tomlinson, despite getting only 292 carries because Darren Sproles dipped into some off those handofffs, still managed to score 10 times. He's also still important to San Diego's passing game, where he caught 52 balls for 426 yards. LT still has something left in the tank, but don't go overboard and think you're going to get 2006's stats. But this is still LT, right? 

11. Brandon Jacobs -- Giants 

12. Steven Jackson -- Rams

13. Frank Gore -- 49ers

14. Reggie Bush -- Saints

15. Clinton Portis -- Redskins

16. Ryan Grant -- Packers

17. Kevin Smith -- Lions

18. Marshawn Lynch -- Bills

19. Ronnie Brown -- Dolphins

20. Thomas Jones -- Jets

WATCH OUT FOR

Ryan Grant -- Packers

Pierre Thomas -- Saints

Darren McFadden -- Raiders

LenDale White -- Titans

BE WARY OF

Joseph Addai -- Colts

Larry Johnson -- Chiefs

Jamal Lewis -- Browns

Willie Parker -- Steelers

WORTH A FLYER

Jonathan Stewart -- Panthers

Leon Washington -- Jets

Rashard Mendenhall -- Steelers

Cedric Benson -- Bengals

(Coming tomorrow: Wide receiver rankings by Jim Ingram)

WAC Preview: Can Boise State grab BCS glory now?

By Chris Maza Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

(Note: As the college football season approaches, I will be breaking down the following conferences: The Big XII, the PAC-10, the WAC and the Big East. This week I tackle the WAC. If you haven't already, don't forget to check out past previews of independent Notre Dame, the Big XII and the PAC-10)

It has been an interesting off season for the WAC as it and the Mountain West signed a BCS television contract in July. Along with the signed contract, the WAC sent along a letter with it's "concerns" about the BCS process. But in reality, they are still on the receiving end of one of the biggest screw jobs in sports in the fact that even after signing the contract, WAC teams are still not given automatic BCS bowl consideration. The conference vowed to continue its fight for equality, but how many waves can you make while being part of a $500 million machine?

So Boise State remains the WAC's best chance at busting things open for the WAC. Not that that means very much. The WAC champion Broncos were ninth in BCS polling at the end of the regular season, ahead of Ohio State (who lost to Texas in the Fiesta Bowl) and Cincinnati (who were thumped by Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl). If you weren't paying attention, even with a decent strength of schedule ranking of 56th, undefeated Boise State was relegated to the Poinsettia Bowl, which did turn out to be one of the best games of the bowl schedule against TCU. Still, the fact that it was a great game against another underappreciated team does not take away the sting of such an obvious snub. Especially when you lose that game.

So the Broncos once again will look for legitimacy in the college football ranks. And while their conference schedule gives them little help in that regard, but if they are able to beat a tough Oregon team in their season opener, it will be a pretty good indication that this team can beat teams with top talent.

Defense remains the main strength of the Broncos - they were 10th in the country in points allowed last season - and that is not likely to change, even with turnover in the front seven. Ryan Winterswyk is a young, but active d-lineman who will help solidify the front line and an experienced secondary will jam up receivers, giving the youngsters up front enough time to get at opposing quarterbacks.

Offensively, sophomore Kellen Moore figures to be even better than his first year and a good line and capable running backs will look to take some of the load off Moore's shoulders. That's a good thing, because if the Broncos have a major weakness, it's in the receiving corps. Beyond Austin Pettis, there isn't much there in terms of truly reliable options for the passing game.

Nevada will be an interesting team to watch coming out of the conference with an absolutely explosive offense. Even though they and Hawaii were tied with 5-3 conference records, many make the argument that Nevada was the better team, citing specifically the Wolf Pack's 38-31 victory over the Warriors. This year there will be no doubt who the number two team in the conference is. Colin Kaepernick is an absolute stud, having compiled nearly 4,000 of total offense (2,849 passing, 1,130 rushing) and 39 touchdowns. Also returning is Vai Taua, the man who actually led the team in rushing, believe it or not, with 1,521 yards, good for eighth in the nation. Nevada's problem last year remains its problem this year - defense. Nevada was ranked 150th in points allowed, giving up an average of 31.5 points per contest. The Wolf Pack had the worst defense in football against the pass, which makes life difficult for them when they face good throwing teams on their schedule like Notre Dame, Missouri and Boise State. The good thing is they are a year older, but adding a year to a bad secondary doesn't mean it's necessarily going to be better.

Two teams that could make a major leap in the conference on Fresno State and Louisiana Tech. The killer for Fresno State could be the fact they play a heavier out-of-conference schedule than others, which includes traveling to Wisconsin and Cincinnati. Its strength lies in its defense, which may sound stupid, considering it ranked seventh in the conference last year. However, let's not forget that a multitude of injuries and the fact defensive coordinator Dan Brown was battling cancer had a lot to do with that. Brown died in March of this year. If they can stay healthy and the players buy into the new coordinator's game plan, 2009 could be a much different story. The big question is who will lead the offense for the Bulldogs? If Ryan Colburn turns out to be even a decent quarterback, with the backfield the Bulldogs have, they could be very successful, especially in conference play.

Louisiana Tech might be ready to step into the big time in the WAC. Last year's defense was the best in the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 10 points per game. That was good for sixth in the nation, too, by the way. Their 8-5 record earned them a spot in the Independence Bowl, where they beat Northern Illinois by a score of 17 - (you guessed it) 10. While the defense probably won't be quite that good this year with several key pieces missing, the offense should be able to pick up a bit more of the slack this season. With a strong line in front of him, Daniel Porter should find similar success in the running game as he did in 2008, but for this team to get over the hump, Ross Jenkins will have to become a true leader at the quarterback position.

Hawaii has made news recently because head coach Greg McMackin is still stewing about getting trounced on his home field by a disappointing Notre Dame team, so he felt the need to call them a derogatory term. That's pretty much the only reason this team will make headlines this year. The suspension is a joke, as McMackin will still be able to coach on a "volunteer basis," so don't expect the Rainbow Warriors (ironic, isn't it?) to skip a beat in that regard. Where they will be hurting is on defense, where the team returns just three starters. Offensively, they should be fine, having found a competent quarterback in Greg Alexander, who threw 14 touchdowns and five interceptions in the final six games of the year with a 63 percent completion rate. But is that offense good enough to make up for all the shortcomings they will have on defense? Don't count on it.

Prediction: Boise State again takes the conference, but not without a bump in the road at Louisiana Tech, causing them to fall short in their quest for a BCS bid.

Projected WAC standings:
1. Boise State
2. Nevada
3. Louisiana Tech
4. Fresno State
5. Hawaii
6. San Diego State
7. Utah State
8. New Mexico State
9. Idaho

Fantasy Football: Despite injury, Brady's the top dog

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Starting this morning, FFS will take an in depth look into the positional rankings for upcoming fantasy football season. Despite the fact the running back position is traditionally viewed as the most important fantasy position, we'll start with the Quarterbacks today. The leaders on the field, should be the leaders in this series in my opinion. We'll take a good look at the top 10 of each position, and round out with a list of the rest of the top 20.

The Top 20:

1. Tom Brady - Patriots

You can cut me the line about him being not fully recovered. He'll be fine, especially since he's emotionally strong and ready to take on the blitz. He won't put reset the touchdown mark this season, but shouldn't be too far off. He is dealing with the best receiving corp in the leagues thanks to the addition of Joey Galloway. There's not one team in the league with a better trio of receivers. He also has a very deep chart of running backs on the team that opposing defenses need to respect.

2. Drew Brees - Saints

It's going to be hard to top the 5,000 yard season he had last year, but he still has a good offensive line, good crop of running backs, and a ton of targets to throw to. I doubt he'll reach the 5,000 yard plateau again, but look for him to get 4,500+ and 30+ TD's.

3. Kurt Warner - Cardinals

I had a tough time with this slot, but ultimately put Warner in front of Peyton Manning because of the offense the Cardinals run. Despite adding Beanie Wells in addition to Tim Hightower, the Cardinals will still primarily throw the ball. Of course it doesn't hurt that Warner will be throwing to the 2nd best trio of wide receivers in the NFL in Fitzgerald, Boldin and Breaston.

4. Peyton Manning - Colts

Don't get me wrong, Peyton is still the 2nd best quarterback in the game, just not in fantasy land. Manning did have a down year last year. It says a lot when a QB throws for 4,020 yards and 27 touchdowns and that is considered a step back. I do have him downgraded at the 4 slot because of a lack of depth at the wide receiver position.

5. Aaron Rodgers - Packers

Mark my words. Aaron Rodgers will have a fantastic fantasy season this year. In his first full season as a starter, Rodgers threw for 4,038 yards, 28 TD's, 13 INT's & even rushed for 4 TD's. I anticipate a better year with him topping 30 TD's and getting closer to the 4,500 yard mark. Ryan Grant should have a better year, so it should open up the passing game even more.

6. Donovan McNabb - Eagles

I know I'll get a little flack having McNabb so high, but I think he's poised for a big year. The Eagles are locked and loaded for a run at the Super Bowl this year. If Brian Westbrook misses the start of the season, McNabb will be relied on even more to move the ball down the field.

7. Phillip Rivers - Chargers

I am not a Phillip Rivers fan at all, but after his performance against the Patriots in the AFC Championship two years ago, I have to respect him. He followed up that game by having a career year last year topping the 4,000 yard mark and throwing 34 TD's. He's come into his own as a passer and has better chemistry with Vincent Jackson and the rest of the wide receiver corp.

8. Tony Romo - Cowboys

Romo would be a much better fantasy player if he wasn't so much of a gunslinger. He still has way too much Brett Favre in him for me to draft him. He still has a ton of weapons despite the subtraction of Terrell Owens. The big question for me is the chemistry between him and Roy Williams. Have they had enough time together to put up a good year?

9. Matt Schaub - Texans

Yes, Matt Schaub is a top 10 fantasy QB this season, he just needs to stay on the field. in 11 games he averaged 276 yards per game and had a 92.7 rating. Andre Johnson is a stud, and people don't realize how good Kevin Walter really is. Throw in Owen Daniels, a very solid tight end, and a good running game led by Steve Slaton, and it all adds up to an offense that should score a lot.

10. Matt Ryan - Falcons

Matt Ryan had a very good rookie season, but still wasn't asked to do too much. He'll get a lot more responsibility this season. I expect him to throw around 4,000 yards, and could reach the 20+ touchdown Plataea after throwing for 16 last year. He has a shiny new toy in Tony Gonzalez and a two good wide outs in Roddy White and Michael Jenkins. The Falcons do pride themselves on a good running game, but that will only help Ryan out in the long run opening up passing lanes and creating one on one match ups down the field.

11. Matt Hasselback - Seahawks

12. Ben Roethlisberger - Steelers

13. Carson Palmer - Bengals

14. Jay Cutler - Bears

15. Matt Cassell - Chiefs

16. David Garrard - Jaguars

17. Joe Flacco - Ravens

18. Eli Manning - Giants

19. Kyle Orton - Broncos

20. Trent Edwards - Bills

Watch out for:

Matt Hasselback

Carson Palmer

Byron Leftwich

Brady Quinn

Be wary of:

Matt Cassell

Eli Manning

Jason Campbell

(stay tuned for the running back rankings tomorrow by Chad Garner)

FFS is your home for Fantasy Football

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Are you a fantasy football diehard? Have you already bought 3-4 fantasy football magazines, and are still looking for more info? Well, we have all the answers. Starting this week, we will be ramping up for the 2009 Fantasy Football season.

Stay tuned this week and all season for the best in fantasy football coverage!

Bats...and Buchholz...go boom in Baltimore

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

It was both an encouraging and disturbing day for the Boston Red Sox at Camden Yards yesterday. Where to begin? Well, let's start with the positive.

The Red Sox scored 18 runs. Yep. The offense that was simply dreadful coming out of the All-Star break appears to have awakened. 23 hits, seven walks and only three strikeouts. What's more, they did it with the starting corner outfielders sitting on the bench. Jason Bay had the day off and J.D. Drew appeared to aggravate his groin injury legging out a triple in the first inning. The Red Sox are now 7-3 since snapping their five-game losing streak, averaging seven runs per game over that span.

Victor Martinez looks like he's settled right in with the Red Sox lineup. The Sox' big trade deadline splash went 5-for-6 yesterday with a double four RBI. Since coming to Boston two days ago, he's had as many RBI as Jason Bay had the entire month of July. In the first two games, Terry Francona has batted him third, where he primarily hit in Cleveland with a .304/.380/.490 line.

Josh Reddick continues to fill in admirably. Since coming up from AAA Pawtuckett, where he had a .277/.352/.520 line, Reddick has been asked to start twice, once in the place of J.D. Drew and once in the place of Jason Bay. In those two days, the 22-year-old has accomplished a plethora of firsts. Saturday, he recorded his first major-league hit and first major league double. The double was one of two he had, making it also his first multi-hit game. Sunday, he belted his first major-league homer, netted his first major-league RBI and scored his first major-league run. It's a very small sample size, but in three games (two starts, one pinch-hit), Reddick has a .364/.417/818 line with two doubles, a homer, two RBI and two runs scored. This probably won't keep, as scouts on every level have said he needs to polish his approach at the plate, but it's nice to see.

And now the negative. There's only really one big one.

Clay Buchholz showed his appreciation to the Red Sox brass for holding onto him by allowing seven runs in four innings to the AL East's worst team. And it was even worse than it sounds. Buchholz gave up nine hits and four walks. It seems odd, given that he threw 46 of his 76 pitches (61 percent) for strikes, but that just means he had no command. When he missed, he missed bad and when he hit the zone, he put it right in the O's hitters' wheelhouse. The Orioles' problems have never revolved around the offense, which is fourth in the majors in batting average, but that more illustrates the point than acts as an excuse. When you're against a team that can hit, you need to be more conscious of where you're putting the ball. Buchholz didn't do that and as a result, saw his ERA rise from 3.52 to 6.05. He hasn't made it out of the sixth inning in any of his five starts, giving up 28 hits - including 9 in each of his last two starts - in 19.1 innings and has a putrid 14/11 K/BB ratio.