Red Sox, A's Arrive in Japan for MLB Opener

Team shocked, shocked at allegations that Schilling faked the blood in 2004

(NEWSER) - Many past and current Red Sox rushed to the defense of Curt Schilling yesterday after Baltimore announcer Gary Thorne claimed the blood that famously turned the injured pitching ace's sock red in the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees was a hoax. Thorne said backup catcher Doug Mirabelli had told him it was a PR stunt. More»

Last-day losses cap miserable month for Red Sox, Braves

(NEWSER) - The Boston Red Sox are in the record books and out of playoff contention after a terrible night capped a terrible September. The Red Sox allowed two ninth-inning runs in a 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles last night, the AP reports. Minutes after the Red Sox trudged off the field—still tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the final playoff spot—the Rays secured the spot by beating the New York Yankees 8-7, having fought back from being down 7-0 in the middle of the seventh inning. More»

With Dodgers in NLCS, only Philly-Colorado remains up in the air

(NEWSER) - The Yankees wrapped up a sweep of the Twins tonight in Minneapolis, getting homers from Jorge Posada and suddenly clutch Alex Rodriguez in a 6-1 win. They advance to face the Angels, who mounted an unlikely ninth-inning comeback this afternoon, scoring off Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon three times and hanging on for a 7-6 victory and their own sweep in Boston. More»

On average; there are some steals, and some outrages

(NEWSER) - Fans of winning baseball franchises pay for their bragging rights with more expensive beer, the Wall Street Journal reports. On average, a team that wins 6 out of 10 games charges $1.30 more for a 16-ounce beer than a club with a .400 winning percentage. There are, of course, exceptions, allowing for some great deals and some unconscionable gouging. More»

(NEWSER) - David Ortiz says he has never used steroids, despite his inclusion on baseball's infamous list of juicers from 2003, the Globe reports. “I used a lot of supplements and vitamins" back then, the Red Sox slugger said at a press conference today. He acknowledged being a "bit careless" in those days but stated definitively that never used or bought steroids. More»