Bay Area Baseball

One critical series into the Manny Ramirez Los Angeles Dodgers and the Jason Bay Boston Red Sox eras the trade seems to be working out well for both squads. Manny, the key player in the three team trade, is on an absolute tear, going 8/13 so far with two home runs. The Dodgers took two of three from division leading Arizona with Manny, after losing the first game of the series without him. Manny and Los Angeles seem rejuvenated, and they really imposed their will offensively against Arizona starter Doug Davis.

The Red Sox end has also worked out; Bay has stepped his game up and shown that he is able to play in front of the intense Red Sox crowds. They certainly welcomed him with open arms and a standing ovation in his first home weekend. Bay has gone 4/11 but has been a catalyst offensively scoring six runs including the winning run against Oakland on Friday. Although Bay certainly looked the part in the sweep against the Athletics, it still remains to be seen if he can be the keystone in the lineup that Manny brought for the past eight years. His performance in August against Oakland is one thing, seeing how he performs against New York in September or October will be the true measure of whether or not he can fill Manny’s role in the heart of the lineup.

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