After weathering a 2 1/2 hour rain delay, the Red Sox rode Kason Gabbard’s strong 5+ innings and Kevin Youkilis helped out with a home run, as the Red Sox beat the Braves 6-3 on Connecticut Day at Fenway Park.

Gabbard came up from Triple-A Pawtucket to make the start for the Sox today and was immediately sent back down to Pawtucket after his outing. Gabbard was brilliant today. He was just what the Sox needed after 5 games in 3 days.

He cruised through the first 3 2/3 innings without allowing a hit. He retired 12 of the first 13 batters he faced. The Sox hitters gave Gabbard a 4 run cushion to work with after the first inning.

Braves starter Tim Hudson retired Coco Crisp, then gave up a single to Youkilis and a double to David Ortiz. Manny Ramirez then ground into a fielder’s choice and Youk was thrown out at the plate trying to score. J.D. drew a walk, loading up the bases for Jason Varitek. Varitek woke up the Fenway Faithful with a triple that cleared the bases and gave the Sox a 3-0 lead. Varitek came around to score on a Eric Hinske single, making it 4-0.

Gabbard sent the Braves down in order in the 2nd inning, including the first of Andruw Jones 5 strikeouts on the day.

The bats gave Gabbard another run in the 2nd inning. Dustin Pedroia led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice from Coco. Youk drew a walk bringing Big Papi to the plate. Big Papi grounded into a fielder’s choice but Pedroia was able to score, giving Gabbard a 5 run cushion to work with.

After retiring 9 straight batters, Gabbard gave up a single to Jeff Francoeur. Matt Diaz followed that with a single. Gabbard then got Jones for the second time on a strikeout.

Gabbard’s pitch count was starting to get high and it showed in the 5th inning. He gave up a leadoff single to Brian McCann but retired he next two batters he faced. With 2 outs, Martin Prado, who was called up from Triple-A Richmond the night before, hit a single that advanced McCann to third. However, Gabbard got former Red Sox goat shortstop Edgar Renteria to ground out ending the threat.

In the bottom of the 5th inning, Youk did his best Johnny Pesky impression by putting a ball just around the foul pole in right field to give the Sox a 6-0 lead. Hudson then got Big Papi and Manny out but was chased out of the game after giving up singles to J.D and ‘Tek. Micah Macay McBride got the Braves out of the inning by retiring Hinske on a pop fly to short.

Chipper led off the 6th with a single and advanced to third on a Francoeur ground rule double. Those two hits chased Gabbard from the game and Brendan Donnelly came in to relieve him. He promptly gave up a single to Matt Diaz that scored Chipper. Donnelly then got Jones, to what else, strikeout. With McCann at the plate, Diaz stole second base before McCann walked loading up the bases for Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Saltalamacchia drew a walk bringing in the second run of the inning, cutting the Sox lead to 6-2. This closed the book on Gabbard. Javier Lopez came in for Donnelly and promptly got Thorman to hit into a rally killing inning ending double play.

Gabbard threw 100 pitches, gave up 6 hits, 2 runs, walked 1 and struck out 7.

Kyle Synder came into pitch the 7th inning and Hideki “Darkman” Okajima pitched the eighth inning. Jonathan Papelbon came on in the 9th inning in a non-save situation. He sandwiched strikeouts of Prado and Chipper around a Renteria single. Francoeur then hit a single to score Renteria, making it 6-3 Sox. He then allowed as single to Diaz before striking out Jones on the high cheese to end the game.

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In a collaborative effort with Sooze from Babes Love Baseball, we are presenting to you the Rookie Card Playoffs. Check out these current players’ rookie cards and pick your favorite. The top vote-getter of each bracket will make it to Round Two and so on, until there is only one Rookie Card Champion of the World.

There will be 8 brackets of 5 in round 1. Here are your first set.

According to the NY Daily News, Jason Giambi could have his contract terminated if it’s determined that he use performance enhancing drugs while a member of the Evil Empire.

What he says to MLB investigators will probably determine his future. The reason for the investigation stems from his comments he made to USA Today on Wednesday. Giambi hasn’t said anything about what he said since making the statement.

This would be the second time that the Yankees could try to terminate the Giambino’s contract. The first time stemmed from the testimony he gave in the BALCO scandal in 2003.

Had the Yankees tried to void his deal then, they would have faced considerable legal hurdles from the Players Association, as they would now. According to sources familiar with his contract, the deal contains language saying it can be voided if he uses illegal substances while with the club. But to win that battle, the Yankees would have to get past provisions in the collective bargaining agreement that the Players Association maintains supersedes those in a player’s contract.

It will be very interesting to see how this all pans out during the coming weeks. Giambi’s comments have created quite a stir now and it’s only a matter of time, in my opinion, before we see more big names linked to steroids.

Ho hum. Just another day in Boston, another Red Sox win. I don’t know about you. But I could get used to this. Anyways, I am digressing from the facts at hand.

Mike Lowell was 4 for 5 with 5 RBI’s and Daisuke Matsuzaka was effective for 8 innings as the Red Sox annihilated the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 today, 13-3.

Matsuzaka looked strong for the third straight outing and has not lost in over a month, dating back to April 17th in Toronto. He had allowed 5 singles in the first 6 innings before the Braves struck for 3 in the 7th. Chipper Jones hit a double and came home on a Jarrod Saltalamacchia single. Jeff Francoeur then took Dice-K deep to get the Braves within 9 runs at 12-3.

I was listening to the game on the radio on my way to my parents lakehouse and Dave O’Brien of the Red Sox radio network said that the Red Sox needed to get to Braves starter Anthony Lerew early. Well Julio Lugo must have been listening because he put the third pitch he saw out of the ballpark to make it 1-0 Sox.

The Sox struck for two more runs in the 2nd inning. Coco Crisp lead off the inning with a single and was retired on a Dustin Pedroia fielder’s choice. Lugo flew out to center field then Kevin Youkilis took a Lerew offering out of the ballpark to centerfield to put the Sox up 3-0.

Oscar Villarreal came into relieve Lerew and allowed a walk to Crisp and a double to Lowell in his one inning of work. He was basically a stop gap for an inning while Mark Redman was warming up. Redman was called up today by the Braves in case of their starters struggled.

After pitching a 1-2-3 inning in the 4th, Redman came unglued in the 5th. David “Big Papi” Ortiz lead off with a single. Manny followed him with a single. J.D. Drew, making his return to the lineup after crashing in the wall on Tuesday, hit a single to right field loading up the bases for Lowell. On only the 14th pitch of the inning for Redman, he served up a nice grand salami to Mike Lowell making it 7-0 Sox.

The 6th inning was no better for Chad Paronto and the Braves. Big Papi lead off the inning with a double and advanced to third on a Manny fly out. J.D. drew a walk. Lowell then hit a single to drive in Big Papi making it 8-0. Paronto got Varitek to fly out then Coco hit a double that scored Drew and Lowell making it 10-0. Dustin Pedroia had an infield single and advanced to second on an Edgar Renteria error. Big surprise another error for Renteria at Fenway. Lugo then laced a double to the gap in center that scored Crisp and Pedroia ending the day for Atlanta’s sacrificial lamb, Paronto.

Wily Mo Peña, who was in for Manny, then hit a shot over the Green Monster that I think is still traveling. The ball actually landed on the parking garage across the street.

All in all, the Red Sox battered the Braves 6 pitchers for 18 hits. Lowell led the way with 4 hits, only a triple short of the cycle. Big Papi chipped in with 3 hits of his own. Every Sox starter had a hit except for Varitek. Eric Hinske also didn’t have a hit in his one at-bat.

Dice-K went 8 innings, gave up 9 hits, 3 runs, walked no one and struck out 6. He looked good again except for the fact that he still doesn’t have full command of his changeup. Can you only imagine if he masters that pitch too.

Next up for the Sox is game 2 tonight at 7:35. Same announcers, same bat channel. Til then, may the schwartz be with you.