Alfredo Aceves News

Boston Red Sox's Dustin Pedroia, bottom, slides out while trying to advance to second as Tampa Bay Rays' Will Rhymes, top, puts his glove on him during the first inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Sunday, May 27, 2012.

After 47 games in 53 days, the Red Sox are still in search of a winning record. Two outs away from reaching the milestone Sunday, they saw their hopes crushed when Sean Rodriguez' two-run home run in the ninth inning propelled the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-3 win in the series rubber game at Fenway Park.

With a .600 winning percentage over its last 30 games, the Boston Red Sox can use that math to make a postseason berth for the first time since 2009.

Alfredo Aceves jogged out of the bullpen at Comerica Park in Detroit on April 8, charged with protecting a three-run lead for the Red Sox in the ninth inning.

"We have three guys at the end of the game who were starters in spring training," manager Bobby Valentine said.

Had you asked me a month ago, Bobby Valentine would have been dead last on my list of American League Manager of the Year contenders.

What's new: The Sox are as beat up as the Rays, with OF Cody Ross becoming their 13th player on the DL.

Wednesday's box score will tell you that the save went to Alfredo Aceves, who has been red-hot of late as Boston's closer.

Mark Melancon was supposed to be striking out hitters in friendly Fenway, not in Pawtucket's McCoy Stadium.

Red Sox closer Alfredo Aceves is on a roll, having converted nine straight save chances.

Even though it's only May 23, the Red Sox have already managed to lose a comical number of players due to injury.

Daniel Nava and Scott Podsednik each hit solo home runs while Kelly Shoppach had a two-run homer as the Boston Red Sox edged the Baltimore Orioles, 6-5, in the rubber match of a three-game series.

I try to be diligent in responding to comments in these posts each week but for whatever reason I totes dropped the ball, ala Yancy Thigpen, and missed the comments from last week's post.

That was the night the Sox felt The Curse of the Andino -- Robert Andino's two-run walk-off hit that sent Boston out of the playoffs and into an offseason tailspin.

The Red Sox were a few days away from starting the season when they learned their closer, Andrew Bailey, had torn a ligament in his thumb.

Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz hits a solo home run in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Baltimore, Monday, May 21, 2012.

Make that two straight solid starts for Josh Beckett and another in what has become a lengthy line of quality starts by Red Sox starting pitchers.

"Hard to Believe!" is the game-by-game story of the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies, from the first pitch on Opening Day to the final pitch of the World Series.

The Phillies had squandered so many chances Saturday night until a 90-foot sprint by Jimmy Rollins.

Yesterday, I looked at how the Boston Red Sox bullpen has gone from being the worst in the game to being the best over the past two weeks.