Red Sox/Rays Three Game Series

The Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays went head to head in a disappointing three game series this past week. Monday, the Sox beat the Rays with a whopping 13-5 final score. Tuesday and Wednesday the Rays beat the Sox 2-1, and 10-3, respectively. Tuesday’s game was nothing short of heartbreaking. The Sox held strong all the way up until the ninth inning where the Rays scored one more run causing the game to end in an unfavorable way for the Sox. Wednesday the Sox were crushed by the Rays in a big way with the final score of 10-3.
The first game was pitched by Tokyo native, Daisuke Matsuzaka who struck out seven Rays in five innings to win his 17th game of the season.
The second game was pitched by now seven year MLB veteran, Josh Beckett. Many would say that the Sox wasted his good pitching on a night when he kept them to a run but they couldn’t get any offense to back them up.
The third and final game of the Sox/Rays series was pitched by Tim Wakefield who has been in the Major Leagues since the summer of 1992. Wakefield’s weakness shows through when unlike Matsuzaka who has won 17 games this season, Wakefield has only won nine.
As far as the future of the season is concerned, Sox analysts and fans believe that the bullpen really needs to step it up before the playoffs; according to them, the starters cannot keep doing all of the work.

2008 Olympics: Review of Women's Gymnastics

The 1984 Olympics held in Los Angeles was the last time the US Gymnasts brought home this many medals. With a final count of 10 medals: 2 gold, 6 silver and 2 bronze, Steve Penny, the president of USA Gymnastics voiced his pride saying to usa-gymnastics.org, "we are very proud of our gymnasts' accomplishments...our athletes were outstanding, not only in the field of play but also how they represented both our sport and our country..." Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin were the two leading medalists for women's gymnastics. Johnson brought home two silver medals in all around, and floor, and a gold on beam. Liukin brought home a bronze medal on floor, two silvers on beam and bars, and a gold in the all-around. The ladies were not so strong on the vault portion of the competition. Along with winning several medals, the US gymnasts also accomplished many other difficult feats. USA-gymnastics.org lists the acheivements:

-It's the first time the US has one team medals at consecutive Olympic Games for both the men and women. The women earned their second straight silver medal, and the men were also repeat medalists, this time taking home the bronze

-The US women won eight total medals...topping China's six. Romania was third with two.

-The women's all-around set two USA firsts: Nastia Liukin...and Shawn Johnson...became the first US women to go one-two in the all around ; and the first time the USA has won the all-around title for two consecutive Games

-Liukin joins Mary Lou Retton...and Carly Patterson...as the only US women to win an Olympic all-around title

-Liukin tied the US gymnastics record of five Olympic medals at one Olympics set by Mary Lou Retton, who earned one gold, two silver and two bronze, at the 1984 Olympic Games and matched by Shannon Miller, who claimed two silver and three bronze at the 1992 Olympic Games...

-Johnson is only the second US gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal on the balance beam...Liukin finished second, making this the first time the USA has won two medals in this event at the same Games.

-Johnson earned four medals at the 2008 Olympic Games...

-Liukin garnered the most medals of any female gymnast at the 2008 Olympics with five. Johnson was second with four...