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The Byrd Is The Word by Jared Carrabis
"Maybe I can get that World Series ring."

With one day remaining in the month of August, a pair of ringless 38-year-old veteran pitchers made their 2009 debuts for the Boston Red Sox.

With one common goal in mind, winning a World Series, the return of Paul Byrd to the Red Sox organization and the unveiling of Billy Wagner in a Red Sox uniform sent a more than promising message to the fans of Boston, as well as the teams looking to compete with this team for a playoff spot down the stretch.

Byrd, who had originally retired from the game of baseball unless the right opportunity presented itself, signed a minor league deal with Boston back on August 5. Well, that opportunity presented itself and Byrd made the most of his return on Sunday.

The crafty right-hander shared his secret to staying in big league shape to the media, while wearing a blue hat with an "R" on the face. "This is the Georgia Roadrunners [hat]," said Byrd. "This is my 13 [and under] team. My son, Grayson, is on that team and my other son, Colby, who is 11, I was throwing him Wiffle Balls in the backyard. I've been throwing batting practice to [the Georgia Roadrunners]. It was great for me, and special thanks to the 13-year-old kids for just getting me ready. I've been throwing off the mound, spinning the ball. I really would not have been in the shape I was in had I not been doing that."

When the signing of Byrd was first announced, "I'm excited," he told the media. "I think I can be back in shape and help them out in whatever role they need me to help them out in September. Maybe I can get that World Series ring."

On a day where Boston could gain some ground in their push for the postseason, both Byrd and Wagner proved their worth to their new team.

Filling in for the ailing Tim Wakefield, Byrd allowed a leadoff single to Marco Scutaro, but proceeded to retire the next three for a scoreless first. Run support was right around the corner for the righty, when with two outs, Victor Martinez ripped his 27th double of the season into left field. Six pitches later, Kevin Youkilis traded places with Martinez by lining his 31st double of the season to left field to drive in Boston's first run off of Roy Halladay.

In exchange for turning in another scoreless inning in the second, Rocco Baldelli provided some more offensive spark by blasting a solo shot that ricocheted off the Sports Authority sign atop the Green Monster. Baldelli's start gave Jason Bay the chance to rest up for two days, as Bay has started 122 of Boston's 130 games in 2009.

Boston added onto their lead in the very next inning when Dustin Pedroia led off the frame with double number 41 for the reigning AL MVP. Pedroia would touch home after a ground out by Martinez and a sacrifice fly by Kevin Youkilis.

In the fourth, the trend would continue. Another shutout inning from Byrd, and another one-run inning for the Red Sox's offense. This time, it was an RBI single by Alex Gonzalez, who has been on fire this home stand.

Byrd pitched his way into the sixth inning, blanking the Toronto Blue Jays the whole way through. The right-hander had only made three starts prior to joining the Red Sox on Sunday, which was the reason for his shortened, 83-pitch outing. Despite its lack of longevity, Byrd's three-hit shutout performance was more than anyone ever expected from the old school slinger. Byrd's outing just goes to show you how crucial hitting your spots really is. Sure, throwing 97 MPH will get you on the fast track to the big leagues, but hitting your spots is how you win ballgames (cough, Brad Penny, cough).

"I was excited to get out there and I just wanted to help out our team in any way I could," said Byrd. "I was like a kid. It was like the first time I got called up or something. I woke up this morning at 8 in the morning like looking at the walls, nervous -- just ready to go. I hadn't pitched up here in 11 months. It was a great feeling to get out there and just help our team."

Manny Delcarmen took over in the seventh inning and continued the scoreless innings streak put on by Red Sox pitching. In the bottom of the seventh, three hits and a fielding error led to three more runs for Boston to up their lead to 7-0.

In the top of the eighth, Terry Francona unleashed the beast that is Billy Wagner. To the mound, Wagner brought a career mark of 385 saves, a 2.39 ERA, 1,070 strikeouts, six All Star selections and 14 years of major league experience. He may not have his 100 MPH fastball anymore, but it didn't appear as if though he needed it. It took just 16 pitches, and Wagner had struck out the side. With a wicked slider and a fastball cruising in as high as 95 MPH, Wagner put his money where his mouth is and introduced himself to Red Sox Nation in impressive fashion.

"It was great to join the team," said Wagner. "Sitting on the bench and wearing the uniform doesn't put you on the team. You have to earn stripes, and this was a small little stripe to earn and get their confidence and let them see me first-hand and kind of introduce yourself."

Takashi Saito slammed the door on the Jays in the ninth, handing Halladay his second consecutive loss to Boston. Saito struck out two batters in his one inning of work, doubling the amount of strikeouts turned in by Byrd. Regardless, the Red Sox had themselves a sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays at the conclusion of their ten-game home stand.

Final Score: Blue Jays 0, Red Sox 7

Things you'll need to know to impress your friends:

Sunday's win for Paul Byrd was his first at the major league level since September 7th of 2008. It was also his first big league start since September 24, 2008.

After launching a solo shot off of Roy Halladay in the second inning of Sunday's contest, Rocco Baldelli improved his average to .400 against the 2003 Cy Young Award winner with 2 HR and 2 RBI.

Since joining the Red Sox on August 15, Alex Gonzalez is batting .296 with an .815 OPS. Over the ten-game home stand, Gonzalez batted .314 with 3 HR with 5 RBI.

Also having a red-hot home stand was JD Drew. Drew hit at a .348 clip over the ten-game home stand with 3 HR and 5 RBI, also.

Daisuke Matsuzaka got shelled in his most recent rehab start for Double-A Portland. He gave up five runs and lasted just two innings, not a good sign. The Red Sox had intentions of Matsuzaka tossing one more rehab start before rejoining the team on September 9, but they'll need to see better results than that if he wants to join in on a pennant race.

Here's an interesting stat. If you remove the Red Sox's and Yankees' road records from their overall records in 2009, Boston would only trail New York by a half-game in the division.

AL East (Home Records)
New York (45-20) [ -- ]
Boston (45-21) [0.5]

Monday's pitching match-up:

There isn't one, which means you can watch Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings take on the Houston Texans in some NFL preseason action on ESPN. Personally, when the Sox are off, I like to play MVP 2005, but that's just me, because I can't stand Brett Favre anymore.

Eye on the scoreboard:

Blue Jays 0, Red Sox 7
White Sox 3, Yankees 8
Rays 3, Tigers 4
Rangers 3, Twins 5

Result: So, the Yankees won for a change (sigh). They're on a three-game win streak and have won seven of their last ten. With the two teams both winning, the Red Sox remain six games out in the East. However, the Texas Rangers have gone 5-5 over their last ten games, while Boston has won seven of their last ten as well. The Rangers have fallen to 3.5 games out in the Wild Card, while the Rays playoff hopes continue to shrink, as they are now 5.5 games behind Boston. The Sox now pack their bags and head for Tampa Bay, as the Rays fight for their lives in a three-game series at the Trop.

-Jared Carrabis

To order my debut book, One Fan's Story: If This Hat Could Talk, click HERE!.