Mookie Betts Catches Orioles Napping, Scores On Heads-Up Baserunning Play

Share this: BOSTON — The rest of the league should know by now not to sleep on Mookie Betts, but apparently the Baltimore Orioles haven’t gotten the message. The Red Sox right fielder and American League MVP candidate started Monday night’s game with a bang, ripping a two-RBI double to left field in the first inning. But Betts had another trick up his sleeve when Hanley Ramirez followed him with a base hit. Orioles left fielder Steve Pearce calmly fielded Ramirez’s bloop single, as Betts held at third base. Yet when Betts saw Pearce lazily flip the ball to shortstop J.J. Hardy, he made a break for it, scampering home as a surprised Hardy threw the ball off the mark to the plate. (Click the image below

A Young Clay Buchholz Dazzled Orioles With A No-Hitter Nine Years Ago Today

Share this: For all the rough patches Clay Buchholz has gone through lately, it’s easy to forget he once was one of baseball’s most exciting pitchers. Buchholz made his major league debut for the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 17, 2007. And while he picked up the win in a solid outing, it was the Texas native’s next appearance that had Red Sox fans salivating. On Sept. 1, 2007 — exactly nine years ago today — Buchholz absolutely flummoxed the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park in just his second big league start. The lanky 23-year-old right-hander threw a dominating mix of lively fastballs, diving changeups and devastating curveballs that kept the O’s guessing. That excellent arsenal helped Buchholz rack up nine strikeouts, and his last made

LeBron James, Craig Sager Share Heartwarming Moment After Cavs’ Game 6 Win

Craig Sager was in the house Thursday night in Cleveland, calling the first NBA Finals game of his illustrious broadcasting career thanks to an agreement between TNT and ESPN. Sager is battling leukemia, and after the Cavaliers took down the Golden State Warriors 115-101 to force a Game 7, Cavs star LeBron James let the longtime sideline reporter know he’s pulling for him. “First of all, let me ask you a question: How in the hell did you go 30-plus years without getting a Finals game?” James told Sager in a postgame interview. “That don’t make no sense. But I’m happy to see you, man. Much love and respect, and I’m happy we

Deschamps keyed up for France’s big moment

France's 47-year-old coach has been doing his best not to talk about his successes as a player at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000 as he prepares a new generation to sparkle on home soil at UEFA EURO 2016.UEFA.com: With no competitive games since the 2014 World Cup finals, has it been hard to keep your players motivated?Didier Deschamps: No, it hasn't. We play every match to win, even when it's a friendly. We've had prestigious matches against the top sides in Europe; we know it's no substitute for competitive football, but that's what finals hosts have to face for two years. It's about setting different targets. It allows you grea...

Relive the Moment: Ray Bourque Takes Sweater Off His Back, Hands No. 7 to Phil Esposito at Retirement Ceremony

In Ray Bourque's mind there was only one No. 7 in Bruins history, and that belonged to Phil Esposito. So on the day the B's retired Espo's number in 1987, Bourque took the No. 7 sweater off his back and handed it over to the Boston legend, relinquishing the number to the player who helped lead the black and gold to two Stanley Cups in 1970 and 1972. To see one future Hall of Famer offer his jersey to another, check out the video below. To vote for Espo's No. 7 as Boston's Greatest Sports Moment, click here.  To see the entire bracket, click here. Share your thoughts about Boston's Greatest Sports Moment on Twitter at @NESN. Include #BGSM in your tweet.