Tony Massarotti checked in Wednesday to answer your questions about the Red Sox (what to look for in the second half of the season), the Patriots (training camp is right around the corner), and other Boston sports topics ...

Editor's note: Check out the interactive version of Mazz's midseason report card, which allows you to grade each player and see the aggregate reader grades as well as Mazz's.

Midway through this season, the Red Sox are exactly who we thought they would be: playoff contenders with a remarkably deep pitching staff and an effective offense, factors that have made them as viable a championship threat as anyone in baseball.

Are the Sox perfect? Heck no. Depending on what happens with Mike Lowell, the Sox may need help on the left side of the infield. Regardless, they could probably use a lefthanded hitter. The No. 3 spot in the rotation remains a black hole and the bullpen, in a best-case, scenario, could probably use a lefthanded specialist.

Still, all things considered, the Red Sox concluded a solid first half with Josh Beckett's shutout of the Kansas City Royals and are on pace for 99 victories. With that in mind, here are this year's midterm grades (in alphabetical order):

POSITIONAL PLAYERS

Jeff Bailey (C) -- The classic platoon candidate, he is 10 for 25 (a .400 average) with a 1.220 OPS against lefthanded pitching, just 6 for 52 (a measly .115 average) with a .515 OPS against righthanded pitching. The Red Sox knew all of this coming into the season, though Bailey probably has played a little more against righties than they might have liked. Regardless, he has given them everything he should have -- nothing more, nothing less.

Rocco Baldelli (B) -- Signed to back up J.D. Drew and spot start against lefthanded pitching, Baldelli has celebrated his return to New England by batting .328 with a .900 OPS against southpaws. Availability really hasn't been too much of an issue, but only because the Red Sox have managed his workload quite carefully. Among players who essentially spent the entire first half with the team, no one has fewer at-bats against righthanders (27).

Jason Bay (A-) -- The last couple of weeks have been tough -- a .153 average and 25 strikeouts in 17 games -- but prior to that, he established himself as a candidate for the American League Most Valuable Player Award. During the break, the Red Sox are expected to talk with his agent about a contract for 2010 and beyond. At the moment, while earning $7.5 million, he is eligible for free agency and could be in line for something in the range of $15 million annually.

J.D. Drew (B) -- As improbable as it seems, the Red Sox rank third among all AL teams in OPS from the right field position, behind only the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins. (Stuff like that makes you wonder if Theo Epstein knew what he was doing when he gave Drew $14 million a year.) On the whole, Drew has been healthy and involved, now assuming the role of leadoff hitter. Has he been All-Star-caliber? No. But all the way around, pretty solid -- as usual.

Jacoby Ellsbury (A-) -- Don't look now, but the dynamic young center fielder is now growing consistent. Ellsbury hit .287 in April, .308 in May, and .313 in June. Since the start of last season, nobody in the game has stolen more bases. For now, the Red Sox are quite content to have him providing offense from the bottom third of the lineup. Long-term, he needs to find his way back to the top of the order, or, perhaps, even the middle.

Nick Green (B+) -- Are you kidding? Given the injury to Jed Lowrie and the continuing defensive issues with Julio Lugo, shortstop could have been a train wreck. Green hasn't been great, but on the whole he's been very good. And since May 18, among all major league shortstops with at least 30 games at the position, no one has made fewer errors. Seems as if the Wes Welker look-alike has more than Welker's face; he has his hands, too.

Mark Kotsay (B) -- Kotsay missed much of the first half recovering from injury, but where would they be without him now? With Mike Lowell out, Terry Francona has the option to play Kotsay at first and Kevin Youkilis at third, especially against righthanded pitching. Against righties, Kotsay is .281, albeit with relatively little power, and the defense has been good, as usual. Again, the dropoff could have been huge here. What a luxury to have on the bench.

George Kottaras (C+) -- Admittedly, there hasn't been a heck of a lot of offense, but again, that's not the point. Thanks to the Josh Bard experiment in 2006, we saw what could happen when Tim Wakefield gets paired with a new catcher. Kottaras has seven passed balls and opponents have stolen successfully on 22 of 26 attempts against him -- but those numbers are a product of the knuckler. In the end, Wakefield has 11 wins. The catcher gets some credit there.

Mike Lowell (B) -- Make no mistake: The first two weeks after the break will be critical because the Red Sox need him healthy and productive. Among all AL teams, only the New York Yankees (Alex Rodriguez) and Tampa Bay Rays (Evan Longoria) have had a better OPS from their third basemen than the Red Sox. Lowell has lost half a step in the field, but his hands remain among the best in baseball. The long-term question for the Red Sox is obvious: Can he hold up?

Julio Lugo (D-) -- With or without the game-winning hit in Baltimore, his offense has been decent. The problem, obviously, is that the defense has been a disaster. Among all big league shortstops with at least 200 innings at the position, Lugo has the lowest fielding percentage in baseball. (Read that again.) The Sox finally may be forced to make a decision on him in the coming days, and we all know it's time. One thing: It's not always his fault.

David Ortiz (C-) -- Strange season, eh? At his lowest point, on June 2, Ortiz was batting .186 with one home run and 18 RBIs and a .566 OPS in 47 games. Since that time, in 34 games, he leads the Red Sox in home runs (11), RBIs (29), and OPS (1.011) while looking very much like the Big Papi of old. One good month does not undo two positively terrible ones, but Ortiz certainly is getting there. Looks like this could be a respectable year after all.

Dustin Pedroia (A-) -- The reigning American League MVP hasn't hit for quite the same power he did a year ago, though some of that has to do with the way teams are pitching him. Especially at Fenway Park, few dare to venture to the inner half of the plate against him. Still, Pedroia has been a catalyst for these Sox and ranks among the league leaders in runs, doubles, and hits. As usual, the defense has been rock solid. The love affair continues.

Jason Varitek (B+) -- Know where the Red Sox ranked last season among the 30 big league clubs in OPS from their catchers? That would be 26th (and 13th in the AL). Know where they rank this year? Fifth (and third). Varitek isn't quite the All-Star catcher who backstopped this team at the height of his career, but he's had a nice first half while giving the Red Sox more from the position than just about any team in baseball. Nice comeback. Nice story.

Kevin Youkilis (A-) -- Factoring in his stint on the disabled list, here's what his numbers project to over 162 games: 35 home runs, 116 RBIs and 123 runs scored -- and those come despite a recent stretch during which he batted .194 over the span of 28 games. Now Youkilis looks like he's getting hot again -- all while shuttling between first base and third base effortlessly. With a good second half, he will be in the thick of the MVP voting again.

INCOMPLETE -- Aaron Bates, Dusty Brown, Chris Carter, Jonathan Van Every, Jed Lowrie, Gil Velzaquez.


PITCHERS

Daniel Bard (B+) -- Can't you just see the confidence growing? After getting knocked around by the Phillies on June 14, Bard has 12 strikeouts and three walks while allowing just six hits (all singles) in his last eight appearances covering 10 innings. There has been some indication recently that Terry Francona may start using him in more important situations, which speaks volumes. If this kid gets it rolling, a very good bullpen will get even better.

Josh Beckett (A) -- After a shaky month to start the year -- Beckett had a 7.22 ERA at the end of April -- the last 13 starts have been sterling. During that time, Beckett is 9-1 with a 2.14 ERA while limiting opponents to a .204 batting average. He has been everything an ace is supposed to be -- and he has been healthy, which can only make you wonder what might have been in October 2008. With any luck, of course, the Sox will get to find out this year.

Manny Delcarmen (A-) -- Since the start of last season, there are just 17 relievers in baseball who have pitched at least 100 innings and maintained an ERA of 3.00 or better -- and the Red Sox have four of them. Along with Jonathan Papelbon (of course), Hideki Okajima, and Ramon Ramirez, Delcarmen is in that group. Maybe he's more of a middle man than a true setup guy, but the results generally have been good. And like the others, he has proven durable, too.

Jon Lester (B+) -- His struggles lasted about two weeks longer than Beckett's -- Lester had a 6.51 ERA on May 15 -- but what has happened since has been nearly Pedro-esque. In his last 10 outings, Lester is 6-2 with a 2.01 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 67 innings, the latter of which translates into 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Don't look now, but the Red Sox may have themselves the best lefthander in baseball.

Javier Lopez (F) -- OK, after a solid 2008, the early part of 2009 was a disaster and earned him a demotion. Lopez got used in some situations out of desperation -- he really isn't suited to face righthanded batters -- but he also allowed lefties to bat .429 against him with a 1.110 OPS. Still, in case anyone hasn't noticed, much of the damage against the Sox bullpen of late has been done by lefthanded batters. This team really could use a lefthanded specialist.

Justin Masterson (C-) -- What we have here, for lack of a better word, is a bit of a regression. Masterson was one of the keys to the bullpen last season, but recently he has looked like the most vulnerable reliever on the team. His problems against lefties are growing -- a .314 average, .370 OBP and .832 OPS -- and he's been a big part of recent bullpen meltdowns against Baltimore and Kansas City. These are probably just growing pains, but watch closely.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (F) -- However you want to slice it, Matsuzaka's 2009 season has been nothing short of a train wreck. In his eight starts, Matsuzaka went 1-5 and the Red Sox went 2-6. (Overall, the No. 3 spot in the rotation has produced a 6-12 record; the Sox are otherwise 47-22.) In 35 innings, he allowed an astonishing 78 baserunners. Let's hope this is all the result of a fatigued shoulder -- and not the sign of dwindling effectiveness.

Hideki Okajima (A-) -- Take away one wretched outing in the 11-10 implosion at Baltimore on June 30, and Okajima has a 2.17 ERA over the balance of the first half. Since the start of 2007 season, Okajima ranks in top 10 of all major league relievers in ERA (minimum of 150 innings). The point? Don't take this guy for granted. He's durable, reliable, and effective against both lefthanders and righthanders. Any team would love to have him.

Jonathan Papelbon (A-) -- OK, fine, so the performances have not been quite as pleasing to the eye as those in years past. We all have seen some slippage here. That said, Papelbon looked as sharp as he has all year during Friday night's 1-0 win over the Royals and he remains one of the truly dominating closers in baseball. As worrisome as some of his outings have been this year, ask yourself this: What would the Red Sox do if he were lost for any period of time?

Brad Penny (B) -- Expectations make all the difference here, but after a horrid April (8.66 ERA), Penny has settled into that No. 5 role quite nicely, posting a 3.79 ERA. Sure, the Red Sox would love to see him go a little deeper into games, but at the back end of the rotation, his primary responsibility is to give them a chance to win. He's done that. As Josh Beckett said, when you get right down to it, how many teams have five starters better than this guy?

Ramon Ramirez (A-) -- Ramirez has hit a wall lately -- he has a 5.02 ERA in his last 16 games -- but don't kid yourself. He's been one of the best setup men in baseball. Since the start of last season, in fact, only five relievers in the game (minimum of 100 innings) have an ERA lower than Ramirez' 2.53 -- and one of them is Jonathan Papelbon. In the Boston bullpen, nobody needs the All-Star break more -- and nobody is more deserving of time off.

Takashi Saito (B-) -- There was lots of hype when the Red Sox picked him up to be their third-day closer, but let's be honest. This hasn't turned out quite as the Sox hoped. In part because the Sox bullpen has been healthy Saito hasn't really been employed in any situations of consequence. The Sox are just 14-17 when he pitches, which tells you that Terry Francona is more comfortable using him when the team is behind. Overall, he's been fine. But he's expendable.

Tim Wakefield (A-) -- Went back and looked at the game logs, and he had two real clunkers: at the Angels on May 13 and at Toronto on May 29. Excluding those, Wakefield went 11-1 with a 3.53 ERA. Not bad for a 42-year-old guy, eh? Of course, all of the starts count and we cannot pick and choose, but the bottom line is that Wakefield already has won more games than he did during all of 2008. As Terry Francona says, he always seems to give the Sox a chance.

John Smoltz (C+) -- A bad one, a good one, a bad one, a good one. Sounds a little like the Curt Schilling of 2007, no? Remember, Smoltz is here for late August, September, and October, and the Red Sox are building him up with that in mind. There are going to be some inconsistencies along the way, but the club can afford that given the depth of its staff and rotation. Starting after the break, we should look for slow, steady improvement. The goal is to peak late.

INCOMPLETE - Michael Bowden, Hunter Jones.

MANAGER

Terry Francona (A) -- Well, here we are again, and the Red Sox are atop the division, looking like the class of the American League. There have been no flare-ups to speak of. The pitching staff has been handled well. Francona is in the first year of a three-year contract extension -- and he's the first manager in Boston to begin a sixth season in roughly 60 years. Some of us never thought this was possible, but have we reached the point where the manager has New England's complete confidence?

GENERAL MANAGER

Theo Epstein (A) -- His biggest test has yet to come -- that would be the trading deadline -- but let's examine his offseason moves: Smoltz, Penny, Ramirez, Green, Baldelli, Kotsay; meanwhile, Junichi Tazawa is tearing it up in the minors. The Mark Teixeira failure could have long-term implications -- was that his fault or ownership's? -- but Theo has scored big on the lesser investments. Now all he has to do is sign Jason Bay. After all, what are the alternatives?

Sitting up there, from bookend to bookend, they looked like basketball’s answer to the Steel Curtain: Garnett, Pierce, Allen, Wallace. Between them, there wasn’t a hair out of place.

For what it’s worth, Rasheed Wallace knows what you are thinking. The Celtics have a good thing going here and they don’t need a loose nut to affect their stability. Asked today to identify the more intense personality, himself or Garnett, Wallace ultimately pointed a finger squarely in his own direction, if only because Garnett "can control his emotions." Wallace freely acknowledged that he has had some issues with such self-restraint, referring to his "history with regard to technical fouls" amid supportive chuckles and smiles.

So what do the Celtics intend to do about it now that they have formally announced Wallace as the latest addition during their new-age renaissance? Nothing. Not a darned thing. And truth be told, that is exactly what they should be doing.

"I haven’t changed [Garnett] yet, so I’m not going to try [with Wallace]," Celtics coach Doc Rivers mused when asked about the challenge of handling his new big man, who has been signed to a three-year contract for the mid-level exception. "I can’t change anybody. I love the passion. …I’m not that concerned about it. …I love it."

Any concerns that this could fail?

"No," said Celtics vice-president of basketball Danny Ainge without the slightest bit of hesitation. "I mean, there are other teams out there [also vying for a championship]. But we’re a better team. We are, for sure, better."

So `Sheed blows a gasket every now and then. Big deal. So does Kendrick Perkins. Nobody ever won a championship by patting the refs on the bottom and holding the door open for opponents to drive the lane. Wallace has been accused of taking some nights off every now and then, and that might happen here, too. The Celtics are just hoping that they get fewer of them, be it from the presence of Garnett, the invaluable change of scenery – it can be a motivator – or the simple maturity of a man who will turn 34 in September.

The bottom line is this: The Celtics know what they are getting into here and they are embracing it whole-heartedly. According to Ainge, the Celtics did some research on Wallace and learned that he is generally liked by teammates and coaches, which is the true litmus test for any player. It doesn’t matter if the refs like him … or if the fans like him … or if the media likes him. All that matters is if Wallace and his teammates can freely express their displeasure with one another and work through the issues that inevitably arise on every team in every sport. Winning usually takes care of most of that.

And this team, again, will win a lot.

"That’s kind of like old news to me," Ainge said when asked about Wallace’s history of volatility on the court. "He hasn’t really had major issues with that the last few years. If he had done that every year, then that’s an issue."

Beyond that, let there be no doubt about the Celtics’ leadership here just as there is no doubt about the leadership in Foxborough. When it comes to running a team, Ainge and Rivers know what it is important and what is not. They’re not interested in changing players’ personalities or styles. At one point during Garnett’s first season here, Rivers said he talked to the player about being more restrained on the court, talking less trash, controlling himself. The moment Rivers saw that Garnett wasn’t playing as freely, he pulled his centerpiece aside and told him to go back to being himself.

Want to bet that the Celtics told Wallace the same thing during their full-court press on him last week? We just want you to be you, `Sheed. Just come in and do your thing. You might start or you might come off the bench, but that doesn’t matter, anyway. You’ll be out there when it counts. If Wallace needed to hear anything else, he wouldn’t be here right now.

"I felt as though it was a good fit," he said quite simply.

Does any of this ensure that the Celtics will win another championship in 2009-10? Of course not. There is still a lot to be determined, The Celtics still would love to add Grant Hill and could use another guard, and Ainge said they want to retain Glen Davis. Garnett is coming off knee surgery. Rajon Rondo has to be slotted somewhere between his rookie deal and a maximum contract. The Cleveland Cavaliers have added Shaquille O’Neal and the Orlando Magic have imported Vince Carter. The reigning world champion Los Angeles Lakers just brought in Ron Artest.

To their credit, the Celtics have not stood still. After the way last season ended – with or without a healthy Garnett – the Celtics had to get better and they knew it. They promptly set their sights squarely on Wallace and then brought him to Boston, evoking images of a five-man unit, including Rondo, that might be able to match up with just about any in NBA history.

"They wanted someone of my caliber and vice-versa,’’ said Wallace. "It’s a whole new world, a whole new day. I just can’t wait to get it goin’."

Concurred Garnett, "I’m really excited about this year."

Sounds like the bookends are in concert on this.

With regard to Roy Halladay, to paraphrase former Sox general manager Lou Gorman, the question is obvious:

Four games from the All-Star break and 22 days from the July 31 trading deadline, the Red Sox are now 51-33 in the wake of last night’s 5-4 win over the Oakland A’s at Fenway Park. With a victory over the Kansas City Royals tonight, the Sox could climb to a season-high 19 games over .500. The Red Sox may have the deepest pitching staff in team history, last night’s win giving No. 4 starter Tim Wakefield more victories than any other pitcher in the American League.

By now, you know that Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi indicated earlier this week that he would entertain trade discussions on ace Roy Halladay, who has more wins than any pitcher in baseball since the start of the 2002 season to go also with the best winning percentage (.707). Since the start of the 2006 campaign, Halladay has more complete games (23) than any pitcher in baseball and has thrown more innings (807 1/3) than anyone but CC Sabathia (808 1/3). Halladay has one career Cy Young Award (2003) and has finished in the top five of the voting on four occasions.

His appeal is obvious, and if the Red Sox wanted to make a deal for Halladay today, they could.

But they won’t.

Let’s start this discussion with an obvious truth: Because of the depth of their farm system, their financial resources, and their status as the most successful team in baseball this millennium, the Red Sox can trade for just about any player they want. It is a question of how much they want to give up. No team in baseball currently can match the Red Sox’ combination of financial wealth and minor-league talent, which is a credit to the team’s baseball operation. Any time a marquee player becomes available, the Red Sox are part of the discussion.

Even when, as now, they have far greater needs (read: a hitter) than pitching.

As of late yesterday, the Sox had yet to inquire with the Jays about the price for Halladay. Two days ago, a baseball source indicated that Toronto officials would be shocked if the Sox met their demands for the player. Everyone in the game knows that the Sox love their prospects and their farm system, and they also know that the Sox are built for the long haul as a result of it.

Really, haven’t we been here before? Nearly two years ago, after the Sox won the 2007 World Series, Halladay was available, too, in a sense. The only difference was that his name was actually Johan Santana. The Sox engaged in discussions with the Minnesota Twins -- just enough, but not too much -- to jack the price for Santana’s suitors. In the process, the Sox were either going to keep Santana from going to the Yankees entirely or ensure that New York sacrificed its primary pitching prospects in order to get him.

In the end, Santana went to the Mets. By late October of last year, neither New York team had qualified for the postseason while the Red Sox came within one win of a third World Series appearance in five years.

In the short term, there is no question that Halladay could dramatically impact the balance of power in any playoff race. He is that good. According to one modern media item out of St. Louis today -- OK, it was a tweet from longtime baseball reporter Joe Strauss -- one Cards official suggested the team would be willing to let the Jays pick any five players from their minor league system for Halladay. While that may be construed as nothing more than hyperbole, consider that aces like Bartolo Colon (from Cleveland to Montreal in 2002 for Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, and Brandon Phillips) and Santana have commanded as many as three or four top-level prospects. Using that as an outline, the cost for the Red Sox would be a package that might include a combination of at least three players from the group of Clay Buchholz, Daniel Bard, Michael Bowden, Casey Kelly, and Lars Anderson, among others.

Some of us (guesses anyone?) would be more than willing to make a trade like that. To this point in his career, Epstein has all but formally identified those folks as fools.

If, indeed, the past is prelude, ask yourself this: What top-level prospect has Epstein ever traded? Freddy Sanchez was a Dan Duquette draft pick who went in the Jeff Suppan deal in 2003 -- and Epstein still regrets that one. David Murphy? The Red Sox saw him as an extra outfielder stacked behind, among others, Jacoby Ellsbury. Hanley Ramirez might still with the club if Epstein had not resigned following the 2005 season. Craig Hansen had long since become a bust when he went in the Jason Bay deal.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox have drafted and developed Ellsbury, Jon Lester, Dustin Pedroia, Jonathan Papelbon, and Justin Masterson, to name a few. For all of the talk in recent years about how the Patriots have rarely been hurt by a player they elected to cut free, the same effectively could be said for the Red Sox with regard to their young players.

In the case of Halladay, in particular, there is a great deal to consider. At the moment, he is signed only for this year ($14.25 million salary) and next year ($15.75). With free agency looming, any kind of extension for him would fall in the territory of Sabathia and Santana, each of whom is making in the vicinity of $23 million a year. Then there is the matter of his age. Halladay will turn 33 at the start of next season, and the Sox typically have avoided making any type of major investment in pitchers in their 30s.

Again, let’s look at the past. When the Red Sox signed Lester, Beckett, and Daisuke Matzuaka to long-term deals, all of those players were in their mid-20s. As part of the trade negotiations, Curt Schilling got a two-year extension. Ever since signing Matt Clement to a three-year, $25.5 million deal that proved to be a flop -- even that might not be regarded as a major investment -- Epstein has spent more time investing in one- or two-year projects like John Smoltz, David Wells, Brad Penny, and Wade Miller (remember him?) than in anyone who would command a great percentage of the payroll.

The bottom line is that a guy like Halladay represents everything Epstein would run from because he would require both the forfeiture of significant talent and a colossal financial investment. That’s a lot of risk.

During their time as the operators of the Red Sox, Epstein and his staff have had their share of luck, too. They tried to give away Manny Ramirez and failed. Then they nearly acquired Alex Rodriguez. They had David Ortiz behind Jeremy Giambi, for goodness sake, and pursued, among others, Carl Pavano and Jose Contreras. Again, Epstein probably wouldn’t have made the Beckett deal, though he did sign him to a new contract.

If any or all those things break differently, we might look at the Red Sox far more differently today.

Nonetheless, the Red Sox are where they are today because of good talent and shrewd management, not necessarily in that order. No one player is valued too greatly. A productive farm system is clearly the best way to make consistent runs at championships. Augmented with free agency and trade acquisitions -- and not the other way around -- the Red Sox should be title contenders for years to come.

Halladay? Many of us would love to see him in a Boston uniform, a feeling that will morph to frustration if Halladay ends up with the Yankees. Epstein knows this as well as anyone. He also knows that the Red Sox have far more to consider than just the 2009 season.

Which is why you should be shocked if he ever made this trade.

A year ago at this time, Jacoby Ellsbury had long since begun his descent. Today, the man with the jets appears to have found his cruising altitude.

And so what the Red Sox have, in a manner of speaking, is baseball’s answer to The Concorde.

"I couldn’t be happier with him," Red Sox batting coach Dave Magadan said last night of Ellsbury, who went 2 for 3 with a double, stolen base, and run scored in the Sox’ 5-2 win over the Oakland Athletics. "Over the last five weeks especially, I think he really feels like he’s a dangerous hitter. It’s in there. He’s got it in him."

Now, on a nightly basis, it is starting to come out.

The Red Sox have landed on their feet again, folks. Last winter, Coco Crisp went to Kansas City for the rubber-armed Ramon Ramirez, thrusting Ellsbury into center field on a full-time basis. Now Crisp is out with a season-ending shoulder injury and Ellsbury is morphing into a consistent (key word there) everyday player, while Ramirez has become a key component in what looks to be the best and deepest bullpen in the major leagues.

The kicker? Crisp is being paid $5.75 million this season and batted just .228 (with a .714 OPS) before the injury. The Royals now hold an $8.8 million option on a player with a considerable rehabilitation in front of him, suggesting that Crisp might very well be a free agent come November and that the Royals gave up Ramirez for someone who wore the Kansas City uniform for a mere 49 games.

By contrast, the future looks brighter than ever for Ellsbury, who has been the most consistent Red Sox performer this year. Since going 5 for 10 over a span of two games from April 20-22, Ellsbury’s average has not dipped below .270. Since May 5, he has remained between .291 and .303, the latter of which is his team-leading average today. Ellsbury has run down balls in the outfield and created havoc on the bases, and he has the kind of impact on the Boston lineup that most everyone knew he could have.

Try this on for size: Last night, when Ellsbury stepped on home plate with the Red Sox’ fifth and final run in the bottom of the sixth inning, it marked the 100th game in which he has scored since the start of last season. The Red Sox are 76-24 in those contests, including 25-7 this year. (In those games, Ellsbury has batted .401 with 142 runs while going 64 of 68 in steal attempts.) Of the last 12 games in which Ellsbury has scored at least once, including last night, the Sox are 11-1, the loss coming in last week’s aberrational 11-10 loss at Baltimore that featured a historic bullpen meltdown.

Forget the leadoff spot. If Ellsbury can do this kind of consistent damage from the bottom third of the lineup, it gives the Red Sox a dimension that they did not previously possess. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: the most underrated quality in baseball is the ability to contribute consistently on a day-to-day basis without suffering so badly in any one area that you become a liability.

"He’s not just a good young player. He’s a good player,’’ said Sox manager Terry Francona, speaking to Ellsbury’s maturity as a hitter. "He’s played a lot. He’s out there everyday and understanding his responsibility. He’s done a good job."

Last year? Not so much. After the whirlwind conclusion to 2007, Ellsbury got off to a terrific start in 2008. On May 23, in 45 games, Ellsbury was batting .297 with 37 runs scored, an .826 OPS and 19 steals. After that, he batted .242 with a mere 13 walks in his next 76 games. Ellsbury went from a budding Johnny Damon to a bumbling Johnny from Burger King. Like most things involving him, it all happened fast.

Late last year and early this one, Magadan worked with Ellsbury on his most obvious problem: getting to the fastball consistently. Because Ellsbury hit with a high leg kick, he frequently was late getting the ball, mostly because he was late in getting his foot planted and being in what Magadan likes to call -- fittingly, in this case -- the "launch position.’’

Late last season, the coach and player all but eliminated Ellsbury’s leg kick, leading to a season-ending 24-game stretch during which Ellsbury batted .369. He subsequently went a disappointing 6 for 32 in the postseason and 0 for 14 in the American League Championship Series. This year, with a full offseason and spring training behind him, Ellsbury has settled on a relatively small kick that has satisfied both him and Magadan -- this is what players mean when they speak of making "adjustments’’ -- leading to the kind of results that have made Ellsbury a menace to other clubs.

The power? The Red Sox believe that will come -- Ellsbury is slugging .410 this year. Were one to add Ellsbury’s steals (36) to his total bases (130) -- aren’t those really one and the same? -- his slugging percentage would jump to .524, the kind of number that, coupled with his defensive skills and current average, would make him one of the elite players in baseball.

"He’s got talent and he works hard," Francona said. "You don’t see too many players, regardless of their age, hit .280 or .300 the whole year. There are a lot of ups and downs through the course of the year."

Nonetheless, more than halfway through the 2009 season, Ellsbury seems to have found a comfortable, consistent level.

Tony Massarotti checked in on Wednesday to answer your questions about the Red Sox (what are the chances fo them actually landing Roy Halladay?), the Celtics (what impact will Rasheed Wallace have?), and other Boston sports topics ...

In retrospect, maybe this homestand isn’t going to be such a cakewalk after all. With six games to go until the All-Star break, the Red Sox suddenly seem to be holding on for dear life.

True enough.

Meanwhile, the American League playoff races are starting to get interesting again.

True confession: When the Red Sox left Baltimore last week following Wednesday’s dramatic come-from-behind victory, some of us -- foolishly, in hindsight -- thought the final homestand before the All-Star break would be tantamount to senior week. The Sox could show up drunk on Sunday and still graduate. All that stood between the Sox and, say, a 55-33 record at intermission was a 7-3 stroll through the mudroom that contained the Mariners, A’s, and Royals.

Of course, that was before the Sox dropped 2 of 3 to Seattle -- Boston’s first series loss since June 5-7 against Texas -- and lost last night’s series opener to Koufaxian lefthander Brett Anderson. Minus Dustin Pedroia, Mike Lowell, and even Jeff Bailey -- who ever thought we’d be saying that -- the Sox managed just two hits and struck out nine times with a lineup that featured Julio Lugo, Nick Green, Rocco Baldelli, and Aaron Bates.

Not exactly the names Theo Epstein had on his menu last winter, eh?

Entering tonight’s affair behind ace Josh Beckett, the Sox are a completely illogical 6-13 against the AL West this season, going winless in six series pending the outcome of the current three-game set against the A’s. (They are 15-4-2 in series against everyone else.) Peerless gunslingers against most everyone in baseball, the Sox turn into the gang that couldn’t shoot straight when venturing into the new West.

So what is it? Are the Sox simply banged up? Are they looking ahead to a well-deserved vacation? Are they bored?

All of the above?

"I don’t see that happening here,’’ Francona said when asked if the Sox might have been taking anything for granted of late. "I think guys get excited having a few days off, but I don’t see that as a problem.’’

Nor should he. Nothing in recent history suggests that the Red Sox are the type of team to suffer worrisome lapses. Generally speaking, the Sox show up for work every day and take care of business against both the good teams and bad ones. Before last night’s game, despite an obvious need for a righthanded hitter -- this was true even before Bates checked in -- the Sox had an 18-10 record against lefthanded starters, the best record in the American League.

Nonetheless, with regard to the games against the AL West, offense has been the single greatest issue. In the 19 games against AL West clubs this year, the Sox have batted a woeful .225 and managed just 4.1 runs per game; the rest of the time, they’ve hit .280 and put up an average of 5.5 runs per contest. Were every AL club like the Seattle Mariners, who entered last night leading the league in pitching, such a discrepancy would be entirely understandable. But of the A’s, Rangers, and Angels, not a single one of them ranks in the top half of the league in pitching.

For those of us watching from the outside, at a time like this, nothing could be more maddening.

Whether there will be any long-term ramifications from all of this is unlikely, but in the interim, know this: a Red Sox division lead that sat at a spongy 5 games two weeks ago has been whittled to 1. Meanwhile, Boston’s lead over the AL wild-card leader has shrunk from 6 games to 3 1/2. As things stand, the Angels, Rangers, or Mariners could end up in the thick of wild-card contention, and the Sox are 5-10 against those clubs this season with six games remaining against the Rangers (all in Texas) and only three more against the Angels (in Boston).

Obviously, there is still a great deal of baseball to be played this season, and we have learned in recent years (and in other sports) that the toughest part of any season can be that time surrounding the All-Star break and the trading deadline, when routines and rosters are inevitably disrupted. It happened to the Bruins this year. It happened to the Red Sox last year. It can happen to most any team that has something to play for every night, particularly clubs with leads in the standings and that may be devoid of any urgency.

In the end, is there anything wrong with the Red Sox at the moment, beyond a couple of injuries?

Probably not.

But what could have and should have been an easy week-and-a-half has become a surprising grind, and the Red Sox need to remind themselves that there are still six games to go.

And so, just as Nomar Garciaparra makes his return, Rasheed Wallace is preparing for his arrival. The story lines intersect. Boston’s past and present are traveling along their respective courses offering nothing more than a brief wave, like ships passing in the night.

Welcome back to Boston, Nomah. We hope you still recognize the place. The Red Sox are now two-time World Series champions and Logan Airport is a final destination more than an initial port of departure. Wallace is only the latest example. From Corey Dillon to Randy Moss to Kevin Garnett and John Smoltz, the greatest athletes in America now come here for redemption, for one final chance to win, for the right to climb aboard the duck boats and negotiate their way through the nooks and crannies of Sportstown, USA.

Imagine that.

"Once [Wallace] had a chance to reflect on everything, and realizing what his objectives are, he just decided this was the best fit for him, all the way around," agent Bill Strickland, who represents Wallace, told reporters yesterday about his client’s decision to join the Celtics. "He has always wanted to be on a team that plays with a team effort, and Boston won the championship with a team like that. Boston has three potential Hall of Famers -- Rasheed has played with a lot of talent, but not with a concentration of talent like this."

And then there was this: "The group that came in -- Danny [Ainge] and everyone -- was quite thorough in bringing to his attention some things he already understood. He gained a greater appreciation for the fans in Boston and it will be an interesting change, to have them cheering for him instead of booing. …He was more concerned with the team, but the organization showed a lot of class. They came in and made him feel comfortable."

Of course, that is how it now works here, a place of which outsiders once steered clear while sensing the trepidation and uneasiness. You can’t win in Boston. It’s just too darned hard. Men like Joey Galloway and Sam Cassell and Mark Kotsay now serve as reminders of how enjoyable it can be to play here … just as Garciaparra was (is?) a reminder of Boston’s suffocating, frustrating past.

Really, is there a player in all of sports who more crisply illustrates the change in Red Sox culture than the man who was to be their next Ted Williams? Garciaparra played 7 1/2 seasons here, and he played the majority of them brilliantly. He won a Rookie of the Year Award and two batting titles. He finished second in the 1998 American League Most Valuable Player Award balloting. And yet Garciaparra’s career in Boston will be remembered as much for the failed contract negotiations and his apparent dissatisfaction with the organization and media, obstacles he was never quite able to overcome for whatever reasons.

The fans? Garciaparra generally embraced them, and they returned the favor. They are likely to embrace him tonight when he returns to Fenway for the first time as a member of the opposing team. But by coincidence or circumstance, the Red Sox changed forever the day they traded Garciaparra to the Chicago Cubs, an event that that has proven even more cataclysmic over time.

"I wanted us to discuss the issue that we all seemed to be avoiding," Sox president Larry Lucchino said in Dan Shaughnessy’s "Reversing the Curse" of a meeting with Garciaparra and agent Arn Tellem that took place just days before the Sox elected to trade the face of their franchise.

"We needed to talk about how unhappy Nomar was. Why was he still so [ticked]? Was there anything that could be done to change his mental state of mind, his approach to the organization, the city, and the game? We were contemplating the possibility of trading him, and we wanted to see if there was any way to take steps within our organization to make life better. Try to bring him back into the fold. The meeting lasted just about 45 minutes, and at the end of it, we basically concluded there was no way we were going to have a happy Nomar Garciaparra for the last couple of months of the season. There was no way to improve the situation. It wasn’t a constructive session. What he told us was that the media was bothering him. He said we didn’t appreciate it how difficult it was to play here. He told us, 'I play three games every night. There’s the media before the game, then there’s the game, which is fun, then there’s the media after the game.’ He told us that the reason teams in Boston fade is because of the stress and strain brought on by the media. I tried to bring the conversation back to Nomar’s contract or trade rumors, but he was more focused on the symptomatic problems of playing in Boston. He didn’t want to talk about himself and his own situation."

Roughly a week later, the Red Sox traded Garciaparra to the Chicago Cubs in the four-team deal that brought Orlando Cabrera (from Montreal) and Doug Mientkiewicz (from Minnesota) to Boston. Three months later, the Sox were World Series champions for the first time in 86 years. Garciaparra ultimately re-signed with the Cubs on a one-year deal and earned roughly $35 million in salary from 2005-08. He could have had a four-year, $60 million contract had he chosen to remain with the Red Sox.

During that same period of time, Garciaparra had 16 postseason at-bats, all with the Dodgers. He has never played in the World Series. He has never really been the same player since he left Boston and the Red Sox have never really been the same organization, though the Boston baseball franchise clearly has changed for the better.

Amid all of this, the volatile Wallace has revealed his desire to come to Boston, an ironic development if ever there was one. Like Moss or Dillon, Wallace comes to Boston with certain questions about his emotional maturity. He also comes with positively no questions about his ability. On the floor, Wallace is the perfect fit for these Celtics, a talented big man who can take much of the burden off Garnett (don’t forget about those knees) and play at both ends of the floor. Roughly two years after Ainge convinced Garnett to come to Boston, Wallace now falls in line behind Cassell, P.J. Brown, and Stephon Marbury as de facto Garnett disciples. Not so long ago, the thought of any of those players coming to Boston would have been nothing more than a fantasy.

As for Garciaparra, he is now a part-time player for an A’s team going nowhere, and there is no way of knowing whether he will be in the starting lineup tonight. In a perfect world, he would bat in the top of the very first inning. Garciaparra would stride from the on-deck circle toward the plate as his name is announced to the Fenway Park crowd, and he would receive a thunderous, appreciative ovation from yet another sellout. And then, having briefly engaged his past, Garciaparra would step into the batter’s box to re-enter the present.

And then, fittingly, he would face John Smoltz.

From here to the All-Star break, there are 10 games to play for the Red Sox. All of them will take place at Fenway Park. The opponents have been outscored by a combined 110 runs this season, while going a whopping 21 games under .500.

Clearly, now is not the time for Boston to let up.

Possessors of the best record in the American League and a 20-8 record beginning May 31, the Red Sox will return home tomorrow for the opener of a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners. After that, Nomar Garciaparra and the Oakland A’s will come to town for three games. After that, it’s the Kansas City Royals for four, a series in which the Sox already may have caught a break because they are scheduled to miss Zack Greinke.

Repeat: The Royals will be here for four days and the only KC starter whom the Sox are in line to bypass is the man in line to start the All-Star Game. Greinke is due to start Friday (vs. the White Sox) and Wednesday (at Detroit). This comes after a stretch earlier this season during which the Sox twice side-stepped Toronto’s Roy Halladay while somehow avoiding Detroit’s Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson, among others.

The moral of the story? It’s better to be lucky than good, but it’s best to be both.

Here is a preview of the homestand, broken down by opponent:

SEATTLE MARINERS (July 3-5)

The Mariners took 2 of 3 from the Sox in Seattle in mid-May, a series that began with Jon Lester’s one-inning meltdown and ended with a memorable throwing error by shortstop Nick Green. The Red Sox are pitching much better now than they were then and, as we all know, they are a completely different team at Fenway Park, where they thus far have posted the best record in the league.

While the Sox will send Tim Wakefield, Brad Penny, and Jon Lester to the mound in this series, the Mariners will counter with Hernandez, Garret Olson, and Brandon Morrow. Hernandez (8-3, 2.54) has never allowed a run in two career starts at Fenway (2-0, 0.00), and he is one of the truly gifted young pitchers in the game. Thanks largely to Hernandez and a bullpen that ranks second to the Red Sox (3.18) in the majors with a 3.29 ERA, the Mariners have hovered near .500 despite scoring the fewest runs in the American League and ranking 29th in the majors in runs scored.

As a result, all signs this weekend point to low-scoring, relatively close games -- the scores in May were 4-5, 5-3, 2-3 -- especially with Mike Lowell absent from the Boston lineup and Jason Bay struggling. Given the strength of the respective bullpens, the team scoring first will likely possess a big advantage. On Saturday and Sunday, especially, the Red Sox would be well-served to score against the Seattle starters and take control of the games early.

OAKLAND A’S (July 6-8)

In a series that will mark Nomar Garciaparra’s first trip to Boston since the landmark 2004 trade that shipped him to the Chicago Cubs, the Red Sox look to have a big advantage. At the moment, the A’s have the second-worst record in the league and, like the Mariners, a dreadful offense. In the Mariners, A’s and Royals, in fact, the mighty Sox pitching staff will face the three worst offenses in the American League.

Entering this season, many believed the potential success of the A’s hinged on the performance of their young pitching staff, which actually has been quite decent. Gio Gonzalez (0-2, 7.27 ERA), Dallas Braden 6-7, 3.13), and Trevor Cahill (5-6, 4.23) are scheduled to face John Smoltz, Josh Beckett, and Wakefield in a series that again should be controlled by the pitchers.

For the A’s, offense has been a major problem. Despite picking up Jason Giambi, Garciaparra, Orlando Cabrera, and Matt Holliday, Oakland ranks in the bottom three of the league in runs (12th), home runs (14th) and OPS (14th). That is likely to continue against a Red Sox pitching staff that is the deepest in baseball.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (July 9-12)

Along with an anemic offense, here is something else the Royals share with the Mariners and A’s: a wretched defense. Entering the final days of the first half, the Mariners have committed 59 errors, most in the league. The Royals (57) and A’s (54) are right on their heels, all three teams ranking among the bottom four in the AL in defense.

Should the Red Sox indeed miss Greinke, this four-game set could be a nothing more than a block party. Though the Royals rank ninth in the American League with a 4.30 team ERA, that figure balloons to 4.78 minus Greinke –- and that number would place the Royals among the bottom three teams in the league.

Get the picture? Take away Greinke and the Royals can’t pitch, hit, or field. In fact, when Greinke does not get a decision, the Royals are 23-41.

As any of the Red Sox would be eager to tell you, any type of lapse on their part would negate the many advantages they seem to possess entering the final homestand of the first half. Tuesday’s late-inning collapse in Baltimore is proof. But if the Sox can stay focused over these final 10 days, they could go into the All-Star break more than 20 games over .500 and with a firm grasp on a potential playoff spot, affording them invaluable margin for error approaching both the trading deadline and stretch runs.

As most everyone knows, the major league baseball season is like a golf tournament: you can’t win it on the first two days; you can only lose it. That said, as the Red Sox approach the cut with the weekend in mind, there are a few more birdies out there for them on the way back to the clubhouse.

Games like last night's are obvious flukes, baseball’s way of reminding us all that there are simply no guarantees. You have can have a nine-run lead. You can have the best bullpen in baseball. You can be entering the bottom of the seventh against the worst team in your division.

And you still could lose.

And so, if you’re Theo Epstein today in the wake of last night’s stunning 11-10 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, here is the message you take from the shocking result: hold onto your pitching. For the Orioles, last night’s outcome was akin to the winning lottery, albeit without the long-term implications. The Orioles are going nowhere this year. The Red Sox, on the other hand, currently look like the class of the American League -- if not all of baseball -- and most everyone else still wants what they have.

"We went through a period where I think we gave up 13 hits in two innings,’’ a disbelieving Terry Francona told reporters after last night’s game. "We just had no answer. We went through just about everybody. There were balls everywhere. ... When you give up 13 hits -- that was as bad as we’ve seen.’’

And, in all likelihood, it is far worse than anything else we will see again in this 2009 season.

This afternoon, the Red Sox will ask Josh Beckett to be their elixir in the wake of last night’s debacle, but that is not the only reason this game will be noteworthy. Today is July 1. The annual trading deadline is now precisely 30 days away. Baseball’s pretenders and contenders will veer away from one another in the coming weeks, and we all know the direction in which the Red Sox will be traveling. Once again, Boston will be among those at the very front of the pack aimed at October, eyeing a sixth trip to the postseason in the last seven years and, perhaps, a third World Series title since the start of 2004.

This club has many of the same concerns it did when it broke camp three months ago. David Ortiz has had two bad months and one good one. Shortstop remains a concern. Mike Lowell’s health is now up in the air. The Red Sox could probably use another hitter, with or without Lowell’s potential return, and their pitching staff remains the true strength of the team, top to bottom, from Beckett all the way through closer Jonathan Papelbon.

For this club, from the very beginning, the consistency and health of the positional players was a primary concern. How long could Lowell hold up? How consistent could Ortiz be? Were it not for the generally positive developments concerning Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Varitek, and Nick Green, the Sox might be far closer to the middle of the pack than the front, a team regarded as having the kind of offensive flaws that could prove fatal.

But the pitching? Deep. Talented. Downright awesome, particularly in the bullpen. Last night does not change that. The only issues the Red Sox have had this season have come in that spot of the starting rotation -- let’s call it the No. 3 starter -- that might have belonged to Daisuke Matsuzaka. Between them, Matsuzaka, Justin Masterson, and John Smoltz have made 16 starts in that space, the Sox compiling a 5-11 record. The rest of the time, be it behind Beckett, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield, or Brad Penny, the Sox are a sterling 42-19, a pace that would produce 112 victories over the course of a 162-game schedule.

In the coming weeks, Epstein obviously will have some decisions to make, many of them concerning the Boston offense. The only real concern is what Epstein is willing to pay. Epstein generally has guarded his prized prospects in recent years, something that is becoming increasingly difficult to criticize him for. Brandon Moss, David Murphy, Craig Hansen? Other teams have acquired them all. In the interim, Ellsbury, Lester, and Clay Buchholz, among others, remained under lock and key in Epstein’s safest place.

Somehow, thanks to the world titles and the productivity of the Boston farm system, Epstein has completely flipped the manner in which midseason trades are conducted. The Red Sox don’t need the veteran players so much as other teams might need Boston’s prospects. Certainly, other clubs need the Red Sox’ pitching. Where the trading deadline was once a time when contenders like the Red Sox might add players for a run at the world title, now it is a time for the Sox to see what they can get for their elite young players, particularly the pitchers.

So what should Epstein do now? He should wait. The only teams that might want pitchers from Boston’s big league staff are contenders, teams (like the Texas Rangers) that might want to fortify their bullpens for the stretch run. All in all, they have relatively little to offer. At this moment, why should the Red Sox improve someone else’s bullpen while worsening their own, particularly following a game like last night’s, a reminder of just how fortunate the Red Sox have been to have all of their relievers firing on all cylinders all year long.

So the Red Sox had an ugly loss last night. Big deal. The Sox still have more pitching than two average big league clubs combined. If one of them wants to pay out the nose for a Michael Bowden or even a Buchholz, Epstein should listen. If no one does, Epstein should keep what he has, despite last night, and keep taking his chances.

With pitching, after all, you can never have too much.