Sports Redux: Brady Looks Sharp; Beckett, not so much

AP Photo/Nick Wass.

Preseason 2009 for the New England Patriots can be summed up in two words: Tom Brady. Is he ready to play after missing the entire 2008 season? Is he risking injury by playing too much in games that don't count? We'll get back to the injurry question.

Brady looked really ready for prime time against the Washington Redskins with a great first-half performance. He was 12-19 for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Randy Moss caught six passes for 90 yards with both Brady scores.

He took a hard hit from Albert Haynesworth in the second quarter and didn't return. He reached for his shoulder and was seen flexing it. Late in the fourth quarter, CBS talker Jim Nantz said the team described Brady as having a "sore shoulder," and he did it with a chuckle. Look, funnyman, we are used to Bill Belichick keeping injury details from us. Brady's status is not a source of humor.

Belichick was Belichick when reporters asked about Brady after the game. He used words and we heard them and it made sense and we learned nothing about the only thing we care about in this game.

Yes, they won. Young cornerback Jonathan Wilhite returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown. Good work!

Boston was wondering which Josh Beckett was going to get the ball on Friday against Toronto. He came into Friday's start with a 14-5 mark and 3.65 ERA, which is more than adequate from your top starter. But, he's allowed a barrage of home runs and has struggled in his last two starts, giving up 18 hits and 15 runs. After five innings and five runs, all coming on two more home runs, Sox fans got an answer that we didn't like.

Despite a disappointing effort from Beckett, the rest of the Red Sox kept the game close. Trailing 3-0 into the fourth, J.D. Drew Jason Varitek and Jacoby Ellsbury drove in runs to tie the game at 3-3. A Rod Barajas shot in the fifth put Toronto back ahead, 5-3. In the bottom of the fifth, Jason Bay homered to make the score, 5-5. Toronto looked poised to take the lead in the eighth inning before Bay and Alex Gonzalez teamed with Varitek to cut down the potential go-ahead run at home.

After the rain delay, Casey Kotchman grounded to first to drive in Ortiz in the eighth for a 6-5 lead. Jonathan Papelbon came out for the ninth, and proceeded to load the bases. But he also struck out the side to seal the 6-5 victory.

In pitching news, the Globe dissected Nick Green's two-inning scoreless stint on Thursday and revealed he has played everywhere but catcher in 2009. Tampa Bay dealt Scott Kazmir to the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night in a seemngly surprising deal. The LAA gave up two prospects in the deal, and a player to be named. Kazmir is Tampa Bay's all-time leader in wins.

In other games that might interest Red Sox fans, the Yankees won and Texas lost, and so did the Rays.