UPCOMING SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
DATE OPP. BOS TIME RED SOX STARTER OPPOSING STARTER TELEVISION
Thurs., July 13 OAK 7:05 p.m. LHP Jon Lester (4-0, 3.06) RHP Esteban Loaiza (3-5, 6.43) NESN
Fri., July 14 OAK 7:05 p.m. RHP Josh Beckett (11-4, 4.75) LHP Barry Zito (8-6, 3.29) NESN
Sat., July 15 OAK 7:05 p.m. RHP Curt Schilling (10-3, 3.60) RHP Dan Haren (6-7, 3.52) NESN
Sun., July 16 OAK 2:05 p.m. RHP Tim Wakefield (7-8, 4.05) RHP Joe Blanton (8-8, 4.95) NESN
---All games broadcast on 103.7 WEEI-FM and the Red Sox radio network and the Red Sox Spanish-language radio network---
ONE FOR THE BOOKS
David Ortiz and Jonathan Papelbon turned in historic totals at the All-Star Break…Ortiz is the first in Red Sox history to hit 30 or more home runs prior to the All-Star Break, while Papelbon’s 26 saves are the most by any rookie in major league history prior to the All-Star Break.
Red Sox All-Time Leaders, Homers Before The Break
1. David Ortiz, 2006 31
2. Carl Yastrzemski, 1969 29
3. Manny Ramirez, 2004 26
Manny Ramirez, 2001 26
Jose Canseco, 1996 26
Mo Vaughn, 1996 26
All-Time M.L. Save Leaders, Rookies Before The Break
PLAYER CLUB, YR No.
1. J. Papelbon BOS, 2006 26
2. Mike MacDougal KC, 2003 24
3. Kaz Sasaki SEA, 2000 19
4. Jorge Julio BAL, 2002 17
5. Yhency Brazoban LAD, 2005 16
Thanks to David Vincent for his home run research assistance.
HOME OWNERS
The Red Sox tonight begin a stretch in which they play 26 of their first 38 games at home after the All-Star Break…winners of their last 9 games at Fenway, Boston boasts the best home record in all of baseball since the start of the 2003 season:
1. RED SOX 189-91 .675
2. New York (AL) 186-101 .648
3. Atlanta 178-109 .620
4. St. Louis 177-109 .619
5. Oakland 178-111 .616
Since the start of 2003, Boston has at least 10 fewer home losses than any other club in the majors. . . . Boston’s 9-game winning streak at home is its longest since a 14-game home winning streak July 19-August 26, 2005…the Sox tonight look to post a double-digit winning streak at home for the 3rd season in a row, as the club also won 11-straight games here August 16-September 3, 2004.
BRINGING THEIR WORK HOME: Following a 10-game road trip that led to the All-Star Break, the Red Sox tonight return to Fenway Park to begin an 8-game homestand with Oakland (4 games), Kansas City (3) and Texas (one) . . . The Red Sox have 44 home games remaining on their 2006 schedule, more than any other team in all of baseball . . . Originally scheduled for 7 games, the homestand was extended to 8 games with the make-up of the May 14 rainout vs. Texas now scheduled for July 20, what had been a mutual off day for both clubs.
ON THE RUN: Winners in 17 of their last 22 games since June 16, Boston with a 53-33 mark is off to its best start through 86 games since 2002 (53-33 with a loss in game 87) . . . Boston posted 53 wins or more at the All-Star Break for just the 6th time since 1960, joining 2003 (55 wins), 1986 (56), 1979 (56), 1978 (57) and 1969 (54).
IN GOOD STANDING: The Red Sox lead the American League East heading into post-All-Star Break play for the 2nd season in a row, as Boston led Baltimore by 2.0 games at this point in the campaign in 2005 . . . Boston’s 3.0-game lead at the All-Star Break is its largest since 1995, when Boston led Detroit by 3.0 games in the American League East at this point in the season . . . The Red Sox have held sole possession of first place in the A.L. East for the last 25 days…Boston has also been in sole possession of or in a statistical tie for first in the A.L. East for 90 of 101 days in 2006.
YOUTH MOVEMENT: Jon Lester tonight looks to become the first Red Sox rookie starter to win his first 5 decisions since Aaron Sele won his first 6 decisions in 1993 he is the first Red Sox rookie left-handed starter to win his first 4 decisions since Rick Jones in 1976 . . . Since 1960, only 8 Red Sox left-handed starters have won as many as 4 games in their rookie campaigns, most recently done by Vaughn Eshelman, who won 5 starts as a Red Sox rookie in 1995 . . . Already this season, 5 Red Sox pitchers have earned their first major league win: Lester, Lenny DiNardo, Jermaine Van Buren, Manny Delcarmen and Craig Hansen.
DIVISIONAL MATTERS: The Red Sox are in the midst of a 24-game stretch against clubs outside of the division…prior to the 4 games at Tampa Bay last week, Boston had played 22 games in a row outside of the A.L. East….therefore, the Sox are in a stretch in which 46 of 50 games are against non-A.L. East teams after starting the year with 40 of their first 57 games against A.L. East foes . . . Overall, the Red Sox are 28-14 (.667) against non-A.L. East teams this season and are 25-19 (.568) against their division.
HE'S A GOLIATH: David Ortiz has already connected for 31 home runs this season, his 4th campaign with at least 30 homers in 4 seasons with the Red Sox…he joins Manny Ramirez (first 5) and Jimmie Foxx (first 5) as the only players in club history with 30 homers in their first 4 seasons as a Red Sox . . . According to Elias, Ortiz became the fastest Red Sox to 30 homers in club history in 84 team games, breaking the mark of 96 games set by Manny Ramirez in 2001 . . . Including 8 homers in his last 37 at-bats Ortiz leads the majors with 31 homers and 87 RBI…Ortiz is on a 162-game pace for 58 homers and 164 RBI in 2006, numbers that would shatter his career highs of 47 homers and 148 RBI set in 2005 and break Foxx’s 68-year-old Red Sox franchise record of 50 homers in 1938.
THE RED SOX AND ATHLETICS
-- 2006 SEASON: The Red Sox and Athletics meet 10 times in 2006, though these 4 games this weekend represent Oakland’s lone trip to Boston in 2006…the Red Sox make 2 trips to the Bay Area this season for a pair of 3-game series: July 24-26 and August 28-30.
-- 2005 SEASON: The Red Sox went 6-4 against the Athletics last season and have now won 10 of their last 13 games against Oakland at Fenway . . . The Red Sox have finished with a .500-or-better record at home against the Athletics in 14 of the last 15 seasons, all but 2003 (1-2).
-- ALL-TIME: The Red Sox lead the all-time series 246-192 since the Kansas City Athletics moved to Oakland in 1968...the Red Sox are 141-80 at Fenway Park and 105-112 in Oakland . . .The Red Sox are 9-3-1 in the last 13 season series with Oakland, going 86-49 vs. the A’s since the start of the 1993 season (48-22 at Fenway Park and 38-27 in Oakland).
RECORDS AND MILESTONES
-- THE 19-INNING MARATHON: On Sunday, the Red Sox and White Sox played 19 innings at U.S. Cellular Field, with Chicago capturing a 6-5 win . . . At 6 hours, 19 minutes, Sunday’s game was the 3rd-longest by time in franchise history, trailing only a 6:35, 18-inning loss August 25, 2001 at Texas, and a 6:30, 19-inning win April 11, 1992 at Cleveland . . . It was only the 9th game of 19 innings or more in club history, the longest since August 1, 2000 at Seattle, a 5-4, 19-inning loss.
-- DEFENSE RECORD: The Red Sox set a new major league record by playing 17 games in a row without an error from June 11-30 . . . Boston surpassed the previous major league record set by the St. Louis Cardinals July 30-August 16, 1992 and broke the A.L. mark of 15 previously held by the Rangers from August 4-19, 1996…the Red Sox cleanly handled 668 chances between errors.
-- SAVE ME! Jonathan Papelbon has already set the Red Sox single-season rookie saves record with 26 saves, breaking Dick Radatz’s mark of 24 saves as a rookie in 1962 . . . Papelbon’s 26 saves already tie for the 9th most by a rookie in major league history, only 11 shy of the record set by Seattle’s Kaz Sasaki in 2000.
