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PawSox postponed, too

Today’s scheduled game between the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees at McCoy Stadium has been postponed because of rain.

The PawSox and Yankees will play a doubleheader Monday at 12:05 pm at McCoy. It will be a single-admission doubleheader (both games will be seven innings).

Posted by Art Martone  at 1:24 PM | Permalink

The Batting Order

Look for Wily Mo Pena and Alex Cora to start for the Red Sox if the team is able to play on Patriots’ Day.

That was the report today from manager Terry Francona. Francona already had posted his lineup for today’s game when the postponement was announced shortly before 10 a.m. It included Pena in center for the slumping Coco Crisp and Cora at second base for Dustin Pedroia. Pena was eighth in the order, Cora ninth.

Assuming Anaheim stays with its scheduled starter for today, Ervin Santana, Francona said he likely will go with the lineup as he had it posted this morning. Playing Pena in center was not because Crisp (a .111 batting average) is slumping so badly, but rather because of the desire to give all his players some work, Francona said.

Francona also did that Saturday when he let Pena pinch-hit for J.D. Drew in the eighth inning with Boston leading the Angels, 8-0. Drew had his hitting streak at stake _ he had a hit in every Sox game to that point, but was 0-for-3 on the day.

``I don’t think J.D. cared about that,’’ Francona said. ``I didn’t think about that until you just said it.’’ It was simply a case of giving Pena a chance to hit, the manager said.

On another issue, the Sox were contacting Major League baseball officials to see if they would be allowed to postpone their part of the tribute to Jackie Robinson to tomorrow. As it was, all of Major League baseball was planning to honor Robinson today on the 60th anniversary of his breaking the color barrier in the game. The Sox were hoping they would be able to carry out their plans for the Robinson celebration one day late.

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 11:26 AM | Permalink

The Pitching Plan

About 10:15 this morning, as reporters were waiting for a scheduled 10:30 meeting with Sox manager Terry Francona, Julian Tavarez was called into the manager’s office.

As is usually the case in those situations, the news was not good for Tavarez. He was told he was going to be the primary victim of today’s postponement. For the second time in less than a week, he was going to be pushed back in the Boston rotation.

Francona reported that he had decided to have Josh Beckett, today’s scheduled starter, pitch tomorrow's Patriots Day game. Tavarez, who was scheduled to work tomorrow, now will not take the mound until Thursday on Toronto. Daisuke Matsuzaka will go Tuesday, as planned, for the opener in Toronto. Tim Wakefield will get the start Wednesday and Tavarez Thursday.

That means Curt Schilling, who pitched so well Saturday, will get an extra day’s rest and will work the opener of the Yankees' series Friday. Schilling is not likely to object to having to wait an extra day but be able to return to the mound in Fenway. He was 9-1 at Fenway last season and fired eight shutout innings Saturday against the Angels in his home debut.

Because of the weather problems, the Sox asked Tavarez to stay today. He was to go to the batting cage where he will throw against some live hitting. Alex Cora, for one, headed down to the cage to hit against him. Tavarez also will do some light throwing Tuesday to some work in, Francona said. It is not expected that he will be made available to do any work in relief. With the starters pitching so well, the bullpen is extremely well rested.

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 11:07 AM | Permalink

NO GO TODAY

The Red Sox lost a battle today _ to the weather.
As badly as they wanted to play, the Sox had no choice. It already was raining by 10 a.m., and the worst was yet to come, when the team announced it was postponing today’s scheduled 1 p.m. contest against the Angels.
The game was not immediately rescheduled. The Angels do make another visit, for a weekend series in mid-August, giving the Sox at least some flexibility to reschedule the contest, perhaps as part of a split doubleheader if needed.
The team asked that fans be made aware the time for tomorrow’s series finale against Anaheim could be changed. The game, the annual Patriots’ Day contest, is scheduled for 10 a.m.
The nasty weather system that was just arriving is supposed to ease off sometime tomorrow. It is possible that the start could be moved back several hours or more if that is what is needed to get in the contest tomorrow.
Oh, by the way, it is not 11 a.m. yet. And as I do this in the press box the rain has intensified. It already is nasty.

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 10:51 AM | Permalink