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« April 15, 2007
April 17, 2007 »

Sox set date for makeup game with Angels

The Red Sox announced after today's game that yesterday's postponement against the Angels will be made up on Friday, Aug. 17 at 1:05 p.m. as part of a day-night, separate-admission doubleheader. There is a regularly scheduled game that night at 7:05 p.m.

People holding tickets for April 15 can use them for the Aug. 17 day game.

The Sox' rainout against the Mariners last Thursday has already been rescheduled for May 3.

The Sox also announced the team’s celebration of the Jackie Robinson Day activities, which had been scheduled for Sunday, will take place this Sunday, April 22, when Boston hosts the New York Yankees at 8:05 p.m.

Posted by Art Martone  at 3:37 PM | Permalink

Official postgame notes

RED SOX (7-4)

FIRST THING’S FIRST: The Red Sox scored 6 runs in the first inning, including 5 before the first out was recorded, matching the 2007 season high for runs in an inning set in the 8th on April 13 vs. LAA . . . The 6 runs are the most the Red Sox have scored in the first inning this season . . . The 4 consecutive hits by Julio Lugo (2B), Kevin Youkilis (1B), David Ortiz (2B) and Manny Ramirez (1B) to lead off the first are the most by the club in an inning this season. The Red
Sox season-high for consecutive hits in an inning last year was 6, done in the 6th inning on June 26, 2006 vs. the Phillies.

JOSH SPICE: Josh Beckett became the first Red Sox pitcher to reach 3 wins this season after going 6.0 innings, allowing just one run on 6 hits and a walk while striking out 5 . . . He has held opponents to one run in each of his first 3 starts this season and has combined to post a 1.35 ERA (3 ER/20.0 IP) with 18 strikeouts . . . In the last 6 games, Sox starters have posted a 1.50 ERA (7 ER/42.0 IP . . . Orlando Cabrera’s first inning long ball snapped a string of 14.0 straight scoreless frames by Red Sox hurlers.

DAVID DRIVES ‘EM IN: David Ortiz hit his 4th home run of the season and went 2-for-3 with a double, 2 runs scored and an RBI . . . He now has 11 RBI in his last 6 contests and 8 in this series (3 games), after driving in just one run in his first 5 games of 2007.

LUGO LOOMS LARGE: With a 2-for-4 showing, Julio Lugo has now collected multiple hits in 5 of his last 9 games, batting .343 (12-for-35) over that stretch…He has scored 7 runs in his last 5 contests.

DOUBLE THE FUN: Mike Lowell went 1-for4 and stroked his 6th double of the season in the first inning, driving in his 4th run in his last 2 games after a 3-RBI performance on Friday night vs. LAA . . . The third baseman has hit safely in 9 of his last 11 games . . . Lowell legged out 11 2-baggers in April, 2006.

THE CENTURY MARK: Alex Cora went 1-for-3 with an RBI and hit the 100th double of his career in the first inning.

BOSTON PATRIOTS: With today’s 7-2 win over the Angels, the Red Sox improved to 64-48 all-time on Patriots Day.

ANGELS (6-7)

HOME SICK: Ervin Santana fell to 1-2 after giving up 7 runs (5 earned) on 7 hits and 3 walks while fanning 4 over 4.0 innings, his shortest outing since August 10, 2006 at Cleveland when he went 0.1 inning . . . He is now 9-13 with a 6.78 ERA (107 ER/142.0 IP) in 27 career games (27 starts) on the road.

BACK TO HAUNT: Orlando Cabrera hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot off Josh Beckett in the first inning . . . The roundtripper
was the first by an Angels hitter in 8 games, a span of 65.0 innings . . . In 6 games this road trip, Cabrera is batting .391 (9-for-23) with 2 doubles, a home run and 4 RBI . . . 6 of his last 11 hits have gone for extra bases, including 5 doubles.

INJURY REPORT: Vladimir Guerrero left the game in the first inning after being hit on the right wrist by a Josh Beckett pitch. Precautionary x-rays were negative and he was diagnosed with a soft tissue contusion.

Posted by Art Martone  at 3:22 PM | Permalink

Josh Beckett's comments

Highlights of Josh Beckett's postgame press conference:

On the warning he received from the umpires after hitting Vladimir Guerrero in the first inning: ''The way [umpire] Rick Reed explained it to me was, anytime you give up a home run and then hit somebody . . . I'm not saying I agree with it, but I'm not saying I disagree with it. They're just trying to control the game.''

On the benefits of the warning: ''I started focusing a little more on getting the ball down. It's easy to get out of sorts [because of the rain delay].''

On the plays made by Julio Lugo today: ''I've had [Alex Gonzalez] playing behind me for so long I think a lot of times I take [good defense at shortstop] for granted, but I can't complain right now. Lugo made maybe one of the best plays I've ever had made behind me with that sliding catch in center field. He's such a great athlete . . . He's awesome. He made two great plays today, and he can hit.''

Posted by Art Martone  at 3:12 PM | Permalink

Terry Francona's comments

Highlights of Terry Francona's press conference:

On the game: ''We came out swinging very well, got a little help and took advantage of it, and then made it stand up . . . I'm pleased. We still came out and, especially early, swung the bat effectively.''

On Josh Beckett: ''He pitched very, very well and got some defense behind him, too.''

On Beckett's hitting Vladimir Guerrero: ''I know it hit him good. It got him square. [But] there's no intent at all, except trying to get [inside] on a real good hitter.''

On how important it was to get the game in: ''We were getting into a situation where we [would have] had to back [starting pitchers] up another day . . . It was good to play.''

On the injury to Blue Jays relief ace BJ Ryan: ''He's good. He's one of the best in baseball. It certainly can't help. How they handle it will be seen down the road, but he's certainly one of the best in baseball. I acknowledge that.''

On going to Toronto, where the Blue Jays play in a dome: ''It's nice to know that we're going to play, and we're going to play on time.''

On the incident late in the game when one fan threw a pizza at another fan, an incident caught in great detail by NESN: ''Whatever turns 'em on. As long as we have the lead.''

Posted by Art Martone  at 2:57 PM | Permalink

Red Sox 7, Angels 2

Clouds? Wind? Rain?

As far as the Red Sox were concerned, this homestand was nothing but blue skies.

After a two-hour delay beyond the original starting time of 10:05 a.m., the Sox took it to the Angels for the third straight game today at Fenway Park. They hit Los Angeles with a six-spot in the first inning and never looked back as they coasted to a 7-2 victory and a sweep of the weather-abbreviated three-game series. (Sunday's game was postponed because of rain.)

Boston outscored Los Angeles 25-3 in the three games, and had a 39-9 advantage overall in the five-game homestand. The Sox went 4-1 overall, beating Seattle 14-3 on Opening Day before losing 3-0 to Felix Hernandez last Wednesday. One of the games against the Mariners was also rained out.

The Sox actually fell behind in the first inning today when Orlando Cabrera homered off Josh Beckett. But that slim deficit melted away as they rocked Angels starter Ervin Santana in the bottom of the first.

Julio Lugo started things off with a double to center, and he came home to score on a single by Kevin Youkilis. A double to left by David Ortiz moved Youkilis to third, and they both scored on a single to right by Manny Ramirez, making it 3-1.

J.D. Drew followed with a potential double-play grounder to second, but Howie Kendrick threw the ball into left field. Ramirez came all the way around for a 4-1 lead and Drew wound up on second.

Mike Lowell continued the hit parade with an RBI double to left. After Jason Varitek flied out and Wily Mo Pena popped out, Alex Cora doubled to right and Lowell came home, making it 6-1.

Beckett was never in trouble, scattering six hits over six innings with one walk and five strikeouts. Hideki Okajima and J.C. Romero each tossed a shutout inning in relief, and Kyle Snyder allowed a home run to Kendrick in the ninth.

Ortiz had accounted for the seventh Boston run with a home run in the fourth.

Click here for the box score. The Sox, now 7-4 this season, head off to Toronto for games tomorrow night, Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon before returning home for a weekend series with the Yankees.

Posted by Art Martone  at 2:39 PM | Permalink

What they're saying

Julio Lugo on his defensive performance:

“We played good all the way around. Fortunately I came out with some good plays, and I feel like I made a difference. . .I take a lot of pride in my defense. A lot of people say I’m a better offensive player than defensive player, but we’re just going to have to see.”

Jason Varitek on Lugo's day:

“He was phenomenal in the field today and he had some good at-bats, too,."

Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett on Lugo:

“He made two unbelievable plays behind me. On one of them he saved me a run, and on the other he saved me from throwing more pitches."

Beckett on his 3-0 start this season compared to last year:

“I’m not worried about last year. I’m worried about this year. I’m worried about keeping my team in games and trying to help them win this year. There’s nothing I can do about last year. I just need to continue to make pitches when I need to because that’s been the key to my success.”

Varitek on Beckett:
“He pitched extremely well. He kept us in it and only gave up that one run.”

Varitek on team's offense:

“It helps to put eight or nine runs on the board. But when push comes to shove, we’re going to have to rely on this pitching staff to get it done.”

Terry Francona on Beckett:
“He did a good job, and they made him work hard, too. We knew they would because they didn’t want to lose today. There were a lot of foul balls and they got deep into counts, but he pitched very well and got some good defense behind him, too.”

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 2:28 PM | Permalink

Beckett done for the day

Red Sox starter Josh Beckett is finished for the day. Lefty reliever Hideki Okajima has entered the game.

Beckett worked six innings, allowing one run on six hits with five strikeouts and one walk. He threw 99 pitches (67 strikes). f the Sox can hold on to their six-run lead, Beckett will be 3-0 on the season.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 2:06 PM | Permalink

Santana done for the day

Heading to the bottom of the fifth inning, the Angels' Ervin Santana is done for the day. Reliever Dustin Mosley is in.

Santana finished four innings, allowing seven runs (five earned) on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts. He threw 78 pitches (44 strikes).

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 1:48 PM | Permalink

Santana struggling

Angels starter Ervin Santana is having a tough day on the mound. He surrendered six runs in the first inning, and has now issued back-to-back walks to start the second inning.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 1:02 PM | Permalink

Guerrero x-rays negative

Angels slugger Vlad Guerrero, who was hit by a pitch in the first inning by Sox starter Josh Beckett, just had x-rays taken at Fenway Park and results were negative. He has a soft-tissue contusion on his right wrist.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 12:52 PM | Permalink

Angels' Cabrera homers as game starts

Orlando Cabrera just hit his first homer of the season for the Angels, the team's first in eight games.

The first-inning run also snaps Boston's 14-inning scoreless streak.

Red Sox starter Josh Beckett then hit the Angels' Vlad Guerrero, who had to leave the game favoring his right wrist. The home-plate umpire was quick to issue warnings to both teams.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 12:22 PM | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with Art Martone

Today, Sean McAdam, at soggy Fenway Park, discusses the Red Sox' strong offensivve performances against Los Angeles, and examines Jonathan Papelbon's changed role. Click here to listen to the audio file.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 11:57 AM to Martone , McAdam | Permalink

Sox Streakers for April 16

From the team's official game notes:

-The Red Sox are 63-48 all-time on Patriots Day (they played 26 holiday double-headers between 1903 and 1966). This will be their first Patriots Day meeting with the Angels. By far, the opponent they have played most often is the New York Yankees -- and the Red Sox have won 22 of the 33 meetings. The Red Sox have a three-game winning streak on Patriots Day.

-Boston's 18 runs Friday and Saturday is the team's largest output on consecutive games since August 12 and 13, 2006, against Baltimore.

-The Red Sox have a four-game winning streak against the Angels.

-Boston's 2.79 team E.R.A. is tops in the American League and second only to the Mets in major league baseball.

-David Ortiz has seven RBI over the last two games.

-Eric Hinske has batted safely in the last 13 games in which he has appeared, dating back to last year. He's hitting .500 (17 for 34) over this period.

-Vladimir Guerrero is batting just .200 (4 for 20 with a home run) lifetime against Josh Beckett.

-Coco Crisp is 0 for his last 11.

-Dustin Pedroia has drawn at least one walk in five straight games. His on-base percentage is .382.

-Manny Ramirez is 1 for his last 11.

-Jason Varitek is batting .130 left-handed.

-Kevin Youkilis is 7 for 19 (.368) in his last five games.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 11:48 AM to Projo Sox Streakers | Permalink

Guess who was at Fenway last week?

Our friend Peter King tells us that Peyton Manning was there on Opening Day . . . and he loved it. Manning said he "didn't catch too much flack from Patriots fans.''

Posted by Art Martone  at 10:53 AM | Permalink

Tarp coming off? / Photo

Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl
Fans waiting for the gates to Fenway to open today keep dry under the awning of the sports bar Cask 'n Flagon.

It's still raining at Fenway Park, but the grounds crew is preparing to take the tarp off the field. As you know, the start time of today's game has been pushed back to 12:05, but it's likely to start a little later because it'll take a good hour, maybe a little more, to get the field prepared.

Check the latest weather for the Boston area ...

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 10:48 AM | Permalink

Today's lineups

Angels
Gary Matthews, 8
Orlando Cabrera, 6
Vlad Guerrero, 9
GarretAnderson, 7
Shea Hillenbrand, DH
Casey Kotchman, 3
Howie Kendrick, 4
Mike Napoli, 2,
Maicer Izturis, 5
Ervin Santana, SP

Red Sox
Julio Lugo, 6
Kevin Youkilis, 5
David Ortiz, DH
Manny Ramirez, 7
J.D. Drew, 9
Mike Lowell, 5
Wily Mo Pena, 8
Alex Cora, 4
Josh Beckett, SP

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 10:08 AM | Permalink

Francona confident Sox will play today

Red Sox manager Terry Francona just concluded his daily meeting with the local media and he said there's a legitimate chance today's game will be played.

It's still raining at Fenway, but the skipper thinks the game should be able to begin somewhere around 1 p.m. Francona also said if today's game is postponed, it appears it will be made up on June 11 but nothing is official, yet.

Lineups to follow . . .

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 10:03 AM | Permalink

PawSox plan to go ahead with twin bill today

Pawtucket Red Sox president Mike Tamburro says the team plans on playing today's double-header as scheduled. The PawSox expect to begin play against the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees just after noon today. The plan is to play two, seven-inning games with a short break in between.

-Report from Sports Writer Kevin McNamara

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 9:47 AM to PawSox | Permalink

Baseball Today: Monday, April 16

Dodging the rain and the wind as travel through the baseball world . . .

'SOMETIMES I THINK IT'S MANNY'S WORLD, AND WE ALL JUST EXIST IN IT': So says minor-league catcher Greg Brown in a comprehensive profile of Manny Ramirez in the latest edition of The New Yorker. It may be the most revealing look we've ever gotten -- and the most revealing look we'll ever get -- at Ramirez, whom David Ortiz describes (in the piece) as being "in his own world, on his own planet. Totally different human being than everyone else.” Seth Mnookin has a mini-review on his blog.

GOOD POINT: The Red Sox racial history was back under the microscope this weekend as baseball in general, and the team in particular, remembered and honored Jackie Robinson. (Providence Journal) In that light, the Herald's Steve Buckley questions why former Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey is in the Hall of Fame. (Boston Herald)

YOU SEE, THIS IS WHY 2004 WAS SO IMPORTANT: Because prior to then, Bucky would have put a Red Sox cap on Satchel. (comics.com) Although, now that I think of it, maybe not; Darby Conley is, after all, a Massachusetts native and a Red Sox fan. But, having lived through it, I think it's all the more reason not to rag on another team's misfortune.

WELL, ALL RIGHT, JUST THIS ONCE: Except, of course, for a certain team that blows a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth when -- after getting the first two men out -- Mariano Rivera surrenders a three-run, walkoff home run to an .050 hitter. (New York Daily News)

BACK TO THE CUBS: Ignoring the franchise's history would be a lot easier if the manager didn't refer to it after an aggravating loss. (Chicago Sun Times)

AND BACK TO THE YANKEES: Since Yankee fans were uniformly unsympathetic last year when the Red Sox lost, in no particular order, Jason Varitek and Trot Nixon and David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez and Curt Schilling and Jonathan Papelbon and Jon Lester down the stretch -- after having already lost Matt Clement and David Wells, and missing Wily Mo Pena and Coco Crisp for extended stretches -- you'll forgive us if we're not crying a river over the state of their pitching these days. (New York Post)

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH: Johnny Damon is annoyed that A's rookie Travis Buck was impolite enough to mention Damon's arm. (San Francisco Chronicle)

UH OH: The Blue Jays see themselves as the A.L. East darkhorse, but not if the injury to BJ Ryan is serious (The Chronicle Herald)

G38: Curt Schilling breaks down Saturday's eight shutout innings. Even if you're not into the pitch-by-pitch descriptions, he always provides some interesting tidbits for more casual fans. On this day, he 1) talks frankly about the work of home-plate umpire Tim Timmons, and how one call probably cost him a chance for a complete game, in the midst of a frank and fascinating discussion about umpires, and 2) well, in his own words:

"The fans in NY and Boston are always very in tune with the starting pitchers and pitch counts. Walking off the mound -- when the fans know you've probably pitched your last inning -- as the home guy with those fans on their feet is a rush you just can’t understand . . . April 14th in Fenway and 35,000+ people are on their feet, and LOUD. It’s a rush, an incredible rush. I know it will absolutely be one of the things I’ll miss when I am done but man it’s pretty frickin’ unreal to experience."

Pretty good stuff (38pitches.com)

ENDING ON A SAD NOTE: The seven-month old son of former Sox shortstop Alex Gonzalez reportedly is critically ill. (Dayton Daily News)

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 7:56 AM | Permalink

12:05 start

The Red Sox have announced that this morning's original start time of 10:05 has been pushed back to 12:05.

I just arrived in the press box at Fenway Park and I can't believe that the Sox are going to try to play at some point today. The forecast looks pretty much the same for the rest of today. Even if there is this so-called "window" around noon, the field is soaked and the grounds crew is currently fixing puddles along the warning track.

On the drive up from Providence, the river along the Parkway on Jamicaway has flooded over. Branches are down all over the place, but there were a few runners warming up for today's 111th running of the Boston Marathon.

Believe me, I'm all for playing baseball in the rain. But, if conditions remain the way they are now, this game has to get banged.

Case in point: The grounds crew is working on the warning track and just soaked up a huge puddle in front of the Monster. The crew is now working in front of the bullpens, and the Monster area is already flooded, again.

I'll keep you up to date . . .

Joe McDonald

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 7:50 AM | Permalink