Main page
« May 10, 2007
May 12, 2007 »

Jon Lester update

Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester played long toss at 120 feet this afternoon before simulating mound work on flat ground and worked on his off-speed pitches. He’s scheduled to just play catch tomorrow and will throw a side session on Sunday.

When asked how Lester looked, Red Sox manager Terry Francona said "very good."

The southpaw pitcher suffered a forearm cramp during his second rehab outing for the PawSox last week.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 5:09 PM | Permalink

Clubhouse Confidential

The first day back from a road trip is usually a quiet one. So far it feels more like Sunday mass than a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, and that can mean only one thing. Something strange must be brewing so stay close and we'll keep you updated.

Anyway, here are a couple of notes from the clubhouse.

*J.D. Drew has been given tonight off and Wily Mo Pena will play right field.

*Red Sox reliever Mike Timlin, who has been on the DL since May3 with tendinitis in his right shoulder, will be examined by the team’s medical staff tonight.

*Pitcher Devern Hansack was optioned back to Pawtucket today and Javier Lopez has been recalled.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 4:47 PM | Permalink

Tonight's lineups

BALTIMORE

Roberts, 4
Markakis, 9
Tejada, 6
Hernandez, 2
Huff, 3
Mora, 5
Gibbons, 7
Millar, DH
Patterson, 8
Buress, SP

BOSTON
Lugo, 6
Crisp, 8
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, 7
Youkilis, 3
Lowell, 5
Varitek, 2
Pena, 9
Pedroia, 4
Tavarez, SP

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 4:18 PM | Permalink

SoxTalk: Putting a great start into perspective

Today on Projo SoxTalk, Sean McAdam joins Art Martone to talk about the Red Sox' blazing-hot start, and to talk about what challenges might lie ahead. Click here to listen to the full audio file. One thing that could change is the Red Sox' luck. Here's what Sean has to say on the subject of injuries:

"The one thing I would caution people, is to remind them that this team has basically been untouched by injuries so far. They have not had Mike Timlin, but given the emergence of Hideki Okajima as their primary setup guy, they haven't needed Timlin as badly. There've been nagging injuries to Coco Crisp and players here and there, but 33 games in, they've been remarkably healthy, in direct contrast to both the Blue Jays and Yankees -- their prime competitors."

But on the other hand, when it comes to the batting order...

"Lowell and Ortiz are really the only two guys who have put it together yet, which makes you think that in addition to the good pitching they've gotten, if they start getting the lineup firing on all cylinders, then maybe they win some of those low-scoring games they've lost, like that 2-1 game against (the Twins' Johan) Santana on Saturday."

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 11:52 AM to Martone , McAdam | Permalink

Baseball Today: Friday May 11

ANOTHER LUCKY SEVEN: Two days ago it was Josh Beckett improving his record to 7-0. Today it's the Red Sox increasing their lead in the A.L. East to seven games after their third straight rout of the hapless Blue Jays (projo.com), which completed their first three-game sweep in Toronto in nearly five years. The Globe's Nick Cafardo asks ''how far-fetched is it to say the Red Sox are well on their way to winning this in a landslide?'' Maybe a little; after all, it is only May 11. But there's no denying what Mike Lowell told Sean McAdam: '' “We’re just playing good baseball right now.'' As is Lowell; after his monster series at the Rogers Centre, he's now hitting .303 with a .360 on-base percentage, a .549 slugging percentage, 7 home runs and 28 RBI. (His numbers against the Jays this year are staggering: .407/.448/1.000 with 5 homers and 9 RBI.) Tim Wakefield's numbers against everyone are staggering. After his seven shutout innings last night, he has a league-leading 1.79 ERA.

The tone for the night was set very early (projo.com), and the Toronto Sun's Ken Fidlin says the tone for the rest of the Blue Jays' season has been set, as well. Hard to argue; they're already 10 1/2 games out and found out yesterday that closer B.J. Ryan is out for the season (Toronto Sun).

Now the Red Sox are coming home for a 10-game homestand. Hard to find any dark clouds around all these silver linings.

OR ANY SILVER LININGS AROUND THESE DARK CLOUDS: You know the Daily News' Mike Lupica will always zero in on the negatives in Yankee Universe, and he didn't have to search very hard to find them after yesterday's 14-2 loss to Texas. Neither did his colleague, Bill Madden, who says the Yanks look old and tired.

HEY, WE'RE COMING HOME TOO: Of course, life looks a little different for the PawSox, who start their own homestand tonight after losing 12 of their last 13. (projo.com)

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO GO BACK INTO THE BLOGSOPHERE: Jose Canseco weighs in on Curt Schilling, calling him a liar and a hypocrite. (See the video here)

In his apology-to-Barry-Bonds post on 38pitches.com, Schilling said:

''Quite a few people have tossed Biblical references my way in the past week or so after the Thorne incident in Baltimore talking about turning the other cheek and being above the fray. I’ve often thought I do and try to be that way, but it’s very clear in the last two weeks I’ve done the exact opposite. That’s not to say I won’t respond when I feel someone’s calling me out and is wrong, but doing so in every instance will serve no one and only make me say and act like the very people I have issues with.''

So let's see how -- or if -- he responds to this.

COME ON, BIG GUY: Newsday's Johnette Howard, for one, would like to hear more from Big Schill.

DON'T LISTEN TO HER: Jonathan Papelbon thinks Schilling's criticism of Barry Bonds ''wasn't too professional.'' (Hartford Courant)

IT WORKS FOR JERRY SPRINGER: In the same story, the Courant reports that Coco Crisp -- appearing on Providence's WSKO Radio -- said he'd like to see baseball take a page from tabloid television and adminster lie-detector tests to determine who took steroids. "You ever see Maury Povich, when they're talking about baby daddies and all that kind of stuff?" Crisp said. "They get the lie detector test and they're like, `Are you the father?' That's what they need to do. We need to actually see if they are the father."

I don't know what Terry Francona gets paid, but, man, it isn't enough.

THIS USED TO BE MY PLAYGROUND: Way back when, Boston was a two-team town. With the Braves -- who landed in Atlanta from Boston, via Milwaukee -- coming to Fenway next weekend, the Boston Phoenix' Mike Miliard takes a closer team at a team that ''laid the groundwork for much of what we take for granted in baseball today: Sunday and night games, television and radio coverage, fan-appreciation days, even new uniform styles. They opened what was at one time the largest stadium in the majors. They were progressive on racial issues when the Red Sox were anything but. And they created the Jimmy Fund, which benefits Boston children with cancer.''

WHAT WOULD THE DAY BE WITHOUT SOME GOOD ROGER CLEMENS TALK? The Yankees' granting Clemens the freedom to come and go as he chooses is a hot-button item in New York -- most everyone is against it -- and ex-pitcher (and current YES analyst) Al Leiter defends it -- sort of -- in a Q-and-A with the New York Post.

AND JUST IN CASE THE SEASON HAS BEEN A LITTLE TOO QUIET FOR YOU . . . It looks like Clemens may make his 2007 debut at Fenway Park (si.com)

WHO COULD'VE GUESSED? The players union says it doesn't intend to agree to a request from Sen. George Mitchell's staff to submit anonymous medical records to his steroids probe. (AP)

THE NEXT BATTLEGROUND: Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal looks at the strange case of the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano, who could be headed for the free-agent market at the end of the year . . . and who may find himself in a Clemens-like bidding war between the Red Sox and Yankees.

OLD FRIENDS: Dave Roberts is having elbow surgery, which may mean he won't be with the Giants when they visit Fenway June 15-17 . . . Newsday catches up with Mo Vaughn, who now runs a company that buys low-income housing then renovates and manages them in the New York area . . . Wade Miller will make a rehab start next Tuesday in Class AA (Chicago Sun-Times) . . . Kevin Millar had quite a night against the Devil Rays (Baltimore Sun) . . . Unfortunately, he had it against Casey Fossum (Tampa Tribune) . . . It was a tough day for Derek Lowe (Riverside Press-Enterprise).

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 7:15 AM | Permalink