Main page
« May 18, 2007
May 20, 2007 »

Jon Lester update

Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester just concluded his rehab start for the Pawtucket against the Ottawa Lynx.

The left-hander worked 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit with one walk and two strikeouts. He threw 48 pitches (29 strikes) and retired the last 10 batters he faced.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 7:16 PM | Permalink

Tonight's lineup

ATLANTA
Kelly Johnson, 4
Edgar Renteria, 6
Chipper Jones, 5
Brian McCann, 2
Jeff Francoeur, 9
Andruw Jones, 8
Scott Thorman, 3
Matthew Diaz, 7
Willie Harris, DH
John Smotlz, SP

BOSTON
Julio Lugo, 6
Coco Crisp, 8
Manny Ramirez, 7
Eric Hinske, 3
Mike Lowell, 5
Alex Cora, 4
Wily Mo Pena, 9
Doug Mirabelli, 2
Devern Hansack, SP

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 7:09 PM | Permalink

What they're saying . . .

On Dice-K:

“He did a great job,” said Mike Lowell. “He was very efficient, especially through the first six innings and then he was sitting on the bench for a while because we scored (five) runs [in the bottom of sixth inning]. It’s not that easy to pitch when you have such a big lead because you don’t want to have that fine line between nit-picking and going after (hitters). He did a great job. All of our pitchers are doing a phenomenal job for us, keeping us games when we’re not hitting and keeping the other team at by when we are.”

On his grand slam:
“I didn’t want to get too riled up with the bases loaded,” said Lowell. “I wanted to just concentrate on a normal good at-bat and look for a pitch to hit. He left the pitch over the plate and I hit it pretty good.”

Dice-K on the disappointed of not being able to record a complete game:
"Given my pitch count (104) at the end of the eighth inning, I was expecting to go back out there in the ninth. I think given my pace up to that point, it would have been normal to go back for the ninth inning, but the manager came in and spoke to me and said 'given our big lead, go and get some rest.' "

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 5:21 PM | Permalink

Get that man a triple

Mike Lowell just collected his fourth hit of the game, a single to left, to record his sixth four-hit game of his career. He's 4-for-5 with two singles, a grand slam and a double.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 3:39 PM | Permalink

Take that, Joe

Pena made me eat my words on the previous post. Even though he made two questionable defensive plays in the top of the seventh, the big man just crushed a monster of a solo home run that landed somewhere in New Hamsphire. His roundtripper gives Boston a 13-3 lead and a season-high 16 hits. Wow! Pena's shot got out of here in a hurry. So much for a comeback.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 3:35 PM | Permalink

Oh no, Wily Mo

With the Red Sox leading 12-0 in the top of the seventh inning, manager Terry Francona replaced Manny Ramirez with Wily Mo Pena in left field. With Boston playing three games in a 24-hour period, the lineup change makes sense. Here's hoping the Braves don't mount an historic comeback.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 3:23 PM | Permalink

Tomahawk chop Fenway style

The Red Sox have scored five runs in the sixth inning en route to a 12-0 thrashing of the Braves, and the fans just started doing the tomahawk chop, mimicking the longstanding tradition in Atlanta.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 3:18 PM | Permalink

Would you like salami on that?

Red Sox' Mike Lowell just crushed a grand slam off Atlanta pitcher Mark Redman in the bottom of the fifth for a 7-0 Boston lead. It was Lowell's sixth salami of his career, and the ball cleared everything over the Monster.

So far today, Boston's third baseman is 2-for-3, including a double in the third that extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Can you say cycle?

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 2:39 PM | Permalink

Youkilis extends hitting streak

Kevin Youkilis just smoked a two-run homer to center field to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games. The roundtripper, Youk's fifth of the season, gives Boston a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Youk is clearly dialed in right now.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 1:39 PM | Permalink

Lugo homers to lead off

Red Sox lead-off man, Julio Lugo, hit a home run in his first at-bat. He drove a 1-1 offering off Braves starter Anthony Lerew into the Monster seats. It was the first lead-off homer of the season for the Red Sox and the eighth of Lugo's career.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 1:18 PM | Permalink

Today's lineup

ATLANTA

Johnson, 4
Renteria, 6
Jones, C, 5
Jones, A, 8
McCann, 2
Francoeur, 9
Thorman, 3
Diaz, DH
Harris, 7
Lerew, SP

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

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:30 AM | Permalink

Weather update from Fenway Park

This advisory just came from the Red Sox:

The current weather forecast (provided by the Red Sox private weather service, Meteorlogix) in the vicinity of Fenway Park calls for intermittent light rain showers this afternoon.

The Fenway Park gates will open at the regularly scheduled time of 11:05 a.m. for today’s 1:05 p.m. game, and the Red Sox will do everything possible to make certain this afternoon’s game will be played. However, the Red Sox want to alert our fans to the current forecast and the possibility of delays for this afternoon.

This forecast is of course subject to change as the day progresses. There will be another weather update at approximately 11:00 a.m.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 10:08 AM | Permalink

Braves players and the Green Monster

Numerous Atlanta Braves players just made their way from the clubhouse to the Green Monsters. With Interleague play beginning today at Fenway Park -- last night's game was postponed due to inclement weather -- this is the first trip to the storied ballpark for some National League players.

Players entered through the door in the scoreboard and they're getting an up-close-and-personal look inside the Monster. Some are even standing on the top step of the visitor's dugout taking pictures of the wall and the field.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 10:00 AM | Permalink

The tarp is on the field

Good morning baseball fans,

I arrived at Fenway about 30 minutes ago and the tarp was off and the grounds crew was working on the field. The crew just put the tarp back on its being anchored into the ground, which is not a good sign for the first game of today's scheduled day-night doubleheader. It's misting at Fenway, but there's no word yet on any delay.

As soon as more info becomes available I'll pass it along. . .

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 9:48 AM | Permalink