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PawSox play overtime, again, lose 4-3

NORFOLK, Va. -- The Pawtucket Red Sox have played in an International League-high 11 extra-inning games this season.

As the saying goes, you win some, you lose some.

One night after posting a 1-0 victory in 12 innings, the PawSox this time lost 4-3 to the Norfolk Tides at Harbor Park in front of a crowd 9,642.

Pawtucket is now 5-6 in extra-inning games, 21-31 overall.

Tides catcher Alberto Castillo grounded a ball through the left side of the infield with two out in the 11th inning and the bases loaded to send the PawSox home on the short end.

Norfolk had loaded the bases on an infield single by Mike Cervenak, a walk to Jon Knott, and a walk to Terry Tiffee. Craig Breslow had come on in relief of Edgar Martinez to face Tiffee.

The PawSox looked as if they might get a run in the 10th inning when Ed Rogers led off with a double and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Bobby Scales. Chad Spann then hit a tailing line drive into the gap in right, but Norfolk’s Adam Stern ran it down and then threw out Rogers at the plate as he tried to tag up and score.

Stern also came up big for the Tides defensively in the ninth when he went high on the padded wall along the rightfield line to pull in a fly ball by Michael Tucker for the frame-ending out.

Early on, it looked as if the PawSox were going to break out on the calm night.

Pawtucket got on the board quickly as Jacoby Ellsbury led off the game with a single, Joe McEwing reached on a bunt single, the pair pulled off a double steak, and Ellsbury came home on a passed ball. Kevin Cash’s ground-rule double to left plated McEwing and the PawSox led 2-0.

That lead was erased in the bottom half of the inning. Tike Redman singled to center and one out later J.R. House singled up the middle. Mike Cervenak followed with a run-scoring single and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Jon Knott walked to load the bases and David Pauley uncorked his second wild pitch of the inning to allow the Tides’ second run.

By the fourth inning, the two teams had combined for more hits – 10 – than they’d tallied the previous night in that 12-inning affair.

Norfolk took a short-lived lead in the fifth when Brandon Fahey singled to left, stole second, and scored on a single up the middle by House.

Pawtucket evened matters in the top of the sixth as Scales doubled over the head of Stern, who was playing extremely shallow. Scales scored on Spann’s single up the middle, a ball that took a scoot hop under the glove of Tides shortstop Eider Torres who had seemed to have a bead on it.

Any and every rally by the PawSox was met with chants and cheers as the Boston Red Sox faithful living in the region let known their preferences, often drowning out pro-Tides cheering.

Pauley pitched seven innings before giving way to the bullpen. Pauley allowed six hits, walked two and struck out four. Mike Burns pitched a scoreless eighth, then Martinez came on to pitch the ninth.

Martinez had one of the weirder baseball moments in the 10th when Torres led off the Tides’ half of the inning by rapping a sharp one-hopper back to the mound. The ball stuck between the fingers of Martinez’s glove, leaving the pitcher no other option but to peel the glove off and throw it to first base for the out.

The PawSox will send Jon Lester, the comeback kid, to the mound for today’s 1:15 start as Lester continues his return following a battle with anaplastic large cell lymphoma which sidelined him in August of last season after he got off to a fabulous start with the Boston Red Sox.

Lester was 7-2 for the Red Sox and won his first five major league decisions. The 23-year-old Lester underwent therapy and treatment and was pronounced cancer-free in December. He’ll be making his sixth start this season for the PawSox and is 0-1 with a 1.25 ERA. In Lester’s previous outing he went five innings and left with a 4-0 lead, only to see the PawSox lose 5-4 to Columbus

--RICH RADFORD

Posted by Chris Venditto  at 10:52 PM to PawSox | Permalink

FINAL: Boston 11, New York 6

BOSTON -- Wow!

Where do we start in this one? Basically today's victory for the Red Sox can be summed up in two words -- Mike Lowell.

The Red Sox third baseman went 3-for-4 with a walk, home run, single, double and four RBI to help Boston to an 11-6 win to even this three-game set at a game apiece. Plus, he thought he was playing for the New England Patriots and not the Boston Red Sox.

More to come after. . .

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 7:56 PM | Permalink

Umpires recommend suspension for Proctor after Friday night incident

In the opinion of the umpiring crew on hand, New York Yankees reliever Scott Proctor was guilty of intentionally throwing at Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis in the ninth inning of Friday nights game and recommended he be suspended.

But much to the Red Sox’ displeasure, Bob Watson, Major League Baseballs director of on-field operations, overruled the crew and said a suspension wasnt warranted.

Watson spoke with general manager Theo Epstein and manager Terry Francona Saturday morning and told both that the count Youkilis was grazed in the helmet on a 2-and-2 pitch and catcher Jorge Posadas peace-making efforts after the incident indicated that Proctors pitch was thrown without intent.

Read more details in Sundays Journal.

SEAN McADAM & STEVEN KRASNER

Posted by Chris Venditto  at 6:06 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

Beckett ready for Yankees

Josh Beckett (8-0) takes the hill tomorrow night against the Yanks’ Andy Pettitte (3-4) and if Beckett’s last start on Tuesday tells us anything, he’s not worried about the avulsion on his right middle finger that forced him to miss two starts

“It’s only been one start, but he was pretty good,” said Francona. “He worked really hard to give himself a chance to be the same pitcher he was when he went on [the disabled list]. I thought he did a phenomenal job of that.”

Francona explained Beckett threw some simulated innings while on the DL and it showed in his performance last Tuesday against Cleveland.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 3:39 PM | Permalink

J.D. Drew update

J.D. Drew is out of the lineup today with a hamstring injury that forced him out of Friday’s game against the Yankees prematurely.

Drew’s injury is where the hamstring connects to his right knee and he said he first felt it about a week and a half ago and has been working with the training staff to try to fix the problem.

“It’s gradually gotten worse and worse,” said the right fielder. “I don’t think we exactly know what we’re dealing with.”

He said he did not have an MRI taken and even Francona said it’s possible Drew could be in the lineup tonight. Before that decision is made, however, Drew said he wants to make sure the irritation he’s feeling is gone before he plays.

“I’m just trying not to jeopardize a long stint,” he said. “I want to deal with it now and not fight it all year.”

During his scrum with the local media earlier today, Francona called it hamstring tendinitis, but the manager is hoping a day of rest does the job. Francona also said he doesn’t think a trip on the DL will be needed.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 2:39 PM | Permalink

Today's lineups

NEW YORK

Bobby Abreu, 9
Derek Jeter, 6
Hideki Matsui, 7
Alex Rodriguez, 5
Jorge Posada, DH
Robinson Cano, 4
Melky Cabrera, 8
Doug Mientkiewicz, 3
Wil Nieves, 2
Mike Mussina, SP

BOSTON
Julio Lugo, 6
Dustin Pedroia, 4
David Ortiz, DH
Manny Ramirez, 7
Kevin Youkilis, 3
Mike Lowell, 5
Jason Varitek, 2
Wily Mo Pena, 9
Coco Crisp, 8
Curt Schilling, SP

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 1:43 PM | Permalink

Weather update from Fenway Park

The Red Sox just released this statement:

The current weather forecast (provided by the Red Sox private weather service, Meteorlogix) calls for the possibility of scattered thunderstorms to move through the Fenway area this afternoon.

The Fenway Park gates will open at the regularly scheduled time of 1:55 p.m., and the Red Sox will do everything possible to make certain this afternoon's game with the Yankees will be played. However, the Red Sox want to alert our fans to the current forecast and the possibility of delay.

This forecast is of course subject to change as the afternoon progresses, and weather updates will be provided as necessary.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 1:42 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

Youkilis, Proctor react

Kevin Youkilis had nothing to say after the game about the bench-clearing incident that occured in the wake of his being hit by a pitch from Scott Proctor, which resulted in Proctor being thrown out of the game.

''I got no comment on it,'' he told reporters at his locker. ''No need to fuel the fire around here. I got no comment.''

When asked what Yankee catcher Jorge Posada said to him as they walked to first base, Youkilis replied, ''There was nothing going on.

''There's nothing that needs to get put out in the public that no one needs to be aware of. What's [said on the field stays on the field], and that's it.''

Proctor denied he was throwing at Youkilis.

''It's a 2-and-2 count and we've been pitching him in throughout the year and I'm trying to make a pitch in and the pitch went a little behind him then I wanted it to,'' he said. ''I never try to throw at anybody's head. It's just not smart baseball. You're not trying end a guy's career. It's a danger zone and you're never trying to do that.''

Posted by Art Martone  at 12:20 AM | Permalink | Comments 1