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June 4, 2007
The Red Sox have an unusual lineup for tonight's game because of the team's awful travel schedule (as created by ESPN) and the fact Boston will play three interleague games on the road in Arizona, beginning Friday.
The team's game at home against the Yankees didn't end until after midnight last night, so by the time the Red Sox flew cross-country and entered their hotel rooms this morning it was 5:45 a.m. local time.
Shortstop Julio Lugo is being given the night off, at least from the starting lineup, replaced by Alex Cora. Hot-hitting Dustin Pedroia is in the leadoff spot, followed by Cora. J.D. Drew, who missed the last two games because of a strained right hamstring, is back in the lineup, but is batting sixth instead of fifth because Francona has had to mix-and-match his order to give it some semblance of left-right balance.
Third baseman Mike Lowell, who was hit with a pitch on the left hand on Friday night and then rolled over on that hand trying to make a defensive play last night, is on the bench, so Kevin Youkilis is moving from first to third, with Eric Hinske playing first base.
And, given the long night and knuckleballer Tim Wakefield's start on Wednesday night, Francona has Doug Mirabelli catching tonight. That way, he said, he can alternate Mirabelli and Jason Varitek behind the plate over the four-game series in Oakland.
While interleague play for an American League team playing in a National League city makes it difficult for the A.L. team because there is no designated hitter, forcing David Ortiz, in the Sox' case, to play the field, it is the 8 o'clock ESPN start on Sunday night, followed by a cross-country flight, that just isn't right, said Francona.
"With the schedule the way it is, and with interleague play, we're not going to be able to field our nine guys much of this trip," said Francona. "That's just fact. You can't get around it. It's disappointing. I think that at some point, they (the schedule-makers) will look into this (late start, cross-country flight) and change it. That thought came to me about 4:30."
-- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner 
at 7:47 PM | Permalink
