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Game Story: Orioles 5, Red Sox 3

BOSTON – ``Everyone’s entitled to a slump,’’ Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein was saying prior to last night’s game when it was pointed out that David Ortiz has not been slugging the ball this season quite the way he has in the past.

Going into this three-game set with Baltimore, Boston’s designated hitter had amassed only 16 home runs. He had gone 38 at-bats since his last one, which came on July 16 against Kansas City, hitting just three homers over the course of the last 29 games, a total of 116 at-bats.

Nevertheless, insisted Epstein, "David is having a great year,’’ pointing out also that Ortiz has been playing with torn meniscus in his right knee. ``He may not be putting up numbers (he has in the past), but he has battled through some leg problems and seems to be better lately. He’s not a complainer. I wouldn’t bet against him. He’s doing everything he can.’’

And Ortiz certainly demonstrated that last night, accounting for three of Boston’s four hits and delivering his 17th and 18th homers in a 5-3 setback to the Orioles before a Fenway crowd of 36,866.

It marked the 28th multi-home run game of Ortiz’ career – his 26th with Boston - and his second of the season. (He also hit two homers at Texas on April 8.)
``That was exciting when he starts leaving the ball park,’’ said Sox manager Terry Francona. ``The way he battled in his first at-bat [a nine-pitch at-bat in which Ortiz ended up with a bloop single to left]. He saw every pitch (Baltimore starter Erik) Bedard had, and Bedard is as tough on lefties as anyone. You could see David feeling better as the night went on.’’

Ortiz, who hit a club-record 54 home runs last season, collected No. 17 in the third inning, crushing a curve ball from Bedard into the right-field seats for a two-run homer. It was his first of the year against a left-handed pitcher.

Ortiz’ second home run of the game, that one against Orioles reliever Rob Bell, came in the eighth, when he parked a solo blast into the Sox bullpen to make it 5-3.
Unfortunately for the Sox, Ortiz’ offensive production, which boosted his average from .316 to .321, wasn’t enough to get them past Baltimore, which has gone 12-5 since the All-Star break and is coming off a 5-1 homestand that included a three-game sweep of Tampa Bay and 2-out-of-3 against the Yankees.

Josh Beckett, who was tagged with a 1-0 loss to Cleveland last Thursday despite producing what catcher Jason Varitek called ``one of the best outings Josh has ever had,’’ took the loss again last night, after giving up five earned runs on nine hits over eight innings.

``It was one of those deals where it seemed like every time they hit the ball, it fell in,’’ said Beckett. ``Just one of those nights where you suck it up, take your whipping and go home. You go home and think about how bad you were.’’

Brian Roberts wasted no time putting Baltimore on the board, driving the first pitch of the game off the right-field wall and into the stands.

Roberts then doubled off the left-field wall to drive in Jay Payton for the first of three more Orioles runs in the third.

A shot up the middle by former Red Sox Kevin Millar eluded a diving Julio Lugo, which allowed Roberts and Corey Patterson, who had reached on a walk, both to score.
Boston got two back in the bottom half of the inning on Ortiz’ two-run blast.
But the Sox then wasted a prime opportunity to push a few more runs across in the fourth after loading the bases with one out when Bedard issued a walk to Kevin Youkilis, hit Jason Varitek with a pitch and then walked Coco Crisp. They were all left stranded, as Wily Mo Pena struck out swinging and Julio Lugo was called out on strikes.

Beckett then gave up back-to-back singles to Miguel Tejada and Aubrey Huff, followed by an RBI double to Ramon Hernandez in the sixth to make it 5-2.
After Ortiz got Boston within two in the eighth, the Sox brought the winning run to the plate in the ninth. But with Crisp on third and Lugo on first with two outs, Orioles lefty closer Jamie Walker forced Dustin Pedroia to ground out back to the mound, picking up his fourth save and helping Baltimore secure its 8th win in 10 games.

--CAROLYN THORNTON

Posted by Chris Venditto  at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

Schilling sparkles in final rehab start, PawSox win 5-4

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Attention Red Sox Nation: Curt Schilling is back.

The ace of the Red Sox staff ended his rehabilitation stint with the PawSox last night on a strong note at Cooper Stadium, and Pawtucket scratched out a 10th-inning run to sneak away with a 5-4 win, a split of the four-game set and the eight-game road trip.
“I’m healthy, I feel good, I feel strong and I’m ready to go back and help
(Boston) them,” Schilling said.

Over 7,100 fans flocked to see Schilling, many of them clad in the familiar red-and-blue Red Sox gear, clamoring for a up close and personal look at the 6-foot-5, 235-pounder.

The big man didn’t disappoint. He threw seven solid innings, scattering just four hits. Schilling didn’t allow a walk, struck out four and had an early stretch where he retired 10 in a row.

“He’s been very consistent each outing,” PawSox skipper Ron Johnson said.
“(In) all of them, he had above average command. It’s a good time for everybody in The Nation.” At times, it seemed more like a home game for Schilling, kind of a Fenway Park West atmosphere with the throng in attendance cheering loudly when he announced during pre-game introductions, with a smattering of boos mixed in throughout in a place that was the former Triple-A home of the hated New York Yankees.

“This is Red Sox Nation,” Schilling said. “That’s no surprise. They are almost like ants. You always feel like you are at home. They’re going to be fans in every city that are going to be loud enough to make you feel like you are in Boston.” The right-hander threw 21 first-pitch strikes to the 24 batters he faced and had just one three-ball count all night, on Clipper right fielder Abraham Nunez. Even then, he fought all the way back to fan the former Florida Marlin.

“I’ve been watching this guy in the big leagues for a long time and I kind of know what he’s got,” said Nunez, who also managed to get a hit off Schilling. “That splitter is nasty.” In four of the innings, Schilling threw two balls or less and he didn’t throw one in the seventh.

“We threw a lot of strikes and got some quick outs,” Schilling said. “When they made contact, they got some ground ball outs instead of swings and misses. To get up and down seven times, warm up, feel good and strong is a good thing.” Only one of the hits was hard, a two-out single to left by Columbus catcher Juan Brito in the fifth.
Schilling had over a 3-to-1 ratio of strikes to balls on the night, throwing 60 strikes in 77 pitches, a little less than the 90 he anticipated.

Schilling was put on the disabled list June 19 because of tendinitis in his throwing shoulder and made two other rehabilitation starts for Pawtucket, both with glowing results.

He finished the assignment with 18 strikeouts in 15 innings.

George Kottaras has caught Schilling in all three games and was able to give the sure-fire Hall of Famer a bit of input on pitch selection.

“If I had a feeling about something, he told me to put it down there,” said the PawSox catcher. “We were putting much on the same page all night.” Schilling has been able to rebuild his arm strength and work on straightening out his mechanics, which he admitted wasn’t right before hitting the DL.

“I threw a lot of different pitches for strikes, and I worked on my command on a lot of different pitches,” Schilling said.

Schilling headed back to the big club following the game and will make his first appearance back in the starting rotation either for the series finale at Seattle Aug. 5, or open the three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Aug. 6.
Before going on the disabled list June 19, he was 6-4 for Boston with a 4.20 ERA in 15 starts.

Schilling came within one out of a no-hitter in Oakland June 7, but 11 days later gave up 11 hits in a 9-4 loss to Atlanta.

“This was about Schill,” Johnson said. “I know he was very pleased with it and I’m sure next time he’ll get his shot in the big leagues and he’ll be good to go.” Just like Sunday, left-hander Craig Breslow gave up the lead in the eighth as Columbus erased a 4-0 lead on four hits and a error to tie the game.

But the PawSox got the go-ahead run in the 10th on a bases-loaded walk by Columbus closer Chris Booker (1-5) to Alex Prieto, who finished with a pair of hits and two RBI.

Bryan Corey (4-6) got the final two outs of the ninth to get the win, and closer Travis Hughes allowed just a single in the 10th to earn his 15th save.

--By DONN WALDEN, Special to the Journal

Posted by Chris Venditto  at 10:48 PM to PawSox | Permalink

Ortiz' two homers not enough, Sox fall, 5-3, to Orioles

David Ortiz snapped out of his home run slump, belting his 17th and 18th of the season, but it wasn’t enough to get the Red Sox past Baltimore, as the Orioles secured a 5-3 victory in the opener of a three-game set at Fenway.

Josh Beckett, who was tagged with a 1-0 loss to Cleveland last Thursday despite producing what catcher Jason Varitek called ``one of the best outings Josh has ever had,’’ took the loss again tonight, after giving up five earned runs on nine hits over eight innings.

Posted by Carolyn Thornton  at 10:19 PM to Thornton | Permalink

Timlin Improving

Mike Timlin, who hasn't pitched since last Monday because of soreness in his right shoulder, threw a 24-pitch side session early today and "did very well," according to manager Terry Francona.

The veteran right-hander, who has been on the disabled list twice already this season, is likely to be available out of the bullpen tomorrow night. Timlin has been unscored upon over his last 11 outings, totaling 16 innings.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 5:36 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

Ortiz to Gabbard: Keep doing your best

Cleaning out his locker at about 4:35 p.m., left-handed pitcher Kason Gabbard quietly declined to comment on the news that he had been traded to the Texas Rangers along with outfielders David Murphy and Engel Beltre in exchange for right-hander Eric Gagne and cash considerations.

Gabbard, his eyes watering, stopped by David Ortiz’ locker to say good-bye. The Sox slugger gave him a big bear hug and said, ``Keep doing your best.’’

``He’s a good kid,'' Ortiz said when asked about Gabbard's departure. ``He just came in and he did what he was supposed to. I wish him the best. I wish him luck. It’s hard to see a guy that you’ve played with go. But you know how it is.''

Posted by Carolyn Thornton  at 5:28 PM to Thornton | Permalink | Comments 1

Ortiz backed by Francona, Epstein

David Ortiz has not been putting up the power numbers that most people have expected.

Entering tonight's game, the Red Sox' designated hitter has only 16 home runs and has gone 38 at-bats since his last one, on July 16 against Kansas City. Ortiz has only three homers in his last 29 games, totaling 116 at-bats.

But Ortiz, who is battling his way through torn meniscus in his right knee, is batting .316, and even though has has only two RBI in his last nine games, neither general manager Theo Epstein nor manager Terry Francona is down on Ortiz, who established a club record with 54 homers a year ago.

"David is having a great year," said Epstein. "He may not be putting up numbers (he has in the past), but he has battled through some leg problems and seems to be better lately. He's not a complainer. I wouldn't bet against him. He's doing everything he can. Everyone's entitled to a slump."

Francona went out of his way to talk about other ways in which Ortiz has been trying to help the club, despite his physical discomfort.

"We see him trying to steal second on a 2 and 2 pitch, and going from first to third on a base hit," said Francona. "Sometimes you don't get as many hits as you'd like."

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 5:26 PM | Permalink

Starting Lineups, July 31

BOSTON

Lugo ss
Pedroia 2b
Ortiz dh
Ramirez lf
Youkilis 1b
Lowell 3b
Varitek c
Crisp cf
Pena rf

Beckett p

BALTIMORE

Roberts 2b
Patterson cf
Markakis rf
Millar 1b
Tejada ss
Huff 3b
Hernandez c
Gibbons dh
Payton lf

Bedard p

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 5:22 PM | Permalink

Reliever Donnelly to undergo surgery

Veteran reliever Brendan Donnelly announced in the clubhouse about a half hour ago that he is going to undergo "Tommy John'' surgery to his right elbow ``either next Friday or the following Tuesday.''

Orthopedist Lewis Yocum will perform the surgery on the right-hander, who has been on the DL since mid-June with what was initially described as a strained right forearm, out on the West Coast.

Donnelly, who is 2-1 with a 3.05 ERA in 27 appearances this season had this to say: ``I need to go get surgery and fix what’s been going on in my arm. For several years it’s been going on, but there were really no signs of it breaking down over the last three years until now. We’ve tried everything two times to come back, and by doing the surgery now, it gives me the opportunity to pitch next year and four or five years down the line, as opposed to just fighting through day by day and wondering when the day’s going to come that it’s just going to fail. That day came and we tried to do everything we could to come back, and it’s just not responding.

``What (stinks) is I’m not going to be a part of what’s going on here, which is something pretty special right now.’’

Posted by Carolyn Thornton  at 5:13 PM to Thornton | Permalink

Bullpen by addition

It's official. The Red Sox have landed Eric Gagne from the Texas Rangers in exchange for three players -- Kason Gabbard, David Murphy and minor league prospect Engel Beltre.

``We're excited,'' said GM Theo Epstein in announcing the deal. ``We felt like we had a pretty good club and we were looking to improve it. This helps to give us what we think is a truly dominant bullpen.''

Gagne is set to join the Sox tomorrow afternoon. He was 2-0 with 16 saves in 17 chances with Texas in 34 games this season. Opponents were hitting just .192 against him this season and he was scored upon in just five of his 34 games.

Gagne had a limited no-trade and the Sox needed to offer him something to waive it. His contract included a $6 million base ($2 million remaining for the final two months) and incentives for games finished. Obviously, with Jonathan Papelbon here, Gagne will work primarily in a set-up capacity.

The Sox had to add Beltre to get the deal done. The Yankees, Mets and Cubs were all in pursuit of Gagne and the Sox needed to sweeten their offer. Beltre was a high-level international free agent signed last July out of the Dominican Republic.

Murphy, of course, is a former No. 1 pick out of Baylor whose career with the Sox seemed to stall the last two seasons as he fell behind both Brandon Moss and Jacoby Ellsbury on the Sox' outfield depth start. He'll be returning to his native Texas now.

Gabbard upped his value in recent weeks, going 4-0 in seven starts for the Sox this season. There is no word on who will take his scheduled start tomorrow night.

Posted by Sean McAdam  at 5:11 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

More on the Gagne deal

CLEVELAND (AP) — With Eric Gagne finally pitching like his old self following two elbow operations and back surgery, the Boston Red Sox agreed Tuesday to acquire the reliever from the Texas Rangers, who also unloaded first baseman Mark Teixeira to Atlanta in a seven-player swap.

Gagne, who has a limited no-trade clause, was asked to give his consent to the trade Tuesday afternoon, a person familiar with the talks said, speaking on condition of anonymity because an announcement had not yet been made.

Once one of baseball's premier closers, Gagne was to join a Boston bullpen that already has two All-Star relievers: closer Jonathan Papelbon and setup man Hideki Okajima.

But the Red Sox, who entered Tuesday leading the AL East by eight games over the New York Yankees, didn't want to take any chances of blowing their big lead and acquired Gagne to bolster the back end of their bullpen after consecutive implosions last weekend by Papelbon and Manny Delcarmen.

Boston was to send left-hander Kason Gabbard as part of a package to the Rangers, who were the busiest team in the majors before Tuesday's 4 p.m. EDT non-waiver trade deadline. Earlier, they completed the deal that sent Teixeira and pitcher Ron Mahay to the Braves for rookie catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and four minor leaguers.

Last week, the Rangers traded outfielder Kenny Lofton to the Cleveland Indians for minor league catcher Max Ramirez.

Milwaukee, clinging to its NL Central lead, also had been interested in obtaining Gagne.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 4:14 PM | Permalink

Sox Streakers for July 31

Hot Streaks
-Manny Ramirez is 26 for 67 (.388) with seven home runs and 23 RBI in 18 games since the All-Star break.
-For Baltimore: Erik Bedard is 6-0 with a 1.89 E.R.A. in his last seven starts. But he's 0-3 with an 11.91 E.R.A. in his last three starts at Fenway Park.
-The Orioles are 11-5 since the All-Star break.

Cold Streaks
-Coco Crisp is 5 for 25 (.200) over his last six games.
-Julio Lugo is 8 for 36 (.222) over his last nine games.
-For Baltimore: Aubrey Huff is 14 for 84 (.167) over 23 games since hitting for the cycle on June 29.

Orioles vs. Josh Beckett
-Jay Payton, 6 for 15 (.400)
-Nick Markakis, 2 for 7 (.286)
-Aubrey Huff, 3 for 11 (.273)
-Ramon Hernandez, 4 for 15 (.267)
-Brian Roberts, 1 for 5 (.200)
-Miguel Tejada, 1 for 9 (.111), 1 HR
-Kevin Millar, 0 for 2
-Brandon Fahey, 0 for 3
-Paul Bako, 0 for 7
-Jay Gibbons, 0 for 8
-Corey Patterson, 0 for 9
-Beckett is 2-0 with a 2.37 E.R.A. in three career starts against Baltimore.

Red Sox vs. Erik Bedard
-Wily Mo Pena, 5 for 8 (.625)
-Eric Hinske, 3 for 9 (.333), 1 HR
-Julio Lugo, 7 for 24 (.292)
-Manny Ramirez, 4 for 14 (.286)
-David Ortiz, 3 for 16 (.188)
-Doug Mirabelli, 1 for 6 (.167)
-Jason Varitek, 2 for 13 (.154)
-Mike Lowell, 1 for 9 (.111)
-Kevin Youkilis, 1 for 14 (.071)
-Coco Crisp, 0 for 3
-Dustin Pedroia, 0 for 4
-Bedard is 3-4 with a 5.44 E.R.A. in eight career starts against Boston.

More Stuff
-All-time series: Boston 459, Baltimore 395. At Fenway Park: Boston 232, Baltimore 193.
Boston is 24-4 against Baltimore since Sept. 3, 2005.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 3:44 PM to Projo Sox Streakers | Permalink

Dye deal might be, um, dead

The Chicago Tribune says there is a strong possibility that Jermaine Dye will not be traded, and that the White Sox are making overtures about signing Dye to a new contract.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 3:30 PM | Permalink

Report: Sox near deal on Gagne

Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Red Sox are about to land a trade for Texas Rangers relief pitcher Eric Gagne. Rosenthal says the Red Sox would give up Kason Gabbard and another player for Gagne, who must first approve a waiver of his no-trade clause.

Click here to see Gagne's numbers.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

Today's Manny file: A good time to be Manny

Amalie Benjamin of The Globe points out, in today's story lauding Manny's achievements and his player of the week award, that Ramirez leads all American League left fielders in fielding percentage (.993). Which reminds me of a poll that I meant to set up awhile ago, and which I will set up now: Is Manny a good fielder?

The Herald's Rob Bradford noted yesterday that, two years after all the talk was about a Manny trade at the deadline, Ramirez seems perfectly content to stay here this year, and the club is happy to have him.

Ramirez continued to climb the list of all-time run producers, tying Harmon Killebrew and Rogers Hornsby for 32nd place with his 1,584th Sunday against Tampa Bay. He needs seven more to tie Andre Dawson for 31st place. Twenty of Ramirez's 65 RBI this season have come in the first inning.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 1:56 PM to Projo Mannybeingmanny | Permalink

More on the Proctor deal

NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Yankees reached a preliminary agreement Tuesday to trade workhorse reliever Scott Proctor to the Los Angeles Dodgers for infielder Wilson Betemit in a deal that could add some punch to their limited bench.

The long-discussed deal is subject to the teams approving medical records, an official on one of the clubs said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been finalized.

Betemit hit .231 with 10 homers and 26 RBIs with Los Angeles, which acquired him from the Atlanta Braves in a deadline deal last season. He played mostly third base with the Dodgers but is unlikely to see much time there with Alex Rodriguez in the midst of an MVP-type season for New York.

Yankees manager Joe Torre has complained about the significant dropoff offensively from his starters to reserves, and Betemit could be the answer. The 25-year-old switch-hitter also can play shortstop and second base and is batting .320 (8-for-25) as a pinch hitter this season. He had pinch-hit homers in consecutive games at Atlanta in May.

Proctor developed into one of Torre's favorite relievers last season, going 6-4 with a 3.52 ERA in an AL-high 83 games. It was the second-most appearances by a pitcher in club history.

The excitable right-hander is 2-5 with a 3.81 ERA and four blown saves in 52 games this year. He finished off a rough June by burning some of his equipment on the field at Yankee Stadium after a loss to Oakland, and has a 2.84 ERA in July.

He gives Dodgers manager Grady Little another option to get the ball to Takashi Saito, who has converted 26 of 29 save opportunities. Los Angeles was in a virtual tie with Arizona for the NL West lead entering play Tuesday.

The Yankees were eight back of Boston in the AL East and four behind Cleveland in the wild-card race before Tuesday's games. They haven't missed the playoffs since 1994 - when the postseason was wiped out by a strike.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 1:34 PM | Permalink

Report: Sox offering Hansen, Pena for Dye

ESPN is also reporting today that the Red Sox' latest offer to the White Sox for Jermaine Dye is Wily Mo Pena and Craig Hansen for Dye and a minor leaguer. Chicago would rather have Manny Delcarmen than Hansen but reportedly has not received any better offer.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 12:54 PM | Permalink

Yankees trade Proctor to Dodgers for Betemit

ESPN is reporting that the Yankees will trade relief pitcher Scott Proctor to the Los Angeles Dodgers for infielder Wilson Betemit.

The Dodgers, contenders in the National League West, have struggled mightily in the bullpen lately, and Proctor could certainly help. New York, meanwhile, gets a versatile player who can help fill in at first base this year and potentially be an option if Alex Rodriguez leaves at the end of the year. Betemit, who just turned 27, is a career .263 hitter who has played parts of six seasons with the Braves and the Dodgers. He is hitting .231 this year with 10 home runs, primarily coming off the bench.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

More on the Pineiro deal: Sox get cash, too

ST. LOUIS (AP) - The pitching-starved St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday acquired right-hander Joel Pineiro, optioned to the minors last week by the Boston Red Sox, and cash for a minor league player to be named.

Pineiro, 28, was a 16-game winner in 2003. He was used exclusively in relief this year by the Red Sox before being sent to Triple-A Pawtucket on July 25.

Pineiro played seven seasons with the Seattle Mariners before signing a free agent deal with the Red Sox in January. He was 1-1 with a 5.03 ERA in 31 relief appearances for the Red Sox, but had a 3.60 ERA in 16 road appearances covering 15 innings.

The Cardinals' rotation has a 5.50 ERA and is without Mark Mulder and ace Chris Carpenter, who had reconstructive elbow surgery earlier this month. The rotation has included three former relievers, Braden Looper (4.85), Adam Wainwright (4.45) and Brad Thompson (5.15). It also includes Anthony Reyes, Kip Wells and Mike Maroth, who have ERAs above 5.00.

Reyes ended a 12-game losing streak on Saturday and will get at least one more start, probably bumping Maroth later this week.

Pineiro has a career record of 59-56 with a 4.50 ERA in 26 games, including 148 starts. He was 14-7 in 2002 and 16-11 in 2003.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 12:35 PM | Permalink

A Trade...just not the one you were waiting for

The Red Sox just announced that they have sent pitcher Joel Pineiro to the St. Louis Cardinals for a player to be named later.
Pineiro was designated for assignment on July 23, but cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Pawtucket, where he had been working as a starter. In two appeareances with the Pawsox, he compiled a 2.25 ERA.
Signed last winter after being non-tendered by the Seattle Mariners, Pineiro was one of the candidates for the team's closer's spot, which had been vacated by the transfer of Jonathan Papelbon to the starting rotation.
But when Papelbon reclaimed his job in the bullpen, Pinerio was used in set-up relief and met with mixed succcess. Appearing in 31 games, Pineiro was 1-1 with a 5.03 ERA.
It's unclear whether the Red Sox convinced the Cardinals to pay the remainder of Pineiro's salary for this season.

Posted by Sean McAdam  at 11:24 AM | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Trade deadline special

Projo SoxTalk is back today with Sean McAdam. Click here to listen to the full audio file. Sean looks at the trade market as it stands this morning, at how the Red Sox would stack up as currently constructed in a playoff series, at what Jermaine Dye's potential arrival would mean for J.D. Drew, and at the coming three-game series with the Orioles.

Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments.

On the trade outlook: "If anything happens, and I'm not convinced it's going to, it will probably come down to the 11th hour here, sometime mid- to late afternoon, before -- whatever you want to call it -- someone blinks or there's some movement. But as of now, as we speak, things are still on hold, and at this point I guess it wouldn't be a great shock if the Red Sox didn't do anything -- not for lack of effort, but right now they're just finding the asking price and the obstacles a bit too high."

How would these Red Sox fare against a playoff foe? "I think that's exactluy why they are so interested in someone like Jermaine Dye, is that if they are having difficulty scoring runs throughout the regular season against some pretty poor pitching staffs, like Tampa Bay or Texas, then what's it going to be like when you're matched up against a deeper and more quality staff, like the Tigers or Angels. ... They realize it's not going to get any easier, certainly, in October facing those teams, and it would be nice to have another weapon and some more power, but at this point they think the asking price is too high, and given that Dye in particular is seen as a two-month rental here, they're reluctant to give up young pitching to get him."

Would Dye's arrival bruise Drew's ego? "I'm sure it's something they thought about, but I also think that right now they're looking at a situation where they think they're good enough, or could be good enough, to win it all, and that has to be your concern now, and then you worry about ego and bruised feelings afterward. But given that Drew is contractually tied to this team for four more years after this, I think it's sommething that has to be on their mind, because the last thing you want to do is ... (make) an improvement for the short term, but be stuck with an unhappy player who doesn't think you have confidence in him for four years going forward."

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 11:04 AM to McAdam | Permalink

Baseball Today: Tuesday, July 31

And here goes, with our belated roundup:

D-DAY: The trade deadline is at 4 today, and here folks in New England are, talking about the Celtics. Go figure. Sean McAdam today outlines the various scenarios that could lead to a Red Sox trade today, but the bottom line is that as of last night, Boston had not found a deal to its liking.

DYE WATCH: The Globe reports that, according to one major league source, there is still a good chance of Boston landing a deal for Jermaine Dye. According to Gordon Edes' story, the White Sox are willing to take Wily Mo Pena, and now it comes down to what else the Red Sox are willing to offer. The Chicago Tribune reports that the White Sox made a roster move that could set the stage for a two-for-one deal involving Dye.

THEY'RE TRYING: In the Herald, Jeff Horrigan details the Sox' efforts to land Dye and Eric Gagne, and says that while the team absolutely will not part with Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz or Justin Masterson, there are conflicting reports about Jon Lester, Manny Delcarmen and Michael Bowden.

LEADING BIDDERS: In Sports Illustrated, Jon Heyman says the Sox are leading the way in the race for Gagne.

ART OF THE DEAL: Nick Cafardo writes today that Bill Walsh, a baseball fan, would have loved today (Boston Globe).

CAUTIOUS YANKS: Meanwhile, The New York Post reports that the Yankees appear likely to stand pat, unless they can find takers for Kyle Farnsworth or Scott Proctor. The Daily News says that the Yankees are making a "big push" to land Gagne, but that the team is unwilling to give up any of its top-notch pitching prospects. Instead, the Bombers are supposedly offering a member of this year's early-season cast of starting-pitcher posers (Chase Wright, Tyler Clippard, Matt DeSalvo) along with Proctor. The Daily News says the Mets are in the Gagne sweepstakes, as well.

BUT THEY MIGHT DO THIS: The Yanks may be in discussions with the Dodgers about trading Proctor for Wilson Betemit, an infielder who could play at first. The Post quotes one National League scout as saying that if Boston brings in Gagne to set up Jonathan Papelbon, the A.L. East race is over.

NO MAS: Twins players are bummed out over the team's decision to trade Luis Castillo, saying it is a sign that Minnesota has thrown in the towel (Minneapolis Star Tribune).

MANNY IS TOPS: Manny Ramirez (.393, three home runs, 10 RBI) is baseball's player of the week (Boston Herald).

BULLPEN HELP: Mike Timlin is expected to be available to pitch tonight (Boston Herald).

THE BALL'S IN THEIR COURT: In The New York Post, Steve Serby speculates that Yankee fans -- and how they embrace or fail to embrace him from here on out -- could hold the key to Alex Rodriguez's decision on whether to stay in pinstripes.

MILESTONES: In Milwaukee, Tom Glavine goes for his 300th victory tonight (N.Y. Daily News). And, of course, Barry Bonds tries to tie Hank Aaron's record in Los Angeles. In an op-ed piece in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, economist J.C. Bradbury explains why folks should cheer for Barry. On the flip side, Bill Plaschke reminds us in the L.A. Times why Dodgers fans have more reason to boo Bonds than most.

A'S STILL NUMBER ONE: While the Giants continue to get most of the press, the Athletics may be the best-postitioned of the two Bay Area teams to return to contention -- despite the Giants' much-touted young arms. (San Francisco Chronicle)

SANCHEZ'S WOES:Anibal Sanchez is at odds with the Marlins over his May demotion to the minor leagues. The players union has filed a grievance on behalf of Sanchez, whom the Sox sent to Florida after the 2005 season as part of their package for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell, saying that Florida improperly demoted an injured player. (South Florida Sun Sentinel)

LEGAL TROUBLE: Speaking of the Marlins, their 2003 first-round draft pick, pitcher Jeff Allison, is being extradited to North Carolina to face drug and larceny charges (Palm Beach Post). The Marlins last week placed Allison on the restricted list because of a "legal issue."

HANCOCK SUIT DROPPED: An attorney for Josh Hancock's father, Dean, has agreed to drop a lawsuit that sought to partially blame a host of people for the death of the former Cardinals pitcher. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

LAME AND FORTUNE: The Phillies won another game last night, Brett Myers picked up his first save in more than two months, but the club lost two outfielders -- Shane Victorino and the promising Michael Bourn -- to injuries (Philadelphia Daily News). Both are day to day for now.

Keep an eye on the blog today for the latest as we count down to the deadline.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 9:41 AM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink