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Main page September 30, 2007
Game Story/Notes: Red Sox lose finale, 3-2BOSTON – In what was the most meaningless Red Sox game since they left Fort Myers at the end of March, the Sox fell to the Minnesota Twins, 3-2 in the season finale. Minnesota scored three times off substitute starter Julian Tavarez in the first inning, then were limited to one hit the rest of the way by five different Red Sox relievers. ``The way we drew it up – not the first inning, but after that – everybody came in and had clean innings,’’ said manager Terry Francona. ``They threw strikes, didn’t get stretched out too much. It didn’t work out very well.’’ Jon Lester, who made his final start of the season Wednesday, got two innings of relief work and retired all six hitters he faced. ``I don’t want you to read too much into it,’’ said Francona. ``It seemed like a good time to give him a couple of innings.’’ The Sox scored one run in the fifth on Manny Ramirez’s RBI single and another on Jason Varitek’s solo homer in the sixth. The homer was Varitek’s fourth in the last eight games. Francona substituted for Dustin Pedroia and Mike Lowell mid-inning so that fans could express their appreciation. Pedroia left for Alex Cora in the sixth and Lowell was replaced by Royce Clayton. ``I just wish we had enough extra guys where you could kind of deal with everybody that’s been out there all year,’’ said the manager, ``just to be able to give the fans a chance to show the players appreciation. You’re playing a game and you don’t want to short anybody, but it just felt right. ``You don’t want to slow the game down and we’re not trying to embarrass the other team or anything like that – we’re just trying to show our players appreciation.’’ Kevin Youkilis established an American League record for first basemen, going 1,079 chances over the course of the season without making an error. Youkilis finished with a 1.000 fielding percentage. The previous mark was held by Stuffy McInnis, who had a .999 mark in 1921. The major league mark at the position is held by Steve Garvey, who handled 1,319 chances in 1984 for San Diego. Youkilis has not made an error at first since July 4, 2006 at Tampa Bay, covering 1,586 chances. Dustin Pedroia’s 39 doubles are the third most by rookie second basemen, topped only by Carl Lind (1928 Indians) and Billy Herman (1932 Cubs), both of whom had 42. Among Red Sox rookies, only Fred Lynn (47 in 1975), Nomar Garciaparra (44 in 1997) and Ted Williams 44 in 1939) totaled more…Mike Timlin’s relief appearance was his 1,011th, moving him past Roberto Hernandez for 10th place all-time…The Sox finished with 96 stolen bases, their most since swiping 99 in 1995. Their 80 percent success rate (96 steals in 120 attemtps) was their best since 1920…Julio Lugo finished with 33 steals, the most for a Sox player since Otis Nixon stole 42 in 1994...The Sox finished with 96 wins, their highest victory total since 2004, when they won 98. The 10-game improvement over last year – when they won 86 – is the Sox’ best one-year improvement since 1998, when they won 92 after winning only 78 the year before. --SEAN McADAM
Posted by Chris Venditto Today's lineupsSorry for the late lineups folks, but getting pulled over by a Mass State Trooper this morning didn't help too much. MINNESOTA
Posted by Joe McDonald Clubhouse ConfidentialIn case you missed it last night, the Red Sox clinched home-field advantage throughout the postseason and have selected to begin ALDS against the Angels on Wednesday at Fenway Park. The team with the best record had the choice to start on Wednesday or elect to have an extra day of rest. Manager Terry Francona just said he really didn't loose too much sleep over the decision. "I talked to Theo about it a few times," said the manager. "It wasn't something to me that probably was going to make a difference. We had a choice and took the first game (Wednesday). It's going to be the same for both teams, regardless of when you play. . . It doesn't matter when you play, I'm concerned with how we play." Francona still has not revealed the starting rotation for the ALDS, but it's likely Josh Beckett will start Game 1, and either Curt Schilling or Daisuke Matsuzaka will get the nod in Game 2. Because the Sox decided to play Wednesday, that sets up Beckett to work Game 4 (if needed) on Monday.
Posted by Joe McDonald September 29, 2007
Red Sox clinch, again.BOSTON _ The Red Sox clinched the best record in baseball ltonight and will have home-field advantage throughout the postseason, including the World Series. Following the Sox’ 6-4 victory tonight over the Minnesota Twins, and with Kansas City beating the Cleveland Indians, 4-3, Boston secured the top spot. Boston informed the commissioner’s office that it has decided to start the ALDS against the Angels on Wednesday. That means the Sox’ Josh Beckett will start Game 1 and Curt Schilling will likely get the nod in Game 2 on Friday. Both games are at Fenway Park. Because Boston elected to start a day earlier, it’s possible Beckett could pitch Game 4 (if necessary) on Monday in Anaheim
Posted by Joe McDonald FINAL: Boston 6, Minnesota 4BOSTON -- Tonight felt more like a spring training game than the second-to-last contest of the regular season. With the division title in hand, the Red Sox sent Tim Wakefield to the hill, and the veteran knuckleballer improved his record to 17-12, tying a career mark for wins in a season. He posted a 17-8 mark in 1998. Last night he worked seven innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits with zero walks and one strikeout. Boston trailed by two runs heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Sox pushed across four runs en route to a 6-4 victory over the Twins. The Sox' J.D. Drew provided a three-run homer in the seventh, along with Mike Lowell's second RBI of the game. The Red Sox close out the regular season on Sunday against the Twins with Julian Tavarez on the hill for Boston.
Posted by Joe McDonald Schilling will not pitch SundayThe Red Sox just announced that pitcher Curt Schilling will not make his scheduled start tomorrow in the regular-season finale against Minnesota. Julian Tavarez will get the nod instead. Since the Sox clinched the division title on Friday, there's no need for Schilling to work on Sunday. That decision basically sets the Sox' rotation for the first two games of the ALDS against the Angels. It's likely Josh Beckett will start Game 1 either Wednesday or Thursday, and Schilling will get the ball in Game 2 on Friday. Both games are at Fenway Park.
Posted by Joe McDonald Manny, Just so you know . . .
While some players -- notably Jason Varitek, David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis and Hideki Okajima -- returned to the scene after having dressed and left the ballpark after Boston's 5-2 win over the Twins, Manny Ramirez was nowhere to be seen. "That's okay," joked manager Terry Francona. "I'll make sure (today) that Manny knows we won." -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Pregame Notes, Sept. 29
David Ortiz, who has been red-hot at the plate lately, going 11 for 15 (.733) with three homers, four doubles, eight runs scored and five RBI over his last four games, "needs a day," said Francona at his daily press briefing. Ortiz has been battling a sore knee most of the season. Shortstop Julio Lugo and second baseman Dustin Pedroia also are out of the starting lineup, replaced by Royce Clayton and Alex Cora, respectively, as Francona says he balances trying to win every game (the best record in the A.L. still is up for grabs; Boston is tied with Cleveland heading into tonight's action) with getting his players a little extra rest before the playoffs begin next week. -- Coco Crisp, who missed the first four games of this homestand because of a virus, is back in the lineup in center field. -- Manny Ramirez (sore quad) is serving as the designated hitter in Ortiz's absence. Jacoby Ellsbury, who had replaced Crisp in center the previous four games, takes over for Ramirez in left field. -- Francona elected not to name his rotation for the first-round series against the Angels, saying he wanted to find out what days the teams will be playing. The first game either will be Wednesday or Thursday, depending upon the wishes of the team that finishes the season with the best record in the A.L. The second game will be played Friday. -- Curt Schilling was modeling the latest in Red Sox motivational T-shirt this afternoon. It's a red shirt. On the front is written "Why Not Us Again" and on the back it reads "If 25 men believe they can . . . they will." -- Hideki Okajima will pitch either today or in the regular-season finale. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Starting Lineups, Sept. 29BOSTON Crisp cf Wakefield p MINNESOTA Bartlett ss Silva p -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner The Red Sox are rock starsBy Joe McDonald BOSTON _ The Boston Red Sox were partying like it was 1995. It’s been 12 years since the club won the A.L. East Division title, and after the Sox officially clinched it last night, the players in the clubhouse begin to celebrate in hopes of another ending like 2004. Manager Terry Francona was sitting in a leather recliner, smoking a cigar and truly, for once this season, he was actually enjoying the moment. Right then, one of the team’s batting practice pitchers, Matt Noone, approached him and Francona said: “You better get used to this.” Red Sox GM Theo Epstein stood against the back wall of the clubhouse by himself, drinking a beer and smiling at what he his team has accomplished. “Our players really wanted this,” he said. “We felt like we were the best team in the division, and it was good to go out and get it. I’m happy for our fans, because they deserve this too, they waited a long time.” Closer and crazy man Jonathan Papelbon stood on a table wearing nothing but goggles, a T-shirt and a jock strap, spraying champagne all over the joint. “This is awesome,” screamed Papelbon. “What we’ve got here in this clubhouse is unbelievable. God, it pays off when you work hard. This is where we wanted to do this.” Red Sox utility man Eric Hinske was one of the first players to leave the clubhouse and join the celebration in the stands. The thousands of fans were remained went crazy, so he immediately ran back into the clubhouse and said to rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia: “You have to get out there. We’re like rock stars.” Pedroia ran back into the clubhouse to grab a fresh bottle of champagne and started spraying it when he reached the field. Red Sox ace Curt Schilling, a three-time World Series veteran, stood on the top step of the dugout throwing cans of beer into the stands. “It’s game time,” he said. “It’s October and that’s when great players play great, and hopefully we have a couple of those guys in this clubhouse.” The always intense Kevin Youkilis had left the park to join his family at a local establishment, but when the Orioles tied the Yankees in the ninth inning to force extra innings before winning it in 10, Youk quickly made his way back to the clubhouse to be with his teammates and the fans. “Let’s do this every year,” he said to owner John Henry. “We knew if we played our kind of baseball all year we would end up here,” said Epstein. Bring on the Angels.
Posted by Joe McDonald September 28, 2007
Brief postgame notes:Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez, who recently returned to the lineup after missing 24 games with a strained oblique, was taken out of tonight's game with a sore quad. Manager Terry Francona said he knew Ramirez was sore prior to the game, but he was still able to get three much-needed at-bats in. He was taken out of the game in the top of the eighth inning as he was expected to lead off the bottom of the inning. "We tried to sneak in that last at-bat," said the manager. "I knew he was sore, nothing pulled or anything. It just got to a point where it was time for him to come out. We're trying to continue to build and not go backwards. The more at-bats we can get him, the better off we're all going to be." Ramirez was not at the ballpark for the celebration.
Posted by Joe McDonald Clinching Sights and Sounds
-- Jonathan Papelbon, wearing a red Red Sox T-shirt and black spandex shorts, looked as if he were auditioning for "River Dance" as he kicked off his shoes and hot-footed it around the infield until he was stopped by general manager Theo Epstein, who no doubt didn't want his ace closer spraining an ankle with the postseason less than a week away. --Jason Varitek dressed and left the ballpark before the Orioles rallied to beat the Yanks and hand the Red Sox their first division title since 1995. So did Kevin Youkilis. But with the title in the bag, both players returned to Fenway and partook in the festivities. --Finally, at around 11:50, roughly an hour after they had been crowned champions, the red Sox began leaving the field. Still about 1,000 fans were left in the stands, most of them surrounding the Boston dugout on the first-base line, though some were in the first and second rows of the third-base stands. -- STEVEN KRASNER
Posted by Steven Krasner Clubhouse reactionRed Sox manager Terry Francona: “There are still things to play for. This was a very big accomplishment for the organization and for the city. We need this to just be the beginning, but it’s also a big accomplishment.” GM Theo Epstein: “Our players really wanted this. We felt like we were the best team in the division, and it was good to go out and get it. I’m happy for our fans, because they deserve this, too, they waited a long time.” “We had half of our team watching [the Yankees-Orioles] in nothing but jock straps.” “A lot of credit goes to the Yankees for winning this thing so many years in a row. It’s never easy in the American League East. They’re a great team, but it means that much more that we were able to win this division. . . “We knew they weren’t going anywhere. They are too good of a team. They never go away. It almost feels like you have a stalker when they’re in your division; every time you turn around they’re there." "No one here gave up. We knew if we played our kind of baseball all year we would end up here.” Curt Schilling: “It’s game time. It’s October and that’s when great players play great, and hopefully we have a couple of those guys in this clubhouse.” Dustin Pedroia: “I’m proud of everybody. It’s an unbelievable accomplishment. It’s been a team effort all year and there are a lot of guys who have contributed. It’s been a great season and there’s plenty more to come. We’re not going to stop here.” Kevin Youkilis: “I love this. This is the best part about playing baseball. Not being able to do this last year was very tough. Doing this every year would be great. This was fun and this is what you play baseball for. To celebrate this after 7 ½ months, you put all the time and effort in and this is what it’s all about. Once this night is over we have to keep moving forward. We want three more celebrations, because that’s when it gets really fun.” Jacoby Ellsbury: “This is awesome. It’s a great feeling. This is unbelievable and I’m definitely going to enjoy this.” Team owner John Henry: “This is an incredible satisfaction." Team chairman Tom Werner: “We have the greatest fans in Boston. There were still thousands of people still standing there, watching the game. It’s a great night for Red Sox fans. This team played great baseball all year and they deserve to be division champions. They’re going to be dangerous in the playoffs.” Jonathan Papelbon: “This is awesome. What we’ve got here in this clubhouse is unbelievable. God, it pays off when you work hard. This is where we wanted to do this.” Tim Wakefield: “The one thing we said in spring training was we were going to do this as a team.It wasn’t going to be one person who is going to do it, and we’ve done it.”
Posted by Joe McDonald Sox ClinchBy STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- As soon as Boston polished off Minnesota, 5-2, last night at Fenway Park, the Red Sox retreate to their clubhouse to watch the Yankees and the Orioles' game, well aware that if Baltimore came from behind for a victory, the American League East title would be theirs. Boston's magic number was one. And when the Orioles came from behind for a 10-9, 10-inning win against New York, the title for the Red Sox, their first divisional crown since 1995, was secured, sparking a celebration in the clubhouse and in the stands, where about 2,000 fans stayed to watch the Yankee-Orioles game on the video screen in center field. There was no plastic in front of the lockers in the Red Sox' clubhouse, but most of the players were in a celebratory mood. Many of the Sox went upstairs to their lounge to watch the game. Others stood around the clubhouse watching one of the three TVs in the clubhouse, outnumbered greatly by the media in the room to catch their reactions. And when the improbable happened, a three-run rally off great Yankee closer Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth, Mike Timlin jumped out of his seat and high-fived Javy Lopez. Around those pair of Red Sox, teammates Coco Crisp, Brandon Moss, Jon Lester, Eric Hinske, Kevin Cash, Tim Wakefield and Clay Buchholz jumped off the couch and other chairs in a corner of the room, a collective "Yeah!" arising from their throats as Jay Payton's bases-loaded, two-out hit rolled to the wall in left-center for a three-run double that pulled Baltimore even, at 9-9. Boston's PR director, John Blake, then announced the clubhouse was closed to the media, forcing at least 50 or so media members to leave the room to the Sox. By that time, several members of the Red Sox already had dressed and left the clubhouse, notably captain and catcher Jason Varitek and slugger David Ortiz. But outside there were about 2,000 people still in the stands at Fenway because the Red Sox were showing the Yankee-Orioles game on the video board in center field, cheering madly when Baltimore tied the game. There was concern in the stands when the Yanks filled the bases in the top of the 10th with one out, but again, loud cheers when ex-Soxer Chad Bradford was able to wriggle out of the inning unscathed, keeping it a 9-9 game. And when Tike Redman blooped a one-out double into the left-field corner off Edwar Ramirez, the Orioles had the winning run in scoring position and the cheers from the fans standing in the aisles behind the Red Sox dugout along the first-base line were loud, growing even louder after a passed ball moved Redman to third. A pair of walks filled the bases for none other than ex-Cowboy-Up Soxer, Kevin Millar. He fanned. But Melvin Mora dropped down a surprise bunt for a game-winning hit, making the Sox champions of the A.L. East.
Posted by Steven Krasner FINAL: Boston 5, Minnesota 2BOSTON _ It was the top of the seventh inning at Fenway last night when the scoreboard on the Monster showed the Baltimore Orioles had come back from five-run deficit to get within a run of the Yankees when the 36,843 fans in attendance erupted and begin The Chant of “Yankees . . .”
Posted by Joe McDonald UPDATED: Buchholz 'sort of bitter' about being shut down for seasonBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- Right-hander Clay Buchholz, who no-hit the Orioles on Sept. 1 in his second big-league start, is being shut down for the season by the Red Sox. Manager Terry Francona said minutes ago that Buchholz's strength and mobility, among other things the organization test for on a regular basis, are not at the levels the Sox would like to see in order to have him continue to pitch. So rather than risk his promising career by using him over the final three regular-season games and then in the postseason, the organization has decided to err on the side of caution. Buchholz called himself ''sort of bitter'' about the decision. ''I feel a little bit tired right now, but it really wasn’t a big deal to me,'' said Buchholz. ''When they called me into the office I knew what it was about. They said they’ve been thinking about it for awhile; they’re thinking about the long-term issue. ''I understand that fact, but it feels like all the hard work, and the year I’ve put together this year, and to go home, I’m sort of bitter about it. It makes me want to work even harder and get back here next year.''
''Obviously this wasn’t our first choice,'' said Epstein. ''It wasn’t even our second choice. It was pretty much our last choice. Unfortunately, this is something, after talking with the medical staff, we have to do. Clay has been suffering from fatigue and a weak shoulder – on and off – this month. It’s to a point where he can’t pitch safely in October.'' Francona agreed. ''We test all of our pitchers and Clay is at the point where we're not real comfortable about having him go out there and pitch. He quite possibly could do it, but with what the future holds for him, we don't think that's the right thing to do," said Francona. ''There's some fatigue, and with that comes a lacking of strength,'' added Francona. ''To pitch him now, it would be very disrespectful to try and get some innings out of him. That's something that would not be in his best interests.'' There had been much talk this month, especially after his no-hitter, that the Red Sox were placing a ceiling on his total numbers of innings pitched this year in an attempt to keep him healthy for the future. Francona indicated this afternoon that the ceiling hadn't been reached, that this decision was strictly because his arm was showing signs of fatigue. Not injury, stressed Francona, but fatigue. Buchholz, who began the year in Double A Portland and then moved up to Pawtucket before a quick trip to Boston for a one-day cup of coffee, an Aug. 17 start. He was sent back to Pawtucket after that game, an 8-4 win over the Angels, but was called back up on Sept. 1 when the rosters were expanded. Buchholz pitched only twice after his 115-pitch no-no. He worked three innings in relief in Baltimore on Sept. 6 and he started against Toronto on Sept. 19, working the first 4 2/3 innings, throwing a total of 68 pitches. He took the loss in that one, a 6-1 setback. Buchholz, who showed impressive command with his fastball, curveball and changeup, finishes his first taste of the big leagues with a 3-1 record and a 1.59 earned-run average. Before making it to the big leagues Buchholz went 7-2 with a 1.77 E.R.A. in 16 games for Portland and 1-3 with a 3.96 E.R.A. in eight starts for Pawtucket. Buchholz had thrown some side sessions in the Boston bullpen this month, but Francona said the Sox kept him from throwing for four or five days so they could get the most accurate possible readings of the tests. The Sox were "excited" about the prospect of Buchholz contributing in the postseason, but had to be objective when it came to looking at the test results. And those results prompted the Sox to call an end to Buchholz's glorious 2007 season. ''He’s been shut down for the year and he’ll start his rest for the offseason,'' said Epstein. ''He needs to go have a great winter of strengthening and conditioning and come back ready to throw a lot of innings next year.''
Posted by Steven Krasner Ellsbury Slated to Start
Ellsbury fouled two pitches off his lower right leg in his first-inning at-bat. Eventually, the contusion that resulted from those two foul balls led to the cramping. It was clear something was bothering him when Ellsbury, a very solid outfielder, looked to be in discomfort in getting a poor jump and being unable to get to Garrett Jones's looping single in the fourth. He was replaced by Bobby Kielty at the start of the fifth. Ellsbury has been filling in for Coco Crisp, who has been ill. Crisp was unavailable again last night, missing his fourth straight start. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Starting Lineup, Sept. 28BOSTON Pedroia 2b Matsuzaka p MINNESOTA Bartlett ss Slowey p -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Clutch-hitting Sox?It has seemed all year that this Red Sox team has not done too much offensively in clutch situations late in games. But by one measure, they're not doing too badly for the season. The Web site Baseball Reference measures a team's batting statistics in "late and close" situations -- which it defines by plate appearances in the seventh inning or later with the game tied, with the team ahead by one or with the tying run on deck. By this measure, the Red Sox on-base percentage plus slugging percentage is fourth in the American League, and second among the four playoff teams. Here's how the American League teams stack up in this category: 1. Seattle, .812
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam: Entering the final weekendClick here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. Today's topics: problems clutch hitting, the impact of the rain, David Ortiz's hot streak, Terry Francona's starting pitching options, Jacoby Ellsbury's injury and Coco Crisp's illness, and a big final weekend in the National League. Following are excerpts from Sean's comments. Ortiz: "Ortiz has been terrific really for most of September. I remember thinking back in August whether this guy was going to get to half of his home-run total from a year ago, when he set a club record with 54, and you're thinking: Is he even going to get to 27 this year, half of that output? And now he's at 34, and that shows what kind of a home-run run he's been on here in the last five or six weeks or so." Sox playoff rotation: "I think they've left open the possibility that it could be either guy in Game 2. It's certainly going to be Beckett to open the series, and then I think they are remaining flexible enough that it could be either Schilling or Matsuzaka in Game 2, and then of course the other would pitch Game 3. They certainly have enough downtime here in the next week or so to figure that out." Crisp: "He's battling a whole bunch of different things at once, including an inner-ear infection that left him a little dizzy early in the week. I know that they were going to try to get him looked at yesterday. He's also got that back-hip thing that's been going on for the better part of a week and a half, and sort of nagging at him. I get the feeling that if he had to play tomorrow, or tonight for that matter, he could, but they've been trying to stay away from him. Maybe this Ellsbury thing changes it. Then again, they do have Moss and Kielty, with a little bit of depth, and you can always move people like Lugo and Cora in an emergency out in the outfield. So I think that they're going to be careful here, but once he can play, I'm sure they'd like Crisp to get a game or so before the postseason arrives."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Friday, September 28
ON HOLD: Dustin Pedroia's reaction to popping up with the go-ahead runs in scoring position and two outs in the bottom of the eighth (above, Journal photo by Bob Breidenbach) perfectly encapsulates a frustrating night for the Red Sox as they lost to the Twins, 5-4. (projo.com) Frustrating because the pitching matchup (Josh Beckett vs. Boof Bonser) seemed to favor them; frustrating because it kept the magic number for clinching the A.L. East at two. There was good news, however; in Inside The Game, Steven Krasner reports that David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are locked in again offensively, and just in time for the postseason. (projo.com) And the notebook, written by Krasner and Joe McDonald, tells of Hideki Okajima's successful return to the mound, which also bodes well for the postseason. AND SPEAKING OF THE POSTSEASON . . . It continues to look like it'll be the Sox vs. the Angels in the first round. Brendan Donnelly spent the first part of his career in Orange County and knows what his new team -- albeit one he's no longer contributing to, because of his elbow injury -- can expect. (Boston Herald) Terry Francona, meanwhile, is keeping his playoff pitching plans close to the vest. (Boston Globe) WHERE THEY STAND: The Sox remain tied with Cleveland for best record in the American League because the Indians lost to the Mariners. (Cleveland Plain Dealer) The Yankees stayed alive in the division race by beating the Devil Rays. (New York Daily News) MEMORIES . . . Some members of the last Red Sox' division winner, the 1995 edition, remember what clinching night was like. (projo.com) The Sox will get another shot at nailing down the title tonight. HOT TOPIC: J.D. Drew's offensive rebirth -- he's hitting .324 in September -- is beginning to attract mainstream attention. (Boston Globe) TALK ABOUT A CELEBRATION: On the night Mike Lowell broke the Red Sox' record for most RBI by a third baseman in a single season, he was chosen to undergo one of baseball's random drug tests. (Boston Herald) YOUTH WILL BE SERVED: FoxSports.com's Dayn Perry says the Red Sox' and Yankees' playoff chances have been bolstered by their young players. TIED: The Mets -- who led their division by seven games on Sept. 12 -- are on the cusp of making history for all the wrong reasons. They lost their fourth in a row last night, 3-0 to old friend Joel Piniero and the Cardinals (New York Daily News), and now are tied for first in the N.L. East with the Phillies, who beat the Braves (Philadelphia Inquirer) The Daily News' John Harper says they're playing scared, but the New York Post's Mike Vaccaro says there's still time to right the sinking ship. The Post's Joel Sherman notes that Pedro Martinez was The Mighty Casey last night: ''the anticipation was great, the outcome disappointing.'' JUST A LITTLE? Martinez tells ESPN.com's Amy K. Nelson he's ''a little worried about how things have developed.'' HISTORY IN THE MAKING: On sny.tv, Ted Berg and Mike Salfino -- who writes fantasy football sports blog, by the way -- contemplate the epic collapse of the Mets. AND TO MAKE IT WORSE . . . Matthew Cerone's Mets Blog says the Mets' fold isn't made any easier by being in the same city as Yankee fans. THE OTHER N.L. RACES: The Cubs lost to the Marlins (Chicago Sun-Times) . . . the Brewers lost to the Padres (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . the Diamondbacks beat the Pirates (Arizona Republic) . . . the scorching Rockies beat the Dodgers (Denver Post). To see how all those games affected the races, check out the divisional standings and wild-card standings. (Projo Stats) FUNNY MAN IN A NOT-SO-FUNNY SITUATION: Cubs fan Bill Murray is keeping the faith despite his team's three straight losses to the Marlins. (Palm Beach Post) THE ALL-TIME GREATS: Baseball Prospectus lists the 13 biggest late-season collapses in baseball history, based on ''teams that had the highest percentage chance to reach the playoffs at some point during the regular season [and] then failed to do so.'' Two Red Sox teams -- from 2002 (No. 11) and 1978 (No. 7) -- make the list. The team most famous for folding at the end, the 1964 Phillies, are only at No. 10; BP notes ''it was not quite as bad as it might seem at first glance because of the disparity in the schedules. From September 18th onward, the Phillies played teams with an average winning percentage of .548, as opposed to .470 for the Cardinals, which was enough to wipe the equivalent of a game or two off of their lead.'' Coming in at No. 1: The 1995 Angels. NOT-SO-MASSIVE TIE: Baseball Musing's David Pinto reports that last night's action eliminated the possibility of a five-way tie in the National League, though there's still a chance for four-way ties. MLB.com lists the various tie-breaking scenarios. YOU SAY POTATO, I SAY . . . Some people call the wild spring to the finish in the National League exciting. USA Today's Hal Bodley calls it an exercise in mediocrity. THE REAL COMMISSIONER In an ESPN The Magazine profile, Matthew Cole says ''Scott Boras isn't ruining baseball. He's running it.'' HARD TO BELIEVE: On the blog Birds In The Belfry, Bob Bryant says it's time to face up to the truth: Orioles followers are ''fans of a ballclub worse than the Washington Nationals.'' YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN: Jimmy Piersall was back in his native Connecticut, touting Dom DiMaggio for the Hall of Fame and talking about what it was like growing up as a Red Sox fan in a sea of Yankee rooters. (Westport News) THIS IS WHY THEY'RE BALLPLAYERS AND NOT SABERMETRICIANS: SI.com reports that most major-leaguers think the most important offensive statistic is RBI. END OF THE LINE: Bruce Froemming reflects on the end of his 37-year umpiring career. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) MORE REVELATIONS: San Francisco Weekly reports that Greg Anderson's cellmate in jail, Marlon Leftwich, says Anderson ''shared one shocking anecdote after another about Barry Bonds and BALCO'' during their time together in prison. Whether they're true is another matter entirely, but they certainly are shocking. QUICKLY: With trade rumors swirling, yesterday may have been Jon Garland's last start for the White Sox (Chicago Sun-Times) . . . The Pirates may put Jason Bay on the trade market (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) . . . Todd Helton's hot September has ended rumors that the Rockies might again try to move him this winter (Denver Post) . . . Sammy Sosa wants to stay with the Rangers (Dallas Morning News) . . . The Reds have a decision to make on Eddie Guardado, who's been pitching better recently (Cincinnati Enquirer) . . . Boras says there'll be no hometown discount for the Braves if they want to keep Andruw Jones (Atlanta Journal-Constitution). -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 27, 2007
Postgame clubhouse reaction*Despite the Red Sox’ loss tonight, the biggest news was the performance of Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima. The Japanese left-hander has not worked since Sept. 14 due to fatigue and he showed no signs of being tired in his one inning of work in the top of the eighth. The southpaw threw just 14 pitches and allowed one hit with two strikeouts. This afternoon Red Sox manager Terry Francona stated the importance of getting Okajima into last night’s game, and the club would like to see another performance like this one at least one more time before the postseason. “He didn’t get extended and he didn’t give up runs,” said the manager. “It didn’t look like there was a ton of rust, so if we can get him out there again, that would really be good.” Okajima has been a huge part of the club’s bullpen for much of the season until his latest bout of exhaustion. *Francona on Josh Beckett: “Josh left some fastballs over the plate and he paid the price for it. We gave ourselves a really good opportunity in the ninth, but (Minnesota closer Joe) Nathan made some really good pitches when he had to.”
“If you can’t locate your fastball hitters are going to get the best of you most of the time." Beckett on his final regular-season outing and looking ahead: He finishes his second season with the Red Sox with a 20-7 record, including a 3.27 ERA and reached the 200-inning plateau, which he said was a goal of his this year. Still, he’s not about to talk about individual accomplishments, because there’s a higher purpose – a World Series championship. “We still have some things we want to do for the rest of the regular season,” said Beckett. “Obviously I’m not going to be part of the rest of the regular season, so I’ll sit there with my pom-poms. We’ll worry about [the postseason] once we find out what day we’re playing. With the whole scheduling thing it kind of has everybody wondering what the heck is going on. We’re trying to finish strong and hopefully we can win a couple of games in the next three.” “We’re riding pretty high right now,” added Beckett. “We’re hitting the ball real well, but obviously today wasn’t a great game. We’re still hitting the ball and playing great defense. We’ve pitched well, too. You don’t plan on winning every game in a season, and besides today, we’re doing pretty well.” **The last thing the Red Sox need right now is an injury to outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury. The rookie sparkplug left the game after the fourth inning with cramping in his right calf and did not return. He went 0-for-2 to snap his eight-game hitting streak, and Francona said he didn’t know if the pitches Ellsbury fouled off his leg during his first at-bat caused the problem. “I don’t know if it’s related,” said Francona. “I can’t imagine it helped. The (cramping) happened for a couple of innings and one inning he was late going out because it wasn’t able to loosen up. He couldn’t get it to loosen up so we had to make a move.” Francona inserted utility outfielder Bobby Kielty into right field and moved J.D. Drew to center as a result.
Posted by Joe McDonald FINAL: Minnesota 5, Boston 4BOSTON _ The party has been put on hold. Boston has the A.L. East title within its reach, but lthe Red Sox needed a few monkeys hanging on the limb tonight to grab hold of the division for the first time in 12 seasons. They’re coming oh so close, but the Minnesota Twins had other thoughts with their 5-4 margin of victory at Fenway Park. Early yesterday afternoon a Red Sox clubby was seen gathering a cooler of ice and wheeling it into the home clubhouse, probably preparing for a possible celebration. Since the Sox lost, and the New York Yankees beat Tampa, Boston’s magic number remains at two. The Red Sox sent ace, 20-game winner and Cy Young Award candidate Josh Beckett to the mound against the Twins, and right-hander allowed five runs on 10 hits with six strikeouts in six innings of work to suffer only his seventh loss of the season. The biggest news of the night was the performance of Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima. The Japanese left-hander has not worked since Sept. 14 due to fatigue and he showed no signs of being tired in his one inning of work in the top of the eighth. The southpaw threw just 14 pitches and allowed one hit with two strikeouts. The Twins scored often and early on Beckett, pushing across one run in each of the first three innings, including a monster solo home run by Minnesota’s Michael Cuddyer in the second inning. The Twins scored one in the fifth before Garrett Jones launched a solo shot to center in the sixth inning. Boston scoring came in the two-run first inning before Ortiz hit a solo homer in the fifth. With the Sox trailing by two runs in the bottom of the eighth, Varitek provided a one-out solo homer into the Monster seats to cut Boston’s deficit to one, 5-4. Kevin Youkilis, who was not in the starting lineup, served as a pinch-hitter for Kielty and Youk struck out to end the threat and game. The party may be on ice, for now, but the Red Sox and their fans can taste it. They might just have to wait until another day to celebrate.
Posted by Joe McDonald Ellsbury updateRed Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was pulled from the game after four innings with cramping in his right calf. We'll have an update after the game. . .
Posted by Joe McDonald Pregame Notes, Sept. 27
Crisp was exmained today and was in the clubhouse before the game. Francona said his illness was described as "strictly viral." The manager didn't know when Crisp, who will miss his third straight start tonight, will be back in the lineup. Once again Jacoby Ellsbury is starting in center in place of Crisp. -- First baseman Kevin Youkilis, who started Wednesday night for the first time since being hit on the right wrist by a pitch on Sept. 15, is out of the starting lineup again tonight. Francona said Youkilis felt "fatigue in the wrist" late in Wednesday's game. The manager said Youkilis's wrist wasn't sore, but Francona thought it best to hold him out of tonight's starting lineup. Youkilis, who is being replaced in the lineup by Eric Hinske, is available off the bench, said Francona. -- Manny Ramirez starts in left field for the third straight game, again batting second so it's possible for him to get an extra at-bat and possibly save an inning in the field defensively. Francona said he'll likely play six innings again tonight. He's hoping to have Ramirez play a full game this weekend with the playoffs looming next week, but that would depend on how Manny was feeling, he said. --Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Starting Lineups, Sept. 27BOSTON Pedroia 2b Beckett p MINNESOTA Bartlett ss Bonser p -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Reactions to Manny's returnHere's a quick sampling of what they're saying about Manny Ramirez's startling 4-for-5 start since returning from a 24-game hiatus: "The highest compliment that that can be paid a hitter is to say he could roll out of bed and hit .300. Manny Ramirez has proven over the last two days he might actually be able to do it," writes Jerry Beach, in DieHard Magazine.com. "Manny could rip IV tubes out of his arm, vault out of the ICU, and crack a single up the middle on the first pitch he's seen in six months. Manny could stand alongside a 4-foot snowbank in White River Junction, Vt., on Feb. 10 and hit the first 90-mile-per-hour fastball thrown his way. He could skip part of spring training (and has), then show up rested and ready to go 4 for 4 against C.C. Sabathia," writes Dan Shaughnessy, in The Boston Globe. "Calling someone a 'Christmas Day hitter,' an expression used in the Red Sox clubhouse, is supposed to signify that a particular player can roll out of bed on the holiday, or any other day, and knock out a slew of hits without even thinking about it. Christmas has come early for Manny Ramirez [stats] and the Sox," writes Rob Bradford in the Boston Herald.
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Good stuff from Manny and LowellClick here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. Today's topics: Manny Ramirez's strong return; Mike Lowell as team MVP; time will do Jon Lester good; which pitcher will get the 25th playoff roster spot; and why the Red Sox are better off facing the Angels. Following are some excerpts from Sean's comments. On Manny's return: "I think one of the most encouraging things is Manny's ability to hit the ball to center and right field, which as most people who follow the Red Sox know is kind of when you can tell that Manny is locked in at the plate -- when he's hitting the ball either up the middle or just to the right of right-center. That's where almost every ball he's hit in the last two games has gone, and that tells me he's locked in pretty good." On Lowell: "I don't think there's any question he's been their MVP. ... For the past month or so he has been the cleanup hiter in the absence of Manny Ramirez, and he also has been a guy that helped carry the team when Ortiz really wasn't producing and driving the ball." The four-way battle for the final roster spot: "I was a bit surprised when someone with some reason to be familiar with this told me to not leave Bryan Corey off that list. I hadn't really thought of him as being much of a factor here, but he certainly has pitched well enough in September and gotten their eye. But this is a guy who, remember, didn't make the team out of spring training and was in Pawtucket all year until the rosters expanded, and to think that he might now be one of 11 pitchers on the postseason roster is a bit of a surprise to me -- that's something I hadn't even factored in. ... The Buchholz thing is so strange, because he's only pitched three times since the first of the month, and you don't know what to expect out of him or where he is physically. ... My guess is -- just because of experience, his bounce-back ability and versatility -- maybe its Tavarez, but I'm really throwing a dart against a wall."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Thursday, September 27
END IN SIGHT: Almost there. The Red Sox' magic number for clinching the A.L. East is down to two after last night's 11-6 win over the A's (projo.com), a victory fueled by three-hit performances from Dustin Pedroia (above right, Journal photo by Kris Craig), Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and Mike Lowell, not to mention a five-RBI contribution from Lowell. And suddenly, the postseason picture is falling into place, as well. Sean McAdam notes that, thanks to Los Angeles of Anaheim's three straight losses to the Rangers, the Red Sox are all but assured of playing the Angels in the first round, with the series opening at Fenway Park next Wednesday or Thursday, followed by Game Two on Friday. (The teams will play on the West Coast on Sunday, Oct. 7 and, if necessary, Monday, Oct. 8, with a fifth game, if needed, in Boston on Wednesday, Oct. 10.) The only unanswered question is whether or not the Sox or Indians will finish with the best record in the A.L. and thus earn home-field advantage throughout the postseason. That race, at the moment, is tied; details to come. ALSO DECIDED . . . is which series -- the seven-day or eight-day -- the Sox will choose if they finish first overall. (The top seed gets to pick which series it wants to play.) But Terry Francona isn't telling the Sox' choice, at least not yet. (Boston Herald) ALSO DECIDED AS WELL . . . is the postseason roster, or just about. Today's projo.com journal, written by McAdam, Steven Krasner and Joe McDonald, notes that 24 of the 25 roster spots are solidifed (and, yes, Jacoby Ellsbury is on it). With Javier Lopez apparently assured of a position, the only decision is who to pick for the last pitching slot: Julian Tavarez, Kyle Snyder, Clay Buchholz or Bryan Corey. Someone who won't have a slot, at least in the opening round: Jon Lester. (Boston Globe) ONE FOR THE BOOKS: For 30 years, no Red Sox third baseman ever had more RBI in a single season than Butch Hobson, 1977. No one, that is, until Mike Lowell, 2007. Steven Krasner has the details in Inside The Game. The Boston Globe's Bob Ryan says you can't put a value on what Lowell has done this year. AND ONE FOR THE ROAD: Rotoworld.com put together its list of projected 2008 American League rosters, and it has Eric Chavez at third base for the Red Sox. Lowell is nowhere to be found, which must mean Rotoworld thinks he's National League-bound. As for Alex Rodriguez, Rotoworld says he's returning to the Yankees. MANNY BEING MANNY: He missed a month because of the strained oblique, but Manny Ramirez is 4-for-5 with two walks in his first two games back in the lineup. (Boston Herald) HERE'S THE FASCINATION, HERE'S THE FASCINATION, HERE'S THE FASCINATION WITH J.D. DREW: Seth Mnookin chronicles J.D. Drew's continuing offensive resurgence. (sethmnookin.com) 'MORE WOLF THAN SHEEP': That's how SI.com's Tom Verducci describes Jonathan Papelbon in his fascinating profile of the Red Sox closer. AND MANY MORE: Happy birthday, Johnny Pesky; he turns 88 today. (Boston Globe) WE'LL GO: While many of the Red Sox aren't enthusiastic about opening the 2008 season in Japan with two games against Oakland -- no decision's been made, but the option is still on the table -- the A's players are more receptive. (Boston Herald) WAY TO GO, ROOK(S): FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal hands out his postseason awards and Dustin Pedroia is his Rookie of the Year, with Daisuke Matsuzaka third. David Ortiz is third and Mike Lowell ninth on his MVP ballot, and Josh Beckett is second to C.C. Sabathia in the Cy Young race. Terry Francona didn't make the top three on his Manager of the Year list. THEY MADE IT: The Yankees completed their rise from the grave by clobbering Tampa Bay last night and clinching a playoff position. (New York Daily News) Most pundits are saying they overcame the 14 1/2-game deficit they faced on May 29 (New York Post), but that's only true if they win the division; if things stay the way they are, the deficit they erased was the one they faced in the wild-card race, which peaked at 9 1/2. Even so, it's an impressive accomplishment . . . and now it's on to the postseason, where Alex Rodriguez -- sounding very much like a man in his last days in pinstripes, according to the New York Post's Kevin Kernan -- says it's World Series championship or bust. I WAS WRONG: Give the Daily News' John Harper credit. Most people try to bury their mistakes. Instead, today he's owning up to it. Don't feel badly, John; you weren't the only one who declared the Yankees dead. In fact, you weren't even the only one that day. HE WAS RIGHT: My friend Lou DiLullo (projo.com) is a pariah -- with reason, I have to admit -- in some corners of Red Sox Nation; he's a consumptive Yankee fan who views the world, indeed life itself, through a rosy, the Yankees-can-do-no-wrong pinstripe prism. (If he doesn't actually feel that way, he hides it beautifully in his writings.) But when he was saying throughout the summer that it was too early to bury the Yanks, he was absolutely correct. It's a long, long season, and the notion that a team -- any team with talent -- is out of it with four months to go, or three months to go, or even a month to go, is foolish. That much of Lou's Yankee optimism goes hand-in-hand with blind, irrational hatred of the Red Sox is the reason no one pays much attention to him around here; his magic-numbers screed was just the latest in a series of anti-Boston fatwas that he issues from time to time. But if he was off the mark in declaring the Yankees would conjure up a repeat of 1978 just because the 2007 deficit happened to hit the same 14 1/2-game benchmark it hit in '78, he was on target when he declared, over and over, that the Yankees weren't done. I would imagine no one in Yankee Universe is happier, or more satisfied, this morning than Lou DiLullo; it's a wonderful feeling to know that you are right and the world is wrong. Congratulations. And I can only imagine what's coming next in Louie's Lines. THE GREAT UNKNOWN: The Yankees have no idea if Roger Clemens will be able to pitch in the postseason. (New York Daily News) PRETTY LAME: Despite having lunch with George Steinbrenner, Joe Torre is still a lame-duck manager heading into the playoffs. (New York Post) A.L. RACES: It's all for positioning now, and the Angels lost a game, maybe a shot at finishing with the A.L.'s best record, and perhaps center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. yesterday at Texas. (Los Angeles Daily News) The Indians, meanwhile, split a doubleheader at Seattle and now are tied for the top spot with the Red Sox. (Cleveland Plain Dealer) More worrisome for the Indians: Closer Joe Borowski blew his second save chance in as many nights. N.L. RACES: The Mets' lead in the N.L. East is down to one as they blew yet another multirun lead and lost to the Nationals (New York Daily News) at the same time the Phillies were beating the Braves (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . In other games with playoff implications, the Cubs lost to the Marlins (Chicago Sun-Times) . . . the Brewers lost to the Cardinals (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . the red-hot Rockies won their 10th in a row, beating the Dodgers (Denver Post) . . . the Diamondbacks lost to the Pirates (Arizona Republic) . . . and the Padres beat the Giants (San Diego Union-Tribune). To see how all those games affected the races, check out the divisional standings and wild-card standings. (Projo Stats) DUQUE TO THE RESCUE: The New York Observer's Howard Megdal says the Mets need a save from Orlando Hernandez. THE MASSIVE TIE SCENARIO: As of yesterday morning, Baseball Musing's David Pinto noted there was a chance for a six-way playoff tie in the National League, which would have resulted in two days of single-elimination play-in games. As of today, Pinto reports it can still be a five-way tie. THE VOICES OF NEW YORK: ESPN.com's Jeff Pearlman says that, in stark contrast to the pap you hear on the Yankee television and radio broadcasts, the Mets' television team, which includes Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez (with ex-voice of the PawSox Gary Cohen), is the best in baseball. GO ALL THE WAY: MLB has suspended umpire Mike Winters for his role in the Milton Bradley fiasco of last weekend, but Foxsports.com's Ken Rosenthal says that's not enough: ''Mike Winters should never umpire another major-league game.'' END OF THE LINE: The Giants and Barry Bonds are preparing for their farewell weekend. (USA Today) NOW THIS IS A GRUDGE: Bruce Froemming's 37-year umpiring career will end this weekend, but Milt Pappas is still bitter about not getting a 2-and-2 call from Froemming during a perfect-game bid in 1972; he wound up walking the batter and lost the perfect game, though he did finish the no-hitter. (ESPN.com) ''I still feel in my own heart that he robbed me of a perfect game,'' said Pappas. ''I wish him nothing but the best. I just wish he had retired 37 years ago." QUICKLY: Skip Caray won't be part of WTBS' baseball playoff broadcast team and he's not happy about it (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) . . . A Johan Santana-for-Matt Kemp-and-others trade rumor is floating around cyberspace (cbs2.com). -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 26, 2007
FINAL: Boston 11, Oakland 6BOSTON _ It has officially kicked in. The momentum boost Boston has been waiting for in preparation of the upcoming postseason arrived in fine fashion tonight as the Red Sox dismantled the Oakland Athletics en route to an 11-6 victory at Fenway Park. With the exception of Julio Lugo, every Red Sox player in the starting lineup registered at least a hit, but it was the top of the order that proved crucial. The first four hitters – Dustin Pedroia, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and Mike Lowell – combined for 10 runs on 12 hits to lead the offensive onslaught. More to come. . .
Posted by Joe McDonald Pregame Notes, Sept. 26
"He's not feeling a lot better today. Any time there's an inner ear problem it can lead to a virus so we want to get some answers," said Francona a few minutes ago. Jacoby Ellsbury will start in center field in place of Crisp as he did Tuesday night. -- Hideki Okajima has rebounded well from his 40-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday and will pitch in tomorrow night's game against Minnesota, said Francona. The manager said he may not be used in his customary role, but Francona said the Sox want him back on the mound at some point during the game. Okajima hasn't pitched since giving up four runs in only one-third of an inning against the Yankees on Sept. 14. The left-hander has been strengthening and conditioning his left shoulder since that poor outing. The Sox don't necessarily need to see him pitch back-to-back days before the playoffs begin next week, said Francona, who added he was expecting Okajima to "pitch a lot in the postseason." "His arm is probably stronger than it has been since early in the season," said Francona. "He never got to the point he was hurt. He was fatigued." -- Kevin Youkilis starts at first base today, his first start since Sept 15, when a pitch from the Yankees' Chien-Ming Wang struck him on the right wrist. -- Manny Ramirez reported no ill effects from playing Tuesday night, his first game since leaving an Aug. 28 contest in New York because of a strained left oblique. So Ramirez will start tonight in left field, once again batting second so he can get some quick at-bats and leave early as his body readjusts to playing. -- Curt Schilling will pitch on Sunday in the regular-season finale, said Francona, dispelling the notion that the veteran right-hander might skip the start so as to be better rested for the postseason. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Starting Lineups, Sept. 26BOSTON Pedroia 2b Lester p OAKLAND Stewart lf Blanton p -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner The numbers with and without Manny
Yesterday we mentioned on the Web site the way the offense for the Red Sox basically held up in the absence of Manny Ramirez. After last night's return, Ramirez has now played in 128 of the team's 157 games. Below are a few of the team's numbers in the 128 games with Manny, and in the 29 games without him. Batting average: .271 without Manny; .279 with Manny But here's the big difference. Winning percentage: .552 without Manny (16-13); .602 with Manny (77-51). -Here's what a few quotes from Kevin Youkilis on Manny returning to bat second in the lineup, according to Mike Fine's account in The Patriot Ledger: "He's hitting second, so I think he's going to move over runners, do the little things. He’s going to play small-ball. He might get a contract extension if he finishes well. He really has to show himself well because he's one of those September call-up type guys." Right. And, finally, it should have surprised no one that the crowd went nuts for Ramirez last night, despite the not-too-subtle suggestions out there that there's something not on the up-and-up about the amount of time that Ramirez has missed. The fans have always been quick to forgive when it comes to their favorite left fielder.
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: A very good night, mostlyClick here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. Today's topics: the team feeling better about itself; the plan for Manny the rest of the week; Youkilis still hurting; going to Papelbon in the eighth; Gagne struggles again; and the reason for today's unusual 5 o'clock start time. Following are some excerpts from Sean's comments. On Ramirez: "I think, certainly, this afternoon the plan is to have him do the exact same thing: bat high in the order, probably second, to give him as many at-bats early in the game as possible, and then get him out of there. It's all about getting his timing down without exposing him too much, too soon." On Youkilis: "He admitted that he is not 100 percent ... He said there's still some soreness, a little swelling there [in his wrist] ... I don't think there's going to be 100-percent strength to the wrist for a little while. And it will be interesting to see how that affects his ability to drive the ball. Youkilis is not a home-run hitter, obviously, but he is capable of hitting a lot of doubles, and in the next few days it will be interesting to see how well he seems to be able to hit the ball in the gap, whether he can drive the ball off the wall and really put strong swings on pitches. He indicated that what he was looking for over the next few days was just some steady progression, to the point where he is close to 100 percent by the time the playoffs get going." Gagne: "He certainly didn't have the kind of problems commanding last night that he did against the Blue Jays [a week ago] ... It kind of looked like he got squeezed a little bit on that walk ... Certainly [he was] not all over the place like he was up in Toronto, but ultimately its results, and 25 pitches to get two outs is not what they're looking for in the eighth inning of close games."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Wednesday, Septemeber 26
THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMING: A good night made better by happenings in St. Petersburg, which we'll detail later in our show. A quick preview: The Sox now lead the A.L. East by three games with five to play, and have reduced their magic number for clinching the division to three. The good news -- or at least the beginning of it -- was greeted with raucous, joyous cheers at Fenway, which confused Sox players like Eric Gagne, who aren't quite up to speed on the Boston-New York tong wars. (Boston Herald) IT'S NOT ALL PEACHES AND CREAM: The Sox have dropped to No. 3 in FoxSports' Power Rankings. BROTHER ACT: Yes, that was Julio Lugo's brother pitching against him in the eighth inning last night. (Boston Herald) Rudy Lugo's line wasn't much -- two-thirds of an inning, one hit, one walk, two earned runs -- but big brother Julio said, ''It was a good experience for the family, and the whole family was there, too - my mother, all my friends, my sister. Everyone was here to see that happen.'' Rudy walked Julio, the leadoff batter in the eighth, and Julio gave a long stare as he walked to first ''so he knows who's boss.'' Typical big brother. IF IT'S NOT ONE THING, IT'S ANOTHER: We were worried enough about the karma surrounding Jonathan Papelbon. (projo.com's Sox Blog) Then Red Sox Monster's Dan Lamothe comes across the Sept. 19 Papelbon Scoop. Big guy . . . stick to pitching. Please. LOOKING BACK: The blog Vegas Watch looks back at the best and worst of April predictions and notes ESPN's Steve Phillips picked the Red Sox to win 82 games. Reminds me of an e-mail I got from a Red Sox fan in late March that read, "Stick a fork in 'em. I do not see this team finishing any higher than third in the division." RAYS OF HOPE: The rest of the story, from the Sox' point of view, last night was written on the west coast of Florida as those pesky Devil Rays rallied from a 5-0 deficit and beat the Yankees in 10 innings, 7-6. (New York Daily News) The Journal-News' Peter Abraham says the loss means the Yanks ''almost certainly will not win the American League East,'' and that's likely true; a three-game deficit with five to play, when you have no head-to-head matchups with the team you're chasing, is all but insurmountable. It was, writes the New York Post's Kevin Kernan, a grand night for Alex Rodriguez -- who now has 53 homers and 151 RBI after his third-inning grand slam -- but not so grand for Edwar Ramirez and Brian Bruney, who probably pitched themselves off the playoff roster. (New York Daily News) The Yankees had champagne on ice, since they could have clinched a playoff spot with a victory or a Tigers loss. But on ice is where it stayed, as Detroit fended off elimination by beating the Twins. (Detroit News) The Yanks will try again tonight. BACK ON THE PAD: Nor was it a grand night for Roger Clemens, who was shut down for the remainder of the regular season because of a balky hamstring. (New York Post) He insists he'll be ready for the playoffs, though the Yankees say they have no timetable for his return. MY TREAT: Jason Giambi dropped $5,000 taking the Yankee rookies out to dinner in Tampa Monday night. The only catch was they had to stay in their Wizard-of-Oz hazing costumes. (New York Post) Small price to pay for a $5,000 night out, apparently. HIP, HIP, JORGE! The New York Observer's Howard Megdal throws a little love towards Jorge Posada. PROUD OF THEMSELVES: The Devil Rays are patting themselves on the back because of the way they've played against the A.L. elite this month. (Tampa Tribune) The St. Petersburg Times' Gary Shelton thinks the Rays are giving indications they're about ready to move out of Stinkville. THE EVIDENCE MOUNTS: As all of you know, the biggest controversy hereabouts in recent weeks is the Red Sox' obvious belief -- based on the way they've played things -- that the difference between winning the division and making the playoffs as the wild card simply isn't very big. SI.com's Tom Verducci delves into the issue and points out that ''Teams have figured out that finishing in second place is no different than finishing first when it comes to their postseason chances. Wild-card teams are 26-20 in postseason series -- and in the past five years have accounted for more World Series appearances (six) and more world championships (three) than division winners (four pennants, two championships).'' His suggestion: Add a second wild card in each league -- and a play-in game between wild cards before the Division Series -- to make division races meaningful. WELL, I LIKE IT: Ian O'Connor, writing on FoxSports.com, lauds the wild card, even if it did make his greatest baseball memory -- the Yankees' playoff win over the Red Sox in 1978 -- something that will never happen again. A.L. RACES: Save for the wild-card battle, which is now a race in name only, the only thing left undetermined in the American League is playoff seeding. The Indians still have the best record in the league, by one-half game, after their 12-inning win in Seattle. (Cleveland Plain Dealer) The Angels fell a little farther off the pace as they lost to the Rangers; they're continuing to rest some of their regulars in preparation for the postseason. (Los Angeles Daily News) So the seedings now stand (if we count the Yankees as the wild card) Indians/Red Sox/Angels/Yankees, which means if the playoffs began today the matchups would be Boston vs. Los Angeles of Anaheim and Cleveland vs. New York, with the Indians getting to choose whether to play the seven-day or eight-day series. We'd assume they'd pick the eight-day, to maximize their use of C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona, which means the Sox would be playing the Angels at Fenway on Thursday and Friday of next week before heading to Anaheim for games Sunday and Monday. That's how it looks from this space today. It may look a whole lot different in 12 hours. N.L. RACES: Quickly, since we're coming up on 8:30: The Mets lost to the Nationals (New York Daily News) . . . the Phillies lost to the Braves (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . the Cubs lost to the Marlins (Chicago Sun-Times) . . . the Brewers beat the Cardinals (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . the Diuamondbacks lost to the Pirates (Arizona Republic) . . . the Rockies beat the Dodgers (Denver Post) . . . and the Padres beat the Giants (San Diego Union-Tribune). To see how all those games affected the races, check out the divisional standings and wild-card standings. (Projo Stats) THE STORY CONTINUES: Baseball is still abuzz over the Milton Bradley saga. FoxSports.com's Mark Kriegel thinks the incident is more proof that the umpires, after having been reigned in following the Richie Phillips resignation fiasco, are once again out of control and Mike Winters may have violated ''the integrity of the game'' if he did, indeed, bait Bradley into exploding. Kriegel's colleague Tracy Ringolsby reports Winters was scheduled to work the Padres' season-ending series in Milwaukee this weekend, but MLB may reassign him in light of the incident. Interesting juxtaposition of opinion between the two: Kriegel thinks Winters is more to blame, and Ringolsby blames Bradley. As for Bradley, the San Diego Union-Tribune's Chris Jenkins says the Padres ''wouldn't be just wrong to even consider bringing him back. They'd be crazy.'' He also notes that the unbelievable line that now describes him -- Milton Bradley, injured in mid-tantrum, ejected from game, awaiting suspension -- perfectly encapsulates his troubled career. PLAYING FOR MORE THAN A POSTSEASON BERTH: Charlie Manuel may need for the Phillies to make the playoffs to keep his job. (Philadelphia Inquirer) NOT HIM, THOUGH: No matter where the Brewers finish, manager Ned Yost will be back in 2008. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) DECISION MADE? New Pirates general manager Neal Huntington says he will decide manager Jim Tracy's fate in ''a timely manner,'' which may mean Tracy is out. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) QUICKLY: Andruw Jones says he wants to know soon if the Braves intend to attempt to re-sign him; otherwise, he says he'll move on. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) The problem is that Jones' agent, Scott Boras, never does anything quickly, so even if the Braves tell Jones they want him back Boras will probably be shopping Jones around until December or January . . . He's already started, telling the San Jose Mercury News he ''doesn't see how'' the Giants won't bid on Jones . . . The Detroit News' Rob Parker won't be surprised if Gary Sheffield retires . . . Ozzie Guillen says Barry Bonds isn't on his 2008 wish list, but he's not sure if White Sox GM Kenny Williams feels the same way (Chicago Sun-Times) . . . Orioles reliever Danys Baez, who is undergoing ligament-transplant surgery, won't return until 2009 (Baltimore Sun) . . . The Seattle Post-Intelligencer's John Hickey thinks there's a chance the Giants may trade Barry Zito to the Mariners this winter . . . George Brett says he doubts he'd be interested in the Royals' managing job because of the travel involved (Kansas City Star) . . . The Detroit Free Press' Jeff Meade wonders if 2006's success has given Jim Leyland innoculation against a pretty poor 2007 performance . . . Baseball Musing's David Pinto says that when it comes to their managers, the A's ''seems to have missed the part about rewarding success and punishing failure.'' -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 25, 2007
FINAL: Red Sox 7, A's 3BOSTON -- With the postseason looming, it was a good night for the Red Sox to begin putting all the pieces together in preparation for the playoffs. And so they did. Curt Schilling, it what may be his final start of the regular season, allowed only one run over six efficient innings and staked his claim for the No. 2 spot in the rotation behind Josh Beckett. Manny Ramirez returned to the lineup and went 1-for-2 with a walk in his five-inning appearance, the first time he's played since straining his right oblique muscle on August 28 in New York. Kevin Youkilis, sidelined since being hit by a Chien-Ming Wang pitch on Sept. 16, also got back in action, coming in as a pinch-hitter for Eric Hinske in the fifth and going 0-for-2. That was just the top of the good news for the Sox in their 7-3 victory over Oakland, who also got a three-hit performance from J.D. Drew, two RBI from Jacoby Ellsbury, the 33rd home run of the season by David Ortiz and airtight relief from Manny Delcarmen, Eric Gagne and Jonathan Papelbon. The victory dropped the Sox' magic number for clinching the A.L. East to four. The Yankees' game at Tampa Bay was tied in the eighth inning when the Sox game ended; if New York lost, the number would go down to three. The Sox also had a chance to pick up some ground on Los Angeles of Anaheim in the race for the A.L.'s best record, as the Angels were losing to the Rangers when the Boston game ended. Cleveland, the other team involved in the race for the best record, has a late game at Seattle. The A's actually drew first blood with a first-inning home run by Daric Barton. The Sox, though, tied it in the bottom of the first on a single by Ramirez -- who was batting second to maximize his number of at-bats before being lifted in mid-game -- a walk to Ortiz and a double by Mike Lowell. Oakland starter Chad Gaudin matched zeroes with Schilling from then until the fifth, when he imploded. He walked four straight batters -- Ramirez, Ortiz, Lowell and Drew -- without recording an out, forcing in the go-ahead run. Ex-Sox left-hander Lenny DiNardo came on in relief and was touched for a sacrifice fly by Ellsbury, making it 3-1. Schilling was impressive as he put down the A's with 86 pitches over six innings, allowing six hits and no walks with six strikeouts. He gave way to Delcarmen, who pitched a scoreless seventh, and the Sox increased the lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the inning on a two-out single by Drew, a walk to Jason Varitek and an RBI single to left by Ellsbury. Gagne came on in the eighth and handed it over to Papelbon with two runners on and two outs. Papelbon retired Mark Ellis on one pitch, a pop to shortstop, and the Sox broke it open in the bottom of the eighth. Lugo walked, went to third on a hit-and-run single by Dustin Pedroia and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bobby Kielty. Ortiz then put the exclamation point on the night with a two-run homer to right. With the game decided, manager Terry Francona rested Papelbon and brought in Corey to close things out in the ninth. Corey was touched for an RBI double by Jack Hannahan and a sacrifice fly by Kurt Suzuki. See the box score here and the game play-by-play here.
Posted by Art Martone Okajima throws bullpen sessionBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- Hideki Okajima, who had been shut down by the Sox because of arm fatigue, threw a 40-pitch bullpen session Tuesday afternoon and, according to pitching coach John Farrell, should be ready to pitch an inning on Thursday night against Minnesota. Okajima, who boasted an 0.83 earned-run average at the All-Star break in exceeding expectations as the eighth-inning setup man to closer Jonathan Papelbon, had been roughed up recently. The latest carnage was a four-run meltdown against the Yankees on Sept. 14 that helped cost Boston a game to New York. That continued a string of mostly mediocre outings. From Aug. 10 to Sept. 14, Okajima had been cuffed for 11 earned runs in 11 1/3 innings over a 13-game stretch, inflating his E.R.A. from 0.98 to 2.28. And while manager Terry Francona chided the media for saying that Okajima's main problem was fatigue, the Sox ultimately shut him down after the Sept. 14 outing. This afternoon was his first bullpen work since then. Farrell was pleased with what he saw, and even used the "f" word -- fatigue -- that Francona has steadfastly refused to use. "His stuff was crisp," said Farrell, who stood in the batter's boxes, simulating a hitter, as Okajima went through his workout, giving him a better look at the left-hander's stuff. "He had no problem with his long toss or getting loose. We don't anticipate any setbacks. There was some fatigue we dealt with like we did with some other guys (on the staff) who got breaks during the season. He (Okajima) had some successive appearances where it was clear he needed some down time and we were fortunate (with a lead in the division) to be able to give him the time," said Farrell.
Posted by Steven Krasner Youkilis to return tomorrowBY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- First baseman Kevin Youkilis, who hasn't played since being drilled on the inside of the right wrist by a Chien-Ming Wang pitch on Sept. 15, will be back in the starting lineup Wednesday night against Oakland. Youkilis and manager Terry Francona both announced that bit of happy Red Sox news Tuesday afternoon. Youkilis, who has missed the last seven games, said he had a cortisone shot in the ailing wrist on Friday while he and the Red Sox were in Tampa. The shot helped take out some of the persistent swelling in the joint, allowing him to be able to take batting practice Monday at Fenway Park during the team's day off. ''Hopefully now I'll be fine for the rest of the year," said Youkilis, who is batting .288 with 16 homers and 81 RBI. ''I'll be a lot happier camper being able to play. The worst thing in all of sports is not to be able to play on a daily basis. That's worse than the pain in the body.'' Francona said Youkilis could be available to pinch hit Tuesday night. Eric Hinske has started the games Youkilis missed and was only batting .111 (3-for-27) in those seven games heading into Tuesday night's game against the A's.
Posted by Steven Krasner Manny returns!BY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- Manny Ramirez, who hasn't played since leaving the Aug. 28 game in New York because of a strained left oblique, is back in the starting lineup Tuesday night as the Red Sox open their final week of the regular season with the first playoff game a week or so away. Ramirez is in left field and batting second. Manager Terry Francona said moments ago during his daily press briefing that it was likely Ramirez would get two or three at-bats before calling it a night. He has missed the Sox' last 24 games, and Boston was 12-12 in those games without Ramirez. The reason Ramirez is hitting second instead of his customary cleanup spot is that he can get those at-bats as quickly as possible as he readjusts not only to hitting in game situations again, but also getting his body back into shape for playing a full game in the field. In essence, it is a spring-training type of usage for Ramirez, but the time frame for the slugger to be ready to go a full nine will be accelerated with the postseason around the corner. Ramirez has been taking regular batting practice sessions for almost two weeks, including a session at Fenway Park Monday on the team's day off. Hitting is one thing, said Francona. Another is playing the outfield where Ramirez will be standing around and then ''going in directions (chasing fly balls and base hits) not preconceived.'' Jacoby Ellsbury, who has started in left field in the bulk of the games Ramirez missed, is expected to return to left when the Sox decide Ramiez's night's work is over. Ramirez's teammates, not surprisingly, are happy to see him return to the lineup. And they joked about his position in the batting order, a spot generally reserved for a player with speed who can handle the bat. "Hitting second he's going to move the runners over, play some small ball, drop down a bunt, do the little things," cracked Kevin Youkilis. "(If he plays well) he might get a (contract) extension. He's one of the (roster-expanding) September call-up guys." "I think he's going to bunt the first time up," said Jonathan Papelbon. David Ortiz, meanwhile, is well aware that where Manny hits in the order isn't going to change the Athletics' game plan for him. "I told him he's not going to fool anybody unless he changes his name and cuts off his dreadlocks," said Ortiz. The sight of Ramirez in the lineup, though, is a boost to the team because the Sox know they need his bat to succeed in the playoffs. "It's great. We absolutely need him. We need to get the ball rolling and get it rolling in the right direction," said Papelbon. Ramirez is batting .292 with 20 homers and 86 RBI.
Posted by Steven Krasner Photo: Are the Sox being hit by the SI cover jinx at the worst possible time?Look who's on the cover of this week's Sports Illustrated . . .
Posted by Art Martone Ramirez in tonight's lineupManny Ramirez is in tonight's lineup batting second and playing left field. Here's the full Red Sox lineup: 1. Dustin Pedroia, 2b And here's the Oakland lineup Stewart lf Gaudin p -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Mike McDermott Galasso cartoon: Walking the tightrope
Posted by Art Martone Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Postseason permutationsClick here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. Today's topics: the status of Youkilis and Ramirez; where Ellsbury fits into the lineup if Ramirez returns; the offense's surprising resiliency; Wakefield's rotation spot secure; which relievers might be left off the postseason roster; Curt Schilling's chance for redemption; and the challenges posed by Oakland and Minnesota. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments. Would the Sox consider Ellsbury in center for the postseason? "I just think that they are so comfortable with Coco Crisp's defense, and I think Ellsbury's pretty good defensively, but not yet in Coco;s class in patrolling center field. I think that Crisp has been such a constant for them in his defensive coverage, and when you get into the playoffs and you've got to catch the ball, and make all the plays, and win low-scoring games, and plays get magnified -- I have a hard time believing that they would take Coco out of that position." Why Wakefield as the number four guy, and not Lester? "I think that maybe there was a time a couple weeks ago, when Lester had a particularly strong start, that there was at least the outside possibility of him eclipsing Wakefield, in no small part because it would give them a lefty starter, and that might present a different look to a couple of those teams they might match up with. But I think that Lester's continued struggles with pitch count and pitch efficiency have ultimately probably not only cost him a spot in the rotation, but it's possible he may not be on the postseason roster, at least for the first round, because he doesn't have any experience coming out of the bullpen, and if he's not going to start, I'm not sure there's a lot of incentive to have him on the roster." And who would benefit from Lester not being on the roster? "I guess we can go back and forth on who benefits from that. Tavarez is one guy. Javy Lopez is another. I'm not sure what the attraction is with Lopez, other than being able to show the other team that you have a second lefty in the bullpen, behind Hideki Okajima. But left-handers are now hitting almost .300 for the year against Lopez -- .298 in fact -- and he gave up the huge home run the other day to Carlos Pena that sort of forced the late-inning comeback. And that's just the latest of incidents in which he's had difficulty in big spots against lefties. So it's one thing to be able to say that you have a lefty specialist out there, but if he's not getting the job done, how valuable is that?"
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Tuesday, September 25
THE TASK AT HAND: Sean McAdam examines five questions facing the Red Sox at the dawn of the season's final week. The unanswered, and unanswerable, question is what the Sox will do if faced with pulling out the stops to win the division. Turns out that many members of the current Boston organization were faced with that same decision in 1996 while with the Padres and they elected then to go for the title. (Boston Globe) Coincidentally or not, they got swept by the Cardinals in the first round. (baseball-reference.com) (Don't be fooled by the fact the Cardinals had the first two home games; back then baseball played a 2-3 schedule in the division series, with the team that had home-field advantage hosting the final three.) Of course, the Padres' N.L. West competitors, the Dodgers -- who pulled Ramon Martinez after one inning of the winner-take-the-West season finale in order to get themselves ready for the playoffs -- also got swept. So take from all that what you will. FROM THE SOURCE: The 'new' Curt Schilling (above, AP Photo) takes the mound tonight in what will probably be his final start before the postseason, his transformation from power to finesse almost completed. The Boston Globe's Gordon Edes has a profile of Schilling, who also took to 38pitches.com last weekend to congratulate himself and his teammates for making the postseason, gently chide those who thought they wouldn't make it (though I don't know of anyone who felt they wouldn't qualify for the postseason at the least), and give his opinion on postseason awards. The Boston Herald's Steve Buckley says pay attention, because October is Schilling's time of year. OVERLOOKED: No one's paying much attention to the fact that Terry Francona is the first manager in Red Sox history to get his team to the postseason three times, but his players are. (Boston Herald) DEJA VU: Fred Lynn says Jacoby Ellsbury's late-season success, similar to the success he enjoyed as a September callup in 1974, may make it easier for him next year. (Boston Herald) In Lynn's case, he went on to become the American League Rookie of the Year and MVP in 1975. STIFLING: The passion of Red Sox Nation reminds Tim Wakefield of Beatlemania . . . Wakefield being about the only member of the Sox who's actually old enough to remember Beatlemania. (Boston Globe) And, say the players, that's both a good and a bad thing. YOU BEAT US TO IT: Geez, Tao, at least wait until we actually say thank you! (taoofstieb.blogspot.com) Oh, by the way: Thanks. FOR WHAT? For making the road to the A.L. East crown a little easier. The Blue Jays beat the Yankees in a makeup game yesterday at Yankee Stadium (New York Daily News), increasing the Sox' lead over the Yanks to two games with six to play. Since a tie does Boston no good -- by virtue of having won the season series, the Yankees would win the East if the teams finished tied for first -- the Red Sox need to beat out New York for the division title. The magic number now sits at five as we begin the final week of the regular season. WHAT A DIFFERENCE: The Daily News' Bill Madden notes that being two games back instead of just one -- which is what the deficit would have been had the Yanks won yesterday -- seems amazingly different, which is why baseball is so unpredictable. Even Andy Pettitte, yesterday's losing pitcher, agrees. (New York Daily News) EXPLAIN IT TO ME LIKE I'M FOUR YEARS OLD: I don't know when this yearly rookie hazing ritual took root in baseball. (New York Post) And I don't know why everyone thinks it's so funny. PLAYING BY THE RULES: Both the Post's Joel Sherman and the Daily News' Mike Lupica say the Joba Rules have worked well for the Yankees. HELLO? ANYBODY HOME? MSN.ca's John Brittain can't figure out why Blue Jays manager John Gibbons is riding ace Roy Halladay so hard in the waning days of a lost season. A.L. RACES: The Angels lost ground in their bid to finish with the A.L.'s best record by losing to the Rangers. (Los Angeles Daily News) That race now stands Indians/Red Sox/Angels . . . It's almost over for the Tigers in the wild-card race as they lost to the Twins. (Detroit News) They'll be eliminated with their next loss, or the next Yankee win. N.L. RACES: The Brewers beat the Cardinals (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . The Mets lost to the Nationals (New York Daily News) . . . The Padres lost to the Giants. (San Diego Union-Tribune) To see how all those games affected the races, check out the divisional standings and wild-card standings. (Projo Stats) CRIPPLING BLOWS: The Padres are going to have to make their final playoff push without two of their starting outfielders. Mike Cameron and Milton Bradley both went down with injuries Sunday (San Diego Union-Tribune), and while Cameron may be able to make it back if San Diego gets into the playoffs, Bradley is lost for the season. I'm sure you've all seen and heard the bizarre -- and unbelievable -- manner in which Bradley got hurt; ESPN's Jayson Stark says a player so important to his team can't afford to lose control the way Bradley did at such a crucial point of the year. But SI.com's Jon Heyman relates what Padres players said set Bradley off: Comments from umpire Mike Winters that, if true, demand disciplinary action from MLB. Rockies first baseman Todd Helton, who heard the whole thing, may be a key witness in the MLB investigation. (Denver Post) ANOTHER LOSS: The Brewers will have to try and catch the Cubs in the N.L. Central without starting catcher Johnny Estrada. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) 'TWO DIFFERENT TEAMS': Jeff Kent's broadside at the Dodgers' younger players the other days was expounded on by old friend Derek Lowe, who says the L.A. clubhouse has almost split into 'two different teams' because of ''young players thinking they are bulletproof . . . walking around believing they don't have to listen to anybody.'' (Los Angeles Times) In that context, the Dodgers' disintegration in the N.L. West and wild-card races becomes a little easier to understand. WILL HE PART OF THE SOLUTION? Orioles pitching coach Leo Mazzone tells USA Today's Hal Bodley that the team's pitching was pretty good until injuries hit, proving the organization needs more pitching depth to compete in the A.L. East. Whether or not Mazzone is there to help build the depth is an open question; he was a hire (and best friend) of deposed manager Sam Perlozzo, and new baseball operations chief Andy MacPhail may want to bring in a new staff. GOING FOR IT: The Braves' Chipper Jones would like to win his first batting title. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) The Tigers' Magglio Ordonez has the lead in the A.L. race, but he's hurting. (Detroit Free Press) WHERE TO GO, WHERE TO GO . . . SI.com's Jon Heyman handicaps potential 2008 landing spots for Barry Bonds. RIGHT HERE!: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Dave O'Brien thinks the Braves should bring back Tom Glavine. QUICKLY: Marlins pitching coach Rick Kranitz has left the team over what sources say is a salary dispute (Palm Beach Post) . . . Giants third baseman Pedro Feliz is a free agent at the end of the season and is looking for a multiyear deal (San Francisco Chronicle). If the Alex Rodriguez domino falls it could be a wild winter of third-base musical chairs in the majors, and Feliz may benefit; he could get what he's looking for from one of the teams which loses out in the bidding for high-profile stars like A-Rod and Mike Lowell . . . The Marlins are expected to see who's interested in Dontrelle Willis (Palm Beach Post) . . . The Twins' Rondell White is all but certain to retire (St. Paul Pioneer Press) . . . Phillies GM Pat Gillick says says he's retiring at the end of next year. (Philadelphia Daily News) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 24, 2007
Baseball Today: Monday, September 24
SLIDING IN: The Red Sox this morning sit exactly where they sat when we last spoke three mornings ago: On top of the A.L. East, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees with a one-game lead in the loss column. But one difference is that there are three fewer games left to play, which is big at this time of year. Another, far more important, difference is that they've clinched a spot in the postseason, thanks to Saturday night's win against the Devil Rays. (projo.com) So now, says Sean McAdam, comes the balancing act they'll have to perform in the season's final week: Prepare for the grind of the postseason while still attempting to win enough games to finish ahead of the Yankees for first place in the A.L. East, and finish ahead of the Indians and Angels for best record in the A.L. They took a step backward in both races yesterday -- despite another stolen base from Jacoby Ellsbury (above, AP Photo) -- with a 5-4 loss in the series finale at Tampa Bay, as Tim Wakefield continued his worrisome stumble to the finish line. (projo.com) THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WANT AND NEED: That's how the Boston Herald's Steve Buckley describes the Sox' quest for the A.L. East title: Yes, they'd like it, but they don't need it . . . and they certainly don't need it if it means hurting their chances in the postseason. WHO CARES WHAT I NEED? THIS IS WHAT I WANT!! If Terry Francona was listening to his fan base, winning the division would be a bigger priority. (Boston Herald) BUT AT WHAT COST? Optimally, the Sox would have their full lineup available for the final week and beyond. But there's still no real return date for either Manny Ramirez or Kevin Youkilis. (projo.com) PASSING THE AUDITION: September callup Bryan Corey may be pitching his way onto the postseason roster. (Boston Globe) WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE! The youngest members of the Devil Rays hate it when Red Sox and Yankee fans take over Tropicana Field when their teams come to visit. (St. Petersburg Times) THE LEGEND OF JOBA: Joba Chamberlain continues to pitch his way into the hearts of the denizens of Yankee Universe. Yesterday he recorded his first save as the Yankees beat the Blue Jays. (New York Daily News) RULES, SCHMULES: When playoff time comes, Mike Mussina says the Joba Rules have got to go. (New York Post) STILL ON THE PAD: The ailing Roger Clemens (hamstring) has been pushed back another day in the rotation, meaning Andy Pettitte will start tonight against Toronto. (New York Post) LAY OFF HIM: Joe Torre's bullpen usage has attracted criticism from many quarters -- including this one -- but he has a defender in SI.com's Tom Verducci. CAN YOU SPELL T-A-M-P-E-R-I-N-G? Alex Rodriguez and his agent, Scott Boras, claim to know nothing about a New York magazine report that Boras has already spoken with the prospective new owners of the Cubs about a 10-year, $300 million contract for potential free-agent-to-be A-Rod, a deal that includes eventual ownership stake in the franchise. (Newsday) To read the magazine piece (written by Deadspin.com's Wil Leitch), click here. A.L. RACES: The traditional races are over, as the Angels clinched the West by finally beating the Mariners (Riverside Press-Enterprise) and the Indians clinched the Central by beating the A's (Akron Beacon-Journal). The newer race, for the wild card, is virtually over, though the Tigers' heart is still beating -- barely -- after they beat the Royals yesterday. (Detroit Free Press) The hidden race, for playoff seeding, will rage on all week; at the moment, the Red Sox, Indians and Angels are separated by a half-game with the Yankees lurking on the outside. N.L. RACES: It's an alternate universe in the National League. No one is in, and seven teams remain within 3 1/2 games of a playoff spot. The Mets are breathing easier in the East; they beat the Marlins yesterday (New York Post) and now head back to New York for the final week of the season with a 2 1/2-game lead because the Phillies lost to the Nationals in Washington. (Philadelphia Inquirer) The Phils are still only a half-game out in the wild-card scrum because the Padres lost their third straight to the Rockies yesterday (San Diego Union-Tribune), which pulled Colorado to within 1 1/2 games in that same wild-card race. (Denver Post) And the Braves are still alive, as well, as they moved to 3 1/2 back of San Diego by beating the Brewers. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) It was a loss Milwaukee manager Ned Yost blamed on the umpires (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel), which could be frustration talking . . . and that could be because the Cubs won yesterday, increasing their lead over the Brewers to 3 1/2 and dropping their magic number for clinching the Central to four. (Chicago Sun-Times) In the West, meanwhile, the Diamondbacks couldn't take advantage of the Padres' stumble as they lost to the Dodgers (Arizona Republic), keeping their lead at 2 1/2. Phew. Got that? If not, you can click here for the division standings and click here for the wild-card standings. (projo.com) HERE'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN: FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal handicaps how things will shake down in the National League. IT'S OVER: Even before the weekend began, SI.com's John Donovan said the Brewers were finished. ROLL OUT THE BARREL: Fans in Milwaukee want the Brewers to bring back the mug that Bernie Brewer used to slide into to celebrate every home run by the home team. (New York Times) WHEN THE GAMES GOT BIG, THEY CAME UP SMALL: FoxSports.com's Kevin Hench looks at the players who choked down the stretch. A MAN OF PRINCIPLES: Felipe Alou works for the Giants, so he didn't think it was right to travel to nearby Miami to watch son Moises play the Marlins yesterday even though Moises was riding a hitting streak that he extended to 27 games and the Mets were battling for a division title. (New York Times) ''It’s kind of awkward when you’re working for another team, even if it’s your son,'' Felipe said. LET THE BIDDING BEGIN: On Friday it was announced that Barry Bonds won't be returning to the Giants in 2008. (San Francisco Chronicle) The words had barely reached cyberspace when Rangers manager Ron Washington said he'd be interested in Bonds playing for Texas. (Dallas Morning News) THE END? It's possible Andruw Jones played his last game in Atlanta yesterday. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) COOPERSTOWN, HERE I COME: The next time he whiffs, Ryan Howard will set the major-league record for strikeouts in a single season (Philadelphia Inquirer), a record set just three years ago by Adam Dunn. MLB.com notes the Howard put on a late charge to overtake Dunn; so far he's struck out 35 times in September. NOTHING BUT BLUE SKIES DO I SEE: Joe Maddon thinks the Devil Rays are right on the cusp of not only being competitive, but of becoming a model franchise. (St. Petersburg Times) AND HERE'S HOW THOSE SKIES ARE GOING TO TURN BLUE: By overpaying for many free agents, preferably clients of Scott Boras. At least that's the only road to success for the Rays that Boras can see. (St. Petersburg Times) DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DID: Astros interim manager (and former Red Sox first baseman) Cecil Cooper gets animated on the subject of walks -- specifically, his pitchers walking opposing batters -- because ''[we] can't defend if a guy walks . . . Walks fuel rallies.'' (Houston Chronicle) Interesting comments from a man whose lone weakness during a prominent big-league career was that he didn't walk enough, keeping his lifetime on-base percentage at a so-so .337 despite a sterling career batting average of .298. TOBACCO ADDICTION: Terry Francona -- who lost Larry Lucchino's challenge to refrain from chewing tobacco this season -- and Curt Schilling are mentioned in this interesting story from the Newark Star-Ledger about how many players are addicted to snuff. Our own Steven Krasner did an award-winning series on the dangers of tobacco in baseball about 10 years ago. QUICKLY: With the Tigers needing the miracle of miracles to overtake the Yankees and get into the playoffs, they've decided to play it safe with Jeremy Bonderman (Detroit News) . . . Mark Buerhle is also shutting it down for the season, and the Chicago Sun-Times says it's because he won a bet with the White Sox: If he nabbed a bear on a hunt with teammates Jim Thome, Jermaine Dye and A.J. Pierzynski, he wouldn't have to pitch again. He did, and the Chisox kept their word . . . The Tigers may have interest in Miguel Tejada if the Orioles decide to move him (Detroit News) . . . The Pirates reportedly will name Neil Huntington as their new general manager (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) . . . C.J. Wilson is making his pitch to be the Rangers' closer (Dallas Morning News) . . . Jay Mariotti is proud that the Columbia Journalism Review detailed the kind of Bush administration-like smear campaign professional sports franchises (like the White Sox) administer against journalists (like him) (Chicago Sun-Times). OLD FRIENDS: Ex-NESN announcer Debbie Wrobleski, now known as Debbie Taylor, will be back with the Nationals' television broadcast crew next season in the Tina Cervasio role. (Call of the Game blog) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 23, 2007
Notes: Wakefield's stumble to the finish line continuesBY SEAN McADAM ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Only a month ago, Tim Wakefield seemed a lock to set a new career-high for most wins in a season, with an outside shot to become of the handful of pitchers who win 20 games for the first time as a 40-year-old. But now, in the final week of the season, Wakefield will have to win his final start just to match his career-high for victories (17), set in 1998. Wakefield took the loss Sunday in the Sox’ 5-4 defeat to Tampa and dropped to 16-12 for the season. He’s winless since beating the White Sox in Chicago on Aug. 25. ''It couldn’t have come at a worst time,’’ said a rueful Wakefield of the end of the streak. Looking to get healthy Ramirez told manager Terry Francona that he had a ''better day . . . all around,’’ Saturday, but still isn’t ready to play. Youkilis, meanwhile, continues to show steady improvement, but is still experiencing swelling and pain. Both players will hit at Fenway Park Monday, an off-day for the team and be re-evaluated. Asked if Youkilis could return to action Tuesday night against Oakland, Francona hedged. ''We’ll see how he does tomorrow,’’ said Francona, ''but I would say probably not.’’ Out of mothballs Cora gets the nod Around the bases
Posted by Art Martone Game story: Devil Rays 5, Red Sox 4BY SEAN McADAM ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The road trip that saw them win just twice in six tries was hardly a success. Still, as the Red Sox packed to head back to Boston Sunday night, they were halfway home even before they were halfway home. On the to-do list, the Sox can cross off: clinch playoff spot. Next: win the division title. Now comes some tough multi-tasking. The Sox want to win as many of their remaining six home games – two against Oakland, followed by four with Minnesota -– and at the same time, prepare for the grind of the postseason. ''(Manager Terry Francona’s) got a fine line to walk,'' said Tim Wakefield, the losing pitcher in Sunday’s 5-4 defeat to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, ''between winning the division and keeping guys healthy.’’ ''We’d really like to win the division,’’ said Francona, when asked about his pending balancing act. ''But we’ll do what’s for the team. The timing of some of these guys going down isn’t good, but it’s not tragic because it’s not the playoffs. It’s hard going into the final week of the season with some of these guys not available, but it’s better than not having them available in the playoffs.’’ Even as the Sox await the return of Kevin Youkilis and Manny Ramirez, there exists the issue of resting his own healthy – though somewhat spent – regulars. Surely, thirty-somethings like Mike Lowell, David Ortiz, Jason Varitek and J.D. Drew would benefit from some down time. But the Sox can’t be at cross purposes, either. There are still games to be won. ''We want to win the division,’’ said Alex Cora, who spelled Dustin Pedroia at second and chipped in with an eighth-inning homer that closed the Sox to within a run. ''We want to have the best record in baseball. We’ve got a lot on our plate and we’ve just got to go do our thing.’’ Sweeping the Devil Rays would have made the homestand a bit easier. As it is, with the Yankees winning Sunday, the magic number to win their first A.L. East crown since 1995 remains stuck at six. Tampa took a 2-0 lead in the second on Delmon Young’s two-run homer, a pitch that Wakefield labeled his one mistake of the afternoon. Young had come into the game just 1-for-14 against the Sox knuckleballer before drilling one into the left-center seats. ''He just hit my bat,’’ confessed Young. ''I just swing and hopefully make contact. You just hope the bat hits your bat because you don’t know where it’s going. (Wakefield) probably doesn’t know where it’s going.’’ The lead grew to 3-0 in the fourth when Young doubled and scored on Jonny Gomes’ single to left, then 4-0 when Wakefield struggled with his control and the Rays took advantage of three walks. The Sox offered little resistance against Edwin Jackson through the first five innings, with Jacoby Ellsbury’s two-out single in the third their only hit until the sixth. Run-scoring singles from Ortiz and Coco Crisp and a based-loaded walk to Drew brought the Sox to within one and chased Jackson from the game. Reliever Jon Switzer inherited a bases-loaded jam with one out, but shut the Sox down when he got Eric Hinske to hit a comebacker that resulted in an inning-ending 1-2-3 double-play. ''It’s a challenge,’’ said Wakefield. ''We’re in the postseason, so our next goal is to win the division. We didn’t get it done today.’’ ''We always want to the series and we did that here,’’ pointed our Cora. ''Now we’ve got turn the page like we always do and get ready for the next series. We’ve got win our next two series. If we do that, we’ll be in position to win (the East).’’
Posted by Art Martone FINAL: Devil Rays 5, Red Sox 4ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Red Sox may have a playoff spot wrapped up, but the clinching of the A.L. East title may go down to the wire. Tim Wakefield, who truly has been the Devil Rays' ''daddy'' (to channel Pedro Martinez) over his career, pitched poorly against them for the second straight time, putting the Sox a hole they couldn't quite get out of. They wound up losing to Tampa Bay, 5-4. The loss, coupled with the Yankees' victory over Toronto, cut the Sox' division lead to 1 1/2 games and kept their magic number for clinching the A.L. East at six. The Red Sox trailed, 4-0, when they came to bat in the sixth, but they scored three runs and still had the bases loaded with one out. Eric Hinske, however, grounded into a 1-2-3 double play, ending the rally, and the Sox couldn't quite catch up. Check back later for Sean McAdam's complete game report. Meanwhile, get the box score and play-by-play here.
Posted by Art Martone September 22, 2007
Game Story: Red Sox 8, Devil Rays 6; Sox clinch playoff berthST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The hope is that last night was just a checkpoint along the way, the first of several this fall. But fresh off a dramatic comeback in the ninth that clinched – at the very least – a post-season appearance, the Red Sox couldn't help but observe a short clubhouse celebration after their 8-6 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. ``I don't think there's a person in the clubhouse that has their sights set on anything less than winning the American League pennant,'' said closer Jonathan Papelbon who punctuated the win with his 36th save. ``We have a lot of expectations for ourselves. We realize this isn't the only thing we have for a goal.'' ``We're where we want to be – in the playoffs,'' said Julio Lugo, whose two-run homer in the ninth provided the winning margin after Jason Varitek led off the inning with a game-tying solo shot. ``The most important thing is to get in (to the post-season).'' The Sox win came after the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 7-4. That game, coupled with the Sox' win, eliminated the Tigers, the defending A.L. champions, from post-season consideration. The victory also helped the Sox maintain their 2 ½ game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East and dropped their magic number to six to win their first division title since 1995. The Sox have seven games remaining. The playoff appearance will be the 18th in Red Sox franchise history and manager Terry Francona will become the first Sox manager to take them to the post-season three times. For those searching for omens, the Sox also clinched a playoff berth here in 2004, when they went on to win their first World Series in 86 years. The last two days, the Sox had debated the propriety of celebrating a playoff spot with the division title still up for grabs. But given the nature of the win, taking a few minutes to commemorate the achievement seemed appropriate. The club closed the clubhouse for a few minutes and had a brief toast. ``It was good that we meet for a second,'' said Francona. ``We have huge aspirations, but there's nothing wrong with taking five minutes to recognize this accomplishment. I get a kick out of seeing the enjoyment on (the players') faces.'' For a time, it seemed as though any celebration would have to be postponed for at least a day. The Sox carried a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh and Daisuke Matsuzaka recorded the first two outs without incident. But he then walked countryman Akinori Iwamura and Jorge Velandia and, with lefty Carlos Pena due, gave way to Javier Lopez. Lopez got ahead 0-and-2, but Pena worked the count full before Pena drilled a 3-and-2 pitch into the seats in right, giving the Devil Rays a 6-5 lead. ``The more pitches you throw (Pena), like all good hitters,'' said Francona, ``the more dangerous they become.'' The Sox went meekly in the eighth against Warwick's Dan Wheeler, but with closer Al Reyes on in the ninth, Varitek drilled a pitch out to left, his second homer in as many nights. ``I think he wills himself to be a winner,'' said Francona of his catcher and team captain. ``Certain people have the ability to do that with the game on the line.'' The Varitek homer stirred the crowd, which was dominated by Red Sox fans. A double down the line by Eric Hinske was next, and after a popup by Coco Crisp, Lugo rode to the rescue. ``I felt like David Ortiz running around the bases,'' said a smiling Lugo. ``It's nice to be able to do something to help us win.'' J.D. Drew also was a big contributor, doubling home a run in the fourth as the Sox jumped out a 3-0 lead over Tampa starter Andy Sonnanstine. Drew later added his 10th homer in the sixth, a two-run shot that serves as his first multi-run homer since June 8. The three-RBI night was his first since June 15. Matsuzaka, pitching with the benefit of seven days' rest, limited the Rays to three runs through the first six innings. But the two walks and the homer by Pena robbed him of a chance to win his 15th game. ``It's kind of shame – he battled so hard,'' said Francona. ``Of course, going into tonight's game, I knew it was a situation where I could be the winning pitcher (in the clinching game),'' said Matsuzala. `` But now, I'm excited to be in the playoffs.'' SEAN McADAM
Posted by Chris Venditto Sox celebrate quietly after clinching playoff berthST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- There was no raucous public celebration for the Red Sox after clinching a playoff spot last night. ''Cheers to Boston,'' Jonathan Papelbon told NESN's Tina Cervasio in a quiet, and mostly empty, clubhouse Saturday night after the Red Sox had guaranteed themselves a berth in the postseason with a come-from-behind, 8-6 win over the Devil Rays. The clubhouse was closed to the media for approximately 10 minutes after the game ended, and not many players were at their lockers when the doors opened. There is a back room in the Tropicana Field clubhouse, and most of the players were still there when reporters were allowed in. There were no plastic sheets over the lockers to protect them from spraying champagne, as were present when the Sox clinched wild-card berths in 2003, '04 and '05, and no champagne cases were seen, either. The manager, players and coaches enjoyed a toast in the back room, out of the public eye. ''It was such a roller-coaster game, I don't think any of us were [aware of the playoff implications until after the game],'' manager Terry Francona told Cervasio. Still, Papelbon said the Red Sox were delighted at what they'd accomplished. ''We're ecstatic,'' he told Cervasio, ''and everyone in this clubhouse is as happy as can be right now.'' The Sox remain 2 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees in the A.L. East race and their magic number for clinching the division is six.
Posted by Art Martone FINAL: Red Sox 8, Devil Rays 6; Sox clinch playoff berthST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- If Saturday night was a glimpse into the Red Sox' playoff future, October could truly be a month to remember in New England. After having blown a 5-3 lead in the seventh inning, the Red Sox got ninth-inning home runs from Jason Varitek and Julio Lugo off Devil Rays closer Al Reyes and pulled out an 8-6 victory that put them into the postseason. Boston's victory, coupled with the Tigers' loss to the Royals, clinched a playoff spot for the Red Sox. ''It means a lot to us. Just getting to the playoffs, that's the important thing,'' Lugo told NESN's Tina Cervasio immediately after the game. ''Winning the division is nice, but the main thing is going to the playoffs.'' The Sox lowered their magic number for clinching the A.L. East to six. But even if they lose the division, last night's victory and the Tigers' loss guaranteed the Red Sox will at least win the wild card. Reyes came on in the ninth with the Devil Rays leading 6-5, but Varitek tied the game with a leadoff home run to left field. Eric Hinske followed with a double down the right-field line, putting the go-ahead run at second with nobody out. Coco Crisp failed to advance the runner, popping up on a 3-and-2 pitch, but Lugo made it a moot point by blasting a long homer to left, putting Boston on top 8-6. Eric Gagne, who had pitched a scoreless eighth, got the victory. Jonathan Papelbon pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save. Daisuke Matsuzaka had seemed well on his way to his 15th victory, as his teammates handed him a 5-2 lead in the fifth. But he allowed a run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Greg Norton, and then got lifted after walking Akinori Iwamura and Jorge Velandia with two outs and nobody on in the seventh. Javier Lopez came on to pitch to the left-handed Carlos Pena and got ahead on the count 0-and-2. Pena, however, worked the count to 3-and-2, then deposited a fastball deep into the right-field stands for a three-run homer -- his second home run of the game -- and put Tampa Bay ahead, 6-5. The Sox had taken a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI single by Jacoby Ellsbury, and increased it to 3-0 in the third on a run-scoring double by J.D. Drew followed by an RBI single by Varitek. The Devil Rays got two runs back in the bottom of the third when Pena homered, leading off the inning, and Norton singled in Delmon Young from second with two outs. Drew hit a two-run homer in the top of the fifth, making it 5-2, but another RBI single by Norton, this one in the sixth, cut the lead to 5-3.
Posted by Art Martone Lineups from The TropBOSTON Jacoby Ellsbury lf Daisuke Matsuzaka p TAMPA P Andy Sonnanstine
Posted by Sean McAdam September 21, 2007
News from the clubhouse Coco Crisp has returned to the lineup, but Kevin Youkilis isn't yet ready to play.
Posted by Sean McAdam Friday night lineupTAMPA -- Here are the lineups for tonight's game: Red Sox Devil Rays More to come . . . -- SEAN McADAM
Posted by Art Martone Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Momentum? We don't need no ...Click here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. Today's topics: the importance of momentum heading into the playoffs; the importance of health heading into the playoffs; how the Yankees got back in this thing; how the Mets are playing themselves out of this thing; waiting on Youkilis and Coco; Josh Beckett goes for 20; how Sean handicaps the Cy Young race; and the Red Sox facing Scott Kazmir. Following are some excerpts from Sean's comments. Do the players place much value on momentum? "I think it's human nature to think that you need to be pointing in the right direction before you get into these big games. You want to have a little traction going, you want to have your issues taken care of, you want to be kind of firing on all cylinders -- that's human nature, even though recent history suggests its not absolutely necessary." The Red Sox' performance as the lead has shrunk: "They haven't been swept by the worst team in baseball, the way the Tigers were last year in the final weekend in Kansas City. ... They probably shouldn't have been swept by a team like Toronto the last few days, but this is more about, I think, the Yankees being relentless, and being on an incredible run, than the Red Sox necessarily blowing anything." How would Beckett respond to getting win number 20? "I think it will be special for him. He has studiously avoided talking about any sort of personal gains -- Cy Young, 20 wins, leading the team in victories, any of that stuff -- but I think that should he get it tonight, or in his next start after this, he'll talk about its significance. I think for a pitcher it has to be something that is a momentous occasion."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Friday, September 21
ANOTHER MYTH BITES THE DUST: Another tenet of conventional wisdom is that Red Sox Nation is in a panic over the team's sag and the Yankees' surge. But projo.com reporter Mike McKinney actually went out and talked to people and finds that it ain't necessarily so. ON THE OTHER HAND . . . This sunshine-and-lollypop talk is all well and good, say the veteran columnists, but the Globe's Bob Ryan thinks the Sox rank fourth of four among the A.L. playoff teams at the moment. And our own Jim Donaldson thinks Theo Epstein will have some 'splainin to do when this is all over. (projo.com) GOING FOR TWENTY: Only one native-born Texan has ever won 20 games for the Red Sox. (And no, it's not Roger Clemens. He was born in Ohio.) Tonight in Tampa Bay, Josh Beckett has the chance to join Tex Hughson in that exclusive club. (Boston Herald) PICK YOUR POISON: No matter where they finish, the Red Sox have only two potential first-round opponents: The Angels or the Indians. The Boston Herald's Michael Silverman examines both potential matchups and says the experts think the Sox should want to face Cleveland, rather than Los Angeles of Anaheim, in the first round. One of the reasons: The Angels are Kryptonite to the Yankees' Superman, and LA of A could do Boston a favor by ousting New York while the Sox played the Indians. AND YOURS: The New York Post's George King did his own survey to handicap the Yankees' playoff chances, and that conclusion was the same: The Yanks should want to face the Indians in the first round. ADD ONE MORE VOICE TO THE CHORUS: That would be FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal, who thinks the Red Sox are enhancing their chances of postseason success by focusing on the big picture and not making a no-holds-sprint to the division title. AND YET ANOTHER COUNTY HEARD FROM: The Angels are another team more worried about getting their house in order for the postseason than burning out their regulars in a quest for regular-season glory. (Los Angeles Daily News) THE OTHER SIDE: Chad Finn, though, isn't so sure he can accept with his head what seems wrong in his heart. (touchingallthebases.blogspot.com) GETTING CLOSE TO HOME? ESPN.com reports the U.S. Attorney's office in Boston said a St. Louis company admitted distributing human growth hormone to athletes and entertainers, and agreed to pay a $10.5 million fine and to cooperate with investigators. Among the people who allegedly received HGH were ''a 'well-known' athlete in Massachusetts" and a ''6-foot-5, 276 [pound] . . . entertainer/athlete,'' according to a report in the New York Daily News. HAPPY BOSS: Brian Cashman says the Yankee turnaround has made George Steinbrenner ''better.'' (New York Post) Than what? WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? Goose Gossage thinks the Yankees would be crazy to take Joba Chamberlain out of the bullpen. (New York Times) I WANNA COME BACK! Bobby Abreu would love to return to the Yankees, but the team gets to make that call and its giving no indication as to whether or not it will pick up his option. (The Journal News) A.L. RACES: The Angels moved a half-game ahead in the race for best record in the A.L. -- and a step away from formalizing an A.L. West title they grabbed hold of weeks ago -- with a 9-5 win over the Mariners marred by two beanballs aimed at Vladimir Guerrero, which led to a bench-clearing incident and the ejections of Seattle pitcher Jorge Campillo and manager John McLaren. (Los Angeles Daily News) The Mariners -- who were shocked, shocked I tell you, at the notion they were intentionally throwing at Guerrero (who had homered after the first up-and-in pitch, then was thrown at in his next at-bat) -- say the pitches merely got away. (Seattle Post-Intellinger) Whatever. In any case, their penance will probably be having to watch a team celebrate winning the division at their expense for the second straight year, since the Angels will clinch the West with a victory in any one of the next three games in the series. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) Last year they were the opponent when Oakland won the West. N.L. RACES: Now this is getting good. Right around the same time the Phillies were finishing off the Nationals in Washington (Philadelphia Inquirer), the Mets -- as the New York Post so daintily put it -- were choking on Fish. Marlin, that is. The Mets had gone ahead in the top of the ninth, but blew a three-run lead in the bottom of the inning (closer Billy Wagner was unavailable because of back spasms) and then lost it in the 10th. Philadelphia now trails by 1 1/2 as the Mets lost their sixth of the last seven, but that's not the half of it. The Post's Mark Hale noted that in six of those seven games, New York has blown five multi-run leads. The Post's Mike Vaccaro says last night might have been the worst of all, and he's probably right. Willie Randolph has tried to maintain his composure during this stretch, but the Daily News' Filip Bondy says it's getting tougher and tougher. In addition, SI.com's Jon Heyman reports the Mets brass is starting to get dissatisfied with Randolph. The Mets, however, have an unlikely fan: Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning. Bunning, who was pitching for the Phillies when they collapsed historically in 1964, says he never wants to see another team go through what he and his teammates suffered that year. (New York Post) In other games with race implications, the Rockies beat the Dodgers (Denver Post), the Padres beat the Pirates (San Diego Union-Tribune) and the Brewers lost to the Braves. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) To see how all those games affected the races, check out the divisional standings and wild-card standings. (Projo Stats) I'LL MISS YOU . . . A LITTLE: Most people think Washington's RFK Stadium is a dump and are glad the Nationals will have a new park next year. The Washington Post's Thomas Boswell agrees, but can't deny RFK holds 46 years of wonderful memories for him. THE NEW SHERIFF: The Astros selected Ed Wade as their new general manager. (Houston Chronicle) Baseball Musing's David Pinto isn't sure what to think: In 2004 he defended the job Wade was doing as Phillies GM, but in 2005 he agreed with Philadelphia's decision to fire Wade. QUICKLY: If the Orioles bring Miguel Tejada back next year, they're probably going to shift him off shortstop to another position, third base most likely (Baltimore Sun) . . . Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi plans to keep his team intact this offseason and that suits Roy Halladay just fine (Canadian Press) . . . The Rockies' Matt Holliday has become an MVP candidate and one of the reasons is batting tips he received from Mark McGwire (Denver Post) . . . Hope for Twins fans: Johan Santana, who becomes a free agent at the end of next season, has bought a luxury home in Minnesota. (St. Paul Pioneer-Press) OLD FRIENDS: Looks like folks in Los Angeles are beginning to regard Grady Little the same way many do in Boston. (SI.com) WHY, IN MY DAY . . . First sign of age: Ranting and raving about the kids of today. The Dodgers' Jeff Kent is getting old. (Los Angeles Daily News) (Second sign of age: Remembering when the old coot delivering the screed was a young buck himself. That's me.) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 20, 2007
Jim Donaldson: Team is making a monkey out of TheoBy Jim Donaldson Hope Theo Epstein still has that gorilla suit in his closet. Because, if the Red Sox somehow manage to lose the A.L. East to the Yankees - again, for the 10th consecutive year, after having led them by 141/2 games - or, even worse, are quickly eliminated from the playoffs, he's going to need it to slink out of Fenway Park next month. Let's check out the Boy Genius's off-base percentage this season. As all devoted Sox fans know, Theo and his stat-geek, baseball-fraternity-boy buddies, put great stock in players' on-base percentage. Off-base percentage, in the case of general managers - especially those with hundreds of millions of dollars to spend - measures how often they make a move that is way off-base. So, what's your favorite Epstein deal this season? How's that Eric Gagne trade working out? You think J.D. Drew is worth $14 million a year? Julio Lugo, Boston's fifth shortstop in four years, was signed to a 4-year, $36 million contract, but couldn't be bothered running hard to first base with the game - and, arguably, the division title - on the line Wednesday night in Toronto. And, while we're talking money, it should be pointed out that Daisuke Matsuzaka, who cost the Sox $103 million, was 7-10 since May 30 going into last night's start in Tampa Bay against the last-place Devil Rays, against whom he was 1-3 this season. Is it any wonder, then, that it seems the Red Sox have been winning in spite of the moves Epstein has made this season - not because of them? We don't even want to talk about last year, when Theo let Johnny Damon go to the Yankees and replaced him with Coco Crisp; traded Bronson Arroyo to Cincinnati for Wily Mo Pena; and gave up Cla Meredith in order to get back Doug Mirabelli. (But we will, a little later on, as soon as we run through this year's list of general-managerial miscalculations.) Gagne was supposed to be the guy who put the Red Sox over the top - who not only would lock up Boston's first division title since 1995, but also, along with Hideki Okajima and Jonathon Papelbon, would make the bullpen virtually unhittable in the playoffs. Instead, he is at rock-bottom in what has been a very good career. After blowing yet another game Tuesday night in Toronto - 3 runs, 3 walks, 2 hits, 1 inning - Gagne now has an horrendous, 9.00 earned-run average with Boston, has given up 23 hits and 14 runs in 14 innings, and has blown all three save opportunities he has had. To get him, Epstein sent left-handed starter Kason Gabbard and once highly regarded outfield prospect David Murphy to the Rangers. Gabbard, who was 4-0 for the Sox at the time of the trade, is 2-1 in Texas. Murphy is hitting .370 in 34 games with the Rangers. Drew clearly is overpaid and underachieving, batting just .261, with only 9 homers and 53 RBI. As the trading deadline neared at the end of August, the Red Sox reportedly were trying to obtain Jermaine Dye from the White Sox to platoon with Drew in right field. You pay a guy $14 million a season, and then go looking for somebody who can play in his place whenever a lefty's on the mound? How many teams can afford to do that? Epstein felt Lugo finally would be the answer at shortstop, where he's gone through Nomar Garciaparra, Orlando Cabrera, the highly touted Edgar Renteria, and Alex Gonzales since the summer of '04. But Lugo is hitting .240 and isn't exactly a Gold Glover defensively. On top of which, he didn't hustle down the first-base line against the Jays the other night, costing the Sox what would have been the tying run when Toronto shortstop Ray Olmedo bobbled his two-out, strangely spinning bouncer. Matsuzaka shows promise, but a 7-10 record since Memorial Day isn't much return on an investment of $103 million. Again, it's a case of the Red Sox being able to throw around the kind of money that many clubs can only dream about spending. The Pena trade last year was a bust. He's now with the Washington Nationals, after hitting .218 this season for Boston, with 5 homers and 58 strikeouts in 73 games. Arroyo, on the other hand, was 14-11 last year for Cincinnati, with an ERA of 3.29 in 240 innings. After getting off to a slow start this season, Arroyo has won four his last five decisions, improving his record to 9-14, with an ERA of 4.37 in 197 innings. Cla Meredith, who was shipped to San Diego last year in order to get Mirabelli back to catch Tim Wakefield's unpredictable knuckleball, was 5-1 for the Padres in '06, with a microscopic ERA of 1.07. In 74 appearances this year, he's 5-6, with a 3.47 ERA. But the fact that Mirabelli's bat is a liability has resulted, for the second year in a row, in Jason Varitek having to be behind the plate in too many games, causing him to tire late in the season. Varitek, who looks like a walking ice-pack in the clubhouse after games, has just 30 extra-base hits this season. Kelly Shoppach, traded to Cleveland in the Crisp deal, is hitting .262 for the Indians in a backup role, while Josh Bard, who struggled behind the plate when Wakefield was pitching, is batting .275 in 107 games for the Padres this season. Crisp has been better this year than last, when he was bothered by injuries. He hit .264 in '06, with 8 homers and 22 stolen bases in 105 games, while Damon was hitting 24 homers and batting .285, with 25 stolen bases, in 149 games for the Yankees. This year, Damon's hitting .258, with 11 homers and 24 stolen bases, while Crisp is batting .270, with 6 homers and 26 stolen bases. The Sox may yet regroup and win the A.L. East, then go on to play well in the postseason. But, if they don't, Theo might want to keep that gorilla suit handy.
Posted by Mike McDermott No news on Manny, but he's up for best-dressedWe haven't had one of these Mannybeingmanny entries for a while, largely because the subject of the column has been on the shelf since late August. But with today an off-day, I thought it would be good to update fans on what people are saying about Boston's injured slugger. Jayson Stark of ESPN is ready to revive the Manny trade watch, now that Ramirez has just one season left on his Red Sox contract. Stark quotes an unnamed official from an unnamed team as saying that the Red Sox have "had some nibbles already," and that although their posture is that they are not looking to move Ramirez, they might in fact be able to do something. Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz are both candidates for best-dressed MLB player in an SI.com fan poll. Their opponents include Derek Jeter and A-Rod, but you're going to have to track down the links for those guys yourselves if you want to vote for them. Tony Massarotti of the Herald examines the touchy question that has been tossed out there: Is Manny repeating his disappearing act of 2006? Teammates tell Tony, no. Did you know that Manny, Rod Carew, Henry Kissinger and Alan Greenspan all attended the same high school?
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: More gloom and doomClick here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. The topics: letting the division slip away; keeping Clay Buchholz on a pitch count; the eighth inning is the worst inning; that clutch-hitting machine, Russ Adams; good news on the injury front; and what's really going on with Manny. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments. On Jonathan Papelbon: "This is two bad outings in a row for him: last Friday against the Yankees, of course, coming in the eighth inning; and then last night giving up the grand slam. He'd gone all year without allowing any inherited runners to score; his last two outings, five inherited runners have scored. So that shows you how quickly it has turned around, and not in a good way, for Jonathan Papelbon." The good news: "It could be that things could turn around pretty quickly, I think, for both Kevin Youkilis and Coco Crisp. I wouldn't be surprised to see certainly Youkilis back in the lineup as soon as tomorrow night, when they resume play against Tampa. Crisp may need another day or so, but then again a day off with some additional treatment could really help." How worried should we be about Manny? "To the point where most of us thought he would be back by now and he isn't, and he probably won't be back any sooner than Tuesday, at which point there's only six regular-season games left, I think you have to start questioning what's going on here. But being that there is a week and a half -- really given the playoff schedule they can't play a playoff game until two weeks from yesterday, so there's still enough time -- but from a Red Sox standpoint they would certainly like to have him back in the lineup to get his timing down at the plate, find his rhythm against live pitching and have some real at-bats before he has to ramp it up for real on October 3."
Posted by Mike McDermott Giambi has bruised footSept. 20 (Bloomberg) -- New York Yankees designated hitter Jason Giambi was found to have only a bone bruise after an MRI exam on his right foot was negative. The 36-year-old Giambi had the exam yesterday at New York's Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, the team said in a news release. Giambi's prognosis is listed as day-to-day. Giambi is batting .243 with 14 home runs and 35 runs batted in during 74 Major League Baseball games this season. He was out for all of June and July after tearing tissue in his left foot. The Yankees (88-64) trail the Boston Red Sox (90-63) by 1 1/2 games in the American League East Division and lead Detroit by 5 1/2 games for the AL wild card, which goes to the second- place team with the best record.
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Thursday, September 20
HARD TO SWALLOW: Last night on this very blog -- and this morning in the newspaper -- I noted it was the obvious the Red Sox had decided on a course of action that was probably 180 degrees contrary to the wishes of their fan base: That they weren't going to jeopardize their long-term playoff chances for the sake of holding off the Yankees and winning the division. Their use of Eric Gagne on Tuesday night was the tipoff; rather than hustle him out of there when the inning began to disintegrate, as you'd expect in a must-win game, the Sox left him in because it was a situation in which they need him to succeed in the postseason. The fact that the game went sailing out the window was secondary to the lesson they said they needed to learn. And so it was last night that, on Daisuke Matsuzaka's night to pitch, Clay Buchholz was on the mound because the Sox were a) trying to get Matsuzaka some rest and b) trying to set up their rotation for the postseason. That Coco Crisp, who probably could have played if he absolutely had to, didn't. That Kevin Youkilis, who might have been able to play if the season was on the line, didn't. That Manny Ramirez . . . . well, let's not go there. (projo.com) That Hideki Okajima is shut down because of fatigue. (projo.com) It's not quite Fort Myers, last week of March, but it's not what you'd expect from a team determined to finish first. And so it is that their once-robust A.L. East lead is down to a single game in the loss column after another lifeless loss to the Blue Jays, this one by a 6-1 count. (projo.com) But as Sean McAdam notes, even if ''home-field advantage and the division title don’t mean much to the Red Sox, their downward spiral should.'' They've now lost four in a row, tying their season-high losing streak, and five of their last six, but it's not so much that they're losing; it's how. Last night's biggest concern, aside from the ongoing problem of the popgun offense, was the grand slam allowed by Jonathan Papelbon (above, CP Photo) in the eighth inning, continuing a bullpen breakdown that has negated the team's biggest strength. The relievers have a 6.20 ERA over the last eight games, and Papelbon himself has allowed five inherited runners to score in his last two appearances. The good news: They're still in first place. They have three games this weekend in Tampa. They come home for the final five games against two moribund out-of-division foes (Oakland and Minnesota). There really isn't any reason for lines to be forming at the Tobin Bridge. And maybe they wouldn't be if, as the Globe's Gordon Edes notes, the Yankees weren't involved. STRENGTH IN NUMBERS The Sox' decision to play it the way they're playing it makes sense since, as Allan Wood points out on his Joy of Sox blog, it's almost mathematically impossible for the Red Sox to miss the playoffs. IN AGREEMENT: And writing on the LoHud Yankees Blog, Peter Abraham lends his voice from the other side of the aisle: ''You work to enter the postseason in the best shape possible. For the Yankees, winning the division is almost totally insignificant. They will be judged on whether they get to the World Series. If they win the division and lose in the first round, it’s a disaster.'' HOWEVER . . . As Edes says, it's the Yankees charging up from the rear . . . and for Red Sox Nation, that always makes it worse. They completed their three-game sweep of the Orioles last night (New York Post), with Andy Pettitte notching his 200th career win. (New York Daily News) NOT ALL IS WELL: Alex Rodriguez is in a 3-for-29 slump, though the Yanks obviously have found ways to win without getting much of a contribution from him. (New York Post) A.L. RACES: Au revoir, Tigers. The Indians yesterday completed a three-game sweep of Detroit that all but assured them of the A.L. Central title (Akron Beacon Journal). Tigers manager Jim Leyland crowned the Tribe, saying, ''They're going to be the Central Division champions, obviously.'' (Detroit Free Press) The Free Press' Michael Rosenberg writes the post-mortem, trying to explain how the defending American League champions failed in their quest not only to repeat, but even to get the chance to repeat. It's good news for the Red Sox, obviously, since the Tigers' collapse is going to get them into the playoffs, but that was the only good news for Boston yesterday. The Indians' win meant the Sox fell behind Cleveland in the race for best record in the American League. They also fell behind the Angels, who completed a sweep of Tampa Bay. (Los Angeles Times) GOOD HIT, NO FIELD: Vladimir Guerrero's bad arm may limit him to DH duties in the postseason. (Los Angeles Times) N.L. RACES: The Cubs beat the Reds (Chicago Tribune) . . . The Mets beat the Nationals (New York Post) . . . The Phillies lost to the Cardinals in 10 innings (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . The Brewers lost to the Astros (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . The Diamondbacks beat the Giants (Arizona Republic) . . . The Padres beat the Pirates with a walkoff, three-run homer from Scott Hairston (San Diego Union-Tribune). To see how all those games affected the races, check out the divisional standings and wild-card standings. (Projo Stats) DON'T JUST STAND THERE, DO SOMETHING! There are those in Met Nation -- including some players -- who'd like to see more emotion from Willie Randolph in light of the team's recent struggles. But the New York Sun's Tim Marchman says ''[yelling] at grown men is stupid and counterproductive.'' MY PAL: Joe Torre, who had Randolph on his coaching staff for many years with the Yankees, feels Willie's pain. (New York Post) TWINS: SI.com's Jon Heyman says the Mets and Red Sox have turned into each other, and that's not a good thing. WORST NIGHTMARE: A hamstring injury may force the Brewers to head down the stretch without Ben Sheets. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) WELCOME BACK: Skip Caray has returned to the Braves' broadcast booth after missing several weeks because of congestive heart failure. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) BRAINIACS: Padres pitcher Greg Maddux and A's GM Billy Beane run 1-2 in an SI.com poll of MLB players in which they were asked to name the smartest people in baseball. QUICKLY: Free-agent-to-be Torii Hunter says he's given a lot of thought to playing with the Rangers (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) . . . Albert Pujols' season might be over because of a strained left calf (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) . . . Vicente Padilla's days with the Rangers may be over (Dallas Morning News) . . . Troy Percival thinks he can still pitch and would like to do so for a West Coast team next year. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 19, 2007
ART MARTONE: Sox choosing to look the big pictureBY ART MARTONE
Eric. Gagne. With “Terry Francona, Managerial Decisions Of” as a prominent subtext. And that’s understandable because, on the face of it, Francona’s decision to stick with Gagne during the Blue Jays’ three-run rally in the eighth inning Tuesday night was indefensible. The game passed approximately three checkpoints where the call could have gone to Jonathan Papelbon for a four-out save, and Francona ignored all of them. His explanation afterwards — “That’s (Gagne’s) inning to get out of. There are a lot of long-term reasons to keep him out there and have success.’’ — rang hallow with much of the fan base, since this isn’t a long-term time of year. Or is it? Are the advantages of finishing first so overwhelming that it’s worth a pedal-to-the-metal push to make sure it happens, consequences be damned? History tells us no. It’s not that finishing first wouldn’t be a good thing, or that there are no benefits. But if the choice is finishing first, or making sure players are as healthy as they can be / pitching rotation is in order / bullpen usage is set heading into the postseason, it’s obvious Francona — and, presumably, the Red Sox brass — feels the latter outweighs the former. Start with the assumption the Sox are a lock for the postseason. Barring a never-before-seen collapse, that’s true. Their magic number for clinching a playoff spot is three if the Sox lose, two if they win. They should have their ticket to the dance punched before the weekend is over. In that light, Francona’s decisions become more understandable. Were the season actually on the line, Coco Crisp would probably have started last night. Kevin Youkilis might have. David Ortiz wouldn’t be getting a day off tomorrow in Tampa Bay, as he’s been promised. Even Manny Ramirez might feel more a tad more urgency to get back into the lineup, though trying to guess along with Manny Ramirez is truly a fool’s errand. Some, however, feel the season is on the line. The Red Sox have led the A.L. East — and by a pretty overwhelming margin most of the way — since late April. Losing the division title, and to the Yankees to boot, would make the whole thing a failure to these folks, wild card or no wild card. The time for rest is over, they say. Get out there. Now. But to what end? All of these players — and more that we don’t know of, probably — are hurting. Playing through pain is an admirable trait as far as sports fans are concerned, but it’s not conducive to healing. If time off now means they’ll be healthier, even if just a little bit, in two weeks when the playoffs start, is that a fair trade? Francona thinks it is. The all-but-clinched playoff spot gives him that luxury. That’s why Clay Buchholz pitched last night: So that Daisuke Matzusaka and Curt Schilling got a little extra time off heading into the postseason. And why Gagne was left out to dry Tuesday night: So the Sox can determine if he’s ever going to be the eighth-inning bridge to Papelbon they envisioned he’d be when they traded for him. What you surrender when you play it like this is short-term success, which may cost the Sox the division championship. It probably won’t — they’re still in good shape as the season nears the wire — but it could. What that means, in concrete terms, is that it would also cost them home-field advantage in the playoffs. But in 2006, the teams without home-field advantage won six of the seven postseason series. According to ESPN, teams with the home-field edge have won only 54% of the time since the playoff system was instituted in 1969. And we don’t have to recite the list of wild-card teams — ’06 Cardinals, ’04 Red Sox, ’03 Marlins, ’02 Angels, ’97 Marlins — that have won the World Series, do we? The Sox’ position: The advantage of that extra home game won’t mean anything if the team isn’t in the best possible condition to play it. So quietly and without fanfare, they’ve made it clear through their actions that getting their team into the best possible condition — and not necessarily finishing ahead of the Yankees — is priority one. Maybe you agree with that; maybe you don’t. If you’re a Red Sox fan and there’s an insufferable Yankee follower crowing in your ear about a typical Boston collapse, you definitely don’t. Doesn’t matter. That’s the path they’ve chosen.
Posted by Art Martone Manny updateBY SEAN McADAM TORONTO -- Terry Francona said Manny Ramirez' strained left oblique remains an issue. Ramirez hasn't played this month. ''It grabs at him a bit (when he runs),'' said Francona Wednesday afternoon. ''We're stuck there. He's taking (batting practice), but there's some reluctance to let it loose. It's frustrating that we don't have him in the lineup, but he's not ready to play.'' Francona was asked, given Ramirez' sometimes sketchy injury history -- former trainer Chris Correnti has admitted that when Ramirez didn't want to play, he would cite hamstring soreness as an excuse -- if there was a reason to be skeptical. ''I understand, over the course of the last few years, there have been some hiccups,'' said Francona, ''because I've been around for some of them. But he's trying his best to be out there.''
Posted by Sean McAdam Okajima ailing, unavailable WednesdayBY SEAN McADAM TORONTO -- People wondering why Hideki Okajima wasn't warming up during Eric Gagne's meltdown Tuesday night got their answer Wednesday afternoon. Okajima, said Terry Francona, has been unavailable to pitch for physical reasons. The left-hander last worked Friday night against the Yankees at Fenway Park, when he gave up four runs in one-third of an inning and was the main -- though not the only -- culprit in the Sox' squandering a 7-2, eighth-inning lead in their 8-7 loss to New York. Francona gave no details of Okajima's problem, but it sounds like simple fatigue. Okajima did some throwing Tuesday, and Francona said he would not be available Wednesday night.
Posted by Art Martone Wednesday night lineupsBOSTON BLUE JAYS -- SEAN McADAM
Posted by Art Martone Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Anyone but GagneClick here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. The topics: Terry Francona's decision to stick with Eric Gagne in the eighth; Gagne's state of mind; what are the set-up alternatives? Clay Buchholz as a possible eighth-inning man; Jon Lester's impressive start; and the mounting toll of injuries. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments. Francona's decision: "I thought it was a mistake. I understand the long-term need to get Gagne back on track and [to have him] know that the Red Sox have confidence in him in that spot, and I think it's true they're a better team, obviously, with a dependable Eric gagne in the seventh or eighth inning than they are without. That's why they made the trade back on July 31. But to me, it's one thing to take that stance when you have, say, a five- or six-game lead with 11 or 12 to go, and it's quite something else to do it when the lead is shrinking and you run the risk of losing your rather tenuous hold on first place that youve had since April. I was perplexed. I understand what he was doing, I just don't think this is the time to be putting faith in players over results, because they haven't wrapped anything up yet." Gagne's reaction: "To talk to him afterward -- his voice was, as I wrote [in today's Journal] barely above a whisper. He looked almost in a daze, couldn't believe this had happened, and he just seems a mess right now. I'm not sure there's much rationale for sending him out in those spots when he clearly is struggling with his own confidence." On the team's health issues: "To me, that gets back to trying to wrap this up as quickly as possible, and the benefits [of doing so]. I'm certainly not suggesting that they're not trying to do that. But on one hand it seems as if Francona is more interested in getting his bullpen set up for the postseason, than in necessarily winning games. But if you win games and lock up the division, which is now going to take some time given what the math dictates, then that gives you the opportunity to not only set up your starting pitching -- which they couldn't do in 2005 and had to go with Matt Clement in Game One [of the ALDS] -- but it also gives some rest to guys who are scuffling, like Ortiz."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Wednesday, September 19
And that sigh of relief you hear is from Foxboro, since it appears Gagne and Francona have managed to finally place Videogate on a back burner. SO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED? Sean McAdam has the details of a crushing 4-3 loss in Toronto that got away when the Red Sox -- attempting to get Gagne ready for his anticipated postseason role of eighth-inning bridge to Jonathan Papelbon -- stuck with what we media types would call "the embattled reliever" through a two-out, five-batter implosion that went walk/single/walk/walk/double, allowing three Toronto runs to score. Sean quotes Francona as saying he left Gagne in because ''that’s (Gagne’s) inning to get out of. There are a lot of long-term reasons to keep him out there and have success,'' an indication the Sox are still thinking big picture at a time when the division title is very much in play. There is, as you would expect, much angst in Red Sox Nation over this philosophy -- especially since it's the despised Yankees making the charge to the top -- but the Boston Herald's Tony Massarotti says the Sox ''are in tune-up mode with regard to the postseason . . . [They] are not about to sacrifice potential postseason success simply so they can say they won the division.'' Since any postseason success they will have depends on Gagne succeeding in the role he was in last night, Francona's decision becomes more understandable. MORE BIG PICTURE STUFF: One of the reasons Clay Buchholz is pitching tonight is because the Red Sox are lining up their pitching for the playoffs. (projo.com) Buchholz is rested and, he says, ready to go. (Boston Herald) Speaking of pitching and the playoffs, Jim Donaldson doesn't think the Sox have enough of it to win in the postseason. (projo.com) INTERESTING TAKE: Gagne seemed to be overthrowing as the inning progressed last night, which led to a loss of command, and Alex Cora, who was a teammate of Gagne's in Los Angeles (where Gagne was as dominant a reliever as ever pitched), thinks he knows why. Gagne, he points out, hasn't had to deal with failure very much in his career which led him to get ''away from certain things that make him successful.'' (Boston Herald) GUTTING IT THROUGH: The Red Sox' lineup is depleted -- Manny Ramirez, Kevin Youkilis and Coco Crisp are all on the sidelines -- so David Ortiz is playing through knee pain that normally would keep him on the bench. (Boston Herald) STILL HURTING: Ramirez is still feeling pain from the injury to his oblique muscle and isn't ready to get back in the lineup. (Boston Globe) MEANWHILE . . . everything's coming up roses in Yankee Universe. The previously declared dead Mike Mussina stifled the Orioles -- not that that's a big trick, but it seemed beyond Moose's capabilities not so long ago -- and the Yank offense continued its obliteration of substandard pitching in a 12-0 win that pulled them to within 2 1/2 games of the Red Sox. (New York Post) How well are things going for them now? Even Doug Mientkiewicz is chipping in. (New York Daily News) YU is intoxicated with the notion of overtaking the Red Sox, but the New York Post's Jay Greenberg says that shouldn't be their first priority; now that the playoffs are all but assured, the Yanks need some rest before the postseason starts, and they shouldn't empty the tank in an effort to catch, and then hold off, Boston. DESPITE ALL THAT . . . the Red Sox are still No. 1 in SI.com's Power Rankings. ET TU, COWBOY? Kevin Millar, of all people, says the Yankees are the team to beat. (New York Daily News) ANTICLIMACTIC ENDING: Preliminary versions of the 2008 schedule have the Yankees closing the regular season in Boston on Sept. 28, meaning the final regular-season game in Yankee Stadium history -- the new stadium should be ready for Opening Day 2009 -- won't be the last game of the year. (New York Daily News) Yankee officials were surprised, since they assumed they'd be closing the season at home and, according to the Daily News, ''had planned a host of festivities around the event.'' But an MLB executive noted that the Mets also are opening a new stadium in 2009 and therefore will be playing their last game at Shea in 2008. Since the New York teams can't be home at the same time, one of them would have to be away the final weekend. A.L. RACES: The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto has declared the A.L. Central race to be over, and it probably is after the Indians increased their lead over the Tigers to 6 1/2 games with another come-from-behind win over the reeling Tigers (Akron Beacon Journal) The Detroit Free Press' Michael Rosenberg writes the Tigers' obituary in both the division and wild-card races, and he's probably right, too; Detroit's now five games behind the Yankees in the loss column and the teams appear headed in completely opposite directions. The Indians' focus now should be securing the best record in the American League, and they're tied with the Red Sox and Angels in the loss column. Los Angeles of Anaheim kept pace with Cleveland, and gained on Boston, with another one-run win over Tampa Bay. (Los Angeles Daily News) END OF THE LINE? It appears that wherever the Angels go this postseason they'll have to get there without Bartolo Colon, who apparently has played his last game for LA of A. (Los Angeles Times) N.L. RACES: Normally we just link to the stories of playoff-important games, but the Mets' collapse deserves some notice. They lost their fifth straight last night as they blew a 7-3 lead in their 9-8 loss to the Nationals (New York Post), and the Phillies are now only 1 1/2 games back after they beat the Cardinals in 14 innings. (Philadelphia Inquirer) And FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal says don't listen to the be-calm/all-is-well bleatings of Willie Randolph; the Mets, he asserts, are in real trouble. As for the rest of it, the Brewers beat the Astros (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel); the Dodgers lost a doubleheader to the Rockies (Los Angeles Times), all but eliminating them from the playoff chase in both the N.L. West and the wild card; the Cubs lost to the Reds (Chicago Tribune); the Diamondbacks beat the Giants (Arizona Republic), and the Padres beat the Pirates (San Diego Union-Tribune). To see how all those games affected the races, check out the divisional standings and wild-card standings. (Projo Stats) AND THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMING: Even if they hold on, the Mets may not have Orlando Hernandez for the playoffs. (New York Daily News) HERE'S THE REASON: Astros manager Cecil Cooper called commissioner Bud Selig to explain why Houston is starting three rookie pitchers in its series against the Brewers. (Houston Chronicle) Apparently, some members of the Cubs' front office -- Chicago is battling Milwaukee for the N.L. Central title -- complained. WE LIKEY: Fans in Milwaukee have flocked to Miller Park in record numbers this year as the team surged into contention. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) QUICKLY: Carlos Guillen says he's willing to move off shortstop but only if the Tigers get a Gold Glover to replace him, which -- as far as Guillen is concerned, at least -- would preclude Detroit's much-rumored acquisition of Jack Wilson (Detroit Free Press) . . . The Rangers were surprised at the length of Vicente Padilla's suspension for his role in Sunday's fight with Nick Swisher of the A's (Dallas Morning News) . . . And the Mets' Marlon Anderson was upset at his two-game suspension for arguing balls and strikes, and then flinging his helmet, Saturday night (Newsday) . . . The Brewers are trying to convince closer Francisco Cordero to re-sign with Milwaukee (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel). OLD FRIENDS: David Wells says he'd consider retiring if he won a championship ring this year. With the way the Dodgers are going, it looks like he'll be back in 2008, at least if someone wants him (Los Angeles Times). -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 18, 2007
Game Story: Gagne blows late lead, Sox fall to JaysTORONTO – To succeed in the post-season, the Red Sox firmly believe they need an effective Eric Gagne in the late innings. But while they showed patience in the veteran reliever last night, their short-term prospects took a serious blow. Gagne turned a one-run lead into a two-run deficit in the eighth inning, resulting in a crushing 4-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, enabling the surging New York Yankees to climb within 2 ½ games of the Sox in the American League East. Gagne, obtained in a July 31 deadline deal, retired the first two hitters in the eighth before issuing a walk to Frank Thomas. After a single to left by Aaron Hill, Gagne got ahead of Matt Stairs 0-and-2 before walking him to load the bases. He then walked Gregg Zaun to force in the tying run, then surrendered a two-run double which eluded J.D. Drew in right. A two-out solo homer from Julio Lugo in the top of the ninth wasn’t enough for the Sox to complete the comeback. ``I don’t know how to put it into words,’’ said a downcast Gagne, his voice barely above a whisper. ``I felt good physically. But I walked Thomas and after that, I couldn’t throw a strike. You can’t get people out if you don’t throw strikes. ``It’s a little bit of everything. I don’t know. I’ve got to go out and stop thinking. It’s frustrating. I don’t know what to tell you.’’ Manager Terry Francona got closer Jonathan Papelbon up after the single by Hill, but left Gagne on the mound as the lead was frittered away. ``It seemed like (after walking Thomas), it looked like he wanted to throw the ball through the backstop,’’ said Francona. `` He got a little revved up and it didn’t end very well.’’ Francona said he resisted going to Papelbon because ``that’s (Gagne’s) inning to get out of. There are a lot of long-term reasons to keep him out there and have success. When it doesn’t work, it hurts…We just have to get it right. We want him to give us strong innings, so we’ve got to just get it right.’’ ``We need him these last two weeks to get ourselves where we want to be,’’ echoed catcher Jason Varitek. Last night marked the third time in the last five games that the Sox have let a game get away from them in the eighth inning. They led the Yankees 7-2 Friday night before Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon imploded and the Sox lost 8-7. Sunday night, Curt Schilling yielded a three-run homer to snap a 1-1 tie in the eighth. ``Those happen (to all teams) at some point,’’ said Varitek. ``You don’t want to see it happen now. Now, we have to gut it up and get it done.’’ The loss spoiled a terrific start by Jon Lester, who pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed a single run on three hits. Lester needed 28 pitches to get through the first inning, when he issued two walks and allowed two hits. But after the first, he retired 16 of the next 18 hitters he faced and the Jays didn’t get a runner into scoring position. ``He got himself into a bind,’’ said Francona, ``and then was able to get out of it. As he commands, he can be a really good pitcher.’’ The Sox couldn’t do much against A.J. Burnett, but until Gagne’s struggles, they did enough. In the fourth, Varitek, who snapped an 0-for-18 slump with a second-inning single, stroked a double into the left field corner, scoring Mike Lowell who had reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a walk to J.D. Drew. Back-to-back two-out hits in the fifth – a single by Dustin Pedroia and a double to center by David Ortiz gave the Sox their first lead of the night. But after the double by Ortiz, the Sox didn’t collect another hit until Lugo’s line-drive homer to left with two out in the ninth as Burnett fanned two Sox hitters in the sixth and seventh each and finished with 11 strikeouts. Scott Downs came in for the final out and caught Jacoby Ellsbury looking at a called third strike. --SEAN McADAM
Posted by Corey Bourassa FINAL: Blue Jays 4, Red Sox 3TORONTO -- The Red Sox had hopes that Eric Gagne would recover from the problems that plagued him after his acquisition from Texas and become the reliable eighth-inning bridge to Jonathan Papelbon that they'd envisioned when they brought him aboard. Those hopes may have officially vanished Tuesday night at the Rogers Centre. Entrusted with a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning, Gagne easily recorded the first two outs and seemed prepared to hand the one-run -- or more, depending on what the Red Sox did in the ninth -- lead to Papelbon. And then, for the fourth time since the Sox traded for him, Gagne imploded. He walked Frank Thomas. He allowed a single to Aaron Hill. He walked Matt Stairs, loading the bases. He walked Gregg Zaun, allowing the tying run to score. And then he gave up a two-run double to pinch-hitter Russ Adams, allowing the winning runs to score as the Blue Jays rallied for a 4-3 win over the Red Sox. Boston's loss, coupled with the Yankees' victory, cut the Sox' A.L. East lead to 2 1/2 games. Sox starter Jon Lester had troubles in the first inning, as he walked the leadoff batter, Vernon Wells; allowed a one-out RBI double to Alex Rios; then gave up a single to Thomas and a walk to Stairs to load the bases with two outs. But Lester struck out Zaun for the final out, keeping the Blue Jay lead at 1-0, and was dominant the rest of the way, allowing only one hit and two walks over his final 5 2/3 innings. The Sox tied the game against A.J. Burnett (9-7) in the fourth. With one out, Mike Lowell singled off the glove of third baseman Hector Luna and J.D. Drew walked. After Eric Hinske struck out for the second out, Varitek lined a double into the left-field corner, scoring Lowell and making it 1-1. In the fifth, they pushed across the go-ahead run after Burnett had retired the first two batters of the inning. Dustin Pedroia singled to center and Ortiz, swinging at the first pitch, lined a double up the gap in left-center field, scoring Pedroia from first base. With a runner on first and two outs in the seventh, manager Terry Francona lifted Lester in favor of Manny Delcarmen with Wells at the plate. Delcarmen retired Wells on a liner to center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury for the final out of the inning. Gagne's performance denied Lester the chance to increase his record to 5-0. Papelbon was warming up in the Boston bullpen in the eighth and, when the troubles started, speculation began that Francona would turn to Papelbon for a four-out save. But Francona left Gagne in, almost to see if the Sox would be able to count on him in the postseason. He may have gotten his answer with the last five Toronto batters of the eighth (walk/single/walk/walk/double; the third out was recorded when Zaun was cut down at the plate trying to score on Adams' double). It was a costly lesson, however, as the Yankees creeped ever closer in the division race. The Sox' 2 1/2-game lead is their smallest since April 26. Julio Lugo's two-out homer off Burnett in the ninth made the score 4-3, and prompted manager John Gibbons to lift him in favor of left-hander Scott Downs. Downs struck out Ellsbury for the game's final out Burnett, who had a devastating curveball working all night, struck out 11 in his 8 2/3 innings.
Posted by Art Martone Crisp joins the walking wounded The injury list continues to grow for the Sox. Already missing Manny Ramirez (oblique) and Kevin Youkilis (hand), the Sox tonight are without CF Coco Crisp, who is suffering from lower back spasms.
Posted by Sean McAdam Sox-Jays lineupsBOSTON Jacoby Ellsbury CF Jon Lester SP TORONTO Vernon Well CF
Posted by Sean McAdam Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: The lead is shrinking, shrinkingClick here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. Today's topics: Dustin McGowan's shut-down effort last night; Frank Thomas' three home runs; facing A.J. Burnett tonight; pressure on Jon Lester; keeping the rust from Clay Buchholz; extra rest for Daisuke Matsuzaka; Kevin Youkilis' wrist injury; and the Indians and the Angels now just one game behind in the loss column. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments. Tonight's pitching matchup: "Burnett's stuff, people in the game will say, is as good as anybody's in the game. He has the ability to shut you down when he's on, and he's been on one of those rolls. ... For Lester, the issues really aren't very different for him as he develops. It's keeping his pitch count down, being aggressive, being able to throw strike one." Buchholz, poised to start tomorrow after a long layoff: "They've had him throw a number of side sessions -- either during the afternoon or, as was the case last night, while the game was going on, he threw about 25 or 30 pitches in the bullpen. Of course there's no replicating game conditions, and the tempo and the challenges that come with facing major-league hitters, but they've tried to work out a routine for him where he's at least throwing on a regular basis, every couple of days, and there's some structure to it. And they hope that he's going to be able to kind of flip the switch here, having not pitched in 10 days and having not started a game in a few weeks." Youkilis: "He's still very sore, three days removed from being struck on the hand by a pitch from Chien-Ming Wang on Saturday. And there's still a lot of swelling, so that makes it difficult to really evaluate what the issue is here. They did take an x-ray almost immediately, which revealed no broken bone, but there's a lot of small bones in the hand, and it may take an MRI to reveal one of those. But because there's swelling in the area, they can't do that yet. ... I'd be surprised if we saw him in this series. I think he's probably going to need until Friday, anyway, before he can get back and swing the bat the way he would like."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Tuesday, September 18
BIG HURT: History is on their side (projo.com), but the Red Sox can't depend on history to carry them through the next two weeks. They were tired -- having arrived in Toronto at 4 a.m. after their Sunday night game with the Yankees -- and banged up and they looked it in last night's 6-1 loss to Toronto, which dropped their A.L. East lead to 3 1/2 games, the smallest its been since May 1. Frank Thomas (AP Photo, above) had the second three-home-run game of his career; the first was also against the Red Sox, 11 years ago, and it was also against Tim Wakefield. The Sox' hitters, meanwhile, were stifled by Dustin McGowan, whose complete-game five-hitter bore a striking resemblance to the masterpiece spun against them by Seattle's Felix Hernandez at Fenway Park on April 11. (Boston Herald) At least our friend the Tao of Steib is happy. FUTURE PLANS: Sean McAdam reports the Red Sox will turn to Clay Buchholz to start Wednesday night's series finale, his first start since the Sept. 1 no-hitter against the Orioles. It's all part of a master strategy to set up the pitching rotation for the playoffs, with the additional benefit of getting Daisuke Matsuzaka a little extra rest. Down in the story McAdam also has disconcerting news on Kevin Youkilis, who doesn't feel any better after being hit on the hand by Chien-Ming Wang on Saturday -- and, even more worrisome, is being churlish about it; that's usually a bad sign with an injured player -- and who can't even have an MRI because the swelling hasn't yet gone down. If you're looking for Manny Ramirez to come riding to the rescue, don't; he won't play again until this weekend in Tampa at the earliest. ANOTHER GOAL . . . is to get Eric Gagne ready for the postseason. (Boston Herald) START THINKING ABOUT IT: FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal says the Red Sox will have some interesting postseason decisions to make if they finish with the best record in the A.L. It's assumed they'd choose the eight-day ALDS if they get the choice, in order to force the Yankees to play the seven-day series; that would limit the number of times Joba Chamberlain could pitch and, theoretically, expose the Yankees' lack of pitching depth. But if the Sox play Cleveland in an eight-day series, it could mean facing C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona on full rest two times each, whereas they'd force the Indians to use one of them on three days' rest -- or use their fourth starter -- in the seven-game series. NOT TO WORRY: Rosenthal's FoxSports.com counterpart, Dayn Perry, analyzes the landscape and concludes the Red Sox ''are clearly the class of baseball when it comes to having the kind of team that thrives in the postseason.'' CONGRATULATIONS: Our friend Don Orsillo will be broadcasting some postseason baseball on TBS, though it most likely won't be the Red Sox (projo.com). That means he'll miss the first round of Soxtober on NESN. I actually thought that was a pretty clever word choice by the network's creative folks, but it looks like the phrase was first used in Chicago in 2005. (susanasherself.blogspot.com) JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU'VE SEEN IT ALL . . . you find out some guy is doing live blogging of Sox Appeal. I have to admit, though, it made me laugh. TOP TEN OR BOTTOM TEN? The blog MLB Trade Rumors lists the top 10 trades of the last calendar year and the Sox-Rangers deadline line (Eric Gagne-for Kason Gabbard, David Murphy and Engle Beltre) comes in at No. 6 . . . in Texas' favor. ROCKS OF AGES The New York Observer's Howard Megdal breaks down Sunday's showdown between old warhorses Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling, and thinks both the Red Sox and Yankees ''had to be asking questions about what their once-great pitchers will have left for the postseason.'' BEST OF THE WORST: ESPN.com's Jonah Keri has both a Red Sox and a Yankee division in his list of 100 players you love to hate. NARROWING IT DOWN: Chad Finn reserves his hate -- okay, his "strong dislike'' -- for the Yankees, and gives 26 reasons why. (touchingallthebases.blogspot.com) GETTING CLOSER: I'm sure his hate didn't diminish one little bit after the Yankees beat the Orioles last night. (New York Daily News) WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO DO . . . The Yanks have to decide whether or not Phil Hughes will make their postseason roster. (New York Daily News) But even if he doesn't make it, the New York Post's Kevin Kernan says Hughes and the other Yankee rookies have been the key to the season. WAVE THE RED FLAG: You can't say a discouraging word about Derek Jeter in Yankee Universe, so the blog The Fantasy Baseball Generals had best be prepared for some incoming after putting forth the notion that Jeter is having the worst season of his career. AND WAVE IT HARDER: Especially after Jeter set some Yankee history last night. (New York Daily News) TWO SHOTS: The blog Vegas Watch lists Jeter and Robinson Cano among 10 players with a chance to hit .400 some season in their careers. The odds, however, are pretty long. LOOKING BACK: Horace Clarke has become the player who most symbolizes the Yankees' decade in the wilderness from the mid-1960s to the mid-'70s. But he wasn't that bad a player -- good enough to play regularly for the Yanks for 10 years -- and his career is remembered in SABR's Baseball Biography Project. A.L. RACES: The Indians may have driven a stake through the heart of the Tigers' playoff chances with a 6-5, 11-inning win at Jacobs Field (Akron Beacon-Journal). The Tigers, who had a 5-1 lead in the eighth, were devastated (Detroit News) . . . The Angels closed to within 1 1/2 games of the Red Sox in the race for the best record in the A.L. by beating Tampa Bay (Los Angeles Daily News). N.L. RACES: The Cubs beat the Reds (Chicago Sun-Times) . . . The Phillies beat the Cardinals (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . The Brewers beat the Astros (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . The Nationals beat the Mets (New York Daily News) . . . The Giants beat the Diamondbacks (Arizona Republic) . . . The Padres beat the Pirates (San Diego Union-Tribune). To see how all those games affected the races, check out the divisional standings and wild-card standings. (Projo Stats) HISTORY IN THE MAKING? The Times-Herald's Michael P. Geffner says the Mets may join the 1951 Dodgers and 2004 Yankees in pulling off one of the greatest chokes in New York baseball history. TIME TO TALK: The Orioles' Jay Gibbons met with MLB officials over reports of his receiving a shipment of HGH and steroids. (Baltimore Sun) QUICKLY: Orioles reliever Rob Bell goes public about his bouts with anxiety (680news.com) . . . Jeremy Bonderman might pitch again yet this year (Detroit News) . . . Carlos Zambrano thinks he'll get a warm reception tonight at Wrigley Field (Chicago Tribune) . . . The Cardinals' Mark Mulder may be done for the year (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) . . . The Astros are closing on on a new GM (Houston Chronicle) . . . The Washington Times says it's time for the Nationals and Frank Robinson to kiss and make up. -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 17, 2007
Photo: Yanks win, close gap further
Posted by Mike McDermott Photo: Thomas, McGowan sink Red Sox in Toronto
Posted by Mike McDermott FINAL: Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 1TORONTO -- Frank Thomas hit three home runs, the second three-homer game of his career against Boston, and Dustin McGowan pitched a complete-game five-hitter, with no walks and nine strikeouts, as the Blue Jays rolled to a 6-1 victory over the Red Sox Monday night. Thomas' first home run, a two-run shot with two outs in the first off Tim Wakefield (16-11), put Toronto ahead to stay. Mike Lowell doubled home the only Boston run in the fourth inning, cutting the lead to 2-1, but a fielder's-choice grounder by Vernon Wells, who barely beat the throw to first that would have resulted in an inning-ending double play, made it 3-1 in the fourth. Thomas homered off Wakefield in the sixth, and added a two-run shot off Kyle Snyder in the eighth.
Posted by Art Martone News from The Great White NorthBY SEAN McADAM TORONTO -- Quick pieces of pregame news . . . -- Though he campaigned to get back behind the plate tonight to catch his usual batterymate, Doug Mirabelli hasn't been cleared by the training staff, so Kevin Cash gets the start. -- Manager Terry Francona said there might be an announcement after tonight's game regarding Wednesday's starting pitcher. That seemed to indicate that the assignment might go to Julian Tavarez, although Clay Buchholz remains a candidate. -- Manny Ramirez was off to take some extra hitting in the cage a while ago, but won't return to the lineup before Friday. Ramirez is evaluated daily, but still isn't 100 percent. ''He needs to clear himself,'' said Francona. ''He has to be confident that he can go play and not hurt himself.'' -- The team got into Toronto around 4 a.m., meaning little rest for the weary. Alex Cora is getting the start at short tonight, with Julio Lugo given the night off.
Posted by Art Martone Lineups from The Great White NorthLineups: Jacoby Ellsbury LF Tim Wakefield SP TORONTO Dustin McGowan SP
Posted by Sean McAdam Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Do the Yankees have their number?Click here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. Today's topics: last night's classic matchup; Doug Mientkiewicz comes up big; Curt Schilling looks good again; do the Red Sox have fundamental matchup problems with the Yankees? Hideki Okajima; the absence of Kevin Youkilis and Manny Ramirez; the coming series with Toronto. Following are some excerpts from Sean's comments. Schilling: "Schilling's done a decent job keeping the ball in the ballpark in his non-Yankee starts, and I think he continues to pitch very well, and has pretty much solidified the number-two spot in the rotation for the postseason, but he does have to be careful about keeping the ball in the ballpark." Matchup problems: "Until this weekend, from the Red Sox standpoint, I would have been concerned about the team's top pitchers' inability to shut down the New York lineup, but I think in the last four meetings ... they've come up with good outings. It wasn't until that Schilling start in New York [to end last month's series] that any member of the Red Sox rotation had a quality start against this Yankee team this year. ... That to me was the thing that maybe the Red Sox had to get over. ... I think these teams are about as evenly matched as you can get, and should they meet in the ALCS, I think you have to start with a blank slate." Toronto: "The Blue Jays have a pretty decent starting rotation ... although the Blue Jays are way out of contention and are struggling just to finish over .500, it will not be an easy three nights pitching-wise for the Red Sox, and minus Youkilis -- and certainly it looks like Manny won't be back until Tampa later this week -- they might be hard-pressed to mount much offense these three nights."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Monday, September 17
PROMISE OF OCTOBER: If the weekend was a glimpse of what awaits in a Red Sox-Yankees ALCS matchup next month, bring it on. Both teams have work to do before that can happen, of course -- foremost among them is simply making the playoffs, though the Sox are all but a lock and the Yanks are in charge of their own destiny -- but if the passion and intensity and drama and excitement of the last three days are what awaits, let's hope for both of them to make it. The series ended in the most thrilling way possible: A Mariano Rivera-David Ortiz showdown with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with the Yankees clinging to a 4-3 lead. Steven Krasner examines the at-bat pitch-by-pitch in his online-only version of Inside The Game, a battle Rivera won by inducing a pop to short center on a 2-and-2 pitch, clinching New York's victory. Still, as Joe McDonald reports in his online-only game recap, the Red Sox came away confident they'll hold onto their 4 1/2-game lead over the final two weeks. One of the reasons for that confidence: Curt Schilling's performance in his mano-a-mano showdown with Roger Clemens, recounted by Krasner in the newspaper version of Inside The Game. Schilling (above, Journal photo by Glenn Osmundson) wound up on the losing end, thanks to a three-run homer by Derek Jeter with two outs in the top of the eighth (New York Daily News); Rivera made it interesting at the end (New York Daily News) but the Yanks still managed to come out on top even though Joba Chamberlain allowed the first run of his major-league career (New York Post). And Jeter was the reason, coming through as he's done so many times in his career. (New York Post) FAILING THE LESSON: In his fascinating account of the game and the series, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark relates Schilling's frustration at the Jeter homer, calling it part of his transformation into a non-power pitcher: ''That's not something I can do anymore. I can't overthrow the ball late in the game . . . This is an incredibly painful way to have to learn a lesson you've already learned and you already know." ATTENTION, FALL-BALL TEAMS: Manny Ramirez wants to go somewhere to get some at-bats before returning to the Red Sox lineup, but, with the minor-league seasons over and the Instructional League not yet having begun, Terry Francona explained to him there's nowhere to go. Krasner tells the story in the newspaper version of the Red Sox journal, which also relates that the Sox plan to give Daisuke Matsuzaka some rest as they line up their postseason pitching rotation. HURTING: As Ramirez gets ready to return, the Sox could be without Kevin Youkilis for a while. In his postgame, online-only Red Sox Journal, Krasner reports Youkilis has no feeling in his right thumb after being hit by Chien-Ming Wang pitch Saturday and doesn't know when he'll be able to play. FASHION REPORT: The online-only Red Sox Journal also lists the strange outfits rookies were forced to wear in the team's yearly hazing ritual. Matsuzaka and his interpreter must have looked particularly fetching in their Teletubby garb. THE ONE GOOD THING ABOUT LATE GAMES . . . is that you get interesting stories for early editions of the newspaper in lieu of game accounts. McDonald had one today, talking to Red Sox players about how important Jason Varitek is to the team no matter what he's hitting. WHERE WAS YOUR HEAD, THEN? Jonathan Papelbon says his head ''wasn't really in the game" Friday night (New York Daily News) when he and Hideki Okajima combined to allow six runs in the eighth inning, turning a 7-2 Boston lead into an 8-7 New York victory. (projo.com) Papelbon was particularly flighty this weekend, as he also lost his cell phone; luckily for him, Bill Madden of the Daily News found it. GET 'EM ALL: Since we've touched on the two Yankee wins in the series, let's also link to Sean McAdam's account of Josh Beckett's overpowering performance in Boston's triumph on Saturday. (projo.com) K-ROD REVISITED: Alex Speier writes that Clay Buchholz 2007 could be a repeat of Francisco Rodriguez 2002. (Boston Herald) WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? Seth Mnookin has taken up the cause of J.D. Drew, wondering why Drew could be still getting booed after going 3-for-8 with two walks in the first two games of the series, including 2-for-4 with a walk with runners in scoring position and two outs. EARTH TO BERNIE . . . Well, apparently no messages are getting through because Bernie Williams still thinks he can play. (New York Daily News) A.L. RACES: The Tigers are still in hailing distance of the Yankees in the wild-card race after beating the Twins (Detroit News) . . . The Angels lost to the White Sox (Riverside Press-Enterprise) and the Indians lost to the Royals (Cleveland Plain-Dealer), both missing a chance to gain ground on the Red Sox in the battle for the A.L.'s best record. N.L. RACES: The Cubs beat the Cardinals (Chicago Sun-Times) . . . The Diamondbacks beat the Dodgers (Los Angeles Daily News) . . . The Phillies beat the Mets (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . The Brewers beat the Reds (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . .And the Padres beat the Giants (San Diego Union-Tribune). To see how all those games affected the races, check out the divisional standings and wild-card standings. (Projo Stats) DON'T LET GEORGE MITCHELL HEAR THIS: We think Brian Giles was kidding when he listed the reasons for his lack of power at home. (San Diego Union-Tribune) NOT THERE YET: Jim Thome became the 23rd player in major league history to hit 500 home runs (Chicago Sun-Times), but ESPN.com's Rob Neyer thinks Thome needs to hit another 100 home runs before he can be considered a Hall of Famer. (espn.com) QUICKLY: Orioles reliever Danys Baez has a partial tear in his right elbow and may miss the entire 2008 season. (Baltimore Sun) AND FINALLY . . . Shelley Duncan thought it was good-natured fun. But a lot of people didn't think his autograph to a 10-year-old Red Sox fan was all that funny. (Both stories Boston Herald) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone Red Sox looking aheadBY JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- The Red Sox and Yankees completed their regular-season series last night at Fenway Park, but don’t be surprised if the two clubs meet again this year. It’s almost inevitable that scenario will play out in the playoffs, but before each team can even think about the postseason, Boston and New York were concentrating on the task at hand. The pitching matchup of Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling didn’t disappoint, but it was one mistake by the Red Sox starter that allowed the Yankees’ Derek Jeter to hit a three-run homer in the top of the eighth en route to a 4-3 victory. Boston threatened with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning with the bases loaded and slugger David Ortiz at the plate. But, New York closer Mariano Rivera did was he does best and got Ortiz to pop out to short to end the game. “The way Clemens and Schilling pitched tonight,” said Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell, “the fans got their money's worth right up until the last pitch.” New York took 2 of 3 games from Boston over the weekend and the Red Sox lead in the A.L. East stands at 4 1/2 games with 12 games remaining on their schedule. “Tonight boiled down to two mistakes,” Schilling said of the home runs he allowed to Jeter and Robinson Cano (in the fifth inning). “I missed horribly in probably the most crucial situation of the game, that’s all it was. . . I was trying to bounce that ball (to Jeter) in the dirt. I don’t ever try to take credit away from a hitter, but I was trying to bounce that ball.” Last night was a rematch from Game 7 of the 2001 World Series when Schilling played for Arizona and Clemens for New York. The excitement wasn’t lost on anyone last night. Schilling worked 7 2/3 innings and allowed four runs on six hits with no walks and two strikeouts. “Phenomenal,” said Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek on Schilling's performance. “He did a great job.” Clemens lasted six innings and surrendered one unearned run on two hits with three walks and four strikeouts. “He certainly hasn’t forgotten how to pitch or compete,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. Now that this series is in the books, both teams can concentrate on the final two weeks of the season. Boston is trying to win a divisional title for the first time in more than a decade, and New York is battling for the wild card. “I would rather be 4 1/2 up than 4 1/2 down,” said Schilling. “We really don’t think much about that. We’re very good at staying focused on the game at hand.” Boston left after last night’s game for a seven-day, six-game road trip through Toronto and Tampa before returning home to host Oakland and Minnesota. New York hosts Baltimore and Toronto and closes out the season on the road in Tampa and Baltimore. There’s still plenty of baseball to be played. “Absolutely,” said Red Sox left fielder J.D. Drew. “We still have to play quality-winning baseball and go from there.” Even though the Red Sox lost the regular-season final series to New York, Boston’s clubhouse was a bit jovial after the game. It’s a good sign that the players are relaxed. “It would have been nice to win tonight,” said Red Sox utility man Eric Hinske. “We have a 4 1/2-game lead heading into a road trip and hopefully have a good series against Toronto and Tampa. We’re in a good spot. No one is panicking. We’re just going to try to finish strong, make the playoffs and take it into the postseason.” Ortiz, who had an opportunity to make magic happen again last night in his ninth-inning at-bat before Rivera won the battle, feels good about the club’s mindset in the final stretch of the season. “We have to keep playing the way we have been,” he said. “Nobody is feeling pressure around here. We just lost one game and we move forward and try to win the series in Toronto.” That attitude has worked for the Red Sox in the past and they’re not about to deviate from that plan. There’s too much at stake for that to change. “We’ve played hard all year and we’ve been winning this division all year long,” said Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia. “We’ve got 12 more games left and we have to make a push.” And, Boston will add a huge bat to the lineup once Manny Ramirez (strained oblique) returns, which could be as early as tonight or tomorrow against the Blue Jays. “He’s looked good in BP,” said Lowell. “Putting him back in the lineup is not like a September call-up.” As the Red Sox players left the clubhouse last night, the message was the same: “We didn’t quit and that’s huge,” said Varitek. “If we keep playing like this, we’ll be okay.”
Posted by Joe McDonald Late notes -- Sox-Yanks, Sept. 16BY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- Kevin Youkilis, who suffered a bruised right wrist, just under the palm, said after last night's game that he still doesn't have feeling in his right thumb and wasn't feeling a whole lot better since getting drilled by a Chien-Ming Wang pitch during Saturday's game. Youkilis said he has no idea when he'll be able to return to the lineup. -- The Red Sox rookies, including interpreters and Japanese trainers, endured the yearly hazing ritual, forced to wear various eye-catching, often embarrassing clothing for the start of the team's last road trip, to Toronto. Daisuke Matsuzaka (green) and his interpreter, Masa Hoshino (purple), were dressed in colorful Teletubby outfits. Brandon Moss was dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, complete with wig and small picnic basket. Clay Buchholz was a female pirate. Those were a few of the more colorful outfits. -- Jacoby Ellsbury had his hitting streak snapped at 13 games. The Sox outfielder, who had delivered at least one hit in each game since being promoted from Pawtucket on Sept. 1, went 0-for-4, including three groundouts to first base. He did reach base twice, though. In the first he reached when left fielder Johnny Damon dropped his leadoff liner. He stole second and scored on a single by Mike Lowell. Ellsbury also got on base when Mariano Rivera drilled him off the left kneecap on the first pitch of his ninth-inning at-bat. Ellsbury stayed in the game and didn't seem to be limping after the game. -- The homer for Robinson Cano was his third of the year off Curt Schilling and the fourth of his career . . . Lowell's homer in the eighth accounted for the first earned run surrendered by Joba Chamberlain in his big-league career. His scoreless streak was snapped at 17 2/3 innings . . . Derek Jeter's two hits boosted his career total to 2,335, moving him one behind Bernie Williams for fourth place on the Yanks' all-time list . . . The two RBI by Lowell inflated his season's total to 108, the second-highest single-season total for a Red Sox third baseman, trailing on the 112 RBI produced by Butch Hobson in 1977 . . . Eric Hinske, who went 1-for-4, is batting .421 (8-for-19) over his last six games . . . The Yankees won 8 of their last 10 games against the Sox this year, winning the season's series, 10-8.
Posted by Steven Krasner Inside The Game -- Ortiz vs. RiveraINSIDE THE GAME BOSTON -- Somehow, there was no other way to wind up yet another intense Red Sox-Yankees series. David Ortiz versus Mariano Rivera. One run already in against Rivera. The bases loaded. Bottom of the ninth. Two outs. New York leading, 4-3. The sellout crowd of 36,533 at Fenway Park roaring as Ortiz stepped into the batter's box. It was a classic confrontation between, as Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia put it, "the best clutch hitter in baseball, bottom line, facing the best closer of all-time." Ortiz knew what to expect. One 90-mph-plus cut fastball after another. That's Rivera's bread-and-butter pitch. His placid attitude on the mound belies the nastiness of the pitch. Here it is, try and hit it, says the right-hander's demeanor and delivery. Rivera's first one zipped in at 94 mph. Ortiz, a left-handed hitter, fouled it back. The next one came in at 91 and was outside. The third one, at 92, was high, giving Ortiz the advantage in the duel at 2-and-1. Rivera's next pitch, at 93, cut in on Ortiz's hands. Ortiz made contact, hitting a weak bouncer foul down the first-base line. The next pitch, on a 2-and-2 count, also was at 93. This one also cut in on Ortiz's hands. He took his usual mighty cut -- but the ball was in on him, and Ortiz only managed a weak popup into shallow center that was caught by Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter, the hero in New York's victory because of his two-out, three-run homer in the eighth off Curt Schilling. "I went out there and fought like I normally do," said Ortiz of the at-bat. "Obviously he made some good pitches and won the battle." "The man we wanted at the plate was David. But he's human," said third baseman Mike Lowell, who went 3-for-4, including a homer, and knocked in two runs. Pedroia preceded Ortiz and had a battle of his own with Rivera, a confrontation the rookie won, earning an eight-pitch walk that brought Big Papi to the plate with a chance for another one of his patented walkoff hits. Pedroia, a right-handed hitter, was down in the count at 0-and-2 after cutters of 93 and 94 mph, respectively. The others ranged from 91 to 94 as Rivera pitched him away for most of the at-bat before missing inside with the last two pitches, filling the bases. "When I got to two strikes I was trying to move it to the next guy. I wasn't trying to hit a homer. I wasn't trying to do anything. I was trying to get David to the plate. I had to fight my way on," said Pedroia. Pedroia was struck by the crowd's reaction as he neared first base after drawing the free pass. "I remember they announced David's name and the ground was shaking (because of the fans' roar). That was pretty awesome," said Pedroia. "Mariano versus David. That's fun. But Mariano's tough." Tough enough to get the better of Ortiz and the Red Sox this time.
Posted by Steven Krasner September 16, 2007
FINAL: Yankees 4, Red Sox 3By JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- It came down to the wire. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera against Red Sox slugger David Ortiz. It was the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded, and Boston trailing by a run. The legendary closer won the battle as New York held on for a 4-3 victory Sunday night at Fenway Park as Ortiz popped up to Derek Jeter. On a night when both starting pitchers were in the spotlight, the Yankees’ Derek Jeter stole the show. Red Sox right-hander Curt Schilling was winning the pitchers’ duel against Roger Clemens as Boston held a one-run lead heading into the eighth inning. Then boom! Jeter crushed an 84 mph hanging splitter from Schilling and deposited it into the Monster seats for a three-run home run to give New York a three-run lead and eventually the Yankees held on for a 4-3 victory last night at Fenway Park. New York took 2 of 3 from Boston this weekend as the Sox’ lead in the A.L. East standings is now 4 1/2 games. Clemens entered the game undefeated (5-0) with a 3.14 ERA in nine career regular-season starts as an opponent at Fenway Park. He was given the hook after six innings and allowed just one unearned run on two hits. Schilling finished 7 2/3 innings and allowed four runs on six hits with two strikeouts and no walks. As Schilling and Clemens warmed up in the bullpen prior to tonight’s series finale at Fenway Park, both the Red Sox and Yankees’ respective pitching staffs stood almost at attention looking on. It was a sign of respect. It was a gesture of longevity. It meant this is September and this game meant a whole lot for both clubs. Leading up to this matchup of one certain Hall-of-Famer versus a possible hall inductee, both clubs wanted to downplay the excitement, saying it was just another game. Deep down the Red Sox and Yankees must feel the vibe. Boston utility man Eric Hinske admitted as much after Saturday’s victory by the Red Sox. ''Everybody knows that when we’re playing the Yankees it’s a lot more intense than any other game no matter what,” he said. ''So, when you come to the yard you better be ready to play. If you’re not the fans will let you know it right away. If you can’t get up for a Red Sox-Yankees game, you’ve got something wrong with you. The electricity in stadium, and everything else – it’s awesome to be a part of.” Schilling and Clemens are two pitchers who certainly wanted to prove something to the baseball world. In the end Schilling proved to have a better outing, but the Jeter had the final say. Things looked promising for Boston early as Red Sox rookie Jacoby Ellsbury continues to shine for Boston and, again, he provided a huge spark early. He reached base in the bottom of the first inning when Yankees left fielder Johnny Damon misplayed a shallow liner. Ellsbury quickly stole second easily – his fourth swipe for Boston – and later scored on a Mike Lowell grounder through the hole on the left side to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead. Schilling was cruising and kept New York at bay until he made a simply mistake to the Yankees’ Robinson Cano in the fifth inning. The veteran right-hander left a fastball over the middle of the plate that Cano deposited into the Monster seats to tie the game at 1-1. The Red Sox threatened in the bottom of the seventh when Hinske led off with a double and reached third on a sacrifice bunt by Coco Crisp. Julio Lugo followed and struck out swinging, before Ellsbury grounded out to first to end the inning. New York responded with a threat of its own in the top of the eighth. With one out, the Yankees’ Doug Mientkiewicz collected his second hit of the night off Schilling, which was followed by a pinch-hit single by Jason Giambi, who barely missed a two-run homer at the top of the Monster. Jeter, however, didn’t miss. He launched a shot well above the left-field wall and into the Monster seats for a three-run homer and a 4-1 lead. When the ball exploded off his bat, Schilling knew it was gone and dropped his head. Ellsbury just stood and watched it go. That was the end of Schilling’s night. Offensively, the Red Sox weren’t done. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Mike Lowell provided a solo homer off Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain. Even though the rookie pitcher threw a 98 mph fastball, Lowell proved to the kid that everybody at this level can turn on a heater. Rivera earned the save in the ninth, but not before allowing a RBI-double to Lugo.
Posted by Joe McDonald New York state of mindThe Yankees just concluded BP and manager Joe Torre discussed a few things, including catcher Jorge Posada, pitcher Roger Clemens and the playoff race. Posada, who was involved in a devastating collision with the Sox' Eric Hinske at home plate on Saturday, was taken to the hospital after that game and results were negative. He's back in the lineup tonight and is serving as the club's designated hitter. Torre said everything is fine with Posada's health and the Yankees need his bat in the lineup, especially since he's hitting .338 this season. Torre, a former major-league catcher, said he can't remember ever being knocked out while playing. Posada was never down for the count, but it was pretty close Saturday. New York slugger Jason Giambi is out of the lineup and Doug Mientkiewicz will be playing first base. Giambi has struggled defensively this series, plus Torre said his elbow his a little sore after being hit by a pitch during Saturday's game. Mientkiewicz is 3-for-10 lifetime against Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling, including a home run. Clemens returns to Fenway tonight and Torre said he has nothing but respect for the future Hall-of-Famer. Both teams are expecting an exciting matchup.
Posted by Joe McDonald Yankee Lineup, Sept. 16
And it is: NEW YORK Damon lf Clemens p -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Pregame Notes, Sept. 16-- Kevin Youkilis, who was hit by a pitch on the inside of his right wrist, underneath the palm, still is "really sore" today, said manager Terry Francona. But while Youkilis is out of the starting lineup today, replaced at first base by Eric Hinske, Francona thinks he could be ready to return to the starting lineup tomorrow in the opener of a three-game series in Toronto. -- The Sox are listing Wednesday's starter in Toronto as "TBA." That would be Daisuke Matsuzaka's day to start, but, said Francona, apparently looking forward to the postseason though he has steadfastly refused to answer questions along those lines, "at some point we need to maneuver our staff as we go forward." The thinking is that the Sox would like to have Matsuzaka follow Josh Beckett in the postseason rotation, so they could have Beckett pitch on Friday in Tampa Bay (Thursday is an off day) and then Dice-K on Saturday, which would give the Japanese right-hander some extra rest, a commodity he would seem to need given his recent struggles. The "TBA" likely will be either rookie Clay Buchholz or Julian Tavarez. The Sox have another option to "maneuver" the staff a week from tomorrow when they have another scheduled off day. -- Tim Wakefield played catch before batting practice. He then dressed and left the clubhouse to catch an early evening flight to Toronto. He was flown ahead of the team to Toronto because he'll be starting tomorrow night's series opener and will be able to get his normal night-before-game rest. His teammates are looking at a 3 a.m. arrival in Toronto, if they're lucky, after entertaining the Yankees tonight in an 8 o'clock start. -- Doug Mirabelli ran the bases and took batting practice today. Mirabelli (left hamstring) is hoping to convince the Red Sox that he is ready to return to action as Wakefield's personal catcher, but Francona said it isn't a lock that he will be behind the plate tomorrow night for the knuckleballer. "He's politicking for it, but I don't know if he's ready," said Francona. "Obviously he's pretty close, but I don't know if he's there yet. -- The Sox are going to try to give reliever Eric Gagne "consistent innings," said Francona, but not necessarily in late-game pressure situations. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Manny Wants At-Bats
"I tried to explain to him, well, that would be with us," said Francona with a chuckle. "There's no place to send him." That's because the Instructional League hasn't started yet and the Red Sox' minor-league teams are finished with their respective seasons. Francona said he appreciated Ramirez approaching him to let him know he's getting close, but the manager still thinks he could be "2-3-4 days out" from playing. One possibility for at-bats is a simulated game, but Francona said he "wasn't excited about" that possibility, no doubt because it hardly approaches game situations. Once Ramirez is ready to return, though, Francona said the slugging left fielder will just have to work his way back into a groove. "When he's ready to play we'll play him," said Francona. "You hope a guy gets hot (when he comes back) but we'll keep running him out there and let him get comfortable again. There's nothing else to do." -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Starting Lineups, Sept. 16
BOSTON Ellsbury lf Schilling p -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner September 15, 2007
Game Story: Red Sox regroup, thump Yanks, 10-1BOSTON — When David Ortiz woke up yesterday morning, he didn’t think he was going to be able to play. The Red Sox slugger said he sprained his knee when he slid into home plate during Friday night’s loss to the New York Yankees in Game 1 of this three-game set. Yesterday’s game was crucial for Boston to keep its lead in the A.L. East standings secure, so when Ortiz arrived at Fenway Park, the competitive monster inside him woke up. “Once you get here, everything totally changes mentally,” he said. “There’s no way you can [sit] out…. We have guys stepping forward and doing different things, and that’s what you want to see in this case.” He wasn’t alone. Every player in the Red Sox clubhouse knew how devastating Friday’s defeat was or could have been if New York was able to carry that momentum, but Boston wasn’t about to let that happen, even though everyone at this time of the season is bruised and banged up. The players know these games mean too much for anyone to sit back and take a day or an at-bat off. As a result, the Red Sox regrouped and staged an offensive barrage en route to a 10-1 victory over the Yankees, and increase their lead again to 5½ games. Boston starter Josh Beckett continued his Cy Young-worthy dominance as the right-hander improved to 19-6 this season. He worked seven solid innings and allowed just one run on three hits with seven strikeouts. Looking at the final-game statistics doesn’t tell the complete story of this one. There was so much more than hits, runs and errors. Boston and New York provided an all-out, down-and-dirty September game worthy of postseason accolades. There were collisions at home plate. Rookies playing like veterans. And when it was over, there were plenty of ice packs to go around. “Everybody knows that when we’re playing the Yankees it’s a lot more intense than any other game, no matter what,” said Red Sox utility man Eric Hinske, who was part of a home-plate collision with Yankees catcher Jorge Posada. “So when you come to the yard, you better be ready to play. If you’re not, the fans will let you know it right away. If you can’t get up for a Red Sox-Yankees game, you’ve got something wrong with you. The electricity in the stadium, and everything else — it’s awesome to be a part of. It was fun to be on the field today.” After the game, Red Sox captain Jason Varitek stood at his locker wrapped in ice almost from head to toe. He’s sore. Everyone’s sore. Everyone is playing through it. “Your season is too long not to ever be banged up,” Varitek said. “It’s the nature of the beast for what we do. You have to try to stay mentally strong and focus on the little things.” Varitek said he felt that the club was feels this club is focused right now. “Especially with our attitude to bounce back after a difficult loss (Friday) night, it shows a lot,” he said. Boston and New York were tied at 1-1 until the bottom of the fifth inning. That’s when the often-booed, but streaking J.D. Drew provided a huge RBI-single that proved to be the game-winning run. The Red Sox piled it on from there, scoring three in the sixth, four in the seventh and one more in the eighth eight for a 10-1 victory. Now that the series is even at a game apiece, tonight’s finale is sure to be could be a classic. The Sox send Curt Schilling to the mound, while Roger Clemens gets the nod for the Yankees. “It’s not over, yet,” Ortiz said. “We have a lot of games left. You saw what happened (Friday) night, they caught us sleeping. They can turn things around in a heartbeat.”
Posted by Corey Bourassa Warning...Warning!! After Jason Giambi was plunked by Josh Beckett with two out in the seventh, home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom warned both benches.
Posted by Sean McAdam Photo: So far, so good for Beckett
Posted by Mike McDermott Youkilis suffers contusionThe Red Sox just announced that Kevin Youkilis left the game with a contusion on his right wrist. He was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning by Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang. X-rays taken at Fenway were negative.
Posted by Joe McDonald Youkilis updateThe Red Sox just announced that Kevin Youkilis left the game with a contusion of his inside right wrist. He was struck just below the palm. X-rays were taken and they were negative. Youkilis is in the dugout, his wrist wrapped in ice. More details as they become available.
Posted by Sean McAdam That Doesn't Look Good...Kevin Youkilis just left the game after being struck by a pitch from Chien-Ming Wang. It appeared that Youkilis was struck on the right hand. He went down in pain and left the playing field holding the wrist gingerly. We'll update you with any further news when we get it. In the meantime, Jacoby Ellsbury is running for Youkilis. It's expected that Eric Hinske, who started the game in left, will move to first base with Ellsbury taking over in left.
Posted by Sean McAdam New York state of mindIf you thought today's pitching matchup of Josh Beckett and Chien-Ming Wang was an impressive one, wait until tomorrow night. The Yankees' Roger Clemens will face the Sox' Curt Schilling is a battle of veteran egos. Clemens has been battling elbow soreness in his throwing arm, but New York manager Joe Torre confirmed this afternoon that the future Hall-of-Famer will be on the mound tomorrow. When Torre was asked about Clemens' mindset from start to start, the manager compared him to former big-leaguers Steve Carlton and Nolan Ryan. Plus, pitching at Fenway Park again will surely fire the Rocket up. “Roger is so wound up every time he pitches,” said Torre. “I’m sure this ballpark adds a little something, too. He’s so remarkable and in a lot of ways he’s like Pete Rose. Pete continued to have the urgency to do well all the time. . . Every single day he tried to be on top of his game. Pitchers are a little different, but to maintain that intensity is pretty remarkable.” While Torre spoke about tomorrow's matchup, the sometimes brazen Red Sox manager Terry Francona wouldn't touch the question. "We're really going to try to win today," he said. "That's like our goal. We can enshrine the two starters tomorrow. That's not how we think."
Posted by Joe McDonald Runoff electionAn obvious subplot to this afternoon's game is the pitching matchup of Josh Beckett and Chien-Ming Wang, each of whom is a candidate for the Cy Young Award. While Wang and Beckett are two obvious candidates, they're not the only ones. Justin Verlander (17-5), C.C. Sabathia (17-7, 3.21), John Lackey (16 wins, 3.21), Fausto Carmon (16 wins, 3.20 ERA), Kelvim Escobar (17-7, 3.25) are all worthy, too. It's likely that the award will be determined in the final two weeks. It will be interesting, too, if some of these pitchers take time off in the final week to 10 days to rest for the post-season, or keep pitching and enhance their Cy Young chances. One other note: unless either Beckett or Wang get a win here today, and keep pitching, we may have our second straight season in which no one wins 20 games.
Posted by Sean McAdam Stars Come Out for Sox-YanksIt's only the second inning and already, the celeb sightings are everywhere. Rene Russo is in the second row, next to the Red Sox duguout.
Posted by Sean McAdam Pregame Notes, Sept. 15-- Coco Crisp, who was scratched from the starting lineup on Friday night because of soreness in his left hip, is penciled into today's starting lineup. But manager Terry Francona said this morning if the hip was acting up on Crisp, he might have to be scratched again. Crisp, said Francona, told his manager during batting practice on Friday that he felt the hip "grab" him a bit but didn't think it was anything serious. He had his hip worked on by the trainers but was unable to start. He did loosen up enough to enter Friday night's game as a pinch runner, but he was thrown out attempting to steal second and looked to be walking gingerly back to the dugout. -- Francona said the Yanks' familiarity with Hideki Okajima may have something to do with New York's recent success against the left-hander. Okajima has pitched in 10 of the first 16 games this season between the teams. Over his first five games against New York, Okajima pitched five scoreless innings. Since then, though, he has allowed at least one run in four of his last five outings versus the Yanks, including four runs in only one-third of an inning Friday night as Boston let a 7-2 eighth-inning lead melt away into an 8-7 loss. Over his last three appearances against New York, Okajima has coughed up eight earned runs on eight hits in only 2 1/3 innings, an E.R.A. of 30.90. It's not just the Yanks, though, who seemed to have figured out Okajima. He has been raked for 12 earned runs in 15 1/3 innings, an E.R.A. of 7.05 over his last 17 games, inflating his overall E.R.A. from 0.87 to 2.28. So call it fatigue or familiarity, but Okajima, the early season surprise because of his devastating changeup, is not getting it done lately. -- Eric Hinske is in the starting lineup in left field instead of Jacoby Ellsbury because of his history of success against New York's starter, Chien-Ming Wang. Hinske is 10 for 22 (.455) in his career against Wang with four doubles, two homers and a slugging percentage of .909. Hinske, though, is 0 for 6 against Wang this season. -- Nothing new on Manny Ramirez (strained left oblique), but he is not in the starting lineup. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Starting Lineups, Sept. 15BOSTON Pedroia 2b Beckett p NEW YORK Damon lf Wang p -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Giambi -- goat to heroBy STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- Jason Giambi has never won a Gold Glove for his play at first base, and there's no need to clear a space on a shelf in his trophy case for one in the future. And while he has played passable defense at the position this season since coming off the disabled list, Giambi had a nightmare of a game Friday night at first base, costing New York three runs with various misplays. But his home run leading off the eighth opened up the floodgates for the Yankees who exploded for six runs and a stunning 8-7 victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. "Those plays made me concentrate even more," said Giambi of his blast at the expense of left-hander Hideki Okajima. "I was excited to get that opportunity to get (the rally) going. I've been playing good over there but tonight I had trouble. I was just glad I had a chance to get it going for us," said Giambi. His first bobble came in the first inning when he couldn't scoop a short-hop throw from Derek Jeter. Jeter got the error, but Giambi should have saved him. That didn't hurt New York. But with two outs and a runner on third in the third inning, J.D. Drew's hard grounder somehow found its way through Giambi's big body, gift-wrapping a run for Boston. In the sixth, Mike Lowell hit a liner to right with one out and runners taking off from first and second on the 3-and-2 pitch. David Ortiz was a dead duck to be doubled up at first, but Giambi had trouble seeing the throw from right fielder Bobby Abreu and decided to try to short-hop the throw rather than go get it and then come back to the bag. The ball clanged off Giambi's glove and rolled away, with Giambi looking a fish out of water flopping in the dirt trying to retrieve it before Big Papi returned. Giambi wasn't successful, and when Kevin Youkilis and Drew followed with hits, that misplay meant two extra runs and a seemingly comfortable 7-2 lead. But in the eighth, Giambi got one run back, and ignited the Yanks' game-winning surge.
Posted by Steven Krasner Final game story: Bulpen falters, Sox loseBY JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon have been the kingpins in the bullpen for the Boston Red Sox this season. Anytime that door swung open in the late innings of a game it was a given the pair of relievers would simply shut the door in any situation. At a time when the Red Sox needed that trend to continue, Okajima and Papelbon succumbed to New York in one catastrophic inning as the Yankees staged a dramatic comeback en route to an 8-7 victory Friday night at Fenway Park. The game lasted four hours and 43 minutes. The Red Sox held a 7-2 lead heading into the top of the eighth inning, but the Yankees scored six runs, including a pair of back-to-back solo home runs by Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano to start the inning off Okajima. The Japanese left-hander surrendered four runs on three hits in 1/3 of an inning, while Papelbon gave up two runs on three hits in that eighth inning as New York gained an 8-7 advantage. For Papelbon, he entered the game having retired 18 of the last 19 batters he’s faced in his last six appearances, but New York got to him tonight as it snapped the right-hander's 16 2/3 innings scoreless streak. ''It’s definitely uncharacteristic,” said Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis of the bullpen’s failures. ''They are human and they are going to have that happen. Unfortunately it was today in a game like that, but for us, we can’t get too down on them. They’re going to go out there the next time and pitch well. They are going to have ups and downs and unfortunately it was tonight they had the down. They’ve done a great job for us all year and we can’t get too upset with them.” Red Sox catcher and captain Jason Varitek had a good view of what was unfolding in front of him in the eighth inning. “They took some good swings and capitalized on some mistakes,” he said. “We weren’t able to stop it.” Before the Red Sox needed to summon their bullpen, starter Daisuke Matsuzaka was solid. With the work load he’s had to deal with this season, something he wasn’t accustomed to in Japan, there’s been some concern whether he’s tiring at this point of the season. Red Sox manager Terry Francona has said publicly the club is not overly worried about it, and even if it was, Dice-K answered those questions last night. He worked 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and threw a total of 120 pitches (64 strikes). “He pitched with a lot of heart,” said Francona. “He competed real well against a very good lineup.” New York manager Joe Torre was a bit of a soothsayer early last evening when he said you never know what is going to happen when these two teams meet. He said the clubs have mutual respect for each other, and that the energy level will always be high. He’s always said games are never over at Fenway Park until the last out is made, no matter how long the game lasts. “No question,” he said following his club’s win. “It wasn’t one of our better efforts, but it sure was a great result for us. We gave away so much, we had so many opportunities to do some damage and we lucked out. That eighth inning was incredible. . . We never gave up the fact that we could win.” With two games remaining in this three-game set, the Yankees cut their deficit to 4 ½ games in the A.L. East standings. The Red Sox said they’re not concerned with any momentum New York might think it has after Friday night’s stunning victory. “We’ll see what this team has and we’ll come out ready to play (on Saturday),” said Varitek. “Any loss is crushing, but we need to pull ourselves together and go back out there and be ready to play.”
Posted by Joe McDonald Yankee reaction to 8-7 win over Red SoxBy STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON -- Things looked bleak for the New York Yankees. They were down, 7-2, heading into the eighth inning at Fenway Park Friday night. Boston manager Terry Francona was deploying his bullpen as if he figured all the Sox had to do was win one of the games of this three-game series to virtually secure the American League East title. So he had his two-headed bullpen monster of Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon in the game earlier than usual, intent on nailing down the victory even if he wouldn't normally use them with such a big lead. "Okajima and Papelbon have been throwing as well as anyone in the American League," said the Yanks' MVP lock, Alex Rodriguez. But New York devoured Okajima and Papelbon to the tune of six runs in the eighth before an out was recorded as the Yankees roared back for an 8-7 win that stunned the Red Sox. It also sliced Boston's division lead to 4 1/2 games and maintained the Yanks' 3 1/2-game advantage over the Detroit Tigers in the wild-card chase. "That's the biggest win of our season," said A-Rod, who delivered the tie-breaking hit, a sizzling single to left-center off Papelbon. "Any time you can score so many runs off those two guys it's special," added Rodriguez. "Being down five runs and with the guys they have in their bullpen, you kind of feel like you stole one." New York manager Joe Torre could only take a deep breath and marvel at what his team had done, especially after sloppy play had helped put the Yankees in their five-run hole. "We lucked out. That eighth inning was incredible," said Torre. "It hadn't been one of our better efforts. We have away some runs and had so many chances we didn't take advantage of, but it was a good result for us. We knew it was ugly but this ballclub never gets to the point where it feels it can't win the game." The big inning began with a bang when Jason Giambi, whose defensive lapses cost the Yankees three runs, crushed a pitch from Okajima over the New York bullpen. That made it a 7-3 game. It was hardly in the bag for the Yanks at that point, but when Robinson Cano followed Giambi's blast with one of his own, into the center-field bleachers, it was suddenly 7-4, the Sox' fans were squirming a bit and Papelbon was heating up in the bullpen. Then came a walk to Melky Cabrera and Johnny Damon's double to left-center, sending Okajima to the showers and bringing Papelbon into the game. And at the plate was Derek Jeter, the Yanks' Mr. Clutch. "We always feel great when Jeter's up in those situations," said Damon, the ex-Sox center fielder who was 4 for 6 with a pair of doubles as New York's designated hitter. Jeter didn't wait around. He sliced the first pitch he saw for an RBI single to right and it was 7-5 with the tying runs on base. "You don't like to be facing (Papelbon) down one run, let alone three," said Jeter. "You want to be aggressive. You can't give him too many (strikes) because then he can go to his other pitches." Bobby Abreu was aggressive also, crushing an 0-and-1 pitch to center for a two-run double that tied the game, as Jeter fairly flew around the bases. And then it was A-Rod's turn. Again, it was a quick at-bat, with Rodriguez drilling an 0-and-1 pitch to left-center for his major-league-leading 141st RBI, giving the Yanks an 8-7 lead that Luis Vizcaino and Marian Rivera (27th save) preserved. The win was big, said the Yanks, and beating the top two in Boston's bullpen made it all the sweeter. Maybe getting to know Okajima, the left-hander from Japan, has been helpful for the Yankees, who now have faced him 10 times this season. He has been scored upon by New York in four of his last five appearances and overall has coughed up 9 runs on 12 hits in 9 2/3 innings versus the Yankees. Papelbon, meanwhile, has been tagged for the late-inning loss in the last two games between the two teams here at Fenway Park, having surrendered a homer to A-Rod on June 3. "I'd like to say that (beating Okajima and Papelbon) gives us an edge," said Torre. "It certainly makes us feel better." They couldn't have felt much better, having stolen one from the Red Sox.
Posted by Steven Krasner Late notes: A rare failure by PapelbonBY SEAN McADAM BOSTON -- Jonathan Papelbon left the Red Sox clubhouse Friday night without answering questions about his third blown save of the season, his first since July 28. He had gone 16 2/3 scoreless innings before allowing a run-scoring single to Derek Jeter (the run charged to Hideki Okajima), a two-run double to Bobby Abreu (one run charged to Okajima; the other to Papelbon) and an RBI single to Alex Rodriguez. Remarkably, it marked the first time in his major league career than Papelbon had allowed three consecutive hits. He had converted his previous 12 save opportunities Okajima had begun the inning, but gave up two solo homers, a walk and a double before needing to be rescued by Papelbon. ''It wasn't the way we drew it up,'' said Terry Francona, ''but we always feel good when Pap is in the game . . . He jammed Jeter, who fights balls off better than anyone in the league. Abreu (took) a nice swing, and Alex got on top of a fastball.'' ''We were just a few pitches away from stopping that situation,'' said catcher Jason Varitek. ''We just didn't do it.'' The Sox and Yanks needed 4 hours and 43 minutes to complete the game, making it the second-longest nine-inning game in major-league history. The longest was a game played between the same two teams Aug. 18, 2006, which took 4:45. The teams have played 16 times this season and the games have averaged 3:35, more than 40 minutes longer than the average Major League Baseball game. ''I think it's a by-product of these two teams,'' said Yankee manager Joe Torre. ''(Many of the games are on network) television (and nationally televised have more commericial time between innings) . . .Everything takes so much time because you go back and forth and meetings and stuff, and wait all night to win one of these.'' Torre jokingly added that the Yanks ''were only five minutes away from using Joba (Chamberlain),'' a reference to the so-called Joba Rules that mandate the rookie reliever's usage. Chamberlain was unavailable Friday night after pitching 1 2/3 innings Wednesday night in Toronto. Red Sox outfielder Coco Crisp said the length of games is eased somewhat by having younger reinforcements like Jaocby Ellsbury. ''We've got some young guys in here capable of doing the daily grind,'' said Crisp. Late scratch Out went Crisp and in went Ellsbury. Crisp was later called upon to pinch-run for Mike Lowell in the eighth, but was thrown out trying to steal second. ''I was hoping it would be loose (late in the game), but not thinking I would be needed,'' said Crisp, in reference to the Sox' 7-2 lead. ''I was trying to get something going. It was a good throw (by catcher Jorge Posada) and a good call.''
Posted by Sean McAdam Postgame reactionBY JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- Red Sox reaction to Friday night's 8-7 loss to the Yankees . . . -- Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis on the bullpen: “It’s definitely uncharacteristic. They are human and they are going to have that happen. Unfortunately it was today in a game like that, but for us, we can’t get too down on them. They’re going to go out there the next time and pitch well. They are going to have ups and downs and unfortunately it was tonight they had the down. They’ve done a great job for us all year and we can’t get too upset with them.” -- Red Sox manager Terry Francona on the Hideki Okajima's sub-par performance: "Uncharacteristically, everything was over the middle of the plate. He elevated and he couldn't get out of the middle. . . Everything seemed to be right over the middle of the plate and they squared it up in a hurry." -- Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek: “They took some good swings and capitalized on some mistakes. We weren’t able to stop it.” -- New York manager Joe Torre: "That eighth inning was incredible." More to come . . .
Posted by Joe McDonald September 14, 2007
FINAL: Yankees 8, Red Sox 7BY JOE McDONALD BOSTON -- Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon have been the kingpins in the bullpen for the Boston Red Sox this season. Anytime that door swung open in the late innings of a game, it was a given the pair of relievers would simply slam it shut in any situation. But at a time when they needed that success to continue, Okajima and Papelbon imploded in one catastrophic inning, allowing six runs to score before a single out was recorded in the eighth as the Yankees rallied from a 7-2 deficit and posted an 8-7 victory Friday night at Fenway Park. The game last four hours and 43 minutes. The Red Sox took a 7-2 lead into the eighth, but the Yankees scored six, starting with back-to-back solo home runs by Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano off Okajima. The Japanese left-hander surrendered four runs on three hits in one-third of an inning, while Papelbon gave up two runs on three hits in that eighth inning as New York gained an 8-7 advantage. For Papelbon, he entered the game having retired 18 of the last 19 batters he’s faced in his last six appearances, but New York got to him as it snapped the right-hander's 16 2/3 innings scoreless streak.
Posted by Joe McDonald Photo: Red Sox score first at Fenway
Posted by Mike McDermott Crisp Scratched; Ellsbury Starting
Crisp is being replaced by Jacoby Ellsbury, who is batting ninth. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Clubhouse confidential from New YorkNew York manager Joe Torre just met with the media and had more than a few thoughts on this series. First and foremost he said he has not been given a pregame warning from the umpires due to the events that occurred in New York that last time these two teams met. "Is it necessary?" asked Torre. "I would say no." Torre added: "These two teams have mutual respect for each other; fans have a different outlook on it, obviously. The energy level will be where it usually is.” The Yankees are quite pleased with the fact Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez will likely miss the entire series due to a strained oblique. “I like Manny and I had him on a number of All-Star teams, but I’m not going to miss him in the lineup,” said Torre. Having Ramirez and David Ortiz hitting back-to-back in the order “that 1-2 punch is as good as there is in the game.” Of course Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain will gain a lot of attention during this series for throwing at the Sox' Kevin Youkilis the last time these teams met. The rookie pitcher said he's ready for the fan reaction. “I’m interested every where I go,” he said. “This place isn’t going to be any different. You need to expect everything.”
Posted by Joe McDonald Pregame Notes, Sox-Yanks, Sept. 14
"I'm Superfan. I was going stir-crazy at home. Hopefully I can hang out here for the next six weeks or so," said Donnelly, who hopes to be able to return to a big-league mound by the middle of next year. -- Jacoby Ellsbury's right wrist discomfort doesn't seem serious. He is not in the starting , but that's a function of the fact New York is starting a left-hander, Andy Pettitte. So Bobby Kielty, a switch hitter, is starting in left field instead of Ellsbury. -- Matt Clement threw a simulated game. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Renewing Hostilities?
Chamberlain was tossed from the game and subsequently suspended. The Sox were irate after the game. But Boston manager Terry Francona said this afternoon he hadn't given any thought to whether the hostilities would carry over to this series, nor, he said, did he think about whether the umpiring crew would talk to each team in advance of tonight's game to defuse any hard feelings that might be lingering. "I think you get aggravated at the time but then you move on and play ball," said Francona. "I think we're better at (doing) that than (the media)." -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Manny's Not Ready YetEven though Manny Ramirez had taken batting practice two straight days, and even though he hit several balls either out of the park or off the wall, he is not yet ready to return to game action, said manager Terry Francona a few minutes ago during his daily press briefing. Francona said that the Sox slugging left fielder, who has been out of the starting lineup since Aug. 29 because of a strained oblique, could be ready "maybe by the beginning of the week. That's somewhat realistic, but we just don't know."' "He's doing a good job. He's making a lot of progress. He's working hard. He came in on his off day (Thursday). He hit balls so far, (people ask) 'Why is he not playing?' But he's not ready. It's not fair to put a (specific) day (on his return)," said Francona. Francona then was asked if, while he can't play a full game, he'd be available to pinch hit in the series. "You can tell (Yankee manager) Joe (Torre) yes. Tell him he's ready. I'd appreciate it," joked Francona. "But I don't know." Ramirez stung the ball again in taking batting practice this afternoon with his group -- David Ortiz, Mike Lowell and Julio Lugo. He bashed one ball over the Sports Authority sign. It would be nice to have him in the Sox' lineup tonight because he's a .431 career hitter (31 for 72) with 4 homers and 19 RBI against Yankee starter Andy Pettitte. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Starting Lineups, Sept. 14BOSTON Lugo ss Matsuzaka p NEW YORK Damon dh Pettitte p -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Sox-Yanks (the final chapter?)Click here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. The topics: the importance to the Red Sox psyche of showing they can beat New York; the possibility of Manny Ramirez returning this weekend; Daisuke Matsuzaka's chance to show he belongs; the first taste of the rivalry for Clay Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury; and potential retaliation for Joba Chamberlain's pitching escapades last month. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments. The stakes this weekend for the Red Sox: "From a confidence standpoint it would be good for them to reverse this trend of the last couple months, where the Yankees seem to be winning the games when they have to. The Red Sox dominated the season series earlier in the year ... but it has been all Yankees since midseason. And it would certainly behoove the Red Sox to maybe try to win a couple and take back a little back of that momentum in the event that these two teams meet in the ALCS, as a lot people think is going to happen." Will Manny play? "I think we've all learned not to try to predict Manny Ramirez's behavior, but I'd be surprised, because that kind of injury is something that can linger for a long time. It can be easily aggravated, and there's nothing beyond the momentum that we talked about earlier that makes it important for the Red Sox here to try to win these games. Certainly they'd like to, but to get Manny back on the field, perhaps prematurely, would seem kind of silly." On Dice-K: "There's some doubt creeping in about how and where he fits into the team's postseason pitching plans, and independent of how big tonight is, or the opponent, I think he has to show that he can turn this around and be counted on when the postseason begins."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Friday, September 14It's a single-story day . . . HERE WE GO: This is the weekend that will set the path for the final two weeks of the season. When it's over, the Red Sox will either have all but clinched the A.L. East title, still be on this safe-but-not-secure perch atop the division, or in a race for first place. And while the old hands in the Boston clubhouse continue to play the one-game-at-a-time, it's-no-more-important-than-any-other-series card, Joe McDonald reports the youngsters among them are pretty excited to see the Yankees coming to town. (projo.com) The Boston Globe's Gordon Edes points out that the Red Sox have not ''blinked, despite forecasts of folding/spindling/mutilating after they were swept three straight in Yankee Stadium at the end of August'' and enter this series with the same lead -- five games in the loss column -- that they had when they left New York three weeks ago. While the New York Post's George King says the series would mean a lot more ''if the Devil Rays [hadn't flushed] two games in Boston this week,'' the Daily News' Mike Lupica thinks this weekend, and the Sox-Yankees rivalry, still has some juice thanks to the way both teams have stood up to their various challenges this year. And baseball analysts like Rick Sutcliffe and Tim McCarver anticipate a great weekend at Fenway. (New York Post) THE GREAT WHITE NORTH: The lead is five and not four because the Blue Jays scored a run in the bottom of the ninth and beat the Yankees 2-1 last night, ending New York's winning streak at seven games. (New York Daily News) Thanks to their awful start, games like last night's -- which really fall into the you-can't-win-'em-all category -- have a negative impact on the Yanks' postseason chances. (New York Post) Even so, the Yankees still have the division title in their sights and the New York Post's Mike Vaccaro says they should. CHANCE FOR REDEMPTION: Daisuke Matsuzaka is being viewed warily by the locals because of his six-week slump, but those who knew him in Japan say games like tonight's -- in which he'll be pitching against Andy Pettitte, with a chance to set the tone for the rest of the weekend (and, indeed, the rest of the regular season) -- are the ones that built his reputation in Japan. (Boston Herald) But at the bottom of a Touching All The Bases blog entry that deals mostly with Bill Belichick and the Patriots, Chad Finn has ''a feeling we'll be seeing more of Kyle Snyder or Julian Tavarez tonight than we will Dice-K.'' IT'S DIFFERENT NOW: All season long, it was thought the Red Sox had the edge in starting pitching over the Yankees. But the New York Post's Joel Sherman doesn't think that's true anymore. OFF-DAY CHAT: Curt Schilling had all but abandoned his 38pitches.com blog, so it was a surprise -- and a delight -- to get a long posting yesterday. He talks briefly about the upcoming series, but also gives his personal postseason awards, tells us about his fantasy football battle with Jon Meterperil of WEEI, and explains why he's no longer breaking down his performances on the blog after every game: ''I am changing just about everything I do, mentally and physically, to prepare and perform. A lot of it is new to me and a lot of it is and will be things that I am not comfortable putting out there.'' 'IT NEVER HAPPENED': Joba Chamberlain says he lives in the present, and therefore the beanball incident with Kevin Youkilis last month -- in which he was ejected and suspended for throwing two pitches at Youkilis' head in the ninth inning of the series finale -- ''didn't happen to me. It's over with.'' (New York Daily News) Call me crazy, but I have a feeling the Fenway faithful will stir his memory of it this weekend. (Boston Herald) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 13, 2007
Photo: Yankees lose on walk-off hit in Toronto
The New York Yankees fell tonight to the Toronto Blue Jays, 2-1, despite a brilliant performance by pitcher Ian Kennedy. Toronto won it on Frank Thomas' walk-off RBI single against relief pitcher Chris Britton, which scored Alex Rios from second. Toronto scored its only other run in the first inning, on an RBI double by Thomas that Melky Cabrera nearly caught. Johnny Damon tied it with a home run in the sixth. A.J. Burnett pitched eight innings of one-run ball for the Blue Jays, while reliever Scott Downs escaped a jam in the top of the ninth to earn the win. The Yankees now travel to Boston trailing the Red Sox by five and a half games in the American League East.
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Papi being Papi (at last)Click here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. Today's topics: A weight off Ortiz's shoulders; Delmon Young's misplay; extra momentum heading into the weekend; the bullpen comes through; the fastest Red Sox team in recent memory; and Mike Mussina's triumphant return. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments: Was Ortiz burdened by his lack of late-game heroics before last night? "I think probably. Particularly with the absence of Manny Ramirez the last couple of weeks, it has sort of fallen on Ortiz, and to a lesser degree I'd say Mike Lowell, to shoulder the offnesive load for this team. But it is kind of hard to believe that we could get to game 145, or whatever it is, before Ortiz has that kind of late-inning heroics which we've almost taken for granted the last few years." Speed in the lineup: "They're still not going to be running around the bases with abandon and challenging Rickey Henderson anytime soon. But just the ability to take the extra base, to put guys in motion sometimes, to be aggressive, to maybe force some mistakes on the part of the defense, is a weapon that the Red Sox have seldom had the luxury of relying on." Will Mussina return to the Yankees' rotation? "I'm sure that's on the table here. ... They do have some depth now with Kennedy and Hughes, who give them more options in the rotation. If Mussina can pitch like he did last night, then obviously his experience and many postseason starts can be a benefit as they head into October, but I would say that they probably need to see more than one good start to have him in their plans, because they do have other options now."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Thursday, September 13BLAST FROM THE PAST: It had been over a year since the Red Sox won a game with a walkoff home run -- last September 6, when current Devil Rays first baseman Carlos Pena turned the trick -- and even longer since they'd gotten a walkoff homer from David Ortiz, who seemed to be doing it every other day for a stretch last season. And, truth be told, if the Devil Rays had a more skilled right fielder than the clueless Delmon Young, they might still be waiting for one. But Young ran to the wrong spot, started doing a dizzying maypole dance, and never got a glove on a ball that landed one row into the right-field seats, giving Ortiz his first walkoff of 2007 (above, Journal photo by Bob Breidenbach) and the Red Sox a much-needed victory, 5-4 over Tampa Bay. (projo.com) Ortiz -- who had hit a three-run homer earlier in the game, cutting the Rays' lead from 4-0 to 4-3 -- is getting the props this morning but it was the bullpen that really won it with 5 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. (projo.com) The relievers were summoned early because Jon Lester served up his first stinker in quite a while, struggling through 3 1/3 torturous innings. (projo.com) SUPER MODEL: FoxSports.com's Dayn Perry puts forth the notion that the Red Sox ''are the model organization in [baseball] today.'' He lists six reasons why. CAN'T SEE WHAT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU: Seth Mnookin says that it's gone almost completely unnoticed, but J.D. Drew is now the hitter the Red Sox thought they were signing. Yet he remains a target of Red Sox Nation, which irritates Jason Varitek; 'Tek says the fans don't know how much power they have and they could put that power to good use by cheering, and not booing, Drew. (Newburyport News) MANY HAPPY RETURNS: The Japanese media following the Red Sox threw a birthday party for Daisuke Matsuzaka -- who turns 27 today -- and Dice-K promised them that, ''Next year will be a better birthday than this year.'' (Boston Herald) Tom Verducci thinks that if he wants to be wearing a World Series championship ring when his next birthday rolls around, the Red Sox had better give Matsuzaka some rest in the weeks ahead to get him ready for the postseason. DEVILISHLY CLEVER: The Biz of Baseball reports that Tampa Bay will change its name to the ''Rays'' at season's end, jettisoning the ''Devil'' part. HERE THEY COME: Last night's victory means the Sox will have at least a four-game lead in the loss column over the Yankees heading into this weekend's showdown; the Yanks, getting a surprisingly strong performance from Mike Mussina, won their seventh straight, 4-1 over the Blue Jays (New York Post) and will conclude their series in Toronto tonight while the Sox get the day off. On the LoHud Yankees Blog, Peter Abraham writes the Yankees didn't seem to care one way or the other about Young's butchering of a catchable drive that handed the Sox a win, since they've been remarkably successful at eliminating outside distractions and focusing on the task at hand since the All-Star break. (Everyone knows I'm a big fan of Abraham, but I have one quibble with this entry: Calling Ortiz' homer a "pop-up". The ball was hit 380 feet and was a no-questions-asked home run in every major-league park except Fenway; in Yankee Stadium, that's ball's well up into the third deck. Young should have caught it, no question, but it was no "pop-up".) CANADIAN CLUB: The Blue Jays had a video of fans hitting Alex Rodriguez with a baseball on their center-field scoreboard last night, and Joe Torre thought it was a disgrace. (New York Daily News) TODAY'S THE DAY: The Yankees should know today whether or not Roger Clemens will be able to start Sunday night at Fenway. (New York Post) STARTING NINE: ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick lists nine players who need to step up in the season's final weeks. No Sox make the cut. A.L. RACES: The Angels kept pace with the Red Sox in the quest for the A.L.'s best record by clobbering the Orioles. (Los Angeles Times) The Angels, however, are worried that center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. may not return from his sprained ankle in time for the playoffs (Los Angeles Daily News) . . . The Indians lost ground as they were beaten by the White Sox (Cleveland Plain-Dealer) . . . In the wild-card hunt, the Tigers beat the Rangers (Detroit News) . . . The Mariners finally won a game and aren't yet clinically dead. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) THE REAL STORY: Writing in the New York Sun, Jay Jaffe doesn't think the Mariners should be faulted for thei collapse. He thinks they should be lauded for staying in contention as long as they did. N.L. RACES: Every game but one had playoff implications, as the Cubs beat the Astros (Chicago Tribune), the Dodgers beat the Padres (Los Angeles Times), the Mets beat the Braves (New York Post), the Pirates beat the Brewers (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), the Diamonbacks beat the Giants (Arizona Republic), the Reds beat the Cardinals, handing St. Louis its sixth straight loss (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), and the Rockies beat the Phillies (Philadelphia Inquirer). (Despite last night's loss and the angst it spawned in Philadelphia, John Donovan lauds the Phils on SI.com.) To see how all those games affected the races, check out the divisional standings and wild-card standings. (Projo Stats) A CLOSER LOOK: SI.com's Jon Heyman examines the ups and downs of the races. SELF-REFLECTION: John Smoltz admits the Braves ''aren't as good'' as the Mets, which is why they're 9 1/2 games behind them in the N.L. East. The Braves hope their flagging wild-card chances will get a boost Friday with the return of Chipper Jones. (Both stories Atlanta Journal-Constitution) THE PAIN, THE PAIN: The Mets' Orlando Hernandez says his right foot still hurts, which throws New York's pitching plans into a state of flux. (New York Times) MEMORIES: Mets fans will enjoy this collection of vintage radio clips from the old broadcast team of Lindsay Nelson, Bob Murphy and Ralph Kiner. (bobster1985.tripod.com) STANDING OUT IN A CROWD: The Washington Post estimates there were no more than 400 people in attendance at yesterday's Marlins-Nationals game at Dolphins Stadium, and one of the 400 was so abusive to home-plate umpire Paul Schreiber that Schreiber had him thrown out. QUICKLY: Puerto Rico no longer wants its players to be subject to the first-year draft (mlb.com) . . . Tom Glavine desperately wanted to return to Atlanta to end his career, but the Braves blew him off last winter. So he went back to the Mets. (New York Post) OLD FRIENDS: Derek Lowe missed his start because of a contusion in his pitching hand and is, according to the Dodgers, day to day (Los Angeles Times) . . . Tim Naehring doesn't sound too pleased over being fired as the Reds' minor-league field coordinator. (Cincinnati Enquirer) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 12, 2007
Red Sox Post-Game Fun
Posted by Kevin Game Story: Papi comes through in clutch againBy Kevin McNamara BOSTON — There is a very distinct sound that is made when a batter makes perfect contact with a pitched ball. It’s a sound often heard at the major-league level, after all these are the best hitters in the world. Red Sox slugger David Ortiz has the ability to make a lot of noise with his bat. His two-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Boston a dramatic 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays last night at Fenway Park. It was his second home run of the night and Big Papi finished with five RBI. As Ortiz smoked a 3-1 offering off Devil Rays closer Al Reyes, it ball barely made it over the right-field wall. It was Carlton Fisk waving the ball fair in the World Series, but Ortiz put a lot of body language into it. “I had no angle and I was too busy blowing on it,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “Actually didn’t know it was a home run when it was a home run. I saw the ball bounce and I thought it hit the wall.” It didn’t and the homer gave the Red Sox the win and the momentum as the New York Yankees come to town this weekend. For Ortiz, his offensive prowess of late has been very impressive, especially with the absence of Manny Ramirez (strained oblique) in the order. Ortiz has also battled injuries all season, so last night gave Boston just another boost. “It’s that time of year and your guys know it,” said Francona. “He’s definitely one of those guys. He had good swings all night. He lined out a couple of times and he was seeing the ball very well.” Even though Ortiz was the hero for the night with his big stick, he wasn’t alone. That firecracker-type pop that Ortiz has shown, had been a dud with Red Sox’ J.D. Drew of late, but over the last few games the often booed right fielder for Boston has found a spark and it appears his bat is ready to explode. Heading into the stretch run, and a postseason berth within reach for the Red Sox, Drew’s offense needs to be consistent if Boston is to enjoy success. He went 2-for-2 last night and has now hit safely in five straight games. Francona has said all along that Drew would come around, now more than ever it appears to be true. His approach exudes more confidence and not only do his hits stand out, but the walks he’s been able to draw are just as important. Entering his ninth start of the season for Boston, the left-hander lasted just 3 2/3 innings and allowed four runs on eight hits with four walks and five strikeouts. Lester struggled in the first inning, allowing four runs on four hits and threw a total of 32 pitches. Even though he was able to settle down the rest of the way, it was the first that did the most damage. Fortunately for Lester, the Red Sox put a 3-spot on the board in the bottom of the third inning, thanks in part to Ortiz’s three-run homer. It was the slugger’s 30th roundtripper and 100, 101 and 101st RBI of the season as he’s reached the 30-100 plateau for the fifth consecutive year. The offense on both sides went stale for the final six innings as Tampa held on for the victory. As the Red Sox prepare for a crucial three-game set with the New York Yankees, beginning tomorrow following an off-day for Boston, Drew’s contributions the rest of the way will be a significant component if he’s able to keep it going. “We’ve said it time and again that if we get J.D. going we’re a different looking ballclub,” said Francona.
Posted by Chris Venditto Big Papi Does It BOSTON - The Red Sox tasted a little magic again last night, coming from behind to beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Fenway Park as David Ortiz slammed a 2-run homer in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 win. It was Ortiz' 10th walk-off homer of his Red Sox career.
Posted by Kevin Photo: Red Sox, red sky
Posted by Mike McDermott More Pre-Game Sox Fluff
**PawSox manager Ron Johnson was expected to join the Sox by this time and remain with the team for the remainder of the season. However, an injury to his daughter has delayed his arrival, likely until Friday's game against New York. ** The Red Sox are 108-57 (.654) all-time against the Rays and 10-4 in the series this season with four matchups remaining. The teams have both won a game in the 3-game set and Boston hasn't lost a series at home against Tampa since July of 1999. **Boston's Single A team in Lancaster, Cal., was eliminated in the playoffs Tuesday night by Lake Elsinore.
Posted by Kevin Manny the Pre-Game Sox Star Manny Ramirez is taking batting practice as we write these words.
Posted by Kevin Clubhouse Confidential*The last thing the Red Sox need right now is some kind of bug oozing its way around the clubhouse. When third baseman Mike Lowell woke up this morning he knew something wasn’t right, so he sent a text message to manager Terry Francona to inform him about his illness. Francona this afternoon the team’s medical staff seems to think it could stem from something Lowell ate. “He doesn’t know if it was something he ate,” said the manager. “But he’s got activity from both ends. He’s not feeling too well.” Lowell is at Fenway Park and is being examined by the team’s medical staff, and according to Francona, the veteran would probably receive an IV. “It is what it is,” added Francona with a smile stealing a line from Patriots head coach Bill Belichick’s interview repertoire. “Mikey wants to try to get in there, but that to me makes no sense. He’s a great player but we’ve got a day off [today] . . . Let it get out of his system and be ready for Friday.” Lowell has been hitting in the clean-up spot of late with Manny Ramirez (strained oblique) out of the lineup. Lowell had an outstanding game on Tuesday night against Tampa, going 4-for-5. The important thing now is to make sure he’s healthy for the weekend series against New York, and no one else in the clubhouse gets sick.
Posted by Joe McDonald Get Your Playoff Tickets Here!!
This registration process is used to create a more efficient and fair purchasing path as the number of tickets available for these games is extremely limited. The random drawing process has proven to be one of the most equitable programs developed allowing as many fans as possible the opportunity to enjoy postseason baseball at Fenway Park. Applicants must fill out and submit the registration form below to participate in this opportunity to purchase. Registration begins at 12:00 noon Eastern Daylight Time ("EDT") on Wednesday, September 12, 2007 and will conclude prior to the World Series drawing. The Red Sox will then conduct a random selection of winners from the pool of registrants for each of the three postseason series. The winners will have the opportunity to purchase up to two (2) tickets to one (1) game of the 2007 postseason which may be played at Fenway Park in Boston, MA. Exact dates, times and instructions for ticket purchase will be communicated by email to each applicant selected. If a selected applicant does not follow these instructions, he or she will forfeit the opportunity to purchase tickets. There is no charge to register for this opportunity. There is no obligation to buy a ticket. In order to be eligible for this opportunity, you must be eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time of entry. In addition, you must complete and submit the entry form located below during the Registration Period. Limit one entry per person. In the case of multiple entries for the same individual, only the first entry received will be considered. Only entries submitted to the Red Sox during the Registration Period will be entered in the random drawing. Entries generated by a script, macro, or other mechanical or automated means will not be valid. Please be sure to provide an accurate e-mail address. MLB.com and the Red Sox are not responsible for any e-mail notifications that are bounced back or misdirected. For individuals who register by 11:59 a.m. EDT on Monday, September 17, 2007, a random drawing for the opportunity to purchase 2007 American League Division Series ("ALDS") tickets will be held. Each applicant selected will be notified on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 via the email address submitted on the registration form. Those applicants whose names are selected shall have an opportunity to purchase ALDS tickets on Thursday, September 20, 2007 from 12:00 noon EDT to 6:00 p.m. EDT. In the event that the winner does not respond to such notification by purchasing 2007 ALDS tickets by 6:00 p.m. Thursday, September 20, 2007, a disqualification will result. Registrants not selected in the ALDS drawing or those who register after 12:00 noon EDT on Monday, September 17 will still be eligible for the American League Championship Series and World Series drawings. POSTSEASON REGISTRATION PERIOD BEGINS: 12 noon EDT, Wednesday, 09/12/2007 Sale dates for potential 2007 American League Championship Series or 2007 World Series games played at Fenway Park will be announced at a later date. Such winners will be selected from the pool of remaining non-winning registrants and notified via email with instructions on the ticket purchase process including dates and times for these sales. All sales are final.
Posted by Kevin Sox Lineups are In
BOSTON TAMPA BAY
Posted by Kevin Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: The importance of finishing firstClick here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. Today's topics: An offensive explosion at Fenway; pressure from New York, Cleveland and Los Angeles; the importance of earning the top playoff spot in the American League; Tim Wakefield's struggles; and the likelihood of the Sox opening 2008 in Japan. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments. Importance of getting the top playoff seed: "In the event that they play the Cleveland Indians, as they would if the season ended today, and say the Angels were to knock off the Yankees in the other Division Series, having homefield against the Angels would save them a trip to the West Coast, to say nothing of the fact that they have played the Angels far better at Fenway than they have out at Anaheim. ... It's a lot easier to go out once to Anaheim for games three, four and five than it is to go out there to start the series for games one and two, and know that if it gets extended you have to go back for games six and seven." Wakefield's second poor start: "That has to be at least somewhat ominous, because Wakefield's history is one of being either very good or cooling off, and as you're heading down the stretch here, it's not a good sign that he's had two pretty rough starts in a row. So they'll see if they can maybe correct some of that on the side and get him headed in the right direction as October approaches." To go to Japan, or not?
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Wednesday, September 12WOW: The scoreboard-watchers in Toronto (where the Yankees, who still have hopes of overtaking the Red Sox for the A.L. East title, were playing), Baltimore (where the Angels, who are chasing Boston for the best overall record in the league, were playing) and Chicago (where the Indians, who are also in the hunt for the best record, were playing) had to be heartened by the early returns from Boston last night. But happiness turned to shock and then disappointment as the Sox, who trailed 8-1 in the fourth inning, came back for a 16-10 win that kept their pursuers at bay, at least for another night. (projo.com) (Above, Julio Lugo congratulates David Ortiz after Ortiz' seventh-inning home run. Journal photo by Bob Breidenbach.) It was an important victory for the Sox, one Sean McAdam thinks may prove to be the most important of the season. One of the catalysts for the comeback was birthday boy Jacoby Ellsbury (Boston Herald); another was the little-used Kevin Cash. (Boston Globe) As for the Devil Rays, it seemed like old times (St. Petersburg Times), which was disheartening coming as it did on the heels of a 1-0 win Monday that they were touting as a playoff-like victory. WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? The NFL apparently is going to come down hard on the Patriots for stealing signs (projo.com), but such subterfuge is part of the game in baseball. Joe McDonald talks to some players who explain why. LET'S GO! McAdam has the latest on the Sox possibly opening the 2008 season in Japan farther down in the notebook. Julio Lugo went to Japan at the start of the 2004 season with the Devil Rays and he'd love to go back. (Boston Herald) SWEEPING THE POLLS: The Sox, who ranked No. 1 with SI.com yesterday, are still No. 1 in FoxSports.com's Power Rankings, as well. THE BIGGEST NIGHTMARE IN YANKEE UNIVERSE: The New York Sun's Tim Marchman points out that, with the salaries of Curt Schilling, Matt Clement, Mike Lowell and Eric Hinske coming off the books, the Red Sox will have a ton of money to spend this offseason and ''there isn't a better fit for [Alex] Rodriguez'' in free agency than Boston. HAPPIER THOUGHTS: YU can fixate on the present, where the Yanks made it six in a row by beating the Blue Jays. (New York Daily News) The news that Roger Clemens will probably start Sunday in Boston (New York Daily News) has got to make them happier than the knowledge that Mike Mussina will start tonight. (New York Post) POSSIBLE, BUT NOT LIKELY: That's Larry Manhken's assessment of the Yankees' chances of overtaking the Red Sox in the A.L. East. (Replacement Level Yankees Weblog) UNDECIDED: Despite being healthy and having a good season, Andy Pettitte is mulling retirement. (New York Daily News) Q AND A WITH THE REAL BOSS: Brian Cashman sits down for an interview with Phil Allard of the The 10th Inning Journal. (wcbas880.com) WHO'S THE IDIOT? People who say Johnny Damon stinks, that's who. Peter Abraham tells us why. (LoHud Yankees Blog) A.L. RACES: The Tigers' 4-1 victory over the Rangers in the night game showed why they're still contenders for the A.L. wild card. Their 13-6 loss to Texas in the opener showed why they're long shots (Detroit Free-Press) . . . The Mariners' death rattle continues: They lost for the 15th time in the last 17 games, 7-4 to Oakland, and are only mentioned here because they're tied with the Tigers in the loss column (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) . . . They're important to the Red Sox only in that the Sox inch closer to a playoff spot with each of their losses; the magic number for Boston securing a postseason berth is now eight (magicnumbers.org) . . . As for the race for the A.L.'s best record, the status quo was maintained as the Angels beat the Orioles (Los Angeles Times) and the Indians beat the White Sox (Cleveland Plain-Dealer). Los Angeles of Anaheim's victory came at a price, however, as Gary Matthews Jr. suffered an ankle sprain and will miss at least five games (AP via projo,com). N.L. RACES: Every game but one had playoff implications, as the Astros beat the Cubs (Chicago Sun-Times), the Braves beat the Mets (New York Post), the Brewers beat the Pirates (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel), the Padres beat the Dodgers (San Diego Union-Tribune), the Giants beat the Diamondbacks (Arizona Republic), the Reds beat the Cardinals (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) and the Rockies beat the Phillies (Philadelphia Inquirer). To see how all those games affected the races, check out the divisional standings and wild-card standings. (Projo Stats) ADVANTAGE, SAN DIEGO: SI.com's Tom Verducci thinks the Padres will benefit most from MLB's new, elongated postseason schedule. WEIGHING HIS OPTIONS: When questioned by the local media to clarify his remarks in Tuesday's USA Today, when he said he might step down as Cardinals manager at the end of the year, Tony La Russa explained what would go into his decision to leave St. Louis. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) STAYING PUT: The White Sox last night extended Ozzie Guillen's contract through 2012. (Chicago Sun-Times) GET READY FOR MORE: The New York Times reports that the names of 10 additional major league players may surface in the investigation that already has tied Rick Ankiel, Troy Glaus and Jay Gibbons to performance-enhancing drugs. JAY WHO? The Orioles didn't have much to say in support of, or condemnation of, Gibbons. In fact, they didn't say much of anything on the whole subject. (Baltimore Sun) ON THE WAY OUT? Meanwhile, the Baltimore Examiner reports the Orioles may attempt to void the remainder of Gibbons' contract. UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT: David Segui, who was linked to earlier steroids investigations, says HGH is not a performance-enhancing drug: ''It's completely separate from the steroid issue. It's a separate entity. Before people want to hang somebody by the toes, they need to know the facts.'' (Baltimore Sun) DOUBLE STANDARD: SI.com's Jon Heyman wants to know why the baseball players implicated in the HGH scandal are catching such flak while Rodney Harrison, who admitted and was suspended for the same crime, is getting off far more lightly. My opinion: In baseball, the players refuse to admit using performance-enhancing drugs, or even to address the issue in any meaningful way, and MLB is perceived to be doing nothing save for random 50-game suspensions slapped on lower-minor-league unknowns. In the Harrison case, he was caught and punished. And then he apologized. I have no illusions that this problem is any less serious in football than it is in baseball -- I think quite the opposite is true, in fact -- but the perception, rightly or wrongly, is that the NFL has a stricter policy in place and is better policing its players. And American society will forgive almost anything if it's followed by an "I'm sorry.'' Baseball does itself absolutely no favors in the public eye with this shuck-and-duck, admit-nothing, pretend-it-doesn't-exist behavior, particularly on the part of the players. So when someone does get caught, or allegedly caught, a lot of pent-up wrath from frustrated media members/fans is going to fall on their head. That's why, Jon. THE NEW BALL FOUR: Indians pitcher Paul Byrd is a man of faith. And now he's writing what is being touted as ''a candid and graphic [book that looks] at how he has managed to remain true to his faith despite the pitfalls associated with a ballplayer's daily lifestyle.'' (Fanhouse) SOLIDARITY: Actor Danny Glover went to last night's Yankees-Blue Jays game to lend his support to an effort to unionize concession workers at the Rogers Centre. (Toronto Star) WHO KNEW? It turns out Devil Rays catcher Josh Paul's mustache really is a tribute to 1970s porn star John Holmes. (St. Petersburg Times) QUICKLY: The Tigers' Joel Zumaya is fine after getting a scare with an injured fingernail. (mlb.com) OLD FRIENDS: David Murphy is doing well in Texas. (Baseball Musings) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone Late game storyBOSTON _ From implosion to explosion the Boston Red Sox did it all last night.
Posted by Joe McDonald September 11, 2007
Clubhouse reaction following comeback winRed Sox manager Terry Francona: Francona on Bryan Corey, who earned the victory: Red Sox catcher Kevin Cash: “It was exciting. It was fun to be a part of. Not that this was a must-win game, but it was a big game for us to win. We got down early, and it was good it was early, because it gave us a chance to gain some momentum to come back.”
Posted by Joe McDonald Game Story: Thirty eight hits later, Red Sox beat Devil Rays, 16-10By Joe McDonald BOSTON -- From implosion to explosion the Boston Red Sox did it all last night. First, Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield was attempting to earn his 17th victory of the season, a mark that would have matched a career-high. It was the second time in as many starts the veteran knuckleballer was standing one win shy of the mark, and it was the second time in as many games he faltered. Fortunately for Wakefield he quickly became an afterthought. Boston erased a seven-run deficit en route to a dramatic and entertaining 16-10 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Fenway Park. The Red Sox received a plethora of production from everyone in the lineup for the come-from-behind win. In fact, Boston emptied the chamber in the middle innings to steamroll the lowly Devil Rays, who only the night before beat the Red Sox, 1-0. It was the cast of usual suspects who helped Boston pummel its opponent last night, including solid performances from Dustin Pedroia, Mike Lowell, Coco Crisp, Julio Lugo, David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis as the Sox banged out a season-high 16 runs to go along with their 20 hits. Again, rookie Jacoby Ellsbury continues to shine as he extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Ellsbury, Pedroia, Ortiz and J.D. Drew all hit solo home runs, while Lowell went 4-for-5 in the clean-up spot. Youkilis provided a base-clearing triple and a double. Throw in a good night for the struggling Drew and backup catcher Kevin Cash then you know it was a good all-around performance. Drew has been pelted with boos around these parts and Cash has quietly handled his role as Wakefield’s batterymate with care since Doug Mirabelli has been injured. Drew and Cash both contributed in a big way last night, maybe a good sign, especially for Drew. He went 3-for-4 with a walk and his solo homer in the seventh inning was his first at Fenway Park since April 22nd against the Yankees. Cash, an eight-year pro, signed with the Red Sox as a minor-league free agent in January with 114 games of major-league experience with Toronto and Tampa Bay. He was sent to Pawtucket as an insurance policy and the Red Sox cashed it in when Mirabelli was injured late last month. Cash’s offensive numbers may not be earth shattering, but he’s proved that his defensive play, especially his ability to catch the knuckleball, gives Boston another option behind the plate. Francona was recently asked how he thought Cash was handling the situation. “About as well as you can,” said the manager. “I don’t think it’s any coincidence when he got in there it brought some of the personality of our team out. Not to be hokey it was kind of that ‘all for one’ When we were playing in Tampa everybody knew he potentially had his hands full [replacing Mirabelli]. We kind of banded together and a lot of good energy came out. It’s been good for us. This kid has done a fantastic job.” With the regular season quickly coming to an end, an all-out team effort the Sox gave last night might just be the kind of jump start for the stretch run. For Drew, it might just be the game he’s desperately been searching for.
Posted by Chris Venditto Sox have a week to decide whether to open 2008 season in Japan; '08 interleague opponents setBY SEAN McADAM BOSTON – The Red Sox have been given until ''early next week’’ to accept or decline the opportunity to open the 2008 season in Tokyo against the Oakland A’s, a person with direct knowledge of the situation said Tuesday. Major League Baseball is awaiting a response from both teams and is withholding the release of the 2008 schedule until a determination on the Japanese series is made. A division exists within the Red Sox organization, with the team’s baseball operations staff against such a series, while CEO and President Larry Lucchino – a member of MLB’s International Committee -- said to be the biggest advocate for the trip. The team’s baseball operations staff believes that the trip would put unnecessary strain on the players to start the season, citing the problems experienced by the New York Yankees – who opened in Japan against Tampa Bay in 2004 –- to support their claim. Whether the Sox go to Japan or not, they appear set to play Oakland to open next season. If the Sox pass on the trip, they will instead open on the West Coast against the A’s in Oakland. According to a source, the team will meet five of the six NL Central teams in interleague play, with an additional series played against Philadelphia. The Sox will play Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Houston, but not the Chicago Cubs. In recent seasons, the Sox have alternated between Atlanta and Philadelphia as their annual ''traditional’’ rival.
Posted by Art Martone Clubhouse Confidential*Red Sox manager Terry Francona gave his daily update on ailing Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez and not much has changed. Ramirez continues to rehab his strained oblique and he was working out with trainer Scott Waugh again this afternoon. Ramirez was scheduled to take some swings in the cage this afternoon. The Red Sox are still being cautious with his baseball-relatged progression. *Ramirez isn't the only player bruised and banged up. Backup catcher Doug Mirabelli, who recently returned from the DL after suffering a strained calf, has been hampered by a sore hamstring. Mirabelli is doing better, according to Francona and he’s goal is to be ready for Tim Wakefield’s next start. *Jon Lester (4-0) will start for Boston tomorrow night in the series finale against the Devil Rays. The left-hander has been solid in his last few outings. “His velocity seems to be coming back without effort,” said Francona. “He has tightness to his cutter and change-up. I’m sure the ball coming out of his hand like he’s accustomed to is leading to some confidence; I don’t doubt that for one minute.” *Wakefield (16-10), tonight's starter, is 4-0 against Tampa this season. The knuckleballer is the all-time wins leader vs. the Devil Rays with 19 career victories. The veteran right-hander will attempt to continue his winning ways tonight. “I hope the trend continues because that would bode well for us,” said Francona. “I think every start has its own personality and every year teams are different and starts are different. I don’t know if I buy into it, I just hope he wins.” *Mother Nature is messing with the Red Sox. Because of today's inclement weather, pitcher Matt Clement had his scheduled changed a bit. The veteran right-hander continues his comeback from shoulder surgery. He was scheduled to throw a simulated game yesterday, his second in a week, but it's been pushed back. He will now throw a side session tomorrow before facing live batters again on Sunday. Dice-K also had his side session moved back until tomorrow. *There's been a lot of talk around these parts today about the New England Patriots allegedly stealing the signals of the Jets during the season-opener on Sunday. In baseball, attempting to steal signals is almost a time-honored tradition. A few Red Sox players gave their thoughts on the matter this afternoon. Catcher Kevin Cash: “Anything to get the extra edge. Pitchers tipping pitches or getting catcher’s signs are part of the game.” “I would say some teams focus on it a little more than others. They’re trying to figure out something, especially when you have a guy who is dominating on the mound, everybody is going to be looking to see if he doing something to tip his pitches; anything we can pick up. I think that happens quite often.” “If you pick something up then maybe something is said, it’s not like there’re eight guys in the dugout looking for signs. It’s not like that. It’s more of if a guys gets on second base some teams look at the catcher to see where he’s setting up and try to read signs, but it’s tough to see fingers when you’re far away.” Red Sox rookie outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury: “There’re a lot of things you look for with a pitcher. Baseball is obviously about percentages and anytime you can increase your percentages to steal a base and be successful [is important].” Ellsbury said he’ll occasionally watch some video to see what a pitcher does, but he also admitted he spends more time studying what a pitcher does during a particular game. He also said he’s getting better at picking up a pitcher’s tendencies a lot quicker. “You really have to pay attention and be a student of the game,” he said.
Posted by Joe McDonald Weather update: Skies clearing up at FenwayThe rain has stopped and the skies above Fenway Park are clearing up. Red Sox manager Terry Francona said the club is optimistic that it will play tonight. The sun is breaking through the clouds and it appears the inclement weather is gone.
Posted by Joe McDonald Tonight's lineupsTAMPA BOSTON
Posted by Joe McDonald Weather update from FenwayIt's raining. It's raining hard. The Red Sox just released this statement: The current weather forecast (provided by the Red Sox private weather service, Meteorlogix) in the vicinity of Fenway Park calls for moderate rain showers that are currently in the area to subside during the early evening hours. The Fenway Park gates will open at the regularly scheduled time of 5:05 p.m., and the Red Sox expect that tonight’s game with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays will be played. However, the Red Sox would like to alert our fans to the current forecast and the possibility for delay.
Posted by Joe McDonald Henry in talks to buy Loudon speedwayLOUDON, N.H. (AP) - The owner of New England's largest sports venue - New Hampshire International Speedway - has been talking with Boston Red Sox owner John Henry about selling the track to the NASCAR team Henry partially owns. Both track and team are playing down any suggestion a sale is around the corner, however. Bahre discussed the sale of the track over the past month with Henry and Sox Chief Operating Officer Mike Dee, he told FoxSports.com. He described it as his latest contact with a long list of potential buyers for the highly successful track. "There's always somebody talking," Bahre said. "I've talked to Mike Dee and John Henry, and they act like someday they might want to do something. They called and said they want to talk, so we talked. I'm going on 81, so someday I want to do something with the track." Bahre bought the old Bryar Motorsports Park in 1989 and transformed it into a 1.058-mile superspeedway the next year. The track, about 80 miles north of Boston, seats 101,000 and is home to two Nextel Cup races a year, including the Sylvania 300 this weekend. Henry's partner in Roush Fenway Racing, Jack Roush, was also quoted by the Web site. He said he had not been party to any meetings or serious discussions, but if the partnership was interested in a race track, "I would have to say that New Hampshire would probably be at the top of my list." Bahre's son, 44-year-old Gary Bahre, had been in line to move from track president to owner, but his father said recent health concerns undercut that plan. "He'd never want to run it alone, I'll tell you that now," Bob Bahre said last year. He predicted his son would sell the track promptly if he inherited it. The father said things are going well at the track now, but, "Let's face it, someday, something will happen. Someday you're going to sell your house." Kentucky Speedway offered $360 million for the track early this summer, the last documented attempt to buy the track from Bahre. With 101,000 seats, NHIS hosts the largest sporting event in New England, and historically it produces some of the best racing in NASCAR. Geographically, the track draws diehard sports fans from throughout New England and Canada. The word of a possible sale comes as NHIS is set to host the Sylvania 300 this weekend, one of two annual NASCAR Nextel Cup races at the track. Yesterday, Speedway media relations director Fred Neergaard said a sale of the speedway "is not imminent." "They are not in negotiations or anything like that," Neergaard added.
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Good stuff from SchillingClick here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk. Today's topics are: Curt Schilling's performance Monday night; no output from the offense; Scott Kazmir's standing among the top A.L. hurlers; Tampa Bay's late-season surge; Daisuke Matsuzaka's immediate future; and Manny Ramirez's health. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments. Schilling:"It certainly looked like he has made the transition, or is successfully making the transition, from power pitcher to a guy who's got to survive a little bit more on finesse. He's learning how to do that, and the results show that." Can Tampa Bay get better next year? "It will come down to pitching, and beyond Kazmir and [James] Shields, who emerged this year as the number-two guy, I think what they really need is some good young pitching to continue to develop." Will Dice-K miss a start? "I think that might be something under consideration after this start. I think they want to have him make this one -- first of all, they want to have him throw today and break down some things on the side to see what they can do to improve his command, which has obviously been one of the issues. He will make his start Friday. ... [then] he would have to pitch on regular rest next time, which would be Wednesday in Toronto, and I get the feeling they're not going to have him do that."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Tuesday, September 11
PITCH FOR OPTIMISM: Optimism wasn't in big supply at Fenway Park last night, not after a 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay -- Tampa Bay! -- that reduced the Red Sox' lead in the loss column over the Yankees to four games. But Sean McAdam says the silver lining in the dark cloud was the pitching of Curt Schilling (above, Journal photo by Bob Breidenbach), who's looking more and more like the dependable starter the Sox need him to be in the postseason. Schilling's postgame entries on 38pitches.com, which used to consist of fascinating batter-by-batter, pitch-by-pitch breakdowns, have gotten shorter and shorter and now, whenever he actually posts something, are all but nonexistent; last night's consisted of ''Scott [Kazmir] pitched as good a game as I have ever seen him throw.'' That he did, throwing seven innings of five-hit shutout ball; Paul Kenyon has the details. (projo.com) But the Boston Herald's Rob Bradford notes the Devil Rays aren't the pushover they once were, having now won 13 of their last 17. YEAH, BUT . . . The Sox are still No. 1 in SI.com's Power Rankings. NOT SO FAST: McAdam talked to Red Sox owner John Henry, who says published reports of the Red Sox opening the 2008 season against the A's in Japan are premature; according to Henry, ''no formal invitation [has been offered] and no decision made.” (projo.com) THE RIVALRY NEVER ENDS: The New York Post's Larry Brooks reports that the team with the best regular-season record in the American League will have the choice of playing the Division Series over eight days, or over seven. (Whichever option they don't choose will be imposed on the other series.) And Brooks speculates the Sox would ''jump at the chance to play the eight-day series if for no other reason than to require the Yankees to play the seven-day series so Joba Chamberlain would only be available for three games, instead of the four in which he'd be allowed to pitch in the extended version'' THE OTHER GUYS: Peter Gammons likes both the Angels and Indians and thinks it's possible either one could still be playing on Halloween. (ESPN.com) MUTED CELEBRATION: Today is Jacoby Ellsbury's 24th birthday. It's also the sixth anniversary of the deadliest attacks ever staged on U.S. soil. Ellsbury admits that since that day in 2001, his birthdays ''have been a lot different.'' (Boston Herald) PAL 'O MINE: Dustin Pedroia was surprised to hear Jay Gibbons' name surface in baseball's mushrooming drug scandal, since they work out together in Tempe, Ariz., and Pedroia says he'd never seen any evidence of Gibbons taking HGH. (Boston Herald) The Devil Rays' Carl Crawford, who also works out there, was similarly shocked. PUT UP OR SHUT UP: FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal says it's time to end the charade. Baseball should either pour enormous resources into drug testing to get at the root of the performance-enhancement problem, or admit it's a losing battle and forget about it. ''Halfway,'' he concludes, ''is not good enough.'' OCTOBER MEMORIES: According to Doug Mientkiewicz, his current teammate on the Yankees and a high school teammate way back when, Alex Rodriguez' legendary season is being fueled not by the spectre of impending free agency and the riches that await, but by the embarrassment of his playoff pratfall last year. (New York Post) IT'S THE SAME, BUT DIFFERENT: A-Rod's late power surge has put him in striking distance of Roger Maris' Yankee record for home runs in a season, and it's opening up a flood of memories for Phil Pepe, who was a young beat reporter when Maris hit 61 in '61. (YESNetwork.com) But the total number of home runs is about where the similarity ends, both in regards to the players involved and the chase itself. RE-ENTRY: Roger Clemens is set to test his aching elbow this week in Toronto. (New York Post) The New York Daily News reports Clemens is tentatively slated to pitch against Curt Schilling Sunday night. I CALLED IT: At a time when the Yankees looked like a 75-win team, Baseball Musing's David Pinto predicted they'd wind up with 90 to 95 wins. And it looks like he'll be right. A.L. RACES: The Tigers rallied from a 4-1, ninth-inning deficit and beat the Blue Jays (Detroit Free Press) . . . They played into the wee hours thanks to a 2 1/2-hour rain delay, but the Indians still beat the White Sox (Cleveland Plain Dealer) . . . The Mariners' 9-3 loss to the A's should all but end their playoff hopes. (Seattle Times) N.L. RACES: The Pirates beat the Brewers (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) . . . The Phillies beat the Rockies (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . The Mets beat the Braves (New York Post) . . . The Cubs beat the Cardinals (Chicago Sun-Times) . . . The Diamondbacks beat the Giants (Arizona Republic). To see how all those games affected the races, check out the N.L. divisional standings and wild-card standings. (Projo Stats) FAME-OUS: MLB.com's Marty Noble thinks Pedro Martinez is a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. END OF THE LINE? This has been a difficult season for the Cardinals, so difficult that Tony La Russa may walk away and try to find a new managing job when it's over. (USA Today) THIS JUST IN: The San Jose Mercury News' Daniel Brown is the latest to discover that high-priced free-agent pitchers are a bad risk. LOCAL BOYS: Ex-Providence College star John McDonald has agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Blue Jays. (Toronto Star) QUICKLY: The Washington Times reports the Nationals may make a run at Andruw Jones . . . Jimmy Rollins is trying to convince the Phillies to trade for Dontrelle Willis (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . Harold Reynolds says race played a role in his firing by ESPN (New York Times) . . . Brad Ausmus would like to return to the Astros (Houston Chronicle) . . . Tom Glavine says wants to come back for one more year with the Mets. (New York Post) OLD FRIENDS: Orlando Cabrera won't come right out and say it, but it's obvious he thinks he deserves the Gold Glove (Los Angeles Times) . . . Wily Mo Pena is wowing them with his power in Washington. (Washington Times) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 10, 2007
Matsuzaka will be watchedThere will be more interest than usual when Daisuke Matsuzaka does his off-day throwing tomorrow. ``He will work on some stuff on the side,’’ manager Terry Francona said, ``like we normally do. We’ll try to spend some time and bear down on how we can help.’’ Francona said the staff has had much discussion with Matsuzaka about how the pitcher can snap out of a slump that has been him post a 9.57 ERA in his last five starts. Francona insisted Matsuzaka has not had five bad games, but rather bad innings in those games. ``I think we need to recognize not just what goes wrong, but what goes right,’’ he said. He spoke about how one issue is getting Matsuzaka to go back to using all his pitches, as he had done earlier in the season. In recent games, when he has had problems, he has tried to deal with them by throwing hard stuff. ``He’s not going through anything any pitcher hasn’t gone through,’’ Francona said. ``It’s part of the learning curve when you come to the major leagues.’’
Posted by Paul Kenyon Francona talks lineups and strategyDavid Ortiz was ready for a day off and tonight is an ideal time to do it. That, in so many words, is why the Sox slugger will not be in the starting lineup tonight when his team takes on Tampa Bay and lefty Scott Kazmir ``He’s known this day is coming. Especially with the pounding he’s taken, I think it’s necessary,’’ manager Terry Francona said if his decision to rest Ortiz and go with a lineup that includes Dustin Pedroia hitting third and Mike Lowell fourth. Ortiz not only has played a lot, the Sox face a tough lefty. Ortiz is 5-for-34 lifetime (.147) against Scott Kazmir, the Rays starter tonight, with one home run. ``I don’t want to use the word desperately, but I think it’ so beneficial for David not to play tonight,’’ Francona said. ``You look who’s pitching for them. You look how you can put out a lineup that will score enough runs to win.’’ T he subject led to a discussion of how the Sox have being using a different style ever since Manny Ramirez went out 13 games ago with a strained left oblique. ``We’ve had a different look,’’ Francona noted. ``I hate to say this in Boston. We’ve used sort of pitching and defense. I know that’s almost sacrilegious.’’ Francona spoke about how the defense has been strong, how his team has been aggressive on the bases and has bunted more. ``Whoever you send out there, you try to win. Sometimes your approach will be a little different depending on who you send out there,’’ Francona said. ``However long Manny’s been out, you haven’t heard woe is us. We still miss Manny, but because of some depth and guys like (Jacoby) Ellsbury and the way they’re playing, it lessens the blow.’’ Ramirez is at Fenway tonight and was working out, but the manager said he had not yet received a report on when Ramirez might return. Francona also said Doug Mirabelli (strained left hamstring) is improving but likely will not catch tomorrow night. That means Kevin Cash will work again with Tim Wakefield.
Posted by Paul Kenyon A new Sox lineupAnother day another surprise or two or three for the Red Sox. Welcome to Fenway where the good news is that there is no tarp on the field so we apparently have a green light to begin a new Sox homestand. Manager Terry Francona has posed his lineup and it is a new one. No Papi. No Manny. And a 3-4 punch of Pedroia and Lowell. The Devil Rays have not yet posted theirs. Keep in mind that Tampa Bay is starting lefty Scott Kazmir. We will head down now to talk to Francona and ask for comment on his lineup, but one number stands out. Ortiz, who is not starting, is 5-for-34 lifetime (.147) against Kazmir: Lugo DH
Posted by Paul Kenyon Projo SoxTalk: The "X" factor as the season endsClick here to listen to the full audio report, as Sean McAdam joins us for today's edition of projo SoxTalk. Today's topic: What's the "X" factor going in to the end of the season? Sean discusses Dice-K's recent slump as the Sox head towards playoff time.
Posted by Pam Cotter Baseball Today: Monday, September 10SIMPLE FORMULA: Strong starting pitching, overpowering relief work and clutch hitting usually always spell success in baseball, and so it was for the Red Sox yesterday. Steven Krasner reports on their 3-2 victory in Baltimore, which featured all the above elements in the persons of Josh Beckett, Hideki Okajima, Jonathan Papelbon, Mike Lowell and Coco Crisp. (projo.com) (Above, Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz score on Lowell's single. AP Photo) That completed a three-victories-in-four-games stretch at Camden Yards, but talk still centers around the one they lost: Saturday night's 11-5 defeat in which Daisuke Matsuzaka bottomed out after a series of poor performances, knocked out of the game after only 2 2/3 innings. An ineffective Matsuzaka would almost surely sink whatever postseason hopes the Red Sox have, and he's been Webster's definition of ineffective since August 1 -- in his last seven starts he's 2-4 with a 6.85 ERA. (Projo Stats) Most of the speculation centers around fatigue, since he's in unchartered physical territory as the longer and more challenging North American baseball season winds to a close. But Krasner wonders if he's not facing the same adjustments that Beckett faced last year and if he shouldn't lean more on Jason Varitek to carry him through . . . which is one of the things Beckett has done this season. ACE IN THE HOLE: The Boston Herald's Steve Buckley says that in Beckett, the Sox have the top-of-the-rotation horse that's so important in the playoffs. The Globe's Nick Cafardo says Beckett is in line for ''20 wins, the Cy Young Award, postseason success'' and is ''the Sox' ace, their centerpiece, their stud, their No. 1 and the best reason to feel good about the first game of the playoffs.'' TIRED? WHO'S TIRED? Not Hideki Okajima. (Boston Herald) FLASHBACKS: The Sox hope Jacoby Ellsbury's seemingly smooth transition to the major leagues is a replay of Nomar Garciaparra 1996 and Fred Lynn 1974 in terms of future big-league success. (Boston Globe) CATCHING UP: The downside of doing a weekday blog is that you miss some pretty interesting things on the weekend, like Friday night's dustup between the Red Sox and the Orioles' Daniel Cabrera, which started when Crisp a) attempted to bunt for a hit against Cabrera and b) eventually goaded him into committing a balk that gave the Sox a run. (projo.com) Cabrera was taken to the woodshed by manager Dave Trembley for his throwing behind Dustin Pedroia's head Friday night, calling Cabrera's actions ''[uncalled] for . . . [and] unprofessional.'' (Baltimore Sun) ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: On the same day they placed Erik Bedard on the 60-day disabled list, the Orioles lost Jeremy Guthrie, probably for the season, to a strained oblique muscle. (Baltimore Sun) That doesn't bode well for the Red Sox in the A.L. East race, since Baltimore has six games left with the Yankees. THUMBS UP AND THUMBS DOWN: Chad Finn, on his Touching All The Bases blog, has props for Coco Crisp and Terry Francona, advocates replacing J.D. Drew with Jacoby Ellsbury, and pleads with the Sox to remove Glenn Geffner from the radio broadcast team. CUCKOO FOR COCO: Crisp is on SI.com's Jon Heyman's Under-The-Radar Team. THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT: Writing for Boston Metro, Finn lauds the Sox' rookies. SOMEONE, PLEASE, STOP HIM: And on FoxSports.com, Finn relates the lamest, most ridiculous John Sterling-ism ever (and, boy, is that saying something): ''What a job-a! By Joba!'' NO DETAIL TOO SMALL: The New York Post's Larry Brooks says the Yankees are taking care of the little things as they continue their march to the playoffs, a march that rolled over the Royals yesterday. (New York Daily News) CHANGEUP: The Daily News' Jesse Spector thinks the Yankees would be best served in the playoffs with Mariano Rivera as the set-up man and Joba Chamberlain as the closer. WHY? WHAT'S WRONG WITH MO? The blog Vegas Watch lists Rivera as the fourth-most dependable closer heading into the postseason. The most dependable? Jonathan Papelbon. TRY, TRY AGAIN: Mike Mussina is ready to take Roger Clemens' rotation spot Wednesday night in Toronto. (New York Daily News) WHAT RACE? It would take a Yankee collapse for them to miss the playoffs now, as the Tigers -- probably the only team with a realistic shot to catch them for the wild card -- lost both a game (to the Mariners) and Jeremy Bonderman yesterday. (Detroit News) R.I.P. The Tigers and Mariners are among the teams declared dead by SI.com's John Donovan. IT'S ALL ON YOU: The blog Detect-O-Vision puts the blame for the Mariners' collapse solely on the shoulders of manager John McLaren, and gives 10 reasons why. A DRAW: The showdown between the Indians and the Angels over the weekend in Anaheim ended with the teams splitting four games. (Los Angeles Daily News) The jockeying between the Red Sox, Indians and Angels over the last three weeks for playoff seeding will be one of the hidden stories of the pennant races. FAREWELL, SCOOTER: The Daily News' Bill Madden has a funny, yet moving piece on his last interview with Phil Rizzuto, conducted soon after the 9/11 attacks. HE'S BACK: Pedro Martinez had Shea Stadium in a frenzy with five shutout innings in his second start back, raising the Mets' hopes -- or at least the hopes of their fans -- for the postseason. (New York Post) ANOTHER NAME SURFACES: SI.com reports the Orioles' Jay Gibbons is the latest player to be named in baseball's growing drug scandal. The Baltimore Sun has more. DEAL WITH IT: The Toronto Globe and Mail's Jeff Blair says Troy Glaus' earlier implication in the story has ramifications for the Blue Jays, both in the clubhouse and the executive suite. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY: On his Joy of Sox blog, Allan Wood links to a couple of stories that take the issue beyond the knee-jerk, ban-the-cheaters! reaction so common among fans and media. SORRY FOR WHAT? We missed this when it first happened, but the Phillies' Brett Myers apologized for calling the Philadelphia Inquirer's Sam Carchiadi ''a retard'' during their clubhouse blowup a few weeks ago. Whether he was apologizing to Carchiadi, or simply for using the word ''retard,'' isn't really clear. THE WEEK AHEAD: FoxSports.com's Dayn Perry says the five-game Cubs-Cardinals series will highlight the pennant-race matchups this week. QUICKLY: PhillyBurbs.com reports the Phillies will bring back manager Charlie Manuel in 2008 . . . The Phils have cooled on the idea of signing Bob Wickman, recently released by the Braves (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . The Chicago Sun-Times reports the White Sox will put Jon Garland on the trading block this winter . . . Scott Olsen says he expects to pitch for the Marlins next year no matter what team president David Samson says (Palm Beach Post) . . . The Cardinals' Chris Duncan may be out for the season (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) . . . The Cubs may be looking to replace Steve Trachsel in their starting rotation (Chicago Sun-Times). OLD FRIENDS: Ex-Sox farmhand Phil Dumatrait has been brutal so far for the Reds (Baseball Musings). -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 9, 2007
Notebook: Matsuzaka 2007 looks like Beckett 2006BY STEVEN KRASNER BALTIMORE -- Is Daisuke Matsuzaka this year’s version of Josh Beckett, circa 2006? A year ago, Beckett stubbornly stuck to his hard stuff – fastballs, sliders – especially when he was in trouble, trying to power his way out of the jams. All too often when catcher Jason Varitek wanted him to mix in changeups and curveballs, Beckett would shake off the Sox captain and try to throw harder and harder, a major reason he gave up a career-high 36 homers and finished the year with an un-ace-like 5.01 earned-run average, despite winning 16 games. This year Beckett has been mixing in all of his pitches, which is a major reason he is a prime candidate for Cy Young honors, boasting an 18-6 record and a 3.27 earned-run average. And when he was asked this spring what advice he would give Matsuzaka, Beckett said he would tell the Japanese pitcher to listen to Varitek and trust the always well prepared catcher’s pitch-calling abilities. Matsuzaka hasn’t done that. In jams, Dice-K goes to his hard stuff, as he did to poor results Saturday night when he was shelled for seven runs in the third inning and eight in his 2 2/3-inning stint. The loss dropped his record to 14-12 and bloated his earned-run average to 4.44. Maybe he could do that in Japan, where he was a star, costing the Sox a little more than $100 million in posting fees and salary. But, given his 9.57 earned-run average over his last five starts, maybe he needs to alter his approach to getting out of jams in this league. ''There are adjustment periods,'' conceded manager Terry Francona, though noting the Beckett-Matsuzaka comparison isn’t 100-percent dead-on. ''As much as we rely on him (Dice-K) to win, and we have a lot of baseball left, I do think it will be easier for him next year when he comes back. That’s just human nature. I think he feels the responsibility to carry his share and when he goes through some rough times, we have to make sure we help him,'' said Francona, also pointing out the cultural adjustments Dice-K has had to endure in his first season in this country. Matsuzaka will get an extra day of rest before his next start, Friday night at Fenway Park in the opener of a three-game series against the Yankees. Close call ''That ball hit about six inches from where I was,'' said Francona. ''If I hadn’t moved, it would have hit my temple. And he (Roberts) had the nerve to laugh. I was like, ‘Just make an out and get out of there.’ '' Francona’s wish was granted. Roberts struck out. Back to work Feeling good Luck on their side Here and there
Posted by Art Martone Game story: Sox follow formula in 3-2 win over OriolesBY STEVEN KRASNER BALTIMORE -- Outstanding starting pitching from Cy Young candidate Josh Beckett. Spotless setup relief by Hideki Okajima. And a typically dominant save from virtually unhittable Jonathan Papelbon. That, plus a manufactured run of all things on a stolen base by J.D. Drew and Coco Crisp's tie-breaking two-out single in the eighth, was the formula used by the Boston Red Sox in their 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles Sunday at Camden Yards. It was typical of the way Boston was winning games early in the season, when the Red Sox bolted out to a commanding lead in the American League East. And it's a formula the Sox would like to feature over their final 18 games and into the postseason. Certainly, Beckett (18-6), who is tied with the Yankees' Chien-Ming Wang for the league lead in victories, and Papelbon (35 saves in 37 chances) have been consistent all season. Okajima has had a few lapses recently, but after three days off the left-hander once again looked sharp in holding up his end of the bullpen bargain. Beckett gave up seven hits, but only two hurt him – solo homers by Melvin Mora in the fourth and Nick Markakis in the sixth, which negated Mike Lowell's two-out, two-run single in the third.The right-hander's pitch count was soaring on another hot and steamy day here when he faced one last challenge. The Orioles' Dave Roberts was up with a runner at third, two outs and the game tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh.The duo engaged in a 10-pitch duel. Roberts fouled off six pitches in a row as Beckett went to his power game, pumping in one fastball after another, all nine of them in the 94-96-mph range. But Beckett fooled Roberts with a changeup on the final pitch. The ball was in the dirt but Roberts, committed to not letting a sizzling fastball beat him, couldn't hold up his swing on Beckett's 116th and final pitch. ''That was a phenomenal at-bat and even better for us because we got him out,'' said Boston manager Terry Francona. ''That was one of the better hitters in the league against one of the better pitchers. He (Beckett) had to be that good because there was no margin for error.'' ''He (Roberts) is a great baseball player, one of the smartest guys I've ever played against,'' said Beckett, who shrugged off talk of a 20-win season and his Cy Young credentials. Beckett was put in position for a win because the Sox scored in the eighth, and then in came Okajima, to form the bullpen bridge to Papelbon. The left-hander had not been as automatic as he had been earlier. In each of his last six outings, and in nine of his last 10, Okajima had put at least one runner on base, prompting suggestions from the media that he may be getting tired. On Sunday, though, Okajima looked sharp, needing only 10 pitches to mow down the Orioles in the eighth, racking up one strikeout along the way. ''I don't think Hideki looked tired,'' volunteered Francona with a chuckle. ''I thought his ball had a lot of life.'' But life on Okajima's pitches doesn't compare to what Papelbon delivers. And while he did cough up a hit – a broken-bat single by Mora with one out, the first hit he had surrendered in 27 at-bats since Aug. 17 – Papelbon had little trouble in finishing off the Orioles. He struck out the final two batters he faced, taking advantage of relatively inexperienced Orioles Scott Moore and Freddie Bynum for swinging strike threes on nasty splitters in the dirt. ''I feel like I'm in a pretty good zone,'' said Papelbon, who has held hitters to a miniscule .041 (2-for-49) batting average since July 28. ''It's a situation where I don't even know what I'm doing. It's not like I'm going home and writing it down. I'm just trying to go out there and repeat it. Today the splitter just felt good. I had good depth on it and when a pitch feels so good, you try to run with it,'' he said.
Posted by Art Martone FINAL: Red Sox 3, Orioles 2BALTIMORE -- Coco Crisp's two-out single in the top of the eighth inning drove in J.D. Drew from second base and lifted the Red Sox to a 3-2 win over the Orioles on Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards. Josh Beckett pitched seven innings for the victory, his major-league-high 18th. Hideki Okajima pitched a perfect eighth and Jonathan Papelbon finished up for his 35th save. The 35 saves equals the number Papelbon had as a rookie in 2006. Mike Lowell had given the Red Sox a 2-0 lead with a two-run, two-out single in the top of the third. The Orioles tied the game with solo home runs from Melvin Mora in the fourth and Nick Markakis in the sixth. Read Steven Krasner's game story and journal on this blog later this evening. In the meantime, go to Projo Stats for the box score and game information.
Posted by Art Martone Pregame Notes, Sept. 9-- Reliever Eric Gagne (shoulder tendinitis) felt fine a day after his bullpen session so manager Terry Francona said he would get together with pitching coach John Farrell to discuss the next step for the right-hander. It's possible Gagne will be cleared to pitch in tomorrow night's game if the opportunity to ease him in arises. -- Manny Ramirez (oblique), who had been given permission to go home to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on Friday, is expected to work out at Fenway Park today around 3 o'clock with trainer Scott Waugh. -- Alex Cora is in the starting lineup today at shortstop, with Julio Lugo getting some time off in the day game after a night game. Jason Varitek was back behind the plate for the third straight game in steamy, hot conditions but Francona had talen him out of Saturday night's blowout loss in the sixth inning. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Starting Lineups, Sept. 9BOSTON Ellsbury lf Beckett p BALTIMORE Roberts 2b Guthrie p -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner September 8, 2007
Game Story: Dice-K roughed up by woeful O'sBALTIMORE – What’s wrong with Daisuke Matsuzaka? Has he hit the wall in the major leagues? If it’s not fatigue, is there something physically wrong with him? How else to explain Matsuzaka’s dreadful performance last night when the woeful Baltimore Orioles, losers of 15 of their last 17 overall and a franchise-record-tying 11 straight at home, battered the right-hander for eight earned runs on six hits in only 2 2/3 innings at Camden Yards, a game the Boston Red Sox lost, 11-5. Included in that ugly line were two gopher balls, a solo shot in the first by light-hitting Tike Redman, who began the year playing ball in Japan, and a grand slam by Scott Moore, a veteran of only 53 big-league at-bats before unloading on a fat fastball for his first hit in 14 at-bats in the majors this year. Moore’s slam capped a seven-run third-inning explosion at the expense of Matsuzaka, who had been handed early leads of 2-0 and 4-1. As the ball disappeared into the bleachers, well past Coco Crisp’s vain attempt at a leaping catch, Dice-K put his hands on his knees and bent over in frustration and irritation, and a few seconds later he was yanked by Boston manager Terry Francona. The start was by far the shortest of the season for Matsuzaka, who had gone at least five innings in each of his previous 28 outings. His fastball had very little life or movement. His slider had precious little movement or bite. And in the seven-run third, Matsuzaka was missing consistently up and away with fastballs to left-handers and tried to navigate his way through the jam by using just fastballs and sliders, a plan that clearly didn’t work. What makes last night’s horror show all the more distressing is that it cannot be shrugged off as an isolated, one-of-those-games kind of outings. It continued a downward spiral for the former Japanese League star, for whom the Red Sox paid over $100 million to secure his rights and sign him to a contract last winter. The postseason is around the corner, and Dice-K is faltering badly down the stretch. It wouldn’t be a stretch to guess that maybe he is getting tired, worn down by the season, which is longer here than it is in Japan and features much more travel. The Sox have tried to give him extra rest between starts – as they try to do with everyone in the rotation. Over his last five starts, for instance, he worked on an extra day of rest three times. As the innings have piled up, so have the gopher balls he has been surrendering. Over his first 17 starts, totaling 114 2/3 innings, Matsuzaka was victimized for only 9 homers, which averages out roughly to one every 12 2/3 innings. But beginning with his start in Detroit on July 8, the last day before the All-Star break, Dice-K has been crushed for 14 homers in only 12 starts totaling 69 2/3 innings, roughly one every five-plus innings. It’s worse over the last four outings – 6 homers in the last 20 1/3 innings, or one roughly every 3 1/3 innings. In his last two seasons in Japan, Matsuzaka pitched 215 innings in 28 games in 2005 and 186 1/3 innings in 25 games in 2006. This season, Masuzaka has made 29 starts already, totaling 184 1/3 innings, and it’s only Sept. 9. Prior to last night, the Sox have been quick to discount any tired-arm theories. After the game, manager Terry Francona waved off any suggestions that Matsuzaka might be getting tired, bemoaning a little bit of bad luck on a flare and a touch bounce. Catcher and team captain Jason Varitek echoed the theme. Last night, it was hard to watch Matsuzaka struggle through the third – single, double, walk, walk, single, walk, strikeout (after Aubrey Huff ‘s bid for a grand slam to right curved foul at the last instant), popup, grand slam – without wondering if there’s something wrong with Dice-K, and if can be counted on down the stretch and through the postseason. --STEVE KRASNER
Posted by Corey Bourassa Sox notes: Gagne ready to return?BALTIMORE – Reliever Eric Gagne threw a 40-pitch bullpen session early yesterday afternoon, and pronounced himself “perfect” and ready to return to action. Gagne, who hasn’t pitched since Aug. 26 because of tendinitis in his right shoulder, said he threw all of his pitches during his workout and didn’t feel any discomfort. He said the plan for him now is to take today off and then he’ll be available to pitch in a game beginning tomorrow. He said he thought the Red Sox might be careful about when they use him the first time, likely in a situation where the game is not on the line, but he’s encouraged by how he feels. “I’ll be able to give some innings to the bullpen (corps) so they’re not overworked. That has been the most frustrating part of it, not being able to give the guys down there some rest,” said Gagne after his session in steamy conditions at Camden Yards. “But the Red Sox really took their time with me. We didn’t want to rush it because we had a good lead. There’s never a good time to get hurt, but this was a better time. They wanted me to be healthy (when he returned rather than be rushed back),” he said. There was little follow-up, at least on the Red Sox’ side of things, from Friday night’s spirited banch-clearing gathering that resulted from Daniel Cabrera’s fastball behind Dustin Pedroia’s head one pitch after a fake dash down the third-base line by Coco Crisp had rattled the Orioles starter into committing a run-producing balk. One member of the Sox wondered if Baltimore was taking “ducking practice” as they set up for batting practice, but Boston was more concerned with the fact it had won Friday night’s game and was trying to win again last night. Baltimore manager Dave Trembley addressed the situation in a pregame radio show, saying, “He (Cabrera) lost his poise, embarrassed himself and it’s not going to happen again.” Cabrera had said, apparently with a straight face after the game, that the pitch had “slipped” out of his hands, that he was trying to pitch inside and it simply got away from him. Upon hearing that, one member of the Orioles reportedly said, “Yeah, and the dog ate his homework, too.” Pedroia wasn’t too pleased at being the target. “The guy is an idiot,” said Pedroia after the game. “It kind of freaked me out. I was upset they took him out of the game. He is good to hit. He’s 9-15. The guy (stinks).”
Youkilis handled 1,510 chances, starting 167 of the 179 games. Hegan had only 52 starts and 787 chances in his 178 games. Youkilis wasn’t impressed with the record. “I didn’t even think about it,” he said. “I just go out and play every day.”
--STEVE KRASNER
Posted by Corey Bourassa Pregame Notes, Sept. 8-- Reliever Eric Gagne threw about 40 pitches in a bullpen session before batting practice and said he felt "perfect." Gagne said the plan now is for him to take tomorrow off and then he'll be ready to pitch in a game on Monday. He figures the team will be careful about when they put him in a game for his first appearance since Aug. 26, when shoulder tendinitis forced him to the sidelines. He thinks he might be used first in a situation where the game is not on the line. -- Tim Wakefield, who surrendered six runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings on Thursday night, threw an extended bullpen session after Gagne had finished his. -- Doug Mirabelli's left hamstring still is sore, but manager Terry Francona said he would have been able to go behind the plate had something happened to catcher Jason Varitek in the latter innings of Friday night's game. Backup catcher Kevin Cash was tossed from the game in the fourth after Daniel Cabrera's head-hunting pitch behind Dustin Pedroia head caused a spritied bench-clearing gathering on the field. -- Pedroia's locker was adorned with a photo of the name "MILLAR" on the back of a Boston uniform and a pitcure of the former Red Sox infielder. Millar had written on his photo, which was taped to the locker, "The original 15." Pedroia, who now wears the number 15 that was on Millar's back from 2003-2005, broke into a broad grin when he saw his locker decorations. He read them and shook his head at what the Sox' "Cowboy Up" guy had done. And a short time later the display was yanked down from the locker. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Starting Lineups, Sept. 8BOSTON Ellsbury lf Matsuzaka p BALTIMORE Roberts 2B Leicester p -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Hall of Fame tripCOOPERSTOWN, N.Y. _ The scorecard has been delivered! At approximately 12:30 this afternoon, I handed over my scorecard of the no-hitter thrown by Red Sox rookie pitcher Clay Buchholz against the Baltimore Orioles last Saturday at Fenway Park. It will be on display soon at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in a wing named “This Year in Baseball” and will feature Buchholz’s game-worn hat and a game ball provided by the Red Sox. Jeff Idelson, the Hall’s vice president of communications and education, met my wife and I and took us on a quick tour, showing us where the exhibit will be. Idelson and his staff were great, friendly and the hospitality was second to none. They even held a parade for our arrival. Well, not really. It just so happens to be the Bicentennial of Cooperstown and the village began its week-long celebration on Friday. If you’re a baseball fan, even if you’re not, this is a great place to spend a few days with family and friends. Idelson took us to his office where he unpacked a box sent from Boston with Buchholz’s hat, game ball, along with the spikes Red Sox reliever Mike Timlin wore for his 1,000th appearance. I didn’t want to tear the two pages out of my scorebook because with my luck they would have ripped one of them, so I let Jeff do the dirty work. He said he felt like he was performing surgery as he carefully removed the pages. When the display is finally in place, I’m planning a return trip. I just want to make it clear that the Hall didn’t come looking for my scorecard specifically. Brad Horn, communications director for the Hall of Fame, contacted Jeff Horrigan of the Boston Herald, looking for scorecard, his, mine, didn’t matter. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Still, it’s an honor to be a part of something special where baseball fans can enjoy a little piece of history. --Joe McDonald
Posted by Joe McDonald September 7, 2007
Game Story: Sox take advantage of slumping O'sBALTIMORE — The key when you’re playing a team that has basically called it a season and is checking off the final days on the calendar in eager anticipation of the last game is to take care of business and claim as many victories as possible against that team. So it is with the Boston Red Sox in this four-game series at Camden Yards against the already-packed-it-in-looking Baltimore Orioles. And Boston did what it had to, subduing the slumping Orioles, 4-0, sending them to their 15th loss in their last 17 games, including two straight in this series. The winning pitcher was Jon Lester, and while the left-hander may recently have fallen a bit into the shadow of rookie right-hander Clay Buchholz, he once again flashed the promise that the Red Sox have been touting for the last couple of years. Lester, who has battled back from anaplastic large cell lymphoma that cut his season short last year, blanked the Orioles on four hits over seven innings. He fanned four and walked two in his 99-pitch outing, permitting only one Baltimore base runner to reach third. He retired 12 of the last 13 batters he faced. It was the second time in six days that Lester (4-0) beat the Orioles. And one impressive part of his outing last night was his ability to stay focused while emotions between the teams spilled over and disrupted the game in the top of the fourth inning. Offensively, the Red Sox, who won for the sixth time in the last seven games, managed to get to Baltimore Orioles’ starter Daniel Cabrera in two ways. At the plate, they took advantage of his physical mistakes with the location of his pitches. And they also took advantage of him mentally, leading to an on-field skirmish in the top of the fourth inning that began when Coco Crisp, running from third base, embarrassed Cabrera by faking him into committing a run-producing balk. That led to Cabrera’s throwing his next pitch behind the head of Dustin Pedroia, and sparked a spirited get-together on the field, including the relievers spilling out of the bullpen. And eventually Cabrera was ejected. The right-hander, who has All-Star talent that hasn’t been harnessed because he’s prone to wildness, coughed up a pair of runs in the second inning. It was his lack of control that got him into danger. Cabrera, whose fastball was in the 93-98-mph range last night, got ahead of Kevin Youkilis, leading off the inning, at 0-and-2. But Cabrera proceeded to throw the next four pitches out of the strike zone, giving Boston’s inning a jump-start with a walk. J.D. Drew, mired in a 4-for-35 drought, then laced a ground-rule double to right-center. Jason Varitek cashed in one of the runners with a single to right and Crisp’s sacrifice fly chased home the run that made it a 2-0 game. It was Boston’s third run that triggered the inflamed emotions in the fourth. Crisp opened the inning with a single and moved to third on a pair of groundouts. With a 1-and-0 count on Pedroia, Crisp gave a good fake that he was about to make a mad dash to the plate, attempting to steal home. Cabrera began his motion, saw Crisp out of the corner of his eye and, as Crisp put on the brakes, Cabrera stopped his motion, which is a balk. That gave Crisp home, put the Sox on top, 3-0, and led to a little extra curricular activity. The game was delayed for about 15 minutes before everything was sorted out. Lester struggled to recapture the groove he had been in. He was nicked for a single by Miguel Tejada, leading off the bottom of the fourth, and then he walked Kevin Millar, putting runners at first and second with none out. Lester, though, steadied himself, showing impressive poise. He got Aubrey Huff to hit into a forceout and, with runners at first and third and one out, Lester calmly retired Ramon Hernandez on a soft liner to short and emerged unscathed on Jay Payton’s fielder’s choice grounder. As Lester kept sailing through the Orioles’ batting order, his teammates managed to tack on another run, thanks in part to the blazing speed of Jacoby Ellsbury, who scored from second on Youkilis’ two-out line-drive single to left in the seventh, making it a 4-0 Red Sox advantage. --STEVEN KRASNER
Posted by Chris Venditto Sox notes: Fake steal of home gets better of CabreraBALTIMORE — How often do you see a runner at third fake a mad dash toward home plate, trying to get the opposing pitcher to balk? And how often does it work? Almost never? Well it worked for the Sox’ Coco Crisp in the fourth inning last night. Crisp’s fake of a steal of home forced Orioles starter Daniel Cabrera to balk, enabling Crisp to trot home with the run that put Boston ahead, 3-0. And it led to a spirited bench-clearing gathering around home plate after Cabrera’s next pitch following Crisp’s fake dash went behind Dustin Pedroia’s head. Plate umpire Mike DiMuro quickly jumped out in front of the plate after the errant pitch and issued warnings to Cabrera, the Orioles’ bench and the Red Sox’ bench. The Sox, meanwhile, began spilling out of their dugout in anger at what they had just witnessed. Third-base umpire Bill Welke tried to head them off at the pass and basically was successful in sending them back to the dugout until Cabrera engaged began engaging in a shouting match with members of the Sox and had to be restrained by teammates and umpires Laz Diaz, Wally Bell and DiMuro. So the Sox piled back onto the field as Cabrera broke free of restraints, ran from the mound to the infield grass near third base, threw his glove and the ball to the turf and motioned for them to come and get him. As he was doing that, catcher Ramon Hernandez had to be restrained by, among others, the Sox’ David Ortiz, from getting at someone on the Sox, whose identity wasn’t clear in the confusion in front of the Boston dugout on the third-base side. Players then rushed out of both bullpens, which, interestingly enough at Camden Yards, are basically on top of each other in center field, so they entered the scene together. After the uprising was calmed down, and the relievers strolled back to their respective bullpens, side by side, the umpires had a meeting near the mound with Cabrera standing on the pitching rubber. Then they had an animated chat with Baltimore manager Dave Trembley, who clearly was unhappy with their decision that Cabrera would be ejected from the game, no doubt for breaking away from the pack and physically challenging the Sox. Mirabelli out for a while Doug Mirabelli’s left hamstring, which he strained while running the bases in the third inning Thursday night, was “more tender than we were hoping,” said manager Terry Francona yesterday before prior to batting practice. So Mirabelli, who had been making his first appearance since Aug. 17, when he suffered a right calf strain, will be out for a while. There is no timetable for his return. Francona, though, said the Sox have no plans to add another catcher to the roster as of now, electing to go with Jason Varitek and Kevin Cash. Francona said Mirabelli could work behind the plate in an emergency. Mirabelli, meanwhile, said he wants to make sure he’s healthy when he does return so he doesn’t re-aggravate either the calf or the hamstring injury. Clearly he’s hoping to be ready to play when the postseason roster is set. Ramirez still on the mend Manny Ramirez’s rehabilitation from an oblique strain continues to progress, Francona said, but it will continue in FortFt. Lauderdale, Fla., because the Sox’ left fielder has been given permission to go home for personal reasons. He was scheduled to depart from Boston yesterday and was expected to return to Boston tomorrow. “He’s getting close to resuming baseball activities,” said Francona, who added that, as with Mirabelli, there is no timetable for Ramirez’s return to the lineup. Moss is on first base Brandon Moss, an outfielder in the Red Sox system, is going to play first base for Santiago in Winter Ball. Francona said Moss, who was promoted from Pawtucket to Boston when the rosters expanded on Sept. 1, was willing to go to winter ball and willing to learn a new position, giving him more versatility. Francona was on the field at Camden Yards early yesterday afternoon with Moss, showing him various footwork and positioning aspects of playing the position as well as talking about the mental and physical aspects of being a first baseman. Francona knows from experience. He had to make the switch from outfielder to first baseman during his professional career. No excuses from Wakefield Tim Wakefield reiterated yesterday that his back was not bothering him in his disappointing start Thursday night (6 runs, 9 hits, 32/3 innings). The knuckleballer said he didn’t feel comfortable at all on the mound, but wasn’t using a 10-day layoff (he was scratched from a start last Friday because of a sore back) as an excuse. He’s scheduled to throw a side session today. Around the bases Eric Gagne, who had a successful bullpen session (20-25 pitches) on Thursday will throw another side session today. … The opposition has only one hit in its last 45 at-bats against flame-throwing Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, computing to a miniscule .022 batting average against the right-hander. The Angels’ Orlando Cabrera had that hit, a single on Aug. 17. Papelbon has retired the last 16 batters he has faced. Overall, opposing batters are hitting only .135 (24 for 178) against Papelbon. … The Orioles are batting .029 against Red Sox rookie right-hander Clay Buchholz in two games. Buchholz no-hit Baltimore last Saturday (the Orioles were 0 for 26 — one out came on a pickoff) and he coughed up one hit in nine at-bats to the Orioles in three impressive relief innings Thursday night. --STEVE KRASNER
Posted by Corey Bourassa Final: Red Sox 4, Orioles 0BALTIMORE -- Jon Lester pitched seven shutout innings, leading the Red Sox to a 4-0 win over the Orioles Friday night. Baltimore had only been shut out once before this season: Last Saturday night, when Clay Buchholz pitched a no-hitter. Lester, now 4-0, scattered four hits, with two walks and four strikeouts. Javier Lopez and Manny Delcarmen each contributed a scoreless inning. Every batter in the Red Sox order with the exception of Julio Lugo contributed one hit to Boston's eight-hit attack. Get the box score and game information here.
Posted by Art Martone Pregame Notes, Sept. 7
So Mirabelli, who had been making his first appearance since Aug. 17, when he suffered a right calf strain, will be out for a while. There is no timetable for his return. Francona, though, said the Sox have no plans to add another catcher to the roster as of now, electing to go with Jason Varitek and Kevin Cash. Francona said Mirabelli could work behind the plate in an emergency. --Manny Ramirez's rehabilitation from an oblique strain continues to progress, Francona said, but it will continue in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., because the Sox' left fielder has been given permission to go home for personal reasons. He was scheduled to depart today and return to Boston on Sunday. "He's getting close to resuming baseball activities," said Francona, who added that, as with Mirabelli, there is no timetable for Ramirez's return to the lineup. --Brandon Moss, an outfielder in the Red Sox system, is going to play first base for Santiago in Winter Ball. Francona said Moss, who was promoted from Pawtucket to Boston when the rosters expanded on Sept. 1, was willing to go to winter ball and willing to learn a new position, giving him more versatility. Francona was on the field at Camden Yards early this afternoon with Moss, showing him various footwork and talking about the mental and physical aspects of the position. The Sox manager made an outfielder-to-first baseman conversion during his professional career. --Tim Wakefield reiterated this afternoon that his back was not bothering him in his disappointing start Thursday night (6 runs, 9 hits, 3 2/3 innings). He said he didn't feel comfortable at all on the mound, but wasn't using a 10-day layoff (he was scratched from a start last Friday because of a sore back) as an excuse. He's scheduled to throw a side session tomorrow. -- The inside of Mike Lowell's left foot, just under the ankle bone and around the instep, is tender today. Lowell fouled a ball off his foot Thursday night, but didn't have to leave the game. "My speed game may have to take a hit," joked Lowell, who is no baserunning speedster. --Eric Gagne, who had a successful bullpen session (20-25 pitches) yesterday, will throw another side session tomorrow. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Starting Lineups, Sept. 7BOSTON Ellsbury lf Lester p BALTIMORE Roberts 2b Cabrera p -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Another winner from BuchholzClick here to listen to the full audio report, as Sean McAdam joins us for today's edition of projo SoxTalk. Today's topics: Clay Buchholz's gutsy relief performance last night; Tim Wakefield's shaky return from the disabled list; the emergence of Kevin Cash as an alternative to Doug Mirabelli; Coco Crisp's trade value; Kevin Youkilis' record-tying no-errors streak; Red Sox Gold Glove candidates; and revelations involving Rick Ankiel and human growth hormone. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments? Buchholz: "It's only been three major-league appearances, but I would say that this guy's mettle has already been tested and shown to be more than good enough to pitch at this level." Crisp: "The Red Sox could be dealing from a real position of strength [this offseason]. They've got a superb defensive outfielder with a somewhat limited offfensive portfolio, but still someone who has speed and some other dimensions to use. He's under control for three years, it's an affordable deal, and the Red Sox can sit back and get the best offer they can, and then have Ellsbury be the center fielder next year." Gold Glove candidates: "Obviously there are two players, maybe even three, who deserve Gold Glove consideration on the Red Sox: Crisp, who's made one error this year; Youkilis, who has not made any; and I think you have to look at Dustin Pedroia at second base."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Friday, September 7FEAT OF CLAY: ''The Legend of Clay Buchholz grew last night,'' writes Steven Krasner, and why not? It's wasn't so much that Buchholz (above, AP Photo) escaped a bases-loaded, no-out mess in the sixth -- a mess of his own making, granted -- or that he got the victory in the Red Sox' 7-6 win over the Orioles, or that he's now 3-0 despite having made only three major-league appearances. It was how he did it, writes Krasner, that so impressed the Red Sox, right down to the 3-and-2 changeup he used to strike out Kevin Millar with runners on second and third and two out in the sixth. ''If the Red Sox ever had any questions about his mental makeup,'' writes Kraz, ''they received an answer that left them giddy.'' Even before last night, Hall of Famer Jim Palmer said he was impressed with Buchholz. (Boston Globe) MEDICAL REPORT: Tim Wakefield's performance was so shaky -- 3 2/3 innings, 9 hits, 6 runs -- speculation immediately rose that his back, which caused him to miss his last start, was still bothering him. But, as Krasner reports, Wakefield said he felt fine and the back had nothing to do with how he pitched. Doug Mirabelli, on the other hand, had to leave the game three innings into his comeback because of a hamstring injury. He had strained his right calf three weeks ago and was just recently activated off the disabled list. HE'S ELIGIBLE, FOLKS, DON'T WORRY: The Globe's Amalie Benjamin explains the postseason eligibility rules. And yes, Jacoby Ellsbury can be on the playoff roster. NO END IN SIGHT: As Sean McAdam noted Thursday, that might not be good news for J.D. Drew, whose summer of discontent continued last night when, with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning of a 6-6 game, he grounded into the easiest 6-4-3 double play you ever saw, ending the threat. (Luckily for him, he was bailed out in the ninth when Coco Crisp beat out an infield hit, stole second, and rode home on a single to left-center by Jason Varitek for the winning run.) It's clear The Nation has turned on him (Boston Dirt Dogs), and he admitted to the Boston Herald's Steve Buckley yesterday he's going to have to learn to ''relax a little bit'' if he's going to have a successful career in Boston. He also takes a swipe at the critics who interpret his laconic demeanor as a lack of passion, asking, ''Do you think I want to have the year that I’ve had? . . . I’m as hard on myself as anybody.'' OH, SO THAT'S WHAT THOSE WERE! The strange uniforms worn by the Orioles last night were replicas of the Baltimore Black Sox Negro League team. (mlb.com) YOU'RE NOT PRAYING HARD ENOUGH: The Orioles are going so badly that even the team chaplain is catching some blame. (Baltimore Sun) IT IS WHAT IT IS: The Yankees are heading down the stretch with two rookies in their starting rotation, along with another slot manned by ailing/struggling veterans (Roger Clemens and Mike Mussina), and Andy Pettitte hopes it'll be good enough to get them to the postseason. (New York Daily News) To get there, says Brian Cashman, they have to focus on the task at hand and win the games they're supposed to win. (New York Post) And they may have to do it with Alex Rodriguez at DH; his ankle may keep him off third base. (New York Post) ''THEY'RE IN'': Peter Abraham examines the schedules of the wild-card contenders and concludes that the Yankees will make the playoffs: ''The schedule is easy and the offense will make up for any problems with the pitching.'' (LoHud Yankees Blog) AND YOU CAN THANK ME FOR THAT: Bud Selig does a little chest-pounding over the wild card, which, as this MLB.com story notes, was ''his baby.'' PROUD FATHER: Joba Chamberlain's father will be at Kansas City when the Yankees play the Royals this weekend, and admits ''[there'll] probably will be a tear or two running down my cheek'' at the sight of his son in a Yankee uniform. (New York Post) THE LATEST BOMBSHELL: The New York Daily News reports the Cardinals' Rick Ankiel -- one of baseball's best feel-good stories for his transformation from no-control pitcher to slugging outfielder -- received a 12-month supply of HGH in 2004. The story is careful to note ''he stopped receiving HGH just before Major League Baseball officially banned it in 2005. MLB does not test for HGH, but a player who is known to have used it or even possessed it from the time it was banned can face a 50-game suspension.'' N.L. RACES: Ankiel had made headlines earlier in the day by hitting two home runs as the Cardinals crushed the Pirates (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) . . . The Dodgers rallied past the Cubs at Wrigley Field. (Los Angeles Daily News) A.L. RACES: The Angels beat the Indians in a matchup of two playoff-bound division leaders . . . The Tigers stayed alive with a ninth-inning win over the White Sox, and now get the chance to put away the Mariners -- who go to Detroit for the weekend -- and make the wild-card chase a two-team battle between themselves and the Yankees. (Detroit News) ON THE HOT SEAT: FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal lists the managers who may in trouble at season's end, and says Joe Torre is one of them if the Yankees don't make the playoffs. QUICKLY: The Giants' Bengie Molina says his team's losing ways are ''a freakin' embarrassment'' (San Francisco Chronicle) . . . Diamondbacks second baseman Orlando Hudson has a torn ligament in his thumb, but hopes he won't be sidelined long. (Arizona Republic) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 6, 2007
Pregame Notes, Sept. 6
"We're not going to force him to the mound when he's not ready. That doesn't make any sense," said Francona. -- Bobby Kielty (lower back) is in the starting lineup, replacing impressive rookie Jacoby Ellsbury, a left-handed hitter, in left field. The Orioles are starting a left-handed pitcher, Garrett Olson. Kielty isn't exactly 100 percent, but he's good enough to play, said Francona. -- Kevin Youkilis has gone 177 consecutive games without a fielding error at first base, one shy of the American League record, established by Mike Hegan, who did not make an error in 178 games in a row for Milwaukee and Oakland from Sept. 24, 1970 to May 20, 1973. Youkilis has handled 1,499 chances in his 177 errorless games, which includes 165 starts. Hegan handled 787 chances, starting only 52 games during his errorless streak. Steve Garvey boasts the major league record -- 193 games -- while playing for San Diego from June 26, 1983 to April 14, 1985. Yesterday Youkilis played in his 122nd game at first, edging past Tampa Bay's Travis Lee for consecutive errorless games in one season. Lee played 121 games in a row without an error in 2003. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Matsuzaka: Pedroia Rookie of the Year
"I asked him about the rookie of the year, and he had an interesting answer," said Francona this afternoon. "He said, 'I've already been Rookie of the Year (in Japan, the Pacific League award in 1999). Then he pointed to (Sox second baseman Dustin) Pedroia and he said, 'That's the Rookie of the Year.' That's a pretty mature remark. I loved his attitude." The Sox have three strong Rookie of the Year candidates -- Matsuzaka (14-11, 4.11), Pedroia (.329) and left-handed reliever Hideki Okajima (3-2, 1.79). Players from the Japanese League are eligible for the major league award because, even though they may have numerous years of professional baseball under their belts in their native country, this is their first year in the big leagues here. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner The Wakefield-Mirabelli Battery Returns
Wakefield is making a return, as well. Wakefield was scratched from his previous start last Friday, opening the door for Clay Buchholz's no-hit glory, because of a sore back. In Mirabelli absence, Kevin Cash came up from Pawtucket and did an excellent job catching Wakefield's floaters in two games, a pair of scoreless seven-inning outings. Wakefield enters tonight's game with a 22-inning scoreless streak. Mirabelli caught Wakefield's bullpen session two days ago. "I needed to do that so I could feel prepared (for tonight's start), or as prepared as you can be (catching a knuckleball)," said Mirabelli. "You never want to go into a game without feeling completely prepared." -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Okajima Tired?Last night, Hideki Okajima coughed up a game-losing two-run homer in the ninth to Vernon Wells. The left-hander was quoted after the game as saying he was getting tired, a function of the longer season in the majors compared with the Japanese League season. Boston manager Terry Francona, though, discounted that comment from Okajima. "How many people asked him the same thing?" asked Francona moments ago in his daily meeting with the media. "After 12 people ask you that, you throw up your hands (and agree with the question). I think he left a changeup up. No one asked him two days ago (when he turned in a scoreless outing) if he was tired. There needs to be some consistency in the questioning. He didn't all of a sudden run a marathon. He gave up a hit," said Francona. "I think everybody gets somewhat tired at this time of the year. But his fastball is the same as it has been all year, not an ounce of dropoff. I am aware of where he pitched and the amount, but we can't stop the season. We have to try to use good judgment (on when to call on Okajima). He just left a pitch up," said Francona. The manager also said that Okajima was suffering from a sore hip for a few days, but that "I think he's okay." -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Starting Lineups, Sept. 6BOSTON Lugo ss Wakefield p BALTIMORE Roberts 2b Olson p -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Tired Okajima; Jacoby's the manClick here to listen to the full audio as Sean McAdam joins us for today's edition of projo SoxTalk. The topics: the worn-down Hideki Okajima; Curt Schilling's up-and-down night; why Jacoby Ellsbury is a better option (for now) than J.D. Drew; Manny Ramirez's health; and the possibility of Matt Clement pitching again in a Red Sox uniform. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments: On bullpen fatigue: "Certainly the unavailability of Gagne for the about the last 10 days now has impacted things. His very acquisition was designed to take some of the workload off Okajima in the second half, and because he was in turn ineffective and then unavailable, they've had to run Okajima out there on a pretty regular basis, and that's something they wanted to avoid. I think that, should Gagne come back -- and he will have a bullpen [session] today and probably be, I would imagine, available starting tomorrow night -- if he can come back and be healthy and effective, that probably straightens it out." On Ellsbury: "I think he has really caught [the team's] attention with his poise and ability to fit right in, and not be overwhelmed by circumstances. And correspondingly, Drew -- I think everyone has waited for that explosion ... and it hasn't happened, and you start to wonder if it's going to happen this year. And if you start comparing the two, I'm not sure that J.D. Drew, with about eight years in the big leagues, has all that much over Jacoby Ellsbury beyond than experience right now." On Ramirez: "Frankly I would be surprised if you saw him any earlier than that next road trip, which goes to Toronto and Tampa. I guess it's possible he might be available for the Yankees series next weekend, but clearly he's not ready to partake in the Tampa Bay series when they come back home if he hasn't even started baseball activities. ... I think the important thing right now is that he gets his timing down at the plate when he comes back enough to get himself into the postseason feeling ready, and having faced some live pitching, and most importantly healthy again."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Thursday, September 6
'THAT'S THE WAY THE GAME IS': But it hasn't been the way many Red Sox games have been this season, which is why last night's 6-4 loss to the Blue Jays -- in which the normally airtight bullpen blew a 4-3 lead by allowing three runs in the final two innings -- seemed so stunning. The quote was from Terry Francona, who dismissed the failures of Manny Delcarmen (game-tying homer to Troy Glaus in the eighth) and Hideki Okajima (game-losing, two-run homer to Vernon Wells -- above, Journal photo by Bob Breidenbach -- in the ninth) as just one of those things. Joe McDonald, however, reports Okajima gave a disconcerting answer (''As you see, yes'') when asked if he was tired in this, his first major-league season, which is longer than the seasons in Japan. One member of the bullpen who did pitch well was recent callup Bryan Corey; Paul Kenyon has the details. ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS: While the Sox' bullpen failures last night were surprising, their lack of clutch hitting was all too familiar. They got only one run out of a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the first, only one run out of a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the fifth, and nothing at all out of a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the seventh; one big hit in any of those spots could have given them a comfortable enough lead to withstand a late hiccup by the bullpen. That J.D. Drew was in the middle of two of those failed innings (the first and the seventh) was probably no surprise to anyone, and Sean McAdam speculates Drew's playing time may be in jeopardy when Manny Ramirez comes back, because Jacoby Ellsbury is proving to be a better offensive option than Drew. Julio Lugo thinks Drew is still''a good player. He's just going through a bad time.'' (Boston Herald) 'STUPIDITY ON MY PART': Curt Schilling left the game after six with a 4-3 lead, but it would have been 4-0 had it not been for a string of four consecutive two-out hits in the fifth that pushed across all three Toronto runs. The uprising started when, with nobody on and one out, he walked No. 8 hitter Gregg Zaun on a 3-and-2 curveball, which the Herald's Tony Massarotti notes could be ''indicative of the transformation he is trying to achieve as a pitcher.'' Still, throwing a 3-and-2 curve to a bottom-of-the-order hitter was the stupidity Schilling talked about since, as he said, ''The law of averages if he puts the ball in play is that it’s going to be an out. Instead, I try to get cute. I still can’t believe I did it.'' AT LEAST SOMEONE WAS HAPPY: Vernon Wells loves the big stages of Boston and New York, and he was all smiles after his game-winning home run. (Toronto Star) WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, TAO . . . is that the bunt is about the only offensive weapon at Coco Crisp's disposal. (Click the link to our good friend Tao of Steib to find out what I'm talking about.) Or does it just seem like approximately 81 of his 126 hits this year have been bunt singles? COMEBACK KID: Matt Clement threw a 20-pitch simulated game yesterday, the first time he's faced hitters since last year's surgery, and tells McDonald and Kenyon he'd like to pitch in a game before the season ends. IN THE LEAD: The Herald's Rob Bradford says Dustin Pedroia is the favorite to win the A.L. Rookie of the Year award. WHAT IT'S LIKE ON THE INSIDE: The Rev. Anne Gardner, an Episcopal priest, is a game-day worker at Fenway Park and gives a glimpse into a job many people in Red Sox Nation would no doubt love to have. (Boston Globe) ONE MORE TIME: Journal columnist M. Charles Bakst -- Charlie, to those of us who know him -- was at Fenway Park for Clay Buchholz' no-hitter and he writes about it in today's column. (And, yes, he can thank me for staying until the end; the tale he tells about me coming along and assuring him I'd drive him home so he wouldn't have to leave to catch the train is entirely accurate.) I posted my own out-of-focus cell-phone pictures, taken from Charlie's seat, to the blog when I got home; if you missed them, here they are. Seth Mnookin also catches up with the no-hitter and reminds us that the angst of losing Pedro Martinez could pale compared to the years of pleasure Buchholz may provide Red Sox Nation; the Sox, need we remind you, drafted Buchholz with the compensation pick they received when Martinez signed with the Mets. Just another reminder that letting go of nearing-the-end-of-the-line free agents is, more often than not, a good thing, since you miss the player's inevitable decline and the draft choice you receive for them can be quite valuable. WHICH WOULD EXPLAIN . . . why the Red Sox don't seem to plan on bringing back Mike Lowell, no matter how good a year he's having. (Boston Globe) HAVEN'T GOT TIME FOR THE PAIN: Alex Rodriguez ignored the ankle injury he'd suffered the night before and clubbed two home runs in the same inning as the Yankees exploded late for a 13-2 whipping of the Mariners. (New York Daily News) FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal says that, because of heroics like this, A-Rod's price is going up by the minute. The Mariners, losers of 12 of their last 13, are just plain exploding . . . with frustration, at themselves and, last night, at plate umpire Greg Gibson. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) NUMBER ONE: Joba Chamberlain recorded his first major-league win in relief of fellow rookie Phil Hughes. (New York Daily News) NUTTY: The New York Times quoted a piece of Norse mythology in putting forth the theory that the squirrel who seems to have found a home on the right-field foul pole in Yankee Stadium would be bad luck for the Yanks, but they're 4-0 in games in which he appears publicly. (New York Daily News) THE GOOD AND THE BAD: The Yankees say Chien-Ming Wang is over his back stiffness and will start Sunday in Kansas City, but -- surprise, surprise -- reliever Luis Vizcaino has a sore shoulder and will miss the weekend series. (New York Daily News) It was just yesterday that Peter Abraham, on the LodHud Yankees Blog, was wondering why in the world Joe Torre was bringing Vizcaino into an 11-1 game. Yesterday Abraham noted ''Nobody beats the Viz, except the manager''. A.L. RACES: There aren't really many of them, but the Tigers kept pace with the Yankees in the wild-card hunt by beating the White Sox. WOULD YOU LIKE SOME CHEESE WITH THAT WHINE? The blog Crashburn Alley has no use for Chipper Jones' complaints about the umpires, saying it's typical of the Braves' ''sore loser'' mentality. N.L. RACES: Ted Lilly pitched the Cubs over the Dodgers (Chicago Tribune) . . . The Braves delivered a gut punch to the Phillies by overcoming an 8-2, eighth-inning deficit for a 9-8 win (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . The Diamondbacks beat the Padres to take over first place in the N.L. West. (Arizona Republic) QUICKLY: Carl Crawford was handed a two-game suspension for his Monday run-in with the umpires (FoxSports.com) . . . The Mets will be without Carlos Delgado for about a week because of a hip injury (Newark Star-Ledger). -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 5, 2007
Buchholz still gaining attentionClay Buchholz has understandably received a ton of attention since the rookie tossed a no-hitter for the Red Sox last Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. It was only a couple of weeks ago when Buchholz, with the PawSox at the time, met tennis legend Jim Courier who was at McCoy Stadium to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Buchholz caught the former No. 1 ranked star’s pitch and Courier joked afterwards that he turned pro before Buchholz was born. Courier has been working as a broadcaster for the U.S. Open in New York and when he was informed of the no-hitter he was quite happy. “Since I found out about Clay’s no-hitter, following my appearance in Pawtucket, I’ve been expecting a message at my office from (Yankees general manager) Brian Cashman,” said Courier, “asking if I could drop by their Triple-A team to throw out a first pitch or two.”
Posted by Joe McDonald On Pedroia and MatsuzakaTerry Francona is firm on the way he handles his team. With offensive players, that means everyone gets time off. With pitchers, it means they stay where they are whenever possible. Francona was asked why he is giving Pedroia the night off tonight when the rookie second baseman has had at least two hits in each of the last five games. ``We try to space it out. Lugo gets one, Pedroia gets one,’’ he responded. ``We can’t lose sight of the fact that. . . this is his first full year in the majors. We’re playing into September and hopefully beyond that.’’ He noted Pedroia has been hot since May and said, ``maybe the rest has helped him.’’ Francona could not resist pointing out how he stuck with Pedroia when he was struggling early in the season. ``Part of the job is trying to keep your entire team playing well,’’ he said. ``You’ve got to remember, I think, sitting right here a lot of you guys couldn’t understand why Pedroia was even playing. You’ve got to look at the whole thing and keep it in perspective.’’ Just as he expressed confidence in Pedroia when he was struggling, Francona did the same for Matsuzaka today. He was asked if he thought about going to a six-man rotation similar to what is done in Japan. The inference, obviously, was that maybe Matsuzaka needed some rest. Those who are worried about Matsaka need to take a closer look, the manager said. ``I think Dice-K’s start needs to be looked at a little closer. All of a sudden he gave up runs in the sixth inning and guys want to take him out of the rotation,’’ Francona said. ``Of the first 12 hitters he faced, he threw 12 first-pitch strikes. In the fourth inning he had thrown like 85 percent strikes. He was in a dominating performance. We’ve gone over the sixth inning and what happened. Some of it got away.’’ ``He doesn’t look to me like a pitcher who is tired,’’ he said.
Posted by Paul Kenyon Manny will stay homeWhen the Red Sox head to Baltimore tonight, Manny Ramirez will not be with them. Terry Francona reported this afternoon that Ramirez still is not able to play because of the strained left oblique that has kept him out of the last seven days. ``The medical people will give us clearance,’’ Frnacona said. ``He’ll stay back from Baltimore with Scott Waugh (the team’s rehabilitation coordinator) because he’s just not ready to do the baseball stuff.’’ Francona said the decision on when Ramirez returns will be totally a medical one. ``I have to get a clearance. It’s not like I can go in there and beat on somebody and say we need him,’’ the manager said. ``We obviously want him, but they will clear him when he’s available to start baseball activities. How fast that comes, we’ll try to use common sense. ``It’s a tough injury. You push, push, push and you push too far, you hurt it and you're in trouble,’’ he went on. ``They (the medical people) never tell me when to hit and run and I don’t tell them (where to make guys return). . .That’s what their education is in. We listen to them. These guys have input in what we’re doing.’’
Posted by Paul Kenyon Clement takes the mound We're back from the daily meeting with Terry Francona and we’re going to have to act like a real reporter today. The big righty has been the forgotten man, having missed the entire season because of surgery to his right shoulder. This afternoon, just before Francona headed to his press conference, Clement took the mound to face hitters for the first time. ``It was 20 pitches,’’ Francona related. ``I think you could tell by the look on his face he was excited, probably somewhat excited and somewhat nervous.’’ Clement faced Brandon Moss and Kevin Cash. He had a few pitches so wild the hitter did not swing, but he looked fine. ``It may look like small steps to us, but to him I’m sure it was a huge step facing hitters,’’ Francona said. Clement had thrown off a mound for the first time two weeks ago. He will throw to hitters again Tuesday before the team decides where to proceed from there. Beyond watching Clement pitch, what was special for Francona was that a number of Sox players, especially pitchers, came out for the 3:45 session to watch. When Clement finished, a large group, led by Mike Timlin, went to congratulate him. ``That was pretty neat,’’ Francona said. ``We’ve played what, 140 games and guys are out there. That’s what is not surprising about our team. Sometimes you don’t see it out on the field, but that’s pretty much how they feel.’’
Posted by Paul Kenyon Pedroia gets a night offWelcome to another beautiful afternoon at Fenway. The lineups are up for both teams and the notable change for tonight is that Dustin Pedroia will not start for the Sox. Here are the lineups: Boston Toronto Schilling p Marcum p
Posted by Paul Kenyon Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Ellsbury, Papelbon and BuchholzSean McAdam rejoins us today for our latest edition of projo SoxTalk. Click here to listen to the full audio file. Today's topics: different ways to beat the Blue Jays; Jonathan Papelbon goes back-to-back-to-back; Jacoby Ellsbury's surprising power surge; how the Red Sox plan to use Clay Buchholz; and the availability of Eric Gagne. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments: On Papelbon: "I think it's a terrific sign that in the first week of September, he's taken on his biggest workload of the season. That tells me that they've done a pretty good job preserving him, and as they get into the stretch run, they don't have to be as careful." On Ellsbury: "He's hit as many home runs (2) in 31 major-league at-bats as he hit all season in 436 minor-league at-bats. And he talked about that last night, saying that when he went back down after coming up [in mid-summer], he changed some things in his swing ... started using his legs a little more in terms of his approach at the plate, started generating a little more power, and we've seen that." On Buchholz: "They're kind of hoping -- and it's really only that; I don't think they have any great expectations here -- but they're kind of hoping that they catch a little lightning in a bottle in the final three weeks. I don't want to say he can duplicate what Francisco Rodriguez did with the Angels in 2002, but maybe he can be Jonathan Papelbon with the Red Sox in 2005."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Wednesday, September 5SWEET SEVENTEEN: It wasn't a playoff preview, not against a team that's just hanging on the fringes of the wild-card race, but it had a definite postseason tinge: Ace against ace, with the Red Sox' suspect offense needing to generate runs against a quality starter while their own pitcher had to shut down a potent opposition attack. In that light, the Sox had to be pleased with their 4-3 win over the Blue Jays last night, as Josh Beckett (above, Journal photo by Bob Breidenbach) outdueled Roy Halladay for his major-league-leading 17th win. (projo.com) Sean McAdam reports Beckett's only mistake was a hanging changeup that the white-hot Matt Stairs deposited into the bullpen for a three-run homer in the fifth; otherwise, he stifled Toronto on four hits over eight innings. One of the later items in McAdam's notebook details the third straight appearance of Jonathan Papelbon -- the first time all season he's worked three straight games -- as the Sox, after months of carefully monitoring his workload to protect his shoulder, begin preparing him for the intense demands of the playoffs. He certainly seemed none the worse for wear last night, retiring the Jays in order and striking out the final batter. NEW KID IN TOWN: Jacoby Ellsbury is fast becoming a Boston folk hero, and Joe McDonald reports on his 3-for-4 performance last night, in which he was just a double shy of the cycle. It's worth a click on this link to Projo Stats to see Ellsbury's numbers after 31 major-league at-bats. A GOOD SCOUT: The Boston Globe's Gordon Edes talks to Jim Robinson, the scout who discovered Clay Buchholz. PROTECTING THE FUTURE: SI.com's Tom Verducci tells why the Red Sox -- and other teams with bright pitching prospects -- are so cautious with Buchholz. McAdam's notebook outlines the Sox' plans for Buchholz in the remaining weeks. STILL THE ONE: The Sox remain No. 1 in SI.com's Power Rankings. TIME FOR A CHANGE: McDonald reports that the Red Sox have fired PawSox hitting coach Mark Budaska and are reassigning Pawtucket's pitching coach, Mike Griffin. Jon Lester and Brandon Moss, who played for Pawtucket this year, comment on the changes. RUBBER NECKERS: The Red Sox will be spending the weekend in Baltimore, and the Baltimore Sun's Rick Masse says the reeling Orioles have turned ''the September schedule into a massive freeway accident, each night's game serving as another crunched car added to the pileup.'' They did win last night, though . . . even if it only was against Tampa Bay. (Baltimore Sun) YANKS ARE WILD: A 12-3 romp over the Mariners last night increased the Yankees' lead in the wild-card race (New York Daily News), and, even better, they say injuries to Chien-Ming Wang (lower back stiffness) and Alex Rodriguez (ankle) are nothing to worry about. The Daily News has more on A-Rod. ROGER TALK: Some people speak English, some speak French, some speak . . . well, you get the idea. But there's a veteran right-hander -- you all know him; used to pitch here -- who speaks Clemens, which can be hard for the rest of us to decipher at times. That was the case yesterday, as reporters tried to pick through whatever it was Roger said about his elbow injury. One thing's for certain: He and the Yankees think he'll only miss one start. The New York Post's Joel Sherman says Clemens ''attempted to make the injury sound worse and himself sound bigger for it. He was setting up yet another -- everyone yawn now -- John Wayne moment when he comes strolling back into Dodge to save a pinstripe town. '' But teammate Andy Pettitte spoke in a more discouraging tone: ''There is going to be an end [to Clemens' career] sometime. And this could be it.'' (New York Post) JOIN THE CHORUS: Peter Abraham thinks most of the criticism of Joe Torre is unfounded. But when it comes to how Torre uses his bullpen . . . well, here's Abraham on his game blog last night: ''[Why] he would use Luis Vizcaino in an 11-1 game is beyond me. It’s like he picks one guy every year and decides to use him as often as possible. With the rosters expanded, they could use most anybody in an 11-1 game. It makes no sense.'' (LoHud Yankees Blog) PLAYING THE CARDS: FoxSports.com's Tracy Ringolsby says people may not like the wild card but it ''is serving its purpose. It's keeping interest in September.'' IN THE A.L. . . . That's not quite as true; in fact, Baseball Musing's David Pinto says the division races are settled, barring historic collapses by the Red Sox, Angels or Indians. In the wild-card hunt, only the Mariners and the Tigers have a chance to catch the Yankees. And the Tigers lost to the White Sox and continue to slide in both the A.L. Central and wild-card races. (Detroit News) BUT IN THE N.L. . . . Virtually everybody's alive. The Dodgers beat the Cubs and are now three games back in both the N.L. West and wild-card races (Los Angeles Daily News) . . . The Phillies beat the Braves and are three out in the wild card and five back in the N.L. East (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . The Brewers beat the Astros and pulled to a half-game back of the Cubs in the N.L. Central (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . The Cardinals are right with them, one game behind Chicago, after beating the Astros (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) . . . The Mets remained five up in the N.L. East by beating the Reds (New York Daily News) . . . The Diamondbacks routed the Padres and the teams are now virtually tied for the N.L. West lead. (Arizona Republic) AGE WILL BE SERVED: ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick says the Diamondbacks will go as far as their veterans take them. HEAR MY PLEA: It may be the frustration of the Braves' season swirling down the drain, but Chipper Jones blasted major-league umpires after Atlanta's 5-2 loss to the Phillies last night and all but begged MLB to install QuesTec, the automatic system for determining balls and strikes, at Turner Field. For those -- like me -- who think the quality of umpiring, after taking an uptick with the disappearance of Richie Phillips, has declined dramatically in recent years, it's an interesting read. As for Chipper, however, you have to think MLB will lower the boom on him for this. STILL WAITING: Speaking of having problems with umpires, the Devil Rays' Carl Crawford hasn't yet heard if he'll be disciplined after his Monday night ouburst. (AP via ESPN.com) I'M SORRY: As we all suspected he would, Carlos Zambrano apologized to Cubs fans for his Tuesday outburst. (Chicago Sun-Times) A RIDDLE, WRAPPED IN A MYSTERY, INSIDE AN ENIGMA: That's what the St. Petersburg Times' John Romano thinks of Rhode Island's Rocco Baldelli, who has missed 348 of Tampa Bay's last 486 games because of injury and whose uncertain status for the future casts a shadow over many of the Devil Rays' personnel decisions. BIGGEST APPLE: SI.com's Jon Heyman thinks the two MVPs could come from New York this year. Click the link to see who. QUICKLY: The Brewers have added reliever Ray King and catcher Mike Rivera for help down the stretch (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . Rhode Island's Jim Salisbury reports Cole Hamels thinks the Phillies need a full-time chiropractor; Hamels believes he'd be healthy if they did (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . The White Sox may give Ozzie Guillen a contract extension (Chicago Tribune) . . . The Cardinals may take Kip Wells out of their rotation (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) . . . The Padres have picked up ex-Padre Brett Tomko. (foxsports.com) OLD FRIENDS: Pedro Martinez felt ''perfect'' a day after his return to the Mets. (New York Post) AND FINALLY . . . Dirk Hayhurst, a pitcher in the Padres' minor-league system, is writing a ''Non-Prospect Diary'' for Baseball America. His August 16 entry is a must read, on many levels, for people who want real insight into what baseball is truly like. -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 4, 2007
Clubhouse postgame reactionRed Sox manager Terry Francona on Jacoby Ellsbury: “I think that might be a little premature,” said Francona when asked if Ellsbury is becoming a power-hitter. “I’m glad he saved them up. He’s impacting every game he plays, which is not only exciting but it’s very beneficial in us winning. He’s a very exciting young player. That’s stating the obvious.” Ellsbury on his 3-for-3 performance: “It feels good to get off to a fast start. It builds the confidence from there.” Ellsbury on falling a double short of cycle: “It would have been nice. More importantly we got the win, but it would have been nice to get that fourth AB.” Ellsbury’s home run last night came off Toronto starter Roy Halladay, one of the premiere pitchers in the majors, in the fourth inning to drive in two runs. “He has filthy pitches,” said Ellsbury. “Tonight I was just seeing the ball really and fortunately put three good swings on them.”
Posted by Joe McDonald Papelbon works three days in a rowJonathan Papelbon on pitching three straight days: Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon earned his 33rd save of the season last night, and for the first time this season he worked three consecutive games. Francona explained the reasoning behind not overusing Papelbon this season was to make sure the hard-throwing right-hander had gas left in the tank come the final month of the season and into the postseason. “Tonight was huge for me,” said Papelbon. “I’ve said it all along that this is something my body needs to go through and my body needs to feel because during the stretch run there will be those opportunities where I’m going to be called on three days in a row.” He has worked 12 2/3 scoreless innings with 10 saves and 21 strikeouts with just one hit in his last appearances.
Posted by Joe McDonald Final: Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 3BOSTON -- Josh Beckett, backed by home runs from Jacoby Ellsbury and Kevin Youkilis, became the major leagues' first 17-game winner as he outdueled Roy Halliday and led the Red Sox to a 5-3 victory over the Blue Jays Tuesday night. Beckett, whose previous high in victories was 16, worked eight innings, scattering five hits and striking out seven. The only blemish was a two-out, three-run homer by the red-hot Matt Stairs in the fifth inning, cutting the Sox' lead at the time to 4-3. Jonathan Papelbon, pitching for the third consecutive day for the first time all season, retired Toronto in order in the ninth for his 33rd save. Coco Crisp drove in Boston's first run when he beat out a fielder's choice grounder by a hair with two outs in the fourth inning. Ellsbury followed with a shot into the Red Sox bullpen on the very next pitch, making it 3-0. A double by Julio Lugo and a single by Dustin Pedroia extended the lead to 4-0. The Sox added an insurance run in the eighth on a home run into the center-field bleachers by Youkilis. Get the box score and other details here.
Posted by Art Martone Red Sox make changes in organizationThe Boston Red Sox have made some organizational changes. After the Pawtucket Red Sox concluded their season Monday at McCoy Stadium, pitching coach Mike Griffin was informed he was being reassigned in the organization, and hitting coach Mark Budaska was fired. Red Sox vice president of player personnel Ben Cherington and the club's director of player development Mike Hazen informed Griffin and Budaska of the decisions following Pawtucket's last game of the season. “Griff’s a loyal employee and a hard worker,” said Cherington. “He’s someone we admire.” Cherington explained the job of a Triple-A pitching coach is a difficult one, a position with unique challenges. If Griffin decides to stay in the organization, which Red Sox management hopes he does, the club feels he’ll be getting a fresh start that will bring out his strengths again. “Buda worked very hard,” said Cherington. “A lot of young hitters enjoyed success and made it to the major-league level [because of him] and that’s not lost on anybody. This was just a change we felt was necessary. Buda is a very qualified hitting coach.” Cherington said the organization’s view and Budaska’s view on a couple of things “didn’t match up” and “the change was in the best interest for both.” “Both are good people,” said Cherington. “Not an easy decision to make and it’s news that you don’t like to deliver."
Posted by Joe McDonald Tonight's lineupsTORONTO BOSTON
Posted by Joe McDonald Baseball Today: Tuesday, September 4GLASS IS HALF-FULL: Accentuate the positive. That's what Steven Krasner says the Red Sox were doing after last night's 13-10 win over the Blue Jays (projo.com), a game in which they squandered all but one run of a 10-1 lead in the sixth inning and in which Daisuke Matsuzaka was, again, disturbingly hittable . . . particularly in the sixth, when the Jays pushed across eight runs against Dice-K and Javier Lopez and had the tying run on third base before Manny Delcarmen recorded the final out. But, in spite of all that, there was positive to accentuate. Mike Lowell, for one; he reached the 100-RBI plateau and extended his hitting streak to 16 games, tying his career best. (projo.com) (Above, Lowell is congratulated by catcher Jason Varitek after the game. Journal photo by Bob Breidenbach.) Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia, for another; they combined to go 5-for-10 with six runs scored from the 1-2 spots in the lineup and may have provided a glimpse of what Boston's future batting order will be like. (Boston Globe) And then, of course . . . LABOR PAINS . . . there was the news out of New York. For starters, the Mariners beat the Yankees 7-1 (New York Daily News), increasing the Red Sox' lead in the A.L. East to seven games. But what also benefits the Sox is that the Yanks lost more than a game yesterday. We begin with the elbow woes of Roger Clemens (New York Post), which forced him out of yesterday's game in the fourth inning and will cause him to miss at least one start. And that means the gasping-for-air Mike Mussina moves back into the starting rotation (New York Daily News). They also lost Andy Phillips for the rest of the year because of a broken wrist suffered when he was hit by a pitch Sunday. (New York Daly News) Put it all together, says the New York Post's Joel Sherman, and ''the degree of difficulty in securing a playoff spot has risen dramatically for the Yankees''. One of the reasons, adds colleague Kevin Kernan, is that the Yanks have been an all-or-nothing-at-all team this season: ''When the Yankees are bad, they are really bad. Their pitchers give up tons of runs and their hitters disappear.'' JUST MY OPINION: Bob Klapisch thinks there was no way Joba Chamberlain was intentionally throwing at Kevin Youkilis. (Bergen Record) ORGANIZATIONAL PHILOSOPHY: The Red Sox are also accentuating the positive at the minor-league level, as PawSox pitching coach Mike Griffin says that, contrary to accepted opinion, Craig Hansen made progress this year. (projo.com) It's true that Hansen's final statistics don't look nearly as bad as they were looking just a few weeks ago, though it wasn't enough get him a September callup -- something he was hoping for, as he admitted a few days ago. (projo.com) RED FLAG: Some corners of Red Sox Nation -- I'd link to them, but there's that NSFW thing -- are up in arms over Eric Wilbur's declaration of surrender after last week's Yankee sweep of the Red Sox. (boston.com) But Wilbur's not alone in his thoughts. Red Sox fan Kevin Hench, writing on FoxSports.com, gives 10 reasons why the Yankees would beat the Red Sox in a postseason matchup . . . though, given events of the last 24 hours, he may want to rethink No. 8. (Rocket fueled) MEMORIES . . . I know it's three days old now, but Clay Buchholz' no-hitter is worth another look, as is the defensive play that saved it. (Both stories projo.com) The blog Red Sox Monster has some video. ESPN.com's Rob Neyer, incidentally, was impressed . . . not so much by the no-hitter but by Buchholz himself. A GOOD TRADE: The Sox acquired Buchholz as the compensation pick for losing Pedro Martinez, which prompted Martinez to comment, ''See, some things work out for the best.'' (Newark Star-Ledger) WELCOME BACK: ESPN.com's Amy K. Nelson has a well-written piece on Martinez' successful return to the Mets yesterday. THE LEADER: The Globe's Dan Shaughnessy wrote a fascinating piece on what Terry Francona's life is like as Red Sox manager; suffice to say, there's a lot more to it than meets the eye. One of the best quotes came from Theo Epstein, who praised Francona's even-keeled public persona by noting: ''[If] you don't have a couple of beacons of reason, others in the organization, players included, can lose perspective.'' THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR: Curt Schilling returns to 38pitches.com and asks, ''Has there been a better time to be a Sox fan in the past 20 years?'' He also takes a few more shots at Shaughnessy. HE'S ALSO BACK: We have a rare Kevin Youkilis blog sighting, as well, and he, too, is ready for September. (kevinyoukilis.mlblogs.com) MISSING ACE: It looks like the Red Sox won't be facing Erik Bedard this weekend in Baltimore. (Baltimore Sun) SEPTEMBER TO REMEMBER: SI.com's John Donovan tells us why. So does ESPN.com's Jonah Keri. 'WORST TRAUMA I'VE SEEN': The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the career of Cardinal outfielder Juan Encarnacion is in jeopardy after he was struck in the eye by a foul ball while standing in the on-deck circle. HOW DARE YOU? Carlos Zambrano was irate about being booed after he and the Cubs were routed by the Dodgers. (Chicago Tribune) LONG TIME COMING: Scott Rolen thinks the seeds of the problem that led to his season-ending shoulder surgery were planted last September. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) QUICKLY: Even though everyone assumes this is Joe Torre's final year as Yankee manager, he thinks he might like to return (New York Daily News) . . . This could be free agent-to-be Andruw Jones' final month in Atlanta, but he says he's not thinking about it (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) . . . The injury to Nomar Garciaparra and the ineffectiveness of Shea Hillenbrand have combined to give Adam LaRoche a chance to play with the Dodgers (Los Angeles Daily News) . . . The Rockies' Aaron Cook will miss the rest of the year (Denver Post) . . . The Phillies have their eyes on Colorado's Garrett Atkins (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . Kenny Rogers says he's ready to return to the Tigers rotation (Detroit News) . . . Akinori Otsuka is hoping to avoid surgery (Dallas Morning News) . . . It appears Torii Hunter wants the same contract J.D. Drew received. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune) OLD FRIENDS: Baseball Musing's David Pinto reports Wily Mo Pena is giving the Nationals pretty much the same thing he gave the Red Sox: Low batting average, low on-base percentage, but home runs whenever he manages to hit the ball. -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 3, 2007
Final: Red Sox 13, Blue Jays 10BOSTON -- There was plenty of bad news for the Red Sox on Monday night -- giving up all but one run of a 10-1 lead in the sixth, the disconcerting recent ineffectiveness of Daisuke Matsuzaka, shaky outings from many members of the relief corps until Jonathan Papelbon restored order with a 1-2-3 ninth -- and, Red Sox Nation being what it is, it's safe to say those will be the main topics of conversation from now until the first pitch Tuesday night. Lost in all of this? The fact that the Sox are marching inexorably toward the A.L. East championship. Monday night's 13-10 victory increased their lead over the suddenly-struggling-again Yankees back to seven games, and lowered their magic number for clinching the division title to 18. Which is to say, any combination of Boston victories and New York defeats totalling 18 will give the Red Sox the championship. A three-run homer by Mike Lowell, who extended his hitting streak to 16 games, gave the Sox a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the first, and it was a lead they never relinquished . . . try as they might. And try they did. After his teammates had made it 5-1 with two in the third, then 10-1 with five in the fourth, Matsuzaka cruised into the top of the sixth with a 10-1 lead. But he never got out of the inning, and his first replacement, Javier Lopez, was no better. By the time Manny Delcarmen recorded the final out, eight Toronto runs had scored -- and the tying run was perched on third -- and the Jays had closed to 10-9. The Sox got four of them right back in the bottom of the sixth, making it 13-9, but Toronto scored off Delcarmen in the seventh. Hideki Okajima (working for the second straight day) and Mike Timlin danced in and out of trouble, but got the game into Papelbon's hands in the ninth at 13-10. He took it from there, striking out two of the three batters he faced in recording his 32nd save. Get the box score and the scoring details here.
Posted by Art Martone Pregame Notes, Sept. 3
Wakefield, meanwhile, has been voted the Red Sox player of the month for August, when he went 4-1 with a .245 earned-run average. -- Eric Gagne played some catch yesterday for the first time in a few days. The right-hander has been bothered by tendinitis in his right shoulder, the result, he and the Sox' staff think, of throwing too often over a week-and-a-half period in an attempt to correct a few mechanical flaws in his delivery. He's still not likely to pitch in a game for while, needing to at least throw a few bullpen sessions, if not a simulated game or two before returning. -- Doug Mirabelli is away from the team for what manager Terry Francona called a "serious issue" with his family. It's possible he'll be able to catch Wakefield on Thursday, but Francona isn't etching that plan in stone. -- Manny Ramirez (oblique) was working out on an elliptical machine in the team's workout room this afternoon, but there's still no word as to when the Sox slugger will be able to return to the lineup. He has been on the sidelines since having to leave last Tuesday night's game in New York. -- Kevin Youkilis, who fanned four times Sunday, is getting a breather from the starting lineup tonight. Eric Hinske is starting. -- Craig Breslow's stay with Boston was brief. The left-handed reliever was called up from Pawtucket on Friday and optioned back to the PawSox after Sunday's game. -- Francona said he still isn't ready to reveal the organization's plans for Clay Buchholz, who threw a no-hitter Saturday night against the Orioles. The rookie right-hander is nearing the team's innings limit, but how well Wakefield comes through his side session tomorrow could affect Boston's plans for Buchholz. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Starting Lineups, Sept. 3BOSTON Ellsbury lf Matsuzaka p TORONTO Wells cf Litsch p -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner September 2, 2007
Lineups...Get Your Lineups, Here!Dustin Pedroia 2b Jon Lester P BALTIMORE Daniel Cabrera P
Posted by Sean McAdam The final pitchHere's the AP Photo of the final pitch of Clay Buchholz' no-hitter:
Posted by Art Martone Just as special for VaritekBOSTON _ There, in the background, was Jason Varitek. The Boston Red Sox captain had just caught his third professional no-hitter thanks to rookie pitcher Clay Buchholz, who kept the Baltimore Orioles stymied at Fenway Park last night. And, while all the focus was on the 23-year-old right-hander, his batterymate deserved a lot of the credit, too. Before last night’s game, Buchholz and Varitek held an in-depth study session on the Baltimore hitters and it proved crucial. “Jason puts in a lot of care,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “I know Clay’s name will be in the record books, I hope Jason’s is right under it because he deserves it.” It’s no secret Varitek is one of the most well prepared catchers in baseball and Buchholz was certainly happy to have him behind the plate. “He played an incredible role,” said the rookie. “The way he breaks down each hitter, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before – how much pride and passion he takes in everything he does. When he’s back there calling a game you can see him thinking about what pitch we want to throw. You don’t come across guys that often who think the game while they’re playing. He’s a great attribute to what happened tonight and I’m glad to say I got to throw to Jason Varitek.” Of course, Varitek gave all the credit to Buchholz. “He just did an excellent job,” he said. “He stayed aggressive. He did a phenomenal job. He was great.” --Joe McDonald
Posted by Joe McDonald Scenes from a no-hitter: Cell phone picturesThey're not much, but here are some shots I took from the ninth inning of Clay Buchholz' no-hitter. (I was with colleague M. Charles Bakst, who, as you can see, has marvelous seats on the third-base side.) These are fans cheering on Buchholz with two outs in the ninth:
Here are the Red Sox players mobbing Buchholz near the third-base line after he'd struck out Nick Markakis for the final out:
Some out-of-focus, postgame shots:
It was quite a night for Charlie and I. He's been going to Red Sox games for 57 years and had never seen a no-hitter. (He'd gone to a Columbia reunion on the April Saturday in 2002 when Derek Lowe no-hit the Tampa Bay Devil Rays; otherwise, he'd have been in these very seats.) As for me, I was at Yankee Stadium -- with three Yankee fans -- for Dave Righetti's no-hitter against the Red Sox on July 4, 1983. This was the first time I'd seen a Red Sox no-hitter in person. We'll have pictures from the pros on site very soon. -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone September 1, 2007
Clubhouse reaction to no-hitterClay Buchholz on Clay Buchholz: “If anybody would have said to me I’d come out [in my second big-league start] and did what happened today, I would have called them a liar. This is what you dream about growing up. This is unreal.” Buchholz on the emotion of the night: “I don’t even know a word for it. I was so excited and ecstatic about everything . . . You would think we won a World Series or something. It was an incredible moment of my life and something I’ll never forget.”
“I was still nervous. It wasn’t the same kind of nervous, though. At least I knew what to expect from the crowd and everything else, but today I was just nervous like any other baseball game you play in. I felt a little better coming out of the gate.” On the Red Sox giving him an opportunity: “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. It’s what you dream about coming up. I feel like nothing can go wrong right now. I’m going to try to keep everything on an even plane. It’s just a dream come true.”
“I’m glad he went [the distance],” said Corey, who was called up from Pawtucket yesterday afternoon. “That’s not a game I want to come in to. He had an opportunity to do something special, let him go.”
“That’s about as nervous and excited as a lot of us have been in a long time. That was something to see.”
Posted by Joe McDonald Late Game Notes, Sept. 1
Kevin Youkilis broke open last night's game by lining a three-run homer just over the top of the Green Monster in left field, giving the Sox an 8-0 lead. The ball hit a short retaining ledge atop the wall and bounced right back onto the field, so Youkilis wasn't aware he had hit a homer until after he rounded second base, when he got the news from umpire Ed Hickox. So Youkilis finished his home-run jaunt around the bases and as he got to home plate he turned and point to the Green Monster, where the ball had been hit. Why, you ask? Because it just so happened his father, brother and his brother's wife were sitting right in the area where the ball had been hit. "How cool is that," said Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp. A NUMBERS GAME Clay Buchholz was wearing uniform number 61. Two seasons ago, that number belonged to right-hander Bronson Arroyo. Arroyo threw a perfect game for the Pawtucket Red Sox. Kevin Youkilis played in that game, and he also played last night behind Buchholz. "The perfect game is a little more nerve-wracking because you don't want to make an error, but this was nerve-wracking, too. As a fielder, you want the ball hit to you. You want to make the play," said Youkilis. Youkilis, not surprisingly, was impressed by Buchholz. "This was unbelievable what he did, throwing a no-hitter in only his second start," said Youkilis. "They were way out in front of his changeup. A couple guys came down to first and they said he had a great changeup." Ex-Soxer Kevin Millar, who walked once and fanned twice, was impressed. "The guy threw a good game," said Millar. "He had his stuff, man. You've got to tip your hat to Clay Buchholz and move on. He didn't just have command of one pitch, he had command of three." SOX GET OFFENSIVE -- David Ortiz's three-run double boosted his total to 13 RBI in his last 8 games. He is batting .333 (10 for 30) over that stretch with five homers and is batting .382 over his last 15 games with four doubles, a triple, seven homers, 22 RBI and 20 runs scored.
Posted by Steven Krasner Late Game Notes, Sept. 1
Kevin Youkilis broke open last night's game by lining a three-run homer just over the top of the Green Monster in left field, giving the Sox an 8-0 lead. The ball hit a short retaining ledge atop the wall and bounced right back onto the field, so Youkilis wasn't aware he had hit a homer until after he rounded second base, when he got the news from umpire Ed Hickox. So Youkilis finished his home-run jaunt around the bases and as he got to home plate he turned and point to the Green Monster, where the ball had been hit. Why, you ask? Because it just so happened his father, brother and his brother's wife were sitting right in the area where the ball had been hit. "How cool is that," said Red Sox center fielder Coco Crisp. A NUMBERS GAME Clay Buchholz was wearing uniform number 61. Two seasons ago, that number belonged to right-hander Bronson Arroyo. Arroyo threw a perfect game for the Pawtucket Red Sox. Kevin Youkilis played in that game, and he also played last night behind Buchholz. "The perfect game is a little more nerve-wracking because you don't want to make an error, but this was nerve-wracking, too. As a fielder, you want the ball hit to you. You want to make the play," said Youkilis. Youkilis, not surprisingly, was impressed by Buchholz. "This was unbelievable what he did, throwing a no-hitter in only his second start," said Youkilis. "They were way out in front of his changeup. A couple guys came down to first and they said he had a great changeup." Ex-Soxer Kevin Millar, who walked once and fanned twice, was impressed. "The guy threw a good game," said Millar. "He had his stuff, man. You've got to tip your hat to Clay Buchholz and move on. He didn't just have command of one pitch, he had command of three." SOX GET OFFENSIVE -- David Ortiz's three-run double boosted his total to 13 RBI in his last 8 games. He is batting .333 (10 for 30) over that stretch with five homers and is batting .382 over his last 15 games with four doubles, a triple, seven homers, 22 RBI and 20 runs scored.
Posted by Steven Krasner Late No-Hit Notes, Sept. 1
The last rookie to accomplish the feat was Florida's Anibel Sanchez on Sept. 6 last year. Sanchez had been traded by the Sox' organization to the Marlins as part of the deal that brought Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston. The last American League rookie to toss a no-hitter was the White Sox' Wilson Alvarez on Aug. 11, 1991, also against Baltimore. Buchholz is just the third pitcher since 1900 to throw a no-hitter in either his first or second big-league start. The St. Louis Browns' Bobo Holoman hurled one in his first start on May 6, 1953. Alvarez's no-hitter came in his second start. It was the Sox' first official no-hitter since Derek Lowe's gem at Fenway Park against the Devil Rays on April 27, 2002. Devern Hansack threw a rain-shortened five-inning no-hitter, also against the Orioles, on the final day of last season. Buchholz tossed the third no-hitter in the majors this year. Chicago's Mark Buehrle no-hit Texas on April 18 and Detroit's Justin Verlander held Milwaukee without a hit on June 12. Three of the Sox' last four no-hitters have come at the expense of the Orioles. In addition to Buchholz and Hansack, Hideo Nomo threw a no-hitter against Baltimore, in Camden Yards, on April 4, 2001.
Posted by Steven Krasner Pregame Notes, Sept. 1
-- J.D. Drew, who fouled a pitch off his right foot in his second-inning at-bat Friday night, is out of action for a while because of a contusion. -- There is no update as to when Manny Ramirez (oblique) might be able to return. -- Tim Wakefield, who was scratched from his start Friday night because of a sore back, said this afternoon that he fully expects to make his next scheduled start, Thursday in Baltimore. -- The Sox' outfield corps was depleted by injuries Friday night, so after Coco Crisp hit the wall in an unsuccessful attempt to catch a fly ball the Sox center fielder knew there was no way he could leave the game. -- Francona was asked whether he had received a phone call and an apology from Major League Baseball for their fashion police's faux pas of checking to see if he was wearing his game jersey underneath a pullover during a game at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Starting Lineups, Sept. 1BOSTON Lugo ss Buchholz p BALTIMORE Roberts 2b Olson p -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Ellsbury, Buchholz, Moss, Clayton and Corey get the call to BostonThe Boston Red Sox today recalled outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Brandon Moss, and pitcher Clay Buchholz from Pawtucket, and purchased the contracts of pitcher Bryan Corey and shortstop Royce Clayton from Pawtucket. Ellsbury leaves one day after his PawSox franchise-record 25-game hitting streak was snapped when he went 0-for-4 on Friday. He also leaves in a three-way tie for the International League lead with 33 stolen bases. He started 87 games in the outfield (65 CF, 12 LF, 7 RF) and batted lead-off in every one of his starts. Ellsbury began his 25-game hitting streak on July 21 (just before he went on the disabled list with a groin streak) and then continued it from Aug. 5-30. He bettered the franchise-record 19-game hitting streaks posted by Dave Stapleton in 1979 and Dave Berg in 2005. Ellsbury batted .377 during his streak (40-for-106) which was the second longest hitting streak in the International League this season (Brandon Watson of Columbus had a 43 game hitting streak). Clayton was signed by the Red Sox as a free agent on Aug. 23 and added to the PawSox roster on Aug. 24. In seven games with the PawSox he hit .143 (4-for-28) with three doubles and four RBI. He began the season with Toronto and batted .254 in 69 game before being released by the Blue Jays in early August. Moss was chosen as the PawSox MVP prior to Friday's game. In his rookie season with the PawSox he leads the team in games played (133 out of 138), hits (139), runs scored (66 tied with Ellsbury), doubles (41), home runs (16), and RBI (78). His 41 doubles currently leads the IL and are just two shy of the all-time PawSox club record. Corey led the PawSox with 58 appearances (2nd most in the league) while posting a 6-8 record with a 3.69 ERA along with three saves. In his last 24 outings with the PawSox he was 4-3 with a 3.20 ERA (9 ER in 25.1 IP). If you subtract his one bad outing (7/29, 4 ER, 1.1 IP), his ERA during that stretch becomes 1.88 (5 ER in 24 IP). Pawtucket added Cory Keylor (OF) and John Barnes (pitcher) from Portland, and relief pitchers Blake Maxwell (from Single-A Lancaster) and Scott Lonergan (from short-season A Lowell). The PawSox also reinstated infielder Ed Rogers from the disabled list. -- ROBERT LEE
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