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September 27, 2007
Click 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 
at 10:52 AM to McAdam
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