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WORKOUT DAY: Dice-K ready

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

DENVER -- Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka hasn't had the best of luck during his first major-league postseason, but the Japanese right-hander will get another chance in Game Three on Saturday.

Dice-K played catch and took batting practice today and said he'll be ready to go on Saturday.

''I was feeling things out,'' he said. ''I felt like I might have to work a littel harder on my command while I'm here, and the one thing that I want to be particularly careful about is leaving the breaking ball up."

His last outing in Game Seven of the ALCS against the Indians, Matsuzaka began to come around when he worked five innings and allowed two runs on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts. He said he feels like he can build off that momentum and carry into Saturday against the Rockies.

''It is a different lineup," he said. ''But I know they are a very aggressive lineup throughout. Even though I know that, I'd like to go in there and pitch without hesitation, throw strikes and get outs."

Matsuzaka did not face the Rockies during the three-game series at Fenway Park in June, so Colorado has been watching plenty of video.

"He has an elaborate mix of pitches," said Rockies manager Clint Hurdle. "We have five on the record. He challenges the strike zone . . . I think we can put some pressure on him, maybe get him into some offensive counts. When we get opportunities to score we need to capitalize on those. We've seen all the tape we need to see, and now we need to see him in person."

If he's able to keep the Rockies' offense at bay just like Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling have been able to do, then the Red Sox could find themselves one victory away from sweeping the series with Jon Lester scheduled to pitch Game Four on Sunday.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 6:39 PM | Permalink

WORKOUT DAY: Mile High, baby!

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

DENVER -- Playing at Coors Field definitely presents some interesting issues for opposing pitchers. Because Denver is a mile above sea level, the air is thin and that can do some crazy things to the baseball.

Former Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo, now with the Reds, has pitched here before and knows exactly what kind of obstacles the Boston staff faces.

''Ever since they put the balls in the humidor they say it’s been pretty fair,'' said Arroyo. ''The pitchers might notice it a little bit on their breaking balls, obviously the air is really thin and they say the ball doesn’t move quite as much. But it’s playoff time and the weather is cold anyway, and that can do funny things to a pitcher. So, I don’t think they are going to notice it that much and I think it’ll be a pretty fair game.''

Colorado's Game Three starter, Josh Fogg, said prior to the club placing the balls in the humidor, the ball felt like a billard cue ball, very slick.

The humidor was put into place to keep the baseballs within MLB's specs, and it's worked.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 6:24 PM | Permalink

WORKOUT DAY: Ortiz and Lowell to play, Youkilis to sit in Game Three

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

DENVER -- Red Sox manager Terry Francona just announced that David Ortiz will play first base, and Mike Lowell will play third for Game Three at Coors Field on Saturday. That means the hot-hitting Kevin Youkilis will not start.

''David is a really good hitter. Lowell is a really good hitter. And Youk is a really good hitter, too. But, they won't let us play all three,'' said Francona. ''We hope to have a lead and put Youk in later in the game. . . We just felt this was the best thing to do. It's a difficult situation to be in, but I'm not second-guessing what we're doing.''

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 5:51 PM | Permalink

WORKOUT DAY: Red Sox pitchers taking BP

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

DENVER -- Now that the series has shifted to the National League, there's no more designated hitter. So, that means the Red Sox pitchers have to hit. Right now Boston's staff is in the cage and Josh Beckett is putting on a hitting display.

Red Sox lefty Jon Lester, who will pitch Game Four on Sunday, was informed when he walked into the clubhouse earlier today that he needed to take some swings.

''For me, it’s a little nerve-racking,'' he said. ''It should be fun. I hit a little bit last year. . . I’m not expecting to go up there and drive in any runs. If I go up there and get a bunt down then I’ve done my job. I just have to concentrate on pitching and getting outs.''

Daisuke Matsuzaka, hitting right-handed, isn't exactly showing Kaz Matsui skills at the plate. Dice-K is having a lot of problems in the cage. Lester, a left-handed hitter, has a nice fluid swing.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 5:40 PM | Permalink

WORKOUT DAY: Farrell likely staying put

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

DENVER -- The Red Sox don't want to lose John Farrell after just one season, and that now seems less likely.

Farrell is almost certain to be contacted by the Pittsburgh Pirates for their vacant managerial post, given that the Pirates' new GM is Neal Huntington, who worked closely with Farrell when the two were with the Cleveland Indians.

In fact, Farrell's name is beginning to circulate around the game. The New York Post reported Friday that had the Yankees extended their field of candidates to replace Joe Torre beyond the initial field of three -- Don Mattingly, Joe Girardi and Tony Pena -- they were planning to ask the Sox for permission to talk to Farrell.

But it's precisely that glowing reputation that leads the Sox to believe Farrell won't be tempted to take the Pirates position if it's offered. The Pirates have suffered through 15 straight losing seasons and rebuilding into a contender will take additional time.

If Farrell remains with the Red Sox, he'll gain more dugout experience and, given the team's success, gain additional exposure. Soon, it's believed, Farrell will have the opportunity to interview for more attractive jobs.

That would suit the Red Sox just fine. After Farrell implemented an organization-wide pitching program, the Sox don't want to start over again after just one season.

Farrell is one of the game's highest-paid pitching coaches -- with an annual salary thought to be approximately $350,000 -- and indications are the Sox would be willing to boost that some in order to convince Farrell to remain with the team.

Posted by Sean McAdam  at 5:07 PM | Permalink

WORKOUT DAY: The art of grinding out at-bats

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

DENVER -- The Sox' Kevin Youkilis has always been known for working the count in his at-bats, content to take his walks while showing a sharp batting eye and unusual discipline at the plate, something that has been part of his game since college.

He isn't the only one on the Sox who will make the pitcher work, though. There's an art to it, said Youkilis this afternoon before Boston's optional workout at Coors Field.

''It's hard, but you have to be able to do that against the best pitchers in the league,'' said Youkilis. ''You have to be able to foul off tough pitches. You have to take pitches that are just off the plate, pitches he wants you to swing at.''

When the Sox are successful at grinding out their at-bats, which is often, the opposing starting pitcher is gone from the game relatively early and the bullpen door opens, a risky proposition early in the game for almost every team.

Boston will enter Saturday night's game having won five games in a row. The opposing starting pitcher has not retired more than 18 batters in any of the games, and the pitch counts have been high for the most part.

In winning the last three games against the Indians for the World Series berth, Cleveland's starting pitchers -- C.C. Sabathia (6-plus innings, 112 pitches), Fausto Carmona (2-plus, 63) and Jake Westbrook (6, 94) -- weren't able to sail through the Sox' batting order.

In the two games against Colorado, the Rockies' starters weren't any more effective. Jeff Francis threw 103 pitches in 4 innings, and Ubaldo Jiminez threw 91 pitches in 4 2/3 innings.

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:52 PM | Permalink

WORKOUT DAY: Biding his time

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

DENVER -- Tim Wakefield isn't on the Red Sox' 25-man roster for the World Series, but he continues to take part in workouts and is uniform and in the dugout during games.

Wakefield even did played some catch in the bullpen Thursday at Fenway.

''It takes a little time to decompress,'' said Wakefield, ''and I want to be a good teammate, too.''

Wakefield is sidelined with recurring inflammation in his right shoulder, an ailment which first struck him in late August and forced him to miss a start. Had the problem come about in June or July, Wakefield said, he would have been shut down, with an eye toward getting him ready for later in the season.

But with only a month to go in the regular season and the Sox still needing to clinch a playoff spot, he returned to the rotation after missing just one start.

He will undergo an artrhogram after the Red Sox' season is complete and then get a strengthening program for the offseason. He's been assured by the Red Sox medical staff that a surgical procedure is ''very slim. There's nothing structurally wrong with the shoulder. (The inflammation) causes problems like internal impingement.''

The Sox have until early November to inform Wakefield whether they intend to pick up his rollover option for $4 million. Wakefield, asked whether this setback might influence the Sox' decision, responded: ''I don't think so.''

Posted by Sean McAdam  at 4:51 PM | Permalink

WORKOUT DAY: Lowell doesn't favor changing the World Series DH rule

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

DENVER -- Much is being made about the fact that the Red Sox are going to have to sit a key player on the bench for the games in Coors Field in the World Series because the designated hitter is not used in the National League parks in the Fall Classic.

What that means for Boston is that among vital offensive cogs David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis and Mike Lowell, only two can start without making wholesale lineup changes and weakening the team in several positions.

But Lowell, who will start at third base in Game Three at Coors Field, says he isn't necessarily in favor of making either the DH permanent in both leagues or getting rid of it altogether.

''I don't think it should be eliminated. The union wouldn't allow it because it means a (loss of) too many jobs,'' said Lowell.

''The National League teams build their teams differently. They don't go out and get a big bopper like they do in the American League. It's just a totally different philosophy in the American League. I don't think you want to use the DH one year (in the World Series) and not the next. To be honest, though, I don't think about it too much. I'd rather have an extra wild-card team than worry about the DH,'' said Lowell.

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:42 PM | Permalink

WORKOUT DAY: Lowell backs Drew

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

DENVER -- This has not been a good year for J.D. Drew, certainly not what the Sox and the fans were expecting when he was signed to a five-year, $70-million free-agent deal last offseason.

But he had a solid September and has been sticking in a key base hit here and there in the postseason, one of the reasons the Red Sox find themselves two wins away from a second World Series title in four years.

Veteran third baseman Mike Lowell said this afternoon he respects the fact Drew has endured the boos, hasn't changed his personality and is finishing strong.

''I never saw him throwing in the towel and not care about at-bats,'' said Lowell. ''He played great defense. I don't see (his struggles) as Boston getting to him. I don't think he changed at all. He was the same way when I played against him in St. Louis. He was the same in Atlanta and with the Dodgers.

''He's on a good run now. He's taking good swings at his pitches,'' said Lowell. ''And when you're doing those things, you get lucky sometimes, too. He's rolled over on balls a few times and the ball has gone through the hole.''

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:30 PM | Permalink

Decent weather predicted for Game Three

DENVER (AP) - The Colorado Rockies might have a hard time warming up their bats when the World Series shifts to Coors Field on Saturday night, where the weather is expected to be cool but dry for Game 3 against the Boston Red Sox.

Temperatures for the first World Series game played in Colorado are expected to be in the high 30s or low 40s, with a slight breeze and no precipitation, said National Weather Service forecaster Mike Baker.

"It doesn't look too bad if you have a nice jacket and keep warm," he said Friday.
Boston swept the first two games at Fenway Park, stifling the Rockies' powerful offense in a 13-1 rout in the opener and a 2-1 victory Thursday night.

The forecast is particularly good news after a storm swept through the state on Sunday, dropping several inches of snow and forcing the Rockies indoors for their next-to-last workout before flying off to Boston.

Game 4 on Sunday should be even better, with gametime temperatures in the upper 40s or low 50s.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 1:25 PM | Permalink

Epstein tells Herald he's confident Lowell will be back

Mike Lowell fans take heart: Theo Epstein says in today's Boston Herald that re-signing the veteran third baseman, who continued his tremendous season with an RBI double and a great base-running play that led to a critical run scored, is a priority for the Red Sox in the offseason. He goes so far as to say "I'm sure we'll be able to get something done."

There has been much speculation that the Red Sox might focus their attention on outbidding other clubs for Alex Rodriguez. But Lowell, for now, is the clear fan favorite in Boston.

Survey: Will Mike Lowell be a member of the Red Sox in 2008?

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments 3

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Defending their home turf

Click here to listen to today's edition of projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam. The topics: dominating bullpen performances by Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon; Mike Lowell's heads-up base-running; Ubaldo Jimenez's "effective wildness"; the weather forecast for Denver; the Ortiz-Youkilis-Lowell debate; and the National League's home-field advantage in interleague games.

Following are some excerpts from Sean's comments.

On Okajima and Papelbon: "Three and two-thirds innings from their two best relievers, the guys who have led the bullpen all season, to shut down a pretty good lineup like that is impressive indeed. And last night seemed to be an indication, if any more is needed, that Okajima has benefitted from that 12-day hiatus at the end of September, when the Red Sox sensed he was getting fatigued and thought it best to shut him down in anticipation of just such an appearance as last night."

Lowell going from first to third on J.D. Drew's single to right: "When he hit second base, it didn't seem as if there was any way that he'd be trying to go to third on Brad Hawpe, but I think he noticed that Hawpe was taking kind of a side-saddle angle to the ball and decided to maybe surprise people. And the ironic thing there is, during the afternoon, when they brought a player from each team in to speak at the press conference, Lowell was ... jokingly asked whether in the thin air he felt any faster on the basepaths at Coors Field. And he said, 'No, I never feel fast.' But certainly last night, smart base-running made up for that speed he may have lacked."

The starting lineup in Colorado: "I think a lot is going to depend on how Ortiz feels, and specifically how that right knee feels. I was a litle surprised yesterday to hear Francona say that if Ortiz can handle it, and that's by no means assured, that he would like to have him play all three games. Obvioulsy it's no surprise that you would want Ortiz's bat in there as much as possible ... but the practice has been, in road interleague games in National League cities, to rotate those three where everyone plays two games. And everyone sort of naturally assumed that [Francona] would follow that. But I think, given what's at stake here, he wants to if he can have Ortiz in there for all three. ... It looks like the decision comes down to what you do with Youkilis and Lowell, and my guess is because of Lowell's edge defensively, I would imagine that he would play two games there and Youkilis one if indeed Ortiz is OK to play all three at first."

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 10:07 AM to McAdam | Permalink | Comments 1

Download today's sports cover

It's all about the Red Sox' win in a suspenseful World Series Game Two.

Download a copy of the page in PDF format

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 10:00 AM | Permalink

INSIDE THE GAME: Late-inning update

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- Jonathan Papelbon does a lot of things well.

Holding runners is not one of them. The opposition runs at will against the Sox’ flame-throwing closer.

But last night, Papelpon picked off a red-faced Matt Holliday in a key spot in the eighth inning with Boston clinging to a 2-1 lead.

Holliday, the first batter to face Papelbon, drilled a two-out infield single that very nearly struck Papelbon and then almost resulted in injury to second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who made a diving attempt to make a play on the ball.

The Rockies were desperate to get the potential tying run in scoring position. And stealing second with Papelbon on the mound generally is successful. He rarely throws over. His motion is long to the plate. He doesn’t slide-step, so as not to detract from his electric stuff.

Holliday, who was 11-for-15 in stolen bases during the regular season, took a big lead and was leaning toward second as Papelbon prepared to face Todd Helton. And then Papelbon clearly surprised Holiday by throwing over to first.

Holliday was a dead duck, out by the proverbial mile, tagged by first baseman Kevin Youkilis in an embarrassing base-running blunder for Holiday and a vital blow to Colorado’s chances at a comeback.

* * *
The bullpen was as fresh as any team could hope for at this point in the postseason.
So Boston manager Terry Francona took advantage of that fact. Smelling a golden opportunity to go up, 2-0, in the best-of-seven World Series, Francona called for his relief corps much earlier than normal.

Leading, 2-1, Francona had left-hander Hideki Okajima and right-hander Manny Delcarmen warming up even as Curt Schilling toed the rubber for his first pitch of the sixth inning.

Schilling was pitching on only four days’ rest, getting the nod in Game Two because Tim Wakefield’s sore shoulder forced him to the sidelines. The Sox would have preferred to give the 40-year-old more rest between starts.

Also, it was a cold night, and Schilling had been forced to sit for three long innings in a row, even if they produced only two runs for the Sox.

So, those facts, plus the rested bullpen and a day off today, prompted Francona to bring in Okajima in the sixth after Schilling was nicked for a one-out single and a walk, pushing his pitch count to 82.

Generally, Okajima enters in the eighth, as Papelbon’s setup man. Or maybe in the seventh. But each out has become more precious as the postseason has gone on. And Okajima nailed down two precious ones in the sixth on a squibber to first by Garrett Atkins and then a three-pitch (curveball, fastball, splitter) strikeout of Brad Hawpe with runners at second and third, preserving the 2-1 lead.

Okajima ultimately worked 2 1/3 innings, retiring all seven batters he faced, whiffing four, before handing the baton to Papelbon.

* * *
Jacoby Ellsbury’s single leading off the sixth was a thing of beauty.

The left-handed hitter lined a pitch that was down and away into center field. Generally, when a hitter goes after such a pitch he rolls over on it, resulting in a grounder that is pulled. Ellsbury, though, didn’t roll over his wrists, which is one major reason he wound up with a line-drive single.

Posted by Art Martone  at 12:16 AM | Permalink