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Main page April 30, 2008
INSIDE THE GAME: Sox 2, Blue Jays 1BY STEVEN KRASNER BOSTON – David Ortiz at second. The game tied in the bottom of the ninth. For the second night in a row. On Tuesday night, manager Terry Francona decided not to pinch-run rookie Jed Lowrie for his lumbering designated hitter. The strategy worked out, with Ortiz scoring the game’s only run on a two-out single to center by Kevin Youkilis. Toronto center fielder Vernon Wells bobbled the ball, so Ortiz scored without a throw. Last night, Ortiz once again found himself at second base in a tie game in the bottom of the ninth. This time Francona sent in Lowrie to pinch run for him with one out. The strategy didn’t work out. Brandon Moss grounded a one-out single to center but Lowrie was gunned down at the plate on a strong throw by Wells. Captain Jason Varitek, though, came through the Sox. He drilled a single to center and Manny Ramirez beat another strong Wells throw home, giving Boston its second straifght walkoff victory over the Blue Jays, this one by a 2-1 score. So why did Francona pinch run last night for Ortiz, who opened the ninth by ripping a single through the right side of the Toronto shift? “We needed to do that. We have a lot of trust in him in his baserunning. I don’t have any doubt David can get a good secondary lead and score, (but) we ran for him because you could see him limping out there,” said Francona. Francona said Ortiz looked into the dugout after reaching base on his single, a signal between the two that means he needs a pinch runner. Francona, though, didn’t want to risk losing him in the lineup in the event Ramirez hit a grounder. But Ramirez worked a walk, pushing Ortiz to second with none out, so Lowrie was sent in. The runners stayed put as Mike Lowell struck out. Lowrie, however, was not successful in his mission. Catcher Rod Barajas pushed him off the plate with his left leg as Lowrie slid to the outside of the plate and applied the tag. “He might have gotten a bigger secondary lead,” said Francona of the reason Lowrie didn’t score. “He’s not the fastest guy on the team but he was the one with the freshest legs.” ******************** This is supposed to be the year that Manny Delcarmen blossoms into a top-flight setup man, a dominant seventh- or eighth-inning guy who can form an airtight bridge between the starters and the dynamic closing duo of Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon. There have been signs that, at the age of 26, Delcarmen has arrived. Unfortnately, there have been too many, such as last night, when he has been a very shaky “bridge.” The right-hander, called in to start the eighth inning with the Sox ahead, 1-0, threw only two pitches, a 94 m.p.h. fastball for a called strike and a 93 m.p.h. fastball that Adam Lind ripped into center field for a single. Francona wasted no time. He lifted Delcarmen and brought in Okajima. “We were going to leave Manny in until someone got on base,” said Francona. “Unfortunately it was the first batter.” A frustrated Delcarmen slammed his glove on the bench when he reached the dugout and flung an empty plastic bucket back onto the field, most likely not so much irritated with Francona but with himself. When Okajima allowed Lind to score, it marked the fourth straight outing in which Delcarmen was charged with at least a run. Delcarmen has pitched in 14 games, and in 7 of them, he has given up at least a run. He has allowed 7 of 12 inherited runners to score. In his 14 appearances, the leadoff batter has reached base against him 6 times. Delcarmen’s earned-run average now is 6.17 (8 earned runs, 11 2/3 innings). Over his last four outings he has coughed up 5 earned runs on 5 hits in a total of only 2 innings. Delcarmen has worked in three games against Toronto and has been raked for 5 hits and 3 earned runs in a total of 2 innings, including a grand slam to Frank Thomas on April 6 that tacked on three earned runs to Josh Beckett’s line that day. **************** Toronto manager John Gibbons sent in Marco Scutaro to pinch run at second base for catcher Gregg Zaun in the eighth inning, presumably not only because he had more speed but also because he knows how to run the bases. Scutaro, though, made a mental mistake on the bases that likely cost Toronto a chance to go ahead. When Scutaro entered, the Jays had runners at second and third with none out. Toronto was trailing, 1-0. Alex Rios laced a shot to right-center, a sacrifice fly at the very least that would push home the tying run. Scutaro should have tagged up, too, even though it looked as if the ball had a chance to fall in front of right fielder Brandon Moss. Moss made a sliding catch, but because Scutaro had gone halfway, he couldn’t tag up. He was stuck at second base with one out in a 1-1 game instead of perched on third base with one of the game’s best bunters and bat-handlers – David Eckstein – coming up. Scutaro wanted to be able to score on Rios’ ball. But he was trying to do too much. Even if it had fallen safely and he was only able to advance one base, the Jays would have had runners at first and third with none out and the numbers two, three and four hitters coming to the plate. "You've got to be on third base on that ball," said Toronto manager John Gibbons. "No outs. You've got to be. If it drops you cruise into third base, but you've got to be in position to tag." Gibbons had even less luck with his next pinch runner, John McDonald. The ex-Providence College star, running for Matt Stairs after a leadoff single in a 1-1 game in the ninth, was picked off first by Jonathan Papelbon. "He got away with a balk move there," said Gibbons of Papelbon. ************************ Ortiz has not had many red-hot days at the plate. He seems to have one good swing a game. In he seventh, Ortiz got enough of a 2-and-0 changeup to get it into the wind and have it float over the low fence in the right-field corner for a homer that broke a 0-0 deadlock. In the ninth, he ripped a single off the glove of second baseman Aaron Hill, who was playing in shallow right in the hole on the right side of the infield. “It was nice to hear the ball come off his bat with a crisp sound,” said Francona. ************************* Last night, Pedroia took a few steps to his right and made a diving grab of Adam Lind’s liner with one out in the second inning. One night earlier, Pedroia made a sensational diving stop of a hard two-out bouncer in the ninth inning and turned it into a run-saving out in a 0-0 game. The big difference in the plays? Pedroia’s left shoulder popped out after Tuesday night’s grab and had to be slipped back into place. That didn’t happen on last night’s catch. Pedroia also made a solid play on a ball hit with crazy spin pretty much right at him in the sixth. Alex Rios hit the ball wide of first base. First baseman Kevin Youkilis started after it, but got caught in no-man’s land because it was Pedroia’s ball and he was too far from the bag to race back to it for Pedroia’s throw. Matsuzaka, though, hustled over to cover the base, as pitchers are instructed to do on any grounder to the right side. Pedroia made a confident, perfect throw to the bag, leading Matsuzaka as if it were a quarterback-wide receiver hookup, for the out. skrasner@projo.com / 401-277-7340
Posted by Steven Krasner News and notes from Red Sox clubhouse Predictably, J.D. Drew, who left after the third inning with a strained quad, is out of the lineup again tonight. Dustin Pedroia was in the lineup in the leadoff spot, with Kevin Youkilis hitting second and Mike Lowell returned to the fifth spot.
Posted by Sean McAdam Lineups
Alex Rios RF Dustin McGowan SP
Dustin Pedroia 2B Daisuke Matsuzaka SP
Posted by Sean McAdam PawSox rough up Francisco Liriano, beat RochesterThe Pawtucket Red Sox touched up Francisco Liriano, the onetime Minnesota Twins phenom who was recently demoted to Rochester, for four runs in 4.1 innings en route to a 4-2 victory today at Rochester. Liriano walked five and surrendered a home run to Jeff Bailey. Knuckleballer Charlie Zink pitched six strong innings to get the win. Click here to see the box score.
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Red Sox win a thrillerClick the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Last night's ninth-inning victory, Dustin Pedroia as a danger to his own health, up-and-down Jon Lester very much up last night, and Roy Halladay's frustrating world.
Posted by Mike McDermott More on Manny's commercials for ESPNAs Art mentioned in his Baseball Today posting, Manny Ramirez spent the Red Sox' Monday off-day in Connecticut to film two ESPN commercials, according to the blog of sportswriter Joe Haggerty. Haggerty doesn't have any details on what the commercials will show. They are part of the network's humorous "This is SportsCenter" ad campaign (the Celtics' Big Three are featured on one ad that is currently in heavy rotation). Seth Ader, senior director of ESPN marketing, said Ramirez arrived to the shoot on time and worked well with SportsCenter anchors Jay Harris, Karl Ravech and Steve Levy.
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Wednesday, April 30
'WHAT A GAME': Those were the words out of Jerry Remy's mouth less than two seconds after David Ortiz had crossed the plate with the only run of the night, and how true they were. A 0-0 battle between the grizzled vet and the up-and-coming youngster; a game-saving defensive play with two outs in the top of the ninth; a game-winning rally started with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth. Baseball, as the old saying goes, like it oughta be. Paul Kenyon provides the details, with heavy emphasis on Jon Lester (above, who scattered one hit over eight innings) and Dustin Pedroia's ninth-inning dive to snare the headed-up-the-middle shot by Vernon Wells, which turned what would have been a run-scoring single into an inning-ending out. ("Superman at second base," is how Wells described Pedroia in the Toronto Globe and Mail.) Gretchen Ertl has the story in pictures, and we've been remiss in not pointing to these brilliant nightly slideshows; from now on, you'll see more of them. Sean McAdam details the hard-luck night of Roy Halladay, a throwback to the days when pitchers finished when they started; this was his fourth straight complete game (though, unfortunately for him, he's lost three of them). And Steven Krasner goes Inside The Game on a number of topics, including why the Sox didn't run for Ortiz in the ninth, Pedroia hurting his shoulder on his ninth-inning play (hint: those two items are related), and J.D. Drew's 2007 imitation. Quite a night. Like we said: Baseball like it oughta be. HE'S BACK: Last night also marked the return of Mike Lowell, chronicled here by Kenyon and Krasner. The notebook includes the latest health news, including Drew having to leave the game because of a quad strain.
TIP OF THE HAT: Kevin Youkilis (shown hitting the ninth-inning single that scored Ortiz) had nothing but praise for Halladay after the game: "[He's] going to be a Hall of Fame pitcher." ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE . . . "You know we always get up to play the Red Sox," said Gregg Zaun on his blog prior to last night's game (www2.sportsnet.ca), but being up for the game didn't prevent the struggling Blue Jays from suffering their 15th loss in 26 tries. It's getting so bad that John Gibbons' grandmother, who lives on Boston's North Shore, asked him if he was going to be fired. (Toronto Star) IT HAPPENS: Hey, it's like Jim Rice said on his Ask 14 blog: Sometimes you just get outplayed. Look at the Sox last weekend in Tampa. BUMP IN THE ROAD: Craig Hansen hadn't allowed a run in Pawtucket all season, but he gave up three in last night's 9-3 loss at Rochester. (projo.com) TOO EXPENSIVE: Padres general manager Kevin Towers has asked about Coco Crisp, but says the Red Sox' asking price -- Triple-A left fielder Chase Headley -- is too high. (San Diego Union-Tribune) SMOKIN': Luis Tiant has introduced "El Tiante" cigars to the South Shore. (wickedlocal.com) AD MAN: Joe Haggerty reports Manny Ramirez spent Monday's off-day filming a series of commercials at ESPN. (hackswithhaggs.com) PHIL OF DISASTER: Somewhere Hank Steinbrenner is seething. Phil Hughes was shaky yet again and the Yankees fell to 2-9 in games started by Hughes and fellow rookie Ian Kennedy as the Yanks lost to the Tigers, 6-4. (New York Daily News) The Post's Joel Sherman is the first to call for Hughes to be sent back to the minor leagues, and the Daily News' John Harper thinks it will take a minor miracle to save Hughes' season. IN THE GOOD-NEWS DEPARTMENT . . . Joba Chamberlain's father is out of the hospital. (New York Post) IN THE BAD-NEWS DEPARTMENT . . . When they were struggling early last season, Baseball Musings' David Pinto continually expressed the opinion that the Yankees would break out of it and make a run at a postseason berth . . . and he was right. This year, though, he thinks the Yanks "just [don't] have it." A-LIST: The dreaded strained quad has forced Alex Rodriguez to the disabled list. (New York Post) LUCKY DRIVER: Johnny Damon gave Gary Sheffield a ride to Yankee Stadium yesterday. After Sheffield slammed a two-run homer last night, he's going to ask Damon for another ride today. (New York Post) ON THE RISE: ProJo's Fantasy Blog thinks Damon is turning the corner and starting to play better. LOOKING TO THE STARS: The Yankees and MLB announced plans for July's All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium. (mlb.com) If you'd like to be there, bring your wallet . . . and maybe somebody else's, too. (The Journal News) BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR: We expressed the sentiment yesterday that Roger Clemens -- had he an ounce of self-awareness, which is questionable -- should rue the day he decided not to admit to the use of performance-enhancing drugs, ask for forgiveness (which he would have gotten, same as everyone else), and disappear into the sunset. Today, the Globe's Nick Cafardo writes the same thing, especially since Clemens' bullheaded insistence on fighting an unwinnable fight is leading to his reputation -- and who knows, maybe his personal life -- being shattered into a million pieces. Today's Daily News revelation: He had extramarital relationships with plenty of women other than Mindy McCready. (And just to bring it even deeper into the gutter, the Boston Herald reports that Clemens also hit on the wife of former wrestler Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake.) As yahoo.com's Tim Brown said yesterday, none of this would have been looked into had Clemens' against-all-odds exhortations that he's telling the truth, and everyone else is lying, invited -- indeed, demanded -- further examination into his affairs. Mike Lupica tears Clemens and his lawyer, Rusty Hardin, to shreds: "Clemens and Hardin were going to bully everybody and roll over everybody, and how has that worked out for both of them?" (New York Daily News) Not too well, Mike. Not too well. JUST WAIT: Doug Mientkiewicz, who played with him in Minnesota, says Mets fans haven't seen the real Johan Santana yet. (Newsday) DECISION COMING? Vin Scully, who's been broadcasting Dodger games since 1950, says he'll talk to his wife when his contract expires at the end of the season and see if she wants him to retire. (New York Times) END OF THE LINE: Matt Morris, released by the Pirates on Sunday, told his hometown newspaper that he's decided to hang 'em up. (Times Herald-Record) Across the continent in San Francisco, Giant pitching hopefuls Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum remember their ex-teammate and mentor fondly. (mlb.com) YEAR TO FORGET: Travis Hafner is hitting .243 since last May 1, including the postseason, and he and the Indians can't figure out why. (Cleveland Plain Dealer) THE GREAT DEBATE: USA Today examines the spate of long-term contracts signed by younger players that appear to work in favor of the club, and frames the issue in the words of two agents whose philosophies appear to be diametrically opposed: Paul Cohen: "To me, it's a no-brainer. Unless you want to live in the middle of Beverly Hills or Fifth Avenue, you're set for life. If you just get 5% of your investment, you never have to work another day in your life." Scott Boras: "These deals are strongly club-oriented. I can only speak for our clients, but almost every client has benefited substantially from not signing those deals." What a shock that Boras came down on that side of the argument, eh? LOCAL BOYS: Chris Iannetta, pressed into action at a strange position (third base) because of a spate of Rockie injuries -- one of which is mentioned below -- had a game "I'll remember . . . for the rest of my life" as he homered and doubled and led Colorado over the Giants, 3-2 (mlb.com) . . . The White Sox' Paul Konerko, whose mother is a Rhode Island native and whose grandparents still live here, became a 10-5 man yesterday and how has the right to veto any trade. (Chicago Tribune) MEDICAL REPORT: The Rockies may lose Troy Tulowitzki for a while because of the dreaded quad strain (Denver Post) . . . The Rangers' Jason Jennings had to leave last night's start in the third inning because of pain in his surgically repaired elbow (mlb.com) . . . Bobby Cox is happy that John Smoltz just needs rest, and not shoulder surgery (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) . . . Remember those worries that Moises Alou had a broken ankle? Well, he doesn't, and the Mets may reactivate him Friday (New York Post) . . . The A's Rich Harden will make a rehab start Thursday. (San Francisco Chronicle) HERE AND THERE: The Daily Herald's Barry Rozner wonders if Ken Griffey, allegedly unhappy with the going-nowhere Reds, wouldn't be a good fit for the Cubs . . . Jason Botts, designated for assignment by the Rangers, wants to make a new start somewhere else (Dallas Morning News) . . . Ryan Freel is frustrated that he's not playing more in Cincinnati (frontier.cincinnati.com) . . . Mike Cameron had three hits in his Brewer debut (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . Everyone says otherwise, but it sure looks like Shane Victorino has lost his starting job with the Phillies. (Philadelphia Daily News) OLD FRIENDS: Joel Piniero allowed only one hit over seven innings as the Cardinals beat the Reds. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) As a last tribute to Bob Lobel: Why can't we get players like that?? (Boston Globe) . . . Todd Jones celebrates his 40th birthday by reminiscing about his long career on his blog. (sportingnews.com) He also got the save in the Tigers' win at Yankee Stadium last night (mlb.com) . . . Cliff Floyd, recovering from knee surgery, may be activated on the Rays' next homestand (St. Petersburg Times) . . . Bret Saberhagen's son Drew is playing well at the University of Tennessee. (tricitiessports.com) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone April 29, 2008
INSIDE THE GAME: Sox 1, Blue Jays 0
BOSTON – The situation was calling out for a pinch runner last night at Fenway Park. No, make that it was screaming out for a pinch runner. David Ortiz at second base with two outs in the ninth in a 0-0 game. The same David Ortiz who had missed the previous two games because of a bruised right knee. The same David Ortiz who underwent offseason surgery on his right knee. The same lumbering David Ortiz who doesn’t have any speed to begin with. But Boston manager Terry Francona didn’t replace Ortiz, the Sox’ designated hitter. Francona had only one healthy position player left on the bench. That was Jed Lowrie. Jacoby Ellsbury was not available because he is suffering from a sore groin. Another position player was lost from the bench when outfielder Brandon Moss had to take over for J.D. Drew (tight quadriceps) in the fourth. Lowrie, a rookie infielder, certainly is a faster runner than Ortiz. But in the top of the ninth, second baseman Dustin Pedroia had jammed his left shoulder making a dazzling diving play that robbed Vernon Wells of a two-out RBI single up the middle. Francona said after the game he wasn’t sure if Pedroia would have been able to go out in the field for a 10th inning, if the game continued. He needed to either save Lowrie, or pinch-run him and lose the DH, forcing him to put the pitcher in the batting order. Fortunately for Francona, Ortiz and the Sox, when Kevin Youkilis laced his single to center, Wells, the Jays’ center fielder, bobbled the ball when he charged in to field it, so Ortiz, rumbling around third and heading home, was spared a likely collision at the plate and Boston had its 1-0 victory. **************************** In every game, the pitcher will work the opposition’s lineup, trying to feature his strengths and take advantage of the hitters’ weaknesses. Sometimes, though, the pitcher also has to pitch according to the conditions. Last night was one of those occasions for Jon Lester. The weather was nasty for baseball. It was cold and there was a 15-m.p.h. wind. That constitutes pitcher weather. The hitters do not like any heavy fastballs on the inside of the plate in such conditions, a situation Lester used to his advantage. Mixing in a very effective cutter -- a fastball with a late, sharp break -- Lester was able to get in on the hands of the Jays, especially early. In the first inning, Lester’s biting cutter shattered David Eckstein’s bat (weak grounder to third) and severely jammed Scott Rolen (soft popup to first). In the second, Shannon Stewart hit a weak roller to first, having been sawed off by a cutter. Similar pitches produced weak grounders by Alex Rios in the third and Rolen in the fourth and Gregg Zaun, the last batter he faced in the game for the final out of the eighth. That type of command, on such an awful night to hit, helped Lester author eight innings of one-hit shutout baseball last night. ******************************* Pedroia said it was no big deal, that his shoulder popped out and was popped back in after his eye-popping defensive gem that preserved a 0-0 score with two outs in the top of the ninth. But the condition of Pedroia’s shoulder has to be of some concern. Two years ago in spring training, the shoulder popped out and cost him time that spring. It has happened every now and then since. Only a week ago, Pedroia made a headfirst slide into first base to elude a tag on a wide throw, and seemingly suffered the same fate. Then there was last night, when it happened again. He’s a tough kid. No one doubts that. Pedroia and the Sox, though, can only hope the issue doesn’t become more serious, bothering him every time he makes a dive for a ground ball the rest of the season. ************************* When Francona sent Youkilis from first base on a 3-and-2 pitch to Mike Lowell in the second inning there were several circumstances prompting the strategy. For one, the Red Sox suddenly have found it very difficult to score runs. Boston managed to tally only five runs in suffering a three-game sweep at the hands of the Rays last weekend. Add to that drought the fact that Toronto had its ace right-hander, Roy Halladay, on the mound, and it made sense to put Youkilis, hardly a speedy runner, in motion with one out. Also factoring into the equation was the hitter – Lowell. It was the first game back for Lowell, who had been on the disabled list. He’s a slow runner who hits into his share of double plays – 19 last year. As it turned out, Lowell took a curveball for strike three, leaning across the plate, inadvertently though not illegally getting a bit in the way of catcher Gregg Zaun, whose throw to second was high and wide. Youkilis was credited with his first stolen base of the year but wound up stranded. *************************** Drew left last night’s game because of a strained left quadriceps. And while that left the Red Sox short on outfielders – Ellsbury is suffering from a sore groin – the more distressing aspect of Drew’s play lately is that he is once again looking like the offensive underachiever he was for most of last season. After a sizzling start, Drew has disappeared from the Sox’ offense. Drew was batting .362 on April 17. Since then, he has gone 4 for 31 (.129), dropping his average to .269. Drew has only one extra-base hit – a double – in his last 51 at-bats. That two-bagger, on April 17, is one of only two doubles for the season. He has three homers. His swing is looking long and feeble. He has been rolling over on pitches, particularly pitches on the outer half of the plate, accounting for weak bouncers to the right side. He already has bounced into five double plays, only three off teammate David Ortiz’s league-leading total in that category. Drew generated a lot of good will by starring in the postseason last fall. He has quietly fallen into a similar funk to the one he endured a year ago. Now he’s out because of a twinge in his quadriceps. It’s all starting to sound depressingly familiar. ********************** The good news for the Jays was that they were given a leadoff walk in a 0-0 game in the sixth inning. The bad news for the Jays was that it was catcher Gregg Zaun, one of the team’s slowest runners, who received that base on balls. And the next batter was Alex Rios, one of the team’s best hitters on a team that has been slumping badly at the plate. So Toronto manager John Gibbons had a dilemma. Should he bunt? The Jays entered last night’s action tied with Cleveland for the most sacrifice bunts (10) in the league. Gibbons let Rios swing away. Rios inexplicably took a 3-and-2 fastball down the middle for a whiff. Next up was David Eckstein, one of the best at handling the bat. The Sox smelled a hit-and-run. Lester four times threw over to first base, trying to shorten Zaun’s lead and trying to find out if Eckstein might do something in the box that would tip off the Jays’ intentions. Ultimately, Zaun never moved off first. Eckstein hit a weak grounder to shortstop on a 2-and-1 pitch, a ball Julio Lugo turned into an inning-ending double play, ending what, on this night, constituted a rally – a leadoff walk.
Posted by Steven Krasner A slight delay at FenwayThe grounds crew just drew applause as it began the process of removing the tarp. Still, tonight's Red Sox-Toronto game will begin slightly late, at 7:15 p.m. The rain, which was supposed to have gone away several hours ago, lingered. The tarp has covered the field all afternoon, although players from both teams have gone out to do some light work as the rain has lightened. Jon Lester, the Boston starter, is doing calisthenics now but has yet to begin throwing. Roy Halladay, the Toronto starter, has yet to head to the bullpen to warm up.
Posted by Paul Kenyon Of Dice-K; Schilling; Cora; Colon-- Daisuke Matsuzaka, who was unable to make his last scheduled start, last Wednesday against the Angels, because of the flu, is healthy enough to pitch again. Dice-K stayed in Boston and got in his work while the Sox were on the road against the Rays. He'll start tomorrow night, pushed back a day to make sure he's as strong as possible. -- Curt Schilling missed a couple of days or workouts because of the flu, though he's hardly close to being on the team's pitching radar. -- Utility infielder Alex Cora, on the disabled list because of elbow troubles, has been cleared to start throwing. Manager Terry Francona hopes that Cora will be able to take grounders and "let it fly" from anywhere in the infield on Friday. -- Bartolo Colon threw a 35-pitch bullpen session on Monday and is on schedule to throw a similar session tomorrow. Francona said it is "very realistic" that the veteran right-hander, sent to the sidelines because of a strained oblique, will be able to pitch in a game somewhere on May 5. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Ortiz Back; Ellsbury OutDavid Ortiz is back in the lineup as Boston's designated hitter. Ortiz missed the last two games on the road against Tampa Bay because of a bruised right knee, suffered in a lurching slide in an unsuccessful attempt to beat out the back end of a double play on Friday night. Impressive rookie outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, though, was forced to the bench because of a sore groin. Ellsbury thought he'd be able to play, but didn't get treatment on Monday's off day, and isn't in the starting lineup. That is unfortunate for the Red Sox because, even though it's a small sample, Ellsbury has "owned" Toronto's ace right-hander, Roy Halladay, the Jays' starter tonight. Ellsbury is 4 for 6 with 2 homers and 3 RBI in his budding career against Halladay. Ellsbury is being replaced in the starting lineup by Coco Crisp, who also has taken Ellsbury's spot at the top of the batting order. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Lowell Activated; Corey Designated (again)As expected, third baseman Mike Lowell was activated from the disabled list today and is in the starting lineup tonight for the game against the Blue Jays. To make room for Lowell, the Red Sox designated right-handed reliever Bryan Corey for assignment. It was the second time this month Boston has designated Corey. Lowell had been placed on the DL on April 10 because of a sprained left thumb. He had a three-day rehab assignment with the PawSox that ended on Sunday. On Monday, he worked out at Fenway Park on an off day for the Red Sox, and satisfied manager Terry Francona that he was ready to be activated. "There's no concern on our part," said Francona this afternoon. "He looks good." Lowell, who was 3 for 13 with 3 RBI for the PawSox, is looking forward to returning to the lineup. "I don't think anybody's 100 percent now, but I'm back and ready to play," said Lowell this afternoon. "I felt like I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish. I'm excited to play tonight." ``I was most anxious to be seeing pitches. I was able to do that the three days I was there. I felt comfortable,'' Lowell said. ``I'm glad I did it. I'm even happier to be here.'' Lowell has had a special insert made for his glove to protect his thumb. ``I think even if I feel fantastic, I'm going to wear it the rest of the year,'' he said. ``It holds the joint from going where they don't want it to go. It doesn't really bother me, so I think I should wear it. If I don't wear it one day and then I test it and I hurt it again I'm going to feel like I'm an idiot for trying that.'' ``Like anything, it takes some time getting used to,'' he added. ``But I feel comfortable enough you could say so I don't think it's going to be a major problem.'' Lowell's return helps solidify the Red Sox' lineup, especially with first baseman Sean Casey on the DL because of a strained right hip. Lowell, who usually bats fifth, will hit sixth tonight because Kevin Youkilis, in the fifth slot, has been solid. Lowell's return allows Francona to slide down slumping J.D. Drew to the seventh spot. Drew is in a 4-for-30 skid. Corey first was sliced from the Sox' roster on April 11, eventually re-signed and assigned to Pawtucket. Corey was recalled last Friday and pitched in one game over the weekend on the road against Tampa Bay(on April 25, a scoreless 1 2/3-inning stint. The Lowell-for-Corey swap reduces the roster to 12 pitchers. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Starting Lineups, April 29RED SOX Crisp cf Lester p BLUE JAYS Rios rf Halladay p -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Ellsbury's fleet feetClick the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Jacoby Ellsbury's 17-for-17 stolen-base streak, Bartolo Colon's path back to the mound, the Toronto Blue Jays struggling early in the season, and the latest Roger Clemens scandal.
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Tuesday, April 29
TAKE A BEAT: And on the 21st day, they rested. Or, shall we say, most of them rested; Joe McDonald reports that Bartolo Colon somehow threw a bullpen session through the raindrops at Fenway, and six other Sox came in to work out. (Projo Sox Blog) But the remainder were elsewhere, enjoying (we presume) a day away from the ballpark for the first time since Monday, April 7. Which for those us who write baseball for a living, or read baseball as a vocation, means . . . it's off-day story time! Today's batch includes . . . -- McDonald's piece on Jacoby Ellsbury, whose base-stealing prowess (as evidenced above) led the Rays' Carl Crawford to exhort the Sox to give the young man the green light whenever he's on the bases. McDonald also talks to Tommy Harper, who helped Ellsbury hone his baserunning skills as a Red Sox consultant and who believes his former pupil will break his Red Sox single-season stolen-base record of 54, set in 1973. -- The Globe's Gordon Edes catches up with Manny Ramirez' march toward 500 career home runs. The Herald's Rob Bradford examines how Ramirez' rigorous offseason workouts helped him get off to such a fast start. -- Bradford notes that opposing hitters have swung and missed at an astounding 41.5 percent of Jonathan Papelbon's pitches this year and analyzes why that is (beyond pitching coach John Farrell's summation that Papelbon "throws the heck out of the ball"). -- The Herald's Michael Silverman does a statistical comparison that shows the '08 Sox pitching staff isn't performing as well as it did in '07. -- Edes leads his notes with an item on Jon Lester, tonight's starting pitcher, from whom the Sox are hoping for more consistency. -- Ian Brown of mlb.com has a feature on the Sox' consecutive sellout streak. -- Away from the sports pages, the Globe talks to Dustin Pedroia's wife Kelli, who was diagnosed with stage two melanoma at age 18 and now, at age 24, is taking her anti-tanning message to teenagers. She also gives us a glimpse into life with Dustin. Back in sports, Silverman notes that her husband is avoiding the sophomore jinx in '08. -- This isn't really an off-day story -- he writes these types of pieces all the time -- but Chad Finn's 10 free throwaway lines include, among several Sox items, a defense of Terry Francona, the worry that David Ortiz is morphing into Mo Vaughn, and happiness that Coco Crisp is still in Boston. (boston.com/sports/touching_all_the_bases) (To address Chad's worry about Big Papi: Jayson Stark's poll of big-league managers identified the two-headed Ortiz/Ramirez monster as a proud member of the All-Guys You'd Least Want to Pitch to Team.) -- Even somebody else's off-day stories have a Red Sox tinge. In Los Angeles, Derek Lowe compares playing on the West Coast with playing in the East and concludes: "Some people who have played this game for a long time say there is a certain mentality out here, that it's more about entertainment than winning . . . I'm not saying that's true, but a lot of people say that about Southern California." (dailybreeze.com) Back to baseball tonight: 7:05 p.m. vs. Toronto. And we can wait until May 15, the next scheduled day off, for more stories like this Wall Street Journal feature on the financial and emotional worth of a baseball signed by each and every member of the 1948 Red Sox. LOOKING AHEAD: The Blue Jays come to town having snapped their six-game losing streak and they have their ace, Roy Halladay, ready to throw at the Sox tonight. (mlb.com) They'll also have a lineup that will look different than the one the Sox faced the first weekend of the season in Toronto, as manager John Gibbons struggles to find a combination that clicks. (London Free Press) Jeff Blair of the Toronto Globe and Mail, meanwhile, wants Vernon Wells to step up and assume the role of team leader. And ex-Jay Jesse Barfield, on his cbc.ca blog, says Toronto's struggles stem from a lack of clutch hitting. LOOKING BACK: The Rays -- or at least the people who've watched them for these last miserable 10 years -- are still pinching themselves over the weekend sweep of the sox. (Bradenton Herald) And the good news just keeps on coming, as Scott Kazmir pitches 5 1/3 strong rehab innings in Durham and pronounces himself good to go (Tampa Tribune). He's scheduled to make his season debut with Tampa Bay on Saturday night against the Red Sox at Fenway. And now, says the Tribune, the Rays suddenly have too much pitching. (This, of course, is the giddiness that comes with the rush of first-time success; as Terry Francona and Theo Epstein always say, the minute you think you have too much pitching is the time you should go out and get some more, because you never, never, never have too much pitching.) But the St. Petersburg Times says there's no question the Rays have plenty of good pitchers in their bullpen, which, as anyone who played them 18 or 19 times a year knows, had been a toxic waste dump prior to this season. AND LOOKING AHEAD: Baseball Musing's David Pinto points out that all the Rays are doing is exactly what many people expected them to do this year. GO FIGURE: Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times notes that of the 16 "new" managers the Red Sox have hired in franchise history, only four ever were hired again . . . but almost all of them did well with the Sox. "They come. They win. They disappear," he concludes. Among the familiar names on this list (at least to me) are Joe Morgan and Eddie Kasko. HURTS SO GOOD: The Yankees finished the never-ending road trip with a victory in Cleveland, but Alex Rodriguez re-aggravated his strained right quad muscle and is headed back to the sidelines. (New York Daily News) This on the same day that Jorge Posada landed on the disabled list. (Daily News) IT'S TIME: Peter Abraham on the LoHud Yankees Blog says Joba Chamberlain's continues dominance in relief actually demonstrates the need to get him into the starting rotation. IF YOU AIN'T WITH US, YOU'RE AGIN' US: Judging from the parenthetical comments on his game thread, it sounds like Abraham is getting fed up with fans who take any negative comments as a personal affront from the Our Yanks Right Or Wrong crowd. Boston media members who attempt to comment on Manny Ramirez' foibles feel his pain. THINK IT THROUGH: The Yankees' Morgan Ensberg does a guest spin on Phil Hughes' blog and admits that players not only hear insults shouted from the stands, but laugh at the really good ones. However, simply shouting "You s---k" means "we know that you don’t know what to say and you probably aren’t very funny. To us it is like saying 'um'. We hear it all the time and it is just a sound with no meaning." His advice: "Take your time and don’t get caught up in the moment." CONFIRMED: Country singer Mindy McCready said the New York Daily News story of her long-time affair with Roger Clemens is true. (Daily News) Yahoo.com's Tim Brown wonders -- as do I -- if Clemens "regrets not following the Andy Pettitte path of disclosure and apology and getting on with his life. His denials, his roundabout explanations, his circling of the truth, have only fueled further examination" -- which probably led to this McCready news -- "because there is no way to listen to him and conclude he is innocent." SEE YA: The blog My Pinstripes presents a litany of complaints against Yankee TV announcer Michael Kay under the misleading heading "Michael Kay, Yea or Nay?" (Misleading because it's all Nay with no Yea.) STORY? WHAT STORY? MAYBE IT'S A STORY TO YOU, BUT IT'S NOT A STORY TO ME: Adam Rubin of the Daily News prints the transcript of an interview with Carlos Delgado in which the Mets' first baseman says his decision not to acknowledge the fans' pleas for a curtain call Sunday was not a snub, but that he's not surprised the story has grown to apocalyptic importance in New York. LET'S GET REAL: Baseball Prospectus' Joe Sheehan lists five things we know are real after one month of the season. THE UPSTAIRS HOT SEAT: SI.com's Jon Heyman lists seven general managers who could join Wayne Krivsky on the unemployment line. Krivsky, meanwhile, discusses some of his decisions as Reds' GM. (Dayton Daily News) AND FURTHERMORE . . . : Foxsports.com's Shaun Payne notes that Andruw Jones' disintegration is not only hurting the Dodgers but also damages his Hall of Fame chances. LESSONS LEARNED: The Cardinals say Josh Hancock's death last year in an alcohol-related traffic accident has had a long-range impact in how the team deals with alcohol. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) WASHED UP? HAH! Frank Thomas answered his critics by by falling a home run short of the cycle -- Frank Thomas, hitting a triple?? -- in the A's 14-2 rout of the Angels. (San Francisco Chronicle) HERE AND THERE: To no one's surprise, the Giants have sent Barry Zito to the bullpen (San Francisco Chronicle) . . . Mike Lieberthal will retire as a Phillie (mlb.com) . . . The Rangers' Hank Blalock is headed to the disabled list (mlb.com) . . . Gary Sheffield says he plans to play through the pain (Detroit News) . . . Tom Glavine will make his first start since April 13 tonight, and is concerned about being rusty (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) . . . Mike Cameron has completed his 25-game suspension for the use of performance-enhancing drugs and will return to the Brewers tonight (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . Trade time may soon be approaching in Pittsburgh. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) OLD FRIENDS: Wily Mo Pena is front and center on Rich Lederer's list of April Fools (i.e., the players who have put up the worst numbers in the season's first month (Baseball Analysts) . . . Rich Garces will be back with the Nashua Pride this year . . . The Reds' Bronson Arroyo finally pitched well after a string of bad starts. (Cincinnati Enquirer) NEW FRIENDS: Rotoworld.com has short updates on Red Sox farmhands Lars Anderson and Daniel Bard. -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone April 28, 2008
Off day notes: Colon throws bullpen session**Red Sox pitcher Bartolo Colon threw a 35-pitch bullpen session at Fenway Park today. The right-hander, who is battling an oblique issue, will be evaluated again Tuesday. *After losing five straight games, the Red Sox have today off. Only Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, David Ortiz, Mike Lowell and Alex Cora worked out today.
Posted by Joe McDonald Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Swept Away in Tampa BayClick the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: the five-game losing streak, Tampa Bay's prospects to compete down the road, Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz giving good outings, and the coming return of Mike Lowell.
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Monday, April 28 TAMPA TAKEDOWN: It started with a beyond-frustrating loss Friday night, in which they had two men on base with one out in the 9th, 10th and 11th innings, failed to score any of them, and gave up the winning run in the bottom of the 11th. And then the lights went out: Eight hits and one run over the next 18 innings, leading to a crushing defeat for Clay Buchholz Saturday night and a less dramatic, though no less disappointing, 'L' hung on Josh Beckett (above) Sunday afternoon. Joe McDonald has the details of the Red Sox' three days from hell in St. Petersburg, which ran their losing streak to five games and knocked them out of first place. (projo.com) In the looking-for-scapegoats department, Beckett's blaming the schedule-maker (projo.com) and the Globe's Amalie Benjamin points out that it's been an epic week of illness and injury, leading to no fewer than 10 roster moves since last Tuesday. Others, like old friend Allan Wood, point the finger for at least some of what happened at Terry Francona, whose managerial decisions were debated, and debated, and debated some more. (Sons of Sam Horn) Safe to say that everyone -- players, fans, everyone -- can use this day off, the first since April 7 (the day before the Fenway opener), to regroup. Next up for the Sox? The Blue Jays, who broke a six-game losing streak of their own with a win in Kansas City yesterday. (Toronto Star) RAYS OF ECSTASY: When you consider these two factoids -- Tampa Bay has never been three games over .500 this late in a season and never been in first place this late in a season (and yes, April 28 is is the correct date) -- you can understand the euphoria that would prompt the blog DRaysBay to break out the brooms and then, four hours later, rub the Sox' face in it with an online version of Sweet Caroline. Or the blog Rays Index to headline its latest entry Peter Gammons Is Rolling Over In His Grave. (I suppose it would be impolitic to point out that Peter's still alive, but, as Boon said in Animal House, forget it, he's rolling.) After all, The Trop has long been considered Fenway South by the hordes of Red Sox fans who fill it whenever the team goes to central Florida -- Shields implored Rays followers to "counteract" Red Sox (and Yankee) partisans after Friday night's game (Tampa Tribune) -- so to win three straight in front of the northern invaders (and against the defending World Series champions, to boot) was . . . well, pretty satisfying. The pros, like Martin Fennelly of the Tampa Tribune and John Romano of the St. Petersburg Times, certainly enjoyed the moment, but both make a point to stress that, in Fennelly's words, "It's April, it's April, it's April." April schmapril, say the Rays, who think these were three games they can build on. (St. Petersburg Times) Coming as it did on the heels of three straight wins over Toronto, Carl Crawford called it "[one] of the best weeks in franchise history." (Tampa Tribune) And maybe the best weekend. I'LL GO FURTHER THAN THAT: On Saturday night, even before the finale, Baseball Musing's David Pinto was saying it "may turn out to be one of the most important series in Rays Tampa Bay history." I'M NOT A BELIEVER: Even so, the blog Big League Stew says the Rays are something that people still don't believe in. THERE'S ALWAYS SOME GOOD NEWS: Kevin Youkilis set another defensive record at first base. McDonald tells us which one. And Mike Lowell finished his third rehab game with the PawSox and pronounced himself ready to return to Boston. (projo.com) RETURN FROM LIMBO: McDonald had an interesting chat Friday with Bryan Corey, who gives a glimpse of what it's like in the no-man's land called Designated For Assignment and how it is he wound up back in Boston. SCHOOL DAYS: On his Hacks With Haggs blog, Joe Haggerty passes along ex-Mets GM Steve Phillips' recollections of scouting the teenage Manny Ramirez . . . which included a psychological test that indicated Ramirez didn't "have the most self-esteem and confidence in the world." OH, THOSE SIDEWINDERS: Jim Rice identified Dennis Eckersley and Dan Quisenberry as the two pitchers who gave him the most trouble in his career. (ask14.sullivantire.com) YIN AND YANG: The Yankees' 1-0 victory over C.C. Sabathia yesterday (New York Post) was tempered by the news that Jorge Posada is headed to the disabled list for the first time in his career. (New York Daily News) MY MIND'S MADE UP: The New York Post's Joel Sherman talks to people who saw him in the minor leagues and comes to the conclusion that Joba Chamberlain should be a starter. FEELING STRONGER EVERY DAY: As for Chamberlain, he was back on the mound yesterday after suffering a slight hamstring strain Thursday in Chicago. (New York Daily News) WIN WHEN YOU LOSE: The Cleveland Plain-Dealer's Bud Shaw says Sabathia's dominant outing yesterday is more important than whether or not he won the game. DENIED: While Roger Clemens and his representatives admit to a long-term friendship between the pitcher (and, they say, his family) and country star Mindy McCready, they strongly deny reports that it was a decade-long sexual affair that began when McCready was 15 and Clemens was with the Red Sox. (New York Daily News) The newspaper reports the revelation could impact Clemens' defamation lawsuit against Brian McNamee, which it says is based on "claims of [Clemens'] unsullied character," but that also is denied by Clemens attorney Rusty Hardin: "The character trait that you put in issue should be the character trait that the defamatory statement was made about." The blog Shysterball, while admitting that "much more in the way of confirmation needs to happen before we can take the 'allegedly' off" these reports, lays out where public opinion of Clemens is headed if this proves to be true. STEINBRENNER JUNIOR: Joe Posnanski says that if he owned the Blue Jays, he'd have fired John Gibbons on the spot Friday night when Gibbons ordered an intentional walk to Tony Pena Jr.. (joeposnanski.com) VICIOUS CYCLE: Barry Zito got rocked again yesterday (San Francisco Chronicle), and the Costa Contra Times' Rick Hurd wonders how the beleaguered lefty will extricate himself from his present situation. TAKE THAT: Mets fans have made the slumping Carlos Delgado their whipping boy this year, so the Daily News' Bill Madden lauded the veteran first baseman for refusing to acknowledge them when they implored him to take a curtain call after his home run yesterday. TOUGH LOVE: The Newark Star-Ledger Dan Graziano wonders how the Mets and their fans -- still embittered by last September's epic collapse -- can repair their fractured relationship. 'DON'T WORRY ABOUT HIM': Dusty Baker says he's spoken recently to Barry Bonds and that Bonds is "doing fine." (Dayton Daily News) As for whether or not Bonds will return to baseball, Baker thinks "the longer he is out, the less likely he will come back. And the longer he is out, who knows, the less likely he may want to come back." MY GUY: Jim Leyland came out in defense of the slumping Gary Sheffield. (mlb.com) But Fox' Dayn Perry says it doesn't really matter if Sheffield starts hitting or not because the pitching-poor team is too flawed. NICE TRIP: The Angels are proud of themselves for their 4-2 swing through Boston and Detroit. (Los Angeles Times) HERE AND THERE: Mets GM Omar Minaya says Moises Alou, attempting to return from hernia surgery, may have broken his ankle during his rehab stint at Port St. Lucie (Newsday) . . . John Smoltz says his shoulder hurts (Atlanta Journal-Consitution) . . . Brett Myers can't explain why his fastball, which once reached 95 mph, can no longer crack 88 (Philadephia Inquirer) . . . As rumored, the Pirates cut the cord with Matt Morris (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) . . . A relieved Troy Glaus hit his first home run as a member of the Cardinals. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) OLD FRIENDS: Scott Hatteberg would welcome a trade out of Cincinnati (Cincinnati Enquirer) . . . Phil Dumatrait will replace Morris in the Pirates' rotation (rotoworld.com) . . . Freddy Sanchez says his surgically-repaired shoulder isn't the reason he's hitting .213 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) . . . Keith Foulke is recovering nicely from the neck soreness that landed him on the DL (San Francisco Chroncile) . . . The Red Sox released Dan Kolb, who had been at Pawtucket. (rotoworld.com) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone April 27, 2008
An eerie possibility?It's only the third inning here at Tropicana Field and Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett has eight strikeouts -- a season-high. Sure, it's still early in the game to even consider the right-hander recording 20 strikeouts, but for a goof here are some eerie similarities to Roger Clemens' 20-K performance from April 29, 1986. On that day in 1986 the NFL draft was being held. The Celtics were playing the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA playoffs. Clemens struck out the first three batters he faced, all swinging. The Seattle Mariners had a 1-0 lead on the Sox. And, as Hartford Courant beat writer Jeff Goldberg just pointed out, the Boston Bruins were eliminated from the NHL playoffs by the Montreal Canadiens that spring. Currently, the NFL draft is being held and the Celtics are playing the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. Beckett struck out the first three batters he has faced today, all swinging. The Rays have a 1-0 lead. The Bruins were eliminated by the Habs last week. Freaky? Maybe. Pushing it a little? Sure.
Posted by Joe McDonald Pregame Notes: Quiet morning at the Trop!**The Red Sox are ready for their much-needed day off on Monday. The flu bug is still lingering and the players can't wait for a little R & R. **David Ortiz will sit out again today with a bruised right knee. Manager Terry Francona said the slugger's still sore. Ortiz told Francona Saturday night that he could go if needed, but they don't want to push it. Francona, who dealt with knee problems during his playing career, knows all too well what Ortiz is going through. "People who have knee problems, when you bruise it it hurts more," he said. **Francona has finally decided on his next two starters. Lefty Jon Lester will start on Tuesday and right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka will go on Wednesday. Doing it this way will give Dice-K, who has been battling the flu back in Boston, an extra day to recover.
Posted by Joe McDonald Today's lineupsBOSTON Ellsbury, lf TAMPA Iwamura, 2b
Posted by Joe McDonald April 26, 2008
Tampa 2, Boston 1By Joe McDonald ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ Almost! All Red Sox rookie pitcher Clay Buchholz could do was stare into the right-field seats as he nearly repeated his no-hit performance from last September with a three-hitter against Tampa Bay Saturday night at Tropicana Field as the Rays narrowly defeated Boston, 2-1, on some late-inning heroics. The only three hits Tampa was able to register off the talented right-hander was a double by B.J. Upton in the fourth inning, a pinch-hit single by Dioner Navarro and a two-run homer by Akinori Iwamura in the eighth inning. “He was good,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “He was throwing all of his pitches for strikes. He was changing speeds. He just left one breaking ball over the plate. . . I thought Clay was great. He just gave up a home run when we didn’t need him to.” Other than those three hits, Buchholz was just as good – if not better – than he was during his history-making performance last year. “You could see as the game progressed he was coming off the mound with jump,” said Francona. “I don’t mean he was jumping out of his delivery, he was aggressive with arm speed on his change-up. It was fun to watch. You’re not going to throw a two- or three-hitter all the time, but that’s the kind of guy we envision. His stuff was electric.” It was Sept. 1, 2007 when he recorded a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles in only his second major-league start. He threw 115 pitches that day and struck out nine for the 17th no-no in club history. Saturday night didn’t have the drama, the edge-of-your-seat excitement, but he was just as good as he was last fall. He threw 113 pitches (76 strikes) but came up a bit short. “I felt in control,” he said. “I never thought (Iwamura’s) at-bat would go down like that. I thought I had him struck out with a curve ball. He hit a good pitch, man. When I let it go I thought he would take it or swing over the top of it, but he was sitting all over it. Hats off to him because I threw a pitcher’s pitch and he hit it.” Along with the no-hitter, last fall was bittersweet for Buchholz. The Red Sox shut him down for the remainder of the 2007 season due to arm-strength issues. That made Buchholz a bystander during the magical postseason run to a World Series championship. In fact, management had serious conversations with him about his preparation both on and off the field. “In my opinion that’s in the past,” said Francona. “He’s done everything I’ve asked. He competes. He doesn’t back down from anybody. He’s exciting. He has good demeanor on the mound and he just wants to win.” Buchholz was slow going to start the season, but he exploded onto the scene once again yesterday. “Overall I felt great tonight,” he said. “It was just a little misfortune, I guess.” Buchholz got two quick outs in the bottom of the first before issuing back-to-back walks. He got out of the jam by striking out the Rays’ Evan Longoria. Buchholz then retired the next six batters he faced before Upton’s double in the fourth. He reached third on a ground out, but was left stranded. With the way Buchholz was pitching, the Red Sox didn’t need much offense. The Sox’ Coco Crisp led off the top of the fifth inning with a single, and reached third with some heads-up baserunning. Tampa starter Edwin Jackson threw a wild pitch and the speedy Crisp took off from first and reached third relatively easy. Crisp was stranded 90 feet from home plate until Jacoby Ellsbury’s two-out infield hit that gave Boston a 1-0 advantage. Buchholz was extremely efficient in the bottom of the inning and quickly retired the side in order. He did the same in the sixth and again in the seventh. It was clear he was dialed in. With one out in the eighth inning, and Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon warming in the bullpen, Navarro hit a soft liner to right field. Ellsbury, playing right field, attempted to make the play, but the ball just fell in at his feet. The Rays weren’t done. After Jason Bartlett flied out to center field, Iwamura scorched his two-run homer to deep right field to give Tampa a 2-1 lead. He said he was sitting on the curveball. "Yes," said Iwamura. "I took a previous swing on his change-up and it carried pretty well to center field (in the third inning). I figured Jason Varitek knew I had timed his change-up." “He pitched great,” said Sox’ Kevin Youkilis. “He just made that one mistake and got hurt on it. But, he threw the ball great and had a great outing. This is how baseball works sometimes.” Buchholz was close to perfection, unfortunately almost only counts in horseshoes.
Posted by Joe McDonald Postgame Notes: Ortiz updateBy Joe McDonald ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Red Sox slugger David Ortiz missed Saturday's game with a bruised right knee and will not play on Sunday. Ortiz attempted to stay out of a double play in the top of the 11th inning against the Rays on Friday as he slammed head first into first base. Manager Terry Francona said the play looked like a car accident. "When I saw him get up, I knew it," Francona said. "I was hoping he wouldn't feel it (Saturday), but he does. So, we're going to give him a chance to get rid of the swelling." With one out in the 11th inning, Dustin Pedroia singled before Ortiz pulled the ball to the right side of the infield. Rays first baseman Eric Hinske made the play and got the lead runner at second. Ortiz hustled down the line and dove into the bag to no avail. "I'm glad he wanted to get to first that bad," said Francona "It was a big run and he wanted to get there and dove. His knee is bruised, so we'll give him a little time." It's the same knee he had surgery on during the offseason. Ortiz went 0-for-6 Friday night, snapping a seven-game hitting streak. During that stretch he posted a .370 average with 3 home runs, 2 doubles, 16 RBI and 7 runs scored. Francona said after last night’s game that Ortiz will not play again today.
Posted by Joe McDonald Postgame Notes: Youkilis breaks recordBy Joe McDonald ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ Kevin Youkilis made history Saturday night. Youkilis was quite humble regarding his record due to the fact the Red Sox lost their fourth straight game with a 2-1 defeat to the Rays at Tropicana Field. “I didn’t even know when I did it,” he said. “I just go out there and play the game; it’s not a big deal to me. Winning ballgames is the biggest part of my concern right now. We need to get this team back on track.” Even Red Sox manager Terry Francona was concentrating more on the team’s performance Saturday. Entering tonight's game Youkilis was nine shy of the mark, but his 10 chances against Tampa gave him the record. “The whole time this has been happening, I didn’t really know until people have told me,” he said. Garvey’s record “in Oakland, I knew about that one, but that was it. Hopefully that’s it. Are there any more? I’ll just keep throwing the balls into the stands. It’s better if I don’t know.”
Posted by Joe McDonald Pregame notes: Casey sent to DLBy Joe McDonald ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ The Red Sox have placed Sean Casey on the 15-day disabled list with a right hip-flexor sprain. Manager Terry Francona and Casey spoke numerous times on Friday night. The manager said Casey didn’t think the injury was that bad, but the medical staff was not convinced of that. He suffered the injury in the top of the second inning when he scored from second base on a base hit by Jacoby Ellsbury. Casey will be examined when the team returns to Boston on Monday. As a result Brandon Moss has been recalled from Pawtucket.
Posted by Joe McDonald Pregame notes: Ortiz out with a bruised kneeBy Joe McDonald ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Red Sox slugger David Ortiz is out of the lineup tonight with a bruised right knee. J.D. Drew will serve as the club's DH. Ortiz attempted to stay out of a double play in the top of the 11th inning against the Rays on Friday as he slammed head first into first base. Manager Terry Francona said the play looked like a car accident. "When I saw him get up, I knew it," Francona said. "I was hoping he wouldn't feel it today, but he does. So, we're going to give him a chance to get rid of the swelling." With one out in the 11th inning, Dustin Pedroia singled before Ortiz pulled the ball to the right side of the infield. Rays first baseman Eric Hinske made the play and got the lead runner at second. Ortiz hustled down the line and dove into the bag to no avail. "I'm glad he wanted to get to first that bad," he said. "It was a big run and he wanted to get there and dove. His knee is bruised, so we'll give him a little time." It's the same knee he had surgery on during the offseason.
Posted by Joe McDonald Tonight's lineupsBOSTON Ellsbury, rf TAMPA Iwamura, 2b
Posted by Joe McDonald Moss called upBy Joe McDonald ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Red Sox just began an early BP session here at Tropicana Field and Brandon Moss is in the house. The Red Sox have not made an official statement, yet, but it appears first baseman Sean Casey could be headed for the DL. He suffered a right hip-flexor sprain during the second inning on Friday and was removed from the game. As a result the Red Sox have called up Moss. During his BP session a few minutes ago, Moss put on a hitting display. The left-hander hit the Pepsi sign, which is about 450 feet from home plate. He then hit a ball to dead center field, high above the 404 mark.
Posted by Joe McDonald A big night for CashBy Joe McDonald ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek has missed the last few games with a serious bout with the flu. In his place backup catcher Kevin Cash has filled in nicely. Cash went 3-for-3, including a sacrifice fly Friday night, in his normal start as Tim Wakefield’s batterymate. It was his first three-hit game since June 24, 2004 when he played for Toronto. That game was also against the Rays. Cash also showcased his heads-up baserunning talents. With the game knotted at 4-4 in the top of the ninth inning, Cash provided his third hit of the night to lead off the inning. Sox’ Dustin Pedroia hit grounder to Akinori Iwamura, the Rays’ second baseman, who attempted to tag Cash. But, Cash stopped and began to retreat, which made Iwamura stall and allowed Pedroia to reach on a fielder’s choice. Cash was also safe at second. That play gave Red Sox slugger David Ortiz to chance for his typical late-inning heroics. He just missed his pitch and flied out to center. He would finish the night 0-for-6. The hot-hitting Manny Ramirez followed, but Warwick native and Tampa reliever Dan Wheeler struck him out. Boston eventually lost in 11 innings, 5-4, but Red Sox manager Terry Francona didn’t want Cash’s performance to go unnoticed. “It’s a lot more fun when you win to talk about guys, but I don’t want it to get lost how we feel (about Cash),” said Francona. “This kid has been thrown in to a situation where he’s catching every night, and he hasn’t done that in a while. Rather than coming in and say ‘I’m stiff’ he’s loving every minute of it. He’s doing things to help us win games.” Wakefield, who was clearly upset when the Sox released his longtime personal catcher Doug Mirabelli during spring training, has had nothing but good things to say about Cash’s performances both defensively and offensively. “He did a great job,” said Wakefield. “There’s nothing negative to say about the job he’s done since he got the job in spring training. He’s a big asset to this team.”
Posted by Joe McDonald April 25, 2008
Casey heading to the DL?By Joe McDonald ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – It appears the Red Sox will be without first baseman Sean Casey for awhile. Casey suffered a right hip-flexor sprain in the top of the second inning Friday night when scoring from second base on a Jacoby Ellsbury base hit. As Casey rounded third and was half way home, it was clear he pulled up a little bit. After he crossed the plate, to give Boston a 3-1 lead, he was limping back to the dugout. Following the Sox’ 5-4 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field, Boston manager Terry Francona did not like the outlook for Casey. “He’s sore,” said Francona. “When he came around third – I saw him right away – he was dragging his leg. Even before he hit home plate I told Jed Lowrie to get loose because I figured something was wrong. On examination it was horrible, but I’m sure we’re going to lose him for some time. We’ll get that figured out.” If Casey does, in fact, head to the disabled list it's likely Brandon Moss will get the call from Pawtucket. The rookie, who is an outfielder by trade, has been playing first base since last September. Francona said he would talk to Red Sox GM Theo Epstein tonight to figure out what to do. Casey has been an integral part of the lineup since third baseman Mike Lowell was placed on the 15-day DL with sprained left thumb. Casey entered Friday’s game with a .346 average with eight RBI this season. In fact, he’s hitting .407 in his last nine games with 3 doubles, 4 walks, and 4 runs scored. Lowell made his first of three rehab appearances for the PawSox Friday night and went 1-for-5 with two RBI as Pawtucket’s DH. He slated to play third on Saturday and DH again on Sunday. Francona said Friday night there is no way the team will recall him before he’s ready. “We’re not going to do that,” he said. “It didn’t surprise me that I had two text messages from Mike Lowell; that was not the shocker of the evening. We don’t want to make a mistake. If we do something like (bringing him back early) and he hurts that thumb then that would be a poor decision. We have to let it run its course.”
Posted by Joe McDonald Update: Casey pulled from gameRed Sox first baseman Sean Casey just left the game with a right hip-flexor sprain and is listed as day-to-day. Jed Lowrie is now playing third base and Kevin Youkilis has shifted to first base. Casey scored from second on a Jacoby Ellsbury base hit in the top of the second inning. As Casey rounded third and was half way home, he pulled up a little bit. After he crossed the plate to give Boston a 3-1 lead, it was clear he was limping as he made his way into the dugout.
Posted by Joe McDonald Pregame notes: Colon to throw side sessionBY JOE McDONALD ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Today the Red Sox spoke with pitcher Bartolo Colon (oblique) and he’s on track to throw a side session in a couple of days. Actually, the team has scheduled the right-hander to throw three side sessions, barring setbacks, prior to May 5. Colon’s out-clause in his contract is May 1, so, knowing he wouldn’t be able to pitch before then, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein spoke with Colon’s representatives, while manager Terry Francona spoke with the pitcher to make sure he understands how the team feels about him. "We wanted to make sure he understood that we want to keep him,'' said Francona. The Red Sox and Colon’s representatives, said Francona, "have worked some things out where (the opt-out date) has been moved back, and I don’t anticipate any problems. He wants to stay and we want him to stay.'' The best case scenario for Colon is he would be able to pitch in a game on or around May 5. Francona said everyone feels comfortable with this situation. * * * Varitek still looks beat up from the bug, but Francona said he would be available to play tonight if needed. With Tim Wakefield pitching, Kevin Cash is behind the plate. The manager also said Varitek should be back in the lineup on Saturday. Pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who remained in Boston due to the flu, felt good enough today to work out at Fenway Park. The right-hander will throw a side session on Saturday. * * *
Posted by Joe McDonald Tonight's lineupsBOSTON Ellsbury, cf TAMPA Iwamura, 2b
Posted by Joe McDonald Corey rejoins Red SoxBY JOE McDONALD ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Red Sox purchased the contract of pitcher Bryan Corey from Pawtucket today. The right-hander will be in the bullpen for tonight's game against the Rays. He began the season with Boston before he was designated for assignment on April 11. He decided to become a free agent, but re-signed with the Sox on a minor-league deal on April 22.
Posted by Joe McDonald New varieties of Red Sox wine set to hit shelves
Last year, there was Manny Being Merlot and Schilling Schardonnay. This year, three more Red Sox players will appear on bottles of wine that will be sold to support baseball-affiliated charities. Charity Wines, which according to its Web site "partners with superstar athletes and celebrities to create fine wines and help raise funds for charities," is hosting a private party on May 15 in Boston to present The Captain's Cabernet (featuring Jason Varitek, proceeds to benefit Pitching in for Kids), Vintage Papi (featuring David Ortiz, proceeds to benefit The David Ortiz Children's Fund) and SauvignYoouuk Blanc (featuring Kevin Youkilis, proceeds to benefit Kevin Youkilis Hits for Kids). Last year I actually bought a bottle of CaberKnuckle (featuring Tim Wakefield, proceeds to benefit Pitching In for Kids), and it was pretty good, so that's somewhat of an endorsement. Boston isn't the only city that is a target market for Charity Wines: the company is also unveiling new Yankees, Mets, Braves, Reds, Cubs, Orioles and Phillies-themed varieties. Here's some bad advance press, though: The New York Daily News actually called in restaurateur Paul Grieco to do a blind tasting of Red Sox wines vs. Yankees wines (hey, the game was rained out that day), and Grieco gave Bobby Abreu's Finest Merlot the nod over Vintage Papi, and Jorge's Cabernet the advantage over the Varitek variety. I still say 'Tek does a better job working with pitchers, though.
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Friday, April 25
MASTERFUL: Baseball Musing's David Pinto has the headline we almost used for Justin Masterson's performance yesterday in his emergency start against the Angels, and it certainly fits. Because, in the words of Paul Kenyon, "A few years from now, or maybe even in only a few months, not many people are likely to remember that the Red Sox bullpen blew a lead yesterday and the Sox lost to the Angels, 7-5. It is very likely, though, that many will remember they were there the day Justin Masterson made his major-league debut." Steven Krasner gives his first-day impressions in Inside The Game. And on his Hacks With Haggs blog, Joe Haggerty has a quick Q-and-A with Red Sox director of player development Mike Hazen about Masterson. The skunk at yesterday's garden party was the bullpen (Boston Herald), which turned a 3-1 seventh-inning lead -- and a potential Masterson v |
