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Baseball Today: Tuesday, May 6 »

"Leaky" Lugo: His defense at short is still lacking

Julio Lugo has never been known for playing solid defense at shortstop.

This year, he has sprung a bigger leak than usual on the left side. On Sunday he was charged with his ninth error of the season in only his 30th game. Many of his errors have been on poor throws, but he bobbled a ball Sunday.

Manager Terry Francona said he and the coaching staff have to remind Lugo to remain aggressive on defense, even if his error total is ugly. Francona traces some of Lugo's defensive anxieties to his three-error game in Toronto on April 6, which put him in a fielding-percentage hole.

"I think lately he has played more aggressively, making plays in the hole, planting his foot (to make a strong throw)," said Francona. "When he gets his chest out and is all over the field and is fearless, that's the guy we want. We just remind him of that."

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:51 PM | Permalink