Projo Sox Blog

By STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

ARLINGTON, Tex. -- Mark Kotsay will take his turn in the cleanup spot tonight.

That will move Dustin Pedroia back to his customary number two hole in the batting order. The diminutive second baseman, though, thrived in the cleanup spot. In four starts as the Sox' number four hitter, Pedroia went 11 for 17 (.647) with three doubles, two homers and six RBI.

Mike Lowell could have been a candidate to bat fourth, but tonight marks his first game since Aug. 12 when an oblique strain forced him out of the lineup, so manager Terry Francona was reluctant to fire him into the lineup as the cleanup hitter right away.

Francona praised Kotsay's versatility, both offensively, where the manager feels he can bat him anywhere in the order, and in the field, where he has Kotsay playing first base, a position he has played sparingly in his big-league career.

 Tags  dustin pedroia mark kotsay mike lowell red sox terry francona

---