Projo Sox Blog

BY DANIEL BARBARISI
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- With the left-handed Jon Lester on the mound tomorrow afternoon, the Red Sox may have an advantage beyond the Fenway home crowd: the shadows cast by the late-day sun. So both Lester and manager Terry Francona and Lester are both crossing their fingers for a sunny day.

"It would actually probably be to our advantage if the sun is out with Lester pitching," Francona said.

Lester will be happy to see the sun out, but isn't banking on it.

"You still have to pitch the same game, execute your pitches as best you can. If the shadows end up helping you out, then great. But you can't really worry about that stuff," Lester said.

The Red Sox didn't sell the seats in center field for this game, so that should mitigate the sun's power somewhat, Francona said.

Right-handed pitchers, like Tampa's Game Three starter Matt Garza, don't get the same benefit. But taller lefties like the 6'4" Lester can gain an advantage against some hitters.

"The only time our guys have ever complained is when there's a tall lefty on a day game," Francona said.

Once, he recalled, they were trying to prepare for a game against the most famous of all tall lefties, Randy Johnson. Francona and coach Bill Haselman went out to the mound and held up a broom to try to demonstrate where the ball would come out of Johnson's arm.

Francona, of course, knew what a photo op that would make for an enterprising photographer. So he did what any good manager does. He delegated.

"I looked up and saw all the media there, so I made Bill Haselman hold the broom, just in case somebody took a picture," Francona said.

The forecast for Monday is partly cloudy.

 Tags  Dan Barbarisi Jon Lester Terry Francona

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