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Red Sox-Dodgers: Game called because of rain with Sox leading, 5-1

AP photo / Julie Jacobson
Daisuke Matsuzaka takes cover as the rain falls in Vero Beach, Fla.

2:10 p.m.: Well, that didn't take long. The game has been called because of rain.

It won't count in the standings, but it wasn't a bad day for the Sox, who were leading 5-1 when the game was stopped with one out in the top of the third. Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched two innings and allowed three hits and a run, with no walks and three strikeouts. Wily Mo Pena, Jason Varitek and Eric Hinske all homered.

The Sox return to Fort Myers tomorrow for a 1:05 p.m. game against the Reds.

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1:50 p.m.: It can't rain hard enough for the Dodgers. After Youkilis struck out for the second time, Eric Hinske hit one of the longest home runs of the spring. It flew over the right-field fence and landed near the Dodger offices. The Sox' third homer of the day, coming as it did with Matsuzaka and Ellsbury on base, made it 5-1 Boston.

And that's it. With the count 1-and-2 on Pena, the umpires have called a halt to the proceedings in a driving, pouring rain. It seems unlikely the teams will be able to continue. Check back here for more information, which we'll post when it becomes available.

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1:45 p.m.: Daisuke Matsuzaka was ordered not to swing at any pitch in his at-bats today. So what happened?

He walked!

Hong-Chih Kuo poured over two quick strikes, and then missed with four consecutive pitches (even though Matsuzaka thought the third pitch was over the plate and started back to the dugout). The inning got worse for Kuo when he hit Ellsbury on the wrist with a pitch, putting runners at first and second.

Bad news for both teams: It has begun to rain.

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1:41 p.m.: Matsuzaka breezed through the lower third of the Dodger order, retiring the side on two grounders and a strikeout. Red Sox 2, Dodgers 1
The rain appears to be imminent.
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1:34 p.m.: Pedroia, Bailey and Cora all were retired, ending the top of the second. Red Sox 2, Dodgers 1
One other note -- Bad weather is forecast for later in the afternoon at Vero Beach, and once it begins to rain it's not supposed to stop until tomorrow.
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1:32 p.m.: A little late, but here's the starting lineup:
Jacoby Ellsbury, cf
Kevin Youkilis, 3b
Eric Hinske, rf
Wily Mo Pena, lf
Jason Varitek, c
Dustin Pedroia, 2b
Jeff Bailey, 1b
Alex Cora, ss
Daisuke Matsuzaka, p
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1:30 p.m.: Well, well; back-to-back homers. Jason Varitek homered to left, making it 2-1 Red Sox.
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1:28 p.m.: Wily Mo Pena tied it with a monstrous home run to right-center field. Red Sox 1, Dodgers 1.
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1:25 p.m.: Crisis averted. Matsuzaka got out of the inning with two strikeouts. After an inning, Dodgers 1, Red Sox 0
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1:18 p.m.: After Juan Pierre bunted Furcal to third, Marlon Anderson blooped a single over shortstop into left field. 1-0, Dodgers. Olmedo Saenz followed with a line single to left, moving Anderson to second.
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1:15 p.m.: Not a good start for Daisuke Matsuzaka. Rafael Furcal doubled into the right-field corner on Matsuzaka's first pitch.
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1:12 p.m.: The Red Sox went down 1-2-3 in the top of the first. Jacoby Ellsbury and Kevin Youkilis struck out, and Eric Hinske flied out.

Daisuke Matsuzaka is taking the mound for the Sox as we speak.

Posted by Art Martone  at 1:12 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

Red Sox vs. Dodgers game notes

If you have Adobe Acrobat 6.0 or higher, click here for a version of today's Red Sox media notes.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 1:00 PM | Permalink

What's Tito trying to say here?

Here's Terry Francona on backup Eric Hinske, from a story on redsox.com by Maureen Mullen. Notice how the manager can really stay on message:

"He has swung the bat really well," Francona said. "He's a great guy, a great team guy. Last year he probably didn't play as much as he wanted. Going into this year, he probably knows that there's not a lot of at-bats. But he's a good team guy. He'll be playing a little third, a little first.

"He's got that left-handed bat that's got some sock in it. He can win us some games. And I'm sure there's going to be some times where that frustrates him, but he's a good team guy. His attitude is outstanding. He came into camp in great shape. He has had a good spring. I don't think he likes it. [Alex] Cora, guys like that, find ways to put the team ahead of their own personal desires, and it really helps you make it work. That's our responsibility to them -- to let them know that we appreciate him. We respect him."

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 10:36 AM | Permalink

Trade possibilities

In today's baseball column, Philadelphia Daily News writer Paul Hagen lists three relief pitchers the Red Sox continue to court: Scott Linebrink (San Diego), Chad Cordero (Washington) and Akinori Otsuka (Texas).

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 10:09 AM | Permalink

AP: Closer? Burger King?

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) - The sign outside the restaurant on the road from the Red Sox home on Florida's west coast to the game on the east coast had a simple message: "HIRING CLOSERS."

The team isn't advertising for one - like the Burger King in LaBelle 30 miles east of Fort Myers - but the vacancy in that role hasn't been filled with about two weeks left in spring training.

Was that closer already on Boston's roster entering Thursday night's game against the New York Mets?

"It's too early to tell, but, yeah, I would expect so," general manager Theo Epstein said. "I don't anticipate anything big. We don't have anything going right now with any other team, so I anticipate we'll figure something out with the guys we have here."

The fast-food franchise already has a place - and not a very pleasant one - in the history of Red Sox closers.

Keith Foulke, who finished all four games in the Red Sox sweep of St. Louis in the 2004 World Series, allowed a game-winning grand slam to Cleveland's Travis Hafner on June 29, 2005.

"It was a bad day of work," Foulke said right after the game. "I've always said the hardest thing is to come in here and face my teammates (rather) than worry about Johnny from Burger King booing me."

Foulke was criticized for the remark, interpreted as a slap at fans. In spring training last year, he struggled with knee problems as he tried to get ready for the season. In the third game of the regular season, Jonathan Papelbon took over as closer and finished with 35 saves and a 0.92 ERA.

Foulke became a setup man when he was healthy, signed with Cleveland as a free agent after the season, then retired last month. With Papelbon now in the rotation, the Red Sox need someone to fill that role.

The top candidates entering spring training were right-handers Joel Pineiro, Brendan Donnelly, Julian Tavarez and Mike Timlin. But Timlin hasn't pitched because of a strained side muscle and is unlikely to be ready for the season opener on April 2.

"It's not just the closer," manager Terry Francona said. "We need to set up our bullpen where we have a chance to win every night. It doesn't work where you have a chance to win one night and if you use (all) your guys, the next night you're in trouble."

The Red Sox plan to open the season with 12 pitchers. Five starters plus Pineiro, Donnelly, Tavarez and left-handers Hideki Okajima and J.C. Romero appear to be locks. Kyle Snyder has the edge as a long reliever and Timlin would get the final spot if he's not on the disabled list.

Pineiro, signed as a free agent from Seattle, appears to have the inside track on the closer's job if he pitches well.

"It seems like each outing with Pineiro he's thrown more good pitches," Francona said. "He's got to keep going."

In their last outings Wednesday, Tavarez allowed two runs on two hits, a walk and a hit batsman before Donnelly gave up two hits in his only inning. But Epstein didn't seem worried.

"Julian Tavarez is getting ready for the season. I don't even think he knows how many base runners he gave up. He's going to be fine," Epstein said. "Brendan Donnelly is working on things. He's throwing the ball well. He's throwing pitches that he wouldn't throw in normal circumstances."

Young right-handers Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen have major-league experience buy may need more seasoning in the minors. Hansen, a first-round draft pick in 2005 who was rushed to the majors last year because of injuries, was seen by fans as the closer of the future, but Francona said that's not his view.

"I don't think you've ever heard me say that," Francona said. "We drafted him as a a reliever that we think can impact our bullpen. How that happens is up to him."
The Red Sox are running out of time to establish roles for their relievers.

"If we knew exactly where everybody was situated right now, I'd probably sleep a little better," Francona said, "but we have some questions we still need to answer. "
Even though Foulke was inconsistent as the closer in 2005 after an outstanding 2004 season, Francona knew who to turn to for that job.

"When you got him in the game, you didn't see anybody else out there warming up," Francona said, "and if we lost, it's not good to lose, but you didn't see a team panicking because that's the guy who's supposed to be doing it and he could handle it."

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 10:08 AM | Permalink