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Main page June 30, 2007
Yanks' Proctor sets fire to his equipment after another dismal showingAccording to MLB.com, Yankee reliever Scott Proctor -- torched for three runs in a third-of-an-inning in the Yanks' 7-0 loss to Oakland Saturday -- ''set off an inferno near the Yankee Stadium infield . . . torching various items of his equipment in a smoky blaze . . . [He lit] a small bonfire a few feet from the top step of the Yankees dugout. He then watched from the railing for several minutes as the contents grew charred and unrecognizable. '' Read all about it here.
Posted by Art Martone Clement Throws Bullpen Session
Manager Terry Francona said the right-hander threw 25 pitches at about 70 percent effort off the mound. "He has come a long way," said Francona. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Donnelly Throws on Flat Ground
Francona said Donnelly did not experience any discomfort, as he had in a recent session off the mound. He will be re-evaluated tomorrow. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner Tonight's lineupsTEXAS BOSTON
Posted by Joe McDonald Pineiro on DL; Ellsbury Called Up; Crisp HurtingThe Sox did a little roster juggling today. Right-hander Joel Pineiro, who suffered a sprained right ankle after stepping on teammate Eric Hinske's ankle during pregame stretching last Monday in Seattle, was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to last Thursday, June 28. To replace him on the roster, Boston promoted hot prospect center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury from Pawtucket. The reason the Sox didn't go pitcher-for-pitcher in the roster shakeup was because Coco Crisp, the team's starting center fielder, still is nursing a sore thumb, suffered in an unsuccessful dive for a ball during last Wednesday's game in Seattle. The thumb is more sore than either Crisp or the Sox' medical staff thought it might be at this point, so given the fact he can't play for at least another day or so, the Sox called up an outfielder. Ellsbury, who began the season in Double A Portland and played so well he was quickly bumped up to Pawtucket, is in the lineup tonight and batting ninth. Manager Terry Francona said that, with the All-Star break coming soon (July 9-11), the Sox felt they could go with one less pitcher for the time being because it isn't known right now how long Crisp will be out and because Pineiro, who had an MRI earlier today, wouldn't be able to pitch for a week or so anyway, at the earliest. The MRI showed only soft tissue damage. -- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner June 29, 2007
Game Story: Wakefield pitches Sox to 2-1 victory
That may not sound too good, but if the knuckleballer can consistently work into the seventh inning there’s a very good chance the Red Sox will win. That was the case last night as Wakefield worked 6 2/3 innings to help Boston to a 2-1 margin of victory over the Texas Rangers as the Red Sox returned home to Fenway Park after their recent 10-day nine-game road trip. When Wakefield reaches the seventh inning, no more than that, he’s 6-2 this season. “It was one of those nights where I didn’t have my best stuff,” said Wakefield. “I felt like I made the pitches when I needed to make them. I was very fortunate in that aspect.” It wasn’t all Wakefield, however, who proved crucial for Boston as it snapped three-game losing skid. With the veteran tiring in the seventh and the Red Sox holding a one-run lead, reliever Manny Delcarmen began to warm up in the bullpen. When Texas put two men on in the seventh via a two-out single by Kenny Lofton and a walk to Jerry Hairston, manager Terry Francona decided Wakefield was done for the night and signaled for the right-hander. “I would rather it was 6-1,” said the manager, “but that’s a tough spot to be in (for Delcarmen). He threw the ball very well when obviously the game is in the balance.” This was a pivotal point for Delcarmen, who has spent the majority of the season with Triple-A Pawtucket, and he responded. With the bases loaded and a 3-1 count on Sosa the 36,756 fans at Fenway Park stood, got really loud to back the young hard-throwing righty and Delcarmen delivered – big time. He threw a high 96-MPH fastball that Sosa fouled back. Delcarmen challenged the slugger again, and again Sosa fouled a 95-MPH offering back to the screen. Delcarmen finally won the battle when he blew the next pitch, another 96-MPH fastball, past Sosa for the out to end the threat as Boston retained its one-run lead. “I tend to overthrow sometimes,” said Delcarmen. “Mike Lowell came over when it was 2-0 and told me to relax and trust my best stuff. This is the toughest spot for a pitcher to be in. With a 2-1 game and trying to save Wakefield’s game, you try to stay under control. I’m just happy I got out of it. Against Sammy Sosa was pretty cool.” Delcarmen, who needed an outing like this one, gave a fist pump as he hopped off the mound and was congratulated by his teammates when got to the dugout. “Our bullpen has done a great job all year,” said Wakefield. “Manny coming in and picking me up in the seventh inning, getting a huge out with the bases loaded against a guy who has 600 homers.” From there everything fell into place nicely for the Red Sox. Lefty reliever Hideki Okajima worked a perfect eighth inning and closer Jonathan Papelbon earned his 19th save – albeit entertaining – of the season. “That’s how you like to script it and it worked out for us tonight,” It was your typical Red Sox victory of the season with solid starting pitching, effective bullpen work and just enough offense to get the job done. “Wake was great,” said Francona. “He got us to a point in the game where we could match up. He was terrific and he had to be.” Basically, it wasn’t craps. --JOE McDONALD
Posted by Corey Bourassa Game Story: Tides blank PawSoxThe Pawtucket Red Sox witnessed first hand last night why Garrett Olson is rated so highly by the Baltimore Orioles. Olson, a 23-year old Californian, was a high pick in the 2005 draft who’s zoomed to Triple-A Norfolk in just his second full season of professional baseball. Last night at McCoy Stadium, the lefty starting pitcher struck out the first five PawSox he faced and went on to cruise to a 7-0 victory. Olson allowed just two hits over seven innings and struck out 10 batters. His fastball cracked the low-90’s on the radar gun and his curveball and changeup kept the PawSox on their heels. Olson is rated by Baseball America as the Orioles’ sixth-best minor league prospect and the top lefty pitcher. ``He’s supposed to be our best pitching prospect and he’s doing a real good job,’’ said Norfolk manager Gary Allenson, a former PawSox catcher. ``He’s third in the league in strikeouts. He’s pitched. He’s getting the difference between a pitcher and a thrower.’’ Olson improved his record to 7-6 on the season with a 3.10 ERA. This was the second time he’s faced the PawSox this season. The first came on June 4 in Norfolk when the Sox managed two runs on five hits and squeaked out a 2-1 victory. Olson said he was pleased with his control last night and benefited from the quick, five straight strikeout start. ``I just felt like I was able to put the ball where I wanted to,’’ he said. ``I went right after the hitters right away.’’ The win was the third in four games at McCoy for the Tides. The PawSox won on Thursday night but failed in an attempt to win two straight games for the first time since June 14. Pawtucket starter David Pauley (4-3) matched Olson for the first three and two-thirds innings with shutout pitching. J.R. House then rolled a grounder past Pauley that Bobby Scales miss-handled for an error. Pauley then hung a pitch that Mike Cervenak lifted to left field for a 2-run homer. ``A seeing-eye hit and then a home run, which can happen anytime in this ballpark,’’ said Allenson. ``That kind of got us going.’’ Pauley ran into major trouble in the fifth inning after allowing a walk, a single to center and them having a chopper by Luis Hernandez pop off his glove and nose for an error. With the bases loaded, Tike Redman singled in two runs, Elder Torres added an RBI single and House made it three hits in a row for another run and a 7-0 lead. ``You can’t take away the (Cervenak) home run but I was very pleased with Pauley,’’ said Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson. ``He pitched better than his line showed.’’ The PawSox’ Scales halted the game-opening strikeout streak with a grounder to third base to end the second inning but the home team didn’t manage a hit until David Murphy gapped a shot to left-center for a double in the fourth inning. Scales led off the fifth with a double but was stranded. Olson walked the first two PawSox in the eighth and that sent him to the showers in favor of Victor Moreno. He allowed just one hit in his two innings of work to close the game out. --KEVIN McNAMARA
Posted by Corey Bourassa FINAL: Boston 2, Texas 1BOSTON _ Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield needs to roll a seven. It wasn’t all Wakefield, however, who proved crucial for Boston as it snapped three-game losing skid. With the veteran tiring, reliever Manny Delcarmen began to warm up in the bullpen. When Texas put two men on in the seventh via a two-out single by Kenny Lofton and a walk to Jerry Hairston, Francona decided Wakefield was done for the night and signaled for the right-hander. Basically, it wasn’t craps.
Posted by Joe McDonald Timlin throwing a bullpen sessionDuring Red Sox batting practice today, reliever Mike Timlin was throwing a bullpen session with pitching coach John Farrell looking on. It’s a bit strange for a bullpen guy to throw a bullpen, but the 41-year-old right-hander has struggled all season and has battled through injuries, so a little extra work can only help. Timlin is 22 appearances shy of 1,000. It was clear during his session yesterday, he was working on his breaking pitches.
Posted by Joe McDonald Sox sign twoThe Red Sox signed two more players that the club selected in June's draft. Fourth-round pitcher Brock Huntzinger and ninth-round selection, outfielder Kade Keowen, inked deals today. Huntzinger will report to the Gulf Coast Red Sox and Keowen will head to the Lowell Spinners. So far, the Sox have signed 18 players selected in the draft.
Posted by Joe McDonald Clubhouse confidential*Red Sox outfielder Coco Crisp is out of the lineup tonight with a bruised thumb. Manager Terry Francona said the injury is not serious and he's expecting Crisp to be back in the lineup tomorrow. Wily Mo Pena will play center and hit seventh for Boston. Crisp has a four-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games. *Julio Lugo, who is 0 for his last 31, is also out of the lineup as Alex Cora is playing shortstop tonight. Francona said when a guy is struggling, as is Lugo, it's sometimes good to give that player a day or two off. "We're not giving up on him," said Francona. "We're in this for the long term with Lugo. We're not going to run from him, that won't help." *Red Sox pitcher Brendan Donnelly (forearm) is scheduled to throw off flat ground today and will be re-evaluated later on. *Red Sox pitcher Matt Clement (remember him) will throw a bullpen session in Fort Myers tomorrow. *Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling (shoulder) will be evaluated on Monday.
Posted by Joe McDonald Tonight's lineupsTexas has not posted its lineup yet. BOSTON
Posted by Joe McDonald Sox Streakers for June 29Who's Hot Who's Not Rangers vs. Tim Wakefield Red Sox vs. Jamey Wright More Stuff
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: The coming homestandSean McAdam rejoins us today for the latest edition of projo SoxTalk. Click here to listen to the full audio file. Sean talks about the past road trip, the coming homestand, what the Red Sox have to fix, and the latest on the health of Curt Schilling, Joel Pineiro and Coco Crisp. Don't have time for excerpts today, but, as always, we encourage you to click the audio.
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Friday, June 29SITTING PRETTY: After literally playing in the four corners of the United States over the last 13 days -- Boston, Atlanta, San Diego and Seattle -- the Red Sox now return home, where they'll play 18 of the next 21. Sean McAdam says the favorable schedule, the team's big A.L. East and the lack of a worthy divisional opponent ''underscores the prevailing wisdom that the Red Sox are in this race only with themselves and that only by completely self-destructing or falling victim to an onslaught of injuries can the club fail to win the division, something they haven’t done since 1995.'' (projo.com) MORE RELIEF COMING? The Boston Herald notes the Sox' relief corps has been a major factor in the team's success so far this year. And that's happened with no contribution from Craig Hansen, who many thought would be a mainstay of the bullpen by now. But in Pawtucket, manager Ron Johnson tells us that the former No. 1 draft pick is beginning to show flashes of the talent the Sox always believed he had. ''The quality of the stuff is awesome,'' Johnson raves. (projo.com) ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE SOMETHING TO FALL BACK ON: One of Hansen's bullpen mates, Craig Breslow, would also love to get back to Boston. But if not, says Jim Donaldson, ''he can put that Yale degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry to good use.'' (projo.com) BACK ON TRACK: Speaking of the PawSox, they broke their four-game losing streak last night. (projo.com) NO DEAL: Yahoo.com's Tim Brown reports the White Sox asked for Jon Lester when the Red Sox inquired about Mark Buerhle. THE BAD OLD DAYS: Chad Finn remembers a time when the Red Sox weren't nearly as likable as they are now. (touchingallthebases.blogspot.com)
A NATION OF GEARHEADS: Roush Racing, half of which is owned by John Henry's Fenway Sports Group, is aiming to become New England's NASCAR team. ''We hope Red Sox fans watching the races in Loudon (this weekend) will support us with the same intensity as they do when watching the Red Sox,'' said Jack Roush. Their car will certainly have a familiar look. (AP Photo, above) (projo.com) 'WE ARE ALL . . . ON WATCH': Yankee GM Brian Cashman went on Michael Kay's radio show yesterday morning and told Yankee Nation that no one's job is safe. (New York Post) By doing so, says the Daily News' John Harper, he's created a high alert that adds even more urgency to a dire situation. FINE WITH ME: The New York Sun's Steven Goldman would have no problem if those changes including the axing of Joe Torre. FINALLY, A BREAK: The Yanks erased a 6-4 deficit with four runs in the top of the eighth inning last night in Baltimore before torrential rains called a halt to the proceedings with Derek Jeter on second base and two outs. Under the old rules, the game would have reverted back to the score of the last completed inning and the Orioles would have completed the three-game sweep, 6-4. But, under a change in policy implemented last winter, the game was suspended at the point of interruption. It will be resumed on the Yanks' next trip to Camden Yards, on July 27, with the Yankees leading, 8-6. ''It was a plus for us,'' Joe Torre said of the new rule. (New York Daily News) GLASS IS HALF-EMPTY: The New York Post's Mike Vaccaro prefers to look at it as a night when the Yankees couldn't win for winning. OH, YEAH? Not according to the Orioles, who were incensed the umpires didn't stop the game before Jeter singled home the tie-breaking runs. (The rain was coming down so hard at the time that puddles were forming in the infield, and pitcher Chris Ray said his grip on the ball was so wet that ''I was just trying not to throw [it] to the backstop.'') ''He just tried to make Jeter hit so [the Yankees] can score one run and they can get out of here. That's what I think," said Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora of crew chief Tim Tschida. (Baltimore Sun) Mora and Tschida got into a vicious argument after Tschida stopped the game, and the Orioles third baseman had to be physically separated from the umpires. SHEA HEY! Shea Hillenbrand is about to join the Yankees. (Newsday) I LIKE YOUR STYLE: Remember earlier this week, when the New York Daily News' Lisa Olson was stunned how much the Giants seemed to lust after Alex Rodriguez? According to the Sacramento Bee, the feeling is mutual. I HATE YOURS: Joe Posnanski isn't much of a Roger Clemens fan (thesoulofbaseball.blogspot.com) A DAY TO REMEMBER: June 28, 2007 will forever be known as the day when Craig Biggio got his 3,000th hit and Frank Thomas hit his 500th home run. (Both stories projo.com) But the Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck isn't all that impressed. HOMETOWN DISCOUNT: That's what Torii Hunter is hinting he's willing to give the Twins. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune) WHISPERS: Include the Brewers among those interested in Akinori Otsuka. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) IT'S BETTER NOT TO SAY ANYTHING AT ALL: We could all take a lesson from Jim Leyland, who knows when to talk and when to keep his mouth shut. (Detroit News) ARE YOU LISTENING, PAUL? It's something Paul LoDuca should learn. The latest bit of bizarro behavior: Calling out the media for not holding the Mets' Spanish-speaking players more accountable, saying the players duck interviews by claiming not to understand the language. ''They speak English, believe me.''. Making it stranger is that Lisa Olson says the Hispanic players are generally always available to talk to reporters. (Both stories New York Daily News) THANKS FOR STAYING AWAY: The Los Angeles Daily News' Doug Padilla thinks Paul Konerko is the Angels' MVP, because his decision not to sign with them in 2006 forced the team to go in different directions . . . and made them better than they would have been with Konerko. TEAM FIRST: Gary Sheffield says that for the good of the Tigers he'll drop the appeal of his three-game suspension even though he thinks he's right. (Detroit News) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone June 28, 2007
PawSox end four-game skid with 11-5 win over NorfolkJacoby Ellsbury, David Murphy and Brandon Moss led a 15-hit attack with three hits apiece, as the Pawtucket Red Sox snapped a four-game losing streak with an 11-5 win over the Norfolk Tides tonight at McCoy Stadium.
Posted by Carolyn Thornton Today's Manny file: Lopez had his eye on RamirezGregg Bell's AP game story from yesterday noted that Seattle's Jose Lopez had his eye on Manny Ramirez's positioning, close to the line in left, creating a large gap in left center, before he launched his game winning hit into that gap. Ramirez's unorthodox attempt to catch the ball came up empty, as did all five of his plate appearances yesterday. Ramirez is now just 1 for 16 over his last five games, and he's hitting .253 with runners in scoring position. SI.com's Tom Verducci weighs in on the how-bad-a-fielder-is-Manny debate, and here's his answer: pretty bad. But in the same mailbag column, Verducci puts Manny right behind Jimmie Foxx, Hank Greenberg and Rogers Hornsby on the list of best right-handed hitters of all time. Frank Thomas belted his 500th home run today -- Manny might now end up being the fourth player to reach that hallowed milestone this season. Alex Rodriguez (492 homers), who earlier this season was tied with Ramirez on the all-time list, seems sure to be next, and then it will be either Ramirez or Jim Thome. Right now Ramirez is stuck at 481, while Thome has 482. Thomas' home run brings the all-time 500 home run club to 21 members. All-Star voting closes at midnight, so we'll know whether Ramirez can get back on top in the running for a starting outfield spot.
Posted by Mike McDermott Carl Edwards to drive Sox-themed car (with photo)
BOSTON (AP) — Carl Edwards has got a new paint job for his No. 99 car at this weekend’s NASCAR race in New Hampshire. Edwards will be driving a baseball-themed car in honor of his visit to New England. The Ford will sport several Boston Red Sox team logos and red stitches like a baseball. The promotion is the first for Roush Fenway Racing since the owners of the Red Sox invested in NASCAR. The car was on dispaly at Fenway Park on Thursday morning. “It’s our intention to be the Northeast’s NASCAR team,” owner Jack Roush said. “There’s some pressure to perform in front of the home crowd. Everybody will be at their very best.”
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with Art Martone: Easier days aheadWith Sean McAdam getting the morning off, Art Martone and Mike McDermott discuss the state of the team this morning on projo SoxTalk. Click here to listen to the audio file. Among the topics: whether this past road trip was a success or a failure, a great (wasted) performance by Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Yankees' struggles, Mark Teixeira, and the fairly easy stretch coming up for Boston on the schedule. Here are some excerpts from Art's comments: On the road ahead: "As sean is going to write for tomorrow, they're about to enter their easiest stretch of the season. This is the weakest part of their schedule: they play 18 of 21 at home. They have a three-game series at Detroit just before the All-Star break, but other than that they're playing Texas, they're playing Toronto, they're playing Kansas City, they're playing Chicago, playing Tampa Bay -- some of the worst teams in baseball. So they really do have a chance to kind of ease up a little bit, get healthy, try to get these problems solved before they get back on the road to Cleveland and Tampa Bay in the middle of July." Will there be setiment for Matsuzaka making the All-Star team? "There might be. He's got nine wins as it is, and before we always thought, 'He's winning games even though he's not pitching all that well. He's giving up a lot of runs. His E.R.A. is high.' Well, now his E.R.A. is back into the 3s. He's still got the nine wins, which is still one of the best totals in the American League. So yeah, I think he will get some consideration for the All-Star team. The thing that may hurt him, of course, is that Josh Beckett seems like a shoo-in. He might even start the game, and they may not want to take two pitchers from one team, the way the rosters are broken down." On the Yankees: "They felt they had straightened out the ship back a couple of weeks ago, when they went on that hot streak ... and now they're playing as poorly as they played all through April and May, and I know this concerns them a great deal, as it should, because they really can't put their finger on what's wrong, why Bobby Abreu is slumping [for example]. There are certain problems that they're going to have to face that I don't know if they can fix: the bullpen being one of them, the starting pitching being another."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Thursday, June 28
HIDDEN PROBLEMS: But SI.com's Jacob Luft says three games against the Royals might not be as soft an assignment as it seems. THE BLAME GAME: Yesterday's ready-made controversy: Terry Francona's decision to let Julio Lugo hit with two on and two out in the eighth and the score tied, 1-1. (Boston Globe) Francona said lifting Lugo for either Eric Hinske or Alex Cora would have prompted Seattle manager Mike Hargrove to bring in left-hander Ryan Rowland-Smith, and he liked the Lugo-vs.-righty-Brandon Morrow matchup better. The point is debatable: While Hinske is a lifetime .227 hitter against left-handers, Cora actually has hit lefties better (.279) than righties (.240) in his career. And Lugo -- in the midst of a 0-for-31 slump that has dropped his average to .190 -- doesn't appear capable of hitting anybody right now. In any case, Lugo struck out, ending the inning. NOT SO FAST: The Francona-bashers lost some of their ammunition in the 11th, when he actually lifted Lugo for Cora with a runner at first and one out and Cora grounded into an inning-ending double play. Many of the folks at Sons ADVANTAGE, BOSTON: There was a lot of talk last weekend about the Red Sox and Padres having two of the best bullpens in baseball. FoxSports' Dayn Perry says that the Pads' numbers are helped by the Petco Factor, and he gives the edge in the relief battle to Boston. THEY'RE STILL EVIL: As the Red Sox have become more successful and raised more revenue, a general feeling has emerged that the Sox and Yankees are on more-or-less equal financial footing. Not so, Larry Lucchino told the San Diego Union-Tribune. ''We spend a lot of money because we have to, but we're nowhere near our despised rival in terms of revenue or salary,'' he said. ''The baseball universe is not 28 teams and the Red Sox and Yankees. It's 29 teams and the Yankees.'' IT AIN'T FISHER CAT NATION, BILL: Manchester Fisher Cats manager Bill Masse was upset when home fans gave a standing ovation to Portland's Clay Buchholz -- one of the Red Sox' top pitching prospects -- after he struck out 11 Cats batters Monday night. But Manchester Union-Leader readers, who generally are both Red Sox and Fisher Cats fans, basically told Masse to get a life. AGE BEFORE BEAUTY: ESPN.com's Mark Simon looks at the results of the six 40-something starters who pitched Wednesday and notes they went 3-1 with two no-decisions.
HE'S THE ONE: The one loss belonged to Roger Clemens (AP Photo) as the free-falling Yankees were beaten again in Baltimore, 4-0. (New York Daily News) The Daily News' John Harper says the game serves as proof that Clemens will never live up to ''that ridiculous contract [the Yankees] were desperate enough to give him'' and the New York Post's Mike Puma thinks the Yanks must ''accept the fact that 'old' and 'Roger Clemens' belong in the same sentence, just not how they envisioned.'' REALITY CHECK: ''On the 28th of June, it is no longer rational, or reasonable, to laugh off the 11-game divisional deficit or the eight-game wild-card deficit and say, 'It's early.' It isn't early. The Yankees are now 36-39. They are a lot closer to the Orioles right now (three games from the AL East basement) than they are the Indians.'' So says the New York Post's Mike Vaccaro, who adds, ''that sound you hear is the rest of baseball rejoicing at the collapse.'' HELP IS ON THE WAY, PART ONE: Writing on ESPN.com, Bob Klapisch says Pedro Martinez' return to the Mets will ease the burden on Tom Glavine, who's struggling in his quest for his 300th career victory. HELP IS ON THE WAY, PART TWO: Writing for the Bergen Record, Klapisch says Scott Boras has an idea to revive the profile of the World Series: Make it a best-of-nine series and play the first two games at a warm-weather neutral site. IT'S ONLY NEWS IF WE SHOW IT: Some Pirates fans are planning a walkout in the third inning of Saturday's game in protest of the team's on- and off-field failures, but the team's television network has ordered its announcers not to mention it, will not show any part of it, and has deleted mention of it from the bulletin board on its Web site. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH: Ozzie Guillen is amused by speculation that he's on his way out as White Sox manager. (Chicago Tribune) BLOCKBUSTER AHEAD? The Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant has the feeling that the Rangers and Dodgers are on the verge of a huge deal that would send all of Texas' attractive trade chips -- Mark Teixeira, Eric Gagne and Akinori Otsuka -- to Los Angeles, and lists a number of hints that make him think so. MORE BUEHRLE: The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the White Sox and Mark Buehrle have set Friday as the deadline to complete talks on a contract extension. Buehrle himself was able to ignore the distractions and pitch Chicago past the Devil Rays. (Chicago Sun-Times) WHISPERS: The Phillies are in the market for pitching, and may have interest in the Orioles' Steve Trachsel and the Reds' Kyle Lohse (delawareonline.com) . . . Jose Contreras says he wouldn't mind being traded by the White Sox (Chicago Sun-Times). YOU BETTER NOT: The Arizona Republic's Dan Bickley warns Diamondbacks GM (and ex-Theo Epstein assistant) Josh Byrnes not to get rid of Eric Byrnes. JUST WHAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR: Barry Bonds' mistress is preparing a tell-all book on the soon-to-be home-run champ. (New York Daily News) WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? ESPN.com's Keith Law, in an interview with the blog Lion in Oil, says the ''steroid 'scandal' is about 90% media sanctimony, and I guess the only good thing there is that it gives me another point on which to rail on the mainstream sports media.'' IF YOU LIKED LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN . . . Odds are you'll like two new baseball movies by director Penny Marshall, one about Effa Manley, the co-owner of the Newark Eagles who became the first woman to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the other a documentary on the Negro Leagues. (radaronline.com) OLD FRIENDS: Derek Lowe was outdueled by Arizona's Brandon Webb in a terrific pitching matchup Wednesday night . . . The New York Sun's Steven Goldman says the success of Willie Harris in Atlanta is proof that you can find talent if you look hard enough . . . Shea Hillenbrand got his wish: The Angels designated him for assignment (Los Angeles Daily News). -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone June 27, 2007
Sox game storySEATTLE The long road trip ended in the Northwest, but somewhere between San Diego and here, things somehow went south for the Red Sox. In Atlanta and San Diego, the Sox continued their road mastery of National League teams, winning both series and racking up a 4-2 mark through the first six games. But at Safeco Field, the bottom dropped out. Seattles 2-1, 11-inning heartbreaker yesterday capped a three-game series sweep for the Mariners, the first suffered by the Sox this season. The setback yesterday was the eighth in a row for the Sox at Safeco, who must return here in another five weeks. ``Its the way (the Mariners) played us, emphasized Terry Francona, ``not the ballpark. ``Things just kind of bounced their way, said closer Jonathan Papelbon, who stranded two runners inherited from Hideki Okajima in the ninth, then blew away the Mariners in the 10th. ``Neither team deserved to lose that game. But the Sox did, again. Yesterdays loss was all the more maddening because of the circumstances. Daisuke Matsuzaka was brilliant through nine innings, checking the Mariners on one run and just three hits. His command was nearly spotless with eight strikeouts and one walk. But once more, the Sox failed to provide offensive backing. In his last five starts, during which hes 2-2 with one no-decision, the Sox have scored a total of five runs. ``I feel like I pitch better when its a tight game, said Matsuzaka, who saw his ERA drop to 3.80, ``so I cant complain about (the lack of support). The one run against Matsuzaka was circumstantial. Coco Crisp, who has played almost flawless center field all season, made an aggressive play on a sinking liner by catcher Jamie Burke in the third. But the ball trickled behind him and Burke got to second with a double. Ichiro Suzuki then flared a single into shallow center and Burke, running with two outs, scored from second. The Mariners didnt score again until the 11th. Reliever Joel Pineiro, a former Mariner, was thought to be unavailable thanks to a twisted ankle, suffered before the game Monday night. After retiring Burke on a groundout, Pineirto walked Ichiro, then left a fastball up in the zone for Jose Lopez, who drilled it off the fence in left, scoring Ichiro easily with the winning run. ``I left a pitch up, said Pineiro. ``I was trying to get a ground ball. It was supposed to be down and away, but it was up and away and he got the good part of the bat on it. Through the first six innings, the Red Sox were held scoreless by rookie Ryan Feierbend and reliever Sean Green, though it wasnt for lack of effort. ``Early in the game, said Francona, ``we hit balls all over the ballpark and we had nothing to show for it. In the seventh, the Sox finally broke through, with a single (J.D. Drew), sacrifice and Mariners error (Julio Lugo) and a sacrifice fly (Crisp). But too often, the Sox batting order sputtered. David Ortiz was 0-for-5. He flied to left with two on and two out in the third, grounded to second with the bases loaded in the fifth, flied to right with a runner on first in the seventh and fanned to end the ninth. Four of his five at-bats ended Red Sox innings. Cleanup hitter Manny Ramirez was no more productive, going hitless in five at-bats, though thanks to Ortiz, he led off in four of those at-bats. The Sox put the leadoff man on base in the eighth and 11th, but stalled both times. In the eighth, with Youkilis (walk, passed ball) on second and two out, the Mariners elected to intentionally walk J.D. Drew to get to slumping Julio Lugo, whose has gone longer than Elvis without a hit. Francona had lefty Eric Hinske on the bench, but the Mariners had southpaw Ryan Rowland-Smith warming and didnt want to a poor matchup. Predictably, Lugo struck out, running his hitless streak to 30 consecutive at-bats. As a team, the Sox were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 baserunners. ``We hit some balls well today, said catcher Jason Varitek. ``But we just didnt get it together offensively. In the first two nights, the Sox wasted 11 runs in the two losses. When they could have used some of that sock yesterday, it was nowhere to be found, sending the Sox home with a losing record on the trip, a condition they couldnt have imagined Sunday night as they left San Diego four nights ago.
Posted by Thom Cahir Sox game notesSEATTLE -- Daisuke Matsuzaka ended the month of June with a sparkling 1.59 ERA, but you wouldnt know it by looking at his won-loss record. Matsuzaka escaped with a no-decision yesterday in the Sox 2-1, 11-inning loss, but deserved far better. He tossed nine innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits along the way. But because the Sox didnt score for him, he didnt get the victory he deserved. In those five June starts, the Red Sox scored a grand total of five runs for him. The miracle was that Matsuzaka managed to win two of those starts last Saturday against the Padres (2-1) and June 16 against the San Francisco Giants (1-0). The last time the Sox scored more than two runs in a game while Matsuzaka was still on the mound was May 25, when they got beat Texas 10-6. Matsuzaka shrugged off the issue of run support after the game. ``I feel like I pitch better when its a tight game, he said, ``so I cant complain about that. The American League All-Star team will be chosen Sunday, before Matsuzaka gets a chance to add to his win total (9). His ERA, wins and strikeouts (110) are worthy of selection, but with teammate Josh Beckett (11-1, 3.07) a lock, and a handful of starters deserving (C.C. Sabathia, John Lackey, Justin Verlander, Dan Haren), Matsuzaka might be passed over. Schilling is eligible to come off the DL Wednesday, July 4, but hasnt thrown since being shutdown following his last start, June 18 in Atlanta. Hell be re-examined Monday by the medical staff, at which time a throwing program will be laid out. ``He can throw now, said Francona, ``but we want him to be able to finish the season and be a consistently good pitcher. ``Ill do whatever I have to do (to get back), said Schilling as he packed his bags after yesterdays loss. Pineiro rolled his ankle Monday during stretching exercises and was thought to be unavailable, but at gametime, told the staff he could pitch if needed. By the 11th, with the bullpen chewed up the first two games of the series and Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon already used, he was the choice. ``It was sore, said Pineiro of the ankle, ``but once you get out there, you dont think about the pain. As for facing his former teammates in his former ballpark, he said: ``I thought more about (being here) the first day. Today, my mind was just focused on making a good pitch. Yesterday was just the fifth hitless game in the last 44 for Kevin YoukilisThe Sox are 19-5 in day games this season, the best percentage in baseball. They are 12-0 at home and 7-5 on the roadLeftover from Tuesdays loss: the 14 hits the Sox collected were the most theyve had in a loss since Aug. 18, 2006, when they lost 14-11. Also, the seven runs scored were the most in a defeat this season and the most since a 10-9 setback to Kansas City on Sept. 8, 2006Coco Crisp has his 18th multi-hit game of the season and has lifted his average to .262Crisp was cut down stealing in the first for only the fifth time this season. Hes 15-for-20 in attempts this year.
Posted by Thom Cahir FINAL: Norfolk 6, Pawtucket 3PAWTUCKET -- The PawSox dropped their fourth game in a row, second at home, losing to the Norfolk Tides at McCoy Stadium, 6-3. It's been a crazy night here at the storied ballpark, so we'll have more for you after we return from the clubhouse, which should be a fun place right about now.
Posted by Joe McDonald Final: Mariners 2, Red Sox 1SEATTLE -- The Red Sox wasted another superb pitching performance by Daisuke Matsuzaka today as they dropped a 2-1, 11-inning decision to the Mariners, completing Seattle's three-game sweep. It is the first tine all season the Sox have been swept in a three-game series. More to come . . .
Posted by Sean McAdam Three PawSox selected to I.L. All-Star teamPawtucket Red Sox outfielder Brandon Moss has been elected as a starter on the 2007 International League All-Star Team while lefty reliever Craig Breslow and righty reliever Travis Hughes have been selected to the team as well. The 2007 Triple-A All-Star Game will be played on Wednesday, July 11th at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico at 7:35 pm (EDT). The International League All-Star team is selected by league managers & coaches (1/3), selected media representatives (1/3), and on-line fan balloting (1/3). The 2007 Triple-A Game marks the tenth straight year that All-Star teams from the International League and the Pacific Coast League will face each other (PCL leads, 5-4). The game will be played the night after the Major League All-Star Game and will be televised live on ESPN2 and broadcast live on the PawSox Radio Network (920 AM WHJJ the flagship) beginning at 7:30 pm. Moss, 23, has made a large impact in his first season at the Triple-A level. He is currently hitting .297 while playing in all 75 PawSox games this season (most in RF) with team-highs of 13 HR (5th in the league) and 54 RBI (4th in the IL). He is also 2nd in the IL with 26 doubles, 2nd with 40 extra-base hits, and is 4th in the league with a .538 slugging pct. Moss, a Georgia native, was selected by Boston in the 8th round of the 2002 draft out of Loganville (GA) High School. Brandon was the MVP of the Eastern League Championship series last September when he led Portland (AA) to the title by hitting .361 with 5 HR & 10 RBI in 9 post-season games. Breslow, 26, has been among the top relievers in the league for most of the season and heading into play on June 27 he was 1-1 with 1 SV and a 1.59 ERA in 25 relief appearances for the PawSox. In 39.2 innings he has allowed just 30 hits (opponents hitting .208 against him) with only 9 walks and 48 strikeouts (10.9 SO/9 IP). His ERA in home games is a mere 0.82 (2 ER in 22 IP at McCoy Stadium) and he has given up just 1 run total while working in either the 7th or 8th-innings of a game (1 run in 19.2 IP during those innings). Breslow, a native of Trumbull, CT, was signed by the Red Sox as a minor league free agent in February of 2006. He made his major league debut with San Diego in 2005 and had three different stints with the Boston Red Sox last season (going 0-2, 3.75 in 13 RA). A molecular biophysics and biochemistry major at Yale University (2002 graduate) was selected to the 2006 IL All-Star team but did not pitch in the All-Star game at Toledo because he was being promoted to Boston the next day (July 12). Hughes, 29, has also been brilliant out of the PawSox bullpen this year going 4-3 with a 1.31 ERA along with a team-high 7 saves in 30 relief appearances. His line is 41.1 IP with just 25 hits allowed (opponents batting .179) with only 2 HRA and 35 strikeouts. He took over as PawSox closer at the end of May after posting a scoreless streak of 17 consecutive innings from May 9-28. Hughes, the former Washington National who made 22 relief appearances for the Nationals the last two seasons, was originally drafted by Texas in 1997 and pitched for the Rangers briefly in 2004. Last year he made 51 RA for the New Orleans Zephyrs of the PCL and posted a 2.32 ERA. He was signed by the Red Sox as a free agent last December. Some other notable PawSox players who have appeared in the Triple-A All-Star Game since the event began in 1988 include: INF Tim Naehring (1990), 3B Scott Cooper & OF Phil Plantier (1991), Brian Rose (1997), Trot Nixon (1998), Tomo Ohka (2000), and RHP Bronson Arroyo (2003). --PAWTUCKET RED SOX
Posted by Corey Bourassa Update from McCoy StadiumThe International League All-Star roster was just announced and three PawSox players have made the team. Pitchers Craig Breslow and Travis Hughes, along with outfielder Brandon Moss have been selected to play in the Triple-A All-Star game on July 11 at Albuquerque, New Mexico. The PCL team will be announced tomorrow.
Posted by Joe McDonald Update from Seattle: No Schilling until after All-Star Game; today's lineupsTo little surprise, the Red Sox announced this morning that Curt Schilling won't pitch before the All-Star break. Schilling is eligible to come off the DL Wednesday, July 4, but he hasn't throw at all since being shut down last week and being ready to take a turn next week is unrealistic. J.D. Drew is out of the lineup today against rookie lefty Ryan Feierabend, with Wily Mo Pena getting the start in right. Julio Lugo lugs his burdensome 0-for-29 slump back into the lineup. Joel Pineiro's right ankle remains, in the words of Terry Francona, ``puffy,'' and he would seem unavailable this afternoon. The lineups: Coco Crisp CF Daisuke Matsuzaka P SEATTLE Ryan Feierabend P
Posted by Sean McAdam Sox Streakers for May 27Who's Hot Who's Not Red Sox vs. Ryan Feierabend Mariners vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka More Stuff:
Posted by Mike McDermott Today's Manny report: He's an ironman, relatively speakingManny Ramirez may not have been in the starting lineup last night, but he remains the team leader in games played, with 74. Coco Crisp, David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis and Mike Lowell have all appeared in 71. The Seattle Post Intelligencer's baseball blog hinted before the game that the decision to keep Ramirez out of the starting lineup may have been a sign of respect for Mariners starter Felix Hernandez, who had shut down Ramirez (and every other Red Sox hitter) in his first two starts against Boston. But I'm sure Ramirez would have rather faced "King Felix" last night than J.J. Putz. The Detroit Free Press is urging readers to vote en masse for Magglio Ordonez to start the All-Star Game (at Manny's expense). Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle is among those applauding the fans for putting Ordonez in the lead. This is from a Q&A on the Cleveland Plain Dealer's site: The game-winning run in the first regular-season game ever played at Jacobs Field -- a 4-3 Indians victory over Seattle -- was driven in in the 11th inning by one Wayne Kirby. That was April 4, 1994. As the season went along, a certain rookie would emerge and make sure that that Kirby did not have more big highlights to celebrate.
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: What Youk brings to the tableSean McAdam is back this morning for another edition of projo SoxTalk. Click here to listen to the full audio file. As he gets ready for today's afternoon series finale in Seattle, he discusses Kason Gabbard's shaky performance last night, Daisuke Matsuzaka's history with Seattle, and the tremendous year that Kevin Youkilis is having. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments. On Gabbard last night, did he get rattled? "Both Gabbard and Francona thought it was more a matter of delivery when he got into his stretch with a base runner on, and that he couldn't kind of straighten it out. Gabbard said he was a little too quick with his fastball. I don't think it was him being rattled or unnerved; Gabbard had pitched in the big leagues before -- in fact he had made his major league debut in this very ballpark last year -- so it doesn't seem as if it was anything that affected him psychologically or anything, it was just some poorly timed mechanical flaws that made it difficult for him to throw strikes." On Matsuzaka vs. Seattle: "He got them in the first home series of the year, there was a one-game makeup [of a rainout] back in May where he pitched, and now this, and it is pretty rare for someone outside your division to face you three times in the first 75 games or so. And it will be interesting to see -- given that they do have a little bit of history here, and of course anytime these two teams meet often the focus is the matchup between Matsuzaka and Ichiro, so that's its own little subplot there -- but other than teams outside the American League East, there haven't been a lot of teams that have gotten multiple looks at Dice-K, so it will be interesting to see what kind of adjustments they make and, correspondingly, what he does." On what Youkilis brings to the Sox: "I think a great deal on both sides of the ball. He grinds out at-bats, never gives an at-bat away. Last couple of nights he's been one of the few bright spots offensively: he had the two-run double in the ninth in the opener here on Monday, had a couple good at-bats last night. It seems like he never slumps. He's always collecting one or two hits. I think he has hit safely in somethihg like 39 of his last 43 games. He's developed a little bit more power this year and ability to drive the ball. And then there's the defensive side, where he's playing a position that is not his natural position, but Youkilis has put the time in and made himself an above-average, certainly, first baseman in a relatively short period of time."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Wednesday, June 27
THE HOUSE'S MONEY: That's what the Sox were playing with last night as both the Blue Jays and Yankees lost well before the Boston game was over, meaning the Red Sox knew their A.L. East lead would stay in double digits no matter what happened. Seattle manager Mike Hargrove, who had plenty of experience doing so while managing the Indians in the 1990s, talks about what it's like to play with a big first-place lead. (Boston Herald) THE HALF-FULL PORTION OF THE GLASS: Kevin Youkilis got his name in the record books defensively, and he continues to light it up offensively. (Both stories projo.com)
YOU CAN MEASURE DEFENSE WITH STATISTICS: The Red Sox have numbers that prove Coco Crisp (Journal photo by Bob Breidenbach, above) is indeed having the superlative season defensively that we sense he is. (projo.com) In fact, Red Sox defensive metrics say he's having one of the all-time great years with the glove, which could mean he'll be safe come the trading deadline. NOT GONNA HAPPEN: It appears the Red Sox are out of the Mark Buehrle Sweepstakes. (Boston Herald) And why? Because, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, Buehrle is about to sign a contract extension with the White Sox. NO RELIEF: The Yankees' bullpen failed them again, as Scott Proctor walked in the winning run -- after the loading the bases on a hit and two walks -- in the bottom of the ninth in Baltimore. (New York Daily News) And maybe we're seeing the start of some internal grumbling, as Andy Pettitte, according to the LoHud Yankee blog, ''seemed to question whether his teammates cared as much as he did.'' ALL BETTER: Johnny Damon says a trip to an Orlando chiropractor on Monday uncovered that his problem was ''four out-of-place ribs,'' not an abdominal strain, and he feels ''like a different person'' after being treated. (New York Daily News) YOU'RE ON, BIG GUY: The New York Post's Mike Vaccaro thinks the Yankees ''need [Roger Clemens] tonight in a way they so rarely needed him his first time around in pinstripes'' and that this will show whether Clemens can actually give the Yanks something ''other than an age-defying workout every five days.'' OLD-TIMERS' DAY: Clemens is one of seven pitchers over the age of 40 scheduled to start today. (espn.com) THE BIG 33: The Newark Star-Ledger lists 33 things you might not know about Derek Jeter as he turns 33. RUN, DO NOT WALK, OUT OF HERE: ESPN's Mike Greenberg strongly urges Alex Rodriguez to flee the Yankees well before he turns 33. NOT YET: Willie Randolph proclaimed the Mets' struggles to be ''over'' before they took the field last night. Then they played the game. (New York Daily News) DON'T STOP BELIEVING: Michael Salfino says there's reason to think Carlos Delgado's season-long slump is just a slump, and not the end of the trail. (sny.tv) Maybe so, counters the New York Post's Kevin Kernan, but he still deserves to be booed by Mets fans. ONE-STOP SHOPPING: There are a lot of individual baseball milestones about to be reached, and SI.com's Tom Verducci lists them all. IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED . . . According to the Washington Post, the Orioles may make another run at trying to convince Joe Girardi to be their manager, though probably not until the end of the season. EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT! Michael Barrett, traded by the Cubs to the Padres last week, says negative stories about him began popping up in the Chicago media after he left ''because editors wanted stories that would sell papers.'' (Chicago Tribune) JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH GOOD LABOR TALK: The Biz of Baseball Blog cites a Sports Business Journal article that says MLB may be colluding to keep signing bonuses for amateur draft players down. BLAST FROM THE PAST I: As Frank Thomas thinks about shooting for 600 home runs, he remembers Walt Hriniak, a polarizing figure as both Red Sox and White Sox hitting coach. (Toronto Star) BLAST FROM THE PAST II: Aaron Boone may be sidelined for three weeks because of a bad knee. (mlb.com) 'EARTH TO PIRATES': Bob Smizik thinks the Pirates' proclamations that they're better than their record are ludicrous, and changes need to be made. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) LOCAL BOYS: Ex-Providence College star John McDonald has won the starting shortstop job with the Blue Jays. (Toronto Globe and Mail) WHISPERS: The Dodgers are the latest team rumored to be interested in Jermaine Dye (Chicago Tribune) . . . Padres GM Kevin Towers said the Pads had ''mild interest'' in Milton Bradley, who was designated for assignment last week by the A's, but talks with Oakland ''never got very far'' (San Diego Union-Tribune) . . . Remember yesterday's note that Jacque Jones was about to be traded? Apparently he was, but the deal to the Marlins hit a snag (South Florida Sun-Sentinel) . . . Any thoughts the Orioles had about trading Miguel Tejada ended when he broke his wrist (Washington Post). OLD FRIENDS: Kelly Shoppach had a night to remember for the Indians Unfortunately, he had it at the expense of Alan Embree (ESPN.com) . . . Pedro Martinez threw 45 pitches of batting practice yesterday (New York Daily News) . . . Shea Hillenbrand wants out of Anaheim (Los Angeles Times). -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone Late Red Sox notesBY SEAN McADAM SEATTLE -- Kason Gabbard turned in the shortest start of the season -- 3 1/3 innings -- last night and the shortest start for a Red Sox starter since Kyle Snyder last Sept. 24 in Toronto . . . Kevin Youkilis extended his hitting streak to eight games and has hit safely in 39 of his last 43 games . . . Eric Hinske, getting a rare start in left field, has three hits in his last seven at-bats -- and they're all for extra bases. Hinske homered to right Tuesday night in the sixth. The other hits were a homer and a double.
Posted by Sean McAdam Game story -- Sox can't catch up, lose to Mariners, 8-7BY SEAN McADAM SEATTLE – For the second night in a row, the Red Sox got into their bullpen way ahead of schedule. Predictably, for the second night in a row, it didn’t end well for them. Kason Gabbard, promoted from Pawtucket to take the spot of Curt Schilling, lasted just 3 1/3 innings in his second major-league start of the season and the four relievers who followed him didn’t fare much better in an 8-7 defeat to the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday. The loss, Boston’s second in a row, puts the Sox in position to be swept in a three-game series for the first time this season. The Sox have lost seven in a row at Safeco Field, which is fast becoming what Royals Stadium was to another generation of Red Sox players in the 1970s. Each time the Sox drew closer, the Mariners tacked on to their advantage. Despite 14 hits, the Sox never led after a brief 1-0 edge in the top of the first. It didn't seem to matter that the Sox got more hits against Seattle phenom Felix Hernandez in the first two at-bats than they did in an entire game back on April 11, or that they knocked him around for six runs on 11 hits. They had bigger problems of their own -- their own pitchers. ''I thought we showed a lot of fight and spirit to come back,'' said Terry Francona. But the Sox always seemed to be one hit shy of taking the game back. They stranded 10, but five of those were left at third base and another two on second. They didn’t just strand runners – they completely abandoned them. ''It was,'' acknowledged Francona, ''a tough night. We were fighting uphill all the way.'' Their last, best shot came in the eighth when Coco Crisp worked a leadoff walk and Dustin Pedroia followed by blooping a single into right as Crisp scooted to third. But Seattle brought in George Sherrill from the bullpen and he fanned David Ortiz. Closer J.J. Putz was then summoned with five outs to go and after allowing a sacrifice fly to center to Kevin Youkilis, retired J.D. Drew on a groundout, as pinch-runner Julio Lugo was stranded at second. Putz shifted into overdrive in the ninth, striking out the side – Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek and pinch-hitter Manny Ramirez. ''He’s one of the best,'' said Francona. ''He did the job right when he had to.'' Without Joel Pineiro, who twisted an ankle during stretching exercises prior to Monday’s opener and was unavailable last night, the Sox had some unfavorable matchups in the middle innings and they cost them. Manny Delcarmen bailed Gabbard out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fourth, but -- after his teammates had surged back and tied the game, 4-4, with two runs in the top of the fifth -- was tagged for two runs of his own in the fifth on two singles, a hit batsman and a sacrifice fly. Boston tied the game again, 6-6, with two runs in the sixth. But in the bottom of the inning, lefty Javy Lopez had to face right-hander Richie Sexson with Jose Vidro on first and gave up a two-run homer, giving the Mariners the lead for good. Trailing 4-1 after two innings, the Sox began to claw back in the third. Crisp reached on an error, took second on a groundout to the left side and scored on the first of Ortiz’ three singles. But after Youkilis singled Ortiz to third, the Sox’ inning fizzled on fielder’s choice by Drew and a spectacular diving grab by Seattle second baseman Jose Lopez, who gloved a bullet from Lowell that seemed ticketed for center field. The Sox knotted the game in the fifth when Lowell drove a ball off the top of the fence of left – missing a home run by inches – and landing on third with a two-run triple as Ortiz (single) and Drew (single) scored ahead of him. But with Lowell on third, Hernandez fanned Varitek, marking the fourth time in the first five innings that the Sox had ended an inning with a baserunner on third. Gabbard’s start was, to be charitable, ineffective. ''When I was warming up, I felt great,'' said Gabbard. ''But after (striking out) Ichiro (Suzuki to open the game), I got out of the groove and couldn’t get back. Out of the stretch, I was a little too quick with my fastball.'' ''He struggled with his command, obviously,'' said Francona, who made it a point to note that Gabbard would make his next scheduled start, Monday against Texas. ''He had a lot of deep counts and a lot of walks.'' In the first inning alone, he walked four and hit another, spotting the Mariners three runs. An inning-ending double-play from Yuniesky Betancourt bailed him out of further trouble, as the Mariners stranded two. The lefty got himself right back into trouble in the second, allowing a leadoff homer to Willie Bloomquist, then surrendering singles to Ichiro and Jose Lopez. But once more, a double play – this one from Vidro – saved him and Gabbard did the rest, fanning Sexson with Ichiro anchored at third.
Posted by Sean McAdam June 26, 2007
Crisp heating up at right time.By SEAN McADAM SEATTLE – Even after a recent torrid stretch that has seen him lift his batting average to a respectable .258, Coco Crisp’s season can’t be truly measured on the stat sheet. The stats can show that he has boosted his average 37 points in the last 11 games; that he’s second in the American League with four bunt hits and tied for fourth with four sacrifices; and that he’s been successful in 15 of his 19 stolen base attempts. But the true measure of Crisp’s 2007 season is found in more arcane numbers, not readily available or found on a web site. According to data compiled and maintained by one major league club, Crisp is playing the best center field of any outfielder in the major leagues – and by a long shot. The club, which asked not to be identified, uses a complicated metric to measure defensive play, including range and coverage. Based on its findings, tabulated monthly, Crisp is playing at a ``plus-24’’ level in center field, meaning that through the end of May, Crisp had already recorded putouts on two dozen more players than the average center fielder. While the data can’t be easily extrapolated for an entire season – there’s no guarantee that Crisp will finish at a plus-72, for example – he’s on pace to easily top last year’s best full-season grade, a plus-30, earned by Willie Taveras, then with Houston. Similarly, Crisp could equal the best numbers achieved by Mike Cameron and Andruw Jones, each of whom had graded out near a plus-60 in their prime. ``Regardless of what the numbers say,’’ said Red Sox manager Terry Francona, `` I know how well Coco has played out there. Sometimes, the numbers can fool you a little. But I can see with my own eyes how good he’s been.’’ Crisp wasn’t nearly as proficient in the field last year, his first in Boston. The spacious center field in Boston was new to him and Crisp’s play was tentative at times. ``If you ask me,’’ said one scout recently, ``I think he just needed a year to get used to center again (Crisp has played left field in 2005, his final year in Cleveland). It take some adjusting – the ball comes off the bat differently. For one things, it’s hit right at you and that can be tricky. But he’s a much better center fielder this year than a year ago.’’ When the Sox dealt for Crisp after the 2005 season, they envisioned him as a worthy successor to Johnny Damon, who left as a free agent to the New York Yankees. What they got, instead, was someone seemingly unsuited for both of Damon’s roles – center fielder and leadoff hitter. At the plate, Crisp wasn’t nearly patient enough. In the outfield, he showed only brief flashes. An astounding diving catch against the New York Mets’ David Wright last June was unquestionably the season highlight. But that sort of highlight-reel catch was infrequent. This season, they seem to be an almost weekly occurrence. ``I think he’s just more familiar, more comfortable, more confident out there,’’ said third base coach DeMarlo Hale, who also doubles as the Red Sox’ outfield instructor. ``He’s a talented young man with the speed to close on a ball quickly. And we’re seeing that more and more.’’ Crisp, who has declined to be interviewed in recent weeks, reported to spring training as a more assertive defender. He’s spent more time going over scouting reports to help him better position himself and is more knowledgeable about his own pitchers, giving him help in anticipating where a pitch might be hit. A season ago, from his perch in the dugout, Hale had to direct Crisp in the outfield from batter to batter. This year, Crisp has often adjusted his positioning in center before Hale has a chance to move him. ``And he’s taken more of a leadership role out there with Manny (Ramirez) and J.D. (Drew),’’ Hale said. ``He’s communicating with them and making sure they’re covering the space between one another.’’ Even by conventional measures, Crisp’s play has been outstanding. Going into last night, he had yet to commit an error in center and the number of putouts he had recorded (205) without an error was second only to the Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki, who had 218.
Posted by Thom Cahir FINAL: Norfolk 7, Pawtucket 3 PAWTUCKET -- The Pawtucket Red Sox gladly returned home from their recent 2-6 road trip through Indianapolis and Louisville only to continue their skid, losing to the Norfolk Tides at McCoy Stadium, 7-3.
Posted by Joe McDonald Lineups for Tuesday nightCrisp , cf Seattle Ichiro Suzuki, cf ... Manager Terry Francona gave Manny Ramirez the night off just to rest, noting that Manny has played more games than any other Red Sox player to date...Nick Hagadome is at Safeco Field meeting Red Sox players and personnel...Hagadome, a standout at the University of Washington is expected to finalaize his first pro contract in the next few days...SS Julio Lugo is out of the lineup, which isn't a surprise.
Posted by Thom Cahir Sox Streakers for June 26Who's Hot Who's Not Red Sox vs. Felix Hernandez Mariners vs. Kason Gabbard More Stuff
Posted by Mike McDermott Ramirez falls in All-Star vote countDetroit's Magglio Ordonez has moved ahead of Manny Ramirez in fan balloting for the All-Star Game. Ordonez, who has never been elected to start an All-Star Game, would join Vladimir Guerrero and Ichiro Suzuki in the A.L. 's starting outfield. Ramirez is fourth in the balloting. Manny has been one of the leaders up until now, something that did not sit well with Tom Gage of the Detroit News. Ordonez leads the league in batting average (.379), doubles (34), on base percentage (.453) and extra-base hits (47). Manny's numbers in the same categories: .296, 16, .394 and 28. Ramirez had good numbers against Jeff Weaver coming into last night's game (a lot of the Red Sox did), but Weaver got him out twice with runners on base last night, including once in the third with men on second and third with two outs. Ramirez is hitting .257 this year with runners in scoring position, although his OBP is .407.
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo Sports Chat transcriptToday's Sports Chat was all Red Sox, all the time. Here's the transcript. Remember to join Art tomorrow at noon: go to projo.com/chat, pick a display name and enter the sports chat room to send your questions. soxx: Do you think Theo would make a :rental" deal for Buehrle? and is there any chance that we might get Iguchi as part of any deal? Art Martone: Hi, soxx. I think the Sox would make a ''rental'' deal for Mark Buehrle, and take the draft choices when he walks away as a free agent (probably to the Cardinals) at the end of the year. But I don't think Iguchi would be included because that would, by definition, raise the price. I think the Sox would only do this if they held onto the very best prospects -- Clay Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury, maybe Daniel Bard -- and dealt second-level minor-leaguers like Brandon Moss or Jed Lowrie. They couldn't get Iguchi if that were the case; they'd need to give more. (I assume your thinking is, move Pedroia back to shortstop and put Iguchi at second.) But as time passes and more and more teams begin sniffing around Buehrle, I think it's more likely the White Sox might be able to get the kind of prospects, out of someone, that the Sox probably won't surrender, and thus I think a Buehrle-to-Boston trade is a long shot. I've been wrong before, though. SoxFanatic456: After last night's night performance, does it look like Timlin's run with the Red Sox is just about over? If the Red Sox would want to part ways with him, how would they do it? Trade? Release? Send down? Retire? Art Martone: Sean McAdam and I discussed this today on Sox Talk, and Sean's take is ''What you see (from Timlin right now) is what you're going to get (the rest of the way).'' I tend to think that's true. I know there's a lot of organizational affection for Timlin, whose been a good soldier and a great ambassador in the community, and Terry Francona in particular thinks the world of him. That said, we know they're looking for bullpen help and I get the feeling that Timlin's spot is the most vulnerable. In a perfect world (for the Red Sox), he'd retire and save them the pain of having to release him, which is more likely. Judging by his postgame comments -- that his command and location were off -- it doesn't sound like Timlin is ready to give it up, and so I think the day will come where they're going to have to release him. soxx: Art, my first time here, was unaware of your chats, its great to have access to someone knowledgable on the Sox. thanks for your 1st answer, but were you aware that Iguchi played ss in japan for 5 years? Art Martone: Thanks, soxx! I was thinking Pedroia would be easier to switch since he's younger than Iguchi (Tadahito is, I believe, 32). Also -- and I didn't know this until today -- Iguchi is in the walk year of his contract, too, meaning it would be a rental for *two* players since reports are that Iguchi wants to play somewhere warmer than Chicago. In that case, it seems more and more unlikely that Iguchi would be included in a trade to the Red Sox. SoxFanatic456: What are the latest on the Mark Buehrle rumors? Is there any possibility that the Red Sox could be showcasing Kason Gabbard as a part of this deal? Also, how serious are the Red Sox in trading for Rockies closer Brian Fuentes, if the Rockies are still interested in Tavarez the Red Sox could trade him there for Fuentes when Lester returns, is there any possibility of that happening? Art Martone: I can't believe the Fuentes rumors are all that serious, at least not to the Red Sox, for any number of reasons: 1) The Rockies are still in the hunt, so why would they trade him? 2) The Sox *have* a closer, who's better than Fuentes. 3) Even if Fuentes would agree to accept a setup role, he's left-handed and Boston is already tilting a bit left in the bullpen. 4) Fuentes would have more value to a team actually looking for a closer, which means Colorado -- if they choose to go that route -- could get more than the Red Sox would be willing to give. soxx: In your opinion, is there any chance of moving Lugo, and to where? Art Martone: Not at the moment, not with almost all the four-year, $36 million contract remaining and with him playing as poorly as he is. If the Sox dumped him now, it would be the ultimate sell-low strategy. I think their only real option is to wait it out and hope he somehow gets out of this funk that's all but paralyzed him at the plate. Odds are he will; at least, the odds are he won't hit .190 this year. But having said that, I still remember George Scott hitting .171 in 1968 and thinking all year that *he* would break out it eventually, that -- having hit .303 the year before -- there was no way his batting average could tumble 130 points in a single season. But it did. Warren: Tavarez clearly was not on his game last night...do you think the 97 pitch outing prior may be the cause ? Art Martone: No, Warren, I just think he was pitching at a level not consistent with his ability and this was the natural pullback to what he actually is. After all he's done for the Red Sox this year, though, he deserves a mulligan for that one. Warren: Art....assuming A-Rod invokes the option on his contract and the sox are not interested....seems to me that A-Rod and Boras then would have over played their hand since the only real bidder at that kind of money would be the yanks...I can't see anyone else offering stupid money for a guy who wherever he goes the team performs badly and improves greatly when he leaves Art Martone: Oh, I can. The Giants, the Cubs, the Angels, maybe even the White Sox . . . the bidding could escalate quickly. And I don' t think there's any way the Sox *wouldn't* be interested if A-Rod hits the market. soxx: Its been reported that Reinsdorf will not allow any window for extension with buehrle, do yyou think he may for Iguchi, if sox were to just ant him? Art Martone: I don't think the Red Sox are interested enough (or at all) in Iguchi that they would ask. They already have Lugo under contract through 2009, and I think upper management would frown upon giving another multiyear contract to an infielder in his 30s. Dave: Why don't the Sox insert Cora at SS instead of a $36 million dollar SS that hasn't had a hit since June 15th? Art Martone: Hi, Dave. I'm fairly certain Cora will play more and more in the days ahead, but will he get the job full-time? I wonder. They just have too much invested in Lugo -- monetarily, but also in they've built their team (with him playing a key role) -- to pull the plug on him three months into a four-year contract. It's still early enough that he can turn things around, and their lead frees them from any sense of urgency about making a switch. But if it gets close to playoff time and Lugo is still struggling to hit his weight . . . well, different rules then. soxx: Art, really hope you're wrong on Sox having an interest in Arod, I, for one, do not want "the curse of Arod' anywhere near the Sox. Art Martone: A lot of people don't -- Warren especially! -- but I think he'd intrigue the Sox management. He's a great player, and I mean a Great Player, and if he ever got here, I think he'd be a cinch to finish his career with 800 home runs. As for the "Curse of A-Rod," I just don't think he's the reason his teams get worse -- or, more accurately, have worse records than the year before -- when he joins them, nor do I think his departure is the reason his former teams get better. The guy has a lot of baggage, I will grant you, and some people don't particularly care for him, but on the field . . . I'd take him. Dewey24: Art, I know the permium is on ptiching (and I think the Sox should take a run at Otsuka) but I really think they need one more .380+ OBA guy. Seems to me we keep leaving men in scoring position - eps with bases loaded (see last night) and nt getting anything. Any talk about a move for a legit position player like a Texiera - with obviously Lowell headed off somewhere else? Art Martone: Hi, Dewey. I'm with you. This lineup is about one hitter shy of being really dangerous, and I'd love to see them pick up another bat. The only problem is, the positions where they need offensive upgrades -- center field and shortstop -- are not positions where those types of hitters are readily available. I think if they make such a move, it would be what you suggest: For a first baseman like Texeira, with Youkilis moving to third and Lowell headed out. I know there were internal Texeira discussions earlier, and maybe they'll be revisited as we get closer to the deadline (and Teixeira comes off the DL). I can't see them making another run at Todd Helton, if for no other reason than Helton's left-handed and they would tilt too far left. We'll see who becomes available in the next few weeks. Warren: Art....do you see JD Drew being moved come trade time ? Who would want him with that contract ? Art Martone: I don't think there's any way they trade Drew. Main reason? They don't want to. Dewey24: Also, you mentioned Moss as a 2nd tier prospect. But every time I see him play he's solid, has pop and a hose for an arm with high OBP. Seems like everything Drew was projected to be without the injuries. I know there's a big drop between MLB & AAA but I would hate to see this guy get packaged for a ham & egger like Buehrle and end up being the next Freddy Sanchez or Hanley Ramierz. Have the Sox thought about giving him a 1st baseman's mitt? Art Martone: Not that I know of. I think they see Moss as a step behind Jacoby Ellsbury as a prospect, and with Drew on board they don't see the need for many young outfield prospects. That's why I think they'd be more likely to include Moss in a deal of "second-level" prospects, because I don't think they see him projecting to be in the Boston outfield. soxx: Coco seems to be picking it up, saw the report saying magadan changed his stance, with his defenze am happy in cf for now, Ss seems only weak spot Art Martone: That's true. If Crisp can hit .275 or so, with his defense he's an asset. To this point he hasn't hit that well, which is why I looked at center as a position for upgrade. soxx: Do you see any realistic deals done by theo before the deadline? Art Martone: I think they'll definitely do something to attempt to strengthen the bullpen. Anything bigger depends on a lot of moving parts, the kind of trades that have proved difficult for the Sox to make in the last couple of years. But I would say they're almost certain to do something involving a relief pitcher or two. Warren: Schiling has apparently taken offense to Theo's remark that Schilling taking a break now( on the DL) may be a blessing in disguise...Well duh ! Of course it will ...at Schilling's age...no brainer...as long as he keeps up his conditioning...this indeed is a blessing in disguise ! the only one that should take offsense are the people that are being fooled...Schilling is thinking about next year's contract and doesn't want any time off . Art Martone: Could be, Warren, could be. But I think he'd be better served by taking some time off and pitching healthy rather than pitching through pain and seeing his performance suffer. The Sox would benefit, too. soxx: Otsuka or gagne possibilities? Art Martone: The price tag for them might be too high, since other teams may target them as more important pieces than the Sox will. I can see other teams offering more for either, or both, than Boston. But I think the Red Sox will definitely kick the tires on the two of them, and who knows? Maybe something can be worked out. soxx: Art, sorry i have missed your chats before, how long have you been doing them? Art Martone: We started them a few weeks ago, and they're catching on. Eventually, we'd like to spread them around to the other writers. Shalise Manza Young has already done a Patriots chat, and we're hoping to do more. Warren: Hi Art...assuming the yanks don't make the playoffs...I envision a double dip firing...Cashman and Torre ...what do you think ? Art Martone: It's not often you and I are in complete agreement, Warren -- see Terry O'Reilly and Don Cherry -- but we are here. If the Yankees don't make the playoffs, I can see both of them being dismissed. Warren: Art...do you think to much is being made of the drop off in numbers for Ortiz and Manny ? Art Martone: Interesting question. They're both hitting well, just not for the kind of power we're accustomed to. Me, I don't see it as a big concern because I don't think either one of them has lost his power, at least not to a great extent. As Kevin Youkilis says, they'll eventually get to their normal numbers, which means we could be in for a big second half, power-wise, from both of them. Warren: Art...seems like the New York media has the best of both worlds...the yanks play bad...lots of stories in that...the team whips putrid teams and shaves the deficit and everyone is yelling 78'...the team takes another dive and the media is back to hanging everyone in sight ...lots of fodder either way ? Art Martone: I thought it was the fans more than the media harping on '78, but you live there and you'd know better than me. In any case, there's been plenty to talk about, hasn't there? soxx: Art, Do you see any future for Wily Mo with the ?Sox Art Martone: Theo Epstein still likes Pena and has hopes for him. I see his upside -- 40-homer potential -- but I can see having to go through a lot of rocky road to get there, and I don't know that the Sox can be that patient. Dewey24: Actually I think this is the last year of Torre's contract so Warren will have to be content with a single firing and a no-rehire of Torre. Though personally I would bag Cash. This team is his mess, and the Yankees have underachieved since he's been GM. (As a Sox fan I hope Cash stays, of course) Art Martone: That's true, Dewey. His contract runs out at the end of 2007. Of course, he might get fired before the end of '07, which could give Warren his two-fer. mike: That's all the time we have today, folks, and we're sorry we did not get to several questions. But we will be back tomorrow from noon to 1.
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Schilling's swipe at TheoSean McAdam joins Art Martone from Seattle for today's edition of projo SoxTalk. Click here to listen to the full audio file. Today, they discuss Curt Schilling's surprising comments about Theo Epstein. Also on the agenda: the continuing troubles of Mike Timlin, the latest Red Sox trade rumor (involving Colorado's Brian Fuentes), and Jon Lester's demonstration of why he should not have been called up to start tonight's game against the Mariners. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments: On the Fuentes story: "I don't think there's any question that their number-one priority ... is to improve the bullpen. Not a closer, obviously, and Okajima has emerged as a terrific setup man, but I think they realize they need some additional late-inning help. My only surprise is that Fuentes is left-handed, as Okajima is, and you would think they'd be looking more for a righty setup man. But I think they're looking for people that can get big outs late in the game and, you know, they'll sort it out later." Was Schilling throwing Theo under the bus? "I think some forethought went into that remark. I'm not saying [Schilling] had it drawn up on the playboard and was ready to unleash it at any moment, but you could see that he had thought about this, given the question was fairly, you know, innocuous, and he seemed pretty poised to make his point. And it'll be interesting to see what the reaction is from the front office and Theo Epstein, and how this impacts the rest of, you know, their relationship the rest of the way, because it certainly did seem a little over the top." On Lester: "You talk to people in the Red Sox organization, and while I think there was public sentiment to bring up Lester because of, you know, everything he's been through and what a terrific story it's going to be when he does finally rejoin the major league team, the fact of the matter was that [Kason] Gabbard had pitched better and deserved it."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Tuesday, June 26
SAILING AWAY: For 4 1/2 innings, the Sox were following the formula -- tight pitching, timely hitting -- that's served them so well so far on this road trip . . . and, indeed, as Bill Reynolds points out, this season. But it all came unglued in the fifth inning. A wild throw by Julian Tavarez (shown getting away from Kevin Youkilis above, AP Photo) gave the Mariners runners at second and third with no outs and they took it from there, scoring five runs and going on to a 9-4 win over the Sox. (projo.com) It was Tavarez' first lemon in quite a while -- he'd gone 5-0 with a 3.17 ERA in his last seven starts -- and the relievers, Kyle Snyder and Mike Timlin in particular, were no better. If nothing else, Youkilis got his name into the record books. (projo.com) HE SPEAKS! Curt Schilling apologizes for his nearly two weeks of silence with a brief entry on 38pitches.com in which he says his shoulder ''feels fine.'' DID HE EVER: Whether he intended to be or not, Schilling was far more controversial while talking to reporters before last night's game. He took what could only be interpreted as a swipe at general manager Theo Epstein while discussing his time on the disabled list, countering Epstein's assertion that Schilling could benefit from some rest by saying, ''[It's] easy to analyze that when you’re not in uniform and you’ve never been in one.'' (projo.com) Schilling was answering a question in terms of whether he agreed with Epstein, who said going on the DL was ''an opportunity to get (Schilling) rested, rehabilitated and strengthened so he can be in peak condition in the second half,'' or with manager Terry Francona, who said, ''it’s different when you’re in uniform and not in uniform -- I don’t think Schill necessarily sees it that way.” (Boston Herald) He may not have meant it the way people are going to take it -- then again, he may have -- but I have a sense, or maybe it's a fear, that we're on the doorstep of yet another two-day, talk-show controversy. JUST WAIT: Tony Massarotti mulls what's going to happen when the Red Sox finally start hitting. (Boston Herald) STILL NUMBER TWO: The Sox remain second in SI.com's Power Rankings. ONE STEP BACKWARDS: Jon Lester was routed last night in Louisville, which may justify the Red Sox' decision to keep him in the minors after Schilling got hurt. (projo.com) QUICK HITS: Sean McAdam makes some observations about the Sox, including who belongs on the All-Star team and whether or not the Mark Buehrle trade will happen. (projo.com) BUEHRLE WATCH: The Newark Star-Ledger reports the Mets are still interested, though they'd be more likely to part with top prospects for Jose Contreras if they were going to trade for a White Sox pitcher. The Ledger also says the Yankees have yet to involve themselves in the Buehrle chase. According to the New York Post, the Mets will only pursue Buehrle if they get a 72-hour window to sign the free agent-to-be. WRONG MOVE: The Chicago Sun-Times' Jay Mariotti thinks the White Sox should sign Buehrle, not trade him. FUENTES WATCH? The Denver Post says the Red Sox are among the teams that have an interest in Rockies reliever Brian Fuentes. WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO DO . . . The New York Daily News thinks the Yankees' ''new policy of not dealing prospects for quick fixes will be tested as attractive rental players such as Jermaine Dye hit the trade market.'' WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE: The New York Post's George King is adamant: ''Anyone who looks at the AL East race and believes the Yankees have a shot at their 10th straight title should be drug tested.'' So colleague Mike Vaccaro urges the Yankees, and their fans, to forget the Red Sox and focus on the Indians, who currently lead the wild-card race. DOWN AND UP AND DOWN: Bobby Abreu is slumping again. (New York Daily News) The New York Post goes into more detail. THE REAL IDIOTS: NYYFans.com's Phil Allard calls the signing of Johnny Damon ''one of Brian Cashman’s greatest follies''. PALS AGAIN: John Smoltz and Chipper Jones say they've smoothed over their 'misunderstanding'. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) END OF THE LINE: Veteran infielder Jeff Cirillo announces this will probably be his last season. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune) 'MY BAD': That was the extent of Paul LoDuca's apology to Marvin Hudson after going, in the words of the New York Daily News' Vic Ziegel, Tasmanian Devil on the umpire and earning a two-game suspension. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN: The blog Mike's Baseball Rants examines American League dominance in interleague play. SPECIAL FEATURES: Joe Posnanski gives us the 'director's cut' of last month's fascinating story on Bo Jackson. (thesoulofbaseball.blogspot.com) WHISPERS: The Cubs may trade Jacque Jones today; the Rangers, Padres and White Sox are interested (Chicago Sun-Times) . . . The Blue Jays are listening to offers for Troy Glaus (foxsports.com) . . . Dontrelle Willis is ignoring all the trade talk (Miami Herald) . . . The Rockies have inquired about Royals closer Octavio Dotel (Denver Post). OLD FRIENDS: The Dodgers are moving Nomar Garciaparra to third base (Riverside Press-Enterprise) . . . Many people in Cincinnati are blaming Bronson Arroyo's poor season on a 129-pitch outing May 16, but the blog On Baseball and the Reds studies the issue and isn't so sure. -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone Late Red Sox notesBY SEAN McADAM SEATTLE – Kevin Youkilis set a Red Sox franchise record Monday night by playing his 120th consecutive errorless game at first base, eclipsing the mark held by Stuffy McInnis, who had a 119-game streak in 1921. Youkilis’ last error at first was July 4, 2006 in Tampa. He has handled more than 1,054 chances since then. Lowell tossed? Here and there
Posted by Sean McAdam Game story: Mariners sail by Sox, 9-4BY SEAN McADAM SEATTLE – Far more times than not this season, Julian Tavarez has fulfilled the unstated responsibility of a fifth starter: give your team a chance to win. Not, however, on Monday night. Tavarez couldn’t get out of the fifth inning, surrendering six runs on six hits and suffering his first setback since May 1, a 9-4 pasting by the Seattle Mariners. The loss was the Sox’ sixth in a row at Safeco Field. The Mariners are 7-2 in their last nine games with Boston. Three of the six runs charged to Tavarez were unearned, but they, too, were of his making. With the Sox leading 2-1 in the fifth, Tavarez fielded a bunt by Mariners shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt and fired it past first, enabling Betancourt to reach safely and Adrian Beltre to advance all the way to third. Third baseman Mike Lowell, charging the bunt, attempted to call Tavarez off the play, but Tavarez was already committed to trying to get Betancourt at first. Manager Terry Francona said he thought the pitcher didn’t get a good grip before making the throw, though Tavarez himself disagreed. A big inning for Seattle unraveled from there, with four of the next five hitters reaching. ''Everything went wrong for me,'' said Tavarez, who saw his record evened at 5-5. ''That’s how it goes. I didn’t get any breaks. I didn’t do anything different – I challenged the hitters, work quickly and tried to get ground balls. It was just a little of this, a little of that.'' ''He was behind in the count a lot,'' explained Francona. ''His stuff was good. His fastball was explosive. But he left some pitches up and out of the zone and kind of misfired more than he needs to be successful.'' The outing was the pitcher’s shortest since his first outing of the season, April 7 in Texas. Tavarez came into last night with a 5-0, 3.07 record in his last seven starts. He hadn’t allowed a run over his previous 13 innings. That streak ended in the second when Richie Sexson doubled and rode home on Ben Broussard’s single to right. The Sox responded with two runs against Jeff Weaver in the top of next inning. With Coco Crisp (single) and Julio Lugo (error, fielder’s choice) on first and third, J.D. Drew drilled a single up the middle, just under the glove of second baseman Jose Lopez, scoring both runners and giving Boston a 2-1 lead. A one-out single to right from David Ortiz advanced Drew to third, giving the Sox runners at the corners with one out. But the prospect of a big inning dimmed when Weaver fanned Manny Ramirez and, after walking Kevin Youkilis, got Lowell to pop to third, leaving the bases loaded. The Sox wouldn’t score again until the ninth when Youkilis added a two-run double. In between, the Mariners added on against Tavarez, Kyle Snyder and Mike Timlin. Snyder, who inherited a bases-loaded, one-out jam from Tavarez, was uncharacteristically wild, walking two hitters in a row to force in two runs as the Mariners built their lead to 6-2. Seattle broke the game open in the seventh against Mike Timlin. Timlin issued a leadoff walk to Sexson, then was struck in the glove hand by the top half of Ben Broussard’s sawed-off bat on a grounder to second. ''A little scary,'' said Timlin afterward. ''I’m glad I saw the bat, because I was watching the ball.'' Watching the ball then got tougher for Timlin. With Broussard on first with a fielder’s choice, Timlin gave up homers to Kenji Johkima and Beltre on consecutive two-seam fastballs that left up in the strike zone. Youkilis’ two-run double came far too late to help, as Weaver won for just the second time this season. From the fourth through the eighth innings, the Sox mustered just two hits, while failing to take advantage of their few opportunities. They stranded two in the fourth, two in the sixth and the bases full in the eighth.
Posted by Sean McAdam June 25, 2007
Game Story: Bats outslug PawSox, 12-7The PawSox bats were blazing Monday night, but it wasn't enough to top another group of Bats, as Louisville won 12-7, taking three of four from Pawtucket. The PawSox stranded 10 as they dropped their seventh decision in nine games, falling to 33-41. Louisville improved to 40-37. "Most of the time, with Jon Lester on the mound and seven runs and 15 hits on the board you are going to be in good shape," said PawSox manager Ron Johnson. "There were a lot of bloop hits here and groundballs through the infield there. You can't take away from what they did, but it just wasn't our night." Louisville lefty Phil Dumatrait breezed through the first three innings, striking out four and holding a 5-1 lead. However, in the fourth he began to labor, falling behind batters and the PawSox touched him for a run. In the fifth, Jeff Bailey came up with two in scoring position and plated two on a double down the third base line. Moss followed with his team-leading thirteenth homer to straightaway center field to put the PawSox in front, 6-5. The PawSox lead was short-lived as the Bats followed Pawtucket's four-run inning with a four-spot of their own. Mike Edwards followed Jeff Bannon's third hit of the game with a bloop single to right, putting runners on the corners with one out. Chris Dickerson lined a shot to center, driving home Bannon and ending lefty Jon Lester's night. Bryan Corey came on for the PawSox and forced a groundball to second, but Ed Rogers couldn't handle it, loading the bases with one out. Ryan Freel, in his second game of a rehab assignment, lined a double to right center to push the Bats back in front, 8-6. Ryan Jorgensen scored on a groundout by Pedro Lopez, giving the Bats a three-run advantage after five. Lester allowed eight runs, all earned, on nine hits in four and a third innings, falling to 1-4. In the sixth, Bobby Scales came to the plate already 3-for-3 on the game, with runners on first and third. The switch-hitting slugger lifted a fly ball to center, scoring Prieto from third to cut the Bats lead to 9-7. The Bats answered right back in the sixth, as Mike Edwards drove home Mark Bellhorn from second with a single to make it 10-7. Bellhorn reached on a walk. The PawSox put one on in the seventh, but Jared Burton fanned Kevin Cash to end the inning. Bannon drove home two more in the seventh with a bases loaded single, giving him six RBI's on the night. That tied a career-high for the Bats right-fielder, last achieved May 28, 2004, and he also tied a career-high with four hits. Pawtucket threatened in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs for Moss, but the right fielder grounded out to first to end the inning. The PawSox put one in the ninth before Bats righty Julio Manon closed out the Louisville win on a pop up to second. Johnson said despite the loss, he was proud of the way his team battled. "We got down by a few early, but we fought back to pull ahead," he said. "Then they jumped back in front and we battled back, but it just wasn't enough. We knew this was going to be a tough road trip with Indy and Louisville and we will just try and go home and get better." Jason Kershner earned the win for Louisville, working two-thirds of an inning in the fifth and improving to 5-3 on the year. Scales led Pawtucket offensively, going 4-for-4 with three doubles, two runs and an RBI. Shortstop Alex Prieto went 2-4 with two runs and Jacoby Ellsbury, Joe McEwing and Rogers all had two hits. The Bats drew first blood in the bottom half of the first. With one out, Pedro Lopez lined a double into the right-center field gap. Lester sandwiched a strikeout between two walks to load the bases with two outs. Bannon followed with a bases clearing double over the left fielder's head to give the Bats an early 3-0 lead. Lester continued to battle control problems in the second, walking Bats center fielder Chris Dickerson on four pitches to start the inning and going 3-0 on the next batter before inducing a pop out. A two-out walk put two on base, but Lester retired Jesse Gutierrez on a pop out to escape the inning unscathed. The PawSox first run came in the third; beginning when PawSox shortstop Alex Prieto hit a high drive to left field that nearly left the yard. The blast ricocheted off the top of the padding and the base of a foot and a half high auxiliary wall, allowing Prieto to come into third base with a stand up triple. The shortstop scored on Ellsbury's groundout. The Bats struck back quickly. Three straight hits, the last by Jeff Bannon, drove home a run, giving Bannon his fourth RBI of the game. A fielder's choice groundout by Mike Edwards extended the Bats lead to 5-1. PawSox right fielder Brandon Moss made a diving catch in right to help Lester get out of the inning with no further damage. --Garrett E. Wishall (Special to the Journal)
Posted by Corey Bourassa Starting lineupsHere are the starting lineups for tonight's game: Red Sox Tavarez, p Mariners Jeff Weaver, p
Posted by Corey Bourassa Sox Streakers for June 25Who's Hot Who's Not Red Sox vs. Jeff Weaver Mariners vs. Julian Tavarez More Stuff:
Posted by Mike McDermott Today's Manny file: An inspirational call to Colon
According to the Los Angeles Times, Manny Ramirez placed a call early Sunday to struggling Angels starter Bartolo Colon, apparently to offer Colon some encouragement as he prepared to make a start Sunday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Colon did not get a decision in the game, which the Angels won, 4-3, in extra innings, but he did pitch six effective innings, and left with his team ahead. Yesterday, he was thanking Manny. "Around 8 in the morning, Manny Ramirez called me and we had like a 15-minute talk," Colon said, according to the Times. "He's such a confident hitter that I think he rubbed some of that on me today. Confidence is a big part, but I'm very thankful to Manny Ramirez for calling me early this morning to just remind me who Bartolo Colon is." Last week on projo SoxTalk, Sean McAdam remarked that Manny Ramirez has a flair for the spectacular play, while also being a threat to botch routine plays from time to time. On Saturday night, he showed us a touch of the spectacular, making a sliding catch to take a hit away from Jose Cruz Jr. Just one thing about that: Ramirez always makes me nervous with those hard-landing, feet first slides in the outfield. They just seem to be an injury waiting to happen. Great effort, nonetheless. Our friends at FanHouse list Ramirez as Boston's number-three top athlete, behind Tom Brady and David Ortiz but ahead of Curt Schilling and Daisuke Matsuzaka. Dave Sheinin had an article in Sunday's Washington Post about one of baseball's toughest single-season records: Hack Wilson's 191 RBI in a season, a mark that Wilson reached in 1930 with the Chicago Cubs. Sheinin mentions something that I did not realize: Manny Ramirez came closer than anyone else in the last half-century to tying the record. Ramirez drove in 165 with the Indians in 1999. Still, that is a long ways off.
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Buehrle looks like a longshotSean McAdam joins us from Seattle on today's edition of projo SoxTalk. Click here to listen to the audio file. He discusses Josh Beckett's latest gem, and addresses the question: Is this the best pitcher in the big leagues right now? Sean also discusses Daisuke Matsuzaka's resurgence, the Mark Buehrle trade rumors and the career of Rod Beck. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments: On Beckett: "This guy has been just incredible. He had that one bad start at home against Colorado. He has yet to lose on the road and he has been the very picture of consistency. So I don't know that anyone's pitching better, let's put it that way." On Buehrle: "Obviously what the Red Sox think is [a fair trade price], because they're only renting him, probably doesn't coincide with the same viewpoint on the part of the White Sox. They're holding a 28-year-old lefty at a time when pitching is very much at a premium, and there are going to be teams involved -- probably like the Mets and some others -- that won't mind paying that price, because they're at a juncture where it's more important for them to obtain someone like Buehrle. I think the Red Sox look at him as ... someone they'd like to add, not someone they have to add, and that's going to be the difficult thing about matching up compensation-wise. Certainly they would not trade Buccholz -- Clay Buccholz -- or Jacoby Ellsbury. Whether they might be convinced to part with [Michael] Bowden in some package, that remains to be seen. I frankly would see this as a real longshot because of all the factors involved. I think a team is going to be leveraged into overpaying. I don't think that team is going to be the Red Sox." On Beck: "A lot of players yesterday that we spoke to talked about, he was kind of a throwback, a guy who would stay late after a game in the clubhouse, talk about the game, rehash the game, go over some key points, kind of swap stories, and part of that element I think is what is fading away a little bit in Major League Baseball, and that's kind of sad. But Beck was just a fan, a student of the game. He couldn't talk enough about it. He really enjoyed the comraderie that came with being in the clubhouse, the closeness that you have with with teammates. And as much success as he had on the field -- this was a guy who I think two or three times led the National League in saves -- I think his lasting imprint will be the kind of person and he was, the kind of teammate he was, and kind of a fun guy to be around."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Monday, June 25
AS GOOD AS IT GETS: The weather in San Diego yesterday -- 72 degrees, sunny, no humidity -- fits that description. So did the pitching matchup, which pitted, arguably, the best pitcher in the National League (Jake Peavy) against the best in the American League (Josh Beckett). And, from the Red Sox' point of view, that also describes the result, as the Sox methodically disposed of Peavy, driving up his pitch count and forcing him out of the game after five innings, while Beckett (AP Photo, above) pitched an eight-inning gem, leading to a 4-2 win over the Padres that closed out interleague play. (projo.com) Shutting down the San Diego offense isn't the biggest task there is -- Daisuke Matsuzaka did it Friday night, though Tim Wakefield wasn't quite up to the job Saturday -- but Beckett was particularly sharp yesterday as he raised his record to 11-1 and now leads the American League in wins and is eighth in earned-run average (3.07). Beckett is 42-20 since the beginning of the 2005 season (27-12 in Boston) and may be, as the Globe's Dan Shaughnessy says, the real ace of the Red Sox staff. THE REST OF THE STORY: More impressive than Beckett's stifling of the Padres' popgun attack was the way the Sox offense -- which has sparked legitimate concerns about its ability to generate runs against quality pitching -- went after Peavy. Peavy called it ''one of those days'' after the loss, which dropped him to 9-2, but also gave props to the Boston hitters. (Riverside Press-Enterprise) ''I feel like I made quality pitches,'' said Peavy, who lasted just five innings in his shortest stint of the season and left trailing 3-2. "I just didn't have anything to show for it.'' AND A NEW STORY: The Chicago Sun-Times reported Sunday that the Red Sox have emerged as the front-runners in the race to acquire White Sox left-hander Mark Buerhle. The Sun-Times went a little deeper this morning, saying that Chicago GM Ken Williams wouldn't deny the Red Sox' interest but adding that all the teams in the Buehrle chase -- the Mets and the Braves are also thought to be involved -- are becoming ''very aggressive''. In the second item of his notebook, Sean McAdam notes two things: 1. The Sox are unlikely to sign Buehrle to a long-term extension if they trade for him, but will instead let him hit free agency and take the compensatory draft picks, and 2. Clay Buccholz and Jacoby Ellsbury, whose names were mentioned in the Sun-Times story as trade bait for Buehrle, ''are strictly off-limits.'' The Herald's Tony Massarotti says a Buehrle-to-Boston deal isn't close, and may not happen, but it ''underscores how well-positioned the Sox are at this very moment . . . [With] a host of attractive prospects to develop or deal, [Sox GM Theo] Epstein is now in a spot to make an array of trades, big and small.'' DO SOMETHING RESEMBLING ANYTHING: It seems obvious Buehrle is headed somewhere, as Williams is disgusted with his team, which has lost 22 of its last 27 games. The Yankees are among those who have been sniffing around the carcass. (Both stories Chicago Tribune) BATTLE OF THE PENS: The weekend Sox-Padres series featured two of baseball's best bullpens (projo.com), though the Sox were able to do a little damage against San Diego's yesterday when Jason Varitek provided a huge insurance run with a homer against Scott Linebrink in the eighth inning. (Boston Herald) GOOD RIDDANCE: The Padres are happy interleague play is over. (signonsandiego.com) Even though the Sox went 12-6 against N.L. teams this year, so are we. WEEKEND IN SAN DIEGO: That's about all David Murphy's going to get with the Red Sox -- that and a game tonight in Seattle -- before he's sent back to Pawtucket, and it sounds like he's resigned himself to the fact that his future in major league baseball will probably be somewhere other than Boston. (projo.com) Kason Gabbard, as you all know by now, will replace Murphy on the roster and start tomorrow night against the Mariners. R.I.P. ROD BECK: Current Red Sox players who were here when he played for Boston from 1999-2001 were stunned by the sudden death of Rod Beck (projo.com). So were many of his ex-Cub teammates. (Chicago Sun-Times) BACK ON TOP: The Red Sox have regained the No. 1 spot in ESPN.com's Power Rankings. FoxSports' are due later today. NINETEEN SEVENTY-WHAT? The 1978 chortles have died down considerably after the Yankees completed a horrific, five-losses-in-six-games swing through Colorado and San Francisco with a 7-2 drubbing at the hands of the Giants yesterday. (New York Daily News) They're now back under .500 (35-36), in third place in the A.L. East (11 1/2 games out) and the New York Post's George King wonders ''What will a dark October feel like?'' The Yanks haven't had one in a long time; the last time they missed the playoffs in a non-strike season was 1993. There's still a lot of time left but there's also a lot of ground to make up, not only in the division race but also in the wild-card hunt (where they trail by 6 1/2, and five teams are ahead of them). IT'S THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS: Say what you will about Roger Clemens, but when the team needs him, he's there. (New York Post) Not that it did much good, but . . . NOT AGAIN: Almost as tiresome -- I take that back; make that more tiresome -- as the Clemens-working-his-way-back-to-New York stories became in May are the daily Will-he-go-on-the-DL-or-won't-he? dances surrounding Johnny Damon. (New York Daily News) Excuse me, Mr. Torre, I'll make this real easy for you: He's hurting. He's never going to heal completely unless he shuts it down for a time. He doesn't want to. You're going to have to force him. If you don't, he'll hobble around at half-effectiveness for the rest of the year. So put him on the disabled list, for God's sake! You're welcome. I'm sorry this was so difficult for you. WE'RE IN AGREEMENT: Peter Abraham says the same thing on the LoHud Yankees Blog -- honest, I wrote the above blurb before I read Abraham -- saying this whole situation ''passed tiresome a week ago and is now tedious.'' Abraham has other suggestions for the Yanks, one of which is to convince Joe Torre to retire. NO, DON'T! Seth Mnookin wouldn't like that, because he's convinced Torre is ''a secret agent for the Red Sox'', based on his (mis)management of the Yankees. (sethmnookin.com) EVER VIGILANT: Marvin Miller thinks the Players Association should be fighting all attempts to investigate the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. (New York Daily News) To wit: ''Miller says he recognizes the public pressure on the players and the union, but he says the union's job is to stand for its principles regardless of the public mood. 'I'm not going to minimize the fact that some of this might be coming from the players themselves,' he says. 'There is this undertone which reaches the public once in a while of players who say, ''Look, I don't use steroids and amphetamines and don't want to be labeled as such. Let's do what we can to be rid of this, to hell with civil liberties.'' I would say there's insufficient recognition on the part of today's players of how destructive this can all be.' '' I WANNA GO HOME: Ken Griffey Jr. would like to retire as a Mariner. (Cincinnati Post) BREAKDOWN OF A BREAKDOWN: Joe Posnanski examines why the Milton Bradley-to-the-Royals deal fell through. (Kansas City Star) NOT QUITE NUMBER THREE: Dustin McGowan just missed pitching baseball's third no-hitter this year (Toronto Sun) MEDICAL REPORT: It looks like the White Sox' Jermaine Dye is headed for the disabled list (Chicago Tribune) . . . The Twins' Justin Morneau remains hospitalized because of a bruised right lung (Minneapolis Star-Tribune). WHISPERS: The Pirates allegedly have inquired about young Braves catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) . . . The Yankees have their eyes on first baseman Mark Teixeira and relievers Eric Gagne and Akinori Otsuka from the Rangers (Newsday). AND FINALLY . . . : A Florida woman says she was scammed out of $1 million by a man she was dating, whom she thought was Pedro Martinez. (New York Daily News) A question to this woman: Through 2006, Pedro Martinez had earned $120,444,000 since becoming a major-leaguer. Why would he need money from you?? -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone June 24, 2007
Game Story: Five-run first lifts Bats past PawSox
Manager Ron Johnson didn't dwell on Pauley's rough first inning, in which he allowed five earned runs – more runs than he had allowed in any of his 13 previous starts. Rather he chose to focus on how the 24-year-old responded, by retiring 11 of the last 12 batters he faced. "I couldn't be more proud of him," Johnson said. "It's not how you start, it's how you finish. After the first inning, he was rolling." The PawSox came out swinging, taking a 3-0 lead in the first, but the hosts came back immediately on the usually reliable Pauley (4-2), who hadn't lost since May 3. In the Louisville first, Ryan Freel, who started a rehabilitation assignment for the Cincinnati Reds last night, singled and stole second. One out later, Pauley walked Joey Votto and gave up an RBI double to Aaron Herr. After Jeff Bannon grounded out to make it 3-2, Mike Edwards doubled to left center, scoring Herr and tying the game. Edwards scored on Chris Dickerson's home run off the right field foul pole to give the Bats a two-run lead. Johnson said Pauley's rough start happened because his breaking balls were breaking back over the plate. Dickerson's home run came on a 1-2 sinker that crossed over the plate. After issuing a walk, Pauley settled down retiring the next 11 batters, but Johnson pulled the starter after Jeff Keppinger reached on Bobby Scales' fielding error in the fifth. Johnson said he pulled Pauley only because of his pitch count. Pauley threw 93 pitches, 37 of them in the decisive first. "That was some big time adversity," Johnson said. "This young man was able to minimize the damage." Just like Pauley, Louisville starter Richie Gardner (1-0) breezed after a difficult first inning. Gardner, making just his second Triple-A start this season, retired the next seven batters after yielding three runs. Pawtucket scored its runs with two out in the first on three straight singles to left field. Jeff Bailey's base hit scored Joe McEwing. Michael Tucker's brought home Scales, and Brian Pritz gave the PawSox a 3-0 lead when his single scored Bailey. The PawSox did try to battle back, but they could not cash in on any of their rallies. With runners on first and second and one out in the fourth, Gardner got Chad Spann and Jacoby Ellsbury to fly out to centerfield. In the sixth inning, the Sox loaded the bases for McEwing, but his pop out to second base ended the threat. The next inning, one-out singles by Brandon Moss and Bailey put runners at the corners for Tucker, but reliever Brian Shackelford induced a hard grounder to the first baseman Votto, who was able to turn an inning-ending double play. Louisville's Ricky Stone retired the last four PawSox hitters for his eighth save. STEVE BITTENBENDER (Special to The Journal)
Posted by Corey Bourassa Game Story: Beckett outduels Peavy as Sox winBY SEAN McADAM SAN DIEGO -- The pitching matchup was a thing of beauty, housed in a spacious, forgiving ballpark, played under a brilliant California summer sun. Josh Beckett entered the duel as the American Leagues winningest pitcher. His opponent, Jake Peavy, went into this afternoon's game leading the National League in the same category. But Beckett enjoyed one significant edge: He didn't have to face the Red Sox lineup; Peavy did. The Red Sox offense, while spotty of late, succeeded in wearing Peavy down and running his pitch count up. When he left after just five innings, he had thrown a staggering 111 pitches. Along the way, the Sox strung together three runs in the third, then tacked on another against the bullpen, capping a 4-2 win for the Sox over the San Diego Padres. ''Obviously, he's one of the best in the game,'' said Terry Francona of Peavy, ''and we made him work hard. Fortunately for us, one of the other best (pitchers) is on our team. And he was great. He had to be.'' That's because, with Peavy as an opponent, Beckett's margin for error was slim. So Beckett made very few mistakes, shutting out the Padres in seven of the eight innings he pitched. A two-run, pinch-hit double from Termel Sledge in the fifth was the only mark against him. ''Anytime you go against Jake Peavy,'' said Beckett, baseball's first 11-game winner, ''it's going to be a tough day. We were fortunate to a get a couple of big hits.'' In the third, the Sox strung together three consecutive singles to right from the top third of their order -- Coco Crisp, Alex Cora and David Ortiz. Crisp scored on Ortiz' hit, while Cora was delivered on a sacrifice fly from Manny Ramirez. Two more singles followed from J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell, with Ortiz sliding in just ahead of the throw from outfielder Jose Cruz. Jr. ''We tried to make him elevate,'' said Lowell. ''He's got good sink and he's an elite pitcher, but we were able to string together a lot of professional at-bats against him.'' ''These guys just grind,'' said Beckett of his teammates. ''Not many guys get through five innings with 95-100 pitches. We grind at-bats out and wear people down.'' The Sox managed just five more hits over the final six innings, but one was a solo homer to center by Jason Varitek off Scott Linebrink, giving the Sox come cushion. The Red Sox stretched their lead to 11 games in the American League East. Toronto has moved past New York into second place as the Yankees lost today for the fifth time in six games. Beckett, who remains unbeaten (6-0, 1.14 ERA) on the road, got into his only jam in the fifth inning. He issued a walk to Kevin Kouzmanoff to start the inning, then yielded a single to center to Geoff Blum. The Padres sent up Sledge to hit for Peavy and the outfielder stroked a double to the gap in right-center, scoring both baserunners. After a groundout moved Sledge to third with one out, the Sox brought the infield in and kept Sledge anchored at third when Michael Barrett grounded out to Julio Lugo at short. Beckett then ended the inning by overpowering Adrian Gonzalez for the third out. ''I definitely didn't want to waste (the run support) the guys gave me,'' Beckett said. ''I wanted to make every pitch count. I threw a lot of fastballs on the outer half and mixed in some changeups and curves.'' Beckett credited a mechanical adjustment he made Friday in a side session as a key to his success. Pitching coach John Farrell, in conjunction with a former catcher at home in Texas, noticed that Beckett was collapsing in his delivery to the plate. ''I was throwing a little uphill the last few games,'' he revealed, ''so I really worked on powering the ball down (in the strike zone) with some angle to it. It was just one of those adjustments you make.'' That helped produce eight groundball outs from among the first 16 he recorded. In the seventh, however, he left a pitch up in the zone to Kouzmanoff, who seemingly crushed it to left. But Ramirez drifted back and made the catch on the warning track. ''That was one of those deals where I thanked God we were playing here (in a roomy outfield),'' Beckett said. And that Peavy was the one facing the more disciplined and discerning lineup yesterday.
Posted by Corey Bourassa Buehrle to Boston?The Chicago Sun Times is reporting that the Red Sox are the front runners to land Mark Buehrle via a trade with the White Sox.
Posted by Corey Bourassa Former Sox reliever Rod Beck diesRod Beck, a relief pitcher who played for the Boston Red Sox for three seasons and wore a bushy mustache while earning 286 career saves, was found dead Saturday. He was 38. Beck was found by police officers responding to a call to his home in suburban Phoenix, according to police department spokesman Andy Hill. Foul play is not suspected, though the cause of death might not be known for several days. With long hair framing a menacing stare and an aggressive arm swing before delivering a pitch, the outgoing right-hander was a memorable baseball personality and a three-time All-Star who twice led the NL in saves. He spent the first seven of his 13 major league season with the San Francisco Giants. Beck was popular with his teammates, reporters and fans, but battled personal demons late in his life. He abruptly left the San Diego Padres for a two-month stint in drug rehabilitation during his final season in 2004. “He was having some problems, and I just knew he went into rehab and joined us later that year,” said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, the Padres' manager at the time. “It's so sad when you see healthy players go at such a young age. This is a bad day in baseball to lose a guy who did so much for the game.” Nicknamed “Shooter,” Beck played for the Giants (1991-97), the Chicago Cubs (1998-99) and the Boston Red Sox (1999-2001) before finishing his career with the Padres (2003-04). Beck reportedly was living in a camper behind the Iowa Cubs' center-field fence when San Diego called. Beck led the majors in saves in 1993, when he set the Giants' single-season record with 48. He was San Francisco's career saves leader with 199 until Robb Nen passed him in 2002. Beck led the majors again in 1998 with 51 saves for Chicago, helping the Cubs win the NL wild card. He had a career record of 38-45 in 704 games, with a 3.30 ERA. “He was a great teammate and a great competitor,” said Giants shortstop Rich Aurilia, who played his first three major league seasons with Beck in San Francisco. “He left an impression on everybody he played with. You talk to everybody, they'll have nothing but good things to say. He's somebody that Giants fans will always remember.” Aurilia recalled being wary of Beck's mustache and mullet when he came up as a rookie in 1995 — but Beck was among the first to congratulate Aurilia on making the team. Beck was a favorite at Candlestick Park through most of the 1990s, but left to sign with the Cubs as a free agent in 1998. He saved 51 games in his first season in Chicago, but managed just 46 saves in his final five seasons combined. --AP
Posted by Corey Bourassa Clemens makes first regular-season relief appearance since 1984
Clemens, who lost to the Colorado Rockies on Thursday and missed a chance for his 350th win, walked Barry Bonds and yielded Nate Schierholtz's sacrifice fly in the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants. The 44-year-old Clemens made his only other regular-season relief appearance in his 13th career game, when he allowed two hits over two innings in Oakland on July 18, 1984. Of course, he came out of the bullpen to earn the win for Houston in an 18-inning playoff game against Atlanta in 2005, the longest postseason game in major league history. That victory sent his hometown Astros into the NL championship series. Clemens volunteered to fill in for the Yankees' weary bullpen after Saturday's 13-inning loss to the Giants. Sunday was his scheduled day for mound work anyway, and manager Joe Torre hoped to get 30 pitches out of the right-hander. Clemens struck out Ray Durham to open the seventh, but walked Bonds on five pitches before Ryan Klesko's single. Schierholtz then hit a long drive to center, and Bonds scored easily. Clemens ended the longest stretch between regular-season relief appearances in major league history at 22 years, 341 days, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Steve Carlton went 15 years, 343 days between relief appearances in 1971 and 1987. --AP
Posted by Corey Bourassa Final: Red Sox 4, Padres 2SAN DIEGO -- Josh Beckett won the battle of the aces today, outdueling Jake Peavy as the Red Sox defeated the Padres, 4-2. More to come later tonight.
Posted by Sean McAdam Sox Streakers for June 24Who's Hot Who's Not Red Sox vs. Jake Peavy Padres vs. Josh Beckett More Stuff
Posted by Mike McDermott Updated game story -- Calls, knuckeballs go wrong way for Red Sox in 6-1 lossBY SEAN McADAM SAN DIEGO – Josh Bard couldn’t catch Tim Wakefield’s knuckleball, but apparently, he sure can hit it. The former Red Sox catcher, dealt to San Diego last May 1 after struggling as Wakefield’s designated receiver, drilled a run-scoring double and a two-run homer off his former batterymate, accounting for half of the Padres’ output in a 6-1 thrashing of the Red Sox Saturday night. The loss snapped Boston’s winning streak at four. The Sox struck out a season-high 13 times – 11 against San Diego starter Chris Young – and managed just two hits until the ninth inning when a triple from David Murphy and a double by Mike Lowell, both off reliever Justin Hampson, helped the Sox avoid a shutout. The towering Young, who at 6-foot-10 is as tall as Randy Johnson, held the Sox hitless through the first four innings before J.D. Drew reached on a leadoff single in the fifth. As it turned out, that was the only hit off Young all night, who improved to 7-3. ''He elevates his fastball,'' said Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, ''and kept us off balance with his slider. We couldn’t get anything going. It’s tough, with (the downward plane of Young's pitches) – the gun shows just 90-91 mph, but (the fastball) seems a lot harder.'' ''He’s got some deception,'' said manager Terry Francona. ''The hitters don’t get a good look at the ball.'' The umpiring crew reversed two on-field calls, benefitting the Padres both times. With San Diego already leading 2-0, Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a sinking liner to left. Manny Ramirez attempted a tumbling catch, which third-base umpire Brian Knight ruled an out. But after conferring on the field, the umpires ruled – correctly, according to replays – that Ramirez trapped the ball. Following a sacrifice bunt which moved Kouzmanoff to second, Marcus Giles doubled him home. In the sixth, with Mike Cameron aboard with a double, Bard drilled a ball down the left-field line which struck the foul pole attached to the brick building in left field. Knight initially called the ball foul, but further consultation with his fellow umpires, led by Doug Eddings, reversed the call and gave Bard a two-run homer. ''I have a feeling they probably ended up getting the calls right,'' said Francona, who nonetheless was ejected after arguing the second call. ''When the umpires confer, you appreciate it because getting the call right is what’s important. Sometimes, you just feel like yelling at someone.'' Wakefield said the reversals were ''very deflating . . . An umpire’s (initial) call should stand.'' Wakefield, 7-8, began the night nearly as well as Young, allowing just two hits and a run (on Bard’s RBI double) through the fourth inning. But he allowed a solo homer to Khalil Greene to start the fifth before the Kouzmanoff reversal expanded the lead to 3-0. In the sixth, he gave up back-to-back solo homers to Bard and Greene (again). ''It seems like every ball I made a mistake on,'' said Wakefield, ''they hit. The stuff I had tonight, to give up six runs in 5 1/3 innings, blows me away.'' That Bard did much of the damage was ironic, since he was dealt off after demonstrating that he couldn’t properly handle Wakefield’s signature pitch. The switch-hitting Bard batted right-handed, a strategy that worked. ''He’s throwing 66 mph and I’ve been comfortable batting right-handed,'' Bard said. ''It’s very tough to catch. That’s why I’m waiting for these guys to get out of town so I can stop talking about it.'' Mike Timlin and Kyle Snyder chipped in with 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of Wakefield, but by then, the damage was done and the Sox could muster little offense. They hardly seemed like the same team that banged out 20 runs in a three-game series last weekend at Fenway or crushed Atlanta pitching for 15 runs in two wins earlier this week. The ninth inning, two-out run ruined the Padres’ chance for what would have been their 12th shutout.
Posted by Sean McAdam June 23, 2007
Game Story: Hansack dominant in PawSox 4-1 victory
--JEFF ROBINSON (Special to the Journal)
Posted by Corey Bourassa Sox Streakers for June 23Who's Hot Who's Not Red Sox vs. Chris Young Padres vs. Tim Wakefield More Stuff
Posted by Mike McDermott Updated game story: Sox' Petco debut a success -- barelyBY SEAN McADAM SAN DIEGO – This was the Master vs. the Student -- one starting pitcher looking for career win No. 340 and the other with a career victory total not yet in double figure. But following a harrowing first inning, the rookie got the last laugh against the legend. Daisuke Matsuzaka needed 35 more pitches than Greg Maddux to record the same number of outs – 18, over six innings – but earned the win the ageless Maddux couldn’t. Run-scoring singles from Kevin Youkilis and Jason Varitek produced the only two runs of support for Matsuzaka, and they were enough as the Sox won their third in a row and sixth in their last seven, 2-1 over the San Diego Padres Friday night. Matsuzaka won his second straight decision and contributed his fourth straight quality start. The Sox have scored a meager four runs in his last four outings, but Matsuzaka has managed to win the two most recent. Pitching in Petco Park for the first time since winning the championship game of the inaugural World Baseball Classic in March of 2006, Matsuzaka walked the first three hitters he faced, loading the bases with nobody out. But after yielding a run-scoring single to Michael Barrett with one out, Matsuzaka dug in and limited the damage by striking out Khalil Greene and getting Russell Branyan on a flyout. ''I tried to get off to a gentle start,'' said Matsuzaka, ''and that clearly didn’t go so well. After getting into the jam, I told myself, 'Maybe one run would be permissible here,' and that’s how I approached that tight spot.'' ''The game was almost decided in the first,'' said manager Terry Francona. ''He stopped them flat (after the three walks) and let us peck away. We scored two and made it hold up.'' Matsuzaka’s 32-pitch first, however, took its toll. By the time he struck out Marcus Giles with a 94 mph fastball to end the sixth, he had run his pitch count to 126, deemed sufficient by Francona. '' 'Savvy’ would be a good word to describe him,'' said Francona of his starter. ''He may be new here, but he knows how to pitch.'' Javy Lopez and Manny Delcarmen combined to get through the seventh. Hideki Okajima tossed a perfect eighth with two strikeouts and Jonathan Papelbon earned his 17th save in 18 opportunities in the ninth, striking out the Padres’ best hitter, Adrian Gonzalez, with the potential tying run on base. Maddux, meanwhile, displayed his typical pinpoint control, walking just one intentionally in six innings and needing just 91 pitches through that span. But in the fourth, the Sox began to get to him. After Dustin Pedroia led with a single to right and Maddux got David Ortiz on a twisting pop-up to left, three straight Red Sox hitters lined singles up the middle. The last two, from Youkilis and Varitek, scored Pedroia and Manny Ramirez. ''Maddux has been doing this for a long time,'' said Francona in admiration. ''But we got some balls up and through the infield (in the fourth) and it was enough. If we pitch (well), we always have a chance to win.'' The Sox have done more than pitch well of late; they’ve dominated. They've only allowed one run in the last 28 innings, dating back to the eighth inning of Monday night's road-trip opener in Atlanta. Playing in the best pitcher’s park in baseball, the Sox collected just one hit over the final three innings – an infield single from Coco Crisp -- against the typically stingy San Diego bullpen. But Boston’s bullpen was equally effective. The key might have been the work of Delcarmen. After Lopez got Jose Cruz Jr. to groundout to third to open the seventh, Gonzalaez followed with a single to left. Delcarmen came on to face the Padres’ fourth and fifth hitters, Mike Cameron and Barrett, with little margin for error. He got Cameron on a popup to third and Barrett on a liner directly at Crisp in center. ''He threw the ball well, with velocity, and located,'' said Francona. ''And he did it with the game on the line. That’s got to be good for his confidence and ours, too (in him).'' The Sox improved to 11-5 in interleague play this season and improved to 24-13 on the road, the best away mark in the majors.
Posted by Sean McAdam June 22, 2007
Game Story: Road woes continue for PawSoxLOUISVILLE—The road continues to be an unkind place for the Pawtucket Red Sox. The PawSox lost for the fourth time in five games on the current road trip, managing just four hits off Bobby Livingston in a 7-0 loss to Louisville in the first of a four-game series Friday night at Slugger Field. Livingston (3-4) pitched a complete game, striking out four and getting 18 ground ball outs for his third straight win. The PawSox won at Indianapolis Thursday after dropping the first three games of that series, but they were unable to build any momentum against the Bats. “Livingston did a fantastic job,” PawSox manager Ron Johnson said. “He totally shut down our offense. We didn’t do anything at all except for a couple of hits in the last inning. You have to just tip your hat to a guy when he pitches that well.” PawSox starter Abe Alvarez presented a stark contrast to Livingston. Though he struck out a season-high eight batters, Alvarez struggled from the beginning, falling behind in the count to six of seven batters in the first inning. Trouble began immediately for the lefty. Jeff Keppinger, the International League’s leading hitter with a .372 average, doubled off the left field wall on the game’s first pitch. Pedro Lopez followed with a bunt single and Jesse Gutierrez walked to load the bases with one out. Mark Bellhorn then grounded a 2-0 pitch into left field plating two runs to put Louisville up 2-0. The Bats scored a third run off Alvarez in the fourth when Jeff Bannon led off with a double and scored on a one-out sacrifice fly by Dan Conway. Things could have been worse for Alvarez (4-6); while he surrendered nine hits and five earned runs, Alvarez struck out batters in key spots, escaping jams in the third and fifth with inning-ending punch outs. Alvarez exited in the sixth inning after Mike Edwards singled and Chris Dickerson walked to open the inning. Both runners scored against reliever Mike Burns to make it 5-0. Alvarez labored, throwing 97 pitches, including 62 strikes. “I didn’t think Abe pitched all that poorly,” Johnson said. “They got a couple of pretty well-placed ground balls, including that one by Bellhorn in the first and they tacked on some runs late.” Meanwhile, Livingston silenced Pawtucket. The PawSox’s only hit through the first five innings was a second inning double by Brandon Moss with one-out. Livingston then retired 13 straight batters, with Jacob Ellsbury reaching on a bunt single with two out in the sixth. Livingston, who has two Major League starts and one win this season for Cincinnati, did not walk a batter for a third consecutive start. He has walked only 12 batters in 83.1 innings. In contrast to Alvarez, he threw an economical 104 pitches with 72 strikes. Louisville, which had averaged two runs and eight hits on a just-completed eight-game road trip, got well against Pawtucket pitching, getting 13 hits, including two each from Keppinger, Lopez, Gutierrez and Joey Votto. Edwards led all batters, finishing 3-for-4 with an RBI. In his first at-bat with Pawtucket, Bryan Pritz, who was called up from Portland Friday, singled off Livingston to begin the ninth, but was erased two pitches later when Joe McEwing grounded into a double play. Pritz replaced David Murphy who was recalled this week by the Red Sox. Pritz’s single was Pawtucket’s third hit. Bobby Scales singled with two out in the ninth for the fourth. Slugger Field has never exactly been the friendly confines for Pawtucket; the PawSox are to 9-20 at the ballpark since it opened in 2000.
Posted by Corey Bourassa Drew, Lowell sidelined; other notesSAN DIEGO -- J.D. Drew was held out of tonight's starting lineup, still feeling the effects of a tightened right quad which began bothering him Wednesday in Atlanta. Drew took batting practice early and could return to the lineup as soon as tomorrow night. Lowell sidelined, as well ''I just thought, coming off the off-day where he hasn't swung the bat for three days, I don't know if that's very smart (playing him),'' said manager Terry Francona. Two draftees close to signing Coming soon
Posted by Sean McAdam Schilling placed on DL; Murphy recalledSAN DIEGO -- As expected, Curt Schilling was placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to last Tuesday, and outfielder David Murphy was recalled from Pawtucket to replace him on the roster. Schilling was examined by the medical staff in Boston and went through a workout with physical therapist Scott Waugh. Schilling is expected to land in San Diego about game time. Murphy, who, barring unforeseen circumstances, will only be on the active roster through Monday night, flew here from Indianapolis this morning. On Tuesday the team is expected to send Murphy back to Pawtucket and summon a pitcher to take Schilling's spot on the roster. Speculation persists that the call will not go to Jon Lester but instead to one of the other pitchers on the Pawtucket staff. Kason Gabbard remains one of the leading candidates.
Posted by Sean McAdam Friday night's lineupsSAN DIEGO -- Here are the lineups for tonight's game: BOSTON SAN DIEGO
Posted by Sean McAdam Sox Streakers for June 22Who's Hot Who's Not Red Sox vs. Greg Maddux Daisuke Matsuzaka at Petco Park More stuff
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: The secret to the Sox' successSean McAdam joins us from San Diego for today's edition of projo SoxTalk. Click here to listen to the audio. On the day after an off-day, and with Boston's first-place lead back up to 10 1/2 games, Sean and Art Martone talk about some of the keys to the team's commanding position, and look ahead to what should be a fine series with the top team in the National League, the San Diego Padres. Here are some excerpts from the conversation: On the Red Sox' starting pitching: "They've had very few games where the starter's out of there in the fourth, fifth, or even sixth inning. ... That's how the Yankees got themselves in that hole. People talked about, 'Well they didn't have good setup relief,' and I think there's still some point to that, but there were too many times early where either some of the rookie starters or even some of the veterans were not getting them even through six innings, and when your starters are getting knocked out of the game in the fourth and fifth inning night after night, then that takes its toll on a bullpen, no matter how good it is. And that's something that the Red Sox have been able to avoid. It just seems like their starters almost as a matter of faith get them through the sixth, often deeper." On the Red Sox' defense: "They make plays. They don't give away runs. They're not spectacular in terms of their range, but you would say that they're probably not substandard in any position, except perhaps left field, where Manny has the capability to turn in a spectacular play but also can botch some routine ones." On the Padres series: "I think it will be a good test. I don't think this is a great offensive team, the Padres, and I think that frankly some of their pitching stats are reflective of, a, the National League, and b, the home ballpark they play in. But there's no denying that they've been impressive, and they too are pretty sound and don't beat themselves. And the Red Sox, for a team that has scuffled to score runs regularly the last couple weeks, it will be interesting to see how they respond to both the big ballpark and the good pitching staff."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Friday, June 22DAY OF REST: That's what the Red Sox had in San Diego yesterday, waiting for tonight's opener of their weekend series against the Padres. They'll be, as we all know, without Curt Schilling, who, as Sean McAdam notes, is one of the few Sox players to be sidelined by injury this year. (projo.com) Sean says the team's lead in the A.L. East -- now up to 10 1/2 games -- cushions them from too much worry about Schilling's (assumed-to-be-temporary) absence, but notes there could be longer-term worries, at least in some corners, with the veteran pitcher: ''Schilling’s weight and conditioning were a concern this spring, and this recent episode might be interpreted by some as a possible extension of that issue.'' SOUNDS OF SILENCE: We'd love to hear The Big Schill's thoughts on all this, but 38pitches.com remains quiet.
WE'RE WITH YOU: By the end of June, the Sox will have played nine late-night games out West (and four others that started in the late afternoon locally) in a three-week span. Many fans back East complain about this kind of schedule, but guess what: The players do, too. (Boston Herald) OLD PALS: The Globe's Gordon Edes has a nice piece on Terry Francona and Brad Mills, who became friends when they first met at the University of Arizona and maintained that friendship throughout their baseball careers, which intersected at many points and now have come together again in the Red Sox dugout. QUICK HITS: Hideki Okajima probably won't make the All-Star team, even though the Herald's Jeff Horrigan thinks he should . . . Did you know the Sox' bench players call themselves ''the I-75s''? Click on this Globe story to find out why . . . Clay Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury will participate in the Futures Game on All-Star weekend (projo.com). SWITCHEROO: The Padres have flopped Greg Maddux and Chris Young in their rotation this weekend, probably as a prelude to Young dropping the appeal of his five-game suspension immediately after pitching against the Red Sox. (San Diego Union-Tribune) SUPPORT FROM AN UNLIKELY SOURCE: The Cubs' Derrek Lee, whose fight with Young earned five-game banishments for them both, says he doesn't think Young should have been suspended. (Chicago Tribune) KEEP AN EYE OUT THIS WEEKEND FOR . . . Padres pitcher Justin Germano, whom ESPN.com's Rob Neyer says is a great story.
WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? The New York Sun's Steven Goldman says the Yankees and Mets were both asleep at the switch when they didn't attempt to acquire Michael Barrett, who was traded this week from the Cubs to the Padres. YOU'RE OUR GUY: Speaking of the free-falling Mets, COO Jeff Wilpon says manager Willie Randolph's job is safe. (New York Daily News) POETIC JUSTICE? There's something odd about the fact that the day after Jason Giambi agrees to talk to George Mitchell's investigative team about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball (New York Daily News), the Yankees head to San Francisco for a series against the Giants and Barry Bonds. (New York Post) The only Yankee willing to discuss Giambi's decision, not surprisingly, was the always honest Johnny Damon. (New York Post) WHADDYA SAY THERE, BUD? FoxSport's Mark Kriegel wonders when we're going to hear something, anything, from Bud Selig on this issue. TOUGHER CALL: SI.com's Jon Heyman says Sammy Sosa's Hall of Fame candidacy is not as black-and-white as Mark McGwire's, whom he says he'll never vote for. THE ALL-STAR GAME LIKE IT OUGHTA BE: FoxSports.com's Dayn Perry looks at who's winning the All-Star vote but who should actually make the team. A quick glimpse: He wants Justin Morneau at first base and not David Ortiz. NO, BUT THANKS FOR ASKING: Joe Girardi turned down the Orioles' offer to manage the team (Washington Post). Many people think Girardi is holding out for the Yankees job, which may finally open up again after this season (if not earlier). The man who currently holds it, Joe Torre, warns that turning down offers could lead teams to stop making those offers. (New York Daily News) EVER HAD ONE OF THOSE DAYS? The Baltimore Sun's David Steele says that's what yesterday was for the O's, who also learned that Miguel Tejada has a broken wrist and likely will have to head to the disabled list (Baltimore Sun), ending his consecutive-game streak at 1,152. LOCAL BOYS: The St. Petersburg Times reports that Rocco Baldelli may be sidelined another six weeks after his latest hamstring injury. WHISPERS: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says the Braves are much more interested than the Mets in Mark Buehrle . . . The New York Times confirms the Mets wouldn't part with prospects such as Lastings Milledge or Carlos Gomez for Buehrle, but they might for the Astros' Roy Oswalt or the Marlins' Dontrellle Willis . . . The Cubs are shopping Jacque Jones, and the Rangers are interested (Chicago Sun-Times) . . . The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports the Marlins have controversial outfielder Elijah Dukes on their radar, but only if the Devil Rays are willing to accept little in return . . . In a Q-and-A with readers, Los Angeles Times baseball writer Ben Bolch says the Marlins have no interest in trading Miguel Cabrera, but would be asking for three top prospects if they change their minds . . . The Chicago Sun-Times reports Ken Griffey Jr. has been telling people close to him that he'd welcome a trade to the Cubs, where he'd play again for his old manager, Lou Piniella. OLD FRIENDS: Scott Hatteberg is still grateful to A's general manager Billy Beane for convincing him to move to first base when he signed with Oakland as a free agent in 2002. If he hadn't, ''I could be working at a Blockbuster somewhere,'' said Hatteberg, who's still in the big leagues with the Reds (Cincinnati Post) . . . John Wasdin, who sprained his thumb in May is still rehabbing with the Pirates (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone June 21, 2007
Game Story: PawSox snap four-game losing streakINDIANAPOLIS – An eight-run fifth inning and six solid innings from left-hander Kason Gabbard snapped a four-game Pawtucket losing streak as the visiting PawSox defeated Indianapolis 9-4 Thursday night.
--PETE CAVA
Posted by Corey Bourassa Two Red Sox selected to play in Futures All-Star gameRighthanded pitcher Clay Buchholz and outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury will represent the Red Sox organization in the 2007 XM All-Star Futures Game, it was announced today by Major League Baseball. Buchholz and Ellsbury were selected to the United States Team, which will face the World Team in a seven-inning game on Sunday, July 8 as part of the All-Star Sunday activities at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Boston joins St. Louis and Tampa Bay as the only three teams with two players selected for the U.S. squad. Buchholz is 5-2 with a 1.82 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 74.0 innings over 13 starts for Double-A Portland. The righthander has the Eastern League’s lowest earned run average among qualifiers and tops the circuit in strikeouts. He has won his last three starts. Ellsbury is batting .279 with seven RBI and 19 stolen bases in 41 games at Triple-A Pawtucket. The lefthanded-hitting Ellsbury opened the season at Portland and batted .452 with 13 RBI in 17 games to earn a late April promotion to the International League. The 25-man rosters for each team were selected by Major League Baseball in conjunction with the 30 major league clubs, mlb.com, and Baseball America. This will be the ninth consecutive year the All-Star Futures Game has taken place. Current players on Boston’s major league roster who have participated include pitcher Josh Beckett (2000) and infielder Kevin Youkilis (2003). --BOSTON RED SOX
Posted by Corey Bourassa Today's Manny file: Manny homer = Red Sox winManny Ramirez hit his 11th home run last night, and the Sox are now 10-0 in games in which Ramirez homers (including his two-home run game May 3 against Seattle). Manny got his batting average up to .300 with his three-hit effort last night. A month ago, he was at .244. He's hitting .400 in June with a .538 on-base percentage. He only has three home runs for the month, but all of them have come in the last five games. Ramirez also tied former teammate Jim Thome for 25th on the all-time home run list; both men have 481. Manny also surpassed Willie McCovey for 36th place on the all-time RBI list.
Posted by Mike McDermott Photo: Smokin' Luis Tiant
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Don't count on Lester coming upToday on projo SoxTalk, Sean McAdam and Art Martone take a look at some of the roster moves that might await the Red Sox as they look to fill Curt Schilling's spot on the roster. Click here to listen to the full audio file. Expect an outfielder to join the team for the trip to San Diego, and then they'll need a pitcher to go Tuesday night in Seattle. Sean says that he's not counting on that pitcher being Jon Lester. Sean and Art also discuss last night's power display, J.D. Drew's injury, the continuing success of Julian Tavarez and the continuing struggles of Julio Lugo. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments: On who will pitch Tuesday: "I don't think it's a slam dunk that its Lester. In fact, if I were to guess right now, I would say it might more likely be Kason Gabbard. When they optioned Lester a couple weeks ago and stopped the clock on his rehab assignment, and then optioned him back to the minor leagues, the message they sent him was, 'Make us bring you up.' And in the last two outings, he hasn't done that. And I think maybe people have a sort of too-much-too-soon attitude in terms of expectations here, and forget what this guy has gone through physically and mentally in the last seven or eight months. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if he got to remain in Pawtucket for another month or two, or another five or six starts. ... I think Gabbard did nothing but earn himself another look with that start he made against Atlanta last month." On the Red Sox offensive surge: "You're seeing guys like Coco Crisp have much better at-bats. He hit the home run last night, a three-run homer, that came on the heels of his four-hit, two-home run game on Monday night in the opener. So he seems to be coming around. Drew, although he only remained in the game last night for two at-bats, had a homer and doubled for the short time he was in there, and they're hoping that the quad tightness isn't anything to worry about. So it does look like a couple of these guys are coming along. On the other hand, I think it's two more at-bats for Julio Lugo and below the .200 mark he goes, and you wonder how long they can watch that happen." On J.D. Drew being taken out of last night's game: "Francona said it was more precautionary than anything. Petco Park, in fact the next two ballparks they play in -- Petco in San Diego over the weekend and Safeco up in Seattle Monday through Wednesday -- are probably the two biggest ballparks in the major leagues: a lot of ground to cover in the outfield; big, open pitcher's parks. And so knowing that Drew has a lot of real estate to patrol the next week here, they didn't want to chance it and have him stay out there in a game that was already pretty much in hand by the second innning. But I'm sure they're going to watch it carefully, but right now they don't think its going to be too much of a lingering issue."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Thursday, June 21
BACK ON TRACK: With five wins in their last six games, and a lead that's back to double digits in the A.L. East for the first time since June 7, the Red Sox appear to be over whatever was ailing them in the first few weeks of this month. Last night's 11-0 win over the Braves was all but flawless, featuring superb pitching from Julian Tavarez and two relievers -- who helped nail down Boston's second straight shutout -- and a season-high five-homer performance. (One of them was by Manny Ramirez, AP Photo above.) Tavarez' dominance is more impressive in light of comments he made to reporters afterwards, saying his mind wasn't in the game and ''I wasn’t even in the mood to be here today.'' (Boston Herald) It's tempting to write it off as Julian being Julian, but he makes some interesting comments about the life of a professional baseball player. LISTEN TO THIS MAN: In his latest ESPN blog entry, Peter Gammons decries what he calls ''IGR (Immediate Gratification Radio),'' in which the normal up-and-down cycles of a season ''are not allowed to be placed in perspective.'' He quotes one GM as saying: ''The nature of the business right now is if you lost yesterday, someone should pay today . . . The notion that someone has to be fired for every three-game losing streak is disturbing." And then Gammons adds: ''What makes it so disturbing is that there are so many new, fan owners who think like radio-schlock jocks.'' After just lived through the hysteria of a 5-9 Red Sox stumble, which happened to coincide with an 11-2 Yankee surge, I repeat: Listen to this man. DL-BOUND: That's where Curt Schilling's headed as he attempts to recover from his latest shoulder ailment. (projo.com) The Red Sox won't summon a new starting pitcher until Tuesday -- because of today's off-day, they can juggle the rotation so that Schilling's spot doesn't come up again until then -- and will instead probably call up either Brendan Moss or David Murphy from Pawtucket for the three games in San Diego and first one in Seattle. The Herald's Rob Bradford tracked down the surgeon who operated on Schilling's shoulder in 1995, who said this latest problem may actually have its roots in Schilling's left hip; if that's the case, ''it’s easily fixed with a stretching program.”. Still no Internet word from the big guy himself, whose blog hasn't been updated since last Wednesday's Colorado game. THE DARK CLOUD: It wasn't all peaches-and-cream last night, as J.D. Drew had to leave the game in the third inning because of tightness in his right quadriceps. (projo.com) That could be why the call is going to Moss or Murphy -- both of whom, obviously, are outfielders -- for the weekend. COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS: If you somehow are able to receive NESN's feed, that is. Otherwise, your Sox viewing could be limited to ESPN broadcasts, and Allan Wood tells why that's a bad thing. (joyofsox.blogspot.com) BLAST FROM THE PAST: At the beginning of the season, NESN did a special on the 1967 Red Sox entitled Impossible To Forget. The DVD has just been released and, as good as the program was, the special features make this a must-buy. For one thing, it has more than two dozen little vignettes on virtually everyone and everything connected with that season, profiling both people and moments. For another, it has the entire broadcast of Channel 5's The Impossible Dream television special -- a TV version of the album, featuring Ken Coleman and Don Gillis, which aired just before Super Bowl II in January 1968. But most importantly, it has the entire color game broadcast of the Saturday, September 30 game against the Twins, the next-to-last game of the season. The Globe's Bob Ryan waxes poetic about it, and all I can add is: Amen. SPEAKING OF '67 . . . June 21 was a pretty noteworthy day in that memorable season. The Red Sox and Yankees had a famous bench-clearing brawl at Yankee Stadium -- they also had an ongoing beanball war throughout the game that, incredible as it may seem to modern audiences, resulted in zero ejections -- and owner Tom Yawkey threatened to move the Sox out of Boston unless the city and/or state built a new stadium to replace Fenway Park. BACK TO THE PRESENT: The Wall Street Journal profiles Bill James. He has gotten the reputation from those who don't understand him or his work as a numbers-crunching geek who thinks he has all the answers, but that couldn't be farther from the truth; James is, in fact, open-minded and curious and doesn't think anyone has all the answers. ''People'' -- and by that he means sabermetricians as well as traditional baseball folk -- ''think they understand how to win in baseball much more than they really do,'' he said. ESPN's Rob Neyer thinks that, in a way, it's a shame James works for the Red Sox because he no longer speaks about what he's working on and 'what good (to us) is a sage who may speak only in generalities?' IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME: The Yankees were soaring heading into Coors Field and everyone anticipated an orgy of offense from the red-hot Bombers. Instead they've been held to one run in each of their first two games, including last night's 6-1 loss. (New York Post) THROUGH THE EYES OF MO: Mariano Rivera reflects on his years with the Yankees. (yesnetwork.com) EENIE, MEENIE . . . The Orioles have offered their manager's job to Joe Girardi, but he's not sure whether or not to take it. (New York Daily News) PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: The various threads of the Orioles' saga are put together nicely on the blog Soccer Dad. TODAY'S THE DAY: Jason Giambi has to decide by this morning whether or not to cooperate with George Mitchell's investigation on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. (New York Post) MR. 600: He has the same steroids taint as Barry Bonds, but the fans responded positively when Sammy Sosa hit his 600th career home run last night. (Dallas Morning News) YA THINK? Rangers owner Tom Hicks suspects Juan Gonzalez used steroids during his time in Texas. (Dallas Morning News) AS BAD AS IT GETS: Is anyone playing worse than the Mets? (New York Daily News) MONEY TALKS: Dave Stewart says the only reason the Blue Jays' J.P. Ricciardi and the Pirates' Dave Littlefield haven't been fired ''is because there are teams in the league that are more concerned with making money than they are with winning.'' Funny, I never thought of Toronto and Pittsburgh as cash-cow franchises. EARLY MORNING CALL: The Devil Rays' Elijah Dukes called a Tampa radio station at 7 a.m. EDT Tuesday from Phoenix, where the Devil Rays were for a series against the Diamondbacks, and spoke angrily for 13 minutes as he, for the first time, addressed publicly some of the accusations against him. Rather than clear the air, however, both the team and radio-station employees think Dukes did himself more harm than good with some of the things he said. When approached by reporters later yesterday in Phoenix, Dukes cursed them and refused to speak. No wonder then, as the St. Petersburg Times' Marc Topkin writes, that the Rays ''seem poised to accelerate efforts to trade or release the 22-year-old rookie.'' The Tampa Tribune's Joe Henderson says it's time for Dukes to go. ROAD TO RECOVERY: The A's Rich Harden is almost ready to return. (mlb.com) ROAD TO SAN DIEGO: That was Michael Barrett's route after the embattled Cubs catcher was traded to the Padres. (Chicago Sun-Times) ROAD TO PERDITION: Astros reliever Chad Qualls is stunned at a three-game suspension he received for throwing a ball into the stands in frustration (Houston Chronicle), and plans to appeal. WHISPERS: Eric Gagne can be traded to the Yankees, Mets and Angels without his permission, according to FoxSports.com . . . The Palm Beach Post speculates that the Marlins may make Dontrelle Willis available. Willis, incidentally, says he feels better after coming out of Tuesday's game because of arm pain and doesn't think he'll miss a start (Miami Herald) . . . The Twins may pick up Aaron Boone from Florida (twincities.com) . . . The Mets are looking for pitching, though they also have interest in Jeff Conine and Mark Sweeney (Newsday) OLD FRIENDS: Anibal Sanchez' season apparently is over, as he gets set to undergo arthroscopic shoulder surgery (Miami Herald) . . . Wil Ledezma is headed to the National League, traded by the Tigers to the Braves (Detroit News) . . . Tom Gordon could be back with the Phillies by July 1 (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . Wade Miller may soon be throwing full bullpen sessions (Chicago Sun-Times) . . . Pedro Martinez threw the fifth bullpen session of his rehab on Tuesday (Newsday) . . . Johnny Damon says he knows he has to go on the DL, but he doesn't want to (New York Daily News). -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone June 20, 2007
Game story: Red Sox 11, Braves 0BY SEAN McADAM ATLANTA -- In the 1970s, Atlanta Fulton County Stadium earned the nickname The Launching Pad because of the number of home runs that were routinely hit there, many by home run kind Henry Aaron. That ballpark is gone now, reduced to a parking lot beyond its replacement, but Wednesday night, the Red Sox helped make Turner Field its worthy successor. Delivering the long ball early and often, the Sox belted five homers tying a season high and recorded their second straight shutout, an 11-0 thrashing of the Atlanta Braves. The winning margin was the Red Sox biggest since pounding Seattle 14-3 in the home opener. It was the first time since July 18-19 of last season that the Sox had posted consecutive shutouts. In coming back to win the final two games of the series, the Sox outscored the Braves 15-0. J.D. Drew homered to start the game, and later in the first, Coco Crisp added another, his third of the series. David Ortiz added his second homer in as many nights in the second and Manny Ramirez and Eric Hinske helped pile on with late-inning blasts. When Ramirez connected for his 11th homer and third in the last five games it marked the 44th time that both Ramirez and Ortiz had homered in the same game. The last time the Sox cranked five homers in a game was April 22 of this season when they hit five four in succession against the Yankees at Fenway. Of the 11 runs the Sox scored, all but two scored as the result of homers. The five round-trippers gave the Sox 78 for the season, well behind Detroit, Texas and Tampa Bay, all of which entered yesterdays action 85 homers. ''We scored early which is always good and we took some real good swings,'' said manager Terry Francona. ''And then we kept swinging and added on.'' ''We've been looking for offense,'' said Ortiz, ''and tonight, it seemed like everybody put it together. That was nice because everybody contributed.'' Everybody, that is, except Julio Lugo, the only position player in the starting lineup to go without a hit in the 15-hit attack. Lugo seemed poised to break into the hit column in the ninth when he hit a sinking liner to right with two on in the ninth. Indeed, the ball fell in, but Braves right fielder Jeff Francoeur came up firing and gunned down Jason Varitek at third on a force play, leaving Lugo with a fielders choice. Lugo's average dipped to .201 for the season. Beyond that, the positives were everywhere. Almost obscured by the power display was the work of starter Julian Tavarez, who won his second straight start and fourth straight decision. Tavarez hasn't lost since May 11, almost six weeks ago. ''He takes the ball whenever you give it to him,'' said Francona, ''and he really enjoys pitching. This is the most he's pitched (as a starter) in a long time and his confidence is growing. We feel like when he goes out there, we have a great chance to win.'' That's no illusion. In games started by Tavarez this season, the Sox are 8-5, more than acceptable from a No. 5 starter. Tavarez, 5-4, went seven innings and allowed just four hits. Through the first sixth innings, thanks to two double plays and just two hits against him, Tavarez had faced the minimum number of hitters. He retired the first 10 hitters he faced before Willie Harris lined a single into center for Atlanta's first hit. ''Tonight,'' said Tavarez, ''my sinker was good and I was able to keep the ball down and get some groundball outs. I treated (the score) like it was 0-0 and I didn't want to let anybody score. In games like that, you have to go out and take it one batter at a time.'' ''He's doing a very good job for us,'' said Varitek of Tavarez. ''Even when we got the big lead early, he was still trying to pitch. He did a good job of keeping his concentration. He's given us quality starts.'' After seven innings and 97 pitches, Tavarez gave way to the bullpen. Joel Pineiro pitched the eighth for the Sox, while Mike Timlin retired the side in order in the ninth as the Sox improved 10-5 in interleague play this season.
Posted by Chris Venditto Another night, another shutout...Final: Sox 11, Atlanta 0. The Red Sox hit five homers and recorded their second straight shutout and seventh of the season.
Posted by Sean McAdam PawSox drop fourth in a row, lose to Indians 6-3INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Indians scored three times in the bottom of the eighth inning Wednesday afternoon, breaking open a tie game en route to a 6-3 win over the visiting Pawtucket Red Sox. The loss to Indianapolis was the third in a row for Pawtucket (31-38). Including Sunday’s loss in Richmond, the PawSox have now dropped four straight. The Indians (43-28), who lead the International League West and boast the best record at the Triple-A level, have won nine of their last ten home games. “I can’t say it enough, we say it every night,” Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson said, “but 3-3 in the the eighth inning – imagine that! - the same type situation (as the two previous contests). What I’m really impressed by, with this ballclub that we’re playing, is that when they get people at the corners, they find a way to get them in. That’s the difference right now between the three games – they’re all as close as they can be. But they’ve done a tremendous job and I salute them.” Jon Lester started for the PawSox and fell behind 1-0 in the bottom of the third when Michael Ryan rocked an 89mph fastball over the right field wall. Ryan’s shot, his third of the year, landed just the other side of the foul pole. Bobby Scales opened the fourth for Pawtucket with a drive to left center that fell for a triple. When Jeff Bailey followed with a grounder to short, Scales raced home to even the score. Ryan tormented Lester again in fifth with a leadoff triple that sent Jacoby Ellsbury crashing into the center field fence. Lester walked the next batter, Einar Diaz, and Luis Matos singled through short to give the Indians the lead. Brian Bixler followed with a base on balls to fill the sacks. Yurendell de Caster grounded to Alex Prieto, who started a short-to-second-to-first double play, with Diaz coming home from third to make it 3-1. In the sixth inning Edgar Martinez replaced Lester, who threw 92 pitches, 47 for strikes, and gave up five hits and four walks to go with three strikeouts. While Lester struggled, Indianapolis starter Michael Tejera limited the PawSox to three hits through six and one-third innings. The tricky left-hander, changing arm angles like an overworked housepainter, struck out four and walked two before giving way to Josh Sharpless in the seventh. Sharpless entered the game with one out and Bailey, who drew one of the walks off Tejera, on first base. After Bailey moved up on a wild pitch, Cash drew a base on balls and Michael Tucker bounced back to Sharpless to put runners at second and third with two out. Chad Spann then slammed an 0-2 delivery into left that scored both runners and tied the game at 3-all. Bryan Corey started the eighth for Pawtucket and loaded the bases, sandwiching walks to Bixler and Brad Eldred around de Caster’s base hit. Bixler raced home on an infield out by Jose Hernandez, and the Indians took a 5-3 lead when Humberto Cota followed with a single to center. Luis Ordaz then squeezed home Eldred from third to make it 6-3. Corey slapped a hard tag on Ordaz, and harsh words ensued. Both benches emptied, with Ordaz and Johnson, the PawSox skipper, engaging in a heated exchange. Ryan, who went 3-for-4, followed with a single that sent Cota to third before Corey managed to get the final out. Brian Rogers started the ninth for Indianapolis, but gave way to Franquelis Osoria after issuing back-to-back walks to Michael Tucker and Spann. The next batter, George Kotteras, slashed a line drive toward the right field line. But Eldred, the 6-foot-5 Indianapolis first baseman, speared the ball and doubled Spann off first. Franquelis Osoria, who got the win Tuesday with two scoreless innings, ended the three-hour contest by getting Ellsbury on a grounder to second. Bryan Corey (2-4) took the loss while Mark Corey (1-0) got the win. Osoria earned his sixth save. Lester, the blue-chip left-hander who went 7-2 for Boston last year before undergoing treatment for lymphoma, described his performance as “Not good. It was a battle through the whole thing,” he added. “Mechanically, it just didn’t feel right. When I did make an adjustment, I couldn’t repeat it.” Johnson’s take on Lester was more philosophical. “I thought Jon did a pretty good job,” said the manager. “His pitch count went a little high. He had a couple of 25-pitch innings. But he was in the mid-90s after five innings. I was really pleased with him. He’s not, because John’s not gonna be pleased unless he goes out and throws eight or nine innings and walks away with a ’W’.” Notes: Scales, the versatile switch-hitter, went 6-for-15 against Indianapolis last month at McCoy Stadium and is 5-for-13 so far in this series. During the first three games here, he’s seen action in left field and at second base. Thursday night the PawSox face the Indians for the final time this season. Kason Gabbard (6-2) is Pawtucket’s likely starter versus Shane Youman (3-5). --PETE CAVA, Special to the Journal
Posted by Chris Venditto More on Schilling: He'll be placed on the DL FridayATLANTA -- Curt Schilling will be placed on the disabled list Friday, at which point the Red Sox will make a temporary roster move that could involve either a 14th position player or a reliever to help in the weekend series in San Diego and the first game of the series against the Mariners Monday in Seattle. The Sox will not promote a starter until Tuesday, when Schilling's replacement will be needed in the rotation. Asked if Jon Lester would be one of the candidates to take Schilling's turn, manager Terry Francona declined to speculate, saying such advance talk ''just doesn't make sense.'' M
Posted by Art Martone Lowell gets an extended restATLANTA -- Mike Lowell is out of tonight's lineup for the second straight night, meaning that, with tomorrow's off day, he'll get three consecutive days off before Friday night's game in San Diego. Manager Terry Francona said Lowell's left thumb, injured earlier this month, has been bothering him, and the team decided to take the opportunity to give him some time to help the healing process.
Posted by Sean McAdam Wednesday night's lineupsATLANTA -- The lineups have been posted: RED SOX BRAVES
Posted by Sean McAdam Schilling on holdATLANTA -- More details are still to come, but the Red Sox just announced that Curt Schilling won't make his next shceduled start Sunday in San Diego. Instead, Josh Beckett will pitch Sunday on regular rest (thanks to Thursday's off-day), with Julian Tavarez pitching Monday in Seattle. That leaves Tuesday in Seattle as a TBA. Speculation is almost certain to center on Jon Lester. Schilling returned to Boston Tuesday to have a weakened shoulder examined.
Posted by Sean McAdam Shaky start for Lester in IndianapolisJon Lester, who may be a candidate for a start this weekend, pitched five innings today in Indianapolis, and he showed some of his old control problems. Lester threw 92 pitches, just 47 of them for strikes. He walked four and gave up three runs, all of them earned, in his five innings. He gave up five hits, including a solo home run by Indianapolis' Michael Ryan, and struck out three. Lester gave up a triple, a walk, a single and another walk to start the fifth inning. But he got out of the inning having given up only two runs, thanks to a double play ground ball and a pop up. Lester left the game with Pawtucket trailing the Indianapolis Indians, 3-1.
Posted by Mike McDermott Sox Streakers for June 21Who's Hot Who's Not Red Sox vs. Buddy Carlyle Braves vs. Julian Tavarez More Stuff
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Schilling headed for the DL?Sean McAdam is back as Art Martone's guest on projo SoxTalk. Click here to listen to the full audio file. Sean and Art talk about Josh Beckett's excellent start last night, but the main topic of conversation is Curt Schilling: Will he go on the disabled list, and if he does, who replaces him in the rotation? Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments. On Beckett's performance: "It would have been interesting to see had he been able to go longer, but with the 50-minute rain delay the Red Sox didn't want to take any chances in bringing him back, and certainly the game seemed pretty much in control. But for six innings he was very dominant: four hits, only one runner past second base, and not only made sure that the Red Sox' losing streak didn't grow past one, but made sure that his own personal losing streak stopped there too." On Schilling: "My guess is that they're going to shut him down for a little while, see if he can build up his shoulder muscles, strengthen that area a little bit. And you know, it's probably not a bad thing when you're going on 41 to have a little break in the middle of the season. I don't know that anyone expected him to hold up for 35 starts, given the number of innings in that arm. I think the good news is that there is no labrum or rotator cuff issues, probably just a weakened shoulder area that can benefit from some rest, and I wouldn't be surprised if today or tomorrow they announce that he's going on the disabled list for 15 days." On who would take Schilling's spot: "They could have Lester pitch Sunday in Schilling's next turn, in San Diego, and then have him continue to take Schilling's turn next time, and then when Schilling returns it would only be a bump of a day moving from the number-one spot in the rotation to presumably the number five, bumping Julian Tavarez more permanently. The other thought is, maybe they bring somebody else up and spot him for those two starts, whether that be Kason Gabbard, whether it be Davern Hansack, David Pauley, those are three options, and I'm sure that's part of the discussion that's going on now."
Posted by Mike McDermott Schilling acknowledges scare over Monday startCurt Schilling spoke this morning with WEEI's John Dennis, the day after an MRI found no structural damage to his shoulder. Dennis asked about seemingly conflicting reports on whether Schilling had felt pain on Monday, when he was battered by the Atlanta Braves. Schilling said he was "not discomfort-free," and added that "pain is a relative term." He was more direct when asked to compare the feeling Monday with what he encountered in 1995, as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, when Schilling needed surgery for a torn labrum. Schilling said that, in 1995, he was throwing in the mid 90s one moment, and then he was suddenly throwing in the low 80s. He said that he did not feel any pain on that occasion until the next morning. The feeling on Monday night was eerily similar, said Schilling: he simply could not summon the velocity that he had been able to get on his pitches earlier in the season. But unlike in 1995, he did not feel in pain on Tuesday morning, he said. After Monday's game, Atlanta's Chipper Jones said it was the worst he had ever seen Schilling throw. Schilling said that Jones should know, since they have faced each other often over the years. Schilling said that no determination had been made about his next scheduled start, which is Sunday in San Diego. But he added that he will not be picking up a baseball until Friday, making it unlikely that he would make the start.
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Wednesday, June 20
IN OTHER NEWS . . . The MRI taken on Curt Schilling's shoulder showed no structural damage. (projo.com) The two sides will begin determining the proper course of action today. The news of Schilling's injury was first reported on this very blog at 4:30 p.m. yesterday; check back today for the latest. 'TOO MUCH BECKETT, PERIOD': That was Braves manager Bobby Cox' assessment of last night's game. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) THE NATION EMERGES VICTORIOUS: One day after praising their fans for standing up to the Boston invaders, the Braves, in the story above, admit that they're irked at feeling like visitors in their own park. (AJC's Dave O'Brien has taken to calling Turner Field ''the Southern Fens''.) ''It is frustrating, I'm not gonna lie,'' said Braves second baseman Kelly Johnson. ''You would like the home team to be the home team.'' TRUE FEELINGS: He was fairly restrained when talking to the Boston Herald on Monday, but Edgar Renteria let some bitterness towards the Red Sox shine through in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constution. ON SECOND THOUGHT: The Red Sox have slipped to second in his MLB Power Rankings, but SI.com's John Donovan gives two reasons why the Red Sox ''aren't going to lose the AL East race in '07, no matter how well the Empire plays the rest of the season''. REMEMBER WHEN? The Omaha World-Herald does a quick Q-and-A with Fred Lynn, most of which centers on his college days -- the hook: Omaha hosts the College World Series -- but some of which touches on his Red Sox career. IN THE YEAR 2057 . . . Roger Clemens will still be calling the Yankees for a job. That's the basis of a short film by Massachusetts native Mike Barber (Metro West Daily News); take a look below: BUT IN THE YEAR 2007 . . . he's getting ready for tonight's start at Coors Field. (New York Daily News) DOESN'T SEEM SO BAD NOW, DOES IT?: There was plenty of angst in Red Sox Nation last week when Josh Fogg, who entered the game with a 1-5 record and an ERA over 5.00, shut down the Sox at Fenway Park and beat Curt Schilling. But last night -- at Coors Field, no less -- he did the same thing to Mike Mussina and the Yankees. (New York Post) IS THAT ALL YOU GOT? When asked to comment on the Yankees' recent resurgence, George Steinbrenner said nothing. (New York Post) ''Maybe, like others,'' writes George King, ''he believes the resurgence is due more to the competition (White Sox, Pirates, Diamondbacks and Mets) than anything else.'' BY THE NUMBERS: The Yankees have given 21 starts so far this year to replacement-level starting pitchers. (mvn.com) Those pitchers have a combined ERA of 6.15. MADE FOR EACH OTHER: FoxSports' Ken Rosenthal says the Yankees and Rangers are a perfect fit if Texas decides to trade Mark Teixeira. Teixeira, incidentally, won't return to action until after the All-Star break. (Dallas Morning News) LET THE (SO-CALLED) SEARCH BEGIN: It's fairly obvious that Joe Girardi is the man the Orioles want as their new manager (Baltimore Sun), though Joe Torre warns Girardi to look before he leaps. (New York Daily News) FORGOTTEN MAN: Back in Maryland, Sam Perlozzo is slowly coming to grips with his firing. (Baltimore Sun) He said he had yet to hear from any of his former players, and when asked if that surprised him, he replied: ''Yes, sir.'' ENOUGH, ALREADY: The players, in San Diego for a series with the Padres, seem fed up with the whole situation. (Baltimore Sun) Some, like Brian Roberts and Miguel Tejada, spoke fondly of Perlozzo; Kevin Millar, on the other hand, seemed pleased . . . which couldn't have surprised Seth Mnookin very much, something he's made clear again and again. (sethmnookin.com) EVEN STEVEN: The Seattle Times' Jerry Brewer says the Mariners have 81-81 written all over them.
NOW THERE'S A MENTAL PICTURE FOR YOU: SFGate.com's Betting Fool says the Giants are baseball's version of an Oreo cookie left too long in milk: Soft and crumbling on the outside, useless goo on the inside. Again, having seen them last weekend, I can't disagree. INJURY NEWS: The Marlins' worst nightmare came to life last night when Dontrelle Willis had to leave the game because of pain in his left forearm. (South Florida Sun-Sentinel) AND MORE: Randy Johnson has a herniated disk in his lower back, same disk he had surgically repaired only eight months ago. (Arizona Republic) AND STILL MORE: The Dodgers' Jason Schmidt will have his ailing shoulder looked at. (Los Angeles Daily News) THE BREAKING POINT: Ozzie Guillen may have reached his in the White Sox' loss to the Marlins last night. SOME MISTAKES YOU NEVER STOP PAYING FOR: Joe Posnanski says the Royals should have moved to the National League 10 years ago, when they had the chance. (Kansas City Star) UNEVEN JUSTICE: The Cubs aren't happy with the suspensions handed down in the Derrek Lee/Chris Young fight. (Chicago Sun-Times) WHISPERS: The Chocago Tribune is reporting a Jermaine Dye-and-Mark Buerhle-to-the-Mets-for-prospects rumor. Buehrle, however, doesn't want to leave the White Sox . . . Padres GM Kevin Towers calls an Adam Dunn-to-San Diego rumor ''not worth chasing'' (cincinnati.com) LOCALLY: With Brad Lidge on the disabled list because of a strained oblique muscle on his left side, Dan Wheeler is once again closing for the Astros. (mlb.com) He'd lost the job back to Lidge on June 8. OLD FRIENDS: Johnny Damon may be headed to the disabled list for the first time in his career (New York Post) . . . Tomo Ohka has signed with the Cardinals (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) . . . The Reds are thinking of giving the slumping Bronson Arroyo a couple of extra days' rest. His ERA has jumped from 2.64 to 5.24 (cincinnati.com) . . . Justin Duchscherer could start throwing off a mound soon (sfgate.com). -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone June 19, 2007
Final: Red Sox 4, Braves 0The Sox win 4-0...sixth shutout of the season.
Posted by Sean McAdam PawSox drop third straight, 4-3 to Indianapolis in 10 inningsINDIANAPOLIS -- Backup catcher Einar Diaz singled home Brad Eldred from second with two out in the bottom of the tenth to give the Indianapolis Indians a 4-3 win over the visiting Pawtucket Red Sox. Diaz, who entered the game in the sixth inning, slapped reliever Travis Hughes' second pitch into left field to end the three-hour, 20 minute contest. Once again, the PawSox fizzled with runners on base. Pawtucket batters left 15 runners stranded, at least one in each inning. The PawSox (31-37) have now lost three in a row, including two straight to the I.L. West-leading Indians (42-28). Pawtucket scored a run in the first inning off Indians starter Marty McLeary. Leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury singled, stole second, moved to third on an infield out and came home on a double by David Murphy. Eldred evened things in the bottom of the second with a 410-foot solo shot to center off PawSox starter David Pauley. Indianapolis took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third. Luis Ordaz opened the inning with a single and went to second on Matt Kata's base hit. Yurendell de Caster's single scored Ordaz and one out later, Pauley walked Russ Johnson to load the bases. The threat ended when Humberta Cota hit into a force at second. The PawSox tied the score in the fourth when Bobby Scales singled to center and scored on a double by George Kottaras. The Indians went up 3-2 in the bottom of the inning. Michael Ryan walked and moved to second on a fielder's choice, then scored on Brian Bixler's single. Mike Burns took over for Pauley in the fifth inning and blanked the Indians through the eighth. Meanwhile Jesse Chavez, who relieved McLeary, stifled the PawSox until the bottom of the eighth. Jeff Bailey led off the inning with a double and moved to second on a bunt single by Scales. Bailey breezed home to make it 3-all when Kottaras flew to right. The PawSox squandered a couple of opportunities against Franquelis Osoria, the third Indians pitcher. In the ninth they left runners on first and second and in the tenth, they failed to score after loading the bases with less than two out. Scales led off the tenth with a hit and Kottaras followed with a walk. After a sacrifice bunt by Ed Rogers, Osoria intentionally walked Ellsbury. But the next two batters, Joe McEwing and Murphy, flied out to douse the rally. Craig Breslow (1-1) entered the game in the eighth and pitched two scoreless innings. With one out in the tenth, Rogers' throwing error from short put Eldred on base. Russ Johnson flied out, and Hughes relieved Breslow. Diaz's single came on a 1-0 inside fastball. Notes: With no replacement for right-hander Manny Delcarmen, promoted Sunday to Boston, the PawSox remain short a man. Jon Lester (1-3) starts for Pawtucket Wednesday afternoon against Michael Tejera (3-1). Thursday night it'll be Kason Gabbard (6-2) versus Shane Youman (3-5) for Indianapolis. Youman was named I.L. Pitcher of the Week for June 11-17, when he went 2-0 with an 0.59 earned run average in two starts. The current road trip continues with four games at Louisville, starting Friday. --PETE CAVA, Special to the Providence Journal
Posted by Chris Venditto Pregame notes: It's rainingATLANTA -- The rain is falling here at Turner Field, and tonight's game could be in jeopardy. There are conflicting weather forecasts, with some saying the rain will continue all night. The teams have a mutual off-day Thursday, so they could play Thursday afternoon before the Sox fly out to San Diego for a weekend series with the Padres. Not a permanent change ''We told [Lugo], 'We're not giving up on you. Don't panic. Let's let Cora take your at-bats tonight,' '' said Francona. No definitive word More later on projo.com and in tomorrow's Providence Journal . . . -- SEAN McADAM
Posted by Sean McAdam Tuesday night's Red Sox-Braves lineupsATLANTA -- The lineups have been posted: RED SOX BRAVES
Posted by Sean McAdam Schilling returns to Boston to have his shoulder examinedBY SEAN McADAM ATLANTA -- Speculation about Curt Schilling's health, which arose after he pitched poorly in his last two starts, apparently was well-founded. Schilling has left the Red Sox and returned to Boston, where he will have his shoulder examined. The status of his next start, scheduled Sunday in San Diego, remains in question. The veteran right-hander has allowed 19 hits and 11 runs in his last 9 1/3 innings, over his last two starts. His performance here last night -- in which he was lifted after 4 1/3 innings, trailing 6-1 -- was particularly worrisome, as he failed to reach 91 on the speed gun and didn't strike out a batter in a start for the first time in 14 years.
Posted by Art Martone Sox Streakers for June 19Who's Hot Who's Not Red Sox vs. Tim Hudson Braves vs. Josh Beckett More Stuff
Posted by Mike McDermott Today's Manny file: Ramirez in Clement's corner?According to the Boston Herald's Jeff Horrigan, Manny Ramirez was spotted wearing a Matt Clement jersey yesterday during early batting practice in Atlanta. Later, manager Terry Francona addressed the status of Clement, who has not pitched for the Red Sox since Stuffy McInnis retired. OK, I'm just saying that since I saw Stuffy's name in Sean McAdam's notes column today; in actuality Clement has not pitched since June 14, 2006. Francona said the team was hopeful that Clement could return by September. Curt Schilling told reporters after last night's game that he "wanted badly to step off and bring Manny in about 15 or 20 feet" before pitcher Chuck James hit a bloop, RBI single for the Braves last night. The Worcester Telegram & Gazette's Bill Ballou concludes: "There is no telling what Ramirez would have done — perhaps he would have thought Schilling wanted him to pitch, or that the inning was somehow over. Even if Ramirez had come closer and caught the ball, it would only have delayed the inevitable because where McCann’s home run landed, there was no waving anybody into position unless he had a ticket for a bleacher seat." The Boston Globe reports today that Ramirez was at a housewarming party Saturday night atop the Ritz-Carlton towers for Greg Agganis, the grandnephew of former Red Sox Harry Agganis, who apparently has a lot of money.
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Is Schilling hurting?Sean McAdam is back with Art Martone for today's edition of Projo SoxTalk. Click here to listen to the full audio file. Speaking from Atlanta after witnessing Curt Schilling's latest rough outing, Sean talks about the possibility that the Red Sox' pitching ace might be injured. He also speculates that this may be the beginning of the end for Mike Timlin, and talks about Coco Crisp, who shunned the media last night despite having a stellar performance at the plate. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments: Is Schilling injured? "You start connecting the dots -- the velocity being off, not being able to get people to swing and miss, being hit hard, stuff being flat -- and when someone said [after last night's game], 'Are you hurting, is there anything physical here,' -- I mean, I'm trying not to read much into it and put words into people's mouths -- but on I think two occasoins when he was asked, he didn't say, I'm fine, there's no physical issues.' He kind of quickly changed the subject and said, 'It's not any one thing.' ... It's hard not to think that there might be something there, the way he kind of dodged the question." Could Mike Timlin be nearing the end? "In a word, yes. I mean, there's a lot of miles on that shoulder and elbow from all the work the last few years. Until he went on the DL in the second half of last year, he had had four straight 70-appearance seasons, and would have had a fifth last year, and you can't do that in your late 30s and into your early 40s and not pay the price eventually." On why Crisp wasn't talking to the media: "I'm completely mystified. He had a four-hit night, a two-home run night for the first time in his career, unquestionably his best night of the season, and when we came into the clubhouse he had already given word to John Blake, the Red Sox public relations official, that he wasn't going to be taking any questions or talking to anybody, and no one seems to understand why. He's done this a number of times over the last couple of weeks."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Tuesday, June 19
On the Sons of Sam Horn board, poster MidnightC details all of Schilling's starts since May 1; these are his numbers in the eight starts since May 12: 47.2 IP And that includes both the one-hitter against Oakland and a seven-inning/one-run start against Cleveland. It's not likely Schilling will provide many new insights when he does update his blog -- chances are it'll be a more detailed version of what he told reporters last night, which basically was that it's a breakdown of many elements and not just one thing -- but, if you have access to a radio, it might be worth a listen to his weekly appearance on WEEI's Dennis and Callahan this morning, which usually happens sometime after 9 a.m. We'll have an update on the blog after he talks. FAILED INVASION: Red Sox Nation took over Turner Field last night, and some of the Braves think it helped spark both them and their normally placid supporters. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) ''I didn't know there were that many Bostonians in Atlanta,'' said Braves manager Bobby Cox. ''But our fans outdid them, I think." COMMON GROUND: In that same story, Chipper Jones said Sox fans and Braves fans seemed to agree on one thing. ''I heard a 'Yankees suck' chant,'' he said, ''and everybody was chiming in.'' THE REAL RECORD CHASE: Forget Barry Bonds. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says Bobby Cox is on the verge of breaking a record that will probably never be broken: Most ejections from a major-league game. He has 130 and is one away from tying John McGraw, who's held the mark for 74 years with 131. (To put in perspective: The active manager with second-most ejections is Tony La Russa, and he only has 73.) Stark, with the help of David Vincent and the late Doug Pappas of SABR, has a list of all the times Cox has been tossed.
THE TALKATIVE MAN: Edgar Renteria, who wouldn't meet with the media when the Braves were in Boston last month, spoke yesterday. (Boston Herald) His belief: That he'd have played as well for the Red Sox as he's playing now for the Braves if the team had just been patient. NO TAKERS: The Sox couldn't make a deal for J.C. Romero after they designated him for assignment, so they're cutting him loose. (projo.com) The state of pitching being what it is, he shouldn't be unemployed very long. CALM DOWN: Terry Francona says stop worrying, he won't burn out Hideki Okajima. (Boston Herald) SAME SAME: Remember how bad Anduw Jones looked when the Braves were in Boston? It's a month later, and he's not any better. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) PERSPECTIVE: FoxSports' Dayn Perry handicaps each team's playoff chances as we approach the midway point of the season and says the only question about the Red Sox is whether or not they'll win 100 games. DANGER -- CHANCE OF EXPLOSION: Take the Yankees' nuclear offense and drop it in Coors Field for three games, and . . . well, who knows what to expect? (New York Daily News) DOG BITES MAN: We'd been expecting it since their Mother's Day meltdown in Boston, and yesterday it finally happened: Sam Perlozzo was fired as manager of the Orioles. The Baltimore Sun reports the team would like to hire former Twins and Cubs executive Andy MacPhail as chief operating officer, and that Joe Girardi is their choice to replace Perlozzo. ESPN.com's Tim Kurkjian takes a detailed look at the Orioles' many problems. THAT'S ALL WELL AND GOOD, BUT . . . SI.com's John Donovan says owner Peter Angelos is at the root of the Orioles' troubles. FoxSport's Ken Rosenthal agrees. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW? It appears Jason Giambi will talk to the Mitchell investigation on doping in baseball. (New York Daily News) FOR SALE -- ONE HOME-RUN CHAMP: It looks as if the Giants may actually put Barry Bonds on the trading block. (Costa Contra Times) Bruce Jenkins handicaps the potential trade field. (sfgate.com) I LIKE IT HERE: Ken Griffey Jr. is desperate to win a World Series ring, but in spite of that he's not going to ask the Reds to trade him to a contender. (Cincinnati Enquirer) MAYBE YOU DO, BUT . . . MLB Trade Rumors says there's a persistent Griffey-to-the-Cubs report circulating. OTHER WHISPERS: The White Sox sound like they're ready to back up the truck (Chicago Sun-Times) . . . The Denver Post resurrects the Todd Helton-to-the-Yankees rumor . . . Gotham Baseball says a more likely first-base target for the Yanks is Carlos Pena. I GOT YOUR CY YOUNG RIGHT HERE: Looking for a Cy Young candidate? Old friend Chad Finn says look no further than the Seattle bullpen, where J.J. Putz is having a year for the ages. (foxsports.com) SHAPE UP! White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen minces no words -- not that he ever does -- in telling the Marlins' Miguel Cabrera to lose some weight. (South Florida Sun-Sentinel) MORE WOES: Toronto's injury-ravaged season continues, as A.J. Burnett heads to the disabled list. (Toronto Sun) GO FIGURE: The Indians' Joe Borowski still doesn't know why the Phillies, who certainly need relief help, backed out of their two-year, $9 million agreement last winter. (Philadelphia Inquirer) LOCALLY: Rocco Baldelli reinjured his hamstring, making it doubtful he'll come off the disabled list Friday. (Tampa Tribune). OLD FRIENDS: Rotoworld.com reports Kelly Shoppach is 16-for-29 with two homers, five doubles and 10 RBI in the eight games in which he's played since May 15 and notes ''To be that productive while playing so irregularly is very impressive.'' . . . Freddy Sanchez is feeling better after a bout with the flu (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) . . . Mark Loretta had a 4-for-5, 3-RBI night for the Astros in their 10-9 loss to the Angels (Houston Chronicle). -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone June 18, 2007
Game Story: Braves 9, Red Sox 4ATLANTA -- Was it only two starts ago that Curt Schilling came within an out of a no-hitter? It sure seems like longer. For the second straight start, Schilling was far from near-perfect last night, crushed for six runs on 10 hits in just 4 1/3 innings as the Red Sox began their most demanding trip of the season with a dispiriting 9-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Staked to a quick 1-0 lead by the first of two Coco Crisp homers, Schilling proceeded to allow six unanswered runs from the third through the sixth. He failed to record a single strikeout for the first time in a start since July 1, 1993, 348 starts ago. ``Its embarrassing, said Schilling, 6-4. ``I never gave us a chance. You want to walk around the clubhouse and apologize to your teammates and manager. Theres no excuse for the game to play out like it did. Pressed to explain the cause for the back-to-back outings, Schilling shrugged. The key sequence for Schilling came in the fourth when after hard-hit singles from Edgar Renteria and Chipper Jones, Brian McCann doubled to left-center, scoring Renteria and sending Jones to third. Schilling next got Andruw Jones (flyout to right) and Jeff Francoeur (infield pop-up), and with pitcher Chuck James on deck and first base open, the Sox made the logical decision to intentionally walk Scott Thorman. ``If Thorman gets a hit with the pitcher on deck, said manager Terry Francona, ``Im kicking myself. I thought it was the right thing to do. But James foiled the strategy when he dumped a single into shallow left, scoring Jones. ``I wanted to badly to step off and bring Manny (Ramirez in left) in about 15 or 20 feet, said Schilling. ``(James) has done that a few times this year. But thats how it goes. ``It was supposed to be a slider, down-and-in, said Schilling. ``But it just backed up, right over the middle (of the plate). Not that the Sox offered much in the way of run support. After breaking out for 20 runs in their weekend series with the Giants, the Sox managed just four runs, the first three of which were produced by solo homers. The final Red Sox run came in the ninth, courtesy of a wild pitch from Macay McBride. The homers by Crisp in the span of six innings exceeded his total for the season coming into last night and represented the first multi-homer game of his career. J.D. Drew, who played one season here, drilled his fifth homer of the year leading off the seventh, giving the outfielder three homers in his last three starts in National League ballpark. Drew had two homers against Arizona on June 8. But the middle of the Red Sox order fizzled against starter Chuck James and three Atlanta relievers. Kevin Youkilis, Manny Ramirez and Jason Varitek the 3-4-5 hitters last night went a combined 2-for-11 with five strikeouts. ``If that happens, said Francona, ``most nights, youre going to have an uphill battle. When a pitcher shuts the middle of your order down, thats usually a pretty good formula for winning. The Sox managed to load the bases against McBride, forcing the Braves to bring in closer Bob Wickman, who notched his 13th save by getting Mike Lowell to ground out to short. Meanwhile, the Braves kept piling on after Schilling departed. Kyle Snyder got the final two outs in the fifth, but an error by Dustin Pedroia to open the sixth paved the way for another Atlanta run. Mike Timlin yielded a two-run homer to Thorman in the seventh. --SEAN McADAM
Posted by Chris Venditto Final: Braves 9, Red Sox 4ATLANTA -- The Red Sox began their most challenging road trip of the season on a sour note tonight, as Curt Schilling was knocked out of the game after only 4 1/3 innings and the Braves coasted to a 9-4 win. Schilling had been handed a 1-0 lead in the second on a home run by Coco Crisp -- Boston's only bright spot with a 4-for-4 night, lifting his average to .247 -- but Atlanta tied the game with a run in the third, went ahead with two in the fourth, and routed Schilling on a three-run homer by Brian McCann in the fifth. Schilling allowed 10 hits and 6 runs, with 2 walks and 0 strikeouts, in his second straight subpar outing since his near no-hitter in Oakland. More later tonight.
Posted by Sean McAdam Walk-off Walk Dooms PawSoxINDIANAPOLIS – Pawtucket opened an eight-game road trip Monday night with a 4-3 loss to the host Indianapolis Indians on a walk-off walk. Reliever Travis Hughes issued a one-out, bases loaded base on balls to Carlos Maldonado that decided the three-hour contest. The loss negated another excellent start by Nicaraguan right-hander Devern Hansack. The International West Division-leading Indians (41-28) wasted no time in taking a 1-0 lead. Brian Bixler drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the first and came around to score on a double to the gap in right-center by Yurendell de Caster. The PawSox (31-36) answered with a pair of runs in the second. With one out, Brandon Moss doubled to center. The next batter, Jeff Bailey, hammered the first pitch he saw from Indianapolis starter Sean Burnett over the left field wall. Matt Kata tied the game at 2-all with two out in the third, drilling a 92mph Hansack fastball over the wall in right for a solo homer. Josh Sharpless replaced Burnett in the fourth. The right-hander promptly loaded the bases on a double to Moss and walks to Bailey and Michael Tucker. He got out of the fix by striking out Ed Rogers and Chad Spann and retiring Jacoby Ellsbury on a pop fly to third. Sharpless dodged another bullet in the sixth. With one out, Bailey reached first on a throwing error and took third when Tucker singled off de Caster's glove at first. Rogers tried to squeeze the run home, but de Caster's scoop-and-throw to Maldonado nailed Bailey at home plate. The threat ended when Spann bounced out to second. Hansack worked his way out of a jam in the bottom of the frame, getting Brad Eldred on an inning-ending pop fly with a runner on third. In the seventh, Pawtucket went up 3-2. Ellsbury started the inning with base on balls off Mark Corey, the fourth Indianapolis pitcher of the night. Ellsbury promptly took off for second and, with no one covering, Maldonado's throw from home hit the base. As the ball rolled toward the outfield grass, Ellsbury scooted to third. One out later, David Murphy walked and stole second. After striking out Kevin Cash, Corey gave way to Juan Perez. Moss greeted Perez with a base hit up the middle that plated Ellsbury with the go-ahead run. Hansack turned in his fourth consecutive quality start. Over six innings he struck out six batters, scattering four hits and a walk. Craig Hansen came on in the relief in the seventh and surrendered a game-tying run. Luis Matos stroked a one-out single and took third on a throwing error. Matos went to third on an infield out and scampered home on Hansen's wild pitch to make it 3-3. After Bryan Corey pitched a scoreless eighth, Hughes started the ninth inning with a walk to Jose Hernandez. One out later, Michael Ryan's line single to right sent Chris Aguila, running for Hernandez, to third. Hughes intentionally walked Luis Ordaz to load the bases, then threw four straight balls to Maldonado to end the game. Hughes (4-3) suffered the loss while Perez (1-1) earned the victory with two and one-third scoreless frames. NOTES: No replacement yet for right-hander Manny Delcarmen, who was recalled Sunday by Boston. “We're a man short right now,” said PawSox manager Ron Johnson. “We'll just have to see how it goes.” Pitching matchups for the rest of the series are David Pauley (4-1) for the Sox against Marty McLeary (4-2) on Tuesday; Jon Lester (1-3) versus Michael Tejera (3-1) for the Indians on Wednesday, and Kason Gabbard (6-2) for Pawtucket against Shane Youman (3-5) Thursday. Wednesday's game is an afternoon contest. The current road trip continues with four games at Louisville, starting Friday. --PETE CAVA, Special to the Journal
Posted by Chris Venditto More pregame notes: Romero on way out, Clement on way backATLANTA --The Sox announced today that reliever J.C. Romero, designated for assignment on June 9, has been placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of giving him his release. Seventy-two hours must pass before Romero clears waivers. He then would be free to see with any team, which would be responsible for only the pro-rated minimum salary; the Red Sox will be on the hook for the remainder of the approximately $900,000 that's left on his $1.4 million contract. The Sox had designated Romero for assignment in the hopes of trading him, but trade interest in the veteran left-hander was minimal. Clement on the mend Clement will meet with manager Terry Francona and pitching coach John Farrell at the conclusion of the current road trip. Francona said it was conceivable that Clement could be ready to pitch in games in September. More later on projo.com and in tomorrow's Providence Journal . . .
Posted by Sean McAdam Tonight's lineupATLANTA -- The Sox' lineup has been posted: J.D. Drew rf -- SEAN McADAM
Posted by Sean McAdam Ortiz sits out tonight as Sox return to N.L. parkATLANTA -- Now that the Red Sox are back on the road in National League parks and the DH is unavailable, the team must sit a regular player every night. Tonight it's On Tuesday and Wednesday, Ortiz will be at first base. Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis will split the two games at third base, with one playing and one sitting each night. -- SEAN McADAM
Posted by Sean McAdam Today's Manny file: The fruits of hustling, or the lack thereof
Ramirez's two home runs over the weekend provide some hope that the Red Sox may finally be about to get the power surge that they've been lacking lately from the middle of their lineup. The Saturday home run, which gave the Red Sox a 1-0 win, ended a stretch of 50 at-bats without a home run for Ramirez. But, as Steve Krasner writes today in his Inside the Game column, a failure by Ramirez to hustle on a third-inning play yesterday cost the Red Sox at least a run. Ramirez failed to run hard on his hard grounder to second baseman Ray Durham. That gave Durham, who had to hit the ground to field the ball, enough time to roll to a stop, collect himself and throw for the out from one knee. On the other hand, Ramirez did have a nice hustle play on Friday night, getting quickly down the first-base line to prevent a double play on his bases-loaded, no-out groundball in the third inning. The effort led Jerry Remy to quip that Ramirez has pretty good speed, when he chooses to run hard. Unfortunately that play didn't make a whole lot of difference, as Kevin Youkilis did hit into a double play on the next at-bat to end the threat with only a run across.
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with Art Martone: Bonds appearance not so ugly after allClick here to listen to today's edition of Projo SoxTalk with Art Martone. Today Art talks about the weekend sweep of the San Francisco Giants, including the not quite-so-toxic reception that Barry Bonds received this weekend at Fenway Park. He also looks ahead to the very tough road trip that the Red Sox now begin. Here are some excerpts from Art's comments. On yesterday's hero, Joel Pineiro: "It's funny the way Pinerio has worked this year. They did bring him in with the idea of perhaps making him a closer, but it's almost like that notion never materialized. Even in spring training they weren't going to give him the work you would expect for someone you were entrusting a big job to, because they may have had Papelbon in mind the whole time, and since then he really has become a guy who pitches in lost causes and mopup, and things of that nature. Right now, with Donnelly out and Timlin struggling, they're going to need a right-handed setup man, and if Pineiro can be it, that would be great, because he's always had good stuff, always had a good arm. so we'll see what happens over the next nine days or so." On David Ortiz's and Manny Ramirez's lagging power numbers: "They both have track records, and history tells us that hitters of that caliber generally live up to their track records." On Bonds: "The reception that he got this weekend was not quite as bad as I thought it was going to be, and as many people thought it was going to be. In fact, there were some cheers mixed in with the boos yesterday when he hit that home run. It's an indication I think that even though people don't necessarily respect him and think he cheated to get where he is, that they are seeing history, and I think just watching people fight for the ball that landed in the bullpen yesterday indicated that there is an appreciation for that, because the other thing to remember is that Bonds was a great player before the steroids ever came along. He may not have hit 755 home runs without them, but he certainly would have hit 550, 600, whatever it was."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Monday, June 18
SWEPT AWAY: The Giants' last trip to Fenway Park to play the Red Sox in games that actually meant something didn't go so well, but the contemporary version couldn't exact even a little bit of revenge. The Red Sox completed the sweep with a 9-5 victory yesterday, with Joel Piniero serving as the unlikely hero; he cleaned up Manny Delcarmen's two-walk mess by inducing a bases-loaded double play grounder out of Bengie Molina to end the seventh, killing San Francisco's final rally. It was closed out by Hideki Okajima (AP Photo above, exchaning postgame vows with catcher Doug Mirabelli, whom Steven Krasner says deserved the save Saturday for his strikeout of Barry Bonds. (All stories projo.com) Now it's off for the longest, and perhaps most difficult, road trip of the season: Nine games in Atlanta, San Diego and Seattle. (FoxSports.com's Dayn Perry has already dubbed the weekend set between the Sox and Padres as baseball's Series of the Week.) We'll see if their lead, currently a healthy 8 1/2 games, is as robust when they return. NICE PLACE: Barry Bonds may never return to Boston, unless he surfaces as a designated hitter in the American League next year, but -- surprisingly -- he enjoyed his stay this time around. (Boston Globe) It probably didn't hurt that he added Fenway Park to the list of venues in which he's homered, a sixth-inning shot yesterday that the Sox felt was aided by some favorable atmospheric conditions. (projo.com) ''[When] it left the bat I thought it was a popup,'' said Bonds' victim, Tim Wakefield. LOVE ME, HATE ME: Sean McAdam noted the fans' schizophrenic reaction to Bonds -- booing vociferously, but also having their cameras ready as he came to bat -- from the very beginning of the series (projo.com), and said Bonds' chase of baseball's most hallowed milestone is a case of baseball getting what it deserves. ''As punishment for looking the other way while both bodies and home run totals grew wildly out of proportion, baseball now has to watch helplessly as Bonds, ahem, injects himself permanently into the record books.'' COMING UP SHORT: David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez have combined for fewer home runs so far (21) than Alex Rodriguez (27) and Prince Fielder (25) -- and are just barely beating out Justin Morneau (20) -- and Ortiz talked at length to Steven Krasner about just why that is. (projo.com) Ramirez is showing signs of life, power-wise, with home runs in consecutive games -- Saturday's provided the only run in a 1-0 win (projo.com) -- but Ortiz, homerless in eight games (33 at-bats), is showing signs of frustration, as was evidenced Friday night. (projo.com) THE RICH GET RICHER: Alex Rodriguez is on pace for 65 homers and 176 RBI . . . and now he gets three games at Coors Field. (New York Daily News) And with each swing of the bat, says the New York Post's Joel Sherman, he continues his march towards baseball's first $30-million-a-season contract. DON'T DO IT: But the Star-Ledger's Dan Graziano says the Yankees shouldn't pay that kind of money for A-Rod. Among the replacements he suggests pursuing: Mike Lowell. BIG MISTAKE: Graziano also advocates a trade for the Marlins' Miguel Cabrera, but the Miami Herald's Israel Gutierrez notes that Cabrera is gaining weight at such a rapid pace ''the only way he stays at third base past the next decade is if he's allowed to park there in a reclining chair with a fishing net as his ball retriever.'' PUT ME IN COACH: Johnny Damon wants his own shot at that Rocky Mountain goodness. (New York Daily News) FIRST THINGS FIRST: Miguel Cairo has become a cult hero for the Yankees as he fills in at first base, but that hasn't stopped New York from inquiring about old friend Shea Hillenbrand, who's lost his job in Anaheim. (Both stories New York Post) YOU REMIND ME OF SOMEONE . . . Ron Guidry sees similarities between Jorge Posada and Thurman Munson. (The Journal News) THE WINNER AND STILL CHAMPION: The New York Post's Kevin Kernan says Derek Jeter won the original battle of the shortstops with Alex Rodriguez and Nomar Garciaparra, and now he's beating Jose Reyes, as well. LOOKING FOR GOOD NEWS, YANKEE-HATERS? Kei Igawa is back in their starting rotation. (New York Daily News) NOT SO AMAZIN': The Mets are now in the 'worry season', says the Daily News' Lisa Olson. Among those worries: Whether Carlos Delgado's prolonged slow start is just a slump, or a sign that he's losing his skills. (North Jersey Media) TALKIN' TRADE: SI.com's John Donovan thinks the right trade(s) could put the Reds back in contention in the N.L. Central. Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the players who could be put on the block, but Newsday says don't expect the Yankees to make a run at him. WHISPERS: The Phillies may be interested in Brad Lidge (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . Mike Sweeney thinks his time in Kansas City is coming to an end (Kansas City Star) . . . Marc Topkin of the Tampa Tribune wonders if Elijah Dukes is being shopped by the Devil Rays . . . The Arizona Republic reports the Angels are making a run at Miguel Tejada . . . The New York Daily News' Bill Madden thinks Lou Piniella will urge the Cubs to acquire Eric Gagne. NOT SO FAST: Most everyone expects the slumping Orioles to fire Sam Perlozzo, but the Baltimore Sun's Peter Schmuck gives some reasons as to why it hasn't happened yet. Among them: Owner Peter Angelos likes him. Still, something may happen soon; at least one fan is now coming to Camden Yards with a bag on his head. (Baltimore Sun) ALL BURNED UP: The Pirates' Ian Snell will miss his next start because he slightly burned his index finger while preparing chicken. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) KEITH WINS AGAIN: One night after MSNBC's Keith Olbermann visited the Mets in their clubhouse, his direct competition, Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, was escorted out. (New York Daily News) The reason: He didn't have the proper credentials. -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone June 17, 2007
FINAL: Red Sox 9, Giants 5The Red Sox didn't treat the Giants too well in San Francisco's first trip to Fenway in decades, completing a sweep of the Giants, 9-5. The difference in the game was the five-run third, when five different players -- David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell and Doug Mirabelli -- all drove in a run. Tim Wakefield got his seventh win of the season with 5 2/3 innings of work.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Coco enters gameAs expected -- heck, even Terry Francona mentioned that it would likely happen in his pre-game press conference -- Coco Crisp has entered the game to start the eighth as a defensive replacement for Wily Mo Pena in centerfield. Though Pena didn't make any mistakes in center today, it was still an adventure watching him out there.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Manny ties Thome, McCoveyWith his blast into the Monster Seats, the 480th home run of his career, Manny Ramirez has tied former teammate Jim Thome for 25th on baseball's all-time list. As it was his third RBI today, Ramirez also has 1,555 career runs batted in, tying him for 36th place all-time with former Giants great Willie McCovey.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Bonds gets #748What first appeared to be a routine pop-up to right field turned out to be home run number 748 for Barry Bonds. While the Giants' slugger has been booed in every at-bat at Fenway this weekend, there was still a sizable contingent that was happy to be part of his march to history -- initially when the ball went over the wall to the Giants' bullpen, there were cheers, though after a few seconds boos were heard again. Fenway is the 36th different ballpark Bonds has homered in and Tim Wakefield becomes the 441st different pitcher to surrender a homer to Bonds, a major league record. Boston's Curt Schilling is tied with three other pitchers for most HRs given up by one pitcher to Bonds, with eight.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young PawSox fall to Richmond, 3-1After hitting two walk-off homers in one week, George Kottaras found himself at the plate with runners on first and second and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but was unable to deliver this time, as the Pawtucket Red Sox fell to the Richmond Braves, 3-1, today at McCoy stadium. Over the course of a week and a half, the Pawtucket Red Sox took three out of four games from Richmond down in Virginia, and then split a four-game series with the Braves here at McCoy. That’s five out of eight against the top team in the Southern Division and a pitching staff that boasts the best ERA in the entire International League.
Posted by Carolyn Thornton Delcarmen called up; Donnelly to DLManny Delcarmen has been called up to Boston, as Brendan Donnelly has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 11, with tightness in his forearm. In his pre-game press conference, manager Terry Francona said Donnelly first felt the tightness when he was warming up in the bullpen on Friday night. The right-hander tried to work through it, but bullpen coach Gary Tuck had him stop. Francona said Delcarmen has been pitching "very well" with Pawtucket and that he won't hesitate to use the Boston native in any situation.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Sunday lineupsFor the Red Sox: Drew rf Wakefield sp For the Giants: Morris sp
Posted by Shalise Manza Young June 16, 2007
Game Story: PawSox win on Kottaras's homer in ninthPAWTUCKET – It was George Kottaras to the rescue once again last night for the Pawtucket Red Sox. Five days after hitting the club’s first walk-off home run of the season – that one a three-run bomb over the Hood sign in right field that gave his team a 6-5 victory over Ottawa – the 24-year-old catcher delivered again yesterday and in the same fashion, blasting a first-pitch fastball over that same sign to give the PawSox a 4-3 decision over the Richmond Braves before a McCoy Stadium crowd of 9,534. With his late-inning heroics, Kottaras helped Bryan Corey pick up his second victory, after helping the right-hander earn his first win last Monday. ``I’ve been feeling good,’’ said Kottaras, who has now hit safely in six out of his last eight games. ``I’ve been working with the hitting guys, making small adjustments here and there, and things are just coming together. It’s a good feeling.’’ The PawSox got off to a good start, doing more damage in the first inning of last night’s game than they did in nine innings combined against Richmond on Friday, when Pawtucket managed just two hits and suffered a 3-0 loss. The PawSox kept Braves right fielder Larry Bigbie plenty busy in the opening frame, beginning with back-to-back doubles by Jacoby Ellsbury and Joe McEwing. Michael Tucker followed a David Murphy single to right with another double to that side of the field, plating McEwing who had driven in Ellsbury with his hit. Tucker later scored on an Ed Rogers’ infield single to make it 3-0. But Richmond got one run back in the third, sixth and seventh innings to tie the score. Martin Prado, who previously went first to third on Brayan Pena’s single to right, put the Braves on the board in the third, scoring on Graham Koonce’s double-play ball. PawSox starter Kason Gabbard then gave up an RBI single to Bigbie in the sixth before being relieved by Craig Hansen in the seventh. Hansen – who had posted a 10.39 ERA in his five previous outings after pitching eight scoreless innings in the six outings before that – surrendered a two-out RBI single to Pena in that inning. ``We got some runs early and then we just died,’’ said PawSox manager Ron Johnson. ``I mean, it’s hard to say died when you’re playing a club like this. They’ve got some really good guys and they came in after the first inning and that was it. We even tried some things to try to create some stuff that didn’t work, and they kept scratching back in it. And it makes it very uncomfortable with a ballclub like this because you know how good they are, and if you let them stick around, the next thing you know it’s a tie game.’’ But then Kottaras delivered in the bottom of the ninth. After Corey pitched his second scoreless inning for Pawtucket, Kottaras stepped to the plate and drove the first Jeff Bennett offering out of the park. ``I was just trying to do the same thing’’ as last Monday night, he said. ``Just go up there and have a good at-bat and put the ball in play hard somewhere, and that’s what happened.’’ -- CAROLYN THORNTON
Posted by Chris Venditto FINAL: Walk-off homer by Kottaras gives PawSox 4-3 win over RichmondGeorge Kottaras belted his second walk-off homer of the week, giving the PawSox a 4-3 win over the Richmond Braves at McCoy.
Posted by Carolyn Thornton Game Story: Red Sox 1, Giants 0BOSTON -- If one of the greatest sluggers in baseball history is going to make only one visit to Fenway Park in his fabled career, he might as well do something special. That’s exactly what took place yesterday. Giants star Barry Bonds had a memorable at-bat, one that could go down as one of the top 10 highlights of the season. Unlike most of his visits to the other 39 Major League parks in which he has played, though, the magic moment at Fenway will be all negative for Bonds, all positive for the Red Sox. In a game in which Manny Ramirez homered to provide the run in a 1-0 Red Sox victory; in which Japanese import Daisuke Matsuzaka turned in his best performance yet in a Boston uniform; it was Bonds’ eighth-inning at-bat against reliever Hideki Okajima that was most memorable. With two on and no outs, Bonds never took the bat off his shoulder as Okajima poured in three straight strikes to whiff the man on the verge of breaking Hank Aaron’’s home-run record. Okajima then retired Bengie Molina and pinch-hitter Kevin Frandsen to get out of the inning. When Jonathan Papelbon came on and pitched a perfect ninth, the Sox had the decision Anyone who thinks 1-0 games are boring should be shown a tape of what happened yesterday. A glorious day filled with sunshine, the Fenway faithful and a national television audience were treated to a show that had all kinds of twists and turns. The managers were called on to make tough strategy decisions. The Giants played their infield in with a runner on third and one out in the third inning. The Red Sox used two different infield alignments when Bonds came to bat with runners on first and second and no outs. The pitching was fabulous. Main Cain, the 22-year-old righthander who is quickly becoming a star despite his 2-7 record, was outstanding for the Giants. But Matsuzaka was even better for the Red Sox. ``He pitched a great game,’’ San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said of Matsuzaka. Matsuzaka went seven innings and allowed three hits and three walks with eight strikeouts. Only two of the 21 outs the Giants made against him went to the outfield. It was Ramirez who got Matsuzaka the run he needed. Ramirez had gone 51 at-bats over 19 days without a home run when he came up in the fourth. ``It was a spinning slider and he took advantage of it. That’s what he’’s known for,’’ said Cain. ``I wanted it down and away. It probably spun over the middle.’’ The pitch stayed up in the zone and Ramirez ripped it into the Monster Seats. That was all the Sox could get against Cain. The young right-hander lowered his earned run average to 3.15. It is a sign of how many offensive problems the Giants have that despite his numbers his team is only 2-12 in his 14 starts. Matsuzaka made the one run stand up with what he called his best day yet in a Boston uniform. ``This was the first time I was able to hold the opponent to zero runs and at the same time I was able to protect our slim an precious one-run lead, so in that sense I’m very happy with my performance today,’’ he said. The one tough inning Matsuzaka had was the sixth when the Giants put runners on first and second with no outs. Matsuzaka made the Sox fans, who continued to loudly boo Bonds happy, when he retired Bonds on a ground ball, got Molina on a liner to short and, after hitting Nate Schierholtz on a 2-2 pitch, struck out Rich Aurelia looking on a full count cut-fastball. ``I felt I was able to reach back inside myself and show a side of myself I haven’t shown here yet,’’ Matsuzaka said. His work was excellent. But it merely set the table for an even more exciting eighth. Matsuzaka was disappointed he did not get the chance to work the eighth. He was removed after throwing 112 pitches through seven. ``I felt the pitch count was a reasonable number, for me anyways, and when I came to the bench the coach (John Farrell) came up and asked me if I was prepared to go another inning,’’ he related. ``I told him I was. Soon after that the manager came over and told me Okajima would be going in the game.’’ When Randy Winn walked and Ray Durham singled to open the eighth, it looked like it might be a bad decision. When Okajima went 2-0 to Bonds, Farrell, the pitching coach, came out to talk to him. Okajima said he did not try to do anything special against Bonds. ``My approach was the same as other hitters,’’ he said. Farrell told him to challenge Bonds. Okajima threw a curve for strike one, then two straight 87 mile-per-hour fastballs. All strikes. Bonds never got the bat off his shoulder. The boos Bonds had been receiving turned to rousing cheers. It was a special moment in a terrific game. It will give the 36,381 fans a story to tell about how they were there the day Barry Bonds never got his bat off his shoulder in the clutch. -- PAUL KENYON
Posted by Chris Venditto On BP and rolling the ball to first baseBatting practice looked a bit different for the Red Sox today. In recognition of the fact that the team plays in Atlanta and San Diego this coming week, the starting pitchers, minus Daisuke Matsuzaka, today’s starter, took their turns in the cage. . . Francona does not want to take credit for Julian Tavarez’ penchant for rolling the ball to first base. Tavarez did it to get an out Friday, the second time he has done so this season. ``If that’s he has to do,’’ the manager began, ``I don’t claim to understand it, but. . . I guess there’s no rest of the sentence.’’
Posted by Paul Kenyon Ortiz still not happyEven as he dressed for today’s game David Ortiz was still less than happy with his ejection from Friday night’s contest. ``He threw me out because he wanted to,’’ Ortiz said of being tossed by home plate umpire Tony Randazzo. Randazzo called Ortiz out looking. The ball looked to be low but over the plate. Ortiz was ejected for throwing his bat and helmet as he reached the Boston dugout. It was his sixth career ejection and third with Boston. His last was Aug. 19, 2005 in Anaheim. Sox manager Terry Francona made it clear he was a bit puzzled, as well as unhappy, by Randazzo’s actions. Francona said he sought out replays after the game to try and understand what happened. ``After watching it I still didn’t quite understand it,’’ he said. The manager does not think Ortiz is getting a reputation for arguing too much with umpires. ``I think David’s got a very good reputation around the league,’’ Francona said. ``We talked to our hitters about not swinging at balls. David, because he is DH, has the ability to look at all the pitches all the game. He wants to swing at strikes because we harp on him about that. You go through periods where sometimes the plate gets wider, sometimes it doesn’t that’s baseball.’’
Posted by Paul Kenyon Lugo's off; Drew and Pedroia stay at the top Julio Lugo has a day off and J.D. Drew and Dustin Pedroia stay at the top of the Red Sox lineup. Drew RF
Posted by Paul Kenyon June 15, 2007
Game Story: Red Sox 10, Giants 2BOSTON — It’s too early to tell if the Red Sox broke out of their team hitting slump last night, but in their series opener with the San Francisco Giants last night, Boston got more than enough timely hits in a 10-2 win. And while the whole team had been struggling at the plate -- Boston came into the night with a .232 batting average and just 27 runs over its previous 10 games -- the top of the order had been particularly egregious, making it difficult for the Sox’ big boppers, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, to do what they do best: plate runners. Using a batting order that had J.D. Drew hitting leadoff and Dustin Pedroia number two for the second straight night, manager Terry Francona saw the move pay off against the Giants. Drew and Pedroia combined for Boston’s first seven hits of the game, went 8-for-9 and had all but two of the Red Sox’ RBI in the game. Boston’s win and the Yankees’ loss to the Mets – their first defeat in 10 games – means that the Red Sox lead in the A.L. East is back to 81/2 games. Starting pitcher Julian Tavarez, who spent three seasons in San Francisco as a reliever from 1997-99, had one of his best outings of the season, overcoming a rocky start in the process. Tavarez, who saw his record rise to 4-4 and his ERA trimmed to 4.97, got himself down 1-0 just two batters into the game. Red Sox 2005 American League Championship Series hero Dave Roberts, making his first return as a player to Fenway, led off with a single to right, and scored on a double to right by Mark Sweeney. Sweeney scored on a two-out wild pitch, giving the Giants the early 2-0 lead. But Pedroia, who became the first Red Sox rookie since Brian Daubach nearly eight years ago to record a five-hit game, erased that deficit in a hurry. Drew reached after being grazed on the arm, and Pedroia deposited a 1-0 pitch to the third row of the Monster seats to tie the game, his third homer of the year. It was the last time the game would be so close. Boston took the lead for good in the third when Drew scored on a Manny Ramirez fielder’s choice. The Sox had the bases loaded with none out in that inning, as Drew singled to left-center, Pedroia had an infield single (that truth be told could have easily been ruled an error), and a walk by Wily Mo Pena. Pena entered the game in the third after designated hitter David Ortiz was ejected in the first for arguing a third strike call. The Sox effectively put the game away in the fourth, scoring three runs. Drew’s double to dead center scored Mike Lowell and Julio Lugo, and one batter later, Pedroia singled to right, plating Drew. Pedroia added a two-run double in the eighth, and his 5-for-5 game made him the first Boston player with a five-hit night since Johnny Damon on July 6, 2004 against Oakland. "The first month of the season we spent so much time trying to defend him when he wasn’t hitting," Francona said of Pedroia. "He hits that first at bat out of the ballpark, he sprayed balls all over the park, and he makes contact. He stays inside that ball. Really, exceptionally well." With his superb effort, the rookie second baseman raised his average 20 points, to .331. Over his last 22 games, he is hitting .418 (33-for-79) with seven doubles, two home runs and 14 runs batted in. Pedroia said he had been suffering from the flu for more than a week, and his hands were slow because of it -- which shows in his 5-for-27 (.185) slump in Boston’s previous eight games -- but he certainly seems recovered now. Drew, who has been called out by fans in recent weeks, as his .230 batting average coming into the night didn’t seem to jibe with the 5-year, $70-million contract he signed to start the season, rebounded from an 0-for-5 night against the Rockies on Thursday. He also peppered the ball all over the field, reaching base in his first four at-bats. Francona was pleased with the results from his number five starter, Tavarez, who continues to make it difficult for the manager to push him out of the starting rotation in favor of the recovered Jon Lester. "He started using all of his pitches, he stayed down (with his placement), he got ground balls, he fielded his position," Francona said. "He didn’t get rattled and he ended up pitching a real strong game." And Tavarez also had one of his head-scratching moments, falling down to cover a ground ball on the first base line in the fifth. Tavarez rolled the ball to Kevin Youkilis at first base, and got it there before Randy Winn hit the bag. --SHALISE MANZA-YOUNG
Posted by Chris Venditto Lester allows only two runs, PawSox lose 3-0.PAWTUCKET – Being the competitor that he is, Jon Lester doesn’t consider anything short of a win to be acceptable. ``We had the loss, so that’s the main thing,’’ the 23-year-old southpaw said following the Pawtucket Red Sox’ 3-0 setback to the Richmond Braves last night at McCoy Stadium which snapped their four-game winning streak. ``I’m not out there to pitch seven innings, give up two runs and not get the ‘W.’ So if we win, then that’s a good start. If we don’t, then it’s not.’’ With that said, Lester says he did come off the mound last night feeling considerably better about his eighth rehab start for the PawSox than he did following his previous outing last Saturday against Ottawa when he lasted just 2-2/3 innings after giving up three runs on five hits. In comparison, he went seven innings last night against the Southern Division-leading Braves, scattering eight hits and giving up two earned runs. ``Command-wise, it was better and stuff-wise it wasn’t any different,’’ said Lester, who threw 61 of his 93 pitches for strikes, recording three strikeouts and two walks. ``I think I had better stuff the other night, but I’m just I glad threw seven and yeah, it was a better night.’’ PawSox manager Ron Johnson was far less critical of Lester’s performance. ``I thought it was pretty good,’’ he said. ``I mean, seven innings, two runs. We’ll take that every time he takes the ball. That’s a good start. Jon gave us more than ample opportunity to win the ballgame. I’m just really pleased to see the way he rebounded from his last start. I know he probably felt we shut him down in the last one – he went 2-2/3 – and to see him come back seven innings against the team with the best record in the league, or real close to it, I thought was very impressive.’’ With no restrictions placed upon him other than a maximum pitch count of 100, Lester retired three out of four batters in each of the first two innings before giving up two runs in the third. Braves third baseman Wes Timmons led off with a single up the middle, moved to second on a sac bunt by Gregor Blanco, then scored from second on Martin Prado’s single to left. Brayan Pena singled to right, advancing Prado to third. Prado then scored on Graham Koonce’s sac fly to right, although he was nearly thrown out at the plate by PawSox rightfielder David Murphy. Relieving Lester in the eighth, Mike Burns then gave up an RBI single to Koonce for Richmond’s only other run. But Pawtucket was unable to get anything going at the plate against the Braves’ pitching staff, which boasts a league-best 3.25 ERA. Ryan Basner was credited with the win, improving to 2-2, while Manny Acosta earned his eighth save. ``You’ve got to tip your hat to their guys,’’ Johnson said of Richmond, which leads the International League South with a 38-27 record. ``They stymied us today. They put it to us . . . and we didn’t even really threaten. We went down (to Richmond last week) and got 3 out of 4 and we won the first one here, but you know what, you know you’re playing a very good ball club. There are reasons why they have that record. You could see it today. And there’s reasons why that pitching staff over there from a numbers standpoint is the top-ranked in the league, so you’re going to have days like that against them. We lost the ballgame, 3-0; we got two hits; they shut us down today offensively. We’ll sleep well and go out (tonight) and see what happens. But I was really pleased with Jon.’’ CAROLYN THORNTON
Posted by Thom Cahir FINAL: Red Sox 10, Giants 2Behind the one-two hitters in the order, J.D. Drew and Dustin Pedroia -- who combined for eight hits and eight RBI -- the Boston Red Sox won their opener with San Francisco, 10-2. Julian Tavarez picked up his fourth win of the season, giving up two runs over seven innings. Boston ended a two-game losing streak with the win.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Pedroia's big nightWith his 5-for-5 effort at the plate tonight, Dustin Pedroia is the first Red Sox rookie to record a five-hit game since Brian Daubach on Aug. 14, 1999 against Seattle. Pedroia took his record from .311 to .331 with tonight's game.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Richmond ends PawSox' four-game streakManaging just two hits on the night, the PawSox failed to extend their four-game winning streak, falling to the Richmond Braves, 3-0, before a McCoy Stadium crowd of 9,126. The Braves picked up two runs in the third off starter Jon Lester, who gave up eight hits over his seven-inning stint.
Posted by Carolyn Thornton Mike Burns relieves Lester in the eighthMike Burns has relieved Jon Lester in the eighth. Lester gave up eight hits and two runs, both of them earned, over his seven-inning stint. He recorded three strikeouts and two walks, throwing 61 of his 93 pitches for strikes.
Posted by Carolyn Thornton Still no one up in the bullpen after Lester's scoreless sevenThere is still no one warming up in the bullpen after Jon Lester pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Richmond failed to add to its 2-0 lead, thanks in part to a sharp defensive play by Pawtucket shortstop Ed Rogers. Brent Lillibridge, who had led off the inning with a double and then stole third, broke for home on Wes Timmons’ hard grounder to short. Without hesitation, Rogers fielded the ball and fired it home to catcher George Kottaras. After a brief rundown, Lillibridge was tagged out by Lester. Then with Gregor Blanco at the plate, Timmons, who made it to second on the previous play, tried to steal third on Lester as Lillibridge had. But this time, Lester picked him off.
Posted by Carolyn Thornton Lester retires 3 out of 4 in sixthLester is up to 75 pitches through six innings. He needed eight pitches to strike out Pena, but only one to get Koonce to fly out to center field. Mendez took the first pitch Lester offered him down the right-field line for a double. But Lester got Clark to fly out to center field on a 2-and-2 pitch for the third out.
Posted by Carolyn Thornton Lester after fiveLester wasn’t quite as efficient in the fifth: 15 pitches, 6 for strikes. He threw four straight balls to leadoff hitter Corky Miller, then worked a full count against Timmons before striking him out swinging. Prado then hit a shallow fly ball to right that was caught by McEwing.
Posted by Carolyn Thornton So far, so good for DrewJ.D. Drew is certainly doing his job -- getting on base -- as Boston's leadoff hitter tonight. Thus far, the slumping rightfielder has got on base in both of his at-bats; in the first, he was grazed by a pitch and came home on a two-run homer by Dustin Pedroia, and here in the third, he had a lazy single to shallow left-center.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young 7-for-7 in the fourth for LesterIt was a quick fourth-inning stint for Lester, as he threw seven pitches, all of them for strikes. After Mendez flew out to left for the first out, Clark singled to center field. But Lillibridge hit into a 5-4-3 double play.
Posted by Carolyn Thornton Richmond takes 2-0 lead in the third against LesterRichmond has taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the third against Lester, who has thrown 29 pitches, 24 of them for strikes. Wes Timmons led off with a single up the middle, moved to second on a sac bunt by Blanco, then scored from second on Prado’s single to left. Pena singled to right, advancing Prado to third. Prado then scored on Koonce’s sac fly to right, although he was nearly thrown out at the plate by PawSox rightfielder David Murphy. Pena got caught in a rundown between first and second and was tagged out to end the inning.
Posted by Carolyn Thornton 27 pitches and counting for LesterLester just faced four batters in the second inning, throwing 12 pitches. After Carlos Mendez grounded out to short on the first pitch he saw, Doug Clark beat out a grounder to second. Brent Lillibridge flew out to right for the second out. Lester then got Corky Miller to hit a foul popup near the Richmond dugout, which first baseman Jeff Bailey caught for out No. 3.
Posted by Carolyn Thornton Ortiz ejectedDavid Ortiz told the Journal's Steve Krasner before the game today that he was done arguing balls and strikes with umpires -- but apparently he'll stop arguing tomorrow, because he just got himself tossed tonight. Home plate umpire Tony Randazzo called Ortiz out on a third strike looking; the ball looked to be low but over the plate. It is Ortiz's sixth career ejection and third with Boston; his last was Aug. 19, 2005 in Anaheim.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Lester making eighth start for Pawtucket tonightHello from Pawtucket, where the PawSox are hosting the Richmond Braves tonight. Manager Ron Johnson said prior to the game that the southpaw has no real restrictions except that Johnson plans to keep him ``right around that 100-pitch range.’’ Lester threw 15 pitches in the first inning. He got leadoff hitter Gregor Blanco to ground out to short and Martin Prado to hit a foul popup behind first that was caught by PawSox second baseman Joe McEwing.
Posted by Carolyn Thornton Boos for BarryThe booing of Barry Bonds began even before PA announcer Carl Beane said his name, and they continued the entire time he was at bat. They did turn to cheers when he he looked bad whiffing on a Julian Tavarez pitch that was away. Fans in the stands are wearing t-shirts with giant asteriks taped on them, and others are holding posters with large asteriks on them as well. Bonds just launched one to right field, and took his time getting out of the batter's box, believing it to be a home run. Tavarez was trying to wave the ball foul, and it was, though manager Bruce Bochy tried to argue otherwise. Bonds flew out to Dustin Pedroia in shallow right field on a 3-2 pitch, and the boos followed Bonds until he was back in the dugout.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Roberts' receptionDave Roberts just received a standing ovation from the Fenway crowd that lasted about 30 seconds -- even his former teammates, standing on the top step of the dugout, were applauding Roberts, who flashed a big smile and waved to every corner of the field. He also pumped his fist and tipped his cap to the crowd. And he promptly drilled a single to right.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Giants lineup changeRyan Klesko has been scratched from the Giants' lineup with lower back tightness. Randy Winn will now move down to the three spot from two, and Mark Sweeney will take Klesko's place at first base and bat second. Here's the new lineup: Roberts cf
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Dave Roberts returnsThe culprit behind the most famous stolen base in Red Sox history is back at Fenway Park, and Dave Roberts is happy to be here. "Just flying into the city brought a smile to my face," the outfielder said. As every Sox fan recalls, it was Roberts' stolen base in game four of the ALCS that kick-started Boston's comeback and ultimately ended 86 years of heartbreak. Roberts said he is approached by Red Sox fans all the time thanking him, including in the men's room at a UCLA football game -- but he was quick to say that the man did keep his eyes north. Affable and full of smiles, Roberts wants to savor the moment when his name is called for the first at-bat of the night and the Fenway faithful rain cheers on him. "On the plane flying in, guys said, 'what are you going to do when they call your name and they're cheering? Will you tip your cap,'" Roberts said. "And that's when it hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm here for baseball, I'm here to win three games, but I think it would be a disservice to myself and the franchise if I didn't take in the moment." Of the stolen base, which Roberts called "the biggest play of my career," he said that every time he watches tape of the game, the play at second gets "closer and closer every time. I hope five or 10 years from now (umpire) Joe West doesn't change his mind." As soon as Roberts walked onto the field today, all of the memories and emotions came back to him -- of the duck boat parade through the city, of the ring ceremony on opening day the next April. "To be a big leaguer, that's what it's all about," he said.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Meeting with BarryBarry Bonds did take the time to chat with the quite large media contingent here at Fenway tonight, and he perhaps wisely - and thoroughly cynically - brought his own Before stepping down into the visitors' dugout, Bonds was looking all around the park, up at the left-field luxury boxes and at the Green Monster. Bonds, who is eight home runs shy of tying Hank Aaron's all-time record, said he expects to serve as DH all three games of the series, adding, "I'm old." When asked about his reputation, Bonds turned serious. "I don't know what you consider a bum rap, when there's people -- I mean, I'm sitting in a group and I probably know five of you. You don't know me. So I don't take it personal. I just don't." Asked more about the boos he hears at every road game -- he's getting booed right now during batting practice -- and the rumors and stories that are rampant, and why he doesn't pay much attention to them, he seemed to blame the media for the perception of him but said he isn't bothered by it. "It can't. I mean, what does it really mean? What's the motive? What have I ever done to you? So what's the motive? I've never done anything to you, so I just go out here and do my job on the field and play baseball."
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Francona's pre-game chatTerry Francona just wrapped up his pre-game meeting with the media, where he touched on a variety of topics as always. On pitching to Barry Bonds, Francona said he'll let the situation dictate what happens. "We'd like to win the game, that would be the goal for today, which is obvious. It's not a perfect formula, but a lot goes into it - who's up (next), the score, outs, who's swinging well." With tonight's lineup the same as last night - that is, J.D. Drew leading off and Julio Lugo in the nine spot - Francona said he was "as comfortable with the constitution of the lineup" as he's been all year but the team didn't do anything with the changes. Francona prefers stability, but said upcoming road interleague games prevent that. And if the Sox were not in a slump, it wouldn't matter as much. Of Dave Roberts, who returns to Fenway tonight, Francona joked that if Roberts had been out on his now-infamous steal in the ALCS he wouldn't be a special guy. Then he got serious and said, "He's such a good kid. We told him, 'stay ready' and he did stay ready." Roberts will meet with the media at 5pm; as of now, there is no word on whether Bonds will talk.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Sox Streakers for June 15From the club's official game notes: Who's Hot Who's Not Giants vs. Julian Tavarez Red Sox vs. Barry Zito More Stuff
Posted by Mike McDermott Friday's lineupFor the Red Sox, the lineup is the same as it was for yesterday's finale with Colorado: Drew rf SP: Tavarez For the Giants Roberts cf SP: Zito
Posted by Shalise Manza Young Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: More lineup changes to come?Sean McAdam is back today on Projo SoxTalk to discuss the Red Sox revolving door at the leadoff spot, and to look ahead to what should be a very colorful weekend at Fenway with the San Francisco Giants coming to town. Click here to listen to the audio file. Sean does not see signs of panic in Terry Francona's frequent lineup shuffling, and adds some perspective on Barry Bonds' chase of Hank Aaron's home run record. Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments: Is Terry Francona panicking with his lineup switches? "No, I don't think so. i think that obviously Terry Francona is trying to get the offense going; it has been pretty lackuster for the last week and a half. Seven of the last nine games they've scored two runs or fewer, and I guess the only surprise was that he didn't stick with Pedroia in that top spot for longer than that first night. But he has said that sort of extenuating circumstances and moving some people around have led to a little experimentation. And even late last night after that loss, he was unsure about what the batting order would be for this evening. So who knows, there could be more changes coming." On fans' reactions to Bonds: "Certainly there are enough questions about how Bonds has come to this record or neared this record, and I think if you're a fan of baseball, nevermind a fan of any particular individual, you find yourself a little caught in the middle. Not from a fan or rooting interest, but from a historic standpoint, you know, on the one hand you're about to see one of baseball's and sports' in general most cherished records change, and that in itself is baseball history. But then you start thinking about the circumstances involved, and you wonder if it's anything to celebrate."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Friday, June 15
WHEN TROUBLE STARTS, SO DO TRADE RUMORS: An unattributed blind item in a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes column says the Red Sox ''might'' be trying to obtain Miguel Tejada from the Orioles. AND POPPING UP IN MORE THAN ONE PLACE: The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports the Twins are interested in Mike Lowell, whom the Red Sox may put on the block if they go after Mark Teixiera. BUT WHAT'S TO WORRY ABOUT? Seth Mnookin isn't concerned . . . much. (sethmnookin.com) A YOUK SIGHTING!: Kevin Youkilis finally updated his blog. He talks in general terms and doesn't say a word about the Sox' recent dip. He does say he loves the fans, though. HERE HE COMES: Barry Bonds arrives tonight, and it's safe to say the Boston fans won't be showing him much love (both stories Boston Globe) . . . though Dustin Pedroia, for one, thinks they should. (projo.com) Pedroia, by way of explanation, grew up in California as a Giants fan and went to Bonds' alma mater, Arizona State. FIGHTING BACK: On the legal front, Bonds' attorneys are now telling prosecutors to back off their client (New York Daily News), and are threatening to go public with what they call evidence of potential wrongdoing by the government.
MEANWHILE . . . June is busting out all over for the Yankees, whose hot streak has coincided with the Sox' cold one. (New York Daily News) It's not just the Yanks are hot; it's that they look invincible. ''Forget beating the Yankees,'' writes the New York Post's Mike Puma. ''First make them break a sweat.'' YOU'RE NEVER AS GOOD AS YOU LOOK WHEN YOU'RE WINNING: Writing in the New York Sun, Steven Goldman says the Yankees still have weaknesses that need to be addressed. SCOUT'S EYE VIEW: The Associated Press found a Diamondbacks' scouting report on the Yankees on the floor of the Arizona dugout. (Newsday) THE LAST WEAPON LEFT: Also busting out all over are "1978" cries from euphoric Yankee fans, something best explained by a poster named bmacfarlane on a Sons of Sam Horn thread: ''[They] don't have 1918 (anymore), the 26 rings thing is a burden to them because they haven't won going on seven years, so they need to hang their hats on something.'' TRAIN WRECK: To make it even better for the Yankees, they now get to play the Mets at a time when the Amazins' are struggling worse than the Red Sox. (New York Daily News) DON'T BELIEVE IT?: Jon Heyman of si.com says ''almost no team in baseball [is] playing worse than the ultra-talented Mets.'' EXCEPT FOR . . . The Orioles, though, are a contender for that title. (Baltimore Sun) ON SECOND GLANCE . . . Omar Minaya's offseason doesn't look all that good. (New York Post) WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT: The blog Lion In Oil has video of the Hong-Chih Kuo bat flip that so angered the Mets the other night. WHISPERS: Mike Maroth is being shopped by the Tigers (Detroit Free Press) . . . The Rangers are active in the trade market, but the Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant says nothing is close. OFF THE SHELF . . . MAYBE: Freddy Garcia's injury may not be as bad as the Phillies originally feared. (Philadelphia Inquirer) -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone June 14, 2007
Pitching goes the way of hitting for the SoxBOSTON -- Suddenly, it has all gone wrong for the Red Sox. For the past 10 days or so, they couldnt hit. But now, over the last two nights, they havent been able to pitch, either. Like Curt Schilling the night before, Josh Beckett let the game get away from him in the early innings. Beckett, who hadnt lost a start before last night, was bashed for a season-high 10 hits and six runs as the Sox suffered their third loss in the last four tries, 7-1 to the Colorado Rockies. Bostons loss, coupled with the Yankees ninth-straight win earlier in the day, narrowed the Sox lead in the A.L. East to 7 ½ games. Beckett was bidding to become the first Red Sox pitcher to begin a season 10-0 since Ike Delock in 1958. Instead, he found himself trailing before his teammates got a turn at bat. Two innings later, Beckett loaded the bases with a single to Kaz Matsui, a double to Matt Holliday and a walk to Todd Helton, then promptly unloaded them with a grand slam into the Monster Seats from Garrett Atkins. ``(Expletive) pitch, sighed Beckett. ``No other word for it." The lead grew to 5-0 when Matt Holliday smacked a solo homer in the fourth. It was the third homer in the last two nights by Rockies hitters. ``We made some mistakes at the wrong time," agreed catcher Jason Varitek. ``The big one was the Atkins home run. We stay away from that and were in that ball game." Instead, the early deficit proved too much for the suddenly slumping offense to overcome. Entering last night, Beckett had received the strongest run support 7.3 runs per nine innings -- of the Red Sox five regular starters this season. But the teams offensive drought continued unabated. Another lineup combination this one featuring J.D. Drew as the teams fourth leadoff hitter in the last four games couldnt generate much punch. In the three-game series with Colorado, the Sox scored a total of five runs. Over the last 9 games, the Sox have scored more than two runs in a game exactly twice. Since leaving for the West Coast on June 3, the Sox have averaged slightly better than three runs per game. Subtract their 10-run outburst against Arizona a week ago in the series opener at Chase Field, and that number dips to 2.5 runs per contest. ``Were not scoring in bunches, but we will, asserted Terry Francona. ``You always get tested over 162 games. Well keep at it; its about the only thing we can do. Well keep going and get ourselves through it. ``Its not good, man," said David Ortiz. ``We havent been hitting for (anything), so hopefully, we'll get better." The Sox were a woeful 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position last night and stranded 14 baserunners. The night might have turned around for the Sox with some better luck in the second. ``Were looking at a 2-1 lead and being in the middle of a big rally (if the ball gets past the infield)," lamented Francona. ``Then they turn around in the top of the next inning and hit the grand slam. Thats a big swing right there, obviously a pivotal point in the game. Beckett blamed poor command within the strike zone for his ineffectiveness and first loss of the season. ``It was a fun run, he said of his 9-0 start. The Sox had some early-inning opportunities against Colorado lefty Jeff Francis, but couldnt collect a hit when it counted. Boston stranded two in the first, left the bases loaded in the second and stranded two more in the fourth. ``I wouldnt necessarily call it a slump when were hitting balls at people at different times," said Varitek.. ``If that ball goes through for J.D., we have ourselves a different ball game. Things always have to match up. You have to pitch well when you swing the bats." And for the time being, the Sox are doing neither. SEAN McADAM
Posted by Thom Cahir Game Story: Pauley sharp in PawSox 4-2 winPAWTUCKET -- PawSox starting pitcher David Pauley showed more of his burgeoning mound maturity last night, allowing just three hits and one run over six innings as Pawtucket claimed its fourth straight win, by taking the series opener against Richmond, 4-2. Pauley, who turns 24 on Sunday, had his best off-speed stuff of the season, particularly on his breaking ball, which had been failing him for much of the year. He also showed calm under pressure -- something he said is new this year -- getting out of a jam in the sixth by taking a step back. "I’ve just been keeping the game at my pace," Pauley said when asked of his recent success. He is now 4-0 with a 3.08 ERA over his last six starts, allowing just 12 earned runs over 35 1/3 innings. "When I have a situation with runners on, I take a step back (off the mound) and slow things down." After giving up just one hit over the first five innings, Pauley allowed singles to centerfielder Gregor Blanco and second baseman Martin Prado to start the sixth. Though Blanco would score on consecutive groundouts, by Brayan Pena and Graham Koonce, the 6-foot-2 righthander finished off his night by striking out leftfielder Doug Clark. "His breaking ball had depth and spin; it’s the best he’s had for us this year," manager Ron Johnson said. "Definitely," Pauley agreed. "It’s something that’s not been there for me at all this season. It was nice for me to use it for strikes, and to use it for strikouts, too." Pauley went from Portland to Boston last year, making his major league debut on May 31 against Toronto when David Wells left the rotation with a knee injury. He went 0-2 with a 7.88 ERA in three starts with the Red Sox before spending the rest of the season with Pawtucket. Though he’s gotten a taste of the bigs, Pauley is still learning his craft, and the mental aspect has been a big part of his development this season. Although he had thrown only 95 pitches through six, Johnson had to pull Pauley to get work for relievers Craig Breslow, Craig Hansen and Travis Hughes, none of whom had worked in a few days. But Pauley understood, and said he has "complete respect" for the way things go at this level. The trio did their job; Breslow pitched a perfect seventh, though Hansen allowed a run in the eighth on a walk, hit batter and fielder’s choice. Hughes was perfect in the ninth. Centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury had two RBI, giving him seven since joining the PawSox more than five weeks ago. His groundout in the third scored Bobby Scales, providing the first run of the night. In the next inning, he capped a three-run fourth with a double that painted the third-base line, scoring Jeff Bailey. Pawtucket loaded the bases with none out to start the home half of the fourth. Catcher Kevin Cash and right fielder Brandon Moss drew walks to lead off, and a hard single to right by Bailey put a man on every bag. Designated hitter Michael Tucker scored Cash and Moss with a single up the middle, giving the Sox a 3-0 lead. SHALISE MANZA-YOUNG
Posted by Chris Venditto What they're saying postgameDavid Ortiz on lack of offense of late: Ortiz on hitting balls at people: On the importance of Ramirez to hit home runs: When will the slump end? Ortiz on the Giants: Varitek on Beckett: Varitek on Beckett’s command: Varitek on the San Francisco Giants:
Posted by Joe McDonald FINAL: Colorado 7, Boston 1BOSTON -- Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett suffered his first loss of the season as the Rockies scored six runs on 10 hits off Boston's ace en route to a 7-1 victory in the series finale at Fenway Park. The Red Sox managed only one run on 10 hits as they drop their second game in a row to Colorado. We'll have more clubhouse reaction soon. . .
Posted by Joe McDonald FINAL: PawSox 4, Braves 2The Pawtucket Red Sox won their fourth straight game tonight, taking the series opener with the Richmond Braves at McCoy Stadium, 4-2. Michael Tucker's two-run single to center in the fourth put Pawtucket up 3-0, and starter David Pauley scattered three hits over six innings for his fourth win of the season. Craig Breslow, Craig Hansen and Travis Hughes combined to finish the game.
Posted by Shalise Manza Young The Sox lineup
J.D. Drew rf
Posted by Sean McAdam Leadoff hitter du jourBOSTON -- For the fourth game in a row, the Red Sox are using a different leadoff hitter than the day before. Sunday, it was Julio Lugo; Tuesday, it was Dustin Pedroia, with Lugo dropped to ninth. Last night, it was Coco Crisp. And today, the choice is J.D. Drew. ''It's not going to be an everyday thing,'' said Drew. ''(Manager Terry Francona) just wanted to throw it there and see how it works.'' Francona said Drew has a good history (3-for-7) against Colorado starter Jeff Francis and despite his slumping average (.236), hasn't lost his ability to get on base regularly. ''I don't know if it's feasible (witn interleague play continuing) to have one lineup for the next two weeks,'' said Francona. --- Francona labeled Roberts' steal of second base in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the 2004 LCS ''`the single most exciting play I've ever been around.'' Roberts is the one of the last ex-Sox players from the championship squad to return as an opponent. ''I would be shocked if, when Dave comes up, the place doesn't explode,'' said Francona. -- SEAN McADAM
Posted by Sean McAdam Sox Streakers for June 14From the team's official game notes: Who's Hot Who's Not Rockies vs. Josh Beckett Red Sox vs. Jeff Francis More Stuff
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Will someone please start hittingToday on Projo SoxTalk, Sean McAdam talks about the Red Sox' hitting slump, and possible ways to fix it (there aren't too many). Click here to listen to the audio file. He also sizes up the trade market. Here are a few excerpts from Sean's comments: On the recent lack of hitting: "This has been really about two weeks that they've been in this offensive funk, and they've wasted a lot of good [pitching] performances, although last night was not one of them." On the A.L. East race: "Everyone understood [the Red Sox] weren't going to play near-.700 ball the entire way. [An 8 1/2-game lead] is still pretty significant, and if the Red Sox merely continue to play at a clip where they're winning two out of three and taking series, then they don't have to worry about the Yankees eating too much into that lead." On trade possibilities: "I think the fact that a player the caliber of Mark Teixeira is being made available by Texas could open some things up. Oftentimes one trade leads to another. If a team misses out on its first choice on the trade market, they may go seeking another, and all of a sudden you might have a little momentum built and activity picks up. But Teixeira is clearly the biggest name available, and a couple of his teammates -- including Eric Gagne the closer and center fielder Kenny Lofton and maybe even Sammy Sosa could all probably be had as part of a housecleaning on part of the Texas Rangers, who are a huge disappointment and are looking to kind of blow it up and start over." Be sure to listen to the audio file to hear about where the market might take Teixeira and Sosa.
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Thursday, June 14
RARITIES: Allan Wood points out that a clunker from a Red Sox starting pitcher is something we haven't seen very much of this year. (joyofsox.blogspot.com) GLASS IS HALF FULL: Manny Ramirez is stuck on eight home runs, but Kevin Youkilis thinks that's a good thing ''because that means the second half is going to be unbelievable. You know what you’re going to get every year. He’s going to hit .300. He’s going to hit 30 jacks. It’s better that he’s not doing it now. That just means it’s coming down the road.” (Boston Herald) IT SURE IS: The New York Sun's Tim Marchman says that rather than playing over their heads -- which is what many in Yankee Universe think they've done over the first part of the season -- the Red Sox are actually underachieving and ''are probably more likely to play better than they have over the rest of the season than they are to suddenly collapse.'' HEY, NOW, YOU'RE AN ALL-STAR (I HOPE): David Ortiz is asking Major League Baseball to replace him with Youkilis on the All-Star ballot. (projo.com) ''[What] it comes down to is David being a really good guy and a great teammate. He’s trying to help Youk out,'' said Terry Francona. GIMME SOME STEEL, BABY: Three ex-Red Sox -- Dick Stuart, Jose Offerman and Jose Canseco -- earn spots on Bugs & Cranks' list of all-time worst fielders. MORE HONORS: Curt Schilling and Manny Ramirez have spots on FoxSports' Randy Hill's Gall-Star Team, with old pal Kevin Millar earning honorable mention. If it's any consolation to Red Sox fans, the Yankees outpace the Sox -- Jason Giambi, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Roger Clemens also make Hill's list of ''baseball players whose exaggerated importance demonstrates an excess of nerve and ego.'' And I suppose both the Yankees and Sox can claim David Wells if they so choose; he's there, too. MY BUDDY: Barry Bonds may not have many friends when he arrives in Boston with the Giants this week, but PawSox minor-league field coordinator Rob Leary, a childhood pal and high school teammate of the Giants' slugger, is one of them. (projo.com) I WANNA BE FREE: Jorge Posada says he's headed for free agency and when he arrives, the Yankees will get no special treatment. "I'll treat every team the same. That's what free agency is. It's my first time as a free agent.'' (Bergen Record) Derek Jeter, however, insists: ''He ain't going nowhere. He'll be back.'' CONNECT THE DOTS: FoxSports' Kevin Hench is the latest to put 'Roger Clemens' and 'steroids' in the same sentence. IS THE END NEAR? Jason Giambi has had 'steroids' put in many sentences involving his name, and USA Today reports he may be suspended if he doesn't cooperate with former senator George Mitchell's investigation on steroid use. EIGHT IS ENOUGH: But the Yankees hope that's not the case after recording their eighth straight victory last night, 7-2 over the Diamondbacks. (New York Post) Credit last night goes to Mike Mussina. (New York Daily News) I WANT TO BE A PART OF IT: Alex Rodriguez is pricing a $16 million penthouse on New York's East Side. (New York Daily News) And why not? FoxSports' Tracy Ringolsby says there are 27 million reasons why A-Rod won't opt out of his contract and will stay with the Yankees. BATTING PRACTICE FASTBALL: Much as you can expect Mike Lupica to tee off on anything negative regarding the Yankees, the White Sox' recent interaction with Patti LaBelle gives Jay Mariotti the opportunity to hack at his favorite target, Ozzie Guillen. But this time he fires away at Jerry Reinsdorf and Ken Williams, too . . . and he may have a point. (Chicago Sun-Times) THEY'RE NUMBER ONE: More and more people think the Angels are the best team in baseball. (mlb.com) PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING: And they looked it last night in beating Cincinnati. (Los Angeles Daily News) BOY, YOU HAVE ONE BAD DAY . . . That's what the Pirates' Jack Wilson thinks cost him his starting job, at least temporarily. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) TAKE TWO: Cubs catcher Michael Barrett had another altercation with one of his pitchers. (Chicago Sun-Times) AND THREE: Warwick's Dan Wheeler shoved teammate Chris Sampson in the dugout when Sampson came over to console him after Wheeler had surrendered four runs in Houston's 7-3 loss to Oakland last night, but Wheeler quickly apologized. ''There's nothing going on between Chris and I. I love Chris. That was just frustration on my part. That's all it was. That's really all. I'm a professional, and I should be better than that. I take full responsibility'' (Houston Chronicle) GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS: Rich Harden felt good and Huston Street didn't as they attempted their comebacks with the A's. (San Jose Mercury News) JUST GOOD NEWS (THEY HOPE): The Blue Jays don't think A.J. Burnett's shoulder problem is very serious. (mlb.com) IF THIS IS YOUR BIGGEST PROBLEM, YOU'RE IN GREAT SHAPE: The Tigers can't figure out what to do with the seagulls at Comerica Park. (Detroit Free Press) OLD FRIENDS: Pedro Martinez has his pitch count up to 50 as he rehabs from rotator-cuff surgery (New York Daily News) . . . Anibal Sanchez is still hurting (Miami Herald). -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone June 13, 2007
Game Story: Rockies pound Red Sox, 12-2BOSTON - Less than a week ago, Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling flirted with history. Last night he fluttered. Boston’s ace was one out away from tossing a no-hitter against the Oakland A’s last Thursday, but had to settle for a complete-game one-hitter. Unfortunately, he couldn’t carry that momentum into his 14th start of the season last night as Colorado beat up on the Red Sox at Fenway Park, 12-2. After the loss Schilling was already waiting in the interview room for the media to arrive to discuss his sub-par outing. As he spoke about it, it was clear he was visualizing the game in his head. “I don’t know if there was one big problem,” he said. “I had a manageable and winnable game there in the fifth and the three-run homer (by Rockies’ Brad Hawpe) put it out of reach.” Ask any player and they’ll tell you they play one game at a time. They don’t let a previous game or an upcoming game factor into the here and now. Schilling said the almost no-hitter in Oakland was not on his mind. “It was a downer because we lost,” he said. “Every fifth day it’s a new game. I certainly wanted to build on it, but I felt I was throwing the ball well early.” Nothing seemed to be clicking for Schilling last night, which is unusual because heading in the veteran right-hander had lost just once in his previous 12 starts. After two innings last night he was already up to 51 pitches and allowed three runs. He settled down in the third and fourth, retiring the sides in order in both innings. In the fifth, however, Hawpe almost hit the Prudential Building with a two-out three-run homer, an absolute blast off a change-up, to right field to give Colorado a 6-2 advantage. He closed out his outing with a strikeout as the Rockies scored all six runs (five earned) with two outs. “We played a sloppy first two innings all around,” said Schilling. “But, we settled in and it was a very winnable game until the fifth. . . I didn’t make that last pitch when I needed to.” The bullpen wasn’t all that great, too, as it allowed six more runs over the last four innings as Colorado rolled over Boston. The Sox didn’t help matters much and stranded runners in scoring positions in the middle innings to give Schilling any kind of cushion. “He’s going to give it up at some point,” said Youkilis. “It was just one of those days. He didn’t have his A-game. He’ll have to bounce back. He didn’t have his A-game before his (almost) no-hitter, so hopefully he can bounce back like that again.” The rubber match of this three-game set will be Thursday night with Josh Beckett (9-0) facing the Rockies’ Jeff Francis (5-5). “It was just one of those nights,” said Schilling. “It started off weird. We got it under control and then we just let it get away.” That was obvious with all the late-inning empty seats at Fenway Park. With the Red Sox losing and the Yankees winning, Boston’s lead in the A.L. East is the lowest (8 ½ games) since May 16 when it lead by the same amount of games. --JOE McDONALD
Posted by Corey Bourassa They're not saying much after this oneCurt Schilling on his outing: Schilling on not carrying the momentum from his near no-hitter last Thursday: Jason Varitek on Schilling: Kevin Youkilis on Schilling: More Schilling on Schilling:
Posted by Joe McDonald FINAL: Colorado 12, Boston 2BOSTON -- Less than a week ago Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling flirted with history. Last night he fluttered. Boston’s ace was one out away from tossing a no-hitter against the Oakland A’s last Thursday, but had to settle for a complete-game one-hitter. Unfortunately, he couldn’t carry that momentum into his 14th start of the season last night as Colorado beat up on the Red Sox at Fenway Park, 12-2. Mike Lowell and Manny Ramirez provided the runs for the Red Sox with a solo homer and a RBI-single respectively. The rubber match of this three-game set will be Thursday night with Josh Beckett (9-0) facing the Rockies' Jeff Francis (5-5).
Posted by Joe McDonald More on Youkilis as an All-StarRed Sox manager Terry Francona just concluded his daily scrum with the media, and the topic of the day was the club's decision to ask Major League Baseball to put Kevin Youkilis on the All-Star ballot in place of David Ortiz. The Red Sox, however, still need to file the proper paper work with the league before a decision is made. Francona was told of the situation by general manager Theo Epstein on Monday, the team's off-day, and the manager is in full agreement. "The way I understand it is that it's on the players' vote," said Francona. "I don't understand all the idiosyncrasies of it, but what it comes down to is David being a really good guy and a great teammate. He's trying to help Youk out. "I think the ballclub feels that David, because of his popularity is going to be the first baseman, and maybe this is a chance to have the players vote because (Youk) wouldn't be on there. . . I think it's David being real classy. That's it in a nutshell because I don't think I understand all the other things." With the season Youkilis is having, it's understandable why the Red Sox, and their fans, feel he should participate in the All-Star game next month in San Francisco.
Posted by Joe McDonald Tonight's lineupsCOLORADO BOSTON
Posted by Joe McDonald Red Sox ask MLB to sub Youkilis for Ortiz on All-Star ballotESPN's Buster Olney reports that the Red Sox have asked Major League Baseball to remove David Ortiz from the All-Star ballot distributed to players, and to replace him with Kevin Youkilis. Because he is overwhelmingly ahead of all other first basemen in the fan balloting, Ortiz appears to be a shoo-in to start in the game, which will be played in San Francisco. Ortiz is on the ballot as a first baseman because there is no voting for designated hitter, which is Ortiz's usual slot. Making him the Red Sox first baseman for the purposes of All-Star balloting left Youkilis out in the cold, but Youkilis has had a great beginning to the season. He's batting .335 so far. Youkilis could still make the team as a selection of manager Jim Leyland, or as the final player to the roster by fans. Ortiz was reportedly supportive of the club's symbolic gesture.
Posted by Mike McDermott Mike Lowell wants to start a Manny blogAccording to The Boston Globe, Mike Lowell thinks he has discovered a business plan. Here's the scoop, from Gordon Edes: Lowell revealed he has plans to start a blog. "Not for me," he said. "My philosophy is, if Manny is willing to sell a grill for $20,000, I'll tell him just to talk to me, and I'll type a blog for him --Mannysblog.com. And I'll pay him $21,000, he'll think he sold a grill, and I'll negotiate a dollar a hit. I'll be a gazillionaire, and Manny will be happy because he can buy a new barbecue . . . Everyone wants to know what Manny's saying, so all he has to do is give me two legitimate answers and after that I'll make up anything I want, and nobody will know the difference." Rotoworld says Manny "played the ball like a bag of toys" on Yorvit Torrealba's double last night. Pretty good description. It's play like that that got Manny named yesterday to the All Lead Glove Team by the Web site Bugs and Cranks. Manny's also made another top 10 list: The athletes who are the most fun on and off the field/court/whatever. Number one, by the way, is Tom Brady. Ramirez is one RBI away from tying Fred McGriff for 37th on baseball's all-time list.
Posted by Mike McDermott What do Red Sox and beach volleyball have in common?BOSTON (AP) - Fenway Sports Group, Boston Red Sox principal owner John Henry's sports marketing firm, is bringing the region's first sanctioned professional beach volleyball tournament to the Boston area this summer. The event scheduled for August 16 to 19 in Quincy is a test by Fenway Sports to see whether the area's interest for beach volleyball is large enough to warrant expanding its relationship with AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour Inc. "This is an event that, in and of itself, is not a huge financial play," said Mike Dee, Fenway Sports president. "If this goes well, we would also look to potentially expand our relationship with the AVP into other markets." Dee said the tour is expanding and the popularity of the sport is growing. The event is expected to draw up to 18,000 fans to watch more than 100 pro volleyball players compete for $280,000 in prize money. Fenway Sports has evolved from being a marketing tool for the Red Sox to a national sports power that produces a PGA Tour event and is part owner of a NASCAR team. But the alignment with AVP is the first time the group has partnered with a sport that is not firmly established. AVP has not been profitable since 2001. AVP chief executive Leonard Armato thinks pro volleyball can be successful in New England.
Posted by Mike McDermott Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Wakefield's baffling streakinessSean McAdam and Art Martone break down last night's Red Sox win on projo SoxTalk. Click here to listen to the full audio file. The topics of discussion include Tim Wakefield's return to effectiveness, the lineup shuffle, and Jonathan Papelbon's fine ninth inning. Here are a few excerpts from Sean's comments: On Wakefield last night: "He worked quickly, kept the knuckleball down, did everything you would want him to do, and he had good command of the knuckler. And that was vintage Wakefield. If Colorado hadn't come up with that run, we may have been looking at the first sub-two-hour game at Fenway in some time. But as it turned out it worked out OK for the Red Sox." On Wakefield's streakiness: "I've been watching him pitch with the Red Sox since he came here in 1995, and he doesn't have a lot of explanation for when things go right or wrong." On keeping Papelbon sharp: "I think it's settling in, so that he doesn't go five or six days in a row without pitching, which is what had happened prior to getting into trouble with the Yankees and giving up that home run to Alex Rodriguez on the last homestand. They've been trying to get him a little bit more regular work and that's not easy to do, because they have to sort of navigate that fine line between keeping him sharp and making sure they don't overuse him and are conscious of his shoulder strength and all the things that went wrong last year. But whatever they did, I think [last night] he looked fresh, he was aggressive, he was throwing strike one to every hitter, he wasn't falling behind, his command was sharper. That was as good as we've seen Papelbon since the first week of the season."
Posted by Mike McDermott Baseball Today: Wednesday, June 13
CAN'T LOSE IF THEY DON'T SCORE (MUCH): As Terry Francona pointed out, the lineup switches -- Dustin Pedroia to leadoff, Julio Lugo to No. 9 -- didn't exactly jump-start the Red Sox offense; after all, the Sox managed only two runs last night. But it proved to be enough for Tim Wakefield (above, Journal photo by Bob Breidenbach). Morphing back into Dr. Jekyll after spending some time as the knuckleballing Mr. Hyde, he baffled the Colorado Rockies, most of whom were getting their first look at him, and pitched Boston to a 2-1 win. (Both stories projo.com) The Rockies were certainly impressed. (Denver Post) It was closed out in grand style by Jonathan Papelbon, who, pitching as well as he has since the beginning of the season, turned up the velocity about 30 mph from Wakefield's offerings and blew the Rockies away in the ninth, striking out Kaz Matsui and Todd Helton as he retired the side in order. (Boston Globe)
COMING AROUND: J.D. Drew drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly and his eighth-inning at-bat was a continuation of his recent offensive upswing. (Boston Herald) IT'S HOME: Pawtucket's Chris Iannetta grew up watching the Red Sox play at Fenway Park. Last night, for the first time, he played a game there himself . . . or at least was in uniform with the Rockies. (projo.com)
HELPFUL HINT: Daisuke Matsuzaka says Osamu Higashio, his former manager on the Seibu Lions, found a flaw in Matsuzaka's approach that the right-hander is trying to fix. (Boston Herald) I'M ALIVE AND DOING FINE: Matsuzaka's old Seibu teammate, Kaz Matsui, has found himself with the Rockies. (Denver Post) Matsui, Matsuzaka and Higashio had dinner in Boston on Monday night. ST. PAPI: The Rockies' LaTroy Hawkins played with David Ortiz in Minnesota and is amazed at how the Boston fans adore Big Papi. ''When you play for the Red Sox, you are a rock star. But it’s more than that with David,” Hawkins said. “He’s a god here.” (Denver Post) MASTERPIECE: The Tigers' Justin Verlander threw the second no-hitter of the year last night (Detroit News). FoxSports' Ken Rosenthal says it's further demonstration that the Tigers should have no pitching worries for years to come. TURNING THE ARGUMENT AROUND: Sources report Bud Selig feels he can suspend Jason Giambi for steroid use prior to baseball's institutionalization of a drug policy because using steroids at the time was illegal. (New York Daily News) EVEN STEVEN: The Yankees are finally back to .500, but Jay Greenberg warns that it will take better pitching than the Yanks have received so far for the surge to continue. (Both stories New York Post) PEACE: The Daily News' Filip Bondy says the Yankees' recent upsurge means that they ''are suddenly a lot like that Sopranos final episode. We know now that nobody important is going to get whacked.''. So that means the White Sox, Pirates and Diamondbacks have been playing the Phil Leotardo role. PEACE II: Joe Torre had a sit-down with Mike Mussina to clear the air over Mussina's irritation over being lifted early last week. (New York Daily News) NEW ISN'T BETTER: The blog River Ave. Blues is no fan of the new Yankee Stadium. GUESS WE CAN RULE OUT ICHIRO-TO-THE-INDIANS: Ichiro Suzuki, reacting to the Mariners' having to fly back into Cleveland for a makeup game Monday, seemed to eliminate the Indians from his list of potential free-agent suitors when he told the Seattle Times ''If I ever saw myself saying I'm excited going to Cleveland, I'd punch myself in the face, because I'm lying.'' WATCH YOUR MOUTHS: Singer Patti LaBelle apparently was offended by a group of White Sox players sitting near her at a restaurant. (Chicago Sun-Times) THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMING: A.J. Burnett suffered a shoulder strain in the Blue Jays' loss to the Giants last night. (Toronto Star) WHISPERS: A National League team executive says he expects the Nationals' Chad Cordero and Jon Rauch, the Rangers' Eric Gagne and Akinori Otsuka and the Pirates' Salomon Torres (currently on the DL) to be among the relievers available for trade in the next six weeks . . . The Orioles will probably make Steve Trachsel available (Baltimore Sun) . . . The Philadelphia Daily News' Sam Donnellon proposes a Mark Buehrle-for-Aaron Rowand trade (Philadelphia Daily News). HE'S BACK: Harold Reynolds has been hired by mlb.com. OLD FRIENDS: Johnny Damon says he's feeling much better (New York Daily News). -- ART MARTONE
Posted by Art Martone June 12, 2007
What they're sayingRed Sox manager Terry Francona on Tim Wakefield: “I knew he had good stuff. It is a little easier to say that after the eighth inning, but he came out and was good. He was good right up to the end.” Francona on facing pitchers for the first time: Wakefield on the momentum he carried over from his last start: Colorado manager Clint Hurdle on Tim Wakefield:
Posted by Joe McDonald FINAL: PawSox 8-2Behind seven solid innings from starter Devern Hansack and powered in part by a Jeff Bailey home run, the Pawtucket Red Sox won the finale of their four-game series with Ottawa, 8-2. Hansack allowed eight hits, struck out six and walked none for his second win of the season.</ |
