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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)

WHATEVER: The Fenway Park game operations crew has found the perfect musical mix to herald Papelbon's entrance into a game: The Troggs' Wild Thing as soon as the bullpen door opens -- the opening guitar twang incites the crowd -- and then I'm Shipping Up To Boston by the Dropkick Murphys, made famous in last year's movie The Departed, which really gets them going. Papelbon (shown at left reacting to the game-ending strikeout of Todd Helton, Journal photo by Bob Breidenbach), though, doesn't really care one way or the other what they play. ''Sometimes I don’t even realize what the hell’s going on besides me and the catcher,'' he told John Tomase of the Boston Herald.

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)

IT WAS ALMOST HOME: Todd Helton says he's happy in Colorado, but admits the idea of joining the Red Sox -- which almost happened last winter -- was appealing. (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  at 7:16 AM | Permalink