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INSIDE THE GAME: Sox 2, Blue Jays 1

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON – David Ortiz at second. The game tied in the bottom of the ninth.

For the second night in a row.

On Tuesday night, manager Terry Francona decided not to pinch-run rookie Jed Lowrie for his lumbering designated hitter. The strategy worked out, with Ortiz scoring the game’s only run on a two-out single to center by Kevin Youkilis. Toronto center fielder Vernon Wells bobbled the ball, so Ortiz scored without a throw.

Last night, Ortiz once again found himself at second base in a tie game in the bottom of the ninth.

This time Francona sent in Lowrie to pinch run for him with one out.

The strategy didn’t work out. Brandon Moss grounded a one-out single to center but Lowrie was gunned down at the plate on a strong throw by Wells.

Captain Jason Varitek, though, came through the Sox. He drilled a single to center and Manny Ramirez beat another strong Wells throw home, giving Boston its second straifght walkoff victory over the Blue Jays, this one by a 2-1 score.

So why did Francona pinch run last night for Ortiz, who opened the ninth by ripping a single through the right side of the Toronto shift?

“We needed to do that. We have a lot of trust in him in his baserunning. I don’t have any doubt David can get a good secondary lead and score, (but) we ran for him because you could see him limping out there,” said Francona.

Francona said Ortiz looked into the dugout after reaching base on his single, a signal between the two that means he needs a pinch runner. Francona, though, didn’t want to risk losing him in the lineup in the event Ramirez hit a grounder.

But Ramirez worked a walk, pushing Ortiz to second with none out, so Lowrie was sent in. The runners stayed put as Mike Lowell struck out. Lowrie, however, was not successful in his mission. Catcher Rod Barajas pushed him off the plate with his left leg as Lowrie slid to the outside of the plate and applied the tag.

“He might have gotten a bigger secondary lead,” said Francona of the reason Lowrie didn’t score. “He’s not the fastest guy on the team but he was the one with the freshest legs.”
Francona was unable to use speedy Jacoby Ellsbury off the bench to pinch run because Ellsbury is suffering from a sore groin.

********************

This is supposed to be the year that Manny Delcarmen blossoms into a top-flight setup man, a dominant seventh- or eighth-inning guy who can form an airtight bridge between the starters and the dynamic closing duo of Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon.

There have been signs that, at the age of 26, Delcarmen has arrived.

Unfortnately, there have been too many, such as last night, when he has been a very shaky “bridge.”

The right-hander, called in to start the eighth inning with the Sox ahead, 1-0, threw only two pitches, a 94 m.p.h. fastball for a called strike and a 93 m.p.h. fastball that Adam Lind ripped into center field for a single.

Francona wasted no time. He lifted Delcarmen and brought in Okajima.

“We were going to leave Manny in until someone got on base,” said Francona. “Unfortunately it was the first batter.”

A frustrated Delcarmen slammed his glove on the bench when he reached the dugout and flung an empty plastic bucket back onto the field, most likely not so much irritated with Francona but with himself.

When Okajima allowed Lind to score, it marked the fourth straight outing in which Delcarmen was charged with at least a run. Delcarmen has pitched in 14 games, and in 7 of them, he has given up at least a run.

He has allowed 7 of 12 inherited runners to score. In his 14 appearances, the leadoff batter has reached base against him 6 times.

Delcarmen’s earned-run average now is 6.17 (8 earned runs, 11 2/3 innings). Over his last four outings he has coughed up 5 earned runs on 5 hits in a total of only 2 innings. Delcarmen has worked in three games against Toronto and has been raked for 5 hits and 3 earned runs in a total of 2 innings, including a grand slam to Frank Thomas on April 6 that tacked on three earned runs to Josh Beckett’s line that day.

****************

Toronto manager John Gibbons sent in Marco Scutaro to pinch run at second base for catcher Gregg Zaun in the eighth inning, presumably not only because he had more speed but also because he knows how to run the bases.

Scutaro, though, made a mental mistake on the bases that likely cost Toronto a chance to go ahead.

When Scutaro entered, the Jays had runners at second and third with none out. Toronto was trailing, 1-0.

Alex Rios laced a shot to right-center, a sacrifice fly at the very least that would push home the tying run. Scutaro should have tagged up, too, even though it looked as if the ball had a chance to fall in front of right fielder Brandon Moss.

Moss made a sliding catch, but because Scutaro had gone halfway, he couldn’t tag up. He was stuck at second base with one out in a 1-1 game instead of perched on third base with one of the game’s best bunters and bat-handlers – David Eckstein – coming up.

Scutaro wanted to be able to score on Rios’ ball. But he was trying to do too much. Even if it had fallen safely and he was only able to advance one base, the Jays would have had runners at first and third with none out and the numbers two, three and four hitters coming to the plate.
The Jays were unable to take Scutaro off the hook for his baserunning blunder. Both Eckstein and Scott Rolen whiffed, leaving it a 1-1 game.

"You've got to be on third base on that ball," said Toronto manager John Gibbons. "No outs. You've got to be. If it drops you cruise into third base, but you've got to be in position to tag."

Gibbons had even less luck with his next pinch runner, John McDonald. The ex-Providence College star, running for Matt Stairs after a leadoff single in a 1-1 game in the ninth, was picked off first by Jonathan Papelbon.

"He got away with a balk move there," said Gibbons of Papelbon.

************************

Ortiz has not had many red-hot days at the plate. He seems to have one good swing a game.
Last night, Ortiz had two. After being robbed of a possible slicing double to left and whiffing in his first two at-bats,

In he seventh, Ortiz got enough of a 2-and-0 changeup to get it into the wind and have it float over the low fence in the right-field corner for a homer that broke a 0-0 deadlock. In the ninth, he ripped a single off the glove of second baseman Aaron Hill, who was playing in shallow right in the hole on the right side of the infield.

“It was nice to hear the ball come off his bat with a crisp sound,” said Francona.

*************************

The Blue Jays might want to try their luck hitting the ball to Dustin Pedroia’s left because they sure can’t get anything past him to his right.

Last night, Pedroia took a few steps to his right and made a diving grab of Adam Lind’s liner with one out in the second inning. One night earlier, Pedroia made a sensational diving stop of a hard two-out bouncer in the ninth inning and turned it into a run-saving out in a 0-0 game.

The big difference in the plays? Pedroia’s left shoulder popped out after Tuesday night’s grab and had to be slipped back into place. That didn’t happen on last night’s catch.

Pedroia also made a solid play on a ball hit with crazy spin pretty much right at him in the sixth. Alex Rios hit the ball wide of first base. First baseman Kevin Youkilis started after it, but got caught in no-man’s land because it was Pedroia’s ball and he was too far from the bag to race back to it for Pedroia’s throw.

Matsuzaka, though, hustled over to cover the base, as pitchers are instructed to do on any grounder to the right side.

Pedroia made a confident, perfect throw to the bag, leading Matsuzaka as if it were a quarterback-wide receiver hookup, for the out.

skrasner@projo.com / 401-277-7340

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 11:06 PM | Permalink

News and notes from Red Sox clubhouse

Predictably, J.D. Drew, who left after the third inning with a strained quad, is out of the lineup again tonight.
There's no telling, for now, how long he might be sidelined.
``It's not worse,'' said manager Terry Francona, ``but it's not good enough to send him out there. He feels it. We'll see how it goes.''

Jacoby Ellsbury also remains out, limited by a right groin strain, but is feeling improvement.
``It feels better today,'' said Ellsbury. ``I came in early (Tuesday) for treatment and it feels a lot better.''
Ellsbury said the strain resulted from his attempted grab of Evan Longoria's homer Saturday night in St. Pete.
``That's when I felt it,'' he said. ``I've had it before. The last few days, there's been a lot of improvement. It's hard (to give a) time frame (for his return), but hopefully soon.''
Francona said in a best-case scenario, Ellsbury will return Thursday.
For now, the manager is limited in his moves, with just three healthy outfielders.
``It certainly takes away from your thinking,'' said Francona. ``You do what yuo do and hope the guys play good.''

Dustin Pedroia was in the lineup in the leadoff spot, with Kevin Youkilis hitting second and Mike Lowell returned to the fifth spot.
Francona said two lefties (Ellsbury and Drew) being out of the lineup led to the rehuffled order.

Bartolo Colon, who threw a 45-pitch side Monday, will throw another one Friday in anticipation of a rehab start Monday...Infielder Alex Cora (elbow) continues to make strides. He threw from a distance of 105 feet today and will soon graduate to fielding grounders, making double plays and eventually, relay throws from the outfield...Dustin Pedroia, who felt a subluxation of his left shoulder in making his game-saving stop in the top of the ninth inning, felt fine today and was in the lineup.

Posted by Sean McAdam  at 4:26 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

Lineups

TORONTO

Alex Rios RF
David Eckstein SS
Scott Rolen 3B
Matt Stairs DH
Vernon Wells CF
Lyle Overbay 1B
Aaron Hill 2B
Adam Lind LF
Gregg Zaun C

Dustin McGowan SP

BOSTON

Dustin Pedroia 2B
Kevin Youkilis 1B
David Ortiz DH
Manny Ramirez LF
Mike Lowell 3B
Brandon Moss RF
Jason Varitek C
Coco Crisp CF
Julio Lugo SS

Daisuke Matsuzaka SP

Posted by Sean McAdam  at 4:19 PM | Permalink

PawSox rough up Francisco Liriano, beat Rochester

The Pawtucket Red Sox touched up Francisco Liriano, the onetime Minnesota Twins phenom who was recently demoted to Rochester, for four runs in 4.1 innings en route to a 4-2 victory today at Rochester. Liriano walked five and surrendered a home run to Jeff Bailey.

Knuckleballer Charlie Zink pitched six strong innings to get the win.

Click here to see the box score.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 3:08 PM to PawSox | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Red Sox win a thriller

Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Last night's ninth-inning victory, Dustin Pedroia as a danger to his own health, up-and-down Jon Lester very much up last night, and Roy Halladay's frustrating world.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 1:32 PM to Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam | Permalink

More on Manny's commercials for ESPN

As Art mentioned in his Baseball Today posting, Manny Ramirez spent the Red Sox' Monday off-day in Connecticut to film two ESPN commercials, according to the blog of sportswriter Joe Haggerty.

Haggerty doesn't have any details on what the commercials will show. They are part of the network's humorous "This is SportsCenter" ad campaign (the Celtics' Big Three are featured on one ad that is currently in heavy rotation). Seth Ader, senior director of ESPN marketing, said Ramirez arrived to the shoot on time and worked well with SportsCenter anchors Jay Harris, Karl Ravech and Steve Levy.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 10:11 AM to Projo Mannybeingmanny | Permalink

Baseball Today: Wednesday, April 30

Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl

'WHAT A GAME': Those were the words out of Jerry Remy's mouth less than two seconds after David Ortiz had crossed the plate with the only run of the night, and how true they were. A 0-0 battle between the grizzled vet and the up-and-coming youngster; a game-saving defensive play with two outs in the top of the ninth; a game-winning rally started with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth. Baseball, as the old saying goes, like it oughta be.

Paul Kenyon provides the details, with heavy emphasis on Jon Lester (above, who scattered one hit over eight innings) and Dustin Pedroia's ninth-inning dive to snare the headed-up-the-middle shot by Vernon Wells, which turned what would have been a run-scoring single into an inning-ending out. ("Superman at second base," is how Wells described Pedroia in the Toronto Globe and Mail.) Gretchen Ertl has the story in pictures, and we've been remiss in not pointing to these brilliant nightly slideshows; from now on, you'll see more of them. Sean McAdam details the hard-luck night of Roy Halladay, a throwback to the days when pitchers finished when they started; this was his fourth straight complete game (though, unfortunately for him, he's lost three of them). And Steven Krasner goes Inside The Game on a number of topics, including why the Sox didn't run for Ortiz in the ninth, Pedroia hurting his shoulder on his ninth-inning play (hint: those two items are related), and J.D. Drew's 2007 imitation.

Quite a night. Like we said: Baseball like it oughta be.

HE'S BACK: Last night also marked the return of Mike Lowell, chronicled here by Kenyon and Krasner. The notebook includes the latest health news, including Drew having to leave the game because of a quad strain.

Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl

TIP OF THE HAT: Kevin Youkilis (shown hitting the ninth-inning single that scored Ortiz) had nothing but praise for Halladay after the game: "[He's] going to be a Hall of Fame pitcher."

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE . . . "You know we always get up to play the Red Sox," said Gregg Zaun on his blog prior to last night's game (www2.sportsnet.ca), but being up for the game didn't prevent the struggling Blue Jays from suffering their 15th loss in 26 tries. It's getting so bad that John Gibbons' grandmother, who lives on Boston's North Shore, asked him if he was going to be fired. (Toronto Star)

IT HAPPENS: Hey, it's like Jim Rice said on his Ask 14 blog: Sometimes you just get outplayed. Look at the Sox last weekend in Tampa.

BUMP IN THE ROAD: Craig Hansen hadn't allowed a run in Pawtucket all season, but he gave up three in last night's 9-3 loss at Rochester. (projo.com)

TOO EXPENSIVE: Padres general manager Kevin Towers has asked about Coco Crisp, but says the Red Sox' asking price -- Triple-A left fielder Chase Headley -- is too high. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

SMOKIN': Luis Tiant has introduced "El Tiante" cigars to the South Shore. (wickedlocal.com)

AD MAN: Joe Haggerty reports Manny Ramirez spent Monday's off-day filming a series of commercials at ESPN. (hackswithhaggs.com)

PHIL OF DISASTER: Somewhere Hank Steinbrenner is seething. Phil Hughes was shaky yet again and the Yankees fell to 2-9 in games started by Hughes and fellow rookie Ian Kennedy as the Yanks lost to the Tigers, 6-4. (New York Daily News) The Post's Joel Sherman is the first to call for Hughes to be sent back to the minor leagues, and the Daily News' John Harper thinks it will take a minor miracle to save Hughes' season.

IN THE GOOD-NEWS DEPARTMENT . . . Joba Chamberlain's father is out of the hospital. (New York Post)

IN THE BAD-NEWS DEPARTMENT . . . When they were struggling early last season, Baseball Musings' David Pinto continually expressed the opinion that the Yankees would break out of it and make a run at a postseason berth . . . and he was right. This year, though, he thinks the Yanks "just [don't] have it."

A-LIST: The dreaded strained quad has forced Alex Rodriguez to the disabled list. (New York Post)

LUCKY DRIVER: Johnny Damon gave Gary Sheffield a ride to Yankee Stadium yesterday. After Sheffield slammed a two-run homer last night, he's going to ask Damon for another ride today. (New York Post)

ON THE RISE: ProJo's Fantasy Blog thinks Damon is turning the corner and starting to play better.

LOOKING TO THE STARS: The Yankees and MLB announced plans for July's All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium. (mlb.com) If you'd like to be there, bring your wallet . . . and maybe somebody else's, too. (The Journal News)

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR: We expressed the sentiment yesterday that Roger Clemens -- had he an ounce of self-awareness, which is questionable -- should rue the day he decided not to admit to the use of performance-enhancing drugs, ask for forgiveness (which he would have gotten, same as everyone else), and disappear into the sunset. Today, the Globe's Nick Cafardo writes the same thing, especially since Clemens' bullheaded insistence on fighting an unwinnable fight is leading to his reputation -- and who knows, maybe his personal life -- being shattered into a million pieces. Today's Daily News revelation: He had extramarital relationships with plenty of women other than Mindy McCready. (And just to bring it even deeper into the gutter, the Boston Herald reports that Clemens also hit on the wife of former wrestler Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake.) As yahoo.com's Tim Brown said yesterday, none of this would have been looked into had Clemens' against-all-odds exhortations that he's telling the truth, and everyone else is lying, invited -- indeed, demanded -- further examination into his affairs. Mike Lupica tears Clemens and his lawyer, Rusty Hardin, to shreds: "Clemens and Hardin were going to bully everybody and roll over everybody, and how has that worked out for both of them?" (New York Daily News)

Not too well, Mike. Not too well.

JUST WAIT: Doug Mientkiewicz, who played with him in Minnesota, says Mets fans haven't seen the real Johan Santana yet. (Newsday)

DECISION COMING? Vin Scully, who's been broadcasting Dodger games since 1950, says he'll talk to his wife when his contract expires at the end of the season and see if she wants him to retire. (New York Times)

END OF THE LINE: Matt Morris, released by the Pirates on Sunday, told his hometown newspaper that he's decided to hang 'em up. (Times Herald-Record) Across the continent in San Francisco, Giant pitching hopefuls Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum remember their ex-teammate and mentor fondly. (mlb.com)

YEAR TO FORGET: Travis Hafner is hitting .243 since last May 1, including the postseason, and he and the Indians can't figure out why. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

THE GREAT DEBATE: USA Today examines the spate of long-term contracts signed by younger players that appear to work in favor of the club, and frames the issue in the words of two agents whose philosophies appear to be diametrically opposed:

Paul Cohen: "To me, it's a no-brainer. Unless you want to live in the middle of Beverly Hills or Fifth Avenue, you're set for life. If you just get 5% of your investment, you never have to work another day in your life."

Scott Boras: "These deals are strongly club-oriented. I can only speak for our clients, but almost every client has benefited substantially from not signing those deals."

What a shock that Boras came down on that side of the argument, eh?

LOCAL BOYS: Chris Iannetta, pressed into action at a strange position (third base) because of a spate of Rockie injuries -- one of which is mentioned below -- had a game "I'll remember . . . for the rest of my life" as he homered and doubled and led Colorado over the Giants, 3-2 (mlb.com) . . . The White Sox' Paul Konerko, whose mother is a Rhode Island native and whose grandparents still live here, became a 10-5 man yesterday and how has the right to veto any trade. (Chicago Tribune)

MEDICAL REPORT: The Rockies may lose Troy Tulowitzki for a while because of the dreaded quad strain (Denver Post) . . . The Rangers' Jason Jennings had to leave last night's start in the third inning because of pain in his surgically repaired elbow (mlb.com) . . . Bobby Cox is happy that John Smoltz just needs rest, and not shoulder surgery (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) . . . Remember those worries that Moises Alou had a broken ankle? Well, he doesn't, and the Mets may reactivate him Friday (New York Post) . . . The A's Rich Harden will make a rehab start Thursday. (San Francisco Chronicle)

HERE AND THERE: The Daily Herald's Barry Rozner wonders if Ken Griffey, allegedly unhappy with the going-nowhere Reds, wouldn't be a good fit for the Cubs . . . Jason Botts, designated for assignment by the Rangers, wants to make a new start somewhere else (Dallas Morning News) . . . Ryan Freel is frustrated that he's not playing more in Cincinnati (frontier.cincinnati.com) . . . Mike Cameron had three hits in his Brewer debut (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . Everyone says otherwise, but it sure looks like Shane Victorino has lost his starting job with the Phillies. (Philadelphia Daily News)

OLD FRIENDS: Joel Piniero allowed only one hit over seven innings as the Cardinals beat the Reds. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) As a last tribute to Bob Lobel: Why can't we get players like that?? (Boston Globe) . . . Todd Jones celebrates his 40th birthday by reminiscing about his long career on his blog. (sportingnews.com) He also got the save in the Tigers' win at Yankee Stadium last night (mlb.com) . . . Cliff Floyd, recovering from knee surgery, may be activated on the Rays' next homestand (St. Petersburg Times) . . . Bret Saberhagen's son Drew is playing well at the University of Tennessee. (tricitiessports.com)

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 6:46 AM | Permalink

INSIDE THE GAME: Sox 1, Blue Jays 0

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON – The situation was calling out for a pinch runner last night at Fenway Park.

No, make that it was screaming out for a pinch runner.

David Ortiz at second base with two outs in the ninth in a 0-0 game. The same David Ortiz who had missed the previous two games because of a bruised right knee. The same David Ortiz who underwent offseason surgery on his right knee. The same lumbering David Ortiz who doesn’t have any speed to begin with.

But Boston manager Terry Francona didn’t replace Ortiz, the Sox’ designated hitter.
The reason? Actually, there were a couple.

Francona had only one healthy position player left on the bench. That was Jed Lowrie. Jacoby Ellsbury was not available because he is suffering from a sore groin. Another position player was lost from the bench when outfielder Brandon Moss had to take over for J.D. Drew (tight quadriceps) in the fourth.

Lowrie, a rookie infielder, certainly is a faster runner than Ortiz. But in the top of the ninth, second baseman Dustin Pedroia had jammed his left shoulder making a dazzling diving play that robbed Vernon Wells of a two-out RBI single up the middle.

Francona said after the game he wasn’t sure if Pedroia would have been able to go out in the field for a 10th inning, if the game continued. He needed to either save Lowrie, or pinch-run him and lose the DH, forcing him to put the pitcher in the batting order.

Fortunately for Francona, Ortiz and the Sox, when Kevin Youkilis laced his single to center, Wells, the Jays’ center fielder, bobbled the ball when he charged in to field it, so Ortiz, rumbling around third and heading home, was spared a likely collision at the plate and Boston had its 1-0 victory.

****************************

In every game, the pitcher will work the opposition’s lineup, trying to feature his strengths and take advantage of the hitters’ weaknesses.

Sometimes, though, the pitcher also has to pitch according to the conditions.

Last night was one of those occasions for Jon Lester.

The weather was nasty for baseball. It was cold and there was a 15-m.p.h. wind. That constitutes pitcher weather.

The hitters do not like any heavy fastballs on the inside of the plate in such conditions, a situation Lester used to his advantage. Mixing in a very effective cutter -- a fastball with a late, sharp break -- Lester was able to get in on the hands of the Jays, especially early.

In the first inning, Lester’s biting cutter shattered David Eckstein’s bat (weak grounder to third) and severely jammed Scott Rolen (soft popup to first). In the second, Shannon Stewart hit a weak roller to first, having been sawed off by a cutter. Similar pitches produced weak grounders by Alex Rios in the third and Rolen in the fourth and Gregg Zaun, the last batter he faced in the game for the final out of the eighth.

That type of command, on such an awful night to hit, helped Lester author eight innings of one-hit shutout baseball last night.

*******************************

Pedroia said it was no big deal, that his shoulder popped out and was popped back in after his eye-popping defensive gem that preserved a 0-0 score with two outs in the top of the ninth.

But the condition of Pedroia’s shoulder has to be of some concern.

Two years ago in spring training, the shoulder popped out and cost him time that spring. It has happened every now and then since. Only a week ago, Pedroia made a headfirst slide into first base to elude a tag on a wide throw, and seemingly suffered the same fate.

Then there was last night, when it happened again.

He’s a tough kid. No one doubts that. Pedroia and the Sox, though, can only hope the issue doesn’t become more serious, bothering him every time he makes a dive for a ground ball the rest of the season.

*************************

When Francona sent Youkilis from first base on a 3-and-2 pitch to Mike Lowell in the second inning there were several circumstances prompting the strategy.

For one, the Red Sox suddenly have found it very difficult to score runs. Boston managed to tally only five runs in suffering a three-game sweep at the hands of the Rays last weekend. Add to that drought the fact that Toronto had its ace right-hander, Roy Halladay, on the mound, and it made sense to put Youkilis, hardly a speedy runner, in motion with one out.

Also factoring into the equation was the hitter – Lowell. It was the first game back for Lowell, who had been on the disabled list. He’s a slow runner who hits into his share of double plays – 19 last year.

As it turned out, Lowell took a curveball for strike three, leaning across the plate, inadvertently though not illegally getting a bit in the way of catcher Gregg Zaun, whose throw to second was high and wide. Youkilis was credited with his first stolen base of the year but wound up stranded.

***************************

Drew left last night’s game because of a strained left quadriceps.

And while that left the Red Sox short on outfielders – Ellsbury is suffering from a sore groin – the more distressing aspect of Drew’s play lately is that he is once again looking like the offensive underachiever he was for most of last season.

After a sizzling start, Drew has disappeared from the Sox’ offense. Drew was batting .362 on April 17. Since then, he has gone 4 for 31 (.129), dropping his average to .269. Drew has only one extra-base hit – a double – in his last 51 at-bats. That two-bagger, on April 17, is one of only two doubles for the season. He has three homers.

His swing is looking long and feeble. He has been rolling over on pitches, particularly pitches on the outer half of the plate, accounting for weak bouncers to the right side. He already has bounced into five double plays, only three off teammate David Ortiz’s league-leading total in that category.

Drew generated a lot of good will by starring in the postseason last fall. He has quietly fallen into a similar funk to the one he endured a year ago. Now he’s out because of a twinge in his quadriceps. It’s all starting to sound depressingly familiar.

**********************

The good news for the Jays was that they were given a leadoff walk in a 0-0 game in the sixth inning.

The bad news for the Jays was that it was catcher Gregg Zaun, one of the team’s slowest runners, who received that base on balls. And the next batter was Alex Rios, one of the team’s best hitters on a team that has been slumping badly at the plate.

So Toronto manager John Gibbons had a dilemma. Should he bunt? The Jays entered last night’s action tied with Cleveland for the most sacrifice bunts (10) in the league. Gibbons let Rios swing away. Rios inexplicably took a 3-and-2 fastball down the middle for a whiff.

Next up was David Eckstein, one of the best at handling the bat. The Sox smelled a hit-and-run. Lester four times threw over to first base, trying to shorten Zaun’s lead and trying to find out if Eckstein might do something in the box that would tip off the Jays’ intentions.

Ultimately, Zaun never moved off first. Eckstein hit a weak grounder to shortstop on a 2-and-1 pitch, a ball Julio Lugo turned into an inning-ending double play, ending what, on this night, constituted a rally – a leadoff walk.

skrasner@projo.com / 401-277-7340

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 10:32 PM | Permalink

A slight delay at Fenway

The grounds crew just drew applause as it began the process of removing the tarp. Still, tonight's Red Sox-Toronto game will begin slightly late, at 7:15 p.m.

The rain, which was supposed to have gone away several hours ago, lingered. The tarp has covered the field all afternoon, although players from both teams have gone out to do some light work as the rain has lightened.

Jon Lester, the Boston starter, is doing calisthenics now but has yet to begin throwing. Roy Halladay, the Toronto starter, has yet to head to the bullpen to warm up.

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 6:44 PM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink

Of Dice-K; Schilling; Cora; Colon

-- Daisuke Matsuzaka, who was unable to make his last scheduled start, last Wednesday against the Angels, because of the flu, is healthy enough to pitch again. Dice-K stayed in Boston and got in his work while the Sox were on the road against the Rays. He'll start tomorrow night, pushed back a day to make sure he's as strong as possible.

-- Curt Schilling missed a couple of days or workouts because of the flu, though he's hardly close to being on the team's pitching radar.

-- Utility infielder Alex Cora, on the disabled list because of elbow troubles, has been cleared to start throwing. Manager Terry Francona hopes that Cora will be able to take grounders and "let it fly" from anywhere in the infield on Friday.

-- Bartolo Colon threw a 35-pitch bullpen session on Monday and is on schedule to throw a similar session tomorrow. Francona said it is "very realistic" that the veteran right-hander, sent to the sidelines because of a strained oblique, will be able to pitch in a game somewhere on May 5.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:44 PM | Permalink

Ortiz Back; Ellsbury Out

David Ortiz is back in the lineup as Boston's designated hitter.

Ortiz missed the last two games on the road against Tampa Bay because of a bruised right knee, suffered in a lurching slide in an unsuccessful attempt to beat out the back end of a double play on Friday night.

Impressive rookie outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, though, was forced to the bench because of a sore groin.

Ellsbury thought he'd be able to play, but didn't get treatment on Monday's off day, and isn't in the starting lineup. That is unfortunate for the Red Sox because, even though it's a small sample, Ellsbury has "owned" Toronto's ace right-hander, Roy Halladay, the Jays' starter tonight. Ellsbury is 4 for 6 with 2 homers and 3 RBI in his budding career against Halladay.

Ellsbury is being replaced in the starting lineup by Coco Crisp, who also has taken Ellsbury's spot at the top of the batting order.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:38 PM | Permalink

Lowell Activated; Corey Designated (again)

As expected, third baseman Mike Lowell was activated from the disabled list today and is in the starting lineup tonight for the game against the Blue Jays.

To make room for Lowell, the Red Sox designated right-handed reliever Bryan Corey for assignment. It was the second time this month Boston has designated Corey.

Lowell had been placed on the DL on April 10 because of a sprained left thumb. He had a three-day rehab assignment with the PawSox that ended on Sunday. On Monday, he worked out at Fenway Park on an off day for the Red Sox, and satisfied manager Terry Francona that he was ready to be activated.

"There's no concern on our part," said Francona this afternoon. "He looks good."

Lowell, who was 3 for 13 with 3 RBI for the PawSox, is looking forward to returning to the lineup.

"I don't think anybody's 100 percent now, but I'm back and ready to play," said Lowell this afternoon. "I felt like I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish. I'm excited to play tonight."

``I was most anxious to be seeing pitches. I was able to do that the three days I was there. I felt comfortable,'' Lowell said. ``I'm glad I did it. I'm even happier to be here.''

Lowell has had a special insert made for his glove to protect his thumb.

``I think even if I feel fantastic, I'm going to wear it the rest of the year,'' he said. ``It holds the joint from going where they don't want it to go. It doesn't really bother me, so I think I should wear it. If I don't wear it one day and then I test it and I hurt it again I'm going to feel like I'm an idiot for trying that.''

``Like anything, it takes some time getting used to,'' he added. ``But I feel comfortable enough you could say so I don't think it's going to be a major problem.''

Lowell's return helps solidify the Red Sox' lineup, especially with first baseman Sean Casey on the DL because of a strained right hip. Lowell, who usually bats fifth, will hit sixth tonight because Kevin Youkilis, in the fifth slot, has been solid. Lowell's return allows Francona to slide down slumping J.D. Drew to the seventh spot. Drew is in a 4-for-30 skid.

Corey first was sliced from the Sox' roster on April 11, eventually re-signed and assigned to Pawtucket. Corey was recalled last Friday and pitched in one game over the weekend on the road against Tampa Bay(on April 25, a scoreless 1 2/3-inning stint. The Lowell-for-Corey swap reduces the roster to 12 pitchers.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:26 PM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink

Starting Lineups, April 29

RED SOX

Crisp cf
Pedroia 2b
Ortiz dh
Ramirez lf
Youkilis 1b
Lowell 3b
Drew rf
Varitek c
Lugo ss

Lester p

BLUE JAYS

Rios rf
Eckstein ss
Rolen 3b
Wells cf
Hill 2b
Overbay 1b
Stewart dh
Lind lf
Zaun c

Halladay p

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:24 PM | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Ellsbury's fleet feet

Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Jacoby Ellsbury's 17-for-17 stolen-base streak, Bartolo Colon's path back to the mound, the Toronto Blue Jays struggling early in the season, and the latest Roger Clemens scandal.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 11:29 AM to Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam | Permalink

Baseball Today: Tuesday, April 29

AP Photo

TAKE A BEAT: And on the 21st day, they rested. Or, shall we say, most of them rested; Joe McDonald reports that Bartolo Colon somehow threw a bullpen session through the raindrops at Fenway, and six other Sox came in to work out. (Projo Sox Blog) But the remainder were elsewhere, enjoying (we presume) a day away from the ballpark for the first time since Monday, April 7. Which for those us who write baseball for a living, or read baseball as a vocation, means . . . it's off-day story time! Today's batch includes . . .

-- McDonald's piece on Jacoby Ellsbury, whose base-stealing prowess (as evidenced above) led the Rays' Carl Crawford to exhort the Sox to give the young man the green light whenever he's on the bases. McDonald also talks to Tommy Harper, who helped Ellsbury hone his baserunning skills as a Red Sox consultant and who believes his former pupil will break his Red Sox single-season stolen-base record of 54, set in 1973.

-- The Globe's Gordon Edes catches up with Manny Ramirez' march toward 500 career home runs. The Herald's Rob Bradford examines how Ramirez' rigorous offseason workouts helped him get off to such a fast start.

-- Bradford notes that opposing hitters have swung and missed at an astounding 41.5 percent of Jonathan Papelbon's pitches this year and analyzes why that is (beyond pitching coach John Farrell's summation that Papelbon "throws the heck out of the ball").

-- The Herald's Michael Silverman does a statistical comparison that shows the '08 Sox pitching staff isn't performing as well as it did in '07.

-- Edes leads his notes with an item on Jon Lester, tonight's starting pitcher, from whom the Sox are hoping for more consistency.

-- Ian Brown of mlb.com has a feature on the Sox' consecutive sellout streak.

-- Away from the sports pages, the Globe talks to Dustin Pedroia's wife Kelli, who was diagnosed with stage two melanoma at age 18 and now, at age 24, is taking her anti-tanning message to teenagers. She also gives us a glimpse into life with Dustin. Back in sports, Silverman notes that her husband is avoiding the sophomore jinx in '08.

-- This isn't really an off-day story -- he writes these types of pieces all the time -- but Chad Finn's 10 free throwaway lines include, among several Sox items, a defense of Terry Francona, the worry that David Ortiz is morphing into Mo Vaughn, and happiness that Coco Crisp is still in Boston. (boston.com/sports/touching_all_the_bases)

(To address Chad's worry about Big Papi: Jayson Stark's poll of big-league managers identified the two-headed Ortiz/Ramirez monster as a proud member of the All-Guys You'd Least Want to Pitch to Team.)

-- Even somebody else's off-day stories have a Red Sox tinge. In Los Angeles, Derek Lowe compares playing on the West Coast with playing in the East and concludes: "Some people who have played this game for a long time say there is a certain mentality out here, that it's more about entertainment than winning . . . I'm not saying that's true, but a lot of people say that about Southern California." (dailybreeze.com)

Back to baseball tonight: 7:05 p.m. vs. Toronto. And we can wait until May 15, the next scheduled day off, for more stories like this Wall Street Journal feature on the financial and emotional worth of a baseball signed by each and every member of the 1948 Red Sox.

LOOKING AHEAD: The Blue Jays come to town having snapped their six-game losing streak and they have their ace, Roy Halladay, ready to throw at the Sox tonight. (mlb.com) They'll also have a lineup that will look different than the one the Sox faced the first weekend of the season in Toronto, as manager John Gibbons struggles to find a combination that clicks. (London Free Press) Jeff Blair of the Toronto Globe and Mail, meanwhile, wants Vernon Wells to step up and assume the role of team leader. And ex-Jay Jesse Barfield, on his cbc.ca blog, says Toronto's struggles stem from a lack of clutch hitting.

LOOKING BACK: The Rays -- or at least the people who've watched them for these last miserable 10 years -- are still pinching themselves over the weekend sweep of the sox. (Bradenton Herald) And the good news just keeps on coming, as Scott Kazmir pitches 5 1/3 strong rehab innings in Durham and pronounces himself good to go (Tampa Tribune). He's scheduled to make his season debut with Tampa Bay on Saturday night against the Red Sox at Fenway. And now, says the Tribune, the Rays suddenly have too much pitching. (This, of course, is the giddiness that comes with the rush of first-time success; as Terry Francona and Theo Epstein always say, the minute you think you have too much pitching is the time you should go out and get some more, because you never, never, never have too much pitching.) But the St. Petersburg Times says there's no question the Rays have plenty of good pitchers in their bullpen, which, as anyone who played them 18 or 19 times a year knows, had been a toxic waste dump prior to this season.

AND LOOKING AHEAD: Baseball Musing's David Pinto points out that all the Rays are doing is exactly what many people expected them to do this year.

GO FIGURE: Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times notes that of the 16 "new" managers the Red Sox have hired in franchise history, only four ever were hired again . . . but almost all of them did well with the Sox. "They come. They win. They disappear," he concludes. Among the familiar names on this list (at least to me) are Joe Morgan and Eddie Kasko.

HURTS SO GOOD: The Yankees finished the never-ending road trip with a victory in Cleveland, but Alex Rodriguez re-aggravated his strained right quad muscle and is headed back to the sidelines. (New York Daily News) This on the same day that Jorge Posada landed on the disabled list. (Daily News)

IT'S TIME: Peter Abraham on the LoHud Yankees Blog says Joba Chamberlain's continues dominance in relief actually demonstrates the need to get him into the starting rotation.

IF YOU AIN'T WITH US, YOU'RE AGIN' US: Judging from the parenthetical comments on his game thread, it sounds like Abraham is getting fed up with fans who take any negative comments as a personal affront from the Our Yanks Right Or Wrong crowd. Boston media members who attempt to comment on Manny Ramirez' foibles feel his pain.

THINK IT THROUGH: The Yankees' Morgan Ensberg does a guest spin on Phil Hughes' blog and admits that players not only hear insults shouted from the stands, but laugh at the really good ones. However, simply shouting "You s---k" means "we know that you don’t know what to say and you probably aren’t very funny. To us it is like saying 'um'. We hear it all the time and it is just a sound with no meaning." His advice: "Take your time and don’t get caught up in the moment."

CONFIRMED: Country singer Mindy McCready said the New York Daily News story of her long-time affair with Roger Clemens is true. (Daily News) Yahoo.com's Tim Brown wonders -- as do I -- if Clemens "regrets not following the Andy Pettitte path of disclosure and apology and getting on with his life. His denials, his roundabout explanations, his circling of the truth, have only fueled further examination" -- which probably led to this McCready news -- "because there is no way to listen to him and conclude he is innocent."

SEE YA: The blog My Pinstripes presents a litany of complaints against Yankee TV announcer Michael Kay under the misleading heading "Michael Kay, Yea or Nay?" (Misleading because it's all Nay with no Yea.)

STORY? WHAT STORY? MAYBE IT'S A STORY TO YOU, BUT IT'S NOT A STORY TO ME: Adam Rubin of the Daily News prints the transcript of an interview with Carlos Delgado in which the Mets' first baseman says his decision not to acknowledge the fans' pleas for a curtain call Sunday was not a snub, but that he's not surprised the story has grown to apocalyptic importance in New York.

LET'S GET REAL: Baseball Prospectus' Joe Sheehan lists five things we know are real after one month of the season.

THE UPSTAIRS HOT SEAT: SI.com's Jon Heyman lists seven general managers who could join Wayne Krivsky on the unemployment line. Krivsky, meanwhile, discusses some of his decisions as Reds' GM. (Dayton Daily News)

AND FURTHERMORE . . . : Foxsports.com's Shaun Payne notes that Andruw Jones' disintegration is not only hurting the Dodgers but also damages his Hall of Fame chances.

LESSONS LEARNED: The Cardinals say Josh Hancock's death last year in an alcohol-related traffic accident has had a long-range impact in how the team deals with alcohol. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

WASHED UP? HAH! Frank Thomas answered his critics by by falling a home run short of the cycle -- Frank Thomas, hitting a triple?? -- in the A's 14-2 rout of the Angels. (San Francisco Chronicle)

HERE AND THERE: To no one's surprise, the Giants have sent Barry Zito to the bullpen (San Francisco Chronicle) . . . Mike Lieberthal will retire as a Phillie (mlb.com) . . . The Rangers' Hank Blalock is headed to the disabled list (mlb.com) . . . Gary Sheffield says he plans to play through the pain (Detroit News) . . . Tom Glavine will make his first start since April 13 tonight, and is concerned about being rusty (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) . . . Mike Cameron has completed his 25-game suspension for the use of performance-enhancing drugs and will return to the Brewers tonight (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . Trade time may soon be approaching in Pittsburgh. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

OLD FRIENDS: Wily Mo Pena is front and center on Rich Lederer's list of April Fools (i.e., the players who have put up the worst numbers in the season's first month (Baseball Analysts) . . . Rich Garces will be back with the Nashua Pride this year . . . The Reds' Bronson Arroyo finally pitched well after a string of bad starts. (Cincinnati Enquirer)

NEW FRIENDS: Rotoworld.com has short updates on Red Sox farmhands Lars Anderson and Daniel Bard.

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 6:58 AM | Permalink

Off day notes: Colon throws bullpen session

**Red Sox pitcher Bartolo Colon threw a 35-pitch bullpen session at Fenway Park today. The right-hander, who is battling an oblique issue, will be evaluated again Tuesday.

*After losing five straight games, the Red Sox have today off. Only Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, David Ortiz, Mike Lowell and Alex Cora worked out today.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 5:19 PM | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Swept Away in Tampa Bay

Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: the five-game losing streak, Tampa Bay's prospects to compete down the road, Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz giving good outings, and the coming return of Mike Lowell.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 12:59 PM to Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam | Permalink

Baseball Today: Monday, April 28

AP Photo

TAMPA TAKEDOWN: It started with a beyond-frustrating loss Friday night, in which they had two men on base with one out in the 9th, 10th and 11th innings, failed to score any of them, and gave up the winning run in the bottom of the 11th. And then the lights went out: Eight hits and one run over the next 18 innings, leading to a crushing defeat for Clay Buchholz Saturday night and a less dramatic, though no less disappointing, 'L' hung on Josh Beckett (above) Sunday afternoon. Joe McDonald has the details of the Red Sox' three days from hell in St. Petersburg, which ran their losing streak to five games and knocked them out of first place. (projo.com)

In the looking-for-scapegoats department, Beckett's blaming the schedule-maker (projo.com) and the Globe's Amalie Benjamin points out that it's been an epic week of illness and injury, leading to no fewer than 10 roster moves since last Tuesday. Others, like old friend Allan Wood, point the finger for at least some of what happened at Terry Francona, whose managerial decisions were debated, and debated, and debated some more. (Sons of Sam Horn) Safe to say that everyone -- players, fans, everyone -- can use this day off, the first since April 7 (the day before the Fenway opener), to regroup. Next up for the Sox? The Blue Jays, who broke a six-game losing streak of their own with a win in Kansas City yesterday. (Toronto Star)

RAYS OF ECSTASY: When you consider these two factoids -- Tampa Bay has never been three games over .500 this late in a season and never been in first place this late in a season (and yes, April 28 is is the correct date) -- you can understand the euphoria that would prompt the blog DRaysBay to break out the brooms and then, four hours later, rub the Sox' face in it with an online version of Sweet Caroline. Or the blog Rays Index to headline its latest entry Peter Gammons Is Rolling Over In His Grave. (I suppose it would be impolitic to point out that Peter's still alive, but, as Boon said in Animal House, forget it, he's rolling.) After all, The Trop has long been considered Fenway South by the hordes of Red Sox fans who fill it whenever the team goes to central Florida -- Shields implored Rays followers to "counteract" Red Sox (and Yankee) partisans after Friday night's game (Tampa Tribune) -- so to win three straight in front of the northern invaders (and against the defending World Series champions, to boot) was . . . well, pretty satisfying. The pros, like Martin Fennelly of the Tampa Tribune and John Romano of the St. Petersburg Times, certainly enjoyed the moment, but both make a point to stress that, in Fennelly's words, "It's April, it's April, it's April." April schmapril, say the Rays, who think these were three games they can build on. (St. Petersburg Times) Coming as it did on the heels of three straight wins over Toronto, Carl Crawford called it "[one] of the best weeks in franchise history." (Tampa Tribune)

And maybe the best weekend.

I'LL GO FURTHER THAN THAT: On Saturday night, even before the finale, Baseball Musing's David Pinto was saying it "may turn out to be one of the most important series in Rays Tampa Bay history."

I'M NOT A BELIEVER: Even so, the blog Big League Stew says the Rays are something that people still don't believe in.

THERE'S ALWAYS SOME GOOD NEWS: Kevin Youkilis set another defensive record at first base. McDonald tells us which one. And Mike Lowell finished his third rehab game with the PawSox and pronounced himself ready to return to Boston. (projo.com)

RETURN FROM LIMBO: McDonald had an interesting chat Friday with Bryan Corey, who gives a glimpse of what it's like in the no-man's land called Designated For Assignment and how it is he wound up back in Boston.

SCHOOL DAYS: On his Hacks With Haggs blog, Joe Haggerty passes along ex-Mets GM Steve Phillips' recollections of scouting the teenage Manny Ramirez . . . which included a psychological test that indicated Ramirez didn't "have the most self-esteem and confidence in the world."

OH, THOSE SIDEWINDERS: Jim Rice identified Dennis Eckersley and Dan Quisenberry as the two pitchers who gave him the most trouble in his career. (ask14.sullivantire.com)

YIN AND YANG: The Yankees' 1-0 victory over C.C. Sabathia yesterday (New York Post) was tempered by the news that Jorge Posada is headed to the disabled list for the first time in his career. (New York Daily News)

MY MIND'S MADE UP: The New York Post's Joel Sherman talks to people who saw him in the minor leagues and comes to the conclusion that Joba Chamberlain should be a starter.

FEELING STRONGER EVERY DAY: As for Chamberlain, he was back on the mound yesterday after suffering a slight hamstring strain Thursday in Chicago. (New York Daily News)

WIN WHEN YOU LOSE: The Cleveland Plain-Dealer's Bud Shaw says Sabathia's dominant outing yesterday is more important than whether or not he won the game.

DENIED: While Roger Clemens and his representatives admit to a long-term friendship between the pitcher (and, they say, his family) and country star Mindy McCready, they strongly deny reports that it was a decade-long sexual affair that began when McCready was 15 and Clemens was with the Red Sox. (New York Daily News) The newspaper reports the revelation could impact Clemens' defamation lawsuit against Brian McNamee, which it says is based on "claims of [Clemens'] unsullied character," but that also is denied by Clemens attorney Rusty Hardin: "The character trait that you put in issue should be the character trait that the defamatory statement was made about." The blog Shysterball, while admitting that "much more in the way of confirmation needs to happen before we can take the 'allegedly' off" these reports, lays out where public opinion of Clemens is headed if this proves to be true.

STEINBRENNER JUNIOR: Joe Posnanski says that if he owned the Blue Jays, he'd have fired John Gibbons on the spot Friday night when Gibbons ordered an intentional walk to Tony Pena Jr.. (joeposnanski.com)

VICIOUS CYCLE: Barry Zito got rocked again yesterday (San Francisco Chronicle), and the Costa Contra Times' Rick Hurd wonders how the beleaguered lefty will extricate himself from his present situation.

TAKE THAT: Mets fans have made the slumping Carlos Delgado their whipping boy this year, so the Daily News' Bill Madden lauded the veteran first baseman for refusing to acknowledge them when they implored him to take a curtain call after his home run yesterday.

TOUGH LOVE: The Newark Star-Ledger Dan Graziano wonders how the Mets and their fans -- still embittered by last September's epic collapse -- can repair their fractured relationship.

'DON'T WORRY ABOUT HIM': Dusty Baker says he's spoken recently to Barry Bonds and that Bonds is "doing fine." (Dayton Daily News) As for whether or not Bonds will return to baseball, Baker thinks "the longer he is out, the less likely he will come back. And the longer he is out, who knows, the less likely he may want to come back."

MY GUY: Jim Leyland came out in defense of the slumping Gary Sheffield. (mlb.com) But Fox' Dayn Perry says it doesn't really matter if Sheffield starts hitting or not because the pitching-poor team is too flawed.

NICE TRIP: The Angels are proud of themselves for their 4-2 swing through Boston and Detroit. (Los Angeles Times)

HERE AND THERE: Mets GM Omar Minaya says Moises Alou, attempting to return from hernia surgery, may have broken his ankle during his rehab stint at Port St. Lucie (Newsday) . . . John Smoltz says his shoulder hurts (Atlanta Journal-Consitution) . . . Brett Myers can't explain why his fastball, which once reached 95 mph, can no longer crack 88 (Philadephia Inquirer) . . . As rumored, the Pirates cut the cord with Matt Morris (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) . . . A relieved Troy Glaus hit his first home run as a member of the Cardinals. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

OLD FRIENDS: Scott Hatteberg would welcome a trade out of Cincinnati (Cincinnati Enquirer) . . . Phil Dumatrait will replace Morris in the Pirates' rotation (rotoworld.com) . . . Freddy Sanchez says his surgically-repaired shoulder isn't the reason he's hitting .213 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) . . . Keith Foulke is recovering nicely from the neck soreness that landed him on the DL (San Francisco Chroncile) . . . The Red Sox released Dan Kolb, who had been at Pawtucket. (rotoworld.com)

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 6:34 AM | Permalink

An eerie possibility?

It's only the third inning here at Tropicana Field and Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett has eight strikeouts -- a season-high.

Sure, it's still early in the game to even consider the right-hander recording 20 strikeouts, but for a goof here are some eerie similarities to Roger Clemens' 20-K performance from April 29, 1986.

On that day in 1986 the NFL draft was being held. The Celtics were playing the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA playoffs. Clemens struck out the first three batters he faced, all swinging. The Seattle Mariners had a 1-0 lead on the Sox. And, as Hartford Courant beat writer Jeff Goldberg just pointed out, the Boston Bruins were eliminated from the NHL playoffs by the Montreal Canadiens that spring.

Currently, the NFL draft is being held and the Celtics are playing the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. Beckett struck out the first three batters he has faced today, all swinging. The Rays have a 1-0 lead. The Bruins were eliminated by the Habs last week.

Freaky? Maybe. Pushing it a little? Sure.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 2:24 PM | Permalink

Pregame Notes: Quiet morning at the Trop!

**The Red Sox are ready for their much-needed day off on Monday. The flu bug is still lingering and the players can't wait for a little R & R.

**David Ortiz will sit out again today with a bruised right knee. Manager Terry Francona said the slugger's still sore. Ortiz told Francona Saturday night that he could go if needed, but they don't want to push it.

Francona, who dealt with knee problems during his playing career, knows all too well what Ortiz is going through.

"People who have knee problems, when you bruise it it hurts more," he said.

**Francona has finally decided on his next two starters. Lefty Jon Lester will start on Tuesday and right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka will go on Wednesday. Doing it this way will give Dice-K, who has been battling the flu back in Boston, an extra day to recover.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:26 AM | Permalink

Today's lineups

BOSTON

Ellsbury, lf
Pedroia, 2b
Drew, rf
Ramirez, dh
Youkilis, 1b
Crisp, cf
Varitek, c
Lowrie, 3b
Lugo, ss
Beckett, SP

TAMPA

Iwamura, 2b
Crawford, lf
Upton, cf
Pena, 1b
Longoria, 3b
Hinske, dh
Navarro, c
Gross, rf
Bartlett, ss
Shields, sp

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:22 AM | Permalink

Tampa 2, Boston 1

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ Almost!

All Red Sox rookie pitcher Clay Buchholz could do was stare into the right-field seats as he nearly repeated his no-hit performance from last September with a three-hitter against Tampa Bay Saturday night at Tropicana Field as the Rays narrowly defeated Boston, 2-1, on some late-inning heroics.

The only three hits Tampa was able to register off the talented right-hander was a double by B.J. Upton in the fourth inning, a pinch-hit single by Dioner Navarro and a two-run homer by Akinori Iwamura in the eighth inning.

“He was good,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “He was throwing all of his pitches for strikes. He was changing speeds. He just left one breaking ball over the plate. . . I thought Clay was great. He just gave up a home run when we didn’t need him to.”

Other than those three hits, Buchholz was just as good – if not better – than he was during his history-making performance last year.

“You could see as the game progressed he was coming off the mound with jump,” said Francona. “I don’t mean he was jumping out of his delivery, he was aggressive with arm speed on his change-up. It was fun to watch. You’re not going to throw a two- or three-hitter all the time, but that’s the kind of guy we envision. His stuff was electric.”

It was Sept. 1, 2007 when he recorded a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles in only his second major-league start. He threw 115 pitches that day and struck out nine for the 17th no-no in club history.

Saturday night didn’t have the drama, the edge-of-your-seat excitement, but he was just as good as he was last fall. He threw 113 pitches (76 strikes) but came up a bit short.

“I felt in control,” he said. “I never thought (Iwamura’s) at-bat would go down like that. I thought I had him struck out with a curve ball. He hit a good pitch, man. When I let it go I thought he would take it or swing over the top of it, but he was sitting all over it. Hats off to him because I threw a pitcher’s pitch and he hit it.”

Along with the no-hitter, last fall was bittersweet for Buchholz. The Red Sox shut him down for the remainder of the 2007 season due to arm-strength issues. That made Buchholz a bystander during the magical postseason run to a World Series championship. In fact, management had serious conversations with him about his preparation both on and off the field.

“In my opinion that’s in the past,” said Francona. “He’s done everything I’ve asked. He competes. He doesn’t back down from anybody. He’s exciting. He has good demeanor on the mound and he just wants to win.”

Buchholz was slow going to start the season, but he exploded onto the scene once again yesterday.

“Overall I felt great tonight,” he said. “It was just a little misfortune, I guess.”

Buchholz got two quick outs in the bottom of the first before issuing back-to-back walks. He got out of the jam by striking out the Rays’ Evan Longoria.

Buchholz then retired the next six batters he faced before Upton’s double in the fourth. He reached third on a ground out, but was left stranded.

With the way Buchholz was pitching, the Red Sox didn’t need much offense.

The Sox’ Coco Crisp led off the top of the fifth inning with a single, and reached third with some heads-up baserunning. Tampa starter Edwin Jackson threw a wild pitch and the speedy Crisp took off from first and reached third relatively easy. Crisp was stranded 90 feet from home plate until Jacoby Ellsbury’s two-out infield hit that gave Boston a 1-0 advantage.

Buchholz was extremely efficient in the bottom of the inning and quickly retired the side in order. He did the same in the sixth and again in the seventh. It was clear he was dialed in.

With one out in the eighth inning, and Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon warming in the bullpen, Navarro hit a soft liner to right field. Ellsbury, playing right field, attempted to make the play, but the ball just fell in at his feet.

The Rays weren’t done.

After Jason Bartlett flied out to center field, Iwamura scorched his two-run homer to deep right field to give Tampa a 2-1 lead. He said he was sitting on the curveball.

"Yes," said Iwamura. "I took a previous swing on his change-up and it carried pretty well to center field (in the third inning). I figured Jason Varitek knew I had timed his change-up."

After the game Buchholz admitted he knew the ball was gone as soon as it was hit. For a few seconds after it landed in the seats, Buchholz just stood there, glaring into right field.

“He pitched great,” said Sox’ Kevin Youkilis. “He just made that one mistake and got hurt on it. But, he threw the ball great and had a great outing. This is how baseball works sometimes.”

Buchholz was close to perfection, unfortunately almost only counts in horseshoes.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:14 PM | Permalink

Postgame Notes: Ortiz update

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Red Sox slugger David Ortiz missed Saturday's game with a bruised right knee and will not play on Sunday.

Ortiz attempted to stay out of a double play in the top of the 11th inning against the Rays on Friday as he slammed head first into first base. Manager Terry Francona said the play looked like a car accident.

"When I saw him get up, I knew it," Francona said. "I was hoping he wouldn't feel it (Saturday), but he does. So, we're going to give him a chance to get rid of the swelling."

With one out in the 11th inning, Dustin Pedroia singled before Ortiz pulled the ball to the right side of the infield. Rays first baseman Eric Hinske made the play and got the lead runner at second. Ortiz hustled down the line and dove into the bag to no avail.

"I'm glad he wanted to get to first that bad," said Francona "It was a big run and he wanted to get there and dove. His knee is bruised, so we'll give him a little time."

It's the same knee he had surgery on during the offseason.

Ortiz went 0-for-6 Friday night, snapping a seven-game hitting streak. During that stretch he posted a .370 average with 3 home runs, 2 doubles, 16 RBI and 7 runs scored. Francona said after last night’s game that Ortiz will not play again today.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:11 PM | Permalink

Postgame Notes: Youkilis breaks record

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ Kevin Youkilis made history Saturday night.

The Red Sox first baseman has recorded 1,701 consecutive chances without making an error to pass Stuffy McInnis (1921-22) for the all-time record in that category. Earlier this season Youkilis broke Steve Garvey’s record for consecutive games without an error with 193 and he now has 205 games without a miscue.

Youkilis was quite humble regarding his record due to the fact the Red Sox lost their fourth straight game with a 2-1 defeat to the Rays at Tropicana Field.

“I didn’t even know when I did it,” he said. “I just go out there and play the game; it’s not a big deal to me. Winning ballgames is the biggest part of my concern right now. We need to get this team back on track.”

Even Red Sox manager Terry Francona was concentrating more on the team’s performance Saturday.

“I knew he was approaching it,” Francona said. “I only reason I do know is because (travel secretary) Jack McCormick came running down because MLB wanted the balls. The ball that tied it, Youk flipped into the stands. You’re in a one-run game and not really paying attention to it, but I was aware of it.”

Entering tonight's game Youkilis was nine shy of the mark, but his 10 chances against Tampa gave him the record.

“The whole time this has been happening, I didn’t really know until people have told me,” he said. Garvey’s record “in Oakland, I knew about that one, but that was it. Hopefully that’s it. Are there any more? I’ll just keep throwing the balls into the stands. It’s better if I don’t know.”

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:09 PM | Permalink

Pregame notes: Casey sent to DL

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ The Red Sox have placed Sean Casey on the 15-day disabled list with a right hip-flexor sprain.

Manager Terry Francona and Casey spoke numerous times on Friday night. The manager said Casey didn’t think the injury was that bad, but the medical staff was not convinced of that. He suffered the injury in the top of the second inning when he scored from second base on a base hit by Jacoby Ellsbury.

Casey will be examined when the team returns to Boston on Monday. As a result Brandon Moss has been recalled from Pawtucket.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 5:56 PM | Permalink

Pregame notes: Ortiz out with a bruised knee

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Red Sox slugger David Ortiz is out of the lineup tonight with a bruised right knee. J.D. Drew will serve as the club's DH.

Ortiz attempted to stay out of a double play in the top of the 11th inning against the Rays on Friday as he slammed head first into first base. Manager Terry Francona said the play looked like a car accident.

"When I saw him get up, I knew it," Francona said. "I was hoping he wouldn't feel it today, but he does. So, we're going to give him a chance to get rid of the swelling."

With one out in the 11th inning, Dustin Pedroia singled before Ortiz pulled the ball to the right side of the infield. Rays first baseman Eric Hinske made the play and got the lead runner at second. Ortiz hustled down the line and dove into the bag to no avail.

"I'm glad he wanted to get to first that bad," he said. "It was a big run and he wanted to get there and dove. His knee is bruised, so we'll give him a little time."

It's the same knee he had surgery on during the offseason.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 5:07 PM | Permalink

Tonight's lineups

BOSTON

Ellsbury, rf
Pedroia, 2b
Drew, dh
Ramirez, lf
Youkilis, 1b
Crisp, cf
Varitek, c
Lowrie, 3b
Lugo, ss
Buchholz, sp

TAMPA

Iwamura, 2b
Crawford, lf
Upton, cf
Pena, 1b
Longoria, 3b
Hinske, dh
Gross, rf
Riggans, c
Bartlett, ss
Jackson, sp

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 5:03 PM | Permalink

Moss called up

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Red Sox just began an early BP session here at Tropicana Field and Brandon Moss is in the house.

The Red Sox have not made an official statement, yet, but it appears first baseman Sean Casey could be headed for the DL. He suffered a right hip-flexor sprain during the second inning on Friday and was removed from the game.

As a result the Red Sox have called up Moss.

During his BP session a few minutes ago, Moss put on a hitting display. The left-hander hit the Pepsi sign, which is about 450 feet from home plate. He then hit a ball to dead center field, high above the 404 mark.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 2:26 PM | Permalink

A big night for Cash

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek has missed the last few games with a serious bout with the flu. In his place backup catcher Kevin Cash has filled in nicely.

Cash went 3-for-3, including a sacrifice fly Friday night, in his normal start as Tim Wakefield’s batterymate. It was his first three-hit game since June 24, 2004 when he played for Toronto. That game was also against the Rays.

Cash also showcased his heads-up baserunning talents.

With the game knotted at 4-4 in the top of the ninth inning, Cash provided his third hit of the night to lead off the inning. Sox’ Dustin Pedroia hit grounder to Akinori Iwamura, the Rays’ second baseman, who attempted to tag Cash. But, Cash stopped and began to retreat, which made Iwamura stall and allowed Pedroia to reach on a fielder’s choice. Cash was also safe at second.

That play gave Red Sox slugger David Ortiz to chance for his typical late-inning heroics. He just missed his pitch and flied out to center. He would finish the night 0-for-6. The hot-hitting Manny Ramirez followed, but Warwick native and Tampa reliever Dan Wheeler struck him out.

Boston eventually lost in 11 innings, 5-4, but Red Sox manager Terry Francona didn’t want Cash’s performance to go unnoticed.

“It’s a lot more fun when you win to talk about guys, but I don’t want it to get lost how we feel (about Cash),” said Francona. “This kid has been thrown in to a situation where he’s catching every night, and he hasn’t done that in a while. Rather than coming in and say ‘I’m stiff’ he’s loving every minute of it. He’s doing things to help us win games.”

Wakefield, who was clearly upset when the Sox released his longtime personal catcher Doug Mirabelli during spring training, has had nothing but good things to say about Cash’s performances both defensively and offensively.

“He did a great job,” said Wakefield. “There’s nothing negative to say about the job he’s done since he got the job in spring training. He’s a big asset to this team.”

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 12:26 AM | Permalink

Casey heading to the DL?

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – It appears the Red Sox will be without first baseman Sean Casey for awhile.

Casey suffered a right hip-flexor sprain in the top of the second inning Friday night when scoring from second base on a Jacoby Ellsbury base hit. As Casey rounded third and was half way home, it was clear he pulled up a little bit. After he crossed the plate, to give Boston a 3-1 lead, he was limping back to the dugout.

Following the Sox’ 5-4 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field, Boston manager Terry Francona did not like the outlook for Casey.

“He’s sore,” said Francona. “When he came around third – I saw him right away – he was dragging his leg. Even before he hit home plate I told Jed Lowrie to get loose because I figured something was wrong. On examination it was horrible, but I’m sure we’re going to lose him for some time. We’ll get that figured out.”

If Casey does, in fact, head to the disabled list it's likely Brandon Moss will get the call from Pawtucket. The rookie, who is an outfielder by trade, has been playing first base since last September.

Francona said he would talk to Red Sox GM Theo Epstein tonight to figure out what to do.

Casey has been an integral part of the lineup since third baseman Mike Lowell was placed on the 15-day DL with sprained left thumb. Casey entered Friday’s game with a .346 average with eight RBI this season. In fact, he’s hitting .407 in his last nine games with 3 doubles, 4 walks, and 4 runs scored.

Lowell made his first of three rehab appearances for the PawSox Friday night and went 1-for-5 with two RBI as Pawtucket’s DH. He slated to play third on Saturday and DH again on Sunday. Francona said Friday night there is no way the team will recall him before he’s ready.

“We’re not going to do that,” he said. “It didn’t surprise me that I had two text messages from Mike Lowell; that was not the shocker of the evening. We don’t want to make a mistake. If we do something like (bringing him back early) and he hurts that thumb then that would be a poor decision. We have to let it run its course.”

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:50 PM | Permalink

Update: Casey pulled from game

Red Sox first baseman Sean Casey just left the game with a right hip-flexor sprain and is listed as day-to-day. Jed Lowrie is now playing third base and Kevin Youkilis has shifted to first base.

Casey scored from second on a Jacoby Ellsbury base hit in the top of the second inning. As Casey rounded third and was half way home, he pulled up a little bit. After he crossed the plate to give Boston a 3-1 lead, it was clear he was limping as he made his way into the dugout.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 7:49 PM | Permalink

Pregame notes: Colon to throw side session

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Today the Red Sox spoke with pitcher Bartolo Colon (oblique) and he’s on track to throw a side session in a couple of days. Actually, the team has scheduled the right-hander to throw three side sessions, barring setbacks, prior to May 5.

Colon’s out-clause in his contract is May 1, so, knowing he wouldn’t be able to pitch before then, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein spoke with Colon’s representatives, while manager Terry Francona spoke with the pitcher to make sure he understands how the team feels about him.

"We wanted to make sure he understood that we want to keep him,'' said Francona.

The Red Sox and Colon’s representatives, said Francona, "have worked some things out where (the opt-out date) has been moved back, and I don’t anticipate any problems. He wants to stay and we want him to stay.''

The best case scenario for Colon is he would be able to pitch in a game on or around May 5. Francona said everyone feels comfortable with this situation.

* * *
Francona gave his flu report today and everyone in the clubhouse appears to be a lot better. He said catcher Jason Varitek spent Thursday’s game at Fenway in the bullpen and "tolerated'' it. At one point Francona called the bullpen to check on Varitek's availability, but bullpen coach Gary Tuck said that probably wouldn’t be a good idea.

Varitek still looks beat up from the bug, but Francona said he would be available to play tonight if needed. With Tim Wakefield pitching, Kevin Cash is behind the plate. The manager also said Varitek should be back in the lineup on Saturday.

Pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who remained in Boston due to the flu, felt good enough today to work out at Fenway Park. The right-hander will throw a side session on Saturday.

* * *
Relief pitcher Bryan Corey has returned. The right-hander will be in the bullpen for tonight's game against the Rays. He began the season with Boston before he was designated for assignment on April 11. He decided to become a free agent, but re-signed with the Sox on a minor-league deal on April 22. To make room on the roster for Corey, The Red Sox sent Justin Masterson back to Double-A Portland after he made his major-league debut on Thursday.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 5:32 PM | Permalink

Tonight's lineups

BOSTON

Ellsbury, cf
Pedroia, 2b
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, lf
Youkilis, 3b
Drew, rf
Casey, 1b
Lugo, ss
Cash, c
Wakefield, SP

TAMPA

Iwamura, 2b
Crawford, lf
Upton, cf
Gomes, DH
Longoria, 3b
Hinske, 1b
Navarro, c
Gross, rf
Bartlett, ss
Garza, SP

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 4:55 PM | Permalink

Corey rejoins Red Sox

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Red Sox purchased the contract of pitcher Bryan Corey from Pawtucket today. The right-hander will be in the bullpen for tonight's game against the Rays. He began the season with Boston before he was designated for assignment on April 11. He decided to become a free agent, but re-signed with the Sox on a minor-league deal on April 22.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 3:18 PM | Permalink

New varieties of Red Sox wine set to hit shelves

Last year, there was Manny Being Merlot and Schilling Schardonnay. This year, three more Red Sox players will appear on bottles of wine that will be sold to support baseball-affiliated charities.

Charity Wines, which according to its Web site "partners with superstar athletes and celebrities to create fine wines and help raise funds for charities," is hosting a private party on May 15 in Boston to present The Captain's Cabernet (featuring Jason Varitek, proceeds to benefit Pitching in for Kids), Vintage Papi (featuring David Ortiz, proceeds to benefit The David Ortiz Children's Fund) and SauvignYoouuk Blanc (featuring Kevin Youkilis, proceeds to benefit Kevin Youkilis Hits for Kids).

Last year I actually bought a bottle of CaberKnuckle (featuring Tim Wakefield, proceeds to benefit Pitching In for Kids), and it was pretty good, so that's somewhat of an endorsement.

Boston isn't the only city that is a target market for Charity Wines: the company is also unveiling new Yankees, Mets, Braves, Reds, Cubs, Orioles and Phillies-themed varieties.

Here's some bad advance press, though: The New York Daily News actually called in restaurateur Paul Grieco to do a blind tasting of Red Sox wines vs. Yankees wines (hey, the game was rained out that day), and Grieco gave Bobby Abreu's Finest Merlot the nod over Vintage Papi, and Jorge's Cabernet the advantage over the Varitek variety. I still say 'Tek does a better job working with pitchers, though.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

Baseball Today: Friday, April 25

Journal photo / Mary Murphy

MASTERFUL: Baseball Musing's David Pinto has the headline we almost used for Justin Masterson's performance yesterday in his emergency start against the Angels, and it certainly fits. Because, in the words of Paul Kenyon, "A few years from now, or maybe even in only a few months, not many people are likely to remember that the Red Sox bullpen blew a lead yesterday and the Sox lost to the Angels, 7-5. It is very likely, though, that many will remember they were there the day Justin Masterson made his major-league debut." Steven Krasner gives his first-day impressions in Inside The Game. And on his Hacks With Haggs blog, Joe Haggerty has a quick Q-and-A with Red Sox director of player development Mike Hazen about Masterson.

The skunk at yesterday's garden party was the bullpen (Boston Herald), which turned a 3-1 seventh-inning lead -- and a potential Masterson victory -- into a 7-3 ninth-inning deficit that was only made more respectable by David Ortiz' two-out, two-run homer in the ninth (described here by Krasner). But a loss in the 24th game of the season, no matter how it happens, is backpage news when a pitcher performs as well as Justin Masterson his first time on the big stage. He's going back to Portland now -- Bryan Corey is replacing him on the roster -- but we'll no doubt be seeing more of him. And perhaps very soon.

M*A*S*H NOTES: Krasner notes that Josh Beckett looks okay to make his Sunday start, but the flu-ridden Daisuke Matsuzaka will stay home this weekend and miss the series in Tampa.

MANNY BEING MANNY: You can't say a bad word about Manny Ramirez to some people, and Krasner acknowledges that he may catch some heat from the Manny Can Do No Wrong You Mediot You crowd, but he still takes Ramirez to task for not hustling on wind-blown, second-inning popup that fell in for a hit, a hit that should have been a double but was only a single because he "lolly-gagged his way down the first-base line." Kraz also chronicles the first rematch between Ramirez and Francisco Rodriguez since Manny won Game Two of the ALDS with a home run that just recently touched down somewhere over the Canadian border; K-Rod won this battle though Ramirez did drive the ball to the triangle in center.

COCO BEING COCO: Krasner and Kenyon detail a successful return to the lineup by Coco Crisp, and Krasner breaks down Crisp's fourth-inning steal of third.

JUNK TO YOU, TREASURE TO ME: The David Ortiz jersey that was buried under the new Yankee Stadium proved to be a $175,100 windfall for the Jimmy Fund. (New York Daily News)

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY: Casey Kotchman missed Game Three of last year's ALDS because of food poisoning. But even though he's pretty sure he got it from something he ate on the plane ride from Boston to Los Angeles after Game Two, he avoided all food, except for a few protein bars, at Fenway Park during the just-concluded series. (Los Angeles Times)

ASK 14: Jim Rice's blog is certainly no 38pitches.com, but for what it is -- a forum for Rice to answer questions from readers -- it continually delivers. Today he refutes an assertion that the Sox were too conservative in keeping him out of the 1975 World Series by stating, "I couldn’t play. I couldn’t grip a bat."

DOWN ON THE FARM: Mike Szostak has an interesting conversation with PawSox knuckleballer Charlie Zink.

DON'T BOTHER: A Roy Oswalt-to-the-Yankees rumor began circulating yesterday (mlb.com), but he's already told the Houston Chronicle the only three teams to whom he'd accept a trade are the Red Sox, Cardinals and Braves.

THE PATRIOTS CAN TELL YOU HOW TOUGH IT IS TO BE PERFECT: Joba Chamberlain suffered his first major-league loss last night as the White Sox pushed across a run in the ninth and beat the Yankees, 7-6. And if that's not bad enough, the next stop for Joba (and the Yanks) is Cleveland, where a swarm of midges derailed their postseason hopes last October. (New York Post) Phil Hughes was last night's starting pitcher but was lifted after two innings because of a rain delay. The Daily News' John Harper says that was the right move by manager Joe Girardi.

GIVE HIM A MINUTE, WILL YA? The blog Bugs and Cranks thinks it's absurdly early to be giving a thumbs-down, or a thumbs-up, on Hughes.

EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING: At least that's how most Yankee fans are probably responding to the news that Kyle Farnsworth hurt his elbow last night. (LoHud Yankees Blog)

REACTION TIME: Writing in the New York Sun, Steven Goldman says both the Yankees and Mets have been slower to address their problems than their competitors.

HANG IN THERE: Jim Kaat says that while the current Yankees "don't compare to the ones of the late 1990s", they can still win the East if they stay in contention all season and put themselves in position to make a run by Labor Day. (yesnetwork.com)

ACE WILD: Francisco Liriano's recovery from elbow surgery isn't going well -- as yesterday's "nine-batter beatdown" in an 11-2 loss to the A's demonstrates -- and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire all but said after the game that the left-hander, now 0-3 with an 11.32 ERA, will be sent to the minor leagues next week to get the rehab work he needs. (St. Paul Pioneer Press) Pinto, who wonders if Liriano is worried about reinjuring himself, thinks that's a good idea.

STAGE FRIGHT: The blog The Good Phight lists the seven stages of sports star appreciation in Philadelphia, and notes with worry that Ryan Howard is in Stage Five, from which "[most] players do not recover." But Pat Burrell, said to be buried in Stage Six, was a hero for the Phils again yesterday. (Philadephia Inquirer)

AND THE WINNER IS . . . Oakland. The A's are the team that landed Frank Thomas. (San Jose Mercury News)

COUNTING DOWN TO AN EXPLOSION: The Bucco Blog is furious at the way the Pirates are handling Tom Gorzelanny, and says he needs to be shut down. Perhaps the Bucs could take a cue from the Japanese high school coach who forfeited a game that his team trailed 66-0 in the second inning because he was afraid his pitcher's pitch count would reach 500 by the fourth inning. (Reuters)

REPAYING HIS DEBT TO SOCIETY: Nationals outfielder Elijah Dukes spent 25 hours last week cleaning out cages and mopping at a Tampa zoo as way of getting his probation on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge reduced by five months. (St. Petersburg Times) Dukes had the time because he's on the disabled list due to a hamstring pull.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE: Remember Statman, the guy who provided so much entertainment when he revealed himself to be Dan Duquette's statistical analyst in the spring of 1997? He's back, and he's calling on all fans "bombard their team owners with letters and emails and petitions demanding that their team hire Barry Bonds." The blog Big League Stew has done just that -- sort of -- to the Indians, but Royals fans need not bother; their team isn't interested. (Kansas City Star)

SOUND FAMILIAR? It's probably just a coincidence that they made this announcement two months after Dr. Charles Steinberg joined them from the Red Sox, but the Dodgers yesterday announced ambitious plans to renovate Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles Times), and they want to have it finished by the stadium's 50th anniversary in 2012 . . . the same year the Sox say they'll be finished with their renovations of Fenway Park, which that year will be celebrating its 100th anniversary.

THE REAL CURSE: The Sporting News' Gerry Fraley calls it "the curse of the Mitchell Report," and says it's struck Jason Giambi and Eric Gagne particularly hard.

AMNESTY MEANS AMNESTY: Bud Selig says that just as players named in the Mitchell Report face no discipline from MLB, neither do team executives who were implicated. (New York Daily News)

STICK TO THE SPONSOR: NJ.com reports players aren't allowed to drink water in the dugouts at Chicago's US Cellular Field. They can only take Gatorade, which is Major League Baseball's "official sports drink."

OH, FOR A MULLIGAN: FoxSports' Tracy Ringolsby lists 12 deals general managers wish they had back. No Red Sox transactions made the list, though the Yankees (Carl Pavano) had one.

GAME OF THE DAY: Tim Lincecum outdueled Chris Young as the Giants beat the Padres, 1-0. (San Jose Mercury News)

I GOT A BASEBALL JONES: SI.com's John Donovan looks at the one-time Braves tandem of Chipper and Andruw Jones, who have gone their separate ways both geographically and career-wise.

THE WRIGHT STUFF: The blog Big League Stew has an interesting sitdown with the Mets' David Wright.

FIRST OF MANY? Ron Washington could the inaugural managerial casualty of 2008 if the Rangers don't turn things around soon. (Dallas Morning News)

BROKEN: On his blog earlier this week, Blue Jays catcher Gregg Zaun said his team's road trip "could make or break our April." With three straight losses to the Rays, guess we know which way it's going.

HERE AND THERE: Harold Reynolds is joining the studio team at the Mets' network, SportsNet New York (New York Daily News) . . . The Orioles' 8-7 win over the Mariners was tempered by the news that Adam Loewen has forearm discomfort (Baltimore Sun) . . . Gary Sheffield says he doesn't know what's wrong with his shoulder (Detroit Free Press) . . . The Giants have no intention of skipping a start or two of the struggling Barry Zito. (San Francisco Chronicle)

OLD FRIENDS: Another ex-Red Sox reliever blew a game in relief for the Brewers yesterday, but this time it was David Riske and not Eric Gagne (Wisconsin State Journal) . . . Dave Roberts, who'll be out three months because of knee surgery, says he knows he may have lost his job to Fred Lewis but he understands that's how it goes (San Francisco Chronicle) . . . Justin Duchscherer will return to the A's rotation Saturday. (rotoworld.com)

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 6:53 AM | Permalink

INSIDE THE GAME -- Angels 7, Sox 5

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON – Justin Masterson made his big-league debut yesterday.

Great things are predicted for the 6-foot-6, 250-pound right-hander. The 23-year-old certainly seems to have all the tools for stardom – size, live arm and intelligence, to name three.

Here are some first-game impressions:

-- His motion is three-quarters. The beginning of his motion is deliberate, but then he explodes off the rubber, slinging the ball to the plate, reminiscent of the finish to Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley’s delivery. His delivery, though, does seem to put a lot of stress on his elbow.

-- He works very quickly, a sign of an extremely confident pitcher, not the typical first-game-in-the-bigs body language. Masterson was by no means wide-eyed, in awe of his surroundings. He looked like he belonged.

-- He can field his position. Masterson quickly came off the mound when speedy Chone Figgins attempted to bunt for a hit in the third. Under control, Masterson raced in, picked up the ball, planted his feet, squared up to first and threw a strike for the out.

-- He looks like he can control the opposition’s running game. He used his normal high leg-kick delivery in the second and the Angels’ Maicer Izturis swiped second without a throw. The next time the Angels had a runner at first, Masterson used the slide-step. And he showed quick feet and a good move to first, almost picking off Gary Matthews Jr. in the third.

-- He has the stuff to compete at the big-league level. Masterson was able to keep the Angels off-balance with his fastball (up to 92 m.p.h.), changeup (80-84) and slider (78-80), but his bread and butter was the sinker, generally 87-90. Of the 18 outs he recorded, 11 came on ground balls and he also whiffed four, so there were only three balls hit into the outfield for outs.

*****************************

His batting average still is a mere .189.

Late in the game, though, David Ortiz is a tough out. At least he was on this homestand, which wound up yesterday.

In his last at-bat over the last seven games, Ortiz went 4 for 4 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI. He walked in his other three final at-bats.

Yesterday, Ortiz was 0 for 4 when he faced Scot Shields with a runner at second and two outs in the ninth and the Sox down, 7-3. Shields surprised Ortiz by dropping in an 81 m.p.h. curveball for a called strike, making the count 1 and 2. He tried another 81-m.p.h. curve but missed, so it was 2 and 2.

It’s rare to double up with breaking balls. But throw three in a row? Not likely. So Ortiz had to know a fastball was coming. It did, a fat one over the heart of the plate, and Ortiz crushed it to right for a two-run homer, Boston’s final runs in a 7-5 loss.

Earlier, Ortiz had given indications that he’s still battling a slump, and that he wasn’t terribly confident facing Angels left-hander Joe Saunders. Ortiz attempted to beat the shift by dropping down a bunt on an 0-and-1 pitch in the first inning, but missed the pitch.

Another indication came in the fifth. The count on Ortiz reached 3 and 0.

Ortiz rarely swings at a 3-and-0 pitch. He did it only seven times last year (3 for 5). Yesterday, though, figuring he would get a fastball, he hacked at the 3-and-0 offering from Joe Saunders, the first time this season he as swung at 3 and 0.

He got the fastball, and he hit it well, but the high drive died in the triangle and was hauled in by Torii Hunter.
********************************************

The last time Manny Ramirez faced Frankie Rodriguez, the Angels’ ace closer, it was last Oct. 5. And the Red Sox left fielder clubbed a dramatic, titanic, tie-breaking three-run homer well over the Green Monster with two outs in the bottom of the ninth of Game 2 of the American League Division Series, spurring Boston to a sweep of the series.

They met again yesterday. The circumstances weren’t nearly as pressure-packed. The Angels had a 7-5 lead and there were two outs with none on in the bottom of the ninth.

Rodriguez slipped two fastballs, each at 93 m.p.h., over the outside corner for called strikes. He missed with a fastball and a slider. His 2-and-2 pitch was a 93 m.p.h. fastball that Ramirez hit very well – but flied out to the triangle in center.

**************************

It is said that stealing third base is easier than stealing second.

Pitchers don’t tend to pay as much attention to the runner at second as they do at first, so the runner can get a bigger lead and jump, as a result.

Yesterday, Coco Crisp made it look real easy to swipe third.

In the fourth, after hitting a double, Crisp wasn’t held close by the Angels shortstop or second baseman and Saunders only gave him a cursory look. So Crisp got a nice walking lead and took off for third, sliding in safely without drawing a throw because he had such a good jump.
In the sixth, Crisp made it 2 for 2, again getting a great jump and sliding into third without a throw.

******************************

Those who complain about any negative Ramirez comments should pass on this item. This may be construed as Manny Bashing.

Leading off the second, Ramirez hit a high popup behind first base that twisted in the wind. Angels first baseman Casey Kotchman was in obvious trouble trying to track this ball in the bright sunshine and the swirling wind.

Ramirez could see all of that. The play was right in his path.

Nevertheless, Ramirez lolly-gagged his way down the first-base line. So when the ball fell safely onto the grass, totally missing Kotchman’s glove about 15 feet behind the dirt part of the infield, Ramirez had barely made it to first base.

It should have been a double, had he been running out of the box.

As things turned out, it didn’t matter. Kevin Youkilis walked, pushing Ramirez to second. Ramirez was held up at third on Jed Lowrie’s single to center and scored on Coco Crisp’s one-out chopper to the right side.

skrasner@projo.com / 401-277-7340

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 6:03 PM | Permalink

Photo: Justin Masterson takes the mound

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Justin Masterson, Red Sox pitcher called up from Portland, throws in the first inning against the Los Angleles Angels at Fenway Park.

Posted by Pam Cotter  at 3:25 PM | Permalink

Red Sox 'curse' jersey fetches $175,000

BOSTON (AP) - The Boston Red Sox jersey secretly buried under the new Yankee Stadium in a failed curse attempt sold Thursday for $175,100 in a charity auction.

The bid was the highest of 282 for the battered No. 34 David Ortiz jersey, which the Yankees jackhammered out from under two feet of concrete earlier this month.

The Jimmy Fund, the cancer charity that sold the shirt, did not immediately reveal the name of the winning bidder after the weeklong eBay auction ended at 12:30 p.m.

That person, whose screen name is 2004carman, did not immediately respond to an e-mail requesting comment. The winner also will receive a new Ortiz jersey and two tickets to a Red Sox game.

Mike Andrews, The Jimmy Fund chairman and former Red Sox second baseman, said the charity was "absolutely thrilled."

"We are grateful for the generous bid, and extend our deep gratitude to the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox for coming together again in the fight against cancer," he said in a statement.

Construction worker Gino Castignoli, a Red Sox fan from the Bronx, dropped the jersey in wet concrete, hoping to hex the Yankees.

New York found the jersey after receiving information from anonymous tipsters. The Yankees then decided to donate it to the Jimmy Fund, the Red Sox's official charity that is affiliated with Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 1:18 PM | Permalink

Lowell to join PawSox on rehab assigment; will play at McCoy Friday night

The Pawtucket Red Sox will have 2007 World Series MVP Mike Lowell as their designated hitter tomorrow night (Friday) on injury rehab (sprained left thumb) from Boston when the PawSox and the Syracuse Chiefs play the finale of their 3-game series at 7:05 pm at McCoy Stadium.

The plan is for Lowell to DH tomorrow night, play third base Saturday night in Buffalo, and DH again on Sunday afternoon in Buffalo. This rehab appearance will mark the 34-year-old Lowell’s first return to the minor leagues since the 1999 season when he played 24 games for Calgary (AAA-Florida) hitting .313. He has played in the International League back in 1997 and ’98 with the Columbus Clippers (AAA-Yankees at the time) and was the MVP of the Triple-A All-Star Game in 1998.

Posted by Art Martone  at 12:01 PM | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Bugged by the flu

Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: the illness that is messing up the Red Sox' plans, what to expect from Justin Masterson, and Craig Hansen's 2008 debut.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 11:46 AM to Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam | Permalink

Expectations for Masterson's debut

Justin Masterson, called up from Double A Portland for the emergency start, will be under a few restrictions this afternoon against the Angels, consistent with the Red Sox' careful treatment of their young pitchers.

Masterson has thrown between 70-90 pitches in his four outings for Portland, lasting around five innings per start.

"We're not going to overwhelm him," said manager Terry Francona. "We're not going to put him in a situation where he has to get out major league hitters when he's not staying in his delivery, so we'll watch him closely."

Francona, though, isn't concerned that the atmosphere of pitching in the big leagues will get to the 23-year-old right-hander.

"He seems to have his act together pretty well," said Francona of the personable 6-foot-6, 250-pounder. "He's excited. He's about as solid a kid as you'll ever find."

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 11:06 AM | Permalink

Francona: Players should appreciate the fans

Wednesday night marked the Red Sox' 400th consecutive sellout, the second-longest such streak in major league history, trailing only the 455 straight sellouts notched by the Indians in the 1990s.

Boston manager Terry Francona said this morning that he hopes his players don't take the packed houses for granted.

"I hope they appreciate it," said Francona. "You see the crowds we get now and you figure it has always been that way. We've been very fortunate to play in a place where everything you do there's interest, where every game is important."

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 11:02 AM | Permalink

Making of a lineup

The Red Sox lineup is a bit of a mix-and-match affair today for the series finale against the Angels for a few reasons.

Kevin Youkilis, who missed Tuesday's game because of tightness in his back, returns to the lineup at first base. Jed Lowire is at third base. Coco Crisp, meanwhile, is back on the field for the first time since April 15 when a hamstring issue cropped up. He'll be in center field, which pushes hot-hitting top-of-the-order catalyst Jacoby Ellsbury from center to right in place of J.D. Drew.

Part of the reason for those lineup decisions are based on the Angels starting pitcher, Joe Saunders. He's left-handed and tough on lefties, so left-handed hitters Sean Casey (first base) and Drew will begin today's game on the bench.

Drew also is in a slump, only 2-for-20 on this homestand, which ends today. Ellsbury, also a left-handed hitter, remains in the lineup because he has been hitting well, notching three multiple-hit games in his last four starts. Manager Terry Francona, though, said he told Drew four days ago he'd be sitting this one out because of Saunders.

Behind the plate, meanwhile, will be Kevin Cash, making his fifth straight start because Jason Varitek has been ill.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 10:55 AM | Permalink

Beckett, Matsuzaka updates

Josh Beckett, who missed his scheduled start on Tuesday night because of a stiff neck, was able to throw a bullpen session this morning. That puts him in line to be able to make his next scheduled start, which will be on the road Sunday against Tampa Bay

Daisuke Matsuzaka, who missed his scheduled start on Wednesday night, is being examined this morning by Red Sox doctors to determine how contagious he is.

The likely plan is for Matsuzaka to remain in Boston while the Red Sox spend the weekend on the road, playing the Rays. Manager Terry Francona said he didn't see any sense in taking Dice-K along on the trip given the severity of his illness.

If the right-hander feels strong enough while Boston is on the road, the Red Sox will make whatever arrangements are necessary to make sure Matsuzaka can throw in Fenway Park. His next scheduled start would be Tuesday at home against Toronto, but there's no guarantee he'll be healthy enough to pitch that night.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 10:48 AM | Permalink

Starting Lineups -- April 24

RED SOX

Ellsbury rf
Pedroia 2b
Ortiz dh
Ramirez lf
Youkilis 1b
Lowrie 3b
Lugo ss
Crisp cf
Cash c

Masterson p

ANGELS

Figgins 3b
Matthews Jr. rf
Guerrero dh
Anderson lf
Hunter cf
Kotchman 1b
Izturis 2b
Napoli c
Aybar ss

Saunders p

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 10:45 AM | Permalink

Baseball Today: Thursday, April 24

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach

NOT SO CLOSE! In the infectious ward that is the Red Sox clubhouse, the kind of intimacy being enjoyed by Kevin Youkilis and Manny Ramirez prior to last night's game is a dangerous thing. The flu that's making the rounds is flattening the team, and it may have contributed to the Sox' 6-4 loss to the Angels. Daisuke Matsuzaka, the scheduled starter, came down with it yesterday afternoon and had to be scratched about 2 1/2 hours before gametime (Projo Sox Blog), leaving the team with almost no options as to who would pitch. Terry Francona said in his postgame press conference that they'd just about decided to go with Julian Tavarez -- with the understanding that Tavarez would max out at about three innings and they'd have to completely run through the bullpen -- when Jon Lester, originally scheduled to go today, volunteered to work on three days' rest. They took him up on it, and Paul Kenyon reports he did about as well as you'd expect after throwing 107 pitches four days ago -- five innings, nine hits, four runs. “It was different," Lester said afterwards. "No pain or soreness or anything like that. It didn’t feel like the normal five days. That’s not an excuse. . . It was just different.” The score was 4-4 when he left, and yesterday's callup, Craig Hansen, surrendered the game-winning home run three batters into his appearance. Kenyon and Steven Krasner report that Hansen was shipped back to Pawtucket immediately after the game to make room on the roster for today's starter, Justin Masterson, who's being called up from Double-A Portland for a one-shot deal. The Portland Press Herald got some quick comments from the excited Masterson last night as he packed for his in-and-out trip to Boston.

He's healthy, anyway. The last, ominous note in Kenyon's game story: Tomorrow night's starter, Tim Wakefield, was seen coughing and hacking as he left the clubhouse last night,

A LITTLE PUSH: In his Inside The Game feature, Krasner chronicles the resurgence of Julio Lugo and wonders if the splashy arrival of Jed Lowrie has lit a fire under the veteran shortstop. That link is to the newspaper copy of ITG; you can read an expanded version here on the Sox Blog (and it's available almost immediately after the end of each game).

SOMETHING TO BUILD ON: Tuesday night's emergency starter, David Pauley, is back in Pawtucket -- he was replaced by Hansen, who's now being replaced by Masterson, and someone will go up tomorrow to replace Masterson -- and Carolyn Thornton has Pauley's reaction to the whirlwind events that led to him being at Fenway.

ON A RUN: The blog Wicked Good Sports reports that Jacoby Ellsbury -- "running around like a virgin on prom night," whatever that means -- is threatening to break a major-league record: Most consecutive stolen bases at the start of a career. The record is 27, set by Tim Raines between 1979 and '81, and Ellsbury is currently at 17. (Thanks to Baseball Musing's David Pinto for finding this.)

MR. HATFIELD, MEET MR. McCOY: Orlando Cabrera is beloved in Boston for his role as the free-spirited, high-energy shortstop on the 2004 World Series champions. Edgar Renteria is reviled for his lumpy, 30-error performance in the one year he spent here as Cabrera's replacement, a year that ended in a first-round playoff ouster. Now we find out the two men, both natives of Colombia, can't stand each other . . . though it has nothing (or almost nothing) to do with their shared Boston experience. (ESPN The Magazine)

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON: The David Ortiz jersey buried under the new Yankee Stadium by a Red Sox fan working on the construction crew is proving to be a windfall for the Jimmy Fund. (New York Post) The Yankees donated the shirt to the charity organization, which put it up for auction on eBay, and the bidding has reached nearly $90,000.

SEE? I WAS RIGHT! Mike Mussina turned in his strongest performance of the year in a 6-4 win over the White Sox (New York Daily News), one day after Hank Steinbrenner said he needed to start pitching more like Jamie Moyer. The Daily News' John Harper thinks the Baby Boss deserves some of the credit for Mussina's outing.

TRY PITCHING LIKE JOSH BECKETT: Let's see what advice Hank has for the struggling Phil Hughes, who will try to complete the three-game sweep in Chicago tonight. (New York Daily News) Joe Girardi believes Hughes may have Alex Rodriguez behind him at third base, though its more likely A-Rod won't play until the weekend. (New York Post)

THE NUMBERS GAME: Having opened the topic yesterday with his rant about Yankee fans booing LaTroy Hawkins for wearing Paul O'Neill's number, Joe Posnanski digs deeply -- as only he can -- on the retired-number practice of every team. (joeposnanski.com) He breaks the decisions into the following categories -- Greatness, Emotional, Importance, Bizarre and Utterly Inexplicable. (There are only two entries in the latter two categories: The Reds' retiring Willard Hershberger's No. 5 in 1941 after he committed suicide is Bizarre, though they did recant and begin reissuing the number a few years later, and it eventually landed on Johnny Bench's back. And the Pirates' retiring Billy Meyer's No. 1 -- after he managed the team for five seasons, four of them with losing records and one with 112 losses -- is Utterly Inexplicable.)

FRANK-LY SPEAKING: The A's are mum on rumors they're about to sign Frank Thomas (Costa Contra Times), and yahoosports.com reports another, unnamed team has gotten into the bidding. (If he doesn't like these options, the Toronto Sun says the Joliet Jackhammers are preparing an offer.) The Twins aren't one of those unnamed teams. (mlb.com) As for his old club, Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi says Thomas' snit over being benched -- culminating in his refusal to join the postgame celebratory handshake on Saturday -- clinched the Jays' decision to release him. (National Post) "You’re either part of the team or you’re not," Ricciardi said. "It’s not real hard to go out there and shake hands. I don’t think that’s a tough thing to do."

YOU'LL BE SORRY, J.P.: Thomas' hometown newspaper, the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, says the Big Hurt has something left in the tank.

SECOND CHANCE: Writing for SportingNews.com, David Pinto notes it's been 82 years since a second baseman won a home-run title . . . a drought the Phillies' Chase Utley has a chance to break this season.

THIS PROBABLY SAYS SOMETHING, THOUGH DARNED IF I KNOW WHAT: On the same day the Web site True Blue L.A. is declaring sabermetrics to be dead -- because its truths are now so ingrained in the mainstream that "there’s very little competitive advantage to be gained from stats based analysis" -- the Kansas City Star reports Royals manager Trey Hillman is displeased with his team's on-base percentage.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD: Wayne Krivsky is out as Reds' general manager (Cincinnati Enquirer). One view: Richard Justice, writing for SportingNews.com, says Krivsky's replacement, Walt Jocketty, should bring October baseball back to Cincinnati. Another view: Scott Miller of CBSSports.com says firing Krivsky shows how clueless the Reds really are.

DEEPER PROBLEMS: Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com says the Tigers' decision to move Miguel Cabrera to first base makes sense on the surface, but it also reveals some fundamental problems in Detroit's organizational strategies.

'ROAR FROM 34': Orioles fans with a knowledge of the team's past recaptured the spirit of the late Wild Bill Hagy for one night and the result was magical. (Baltimore Sun, video included)

L.A.'S FINE, BUT IT AIN'T HOME. NEW YORK'S HOME, BUT IT AIN'T MINE NO MORE: Joe Torre is finding that scoring runs is much more difficult with the Dodgers than it was with the Yankees, and being saddled with the rotting carcass that is Andruw Jones isn't helping. (yahoo.com)

THE 'C' WORD: Barry Bonds' agent is again talking collusion as he finds zero interest for his client. (si.com)

IN MEDICAL NEWS . . . Scott Kazmir, sidelined since suffering a left elbow strain on Feb. 25, will make his first start of the season May 3 at Fenway Park against the Red Sox (mlb.com) . . . Nationals closer Chad Cordero won't need shoulder surgery (Washington Post) . . . The Rangers' Luis Mendoza says his shoulder hurts (Dallas Morning News) . . . A strained left intercostal is sending the Indians' Jake Westbrook to the disabled list (cleveland.com) . . . Orlando Hernandez will remain in a boot for two more weeks and his return isn't anywhere in sight (New York Daily News) . . . The Cubs say Alfonso Soriano won't need a rehab stint and will be ready to play when he comes off the DL next week. (Chocago Sun-Times)

OLD FRIENDS: Pedro Martinez, recovering from his hamstring strain, can return to the mound in 10 to 14 days (Newsweek) . . . Eric Hinske continues his resurgence in Tampa; last night he helped the Rays to a come-from-behind victory over Roy Halladay (Tampa Tribune) . . . The one thing that could always be said for Derek Lowe was that he was never injured. But last night he had to leave his start after five innings because of tightness in his elbow (mlb.com) . . . For the fifth straight time this season, Bronson Arroyo struggled, this time lasting only 3 2/3 innings with his velocity topping out at 88 (Springfield News and Sun) . . . Kason Gabbard, who hurt his back when he slipped on the mound at Fenway Monday, is being placed on the disabled list by the Rangers. (Dallas Morning News)

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 6:42 AM | Permalink

Hansen demoted; Lowell rehab; Varitek still sick

Craig Hansen’s stay in Boston lasted only one day, which is becoming the norm around this sickness-ravaged team.

And he was tagged with the loss in last night’s 6-4 defeat against the Angels, having coughed up a two-out solo homer to Casey Kotchman in the sixth inning that snapped a 4-4 tie.
Still, Francona came away impressed after watching the 6-foot-6, 230-pound right-hander in his 1 2/3-inning outing.

“I thought he threw the ball great,” said Francona. “He left one pitch up (97 m.p.h. fastball) and Kotchman didn’t miss it. But he pitched with confidence, aggression. His slider was 88 and 89 (m.p.h.) with bite. He pitched with no fear. He just reared back and let the natural movement take over.”

Nevertheless, the Sox optioned him back to Pawtucket after the game because they needed to make a move for a starting pitcher. Masterson will take his place on the roster for today’s start.
Hansen was not surprised he was being sent back to the minors.

“I pretty much figured it, but I figured I would go out there and give it my best,” said Hansen, who fanned three. “I felt strong out there. A couple of my pitches were working. There were one or two pitches that I guided (including the Kotchman homer). Obviously it was a mistake. It was a fastball inside but it got too much of the plate.”

***************************

Mike Lowell will begin a rehabilitation assignment in Pawtucket tomorrow.

Lowell, who has been on the disabled list since April 10 because of a sprained left thumb, will serve as the PawSox’ designated hitter tomorrow for a home game at McCoy Stadium, and then will play for Pawtucket in two games over the weekend in Buffalo.

He is scheduled to play third base on Saturday and then DH again on Sunday. Boston has Monday off, so Lowell will be able to get treatment or whatever work on the field he would like at Fenway. If all goes well, Lowell is likely to be activated in time for Tuesday night’s game at Fenway against Toronto.

*******************

Catcher Jason Varitek went “backward a bit,” yesterday, said Francona, apparently trying to do too much in his effort to overcome his case of the flu and return to action.

But Francona also said he thought it might be possible for Varitek to be available late in today’s game as a hitter.

*****************

The hitting streaks keep growing. Dustin Pedroia (12), Julio Lugo (9), Sean Casey (7) and Jacoby Ellsbury (6) each extended a hitting streak last night . . . Ellsbury has reached base via a hit or walk in 45 of the 49 big-league games in which he has had a plate appearances . . . Masterson will be the first player from the 2006 draft class to make it to the majors. He is 16-9 in his three minor-league seasons.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 11:06 PM | Permalink

INSIDE THE GAME -- Angels 6, Red Sox 4

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON – Is competition bringing out the best in Julio Lugo?

It was clear over the winter and in spring training that the Red Sox think very highly of young shortstop Jed Lowrie, and there’s no doubt the 2005 draft pick from Stanford was nipping at the heels of Lugo, who had a weak first season offensively and defensively for Boston in 2007.

An injury to Mike Lowell prompted the Red Sox to recall Lowrie from Pawtucket on April 10. Since arriving in the big leagues for the first time, Lowrie generally has sparkled. He has played three infield positions and he has stuck in a few clutch base hits along the way.

Lugo, meanwhile, already has committed six errors. And nine games ago, when Lowrie was beginning to make a favorable impression, Lugo was batting .238.

Maybe Lugo was feeling the heat. Maybe it’s just coincidence.

But since then, Lugo has fashioned a nine-game hitting streak, including an RBI single in the second inning that boosted his average to .333 (25 for 75). He wound up going 2 for 3, raising his average to 338.

He even has mixed in an outstanding defensive play or two. Last night he made a diving play to his left, something he rarely does. He got up and threw out the baserunner. He also made a strong relay throw, cutting down a runner at the plate in the second; turned a short-hopper up the middle into a nifty 6-3 double play; started a routine 6-4-3 twin killing, and made a fine play in the hole.

And how well is Lugo going right now? He drifted back for a major league popup hit by Vladimir Guerrero and dropped it. He calmly recovered, though, picking up the ball and throwing to second for a forceout.

It wasn’t a totally great night for Lugo, though. He fouled a ball off his left foot in the sixth, and was hobbling around a bit thereafter.

****************************************

For the last two seasons, the Angels generally have tried to get David Ortiz out with offspeed stuff – sliders, curveballs and changeups.

They mix in the occasional fastballs. It depends, naturally, on who is pitching and what stuff that pitcher may have. But the Angels pitchers have used the fastball as kind of a “show me” pitch while attacking him with the breaking stuff.

The problem with that philosophy, though, is that if you hang a breaking ball, even a struggling Ortiz can feast on it, which is what happened in the fifth inning.

Jon Garland hung a 74 m.p.h. curve on the inner half of the plate and Ortiz ripped it into the first row of seats in the right-field corner for a game-tying two-run homer.

The pattern changed in the seventh. Right-handed reliever Justin Speier, keeping the ball away from Ortiz, threw six pitches to the Sox’ designated hitter – all fastballs – and walked him.

******************************
The headfirst slide into first base is not a universally accepted concept, partially because not everyone is convinced you get to the base faster that way, and also because there’s the fear of injury, such as a separated shoulder.

There’s a different feeling when it’s used to avoid a tag. It’s more accepted, but still the injury fear is there.

Last night, Dustin Pedroia beat out a grounder to deep short in the fifth, sliding wide and reaching out with is left hand to tag the base as he slid by in his successful effort to avoid the tag of Casey Kotchman, who had to come off the bag to the home plate side to catch the throw from shortstop Erick Aybar.

Pedroia, who missed time in training camp in 2006 because of a slight separation of his left shoulder, appeared to be injured in the same way as he got up from the bag. Trainer Paul Lessard and manager Terry Francona checked on him. Pedroia stayed in the game, and scored when Ortiz laced his tying homer.

*********************
Kotchman’s baserunning mistake cost the Angels at least one run in the second inning.
Kotchman was at first and Jeff Mathis was at second base with one out. On Jon Lester’s 1-and-1 pitch to Maicer Izturis, Mathis got a good jump and broke for third.

In such a circumstance, the runner at first has to be aware of what the runner at second is doing. So when the runner from second takes off for third, the runner at first should take off for second because normally, if the catcher makes a throw, it will be to third base, leaving a safe move to second virtually guaranteed.

But Kotchman didn’t recognize soon enough what Mathis was doing. So while Mathis was safe at third, Kotchman remained at first base. He acknowledged his mistake by tapping his chest in a “my bad” gesture to first-base coach Alfredo Griffin as he returned to the bag.

Izturis crushed the next pitch into the gap in left-center for an RBI double. Had Kotchman been at second, as he should have been, he would have romped home, too. Instead, he was running from first.

When Manny Ramirez bobbled the ball in the outfield, Angels third-base coach Dino Ebel waved home Kotchman. Good relay throws from Ramirez to shortstop Julio Lugo and then Lugo to catcher Kevin Cash easily nailed a sliding Kotchman at the plate.

So instead of a 3-0 Angels lead with a runner at second and one out against a struggling Jon Lester, it was only 2-0 with two outs and a runner at second. The Angels did not score again in the inning.

skrasner@projo.com / 401-277-7340

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 10:57 PM | Permalink

Masterson to make Debut Thursday

Hot pitching prospect Justin Masterson will make his big-league debut Thursday afternoon in the series finale against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Masterson, the team's second-round pick in 2006, will be promoted from Portland, the Sox' Double A farm club, to help plug a hole in the rotation caused by a nasty flu bug that has been seriously affecting the team.

The 23-year-old right-hander was 1-0 with a 0.95 earned-run average in four starts for Portland this season. He fanned 23 and walked only 5 in 19 innings.

Masterson's emergency promotion has come as a result of health issues with Josh Beckett (stiff neck, flu) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (flu). Beckett was unable to make his start on Tuesday night, so David Pauley was plucked from Pawtucket for that outing. Dice-K was unable to make his start Wednesday night, so Jon Lester, Thursday's scheduled starter, was moved up a day.

To make room for Masterson, the Sox optioned right-handed reliever Craig Hansen after the Wednesday night game. Hansen, recalled from Pawtucket earlier in the days, was the losing pitcher in Boston's 6-4 setback to the Angels.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 10:23 PM | Permalink

Angels make changes

Hope no one used a pen when they wrote down the lineups for tonight's game. We have more changes.

With the Red Sox scratching Daisuke Matsuzaka (he has the flu) and replacing him with lefty Jon Lester, the Angels have rearranged their lineup. Here is the new one:

Figgins 3B
Matthews Jr. LF
Guerrero RF
Hunter CF
Anderson LF
Aybar SS
Mathis C
Katchman 1B
Izturis 2B

Garland P

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 6:18 PM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink

Matsuzaka Sick, Scratched -- Lester to Start

Another day, another scratched starter.

Today it's Daisuke Matsuzaka who is unable to make a scheduled start. The right-hander is suffering from the flu that has been ravaging the Red Sox the last week or so.

The Sox didn't have many alternatives, so they have turned to Jon Lester for tonight's outing against the Angels. Lester had been scheduled to start tomorrow afternoon's series finale against the Angels, so he will be pitching on short rest, one day sooner than normal.

Lester threw 107 pitches in his previous outing, against Texas last Saturday.

Boston had to make a quick starting-pitcher change last night, too, when Josh Beckett (stiff neck) was unable to make his scheduled start. He was replaced by David Pauley, an emergency call-up from Pawtucket.

Pauley lasted only 4 1/3 innings, forcing manager Terry Francona to call on Julian Tavarez for 1 2/3 innings, so Tavarez, who could have been a candidate to start either tonight or tomorrow night, is unable to do so because of his Tuesday night workload.

The Red Sox likely will have to call up a pitcher to start tomorrow's game.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 5:27 PM | Permalink

Youkilis will sit tonight; others near return

Kevin Youkilis is being given a night off because of a minor problem with his back.

Youkilis felt some discomfort in his lower back when he went deep behind third base to make a play in Tuesday night’s game, manager Terry Francona reported.

``He called me this morning and told me he was feeling it,’’ Francona said.

Jed Lowrie will start in his place and bat eighth. The red-hot Julio Lugo moves up to the seven hole and Kevin Cash will hit ninth. Cash will be starting for the fourth straight game in place of Jason Varitek.

The good news for the Sox is that Varitek is feeling better, so much so that he just finished taking early batting practice. Francona said he hopes not to have to use him tonight. With a day game tomorrow, it is possible Varitek could play then. That would work out well since Tim Wakefield is scheduled to pitch Friday, meaning Varitek would be able to get that day off since Cash handles Wakefield’s knucklers.

In other Sox news, Josh Beckett, who missed his start last night because of a stiff neck, is feeling better and has been penciled in to pitch Sunday, which would be his normal spot in the rotation.

Mike Lowell not only took more batting practice, he did some work in the field for the first time since going on the disabled list. Depending on how he reacts to today’s work he could be on rehab assignment soon.

Bartolo Colon did some throwing from 120 feet today and seems to be progressing. A tentative schedule has been planned, one that would have him back with Pawtucket pitching on rehab assignment on May 5. That would be exactly one month to the day when he hurt his oblique.

Coco Crisp also is feeling better, could play if needed tonight and likely will return to the starting lineup tomorrow.

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 4:41 PM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink

Craig Hansen promoted

Craig Hansen, who has yet to allow a run this season, has been promoted from Pawtucket and is ready to pitch tonight when the Red Sox host the Angels.

``They called about 11:30 last night,’’ the big right-hander said. ``They called RJ (Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson) and he called me.’’

Hansen had just returned from a quick trip back home to New York on a day off for Pawtucket. The trip home was enjoyable, he said, except for one thing. His dog was too happy to see him.

``He jumped all over me. You can see the scratches,'' said Hansen, who has several scratches near his left eye.

Hansen, Boston’s first-round draft choice three yers ago, has pitched in eight games for Pawtucket. He has gone 12.1 innings and allowed three hits with four walks and 13 strikeouts withot allowing a run. For the season, hitters are 3-for-43 against him

``He’s been throwing the ball great,’’ said Sox manager Terry Francona. ``And he has some flexibility.’’

Manny Delcarmen, one of a number of Sox players who has been ill, is feeling ``so so,’’ Francona reported, so his status for tonight is questionable. It makes Hansen a prime candidate for work tonight.

Hansen replaces David Pauley, who started last night. That means the Sox keep 13 pitchers on their 25-man roster.

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 4:24 PM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink

Starting Lineups, April 23

RED SOX

Ellsbury cf
Pedroia 2b
Ortiz dh
Ramirez lf
Drew rf
Casey 1b
Lugo ss
Lowrie 3b
Cash c

Matsuzaka p

ANGELS

Figgins 3b
Matthews lf
Guerrero rf
Anderson dh
Hunter cf
Kotchman 1b
Izturis 2b
Mathis c
Aybar ss

Garland p

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:08 PM | Permalink

NESN hires Heidi Watney to replace Tina Cervasio

The New England Sports Network announced thus afternoon that Heidi Watney has been hired as a reporter/host and will join Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy on Red Sox broadcasts beginning the first week of May. She will assume the role that Tina Cervasio filled before leaving for the MSG Network in New York last month.

“Heidi is a skillful reporter who is smart, resourceful and has a terrific sense of humor,” said Joel Feld, NESN’s vice president of programming and executive producer. “Her talent for connecting with viewers makes her the ideal choice to join Don and Jerry as part of our Red Sox coverage.”

Watney comes to NESN from Fresno, Calif., where she has served as a sports anchor and reporter for KMPH Fox-26 News and a sports talk radio show host for 1430 ESPN Radio KFIG. The University of San Diego graduate began her career as a sports reporter/assistant producer for KUSI News in San Diego, California.

Posted by Art Martone  at 2:08 PM | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Ellsbury shines vs. L.A.

Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. Today's topics: Jacoby Ellsbury's terrific night against the Angels, the Ellsbury-Dustin Pedroia duo looking great, David Pauley's future with the team, and the roster move to come later today.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 11:24 AM to Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam | Permalink

Baseball Today: Wednesday, April 23

Journal photos / Bob Breidenbach

GOLD DUST TWINS: Jacoby Ellsbury's two-homer night -- and his mad dash home from first base with the winning run in the eighth inning (above right) -- got most of the attention, but he shared the spotlight with Dustin Pedroia in the Red Sox' come-from-behind 7-6 win over the Angels. Paul Kenyon's game story not only chronicles Ellsbury's night, but also the four-hit, three-double performance of Pedroia (above left), who knocked in Ellsbury with the run that broke the 6-6 tie. Steven Krasner goes Inside The Game to take a closer look at the eighth-inning climax, showing how just the threat of Ellsbury stealing second base helped secure the victory.

NOW WHAT? The big news before the game was the stiff neck that forced Josh Beckett to miss the start and led to the emergency callup of David Pauley. Pauley only lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing five runs, and was immediately sent back to Pawtucket, meaning the team will need to make another roster move before tonight's game. Krasner and Kenyon note it will be a position player if Jason Varitek is feeling better, or a backup catcher if the flu bug that has flattened Varitek and a few other members of the club is still strong enough to keep the captain away from the park.

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: Kenyon has a nice pregame vignette on Pauley, showing that while the young pitcher may have had a big-league roster spot for a day, he didn't cop a big-league attitude.

THIS THING OF OURS: Every so often, Steve Silva makes me laugh out loud.

CURSE THIS: The Angels are 14-25 at Fenway Park since Mike Scioscia took over as manager in 2000, including 7-21 in their last 28 games here, but they don't want to hear any talk about a Fenway jinx. (Riverside Press-Enterprise)

LIKE NO PLACE ON EARTH: Matt Hurst, the Angels' beat writer for our Belo cousins in Riverside, Calif., talks to Angels players about what it's like to be an opposing player in Fenway Park. (Riverside Press-Enterprise) Some elements of the piece are disturbing, like Torii Hunter and Gary Matthews Jr. telling how they've heard a few racial taunts -- which prompted the Boston Herald to look further into the subject -- but what comes across, mostly, is the passion, positive and negative, the fans have for the Red Sox and for baseball . . . passion so unlike other cities that the players really don't know how to process it. "There are no fans like theirs," said Garret Anderson. And Hunter told the Herald that, in spite of everything, he wanted to join the Red Sox as a free agent last winter. “I did want to come here," he said. "But it didn’t work out."

MANNY BEING MYTHIC: SI.com's Tom Verducci profiles Manny Ramirez in a piece that not only puts his bat into historical perspective but also notes that he's become a mythic figure at a time when the white-hot glare of multi-platformed media scrutiny almost precludes athletic myth. "It's like telling a story about Babe Ruth," Verducci writes. "It may or not be true, but just the plausibility of it is enough."

HAPPY TO SEE IT: On his Ask 14 blog, Jim Rice says he was thrilled at the reception Bill Buckner received on Opening Day.

POINT, MR. CASHMAN: The Joba's-Place-Is-In-The-Bullpen crowd had a good night, as Chamberlain rescued the Yankees from a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the seventh inning and helped the Yanks beat the White Sox, 9-5. (New York Daily News) Johnny Damon cast his vote in the debate: He likes Chamberlain as a reliever. (New York Post)

NEXT TARGET: With the Joba Chamberlain contretempts settled -- for now -- Hank Steinbrenner turned his attention to another member of the Yankee pitching staff: Mike Mussina. The Baby Boss says he wants Moose to pitch more like Jamie Moyer, advice Mussina seemed to accept with equal parts humor and resentment. (New York Daily News) But on the LoHud Yankees Blog, Peter Abraham has numbers that show Mussina does pitch like Moyer.

A MATCH MADE IN . . . WELL, SOMEWHERE: Mark Gonzalez of the Chicago Tribune talks to Ozzie Guillen about what it would be like if Guillen managed the Yankees of Hank Steinbrenner.

A-DAD: Alex Rodriguez' wife Cynthia gave birth to the couple's second daughter. (New York Daily News)

STILL SOMETHING LEFT: On the Replacement Level Yankee Weblog, SG is unconvinced of something that is becoming accepted truth in Yankee Universe: That Jason Giambi is all washed up. If you want to read the case against Giambi, may we direct you to Steven Goldman of the New York Sun.

WHAT?? Joe Posnanski speaks for most everyone in the baseball world when he blows a gasket over Yankee fans booing LaTroy Hawkins because he had the gall to wear Paul O'Neill's number. (joeposnanski.com)

'NO SURPISES': Jose Canseco's lawyer says federal investigators stuck to the script in their three-hour meeting regarding Canseco's knowledge of steroid use in baseball. (New York Post) So did Canseco when it came to whether or not Roger Clemens was at his house during the 1998 party that became a focal point of a congressional hearing in February: He continues to insist Clemens wasn't there, photographic evidence to the contrary.

STOP WORRYING: The fretting about C.C. Sabathia's slow start can officially cease after his six-scoreless-innings, 11-strikeout performance in the Indians' rout of the Royals. (Cleveland Plain Dealer) Yahoo.com's Jeff Passan says Sabathia has been receiving words of encouragement from throughout baseball and that yesterday he looked "every bit like his Cy Young self."

GET REAL: The Toronto Star's Richard Griffin says the notion of the Blue Jays' signing Barry Bonds to replace Frank Thomas is "crazy."

CHANGE ON THE FLY: It's been said that it's a bad sign for baseball organizations when institution-level decisions are made during the chaos of a season. If that's the case, what to make of Jim Leyland's almost cavalier announcement that Carlos Guillen and Miguel Cabrera are switching positions, effective immediately? (Detroit News) But News columnist Lynn Henning says the change was desperately needed, as Cabrera was redefining the term 'defensively inept' in his pathetic attempts to play third base.

THE END IS NEAR: It looks like the demolition of Tiger Stadium, which has sat empty since the Tigers moved to Comerica Park in 2000, will finally begin in May or June. (Detroit Free Press)

COUNTERPRODUCTIVE: With the Cardinals' cleanup hitters struggling, opposing pitchers are working around Albert Pujols in the No. 3 hole; he's on pace to walk 154 times this year. And Pujols is getting so frustrated about it that he's starting to get himself out by swinging at pitches out of the strike zone. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) Baseball Musing's David Pinto says Pujols has to adopt the Barry Bonds approach and accept the walks, because it will mean more runs for the Cards.

TAKING ON THE WORLDWIDE LEADER: The Houston Chronicle's Jerome Solomon chides ESPN for the way it "ambushed" (his words) Miguel Tejada in the taped interview about his age discrepancy, and says the fact that he's two years older than his listed birthday is no big deal. Pinto notes that Tejada has hit better since the news broke.

MEAT FOR HIS SUPPORTERS: Brewer manager Ned Yost thinks Prince Fielder's three-hit, two-walk, sacrifice-fly performance yesterday should silence critics who think Fielder's new vegetarian diet has cut into his offensive production. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

BITTERSWEET: John Smoltz recorded his 3,000th career strikeout but suffered the loss as the Nationals beat the Braves. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

MIGHTY MOUSE: The Rays remained unbeaten in Orlando as they beat the Blue Jays in their annual game at Disney World. "Nobody goes into Disney and beats the Rays," writes the Tampa Tribune's Martin Fennelly. "Nobody."

BET ON A VET: Ex-major leaguer Jesse Barfield, stunned by the Blue Jays' release of Frank Thomas, says every team needs veteran leadership in the clubhouse. (cbc.ca)

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR: In light of speculation that the Mets may do to Carlos Delgado what the Jays did to Thomas, our pal The Tao of Steib wonders if Toronto would consider bringing back Delgado. "We'd usually dump on anyone who came up with this sort of fanciful BS notion of returning a player to the team for completely sentimental reasons," admits Tao. "But there's something about the idea of seeing Delgado back in Toronto that melts away all of our reason and good sense." A suggestion, Tao: Take a look at this post on FanGraphs before starting a full-fledged We Want Carlos! campaign.

REMEMBER WHEN: The Los Angeles Times' Jerry Crowe writes about the 30-year anniversary of Lyman Bostock trying to give his entire April salary back to the Angels because he got off to a slow start after signing as a free agent from the Twins. The team refused to take it, so Bostock instead donated the money to charity. That memory has been lost because Bostock, tragically, was killed in a drive-by shooting that September in a case of mistaken identity.

HERE AND THERE: Both Mike Hampton and Tom Glavine they're ready to return to the Braves (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) . . . Andruw Jones is blaming allergies for his slow start this season (Los Angeles Daily News) . . . The healthy-again J.J. Putz records his first save since Opening Day as the Mariners beat the Orioles (Seattle Times) . . . They've banned smoking everywhere at Shea Stadium, which will make it tough for Bobby Cox to enjoy his postgame cigar when the Braves visit this weekend. (espn.com)

OLD FRIENDS: The Marlins can't decide whether or not to sign Hanley Ramirez to a long-term contract (Miami Herald) . . . Eric Gagne blew another save -- though his manager said he threw the ball well -- but Gabe Kapler made it all good with a game-winning hit for the Brewers in the 12th inning (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . Kapler, incidentally, has a great Q-and-A with Jesse Spector of the New York Daily News in which he says if could trade places with anyone in baseball for one day, he'd switch with John Henry.

AND FINALLY . . . Change your bookmarks: Chad Finn has a new home.

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 6:50 AM | Permalink

Lugo's Streak Ends in Controversy

Julio Lugo’s streak of consecutive hits and times on base came to an end because of a call at first base that, on replay, appeared incorrect. Lugo was called out by umpire Ed Montague, who ruled the short-hop throw from shortstop Erick Aybar was scooped in time by Casey Kotchman.

Lugo had reached base safely in seven straight plate appearances on a walk and then six base hits, including two last night.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 11:37 PM | Permalink

Pauley Optioned -- Who Comes Up??

BOSTON – David Pauley’s stay in Boston was short.

The right-hander, called up from Pawtucket and pressed into service as the starting pitcher last night when Josh Beckett (stiff neck) was unable to go, was told he would be optioned back to the PawSox today.

Manager Terry Francona said that, as of last night, it wasn’t clear who would come up to take Pauley’s spot on the roster. It depends on the health of catcher Jason Varitek, who has been suffering from a debilitating case of the flu.

Varitek missed his third straight game last night. But Francona said Varitek informed him before last night’s game that he thought the worst of the flu was over for him.

Francona said if Varitek is more improved today, Boston will call up a position player. If he isn’t, the Sox will promote a catcher to back up Kevin Cash. Last night’s backup catcher was starting second baseman Dustin Pedroia.

The Sox are especially thin in the outfield because to make room for Pauley yesterday they designated utilityman Joe Thurston for assignment. Coco Crisp continues to recover from a hamstring injury and could be available to start tomorrow.

Beckett, meanwhile, could be healthy enough to make his next scheduled start, Sunday on the road against Tampa Bay.
-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 11:36 PM | Permalink

INSIDE THE GAME -- Sox 7, Angels 6

BOSTON – After a one-out bunt single, Jacoby Ellsbury was perched on first base in a tie game in the eighth.

Ellsbury’s speed, and just the threat of the stolen base helped win the game for the Sox.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia replaced left-hander Darren Oliver with a right-hander, Scot Shields, even though lefties tend to hold runners better than righties. Shields paid careful attention to Ellsbury, who has stolen eight bases without being caught this year.

With Dustin Pedroia in the box, Shields stepped off the rubber and looked at Ellsbury. Then he threw a pitchout, with catcher Jeff Mathis firing to first in an unsuccessful attempt to pick him off.

Not surprisingly, Shields’ first pitch to Pedroia was a fastball (92 m.p.h.), giving Mathis a chance to throw out Ellsbury if he went. Shields tried to speed up his delivery by using the slide-step. Ellsbury stayed at first.

Ellsbury also stayed put on another fastball (92), again with Shields employing the slide-step, which can flatten out a pitch, taking off some of its movement. Pedroia took the pitch for a strike.

Now, with the count 2 and 1, Shields threw over to first. Ellsbury was safe. Then Shields stepped off the rubber and looked him back. Then he threw over, trying to hold Ellsbury close.
Pedroia, meanwhile, was ready for a fastball when Shields eventually made a pitch to the plate.

And he did, another 92 m.p.h. heater using the slide-step. Pedroia was geared up for it. He turned on it and drilled the ball inside the third-base bag, the ball zipping into the left-field corner.
Ellsbury, displaying his speed, easily scored without a throw as the Sox snapped a 6-6 tie and ultimately won the game, 7-6.

*************************************
Pitch to the righty or pitch to the lefty.

That was the decision staring at pitching coach John Farrell and Hideki Okajima in the seventh inning with runners at second and third and two outs and the Sox ahead, 6-5.

They opted to have Okajima face the right-handed hitter, with excellent results. But in the eighth inning, Okajima faced the left-handed hitter, with depressing results, a game-tying first-pitch homer.

Sometimes the percentages just don’t work out.

In the seventh, the Angels’right-handed hitter was Torii Hunter, who was 2 for 2 in his career against Okajima. They had the left-handed Casey Kotchman on deck. Right-handers were just 1 for 13 against Okajima heading into last night’s game. Lefties were 1 for 8.

Okajima went after Hunter. He changed eye levels. He mixed his pitches. And he racked up a key strikeout.

Okajima got a call on the first pitch, an 88 m.p.h. fastball that was down. Then he went upstairs with an 88 m.p.h. fastball. Hunter couldn’t get his bat up to the ball, swinging and missing.
After Hunter was able to foul off an 83 m.p.h. splitter off the plate away, Okajima fired an 88 m.p.h. fastball that was up a bit, and again Hunter wasn’t able to get the bat on the ball, a whiff that ended the uprising.

In the eighth, though, Kotchman lofted a fly ball down the right-field line that sneaked its way past the Pesky Pole and into the seats, tying the game at 6-6.

**************************************************
Over the first two innings, Boston starter David Pauley was in such efficient command, there was premature talk about a perfect game.

One inning later, there was talk about who might be warming up soon for the Red Sox.

The difference between the perfect Pauley of the first two innings (6 up, 6 down) and the not-so-perfect Pauley of the third inning (3 runs on 4 hard hits) was a matter of inches.

In throwing only 24 pitches for the six outs over the first two innings, Pauley’s sinker was down in the strike zone where it needs to be for him to be successful, pitching around 88-91 m.p.h. on the radar gun. Of those six outs, four came on grounders, one on a strikeout and the other on a liner to center.

In the third inning, though, his sinker was up maybe 4-5 inches in the zone – and it got whacked hard. Maicer Izturis opened the inning with a double on a curveball and Jeff Mathis grounded a game-tying single up the middle on a decent sinker.

But Erick Aybar elevated a fat sinker for a ground-rule double into the Angels’ bullpen. And after the dangerous Vladimir Guerrero had popped up a thigh-high, down-the-middle 90 m.p.h. sinker with the bases loaded and one out, Pauley paid for another high sinker to Garret Anderson, who drilled it to center for a tie-breaking two-run single that put Los Angeles on top, 3-1.

Then, in the fourth, an 88 m.p.h. sinker that didn’t sink was croaked by Mathis for a no-doubt-about-it two-run homer over the Green Monster in left-center, sinking the Sox into a 5-1 deficit and prompting manager Terry Francona to get Julian Tavarez up in the bullpen.

Pauley wound up working 4 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and five runs in an 89-pitch outing.

********************************************

Stayin’ alive can be more important than looking good at the plate.

Leading off the first inning, Jacoby Ellsbury took a very late and highly defensive swing at Jered Weaver’s 2-and-2 pitch, a 93-m.p.h. fastball. He barely ticked the ball, and Mathis, the Angels’ catcher, thought he gloved it.

Mathis got out of his crouch as if getting ready to throw the ball around the infield, but the ball slipped out of his mitt, giving Ellsbury life at the plate.

Weaver and Mathis decided to come back with a changeup. They outsmarted themselves. After a tardy swing at a fastball, Ellsbury was right on the 84 m.p.h. changeup and lined it into the Angels bullpen for a homer and a quick 1-0 Boston lead.
*************************************************

Dustin Pedroia was a little overaggressive on the basepaths.

He cracked a double with none out in the first. When David Ortiz hit a sharp grounder up the middle, Pedroia took a couple of quick steps toward third. Unfortunately for him, Weaver stabbed the ball, turned and caught Pedroia dead to rights in the basepaths. Pedroia was put out in a rundown.

*********************

It has been well documented that, given his druthers, Manny Ramirez would play about 10 feet behind the shortstop in the field as Boston’s left fielder.

The Angels’ left fielder, Garret Anderson, is the polar opposite when it comes to positioning at Fenway Park.

Anderson plays about two steps shy of the warning track, no matter the hitter. He plays basically in the same spot, whether it’s the power-packed Ramirez or the light-hitting Kevin Cash.

That positioning, though, served him well in the fourth when Sean Casey drilled an opposite-field screamer to deep left. Anderson had to lope back only a few steps in hauling in the drive on the warning track, making it a routine catch.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 11:31 PM | Permalink

Pauley sure seems relaxed

Maybe if David Pauley gets to stay in the majors for an extended period he will not do what he just did this afternoon.

Right now, though, Pauley is a relaxed and amiable guy, even on a day that has turned into one of the biggest of his career. As Steven Krasner reported here earlier, the 24-year-old right-hander has been called up from Pawtucket to pitch against the Angels tonight, an emergency replacement for Josh Beckett, who is out because of a stiff neck.

Almost all starters prefer to be left alone on the day they are to pitch. In many cases, not even teammates go near them, never mind members of the media.

Not Pauley, at least not today.

Pauley arrived in the Red Sox clubhouse about 4:10 this afternoon. The clubhouse was almost deserted. Most of the reporters were upstairs for the daily meeting with manager Terry Franconca. Most of the Sox players were on the field getting ready for the start of batting practice. I was on watch to chase Mike Lowell and Alex Cora, both of whom are on the disabled list. They were finishing early batting practice.

Pauley walked in and saw Pam Ganley from the Red Sox public relations staff. He smiled and gave her a hug. Pauley saw me and smiled. We have been having chats for three days now. I have covered Pawtucket games the last two days. Pauley was supposed to have started Sunday against Buffalo.

Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson received a call from Boston officials about 45 minutes before game time. They informed Johnson that Pauley might be needed in Boston. They told him to have someone else pitch, instead. Edgar Martinez started the first game of his pro career and pitched well, helping the PawSox beat the Bisons.

After the game, we talked to Pauley. He still was not sure what was going on, other that that he was on call for the parent team. He said he was happy just to be on call. He was not sure if he would be reporting to McCoy or Fenway Monday.

Monday, when Pawtucket played a day game, Pauley was in the clubhouse. He smiled when I saw him and asked the obvious, ``Still here, huh?’’

Today, both of us were at Fenway. I did not know what was going on when he walked into the clubhouse. Theo Epstein had been in the clubhouse earlier and was on the phone as he was leaving. Francona’s meeting with the media had been moved back a few minutes from its usual 4 p.m. start. I went up to Pauley and asked what was going on. He said he had gotten the call to report.

``About 15 mintes ago,’’ he said.

``Where were you?’’ I asked.

``At a hotel here in Boston. They told me to come up last night and stay just in case. I got a call a couple hours ago saying no, then another call about 15 minutes ago saying yes. I was going to stay here for a little while, just in case.’’

``What’s the situation?’’

``I’m starting, as far as I know?’’

``Tonight?’’

``Yes.’’

``Oh. Sorry I shouldn’t be bothering you.’’

``Nah. It’s fine,’’ he said.

Manny Delcarmen came in and went over and welcomed Pauley, who was given a locker between Javy Lopez and Julian Tavarez. Cora came in, saw Pauley and went over and gave him a hug.

A short time later, when the reporters who had been at Francona’s press conference arrived, a couple went over and chatted with Pauley. Pauley talked to them, too.

If he was nervous or uptight, he sure was not showing it.

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 5:33 PM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink

The lineups

The Angels were a bit late posting their lineup for tonight. We have them both now:

ANGELS

Figgins 3b
Matthews DH
Guerrero RF
Anderson LF
Hunter CF
Kotchman 1B
Izturis 2B
Mathis C
Aybar SS

Weaver P

RED SOX

Ellsbury CF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Ramirez LF
Youkilis 3B
Drew RF
Casey 1B
Cash C
Lugo SS

Pauley P

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 4:52 PM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink

Injury Updates -- Crisp, Cora

Outfielder Coco Crisp, who hasn't played since last Tuesday because of a strained hamstring, felt better today. Manager Terry Francona said it's possible Crisp could return to the starting lineup Thursday against Angels left-hander Joe Saunders.

It's possible that, out of necessity, Crisp may be pressed into service tonight and tomorrow night because the Red Sox have a shortage of outfielders. Boston has three healthy outfielders -- Manny Ramirez, Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew. The Sox had been using utilityman Joe Thurston as the fourth outfielder since his recall from Pawtucket last week, but that lineup option for Francona disappeared this afternoon when Thurston was designated for assignment to make room for tonight's starting pitcher, David Pauley.

Alex Cora, meanwhile, still is about a week away from even being cleared to start throwing again. Cora has a right elbow strain. He took batting practice on the field this afternoon. Francona said the team will re-evaluate the utility infielder next Monday or Tuesday, after their road series this weekend against Tampa Bay.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:44 PM | Permalink

Lowell takes BP -- Rehab this weekend?

Third baseman Mike Lowell, on the disabled list since April 10 because of a strained left thumb, took batting practice on the field this afternoon for the first time since suffering the injury.

And manager Terry Francona was pleased with what he saw.

"He looked good," said Francona, who was watching to see if Lowell was "nursing the bat" through the hitting zone, but didn't see that problem.

Francona said it would important to see tomorrow how the thumb reacted from today's workout. If there is no issue, Lowell will again hit on the field tomorrow. The earliest he could go out on a rehab assignment would be this weekend, Francona said, but there is no guarantee that Lowell will be in a minor-league lineup by then.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:39 PM | Permalink

Varitek still out -- Pedroia backup catcher

Jason Varitek remains out of commission because of the flu bug that has knocked a few members of the Sox off their feet over the last week or so.

He's out of the starting lineup tonight for the third straight game, with Kevin Cash again starting behind the plate.

The Red Sox began casting about for backup catching help yesterday when manager Terry Francona received the news about Josh Beckett's stiff neck, which is keeping him from making tonight's start.

So instead of promoting a legitimate catcher from Pawtucket to back up Cash, the red Sox had to call up a pitcher, which turned out to be David Pauley for the start in place of Beckett. Joe Thurston (designated for assignment) was going to be the roster move anyway, but the Pauley-for-Thurston swap leaves Boston without a backup catcher.

Should anything happen to Cash tonight, Francona said second baseman Dustin Pedroia would serve as the emergency catcher.

"He says he can go back there," said Francona. "At this point, that's good enough for me. We'll get him some equipment that will fit him."

Varitek isn't the only member of the Sox who was instructed to stay out of the clubhouse for fear of contaminating anyone else. Strength and conditioning coach David Page is off his feet because of the bug, too.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:28 PM | Permalink

Roster Move -- Pauley for Thurston

Joe Thurston's stay in Boston was brief.

The utilityman, called up from Pawtucket last Wednesday, was designated for assignment this afternoon to make room for right-hander David Pauley, who was promoted from Pawtucket to take the place of Josh Beckett (stiff neck) on the mound for tonight's start against the Angels.

Thurston appeared in four games, including one start, on Patriots Day. He was hitless in eight at-bats.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:25 PM | Permalink

Beckett to miss tonight's start -- stiff neck

Josh Beckett, scheduled to start tonight's game against the Angels, was scratched from the assignment because of a stiff neck.

Beckett had been bothered by the flu bug/chest cold issue that has been running rampant through the Red Sox clubhouse. Manager Terry Francona said he didn't know whether the illness was a contributing factor to the stiff neck, but he and the medical staff didn't think it was worth the risk to send him to the mound tonight.

The Sox made a hasty call to Pawtucket and plucked right-hander David Pauley to take Beckett's place tonight. Pauley had been scratched from his scheduled start for Pawtucket on Sunday in case Clay Buchholz, also feeling the effects of the flu, wasn't able to make his start on Patriots Day. Buchholz did start, so Pauley is available tonight.

Pauley spent last night in a hotel in Boston. The Sox called him around 2 o'clock and told him he wouldn't be needed, but they called back at 4 o'clock and told him he'd be pitching tonight.

Francona said he didn't know how long Beckett would be out of action. It's possible he could be re-inserted into the rotation in a matter of days, or he could just miss a turn and pitch again in Tampa on Sunday, which would be his next scheduled start.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:19 PM | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Happy stories all around

Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. All's right for the Red Sox fans of the world, as our conversation topics suggest: the team's fast start (same record through 21 games as they had en route to the World Series last year), Jacoby Ellsbury's standout play of late and Julio Lugo responding to the challenge from young Jed Lowrie. Also, Sean provides a briefing on the L.A. Angels, who hit Fenway for three games beginning tonight.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 1:31 PM to Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam | Permalink

Baseball Today: Tuesday, April 22

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach

109-53: With yesterday's fourth straight win over the Rangers in the books, Joe McDonald says the Red Sox have found the formula for success this season: "Battle for supremacy with the good teams in the league, while pounding the weaker teams into submission." And Joe says if they do that, they "could be on pace for a 109-53 record." (Mathematics alert: A 14-7 record, which is what they have now, projects out to 108-54. But you get the idea.) Jim Donaldson was impressed with the fact that the Sox could win a game by an 8-3 score with a lineup that was missing Manny Ramirez, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek, though it did include Kevin Youkilis and Jacoby Ellsbury (above). But pitching will take you far, and Steven Krasner shows in his Inside The Game feature that Clay Buchholz, yesterday's starter, is "wise beyond his years when it comes to mixing his pitches and keeping the opposition off balance." McDonald has more on Buccholz in his notebook.

You're never as good as you look when you're winning (or as bad as you look when you're losing), so 109-53 -- or 108-54 -- is a stretch. But it sure does look like the Sox have found the formula.

CHANGES: Our friend David Scott has the news that Gordon Edes is leaving the Globe for yahoo.com, and Heidi Watney has been hired by NESN as Tina Cervasio's replacement. (Scott's Shots)

QUICK FIX: Paul Kenyon reports a change in mechanics has led to a dramatic improvement in Craig Hansen's pitching at Pawtucket.

R.I.P. JOHN MARZANO: Mlb.com has a nice tribute to former Red Sox backup catcher John Marzano, who died over the weekend at the age of 45.

LOCAL BOYS (SORT OF): Foxsports.com profiles the rampaging Diamondbacks, whose GM, Josh Byrnes, used to work for the Red Sox.

BACK IN BUSINESS: For those who long for the days of the Bronx Zoo, may we proudly present . . . Hank Steinbrenner!

The Yankees were in full spin mode yesterday, less than 24 hours after Hammerin' Hank all but demanded that Joba Chamberlain be inserted into the starting rotation in a New York Times interview. So out came Brian Cashman, insisting that a) Chamberlain is staying in the bullpen for now, b) Steinbrenner is aware of, and approves, the long-range plan with Chamberlain, and c) there's no feud between himself and Hank. (New York Post) Having given the baseball's story of the day to the Times on Sunday Steinbrenner wouldn't speak to them yesterday (though Cashman did). He did, however, talk to the New York Daily News, telling them, basically, that yeah, I know what the plan is, and I'm fine with it; I was just sayin' it would be nice to have him starting now.

And this, my friends, is how controversy starts. For one thing, it reopens the Should Joba Be A Starter? debate. (Kevin Kernan of the Post says yes, and thinks Hank is a hero for saying so. Mets' relief ace Billy Wagner, of all people, tells the Daily News no, Joba should stay where he is.) Far more importantly, says the Daily News' Mike Lupica, it looks for all the world like a return to the Steinbrenner Modus Operandi we came to know so well during the reign of King George: A way "for Hank Steinbrenner to start running off Cashman the way his old man used to run off general managers and managers and even PR guys in the old days." Undercutting his subordinates, second-guessing their decisions (read: the failure to trade for Johan Santana), short-circuiting carefully developed organizational strategies because the team went 10-10 in its first 20 games . . . it all sounds delightfully familiar to Yankee-haters. Not to mention what it does for the confidence of Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, whose struggles apparently prompted this latest eruption. (Andy Pettitte sticks up for them in the Daily News.)

The Journal-News' Peter Abraham lays out the reasons Chamberlain has to stay in the bullpen for now on the sublime LoHud Yankees Blog, and compelling reasons they are: Most of them have to do with Chamberlain's health. (Lest we forget, he pitched only 89 innings in 2006 because of injury and probably can't go more than 150 without risking further damage this season. Scan down to the middle of this piece from Yahoo.com's Tim Brown for a chilling assessment of Chamberlain's pre-draft medical reports.) In a later post, Abraham accurately notes what Hank Steinbrenner actually is: A full-employment service for Yankee beat writers.

And bloggers.

CALM DOWN: Always the voice of reason, Baseball Musing's David Pinto doesn't think the Yankees should be panicking about their starting rotation.

OUT BUT NOT GONE: The New York Daily News reports Alex Rodriguez may miss the same amount of time -- six games -- with his quad strain as Derek Jeter did with his, but adds the Yankees don't think he'll need to go on the disabled list.

PUNISHMENT FITS THE CRIME: In one of the tidbits of a long notes column, SI.com's Jon Heyman says Kyle Farnsworth "deserved every bit of that three-game suspension for throwing at Manny Ramirez." Curt Schilling agrees that Farnsworth's pitch at Ramirez' head was no case of the ball "slipping," as Farnsworth and the Yankees claim. (38pitches.com)

THE HURT LINE: One day into Frank Thomas' unexpected free agency, and here's the current landscape: The A's? Maybe. (San Francisco Chronicle) The White Sox? No, but they're sure interested in what's going on with their former franchise icon. (Daily Herald)

IT HAD TO BE DONE: The Sporting News' Gerry Fraley says the release of Thomas makes the Blue Jays better. Our pal Tao of Steib agrees.

THE NEW LANDSCAPE: Carlos Delgado's lack of production is beginning to draw attention in New York. (New York Post) The Post's baseball blog -- saying Delgado is to the Mets as Mike Mussina is to the Yankees -- thinks the Mets "may [go] all Frank Thomas on [Delgado] and just [release] him."

STICKING WITH SCOTT: Like Alex Rodriguez, Joe Crede is a third baseman. Like Alex Rodriguez, Joe Crede says his heart belongs to the team he plays for. Like Alex Rodriguez, Joe Crede has a chance to shop his wares on the open market. But unlike Alex Rodriguez, Joe Crede says he has no intention of straying from agent Scott Boras' advice and attempting to negotiate a deal with his team -- in his case, the White Sox -- by himself. (Chicago Sun Times)

RELAX: Sheldon Ocker examines C.C. Sabathia's struggles and concludes "whatever he is doing wrong for whatever reason probably will be only a faded memory in a few weeks." (Akron Beacon Journal)

WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL? The Cubs were told Johan Santana wanted to be traded to an East Coast team that spent spring training in Florida -- criteria they fail on both counts -- so they never got seriously involved in negotiations with the Twins. But now Santana is saying he'd have considered playing for the Cubs had they asked him if he were interested. (Chicago Sun-Times)

AND YOU THINK BAGWELL-FOR-ANDERSEN WAS BAD? The Los Angeles Times' Ross Newhan says it was nothing compared to Pedro Martinez for Delino DeShields.

HEY, HEY! Confidence is building on the North Side of Chicago. (mlb.com) And one of the reasons is most un-Cublike: A high team on-base percentage. (Daily Herald)

IT MAY BE A DUMP, BUT IT'S OUR DUMP: Old friend Jay Jaffe waxes poetic about Shea Stadium on his superb Futility Infielder blog.

BLAMING THE MESSENGER: Miguel Tejada is angry at ESPN for the way it got him to admit that he's two years older than his listed age. (mlb.com)

GET REAL: The blog Fantasy Baseball Generals responds to a Mike Berardino column in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel about the lack of complete games in baseball by doing some research and noting that games "with eight pitching changes . . . [are] a small price to pay to see a [pitchers] have . . . complete [careers]."

QUICKLY: The Brewers skipped Ben Sheets' turn in the rotation because of triceps soreness (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) . . . Tim Hudson looked like the Tim Hudson of old in his victory over the Nationals last night (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) . . . Yes, Matt Morris is 0-3 with a 9.15 ERA and a .380 opponents' batting average allowed. But the Pirates say they're sticking with him (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) . . . Mark Mulder's imminent return is good news for the Cardinals, because at the very least he increases St. Louis' trade options (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) . . . Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi would like to get African-Americans involved in baseball at an earlier age (Toronto Sun) . . . Moises Alou may return to the Mets on Friday. (New York Daily News)

OLD FRIENDS: Nomar Garciaparra hit his first home run of the season last night for the Dodgers (Los Angeles Times) . . . Justin Duchscherer struggled in a rehab start. (rotoworld.com)

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 6:09 AM | Permalink | Comments 1

Postgame bites

Postgame notes, courtesy of the Red Sox' P.R. department:

-- The Red Sox improved to 65-48 all-time on Patriots Day, including 26 doubleheaders between 1903 and 1966 . . . Boston is 59-39 at home during the holiday, including a 52-38 mark at Fenway Park . . . The Red Sox have won 5 straight and 7 of the last 8 Patriots Day contests beginning in 2001…They are 3-0 all-time against the Rangers on the holiday.

-- The Red Sox have won 5 straight games and 9 of their last 10 beginning April 12 . . . It is their longest regular-season winning streak since a 5-game run from July 20-24, 2007 . . . They won seven in a row in last year's postseason (the final three games of the ALCS and all four World Series games) . . . They have won each of their last 6 home games, their longest home winning streak since 6 straight from April 12-22, 2007 . . . Boston is 10-1-2 in its last 13 regular-season home series beginning July 19, 2007, the lone setback being 1-2 vs. the Yankees last September 14-16.

--- Boston swept Texas in a 4 game series for the first time since August 4-6, 2001 at Fenway Park.

--- The Red Sox have 117 hits in their last 10 contests and have posted 11 or more knocks in 8 of their last 9 games . . . Boston is batting .338 (117-for-346) with 69 runs scored in that span . . . Over the last 15 games the club has a .320 average (163-for-509), improving its season figure from .242 to .297 . . . The Sox set a season high with 11 walks today, their most in a game since working 11 free passes on July 13, 2006 vs. Oakland.

-- Clay Buchholz earned his first win since a relief victory on September 6, 2007 at Baltimore and his first win as a starter since his no-hitter on September 1, 2007 against the Orioles at Fenway Park . . . He matched a season high with 6.0 innings pitched, the longest scoreless outing by a Red Sox pitcher since Daisuke Matsuzaka blanked the Tigers for 6.2 frames on April 8 in Boston . . . He has thrown at least 6.0 innings in all 4 of his career starts at Fenway Park, going 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA (4 ER/27.0 IP) in those contests . . . He has 40 strikeouts in 43.1 career innings, an average of 8.2 K’s per 9 innings pitched.

-- David Ortiz has hit safely in 7 of his last 8 games, going 11-for-36 (.305) with a homer, 2 doubles, 12 RBI, 6 runs and 4 multi-hit performances, raising his average from .070 to a season-high .177 during that time . . . He has driven in 2 or more runs in each of his last 2 games and in 3 of his last 4, with 11 total RBI in that time.

-- Dustin Pedroia has hit safely in each of his last 10 games, batting .436 (17-for-39) with 6 doubles, a homer, 10 RBI, 9 runs, 4 walks and a steal…It is his longest
streak since a career-high 14-game tear from May 19-June 4, 2007. He is batting .404 (19-for-47) with a homer, 6 doubles, 10 RBI, 10 runs, 5 walks and 2 steals over his last 12 games, including 7 multi-hit efforts, to improve from .250 to .337 . . . He leads the majors with 11 multi-hit games overall . . . He has driven in 10 runs in his last 8 games after just one in his first 13 contests . . . Pedroia has reached base safely in 18 of 21 games, including 15 of the last 17 . . . He is batting .377 (52-for-138) over his last 34 games at Fenway Park beginning August 1, 2007.

-- Jacoby Ellsbury has stolen 2 bases in each of his last 2 games, and in 3 of his last 5 . . . All 8 of his steals this year have come in his last 10 contests . . . He has been
successful on all 17 attempts in his major league career . . . He has scored at least one run in each of his last 5 games and in 10 of his last 11 with 15 total in that time . . . He is 10-for-30
(.333) with 11 walks during that stretch, raising his season average from .176 to .277 . . . He has walked 13 times in 19 games this season . . . Ellsbury has reached base safely in 43 of his 47 big league games with a plate appearance with hits in 37 of those games . . . Boston has won 10 straight games this year when he has scored at least one run, and is 10-1 on the season in those games.

--- Julio Lugo has hit safely in each of his last 7 games, going 12-for-28 (.429) with 2 doubles, 2 RBI, 2 steals and 4 runs, raising his season average from .238 to .314 in that time . . . It is his longest streak since a 15-game run from July 8-26, 2007 . . . Collected 4 hits today, his most since a 4-hit effort on May 12, 2007 vs. Baltimore . . . He has tallied 3 or more hits in a game twice in his last 6 contests.

-- J.D. Drew walked twice in the 4th inning, matching a major league record for walks in a single frame.

-- The Rangers have now lost 9 of their last 11 games…They are now 12-36 at Fenway Park over the last 12 seasons, beginning in 1998 . . . The 11 walks issued by the Rangers today are their most since tallying 12 walks on April 20, 2007 vs. Oakland.

-- Kason Gabbard left today’s game with back stiffness after warming up to begin the 3rd inning . . . He tossed 2.0 innings today, his shortest start since a 1.1 inning outing on August 12, 2007 vs. Tampa Bay . . . He had won each of his first 5 starts at Fenway Park to begin his major league career, tied with Ed Figueroa (July 12, 1974-July 30, 1976) and Bret Saberhagen (May 25, 1984-May 3, 1988) for the 2nd longest such streak in the majors since 1956 . . . Tim Wakefield leads in that category with wins in 7 starts from June 4-August 13, 1995 . . . Gabbard is 3-0 with a 4.39 ERA (27 ER/55.1 IP) in his last 11 starts beginning August 7, 2007 . . . He is 1-0 with a 2.18 ERA (5 ER/20.2 IP) in his last 4 starts.

-- Hank Blalock extended his hitting streak to 8 games with a single in the 3rd inning . . . He is batting .424 (14-for-33) with 2 homers, 5 RBI, 5 runs and 3 walks during that stretch . . . It is his longest hitting streak since a 12-game tear from July 30-August 11, 2006…He has reached base safely in 16 of 18 games this season.

-- Dustin Nippert today allowed 8 runs, all earned, in 2.1 innings or work . . . It is the most runs allowed by a Rangers reliever since Doug Brocail surrendered 8 runs (6 earned) over 2.0 innings on September 7, 2005 at Minnesota . . . The last Ranger to allow 8 or more earned runs in a relief outing was Doug Davis, who gave up 10 over 2.1 innings on August 9, 1999 vs. Toronto.

Posted by Art Martone  at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments 1

Inside the Game -- Sox 8, Rangers 3 / Photo

BOSTON – Clay Buchholz is only 23 years old and, as a rookie, he will go through a few trials and tribulations.

But he’s wise beyond his years when it comes to mixing his pitches and keeping the opposition off-balance.

Two early Texas at-bats speak to that pitch-selection maturity, aided, of course, by the calls of the catcher, in this case Kevin Cash.

In the second inning, Buchholz thoroughly confused Rangers’ designated hitter Jason Botts. Buchholz slipped a 93-m.p.h. fastball past Botts for strike one, and then Botts flailed and badly missed a 76 m.p.h. curveball for strike two.

Botts clearly was expecting another curveball, or something offspeed. Buchholz, though, delivered a 93 m.p.h. fastball, and Botts missed it, his swing late.

One inning later, Buchholz befuddled Josh Hamilton, who entered the game batting .299. Hamilton swung through a 76 m.p.h. changeup for strike one. Then he couldn’t hold up and foul-tipped a 74 m.p.h. changeup.

Down, 0 and 2, Hamilton, who had waved and missed a 76 m.p.h. curveball for a whiff in the first, apparently was looking for another offspeed pitch. He didn’t move a muscle as Buchholz whipped a 91 m.p.h. fastball past him for a called third strike.

************

David Ortiz had a few big hits in the four-game series with the Rangers, showing flashes of his dominant presence at the plate.

Still, he hasn’t yet found a consistent groove, as evidenced by his ups and downs yesterday. He’s not quite locked in, though he’s getting closer.

In the third inning, for instance, Big Papi came to the plate with runners at first and third and none out in a 0-0 game. It was gimme RBI opportunity for Ortiz, who has knocked in at least 117 runs in each of the last four seasons.

The count reached 1 and 2 when Texas reliever Dustin Nippert hung an 83 m.p.h. slider on the outer half of the plate. It was a pitch that, when he’s in his groove, Ortiz crushes to left-center. But Ortiz pulled off the ball and barely stayed alive on a foul tip.

Nippert’s next pitch was away, too. This time it was a 93 m.p.h. fastball. Ortiz again pulled off the pitch and was unable to reach it, swinging and missing for a strikeout.

Ortiz wasn’t able to drive the ball to left field in his next at-bat, either, but he got a break when Milton Bradley lost his routine high fly ball in the sun, the ball falling behind the outfielder for a gift RBI double, capping the Sox’ five-run rally.

But in the fifth, Ortiz managed to keep his front shoulder in and drive a pitch on the outer half of the plate off the Green Monster for a two-run double that put Boston on top, 8-0.

*************

Good things happen to good teams. And vice versa.

The Red Sox are a good team. The Rangers are not.

Take a look at the bottom of the fourth, when Boston pushed across five runs for a 5-0 lead.
It started with a four-pitch walk. Then Nippert balked him to second, wheeling to make a throw to first and then inexplicably holding the ball. Lowrie tried to sacrifice. It was a terrible bunt, popped up. But the placement was perfect toward the shortstop grass, the ball falling for a single. Lugo bounced a 15-hopper up the middle, perfectly placed over the bag between the shortstop and second baseman for an RBI.

Lugo committed a mistake and was trapped off first on Kevin Cash’s weak popup/liner to second, a seemingly easy double play, but Kinsler’s throw to first short-hopped Ben Broussard and got away for an error, allowing a run to score.

Ellsbury reached when shortstop Michael Young fielded his roller in the hole and threw wide to first. Pedroia ripped a two-run double to right-center for the only hard-hit ball of the inning. Then Ortiz and the Sox got a gift RBI double when left fielder Milton Bradley lost Ortiz’ high fly in the sun, the ball almost hitting Bradley on the head as he sank to the turf, trying to protect himself.

***************

Baserunning instincts – the good and the not so good.

* J.D. Drew showed good instincts in moving from first to second on a wild pitch in the second.
As Kason Gabbard delivered his pitch to the plate, Drew moved out to his secondary lead. Then, seeing the ball was going to be in the dirt, Drew started his momentum toward second, just in case the ball got away from catcher Gerald Laird.

The ball did indeed bounce up on Laird and roll only a few feet away. Not every baserunner would have then dashed toward second. But because Drew had anticipated the ball would hit the dirt, he was able to take off and make it to second base without a throw even though Laird quickly pounced on the wild pitch.

* Jacoby Ellsbury, who generally makes outstanding baserunning decisions, got caught in no-man’s land between third and home and was tagged out on a double play that was scored 8-2-4-2 on Kevin Youkilis’ fly ball to center with runners at first and third and one out.

Ellsbury tagged, went halfway to the plate and then retreated to third as Dustin Pedroia attempted to take second on the throw home. When the Rangers threw to second to try to nail Pedroia, Ellsbury started home again as Pedroia raced back to the uncovered first-base bag. Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler saw Ellsbury, had him trapped and threw to catcher Gerald Laird for the putout.

* Jed Lowrie scampered quickly from first to third on Julio Lugo’s chopper over the second-base bag in the fourth, making a nice, crisp turn at second and easily beating a throw to third. Most baserunners would have stopped at second.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 3:06 PM | Permalink

Final: Red Sox 8, Rangers 3

Now that the Red Sox game is over, the 37,539 in attendance at Fenway Park just started chanting "Let's Go Bruins!"

The Bruins will face the Canadiens in Game Seven of their first-round playoff series tonight in Montreal.

The Red Sox dispatched the Rangers, 8-3.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 2:35 PM | Permalink

Injured Gabbard Leaves

Rangers starter Kason Gabbard, who was part of the Sox' trade to Texas last year that brought Eric Gagne to Boston, left the game before the bottom of the third because of stiffness in his back.

Gabbard's left foot slipped on top of the rubber as he prepared to throw a 2-and-0 pitch to Kevin Youkilis, leading off the second. The left-hander remained in the game after being checked by manager Ron Washington and the training staff, but his command was off.

Gabbard walked three batters in the second, and also bounced a pitch in the dirt for a wild pitch. He did not allow a run, however. Gabbard went back to the mound to warm up for the third inning as Dustin Nippert warmed up in the bullpen, just in case Gabbard wasn't healthy enough to continue.

After throwing a few warmup pitches, Gabbard summoned Washington and the training staff and, after a brief discussion, left the game. Nippert took over.

--Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 12:05 PM | Permalink

Ramirez Named Co-Player of the Week

Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez has been named the American League Co-Player of the Week, sharing the honors with the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera.

Ramirez, who has today off, hit .417 (10-for-24) with four homers and eight RBI in seven games. It is the 16th time Ramirez has earned this honor, which is the the most by any player in history.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:53 AM | Permalink

Wakefield rooting for Bruins

Tim Wakefield likes the Bruins’ chances tonight.

The Red Sox pitcher is a casual hockey fan and he’s quite interested in Game Seven between the Bruins and Habs tonight in Montreal.

The veteran knuckleballer and the Red Sox know all too well what it means to be the underdog. The Sox had one of the greatest comebacks in the history of professional sports during the ALCS in 2004. Boston was 0-3 to the Yankees, but won four straight, including Games Six and Seven in New York to win. Then the Sox swept the Cardinals for their first World Series title in 86 years.

Last season, the Cleveland Indians had a 3-1 advantage on the Sox in the ALCS and, again, Boston came back to win.

Wakefield believes the Bruins can do the same tonight.

“It’s a must win,” he said. “It was a must win in Game Six. You either win or you go home. That was our philosophy here in 2004 against the Yankees and against last year against the Indians. Sometimes you play your best when your backs are against the wall. You never want it to come down to that.”

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:09 AM | Permalink

Pregame Notes, Patriots Day

-- The Sox' lineup has the look of a split-squad game because Manny Ramirez, as he was promised, has the day off from the starting lineup, catcher Jason Varitek is suffering from the flu and Coco Crisp remains shelved because of a hamstring injury.

So Jed Lowrie will be at third base, with Kevin Youkilis moving to first, giving Sean Casey a day off with a left-hander, former Sox hurler Kason Gabbard, on the mound for Texas. Kevin Cash is catching in place of Varitek, and Joe Thurston will be in Ramirez's spot in left field.

-- Manager Terry Francona doesn't think Crisp needs to be placed on the disabled list, but he said that while the outfielder is "close" to returning, he's still not ready. Francona added that he didn't feel comfortable playing someone who isn't quite ready because he doesn't want to risk a setback. So on Sunday, with the team out of outfielders in the late innings because of Ramirez's ejection and a pinch-hitting situation that sent Thurston to the bench, Francona said he did not go to Crisp to ask him if he could play because he didn't want Crisp to say "yes" out of a feeling of duty and then hurt his hamstring even worse.

-- Third baseman Mike Lowell (sprained left thumb) is likely to take batting practice on the field tomorrow. If he can do so without pain and without causing swelling in the thumb, he may be only a few days away from a rehab assignment in Pawtucket. When he does return, Lowell will wear some type of protective device in his glove to protect him in case he has to make a diving play in the field.

-- Ramirez was tossed out of Sunday's game in the second inning, but Francona said that, while he thought about the situation, he decided not to alter his plan to give Manny today off from the starting lineup. He figured it wouldn't be proper to change the plan because Ramirez had been looking forward to the day off and "we have a pretty good thing going with Manny right now." So Ramirez will rest and Francona will be expecting Thurston to provide energy, which tends to be in short supply for an 11 a.m. game.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 9:18 AM | Permalink

Starting Lineups, Patriots Day

RED SOX

Ellsbury cf
Pedroia 2b
Ortiz dh
Youkilis 1b
Drew rf
Lowrie 3b
Lugo ss
Cash c
Thurston lf

Buchholz p

RANGERS

Kinsler 2b
Young ss
Hamilton cf
Bradley lf
Blalock 3b
Botts dh
Murray rf
Laird c
Broussard 1b

Gabbard p

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 9:16 AM | Permalink

Baseball Today: Monday, April 21

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach

TEXAS THREE-STEP: The Red Sox have left the Rangers -- or at least the Dallas Morning News' Rangers blogger, Evan Grant -- speechless with three consecutive victories that leapfrogged each other on the can-you-top-this? implausibility scale. Friday's 11-3 win wasn't that implausible; it just featured an improbable hero: David Ortiz, whose slumbering bat awoke with a grand slam and five RBI. Paul Kenyon has the details. Saturday night had an implausible ending with a probable hero: Manny Ramirez, whose two-run laser off the light towers capped a three-run eighth-inning that lifted the Sox to a 5-3 win (at just about the same the time the Bruins were finishing off the Canadiens across town, tying their best-of-seven playoff series at 3-3). Joe McDonald provides the story of Ramirez' heroics. And yesterday . . . McDonald recounts an afternoon in which the Sox lost Ramirez in the second inning, fell behind 5-0, wasted opportunity after opportunity after opportunity, but all of which only served as a prelude to a four-run eighth inning -- with everything happening after the first two batters were retired -- that carried Boston to a 6-5 win. Dustin Pedroia's pinch-hit double (above) tied the score, and the winning run scored when Sean Casey, after falling behind 1-and-2, worked C.J. Wilson for a two-out, bases-loaded walk.

It was a comeback, and a weekend, that shows the Red Sox' talent and tenacity, says Jim Donaldson. And after 20 games, their record sits at 13-7, exactly the same as it was after 20 games last year. (baseball-reference.com)

THE BEST-LAID PLANS . . . The ejection of Ramirez left the Sox with Joe Thurston in the cleanup spot for a good portion of the day, and, in his Inside The Game feature, Steven Krasner notes that gave the Rangers some options as to whether or not to pitch to Ortiz. Big Papi came up four times after Manny was tossed and, as Krasner notes, Texas manager Ron Washington batted .500 in making that decision.

INSIDE PITCH: Krasner also went Inside The Game on Friday and Saturday. The first time, he looks at the confidence boost Ortiz' grand slam gave the entire Red Sox batting order. (In his Hacks with Haggs blog, Joe Haggerty relates a spring-training conversation with Ortiz in which Ortiz talked of his normal offseason routine being altered because of his knee surgery, which may have caused his slow start.) The next night, Krasner notes that Texas had plenty of chances to put the game away before Ramirez' eighth-inning blast.

COMING UP SHORT: After having seen him play at Portland, Chad Finn doesn't think flavor-of-the-month Jed Lowrie can cut it defensively at shortstop over the long haul. But he does think Lowrie has a big-league future "and it is barely an exaggeration to say he's helped the Sox more in his first week here than shortstop incumbent Julio Lugo has in a year-plus." (touchingallthebases.blogspot.com)

ON HOLD: The flu bug is working its way though the Red Sox clubhouse, so the front office called Pawtucket and had the PawSox pull David Pauley from his scheduled start yesterday, in case he's needed to fill in for an ailing Boston starter in the next day or two. The PawSox, report Kenyon, were none the worse for wear, however, as Edgar Martinez and three other relievers shut down Buffalo.

RINGS OF HONOR: Kenyon also has details of a mini-ring ceremony at McCoy Stadium on Saturday, as Jeff Bailey, Brandon Moss, Devern Hansack and Kyle Snyder received their World Series jewelry from director of player development Mike Hazen.

DOWN FURTHER ON THE FARM: Justin Masterson is lighting up the sky in Portland. (rotoworld.com)

THE CHECK'S IN THE MAIL, THE DOG ATE MY HOMEWORK . . . and Kyle Farnsworth swears his fastball just "slipped" when it sailed behind Manny Ramirez' head Thursday night. That slip cost Farnsworth a three-game suspension, which, of course, he's appealing. (New York Daily News) The Yankees are shocked, shocked I tell you, at the penalty. (New York Post) Carolyn Thornton reports that Manny's not exactly buying Farnsworth's claims of innocence, but he's not blaming him, either, saying it's all just part of the game. In any case, Bill Madden of the Daily News gives voice to the majority feeling in Yankee Universe when he asserts the Yanks have a long way to go to even the score in the Boston-New York beanball battle.

I FEEL YOUR PAIN: The same injury that sidelined Derek Jeter -- a strained quad -- struck Alex Rodriguez yesterday in the Yankees' victory over the Orioles. (New York Daily News)

PUTTING THE GAME ASIDE: Joba Chamberlain thanked everyone who sent along best wishes during his father's illness, including a group of Red Sox fans. (LoHud Yankees blog)

END OF THE LINE: Chamberlain pitched yesterday for the first time since leaving the team last Sunday and saw his scoreless streak end. (New York Post)

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: The struggles of Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy have Hank Steinbrenner wanting Chamberlain in the starting rotation, and he wants him there now. (New York Times)

THESE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS: The Post's Mike Vaccaro says we're living through the Golden Age of baseball.

THEY SCREAM: Both the Yankees (LoHud Yankees blog) and the Red Sox (Boston Herald) have banned ice cream from their clubhouses.

BIGGEST HURT: One day after he complained about being benched -- or at least losing playing time -- Frank Thomas was released by the Blue Jays. (Toronto Star) Our pal the Tao of Steib doesn't seem to mind, though Baseball Musing's David Pinto thinks there's more to this than meets the eye. As for Thomas' future, the Rangers don't appear to be interested (Dallas Morning News) but the Mariners might give him a call. (mlb.com)

WELL, THAT EXPLAINS IT: The White Sox went 88 years -- from 1917, when they won the World Series in six games over the New York Giants, to 2005, when they swept the Astros -- between championships, and you don't have to look far to find people who blame it all on the Black Sox scandal of 1919. (Punishment for mortal sin, don't you know.) If that's so, news that the Cubs may have thrown the 1918 World Series to the Red Sox puts their 100-years-and-counting drought into a different light. (sportingnews.com)

AFTER ALL, YOU'D NEVER SEE NEW YORK FANS BEHAVE THIS WAY: The Mets have no use for the Phillie fans who cheered when Jose Reyes suffered a head injury Friday night. (New York Post)

BIG DEAL: The A's, his original team, are nonplussed about the news that Miguel Tejada lied about his age when Oakland signed him and is actually two years older than he said. (San Francisco Chronicle)

'I FEEL GREAT': Doug Davis, who underwent surgery for thyroid cancer on April 10, is back with the Diamondbacks and, in a perfect world, would love to pitch May 9 against the Cubs. (Arizona Republic)

HERE AND THERE: NL MVP Jimmy Rollins has finally gone on the disabled list after insisting for two weeks that his injured ankle was just about healed (Philadelphia Inquirer) . . . The end of his 14-game hitting streak meant the end of Eric Byrnes' mustache. (Arizona Republic)

OLD FRIENDS: Matt Murton has returned to the Cubs (mlb.com) . . . Keith Foulke is headed to the disabled list because of a stiff neck (San Francisco Chronicle) . . . Lenny DiNardo has been removed from the A's starting rotation (San Francisco Chronicle) . . . Joe Torre isn't quite sure how to use the slumping Nomar Garciaparra. (Los Angeles Times)

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 9:00 AM | Permalink

Flu bug hits Sox clubhouse

A nasty flu bug is making its way through the Red Sox clubhouse right now, so when PawSox pitcher David Pauley was a last-minute scratch from his start today at McCoy Stadium, there was some thought he might be on his way to Boston to start for Clay Buchholz today against the Rangers.

That’s not the case. In fact, the team sent Buchholz home very early today so he wouldn’t be hanging around with the possibility of getting sick. Pauley is on call just in case any of the starters contract the bug.

Catcher Jason Varitek is so sick he needed someone to pick him up at home yesterday and bring him to the ballpark. He received treatment and was sent home.

“Tek looked awful,” said Francona. “He looked bad. The bug is working its way around, like it always does. Hopefully it’ll stay away from the manager.”

The team even sent some of the training staff home in order to keep the damage in the clubhouse to a minimum.

Posted by Peter Phipps  at 8:58 AM | Permalink

Who was right Ramirez or the ump: Go with Manny

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON _ Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez has questioned a lot of calls this season, probably more than usual. It’s also no secret he has a keen eye when it comes to the strike zone and he doesn’t argue that often. When he does it’s a safe bet he’s probably right.

He was ejected from today's game in the bottom of the second inning by home-plate umpire Paul Emmel. Ramirez was called out on strikes and as he left the batter's box he said something to Emmel. Put it this way, you don't have to be a good lip reader to figure out what Ramirez said. It's the fourth time in his career he's been tossed. Joe Thurston took his spot in the lineup.

“I think there may have been something said there,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona, who came out to talk with Emmel to no avail. “Maybe they were balls. Manny doesn’t usually say much unless he’s got a pretty valid point. He knows that strike zone pretty well. We all agree with that.”

His ejection almost proved crucial in the eighth inning, but his teammates came through.

The Red Sox were in the midst of a comeback and were down a run when the No. 4 spot in the order came up, which is almost always Ramirez’s spot. Thurston was 0-for-2 and was hit by a pitch in Ramirez’s place and was scheduled to come up with two outs in the eighth. Francona elected to give Dustin Pedroia, who was originally given the day off, an opportunity to pinch-hit.

Fortunately for the Sox the second baseman drove in the game-tying run and later scored the eventual game-winning run in the 6-5 win.

Speaking of days off, Ramirez was originally scheduled to have today off – only if Coco Crisp (hamstring) is able to play – since he’s played in all 20 games so far this season. Because of the ejection Francona said he didn’t know if Ramirez would be back in the lineup today.

The Rangers will start lefty Kason Gabbard, which makes the decision a little tougher. Plus, Ramirez is locked in like crazy right now.

Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield picked up his second win of the season today. The knuckleballer worked a season-high eight innings and allowed five runs on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts. He threw 86 pitches and 68 of them were strikes. Wakefield did surrender two home runs, including a lead-off shot to the Rangers’ Ian Kinsler in the first inning and a three-run blast to Milton Bradley in the sixth.

“That’s the most strikes I’ve ever seen him throw,” said Francona. “He was throwing strike after strike and the ball had movement and that’s a good formula.”

The Red Sox offense scored a total of six runs in the seventh and eighth inning to give the veteran the victory.

“I was hoping for a comeback, obviously,” said Wakefield.

*************************************

It’s that time of year again when the Commonwealth of Massachusetts celebrates Patriots Day. The Boston Marathon takes place tomorrow, and the Red Sox will play their annual 11 a.m. game. Francona actually enjoys this day for a number of different reasons. His last major-league at-bat came on Patriots Day in 1990 when he was playing for the Milwaukee Brewers, who beat the Red Sox 18-0. Francona played in one more game after that and served as a pinch before he was sent to the minors where he career ended.

Now as a manager he enjoys this day.

“I wouldn’t want to do it every day,” he said. “But I think it’s kind of a neat day with all the stuff that goes on. The atmosphere and the game is part of that, so for one day it’s okay. For the coaches it’s no big deal because we’re here anyway. I think getting your engine revved up as players can be a little different.”

The Red Sox are 64-48 all-time on Patriots Day. The club has been scheduled to play on this day every year since 1959.

**********************

Francona mistakenly thought Red Sox pitcher Bartolo Colon would take today off from playing catch, but the veteran right-hander, who has been dealing with an oblique issue, was in right field toss the pearl around with trainer Mike Reinold. Francona said he got the days mixed up. Colon will take today off and begin his throwing program at 90 to 120 feet on Tuesday.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 8:33 AM to McDonald , Projo Mannybeingmanny | Permalink

Boston 6, Texas 5

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON _ Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia spent most of the day sitting on a water cooler in the corner of the dugout while his teammates fell behind five runs to the Texas Rangers today at Fenway Park.

Pedroia had been given the day off by manager Terry Francona since he has played in all 19 games of the regular season. Make that all 20 games now because Pedroia delivered a pinch-hit RBI-double that tied the game and he later scored the eventual game-winning run en route to a 6-5 victory over the Rangers.

“It was a good game, a good win,” said Pedroia. “I was just trying to get a pitch out over the plate. I know (Rangers reliever) C.J. Wilson throws real hard, so I didn’t try to pull it because he would jam me. I ended up getting a pitch where I wanted it and hit it well.”

The Red Sox were in the midst of a comeback and were down a run in the eighth inning when the No. 4 spot in the order came up. Usually Manny Ramirez is locked into the clean-up spot, but he was ejected in the second inning for arguing with the home-plate umpire. Joe Thurston, who replaced the slugger in left field, was 0-for-2 and was hit by a pitch. He was scheduled to come up with two outs in the eighth, but Francona elected to give Pedroia an at-bat.

It worked.

He lined an RBI-double to left-center field that scored David Ortiz from first base to tie the game at 5-5. Boston then loaded the bases before Sean Casey drew a bases-loaded walk, providing the eventual game-winning run.

“That guy is an absolute gamer,” said Casey. “You’re proud to say he’s your teammate. You feel he’s going to come through every time; he has the presence about him. He’s fun to play with and fun to watch.”

The Red Sox have now won four in a row.

“It’s just how we drew it up,” said Francona with a roll of his eyes. “We didn’t have the lead for very long, but we seemed to get it at the right time. There’s something to be said for just plugging away and some good things happened. Actually, some great things happened.”

Part of what the manager was talking about was the play of Pedroia and rookie infielder Jed Lowrie.

Francona also called Pedroia’s pinch-hit at-bat the game-changing play, saying he’s the right guy to have in that situation.

“He has the perfect mentality for everything,” said Francona. “He just likes to play. He’ll play at 11 o’clock in the morning or 11 o’clock at night. He doesn’t care.”

The manager was also very impressed with the way Lowrie has handled himself since his call up from Pawtucket. He went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles, one RBI and two runs scored. Overall, he’s now hitting .417 with three doubles and five RBI in five career major-league games.

Francona is always careful with his words when it comes to rookies no matter how much of an impact they have early in their careers in Boston. He’ll say “Let’s not put them in the Hall of Fame just yet.” That statement hasn’t been used, yet, when talking about Lowrie, but everyone has been impressed with his abilities.

Lowrie is a true professional in every sense of the word. The versatile infielder was called up from Pawtucket on April 10 to replace Alex Cora, who was placed on the DL with an elbow strain. Lowrie has now played second, third and short for Boston and has contributed in a big way every game he’s played.

“To get an opportunity like this, especially at the beginning of the year, you want to do well,” he said. “I’m not trying to impress everybody. I’m just going out and playing my game. You can try too hard sometimes, and I’ve had to learn to stay within myself and that’s part of the development process.”

Casey, who has been playing first on a regular basis since third baseman Mike Lowell was placed on the DL with a sprained left thumb, will have Monday off. Kevin Youkilis will shift back to first and Lowrie will play third.

“He has a great glove. He has a great bat. He’s a great kid,” said Casey. “He can play anywhere. You can tell the guys who have it – he has it.”

The future was on display today with the effort and ability in which Pedroia and Lowrie delivered.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 6:37 PM | Permalink

Ramirez ejected

Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez has been ejected from today's game against the Rangers by home-plate umpire Paul Emmel.

Ramirez was called out on strikes and as he left the batter's box he said something to Emmel. Put it this way, you don't have to be a good lip reader to figure out what Ramirez said.

It's the fourth time in his career he's been tossed. Joe Thurston is now playing left field.

Manager Terry Francona said earlier today that he was planning to give Ramirez Monday off. We'll see if that holds true now.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 2:08 PM | Permalink

Flu bug forcing Sox to make roster move?

PawSox pitcher David Pauley was a last-minute scratch from his scheduled start today at McCoy Stadium. The right-hander was seen in the clubhouse prior to today's game ready to pitch, only to be lifted in favor of Edgar Martinez.

No word if there's been, or will be, a roster move today.

Clay Buchholz (0-1 with a 3.27 ERA) is scheduled to start Monday against the Rangers.

The flu bug is making its way around the Sox' clubhouse, so keeping Pauley on standby only makes sense. He 1-1 with a 1.17 ERA in three starts for Pawtucket this season. He made his major-league debut with the Sox in 2006 when he made three starts in place of the injured David Wells.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 1:17 PM | Permalink

Kielty disabled, Pritz activated

Pawtucket officials have just announced that outfielder Bobby Kielty has been placed in the disabled list.

Kielty had been playing through pain in his left hand. When the PawSox returned from their road trip Saturday, Kielty went to a doctor. He was sent to another doctor today and the team announced as this afternoon's game against Buffalo was beginning that Kielty was being placed on the seven-day disabled list, retroactive to Saturday.

Outfielder Bryan Pritz, who spent most of last season with Portland, was activated to take Kielty’s spot. Pritz had been on the PawSox DL since the start of the season.

The Pawtucket game has begun with another surprise. David Pauley, the scheduled starting pitcher, did not take the mound. No reason was given. Pauley was in the clubhouse before the game. Edgar Martinez, normally a reliever, made the start for him. PawSox officials said an explanation will be provided when the game is finished.

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 1:10 PM to PawSox , Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink

Ramirez could get Monday off

It appears slugger Manny Ramirez will be given his first day off on Monday. If Coco Crisp (hamstring) is able to play then Francona will give Ramirez a rest. The manager said it won’t be an easy decision due to the fact the Rangers are starting left-hander Kason Gabbard. Plus, Ramirez is so locked in right now it’s crazy.

“Manny has played every game and there’s certain days that are better to give a guy a day off, and to me, Monday is the perfect day,” Francona said. “But we have to have Coco available and we’re hopeful that will be the case.”

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:32 AM | Permalink

Pedroia gets a day off

Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia has played all 19 games so far this season. So, manager Terry Francona informed him after Saturday's game that he will have today off. As a result, Jed Lowrie will play second.

“Thought it would to his advantage,” said Francona. “A lot of times when I look at days off, or a player not starting a game, it’s not so much who is pitching, it’s more of rest, recovery and what does a guy’s body some good.”

Francona is the type of manager who will tell a player the day before that he won’t be in the lineup. There have been a few occasions with Pedroia when the manager will tell him he’s getting a day off, but because the second baseman is playing so well, especially at the plate, he’s never given that rest.

“He laughs when I tell him because he’ll say ‘If I get three hits there goes that day off.’ I think telling guys in advance actually helps them because they relax a little bit. I don’t know if it helps them get hits, but I think it helps knowing what the plan is for them.”

No one likes to be out of the lineup and Pedroia is a perfect example of that. He said jokingly that he plans to be a pain in the butt in the dugout during the game.

Pedroia, last year's Rookie of the Year, is hitting .325 with one homer, eight RBI and six doubles.

Lowrie can play second, shortstop and third base. Before his call up from Pawtucket he played mostly short for the PawSox and has not played second since spring training. The right side of the infield isn't unfamiliar for the rookie. He was an All-American second baseman at Stanford.

He and Pedroia, who went to Arizona State, played against each other in college. Ironically, Pedroia played shortstop.

Since his promotion to Boston, Lowrie has played three of the four infield positions.

"Being able to play more than one position is a position," he said.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 10:59 AM | Permalink

Today's lineups

TEXAS

Kinsler, 2b
Young, ss
Hamilton, cf
Bradley, dh
Blalock, 3b
Catalanoto, lf
Murphy, rf
Laird, c
Broussard, 1b
Millwood, SP

BOSTON

Ellsbury, cf
Lowrie, 2b
Ortiz, dh
Ramirez, lf
Youkilis, 3b
Drew, rf
Casey, 1b
Cash, c
Lugo, ss
Wakefield, SP

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments 1

Lester's post-game reaction

Jon Lester following tonight's start in which he gave up three runs in 6.1 innings - his longest outing since going 6.2 innings at Oakland on April 2 - recorded a season-high five strikeouts and a season-low two walks: ``I threw the ball the way I wanted to throw it in the first couple of innings. A couple at bats I got the ball up a little bit, but this was definitely a big step forward for me. First-pitch strikes were a lot better, attacking the zone. My mindset going into the game was they're going to beat me swinging the bats. I'm not going to give these guys any fre epasses. So if that means throwing the ball down the middle, then that's what I did. If we lose that game, it's kind of a bitter sweet game because liek I said, it was such a big step forward for me as a pitcher."

Posted by Carolyn Thornton  at 10:57 PM | Permalink

Lester continues to hone skills

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON _ Jon Lester is still a work in progress.

The Red Sox starter lasted 6 1/3 innings last night against the Texas Rangers and allowed three runs on 10 hits. Those 10 hits match a career-high, and is the most allowed by a Boston pitcher this season. The left-hander was dealt with a no-decision and is 1-2 in five starts this season.

“Tonight was a step forward,” said pitching coach John Farrell. “The only time he got hurt was when he elevated the ball up around the thigh.”

The numbers seem lopsided, but fortunately Lester was able to strand runners in scoring position and work out of jams. Still, the Red Sox would like to see him not get into those jams so often.

“We striving hard to make sure he doesn’t have to,” added Farrell. “But that’s become kind of his trademark. For him, it speaks to his competitiveness.”

Manager Terry Francona was asked after Boston’s 5-3 victory if he thought Lester is getting frustrated.

“He gave up a lot of hits, but I think he only had two walks,” said Francona. “He maneuvered his way through the lineup. When he first came up (to Boston) we saw him do that. He’d get himself into trouble and he’d compete and find a way to get out of it. He competed tonight and didn’t give in.

“There’s always room to get better,” added the manager. “But he’s trying. He’s working hard. He got us deep in that game where we could win it.”

Lester realized he was better tonight, especially in the first couple of innings. He said he was able to attack the zone better and was able to throw a lot of first-pitch strikes.

"This was definitely a big step forward for me," said Lester. "My mindset going into the game was they're going to beat me swing the bats. I'm not going to give these guys any free passes. So if that means throwing the ball down the middle then that's what I did."

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 10:56 PM | Permalink

Francona's postgame reaction

Sox manager Terry Francona's post-game reaction to Boston's 5-3 come-from-behind win over Texas:

On Manny Ramirez' towering eighth-inning game-winning home run: ``It's a pretty swing, isn't it? It's nice just to get the game tied. We have Oki and Pap, we're at home. We didn't have the lead for very long, but it was long enough and it was at the right time."

On Jon Lester's outing: ``Tonight he gave up a lot of hits, but I think he only had two walks and he maneuvered his way through the lineup. When he first came up, we saw him do that. He'd get himself into trouble and he'd compete and find a way to get out. He competed tonight and didn't give in. We had Tavarez warming up in the third inning and you look up and he's still pitching in the sixth. That was okay. There's always room to get better, for all of us, but he's trying. He's working hard. He got us deep enough in that game where we could win it."

On David Ortiz' confidence: ``I think when the weather warms up and guys hit their stride and at-bats carry over, I think a lot of hitters feel good for a while. As long as he doesn't get caught up in looking at the scoreboard right now after he has a couple of at-bats where he makes outs, and David's smart enough not to do that, he'll be just fine. He's back to where at every at-bat, he's a threat. I don't care what his batting average is; I can guarantee other teams don't want him up there in those situations, especially with that guy hitting behind him."

Posted by Carolyn Thornton  at 10:48 PM | Permalink

Boston 5, Texas 3

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON _ Manny Ramirez has earned most of the headlines so far this season. With the way he’s playing, that may not change.

Ramirez actually had a quiet game against the Texas Rangers last night at Fenway Park. Wait a second. . . he almost had a quiet night until he provided the heroics once again with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Boston a 5-3 victory. Until that blast he was 0-1 with two walks.

“That is a pretty swing isn’t it?” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona with a smile. “It’s nice just to get the game tied. . . We didn’t have the lead for long, but it was long enough and it was at the right time.”

Another Manny, however, almost stole Ramirez’s spotlight.

Red Sox reliever Manny Delcarmen came into this season with a lot of promise and proved his worth during spring training. In fact, management took notice late last season that the hard-throwing right-hander finally turned the corner with his development and was on path to make a permanent impact in the bullpen.

Last night was a perfect example of that.

Boston starter Jon Lester lasted 6 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on 10 hits as Texas led 3-2 in the top of the seventh inning. Delcarmen entered the game with one out and one runner on and did exactly what he’s supposed to do – strike batters out.

“We want him to assume that responsibility,” said Francona. “After the couple of hiccups in Toronto he didn’t hang his head and he didn’t doubt himself. He’s getting big outs for us. We talked about him all spring. He’s growing into a veteran and by saying that I’m being complimentary of the way he acts and the way he works. Again, he’s assuming responsibility and that’s a good way to put it.”

Even though his pitch count was a little high with 21 pitches, Delcarmen struck out two and walked only one. As he walked off the mound, he gave a little fist pump because entering the game he had allowed six of nine inherited runners to score.

Not last night.

“Just to get out there and get a couple of punch outs was good,” said Delcarmen. “I threw the ball well. Lester battled through 6 1/3 and just to be able to help him out was pretty good. I got the job done and felt good.”

Lester got off to an interesting spot as he retired two quick outs to begin the game before the Rangers’ Josh Hamilton crushed a solo homer into the Monster seats for a 1-0 Texas lead.

Boston responded in the bottom half of the inning as Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a double to deep center field. Dustin Pedroia followed with a sacrifice bunt and reached on a throwing error by the pitcher to put runners on the corners. Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, who pulled out of his hitting slump with a grand slam on Friday night, hit into a 4-6-3 DP as Ellsbury scored to tie the game at 1-1.

For obvious reasons, Texas starter Jason Jennings wanted to stay clear of Manny Ramirez, so he walked him. Kevin Youkilis extended his hitting streak to eight games with an RBI-double to give Boston a 2-1 advantage.

Lester, however, surrendered a run in the top of the second inning and another in the top of the third as the Rangers gained a 3-2 lead. The middle innings, for both teams, were scoreless as Lester lasted 6 1/3 innings.

Delcarmen entered the game and retired two of the three batters he faced to leave two runners stranded. He wasn’t the only reliever to come up big for the Sox. Veteran Mike Timlin and Javier Lopez did their jobs in order to get the Sox’ offense jump started in the eighth inning.

Ellsbury led off the inning and popped out to short before Pedroia doubled off the left-field wall. Ortiz scorched a line drive base hit to right to score the game-tying run at 3-3. Then Ramirez did it again. He crushed his 6th homer of the season – 496th of his career – way over the Monster and way up on the light tower to give Boston a 5-3 lead. Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon closed it out in the ninth to record his sixth save of the season.

Ramirez stole Delcarmen’s headline, but the reliever’s work did not go unnoticed.

“Manny is seeing the ball like the size of a basketball right now,” said Delcarmen. “He is just unbelievable right now and it’s pretty good. Our bullpen right now, like last year, is picking guys up and it’s good.”

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 10:40 PM | Permalink

Postgame reaction to Sox 5-3 win over Texas

Post-game reaction from the Sox clubhouse

Jonathan Papelbon on Manny Ramirez, who belted his 496th career home run in the eighth inning: ``I'll tell you what. It's impressive what he's doing right now, that guy. Regardless of what you say about the guy, he prepares better than anybody and is more focused than anybody as a hitter than I've ever seen. It's incredible what he's doing right now."

Papelbon on the impact of David Ortiz and Ramirez hitting back-to-back in the lineup: ``Especially when you have to pitch to David and you know Manny's coming up next, I think that's what keeps us in the ballgame at all times. If those guys are coming up late in the ballgame, the ballgame is never over."

Catcher Jason Varitek on Jon Lester's start: ``The first home run, you know (Josh Hamilton) is a strong guy. He hit a fastball up and flicked it on top of the monster. And (Jason) Botts turned on the ball pretty well (for a double to left in the third inning). After that, I think (Lester) really settled in. He got some length in that game, which was good for our bullpen.''

Posted by Carolyn Thornton  at 10:38 PM | Permalink

Lowell takes ``step in the right direction''

Mike Lowell, who has been out of the lineup since injuring a ligament in his left thumb while making a diving backhand last week against the Detroit Tigers, took 35 swings off the tee today.

The Sox third baseman described the session as ``a step in the right direction.’’

``I was a little anxious today to see how it was going to feel, and I felt really good after the tee work,'' he said. ``I was very encouraged.’’

``Barring any setbacks,'' Sox manager Terry Francona said. ``Maybe we're a week away from him playing in a game.''

Posted by Carolyn Thornton  at 5:37 PM | Permalink

Former Red Sox catcher Marzano passes away

Former major league and Red Sox catcher John Marzano passed away this morning. Details still aren't clear at this point, but it appears to be a heart attack. He was 45. Red Sox manager Terry Francona just spoke about it during his daily press conference with the local media.

Marzano played for the Sox from 1987 to 1992.

He was scheduled to appear at Fenway Park on Monday since he played for both the Red Sox and Rangers.

The Red Sox just released this statement:

The Boston Red Sox organization joins all of Major League Baseball in mourning today’s passing of John Marzano. It is a great loss.

John was selected by the Red Sox in the first round of the June 1984 amateur draft and made his major league debut with Boston in 1987. He spent all or parts of the next six seasons with the Red Sox and was a valuable contributor to the club on and off the field.

Over the last few years, John covered a number of Red Sox games in his role as a television, radio and internet journalist. The same preparation and engaging personality that marked his time as a player in Boston carried over to his duties with the media.

We express our heartfelt sympathies to John’s family and friends at this very difficult time.

Here's my story about Marzano:

Marzano also played for the PawSox in 1987-1990 and 1992.

When he was playing for the PawSox he was one of my favorite players, so I waited for him after a game one night to ask for an autograph. I waited and waited and waited. Finally an attractive woman asked who I was waiting for. When I told her, she just smiled and introduced herself as Marzano's wife. So, I asked her for her autograph and she gladly signed my ball.

I never did get John's.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 5:10 PM | Permalink | Comments 2

Manny Reacts to Farnsworth Suspension

Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez just learned that Yankees pitcher Kyle Farnsworth has been suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount of money for throwing at Ramirez during Thursday night's game in New York.

"I don't think he deserves that," Ramirez said of the suspension. "He was just trying to protect his players. We hit A-Rod (Wednesday) night. When you've got a guy on your team like that on your team, you're going to protect him."

Red Sox pitcher David Aardsma drilled Alex Rodriguez in the back during the sixth inning on Wednesday after A-Rod hit a solo home run off Clay Buchholz in the first inning.

On Thursday, Ramirez was 3-for-3, including two homers when Farnsworth threw a 97 MPH fastball behind his head. After the game Ramirez wasn't too upset about the incident, and even today he still wasn't bothered by it.

"To be honest with you, I didn't even see the pitch," he said. "I just stay in the same place. . . That's just how the game is played. You hit one of their guys, they are going to hit one of yours."

Farnsworth's suspension was scheduled to start today, but he has asked for an appeal.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona stayed away from questions concerning the incident.

“That’s not my area,” he said. “I try to keep those guys away from me. That’s none of my business.”

When pressed further about if he was surprised there was a suspension when Farnsworth wasn’t ejected during the game, Francona said he wasn’t about to rate the umpires or the people who rate them.

“I was just a bystander,” he said. “An interested bystander.”

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 4:44 PM | Permalink

Tonight's lineups

TEXAS

Ian Kinsler, 2b
Michael Young, ss
Josh Hamilton, cf
Hank Blalock, 3b
Jason Botts, 1b
David Murphy, rf
Gerald Laird, DH
Adam Melhuse, c
German Duran, lf
Jason Jennings, SP

BOSTON

Jacoby Ellsbury, cf
Dustin Pedroia, 2b
David Ortiz, DH
Manny Ramirez, lf
Kevin Youkilis, 3b
J.D. Drew, rf
Jason Varitek, c
Sean Casey, 1b
Julio Lugo, ss
Jon Lester, SP

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 4:40 PM | Permalink

Murphy's Law: Life is good

There was a little presentation made in the visitor’s clubhouse at Fenway this afternoon, one that brought a smile to David Murphy’s face. But then again, Murphy has been doing a lot of smiling lately.

Jack McCormick, the Red Sox traveling secretary, presented Murphy and Kason Gabbard with their World Series rings. Gabbard started seven games for the Sox and went 4-0. Murphy played in only two games, going 1-for-2, before being traded with Gabbard for Eric Gagne on a deadline (July 31st) deal. Murphy went on to hit .340 in 103 at-bats for the Rangers. Murphy proudly showed off the ring, which has been estimated to be worth in the $20,000 range.

``I don’t know what I’m going to do with it,’’ he said as he opened the case in which it is kept and showed it off, ``but it is nice.’’

Picking up the ring is merely the latest in a line of pleasant developments for Murphy.

``Life is very good,’’ said the former Red Sox first-round draft choice, who is a Texas native. ``The Red Sox were good to me while I was here, but I’m back home and getting a chance to play. Things are working out very well.’’

Murphy has played in every game for the Rangers thus far and begins play tonight hitting .305. He is tied for second in the American League in doubles, with seven. With Boston, he was blocked by a deep roster of outfielders. It has been different with Texas.

``My goal was just to make the team. I had never made a 25-man roster coming out of spring training,’’ he said. ``That was my only goal. Then, in terms of my playing time I thought we’d just go from there. The way things have worked out, with a few injuries (to others), I’ve gotten huge playing time. Being close to home and getting the opportunity to play every day has been awesome.’’

``It’s different from last year,’’ he said. ``Last year nobody really knew me around the big leagues. I was at the bottom of the lineup. I saw more fastballs. Pitchers are making adjustments to me now. I have to make adjustments back to them.’’

Sox manager Terry Francona spoke about how happy he was for both Murphy and Gabbard, who is now a member of the Texas rotation and will start against the Sox Monday in the series finale. Francona ran into Gabbard in the weight room on the way to his pre-game interview.

``Your affection for these guys doesn’t diminish when they leave the organization. They didn’t choose to leave. It was a trade,’’ Francona said. The Sox manager wished Gabbard and Francona well, except _ except this weekend.

``I hope he (Murphy) hits into six double plays this weekend,’’ Francona said. ``That doesn’t mean he’s not a good player.’’

For Murphy the good times go beyond his hitting and getting new rings. His wife, Andrea, gave birth to the couple’s first child, a daughter, Madison Grace, three days after the trade. And the couple has just learned that Andrea is pregnant again.

``Life is good,’’ Murphy said with a big smile.

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 5:12 PM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink

Lowrie gets a start

The one change in the Red Sox lineup tonight is at shortstop.

Jed Lowrie gets a chance to start in place of Julio Lugo. It is just ``a good time to get him in there,’’ manager Terry Francona reported. It will be Lowrie's second start, first at shortstop.

Here are the lineups:

TEXAS
Kinsler 2b
Young SS
Hamilton CF
Bradley RF
Blalock 3b
Murphy LF
Catalanotto DH
Laird C
Broussard 1b

Mendoza P

BOSTON

Ellsbury CF
Pedroia 2b
Ortiz DH
Ramirez LF
Youkilis 3b
Drew RF
Varitek C
Casey 1b
Lowrie SS

Matsuzaka P

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 4:26 PM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink

Injury Updates

-- The MRI of Alex Cora's ailing right elbow did not show anything "alarming," said manager Terry Francona. Nevertheless the Red Sox have no idea when the utilityman will be cleared to play catch. He won't be able to throw until he's pain free, Francona said.

Cora, who was placed on the disabled list on Wednesday, jokingly said the only movement he was making with his elbow while the Red Sox were in New York was with his remote control, watching Boston's games.

-- Right-hander Bartolo Colon (oblique) made 25 tosses on Thursday in New York and there were no ill effects, so he's expected to play catch again today. He isn't ready to throw from 180 feet yet, however, so he won't be back in uniform for Pawtucket any time soon.

-- Third baseman Mike Lowell, on the DL because of a sprained left thumb, reported more progress with flexibility in the thumb, but still doesn't have enough strength or healing in the thumb to permit him to hit. He did hit off a tee with just his right hand on the bat this afternoon.

-- Coco Crisp's leg still isn't 100 percent, so once again Jacoby Ellsbury is starting in center field and leading off.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:22 PM | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Earning the split in New York

Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning as from New York. He discusses Manny Ramirez's mastery of Mike Mussina, Kyle Farnsworth's brush-back pitch and possible repercussions down the road, Josh Beckett, similarities between the current editions of the Sox and the Yanks, and why Jonathan Papelbon struggles when the game is not on the line.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 11:27 AM to Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam | Permalink

Jacoby Off and Running

Red Sox rookie sensation Jacoby Ellsbury stole two bases Thursday night in New York. He's been successful on all 13 attempts to start his major-league career, dating back to last season.

It is the longest streak of consecutive steals for a Red Sox player to begin his career since Lee Tinsley began his career with 15 steals in 1994 and 1995.

Former Red Sox player, and current player development consultant, Tommy Harper still holds the single-season record with 54 stolen bases in 1973. He has always said that if his record is to be broken, Ellsbury will be the one to do it.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:29 PM | Permalink

Boston 7, New York 5

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

NEW YORK _ The Yankees obviously took exception to Manny Ramirez tearing into them last night.

The Red Sox slugger showcased his offensive prowess and dealt New York’s pitching staff a huge blow with a pair of home runs, a single, three RBI and three runs scored to lead Boston to a 7-5 victory at Yankee Stadium.

New York’s disgust was evident in the top of the seventh inning when Yankees reliever Kyle Farnsworth threw his first offering to Ramirez high and tight, which made home-plate umpire Larry Vanover issue warnings to both dugouts. Maybe it was the two homers that caused Farnsworth to throw a fastball near Ramirez’s head, or maybe it was a little retribution for the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez getting drilled on Wednesday.

Either way it didn’t seem to bother Ramirez.

“We hit one of the best players here (Wednesday) night, so I guess they just want to send a message,” he said. “They need to back up their players and compete. . . I just like to compete and I like challenge.”

Not everyone was as laid back as Ramirez after the brush-back pitch and eventual victory for the Red Sox.

“I don’t know if he was throwing at him or what,” said second baseman Dustin Pedroia. “He just throws so hard, he’s throwing 100 MPH and that’s a career-ender if he gets hits.”

His two homers last night were career numbers 494 and 495. Ramirez was asked if he was getting excited about 500 and he shrugged it off.

“Not really,” he said. “Because I’m going to 600.”

What about 700?

“The sky’s the limit,” he answered. “Why not?”

Ramirez wasn’t the only one to keep the Yankees at bay as Red Sox starter Josh Beckett improved to 2-1 this season after working eight solid innings, allowing just three runs on six hits with five strikeouts. Not one for public speaking, the right-hander gave all the credit to Ramirez.

“He’s pretty good, huh?” he said. “Hopefully he’ll invite me to his Hall of Fame speech.”

Whenever Ramirez’s career is over, he’ll be able to look back and enjoy the statistics he put up against the Yankees. In fact, he could go down as one of the best Yankee killers of all-time and last night he continued his streak.

His 160 career RBI against the Yankees are his most versus any other club. It’s also the highest total against a single team by any active player. That’s not all because his numbers against New York since 2006 are staggering. Ramirez is hitting .452 (55-for-115) with 14 homers and 38 RBI in 33 games. Ramirez now has 55 career homers against the Bronx Bombers, which is the most against any opponent in his career.

Not bad for the New York City native.

“Maybe I’m just lucky,” he said.

Of course it’s still early in the season, but there were whispers at Yankee Stadium last night that if Ramirez can continue this pace maybe he’ll become the first player since Carl Yastrzemski to win the Triple Crown.

“You don’t look at that, yet,” said Red Sox first baseman Sean Casey. “If anyone is capable, he has the ability to do that. There are a handful of guys who can do it and Manny is one of those guys. He’s an RBI machine and he still hits a lot of home runs. With his swing and how he can hit to all field, he can hit for average, too.”

It quite clear Ramirez is locked in right now, but by talking to him you would never know it.

“I don’t think much,” he said. “I just love my job and love to compete.”

Even when a fastball is surging towards his head.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:18 PM | Permalink

Another long one tonight?

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

NEW YORK _ It’s no secret the Red Sox and Yankees play long games.

When the storied rivalry takes place there’s a pretty good chance the game will take close to four hours or more to play. The Red Sox players laugh and roll their eyes when asked about the marathon games that take place at Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium, but you won’t hear anyone complain.

Entering Thursday's game the teams have played four games this season with each one lasting 2:59, 2:49, 3:55 and 4:08 respectively. That’s a lot of baseball. Wednesday’s game at Yankee Stadium, a 15-9 victory in favor of New York, was tiring.

“I looked up Wednesday night in the fourth inning and it was 10 minutes of 10,” said Francona. “I was hungry and I was tired.”

Francona explained one of the reasons is due to the fact the Red Sox play so many nationally televised games, especially with the Yankees.

“I don’t want to exaggerate, but I know you have to add on 45 seconds to a minute in between half innings,” he said. “That’s a lot. You’re looking at 20 minutes and that’s significant. We beat the heck out of each other. Both teams work the count and grind out at-bats. There are numerous pitching changes. They run enough where we’re throwing over to first all game. I don’t think anybody is complaining about the quality of baseball. There are just long games. We’ve had some long ones, but it’s not like everybody is playing in slow motion.”

Plus the fact both lineups are so good and patient at the plate, which equals long innings and high pitch-counts.

“Anytime you have 18 hitters going up there with good approaches it’s going to be a long game,” said Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia. “The pitchers have to have a plan for each guy and try to find a way to get them out. It takes a long time.”

Last night concluded the brief two-game set between New York and Boston and earlier in the day the players in the Sox’ clubhouse appeared tired and banged up.

“These games are draining,” added Pedroia. “After you play the Yankees you’re sorer than if you played someone else. The games are a lot longer. The atmosphere is a lot different than just a normal game. Maybe they can try to speed it up, but I don’t know how they would.”

When Sean Casey signed with the Red Sox during the offseason, he was told by some of his new teammates wait until a Yankees series. The veteran first baseman was told the games were long and he said yesterday he now knows exactly what his teammates were talking about.

“It’s living up to its expectation so far,” he joked. “That just the way it is because you have two good teams with good-hitting lineups that get on base. . . I looked up Wednesday night at 10:15 it we weren’t even through six innings. It’s crazy.”

It doesn’t matter how long the games last, the players don’t want anything to change. No gimmicks. No time clocks. No keeping the hitters in the batter’s box. As an experiment, minor-league baseball instituted a rule a few seasons ago that hitters had to keep at least one foot in the box. The hitters didn’t like it and the umpires don’t enforce it.

Baseball “can’t do that,” said Pedroia, who was in the minors at the time. “Everybody has their own way of getting ready to hit. That’s ridiculous. They can’t try to take control over a guy’s at-bat. When a guy goes up to hit, it’s his time and nobody else’s. That whole rule is kind of stupid.”

Red Sox rookie Jed Lowrie has spent a total of seven days in the big leagues and five of the seven games he’s been a part of since his recall from Pawtucket have been against the Yankees. He said yesterday he’s used to playing long games when he was playing in Single-A Wilmington and Double-A Portland.

“You get so programmed as a player to never look at the time, you’re always looking at the innings,” said Lowrie. “There are times with four-hour games you think ‘man, this is dragging on’ but you just need to pay attention to the situation and the innings.”

Just because the minutes turn to hours during these games doesn’t mean the product is bad because there’s nothing boring about a New York and Boston series.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing,” Lowrie said of the long hours. “I think it’s better baseball. You get up there and it’s more of a skill to take a tough pitch rather than swing at anything. I think the real fans would appreciate it. The real fans of baseball would be able to distinguish between a good hitter and a good at-bat. That’s why these games take so long because there are so many good players on these two teams. I don’t think it’s bad for the game at all.”

There could be worse things to do than watch the Great American Pastime for four hours.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 5:09 PM | Permalink

Red Sox Pregame Notes: Youkilis will play

*Kevin Youkilis contacted manager Terry Francona early this morning and informed him he was ready to play. The Sox' third baseman fouled a ball off his left big toe in the sixth inning on Wednesday. X-rays were negative.

“He made it very clear to me that if I didn’t play him he would be a pain in the butt,” said the manager. “That’s good news because when a guy has that kind of outlook at 10 in the morning and he’s laughing about it he’s probably feeling a little better than expected.”

Francona admitted he thought Youkilis would be feeling it this morning, but was relieved he was able to pencil him into the lineup tonight.

*Outfielder Coco Crisp has been hampered by a hamstring injury and is out of the lineup again tonight. Francona said this afternoon that Crisp could play if needed, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. The manager said Crisp’s range-of-motion is fine.

*Infielder Alex Cora was placed on the 15-day DL Wednesday with a right-elbow sprain. He was scheduled to have an MRI but according to Francona the test could not be completed because Cora experienced a little anxiety in the tight quarters. He went back today to try again, this time in an open MRI machine.

*Pitcher Bartolo Colon (oblique) continues to just be. He was sitting in the visitor’s clubhouse earlier today, flipping a baseball. Francona said he still has no new information on when the veteran right-hander will begin to throw again. “I know he’s feeling good and he wants to get in there,” Francona said.

*Rookie infielder Jed Lowrie is celebrating his 24th birthday today at Yankee Stadium. He said his family is in town and they shared a birthday cake at his agent's office here in New York.

Line of the day comes from Francona when asked about the now famous unearthed David Ortiz jersey that was buried at the new Yankee Stadium and is up for auction.

“No one in the Francona household will be bidding on it. I’ll go and get him to sign one of his own.”

More to come. . .

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 4:55 PM | Permalink

Youkilis -- ``Sore,'' But in the Lineup

Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis is in the lineup, a day after fouling a ball off his left big toe.
Youkilis fouled a ball off the top of his show in the sixth inning last night and came out in the eighth inning when the toe began to throb.
But though the toe was sore when he woke up this morning, he called Terry Francona and told the manager to put him in the lineup -- or else.
Or else?
``Or I would annoy him all game (in the dugout),'' said Youkilis.
``It's sore,'' said Youkilis. ``But as long as I can put my shoe on and be able to stand on my toes, I'm good. It's not painful when I walk.''
Youkilis recalled palying through a situation in spring training 2005 when he did the same thing against former teammate Derek Lowe in Vero Beach, Fla. That time, it turned out, his toe was broken. X-rays taken Wednesday night here revealed no break.
``I'm just going to play my game,'' Youkilis said, ``and play hard. If I'm a step slow...''

Posted by Sean McAdam  at 3:49 PM | Permalink

Tonight's Lineups....This afternoon!

BOSTON

Ellsbury CF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Ramirez LF
Youkilis 3B
Drew RF
Varitek C
Casey 1B
Lugo SS

Beckett P

NEW YORK

Damon LF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi 1B
Posada DH
Cano 2B
Cabrera CF
Moeller C

Mussina P

Posted by Sean McAdam  at 3:45 PM | Permalink

Corey becomes free agent

Former Red Sox pitcher Bryan Corey has elected free agency instead of accepting his minor-league assignment. The right-hander was designated on April 11 after posting a 14.55 ERA in six appearances for Boston.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 3:20 PM | Permalink

Ortiz jersey buried in Bronx will be auctioned for Jimmy Fund

BOSTON (AP) - Some might call it a curse, others might call it a cure for cancer.

The Boston Red Sox's official charity, the Jimmy Fund, is auctioning off the David Ortiz jersey that was buried under the New York Yankees' new stadium by a Boston fan trying to curse its American League rivals.

The auction began Thursday on eBay Inc. and lasts for one week. The starting bid is $500.
All proceeds will go to the children's cancer charity, which is affiliated with Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Construction worker Gino Castignoli had dropped the jersey in wet concrete, apparently hoping to hex the archrival Yankees.

Anonymous tipsters led the Yankees to the jersey's location, and it was dug up Sunday.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 1:10 PM | Permalink

It was a long night for the Sea Dogs, too

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The Portland Sea Dogs and Connecticut Defenders dueled for so long that they had to reach beyond their bullpens to finish the game, the longest in franchise history for the Dogs.

Both teams ran out of pitchers Wednesday night in the game, which lasted 5 hours and 41 minutes. The Dogs enlisted outfielder Jay Johnson in the 16th inning, and Connecticut tapped third baseman Simon Klink in the 17th.

Johnson managed to shut down the Connecticut Defenders for two endings before the game finally ended after 17 innings with an 8-7 win for the Dogs.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 12:41 PM | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam: A long and fruitless night

Last night's was a pretty ugly game, so I guess it's appropriate that today's edition of SoxTalk is sound only, with no pictures. Sean discusses Clay Buchholz's tough night, Chien-Ming Wang's inability to follow up on Friday's excellent effort, Kevin Youkilis' injured foot and the strange scheduling decision by Major League Baseball to have the Yankees finish this season on the road.

Click here to listen to Sean's comments.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 12:35 PM to Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam | Permalink

Sox notes: Crisp out with sore hamstring

*Coco Crisp, who is not in the lineup, has a sore hamstring. Manager Terry Francona said "it's not much of anything" and should be fine. Crisp missed the majority of spring training due to a groin injury.

*Alex Cora has been placed on the 15-day DL with a right elbow strain. As a result Joe Thurston has been recalled from Pawtucket. Cora is having an MRI right now.

"He's a terrific kid," said Francona talking about Thurston. "Every spring training game he had energy and he showed up and played the game right. He worked hard at being valuable at a lot of different positions, and because of that he finds himself in a major-league uniform. There are a lot of coaches in here who are very excited, not to mention his teammates."

*Shortstop Julio Lugo, who twisted his ankle in Cleveland Tuesday night, is fine.

*Pitcher Bartolo Colon (oblique) was playing catch today, but has not been cleared to start pitching. He was riding the stationary bike in the clubhouse early today.

*Rookie Clay Buchholz will make his Yankee Stadium debut tonight. The right-hander faced the Yankees for the first time at Fenway Park last weekend and pitched well. Francona said he's expecting the same tonigh.

"We try not to deviate from the norm, regardless of who we're playing," said the manager. "He's not a real excitable kid. He handles things pretty well. If he does get charged up hopefully he uses that to his advantage."

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 4:37 PM | Permalink

Red Sox lineups from Da Bronx

BOSTON

Ellsbury CF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Ramirez LF
Youkilis 1B
Drew RF
Varitek C
Casey 1B
Lugo SS

Buchholz P

NEW YORK

Cabrera CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui LF
Posada DH
Giambi 1B
Cano 2B
Moeller C

Wnag P

Posted by Sean McAdam  at 3:45 PM | Permalink

Joe Thurston called up from Pawtucket for Cora

NEW YORK -- The Red Sox placed Alex Cora (elbow) on the disabled list today and purchased the contract of infielder Joe Thurston from Pawtucket to take his place on the 25-man roster.
Thurston has been playing mostly second base with the Pawsox, for whom he was hitting .255 with two RBI in 12 games.
In 55 major league games with the Phillies and Dodgers, Thurston has a .259 career batting average.
He was signed as a minor league free agent last winter.

Posted by Sean McAdam  at 3:17 PM | Permalink

Red Sox back to NESN

Reversing practice so far during the NHL playoffs, NESN will be carrying the Red Sox-Yankees game tomorrow night -- meaning that the game will also be available on high definition -- while the Bruins-Canadiens game 5 will be pushed to Cox.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 2:39 PM | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Another ninth-inning win

Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning from as he was en route to the Cleveland airport and a morning flight to New York. He discusses the motivation teams get from late-inning wins, Jason Varitek's early-season power surge, Jed Lowrie's debut, Alex Cora's injured elbow and tonight's Clay Buchholz vs. Chien-Ming Wang matchup.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 10:46 AM to Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam | Permalink

Radio report: Cora on DL, Thurston likely replacement

WEEI is reporting this morning that, as anticipated in today's Providence Journal, utility infielder Alex Cora has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with an elbow injury, and that Pawtucket infielder Joe Thurston will probably take his place on the Boston roster. Thurston, 28, has had previous big-league stints with the Dodgers and the Phillies. Click here to read a profile of Thurston by Joe McDonald.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 10:39 AM | Permalink

Tonight's starting lineups

Tonight's starting lineups:

Red Sox

Crisp, CF
Pedroia, 2b
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Youkilis, 1b
Ellsbury, RF
Lugo, SS
Lowrie, 3b
Cash, C
Wakefield, SP

Indians

Sizemore, CF
Dellucci, LF
Hafner, DH
Martinez, C
Perralta, SS
Garko, 1b
Cabrera, 2b
Gutierrez, RF
Blake, 3b
Byrd, SP

--SEAN McADAM

Posted by Corey Bourassa  at 4:34 PM | Permalink

Indians put Borowski on disabled list

CLEVELAND (AP) - Indians closer Joe Borowski was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, a day after blowing a save and giving up a two-run homer in the ninth inning to Boston's Manny Ramirez in a 6-4 loss to the Red Sox.

The club said Borowski, who led the AL with 45 saves last season, has a strained triceps. He had been puzzled and frustrated by a significant loss in his velocity.

The club recalled right-hander Tom Mastny from Triple-A Buffalo.

With Borowski out, Indians manager Eric Wedge likely will turn to Rafael Betancourt as his new closer. Betancourt was one of baseball's top set-up men last season. He had three saves last season and has 12 career saves.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 1:53 PM | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: High drama in Cleveland

Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning from chilly Cleveland. He discusses Julian Tavarez, Joe Borowski, Jon Lester, and the David Ortiz-Terry Francona text messaging story.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 12:23 PM to Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam | Permalink

News and Notes From Cleveland

CLEVELAND -- David Ortiz is back in the lineup for the Red Sox after a one-day rest.
Manager Terry Francona and Ortiz spoke on the flight here late last night, then again this morning and Ortiz reiterated that he wanted to return to action. Francona thought Ortiz would be better served Sunday by taking a night off.
Ortiz comes into the series opener here hitting just .070 for the season, with three hits in 40 at-bats.
The DH also took some extra hitting for the second straight day with hitting instructor Dave Magadan.

Other notes:
* Bartolo Colon is here, both to be examined by the medical staff and continue his rehab under the watchful eye of assistant trainer Mike Reinold.
* Alex Cora, who was bothered by a sore elbow over the weekend, has ``no limiations'' according to Francona.
* Jed Lowrie will make his major league debut Tuesday night, probably at third base. Lowrie was called up from Pawtucket last week to take the roster spot vacated by Mike Low ell, who was placed on the DL with a left thumb injury.
Lowrie is expecting family and friends from his native Oregon to come to New York for the series with the Yankees Wednesday and Thursday, but it's unlikely that they'll be here tomorrow night to see his debut.
* Francona said he was ``thrilled'' that Kyle Snyder has been retained by the organization. Designated for assignment 10 days ago in Toronto, Snyder cleared waivers -- he had been out of options and had to be exposed -- and accepted an assignment to Pawtucket.
The plan is for Snyder to start for the Pawsox, giving the Sox additional depth in the rotation.

Posted by Sean McAdam  at 5:55 PM | Permalink

Tonight's lineups

First, a bit of news: relief pitcher Kyle Snyder has accepted his demotion and will join the Pawtucket Red Sox.

And now, the lineups, from Sean McAdam:

Red Sox
1. Coco Crisp, cf
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2b
3. David Ortiz, dh
4. Manny Ramirez, lf
5. Kevin Youkilis, 3b
6. J.D. Drew, rf
7. Jason Varitek, c
8. Sean Casey, 1b
9. Julio Lugo, ss
P Jon Lester

Indians
1. Grady Sizemore, cf
2. Astrubal Cabrera, 2b
3. Travis Hafner, dh
4. Victor Martinez, c
5. Jhonny Peralta, ss
6. Ryan Garko, 1b
7. Jason Michaels, lf
8. Franklin Gutierrez, rf
9. Casey Blake, 3b
P Jake Westbrook

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 3:53 PM | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Yankees go home, and now we're off to Cleveland

Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning as he was on his way to Cleveland. He discusses the Red Sox bullpen, Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Red Sox' ability to capitalize on Phil Hughes' mistakes, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and the continued difficult schedule.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 2:54 PM to Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam | Permalink

Chamberlain leaves Yankees to be with ailing father

NEW YORK (AP) - Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain left the team after his father collapsed at his home in Lincoln, Neb., the Daily News reported Monday on its Web site.

Harlan Chamberlain was hospitalized Monday at St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln. Hospital spokeswoman Jo Miller said the family requested that no further information be released. The Daily News said he was in critical condition, according to a nursing supervisor.

Joba Chamberlain's sister called the Yankees during the eighth inning of New York's 8-5 loss at Boston on Sunday night. The newspaper said the reliever spoke with his sister after the game and broke into tears, and manager Joe Girardi tried to console him.

Chamberlain, the Yankees' primary setup man, planned to return to Nebraska rather than accompany the Yankees to St. Petersburg, Fla., for a series against Tampa Bay starting Monday night.

Harlan Chamberlain had polio when he was 9 months old, and uses a motorized scooter. He is deaf in one ear and without full use of his left arm.

Harlan Chamberlain raised Joba as a single dad. He attended New York's season opener earlier this month, and was at last week's series in Kansas City.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments 1

Yankees want to pursue charges against Ortiz jersey guy

NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Yankees could seek criminal charges against a Boston Red Sox-loving construction worker who buried a jersey of his favorite team in the new stadium.

But Gino Castignoli, the Red Sox fan who said he intended to curse the Yankees by planting the jersey, said he did it in jest.

"Anybody with half a brain knows it was all done in fun," Castignoli said in Monday editions of The New York Post.

About possible legal actions the Yankees may pursue, the Bronx-born Local 780 cement mason told the Boston Herald in Monday editions: "It's typical Yankees... It's not like I snuck in there. It didn't do any structural damage. I didn't put anyone in harm's way."

But maybe his bad vibes got to the Yankees anyway: The pinstripes fell Sunday to Boston, 8-5, in the series finale Sunday night.

Castignoli's bid to curse the Yankees was foiled earlier that day when the home team removed the offending shirt from its burial spot.

After locating the shirt in a service corridor behind what will be a restaurant in the new Yankee Stadium, construction workers jackhammered through the concrete Sunday and pulled it out.

The team said it learned that a Sox-rooting construction worker had buried a shirt in the new Bronx stadium, which will open next year across the street from the current ballpark, from a report in the New York Post on Friday.

Yankees President Randy Levine said team officials at first considered leaving the shirt where it was.

"The first thought was, you know, it's never a good thing to be buried in cement when you're in New York," Levine said. "But then we decided, why reward somebody who had really bad motives and was trying to do a really bad thing?"

On Saturday, construction workers who remembered the employee, Gino Castignoli, phoned in tips about the shirt's location.

"We had anonymous people come tell us where it was, and we were able to find it," said Frank Gramarossa, a project executive with Turner Construction, the general contractor on the site.
It took about five hours of drilling Saturday to locate the shirt under 2 feet of concrete, he said.

On Sunday, Levine and Yankees Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost watched as Gramarossa and foreman Rich Corrado finished the job and pulled the shirt from the rubble.

In shreds from the jackhammers, the shirt still bore the letters "Red Sox" on the front. It was a David Ortiz jersey, No. 34.

Trost said the Yankees had discussed possible criminal charges against Castignoli with the district attorney's office.

"We will take appropriate action since fortunately we do know the name of the individual," he said.

A spokesman for Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson said Sunday he did not know whether any criminal charges might apply.

Levine said the shirt would be cleaned up and sent to the Jimmy Fund, a charity affiliated with Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

"Hopefully the Jimmy Fund will auction it off and we'll take the act that was a very, very bad act and turn it into something beautiful," he said.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 9:14 AM | Permalink | Comments 2

Boston 8, New York 5

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON _ The Boston Red Sox said they didn’t want to use any excuses.

The ballclub had a short offseason due to their World Series championship. They had an abbreviated spring training due to their season-opening three-country 19-day trek through Japan, the West Coast and Canada. To make the schedule tougher, Boston finally opened at home against the Detroit Tigers, followed by the first regular-season series against the Yankees.

When the Red Sox returned from their around-the-world trip with a 3-4 mark, and posted a 4-2 record on the team’s home stand that concluded last night with an 8-5 victory over the Yankees.

No excuses needed now that the team is back to its regular grind. It won’t get any easier, however, as the Red Sox play two in Cleveland, beginning tonight, and then two at New York.

“We’ll get ourselves into that grind of the season,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “That doesn’t mean you’re going to win, but you can see how good you can be. We’ll see. We’re playing some really good teams. We did what we wanted to tonight and now we’ll pack up and play another good team and see how we do there.”

The one aspect of Boston’s series against New York at Fenway Park was the solid starting pitching in the first two games of the three-game set. Rookie Clay Buchholz had to deal with a no-decision on Friday after working six good innings where he allowed one run on four hits in a 4-1 loss. Ace Josh Beckett earned his first win of the season in Saturday’s 4-3 win, working into the seventh inning and allowed three runs on five hits.

Last night Daisuke Matsuzaka was given the ball.

It was a night when the Sox’ bullpen needed a break, so the right-hander needed an efficient outing. His teammates gave him a 7-1 advantage after three innings, but Matsuzaka allowed three runs in the top of the fourth and lasted only one more inning. He threw a total of 116 pitches over just five innings, but still ended up with his third victory of the season.

“We had some long innings when we were hitting, it was cold and his command wasn’t very good,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “It was a struggle to get him through five. We were getting to a point where we were getting kind of antsy of pitch counts going up in a hurry. He gave it every thing he had there just wasn’t a lot of command there. He would make a pitch and wouldn’t follow it up.”

When he left the game the Red Sox held a 7-4 lead and reliever David Aardsma followed with two scoreless innings before Mike Timlin started the eighth and surrendered a solo homer by the Yankees’ Jason Giambi that cut New York’s deficit, 7-5.

Timlin then allowed back-to-back singles to Jose Molina and pinch-hitter Melky Cabrera before he was given the hook. Left Javier Lopez got Johnny Damon to ground into a well-executed double play by second baseman Dustin Pedroia before Robinson Cano grounded out to second to end the inning and threat.

Boston scored the all-important insurance run in the bottom of the eighth for an 8-5 lead. Lopez faced one batter in the ninth and retired Bobby Abreu. Sox reliever Manny Delcarmen recorded the final two outs with a huge strikeout on Alex Rodriguez and a ground out by Hideki Matsui to finish it out.

Even though he earned the victory, it wasn’t the best outing for Matsuzaka.

He entered the game with a 2-0 record and a 1.47 ERA in three starts this season, his second in the majors. Because all of his “firsts” were taken care of in 2007, Red Sox manager Terry Francona said yesterday afternoon that Matsuzaka is more in sync and relaxed this season.

“Because of that the ball is coming out with some life to it and without a lot of exertion,” the manager said.

Rewind to 2007 and all the hoopla and attention the Japanese import was getting. The entire year, and still to today, the Matsuzaka Media Mafia follows his every move. All the off-field distractions eventually got to him.

“Last year when he came to spring training he didn’t have the ability to give up a run without having Red Sox Nation or his nation asking a ton of question,” said Francona. “He threw the ball well. He used all of his pitches and it was exciting. Then as the season progressed he got into some ruts, trying to overthrow.”

The Red Sox expect things both on and off the field should be a little less stressful for Matsuzaka this season.

Speaking of stress, the heart rate for Red Sox personnel must have been racing prior to this season due to the anticipation of the early adversity they would face. It hasn’t been a problem and they don’t want it to be.

“Everything seems like it’s going into key right now,” said Delcarmen. “You can see our bats coming around and our pitching is getting better. Hopefully we can keep it going.”

Many Red Sox players, including Francona, have admitted to being tired prior to the club’s home-opener last Tuesday. Still, they weren’t going to blame anything or anyone for a possible hiccup.

They haven’t needed to.

At some point the schedule must get a little easier for the Red Sox. It won’t happen this week as they travel to Cleveland for two and New York for two.

The Red Sox wanted a normal routine and now they have it.

“I think everybody has gotten adjusted from that long road trip we were on,” said Coco Crisp. “Everybody has settled in and now we can just go out there and play the game.”

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 12:57 AM | Permalink

Delcarmen closes it out for Sox

BOSTON _ Officially, Manny Delcarmen will not be credited with a save for the work he turned in last night in preserving an 8-5 Red Sox victory over the Yankees. In his mind, though, it was a special night, save or no save.

``I’ve got the ball right here,’’ he said pointing to his locker. ``I got one last year and now I’ve got this one, too. It’s pretty cool.’’

In one way, Delcarmen was the victim of the quirky save rule. The rule dictates that if a pitcher begins the final inning with a three-run lead and the game ends with his team still ahead, the pitcher gets the save. However, if he enters after one batter has been retired without a runner reaching base, he does not get the save.

Last night, the Sox kept Javier Lopez in the game to begin the ninth. He had come on in the eighth with Boston ahead, 7-5, and with runners on first and second with no outs for the Yankees. New York had three lefties coming up.

Lopez got Johnny Damon to ground into a double play to Dustin Pedrioa at second and then Robinson Cano on another grounder to second to end the inning.

The Sox added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth to make it 8-5. With the third New York lefty coming up to begin the ninth, Boston manager Terry Franconca kept Lopez in the game. He retired Bobby Abreu on another grounder.

That’s when Delcarmen came on. He fell behind Alex Rodriquez 3-0 then fired three straight strikes, the third a 95 mile per hour fastball that got Rodriguez swinging.

``Being born and raised in Boston it’s always special to be able to beat the Yankees,’’ Delcarmen said. ``Being able to punch out A-Rod was pretty cool.’’

Delcarmen then ended it by retiring Hideki Matsui for the final out. He showed a little Jonathan Papelbon-type emotion with a fist pump, save or not save.

``It doesn’t matter to me,’’ he said of not being being given a save. ``I got the job done.’’

Delcarmen said pitching the ninth really is different than working earlier in the game. The emotion is heightened.

``I can see why (Papelbon) gets as emotional as he does,’’ he said. ``I get nervous every time before I walk out the (bullpen) gate. Being able to get the ball in that situation shows the confidence Tito (Francona) has in me. It’s an unbelievable feeling being able to end the game and help is the get the win.’’

Delcarmen was the closer for the night because neither Papelbon nor Hideki Okajima was available. The Sox said during spring training that they expected there would be times when Delcarmen would close this season and last night was the perfect chance. Delcarmen looked like a closer, throwing 14 pitches, nine for strikes, to end the game.

``All fastballs,’’ he said.

Papelbon was not available because he threw 26 pitches in getting the save in Saturday’s 4-3 victory over New York. Because of rain, he actually worked harder than that. He got up to warm up times, spread around a more than two-hour rain delay.

``He’s not going to pitch tonight, that’s just the way it is,’’ Franconca responded when asked about Papelbon before the game. ``I don’t think it’s any big secret. You can run over and tell the Yankees.’’

Okajima had pitched in three games in a row. He needed the night off, as well.

The Sox were hoping to get as many innings as possible from Daisuke Matsuzaka, the starter. But Matsuzaka struggled and needed 116 pitches just to get through five innings.

David Aarsdama came through with two scoreless innings. Mike Timlin continued to struggled, goving up hits to all three hitters he faced, including a home run to Jason Giambi. But Lopez bailed him out and then Delcarmen came on and did a very nice Papelbon imitation to close it out.

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 12:55 AM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink

Delcarmen closes it out for Sox

BOSTON _ Officially, Manny Delcarmen will not be credited with a save for the work he turned in last night in preserving an 8-5 Red Sox victory over the Yankees. In his mind, though, it was a special night, save or no save.

``I’ve got the ball right here,’’ he said pointing to his locker. ``I got one last year and now I’ve got this one, too. It’s pretty cool.’’

In one way, Delcarmen was the victim of the quirky save rule. The rule dictates that if a pitcher begins the final inning with a three-run lead and the game ends with his team still ahead, the pitcher gets the save. However, if he enters after one batter has been retired without a runner reaching base, he does not get the save.

Last night, the Sox kept Javier Lopez in the game to begin the ninth. He had come on in the eighth with Boston ahead, 7-5, and with runners on first and second with no outs for the Yankees. New York had three lefties coming up.

Lopez got Johnny Damon to ground into a double play to Dustin Pedrioa at second and then Robinson Cano on another grounder to second to end the inning.

The Sox added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth to make it 8-5. With the third New York lefty coming up to begin the ninth, Boston manager Terry Franconca kept Lopez in the game. He retired Bobby Abreu on another grounder.

That’s when Delcarmen came on. He fell behind Alex Rodriquez 3-0 then fired three straight strikes, the third a 95 mile per hour fastball that got Rodriguez swinging.

``Being born and raised in Boston it’s always special to be able to beat the Yankees,’’ Delcarmen said. ``Being able to punch out A-Rod was pretty cool.’’

Delcarmen then ended it by retiring Hideki Matsui for the final out. He showed a little Jonathan Papelbon-type emotion with a fist pump, save or not save.

``It doesn’t matter to me,’’ he said of not being being given a save. ``I got the job done.’’

Delcarmen said pitching the ninth really is different than working earlier in the game. The emotion is heightened.

``I can see why (Papelbon) gets as emotional as he does,’’ he said. ``I get nervous every time before I walk out the (bullpen) gate. Being able to get the ball in that situation shows the confidence Tito (Francona) has in me. It’s an unbelievable feeling being able to end the game and help is the get the win.’’

Delcarmen was the closer for the night because neither Papelbon nor Hideki Okajima was available. The Sox said during spring training that they expected there would be times when Delcarmen would close this season and last night was the perfect chance. Delcarmen looked like a closer, throwing 14 pitches, nine for strikes, to end the game.

``All fastballs,’’ he said.

Papelbon was not available because he threw 26 pitches in getting the save in Saturday’s 4-3 victory over New York. Because of rain, he actually worked harder than that. He got up to warm up times, spread around a more than two-hour rain delay.

``He’s not going to pitch tonight, that’s just the way it is,’’ Franconca responded when asked about Papelbon before the game. ``I don’t think it’s any big secret. You can run over and tell the Yankees.’’

Okajima had pitched in three games in a row. He needed the night off, as well.

The Sox were hoping to get as many innings as possible from Daisuke Matsuzaka, the starter. But Matsuzaka struggled and needed 116 pitches just to get through five innings.

David Aarsdama came through with two scoreless innings. Mike Timlin continued to struggled, goving up hits to all three hitters he faced, including a home run to Jason Giambi. But Lopez bailed him out and then Delcarmen came on and did a very nice Papelbon imitation to close it out.

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 12:55 AM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink

Late Notes, Quotes -- Sox 8, Yanks 5

-- Dustin Pedroia fielded a grounder, tagged out baserunner Melky Cabrera and fired to first for a key double play on a Johnny Damon grounder in the eighth.

"He (Damon) got jammed on it and Johnny's pretty fast, too," said Pedroia. "So I thought the only way I was going to get the double play was to tag him and throw to first. I got the ball a little bit behind (Cabrera), so he couldn't stop. That set the whole thing up. It kind of worked out. That was pretty nice."

-- The Red Sox captured the rubber game of the series despite the fact their top two relievers, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon, were unavailable and struggling designated hitter David Ortiz had the night off.

"This team doesn't rely on just one player or two players," said infielder Kevin Youkilis, who went 2 for 3 with a sacrifice fly and a pair of RBI. "We have 25 guys who want to go out and compete and battle every day."

-- Catcher Jason Varitek tried to sum up the troubles starter Daisuke Matsuzaka had with his command.

"He just couldn't get the feel for his pitches. We couldn't figure out which pitch to go to. He kind of struggled.The elements (cold, windy) may have had something to do with it, but you have to find a way to throw through that to solidify your delivery," said Varitek.

J.D. Drew, moved up to the number three spot because Ortiz was sitting this one out, went 0 for 3. But he did walk twice and score a pair of runs. He has scored 699 runs in his career . . . The six walks by Matsuzaka tied his career high . . . The Sox stole four bases, the first time they have swiped that many in a game since July 19, 2003, against Toronto. It was the first time they have stolen four bases in a game against the Yankees since May 3, 1995, at Yankee Stadium . . . The Yanks, down two runs, replaced Jose Molina for a pinch runner after his single in the eighth because he is hampered by a sore hamstring. That forced sore-shouldered Jorge Posada behind the plate, and the Sox took advantage, with two stolen bases in the bottom of the eighth. Molina hurt himself sliding into home in scoring a run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 12:39 AM | Permalink

Girardi faces heavy questioning

Joe Girardi is quickly learning the difference between managing in Florida and in New York.

It’s not likely that Girardi ever had a meeting with reporters in Florida, when he was the Marlins’ manager, quite like the one he just had with the writers and broadcasters who cover the Yankees. Rather than looking ahead to tonight’s game, virtually the entire focus of tonight’s session was yesterday’s loss to the Red Sox.

Specifically, Girard was asked _ over and over and over again _ how he came to make the decision to pitch to Manny Ramirez in the sixth inning and whether he would do it again. With runners on second and third and two outs, Girardi let Mike Mussina pitch to the Red Sox slugger. And Ramirez ripped the first pitch into the gap in right-center for the two runs that won the game.

``I’m not going to second-guess what I did yesterday because I took the information that I had at the time and made a decision,’’ Girardi said. ``I thought it was the best decision at that time. I think you can look back on any decision you make in your life and hindsight is 20-20. I can look back at my life and say if I did this, maybe this wouldn‘t have happened.’’

Does that mean he would do the same thing again?

``You learn during the course of a year,’’ he responded. ``You gather information and it has a chance to effect your next decision.’’

What amounted to the same question was asked in about a dozen different ways. Girardi kept his composure throughout.

``The most critical person I have to worry about is myself. How if effects me is what I worry about, not how other people think it’s going to effect me,’’ he said. ``The heart that I have to worry about is the one inside my own body. That’s the one that takes losing hard.’’

Girardi, who was a catcher himself, said he often second-guessed decisions he made calling pitches. He told the story of a game in Minnesota about 10 years ago when he called for a curve from Mike Stanton.

``It lost us a game,’’ Girardi said. ``This is something I’ve been doing along time. You think about the situation you go through.’’

Did the fact that Mussina is a veteran pitcher impact his decision?

``A pitcher of Mike Mussina’s credentials, obviously you’re going to want to know what he thinks. Each decision will be based on that pitcher. It won’t be a blanket decision. It’s a feeling you have,’’ he said.

The only time Girard seemed to get a bit frustrated was when one writer insisted, about the fourth time around, that he was no longer looking back, but more wanted to get an idea how Girardi would manage for the rest of the season.

``I guess we can watch and find out,’’ the new Yankees manager shot back. He obviously wanted to look ahead, not back.

``That’s the great thing about baseball. You’ve got another game you have to worry about,’’ Girardi said. ``As I said yesterday, you live with it and you move on.’’

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 7:26 PM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink | Comments 1

David Ortiz Sits, Speaks

Struggling designated hitter David Ortiz received a mental health day off tonight, sitting on his .070 batting average while the Red Sox entertained the Yankees in the rubber game of their three-game series.

And Ortiz, in droughts of 0 for 17 and 1 for 29, sounded like a man who needed the day off.

"I know exactly what I'm doing wrong. Everything is right here," said Ortiz, pointing to his head, as he sat at his locker before batting practice.

Ortiz said manager Terry Francona told him the previous night that he would have tonight off.

"I'm just going to chill," said Ortiz. "I have to stop thinking too much and fighting myself. I've been there before. I've been messed up before. Big time, big time. I know I'll be out of it at some point. It happens to all of us. I'll be all right.

"This game is very mental. Your mind takes over. I know in my my situation, my mind works more than anything else. Once you get physically prepared your mind takes over and sometimes you're fighting, fighting, fighting (yourself). Sometimes you have to chill out and come back with a fresh mind. The manager can see things. Terry knows what to do. I always do everything Terry tells me to do," said Ortiz.

Ortiz said his troubles at the plate are not the result of offseason surgery on his right knee.

"I'm fine," said Ortiz. "I don't get frustrated at all. I'm just trying to get back to being Big Papi again."

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 5:41 PM | Permalink | Comments 3

Tonight's lineups

NEW YORK

Damon, cf
Cano, 2b
Abreu, rf
Matsui, lf
Posada, DH
Giambi, 1b
Molina, c
Gonazalez, ss
Hughes, SP

BOSTON

Ellsbury, lf
Pedroia, 2b
Drew, rf
Ramirez, DH
Youkilis, 3b
Casey, 1b
Varitek, c
Lugo, ss
Matsuzaka, SP

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 5:34 PM | Permalink

Sox bullpen shorthanded tonight

The Red Sox need innings by Daisuke Matsuzaka tonight, even more than usual.

Sox manager Terry Francona, who normally does not like to discuss the availability of his pitchers before games, decided not to be coy for tonight’s contest against the Yankees, at least not in the case of Jonathan Papelbon.

``He’s not going to pitch tonight, that’s just the way it is,’’ Franconca responded when asked about Papelbon in his usual pre-game meeting with reporters. ``I don’t think it’s any big secret. You can run over and tell the Yankees.’’

Papelbon threw 26 pitches (19 for strikes) in recording the last four outs to get the save Saturday against New York. More than that, he got up to warm up four different times, split by a more than two-hour rain delay. Some were surprised that Papelbon came out for the ninth after striking out Alex Rodriguez with two on in the eighth.

``We kind of made a determination yesterday that we had played a pretty good game. we’re committed to winning this game,’’ Francona said. ``We have to live with our decisions. . . I’m just glad we won.’’

Of the last 14 outs he has recorded, Papelbon has retired 11 on strikeouts. He simply will not add to that total tonight.

What’s more, Hideki Okajima is not likely to be pitch tonight, either. He has appeared in three straight games. Francona was a bit more coy on that situation.

``Probably not,’’ he responded when asked whether the lefty was available. ``But let's hold off on that. We don’t want to give the Yankees too much.’’

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 5:32 PM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink

Ortiz given the night off

As expected Red Sox slugger David Ortiz has been given tonight off.

Manager Terry Francona hinted after Saturday's game that it would be a possibility. The two met late Saturday and the manager told him of the decision.

“I just think it’s the right thing to do,” said Francona. “When he came in today he had a little more bounce to his step and a little more lighthearted than he’s been. He’ll have a good work day and then he can take a little bit of a mental break. It got to a point where he needed a break, and that’s the best way to put it. . . You can see it's weighing on him. This is done to help him take a deep breath."

It was clear when Ortiz walked into the clubhouse he was in a good mood, almost relieved that he wasn't playing.

“It’s never a lot of fun to not have his presence in the lineup, but I think it’s the best thing to do,” Francona said.

Papi is hitless in his last 17 at-bats and he's 1-for-his-last 29. His .070 average is the lowest in the majors.

Ortiz had surgery on his right knee during the offseason, and even though Francona said tonight he doesn't think that has anything to do with it, Ortiz was sitting in the dugout prior to Friday's game with a huge ice pack on his knee. He said he felt okay and this day off could be just what he needs.

He will hit in the cage and probably watch video with hitting coach Dave Magadan.

Teammate Sean Casey said he knows how Ortiz feels.

"We've all been there," he said.

Manny Ramirez will serve as the DH with Jacoby Ellsbury in left field and Coco Crisp in center.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 5:17 PM | Permalink

New York confidential

*Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter (thigh) will miss the remainder of this series. Manager Joe Girardi said Jeter would take ground balls today, but it's unlikely he'll play on Sunday. And, there's no timetable on his return. Girardi said his captain his willing to play hurt -- as he's done so many times befroe -- but they don't want to rush him.

*Catcher Jorge Posada (arm) will serve as the DH again today. He was able to play long toss on Friday, but did not throw today.

*Red Sox slugger David Ortiz continues to struggle at the plate, but Girardi knows it's only a matter of time before Papi launches one out. "We still approach him very carefully," said the manager.

*Josh Beckett will start for the Red Sox and face the Yankees' Mike Mussina. Girardi spoke highly of the Sox' right-hander today. "He's got great stuff," he said. "He knows how to pitch. He's a pure power guy and when he's on he's tough to beat."

*Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui has been given today off.

*Alex Rodriguez's wife, Cynthia, is expecting the couple's second child next week. A-Rod currently has 520 career home runs. His next one will tie him with Ted Williams and Willie McCovey for 15th on the all-time list.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 2:43 PM | Permalink

Pregame Here and There

-- Alex Cora, who has been hampered by a sore right elbow, was given clearance to hit off a tee today. But, while Cora says he is feeling better and is "chomping at the bit" to start throwing again, according to manager Terry Francona, the team's medical staff has not cleared the utility infielder to begin playing catch.

-- Struggling David Ortiz is healthy, says Francona, but his offensive woes are due more to problems with movement in his legs and head as the ball approaches the plate than issues with his surgically repaired right knee. Francona didn't think Ortiz was at the stage mentally where he needed to give the designated hitter a day off to regroup.

-- J.D. Drew's continued hot streak -- he hit his third homer on Friday night; last year his third homer came on June 8 -- has not prompted Francona to move Drew up from sixth to fifth in the Red Sox batting order to replace the disabled Mike Lowell (sprained thumb). Francona is using Kevin Youkilis in the number five hole. Youkilis went 0 for 3 Friday night, but hit the ball hard in the air to right field in each at-bat.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 1:31 PM | Permalink

Lowell Update

Third baseman Mike Lowell, who suffered a sprained left thumb on Wednesday and was placed on the disabled list the next day, said this morning the condition of his thumb is "status quo."

He said the swelling had gone down a decent amount the day after he suffered the injury, but that today his thumb is swollen as much as it was yesterday. He has no idea of when he'll be able to take some swings.

In the meantime, his treatment continues. Lowell said he iced the thumb the first two days, and today he underwent laser treatment as well as "contrast" therapy -- alternating ice and heat for a minute a piece over a 10-minute period of time. He will have two of those treatments today.

Manager Terry Francona, though, said that the area of Lowell's injury is a little less tender and that doctors may be clearing him to throw soon. Francona said Lowell will go with the Sox on their trip to Cleveland and New York, which begins Monday and ends Thursday, so he can resume some baseball activities.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 1:24 PM | Permalink

Starting Lineups, April 12

RED SOX

Ellsbury cf
Pedroia 2b
Ortiz dh
Ramirez lf
Youkilis 3b
Drew rf
Varitek c
Casey 1b
Lugo ss

Beckett p

YANKEES

Damon lf
Cabrera cf
Abreu rf
Rodriguez 3b
Giambi 1b
Posada dh
Cano 2b
Molina c
Gonzalez ss

Mussina p

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 1:21 PM | Permalink

Red Sox-Yankees key stats for Saturday

-With a win today or tomorrow, the Yankees will have taken five consecutive series from the Red Sox.
-New York has won seven of its last eight games against Boston; Josh Beckett is the only Red Sox pitcher to pick up a win over that stretch.
-Despite his excellent career stats against the Red Sox, since 2005 Mike Mussina is 2-3 with a 7.08 E.R.A. vs. Boston.
-David Ortiz is 0 for his last 13 and 3 for 39 on the season.

Yankees vs. Josh Beckett
-Jorge Posada, 6 for 15 (.400), 2B, BB
-Robinson Cano, 7 for 18 (.389), 2 2B, HR, 4 BB
-Jason Giambi, 5 for 15 (.333), 2 HR, 5 BB
-Melky Cabrera, 7 for 22 (.318), 2B, BB
-Derek Jeter, 7 for 23 (.304), 2B, HR, BB
-Alex Rodriguez, 6 for 22 (.273), 2 2B, HR, 4 BB
-Johnny Damon, 5 for 21 (.238), 3 2B, 2 BB
-Hideki Matsui, 3 for 14 (.214), 3B, BB
-Bobby Abreu, 9 for 50 (.180), 2 2B, 2 HR, 18 BB
-Morgan Ensberg, 1 for 6 (.167), 3B
-Jose Molina, 0 for 3
-Wilson Betemit, 0 for 5, BB
-Beckett is 4-3 with a 6.56 E.R.A. in eight career regular-season starts against New York.

Red Sox vs. Mike Mussina
-Sean Casey, 3 for 8 (.375), HR
-Dustin Pedroia, 3 for 8 (.375)
-Coco Crisp, 8 for 24 (.333), 3 2B
-Julio Lugo, 8 for 30 (.267), 2 2B, HR
-Kevin Youkilis, 4 for 15 (.267), 2B, BB
-David Ortiz, 14 for 54 (.259), 3 HR, 6 BB
-Manny Ramirez, 24 for 95 (.253), 5 2B, 3B, 6 HR, 8 BB
-Jason Varitek, 8 for 60 (.133), HR, 4 BB
-Alex Cora, 0 for 2
-J.D. Drew, 0 for 7
-Mussina is 19-15 with a 3.66 E.R.A. in 52 career regular-season starts against Boston.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 8:58 AM to Projo Sox Streakers | Permalink

New York 4, Boston 1

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON _ On a night when most of the focus was on Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz, Yankees pitcher Chien-Ming Wang was outstanding.

He recorded a complete-game two-hitter to lead New York to a 4-1 victory at Fenway Park. The right-hander improves to 3-0 on the season and needed only 93 pitches to finish the job. The Sox' J.D. Drew hit a solo homer in the fifth inning and Coco Crisp dropped down a bunt single in the ninth for Boston's only two hits.

"Coming into the game we certainly wanted to stay in the middle of the field," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "We wanted to try to get him to elevate. If you look at the end of the game and you see fly balls, you would think the results might be different. We went through a period in the middle of the game where we squared up four or five and we had nothing to show for it. We didn't get anything started. (Wang) rarely pitched out of the stretch. In a game that tight (1-1) we never got anything going."

Buchholz, on the other hand, was also solid in his first meeting against the Yankees.

"He did great," said Francona. "He really did. he competed and threw all of his pitches. He threw his fastball with conviction. He threw some great offspeed pitches and got himself out of that one jam. He got us to a point in the game where we had a chance, even if we weren't scoring we had a chance to win that game."

He worked six innings and allowed just one run on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

“I think this a step you want to take,” he said about facing the Yankees for the first time. “I don’t know if it’s one that I had to take, but at the same time this is what you dream about when you dream about pitching in the big rivalries when you’re growing up. It was something I wanted to do, and they gave me a shot to do it tonight. I felt good overall, but they had a bit better night than we did. You have to tip your cap sometimes.”

Even though it was the Yankees, Buchholz said he wanted to treat it as just another game.

“I try to go in as a regular start,” he said. “I’ve found out in the past that if you go in and try to do too much then that’s the outcome. I did that a couple of time tonight where I felt like I had to throw the ball harder or make a breaking ball break harder and they ended up being outside the zone. When I was calm and let the ball go out of my hand it worked out a whole lot better for me.”

The last time he started at Fenway Park he recorded a no-hitter against the Orioles last Sept. 1. That feat really wasn’t on his mind last night because it’s an entirely different season.

“Somebody brought it up [yesterday],” he said. “My comment was ‘it was last year and I need to forget about it.’ It might not ever happen again. At the same time this was a good step in the right direction as far as pitching out of trouble and learning a few new hitters.”

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 10:35 PM | Permalink

Yankees clubhouse confidential

New York's Joe Girardi makes his managerial debut at Fenway Park tonight. The new skipper just met with the local media:

*Yankees' Johnny Damon has been given the night off and Hideki Matsui will play left field.

*Shortstop Derek Jeter (thigh) is not in the lineup tonight and he's doubtful for the series. Girardi said Sunday could be a possibility, but the poor conditions expected at Fenway this weekend won't help the matter. Jeter is slated to stretch and throw today. He doesn't take sitting on the bench very well and Girardi said: "He's already driving me nuts."

*Jorge Posada (arm) will DH tonight. He's scheduled to play long toss today. Girardi said it's not out of the question that Posada could, at some point, play first base, but the club wants to make sure his arm is fine before taking that chance.

*Since Jeter is on the shelf, the Yankees recalled shortstop Alberto Gonzalez from Triple-A Scranton. Girardi called him a traditional shortstop who looks comfortable and is playing great.

*Girardi recalled his time as a player and the wonderful atmosphere that surrounded this series. He remembers the high intensity and also said it's probably at an all-time high right now.

*Red Sox slugger David Ortiz is 1-for-his-last-22 but the Yankees aren't about to take him too lightly. "When great players are struggling," said Girardi, "they're going to turn it around quick."

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 4:36 PM | Permalink

Early Red Sox Notes of Interest

* Terry Francona is unsure how Jed Lowrie is going to be used. Lowrie was called up Thursday to take the roster spot vacated by Mike Lowell (DL-thumb).
``I think a lot will be determined by our health,'' said Francona. ``He played a lot of third base in spring training. If he's here for two weeks, we certainly don't want him sitting every day. We'll probably work hin in a couple of times a week at third.''

* Francona was asked about David Ortiz' ongoing slump (3-for-36).
``I still think it comers down to trying to do too much,'' the manager said.
Francona held a brief meeting with the DH in his office and said the message was simple.
``Even guys like David have to be reminded how good they are,'' Francona said.

* On Bryan Corey being designated for assignment: ``He came out spring training with so much for confidence. But we got into the season and he got roughed up a little bit. I hope, for his sake, he gets a major league job. I told him that. I just don't want him to come back and get us out. He's a guy you pull for -- I hope (he gets a job) in the National League.''

Derek Jeter is out of the Yankee lineup, a rarity at any time, much less against the Red Sox.
Francona jokingly advised him to take his time getting back on the field.
``I think (missing games) is very sensible on his part,'' said Francona with a broad smile. ``It's a long year -- you can never be too careful. He needs to take care of that.''
Turning a bit more serious, Francona added: ``If you're a Boston fan, you don't want to see him have anything to do with the outcome of the game.''

Posted by Sean McAdam  at 4:36 PM | Permalink

Weather update from Fenway

The Red Sox just released the area update:

The current weather forecast (provided by the Red Sox private weather service, Meteorlogix) in the vicinity of Fenway Park calls for rain showers to move into the area later this evening.

The Fenway Park gates will open at the regularly scheduled time of 5:05 p.m., and the Red Sox hope that tonight’s game with the New York Yankees will be played. However, the Red Sox would like to alert our fans to the current forecast and the possibility for delay.

This forecast is of course subject to change as the day progresses. Additional updates will be provided as necessary.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 4:35 PM | Permalink

Lineups..Get Your Lineups, here!

NEW YORK

Cabrera CF
Cano 2B
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui LF
Posada DH
Giambi 1B
Molina C
Gonzalez SS

Wang SP

RED SOX LINEUP

Crisp CF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Ramirez LF
Youkilis 3B
Drew RF
Varitek C
Casey 1B
Lugo SS

Buchholz SP

Posted by Sean McAdam  at 4:30 PM | Permalink

Red Sox-Yankees key stats

-The Yankees do not have a stolen base through their first 10 games, the longest such stretch to begin a season for New York since 1948.

-New York's 31 runs through 10 games is the lowest total to start a season since 1977, when they scored 26 runs in the first 10 (but went on to win the World Series anyway).

-New York has used six rookies so far: Shelley Duncan, Jonathan Albaladejo, Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy, Ross Ohlendorf and Alberto Gonzalez. That's the most in the American League and tied with San Francisco for the most in the majors.

-Robinson Cano has the third-highest batting average at Fenway Park (.359) among all American Leaguers. Derek Jeter has more hits against Boston (217) than any other major leaguer. Jorge Posada has more home runs at Fenway (14) than at any other opposing ballpark.

-Clay Buchholz has never faced the Yankees.

-J.D. Drew batted just .161 against the Yanks last season.

-The Yankees won the season series last year, 10-8, by taking eight of the final 10 meetings.

-Since 2006, nine-inning Yankee-Red Sox games have averaged three hours, 30 minutes -- 41 minutes longer than the major-league average.

Red Sox vs. Chien-Ming Wang
-Jacoby Ellsbury, 1 for 1 (1.000)
-Manny Ramirez, 13 for 22 (.591), 2 HR, 4 BB
-David Ortiz, 15 for 30 (.500), 4 2B, 2 HR, 6 BB
-Dustin Pedroia, 4 for 10 (.400), 2 2B
-Kevin Youkilis, 7 for 21 (.333), 3 2B, 8 BB
-Alex Cora, 5 for 18 (.278), HR
-Julio Lugo, 6 for 31 (.194), 2B, 5 BB
-Sean Casey, 1 for 10 (.100)
-J.D. Drew, 1 for 11 (.091), BB
-Jason Varitek, 1 for 16 (.063), HR, 2 BB
-Wang is 5-5 with a 4.56 E.R.A. in 12 career appearances (11 starts) against Boston. At Fenway, he's 2-3 with a 6.17 E.R.A.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 3:44 PM to Projo Sox Streakers | Permalink

For Papelbon, it's all about respect

By Joe McDonald
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON _ The Yankees’ Mariano Rivera is one of greatest closers in Major League Baseball history. The 14-year pro has accumulated 446 saves and when No. 42 enters the game a victory for New York is all put in the bag.

He’s considered the Godfather among his fellow closers and even though there’s a storied rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox, Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon has the utmost respect for Rivera.

“Even though we’re rival teams we’re still in the same boat,” said Papelbon. “We’re playing the major-league game and we’re trying to do good things for the major-league game. I would love to follow in his footsteps for what he’s done for the game of baseball. It’s a fraternity and we have to stick together as closers. Not that we need to have each others back, but we need to know what’s going on with each other.”

During the offseason Rivera signed a staggering three-year deal with the Yankees for $45 million, making him the highest paid closer in the game. Papelbon inked a one-year deal worth $775,000 during spring training, the most money ever given to a non-arbitration eligible reliever.

The two will face each other at some point this weekend with the teams playing the first regular-season series of 2008.

Papelbon, the one-time starter turned closer, loves the role he’s in and he gives Rivera a lot of credit for keeping this specialty role in the game at the forefront.

“We can’t let the momentum go when it comes to signing a contract, sign with a team or whatever it may be,” said Papelbon.

Rivera is considered the best of his generation and that doesn’t go unnoticed with the rest of the closers in the league.

“I think he shows a awareness for everybody who is in this role,” admitted Papelbon. “He’s the Godfather of today’s closer. Goose (Gossage) was the past generation who sealed the deal as a closer, but with (Mariano) he’s set the tone. Guys like me, Joe Nathan and Frankie Rodriguez, I feel like it’s our time. It’s our duty to follow in the footsteps and keep what closers have become going because it’s up to us to do this in the game of baseball. And, not let a guy like Mariano, who has done so much for this role, to just kind of make him feel like he’s doing it for nothing.”

Papelbon didn’t get a chance to see Rivera during spring training, but he’s hoping the two will both be elected to the All-Star game this July at Yankee Stadium so they can sit down and talk.

“He’s doing a great job and he’s doing it for a reason,” said Papelbon. “I have nothing but good things to say about that guy, obviously.”

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 2:50 PM | Permalink

Corey still in town

Red Sox manager Terry Francona announced after Thursday's victory over the Tigers that the club would officially designate reliever Bryan Corey for assignment today. It's 2 p.m. here at Fenway Park and the right-hander is running sprints in right field.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 2:13 PM | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: Yankees coming to town

We're a little short-staffed today due to illnesses, so today's edition of projo SoxTalk will be audio only without pictures. Click here to listen to Sean discuss the lineup's outburst last night against Detroit, David Ortiz's horrendous slump, Kevin Cash's adventure behind the plate, and the state of the Yanks.

Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:

Last night: "They were able to score runs in bunches, had three different innings where they scored four runs, and kind of broke out a little bit offensively. That's something they haven't been able to do."

Ortiz: "It may only be 10 games, but ... he really seems lost up there. Some of it may be the surgically repaired knee is not yet 100 percent. He has traditionally been a slow starter, who has said that it usually takes him a little while to find his swing, and it's pretty obvious right now that he hasn't found it yet. And until he does, there are going to have to be others who come through and pick up the slack a little bit."

Cash: "He's very solid fundamentally and defensively. He's not going to provide a lot of offense, but then again neither was [Doug] Mirabelli, and I think they're very happy with the way that Cash not only catches the knuckleball and handles Wakefield, but is available and pretty sound to contribute in other ways when he's behind the plate."

The Yankees: "They are a little banged up. They just got [Jorge] Posada back, and [Derek] Jeter looks like he's going to be out for a few more days. And as a result of a couple of those injuries, the offense really hasn't clicked. ... No one doubts that the Yankees are going to be able to score runs in bunches. They haven't yet ... and maybe the Red Sox are catching the Yankees at the right time this weekend, if they're able to get these games in."

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 12:12 PM to Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam | Permalink

Baseball Today: Friday, April 11

Journal photo / Bob Breidenbach

ON THE BALL: With the Yankees arriving tonight, it would have been easy for the Red Sox to be looking ahead -- at least a little -- last night instead of focusing on the task at hand. But Joe McDonald reports that the Sox, with key hits from Sean Casey (above), J.D. Drew, Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis, were able to take care of business with a 12-6 win over the Tigers in a 3-hour-and-44 minute drag-a-thon that featured 23 hits 18 walks, seven pitching changes and 386 pitches thrown. Still smiling at the end of it all was Casey, whose 2-for-5, 3-RBI night is recounted by Carolyn Thornton.

COMINGS AND GOINGS: There were plenty of those at the old ballyard. Before the game we had Mike Lowell placed on the 15-day DL because of a sprained left thumb, with Jed Lowrie being summoned from Pawtucket to replace him. McDonald and Paul Kenyon have the details. McDonald also reports on a pregame injury to Alex Cora, the severity of which is still unknown; the Sox are hoping for the best. Then, when it was all over, Kenyon has news of Bryan Corey being designated for assignment to make room for Mike Timlin, who will come off the DL today.

AND NOW . . . We turn our attention to the Yankees. Kenyon talks to Clay Buccholz, who'll get his baptism in the rivalry tonight.

RATE OF RETURN: The rest of the country complains mightily about ESPN's Red Sox-Yankee phobia, but Newsday's Neil Best explains why the worldwide leader -- and Fox -- can't get enough of baseball's greatest rivalry: It delivers viewers. "One of the few certainties in television is the Yankees and Red Sox," said Len DeLuca, ESPN's senior VP of programming and an old schoolmate of mine from Cranston West.

AH, THOSE SCRAPPY $209,081,579 UNDERDOGS: The New York Post's Mike Vaccaro says we should all be fearing the invasion of the Yankees because the Giants' beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl proves the mettle of "the feisty little overachieving cow town that could, the one that dares dream fine, innocent dreams of one day approaching your sporting fiefdom."

$209,081,579? Come on. You don't know? That's what it costs to pay the 25 members of the feisty little overachieving cow town's American League baseball team. Scrappy hustlers aren't as cheap as they used to be, apparently, since that number is $70,396,382 higher than the payroll of the second highest-paid team, the Tigers ($138,685,197). The $70-million difference, incidentally, is higher than the entire payrolls of 11 other teams, including the defending National League champion Colorado Rockies.

AND WHAT'S $133,440,037? That's what the sporting fiefdom is paying its team.

A MORE TRADITIONAL VIEW: Other Red Sox-Yankee previews from down south -- those of the Daily News, Post and Newsday -- don't mention football. Or payrolls.

QUIET STRUGGLES: David Ortiz is in the worst slump of his career and, like Cosmo in Moonstruck, he doesn't want to talk about it. (Boston Globe)

LIFE IN THE FISHBOWL: Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis are two of the players mlb.com talked to in an interesting feature about how life in the digital age has forced players to more zealously guard their private lives.

EXPLAIN YOURSELF, PLEASE: Dennis of Narragansett asks SI.com's Tom Verducci why he thinks the Red Sox have more question marks than the Yankees or Tigers. Verducci gives his reasons.

THE FEUD NEVER ENDS: A Red Sox fan working on the construction crew for the new Yankee Stadium buried a Red Sox T-shirt in the concrete underneath what will be the Yankee clubhouse in order to "jinx" the Yanks. (New York Post)

LOOKING ROYAL: Andy Pettitte halted the Yanks' slide with a strong performance in a 6-1 win at Kansas City. (New York Daily News) The New York Post's George King also credits Joe Girardi's revamped lineup, which had more Morgan Ensberg and less Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi. But tonight's lineup is likely to be sans Derek Jeter. (New York Post)

AND SPEAKING OF LINEUPS . . . Steven Goldman thinks the Yankees would be far better served with Jorge Posada at DH, Hideki Matsui in left field and Johnny Damon on the bench. (New York Sun)

KEEP THOSE HANKIES HANDY: Maury Allen anticipates a flood of tears when Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium are closed. (thecolumnists.com)

IT'S NOT JUST FOR BIG LEAGUERS: Pitch counts are an organizational edict with many teams, including the Red Sox. Which is why, reports Mike Szostak, David Pauley was pulled from yesterday's start against the delightfully named Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs with one out and nobody on in the fifth inning while holding a 2-1 lead.

LUCKY SEVEN: The Indians signed Fausto Carmona to a seven-year, $48 million deal. (Akron Beacon Journal)

LOOKING AHEAD: Peter Abraham wonders if Carmona's contract is the first step on C.C. Sabathia's journey to New York. (LoHud Yankees Blog)

WE HAVE A DEAL: The New York Times reports that Major League Baseball and the players' union "have tentatively agreed to have an administrator oversee the sport’s drug-testing program as they move toward adopting many of the recommendations in the Mitchell report, according to two lawyers with knowledge of the pending deal." And with an overall agreement in sight, the Times also reports players named in the Mitchell Report are unlikely to be disciplined.

INSIDER'S VIEW: If Roger Clemens' behavior since he was named in the Mitchell Report is incomprehensible to you -- as it is to me -- then ex-major leaguer Doug Glanville's guest column on Clemens in the New York Times is required reading. "Maybe," writes Glanville, "by insisting on his innocence, he thought he was pushing against a downhill-rolling snowball to get it back to the top of the hill; instead, he may have unleashed the worst avalanche of his life . . . To those outside Clemens’s protective shell, he seems to be fighting ghosts. We must understand that he stopped listening to the outside world a long time ago, partly because ignoring those voices was integral to his survival."

Fascinating, not just on the specific topic of Clemens but on professional athletes in general. As I say: Required reading.

THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE: Jose Canseco tells espn.com's Sam Alipour that, when it comes to the steroids issue, MLB and its players are "liars, liars, liars, liars and liars. That's all they are. Major League Baseball and all of the players say, 'If we get together and tell a huge lie, it's thousands against one guy.' But the truth stands."

NOT SO FAST: SI.com's John Donovan says it's not a slam dunk that Johan Santana will dominate the National League in the way most people expect.

GET ME REWRITE! Mike Salfino says the Mets' Willie Randolph manages completely by the book. Only problem is, "it's not like Willie's script is Godfather II. It's more like Porky's II." (sny.tv)

MAKE GOOD: The blog Rays Index speculates that Tampa Bay may seek compensation from the Twins if it can prove Minnesota knew of a preexisting nerve condition that has forced Matt Garza to the disabled list. In best Sgt. Schultz fashion, the Twins say they knew nothing, nothing of any problems Garza had. (mlb.com)

I EAT, THEREFORE I AM: The Costa Contra Times' Pat Casey visits the all-you-can-eat section at McAfee Coliseum, and finds his "paltry four dogs, one order of nachos, a bag of peanuts, an ice cream sandwich and a bag of popcorn" over seven innings pales in comparison to the big-league munchers who have embraced the A's newest promotional tool.

MILESTONE CITY: The Rangers are over .500 for the first time since Ron Washington became manager. (Dallas Morning News)

AND DOWN SOUTH IN THE SAME STATE . . . The Astros say they're not panicking over their 3-7 start. (Houston Chronicle)

SAY AGAIN? Foxsports.com's Tracy Ringolsby is amused by the Diamondbacks' boasting that their April sweep of the Rockies in Denver is 'payback' for Colorado's four-game sweep of Arizona in last year's NLCS. "Yeah, right, winning three games in April alleviates the sting from [losing the National League pennant]," writes Ringolsby. "Just exactly how much beachfront property did the Diamondbacks buy in Arizona?"

LET'S BE BUDDIES: After years of proclaiming the metro area couldn't support two teams, Orioles owner Peter Angelos is now saying he hopes the Nationals are a success in Washington. (Baltimore Sun)

HERE AND THERE: Remember when the Phillies said they weren't interested in Steve Kline? (Philadephia Daily News) Never mind. (delawareonline.com) . . . Randy Johnson will make his season debut Monday for the Diamondbacks (Arizona Republic) . . . Rich Harden has been placed on the DL by the A's. (mlb.com)

OLD FRIENDS: Dave Roberts has been diagnosed with a condition called condromalatia, so his knee surgery will be more complex than a normal arthroscopy and he'll be sidelined longer than usual (San Francisco Chronicle) . . . Wily Mo Pena's recovery has progressed to the point that he'll play back-to-back games at Class AAA Columbus this weekend (Washington Post) . . . Eric Hinske has found a home in Tampa Bay. (Baseball Musings)

AND NOW, FOR A SHORT BREAK IN THE ACTION: It's vacation time, so the next installment of Baseball Today will come on Monday, April 21. Have a good week, and see you in 10 days.

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 6:29 AM | Permalink

Lowrie makes it to the majors

By Joe McDonald and Paul Kenyon
Journal Sports Writers

BOSTON -- Jed Lowrie was working out at McCoy Stadium yesterday afternoon after the PawSox defeated the IronPigs when Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson called him into his office.

The skipper told the rookie shortstop that Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell’s injury to his left thumb was still questionable, so Sox management wanted Lowrie to go to Fenway just in case. So, he started his drive to Boston and 10 minutes before he arrived GM Theo Epstein called and told him he would be activated.

“On the drive up there were still a lot of questions,” Lowrie admitted. “RJ told me they wanted me to be up here just in case about 10 minutes before I got here Theo called me and told me they were going to activate me, so there were some mixed emotions driving up here because there was some uncertainty whether I was going to get the opportunity or not.”

Lowrie got to Boston just in time to put on his uniform (No. 12) and make it to the dugout for game time.

“I got my first taste today and ust watching from the dugout, it’s been a dream of mine since I’ve been playing baseball," he said. "I didn’t get a chance to be in there today, but it was still awesome just to be up here. Just the opportunity to help this team would be pretty awesome.”

Lowrie is versatile and can play second, short and third.

He was given a ton of playing time during spring training due to Julio Lugo’s back injury. Lowrie proved during camp that he can be an everyday shortstop at the big-league level, and with a couple of different options in Pawtucket – veterans Joe Thurston and Keith Ginter – Red Sox management decided to go with the rookie.

What’s interesting about Lowrie’s major-league debut is the fact that Boston’s top four selections in the 2005 draft have all reached the big leagues, including outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury (23rd overall), pitcher Craig Hansen (26th overall) and pitcher Clay Buchholz (42nd overall).

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:58 PM | Permalink

Lowell update

Red Sox manager Terry Francona gave us an update following tonight's 12-6 victory over the Tigers.

Lowell was placed on the 15-day DL Thursday afternoon with a sprained left thumb.

“He’ll be in a splint for approximately a week,” said Francona. “He needs to keep it immobilized for about a week. The hope is when the DL stint is over he’ll be able to play. It will all be determined on how it responds. Anybody that knows him knows he plays through all kinds of bumps and bruises. He has an extremely high pain threshold.”

Lowell was in the clubhouse after the game and spoke to the media:

``I’m frustrated because I’m not going to be playing for a little while, but I think I was encouraged with the MRI that it wasn’t a complete tear of anything,’’ he said, adding that the affected ligament is not the same one he injured last season. ``I think then it would have been significant time. . . . They want me to immobilize it for like four or five days before I do anything, so I think the smart thing was to go on the disabled list and we’ll take it from there. I’m hoping the swelling goes down a lot more in the next couple days. I’m really looking forward to waking up tomorrow and hopefully feeling better than today because I was a little disappointed this morning. I thought I was going to wake up a lot better and I didn’t.’’

Following Lowelll’s injury, Kevin Youkilis was moved from first to third and Sean Casey took over at first. Both did a tremendous job in both the field and at the plate last night.

``Youk put on a show defensively and they’re both swinging a really good bat," said Lowell. "That makes you feel good that we’ve got depth on this team and guys that can produce and still help us win. I know it’s April, but there’s a lot of important games in April. It doesn’t really matter what month you’re in.’’

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:29 PM | Permalink

Corey designated

Red Sox manager Terry Francona just announced that the team will designate pitcher Bryan Corey for assignment on Friday.

The right-handed reliever worked in six of the team's 10 games this season and compiled a 14.54 ERA. After allowing just one run in his first four games, he has surrendered six runs over his last 2/3 of an inning of work in his last two outings.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 11:19 PM | Permalink

Sox pound out 12-6 win

The bottom of the Boston lineup did much of the damage as the Red Sox took the lead with four runs in the fourth, and the Sox went on to a 12-6 victory over Detroit tonight. The fourth was the first of three four-run innings for Boston.

The Tigers had just scored twice in the top of the fourth to take the lead. In the bottom of the inning, Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis drew walks off Tiger starter Nate Robertson. J.D. Drew singled, Coco Crisp doubled, Sean Casey got the go-ahead run home with a ground ball to first and Kevin Cash singled home the final run of the inning.

Boston added four more in the seventh. Manny Ramirez, in a nine-pitch at-bat, doubled in two and Casey singled in two more. Detroit scored three times in the eighth off Julian Tavarez before Jonathan Papelbon came on for the four-out save. His job was made easier when the Sox had another four-run inning in the bottom of the eighth. Kevin Youkilis doubled home two, the third scored on a sacrifice fly by J.D. Drew and the final run on another hit by Crisp.

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 10:40 PM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink

Francona to Jeter: Easy does it on that quad

Asked during today’s pre-game press conference if he thought a veteran team might be less affected than an inexperienced ball club by a managing change, Sox manager Terry Francona looked around with a feigned look of surprise, as if the question was posed because his job with Boston was perhaps in jeopardy.

With the inquiry obviously referring to the Yankees now being managed by Joe Girardi, Francona replied: ``We spend so much time here trying to figure out ourselves and what makes us tick and what’s going to make us tick that I don’t spend any time thinking about that. . . . I don’t need to manage both teams. I’ve got my hands full here.

Asked if he’d advise Yankees short stop Derek Jeter to take his time in returning from a strained left quadriceps, Francona – whose club heads to New York for a three-game series this weekend – said to a round of laughter: ``Always. Always. . . . You can never be too careful with those quads.’’

Posted by Carolyn Thornton  at 7:49 PM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink

Lowell placed on DL

Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell has been placed on the 15-day DL with a sprained left thumb. Jed Lowrie has been recalled from Pawtucket.

Lowell walked into the clubhouse around 5:45 tonight with a removable cast on his right arm. He injured the thumb in the first inning of Wednesday's game against the Tigers.

This is Lowrie's first trip to the majors.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 6:32 PM | Permalink

Timlin will wait one more day

Mike Timlin is going to have to wait one more day before getting back on the job with the Red Sox.

The Sox reliever was at his locker at Fenway this afternoon, dressed and ready to pitch. But, since he has pitched two of the last three days on rehab assignment in Pawtucket, the Sox will wait one more day before activating him.

The 42-year-old right-hander said the same thing he spoke about in Pawtucket last night _ that is, he feels fully healthy and raring to begin his 18th year in the big leagues.

``I just enjoy the game play the game. I don’t try to overthink it,’’ he said. ``I’ve told a lot of young guys that have come up, `You can have my job, but you’ve got to take it. I’m not going to give it away. I work hard at what I do and I love to do it. God’s blessed me with a long career.’’

It is still unclear how Timlin’s return will impact the pitching staff. Obviously, someone will have to go. Bryan Corey, who has struggled in his last two appearances, and David Aardsma are the most likely casualties. Manager Terry Francona spoke this afternoon about how Corey and lefty Javier Lopez are causing some concerns on how to use them in that they are doing well against hitters from the opposite side of the plate, but struggling to retire hitters from their side of the plate.

``He’s more effective against right-handers,’’ Francona said of Lopez, ``and Corey’s the opposite.’’

On still another front, it looks as if Bartolo Colon (strained oblique), currently on the disabled list with Pawtucket, will get back to work some time this weekend.

``The medical people think that’s the road we’re on,’’ Francona said.

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 5:02 PM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink

Tonight's lineups

DETROIT

Inge, cf
Polanco, 2b
Sheffield, dh
Ordonez, rf
Cabrera, 3b
Guillen, 1b
Renteria, ss
Rodriguez, c
Thames, lf
Robertson, SP

BOSTON
Lugo, ss
Pedroia, 2b
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, lf
Youkilis, 3b
Drew, rf
Crisp, cf
Casey, 1b
Cash, c
Wakefield, SP

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 4:49 PM | Permalink

Casey ready for anything

The Red Sox wanted to sign Sean Casey because of his veteran presence and personality. Plus, he's a pretty darn good player, too.

The veteran first baseman proved that Wednesday night when he was inserted into the lineup after third baseman Mike Lowell injured his thumb. Because of the injury, first baseman Kevin Youkilis moved to the left side of the infield, and Casey played first and provided two hits offensively.

"Hopefully I can step in and play some good baseball until Mike gets back," Casey said.

"You could tell Case in December to go hit and he could put a good swing on it," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "He's a good hitter. "This is why we got him. It's hard to find guys who can sit the bench, and are good enough hitters to come off the bench and get hits. He's one of them and he has the attitude to match that."

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 4:37 PM | Permalink

Lowell/Cora update

Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell had an MRI on his injured thumb this afternoon and the team should have the results at 5 p.m. He suffered the setback during the first inning on Wednesday when he made a diving play against the Tigers. He was removed from the game.

When Lowell arrived at Fenway Park this afternoon he was stiff and sore, which was expected. Dr. Thomas Gill will read the MRI in about 30 minutes before the team decides the next course of action for the veteran third baseman.

Due to Lowell's injury, utility infielder Alex Cora went out earlier this afternoon to take some ground balls at third. During his fungo work he felt a "twinge" in his right elbow and was clearly in pain. After a few moments of attempting to shake it off, he made one throw before leaving the field.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona said he spoke with Cora after Wednesday's game about the possibility of playing third and he agreed to it. After he felt the pain today, he went to the trainer's room and received ice treatment.

Francona said he's hoping this is nothing, but the team will pay attention to it.

There is a possibility the Red Sox will call up a player from the PawSox tonight. If that's the case, veterans Joe Thurston and Keith Ginter, along with rookie Jed Lowrie are all possibilities.

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 4:21 PM | Permalink

Red Sox-Tigers key stats

-The Red Sox, who averaged 5.4 runs per game in 2007, are averaging just 3.3 runs per game so far this season.
-If the Sox lose tonight, they will be 4-6, the first time they have had a losing record after 10 games since 1997.
-Only the Mets have more road victories than the Tigers since the start of the 2006 season. Detroit is 93-71 away from Comerica Park since then.
-Magglio Ordonez has the highest batting average off Tim Wakefield (.455) of any player with at least 30 plate appearances.
-Ivan Rodriguez last night became the 87th major leaguer in history to collect his 2,500th hit.
-Marcus Thames, who homered last night, has the sixth-highest home run-to-at-bat ratio in the American League since 2004 (minimum 900 plate appearances). He has averaged one home run every 14.50 at-bats during that span.

Tigers vs. Tim Wakefield
-Ramon Santiago, 4 for 8 (.500), HR, BB
-Magglio Ordonez, 15 for 33 (.455), 2 2B, 2 HR, 2 BB
-Ivan Rodriguez, 13 for 44 (.295), 2B, 3B, 2 HR, BB
-Brandon Inge, 6 for 22 (.273), 2B, 2 HR
-Edgar Renteria, 3 for 11 (.273), 2B
-Gary Sheffield, 9 for 34 (.265), 2B, 2 HR, 8 BB
-Carlos Guillen, 4 for 19 (.211), HR, BB
-Miguel Cabrera, 1 for 5 (.200), BB
-Marcus Thames, 3 for 16 (.188), 2B, HR, BB
-Jacque Jones, 1 for 15 (.067), 2B, BB
-Placido Polanco, 0 for 10, BB
-Wakefield is 13-10 with a 4.50 E.R.A. in 32 career appearances (20 starts) against Detroit.

Red Sox vs. Nate Robertson
-Julio Lugo, 4 for 8 (.500), HR, BB
-Kevin Youkilis, 5 for 13 (.385), 2B, 2 HR, 2 BB
-Jason Varitek, 4 for 11 (.364), 2 2B, HR, BB
-Kevin Cash, 1 for 3 (.333)
-Mike Lowell, 3 for 10 (.300), BB
-Coco Crisp, 8 for 30 (.267), 2B, 2 HR, 4 BB
-Manny Ramirez, 3 for 12 (.250), 3 BB
-Dustin Pedroia, 1 for 5 (.200), BB
-David Ortiz, 3 for 19 (.158), 2B, BB
-J.D. Drew, 0 for 6
-Robertson is 2-3 with a 6.42 E.R.A. in seven career starts against Boston.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 3:41 PM to Projo Sox Streakers | Permalink

Cora injured while taking ground balls at third

Mike Lowell hurt his left wrist Wednesday night and was taken out of the game. Alex Cora was just working on ground balls at third and was injured when he took a grounder off the right wrist. After a few minutes of attempting to shake it off, he made one throw and walked off the field.

At this point a player from Pawtucket has not been called up. If both Lowell and Cora can not go, the Red Sox could recall either veterans Joe Thurston and Keith Ginter or rookie Jed Lowrie.

I'll have more soon. . .

Posted by Joe McDonald  at 3:02 PM | Permalink

PawSox complete sweep of IronPigs

The PawSox finished off a four-game sweep of Lehigh Valley with a 5-2 win this afternoon. Starter David Pauley worked 4.1 solid innings, while relief pitcher Lincoln Holdzkom picked up the win.

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 3:00 PM to PawSox | Permalink

Projo SoxTalk with McAdam: An ugly loss to Detroit

Click the play button below to hear Sean's comments, recorded this morning. He discusses last night's game, Mike Lowell's injury, possible roster replacements for Lowell, the bullpen dilemma and Edgar Renteria, who has hit .342 against the Sox since being booed out of town after the 2005 season.

Here are some excerpts from Sean's comments:

Last night's game: "It was not the best showing for the Red Sox on either side. Jon Lester had control problems, walked four, and that directly cost him. And after geting Bonderman on the ropes early, the offense wasn't able to take much advantage after that; the attack was pretty nonexistent after the third inning."

On Lowell: "He was pretty uncomfortable last night. In fact he needed some help getting his jacket on over his hand and that sprained thumb. ... He'll be reevaluated today, but I think it's clear that were not going to see Mike Lowell for the next few days. I guess for the Red Sox the best case scenario at this point is to stay away from a D.L. visit early in the season, and hope that it can maybe calm down in the next four to five days."

Call-ups if Lowell goes on the DL? "It's not going to be [Chris] Carter, because they do not see him as a first base candidate -- he's had real difficulties over there. [Brandon] Moss could be a possibility to come up, and have Youkilis play third base every day. Another option would be essentially what they did last night, with Casey taking over at first, Youkilis at third and then maybe bringing in somebody like Jed Lowrie to give them some flexiblility; Lowrie can play third as well [as shortstop]."

Aardsma vs. Corey vs. Lopez: "I would have said a week ago that Corey was the guy who probably was going to be kept. ... But he's not helped himself in the last week, either with his showing Saturday in Toronto, or last night when he had a bad inning. For that matter, neither Aardsma nor Lopez have looked sharp of late. So I'm not sure what decisions are going to be made here, but it seems as though neither one of these guys is stepping up and claiming this job for himself."

Renteria, a target of Boston fans: "It seems as if he has used that as some sort of motivation in coming back here, either with Detroit, or playing pretty well against them as a member of the Atlanta Braves. I think it's more evidence that the year he had here was essentially a fluke and that ... hes been a pretty good major league shortstop for 10 years."

Posted by Mike McDermott  at 1:32 PM to Projo SoxTalk with Sean McAdam | Permalink

Baseball Today; Thursday, April 10

ENOUGH, ALREADY: We were holding an impromptu staff meeting in the back of the press box at Fenway Park in the middle of the eighth inning Tuesday afternoon, so we missed what most of you saw: Neil Diamond doing a live-on-tape version of Sweet Caroline, with Tom Werner, Wally The Green Monster and others serving as Pips to Diamond's Gladys Knight. The You Tube clip fails to show the post-song patter between Diamond and Werner:

Werner: "You know, that was great. It's so great hearing Sweet Caroline. We'd love it if you'd ever play that at Fenway Park."

Diamond: "Oh, I would love it, too. We'd have a great party."

Werner: "Would you come this summer, then?"

Diamond: "Are you inviting me?"

Werner: "Absolutely."

Diamond: "I'm there!"

Werner: "Okay!"

Diamond: "That's a deal!"

(2:43 P.M. NOTE: Thanks to Ian Bethune of the blog Sox and Dawgs, who has the full clip -- along with Steven Tyler's version of God Bless America -- on his site.)

Right. As if the Red Sox hadn't been approaching Diamond's representatives about a Fenway Park concert for years, only to have negotiations constantly break down over availability dates and financial terms. As if after having this song played every night at Fenway since they bought the team in 2002 -- the Boston Globe even used the words "So good! So good!" as its headline after the Sox won the World Series last year -- it only just dawned on the Henry/Werner/Lucchino group that, wow, maybe it would be a good idea to have Neil Diamond perform here.

There's no question that Henry/Werner/Lucchino have accomplished far, far, far more good than bad during their going-on-seven-year stewardship of the Red Sox. But, as Sean McAdam writes today, the Neil Diamond nonsense represents the more unctious side of Red Sox Nation, a side that also showed itself in L'Affaire Buckner. (To wit: A relatively graceless guy, who whined about mistreatment from Red Sox fans for more than 20 years -- he was quoted after the Sox won the 2004 World Series as saying, "I've gone through a lot of, what I feel, undeserved bad situations for myself and my family over a long period of time, and for someone to come up to me and say, 'Hey, you're forgiven,' I mean, it just kind of brings a really bad taste in my mouth" -- and who already had been welcomed back into the fold with a rousing standing ovation on Opening Day 1990, returns in a made-for-television event that's interpreted by those with a passing knowledge of events as a cathartic moment of forgiveness on both sides.) They are, as Sean writes, "self-aggrandizing, over-the-top displays that have become a little too common of late."

(Late note: It looks like The Biz of Baseball's Maury Brown agrees with Sean.)

Like I say, there's been more good than bad under the new regime -- lots more good than bad -- and if this excess is the price to pay, well, I suppose we can live with it. Because, as Sean also writes, "The fan experience at Fenway, by every measure, has never been more enjoyable and the product on the field never more successful."

All true.

But can we just tone it down a few notches?

IT CAN'T BE ALL BAD: The Sox don't show up on DJ Gallo's list of the worst (and best) MLB promotions of 2008. (mlb.com)

MR. HYDE: When Jon Lester attacks the strike zone and has command of his pitches, he can be a formidable presence; witness the 6 2/3 shutout innings he tossed last week in Oakland, and the first three innings of last night's start against the Tigers. But that Jon Lester disappeared with one out in the fourth and into his place stepped the all-over-the-joint Jon Lester, who labored through a 40-pitch mess of an inning that resulted in four Detroit runs and led the way to a 7-2 Tigers victory, recounted here by Carolyn Thornton. In his Inside The Game feature, Steven Krasner examines Lester's inconsistency. Baseball Musing's David Pinto wonders if the Sox should be worried about Lester's 10 walks and 7 strikeouts so far this season, since pitchers "tend not to last long with a K/BB under 1.0."

SMALL PAPI: Krasner does a detailed analysis of David Ortiz' early season woes.

THE REAL BAD NEWS: McAdam reports on Mike Lowell's sprained thumb, which may sideline him for a bit.

GETTING CLOSE TO DECISION TIME: With Mike Timlin about ready to return -- Paul Kenyon has the details of his night in Pawtucket -- Krasner looks at the outings of the relievers who are on the bubble. The verdict: David Aardsma helped himself last night, Bryan Corey and Javier Lopez didn't.

TWO INTO ONE DOESN'T GO: The center-field game of musical chairs continues; last night, relates McAdam, it was Jacoby Ellsbury in, Coco Crisp out. Crisp isn't complaining per se, but he's clearly not too happy with his in-again, out-again lineup status. (Boston Herald)

ON THE MEDICAL FRONT: Bartolo Colon feels better and Curt Schilling is chomping at the bit to start throwing. McAdam has both reports.

MINOR-LEAGUE SPOTLIGHT: Kenyon profiles Chris Carter, who was acquired from the Nationals in the Wily Mo Pena deal.

FIRST OF MANY: It was Detroit's first win of the year and the Tigers were pleased if not necessarily excited. (Detroit News) The News also talked to ex-Tiger Sean Casey, who is confident his old team will right its listing ship very soon.

MUSIC TO MY EARS: Edgar Renteria -- his 30-error performance in 2005 still fresh in the fans' minds -- is the target of Fenway boo-birds. But, according to the Boston Herald's Steve Buckley, he loves it.

BEEN THERE: Lester certainly understands what Arizona's Doug Davis -- about to undergo surgery for thyroid cancer -- is going through, and he tells the Globe's Nick Cafardo he'd be happy to do anything he can to help Davis through the ordeal. Cafardo also talks to other people who know Davis, like Terry Francona and Kenny Rogers.

BIRD MEN: Remember that hawk that attacked poor A-Rod -- Alexa Rodriguez -- at Fenway Park? It's been named the official mascot of the Lowell Spinners' Yankee Elimination Program. (Boston Herald)

THE BEST-LAID PLANS: Joe Girardi opened himself up to plenty of second-guessing when he held back starter Ian Kennedy because it was raining in Kansas City -- only to use Kennedy in the sixth inning as the game was played in spite of the weather -- but the New York Post's George King says the 4-0 loss can be blamed on the "Dead Bat Society," not any pitching decisions by Girardi. The good news for the Yanks is that Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada probably won't have to go on the disabled list. (New York Daily News)

ONE OR THE OTHER: Goose Gossage, who was both a starter and a reliever in his early days -- and whose Hall of Fame career didn't take off until he concentrated solely on relief pitching -- thinks the Yankees should keep Joba Chamberlain in the bullpen. (New York Post)

HUGHES DIFFERENCE The blog SaberScouting.com says Phil Hughes' struggles may be helped by a slight alteration of his delivery.

ALL THE STARS: Newsday reports MLB wants to bring as many living Hall of Famers as possible to Yankee Stadium for the 2008 All-Star Game.

OH, THOSE TORONTONIANS: After already been chided by Katie Holmes in The Gazette for their Opening Night behavior, Blue Jays fans are now catching the wrath of team president Paul Godfrey, who says the Jays may discontinue their $2 Tuesday night ticket promotion after a series of fights erupted at the Rogers Centre earlier this week. (Toronto Star)

ALL PREVIOUS STATEMENTS ARE INOPERATIVE: Esquire runs through a list of contradictory Roger Clemens quotes, including a pair in which a) he admits he asked out of Game Six of the 1986 World Series and, two years later, b) says he was taken out of the game against his will by John McNamara.

MATTER OF STYLE: Writing for SportingNews.com, David Pinto examines the 'Torre Effect' on teams that he takes over as manager. The bottom line: They usually win more.

MORE CONFESSIONS: Ex-big leaguer Ed Sprague, who played 33 games for the Red Sox in 2000, admits to taking andro during his big-league days. (Recordnet.com)

I'VE HAD MY PHIL OF YOU: White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen says he doesn't like umpire Phil Cuzzi, and that the feeling is mutual. (Chicago Sun-Times) Cuzzi, however, says any disagreements they have are just professional.

AND OF YOU: Another pair on the outs -- the Cardinals' Albert Pujols and the Astros' Brandon Backe. (mlb.com)

DON'T GET YOUR HOPES UP: FoxSports.com's Dayn Perry doesn't think the Cardinals can sustain their early season success.

HERE AND THERE: Ernie Banks would like to see Sammy Sosa welcomed back into the Cubs family (Chicago Tribune) . . . Jose Guillen's 15-game drug suspension is postponed yet again as MLB and the players union inch closer to a new drug-testing agreement (Kansas City Star) . . . Braves closer Rafael Soriano is headed to the disabled list (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) . . . Rich Harden doesn't think he'll be able to start Saturday. (San Francisco Chronicle)

OLD FRIENDS: The Rays' Cliff Floyd has undergone knee surgery (Tampa Tribune) . . . Tomo Ohka got shelled in a minor-league start last night (rotoworld.com) . . . The Tigers signed Casey Fossum. (rotoworld.com)

-- ART MARTONE

Posted by Art Martone  at 6:35 AM | Permalink

Detroit ends seven-game skid with 7-2 win over Sox

After generating just 15 runs combined over its first seven losses, Detroit tagged Boston’s pitchers for 10 hits, en route to a 7-2 victory before a Fenway crowd of 3,7190.

Jon Lester’s debut against the Tigers was a rocky one. Failing to record at least one strike out for the first time in 29 games (28 starts), he dropped to 1-2 after giving up four runs, all of them earned, on four hits over 5.1 innings.

Meanwhile, Detroit right-hander Jeremy Bonderman – who entered last night’s game with a 5.68 ERA - extended his winning streak against the Sox to four games, scattering five hits over five innings for his first victory of the 2008 campaign.

Posted by Carolyn Thornton  at 9:52 PM to Thornton | Permalink

Timlin sharp in Pawtucket

Mike Timlin just made quick work of his second rehab appearance in Pawtucket.

Timlin retired Lehigh Valley on three routine ground balls in the sixth inning in a scoreless game. He threw 10 pitches, seven for strikes.

There is warm-up action in the Pawtucket bullpen, indicating Timlin probably will not come out for a second inning.

Posted by Paul Kenyon  at 7:50 PM to Projo Sox Crawl | Permalink

Pregame This and That, April 9

-- Curt Schilling remains in the background, continuing his rehabilitation on his ailing right shoulder. Manager Terry Francona said The Big Schill is chomping at the bit to play catch, the first in a series of many steps toward returning to the mound, but that he is "not there" just yet in the estimation of Mike Reinhold, the team's rehab co-ordinator and assistant trainer.

-- Jacoby Ellsbury is back in the starting lineup in center field, putting Coco Crisp back on the bench.

A look at the box scores would indicate that the two are being platooned, with Ellsbury starting against right-handed pitching and Crisp starting against left-handers, but Francona said that when they have played has partly been determined by various circumstances, such as days off. Francona said he doesn't want either one to sit for an extended period of time this early in the year.

-- David Ortiz is batting a woeful .103 (3 for 29) with one homer and three RBI. He did just miss crushing a grand slam into the right-field corner when his drive into the wind fell short Tuesday afternoon at Fenway Park, but Francona said Ortiz's "foundation" at the plate isn't quite where the designated hitter would like it to be just yet.

Francona didn't seem to think his early season struggles are strictly a function of the offseason surgery Ortiz underwent to repair damage in his right knee.

--Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:36 PM | Permalink

Colon Update

Bartolo Colon, who felt discomfort from a strained right oblique at some point after his start for Pawtucket last week, was examined by Boston's training staff today.

The portly right-hander is "still a little bit tender," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona.

"That's not unexpected. He will not be allowed to (throw) until he is not tender," said Francona. "We'll turn a negative into a positive and he can do extra cardio work until he can get back into a throwing role."

Francona didn't directly answer the question of whether Colon has shed a few pounds since signing with the Sox this spring as a free agent. He indicated weight isn't the most important issue with Colon's conditioning.

"We just want to get him into the best pitching shape we can so he can repeat his delivery," said Francona.

Francona said Colon has been bothered by a similar oblique injury twice in his career. One time it kept him out of action for seven days; the other time it forced him to the sidelines for 20 days.

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:28 PM | Permalink

Starting Lineups, April 9

Red Sox

Pedroia 2b
Youkilis 1b
Ortiz dh
Ramirez lf
Lowell 3b
Drew rf
Varitek c
Ellsbury cf
Lugo ss

Lester p

TIGERS

Rodriguez c
Polanco 2b
Sheffield dh
Ordonez rf
Cabrera 3b
Guillen 1b
Renteria ss
Thames lf
Inge cf

Bonderman p

-- Steven Krasner

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 4:26 PM | Permalink

Thursday's Sox-Tigers game switched to alternate channels by NESN

Because of a conflict with Thursday night's Boston Bruins playoff game, NESN is switching the Red Sox-Tigers game to alternate channels.

In Rhode Island, the alternate channels are:

On Cox Cable -- Cox3
On Verizon FIOS -- Channel 93
On DirecTV -- Channel 660
On the Dish Network -- Channel 444

The Bruins-Canadiens game will be broadcast on NESN.