Sox news and notes 4/30

With a two-run shot in the eight inning of a 7-4 win over New York, Boston’s Manny Ramirez became only the fifth player to hit 50 career homers against the Yankees, joining Jimmie Foxx (70), Ted Williams (62), Hank Greenberg (53) and Carl Yastrzemski (52).

Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who is Boston’s best position prospect, is off to a sizzling start at Double-A Portland. In the first 15 games of the season, Ellsbury is hitting .455 with 13 runs, 10 doubles, two triples and six stolen bases. This is good motivation for CoCo…

Jon Lester will make at least one more start for Pawtucket on Wednesday after turning in another strong rehab outing — this one at Pawtucket. Though the rehab clock expires after that outing, Terry Francona cautioned the media not to simply assume Lester will rejoin the Red Sox after that.

Terry Francona was impresed with Mike Timlins outing on Friday night. He pitched a scoreless 7th innin and threw nine if his eleven pitches for strikes. Francona said “Timlin’s a huge part of our bullpen.” “We want him to be a huge part of our bullpen. He didn’t have much of a Spring Training, and he’s coming off kind of the first time since I’ve known him, a tough second half of the year. We’re trying to get him into a little bit of a rhythm. We’ve all seen what he can do when he’s good. He threw the ball very well last night.”

Sad to hear of Josh Hancocks death. He started with the Sox and made his first MLB appearance in 2002 with them. He died in a car accident early Sunday morning.

Sox take two of three from the Yankees

In a rematch of the series from last weekend the Sox came into the Bronx and took two of three games from the Yankees to extend their lead in the AL East to 4 1/2 games and their lead over the Yankees to 6 1/2 games. For a review of each game here are the box scores: Game 1 Game 2 Game 3

It was a very good series – for Sox fans at least. Dice – K and Julio Lugo carried us in the first game, Wakefield was a hard luck loser in the second game receiving only one run of support and in the third game Papi, Manny and Alex Cora all hit home runs. Its been the same story for the Sox strong consistent starting pitching with a solid pen to finish games with good run support. The Yankees pitching woes continue, and who is complaining. The starters are ineffective and the pen even more so. Rivera did get the save n Saturday. Jeff Karstens injury didnt look that bad but breaking a leg off a line drive is brutal. On top of that Wang has a broken fingernail and may miss his next start for the Yanks.

One thing that still needs to be worked out is consistency in the heart of our order. Kevin Youkilis and Mike Lowell each had two hits, but the heart of the order David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and J.D. Drew — went a combined 0-for-9 in the the second game. We need them to be get it together. Manny especially. Just when you think he has turned the corner he disappears for two or three games. Alex Cora has certainly made the most of his playing time hitting .360 with two home runs. He is the best bench/platoon player we have until Wily Mo Pena can be more selective at the plate. One player that needs more recognition is Hideki Okajima, he has been stellar in relief for the Sox and has been lights out for us. He has been just as valuable as Dice – K to this point.

Lets also remember it is early in the season and a lot can and will change. The AL East is a strong division with three teams really contending, the Sox, Yankees and Toronto. We have a long way to go. Taking 5 of 6 from the Yankees is gratifying and proves this team is capable and can win the big games and series. It needs to prove it can do it series after series and the middle of the lineup needs to get it together day after day. Manny, are you listening?

Sox news and notes 4/27

Dice – K (2-2, 4.00 ERA) opens the three-game series at Yankee Stadium against left-hander Andy Pettitte (1-0, 1.78 ERA) at 7:05 p.m. ET.

Heading into this weekends series with the Yankees David Ortiz holds the highest career slugging percentage amoung active players at Yankee Stadium at .675.

Mike Lowell carries a 12 game hitting streak into tonights game while J.D. Drew is 1-12 and is just 4-for-22 in his last five games, dropping his average from .375 to .314.

Gary Thorne makes a retraction

After causing a huge stir across baseball with his comments Wednesday night during the red Sox Orioles game (see the conversation below) Gary Thorne retracted his statement yesterday. Thorne backed off his comments Thursday saying Mirabelli was joking. “He said one thing, and I heard something else. I reported what I heard and what I honestly felt was said,” Thorne said. “Having talked with him today, there’s no doubt in my mind that’s not what he said, that’s not what he meant. He explained that it was in the context of the sarcasm and the jabbing that goes on in the clubhouse.” “I took it as something serious, and it wasn’t,” Thorne said.

Mirabelli confirmed the story, saying, “He knows that I believe 100 percent that I thought the sock had blood on it. It never crossed my mind that there wasn’t blood on that sock. If he misinterpreted something said inside the clubhouse, it’s unfortunate.”

Mirabelli said he spoke with Thorne in the Boston clubhouse about six months after the 2004 playoffs.

Here is my question, if Mirabelli said this three years ago why did Thorne choose Wednesday night to make it public? He waited two and half years. Why wait until a night when Schilling is pitching to bring this out? Thorne knew then that Mirabelli was joking and that his comments were not intended to be taken seriously. Why not include that in his comments Wednesday night? Thorne is a very well respected commentator and in some ways has tarnished his image and legacy just a bit with this fiasco.

If you want to see Curt Schillings take on all this click over to his blog 38 Pitches.

Sox take series from O’s with Pena slam

The Red Sox took the series from the O’s last night with an 8th inning grand slam from Wily Mo Pena that was the game winner sending the Sox to New York for their weekend series with the Yanks on a winning note. Pena showed his promise with two hits and the four RBI, if he could just do this on a regular basis. Youkilis, Drew, Ortiz and Lowell were the other Sox hitter with a hit. With his hit Lowell extended his hit streak to twelve straight games last night. Sadly, Manny went hit less again. Adam Loewen, the O’s starter, held the Sox in check for the most part but Chris Ray out of the pen in the eigth inning let the game slip away after walking the bases loaded before surrendering the grand slam to Pena.

Josh Beckett improved to 5-0 and joined an exclusive club in Red Sox history. He joins Babe Ruth (1917) and Pedro Martinez (2000) as the only Red Sox pitchers to go 5-0 in April. Beckett was previously unaware of Ruth’s pitching ability, however, he was aware of Pedros saying “I don’t know how elite Babe Ruth was as a pitcher, but he was an elite hitter. Pedro Martinez was, maybe for seven or eight years there, the most dominant player.” Beckett went eight innings allowing two earned runs and striking out three. Paplebon came on in the ninth for his seventh save of the year.

Sox news and notes 4/26

The Red Sox sent the bat that Jason Varitek used to hit the Sox fourth consecutive home run Sunday to the Hall of Fame. ESPN also announced the 7-6 victory over the New York Yankees Sunday night was the most-viewed ESPN Sunday Night Baseball telecast ever.

Mike Timlin has yet to throw on back-to-back nights, but that’s largely a function of him still trying to get over the oblique problems that plagued him in spring training.

CoCo Crisp, who was expected to return from a strained left oblique for Wednesday’s opener of a two-game series at Camden Yards, remained sidelined. Crisp hit Tuesday, but reported some discomfort Wednesday.

Second baseman Alex Cora found himself in the lineup Wednesday because of his stellar numbers against Orioles right-hander Daniel Cabrera, against whom Cora is 9-for-16 (.563) in his career. Cora launched a solo home run in the third inning off Cabrera.

Jon Lester’s scheduled Triple-A start for Pawtucket on Wednesday was washed out by rain. Lester will return to Boston for routine medical tests Thursday, then face Buffalo in Pawtucket on Friday.

Josh Beckett (4-0, 2.55) faces Adam Loewen (2-0, 3.72) today at Camden Yards

Sox cruise past O’s and Gary Thorne causes a stir

The Sox scored three runs in the seventh and two runs in the ninth to win the first of a two game series at Camden Yards against the Orioles. Curt Schiling went 7 innings giving up 5 hits, one run (earned) and striking out three. Hideki Okijima looked great in middle relief striking out two. As of yesterday the Sox pen has the lowest era in the majors. That is quiet a statement as the pen was the biggest cause for concern going into the season. Okajima has certainly been a star so far this year for the Sox. Both Manny and Mike Lowell had two RBI’s and Kevin Youkilis went three for four and an RBI. Here is the boxscore.

The real story of the game though was not on the field but in the announcers booth. In the fifth inning while the Orioles were batting Gary Thorne a nationally known broadcaster said:

“The great story we were talking about the other night was that famous red stocking that he wore when they finally won, the blood on his stocking,” Thorne said to his on air partner Jim Palmer, the Hall of Fame pitcher, in a conversation that had begun with a discussion of Schilling’s blog of all things.

“Nah,” Thorne said. “It was painted. Doug Mirabelli confessed up to it after. It was all for PR. Two-ball, two-strike count.”

Palmer: “Yeah, that was the 2004 World Series [sic].” Thorne: “Yeah.”

During a break two innings later, Thorne confirmed that’s what he said, and that Mirabelli had told him so in a conversation “a couple of years ago.”

“Go ask him [Mirabelli],” Thorne said.

Mirabelli was shocked, then angry, when relayed Thorne’s comments.

“What? Are you kidding me? He’s [expletive] lying. A straight lie,” Mirabelli said. “I never said that. I know it was blood. Everybody knows it was blood.”

The sock has been scrutinezed previously before making its way to Cooperstown and into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The performance Schilling had that night was one of the greatest in MLB history. Thorne has thrown into question the validity of the injury and in some respects the performance itself. Where and when did Thorne get this statement from Mirabelli? And why did it just come out now? The Sox have indicated they will seek a retraction from Thorne. Unless Thorne can come up with concrete evidence that the substance on the sock is not blood an apology is in order as well.

It’s official, hitting four consecutive home runs is hard

In Gordon Edes column for the Boston Globe today there are calculations on how rare and remarkable Sundays home run barrage was. Take a look at the calculations. Couple that with the fact that J.D. Drew has been apart of this feat twice and you come away impressed.

Here is some feedback by Richard Sandomir of the NY Times about ESPN’s editing of the footage through the night. Yankees fans and media spent a lot of time looking at this I’m sure.

Sox swept by Blue Jays and hit the road

Dismal, that is how I would describe last nights game against the Jays. Julian Tavarez lasts just 4 2/3 innings giving up seven hits and six runs. Kyle Snyder tried to keep it close but he allowed four unearned runs in the sixth inning and the game turned into a blow out. Offensively we just stunk getting only five hits, the only highlight was Mike Lowells 4th homer of the season. Manny, Julio Lugo and the bottom of the order posted yet another goose egg. It is going to be a long season if this does not change and soon. Defensively the Sox committed four errors on the night, with Wily Mo Pena dropping a liner in the sixth with two outs that opened the flood gates for the Jays and put the game out of reach for the Sox. All of this when Fenway hosted 37,161, the largest attendance at Fenway Park since World War II.

The Sox really need to find a fifth starter and quickly, Tavarez is just not getting the job done. He is more suited to coming out of the bullpen. Scary to think he is going to start against the Yankees this weekend. Jon Lester’s comeback is ahead of schedule but rushing him may not be the answer. We also have Devern Hansack who has been brilliant in the minors so far this year.

And we are back to earth and Sox News and Notes

From the high of sweeping the Yankees to a dismal loss to the Blue Jays at home, sigh…

Julio Lugo, David Ortiz and Manny all go hit-less and Dustin Pedroia accounts for the two Red Sox runs last night. Wakefield got roughed up over 6 innings of work giving up eight hits and four runs and our bullpen looked average last night. Both Wakefield and Timlin gave up homers to the Jays. Here is the boxscore.

Manny went 0-5 last night dropping his average back down to a paltry .209, we really need him to get going and stay going. Going 0-5 against the pitchers the likes of Tomo Ohka and the rest that they threw out there is just hard to watch. I thought Manny might have begun a hot streak after Sundays game against the Yankees but obviously not. He has feasted on Toronto pitching during his career with 52 homers, the most the Blue Jays has allowed to any opposing player in its history. He also has 129 RBIs against Toronto, just two behind Harold Baines for the most against the Jays.

Sox Notes
After a relatively good series against the Yankees CoCo Crisp sat out last nights game against the Jays with a minor oblique injury

Julian Tavarez will face Jays ace Roy Halladay in a rematch of last Thursday’s encounter in Toronto on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET. Tavarez took a no-decision in that one, but the Red Sox rallied back from a 3-1 deficit to win after Halladay’s left the game.

There is a lot of banter on sports radio and in the media about the Sox going after A-Rod this offeseason if he indeed opts out of his contract. We would be foolish not too. Our only significant free agent at the end of the year is Curt Schilling. Don’t you think Theo is thinking about really getting rid of Manny yet again for a player that is two years younger and produces more than Manny? Also don’t forget that Lowell is going to start declining as well. A-Rod would fill two holes for the Sox. The big question around A-Rod is can he produce in the playoffs? To this point the answer is no, but he is having an MVP season yet again and is a threat in any line up. Not only that but taking him away from the Yankees sure would be gratifying.

Matt Clement is still in Florida for extended spring training.  He had his labrum and rotator cuff operated on last September and the Sox are taking a slow gradual approach with him.