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This morning the Red Sox
and David Ortiz have agreed upon a deal and have avoided an arbitration
hearing. Ortiz signed a one year deal worth $14.575 million. The
agreement represents the midpoint between the salary being offered by
the Sox ($12.65 million) and the number being sought by Ortiz ($16.5
milion). News of the agreement was first reported by Buster Olney of
ESPN.
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 According
to the Red Sox front offices, it
is being reported that Red Sox outfielder, Carl Crawrord had surgery on
his left wrist done today in Arizona by Dr. Donald Sheridan. Red Sox GM
Ben Cherington stated that Crawford should be able to recover and
return for the bulk of this season. Back in 2008, Sheridan operated on
Crawford to fix a tendon issue on his right hand.
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Jacoby Ellsbury has agreed to a one year, $8.05 million deal with the Red Sox, avoiding arbitration. The 28-year-old was in his second year of arbitration eligibility. Also coming to terms was infielder/outfielder Mike Aviles, whose one-year deal is for $1.2 million Ellsbury avoided arbitration prior to the 2011 season by signing a one-year, $2.14 million deal. This was Aviles first year of arbitration eligibility, having made $640,000 in ’11. |
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RED SOX
ACQUIRE BRAD EMAUS
 According to MLB Trade Rumors the Red Sox acquired infielder Brad Emaus from the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named later or cash considerations, the Rockies soruces announced today. He’ll provide Boston with depth at second and third off the bench. |
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According to multiple
sources around Major League, the Red Sox have agreed to terms with free
agent starting pitcher Aaron Cook on a minor league deal, pending a
physical. The 32-year-old right-hander is expected to compete for one
of the final spots in the Sox’ rotation in 2012. If he is summoned to
the big leagues under the contract, he would receive a prorated $1.5
million salary.
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According to multiple
sources around the Major Leagues, Sox right hander Bobby Jenks, who
underwent surgery back in December to remove bone fragments from
his lower, experienced some minor complications from that procedure
that resulted in some fluid build-up around the spine. As a result, a
second procedure proved necessary on Dec. 30. The Boston Globe was the
first to break wind of the second procedure.
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 On Saturday, January 7th at
Pinsetters Bowl & Bar, Pennsauken, NJ
newly acquired Andrew Bailey will be hosting his 2012 Bailey Bowl to
help raise funds for pediatric research for the Strike 3 Foundation. If
you would like to purchase tickets to this event visit Strike 3 Foundation.
If you do plan on attending this event Bailey tweeted on the December 31st that only general admission tickets were available with all you can eat and drink and silent auction. |
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The Red Sox announced
Tuesday that they have signed 12 players to minor league
contracts, including lefty reliever Rich Hill which was announced on
December 30, 2011 and veteran major league pitcher Carlos Silva. All 12
have been invited to major league camp as non-roster players. If Silva
makes the major league roster, he will be paid a pro-rated salary of $1
million for the 2012 season. Besides Hill and Silva, the other ten
players signed include pitchers Brandon Duckworth, Will Inman, Doug
Mathis, Tony Pena Jr., Chorye Spoone, Jesse Carlson, Charlie Haeger and
Justin Thomas, shortstop Pedro Ciriaco and utility player Nate Spears.
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 Today on Twitter Josh Reddick took a few minutes to tweet thanking Red Sox Nation. Reddick was traded to Oakland in the Andrew Bailey deal that happened last week. |
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According to John Tomase of
the Boston Herald via twitter the Red Sox have signed lefthanded
reliever Rich Hill, to a minor league contract that includes an
invitation to spring training. Hill tore the ulnar collateral ligament
in his elbow on June 1 and underwent Tommy John surgery on June 9. He
is hopeful of being ready to pitch at some point early next season.
Hill appeared in 15 games for the Red Sox over the last two
seasons, throwing 12 scoreless innings and striking out 12 with three
walks.
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Today Peter Abraham of the
Boston Globe is reporting that outfield Ryan Kalish is most likely to
miss the start of the 2012 season. Kalish who revealed to the Boston
Globe this afternoon in an interview had surgery on his neck this past
September and also had surgery on a torn labrum in his left shoulder on
November 8th. The trade yesterday that sent outfield Josh Reddick to
the Athletics opened up the oppurtunity of more playing time for Kalish
in right field, but with the information obtained by the Globe it
appears Kalish will be sidelined for some time with the rehabilitation
process. Kalish went on to say in the interview that he would think a
return in sometime May or June is realistic.
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 ESPN’s Buster Olney has reported that the Red Sox have acquired Oakland’s closer Andrew Bailey and outfield Ryan Sweeney and have sent outfield Josh Reddick To the Athletics. The Sox also are sending right handed pitcher Raul Alcantara and first baseman Miles Head to Oakland as part of the deal. Bailey had 24 saves last season in Oakland with an 3.24 ERA, which was his highest ERA since being in the majors. RHP Raul Alcantara, & 1B Miles Head as part of the deal and of course all pending with physicals. |
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Today the Yankees announced that they have assigned the Sox former left middle reliever, Hideki Okajima to a minor league contract. Okajima who just turned 36 on Christmas Day, appeared in seven games for the Sox last season all before May 9th. Okajima was a sure thing for two season with Sox after coming over from Japan. Oki had a 2.40 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP combined in 2006 and 2006 and averaged 8.5 strike outs per nine innings pitched. |
 Here is today’s line up: Ellsbury, CF |
 The Sox start the day in a
virtual tie for first place with the Yankees, who host the
Athletics. The Sox are 4-2 on their eight-game road trip. They
return to Boston for three games against Oakland starting on Friday
before getting a day off. Beckett is 2-2, 5.53 in seven career starts
against Texas but 2-1, 3.96 in four career starts at Rangers Ballpark.
He has not faced the Rangers since Aug. 13, 2010 when he allowed six
runs on 10 hits in five innings in Texas. Harrison is 2-0, 5.68 in
five career appearances against the Red Sox, three of them starts. He
beat the Sox on April 3, allowing one run on five hits with two walks
and eight strikeouts. Harrison has been hit hard of late, giving up 10
runs (seven earned) on 10 hits and six walks in his last 9.2 innings.
Tonight's Line Up |
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Tonight the Red Sox look to sweep the Twins as Jon Lester takes the mound for the Red Sox. It’s a day off for Pedroia. The Sox have won four straight and 14 of 20. The Twins have lost six straight. The Sox are 5-1 against the Twins despite outscoring them by five runs in the season series. Lester is 1-2, 4.67 in six career appearances against the Twins. He is 0-2, 6.61 in Minnesota in three games. Blackburn is 2-1, 4.00 in five career games against the Sox. He allowed one run over 6.1 innings at Fenway on May 9. Gonzalez has one home run since July 7. Scutaro is 8 of his last 11 with three RBIs. The Sox are 35-21 on the road, 35-14 (.714) since April 20. |
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The Sox have won three straight and 13 of 19, The Twins have lost five straight. Bedard is making his second start for the Sox, He beat the Twins on May 25, throwing six scoreless innings. He is 2-5, 4.18 in 11 career starts against Minnesota. Liriano is 1-3, 7.78 in four career starts against the Sox. He has not faced them since May 20, 2010. Crawford is 10 of 16 in his last four games and 13 of 32 in August (.401). Pedroia has hit safely in 45 of the last 48 games. Scutaro is sitting despite being 8 of his last 11. |
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Tonight the Red Sox open up a three game series against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Tim Wakefield will be making his third attempt at getting win number 200 of his career as he takes the mound tonight against the Twins righty Scott Baker. Kevin Youkilis will get the night off. The Sox are 3-1 against the Twins this season. Tonight’s Line Up:
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Tonight the Red Sox look
for their third straight win in as many nights against the Tribe.
Tonight newly acquired lefty Erik Bedard will take the mound and make
his Red Sox debut in the series finale against Cleveland.
Tonight’s Line Up: Ellsbury, CF Pitching: LHP Erik Bedard (4-7, 3.45 ERA with the Seattle Mariners) |
 Wakefield, who turned 45 on
Tuesday, takes his second stab at winning his 200th game. He pitched
well in Chicago over the weekend, allowing three runs over seven
innings, but took the loss. Wakefield is aiming to become the oldest
pitcher at the time of his 200th win. Wakefield faced the Indians
once this season, throwing two innings in relief on April 6. He is
12-8, 4.05 in 30 career appearances aganst the Indians. Pedroia
has hit safely in 24 straight home games, the third longest streak
since 1919 and the longest since Nomar Garciaparra hit safely in 31
straight home games in 2002. Pedroia has a hit in 40 of his last 42
games overall. Saltalamacchia and Varitek have a .460 slugging
percentage, tops for AL catchers in the American League and are tied
for first in that group with 58 RBIs. The Red Sox have the most runs by
a catcher with 58 and are tied for first with 43 extra-base hits.
Tonight’s line up: Ellsbury, CF Pitching: RHP Tim Wakefield (6-4, 5.06 ERA) |
 The Sox have lost three our
of five and now lead the Yankees by one game in the AL
East. Beckett has faced the Indians twice this season. He allowed
three runs over five innings in his first start of the season in April
and then on May 24 allowed one run over 6.2 innings. Huff is
making is third start of the season after being summoned from the
minors. He is 0-2 in two starts against the Red Sox despite a 2.38 ERA.
This will be his second game at Fenway Park. Gonzalez has hit
safely in his last 11 games, which matches his longest streak of 2011.
He is 24-for-47 in that stretch with three doubles, a home run, 12 RBI,
10 runs and four walks over that span. Ortiz is hitting a modest
.228 in his last 26 games but does have 20 RBIs. Tonight newly acquired
Mike Aviles will make his debut with the Red Sox.
Tonight’s Starting 9: Ellsbury, CF Pitching: RHP Josh Beckett (9-4, 2.17 era) |
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Tonight the Red Sox open up
a four game series at Fenway
Park agains the Cleveland Indians. Lackey is 4-0 with a 2.52
ERA in his last four starts. He has not faced the Indians this
season. The Sox are 2-4 against the Indians, all six games having
been played in Cleveland. The Sox will not see Ubaldo Jimenez in this
series. He is slated to start on Friday against Texas. The Sox are
coming off winning two of three in Chicago. The Sox are 14-12 against
the AL Central. Gonzalez has a 10-game hitting streak and has seven
straight games with multiple hits. Picking the AL Player of the Month
for July should be pretty easy. Pedroia led the league in batting
average (.411), on-base percentage (.465) and slugging percentage
(.723)
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 This afternoon the Red Sox were part of a three team – seven player deal that landed southpaw starter Erik Bedard in Boston. The Red Sox traded four Minor Leaguers in the deal, catcher Tim Federowicz, pitcher Stephen Fife and righty Juan Rodriguez went to the Dodgers for outfielder Trayvon Robinson. The Red Sox then dealt Robinson and outfielder Chih-Hsien Chiang to the Mariners to complete the exchange for Bedard. Boston also acquired Minor League reliever Josh Fields, a right-hander, from the Mariners in the deal. Fields was a first round draft pick and has been playing at the Triple A level. The transaction comes the day after Boston had a tentative agreement to get Rich Harden from the A’s, only to back out of that move because of concerns about the right-hander’s health. Bedard, who the Red Sox are familiar with from his years with the Orioles, also has a recent history of injuries. The lefty was recently sidelined with a sprained left knee, but returned from the disabled list on Friday night, getting shelled by the Rays. On Saturday, the Red Sox supplemented their bench depth with the acquisition of utility infielder Mike Aviles from the Royals. |
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Tonight the Red Sox play
the third game of a four game series with the Kansas City Royals. The
Sox look to win their second game and take the series lead into
tomorrows final game of the homestand. Dustin Pedroia is looking to
extend his hitting streak to twenty four games. Pedroia is 40 of 102
(.392) with 17 extra-base hits, 17 RBIs and 24 runs scored during the
streak and has reached base safely in 35 straight games. Pedroia
is 17 of 31 (.548) in seven starts as a cleanup hitter with seven
extra-base hits and nine RBI. Ellsbury has hit safely in eight straight
games. Matt Albers has a scoreless streak of 12.1 innings. Bard’s
scoreless streak is at 25 innings over 24 outings. Lackey is 3-0 with a
1.86 ERA in his last three starts. He is 2-2, 3.21 in eight career
starts against Kansas City. The Sox are 17-4 in July. They have won
five of their last six and 14 of 17. The Sox are 4-1 on their
current homestand.
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As Clay Buchholz starts down the comeback trail, these starts become rotation auditions for Miller. The Sox are 5-1 in the games he has started, but that is thanks largely to good run support and bullpen work. He has a 6.75 ERA and a 2.10 WHIP in his last three starts, lasting only 13.1 innings. Miller is 0-2, 10.61 in four career games against the Royals but has not faced them since 2008. Duffy, 22, is a former third-round pick (2007) who will be making his 12th start in the majors. He is facing the Sox for the first time. Ellsbury has hit in seven straight at 13 of 31 (.419) with three homers and seven RBIs. Ellsbury has not stolen a base since July 6 (or attempted one, either). Reddick is hitting .364/.414/.659 in 28 games since being called up. Jonathan Papelbon has not allowed a run in his last five outings. Unsung hero Matt Albers has not allowed a run in his last 11.1 innings. Daniel Bard is riding a streak of 24 outings and 25 innings without allowing an earned run.(information provided by Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe) Here is tonight’s line up: McDonald, CF |
 Tonight Jon Lester returns
to the starting rotation after a stint on the DL. The Sox are opening
up a four game series tonight against the Kasnsas City
Royals. Tonight’s game opens a four-game series against the
Royals, who are last in the AL Central, 12 games behind the
division-leading Tigers. The Red Sox have now won four straight games,
and they have a season-high nine consecutive wins at Fenway
Park. Dustin Pedroia’s career-high hit streak currently stands at
21 games. Tonight will be Jon Lester’s first start since July 5.
He’s been on the disabled list with a strained lat muscle. Adrian
Gonzalez had three hits yesterday, which makes him the Major League
leader in games with three hits. He’s done that 18 times so far this
season. Carl Crawford has gone 9-for-24 (.375) since returning
from the disabled list a week ago.
Here is tonight’s line up: Ellsbury, CF |
 Tonight
the Red Sox and rookie hurler Kyle Weiland who will be making his
second career start, and his second start against the Orioles, tonight
at 7:05 ET at Camden Yards. The Sox have won three straight, 9 of 10
and 13 of 15. Weiland is making his second career start and it’s
against the Orioles again. He allowed six runs on eight hits over four
innings the first time. Pedroia has hit safely in 16 straight, one off
his carer high. He has reached base safely in 28 straight games with
hits in 27 of those games. Youkilis has reached base safely in 26
straight games, hitting 33 of 96 in that span. Franklin Morales has
thrown 6.1 scoreless innings in his last eight appearances and allowed
one hit. Francona has 997 career wins.
Here is tonight’s line up: Ellsbury, CF |
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After a heated series earlier this month, the Red Sox and Tim Wakefield, who has 198 career wins, open a set vs. the Orioles in Baltimore tonight at 7:05 ET. The Sox have won eight of their last nine and 12 of their last 14. The Sox are 6-2 against Baltimore this season, outscoring them by 20 runs in the eight games. Wakefield has 198 career wins. He has faced the Orioles only once this season, pitching an inning of relief in April. Pedroia has hit safely in 15 straight and reached base safely in 27 straight. Drew Sutton was optioned to make room for Crawford, who is coming off the disabled list. Here is tonight’s line up: Ellsbury, DH |
 Here is tonight’s line up: Ellsbury, CF |
 Here is tonight’s line up: Ellsbury, CF |
 Tonight the Red Sox are
looking for their fourth straight when Josh Beckett takes the mound
against the Orioles at Fenway Park. The Sox have won seven of eight and
have three games left before the break. They lead the New York Jeters
by a half-game in the standings. Beckett allowed one run in eight
innings against Houston on Sunday. He is 6-3, 3.68 against Baltimore in
15 career starts. Beckett faced the Orioles on April 27 and four runs
in six innings. Britton,a 23-year-old rookie, allowed one run in six
innings against the Sox on April 26. He is 1-4, 5.35 in his last seven
starts. The O’s have lost four straight and nine of 10. Before you
start complaining about the lineup, be advised that lefties are hitting
.213/.269/.306 against Britton and righties .270/.334/.372. It’s also
worth noting that the Sox have a team OPS of .802 and the next highest
in baseball is the Yankees at .786. Complaining about the lineup is
really, really silly at this point.
Here is tonight’s line up:
Staring Pitcher, RHP, Josh Beckett (7-3, 2.12 ERA) |
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Dick Williams was inducted
into baseball’s Hall of Fame as one of seven managers to win pennants
in both leagues, died today at the age of 82 at a hospital
near his Henderson, Nevada home. Reports are sayingthat Williams
died from a ruptured aortic aneurysm. Following a 14-year playing
career with five teams, Williams became manager of the 1967 Boston Red
Sox, where he predicted the team which had suffered eight consecutive
losing seasons and lost 92 games in 1966 would win more than it would
lose. The ’67 Red Sox finished 92-70, clinching the American League
pennant on the final day of what would become known as Boston’s
“Impossible Dream” season.
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 Tonight the Red Sox open up a four game series with the Baltimore Orioles. The Sox have won six of seven. They are 16 games over .500, matching their high for the season. Miller has pitched pretty well in three starts, although his 1.47 WHIP is nothing to write home about. This will be his first start against an American League team since June 28, 2009. Miller started against the Orioles in June 23, 2009 while pitching for Florida. He allowed a leadoff double to Brian Roberts then not another hit for seven innings. Arrieta faced the Sox on Sept. 1, 2010 and allowed three runs on six hits over five innings. .Dustin Pedroia has reached base safely in 20 straight games. Here is tonight’s line up:
Starting on the mound: LHP, Andrew Miller (2-0, 3.06 ERA) |
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Terry Francona announced
today before tonight’s game that lefty Jon Lester would be going on the
15 day disabled list with a left lat strain and righty Scott
Atchison would be getting re-called from Pawtucket to take
Lester’s spot on the roster and work out of the bullpen. Jon Lester was
scheduled to have an MRI this afternoon, but regardless of what the
test shows, he’s heading to the disabled list, Sox manager Terry
Francona said at his press conference. Lester tossed four no-hittings
in Tuesday’s 3-2 Red Sox win, but left with the injury. Manager Terry
Francona said on Wednesday’s Big Show that the team would decide
Lester’s fate after the 27-year-old ace had an MRI, and said prior to
Wednesday’s tilt with the Blue Jays that Lester was indeed headed for
the DL. Atchison, 35, has made seven major-league appearances this
season, tossing 13 2/3 innings from May 5 to June 3. He has given up
seven runs with the Sox on 17 hits, walking two and striking out nine
with an ERA of 4.73. He has a 2-1 record and 1.39 ERA in 17 appearances
with Pawtucket this season. In 43 appearances last season,
Atchison had a 4.50 ERA over 60 innings.
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 Tonight the Red Sox and Tim
Wakefield look to win their second straight and the rubber game to take
the series against the Toronto Blue Jays. Wakefield is starting against
Toronto for the first time this season. He is 17-14, 3.87 in 56 career
appearances against Toronto. He is 4-2, 4.56 in eight starts since
joining the rotation on May 22 but has allowed 10 runs on 18 hits over
11.1 innings in his last two starts. The Red Sox are kryptonite
for Romero. He is 2-5, 7.69 in 10 career starts against Boston, his
worst ERA against any team. The Sox are 6-6 in their last 12 games but
5-1 in the last six. The Sox are 7-4 against Toronto this season,
outscoring the Jays 81-43. The Sox are 19-11 against lefty
starters this season. Adrian Gonzalez is getting the night off.
Here is tonight’s Line up:
Starting Pitcher: RHP, Tim Wakefield (4-3, 4.82 ERA) |
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This afternoon the Red Sox
announced they have traded veteran outfielder Mike Cameron and cash to
the Florida Marlins in exchange for a player to be named later or
cash. Cameron was designated for assignment on June 30th by the
Sox.Cameron struggled in his 33 games with the Red Sox as he hit .149
with nine RBI and three home runs. Cameron signed as a free agent with
the Red Sox in December 2009 but was unable to contribute much
consistently due to injuries. Cameron, 38, played in 48 games last
season and hit .259 with four home runs and 14 RBI but injuries
prevented him from finishing the season. Cameron is in the midst of his
17th season.
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Tonight the Red Sox play the second game of a three game series with the Toronto Blue Jays. Lefty, Jon Lester takes on southpaw, Brett Cecil. The Sox have won four of their last five and have still won 14 of their last 22 home games and eight of 13 series at Fenway Park. The Sox are 5-6 in their last 11 games. Lester is 9-4, 3.40 in 16 career starts against Toronto. In two starts this season, he has allowed 7 earned runs in 19.1 innings. Lester has a 1.86 ERA in his last four starts. His line: 29 IP, 19 H, 6 ER, 7 BB, 26 K. Cecil is 3-3, 6.15 in six career starts against the Red Sox, 3-1, 6.94 in four starts at Fenway. Cecil faced the Sox on April 15 and allowed three runs on two hits over six innings. The hits were home runs by Pedroia and Youkilis. Cecil is making his second start since coming off the disabled list. Ellsbury is 10 for 14 in his last four games. Here is today’s line up:
SP: Lester (10-4, 3.43 ERA) |
 Today
the Red Sox finish off their road trip and are going for the sweep
against the struggling Houston Astros. The Sox are 4-4 on a road trip
that ends today. After a 1-4 start, they have won three
straight. The Sox are 9-8 in interleague play with one game left.
Beckett, who grew up in the Houston area, is 2-2, 2.20 in six career
starts against the Astros, 1-1, 2.79 in three starts in Houston. He
last pitched in Houston in 2008. Varitek is hitting .326 with six
extra-base hits and 10 RBIs in his last 13 games. David Ortiz is
hitless in his last 20 at-bats. Reddick is 14 of 29 since being
recalled with six extra-base hits and six RBIs over 11 games. Bard
has not allowed a run in his last 15.1 innings. The Sox are 10 for
22 with runners in scoring position in the series. Lyles is a
20-year-old rookie who has started six games. He was a supplemental
first-round pick in 2008.
Here is today’s line up:
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Tonight the Red Sox open up a three game series against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. The Sox are 2-4 on a road trip that has three games left. The Sox are 4-2 against the Astros, 1-2 in Houston. The teams last met in 2008. Wakefield is seeking his 198th career win. He has faced Houston once in his career, that coming on July 7, 1993 in the Astrodome when he allowed 2 runs in 3.2 innings pitching for Pittsburgh. Among the batters Wakefield faced that day: Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Luis Gonzalez and Steve Finley. Since being added to the rotation on May 22, Wakefield is 4-3, 4.11 in seven starts. Only Carlos Lee (9 for 24) and Jason Michaels (1-3) have faced Wakefield before. Norris has a 3.55 ERA in his last 10 starts but only three victories. He is facing the Sox for the first time in his career. Only Gonzalez (0 for 3) has faced him before. Here is the line up for tonight:
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Today Jon Lester and the Red Sox look to get back in the win column and avoid a sweep from the NL’s best Phillies. Today two lefties take the mound. The Sox have dropped two straight and six of seven and will try and avoid a sweep today with Lester, who is 1-0 with an 0-64 ERA in two starts against the Phillies. He has not faced them since 2009. Hamels is 3-0, 1.71 in three starts against the Red Sox and beat them twice last season, allowing 2 runs in 14 innings. The Sox are hitting .241 in their last seven games and have scored 15 runs. Here is today’s line up:
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The Sox have lost 5 of their last 6 games and are now 1.5 games out of first place. Gonzalez is playing RF for the first time since Sept. 30, 2005 when he played for Texas. He caught three balls in that game but also made an error. Ortiz is at first base for the first time since last June 27. Ortiz is hitless in his last 12 at-bats. The Sox are 3 for 36 with runners in scoring position in the last five games. Worley is a 23-year-old who was taken in the 2008 draft. This will be his seventh start of the season. Lackey is 2-1, 3.44 in three starts against Philadelphia in his career. he faced them twice last season, giving up six runs on 12 hits over 12 innings with five walks and six strikeouts. Here is tonight’s line up:
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The Sox have optioned down LHP Tommy Hottovy and RHP Scott Atchison and activated LHP Franklin Morales and RHP Bobby Jenks off the disabled list. |
 Tonight
the Red Sox open up a three game mid week series with the Phillies who
has the best record in MLB. The Sox sit with the third best record
behind the Yankees. The Sox lead the series between the teams 26-17 and
are 19-6 against the Phillies under Terry Francona with wins in nine of
the last 13 games. The Sox are 6-6 in interleague games this
season. The Sox have scored only 14 runs in their last five games
and are 3 of 33 with runners in scoring position in the last
four. The Sox have dropped four of their last five games and five
of their last eight. Pedroia has hit safely in 11 straight at 16
of 42. Gonzalez has hit safely in six straight at 15 of 31 with
nine RBIs. Ortiz is 0 for his last 12. Lee is 4-0, 0.27 in June. His
line: 33 IP, 19 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 24 K. Beckett has not pitched
since June 15 because of the flu. He is 8-4, 3.98 in 19 appearances
against Philadelphia, 2-1, 4.71 in three starts for the
Sox. Daniel Bard’s last 11 games: 13 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 12 K.
McDonald is 5 for 46 on the season (.109) with one extra-base hit and
three RBIs.
Here is tonight’s line up:
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 Today the Red Sox activated right handed pitcher Junichi Tazawa off the 60-day disabled list and optioned him to Class AA Portland. Tazawa is scheduled to pitch for the Sea Dogs tonight. The game will be televised on NESN with the Sox having the day off. The Sox shifted Rich Hill to the 60-day DL to make room for Tazawa on the 40-man roster. Tazawa had Tommy John surgery on April 6, 2010 and missed that entire season. He began a rehab assignment with Class A Salem on May 20 and went 0-1 with a 6.05 ERA in six starts. However, Tazawa has been terrific in his last four starts: 12 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K. Tazawa made his Major League debut with Boston in 2009, his first professional season. In six appearances, including four starts, with the Red Sox that year, he went 2-3 with a 7.46 ERA. |
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Here is today’s line up
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 Tonight the Red Sox look to
snap their three game skid when veteran knuckle baller Tim Wakefield
takes the mound for the Sox in the second game of a three game series
in Pittsburgh. The last time Karstens faced the Red Sox was on April
28, 2007 when he was with the Yankees. Julio Lugo broke his right leg
with a line drive in the first inning, knocking him out the game. Kei
Igawa then went six innings of relief to get one of the two wins in his
career. Wakefield is seeking career win No. 198. He is 4-1, 3.60
in six starts since joining the rotation. Wakefield was 14-12 for the
Pirates from 1992-93. The Sox have lost three straight and four of
six. The Sox are 5-5 in interleague games with eight left to
play. Pedroia has hit safely in nine straight at 13 of 33.
Gonzalez is 12 of his last 23 with seven RBIs. He is hitting .360, tops
in the major leagues. Next is Jose Reyes of the Mets at .334.
Here is tonight’s line up: 1. Ellsbury, CF |
 1. Ellsbury, CF |
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Tonight the Red Sox play the second game of a three game series agaisnt the San Diego Padres. Josh Beckett will miss his start tonight with stomach issues, ”Intestinal turmoil” as Terry Francona puts it and Alfredo Aceves will make the spot start. The Red Sox have won two straight, five of six and 14 of 16. They are 14-3 in June and 42-18 (.700) since April 16. The Padres have lost six straight and nine of 10. The Sox are 5-2 in interleague games, outscoring their National League opponents 61-31. The Sox have outscored their opponents 128-58 in the last 16 games. Aceves has allowed three runs over 10.1 innings in his last four games. He is 1-1, 4.50 in three starts this season. Latos has never faced the Sox before or any of their hitters. Pedroia is 16 of 41 (.390) with 13 runs scored, 11 RBIs and eight extra-base hits in 10 games since getting his right knee checked out. In 11 games since he came off the disabled list, Scutaro is 16 of 44 (.364) with 10 runs scored and five RBIs. Gonzalez is 18 of 33 (.545) with 10 RBIs in the seven interleague games. Here is tonight’s line up: 1. Ellsbury, CF SP: RHP, Alfredo Aceves |
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Tonight Adrian Gonzalez and the Red Sox welcome in the Padres to Fenway Park for a three game series starting tonight at 7:10pm. Gonzalez will be facing his former team for the first time since he signed on with the Sox this past off season. The Sox have won 13 of their last 15. The Padres have dropped five straight and eight of nine.The Sox are 6-3 against the Padres.Miller was 3-3 with a 2.47 ERA in 13 games (12 starts) for Class AAA Pawtucket. He allowed 42 hits over 65.2 innings with 35 walks and 61 strikeouts. Miller is 1-1, 4.91 in two career starts against the Padres. He last faced them in 2008. LeBlanc is making this third start of the season. The 26-year-old is facing the Red Sox for the first time in his career. LeBlanc has never faced any of the Red Sox hitters. Kevin Youkilis has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games with 14 RBIs. Marco Scutaro is 20 of 51 (.392) in his last 14 games with six extra-base hits and six RBIs. Anthony Rizzo, one of the players traded for Gonzalez, is 4 of 27 since being called up with one homer and one RBI. He is 1 for 20 in his last seven games with 8 strikeouts. Here is tonight’s line up: 1. Ellsbury, CF SP: LHP, Andrew Miller |
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The Red Sox announced this afternoon that they placed righthander Clay Buchholz on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 17, with a lower back strain. Andrew Miller, who has been called up from Pawtucket, will start tomorrow against the Padres and fill the roster spot. Miller’s PawSox stats in 13 appearances (12 starts) this season: 3-3 record, 2.47 ERA, 61 strikeouts, and 35 walks. |
 Today the Red Sox and Tim
Wakefield take the mound in the rubber game of the three game series
with the NL Central leading Brewers. The Sox are 3-2 in
interleague games. Ortiz has hit safely in 12 straight home games at 24
of 48 with 12 extra-base hits and 10 RBIs. Scutaro is 19 of 46 (.413)
in his last 13 games. Wakefield is 5-2, 3.32 in 11 career starts
against Milwaukee but 0-0, 7.36 in the last two. Gallardo is facing the
Red Sox for the first time in his career. Among the Red Sox, only
Gonzalez has faced Gallardo. The Bruins will be on hand today
along with the Cup. Happy Father’s Day to you dads out there.
Here is today's line up: 1. Ellsbury, CF 2. Pedroia, 2B 3. Gonzalez, 1B 4. Youkilis, 3B 5. Ortiz, DH 6. Drew, RF 7. Scutaro, SS 8. Saltalamacchia, C 9. Reddick, LF SP: RHP, Tim Wakefield |
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Carl Crawford is headed to the 15 day disabled list after he tweaked a hamstring and has a grade one hamstring sprain running out an infield hit in last nights game. Crawford was pulled immediately by Terry Francona. Josh Reddick will be getting the call up to take Crawford’s place on the roster. Through Twitter Reddick is at the park and was taking batting practice this afternoon before the game. Reddick hit .385 in five games with the Sox earlier this season and was hitting 230/.333/.508/.841 with 14 HR in Pawtucket. |
 1. Ellsbury, CF SP: LHP, Jon Lester |
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Before tonight’s game against the Brewers, Skipper Terry Francona announced the Jed Lowrie is going on the 15 day disabled list with a shoulder injury and utilitly infielder Drew Sutton is getted recalled to the club from Pawtucket.
Francona said the results of Lowrie’s MRI will be sent to Dr. Lewis Yokum in California. Lowrie will rest and start receiving treatment on his shoulder. Francona didn’t give a name for the type of shoulder injury it is, but he said there’s swelling, bruising, and a loss of strength.
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Tonight the Red Sox open up the second round of interleague play in 2011. The Brewers come into Fenway Park atop the NL Central. Tonight John Lackey will take the mound for a 7:10pm start. 1. Ellsbury, CF SP: RHP, John Lackey |
 The Sox are 7-1 on a road
trip, having outscored the Yankees, Jays and Rays 63-30. With a win
tonight, it would be the best nine-game trip since a 9-0 journey in
1977. The Sox are a MLB-best 21-14 on the road. Buchholz is 3-2, 1.81
in seven starts against the Rays. He held them to two earned runs over
18.1 innings last season. Price is 4-2, 3.18 in his career against the
Sox.
Here is today’s line up: 1. McDonald, CF SP: RHP, Clay Buchholz |
Miller, 26, is 3-3 with a 2.47 earned run average in 13 appearances for Pawtucket. But he has been dominant in recent weeks, allowing five earned runs over his last 25.1 innings with three walks and 26 strikeouts. Miller went 5.1 innings against Charlotte last night, allowing one run on five hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts. According to a major league source, the Red Sox plan to keep Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Josh Beckett their five-day routines for the most part and mix Miller, John Lackey and Tim Wakefield into the rotation. |
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Tonight the Red Sox look to get back to their winning ways when they face of with the Rays in the second game of a three game series. Those Rays are 3-0 against the Sox this season, outscoring them 23-7. They are 10-3 against the Sox since last June 20. The Sox are 8-20 at Tropicana Field since the start of the 2008 season. Beckett has faced the Rays once since April 30, 2009. That came on April 16, 2010 when he threw seven shutout innings. Beckett has a 1.65 ERA since May 1 but a more human 3.32 in his last three starts. Hellickson has thrown seven career innings against the Sox. He started against them at Fenway on April 11. His lineL 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 1 K. He is 6-2, 2.58 in his last nine starts. Ellsbury has an 11-game hit streak going. Here is today’s line up: 1. Ellsbury, CF SP: RHP, Josh Beckett |
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Today Terry Francona announced in his press conference before tonight’s game that outfielder Darnell McDonald has been called up from Pawtucket and has been activated from the DL. The Sox have sent infielder Drew Sutton back down to Pawtucket. Francona then went on to say that McDonald will most likely be in Thursday’s line up when the Sox face left hander David Price. |
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Tonight the Red Sox look to make it ten straight when they play the first of a three game series against Tampa. They start the day with a 2.5-game lead on the Yankees in the division. The Sox are 6-0 on their current road trip. The Sox are hitting .330/.414/.583 as a team in the six games and outscored the Yankees and Jays 60-19. The Sox are 37-16 since April 16 with wins in 25 of the last 33 games. Gonzalez has driven in a run in nine consecutive games. The last Red Sox player to drive in a run in 10 consecutive wins was Dewey Evans in 1989. Gonzalez is hitting .417/.486/.861 in the nine-game streak with nine extra-base hits and 14 RBIs. Ellsbury has hit safely in 10 straight at 21 of 49 (.429) and in 16 of 17 at 30 of 75 (.400). He has had two or more hits in six consecutive games. Ortiz has four homers and 13 RBIs on the road trip. Wakefield is 21-6, 3.78 against the Rays in his career, his most wins against any team. He is 10-4, 3.40 at Tropicana Field. Wakefield is 3-0, 4.32 in four starts since joining the rotation in place of Daisuke Matsuzaka. Shields is 5-9, 5.17 in 16 career starts against the Sox. … The Sox have at least one double in 18 straight games. Here is today’s line up: 1. Ellsbury, CF SP: RHP, Tim Wakefield(3-1 Record, 4.84 ERA) |
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In the wake of Mike McKenry being traded to Pittsburgh, the Red Sox have promoted Ryan Lavarnway to Class AAA Pawtucket. Lavarnway hit a solid .284/.360/.510 in 55 games for Portland. The 23-year-old has made a rapid rise in the last two seasons, having spent the entire 2009 season with Greenville. Lavarnway is the best hitting catcher the Red Sox have in the minors and is making strides defensively. Working with what is largely a veteran pitching staff in Pawtucket should be a good experience for him. |
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Today MLB announced that center fielder, Jacoby Ellsbury was named the American League Player of the Week . This release from Major League Baseball(via Peter Abraham from Boston.com): Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury has been named the American League Player of the Week for the period ending June 12th. In six games, Ellsbury batted .467 (14-for-30) with three doubles, one home run, four RBI and 10 runs scored on his way to earning his first career A.L. Player of the Week honor and the third in as many weeks for the Red Sox. Teammates Carl Crawford (week ending May 30th) and David Ortiz (week ending June 6th) each captured the award the previous two weeks. |
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Today the Red Sox continued their winning ways and won their ninth straight and swept their third series in a row. For the second straight day the Red Sox teed off on Jays pitching and pushed fourteen runs across the board. The Sox now hold the season high win streak in the MLB. Jon Lester picked up his ninth win of the season and moved him to the top of the list for most wins in the American League. Only Roy Halladay of the Phillies has as many wins. Lester pitched eight innings, only allowed one run on two hits and a walk. Lester struck out eight. David Ortiz homered again today and drove in four runs. After having yesterday off Kevin Youkilis homered and also hit four runs in. Adrian Gonzalez and Dustin Pedroia also hit longs balls for the Sox. Boston’s league leading offense had 17 hits a day after amassing 18. After scoring seven runs in the fifth inning Saturday, Boston scored six more in the fifth in the series finale. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Gonzalez’s nine-game RBI streak is the second longest in team history behind only Dwight Evans’ 10-game run from Sept. 15-26, 1989. Ellsbury’s fifth-inning single extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Boston’s nine-game winning streak is the franchise’s longest since an 11-game run Apr. 15-27, 2009. |
 Today
the Red Sox are attempting to sweep their 3rd three game series in a
row when Jon Lester takes the mound today at 1:07pm in Toronto. The Sox
will be looking for the ninth straight win. If the Sox can complete the
sweep today they will have won their ninth straight and will hold
the longest win streak in the MLB this season, with yesterday’s
dominating win the Sox tied the Indians with the longest
streak. Jon Lester can become the AL’s first pitcher to nine wins
when he squares off against Toronto’s Kyle Drabek — the second time the
two have opposed each other this season. Drabek, a rookie, tied a
career high by allowing nine hits in his last outing against the Royals
on Tuesday. He gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings, but took the win in
an 8-5 victory. Drabek’s control leaves something to be desired: he has
more walks (48) than strikeouts (43) in 68 2/3 innings. Lester was
roughed up by the Blue Jays the last time he faced them, on May 10,
also in Toronto. He gave up five runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings in
a no-decision. Drabek allowed four runs in five innings, also taking a
no-decision in Toronto’s 7-6 victory. The Red Sox have the best record
in the American League and are just a half game back behind the
Phillies to holding the best record in MLB.
Here is today’s line up: 1. Ellsbury, CF SP: LHP, Jon Lester (8-2 Record, 3.98 ERA) |
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This afternoon the Red Sox won their
season high eighth straight by dominating the Toronto Blue Jays 16-4 up
in Toronto at Rogers Centre. John Lackey picked up his fourth win of
the season and second straight win in as many starts since returning
from the DL. Lackey went six innings allowing four runs on six hits and
two walks, he struck out a season high eight Jays. Everyone in the Sox
starting nine had atleast one RBI. Jed Lowrie was the only player to
not have a hit in the game. Jason Varitek had a season high 4 RBI’s
while Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz each had three RBI’s apiece.
Jason Varitek and David Ortiz hit three-run homers in the fifth, when
the Sox really broke it open. After that it was just a matter of
finishing things off. Boston has won eighth straight games for the
second time in the last five years. Pending the result of
Philadelphia’s game today, the Sox could end the day with the best
record in the game. Tomorrow the Sox have a shot at their third
straight three-game sweep on Sunday when Jon Lester pitches
against Kyle Drabek. It is another 1:07 p.m. game.
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 Today the Red Sox look to make it eight
straight when they take on the Blue Jays up in Toronto. This is
Lackey’s second start since coming off the disabled list. He is 4-6
with a 5.07 ERA in 16 career starts against Toronto. Lackey took the
loss in Toronto on May 11, giving up nine runs. The Sox have won
seven straight and 12 of 16. The Sox are 4-3 against the Jays this
season. Gonzalez has at least one RBI in seven straight games, a
career best. The Sox are 23-8 in their last 31 games.
Here is today’s line up: 1. Ellsbury, CF SP: RHP, John Lackey(3-5 Record, 7.60 ERA) |
 Tonight the Red Sox are
playing the first of a three game weekend series north of the border in
Toronto. Buchholz is pitching for the first time since June 3
because of a sore lower back. He is coming off two rough starts (10.2
IP, 14 H, 8 ER) but has had success against the Blue Jays in his
career. Buchholz is 6-3, 2.73 in 11 appearances against Toronto, 4-2,
1.69 at the Rogers Centre. Buchholz faced the Jays on April 15 and
allowed three runs over five innings. Reyes has faced the Red Sox
once in his career, allowing four runs on seven hits over three innings
on April 16. The Sox are 3-3 against the Jays this season, 0-2 in
Toronto. The Sox have won six straight, 11 of 15 and 22 of 30. David
Ortiz has hit safely in nine straight at 16 of 34 (.471) with nine
extra-base hits and 12 RBIs. Jacoby Ellsbury has hit safely in 13 of 14
games at .390 (23 of 59) with eight stolen bases, nine extra-base hits
and 10 RBIs. The Sox are 13-7 against a lefthanded
starter. Toronto slugger Jose Bautista (.345, 20 HR, 41 RBIs) has
gone 11 games and 41 ABs since his last home run. The Blue Jays are 14
for 18 in stolen bases against the Red Sox in six games. John Farrell
knows the Sox pitchers well and will exploit their weakness at holding
runners.
Here is today’s line up: 1. Ellsbury, CF SP: RHP,Clay Buchholz(4-3 Record, 3.82 ERA) |
 After last night’s sweep of the Yankees,
Red Sox Manager Terry Francona announced that they would be sending
Luis Exposito back down to Pawtucket now that Jarrod Saltalamacchia is
feeling better. Michael Bowden will get called up again to fill the
Roster spot.
Saltalamacchia said he was still feeling weak after a harrowing couple of days that began with him becoming violently ill at around 3 in the morning following Tuesday night’s game. Saltalamacchia said that even before that game, he had felt some dizziness and nausea but played through it. But when he returned to the hotel he began vomiting around 3 a.m., and later that morning, after being checked by a physician, he was taken by ambulance to the hospital. He was administered fluids intravenously and was also able to eat some solid foods, but said he still felt weak Thursday night. He said doctors were uncertain what caused his illness. |
 Tonight
Josh Beckett takes the mound as the Red Sox are looking for their
second straight sweep in less than a month against the
Yankees. Tonight’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 and the game will
be televised on NESN. Boston has a pair of five game winning streaks
upon which to build. They have won five in a row overall, and have
taken its first five games at New York for the first time since 1912.
C.C. Sabathia will be hooking up with Josh Beckett, who has already
defeated him twice by blanking the Yankees in all of the 14 innings he
has worked against them.
Here is today’s line up: 1. Ellsbury, CF SP: RHP, Josh Beckett (4-2 Record, 2.01 ERA) |
 Dustin Pedroia will return to Boston Today
to have his right knee examined and is facing the possibility of
surgery that would sideline him for atleast a month. His knee has been
bothering him since landing on it during the Red Sox’ game against the
Orioles May 16. The examination will be held at Massachusetts General
Hospital and is viewed as precautionary, with the team wanting to
ensure that the injury won’t get any worse by continuing to play. He
described the procedure as a “needle with a camera on it” that will
determine the extent of the damage. If necessary, Pedroia then would
have the surgery immediately. While it is the same knee Pedroia
experienced structural issues with during the 2010 season, the current
injury is not related to last season’s injury. There is a strong
possibility that Pedroia could be back in the Red Sox’ lineup Friday,
or at some point during the team’s three-game series in Toronto over
the weekend.
Pedroia is currently is hitting .247 after going 1-for-3, flying out to deep center field in his first two at-bats against Yankees starter A.J. Burnett. He has hit in five of his last six games, totaling a .304 (7-for-23) during the stretch. The Boston Globe was first to report Thursday’s examination. |
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According to Japan’s Kyodo News Wire
Daisuke Matsuzaka will have Tommy John surgery Friday in Los Angeles.
The surgery is expected to be performed by Dr. Lewis Yocum. The news
was confirmed by the Red Sox this morning. Matsuzaka announced the news
to reporters as he came out of the hospital in LA.
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Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who
would have been in the lineup tonight to catch knuckleballer Tim
Wakefield, was hospitalized earlier today after an episode of vomiting,
manager Terry Francona said. Veteran catcher Jason Varitek, who has
been for the most part exempted from catching Wakefield for years, was
scheduled to start in Saltalamacchia’s place. “He was sent to the
hospital to rule out anything but the flu,” Francona said. In order to
protect themselves, the Red Sox made a roster move to get a second
catcher on the active roster, calling up 24-year-old Luis Exposito from
Triple-A Pawtucket and putting reliever Bobby Jenks (back spasms) on
the 15-day disabled list. Jenks, who was just activated from the DL
last week, was administered an MRI on Wednesday morning. Shortstop Jed
Lowrie, who is out of the lineup for a second straight game with a sore
shoulder, also got an MRI. He said before Wednesday’s game that the MRI
was clean and was hoping to start Thursday in the series finale against
CC Sabathia.
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Red Sox reliever Rich Hill will undergo
Tommy John surgery tomorrow in Pensacola, Fla. Dr. James Andrews will
handle the procedure.
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 Before tonight’s game in the Bronx the Red
Sox have placed reliever Bobby Jenks on the DL with a back injury and
have recalled catcher Luis Exposito from Triple-A Pawtucket.
“It’s just from pitching,” said Jenks, who left the Tuesday’s game after throwing just four pitches in the seventh inning and had an MRI Wednesday. “It’s literally a muscle that’s about this big, and I tore it a bunch of years ago. It’s one of those things that just comes and goes every now and then. It’s on my left side, right behind my left scapula.” With Jarrod Saltalamacchia out for Wednesday’s game with an illness, the Sox had only one healthy catcher on the roster before adding the 24-year-old Exposito, who is batting .223 in 33 games with Pawtucket. |
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A night where Papelbon was suspended for three games and an appeal quickly filed that allowed him to still have the oppurtunity to close out last night’s 6-4 win over the Yankees put him in the record books. With the save last night Paps is the quickest closer to reach 200 saves, reaching the milestone in just 359 games, 23 games earlier than Yankees legend and most likely Hall of Famer, Mariano Rivera. |
 Tonight the Red Sox look to make it five
straight and retake first place in the A.L. East when they take on the
Yankees in the second game of a three game series tonight at 7:05pm in
the Bronx.
Here is today’s line up: 1. Ellsbury, CF SP: RHP, Tim Wakefield(2-1 Record, 4.40ERA) |
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(Provided by Rob Bradford of WEEI) Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie is out of the lineup on Tuesday due to lingering discomfort in his left shoulder following a glancing collision with outfielder Carl Crawford in Detroit on May 29 in the first game of a double header against the Tigers. |
 Today Jonathon Papelbon found out that he
has been suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount
for his inappropriate actions by Major League Baseball. The incident
occured during the ninth inning of the Sox/Athletics game where it
included making contact with home plate umpire Tony Randazzo on
Saturday, June 4th at Fenway Park.
Joe Garagiola Jr., Senior Vice President of Standards and On-Field Operations for Major League Baseball, made the announcement. Papelbon’s suspension was scheduled to begin being served during Boston’s game tonight against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, but he has elected to appeal. So until the appeal has been decided his suspension will be on hold until a decision is made. |
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As expected, shortstop Marco Scutaro has been activated from the disabled list and reliever Scott Atchison is back with Pawtucket, Scutar will be in tonight’s line up because he is 6-for-12 with one double and two triples against Yankees starter Freddy Garcia, he’s in the lineup tonight. |
 Tonight the Red Sox open up the first of a
nine game road trip in the Bronx against the Yankees. With a win
tonight the Red Sox can move into a tie for the lead in the American
League East. On April 8, after their longest season-opening winless
stretch in 66 years, the Red Sox got their first win against the
Yankees. On May 15, by completing their third Yankee Stadium series
sweep in a quarter century, the Red Sox reached .500 (20-20) for the
first time. So that brings us to Boston’s return to the Bronx for
a three-game series that will lead off with Red Sox ace Jon Lester
dueling Freddy Garcia. In search of their sixth win in seven games
against the Yankees, the Red Sox turn to a well-rested Lester, who will
be going on seven days’ rest. The left-hander needed the extra blow,
after making 127 pitches, the second-most of his career, on May 30
against the White Sox. Daniel Bard picked up the save in Sunday’s 6-3
win over Oakland giving Jonathan Papelbon a shot at perhaps picking up
career save No. 200 in Yankee Stadium. With 358 games under his belt,
Papelbon should become the fastest to hit 200 saves. The second
fastest? Mariano Rivera, who took 382 career games. Tim Wakefield
will start Wednesday’s middle game of the series instead of Clay
Buchholz, whose start has been delayed until Friday (in Toronto) in an
attempt to give extra time for the chronic soreness in his back to
settle. Between them, Crawford and Gonzalez have 12 game-winning
RBIs, accounting for 36 percent of the Red Sox’s 33 wins.
Here is today’s line up: 1. Ellsbury, CF SP: LHP, Jon Lester(7-2 Record, 3.94ERA)
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Before today’s game the Red Sox announced
they optioned Josh Reddick back to Pawtucket to open up a spot for the
return of John Lackey. With the bullpen getting heavy use the last two
days, the Red Sox did not want to lose a pitcher. When Marco Scutaro
returns on Tuesday from the disabled list, a pitcher will be dropped.
Also today Francona announced that Clay Buchholz will be pushed back to Friday in Toronto out of concern for his back. Tim Wakefield will start on Wednesday in New York.
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Today
the Red Sox look to go for
the sweep when they take the field at 1:35pm at Fenway Park. John
Lackey will be taking the mound, making his first start since going the
DL and being activated from the game. Lackey is making his first
start since May 11, when he got rocked for nine hits and nine runs
in Toronto. Lackey had been sidelined with a right elbow strain. He was
sharp in his lone rehab start for Pawtucket, giving up a run over 5 2/3
innings. A’s starters are 0-3 with an 8.18 ERA in the team’s past five
games, all losses, with opponents hitting .286 against them during that
stretch. Anderson is coming off his worst outing of the season. On May
31 against the Yankees, the 23-year-old allowed 10 runs (nine earned)
on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings. Although it can’t often be said for
starting pitchers, facing the Red Sox might be just want Anderson
needs. He is 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA in six career starts against Boston,
the latest of which was an eight-inning, eight-strikeout scoreless
performance on April 19. Boston batters are hitting only .111
(10-for-90) against him with 23 strikeouts. While Anderson looks to
stop Oakland’s skid, Lackey is hoping for a solid return from the
disabled list. The 32-year-old right-hander struggled in his prior two
starts, giving up 17 earned runs on 19 hits and eight walks in 10 2/3
innings, before being shelved with a right elbow strain. Designated
hitter David Ortiz went 1-for-4 on Saturday and has now reached base
safely in 14 of his past 16 games. During that stretch, Ortiz is
batting .403 (25-for-62) with 15 extra-base hits, and he has four home
runs in his past 10 games. • Jonathan Papelbon has 199 career saves and
likely will become the fastest pitcher to reach the 200-save mark.
Yankees closer Mariano Rivera holds the mark, recording his 200th save
in his 382nd game. Papelbon has appeared in 358 games.
Here is today’s line up: 1.
Ellsbury, CF SP: RHP, John Lackey (2-5 Record, 8.01 ERA)
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 The 29-year-old lefty was pitching out of the Pawtucket
bullpen and is almost three years removed from Tommy John surgery. In
18 2/3 innings with the PawSox this season, Hottovy has allowed just
four runs while striking out 18 and walking four. Left-handers have yet
to get a hit against him in Triple-A. UPDATE(3:55pm): According to Brian MacPherson fo the Providence Journal via Twitter, Rich Hill's elbow ligament is three-quarters of the way torn, he said. Surgery likely. Decision to come next week.
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 Tonight the Red Sox open a three game
series against the Oakland Athletics at Fenway Park. The Game is going
to be televised on NESN and is scheduled to start at 7:10pm. The Sox
return from their day off in second place, two games behind the
Yankees. The Sox have lost four straight, the longest active
losing streak in the majors. The Sox are 23-26 against Oakland the
last six years including a 1-1 series earlier this season in
California. Buchholz is 1-2, 7,31 in four career starts against
Oakland but held the As to one run over 5.1 innings on April 20 in a
5-3 victory. Outman will be making his third start since being
called up from Class AAA Fresno. He has allowed three runs over 13
innings. Youkilis is 5 for 35 with one extra-base hit and two RBIs in
his last nine games. His batting average has dropped from .281 to
.254. Crawford is 2 for 17 in the last five games. This is
the 9th time in the last 16 games J.D. Drew hasn’t started.
Here is tonight’s line up: 1. Ellsbury, CF SP: RHP, Clay Buchholz (4-3, 3.41ERA)
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