Latest Rumors on Jason Varitek

11.4.08 10:06PM

HOT STOVE SEASON
Lastest on Varitek

One of the latest rumors surrounding catcher Jason Varitek is the Los Angeles Dodgers apparently have interest in the 36-year-old, as reported by ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons. Even after being acquired by Los Angeles from Cleveland at the trading deadline, Casey Blake made it known that he wanted to return to Cleveland when he entered free agency at the end of the season. According to Gammons, the Dodgers are without a third baseman and have the intention of permanently switching Russell Martin to third in order to acquire the pitching-oriented Varitek.

Here is the flaw in that for the Dodgers. Los Angeles does not need help behind the plate. Martin has already proven he can work well with the Dodgers pitching staff plus provides some pop at the plate – but not enough. One of the main reasons Los Angeles were beaten by the World Champion Phillies in the championship series was because of their inability to up come with the timely hit. Is Varitek the answer to that? No. Varitek came up a plethora times with men in scoring position and two outs in Boston and failed to drive them in.

It is most likely the Dodgers are going to lose Manny Ramirez and will have to replace that bat in the line up as well as another hitter. Signing Andruw Jones to a long term deal last off-season was the biggest bust of the season. Jones spent more time on the disabled list than he did in the Dodger Stadium outfield. The core group of Dodgers – James Loney, Matt Kemp, Russell Martin, Blake DeWitt and Andre Ethier – have been together for three years and have not got past the National League Championship Series. They need a veteran hitter in their line up like Ramirez brought them after being acquired at the dead.

So a Varitek deal with the Red Sox West is probably not going to happen.

Onto Game Seven

10.19.2008
RED SOX DEFEAT RAYS 4-2; SERIES TIED 3-3

Jason Varitek’s first hit of the post-season keeps Sox World Series hopes alive for another day
Jon Lester takes the hill in do-or-die Game 7

(October 18, 2008) – It is Rivalry Weekend.

With Boston College hosting their former Big East and current ACC rival the Virginia Tech Hokies, the Eagles found themselves down 10-0 early, it made Superfans question whether they should have stayed home and watched Game Six. But if there were at home they would have been just as angry at TBS as they were at quarterback Chris Crane in the first quarter.

Due to a power-outage in Atlanta, TBS sent all of Red Sox Nation into a frenzy. Living room phones were ringing off the hook as everyone was in disbelief about what was happening. But as soon as the lights came on, so did the Red Sox bats against Big Game James Shields. After B.J. Upton, gave the Rays the early 1-0 lead but Kevin Youkilis would get that run back for Josh Beckett with solo-blast to left to lead-off the top of the second.

Just as Crane was bringing the High Flyin’ Eagles of Chestnut Hill back from a 10-0 hole, Youkilis was bringing the Sox back from the brink of the elimination. In the top of the third, Dustin Pedroia drew a four pitch walk from Shields before David Ortiz drove a line drive just out of the reach of Carlos Pena at first for a double, sending Pedroia to second. Youkilis came through once again by putting the bat on the ball and grounding out to Jason Bartlett at shortstop to drive home Pedroia from third.

The Rays would eventually came back to tie up the game in the fifth inning on Bartlett’s first RBI of the post-season when he lifted a homerun solo-homerun to left center to tie the game at two a piece. The light hitting but sure handed shortstop had just one round-tripper on the season but he came through for Tampa Bay when they needed it most. But the lead would be short lived as another unexpected hero came through in the clutch – this time wearing the visiting greys.

Coming into Game Six, Jason Varitek was 0-for-12 in the ALCS against the Rays and in his previous two at-bats were nothing to write home about but it was his third plate appearance of the night that brought Sox fans to their feet. After which Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura made tremendous play jumping up and robbing Mark Kotsay of a base hit and then Shields catching Jed Lowrie staring blindly at strike three, a collective groan from Sox fans world wide could be heard with Varitek stepping to the dish.

Good things happen when you always seem to least expect them. How many fans can honestly say they expected Varitek to take Shields deep to give the Sox the lead once again and ultimately win the game? If you said you did then you are lying. Varitek’s barely made it over the right center field fence but it does not matter if it was 502 feet or lands in the first row of the seats (a la Varitek’s), it all counts for the same thing.

Although Beckett did not have his best stuff he was much more effective than his first start, in Game Two, against Tampa Bay. After giving up eight runs on nine hits in his first start, the Sox fireball right hander cut his earned runs by three-quarters while allowing four hits, walking three and striking out three. In the other dugout, Shields was something other than Big Game James, where the Rays Ace went 5.2 innings allowing three earned runs on nine hits while walking three and striking out three.

When the bullpen was the weakest link for the Sox in the first four games and for the Rays in Game Five, it turned out to be the strongest in last night. Hideki Okajima, Justin Masterson and Jonathan Papelbon combined to keep the Rays batters off balances while allowing just one walk and three strike outs. The Rays bullepn was just as strong as they kept Sox batters guessing by allowing one hit (against J.P. Howell) while walking three and striking out one.

For the second consecutive year, the Sox force a Game Seven in the ALCS after being down 3-1 to begin the series. They will send Jon Lester, who hopes to rebound after his worst outing of, realistically, the year when he went 5.2 innings allowing five runs – four earned – on eight hits while walking two and striking out seven last Monday. The Rays will send Matt Garza to the hill in hopes that he can match his Game Three performance, where he went six innings allowing just one run while scattering six hits, walking three and striking out five.

But do not count the Rays out. When their backs are against the wall they have come through in the clutch themselves. In September, with the division on the line in Fenway Park, the Rays took two of three from the Sox.

RED SOX 4, RAYS 2

WIN: Josh Beckett

LOSS: James Shields

SAVE: Jonathan Papelbon

--

Top 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Jason Varitek, BOSTON --- 1-4 HR, RBI
2. Coco Crisp, BOSTON --- 3-4 Run-scored
3. B.J. Upton, TAMPA BAY --- 1-4 HR, RBI

Manny Ramirez’s 500th career homerun seals the deal as Sox take Game 2 against Baltimore

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RED SOX OVERPOWER ORIOLES 6-3; MOVE TO 34-24
Manny Ramirez’s 500th career homerun seals the deal as Sox take Game 2 against Baltimore

(May 31, 2008) – Friday and Saturday nights in Baltimore during the school year are student nights where college students can get in for a small fee of $5. Well the hundreds of thousands of students who benefit from MICUA* (the Maryland Independent College and University Association) and paid the $5 for last night’s game got to witness history as well as the Red Sox’s 6-3 victory.

In the top of the seventh inning, Manny Ramirez lifted his 500^th career homerun into the bleachers in right center field off former Sox pitcher Chad Bradford. Bradford joins the likes of Melido Perez, Tanyon Sturtze, Dave Eiland, Ramon Ortiz and Gil Meche who allowed all of Ramirez’s milestone homeruns (first, 100^th, 200^th, 300^th and 400^th, respectively).

Ramirez’s homerun in the seventh was the second run of the inning. Before the Sox left fielder stepped to the dish looking for the illustrious 500^th homerun, Boston had already taken the lead for good. Ellsbury led off the inning with a triple into the gap in right center. After Dustin Pedroia grounded out to shortstop – with the infield pulled in – David Ortiz lifted a sacrifice fly ball to left that pushed across the go-ahead and ultimately winning run. It was Ortiz’s second RBI of the game.

The Orioles jumped on the board first with a two-run second on three weak base hits. Millar led off the inning with a walk and advanced to third on Hernandez’s base hit into left field. Another former Red Sox, Jay Payton drove in Millar on squibbler down the third base line. Center fielder Adam “I’m not Pac-Man” Jones lined a base hit into center for Baltimore’s second run of the game.

Baltimore’s two-run advantage would only last until the third batter of the third when Ortiz tied up the game with his 13^th homerun of the season on the back end of back-to-back homeruns. Before Ortiz stepped to the plate, Pedroia hit his fourth homerun of the season to cut the Orioles lead in half.

As former Yankee catcher and Hall of Famer, Yogi Berrea once said “it was deja-vu all over again,” when the Red Sox and Orioles took the field on Saturday night. No you were not watching a replay of yesterday’s Sox-O’s game. Once again these two teams could not score more than two runs a piece for the first 4.1 innings. Orioles second baseman and son of a former UNC baseball coach, Brian Roberts broke up the tie game with his fourth homerun of the season in fifth.

After Roberts solo homerun in the fifth, Jon Lester ran into a bit of difficulty. Right fielder Nick Markakis lined a double down the left line past the out stretched arm of Manny Ramirez. It appeared as if Lester was not going to make it through the fifth inning after he walked Kevin Millar (for the second time) and Aubrey Huff back-to-back to load the bases with two outs in the inning. The Sox had right handed reliever David Aardsma warming up in the bullpen to come on for Lester should the left hander struggle. But Lester would make catcher Ramon Hernandez nothing but a figment of the past by striking out the Baltimore catcher for his fourth strike out of the game and third out of the inning.

It would also end up being the last inning for Lester. Meaning the Sox lefty could not get the win but only the loss. But fortunately his cohort and Ramirez were able to take care of things and give the Red Sox their 34^th victory on the season. In five innings, Lester allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out four and walking three.

The Sox would tie up the game in the top of the sixth when Mike Lowell was hit by Lance Cormier, who came in at the beginning of the inning in relief of starter Garrett Olson. With Kevin Youkilis at the dish, Cormier stuttered on the mound as he was ready to deliver the second pitch to Youkilis. According to baseball statistical rules, this constitutes a balk and Lowell was able to advance on to second base on the play. Youkilis would advance Lowell to third on a base hit just under shortstop Alex Cintron’s glove.

Sox captain Jason Varitek is known more for his defensive work than for his production at the dish but last night the Sox catcher came through with his second base hit of the night. Varitek’s single to left drove in Lowell to even up the score at three a piece. Center field Coco Crisp would reached on a fielder’s choice –first to short – moving Youkilis up to third. Shortstop Julio Lugo ended the inning with a pop up to Roberts who snow-coned the final out of the inning.

The Sox will deal with another Baltimore left hander on Sunday afternoon at Oriole Park when they face 27-year-old, Oregon native Brian Burres. The Orioles left hander is 4-4 on the season with a 4.15 ERA, 29 strike outs, 18 walks and a 1.35 WHIP and will be opposed by the 2-0 Bartolo Colon, who is making his third start of the season.

Burres is coming off a very poor, 3.2-inning outing against the Yankees where he allowed eight runs on 10 hits including four homeruns. Against the Red Sox, he has pitched in eight games with one start and he is 1-0 with a 3.07 ERA, 9-9 strike out to walk ratio and a 1.56 WHIP. Sox batters are hitting at a .250 clip against the Baltimore left hander as well in 14.2 innings.

After starting the season on the disabled list and pitching in a few rehab games in Pawtucket, Colon is in search of his third win of the season. If he receives the win Sunday’s matinee with the Orioles, he will have reached his third win faster than teammate Jon Lester. Colon is coming of a 5-3 win against the Seattle Mariners up in Washington state, where he pitched seven strong innings allowing one run on five hits while striking out four and walking one. Colon has made 17 starts against the Orioles and has eight wins and six losses to show for it in 113 innings. Along with an 8-6 record, he also has a 3.27 ERA, a 3-2 strike out-to-walk ratio and a 1.38 WHIP against Baltimore. Oriole batters are hitting at a .257 clip against the former Cy Young Award winner as well.

WIN: David Aardsma (2-1)

LOSS: Lance Cormier (0-2)

SAVE: Jonathan Papelbon (16)

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Game Notes:

David Ortiz left the game in the middle of his fifth at-bat in the top of ninth inning. Sean Casey replaced him at the plate with a 3-2 count.

After being put on the 15-day disabled list yesterday, starter Daisuke Matsuzaka has begun his shoulder strengthening program and hopes to return as soon as he is eligible on June 14.

The Red Sox have activated Clay Buchholz from the 15-day disabled list from a broken finger nail on his throwing hand. He will make a few rehab assignments in Pawtucket and probably will remain down their for a while due to the full house of pitchers at the Major League level. But GM Theo Epstein, Terry Francona and John Farrell have and will continue to meet to discuss the young, 23-year-old’s plans for the future.

J.D. Drew sits out another game after experiencing symptoms of vertigo yesterday when he woke up in his Baltimore hotel room. (Although my personal experience is that any Baltimore hotel room can do that to you.)

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Manny Ramirez, BOSTON ---- 1-4 Homerun, RBI 500^th Career homerun

2. Jason Varitek, BOSTON ---- 3-4 Double, RBI

3. Nick Markakis, BALTIMORE ---- 2-4 2 Doubles

(* MICUA is the Maryland Independent College and University Association and it provides support and additional services to those independent colleges and universities in the state of Maryland. Click the link in the story to find out more about the organization if you wish.)

Jason Varitek’s solo-homerun leads to a four run fifth and the Sox’s sixth consecutive win

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RED SOX OUT LAST ROYALS 6-3; MOVE TO 30-19
Jason Varitek’s solo-homerun leads to a four run fifth and the Sox’s sixth consecutive win

(May 21, 2008) – The Red Sox are on a roll, winning six of their last 10 games as they take game three of the four game series against the Kansas City Royals 6-3. The win gave starter Bartolo Colon his first win of the season in his first outing of 2008, pitching five innings allowing two runs on six hits while walking two and striking out four.

The Sox got on the board first when right fielder and lead off hitter Jacoby Ellsbury took Royals starter Brett Tomko deep into the Kansas City bullpen for the early 1-0 lead. But the Royals would tie up the game in the top of the third inning against Colon. To begin the inning, center fielder Joey Gathright led off with base hit into left. Two outs later Colon walked the third baseman Alex Gordon move Gathright up to second. Brendan Donnelly’s “best friend” Jose Guillen drop a base hit in front of Coco Crisp to drive in Gathright from second to tie the game at one a piece before Mark Teahen popped out to Mike Lowell at third. And that is how the game would stay until the fifth inning.

After 2008 All-Star prospect, Gordon, drove in the Gathright for the second and go-ahead run of the game in the top of the inning, the Sox bats broke out in the bottom. With one out in the Sox half of the inning, catcher Jason Varitek launched his sixth homerun of the season into the Red Sox bullpen in right field, just out of the reach of right fielder David DeJesus. The Captain’s solo shot got the Sox bats going in the inning because Crisp followed Varitek’s homerun with a double to left.

Crisp’s double was not an easy double but the speedy center fielder was running hard out of the box and his head first slide clearly beat Guillen’s rocket overthrow that was gathered by Teahen at first. That is what hustle and speed will do for you in baseball. Crisp advanced to third on Tomko’s wild pitch before scoring on shortstop Julio Lugo’s base hit up the middle into center field. After giving up a base hit to Ellsbury, manager Trey Hillman had seen enough of Tomko and opted to go with former Sox left hander and outfielder Ron Mahay.

Mahay did not do much better giving up Dustin Pedroia’s second single of the game with a base hit to right, loading the bases for the most feared hitter in the Sox line up: David Ortiz. Typically in these situations Ortiz comes through and breaks the game open with a two run double but tonight there was no magic in the designated hitters bat. But he still drove in his 38^th RBI with a sacrifice fly to Gathright in center to plate Lugo with the Sox third run of the game. On a 2-2 count to Manny Ramirez, Royals catcher John Buck could not handle Mahay’s fourth pitch of the at-bat and the ball rolled to the backstop allowing Ellsbury to score the fourth and final run of the inning. Ramirez ended up striking out for the last out of the inning still two homeruns shy of the evasive 500^th career homerun.

Diasuke Matsuzaka toes the rubber tomorrow afternoon in hopes of becoming the first American League pitcher to reach eight wins. He will face Royals right hander Brian Bannister in the Fenway Park series finale against Kansas City. In nine games, Bannister is 4-5 with a 4.29 ERA, 34 strikeouts and a 1.16 WHIP. The Royals right hander is coming off a 7-3 loss against at Dolphin Stadium against the Florida Marlins where he pitched 6.1 innings allowing six runs on seven hits while striking out five and walking two.

The Red Sox are 9-0 in games when Matsuzaka starts this season and has been the ace of the pitching staff in just his second year in Major League Baseball. On the season, the Japanese import is 7-0 with a 2.15 ERA, 46 strike outs and a 1.23 WHIP. He is coming off a 6.2 inning win against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first game of the day-night double header. In the first interleague match up, Matsuzaka allowed just two unearned runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out six Brewers.

WIN: Bartolo Colon (1-0)

LOSS: Brett Tomko (2-5)

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Game Notes:

Jacoby Ellsbury got the start in right field when J.D. Drew sat out to rest his knee after getting hit in last night’s win.

Dustin Pedroia added the Sox’s sixth run of the game in the bottom of the seventh with a base hit into center to plate Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury led off the inning with his third hit of the ballgame and then swiped his 19^th base of the season before scoring on Pedroia’s third hit of the game.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Dustin Pedroia, BOSTON --- 3-5 3 Singles, RBI

2. Jason Varitek, BOSTON --- 2-3 Homerun, RBI

3. Joey Gathright, KANSAS CITY --- 2-2 2BB, 3 Runs-scored

Jon Lester retires 22 of last 23 to become the first Sox lefty to throw a no-hitter in 52 years

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RED SOX NO-HIT ROYALS 7-0; MOVE TO 28-19
Jon Lester retires 22 of last 23 to become the first Sox lefty to throw a no-hitter in 52 years

(May 19, 2008) – Call it May Magic. Jon Lester became the first Red Sox left hander since Mel Parnell, on July 14, 1956, to throw a no-hitter in tonight’s 7-0 win against the Kansas City Royals. On this unnaturally, cool mid-May night Lester allowed just two Royal batters to reach base against him, Billy “The Big Donkey” Butler in the second and Esteban German in the ninth.

Baseball is a funny game. Last year around this time, Lester was down in Pawtucket trying to make his comeback from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Then on a cool, fall night in Denver, Colorado Lester became the pitcher of record when the Red Sox won their second World Series in four years. Now that same young pitcher who suffered a catastrophic illness less than two years ago has become the fifth Sox left hander to throw a no hitter.

The Sox offense provided Lester with the runs he needed to perform his Monday Night Magic in the bottom of the third inning. J.D. Drew led off the inning with a line drive single into right field. Trying to stay out of the double play, Drew and catcher Jason Varitek perfected the hit-and-run when the captain lined a based hit into left field, sending Drew to third. If it was for the hit-and-run Varitek’s single would have been an easy 6-4-3 double play with two outs in the inning but with Drew off on the pitch, it pulled Royals shortstop Tony Pena, Jr. out of position; thus giving up a base hit to Varitek.

Number nine hitter shortstop Julio Lugo made the first two outs of the inning with a ground ball to Pena for the 6-4-3 double play but not before Drew came in the back door with the first run of the game. With two outs, Royals starter Luke Hochevar thought he would be able to “minimize the damage” (I will never be able to get that out of my head. Thanks Coach!) by allowing just one run and keeping KC in the game. But that was not going to happen. Lester was in the zone and so was the Red Sox offense.

Rookie Jacoby Ellsbury – who just four months older than Lester – kept the inning alive with a triple over the head of Royals center fielder David DeJesus. Hochevar continued to struggle, walking the bases loaded (Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz) before walking Manny Ramirez to put the Sox up 2-0 and getting the first RBI of the game. (Statistical rules state that a player who grounds into a double play but drives in a run will not be credited with an RBI. Do not mess with SIDs.)

The Royals defense would shoot themselves in the foot with third baseman Mike Lowell at the plate. At the lowest forms of organized baseball, kindergarten tee-ball, children are taught “two hands when you catch the ball, two hands.” It is one of the fundamentals of baseball but it seems that many of our major leaguers have forgotten what they have learned as five year olds. And tonight veteran, Gold Glove second baseman Mark Grudzielanek made the infamous error to keep the inning alive when he let a routine pop up by Lowell clank off his glove, scoring two runs. First baseman Kevin Youkilis was the ninth hitter to bat in the inning and lined a Hochevar offering into right center that was fading away from DeJesus for a double, plating Ramirez.

Those were plenty of runs for the Sox lefty but Varitek felt the need to add two more runs three innings later with his fifth homerun of the season driving Drew to give the Red Sox the 7-0 lead. But the story and focus of the game was Lester. He flirted with a no-hitter earlier this season against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 29 at Fenway, pitching eight scoreless innings before turning the game over to Jonathan Papelbon with the game tied 0-0. In that game the Sox pulled out the 1-0 win the in bottom of the ninth, giving Papelbon his first win of the season.

But tonight was his night and he was on his game. He was one strike out shy of matching his single game high with nine strike outs. Lester struck out 10 National batters on June 21, 2006, 11 days after his Major League Debut against the Texas Rangers on Saturday June 10, 2006. If what everyone says is true, “our legacies are marked by our entrances and exits” then Jon Lester is going to have a good one to tell his grandchildren when he is 75 years old. With a one-hitter and no-hitter in the same season and a World Series clinching win under his belt, he is on his way to have a good career in the majors.

The Sox will return to action against the Royals tomorrow night when the young 23-year-old Justin Masterson makes his second career start. Masterson was re-called from Pawtucket earlier today to make the start for the injured Clay Buchholz. To make room for Masterson on the roster the Red Sox optioned Chris Smith back to Pawtucket. The last time he was in Boston he pitched six innings allowing just one run on two hits while striking out four and walking four before the Boston bullpen imploded for the 7-5 loss. Masterson will be opposed by the Royals right hander Gil Meche. On the season, Meche is 3-5 with a 5.98 ERA with 35 strike outs 19 walks and a 1.48 WHIP.

WIN: Jon Lester (3-2)

LOSS: Luke Hochevar (3-3)

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Game Notes:

Since 1969, the Red Sox are 195-205 against the Royals but are 16 games over .500 while in the friendly confines of Fenway Park against Kansas City at 108-92.

Keep an eye on the Royals 24-year-old third baseman, Alex Gordon. In his sophomore season he has come around and has a good shot at being selected for the 2008 American League All Star team with lack of all star talent at the position this year. On the season, Gordon is hitting .286 with five homeruns and 20 RBIs and has an OPS of .799, trailing only Chicago’s Joe Crede for the AL lead at third.

Sox left handed set-up man Hideki Okajima told Terry Francona his sore left wrist is fine and available in tonight's game to pitch.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Jon Lester, BOSTON ---- 9IP, 0H, 0R, 9K, 2BB

2. Jason Varitek, BOSTON --- 2-3; Homerun, 2 RBIs

3. J.D. Drew, BOSTON ---- 1-3; 2 Runs-scored

Another former Red Sox comes back to haunt his old team with a two-out, 8th inning Grand Slam

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RED SOX SWEPT BY ORIOLES 6-3; MOVE TO 24-19
Another former Red Sox comes back to haunt his old team with a two-out, 8^th inning Grand Slam

(May 14, 2008) – The Orioles entered today’s game looking to sweep the Red Sox in a two game series for the first time in Camden Yards. Baltimore was able to accomplish the feat with a come-from-behind victory off the bat of former Sox and Yellow Jacket outfielder, Jay Payton’s seventh inning Grand Slam.

After Javier Lopez came on to relieve Sox starter Jon Lester, Lopez got the first two outs of the inning quickly and easily but allowed shortstop Freddie Bynum to reach on a base hit to second that Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia could not handle. That would be it for Lopez as interim manager Brad Mills came out to pull Lopez in favor of the right handed Craig Hansen. But Hansen did not do all that much better either, giving up a single to the first batter he faced in Guillermo Quiroz then walked Brian Roberts to load the bases before giving the ball up to Hideki Okajima.

This year Okajima has not done particularly well with inherited runners on base this year and his numbers would not get any better after this inning. With the bases loaded and the Orioles down 3-2, the journeyman outfielder would hit his fourth career Grand Slam to the Orioles the 6-3 lead and the win. The Orioles tall, lanky and unpredictable starter, Daniel Cabrera, pitched seven complete innings allowing three runs on 10 hits while striking out three to earn his fourth win.

For Lester, the loss became his sixth no decision of the year. Very disappointing because he pitched an outstanding six innings allowing just two runs on five hits while walking two and striking out four Orioles. It is definitely a tough loss to take for the team as well as the youngster.

Before Lester threw a pitch he had a 1-0 lead to work with. The Sox got to Cabrera early in the first inning when Jacoby Ellsbury reached base on a ball hit to shortstop, Freddy Bynum. The rookie center fielder would keep his stolen base streak alive with his 15^th steal of the season. So far Ellsbury is 23-for-23 in steals just four off the pace of Tim Raines who began his career 27-for-27 before being caught. He would score on the big swinging, little guy, Dustin Pedroia’s 21^st RBI and just like that Lester had a lead.

For the first five innings, it appeared as if that would be all the team would need because the Sox left hander was on his game. But in the bottom of the sixth inning, Lester was grateful for two homeruns off the bat of catcher Jason Varitek and Mike Lowell in the of the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, to put the Sox up 3-0. The Orioles mounted a rally in the sixth when Quiroz led off the inning with a base hit into center and went to third on a double to right off the bat of Roberts. Payton would drive in the Orioles first run of the game with a ground ball to Alex Cora at short, driving in Quiroz. Baltimore’s third hitter, right fielder Nick Markakis would drive in Roberts for the second run of the game.

When the Red Sox return to action at Fenway on Friday, they will briefly begin interleague play with a three game series against the Milwaukee Brewers. The last time the Sox faced the Brewers in interleague action was June 6-8, 2003 at Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI where the Sox took the season two games to one.

Making his first career start against the Brewers, Daisuke Matsuzaka will face former Red Sox starter Jeff Suppan. Suppan can be remembered for his base running blunder at third base in Game Four of the 2004 World Series against Boston when he was with the St. Louis Cardinals. He is also the pitcher that many equate current Sox prospect Michael Bowden to become. But this year, Suppan holds a 2-2 record with a 4.63 ERA, 21 strike outs with 19 walks and a 1.56 WHIP.

The Milwaukee right hander is coming off a 5-3 win against his old team, the Cardinals, where he completed seven innings allowing just one run on six hits while striking out four and walking five. He will try to make it a clean sweep of his former teams on Friday but in the past the ex-Sox pitcher has had trouble against the Boston line up. Against Boston, he is 3-3 with a 4.86 ERA, 28 strike outs, 19 walks and a 1.42 WHIP while allowing Sox batters to hit at a .271 clip against him.

Tied for the American League lead in wins with six, Matsuzaka will be making his ninth start of the season against the Brewers. With Josh Beckett in a funk right now, Matsuzaka has been the Sox ace for the first month and a half of the season. He leads the Sox in ERA with an average of 2.45 and is third on the team with 40 strike outs, behind Beckett (47) and the rookie Clay Buchholz (43). Matsuzaka is coming off his sixth win of the season with a 5-2 victory against the Minnesota Twins last Saturday, where he pitched seven innings allowing two runs on six hits while striking out seven and walking just three.

WIN: Daniel Cabrera (4-1)

LOSS: Craig Hansen (0-2)

SAVE: George Sherrill (15)

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Game Notes:

Last time the Orioles swept the Red Sox in a two game series was April 25-26, 2005 at Fenway Park but in Baltimore, the Orioles swept the Sox in two games on August 4-5 of 1970.

MANNY MOMENT:

Manny Ramirez made a leaping grab on a Kevin Millar deep fly ball and then doubled up Orioles third baseman Aubrey Huff who was trying to scamper back to first. In the midst of the play, Ramirez high-fived a fan in the stands, as his momentum forced him to climb the wall before throwing the ball back to the infield to double up Huff.

WEB GEMS:

Nick Markakis – diving line drive into right field off the bat of David Ortiz in the top of the sixth inning.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Jay Payton, BALTIMORE --- 1-5 Grand Slam, 5 RBIs

2. Daniel Cabrera, BALTIMORE --- 7IP, 10H, 3ER, 0BB, 3K

3. Jason Varitek, BOSTON --- 2-4 Homerun, RBI, Run-Scored

David Ortiz's two doubles and two RBIs lead to a Tampa Bay blood-bath 12-4

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RED SOX OFFENSE POWERS PAST RAYS 12-4; MOVE TO 17-13
David Ortiz's two doubles and two RBIs lead to a Tampa Bay blood-bath 12-4

(May 3, 2008) – Last week James Shields threw a complete game shut out against Josh Beckett and the Red Sox. But there were no “rays” of sunshine tonight for the Tampa Bay starter. Shields did not make it past the fourth inning, allowing seven runs on 10 hits. On the other side of the field, the first four innings did not fair much better for Beckett.

After mowing down the first five batters of the game, Beckett allowed the first Tampa Bay hit to Rays catcher Dioner Navarro. A batter later, Beckett gave up a two-run homerun to right fielder Gabe Gross to make it a one run ball game. But that was a close as Tampa Bay would get all game because the Red Sox offense was smokin’ hot.

The power surge from Friday night continued into the first inning against the Rays on Saturday under the Fenway Park lights. Rookie Jacoby Ellsbury started the night off with a base hit up the middle that fell just short of Rays center fielder Nathan Haynes. Second year second base man Dustin Pedroia followed Ellsbury’s base hit with a single of his own into left, moving his cohort up a station to second.

The month of April had not been too kind to David Ortiz, going 19-for-103 with five homeruns and 21 RBIs, but has come around as of late. Let it be noted in the past five games Ortiz appears to being breaking out of his funk that plagued him in the first month of season. In his last ten games, the Sox designated hitter has hit at a .300 clip (12-for-40) and drove in Ellsbury and Pedroia for the first two runs of the game with a double to left. His buddy, left fielder Manny Ramirez would drive him in for the third and final run of the inning with a base hit of his own into center.

Like the flu epidemic that ran rampant through the Sox clubhouse two weeks ago, hitting is contagious. Until the bottom of the eighth inning every member of the Sox starting line up had a base hit with the exception of catcher Jason Varitek. Up till the eighth, Varitek’s only contribution – offensively – was getting hit on the kneecap, with the bases loaded, by J.P Howell to force home Ortiz with the seventh run of the game. Varitek’s first and only hit of the game was two-run single to right driving in Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis. The Red Sox catcher got greedy and tried to turn a single into a double and was thrown out by right fielder Gabe Gross.

After a tempestuous first four innings, Beckett settled down in the fifth and retired eight consecutive Rays batters before giving up a solo homerun to second baseman Akinori Iwamura in the top of the eighth. The homerun was Iwamura’s second homerun and eighth RBI of the season. In total the Sox ace completed eight innings allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out just five Tampa Bay hitters.

Tampa Bay ace Scott Edward Kazmir returns to the mound tomorrow to make his first start of the season and he faces fellow Southpaw Jon Lester. It always seems as if Kazmir and Lester always get matched up together. The last time these two lefties met was Tuesday August 14 of last year, Lester nearly matched Kazmir’s six innings of four hit ball while striking out eight Sox batters. In that game the Rays lead the game in the bottom of the ninth inning with one-out and Lowell at the plate and with one sweet swing by the Sox third baseman an unsuspecting fan on Lansdowne Street wound up with a souvenir. Center fielder Coco Crisp would drive in Varitek, who doubled following a strike out by Kevin Youkilis, with the game winning run to give the Red Sox the 2-1 victory and Eric Gagne his first win in a Sox uniform.

Lester is coming his fourth straight no decision where he pitched eight innings of one-hit ball before turning it over to closer Jonathan Papelbon who received his first victory of the season in the 1-0 Red Sox victory. The Sox left handed starter is currently 1-2 on the season with a 4.31 ERA with 22 strike outs.

In 2007, Kazmir was 13-9 with a 3.48 ERA, 239 strike outs and 1.38 WHIP. Although his career record against the Red Sox is 6-5, Kazmir has the Sox’s number. In 101.1 innings, the Rays lefty holds Sox hitters to a .218 average and has a 2.66 ERA against the occupants of Fenway Park. Against the Sox, Kazmir has struck out 118 Sox batters in his career against Boston. For the Rays, Kazmir is their only hope to salvage a game in the series and avoid a sweep in revenge of last week.

WIN: Josh Beckett (3-2)

LOSS: James Shields (3-2)

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Game Notes:

J.D. Drew returns to the line up after missing three games with a sore left quad.

Lost in the shuffle of all the hits and runs, Dustin Pedroia, at second was 3-for-5.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. David Ortiz, BOSTON 3-5 2 Doubles, 2 RBIs, 2 Runs scored

2. Jason Varitek, BOSTON 1-4 Single, 3 RBIs, 2 Runs scored

3. J.D. Drew, BOSTON 2-4 Double, 2 RBIs, Run scored

Jason Varitek comes through for the Sox in the bottom of the ninth for the walk-off win

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RED SOX DO IT AGAIN TO THE BLUE JAYS 2-1; MOVE TO 17-12
Jason Varitek comes through for the Sox in the bottom of the ninth for the walk-off win

(April 30, 2008) – For the fourth straight game the Red Sox got another magnificent performance from their starting pitcher. And for the second consecutive game the Sox end the game with a walk off base hit into centerfield by catcher Jason Varitek, driving in left fielder Manny Ramirez with the game-winning run in the ninth.

Is it a full moon or something? It was kind of eerie because last night David Ortiz walked to start the rally. Tonight Ortiz hits a single through the over-sized shift in the infield to bring Ramirez to the plate. Ortiz and Ramirez flip-flopped their ninth inning stats from the previous night. Last night Ortiz walked and Ramirez got the hit, tonight Ortiz got the hit and Ramirez walked. Kind of eerie? But wait it gets better.

Right fielder Brandon Moss – who was making the start in due to J.D. Drew’s quad injury – lined a one-out base hit into center field almost in the exact same position of Kevin Youkilis’s last night. Remember how Vernon Wells bobbled the ball last night and was un able to throw out Ortiz? Tonight the Jays center fielder came up cleanly with the ball and through a perfect strike to catcher Rod Barajas who tagged out pinch runner Jed Lowrie, who was coming from second with the potential game-winning run. Wells would have another chance to make a game saving play for Toronto after Varitek’s single to center but the outfielder’s throw arrive too late and the rest is history.

Daisuke Matsuzaka had the unenviable position of following Jon Lester’s outstanding performance of eight innings of one-hit ball but the man from the land of the Rising Sun was up to the challenge. In seven innings of work, Matsuzaka was solid giving up just two hits and walking no one while striking out four Jays.

But also like last night, Blue Jays starter Dustin McGowan was also on top of his game, retiring 16 consecutive Sox hitters in a row at one point. His one mistake came against David Ortiz, in the bottom of the seventh. With out in the inning, McGowan let a 2-0 pitch grab too much of the plate and Ortiz had that glimmer in his eye that he knew this pitch was going to end up in the outfield seats just second later. And it did. Ortiz connected for his fifth homerun of the season and 21^st RBI, putting him one behind Ramirez for the team lead in homeruns and one ahead in of Ramirez in RBIs.

After completing seven full innings, Matsuzaka was in line for his fifth win of the season when he turned the game over to the Sox bullpen in the top of the eighth. But the 747 Red Sox hit some turbulence after Jays left fielder Adam Lind led of the inning with a base hit into centerfield off of reliever Manny Delcarmen. Opting not to have the right-handed Delcarmen face the ambidextrous catcher, Gregg Zaun, Terry Francona made his way to the mound to bring on the left-handed Hideki Okajima.

Okajima did not fair much better. He allowed a double down the left field line to Zaun, moving Lind to third. Lead off hitter of the game, right fielder Alex Rios hit a sinking line drive out to right field. The ball was sinking so fast it looked, for sure, as if it was going to drop in but out of nowhere came Moss to make the diving catch for an ESPN Web Gem. (Well one could hope.)

After the boys were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend, it is fair enough to say the next team that plays the Red Sox is not going to home happy. The Sox are angry and they will unleash their anger onto the Jays that will result in a three game sweep of the good kind. Here are some words of wisdom to the other 13 teams in the American League and the five in the Senior Circuit who will be facing the Sox this year: DON’T WAKE THE SLEEPING GIANT!

Tim Wakefield will toe the rubber for the third and final game in hopes of completing the sweep. The knuckleballer is 2-0 on the season with a 4.06 ERA with 19 strike outs. He is coming of a six inning game against the Rays where he allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits while walking five Tampa Bay batters and striking out just one.

Making his seventh start of the season, A.J. Burnett is 2-2 with a 6.07 ERA and 19 strike outs. In his last start against the Kansas City Royals, Burnett pitched 7.1 innings allowing five runs, three earned, on eight hits while walking three and striking out six. But like teammate Roy Halladay, who pitched on Tuesday night, Burnett is a ground ball pitcher. 62% of the balls that are put in play, by opposing batters for an out, are ground balls.

WIN: Jonathan Papelbon (2-0)

LOSS: Scott Downs (0-1)

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Game Notes:

J.D. Drew and Jacoby Ellsbury are both out of the line up for tonight’s game due their respective injuries. I do have a feeling Ellsbury is going to an injury prone player throughout his entire career. His built and his obsession with working out tells me that.

At the end of the month of April 16-11.

The 3 Stars of the Game:

1. Jason Varitek, BOSTON 1-4 Game-winning single and RBI

2. Daisuke Matsuzaka, BOSTON 7IP, 2H, 0ER, 2BB, 4K

2. Dustin McGowan, TORONTO 7.1IP, 4H, 1ER, 1BB, 5K

David Ortiz’s first homerun of the season lead Sox to a 3-1 series win over Oakland

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RED SOX SHUT OUT ATHLETICS 5-0 TO MOVE TO 3-1
David Ortiz’s first homerun of the season lead Sox to a 3-1 series win over Oakland

(April 2, 2008) – Who said the number 13 was an unlucky number? It was not for David Ortiz at least. On Ortiz’s 13^th at bat of the season, he dropped a bloop single in front of Emil Brown in the fifth for his first hit of the season. Two innings later he would break the nothing-nothing tie with a high, two-run homerun to right centerfield. The Sox went on to win 5-0 behind 6 2/3 strong innings by Sox lefty Jon Lester, who allowed just two hits and three walks while striking out three.

Early on in the game, Harden did not look like the same pitcher who struck out nine Red Sox hitters in Japan. In 14 pitches, he allowed a single to Dustin Pedroia, two walks to Kevin Youkilis and Ortiz with not a single out in the inning. The Sox were poised to do some major damage against Harden in the first.

But then the light seemed to switch on in Harden’s head becoming the pitcher he was seven days ago, striking out both Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell swinging for the first two outs of the game. Playing in his first game of the season since sitting out the previous three games with back spasms, J.D. Drew stranded Pedroia, Youkilis and Ortiz by grounding out to first base to end the first inning.

On the mound for the Red Sox, Lester had his way with Oakland hitters. Although allowing sporadic hits to Oakland hitters (Daric Barton and Jack Hannahan) they never materialized into scoring opportunities for the Athletics. Every time Oakland got a runner on base he was wiped out by either a double play or a strike out. The only time the Athletics got a runner to third base, on Lester, was in the first inning on Mike Sweeney’s fielder’s choice to shortstop sending Barton (who doubled to left in his at-bat) to third.

Lester benefited from some good defense behind him in three consecutive innings. In the bottom of the second, he walked shortstop Bobby Crosby on four pitches he was aided by a double play ball, by catcher Kurt Suzuki, to shortstop to end the inning. The next inning, third baseman Hannahan singled to lead off the inning but Lester was able to get center fielder, Chris Denorfia to ground to shortstop for another double play. The fourth inning saw another lead off walk by the Sox left hander but after a Jack Cust strike out, Lester was able to get Brown to pop out to Drew who then threw to first to get Sweeney who strayed to far off the bag.

Harden left the game after five innings and was relieved by Andrew Brown. After hitting Lowell in the ribs, Brown appeared to on the verge of getting out of the inning unscathed. He struck out Drew and catcher Kurt Suzuki caught Lowell trying to steal and only needed one more out but that out would not come without some pressure. Brown walked Varitek and gave up a hit to Coco Crisp before being relieved by former Sox pitcher, Alan Embree but did not offer any relief. Embree hit the first batter he faced (Alex Cora) in the hand to load the bases. For the first time since the first the Sox had the bases loaded and just like the first they squandered the opportunity to put points on the board when Pedroia grounded into a fielder’s choice to shortstop.

But good teams find a way to win. When Youkilis led off the seventh inning with a double to left center, Ortiz took a 1-2 fastball to deep right center to give the Red Sox the 2-0 lead. From their they would not look back and went on to the 5-0 victory as well as their first series win of 2008.

The Sox will send Tim Wakefield to the mound when they travel North of the Border to Toronto, Ontario, Canada to play the Blue Jays on Friday April 4 at 7:15pm. Wakefield will be making his first start of the 2008 season and will be opposed by Jays right hander Shaun Marcum. Marcum was 12-6 last year with a 4.13 ERA and 122 strike outs. The Red Sox knuckleballer is coming off a 17 win season (17-12) with a 4.76 ERA and 110 strike outs.

WIN: Jon Lester (1-1)

LOSS: Alan Embree (0-1)

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Game Notes:

Daric Barton’s double in the bottom of the first was his first hit of the season. Coming into today’s game, Barton was 0-for-9.

David Ortiz’s First Hit Watch:

Ortiz got his first hit of the season in the top of the fifth inning with two outs and a man on first. It was a bloop single just over the head of third baseman Jack Hannahan.

Third Time’s a Charm:

For the third in the game and second time with no outs, the Sox loaded the bases in the top of the eighth but for the first time they took advantage of the opportunity. Pedroia and Youkilis singled home Varitek and Crisp, respectively, against left hander Lenny DiNardo and right hander Santiago Casilla, respectively, to give Boston the 4-0 lead.

Top Three Stars of the Game:

1. David Ortiz, BOSTON – 2-4 Game Winning 2-run HR, 2RBI
2. Jon Lester, BOSTON – 6.2IP, 2H, 0ER, 3BB, 3K – 94 pitches – 53 for strikes
3. Jason Varitek, BOSTON – 2-4 HR, RBI

Daisuke Matsuzaka retires 13 consecutive Athletics to acquire his first win of 2008

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RED SOX EDGE PAST ATHLETICS 2-1 TO MOVE TO 2-1
Daisuke Matsuzaka retires 13 consecutive Athletics to acquire his first win of 2008

(April 1, 2008) – The third meeting of the Red Sox and Athletics was very different than the first two. Game three of the 2008 started as a pitchers duel between Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka and Oakland starter Joe Blanton.

Through four innings, Matsuzaka and Blanton both had thrown just a mere 59 pitches and the only mistake was a Jack Cust solo homerun over the head of Manny Ramirez to give Oakland the 1-0 lead in the second inning. That is the way the game stayed until the fifth inning when first baseman Kevin Youkilis led off the inning with a single to right. When Oakland rightfielder Travis Buck made a catch for the ESPN highlight reel on catcher Jason Varitek and Blanton struck out center fielder Coco Crisp for the second time, it looked as if the fifth inning would come to a close.

Shortstop Julio Lugo kept the fifth inning alive with a hit off the foot of Blanton moving Youkilis up to second. With two outs in the fifth inning, this is where Blanton self-destructed. Rookie right fielder Jacoby Ellsbury stepped to the plate in the fifth inning for the third time and drove in Boston’s first run of the game with a line drive into right field. After Dustin Pedroia walked, it gave David Ortiz, who is still searching for his first hit of the season, a chance to drive in a couple runs. But Ortiz grounded out to the first base man Daric Barton for the final out of the inning.

In his second start of the season, Matsuzaka was on his game going 7 2/3 innings, striking out nine Oakland hitters while allowing just the one run on Cust’s homerun, before being replaced by Hideki Okajima. After striking out center fielder Ryan Sweeney in the third, Matsuzaka went on to retire the next 12 Athletics, seven of them on strike outs. On the side of the diamond, Blanton never recovered from the turbulent fifth inning and gave up a lead-off triple to Youkilis who then would score on a Varitek RBI double. Reliever Santiago Casilla replaced Blanton in the seventh and got Lugo, Ellsbury and Pedroia to go down, one, two, three.

In relief of Matsuzaka, Okajima went 1 2/3 innings allowing the first walk by a Red Sox pitcher before turning the ball over to closer Jonathan Papelbon to get the last four outs of the game. Papelbon pitched 1 1/3 and remarkably striking out the side in the ninth to close out Boston’s second win of the season and his second save of the season.

The Red Sox will send Jon Lester to the mound in the series finale against Oakland, Wednesday April 4. Last week Lester was out-performed by Rich Harden's magnificent performance of striking out nine Red Sox batters while allowing just three hits and one run. After tomorrow's game, the Sox will travel North of the Border to Canada to play division rival the Toronto Blue Jays for a three game series April 4-6.

WIN: Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-0)

LOSS: Joe Blanton (0-1)

SAVE: Jonathan Papelbon (2)

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Game Notes:

Jacoby Ellsbury’s first game of 2008 batting lead-off and grounded out to first base.

Jason Varitek threw out his first base runner of the year, Oakland catcher Suzuki attempting steal second base for the second out of the third.

David Ortiz went 0-for-4, flying out to left twice and grounding to first twice. He is now 0-for-11 on the season.

Three Stars of the Game:

1. Daisuke Matsuzaka, BOSTON - 6.2 IP, 2 Hits, 1 ER, 9 Ks
   
2. Jason Varitek, BOSTON – 2-4 Game Winning RBI double
3. Jack Cust, OAKLAND – 1-2 HR, BB