Mike Lowell fouled a ball off his right foot on Tuesday and hit one off his left foot last night. X-rays taken at Fenway after he left the game in the eighth inning were negative, but he'll be reexamined in Tampa today. Lowell:
It was throbbing a bit but as the game kept going, it kept getting worse and was kind of spreading to the other side of my foot. ... I can't put any pressure on it.Terry Francona on the AL East/Wild Card race: "It's going to be one of the funnest races in a long time. The way teams are situated, it's going to be a lot of fun to watch." ... And watch he did -- as Josh Beckett gave up seven consecutive hits in the sixth inning last night. At no time did Francona or pitching coach Al Nipper make a trip to the mound. Tito: "It happened so fast."
Javy Lopez is expected to join the Sox in Tampa tonight. (Ken Huckaby was DFA'd after last night's game.) ... An Orioles official said Lopez is "not what he used to be, but for what the Red Sox need him for -- a month or so -- he was the best guy out there for them. ... If he plays every day and starts getting hot, there's no doubt he can carry a lineup. But we haven't seen that for a while."
Keith Foulke pitched one inning made for Pawtucket last night (18 pitches, 10 strikes), striking out two and walking one. Foulke:
We're putting it in high gear right now. We're coming back here on Saturday for two or three innings and to get stretched out a little bit. [Boston] is off on Monday and I will be joining them on Tuesday in Kansas City. ... My control was a little iffy. I threw a couple of curveballs and a lot of splits. I'm satisfied with it. ... I want to get stretched out, because when I go back I want to have the ability to give [Francona] two or three innings if he needs me.Jason Varitek's surgery was successful and he will begin rehabbing immediately. He will miss 4-6 weeks. ... Manny Ramirez's first-inning single extended his hitting streak to 19 games and made him the 45th player to drive in 1,500 runs.
Today's Media Sky Is Falling Sentences: Tony Massarotti, Herald: "Josh Beckett did not merely let down his teammates last night. He pushed them off a sixth-story ledge." ... The Red Sox are 1 game out of first place with 55 to play.
Agree that 1 game out with 54 to play is not ledge-jumping time, but the Sox record vs good clubs is there for all to see. However, it's silly to be awarding anything (or even writing the Jays off, as the Star did this a.m.)since injuries have played a huge part this season and we're just entering the "dog days". First greenie-free summer looming as well. Everybody hang on for some exciting, if not maybe textbook, baseball.
ReplyDeleteI think the Sox have done remarkably well given their injuries. They lost three of the members of the rotation and have had to rely in inexperienced arms. If Wakefield comes back in a couple of weeks and Foulke can help the pen, they will be fighting in September. Remember that they have had problems with Cleveland. If Willy Mo keeps batting the way he has all year, he is a big improvement over Nixon.
ReplyDeleteI've written the Jays off. It's the proper thing to do.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the Jays are done, but remember we still have 8 games against them and are currently 4 and 7. Second we still have 9 games against the Spankees and are 5 and 5 against them. To pull this out we need to win 6 of the games against the jays and 5 of the games against the spankees.
ReplyDeleteWe also need to go at least 4 and 2 but it would be better to sweep these next six games.
We can cherry-pick until all 162 games are in, but you have to admit that good-hitting, deep line-ups give the Sox pitching fits. That's why the Jays hitters(however you want to write them off) are comfortable vs Sox pitching. Just like the Indians. I'm saying that pitching help is needed and the offense has to lose the LOB-itis in order to succeed (ie like they hit during the hot streak when they beat the Mets and WSox).
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