Sox Eyeing Javy Lopez; Manny HR Milestones; Pena Avoids Murder Charge; Bird Update

Jason Varitek has confidence in Doug Mirabelli assuming the Sox's main catching duties, but the team is looking for outside help.

They have spoken with the Orioles about Javy Lopez, who was placed on waivers Monday. The Courant names Jason LaRue, Mike Lieberthal and Henry Blanco as other possibilities.

Matt Clement is being shut down for another three weeks, according to Terry Francona. I wonder if we'll see him at all this year; seems doubtful.

Manny Ramirez's home run last night extended his hitting streak to 18 games. It was his 30th of the season, the 9th straight season (and 11th overall) that he has reached that mark. Only Hank Aaron (15 seasons), Barry Bonds (14), Babe Ruth (13), Mike Schmidt (13) and Jimmie Foxx (12) have more 30-homer seasons. It was career HR #465, tying Ramirez with Dave Winfield for 26th all-time.

Speaking of Foxx, David Ortiz plans on doing some research into the life of Double X. Back in 1938, Foxx hit 50 home runs for the Red Sox (with a .349 average and 175 RBI!), a mark that Tizzle is taking serious aim at this summer. Ortiz:

I want to know everything about him. I'm going to get on the computer and read about him and get to know who he was. I want to know what he looked like, how big he was. I want to know how he swung the bat. I'm telling you, he must have been some [expletive] good hitter. ... I need to know how he put up that number. It's a long season now and it was a long season then. I'm going to get to know Jimmie Foxx. That's what I owe him.

Wily Mo Pena's line drive home run over the Wall last night was struck so hard that after it hit behind the first row of Monster seats, it rolled about halfway back to the infield. Pena: "I was afraid because I thought I was probably going to kill somebody. I thought, 'I'm going to be in jail.'"

In his last six appearances, Jonathan Papelbon has retired 21 of 22 batters. ... Keith Foulke will try to throw off a mound today. ... Bryan Corey is the 25th pitcher to appear in a Red Sox game this season, one shy of the club record. ... The Red Sox now have three pitchers over age 40: Tim Wakefield (turned 40 yesterday), Mike Timlin (40) and David Wells (43).

An update on the little black bird that was hopping around the infield on Tuesday night (Elliott Ginsburg, 64, season ticket holder since 1972: "That thing ran from base to base pretty good. I think he was faster than Mirabelli was getting to the plate last night."): it apparently met its demise at the hands (claws?) of one of the red-tail hawks that lives in Fenway's light towers. (An earlier bird rumour - a post-game snack for David Wells? -- turned out to be untrue.)