Also scheduled to pitch: Jonathon Papelbon, Takashi Saito, Hideko Okajima, Jinuchi Tazawa and Wes Littleton.
Dustin Pedroia is doing some soft toss and is expected to take batting practice on Thursday.
John Smoltz says the recovery from shoulder surgery has been "a slow crawl", but his first bullpen session is scheduled for March 25.
After a two-inning side session tomorrow, Brad Penny may face the Tigers on Monday.
John Farrell, on Daisuke Matsuzaka's six-inning, 86-pitch effort in the WBC:
The reports were he used his secondary stuff very effectively. He threw quite a number of changeups, didn't seemingly overthrow his fastball. He looked like he had a very good rhythm for the six innings that he pitched, and really was a model of efficiency ...Amalie Benjamin has a feature on fireballer Daniel Bard. In seven spring innings, Bard has allowed only three hits and two walks while striking out 10.
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Julian Tavarez compares signing with the Nationals to wearing "beer goggles":
Why did I sign with the Nationals? When you go to a club at 4 in the morning, and you're just waiting, waiting, a 600-pounder looks like J-Lo. And to me this is Jennifer Lopez right here. It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. So, Nationals: Jennifer Lopez to me.Thanks to SG!
65 comments:
This article on "inverted W" pitching motions has me more concerned about Smoltz than I was before, though maybe he's already taken all the durability hit one could expect.
Oooooh, white unis with green numbers/letters instead of the tackier green jerseys.
There's a kid on the field dressed as a Leprechaun, and according to Don, it was some of the players who put "15" on his back in tape. Awesome.
Ellsbury rocket double, moved to third on grounder by Lowell (though he had the base stolen easily), and scored on a Papi deep scrotum fly. I heart baseball!
Correction: The leprechaun is a "little person." He's in the booth now. Remy has absconded with his hat and fake beard, and asked him if he's gonna have a pop tonight, to which he answered Oh yeah.
Twins load bases, score on tapper that Beckett makes bad throw to Tek on. No real hard hit balls, though.
Another blooper Bay makes diving attempt for scores another run, 2-1 Twin Cities.
Another tapper Beckett can't quite pick up, scoring yet another run, bases still loaded. "This is getting ridiculous." --Remy
Really bad line for Beckett, but a totally acceptable performance so far.
Up to 47 pitches, though. Still one out in the 2nd.
Aha! On pitch 48, he gets the DP grounder. Second inning finally ends.
Tek dong! He seemed to surprise himself after making contact. You know, I noticed the swing looked kind of like Roy Hobbs, and then Remy reminded me that he's been working on the lefty swing.
OTT third for Josh. 3-2 them after 2.5.
PAPI DONG. 2-run shot, 4-3 us.
You knew Rock O'Baldelly would play today.
Back to back singles by Bay and Tek.
If Papelbon made the Garth Algar face, he'd be Wilkerson.
Four pitch Walk-erson loads the bases but they get out of it. 4-3 us after 3.
I'm enjoying the commentary because MLB's box score refresh has fallen behind.
Julian...has anyone ever said a less flattering thing upon joining a team? That man is out there. Good to know he'll still be playing, though.
nice play by Beckett fielding a bunt. Little ankle twist, Tito & co came out, but he's staying in the game.
1-2-3 fourth for Josh. That's two OTTs in a row.
Funny stuff when Remy made fun of Don's "kitchen," saying there are certain ways you sit in a chair where you just can't hide the belly. Finally they cut to a pre-game shot of Don slouched in a chair with his big belly sticking up and out. Don then tells us he had been feeling good about losing 20 lbs. this winter until that moment.
Nick Green bloop hit to start bot 4th.
Ellsbury massive dong off the new pitcher. 6-3 us.
Lowell just gets under it, flying to left.
Papi rips a single to right. Maybe not full rip-age, but a solid single.
Ortiz posing for Playgirl? That's poppycock.
The spherical sandwich shop (ball deli?) goes down swinging, second K for him.
Bay hits one over the freakin' batter's eye in dead center!
Ortiz posing for Playgirl? That's poppycock.
Wha? Now I fully expect Remy to ask Don if he's thought about posing for those magazines.
8-3 Green Sox.
Oh, look! Logged into my other email account. How about that!
Bay hits one over the freakin' batter's eye in dead center!
Bay Being Manny!
Papelbon in for the 5th.
Span turns on his first pitch, DONG.
Another lefty with another sharp hit to the right side, story of this game. Pap hitting 91 on the gun, but not getting out.
Pap gets easy fly out, one away.
Pap allows just the run, 8-4 mid-5
Just got my first "conflicting edits" screen of '09. (Yet clearly no one else was commenting at the same time. I wonder why that happens....)
Because Blogger is terrible.
Jed 1-out single in 5th.
NcGreen goes down flailing.
very long at bat by Ambres
finally ball four to Chip
9-4 after 5, RBI single by Harris knocks in Lowrie, Chip out at 3rd to end inning.
I said Harris, I meant Chavez with that RBI. Harris is on the Twins.
Saito in for the 6th.
Thanks for the updates, Jere. GDGD is just too intermittent for ST.
Ochoa with a diving catch going to his left at short.
Nice running catch by Ambres on a deep fly for out number 2.
Saito OTT sixth.
The dream is over--Sox finally don't score in an inning. 9-4 after 6
Oka in for 7th
tapper (1 unassisted) scores a run, 9-5.
9-5, stretch time
Beckett says it was a callous on his toe, almost like a cut, that bothered him before, no ankle twist.
9-5 after 7. Beckett says Rob Stratton is the only other guy he saw hit one over a batter's eye.
Tazawa in for the 8th.
What is a "batter's eye"?
Taz with an OTT
In Ft. Myers, it's a big tall green thing in CF so batters have nice background to hit against. At Fenway, it's the blocked out seats in dead center during day games.
Oh, right, I see.
Extra Bases says the Brewers are claiming Littleton.
The Yanks' new stadium utilizes the batter's eye spot--it's a restaurant with black windows overlooking the field.
Is there any surface on Beckett's body that isn't friable?
This article gives a little history of that batter's eye spot at Fenway, "Conig's Corner," which in name was later paid tribute to with those bleacher seats on the right field roof.
9-5 after 8.
2 quick outs for Taz to start 9th.
O.F. Machado ends it with a 6-3.
9-5 Red Sox win. Dirty Green Water, Tessie in a Green Dress, Jeremiah Was a Green Bullfrog, Was A Good Friend O'Mine
You knew Rock O'Baldelly would play today.
Good name. Darren Oliver pitched on 3/17 one year, and my family has called him O'Liver ever since.
Julian...has anyone ever said a less flattering thing upon joining a team? That man is out there. Good to know he'll still be playing, though.
For some reason, I've always liked him. He's such a goofball! (But for a Nationals fan - or J-Lo - ouch.)
Hitting looks good so far. I am happy with Papi's comeback. This is the charge he needed and he looks to be capitalizing on the energy each hit gives him.
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