Varitek Getting More Playing Time

In an interview with WEEI before yesterday's game, Terry Francona said Jason Varitek would be getting more playing time as Jarrod Saltalamacchia continues to "earn [his] stripes".

I think sometimes a catcher can put down the same signs, but depending on who it is, the pitcher throws with a little more commitment. ... It's always going to be hard for the next guy to come in to compare themselves, the way the game's being run, with Tek. That's been Tek's strength for so long. ... We've obviously tried to get him in there a little bit more ... I've got to be a little bit careful about running him out there too much. He has gotten a lot of wear and tear. We don't want to reach for too much and get him hurt. Then we're really in a bind.

Saltalamacchia started eight of the season's first nine games, but since April 9, Francona has been alternating between the two catchers every game. Boston is 3-2 when Varitek starts and 2-9 when Salty gets the nod.

Red Sox pitchers have a 2.40 ERA throwing to Varitek (45 innings) and a 7.14 ERA with Saltalamacchia (92 innings). Neither man is hitting worth a damn.

         PA   AVG   OBP   SLG   OPS   OPS+
Salty    39  .194  .256  .222  .479    34
Varitek  19  .063  .167  .063  .229   -33

As you might expect, Boston's catchers' hitting stats (.154/.228/.173) are the worst in MLB.

From last night's recap:

In the eighth, David Ortiz singled and Jacoby Ellsbury pinch-ran. Anderson fell behind Mike Cameron 3-0, but battled back to strike him out on a check swing; Ellsbury was running on the full count pitch and beat Kurt Suzuki's throw, but was called out because Cameron stepped in front of Suzuki as the catcher was throwing to second base.

After the game, crew chief Tim Welke told reporters that there had been no interference on Cameron's part, and Ellsbury was tagged out sliding into second, completing a double play.

Replays showed that Ellsbury was safe, so second base ump Andy Fletcher blew that call. And the entire crew failed to provide any coherent explanation for the play, as Cameron, Ellsbury, and Francona were unclear after the game what the actual call had been.

Francona:

I'd like to get a little more of a clarification because Jacoby came back because he said it was interference, but I guess when [acting manager DeMarlo Hale*] went out, [the umpire] said no interference, they called him out at second. It was confusing because I never saw a call made at second.

* Hale was managing because Tito had been ejected in the fourth inning when the umpires failed to call a balk on Anderson, and ruled Dustin Pedroia had been picked off.

John Lackey, on why he was pulled after six innings and 93 pitches: "I don't know. I just work here."