March 17, 2007

Dice Walks, Scores, Throws 111 Pitches

Daisuke Matsuzaka got one plate appearance against the Dodgers on Friday. The opposing pitcher, catcher and umpire all knew Dice was under strict orders not to swing the bat.

Called strike. Called strike. Ball. Ball. Ball. Ball. ... Then Jacoby Ellsbury was hit by a pitch and Eric Hinske hit a three-run homer. (The walk would have been more amusing if Matsuzaka had not brought a bat to the plate.)

On the mound, Matsuzaka had a 2-3-1-0-3 line on 34 pitches before the game was rained out with Boston up 5-1. Dice threw 77 more pitches in five simulated innings in the batting cage.

Coco Crisp is batting .179 this spring (5-for-28, with four singles), but he says his left index finger is fine. ... Jon Lester pitched two innings yesterday for Pawtucket. He faced six Rochester batters, allowing one hit, striking out two, and throwing 20 pitches.

Both Fay Vincent and John Dowd say Pete Rose's admission that he bet on the Reds to win every night is not true. When either Mario Soto or Bill Gullickson was on the hill, Rose did not bet. Vincent: "He didn't think they were going to win." ... Cincinnati native Kevin Youkilis offers his thoughts on Rose.

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