Wagner Will Join Sox Thursday; Lowell Makes Doubles History

ADDED: a bit on Josh Papelbon.

Theo Epstein on Billy Wagner, who will join the team on Thursday:

We were looking to add another left-handed reliever ... Coming off [elbow ligament replacement] surgery, we understand there are limitations, but we think with the depth of our bullpen, with rosters expanding in September, that's something we can manage around ... We think he's going to help. There's no guarantee of present benefit or future benefit, but there's a chance for both.

And Theo on Jonathan Papelbon's recent comments about adding Wagner:

[He] went out of his way to make sure Billy knew that he was more than welcome here ... I think Pap feels like he was misunderstood. He's not a Rhodes Scholar to begin with, obviously.

Mike "Dr. Doubles" Lowell's fourth inning two-bagger last night gave him 25 or more doubles in each of his last 10 seasons, the longest-ever such streak for a third baseman. George Brett, Wade Boggs, Brooks Robinson and Harlond Clift each had nine seasons in a row.

Jed Lowrie has gone 3-for-8 with three home runs in two rehab games with Pawtucket.

Terry Francona:

[Monday] night on the way home, it was a late night, we were talking about the Wagner stuff and all that, Victor [Martinez] is texting me at 1:15, saying, "Let me play [on Tuesday]". I finally wrote back and I said, "Leave me alone, you'll come in, pinch hit and get the game-winning hit." And he said, "OK, good night."

Martinez's pinch-hit single in the seventh tied the game, and he added an RBI double in the eighth for some insurance.

Papelbon says his younger brother, Josh (who is a 26-year-old reliever for Salem (A)), is unhappy at not being promoted -- he has not allowed an earned run in seven of his last 10 outings and has an ERA of 3.32 -- and wants to pitch for a different organization. Bot: "We've talked to Theo about it. It's already out in the open. ... He's ready to move on."