G88: Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 2

Red Sox   - 000 003 000 - 3  6  0
Blue Jays - 000 000 200 - 2  8  0

Matsuzaka was magnificent through six innings, allowing only four hits (no walks!), while striking out five -- on only 86 pitches.

His only jam came in the third when he allowed two singles to start the inning. Facing the top of the order, he struck out Fred Lewis, got Alex Gonzalez to fly to right and struck out Jose Bautista. Dice had only two 3-ball counts: Seabass in the first (he doubled) and Edwin Encarnacion in the 3rd (single).

Matsuzaka's first two pitches in the seventh, however, were hit for a single (Adam Lind) and a home run (Aaron Hill). That cut Boston's lead to 3-2 and Terry Francona went to his well-rested pen. Thankfully, Toronto's hitters were as hack-happy as ever -- they lead all MLB clubs in swinging at first pitches (34%*) and in swinging at all pitches (48%), and they are 23rd in P/PA.

* The Jays lead MLB by a huge margin. The Cubs and Reds are at 31% and the Tigers are at 29%. The MLB average is 26%. The Red Sox swing at the fewest first pitches: 19%.

Daniel Bard was able to pitch two innings, needing only eight pitches to get three outs in the seventh, and eight more to retire the side in the eighth. Jonathan Papelbon allowed a two-out single in the ninth, but he also finished his assignment on eight pitches.

Dice (6-6-2-0-5) threw only 88 pitches, his fewest since June 19 of last year.

Litsch retired the first 11 Boston hitters and did not allow a hit until there were two outs in the sixth. He had struck out Daniel Nava and Kevin Cash, but gave up a double to right-center by Marco Scutaro. Darnell McDonald clubbed a 3-1 pitch to deep left for a two-run dong and David Ortiz followed with a solo shot to right. Litsch finished with a 7-4-3-1-5, 99 line.

The Rays beat Cleveland 6-5 in 10 innings and the Yankees beat the Mariners 8-2.

Daisuke Matsuzaka / Jessie Litsch

Scutaro, SS
McDonald, CF
Ortiz, DH
Youkilis, 1B
Beltre, 3B
Drew, RF
Hall, 2B
Nava, LF
Cash, C

Since Dice returned from his second stint on the DL this year, he has made three starts: 16 innings, 17 hits, 12 walks, 5.06 ERA. ... Litsch has made five starts this season (all since June 13), with a 7.30 ERA in 24.2 innings.

And:

Spiders/Rays, 1:30 PM
Yankees/Mariners, 4 PM

July 11:

1914 - Babe Ruth makes his major league debut, pitching seven innings in Boston's 4-3 win over Cleveland at Fenway Park. (Link has entries for Ruth in 1916 and 1917, too.)

1976 - At Fenway Park, the Red Sox beat the Twins 6-4. In the fifth inning, Twins center fielder Lyman Bostock drops Carl Yastrzemski's long fly ball after a bucket of popcorn falls in his eyes.

In Explaining Rib Injuries, Ellsbury Contradicts Red Sox Medical Team

Small update with Mays snip from today's Globe.

In a 10-minute meeting with the media on Saturday afternoon, Jacoby Ellsbury insisted that all five of his rib fractures happened during the April 11 collision with Adrian Beltre -- including the fracture on the back of his rib cage that was not discovered until late May.

That is in direct contradiction with Red Sox team doctor Thomas Gill's June 11 statement that Ellsbury suffers a fifth rib fracture while making a diving catch in Philadelphia on May 22.

Ellsbury said that after the collision with Beltre in Kansas City, he specifically asked for MRI exams on both the front and back of his rib cage. He believed he was getting those exams, but only the front was MRIed, so the posterior rib fracture -- which has caused Ellsbury the most pain -- was not found until Dr. Lewis Yocum examined him in late May. Yocum also said that Ellsbury had a strained lat in his upper back and an inflamed nerve, which was the result of trying to compensate for the injury.

Last night, Peter Abraham reported that

a team source said that many of Ellsbury's comments today contradicted what he told the medical staff or simply weren't true.

In this morning's Globe, Robert Mays writes:

But a team source said Ellsbury did not complain of back pain in April or ask for an MRI on that area and was only cleared to start playing in May when he pronounced himself completely free of symptoms.

The Sox do not plan to get into a public dispute with Ellsbury and Boras over the course of treatment, the source said, fearing that only would serve to exacerbate what the source termed the player's unpopularity within the clubhouse.

Ellsbury said that he has been in "constant contact" with the Red Sox, with Terry Francona, and with team doctors while he has been working out in Arizona.

While I was out at API every single day, they would get a report of exactly what I did -- the weight, the time, every detail was submitted to them every single day.

This soap opera seems far from over -- and the media now will use this situation as a future "talking point" any time Ellsbury misses a game or two because of an injury or some discomfort.

Also: I thought the Globe's Peter Abraham took a few unnecessary shots at Ellsbury when he said that as soon as he "pulled out his notes today, I knew something was up". Abraham adds that Ellsbury "went on the offensive against the Red Sox medical staff".

This is a great example of how a player cannot win. If Ellsbury writes down some notes, he is "armed with talking points". But if he tries recapping the chronology of injuries, examinations, tests, various rehab starts, third opinions, etc. off the top of his head and made an inadvertent error or two, then the media will rip him for contradicting himself and being "unable to get his story straight".

Travis Wood: 24 Up, 24 Down (But That's It)

Reds     - 000 000 000 00 - 0  6  0
Phillies - 000 000 000 01 - 1  4  0

After eight perfect innings, Cincinnati lefty Travis Wood allowed a leadoff double to left-center to Carlos Ruiz.

Three outs from nine perfect innings and then suddenly the game-losing run is on second with no outs. But Wood pitched out of trouble, and the game is in the 10th.

It is the third extra-inning game for the Reds and Phillies in this series (they went 12 on Thursday and 10 last night). The Phillies have played extras in four of their last five games.

G87: Blue Jays 9, Red Sox 5

Red Sox   - 131 000 000 - 5 11  0
Blue Jays - 300 221 01x - 9 11  1

The Red Sox got to Morrow (4-8-5-2-4, 112) early, but Lackey turned in a giant turd of an outing (4.2-8-7-6-2, 105).

It could have been far worse. Lackey wriggled out of a bases loaded/1 out jam in the first -- only two of his 28 pitches in that inning were taken for strikes. He left two more runners on in the third.

The Red Sox did not make much noise over the final six innings.

Blue Jays' pitchers hit four Boston batters, including one in three consecutive innings (6th, 7th, 8th).

Mike Cameron and Terry Francona were both ejected in the seventh after Cameron was called out on strikes by Jeff Kellogg. Pitch f/x data shows that Kellogg was quite generous to Toronto pitchers when facing LH Boston batters (though the pitch to Cameron was clearly in the zone).

The Mariners beat the Yankees 4-1, as Felix went the distance and Joba loaded the bases in the eighth and then served up a grand slam to Jose Lopez. The Rays shut out Cleveland 4-0 and are 2 GB. Boston stays 5 GB.

John Lackey / Brandon Morrow

Scutaro, SS
Nava, LF
Ortiz, DH
Youkilis, 1B
Beltre, 3B
Drew, RF
Cameron, CF
Hall, 2B
Molina, C

Victor Martinez will not be able to play right after the break. Jacoby Ellsbury will talk to the media today.

Rotation vs Rangers July 15-18: Tim Wakefield, Clay Buchholz, John Lackey, Jon Lester. Daisuke Matsuzaka would start the series in Oakland on July 19. ... Manny Delcarmen threw 35 pitches in the bullpen yesterday and is hoping to be activated after the ASB. ... Jed Lowrie's rehab tour moves up to Pawtucket (AAA) next week.

And:

Spiders/Rays, 7 PM
Yankees/Mariners, 10 PM

The Yankees have an extra day off after the ASB before hosting Tampa Bay for three games. The two teams will also play in Florida July 30 and 31, and August 1. The Red Sox are in New York for four games August 6-9.

July 10:

1911 - Phillies outfielder Sherry Magee knocks out umpire Bill Finneran with one punch after being ejected for disputing a called third strike. He is suspended for the season, but upon appeal he will be reinstated after five weeks (36 games).

1935 - Ed Cole of the Galveston Buccaneers pitches the first perfect game in Texas League history. His team beats the Tulsa Oilers 1-0 on an inside-the-park home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Johan Santana's First Home Run

Johan Santana hit his first career home run last Tuesday night, against the Reds' Matt Maloney, while also pitching a complete game, three-hit shutout, winning 3-0. What I did not realize until last night was that Santana hit the homer on the 12th pitch of his at-bat.

Santana batted with one out in the bottom of the third and Ruben Tejada on first base. On the first pitch, ball 1, Tejada was caught stealing. Santana then fouled off six pitches, took ball two in the dirt, fouled off three more, and homered down the right field line. (He led all Mets batters in Win Probability Added.)

A SABR member wondered if any other pitchers had homered so deep into an at-bat before. Jeff Allen reported:

Since pitch-count data isn't available for all years, this isn't a definitive answer, but ... No pitcher has ever hit a home run as late in the at bat as Santana did. No pitcher had ever hit one once the pitch count reached double digits, in fact. The record before Santana was a home run on the 9th pitch of the at bat, which happened twice. The first was on July 11, 1991, by Bob Ojeda off Mark Gardner, a 2-run HR in the 2nd. The second was June 6, 1993, by Chris Hammond off Doug Brocail, a solo shot in the 4th.

G86: Red Sox 14, Blue Jays 3

Red Sox   - 037 301 000 - 14 14  0
Blue Jays - 000 002 100 -  3  7  1

How lopsided was this game? After four innings, the Jays' #7 hitter had come to the plate only once; the Red Sox's #7 hitter had scored three runs.

Lester (6-4-2-2-6, 96) allowed only one hit through the first five innings. Boston led 14-0 before the Blue Jays got a runner to second base.

Bill Hall hit a two-run homer in the second inning, and doubled in the sixth and eighth. Three Sox belted dongs in the third: Kevin Youkilis and Adrian Beltre went back-to-back, and Mike Cameron connected one out later. Cameron also singled twice, walked, drove in three runs, and scored three times.

Cleveland beat the Rays 9-3 and the Yankees beat the Mariners 6-1. Boston stays 5 GB, Tampa Bay drops to 3 GB. ... In the National League, the Reds led Philadelphia 7-1 going to the bottom of the ninth. The Phillies scored six times to tie it, then got two in the tenth to win 9-7.

Jon Lester / Ricky Romero

Scutaro, SS
McDonald, LF
Ortiz, DH
Youkilis, 1B
Beltre, 3B
Drew, RF
Cameron, CF
Hall, 2B
Cash, C

Third-place Boston visits fourth-place Toronto for three games before the All-Star break next week.

The Red Sox have lost eight of their last 11 road games. They have beaten the Blue Jays in five of six games this season, sweeping a Skydome series on April 26-27-28, and taking two of three at Fenway on May 10-11-12.

Lester has a 1.84 ERA over his last 14 starts (98 innings); that's everything after his three bad starts to begin the season. He has allowed more than two runs in only two of those 14 starts -- 0, 0, 1, 2, 4, 2, 0, 1, 0, 6, 2, 1, 1, 1 -- dating back to April 23. He faced Toronto on April 28, allowing one hit in seven shutout innings, with 11 strikeouts.

Romero had a 1.88 ERA over six starts from May 30 to June 28, before allowing eight runs in 2.2 innings to the Yankees his last time out.

Daniel Bard has pitched only twice in the last 12 days, getting some much needed rest. He has not allowed a run or a walk in his last nine outings (8 innings, 3 hits, 9 strikeouts since June 15). Since May 22, he had allowed only one of 13 inherited runners to score.

Jed Lowrie played shortstop for Lowell (A) last night and went 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI in a 5-4 loss to the Jamestown Jammers. (Peter Abraham notes that one of Jamestown's players is named Sequoyah Stonecipher.) Lowrie will play shortstop, second base, and third base during his rehab assignment.

And:

Spiders/Rays, 7 PM
Yankees/Mariners, 10 PM

July 9:

1914 - The Austin Senators of the Texas League lose their 27th straight game. The streak will reach 32 games and the Senators will finish the season 31-114.

1946 - The All-Star Game is played at Fenway Park and Ted Williams steals the show, with two home runs, two singles, one walk, four runs scored, and five RBI as the AL wins 12-0.

1971 - In his major league debut, Atlanta shortstop Leo Foster commits an error on his first fielding chance (the first batter in the bottom of the first), then hits into a double play in the fifth and a triple play in the seventh. Foster was traded to the Red Sox in the spring of 1978 and played 49 games with Pawtucket, but was never called up to Boston.

1976 - Boston Red Sox owner/president Tom Yawkey dies at the age of 73.

2005 - In his first at-bat, Cubs pinch-hitter Adam Greenberg is hit in the head by the first pitch he sees. That one pitch was the extent of his major league career (he last played in the minors in 2008).

Youkilis Is Frustrated With Ellsbury

Kevin Youkilis, on WEEI's The Big Show, Thursday afternoon:

Jacoby's coming back now [from five weeks at Athletes' Performance in Arizona], so hopefully he can cheer us on. I don't know what went on there. I think that was more his agent (Scott Boras) and the Red Sox, but it's very important. As a player, it doesn't matter if you're hurt or not. You should be out there cheering on your team. ... It's good that he's coming back. Hopefully he's out there cheering on the team, and hopefully he'll get healthy and help the team.

I am shocked that none of the papers have picked up on this.

We have next to no information about this situation, so I'm not going to waste any time trying to guess if the Red Sox are frustrated with Ellsbury, the depth of that frustration, Scott Boras's involvement, if they think Ellsbury should have been travelling with the team (since rest seems to be the best remedy for fractured ribs), which players might be annoyed at whatever has or has not been going on, trying to parse Terry Francona's various statements word-by-word, etc.

Here is a SoSH thread on LBJ that was begun on June 26; the discussion post-Yook's comments starts here.

Beckett: Pawtucket's Sunday Starter

Josh Beckett, who has been on the disabled list with back problems since mid-May, will start for Pawtucket on Sunday against Syracuse (roughly 80 pitches).

Ellsbury To Work Out With Team In Toronto

Jacoby Ellsbury will rejoin the Sox tomorrow in Toronto and work out with the team over the weekend. The Herald said the plan is to have him back by late July or early August, but the Globe stated any time before mid-August seemed unlikely.

Clay Buchholz threw what Francona called "a pretty aggressive" bullpen session (44 pitches). He is on track to start the second game after the break, Friday the 16th against the Rangers.

Pawtucket starter Michael Bowden was moved to the bullpen this week and he threw two scoreless innings last night, allowing only one hit.

David Ortiz talked a bit about his status for 2011. No real news, though. The Red Sox have a $12.5 million option.

I'm not worried about any of that. ... Right now, we just have to focus on playing well and winning and going through this crazy time that we're going through. ... They know what my feelings are about staying around and playing here and hanging them up with the Red Sox. ... This is home to me. ... I like the intensity. I like the intensity coming from the fans. I like knowing that I have a chance to be playing in October.

Terry Francona said Tim Wakefield's knuckleball last night had "some violence to it. Wakefield:

I just couldn't throw it for strikes. I ended up walking six guys and it probably cost us the game. ... I just couldn't make the adjustments to get over the plate, and obviously their approach changed after the second inning.

The Red Sox are off today, while the Rays host Cleveland and the Yankees are in Seattle.

July 8:

1907 - Bombarded by pop bottles in Brooklyn, Cubs manager Frank Chance throws one back into the stands where it cuts a boy's leg. Chance is mobbed and leaves the park in an armored car with a police escort. [Ahhh, the good old days!]

1939 - Prior to a Red Sox/Yankees doubleheader in the Bronx, a wall of more than 5,000 Japanese beetles forms in front of the Yankees dugout. Boston sweeps the DH 3-1 and 3-2.

1951 - Shades of Martin/Jackson. Because of a first-inning error in center field by Joe DiMaggio in a game against the Red Sox, Yankees manager Casey Stengel sends rookie Jackie Jensen out to replace DiMaggio after he had already taken his position for the second inning. DiMaggio will retire at the end of the season.

1994 - John Valentin turns the 10th unassisted triple play in major league history, but the Red Sox lose to Seattle 4-3. Alex Rodriguez, 18, makes his major league debut.

1995 -

Padres - 100 000 000 000 000 10 - 2 10  1
Astros - 100 000 000 000 000 11 - 3 10  1

G85: Rays 6, Red Sox 4

Red Sox - 000 001 102 - 4 11  2
Rays    - 000 231 00x - 6  5  0

Sloppy play in the middle innings -- two errors, three wild pitches, a passed ball, no throws on two stolen base attempts, and five walks in the span of nine batters by Wakefield (5.2-4-6-6-3, 112) -- put the Sox in too deep a hole. They mounted a rally against closer-for-the-night Matt Garza in the ninth, but left the potential tying runs on base. Tampa Bay swept the three-game series.

Price (7.2-8-2-1-10, 111) worked the outside corner with precision, striking out seven Sox in the first four innings. Four of those seven punchouts were on three pitches: Kevin Youkilis to end the 1st, Darnell McDonald to end the 3rd, and David Ortiz and Adrian Beltre in the 4th.

Boston got on the board in the sixth when McDonald led off with a single and scored on Ortiz's double to left. Price calmly retired Yook on a foul fly to right, struck out Beltre (after a ball, three swings and misses) and got Bill Hall to ground out to short.

In the seventh, Mike Cameron homered with one out and Kevin Cash singled. Price then struck out Marco Scutaro looking and got McDonald swinging.

Trailing 6-2, Daniel Nava began the ninth against Grant Balfour with a triple to left-center; B.J. Upton dove for the ball and it got past him and rolled to the wall. Cameron's sac fly to right made it 6-3. J.D. Drew pinch-hit against new pitcher Randy Choate and singled to left. Then Joe Maddon brought in Garza, who started and pitched only three innings on Monday (though he threw 84 pitches).

Garza retired Scutaro on a fly ball to Upton, then battled through an 11-pitch at-bat against McDonald. With the count 2-2, Microwave fouled off five fastballs, then took ball 3, and then doubled down the right field line. Drew scored (6-4) and Boston brought the potential tying run to the plate: Ortiz. Garza fell behind 3-0; Flo fouled off a green light pitch, then walked. The home crowd was getting highly agitated.

Youkilis, who was seen on the bench between innings and after at-bats with his right shoe and sock off, getting some help for his ankle from the trainer, lined out to center to end the game.

Tim Wakefield / David Price

Scutaro, SS
McDonald, RF
Ortiz, DH
Youkilis, 1B
Beltre, 3B
Hall, 2B
Nava, LF
Cameron, CF
Cash, CF

The Red Sox have called up first baseman Ryan Shealey from Pawtucket and given him #30. No corresponding move has been announced, but it will probably be the optioning of Niuman Romero.

Shealy, 30, has played for the Rockies (2005-06) and Royals (2006-08). He spent 2009 with the Omaha Royals (AAA) and began this year with the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay's AAA team). He opted out of that deal last month and has been in Pawtucket since June 17, batting .246/.378/.426 in 18 games.

Price has allowed more than three earned runs in only one of his 16 starts this year (and more than three runs of either type only twice). His 2.34 ERA is 2nd-best in the AL and 7th in MLB. Price has held opponents to a .143 average with RATS -- the lowest in the majors.

At 10 PM: Yankees/A's

July 7:

1923 - Cleveland scores in every inning against the Red Sox, beating them 27-3, but since they are at home, they do not bat in the ninth. Only nine of the 27 runs are earned.

Red Sox   - 000  20  0  001 -  3 13
Cleveland - 323  12 13  12x - 27 24

1993 - Reds pitcher Tom Browning is fined $500 for leaving the dugout during a game at Wrigley Field, and watching the rest of the game from the roof of a three-story building across Sheffield Avenue.

Linescore Of The Day

Cardinals - 003 213 000 -  9 11  1
Rockies   - 002 000 109 - 12 19  1

The Rockies became the first team since at least 1918* to score nine runs in the bottom of the ninth and win. Colorado had left 13 men on base through the first eight innings.

* According to STATS LLC's data. I imagine further research will be done re this specific case.Dennys Reyes pitching.
Miguel Olivo singled to center.
Seth Smith lined out to first.
Melvin Mora pinch-hit for Manuel Corpas.
Mora singled to right, Olivo to 3B.
Clint Barmes walked, Mora to 2B.
Ryan Franklin relieves Reyes.
Passed ball by Yadier Molina, Olivo scored, Mora to 2B, Barmes to 2B.
Chris Iannetta homered, Mora scored, Barmes scored, Iannetta scored.
Dexter Fowler doubled to right.
Brad Hawpe pinch-hit for Jonathan Herrera.
Hawpe grounded out to shortstop, Fowler to 3B.
Coaching visit to mound.
Carlos Gonzalez singled to right, Fowler scored.
Jason Giambi singled to right, error by Randy Winn, Gonzalez scored.
Aaron Cook pinch-ran for Giambi.
Olivo singled to right, Cook to 3B.
Seth Smith homered, Cook scored, Olivo scored, Smith scored.

Smith:

Baseball's crazy, even stupid sometimes. ... I don't even know what just happened. ... You go from, "Let's not give any at-bats away" to "Good try" to "Oh, wait, we can do this." And finally to, "What just happened?"

On May 20, Atlanta also rallied from six runs down in the bottom of the ninth, scoring seven times and beating the Reds 10-9.

Yook's Ankle

Ian Browne (Twitter):

Youk felt much better by end of game, Tito hopeful he can play tomorrow.
42 minutes ago

Youk also was very confident he would start Wednesday night.
33 minutes ago

G84: Rays 3, Red Sox 2

Red Sox - 000 100 001 - 2  6  0
Rays    - 001 010 01x - 3  7  1

Our weak roster and bench may be having its effect -- finally.

Kevin Youkilis left the game with "right ankle pain" before his fourth inning at-bat -- and Niuman Romero became our cleanup hitter for the final six innings.

Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon took full advantage -- walking David Ortiz (who had doubled in the first) intentionally in the 5th, 7th, and 9th innings to face Romero, whose major league career has so far consisted of being mostly a late-innings pinch-runner for Cleveland last season (only 14 PA in 10 games).

Romero batted with runners at 1st/2nd/2 outs in the 5th and flew out to left; 1st/2nd/2 outs in the 7th and grounded to first; and 1st/3rd/2 outs in the ninth -- the tying run was 90 feet away -- and grounded to second.

Not that the defeat can really be laid at the feet of Romero, since no one else in the lineup did much of anything against Niemann (6-4-1-3-5, 107; the run was unearned) and four relievers. Boston left 11 men on base and was 2-for-9 with RATS.

Doubront pitched very well once more (5.2-5-2-4-3, 100) but again ran out of gas in the 6th, leaving a lot of pitches up and allowing a single and three walks after getting the first out. No runs scored, but Terry Francona gambled by staying with Felix too long.

In the ninth, Bill Hall led off with a walk and, after Kevin Cash struck out and Marco Scutaro flied to center, took second on DI. Eric Patterson, who had struck out in his previous three at-bats, tripled to left-center, cutting the Rays' lead to 3-2. Needing only one out for the win, Maddon franked Flo and took his chances with Romero, who tapped an 0-1 pitch to second.

The Yankees beat the the A's 6-1, dropping Boston 3.5 GB.

Felix Doubront / Jeff Neimann

Scutaro, SS
Patterson, LF
Ortiz, DH
Youkilis, 1B
Beltre, 3B
Drew, RF
Nava, LF
Hall, 2B
Cash, C

Doubront makes his second career start. He faced the Dodgers on June 18 in his debut and did very well, retiring the side in order in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th innings and allowing only three hits, one walk, and one earned run through five innings. He ran out of gas in the 6th, and the first four Dodgers reached base. He got credit for the win, though, as Boston won 10-6.

The Yankees beat Oakland last night 3-1, so the Red Sox dropped back into third place, 2.5 GB. Yankees/A's at 10 PM.

(Blogger says it is working on "multiple issues with the comment system".)

July 6:

1912 - Construction on Ebbets Field begins.

1929 - After losing 11 in a row, the Cardinals score 28 runs in the second game of a doubleheader, including two 10-run innings. St. Louis sets post-1900 National League records for most runs and most hits (28) in a game. The two teams combined for a record 73 hits in the doubleheader: Cardinals (43) and Phillies (30). (Jim Bottomley had 11 RBI.)

Beckett Pitches Simulated Game In Tampa

Josh Beckett pitched a simulated game at Tropicana Field this afternoon, facing five Gulf Coast League batters, and Jeremy Hermida. He threw 65 pitches in four innings.

Peter Abraham live-blogged the session for the Globe (and posted a photo). Beckett had been scheduled to pitch in an actual GCL game in Sarasota, but it was rained out.

Lowrie Plays For Lowell (A)

Jed Lowrie was the DH for Lowell (A) last night. In four plate appearances as the #3 hitter, Lowrie had a single, two walks, and a strikeout. Lowell lost to Aberdeen 9-6.

The Hurt Parade: Hideki Okajima has a stiff back. ... Victor Martinez is still unable to get his fractured left thumb into his glove. ... Jeremy Hermida will take on-field BP today.

Tony Massarotti wants you to know that no matter how well the Red Sox are playing right now, they are doomed.

The odds will catch up to them ... you cannot help but wonder when the bridge will blow up ... How much longer can this team defy logic? ... the Red Sox of today simply are not good enough ... sometime soon, [they are] bound to start beating their heads against the wall...

Note: The media is not always right when it comes to these things.

G83: Rays 6, Red Sox 5

Red Sox - 004 100 000 - 5 10  0
Rays    - 100 022 10x - 6 10  0

Boston battered Garza (3-7-4-2-1, 84) in the third after he had retired the first two batters. Eric Patterson homered -- he would also hit a dong in the fourth -- and then there was a walk, double, and three singles. The Red Sox led 5-1.

Dice (5-8-5-4-4, 112) gave the lead away, however, as he was unable to retire any of the first four batters in the sixth. Ramon Ramirez allowed two singles to the start the seventh, and a sacrifice fly scored the go-ahead run.

In addition to his two homers, Patterson doubled in the seventh. David Ortiz walked three times and singled.

Daisuke Matsuzaka / Matt Garza

Scutaro, SS
Patterson, LF
Ortiz, DH
Youkilis, 1B
Beltre, 3B
Drew, RF
Hall, 2B
Cameron, CF
Cash, C

These guys faced each other last Wednesday, and their lines were very similar: Garza (7-6-3-2-5, 110); Dice (6-4-3-4-7, 111). The Rays teed off on Manny Delcarmen in the eighth and won 9-4.

Out west:

Yankees/A's, 10 PM

Help! I would like a permanent description/subtitle thing. Any old or new ideas that are funny, straight-forward, or just plain neato?

July 5: The New York Giants become the first team to use a public address system (1929), Cleveland's Larry Doby is the first black player in American League history (1947), and the A's and Angels set a record for the most runs scored in the first inning (Oakland 13-3) (1996).

Buchholz On DL; Doubront Gets Start

Clay Buchholz will be put on the disabled list with a strained lower left hamstring and lefty Felix Doubront will start tomorrow night against the Rays.

Buchholz says he feels no discomfort when pitching.

I don't feel anything jogging or throwing. It's been going from a jog to a sprint [fielding a bunt or covering first] and there's still a little tightness. We're still throwing on flat ground every day to get a little bit more time.

The move will be retroactive to June 27, so Buchholz could return on July 15 -- the first game after the All-Star break.

Doubront made his debut against the Dodgers on June 18, allowing six hits and three earned runs in five innings.

How Bad Is Kevin Cash At The Plate?

Kevin Cash's career batting stats -- .187/.249/.289 -- are so bad ...

[How bad are they?]

In the history of major league baseball, among all non-pitchers with at least 650 plate appearances, Kevin Cash has the 5th worst OPS+ of all time.

Here is the Bottom 10:

               OPS+    PA     CAREER     AVG   OBP   SLG   OPS
Bill Bergen      21   3228   1901-1911  .170  .194  .201  .395
Angel Salazar    36    932   1983-1988  .212  .230  .270  .500
Chile Gomez      38    688   1935-1942  .226  .274  .250  .524
Donnie Sadler    39    861   1998-2007  .202  .262  .284  .546
Kevin Cash       40    653   2002-2010  .187  .249  .289  .538
Luis Gomez       40   1391   1974-1981  .210  .261  .239  .500
Mario Mendoza    41   1456   1974-1982  .215  .245  .262  .507
Bert Adams       41    725   1910-1919  .202  .229  .248  .477
Mick Kelleher    42   1202   1972-1982  .213  .266  .253  .520
Jerry Zimmerman  42   1118   1961-1968  .204  .269  .239  .508

If Cash can stink it up in Boston this summer, and maybe suck really bad for someone else next year, he has a chance to retire as the second-worst batter of all-time!

Bergen is in a class by himself. He played 11 seasons and hit higher than .190 only once. I wish we had game logs for him, because he must have had some hellacious slumps. (Actually, his entire career was a slump.)

Anyway, Cash is a serious black hole at the bottom of the lineup. A lineup of 9 guys with Cash's career stats (facing average pitching and fielding) would score only 2.2 runs per game and have a winning percentage of .178 (a 29-133 record).

The 1916 Philadelphia A's won the fewest games of any post-1900 team (36-117, .235); they would have finished 11.5 games ahead of the Nine Cashes. But even Cash can't match the infamous 1899 Cleveland Spiders (20-134, .130).

G82: Orioles 6, Red Sox 1

Orioles - 000 200 022 - 6 11  0
Red Sox - 000 000 001 - 1  3  1

Matusz was dealing (7-2-0-3-8, 111), but the Sox did have a couple of scoring chances early on.

In the second, Bill Hall singled and Daniel Nava got HBP, but Gustavo Molina popped up a bunt to the pitcher, Marco Scutaro took a called third strike, and Darnell McDonald grounded to third. With one out in the fourth, Kevin Youkilis walked and went to third on Adrian Beltre's double. Then J.D. Drew struck out and Hall flied to center. (Yook's rally-killer spoiled the shutout.)

Lackey (7.1-8-4-1-7, 117) was good, except when he wasn't, and then he was as annoying as usual.

Mariano Rivera blew a save, but the Yankees beat the Blue Jays 7-6 in 10. The Rays beat the Twins 7-4. Boston falls to 1.5 GB, while Tampa Bay stays 2 GB.

Brian Matusz / Lohn Lackey

Scutaro, SS
McDonald, CF
Ortiz, DH
Youkilis, 1B
Beltre, 3B
Drew, RF
Hall, 2B
Nava, LF
Molina, C

Also:

Blue Jays/Yankees, 1 PM
Rays/Twins, 2 PM

Buchholz Likely Headed To DL

Clay Buchholz, who has the second best ERA and the top ERA+ in the American League, will not pitch in Tampa Bay next week. It looks like he will be the next Red Sox player to hit the disabled list.

Buchholz had been scheduled to throw a bullpen session yesterday, but that was scratched and he threw from flat ground instead.