After sweeping the Minnesota Twins yesterday to push their winning streak to 7 games, the Boston Red Sox will enjoy a well deserved day off today after spending the entire day yesterday at Fenway Park.
Tim Wakefield continued to build on his near no-hitter as he threw a 7-inning complete game in the Game 1 win. He allowed just one run and had the good knuckleball again. You know things are going well when Wake doesn’t have to use his fastball. He even mixed in a few curveballs as well.
Everyone was worried about how George Kottaras would handle Wakefield this season. By Wakefield’s account, Kottaras is doing a great job as he helped out a few times with his mechanics. Plus Kottaras is hitting just a little better at the plate to start the season (.286) then his predecessors in Doug Mirabelli and Kevin Cash.
David Ortiz looks as though as he’s finally found his stroke again after struggling to start the season. One thing to remember is that Ortiz started off slowly last year. The change in his mechanics over the weekend has definitely paid off as he’s been going with the pitch and that means taking advantage of the Green Monster.
Nick Green continues to fill in admirably for the combination of Jed Lowrie/Julio Lugo and that has some Red Sox fans clamoring for Lugo to stay on the bench when he returns from the disabled list. Green hasn’t been a wizard with the glove like Lowrie but he’s probably doing a little better at the plate than Lugo probably ever will. It does seem like though that every time he makes an error in the field, he atones for it with his bat. Personally, I think Green makes this a better team than with Lugo.
So now we wait and let the Red Sox players enjoy their off day before all heck breaks loose when their rivals to the south, the New York Yankees, come to Fenway Park for the first 3-of-18 games on the season.
Hot Red Sox get out of rain [Boston Herald]
Wakefield, Sox top Twins in rain-shortened opener [Boston Globe]
Red Sox Sweep Twins Behind Wakefield, Penny [Hartford Courant]
Red Sox 10, Twins 1: Wakefield goes distance in rain-shortened 7-inning game [Providence Journal]
Fizzle or sizzle [Boston Herald]
No question, Red Sox on roll [Boston Globe]
Red Sox 7, Twins 3: Boston sweeps Minnesota [Providence Journal]
Tim Wakefield in control again [Boston Herald]
Bailey cashes in for Red Sox right off the bat [Providence Journal]
Ortiz starting to hit stride [Boston Globe]
Nick Green helps environment [Boston Herald]
He’s down with that [Boston Globe]
Penny is solid again, with some help from his teammates [Providence Journal]
Jeff Bailey brings up a big bat [Boston Herald]
Lee County turns over e-mails to FBI [Boston Globe]
Red Sox cleaning up with Youkilis hitting fourth [Providence Journal]
Five Things We Learned: Terry Francona Knows How To Throw a Party [WEEI.com]
Diehard Red Sox fans quarried the granite for Yankee Stadium [Wicked Good Sports]
Ortiz talks between games [Full Count]
A lesson in rainout rules for both sides [Providence Journal]
10 Questions with Nick Green [WEEI.com]
For more slices of Boston Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Providence Journal websites.
And if you must check out the enemy papers, head over to the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Pioneer Press websites.
