Red Sox News & Notes – 7/6
Thursday night was very kind to the Boston Red Sox. Before the game, they found Hideki Okajima would be their 6th representative at the All-Star Game. Then after that, they went out and took care against the Devil Rays, pounding out 21 hits and 15 runs enroute to a 3-game sweep. The win kept the Devil Rays slide going as they have now lost 11 straight games. It seemed like everyone hit the ball. Most of the starters did, well everyone except Eric Hinske. Even Jacoby Ellsbury had 2 hits off the bench.
The only bad news of the night came for Ellsbury when he found out after the game that he was being sent back down to Pawtucket. In his 6 game stint with the big club, he was 6 for 16 (.375 avg), 2 RBI, 3 walks and had 1 stolen base. Folks, this isn’t a bad thing that he was sent down as he proved he can play in the big leagues. He was sent down to further his development. It makes no sense to keep him in Boston if he’s going to be sitting on the bench. This kid needs to play and the only way to do that right now is to be in Pawtucket. He will be playing in the Futures Game on Sunday along with the top pitching prospect, Clay Buchholz.
With all that being said, let’s see what the mainstream media in the Boston and Tampa Bay area have to say about last night’s game and happenings.
Beckett Makes All-Star Case. [Hartford Courant]
Bad 1st makes 11th the worst. [St. Petersburg Times]
Belated fireworks: Sox bats Explode vs. Rays. [Boston Herald]
Rays Beaten Badly In Boston. [Tampa Tribune]
Fireworks continue. [Boston Globe]
Friedman places blame on entire organization. [St. Petersburg Times]
Maybe it’s time for the Red Sox to make Lowell a high priority. [Providence Journal]
Shields Gaining Confidence In Repertoire. [Tampa Tribune]
After Game, A Down Note For Ellsbury. [Hartford Courant]
A sixth All-Star? Oka-Doke. [Boston Herald]
Crisp’s plate was full. [Boston Globe]
Crisp straightens up and becomes big hit. [Pro Jo]
Beckett deal a winner: Early signing pays off. [Boston Herald]
Ellsbury back to Pawtucket. [Boston Globe]
For more headlines and stories, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Hartford Courant, Providence Journal, St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Tribune websites.
Red Sox vs Tigers Pitching Matchups
at 
Friday July 6th, 7:05 PM
Julian Tavarez (R) (5-6, 4.39) vs Andrew Miller (L) (3-2, 3.81)
Saturday July 7th, 7:05 PM
Kason Gabbard (L) (2-0, 5.79) vs Jeremy Bonderman (R) (9-1, 3.58)
Sunday July 8th, 1:05 PM
Daisuke Matsuzaka (R) (10-5, 3.53) vs Nate Robertson (L) (4-6, 4.86)
Friday’s Fast Walk Around the AL & NL West
Miguel Montero played in his third straight game for the Diamondbacks.
Angels SS Orlando Cabrera may take AROD’s spot on the AL All-Star team.
The Dodgers got some good news about Joe Beimel and Randy Wolf.
Kiko Calero threw a simulated game for the A’s and may return to the team soon.
Giants skipper Bruce Bochy thinks Barry Zito needs to relax.
The Mariners named Gary Thurman as their new first base coach.
Scott Linebrink is one of the main cogs in the Padres bullpen.
Akinori Otsuka will return to the Rangers bullpen after the All-Star break.
Rockies 2B Kaz Matsui took some time to answer questions at rockies.com.
The National Lampoon Sports Minute (Or So)
Written by Steve Hofstetter, Adam Hofstetter, Cody Marley, Ryan Murphy, Rich Ragains, Elliot Steingart, and Chris Strait
Congratulations to Craig Biggio, who became the 27th major leaguer with 3,000 hits. And it only took him 3,000 seasons.
A group of New York Yankees went to visit injured Iraq war veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Because if there’s anyone who knows about getting shelled, it’s the New York Yankees.
Struggling Yankee reliever Scott Proctor tried to improve his fortunes by setting his equipment on fire. The Yankees are considering doing the same thing to Bobby Abreau.
In tennis, Roger Federer won his 50th straight match on grass. No one has played this well on grass since Ricky Williams.
The NFL has folded its European League after 16 years. Football fans in Estonia are crushed.
The Louisiana state legislature has voted to ban cockfighting. Looks like the Saints won’t be playing the Falcons this year.
The Philadelphia Flyers have agreed to a $52 million contract with free agent forward Daniel Briere. To pay his salary, they’ll be selling the franchise three times.
A couple in England gave their daughter 25 middle names, each the last name of a former boxing champion. It’s the first time the birth certificate will weigh more than the baby itself. And the baby is already drooling and babbling like the best of them.
And Mike Tyson is livid that WBA Heavyweight champion Ryslan Chagaev is being called “the White Tyson” simply due to his similar physique. Chagaev apologized and promised that he’ll also start eating babies.
For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com
Beckett, Coco Slam Devil Rays
Josh Beckett threw six strong innings as Coco Crisp and Mike Lowell sparked the offense in a 15-4 rout of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The loss was the 11 consecutive loss for the Devil Rays. The win also gave Beckett his 12th of the season, tying him with C.C. Sabbathia for the league lead.
The Red Sox pounded out 21 hits. Every Sox starter had at least 1 hit with the exception of Eric Hinske. Crisp had 2 hits with 5 RBI, including a grand slam. Lowell had 5 hits with 5 RBI, including a 3-run HR. David “Big Papi” Ortiz added 3 hits to the cause as well.
Beckett cruised through the first 2 innings. He struck out the side in the first inning, and struck out 2 of 4 batters in the second. Only Ty Wigginton reached with a single in the 2nd inning.
The first inning for D’Rays starter J.P. Howell was an ugly one. J.D. Drew led off with an infield single and went to second on a Dustin Pedroia single. Howell got Big Papi to ground into a fielder’s choice, retiring Pedroia at second. Manny Ramirez brought home Drew with a single of his own, putting the Sox up 1-0. Mike Lowell singled to load up the bases for Jason Varitek. Varitek worked a walk off of Howell bringing in Big Papi for the second run of
the inning. With the bases loaded still, Coco took a Howell offering and planted it in the last row of the Green Monster seats for a grand slam and a 6-0 Sox lead. Howell got Hinske to strikeout for the second out of the inning. Howell then walked Julio Lugo. Drew, up for the second time in the inning, hit another single chasing Howell from the game. Brian Stokes came in and got Pedroia to fly out ending a big 1st inning for the Sox.
Stokes didn’t have much luck either in the 2nd inning. Big Papi lead off the inning with a double. Stokes then walked Manny. Stokes proceeded to serve up Lowell for a 3-run homer down the leftfield line that just stayed fair, staking the Sox to a 9-0 lead. The hits kept coming as Varitek hit a single. Crisp grounded into a fielder’s choice, retiring ‘Tek at second base. Stokes followed the out with a walk of Hinske and then got Lugo and Drew to flyout to Delmon Young in center.
After another long wait, Beckett came out for the 3rd inning and immediately gave up a lead-off double to Jonny Gomes. Dionar Navarro moved Gomes to third with a groundout to Hinske at first. Akinori Iwamura worked a walk and stole second with Carl Crawford at the plate. Crawford ended up being another victim of Beckett via the strikeout. Brendon Harris brought Gomes and Iwamura in with a 2-run double, cutting the lead to 9-2. Beckett rebounded and got Carlos Peña to strikeout. C Peña would strikeout four times on the night.
In the 3rd inning, the local nine made D’Rays pitcher Jon Switzer their next victim. Pedroia led off with a line out to rightfield. Big Papi followed with a single, his second hit of the game. Manny smashed a double moving Papi over to third. Lowell brought in Papi with a single, moving Manny to third. Vartiek hit one off the end of his bat, that Switzer had no play on, loading the bases for Coco again. Switzer walked Coco bringing in the second run of the inning, making it 11-2. Switzer proceed to get Hinske to foul out for the second out. That brought Lugo to the plate with a chance to deliver and he did. He hit a 2-run single bringing in Lowell and the Captain, giving the Sox a commanding 13-2 lead. Switzer got out of the inning by striking out Drew.
Beckett had a little bit of drama in the 4th inning. He got Wigginton and Greg Norton out and then allowed a single to Young. He then plunked Gomes with a fastball in the elbow. As Gomes was walking to first, he shouted something out towards Beckett. Nothing happened as Beckett turned his back and walked to the mound and Gomes went down to first. Beckett got Navarro to end the inning. After the inning, Lugo was talking to Gomes probably saying to Gomes to chill man. Lugo was with the Devil Rays last season before he got traded to the Dodgers.
The Sox would go quietly in their half of the 4th inning as only Pedroia reached. He was retired on a double play that Big Papi hit into. Manny ended the inning by fouling out to first. Both teams were quiet in the 5th inning as well.
Young led off the 6th inning with a double off of Beckett. This brought Gomes to the plate with the crowd anticipating something to happen. Nothing would happen as Gomes would fly out. Navarro followed with a infield single but ending up colliding with Beckett covering the bag. Navarro’s face hit Beckett’s shoulder and Navarro was left laying on the ground knocked out. Navarro ended up having a broken jaw after x-rays were taken. Young came into score on the play, making it 13-3. Raùl Casanova came into run for Navarro and would continue in the game as the catcher. Beckett got Crawford to fly out ending the inning.
Boston would get their final 2 runs in the 6th inning off of Jason Hammel, the 5th D’Rays pitcher of the night. Wily Mo, in for Drew, led off with a fly out. Hammel walked Pedroia and gave up a single to Big Papi bringing the cleanup hitter, Jacoby Ellsbury to the plate. Ellsbury, who had come in for Manny in the 5th, lined a single, loading up the bases for Lowell. Lowell singled, his 4th hit of the night, which brought in Pedroia for the 14th run of the night. Doug Mirabelli came in to pinch-hit for Varitek and was walked by Hammel. The walk brought in Big Papi from third for the 15th and final run of the night for the Sox. Hammel got out of the inning by getting Crisp to ground into a double play.
Kyle Synder took over for Beckett in the 7th inning and allowed the D’Rays 4th and final run. Synder got Josh Wilson to ground out and C Peña to strikeout. Synder then walked Jorge Cantu and Norton. Young would bring Cantu home with a single, making it 15-4. With Gomes at the plate, Synder uncorked a wild pitch advancing the runners each up a base. Gomes ended up fouling out.
Beckett went 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 9 hits. He walked one and struck out a career-high 9 batters.
The Sox finished the homestand 5-2, winning the last 4 games. They now head to Detroit for a 3-game series. Julian Tavarez takes the mound tomorrow and will be opposed by Andrew Miller, the Tigers 1st round pick in the 2006 draft.
Okajima Is Seeing Stars
It’s official. Hideki “Darkman” Okajima will be joining his 5 Red Sox teammates in San Francisco next week for the All-Star Game as the fans have selected him as the AL representative in the final vote. Okajima received 4.3 million votes in winning. Chris Young of the Padres won the NL voting.
Great job on the voting Red Sox Nation and Red Sox International.
Down on the Farm – 7/5
Red Sox News & Notes – 7/5
On the birth of our Nation yesterday, the Red Sox provided some happiness to everyone before they headed down to the Charles River for the fireworks show. The fireworks show was excellent by the way in HD. Tim Wakefield pitched really well and Coco Crisp got the Sox going right out of the gate. Javier Lopez stunk it up but Manny Delcarmen came in and put the ship back in the right direction. Jonathan Papelbon came in and finished off another Sox victory.
Speaking of Delcarmen, is it me or may we have found our right-handed setup man? Could it be Delcarmen, Hideki “Vote for Me” Okajima and then Papelbon. I have been throughly impressed with Delcarmen in his past few outings. Terry Francona has stuck him in some key spots and Delcarmen has gotten the job done.
The Red Sox will now go for the sweep of the Devil Rays tonight with their ace on the mound, Josh Beckett. He will also be looking to join the Indians’ C.C. Sabbathia as the only 12- game winners in MLB. But before they get onto the field tonight, check out these headlines about the game and happenings from the Boston and Tampa Bay area media. And when your done reading the headlines, go vote for Okie.
Safety first on 4th: Cora bunt sets tone. [Boston Herald]
Maddon won’t let losing get him down. [St. Pete Times]
Bench mark: No substitute for reserves in victory [Boston Globe]
Rally Falls Short As Rays’ Slide Hits 10. [Tampa Tribune]
Delcarmen Becoming The Go-To Guy. [Hartford Courant]
Shoulder pain lands [Devil Rays] closer on DL. [St. Pete Times]
Schilling won’t be back soon. [Pro Jo]
Upton ill, unlikely to return before break. [Rays Report]
Papelbon cuts loose: Closes out Rays with new pitch. [Boston Herald]
Nothing left to chance by Ellsbury. [Boston Globe]
Nifty play by Drew made damage by Crawford minimal. [Pro Jo]
Batboy brings relief. [Boston Herald]
11 Hours To Get Your Vote in for Okie
ATTENTION RED SOX NATION!!!!! Attention RED SOX INTERNATIONAL!!!!
As of last night’s report, Hideki “Darkman” Okajima was still leading the final vote over Jeremy Bonderman by a slim margin. Pat Neshek is third, Kelvim Escobar is fourth, and Roy Halladay is bringing up the rear in last.
So what does this mean. It means tell your boss your going to busy voting for Okajima.If your IT department has the MLB.com voting site blocked, tell them to unblock it so you can do your part in getting Okajima to San Francisco.
Stop reading this right now and Vote for OKIE!!! then come back and keep reading other posts here.
