Streaks come to screeching halt

It was inevitable, but nonetheless a strangely hollow feeling for the Red Sox. You aren't going to go through a 162-game season without being shut out. The defending World Series champions had their first taste in 2005 of nine gooseggs, suffering a 2-0 loss to the Pirates on Saturday night that snapped a five-game winning streak.
The Sox became the final team in the Major Leagues to get shut out this season, and it was the first time Boston has been blanked in 86 games, dating back to Sept. 12, 2004, at Seattle's Safeco Field.

The man who had the biggest hand in stifling the Boston bats was left-hander Dave Williams, who went six innings, allowing five hits and striking out four. Rick White earned the win with two innings of one-hit ball, and Jose Mesa (scoreless ninth) finished it off.

The Sox left 11 runners on base.

"It seemed like we hit the ball hard at certain times," said Sox leadoff man Johnny Damon. "We just didn't get it done. We had opportunities in just about every inning ... it seemed like we definitely had our opportunities."

So did the Pirates, who stranded 15 runners. The game was scoreless until the eighth, when an RBI double by Humberto Cota put Pittsburgh in front for good.

The Sox got a second consecutive strong outing from knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who pitched seven shutout innings.

After enduring a five-game losing streak, Wakefield has allowed a total of one run in his last two starts, covering 14 innings.

"Wakefield was outstanding," credited Sox manager Terry Francona. "He made some real good pitches when he needed to."

Which only made the offense feel worse about its rare futility.

"Yeah, it is a wasted effort," said Damon. "We came into this game on a nice high, a nice winning streak. We felt pretty confident, but they put us back into place."

They did so by doing just enough against the Boston bullpen.

Following Wakefield's exit, the Sox went to Alan Embree, who hadn't pitched since June 10. Embree's night got off to a rough start as he grazed Ryan Doumit on a breaking ball with his second pitch. Rob Mackowiak sacrificed Doumit to second, and then Francona went to Matt Mantei. Jose Castillo hit a grounder to third, and after the out was recorded at first, Doumit took off for third and beat the throw across the diamond by Kevin Youkilis. Cota came up with the biggest hit of the night, lofting an RBI double off the Green Monster to make it 1-0 in favor of the Pirates.

"I was going all the way to the wall in case it came down," said Kevin Millar, who moved from first base to left field in the fifth inning, subbing for an injured Manny Ramirez. "With the wind, a lot of balls die."

Usually, the eighth inning belongs to Mike Timlin. But there was a reason Francona stayed away from his ace setup man.

"We needed to, we really needed to," Francona said. "He was in five of the last seven games and up in [one of the games he didn't pitch]. As much as we love the way he pitches, I want to make sure that continues."

The Pirates added an insurance run in the ninth off John Halama, getting a broken-bat RBI single to left by Doumit.

"It was just one of those games. It was going to be one or two runs to win this game tonight," said Millar. "You'll rarely see this lineup get shut out, especially here."

Though Williams had problems at times with his control, walking four and hitting a batter, he was able to get every key out.

The one batter Williams hit was Ramirez, and that wound up being a bad thing for the Sox. Ramirez, after being drilled above the left foot in the third, was pinch-hit for by Youkilis in the fifth. Ramirez has a bruised left leg and is day to day.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Makeshift lineup makes do

After being shut out Saturday night for the first time this season, the Red Sox returned the favor, shutting out the Pirates, 8-0, in the deciding game of their three-game set at Fenway Park.
Sox starter Matt Clement turned in another strong outing -- seven innings, nine strikeouts, one walk and three hits, all singles -- to improve his record to 8-1. It was the second consecutive game in which Clement has allowed one walk while striking out nine.

"I think he has been terrific," manager Terry Francona said. "He's been there since the first [game]. This guy's been good for us. He walked one guy today. Even when he gets behind in the count, because his fastball moves so much, cutter, slider, you don't see a lot of good swings. There's been that one game [in St. Louis on June 7 when he gave up seven runs on seven hits in four innings]. Other than that, he's been terrific."

Clement is settling in nicely at Fenway Park in his first year with the Sox. He is 5-0 with an ERA of 2.74 at home, compared to 3-1 with a 4.50 ERA on the road.

"I obviously feel comfortable at Fenway," he said. "You want to work to feel comfortable in your home park, because you're going to pitch there the most. I don't feel uncomfortable on the road. Hopefully, the trend continues if I keep pitching well here and we figure out how to maybe pitch a little better on the road.

"I try to feel comfortable every start I make. There's been starts here at Fenway I haven't felt great or very comfortable at the beginning and I've had to find my rhythm."

With Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez out of the starting lineup nursing injuries -- Damon, a right shoulder he strained making a diving catch two weeks ago on Orlando Cabrera's line drive, and Ramirez, a left leg that was hit by a Dave Williams' pitch in Saturday's game -- Francona sent out a new-look lineup. Trot Nixon had the leadoff spot, with Kevin Millar taking Ramirez's spots both in left field and in the cleanup slot, John Olerud in the five-hole, and Jay Payton batting seventh.

"You're built on a 25-man roster," said Millar, who hit .389 during the six-game homestand. "That's what this club has. There's going to be days when guys are banged up. Johnny's been battling through some stuff, and Manny got drilled [Saturday] night. This club has guys who can contribute."

Francona's juggling worked, as Nixon went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Millar was 1-for-2 with a run scored and two RBIs. Payton, who entered the game hitting .167 in the seventh spot, had two hits, including a two-run home run and two runs scored.

"I actually had a pretty good leadoff hitter and cleanup hitter," Francona said. "We had a good lineup in there today. We don't want to miss Johnny and Manny for a long period of time, obviously. I was actually pretty comfortable with that lineup we put out there."

Nixon, for one, was happy the Sox jumped out to an early lead.

"It's very satisfying to come back out and score quite a bit of runs," he said. "Get some of that cushion out there. That just makes our lineup that much stronger from top to bottom. It doesn't matter who's in the lineup or not."

Clement K-Meter
Pittsburgh at Boston, June 19, 2005
Matt Clement (8-1) fanned nine of the 25 Pirates he faced in his victory to increase his season strikeout total to 78 and career strikeout total to 1,106, through June 19. A look at his Ks:
K Strikeout victim Inn. Count
1 D. Ward (swinging) 2 2-2
2 R. Doumit (swinging) 2 1-2
3 J. Castillo (swinging) 3 1-2
4 R. Doumit (swinging) 4 1-2
5 R. Mackowiak (swinging) 4 1-2
6 H. Cota (swinging) 5 2-2
7 J. Bay (looking) 6 3-2
8 D. Ward (looking) 6 3-2
9 R. Doumit (swinging) 7 1-2
Key numbers for Clement:
Pitches-strikes: 112-69; Groundouts-flyouts: 4-8;
Season strikeouts-walks: 78-32; WHIP: 1.26

The Sox opened the scoring in the second inning as Millar singled and advanced to third on walks to Olerud and Payton. Bill Mueller's sacrifice fly to right scored Millar, putting the Red Sox up, 1-0.

The Sox added five runs in the third, giving Clement, a native of Butler, Pa., a comfortable cushion. After Nixon and Renteria singled, David Ortiz legged out a rare triple -- his first of the season and first since July 22, 2004, against the Orioles -- to deep center field. Ortiz then scored on the first of Millar's two sacrifice flies on the afternoon.

Payton's fifth home run on the season added two more runs, as Jason Varitek, who singled and scored ahead of Payton, as the Sox jumped out to a 6-0 lead.

Payton, who has seen limited playing time this season, has taken advantage of his recent games.

"It is what it is," he said. "I'm trying to make the most of it, just stay positive."

In his last six games, he is hitting .500 (8-for-16) with two home runs, four doubles and three RBIs. He is batting .375 in June, raising his season average to .270.

"Jay swung the bat good today," Francona said. "He's got some at-bats under his belt. I think you can tell he's getting a little more comfortable, getting through the ball better. He'd gone through a little period there where he was kind of moving is hands around or trying to find a comfort zone with his hands. Now, he's got some at-bats. He's swinging the bat with some authority. We're [ahead] 4-0, he hits that home run, to me that's big. He spread out the lead, gives Clement some room if he does make a mistake. It really changes the game."

The Sox knocked out Pittsburgh starter Kip Wells in the fourth inning and they added single runs in the fourth and fifth, extending their lead to 8-0.

Alan Embree, who took the loss in Saturday's game, entered in relief to open the eighth inning. In his two innings, he gave up one run while striking out three, including his 500th career strikeout -- Michael Restovich, swinging, on a 94 mph fastball.

"It was nice for the fact that I felt good Saturday, but I wasn't happy with the results," Embree said. "But I was happy with the way I felt [Saturday]. I had confidence going into today and got out of that jam in the eighth [when Jack Wilson tripled to right] and my confidence builds from that. Start getting some positive vibes instead of, 'Uh-oh, here we go again.' It's been going so bad lately that when the runner was on third, you knew somebody was going to hit a fly ball, the runner was going to tag up and score type of thing. And to be able to put that guy away without anybody scoring, it's like, 'OK, you've done that now you're ready to go, let's go.'"

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Francona juggles lineup

With Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon out of Sunday's game with injuries, Red Sox manager Terry Francona was forced to juggle his lineup. Trot Nixon was in the leadoff spot, while Kevin Millar took Ramirez's spot in left field and in the No. 4 hole.
John Olerud got the start at first base, while Jay Payton took over in center field.

"He was hurting last night," Francona said of Ramirez, who left Saturday's game in the fifth inning after being hit just above the foot by a pitch from Pirates starter Dave Williams in the bottom of the third.

Francona said the decision to hold Ramirez out of Sunday's game was made after Saturday's game.

"Rather than push it up to game time, going from past history when we try to get a game where it's iffy, if something happens, we lose him for a week," said Francona. "This way we could tell everybody last night, they can prepare to play today. We can flip-flop the batting order a little bit to make this work.

"Olerud's a good hitter. He's going to probably get a couple of hits and help us win today. Just move Trot up to No. 1, it gives a good bat at the top of the order and makes it a little more manageable without Johnny."

Damon, who has been banged up all season, taking stitches in his elbow and above his eye and bruising his knee after collisions with the wall, was held out of the game by Francona to allow him to rest his right shoulder. Damon strained his rotator cuff when he made a diving catch on Orlando Cabrera's line drive earlier this month.

"He dove the other day and he jammed that shoulder," Francona said. "It's been a while. You all know how tough he is, he would have played today. On his swings last night, I thought he was hurting. I don't want him to hurt. Give him a day off, give that thing a little bit of a blow. We'll get the real Johnny, because I thought he was really scuffling [Saturday] night.

"It's just a case of he's pretty banged up. He would have played today, that was my decision."

Entering the game, Nixon had batted at the top of the order once this season, and Millar had hit in the cleanup spot four times.

Payton has hit in every spot in the order this season, but is hitting just .167 (6-for-36) in the seventh spot entering the game. Of the spots in the order where he's had at least 20 at-bats (sixth, seventh, and eighth), he is hitting more than 100 percentage points lower at No. 7 than the other two spots (.300 at No. 6, 6-for-20; .318 at No. 8, 7-for-22).

"Trot's on-base percentage is about 100 points higher," Francona said of his decision to bat Nixon in the leadoff spot rather than Payton. "It's not something we do every day. Johnny's tremendous, but for today I like the idea of Trot hitting again. We're going to get him up one more time, too."

Dropping in: Francona said he was not surprised that Pittsburgh's Ryan Doumit was not allowed to go to first base after being hit by a Tim Wakefield pitch in the second inning of Saturday's game. Doumit did not make a sufficient effort to get out of the way in the umpire's judgment.

"I don't think it happens every day," Francona said. "But I bet you it's a couple, three times a year. That was a good call. Wake's the one guy, anybody with either a knuckleball or a real slow breaking ball. You see guys react because it's hard to react to a ball that's thrown hard. Some guys in the league have reputations for not being afraid to get hit, and with the armor they wear now. I guess you used to say if they're willing to take one, hey more power to them. Now, they're wearing the armor, it's not quite as noble. I thought it was a good call. You know if you're on their side of it, it's, 'Hey, way to go, try to get on base.'"

"He is going to be a really good hitter," Francona said of the rookie Doumit. "He looks like a [Mark] Teixeira [of the Texas Rangers]."

Doumit went on to strike out in that at-bat.

Schilling to throw in Cleveland: Pitcher Curt Schilling will pitch a simulated game Monday afternoon in Cleveland.

"He went and jogged for 15 minutes with trainer Chris Correnti [on Saturday] and did some light throwing," Francona said. "He had a good day."

Necessary rest: Mike Timlin, who had pitched an inning in each of the three previous games and appeared in five of the previous seven, was not used in Saturday's 2-0 loss to the Pirates.

"They don't have to," Francona responded when asked if his pitchers ever ask for days off. "We will always [decide to rest the pitchers]. I don't think there's ever been a time when they beat us to the punch. If they do, we're not doing the job. We're very aware, [pitching coach Dave Wallace] knows almost to the minute, and he's right on, it's amazing how. He's with them 15 hours a day, and we discuss it with him and he's right on.

"There have been times we've told them, 'Hey, this is how we feel.' And they give us an argument. If [Timlin] gives you an argument, it's hard to sway it. But I'll go back and look at things and say, 'Hey, am I being too overprotective?' But there was no argument yesterday. That's not easy to do [keep him out], he's good. But if you get into worse problems by getting greedy or not thinking long term, that's hard to do.

"I also think you get into trouble, too, having a two-man bullpen or a three-man bullpen. It may last three or four days, but it doesn't last three or four months. We need to work through our difficulties so we can get some consistency."

Put me in, coach: The Red Sox and the Baseball Tomorrow Fund collected used softball and baseball equipment before Sunday's game to benefit Kids Gear for Baseball, a volunteer-run organization which will distribute the equipment to local youth groups. The Baseball Tomorrow Fund, a joint initiative of Major League Baseball and the Players' Association, is making a $5,000 donation to the organization.

One for the history books: Historian Ken Burns threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Sign 'em up: The Red Sox signed 15 of their draft selections and three non-drafted free agents on Wednesday. The drafted players are Yahmed Yema, an outfielder from Florida International University selected in the seventh round; James Zink (right-handed pitcher, Everett (Wash.) Community College, eighth round); Ismael Casillas (right-handed pitcher, Benedictine (Kan.) College, 11th); Kyle Fernandes (left-handed pitcher, Massasoit (Mass.) Community College, 12th); Jay Johnson (outfielder, Xavier University, 13th); Matthew Mercurio (third baseman, Florida Southern College, 16th); Dominic Ramos (shortstop, Texas State University, 17th); James Baxter (left-handed pitcher, Villanova University, 19th); Carl Lipsey (second baseman, Jackson State University, 23rd); Jason Twomley (center fielder, UMass-Amherst, 24th); Ricardo Sanchez (Barry University, 25th); Matthew Hancock (left-handed pitcher, Oral Roberts University, 27th); Jeffrey Natale (second baseman, Trinity College, 32nd); Bubba Bell (center fielder, Nicholls State University, 39th); and Blake Maxwell (right-handed pitcher, Methodist College (N.C.) 40th). The non-drafted free agents include Alex Gonzalez (right-handed pitcher, Barry University); Eugenio Flores (right-handed pitcher, University of Houston); and Jason Hurst (outfielder, Georgia State University).

On deck: The Red Sox head to Cleveland following Sunday's contest for a three-game set against the Indians. David Wells (5-4, 4.54 ERA) gets the ball for Boston in the opener, while Cleveland counters with C.C. Sabathia (5-3, 3.91 ERA).

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Damon trying to crash All-Star outfield

Three years ago, Red Sox center fielder Johnny Damon was a last-minute addition to his first All-Star Game, being selected in the inaugural Final Vote ballot, which is chosen by fans at MLB.com.
Damon's second trip to the All-Star Game might come in more conventional fashion, as he is climbing the charts and ranks fourth behind teammate Manny Ramirez, Anaheim's Vladimir Guerrero and Mariners leadoff man Ichiro Suzuki.

Boston's speedy leadoff man is as deserving as any player on the Red Sox to be an All-Star. He has been the catalyst of the offense all season. Entering play on June 18, Damon led the Red Sox in runs, hits, triples and stolen bases.

Time and again, Damon seems to deliver big hits for the Sox. And the more men there are on base, the better he seems to fare.

"Johnny just has a knack, not just with the bases loaded, but all the time," said Sox manager Terry Francona. "He fouls off tough pitches. He fights and grinds through at-bats. It's hard to defense him."

Francona, who is managing the American League squad in Detroit on July 12, would love to take Damon with him.

"He's a tough kid," said Francona. "He played last year so many times when I didn't think it was fair to ask him a play, and he'd go out and get a bunch of hits and make a play. He's tough."

Ramirez has become a perennial All-Star, vying for his eighth consecutive berth and ninth of his career.

Trot Nixon, who rounds out the productive Boston outfield, is also worthy of consideration. He ranks ninth among outfielders.

Red Sox captain Jason Varitek is first at the catching position and could be in line for his second All-Star appearance in three years.

Slugger David Ortiz, who homered in his first All-Star Game last year, is leading by more than 1.3 million votes at designated hitter.

Kevin Millar is third at first base, trailing Tino Martinez of the Yankees the Rangers' Mark Teixeira. Third baseman Bill Mueller, the 2003 American League batting champ, trails only superstar Alex Rodriguez at his position.

Shortstop Edgar Renteria, in his first season with the Red Sox, trails Miguel Tejada and Derek Jeter. Mark Bellhorn also ranks third at second base, topped only by Brian Roberts and Alfonso Soriano.

Fans can continue to vote online and at Fenway Park. The Fenway balloting ends on June 27.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Schilling takes step forward

Right-hander Curt Schilling threw a simulated game Monday afternoon at Jacobs Field, continuing his comeback from a stress reaction in his surgically repaired right ankle.
"I felt good," said Schilling, who threw about 65 pitches. "I feel like I'm ready to get out there on a rehab [assignment].

Manager Terry Francona isn't quite ready to send Schilling on a rehab, though. Francona will have his ace throw another simulated game Friday in Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park. That simulated game will differ slightly from Monday's.

"He'll have a little bit longer stints," Francona said. "Today, he was between 18 and 21 [pitches] each time out. Maybe we'll leave him out there a little bit longer. I just think that duplicating it at the minimum is the right thing to do.

"I think this is the responsible thing to do on our part."

Francona still thought Schilling pitched "great" at The Jake.

"I was surprised the way he commanded," Francona said. [Bullpen coach Bill Haselman] caught him and said, 'Man, that was a pleasure.'"

As pleased as Francona was with Schilling's command, throwing the right-hander back into the mix right now is a mistake he's not willing to make.

"We need him to come back and have a chance to be the type of pitcher he can be," Francona said. "I think if we're going to ever error, we're going to be five days too late; not five days too quick."

As quickly as Schilling wants to return, a few more days of rest couldn't hurt the 38-year-old. Still, he insisted after his simulated game that he's ready to pitch.

"I wasn't thinking about the ankle," said Schilling, who wasn't sure whether he would meet his goal of returning before the All-Star Game. "I was thinking about pitching. It's been a long time since I've done that."

As for that protective boot?

"I think I need it less and less," Schilling said. "I just think it's going to be something that would be prohibitive more than helpful, so we're going to stay with the regular shoes."

Wearing regular shoes, Schilling finished his Monday workout fielding grounders and covering first base several times. He'll throw a light bullpen session Wednesday before Friday's simulated game. From there, Schilling will likely make a Minor League start somewhere.

"I don't know when he's going and where he's going," Francona said.

Back at it: Center fielder Johnny Damon and left fielder Manny Ramirez were penciled in Francona's lineup Monday after they both missed Sunday's game with injuries.

Damon's injury appears to be slightly more serious than Ramirez's, because Damon indicated that a few days of rest would help his strained rotator cuff.

"It was hurting pretty bad on Saturday," said Damon, who injured his shoulder diving in the outfield earlier this month. "Three or four days' rest would be good."

The Red Sox have an off-day Thursday, when Damon could rest that rotator cuff. If he needs to miss one game this week, Francona won't hesitate to give his center fielder a game off.

"If we get him a [day off] back-to-back going into [Philadelphia], that's what we'll do," Francona said. "We'll get it figured out."

Damon figures that the injury will flare up for the next month or so, as he continues to feel shoulder pain every now and then.

Ramirez's pain is still lingering after being struck in the foot Saturday by a pitch that forced him to eventually leave the game. He took some swings before Sunday's game at Fenway Park, where Francona said he looked a bit better.

"I don't think he feels that great," Francona said. "That might hurt for the rest of the season."

Here's the question: Who was the first Red Sox player to pitch a shutout in his Major League debut? (See answer below.)

Did you know: Left-hander David Wells graduated from San Diego's Point Loma High School in 1982, the same school that produced Don Larson.

On this date: In 1951, Red Sox pitchers allowed three home runs to Indians infielder Bobby Avila in a 14-8 loss at Fenway Park. Avila, who played 22 games with the Red Sox in 1959, homered 10 times in '51.

And here's the answer: Left-hander Rube Kroh was the first Red Sox to pitch a shutout in his big league debut, as he blanked St. Louis, 2-0, in the second game of a doubleheader on Sept. 30, 1906. Kroh won just one game in '07 and 14 in his Major League career.

On deck: The Red Sox play Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. ET against the Indians. Bronson Arroyo (5-3, 4.26 ERA) goes for Boston, while Cleveland counters with Kevin Millwood (2-4, 2.95 ERA). The two teams conclude their three-game series in Cleveland on Wednesday, and after an off-day Thursday, the Sox start a three-game series Friday night against the Phillies in Citizens Bank Park.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Long balls carry Sox over Tribe

The Red Sox built a five-run lead after five innings Monday night. And that's the kind of lead even the Sox bullpen can handle, right?
Yes, but not by much. For the Sox's 'pen tightened the game in the eighth, when relievers Alan Embree and Keith Foulke allowed back-to-back homers. Fortunately for the Sox, Foulke escaped another jam in the ninth, as the Sox beat the Indians, 10-9, in front of 30,562 at Jacobs Field.

"I think that's what you call hanging on for dear life," manager Terry Francona said.

Manny Ramirez brought the offense to life in the fourth with a three-run shot off Indians left-hander C.C. Sabathia that put the Red Sox ahead, 3-1.

"Manny got us going," Johnny Damon said. "Big three-run homer. Those really kill you."

Although the Red Sox had the lead then, left-hander David Wells struggled in his half of the fourth. He gave three runs back to the Indians, which put the Sox in a 4-3 hole.

"It was just one of those nights," Wells said. "I didn't feel in command. I was just having a fight."

Wells' fight wasn't as tough as Sabathia's. In the fifth, the Red Sox pounded the big left-hander's pitches all over The Jake.

Bill Mueller started the pounding with a leadoff single to left. Mark Bellhorn followed with a double before Damon tied the game with an RBI single to score Mueller.

After Edgar Renteria struck out, David Ortiz gave the Sox a lead they would never surrender when he hit a grounder to Cleveland third baseman Aaron Boone. The former Yankee hero elected to try to throw out Bellhorn out at home instead of trying to start an inning-ending double play or get Ortiz at first. Bellhorn beat the throw home, safely sliding head first to avoid Victor Martinez's tag.

Ramirez followed with a broken-bat ground-rule double down the left-field line to score Damon, and then Jason Varitek smacked a home run to left-center field to give the Sox a comfortable 9-4 lead.

"The last week, we've had really solid pitching," Varitek said. "Today, we had to battle with our bats."

Despite his lack of command, Wells welcomed the extra run support.

"I felt like Matt Clement with the run support," he joked after the game.

That run support was sufficient until the eighth, when Embree's and Foulke's struggles began. After reliever Mike Myers gave up one run in the sixth, Embree entered in the eighth to handle a four-run lead.

He left with the Sox clinging to a 9-7 lead, for Travis Hafner belted a 3-2 pitch to center field for a two-run homer.

"I got deep into the count and lost," Embree said. "He had a tough at-bat against me."

Big game for Ramirez
Red Sox at Indians, June 20
After going 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and four RBIs, Manny Ramirez is batting .267 (.357 with runners in scoring position) with 15 homers, through June 20. A look at his plate appearances:
Inn. Count Result
2nd 2-0, 0 Out Popout
4th 2-0, 0 Out Three-run home run
5th 3-2, 1 Out RBI Ground-rule double
7th 2-2, 1 Out Popout
9th 2-1, 2 Out Single
Ramirez increased his season RBI total to 55, through June 20. He now has 405 homers in his career.

From there, Foulke controlled the game.

Sort of.

Foulke immediately gave up a home run to Martinez, which closed the Sox lead to 9-8.

"They don't stop playing," Francona said of the Indians. "They had great at-bats against all of our guys."

Damon agreed.

"That was a strong eighth inning," he said. "We had to get a run or we were definitely in trouble.

Damon made sure the Red Sox got that run, hitting a solo homer to start the ninth. And that run proved to be the difference, as the Indians rallied for another run in the bottom half of the inning.

Foulke kept the Indians from tying the game in the ninth, as he forced Coco Crisp to fly out to Damon in the ninth; but not without a little drama.

"I was screaming to make sure Manny heard [that I got it]," Damon said. "And he heard me."

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Red Sox kick off summer with blasts

David Ortiz isn't a statistician. He doesn't have a history degree, either. Still, you would expect Ortiz to remember whether there was some kind of past between himself and Indians veteran Kevin Millwood.
"I don't know," Ortiz said after the Red Sox's 9-2 win Monday night against the Indians in front of 28,450 at Jacobs Field.

Well, Ortiz had no history with Millwood before Monday night. But he didn't need one to hit the Tribe right-hander. Ortiz hammered two home runs and a sacrifice fly off Millwood to lead the Red Sox to an early victory.

"He's been so good and so consistent," manager Terry Francona said of Ortiz. "Even when he takes an 0-for-4, teams aren't dying to face him."

After Ortiz's first at-bat, nobody on the Tribe's pitching staff was eager to face Big Papi. In that first-at bat in the first inning, Ortiz drove a 1-1 fastball from Millwood to deep center field that cleared the wall -- and Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore's outstretched glove -- for a 2-0 lead.

In the second, Ortiz batted a second time against Millwood. This at-bat wasn't as productive as his first, but it was fruitful nonetheless. With Johnny Damon on third, Ortiz hit a sacrifice fly to deep right that gave the Sox a three-run lead.

And again in the fifth, Ortiz had his way with Millwood. This time, he chose the long-ball route for a second time. Ortiz didn't have to wait long in this third at-bat, as he shot Millwood's first pitch over the right-center-field wall for a 4-0 Sox lead.

"When I'm swinging good at the plate, I hit it," Ortiz said. "It's like a continuation of what you've done before."

Even though he'd never faced Millwood before?

"He's got good stuff, and he's not a guy you want to get on top of you," Ortiz said.

While Ortiz was batting balls out of The Jake, right-hander Bronson Arroyo was getting on top of the Tribe's hitters. Arroyo pitched splendidly in seven innings, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk.

He held the Indians to two hits through the fifth with a commanding fastball and an effective changeup.

"Bronson did one heck of a job," Jason Varitek said. "He was able to locate the heater and he threw some of his best changeups."

Arroyo was just as pleased with his performance.

"I was hoping for a little more zip on my fastball and more break on my curveball," Arroyo said. "And it seemed to work tonight."

Big game for Ortiz
Red Sox at Indians, June 21
After going 3-for-4 with a pair of homers and four RBIs, David Ortiz is batting .303 (.333 with runners in scoring position) with 18 homers, through June 21. A look at his plate appearances:
Inn. Count Result
1st 1-1, 0 Out Two-run home run
2nd 1-2, 1 Out Sac fly
5th 0-0, 1 Out Solo home run
7th 1-2, 0 Out Strikeout
9th 0-1, 0 Out Single
Ortiz increased his season RBI total to 62, through June 21. Tuesday's multihomer game was Ortiz's fourth of the season and 15th of his career. He now has 148 homers in his career.

Arroyo's arsenal of pitches worked well enough for a win against the Indians. But was this performance his best this season?

"[I was] not as good today as last time out," said Arroyo, who pitched seven innings and allowed one run on six hits with eight strikeouts in his last start against the Reds.

Like left-hander David Wells on Monday night, Arroyo left a comfortable lead in the hands of the Sox bullpen. But no lead has been completely safe with the Red Sox 'pen lately, and that was the case again Tuesday night.

Taking over with a 7-1 lead in the eighth, reliever John Halama forced Sox fans to hold their breaths once again. After making one out, Halama surrendered three consecutive singles to load the bases.

The next batter, Ben Broussard, hit a deep fly ball to right field that turned Francona's stomach.

"I was afraid it was headed to the seats," Francona said.

Yet it wasn't. That hit still could have cleared the bases, but Trot Nixon ranged over and made the catch as he slammed into the wall.

"That's probably the play of the game," Francona said. "At a time they're trying to come back, that changes the complexion of the game."

After Halama escaped the eighth, reliever Matt Mantei pitched a scoreless ninth to seal Arroyo's sixth win.

Arroyo credited a big portion of this win to Big Papi after the game.

"In three years [that] I've been here, he's been so clutch. It's not even funny," Arroyo said.

Source:
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Relievers take step back

Closer Keith Foulke was getting back on track. So was reliever Alan Embree.
Then they both took slight steps backward in the eighth inning Monday night, when the Red Sox held a 9-5 lead against the Indians at Jacobs Field. Embree and Foulke finished that inning with the Sox hanging on by just a run.

Embree started the eighth with a strikeout. After walking his second batter, he made the second out. But he never got the third, as Travis Hafner slammed a pitch 424 feet and over the center-field wall to cut the Sox lead to two.

Despite Hafner's home run, Embree said he felt more comfortable on the mound than at any time this season.

"It feels like I'm getting back to where I was," Embree said after Boston's 10-9 win. "When I was missing, I wasn't missing by much."

Although Embree just missed the target on his mistake pitch to Hafner, the Boston left-hander walked off the mound knowing he left himself something to build off.

"I didn't lose my focus," he said. "I'll take the stuff that I had [Monday]. If I can maintain it, I'll take it."

Once Embree left, Foulke entered. He fared a little better in the eighth, but that's only because the home run he allowed was a solo shot that kept the Sox ahead, 9-8.

"That ball to right field was crushed," manager Terry Francona said.

So were several balls hit off Foulke in the ninth. Fortunately for the Sox, he escaped a jam with his 14th save.

"You know what's amazing about Foulke is that there's [just] one game [April 26 against Baltimore] that he came in the game and we lost because he gave up runs," Francona said. "You talk about bending but not breaking. He doesn't wilt and he got them out."

Foulke was getting outs consistently this month before Monday. He had pitched six scoreless innings in six appearances since June 2.

"I would love to see him run a streak of 20 scoreless innings," Francona said.

Baserunning blunder: Nobody will ever question Manny Ramirez's hitting ability, because his talent with a bat could someday enshrine him in Cooperstown. While Ramirez is an All-Star hitter, his baserunning skills have always been subpar.

Facing reliever Bob Howry in the ninth inning on Monday, Ramirez lined a hit to center field that looked like a single off his bat.

And that's all it was. Still, Ramirez tried to turn that single into a two-bagger.

Cleveland center fielder Grady Sizemore made a quick scoop and throw to second base, where Ramirez was out standing by about 15 feet.

"He made a great turn, but he just kept going," Francona joked. "In the dugout, usually someone will make a [funny] comment. Nobody knew what to say."

Schilling update: Right-hander Curt Schilling, who threw a simulated game Monday afternoon at The Jake, remains on track for a bullpen session Wednesday and another simulated game Friday at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

"That's all we can do, is check on how he shows up," Francona said. "He's very upbeat and looking forward to Friday."

Here's the question: Who are the three Red Sox pitchers to strike out 17 or more batters in a single game? (See answer below.)

Did you know: Right-hander Bronson Arroyo, 28, spent eight seasons in the Pirates organization. Arroyo began his professional career for the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Pirates in 1995, when he started out in the bullpen.

On this date: In 1916, right-hander Rube Foster tossed the first no-hitter in Fenway Park history in a 2-0 win against the Yankees. Foster earned a $100 bonus from club management for his effort, while each of his teammates received a gold-handled pocketknife engraved with the date.

And here's the answer: Right-handers Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez and Bill Monbouquette are the only pitchers to strike out 17 or more batters in a game while wearing a Red Sox uniform. Clemens had a pair of 20-strikeout games with the Sox and Martinez twice struck out 17 batters for Boston. Monbouquette, who won 93 games over eight seasons with the Sox, struck out 17 Washington Senators on May 12, 1961.

On deck: The Red Sox wrap up their three-game series with the Indians on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. ET. Wade Miller (2-2, 5.16 ERA) gets the ball for Boston, while Cleveland counters with Cliff Lee (8-3, 3.33 ERA).

After an off-day Thursday, the Sox start a three-game series Friday night in Philadelphia. They return to Fenway Park on Monday to start a six-game homestand.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Trammell, Macha named AL coaches

The American League has added a local hero to its All-Star roster for next month's All-Star Game at Detroit's Comerica Park. AL All-Star manager Terry Francona on Wednesday named Tigers manager Alan Trammell as one of the coaches for the Midsummer Classic. Francona also tabbed Oakland manager Ken Macha as an AL coach for the July 12 game.
"Picking the two coaches was a no-brainer," Francona said. "I coached Detroit in Tram's last year as a player. The guy's an All-Star shortstop, a Hall of Fame candidate and it's his home ballpark. It's a natural. Mach hired me as his bench coach in Oakland and that sort of reenergized my career. He was generous with his knowledge about managing, and being with him in Oakland gave me the itch to manage again. I wanted to honor him and thank him for all he did."

It will be the first All-Star appearance as a coach for both Trammell and Macha.

Trammell, in his third full season as Detroit's manager, was the 1984 World Series Most Valuable Player and was a six-time AL All-Star during his 20-year playing career. He piloted the 2004 Tigers to a 29-game turnaround, marking the largest win differential in the Majors from 2003.

Macha entered 2005 with a 187-137 managerial record. The Oakland manager posted 90-plus wins in each of his first two seasons with the A's.

"We had a nice year together," Macha said of his time with Francona. "A, because he was a lot of fun, and B, because he was very helpful to me as a first-year manager. If I had to do it all over again, I'd do the exact same thing."

Francona, whose father Tito was an All-Star in the 1961 Midsummer Classic at Fenway Park, has also asked his Boston Red Sox coaches to join him in Detroit.

Brad Mills, Dave Wallace, Ron Jackson, Dale Sveum, Lynn Jones and Bill Haselman will handle batting practice and other field duties.

Trainers Kevin Rand and Steve Carter of the Tigers will round out the AL All-Star staff.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Designated leader

The big man they call "Big Papi" went to his first All-Star Game last year, saw a few pitches, then conquered.

David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox hit a monstrous home run in Minute Maid Park, blasting a Carl Pavano offering 423 feet into the upper deck in right field. It was a midsummer exclamation point and a harbinger for great things to come in October.

Without Ortiz, the Sox wouldn't have beaten the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series and wouldn't have swept the St. Louis Cardinals for their first World Series title since 1918.

That's a major reason Ortiz is not surprisingly way out in front in the voting for designated hitter for the 76th All-Star Game, which will be played Tuesday, July 12, at Comerica Park in Detroit.

Ortiz isn't exactly slowing down, either.

His 1,749,956 votes, which have him more than 1.3 million ahead of second-place Rafael Palmeiro as of this week's voting, have a lot to do with the fact that he's crushing the ball this year, too.

Ortiz entered Wednesday's game against Cleveland with a .303 batting average, 18 homers and 62 RBIs.

The Orioles' Palmeiro is a sentimental choice. He's batting .267 with nine homers and 33 RBIs, which isn't spectacular, but his 560 career long balls appear to have resonated with voters.

Jason Giambi, who's in third place, is getting votes on past performances, too. Giambi's struggles for the New York Yankees have been well-documented.

He hit a recent game-winning homer for the Bronx Bombers but still has a long way to go to get back to his usual slugging self. He entered Wednesday with a .245 batting average, five homers and 20 RBIs.


All-Star Votebooks:
• 6/22: Ortiz designated leader
• 6/17: Varitek catching on
• 6/15: One fan's picks
• 6/10: Lee seeking another rally
• 6/3: Hot stuff at the hot corner
• 5/25: Soriano facing competition
• 5/23: Strong international flavor
• 5/16: No shortage of shortstops
• 5/9: Forget-me-nots
• 4/29: Real 'American Idol'
Dmitri Young of the Detroit Tigers (.260, 12 homers, 34 RBIs) ranks fourth in the voting, and he's followed by Chicago's Frank Thomas, who just recently started playing after injuries kept him out the first two months of the season.

Aside from these vote-getters, there are a few designated hitters worthy of consideration.

• Raul Ibanez of the Seattle Mariners is hitting .303 with nine homers and 36 RBIs.

• Shea Hillenbrand of the Toronto Blue Jays is batting .310 with eight homers and 32 RBIs.

• Travis Hafner of the resurgent Cleveland Indians has 10 homers, 34 RBIs and a .284 batting average.

• Texas Rangers DH David Dellucci has 12 homers, 27 RBIs and an on-base percentage well over .400.

• Lew Ford of the Minnesota Twins is hanging in there with a .279 average and 31 RBIs.

• Baltimore's Jay Gibbons is still in the mix with a .276 average, 10 homers and 35 RBIs.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Sox hit pay dirt, complete sweep

If first baseman John Olerud has learned anything during his month-long stint in Boston, it's that Red Sox hitters are capable of overcoming the bullpen's woes.
"You've got guys all through the lineup that can hit you," Olerud said after the Red Sox rallied for a 5-4 win against the Indians in the ninth inning in front of 29,915 at Jacobs Field. "You know you can score four or five runs really quickly."

Olerud has been lucky to get four or five at-bats every few days with the Sox. But he made the most of his start at first base Wednesday night, going 3-for-4 with a home run (his first with Boston) and two RBIs.

That homer, which Olerud hit in the seventh, was the catalyst for the Red Sox eighth- and ninth-inning rallies.

"When you're not in there on a regular basis, your timing can be off," Olerud said. "I just tried to have some quality at-bats against a guy like [Indians left-hander Cliff] Lee.

After Olerud homered, reliever Alan Embree struggled through his half of the seventh against the Tribe. The southpaw allowed a couple of singles to Alex Cora and Coco Crisp. Relievers Mike Myers and Mike Timlin couldn't undo the damage as the inherited runners scored to make it a 4-2 Cleveland advantage.

The Sox fought back in the eighth, when Manny Ramirez and Kevin Millar started a one-out rally with singles. Johnny Damon, who did not start Wednesday night in order to rest his strained rotator cuff, pinch-ran for Millar before Olerud came to the plate again.

And Olerud delivered. This time, he delivered against reliever Arthur Rhodes. Olerud swung and shot a single to left field to score Ramirez, move Damon to third and give the Sox a fighting chance at a comeback.

"I've seen him take that swing too many times -- from the other dugout," manager Terry Francona said. "It's a gift. He's got it refined. That bat doesn't slow down."

Neither did the Red Sox rally. Bill Mueller singled to score Damon and tie the game, 4-4.

"We've been in a stretch where we've been getting some big hits," Olerud said.

Timlin and Keith Foulke held the Indians scoreless in the eighth inning, and were credited with giving the Sox a chance to take the lead in the ninth.

Jay Payton helped the Sox take the lead, as he lined a double off Tribe closer Bob Wickman to lead off the ninth.

"It wasn't the best pitch to hit in the world, but I got on top of it," Payton said.

While Payton's hit was helpful, his baserunning was the key to that play. He noticed that Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore didn't field the ball cleanly, so he kept running to third.

"I went into second and when I saw the bobble, I took off," Payton said. "I thought I could make it."

Fortunately for the Sox, he landed on third. Edgar Renteria, the next batter, plated Payton with an RBI double for a 5-4 Red Sox lead.

"He threw a slider and I got lucky," Renteria said.

After Foulke pitched 1-2-3 ninth, the Sox sweep of the Tribe was complete. No more close calls. No more ninth-inning comebacks. No more worries in Cleveland this year.

"Let's get the heck out of here and let them beat on somebody else," Francona said.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

No heavy lifting for Damon

Johnny Damon said Monday he needed an extra off-day to rest his strained rotator cuff. He got a partial day off Wednesday against the Indians, when manager Terry Francona decided to rest his center fielder to start the game.
"I just told him he wasn't playing," Francona said. "He knew going into today."

Taking Damon's spot at the top of the lineup was Jay Payton, who was also penciled in to play center field. But with Boston trailing by two runs in the eighth inning, Damon pinch-ran for Kevin Millar, who singled off Cleveland's Bob Howry. Damon would eventually scamper home on Bill Mueller's single to center that tied the game at 4-4.

Damon remained in the game defensively, taking over his normal spot and pushing Payton over to right field.

However, it was only a cameo performance. When Damon's spot came up in the ninth inning against Bob Wickman and the Sox ahead, Trot Nixon pinch-hit for Damon, who was 7-for-11 against the Indians closer.

Nixon, who started the night on the bench because he was 0-for-3 lifetime against Cleveland lefty Cliff Lee, lined out to second on the first pitch he saw from Wickman for the inning's second out.

In the bottom half of the frame, Payton returned to center and Nixon reclaimed his right field position.

Nixon's early absence created an opening in right that Millar filled. And John Olerud filled Millar's spot at first base.

Olerud made the most of his opportunity, going 3-for-4 and belting his first homer in a Boston uniform.

Homecoming for Francona: Francona will be managing in Philadelphia this weekend for the first time since 2000, when he was dismissed after guiding the Phillies to a 65-97 mark that season. In four seasons managing the Phillies, Francona was 285-363 (.440). And his Phillies teams never finished higher than third in the National League East.

"They love me there," Francona joked.

Maybe not so much. However, Francona is looking forward to meeting some old friends.

Pedroia promoted: The Red Sox promoted infielder Dustin Pedroia, the club's top pick (65th overall) in 2004, to Triple-A Pawtucket on Wednesday.

In 66 games at Double-A Portland, Pedroia was hitting .324 with eight home runs, 40 RBIs and seven stolen bases. Pedroia is rated as the No. 6 prospect in the Red Sox organization by Baseball America.

Pedroia went 1-for-4 with a double in his Pawtucket debut and scored a run as the PawSox defeated Durham Bulls, 4-3, at McCoy Stadium.

One to go: The World Series trophy has made its way to 350 cities in Massachusetts, just as club president/CEO Larry Lucchino pledged when he announced the World Series Trophy Tour.

On Friday, the trophy will make its final stop in Gosnold (population 86), the state's smallest town in the Elizabeth Islands at the southwestern tip of Cape Cod.

Curt Schilling / P
Born: 11/14/66
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 235 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R

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Schilling update: Right-hander Curt Schilling threw his scheduled bullpen session Wednesday at Jacobs Field. He'll throw a second simulated game Friday at 2 p.m. ET in Philadelphia.

The outing could involve a little bit more for Schilling.

"He could go out an extra inning," Francona said. "[Pitching coach David] Wallace will decide that."

All-Star announcements: Francona named A's manager Ken Macha and Tigers manager Alan Trammel as his American League coaches for the 76th All-Star Game to be played on July 12 at Comerica Park in Detroit.

Selecting Trammel and Macha was a "no-brainer," said Francona.

"I coached Detroit in Tram's last year as a player," Francona said. "The guy's an All-Star shortstop, a Hall of Fame candidate and it's his home ballpark. It's a natural.

"Macha hired me as his bench coach in Oakland, and that sort of re-energized my career. He was generous with his knowledge about managing and being with him in Oakland gave me the itch to manage again. I wanted to honor him and thank him for all he did."

Francona, whose father Tito was an All-Star in the 1961 Midsummer Classic at Fenway Park, has asked his Red Sox coaches to join him in Detroit. Brad Mills, Dave Wallace, Ron Jackson, Dale Sveum, Lynn Jones, and Bill Haselman will handle batting practice and other field duties.

Coach Burks? Ellis Burks, who retired as a member of the Red Sox after last season, popped into the Sox clubhouse Wednesday afternoon.

"I miss being around the [guys]," Burks said.

Burks misses being around his teammates so much that he's considering a career in coaching. But not without a little time to rest and spend with his family.

"I want to take a few years off and relax," Burks said.

After those few years, Francona said Burks could find a place anywhere he wanted in baseball.

"He could be a hitting instructor, work in the front office, work with kids," Francona said.

Question, please: Jason Varitek is featured in Sports Illustrated this week as its subject in "The Questions with SI Players" section.

The issue hit newsstands Wednesday.

Here's the question: Who earned the first victory in Red Sox history? (See answer below.)

Did you know: Right-hander Wade Miller struck out a career-high 14 batters on May 30, 2003, against the Cubs. Pitching for the Astros at the time, Miller threw a career-best two-hitter in his 9-1 win at Wrigley Field.

On this date: In 1983, rookie Wade Boggs hit his first career home run in the bottom of the 11th to give the Red Sox a 5-4 win against the Tigers. The next day, Carney Lansford severely sprained his ankle, which moved Boggs into the starting lineup permanently.

And here's the answer: Hall of Famer Cy Young won the first game in Red Sox history, 8-6, on April 30, 1901, at Philadelphia. Young, who went 33-10 that season, also earned the 100th victory in franchise history the next season at Cleveland.

On deck: After an off-day Thursday, the Sox start a three-game series Friday night at 7:05 p.m. ET against the Phillies in Citizens Bank Park. Right-hander Tim Wakefield (5-6, 4.41 ERA) takes the mound in the series opener against Phillies right-hander Jon Lieber (8-6, 4.63 ERA).

The Sox return to Fenway Park on Monday, when they begin a six-game homestand against the Indians and Blue Jays.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Jazzy performance by Wakefield

CHICAGO -- It was one of those light-hearted moments you see in a dugout on a night things are going well. So there David Ortiz was, enjoying his night off by wiping down a perspiring Tim Wakefield with a towel in the top of the sixth inning.
Wakefield had trucked all the way around from first on a triple by Johnny Damon, capping off the 270-foot sprint with a textbook slide. He was clearly worthy of gaining a little relief from Ortiz. Especially considering what a strong and seemingly effortless performance he turned in from the mound, leading the Red Sox to a 8-1 victory, salvaging the final game of this three-game series with the Cubs.

The veteran knuckleballer was at his best in this one, allowing four hits and one run over seven innings while not issuing a walk. It was easily Wakefield's best start in weeks, as he snapped out of a fairly prolonged funk (2-5, 6.97 ERA in previous seven starts).

"I made a little bit of an adjustment in my mechanics," said Wakefield. "I felt like I pitched pretty good in St. Louis, the breaks just didn't go my way. Tonight, I was able to get them to hit groundballs at guys. I can't get out of my gameplan, I can't try harder. I'm trying as hard as I can as it is. You just try to give good quality innings one at a time, and we were able to score some runs tonight."

Wakefield's resurgence would have been big on any night. But with the Sox entering this one with four losses in their last five games, it was that much more crucial.

"He pitched great, he contributed with his bat, on the bases," said Sox manager Terry Francona. "He was outstanding. And we needed it."

The Sox also got strong performances at the plate from Damon (single short of the cycle) and Kevin Youkilis (3-for-5, triple shy of cycle).

Youkilis, inserted into the three-hole on a night Ortiz got well-deserved rest, belted a solo shot into the basket above the ivy in left-center to make it 1-0 in the first. For Youkilis, it was his first homer of the season and yet another demonstration of how he seems to contribute every time he's in the lineup.

"I felt really good up there," said Youkilis, who raised his average to .327. "I felt like I had good at-bats. It's tough not playing every day, but I just try to capitalize when I do."

Of course, Damon is in there every night, and when he's at his best, it seems to ignite the entire offense.

Damon belted a solo homer to right with one out in the fifth. It was the first longball in 150 at-bats for Damon, and just his second of the year. When he crossed home, it marked the 1,000th run of his career. Damon is the 30th active player to score that many runs.

"It's very special," said Damon. "That's the first step of a milestone for me. Hopefully, I can get to 1,500 in the next four years or so."

The speedy leadoff man was in the middle of more damage for the Sox in the sixth, belting a two-run triple to left-center.

Johnny Damon / CF
Born: 11/05/73
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 190 lbs
Bats: L / Throws: L

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If not for Wakefield -- who singled in his first at-bat -- avoiding an inning-ending double play by his all-out hustle to first, Damon would have never had that opportunity. But after Damon's shot to the wall, Wakefield went on his tour de force, reminding everyone that he was once a first baseman in the Minor Leagues.

Still, Wakefield's legs and lungs reminded him that the last time he was a position player was 16 years ago.

"I just hoped I had enough gas in the tank to get [home]," said Wakefield. "When you don't do it -- we play in the American League, we never have to run the bases -- when you have to do that, it's not easy."

But on the mound, that's exactly what it was. He carved the Cubs up, preventing the hosts from putting more than one runner on base in any of his seven innings.

Doug Mirabelli, who returned from the disabled list to catch Wakefield for the first time since May 15, was impressed.

"I was telling him after the game, he really threw only two bad knuckleballs, and that was in his last inning," said Mirabelli.

As the Sox extended their lead, the main drama left in the late innings surrounded Damon, and whether he'd be able to rake the single that would allow him to become the first Sox player to hit for the cycle since John Valentin did it June 6, 1996.

But he walked on four pitches in the eighth and flew out to right on the first pitch he saw in the ninth.

"After the at-bat before, there were four pitches that weren't anywhere close, I was going up and just trying to hit anything that was close to the plate," said Damon. "He threw me a high fastball and I went after it. I'm just glad I got the opportunity. There's going to be plenty more opportunities. It gives me something to shoot for."

The offense looked increasingly comfortable as the night wore on. Manny Ramirez snapped an unusually long home run drought by his standards (69 at-bats) when he tattoed a towering blast over everything in left-center and on to Waveland Avenue in the seventh.

But the most important storyline for the Sox centered around Wakefield, who tamed the Cubs on a night his team desperately needed it.

"It's very gratifying," said Wakefield. "We lose the first two in St. Louis and we come here, and things went the same way. It's huge to get a win going home and maybe it will build some momentum for us at home. "

The late-night plane ride back to Boston figured to be a lot more enjoyable, thanks to Wakefield's mastery.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Mirabelli back in action

CHICAGO -- The sprained left wrist was no longer an issue. However, an entirely different problem nearly postponed backup catcher Doug Mirabelli's activation by a day or two.
"The only real hangup we had, it's not his wrist, he got food poisoning the other day, so we sent him home [Saturday]," said Sox manager Terry Francona. "He got some fluids and got it out of his system, so he feels better."

And so it was that the Sox were able to activate Mirabelli shortly before Sunday night's game. His return came at an ideal time, as he was able to catch knuckleballer Tim Wakefield for the first time since May 15.

Mirabelli wound up belting a single in his first at-bat, but made a baserunning error moments later, as he got caught too far off second base following a single by Wakefield.

With Mirabelli re-joining the team, the Sox optioned Kelly Shoppach back to Triple-A Pawtucket. Shoppach went hitless in 11 at-bats but held his own defensively.

"Obviously, it was a really difficult time," said Shoppach. "It's a thing that I've never done before. It's a new experience. You have to have a first experience. Mine happened to be this one. The way it went down, I was a backup player when I never have been before. It's going to be a great learning experience in the future, maybe later this year or later on in my career. It was very tough. I'm still making adjustments to it. But I'll have my feet wet for a future time."

Pudge's pole: The last time the Red Sox played the Cincinnati Reds was the 1975 World Series, when Carlton Fisk forced Game 7 by striking a home run off the left-field foul pole in the bottom of the 12th inning. It's only fitting that when the Sox and Reds meet up again on Monday night, the Sox will hold a ceremony prior to the game in which the pole above the Green Monster will officially be named in Fisk's honor.

The ceremony will take place roughly 20 minutes before the first pitch. Fisk, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000, will be on hand to take part.

Francona reshuffles lineup: The Sox had some different twists to the lineup Sunday night, with David Ortiz, Trot Nixon, Bill Mueller and Jason Varitek all starting the game on the bench.

Aside from wanting to get David Ortiz some rest, Millar came into the game with a strong track record against Cubs lefty Glendon Rusch, going 10-for-24 against him in his career.

Kevin Youkilis occupied Ortiz's third slot in the lineup and played the part, smashing his first homer of the season in the first inning. Millar batted fifth, followed by Jay Payton and Mirabelli.

Mills will manage Monday: Francona will be absent from Monday's game against the Reds, as he'll fly to Trenton, N.J., following Sunday's game so he can attend his daughter Alyssa's high school graduation. Bench coach Brad Mills will fill in for Francona.

"I need to be home for this," said Francona. "It's a funny feeling, because I understand the importance of being home. I do not like being away from the ballclub. I don't feel good about that at all. But this is my daughter graduating."

An added luxury of being home for the day is that Francona will also get the rare opportunity to see his daughter play in a softball game.

On deck: Matt Clement, who was roughed up by the Cardinals in his last start, will take the ball in the opener of this six-game homestand. Left-hander Eric Milton will pitch for the Reds.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Sox honor Fisk with left-field foul pole

BOSTON -- When he hit the home run that defined his Hall of Fame career, Carlton Fisk never imagined he would one day be standing next to the pole that made him famous -- let alone have it named after him.
But that's exactly what happened on Monday prior in the Interleague series opener against Cincinnati at Fenway Park, 30 years after his hallmark moment.

Sporting a Hawaiian shirt appropriate for such a warm, humid night, Fisk joined Red Sox principal owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner atop the Green Monster, halfway up the left-field foul pole. The three, along with the rest of the sellout crowd, remembered that magical moment at precisely 12:34 a.m. ET early on the morning of Oct. 22, 1975, when Fisk drove a 1-0 fastball from Cincinnati right-hander Pat Darcy high into the air, heading down the left-field line.

"The ball only took about two and half seconds," recalled Fisk. "It seemed like I was jumping and waving for more than two and a half seconds."

Two and a half seconds later, the ball caromed off the bright yellow pole, ending one of the most dramatic World Series games ever played and giving the Red Sox a 7-6 win over the Reds in 12 hard-fought innings.

From now on, like the Pesky Pole down the right-field line, the left-field pole will officially be called the Fisk Foul Pole. The idea was the inspiration of the countless fans who contacted the Red Sox about recognizing the historic moment.

"Not everybody has a foul pole named after them," Fisk said. "There [are] only two of them. To be named one of them is a pretty big thrill, an honor."

Adding to the thrill for Fisk was a surprise from Henry and Werner. They gave him a 2004 World Series ring as a special advisor -- the ring that eluded him less than 24 hours after his famous shot in Game 6, when the Reds captured Game 7, 4-3.

"It doesn't seem like 30 years ago," said Fisk, the 1972 AL Rookie of the Year. "It didn't seem like it was me. It happened early in my career. I thought there'd be more, but it never happened. That might be one of the biggest regrets. If we'd have won the World Series, I'd feel more deserving.

"If you think about it for a moment, they think about it, then they think about you. When they think about you, your body of work comes into play," Fisk said.

Fisk thanked teammate Bernie Carbo, who made his heroics possible by swatting a two-out three-run homer to center off Rawly Eastwick.

"There was a lot of good pitching, good hitting and defense," Fisk said. "We had the bases loaded in the ninth, [when] a fly ball [was hit] to George Foster, who wasn't known for his great arm, and he threw the runner out at home easily. When we were still down by three runs, Bernie Carbo had probably one of the worst swings ever and managed to foul the ball off right before he hit the home run. If he doesn't, I never get a chance. Someone was watching out for extra innings."

Before taking his swing for the ages, Fisk said he had no sense of the history he was about to make or the impact it would have on the team.

"You could never sense that moment in time," Fisk said. "It is the type of thing you dream of. To have a moment like that come true is special."

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Clement paces Sox in rout of Reds

BOSTON -- On a night when Red Sox legend Carlton Fisk was honored for one of the most famous home runs in baseball history, the modern-day Red Sox needed no such drama to wipe out the Cincinnati Reds in the first meeting between the two clubs since the 1975 World Series.
Paced by a 16-hit attack and the strong pitching of starter Matt Clement, the Red Sox routed the Reds, 10-3, at Fenway Park.

After falling a single shy of the cycle on Sunday, Johnny Damon led the Boston attack with another three-hit performance, his 28th multi-hit game of the season and the 11th time he's had at least three hits in a game.

Manny Ramirez belted his 13th homer, a three-run shot into the right-field stands off Wily Mo Pena's glove. The long ball highlighted a five-run sixth inning that put the game away for Boston, which evened its record at 5-5 in Interleague Play.

Clement (7-1) rebounded from his only loss of the season, holding a potent Cincinnati lineup to six hits over eight innings. He struck out a season-high nine and left after throwing 108 pitches.

"That's what's going to get us back to the playoffs. If we can continue to get it, then it's a no-brainer. We'll be in [the playoffs] in October," predicted Damon. "If we don't, then we're going to have to battle. Clement did a great job. Wakefield did a great job [Sunday], and hopefully [David] Wells can continue to pitch well for us [on Tuesday]."

Early on, Reds starter Eric Milton (3-8) appeared equal to the task, retiring the first seven batters he faced before Jay Payton doubled with one out in the third.

"I was swinging at a lot of high pitches but fortunately I got to one, and I was able to get on and get this rolling early on," said Payton, who had two hits and scored twice. "It looked like Milton liked [throwing] his fastball, and he kept pounding us and we kept aggressive and were able to get some hits off of him."

Following a Bellhorn groundout to third, Damon singled to third, setting the stage for the first of two key plays of the game.

Edgar Renteria hit a line drive toward Reds center fielder Ryan Freel, who broke in initially before watching it fly over his head for a two-out, two-run double.

Then in the fourth, following a Ramirez double to right, Reds catcher Javier Valentin threw wildly on a simple throw back to Milton, allowing Ramirez to advance to third. With the infield drawn in, Jason Varitek singled past a diving Felipe Lopez at short and the rout was on.

"I think it started with our pitching," said Varitek, who was with his wife at 4 a.m. ET Monday for the birth of their third daughter, Caroline. "It allowed us to be in this game long enough to score some runs. We made some easy outs early in the game, but then we were able to get some things started.

"I think overall we had some good at-bats. Different people contributed today just like [Sunday], but I just think it all started with our starting pitching."

Ramirez, who had gone 69 at-bats without a homer before going deep on Sunday, also doubled and scored in the fourth as the Red Sox built a 5-0 advantage against Milton. The Cincinnati lefty allowed 11 hits and nine earned runs over 5 2/3 innings.

"That's the way our offense is supposed to do it," Damon said. "We've been waiting for this, and hopefully this is a time for us to get going and keep rolling. I like what I'm seeing, especially seeing Manny hit some home runs. That's a great sight to see.

"That's what I'm supposed to do as a leadoff hitter, get on base any way I can."

For Clement, Monday was a good way to put last Tuesday's 9-2 loss in St. Louis behind him.

"Other than Boomer [Wells], we struggled the last couple of starts, all of us, and I'm No. 1 on the list," Clement said. "Wake [Tim Wakefield] came up big [on Sunday] night. If anything, I put pressure on myself to follow him up with another outing and maybe try to build some momentum with this rotation."

"Any time you can do that and not have to use those guys down there [in the bullpen], it's nice," added fill-in manager Brad Mills, while Terry Francona attended his daughter's high school graduation. "It was nice to see Matt get in a groove and start throwing the ball really well. He had that long at-bat in the fourth inning against [Ken] Griffey, who took him to 3-2. He kept fouling pitches off. I was a little bit concerned there because it was hot tonight."

The Reds bounced back with two runs in the fifth before the Sox put the game away with their sixth-inning rally.

Matt Mantei struck out two in a scoreless ninth for the Sox.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Youkilis gets first look at Reds

BOSTON -- At least this time, when the Cincinnati Reds came to Fenway Park, Kevin Youkilis could watch.
Of course, prior to Monday, the last time the Reds visited, they were breaking hearts all over New England, winning Game 7 of the 1975 World Series.

Youkilis wasn't born yet when Cesar Geronimo caught the fly ball off the bat of Carl Yastrzemski for the final out of that Fall Classic, giving his hometown Cincinnati Reds their first title since 1940.

But still, you didn't have to live through one of baseball's greatest World Series to appreciate its significance.

"I was negative fours year old," joked Youkilis, who wasn't born until March 15, 1979. "But you grow up in Cincinnati, and you come to live and breathe baseball. I've heard way too many stories about the Big Red Machine. It was a great atmosphere just going down [to Riverfront Stadium] and seeing the Reds.

"It's going to be interesting to see that logo across the field. But for me, I think it would be more of a thrill being in Cincinnati. It's not the same atmosphere of going home and playing against the Reds at Cincinnati."

Before being drafted in the eighth round by the Red Sox in 2001, Youkilis' roots were tied mainly to Cincinnati, graduating from Sycamore High School and the University of Cincinnati.

"In 1990, we got a chance to see them win it all, and we all went into downtown Cincinnati with our brooms," said Youkilis, recalling the stunning four-game sweep of Oakland.

Youkilis was exposed to the Reds at an early age, as his parents had partial season tickets at Riverfront Stadium behind third base. He smiled Monday as he recalled Mike Scott, then of the Astros, and the Reds' Paul O'Neill throwing batting practice balls up to him in the stands.

Youkilis was also on hand for one of the most historic nights in Cincinnati baseball lore.

"One of my buddies had a birthday party, and we went to some batting cage and all of sudden it was a rain delay," Youkilis said. "I was like, 'Hey why don't we go down to the Reds' game?' We go down there, and Tom Browning was starting this game and we stay and it starts raining again. I didn't want to leave because it was a perfect game. But the father of the kid was like, 'This is bad. All the parents were calling.' We left in the seventh or eighth and heard the rest on the radio."

The rest was the only perfect game in the long and storied history of the Reds on September 16, 1988.

As for idols, while names like Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez were the favorites in the 70s, Youkilis had a different reference point.

"All of us, the player we all tried to be like was Eric Davis. We all twirled the bat, and when we played Wiffle Ball, we all tried to hit like him," Youkilis said.

Graduation day: For the eighth time this season, bench coach Brad Mills assumed the role of Red Sox manager in place of Terry Francona. The Sox skipper was at the graduation of his daughter, Alyssa, from Pennsbury High School in New Jersey. Mills disclosed before the game that after experimenting with Bill Haselman as his bench coach in Francona's first absence (during the April series at Yankee Stadium and Rogers Centre), Haselman returned to his regular duties as bullpen coach. Pitching coach Dave Wallace will serve as bench coach.

Girl power: For the third time, Jason and Karen Varitek are the proud parents of a baby girl. Caroline Morgan Varitek was born at 4:04 a.m. ET on Monday, weighing in at eight pounds, two ounces and measuring 21 inches. The proud dad just made it back from Chicago in time to be with mother and daughter, as the Red Sox arrived at Logan Airport just around 3 a.m. ET.

Bad timing: With temperatures approaching 90 degrees on the field, it was a bad time for the air conditioning unit in the Red Sox clubhouse to break down. Workers scrambled on Monday to install a new 1,500-pound compressor on the roof to make sure players, coaches and staff didn't overheat.

Rehabbing Stern: Rule 5 Draft pick Adam Stern was at Fenway Monday, taking batting practice and continuing to rehab his ailing right hamstring after recovering from an injured right thumb. The outfielder is expected to begin playing in games on Thursday, when Triple-A Pawtucket returns from its current road trip.

On deck: The Red Sox continue their 1975 World Series rematch on Tuesday, when they send lefty and former Reds starter David Wells (4-4, 5.07 ERA) against Cincinnati right-hander Luke Hudson (1-0, 7.50 ERA). Wells was acquired in a July 1995 deal with Detroit and helped the Reds win the National League Central division, their last postseason appearance.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Wells flirts with no-no at Fenway

BOSTON -- There have been swings for David Wells this season for sure. His manager, who is only four years older than Wells, chalked the inconsistency up to age.
"There's going to be some times over the course of the year when he doesn't feel like a spring chicken, that's just the way it is," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said before the game.

It was not that way Tuesday night at Fenway Park. Wells, at 42 years old, looked like a left-hander at his vintage best. For the second time in as many outings, Wells was almost untouchable. By firing seven innings of one-hit ball, Wells lifted the Red Sox to a 7-0 victory over the Reds.

For a little bit, it looked like Wells -- who threw a perfect game on May 17, 1998 -- might be on the verge of another historic outing.

But his no-hit bid was snapped with two outs in the sixth on a clean single to right-center by Ryan Freel.

"It didn't faze me," Wells said of losing the no-no. "It would have been nice to get, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. It's a tough thing to do. Everything has to go right. And a lot of luck is involved. I knew it was going on, and I didn't let it bother me. I've been through one before. If it didn't happen, I wasn't going to lose any sleep over it."

What likely did manage to keep Boomer's eyes open at night were some of the performances he turned in earlier this year. Consider that in his four losses, Wells has a 13.21 ERA. Fortunately for Wells and the Sox, the last of those defeats came on May 18, when the A's tattooed him (1 1/3 innings, nine hits, seven runs) in his return from the disabled list.

"I don't think I could have gotten any worse," said Wells. "I need to get better as the year goes on. If I was continuing to give up four or five [runs] a game, I probably wouldn't be around. I know that I'm a better pitcher than that."

It's hard to imagine he could be much better than he was in stifling the Reds, for whom he pitched for two months during the 1995 season.

Aside from the one hit he allowed, Wells hit Sean Casey in the top of the fourth and uncharacteristically walked two batters in the seventh. Otherwise, he was flawless. Just ask the Reds.

"It was the David Wells show," said Reds manager Dave Miley. "He pitched a [heck] of a ballgame. He was right on us, we didn't have a lot of good passes at him. He had good movement, spotting the ball everywhere."

Shutting down the Reds
Cincinnati at Boston, June 14, 2005
David Wells, Mike Timlin and Keith Foulke combined for nine innings of one-hit, shutout ball. They fanned eight batters. Their lines:
IP H R ER BB SO ERA
Wells 7.0 1 0 0 2 5 4.54
Timlin 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 1.45
Foulke 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 5.59

As crafty as Wells is, he wasn't going to let Tuesday's ideal elements -- a swirling wind blowing in and unseasonably cool temperatures -- go unnoticed.

"The ball was moving tonight, it was a good wind," Wells said. "The ball was moving a lot. I had great sink on my sinker. The curveball was biting good and I was just spotting my four-seamers. When you play the elements and get a good wind that's coming toward you, it's going to make the ball move a little. So I just went with it. I found my groove, I found my release point."

How dominant has Wells been in his five wins? He hasn't been scored on in four of them. And in the one victory he was scored on, he allowed two solo shots to the Yankees in the first inning and didn't allow a run the rest of the way.

"He kept them off-balanced, worked fast," said Sox third baseman Bill Mueller. "He did all the things that David Wells does, and that's go out there and put together a great performance."

This, on the heels of the gem Wells threw last Wednesday in St. Louis, when he allowed just four hits over eight shutout innings

Boomer, who looked ancient at times earlier this season, is feeling young again.

"Just believe in yourself," said Wells, "and good things will happen."

While the struggles of the starting rotation was a topic of conversation just a few days ago, the Sox have now received three high quality outings in a row from Tim Wakefield, Matt Clement and Wells.

For the second start in a row, Wells hardly needed any offensive support, but the Sox gave him some anyhow.

Reds starter Luke Hudson dug himself a hole in the bottom of the second. He walked Manny Ramirez and Kevin Millar before allowing a one-out single to left to Jason Varitek, loading the bases for Mueller. The switch-hitter promptly drilled a two-run single up the middle. Johnny Damon added an RBI double to left to make it 3-0.

Bill Mueller / 3B
Born: 03/17/71
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 180 lbs
Bats: S / Throws: R

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The Boston bats got back into gear in the sixth. With two on and one out, Millar lined an RBI single to left. Mueller again delivered with the bases loaded, this time lacing an RBI single to right that gave the Sox a 5-0 lead.

"Obviously, the run support, I'm happy with," said Wells. "Anybody is happy when you get four or five runs. So that was a plus."

Ramirez, showing signs of going on the hot streak the Sox have been anticipating, hammered a solo shot to left-center in the seventh. It was the third homer in as many games for Ramirez, and it came on a night that the ball wasn't exactly carrying.

"He hit that ball through the wind," Francona said. "That just kind of underscores how Manny hit that ball."

John Olerud added an opposite-field RBI double to left later in the inning.

The bullpen took it from there, as Mike Timlin (1.45 ERA) was his typical self, striking out two in a hitless eighth, and closer Keith Foulke showed more signs of being back on track, firing a 1-2-3 ninth.

"When you're scuffling as a team, there's a pretty good chance your pitching is," said Francona. "If we're going to be consistent, your pitching is what dictates for the most part how crisp your ballclub looks."

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Arroyo seeks return to form

BOSTON -- It didn't take all that long for Bronson Arroyo to go from a sizzling stretch of pitching to the most pronounced funk he's had since joining the Red Sox rotation for good early last season.
The demarcation point, if you will, between the good and the bad was May 17. That was the day Arroyo began serving a six-game suspension.

In his eight starts before the suspension, Arroyo was 4-0 with a 3.21 ERA. Contrast that with his five starts since the suspension, a span which has seen him go 0-3 with an 8.10 ERA.

When Arroyo served the suspension -- which was handed down because he plunked Chris Singleton at Tropicana Field after a warning had been issued -- he had eight days of rest between starts. Was that enough to throw him out of rhythm?

"I don't know, I took eight days off and I haven't won since," said Arroyo. "You take from it what you want. I don't think it has anything to do with it. I just think I'm not making my pitches in big situations. I haven't felt as good physically as I did before that. That's it, man."

When Arroyo takes the ball on Wednesday night against the Reds, he hopes to put an end to his slump and start pitching the way he was earlier in the season.

Arroyo, who said he felt sluggish after taking a beating at Wrigley Field last Friday, has worked hard to regain his form.

"You go in the weight room, do the things you've been doing that you know make you feel good," Arroyo said. "Try to take care of yourself. Eat good. Get a good night's sleep. Hopefully when you hit the mound on game, you'll have good stuff."

Because he doesn't have overpowering stuff, Arroyo relies on precision. The lack thereof has largely explained his recent slide.

"He's thrown some fastballs right over the middle of the plate that have been hit pretty well," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "If he works ahead, all of a sudden that breaking ball can be borderline devastating. You've seen the swings he gets, especially [from] right-handers. He's thrown some decent breaking balls, but he's been behind in the count, guys have seen a lot of pitches."

Francona still has a lot of confidence in Arroyo.

"He's been so good, for about almost a year, whether that suspension had anything to do with it or not, you can't give up on a guy who's been so good," Francona said. "Especially a kid that, he was kind of learning during the process. I'm not sure anyone expected him to carry this much of a load."

Curt Schilling / P
Born: 11/14/66
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 235 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R

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Schilling airs it out: Sox ace Curt Schilling continues to make progress in his rehab from ankle woes.

The right-hander is working out at the Athletes Performance Institute in Tempe, Ariz., which is right across the street from Arizona State University. On Tuesday, he threw batting practice to members of the ASU baseball team.

Francona expected Schilling to throw 75 to 80 pitches.

Schilling is expected to return to Boston on Wednesday and be evaluated by the team's medical staff. After that, the Sox might be able to have a better sense of when Schilling will begin a Minor League rehab assignment.

Damon's heel no biggie: It seems as if Johnny Damon has had ailments in nearly every part of his body this season, yet he continues to play and get hits. Damon said following Monday's game that he's been dealing with a bruised right heel.

"It sure hasn't affected him too much," said Francona. "I guess my point is, it's not an issue. He's got a heel bruise."

Damon entered the night with a .349 average.

On deck: Arroyo (4-3, 4.54 ERA) will be opposed by Reds right-hander Aaron Harang (4-4, 3.52) in Wednesday night's finale of this three-game series.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Arroyo finishes off sweep of Reds

BOSTON -- The rotation has spun quite rapidly from a cause of great distress to the spark of the first four-game winning streak the Red Sox have produced in over a month. Bronson Arroyo proved to be a most worthy encore to the stellar outings of Tim Wakefield, Matt Clement and David Wells the previous three days.
Arroyo busted out of a personal slump by pitching seven solid innings, leading the Red Sox to a 6-1 victory over the Reds, giving Boston the three-game sweep.

The Sox go into Thursday's off-day on a solid note, with this string of four consecutive victories their best stretch since taking five in a row from May 3-8.

Just a week ago, Boston starters took a pounding on a 2-4 road trip through St. Louis and Chicago. But one by one, the rotation has righted itself. Wade Miller will try to keep a good thing going on Friday night against the Pirates.

"I think everything in baseball is contagious," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "When you're going well, guys are picking each other up, making breaks, catching a break or two and taking advantage. Our record at this time of year, I think we all wish it was a little better. But it is what it is."

It will be a lot better, and soon, if this recent surge of pitching becomes the norm.

Arroyo (5-3) scattered six hits and a run, walking two and striking out eight in his first win since May 5. After watching what his rotation mates did the three previous nights, Arroyo couldn't wait to take the ball.

"Wake started us out in Chicago," said Arroyo. "It was a blessing because everything is contagious, when you're pitching good, everybody is pitching good. You just keep wanting to roll. Everybody picks each other up, and you're like, 'All right, it's your turn, here you go.' When things are going bad, sometimes it can be the same."

The collective slump of the rotation through those steamy days and nights at Busch Stadium and Wrigley Field now seems like a blur, as Sox starters have gone 4-0 with a 1.55 ERA over the last four games.

Likewise, the bats -- despite the weather slipping back to April temperatures the last two nights -- have been doing their part.

Edgar Renteria sparked a rally in the second by belting a one-out double to left. That set up an RBI opportunity for David Ortiz, who crushed an double into a howling wind to give the Sox a 1-0 lead.

It remained a tightly contested game until the fifth inning, when the Sox erupted against Reds right-hander Aaron Harang. With two on and nobody out, Ortiz again took a big swing, and collected a two-run double off the Green Monster in left-center.

Without a doubt, Ortiz's second double would have been long gone on most mid-June nights at Fenway, not to mention just about any other park.

"Boy, if that ball was hit on a hot summer day here, it might have hit the Majestic sign behind the Green Monster," said the revitalized Kevin Millar. "That ball was smoked."

Ortiz didn't argue.

"When the wind is blowing in, no one can hit the ball out," said the big DH. "You've got to crush the ball to hit [it] out. You can't hit a ball [any] harder than that."

Bill Mueller didn't try. With the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth, the third baseman laced a two-run single to right to give the Sox a 5-0 lead.

The Reds were in a 6-0 hole by the time they pushed their first run across against Arroyo in the top of the seventh.

"I still think it comes down to our pitching," said Sox catcher Jason Varitek. "Fact of the matter is, Bronson kept them where they were until we got something going."

And once Arroyo left, Mike Timlin (one inning, two strikeouts) and Keith Foulke (struck out the side in the ninth) completed the mission of stifling the Reds.

"Our starting pitching is doing the job; it's holding the hitters down," said Ortiz. "When you do that, with the kind of hitters we have on this ballclub, you're pretty much going to see a win."

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Tito set for first All-Star Game

BOSTON -- Red Sox manager Terry Francona never got to be part of a Major League All-Star team as a player or a coach, but he'll get the chance to manage the American League squad on July 12 in Detroit. The All-Star game is always managed by the skippers of the defending American and National League championship teams.
In preparation for that responsibility, Francona met for a couple of hours on Wednesday with Phyllis Merhige, the senior vice president of club relations for Major League Baseball.

Francona is happy with the format that was instituted in 2003, in that it lessens the burden on the manager.

For many years, the manager was in charge of selecting all the reserves. But the bulk of that responsibility is now handled via the player ballot.

"The staff has four pitchers and a position player to choose at the end," said Francona. "That's all it is. It's not as simple as that, because you have to have a representative [from every team] and factor in a lot of things, but it's not like it was in the past, which I'm [happy about]."

The Sox have several regulars who are doing well in fan balloting, including Jason Varitek, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, all of whom are leading at their respective positions.

One of the most interesting candidates from the Sox is 15-year veteran Mike Timlin, who has never been on the All-Star team. While Francona wasn't about to directly discuss Timlin's candidacy this early in the process, the skipper did say he is not opposed to a setup man being on the team. Timlin entered Wednesday's game with a 1.45 ERA.

In recent years, Yankees manager Joe Torre has set a precedent for setup men at the All-Star Game by selecting pitchers such as Tom Gordon and Jeff Nelson.

"I'm very aware of guys in that role that are having, in my opinion, All-Star years," Francona said. "Mike Timlin's name is certainly one of them. I don't think you have to be a starter or so-called closer to be an All-Star."

As for being an All-Star himself for the first time, Francona thinks the honor will mean more to him as the event draws closer.

"Right now, you get so focused on what you're doing," Francona said, "but I'll really enjoy it."

Schilling checks back in: While the Sox were preparing for Wednesday's game against the Reds, ace Curt Schilling was in the midst of flying back to Boston from Arizona, where he has been rehabbing his ankle the last couple of weeks.

Schilling wanted to throw batting practice to hitters from Arizona State on Tuesday, but the NCAA rules prohibited that from happening. Schilling threw 65 pitches off a mound instead.

"I think he thought it went pretty well," said Francona. "I think he felt a little stronger in that ankle area. Again, it will be interesting to see, after throwing a little more aggressively to hitters and to see him travel back here, kind of like we do during the season, how he reacts to it and see what the medical people say the difference is after not seeing him for a little while. I'm kind of looking forward to that."

So was Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein.

"We're going to be patient with him and make sure he doesn't get back into a game situation until he's 100-percent ready, not 100-percent [healthy], but 100-percent ready," said Epstein.

Foulke back in groove: Red Sox closer Keith Foulke appears to be rounding back into form. He fired a 1-2-3 inning on Tuesday night, easily shaking off the rust after not pitching for six days. Foulke hasn't allowed a run in his last four outings, not to mention seven of his last eight.

"[Foulke's] numbers are going to be somewhat skewed at the end of the year because he had a tough three or four weeks, whatever it was," said Francona. "But if he's the Foulke like last night for the rest of the year, it doesn't matter anymore. We just need him to be the pitcher he can be. He's a pretty valuable guy to have down there. And because of that changeup, it takes away the right-left advantage for the other team."

Theo starts foundation: Epstein announced on Wednesday that he is starting a charitable foundation with his twin brother, Paul, called the "Foundation to be Named Later." The Foundation to be Named Later will be a branch of the Red Sox Foundation, and will benefit eight non-profit organizations that Paul Epstein, a social worker, is involved with. The organizations focus on, according to a press release, "at-risk, underprivileged and disadvantaged youth."

In conjunction with the announcement of the new foundation, "Hot Stove, Cool Music" announced it will have a summer concert for the first time, on July 16 at Fenway Park.

"Hot Stove, Cool Music" has become an annual winter charitable event in Boston, combining music and baseball. This summer event, which is pending city approval, will be titled, "Hot Stove, Cool Music: The Fenway Sessions." Proceeds will go to the Foundation to be Named Later.

Theo Epstein, who has played guitar at the winter event the last three years, will perform at the Fenway concert. So, too, will ESPN baseball guru Peter Gammons, who is one of the founders of Hot Stove, Cool Music. Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo and Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams, both of whom are noted for their musical talent, will also perform.

Tickets for "Hot Stove Cool Music: The Fenway Sessions" are $50 and $100 and are available starting June 16 at noon via redsox.com or by calling the Red Sox ticket office, 877-RED-SOX9. The gates are expected to open at 6 p.m. ET, and the entertainment is expected to begin at 7 p.m. ET.

On deck: Following Thursday's off-day, the Sox host the Pirates on Friday night for the start of a three-game series. Wade Miller (2-2, 5.03 ERA) draws the start for Boston. The Pirates will counter with right-hander Josh Fogg (4-3, 4.33 ERA).

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Bellhorn plays role well

Welcome to another edition of Red Sox Mailbag. Sorry it's been so long. It's been a busy season, as usual. Thanks for all the great e-mails.
Why don't the Sox move Bill Mueller to second and Kevin Youkilis to third? Youkilis appears to be a stronger, more solid player than Mark Bellhorn. -- Molly K., Boston

The Red Sox would weaken themselves at two positions defensively. Bellhorn is a vastly underrated defensive second baseman. And while Youkilis works very hard, he's not yet the defensive player Mueller is at third base.

I must say, I don't understand the obsession with Bellhorn. He is a No. 9 hitter. Sure, he strikes out a lot. But he has shown the ability to get big hits -- remember Game 6 of the ALCS and Game 1 of the World Series? I think Bellhorn is fine for a No. 9 hitter in a lineup that has eight other pretty good hitters.

Why does manager Terry Francona keep Bellhorn in the starting lineup? We have Alejandro Machado and Dustin Pedroia in the Minors, and Youkilis can play second, as he did before. Bellhorn is too unreliable and strikes out way too much. -- Ben N., Dudley, Mass.

Why are Bellhorn's strikeouts such a big deal? If he's going to hit, say, .270, by the time the year is out, does it really matter if those outs are strikeouts or groundouts? I don't see the difference. Bellhorn does things people don't appreciate, such as draw key walks and work the opposing team's pitch count.

I've been hearing that the Reds may be looking to trade Adam Dunn. Trot Nixon is a great player, but he gets hurt often. Do you think the Red Sox could trade for Dunn? -- Ryan V., Boston

I have a hard time believing the Reds would be eager to trade Dunn, who has perhaps the best raw power in the National League. And I don't get your point about Nixon, who is part of the heart and soul of a defending championship team. Nixon had one injury-filled season and gutted it up enough to get back in time for the crucial playoff run. I'm not sure the Red Sox would have gotten by the Yankees in last year's ALCS without the clutch play of Trot Nixon, both at the plate and in the field.

Why does John Olerud wear a plastic helmet in the field rather than a typical fielder's wool cap? -- Jonathan L., East Greenbush, N.Y.

Olerud had emergency cerebral surgery for an aneurysm during his days at Washington State University, and he has worn a helmet in the field ever since.

Do you think it's possible that Hanley Ramirez could replace Johnny Damon in center field next year? Also, do you think the Sox could move Ramirez to second base, and Dustin Pedroia could be used as a bargaining chip in a trade? -- Kaushik V., Needham, Mass.

If Damon is not retained next year, there will be a lot of possibilities, and Ramirez moving to center is certainly one of them. I don't see the Sox moving Pedroia and playing Ramirez at second. They love Pedroia's makeup and approach and look at him as a big piece of the not too distant future.

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/

Nomar to get his ring from Red Sox

CHICAGO (AP) -- Nomar Garciaparra stood behind first base during batting practice Friday and greeted one former Boston teammate after another with a series of hand shakes and bear hugs.

The Red Sox had a little something for him, too.

Sometime this weekend, behind closed doors, the former Boston shortstop was to receive a World Series ring when the Red Sox faced the Cubs for the first time since the 1918 World Series.

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After spending parts of 8 1/2 seasons in Boston, Garciaparra was traded to the Chicago Cubs last July and missed one of the greatest sports experiences in New England history -- a long-awaited World Series title.

But Garciaparra was still scheduled to be recognized for his contributions to the championship, even though he wasn't around to enjoy it after a less than amicable departure.

``I don't think there's r