4/26 @ Toronto

[riverside sluggers]

Still wouldve preferred that they kept Alex Gonzalez. His option year was just $6 million

 

http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/cnishared/tools/shared/mediahub/04/26/15/slideshow_1152646_braves.0627-CC6.jpg

Josh Beckett

 

 

Vs.

 

 

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100411/i/r4146867334.jpg

Dana Eveland

 

 

Boston (8-11) at Toronto (10-9)

* Game info: 7:10 pm ET

* TV: NESN, RSN

 

After a forgettable homestand put them in an early hole in the AL East, the Boston Red Sox may be happy to head back on the road. They’ll have Josh Beckett on the mound to begin a six-game trip Monday night with the first of three in Toronto, where Boston’s Marco Scutaro will face his former Blue Jays teammates for the first time since signing with the Red Sox in December.

 

Boston (8-11) began a string of 10 games at Fenway Park with four straight losses to Tampa Bay and finished the 4-6 homestand on a sour note with Sunday’s 7-6, 10-inning loss to lowly Baltimore. Scutaro made the final out and finished 0 for 5. The shortstop, who spent the last two seasons with the Blue Jays and had a career year in 2009, is off to a mediocre start with his new club, batting .254.

 

Some late heroics were the only reason Boston’s homestand wasn’t even worse. All four of the team’s wins came by one run; the Red Sox beat Texas twice in their last at-bat, then stranded the potential tying run in scoring position in the ninth inning of two wins over the Orioles.

 

The Red Sox’s sluggish start, marked by problems at the plate and in the field, already has them six games behind the division-leading Rays and 4 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees. Their bullpen, which gave up 11 runs in 8 2-3 innings against Baltimore, cost them Sunday’s game. Boston blew a late lead and allowed three runs in the top of the 10th before a final rally fell short.

 

“We dug ourselves too deep of a hole,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. Beckett (1-0, 5.26 ERA) hopes he can bounce back from a poor outing and give the Red Sox’s relievers a rest. The right-hander allowed seven runs and walked five in seven innings of Boston’s 8-7, 12-inning win over Texas on Wednesday.

 

The ace has gone 3-5 with a 6.62 ERA in 12 career starts against the Blue Jays. Vernon Wells has five home runs in 33 career at-bats against Beckett, while Aaron Hill (12 for 30) and Adam Lind (5 for 11) are both hitting at least .400 against him. The Blue Jays (10-9), who’ve cooled off following their 5-1 start, could use an offensive resurgence. They managed four hits in a 6-0 loss at Tampa Bay on Sunday, their second straight defeat and sixth in nine games.

 

One bright spot was the defensive play of catcher Jose Molina(notes), who threw out all four Rays baserunners who attempted to steal. No catcher had thrown out four runners in a game since Florida’s Charles Johnson on Sept. 18, 2002. “I don’t look at that personal stuff,” Molina said. “The only thing I care about is the result of the game and it didn’t go our way.” The Red Sox have allowed opponents to swipe 37 bases - easily a major league high - while throwing out only one.

 

Boston, which continues to play without injured leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury, is averaging 4.3 runs—more than a run lower than last year’s mark. Toronto left-hander Dana Eveland (2-0, 1.93) may present a challenge if he continues his strong April, but Eveland is coming off his shortest outing of 2010, allowing three runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings of the Blue Jays’ 4-3 win over Kansas City on Tuesday.

 

The Red Sox took five of nine in Toronto and 11 of 18 overall from the Blue Jays last year.

[Palodios]

his option was 6 million, but toronto only ended up paying 2.7.

[riverside sluggers]

Josh Beckett (13 games vs Toronto, 3-5 with a 7.36 ERA-----Career at Rogers Centre in 6 games, 1-2 with a 9.28 ERA)

Fred Lewis, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) Triple, 2 Ks

Aaron Hill, 13 for 32 (.406 avg) 6 Doubles, HR, 8 RBIs, Walk, 3 Ks, SB

Adam Lind, 6 for 13 (.462 avg) 2 Doubles, HR, 4 RBIs, Walk, 2 Ks

Vernon Wells, 12 for 35 (.343 avg) 4 Doubles, 5 HRs, 8 RBIs, 4 Walks, 6 Ks

Lyle Overbay, 11 for 35 (.314 avg) 4 Doubles, 4 RBIs, 6 Walks, 11 Ks

Alex Gonzalez, 1 for 2 (.500 avg)

Jose Bautista, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) HR, 3 RBIs, Walk

John Buck, 3 for 14 (.214 avg) 2 Doubles, 4 Ks

Travis Snider, 2 for 6 (.333 avg) HR, RBI, Walk, 3 Ks

///

John McDonald, 2 for 4 (.500 avg) Double, 2 RBIs, 2 Walks, K, SB

Jose Molina, 2 for 16 (.125 avg) 5 Ks

Randy Ruiz, 1 for 4 (.250 avg) HR, RBI, 2 Walks, 2 Ks

 

Dana Eveland (4 games vs Boston, 0-2 with an 18.60 ERA-----Career at Rogers Centre in 4 games, 1-0 with a 4.90 ERA)

Marco Scutaro, 3 for 6 (.500 avg) Double, 2 Walks, K

Dustin Pedroia, 3 for 9 (.333 avg) Walk, SB

Kevin Youkilis, 4 for 7 (.429 avg) HR, 3 RBIs, 2 Walks, K

Mike Lowell, 5 for 7 (.714 avg) Double, 2 RBIs

J.D. Drew, 5 for 9 (.556 avg) 2 Doubles, 2 RBIs, 2 Ks

Jason Varitek, 3 for 6 (.500 avg) 4 RBIs, Walk, 2 Ks

Adrian Beltre, 5 for 13 (.385 avg) Double, 2 RBIs, Walk, 4 Ks

Bill Hall, 0 for 1, Walk

Darnell McDonald, 0 for 2, K

///

Jeremy Hermida, 1 for 4 (.250 avg) K

David Ortiz, 2 for 6 (.333 avg) Double, Walk

 

Beckett last year vs Toronto in 2 games, 10.45 ERA. At Rogers Centre in 1 game, 11.81 ERA. This season on the road in 2 games, 1-0 with a 9.90 ERA

 

Eveland this season at home in 3 games, 1-0 with a 4.67 ERA

[YAZMAN]

WIN

[YeAuldBroade]

WIN

Ditto

[jacksonianmarch]

they should dominate this team, especially since it is a lefty on the hill. This might be the most lefty friendly sox team in awhile with Lowell, Beltre et al

[Chamomile]

It seems like the Red Sox always have trouble against Toronto, even when Toronto doesn't have a very good team.

 

EDIT: The Red Sox are 43-47 against the Blue Jays the last five years.

[BoSox21]

Scutaro - SS

Pedroia - 2B

Youkilis - 1B

Lowell - DH

Drew - RF

Varitek - C

Beltre - 3B

Hall - LF

MacDonald - CF

[a700hitter]

Scutaro - SS

Pedroia - 2B

Youkilis - 1B

Lowell - DH

Drew - RF

Varitek - C

Beltre - 3B

Hall - LF

MacDonald - CF

Bad lineup.

[redsoxrules]

Bad lineup.

 

let me guess... because Ortiz isnt in it

[RWTP24]

Hey, I was out of town this weekend and came back to see some changes. What happened to Reddick? Did anyone here anything on this transaction?

[italstallianion]

Yeah, this losing thing is getting old. Can we at least look like a reasonable playoff team?

[Spudboy]

Hey' date=' I was out of town this weekend and came back to see some changes. What happened to Reddick? Did anyone here anything on this transaction?[/quote']

 

They sent him back to Pawtucket so he could get regular at bats.

 

Van Every was traded for.

[a700hitter]

let me guess... because Ortiz isnt in it

No, because Hall, McDonald and Varitek are in the lineup.

 

Ortiz would have helped.

[redsoxrules]

No, because Hall, McDonald and Varitek are in the lineup.

 

Ortiz would have helped.

 

Left handed pitcher on the mound

 

oh and Ortiz sucks , get over it

[a700hitter]

Left handed pitcher on the mound

 

oh and Ortiz sucks , get over it

Were you one of the posters that predicted that he was done last year too?

[redsoxrules]

Were you one of the posters that predicted that he was done last year too?

 

he had an 794 OPS for the season , that sucks for a DH

 

he's been bench what? 4-5 times already this year , because theo and tito knows he's done

[Dipre]

860 OPS for the season for a DH sucks

 

he's been bench what? 4-5 times already this year , because he sucks

 

.794 OPS last year, .556 through 14 games so far.

[redsoxrules]

.794 OPS last year' date=' .556 through 14 games so far.[/quote']

 

so why is he being bench so much ?

[Dipre]

so why is he being bench so much ?

 

I was correcting your initial post. His OPS was much lower than you initially stated.

[a700hitter]

he had an 794 OPS for the season , that sucks for a DH

 

he's been bench what? 4-5 times already this year , because theo and tito knows he's done

So you'll relace him with Mike Lowell who had a .811 OPS last season and .810 for his career versus Ortiz .918 career OPS?

[redsoxrules]

So you'll relace him with Mike Lowell who had a .811 OPS last season and .810 for his career versus Ortiz .918 career OPS?

 

honestly , I think if lowell and ortiz were both full time DH at this stage of their career their numbers would be probly about the same, ortiz is just not the same

 

 

so since we have a lefty on the mound , lowell is the better option

[a700hitter]

honestly , I think if lowell and ortiz were both full time DH at this stage of their career their numbers would be probly about the same, ortiz is just not the same

 

 

so since we have a lefty on the mound , lowell is the better option

Even thought Lowell is older with a degenerative hip condition? Hmmm... interesting.

[Dipre]

Even thought Lowell is older with a degenerative hip condition? Hmmm... interesting.

 

This counters your argument that Lowell's a better option at third than Beltre because his hip could hold up for a significant amount of time. If his hip's not good enough to DH, it's not good enough to play 3rd.

[Spudboy]

I think both Ortiz and Lowell still have value on this team. Just not $25. mil. worth.

[a700hitter]

This counters your argument that Lowell's a better option at third than Beltre because his hip could hold up for a significant amount of time. If his hip's not good enough to DH' date=' it's not good enough to play 3rd.[/quote']I never said that Lowell was the better option. Dipre will not be willing to be a part timer so he is clogging up the IF rotation which shoul have VMart playing about 50 games at 1st. Lowell is capable and serviceable to play 3rd about 90 to 100 games. The biggest problem with Beltre is that we don't need him and that he forces us to catch VMart too much and Vmart is a terrible catcher. Period.

[Dipre]

I never said that Lowell was the better option. Dipre will not be willing to be a part timer so he is clogging up the IF rotation which shoul have VMart playing about 50 games at 1st. Lowell is capable and serviceable to play 3rd about 90 to 100 games. The biggest problem with Beltre is that we don't need him and that he forces us to catch VMart too much and Vmart is a terrible catcher. Period.

 

I would indeed not be willing to be a part timer. I contend the problem is having two DHs.

[redsoxrules]

I think both Ortiz and Lowell still have value on this team. Just not $25. mil. worth.

 

well. they both wont be on this next year and 25 mil less on the payroll

[a700hitter]

I would indeed not be willing to be a part timer. I contend the problem is having two DHs.

The problem is that they also have 3 DH's. If they can't play VMart at 1st, he has to play DH, but we have Lowell and Ortiz (at $25 million) at DH. I have said all along the logjam is at 1st, 3rd and DH. We have 5 guys for those 3 spots. There's not enough room, so VMart has to stay behind the plate and have the other 4 share the three spots. That's the problem. No Beltre, no logjam. no VMart behind the plate every day.

[Station 13]

well. they both wont be on this next year and 25 mil less on the payroll

 

And they need to be replace.