| Newsbreakers |
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| Kevin Youkilis went 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBI in Tuesday's win over the Orioles. |
Our View: The dream season continues for Youk. He has already set career-best marks in homers and RBI, and he is in the thick of the AL batting average race. Oh, and his fantasy value has rocketed up this year. |
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| Daisuke Matsuzaka needed 105 pitches to get through 5.0 innings on Tuesday, but the laboring effort didn't stop him from improving to 15-2. He allowed six hits and two runs against the Orioles. Matsuzaka walked five, struck out six, and mixed in a wild pitch. |
Our View: It wasn't the prettiest outing, but Dice-K got good run support and avoided the big inning. We'll take it. |
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| Jason Varitek socked his 10th homer of the season on Tuesday night. The shot is remarkable because Varitek has become the first Red Sox catcher to reach double-digit home runs in nine seasons, the Boston Globe reports. |
Our View: We also have to believe that Varitek holds the Red Sox record for catcher homers on Thursdays when there is a full moon. |
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| Julio Lugo continues to make positive progress as he returns from a tear in his left quad. Manager Terry Francona informs the Providence Journal that the optimistic timetable has Lugo beginning a minor league rehab assignment within the next week. |
Our View: With Jed Lowrie hitting well, there's no guarantee that Lugo will get his job back when he is healthy. It sounds like September 1 would be roughly the earliest we might see Julio back in the bigs. |
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| Outfielder J.D. Drew is out again on Tuesday due to back stiffness, the Providence Journal reports. He suffered the injury on Sunday and also sat on Monday. Manager Terry Francona says that Drew is improving. |
Our View: We're shocked, shocked, shocked to see such a rock like Drew missing time. He remains day-to-day. |
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| Boston has pushed back the next start for pitcher Josh Beckett, according to the Boston Globe. Instead of pitching on Saturday, he will throw again on Tuesday. |
Our View: Beckett has reportedly been experiencing numbness and tingling in his right arm, so the club decided to give him some extra time. Adjust your fantasy lineups accordingly. |
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| With his 33rd save of the season Monday, Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon moved into second place in franchise history with 105, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Papelbon has been astounding as the team's closer, and continued that trend this season. Fantasy owners will continue to depend on him for years to come barring injury. |
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| Jon Lester picked up his 12th win Monday, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk while striking out five over seven innings. |
Our View: Clay Buchholz received most of the ink before the season as far as young Red Sox rookies go, but Lester has been far and away the better hurler of the two this year. |
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| Jason Bay homered twice and added a single in Boston's 6-3 win Monday. He drove in four and added a stolen base, as well. |
Our View: Bay is now hitting .348 with three homers and 16 RBI in 16 games with the Sox. |
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| Julio Lugo was able to take some swings in the batting cage Monday for the first time since severely straining his left quad on July 11, according to MLB.com. "It feels good," said Lugo. "It took me a little [to get to this point]. I was stiff and hurting. Right now, I'm not feeling any pain. It feels good to be back in the hitting motion." |
Our View: Lugo thinks he could go on a rehab assignment in about a week, and a Sept. 1 return date is realistic. |
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| Curt Schilling said in a recent blog entry that he's leaning "very heavily" toward retirement, according to the AP. The 41-year-old, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery on June 23, added that his shoulder "is getting better fast" and "I've still got a rather lengthy amount of time before I decide anything." |
Our View: Schilling is expected to wait until spring training before deciding anything. Given how self righteous he is, we're betting he doesn't want to go out on a sour note and will return, but who knows. |
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| J.D. Drew is not in Monday's lineup because of back stiffness, according to the Providence Journal. He had to leave Sunday's game with the injury. "Hopefully we got him out soon enough where it doesn't completely lock up on him and we lose him for four or five days," said manager Terry Francona. |
Our View: At this point this doesn't seem like a big deal, but you never know with Drew. He has had back issues a few times this year. |
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| Mike Lowell has returned home to Miami to continue his rehab, according to the Providence Journal. He will be at home for four days and conduct two-a-day workouts with his personal trainer. "He wanted to go and we have no problem," said manager Terry Francona. "We know what he's going to do." Lowell is coming back from a strained oblique. |
Our View: It will be a while before Lowell is ready to return to the lineup. We'll keep you posted on his progress. |
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| Julio Lugo is progressing well from his quad injury, according to the Providence Journal. He was sprinting in the outfield at Camden Yards before Monday's game and was also scheduled to take batting practice for the first time since injuring his leg on July 12. "He's done a pretty good job," said manager Terry Francona. "He had a pretty good tear. He did it up pretty good and he's worked hard." |
Our View: Lugo still probably won't be back before September, and with the way Jed Lowrie has played, they won't rush him back. |
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| The Red Sox did not set a timetable as to when Tim Wakefield may return to action, according to the Boston Globe. He is dealing with right shoulder tightness and manager Terry Francona said, "What we do want to do is if we put a guy on the DL is have him have a chance to come back and pitch with health. Not pitch once and go backwards." |
Our View: He should be back for the final month of the regular season and should remain held on rosters. He was enjoying a solid season with a 3.67 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 23 starts. |
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| The game was as ugly as could be in today's loss to Toronto, but the Red Sox identified an opportunity to get Clay Buchholz a bit of work, according to the Providence Journal. |
Our View: Buchholz, who has struggled for most of the season, had been pushed back in the rotation by the arrival of Paul Byrd and the rainout on Friday night. The rookie right-hander had been scheduled to start yesterday. The Orioles start will be Buchholz’s first in 10 days. |
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| There was plenty of offense going on the American League today, and the Blue Jays joined the party with an impressive 15-4 win over Boston. The Red Sox may have bigger issues, as indicated by the performance of starter Josh Beckett today. Beckett lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing eight runs on eight hits with one walk and three strikeouts. |
Our View: Beckett falls to 11-9 on the season with a 4.34 ERA. The boys calling the game openly questioned if Beckett may be nursing an unreported injury, noting his motion and technique were well out of form. We will track the situation as we anticipate the Sox are likey to send him for testing. Now is not the time to take chances with such a valuable commodity. |
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| J.D. Drew was forced out of Sunday's game against Toronto due to lower back tightness, according to the AP. |
Our View: Jeff Bailey replaced him in right field. We will keep you posted when more details regarding Drew's status are disclosed. |
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| Jason Bay recorded two singles on Saturday, and now has six multi-hit efforts in 14 games as a member of the Red Sox, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Bay raised his season average to .290 and should continue to generate solid numbers down the stretch while chasing a pennant with the Red Sox. |
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| Jason Varitek ended an 0-for-15 streak with a single against the Blue Jays Saturday, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: The struggling catcher is 5-for-33 (.152) in his last 11 games, and 32-for-199 (.161) in his last 62 games. |
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| Paul Byrd made his Red Sox debut on Saturday and took the loss against the Blue Jays. The right-hander allowed 10 hits and four runs over 7.1 innings. He also walked none and struck out none. |
Our View: Byrd pitched like, well, Paul Byrd. The veteran had been hot before moving to Boston, but we didn't expect that to last. Fantasy owners can feel free to use him for his win potential, but you shouldn't expect a great ERA. |
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| Jacoby Ellsbury returned to the starting lineup on Saturday, but he went 0-for-4 against Roy Halladay. The outfielder has missed four starts due to a bruise near his tailbone. |
Our View: Fantasy owners can plan on using Ellsbury moving forward, and they shouldn't treat him too harshly for failing against one of the best hurlers in the majors. |
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| Jonathan Papelbon will be available on Saturday night despite suffering from migraines over the past two days, the Boston Globe reports. "I've had them pretty bad the last couple of days. When I get them it affects my whole body. But I should be OK. I take the medication. I should be OK," he explains. |
Our View: Fantasy owners can safely use the dominant closer. |
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| Tim Wakefield played catch for the first time in about a week as he begins to recover from shoulder tightness, according to the Providence Journal. |
Our View: Wakefield made around 30 tosses and he will start to stretch that out before presumably going on a rehab assignment. Despite having just seven wins, fantasy owners were pleased with Wakefield's good WHIP (1.18) and and ERA (3.67). |
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| Paul Byrd could not have asked for a better team to make his Red Sox debut against than Toronto. Players on the Blue Jays current roster are hitting a combined .226 off Byrd with a .262 average and just one home run. |
Our View: Byrd has dominated the current players on Toronto's squad for whatever reason. Not a single Blue Jay with at least 10 career at-bats against Byrd is hitting better than .267 off of him. If you have him on your fantasy roster, be sure he's active. |
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| When the Boston Red Sox take on the Toronto Blue Jays and starter Roy Halladay, there will be at least one player with good success against him - Kevin Youkilis. Youkilis has a career .361 average against the Cy Young candidate. |
Our View: In his career, Youkilis has gone 13-for-36 with an OBP of .452 and slugging percentage of .556. The first baseman (and third baseman while Mike Lowell is on the DL) has been hot lately and looks to continue that success tonight for fantasy owners. |
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| Bartolo Colon left his rehab outing after one inning Friday due to illness, according to MLB.com. "He pitched one full inning, and he got sick," manager Terry Francona said. "That's all I have right now. We'll get more." |
Our View: Give that Colon's daily caloric intake is probably in the vicinity of 20,000, we're not surprised his tummy got a little upset. We'll let you know when he plans to get back on the mound. |
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| With Friday's rainout, Clay Buchholz will have his start pushed back to next Wednesday, according to the Boston Herald. Buchholz was supposed to start on Sunday. |
Our View: Buchholz's original turn in the rotation was actually tonight, but he was pushed back for Paul Byrd. Buchholz's rotation spot will be in serious jeopardy when Tim Wakefield and/or Bartolo Colon return. |
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| Bartolo Colon was supposed to work four innings, or 55-60 pitches, for Triple-A Pawtucket Friday, but he lasted just one inning before exiting, according to the Providence Journal. |
Our View: It's not known why Bartolo exited, but the best bet would be because of his back, which is why he's on the DL. We'll update you on his status when more is known. |
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| Jacoby Ellsbury is penciled into Friday's starting lineup in center field, according to the Providence Journal. He was out of the starting lineup for three straight games due to a bruise near his tailbone. |
Our View: He is also penciled into the leadoff spot, meaning the Red Sox are confident he is ready to return and make an impact. |
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| Jacoby Ellsbury was out of the starting lineup against the Rangers Thursday for the third straight game, according to the Boston Globe. Ellsbury is still ailing from a bruise near his tailbone after being hit by a pitch from John Danks in Monday's game against the White Sox. |
Our View: He is doing much better, and could be fine for the next fantasy week. |
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| The Texas Rangers will be happy when they do not have to face Red Sox DH David Ortiz any more. He homered against them again on Thursday, his third in three games, and for the night went 1-for-2 with three RBI in Botson's 10-0 win. |
Our View: Ortiz has gone 5-for-10 with three home runs and five runs scored against Texas in his last three games, restoring faith in the hearts of fantasy owners concerned about his creaky wrist. |
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| Daisuke Matsuzaka won his 14th game of the year, leading the Red Sox to a 10-0 stomping of the Rangers. The righty threw seven shutout innings while both walking and striking out five hitters. |
Our View: Matsuzaka now has a microscopic 1.29 ERA in August, and though he still walks too many people, he's won five of his last six starts. |
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| There will be no "player to be named" in the deal that brought Paul Byrd to the Red Sox, according to the Boston Herald. The Red Sox have agreed to pick up all of Byrd’s remaining salary this season from Cleveland, an amount equal to about $2 million, hence making the trade a cash-only transaction. |
Our View: The Red Sox were believed to be the only team willing to take the remaining $2 million on his salary. He is slated to start his first game with Boston Friday. |
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| Jeff Bailey has been recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: The first baseman could see some action while Kevin Youkilis covers third base in place of the injured Mike Lowell. Bailey blasted 24 homers with Pawtucket this season, and is worth a look in deeper AL-only leagues if you need some help. |
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| David Pauley was brought up to the bullpen yesterday but was sent back down to Pawtucket after the game without seeing any action, according to the Boston Globe. Jeff Bailey was recalled to take his place on the roster. |
Our View: Pauley allowed five earned runs and seven hits over 4.1 innings with Boston this season, and was not worth holding. |
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| Kevin Youkilis commented on third base, which is where he will be working while Mike Lowell is on the DL, according to the Boston Globe. Youkilis said, "Going to third base is natural to me. I've always loved playing third. It's actually an easier position than first base, and that's something a lot of people don't realize. At third you don't quite have all the moving around as you do at first base. First base is far more physical."
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Our View: Youkilis continues to hit well, as he went 3-for-4 against Texas Wednesday, and has five hits over his last two games, with two of those knocks going for home runs. |
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| Boston's Jon Lester is quickly becoming the gem of the franchise, tonight earning his 11th win in a dominating performance against the Texas Rangers. Lester pitched 7 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with one walk and six strikeouts. |
Our View: Lester moves to 11-4 on the season with a 3.25 ERA. The loss in his last outing is the only blemish on his '08 resume since May 25th, boasting a record of 8-1 since. |
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| Jason Bay was on his game tonight, going 2-for-3 at the dish with one walk and his 26th double of the season, posting two RBIs and one run scored. |
Our View: Bay is hitting .319 on the month with hits in 14 of his last 15 games. |
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| The Red Sox picked up where they left off last night... hitting. They threw the 8-4 win against Texas on the board with help from corner infielder Kevin Youkilis, going 3-for-4 at the dish with three doubles, totaling two RBIs and three runs scored. |
Our View: Youk already has four homers on the month and was hitting a whopping .375 coming into tonight. He's on fire and keeps getting better. Maybe moving Manny was just what he needed. |
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| David Pauley has been recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket, according to the Boston Globe. Mike Lowell has been placed on the 15-day DL as the corresponding move. |
Our View: Pauley will initially work out of the bullpen, but could be a candidate for a spot start if needed. |
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| Mike Lowell has landed on the 15-day DL due to his strained right oblique, according to the Boston Globe. David Pauley has been recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket to fill his spot on the roster. |
Our View: Kevin Youkilis should see time at third base with Sean Casey covering first. Oblique injuries can linger and are known to be slow to heal, meaning Lowell may be out of action for more than 15 days. |
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| Updating an earlier note, Mike Lowell is likely headed for the DL due to his strained right oblique, according to the Boston Herald. Oblique injuries could be slow to heal, and he was already dealing with a sore right hip. He said, "It’s frustrating because I’ve never had this happen before. I’d like to avoid the DL, but the doc said it’s a possibility. I think right now it’s probably too early. Today after the MRI, they’ll have a lot more information." |
Our View: If Lowell lands on the DL, Kevin Youkilis could move over to third base, with Sean Casey covering first.
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| Julio Lugo is making progress in his recovery from a strained left quad, but the Boston Herald states that he is unlikely to return before September. |
Our View: Lugo will need a lengthy rehab assignment in the minors prior to being activated from the DL. Jed Lowrie will continue to fill in at shortstop. |
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| Paul Byrd will make his first start with the Red Sox on Friday, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Byrd is 4-0 over his last four starts with the Indians, with only four earned runs allowed over the span. He is worthy of starting in mixed leagues in his first start with Boston. He allowed 23 homers with Cleveland, but could be helped in that department by playing his home games at Fenway Park. |
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| Charlie Zink has been optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket, according to the Boston Globe. He was sent down to make room for Paul Byrd, who will pitch Friday. |
Our View: Zink suffered through a nightmarish debut against the Rangers, as he was rocked for eight earned runs on 11 hits over a mere 4.1 innings of work. |
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| Mike Lowell strained his right oblique during an at-bat on Tuesday, according to the Boston Globe. He said, "I took those two swings my last at-bat, the first one I felt like a little grab on my side, the second one I felt something a lot more significant. The last pitch I kind of panicked, I didn't know what to do. I didn't think I could swing. I was kind of hoping he'd just flop a curveball or something. I've never had this happen to me before. It's just frustrating." |
Our View: He is hoping the injury is not too severe, and will have an MRI Wednesday. Lowell could barely stand after Tuesday's game. |
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| Not to be overlooked in the dramatic 19-17 win over the Texas Rangers, Boston second bagger Dustin Pedroia was on the mark as well, going 5-for-6 with his 36th double of the season, registering two RBIs and five runs scored. |
Our View: Not known as an offensive juggernaut, Pedroia hit .350 last month and is hoping to get back on this pace in August (hitting .300 coming into tonight). |
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| With 17 total hits producing 18 RBIs on the night, the Boston Red Sox have a few players worthy of note, but few found the success at the dish that Kevin Youkilis enjoyed. Youk went 2-for-5 at the dish with one walk and two homers to total five RBIs and two runs scored on the night. |
Our View: Youk is in a zone, hitting .371 on the month coming in, now touting four homers for 11 RBIs along the way. |
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| We started with two three-run homers by David Ortiz in the first, followed by eight runs in response from Texas in the fifth, followedy by anotther five in the sixth, only to see Boston score four in the bottom of the eighth to get the 19-17 win. Ortiz finished going 3-for-4 at the dish with two walks, the two homers in the 1st, six RBIs and four runs scored. |
Our View: Veteran hurler Javier Vazquez had it working off the mound this evening, pushing his White Sox to an impressive 9-0 win over the Royals. Vazquez pitched eight innings, allowing five hits, one walk, and earning 10 strikeouts. |
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| It's already an exciting night for Red Sox Nation, posting a whopping 10 runs in the 1st inning against the Texas Rangers, an effort built on two home runs and six RBIs by David Ortiz, according to FoxSports.com. |
Our View: The six ribs ties an American League record. We'll update the game in full upon completion, but the quick jump by Boston is certainly worthy of applause. |
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| Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was originally in tonight's lineup, but he was a last-minute scratch due to tightness and a bruised tailbone, according to the Providence Journal. |
Our View: He was hit by a pitch Monday night in Chicago, believed to be the source of the problem, though it is not considered serious. Coco Crisp is now playing center. |
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| Boston infielder Julio Lugo is on the road to recover from his strained left quad and has begun taking grounders and getting on the field, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: There is still no timetable for Lugo's return, but it sounds like he will be back sooner rather than later. His speed makes him a decent play in AL-only leagues. |
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| Paul Byrd will make the start on Friday for the Red Sox, which is the day that Clay Buchholz was supposed to take the mound, according to the Boston Globe. The Red Sox still have not announced their plans for Buchholz, but he has been so atrocious lately, his starting spot is certainly in jeopardy. |
Our View: We're not sure why anybody would possess the young right-hander on their fantasy squad, but if you do, now might be the time to relieve him of those duties as well. |
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| Red Sox acquired RHP Paul Byrd from the Indians for a player to be named later or cash, according to the AP. |
Our View: The 37-year-old Byrd (7-10, 4.53 ERA) has won all four of his starts since the All-Star break. |
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| After missing Monday night's game with a "tender, stiff" wrist, David Ortiz is expected to return to the lineup tonight in Boston, reports the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Boston is tracking Ortiz's health on a day-by-day basis. Expect him to receive a day off every now and then to rest his sore wrist. |
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| J.D. Drew had two hits and two RBI for the Red Sox on Monday night in their 5-1 victory over the White Sox. |
Our View: Drew was the league's best hitter in June (.337-12-27-27 in 26 games), but over his last 21 games he hasn't even remotely resembled that hitter with a .217 average, two home runs and seven RBI at the plate. |
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| Josh Beckett simply dominated the White Sox on this night needing just 104 pitches to make it through eight innings in his 11th victory of the year. Beckett allowed a single run, didn't walk a batter, and struck out eight. |
Our View: When on as he was on this night, it really matters little who is hitting as the batters have basically no chance of doing anything substantial. After being bombed for seven runs on July 30th, Beckett has allowed just three runs over his last two starts (1.84 ERA). |
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| Clay Buchholz will remain in the Red Sox starting rotation even after being hammered in his last start to fall to 2-8 with a 6.32 ERA, according to MLB.com. "We've been so committed to this guy," manager Terry Francona said. "We're spending our energy, [pitching coach] John Farrell and I spent a bunch of time with him today, trying to help" |
Our View: That's confidence for you. Buchholz posses some top flight stuff but he has struggled with both control and how to best utilize his physical talents. As good as the Red Sox are they simply can't continue to run a guy out there if he continues to stink up the joint, so Friday's start against the Blue Jays might be a make or break outing for the youngster. |
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| Updating an earlier story, David Ortiz was not in the lineup on Monday night due to "slight soreness" in his wrist, according to the Boston Herald. |
Our View: We are still trying to get our hands on a more definitive report, but for how it appears that he has suffered some type of setback though it may be somewhat minor. |
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| Charlie Zink will start for the Red Sox on Tuesday in place of the injured Tim Wakefield, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Zink is, strangely enough, also a knuckleballer. Zink is 13-4 with a 2.89 ERA and a strong .228 BAA in the international league who will look to stymie the Rangers. |
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| David Ortiz will not be in the Red Sox lineup on Monday night, though we do not yet know the reason, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: It is possible that he is just getting a rest, but there is also the possibility that there could be something going on with his wrist. Stay tuned for an update. |
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| Bartolo Colon has left Pawtucket to attend to his ailing father in the Dominican Republic, according to the Providence Journal. |
Our View: Colon is expected to re-join Pawtucket on Friday in Syracuse. |
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| Kevin Youkilis was scratched from Sunday's lineup due to an impingement in his left shoulder, according to the Boston Globe. Youkilis said he sustained the injury when he was lifting, then exacerbated on a swing and diving for a ball.
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Our View: He is hopeful to be ready to play Monday. Manager Terry Francona noted that the injury is minor and Youkilis just needs to let it settle down. |
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| Tim Wakefield is headed to the DL, so the Red Sox will need a starting pitcher for Tuesday, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Charlie Zink and David Pauley are enjoying strong seasons with Pawtucket, but neither is likely to be available for Tuesday, having started on Friday and Saturday. Michael Bowden is scheduled to pitch today for Pawtucket, with Devern Hansack set for tomorrow, making either one a viable candidate to start Tuesday for Boston. |
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| Bartolo Colon threw well in his rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket, going three innings and allowing no runs while throwing 27 of his 34 pitches for strikes, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Colon was awful in his first rehab start, so this was a marked improvement. He should be able to give fantasy owners, at least in AL-only leagues, a boost to their squad. |
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| David Ortiz went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in the Red Sox loss to Chicago. |
Our View: Tough August for Ortiz. He had a nice day on Saturday, but Sunday's performance means the lefty slugger is hitting just .154 for the month. Stick with him, though. He's too good not to bounce back soon. |
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| Once again, Clay Buchholz got hammered, lasting only three innings in the Red Sox 6-5 loss to the White Sox. The right-hander allowed five runs on seven hits, including three home runs. |
Our View: Buchholz picked up his eighth loss, and since May 7, he has given up less than four earned runs in a start just one time. He has no place in fantasy leagues. |
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| Tim Wakefield is headed to the DL due to shoulder tightness, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Wakefield was scheduled to next pitch on Tuesday night against the Rangers. Instead, the Red Sox will call up a pitcher from the minors to pitch that night, and Wakefield will be placed on the DL. He isn't expected to miss more than two starts.
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| Bartolo Colon, who is recovering from back stiffness, is scheduled to throw his second rehab outing today for Pawtucket, according to the Boston Globe. Hopefully he will have a solid outing, as he didn't get out of the first inning in his first appearance. |
Our View: If he can find his form soon and return to Boston, he could provide fantasy depth down the stretch. |
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| Jed Lowrie is fine after being hit on the left foot in Friday's game, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Lowrie started at shortstop against the White Sox Saturday, and went 1-for-5 at the plate, and extended his hitting streak to eight games. He has proven to be a solid pickup in AL-only leagues. |
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| Jason Varitek was dropped to ninth in the batting order against Chicago Saturday, according to the Boston Globe. Manager Terry Francona noted that the move had nothing to do with the veteran catcher's slumping over the last two months. |
Our View: Varitek is batting just .170 (31-for-182) with two home runs over his last 56 games, but is currently on a four-game hitting streak, and went 1-for-4 with a run scored from the ninth spot in Saturday's win. |
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| Boston RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka enjoyed another strong effort on the road this evening, maintaining a perfect road record to get the 6-2 win over the White Sox. Matsuzaka pitched eight innings, allowing just one run over four hits with three walks and four strikeouts. |
Our View: Matsuzaka improves to 13-2 with an ERA of 2.90, going 4-1 since his last no-decision finish on July 7th. He's allowed just three homers over that span with 15 combined walks and 28 total strikeouts. |
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| Boston outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury enjoyed a strong night of production in the Red Sox's 6-2 win over the White Sox, going 3-for-4 with his seventh homer of the season to total one RBI and two runs scored on the night. |
Our View: After struggling through July, Ellsbury has found his groove hitting in the late part of the order, hitting .353 through early August with five RBIs over his last three games. |
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| A plethora of offense and a devastating injury to the opposing starter allowed the Boston Red Sox to enjoy a booming offensive effort, getting the 6-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. The effort was led by designated hitter David Ortiz, going 3-for-5 at the plate to total three RBIs and one run scored on the night. |
Our View: Ortiz was hitting a miserable .107 through August coming into tonight and has homered just once since returning from injury. |
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| Dustin Pedroia tied Luis Castillo yesterday for the longest road hitting streak, 27 games, by a second baseman since Luis Castillo in 2002, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: For whatever reason, Pedroia has much better numbers on the road than at home, hitting .335 away from Fenway, but still has a respectable .295 average in Boston. |
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| Little Dustin Pedroia hit his 10th home run of the season on Friday night, a 3-run shot off of Octavio Dotel of the White Sox. |
Our View: Pedroia has already bettered his total of eight home runs from last season, though this was his first big fly in 29 games. With the three RBI he now has 52 surpassing his RBI total of last season (50). |
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| Jon Lester lost his first game in almost two and a half months as he allowed four runs to the White Sox over seven innings on Friday. |
Our View: Lester is now 10-4 with a 3.23 ERA, so we can overlook this rather pedestrian outing. Lester has clearly established himself as one of the top lefties in the American League even as his strikeout rates continues along at a merely average level of six per nine innings. |
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| Kevin Youkilis returned to the Red Sox lineup on Friday after sustaining a bruise to his hand on Wednesday when he was hit by a pitch, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Youkilis will continue to bat cleanup now that Manny Ramirez is no longer in town as he attempts to record the first 100-RBI season of his career (he currently has 76). |
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| David Aardsma has been activated from the DL, according to the Boston Globe. He has recovered from a strained right groin. |
Our View: Aardsma has three wins to his credit this season, and allowed 12 earned runs over 39.1 innings, with 41 strikeouts, and should resume his role as a solid fantasy middle reliever for deeper AL-only leagues. |
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| Chris Smith has been optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket, according to the Boston Globe. The team sent him down to make room for David Aardsma, who has been activated from the DL. |
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