Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Recap: Philly's bullpen is what the Sox needed

The Sox bats finally come alive as they salvage a game in Philly with a 5-2 victory. It was also Terry Francona's 700th victory as manager of the Boston Red Sox. This was one hell of a pitcher's duel until Hamels had to leave the game after the 4th inning following a couple of line drives to his glove hand. Hamels had only given up 2 hits in his outing and it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to the Red Sox.

The bats suddenly caught fire when the Phillies bullpen was introduced to the game in the 5th when Ellsbury and Sutton each drove in runs. Drew Sutton had a great 28th birthday, going 2-for-4 with 2 singles and an RBI. Jason Varitek was a beast, hitting a solo shot in the 6th, then going back-to-back with Pedroia by following his solo shot with one of the 2-run variety. Those two homers were his 500th and 501st extra-base hits in his career.

Varitek, Sutton, Scutaro, and Reddick all recorded 2 hit games, and Ellsbury did them one better by recording a 3-hit game. Josh Reddick has been awesome in the outfield and his triple and single give him a .444 batting average and .722 SLG %.

Now we get to Jon Lester. Jon Lester came through when the Red Sox needed him the most. Lester threw 120 pitches over 7 shutout innings, giving up only 2 hits, 2 walks and striking out 5.  Lester may have caught a break with the exit of Hamels, but he did everything he had to do and got his 10th win of the season. Bobby Jenks continued to struggle, giving up 2 hits, one of them a home run to Howard, and a walk in 1/3 of an inning. Pap came in to clean up the mess to grab his 15th save.

The Sox will have a golden opportunity to get back on track against the Astros this weekend.

Box Score

Epstein talks Cameron

As we told you earlier today, Mike Cameron's time in Boston is over.  Sox GM Theo Epstein took a few minutes to discuss the signing, and where it may have gone wrong.  Not surprisingly, Theo's taking all the blame for this one.

Via WEEI:

"We've been scratching our heads. I'll take the hit on this one," said Epstein regarding the acquisition of Cameron and subsequent lack of production from the 38-year-old. "We try to be disciplined with trying to look for players in their primes when we bring them in. Mike was still a productive player when we got him, but -- this is all speculation -- maybe because of his advanced age, despite the great shape he keeps himself in, he had the significant internal injury, the double hernia, double groin surgery this winter, maybe just made the recovery that much more difficult at his age.

"But when it doesn't work out you have to stand up and say it didn't work out. That one didn't work out. We're not going to sugar coat it. We still think very highly of Mike as a player and as a person. He got hurt and ended up not producing this year. It ended up not working out for the Red Sox despite his best efforts."

I was excited for the Mike Cameron signing at the time.  A solid veteran who could theoretically play all three OF positions was a need.  Unfortunately, it was a disaster.

Well, Mike Cameron's bank account grew substantially and his agent now owns a fleet of Bentleys, so it wasn't a complete loss.  No hard feelings though, he tried and failed.  Best of luck in the future.

Youk's x-rays negative

When Youk fouled that ball off of his foot, it was reminiscent of Pedey's foul ball last season. The fear and possiblity of a broken foot gave me a stroke. This is great news.

Cameron sent packing

(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

The quietest terrible free-agent signing in Theo Epstein's tenure in Boston has been designated for assignment and will likely seek employment somewhere else.

CSNNE

Mike Cameron, one of the most disappointing free-agent signings of Theo Epstein's reign as Red Sox general manager, was designated for assignment Thursday, ending a brief and unproductive 1 1/2-year Boston career.

Infielder Yamaico Navarro was recalled from Pawtucket to take his place on the roster. Navarro will wear No. 60.

[...]

The Red Sox owe Cameron approximately $4 milllion for the remainder of the season, the last of a two-year, $15.5 million deal.

I don't think many Red Sox fans knew how much cash was thrown at Mike Cameron prior to the 2010 season. $7.75 million a season to accumulate these numbers... a .219 BA, 7 HR, 24 RBI, .285 OBP over 81 games. Cameron came in to play center last season, which resulted in the loss of Ellsbury when Beltre's knee connected with Jacoby's ribs during a play on a fly ball. Then Cameron's abdominal tear kept him out of 114 games last season, which resulted in surgery and he hasn't been the same since.

The good news is, the departure of Cameron and Drew (can't come soon enough) will result in $22 million off the payroll after this season.

Year	Tm	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB
2010-2011	BOS	81	285	256	33	56	13	0	7	24	0	1	22	69	.219	.285	.352	.637	71	90	6	3	1	3	0
Average		40	142	128	16	28	6	0	4	12	0	0	11	34						45	3	2	0	2	0
per 162 games		162	570	512	66	112	26	0	14	48	0	2	44	138						180	12	6	2	6

Youk is out of the lineup, and Gonzo is back at first

Youkilis will sit this game out, and it may be related to the foul ball he hit off of his foot in last night's game. Drew Sutton will get the start at third in place of Youk.

With the lefty, Cole Hamels on the mound for the Phillies, Tito expectedly moved Gonzalez back to first base and put Darnell McDonald in right.

Tito has put together a quirky lineup with Pedey as the cleanup man.

1. Ellsbury, CF
2. McDonald, RF
3. Gonzalez, 1B
4. Pedroia, 2B
5. Varitek, C
6. Reddick, LF
7. Sutton, 3B
8. Scutaro, SS
9. Lester, P

Your Morning Dump...Where the Sox are not a perfect club

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

"We're not a perfect club, that's for sure,'' Epstein said while meeting with reporters in the visitors' dugout before Wednesday's game against the Phillies.

"I can't sit here and say we'll definitely make a blockbuster trade,'' he said. "For one thing, there's not a huge market for sellers right now. But it's a long way from July 31. Market dynamics change, our own situation can change.''

Epstein acknowledged that the lack of production in right field is an area that obviously needs upgrading. What he doesn't know, he said, is whether that will require acquiring outside help.

"Obviously we've noticed,'' Epstein said. "I think you'd have to be blind not to notice. We're not getting much out of right field. We all expect to get more out of it going forward.

"These things all work themselves out. I am encouraged by the fact that we can be where we are offensively without much of anything out of right field. We will get better. There's no way we're going to have the same production that we've had so far. We'll improve internally, and who knows, there's a chance we'll improve at various spots externally.''

[...]

"We'll definitely be actively involved in trade discussions,'' Epstein said. "We may be very active, we may be less active. We may be involved in smaller things. We'll see.

"We have needs. We have areas that we have to upgrade. Those upgrades might come from guys on the 25-man roster playing better and getting locked in. Improvements might come from guys off the DL or guys in the minor leagues. I'm sure in some form or another we'll find an external solution to some of our needs.''

ESPN Boston: Epstein: 'We're not a perfect club, for sure'

You mean the Red Sox are not the best, flawless team in the majors?!? Are you sure? My day was going just swell until I read this.

From day one we all realized the Red Sox are not a perfect club, and the success prior to interleague play pushed that thought out of everyone's head.

Theo pointed out right field, and I am sure he is going to try to unload J.D.'s expiring contract on someone. I doubt there will be many, if any, buyers for Drew. Maybe get some average minor-leaguers for Drew and put Reddick in right. I really don't care what they get or do with him, just get him out of Boston.

Fix whatever needs to get fixed Theo, this is getting pretty damn frustrating.

On Page 2: Papi made it out alive after playing first

Recap: Sox lose, Gonzalez survives outfield intact

Tonight's 2-1 loss to Philadelphia is probably the least-painful loss Terry Francona has had as manager of the Red Sox. His most stress-inducing decision -- putting Adrian Gonzalez in right field to allow David Ortiz to play first base -- ended up going smoothly.

While Gonzalez escaped the death chamber of right field without blowing out any knees or contracting any diseases (that we know of), the rest of the Red Sox couldn't seem to do much. No complaints about John Lackey -- he went 7 strong innings and even knocked in a run with a double on a very nice swing. In a later at bat, Lackey busted it down the line on a chopper in the infield.

The Sox offense wasn't up to the task, though. Josh Reddick had two of Boston's five hits; Gonzalez and Ortiz combined to go 1-for-8. Meanwhile, the only guy Lackey couldn't stop was Raul Ibanez, who's several years and 14,000 steroid injections removed from being a relevant baseball player. Tonight, Ibanez was just fine, gathering three hits, including the game-deciding home run.

Antonio No-father-o came in for the save and that was that. Good thing this really isn't the World Series, because Philadelphia has not been kind to the Sox thus far.

Box score

(Image credit: Photoshopping extraordinaire John Karalis)

Gonzo will start in right field

It's confirmed. Adrian Gonzalez will play right field tonight and Ortiz will start at first. Terry Francona confirmed Gonzo's start on The Big Show on WEEI.

Francona also said this will not happen too often, as we have already seen, and will likely not happen tomorrow.

Here is the lineup:

1. Ellsbury, CF
2. Pedroia, 2B
3. Gonzalez, RF
4. Youkilis, 3B
5. Ortiz, 1B
6. Saltalamacchia,C
7. Reddick, LF
8. Scutaro, SS
9. Lackey, P

Yankees should "get" Fielder

"If you build it, a few will come..."

One of the most annoying aspects of the "Yankee Mystique" (among a long, detailed list of annoyances) is the misconception that all players inherently want to come to the Bronx, and that they only sign elsewhere if the Yankees don't extend an offer.  Not only do you get to play in The Greatest City In The History Of Cities, you get to share a lockerroom with Derek Jesus, er, Jeter.  Plus wear pinstripes! 

Oh, and you'll get a shit-ton of money too.  It's nearly too good to be true.  How could you say no?

Just ask Cliff F'n Lee. We watched Yankee Nation nearly implode on itself last offseason when Lee turned them down to head to Philly. I imagine Cliff is still scrubbing the horse head blood out of his bedsheets from that decision.

Which brings us to the new object of Yankee obsession: Prince Fielder.

John Harper, of NYDailyNews.com simply states that the Yankees "should get" Fielder.  As if they have the first pick during recess.  "Fielder, you're on our team."  For Yankee fans, they truly think it's that simple.  We want you, therefore you are ours.

The fact that they literally don't have anywhere to play him except DH (and that they'll need the DH spot to accommodate their aging players) doesn't matter.  They'll figure that out later.

It has to be a tempting thought for the Yankee brass, even at $25 million a year. Not only is Fielder's lefthanded swing made for the Stadium, but the free agent-to-be would add more of the star power this franchise both craves and needs to continue selling its outrageously-priced seats.

On the other hand, GM Brian Cashman probably would be leery about tying up the DH spot for several years, considering that Alex Rodriguez has six years left on his contract and surely won't be able to play third base regularly for that long.

Still, as we found out last winter, when Cashman was overruled on the signing of Rafael Soriano, selling tickets sometimes supersedes critical thinking.

Granted, putting Fielder in that lineup scares the holy bajeezus out of me.  I don't know how many years he's going to play at this elite level before his size and weight betray him, but that ballpark will surely extend his shelf life.  So let's be clear here - I'm against this purely for personal reasons.

But this sense of entitlement that the Yankees have is aggravating.  Will he be happy being a full time DH?  Doubt it.  But Prince Fielder's wants, hopes and desires are irrelevant.  Because the Yankees have chosen him.  He can't say no.

Your Morning Dump...where at least Cliff Lee isn't in the Bronx

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

“Anytime the Yankees pursue somebody, it’s pretty much a done deal,” said Sox outfielder Darnell McDonald. “But he’s not in a bad spot in Philly. He’s on a great team with a lot of great fan support. Obviously, he wanted to wear the red pinstripes.”

Last night offered the Red Sox a reminder of what a nightmare it would have been to face Lee four or five times a year. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and dominated his ballyhooed matchup with Josh Beckett [stats] to the final pitch in a 5-0 shutout.

“That’s an unbelievable offense over there, even with Crawford and Ortiz out,” Lee said. “It’s still threats from start to finish. I wasn’t expecting us to get five runs off Beckett, the way he’s been pitching. I was anticipating it being a closer game from start to finish.”

Herald | Thankful-Lee, he went to Philly

Word.

Can you imagine having to see this guy a bunch of times a year? Can you imagine Yankees' fans talking excitedly about him? They'd be worse than me and Adrian Gonzalez.

Lee was great, Beckett struggled. Ben mentioned how awesome Lee has been lately (and as his fantasy owner, this is something I'm well aware of), so it looks like he's just in a groove. Beckett is something to watch. He is notoriously streaky and injuries have been known to set him back; will sickness be the same?

Hopefully not, because we can't afford it. We're going through a tough period with injuries right now, and we're a game and a half back of the Yankees, who every year seem to not realize that they're old and should be terrible. Meanwhile, the Rays are just a game behind us -- so we really can't let up.

One piece of good news will be Clay Buchholz returning from back problems...but on page 2, that return is delayed.