Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Your Morning Dump... Where we love us some Cook

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.

On the heels of Franklin Morales’ seven scoreless innings Thursday night, the veteran sinkerballer tossed a two-hit shutout against a Mariners offense that has been blanked 10 times this season and four times this month.

And here’s the kicker: Cook did it in only 81 pitches.

“I’ve got a short attention span,” Cook said with a smile, “so I try to work quick.”

Said Saltalamacchia, “I felt like I caught five innings. I looked up at the board, it was the seventh inning, and it was like, ‘Really? All right.’ It was fun.”

For him to pitch so well — Cook gave up only an infield single to Ichiro Suzuki in the fourth inning and a leadoff single to John Jaso in the eighth — leaves the Red Sox [team stats] feeling far better about the depth of their rotation, especially with lefty Felix Doubront already approaching his innings total from last season.

Herald - Aaron Cook dazzles as Red Sox power past Mariners

The Aaron Cook story has been a fun one.  Signed to a minor league deal by the Sox, he had been pretty much lights out through a handful of starts with Pawtucket.  He had an opt-out clause built into his contract, allowing him to become a free agent if the Sox didn't call him up at the beginning of May. 

He gets the call and starts his first game of the season against the Orioles on May 5th.  He was cruising very early in the game, when Salty let a low pitch get past him.  Cook covered home and took a Chris Davis spike to the leg, giving him a pretty nasty wound.  Cook left that game after only 2.2 innings and went onto the DL.  Back up with the Sox again, Cook pitched a solid game against the Braves earlier in the week and followed that up with his 2 hit gem against the Mariners.

Sox pitchers keep going down due to injury (Beckett), sickness (Buchholz) or being awful at throwing a baseball (Bard) but there's seemingly always someone ready to step in and pitch well.  Soon we'll have to play another round of 'Who stays, Who goes?' and it won't be easy.

Doubront has struggled as of late.  It's quite possible, as Scott suggested, that, with a few starts under his belt, the league has finally caught up to Felix.  If this is the case, Felix is going to have to make some adjustments and deliver.  He had been a revelation early on, but he's anything but lately.  Morales, like Doubront, is having some wild early starter success.  No one saw this coming.  Nobody.  You never want to sit down a hot hand, but in 3 or 4 starts he might be running into the same struggles that Doubront is.  Someone may just figure him out.

And then there's Cook.  A guy who's been around the league for a while.  Plenty of tape on him for teams to digest.  And, for whatever reason, when he has been given the ball this season (whether it be in AAA or the Majors) he's been extremely effective. 

Beckett is coming back today, so someone is getting shuffled.  But which pitcher that is won't be an easy decision.

Rest of the links:

Herald - Josh Beckett to the rescue | Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford back in action | Globe -Cook makes quick work of Mariners | Tim Wakefield joins NESN | WEEI -No regrets: With Cody Ross flourishing, Red Sox getting better end of trading Marco Scutaro | Brutal outing for Bard in Pawtucket | CSNNE - Who exits rotation when Buchholz returns? | Cook finds rhythm, consistency a winning recipe | Cook dazzles, hurling two-hitter

Beat Farming: Salem put up and gave up some big numbers

Who has the time to keep up with all of the Sox minor league teams? We'll do all the work to keep you updated with the beat on the farm.

Notable Performances:

Brandon Duckworth (SP): 7 IP, 2 H, 5 K

Junichi Tazawa (RP): 2 IP, 0 H, 4 K

Box Score

Notable Performances:

Jackie Bradley (CF): 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, R

Bryce Brentz (RF): 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI

Dan Butler (C): 2-for-4, 2B, R

Box Score

Your Morning Dump... Where Papi's on the verge of 400

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.

As Fred McGriff, Darrell Evans, Carlos Delgado, Dave Kingman, Jeff Bagwell, and others will attest, hitting 400 home runs doesn’t guarantee a spot in Cooperstown.

It does, however, represent a pretty impressive milestone, especially for a guy who was traded by the Mariners to the Twins, and eventually released because he was viewed as a platoon player about to make too much money for the Minnesota payroll.

For David Ortiz, who was at 399 entering Thursday night’s game against Seattle, what is also remarkable about the feat is the way he has approached his status as a baseball senior citizen. He has decided that he is going to play harder than ever, and not pace himself as most 36-year-old players tend to do.

He does not want to “pick his spots” but rather play hard all the time, run the bases aggressively, take care of his body, and play out the final two years of his career at the top of his game, not just going through the motions.

At 36, he is the Red Sox’ best offensive player. Still.

Globe - Ortiz shows his clout on and off the field

In fairness, it's a lot easier to not "pick spots" and to "play hard all the time" at age 36 when you're exclusively DH'ing.  Of all the things we can applaud Ortiz for (and there's a whole slew of them), his ability to not mail in games or at-bats isn't anywhere near the top.

Cafardo does a good job of touching on all points of the David Ortiz experience.  He questions whether or not Papi will ever sniff the Hall of Fame, touches on his leadership role in the Sox clubhouse, his 'no fun' rant, and his desire, and inability, to land a multi-year contract from the Sox. 

As far as the Hall of Fame is concerned, I am a complete homer, so I fully think Papi deserves it.  Not only is he an amazing slugger, he's a unique, bigger-than-the-game personality.  That said, I don't expect to see him enshrined in Cooperstown.  Edgar Martinez is on the outside looking in, and he's generally considered the gold standard of DH's.  Hall of Fame voters very rarely buck trends.  If they don't think a "one-dimensional player" deserves to be enshrined, no "one-dimensional players" shall be enshrined.  That said, Martinez, while being an amazing hitter, didn't have nearly the amount of power Papi possesses; not to mention the flair and charisma.  In 725 fewer at-bats Ortiz already has 90 more home runs and 50+ more RBIs than Martinez, while their other numbers (outside of batting average) are surprisingly even.  If Ortiz can produce at this level for two more seasons, I think you can throw the Martinez comparison out the window and judge Papi as his own, unique player. 

But before we worry ourselves with post-career recognition, let's just make sure the Sox finally offer him that two-year deal he so desperately craves.  Can we finally admit that he's worth the "risk"? 

Rest of the links:

Herald - Mariners get drop on Sox | Aaron Cook's ready to serve |Jarrod Saltalamacchia thrives in his expanded role | Globe -Iglesias back in for Pawtucket | Sox lose heartbreaker on Jaso walkoff single | CSNNE - Pedroia: Hernandez 'was pretty special tonight' | First Pitch: Sox find a winner in Morales | WEEI - Five things we learned on another memorable night for Franklin Morales | Red Sox sign Andy LaRoche | Bard: Can't worry about returning to Red Sox

Recap: Mariners win it in ninth as Felix shuts down the Sox.

All it took was one pitch for pinch hitter John Jaso and he drove in the game's only run to help Seattle beat the Red Sox. 1-0. 

Scott Atichson had a quick breakdown in the ninth, giving up a leadoff double to Casper Wells and then intentionally walking Justin Smoak to pitch to John Jaso who took the first pitch to right field and Cody Ross made a good throw but Jarrod Saltalamacchia couldn't hold on to the baseball and Wells touched the base for the walkoff win.

The reason why the Sox were shut out was thanks to Felix Hernandez, who had himself another spectatular game at Boston's expense. He gets the complete game shutout, giving up five hits,striking out  a career high thirteen, and only one walk. All of his pitches were working and he was keeping the entire lineup on their toes. Mike Aviles was the only one who didn't strikeout.

The Sox had there chance to steal this one in the ninth too. David Ortiz lined up straight up the middle and knocked King Felix off the mound. Saltalamacchia was able to draw the walk which gave Adrian Gonzalez a chance to win. Ater a battle which had Gonzalez foul of three straight pitches in a full count, made a loud pop up that made centerfielder Michael Saunders covered a lot of ground to make the catch. Will Middlebrooks had a chance but he also popped it up to center field.

And it's a damn shame because Franklin Morales pitched the best game of his career: seven innings, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out seven. He didn't allow a base runner until the third and the only jam he had was in the seventh thanks to a walk and an Adrian Gonzalez error but he got Brendan Ryan to ground out to short to end the inning. He kept the Sox in this and he continues to be a quality surprise this season. He has 2.00 ERA in three starts this season.

There was a scary moment in the fourth as Franklin Guterriez got hit in the face as Morales' pickoff attempt was off target and Gonzalez couldn't grab it in time. He got taken out of the game and replaced by Saunders. Had Guterriez been in the game, maybe Adrian's fly to left center falls and we're talking about a Sox win instead of a loss. 

Box Score

 

How we see it goin' down: Red Sox - Mariners series

First Pitch: Thursday 10:10, Friday 10:10, Saturday 10:10, Sunday 4:10

Arms: Thursday: Franklin Morales, LHP (1-1, 3.12 ERA) vs. Felix Hernandez, RHP  (5-5, 3.36 ERA)

Friday: Aaron Cook, RHP (1-1, 9.39 ERA) vs. Hector Noesi, RHP (2-9, 5.50 ERA) 

Saturday: Josh Beckett, RHP (4-7, 4.14 ERA) vs. Erasmo Ramirez, RHP (0-2, 4.18 ERA)

Sunday:  Felix Doubront, LHP (8-4, 4.54 ERA) vs. Jason Vargas, LHP (7-7, 4.54 ERA)

                                        Yard: Safeco Field    Watch it:  NESN    Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 40-35 (T-3rd AL East)	Record: 32-45 (Last AL West)
On road: 19-14	At home: 13-21
Streak: Won 2	Streak: Lost 1
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Nava (.315)	Average: Wells (.289)
Homers: Ortiz (21)	Homers:  Smoak (11)
RBI: Ortiz (53)	RBI: Seager (46)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Buchholz/Doubront (8)	Wins: Vargas (7)
ERA: Morales (3.12) | Atchison (1.24)	ERA: Hernandez (3.36) | Luetge (1.40)
K's: Doubront (81)	K's: Hernandez (101)

Last time

The Mariners came into Fenway for a quick 2-game series in mid-May and they were dominated by the Sox. We saw the Daniel Nava we remembered in 2010 in game 1, as he re-introduced himself with a 2-run home run off of Jason Vargas. Kelly Shoppach added his first homer in the year in the 6-1, game 1 victory.

Mike Aviles took over in game 2, going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and RBI. David Ortiz added a homer, and the Sox shut out the Mariners 5-0 for the sweep.

This time

Laser Show: David Ortiz

It is clear his brief slump is over after the performance against the Jays. He is on fire and there seems to be no pitcher that can stop him.

Pitch Around: Justin Smoak

Every time the Sox and Mariners meet up, Justin Smoak's name seems to fill the stat sheet. Smoak does not have a great average, but is Seattle's "power hitter". As long as the Sox don't fall behind, Smoak should be an easy out.

Don't Fall Behind: Felix Hernandez

Some may be fooled by his record, but he is still an excellent pitcher on a very bad team. Felix will get a lot of strikeouts and not fall behind too often. Franklin Morales better keep up with him because he will not get a lot of run support.

How we see it goin' down

The only hope the Mariners have is Felix Hernandez in the first game of the series. I am not sure if the Sox will get the best of him, but I am sure they will dominated the rest of the series. The Sox will probably drop tonight's game, but will win the final 3 for the series victory.

Taking Stock: Jays - Sox series

After every series, we'll take stock of how each individual and group performance affects their overall value.

Lineup

Daniel Nava: Nava went from hot to cold in the Jays series at the top of the lineup. Like Salty, he is has very quick hot and cold streaks.

Dustin Pedroia: The numbers were not very impressive but he is hitting. The timing seems to be back, mostly, and the power is coming along too.

David Ortiz: Big Papi continues to impress. 3 of his 5 hits in the series we home runs, bringing his OPS to 1.003.

Cody Ross: Ross wasn't as explosive as he was in the previous series, but he continues to hit. His average continues to climb closer to .300.

Adrian Gonzalez: Better late than never. Gonzo is getting back to where the Sox need him to be. Adrian drove in 5 runs in the series, with 3 coming in the final game.

Will Middlebrooks: Maybe he got a little too comfortable when Youk got traded. The bat went silent in the series, and lets hope it is very temporary.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia: Salty went 1-for-8 in the series with a solo homer in the middle game. I should re-think his value since he couldn't do a damn thing from the clean-up spot in game 1.

Mike Aviles: Mike has been bounced around the lineup and he responded well in this series.  Game 3 was his highlight, with the double and pair of RBI. The Sox need him to beef up the bottom of the order.

Ryan Kalish: A better showing than the last series. He is another one that the Sox are unsure of where they want him.

The Bench: Lillibridge and Punto sucked, but Shoppach and McDonald were tolerable.

Starting Pitching

Beat Farming: Pawsox finally get a win

Who has the time to keep up with all of the Sox minor league teams? We'll do all the work to keep you updated with the beat on the farm.

Notable Performances:

Ryan Lavarnway (C): 3-for-4, 2B,  R

Mauro Gomez (DH): 3-run HR (17)

Alex Hassan (LF): 2-for-3, RBI, BB

Nate Spears (3B): 2-for-4, 2B, R

Daniel Bard: 1 IP, 0 H, K

Box Score

Notable Performances:

Jackie Bradley (CF): 2-for-5, 2B, R

Matt Spring (C): 1-for-2, Solo HR (4), 2 BB

Marquez Smith (3B): 2-for-4, 2B, RBI

Box Score

Your Morning Dump...where Clay is about to get ripped for showing up to a party

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.

According to a Red Sox team source, pitcher Clay Buchholz attended a charity event at Foxwoods Resort and Casino on Wednesday night — less than 24 hours after being released from the hospital for esophagitis. While the event — the WAAF Celebrity Golf Tournament, a fundraiser for The Greg Hill Foundation — did feature a pool party sponsored by Stoli Vodka, the source said that Buchholz did not have anything to drink at the event.

After he was released from the hospital and it was determined that he would not travel with the Red Sox to the West Coast for their upcoming series in Seattle, Buchholz agreed to a friend’s request to take part in the charitable event. The Greg Hill Foundation describes its mission as response “to immediate requests for assistance, to improve the lives of local families touched by tragedy, through matching the charitable donation of Greg’s media audience.”

Buchholz was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday due to a gastrointestinal bleed. He spent five days in the hospital, during which he said he became faint while standing. However, with his release, Buchholz said that he felt fine with normal activity, and he had been told that his ability to deal with more demanding (and athletic) forms of activity would return within a few days.

WEEI: Clay attended charity event on Wednesday

Radio shows on both WEEI & 98.5 The Sports Hub have already picked this apart and Michael Felger surely is looking to tear this apart... but this isn't anywhere close to the Beckett and golfing issue.

He's already on the DL, the team is en route to Seattle, and all he did was show up. No drinking, no jumping in the pool, none of that. All he did was go and enjoy himself and after being couped up in a hospital, why not go and blow some steam?

Plus, he already went to the clubhouse to see how his teammates are doing. So maybe we can just leave this one alone? We already have NBC Hardball spinning this as Buchholz as brave and Boston fans being heartless which is just as laughable as calling out Buchholz for just showing up to something.

Oh just so everyone knows, the Sox are in third place and are a game and half back from the Wild Card. Let's just focus on that.

Rest of the Links: Globe: Things are looking up | Lackey has made progress | Valentine reacts | Herald: Looking good Red Sox |  Papi continues to have a blast |  Darnell McDonald catches on |  Lester gets support in victory | CSNNE:  Leaving on a good note |  Buchholz returns to clubhouse after 5-day hospital stay | Sox have a couple trade chips | WEEI: Can Ortiz hit 500 homers? | What went right in win | Iglesias returns to PawSox

 

Recap: Sox lineup leads way to second straight win

The Sox concluded their homestand with a 10-4 win over Toronto this afternoon.

Jon Lester pitched adequately, yielding four runs over seven innings. He struck out just four, but didn't walk anybody. It at least beat the day Ricky Romero had. The Jays starter walked six and gave up seven hits over three innings. The Red Sox were up 10-1 after the 4th and never looked back.

I didn't watch the game, but the big standout of the box score is the difference in walks. The Blue Jays didn't walk all game; the Sox had seven reach base that way. Someone call Michael Lewis and tell him Moneyball is still working!*

Adrian Gonzalez continues to hit well. He drove in three runs out of the 5-hole, and is 12 for his last 36 at bats. Hopefully he can carry the good vibes out to Seattle, where the Sox kick off a seven-game West Coast road trip against the Mariners and Athletics. If they can perform well out there -- say, 5-2 -- they return to Fenway for a pre-All Star Break four-game series with the Yankees. It could be a good barometer of the team's potential to make a run.

Box score

* I hope you note that I realize this is not what Moneyball is about, and that the Red Sox don't apply because they throw money around like it's caviar on John Henry's yacht. Iz joke.

Beat Farming: Pawsox lose 9 straight

Who has the time to keep up with all of the Sox minor league teams? We'll do all the work to keep you updated with the beat on the farm.

Notable Performances:

Mauro Gomez (1B): 2-for-3, 2B

Pedro Ciriaco (2B): 2-for-3

Box Score

Notable Performances:

Jackie Bradley (DH): 3-for-5, 2 BB

Jeremy Hazelbaker (LF): 3-for-7, 2 RBI

Derrik Gibson (SS): 3-for-6, R

Peter Hissey (CF): 3-for-6, R

Josh Fields (RP): 3.2 IP, 0 H, BB, 4 K

Box Score