Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Recap: Sox hold on for 4-3 victory

(Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)

MLB.tv wasn't showing this game because the Mets where hosting the Cardinals on Fox (you figure that one out), so I had to actually listen to the game.  No offense to all you old-timers, but listening to a baseball game, when you're not in a car, is boring and awful and stupid.  Maybe I'm spoiled by all the moving pictures we have access to nowadays, but instead of being on the edge of my seat through the close game, I was literally forcing myself to pay attention.

Irrelevant rant aside, Lester sounded in command tonight.  The black mark on his night was a 3 run home run given up to something named Valbuena in the 7th to cut the Sox lead from 4-3.  He lasted 6 2/3, struck out 8 but did get tagged for 7 hits.  Good for a Lester start lately, but not so impressive against a Cubs lineup chalk full of mid-.200 hitters.  And Valbuena's.  Atchison notched the final out in the 7th, and Padilla and Aceves took it home.

The Sox offense was surprisingly not terrible.  Ortiz hit a double, scored two runs and walked twice.  Podsednik had another two hit game (plus and RBI).  Aviles  had a couple of hits.  Saltalamacchia had two hits as well, including a two-run home run in the 4th.  MIddlebrooks was the only other Sox batter to get a hit.  He also had an RBI, as well as an error.  But from the radio broadcast it sounded like that error wasn't the only trouble he had in the field, but, again, I didn't see anything, so I don't know what was going on at 3rd base.

Also, the Sox did end up placing Josh Beckett on the 15-day DL due to the inflammation in his shoulder.  Valentine said that they were going to take the conservative route with Joshy and have called up Mortensen to take his place. 

BOX SCORE

Recap: Dempster dominates, Sox shutout

Castro and Campana desperately try to get their belts unstuck from one another.  (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)

After the Sox erupted for 10 runs against the Marlins on Wednesday, folks hoped that the Sox offense was finally coming together.  Not so much.  The Sox were held scoreless, and amassed only 5 hits against Ryan Dempster and the Cubs on their way to a 3-0 loss.

If you want to get excited about something on the offensive side of the ball, Scott Podsednik is your man.  He was the only batter to get multiple hits and swiped 2nd base two times.  He even added a walk for good measure.  The only other Sox batters to get a hit were Papi, Sweeney and Aviles.  None for extra bases.  The game started promising enough.  Podsednik got on first then Pedroia walked.  Men on first and second with no outs?  With Gonzalez, Papi and Youk coming up?  Seemed like we'd at least get one run across the plate.  But then Gonzo struck out (wasn't he supposed to be some sort of Cubs killer?), Papi grounded to first and Pedroia was out at 2nd.  Then Youk lined out to right on a solidly hit ball.  Just like that, threat over.

Dice-K had a classic Dice-K game.  He came out of the gates looking downright awful.  He walked the first batter of the game, and spent the first two innings nibbling.  The Cubs scored two runs in the first, and one in the second thanks to a Ryan Dempster triple (he was driven in by DeJesus).  After he got through those two innings, it was pretty much smooth sailing.  He lasted 6 innings, allowed just 4 hits but walked 3 more batters.  He also had 3 K's.  Atchison pitched a hitless 7th and Melancon had a hitless 8th (with a walk). 

Tomorrow we get Lester versus decorated Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija in what should be an interesting matchup.  Assuming the Sox bats show up.

How we see it goin' down: Sox - Cubs series

First Pitch: Friday 2:20, Saturday 7:15, Sunday 8:00

Arms: Friday: Daisuke Matsuzaka, RHP (0-1, 7.20 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster, RHP (2-3, 2.31 ERA)

Saturday: Jon Lester, LHP (3-4, 4.57 ERA) vs. Jeff Samardzija, RHP (5-4, 3.96 ERA)

Sunday: Josh Beckett, RHP (4-7, 4.14 ERA) vs. Paul Maholm, LHP (4-5, 4.91 ERA)

                     Yard: Wrigley Field   Watch it:  NESN-Fri./ FOX-Sat./ESPN-Sun.  Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 31-32 (T-Last AL East)	Record: 21-42 (Last NL Central)
On road: 17-13	At home: 13-17
Streak: Won 2	Streak: Lost 2
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Podsednik (.373)	Average: LaHair (.303)
Homers: Ortiz (15)	Homers: LaHair/Soriano (12)
RBI: Ortiz (41)	RBI: Soriano (41)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Buchholz/Doubront (7)	Wins: Samardzija (6)
ERA: Beckett (4.14) | Atchison (1.32)	ERA: Dempster (2.31) | Corpas (1.80)
K's: Doubront (81)	K's: Samardzija (72)

Last time

The Red Sox took 2-of-3 from the Cubs at Fenway last May. Salty homered in each of the victories, but took a back seat to Gonzo's performance. Adrian Gonzalez went 11-for-15 in the series, with a double and 4 RBI, with all 4 RBI coming in game 1. Overall, the Sox had a very good offensive series.

This time

Laser Show: David Ortiz

Big Papi seems to be the only sure thing for the Red Sox right now. I guess we can put Podsednik in there, but Ortiz's can really break this series open with his power.

Pitch Around: Alfonso Soriano

Now a 36-year-old outfield, Alfonso Soriano is not as intimidating as he used to be. But, he still can hit for some pretty good power. Soriano has a career .297 average against the Sox with 12 homers and 22 stolen bases. He was a terror on the base paths as a member of the Yankees, and it always seemed to kill the Red Sox. I have a bad feeling about Soriano at the plate in this series.

Don't Fall Behind: Ryan Dempster

His record does not reflect how well he is pitching this season. He hasn't received the run support he deserved and the Red Sox cannot allow him to keep the score down. The Sox will need to attack early with Dice-K on the mound, because we know he won't keep the Cubs off of the scoreboard.

How we see it goin' down

The Cubs suck and the Red Sox should have the upper hand. I would say sweep, but Dice-K squashes all thoughts of that. The Red Sox will win another series, with a probable loss today and winning the next 2.

Theo outbids Sox, others for Cuban OF Jorge Soler

Via MLBTradeRumors, Joel Sherman of the NY Post reports that the Chicago Cubs have landed Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler.

The 20-year old had the second-most hype to the A's Yoenis Cespedes in the offseason, but couldn't get his paperwork settled in time to join the frenzy. It may have worked out anyway -- Soler is said to be a more complete player and might have a higher ceiling, but he's further away. Cespedes' success so far may have helped his market.

It's not a surprise that the Cubs got Soler. They're a couple years away from being relevant, and by then if they develop him well, Soler can be a key cog in their machine. Plus: International free agents are one of the few ways you can just throw money around these days. The new CBA has limited draft spending, so Theo and Co. must have believed that this was a worthwhile risk.

I thought the Red Sox might have similar reasoning, and their outfield situation isn't exactly set for the next few years. Sure, Carl Crawford, should he ever be able to use all limbs at once, will be there. But Jacoby Ellsbury is no sure thing depending on the sales job Scott Boras can put together for other GMs. And right field? Ryan Kalish looks nice and everything, but he's probably not a building block.

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The Youkilis trade speculation has begun!

This didn't take long. After Gordon Edes broke down why trading Youkilis makes perfect sense, the trade speculation has already been brought up and (unsurprisingly) points the Cubs would be suitors.

From the Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers:

The Cubs could use Youkilis too, of course. He’s the perfect guy to show a rebuilding lineup how to work a count and would bring a welcome intensity to Wrigley Field. But how many Red Sox-Cubs negotiations can Epstein and Cherington have, anyway? What could the Cubs give Boston that would help the Red Sox make the playoffs? Dempster, maybe. But if the Cubs do trade Dempster or Matt Garza don’t they have to get someone with staying power? Youkilis’ contract pays him $12 million this year with an option for $13 million next year. That’s a lot for any team to pay when it doesn’t have the expectation that he can help it make the playoffs.

While Youkilis may be an ideal veteran for the Cubs, it just doesn't make sense. For a team to get the most out of Youkilis, they would have to make him their first baseman, and for the Cubbies to make that happen, they would have to move their best hitter, Bryan LaHair, to the outfield. This means that Alfonso Soriano or David Dejesus is sitting out and unless they put one of them in that trade, they have to basically eat one of those contracts in order to move them. (And they better not be involved in a Cubs/Sox trade. Neither have hit a home run and they have only driven in 18 RBIs in 226 combined at-bats).

The Sox need pitching but it will take much more for the Sox to get either Dempster or Garza. Dempster is playing out of his mind with a 1.02 ERA (!!!!) in 35 1/3 innings pitched and can probably get two or three good prospects around the trade deadline. Maybe if the Sox pony up,eat Youk's contract ($12 million this season), but after an offseason of penny pinching, it would make no sense for them to do that and take on Dempster and his $14 million dollar salary. The same goes for Garza and his $9.5 million salary and little chance of re-signing him as he'll command a lot of cash in the free agency market.

But Rogers also talks about the other team in Chicago and it is a much better fit:

Marlon Byrd deal is done

Well, that didn't take long.  Say goodbye to Michael Bowden and hello to Marlon Byrd. 

CSNNE's Sean McAdam confirmed the trade via Twitter:

Baseball source: Byrd to Red Sox for Michael Bowden and PTBNL done. Cubs will pick up "most'' of Byrd's $6.5 million.

I don't know that Byrd is an upgrade over anybody, but it does give us some decent outfield depth.  And if the Cubbies are willing to pay for the majority of his contract, and we just have to give up Bowden (who we already gave up on)?  This was a no-brainer.

Cherington finally, FINALLY!, pulls off a good move... or maybe I'm just in a good mood thanks to the Sox' 9-0 lead on New York.

Sox nearing deal for Byrd; Crawford progressing

Marlon Byrd may not be productive at the plate, but he's a deep thinker (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

A few outfield updates for the Red Sox today.

First, Nick Cafardo of the Globe is reporting that the Red Sox are close to dealing for Marlon Byrd of the Cubs. I don't know that Marlon Byrd is the answer to anything, unless the question is "Which major leaguer has 3 singles through 43 at-bats?". 

And if you were wondering what a stat line with 3 singles through 43 at-bats looks like, well, I'll show you.  But you may want to remove any pregnant women or children from the room before you see this.  It's not for the faint of heart.

.070 average, .149 OBP, .070 SLG, .219 OPS

He makes Saltalamacchia look like Joe Dimaggio.

In fairness, Byrd batted .276 and .293 the previous two seasons so he's not always a terrible baseball player.  Maybe a  change of scenery will get him back on track.  And, if my memory serves me correctly, the last Bird to suit up in Boston had some success, so I'm optimistic. 

And WEEI has an update on Carl Crawford's progress:

Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford, on the disabled list while working his way back from surgery in January to repair his wrist and then a subsequent left elbow strain incurred last week, homered for the second time this week while participating in extended spring training games in Fort Myers. Crawford will have his elbow examined in Boston over "the next couple, three days," according to Sox manager Bobby Valentine, in order to make a determination of whether he is able to start playing the outfield.

While that's great news, Crawford never did had a problem batting in Florida. 

Your Morning Dump... Where this may just be a bad dream

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

The never-ending Theo Epstein compensation talks still have not ended.

Puzzled by the timing of the injury and yesterday’s surgery on the right elbow of reliever Chris Carpenter, the main chip the Red Sox [team stats] received in a deal with the Cubs that included three players and one executive, the Sox said yesterday they do not consider the talks officially over.

The club is weighing its options about what to do next, said a Red Sox source.

This raises the specter that the Red Sox possibly believe Carpenter was injured when he was traded to them on Feb. 21.

A baseball source indicated the teams agree there was no intent or prior knowledge by the Cubs that misled the Red Sox about Carpenter’s condition.

Herald - Source: Red Sox still want Cubs to talk

Apparently, killing Jason Vorhees is easier than swapping a GM for some mediocre prospects. 

When I saw that article this morning, I thought the folks at the Herald were pulling an early April Fool's Day prank.  I still kind of hope that they are. 

In this deal robbery molestation, the Cubs received the man that is overseeing their entire franchise.  The Red Sox obtained an OK pitcher with a pretty ho-hum ceiling.  Now we've learned that the Red Sox not only received an OK pitcher with a ho-hum ceiling, but an OK pitcher with a ho-hum ceiling and a bum elbow. 

And THAT is where the Red Sox are drawing the line!  Look, Red Sox brass: you got bamboozled.  You were outsmarted by "naive" Tom Ricketts.  You played this wrong from the beginning.  Bottom line: you lost.

Trying to save face at this stage is sad.  Just move on.  What do you want the Cubs to do to make this right?  Pass back one of their 32 year old career minor leaguers?  Is that how you're going to stick it to them?

For whatever reason you've taken Carpenter.  He wasn't going to make the majors this year if he had Nolan Ryan's elbow.  Let him have his surgery, then rehab, then do whatever you were going to do with him in the first place.  It's bone spurs, not torn ligaments.  I'm sure it's not career-threatening. 

And for the love of God, don't make us hear "Epstein" and "Compensation" in the same sentence ever again.

On Page 2, thanks to Magic Johnson the Red Sox are worth even more.

Bogaerts sent to the Cubs

I had a damn heart attack when I heard this news. When I regained consciousness, I learned it was Xander's brother, Jair.

ESPN Boston:

But the Sox announced Thursday that they were sending 19-year-old first baseman Jair Bogaerts to the Cubs as the player to be named later in the Epstein compensation deal.

Jair is a first baseman from the Dominican Summer League, who probably doesn't have as much of a shot at the majors as his brother does.

For those of you who haven't heard of Xander, he is the guy that will take the SS job from Iglesias within a few years. Bogaerts can deliver at the plate and has a solid glove. Don't worry about forgetting his name, I'll make sure you won't.

Your Morning Dump... Where the Sox may have recieved damaged goods from the Cubs

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

The player the Red Sox received as compensation from the Cubs for the hiring of former general manager Theo Epstein, righthanded reliever Chris Carpenter, is having elbow surgery on Thursday.

“Headed into surgery tomorrow with Dr Andrews to remove a bone spur in my elbow,’’ Carpenter tweeted on Wednesday. “Stayin positive and prepared to work harder than ever to come back as soon as I can this season.’’

Carpenter, 26, has appeared in only two major league spring training games and was not a candidate for the Opening Day roster.

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington confirmed that Carpenter is having surgery, but would not comment on whether the injury predated the Feb. 21 trade with the Cubs or when Carpenter might return.

Globe: Carpenter to have elbow surgery

This story... it just won't die. The Red Sox executives have screwed up everything in this situation. They lost all leverage once they let Theo out of his contract yet still managed to get something in return. But now there will be speculation about Carpenter's elbow. Did the Sox willingly take damaged goods?

Carpenter wasn't expected to be with in the Majors anyways so this has zero effect on the 40 man roster. Hell, if he ever does take the mound for the Sox it would be surprising to begin with. He was just the sacrifical lamb so both teams can move on. You would think they would pick a healthy player just so something like this never happened. Cherington should've just denied that Carpenter had elbow issues beforehand.

But now, questions will be asked, Cherington's ability as GM will be put into question, angry writers will point & laugh at the whole situation. You know, just the usual crap that happens between the media and this team. 

Opening Day can't come soon enough.

Rest of the Links: Globe:  Before they were Red Sox | Dice-K & Hill throw a simulated game | Herald: Aviles takes a weight and see approach | Push back but no rift between Cherington, Valentine | Sox, Cubs deal may need elbow room | The Aviles offseason workout | CSNNE:  Picking up the tempo | Schilling, Burks, Barrett in Sox HOF | Carpenter to undergo elbow surgery | WEEI: Give Aviles a chance | Theo's free agency mistakes still impacts Red Sox | Lackey apologizes for "retarded" comment