Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Your Morning Dump...where May bats are quiet

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.

In April, the entire lineup was filled with clutch hitters. The Sox batted .310 with runners in scoring position and averaged more than five runs a game. In May, however, they’ve collectively turned into Duane Kuiper in those situations, batting just .176, with the result being an anemic 3.8 runs a game.

Same hitters, different results. So what gives?

“The approach is there,” said hitting coach Greg Colbrunn. “As long as we continue to put ourselves into those type of situations, we’ll be fine. The approach is the same, but when you stop hitting, it gets magnified. You go through stretches where you hit the ball hard and have nothing to show for it.”

The Red Sox are clearly in the midst of something offensively as they prepare to open a three-game set at Tampa Bay tonight. They went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position in Sunday’s 12-4 loss to the Blue Jays, completing a series in which they went just 3-for-36 with a chance to drive in runs.

That’s not to say they didn’t put some good swings on the ball. In Thursday’s 5-3 loss to the Twins, DH David Ortiz went 0-for-5, but scorched the ball three times, including a liner to first to end the game. On Sunday, Dustin Pedroia stepped to the plate with two on in the third and grounded sharply to short for an easy, inning-ending double play.

“Pedroia hit the ball hard, right on the button, did everything right, and it ends up being a one-hopper and a double play,” Colbrunn said. “And so you’re saying, ‘Oh, no, another tying situation.’ We have to continue to stay confident and as long as the approach doesn’t change, then keep doing what you’re doing.”

Herald: Consistent approach will help Red Sox weather slump

I understand the Sox look like crap lately. They are 4-8 to start the month of May. But some of the reaction is a little over the top. Many have started to question if this is the same 2012 team all over again, just because of this latest slump. Yes it's quite the slump, but I can assure you this is a completely different ballclub than the 69-win chumps in '12.

People, you have to remember that this is a 162-game season. Even the best teams go through slumps. It's normal baseball. Like the article points out: sometimes you hit the snot out of the ball and it goes for a double off the wall and other times, it sails directly into a fielder's glove like a magnet. That's baseball.

However, the approach at the plate for the majority this season has been night and day compared to last year. The offense has glaringly improved. They are more patient taking pitches and not swinging wildly. Most importantly, they have produced timely, clutch hits.

Let's hope the off day in sunny Florida helped refresh the Sox. They're going to need it against an always difficult and talented division rival in the Rays. As long as the Sox bats maintain the approach at the plate they displayed in April, this offense will be fine. Now the bullpen...well that's another story...

Rest of the links- Herald: Johnny Gomes: Ray of hope after Devilish start | CSNNE.com: Red Sox off-day a break from 10-game slide | CSNNE.com: Report: Victorino not seriously hurt in collision | Globe: Red Sox are struggling with men on base | Projo: For Red Sox, long relievers are a thing of the past

Your Morning Dump... Where Lester changes the momentum

(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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 one-hitter, the complete game, the shutout, the perfect game through 52⁄3 innings, the six-pitch first inning, the pinpoint command of his fastball, the ground balls and weak swings he got on his two-seam fastball and changeup, his exploitation of an all-jacked-up-on-Mountain-Dew Blue Jays lineup: There was a great deal to admire about Jon Lester’s performance at Fenway Park last night.

Above all else, however, was that Lester put a stop to a Red Sox three-game slide and 3-6 start to May that was beginning to feel like a premature June swoon.

Last night, Lester bent down, picked the team up, and for at least one shining moment, reminded us all in a 5-0 win that this team can look like (and just may be) a very good team — especially when it gets starting pitching like that.

In a season in which Lester has been very good but Clay Buchholz has been a bit better, Lester put out his best effort when the team needed it the most.

That’s what stoppers do.

Herald - John Lester’s gem just what staggering Red Sox needed

As I stated in my recap last night, the best part of Lester's performance is that it whitewashes all the other nonsense surrounding the team at this moment.  I know it's only temporary.  The Sox have another game to play today.  Guys are still hurt.  Shaughnessy isn't going to just let himself fade from the spotlight; he'll try to keep dragging this Ortiz-PED thing around for a while longer, despite the fact that NO ONE wants to have that conversation right now.   

Now it's up to everyone else to keep that momentum going.  The Sox have to feel pretty good heading into today's game.  Buchholz is taking the mound, having thrown 7 innings of 2 hit ball against the Jays just 10 days ago.  You can't expect those types of numbers every time you face a team, but his confidence has to be pretty high.

It's really up to the offense to start picking up their play.  Hits haven't been a problem for them, it's getting those men home.  A large chunk of that has to fall on Papi's shoulders.  After coming out of the gates blazing, he hasn't had a multi-hit game all month (or any hits over his past 13 at-bats).  Napoli, who was an RBI machine the first month of the season is struggling to drive in runs too.  He has 5 RBIs in May, but 4 of those came on May 1st.  Those two guys are the key to making this work.

Rest of the links:

Herald - David Nava stepping up to star role | Jon Lester 1-hitter puts punctuation on win | Globe - Jon Lester nearly perfect in Red Sox’ 5-0 win over Blue Jays | Hanrahan weighing decision on surgery | WEEI - Jon Lester’s nearly perfect game highlights pitching growth since 2008 | Source: Will Middlebrooks playing with separated rib | CSNNE - Stars nearly align for Lester in one-hitter | Game Day Notes: Salty will have changeup nightmares

Your Morning Dump...Where Hanrahan is looking for a second opinion

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.

Now three days after walking off the mound with a strained right forearm, closer Joel Hanrahan continues to feel so much soreness that he’s having trouble gripping a baseball.

And so the Red Sox are seeking the opinions of two noted orthopedic surgeons.

The images from Hanrahan’s MRI exam have been sent to Dr. James Andrews and Dr. David Altchek. Based on the findings of the Sox’ medical staff, the MRI didn’t indicate structural damage to the elbow but confirmed a strain of the flexor mass, where the tendon meets the joint.

According to Hanrahan, there’s some question over whether the damaged tendon has been protecting the ligament as it’s supposed to. If the ligament has been affected, surgery may be a possibility, although the Sox hope that is an extreme scenario.

“That’s one of the things they’re looking at, to see how that ligament looks,” Hanrahan said. “I think you could probably go through this clubhouse and look at everybody’s ligament and it’s not going to be like a 12-year-old’s ligament. So that’s one thing they’ll look at, to see if that ligament has been compromised.”

The Red Sox expect to hear from Andrews and Altchek today. In the meantime, Hanrahan has been icing his arm and riding the exercise bike.

Herald: Notebook: Joel Hanrahan seeks second opinions

We all knew there would be a point in the season when Andrew Bailey would miss some time due to injury. Possibly extended time. And, that has happened.

Joel Hanrahan sucked a bit, missed some time, Andrew Bailey impressed, Hanrahan returned to eventually get his job back, now Junichi Tazawa is the man in the 9th inning. No one expected this situation.

Now Dr. James Andrews is in the picture, even though he is the best in the biz, we shouldn't expect a good outcome in terms of a timely return. This injury is worse than initially thought and the Sox are down both of their closers.

I guess losing 2 closers doesn't matter much because we haven't seen many save situations lately. This team is looking awful.

Related: Globe: Hanrahan seeking a second opinion | WEEI: Dr. James Andrews looking at Joel Hanrahan's arm images |

On Page 2, Did Adrian Gonzalez make David Ortiz a better hitter?

Recap: Buchholz leads way in win over Houston

Clay Buchholz became the first major league pitcher to reach five wins on the year, going 7 2/3 innings for the Sox in a 7-2 win over the University of Houston Astros tonight at Fenway.

Buchholz was sharp for the most part, yielding both runs early before settling in and mowing down Houston. He once again notched 10 strikeouts, and used just 119 pitches to get all the way into the 8th inning. His ERA climbed to 1.19 on the year. I guess we can handle that.

I wasn't wild about Farrell trotting him out there for the 8th. Buchholz has pitched more than 92 innings just twice in six professional seasons (five if you want to discount three appearances in 2007) and is pretty slight of build. He's also battled consistency issues. I'd rather not take the chance that he's going to wear down by June or July and either lose his effectiveness or get a little dead arm going.

Three points of note about this game:

1. The Red Sox offense jumped on Astros starter Phillip Humber, scoring four runs in the 1st. It's kind of an obvious statement, but I love when teams can get out and score early. The inning was also a testament to the lineup's depth, as Pedroia, Ortiz, Carp, and Salty all got RBIs in the effort.

2. David Ortiz continued his hot hitting with three hits, including his first homer of the year. Off the bat it didn't look like he got all of it, but it just kept carrying out to dead-center. Also worth mentioning that Papi was moving decently on the bases. He's still the slowest guy on the team -- maybe even slower than ex-pat Adrian Gonzalez -- but he wasn't grimacing or hobbling as badly as he has been.

3. Daniel Bard made his first appearance of the year and was perfectly adequate. He gave up on hit -- a hard-hit ball to right field -- but didn't let things get carried away and finished it off. You can't have a much more easy-going situation in the majors than a non-save situation at home against the Astros, so it's good to see him be able to settle in and just focus on pitching.

The Sox climb to 15-7 on the year and continue hosting the Astros Saturday with Felix Doubront on the bump.

Box score

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Your Morning Dump...Where Sox players express some feelings after the win

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.

"I didn't know what to expect," said Jonny Gomes. "What I did feel today I've never felt before."

An emotional pregame ceremony left few dry eyes.

"A moment of silence for the people who aren't here, to a couple seconds later applauding the heroes, and then a baseball game breaks out," said Gomes as he recalled each aspect of the pregame events.

For Clay Buchholz, it was difficult to keep himself composed for the game at hand.

"Pretty emotional," said Buchholz of the atmosphere. "It's at times tough to restrain yourself. It was awesome that that game could've been finished that way. I don't think you could've written it any better."

CSNNE: Red Sox react to emotional day at Fenway

It was a very emotional day and it was done well by the organization and everyone who was involved. The book isn't closed on this situation and there is still a lot to be done with the investigation. For now, it is a victory for the city of Boston and the mood at Fenway park expressed just that.

We can attempt to return to normal life and get caught up in this awesome 7-game win streak that the Sox have put together. I'm not sure if many people have paid much attention to the standings as of late, but the Sox and Yankees are 1-2 in the standings, respectively. The two teams that most "experts" expected to be 4-5 in the standings. I know it's early, but it is hard not to get excited about this.

On Page 2, the FCC Chairman stands with Big Papi's pregame F-bomb.

Recap: Boston, Red Sox win

(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

I started writing some nonsense about how the Sox 4-3 victory over the Royals this afternoon was symbolic of the city of Boston in the wake of the Marathon tragedy.  'Never give up' and all that.  But America's pastime is meant to be a reprieve from all of that.  As a wrote this morning, this game was a great way to clear our minds of this past week, enjoy a pitching duel, and if we're lucky, some David Ortiz bombs.

Well, Ortiz delivered the bombs; just not the ones we were expecting, with his fiery "This is our f@#$ing city" speech. He also went 2-4 with an RBI single.  Can't tell you how great it is to have him back.

Clay Buchholz threw 8 solid innings of 8 hit ball (2 runs 6 K's) and picked up his third win on the year.  Those two runs did raise his ERA to 0.90, however.  And James Shields continues to pitch really really well against Boston, allowing just 4 hits and 1 run, while striking out 8 batters.  But to their credit, Sox batters chased Shield out of the game after the 6th inning by forcing him to throw tons of pitches.  If you can't beat him, tire him out.  It worked.

The offense wasn't great (Papi was the only batter with multiple hits), but it didn't need to be.  Daniel Nava delivered the knockout punch this afternoon with a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 8th.  Bailey picked up the save, despite allowing a home run of his own in the 9th. 

I tip my cap to the Red Sox this afternoon.  Hell of a job.

BOX SCORE

David Ortiz has a subtle message for terrorists

And the f*cking legend of David Ortiz grows...

Your Morning Dump...where Ortiz wraps up in Pawtucket

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 far as David Ortiz and Pawtucket Red Sox manager Gary DiSarcina are concerned, that’s where the Boston designated hitter should be Friday night when the team begins a homestand against Kansas City.

“My idea [during this rehab assignment] was to put the ball in play so I could run and see how it felt,” Ortiz said Thursday of his injured right Achilles’ tendon, after Pawtucket was belted, 14-5, by Lehigh Valley. “I got the chance to taste that. It feels good.

“I think I’ll go back to the big team [Friday] and try to keep it compact. I’m old enough to know to keep it compact. But my main key was to make sure my foot was fine.”

Red Sox manager John Farrell also believes Ortiz will be back on Friday, too.

“All things are pointing to his returning tomorrow when we get off this trip,’’ Farrell said before the Sox played the Indians at Cleveland. “To have his presence in the middle of the order certainly speaks for itself for the number of years and success he’s had. We certainly look forward to seeing him in the clubhouse tomorrow.”

Globe: David Ortiz homers in rehab assignment finale

After the Red Sox finished their sweep of the Indians and added to their six-game winning streak, they are about to get a whole lot stronger as David Ortiz is set to rejoin the club.

There will unlikely be a game tonight, given this horrendous lockdown situation in Boston.

Be safe everyone.

Rest of the links - Globe: Red Sox homecoming will aid the healing | Globe: Allen Webster waits for big break with Red Sox | Herald: Sox now ready to hit home | Herald: Big Papi, bigger night | Herald: Jon Lester, Sox up in arms | Herald: Very meaningful Boston homecoming for Sox | CSNNE.com: The 'pen is mightier than . . . well, anything

Your Morning Dump...where Papi is on his way back

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.

David Ortiz was scheduled to play in his third game for the Pawtucket Red Sox, Sunday, slotted in to hit third for the PawSox. But prior to the game at McCoy Stadium against Rochester, the designated hitter was scratched due to illness.

“There’s kind of a sinus funk traveling through our clubhouse,” said Red Sox manager John Farrell after his team’s 5-0 win over the Rays at Fenway Park. “He fell victim to it today, so he was a late scratch.”

Ortiz has gotten just seven at-bats with the PawSox during his four days scheduled to be with the Triple-A team, notching three hits. Pawtucket is home for the next four games, taking on Lehigh Valley. If all goes well, there would seem to be a possibility that the DH might join the Red Sox when they return home from a three-game road trip in Cleveland, Friday.

WEEI | David Ortiz scratched in Pawtucket due to illness

Everything is going pretty well without Ortiz, but I think we can all agree that his return will be welcomed. JBJ just isn't ready -- and that's not a criticism, he's just young -- and Ortiz's return allows Bradley the chance to go down to Pawtucket and get his at bats in in an easier environment.

Meanwhile, the rest of the lineup shakes out once you plunk Papi into the cleanup spot. Napoli and Middlebrooks shift down. Nava and Gomes get to do a true platoon in left. The top of the lineup has a proven bat behind them to knock them in.

He may be getting older, and he may be coming back from a day-to-day injury that turned into a nine-month injury, but I still expect Ortiz to be close to what we've known him as. He'll push 30 homers, he'll get on base, he'll drive in runs. But hopefully he'll also provide that psychological boost that can come with a big bat in the middle of the lineup: No one will quite feel the pressure to be The Man once The Man returns.

On page 2, Joel Hanrahan will be out for the next few days.

Your Morning Dump...Where Ortiz is making progress

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.

“I thought David was outstanding,” DiSarcina said. “He swung the bat really well and came out of it once again pretty healthy. I think he has normal soreness from playing.

“He ran the bases a little bit and progressed.”

Pawtucket had a doubleheader Saturday but Ortiz played only the first game, which was a makeup of Friday night’s rainout. Ortiz went 1 for 4 with a run and two RBIs as Pawtucket prevailed, 7-1. He left McCoy Stadium without addressing the media.

Ortiz will continue his rehab assignment Sunday when Pawtucket hosts Rochester.

“He knows his body better than anyone,” Di­Sarcina said. “He’s rehabbed before. He knows how many at-bats he needs to be able to get out of here and be with his teammates in Boston.

“It’s cold out there. He had three at-bats [Thursday night] and ran around the bases. Ultimately it’s his call regarding what he wants to do."

Globe: David Ortiz shows progression in second game of rehab assignment with Pawtucket Red Sox

Ok, now we can start to feel optimistic about David Ortiz. He is making significant progress at the highest level of competition before the majors and is running the bases. Sure, he will feel sore and tired, because of the lack of running and conditioning during the winter, and it is has been pretty cold in Pawtucket for April since their home season began.

Ortiz is putting the bat on the ball, and looking like set-backs are a thing of the past. Now that I have said it, Ortiz will probably suffer a set-back today.

On Page 2, Joel Hanrahan's legs are to blame for his awful performances