A Red Sox Dynasty: 1995-????

[Moriarty9]

Murphy's law says Sox victorious
Manny's understudy stars in Game 1 win

BOSTON - With Manny Ramirez wearing a cast on his foot in the Red Sox dugout, it was David Murphy that got the starting nod in left field and came up with the Manny-esque heroics in the end.
Murphy went 1-for-4 with a walk and scored two runs, driving in the game-winning run with a walk-off single in the last of the ninth inning.
With the game tied at 5-5 and southpaw reliever Chad Zerbe on the mound, Boston mounted a rally. Ryan Howard led the inning off with a double, prompting Zerbe to intentionally walk Matt Kemp and set up the force outs at first, second and third. Nick Markakis grounded out, advancing the runners to second and third, prompting Zerbe to intentionally walk Hanley Ramirez to load the bases with no out and the left-handed Murphy due at the plate. Murphy singled in Howard from third, giving Boston the win and a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-seven ALCS.
Murphy was also a key to Boston scoring in the second and fourth innings, as well as the ninth. In the last of the second inning, Murphy was one of three Red Sox hitters to draw a walk, loading the bases with one out. Markakis scored on an Ichiro Suzuki single and Murphy came across the plate on a Victor Martinez sacrifice fly to left field.
In the fourth inning, Murphy led off the inning with a triple, later scoring on a Suzuki single, extending Boston's early lead to 3-0.
Detroit scored in the fifth with the Red Sox countering in the seventh as Kemp hit a solo homer, making it 4-1 Boston.
The wheels fell off for Sox starter Johan Santana in the top of the eighth inning as he let up back-to-back basehits before being replaced by lefty Terry Allen, who entered the game with two men in scoring position, nobody out and a three-run lead threatened with the tying run at the plate in the person of Endy Chavez, who greeted Allen with a two-run double to right field. Maicer Izturis singled, putting men on the corners, just before Chad Tracy singled in the game-tying run. Allen rebounded with a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play as Curtis Granderson whiffed and Tracy was nabbed trying to take second base. Detroit refused to give in, however, as J.J. Hardy doubled in the go-ahead run and the Tigers led 5-4 after 7 1/2 innings.
Dan Uggla got the ball rolling for Boston in the last of the eighth as he hit a two-out double, was advanced to third on a Suzuki single and scored on a Martinez single, tying the game at 5-5 before the Red Sox rallied for the walk-off win in the ninth.

NLCS Game 1: Philadelphia v. San Francisco
PHILADELPHIA - The San Francisco Giants took a 1-0 lead in the NLCS with a 4-0 shutout at Citizens Bank Park.
Homer Bailey (11-7, 4.25 ERA) had his second impressive start of the post-season, throwing seven shutout innings, yielding three hits, three walks and striking out three.
Chad Walton (.199, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 186 AB) and Chris Duffy (.259, 2 HR, 34 RBI, 394 AB) each hit solo home runs for the Giants.

[Moriarty9]

Boston pounds out 17 hits, Game 2 win
Red Sox take 2-0 lead in ALCS

BOSTON - The Red Sox are one game closer to a return trip to the World Series after defeating the Detroit Tigers 8-5.
Each player in the Boton lineup picked up at least one hit in the contest, with six collecting multiple hits. Dan Uggla went 4-for-4 with a RBI while Matt Kemp went 2-for-4 with three runs and two RBI with a two-run home run and Hanley Ramirez went 1-for-4 with a pair of runs, two RBI and a solo home run. Ichiro Suzuki, Ryan Howard and David Murphy picked up two hits each.
Roy Oswalt gave up four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out four over seven innings to pick up the win. Tommy Phelps, Jonathan Papelbon and Joe Nathan combined for two innings, giving up one run on two hits.


NLCS Game 2: Philadelphia v. San Francisco
PHILADELPHIA - Travis Hafner's pair of home runs powered the Phillies past the San Francisco Giants, 7-2.
Hafner hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning and a three-run shot in the eighth inning. He finished the day going 2-for-5 with a pair of runs and five RBI.
Josh Hamilton hit a solo home run for Philadelphia.

[Moriarty9]

Red Sox blow lead but manage win
Tigers in win or go home situation

DETROIT - The Boston Red Sox went into the last of the ninth inning expecting to take home a win. They came up away victorious but it took a little longer than they had hoped.
Working with a five-run lead (thanks in large part to a Matt Kemp grand slam in the third inning), Boston manager Kevin Kennedy brought in reliever Pat Neshek who was hit for four runs, three earned, in just one-third of an inning. Red Sox closer Joe Nathan came in to finish off the Tigers rally but allowed all inherited runners and one of his own to come across the plate to tie the game and force extra innings.
Boston fought back in the top of the 10th inning when Hanley Ramirez drew a walk, was advanced by a David Murphy single and scored on a Dan Uggla double. Victor Martinez followed with a two-run double, making it a three-run ballgame.
Reliever Joba Chamberlain came on to pitch the last of the 10th inning and picked up the save with a scoreless inning of work.


NLCS Game 3: Philadelphia v. San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO - The Phillies took a 2-1 NLCS lead over the Giants thanks to a six-run fourth inning in which 10 Philadelphia hitters came to the plate.
Augie Ojeda led off the inning with a walk and was advanced by a Kenji Johjima single. A Johnny Damon single scored Ojeda and pushed Johjima to second. Both runners moved up a base after a wild pitch during an at bat that ultimately led to a walk of Yunel Escobar to load the bases. Ryan Braun followed with a two-run single and Travis Hafner with a two-run double. Josh Hamilton greeted reliever George Sherrill with a RBI single before Sherrill buckled down to retire the next two batters an bring an end to the inning.

[Moriarty9]

Red Sox win pennant ... again
Boston tops Tigers 8-5
October 16, 2009

DETROIT - The Boston Red Sox will be back in the World Series after sweeping the Tigers in four games.
Boston put together an 8-5 victory with Josh Johnson on the mound but lost right fielder Nick Markakis in the process. Markakis was injured running the bases and replaced by Reggie Willits. Tests at a Detroit hospital showed Markakis strained a ligament, an injury that will place him alongside Manny Ramirez on the Boston bench during the World Series. He had been 2-for-3 with a double and a run before the injury.
Victor Martinez paced the team with a 3-for-5 performance, including a run and a RBI. Ryan Howard had two hits.


NLCS Game 4: Philadelphia v. San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO - The Giants are facing elimination after dropping Game 4 to the Philadelphia Phillies by an 8-6 score.
Ryan Braun and Augie Ojeda homered for the Phillies, who scored one run in each of the last three innings of the game.

[Moriarty9]

Phillies to face Boston in World Series

Game 5
The San Francisco Giants held on to live another day as they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 in Game 5 of the NLCS.
Jacoby Ellsbury hit a two-run home run for the Giants and Rich Aurilia went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Ryan Vogelsong picked up the win, giving up two runs on five hits, three walks and five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings of work. Jeremy Accardo earned the save with 2 2/3 innings of shutout ball.

Game 6
Giants hurler Homer Bailey only got two runs of support but it was more than he needed as San Francisco has forced a Game 7 with a 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Bailey pitched eight shutout innings, giving up four hits, four walks and striking out four. Jeremy Accardo pitched a scoreless ninth inning, including two strikeouts, for the save. After homering in Game 5, Jacoby Ellsbury drove in both of San Francisco's runs in Game 6 with a two-run triple in the fourth inning. Ellsbury has 12 RBI in the playoffs.

Game 7
It took three runs in the seventh inning, but the Philadelphia Phillies won the National League pennant with a 5-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants in Game 7.
Philly entered the home half of the seventh stuck in a 2-2 tie before putting together a three-run inning courtesy of a Kenjo Johjima two-run double and a pinch-hit home run from Angel Fernandez.
Yovani Gallardo pitched well for the Phillies, giving up two runs on three hits and five walks, striking out eight over seven innings of work.

[Moriarty9]

Johjima, Phillies take Game 1
Santana takes complete game loss
Friday, October 23, 2009

PHILADELPHIA - The Boston Red Sox struck first in Game 1 of the World Series but its not who scores the first run, its who has the most runs in the end. On this fall evening, it was the Phillies by a hair.
With the team in a National League ballpark and outfielders Manny Ramirez and Nick Markakis out for the Fall Classic, the Boston lineup underwent a few changes before the biggest set of games all season. It looked okay at the start as new leadoff man Hanley Ramirez singled to end an eight-pitch at bat and soon scored on a sacrifice fly to center field from Ryan Howard.
The Red Sox doubled their lead in the fourth inning when Victor Martinez crossed the plate on a bases loaded two-out single from Dan Uggla, making it 2-0 Boston.
The Phillies responded in the home half of the inning with a two-run triple from Kenji Johjima, who then scored from third on a Fernando Tatis grounder to give Philadelphia a 3-2 lead.
Boston tied the game at three runs apiece in the fifth with a RBI single from Howard, only for Phillies outfielder Josh Hamilton to score on an error at third base in the sixth inning and give Philadelphia a 4-3 lead.
The Red Sox went down quietly in the seventh and eighth innings but attempted a come back in the ninth inning with Phillies closer Joakim Soria on the mound.
David Murphy and Uggla opened the inning with singles, putting the tying run in scoring position and the potential go-ahead run on base with nobody out. Soria then buckled down and proceeded to strike out the next three batters to end the ballgame.

[Moriarty9]

Red Sox squander five run lead, down 2-0
Phillies scrape together six runs in final four innings
Friday, October 23, 2009

PHILADELPHIA - The Phillies have taken a 2-0 advantage in the World Series after a come from behind victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 2.
The game started much as it did in Game 1, with Hanley Ramirez scoring in the first inning; this time from the back door on a double play ball.
The Red Sox bolstered their lead to 5-0 in the fifth inning after three straight hits, an error by right fielder Travis Buck and two groundouts.
Boston starter Roy Oswalt had been cruising along without any real bump in the road until Ryan Braun hit a two-out solo home run in the last of the sixth inning, getting the Phillies on the board.
In the seventh inning, Philadelphia trimmed Boston's lead once again. Josh Hamilton reached on an error by first baseman Ryan Howard, which was followed by a single from Buck and wild pitch to put both men in scoring position. After an Augie Ojeda strikeout, Kenji Johjima hit a RBI single and pinch-hitter Johnny Damon drew a walk to load the bases. Jose Mares hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-3 before Yunel Escobar singled and Johjima rounded third for home only to be thrown out at the plate.
Left-handed reliever Terry Allen entered the game in the eighth, looking to bridge the gap between Oswalt and closer Joe Nathan, but that bridge was quickly burned.
Braun greeted Allen with a solo home run to lead off the inning, making it a one-run game. Allen then loaded the bases with a single sandwiched by a pair of walks before Boston manager Kevin Kennedy brought in Jonathan Papelbon to put out the bases loaded, nobody out fire. Pinch-hitter Dave Ross grounded into a double play that allowed the tying run to score before Papelbon surrendered a RBI double to Johjima, giving Philadelphia a 6-5 lead.
Joakim Soria came on for the Phillies in the ninth and retired the side in order.

[Moriarty9]

Phillies one win from title
Red Sox hit hard for 9-3 loss
Sunday, October 25, 2009

BOSTON - The Philadelphia Phillies are now one win away from winning the World Series after handing the Red Sox a 9-3 loss in Game 3.
As was the case in the first two games of the series, the road team scored in the top of the first inning - this time around it was Travis Hafner hitting a RBI double to make it 1-0 Phillies.
Philadelphia added to their lead in the fourth inning with a bases loaded two-run double off the bat of Jose Mares. Fernando Tatis tried to add a little bit more to the lead on a fly ball to right field from Yunel Escobar but was nailed at the plate by Matt Kemp's throw home.
Boston countered in the home half of the fourth with a leadoff homer from Miguel Cabrera, trimming Philadelphia's lead to 3-1.
Travis Buck followed suit in the sixth inning, hitting a leadoff home run off his own, putting the Phillies back on top by three runs.
Kemp cut that lead to one run in the last of the sixth inning with a two-run blast to make it 4-3.
Working with a slim lead, the Philadelphia bullpen shut down the Boston lineup the remainder of the game while the Phillies added five insurance runs to give them a 9-3 win.
Escobar went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs and a RBI in the contest. Mares, Hafner, David Ross and Kenji Johjima had two hits each for the Phillies.
Cabrera went 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs and a RBI while DH Todd Helton picked up a pair of hits in the loss.

[Moriarty9]

Phillies win World Series
Red Sox swept in Fall Classic
Monday, October 26, 2009

BOSTON - The Philadelphia Phillies are baseball's champions for 2009 as they complete a four-game sweep of the Red Sox in the World Series.
The Phillies won 7-1 as Kyle Davies gave up one run on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts with 7 1/3 innings of work.
Fernando Tatis and Josh Hamilton each homered in the ballgame for Philadelphia.

[Moriarty9]

Red Sox trade Nathan
Kuo to be compete for closer's job
November 14, 2009

BOSTON - The Red Sox front office is under fire on local sports talk radio as fans voiced their displeasure with a trade sending popular closer Joe Nathan to the St. Louis Cardinals.
In return, Boston acquired closer Hong-Chih Kuo and $2.5 million from St. Louis.
Nathan, 34, will be paid $7.3 million in 2010 after the Red Sox picked up his contract option earlier this week. Kuo will be paid just under $4 million.
Nathan expressed surprise with the trade to St. Louis, who finished 19 games back in the NL Central in 2009.
"I thought I'd retire in Boston but I guess that just wasn't in the cards," the closer said. "I really enjoyed my time here but they've decided to make a move for whatever reason. I can only guess it's a money thing because they exercised the option and picked up some cash in the deal. I wish I knew more about the decision but what can ya do? It's a business."
Nathan went 5-3 with 37 saves and a 3.51 ERA in 57 appearances out of the Red Sox bullpen in 2009. In 11 big league seasons, 10 of which have been with Boston, Nathan has gone 34-30 with 229 saves and a 3.25 ERA. He was a starting pitcher during his rookie season with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998, going 3-7 with a 6.29 ERA in 12 starts. He worked out of the bullpen after being traded to Boston, making just one start in 412 appearances with the Red Sox. He became the team's closer in 2004, going 4-4 with 34 saves and a 1.83 ERA in 56 games. He is a three-time All Star and won the 2006 AL Cy Young award by going 6-4 with 47 saves and a 2.27 ERA in 65 games.
Kuo, a 28-year-old lefty, has five years of big league experience - all with the Cardinals. He went 1-5 with 30 saves and a 4.06 ERA in 57 games with St. Louis. Kuo was one of the NL's elite setup men in 2006 and 2007. He went 2-1 with 2 saves and a 2.35 ERA in 58 games in 2006, 4-1 with a pair of saves and a 2.30 ERA in 75 appearances in 2007. In his career, Kuo is 15-16 with 73 saves and a 3.09 ERA in 314 appearances. He was an All Star as a rookie in 2005 as the Cardinals closer, going 3-5 with 31 saves and a 3.03 ERA in 62 games.
Kuo will be introduced to the media at a Fenway Park press conference later in the week.
He is expected to compete with Jonathan Papelbon and Joba Chamberlain for the closer's job in the spring.

[Moriarty9]

Sox add Misch to closer race
Neshek dealt by Boston
November 15, 2009

BOSTON - The day after trading closer Joe Nathan, the Red Sox acquired a candidate for the now vacant closer's role by dealing reliever Pat Neshek to the Detroit Tigers for Patrick Misch and $500,000.
Misch went 4-4 with 47 saves and a 2.76 ERA in 65 games with Detroit in 2009. The 28-year-old lefty has three years in the big leagues, working as the Tigers closer in each of those seasons. Misch has improved each season, going 4-10 with 24 saves and a 4.16 ERA in 2007, 3-6 with 31 saves and a 3.66 ERA in 2008, and notching a career best 47 saves and 2.76 ERA in 2009. He earned a spot on the AL All Star team this past summer.
"Patrick is a pretty good pitcher who has had success and is on an upward trend," Boston GM Shaun Moriarty said today. "Whether he wins the closer's job or it goes to Kuo, Papelbon or Joba, his acquisition really helps to bolster what was already a good bullpen."
Neshek had pitched well with Boston over the last couple seasons but struggled in 2009. The 29-year-old right hander went 4-5 with a 5.65 ERA in 44 appearances this season after going 3-0 with four saves and a 2.67 ERA in 44 games in 2008. He is 13-8 with 8 saves and a 3.80 ERA in 157 lifetime appearances, all with the Red Sox.

[Moriarty9]

Delcarmen comes home to Boston
Uggla dealt to Cincinnati in five-player swap
Wednesday, November 23, 2009

BOSTON - The Red Sox continued to move salary and retinker the bullpen today when it traded Dan Uggla and pitchers Tommy Phelps and David Pauley to the Cincinnati Reds for pitchers Manny Delcarmen and Eric McAllister.
Uggla, 29, was Boston's starting secondbaseman the last three seasons and has displayed good power for a middle infielder. In 2009, Uggla hit .243 with 21 home runs and 67 RBI in 132 games. In his four-year career, he has hit .260 with 60 homers and 215 RBI. He will make more than $2.3 million in 2010 with Cincinnati.
"There had been some rumors that this might happen and its the nature of the beast," Uggla said. "It's a team with a long history and they won their division this year so hopefully I can help them get a little further in the playoffs and win a World Series there."
Red Sox GM Shaun Moriarty said Dustin Pedroia is the leading candidate to replace Uggla at second base. Pedroia, 26, hit .285 in 54 games with 3 home runs, 17 RBI and 24 runs.
Delcarmen, a Boston native, worked as the Reds closer in 2009, going 5-6 with 31 saves and a 2.75 ERA in 57 games. He has saved at least 31 games in five of his six big league seasons and has posted a career record of 18-34, 165 saves and a 3.01 ERA.
"I'm thrilled to be coming home to Boston," Delcarmen said in a conference call. "I grew up there watching Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson there and a big part of me always wanted to be in that bullpen out there in rightfield at Fenway."
Phelps, 35, became expendable with recent acquisitions that made him one of four left-handed relievers on the pitching staff. Phelps went 2-3 with a save and a 5.15 ERA in 44 games in 2009. In his eight-year big league career, Phelps has gone 18-23 with six saves and a 4.01 ERA in 228 games.
Pauley, 26, has gone 26-10 with a 4.20 ERA in his minor league career. He went 6-8 with a 5.66 ERA in 21 starts with AAA Pawtucket in 2009.
McAllister, a 20-year-old southpaw, was the fifth overall pick of the 2007 draft. He went 2-3 with a 3.35 ERA in six starts in AAA in 2009, 10-8 with a 2.50 ERA in 25 starts at the AA level. In his brief minor league career, McAllister has posted a 37-27 record with a 3.12 ERA.

[Moriarty9]

Howard inks major deal with Atlanta
Slugger bolts Boston for Braves
Monday, January 11, 2010

ATLANTA - Ryan Howard will return to the National League but as a much richer man than when he left it.
Howard today officially signed a four-year deal with the Atlanta Braves worth $91.56 million. The deal has three guaranteed seasons with a player option for the 2013 season worth $22.89 million.
Carl Salter, who guided the Braves to an 83-79 record in his first season as skipper, said Howard will be the centerpiece of the team's lineup and be batting third come Opening Day.
"Ryan Howard is a special talent, that much is clear," Salter said. "He's going to make a huge impact in this lineup and add the kind of bat that we really need to get over the hump and make a run for the pennant and the World Series."
Howard was paid $7.14 million in 2009 with the Boston Red Sox and had originally asked the team for a contract extension worth more than $30 million annually. The team balked and Howard became a free agent.
While many teams did not offer a contract to Howard because of his fiscal demands, the Red Sox did offer a $15 million per year contract which was significantly topped by a few teams, including the Braves.
"The Braves are a strong, competitive team and hopefully we'll be able to do what we weren't able to do in Boston in the fall," Howard said in a press conference at Turner Field.
"The Red Sox made their offer but it just wasn't in the ballpark," Howard said. "I enjoyed my time there but it's time to move on and I look forward to a new chapter in my career."
Red Sox GM Shaun Moriarty said he was not surprised that Howard would not be returning to Boston.
"We had talked to Ryan in the spring and had a few informal talks throughout the season but he made it clear that he was looking for more money than we could give him," Moriarty said. "We wish Ryan the best of luck in Atlanta."
Howard has taken home a number of awards in his career, including the 2004 National League Rookie of the Year, 2005 NL MVP, 2007 AL MVP and was an All Star in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
He hit .313 with 58 home runs, 149 RBI and 126 runs in 151 games in 2009. In the playoffs last year, Howard hit .326 with four homers and 14 RBI in 11 games.
In his six-year career, Howard has hit .318 with 326 home runs and 848 RBI. Astonishingly, he has never hit fewer than 48 home runs or 120 RBI in a season. In 190 lifetime at bats in the playoffs, Howard has hit .300 with 20 home runs and 54 RBI.
As compensation, Boston will receive Atlanta's first round draft pick.

[Moriarty9]

Martinez signs with Rays
Catcher changes allegiance
Thursday, February 11, 2010

TAMPA BAY - The Boston Red Sox lost another member of their AL championship team today when catcher Victor Martinez signed with the Rays.
Martinez, 31, signed a three-year deal worth $46.24 million with Tampa Bay that runs through the 2012 season. He will make $13.87 million in 2010, $15.42 million in 2011, and $16.95 million in 2012.
Tampa Bay manager Brian Cooper said Martinez would likely hit third in the lineup, ahead of firstbaseman Ben Broussard. Martinez will serve as the second string catcher and work primarily as the designated hitter for the club with defensive wizard Carlos Vargas as the regular catcher.
A three-time All Star, Martinez is a .316 lifetime hitter with 103 home runs and 512 RBI over seven seasons. He hit .310 with 14 home runs and 82 RBI in 2009.
As was the case in Ryan Howard's signing with the Atlanta Braves, Boston will be awarded a first round compensation draft pick.

[Moriarty9]

Neck injury puts Kemp on shelf
Outfielder likely out for year
Wednesday, March 10, 2010

FORT MYERS, FL - Having lost the bats of Ryan Howard and Victor Martinez to free agency, the Boston Red Sox lost another key member of their lineup with a neck injury to outfielder Matt Kemp.
Kemp, 25, suffered a neck injury while trying to make a diving catch during a spring training game this afternoon. Red Sox manager Kevin Kennedy said the team's training staff has suggested he may not be able to play at all during 2010. Kennedy said the team will hold out hope that the season will not be a complete loss for Kemp in hopes he may be able to return by season's end, even if in a limited role.
Kemp hit .353 with 30 home runs, 100 RBI, 130 runs and 38 stolen bases for Boston in 2009. In last year's post-season, Kemp hit .333 with four home runs and 11 RBI in 10 games.

[Moriarty9]

HEADLINE
Subhead
Monday, March 15, 2010

NEW YORK - The 2010 amateur draft, based out of Major League Baseball's corporate offices in New York City, was held today.
Pitcher Robinson "Coffin" Salas was taken with the first overall pick of the amateur draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. Salas, a 17-year-old southpaw from Millvale, Pennsylvania, throws a fastball, changeup, curveball and splitter. He is expected to start the year with Class A Winnipeg.
The first three picks in the draft were pitchers. The Minnesota Twins took Rob McCauley with the second pick of the draft. McCauley is a 22-year-old Missouri native who was a starting pitcher with the Penn State Nittany Lions. The third pick of the draft was 22-year-old Nour Kunjufu. A native Liberian, Kunjufu - or "Wolf" as his teammates called him at Elm Grove College - is expected to begin his professional career with the Class A Eunice Diamondbacks.
Andrew Fussell, a 19-year-old third baseman from Jackson, Mississippi, was the first position player taken in the draft with the fourth pick overall.


Boston headline
subhead

BOSTON - With the 26th pick of the draft, the Red Sox selected infielder Fernando Hernandez.
From Plum, Pennsylvania, Hernandez was a solid amateur hitter and spent most of his time at second base, although he had time at first base as well.
Boston's other first round pick was 22-year-old catcher Brian St. John out of Watertown, New York. St. John, a left-handed batter out of Mena College, is a strong defensive catcher with a strong bat.
Their first pick in the second round of the draft (a compensation pick from Tampa Bay's signing of Victor Martinez), was Adrian Gaines, a 22-year-old left-handed outfielder with amazing speed and good power.
Other draft picks made by the Red Sox include secondbaseman Frank Moore, 19 of Arkansas; outfielder Todd Saunders, 19 of Riverside, California; pitcher Antonio Vasquez, 20 of Texas; pitcher Everett Zimmerman, 18 of Battle Creek, Michigan; infielder Ed Andrews, 22 of Dixon, Illinois; and left-handed reliever Pancho Bernard, 19 of Boise, Idaho.

[Moriarty9]

Although the 2010 Boston Red Sox roster is quite different from the pennant-winning 2009 team, ownership still expects the team to put together another World Series caliber season.

One reason for those lofty expectations is the pitching staff.
Two-time Cy Young award winner Johan Santana leads the rotation after putting together a 17-8, 3.73 ERA, 247 strikeout campaign in 2009. Roy Oswalt will back up Santana. Oswalt, acquired in a trade deadline deal, struggled in Boston last season (7-2, 6.88 ERA in 12 starts) but still put together a Cy Young caliber season by going 21-9 with a 3.76 ERA.
Hard-throwing lefty Scott Kazmir (8-4, 4.10 ERA in 21 starts) will open up the year as the #3 starter in the Red Sox rotation. Josh Johnson grabs the #4 spot after going 12-8 with a 3.39 ERA while 2008 Cy Young winner Erik Bedard rounds out the rotation with the #5 spot after putting together a 13-8 record and 4.35 ERA last season.
With Joe Nathan now closing out ballgames in St. Louis, the Red Sox went out and acquired three closers - Manny Delcarmen, Hong-Chih Kuo and Patrick Misch - to compete with relievers Jonathan Papelbon and Joba Chamberlain for the closer's role. Misch, a lefty who went 4-4 with 47 saves and a 2.76 ERA with the Detroit Tigers in 2009, won the job in spring training and opens the year as Boston's closer.
Kuo, 1-5 with 30 saves and a 4.06 ERA with the Cardinals last year, and Manny Delcarmen, 5-6 with 31 saves and a 2.75 ERA with the Cincinnati Reds in 2009, will start the season as setup men and alternate closers for when Misch is unavailable.
Chamberlain (3-3, 1 save, 3.78 ERA in 55 games last year) struggled mightily in spring training and was optioned to AAA Pawtucket to start the year. Papelbon, 7-1 with 3 saves and a 4.13 ERA will work as a middle reliever in 2010.
Joining Papelbon in the bullpen will be long reliever and spot starter Jered Weaver (10-5, 1 save, 4.96 ERA in 24 games, 21 of which were starts, in 2009), Gary Majewski (0-0, 2 saves, 3.47 ERA in 18 games with AAA Pawtucket last season) and lefty Terry Allen (2-1, 1 save, 2.79 ERA in 21 appearances in 2009).

The question mark surrounding the Red Sox lineup in 2010 is its lineup. Boston lost Ryan Howard and Victor Martinez to free agency and Matt Kemp is expected to miss the entire season with a neck injury.
Returning, however, is leadoff man Ichiro Suzuki (.300, 9 HR, 106 R, 42 SB) and sluggers Miguel Cabrera (.385, 33 HR, 141 RBI) and Manny Ramirez (.309, 41 HR, 116 RBI). Also returning is shortstop Hanley Ramirez (.274, 10 HR, 79 R, 22 SB) and Nick Markakis (.298, 14 HR, 89 RBI, 14 SB).
After being pushed to the DH and left-handed pinch hitter off the bench, Todd Helton will return to full time duty at first base for the Red Sox. Helton hit .224 with one home run and 11 RBI in 85 at bats last season. He last played on a fairly regular basis in 2007, hitting .317 with 13 HR and 62 RBI in 112 games. Helton is a career .323 hitter with 340 home runs, 1,226 RBI and 1,934 hits.
Dustin Pedroia takes over for Dan Uggla - traded to the Cincinnati Reds in the offseason - at second base this year. Pedroia hit .285 with 3 home runs, 17 RBI and 24 runs in 123 at bats last season.
Chris Iannetta, a 26-year-old Rhode Island native, will open the year as the team's starting catcher. Iannetta hit .266 with 9 home runs, 58 RBI and 78 runs in 117 games with AAA Pawtucket last season. In five games with Boston, he hit .214 with a homer and 3 RBI over 14 at bats.
Howie Kendrick, a 26-year-old rookie, is expected to get time at second and compete for time as the designated hitter. Kendrick has not yet played in the big leagues but is a .327 career hitter in AAA and hit .348 with 9 homers, 75 RBI and 70 runs last season.
Josh Phelps (.248, 9 HR, 66 RBI) will share time with Iannetta behind the plate while David Murphy (.262, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 20 R, 164 AB) and Reggie Willits (.304, HR, 3 RBI, 23 AB) are the team's extra outfielders.
Switch-hitting 26-year-old rookie Kendry Morales will spell Helton against lefties and be an option off the bench for Kevin Kennedy's Red Sox club. Morales is a .317 career hitter at the AAA level, hitting .344 with 17 HR, 92 RBI in 120 games with the PawSox in 2009.
A possible addition to the lineup for next week's homestand is veteran David Eckstein, currently on the disabled list with a dislocated finger. Eckstein can play each infield position. In his 10-year career (nine of those years were with Boston), Eckstein hit .287 with 18 home runs and 575 runs scored. He has 179 strikeouts in 2,003 career at bats. With the Toronto Blue Jays in 2009, Eckstein hit .333 with 6 RBI in 35 games. The team has not divulged what they plan to do when Eckstein is eligible to come off the disabled list in six days.

[Moriarty9]

Boston drops opener, 1-0
Downs dominates Red Sox
Monday, April 5, 2010

BALTIMORE - Those with tickets for Opening Day 2010 got to see the pomp and circumstance celebrating a new season. They also got to see a stellar pitcher's duel won out by Scott Downs of the Orioles.
The Boston Red Sox sent former Cy Young winner Johan Santana to the mound in hopes he would pitch a fine game to pick up the first win of the season. Santana pitched a fine game but it was Downs, who gave up just two hits, who came away with the win.
Downs gave up two hits and three walks, while striking out five, in seven innings of work against the Red Sox lineup. Four relievers worked two perfect innings of relief, capped off by closer J.J. Putz's nine-pitch ninth inning in which he struck out two to pick up the save.
Miguel Cabrera singled and Dustin Pedroia doubled for Boston's only hits in the contest.
Santana gave up one run on 10 hits and no walks while striking out eight Orioles hitters over eight innings.
The lone run of the game came in the home half of the fourth inning. Mark Reynolds hit a one-out double down the third base line and soon scored on a Casey Blake single.

Offensive offense

Many in Boston have expressed concerns over the clout offered by the Red Sox lineup after Ryan Howard and Victor Martinez left via free agency and Matt Kemp suffered a neck injury in an exhibition game that will keep him out for the season. The season opener in Baltimore did little to quell those fears with just two hits collected in 28 at bats and no runs being pushed across the plate against Downs, who went 8-10 with a 4.58 ERA last season.
"Certainly its tough to lose some of the bats we've lost but we're still going to put together some runs," Boston manager Kevin Kennedy said after the game. "Nine times out of ten, regardless of what kinda offense you have, when you have a pitcher put together the kind of game Johan had out there today, you come away with the win. Today was just that one time."
The manager also stressed that one game does not make the season and suggested the team will have plenty of "drubbings" down the line.

Around the League

There were three extra inning ballgames today, adding up for a total of 44 innings between them. At Yankee Stadium, the Kansas City Royals put together a four run 11th inning higlighted by an Eric Byrnes three-run home run to give the New York Yankees a 6-2 loss. At Coors Field, Ty Wigginton of the St. Louis Cardinals hit a solo home run off reliever Keith Foulke in the 16th inning to top the Colorado Rockies 4-3. At Wrigley Field, the New York Mets thought their three-run top of the 17th inning would be enough to secure an extra-inning victory only for the Chicago Cubs to rally for four runs in the home half of the inning as the Cubbies took home a 10-9 victory. Jhonny Peralta of the Mets and J.D. Drew of the Cubs each hit two home runs in the contest.
Elsewhere in baseball today, Chris Shelton's two homers led the Cleveland Indians past the Chicago White Sox 9-5, San Diego Padres hurler Aaron Harang shut down the San Francisco Giants in an 8-1 win and the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners combined for five home runs in a 5-3 A's loss.

[Moriarty9]

Red Sox lose Ichiro for season
Another star out of lineup
Saturday, April 24, 2010

NEW YORK - The Boston Red Sox may have won today's game against the New York Yankees 10-6, but they lost leadoff hitter Ichiro Suzuki for the season in the process.
Suzuki, 36, ruptured his achilles tendon and will be out for the remainder of the season. He went 2-for-3 with a RBI double and a three-run home run in the contest.
In 17 games this season, Suzuki has hit .258 with a home run, nine RBI, nine runs and one stolen base. He is a career .321 hitter with 99 home runs, 1,958 hits and 1,020 runs.
"Losing Ichiro for any length of time is tough, nevermind when you lose him for the entire season," Red Sox manager Kevin Kennedy said.
The Red Sox hold an option for the 2011 season. If exercised, Suzuki would be paid $8 million. The injury certainly doesn't help the chances of the option being exercised.
Boston has an off-day tomorrow as the team returns home to Fenway Park for a three-game set with the Minnesota Twins. Officials said they had not yet decided on who would be added to the active roster.
The loss of Suzuki only adds to the Red Sox woes. The team has hit .239 to date, scoring 83 runs in 19 games, and putting together a 9-10 record.
While its assumed the team will bring up a minor league outfielder to take Suzuki's spot on the roster, there is question as to whether the team will stick within the organization or pursue a trade as the season progresses.

[Moriarty9]

Boston, Colorado swap outfielders
Taveras, Andres coming to Fenway
Monday, April 26, 2010

BOSTON - The day after losing Ichiro Suzuki for the season, the Red Sox traded two minor league outfielders to the Colorado Rockies for a pair of big league outfielders.
The Red Sox sent Chris Young and Delmon Young from the organization's AAA affiliate in Pawtucket to Colorado for Willy Taveras and Antonio Andres.
"While we certainly could still use some more pop in the lineup, we've added some depth to our outfield with a pair of speedy, strong, good outfielders," said Boston GM Shaun Moriarty. "Taveras will come over and take over in that leadoff spot and Andres will get playing time all over the outfield."
If Andres is to be added to the big league roster, the Red Sox will need to make a corresponding roster move - likely the demotion of either David Murphy or Reggie Willits.
"We'll make the final decisions on everything before tomorrow's ballgame," Moriarty said.
Taveras, 28, is a very speedy centerfielder off to a fine start this season. In 18 games, he has hit .385 with 12 RBI, 12 runs and 13 stolen bases. Though not a power hitter, he is an excellent option as a leadoff hitter and is a fine defensive ballplayer. He is a .279 career hitter that has never hit more than one home run in a season, but has averaged more than 30 stolen bases per year.
Andres, 25, can play all three outfield positions but worked primarily as a rightfielder for the Rockies this year. In 17 games, he hit .291 with two home runs, five RBI, 11 runs and five stolen bases. Like Taveras, he has excellent speed and plays the corner outfield positions well with a better than average arm.
In return for the two defensive and speedy outfielders, Boston gave up two Young outfielders. Delmon Young, 24, hit .268 with 17 RBI in 22 games with the Pawtucket Red Sox of the AAA International League. He has appeared in 88 games with the Boston Red Sox, hitting .244 with three home runs, 29 RBI and 27 runs over 180 at bats.
Chris Young, 26, is a centerfielder that has seen limited time with the Red Sox organization due to a number of injuries and the depth in the system. He has not yet appeared in a game this season. In 30 games with Boston in 2006, Young hit .224 with a home run and seven RBI, striking out 19 times in 85 at bats. In AAA, he is a career .292 hitter with 20 home runs in just 332 at bats.