Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun staff

Monday night marked the first time the pitchers Kris Johnson and Justin Masterson go beyond their two-inning limits. Spinners manager Bruce Crabbe said both players have been moved up to a limit of 50 pitches or three innings (whichever comes first).

Johnson, a left-hander out of Wichita State, is 0-2 on the season with an ERA of 0.79. He has made 11 appearances (10 starts) and given up 17 hits and recorded 21 strikeouts in 22.2 innings.

The 40th pick overall in this year’s draft (Sox‘ third pick), Johnson started his college career 14-0, the second-best start for a pitcher in Wichita State history. After Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow in 2005, he worked right back into form going 6-2 this spring with an earned-run average (ERA) of 4.86, recording 45 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings.

The 6-foot-6 Masterson, the 71st overall pick this spring and the Sox’ fifth pick out of San Diego State University, had his streak of seven straight appearances without an earned run snapped in Monday’s game at LeLacheur Park.

Masterson played for the Wareham of the Cape Cod League in 2005 and was third in the league with ten saves, he also had an ERA of 1.15 and struck out 39 batters in 31.1 innings.

This season in Lowell, Masterson has a record of 1-1 with an ERA of 1.14 racking up 28 strikeouts in 23.2 innings while allowing just 13 hits.

Both are set to pitch this weekend at the “Futures at Fenway� doubleheader at Fenway Park. Lowell will take on the Oneonta Tigers at 2 p.m. and the Pawtucket Red Sox will take on the Rochester Red Wings in the second game.

North of the border…
Relief pitcher T. J. Large made a relief appearance for the triple-A PawSox Monday night in Ottawa. Large held the Lynx to two hits and one unearned run in two innings. Large, a 2005 Red Sox draft pick, spent last season with the Spinners and has also made appearances in Lowell and Greenville this season.

Bobbing around .500
With last night’s loss on Luis Alicea Bobblehead Night, the Spinners fell to 5-4 on bobblehead giveaway night’s at LeLacheur Park.

Alicea took over as manager of the Single-A Greenville Drive after spending the previous two seasons with the Lowell Spinners. He made his managerial debut in 2004 with the Spinners after concluding his 13-year major league career in 2002. During the 2005 season he lead Lowell to a 42-33 record, good for a second place finish in the Stedler Division.