Kevin Youkilis, who extended his major-league record of consecutive errorless games at first base to 201 today, received his Rawlings Gold Glove before the game as the AL’s best defensive first baseman in 2007. David Ortiz also received his AL Silver Slugger Award as the league’s top designated hitter, the fourth straight year he has won the award.
Dustin Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a third-inning single today ... Red Sox hitters have hit just one homer off a lefthanded pitcher this season, and that was by Ortiz ... Jed Lowrie, another former Spinner, has hit safely in all six games he has batted since being called up to the Red Sox.
Red Sox manager Terry Francona said that Josh Beckett looked comfortable when he threw on the side today. He expects Daisuke Matsuzaka to make his next scheduled start on Tuesday but is leaving him behind when the Red Sox play a weekend series in Tampa Bay. Matsuzaka is recovering from the flu.
Francona is worried about the virus knocking out even more players, and he didn’t want Matsuzaka in crowded quarters on an airplane with the healthy members of the team.
“Some of these guys, we’re trying to put them somewhere in the back of the plane (so they don’t infect the others),” Francona quipped.
Matsuzaka will remain in Boston and do his scheduled between-starts throwing at Fenway.