Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff
The Boston Celtics announced today that the club has exercised the fourth year option on guard Rajon Rondo.
Rondo, a 6-foot-1 171-pound third-year point guard, averaged 10.6 points, 5.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.68 steals last season in his first full year as a starter. He also helped guide the Celtics to their 17th NBA Championship last spring.
Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff
The tears flowed. The legends returned. The banner rose.
Red Auerbach's image on the video screen kicked off the ceremony. John Havlicek carried out the trophy and presented it to Celtics captain Paul Pierce.
The Cleveland Cavaliers made the decision not to watch the Celtics celebration on the court where Cleveland's title hopes ended last spring. Instead, they'll stay in their dressing area.
"We don't need to watch it," Cavaliers star LeBron James said before the game. "That's for the fans, and the fans will get an opportunity to watch it."
He then added with a grin, "They probably couldn't see over us if were standing on the court."
When asked about the Cavs' decision, Celtics head coach Doc Rivers quipped, "First of all, I didn't know they were invited."
Rivers, who never actually had the decision to make himself as a player, said he wouldn't want to sit and watch the ceremony either.
As for his team, Rivers said he did catch some of the players talking about the distractions and all the things going on prior to tonight's game. He responded by urging the players to try to enjoy the the experience because they earned and only one team a year gets to go through the experienece each season.
Ainge promoted
The season hasn't officially started and Danny Ainge has already won another title. Boston Celtics announced today that they have promoted Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ainge to President of Basketball Operations. Ainge’s contract has been extended.
Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Danny has been a key part of building our World Championship team and basketball program,” Boston Celtics Managing Partner and Co-owner Stephen Pagliuca said in a release from the team. “He represents all that is the best of Celtics Pride and we applaud his success.”
Ainge, the 2007-08 NBA Executive of the Year, orchestrated the trades that brought Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to Boston that brought the Celtics their NBA record 17th Championship during the 2007-08 season. Ainge was named to the position of Executive Director of Basketball Operations after the 2002-03 season. Ainge is currently in his 6th year in the position and his 14th overall with the organization.
“Danny was visionary as he assembled the players who brought home our seventeenth banner,” Managing Partner and CEO Wyc Grousbeck said in a release. “His work ethic, character and insight earned him Executive of the Year and earned us a world title.”
Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff
Tonight's Boston Celtics season opener may be on TNT, but Comcast SportsNet (CSN) has a full lineup of Celtics coverage over the next week plus--including tonight.
All Comcast SportsNet Celtics telecasts are available in High Definition on Comcast, Cox, Time Warner and Charter systems.
For the season opener, CSN will provide full pre and post game coverage beginning with Mohegan Sun Sports Tonight at 6:30 and 7; Celtics Pre-Game Live at 7:30 and Celtics Post Game Live immediately after the game.
Games for the week:
- Friday, October 31, Celtics vs. Bulls. Mike Gorman (play-by-play), Tommy Heinsohn (color) and Greg Dickerson (courtside), 8:00 pm
- Saturday, November 1, Celtics @ Pacers. Mike Gorman (play-by-play), Donny Marshall (color) and Greg Dickerson (courtside), 7:00 pm
- Tuesday, November 4,Celtics @ Rockets, Mike Gorman (play-by-play), Donny Marshall (color) and Greg Dickerson (courtside), 8:30 pm
All telecasts begin with GMC Celtics Pre-Game Live a half-hour before game.
Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff
A couple of tricks and treats to chew on while waiting for the upcoming Halloween candy bonanza:
I’m starting to like where this Patriots season is headed. Granted, the stinker at home against Miami proved nothing will come easy to this bunch of Bill Belichick’s boys, but take a peak at the remaining schedule:
Give the Pats a road loss to the Colts this Sunday (which isn’t a sure thing). Tack on another one for argument’s sake when the Steelers come to Foxboro Thanksgiving weekend (not something I’d bet the ranch on). Heck, throw one more on the pile against Buffalo in one of the two remaining matchups against the AFC East co-leaders and maybe another upset against a ragtag collection of Jets, Dolphins, Seahawks, Cardinals and Raiders,.
Realizing it’s difficult to play the game of “we win this one and this one and lose that one,” that means an 11-5 or 10-6 record at worst for the Patriots, likely good enough for a Division title or Wild Card berth. Of course, this is the same scribe who said 9-7 or 8-8 after Tom Brady’s injury, so take the latest prediction for what it’s worth…not much.
Looks like Matt Cassel has at least silenced the critics wishing Belichick would bring in a veteran quarterback to “save” the season. I swear, if one more person brought up the name Daunte Culpepper, I was going to hurl like a 5-year old who dipped into the Halloween goodie bag before mom and dad had a chance to hide the chocolate.
When was the last time a team suffered an injury to it’s star signal-caller, brought in a new face from outside the organization, then went on to win something meaningful? If you answered never, you’re on the right track.
Look, the year Kurt Warner led the Rams to a Super Bowl win, he was already on St. Louis’ roster when Trent Green got hurt. Ditto for Jeff Hostetler with Phil Simms’ Giants. And Earl Morrall already had the Dolphins offense down pat before holding down the fort while Bob Griese recovered from injury in time to cap off the only undefeated regular and playoff season (OUCH! Still hurts to say that!) in NFL history.
You can fault Belichick for not having a veteran presence on the roster coming out of training camp if you’d like, but once Tom Brady went down, the coach was smart enough to realize the Pats only hope rested in the hands of Cassel or, somewhere down the line, Kevin O’Connell.
Speaking of Brady, I can’t help but feel the knee injury and the continuing problem with infection, coming on the heels of uncharacteristic playoff disappointments the last two years, is God’s way of balancing things out.
It’s as if the Lord said: “OK, you can be the best Quarterback in the league. You can win three Super Bowls. You can even date a pretty Hollywood starlet. But there’s no way you’re getting both the career success AND the world’s top Supermodel. Uh-uh No way. You have to give something up. Or start dating an ugly celebrity!”
Speaking strictly as a Patriots fan, I can say: “Tom, Brigitte Nielsen is at least tall like Giselle.”
Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff
The game of the year didn’t take long to become the rout of the year.
Jeff Moore’s Dracut Middies took it to Billerica at Calabrese Field Friday night, jumping out to a 40-0 halftime lead (that’s right…no misprint there) against the previously unbeaten Indians. The lead grew to 47-0 before the Middies called off the dogs and Billerica scored a pair of late touchdowns. (Read Carmine Frongillo’s game recap or watch a replay of The Sun’s game webcast)
That Dracut won isn’t surprising. Even Billerica insiders I spoke to during the course of the week admitted their boys would be hard-pressed to knock off the MVC’s pre-season favorites, who hold wins over Brockton and St. John’s prep this year. However nobody saw this magnitude of victory coming, not even the most ardent Middies supporter.
Besides being the better team, Dracut’s big-game experience, and Billerica’s lack thereof, ultimately proved critical. Once things started going wrong for the Indians fabulous freshman QB Nick Laspada and the rest of the team, it snowballed out of control and the experience Middies pounced.
And don’t underestimate the motivation factor, as Dracut’s sensational senior QB Matt Grimard had to share top billing in this one with his underclassman counterpart. Grimard admitted as much last night, saying he certainly heard and read the accolades coming Laspada’s way, and very much wanted to prove he was the best signal-caller in the conference. As a result, Grimard followed up an amazing performance against Andover (6-TD passes, 1-TD run) with a table turning 6-TD runs and 1-TD pass. In case you’re not quick with the math, that’s 14-touchdowns in two games. WOW!!! Grimard even had the pleasure of capping two of his scoring runs by plowing through and then leaping over Laspada, who also plays Safety.
The Middies are now in the driver’s seat in the MVC. With Lowell going down in Chelmsford last night, every team in the MVC has at least 2-losses except for Billerica. However, by virtue of the win over the Indians, Dracut would need to lose twice and have Billerica run the table for Coach Moore and company to end up with a worst-case scenario tie atop the conference.
Judging by last night’s performance, this Dracut squad losing two games is about as likely as John McCain winning Massachusetts’ electoral votes.
That’s the view from here…how do you see things? Is the MVC title chase over, for all intents and purposes? What about the other results last night? Should Al Pare have played for overtime instead of going for the two-point conversion in Lowell’s 7-6 loss at Chelmsford?
Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff
Another week…another notch in the plus column for our peerless pigskin prognosticator.
Slick topped the spread in 3-of-5 games last week, the second consecutive session he’s gone 3-2. As mentioned last week, one game over .500 may not seem impressive on a week-to-week basis, but total it up over the long haul and you’ve got yourself a few extra bucks to spend on holiday cheer.
The ledger now reads plus-4, so if you’re the type to wager hundreds or thousands instead of tens, you’re looking at a decent to sizable return simply by following our this fearless football forecaster.
Will the winning ways continue? Let’s find out:
St. Louis (+7 ½) over New England
Cleveland (+7) over Jacksonville
Tennessee (-4) over Indianapolis
Last week: 3-2
Season Record: 20-16
Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff
The UMass Lowell women’s basketball team was picked 10th in the Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
The River Hawks return 12 players from last year’s squad that compiled a record of 13-14 (8-14 NE-10) and narrowly missed qualifying for the NE-10 Tournament. The River Hawks were one vote behind American International, and one position above New Haven and St. Michael’s (tied for 11th).
Franklin Pierce, who advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, collected 12 of the 15 first-place votes to grab the top ranking. Stonehill (No. 2) earned the other three first-place votes, and Bentley rounds out the top three.
Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff
The new-look UMass Lowell men’s basketball team was picked 12th in the Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
The River Hawks enter this winter coming off of a 12-17 season (8-14 NE-10) which featured a first round upset of Merrimack in the NE-10 Conference Tournament.
UML’s off-season included a coaching change (Ken Barer stepped down and Greg Herenda stepped in) as well as the addition of nine new players through recruiting/transfers. The River Hawks were one place ahead of NE-10 newcomer the University of New Haven.
Defending champion Bentley, who went 22-0 in NE-10 play and 34-1 overall, ranked No. 1 in the poll. Merrimack ranked second, and Assumption ranked third. Merrimack and Stonehill each received a first-place votes.
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Eddie Walsh |
Walsh served as the goalie coach under Bruce Crowder and Tim Whitehead during the 1990s and helped develop two NHL goalies in All-Star Dwayne Roloson and Scott Fankhouser. Walsh also turned Cam McCormick into a top-flight college goaltender who holds the school record for career shutouts with eight.
Crowder freely admitted he had no clue about how to handle goaltenders. Whenever Roloson or Marty Fillion had a bad night, Crowder would tell Walsh: “I don’t know what happened out there tonight, but fix it by next Friday.”
If anyone ever had any reservations about Walsh’s coaching ability, they needed to look no farther than Jimi St. John. St. John had never had a goalie coach in his life when he arrived at UML, and it showed. He was strictly a reaction goalie with no technique whatsoever, and he had an absolutely brutal freshman year, posting a 4.81 GA average and dreadful .860 save percentage. Under Walsh’s patient tutelage, St. John became a capable college goalie by the time he was a junior. That year St. John backstopped the River Hawks to a pair of 2-1 victories at New Hampshire that knocked the Wildcats out of both the Hockey East and NCAA
Tournaments. St. John finished his UML career in 2001 with a 3.01 GA average — second on the school’s all-time list to McCormick’s 2.64 — and improved his save percentage to .886, sixth on the school’s list.
Walsh was Roloson’s guru, and the two were practically inseparable. Perhaps even more than coaching ability, I think the real value of a goalie coach is he gives goalies someone to relate to. Nobody else on a hockey team does what a goalie has to do, and I think sometimes goalies feel coaches who never played the position don’t fully understand what they’re going through. Goalies want to talk to someone who truly sympathizes with what they’re going through, someone to pump them up when they’re feeling insecure. Even though the River Hawks have a couple of talented goalies in Carter Hutton and Nevin Hamilton and have high expectations for freshman T.J. Massie, I think MacDonald and the rest of his staff will find their goalies will be more relaxed and receptive to criticism with Eddie Walsh in their corner.
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| Mark
Wagner |
Dusty
Brown |
Mark
Teixeira |
The Red Sox are somewhat hamstrung by Varitek. The next catcher perhaps capable of playing 100-plus games a year in their organization is former Lowell Spinner Mark Wagner, who had yet to play an inning of Triple-A ball. Dusty Brown, another former Spinner, had a good year offensively and defensively at Pawtucket, but the Red Sox seem to envision him as more of a backup than a regular. There's really nothing out there in terms or free agents, or likely to be available in the trade market, that tempts the Red Sox. Josh Bard, who swung a hot bat for the Padres after being swapped for Doug Mirabelli a couple of years ago, has been let go. His bat cooled off, and some scouts aren't all that thrilled with his defensive work ... even when he wasn't trying to catch knuckleballs. There's some talk that Kelly Shoppach, whom the Sox traded for Coco Crisp three years ago, might be available. If so, that would almost certainly spark the Sox' interest. The Red Sox will probably try to sign the 36-year-old Varitek to a one-year contract with a club option for a second, and they might be willing to cave in and sign him for two years with an option for a third. Given his history, Varitek would likely reject both such offers. Don't forget: Varitek's agent is Scott Boras, who will likely be seeking a four-year deal akin to the four-year, $52-million deal Jorge Posada got from the Yankees last year at age 36. We've seen how that one worked out. Posada was injured for most of 2008, and there's some question whether he'll ever be able to catch full-time again. Posada can still swing a dangerous bat, however, and he could be a DH or first baseman for the Yankees. Varitek has no value to the Red Sox at any position other than catcher.
Varitek has always been about the money. He returned to Georgia Tech when the Twins drafted him on the first round as a junior and low-balled him. Even though he had no more bargaining leverage as a senior when the Mariners drafted him and low-balled him again, he refused to sign. Several months later Boras and the Mariners finally worked out a deal, but Varitek missed a year of pro ball.
He was so rusty when he began playing, the Mariners were appalled by how much he struggled, given Varitek's reputation as the best college catcher in history. He was soon tagged as a non-prospect, which is why the Red Sox were able to get him in a trade, along with Derek Lowe, for ineffective closer Heathcliff Slocumb. That turned out to be one of the biggest steals in Red Sox history.
Varitek gave the Red Sox a little hometown discount to re-sign after the 2004 World Series, and he might be willing to give in a little this time to stay. But if he's insisting on anything in the same universe that Posada's in, the Red Sox will probably have to pass and take their chances next year with some combination of Kevin Cash, David Ross, Brown, and George Kottaras.
As for Wakefield, watching him try to run down a routine ground ball in the ALCS was frightening. A pitcher who cannot run well enough to cover first base anymore is through. Maybe, not having pitched in 16 days, Wakefield was just rusty that night. The Sox will have Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, and perhaps even Justin Masterson clamoring for a spot in the rotation next year. But I think the Red Sox will probably bring Wakefield back for one more year.
Elsewhere, the Red Sox are almost certainly going to say a long-overdue farewell to Mike Timlin. And Jed Lowrie showed enough spunk at shortstop that they'll probably try to find a new home for Julio Lugo, even though they'll probably have to eat most of the $18 million remaining on his contract. The free agent the Red Sox would like most to have?
Mark Teixeira. Who wouldn't?
The problem there is where to play him, unless they traded Mike Lowell. David Ortiz is still the DH, Kevin Youkilis is a Gold Glove first baseman, and Jason Bay and J.D. Drew are entrenched in left and right fields, respectively.
The only way Teixeira makes sense for the Red Sox is to trade Lowell and move Youkilis to third, or trade Youkilis.
Posted by Teddy Panos
First place in the Merrimack Valley Conference is on the line this Friday night in Billerica, and the game between the Indians and Dracut Middies can be found ONLINE on the Lowell Sun website.
The Middies enter play with a 5-1 overall record, 3-0 in the MVC. Billerica is also 3-0 in the conference, and the Indian bring a perfect 6-0 mark into the contest.
The game features the top two quarterbacks in the MVC: Dracut's sensational senior Matt Grimard and Billerica's fantastic freshman, Nick Laspada.
Visit the link below to catch a live webcast of the big football matchup beginning at 7pm:
http://extras.lowellsun.com/highschoolfootball/
The pick here (from a biased observer and proud member of Dracut's class of '83): 35-31 Middies.
Who do you think will win the big matchup? Will it be a high scoring affair featuring the standout QB's? Or will defense rule the day? Will the winner of this game end up taking the conference title and playoff berth? Or will a few of the other conference teams still be heard from in the championship chase?
Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff
Q: When is a baseball you season you didn’t expect to end in a championship a disappointment?
A: When that season includes a playoff series win over the team with the best record in the league and a stirring comeback that brought back memories of remarkable comebacks that led to World Series titles in years gone by.
Look, I had a feeling from the start that the 2008 Red Sox weren’t going to repeat as champions. There just seemed to be something missing from this squad, though I could never quite put a finger on exactly what that something was. Of course, once they trounced the Angels and crawled out of the grave in Game 5 against the Rays, I started to believe they were indeed destiny’s darlings. Jon Lester on the mound in a Game 7 against a shaken Tampa squad? I’ll take that any day of the week.
Too bad nobody told the Rays they were supposed to lay down and die. And too bad somebody forgot to tell Boston’s bats not to lie down and die.
There’s an old adage in baseball that pitching wins championships. That’s not entirely true. Pitching and clutch hitting wins championships. Except for three magical innings late in Game 5, the Sox didn’t have enough of either when it counted.
It’s easy to write the lack of a championship off to injuries (Beckett, Lowell, Papi, etc.), but the truth is, injures are a part of the game. The 2007 edition was remarkably fortunate on that front, so to expect back to back years of good healthy would have been a huge mistake. These things usually balance off, so you’d better have a deep enough bench to overcome obstacles. The 2008 Red Sox did not.
Sorry Red Sox Nation, but for $120-million payroll or so, you’d better not be relying on Alex Cora as your Game 7 starting shortstop. The Sox basically stood pat after winning it all in ’07, relying on improvement from the young guns to spearhead another title defense. Sure, it’s a bit more complicated than that, but in a nutshell, the Sox gambled the farm that inexperienced youngsters on the pitching staff could more than make up for an aging nucleus in the lineup (Ortiz, Varitek, Lowell). Ultimately, they were wrong.
The Sox are young and talented enough in key spots to contend for a long, long time. Players like Pedroia, Youkilis, Ellsbury, Lester, Papelbon, Masterson and even aging youngsters like Beckett should ensure playoff contention year in-year out. However, if the Sox are to win more titles, they’ll need more help from the front office. The Rays are here to stay for a while. The Yankees will be back at some point, too. And one of these years, the Blue Jays or Orioles will break through.
Cutting payroll and going totally with the minor leaguers won’t do it. If the Red Sox want to win more championships, they’ll have to go out and bring in some big guns via free agency or trade.
That’s the view from here….how do you see things? Should the Sox have won it all this year? Where did they go wrong? Can they bring the same team back next year, hope for good health, and win a championship? Or do moves need to be made?
Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff
The Boston Celtics announced this afternoon that they've requested waivers on forward Darius Miles.
Miles, the third overall draft pick in the 2000 NBA Draft out of East St. Louis High School in Illinois, was attempting to comeback from a knee injury in the 2005-06 season that was classified as "career-ending." He hadn't played an NBA game since the 2005-06 season with the Portland Trailblazers.
Portland waived Miles on Apr. 14. He signed as a free agent on August 22, 2008. The 6’9, 235-pound forward appeared in six preseason games, averaging 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per game.
“Darius was a model citizen during his time here in Boston. He showed that he still has a lot of basketball left in him,” said Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations/General Manger Danny Ainge in a release from the team.
The move trims the Boston roster to 15 players with one preseason game remaining. NBA rosters must be set for opening day by 6 p.m. on Oct. 27 (next Monday).
Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff
Aside from UMass Lowell Athletic Director Dana Skinner, there is at least one other connection between UML and the Boston Celtics.
It turns out UML men’s head coach Greg Herenda has known Celtics assistant coach and defensive czar Tom Thibodeau go back 25 years. Both were college players and assistant coaches around the same time as Thibodeau was at Salem State and Herenda was at Merrimack and UML. Their paths crossed several times over the years, and Herenda says the two have stayed friends for more than 20 years.
Celtics assistant coach Armond Hill coached against Herenda in the Ivy League when Herenda was at Yale and Hill coached Columbia.
Leading Ladies
UML seniors Lindsay Gundy, Bridgette Hooker and Antonnea Robinson were named captains of the women’s basketball team.
Gundy, a native of Concord, N.H., was New Hampshire All-State player in high school. Knee problems have kept her from seeing game action for UML.
Robinson, a forward, started all 27 games for UML last year, shooting 49 percent from the field.
Hooker, a guard, appeared in 25 games last season is also a member of the Northeast-10 Conference All-Academic team.
Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff
As the leaf peepers continue to flood the Mass-NH roadways in search of the ultimate colorful tree (seriously, what's wrong with these people? Oooh! Aaaah! Look at that one. It's soooo pretty! GET A LIFE!!!!), our fearless football forecaster has offered up some colorful football selections this week.
Last week yielded another winning mark against the spread, upping Slick's record to 3-games above .500, the high water mark for the year. While +3 may not seem like much to those wagering small sums, any mark above the break even point is to be cherished, especially when it comes after two winning seasons in '06 & '07.
Will the winning ways continue? Let's find out:
Buffalo (-1) over San Diego
San Francisco (+10 1/2) over NY Giants
NY Jets (-3) over Oakland
Seattle (+10 1/2) over Tampa Bay
New England (+3) over Denver
Last week: 3-2
Season record: 17-14
Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff
October 15 isn't exactly a national holiday, but it did mark the first day of team practice for the men’s and women’s college basketball teams at UMass Lowell.
The UML men and UML women will tackle a tough slate in the Northeast-10 Conference once again.
The NE-10 men were represented in the Sporting News College Preview as Bentley ranked fourth in the nation among Division II schools, and honorable mention All-America selections included Bentley’s Lew Finnegan and Jason Westrol as well as Merrimack’s Darren Duncan.
The Bentley men went into NCAA tournament play last year as the No. 1 team in the nation.
On the ladies side, Franklin Pierce All-American and Johannah Leedham, the 2007-2008 State Farm/WBCA Division II Player of the Year, has been selected the 2008 Women’s Division II Bulletin Preseason Player of the Year.
Franklin Pierce (No. 6) and Stonehill College (No. 13) were both ranked in the top 15 in the nation in last winter’s final poll. NE-10 member Southern Connecticut won the 2007 Div. II women’s national championship.
Posted by David Pevear, Sun Staff
Terry Francona knows not whether his Red Sox will win or lose when faced with elimination on Thursday night in Game 5 of the ALCS. The manager is certain, though, that "the magnitude" of an elimination game will not "get in the way of our guys performing."
The Red Sox are 7-1 when facing post-season elimination since Francona became Boston’s manager in 2004. For the third time in five years, Boston trails an ALCS 3-1, with the young and carefree Tampa Bay Rays the latest to attempt to close out the Red Sox and dance off to the World Series.
In 2004 and '07, the Red Sox roared back against the Yankees and Indians, respectively, and then went on to win the World Series in four-game sweeps.
"These guys have played in big games," said Francona. "Every game here (at Fenway Park) is big."
Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon had told his players to stay away from Fenway on Wednesday even before they pounded Boston 13-4 on Tuesday night. The Red Sox on this scheduled off-day took batting practice for an hour.
Both managers said they would have preferred to play on Wednesday. Maddon would have preferred his Rays just stay on their roll.
"A team that has been playing well always wants to continue to play," said Maddon. "Somebody that's had a bump would prefer a day off. That's just normal stuff."
Though it is generally believed the Red Sox benefited last October from the day off in Cleveland after falling behind 3-1 in that series, Francona sounded like his team was chomping to get at the Rays on Wednesday.
"I think they wish they were playing in about 10 minutes," said Francona "We'll play tomorrow because that's when we're supposed to. But I think everybody is ready to play right now, which is what I was hoping for."
Red Sox DH David Ortiz was smiling during batting practice, and briefly talked to the media. He did snap, "next question," when asked how much the left wrist which has pained him this season is responsible for him batting .071 (1-for-14) in this series and .161 overall this post-season (5-for-31).
Ortiz has no homers and one RBI this October.
It was also Ortiz who after Boston's victory in Game 1 said he saw in the young Rays' faces the pressure of the post-season. The Rays have won three straight games since.
"They've been doing that all year, what they're doing right now," said Ortiz on Wednesday. "They won the (AL) East. They have a better record against everybody. So I'm not surprised."
Deciding how long a contract to offer to Jason Varitek — or whether even to offer him one at all — doesn’t look like it’s going to be the only difficult decision the Red Sox will have to make concerning one of their veteran players after the season.
Judging from tonight’s performance, they may have to decide if knuckleballer Tim Wakefield’s usefulness has come to an end. Wakefield is signed only through this season with annual club options thereafter.
It wasn’t the three homers Wakefield allowed that should concern the Sox. Those things happen with knuckleballers of any age. It was the play preceding Willy Aybar’s two-run homer that should have the Red Sox worried.
Carl Crawford hit a soft groundball to the right side that Wakefield had to field. The 42-year-old Wakefield — who tonight became the oldest pitcher to ever start an ALCS game — looked painfully slow coming off the mound to make what should have been a routine play. He ended up having to dive for the ball and then had trouble getting it out of his glove. From his stomach he flipped the ball to first baseman Mark Kotsay, but too late to get Crawford for what should have been the third out of the inning.
Instead Aybar followed with a homer, extending a 3-0 lead to a commanding 5-0 edge.
Knuckleballers can throw forever, and some of them have pitched into their mid and late 40s. But while their arms never go, their legs do. And when their legs go, so do they.
Rays manager Joe Maddon likens scrappy Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia to old-time ballplayers.
“He played in 1920, 1920, 1930, all the way up to the present day,” Maddon said. “He’s not the tallest, biggest guy in the world, but he plays baseball big. So that’s why I think he plays in every generation, because he’s got the right perspective.”
Terry Francona whole-heartedly agrees, and not just because he and Pedroia engage in a daily game of cribbage.
“There’s probably a scout in our organization who deserves a medal, because I’m sure when they put (Pedroia) up on video, there are probably still some scouts around baseball that are scratching their heads.
“He’s one of the very best players in the game. As people that are around him will tell you, he has to play with a chip on his shoulder. That’s part of what gets his motor running, because I’m sure he was told at a very early age he couldn’t do things, and he continues to prove that he can.”
Red Sox manager Terry Francona shook up his lineup for tonight’s Game 4 of the ALCS against the Rays. With Jacoby Ellsbury fighting an 0-for-20 slump, Francona decided to start Coco Crisp in center field and bat right-fielder J.D. Drew leadoff. Drew led the team in on-base percentage during the regular season with a .408 mark.
“His on-base skills are needed,” Francona said. “Because of his style, he can hit there. If he gets a hit or two and walks and he’s on base two or three times and somebody in the middle whacks one, that will help us.”
Crisp is batting seventh. Jason Bay has been moved up a slot to bat fifth behind Kevin Youkilis, and Jed Lowrie has been dropped to ninth in hopes he can swing the batting order around to Drew.
Tonight’s lineups:
Rays
Akinori Iwamura (.355-1-4), 2b
B.J. Upton (.290-5-9), cf
Carlos Pena (.409-1-4), 1b
Evan Longoria (.286-4-7), 3b
Carl Crawford (.259-0-4), lf
Willy Aybar (.278-0-1), dh
Dioner Navarro (.296-0-4), c
Fernando Perez (.250-0-0), rf
Jason Bartlett (.231-0-0), ss
Andy Sonnanstine (1-0, 3.18), rhp
Red Sox
J.D. Drew (.273-1-3), rf
Dustin Pedroia (.250-2-3), 2b
David Ortiz (.148-0-1), dh
Kevin Youkilis (.313-1-3), 3b
Jason Bay (.429-3-9), lf
Mark Kotsay (.250-0-0), 1b
Coco Crisp (.400-0-0) cf
Kevin Cash (—), c
Jed Lowrie (.235-0-2), ss
Tim Wakefield (—), rhp
Posted by David Pevear, Sun Staff
If the 2004 and 2007 American League Championship Series taught us anything, it is that the Red Sox are not really in trouble until they are in fact eliminated. The talk-show wailing following the 9-1 loss to the Rays on Monday afternoon was pathetic (there has to be an oxymoron somewhere in that sentence).
In a short series, losing 9-1 still beats losing 9-8 in 11 innings. You at least do not wear out your bullpen while losing. And Jon Lester could have pitched a gem on Monday and still lost, given that the Red Sox scored only one run.
So maybe Lester got the inevitable dud out of his system.
But you also wonder whether Lester suddenly is wearing out a week too soon. That third inning on Monday popped up out of nowhere. Lester had been the AL Pitcher of the Month in September (4-1, 2.14) and had allowed no earned runs in 14 innings in the ALDS. But remember that the next inning Lester pitches (in Game 6 or 7 – if necessary -- on Saturday or Sunday) will be his 231st of this season, 68 innings beyond what he pitched in the majors and minors combined last season.
Tuesday night’s Game 4 pitching matchup: RHP Andy Sonnanstine (1-0, 3.18) vs. RHP Tim Wakefield (1st appearance)
Wakefield was 0-2 with a 5.87 ERA in three starts vs. Tampa during the regular season. Sonnanstine was 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA over 13 innings and two starts against Boston. Lifetime against Sonnanstine, Kevin Youkilis is 1-for-12 and David Ortiz is 3-for-16. Tampa Bay’s Akinori Iwamura is 10-for-24 lifetime against Wakefield. Carlos Pena is 4-for-30.
I had to laugh when I read Terry Francona’s lame explanation for using washed-up Mike Timlin instead of Paul Byrd in the 11th inning of Saturday’s 9-8 loss to the Rays. Francona said he didn’t want to use Byrd that early because he hadn’t pitched for awhile.
Gee, Terry. If you’d used Byrd like you should have instead of Javier Lopez in the 12th inning of that Game 2 loss in the ALDS to the Angels, he wouldn’t have been so rusty.
Francona finally used Byrd in today's game against the Rays.
Much has been made of the Red Sox’ uncanny ability to drive in two-out runs, and deservedly so. Of the 28 post-season runs they’ve scored entering today’s Game 3 of the ALCS against the Rays, 18 have been scored with two outs.
But that exposes an underlying problem with the Red Sox’ offense. Generally they get only one run and occasionally two with those two-out hits. Big innings have vanished from the Red Sox playbook.
Terry Francona is fond of saying “keep the line moving” when the Red Sox reach base repeatedly in multiple-run rallies, and it moved and revolved smoothly from 2003-2007. But injuries have decimated the current lineup, and now the line stops moving as soon as the bottom third of their batting order comes up.
And even if a couple of those guys do get on base, the line stalls again at the top of the order.
Entering today’s game, Mark Kotsay, Jed Lowrie, Jason Varitek, and Coco Crisp — the batters found most often in the bottom third of the lineup — had driven in just two runs in 68 combined at-bats during the post-season. Both RBI belonged to Lowrie.
Varitek had no RBI in 21 at-bats, Kotsay none in 20, Lowrie two in 17, and Crisp zero in 10.
Compounding the problems turning the batting order over is that leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury entered the game in an 0-for-17 slump. No. 2 hitter Dustin Pedroia began the post-season 0-for-15 before his bat finally came alive in Game 4 of the ALDS.
As a consequence, the biggest inning the Sox have had in their first six post-season games was a four-run first inning in Game 2 of the ALDS. Twice they have scored three runs in an inning. All other scoring innings have produced just one or two runs.
Very unSox-like.
Jon Lester’s remarkable post-season streak without allowing an earned run came to an end this afternoon when he surrendered a three-run homer to B.J. Upton in the third inning. They were the first earned runs Lester had allowed in 24 2/3 innings dating back to last year’s ALCS against Cleveland.
He had allowed two unearned runs in the streak, including one in the second inning today that was set up by a Jason Varitek passed ball.
Lester allowed another home run to Evan Longoria two batters later.
Jonathan Papelbon still has his scoreless streak intact. Papelbon has yet to allow a run, earned or unearned, in 22 career post-season innings, a major-league record. In fact, only 14 of the 75 batters Papelbon has faced in the post-season have even reached base. Papelbon has two wins and six saves during his streak.
Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff
Setting sail on a Columbus Day journey while wondering if the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria could generate more of a pass rush than the Patriots defensive line:
-In Richard Seymour, Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork, New England has as many first round draft picks on the D-Line as Columbus had ships, Yet somehow, Phillip Rivers dropped back to pass 27-times Sunday night and not only wasn’t he sacked at all, he was never even hit.
Now granted, there are all sorts of factors at play here, things like schemes and defensive philosophy. But for the life of me, I can’t recall the last time the Pats were able to consistently generate a pass rush without blitzing. Can you? Seems like it’s been years, doesn’t it? Shouldn’t a defensive line with three first rounders be able to pin its ears back from time to time and take over a game by harassing opposing quarterbacks?
I’ll sit back and patiently wait for the answers, much like Rivers did Sunday night waiting for his receivers to get open.
-Speaking of the Chargers pass catchers, how inept did they make New England’s secondary look? We’re not talking about Jerry Rice and John Taylor here. San Diego’s collection of non-talent makes the arsenal Tom Brady was throwing to before Randy Moss and Wes Welker arrived seem like the Wide Receivers wing at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. Still, Chargers wideouts were allowed to roam more freely than Al Qaeda leadership on the Pakistani border.
Still think investing the big bucks in Randy Moss instead of Asante Samuel was worth it?
-If Brady’s injury is teaching us anything, it’s that a lot of Patriots players and coaches built their reputations on the arm and brain of old #12. I can’t believe how much we took for granted Brady’s ability to make quick decisions and throws in the heat of battle. Consider this year a glimpse into the future once Tom Terrific decides to spend all his days frolicking with Giselle Bundchen instead of getting beaten up by 300-pounders with worse intentions than the angry mobs at McCain pep rallies. (Editor's Note: We never miss an opportunity to post a Giselle picture on this blog)
-For those wondering why the Presidential candidacy of the Senator from Arizona is plummeting faster than the Dow Jones Industrial Average, here’s Exhibit A: somebody in charge believed it a good idea to dispatch hockey mom Sarah Palin to Philadelphia to drop the ceremonial first puck for the Flyers home opener.
Forget for a minute the fact Alaska’s Governor was already skating on thin ice in the heart of Democrat country. These are the same Philly sports fans who boo Santa Claus and players carted of the field on stretchers. What did the McCain campaign honchos think was going to happen in the City of Brotherly Tough Love?
-Why do people still question every little decision Terry Francona makes? Hasn’t the guy proven he’s the best manager in Red Sox history?
OK, so maybe he stuck with Josh Beckett a bit too long in Game 2 of the ALCS, and maybe Paul Byrd should have thrown a few innings before Mike Timlin was handed the ball. But doesn’t Francona make the right move more often than not?
Give me a guy who plays the percentages over the reckless likes of Mike Scioscia any day of the week. When Tito gambles his entire season on a suicide squeeze in the 9th inning, we can revisit the subject.
-Finally, is it me or are the Sox starting to resemble the 90’s Yankees? Every playoff series, it seems the opponent is one play, one pitch away from knocking off the champs. Yet when the chips are down, it’s Boston’s Boys of Summer making the winning play while the other side carps about bad luck and the better team losing.
Did I just say something nice about the Evil Empire?
Posted By David Pevear, Sun Staff
You knew it was over. Mike Timlin’s arrival on the scene in the bottom of the 11th early Sunday a.m. spelled foreboding. Tampa Bay, having barely outlasted the meat of Boston’s bullpen, scratched out a winning run with some ball-strike assistance from home-plate umpire Sam Holbrook, in whose defense I will only say my attention too was wavering after nearly 5 ½ hours and more than 400 pitches. I was prone on the couch with only one two-ton eyelid still open, but could still see Jason Bartlett did not check his swing.
Timlin walked the leadoff man, so is responsible for setting the decisive inning in negative motion. But I felt badly for the old warhorse. TImlin has given a lot of his right arm to get the Red Sox to where they are today. But little is left in that right arm. And yet losing a game on a runners-advancing chopper to third by a batter you probably should have had struck out and on a feeble sacrifice fly is cruel.
October Classic? Please. Only the first five innings of centuries-long Game 2 were entertaining drama. Thereafter, watching the 9-8 Red Sox series-evening loss felt like one’s October obligation. This is the ALCS, so you feel guilty dragging yourself to bed without knowing who wins, even though 1:36 a.m. is beyond the point of enjoyment. No human should have to endure Chip Carey for that long.
But relax; the Rays must still win one of the three games in the lyrical little bandbox to drag the series back to the synthetic big top for a circus-like conclusion. (I still greatly fear the catwalks will decide this series.)
Jon Lester on Monday is a certain 2-1 series lead. Dice-K will methodically strand Rays runners again in Game 5. And should the series go the distance, Lester is lined up to douse the cowbells in Game 7.
Lester, of course, has stepped into the role Josh Beckett played last post-season. The Red Sox simply cannot lose when he pitches. Which is fortunate, because Beckett suddenly pitches like Matt Clement. Two weeks ago, he was considered one of the greatest post-season pitchers in recent history. Now his starts are the only ones the Red Sox lose.
Beckett still has his swagger. It’s his fastball that’s gone slightly soft. If he is not actually still hurting from his oblique problem (he reportedly took injections of a painkiller and anti-inflammatory before the playoffs), the injury seems to have thrown him off just enough.
The reassuring news for Red Sox fans is that Scott Kazmir, a one-time Boston killer who likewise has lost his mojo, is lined up to oppose Beckett in Game 6 (if necessary).
Today you’re tired, and perhaps not seeing clearly the fact the Red Sox are still in wonderful shape.
Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff
Some thoughts on a fascinating Friday night of high school football (get your game rundowns at LowellSun.com):
***The Dracut-Billerica game October 24th looms as the biggest regular season game of the year in the Merrimack Valley Conference, at least until the teams’ respective Thanksgiving matchups against Methuen and Chelmsford, respectively.
The Middies will first have to contend with Andover, while the Indians will put their perfect record on the line against New Hampshire powerhouse Bishop Guertin in a battle of unbeatens. We’re assuming a Dracut win, while the outcome of the BG game won’t really mean anything to Billerica’s playoff chances. So when the two squads meet that night at Calabrese Stadium, you’ll be looking at a pair of teams with 3-0 conference records squaring off.
Adding to the intrigue will be the battle of the MVC’s top two QB’s: Dracut’s Matt Grimard and the Indians’ fantastic freshman Nick Laspada. Grimard has been as good as advertised, while Laspada has come out of nowhere to take the league, if not the entire state, by storm. The kid can do it all.
***Methuen’s 34-7 thrashing of Chelmsford serves notice that Pat Graham’s squad is the real deal. In retrospect, even the 14-0 loss to Billerica a few weeks back looks impressive, as giving up only two touchdowns to Peter Flynn’s high flying Indians can be considered quite an accomplishment. Any chance that Methuen might have been taken lightly from here on out likely disappeared with that dominating effort against the Lions.
***Speaking of the Rangers, next up on the schedule is another team serving notice that it won’t be pushed around in ’08…Lowell. Al Pare’s Red Raiders had been hinting at an improved squad by beating Nashua South and Westford to equal last year’s victory total of two. However, going into Lawrence and knocking off perennial power Central is the biggest victory in Pare’s brief tenure.
Where the offseason was dominated by debate about whether Big Al should be brought back for another 2-year contract, the on-field results have been definitive. Pare promised a bigger, tougher team up front, and it looks like he’s delivered. Coming off a 2-9 campaign and the loss of star QB Matt Welch, a 5 or 6 win season might have been considered a pipe dream. With home games against Tewksbury and Haverhill remaining, not to mention a winnable matchup at Andover, that victory total looks very reachable.
That’s the view from here…how do you see things? Any predictions for the rest of the season? You Chelmsford fans want to chime in on the loss last night? With games against both Dracut and Billerica remaining, can the Lions overcome that blowout in Methuen and still claim the conference crown?
Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff
One week after parlaying “the chalk” into a betting bonanza, our fearless football forecaster is reversing the philosophy this week and making like Al Pacino in a movie about a bank robbery.
Slick went 4-1 last weekend while betting all but one favorite. Now he’s doing that one better in the opposite direction, choosing 5-of-5 underdogs for the NFL’s television slate, which includes the big Sunday night Patriots matchup in San Diego.
Should our pigskin prognosticator have kept with the formula that worked so well last week? Or does his willingness to change strategy on the fly show a mind more brilliant than anyone who doesn’t wear a bag over his head can possibly comprehend?
Let’s find out as we unveil Slick’s Picks:
Cincinnati (+7 ½) over NY Jets
Atlanta (+3) over Chicago
Arizona (+5) over Dallas
New England (+5) over San Diego
Cleveland (+7 ½) over NY Giants
Last week: 4-1
Season record: 14-12
Posted by David Pevear, Sun Staff
Because of geography, you are bound to root for the Red Sox.
And given that the local baseball laundry has won two World Series titles in the past four seasons, and is back in the ALCS for the fourth time in six seasons, this is not such a bad place to be.
But deep down in your Big Papi hearts, you have to love the Rays.
For the time being, Tampa is the adorable low-budget engine that could that you sort of wish the Red Sox could occasionally be. You also know this is never possible given the enormous pressures to ALWAYS win in Boston while knocking heads with the overly exorbitant Yankees. The Red Sox cannot afford to finish in last place nine out of 10 seasons — as the Rays did during the first 10 seasons in their existence — to put themselves in position to be adorable.
So starting Friday night, you will root with all your might for Godzilla, forgetting what it was like before 2004 when you bitterly chalked up every Yankee accomplishment to payroll.
The Rays’ 2008 payroll of $44 million is the lowest in the American League and second-lowest in the majors. In the Wild-Card Era, the Rays are the first team to make the playoffs with a payroll less than half the major-league average.
The Red Sox’s payroll of $133 million is three times larger than Tampa’s, and yet the Red Sox finished two games behind the AL East champion Rays, who finished eight games ahead of the $209 million Yankees.
The intention here is not to diminish the Red Sox, whose player-development (i.e. doing it the right way) under Theo Epstein has been praiseworthy and who, big budget or not, play the game the right way under manager Terry Francona.
But still, you have to love the Rays, who are in the ALCS a year after owning the worst record in baseball.
Geography, I suppose, must win out.
The MVP of the American League Division Series — or American League Championship Series, if the Red Sox get that far — will be someone other than Mike Lowell.
Lowell, the MVP of the World Series last year, was taken off the active roster before tonight’s Game 4 of the ALDS against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The pain in his right hip has become just too intense for the Red Sox third baseman to keep playing.
Lowell was hitless in eight at-bats in the two games he played in the ALDS and has struggled to make plays at third base.
Rookie infielder Gil Velazquez took Lowell’s place on the roster. Kevin Youkilis moved from first to third for tonight’s game, and Mark Kotsay took over at first base.
By removing Lowell from the active roster in the middle of a series, he is also ineligible to play in the next round of the playoffs.
Red Sox manager Terry Francona had hoped to avert this move as late as this afternoon.
“He’s hurting today,” Francona said. “We knew he was last night. He showed up today very sore.
“He’s been looked at by the trainers. I’ve spoken to him a couple of times. The doctors are probably down there now. We’ll get him looked at.
“We have some decisions to make,” Francona continued. “Maybe one decision is to do nothing. Some of it is going to depend on what the doctors say we need to do with him.
“If you take him off the roster, he wouldn’t be available for the next series. That’s a big decision.”
Although Lowell has been told by doctors that playing with the torn labrum in his hip wouldn’t make the injury any worse, it was just a question of how much pain he could take. After trying several times during the last week of the season and twice in the ALDS, it became apparent Lowell couldn’t take it anymore without adversely affecting the team.
The starting lineups for Game 4 of the ALDS:
Angels
Chone Figgins (.294-0-1), 3b
Garrett Anderson (.200-0-0), lf
Mark Teixeira (.538-0-1), 1b
Vladimir Guerrero (.583-0-0), dh
Torii Hunter (.429-0-3), cf
Mike Napoli (.333-2-4), c
Juan Rivera (.000-0-1), rf
Howie Kendrick (.143-0-0), 2b
Erick Aybar (.071-0-1), ss
John Lackey (0-1, 2.70), rhp
Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury (.429-0-5), cf
Dustin Pedroia (.000-0-0), 2b
David Ortiz (.231-0-1), dh
Kevin Youkilis (.286-0-1), 3b
J.D. Drew (.300-1-3), rf
Jason Bay (.357-2-5), lf
Mark Kotsay (.333-0-0), 1b
Jed Lowrie (.286-0-0), ss
Jason Varitek (.182-0-0), c
Jon Lester (1-0, 0.00) lhp
The starting lineups for Game 4 of the ALDS:
Angels
Chone Figgins (.294-0-1), 3b
Garrett Anderson (.200-0-0), lf
Mark Teixeira (.538-0-1), 1b
Vladimir Guerrero (.583-0-0), dh
Torii Hunter (.429-0-3), cf
Mike Napoli (.333-2-4), c
Juan Rivera (.000-0-1), rf
Howie Kendrick (.143-0-0), 2b
Erick Aybar (.071-0-1), ss
John Lackey (0-1, 2.70), rhp
Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury (.429-0-5), cf
Dustin Pedroia (.000-0-0), 2b
David Ortiz (.231-0-1), dh
Kevin Youkilis (.286-0-1), 3b
J.D. Drew (.300-1-3), rf
Jason Bay (.357-2-5), lf
Mark Kotsay (.333-0-0), 1b
Jed Lowrie (.286-0-0), ss
Jason Varitek (.182-0-0), c
Jon Lester (1-0, 0.00) lhp
Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff
A few topics to debate while wondering if after a campaign that feels like it’s gone on for about a decade, there really is an undecided voter out there who needs another hour and a half of question avoidance and spin doctoring before making a decision:
Laurence Maroney is a bust. He’s not that good. Even worse, he’s not likely to get much better. Running backs either get it or they don’t very early in their pro career. This kid actually seems to be deteriorating faster than a Survivor tribe that hasn’t won a reward or immunity challenge.
Kevin Faulk on the other hand, is still the best running back on the Patriots roster. He might not have the ideal build and he might not post the flashiest stats, but when a play needs to be made, Faulk is the guy most likely to make it. One of these days, the LSU grad is going to get the recognition he deserves.
I think I’ve finally figured Al Davis out. He’s the Harry Sinden of the NFL, except Davis actually destroyed his own team instead of someone else’s.
Speaking of washed up old people, who’s picking out Cloris Leachman’s outfits on Dancing with the Stars? Seriously folks! I understand the desire to increase viewership in the older demographic, but octogenarian cleavage on prime time television is not the way to go!
Let’s see if I have this straight: Dracut Beat Brockton. Everett beat Dracut. St. John’s Prep beat Everett. And Brockton beat St. John’s Prep. So what will all this mean when the Middies host SJP Friday night? Damned if I know, except for the fact it should be a great football game.
Speaking of Dracut, I’m told Lakeview Avenue on game nights is starting to resemble Route 1 during a Patriots game, with traffic slowed to a crawl by pedestrians’ crossing over to the football stadium. I was even told a local bar posted a “closed till after the game” sign. When did my old hometown become Green Bay east?
Last week, this space raved about Billerica quarterback Nick Laspada. A day later, Indians coach Peter Flynn, who’s seen a fair athlete or two in his time, told me the 15-year old freshman is the best athlete to pass through the high school since Tom Glavine. Guess he’s not worried about the kid’s ability to handle pressure, huh?
Finally, lest this become a column totally about football and reality shows, isn’t it funny how J.D. Drew has a knack for shutting the boo birds up with a clutch home run?
While I still think the Sox overpaid for the injury prone outfielder, Drew has hit two of the biggest homers in Sox playoff history: the 2007 ALCS Game 6 grand slam against Cleveland, and the game-winning two-run jack against the Angels in Game 2 of this year’s ALDS. Those two blasts could very well justify the $14-million per year salary Scott Boras somehow finagled for his client.
That’s the view from here. How do you see things?
Rather than possibly risk jeopardizing J.D. Drew’s health for the remainder of the post-season, Red Sox manager Terry Francona decided to err on the side of caution tonight when he sat down his right fielder, who won Game 2 of the ALDS with a ninth-inning homer. Drew has played only 28 innings since Aug. 17.
Jacoby Ellsbury moved to right field for tonight’s game with Coco Crisp playing center field.
“I know normally you get to this time of the year and you send eight or nine guys out there and just stay with it,” Francona acknowledged. “I don’t know if that’s the way we’re built right now. That’s the best way for us to do it.
“J.D. is physically doing pretty well. I do think we have to recognize the fact that he’s played two games in a row, even though there’s a day off.”
Mike Lowell was back at third base for the Red Sox tonight as they go for a sweep of the Angels.
The starting lineups for tonight’s Game 3 of the American League Division Series between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Red Sox:
Angels
Figgins, .200-0-1, 3b
Anderson, .222-0-0, lf
Teixeira, .714-0-1, 1b
Guerrero, .625-0-0, dh
Hunter, .500 0-3, cf
Rivera, .000-0-0, rf
Napoli, .000-0-1, c
Kendrick, .000-0-0, 2b
Aybar, .000-0-0, ss
Saunders, 17-7, 3.41, lhp
Red Sox
Ellsbury, .440-0-2, rf
Pedroia, .000-0-0, 2b
Ortiz, .300-0-1, dh
Youkilis, .222-0-0, 1b
Bay, .556-2-5, lf
Lowell, .000-0-0, 3b
Lowrie, .333-0-0, ss
Varitek, .125-0-0, c
Crisp, .000-0-0, cf
Beckett, 12-10, 4.03, rhp
Posted By Lynn Worthy, Sun Staff
High School basketball season doesn’t officially start for another couple months, but at least one local hoop star has already made waves. Alex Oriakhi, Lowell resident and senior at the Tilton School in Tilton, N.H., earned a spot on the Sporting News High Honorable Mention high school All-America Team in the annual Sporting News College Basketball Preview Magazine.
The 6-foot-9 senior forward verbally committed to the University of Connecticut as a freshman. Last winter he helped Tilton win its first New England Prepartory School Athletic Council Class B title since 2004.
Oriakhi, who transferred from the Winchendon School prior to last season and the Brooks School a year prior to that, told The Sun this past winter that he was happy at Titlton and that he is focused on improving his game and getting ready for UConn.
"My focus is getting stronger and getting in shape," he said in March. "That's my main focus. Especially for UConn, I've watched their practice and they do so much running. I want to be prepared for that. I'm going to try to get in shape before I go to UConn."
The recruiting and scouting organization New England Basketball Services ranks Oriakhi as the top senior in New England area.
Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff
In an effort to bust out of a two week slump, the artist formerly known as The Victim is going back to a tried and true football gambling formule: bet the chalk!
Of his five picks this week, Slick has taken the favorite four times. Coming off a week where some of the "supposed" top teams in the NFL were topples by what appeared to be inferior opponents, the strategy could backfire. The middle of the season is generally where the upsets occur, as teams that enjoyed early success start to get a little too full of themselves, while teams that chalked up a few early losses get desperate to save their season. Time will tell.
On with Slick's Picks:
Indianapolis (-3) over Houston
NY Giants (-7) over Seattle
New England (-3) over San Francisco
Pittsburgh (+4) over Jacksonville
New Orleans (-3) over Minnesota
Last week: 2-3
2008 record: 10-11
Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff
The title applies on two fronts here: for Jon Lester and for the Red Sox.
Lester was brilliant in the Game 1 victory over the Angels, picking up where he left off in his last playoff masterpiece, the World Series clinching shutout of the Rockies in 2007. With the pressure of stepping in for October hero Josh Beckett, Lester dominated a very good Angels lineup and got stronger as the game went along. I got the impression he could have gone at least another inning if needed.
The performance got the Red Sox team off to a great start in the series. Should Dice-K and the Boston's Boys of Summer grab Game 2, this American League Division Playoff is for all intents and purposes over as the series shifts to Beantown, where Beckett awaits LAA in Game 3.
What do you think gang? Have the Sox seized control of the series? Do you give the Angels any chance? Which moron said Angels in 4, maybe 3, and is now TOTALLY rethinking that prediction after only one game?
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