From: "NebraskaRSfan" <NESC2006@...>Date: July 10, 2009 7:40:28 AM PDTTo: "NebraskaRSfan" <NESC2006@...>Subject: Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox, Friday, July 10th, 2009, 7:10 pm (EDT) game 2 of 4.Reply-To: <NESC2006@...>
Red Sox Boston Yankees New York Rays Tampa Bay Blue Jays Toronto Orioles Baltimore ’s pitcher this evening (Bannister) is an above average pitcher. This is no slamn dunk game tonight. Kansas City , Thursday July 9, 2009. At left his Royals catcher Miguel Olivio. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Boston 
Kansas City Royals atRed Sox Boston Brian Bannister Jon LesterFriday, July 10, 2009, 7:10 pm (EDT)Broadcast: NESN, FSRM, Thursday July 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Boston Jon Lester had already beaten cancer and won the decisive game of the World Series when he took the took the mound against the Kansas City Royals on May 19, 2008.
It wasn’t until that night, however, that Lester established himself as a dominating major league pitcher.
The left-hander will face the Royals on Friday for the first time since he no-hit them last season as he tries to make sure his Boston Red Sox don’t fall out of first place for the first time in more than a month.
After being diagnosed with lymphoma just as he was breaking into the majors, Lester beat the disease and worked his way back by the end of the 2007 season. He was the winning pitcher in Game 4 of the World Series that year against
as the Red Sox completed a sweep. Colorado The resilient Lester didn’t fully regain his strength until last season, however, and it was beginning to show in
Boston ’s 7-0 win over. He struck out nine and walked two, tossing what remains the Kansas City ’s most recent no-hitter. AL “We’re on the wrong part of history,” Royals manager Trey Hillman said that night.
Lester (7-6, 4.16 ERA) went on to win 16 games with a 3.21 ERA last year, and after a rocky opening to 2009 he has once again found a groove. He is 4-1 with a 1.74 ERA in his last seven starts, striking out 61 in 46 2-3 innings.
There still hasn’t been a no-hitter in the majors this season, but Lester flirted with one on June 6, when he took a perfect game into the seventh inning against
. He finished with a two-hitter and 11 strikeouts in Texas ’s 8-1 win. Boston Lester threw a season-high 122 pitches against
on Sunday, allowing four runs - one earned - in 6 2-3 innings. The only time he has ever thrown more pitches was in the no-hitter, when he threw 130. Seattle “It’s nice to be able to carry my stuff throughout the game,” Lester told his team’s official Web site. “I kept us in there as long as I could. If I can keep us within striking distance like that, we’ll win a lot of ballgames.”
The Red Sox (51-34) had a four-run lead in Thursday’s series opener against Kansas City, but lost 8-6, surrendering sole possession of the AL East lead as the red-hot New York Yankees pulled even.
has held at least a share of first place continuously since June 9. Boston The team is now 3-4 to begin a 10-game homestand that initially didn’t seem threatening, starting with visits from
Seattle and. Oakland “(The Royals) just bounced back tonight and scored runs at the right time,” said
designated hitter David Ortiz ,who homered for the second straight game and hit the 300th of his career. “The Yankees are not a surprise. They are playing great.” Boston Starting with Lester’s gem, the Royals (37-48) were swept in their four-game series at
last year, but they’ve already improved on that result. Alberto Callaspo , who struck out against Lester for the final out, had two doubles and two RBIs Thursday, improving his average to .303. Fenway Park Brian Bannister will also hope to reverse his track record in
. The right-hander has allowed 11 runs and four home runs in 11 1-3 innings in two starts at Fenway, losing all three of his overall starts against the Red Sox. Boston Bannister (6-6, 3.87) has pitched well lately. Despite a 2-3 record in his last five starts, he has a 2.57 ERA and .211 opponent batting average over that span. He beat the Chicago White Sox after allowing two runs in six innings of a 6-3 win Sunday.
, Thursday, July 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa Boston Inside Pitch
Kevin Youkilis has been through the ups and downs of a baseball season, so he’s not one to panic.
The two-time All-Star first baseman started out the season red hot but has watched as the numbers have dropped with each passing month leading into the All-Star break.
Youkilis hit .244 during June, and he was mired in a 2-for-28 funk in July before busting out of it with an aggressive game plan in Thursday night’s loss to the Royals.
First the bearded infielder—playing third base for the time being with Mike Lowell on the shelf rehabbing from a sore right hip—smashed an RBI single in the first inning that ended an 0-for-15 slump. Then, he jumped all over the second pitch he saw in his second at-bat for a two-base hit.
The 2-for-5 performance ended a string of fruitless at-bats during the last several weeks, and also pushed his batting average back over the .290 mark. It seems like a long way from the start that saw Youkilis hitting .395 after the first month of the season.
“I hadn’t had much success (lately), but today is a new day,” Youkilis said. “It’s one of those things where I wish I could hit well all year, but you deal with those little slumps during the year. You just have to move on.”
With only three more games remaining before a relaxing trip to St. Louis for his second consecutive All-Star appearance, Youkilis needs only to squeeze out a few more hits to ready himself for a meaningful second-half surge.
Royals 8, Red Sox 6: The normally bulletproof
bullpen suffered its third loss of the homestand when RHPManny Delcarmen and RHP Justin Masterson couldn’t hold the Royals back in the sixth inning. Masterson took his third loss of the season when he coughed up a home run. Boston DH David Ortiz smacked his 300th career home run to left in the first inning.
Notes, Quotes
• 2B Dustin Pedroia might skip the All-Star Game to remain in
with his pregnant wife, Kelli, who was admitted to the hospital on Monday with complications. ESPN’s Peter Gammons first reported the possibility on his Twitter account Wednesday night, and manager Terry Francona said that Major League Baseball is aware of his second baseman’s delicate family situation. Francona indicated that—as of right now—the reigning AL MVP intends to play. “His wife is going through a very serious time right now,” Francona said. “There’s always a chance he wouldn’t play because we don’t know what’s going to happen, but the plan is for him to play. If he needs to not play, then I would certainly support that. It’s stating the obvious: His wife’s in the hospital, and if needs to not go, then he won’t.” Boston • 1B Kevin Youkilis snapped an 0-for-15 funk when he slammed an RBI double in the first inning of Thursday night’s loss, and he finished 2-for-5 with two scored and an RBI to raise his batting average back over .290. The All-Star first baseman has watched his batting average steadily since a fast start, and is hitting .121 in 31 at-bats in July. He admitted that pitchers are going at him a bit differently coming off a big year last year, and he seems to have begun making adjustments at the plate.
Roster Report
• SS Jed Lowrie went 0-for-4 and played nine innings of shortstop for Class AAA Pawtucket on Thursday night, and
manager Terry Francona confirmed that the team is looking at a July 18 date to recall Lowrie. Lowrie was taken off the 60-day disabled list and optioned to the minors on Wednesday. July 18 marks the second game following the All-Star break, and is precisely when Lowrie is allowed to return to the roster. The manager also indicated that the required 10-day minor league stay will be just what is needed for Lowrie, who has battled a bruised right knee and inclement weather since embarking on his rehab assignment in mid-June. Boston • RHP Brad Penny has been remarkably consistent throughout this season after two rough outings early, and Thursday night he matched his entire 2008 output with his 17th start of this season. Penny has never pitched as many as seven full innings this season, and has allowed three runs or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts. The 10-start stretch began May 20. Penny has gone 3-2 with a 3.45 ERA in 57 1/3 innings over that span. “I felt really strong,” said Penny. “I can’t remember a time where I’ve really been tired this year.”
• DH David Ortiz smashed his 300th career home run in the first inning of Thursday night’s loss, and he became the 19th active player in the big leagues to reach that milestone. Ortiz was the first player to hit his 300th in a Sox uniform since Manny Ramirez did it against the Angels on Aug. 26, 2002. Thursday night also marked the first time in 11 opportunities that the Sox have lost a game that Big Papi homered in. “When the ball is coming off his bat like that, that’s good for us,” manager Terry Francona said. “He’s back to being about as dangerous as anybody in the league
Penny for Your Thoughts?
(John Tlumacki /Globe Staff) Boston We Bet Brad Can't Stand to Watch MDC and Masterson
Blow the Game EitherRoyal Blues | Tiny Payroll 8, Unlimited Payroll 6
Callaspo, DeJesus Leads Royals; Collapse for Sox Bullpen
Theo Would Like to Remind You That Duquette Found Delcarmen
Papi Hits No. 300... Needs Just 455 to Catch All-Time Leader Hank Aaron
Pedroia Bangs Out Three Hits to Take the Lone Sox .300 Torch
Lord Help Us: Masterson's ERA Is On the RiseRockies Garrett Atkins to Reds, Red Sox, Cards or M's
TheRockies , though, have spoken with the Reds and the Red Sox about infielder Garrett Atkins as they look to add bullpen reinforcements. The Reds have enough depth to trade a reliever -- such as David Weathers -- but aren't interested in absorbing the $3.4 million owed Atkins for the remainder of this season, complicating any deal. The Red Sox continue to monitor Atkins' situation in case Mike Lowell's hip injury sidelines him longer than a few weeks. Atkins also has attracted interest fromSt. Louis and. -- Seattle Post Denver Cuban shortstop gets big money from Red Sox
Official word is expected later this month, but the Red Sox and Cuban shortstop Jose Iglesias have agreed to terms on an $8 million-plus deal, according to a source familiar with the talks. The 19-year-old defector is considered to be a defensively gifted player with major league caliber glove skills. His offensive potential appears to be a question mark. He has been heavily scouted since defecting ina year ago. The Red Sox have been scouting him for months, and have been working him out at their complex in the Canada . -- Dominican Republic Herald Boston Red Sox Transactions of the Last 15 Years Boston by Anthony EmersonThe Red Sox have been arguably the best team of this decade. But how did they get there?
The Red Sox have been willing to pull the trigger on many trades and take a risky signing.
You probably won't agree with all my choices, and this article is in order of when each transaction went down. If you think that I left a transaction off, just leave a comment with the transaction in it and I'll add it.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/214987-20-best-boston-red-sox-transactions-since-1995
Today in Baseball History: July 10
On July 10, 1984, Fernando Valenzuela and Dwight Gooden set an All-Star Game record by combining to strike out six consecutive batters. Valenzuela and Gooden fan Dave Winfield, Reggie Jackson, George Brett, Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon, and Alvin Davis in succession.
On July 10, 1983, the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers play the longest nine-inning game in major league history. The Brewers win the four-hour and 11-minute marathon, 12-9, on Ted Simmons’ bases loaded single.
On July 10, 1982, Larry Parrish of the Texas Rangers ties a major league record by clubbing his third grand slam within the span of a week. Parrish’s latest slam lifts the Rangers to a 6-5 win over the Detroit Tigers. In 1968,’s Jim Northrup also hit three grand slams in a week. Detroit
On July 10, 1964, Jesus Alou of the San Francisco Giants collects six hits against six different pitchers in a 10-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Alou becomes the first Giant to enjoy a six-hit game in nearly 40 years.
On July 10, 1951, the National League hits a record four home runs in pounding the American League, 8-3, at the All-Star Game. Playing at Briggs Stadium in, Ralph Kiner of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits an All-Star Game home run for the third consecutive year. Detroit
On July 10, 1945, the All-Star Game scheduled foris canceled because of travel restrictions imposed by World War II. Several teams do play inter-league exhibitions designed to raise money as part of the war effort. The All-Star Game will resume in 1946. Fenway Park
On July 10, 1945, ten new members are inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The inductees are catcher Roger Bresnahan, first baseman Dan Brouthers, outfielder Fred Clarke, third baseman Jimmy Collins, outfielders Ed Delahanty and Hugh Duffy, shortstop Hughie Jennings, outfielder King Kelly, first baseman Jim O'Rourke, and catcher Wilbert Robinson.
On July 10, 1944, the second Hall of Fame induction ceremony is held after a four-year wait, mostly due to World War II travel restrictions.Landis is the lone inductee. Four months later, Landis will pass away. Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain
On July 10, 1934, in one of the most memorable All-Star Game performances ever, Carl Hubbell strikes out five consecutive future Hall of Famers. Hubbell fans Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Joe Cronin in a game won by the American League, 9-7. Hubbell himself will gain election to the Hall in 1947.
On July 10, 1932, theA’s and Cleveland Indians score 35 runs in an 18-inning game. The A’s win, 18-17, as Jimmie Foxx ties an American League record with 16 total bases. A’s reliever Eddie Rommell surrenders 29 hits and 14 runs in 18 innings, but picks up the win. Philadelphia ’s Johnny Burnett collects a record nine base hits. Cleveland
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