Sports of Boston » David Ortiz

The Obligatory Merry Christmas Post!

KC Downey — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 02:52:53 +0000

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Chrismukkah, Happy Festivus or just generally…Happy Holidays!

Get anything good from Santa this year?

Report: David Ortiz Plans to Accept Arbitration From Red Sox

KC Downey — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 23:58:54 +0000

Designated hitter David Ortiz has decided he will accept arbitration from the Red Sox, according to ESPNDeportes.com’s Enrique Rojas.

In this case, Ortiz would earn a raise from his $12.5 million 2011 salary (likely $13-15 million or so) on a one-year deal for 2012.

The Red Sox had made a multi-year offer to free agent designated hitter David Ortiz. A source told WEEI’s Rob Bradford that the deal was for two years and $18 million. Bradford is also reporting that Ortiz hasn’t totally made up his mind yet.

The 36-year-old reportedly preferred to make $12.5 million per year in a multi-year deal, but the Sox offer only would have paid him $9M per. With little interest elsewhere, Ortiz had just two options: take the two-year offer or take arbitration.

Ortiz hit .309 with 26 HRs, 96 RBI and managed to cut down on his strikeouts (83) despite his advancing age.

Bobby Valentine Recruiting David Ortiz in Domincan Republic

KC Downey — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:32:02 +0000

New Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine flew to the Dominican Republic soon after meeting with the media Thursday. He went there meet with free agent designated hitter David Ortiz on a “recruiting trip.”

The Red Sox have offered Ortiz arbitration, and the slugger has until Dec. 7 to accept. Should he accept, he would get a one-year deal with an automatic raise (more than $12.5 million). If he declines, he would be eligible for a multi-year deal with any team (the Blue Jays and Orioles have shown interest), and the Red Sox would receive a first round draft pick as compensation if he leaves.

My guess is that Valentine is asking Big Papi to accept arbitration for one more chance to win it all with the Red Sox, which would be better than Ortiz insisting on receiving a three-year deal from the team, which would take him through his Age 38 season (that’s not a good thing).

Johnny Damon and Tim Wakefield were also in the Dominican for the David Ortiz Celebrity Golf Classic. The 45-year-old Wakfield again expressed his desire to return to the Red Sox for one more season. He is seven wins away from the Red Sox all-time record.

The 38-year-old Damon, meanwhile, told reporters he’d like to return to the Rays.

Red Sox Options Beyond David Ortiz

Matthew Bond — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:29:14 +0000

As the dust settles after the chaotic hiring of Bobby Valentine, the Red Sox will soon turn their attention to David Ortiz, whose free agency looms large when it comes to this offseason and moving forward as a team. His significance as a part of the Red Sox franchise goes without saying; he is one of the last remaining players from the 2004 championship and will always be remembered in Red Sox nation for his efforts throughout his Boston career.

However, things have drastically changed since then: Theo Epstein has departed for Chicago and Terry Francona is no longer filling out lineup cards, so the decision GM Ben Cherington must face is whether or not to retain the services of Ortiz for another couple of seasons.

In 2011, Ortiz put together a terrific season in what has been a two-year comeback from his rough 2009 campaign when he hit .238. Last year he batted .309, his highest average since the Sox championship year in 2007. Ortiz homered 29 times to go along with 40 doubles, and he drove in 96 runners in 146 games. Perhaps the most stunning number was his 83 strikeouts; Ortiz reduced his strikeout numbers in 2011 to an extreme low after punching out at least 100 times in every season since 2004 except 2008 when he only played 109 games. He was a force for Boston throughout the season, a big part of why they were as good as they were for the majority of the year until their September collapse.

However, as good as Ortiz has been year after year with the Red Sox, re-signing him this offseason could very well be a mistake. It is estimated that he is looking for a two-year deal between $10-12 million per year. The Red Sox already have many large contracts locked up around the roster for the long run, and paying that much for a designated hitter could hurt the team at other positions of weakness, such as the starting staff, right field, and shortstop. In years past, the Sox have been loaded at each position, and have had room on the payroll for Ortiz. And while the money is still there with J.D. Drew finally off the roster, it might be significantly more important to spend at real defensive positions before filling the DH spot.

Life Without Ortiz

At a time when the franchise desperately needs a new look, I think now is the time for the Sox to let David Ortiz walk away in free agency and find a new home. His departure would give Boston far more flexibility when it comes to working on their roster instead of having the $20 million DH clogging up the team. If he leaves, I think the best option is for the Red Sox to look at players at both shortstop and right field, and sign one of each. Then, the DH spot can be used more loosely to give players half days off, keeping players relatively fresh and playing everyday. It would also give Bobby Valentine the opportunity to experiment with new lineups to see what can work instead of filling out generic lineup cards each game.

Red Sox Shortstop Targets

One of the biggest problems with keeping Ortiz in the middle of the lineup is the high number of lefties, as Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford, and Adrian Gonzalez already have everyday spots. The normal right fielder will likely also be lefty Josh Reddick, however I think that can change with the departure of Ortiz as well. With regards to shortstops, the free agent market includes high profile options such as Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins, but there are also players who could share time with both Marco Scutaro and Jed Lowrie such as Ronny Cedeno and Rafael Furcal. While appealing, filling the shortstop position seems like a yearly task for the Sox each offseason, and it might be safer to simply stay with their own options including the development of Jose Iglesias rather than pursuing a free agent.

Red Sox Right Field Targets

The outfield market has plenty of appealing options for a team like the Red Sox after the departure of Drew. Again there is the big name option of Carlos Beltran, who has been heavily tied to the Sox in rumors. Michael Cuddyer, Cody Ross, Josh Willingham, and old friend Coco Crisp also exist as cheaper options. An alternative free agent name that has been thrown around is Aramis Ramirez, who could play third base for the Sox from time to time with Kevin Youkilis, who could spend more time at DH and 1B, giving Adrian Gonzalez more rest as well.

The DH Position

I really like the idea of signing Ramirez and letting him join the rotating trio of Gonzalez and Youkilis if Ortiz does not return for 2012. However there doesn’t need to be a player assigned to the position for the team to use it effectively. Hypothetically the Sox could sign a shortstop and a right fielder listed above, filling each position except DH. Then the team could play 8 position players each game with room in the lineup for one more hitter off the bench. This would give players like Ryan Kalish, Jed Lowrie, and Ryan Lavarnway the opportunity to develop without taking time away from regulars. As a position across the league, the designated hitter seems to be in decline, and maybe it is time for the Sox to move forward from it and Ortiz.

Red Sox Offseason Solution

I appreciate everything David Ortiz has done for the Red Sox franchise, and I have little doubt that even at the age of 36 he can produce for any team, but he lacks true value because of the position he plays at the price he’s demanding. If he leaves via free agency, it sets up Ben Cherington to make an unexpected free agent splash this offseason with the likes of Jonathan Papelbon and J.D. Drew not returning. I would not attempt to target a shortstop, leaving the job up to Marco Scutaro and Jed Lowrie to battle for. Aramis Ramirez might seem like a long shot, but his right-handed bat would be a great fit at Fenway, similarly to the way Adrian Beltre fit at 3B for a season. The problem with Ramirez is the contract he’d be looking for. At age 33, I wouldn’t give him any more than a four-year deal. That would shift Kevin Youkilis to the DH spot, which he could also share around the field on days he, Ramirez, or Adrian Gonzalez take off. In right field, I think the best option at a cheap price would be Michael Cuddyer, a great character guy in the clubhouse who would fit right into the Boston environment under Bobby Valentine.

The loss of David Ortiz would be a tough one throughout Red Sox nation, but I think that his departure could be the first step towards restructuring the look of the franchise.

How to Fix the Red Sox this Off Season

Josh Segal — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:35:22 +0000

As the offseason gets underway, the Red Sox don’t particularly have that many needs. Except for a manager. And an outfielder. And a few starting pitchers. Oh and an entire new bullpen. I guess I was wrong, they do have a lot of needs. And considering the payroll, there’s not much room for an Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder to solve any problems. Sounds like rookie GM Ben Cherington has a lot on his plate. If Benny Boy (Theo was Boy Wonder, it’s only fair) wants to bring integrity back to the Red Sox he should listen to me. Championship guaranteed, but I take no responsibility in any failures.

Outfield

The Red Sox appear to be set at two of the three spots to start the season, assuming Carl Crawford isn’t exiled from Boston in the next five months or so. Rejoicing in the departure of J.D. Drew should be enjoyable for many fans, but it still doesn’t solve the problem.

The names everyone are talking about right now are Grady Sizemore and Carlos Beltran. Let’s not be stupid. Boston just finished complaining about five years worth of J.D. Drew injuries. With that in mind, why wouldn’t they want to sign a brittle outfielder who possibly can’t field anymore? It’s debatable whether Sizemore actually has knees. He’s definitely the kind of guy I want patrolling right field at FENWAY PARK. Not to mention he hasn’t had a respectable season since 2008. But Carlos Beltran had a good season? Wow, an injury prone, under achieving Scott Boras Client over performing during a contract year, I’ve never heard of that before. I’ll pass.

I hate to be a cheapie, but let’s stick with the Josh Reddick/Ryan Kalish platoon. They’re young, inexpensive andhave something to fight for. The competition could be good for them. Reddick tailed off, but it was a solid season. Kalish played well in 2010. Unfortunately, they’re both lefties, but I’m O.K. with that because lefties haven’t been accused of devil worship since like 1950. And if it doesn’t work out, the Sox can always trade them for something (You can’t trade the 5 year $50 million Beltran contract Boras swindled you into signing).

Infield

Adrian Gonzalez and Dustin Pedroia have first and second base under control. Apparently Marco Scutaro is shortstop (it could be worse). Jarrod Saltalamacchia is catcher and I have no problem with letting Jason Varitek ride off into the sunset. Thanks for the rings, now get lost and do pre-game on NESN. Ryan Lavarnaway can be backup catcher and part time DH.

Now we can get flexible. There’s talk of sliding Kevin Youkilis to DH and letting David Ortiz walk, but let’s not go crazy. To start, I don’t like the idea of Youkilis at third base. He hasn’t been healthy for two years and he’s only getting older. He looked overweight last year and clearly can’t handle it. Ortiz on the other hand had a monster season. Good enough to keep him in the center of the lineup for another two years. And let’s face it, Youkilis seems like a jerk. Ellsbury is our guy now and Youk has a problem with him…it’s time to send Mr. Youkilis elsewhere. Package him and the oft injured Lowrie for pitching of some sort. Sign Aramis Ramirez because that’s what everyone is telling Boston to do ~~and give him number 24 to make it awkward.~~ I’d say to look into David Wright, but I say a lot of things.

Just don’t do something stupid and sign Jose Reyes for Carl Crawford money. A lineup of three leadoff hitters, what could possibly go wrong?

Pitching

I’ve had a realization about building a starting rotation. You can’t depend on only five starters. You need like eight. And they all have to be able to pitch a lot of innings. And never get hurt. And not suck. And be chill with waiting in the minors for someone to get injured. The only problem is that those guys are always over priced. Let’s buy them all anyway.

A starting three of Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and Clay Buchholz isn’t a bad starting point. But you have to keep in mind the injuries and Beckett’s inability to pitch well in even numbered years. First off, push Tim Wakefield out the door and force him to move to Florida. I don’t want to hear from him for twenty years. I can already picture counting how many starts it takes him to break the next meaningless record he apparently has come close to.

Next, sign Roy Oswalt. But he’s old and injured. Yeah, but he’s Roy Oswalt. It won’t have to go beyond two years, his upside is high, and his downside isn’t that low. Then sign at least two people out of the following: Mark Buehrle, Bruce Chen, Erik Bedard, Edwin Jackson, Javier Vazquez. Preferably Buehrle is one of the two because of his durability track record.

Then when all of these guys are inevitably injured you have Michael Bowden, Kyle Weiland, Felix Doubront, Junichi Tazawa, and Alfredo Aceves capable of making a start. Are you excited? Me neither.

In terms of the bullpen. Keep Jonathan Paplebon for whatever it takes (but if he walks, leak a story that will ruin his reputation, marriage, and possibly his entire life). Let’s be intelligent and keep Daniel Bard in the bullpen. Same for Aceves, just for kicks. Keep Dan Wheeler too. In case you didn’t know yet, there are a butt load of closers that are free agents. Every GM has to make a rash decision so let’s go Yankees/Rafael Soriano style and sign someone else that isn’t terrible. Relief pitchers are a toss up. If Jenks contributes anything next year it’s a bonus.

In Summary

Talent was not an issue in 2011, attitude was. Send some of the veterans packing, add some youth and new faces, and sign a tough as nails manager (I vote Dave Martinez solely because of the beard). Do everything I say and cue the duck boats. Give me my realistically perfect team and we finish with something resembling this this:

Lineup

CF Ellsbury
LF Crawford
2B Pedroia
1B Gonzalez
3B A. Ramirez
DH Ortiz
RF Reddick/Kalish
SS Scutaro
C Saltalamacchia

Bench

Mike Aviles
Reddick/Kalish
Lavarnaway
Darnell McDonald

Starting Rotation

Beckett
Lester
Buccholz
Oswalt
Buehrle
Chen

Bullpen

Papelbon
Bard
Aceves
Jenks
Wheeler
Additional overpriced reliever

Hopefully we won’t be missing John Lakcey by August.

Video: Taiwanese NMA-TV Animation Recaps Epic Red Sox Collapse

KC Downey — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 17:44:18 +0000

In case you somehow forgot what happened to the Red Sox during the 2011 season, Tawain’s NMA-TV put together a little computer animation video.

The video features David Ortiz with a hobo’s bindle, Theo Epstein with a Chicago Cubs briefcase, the ghost of Babe Ruth, and of course, fat versions of Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and John Lackey eating fried chicken, drinking beer, and playing video games.

“The Boston Red Sox suffered for decades under the Curse of the Bambino. But with World Series wins in 2004 and 2007, it seemed the curse has been reversed.

The Sox were doing well before blowing up in September. Some do not blame the Bambino, but a pitching staff that got lazy: eating fried chicken and drinking beer during games.

In the most epic implosion in history, the Red Sox went from leading the division to missing out on the playoffs.

Manager Terry Francona and GM Theo Epstein are gone. Star hitter David Ortiz might be next. How would Big Papi look in pinstripes?”

Without further ado, here’s the video:

David Ortiz to the Yankees in 2012?

KC Downey — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:44:40 +0000

What could hurt the Red Sox more than the 7-20 September collapse and the unbelievable news that followed (fried chicken, beer, video games and painkillers)? Hmm. How about David Ortiz wearing pinstripes next season? What once seemed unthinkable is more possible than ever: Big Papi very well could join the Yankees.

Yep, just like Babe Ruth, Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens and Johnny Damon before him, Ortiz could join the Dark Side after several years with the Red Sox. In an interview with ESPNBoston.com, Ortiz complained that there was “too much drama” in the fallout of the Red Sox collapse.

“There’s too much drama. I have been thinking about a lot of things. I don’t know if I want to be part of this drama for next year,” Ortiz said.

How about the Yankees, then?

“That’s something I gotta think about,” Ortiz said. “It’s a good situation to be involved in. Who doesn’t want to be involved in a great situation where everything goes the right way?”

Reaction

Personally, it appears that Ortiz is just doing some classic free agent posturing. Why would he say he would never sign with the Yankees, the team with the most money? The best thing for Ortiz to do for himself is to create a big enough market for him to get one final multi-year deal.

Last season, Ortiz hit .309 with 29 HRs and 96 RBI and made $12.5 million. I think a two-year deal worth around $15 million (ideally less) would be a reasonable contract for a soon-to-be 36-year-old designated hitter.

While I think it was some free agent posturing, I do think he would consider signing with the Yankees if the Red Sox don’t low-ball him too much.

Red Sox Split Doubleheader with Orioles, Still Lead Rays By 2

KC Downey — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 05:37:03 +0000

The Red Sox started the day just 2.0 games ahead of the Rays in the AL Wild Card race, and after 18 long innings of baseball against those pesky Orioles, the Sox remain just 2.0 games up with eight games to go.

Game 1: Orioles 7, Red Sox 6

W: Jeremy Guthrie (9-17) - 6.0 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 3 Ks
L: Kyle Weiland (0-3) – 4.2 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 5 Ks
SV: Jim Johnson (7)

Weiland Isn’t Ready

It’s not Kyle Weiland’s fault. The Red Sox are without Clay Buchholz, Erik Bedard and Daisuke Matsuzaka in the starting rotation. So, the Red Sox have been forced to call on the rookie in must-win games down the stretch. He started off Game 1 OK, allowing no runs or hits during the first two innings.

He then had trouble in the third and fourth innings and couldn’t get out of the fifth. In the end, he allowed 6 runs (5 earned) on five hits and two walks. He allowed three home runs and took his third career loss.

Fortunately for the Red Sox, Felix Doubront (1.1 scoreless IP) and Alfredo Aceves (3.0 scoreless IP) saved the bullpen. They would be needed in Game 2.

Crawford Scratched, McDonald Attempts To Fill In

Carl Crawford was scratched shortly before the game with a stiff neck he suffered during batting practice. In his place was Darnell McDonald, who had a bit of an adventure out in left field in Game 1.

With a runner on first and one out in the third inning, McDonald muffed a fly ball in the outfield. His error led to runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out, a situation which the Orioles capitalized on when Matt Angle singled home both men to give the O’s a 2-0 lead.

McDonald atoned for his error a bit in the next half inning, hitting a solo HR off righty Jeremy Guthrie.

Ortiz’s Line Drive…Foul?

Ortiz lined what would have been an RBI double right off the wall below Pesky’s Pole in the fifth inning. Or did he?

You be the judge:

Fair or foul? (AP/MLB.tv Image from Yahoo.com Blogs)

The umpires called the ball foul. Ortiz later flied out to center to end the inning, and slammed his batting helmet in disgust. Clearly (at least to me), the umpires got it wrong. That ball hits at least a foot to the left of the foul pole in fair territory. Considering the Sox lost by just one run, this play loomed large in the result.

Game 2: Red Sox 18, Orioles 9

W: Scott Atchison (1-0) – 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 Ks
L: Brian Matusz (1-8) – 1.2 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 9 Ks

Lackey Horrible Yet Again

In the nightcap, John Lackey was called upon to help the Red Sox win perhaps their most important game of the year. Coming into the game, he had been the worst full-time starting pitcher in the majors. Nothing changed.

Lackey yielded 8 earned runs on 11 hits in just 4.2 innings despite being spotted 11 runs by the Sox bats through three innings. Terry Francona just could not leave him in to “earn” the win as Lackey struggled to make it through five.

“It just got to the point where it’s hard to leave him in,” Francona said. “We needed to stop the runs, now.”

By the end of the year, Lackey will have made more than $15 million this season. With three years left on the deal, what are the Red Sox going to do with the worst starter in the major leagues? For right now, he has to keep going out every fifth day due to the quandary they are currently in. If the Sox are even lucky enough to make the playoffs, they have to seriously consider leaving Lackey off the roster.

Bats Club 20 Hits, 18 Runs

Thankfully the Red Sox still have a pretty good offense, as their starting rotation continues to let them down every single day. Coming off a 3-3 effort in the first game, Marco Scutaro led the charge with three more hits in Game 2, scoring three times and driving in two runs.

Jacoby Ellsbury, Adrian Gonzalez, and Dustin Pedroia also finished with three hits. Ellsbury picked up his 28th HR (the inside-the-park variety) in the 7th inning, and Gonzalez added two walks as part of a 3-3 effort at the plate.

Jed Lowrie, though, saved the Red Sox early. Down 3-1 in the first inning, Lowrie hit a go-ahead, three-run HR to give the Red Sox new life and Lackey another chance to redeem himself. The Sox didn’t look back after Lowrie’s HR.

Conor Jackson even got in on the action, hitting his second career grand slam, clearing the bases in the seventh inning to blow the game wide open.

Michael Bowden pitched the final two innings to give the Sox the 18-9 win.

Looking Ahead

The Red Sox have two more games against the O’s, an off-day, three against the Yankees in the Bronx, and three more against the O’s in Baltimore to close the season. They’re up 2.0 games in the Wild Card with eight to play.

Erik Bedard returns to the bump on Tuesday against Rick VandenHurk.

Red Sox Win Pivotal Game, Push Wild Card Lead to 4 Games Over Rays

cchirichiello — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 14:43:02 +0000

Beckett Returns, Bullpen Strong

Josh Beckett returned in his most anticipated start of the year versus the Tampa Bay Rays in a crucial game in the Wild Card race. Beckett did not disappoint after a slow start, throwing six innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits, walking one and striking out seven. He earned his 13th victory of the year after Alfredo Aceves, Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon combined for eight strikeouts in three innings in relief in the 4-3 win. The real story was Bard coming back after five shaky outings and delivering when the Nation needed him most.

Rays Start Quick, Sox Answer

Desmond Jennings led off the game and tested Josh Beckett’s ankle early, laying a bunt down that led to Beckett throwing it wide of first to allow Jennings to scamper into second base. Evan Longoria did not wait long, launching a two-run homer over the monster to give the Rays a 2-0 lead.

The Sox did not go down quietly in the first. After Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a double, Dustin Pedroia singled Ellsbury home making it 2-1 Rays. After Adrian Gonzalez went down swinging and Pedroia took second on a wild pitch, David Ortiz tied the game 2-2 with a single to left-center.

Longoria Swinging Hot Bat, Ortiz Answers

Longoria answered with a single to right, plating Jennings in the third. Ortiz then doubled to deep right center in the bottom half of the inning, scoring Pedroia tying the game 3-3.

Aviles Makes Up For Blunder

After Mike Aviles bunted into a double play in a crucial time in the game, he brought the Fenway Faithful back to life hitting a ball over the monster giving the Sox a 4-3 lead.

Papelbon Records 30th Save

Jonathan Papelbon came in for the ninth striking out the side recording his 30th save of the year.

The Sox look to push their lead to five games Saturday at 4:10 with Jon Lester on the bump. The Rays will answer with Jeff Niemann.

Longoria, Upton and Kotchman all Homer as Rays Rock Red Sox, Cut Wild Card Lead to 3

Matt Goisman — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 04:26:24 +0000

When nothing is going right, nothing is going right. Such was the case Thursday night at Fenway, when a freakish broken-bat grounder led to four runs by the Tampa Bay Rays, who homered three times to beat the Red Sox, 9-2, and cut Boston’s wild card lead to three games.

Broken Bat Ends Up Breaking Weiland

Through two innings, starter Kyle Weiland appeared on his way to at least the first quality start for the Red Sox since Sept. 6, and possibly his first major league win. Weiland retired his first seven batters before giving up a double to catcher John Jaso. Weiland walked Desmond Jennings with two outs, but his inside pitch to B.J. Upton broke Upton’s bat and started rolling towards Marco Scutaro.

The broken bat-head flew in the exact same direction as the grounder, unfortunately, landing in front of Scutaro moments before the ball reached his glove. Scutaro tried to side-step the bat and field the ball, but the two arrived so close that there was nothing Scutaro could do. The ball rolled between his legs, and Jaso scored to give the Rays a 1-0 lead.

Weiland should have been out of the inning, but instead he had to face Evan Longoria. Though Weiland reached two strikes on Longoria, he left a 1-2 pitch over the plate, and Longoria deposited it in the Red Sox bullpen in right-center to make it a 4-0 game.

Terry Francona lifted Weiland with none out and two men on in the fourth despite Weiland’s low pitch count of 61. The move paid off at first, with newcomer Trever Miller retiring all three batters he faced. Miller was aided by Adrian Gonzalez, who with one out and Johnny Damon on third charged a bunt by Jaso and quickly shuffle-flipped to Jarrod Saltalamacchia to nail Damon at home.

Scott Atchison pitched a scoreless fifth, but Franklin Morales hit Damon and then gave up a two-run home run to Casey Kotchman in the sixth.

Francona tried Matt Albers in the seventh, but that only made matters worse. Albers walked Jennings to start the game, then gave up a two-run home run to Upton that once again landed in the Red Sox bullpen. Albers left after walking Ben Zobrist with one out, but replacement Andrew Miller gave up two singles, including an RBI single to Kotchman that made it 9-1 Rays. Miller did strike out four in 1 2/3 innings Thursday – more than the combined total for the six other Red Sox pitchers used.

It’s unclear why Francona would overtax an already exhausted bullpen when the starter could have easily gone at least two more innings. Weiland is a very young pitcher, still with hundreds of innings left in his tank. Boston’s bullpen, meanwhile, has almost completely dissolved.

Francona is delusional if he believes his team has a better chance to win when he uses the bullpen more. The only way to restrengthen the bullpen is to use starters more. Even if they don’t seem capable of handling the extra innings, pulling starters early has an even lower likelihood of success.

Hellickson Shuts Down Red Sox Again

Once again phenomenal pitching by the Rays completely stifled the Red Sox offense. Starter Jeremy Hellickson held the Red Sox to just three hits over 5 1/3 innings, and three Rays relievers allowed just one hit over the next 2 2/3.

Boston’s best scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the third, when two walks sandwiched around a Scutaro (2-for-3) single loaded the bases with one out. Hellickson then got Gonzalez to ground weakly to first base, and Saltalamacchia scored from third on the ground out. Considering Gonzalez had tripled and homered off Hellickson in six previous at-bats, the Rays were happy to trade a run for the second out.

Hellickson then intentionally walked David Ortiz (2-2), who had already singled off Hellickson in the second inning, getting to third on a wild pitch and a balk before Carl Crawford stranded him.

Kevin Youkilis worked the count full but then grounded out to third to leave the bases loaded.

With the scoring chance wasted, much of the life went out of the Red Sox, and they went 1-2-3 in both the fourth and the fifth. Boston struggled all night with Hellickson’s changeup, never figuring out the timing necessary to drive it. Though 27 foul balls kept Hellickson from finishing the sixth, it didn’t matter: Jake McGee retired Crawford one on pitch to strand two Red Sox.

The Red Sox added a run in the ninth on an RBI single by Darnell McDonald that scored Joey Gathright. Jose Iglesias also recorded his first major league hit in the ninth.