Red Sox - 6/23/02

THE SOX AT A GLANCE

The Sox are 45-26 and are hanging onto their lead over the Yankees by the thinnest of margins in the AL East. They currently hold a .5 game lead over New York. They have the best road record in the majors at 28-11, but are playing just over .500 at home with a 17-15 mark.

The pitching staff is doing an excellent job, allowing only 268 runs, fewest in the American League. They own a 3.58 ERA and have thrown the most shutouts (9) in the majors. They also have thrown the fewest walks in the AL and the staff has a WHIP of 1.18, also the best AL mark. Boston's 26 saves also lead the junior circuit.

The offensive side of the ball isn't nearly as prolific as the pitching staff, but it is getting the job done. They own the second highest average in the AL at .281 and the second best slugging percentage at .441. Their .786 OPS also ranks them second in the league.

LATEST TEAM NEWS

The Red Sox have continued their interleague woes, going 5-9 against Arizona, Colorado, Atlanta, San Diego, and Los Angeles. Entering the year, they owned a record of 40-45 against NL teams since interleague play was introduced five years ago. They have one more game without a DH before returning to Fenway to face Cleveland.

The team has been in a major offensive funk. They have scored just 33 runs in their last 10 games. Brian Daubach, Jose Offerman, and Johnny Damon have all been hitting under .220 over the last week. Daubach in particular is having a very rough stretch. He's hitless in his last 14 at-bats with 10 strikeouts. Trot Nixon is starting to show signs of life, but it is a slow process. His average is at .247. Shea Hillenbrand looks to be gaining momentum again. He had been in a pretty steady decline, but his average is up to .318 and he's hit three homers in his last four games.

"No one is swinging the bat consistently right now," Damon said. "You
really can't point to one guy who is actually carrying us right now.
Some of us need to step up again. Hopefully the addition of Manny in
the next couple of days will give us what we need."

Manny Ramirez has been sorely missed. Originally, manager Grady Little said Ramirez would not rehab at all. It was the slugger himself who convinced Little that he needed to play a few games in Pawtucket first. When he first got off the DL, he was expected to play 4 games, 2 in the OF, in Pawtucket before joining the major league team. Ramirez’s stint has been extended a couple of games and he is due back Tuesday.

Lowe has been the obvious bright spot of the Red Sox rotation. He has the best ERA and the most wins in the AL. In just the second meeting ever of league ERA leaders, Lowe bested Braves pitcher Tom Glavine, 6-1.

Pedro Martinez has been inconsistent throughout the year by his standards, but his last outing was masterful. Against the Padres, he threw 8 innings and struck out five of the first six batters he faced. He earned the win and finished with 11 K's against only one walk and two hits. It was an importnat outing because Pedro had lost his last two starts and hadn't won since May 23. Before the San Diego game, he had been less confident of himself, saying he never knows if he will have his best stuff or not whenever he steps onto the mound. It doesn’t hurt that the Red Sox are scoring many more runs for him this year than ever before.

This year was the first since 1946 that the Sox have had three pitchers combine for 20+ wins by June 1st. However, previously undefeated Pedro and John Burkett have each had some losses. Burkett has seen his ERA and WHIP increase dramatically over the last month. Frank Castillo has done an admirable job as the fourth starter. His recent explosion in San Diego at umpire Mark Wilke may cost him a start and/or a fine. Castillo was ejected for arguing a balk call and he cleated the umpire. He has pitched well enough for the Sox to win some ball games, but Castillo isn't the kind of guy who will dominate a game. Rolando Arrojo, the new fifth starter, has stepped it up. He is now 4-1 with a 2.88 ERA and is due to start against the Dodgers on 6/23.

While the rotation may be one of the best in the league the middle relief has been horrible. Rich Garces, one of the best 8th inning pitchers of last year, had the worst ERA (11.77) of relievers this year before going on the disabled list. The Red Sox bought LHP Chris Haney’s contract in their quest to finding an effective lefty specialist. LHP Casey Fossum has nice looking stats, but he's just not getting lefties out. They are hitting .348 off him with a .823 OPS. If Haney fails, the Sox could look at Jeff Wallace, who was just activated from the DL and assigned to AAA Pawtucket. They also sent down Sun Woo Kim to AAA in favor of Willie Banks. Banks had made several appearances for the Sox earlier in the year.

In the AL All Star vote race. Shea Hillenbrand leads all third basemen. Second baseman Rey Sanchez is fourth, and shortstop Nomar Garciaparra are both second at their respective positions. Though he has only played 33 games, Manny Ramirez is second behind just Ichiro Suzuki for outfielders. All three of the Red Sox opening day starting outfielders are in the top 15, with Damon at 6th and Nixon holding down the 15th spot. Varitek has also received the fourth most votes for AL catchers. Derek Lowe looks like a lock as the American League's starting pitcher while Pedro Martinez and Ugueth Urbina may also make the squad, but that's all up to AL manager Joe Torre.

LOCAL PERSPECTIVE

The Manny Ramirez saga is getting ridiculous. After sliding in to third base during one of his rehab games in Pawtucket, Manny somehow lost one of his diamond earrings. The game was actually stopped for a good length of time so the players could help Manny find the earring. It has not been found. Many here feel that Manny is still looking and that's why he isn't back with the big club. The Sox are catching some heat for the treatment of their child-like star. It looks like Manny is dictating his demands on the team and they are abiding by it. When asked why Manny wasn't back with the Sox before their series with the Dodgers in Los Angeles, Manager Grady Little said it wasn't neccasary to fly Manny "all the way out here for just a couple of games." Really? Two years ago, the Sox finished in second place by a couple of games. Manny could help this team right now, but he has opted to take it easy in the minors and the Sox are afraid to upset him.

The Sox have called up big Juan Diaz in their attempt to find some production from the first base position. He's only 1 for 6 thus far, but if he gets a hold of one, he'll hit it a long way. The trio of Offerman, Daubach, and Tony Clark has been punchless for the most part at first. Diaz can't do much worse than those guys.

Lou Merloni has done a good job filling in for the injured Rey Sanchez. He's hitting .279 with a homer and a .747 OPS. Lou is also providing some solid defensive play.

Rickey Henderson is back in the lineup after his back injury. He has had a rough time adjusting since getting back in the lineup. He's hitting .143, but has four runs scored with a homer and two RBI. He's played the last four games since returning.

RUMOR MILL

The Sox have been watching Detroit's Jeff Weaver. No terms of a deal have been disclosed, but the Sox have been actively scouting the Tigers' ace. There have also been unsubstantiated reports of Cleveland's Bartolo Colon or Jim Thome also making their way to the Hub. More will be known on the trade front in a couple of weeks.

Tony Clark's days in a Red Sox uniform may be numbered. He's hitting .206 and is just 2 for his last 12. "The kid has had a lot of chances here early in the season to try to get things going," said Manager Little, "but he has struggled to get anything going consistently. We keep going, but he's kind of put himself in a position where he's making the decision for us as to the amount of playing time he's getting. Until he gets something going, the chances may be a little more limited than they were before. But that's not something I'm doing; that's something he's doing to himself."

INJURY REPORT

Manny Ramirez (finger): Playing in AAA Pawtucket on a rehab assignment. Should be back Tuesday (6/25).

Rey Sanchez (hamstring): Sanchez had some blood drained from the area of his injured right hamstring in an attempt to speed up the healing process. Sanchez will not join the Sox on their next homestand, and a return date after the All-Star break still seems to be an accurate timetable. General Manager Mike Port said Sanchez will head for Fort Myers, FL to begin rehabilitating his leg.

Rich Garces (hamstring): "El Guapo" pitched two innings in a Gulf Coast League game yesterday. He allowed one run, which was unearned. It's possible he could rejoin the Sox when Boston returns home Tuesday.

Dustin Hermanson (groin): Hermanson continues on a long-toss program, but experienced some discomfort in the area of his injury last week. It is hoped he can begin a rehab program next week and be back with the team shortly after the All-Star break.

Johnny Damon (thumb): Damon has been dealing with an injury to his left thumb, which sometimes makes it difficult for him to snap his bat through the zone and may explain his recent slump. "It's a nagging thing," said Damon. "Sometimes it's pretty swollen, but I can't control that. I've been letting go of the bat sooner than I'd like. But they can't afford to rest me, and I'm not going to rest. I'm in constant pain, but I'll play through it."

ON THE FARM

Wilton Veras (3B) - Trenton Thunder (AA): Veras at one point was the Red Sox' thirdbaseman of the future. He struggled during his audition filling in for the injured John Valentin in 1999 and 2000. The prospect actually moved backwards from AAA to AA, but the move is paying off. He's hitting .374 with four homers and 42 RBI in 48 games. His BB/K ratio is also strong with 18 walks to 21 strikeouts. With Shea Hillenbrand in Beantown, Veras may be blocked at that position. At 24, perhaps a position change could enhance his chances of making the big club.

Brad Baker (RHP) - Sarasota Red Sox (A): Baker has lit up the Florida State League this season. He owns a 7-1 record in 12 starts with a 2.79 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. He's fanned 65 batters in 61.1 innings and has walked only 25. The 19 year old pitcher looks to be moving to AA shortly with this impressive start.

QUICK VIEW

The Sox are pretty much solidified at each position. As of now, you don't want to own a Sox first baseman. Catcher Jason Varitek has not produced this season like many hoped. John Burkett seems to be scuffling in his recent outings. Trot Nixon has shown signs of life, but will he gain momentum? I can't advise anyone to be dropped as of now, but keep an eye on those guys mentioned above.

zrbosox contributed (mightily) to this report