The Red Sox will be rested and ready to resume their spring training slate when they make the first of two trips to Bradenton to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Although it might not mean much, the Sox have slumped as a team of late. They have lost four straight Grapefruit League games, scoring a total of six runs during the slide. Just two runs have come in the last 30 innings.
WHEN AND WHERE
1:05 p.m. ET, March 19, 2010
McKechnie Field, Bradenton, Fla.
RECORDS
Red Sox (8-7)
Pirates (4-10)
HEAD TO HEAD
Boston beat Pittsburgh 3-2 on Saturday at City of Palms Park. Clay Buchholz threw three scoreless innings and Tug Hulett had a pair of RBIs.
LINEUPS
Red Sox
1. Mike Cameron, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Victor Martinez, 1B
4. David Ortiz, DH
5. Jason Varitek, C
6. Jeremy Hermida, LF
7. Bill Hall, SS
8. Tug Hulett, 3B
9. Josh Reddick, RF
Pirates
1. Andrew McCutchen, CF
2. Ronny Cedeno, SS
3. Aki Iwamura, 2B
4. Garrett Jones, DH
5. Ryan Doumit, C
6. Lastings Milledge, LF
7. Jeff Clement, 1B
8. Andy LaRoche, 3B
9. Delwyn Young, RF
PITCHING MATCHUP
RHP Josh Beckett (0-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. LHP Paul Maholm (0-1, 3.00 ERA)
Beckett has not faced live hitters since March 8. He was scheduled to go against Minnesota on Sunday, but it was announced about two hours prior to gametime that he had been scratched with an illness.
Beckett has a 1.54 ERA in two career starts against Pittsburgh during the regular season.
All four of Maholm’s starts this spring have come against either the Red Sox or Yankees.
STAT SHEET
Red Sox
Josh Reddick leads the Red Sox in hits (12), doubles (4) and total bases (21).
Mike Cameron tops the club with five walks.
Jonathan Papelbon and Daniel Bard have combined to allow one run on just three hits while registering nine strikeouts in 11 innings.
The Sox have sold out 95 straight games at City of Palms Park, dating back to March 16, 2003.
Pirates
Former Oakland Athletics shortstop Bobby Crosby is batting .348 with three home runs and nine RBIs.
Four of outfielder Delwyn Young‘s hits have been homers, all coming in the last five games.
One-time Red Sox outfielder Brandon Moss is hitless in 22 Grapefruit League at-bats.
BLACK AND BLUE
Red Sox
Mike Lowell will not be with the team, as he is expected to serve as a designated hitter in a minor league game on Friday. If all goes well, he may play third base for the Sox on Sunday.
Daisuke Matsuzaka is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Friday.
Jed Lowrie is still with the team but has not played in a game for a week due to mononucleosis.
Gil Velazquez has a jammed thumb.
Jacoby Ellsbury is dealing with a sore throat and related ailments.
Pirates
Shortstop Ronny Cedeno is day-to-day with a cut on his right hand.
Octavio Dotel, acquired to take over the closer’s role in Pittsburgh, was scheduled to pitch in a minor league game on Thursday to test a sore oblique.
Reliever Joel Hanrahan threw off a mound earlier this week. He has a right elbow strain.
OVERHEARD
“I just think it’s gonna make it better for me throughout the season so that if I do happen to lose a couple of pounds, I can afford to instead of being frail.”
–Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz on gaining almost 15 pounds this offseason
PRESS BOX
Red Sox
Scott Atchison is trying to earn a bullpen spot.
Clay Buchholz is sharp in a minor league outing.
Are the Sox’ bad contracts going to prevent them from going all the way?
Pirates
Former Red Sox reliever Javier Lopez is having a nice spring.
The Bucs are sticking with Kevin Hart.
Ross Ohlendorf is brimming with optimism.
OUTLOOK
Beckett looked happy and healthy in the Sox clubhouse the other day, so we will see if he has any lingering effects of the bug he caught early in the week.
Manager Terry Francona has said that many players are feeling a bit run down as they work through the changes in their body. Perhaps Beckett is past his issues.
It’ll be nice to see if Delwyn Young is in the Pirates’ lineup. Once a highly rated prospect for the Dodgers, he is trying to catch on in Pittsburgh after a solid season as a backup, and he’s been tearing the cover off the ball in spring training.
