RED SOX NOTEBOOK;Big performances;Young OF trio impresses
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FORT MYERS – The trio of young, gifted and intriguing outfielders – Josh Reddick, Ryan Kalish and Che-Hsuan Lin – continued to make a strong impression on the Red Sox in yesterday’s game.
In the 7-6 victory against the Cardinals, Reddick tied the game in the ninth with an RBI double, then came in on Lin’s RBI single that fell in front of a charging St. Louis center fielder Shane Robinson.
Kalish continued to play a hard-nosed all-around game.
“Some of these guys are not here to make the club, they know that,” said manager Terry Francona. “They’re going to get ready for a long season, wherever they end up playing, but this is their first impression in front of the staff, Theo (Epstein, the GM) and those guys. Whenever they get in to a situation where they can do something good, it gives us something to smile about.”
Reddick, who came up to the big league club as a 22-year-old for 27 games last year, is trying hard to refine his approach at the plate and get into deeper counts.
“I felt like they already know I can hit, it’s just a matter of if I can work the counts where I can,” said Reddick. “The double today showed a lot because I’ve been known to get a little too anxious in those big situations and swing at bad pitches. Today I took a little off it. (Sunday) I had that problem in a big situation where we were down by (a run), and I chased two pitches and watched the third one go to the outside corner. Today I took deep breaths, got it in there and got the barrel on it.”
Good through 6
With Josh Beckett starting out with three perfect innings, followed by one hitless inning apiece from Jonathan Papelbon, Hideki Okajima and Ramon Ramirez, the Red Sox entered the seventh inning with a 2-0 lead and no-hit bid in hand.
That changed quickly. Manny Delcarmen allowed the first hit and run in the seventh. The Cardinals scored two more runs in the eighth, then three in the ninth and a total of eight hits in the final third of the game.
“The game slowed down a touch,” Francona said. . . .
Third base umpire Toby Bosner could not get out of the way of a ground ball in the Cardinals’ eighth. The play was automatically ruled a hit.
“He felt bad, but I think he paid for it – he’s got a (bruise the) size of a baseball on his shin,” said Francona.
No rush on ‘Tek
Jason Varitek, dealing with a personal family matter, might be returning to camp any day now.
“There’s a chance,” said Francona of a return last night. “I told him I don’t want him back until he’s completely comfortable.” . . .
Third baseman Mike Lowell and the club are shooting for him to return to game action perhaps as early as this weekend, which could mean Saturday at home against the Pirates or Sunday across town against the Twins.
“I want to see him be OK,” said Francona. “I don’t want to run him out there before he’s ready. Everybody’s anxious, I understand that, we just want to keep our eyes on him this week and see how he’s doing.”
Lowell was out of camp to see a hip specialist Saturday and had thumb surgery during the winter. He took live batting practice again yesterday.
Painful day
Left-hander Dustin Richardson got the blown save when he allowed two runs on three hits to start the eighth, then to compound matters, he suffered what is being termed a “fatigued quad.” There is no strain as his quadriceps muscle tested out fine. The team is not labeling it an injury. . . .
Daisuke Matsuzaka will hold off a day on his next bullpen session and throw tomorrow. Pitching coach John Farrell wants to be there when Matsuzaka throws, but Farrell will be in Jupiter, Fla., this morning for the club’s game against the Marlins. . . .
Tim Wakefield will start against the Marlins and the only other regular making the trip is Jacoby Ellsbury. . . .
Outfielder Zack Daeges (sore lat) was sent back to minor league camp. . . .
The Red Sox came to 2010 contract terms for the 13 players remaining on their 40-man roster: Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie, Daniel Bard, Michael Bowden, Clay Buchholz, Felix Doubront, Ramon A. Ramirez, Richardson, Dusty Brown, Mark Wagner, Aaron Bates, Tug Hulett and Reddick.
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