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| Monday’s Red Sox-Blue Jays matchups: Felix Doubront vs. Henderson Alvarez | 04.09.12 at 6:29 am ET |
Felix Doubront
After the first series of the 2012 season, the Red Sox will travel north of the border to take on the divisional foe Blue Jays in a three-game series beginning Monday at Rogers Centre. The series begins with a pitching matchup that pits Felix Doubront, a new addition to the Boston rotation for the 2012 season, against Henderson Alvarez of the Blue Jays.
Both Doubront and Alvarez are young pitchers that are early in their respective careers, with just three seasons pitched between the two of them. Doubront is entering his third season in the majors, all of which have come with the Red Sox. However, he is extremely inexperienced as a starter, as only three of his 23 career appearances have been starts. In 11 relief appearances last season, Doubront largely struggled as he gave up seven earned runs in 10 1/3 innings, all of which added up to a 6.10 ERA. Additionally, he had eight walks to just six strikeouts.
Yet despite his past struggles in his MLB career, Doubront was impressive in spring training, a performance that helped him land his role in the rotation. In four appearances, three of which were starts, the 24-year-old Venezuelan gave up just five earned runs in 16 2/3 innings, good enough for a 2.70 ERA to go along with 10 strikeouts and six walks. Monday’s game will mark Doubront’s first start since July 16, 2010, an 8-4 loss to the Rangers in which he gave up four runs (two earned) in 4 2/3 innings, taking the loss in the process.
Despite Doubront’s limited career span, he is fairly familiar with the Blue Jays, having made three career appearances against them in 2011 alone (tied with the Yankees for the team Doubront faced the most last season). In those games, he threw three innings and gave up one earned run on three hits. At the Rogers Centre, Doubront appeared in one game in 2011, an unsuccessful relief appearance in which he gave up two hits and one earned run in 2/3 of an inning.
Doubront has faced just six players on the Toronto roster. In those 10 plate appearances, Doubront has two strikeouts, a walk and just two hits (one of which was a home run). Challenging Doubront will be a potent Blue Jays offense, one that scored seven runs in its opening day win over the Indians and that ranked sixth in the majors in runs in 2011 with 743.
Coming off a series against the Tigers in which they had to deal with reigning American League Cy Young and MVP award winner Justin Verlander, the Red Sox get to contend with the relatively unproven Alvarez, who is entering just his second major league season. In 2011, Alvarez pitched 63 2/3 innings across 10 appearances, all of which were starts. In those games, Alvarez was a pleasant surprise, with a 3.53 ERA with 40 strikeouts to just eight walks (all of this despite an underwhelming 1-3 record).
| This time, Jon Lester found his opening | 04.05.12 at 7:42 pm ET |
Jon Lester allowed one run in seven innings while taking a no-decision against the Tigers on Opening Day. (AP)
DETROIT — The memory of a year ago remained fresh for Jon Lester. The Red Sox left-hander was well aware that his first Opening Day assignment, which came last April 1 against the Rangers, had been a disappointment.
On that day, Lester logged 5 1/3 innings and allowed five runs without striking out a single batter. He didn’t have good stuff, and he didn’t have the required execution needed to succeed in spite of that fact.
This year was different. Once again, Lester didn’t have much of a feel for his off-speed offerings, employing his changeup and especially curveball to limited effect. Yet even on a day when his velocity readings were, by his standards, pedestrian (mostly 90-92 mph on his fastball), he manipulated his fastball and cutter to unbalance the Tigers.
In the Red Sox’ 3-2 loss, the record will suggest simply that Lester had a no-decision. But the Sox viewed the outing more favorably than such an indifferent statistic might suggest.
On a day when the Sox had little chance of amassing any offense against reigning AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, Lester kept the Tigers off the scoreboard for six innings. Finally, with two outs in the seventh and a runner on second, after getting squeezed on what could have been an inning-ending 2-2 fastball that was determined to be just off the plate by home plate ump Dale Scott, Lester left a fastball up to Alex Avila. The Detroit catcher lofted the ball into the left-field corner for a go-ahead double, and the lone run that Lester permitted. He left the game trailing, 1-0, after that inning.
“I made one mistake,” said Lester, who matched a career-high with three double play grounders while giving up one run on six hits and three walks while punching out four. “Against a guy like [Verlander], that’s what beats you.” Read the rest of this entry »
DETROIT — A furious Red Sox comeback was spoiled when, after erasing a 2-0 deficit in the top of the ninth inning, the Andrew Bailey-free Red Sox bullpen allowed the Tigers to push across the game-winning run in the bottom of the inning, with the Sox absorbing a 3-2, walkoff defeat in their first game of the season.
Tigers ace and reigning Cy Young/MVP Justin Verlander tossed eight shutout innings, outpitching Jon Lester in the process. But Lester was nearly as good, allowing just one run in seven innings, and even when the Sox bullpen conceded another run in the eighth, the team was still in position for a potential comeback.
The Sox accomplished just that in the ninth against Tigers closer Jose Valverde, who converted all 49 of his save opportunities in 2011. Dustin Pedroia led off with a double and advanced to third on an Adrian Gonzalez single. Pedroia crossed the plate with the first Sox run on a sac fly by David Ortiz. Then, after a Kevin Youkilis strikeout for the second out, outfielder Ryan Sweeney scorched an RBI triple off the wall in right field to tie the game at 2-2.
However, the tie proved short-lived. Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta collected his third hit of the day, a one-out single, in the bottom of the ninth off of Melancon, and then advanced to second on a single by Alex Avila. Manager Bobby Valentine showed a quick hook for Melancon, yanking him in favor of closer Alfredo Aceves.
Aceves promptly hit Ramon Santiago with a curveball to load the bases and then Austin Jackson bounced a ball past the drawn-in Sox infield and down the left-field line for the 3-2 Tigers win.
WHAT WENT WRONG FOR THE RED SOX Read the rest of this entry »
Jon Lester
After the sharp sting of the 2011 season, the number of major changes made to the organization in the offseason and all the eager hours of anticipation, the Red Sox will take back to the field as they kick off their 2012 season Thursday against the Tigers in Detroit. Both teams will look to get their respective seasons started on a winning note by wheeling out their premier starting pitchers, as the Red Sox will throw Jon Lester against the Tigers’ Justin Verlander.
Lester will be making his second consecutive Opening Day start, as he got the nod last year when the Red Sox lost 9-5 to the Rangers. In that start, Lester went 5 1/3 innings, giving up five earned runs on six hits, three of which were home runs.
Even with a less-than-ideal start to open the season, Lester emerged as perhaps the team’s most reliable starting pitcher. In 31 starts in 2011, Lester went 15-9 with a 3.47 ERA, 182 strikeouts and 75 walks. His 15 wins were the most of any Red Sox pitcher and his ERA was bested by only one Red Sox starter (Josh Beckett). In spring training, Lester has shown no signs that his production will deteriorate, as he threw 18 innings and went 2-1 with a 3.50 ERA.
With the game scheduled for a 1 p.m. start, Lester will be pitching in two situations in which he thrived last season. Despite just a 5-5 record in 13 starts at Fenway Park last season, Lester went 10-4 on the road with a 3.47 ERA. In day games, he was 7-3 with a 3.25 ERA.
None of Lester’s 18 road starts last year took place at Comerica Park and Lester has not pitched there, or against the Tigers at all, since the 2010 season. In two starts against the Tigers that year, Lester struggled mightily, going 0-1 with a 5.54 ERA. One of those starts was at Comerica, a game in which Lester pitched seven innings and gave up four earned runs in what turned out to be a no-decision. Lester owns a 5.89 career ERA against the Tigers, his highest mark against any American League team.
The Tigers lineup that Lester will face Thursday is expected to be one of, if not the best in Major League Baseball this season. Last season, the Tigers, as a team, batted .277, which ranked them third among MLB teams, trailing only the Rangers and Red Sox. Additionally, Detroit was fourth in hits, RBIs and runs, making it one of the most accomplished offenses in the league. The Tigers were only 11th among MLB teams in home runs, but that can be attributed to playing half of their games at cavernous Comerica Park.
What was already a potent Tigers offense was upgraded immensely in the offseason with the addition of prized free agent Prince Fielder. Last season playing for the Brewers, Fielder was among the leading candidates for the National League MVP, batting .299 with 38 home runs and 120 RBIs. He ranked second in the National League in home runs and RBIs, trailing Matt Kemp of the Dodgers in both categories. Detroit, however, will be without catcher Victor Martinez for the entire season due to injury.
| Jacoby Ellsbury has his goals and the 2012 AL MVP might just be one | 02.26.12 at 4:42 pm ET |
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Speaking publicly to the Boston media for the first time since Detroit’s Justin Verlander narrowly edged him out for the 2011 American League MVP, Jacoby Ellsbury said Sunday that he admits he was a little disappointed that the best year of his career so far didn’t result in winning the award.
“Well, we’re playing against the best competition in the world,” Ellsbury said. “Obviously, I did everything I could, left it all on the field last year. When I found out about the results, I was happy for Justin Verlander but at the same time, being as competitive as I am, I wish I would’ve won. I bet if you ask all those other guys, they would say the same thing, too. That’s how I look at it, we’re playing against the best players in the world, definitely held my head high and finished second.”
Ellsbury hinted that that award might be one of the goals he’s setting for himself this season as he looks to follow up a season in which he batted .321 with 32 homers while driving in 105 runs.
“I went into my workouts how I went about it last year and made goals for this coming season,” Ellsbury said. “I think the biggest thing is to continue what I’ve been doing. Those goals, I always say at the beginning of the year, I revisit them throughout the season. They’re personal goals. I’m just excited for coming into this season.”
In edging out Ellsbury, Verlander became the first starting pitcher in 25 years to be voted Most Valuable Player, adding it to the Cy Young Award he also captured.
Verlander earned the American League MVP honor, receiving 13 of 28 first-place votes and 280 points in voting announced by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Ellsbury was second with four first-place votes and 242 points, followed by Toronto right fielder Jose Bautista with five first-place votes and 231 points, Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson with 215 and Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera with 193.
| Almost: Jacoby Ellsbury finishes second in AL MVP voting | 11.21.11 at 2:02 pm ET |
Jacoby Ellsbury (AP)
The storybook ending seemed obvious enough.
Jacoby Ellsbury would shake off a 2010 season that was ruined by injury, produce an epic 2011 year that impacted the Red Sox in every way imaginable, leading his team to baseball’s ultimate prize while being also receiving the sport’s highest form of individual recognition.
Through no fault of Ellsbury’s, it didn’t quite turn out that way. The Sox, of course, endured a historic September collapse, despite their leadoff hitter’s best efforts to prop up his club. And Ellsbury fell just short of MVP honors, finishing second behind winner Justin Verlander of the Tigers in voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
Verlander received 280 points and 13 first-place votes. Ellsbury was second with 242 points, ranking first on four ballots and second on 13 more.
Loading ...Even so, Ellsbury’s finish can hardly be viewed as a disappointment. Indeed, it represented a triumph for a player who not only returned to his pre-injury form but flourished into one of the elite players in a game, demonstrating an ability to dominate the game as he had never done before.
On many occasions in 2011, those around the Red Sox suggested that Ellsbury was a man on a mission. After a 2010 season in which he was limited to 18 games by rib injuries, the center fielder wanted to demonstrate anew that he was both a player who had to be dragged off the field and one who could make a tremendous impact while on it.
He accomplished that mission in full.
Ellsbury became the first player in Red Sox history to hit at least 30 homers and drive in at least 30 bases in the same season. Remarkably, even though he hit leadoff, he also managed to clear the benchmark of 100 RBI in one of the great offensive seasons in Red Sox (and even baseball) history. Read the rest of this entry »
The American League MVP field is incredibly competitive this year, with strong cases to be made for no fewer than five candidates, all of whom impacted the game in a variety of ways.
The top candidates include a pair of center fielders who combined power and speed to serve as game-changing, multifaceted contributors, a starting pitcher whose season was so great as to put him in position to become potentially the first starter to take home MVP honors in 25 years, when Roger Clemens won Cy Young and MVP honors for the Red Sox in 1986.
There is a traditional middle-of-the-order slugging first baseman, and the single most ferocious hitter in the league, but one who happened to play for a team that was never really in contention.
Loading ...Here’s a look at the top five AL MVP candidates (in alphabetical order):
Jose Bautista (AP)
JOSE BAUTISTA, BLUE JAYS, THIRD BASE/RIGHT FIELD
Bautista was no one-hit wonder. For the second straight year, the Blue Jays thumper delivered a monster season. He led the AL with 43 homers and an astonishing 132 walks, the foremost combination of power and patience in the game. Bautista hit .302 with a .447 OBP, an AL-leading .608 slugging mark and 1.056 OPS, continuing a mid-career transformation like few others in recent memory (his two best seasons came at age 29 and 30).
Bautista did fade down the stretch. Through the All-Star break, he had across-the-board video game numbers: .334/.468/.702/1.170 with 31 homers and 65 RBI. In the second half, he was human: .257/.419/.477/.896 with 12 homers and 38 RBI. He will also get knocked down in the eyes of some voters for the fact that he played on a team that went 81-81, landing in fourth place in the AL East. Read the rest of this entry »
Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays - Fenway Park, Boston, MA
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Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays - Fenway Park, Boston, MA
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Boston Red Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays - Fenway Park, Boston, MA
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