Results tagged “juliolugo”

Bostonist is always willing to help the Boston Red Sox. We hope Theo and the rich owner types appreciate our suggestions.

Hey, after five consecutive losses to Texas and Toronto, Red Sox fans will take any kind of win from a Brad Penny start. Even against a Baltimore Orioles squad that the Globe says Boston is 28-6 against in their last 34 games. However, if Penny reaches the seventh inning allowing one unearned run on five hits in every start then you can expect to see him get the ball every fifth day. Penny had already thrown 76 pitches in the fourth inning but somehow managed to stay around long enough to hit 97 mph in the seventh innning.

In 1991, Phillies outfielder Lenny Dykstra was told that his team had just traded Von Hayes to the Angels. "Great trade," said Dykstra. "Who did we get?" Well, the answer to the 2009 Red Sox version of that is Chris Duncan, the former Cardinals outfielder who now will be thought of, whatever happens, as the Lowe/Varitek to Julio Lugo's Heathcliff Slocumb. Lugo is going to St. Louis, which we like to think of as payback for the Cardinals' foisting Edgar Renteria on us (via free agency, admittedly) and starting the downward spiral of Fenway shortstopdom.

The Red Sox traded Julio Lugo to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Chris Duncan and a player to be named later (or cash considerations). Duncan, who will be assigned to Pawtucket, was demoted to AAA earlier today after going .227/5/32 in 87 games this season. In 2007, he hit .259 with 21 home runs and 70 RBI in 127 games. Boston reportedly must pay the remaining $13.5 million salary owed on his contract through 2010. The Sox also traded two prospects for Adam LaRoche of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

According to Steve Buckley of the Herald, Julio Lugo has been designated for assignment by the Red Sox, who confirmed the news. The team now has 10 days to trade or release the shortstop.

It's been about three months since the All-Star game, right? And about 12 years since the Royals left Fenway. Time stretches out endlessly when there are no Red Sox games. Tonight, see how many Sox players you still remember when they face the Blue Jays to begin the second half of the season. Clay Buchholz will get the start and the opportunity to impress Terry Francona (another no-hitter might not be a bad idea) and force himself into the discussion of how the Sox will arrange their rotation the rest of the way.

Wednesday's day game at Camden Yards seemed to suggest that the alternate reality into which Red Sox Nation had fallen on Tuesday night had yet to unleash its grip. First Josh Beckett gave up his first walk in eons. Then he gave up a home run, then another. Next thing you knew, the Sox were staring down a 5-1 deficit at the top of the ninth --

A day after beating the Phillies 11-6, the Red Sox found themselves on the wrong end of that same score yesterday. That doesn't happen every weekend.

Hopefully, the Red Sox weren't planning on going out dancing after their first two games in Philadelphia. Extra innings on Friday, and an hour-and-a-half rain delay Saturday. At least Pat's is open 24/7 for a late night cheesesteak.

Well, Red Sox fans - it's OK to hate instant replay now. For the first time since it was hurriedly instituted late last season, the umps went to the tape last night at Fenway, reviewing what was called a double by Omir Santos, realizing that it hit the angstrom unit between the top of the wall and a ledge, and called it a home run. A game-winning, pefect-Jonathan-Papelbon-season-spoiling home run. 3-2 Mets. Papelbon on instant replay: "No. Not a fan of it."

"This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you're gonna let it be the worst." - John Blutarsky

Sometimes, you just have to tip your hat. And that's what we're tipping this morning, to Carolina goalie Cam Ward, after he survived 36 furious Bruins shots to shut out our home team and tie their series 1-1. It's too early in the series to tip anything else, but local packies are on notice.

The Bulls are the team that won't go away. The Celtics are the team that won't die. This is the series that won't end. The NBA is about an hour away from declaring this a "best 9 out of 17" series.

They're telling us not to. But we can't help it. We hear the words "reigning MVP Dustin Pedroia" and "lower abdominal strain", we head for the bunkers. It's our nature. But whatever is keeping Dustin out for a couple of games, the Sox insist it's nothing to be alarmed about. And they warn us not to blame it Dustin going all-out for the World Baseball Classic. That's what they're saying, anyway. You have our blessing to get exactly as freaked out as you feel is necessary. And with Julio Lugo under the knife, the Globe has learned that Jed Lowrie is more than ready to keep the infield afloat.

It's been quite a year for the BC basketball team. They went down to Chapel Hill, shocked Carolina, and got everyone fired up. Then they came home and lost to Harvard, and everyone wandered off. Clearly, the only way to get our attention is to knock off college basketball's elite. Enter Duke. The Blue Devils came to Conte Forum last night not having lost to the Eagles since 1985. Well, forget about that; BC knocked Duke off 80-74, largely on the strength of 21 points by Tyrese Rice, who became the seventh Eagle ever to score 2,000 career points. With only four games left, and no Harvard in sight, BC (19-8) looks ready to head into March Madness at least slightly mad.

Oh, Clay Buchholz.

A ten-run inning wasn't enough to hold a lead on Tuesday, but a nine-run inning was last night. That's partly just the vicissitudes of baseball, and partly the difference between wet-behind-the-ears Charlie Zink and pretty-reliable Daisuke Matsuzaka.

If the Red Sox are going to defend their title, they'd do well to respond to more losses like this. A day after flopping to the Orioles, the Sox put a whuppin' on the hapless Birds, combining a Kevin Youkilis RBI derby with a brilliant performance by Tim Wakefield for a soul-satisfying 12-1 clobbering.

We always look for someone to blame, don't we? You look at the Red Sox' 2-1 loss in New York yesterday, and immediately start preparing to blame an anemic offense, or timely bad pitching, or something. Well, it doesn't work today; the fact is, the Yankees climbed on the backs of two old war horses and came away with a win that (sigh) they deserved.

Yesterday, we gleefully noted that Yankee superstar Joba Chamberlain blew the ballgame on Tuesday night. Well, the wheel of karma moves swiftly and decisively, so today we must report a blown save and a loss for Jonathan Papelbon. Stupid wheel of karma.

It was a lot closer, anyway. That's about the best thing we can take from the Sox' 7-4 loss in Toronto that ended the worldwide road trip and sent the boys home 3-4 and in the AL East cellar.

--67 Boston clubs might be forced to shut down by Thursday if they can't install sprinkler systems. [Boston Globe] --Myron Stovell, the Pop Warner coach who was shot in the leg by a teenager, has announced that he is praying for his attacker and wishes he could have helped him. [Boston Herald] --Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo is cool. [Boston Herald] --Your laugh for the day: Gameday to show Williams-Amherst game. [Sports Hernia] --Your...

Bostonist saw today's "Rolling Rally," featuring the players riding duck boats across the city and relief pitcher Jonathan Papelbon dancing to the Dropkick Murphys, from two different vantage points--near the Common and at the Hynes Convention Center. Everyone clearly enjoyed themselves, especially Papelbon: Wherever you were along the parade route, it was simply madness. Of course, the Red Sox faithful turned out in their jerseys. Hundreds of little kids skipped school. College students sat down...

8:27 p.m. - Hello and welcome to Bostonist's first live blog of the World Series! We've just returned from Blogtoberfest and we're good to go. First pitch and it's a strike! Foul, but foul is a strike. FOX, which not surprisingly is already displaying its season-long anti-Red Sox bias, is telling us that Colorado should be able to hit Schilling tonight. 8:31 p.m. - Schilling is trying to keep Colorado honest - or missing his...

Fox 25 sportscaster Butch Stearns was either plumb dumb exhausted after the Red Sox won the ALCS, or he lost his mind. Via Universal Hub, we learned that after the game he interviewed Julio Lugo. Post-game interviews are always awkward because the players so clearly want to go drink, have a sandwich, bathe in champagne, or dance if they're Jonathan Papelbon. Lugo was no exception--he was celebrating by puffing on a stogie. In the video...

So Sheriff Beckett stared down the Cleveland gang last night. Once again, when the Red Sox needed Josh to be at his absolute best, he pretty much was. Sure, he gave up one more hit than he did in his Game One dazzler, but he only gave up one run - on a double play ball. Other than that, he struck out 11 Indians and gave 44,588 Clevelanders something to do with their towels beside...

It looks like just might be a higher power looking down on the MLB postseason. He/She/It is a Red Sox fan and, judging from the sight of Derek Jeter slapping like mad at the bugs descending upon him at the Jake on Friday night, any higher powers out there have a wicked sense of humor.

The Red Sox were at home, facing down the Oakland A's on Tuesday night, but everyone had one eye on events unfolding in Florida. And wouldn't you know? Things worked out perfectly. The drama-filled Oakland game (only in September would one be able to string those words together) was decisively won by Boston and featured numerous reasons for the Fenway crowd to stand up and cheer. Tampa Bay managed to scratch together a 10-inning, 7-6,...

We're going to the playoffs! Sure, it's been an awful September, for the most part. And sure, the Red Sox still very much have to somehow finish off New York, and ideally fend off the Angels and Indians to secure home-field advantage throughout the postseason. But the first step is officially taken, as the Sox rallied to beat the Devil Rays 8-6 and ensure they would, at the very least, beat out Detroit for the...

Yeah, baby! We all know that the Red Sox should be thumping the Devil Rays, but it's hard to argue with two consecutive hard-fought, come-from-behind wins from a lineup that's been painful to watch for stretches this season. Last night, the Sox surrendered four early runs to Tampa Bay, with starter Jon Lester throwing 65,431 pitches and only making into the fourth inning. Rays starter Edwin Jackson, looking like a Cy Young candidate (the Sox...