May 23
C Kelly Shoppach hadn't started a game in nearly a week for the Red Sox. So on Tuesday he marched into manager Bobby Valentine's office Tuesday and demanded an explanation. Valentine said he preferred to stick with his hottest hitters, and C Jarrod Saltalamacchia has been downright torrid, going 28-for-81 (.346) with six homers and 15 extra-base hits in his last 21 games. "He left angry," Valentine said of Shoppach. "And I like playing him when he's angry, I guess." Valentine finally gave Saltalamacchia a breather Wednesday in a matinee series finale against the Baltimore Orioles, and in a rare start Shoppach delivered a two-out, two-run homer against reliever Luis Ayala in a 6-5 victory. But there was more. Shoppach also nailed Xavier Avery trying to steal second and coaxed starter Daniel Bard through 5 1/3 laborious innings. Shoppach declined to talk about his meeting with Valentine. "I wanted a plan to give Salty two days (off) in a row," Valentine said. "I didn't think an off day (Tuesday) and a morning game today was really what he needed. Shop, playing against a right-hander, he proved he could do it."
May 15
Shoppach had a jack among two hits, helping the Boston Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 6-1 on Monday.
