Yahoo! Sports

Boston Red Sox

26-17,
2nd AL East

Jump to a team Other Teams

Red Sox Team Report

Yahoo! Sports - May 18, 5:50 am EDT

Inside Pitch
Notes, Quotes
Roster Report

Even after embattled reliever Daniel Bard's meltdown Wednesday night at Double-A Portland, manager John Farrell said the Red Sox are not yet considering sending him to extended spring training or shutting him down entirely.

Bard walked five batters, threw two wild pitches and recorded only three outs in his latest outing. Only eight of his 30 pitches were strikes.

"Given what has transpired, not just in the last couple of outings but over a period of time, there's some concern there," Farrell said. "Each outing is discussed internally, but it's more about continuing to address the needs of Daniel and trying to provide him with that help as best we can. We haven't gotten to the point of any drastic measures one way or the other."

Farrell, whose team defeated the Twins 3-2 in 10 innings Friday, said Bard hasn't demonstrated any physical problems, and his work with mental skills coach Bob Tewksbury is "ongoing."

Bard spent four days with the Red Sox last month, and in two appearances, he gave up one run on one hit and two walks. Since his return to Portland, he has walked 13 batters in 3 2/3 innings over five appearances.

But Farrell rejects the idea that Bard may have been negatively impacted by his brief return to the majors.

"I can't say because he made two appearances for us that it's contributed to this," Farrell said. "You also point back to spring training, where there was a stretch of probably four outings in a row where this was making good strides. It was heading in the right direction, to the point where he had a legitimate shot to make this club. You would think that would serve as a reference point and a positive one. And yet we're at the point where we're at now where there's still got to be some rebuilding done here.

"We've got to get to the point of Daniel being very candid and honest with himself, and not be deflecting some of the things that he might be feeling. Just be as bluntly honest as we can. This is something that you can't run from. I'm sure no one is more frustrated than Daniel is."

Record:

25-17

Streak:

Won three

Past 10 Games:

4-6

NEXT: Red Sox (Ryan Dempster, 2-4, 3.75) vs. Twins (Scott Diamond, 3-3, 4.08)

Player Notes:

2B Dustin Pedroia (1-for-5) extended his current hit streak to nine games in his last at-bat. Over the nine-game streak, he is hitting .389 (14-for-36) with four doubles, four RBIs and eight runs scored. Pedroia had grounded into just five double plays entering Friday, before he ground into two, one of which ended the fifth inning with runners on the corners in a one-run game. The only time in his career in which he grounded into two double plays in one game was April 12, 2009 at Los Angeles-AL. Pedroia may have made up for it, however, making two web-gems on balls headed up the middle and taking away two Twins hits. John Farrell said he is starting to make the backhanded snag, spin and throw play look routine.
RHP Ryan Dempster had his worst start of the season against the Blue Jays on May 12, giving up seven hits, six runs and three home runs. In 26.0 innings pitched against the Twins, Dempster is 2-2 with a .450 ERA, including 23 strikeouts. On May 7 in Boston, Dempster pitched 7.0 innings against the Twins and gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits and had eight strikeouts in a 6-1 loss. Opponents are hitting .205 against Dempster this season.
LHP Andrew Miller was hit by a foul ball in the dugout off the bat of Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the ninth inning. But Miller was no worse for wear. He pitched 1 2/3 innings for the Red Sox and his manager John Farrell had high praise for him after the game.
RHP Clay Buchholz did not factor into the decision after allowing two runs on four hits and three walks Friday while striking out nine in 7.0 innings. Pedro Florimon's third-inning home run was the first homer allowed by Buchholz since April 3 at New York—a span of seven starts without allowing a home run.

"(Buchholz) makes the one first-pitch breaking ball to Florimon, that he drops the bat head for the two-run homer, but other than that he made a number of big pitches," manager John Farrell said. "He created a little bit of a situation for himself with a couple of the walks. But he keeps the game under control and continues to make pitches and kept us in the game."
DH David Ortiz (3-for-4) singled in a run in the first inning. He now has a hit in all nine of his road games this season, hitting .353 (12-for-34) with three homers and 12 RBIs in those nine. He has at least one RBI in four straight games (five RBIs in those four) and at least one hit in five straight. Ortiz is a career .471 (16-for-34) hitter in nine games at Target Field. Friday marked his seventh career three-plus hit game against Minnesota, his former team. Ortiz made amends for his 2-for-18 series against the Twins last week in Boston.

Quote To Note:

"I can't say enough about the way the guys came to the mound tonight—every guy who came to the mound tonight pitched well. Andrew Miller was outstanding tonight with the inning-and-two-thirds of work that he did. It was a very well-pitched game—on both sides."

—Manager John Farrell, after the Red Sox defeated the Twins 3-2 in 10 innings Friday. At one point, four Red Sox pitchers, including Miller, combined to set down 17 consecutive Twins batters.

Medical Watch:

RF Shane Victorino (tightness in lower back) left a game May 16 after the eighth inning. Victorino did not play May 17 in Minnesota.
RHP Andrew Bailey (right biceps inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 29. An MRI showed no structural damage. Bailey threw a 20-pitch bullpen session May 14 and didn't feel any lingering effects. He threw a 15 pitches in a simulated game May 16. Bailey could be reinstated from the disabled list as soon as the May 18-19 weekend.
C David Ross' (concussion) symptoms haven't subsided, causing him to stay in Boston. Ross is still experiencing symptoms as of May 17. He is scheduled to be examined by team doctors May 20.
RHP Joel Hanrahan (right forearm strain) went on the 15-day disabled list May 7, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on May 9. Hanrahan had season ending Tommy John surgery May 16.
LHP Franklin Morales (bulging back disk, sore left pectoral muscle) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 22. He began a rehab assignment with Class A Greenville on April 17 and was shut down April 24 because of the pectoral problem. He worked two innings for Double-A Portland on May 8.
OF Ryan Kalish (right shoulder surgery in January 2012) went on the 60-day disabled list Feb. 20. He has missed most of the past two seasons with shoulder and neck problems. He hopes to get clearance to begin swinging a bat the week of May 20.