BOSTON (AP)—Sandy Alomar Jr. is interviewing for the Boston Red Sox
manager’s job.

Alomar was scheduled to meet with reporters on Wednesday night after a day
of talking with Red Sox officials. He’s the third to interview for the job,
after Pete Mackanin and Dale Sveum. Mike Maddux withdrew his name from
consideration.

The job opened when the team parted ways with Terry Francona after eight
years and two World Series championships. The new manager will work with new
general manager Ben Cherington to rebuild after this season’s unprecedented
September collapse.

Also scheduled to interview are Torey Lovullo and Gene Lamont.

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BOSTON — Jacoby Ellsbury hit a tie-breaking two-run homer in the sixth inning, Josh Beckett improved to 4-0 against the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox came from behind for a 9-5 win on Wednesday night.

The Red Sox, who lost the series opener 5-2 on Tuesday night, extended their AL East lead over the Yankees to 1½ games and improved their record to 11-3 this season against their division rivals.

David Ortiz and Jason Varitek also hit two-run homers for Boston.

The Yankees scored four runs in the sixth off Beckett (12-5) — the same amount they managed in his other 32 innings against them this season — and went ahead 5-4.

In the bottom of the inning, Phil Hughes (4-5) retired the first batter. Then he went ahead of Josh Reddick 0-2 before walking him, and Reddick scored the tying run on Varitek’s double. After Marco Scutaro flied out, left-hander Boone Logan came in to face lefty Ellsbury. On a 3-and-1 count, Ellsbury hit his 24th homer into the left-field seats above the Green Monster.

Beckett allowed four earned runs and six hits through seven innings. He struck out eight and walked three.

Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon each pitched a scoreless inning and the Red Sox improved to 62-3 this season when leading after six.

The Yankees had taken a 1-0 lead in the third on Derek Jeter’s RBI single. The Red Sox went ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the inning, scoring on Dustin Pedroia’s groundout with runners at second and third and on Jed Lowrie’s RBI single.

Jeter got his second single in the top of the fifth, moving into 20th place all-time, ahead of Craig Biggio, with 3,061 career hits. He was left stranded.

Boston made it 4-1 in the fifth on Ortiz’s homer deep into the center field bleachers after Adrian Gonzalez singled. It was Ortiz’s 28th homer of the year and extended his hitting streak to 14 games.

The Yankees regained the lead in the sixth, helped by an error by right fielder Reddick.

Mark Teixeira was hit by a pitch leading off the inning, took second on a wild pitch by Beckett and scored on a double by Robinson Cano. Nick Swisher then walked and Eric Chavez followed with a liner down the right field line. It got by Reddick and Chavez was credited with a double. The error allowed him to take third and Swisher to score. Eduardo Nunez’s sacrifice fly put the Yankees on top 5-4.

Varitek gave the Red Sox a four-run cushion in the eighth with his 10th homer.

NOTES: Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez missed his fourth straight game with a sprained left thumb. … Red Sox 3B Kevin Youkilis, on the DL since Aug. 18 with a low back strain, played his second straight rehab game for Triple-A Pawtucket and can be activated on Friday. … Boston RF J.D. Drew missed the second game of his scheduled two-day rehab assignment at Pawtucket on Wednesday night with a sprained middle finger. He was hurt Tuesday night when he went 3-for-3. Plans for the Red Sox to activate him today may change. He went on the disabled list on July 26, retroactive to July 20, with a shoulder injury. … Yankees C Russell Martin, with a sore left thumb, missed the game. Manager Joe Girardi said he planned to use him tonight in the finale of the three-game series. … Struggling RHP A.J. Burnett (9-11) faces LHP Jon Lester (14-6) tonight.

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(Sports Network) – Andrew Miller has been a pleasant surprise for the Boston
Red Sox. He tries to stay undefeated tonight when the Red Sox open a four-game
series with the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park.

Miller has filled in admirably for an injured Clay Buchholz, and could become
a bigger factor now that Jon Lester has been placed on the 15-day disabled
list. A former first round pick of the Detroit Tigers in 2006, Miller has gone
2-0 with a 3.06 earned run average and has not allowed more than three runs in
any of his three starts.

He won his second straight outing on Saturday in Houston, as he allowed two
runs and seven hits in six innings.

“I felt good,” said Miller. “I went out there and felt like I normally do for
a start. I tried to treat it like any other one — go out there, throw a lot
of strikes, make them put it in play, and fortunately I was able to do that
today, and we put up more runs on the board than they did.”

Miller has faced the Orioles on just one other occasion and did not get a
decision, but gave up just one run and one hit in seven innings of that one.

The Red Sox enter this series on the heels of taking two of three from the
Toronto Blue Jays and have moved within a half-game of the New York Yankees
for first place in the American League East.

On Wednesday, Jacoby Ellsbury led off the bottom of the first inning with a
homer and his two-run double capped a big fourth, as the Red Sox rolled to a
6-4 win. Kevin Youkilis went 3-for-4 with a solo homer for Boston, which won
for the sixth time in seven games despite playing without American League
batting-leader Adrian Gonzalez. He was given the day off Wednesday after
playing in all 85 previous contests this season.

Tim Wakefield (5-3) had a season-high seven strikeouts over seven frames to
get the win. The 44-year-old knuckleball specialist scattered nine hits and
allowed three runs and a walk for his 198th career victory.

“It was very satisfying. I knew I had to go deep in the game today. The
bullpen has been taxed pretty heavily the past couple of days,” Wakefield
said. “That’s something as a starting pitcher you take a lot of pride in to
get deep in the game and try to preserve those guys for the next series.”

Jonathan Papelbon allowed an RBI single to Yunel Escobar with two outs in the
ninth, but then struck out Eric Thames to secure his 19th save of the season.

Baltimore, meanwhile, was swept in a three-game set by the Texas Rangers,
losing 13-5 in Wednesday’s finale. The defending AL champs outscored the O’s
30-11 in the whitewash.

Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero homered for the Orioles, losers in eight of
their last nine games.

Guthrie (3-11), who was charged with nine hits and six runs over five innings,
fell to 1-7 on the road. He threw 38 pitches in the first inning.

“I would have loved to pitch better,” Guthrie said. “I did not have a good
outing, start to finish really struggled. I worked harder than I should have
had to work. It’s disappointing.”

Hoping for a better effort tonight, Baltimore will turn to young right-hander
Jake Arrieta, who is 9-5 with a 4.74 ERA. Arrieta lost for the second time in
three tries on Saturday in Atlanta, as he allowed five runs – all in the
fourth inning – and six hits in five innings.

“I got two quick outs, had a guy 0-2 and just fell apart,” Arrieta said. “I
don’t know, to be honest with you. I couldn’t get it done. … It’s just a
terrible feeling.”

He has faced the Red Sox one other time and gave up three runs and six hits in
five innings, but did not get a decision.

The Orioles have split their four matchups with the Red Sox this season.

The Sports Network

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CBSSports.com wire reports
July 6, 2011

BOSTON — Another Red Sox pitcher goes on the disabled list, and Tim Wakefield just keeps trotting out to the mound.

The oldest active player in the majors — he’ll be 45 in less than a month — Wakefield earned his 198th career victory on Wednesday night, scattering nine hits over seven innings to lead Boston to a 6-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

“He was pitching the best I’ve seen him so far,” said catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who chased three of Wakefield’s knucklers to the backstop for passed balls. “He’s definitely a guy that deserves to be in the rotation.”

Jacoby Ellsbury and Kevin Youkilis had three extra-base hits apiece as the Red Sox won for the sixth time in seven games. Wakefield (5-3) allowed three runs, struck out seven and walked one, providing the team a boost as it tries to cobble together a rotation without Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka.

“He stepped in and pitched professionally,” manager Terry Francona said. “It’s sure nice to have a guy like that.”

The longest-tenured member of the Red Sox, Wakefield started the season without a spot in the rotation but has made 20 appearances, including 11 starts, because of injuries to other Boston starters. The latest was Lester, who went on the DL before Wednesday’s game, a day after leaving after four innings with a strained muscle in his back.

The day before that, John Lackey lasted just 2 1/3 innings.

“I know I had to go deep in the game tonight because the bullpen had been taxed lately,” Wakefield said. “As a starting pitcher, it’s something you take a lot of pride in.”

The Red Sox said after the game that Lester had an MRI that confirmed a strained latissimus muscle; he will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break. Doctors also confirmed Buchholz’s strained lower back can be treated with rehabilitation.

Francona said the news on both was good.

“Yeah,” he said. “Really good.”

Ricky Romero (7-8) gave up six runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings for Toronto. He surrendered leadoff homers in the first two innings, to Ellsbury and Youkilis, and allowed five straight hits — three of them doubles — as Boston scored four times in the fourth inning.

The game was delayed by rain with two outs in the top of the eighth inning, Boston leading 6-3 and Aaron Hill coming to bat. After a 40-minute delay, Dan Wheeler struck Hill out, then Jonathan Papelbon gave up one run in the ninth but earned his 19th save.

Yunel Escobar had four hits, including an RBI single in the ninth, for Toronto, which went homerless for the first time in 14 games. Jose Bautista and Travis Snider had two hits apiece.

Romero had allowed just 17 runs in his previous 75 2/3 innings, but he has struggled against the Red Sox. In 11 career starts vs. Boston, he is 2-6 with an 8.08 ERA — his worst numbers against any team.

“This is not the way I wanted to end the first half, like this,” Romero said. “I know I’m good enough to pitch against any team. … I’m looking forward to facing them next time and hopefully I’m successful.”

The solo homers gave Boston a 2-1 lead before the Blue Jays made it 3-2 in the third on a sacrifice fly by Bautista and Adam Lind’s RBI single. But with two out in the fourth, J.D. Drew doubled, then Darnell McDonald and Saltalamacchia singled and Yamaico Navarro and Ellsbury doubled to give Boston a 6-3 lead.

Youkilis left Monday’s game after being hit by a pitch in the fourth inning and rested Tuesday night. He returned to the lineup on Wednesday and started at first base for the first time this season, filling in for Adrian Gonzalez, who got his first day off of the season because of a stiff neck.

Notes

• RHP Scott Atchison was called up to replace Lester on the roster; he’ll work out of the bullpen.
• Bautista’s 28 home runs before the All-Star break is one short of the Blue Jays’ record set by George Bell in 1987.
• Toronto fell to 29-30 on the road this season.
• Papelbon hit J.P. Arencibia with a pitch in the ninth. He was replaced by pinch-runner Mike McCoy.

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NEW YORK — David Ortiz on Wednesday night had a message for New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who had said he didn’t care for the way the Boston Red Sox slugger had flipped his bat after hitting a home run Tuesday: “Take it like a man.”

Ortiz was in no mood to revisit the flap stirred the previous night by Girardi, who made his comments after the designated hitter took Yankees rookie Hector Noesi deep in Boston’s win.

He crushed another home run Wednesday night in the first inning off Yankees starter A.J. Burnett, then set his bat down on the ground gently. He saved the fireworks for after the game, which the Red Sox won 11-6.

“

I don’t care what Joe Girardi says. Take it like a man. I’m done with that.

”
– David Ortiz on Girardi’s reaction to his bat flip

“I don’t care what Joe Girardi says,” Ortiz said to a New York writer. “Take it like a man. I’m done with that.”

Ortiz said he did not flip his bat Wednesday so he could avoid being on the “national news.”

“I don’t want to have you guys asking me the same questions. I got almost 370 bombs in the big leagues and everybody wants to make a big deal because I bat-flip one of them. (Expletive) that (expletive), man. If I have to make that video on my (expletive), let’s see how many bat flips I got on this (expletive). Good night.”

The first-place Red Sox will try for the series sweep over the second-place Yankees in the Bronx Thursday night.

Ortiz has hit 364 home runs in his career. Thirty-four have come against the Yankees, a total against one opponent exceeded only by the 39 he has hit against Toronto. And that doesn’t count the five home runs he has hit against the Yankees in the postseason, including one of the most dramatic in club history — the 12th-inning walkoff home run in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS.

Ortiz has homered in each of the team’s past three games against the Yankees, all at Yankee Stadium. The last Red Sox player to hit home runs in three straight games in the Bronx was Mo Vaughn, back in 1994, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The last Boston player to hit home runs in three straight games against the Yankees, home and away, was Manny Ramirez in 2006.

On Tuesday night, he had been amused more than upset when asked about it.

“I mean, it’s not my first time, it’s not going to be my last time,” Ortiz said of the way he airmailed his bat. “Big deal. I enjoy the game. I’m a home run hitter. It’s not like I do it all the time. It’s part of the excitement, you know what I mean? What can I tell you?”

For his part, Girardi also downplayed his comment, suggesting before Wednesday’s game that the media had given it a “Full Monty” treatment he hadn’t intended. Nor did he believe Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester hitting two Yankees batters Tuesday night — Mark Teixeira and Russell Martin — was an invitation for the Yankees to engage in any retaliatory target practice.

“I didn’t hear our guys talk about it at all,” Girardi said. “It seems like it’s been talked about more in the media than our guys. I didn’t hear anything about our guys being upset.”

Red Sox manager Terry Francona thought it all much ado about nothing. Asked if he’d ever been rankled by the actions of an opposing hitter the way Girardi had been rankled by Ortiz, Francona said: “What’s rankled? My pants are rankled.”

“I don’t think I get too upset with stuff. I personally choose to hope we win a game and expend my energy doing that. Dave’s a big boy, he can handle himself. I actually didn’t even notice.”

Information from ESPNdeportes.com reporter Adry Torres and ESPNBoston.com Red Sox writer Gordon Edes was used in this report.

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NEW YORK – The Boston Red Sox are in first place, and David Ortiz is hitting a homer a day.

Is everybody happy? Not exactly.

Ortiz’ pleasant mood changed after Wednesday’s game when a New York reporter brought up questions about Joe Girardi’s comments of the previous day. The Yankees manager took exception to what he considered a grandiose flip of the bat by Ortiz after Big Papi’s home run off New York’s Hector Noesi.

“I don’t care what Joe Girardi said. I come to play the game every day,” Ortiz said.

“I’m done with that (expletive). That’s it.”

Ortiz had earlier been more easygoing in his response, simply saying that this was his style and he had not meant to offend anyone. But he made it clear after Boston’s 11-6 win on Wednesday that anyone bringing it up Thursday, the final day of this series, would not be greeted warmly.

He said he was not worried about getting hit a pitch in response to his bat-flipping.

“Why should I?” Ortiz said.

His home run Wednesday did show some regard for the situation. After going deep on A.J. Burnett in the first inning, he put down the bat carefully and without flamboyance, an apparent attempt to show respect for his opponent.

That said, Red Sox manager Terry Francona said before the game that he didn’t see the big deal.

“I didn’t really notice it. David has hit a lot of h home runs; I don’t know what the difference was,” Francona said.

The Sox manager had no interest in getting involved in a war of words.

“David is a big boy. He can handle himself,” Francona said.

After Wednesday’s game, in an apparent attempt to defuse the suddenly testy atmosphere, the writer who had brought up the subject asked Ortiz what he had hit off Burnett.

He was looking for a pitch description. He didn’t get one.

“A bomb,” Ortiz retorted.

“I’ve hit 370 bombs in the big leagues, and now it’s a big deal because I bat-flip one of them.”

It has been an unwelcome distraction for Ortiz, who has 15 homers and is hitting .323, more than 40 points higher than his career average.

Girardi has not retracted his comments, though he said on Wednesday that his observation had been overblown by the media. Come on, that never happens in a Red Sox-Yankees series, right?

Francona said he has only been bothered by flamboyant or attention-grabbing reactions by his players to home runs in games the Red Sox were losing. He cited a particular instance with Manny Ramirez, who homered for the Sox in a game at Cleveland where Boston was being beaten.

Francona was asked if he had such memories in Philadelphia, where he managed for four losing seasons from 1997-2000.

“We didn’t hit any home runs in Philadelphia,” he deadpanned.

The media has made numerous references to possibly retaliation in the Red Sox-Yankees series, though the teams have yet to become involved. Ortiz’ bat-flipping was prominent, but references were also made to Jon Lester’s two hit batsmen in the first inning on Tuesday.

One was Mark Teixeira, who left the game grimacing in pain after being plunked on the right knee. Teixeira was back in the lineup Wednesday.

The notion of Lester throwing at batters intentionally, in the first inning of a series opener, seemed pretty illogical to say the very least. The pitcher said after he simply “yanked a couple of cutters,” while trying to pitch inside, and was certainly not looking to hit any batters.

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NEW YORK – Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is headed back to Boston on Thursday to have his sore right knee examined, and his status is uncertain.

It was the latest piece of bad news for the Red Sox on a painful day. Boston reliever Bobby Jenks was placed on the 15-day disabled list again Wednesday with tightness in his back and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia was sent to the hospital because he was feeling sick.

Jenks left Tuesday night’s game against the New York Yankees after throwing only four pitches in the seventh inning and said it was a flare-up of an injury he had early in his career, though he didn’t think he would be sidelined long.

The right-hander had an MRI exam Wednesday and Boston put him on the DL before the 7:05 p.m. game.

Jenks was on the disabled list from May 2-30, missing 27 games with a strained right biceps. Since being activated, he had put together four scoreless outings.

The former White Sox closer has struggled in his first season with Boston, going 2-2 with a 6.57 ERA in 15 appearances. He has 11 walks and 14 strikeouts in 12 1-3 innings, and opponents are batting .340 against him.

Jenks signed a $12 million, two-year contract in the offseason to be Jonathan Papelbon’s setup man.

Boston recalled catcher Luis Exposito from Triple-A Pawtucket to provide insurance behind the plate. Saltalamacchia began feeling ill Wednesday and was sent to the hospital to make sure he has nothing more than the flu, manager Terry Francona said.

“They ruled out anything besides intestinal turmoil, which is good news,” Francona said after his team’s 11-6 victory over the Yankees. “He might have had food poisoning. He was just good, old-fashioned sick.”

Jason Varitek started behind the plate, teamed with knuckleballer Tim Wakefield for the first time since 2005. Varitek has caught Wakefield in relief outings during that span, but the Red Sox captain had not started a game with Wakefield on the mound in six years.

Boston shortstop Jed Lowrie also had an MRI on his sore left shoulder. It came back clean and he should play Thursday night against CC Sabathia, Francona said.

“We’ve got a lot going on right now,” the manager said before the game. “We’re kind of scrambling here a little bit.”

Marco Scutaro started at shortstop Wednesday for the second consecutive game. Scutaro was activated from the disabled list Tuesday after missing 26 games with a strained muscle on his left side.

Francona also said left-hander Franklin Morales “did really well” in a 35-pitch side session Monday and was slated to throw again Wednesday. He could start a minor league rehab assignment soon.

Morales, acquired last month from Colorado, is on the DL with a strained left forearm.

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NEW YORK (AP)—Boston Red Sox reliever Bobby Jenks(notes) is on the 15-day
disabled list again with tightness in his back and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia(notes)
was sent to the hospital Wednesday because he was feeling sick.

Jenks left Tuesday night’s game against the New York Yankees after throwing
only four pitches in the seventh inning and said it was a flare-up of an injury
he had early in his career, though he didn’t think he would be sidelined long.

The right-hander had an MRI exam Wednesday and Boston put him on the DL
before the 7:05 p.m. game.

Jenks was on the disabled list from May 2-30, missing 27 games with a
strained right biceps. Since being activated, he had put together four scoreless
outings.

The former White Sox closer has struggled in his first season with Boston,
going 2-2 with a 6.57 ERA in 15 appearances. He has 11 walks and 14 strikeouts
in 12 1-3 innings, and opponents are batting .340 against him.

Jenks signed a $12 million, two-year contract in the offseason to be
Jonathan Papelbon’s(notes) setup man.

Boston recalled catcher Luis Exposito from Triple-A Pawtucket to provide
insurance behind the plate. Saltalamacchia began feeling ill Wednesday and was
sent to the hospital to make sure he has nothing more than the flu, manager
Terry Francona said.

“We’ve got a lot going on right now,” Francona added. “We don’t want to
get caught short. … We’re kind of scrambling here a little bit.”

Jason Varitek(notes) started behind the plate, teamed with knuckleballer Tim
Wakefield(notes) for the first time since 2005. Varitek has caught Wakefield in relief
outings during that span, but the Red Sox captain had not started a game with
Wakefield on the mound in six years.

Boston shortstop Jed Lowrie(notes) also had an MRI on his sore left shoulder and
the team was waiting for results. Francona said he hopes Lowrie can play
Thursday night against CC Sabathia(notes).

Marco Scutaro(notes) started at shortstop Wednesday for the second consecutive
game. Scutaro was activated from the disabled list Tuesday after missing 26
games with a strained muscle on his left side.

Francona also said left-hander Franklin Morales(notes) “did really well” in a
35-pitch side session Monday and was slated to throw again Wednesday. He could
start a minor league rehab assignment soon.

Morales, acquired last month from Colorado, is on the DL with a strained
left forearm.

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HOUSTON – They did look different. Better. Crisper. Ready.

“I love playing a game like this, on the way to somewhere,” Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona said after Wednesday’s 10-0 victory over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

The Red Sox are on their way to Arlington, Tex., where the defending AL champions await.
The warmup act of 34 Grapefruit League games looked like a casual jog compared to Wednesday’s pick-up-the-pace effort before 25,755 fans.

He had to like how Josh Beckett performed on the bigger stage. Beckett had struggled all spring, insisting he was working on mechanics and was making progress.

Results of that progress were evident. Beckett allowed only an infield hit and a hit batter in five stellar innings.

“We talk all spring about how numbers don’t mean anything, and they don’t,” Francona said after this encouraging Beckett-as-Beckett performance.

“When his fastball has that kind of life, though, it’s fun to watch.”

Francona liked the setting for a lot of reasons.

“I think (a major league atmosphere) helps everybody. We didn’t work out in the morning (as in Florida), and run everybody around.

“The lights are better, it’s a normal day, we come and take batting practice and play.”

A day earlier, the Red Sox had played their final game in Fort Myers, a 1-1 tie with Tampa Bay. It was called after nine innings because teams see no point in wearing out pitchers in games like this.

Before that game, Francona acknowledged that different teams look at getaway exhibition games differently. Some players swing at the first pitch and make a hasty exit – some of the fastest games in baseball are played on the final day of the spring or the regular season.

He said the Red Sox try to treat it as a normal day, to get something worthwhile out of it. They did try, but it’s not easy in that setting.

It was a lot easier in Houston.

Because Beckett is such an intense competitor, questions were asked of whether he needed the major league backdrop to get himself game-ready.

He insisted it was more about mechanics, not emotion.

“I threw a few good changeups and located my fastball. The mechanical adjustments I’ve been making have come a long way,” he said.

And what about pitching before nearly 26,000 fans in a big league city, instead of 8,000 on vacation from the cold weather? Beckett is a local, a pitcher who grew up in Spring, Tex., and had his mother in the crowd Wednesday.

Beckett stuck to his belief that it’s not just about the venue. He believes spring training results in Florida cannot be taken literally, but not for lack of effort.

Some of the parks are a little smaller, he said, and factors such as wind and other variables can produce mediocre results, even when the pitching isn’t too bad.

As much as he focused on the progress of his mechanics, he didn’t quarrel with the satisfaction of better results. Beckett’s 2011 spring training ERA, now frozen in time forever, dropped from 6.64 to 5.33 Wednesday.

“It’s definitely good to go into the next start with more confidence,” he said.

The Sox came out swinging and hustling Wednesday. Jacoby Ellsbury beat out an infield hit to start the game, stole second and scored the first of five Boston runs in the first.

‘The hitters took good swings and worked some good counts,” Francona said. And the pitchers were sharp.

On to Texas. The Red Sox looked ready on Wednesday, when they played like the team they know they can be.

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