Bench coach Brad Mills is first in line to congratulate Jeff Bailey, whose solo homer in the second put the Sox up, 2-1.
(John Bohn/Globe Staff)
Red Sox notebook
Lowell eyes a return in Texas
BP session his latest step back
Bench coach Brad Mills is first in line to congratulate Jeff Bailey, whose solo homer in the second put the Sox up, 2-1.
(John Bohn/Globe Staff)
Josh Beckett is expected to be back by the time the Red Sox hit the field in Arlington, Texas, Friday, but he might not be the only member of the Red Sox coming off the disabled list this weekend. At least that's what Mike Lowell is hoping after taking live batting practice outside for the first time since straining his right oblique Aug. 13.
"I hope the Texas series is a legit possibility," Lowell said. "I thought it went great. No pain. I was kind of curious, I think you take a little bit more violent swing outside than you do in the cage. I was really trying to put max effort into the cage before coming out here the last two or three days, so this wasn't something totally new.
"I'd say the first round was a little curious to see how it was, but after that I was kind of just trying to let loose and concentrate on my swing and not really the oblique."
Lowell took approximately 35 swings outside yesterday after taking 35 inside, split between soft toss and the tee. Lowell and the trainers will be looking to see how he feels today, and whether he can replicate the feat.
As the number of swings has been increased, they have been working on building Lowell's strength. And, since he has felt "nothing negative in all the steps," he said, it seems like his rehab has been going well.
The third baseman began throwing when he was in Miami two weeks ago, and took ground balls and threw to bases beginning in New York this past week.
Lowell also has had lingering hip pain, which popped up at the end of June. He did say it's likely the hip issue could be addressed in the offseason.
"I still feel it a little," he said. "Obviously with time off I think it feels a little better, but I concentrate a lot more on stretching and all that, and I think that alleviates it a little.
"I think it's still part of the grind of playing every day, where if you gave me six weeks off it would probably be feeling great."
As for the oblique injury, there were doubts at first about when he would be able to come back.
"After the third day, where I felt like I could sneeze and cough with no pain, I felt like we were going in the right direction," he said. "I think if that would have lingered for about a week, it might have been a little different. I'd say the first 48 hours you're full of doubt, because I never had experienced that."
Beckett's day coming
Beckett appears to be on track to pitch Friday after doing some long toss yesterday. He is scheduled to throw a side session today, which should be a good gauge of where he is. Beckett, of course, hasn't pitched since Aug. 17, a game in which he lasted just 2 1/3 innings. "He's got to feel good enough to start," manager Terry Francona said. "I think we think he's ready to go. Again, he was sick, he missed two weeks. I guess we always reserve the right to make a change. I don't anticipate that happening. I think he's revved up about it."Fast becoming threat
With Dustin Pedroia on first base after an eighth-inning single, he stole second. It was his fifth stolen base in his last four games, and his 17th of the season. He has been caught just one time this year, for a success rate of 94.4 percent. That's the best mark in the American League for a player with at least 15 attempts, and it would be the best for a Red Sox player with at least 10 tries since 1956."He's getting to know the league," Francona said. "He's a very intelligent player. I do think he's faster. I think he worked hard, and he is faster. More confident.
"He has the freedom to do that. He's got very good instincts. Where he hits in the order, the emergence of [Kevin] Youkilis lets him run in situations where if they want to walk somebody, we feel like we're still going to score, or continue the lineup moving."
The Orioles did, in fact, follow Pedroia's steal with an intentional walk to David Ortiz, but Pedroia ended up scoring when Jed Lowrie walked with the bases loaded.
Right back at it
The back-to-back home runs in the second inning, by Jason Varitek and Jeff Bailey, were the Sox' first since J.D. Drew and Manny Ramírez on July 12, also against Baltimore. Five of the Sox' 11 back-to-backers have come against the Orioles, and it was the second time this season it's happened against Garrett Olson. Pedroia and Ortiz hit them off him May 31 in Baltimore. The last time the Sox went back-to-back at least 11 times was 2003 . . . Three of Bailey's nine major league hits are home runs . . . Jonathan Papelbon struggled slightly in the ninth in recording his 35th save. He allowed two-out singles to Kevin Millar and Jay Payton before getting pinch hitter Oscar Salazar to ground to Pedroia for the final out after an eight-pitch at bat.Youkilis returns
With Youkilis back in the lineup after being out with flulike symptoms over the weekend, Pedroia went back to the second spot in the order. Pedroia had been batting cleanup in Youkilis's absence. As for his replacement in the order, Youkilis said, "If I can hit cleanup, he can hit cleanup." . . . Bartolo Colon put in six innings of work yesterday for the PawSox. He threw 66 pitches, gave up one run on four hits and a walk. He also struck out one. Though Colon is eligible to come off the disabled list at any time, Francona said it was likely he would make another start before possibly pitching for the Sox Sept. 13, in a day-night doubleheader against the Blue Jays.Catching Fisk
Varitek's blast was his 157th career homer as a catcher for the Sox. That ties the team record held by Carlton Fisk . . . Despite being eligible to come off the disabled list today, Drew will not be activated. He took some batting practice in the indoor cage yesterday . . . David Aardsma spent time yesterday making throws from right field to third base in an attempt to judge how his groin injury is progressing. Aardsma has been on the DL since Aug. 21. He is tentatively scheduled to throw a bullpen session Thursday . . . All seven Boston farm teams, including the Dominican Summer League team, will finish with winning records.
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