It was that kind of day for David Ortiz and the Red Sox offense: The big DH is a bit down after flying out in the ninth inning.
(Darren Calabrese/Canadian Press/Ap)
Red Sox Notebook
Inning became a lost cause for Ramirez
It was that kind of day for David Ortiz and the Red Sox offense: The big DH is a bit down after flying out in the ninth inning.
(Darren Calabrese/Canadian Press/Ap)
TORONTO - The normally soft-spoken Ramon Ramirez was in no mood to talk after yesterday's game, unhappy that a large group of reporters approached him without benefit of an interpreter, and clearly upset with the way his outing had gone. For the first time this season, after recording a 0.74 ERA through his first 22 outings, Ramirez was the one being blamed for a loss.
It was his second loss, in fact, but the first was far more attributable to a bad throw by Nick Green in Seattle. This outing, too, began with a throw by the shortstop that pulled first baseman Kevin Youkilis away from the bag, but Marco Scutaro was awarded a hit. The inning turned from there, changing a tie game into a win for the Blue Jays.
"I've got to throw the ball down," Ramirez said. "The ball was a little up. I can't be perfect every time."
Ramirez got Aaron Hill to fly to center but then threw a wild pitch and allowed an RBI single to center by Alex Rios, and an RBI double to center by Vernon Wells.
The reliever had allowed just two earned runs this season but doubled that yesterday, and his ERA increased to 1.44 after his two-thirds of an inning. He had allowed just 11 hits before yesterday in 24 1/3 innings.
"Ramon's awesome," starter Brad Penny said. "You can't be perfect every time out. He's one of the best relievers in the game right now. I'll be glad to give him the ball every time I come off that mound."
Lowrie stronger
While Jed Lowrie has noticed his left wrist getting stronger through his exercises in his recovery from surgery, he has noticed something else. His right wrist continues to get stronger, too."I have a little hand gripper and a little egg, so I'm kind of doing them at the same time," said Lowrie.
By one measure of his strength, on a dynamometer, the left wrist was a 60 in Anaheim, Calif., before the surgery, and was up to 117 this week. His right wrist has been around 145, which puts his left at about 80-85 percent, he estimated. He's tested about once a week.
Lowrie was scheduled to take another step yesterday, taking flips in the cage. The next step would be batting practice. He's been taking grounders in the infield, though that doesn't entirely replicate game conditions.
"I think he's doing great," manager Terry Francona said. "He's trying to throw across the diamond. He's doing everything. I think if anything he'll be on the good side of that [recovery] curve.
"Now, again, he's got to hit and play, but he's doing a good job. He's here early every morning. He's working hard. The strength deficit in that wrist will be important. That'll be the key regardless of whatever timing there is. But [when] that deficit doesn't become a deficit, then he's probably ready to go."
Sore spot for Pedroia
Dustin Pedroia went to the dirt after being hit by a pitch on the side of the left knee in the fifth inning. He got up gingerly, and limped before heading to first base. He did not come out of the game, and said he doubted that today's game would be in jeopardy. "It didn't sound very good, huh?" Pedroia said. "The ball just cut to me, I couldn't get out of the way. If it was probably an inch lower, it would be a lot worse. No big deal. I'll be all right." Francona said, "He's got a little pad down there on the front, but it hit him on the side. He's going to be sore." . . . The game started with the Rogers Centre roof open, then it was closed midway through the game.Shortstop shift
Green started as part of the rotation with Julio Lugo at short. Asked before the game how he decides between the two, Francona said the decision is made easier on a day game after a night game, as was the case yesterday. "You're always looking for energy, guys to feel good, their bodies feel good," he said. "Sometimes who's pitching, type of pitcher, things like that. Who's pitching for them. But again you're dealing with two righthanded hitters. There's not a lot of dissimilarity in their style. Just kind of trying to help our team win as many games as we can using both guys." . . . John Smoltz is scheduled to throw five innings and about 75-80 pitches for Greenville today in his third rehab start.Amalie Benjamin can be reached at abenjamin@globe.com. 
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