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Kevin Youkilis had to leave after getting kicked by Josh Anderson in the eighth. (Duane Burleson/Associated Press) |
Red Sox notebook
Lowell thrown out after his big hit
DETROIT - It took Mark Kotsay to figure out the milestone. No one in the press box knew. Mike Lowell didn't know. The mark might just have gone unnoticed had Kotsay not figured out that Lowell had come into last night's game one hit shy of 1,500.
"Kotsay was the one after my second at-bat, he told me, 'It took me a while, I was stuck on 1,499,' " Lowell said. "I said, 'Is that what I'm at?' I said, 'No wonder, I've probably been pressing subconsciously.' It was nice.
"Halfway there. Another 11 years. I'll be 46. I think I'm going to fall short of 3,000. I really do."
He might not be headed for 3,000, but he did manage to make the night of his 1,500th notable. Not the hit itself - a single to left in the sixth inning - but later. As he said, "Am I the first person in history to get thrown out when he gets his 1,500th hit? I've got to be. That's got to be an accomplishment."
Lowell was ejected after flying to left to end the top of the ninth. He had been disagreeing with plate umpire Bob Davidson all night on the strike zone, and his irritation boiled over as Davidson walked toward him. He said he asked the umpire why he was looking at him, then the pair had an exchange. Lowell maintained he never cursed.
"I understand that sometimes there's a zone that's established on one part of the plate, which is fine," Lowell said. "I felt like my at-bat with the bases loaded [in the eighth], there was a pitch that was down and away that was a ball. There's a big difference in the at-bat between 1-1 and 0-2, so I end up striking out there. Then I get a pitch that's way up and in. I'm really not going to say something unless I think I'm really right. And I looked at the video and the pitch is not close.
"So I let him know. When you ask umpires, sometimes they'll say borderline or maybe I went a little too far. I can accept that. We're all human, we're all going to make mistakes. When something is not a strike and they tell you that it's right there, it's been there all night, that's when it bothers me a little."
Brave comments
John Smoltz, who had his own issues with management in Atlanta, was outspoken about the Braves' decision yesterday to release 305-game winner Tom Glavine just as the lefthander was ready to come off the disabled list. Smoltz was disappointed by the way he felt he was treated by the Braves in the offseason, before he signed with the Red Sox."Like a lot of things lately, they handled it - let me just say, in a very interesting way," Smoltz said. "One that leaves you scratching your head. It's unfortunate for Tommy. And obviously, I'm using a very soft word of disappointed. Because that ain't right. You go that far in a rehab and then right before the time they do that. It's not my problem anymore. I just feel bad for a teammate of mine that I had for a long time."
Asked if he felt the move was financially motivated, Smoltz said, "I know too much. Put it that way."
Lowrie progressing
Julio Lugo - the backup shortstop for the last four games - took early batting practice with fellow reserves Kotsay (who went 0 for 1 in his season debut after entering as a defensive replacement) and George Kottaras as Jed Lowrie waited patiently. When the hitters were done, Lowrie got his chance to take underhand and overhand flips on the field, his first swings out of the batting cage as he continues his rehab from left wrist surgery.His next step appears to be real batting practice, which is likely to happen when the Sox return to Boston.
"We're going to test the grip strength again [today] and see how that goes and see how hitting goes [today]," Lowrie said. "Hopefully, all things considered, I can take BP. That would be awesome to get back out and actually take BP. I think that's a legitimate goal to shoot for, and if everything goes well, hopefully you'll see me out there taking BP when we get back."
Lowrie, who also took ground balls, said both exercises were essentially like taking flips in the cage, but with hitting coach Dave Magadan throwing overhand, "the idea behind it was just to add a little bit more velocity." He hit 30 from each side of the plate in increments of 10.
"I wish I could tell you [a timeline]," Lowrie said.
Youkilis is 'OK'
Kevin Youkilis left last night's game in the bottom of the eighth after he was kicked in the right ankle by Josh Anderson as the Tiger ran across first base. Nick Green bobbled Anderson's grounder and the throw arrived late, leaving Youkilis vulnerable. "He's OK," manager Terry Francona said. "He got more of a bruise. I think all of our fears were that he got spiked, then everybody came up from the replay and said he kind of got kicked with the back foot. He said he'll be OK [today]." Youkilis left the clubhouse before reporters were allowed in . . . David Ortiz blasted a pitch about as deep as he could last night, and again had nothing to show for it. The ball went more than 420 feet, where center fielder Curtis Granderson tracked it down for an out to end the top half of the fourth. "You look back at the linescore and he's out early," Francona said. "I don't know how much better you can hit a ball than that ball he hit to center field. That ball's as good a swing as he's taken in a long time."Maddening method
Daisuke Matsuzaka's method for obtaining his first win of the season Tuesday night (five innings, three walks, 96 pitches) wasn't what the Red Sox had planned, but it still achieved the desired result. "It's kind of hard to figure," Francona said. "I don't know how many guys can walk [Nos.] 8, 9, and then go through the top of the order and get them out. That's not the recipe. That's not what we told him to do. But he doesn't seem real worried about it. He's not out there panicking. It's a little confusing. I do hope, though, as he pitches with health that it gets better. I think you're seeing his arm strength get a little better." . . . The error on pitcher Rick Porcello from Tuesday night was overturned, giving Jacoby Ellsbury an infield single. That left Ellsbury with a 3-for-3 night.
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