Sun, 06/16/2013 - 2:07pm — Anonymous
Cali Carp watches her dad, Mike Carp, on TV Friday night. (Photo courtesy Mike Carp)

Cali Carp watches her dad, Mike Carp, on TV Friday night. (Photo courtesy Mike Carp)

BALTIMORE – Mike Carp has had quite a road trip.

The first baseman/outfielder kept his season-long momentum going heading into the Red Sox series finale against the Orioles at Camden Yards, going 6-for-18 (.333) with two homers during the Sox’ last two series away from Fenway Park.

But the success – even Saturday’s two-run homer – isn’t what Carp will remember most when reflecting on this road swing. What will define this trip is a picture he received from his wife.

The photo (seen right) is of Carp’s 10 month-old daughter, Cali, walking up to the television and identifying her father, whose image had popped up via the Red Sox broadcast.

“It was a crazy and surreal experience to know she’s so little and young, to look up and look at me on TV and say, ‘It’s Dad!’ That means the world to me,” Carp said. “I can’t wait to get home and hold her today.”

Things continue to be going well for Carp, who has seemingly found himself a home with the Red Sox. In 41 games this season, he is hitting .320 with eight homers and a slugging percentage of 1.051.

For the Red Sox – who only gave up cash to acquire Carp – their long-time identification of the player as many had undervalued is being justified.

“Mike Carp has been outstanding. There’s no other way to put it,” said Red Sox manager John Farrell prior to Sunday’s game. “Did we expect to get this type of production when we acquired him? Well, we thought there was a good hitter there. The opportunity has allowed him to produce as he has. It’s been a very good situation for him and us.”

Carp, who got the start at first base for a third straight game in the place of Mike Napoli (illness), identified consistency and confidence as the two driving forces behind having the kind of success he couldn’t bottle in Seattle.

“I know my role here, versus sometimes I didn’t know my role or where I fit in. I know what they’re going to ask me and I come to prepare myself ready to go. That’s the biggest thing. They have a lot of confidence in me.”

And as for how his first Father’s Day as a father went?

“We talked this morning,” he said. “Hopefully [Cali] stays up tonight until I get home so I can hold her, because that’s all I’ve been wanting to do for the last week.”

Blog Author: 
Rob Bradford
Sun, 06/16/2013 - 1:21pm — Anonymous
Dave O'Brien talked to John Farrell before the last game of the Baltimore series. The skipper said that the Sox have played tough through this stretch of long games.
Sun, 06/16/2013 - 1:17pm — Anonymous
Dave O'Brien talked to John Farrell before the last game of the Baltimore series. The skipper said that the Sox have played tough through this stretch of long games.

[0:00:35] ... through some things were were beat up a little bit physically obviously Mike Napoli is back in Boston giving me examined. Pete he's got a down day today he's the only guy in the big leagues ...
[0:02:28] ... the first inning might have been the key to the game with John Lackey shutting off that inning with only two runs allowed. And then my -- home run to tie it and we start to ...
[0:03:01] ... finish up that ball game but. You know the seven innings of John Lackey really set things up. He got better as the game went along but. You know -- been huge contributor of the bullpen ...
[0:04:10] ... early work that he's prepared ready to go second. Anything new on Mike Napoli back in Boston John. I know the he still undergoing further tests today so you know it it's a general illness situation ...






Sun, 06/16/2013 - 1:03pm — Anonymous
Right-hander Brandon Workman punched out nine for Pawtucket. (Salem Red Sox)

Right-hander Brandon Workman punched out nine for Pawtucket. (Salem Red Sox)

A brief look at the action in the Red Sox farm system on Saturday:

TRIPLE-A PAWTUCKET RED SOX: 2-1 LOSS VS. BUFFALO (BLUE JAYS)

(BOX)

- Brandon Workman suffered his first loss in Triple-A, even though he was arguably better than in his first start for Pawtucket. The righty went 6 1/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits while walking three and striking out nine. The only earned run he allowed came on a solo home run in the second inning. The second run scored in the fourth when Buffalo’s Eugenio Velez reached on a force out and stole second and third, then scored on a throwing error by catcher Ryan Lavarnway. Workman received no run support, with the PawSox scoring only one run on one hit, but not until after he departed.

The solid outing was the sixth in a row in which Workman allowed three or less earned runs. He’s allowed more than three earned runs only twice on the season between 11 starts in Portland and two in Pawtucket. He has gone six or more innings in seven of his 13 starts.

“He’s the model of consistency,” said former Portland teammate Anthony Ranaudo on WEEI’s “Down on the Farm.” “He just goes out there and fills up the zone.”

Workman did just that on Saturday; though his three walks tied a season-high, so did his strikeout total. The starter threw 100 pitches, with 64 going for strikes. Workman got 15 swings and misses, and was able to continue throwing his fastball in the 93-94 mph range deep into the game.

- In his second game of the year with Pawtucket, Alex Hassan kept the PawSox from being no-hit on Saturday, launching his first home run of the year in the eighth inning. Between eight games with Greenville and two with the PawSox, Hassan has reached base in all but one game.

- Like the rest of the Pawtucket offense, Xander Bogaerts struggled against Buffalo starter Thad Weber and the rest of the Buffalo pitching staff on Saturday, striking out three times in three at-bats.

DOUBLE-A PORTLAND SEA DOGS: 6-2 LOSS VS. AKRON (INDIANS)

(BOX)

- Travis Shaw provided the only offense for Portland, clubbing his fourth home run of the year in the ninth inning of Saturday’s contest. The two-run shot was Shaw’s fourth home run of the season. Shaw had gone 24 games and 81 at-bats in between home runs, with his last coming on May 16. In that time span, Shaw is hitting only .165/.297/.224 with three RBI. In 130 games between Salem and Portland in 2012, Shaw hit 19 home runs and 44 doubles, slugging .517 on the season. The first baseman has struggled to show that power in 2013, with only 17 extra-base hits on the year.

- With an open spot in the rotation due to the promotion of Workman, the Sea Dogs promoted Michael McCarthy from High-A Salem. McCarthy had posted a 3-2 record and 4.63 ERA with Salem. He took the loss in his Double-A debut on Saturday, but went a season-high 6 2/3 innings (his first outing of 2013 that lasted more than five innings) while giving up four runs on nine hits and two walks to Akron. The Aeros did all of their damage in the third inning against McCarthy, with two back-to-back home runs.

“He left some pitches up in the third inning, but to settle in and give us the length that we needed was really huge for us,” Portland manager Kevin Boles told the Portland Press-Herald.

- The Portland offense has been struggling since the promotion of Bogaerts to Pawtucket, but third baseman Michael Almanzar is doing his part to pick up the slack. With a single, a triple and a walk on Saturday, Almanzar is now 6-for-9 with two free passes in his last three games. The triple was his second of the season. Almanzar has been a solid source of production all season for Portland, hitting .290/.349/.510 in 63 games this season.

HIGH-A SALEM RED SOX: 9-2 WIN VS. LYNCHBURG (BRAVES)

(BOX)

- Blake Swihart had a big day at the plate on Saturday, contributing a double and his second home run of the year to Salem’s offensive onslaught. He also had an impressive game behind the dish, throwing out his 23rd basestealer of the year. Swihart has nabbed 41 percent of runners, good for the highest percentage among Carolina League catchers. Swihart has been solid all around for Salem, hitting .282/.364/.443 in 51 games. The catcher also leads the team with five triples.

- With a 2-for-4 day on Saturday, Garin Cecchini’s batting average rose to .354, 42 points higher than the next-highest batting average in the league. The third baseman clubbed two doubles in the contest, bringing his season total to 19. Cecchini hasn’t knocked one out of the park since May 12, but has 28 extra-base hits and is slugging .552, good for second in the league. Cecchini is a candidate to be promoted to Double-A in the coming weeks, especially with the hole in the Portland infield and the lineup left by Bogaerts. The Carolina League All-Star break begins after a doubleheader for Salem on Sunday, and it’s a possibility that Cecchini could be promoted sometime after the break.

- Keury De La Cruz extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a 1-for-4 day on Saturday. The outfielder, who was serving as the designated hitter, made Lynchburg starter Navery Moore pay for three walks in the third inning, smacking a bases-loaded double to bring in two runs. The two RBI brings De La Cruz’s total to a Carolina League-leading 50 on the season. Over the course of his 15-game hitting streak, De La Cruz is batting .455/.466/.673 with 19 RBI and nine extra-base hits.

SINGLE-A GREENVILLE DRIVE: 7-2 LOSS AT SAVANNAH (METS)

(BOX)

- In his third game with Greenville, Kevin Heller went 3-for-4 with a double and drove in one of the Drive’s two runs on the day. A 40th round pick in the 2012 draft, Heller played three games for the Salem Red Sox this season before being sent to extended spring training. He was called up to the Drive after Hassan was moved to Pawtucket. The outfielder is 6-for-13 with a double, a triple, and three RBI in his three games with the Drive.

- Shorstop Jose Vinicio reached base twice on Saturday with a single and a walk. The struggling 19-year-old has drawn only 10 walks on the season while he’s fanned 51 times.

- After winning three straight decisions, starter Justin Haley took the loss for Greenville, dropping to 3-7 on the year. Haley allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits, but, for the first time in his 11 starts and two relief appearances, didn’t walk a single batter.  Haley has been inconsistent this year, but has improved since a brief stint out of the bullpen. In his last four starts, he is 3-1 with a 3.04 ERA with 22 strikeouts and nine walks.

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE RED SOX: 6-5 WIN (WALKOFF) VS. DSL DODGERS (12 INNINGS)

(BOX)

- Outfielder Juan Hernandez had two hits for the DSL Red Sox, bringing his average to .333 over six games. The 17-year-old has six hits and two walks in 20 plate appearances.

- Center fielder Oscar Bartomolde drove in a run and knocked a triple in his fourth game. He also singled. The two hits were his first of the season, as was his RBI.

- Pinch-hitting for Hernandez, Franklin Guzman ended the game with an RBI double to center field in the 12th. Guzman is hitting .275/.333/.412 in 13 games for the DSL Red Sox.

Blog Author: 
Katie Morrison
Sun, 06/16/2013 - 12:16pm — Rob Bradford

BALTIMORE — The Red Sox recalled righty reliever Pedro Beato prior to Sunday’s series finale against the Orioles, sending Rubby De La Rosa back to Triple-A Pawtucket. Beato was added to the Sox’ 40-man roster, which had stood at 39 players.

Sun, 06/16/2013 - 12:15pm — Anonymous
Rubby De La Rosa

Rubby De La Rosa

BALTIMORE — The Red Sox recalled righty reliever Pedro Beato prior to Sunday’s series finale against the Orioles, sending Rubby De La Rosa back to Triple-A Pawtucket. Beato was added to the Sox’ 40-man roster, which had stood at 39 players.

De La Rosa, who didn’t make an appearance in his two games with the Red Sox, will be scheduled to jump back into the PawSox’ starting rotation, with Monday serving as his next outing.

With De La Rosa making the start Monday, Alfredo Aceves officially becomes the scheduled starter for one of the games in the Red Sox’ day-night doubleheader with the Rays Tuesday. Aceves will join Felix Doubront to make up the Sox’ starters for Tuesday, although it has yet to be determined which pitcher will pitch in what game.

Some of the determination as to if Doubront or Aceves will pitch the first game depends on which Red Sox catcher might match up best with the Tampa Bay starter. The Rays are slated to throw righties Chris Archer and Jesus Colome. Aceves will be caught by Jarrod Saltalmacchia, who has been the right-hander’s battery-mate for his last two major league starts.

De La Rosa remains a candidate to rejoin the Red Sox for a Saturday start if Clay Buchholz isn’t ready to throw his scheduled bullpen Tuesday and is forced to the 15-day disabled list. Allen Webster, who is coming off a six-inning outing in which he gave up one hit, is also a possibility to get his third major league start, Saturday.

Blog Author: 
Rob Bradford
Sun, 06/16/2013 - 12:01pm — Rob Bradford

The Red Sox and Orioles face off in their series finale with the Sox looking for a win to salvage a split of the series.

Sun, 06/16/2013 - 11:59am — Anonymous

The Red Sox and Orioles face off in their series finale with the Sox looking for a win to salvage a split of the series.

Jose Iglesias

Jose Iglesias

Dustin Pedroia gets his first day off of the 2013 campaign, with Jose Iglesias getting the start at second base. Daniel Nava returns to the lineup after getting a day off in Boston’s win Saturday evening. Mike Napoli remains out of the lineup after leaving Thursday’s game due to illness, with Mike Carp getting the start at first base.

The Red Sox will turn to ace Jon Lester (6-3, 4.12) Sunday afternoon. Lester, who has struggled as of late looks to provide a quality start. In his last ten starts Lester is just 3-3 with an ERA of 5.09 and has allowed 64 hits over 63 1/2 innings.

Miguel Gonzalez (4-2, 3.71) gets the ball for the Orioles.  Gonzalez is coming off a strong start, where he picked up a win shutting down the Angels going eight innings and surrendering one run on four hits.

Here is the Sox’ lineup:

Jacoby Ellsbury CF

Jose Iglesias 2B

Daniel Nava RF

David Ortiz DH

Jonny Gomes LF

Mike Carp 1B

Jarrod Saltalamacchia C

Will Middlebrooks 3B

Stephen Drew SS

Jon Lester P

Blog Author: 
Griffin Tewksbury
Sun, 06/16/2013 - 8:27am — Anonymous
Jon Lester

Jon Lester

The Red Sox will send struggling Jon Lester to the mound to take on Miguel Gonzalez in an attempt to earn a split of the four-game series Sunday at Camden Yards.

Lester, who is 6-3 on the year, is winless in his last five starts. During that span, the 29-year-old lefty has a 6.90 ERA with a .411 opponent on-base percentage. He also has allowed six home runs during the stretch, which is two more than he allowed in his first eight starts of the year.

His last start was a low point on the season for Lester, who allowed seven runs on eight hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings vs. the Rays. That start alone bumped his ERA up from 3.60 to where it currently sits at 4.12. It was a disappointing effort for Lester, and recognized that in his postgame comments.

“It’s just terrible. I did a terrible job of helping out our bullpen, I did a terrible job of keeping the ball down in the zone. The list goes on. This is solely on me. These guys count on me to go out there and throw innings, and I didn’t do that tonight. I just flat-out didn’t get it done,” Lester said. “I really let the bullpen, really let the team down. We needed a big start tonight, and I didn’t do it. Like I said, that solely rests on me. Nobody else.

“For lack of a better term, it’s [expletive] on my part,” he added. “Guys kept battling back, and every time they did, I gave it right back to them. It’s unacceptable. I’ve got to do a better job.”

However, if there is any pitcher on the Red Sox staff capable of handling major league leading home run hitter Chris Davis, it appears to be Lester. Davis is hitless with two strikeouts in 14 career plate appearances against Lester.

Gonzalez, who is 4-2 with a 3.71 ERA this season, has been stellar in his past two starts. The 29-year-old righty has pitched 14 innings in this two-game stretch, keeping a 1.29 ERA with 12 strikeouts and only two walks in back-to-back wins.

A former member of the Pawtucket Red Sox, Gonzalez signed a minor league deal with the Orioles in March 2012. He made his first major league start on July 6, 2012, as a 28-year-old and has an 11-6 record in his career. His pitching repertoire features two fastballs in the low 90s, low 80s changeup, a slider and a curveball. The changeup, which is his most effective pitch, has held opponents to a .200 average this season.

Gonzalez has a 2-1 record in his career against the Red Sox and won his last start in Boston, 4-2. Of the Red Sox players that have played against Gonzalez, Daniel Nava has had the most success with a double and two RBIs in four at-bats against him.

Miguel Gonzalez

Miguel Gonzalez

Red Sox vs. Gonzalez (RHP)

Dustin Pedroia (8 plate appearances): .250 BA/.250 OBP/.250 SLG, 1 RBI

Jarrod Saltalamacchia (6): .200/.333/.200, 1 walk

Daniel Nava (5): .500/.600/.750, 1 double, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Jacoby Ellsbury (3): .333/.333/.667, 1 double, 1 RBI

Jose Iglesias (3): .333/.333/.333

David Ortiz (2): .000/.500/.000, 1 walk

Will Middlebrooks (1): .000/.000/.000

Mike Carp, Stephen Drew, Jonny Gomes, Mike Napoli, David Ross and Shane Victorino have not faced Gonzalez.

Orioles vs. Lester (LHP)

Nick Markakis (58 plate appearances): .200 BA/.241 OBP/.291 SLG, 5 doubles, 3 walks, 1 RBI, 14 strikeouts

Adam Jones (49): .262/.367/.310, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, 7 walks, 16 strikeouts

Matt Wieters (36): .382/.417/.529, 1 triple, 3 doubles, 7 RBIs, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts

J.J. Hardy (16): .400/.438/.800, 1 home run, 1 triple, 1 double, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts

Chris Davis (14): .000/.071/.000, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

Danny Valencia (9): .111/.111/.444, 1 home run, 2 RBIs, 2 strikeouts

Alexi Casilla (8): .000/.250/.000, 2 walks

Steve Pearce (6): .000/.167/.000, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts

Nate McLouth (4): .000/.000/.000, 1 strikeout

Taylor Teagarden (4): .000/.000/.000, 4 strikeouts

Manny Machado (3): .000/.000/.000

Chris Dickerson and Ryan Flaherty have not faced Lester.

Blog Author: 
Kevin Dillon
Sun, 06/16/2013 - 7:31am — Anonymous
Griffin Tewksbury and his dad, Bob Tewksbury.

Griffin Tewksbury and his dad, Bob Tewksbury.

I’ll never forget that night.

It was a crisp fall evening and I returned home from a friends’ house. I took off my jacket, kicked off my shoes and sprinted towards the kitchen to escape the darkness of the hallway. I turned the corner and saw my Dad in tears, embracing my Mom at the dining table.

“Mom, what’s wrong?”

I was too young to understand it at the time, but my life would change forever on that cold New Hampshire night.

Bob Tewksbury played for six major league teams over his 13-year career. He totaled 110 wins over this span and owns a career ERA of 3.92. Perhaps even more impressive, Bob Tewksbury is my father.

I was just seven years old when I ran into my kitchen to find my parents in tears. He had just decided to retire from playing the game he loved most. While he had other offers to extend his playing days, my Dad ended his career early to spend more time with my Mom, sister and I.

For the first seven years of my life, I ate, dreamt and slept baseball. I was born in St. Louis, Missouri, when my dad was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. I also lived in Texas, California and Minnesota before he ended his career a member of the Minnesota Twins.

My childhood was anything but ordinary and I am extremely fortunate and blessed to have lived such a lifestyle. Being the son of a major league baseball player had its perks for a young boy.  I would wake up each day and play baseball with whomever I could find. Then I’d go to the stadium, stumble around the clubhouse imitating batting stances, learning how to blow bubbles, and run around on big league ball fields while major leaguers took batting practice. Then, I’d watch the game. After, I’d go home, and do it all over again the next day.

Simply put, for the first seven years of my life I played baseball.

After he retired, my life changed forever. I no longer moved across country yearly. Summers were spent at my little league games at Grappone Park instead of major league games at Fenway Park. I went to normal school for the full year and even started playing another sport in hockey.

Now, I’m 21 years-old, and my baseball-obsessed childhood seems light-years away. Today, the question I get asked the most is: How cool was it growing up with a pro baseball player as a Dad?

My answer: It wasn’t.

Because when I was younger I thought every kids Dad was a professional baseball player. Because they were. For the first seven years of my life, baseball players and their kids were the only people I knew. I didn’t know that there was a real world out there, full of school, work and tests.  I wasn’t aware of how lucky I was living in a seemingly a dream world, full of baseball and endless buckets of Bazooka bubble gum, because I thought every kid had that.

As I look back now, I’ve begun to realize how blessed I was to grow up with a professional baseball player for a father. But even so, to me Bob Tewksbury isn’t a man who played 13 years in the big leagues. He isn’t the guy who finished third in the Cy Young race and made the All-Star team in 1992. To me, he is Dad. He’s the guy I try to figure out girls with. The guy I see new movies with. The person I text when I’m bored in class. While his professional baseball career and his accolades are a large part of him, I love him because he is my Dad and my best friend. And to me, he’s a lot better father than he was a pitcher.

With that said, there have been plenty of days on the diamond where I wish he could just be my dad and not a former professional baseball player. I’ve heard my fair share of trash talk on the field. I’ve been told I only got places because of my name. And being completely honest, there have been times where I wished my baseball accomplishments were attributed to Griffin Tewksbury and not “Bob Tewksbury’s kid.”  But at the end of the day I am so thankful that I am his kid. And I know next fall, in my senior season for Bates College, he’ll be there telling me what the hell is going wrong with my swing.

While baseball will always be a connection between my Dad and I, I can’t help but feel that America’s past time lends itself as a hobby for many fathers and kids. Whether it be having a catch, or wedging yourself into the wooden seats at Fenway, for most, it’s extra special when it’s with your old man.

Whether it’s the popping of the mitt when a ball explodes into the glove, or the piercing crack of a bat, or the wafting smell of hot dogs, baseball has a mystical sense about it, which brings many fathers and sons together.

While I can’t seem to pin point why, all I can think of is this quote from Field of Dreams, “the one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again.”

So to all the Dad’s out there having a catch or enjoying a ball game with their son, thank for you all you do. We may not say it enough, but we do owe most everything to you.

And to you Dad, Happy Father’s Day. While I may never play professional baseball like you, I could still take you deep in Wiffle-ball any day.

 

(Griffin Tewksbury is a student at Bates College, where he also is a member of the baseball team. He is currently participating in an internship with WEEI.com)

Blog Author: 
Griffin Tewksbury