Red Sox Report 7/19/11: RI’s Wheeler Shines

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Scott Cordischi, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

While the Red Sox and Orioles played the opener of their 3-game series in Baltimore Monday night, David Ortiz and Kevin Gregg were reduced to spectators.

As expected, Major League baseball handed down its ruling in the appeals for both players and both had them reduced to 3 games by the league. That means neither will play in this series which is probably what MLB officials preferred.

Ortiz will be able to take batting practice with the team before games and work out with his teammates. However, during the game, he cannot be in any team designated areas.

OTHER NOTES:

-Carl Crawford was back in the line-up playing left field while batting 6th. JD Drew got the start in right with Josh Reddick playing center. Jacoby Ellsbury was given a bit of a break serving as the team’s DH in place of the suspended Ortiz.

-With JD Drew’s struggles at the plate continuing Monday (0-3) he is now batting .222 for the season. Conventional wisdom is that the Sox may bite the bullet on Drew at some point this month and release him outright from the team. While Drew’s defense has always been solid in right field for Boston, he has never lived up to his $14 million a year price tag at the plate. Drew has also been unable to stay on the field consistently with various minor injuries keeping him sidelined sporadically. His personality also never seemed to mesh with the city of Boston and Red Sox fans making his 5-year stay with the team disappointing.

-Dustin Pedroia’s single in the top of the 3rd extended his hitting streak to 16 games. As he was Sunday night in Tampa, Pedroia was the offensive hero once again Monday night with his 2-run double in the top of the 8th to put Boston on top 9-7.

-Red Sox players were feeling the effects of the late (or early morning) arrival in Baltimore. The Sox arrived at their hotel at 6 a.m. after their 16-inning win in Tampa Sunday night. Ironically, the one guy who did get a good night’s sleep – Tim Wakefield (he traveled to Baltimore Sunday afternoon) got shelled giving up 9 hits and 7 runs in 4 2/3 innings of work.

-The pride of Pilgrim High School – Dan Wheeler did a fantastic job relieving Wakefield. Wheeler pitched 2 1/3 innings of no-hit shutout baseball to keep his team in the game giving them a chance to win it in the later innings.

-Boston scored 8 runs in the 8th inning to bust open a 7-7 ballgame.

-The Red Sox are now 7-2 against the Orioles this season after starting the season 0-2 against the O’s.

-Meanwhile, down in Tampa, it’s good news either way for the Red Sox. If Tampa wins it pushes the Yankees further behind Boston in the division race. If New York wins, the Rays get pushed back in both the division and Wild Card races. Like Boston, the Rays were hoping to win on short rest last night against New York . The inconsistent AJ Burnett gave up 4 runs on 8 hits and 6 walks in 5 1/3 innings of work and would have been the losing pitcher of record for the Yankees had his teammates not taken him off the hook. Following Boston's win over Baltimore, the Sox were an even 2 games up on the Yankees in the American League East and 7 1/2 games up on the Rays.