March 24, 2009

Penny Strong In First Game; Smoltz Will Throw Bullpen Session Tomorrow

The Red Sox are not pinning any of their pennant hopes on the right arms of Brad Penny or John Smoltz, but the team could realize huge benefits from either or both of these low-risk signings.

Penny pitched three strong innings against the Tigers on Monday, his first appearance this spring against major league hitters. He threw only 33 pitches, did not allow a hit, walked one (Gary Sheffield, his 3rd batter of the day) and struck out three. A scout stated that Penny's fastball hit 94 and was consistently around 91-92.
I felt good. It has been a while since I've gone out there and felt good. ... I felt 100 percent. I didn't get to throw many breaking balls, because they were so aggressive swinging early in the count. I would have liked to have worked on my offspeed [pitches] a little more. ...

I think I threw some pitches up 0-and-2. When I'm really throwing well, that's how I pitch. I'll get two strikes and try to elevate the fastball, and today I had that. I felt like (the fastball) had life, like I was throwing pretty hard today.
Smoltz will throw his first bullpen session -- roughly 30-35 pitches -- tomorrow at 9 AM. The Globe, quoting John Farrell: "'I think he could be doing more than he is right now, but by design' the pitcher has been held back to be ready for the second half of the season and for October."

Daisuke Matsuzaka is expected in Fort Myers Wednesday evening. The plan is for him to throw an inning in a minor league game on Friday, then pitch against Atlanta next Tuesday.

***

The Globe has the lineups for tonight's game (Tim Wakefield / A.J. Burnett) against the Yankees in Tampa:
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF        Johnny Damon, LF
Jed Lowrie, SS Derek Jeter, SS
David Ortiz, DH Mark Teixeira, 1B
Chris Carter, LF Hideki Matsui, DH
Rocco Baldelli, RF Jorge Posada, C
George Kottaras, C Robinson Cano, 2B
Brad Wilkerson, 1B Xavier Nady, RF
Nick Green, 2B Cody Ransom, 3B
Angel Chavez, 3B Brett Gardner, CF

75 comments:

Benjamin said...

He's not dead; he's pining for the Smoltz.

allan said...

Sigh. I did think that looked a bit off.

Rob said...

I tend to circle this game on the calender as it seems to get a little bit more attention here in spring, but more importantly it seems like we're right around halfway through Spring by the time the Red Sox face the Yankees in Tampa.

Rob said...

So that's four times in 15 minutes Don has mentioned George M. Steinbrenner Field...

Jere said...

Tex goes down waving.

How did Lowrie not beat out that play in the first?

Jere said...

line shot up the middle by Cano for the first hit off Wake with 2 out in the 2nd.

Jere said...

0-0 after 2.

Jere said...

Kilgore wrong on his line about Lowrie grounding out to short. I think he's confusing him with Jeter. Lowrie grounded back to AJ.

Zenslinger said...

Wake and Burnett have identical lines through two innings.

Seems like the kind of thing that would get RS a bit hard.

Jere said...

C-Note looked horrible against the knuckler.

Jere said...

quick 3rd for Wake.

Jere said...

quick one for their guy, too. very fast game.

Jere said...

I always like to predict who's under the veil with me. I'm gonna say Benjamin's going strong, ish has a couple, and zenslinger and joe grav each have one.

Patrick said...

Sigh, Burnett.

Jere said...

Very nicely turned DP by us. Hit into by prick. Meaning Teixeira.

Jere said...

4 innings done in exactly 45 mins

Jere said...

wow, Don suggested the deaths of security guards in Seattle

Jere said...

Game half over in 50 minutes. 0-0.

Rob said...

Very quick game so far. One hour into it and they're already in the top of the 6th!

Jere said...

A flustered AJ heads to the showers cursing.

Benjamin said...

BOS - 000 001
MFY - 000 00

Jere said...

I got the zenslinger part right.

allan said...

How the F did Dumbo gun down LBJ?

Jere said...

Well, the throw was way to the first base side and high, Jeter reached out and caught it and swung the glove down, and it MAY have brushed across Jacoby's helmet as he slid. I was surprised the ump called him out, I don't know how the feet weren't at the bag by the time of the phantom tag anyway. But Jeter did his usual selling of the call and it worked.

Rob said...

Yeah I was just waiting for the rest of the yet-to-be-moderated comments to appear and then come out of the woodwork.

Rob said...

Yeah Jere I think the tag MIGHT have just touched Lyndon's helmet too. That call could have gone either way and could probably have been right either way.

Jere said...

pay no attention to the comments behind the curtain....

The Mailman's in left.

Jere said...

yeah, if Jacoby slides head first he's safe easily. Or if he rolled into second. Or ran by ducking.

allan said...

NEWS:

Red Sox signed RHP Rocky Cherry to a minor league deal.
The Mets offered the Rule 5 pick back to the Orioles last week, but they declined to accept him. The 29-year-old posted a 6.35 ERA in 18 appearances with Baltimore last season.

andy said...

Jacoby looks darker.

andy said...

nice catch asshole

andy said...

So Rocky Cherry looks real good. God I hope the scouts saw something in him that Ferrel can fix.

Jere said...

So when we play the Yanks, there could be a Cherry Coke pitching matchup.

andy said...

Is it safe to say that this Duncan guy on 1st for the yankees is the only guy who gives a shit that the yankees signed tex?

andy said...

No extras in spring training right?

Jere said...

they'll play an extra frame or two, depending...

andy said...

Did I see that correctly? Nobody from team america was on the all WBC team?

Jere said...

Well Swisher might have had 1st all to himself, now he's battling Nady for RF

andy said...

I guess at this point there is no reason to not play extras with all the minor league guys trying to earn a spot.

Jere said...

If Ryan Dent ever makes the Red Sox, on the road uni they should just leave his name off of there.

andy said...

Tito thought it was funny. I like that

Jere said...

Pitch flies over everything, hits backstop, bounces right back to catcher still at home plate. Jacoby = screwed.

andy said...

Magrane sounds just like Mike Singletary on the NFL channel commercial when he is describing how good the Bears defense was back then. Go Fridge!

Jere said...

Oh, you're getting this on a different channel. That explains why you were talking about Duncan when Remy and Don weren't even mentioning him. And how you knew Tito thought it was funny. And how you found the hidden gold!

Jere said...

MDC in for us.

Benjamin said...

MDC in.

andy said...

so this is a spring training game thread for us. Getting our legs under us.

Jere said...

Don admitting he read a promo at the wrong time.

The Melkman and Mailman in the game at the same time.

Jere said...

Some of us are in midseason form, ha

andy said...

Somebody is getting knocked up

Jere said...

craziness on that play

Benjamin said...

So the answer to whether Carter can play adquate 1B is starting to look like "no".

Rob said...

Well! So much for this entertaining game, eh? MDC blowing the game... DOOMED I tell you!

Amy said...

Just dropping in to say hi and WTF, MDC?

Amy said...

Ok, one out. Phew.

Jere said...

CI. The other CI.

nixon33 said...

MDC BLOWS

allan said...

sit down, asshole.

Amy said...

That one was out...no doubt there.

Rob said...

Heh. Hey guys, remember that one time it was scoreless and Burnett and Wakefield were pitching lights out going into the 6th?

Benjamin said...

I'd be happier if MDC hadn't shat the bed, but Wake's performance was great, and I'm not concerned that three everyday batters couldn't muster more runs.

allan said...

YES's cameras made that look easily foul. Shit.

Dear NYY: Enjoy your March Pennant. You still choke against us in October, when it counts. Chokers.

Rob said...

Chocolate rain!

Amy said...

Is Phil now Benjamin? Or just has the same avatar?

Well, it is only spring training. No stress here. And who the hell are those guys anyway?

Rob said...

Of course chocolate rain doesn't have his glasses anymore... Way to ruin it, Edwar.

Benjamin said...

You still choke against us in October, when it counts.

MFY play the Rays October 2-4, not us.

Benjamin said...

Same, Amy. Had an operation in the off season to remove the pseudonym.

Zenslinger said...

Austin Jackson is one of their only relatively bright position-player prospects.

Seeing as they started their starters, they kind of should have won this game, just as we should have won our last ST game against them.

Rob said...

Here's the mail it never fails it makes me want to wag my tail...

Maybe he does fail!

Jere said...

I love Yankee wins that don't count

allan said...

B: Right, I misspoke. These guys aren't making the playoffs. Just another 3rd place finish and the satisfaction of having edged out the Jays.

Rob said...

Well the water is clean which is sort of an oxymoron when you're talking about Florida.

Amy said...

Good to know, Benjamin. Always like to use a real name!

Zenslinger said...

Always like to use a real name!

I wish I was using a pseudonym. Man, my parents musta been fucked up...

Rob said...

I started off using my real name but then I'd see things from another Rob that I didn't write. Confusing as hell.