Baltimore Orioles (36-50) @ Boston Red Sox (53-35)
Alfredo Simon (1-1, 4.64) @ John Lackey (5-8, 7.47)
7:10PM EDT | Fenway Park (Boston, MA)
TV: NESN RADIO: WEEI 850, WWZN 1510
GAME NOTES
David Ortiz hit his 19th home run of the season last night, as weel as threw some literal punches but I’m not really concerned with those. That puts Ortiz on pace for approximately 35 home runs for this season. Let’s compare that to various pre-season projections for Ortiz:
Bill James: 33
ZIPS: 27
Marcel: 24
Obviously there is a lot of baseball left to go but Ortiz is clearly on his way to proving all the doubters wrong. I can probably safely say that none of us expected this kind of season from Ortiz, myself included and I sometimes the most hopeful of fans.
INJURY REPORT
Baltimore: Brian Roberts, concussion (Placed on the 7-day DL 5/21); Luke Scott, torn right labrum, (Placed on the 15-day DL 7/5)
Boston: Josh Beckett, hyperextended knee (day-to-day); Clay Buchholz, lower back strain (Placed on the 15-day DL on June 19, retroactive to June 17); Carl Crawford, strained left hamstring (Placed on the 15-day DL June 18, scheduled to begin rehab 7/15); Jon Lester, strained left latissimus (placed on the 15-day DL July 6); Jed Lowrie, right shoulder injury (Placed on the 15-day DL on June 17)
PLAYER OF THE DAY
July 9th, the number 9 is synonymous with Ted Williams in Red Sox history. Williams began his Red Sox career in 1939 and finished in 1960 but as everyone knows spents parts of 5 seasons in the military. And while he was gone, someone took his number. Johnny Peacock wore number 9 in 1944 while Williams was serving in World War II. Peacock was a back-up catcher for most of his 9-year major league career. Peacock began his career with the Red Sox in 1937. Peacock wore 11 and 23 before donning 9 in 1944. Did he have his eye on 9 the whole time and once Williams left he took it? You hear of men returning from war and someone stole their girl but what about their uniform number? Or was he just keeping it warm for Williams who returned in 1946? Peacock died in 1981 so I guess we’ll never know the answer.
Line-ups will be posted in the comments when they are available, feel free to add them if they aren’t there.