ESPN.com presents Red Sox http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox 60 en-us Tue, 21 May 2013 11:21:29 webmaster@espn.go.com http://assets.espn.go.com/i/espn/teamlogos/lrg/trans/espn_dotcom_black.gif 110 110 CHICAGO -- Two months into what is supposed to be a three-year tour of duty in Boston, the last thing Shane Victorino wants is to become known as the Limpin’ Hawaiian. But Victorino, who has been tormented by back problems that caused him to miss seven games altogether and come out of several others early, was forced to leave Monday night’s game when he felt his left hamstring grab in the sixth inning while running the bases. Victorino had just beaten out an infield hit with two out in the sixth and was sprinting from first to third on Dustin Pedroia’s drive to center field that was caught on the track when he felt the muscle grab.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/27442/victorino-tweaks-hamstring-day-to-day Tue, 21 May 2013 00:45:32 EDT 27442 CHICAGO -- Jon Lester and the Red Sox can live with this pace, one loss every 10 starts. The distinction of being undefeated in the Red Sox rotation now rests exclusively with Clay Buchholz, who will be putting his 6-0 record on the line Wednesday against the same White Sox team that handed Lester his first loss Monday night, 6-4, on a summery, 86-degree night in Chicago. This is a city that has held its share of disappointments for Lester. It was here in 2010 that Lester came down to his last start of the season needing a win to reach 20 for the season, still the gold standard for big-league pitchers.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/27438/sox-undefeated-now-down-to-1-buchholz Tue, 21 May 2013 00:35:17 EDT 27438 CHICAGO -- Jon Lester’s teammates would not let him go down to defeat without putting up a fight. Down 5-0 after two innings, Lester having served up a three-run home run to White Sox strongman Adam Dunn in the first and three two-out doubles that produced two more runs in the second, the Red Sox put the leadoff man on base in each of the last four innings and brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth. But White Sox closer Addison Reed, after being greeted with a single by Mike Napoli to start the ninth, allowed the Sox to draw no closer, although not without an anxiety-producing moment for Chicago manager Robin Ventura.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/27429/rapid-reaction-white-sox-6-red-sox-4 Mon, 20 May 2013 23:08:20 EDT 27429 CHICAGO -- Red Sox catcher David Ross, who hasn't played since May 12, when he was struck in the catcher's mask twice by foul balls and sustained a concussion, has passed the ImPACT concussion testing, a necessary step to return to playing, manager John Farrell said Monday. "The symptoms have resolved,'' Farrell said. "He threw today, rode the bike for 30 minutes. There were no repeat of symptoms, so he's turned the corner. We look to increase the intensity to work tomorrow.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/27422/ross-concussion-cleared-for-activity Mon, 20 May 2013 19:40:13 EDT 27422 BOSTON -- Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona is setting himself up for a spirited return to Boston this week. His Cleveland Indians are in first place in the AL Central, 2½ games ahead of Detroit, where the Indians visit for two games prior to arriving in Boston for a four-game set beginning Thursday night. The Indians have won five in a row, including three walk-offs in the span of four games against the Seattle Mariners, who managed to lose, 10-8, Monday afternoon despite hitting home runs in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/27419/titos-tribe-on-a-roll Mon, 20 May 2013 19:30:34 EDT 27419 CHICAGO -- Red Sox reliever Andrew Bailey, who was activated Monday after being out since April 28 with biceps tendinitis, said Monday he “feels as good today as I did day one” and looks forward to returning to closing for the Sox. Bailey said he first experienced discomfort April 29, the day after facing the Astros in Fenway Park, and the Sox elected to shut him down at that time. He made a rehab appearance for Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday, giving up a couple of hits, including a home run, while striking out two.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/27414/bailey-im-ready-to-go Mon, 20 May 2013 17:47:29 EDT 27414 MINNEAPOLIS -- Through his first three years in Boston, it would have been tough to classify John Lackey as anything other than a disappointment. The right-hander, who signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the team before the 2010 season, had a 4.40 ERA in his first season -- which ballooned to 6.01 in 2011 as he faltered during the Red Sox's late-season collapse -- and he missed all of 2012 due to Tommy John surgery. It's been difficult at times to tell whether Lackey's fourth season in Boston will be the one where he finally delivers a solid return on the Red Sox's significant investment.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/27411/lackey-showing-signs-of-a-solid-no-3 Sun, 19 May 2013 23:48:38 EDT 27411 MINNEAPOLIS -- The Red Sox left Minnesota much later than they had planned on Sunday afternoon. But they left with the sweep they were looking for. John Lackey was perfect through four innings, allowed one hit through six, and after a three-hour rain delay cut the right-hander's day short, the Red Sox bullpen fended off a late Twins rally to secure a 5-1 victory on Sunday at Target Field. It gave the Red Sox their first five-game winning streak since April 24-28, and a 4-3 record at Target Field for the season.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/27406/rapid-reaction-red-sox-5-twins-1 Sun, 19 May 2013 20:49:04 EDT 27406 MINNEAPOLIS -- The Red Sox and Twins went into a rain delay at 4:30 p.m. ET, with the Red Sox leading 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning as they looked for a series sweep at Target Field. John Lackey took a perfect game into the fifth inning, and had given up only one hit. Having thrown just 84 pitches, he was heading back to the mound to face Justin Morneau when the rain picked up, umpires halted the game, and Morneau spun on his heels back toward the dugout.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/27404/rain-delay-for-sox-twins Sun, 19 May 2013 17:24:17 EDT 27404 MINNEAPOLIS -- Closer Andrew Bailey is likely to be activated from the disabled list in time for Monday's game in Chicago after making a rehab appearance at Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday night. Bailey, who has been on the disabled list since April 29 with a strained right biceps, was scheduled to join the Red Sox in Minneapolis on Sunday, manager John Farrell said. He threw 17 pitches in an inning of work at Pawtucket on Saturday night, and Farrell said "physically, he came through it fine.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/27402/bailey-expected-back-from-dl-monday Sun, 19 May 2013 13:46:13 EDT 27402