Starting tonight, the Red Sox will play 15 of their next 19 games on the road, 13 of them (7 away, 4 home) against playoff contenders, a stretch that will go a long way towards determining their fate in 2009. Tonight, they started that stretch off on the right foot, beating Baltimore 6-5 despite another poor performance from John Smoltz. Smoltz gave up 5 runs in 6 innings of work, bringing his ERA to 7.12. Despite that, he got the win to improve to 2-4. Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz, and Jacoby Ellsbury homered for the Sox who picked up a game on the Yankees who lost 10-5 to the White Sox.
Next Game: Saturday, 7:05 @ Baltimore
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Sox Acquire Victor Martinez, Casey Kotchman
The Red Sox made a major move on trade deadline day by acquiring Cleveland Indians C/1B/DH Victor Martinez for Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone, and Bryan Price. Martinez is one of the league's best hitting catchers, so he should play nearly every day, giving the Red Sox the big offensive boost they craved. Expect Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek to get their playing time, with Youkilis playing third when Lowell sits. David Ortiz could also see his playing time cut a bit, especially against lefties (Martinez is a switch hitter). Masterson is a quality pitcher, but considering the Indians long desired Clay Buchholz, this was a steal, as Boston was able to keep both Buchholz and Daniel Bard. Hagadone and Price are both in the low minors. Of the two, Hagadone has the most promise, although the lefty is still recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Once the Sox landed Martinez, it seemed that they no longer needed Adam LaRoche. So, it was no surprise when they dealt him to the Atlanta Braves. What was a surprise is that they received Braves 1B Casey Kotchman in return, creating an even bigger logjam for the Red Sox. The 26 year old Kotchman is hitting .282 with 6 HR so far this season. He lacks LaRoche's power, but he is very good defensively. He started for Atlanta, but he'll be a left-handed pinch hitter and defensive replacement for Boston. This trade has many Red Sox fans baffled, but it makes more sense once you think about it. Boston could afford to sacrifice LaRoche's power once they had Victor Martinez. Also, Kotchman has a very affordable contract that runs through 2011, while LaRoche will be a free agent at the end of this season.
Once the Sox landed Martinez, it seemed that they no longer needed Adam LaRoche. So, it was no surprise when they dealt him to the Atlanta Braves. What was a surprise is that they received Braves 1B Casey Kotchman in return, creating an even bigger logjam for the Red Sox. The 26 year old Kotchman is hitting .282 with 6 HR so far this season. He lacks LaRoche's power, but he is very good defensively. He started for Atlanta, but he'll be a left-handed pinch hitter and defensive replacement for Boston. This trade has many Red Sox fans baffled, but it makes more sense once you think about it. Boston could afford to sacrifice LaRoche's power once they had Victor Martinez. Also, Kotchman has a very affordable contract that runs through 2011, while LaRoche will be a free agent at the end of this season.
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