May 7, 2004

Nomar, Nixon Out Until Mid-June? It's becoming more likely that both Nomar Garciaparra and Trot Nixon may not return until sometime in June. ... I hope Theo is working hard to upgrade the bench, so we don't have to suffer through any more McCarty/Crespo plate appearances than is absolutely necessary.

CC Sabathia on Manny's HR, that tied the game at 2-2 in the 6th: "I just wasn't concentrating. I lost focus. ... I had been throwing fastballs in all day, 95, 96. Then I hang a breaking ball. It's unbelievable how he can do that. I don't think A-Rod or anybody could hit that. That was sick. That's all I can say." ... A Pedro/Sabathia rematch is set for Tuesday night at Fenway Park.

David Ortiz's name is not on the All-Star ballots -- and several Sox are miffed. ... Pokey Reese finished the trip 7-18 (5-13 against Cleveland). ... In 15 career starts against Cleveland, Pedro is now 11-1 with a 1.72 ERA. He has won his last five starts at Jacobs Field, posting a 1.80 ERA. ... The bullpen improved its ERA to 2.12, the best in the majors. ... Keith Foulke has not allowed a run in his last seven innings.

Doctors are not sure if Lynn Jones will regain vision in his eye after accidentially poking himself with a screwdriver on Wednesday. Jones was released from The Cleveland Clinic yesterday after one surgical procedure but will return Monday for another one. Francona: "He went to a specialist [yesterday]. The specialist felt a little more optimistic about the chances for at least some recovery. [Wednesday] it didn't look promising at all, but [yesterday] he got some encouraging news today that they can save some of his eye sight."

The Globe reviews "Still, We Believe" -- Ty Burr points out "what a wonderful, if sadistic, medium for emotional time travel is the documentary film, in that it can transport a viewer back to a nanosecond when hope bloomed and doubts fell away and the world was good. ... [T]he true subject of the film is the ion-charged zone between Fenway and its fans. On that score, it scores repeatedly."

MLB reversed itself. Spiderman logos will not be placed on the bases during interleague games. According to Geoffrey Ammer, president of worldwide marketing for the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, "We never saw this coming, the reaction the fans had."

Probable starters for the Kansas City series:

Tonight: Tim Wakefield/Jeremy Affeldt
Saturday: Curt Schilling/Jimmy Gobble
Sunday: Derek Lowe/Darrell May

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