Game time: 8:05 pm (EDT)

Scheduled starters: Matt Clement v. Chan Ho Park

The game will be on W I D E S C R E E N N E S N


Dallas Weather: 4 pm observation at DFW: Few clouds at 6,000 feet, 15,000 scattered, 30,000 thin broken, visibility 10 miles, temperature 95F, DP 65F, wind out of the northeast at 9 mph.

Forecast: Too damn hot. Slight chance of thundershowers, but most likely not until after the game is over.

The winds will be blowing out toward right.


Anni

LooiesWindup, License to Post
James Bond, eat yer heart out
On a Texas evening hotter than a $3 pistol at a Brownsville flea market, direct from the heat of the tropics is Fruit Mojo Day 2:
__________________________________________________________________

Wednesday, July 06, 2005
**MOJO** - Fruit Day 2
The mojo continues to flow from from nature's candy. Today we continue with the Mango.



Wait a minute, that's not right.



There we go, that's much better. The sweet Mango thrives in hot weather climates, and their trees develop beautiful reddish flowers. And (as the fantastic Pine Tar Helmet reminded me). I hear they make a delicious salsa. If only Big Papi would give the secrets of his favorite recipe. However, for all we know, the secret ingredient is applesauce.



May the power of mango propel us to another victory, and a series win.

Red Sox-Rangers Preview

GAME: Boston Red Sox (47-35) at Texas Rangers (43-39).

TIME: Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. EDT.

Matt Clement was left off the AL All-Star team, but the Boston Red Sox probably wouldn't be in first place without him.

The right-hander looks to rebound from his worst outing of a brilliant first half when the AL East leaders wrap up a three-game series with the Texas Rangers at Ameriquest Field.

With Curt Schilling (ankle) on the disabled list and David Wells out for almost a month with a foot injury, Clement has carried the Red Sox to the midway point of the season. Signed this past offseason to help fill the rotation spots vacated by departed free agents Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe, Clement hasn't had any trouble adapting to a new league.

He won his first six decisions and rebounded from his first defeat of the year, a 9-2 loss at St. Louis on June 7, by reeling off three consecutive victories.

However, Clement was roughed up for a season-high eight runs and eight hits over 5 2-3 innings of Friday's 15-2 loss to Toronto.

''The difference is (Toronto starter Ted Lilly) made big pitches when he had to. I wasn't able to finish the inning off when I needed to,'' said Clement, who had yielded three earned runs or fewer in all but one of his previous seven starts.

Clement was one of the more notable first-half performers left off the All-Star team despite the fact that Boston manager Terry Francona was responsible for picking the starting pitchers.

''It crushed me,'' Francona admitted. ''I'm not very happy about it. I don't expect you to understand everything. I spent so much time on this. The system is what it is, so you make your decisions according to that, but you're seeing a lot of good players that aren't going. And again, out of respect to everybody, I care. But out of respect to our guys, I probably care more.''

Francona might be more concerned with the condition of closer Keith Foulke. Last year's postseason hero has struggled throughout the campaign and left the team to return to Boston on Tuesday for an evaluation of a nagging knee problem.

''We think there's a chance, but we want to let it run its course,'' Francona said before Tuesday night's game against the Rangers.

''He'll never turn the ball down. He'll take the ball every day. So I need to step in and say, 'No, you won't. We're going to get you looked at.' And I think he's OK with that. I think he actually appreciated it.''

Manny Ramirez's 20th career grand slam catapulted the Red Sox to a 7-4 victory over the Rangers on Tuesday. The slugging right fielder has three grand slams this year, and is tied for the AL lead with 22 homers.

With Foulke back in Boston, right-hander Mike Timlin, another pitcher left off the All-Star team despite a dominant first half, picked up his second save in three chances, needing just six pitches to retire the Rangers in the ninth.

Gary Matthews hit his fourth homer in six games for Texas, which had won five of its previous six games, including a come-from-behind 6-5 victory in Monday's series opener.

STANDINGS: Red Sox - 1st place, AL East. Rangers - 2nd place, 7 1/2 GB, AL West.

RED SOX PROBABLE STARTER: Clement (9-2, 3.82 ERA). Clement is 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA in four career starts against Texas. On the road this year, he is 4-1 with a 4.02 ERA in eight outings.

RANGERS PROBABLE STARTER: Chan Ho Park (8-2, 5.50 ERA). Park allowed two runs and five hits over seven innings in Friday's 6-2 victory at Seattle. The Korean right-hander has yielded two earned runs or fewer in three of his last four outings. Park is 2-1 with a 5.59 ERA in three career starts against the Red Sox. At home this year, he is 5-1 with a 3.67 ERA in seven outings.

OFFENSIVE LEADERS: Red Sox - Johnny Damon, .338 avg. and 63 runs; Ramirez, 22 HRs and 77 RBIs; Damon and Edgar Renteria, 8 SBs. Rangers - Michael Young, .325 avg.; Mark Teixeira, 22 HRs, 65 RBIs and 63 runs; Alfonso Soriano, 9 SBs.

SEASON SERIES: Red Sox, 3-2.

STREAKS AND NOTES: Red Sox - OF Ramirez's 20 grand slams are the second-most in major league history, trailing only Lou Gehrig's 23. Hall of Famer Eddie Murray had 19. ... OF Damon is riding a career-high and major league season best-tying 21-game hitting streak. ... RHP Schilling rejoined his teammates Tuesday, but it seems unlikely he'll return to the rotation this week as he had been on track to do before struggling in two rehabilitation starts. Rangers - RHP Park has dominated Boston SS Edgar Renteria, who is 1-for-17 (.059) career against him. ... OF Kevin Mench is 3-for-3 with a homer in his career against RHP Clement. ... Manager Buck Showalter still wasn't sure if LHP Kenny Rogers would make his next start Friday or Saturday. If Rogers pitches Friday, then RHP Ricardo Rodriguez goes Saturday. If Rogers, still recovering from a broken bone in his non-throwing hand, decides to wait an extra day, RHP John Wasdin will pitch Friday.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Red Sox - 23-21 on the road; Rangers - 24-17 at home.

INJURIES: Red Sox - RHP Matt Mantei (ankle), 15-day DL; RHP Schilling (ankle), 15-day DL; OF Adam Stern (thumb), 60-day DL. Rangers - INF Greg Colbrunn (wrist), 15-day DL; RHP Frank Francisco (elbow), 15-day DL; RHP Nick Regilio (elbow), 15-day DL; RHP Carlos Almanzar (elbow), 60-day DL; RHP Ryan Bukvich (elbow), 60-day DL.

As NU has pointed to, today's fruit dish of the day is Papi's specialty: Mango Salsa. Yum yum! May this team's pitching be as sweet as the delicious dish but yet their hitting be as spicy as the stuff as well. Big Papi's Mango Salsa will lead the way to victory!

I would like to see Clement prove to the forces at MLB that he should be on the All Star team with a great performance tonight. Hopefully Mr. Rogers will also see that his appearance at said Classic is not wanted by most of baseball.

FYI - Scott Cassidy (?) was called up to replace Foulke.

Scott Cassidy- 29 yrs old. Throws a fastball and a change mostly. This year has a record of 6-3 with an ERA of 3.81. He has 65 Ks in 59 innings pitched.

I guess that explains the blank spot on MLB Gameday between Arroyo and DiNardo.

The winner of the Final Vote for the All-Star Game will be revealed at 8:45.

Wayback Wasdin may pitch Friday? He's still in the majors??

Well two runners left on in the first. I wish Trot had of made Park work a little harder to get him out.

Should he have caught that?

Manny lost one in the sun, it would have given anyone trouble.

So what are we up to for Clement... 100 pitches?

Wow...an automatic ball.

They are making Park look pretty good as of now.

Not a good start to this inning by Clement. We need a DP!

Posednik (and Oswalt).

A K is good!

Well he got out of it but he must be getting close to 50 pitches.

I like the walks, but it's never too early...

PSST...Chan-Ho Park has a NO-HITTER going.

EDIT: Hell yeah!

good idea! it broke his no hit bit up!

Get your pipes ready...We're singin' "Dirty Water" in Arabic and Hebrew again tonight.

I hope you are right but we are a long way from home yet.

I think you've got to question the wisdom of that hit and run with Manny on desk.

Back to back=not good.

Um, get Schilling up. What is this, the Home Run Derby?

Yeah, I know...But I've been on the road so much lately that I haven't been able to track the Sox that much. I'm a bit wound up.

(By "on the road," I mean "sleeping with scorpions in the middle of the desert." And by "track the Sox that much," I mean "shower at all." And by "wound up," I mean "stinky.")

back to back> is that the first time this year? oh no are we seeing clement fall apart again??

This is not the way I had it planned. Maybe this will wake our bats up!

Show me a team that plays the theme from 'The Natural', or shoots off fireworks whenever they hit a home run, and I'll show you a team with no character.

wow. way to come back after the back to back. no D-Lowing here. now let's get some runs!

2 pitches, 2 outs for Nixon.

My guess for tonight's quiz is Yaz (most grand slams for the Sox since '61?).

his lack of patience is sometimes infuriating! I mean Park is having trouble finding the zone, would it kill you to take some pitches!!

Chan Ho Park's 2005 ERA vs. the Sox: 1.63

Chan Ho Park's 2005 ERA vs. everyone else: 6.05.

Why can't we hit this guy?

Wrong again. (Bobby Doerr had 8? I'd never had guessed that).

rico petrocelli

"Chan Ho Park's 2005 ERA vs. the Sox: 1.63

Chan Ho Park's 2005 ERA vs. everyone else: 6.05.

Why can't we hit this guy?"


If you keep swinging at those low breaking curve balls out of the strike zone that is about right. 1.63

He and Ted Lilly must work out together in the offseason or something......

Nice play by Park on that bunt by 'Tek.

The Captain is a pissah'. He almost pulled that "drag bunt" off.

LOL!!!

Rusty Greer is younger than I am. Baseball was not berry berry good to him...

Well Bellhorn is 2 for 2 tonight!

What a surprise...

Lou didn't actually go through with his 'a reliever will start' idea. Fossum started the game.

if Nixon would take some pitches we might have Park up to 90+ pitches by now.

Well, we got Renteria, Ortiz and Man Ram coming up. Let's make some hay here boys!!!!

Good inning for Clement! When you think about the Sox haven't had much offense since the second inning of last night's game.

****ing warning track power. This game is annoying the crap out of me.