RED SOX NOTEBOOK: ATHLETCS

WEEKLY HONORS: Andrew Bailey and Mike Napoli were today named the American League Co-Players of the Week for the period ending 4/21…It marks just the 3rd time a pair of Red Sox have shared a weekly honor, joining Mike Lowell and David Ortiz (week ending 8/26/07) along with Pedro Martinez and Trot Nixon (week ending 7/7/02). 

WINNING THE FIRST: The Red Sox today begin a 3-game series with the Oakland A’s at Fenway Park…The Sox have won all 6 of their series-opening contests this season…It’s the 1st time they’ve done that since 1994 when they also won their 1st 6 series openers.

• According to STATS, the only time the Red Sox have won their 1st game of their 1st 7 series of a season was in 1917.

BACK TO 25: After last night’s game, the Red Sox returned RHP Allen Webster to Triple-A Pawtucket…Webster had served as the Sox 26th man on the roster for yesterday’s doubleheader and made his major league debut with a start in the night cap vs. KC…He did not factor in the decision, tossing 6.0 innings of 3-run ball (2 ER) with 5 strikeouts.

CENTER OF ATTENTION: Jacoby Ellsbury has hit safely in a season-high 11 straight games, going 15-for-49 (.306) with 2 doubles, 2 triples, 2 RBI, 11 runs scored, and 4 stolen bases in that time.

• The 11-game hit streak is the longest single-season stretch for a Red Sox batter in 2013 and is the longest active streak in the AL.

RED SOX NOTEBOOK: YANKEES IN THE BRONX

GOING FOR 2:  With a win tonight the Red Sox would begin the season 2-0 for the 1st time since 1999 when Boston won its 1st 5 contests, with all of those coming on the road.

The Sox are looking to open the season with 2 straight wins against the Yankees for the 1st time since 1973 (won 1st 4 tilts of season vs. NYY, with 1st 3 at home).

The Red Sox have not started a season with 2 straight road wins against the Yankees since 1935 (won the 1^st 2)…They also did it in 1917 (1st 2) and 1912 (1st 3). With a victory, Boston would be the 1st visiting team to beat the Yankees in New York in the 1st 2 games of a season since the Brewers in 1979 (won 1st 2).

OPENING DAY WIN: The Red Sox topped the Yankees 8-2 on Monday to improve to 55-57-1 all-time on Opening Day (excluding 2nd game of twin bills in 1903, 1948 and 1982). Boston has now won 4 of its last 6 Opening Day contests and snapped a 2-game OD losing streak.

The Sox improved to 32-40-1 all-time in the 73 times they have started on the road…2013 marked the 3^rd straight year Boston opened the season away from home and it won it’s opener on the road for the 1^st time since 2008 against the A’s in Tokyo.

Sox batters combined for 13 hits and 8 walks in the win, both their most on Opening Day since 2002 (13 H, 13 BB in 12-11 loss to Toronto).

The Red Sox win on Monday snapped the teams 8-game losing streak that ended the 2012 season.

STARTING WITH THE YANKS: 2013 marks just the 3^rd time the Red Sox and Yankees have opened against each other over the last 21 seasons beginning in 1993, but the 3rd Sox/Yanks opener in the last 9 years (also 2005, 9-2 L in NY and 2010, 9-7 W in BOS).

The Red Sox have now taken 7 of their last 9 Opening Day contests vs. NYY since 1964 and are 12-16-1 in 29 season-opening games vs. the Yanks  overall.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KOJI: Koji Uehara is celebrating his 38th birthday today. Uehara, who tossed a perfect frame in his Sox debut on Monday, is riding a career-high, 15-game scoreless streak (12.2 IP) dating back to 9/1/12…He has yielded just 2 hits and 1 walk while recording 19 K’s in that time.

NEW SOX: There are 8 players on the Opening Day roster (32%) that entered the season having never before played a major league game for the Red Sox: Jackie Bradley Jr., Mike Carp, Ryan Dempster, Jonny Gomes, Joel Hanrahan, Mike Napoli, Koji Uehara, and Shane Victorino…6 of the 8 made their Sox debut Monday with the exception of Dempster (starting tomorrow night) and Carp.

FIRST TIMERS: 7 Red Sox (28%) were on an Opening Day roster for the 1st time in their careers: Jackie Bradley Jr., Pedro Ciriaco, Jose Iglesias, Will Middlebrooks, Clayton Mortensen, Daniel Nava, and Junichi Tazawa. The Sox had 3 players new to an OD roster last year.

OPEN RETURNS: In addition to Dustin Pedroia, the only other active Red Sox who had previous Opening Day starts for the club entering the season were Jacoby Ellsbury (5, 2008-12) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (2, 2011-12), both of whom also started Monday.

THE KIDS: All 10 players on the Red Sox Opening Day starting lineup were 32 years old or younger, the 1st time that’s happened for the Sox since 2003. With Jackie Bradley Jr. (22 yrs. old, start in LF), Jose Iglesias (23, SS), and Will Middlebrooks (24, 3B), the Sox had 3 Opening Day starters age 24 or younger for just the 2nd time in the last 25 seasons beginning in 1984…It also happened in 2008 when Dustin Pedroia (2B), Brandon Moss (RF), and Jacoby Ellsbury (CF) were all in the Opening Day lineup at age 24.

With both Bradley Jr. and Iglesias in the lineup, the Sox started 2 players age 23 or younger on Opening Day for the 1st time since 1982 (Glenn Hoffman and Reid Nichols) and just the 2nd time since 1976.

JBJ ON OPENING DAY: Making his major league debut with a start in left field on Monday, Jackie Bradley Jr. finished with 3 walks, 2 runs, and an RBI in 5 plate appearances..Since RBI became an official stat in 1920, Bradley Jr was the 1st player with at least 3 walks, an RBI, and a run scored in his big league

OPENING DAY IN THE BRONX….

MISSING PAPI: With David Ortiz beginning the season on the DL (right Achilles tendinopathy), it snaps a stretch of 9 straight seasons in which he was the Red Sox Opening Day starter at designated hitter beginning in 2004.

The last Red Sox player other than Ortiz to start at DH on Opening Day was Jeremy Giambi in 2003 (0-for-4).

LASER SHOW ON OPENING DAY: Dustin Pedroia’s 6 career Opening Day starts for the Red Sox are the most for Boston on the active roster…He is tied with Hobe Ferris and Marty Barrett for the 2nd-most Opening Day starts at 2nd base in club history after Bobby Doerr (13).

Pedroia has hit safely in all 6 Red Sox openers since 2007 (.409, 9-for-22), the longest Opening Day hit streak by a Red Sox since Mo Vaughn hit safely in 7 straight season-opening contests from 1992-98.

OPEN RETURNS: In addition to David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia,the only other current Red Sox with Opening Day starts for the club are Jacoby Ellsbury with (5, 2008-12) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia with 2 (2011-12).

NEW SOX: There are 8 players on the Opening Day roster (32%) that have never before played a major league game for the Red Sox: Jackie Bradley Jr., Mike Carp, Ryan Dempster, Jonny Gomes, Joel Hanrahan, Mike Napoli, Koji Uehara, and Shane Victorino.

FIRST TIMERS: 7 Red Sox (28%) are on an Opening Day roster for the 1st time in their careers: Jackie Bradley Jr., Pedro Ciriaco, Jose Iglesias, Will Middlebrooks, Clayton Mortensen, Daniel Nava, and Junichi Tazawa.

The Sox had 3 players new to an OD roster last year.

THE KIDS: With starts today from Jackie Bradley Jr. (22), Jose Iglesias (23), and Will Middlebrooks (24), the Red Sox will have 3 Opening Day starters age 24 or younger for just the 2nd time in the last 25 seasons beginning in 1984…It also happened in 2008 when Dustin Pedroia (2B), Brandon Moss (RF), and Jacoby Ellsbury (CF) were all in the Opening Day lineup at age 24.

With both Bradley and Iglesias in the lineup, the Sox will start 2 players age 23 or younger on Opening Day for the 1st time since 1982 (Glenn Hoffman and Reid Nichols) and just the 2nd time since 1976.

JBJ ON OPENING DAY: Jackie Bradley Jr. will be the 1st player to make his ML debut for the Sox with a start on Opening Day since Shea Hillenbrand in 2001 (3B) and 1st outfielder to do it for Boston since Brady Anderson in 1988 (CF).

Bradley will be the 1st Red Sox player to debut on Opening Day against the Yankees since Tony Conigliaro in 1964 (CF), also at Yankee Stadium… Prior to Conigliaro, the previous Red Sox outfielder to debut against the Yankees on Opening Day was Ted Williams in New York in 1939.

ROTATION REDUX: Following Jon Lester in the rotation is Clay Buchholz (Wed.), Ryan Dempster (Thur.), Felix Doubront (Fri. at TOR) and John Lackey (Sat. at TOR).

FARRELL AND HIS STAFF: John Farrell is in his 1st season as Red Sox manager, the 46th skipper in club history…He was acquired from Toronto on 10/21/12 and agreed to a 3-year contract through 2015…Farrell guided the Jays in 2011-12 (154-170) after serving as Boston’s pitching coach from 2007-10.

The Sox’ coaches are all new to Boston’s big league staff, with Torey Lovullo as Bench Coach, Greg Colbrunn as Hitting Coach, Juan Nieves as Pitching Coach, Brian Butterfield as 3rd Base Coach, Arnie Beyeler as 1st Base Coach, Victor Rodriguez as Assistant Hitting Coach, and Dana LeVangie as Bullpen Coach.

SPRING RECAP: The Sox finished 17-17-1 (.500) in Grapefruit League action this spring…Sox hurlers led all major  league teams with a 3.94 ERA (135 ER/308.2 IP).

RED SOX – YANKEES GAME II TONIGHT

WALK-OFF WINNER: Last night Boston snapped a 4-game losing streak with a 4-3 walk-off victory over the Yankees, Boston’s 3rd walk-off win of 2012 and 1st since 7/19 vs. CWS…Jacoby Ellsbury’s 9th-inning RBI single, his 3rd career walk-off hit, was the difference…His previous walk-offs came in back-to-back games last season, 8/2 and 8/3 vs. CLE.

BIRTHDAY PARTY: Jacoby Ellsbury had a season-high 4 hits last night on his 29th birthday, including the 9th-inning, walk-off single…Since 1918, the only other Red Sox with 4 hits on his birthday was Carl Yastrzemski on 8/22 in 1961 and 1976…Since 1920 (when RBI became official) the only other Red Sox with a walk-off RBI on his birthday is Hal Wagner on 7/2/44 vs. STL (GM 2) with an 11th inning single (Elias).

• In the last 70 years, only 3 other Red Sox have had 4 hits and a game-ending RBI in a 9-inning game: Carlton Fisk (7/28/75), Jeff Frye (6/14/99) and Shea Hillenbrand (4/15/03) (Elias)…Ellsbury became the 1st Major Leaguer since at least 1950 to tally 4 hits, including a walk-off hit, on his birthday.

YANKEE NEMESIS: Pedro Ciriaco is 17-for-35 (.486) with 7 RBI, 11 runs and 4 stolen bases in 9 career games vs. the Yankees, all this year with Boston…Of his 13 multi-hit games this season, 5 have come against New York, including 4 games with at least 3 hits and a pair of 4-hit efforts.

HIT PARADE: Dustin Pedroia has homered in 2 straight games and in 3 of his last 4 contests…He has hit safely in all but 3 of 34 tilts since 8/5, batting a Major League-best .375 AVG (51-for-136) to raise his overall AVG from .262 to .293, his best mark since 5/28…During that span he leads the Majors with 14 doubles and also ranks among the top 5 AL batters in hits (2nd), total bases (2nd, 85), XBH (T-3rd, 21), OBP (1st, .430), SLG (5th, .625), OPS (4th 1.055) and runs (T-5th, 25).

• Pedroia knocked his 15th homer of the season last night…Along with his 15 stolen bases, this marks his 4th career 15 HR/15 SB season, passing Jackie Jensen and Reggie Smith for the most in club history.

SOX-YANKEES TONIGHT AT FENWAY PARK

Lester on the mound tonight

LEFTY LEDGER: Tonight’s starter Jon Lester enters the game with 1,039 career strikeouts, 4 shy of tying Bruce Hurst (1,043) for the most ever by a left-handed pitcher in franchise history…Lester is in 8th place overall on the club’s all-time list, trailing Hurst for 7th.

• Lester is averaging 9.54 strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched against the Yankees in his career (124 K/117.0 IP)…According to Elias, it is the 2nd-highest all-time strikeouts-per-9.0-inning average among Major Leaguers at least 75.0 career IP against the Yankees, trailing only Pedro Martinez (10.84).

CIRIACO AND THE YANKEES: Pedro Ciriaco is 15-for-32 (.469) with 7 RBI, 9 runs and 4 stolen bases in 8 career games vs. the Yankees, all this year with Boston…He has tallied at least 3 hits and 1 stolen base in 4 different tilts against New York in 2012, becoming the 1st Major Leaguer to accomplish that feat vs. NYY in a single season since CWS’ Carl Reynolds did it in 5 games in 1930…Ciriaco is the 1st Red Sox to reach those totals in 4 games against any club in a season in the live ball era (since 1920).

A BIRTHDAY AND SEPTEMBER SUCCESS: Jacoby Ellsbury is celebrating his 29th birthday today…Ellsbury has hit .327 (146-for-446) in 109 career September games, the best AVG in any month of his career and the top mark among American Leaguers with at least 450 PA in September since 2007…It is the best September AVG by a Red Sox with at least 300 PA in the month since Wade Boggs hit .349 in September over 11 seasons from 1982-92.

HIT PARADE: Dustin Pedroia has hit safely in all but 3 of 33 games since 8/5, batting an AL-best .364 (48-for-132) in that time to raise his overall AVG from .262 to .289…In that time he leads the Majors with 14 doubles and also ranks among the top 5 AL batters in hits (2nd), extra-base hits (T-3rd, 20), OBP (4th, .421) and OPS (4th 1.019).

RED SOX TAKE ON ANGELS: GAME 2

LEFTY LEDGER: The Red Sox face left-hander C.J. Wilson tonight…The club owns the AL’s best mark against lefty starters at 25-16 (.610), 4th in the Majors, and Boston batters have posted an AL-high .461 SLG vs. LHP (2nd in ML).

CENTER OF ATTENTION: Jacoby Ellsbury has tallied multi-hits in each of his last 6 games, going 13-for-28 (.464) with 5 RBI over the 6-game stretch and scoring at least 1 run in each game with 9 total runs scored in that span…According to Elias, his stretch of 6 straight games with at least 2 hits and 1 run is tied for the longest such streak in the Majors this season (also Albert Pujols, 7/30- 8/4)…The only other Boston player in the last 5 years who had a single-season streak of at least 6 games of that type was Ellsbury, who had a 6-game run from 6/7-12/11.

• Ellsbury has hit safely in a season-high 8 straight games overall, batting .405 (15-for-37) with 3 doubles, a homer, 5 RBI, 9 runs and 4 steals in the 8-game stretch.

DUSTIN STREAKING TOO: Dustin Pedroia has also hit in 8 straight games, going 12-for-36 (.333) with 4 doubles, 2 home runs, 6 RBI and 8 runs in the 8-game stretch.

• Pedroia has hit safely in all but 1 of 22 games dating back to 8/5, batting .359 (33-for-92) with 11 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, 14 RBI and 19 runs in that span.

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SOX TAKE ON ANGELS : GAME 1

AUGUST RUSH: Red Sox batters lead the Majors with 68 doubles and 93 extra-base hits in August…They are 2nd in the ML with 254 hits and 3rd with 127 runs (2nd in AL) during the month.

• Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury are tied for the Major League lead with 11 doubles each in August…Pedroia is also tied for the ML lead during the month with 15 extra-base hits, and is 3rd among AL leaders with 35 hits and 21 runs…Scott Podsednik is tied for 4th in the AL with a .360 August AVG.

OFFENSIVE OUTPUT: Red Sox batters have combined for 10 or more hits in 5 of their last 6, 7 of their last 11, and 9 of their last 14 contests…Over the last 6 contests, the team is hitting at a .340 clip (80-for-235) with 16 doubles, 8 home runs, 39 RBI and 42 runs scored.

MAKING AN IMPACT: Scott Podsednik is batting .375 (42-for-112) in 35 games with the Red Sox while Pedro Ciriaco is hitting at a .353 clip (49-for-139) in his 43 tilts with Boston…They own the top 2 batting averages in the Majors among players with at least 50 plate appearances.

CENTER OF ATTENTION: Jacoby Ellsbury has tallied multi-hits in each of his last 5 games, going 11-for-24 (.458) with 5 RBI over the 5-game stretch and scoring at least 1 run in each game with 7 total runs scored in that span…According to Elias, his stretch of 5 straight games with at least 2 hits and 1 run is 1 shy of the longest such streak in the Majors this season (Albert Pujols, 6 straight from 7/30- 8/4)…The only other Boston player in the last 5 years who had a single-season streak of at least 5 games of that type was Ellsbury, who had a 6-game run of that kind from 6/7-12/11.

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BUCHHOLZ ON THE MOUND FOR SOX TONIGHT

SOLID CLAY: Tonight’s starter Clay Buchholz has yielded just 5 earned runs over his last 5 starts (39.0 IP) for a 1.15 ERA while going 2-0 (team 4-1) in those contests.

ELLS AND THE O’S: Jacoby Ellsbury went 2-for-4 with a double and RBI last night to extend his hitting streak against Baltimore to 38 games dating back to 4/17/09, batting .418 (71-for-170) in that stretch…It is the longest hit streak ever recorded against the Orioles franchise, ahead of Earl Averill (from 1929-31) and Jimmie Foxx (1935-36), who each had 31-game stretches against the St. Louis Browns.

• According to Elias, Ellsbury’s 38-game hit streak vs. the Orioles is the 2nd-longest stretch since 1900 for any player versus any team behind only Vladimir Guerrero’s 44-game hit streak vs. Texas from 4/9/04-8/4/06.

10 AGAIN: Dustin Pedroia has hit safely in each of his last 10 games at a .447 clip (17-for-38) with 5 doubles, a triple, 4 RBI, 8 runs and 5 walks in the 10-game stretch…It is his 2nd double digit hit streak of the season behind a 14-gamer, 4/29-5/13.

SOX IN BALTIMORE TOMIGHT

ELLS AND THE O’S: Jacoby Ellsbury went 2-for-5 last night to extend his hitting streak against Baltimore to 37 games dating back to 4/17/09, batting .416 (69-for-166) in that stretch…It is the longest hit streak ever recorded against the Orioles franchise, ahead of Earl Averill (from 1929-31) and Jimmie Foxx (1935-36), who each had 31-game stretches against the St. Louis Browns…Ellsbury’s 37-game hit streak vs. the O’s is the longest ever by a Red Sox player vs. any team.

A FINE NINE: Dustin Pedroia has hit safely in each of his last 9 games at a .471 clip (16-for-34) with 5 doubles, a triple, 4 RBI, 8 runs and 5 walks in the 9-game stretch.

OFFENSIVE LINE: Sox batters have scored 574 runs, 3rd in the Majors behind the Rangers (580) and Yankees (577)…The club tops the Majors with 412 extra-base hits, including a Major League-high 267 doubles…Boston is 2nd in the AL with 1,086 hits and 1,775 total bases (2nd in ML), and 3rd with 546 RBI and a .438 SLG.

SOX SEEK THIRD STRAIGHT WIN TONIGHT

TAKING IT FROM THE TOP: The Red Sox top 3 hitters in the order last night – Jacoby Ellsbury (3-for-5, 2 2B, 3 R, RBI), Carl Crawford (2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI) and Dustin Pedroia (3-for-4, 3 2B, R, RBI, BB) – combined for 7 of the club’s season-high tying 8 doubles in the win, each tallying at least 2…According to Elias, it marked the 1st time in franchise history that the Red Sox have had each of their 1st 3 batters in the starting lineup record at least 2 doubles in the same game and the 1st time in nearly 72 years that each of the top 3 hitters in Boston’s lineup had at least 2 extra base hits with the last coming on 8/17/40 with Dom DiMaggio (2B, HR) leading off followed by Doc Cramer (2 2B) and Jimmie Foxx (2B, HR) in Boston’s 12-9 win over the Washington Senators.

HOMECOMING: Carl Crawford is hitting at a .364 clip (12-for-33) with 7 extra-base hits (4 2B, 3B, 2 HR), 11 RBI and 9 runs scored over the 1st 8 games of the current homestand…He has hit safely in 7 of the 8 contests, including multi-hits in 3 of his last 4 games over which he is 9-for-18 (.500).

SECOND-HALF SURGE: With 24 RBI since the All-Star break, Adrian Gonzalez ranks 2nd in the AL behind only the Angels Albert Pujols (25)…His .405 AVG (34-for-84) is 3rd in the circuit in the 2nd half and he is 6th with a .444 OBP.

YOU SAY IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY: Ryan Lavarnway is celebrating his 25th birthday today.