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| Jermaine Dye is doing his part for the struggling Sox, as they currently trail the Rays 2-0 in the ALDS, according to MLB.com. Dye said, "No matter if it's a playoff or a regular-season game, anytime you do well and your team loses, you still feel like you failed. We just try to find a way to win, no matter what. We win or lose as a team. There are no heroes on this team. We're all together. If we lose, I feel like I didn't do enough to help the team win."
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Our View: Dye is hitting 5-for-9 over the two losses at Tropicana Field, and is more than halfway towards matching his career-best hit total for a postseason series, and he's been in 10 of them over his career. Dye will try to pull Chicago back into the series Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field in Game 3.
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| Mike Lowell was held out of Game 2 due to his ailing hip, but manager Terry Francona indicated that he will return to the lineup in Game 3, according to the Boston Globe. |
Our View: Boston holds a 2-0 lead over the Angels, and Lowell will be in action when they try to close out the best-of-five series Sunday at Fenway Park.
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| Bobby Abreu wants at least a three-year contract as he heads toward free agency for the first time in his career, according to the NY Daily News. |
Our View: Abreu prefers to remain with the Yankees, but he does not want a one-year deal. It is believed the Yankees will offer Abreu arbitration and be content with compensatory draft picks if and when he turns it down. He scored 100 runs and registered 100 RBI over 156 games in 2008.
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| Carlos Pena is expected to be back in the lineup for Sunday's Game 3 of the ALDS, according to MLB.com. Pena left Game 1 early and missed Game 2 with blurred vision as a result of a scratched cornea. "I feel pretty good," Pena said. "I think everything is back to normal. I just can't wait to get back out there and join the team. ... It's definitely healed. Today I feel as normal as I did before it happened." |
Our View: Willy Aybar had a pair of hits yesterday while filling in for Pena, but the Rays will certainly welcome their slugger back.
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| The Mariners are moving stud prospect Carlos Triunfel around the infield in the instructional league, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The M's still think he can play shortstop (though he has had some problems), but they want to see how he looks at second and third base. |
Our View: Triunfel hit .287-8-49 with 30 steals in High-A this year. Not overwhelming numbers, but they're mighty impressive when you consider that he's just 18 years old.
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| Justin Morneau admitted having trouble with one of his knees late in the season but is not too concerned, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "My knee has been a bother," Morneau wrote in response to an e-mail question, "but that is just from the general wear and tear of playing on turf in the Dome all season. It will be looked at, but my feeling is that it is just from the long season and nothing will be done." GM Bill Smith pointed out that every Twins player had an exit physical during the final weeks of the season, and the club would have acted if it felt that Morneau's knee needed further attention. "This man played 163 games this season," Smith said. "He's going to have some aches and pains but he's a battler and would never come out of the lineup." |
Our View: Morneau wouldn't say which knee was giving him problems, but it sounds like it shouldn't be of any worry to fantasy owners that have the slugger in a keeper league.
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| Torii Hunter had an ice pack on his left knee after Friday's loss to Boston, but he said he will definitely play through the injury, according to MLB.com. "It's a little sore, but trust me -- I can play through it," Hunter said. "Adrenaline is a painkiller. I'll play through it." |
Our View: Hunter injured himself when he landed awkwardly after jumping into the air to protest a call at first base. Thankfully it appears that his team will not be without his services as they attempt to dig themselves out of a 2-0 hole.
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| Jonathan Papelbon got six outs for the win in Friday's 7-5 win over the Angels in Game 2 of the ALDS. He struck out one and allowed no hits. |
Our View: Papelbon did allow a Mark Teixeira sac fly that scored his inherited runner, Chone Figgins, from third. Regardless, he was mostly dominant in his two inning appearance.
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| Chone Figgins was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI in Friday's 7-5 loss to the Red Sox. His triple was the Halos first and only extra base hit of the season and he scored on a Mark Teixeira sac fly to tie the game in the eighth. |
Our View: Remarkably, Chone had just one triple in 116 regular season game. The Angels will need more performances like this from their leadoff hitter if they want to get back into this series.
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| Howie Kendrick continued a dreadful start to the playoffs on Friday night. He went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts and he left five more runners on base in the Angels 7-5 loss. |
Our View: Kendrick has now left 11 runners on base while going 0-for-9 in the ALDS. Manager Mike Scioscia may go with a different infielder in Game 3.
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| Torii Hunter remained in the game until it's end after injuring his knee while disputing a call early in the game. He finished 2-for-5 with two RBI on the in the Angels loss. |
Our View: He laid down a bunt in the ninth indicating his faith in the health of his knee. There will likely be a report regarding his availability for the rest of the series within 24 hours.
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| Mark Teixeira went 3-for-3 with three runs, a walk and an RBI on a sac fly in the eighth in Friday night's Game 2. The Angels lost 7-5 and are now down 0-2 in the series. |
Our View: All three of his hits were singles and he improved to 5-for-7 on the series.
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| Jason Bay hit his second postseason home run in his second career postseason game in Friday's 7-5 win over the Angels. He went 3-for-5 with three RBI and a run. |
Our View: Despite all the havoc Manny Ramirez is wrecking, Jason Bay has done everything he can to keep pace with the dreadlocked superstar. Bay is 5-for-9 after two playoff games. He has five RBI through two games.
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| J.D. Drew's ninth inning, two-run blast off of Francisco Rodriguez gave the Red Sox a 7-5 victory which held up for the final score in Friday's Game 2 of the ALDS in Anaheim. He finished the night 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. |
Our View: Drew is clearly not feeling any ill effects of the back injury that sidelined him up until the playoffs (he had just four at-bats in the final six weeks of the season). He was the difference tonight at the plate and he also contributed with some nice catches in the field.
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