David Ortiz began last night without a home run in his last six games (20 at-bats), but that streak ended when he hit his 42d home run in the fifth inning. That was the longest he had gone without a home run since May 20-30.
Jason Johnson will pitch the first game of tomorrow's doubleheader, with rookie Jon Lester going in the nightcap. Francona expects the Yankees to go with Chien-Ming Wang in the first game and Sidney Ponson in the second
The last time the Yankees came here for a five-game set, in 1959, the Sox swept all five.
Coco Crisp pushed extended his hitting streak to seven games with a 2-for-3 performance, including the go-ahead two-run double off the Green Monster in the sixth inning, in last night's 6-4 triumph over Detroit at Fenway Park. During the current homestand, Crisp is batting .345 (10-for-29) with five RBI and five runs. He has raised his batting average to a season-best .281, which is just three points behind Yankees leadoff hitter and center fielder Damon.
Two of the relievers the Red Sox had interest in trading for recently - LaTroy Hawkins and Scott Schoeneweis - will not be joining the team.
The Sox have been looking to bolster the bullpen and now will have to turn to a remaining pool of relief talent that is believed to be on the shallow side.
According to multiple major league sources, the Red Sox were the most aggressive of the three suitors pursuing Hawkins. Yesterday, however, the Baltimore Orioles pulled their 33-year-old righty off the market.
Schoeneweis, meanwhile, was sent from Toronto to Cincinnati for a player to be named or cash.
The New York Yankees and Texas Rangers also were poking around about Hawkins, who probably would not have inspired a great deal of hope to Sox followers given his numbers.
The opposition was hitting Hawkins (1-2, 4.73 ERA) at a .298 clip entering last night. He retired the one batter he faced in the O's 3-2 win in New York against the Yankees.
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