Sardinha gets first ML start
BOSTON -- Dane Sardinha would have been nervous enough to be making his first Major League start in any other ballpark.
But tossing in the fact that the start was coming in Fenway Park on Tuesday night didn't help matters much.
"That's what makes me a little more nervous, is the atmosphere here," Sardinha said before the game, in which he started at catcher and batted ninth. "They'll probably be sold out here tonight, and I don't think I've ever played in front of a sold-out crowd before."
Sardinha was just going to try to enjoy and make the best of the experience, because he knows he's bound for Triple-A Louisville come Wednesday.
Jason LaRue, who was in Crockett, Texas, for the funeral of his grandfather, will be returning from the bereavement list, and Sardinha, a right-handed hitter who got the start because left-hander David Wells was on the mound for Boston, will be back with the Bats.
"I know I'm just filling in, and hopefully everything's OK with [LaRue's] family," Sardinha said. "I've just got to try to come up with some big hits."
Sardinha, who made one previous Major League appearance as a pinch-hitter for an injured LaRue on Sept. 6, 2003, is hitting .223 with four homers and 15 RBIs with Louisville this season.
"It's been all right, off an on," he said. "But I've been struggling lately."
Regardless, Sardinha enjoyed his time in the big leagues, even if it was just for a few fleeting days.
Casey grieves: Sean Casey was in Tuesday's lineup as the designated hitter. Distracted by a death in the family, Casey asked manager Dave Miley to give him the day off from the field.
Casey will be away from the team Wednesday and Thursday to attend the funeral.
Because of the sudden and unexpected death, Casey will be unable to make a scheduled appearance at St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence, Mass., on Wednesday afternoon.
Casey and Rev. Paul O'Brien have teamed up to form the "Labels Are For Jars" program, which is helping to raise funds for the Cor Unum Meal Center in Lawrence, the poorest city in Massachusetts and one of the poorest cities in the United States.
More information on the program can be found at www.labelsareforjars.org.
Fisk-y business: Remember Carlton Fisk? You know, the Red Sox catcher who hit the dramatic 12th-inning home run off the left-field foul pole at Fenway Park to force Game 7 against the Reds in the '75 World Series?
Well, of course you remember the Hall of Famer, though the Red Sox have apparently been successful in blocking the result of that Series from their minds.
The Sox dedicated the foul pole in Fisk's honor before Monday's game. Following the ceremony, Fisk was asked if he agreed with the sentiment that the '75 Series was perhaps the best in the history of the game. He was non-committal, though he did offer this nugget:
"We won that Series three games to four," he joked.
In some ways, Fisk is right. The highlight of him coaxing the ball to stay fair is shown on ESPN enough to make anyone who doesn't know better believe the Sox went on to win that Series.
Fisk was asked if he's ever crossed paths with Pat Darcy, the Reds reliever who gave up that big home run.
"I saw him last year, as a matter of fact," Fisk said. "We talked about our grandkids. It was fun."
Perhaps they talked about the Series result, too.
Sign me up: The Reds have signed 18 of their draft picks, including No. 1 pick Jay Bruce.
The club assigned 13 of the players to the rookie team in Billings, Mont.: Right-hander Jeff Stevens (6th round), outfielder Brandon Roberts (7th), right-hander Bo Lanier (10th), right-hander Carlos Fisher (11th), shortstop Adam Rosales (12th), right-hander Logan Ondrusek (13th), right-hander Jason Vecchio (16th), left-hander David Wilson (17th), first baseman Ben Mummy (20th), catcher Ben Blumenthal (21st), left-hander James Morris (23rd), catcher Mark Rodriguez (30th), catcher Chris Denove (32nd).
The other five players, including Bruce, will head to the Gulf Coast League team in Sarasota, Fla. They are: Shortstop Mike Jones (8th), outfielder Taylor Johnson (25th), right-hander Russell Haltiwanger (29th) and outfielder Matt Garrett (47th).
Reds report: With Casey off the field Tuesday, Adam Dunn filled in at first base, Ryan Freel took over the left-field spot and Rich Aurilia remained at second base. ... Ken Griffey Jr.'s eight career home runs off Wells are his most against any pitcher in baseball. ... Felipe Lopez leads all National League shortstops in home runs (10), RBIs (36) and slugging percentage (.562). ... The Reds' six-game road losing streak is the longest of the season and the longest since a nine-game skid from April 21-28, 2001.
Down on the farm: Right-hander Elizardo Ramirez allowed just one unearned run on four hits in four innings, and right-hander Tom Shearn (4-3) picked up the win in relief despite giving up two runs over two innings, as the Bats beat Buffalo, 4-3, on Monday. Chris Denorfia extended his hitting streak to eight games by going 2-for-3 with a solo home run. ... Left-hander Ben Kozlowski (4-1) continued his strong season with Double-A Chattanooga, giving up three runs on six hits over seven innings to get the 6-4 win over Mississippi on Monday. ... Jung Keun Bong fractured his left hand on a line drive during his first outing with Class A Sarasota on Monday. Bong, who had just come back from left shoulder surgery, is expected to miss another three to six weeks because of the hand injury.
On deck: The Reds and Red Sox wrap up their Interleague matchup Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. ET at Fenway Park. Right-hander Aaron Harang (4-4, 3.52 ERA) will go up against right-hander Bronson Arroyo (4-3, 4.54).
Source: http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/
But tossing in the fact that the start was coming in Fenway Park on Tuesday night didn't help matters much.
"That's what makes me a little more nervous, is the atmosphere here," Sardinha said before the game, in which he started at catcher and batted ninth. "They'll probably be sold out here tonight, and I don't think I've ever played in front of a sold-out crowd before."
Sardinha was just going to try to enjoy and make the best of the experience, because he knows he's bound for Triple-A Louisville come Wednesday.
Jason LaRue, who was in Crockett, Texas, for the funeral of his grandfather, will be returning from the bereavement list, and Sardinha, a right-handed hitter who got the start because left-hander David Wells was on the mound for Boston, will be back with the Bats.
"I know I'm just filling in, and hopefully everything's OK with [LaRue's] family," Sardinha said. "I've just got to try to come up with some big hits."
Sardinha, who made one previous Major League appearance as a pinch-hitter for an injured LaRue on Sept. 6, 2003, is hitting .223 with four homers and 15 RBIs with Louisville this season.
"It's been all right, off an on," he said. "But I've been struggling lately."
Regardless, Sardinha enjoyed his time in the big leagues, even if it was just for a few fleeting days.
Casey grieves: Sean Casey was in Tuesday's lineup as the designated hitter. Distracted by a death in the family, Casey asked manager Dave Miley to give him the day off from the field.
Casey will be away from the team Wednesday and Thursday to attend the funeral.
Because of the sudden and unexpected death, Casey will be unable to make a scheduled appearance at St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence, Mass., on Wednesday afternoon.
Casey and Rev. Paul O'Brien have teamed up to form the "Labels Are For Jars" program, which is helping to raise funds for the Cor Unum Meal Center in Lawrence, the poorest city in Massachusetts and one of the poorest cities in the United States.
More information on the program can be found at www.labelsareforjars.org.
Fisk-y business: Remember Carlton Fisk? You know, the Red Sox catcher who hit the dramatic 12th-inning home run off the left-field foul pole at Fenway Park to force Game 7 against the Reds in the '75 World Series?
Well, of course you remember the Hall of Famer, though the Red Sox have apparently been successful in blocking the result of that Series from their minds.
The Sox dedicated the foul pole in Fisk's honor before Monday's game. Following the ceremony, Fisk was asked if he agreed with the sentiment that the '75 Series was perhaps the best in the history of the game. He was non-committal, though he did offer this nugget:
"We won that Series three games to four," he joked.
In some ways, Fisk is right. The highlight of him coaxing the ball to stay fair is shown on ESPN enough to make anyone who doesn't know better believe the Sox went on to win that Series.
Fisk was asked if he's ever crossed paths with Pat Darcy, the Reds reliever who gave up that big home run.
"I saw him last year, as a matter of fact," Fisk said. "We talked about our grandkids. It was fun."
Perhaps they talked about the Series result, too.
Sign me up: The Reds have signed 18 of their draft picks, including No. 1 pick Jay Bruce.
The club assigned 13 of the players to the rookie team in Billings, Mont.: Right-hander Jeff Stevens (6th round), outfielder Brandon Roberts (7th), right-hander Bo Lanier (10th), right-hander Carlos Fisher (11th), shortstop Adam Rosales (12th), right-hander Logan Ondrusek (13th), right-hander Jason Vecchio (16th), left-hander David Wilson (17th), first baseman Ben Mummy (20th), catcher Ben Blumenthal (21st), left-hander James Morris (23rd), catcher Mark Rodriguez (30th), catcher Chris Denove (32nd).
The other five players, including Bruce, will head to the Gulf Coast League team in Sarasota, Fla. They are: Shortstop Mike Jones (8th), outfielder Taylor Johnson (25th), right-hander Russell Haltiwanger (29th) and outfielder Matt Garrett (47th).
Reds report: With Casey off the field Tuesday, Adam Dunn filled in at first base, Ryan Freel took over the left-field spot and Rich Aurilia remained at second base. ... Ken Griffey Jr.'s eight career home runs off Wells are his most against any pitcher in baseball. ... Felipe Lopez leads all National League shortstops in home runs (10), RBIs (36) and slugging percentage (.562). ... The Reds' six-game road losing streak is the longest of the season and the longest since a nine-game skid from April 21-28, 2001.
Down on the farm: Right-hander Elizardo Ramirez allowed just one unearned run on four hits in four innings, and right-hander Tom Shearn (4-3) picked up the win in relief despite giving up two runs over two innings, as the Bats beat Buffalo, 4-3, on Monday. Chris Denorfia extended his hitting streak to eight games by going 2-for-3 with a solo home run. ... Left-hander Ben Kozlowski (4-1) continued his strong season with Double-A Chattanooga, giving up three runs on six hits over seven innings to get the 6-4 win over Mississippi on Monday. ... Jung Keun Bong fractured his left hand on a line drive during his first outing with Class A Sarasota on Monday. Bong, who had just come back from left shoulder surgery, is expected to miss another three to six weeks because of the hand injury.
On deck: The Reds and Red Sox wrap up their Interleague matchup Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. ET at Fenway Park. Right-hander Aaron Harang (4-4, 3.52 ERA) will go up against right-hander Bronson Arroyo (4-3, 4.54).
Source: http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/
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