Clubhouse Insider

It's the Red Sox and Tigers all away from Fenway this is their Herb Chambers Honda pregame show and it's time for the clubhouse insider another day in another day of activity here at Fenway Park Alex alongside WEEI dot com and we start with the suspension. Handed down five games each for Rick were -- Kevin Youkilis. And mildly surprising but not really that surprising Kevin Youkilis is decided to start serving that suspension right now.

It is a little bit rare we haven't seen that many of the Red Sox in the words of Terry Francona take their medicine. They die in this instance. It wasn't terribly long mean I think that last year there was an incident window when a player through a helmet and they and a pitcher. In got suspended for six games so when to -- he -- tax cut off. I'm not too terribly in this in this whole thing it is a terrible thing for them to lose Kevin Youkilis who's been. Who's been as good who along with Michael has been one of the two best hitters for the Red Sox in the second half. He's been great lately. But there's no good time arguably two to have a players especially when Kelberg you with suspended. And have -- figured let's just get out of the way now Wayne you know we can kind of look at what the schedule is and and there things that work for the Red Sox favor for instance Casey Kotchman has good numbers against night's Tigers starter Armando Galarraga or actually sorry Zach -- now. And and so it just worked.

And you say there's no good time oftentimes a player appeals the suspension or two things in -- actually getting. That's suspension reduced but also the timing involved but once you do that you can take the timing out of your hands unless -- drop that appeal. While the timing is never good it could be worse.

Sure he could come in the middle of of that series against the Yankees next week or something like that as opposed to. You know as opposed to part of their schedule where they have Josh Beckett on the mound so they feel pretty good about that for tonight and they'll have Jon Lester coming forward and yeah there's there's no ideal timing but it does it works and Michael has been really hot so. From that standpoint the big hit of having Youkilis of the lineup. If Lowell can sustain his recent performance should be -- and.

Robin -- you talked about Michael last night little did we know the impact that mean he would have on that game when he wasn't. In the starting lineup. And after the game he pretty much said what we all thought he was thinking. He thinks he's an everyday guy he prepares as if he's going to play every day even when he doesn't play everyday. And it looked that way last night when he got in the game.

Absolutely and it was very impressive mean this is this is pretty rare stuff it was it was just accomplished. You know -- there had been I think he became. The third guy since 1954 to. To enter a game as a pinch runner and then hit two home runs in that game. You just don't get -- in these situations often but he showed up at the plate was immediately locked in on his at bats. After he had been in the game for a little bit as a pinch runner and he did afterwards me pretty clear that he things. You know he deserves more regular playing time for an offense that has been struggling. It's it's difficult for him to understand fully the rationale. Underlying having him miss as much time as he has over the second half he is he started five of the last ten games since Victor Martinez came over. And -- you -- yearns for more playing time there's some discomfort in the situation. It's something that today it's a difficult situation hitter Francona has to navigate.

Lol is in the lineup tonight obviously not Casey Kotchman is in the lineup tonight with Kevin Youkilis suspended victor Martinez's not. He's slated to catch tomorrow I'm sure that's part of the thinking about. Victor Martinez not playing this evening but you know you mentioned Kotchman a lefty against a righty minor still really -- no Martinez those are two pretty big guys missing from this lineup.

No questions and they've been two guys have been pretty important pieces for them in the -- and that in a time when they've been struggling so. It will be interesting to see whether or not the Red Sox you know came can continue to show. The signs of improvement that they've by the they've had in these last two games against the Tigers Jason Bay has been a huge part of that. As has been lol so the importance of those two guys along with Ortiz in the middle. Becomes all the greater though it's also worth noting that Dustin Pedroia has been great recently in the last night he missed on take three walks he talked a little bit New York about how. He was feeling a lot of pressure. Personally to perform and then when you see a guy taking three walks and being on an on base presence in that way. You know that he's taking good approach and he's not trying to carry greater burden -- he should shoulder. Finally Alex Junichi -- a lot essentially as advertised he's earned another start to get the ball in Texas on Sunday would look like a difficult first inning. Really didn't have to be had a double play been turned he might have been able to escape escape unscathed in that first yet he follows that up with four scoreless he was impressive. There was really only one hit hard hit ball against them on night met was an RBI single by Brandon names. But aside from that we saw a couple of you know balls that bounced through and we saw a couple of double of slow hit grounder is that ended up not being converted. Into into one -- you heard two or even one outs depending. On the circumstance yeah he kept the ball on the ground. He struck out six guys in five innings he showed an interesting pitch makes knows fastball and slider were both working quite well and at one point he he'd -- this just beautiful split they cut a a swing and miss against Polanco was not an easy got a strikeout so. I'm clearly there is impressive raw materials there and the Red Sox are encouraged enough that they're pretty excited I am on the mound again on Sunday. You mentioned split that could be is out pitch though don't let those last winter he threw the last few split receive through the such a change in speed -- looks just like the fastball coming on the stand. He has a really interesting mix because he throws four different pitches but he throws them all with different velocity there's no two. Repeat themselves and he does a really good job of five you point out hiding displayed. Good curve ball as a really slow curve ball that you know kind of buckles guys and really it disrupts their timing that's been primarily his out pitch. Thus far in the minor leagues but. He has shown you know multiple events breaking balls. And if you can match that with an average fastball which he showed you know running it from 89 to 92 in the Red Sox have -- will be further gains in the future. That's that's a nice mix. -- Alex thanks as always we'll talk to so thank you John.

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