Lineup changes for Sox

By Eric Wilbur

May 24, 2006

1 minute to read

Wily Mo Pena makes his return to the Sox lineup tonight after having missed the last couple of games with a sore wrist. Alex Gonzalez, who had the last two games off in favor of Alex Cora, returns to the starting lineup as well.

With the tough lefty Randy Johnson working for the Yankees tonight, Dustan Mohr gets the start over Trot Nixon in right field.

Tonight’s complete Red Sox lineup:

1. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
2. Mark Loretta, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Jason Varitek, C
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. Wily Mo Pena, CF
8. Dustan Mohr, RF
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS
— Matt Clement, SP

Some tidbits heading into tonight’s Red Sox-Yankees contest, courtesy of the Red Sox daily pregame notes:

Opposing lefthanded starters are 1-2 with a 5.94 ERA in their last four outings versus the Red Sox with Boston going 3-1 in those contests. Southpaws were 4-0, 1.45 ERA in the previous five starts of the season against the Red Sox. For the season, lefty starters are 7-5, 3,17 in 14 outings.

Tonight’s starter Matt Clement is 2-1 with a 4.08 ERA in 3 starts in May after going 2-2 with a 6.14 ERA in five starts in April. Clement last Friday pitched for the first time in a week and defeated the Phillies, 5-3, at Citizens Bank Park to improve his mark with the Red Sox in six interleague starts to 5-1. Tonight marks his seventh start against the AL East already in 2006. Opponents have posted a .269 batting average (50-for-186), including a .265 mark (22-for-83) by righties and a .272 mark (28-for-103) by lefties. Clement is 1-2 with an 6.14 ERA in four starts at Fenway Park.

Coco Crisp will work out at Fenway Park this afternoon before flying to Fort Myers, when he is expected to participate in extended spring games Thursday and Friday. If all goes well, he will be sent to Pawtucket on rehab assignment for Saturday’s home game with Norfolk. Crisp has been sidelined since April 9 with a non-displaced fracture at base of left index finger.