Alfredo Aceves jogged out of the bullpen at Comerica Park in Detroit on April 8, charged with protecting a three-run lead for the Red Sox in the ninth inning.The righthander from Mexico spent all of spring training trying to make the team as a starter and was the closer only by default, the Sox having lost Andrew Bailey to a thumb injury just before the start of the season.Aceves blew his first save chance in seven pitches. Austin Jackson and Brennan Boesch singled before Miguel Cabrera hit a home run to left field. The Red Sox lost the game in extra innings.“He wasn’t ready for that job,’’ said teammate Daniel Bard. “He hadn’t pitched in relief all spring and then he had to come in ... Continue reading →

Daisuke Matsuzaka, who was shut down last Sunday because of a sore neck, has been cleared to pitch and is scheduled to start for Triple A Pawtucket Saturday.Matsuzaka will face Toledo in a 6:05 p.m. game at McCoy Stadium.Matsuzaka started the season on the disabled list recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery he had last June. He started a rehabilitation assignment April 23 and did not pitch particularly well in five starts, posting a 4.62 earned run average.That 30-day assignment was set to end Wednesday. But the Red Sox delayed Matsuzaka’s return to the majors by keeping him on the disabled list with a strained trapezius muscle that required a cortisone shot.Now, starting Saturday, the Red Sox have another 30-day window to prepare Matsuzaka. In ... Continue reading →

If the race is actually on to nail down the New York Jets' starting quarterback job -- and the team insists there is no competition afoot -- starter Mark Sanchez seems to already be opening a gap on recently acquired backup Tim Tebow.Sanchez apparently looked very sharp during passing drills Thursday during team OTAs."I get a good vibe from what we're doing now," he said as he tries to absorb new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano's playbook.Said TE Dustin Keller of Sanchez: "He knows these plays pretty well and obviously there's a lot more room for growth. At this point, being this early in OTAs, I think he's really comfortable with it and it shows."And Tebow? Well he was picked off by both LB Bart Scott ... Continue reading →

By Globe Staff Former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling’s video game company, 38 Studios, has laid off all of its employees in the wake of financial difficulties, according to a company insider who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The Providence company, which had close to 400 employees, attracted top talent from the videogame industry. 38 Studios received a $75 million loan guarantee from Rhode Island in 2010 to move from Maynard to Providence. But Rhode Island officials held emergency meetings after the company was two weeks late on a $1.1 million payment it owed the state this month and asked the state for millions more in aid to stay afloat. The firm applied to Rhode Island for $8.4 million in film-tax credits, which it ... Continue reading →

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BALTIMORE - Daniel Bard junked his delivery in the fourth inning Wednesday, pitching from the stretch as he tried to find some way to get the ball over the plate.It paid off in the sense that he pitched long enough to get the victory against the Orioles, going 5 1/3 innings in a game the Red Sox won, 6-5. But it was another game in which Bard struggled.The righthander allowed two runs on five hits with four walks, a hit batter, and two strikeouts.“I couldn’t maintain a consistent delivery or arm slot,’’ Bard said. “I battled as much as I could. I was able to keep them to two runs and keep us in the ballgame.’’Manager Bobby Valentine credited catcher Kelly Shoppach with nursing Bard ... Continue reading →

BALTIMORE - Scott Podsednik was hitting .203 with one extra-base hit for Lehigh Valley, the Triple A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, when the Red Sox traded for him May 11.It was a move of so little consequence that no press release was typed up to announce it. Once an accomplished player, the 36-year-old Podsednik had gone more than a year without playing in the majors because of injuries.Most teams believed Podsednik was finished. But the Sox needed outfielders, their depth wiped out by a series of injuries. When Cody Ross broke his left foot last Friday and Ryan Sweeney suffered a concussion a day later, Podsednik was next in line to be called up.“I try not to be surprised in this game,’’ he said. ... Continue reading →