David Ortiz spoke to the media before tonight’s game and is seemingly still believeing the Yankees are the team to beat …

“There’s time. There’s a lot of games left. One way or another, (the Yankees) know how to figure it out. Time will tell it’s a long season. These kids down the street (the Rays) have been playing well you can’t take that away from them. Things happen. Sometimes experience shows up and takes over. I’m not saying they will drop, but if you go by the numbers that is normally what will happen. Always the guy with the more experience and the guy in the same spot always takes over. It will be good to watch those kids come through and watch them in the playoffs. It will be good for baseball and it will be good for people to believe it doesn’t matter how much money you pay or how big is your payroll. You still have a chance to be in the playoffs and make a difference. But at the same you know how it is, you guys know better.”

After taking 25 swings of soft toss David Ortiz will be doing it again today. He reported things went well yesterday and he might be ready to take live batting practice when the team returns to Fenway Park next week. It will be the fourth straight day of hitting for Ortiz, according to the injured DH.

Per MLB:
“Right fielder J.D. Drew of the Boston Red Sox has been named the Sharp Presents the American League Player of the Month for June. This marks J.D.’s first career monthly award honor.

“In 26 games last month, Drew batted .337 (31-for-92) with 12 home runs and finished tied for the Major League-high with 29 RBI, along with Jermaine Dye of the Chicago White Sox. The 32-year-old outfielder scored 27 runs with a Major League-best .848 slugging percentage. The Georgia native collected 21 extra-base hits, including seven doubles and two triples. He walked 21 times and had a .462 on-base percentage. During the month, J.D. put together an eleven-game hitting streak from June 1st-12th, which included eight multi-hit games. He homered in three straight games from June 7th-10th. On June 18th, J.D. went 4-for-5 with a home run, a double and four RBI during an Interleague game at Philadelphia. He had seven multi-RBI efforts last month. Drew is batting .299 with 16 home runs and 50 RBI on the season.

“Others receiving votes were Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler (.362, 12 2B, 6 HR, 16 RBI) and Kansas City Royals outfielders David DeJesus (.361, 18 R, 19 RBI) and Jose Guillen (.345, 9 2B, 7 HR, 25 RBI).

“For setting the highest definition of excellence, Sharp, the presenting sponsor of the American League Player of the Month Award, presents J.D. Drew with a 52″ AQUOS®. Sharp AQUOS is the “Official High-Definition Television of Major League Baseball.” Drew will also receive a specially designed trophy to mark his achievement.”

Some of the Red Sox are taking optional batting practice at Tropicana Field. The participants are Alex Cora, Kevin Cash, and Sean Casey with hitting coach Dave Magadan throwing the BP.

Red Sox lineup: Ellsbury CF, Pedroia 2B, Drew RF, Ramirez DH, Lowell 3B, Youkilis 1B, Moss LF, Cora SS, Cash C

Rays lineup: Iwamura 2B, Crawford LF, Upton CF, Pena 1B, Longoria 3B, Floyd DH, Navarro C, Hinske RF, Bartlett SS

Manny Ramirez just addressed the physical confrontation he had with Red Sox traveling secretary Jack McCormick Saturday afternoon. Speaking to a group of reporters, Ramirez said:

“Let me tell you guys something, in the clubhouse this is a family and whatever happens in the clubhouse stays  in the clubhouse. Me and Jack, our friendship is good and he’s going to continue to be my friend yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Everything is fine.”

(How did it start?) “Don’t worry about.”

“I talked to him and everything is fine. We fixed it, that’s it. What do you want me to tell you.”

(Action from the club) “I don’t know. That’s up to you to ask the club.” He said he did talk to general manager Theo Epstein. Ramirez left the interview saying he was going to go ask for four tickets from McCormick.

Moments later David Ortiz said that he will not be ready until after the All-Star Game, but will attend out of respect to those who voted

“I’m going to activate myself even if I’m hurt because I have the sword that can control the beast of Manny Ramirez,” Ortiz chuckled. “Everything is going to be OK.”

The Red Sox beat the Houston Astros, 6-1, in the same town where former Astro Enos Cabell stepped up and led the chant, “Let them play! Let them play!” in honor the Bad News Bears. Coincidentally, Bob Watson was also in on the chant, just like he was in on reducing Coco Crisp’s suspension today.

Here are DUSTIN PEDROIA (3 hits) and JASON VARITEK breaking it down via my not-so-finely-tuned video expertise. Pedroia, by the way, has recorded three hits in back-to-back games and has multiple hits in five of his last seven games. Since June 18 he is hitting .514 (18 for 35).

So I walk into the visitors clubhouse at Minute Maid Park tonight and am greeted with a most surreal sight. The walls leading to the lockerroom were littered with pieces of art by a man named Opie Otterstad, virtually all involving the Red Sox. One of the items was an exact replica of the hole which workers in Fenway Park’s left field wall peer out from. Another was a bronze statue showing Jason Varitek and Jonathan Papelbon celebrate the final out of last year’s World Series.

Here is the VIDEO of Otterstad showing off his work.

Besides another opportunity to show off my eye for art, Opie’s presence also allowed for a pretty good story. It turns out that Eric Gagne, while heading through Houston with the Brewers, plunked down $25,000 to buy two of the statues to give to Papelbon and Varitek. And he did it sight unseen. Gagne might have not performed while with the Sox, but he certainly left quite an impression in terms of the type of guy he is.

Before I forget, another surreal flight on the way down here to Houston last night. The guy I was sitting next to, a nice man by all accounts, chose to pass the time by watching a 1980 video on how to sail. Then, when that was done, he woke up and popped in the next logical DVD — the cinematic classic Captain Ron. Good times!

The Apache 9088 remote control helicopter has made a return appearance, thanks to Papelbon and Manny Delcarmen. The two put together the toy and made good use of it before the game. It seems to be the same contraption they had whipping around last year in Cleveland.

Speaking of the two Red Sox releivers, if you haven’t seen their rain delay rendition of Milli Vanilli, here you go.

Another activity the players were doing before the game was filling out their All-Star ballots. It’s getting to be about that time. Dustin Pedroia is evidently taking Ian Kinsler’s run at the top spot for American League second baseman to heart, notching two more hits to raise his batting average to .293. Coming into tonight he was batting .442 in hias last 13 games to go from .260 to .289.

Talked briefly to almost-Red Sox Roy Oswalt before the game about the trade deadline when it appeared as though the Sox might be dealing for Andruw Jones and then flipping him for the pitcher. This is what he said: “It would have been nice. I don’t really know anybody (in Boston). I didn’t know how close it was until that morning and I got 20-something messages from friends telling me about. I guess it got pretty close.”

Darin Erstad is hitting for Runelyvs Hernandez, who threw 99 pitches through five innings. He struck out. Besides seeing Eddie Romero (a coach with the Astros), this is the biggest surprise of the day. Other Red Sox connections with the Astros include manager Cecil Cooper, and Mark Loretta, who is playing a backup role. Loretta said that he might retire at the end of the season if the right opportunity doesn’t present itself.

Here is the Red Sox lineup from Minute Maid Park:
Crisp CF, Pedroia 2B, Drew RF, Ramirez LF, Lowell 3B, Youkilis 1B, Varitek C, Lugo SS, Matsuzaka P

Coco Crisp’s suspension, which was originally slated for seven games, has been reduced to five games and will begin tomorrow. The timing means that Crisp will not be active for any of the upcoming three games in St. Petersburg against the Rays. Besides Tampa Bay pitcher James Shields, who got six games for the June 5 fight at Fenway Park but only missed one start, Crisp’s suspension equaled that of Rays’ outfielder Jonny Gomes, who also received five games.

Headed for the airport en route to Houston, but wanted to give you some time to digest another round of Nuggetpalooza from Gary from Chapel Hill …

Stats are through Wednesday.  Thanks to Baseball-Reference!
 
* - Jon Lester has now allowed 4 ER or fewer in 22 consecutive starts dating back to last season, the longest active streak in the majors.  Jake Westbrook (18) has the second longest active streak.  The longest streak (since ‘56) by a Red Sox pitcher is 32 starts by Pedro (’99 through ‘00) and Clemens (’90-’91).  It’s interesting that in all 32 starts in Clemens’ streak, Roger allowed THREE earned runs or fewer.   Lester has quite a ways to go to catch the longest streak ever recorded:  106 straight starts by Greg Maddux from 1991 through 1994. 
 
* - Jonathan Papelbon’s K% with the bases empty:  38.6% this year versus 39.0% last year.
 
* - Jonathan Papelbon’s K% with runners on:  25.5% this year versus 34.9% last year.
 
* - Teams have only stolen 5+ bases in a game 8 times all season and the Red Sox claim 3 of them.  No other team has done it more than once.  Before this season, the Red Sox had only stolen 5+ bases in a game six times in the last 50 years (none since 2002).
 
* - The Red Sox have thrown 6 shutouts in 33 interleague games since the beginning of 2007.  That’s the most in the majors (Detroit, 4) during that time.
 
* - On Wednesday, the Red Sox allowed just 4 total bases to the Diamondbacks.  They have now won 24 straight interleague games in which they’ve allowed 8 or fewer total bases (dating back to 2002).
 
* - Last Sunday, the Cardinals’ Aaron Miles had 5 hits, but didn’t score or drive in a run.  It was just the 18th time in at least the last 52 years that it has happened in the major leagues.  It was the 2nd time that it was a Red Sox opponent.  13 of the 18 such occurrences have been by a visiting player.
 
* - Also on Sunday, Kevin Youkilis became the 45th player to have 3 or more multiple HR games in his Red Sox career.  Jim Rice had 35 such games, while David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez have 29 and 28, respectively.
 
* - JD Drew is going to have to rally late to set the June slugging percentage mark.  He is currently at .885, while the top two are Mark McGwire (.915 in ‘96) and Norm Cash (.901 in ‘61).  He still has a great shot at the Red Sox’ June record of .784 (Jackie Jensen, ‘58).
 
* - Since the beginning of 2007, the Red Sox have put up a major league best .859 OPS in the 8th inning when tied or trailing by three runs or less.  Their 5 for 7 performance (with a double) in Tuesday’s rousing comeback is included.  The Rockies (.828) are second and the Yankees (.790) are third.
 
* - Happy 26th anniversary to Mrs. Gary from Chapel Hill!  Maybe we’ll go to a ballgame to celebrate!