Smoltz, Lowrie, and Lugo

John Smoltz pitched very well in his second to last rehab start with the PawSox last night. He went 6 innings allowing just 1 hit in the 2nd inning and a run on a sac fly before retiring the last 10 batters he faced in order. In 4 minor league starts, Smoltz is 1-0 with a 1.56 ERA. He spoke with the media after the game:

“I still have to work on that changeup,” he said. “I know it’s not a pitch that I absolutely have to have but it’s a nice pitch to have if the other ones aren’t where they need to be. In the past everyone thought I could rely on stuff to get hitters out. Now I’m going to have to rely on pitching. I’ve been pitching for awhile so coming back from this surgery will be no different for me. I’ll go out and hit my spots and take the sting out of the bat. That’s the goal of every pitcher.”

Jed Lowrie is about three weeks away from returning to the team according to Terry Francona:

"He's doing good. The biggest thing right now is stamina [with the wrist] and as he goes he feels a little fatigued, which is certainly understandable. He's doing terrific. He's a real conscientious kid. He puts in his time and he's thoughtful when you ask him a question."

Julio Lugo still loves playing in Boston even when fans boo him:

“It’s tough. Nobody wants to be booed,” he said. “Not me, not anybody. Sometimes the only person who knows what’s going on and why you missed a ball is you. You’re the one out there. The fans just want you to make the play.

“At the same time, I’m not making excuses. . . . I’ll tell you the truth. I think the fans have been fair to me. I signed here because they wanted to see the Julio Lugo hitting the ball and making crazy plays. Sometimes you deserve the boos. Sometimes you don’t, but I love it here.”