Paps get 100th Save

BOSTON - — Recording his 100th career save Sunday was memorable for Jonathan Papelbon. How he got the save, he'd like to forget.Papelbon made things interesting at Fenway Park, allowing a run on three hits and leaving the tying run stranded at third in a 2-1 victory over the Orioles. He's the third pitcher in team history with 100 saves."Well, he got his money's worth," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "You'll see a lot more. He's one of the best in the game."Papelbon, who will play for Francona in the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium Tuesday, recorded his 28th save in 32 opportunities this season. Despite allowing a run to the Orioles for the first time in 18 2/3 career innings, Papelbon became the second-fastest pitcher to reach 100 saves, doing it in his 176th appearance. Seattle's Kazuhiro Sasaki did it in 160.
Papelbon trails Dick Radatz by four saves for second place in Red Sox history. Bob Stanley holds the record with 132."One hundred down, three or four hundred more to go," Papelbon said. "I would have liked to have done it without giving up a run there. I didn't execute pitches very well [Sunday] but I was able to go out there and will myself through."Papelbon gave up two one-out singles before striking out Nick Markakis. Aubrey Huff then got the third single, scoring Brian Roberts to make it 2-1 and moving Adam Jones to third. But Melvin Mora hit a soft liner to second to end it."I was throwing hard, but I was leaving balls up over the plate," Papelbon said. "They didn't have their normal late life, just for the simple fact that I was excited when I had two strikes on guys and was overthrowing a bit. I tend to do that sometimes."
Break For LesterFrancona announced his post-All-Star break probables, with Clay Buchholz getting the first start Friday against the Angels in Anaheim, Calif. Josh Beckett will go Saturday and Tim Wakefield Sunday, with Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka pitching the first two games in Seattle July 21-22.Lester, who leads the team with 20 starts and 125 innings pitched, will get a 12-day break between starts."It doesn't look like he needs a lot of help," Francona said. "He feels good. The idea is to continue that over the course of about 12 years. The idea is to incorporate some rest for some people and some balance." ... Dustin Pedroia went 2-for-4, giving him 124 hits at the All-Star break, one shy of the team record shared by Wade Boggs in 1987 and Nomar Garciaparra in 2003. Pedroia has hits in 19 of 20 games, a .455 clip. ... Kevin Youkilis left after the fifth with a bruise on his left triceps, caused by a Daniel Cabrera pitch. He is expected to start the All-Star Game.

jgoldberg@courant.com

http://www.courant.com/sports/baseball/redsox/hc-soxnotes0714.artjul14,0,5776705.story

Pap Says he wants Mo to close AS Game

NEW YORK -- Jonathan Papelbon spent much of the 50-minute long media interview session with the AL All-Stars answering questions about who he thought should close tomorrow night's game.
He said that he'd love to close the game -- he wouldn't be who he is if he didn't feel that way -- but that he understood it would not be an easy call, since the game is in Yankee Stadium and Mariano Rivera is not only a hometown favorite, but maybe the greatest closer in the game. Papelbon said he'd talked it over with manager Terry Francona a couple of days ago, but that Francona had not made a final decision.
But after the interview sessions were over, Papelbon pulled a reporter aside outside of the hotel ballroom in the Grand Hyatt and said that he had something more to say.
Papelbon took the reporter's tape recorder, held it to his mouth like a microphone, and said: "This is Jonathan Papelbon, closer of the Boston Red Sox. Mariano Rivera will be closing the 2008 All-Star Game in Yankee Stadium.
"I'm making a statement right now, saying I don't want it, I want him to have it. I said all that earlier, but that's the way I feel about it.''

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2008/07/paps_mariano_wi.html

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Full Name: Jonathan Robert Papelbon
Born: 11/23/1980
Birthplace: Baton Rouge, LA
Height: 6'4" Weight: 225
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
College: Mississippi State
MLB Debut: 07/31/2005

courtesy of redsox.com

Biography

Jonathan is married to the former Ashley Jeffries...his mother, Sheila played softball at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge...has twin brothers who both pitched at the University of North Florida and were both selected in the 2006 First Year Player Draft...Josh, a right-hander, was drafted by the Red Sox in the 48th round and was 0-2, 1.86 with 13 saves in 25 games at Single-A Lowell in 2006...ranked fifth in the New York-Penn League in saves...Jeremy, a left-hander, was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 19th round and was 4-0, 1.83 with three saves in 18 appearances at Single-A Boise...his father, John is the Deputy Director of the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame in St. Petersburg, FL...held the Jonathan Papelbon Charity Moose Hunt for the benefit of the Chief Melvin Francis Memorial Fund in October 2006...will serve as the Hood Red Sox Kids Nation spokesman in 2007.

courtesy of redsox.com