Jed Lowrie hit a two-run home run over the Green M

BOSTON -- Theo Epstein might be making calls already.Jed Lowrie hit a two-run home run over the Green Monster in the fifth inning on Monday, a shot that boosted his slash line this season -- a stunning 1.341 OPS. That type of production, of course, will not keep up. MLB Boston Red Sox Jerseys But Lowrie now is hitting .320 with a 404 on-base percentage and 565 slugging percentage since he returned from mononucleosis last July, making him easily one of the most productive shortstops in baseball.Terry Francona forever will respect the professionalism of Scutaro, who played through an onslaught of maladies last season while others were dropping like flies. But there's no way he can put Scutaro back in his starting lineup, not while Lowrie is hitting like he's hitting now. A first-round draft pick in 2005, Lowrie has a lengthy track record of success -- even lengthier than that of Scutaro, for most of his career a utility infielder. Lowrie hit .317 with a .416 on-base percentage and .594 slugging percentage his junior year at Stanford, and he hit .298 with a .393 on-base percentage and .503 slugging percentage in his final full minor-league season before a wrist injury sidetracked his ascension.
The average American League shortstop this season is hitting 252 with a .310 on-base percentage this season. Plenty of teams could use a shortstop who can play steady defense and turn in an above-average on-base percentage for the No. 8 or No. 9 spot in the batting order.Heck, if the Red Sox still need a backup infielder, Yamaico Navarro hit 275 with a 365 on-base percentage in more than 400 minor-league plate appearances last season, and he's crushing the ball for Triple-A Pawtucket so far this season.If Theo Epstein can get an offer he likes, it's hard to believe Scutaro is long for Boston.Fans booed Daisuke Matsuzaka when he was announced before his start on Monday morning. Fans gave Matsuzaka a rousing ovation as he walked off the mound after seven of the best innings he's pitched in a Red Sox uniform."One thing that was a little shocking was, before the game, that he got booed," Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis said. "It was funny that, when he came off the field, everybody was cheering. It's kind of foot-in-mouth right there."
And so the Matsuzaka riddle continues,Christian Audigier Jeans, with as the righty retired the final 16 hitters he faced en route a 9-1 win for the Red Sox on Monday. Cheap MLB Jerseys He became the first Red Sox pitcher since Jon Lester's no-hitter to throw at least seven innings while allowing two or fewer runners to reach base.Red-hot Jed Lowrie led the charge offensively, collecting a career-best four hits in what was by far his best weekend in the major leagues. The switch-hitting shortstop has hit .625 with nine RBI in his last seven games. Jacoby Ellsbury hit his team-best fourth home run, and Youkilis doubled and homered.Who would have guessed, Dice-K would still everybody's heart, soothe everybody's soul? One week after a start against Tampa Bay that would charitably be described as disgusting, who would have guessed Matsuzaka would be the guy who brought a dose of sanity to the Boston sports world?Exactly one week later, you could have added a 0 to his No. 18 uniform, because this was a complete turnaround. He allowed no runs, one hit and one walk and retired 16 in a row before leaving after seven innings in the Red Sox's 9-1 rout of the Blue Jays at Fenway.