BOSTON — Paul Byrd still hasn’t forgotten the heartache from the last time he was at Fenway Park.
Byrd, acquired on Tuesday from Cleveland for either cash or a player to be named, joined his new team Wednesday, making his first trip back to Boston since the Red Sox completed a comeback from a 3-1 deficit to win their second World Series in four seasons.
He was at Fenway for Game 7 of last year’s AL Championship Series on the day the San Francisco Chronicle reported he had used human growth hormone from 2002-2005.
Meeting the media outside the Indians clubhouse before the game, he said that he had used it for a medical condition but that he never injected the banned drug without a doctor’s prescription.
The Indians then were eliminated by the Red Sox a few hours later.
“The obvious thing that comes to mind was the HGH thing in the morning. That was a really tough day for me,” he said before Wednesday’s game against Texas. “The other thing was the tough loss, with the Red Sox celebrating on the field. We had a 3-1 lead in the series, going into the locker room and having grown men crying.”
The Red Sox hope Byrd’s acquisition will add depth to the back end of their rotation. Tim Wakefield went on the 15-day DL with tightness in the back of his shoulder on Monday and rookie Clay Buchholz has struggled lately.
Byrd, who worked out a deal with backup catcher Kevin Cash to wear No. 36, is scheduled to make his Red Sox debut against Toronto on Friday. Cash will now wear No. 30.
“I want to be counted on,” he said. “I’m excited to be going to a team with a lot of pressure. The alternative is going to a team where the games don’t count. I’m excited. I love the pressure. I want to pitch in a World Series. I’ve never pitched in a World Series.”
The 37-year-old Byrd is 7-10 with a 4.53 ERA this season. But he has won all four of his starts since the All-Star break with a 1.24 ERA.
Byrd may get a chance to face his former team when the Indians visit Fenway for a four-game series starting on Sept. 22.
Byrd, known for his old-fashioned, double-pump windup, recalled how he started to use it six years ago when he was pitching poorly with the Kansas City Royals.
“I started praying. I wanted to stay in the game,” he said. “I started throwing like old pitchers like Bob Feller. The next day, I was throwing batting practice and it was like, ‘I don’t know if you’re goofing around, but I’m having trouble picking up the ball.”’
Byrd started badly this season at 3-10 with a 5.53 ERA before turning it around after the All-Star break. He’s worked at least seven innings in each of his past three starts, including a complete-game win over the Blue Jays in his most recent start on Saturday.
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Byrd hopes for better time in return to Fenway
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Riverside sneaks past Edgewood
Riverside wrestling coach Scott Blank learned a good deal of what he knows from Edgewood coach Greg Stolfer as a former Warrior great. Thursday, he used a bit of that knowledge to get the better of his old coach as the Beavers bested the Warriors, 31-28, at Edgewood.
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Madison rolls past Geneva
Madison recovered from coming out on the short end of a pin in the first match of the night by taking six of the next seven matches against Geneva and capped the night with pins from their last pair of grapplers in dismantling the Eagles, 49-17.
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Boys tourney returning to county
On Feb. 27, for the first time in 20 years, postseason boys basketball will return to Ashtabula County when the Division II sectional-district tournament comes to Lakeside high school.
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Dragons dump Lakers in drink
Despite the fact his girls have been through a tough season, Lakeside coach Rob Livingston spoke as though he had sensed that better things might be around the corner.
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Mustangs dominate Heralds
In their last home game of the season, the Grand Valley Mustangs rose to the occasion on Senior Night, defeating the SS. John and Paul Heralds, 59-28.
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Clark, Francis help give Falcons Liberty
Paige Clark led an attack that saw three Jefferson players reach double figures and Rachel Francis had a triple-double as the Falcons blasted visiting Liberty, 59-17, in an All-American Conference game Thursday night in Falcon Gym.
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Scholastic Statistics:
WRESTLING
NON-CONFERENCE
Riverside 31, Edgewood 28
at Edgewood -
Scholastic Schedule:
FRIDAY, FEB. 10
Boys Basketball
n Lakeside at Madison
n Conneaut at Edgewood
n Liberty at Jefferson (WFUN)
n South at Geneva
n PV at Bloomfield
n Grand Valley at Southington
n Riverside at North
n Harvey at Perry -
PV prevails
Cody Miller and Zach Campbell knew what they had to do in order for the Pymatuning Valley wrestling team to complete a come-from-behind victory over Jefferson on Wednesday at triangular match at PV.
The pair delivered exactly that and the Lakers pulled off the win, 37-36. -
Eagles bounce back
The Geneva girls didn’t have much time to regroup. But just one day after a heartbreaking defeat, they were able to knock off a strong Perry team on the road, 39-33.
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