Sun, Jul 05 2009
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Published August 14, 2008 01:53 am - BOSTON — Paul Byrd still hasn’t forgotten the heartache from the last time he was at Fenway Park. Byrd hopes for better time in return to Fenway ASSOCIATED PRESS Associated Press 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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