Red Sox are in the market for a catcher

The Boston Red Sox are shopping for catchers after Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek allowed 38 of the first 39 runners to steal bases against them, including 14 in a three-game series against the Texas Rangers. Would they release David Ortiz if they find an attractive option? Ortiz continues to look like yesterday’s news, and the mounting gap behind the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays could prompt quick action from General Manager Theo Epstein. . . . Those nine stolen bases by the Rangers on Tuesday contributed to the Red Sox’s decision to move knuckleballer Tim Wakefield to the bullpen, clearing room for Daisuke Matsuzaka. . . . The Milwaukee Brewers outscored the Pittsburgh Pirates 36-1 in a three-game series, including a 20-0 game that was the worst loss in the Pirates’ 124-year history. The last time Pittsburgh gave up that many runs in a game was against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds. Before the weekend, the Pirates had been outscored 85-13 in their eight losses. . . . Chris Coghlan, the reigning National League rookie of the year, has lost the Florida Marlins’ leadoff job to Cameron Maybin. Coghlan began the weekend hitting .130. . . . Scouts point to improved team speed and aggressive baserunning as a subtle reason for the San Diego Padres’ improvement. The bigger key is that despite the trade of Jake Peavy, San Diego starters are third in the NL in earned-run average. The top six starters’ ERAs before the weekend: Rays, St. Louis Cardinals, Padres, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics and Philadelphia Phillies. Those teams were a combined 59-34. . . . A’s pitcher Dallas Braden can count on a lot of high-fives from players for calling out Alex Rodriguez for cutting across the pitcher’s mound after a foul ball Thursday. It’s a silly bit of etiquette, but baseball players revere those traditions and don’t revere Rodriguez. . . . The Angels appear to have one closer too many with Fernando Rodney five for five in save situations (retiring 15 of 16 batters in those outings) while Brian Fuentes was on the disabled list. Fuentes led the majors with 48 saves last season but didn’t inspire confidence in October. His velocity is down. Scot Shields also is having troubles. The Angels miss Darren Oliver, who signed with the Rangers. . . . Chicago Cubs prospect Andrew Cashner, who is off to a lights-out start in double-A Tennessee’s rotation, wasn’t signed out of high school because the Houston Astros wouldn’t meet his request for a $175,000 bonus. . . . Justin Jones, a left-hander the Chicago White Sox drafted in the seventh round but didn’t sign, is tied for the Pacific 10 Conference lead in victories as a freshman at California. He told the San Francisco Chronicle it would have taken $300,000 to sign him.

The last word: “The biggest feeling is, ‘Thank God that I am still hanging around.’ ” — Vin Scully on marking the 60th anniversary of his first Dodgers broadcast.