Abe was born in Los Angeles, Calif. and makes his offseason home in Fontana, Calif...attended Long Beach State University, where he was 23-5 with a 2.56 ERA in 3 seasons...as a junior in 2003, was named an All-American by *Baseball America* after going 11-2 with a 2.35 ERA (32 ER/122.2 IP) in 18 starts...was also named the Big West Pitcher of the Year after starting the year 10-0...*Baseball America* ranked him with the 3rd-best command of all draft-eligible college pitchers...helped lead Long Beach State to its first regular season Big West title since 1997...was a member of Team USA in the summer of 2002, compiling a 1.93 ERA in 11 games (one start)...was the Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2001 and was named 2nd-team All-America by *Baseball America*...led the Big West with 12 wins and was 2nd in the league with a 2.72 ERA.
2006
WITH PAWTUCKET: Went 6-9 with a 5.64 ERA in 22 starts for Triple-A Pawtucket...began the season
5-0 with a 2.18 ERA (10 ER/41.1 IP) in his first 7 starts through May 7 but went 1-9 with a 7.51
ERA (64 ER/76.2 IP) in his final 15 outings/14 starts before being placed on the disabled list on Aug. 14 with a broken right ankle...was placed on Boston's 60-day disabled list on Sept. 19.
APRIL PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Was named Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Month for
April after going 3-0 with a 2.17 ERA (7 ER/29.0 IP) and .157 opponents batting average in 5
starts...allowed just 2 hits over 7.0 shutout innings to earn the win in his second start on April 11 vs.
Rochester and tossed 5.0 scoreless innings of one-hit ball 2 starts later, April 21 at Durham.
RED SOX SUMMARY: Made one appearance for the Red Sox in 2006, pitching in relief of Lenny
DiNardo on May 21 at Philadelphia...entered in the third inning and tossed 3.0 frames, allowing
4 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks, fanning 2...also collected his first major league at-bat, striking out...was originally recalled from Pawtucket on May 19 and returned to Triple-A following the game
on May 21...has now made a total of 4 Major League appearances, one as a starter, in the last 3
seasons since making his big league debut on July 22, 2004, a start vs. Baltimore.
2005
SUMMARY: Was named to the Triple-A International League's mid-season All-Star team
and went on to tie for 6th in the league with 11 wins, going 11-6 with a 4.85 ERA in 26
starts for Pawtucket...struck out 109 and walked just 31 in 144.2 innings for the PawSox,
an average of 6.8 K's and 1.9 walks per 9 innings...was twice recalled to Boston, posting
no record and a 15.43 ERA (4 ER/2.1 IP) in 2 big league games out of the bullpen...did
not see action in his first stint of the season with Boston July 2-3...worked a scoreless
9th inning August 28 vs. Detroit in his first career major league relief appearance before
allowing 4 runs on 6 hits in 1.1 innings the next night vs. Tampa Bay...was rated as having
the best control of any pitcher in the Red Sox organization in
Baseball America's annual
Best Tools survey following the 2005 season.
HE'S JUST THE PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Was named International League Pitcher of the
Week for the week of June 6-12 after going 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA (1 ER/13.0 IP) in 2
starts...allowed just 5 hits and 2 walks in those 2 starts, fanning 15.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Held opponents to a .255 average, including a .238 mark by
lefties...held opposing batters to a .227 (83-for-366) average with the bases empty, but
was hit at a .354 (35-for-99) clip with runners in scoring position...struck out a season-high 9 batters twice: June 6 vs. Richmond and August 7 vs. Buffalo...issued 2 walks or fewer in 20 of his 26 starts, including no walks 9 times and one walk 4 times...enjoyed a pair of 4-game winning streaks: May 21-June 11 and July 18-August 7...however, closed the season with 2 losses over 3 starts, posting an 8.04 ERA (14 ER/15.2 IP).
2004
SUMMARY: Was named Double-A Portland's Pitcher of the Year after going 10-9 with a 3.59 ERA in 26 starts in his first full pro season...was also named to the Eastern League's mid-season All-Star team...was one of only 7 pitchers in the league with at least 10 wins, and his 3.59 ERA ranked 7th...fanned 108 and walked just 32, a 3.4-to one
strikeout-to-walk ratio...limited opponents to a .252 average, including a .189 (23-for-122) mark by lefties...became the first member of Boston's 2003 draft class to reach the majors when he started game one of a July 22 doubleheader vs. Baltimore.
YOUTH SHALL BE SERVED: Made his major league debut at the age of 21 years, 9 months
and 5 days, the youngest Red Sox pitcher to make his major league debut as a starter
since Jeff Sellers (21 years, 4 months, 4 days) on September 15, 1985...was the first
Sox player to make the jump from Double-A to the majors since Casey Fossum in 2001.
DETAILING THE DEBUT: Was an 8-3 loser to the O's, allowing 5 runs on 8 hits and 5
walks over 5.0 innings...fanned 2...opened the game with a strikeout of David Newhan...gave
up a 2-run homer to Miguel Tejada in the first and a solo blast to Melvin Mora in the
3rd...the only lefthander to start a game for the 2005 Red Sox, Alvarez became the first
Sox lefty starter in 129 games since Casey Fossum August 21, 2003 vs. Oakland.
2003
Signed with the Red Sox June 27 and made his pro debut with short-season Single-A Lowell...posted no record and did not allow an earned run in 19.0 innings over 9 starts...struck out 19 and walked just 2...limited opponents to a .138 average...did not walk a batter in his first 6 starts (10.0 IP)...closed out the season with a 3.0-inning start and 4.0-inning start after tossing 2.0 innings or less his first 7 times out.
