BOSTON -- Would-be Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey said he is "fairly confident" he will be back by the end of the season after surgery to repair a ligament in his right thumb. Cheap Jerseys USA . Bailey had surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament and said he expected to return and help out the beleaguered bullpen before the season is out. "The whole season isnt lost. Theres a lot of good in that," Bailey said Friday during a conference call. "Its still very frustrating to have to start the year like this." Bailey was injured while covering first base in a March 21 spring training game against Pittsburgh. He tried to pitch through it, but "it got worse and worse," he said. Bailey will spend the next 10-14 days in a soft cast before he can begin rehabbing. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are looking for a closer to replace Bailey. He was acquired to replace Jonathan Papelbon, who saved 219 games and posted a 2.33 ERA during seven years in Boston. Papelbon, who got the last out of their 2007 World Series sweep of Colorado, left as a free agent in the off-season, taking a $50 million, four-year deal from Philadelphia to be its closer. The Red Sox acquired Bailey in a trade with Oakland over the off-season. But his injury troubles, which put him on the disabled list in each of the previous two seasons, quickly resurfaced. He strained a lat muscle in his entrance physical and missed the early part of spring training before returning to pitch in six games. The latest injury was bad luck. "Its just a freak thing," he said. "Its not really a throwing injury. Its trying to be an athlete and cover first base." With Bailey out at least until the All-Star break, the Red Sox are hoping to find a closer from within. Alfredo Aceves and Mark Melancon are possibilities, but the pair of ex-Yankees already failed once. The Red Sox rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie the opener against Detroit on Thursday, but the Tigers got back-to-back, one-out singles against Melancon. Aceves hit Ramon Santiago on the foot to load the bases before Austin Jackson singled past a drawn-in infield. Bailey said the Boston bullpen is strong without him. "Theres a lot of good arms down there. Those guys are going to have a good year. Im hoping to join them soon," he said. "Itll figure itself out. The bullpen is going to be fine; I know that. Theyll be able to hold it down until Im able to get back and help them out." Cheap Jerseys NFL . James Andrews following inflammation that landed him on the disabled list in August. An MRI showed a bone spur in the left elbow and the Yankees believe it has existed since he pitched for the Cleveland Indians from 2001-08. Cheap Jerseys . -- David Garrard is listed as the first-team quarterback on the Miami Dolphins first depth chart, ahead of Matt Moore and first-round pick Ryan Tannehill as they try to win the starting job. http://herownblog.com/cheapnflje... . Arrieta pitched seven scoreless innings, Nick Markakis homered and drove in three runs, and the Orioles marked the 20th anniversary of the opening of Camden Yards by defeating the Minnesota Twins 4-2 Friday. [url=http://herownblog.com/cheapnfljerseys.html]Cheap Jerseys From China . Ptaszek was named CIS coach of the year Wednesday night at the All-Canadian Awards Banquet. "Theres so many people that I respect, and so many programs that I look up to, that have been acknowledged this way, to be acknowledged is humbling and flattering and overwhelming," said Ptaszek. Cheap NFL Authentic Jerseys . Seaus ex-wife and four children sued the league Wednesday, saying the former linebackers suicide was the result of brain disease caused by violent hits he sustained while playing football. PITTSBURGH -- Pedro Alvarez is in the Pittsburgh Pirates lineup every day because of his bat. Turns out, the third basemans feet -- not to mention his glove -- work too. Alvarez scored on an unconventional slide in the second inning for the games only run and turned in a couple of defensive gems to help the Pirates to a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. "I try to be ready every time on defence and anticipate the ball being hit to me," Alvarez said. "Like Ive said before, I take a lot of pride in my defence." A.J. Burnett and four relievers sent the listless Cubs to their 10th straight loss by surviving on a night the Pirates allowed 10 hits and ran into trouble in just about every inning. Burnett (3-2) gave up six hits, struck out six and walked two over 5 1-3 innings and the National Leagues best bullpen made it stand up as Pittsburgh extended Chicago starter Ryan Dempsters misery. Joel Hanrahan worked out of a two-on, one out jam in the ninth for his 11th save. Dempster (0-3) remains winless since last August, surrendering one run and seven hits in 7 1-3 innings, striking out six and walking one while dropping his ERA to 2.14. Still, it wasnt enough to keep the Cubs from posting their first 10-game losing streak since dropping the first 14 games of the 1997 season. Chicago left 11 runners on base and went 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position. Pittsburgh wasnt much better but only needed Rod Barajas RBI-single that scored Alvarez to beat the floundering Cubs. "Its unbelievable," Chicago manager Dale Sveum said. "We out-hit the opponent every night and cant score. We cant seem to get that hit with men in scoring position." The Cubs started the season 13-11 but have sunk to the bottom of the NL Central thanks to an offence that has stopped producing. They have scored just four runs in their last 56 innings. "Im a little lost for words now," Sveum said. "Its kind of the same thing. But guys are battling, having decent, good at-bats -- just not finalizing it, really. A lot of good at-bats, just not getting it done." Chicago had plenty of chances, putting at least one runner in scoring position in all but two innings, but Burnett relied on his slider and his defence to wiggle free on a night where he laboured to get through Chicagos struggling lineup. Burnett needed 105 pitches to get 16 outs and took advantage of some nifty glovework by Alvarez, who saved at least one run in the fifth by making a diving stab of a sharp grounder by Joe Mather then firing to first to end the inning as the Cubs came up empty with runners on second and third. Cheap Jerseys Store. "The defence was big," Burnett said. "They saved a couple of them and I was able to find my hook for a batter or two." Chicago threatened again an inning later only to run itself out of a two-on, one-out situation when Alfonso Soriano crashed into Alvarez trying to move from second to third on a groundball by Darwin Barney. Soriano was called out due to runners interference and reliever Jared Hughes got Koyle Hill to ground meekly to second to end the threat. The Cubs ran out of chances once the Pirates got to their bullpen, which leads the National League in ERA. Jason Grilli struck out the side in the seventh, Juan Cruz picked off Chicagos Tony Campana at second base to cut short a rally in the eighth before Hanrahan took over in the ninth. Chicago put runners on the corners with one out on singles by Barney and pinch-hitter Reed Johnson but Hanrahan struck out David DeJesus and Starlin Castro to end it. "Runners on the corners, youre thinking How you going to get out of it?" Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "(Hanrahan) showed you how to get out, you get ahead and throw strikes." The loss was more of the same for Dempster, who hasnt won in a stretch of 17 starts. Hes been among the best pitchers in the NL this season, but has been undone by a lack of run support. The Cubs have scored just 16 runs in Dempsters eight starts this season. "Its hard for us -- 10 games in a row is not a lot of fun," Dempster said. "It doesnt make coming to the ballpark fun, it doesnt make going out there and playing fun. Weve just got to fight through it." NOTES: Pittsburgh RF Josh Harrison went 1 for 4 to extend his hitting streak to 10 games ... Chicago reliever Carlos Marmol could be activated off the DL on Monday. Marmol hasnt pitched since May 11 due to a strained right hamstring ... Pittsburgh starter Jeff Karstens will start for Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday as he continues to rehab from a right shoulder inflammation ... The series continues Saturday, with Chicagos Paul Maholm (4-3, 4.73 ERA) facing Pittsburghs Kevin Correia (1-5, 4.50). Maholm spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Pirates before signing with the Cubs during the off-season. ' ' '