Dustin Pedroia Backs Up Kevin Youkilis And His Work Ethic

One day after Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine criticized third baseman Kevin Youkilis for his lack of initiative, fellow star Dustin Pedroia came to his teammates' aid, according to WEEI.com.

Pedroia said he doesn't get what Valentine was talking about when speaking on Sunday in an interview in reference to Youkilis.

"I know that Youk plays as hard as anybody I've ever seen in my life,"Pedroia said. "I have his back, and his teammates have his back. We know how hard he plays. I don't really understand what Bobby's trying to do. But that's really not the way we go about our stuff here. I'm sure he'll figure that out soon."

The second baseman then expounded.

"We've got Youk's back. He's played his [butt] off for us for a long time. Anytime he steps on the field, he's a great player. We're here to win, and we're here to win with him."

Valentine might be in danger of losing the locker room even in the midst of a mini-turn around. The Sox have won three straight, but if Valentine doesn't right the ship it could get ugly in a hurry.

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