Arroyo spits the bit (3-7-7-3-2), and while DiNardo holds the line (4-1-0-3-2), Lilly continues to look like Lefty Grove to the Red Sox.
Edgar says he's made enough outs this year (home run, double, two walks), but no one else in the lineup does much of anything. Boston leaves seven guys on base in the first five innings, and 11 overall.
New York edges Baltimore 2-1 -- we're one game out in the East -- but Tampa shuts out Cleveland 1-0 -- so we're still tied for the WC.
I keep telling myself "At least Cleveland lost" over and over to make myself feel better.
ReplyDeleteIt's not working.
Of all the nights for Arroyo to be terrible...he'd been great all month and on his final start of the (regular) season, he has NOTHING. Ugh. And Clement has been knocked around by the Jays all season long, so I'm not holding out much hope for tomorrow either. [Sigh]
Well, at least maybe Edgar's haters will finally shut up for awhile. He picked a damn fine week to get hot...too bad a lot of the others aren't helping him out.
Not much else to say except; "Go Orioles! Go Devil Rays!"
How does this Blue Jay team take us to task so often?
ReplyDeleteIs our pitching THAT bad?
How do we win every Arroyo start this month but THIS one?
And is Lilly THAT good? Our batters look like they are doing mental calculus while at the plate.
4 more... MUST WIN
We're gone, nuf ced. Time to find a new hobby.
ReplyDeleteAh, sean, you were around last season, weren't you? Don't give up hope yet! Right after tonight's game, I wanted to pack it all in, too. Now, I'm looking forward to tomorrow's game. Fucking Blue Jays.
ReplyDeleteThough as I said on Soxaholix, I'd almost rather they just give up the ghost and lose from here on so I can start mourning and quit having pain.
Almost.
I don't think this team will win the Series, but some nice Yankee-eliminating would be a good balm for that.
We're gone, nuf ced. Time to find a new hobby.
ReplyDeleteI hope this was just venting! I would think last year would teach us all a lesson about quitting.
Hey! The word verification thingy is giving me "soxfev". Just add ER! :)
Wildcard schmildcard. I want the division. Pardon my French, but I'm sick and fucking tired of backing into the playoffs.
ReplyDeletePeople! People! Don't Panic. So Ted Lilly has the Sox number. But there is much reason to be joyful. 1) Lenny DeNardo proved that, as we thought, there were some options in the pen not named Chad. As a lefty, he, not The Golden Child, should fill out the post season pen. 2) I refuse to believe that a 34 year-old putz like Aaron Small is going to go 10-0. The Yankees were unbelievably lucky with him and Chacon, but even luck must yield to the laws of the universe. He's a journeyman who just finished the streak of his life, not the second-coming of Catfish Hunter. The O's will beat him. They are playing like a major league team again. 3) The Sox WILL win the Division ("You WILL make the sacond shot!" Gene Hackman, HOOSIERS), but the Wild Card has its strategic advantages...it means playing the ChiSox, who are really a .500 team that had a lucky start, instead of the Indians, who are much more dangerous...at least until they play the Sox in the ALCS.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I now firmly believe that Arroyo is not a pressure pitcher, and belongs in the post season pen, and that there is no longer any doubt Kevin Millar's pathetic mediocrity this year is a millstone that has cost the team 4-5 games in the standings. Bye Kevin..we love ya man, and we're grateful, but you stayed too long at the dance...
i'm going with this as the reason for bronson sucking.
ReplyDeletehttp://deadspin.com/sports/boston-red-sox/bronson-arroyo-now-officially-a-rock-star-126520.php
In the interest of fairness, I'll say that I had no problem with when Francona pulled Brandon.
ReplyDeleteYou could say he stayed with him one batter too long -- the walk to Adams -- but that's it.
The first inning is the first inning. And the Sox got one run back on ER's HR and trailed 2-1.
A two-out walk in the second. Fine.
The Third: HR, single, K, HR. Obviously not good, and a clear sign that a short leash (and a ready pen) was needed. Arroyo's last 13 pitches had been strikes, though, and only 3 had been hit fair. DiNardo was up at this point. Arroyo got the next 2 guys.
In the fourth, he walked Gross and then Hill singled. DiNardo was up again here. It didn't look like he was warming at the start of the inning, so perhaps F-Cat was the first batter he really was ready to face.
DiNardo pitched well, as did Delcarmen. ... Could they have helped in earlier games if Tito had acknowledged their existence? Perhaps. We'll never know.
Don't forget to pull for those Tigers. That 3 game series @ CLE over the weekend has to matter for the White Sox, or they'll roll over and then we have no fallback plan.
ReplyDeleteI've been waiting for about a month to see DiNardo used in a meaningful spot (7th inning) Maybe last night will give Tito some confidence. Him and Papelbon would be a better combo than the sidearming specialists.