Red Sox - 000 321 210 - 9 16 0
White Sox - 010 220 010 - 6 13 0That one pretty much qualifies as an instant classic. Whew!Lopez and Hansen pitching out of the bases loaded, no outs mess in the seventh (with the Sox up 8-5) was huge. The pen was put in that no-room-for-error spot because of Tito Being Tito, bringing a cooked Beckett out for the seventh and leaving him out there while he walked the #9 hitter Cintron on four pitches, gave up a single to Podsednik and issued a five-pitch walk to Iguchi.
Criticizing Francona in that instance is first-guessing. Leaving the starter in too long and also giving the bullpen no wiggle room is his MO. He has his reasons, apparently, and he's likely going to cost the Sox some more games this season, but I can't see him ever really changing his patterns.
Beckett got credit for his 11th win, but he pitched like absolute poop. He gave up three more home runs, seemingly unwilling to let his teammates enjoy a lead for more than five minutes. Scoreless in the 2nd, Dye goes deep. The Red Sox score three in the 4th to lead 3-1, Beckett gives it back in the bottom half (another Dye dinger to tie the game). Boston goes up 5-3 in the 5th, Beckett surrenders a 2-run bomb to Thome. Despite Beckett throwing only 85 pitches in six innings, it was obviously time to go to the pen.
In the 7th, Lopez struck out Thome on a 1-2 slider away. Then Hansen retired Konerko on a fly to right and Dye on a liner to shortstop. Hansen got into some trouble in the 8th on a trio of squibs and bleeders, but Papelbon came in and slammed the door.
David Ortiz has 31 home runs and 86 RBI -- the highest totals for a Red Sox player in nearly 50 years.
Question for those Fox watchers: Exactly how long did Buck and McMoron go on about Manny not playing in the All-Star Game? I got the impression from the SoSH game thread they would have been less indignant if Ramirez had killed and eaten Buck's dog.
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Josh Beckett (4.59) / Freddy Garcia (4.72), 1:20 PM
why is tito such a blazing retard sometimes? WHY?!
ReplyDeletewe put up a 3-spot in the top of the 7th to get the lead back AGAIN. and then beckett is back out there in the home half. right away he walks someone. does tito go to the bullpen? no. next guys singles. bullpen? not yet. STILL NO OUTS. another walk. bullpen yet? mhmm, yes. yes, nowww we go to the bullpen. bases loaded, no outs with thome at the plate is when you go to the bullpen for frankenwitch.
i don't even care if we get out of the inning unscathed (hope hope). it's just befucked management, and it...gd raises my bloodpressure.
bringing a cooked Beckett out for the seventh and leaving him out there
ReplyDeleteIf Josh Beckett is cooked after 6 innings and 80 some odd pitches we are in trouble.
sounded like he had nothing today. both joe/jerry and soshers said he couldn't keep his fastball down (dye's 1st HR). he still resists going to his curve, and when he did today, it hung (dye's 2nd HR).
ReplyDeletehe wasn't pitching well for whatever reason and it was a mistake in a back-and-forth battle like today for francona to bring him out for another inning.
wrong to stay with him after the cintron walk and certainly wrong after the hit to podsednik (the 10th he allowed today).
we won but that was in spite of tito not because of him. (though there is more good in tito than bad)