I would like to think that the seventh-inning stretch of tonight's game was the low point of the 2006 season.
Tim Wakefield had exited after four innings with a "strained upper back", the lowly Royals had gotten every conceivable break on batted balls, using bloops, squibs and bleeders (along with some walks and two HBP) to take a 4-0 lead.
On the other side of the scoresheet, the Red Sox either looked like Little Leaguers at the plate (Lowell's strikeout in the second and myriad other swings by just about everyone else) or hit anything hard right at an opposing fielder (Nixon's hard grounder to first in the 2nd, his line drive at Hudson to end the 4th, and his long drive to deep center in the 7th; Ortiz's line drive to second which ended the 6th when Loretta was doubled off first).
Elsewhere, Toronto had scored nine times in the 4th inning against Texas and the Yankees led Seattle 4-2 and were poised to move into first place in the East.
So ...
In the Red Sox 7th, Manny Ramirez led off with a hard single off the Wall. Nixon's drive was caught against the wall in center, but Lowell and Coco Crisp each singled and Boston had scored a run. Luke Hudson was relieved by Joel Peralta.
Doug Mirabelli took a 3-1 pitch outside, which should have loaded the bases for the Sox. But home plate umpire Jim Joyce called it a strike and Mirabelli, who had taken about three steps towards first base, had to come back. Peralta's 3-2 pitch was a fastball and the SWHB drilled it into the Monster Seats in left-center for a game-tying home run. Thanks, ump!
Belli: "I was starting to walk to first base thinking it was ball four. I took a second to regroup and in that situation you're trying to get a pitch, get a strike. Coming from 3-1 and now I'm 3-2, I had no idea what he's going to throw there at that time. I just sold out on the fastball and was fortunate."
Two singles from Loretta and David Ortiz to start the 8th inning put runners at first and third and Ramirez's sacrifice fly to left scored pinch-runner Willie Harris with the go-ahead run. (Also: Ortiz stole second when Nixon struck out. On the replay we saw that Flo had nearly stopped halfway to the bag, then turned it on again and still beat the high throw. Manny and Kevin Youkilis were going nuts in the dugout, pointing, waving and laughing. Standing at second base, Ortiz tried to hide his giggles.)
The bullpen had to work overtime tonight and the combined line of Delcarmen, Hansen, Timlin and the Papelbot was solid: 5-3-1-0-2.
Perfect example of the worthless strike zone judgment of MLB umpires: Delcarmen's 0-2 pitch to Matt Stairs in the 5th: at the belt, right over the heart of the plate. Ball 1. (Too high, I guess.) Next pitch, again at the belt, but a little bit outside, could have caught the corner. Ball 2. ... So while Bud Selig blathers about the sanctity of the All-Star Game, his umpires can't be bothered to (a) know what the fucking rule book strike zone is and (b) enforce it.
***
late rally > no rally
***
Luke Hudson (5.79) / Tim Wakefield (4.05), 7 PM
In Hudson's first start of the year, on July 7 against Toronto, he pitched five innings, allowing one run and two hits.
Add that to the 6 runs he allows in his first 3 innings tonight, and what does that make his ERA? Just curious.
ReplyDeleteyep. belli is the hero 2nite.
ReplyDeletei cannot tell you the ammount of steam beginning to form on top of my head upon glancing at my gameday window as it refreshed and refreshed showing mirabelli at the plate each time, when i thought for sure that tek would be in to replace him, down 3 runs with 2 on in the bottom of the 7th.
but of course, it was the right decision to keep him in ;)
Yeah, I had a similar thought on getting Flash too from the Phillies. They clearly not contenders and we could use him.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem counter-intuitive to have Paps out in the pen when we have great needs in the rotation.
believe it or not...Joe Morgan (who i typically don't like) has always said STARTING pitching is crucial because it saves the bullpen for when it truly is needed.
How about let's leave Flash Gordon and Jon Papelbon right where they are. Just my opinion.
ReplyDelete"The pitching STAFF is broke, and Papelbon can fix it."
ReplyDeleteIf you truly think this, you are panicking.
No panicking while still in first place, says I.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteIf Pap wasn't as lights-out as he is, I might agree (with him becoming a starter). But, as it is, I'd rather have him locking up nearly every game where we have a late lead than have him try to give us a win (without himself as the closer) once every five days.
ReplyDeleteIt is a tough call but I'm leaning more towards leaving Flash in Philly. It was a good thought but he is older and could breakdown.
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued with the idea of allowing Tavarez to start a few games. Why not? He has pitched decent in spots. Maybe he needs something new. Might not happen if we trade him to the Rockies though.
Who would we get from the Rockies for him?
ReplyDeleteAgree that as maddening as he's been, he has chewed up some innings for us this year. Which can't be said of Rudy; that stat Redsock posted about his first hitter reaching base was downright shocking.