Schilling's shot at a complete game was derailed in the seventh. He allowed only a two-out walk, but needed 28 pitches. After the eighth, he was at 103 (8-4-0-1-4). Brendan Donnelly pitched the ninth. (box)
Eric Hinske got the offense going with a triple in the second inning. He and JD Drew scored on a fielding error by Gary Matthews in center. A wild pitch scored the 3rd run in the following inning.
With two outs in the sixth, Julio Lugo walked and stole second. Hinske walked (and finished the day with a triple, single, two walks and three runs scored). Then David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez stroked RBI singles. Papi belted a three-run tater to dead center in the 8th.
The Tigers topped the Blue Jays 10-7, so we're back in first place. The Yankees are floundering in 4th.
***
Hector Carrasco / Curt Schilling, 4 PM
Eric Hinske starts at first base, batting 2nd. ... Carrasco gets the start as Kelvim Escobar was put on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder irritation.
MLB.com's Tom Singer has a nice piece on Papelbon's apperance last night. It begins:
Four years later, Bill James' message is finally getting through.Singer refers to James as "the renowned baseball numbers-cruncher", although James is nothing of the kind. But I'm nitpicking -- stuff like this is still good to see.
(If Singer had mentioned that what happened last night is what ignorant people deride as "bullpen by committee", I would have been really thrilled.)
36 comments:
James as "the renowned baseball numbers-cruncher"
I think that's a very nice way to refer to James. It's how most people would recognize him, and it's not derogatory.
If Singer had mentioned that what happened last night is what ignorant people deride as "bullpen by committee", I would have been really thrilled.
But you know what? Since most people think that expression connotes something bad, unwieldy, stupid, ineffective - and since last night anyone who watched the game saw something creative and effective - it's just as well that we lose the C-by-C tag.
If Tito is praised for the way he managed in the sports media (which I hope he has been?), he'll have more courage and confidence to continue it - other open-minded managers might think a bit more outside the script - and there could be some positive momentum.
And if a bunch of dittoheads never connect the creative managing they're seeing with the stupid C-by-C label, who cares. It's a stupid expression anyway.
bad, unwieldy, stupid, ineffective
that was the manager who was too stupid to figure it out.
MUMS alert:
OK, they're not flat-out bad-mouthing Manny. But Dick Stockton can NEVER say anything good about Manny without saying something negative, too.
He can never just praise Manny. When McCarver praises Manny's offensive numbers, Stockton has to emphasize that Manny is great ON the field, obviously implying that he's trouble off the field. He has to mention that Manny "has been a liability in LF, although he's much much improved this year". Like the improvement just started this year! (And like there have been enough games this year to judge anything.)
Whatever good comes up about Manny, he MUST bring up something negative, or at the very least remind us that there's more to baseball than... baseball.
that was the manager who was too stupid to figure it out.
You know that, and Joy Nation knows that, but...
Francona could, if he chose, say very quickly that:
"What we did with Papelbon in the 8th was what CYC is all about -- using your best resouces when you need them most. There are undoubtedly many reason why that didn't work out here before I was hired -- and I know that CYC has gotten a bad name in this city -- but what I did last night was exactly what the front office here believes CYC is all about."
Boom.
If Tito said that, I'd send him flowers!!!!
Dumb announcer alert:
Tim McC said he listened (?) to the NESN broadcast last night. He mentioned Don & Jerry by name, then said Jerry made an interesting point that he had never thought of before.
Jerry said (says McCarver) that most visiting players play the Fenway LF too deep, but
Red Sox players play it more shallow, which is better. He mentions Yaz and Manny playing shallow. Then he and Stockton discuss it.
A, they never really explained why you need to play LF shallow. They kept saying if the ball gets past you it will hit the wall, but they never explain what that means. They never use the word "carom" or even say "play it off the wall".
But more importantly, B, McCarver never thought of this before??? We only say this once a game! I knew this as a 16-year-old Yankees fan, and I didn't know anything but what I saw with my own eyes (never read about or discussed baseball with anyone).
Granted, McCarver is not a Sox announcer, but is it possible he never noticed this before, in all his years as a player and announcer?
If Tito said that, I'd send him flowers!!!!
Maybe that's why he hasn't said it.
****
He did explain it very well on camera in today's game. Something like, he's there to get us critical outs, and sometimes we're not going to get to the save situation in the 9th unless we bring him in in the 8th.
He did the dugout interview? He hates those and I thought he was going to tell a coach to do them.
...
All he has to do is connect the two ideas: Say it, Tito, say it!!!
Maybe that's why he hasn't said it.
What? He doesn't like flowers? ... How about some chocolates? Maybe a teddy bear?
He did the dugout interview? He hates those and I thought he was going to tell a coach to do them.
He did it.
What? He doesn't like flowers? ... How about some chocolates? Maybe a teddy bear?
Hey, give it a go. I thought you were saving it all for Papi, but sure, spread it around.
Hinske for MVP!
.800 / .875 / 1.400
OPS: 2.275!
(only 8 PA: 4 hits and 3 walks and a 7-pitch K)
Has McIdiot called Donnelly "Brandon" yet?
I thought you 2 lived together?
L-girl- Hit the mute button
I know that was hard to listen to, very hard.....
Stockton is like 80 isn't he..
He did make it sound like Manny was was out raping and pillaging small villages when he wasn't playing.......
Not fair.....
Schill looked awesome.
Defense played real well too.
Hmmmmmmm....Pitching and Defense.....Who knew?
I thought you 2 lived together?
We do, but we are often following the game from separate work places. :)
Yes, mute is essential. But then I can't leave the room or look at the computer. But you're right. Mute it is.
He did make it sound like Manny was was out raping and pillaging small villages when he wasn't playing.......
I'm glad it wasn't just me. :)
Stockton has to emphasize that Manny is great ON the field, obviously implying that he's trouble off the field.
Every single teammate he has ever played with has only good things to say about him. If you read all the papers, you see glimpses into his personality in the clubhouse here and there (there are writers he chats with every so often) and it sounds great.
But no matter. Despite a mountain of evidence, the media will continue to insist on the opposite.
(McCarver should be a natural at this. How many times has he been hammering home a point about some play, then all of the replays will show clearly the opposite happened, but he'll continue on with his hectoring. If I had a loonie for every time ...)
We do, but we are often following the game from separate work places.
And I missed most of the first, third and fourth innings. Damn employer expecting me to work during the hours I'm on the job. Pfft.
Nice job by Schill, the boys are heating up for TO. Manny likes the Dome, he should be rarin'. As for Coco ...
We need to encourage Tito to keep up the Paps 'snuffer' role, no matter which late inning the bad guys start to rally. We should send him some inspirational 'stay the course' speeches. Anybody know where to find them?
I'm in Boise, ID and they were playing the stupid Mariners / Rangers game on Fox and not the Red Sox. RAH! So I listened on Gameday Audio and enjoyed hearing Schilling shut down the Angels. Well done today.
Damn employer expecting me to work during the hours I'm on the job.
I hope they are not monitoring my key strokes.
The "Snuffer"! I like it.
We need to encourage Tito to keep up the Paps 'snuffer' role,
The Snuffer! I love it. We should call Paps that. It sounds so mean.
I hope they are not monitoring my key strokes.
Good lord. We'd both have been unemployed long, long ago.
Welcome to comments, jp8!
...
Snuffer doesn't sound very mean to me (and I do like Papelbot), but I may have to start using it. Some SoSHers called him the Reaper last year, but I never thought much of that.
I thought about calling him Scrabble, but it doesn't make much baseball/closer sense.
Papsmear (as in "you've been ...") never really caught on, did it?
:>)
Papsmear (as in "you've been ...") never really caught on, did it?
There's a reason for that.
Snuffer isn't your guy for the gimme 3-run lead, 7-8-9-guys-in-the-batting-order save. Snuffer stomps on the roaches while they're feeding. However, all bets are off when there's a narrow last-inning lead in Yankee-land (or maybe even in the Dome). Now if one of his mates were to step up ...
Coco is hearing the footsteps of Jacoby Ellsbury.
Snuffer isn't your guy for the gimme 3-run lead, 7-8-9-guys-in-the-batting-order save.
I'll be very curious what Tito does when Snuffer is rested and the Red Sox are up 5-2 going into the 9th -- say in the first game of a MFY series. ... Veeeeeeery curious.
If he brings in Arm X and things get hairy, he can still use Snuffer. But Tito should save him for series games 2 and 3, if necessary.
(I see that he's plain ol' Snuffer. No "the".)
Yeah, that's the quandary, whether to put the first game in the bag and risk burning Snuffer for the rest of the series, especially on the road. That Yankee lineup is so friggen scary. Tito will really have to trust whatever Spidey sense he's got going at the moment--not the time to consult a script.
On the other hand, both Jeter and Cano have booted balls early, 3-0 A's, bottom 3rd.
There has to be something better than ......Snuffer
It does sound a bit too much like Snuffleupagus.
Unlike many baseball lifers, I'm not set in my ways--'Paps' works for me.
In other news, fucking ARod just homered. 3-1 A's, top 5th.
I would like to see Wily Mo Pena play right. J.D. Drew play center and Coco serve as the fourth outfielder. Ellsbury will arrive as the starting center fielder in 2008; no need to rush him. The Sox have David Murphy, Brandon Moss and Alex Ochoa as outfield options at Pawtucket if Crisp is dealt during the season, though.
Jeff
http://www.soxandpinstripes.com
I do wonder how long of a leash Coco will get. And he's getting frustrated. His contract is not horrible, but who wants to give up value for him when he's slumping?
We're only 10 games in. I don't want to start complaining until May. (Or maybe the end of the 1st NYY series, depending on how that goes.)
If Crisp rides the pine, Drew should stay in right. Wily E. Pena seemed more secure in center last year.
howdy you've now made the big time *wink* *wink* - this is a solid blog. dig it. i'll be checking it out more as although i am not a red sox fan, i *hate* the yankees and i'm curious about dice-k
Listening to 'EEI, today's game cancelled already, tomorrow's may be pushed back to 1 pm start, depending on weather.
Really? MLB hadn't updated.
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