With 2 outs in the bottom of the third, and the Yankees ahead 3-0, Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek hit consecutive home runs.Four taters -- back-to-back-to-back-to-back -- in the span of 10 pitches! It's the first time in team history that has been done. It was also the second home run of the young season for all four batters.
Six innings later ... SWEEP! Trailing 5-4, Boston takes the lead on Lowell's second home run of the game, a three-run job in the 7th.
The Yankees get another run, but Papelbon nails it down: Damon (bsbffb) flies to left, Jeter (cbs) strikes out swinging, Abreu (bbcbf) walks, and Slappy (sf) hits into a force play.
(During Jeter's AB, all four pitches were clocked at 95 during live action. But when ESPN ran its K-Zone replay of the AB, the speeds suddenly jumped to 98-98-99-98. WTF ESPN?)
Boston improves its MLB-best record to 12-5 -- Sox have won 9 of the last 11 -- while New York drops to 8-9 (4 GB).
***
Chase Wright (4.11, 1.600) / Daisuke Matsuzaka (2.70, 1.100), 8 PM
This is Dice-K's 4th start.
IP H ER BB K PITIn his 3 starts, his teammates have scored a mere 5 runs.
0405 at KC 7 6 1 1 10 108 Sox win 4-1
0411 vs Sea 7 8 3 1 4 103 Sox lose 3-0
0417 at Tor 6 3 2 3 10 105 Sox lose 2-1
20 17 6 5 24 316 2.70 ERA
A sweep of the Yankees at Fenway? It could happen tonight, for the first time since 1990 -- when it happened twice!
0604 Red Sox 5, Yankees 3Laura and I were at the August 31 game [cough]Luis Alicea[cough], sitting deep in the right field grandstand with tickets that I choked and paid way too much for on the street.
0605 Red Sox 9, Yankees 8
0606 Red Sox 4, Yankees 1 (Boddicker 2-hitter)
0607 Red Sox 3, Yankees 0 (Harris 1-hitter)
0831 Red Sox 7, Yankees 3
0901 Red Sox 15, Yankees 1
0902 Red Sox 7, Yankees 1
Press:
Yankees Ready For Matsuzaka - Herald
Dice-K Joins In Rivalry - Herald
Matsuzaka Is Set To Dive In - Globe
Dice Adds Some Spice - Newsday
The Dice Man Cometh - Daily News
Bombers Ready For Matsuzaka - Daily News
Laura and I were at the August 31 game [cough]Luis Alicea[cough],
ReplyDelete!!!!!!!!!
Wearing my Yankees cap when that little twerp hit a GRAND SLAM and everyone in Fenway rose for a resounding rendition of their favourite chant. I just sat there, smiling sheepishly. What else could I do.
Allan stood but did not chant, out of deference to me, although he's not much of a chanter anyway. Later he told our friends he was chanting inside.
***
I was actually always glad when the Red Sox won when we were at Fenway. Allan got there so rarely, I wanted him to see a win.
See? There are nice Yankees fans. At least there was one, once.
Geez. Luis Alicea, what a memory.
Looking at Retrosheet, I saw the 15-1 score and vaguely remembered that game (I thought Greenwell had a good day (he did: 4-for-5, 2 doubles, HR, 5 RBI)) and thought of our trip. I remember wishing we had stayed for that game too. I clicked the link and saw a "4" in the 8th inning. Bingo!
ReplyDeleteMy friend Ray -- who we stayed with in Vermont the next day -- had a sign in his yard out by the road with a big "7-3" on it to greet us on the way in. ... Well, it was really just to rag on Laura!
See? There are nice Yankees fans.
ReplyDeleteDon't get Jere in a lather.
had a sign in his yard out by the road with a big "7-3" on it to greet us on the way in.
ReplyDeleteI believe there was also a framed photo of Clemens.
Ray says it's no fun anymore since my conversion.
The picture of Clemens was propped up on a branch in a tree!
ReplyDeleteRay, you out there?
See? There are nice Yankees fans.
ReplyDeleteThis is true - my boss is the nicest Yankee fan I know, and it's not due to apathy, she makes trips to Florida for spring training and has fantasy teams, she cares about baseball. Actually, come to think of it, that seems to be the key. She really cares about baseball. She loves the game, then the Yankees.
Of course she hissed, "enemy" at me everytime she saw me on Friday!
Put HP umpire Sam Holbrook on tonight's lead pipe list.
ReplyDeleteDice clearly had Abreu struck out on a 2-2 pitch to end the first, but Holbrook said no. Abreu walked, Slappy got hit and Giambi doubled both guys in.
Well, Matsuzaka looks like shit.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say that. He should have been out of the 1st. He got the side in order in the 2nd. He got Abreu and Slappy looking and gave up a hit on a lucky bloop that fell out of Pedroia's reach.
ReplyDeleteHe's hit Slappy and Jeter, but since when is that a bad thing?
Down 0-3 with 7 more innings to bat? I wouldn't give up now.
Booyah! Manny Being Manny.
ReplyDelete3-1.
Drew too!!!
ReplyDeleteTwo solo blasts = 3-2.
AND LOWELL HITS ONE!!!!
ReplyDeleteBACK TO BACK TO BACK HR
TIE GAME - 3-3.
back to back, belly to belly, can we go for four?
ReplyDeleteFOUR IN A ROW AS VARITEK GOES DEEP INTO THE MONSTER SEATS.
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHAHA
Sox 4-3.
And all with 2 outs in the inning.
ReplyDeleteYee-ha!
It's home run derby at Fenway!!!
ReplyDeleteFirst time in Sox history! Thank you Chase Wright!!
ReplyDeleteLet's Chase Wright!
ReplyDeleteWell, Matsuzaka looks like shit.
ReplyDeleteNo, but Chase Wright does.
Holy shit, what happened there?
ReplyDeleteJon Miller: lustily.
ReplyDeleteYeah, lustily booed, lustily cheered.
ReplyDelete***
Hey, how 'bout Pedroia's nice hit - and a nice stab to make up for the one he missed earlier. I hope he's coming around.
Hey, nice taters! :)
ReplyDeleteNo one can be happy with Matsuzaka tonight. This is a Derek Lowe performance.
ReplyDeleteGet him out of there, bring in Snyder before this gets out of hand.
Two Pawtucket starts for Lester and then up to Boston? Maybe.
ReplyDeleteNo one can be happy with Matsuzaka tonight. ... bring in Snyder before this gets out of hand.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the guy's thrown 25 major league innings. Why isn't he tossing perfect games every time out? Especially against a team that's scoring 6.5 runs per game? Bum!
Synder? ... I like Synder, but do you actually hear what you're saying?
Didn't we put all that doom & gloom stuff to permanent rest in 2004? I thought we did.
Look, the "25 innings" thing isn't going to work for someone like Matsuzaka. If we wanted replacement-level production, Abe Alvarez would be starting this game.
ReplyDeleteThis is Daisuke Matsuzaka, who is supposed to be the one of the top pitchers in the world, getting whacked around by Doug Mientkiewicz.
Are you saying that top pitchers never have a bad game?
ReplyDeleteEven when he was giving us the two greatest seasons any pitcher has ever pitched, Pedro allowed 12 hits and 9 runs in 3.2 innings to the Marlins, 4 runs in 6 innings to the Expos, 5 runs in 6.2 innings to the Blue Jays and 6 runs in 8 innings to the Royals.
Papi struck out four times in a game against the Royals this year. Maybe we should toss him overboard and bring back Dante Bichette?
Off nights. Every player has them. It happens.
It's hard to take your negativity seriously, Sean, because it's constant. You're always the voice of gloom and doom.
ReplyDeleteEvery pitcher has to grind it out sometimes. Right after he gave up the HR to Jeter, he struck out A-Rod on 3 pitches. He's not having the best night, but he's not having the worst, either.
Love ya Mike! Love this game.
ReplyDeleteLowell!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great game. What a series!
[And here comes Torre to use yet another pitcher...]
If we wanted replacement-level production, Abe Alvarez would be starting this game.
ReplyDeleteHis ERA+ before this game -- admittedly, only three starts -- was 160. Santana won last year's Cy Young with a 161 ERA+.
And generally in baseball, you don't know how any given player will perform before he actually takes the field for that game.
Honestly, you sound like a kid who is confused when the ace pitcher allows doubles and triples or the star hitter strikes out a couple of time. "Why doesn't he hit a home run every time? I thought he was good."
Remember that I was there to see him get creamed by the Mariners. When Jose Guillen and Jose Vidro are smashing balls everywhere (which they were, consistently), and then the same pitcher gets annihilated here tonight, you have to wonder.
ReplyDeleteThe team is doing great, but Matsuzaka has been just decent against terrible teams in a time when even bad pitchers are dominating. I am very worried for him when the weather gets warm, since he is getting whacked hard in April.
Creamed by the Mariners? What are you talking about?
ReplyDeleteP.S. We have the best record in MLB.
ReplyDeletePedroia gets another hit! I hope this game gives him some confidence. I really want to see this guy do well.
ReplyDeleteP.S. We have the best record in MLB.
ReplyDeleteP.P.S. When the Yankees lose this game, they drop below .500.
I'm loving that this is only the fifth time in Major League history that 4 homers have been hit consecutively (second time off a single pitcher). And that J.D. Drew was involved in TWO of those (last year with the Dodgers, and Nomar hit that 4th if I remember correctly).
ReplyDeleteSean, if Dice-K was "creamed" by the Mariners and is getting "annihilated" tonight, I don't know how you make it through any baseball season, ever.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving that this is only the fifth time in Major League history that 4 homers have been hit consecutively (second time off a single pitcher). And that J.D. Drew was involved in TWO of those
ReplyDeleteAnd Francona's dad was involved in another one! (The first one?)
You have a very strange definition of "just decent". You apparently believe Johan Santana pitching at the top of his game is "just decent".
ReplyDeleteHe allowed 3 runs in 7 innings to Seattle -- in a game I fully expected to see the Sox get no-hit in. He wasn't winning that game no matter what he did. Felix was otherwordly.
the same pitcher gets annihilated here tonight, you have to wonder
ReplyDeleteDan S. ... is that you?
By the way, "annihilated"? That's what happened to Chase Wright.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Tito Francona hit one of the homers. I checked wikipedia, but there wasn't any further detail.
ReplyDeleteSix Degrees of Terry Francona.
Also, each of the Sox' homers was the 2nd of the year for the respective players. Weird.
Wow, the Fenway crowd sure is being nice to a pitcher who got annihilated. I wonder why that is.
ReplyDelete***
Now on to The Jeemer!
Yeah, Tito Francona hit one of the homers.
ReplyDeleteMiller and Morgan asked Tito about it. It sounded like he had heard the story many times when he was growing up. :)
"I really miss not seeing Bernie Williams here."
ReplyDelete-Joe Morgan
Um, me too?
Matsuzaka came into tonight's game with a 2.70 ERA. That would have won the ERA crown last year. His ERA right now -- 3.67 -- would have finished 9th in the AL.
ReplyDeleteIf he had got the calls he should have got tonight and pitches for the rest of the year pretty much how he has done so far, he'll be a strong contender for the Cy Young.
Or "just decent". Whatever.
Pedroia!! Another great play. Very nice.
ReplyDeleteHere we go, boys and girls. Here comes the sweep.
WEB GEM~!
ReplyDeleteGoddamn, I love Pedroia. Don't for a second think his .176 BABIP's gonna last for the full year.
And redsock, do you really think a 2.7 ERA against the Mariners, Royals and a destroyed Blue Jays team, in April, is overwhelmingly impressive? He's been fine, but when he faces decent competition, he has a 7+ era, which is kinda worrying.
ReplyDeleteI love the man, I do, but I have a funny feeling everyone's going to say how great he's been doing so far when it's not the case. And I have some very serious concerns about his high, relatively straight fastball when it's 95 degrees in Texas.
overwhelmingly impressive
ReplyDeleteNo. But he's been quite good, considering the weather, new routine, slightly different size baseball, general hype, etc.
His fastball can be flat, but it isn't his top pitch anyway, and he throws it less often than most pitchers with his velocity.
There are nothing but small samples sizes to go around, including that 7+ ERA thing you wrote.
Let's let him pitch and check back at the ASG.
Papel-bot time! As for Daisuke, if he gives me 16 wins and less than a 5.00 ERA in his first year I will be more than pleased. So far that is easily in reach.
ReplyDeleteYES!!!!! We sweep the Yankees at home, first time in 17 years. Love this team!
ReplyDeleteJoe Torre is playing it like October, and I'm watching it the same way.
ReplyDeletePhew.
And redsock, do you really think a 2.7 ERA against the Mariners, Royals and a destroyed Blue Jays team, in April, is overwhelmingly impressive?
ReplyDeleteHe's been fine
Now you're singing a different tune. You said he was creamed by the Mariners. He wasn't?
but when he faces decent competition, he has a 7+ era
You're basing this on one game. And the Yankees lineup is more than "decent" competition. Perhaps you haven't noticed, but their hitting is extremely good. The Mariners, Blue Jays and Royals (combined) are much closer to the norm when it comes to hitting.
Joe Torre is playing it like October, and I'm watching it the same way.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was suprised to see Pettitte in the game. But he has to see Steinbrenner in Tampa tomorrow.
The Jays just got swept by the Orioles. Chacin got rocked, didn't get out of the 5th. But the Red Sox hitters couldn't solve Chacin. So do the Red Sox suck? Or does Chacin suck?
ReplyDeleteOr is this just how baseball goes??
Sean - dude - Dice-K wasn't perfect tonight, but a lot of the runs were cheap made either by bad calls or not the best defense. The point is - he isn't like 'sexy lips' and gets flustered after a few bad batters - he just goes after the next guy and strikes him out. Dice-K has never seen these Yankee hitters and he's only going to get better. This game was so exciting - everybody in a bar in Boise, ID was cheering for the sox. Time to get out my broom. SWEEP!
ReplyDeletePapelbon is wicked ridiculous!!! Did anybody else see Damon mouth 'Da$n it!' in between Snuffer's pitches?
Morgan says Dice-K has trouble pitching out of the stretch, followed by Gammons, who says he dials it up when he's in a jam. Can't we all just get along? Dice-K going to be great. He's going to be the opposite of most pitchers--the more times he sees a hitter, the more trouble THEY'RE going to be in. And ARod had no wish to work the count against Snuffer. He just wanted to hack and get the hell out of there. I hope he's got fresh undies for the ride back home. Great sweep. Keep 'er goin' against those floundering Jays.
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing though, you can say Kaibutsu has never seen these hitters before, but that gives him the advantage, right? Is Matsuzaka so drastically different from every other pitcher in the league that he doesn't need the novelty effect?
ReplyDeleteAll I'm saying is, there's room for concern. After seeing Beckett flopping around like a dead fish for 30 tear-inducing outings last year, I'm understandably weary.
At least I was dead-freaking-right about Okaji so far. And, is it me, or would someone like Donnelly entering the game in that situation in '05-'06 have immediately led to a massive game implosion? Tonight, even with Pedroia's great stab, somehow it wasn't a problem.
All I'm saying is, there's room for concern.
ReplyDeleteThat wasn't all you were saying.
But if you've dialed it down to there's room for concern, I'm sure everyone agrees with you. There's always that.
Nomar wasn't involved in last year's four consecutive home runs. Your memory deceives you.
ReplyDeleteNomar wasn't involved in last year's four consecutive home runs. Your memory deceives you.
ReplyDeleteHe did win the game with a HR in the next inning, though.