The Red Sox left the bases loaded in the first, second and seventh innings. They ended the game having left a season-high 13 runners on base.
They had a chance to pound the hell out of Burres in the early frames and couldn't do it. Mike Lowell was caught looking to end the first, Youkilis flew out to center for the third out in the second, and two pinch-hitters failed to deliver with the sacks full in the seventh: Drew lined to short and Core skied to center.
The last two of Boston's three runs came on bases-loaded walks; the one run that was driven in was Lugo's double in the second, that scored Varitek, who had also doubled.
Lips (5-10-5-4-0-2, 90) was not sharp, though he was also hurt by two poor plays by Wily Mo Pena in right field in the fifth inning (though, honestly, even with a good route, Pena might not have been able to snag the first fly ball (Mora's double)).
Lugo had three hits and Crisp and Youkilis had two. Ortiz had five plate appearances and did not hit a fair ball (BB, BB, BB, K, K).
Javier Lopez was recalled from Pawtucket and pitched the sixth. Devern Hansack was sent down.
***
Brian Burres (3.71, 115 ERA+) / Julian Tavarez (6.48, 67 ERA+)
After 17 relief appearances in 2006 and 2007, LHP Burres made his first major league start last Sunday against Cleveland, giving up seven hits and five runs in 3.2 innings.
Sexy Lips's season has been pretty gruesome thus far, but his last two starts -- against the Yankees (5-3-3-2-2) and Twins (6-4-2-3-7) -- have been acceptable.
Acceptable? How about freaking awesome? If Sexy Lips has another good start, we need to seriously consider whether or not he's truly expendable. For the entertainment value he provides, and mystically his pitching all of a sudden, Tavarez is becoming one of my absolute favorite parts of this team.
ReplyDeleteTo think he's gone from the guy who Sox fans literally seemed afraid of before the games in Philly last year, to potential cult hero, it's incredible. Keep it up, crazy man.
yEAH man i would say awesome and also second the cult hero sentiment.
ReplyDeletei saw him pitch last year. i think it was the last or 2nd to last game of the year, and it was quite entertaining, most of all his attempt to run from the pitchers mound to second base, dive, and tag the baserunner out...who had plennnnty of time to shrug, and take 2 steps back to the base, at least 3 seconds before julian went into his headfirst dive.
frickin excellent show.
going to the game tonite too with my 3 1/2 month old boy...super psyched for his first game!! and altho i could begrudge the fact that its julian pitchin and not schill, becket, dice-k , or even wake...i've convinced myself julian is just as good of a draw.
ap
he does kind of have that 'idiot' factor goin on. he's merry, ya know? also i remember remy saying that he had a rubber arm. i'd still like to have a lefty in lester back in the 5 spot tho.
ReplyDeleteMight be a smallish cult -- looks do count for something. But here's to MLB's first combined cult and one-man petting zoo.
ReplyDeleteWhat I most admire about him was the way he kept a thick skin through his poor performances out of the pen last year only to emerge as a starter. His starts were some of the few bright spots still flickering when the ship was taking on water at the end of last year.
now sean is wondering where my optimism is. heh.
ReplyDeletei wasn't sure how to end that sentence, but he has been more than acceptable lately. ... better pitching through chemistry?
Awww come on Yook! What was that??!?!?
ReplyDeleteLet it be noted, that even though my dumbass blackberry didn't post it, I stand by the line: If Tavarez gives up 2 runs in 6 innings, or 3 in 7, I will buy a Tavarez shirt on Monday.
ReplyDeleteTell you what, since my phone didn't post it, 3 or less after 6, or 4 or less after 7.
Go Sexy Lips!
I didn't realise the size of the strikezone had changed for this game - why was I not informed?
ReplyDeleteDann-
ReplyDeleteWhat're you talking about, it's always 6" off the plate right at the shins.
yeah that last pitch to lowell with the bases loaded was not good enough for strike 3. it was right under the kneecaps.
ReplyDeleteEven the smallest bad calls get to me when I've waited until gone midnight for the game to start - that one had me about to throw the laptop across the room.
ReplyDeleteWe knocked the appendix out of Halladay last night.......The BJ's are all done...
ReplyDelete2 innings, 1 run. Sexy Lips does it, and it's gonna happen.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up Sexy Lips, keep it up.
Well, that sucked. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteArroyo woulda had it.
ReplyDeletewilly mo has mad whiner-line attention coming to him ;p
ReplyDeletesrsly so soggy log out there.
+1 to Jere.
ReplyDeleteBTW, not to steal any traffic from JoS, but Fire Brand (mvn.com/mlb-redsox) has a live chat set up. Come on in, it's been fun so far.
Vent your frustration at Wily Mo Pena's... unique fielding.
i'm too pissy to talk lol. i'm just gonna sit here scrunched up on my sofa, listening to music w/tv on mute..angrily...pissily ;) till we tie it up!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sean. I'm Wily Mo over there:)
ReplyDeleteLove it jere.
ReplyDeletethe tone of this game has been against us since the bases loaded strike 3 call in the bottom of the first. don't ya think? ;/
ReplyDelete