September 29, 2007

G161: Red Sox 6, Twins 4

10:21 PM:
The Royals beat Cleveland 4-3, so the Red Sox have home field advantage for the entire post-season. They have also clinched the best record in MLB for 2007.

The front office has one hour to decide which ALDS schedule it wants to play: the 7-day Series A (which starts Thursday) or the 8-day Series B (which starts Wednesday).
***

Trailing most of the night, the Red Sox scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to win their 96th game of the season.

Three of those four runs came on a three-run home run from Mr. On Fire (J.D. Drew), who also singled and tripled. Drew thought he had walked on the pitch before -- which was at the letters -- but it was called a strike. Drew promptly clubbed the next offering over the visiting bullpen in right-center.

Kevin Youkilis went 3-for-4 and Coco Crisp had two hits. Wakefield was so-so (7-6-4-3-0-1, 92). Javier Lopez pitched a perfect eighth on nine pitches. Hideki Okajima allowed two singles to start the ninth, but then got Justin Morneau looking and started a 1-4-3 DP against Michael Cuddyer.

***

Carlos Silva (4.22, 105 ERA+) / Tim Wakefield (4.80, 95 ERA+)

These guys faced each other on May 4; Boston won 2-0.

141 comments:

allan said...

Mets off to a great start:

FLA: 000 - 0 0 0
NYM: 233 - 8 11 0

allan said...

Mets win 13-0 as John Maine came within 4 outs of a no-hitter.

allan said...

Also benches cleared twice in the game.

Amy said...

My son in law is feeling much better. Now watching the Phils/Nats game and hoping Nats win. No real adrenaline in it though.

SoSock said...

Great Pics!
Thanks a ton to RS & Jere. I thoroughly enjoyed all the pics and links.
Wow - I'm still SO pumped. My LL team got the snot beat out of it this morning, and I couldn't bring myself to be very upset. I just kept thinking - "Finally, we are NOT behind the Yankees this year!"
The way we got beat, I know I didn't cause it, but I sure wasn't 100% there either.
It didn't help that I stayed up so late listening to you guys describe the celebration, then had to be at the field at 6:30 to start field prep. I'm just about to hit a wall now.
Got a birthday party for a niece to attend, then I'll join you for the rest of the game, or as much as I can stay awake for.
AL East Champs - It just sounds so good, but there's still work to do!!

allan said...

Crisp, CF
Cora, 2B
Ramirez, DH
Lowell, 3B
Drew, RF
Youkilis, 1B
Ellbsury, LF
Mirabelli, C
Clayton, SS

Bartlett, SS
Tyner, LF
Mauer, C
Hunter, CF
Morneau, 1B
Cuddyer, RF
White, DH
Buscher, 3B
Rodriguez, 2B

allan said...

I have a question. Does anyone know what this moron is talking about?

Mike Vaccaro, New York Post, September 15, 2007:
"They will remember this inning: the Yankees, the Red Sox, New York City, New England. They will remember what happened in the top of the eighth at Fenway Park this morning, next week, next month. If things happen the way it looks like they may well happen from here on in, they will remember this inning 50 years from now. Every detail. Every minute. Every second."

...

:>)

Jim said...

"Does anyone know what this moron is talking about?"

Fuck, no. Does that make me stupid? Is that why Snuffer wore the beer box over his head last night? Didn't want to be recognized?

BWAAAAAAAAA!!!!1111

Rick (f/k/a westcoastsox) said...

Resting Papi, Slugo, and Pedroia. And a Royce Clayton start. Meanwhile, Cleveland is rolling out all of its starters, except for 1 (their second baseman).

Eh, the rest of the guys can get it done, and I'd rather have Big Papi's knee rested for the postseason.

s1c said...

Yep 50 years from now I will remember that inning, as I am drooling into the oatmeal, I will look at my great-great-great grandson and say, "yep that was the day that snuffer blew up and Okajima sucked, but you know what kid it didn't matter, because the MFY's choked as they always have"

s1c said...

Been using baseball-reference to look at some things.

Longest losing streak for a team this year:

Tampa - 11 games
Fewest losses in a losing streak:
Boston, Cleveland, Philadelphia and San Diego - 4 games.

That is the thing about this team, their longest losing streak was four and their longest winning streak was five. This team has just been consistent all year, never too high and never too low.

Oh, yeah one more thing, only San Diego (with 20) has had more shut outs than the Boston Red Sox (13).

allan said...

NESN!

Let's go, split squad!

nixon33 said...

watched both mets and phillies games taday...crazy shit.
tomorrow should be interesting. lets go sox and royals!

s1c said...

Crisp, CF
Cora, 2B
Ramirez, DH
Lowell, 3B
Drew, RF
Youkilis, 1B
Ellbsury, LF
Mirabelli, C
Clayton, SS


Cora, Belli and Clayton, Jeez fricking Christ - Does Tito care about winning the division. Oh wait thats right, Fragg off Murray.

allan said...

sexy lips starting tomorrow in place of schilling.

MANNY DOUBLE!!!

Rick (f/k/a westcoastsox) said...

Yeah, Phillies lose, Mets win, NLEast all tied going into last day. SD & MIL tied in bottom of 11th. If SD wins, COL is eliminated from post-season, and so is Phillies-Mets loser.

s1c said...

sexy lips starting tomorrow in place of schilling.

Probably his last start as Sox so I expect fireworks from the man.

Prescription not filled.

allan said...

OCOC!!!!!!!!!!!

sliding catch to right center

allan said...

quick two innings for wake

6 up, 6 down - 19 pitches

s1c said...

ON FIRE!!!!!!

allan said...

Drew single to left -- ON FIRE!

allan said...

dance, bot, dance!!

beautiful.

s1c said...

No dp because the twins can't execute the run down!!!

allan said...

hilarious dancing footage. bot is either nuts or wasted. or both. fuck it.

hurry up and burn that dvd, cakey!!!

Lord Lynch said...

evening all.

Just seen the end of the Phillies game. I saw them lose 13-0 at home to the Giants in June on my road trip. I wondered how on earth they got into the playoff reckoning.

Royce Clayton?

s1c said...

bot is either nuts or wasted. or both

My money is on both!

Wasted opportunity there.

allan said...

or he is simply having fun and doesn't give a shit what he looks like.

s1c said...

Rondell "fragging" White figures, Sox waste a good chance to score and on first pitch by Wake its good-bye over the Monster.

allan said...

There goes the perfect game, the no-hitter, and the shutout.

Rondell White dong to left.

s1c said...

Would really like to see Wake get a win today. 17 wins would tie his highest win total and would just be icing on the cake.

ocoC!!!!

allan said...

yooks' girlfriend is trying to promote his kids charity -- and she's screwd up the website address both times. first time it was "www2.---", then "ww.---"

remy couldn't have f'd it up any better.

allan said...

KC 3, Cle 0 (bot 2nd)

s1c said...

Fragging Joe Mauer Dong.

nixon33 said...

J.D. "I LOVE YOU" DREW!

allan said...

Drew says "fuck teh haters"

Rick (f/k/a westcoastsox) said...

[b]ON FIRE!!!!![/b]

Rick (f/k/a westcoastsox) said...

Oops. Meant to say, J.D.:

ON FIRE!!!!

allan said...

yook follows the drew triple with a double. 2-1 twins.

David said...

Not much of a crowd here tonight. Did everybody eventually get some sleep last night?

Rick (f/k/a westcoastsox) said...

Triple, Double, Single:

Only need a Belli-Dong here for the consecutive-cycle.

s1c said...

2 hits tonight for ON FIRE!!! yeah boy,

September numbers for Drew - .319/.441/.542 with 15 rbi's in 22 games.

That is the player Theo thought he was getting!!

allan said...

maybe people are getting ready for tuesday (or wednesday).

nixon33 said...

goddamn it.

allan said...

sounds like lester will pitch out of the pen tomorrow.

s1c said...

In the no longer matters department - 6-1 O's top of 4th.

s1c said...

Fragging Clayton

nixon33 said...

they should have drowned clayton in champagne last night...he sucks.

nixon33 said...

how do you think they'll use wake in the post season?

s1c said...

how do you think they'll use wake in the post season?

He'll be the fourth starter and out of the Pen. I would prefer he stay in the pen but with HH out its fourth starter.

Rick (f/k/a westcoastsox) said...

KC 3, CLE 2, CLE still batting, top of the 3rd

nixon33 said...

im not saying this just because he's "struggled" lately, but the thought of wake coming out of the pen worries me a bit.

allan said...

i wanna say not at all ...

4th starter will make it so beckett can pitch any and all game 1s. (not that i really want to rely on wake in a game 4, though).

SoSock said...

Talk about hangover city!
On the field, apparently, and on the site too!
650 posts last night, less than 50 thru 5 innings tonight.
Not a bad job of limiting the damage by Wake there.

nixon33 said...

yeah, im not sure i like wake in the post season. just my opinion. during the season, fine eat up innings, etc. but hes hit or miss (no pun intended)
so what would be our rotation
beckett
schil
dicek
wake?

SoSock said...

I like Wake as a starter, but with a short leash in the postseason.

s1c said...

The problem is that Wake has the experience and is 4-5 in post season. Plus he is a Francona guy, sorta like Millar was a Francona guy, see 2005.

Do you trust Lester? Not me, too many walks and too many Houdini acts needed.

Sexy Lips? Personally I would choose him over Lester but will he give you 6+ innings? Highly unlikely.

That is why HH being out hurts IMO.

s1c said...

Cabrera melt down in Baltimore as the MFY's have taken the lead and have runners at 2nd and 3rd with 0 outs. 7-6 MFY.

SoSock said...

Manny - hanging tough.
I like Lester but have to worry about lack of PS experience. Of course, almost all of these guys have to jump into that fire at some time, and sometimes they respond surprisingly well.

allan said...

Pedroia was right. Cabrera sucks.

SoSock said...

Well, by the time I finished writing, Manny was no longer hanging tough.
They really do look hungover, to the extent that you can "see" hungover on GDGD

nixon33 said...

yeah i agree sosock, short leash. i huess we could have worse for a 4th starter.

Rick (f/k/a westcoastsox) said...

MFY can win all of the rest of their games in September, for all I care!

s1c said...

MFY can win all of the rest of their games in September, for all I care!

Why I listed it in the no longer matters department. Talk about a waste of a pitcher though. Cabrera needs to go to the NL, maybe then he would succeed.

allan said...

corey up again

nixon33 said...

at least we'll have home field vs the angels and then the yanks before we kick whoevers ass in the WS... :>)

s1c said...

Jesus christ only one out and the MFY's have scored ten runs in the 4th.

Doctor Dong!!!

nixon33 said...

DOCTOR !!!!!

nixon33 said...

youk looking goooood

SoSock said...

WTG Doc Doubles!
This one ain't over yet :)
I know it doesn't really matter at this point, but I love feeling like they're "hot" coming into next week.
Back to Wake - does it seem like he's just not as sharp this late in the season? - Maybe the age thing catching up. Consider -
vs. LAA 4/13 - 7 IP ; 1 R on 5 hits
vs. LAA 8/07 - 4 IP ; 7 R on 7 hits
Anyone can have a bad game, but.....

SoSock said...

Damn, that was weak, LBJ.
Maybe Mirro wil surprise us.

SoSock said...

WIMPY

s1c said...

Remy struggling to shill his "Balls to the Wall Shirt".

Will you shut up!

s1c said...

finally a clean inning by wake again.

does it seem like he's just not as sharp this late in the season?

Nature of the knuckler as opposed to age I think.

allan said...

But he's afraid to say the phrase.

He's saying "baseballs to the wall" while Don giggles.

laura k said...

Hi all. Just stopping in to say hi - I'm on gamethread break until the DS.

Plus I had a killer day at work and don't want to see a computer any more today.

Have fun!

SoSock said...

WTG oCoC !
It's a start.

Nature of the knuckler as opposed to age I think

probably right - no sooner do I write that than I look up and here he is finishing the 7th, with just 6 hits and no walks - even tho he's losing, not too bad.
Now if Manny can just take care of that "losing" thing !

SoSock said...

Lowell !!
The RBI king !!

s1c said...

ON FIRE!!!!

Joe Grav said...

JD!

allan said...

FUCK YEAH!!!

ON FIRE!!!
ON FIRE!!!
ON FIRE!!!
ON FIRE!!!
ON FIRE!!!
ON FIRE!!!
ON FIRE!!!

SoSock said...

Drew - Staying HOT, HOT, HOT!

allan said...

drew walks, but ump calls a strike at or above the letters.

drew says i'll club a dong instead.

Rob said...

Hey guys. Just checking in tonight. Just got home from a 150 mile joyride around the New Hampshire lakes region.

Dave O'Brien: "J.D. Drew is on fire!"

s1c said...

Good to hear the DREEEEEW chants also. Couldn't come at a better time if you ask me.

nixon33 said...

JD "I LOVE YOU" DREW

nixon33 said...

welcome ish! JD IS THE MAN!

Rob said...

Meaningful games tonight:

ARI 0, COL 4, Top 3rd
- Colorado needs to win or they get eliminated.

CLE 2, KC 3, Top 6th

allan said...

Dave O'Brien: "J.D. Drew is on fire!"

He owes me a royalty for that.

allan said...

don calls the playoffs "the tournament".

someone hit him with a frying pan, pls.

s1c said...

"the tournament"

At least he isn't calling it October Madness!

allan said...

i wanna see some dimmer action tonight.

Rob said...

We say on fire enough so that you'd be rich if we had to pay you royalties.

SoSock said...

Wake - 7-6-4 (3 earned) no BB
Not bad at all,
and a nice effecient 9 pitch inning by Lopez.
Life is good.
It's good to be king

allan said...

bal coming back. mfy 11-9 in the 6th.

Benjamin said...

MFY game is meaningless, though, apart from crapping up Pettitte's ERA. Royals/Indians, on the other hand....

nixon33 said...

shit i wanted to see a clean inning from oki.
ok nice strikeout

s1c said...

Wake wins his 17th, yeah boy!!!

Now lets go Royals!!!

allan said...

143 DP to end it!!!!

Jemmer.

nixon33 said...

CLEAN ENOUGH!!!

Rob said...

WOOT!

CLE 2, KC 3, Bot 7th

ARI 1, COL 5, Bot 3rd

Benjamin said...

Tony Pena Jr. hits a one-out triple for KC.

s1c said...

Ok, how hot is he:

since sept 1 ON FIRE!!!:

.342/.454/.618 with 18 RBI's and 17 runs in 23 games. That is ON FIRE!!!

Jim said...

Jeemer, Jeemer, just a teaser! Now there's getting out of your own jam. Wonder if anybody sticks around Fenway for Cleveland outcome?

On a more serious note, I'm convinced Orsillo is just clinically dumb. Last night it was the movement of the moon being affected by the wind. Tonight it was the lefty on lefty RBI graphic. Remy said he (Remy) missed the thing, clearly didn't understand it, and Orsillo just let it hang. Does DO not even understand what he reads. WTF? Anyway, great win, good swings by Ococ, Yooks and Drew. And don't let the door hit your ass on the way out, Royce.

allan said...

KC can't score any insurance. Still 3-2 after 7.

allan said...

I can't believe Remy has never mentioned that Lopez has been shit against LHP all year long.

Tito loves the LOOGY, so that's the one thing Lopez is on the team to do, the one thing they always mention him in connection with, but his actually performance in games goes unnoticed.

allan said...

leadoff man on for clev in the 8th. get some outs, jimmy gobble.

allan said...

three singles to start the clev 8th = 3-3 tie.

s1c said...

Tito does love the LOOGY but I think they are looking to have him start clean if they can do it.

I think we have to like the Pen going into the post season though. The question is how many pitchers will they have in the division series 10 or 11 (I say 11).

allan said...

i'm betting 11 also. and i like the pen.

Rob said...

me likes the pen too.

ARI 1, COL 5, Top 5th

s1c said...

Best thing about wakefield starts are quick games. Only one more game to decide the contest. Fragging Daisuke - I knew I should have had his ERA over 4.

See you guys Sunday.

SoSock said...

Freaking KC - can't hold it.
I've always had a soft spot for them. Probably the same reason I like the Cubs, if you're a Red Sox fan you have an afinity for underdogs.
Also I followed George Brett like a puppy when I was much younger. Even tho he was not a Sock, in his day he was my favorite player, till Boggs came along.

SoSock said...

Sweeny singles - SWEET

Rob said...

NYY 11, BAL 10, Mid 9th

ARI 1, COL 6, Bot 5th

CLE 3, KC 3, Bot 8th

SoSock said...

That's it for me - I've hit that aforementioned wall, and hit it hard.
Till tomorrow

allan said...

Best thing about wakefield starts are quick games.

Then there's the Newsday sports columnist who said Wakefield's games are always the longest games of the season.

allan said...

it's time to tune in to yet another yankee collapse.

allan said...

veras in the 9th:

roberts: bbbb
mora: tttbtc - and SB for roberts

allan said...

mora 4-3, roberts to third. one out, o's down 11-10.

markakis and tejada coming up.

Rob said...

CLE 3, KC 4, Bot 8th

ARI 1, COL 8, Bot 5th

Rob said...

markakis K

allan said...

markakis:
foul
ball
foul
ball
foul
foul (deep by rf pole)
called strike 3 - nice curve

2 outs.

(and whoever said this yesterday, yes, buck martinez's voice is amazingly annoying. not as much as berman's, but a lot.)

allan said...

tejada -- get a hit, shithead.

Rob said...

and the mfy win

tejada 5-3

allan said...

i still hate you, tejada.

Rob said...

Anyways, back to things that actually matter...

Last licks for the Indians.

allan said...

cleveland up in the 9th, trailing by 1. 2 outs already.

Rob said...

INDIANS LOSE!!!

allan said...

Home Field, bitches!!!!

Benjamin said...

HFA. Nice.

Rick (f/k/a westcoastsox) said...

Best record in baseball, clinched. Let's all rest tomorrow! See you in the DS everyone!

Jim said...

And the Boston Red Sox have clinched home field throughout the playoffs. One hour to decide sked.

Rob said...

Fantastic!

nixon33 said...

FUCKING A!

Rob said...

Tomorrow... watch some baseball! Not only the Red Sox, but the other big games. Philadelphia, the Mets, San Diego, Colorado...

Right now, Colorado has broken it WIDE open on the D-Backs.

ARI 1, COL 11, Top 6th

If Arizona comes back and beats the Rockies, Colorado would be eliminated and Arizona would clinch the NL West.

San Diego has a 1 game lead on Colorado in the wild card (and are tied with the NL east runner up)... So, tomorrow, Colorado has to win and San Diego must lose.

This can get very, very interesting tomorrow. There's a chance that 3 teams would end up tied for the wildcard at the end of this.

Rob said...

I thought the Front Office had to decide one hour after tomorrow. But tonight, then? Makes sense, I guess.

Rob said...

Red Sox have decided to have Game 1 be on Wednesday. 8 days for the Red Sox. Yankees will open in Cleveland on Thursday.

s1c said...

Red Sox have decided to have Game 1 be on Wednesday. 8 days for the Red Sox. Yankees will open in Cleveland on Thursday.

That is a good move. Gets them back on the field earlier and the extra day is for that west coast trip.

Sweep them I say, lets sweep them!!!

Rob said...

My final transmission of the evening...

ARI 1, COL 11, FINAL.

After 161 games, five teams are still in the hunt in the National League.

WILD CARD...
San Diego: --
New York: 1 GB
Philadelphia: 1 GB
Colorado: 1 GB

NL East...
Mets: --
Philly: --

NL West...
D-Backs: --
Padres: 1 GB


If the Mets, Rockies, and Phillies win, and the Padres lose, the regular season will end with a four-way TIE for the Wild Card. Can you believe it?

First, a playoff would be needed for the Mets and Phillies. Then how would it go afterward? Padres and Rockies play, then winner plays loser of the NL East playoff? Hmm.

Tomorrow's games:

FLA @ NYM, 1:10 (Willis vs. Glavine)

WSH @ PHI, 1:35 (Bergmann vs. Moyer)

SD @ MIL, 2:05 (Tomko vs. Suppan)

ARI @ MIL, 3:05 (Davis vs. Jimenez)

It is ON!!!

allan said...

ish, that is totally insane. while we play a meaningless game, fans of five teams will be pulling their hair out.

tim said...

This is going back to the beginning of the thread, but:

redsock said...

I have a question. Does anyone know what this moron is talking about?

5:42 pm


That was the one game I traveled all the way there to see, looked forward to all fucking year since I got tickets in March and I can say that I don't have the slightest GODDAMN clue what that shithead is talking about! It was a great fucking time regardless of the outcome, because the ultimate outcome is the important part! I'm not some self-centered asshole, and besides, I saw enough Sox blowouts in T.O. this year to make me happy ;-)

That's possibly all from me tonight, I want to tune into tomorrow's performance solely for the fact that Julian is pitching and I expect a few fucking laughs now that the LEAGUE has been wrapped up and it's probably his final start in a Sox uniform.