Red Sox - 000 003 000 - 3 8 1Now we get the pitcher's duel. For 4.5 innings, anyway.
Spiders - 000 070 00x - 7 9 0
Then Blake banged a solo dong and about an hour later, it seemed, Cleveland had sent 12 men to the plate against Wake and MDC, scoring seven runs on seven hits.
The Red Sox charged right back -- making ALCS history when Youkilis, Ortiz and Ramirez hit back-to-back-to-back home runs. But that was it for the bats. The Red Sox managed only one more base runner in the final three+ innings -- and he was erased within two pitches on a double play.
Off-day Wednesday and then it's Beckett/CC on Thursday.
All we got to do is win three games. ... Last two at home, with Andrew Daisuke bringing the MFing hammer.
Red's got his battle gear on already:
Let them stoke their fires and crank their music and point at us and laugh as we were forced to the back of the bus. We sat and watched and observed and absorbed and kept quiet. And when the time was right ...***
One game away from elimination? F@#k that noise. We prefer to think of you guys as three games away from elimination.
Tim Wakefield / Paul Byrd
Wakefield has not pitched in a game since September 29, although he did toss a 77-pitch simulated game last Tuesday.
Spiders v Wakefield and Red Sox against Byrd (I wouldn't mind seeing Lyndon tonight, but Coco is 5-for-11).
Curt Schilling:
We haven't had our backs against the wall all year, until now, because during all that panic stuff about the division at the end of the [regular season], we were never in danger of missing the playoffs. We're down, 2-1. I think this is our first true character test, given our lead all year.Ortiz, rating how his right knee feels on a scale of 1-10:
Zero. ... This is a do-or-die situation. I've got to put whatever behind me. If I keep thinking about my knee, my knee, my knee, it's only going to make it worse. We don't have that much room that we can be thinking about it. ... Unless I can't get out of my bed, I've got to keep on playing.In addition to a strong start from Wakefield, the bats need to show up. Half the lineup is still in a trance: Varitek and Pedroia are both 4-for 25 in the post-season and Drew is 5-for-22. Against Cleveland, Julio Lugo is 2-for-11 and Crisp 3-for 12.
Damn, wasn't it just a few days ago this team looked like it was set to steamroll through the playoffs? Varitek will sit tonight in favour of Doug Mirabelli, who hasn't had an at-bat since September 30 and only 10 ABs since August 17.
So we need bats and six good innings from Timmeh, then we have Beckett and Schilling kicking off a best 2-of-3 with the last two games at home. I like the sound of that, so ...
683 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 601 – 683 of 683I actually have an unaccountable attachment to ococ, which I would really appreciate his justifying in the 9th.
ellsbury please
So this is a 2 out inning?
1sst pitch f!@$!@#in swinging AWESOME
that malpractice, doc.
The dr needs to go back to med school for a refresher - what was that!
you did not just do that. no. tell me you did not swing at the first pitch.
no.
no nononono
Well, I am feeling deeply philosophical about all this. I think we were just destined to return to Boston and play two more there. What's the fun of winning in Cleveland?
PFAW. AWBA2FIO.
i'm trying, but i think you got me.
don't tell me, i'll keep working on it.
Foul some more off...then MAKE SOMETHING OF THE AB, not like yesterday!
Or, ya know...FUCKIN DONT.
Amy - Laura's Boy Jacoby pinch hit (appearance?) in the 9th. I So Hope So
Right guys?
What's the fun of winning in Cleveland?
The home team might enjoy doing that.
Fuck.
May as well let Coco make the last out.
We've seen worse.
sigh.
Another bad break---should have been a hit. Oh well.
So....what are we doing to get the spirits up for Thursday?
i hate that gm and his little blond fem-bot trophy-w/e/.
That's right, Tim. We have.
This sucks, but we can still win.
Laura's Boy Jacoby pinch hit (appearance?) in the 9th. I So Hope So
Nice! I was thinking "I sure hope so" but, nice!
fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit fucking shit ass whore piss dick shit.
tdcg, allan read me that comment and i said, "diet coke?" :)
i know, they are gross!
So....what are we doing to get the spirits up for Thursday?
Drinking profusely!
oh -- are there any 12 year old kids in here?
:>)
Nothing like stewing for two days before the next game.
Oh wait, we've done that before.
WRKO is interviewing another Indians player. Weirdos.
You guys are good at that decoding. Very impressive. I bet you all love crosswords also (I do!).
we win tomorrow. i think it's obvious. this shit goes back to boston.
just remember ppl: it's not over.
repeat: it's not over.
shaaa-pie-row.
Forget the scotch. I'm going to bed. Thursday will be better.
buffy has cut his hair a bit shorter for a more adult, serious look.
beckett... -> fenway.....
please.
i knew it was "i sure hope so"
ok tim, i'm done. what was the next line???
well said, redsock, well said...
tdcg, allan read me that comment and i said, "diet coke?" :)
i know, they are gross!
haha ;')
Fox doesn't want a Cleveland-Colorado WS. Ratings disaster.
Time to pull some strings and get us in there.
Sox and Rox on Fox!!!
Well, I am glad there is a 48 hour break. Maybe the team can find its mojo, we can all dig deep into our resources of hope, and Beckett can rest whatever it is they say is hurting him.
beckett's back = schilling's ankle??
Time to pull some strings and get us in there.
Sox and Rox on Fox!!!
exactly.
lil round table ritual with tony soprano et al?
k.
O
K, back to Fenway we go.
Beckett's win Thur. is a given, and we'll finally get some O going when we get back to the friendly confines (I know, that's not ours, but...)so - watch out Cleveland - you're TOAST!
Somebody needs to fly Kevin Millar up to Cleveland and give his old buddies a pep talk.
I am off to sleep. Gotta teach in the morning. Hope you all have a restful night, and keep the faith, you gotta believe, etc.,etc.
ish, we think so much alike! "don't let us win tonight!!!"
i gotta go to bed. maybe tomorrow i'll find out what tim was saying.
g'night all. keep the faith.
Somebody needs to fly Kevin Millar up to Cleveland and give his old buddies a pep talk.
I'm FedExing a bottle of Jack Daniels.
SHIT man, i can't believe we fucking lost. i thought we'd have this one.
i can't even say 'beckett would have done better, etc.' wake didn't really do too bad (better than i thought) it's just.....that saturday loss. it is. it's fucking gagne's fault (ok and javy). we win that game, we would have won last night too. i'm sure we would have.
fuck, things looked so good after that first game. i even felt sorry for the indians. i felt like, we were so superior.
3 in a row - No prob!
I believe we've been there, done that!
Till Thursday! :)
i think if we win tomorrow tho, we win the whole thing.
you can't measure these things by games. there will be a *huge* momentum shift if we win tomorrow. promise.
So....what are we doing to get the spirits up for Thursday?
Buying plenty of 'em!
Well, I'm sure tomorrow will be filled with "Told ya so about Wake" articles et al, followed by a high degree of questioning the team's abilities and offseason talk even though they're still very much alive in the playoffs.
Cleveland is a very, very good team at home. We've got our ace going Thursday and he's been golden in the postseason. Sabathia hasn't been all that great and we've just gotta hope he continues his lack of control in G5 rather than pitching a gem he's fully capable of.
The bats have GOT TO WAKE UP and not rely on Flo and MBM to do EVERYTHING. There has been absolutely SHIT ALL this ENTIRE SERIES from 1-2 and 5-9 with the exception of Tek and Yook's dongs the past couple nights. I'm talking SHIT ALL in the terms of coming up with NOTHING bases loaded in the second last game, going away without a peep in the 9th the past two games and generally not being able to come through in places that you MUST in the playoffs (lead-offs, RISP etc).
Manny and 0% knee flo have done more than their part to help this team win - it's up to the rest of the fucking team to get going and get some timely hitting!
Beckett will probably pitch well, but with no run support the past two games it's as if a shutout will be necessary to win. Beckett did it against the Anaheim Hospital Beds, however this is a much better team and a couple ERs (no pun intended) are to be expected so the offense REALLY needs to step it up in the next couple games and put some motherfuckin' runs on the board.
With that being said, I'm off for the night. Keep the faith, I'll say it again: We HAVE seen worse, and we HAVE kicked ass. Remember how scared everyone was down the stretch when the big bad Yankees were creeping up - and how all that stress went for naught when the Red Sox prevailed in the end - these things have a way of working themselves out, and this series is going to work itself out the next three games.
And for my one and only post on the topic that dominated this discussion down 7-0: There is no game over until the final out has been recorded, there is no series over until one team has advanced to the world series and that attitude is not at all respected around these parts. We are FANS of the team, winning or losing, and we SUPPORT our team regardless of the score. We watch EVERY inning, EVERY pitch (that Fox allows us to see anyhow) and we NEVER say the game is over until the victors are high-fiving each other at the mound. And if you do, well then, you can just get the fuck out. And take your RSN membership card with you you fucking bandwagoners.
Later all.
Oh, and:
Probably For A While. Amy Won't Be Able 2 Figure It Oout.
:P
i mean, uh, the next day.
..
asldjf.
I said it before and I'll say it again.
TIM ROCKS!!!!!!!
I still don't know what you said that last time with the acronyms, but you can tell me tomorrow.
why weren't lbj and kielty in the game tonight? (or at least lbj)
Beckett did it against the Anaheim Hospital Beds
lolz!!
ps. thank you tim. yr post made me feel better :))
3 in a row to win a series:
seattle vs yankees alds 1995
yankees vs oakland alds 2000
red sox vs oakland alds 2003
probably more. that's all i can think of right now.
it's been done, and it will be done again, starting on thursday.
nite nite.
Probably For A While. Amy Won't Be Able 2 Figure It Oout.
:-D
thanks
hey l-girl. tell me what i album i should listen to before the night is thru.
Lock up the kiddies for Thursday, folks. I'll be cookin' up an old time favorite from my youth (thai chicken thigh thingies) complete with a bigger, better bottle of white wine and of course - a solid side dish of SPINACH.
We're gonna take this series and we're gonna take it in style!
There is no game over until the final out has been recorded, there is no series over until one team has advanced to the world series and that attitude is not at all respected around these parts. We are FANS of the team, winning or losing, and we SUPPORT our team regardless of the score. We watch EVERY inning, EVERY pitch (that Fox allows us to see anyhow) and we NEVER say the game is over until the victors are high-fiving each other at the mound. And if you do, well then, you can just get the fuck out. And take your RSN membership card with you you fucking bandwagoners.
Yes.
hey l-girl. tell me what i album i should listen to before the night is thru.
not sure if l is still around -- something kick ass, punky and loud.
stooges - funhouse
pistols - never mind the bollocks
ac-dc - back in black
maybe even
green day - insomniac
I'm listening to the Killers and Muse.
not sure if l is still around -- something kick ass, punky and loud.
Hmm, I'm gonna go with loud and anti-establisment.
Rage Against The Machine, self-titled for me.
Oh, and muse is awesome joe.
Well, I'm an old fart.
There is always Gang Green's "GDMFSOB". (Boston area band)
Surviving Grady's latest:
"One game away from elimination? F@#k that noise. We prefer to think of you guys as three games away from elimination. And hanging on by a slender thread."
For my final note of the evening...
Ignorance is takin' over, yo - We gotta take the power back!
Night all.
That surviving grady post has me inspired.
After we win on Thursday, I am going down to Fenway at 5 AM on Saturday and waiting in line to get a ticket to the game.
I love Muse, tim. I've seen them live twice. Amazing
Beckett, Schilling and Matsuzaka can all turn in quality starts, but we still need the BATS to get some runs if we wanna see the Rockies.
hey l-girl. tell me what i album i should listen to before the night is thru.
not sure if l is still around -- something kick ass, punky and loud.
stooges - funhouse
pistols - never mind the bollocks
ac-dc - back in black
maybe even
green day - insomniac
thx RS :))
[think i'll go with stooges since i've never heard of them;)]
i love 'newborn'. especially combined with 'haute tension' ;)
tdcg: stooges are iggy pop's band. do you know him? one of punk's earliest bad boys, now a bad old man, still kicking. a godfather of grunge.
excellent choice :)
Tim, I don't know if you will ever see this since it will be buried at the bottom of last night's thread, but...
I loved your post in response to my question about keeping our spirits up. And although I haven't read nearly all of what the media is saying this morning,
at least Nick Cafardo from the Globe is pooh-poohing those with the "I told you so" attitude about going with Wakefield, as you can read here
I say to those who have given up---I don't care what happens next, I will be there til the bitter end. And whatever that end will be, the Sox will be my team, and I won't be bad-mouthing the decisions that were made. So much of baseball is luck and timing that to blame players or even managers is pretty silly. (OK, I will concede that leaving Pedro in back in 2003 was a manager's mistake, but we ALL knew then that Pedro was done. Why GL didn't is still beyond me.)
Tim, I don't know if you will ever see this since it will be buried at the bottom of last night's thread
Don't worry, I lurk well ;-)
TY for the feedback all...
Good write by cafardo...I thought this line was interesting:
Each Red Sox starting pitcher in the last three games has gone only 4 2/3 innings. In the entire 2007 regular season, Sox starters never went more than two consecutive starts of fewer than five innings. In the last three games, Schilling, Matsuzaka, and Wakefield have combined for a 9.00 ERA.
and a testament to our pitching.
on that note - beckett's gotta step up and be the stopper and bring down that dismal starting ERA and the bats gotta bring the noise. Due to that stat (starters never went more than two games without going less than 5), I think we're in good shape for the rest of this series.
Beckett plays stopper, Schilling, a la 2004, rebounds with a brilliant game 6 after pitching a shitty game 2 (we'll have to get out the red paint eh? :P) and Dice-K finally proves to himself and fans that he is worth the investment and pays dividends. And if he shits the bed again, we'll have a dancing plethora (figuratively, and literally) of relief in the bullpen so hopefully he is on a VERY short hook. If things start to go awry, I expect to see Wake or Lester up. After two consecutive batters get on base, be it BB or hit, I want relief warming. That's always how DKs bad innings start and if he fucks up the third batter, he should be yanked.
Of course that's just my two, and it probably won't be read by many since its buried ;-)
And don't look now, folks, but the bullpen will be nice and rested for tomorrow night, also. Then a day off between 5 and 6 to get back home. To our fans. To the chants. To the place where the 2004 magic began.
Win tomorrow night. Everything gets a little easier and a more realistic.
The postseason is such a different animal, isn't it? Crazy things happen that don't happen in the regular season. Yorvit Torrealba of the Rockies never hit a 3-run home run in the regular season. He did in Game 3 of the NLCS. Pedroia was the 2nd toughest man to strikeout in the AL. He fanned 42 times this season. He's struck out EIGHT times this postseason.
And then the little factoid about the starters.
But it's 3-1 Indians, but hey. It was 2-0 Indians in 1999 ALDS and the Red Sox came back and won it. 2-0 Oakland in the 2003 ALDS, and the Sox came back.
Not to mention 3-0 Yankees, but we already know about that one.
What matters right now is whether they will just go out there and execute. The Red Sox have to want it, and NEED it. And we know that if they don't win tomorrow night, they didn't deserve it, anyways.
They know this, and they've got the BEST man on the mound to shift the momentum back to Fenway.
It's going to be interesting.
I don't know if anyone'll read this, but I'd like to deeply apologize for my behavior last night. My attitude was that of a fair-weather when I know I've endured near aneurysm/stroke levels cheering for the Sox this year and the years prior.
A nasty cold bug, an awful National Guard drill, seeing my favorite pitcher go down, blown run chances, and the stressing thought of a deficit must've snapped a nerve in my head and I just lost the faith.
Sometimes seeing a team I've been born and raised adoring committing the same mistakes (Coco instead of LBJ) over and over wears one down. For some reason seeing that awful 7-run bottom half just made me get real pissed and get fed up with Tito and the crew. It almost came to the point where I didn't give a damn anymore and that would be inexcusable. I've been with the Sox since I was a boy and was in Boston in 2004. This year I still believe we have what it takes for the WS (though the Rox scare me) and it was unacceptable to throw in the towel like that.
To be a Sox fan you have to have faith and yes mine has been waning, but upon further meditation on the matter and realizing that we've been in worse made me understand that there's always hope. Realism reared its ugly head last night, when the Red Sox have had that penchant for coming through in the most unrealistic ways. With my doubt fading and my confidence in Beckett, I still believe the Sox can do it, but there's gonna have to be some serious gametime modifications, since sometimes a change in plans can bring unexpected fortune.
Once again I'm very sorry for my dourness last night. No one wants to see their team which could sweep the Indians disappoint like that. Nevertheless, there's always the faith.
Hey, Colin, thanks for your thoughts. (Guess these posts aren't as buried as I thought!) We were all dismayed by the fifth inning last night, so your emotions are understandable, even if your "quitter" attitude was dismaying to most of us. For me, what upset me the most was this post of yours:
Because our guys have:
a.) no motivation
b.) no patience
c.) no energy
d.) no clue
e.) all of the above.
And that was when the score was just 1-0. I hope you have rethought that one.
I watched the tape of Wake being interviewed, and it made me realize how just a few breaks in our favor---e.g., that ball not bounding off of Wakefield's glove---and the game could easily have gone the other way. As I said before, so much in baseball is luck and timing---especially in the post-season when we are matched against a team that also has done extremely well all season. What IF that ball had gone to Pedroia? What IF our line drives were not right where their players were standing? What IF the umpire had called a ball a ball the night before? What IF Youkilis had caught that foul ball? I believe that our team has all the heart and drive and ability that brought them to the post-season. They just need a few good breaks.
Sometimes I think the whole post-season is silly and that we should just award teams based on their season long performance. Someone wrote a piece about that in Sunday's NYTimes. Damned if I can find it now.
tdcg: stooges are iggy pop's band. do you know him? one of punk's earliest bad boys, now a bad old man, still kicking. a godfather of grunge.
excellent choice :)
yes of course i'm down with iggy (well, at least who he is, etc etc) haven't really listened to much of his music tho ;) but he is the coolest. a one-off.
Colin, thank you for your apology, which is unnecessary, but much appreciated.
As far as I'm concerned - and I'm sure Allan feels the same way - you are very welcome in game threads.
I second Amy's excellent response, and I want to emphasize:
And that was when the score was just 1-0.
* * * *
I get on people for their pessimism and being down on the team, and then often the next day, I regret being so harsh and I apologize.
This time I'm not apologizing. I don't mean that in a harsh way. Just that I am standing by my feelings and statements of last night.
A game is at least nine innings, and it's not over til one team wins four games. Whether or not the Sox win the 2007 AL pennant, they are a great team, they had a great year. They are my team, and they deserve my loyalty win or lose. But regardless of that, I am with them until the final out.
I'm glad to know many of you will be there, too.
And don't look now, folks, but the bullpen will be nice and rested for tomorrow night, also. Then a day off between 5 and 6 to get back home. To our fans. To the chants. To the place where the 2004 magic began.
Win tomorrow night. Everything gets a little easier and a more realistic.
Very true. We've won three games in a row many times this season. No reason why we can't begin another such streak tomorrow night.
Ish, I love what you say here. I want to respectfully disagree with one point.
And we know that if they don't win tomorrow night, they didn't deserve it, anyways.
I can't go with this.
Every team wants and needs to win in the postseason, and every team deserves it. (OK, almost every team. We know some that don't!)
By definition, someone must lose. But the idea that the loser was less hungry or less motivated is a myth.
They might be less talented, or outplayed, or not get the breaks, likely a combination thereof.
We all know in our lives, wanting something badly enough and being extremely qualified for it does not deliver the object of our desire. That has certainly been true for me, and it's got to be true for everyone old enough to have had their hearts broken or their dreams dimished somewhere along the way. There are too many factors out of our control.
A team sport multiplies those factors exponentially.
If they lose, they lose. We can nitpick lineups and pitching changes straight through to next April, but it won't change anything, past or future.
Let's just be there for them while the games are being played, and after, whatever the outcome.
WHICH I BELIEVE WILL BE A WIN.
THEN ANOTHER.
AND ANOTHER.
There is no need to apologize. You feel how you feel when you feel it. It's not something you can control in the moment.
But people will react. And as I have shown before, that attitude is a huge pet peeve -- I find it next to impossible to ignore (even last night, after I said I was through, I probably posted 5-6 more times about it).
After the 7th inning, with the Lugo DP and the leaping 2B catch on Pedroia's liner, I knew the game was pretty much over. There was two innings left, sure, but ... But part of me (a smaller part) also believed that they could come back -- because many teams have scored 4 runs in 2 innings before -- so that was the part I pushed forward.
I still believe the Sox can do it, but there's gonna have to be some serious gametime modifications
When I first saw this, I thought for a second it was "serious gametime medications".
Which is also correct.
WHICH I BELIEVE WILL BE A WIN.
THEN ANOTHER.
AND ANOTHER.
+4 more!
Posted these in the Brink thread. They should have gone here:
Manny joins the discussion:
"We've got a great team over here and the other side is playing great. They're pitching the way they should and they're coming through with big hits. What can you do? You just think about Thursday and you just try to come and play hard and have fun. It's not over yet."
And from SoSH, it's Frisbetarian:
"I'm not partial to rah rah threads, and am certainly not that type of fan myself, but the tiresome griping in the posts of some of our members makes me feel the need to post something out of character.
"The Red Sox are in an offensive slump - it happens in baseball. That does not make this a terribly flawed baseball team, as some of you seem to think (today anyway, funny how that changes so often). This is the team that had the best record in all of baseball. They scored more runs than all but 3 teams in baseball, and averaged almost 6 runs per game over their last 75. They allowed fewer runs than any other team in baseball. It is not a fluke that they are playing for the right to go to the World Series; they deserve to be here. This is a very good team that has been fun to watch. Baseball is a frustrating game, if you can't deal with that maybe you should try another sport.
"Maybe they lose tomorrow, but baseball is a funny game and if Beckett wins that game, and they come home, well... ya never know. If they lose, I'll be pissed. But more than that, I'll be disappointed that baseball is over. I really love this game.
Personally, I'd pitch Wakefield in game 7 and have Matsuzaka ready in case he gets in trouble.
Remain calm, all is well."
Boy, there are a ton of things that can go through your head when you're a fan of a team that's one loss away from elimination.
It's just hard to sit back and watch the potential demise of your team. The team you followed so closely since March. The team you suddenly won't see again until next March. The finality of it. So in sitting here and saying that if they lose they didn't deserve it, I might, might feel a little better. For a minute.
So, we'll see what happens. Let's hope, let's keep the faith, and we'll hope some more.
Too bad there's not a fast-forward button to tomorrow night! Heh.
I agree with you, L. Doesn't mean either team is less hungry. I'm just afraid for these guys and this season they put together, to all of a sudden go into a slump they know or don't know they can get out of.
We're all just afraid it's going to be another frustrating loss like the last two were. Saturday night was different, because it was so well-played on either side.
The Red Sox are taking a pitch-to-pitch philosophy, and that's the best way to go. Just worry about the next pitch. Every pitch is an opportunity. Glad to see Pedroia, Lester, and Varitek on my TV today talking about it. They look optimistic about tomorrow. Pedroia, for one, looks pissed off. Optimistic, but pissed off because they're in that hole again, but they haven't given up. That's key. The yahoos on WEEI can give up and talk about the offseason and A-Rod, etc, but the players haven't given up.
Great stuff, thanks Ish, and thanks Frisbetarian, and thanks to Allan for posting that here.
Great fans are a big part of what makes our team experience so important to us.
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