Red Sox - 200 000 000 000 3 - 5 10 2After losing five of six games on the west coast, Boston won a Friday night nail-biter at Camden Yards.
Orioles - 010 100 000 000 0 - 2 8 4
Terry Francona played with fire yet again, avoiding a rested Jonathan Papelbon when the game was on the line.
Tito was pro-active in choosing Hideki Okajima over Manny Delcarmen for a tie-game in the 7th inning. I liked his choice of MDC for the ninth. Craig Hansen, called in with one on and one out in the 10th, not only shut the door, but pitched a perfect 11th. Francona put his trust in the kids, and they came through.
The Red Sox rallied in the top of the 12th -- a two-out walk to Julio Lugo and a single and stolen base from Jacoby Ellsbury (he stole three tonight) -- but they could not score. Since Boston did not have a lead, and there was no immediate opportunity for a save -- Francona brought in Mike Timlin rather than his best pitcher.
As we have seen at least twice this season, this move has backfired. And when Nick Markakis doubled with one out in the 12th, it looked like Francona would get burned again. Aubrey Huff was walked intentionally and Kevin Millar grounded to shortstop. Lugo bobbled the ball, but it stayed in front of him. He threw high to first, Kevin Youkilis pulled it down, and Millar was nipped -- but only because of the grand piano on his back.
The runners moved to second and third, so Luke Scott was also put on base. Ramon Hernandez, who had failed to drive in the winning run from second against Hansen in the 10th, flew out to left to end the 12th. During that entire 21-pitch inning, Francona was happy to have Bot sit on his ass in the pen, content to trust the game to Timlin. After a Jamesian decision to go with Jeemer in the 7th, Francona acted Gumpian in the 12th. It was the wrong move, but Tito and the Red Sox dodged the bullet.
The Red Sox sent eight men to the plate in the 13th, as a couple of hits, a walk, two Baltimore infield errors and a double steal from Youkilis and Mike Lowell (!) equaled three runs. With a save now up for grabs, Papelbon made quick work of the Birds.
Cliff Floyd's solo home run gave Tampa a 2-1 walkoff win over the White Sox, so the Red Sox remain 1 GB. The Yankees beat the Twins 6-5 to move up into fourth place.
***
Josh Beckett (4.43, 97 ERA+) / Daniel Cabrera (3.70, 113 ERA+)
I hate off days. With my work schedule (Fri/Sat/Sun), I get four nights at home -- and I'd like to see the Red Sox every night. But the team's off days fall generally on Monday or Thursday. I can often follow the game at work, but it's never guaranteed.
SoSH: While noting that the Red Sox faced a number of good starters in Oakland and Seattle, their batting numbers are still depressing:
14 runs in 6 gamesAL East: Tampa lost to the White Sox last night, so we are 1 GB. Those teams play again tonight at the Trop, while the LPY are in Minnesota.
No runs in 45 of 54 innings
.169 batting average
.252 on-base percentage
More strikeouts (45) than hits & walks (43)
Only 1 hit in one game and 2 hits in another
Youkilis, Varitek, Crisp and Cash went a combined 0-for-40
509 comments:
1 – 200 of 509 Newer› Newest»not to souind pathertic, but thank god there is red sox baseball tnight...i didnt know what to do with myself last night what with no sox or celtics...
i ended up watching giants vs dianmondbacks.
its amazing how similar the mannerisms are between j.d. and stephen.
I'm just the opposite, I say thank goodness for those nights off. They let me have a life outside of baseball. I don't need too many of them, but once in a while, it's a relief.
All depends on what you're done. I hate off-nights when I'm not doing anything, but when I've got plans, I love off-nights.
As you all are well aware about by now, this spring I've been following baseball, basketball, and hockey very closely (along with some motorsport)...last night was a true off-night because there was NOTHING on (I didn't count the NBA western conference.)... First time there's been nothing on of interest since April 3rd.
I really hate off-days when the team is losing games it should win. Hitting slumps by good hitting Sox teams are especially cruel, because every game, every at bat, you figure it has to turn around. This road-home split is also driving me nuts, because there's no logical reason for it...these are not a bunch of Fenway hitters, like the bad Sox teams of the '60s, playing .600 at home and .400 on the road.
All depends on what you're done. I hate off-nights when I'm not doing anything, but when I've got plans, I love off-nights.
We don't make plans on game nights.
This road-home split is also driving me nuts, because there's no logical reason for it...
We try to force logic into baseball, but it doesn't always fit.
So we have to take a deep breath, and be like Manny. "There is no slump, there never was a slump, I don't even know what the word slump means -- there is only this at-bat."
...
...
and then you crush the everlovin' shit out of the ball ...
Going to see Clay pitch at durham tonight!
I was glad there was no sox last night!
Didn't have to stay up late :)
yeah, last night was one of nthose "what should i do withg myself" nights...
usually on weekends i dvr the game and watch it late.
not tonight, celts and sox on the dial.
MY TYPING IS GETTING BETTER & BETTER! jesus...
We can usually guess what you mean. :)
Gordon Edes:
"Manny just gave a big wave to fans who serenaded him during BP with a round of "Happy birthday."
Classic line from Manny in the clubhouse when someone noted it was his birthday. "36 here," he said. "39 in the Dominican."
***
Cool fans!!
Camden Oatmeal:
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Coco Crisp, CF
9. Alex Cora, SS
1. Brian Roberts, 2B
2. Melvin Mora, 3B
3. Nick Markakis, RF
4. Aubrey Huff, DH
5. Kevin Millar, 1B
6. Luke Scott, LF
7. Ramon Hernandez, C
8. Adam Jones, CF
9. Freddie Bynum, SS
(Globe: Drew was scratched tonight. Tito says he has vertigo.)
???
Lineup: Lyndon should be in RF.
JtC will start against the Jays next Tuesday at the Toilet. 65-70 pitches. I wish he was facing a major league team. Oh well.
I was mad last night was an off night because we were in the car on the way home from NYC, and I wanted to listen to a game. No Yankee game either. Now tonight we got invited out, and I will miss most of the game. And finally a game at an hour when I am actually awake. Damn.
Amy, I hate when that happens! I especially hate when it rains on an off-night, because I want to sit outside.
I'll be a little late to the thread tonight. Gotta fold laundry. See you all soon.
... we were in the car on the way home ... and I wanted to listen to a game
You need the 2004 ALCS on tape! The non-complete edition with Games 4-5-6-7.
hey thorne -- put a sock in it!
(a bloody sock, that is!)
Hurray, time for some baseball!
LBJ -- leadoff hustle double
I guess we are desperate for runs this series...
FUCKING BUNTS!!!
ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
ROARR!!!!!!!
Birthday Dong?
Oh, no! Laura's boy scores while she's folding laundry?
that doc sac flew farther than i expected
nice hustle mbm.
Hopefully those 2 runs will be all Josh needs.
Hey, I can fold laundry and watch baseball at the same time! (Just like Tim.) I just can't thread, too.
Laundry folded, I am back.
And just for good measure:
That (was) my boy!
Stuck with MASN tonight. I usually don't care very much which anncrs I have, but these guys are such morons. You should hear some of the stuff Palmer is saying.
Or not.
Plus they called Fenway "the Friendly Confines". That's not right.
Fenway ... Wrigley .. what's the difference, really?
I watched, "There Will be Blood" last night for the first time.
Really, really good movie. I loved it.
Ococ wheels!
ococ baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MLB.com is pimping its video coverage of Manny atbats, saying you can watch him "swing for history".
500'll be an awesome achievement, and we'll both sport a wide grin when he hits it, but he'll be #24 to do it (assuming Sheffield doesn't somehow hit another 17 first). At some point, big achievements remain big achievements without being history-making.
Nice double, Coco.
We haven't seen that yet - next movie season. (The opposite of baseball season.)
DDL is a terrific actor. I look forward to it.
damn! not good, cora.
Wooops, I mean nice triple there Ococ
CBS GDGD says that Coco walked and went to second on a wild pitch. That is, the same pitch that was ball four. Can anyone clear that up for me?
YOU FUCKING SHITHEADS!!!!!!!!!
BUNT?????????????????
UP 2-0 IN THE MOTHERFUCKING SECOND INNING?
DON'T FUCKING SQUEEZE!!!
WHOSE THE MORON -- TITO OR EINSTEIN?
Wow. We're really playing small ball today.
Add "history" to the list of over-used, diluted words. Along with hero, awesome, tragedy.
Whoa, Allan angry enough to misuse an apostrophe. *That* is angry.
phoey
small (brains) ball.
wait -- my little 400K screen is not so sharp. and i've muted the masn dopes.
did cora miss that? and it was a CS? then he got hit?
i want typing my rant at the time,
Zen, ball 4 got away from the catcher, no one knew where it was, Ococ ran to 1st and kept running to 2nd.
I hope that's right. I only saw it on the replay.
Whoa, Allan angry enough to misuse an apostrophe. *That* is angry.
WHO'S THE MORON -- TITO OR EINSTEIN???
THERE!
I mean, there.
God fucking damn it, though.
Zen, ball 4 got away from the catcher, no one knew where it was, Ococ ran to 1st and kept running to 2nd.
I've been watching baseball all my life and wasn't aware you could do that.
fraternizing in uniform!
i am so hungry. i have to go forage.
Bah. What a crappy crappy poop poo way to let a run in.
see how these guys, who are DOWN by two runs and have much shittier hitters -- they don't waste their time/outs bunting.
YOOOUUUUUUKKK
yeah, zenslinger. I was surprised by it. I guess I assumed that a walk ended the play. guess not. definitely a smart move by ococ, but ultimately thwarted by the genius.
I'm feeling like it's time for an Ortiz 'omer. As he would call it.
Oh great, now the MASN announcers can complain about the call at 1st all night. Beckett didn't touch the bag.
Apparently they even know that Beckett knew it. They have special powers.
Papi half dong!
they are whining but are they showing any replays? i saw one -- as they went to commercial last inning.
flo's gonna get the cycle in order tonight!!!!!!!
One of my dogs is going nuts trying to catch a fly.
Half dong.
I can't call anything.
Yes, they showed replays.
Jere is at the game tonight. I hope he gets to see #500!
I have a kitten that has taken out more window shades climbing after loose flies.
Funny you said that, she's tangled up in the vertical blinds right now, trying to get the damn fly.
MFY have 26 wins. ... We got our 26th win back on May 17 -- two weeks ago!
Bah. Wasted Papi double.
mmmmmm, peach salsa :D
It's almost June and we are chasing Tampa! It's cool.
Not being in 2nd place, of course. Just the shake-up in the AL East.
CWS: 00
FKR: 00
peach salsa? is that someone's nickname?
Chasing Tampa is usually would be a very bad thing.
peach salsa? is that someone's nickname?
ty cobb jr.?
I know it's selfish, but I'm glad Percival is on the DL now.
masn showing old orioles highlights from 1996 and they miss the play.
These silly Red Sox. That squeeze was terrible strategy. I know Cabrera is throwing better and with more control these days, but you still have to assume he'd be a little wild. That pitch was up and away to Cora, who kinda stabbed at it and missed. Hernandez caught the ball and in the same motion was running up the third base line and tagged Coco out for the "caught stealing".
When I worked at a farm in Oregon, farmers from a neighboring valley grew peaches, and they would give us boxes of them, because they liked that we were an organic horse powered farm.
I got sick eating so many peaches. It was an amazing thing.
if ty cobb had married a latina woman, then cobb jr could have been peach salsa.
but cobb never would have done that.
Not a good day for young, former Red Sox players today. Lenny DiNardo was designated for assignment by Oakland, and Kason Gabbard was sent down to AAA Oklahoma City today.
that sounds nice. it's hard to find a good peach. (if you don't live in peach-growing territory.)
We still have a chance of being 5-5 this road trip...
Yeah, it was the first time I had good peaches.
They're really making Josh work.
Where I grew up they used to grow peaches. And apples, corn, etc. All suburban now, no farms left at all. But I grew up eating the real thing. I'm always aware of the difference.
Joe and Dave were talking about the last two series out west when the league inacted its Speed Up the Game initiative. They mentioned that most of the first pitches to Red Sox batters were strikes. And those two parks are not ballparks that use the umpire-rating technology to rate how well they call balls and strikes. The players felt a lot of those first pitches were not strikes.
ish, i didin't notice anything out of the ordinary in those games. i guess one could rewatch them on mlbtv though.
The idea that the integrity of the game is being compromised just to speed it up is infuriating.
So the Speed Up The Game "Initiative" is going to fuck with the integrity of the game?
Calling balls strikes would be messing with the integrity.
yes it would, big time.
i mean, it happens all the time, but if it was purposely happening to cut game times, that would be outrageous.
Hopefully the hub bub is short lived.
i'm going to look thru my scorecards and count how many first pitches were taken for balls and strikes. (fouls and put in plays would not count)
same scoring for tek
at quick glance, it doesn't look like more first pitch strikes (looking) than usual.
Wow, Gary Thorne almost had a heart attack for that one.
Sigh. And to make things better TFR just pulled ahead of the White Sox 1-0
Ever wonder what happened to Josh Beckett this season? Not to compare to last year's playoffs, but to last year's regular season, he doesn't seem to be hitting his spots, and his curve balls seem to hang a little. I wonder how much pitch selection has to do with it, too. I wouldn't think he's reverted back to his 2006 ways of trying to just huck it past you.
Beckett version 06
Okay. This is first pitxch that were either called a ball or a strike.
Oakland
0523 - 14 balls, 12 called
0524 - 10 balls, 11 called
0525 - scorecard incomplete
Seattle
0526 - 15 balls, 12 called
0527 - 15 balls, 14 called
0528 - 17 balls, 11 called
how that compares to "normal", i have no idea, but like i said, no bells went off during the game and i don't think anyone was bitching in the threads.
Wow, Gary Thorne almost had a heart attack for that one.
Rats.
Dave and Joe are just conspiring.
what happened to your scorecard on the 25th?
CBS: "Huff homered hard to right."
25th scorecard -- it's not all filled in. it was sunday, i may have had some work.
from the 3rd to 6th, only the top of 5th in marked in. gotta go back and fill in it.
TMBGPIBH scored on a godjilla single. 1-0 LPY
come on cora -- BUNT!!
I like that the opening music to this half inning was, 'thriller'.
That's my boy! :)
What's that crazy acronym again? I half-remember but can't quite get it.
Damn LBJ!
The Most Boring Good Player In Baseball History = Abreu
why are you cursing at lyndon?
I guess that's the brilliance of calling borderline first pitches strikes. Most people aren't exactly paying as close attention to the first pitch as they would pitches with 2 strikes.
oh right. thanks. i couldn't get the "boring".
Cabrera: when in doubt, throw at the guy's head.
Good thing he's never faced Chipper Jones.
okay flo -- time for the triple.
Triple time!
Cabrera: when in doubt, throw at the guy's head.
FY, on Cabrera from last year: "He sucks!"
no no -- 3 bases, not out #3.
Fenway Security at its finest.
leadoff homerun next inning?
Oh Ish, I really don't like the security at Fenway.
This is where I depart, kids. The rest of the evening requires two TVs. Enjoy the rest of the game!
Oh Ish, I really don't like the security at Fenway.
I love how the guy throws the hat back on the guy, basically saying "Dude. I just owned you."
leadoff hr = sounds good to me
White Sox tie Tampa at 1, and things going very wrong for Mussina in the Bottom of the First: 2-1, MIN -- bases still loaded with one out.
White Sox scored! 1-1
why do the commenters at that video think it's so funny? what am i missing?
bye ish, enjoy
My dad and I refer to Fenway security as, "The Gestapo". We've seen guys get escorted out by police men for yelling hardly offensive comments to the players.
Twins 1st -- Mike Mussina pitching:
Gomez struck out looking.
Casilla singled to right.
Mauer walked, Casilla to second.
Morneau reached on fielder's choice, Casilla to third, Mauer to second on Duncan's throwing error.
Cuddyer singled to left center, Casilla scored, Mauer to third, Morneau to second.
Kubel singled to right, Mauer scored, Morneau to third, Cuddyer to second.
Young singled to center, Morneau scored, Cuddyer to third, Kubel to second. ........
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!
I hear ya.
The way we've seen people get roughed up for running on the field at the Stadium is really creepy. Then they drag them under the stands and - from what you hear - beat the shit out of them before letting them go.
here we go... be-ing! be-ing!
Phoey. I can't call shit.
not being right now
All of a sudden I am really frustrated at how we score in the first inning and then never again. This isn't new.
And:
Lamb grounded into fielder's choice, Cuddyer scored, Kubel to third, Young out at second.
Harris grounded out to pitcher.
4-1 Twins after 1.
Bigot at 36 pitches.
he doctor is in!
DOCTOR!
well, not exactly *never* again.
Not until the next 1st inning
We miss you, Youk. Get well soon.
Coco Clutch time.
next 1st inning :)
i think you exaggerate a tad. we have won games before, you know. we've even come from behind this year, more than once.
Maybe.
Last inning from Beckett? Seems like it.
TMBGPIBH accounts for the Yankees second run. 2-4 Twins.
lopez up
I miss 2007 Beckett.
Yikes....
MDC up too as Farrell visits
Yikes...
Orioles 6th:
K
K
BB
BB
BB
K
did the word "faggot" just come out of becketts mouth (his words not mine)?
33 pitches that inning - and no runs.
Heidi > Amber
(Amber is the O's blonde field reporter.)
Ah, got back for LBJ's a/b! You cannot catch him!!!
HMM?
(Heidi Mention Mojo)
I've had about all I can take of Dave O and Joe C. I switched over to Orioles radio.
oh geez, i get back just in time for a heidi and amber comment. good lord.
man i got truped on that one. thought it was a fuck yeah dong.
i refuse to believe there is a HMM
The HMM has been weak.
It may be a hoax.
Now the LBJ-SB Mojo -- that's real!
They tried to catch him...
lyndon was laughing at mora. or so it appeared.
Tizzle time! RUNS PLEASE!
They tried to catch him
Those puny mortals ...
...but they cannot catch him!!
Milk dud singles 2 in as the LPY tie it, 4-4
florida: go out of order -- we need you to ring the dong bell.
They didn't try to catch him...
cock on a cracker
7 LOB. :(
On the verge of pulling out a clump of my hair...
jeemer time
then some late inning magic
6-4-2-3-10, 118 is still fairly solid beckett.
not crazy about the walks -- but they came in his last 4 batters (first 22 batters = 0 walks)
Last 8 Baltimore batters for Beckett: 0 fair balls hit.
Orioles announcer mentioned a sobering stat: The boston bullpen has the second most losses in the league with 10.
That's Beckett when he's off, which is very good.
palmer: high-deki okajima
nice work from jeemer, and here comes manny...
Markakis isn't hitting much when he swings these days.
tito being jamesian that inning -- bringing in jeemer (usual 8th inn guy) in the 7th over mdc (considered a 7th inn guy). naturally, i approve.
manny hacking! damn.
right after they show an epic at-bat manny facing the same pitcher earlier this year.
First batter records an out. Second batter gets on first. Where've we seen this inning before?
in the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th.
goddamnit
Phoey
and back in the 1st, we got the first guy on, then made an out on purpose.
hmmm, jeems for a 2nd inning.
or a part thereof ...
Cliff Lee is getting beat up by the Royals of all teams...
5-4 MFYs.
that was some nice jeeming.
TFR and the Pale Hose 1-1 in the 9th.
Let's score a run or five so we can make the next pitching choice moot.
Please.
Just one. Or five.
That's all we need.
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