March 17, 2009

Beckett Faces Twins Today

Josh Beckett makes his fifth start of the spring for the Red Sox at 1 PM against Minnesota. In 11 Grapefruit innings, he had yet to allow a run.

Also scheduled to pitch: Jonathon Papelbon, Takashi Saito, Hideko Okajima, Jinuchi Tazawa and Wes Littleton.

Dustin Pedroia is doing some soft toss and is expected to take batting practice on Thursday.

John Smoltz says the recovery from shoulder surgery has been "a slow crawl", but his first bullpen session is scheduled for March 25.

After a two-inning side session tomorrow, Brad Penny may face the Tigers on Monday.

John Farrell, on Daisuke Matsuzaka's six-inning, 86-pitch effort in the WBC:
The reports were he used his secondary stuff very effectively. He threw quite a number of changeups, didn't seemingly overthrow his fastball. He looked like he had a very good rhythm for the six innings that he pitched, and really was a model of efficiency ...
Amalie Benjamin has a feature on fireballer Daniel Bard. In seven spring innings, Bard has allowed only three hits and two walks while striking out 10.

***

Julian Tavarez compares signing with the Nationals to wearing "beer goggles":
Why did I sign with the Nationals? When you go to a club at 4 in the morning, and you're just waiting, waiting, a 600-pounder looks like J-Lo. And to me this is Jennifer Lopez right here. It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. So, Nationals: Jennifer Lopez to me.
Thanks to SG!

65 comments:

Benjamin said...

This article on "inverted W" pitching motions has me more concerned about Smoltz than I was before, though maybe he's already taken all the durability hit one could expect.

Jere said...

Oooooh, white unis with green numbers/letters instead of the tackier green jerseys.

There's a kid on the field dressed as a Leprechaun, and according to Don, it was some of the players who put "15" on his back in tape. Awesome.

Jere said...

Ellsbury rocket double, moved to third on grounder by Lowell (though he had the base stolen easily), and scored on a Papi deep scrotum fly. I heart baseball!

Jere said...

Correction: The leprechaun is a "little person." He's in the booth now. Remy has absconded with his hat and fake beard, and asked him if he's gonna have a pop tonight, to which he answered Oh yeah.

Jere said...

Twins load bases, score on tapper that Beckett makes bad throw to Tek on. No real hard hit balls, though.

Jere said...

Another blooper Bay makes diving attempt for scores another run, 2-1 Twin Cities.

Jere said...

Another tapper Beckett can't quite pick up, scoring yet another run, bases still loaded. "This is getting ridiculous." --Remy

Really bad line for Beckett, but a totally acceptable performance so far.

Jere said...

Up to 47 pitches, though. Still one out in the 2nd.

Aha! On pitch 48, he gets the DP grounder. Second inning finally ends.

Jere said...

Tek dong! He seemed to surprise himself after making contact. You know, I noticed the swing looked kind of like Roy Hobbs, and then Remy reminded me that he's been working on the lefty swing.

Jere said...

OTT third for Josh. 3-2 them after 2.5.

Jere said...

PAPI DONG. 2-run shot, 4-3 us.

Jere said...

You knew Rock O'Baldelly would play today.

Jere said...

Back to back singles by Bay and Tek.

Jere said...

If Papelbon made the Garth Algar face, he'd be Wilkerson.

Jere said...

Four pitch Walk-erson loads the bases but they get out of it. 4-3 us after 3.

Zenslinger said...

I'm enjoying the commentary because MLB's box score refresh has fallen behind.

Julian...has anyone ever said a less flattering thing upon joining a team? That man is out there. Good to know he'll still be playing, though.

Jere said...

nice play by Beckett fielding a bunt. Little ankle twist, Tito & co came out, but he's staying in the game.

Jere said...

1-2-3 fourth for Josh. That's two OTTs in a row.

Jere said...

Funny stuff when Remy made fun of Don's "kitchen," saying there are certain ways you sit in a chair where you just can't hide the belly. Finally they cut to a pre-game shot of Don slouched in a chair with his big belly sticking up and out. Don then tells us he had been feeling good about losing 20 lbs. this winter until that moment.

Nick Green bloop hit to start bot 4th.

Jere said...

Ellsbury massive dong off the new pitcher. 6-3 us.

Jere said...

Lowell just gets under it, flying to left.

Papi rips a single to right. Maybe not full rip-age, but a solid single.

Jere said...

Ortiz posing for Playgirl? That's poppycock.

Jere said...

The spherical sandwich shop (ball deli?) goes down swinging, second K for him.

Jere said...

Bay hits one over the freakin' batter's eye in dead center!

Allan Wood said...

Ortiz posing for Playgirl? That's poppycock.

Wha? Now I fully expect Remy to ask Don if he's thought about posing for those magazines.

Jere said...

8-3 Green Sox.

Allan Wood said...

Oh, look! Logged into my other email account. How about that!

Allan Wood said...

Bay hits one over the freakin' batter's eye in dead center!

Bay Being Manny!

Jere said...

Papelbon in for the 5th.

Jere said...

Span turns on his first pitch, DONG.

Jere said...

Another lefty with another sharp hit to the right side, story of this game. Pap hitting 91 on the gun, but not getting out.

Jere said...

Pap gets easy fly out, one away.

Jere said...

Pap allows just the run, 8-4 mid-5

Jere said...

Just got my first "conflicting edits" screen of '09. (Yet clearly no one else was commenting at the same time. I wonder why that happens....)

Benjamin said...

Because Blogger is terrible.

Jere said...

Jed 1-out single in 5th.

Jere said...

NcGreen goes down flailing.

Jere said...

very long at bat by Ambres

Jere said...

finally ball four to Chip

Jere said...

9-4 after 5, RBI single by Harris knocks in Lowrie, Chip out at 3rd to end inning.

Jere said...

I said Harris, I meant Chavez with that RBI. Harris is on the Twins.

Saito in for the 6th.

Benjamin said...

Thanks for the updates, Jere. GDGD is just too intermittent for ST.

Jere said...

Ochoa with a diving catch going to his left at short.

Jere said...

Nice running catch by Ambres on a deep fly for out number 2.

Jere said...

Saito OTT sixth.

Jere said...

The dream is over--Sox finally don't score in an inning. 9-4 after 6

Jere said...

Oka in for 7th

Jere said...

tapper (1 unassisted) scores a run, 9-5.

Jere said...

9-5, stretch time

Jere said...

Beckett says it was a callous on his toe, almost like a cut, that bothered him before, no ankle twist.

Jere said...

9-5 after 7. Beckett says Rob Stratton is the only other guy he saw hit one over a batter's eye.

Jere said...

Tazawa in for the 8th.

Zenslinger said...

What is a "batter's eye"?

Jere said...

Taz with an OTT

Jere said...

In Ft. Myers, it's a big tall green thing in CF so batters have nice background to hit against. At Fenway, it's the blocked out seats in dead center during day games.

Zenslinger said...

Oh, right, I see.

Extra Bases says the Brewers are claiming Littleton.

Jere said...

The Yanks' new stadium utilizes the batter's eye spot--it's a restaurant with black windows overlooking the field.

Benjamin said...

Is there any surface on Beckett's body that isn't friable?

Jere said...

This article gives a little history of that batter's eye spot at Fenway, "Conig's Corner," which in name was later paid tribute to with those bleacher seats on the right field roof.

Jere said...

9-5 after 8.

Jere said...

2 quick outs for Taz to start 9th.

Jere said...

O.F. Machado ends it with a 6-3.

9-5 Red Sox win. Dirty Green Water, Tessie in a Green Dress, Jeremiah Was a Green Bullfrog, Was A Good Friend O'Mine

RedSoxDiehard said...

You knew Rock O'Baldelly would play today.

Good name. Darren Oliver pitched on 3/17 one year, and my family has called him O'Liver ever since.

RedSoxDiehard said...

Julian...has anyone ever said a less flattering thing upon joining a team? That man is out there. Good to know he'll still be playing, though.

For some reason, I've always liked him. He's such a goofball! (But for a Nationals fan - or J-Lo - ouch.)

andy said...

Hitting looks good so far. I am happy with Papi's comeback. This is the charge he needed and he looks to be capitalizing on the energy each hit gives him.