May 8, 2009

G30: Red Sox 7, Rays 3

Rays    - 101 100 000 - 3  9  0
Red Sox - 000 005 02x - 7 15 0
For the second straight night, the Red Sox came to bat in the bottom of the sixth inning, trailing in the game. And just like Thursday -- when Boston set a new AL record by scoring 12 times before making an out -- the bats came alive, giving them a lead that carried them to victory.

They sent a mere nine men to the plate in this sixth inning. The five runs came on two home runs: a three-run job to left by Jason Bay (on an 0-2 pitch) and a first-pitch, two-run dinger from J.D. Drew.

The Sox tacked on two more runs in the eighth. With two outs, Julio Lugo blooped a single to right, Jacoby Ellsbury doubled into the left field corner, and Pedroia single to center.

FY went 4-for-5 (his second four-hit game of the season; he also has five three-hit games). His one out came on a diving, sliding catch in right field by Gabe Gross. Mike Lowell had three hits, though he also made what will go down as one of the dumbest baserunning decisions of the year, trying to stretch a fourth-inning single off the Wall into a double. He stopped short of second base by 20 feet and tried to go back to first, but Akinori Iwamura ran him down.

Penny recovered from a 31-pitch first inning and settled down nicely (6.1-8-3-2-2, 91), though he did leave the potential tying runs on base with one out in the seventh for Hideki Okajima. Protecting a 5-3 lead with Rays on first and second, Jeemer retired Carl Crawford (who had singled, tripled and doubled up to that point) on a fly ball to center, then fanned Evan Longoria.

Okajima and Ramon Ramirez worked together in the eighth and Jonathan Papelbon took the ninth. He gave up a leadoff single, but got the next three, including strike outs of B.J. Upton (on a flithy slider) and Crawford to end the game.

***

James Shields (3.51, 139 ERA+) / Brad Penny (7.61, 67 ERA+)

The Rays have won six of their last eight games, going back to the beginning of the the series against the Red Sox on April 30. They have also won six of their last eight games at Fenway Park (including playoff games). Tampa Bay is currently in third place, ahead of the fourth-place Yankees by .003.

In four starts (16 innings) in Boston, B.G. Shields has a 9.56 ERA.

MLB's preview has an amusing headline: "Lugo Could Be Secret Weapon". ... Yes, but for which team?

***

Here are the Top ERA+ leaders in the AL:
                        ERA+
Zack Greinke KCR 1169
Erik Bedard SEA 195
Mark Buehrle CHW 192
Jered Weaver LAA 183
Dallas Braden OAK 178
Scott Richmond TOR 175
Jarrod Washburn SEA 173
Tim Wakefield BOS 173
Kevin Millwood TEX 173
Edwin Jackson DET 158
That is nuts. Greinke has pitched complete games in three of his last four starts, but has not thrown more than 111 pitches in any outing. (The modern record for a season is 291.) He pitches tomorrow night in Anaheim.

315 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   201 – 315 of 315
9casey said...

A Conformer said...
Ha, I just realised I never said anything about it: I'm back in the US. Have been for two weeks now. I've been in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Asheville, NC and now I'm in Missouri, near Branson. Back in the rollercoaster business for a month or so.




Ofer , I think you said something about what you did with the rollercoasters, video or something right....One question, if you know, are they really safe , i mean can I let my kids on these things with no worries?

Benjamin said...

Okajima only had 8 pitches, so I have to assume he'll be back out.

Rob said...

Ofer, the jealousy continues. Haha.

To Joy Nation: Would it be fair to say that my carrier pigeon made it to Fenway?

9casey said...

Holy shit first ever 201......

A Conformer said...

Do you know the place, or do you just like the name? I love that name. I keep imagining armoured pigeons going on a crusade.

laura k said...

Ish, we suffer from the same sickness, travel jealousy. See my post above.

9casey said...

Ish, you are big hockey fan....I follow the games a little bit, I know the rules and such......Do you think for the sake of time and flow they can get rid of icing..I hate it....

laura k said...

I see Mags left. Too upset about this dreadful loss I guess.

allan said...

Dirt Dogs uses "Big PopUp". I'm not surprised.

Benjamin said...

Yeah, roller coaster video.

allan said...

Juts like it.

laura k said...

"a solo johnson" :)

allan said...

if he walks, will doc run to second?

laura k said...

Figures DirtDogs would do that.

There's Lowell sucking again with this 3rd hit of the game.

Benjamin said...

DirtDogs is scum. I wish you hadn't even linked to it the other day.

A Conformer said...

L: Asheville is the best city I've been to in the US. Hands down. It's probably in my top 5 favorites all time.

9C: rollercoasters are probably the safest thing you can get on. The amount of safety checks and maintenance they go through is crazy. I would much rather let my kids (if I had any) ride a rollercoaster than in a car. It's probably more than 10000 times less likely to result in any kind of injury.

Edward Lee said...

They Might be Giants opening inning music on WRKO. (They call me Dr. Worm)When Lowell gets into it, he can't tell if you are watching him twirling the stick.

Patrick said...

Mike Lowell, I'm sorry we ever doubted you.

A Conformer said...

Hey, look: Lowell stayed at first.

9casey said...

308

laura k said...

Benjamin, how do you do that? Do you have a database of comments? An spreadsheet? Very impressive.

allan said...

3 hits for lowell?

roids.

where'd he come from anyway?

9casey said...

A Conformer said...
L: Asheville is the best city I've been to in the US. Hands down. It's probably in my top 5 favorites all time.

9C: rollercoasters are probably the safest thing you can get on. The amount of safety checks and maintenance they go through is crazy. I would much rather let my kids (if I had any) ride a rollercoaster than in a car. It's probably more than 10000 times less likely to result in any kind of injury.



Sweet , thanks for the verbal xanax

Patrick said...

Sometimes when Joe says, "Balfour" it sounds like "Al Gore"

Pepe Lepew said...

Why do you call Lowell, "Dr."?

laura k said...

"Asheville is the best city I've been to in the US. Hands down. It's probably in my top 5 favorites all time."

Ah yes, I remember your saying that now. (Unless I'm confused, you've been there before and told me this.) Did you have a chance to go to Great Smoky Mountain Nat'l Park?

I'm so envious of you, it's insane. We have no money to travel now, and it's making me nuts.

allan said...

rollercoasters are some scary shit

(then again, a ferris wheel terrifies me.)

A Conformer said...

where'd he come from anyway?I think the Sox traded some SS prospect (who remembers prospects' names anyway) for him and some asshole pitcher with a 6.75 ERA.

laura k said...

Lowell's clubhouse nickname was "Doctor Doubles". Someone said it in an interview, we loved it, and it stuck.

Pepe Lepew said...

Sometimes when Joe says, "Balfour" it sounds like "Al Gore"

I wonder if he's related to Ed Balfour, insane alcoholic ex-goalie.

Benjamin said...

Why do you call Lowell, "Dr."?

His teammates nicknamed him Dr. Doubles.

Rob said...

9C, icing is a good rule because without it the defense can just throw the puck all the way to the other end every time they take the puck in their defensive zone - they can do that on the powerplay but I think the game would take even longer if there was no icing - plus it'd be even more boring.

There is more of a penalty for icing now since the lockout in 2004-05... The team that ices the puck have to keep the same players on the ice and new this year, there are no TV timeouts from icing, so the players will be more tired. So icing is a good rule and it'll stay.

laura k said...

verbal xanax, that is a great expression.

allan said...

Bot said that what they call him (Globe, July 2007). It's in the Glossary.

9casey said...

I'll buy that Ish........Hockey to me is like boxing until you put skates on and try to play hard for three minutes, you have no idea how hard it is.....

A Conformer said...

I guess rollercoasters are scary, in a way. But they are safe. It's not the same thing. If they weren't scary, I don't think many people would ride them.

Speaking of which, I just missed out on a chance to do some half-price skydiving. 85$! That's a crazy price. But I'm too fucking lazy to pick up the phone, so that's gone now...

laura k said...

I get a lot of visitors from the glossary. Must be the LBJ link.

9casey said...

9casey said...
I'll buy that Ish........Hockey to me is like boxing until you put skates on and try to play hard for three minutes, you have no idea how hard it is.....


sounds like sex for baby boomers...

allan said...

looks like bosoxer was a "one-gamer". no cliques here, but if you are making your MLB debut, don't go mouthing off in the dugout.

laura k said...

Have you been skydiving? I am going to try it once. I'm determined.

* * * *

I assume people go on roller coasters because they are scary but safe. Everyone expects to be scared and get back safely.

9casey said...

A Conformer said...
I guess rollercoasters are scary, in a way. But they are safe. It's not the same thing. If they weren't scary, I don't think many people would ride them.

Speaking of which, I just missed out on a chance to do some half-price skydiving. 85$! That's a crazy price. But I'm too fucking lazy to pick up the phone, so that's gone now...




If I go skydiving I want to pay full price...I don't half a parachute.....

allan said...

so eck didn't join the beardathon.

laura k said...

"sounds like sex for baby boomers..."

I thought baby boomers invented sex. And having babies, and now they've invented getting old and retiring.

allan said...

no one's giving up any home runs, eck. shaddap!

laura k said...

wtf eck, why are you saying that

A Conformer said...

If I go skydiving I want to pay full price...I don't half a parachute.....It was a woman on CL that got a certificate or something but had back problems and couldn't use it. So she was trying to get rid of it. For all intents and purposes it was full price.
Plus, what can I say? I'm a big cheapskate when it comes to travelling. If you saw some of the places I've slept in just to save a buck...

A Conformer said...

Proactive Tito.

9casey said...

L-girl said...
wtf eck, why are you saying that


Hey we are jinx free here, right

allan said...

jinx free yes

it's just annoying.

laura k said...

"I'm a big cheapskate when it comes to travelling. If you saw some of the places I've slept in just to save a buck..."

That's part of the profile, I believe. I never really did that, even when I was young enough to, but we always meet people who do. It's like a challenge, to travel for the longest amount of time while spending the least amount of money possible.

A Conformer said...

Since we're jinx free: wow, Zobrist has 5 dongs in 61PA. SSS, I guess.

laura k said...

You know, I almost typed "not that I'm implying Eck is jinxing us", but then didn't.

No, definitely jinx free.

I just didn't like the implication that that's where the game was going. More like pro-optimism than anti-jinx.

Benjamin said...

I'm in the "why jump out of a perfectly good airplane?" crowd.

Pepe Lepew said...

looks like bosoxer was a "one-gamer". no cliques here, but if you are making your MLB debut, don't go mouthing off in the dugout.

Yeah, and I'm not big on whiny Sox fans. There is a guy in town who hangs out in the local sports bar every day all summer and literally -- literally -- screams at the Red Sox on TV ON EVERY PITCH!! Even if they win 24-0, he's still not happy. Big Papi is really struggling right now. Maybe he's hurt. Maybe his wrist is still really bothering him. And maybe he'll bat .440 in June. I don't like ragging on him.

Jere said...

three outs away

Patrick said...

so weeeet! I'm so hungry to beat these rays (these days).

laura k said...

I recently learned that Cdns pronounce "clique" "cleek", not "click".

allan said...

pepe, sounds like he'll be dead of a heart attack soon.

man, that must be great for business!! (eye rolling)

9casey said...

no worries

allan said...

three outs away.

jinx?

Jere said...

9casey, are you here?

Benjamin said...

But again, even worse than ragging on a player's crappy performance is ragging on a player's pretty good performance. The former can be obnoxious; the latter is just moronic.

laura k said...

Benjamin, does that mean you are a pilot? I've only heard that once, from a guy who flies.

I tried to explain that the plane has nothing to do with it.

9casey said...

off subject , Francessa was saying it wouldn't be bad idea to have Mo be the setup guy for Joba....I found that odd

Patrick said...

Ahhh! Gameday audio cut out on me!

9casey said...

Jere said...
9casey, are you here?


yup

Benjamin said...

No, just a non-skydiver.

laura k said...

"The former can be obnoxious; the latter is just moronic."

Right. He was "commisserating" in a game we were winning. And we are winning most of our games these days.

Jere said...

9casey (and anyone else in CT), I'll be on the sports on Channel 30 on Monday night, 5 and 11.

Jere said...

bloogo

Rob said...

Yeah, and I'm not big on whiny Sox fans. There is a guy in town who hangs out in the local sports bar every day all summer and literally -- literally -- screams at the Red Sox on TV ON EVERY PITCH!! Even if they win 24-0, he's still not happy. Big Papi is really struggling right now. Maybe he's hurt. Maybe his wrist is still really bothering him. And maybe he'll bat .440 in June. I don't like ragging on him. -- What I like to call, "That guy."

Patrick said...

I have so much faith in this team these days. 3 behind after 5? Just where we want them.

Opponents can't get a safe enough lead.

9casey said...

Jere said...
9casey (and anyone else in CT), I'll be on the sports on Channel 30 on Monday night, 5 and 11


I'll set the DVR now, right here from my home computer....

laura k said...

"No, just a non-skydiver."

I'm certainly that. It's just something I want to do once.

Jere said...

keep pilin' on

laura k said...

That's my boy!!!!

And Secret Weapon scores.

Benjamin said...

There's your tacked-on run, Eck. Now stop whining.

allan said...

The Dr. Doubles Globe link still works!

"Mike Lowell comes into this homestand batting .381 at Fenway Park. The only player with a higher average at home is Ichiro Suzuki (.402) of the Mariners. "We call him Dr. Doubles," Jonathan Papelbon said of the Sox third baseman"

Pepe Lepew said...

What I like to call, "That guy."

Ha! I call him "Red Sox guy." He's retired and literally watches all 162 games a year at the bar because I guess he can't afford or doesn't want to get the MLB package. I got a kick out of him for a while, but then he just became exhausting.

9casey said...

done, Jere, is it about the book?

laura k said...

Jere, will you post video on your blog?

Jere said...

thanks 9KC, yes, mom and I interviewed by Kevin Nathan, the sports guy.

Jere said...

keep pilin' on

laura k said...

And there he goes!!!!

FUCK YEAH

allan said...

fuck duh rayz

Jere said...

L: If I have a way to do it, I will.

allan said...

tizzle dong -- and the night will be perfect

allan said...

Snuffin' Time!

allan said...

okay, jon, it's a 4-run lead. no save. try not to jack off too much when it's over. pls. think of the children.

Unknown said...

We are really fucking good.

laura k said...

Jere, right, I forgot you might not get a file. But you can ask for the clip on DVD, as you probably know.

laura k said...

The little Tejaders are in the house?

allan said...

if that bar guy really bitches on every single pitch, he should get hooked up and do it as an internet radio show. i'll bet he'd draw a crowd.

Unknown said...

Sit

A Conformer said...

L, I'm toying with the idea of a belated travel blog. I'll send you a link if I ever stop being lazy and do it.

Edward Lee said...

Wow. Since when does Papelbon's slider actually work?

Anonymous said...

And the Bruins lose again..

Benjamin said...

2-1 strike was very generous.

laura k said...

"L, I'm toying with the idea of a belated travel blog. I'll send you a link if I ever stop being lazy and do it."

I can't travel without writing. I have a travel journal from every trip I've been on since 1982.

OK, back on topic here...

Benjamin said...

Water!

laura k said...

dirty comeback water!

Benjamin said...

2-2 pitch was even more generous.

Edward Lee said...

Ok. That outside edge is enormous, but I'll take it.

Unknown said...

DIRTY WATER!

Jere said...

Good start toward winning a TB series. See you all Sunday, I'm there tomorrow.

A Conformer said...

Don't drink that water. It's contaminated.

Pepe Lepew said...

if that bar guy really bitches on every single pitch, he should get hooked up and do it as an internet radio show. i'll bet he'd draw a crowd.

Like I said, it's entertaining for a couple of games ... but then it just turns into, "God, give it a rest, will ya..."

A Conformer said...

I can't travel without writing. I have a travel journal from every trip I've been on since 1982.Oh, I wrote. It's just all in a notebook and emails. Have to organise it and stuff.

laura k said...

Have fun Jere, get us a win.

allan said...

oh, i know. i'd never go back to that bar on a sox night.

Pepe Lepew said...

"L, I'm toying with the idea of a belated travel blog. I'll send you a link if I ever stop being lazy and do it."

I can't travel without writing. I have a travel journal from every trip I've been on since 1982.

I do a mountain-climbing journal I turned into a blog. It tends to be a lot of "....cold...", "... windy ..." "...OK, that hurt..." "... Damn, this sucks..."

Pepe Lepew said...

oh, i know. i'd never go back to that bar on a sox night.

I don't anymore. Fortunately, there's a much nicer Sox place in town that I can actually take the kid to. I took her to a Cinco de Mayo party there Tuesday.

laura k said...

"Oh, I wrote. It's just all in a notebook and emails."

Oh cool. Mine were all in notebooks until a few years ago, now I blog them.

laura k said...

The little Lepew sounds cool. She could hang out with Emma. (Nick's daughter.) Joy of Sox, the Next Generation.

Amy said...

Missed you all tonight. We were invited to friends for dinner. I hate missing games, but having someone cook for me is impossible to resist.

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