May 26, 2009

G46: Twins 5, Red Sox 2

Red Sox - 000 010 100 - 2  9  0
Twins - 000 050 00x - 5 7 1
Lester (6-6-5-3-4, 100) faltered in the fifth inning, with Justin Morneau's three-run line drive home run to right being the big blow. Lester's ERA rose to 6.07.

Jacoby Ellsbury scored both Red Sox runs. He also singled to begin the game, and extend his hit streak to 21 games. He stole two bases and made a tremendous diving catch in deep right-center in the fifth inning, before the Twins did their damage. He scored on Dustin Pedroia's double in the fifth and on an infield error in the seventh.

David Ortiz doubled to right center in his first time up and walked in the fourth. He finished his night with a strikeout and pop out to left.

The Minnesota fifth: Brendan Harris singled, Delmon Young lined out to deep center, Matt Tolbert singled, Nick Punto singled (RBI), Denard Span grounded out to second (RBI), Joe Mauer walked, Morneau homered (3 RBI), Michael Cuddyer grounded out to third.

***

Lineup!
Ellsbury, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Drew, RF
Youkilis, 3B
Bay, LF
Ortiz, DH
Varitek, C
Bailey, 1B
Lugo, SS
***

Jon Lester (5.91, 83 ERA+) / Nick Blackburn (3.83, 112 ERA+)

Lester and Blackburn hooked up back on July 8, 2008; Boston won the game 6-5. It was the last appearance each pitcher had against the opposing team.

Jacoby Ellsbury's hitting streak has reached 20 games, but he's not having a good year at the plate. His slash stats since the streak began on May 2: .330/.365/.418 for a .782 OPS -- which is below what Nick Green has done this season (.794). LBJ has collected only one hit in nine of his last 11 games: .275/.310/.350.

Ellsbury has drawn five walks during the streak (96 PA). He has walked only 10 times all year, in 201 PA. In five fewer trips to the plate, Jason Bay has walked 24 more times (34 in 196).

Ellsbury's season stats are .300/.333/.374 for a paltry 79 OPS+. (For reference: Jeff Bailey is at 86 and Julio Lugo is at 73.) Lyndon has led off in all but three of Boston's 45 games and the Red Sox are 9th in the AL in leadoff batter OBP.

Finally, in his 12 stolen base attempts during the streak, he has been caught four times.

My suggested lineup for tonight (Lowell has a scheduled night off):
R - Pedroia, 2B
L - Drew, RF
R - Youkilis, 3B
R - Bay, LF
L - Ortiz, DH
L - Ellsbury, CF
S - Varitek, C
R - Lugo, SS
R - Bailey, 1B
I'm not crazy about Ellsbury batting 6th, but if he was on first base, Tek and Lugo might get some tasty fastballs.

225 comments:

1 – 200 of 225   Newer›   Newest»
9casey said...

You are going to LBJ during a hitting streak.......mean

allan said...

Laura thinks I insult him too much anyway (for his upteen grounders earlier this year). She's not going to like this post - at all!

Patrick said...

I'm not a fan of the low OBP. I agree with Redsock. LBJ hasn't been an impact player with his bat. Hopefully he will improve.

allan said...

Ellsbury, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Drew, RF
Youkilis, 3B
Bay, LF
Ortiz, DH
Varitek, C
Bailey, 1B
Lugo, SS

Rob said...

And we have talked about the little things with Ellsbury, particularly his baserunning, that gets him into trouble. If anything this 20-game hitting streak is a mask. Be patient at the plate and be a smarter baserunner - and talk to FY about sliding!

tim said...

When asked by my Globe colleague Amalie Benjamin if he was going to talk to the media before the game, Ortiz replied, "After I go deep tonight.".

Oooooooo it is ON

Unknown said...

LETS GO PAPI.

allan said...

Tito explains (sort of) dropping Tiz.

9casey said...

9casey said...
You are going to LBJ during a hitting streak.......mean


I missed a word there, can't remember which one.....must have been move...

Anonymous said...

Who are these people slagging on Ellsbury when he has hit in the last 20 games?!

Fuck is wrong wit' you??

allan said...

Who are these people slagging on Ellsbury when he has hit in the last 20 games?!

That would be me, I guess. ... Not slagging so much as pointing out the flaws.

allan said...

nesn - yay

Anonymous said...

Is tomorrow the last game in the baggydome for us?

allan said...

day game on thursday too.

laura k said...

"Laura thinks I insult him too much anyway (for his upteen grounders earlier this year). She's not going to like this post - at all!"

I'll do better than that - I won't read it!

I'm watching sans thread tonight, or mostly anyway, see you all later.

laura k said...

A mask? If that's a mask, let's get one for everyone.

laura k said...

21!

Anonymous said...

Blackjack!

Jere said...

21 motherhumpers

Jere said...

Hey L if you're still here, I got a really nice pic of Jacoby Sunday.

Unknown said...

Lyndon trying to improve his reputation by getting a hit to lead off the game.

Patrick said...

'After I go deep tonight'

Dude, Ortiz, you can help the team hitting for average, ya know?

allan said...

FY said some naughty words.

Unknown said...

Lyndon must have been reading this thread

Patrick said...

JD is so good at not swinging

Benjamin said...

LOB.

Unknown said...

Bleh, wasted opportunity.

Rob said...

If Ellsbury didn't have the hitting streak going - let's say he had a 15 game hitting streak and hit in 20 of his last 21 you might be more apt to looking at more of his flaws. Not that we really NEED to be but these are things with Ellsbury that he can improve on and I hope he does. But you look at the OPS+ and it tells you all you need to know. Yes he's getting a hit each game but doesn't seem to be doing much more than that.

People get so enamoured in name-calling. Hitting streaks. No-hitters. Perfect games.

For instance, I think a game where you give up a single and nothing else is more impressive than if you throw a 3-walk no-hitter.

Benjamin said...

The good kind of DP DP.

Jere said...

"But you look at the OPS+ and it tells you all you need to know."

I don't buy that--he's not supposed to hit home runs. If the guy hits .350 with a .400 OBP and 60 SB, but all his hits are singles, his OPS+ would still be below 100 but that would be an incredible year.

allan said...

lugo atones!

Jere said...

Nice! Just how Lugo planned it. 6-4-6. The "new to Manhattan" DP.

Anonymous said...

That's the equivalent of rolling your race car and being able to continue.

Patrick said...

Lugo with a tactical bobble. Sneaky bastard.

Benjamin said...

Hilarious.

allan said...

but ellsbury is not going to hit .350.

Jere said...

I'm just saying, OPS is not the ultimate judge of a hitter for guys that don't have power.

Patrick said...

if he hits .300 and slugs .300, I don't think anyone would care if his OBP was .350-.360, and he was effectively stealing bases.

Jere said...

speed

Unknown said...

Papi double!

Jere said...

"if he hits .300 and slugs .300, I don't think anyone would care if his OBP was .350-.360, and he was effectively stealing bases."

I don't know what you mean.

Rob said...

Jere, I buy that.

allan said...

so look at obp -- how often does he get on base - by a hit or a walk -- that is key

Patrick said...

If he hits only singles, is what I'm getting at.

Jere said...

Right, OBP is key for him. Exactly. That's the thing that's more likely to "say it all." To me.

Rob said...

And obviously if he's not on base he can't use his speed offensively. Obviously.

Jere said...

"If he hits only singles, is what I'm getting at."

Okay, well I'm saying that would be fine if he had all singles, as long as his OBP was high, and with the steals, that'd be like doubles anyway.

allan said...

and to have an acceptable obp with few walks, he is going to have to hit .360. which is hard to do.

Benjamin said...

What concerns me more about Ellsbury this year than his lack of power is his high CS rate. Getting on base and stealing second is almost as good as hitting a double.

Benjamin said...

BAL 3 - TOR 2

Jere said...

Man, Lugo on that play was kind of waiting and seeing with the runner before going back to cover, instead of assuming he'd go for it and get right to the bag. He really could've screwed us twice on that play.

allan said...

nyy at tex - rain delay

Unknown said...

Another wasted opportunity

Jere said...

Here's another one for you all: You know how people used to want Papi to bunt or do a little check swing to hit one toward third when the shift was on? And the response was, "that's what the other team wants." (Meaning, for Papi to get ONLY a single.) Well, since he's lost power, why not have him do that against the shift, if only occasionally? (One reason not to would be that he's not gonna get the power stroke back by doing that--but don't we just want him to get on base at this point?)

Amy said...

Hi, everyone. Just tuning in and catching up.

Unknown said...

K please?

Jere said...

Okay, well how about a pizza place where you make your own pie?!

Amy said...

OK, two away.

Unknown said...

There's the K

allan said...

i always wanted flo to bunt more, to make the shift less extreme and open up some holes when he pulls it to rcf.

allan said...

"merchantsauto.com stadium"??????

w t fin' f?

Jere said...

way to get out of it Sid

Amy said...

Yes, now SCORE.

allan said...

5-2 birds

Unknown said...

Another K

Let's score some runs

Anonymous said...

To me Fieldin Culbreth is the best umpire.

allan said...

"blacky"

jesus christ.

Jere said...

Weird inning. All three of those looked like possible dongs off the bat.

Amy said...

How many K's does Lester have?

Amy said...

Scoring some runs would be nice now.

Amy said...

I think Papi may be liking this sixth spot.

(Is there anyone here??)

Patrick said...

These guys have good outfield Defense. It bugs me, like when we play the rays.

Anonymous said...

BOOOOOOOOOOO

Amy said...

Damn. Damn.

Patrick, good to know I am not just talking to myself.

Amy said...

Tek robbed two days in a row.

Rob said...

I'm here but I don't have anything to say yet.

Should have seen yesterday's thread.

Jere said...

here

Patrick said...

Tek with a .244 BABIP. We've witnessed what that means all year.

Amy said...

I think I was at the tail end of that one, Ish. Pretty quiet --- but it was a national holiday and a gorgeous day, so not surprising.

Jere said...

I'm busy writing something about a picture of Luis Tiant.

allan said...

I am watching over you all.

Rob said...

Amy it really was a gorgeous day yesterday.

Nice day today but it was chilly! Relatively. Cheer up it's only gonna get worse. Low to mid 50s throughout central New England tomorrow with wet and clammy dreary rainy weather.

Rob said...

Hanley Ramirez left tonight's game with a groin injury...

Jere said...

"with a groin injury..."

left or right?

Amy said...

OK, I looked up BABIP and have no idea what it means even after reading the description.

It was cool here also, Ish. But at least no rain. Guess it is coming.

These innings are flying by.

Rob said...

No idea.

Rob said...

Amy I went out for a walk around 5:30 and brought my jacket! I took it off halfway through the mile-and-a-half walk, especially in the sunshine but it was a tad cool.

Can't wait until the weekend when the 70s and 80s will come back.

Amy said...

A leadoff hit. Let's not leave him on base.

Same here, Ish. Definite sweater weather. I want summer!

Unknown said...

Lugo did something useful!

Patrick said...

BABIP: balls that are hit into play, usually end up as outs 70% of the time. Meaning 30% or .300 end up as hits.

It's a way of measuring luck. If a player is hitting his line drives into gloves, it will show up in BABIP.

Patrick said...

after reading what I wrote, I realize that I probably did little to help you understand. Oh well.

Patrick said...

Ellsbury just ten steals behind Carl Crawford.

Amy said...

Thanks, Patrick. On BR it seemed to relate to the pitcher, so I was confused. So are you saying Tek is having bad luck because his BABIP is less than 300?

Amy said...

Yes! We score! FY!

Benjamin said...

FY!

Jere said...

there's a run that's a run

Rob said...

FY for a two-bagger! Big SB there for Lyndon.

Unknown said...

Lead!

Patrick said...

I'm saying Varitek's average should be better based on the balls he's hit onto the field. He's been unlucky because so many of his hits have been right at players.

Amy said...

At least we got one.

Patrick said...

and his BABIP is what measures that.

Amy said...

That helps, Patrick. I appreciate it. I find all these stats baffling and can never quite remember what half of them mean. After ERA, BA, and the other old traditional ones, I am always going back and looking them up.

allan said...

By the end of the season, I want Amy talking about DIPS, VORP and UZR.

Benjamin said...

LBJ!

Jere said...

oh my word

Anonymous said...

HOLY MOSES MALONE!

allan said...

wowie

Rob said...

WOW!!!! LYNDON with the highlight reel catch!

RUGBURN!!

Amy said...

VORP is value over replacement player

NICE CATCH!!

However, I have no real idea how they calculate it.

The others mean nothing to me. :)

Rob said...

DIPS, VORP and UZR.


Sounds like something you'd do in a science fiction movie.

Patrick said...

I can't wait for gameday audio to let me watch that highlight. I can't imagine it wasn't worthy of it.

Anonymous said...

cheap hit.

Amy said...

SHIT. And the lead is gone. So fast.

Jere said...

Drew opts against hitting the cutoff man, and now it's 2nd and 3rd

Patrick said...

argh, Lester's been hit hard this inning.

9casey said...

Amy said...


The others mean nothing to me. :)



Amy , as you can tell, I am old school, Only stat I care about W's and L's......

I'll leave all the other stuff to the baseball actuaries of the world....

allan said...

vorp - show off!

Unknown said...

Crap

K please?

Jere said...

"I'll leave all the other stuff to the baseball actuaries of the world...."

I actually went to school for actuary science back in the 90s (because I was so into baseball stats), and most of this stuff STILL means nothing to me.

Amy said...

I have to say when I look at some of these formulas (VORP, BABIP, ERA+), I think, "What kind of nut sat around figuring out THAT?" But I guess they must have some value. I just can't keep it all straight. TMI. I am happy with ERA, BA, and W and L. :)

Amy said...

Safer to walk this guy.

allan said...

being happy with avg and w/l is like being happy your doctor still uses leeches. there are better alternatives now.

Benjamin said...

Well shit.

Amy said...

Well, that REALLY sucks.

Jere said...

them: fucking five. Us: fucking one.

Patrick said...

Lester with the bad inning. frowny face.

Amy said...

OK, I like OBP also. How's that?

Rob said...

Oh cock. So much for that good outing.

Unknown said...

FUCK

Benjamin said...

being happy with avg and w/l is like being happy your doctor still uses leeches. there are better alternatives now.

Medicinal leeches are used in certain modern surgeries for their anti-coagulation properties.

Rob said...

Someone should've stuck some leeches on Lester before he threw to Morneau.

Looked a lot like baseball coagulation to me.

Jere said...

"being happy with avg and w/l is like being happy your doctor still uses leeches. there are better alternatives now."

Ah, but these doctors today, they have all the technology, but they have no communication skills, and seem to have no interest in the patient as a human being.

Jere said...

Jays lose

allan said...

shitty jays lose again!

Rob said...

The person who's made the biggest deal tonight about Ortiz's spot in the lineup is Dave O'Brien.

When announcing the line-up before the game he talked so much about Ortiz not batting third that he didn't even say who WAS batting third!

Amy said...

OK, Tek finally got the break that time.

BABIP and all that.

Jere said...

O'B: Here are your lineups: leading off it's not David Ortiz, batting second it's not David Ortiz, hitting third is definitely not David Ortiz...

9casey said...

Jere said...
"I'll leave all the other stuff to the baseball actuaries of the world...."

I actually went to school for actuary science back in the 90s (because I was so into baseball stats), and most of this stuff STILL means nothing to me.




My ex majored in that in Linclon as well jere..

Rob said...

O'Brien: The Red Sox need a little lightning.


Yup. Because you have to almost bat around to get to the Thunder.

Rob said...

Jere you could tell O'B really didn't want to say Ellsbury and Pedroia were batting first and second. He just wanted to get down to third! Then to sixth!

andy said...

1 hit a game with his speed makes LBJ more of a threat then the current number 6 man in the lineup. What is LBJ's gameshare stat?

allan said...

i am not optimistic.

Amy said...

You are not optimistic, Allan, about this game?

allan said...

this game, yes.

Amy said...

Score at least four runs. Please.

allan said...

lugo
lyndon
fy

Jere said...

"My ex majored in that in Linclon as well jere.."

That's crazy, I'd say maybe she was in one of my classes, but I didn't get very far in that line of study. Not enough baseball.

Jere said...

But Brook Berringer was in my accounting class! And I'd pass both Tommie Frazier and Johnny Rodgers on my way to English. Rodgers was there working on getting a degree like 20 years after the fact.

allan said...

life! come on dusty

allan said...

more life! come on, on fire!

Rob said...

Hope to have some Thunder in this inning.

Amy said...

I am ever hopeful. It's only the 7th.

Amy said...

Damn, at least we got one.

Rob said...

Don't want to get a run that way. But at least ONE scores before the end of the inning.

9casey said...

Jere said...
But Brook Berringer was in my accounting class!


BB was good friends with Phil Ellis who lived on my floor and was from GI which alot of my friends were from....

allan said...

not enough foul terr. to just head off to 2B.

Jere said...

GI= Grand Island, ha.

That play right there is why I'm no fan of JD Drew.

Rob said...

Don't bother arguing Tito. They won't reverse the call.


Or maybe they will! There was one umpire who reverse a call after Gardenhire argued vehemently about a ball that hit Joe Mauer on the hands. Call was it hit the bat. Then the umpire randomly overturned the call.

Jere said...

Wait, wasn't Phil Ellis like a linebacker or something??

Rob said...

Jere that's pretty crazy about the people you see from home in Connecticut, at a college in Lincoln, Nebraska! If I'm getting all this right.

allan said...

bard K'd his first batter, then no more Ks.

Anonymous said...

Well we have 1 inning to come up with 3 runs it looks here.

Anonymous said...

wait, dosn't Nathan always suck against the sox?

Jere said...

ish--you're not getting it right:)

Talking about guys on the football team--and me and 9casey just happened to have both gone to school there--we didn't know each other until, ya know, Joy of Sox.

allan said...

"baseball at its best"

man, roberts's bland, cliched pablum annoys me -- it would fit right in at espn.

allan said...

smoke 'em dan-o!

nick said...

Hi all.

Feels like it's been ages since I've stopped by. Been working or conferencing or dealing with a broken laptop power cable or....

I've been reading the posts, but haven't really dived into comments.

Rob said...

:>) That makes more sense. I'm thinking to myself, who knew Lincoln would be a college hotspot for Nutmeg staters?

Anonymous said...

Sort of;

1 1 2.76 6/8

allan said...

rays lose to spiders

allan said...

YES!

Rob said...

rays lose to spiders • Carl Pavano!


MFY/TEX game supposed to start in about 5 minutes.

Amy said...

Hi, Nick. Maybe you can change the luck of the game here.

nick said...

I'm sure this has been discussed somewhere, but I've often wondered about the psychological effect on the current pitcher of having the bullpen visible on the field.

Unknown said...

I still can't get over the fact that his changeup sits at 90mph.

Jere said...

Nick, I can't say I've ever thought of that.

Amy said...

OK, three runs.

Amy said...

Had my hopes up there, Don.

allan said...

shit ... foul

time for the big boys to bash

allan said...

shit ... YooKKK

nick said...

I'm ready for a big inning of baseball here. I'm perfectly willing to take my presence here to be just what the Sox needed to give 'em that extra oomph (cept youk there).

allan said...

fuck!

Amy said...

Maybe Papi being switched has quieted everyone else's bat.

nick said...

I'm mildly surprised by that, Jere. You seem much in tune with so many details of the game, the parks, the players, and so on.

Not that I have any insight into it, just wondering.

fuck. screw the strikeouts.

Amy said...

Well, Allan, your lack of optimism is looking justified.

nick said...

fucK, fucK, Pop fuck Up.

allan said...

that inning was pure shit.

allan said...

i'd love for them to make me look dumb next inning.

Jere said...

we're waiting till the 9th to win this.

Nick--thanks. Maybe it's just because Fenway has the "normal" bullpens, I'm just not often thinking of those weird side ones in general. Then again, I thought numbers on the fronts of uniforms was the rare way to do it, and I was wrong on that. And the 3rd base dugout being the home dugout isn't as rare as I thought either. So maybe those side pens are more common than I realize. Not that this helps at all with your question...

Jere said...

he means to say "disservice" here...

Jere said...

but he says "disadvantage." Other than that, Smoltz is a well-spoken dude.

Jere said...

speaking of 3rd base dugouts, I'm just realizing now that the guy that Lester hit, Spann I think?, actually threw hit bat toward OUR dugout, so that made Lester be even more pissed at the guy.

nick said...

I am downright ignorant of which dugout is usually the home one, but I have wondered how it came to be that way (whatever it is).

Jere said...

Texas has a 2B, 3B, and walk in the 1st against Joba, but have yet to score!

allan said...

if he called time, why did he hack?

nick said...

That's impressive, jere, and lame. score runs! (here too, please)

Amy said...

I used to think all home dugouts were on the first base side because that's where the three parks I knew best had them (Fenway, Shea and YS). I was surprised the first time I realized a home team was on the third base side. It still feels "wrong."

Jere said...

2-run single, 2-0 Rangers.

Jere said...

Joba can still pitch a perfect game thought. Because for him, the first inning just doesn't count.

Amy said...

Last chance to dirty the water.

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