July 17, 2009

G89: Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 1

Red Sox   - 200 020 000 - 4  6  1
Blue Jays - 000 100 000 - 1 5 0
Buchholz (5.2-4-1-3-3, 103) was on, except for a brief hiccup in the fourth inning, Kevin Youkilis belted a two-run dong in the first, and David Ortiz hit a two-run double in the fifth to pull the curtain down on Romero's night (4.1-5-4-5-8, 93).

With one out in the fifth, Dustin Pedroia grinded out a 12-pitch walk (bcfbfffffbfb) against Romero in the fifth. Romero lost something in that battle -- he walked Yook on five pitches (bbbcb) then gave up a double to deep left to Flo on a 3-2 count.

HH gave up a double to Adam Lind to open the Jays fourth, but he was erased when he tried to take third on Scott Rolen's grounder back to the mound. Lyle Overbay (who had three of Toronto's five hits) hit a ground rule double to right-center. Scott Rolen had to stop at third, but he soon scored on Alex Rios's sacrifice fly.

Buchholz may have tired in the sixth. After getting the first two batters, he was at 92 pitches. After Overbay singled and Rios walked, Terry Francona came with the hook. I was blacked out from watching at work, but it sounded as though HH had his good curve and change and his fastball was consistently at 94-96. (links to pitchfx charts)

Bullpen: Bard struck out three of the four batters he faced, Hideki Okajima stranded a two-out double in the eighth, and Jonathan Papelbon cruised through an eight-pitch ninth.
Clay Buchholz (2009 debut) / Ricky Romero (3.00, 144 ERA+)

Jason Bay:
I still don't think we've played our best yet. ... We're starting to hit our stride.
This is the fifth consecutive year that the Red Sox have begun the "second half" of the season in first place. They open with a six-game road trip -- three games each in Toronto and Texas.


This is Buchholz's first major league appearance since August 20, 2008. He has made 16 starts for Pawtucket and had a 2.36 ERA.
It's an opportunity that I've been waiting for all year. ... I'm ready to go. I've prepared for it for a good while now. ... I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a little bit (frustrated). But all I could do is go out there and pitch every fifth day and help that team win and try to get better every day I go out there. I knew everything else was sort of out of my control ...

Maybe the first couple of pitches (I'll be excited). But after that, that's how these guys stay in the game forever - because they control their emotions and everything else. I'm sure the adrenaline will be running, but ... I'm not going to be nearly as amped as I was a couple of years ago.
Rookie of the Year candidate Romero has a 2.38 ERA over his past eight starts (since the beginning of June); the lefty has held opponents to a .221 average in those 56.2 innings.

The Yankees (3 GB) host the Tigers at 7 PM. A.J. Burnett -- 1.34 in his last 5 starts/33.2 IP -- faces rookie Lucas French.

103 comments:

Benjamin said...

1. J.D. Drew, RF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
4. David Ortiz, DH,
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
9. Nick Green, SS
-- Clay Buchholz, RHP

'Manda said...

likey, likey

allan said...

I am enjoying the Post-Lugo Era.

allan said...

EB: "Jacoby Ellsbury, feeling under the weather, was scratched from tonight's starting lineup. Rocco Baldelli will take his place and bat eighth..."

SoSock said...

Prior to the LBJ scratch, this is the closest thing to normal oatmeal we've seen in a long time.
Now just get Jedi in the 7 hole and drop Tek and LBJ a notch each and.....Voila!......
A 1st place team if I've ever seen one.
And the best part is they're already in first, and they're just now getting all the pieces in place. Can you imagine if Dice were having the kind of year we all (OK, maybe just me) thought he was going to have? We'd be up 10 or 12.

laura k said...

Hey gamethreaders! I hope eveyrone enjoyed their Break.

I'll be watching while busy with my usual Friday-night occupation: folding laundry. Plus I have to unpack. So I'll see you later and/or when the game demands it.

fusionmouse said...

At last the annual purgatory of the All-Star break is over and I can look forward to cooling myself (hopefully) in the refreshingly dirty waters again!

I gotta learn how to schedule a vacation in the wilderness to overlap with the break... I'm just Jonesing for some real baseball.

Let's GO Sox!

allan said...

Piles of work and I am the only one here. Should be able to have the radio (mlbtv is blacked out) in my ear.

A Conformer said...

Let the Buchholz era begin. Again.

First gamethread back on EST, for me.

tim said...

LETS GO CLAY!!!!!!

That oatmeal looks tasty!

tim said...

Hey A+L, sorry we couldn't hook up in Stratford - hope the trip was kickass!

laura k said...

Tim, me too! We just couldn't get back later than we were planning yesterday. The trip was really great - full review on wmtc.

laura k said...

Announcement: there is still one unsold ticket for JoS1 at Fenway on Tuesday, July 28. If you know anyone who might want to buy it, please spread the word - we need to sell it.

Patrick said...

is stomach virus slang for severe hangover?

fusionmouse said...

Yes! Youk!!!!!

allan said...

SULTAN.

Patrick said...

sweaty dong...

laura k said...

SWEAT POWERED!!!!

Benjamin said...

YOUK

laura k said...

"is stomach virus slang for severe hangover?"

Traditionally, yes. But people do also get stomach viruses. :)

Whoa! Everyone safe.

Back to folding.

tim said...

YOOOOOOOOOK! (delayed)

Papi with the infield single!

And L - I will be joining you with a laundry folding as well!

fusionmouse said...

A little Canadian Breeze there...

tim said...

Welcome back Michael!

fusionmouse said...

DAMN, turn down the audio commercials!

Benjamin said...

I hope Lowell manages to get back to the dugout to get his glove before the bottom of the first, at the rate he was running.

fusionmouse said...

Anyone else listening online to WRKO?

A Conformer said...

Shit, watching online is not an option. The connection here is extremely slow and stuttery.

allan said...

... Michigan - Rose Bowl win ...

STFU Joe. STFU.

Benjamin said...

Green reminding everyone what sort of play Lugo couldn't make.

allan said...

mouse - i am. and you are right, commercials are LOUD.

fusionmouse said...

A verdant OTT!

tim said...

Let's go Jason!

laura k said...

I listen to WRKO online on the weekend, and the ads are blasting. I have to take my earphones out, and continually try to guess when the game is back on.

A Conformer said...

Man, my connection is not even good enough for GDGD. I guess I'll just pop in once in a while to see how things are going...

laura k said...

Ofer, it's like you never left. Gamethread-wise, that is.

fusionmouse said...

Clan half inning :(

A Conformer said...

Ofer, it's like you never left. Gamethread-wise, that is.

True. It was all just an attention seeking ploy.

laura k said...

Clan half inning :(

I was going to say "racist half inning". :)

Ofer, very effective. The whole "where in the world is A Conformer" is a great conversation starter.

allan said...

GDGD has HH's fastballs to Rolen at 94-95-96. That sounds good.

A Conformer said...

Ofer, very effective. The whole "where in the world is A Conformer" is a great conversation starter.

When in fact, I never even left my mother's basement!

allan said...

Re JoS1:

Jim Rice's number 14 is scheduled to be retired before the game.

allan said...

Joe notes that the Toronto media is "less than educated, to put it nicely".

:>)

fusionmouse said...

Ouch--I think my ears are bleeding. Time to ride home. Night all, enjoy the rest of the game :)

fusionmouse said...

Bedsheets with holes again :-{

A Conformer said...

Pitch count is kinda high, but it looks like HH is doing good.

Rob said...

So Ofer, I didn't catch it but where are you now? Back on eastern time?

A Conformer said...

Hey, Ish. Yeah, I'm in Ohio. Got re-recruited.

Rob said...

Not much of a homecoming then, eh Ofer? Same old job again?

laura k said...

Same old job, traveling for free, all expenses paid, making DVDs. Poor Ofer.

laura k said...

Oo, we got a break there, GRD.

Rob said...

Poor poor Ofer. I'd hate to have your job.

laura k said...

Break erased.

allan said...

Sounds like Lind had his head up way his ass on that FC.

allan said...

HH with only 14 pitches in each of the last two innings, now at a nice 67 thru 4. Should give us 6 with no sweat.

laura k said...

Brandy Halliday in the booth shilling for a food drive. I wish I could say those things weren't needed here in Canada, but no.

A Conformer said...

I'm only here till October. The homecoming will still happen, it's just been divided into two.

allan said...

Cronkite dead at 92.

A Conformer said...

I like 12-pitch walks. They're often followed by meltdowns and dongs.

allan said...

Joe says Chuck Tanner started Kaat on 1 or 2 days rest many times.

1974 - Never happened.

1975 - 3 starts on 2 days rest, no starts on 1 days rest.

laura k said...

Cronkite! Oh boo. I know he was very sick, and old.

When I was growing up, he was the voice that helped end the Vietnam War. Gotta go blog now.

allan said...

Looks like Romero has got some splainin' to do!!!!!

Rob said...

Ortiz alive at 33.

allan said...

Castig says FY's AB was 10 pitches.

GDDG and Ofer say 12.

A Conformer said...

I like 12-pitch walks. They're often followed by meltdowns and dongs.

Meltdown- check.
Dong- half-check.
Pitcher who was pitching well out of the game- oh yeah.
Good going, FY.

tim said...

I'm back, after some shots of scotch and a beer run (not in that order).

Fuck Cy Romero. On a related note, I have a giant Rich Hardon for Cy HH.

And I've yet to fold that laundry.

Go Sox!

laura k said...

"Looks like Romero has got some splainin' to do!!!!!"

I have almost posted this 6 or 7 times. But I would have written "Ricky", not Romero.

allan said...

I used Romero so as to not make it so obvious!

laura k said...

I am not subtle.

laura k said...

Buffyvision stat of the night: 21st consecutive game that the Jays have hit at least one double.

Whoopee.

The record is 75 games.

A Conformer said...

You know, ESPN's gamecast has less info than GDGD, but it's not bad.

laura k said...

I prefer Gamecast to GDGD. If I have to go internet-only, I always go for ESPN.

allan said...

finish rios now, laptop

laura k said...

Shakespeare coming in

allan said...

Great outing, but a bit off for these two last batters (tired at 92 pitches after the 2 outs?).

Bard in.

A Conformer said...

Come on, HH. Get an out and go back to Pawtucket victorious.

Rob said...

Shakespeare?

A Conformer said...

Oh, ok. GDGC didn't tell me there was a pitching change...
Oh, well. Good outing. Almost very good. Now, let's hope the break did the bullpen some good.

allan said...

For this relief much thanks"
("Hamlet," I, i)

laura k said...

Shakespeare is often called The Bard of Avon, or just The Bard.

allan said...

DET: 110 010
MFY: 100 01

laura k said...

Did you get that Shakespeare baseball book we looked at? Or you just knew that one?

allan said...

Didn't get the book - this was from a quick Google search!

laura k said...

Whoa, what a catch. Asshole.

laura k said...

Buffyvision is spouting real stats tonight: OPS, WHIP, ERA+. They're explaining them, but very casually, not making a big deal like they're something new and crazy. I have to say, it's very nice.

tim said...

lol - can tell you guys have been to stratford! haha

also - dave delucci in t.o. - wtf?

tim said...

That's sweet L....I was watching brewers-reds on MLB network last night (god that network is fucking awesome) and they were talking about how shitty Cinci's OPS is. The stat revolution is ON!!!!!

laura k said...

Could it be? Is the mainstream finally catching on? What year will it be when they stop obsessing on a pitcher's W/L record?

[never]

Ha ha, yes you can tell we've been in Stratford. Altho I'm always a huge Shakespeare fan, like any good former English major.

allan said...

Heh - OB just said Buchholz was trying to put away Scutaro.

A Conformer said...

Dan the automator.

laura k said...

I just posted a gamethread comment on my own blog. Haven't done that in a while!

allan said...

Castig, after Flo K: "9 strikeouts by Tampa Bay pitching"

allan said...

Tush Era dong - MFY lead 5-4.

A Conformer said...

Man, Bay has had better stretches that this, eh?

allan said...

Speaking of W-L:

Castig making a big deal of Felix Hernandez's 10-3 record (he won tonight), says nothing about his superb 2.51 ERA.

laura k said...

5-4? Or 5-3? NYY/Det

laura k said...

"Castig, after Flo K: "9 strikeouts by Tampa Bay pitching"

Did he notice and correct himself?

* * * *

Canada making Bay nervous.

allan said...

Not 5-4.

DET: 110 010 0
MFY: 100 010 3

laura k said...

Note to Buffy: Papelbon is not "little pappy".

And the way Canadians pronounce Pappy, it sounds even worse. Rhymes with happy and nappy, not poppy.

laura k said...

dirty dirty water!

allan said...

The water is ...

Muddy!!!

Rob said...

Hey Blue Jays... Don't say I didn't tell you not to drink the dirty water.

allan said...

Rain delay at the Toilet. MFY were just starting the bottom of the 8th.

9casey said...

Theo just said, after making an agressive offer to Bay that was rejected, talks are on hold till the end of the season...

His full name is Jason Raymond Bay.

Jay Ray Bay...

Kaat was good tonight in the booth ,was always my favorite yankee announcer.....