September 15, 2009

G143: Red Sox 4, Angels 1

Angels  - 000 000 001 - 1  6  1
Red Sox - 000 002 02x - 4 9 0
Matsuzaka (6-3-0-3-5, 93) did not allow a hit until the fifth inning -- and he worked out of a 2nd & 3rd, 1 out jam in that inning by striking out pinch-hitter Gary Matthews and Chone Figgins.

Dice stayed with his fastball in the early innings. He threw 63% fastballs, much higher than his 52.5% career average. His pitches were faster, crisper and far less hittable than at any other point this season. However, he did throw only 56% strikes.

The Sox scored twice in the sixth. Alex Gonzalez singled off the Wall and Jacoby Ellsbury bunted for a hit. Dustin pedroia bunted down the third base line, and Lackey threw the ball away past third. Seabass scored. After J.D. Drew grounded out and Jason Bay walked to load the bases, David Ortiz singled off left fielder Juan Rivera's shoetops.

In the eighth, Drew tripled with one out and scored on Bay's single to left. Bay was easily thrown out trying for a double. Ortiz then launched a dong to dead center. It was his 270th home run as a DH, a new major league record.

Dice got ahead of the first batter of the game (Figgins) 0-2, but walked him. Same old Dice? No. He retired the next eight Angels until he walked Figgins again (with two outs) in the 3rd. But he got the next hitter and then retired the side in order in the fourth. He got out of the fifth inning jam, then worked around a one-out double in the sixth.

The Blue Jays belted five dongs in a 10-4 rout of the Yankees (although the MFY outhit them!) and the A's beat the Rangers 6-1, so Boston is 6.5 GB in the East and 5.5 GA in the WC.
Example
John Lackey (3.53, 129 ERA+) / Daisuke Matsuzaka (8.23, 57 ERA+)

Matsuzaka returns to the Boston rotation after almost three months. His last start was on June 19 (log). The big question -- the only question, really -- is which Dice will we see?

Along the way there was a bit of controversy about his training and pitching methods. (And NPB had a brief post in August about pitch counts in Japan and MLB.)

John Farrell:
He has done an outstanding job of committing to a program and getting himself in what we consider, just from the naked eye, better shape. He's reshaped his body. He's added core strength. He's gotten the strength levels in his shoulder back to a level where he was a year ago. I think he feels good about himself as well, so we're all looking forward to his next time out here.
Terry Francona:
He kind of evolved the last couple of years. He got away from the guy we had signed for a few different reasons. I think what we're hoping to do is see closer to the stuff that we saw when we signed him. You might not see the exact same stuff. I don't know if that's fair. But get closer to it this year, [and hope] that during the winter then when he comes back next year, we're back to that guy with a better comfort for pitching here and living here culturally and competing.
In his final minor league start, Dice hit 93 with his fastball and threw 61 of 89 pitches for strikes. But that was against A-ball hitters.

My guess for tonight? 5-4-1-2-6, 95.

Plus: A reminder of what a dush and clown Lackey is.

Blue Jays/Yankees at 7 and A's/Rangers at 8.

210 comments:

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Rob said...

DIRTY FUCKING WATER.

YEEEEEAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!

Can every day be like today???

Amy said...

Hi, Mrs. GotRibe---Have a good trip!

Unknown said...

Not exactly the most efficient way to close out a game, but whatever

Mrs.GotRibe said...

201. That's exciting.

tim said...

dirrrrrty h2o

fuckin tel call

Amy said...

Pap still making my stomach turn. Glad we got those insurance runs and glad that LBJ made that catch, or who knows what we'd be saying now.

Dr. Jeff said...

This is why I love Joy of Sox, you don't have to read this crap, from "Halo Heaven". "Paragon of athletic virtue"!!!:
*********

Final Score in Boston: Angels 1, Red Sox 4

Angels pitcher John Lackey still stands as a paragon of athletic virtue no matter what the box score reads.

Fighting off the Rangers for a playoff berth, the Boston Red Sox are looking juiced out of desperation. Consider the evidence: Dustin Pedroia is 26 and almost bald. David Ortiz has made it a habit to slump in synch with regular synthetic drug cycles. Daniel Bard throws 99 and Johnathan Papelbon 95... did Manny Ramirez leave behind anything in his locker last year?

The American League's cheatingest team of sleaze and Ben Affleck's lustful affection could not find a way to poison the food of any Angels players, nor transmit pink-eye virus to the middle of the Halo lineup. Perhaps owner John Henry is busy finding a way of profiting off of Swine Flu worry about baseball clubs with character and strong moral fiber playing in front of the assorted local diploma mill "graduates" and grotesque obesities in the stands.

SoSock said...

Wow, quite a post there Doc.
Ah well, I'm sure they're out there for any team if you look around. What a vitreous diatribe, though.

Great finish to the game, it appears. An firey triple, a canadian single and a dominican dong, and Bot was not great but good enough. Me likey

My friend is OK, although I would have felt a LOT better if she had let me take her to hospital. Damn big gash and a knot like a golfball on her forehead. Slept on her sofa until her daughter got home, very late.

laura k said...

"a vitreous diatribe"

?? :)

allan said...

That's some good stuff, Jeff.

Those guys have some serious issues with the Sox. No wonder, since we fuckin' OWN them in the playoffs!!!!

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