October 8, 2009

ALDS1: Angels 5, Red Sox 0

Red Sox - 000 000 000 - 0  4  3
Angels - 000 030 20x - 5 7 1
Torii Hunter's three run home run in the fifth was all Jon Lackey (7.1-4-0-1-4, 114) and the Angels needed in Game 1.

Boston could get nothing going with the bats. Lackey retired the first eight before a single by Alex Gonzalez and an error on catcher's interference with Jacoby Ellsbury put runners at first and second. But Dustin Pedroia flew out to right to end the inning.

A leadoff single by Jason Bay in the fifth was immediately wiped out by a double play grounder from Mike Lowell. With two outs in the sixth, Pedroia singled and Victor Martinez walked. Lackey fell behind Kevin Youkilis 3-0, but battled back and got out of trouble with a fielder's choice grounder. J.D. Drew began the eighth with a single and went to second on a wild pitch, but Gonzalez, Ellsbury and Pedroia could not move him any farther.

The Angels scored twice in the seventh off Ramon Ramirez and Takashi Saito. It was a strange inning that featured Juan Rivera grounding into a double play, but reaching first safely. The bases were loaded and the play went 5-2-5. The inning ended when Drew threw out Kendry Morales at the plate.

The game was also marked by horrible umpiring. CB Bucknor blew two obvious calls at first base -- one with the runner 4-5 feet from the bag -- both against the Red Sox with Howie Kendrick running, though they both happened in innings in which Los Angeles did not score. The Angels also got burned a few times, including the second out of that 5-2-5 DP. The catcher's interference call by Joe West was also strange.
Example
Lineups:
Red Sox                 Angels
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF Chone Figgins, 3B
Dustin Pedroia, 2B Bobby Abreu, RF
Victor Martinez, C Torii Hunter, CF
Kevin Youkilis, 1B Vladimir Guerrero, DH
David Ortiz, DH Juan Rivera, LF
Jason Bay, LF Kendry Morales, 1B
Mike Lowell, 3B Howie Kendrick, 2B
J.D. Drew, RF Jeff Mathis, C
Alex Gonzalez, SS Erick Aybar, SS
Example
Jon Lester (3.41, 139 ERA+) / John Lackey (3.83, 119 ERA+)

Here we go!

While it's great to hear another team deal with endless questions about a seeming inability to beat a certain opponent -- Torii Hunter: "There ain't no team in my head" -- the fact that the Red Sox have beaten the Angels in nine of their last 10 LDS games means little to the series that begins tonight.

Lester thinks there may be an "added confidence. I wouldn't say that in an arrogant way, but we know we've played this team well, and they play us tough."

With Rocco Baldelli "feeling minimally better" yesterday, it seems likely that Brian Anderson will take his spot as an extra outfielder. If so [Update: it's so], this is the Red Sox roster:
Pitchers                Lineup/Bench
Jon Lester Victor Martinez
Josh Beckett Kevin Youkilis
Clay Buchholz Dustin Pedroia
Daisuke Matsuzaka Alex Gonzalez
Mike Lowell
Jonathan Papelbon Jason Bay
Hideki Okajima Jacoby Ellsbury
Daniel Bard J.D. Drew
Ramon Ramirez David Ortiz
Billy Wagner
Takashi Saito Jason Varitek
Paul Byrd Jed Lowrie
Casey Kotchman
Joey Gathright
Brian Anderson
Theo Epstein:
I'm filled with a lot of anticipation, more than anything else. There's not a lot we can do at this point. ... [W]e're watching the fates unwind.
Example
Joy of Sox poll:
Example
Also tonight: the Whine-A-Thon Begins!

Example
P.S.:
Rockies (0)/Phillies (1) - Game 2 at 2:30
Cardinals (0)/Dodgers (1) - Game 2 at 6:00

636 comments:

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Amy said...

Wow, 200 comments and it's only the top of the first!

allan said...

say goodbye to your liver.

Ron said...

Just realized I didn't have a single piece of Sox clothing on. Fixed.

A Conformer said...

Just realized I didn't have a single piece of Sox clothing on. Fixed.

Ditto.

s1c said...

he sure does, don
he sure doesn't, don
they sure do, don


That's not a game that is a ticket to the morgue from alcohol poisoning.

Ron said...

Knuckle Dragging Mouth Breather. Just sayin'.

Amy said...

OK, we are just warming up.

Unknown said...

21 pitches for Lackey

allan said...

shit - where are the bats???????

andy said...

a 1-2-3 inning but he had to throw 22 pitches!

A Conformer said...

21-pitch OTT? Small comfort, but comfort nonetheless.

Rob said...

By the way, if the other two series on Monday are decided, the start would be 7:30. But as it is it would be 8:30.

Rob said...

95 from Sid

Rob said...

Neutralize!

laura k said...

26 to go!

Rob said...

scuse me, Joe... Where the fuck is your strike zone?

Dr. Jeff said...

I would so love for Lackey to get lit up tonight.

laura k said...

"carves it foul" - I guess that's not one of the three

Ron said...

I think this is Rob Neyer, but the change in the Halo's OBP is almost solely Figgins and Abreu. Nobody else has changed a thing.

Amy said...

Shit. No BBs, please.

Rob said...

""carves it foul" - I guess that's not one of the three"

honorable mention.

Amy said...

I wish we had a catcher who could throw out runners.

What catchers in MLB are known to be good at that these days?

Rob said...

Lester getting up to 97. Can you throw strikes at 97?

Amy said...

Vlad. Always worries me.

s1c said...

Now if Buck had been really prepared he would have pointed out that 4 of his 6 RBI's came on one hit.

Rob said...

Carved foul.

laura k said...

Vlad has done exactly nothing against us in the post-season. And he's had the worst season of his career. Nothing to worry about.

allan said...

old yeller remembers those 4 RBI

Unknown said...

DR!

laura k said...

Nice!

A Conformer said...

Lowell! Fuck the haters!

Amy said...

Thanks, Laura. Anything to reduce the anxiety.

Harv says he hopes that Red Sox wins and the Yankees lose because he can't stand the tension of another ALCS. What a nice guy...

Or ... what a liar!

s1c said...

old yeller remembers those 4 RBI

I hope you are refering to someone else?

Harvey sounds like a smart man, keep the wife happy!

laura k said...

You do seem very anxious, Amy!

A Conformer said...

Does Vlad=Samson? When did he cut his hair?

allan said...

timlin gave up the slam to vlad in 2004 game 3 right?

Rob said...

"timlin gave up the slam to vlad in 2004 game 3 right?"

I don't remember but since it's Timlin I'll say yes.

s1c said...

Yes I believe it was him.

Amy said...

Yeah, I am a bit anxious. But I always am in the post-season. Anxious and excited.

A Conformer said...

Timlin, for sure. Setting up Papi's heroics.

Dr. Jeff said...

Nice inning by Lester.

laura k said...

timlin = old yeller

aka toast

Amy said...

I also dread the idea of a Yankee/Red Sox ALCS, but I agree with Harvey---let the Red Sox win and the Yankees lose.

I am not as nice as he is.

A Conformer said...

aka white flag.

s1c said...

box score for 04

laura k said...

Enough about the dead guy already.

laura k said...

I am not as nice as he is.

You're more of a fan than he is.

Amy said...

Dead guy=Timlin?

Amy said...

OHH, Adenhart!

allan said...

PERFECT GAME FOR LACKEY!!!

Rob said...

It bugged me when he said they were playing with heavy hearts... for something that happened 6 months ago.

Trying to capture America's support as the sentimental favorites.

laura k said...

Dead guy = Nick Adenhart, the Angels player that died.

Are you watching on a different station?

Amy said...

I am LOL about thinking the dead guy reference was abou Timlin.

Dr. Jeff said...

Lester fastball 96-97 mph
Lackey fastball 93-94 mph

allan said...

the thing about timlin allowing the slam was that the TV people were all "uh oh the sox are gonna choke again" -- when boston led the series 2-0.

s1c said...

I had forgotten that game was the 2nd loss for K-rod in the series.

Unknown said...

That inning went by too quickly.

laura k said...

Ish, same here.

How many more innings til one of them mentions Lester/cancer?

Amy said...

No, I just thought you were responding to the posts about Timlin, not the talk about Adenhart.

You know---I try to block out the announcers.

Except when they are worshipping the Yankees....that pisses me off no end.

laura k said...

Dead guy = Timlin, an understandable mistake!

s1c said...

The pothole sounds just like one of my cousins.

laura k said...

Allan: "Amy being Amy" :)

That's why I was surprised you said that about Vlad. Anncrs were saying how he has never done anything against the Sox in the post-season, what a terrible season he had b/c of injuries... then you said he worries you. Then I remembered: you know how to ignore them.

allan said...

buck "ruh-veer"

to go along with OR-teez

Unknown said...

Sit

laura k said...

K

s1c said...

Mickey hatcher - the man who should have been MVP of the 88 series.

allan said...

"down on strikes"?????

BOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Amy said...

Nice pitch!

Rob said...

I love Sid's cutter.

Amy said...

Lester looking so good

Unknown said...

Sit and OTT

laura k said...

OTT!

Amy said...

OK, get hits, score runs. Please.

s1c said...

Dear Sox,

Time to get the bats going. Runs would be appreciated.

Thnx,
RSN

laura k said...

Hey Mikey, take a pitch or two, wouldja.

Rob said...

Angels fans making "Boston sucks" chant... making "sucks" two syllables. Heh. Dumb.

allan said...

drew time.

allan said...

buck got it right:ortiz.

laura k said...

I was about to say that! Suh-ucks...

Hey, Buck just said OrTEEZ. Correctly!

Amy said...

Sheesh, this game is moving very fast.

allan said...

seabass with the "chin strap"

Amy said...

Time for a two out rally.

Rob said...

Dude, Buck... Take a breather, man.

A Conformer said...

drew time.

He's gonna wait till it's really a game changer to whip his dong out.

Unknown said...

Sea Bass!

Amy said...

As I said...

laura k said...

Sea Bass breaks up the no-hitter!

allan said...

bass: fuck the no-no.

laura k said...

Buck sounds like he's been drinking coffee with me.

Rob said...

"He's gonna wait till it's really a game changer to whip his dong out."

That's usually what I do.

Unknown said...

Dang

Amy said...

No two out rally this time. But at least a hit.

Rob said...

I love these Foster's beer commercials.

Rob said...

WHOA!!!!

A Conformer said...

Catcher interference! HA!

Rob said...

Late interference call!!

Unknown said...

Ha, interference!

A Conformer said...

Turning point?

laura k said...

What just happened??? We had it on mute.

Amy said...

Did I miss something??

laura k said...

Ok, I scrolled up and figured it out. :)

Rob said...

HA! TBS doesn't know what to do.

Joe West blows up TBS!

Amy said...

OK, so what just happened? I thought they had gone to commercial and then I see FY at bat??

Unknown said...

Alright, nothing comes of that, but at least he had to throw two more pitches.

allan said...

break out the white out.

A Conformer said...

Well, at least Lackey wasted two more pitches...

Amy said...

If there was catcher interference, what happened to Gonzalez?

Amy said...

Did everyone leave, get quiet, or are comments not going through?

laura k said...

Don needs a shoehorn to get a word in. Buck talks way too much.

Unknown said...

Sit

allan said...

we are all commenting in the secret thread you didn't get invited to.

Amy said...

Phew, I thought blogger went on the fritz. I can't watch this game without JOS!

Amy said...

Nice, Allan, very nice. Just like junior high again. I hated it the first time.

allan said...

i said it, but laura told me to post it. blame her.

A Conformer said...

Oh, are we back posting in this thread now?

Amy said...

Man, the cool kids are picking on me again.

laura k said...

Amy, you are one of the cool kids in this crowd. Maybe the coolest!

allan said...

2 gone - let's get torii "no i'm not obsessed with choking against the red sox" hunter.

A Conformer said...

Made him look silly.

Amy said...

Thanks, Laura. It's ok not to be cool. After going to my high school reunion last weekend, I realized that cool in high school translates into sort of pathetic 40 years later.

Rob said...

all I heard Buck say a guy said to be short in the postseason because all of the adrenaline and the excitement would tend to make you go long.


I feel like this is the moment I need Andy the most.

laura k said...

After going to my high school reunion last weekend, I realized that cool in high school translates into sort of pathetic 40 years later.

That's pretty much a given. Peaking too early is bad in the long run.

I would never go to a reunion under any circumstances. Ever! Did you have fun?

Amy said...

Every time I hear DO, I half expect to hear Remy respond. And Buck has a sort of similar higher voice.

laura k said...

I feel like this is the moment I need Andy the most.

LOL

Haven't heard anything from him in a while.

allan said...

maybe if remy put a clothespin on his nose.

Rob said...

OH SNAP.

"Gets the bad news."

allan said...

fu west

bad news - DRINK

A Conformer said...

Gets the bad news... no drink. Has there been any DO induced drinking?

Unknown said...

Ugh...

Amy said...

I did have fun in a strange sort of way. I had a chance to connect with my three closest friends. And it was really amusing to see people I never really knew or liked much and even people I did like but didn't much care about. If you go without any expectation of really remembering people or being remembered, it's an interesting sociological experience.

SHIT, another BB??

Anonymous said...

Joe West is not a playoff caliber umpire.

s1c said...

enough of this walk shit

laura k said...

bear down, sid. you can do it.

A Conformer said...

Btw, fuck you, Joe West.

allan said...

i drank anyway.

Amy said...

Lester is sweating.

laura k said...

Lester walks 2 in a row, and Vlad gets up there and hacks at everything. thank you.

allan said...

love the hacking after 2 BB

Unknown said...

SIT

A Conformer said...

Good ol' Vladdy.

Amy said...

YES! I love you, Jon Lester!

laura k said...

Vlad just gets himself out, he doesn't need Lester's help.

Dr. Jeff said...

Incredible pitching!

s1c said...

Frack, no down by way of the k do?

ok, time to score some runs boys!!!

A Conformer said...

Lester with 3 Ks and a groundout that inning.

Amy said...

I am convinced. No need to worry about Vlad.

(Let's hope I don't end up eating those words.)

A Conformer said...

So, if you're really serious about the DO drinking game, are you supposed to not drink at all unless he says one of those 3 sentences? Because I wouldn't want to put my drinking rights in another person's hands...

laura k said...

Vlad had a big hit against us 5 years ago. Off Timlin.

Since then...

A Conformer said...

I just noticed it was the Tek special (TM): stand up high fastball. That never works!

allan said...

gotta drink throughout the game, but also on the 3 phrases.

laura k said...

Ofer, I don't think it's an exclusive. You just give a good gulp when you hear the words.

I'm not playing tonight. Too late for me!

Amy said...

I am not playing--need to focus in case they need me out of the bullpen.

But what are the three sentences? I must have missed the rules.

Rob said...

AW FUCK. OR-tiz

s1c said...

But what are the three sentences? I must have missed the rules.

In that case Amy you can just make them up as you need them.

Patrick said...

over 350 comments already. It is on!

A Conformer said...

Buck back to his bad habits. If I was Don I would really accentuate the TIZ each time I said Ortiz. Show him up a bit.

Rob said...

It feels like extra innings already.

Amy said...

Well, I could guess.

down by way of the K

something about the length of the wait for the pitcher

hmmm, not sure of the third

laura k said...

I swear Don was saying OrTEEZ extra to try to teach Buck.

laura k said...

There's at least a dozen Orilloisms. Allan and I used to pick a different 3 every night.

Patrick said...

We need more one pitch outs, like that.

Rob said...

Now Buck sounds like he's reading a Dr. Seuss book.

allan said...

wtf buck - next to no LHP in the minors?

Amy said...

Lester very diplomatic in his remarks about pitching to Tek and VMart.

laura k said...

oh shit, was he tagged or safe?

Amy said...

Oh, man. BAD CALL.

Anonymous said...

This game is moving way fast for a postseason game.

allan said...

OUT - clearly ouy.

Unknown said...

Well, that's an awful call

A Conformer said...

No fucking way that's not an out.

laura k said...

He was out. So we'll need 4 outs this inning.

Amy said...

Ridiculous.

Nice stop by Seabass.

Ron said...

How did the ump miss that?

Dr. Jeff said...

Glad to see they have the best Umps in the league for the playoffs. Sheesh.

Patrick said...

More bad calls?!?!

A Conformer said...

Well, there's that bad umpiring we were promised.

s1c said...

For you Amy

1. "full bore"
2. "the bunt bid"
3. "down by way of the K"

Patrick said...

I was hoping Lester would have a quick inning.

allan said...

no, we want the shit calls against the angels, so scoiscia's head explodes

Unknown said...

Sit

laura k said...

K

allan said...

pitch count ........ rising

Amy said...

I hate that he had to throw all those extra pitches.

Ron said...

sit. kthx.

Patrick said...

Jon Lester says FUCK YOU!!!! with his BALLS!@#!@

A Conformer said...

So, the Sox needed 8 outs to get through the 3rd and 4th innings. Oh, well.

laura k said...

pitching count... rising... /kirk

Amy said...

Thanks, S1C, for the info.

allan said...

Pitches-strikes:

Lester 66-41
Lackey 66-42

Unknown said...

Thunder on base

Amy said...

Bay on!

laura k said...

Fucking Rogers!!! We missed an entire AB!!

Game comes back, Bay's on base already. Thanks fucking rogers.

allan said...

rogers misses canadian bay's hit

s1c said...

Lester 66-41
Lackey 66-42


Of course in Lackey's case that is 12 outs vs 14 outs.

A Conformer said...

No DP, DR.

A Conformer said...

Shit, I kinda called it...

Amy said...

GOD DAMN IT.

Unknown said...

Fuck

Patrick said...

Doctor Doubles, always comes through big.

allan said...

buck notes lowell hit into a lot of DP because of the hip surgery, etc.

no - it's because his legs are encased in cement.

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