May 11, 2010

G34: Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 1

Blue Jays - 000 001 000 - 1  4  1
Red Sox - 210 120 00x - 6 7 0
Matsuzaka: 7-3-1-0-9, 106!

Matsuzaka went seven innings, allowed just three hits and a run. He didn’t walk anyone while throwing 71 strikes in 106 pitches.

He worked quickly, had a great four-seam fastball, and went to a three-ball count on only five of his 24 batters. And only four of the 21 outs left the infield (three of them in the second inning).
Since arriving here, I think this game is the one where I felt the most comfortable using my fastball.
It was only the 3rd time in his major league career that Matsuzaka pitched at least 7 innings and did not walk a batter. The other two came in consecutive starts way back in 2007: May 14 (9-6-1-0-5 against the Tigers; his only CG no-walker!) and May 19 (8-9-3-0-6 against Atlanta).

And it was only the 7th time in 76 career starts (of any length) that he did not issue a walk. The others: May 30, 2007 (5.2 innings), April 1, 2008 (6.2), May 27, 2008 (4), and June 7, 2009 (5.2).

Jason Varitek belted yet another home run (#6), a second inning bomb that cleared everything in left. The Cactus also singled and scored in the fourth. J.D. Drew singled twice, walked, and stole a base; Dustin Pedroia doubled, singled, and walked; and both Kevin Youkilis and Marco Scutaro walked twice. Yook was also HBP. Toronto pitchers, after walking seven batters last night, walked eight tonight.

The Yankees were rained out in Detroit (they will play a day-nighter on Wednesday) and Tampa Bay beat the Angels 7-2.
Example
Dana Eveland / Daisuke Matsuzaka
Scutaro, SS
Pedroia, 2B
Drew, RF
Youkilis, 1B
Lowell, DH
Beltre, 3B
Varitek, C
Hall, LF
McDonald, CF
Third start of the season for Dice. Maybe he can avoid having one ghastly inning this time. So far this year: 10 innings, 12 hits, 6 walks, 7 strikeouts, 9.90 ERA.

Eveland had a rough go of it against the Sox back on April 26 (3-8-7-3-3). but then, he always does. In four career starts, he has a 18.24 ERA (30 hits and 11 walks in 12.2 innings = 3.324 WHIP!). Current Boston players are hitting him at a .446/.512/.568 clip.

Regressing to the mean: Darnell McDonald is 3 for his last 24, with 9 K. ... Jacoby Ellsbury did some baserunning drills this afternoon. ... The White Sox signed Alan Embree.

After the Red Sox lost to the Yankees last Saturday, Cool Standings had the team (then 7.5 GB) at a 4.4% chance to make the playoffs. In two days, Boston has gained two games in the standings and is now 5.5 GB. CS is not overly impressed, however -- or rather, Tampa Bay and New York don't look appreciably weaker -- and has Boston at only 6.9%. BP's PECOTA projections currently has the Sox at 18.8%.

202 comments:

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allan said...

Lewis, LF
Hill, 2B
Lind, DH
Wells, CF
Overbay, 1B
Gonzalez, SS
Bautista, 3B
Buck, C
Snider, RF

9casey said...

Gammons , just said on WFAN, That he would not be suprised if Wake stayed in the rotation, due to the outcry from the veterans when they took him out of the rotation......

allan said...

Beckett will not be starting on Friday after all. No word on when his next start will be.

meunier said...

Has JD Drew ever been tested for dust allergies? I know that this sometimes causes dizzyness in me.

Zenslinger said...

Yanks-Tigers game postponed. They'll play two tomorrow.

Patrick said...

Oh, Daisuke. No one trusts you. No one understands you. You are truly an enigma.

Pepe Lepew said...

Bonjour!

laura k said...

Bonjour!

Zenslinger said...

Ain't it true, Patrick? Dice-K throws a lovely OTT -- yet we can only wonder, "What does it mean for next inning?"

Pepe Lepew said...

[Looks around the room carefully]

OK, no cuss words...

KIDDO: Go Red Sox! Go Penguins!

OK, now shoo....!

laura k said...

Yes. We have trust issues when it comes to Dice. I think we always will.

Kathryn said...

It's always nice to turn on the TV and have NESN. No Buck! I was glad to see him leave Baltimore, but I'm sorry that A & L have him up there now.

Patrick said...

WTF?!?! Sounded crazy!

laura k said...

That's what MLB Audio is for. :)

Kathryn said...

Pedey would have had that!

allan said...

nice play, snider!!!

Zenslinger said...

Um. Is this the third game in a row that we've begun with 2nd & 3rd, no outs?

Grant Salzano said...

Is that not the cheapest double you will ever see or what? That thing traveled a grand total of 150 feet, and Pedroia was like 6 feet out of the batters box when it was caught by the guy in the stands.

I love this sport. <3

Kathryn said...

I haven't paid attention to who is behind the plate. I hate it when umps are emphatic about any strike. But strike one? Come on.

Grant Salzano said...

By the way, my google account might be different than it used to be, I have no idea... but I'm JoeGrav's friend... I think my name used to be TonyTheTiger20 or something.

allan said...

no, you were grant before.

or grant balfour.

laura k said...

Nope. Grant Salzano, only.

Grant Salzano said...

Ah. Glad that's settled. Hi!

Patrick said...

Castig: Kevin perspiring, even on this cool night.

ha ha!

laura k said...

2-0! Yay

meunier said...

Youk gets the SF.

laura k said...

Joe doesn't thread much anymore. I see him on FB tho.

Pepe Lepew said...

Two runs, one hit. I like it.

Last night, they scored three runs without the benefit of a hit, correct?

Grant Salzano said...

Joe and I are both college seniors (graduating in like 2 weeks... yikes) and I have no idea how I found the free time to sit and watch a Sox game with a final exam tomorrow morning at 9am =-O

Joe's been a zombie over the last few days, he studies like 10x more than I do and never sleeps.

Kathryn said...

Grant,
Congrats to you and Joe on your graduations. My daughter somehow manages to find time for things other than studying before her exams. I think we all did/do that.

allan said...

shit. scare the crap out of us, huh?

Zenslinger said...

What was scary?

Seabass and his mighty fish bat?

Patrick said...

FFS!!!

laura k said...

Almost done with Uni, that's exciting!

allan said...

microwave and drew colliding

Zenslinger said...

Only 11 pitches that time. Nice. I'm watching GDGD, but he seemed to "attack the zone".

God, some of these terms are overdone. That and a pitcher "giving his team a chance to win".

laura k said...

It looked scarier than it turned out to be. No one limping or anything.

Zenslinger said...

There is a point at which sleep will benefit you more than continued studying.

laura k said...

"pitched well enough to win"

laura k said...

"There is a point at which sleep will benefit you more than continued studying."

That was always my way. I never did studying marathons. I sometimes think they are more for show than anything else.

Grant Salzano said...

Holy smokes

Patrick said...

V-Tek is amazing!!!!

allan said...

CACTUS!

laura k said...

CACTUS DONG!!!!!!!!

laura k said...

An insane number of Tek's hits are dongs. Crazy!

Pepe Lepew said...

V-Tek is done. He's washed up. He got nothin' left. :)

Kathryn said...

TEK!!!

Grant Salzano said...

What is it with part-time Sox catchers and owning at life?

Also... we are SECOND IN THE LEAGUE IN HRS?!

Zenslinger said...

Lo. He is Mighty.

Patrick said...

Tek's triple slash must look crazy now.

Grant Salzano said...

Joe actually gets to go to all the home Bruins playoffs games because he covers them for the metro. Between that, when he's with his fiance, and his life in the library, I barely see him!

Pepe Lepew said...

I don't know Dan Shaughnessy that well. He went on and on and on on ESPN last Friday that the Sox are done, their season is over, they need to start looking at next year, etc.

It displeased me.... >:(

allan said...

CHB is so bad he makes Michael Kay sound like Roger Angell.

laura k said...

There's all you need to know about CHB right there. He will displease you and your best bet is to never read or listen to a word he says.

Philip said...

Having met Dan Shaughnessy multiple times in person (and attending the school his daughter teaches at), I can say this: he is somehow MORE obnoxious in person. His daughter Kate, however, is lovely.

Kathryn said...

There is a point at which sleep will benefit you more than continued studying.

And, there is a point at which rest will benefit you more than continued work behind the plate.

Patrick said...

I just remembered being amazed at how big Tek looked in ST this spring. In all his pictures he looked huge.

laura k said...

So cool Joe is covering the playoff games. That's amazing.

I watched some hockey last night with friends after a meeting, the Pens-Habs game. It was fun, reminded me of what a great game it is.

Grant Salzano said...

If my math is correct, Tek is now at .333/.400/.889 with an OPS of 1.289.

...lolz.

laura k said...

Yes, Tek must work on the same theory!

also

MORE obnoxious in person? Holy crap. He must be insufferable.

Pepe Lepew said...

Blogger L-girl said...

So cool Joe is covering the playoff games. That's amazing.

I watched some hockey last night with friends after a meeting, the Pens-Habs game. It was fun, reminded me of what a great game it is.


Tomorrow is an Iron Man/Pens-Habs doubleheader! It will be hectic!

Pepe Lepew said...

Having met Dan Shaughnessy multiple times in person (and attending the school his daughter teaches at), I can say this: he is somehow MORE obnoxious in person. His daughter Kate, however, is lovely.

He certainly is a negative nellie!

Grant Salzano said...

I saw Shaughnessy while I was in Detroit for the Frozen Four. He looks like a tool.

It was pretty funny when one of my friends that I was with yelled to him "WHY DO YOU BLEACH YOUR EYEBROWS?"

laura k said...

He's made a career out of being negativity. After all, he's the idiot who invented "the curse". If not actually invented it, turned it into a franchise.

laura k said...

I look forward to passing the Jays in the standings. There's entirely no reason for them to be ahead of us.

allan said...

last half inning, with TOR in the field, OB said scouts say snider could be a 30-35 HR guy. just before he fanned right here, he said people think he could be a 40 HR guy.

by the 7th, will he be a 60-70 HR/yr stud?

laura k said...

It's actually weird to see people call him Shaughnessy. Instead of CHB.

meunier said...

Grab some pine meat.

allan said...

DICE KKKKK!

Zenslinger said...

Dice struck out the side, all swinging. That means something.

Grant Salzano said...

Atta boy, Dice.

Grant Salzano said...

Alright folks... I think I have to go study this stuff for my history exam... :( Nice to chat again.

laura k said...

Good luck on the test!

allan said...

most of what chb does is horrible, mailed-in shit -- it seems like he hates both his job and baseball a LOT -- but then every so often he will turn in a very good piece. i often say how shocked i was with his game stories in the LCS and WS in 2004 -- he was firmly in hack territory even then, but that was totally brilliant work.

odd. so he has talent, he just doesn't bother to use more than a few times a year.

laura k said...

Bitter and lazy, that's some combination.

Pepe Lepew said...

5 SO, no walks after 3 innings.

He's done, he's toast! It's over, man! :)

Joe Gravellese said...

His books are excellent too, and they make you think he has a soul. His book about Fenway is wonderful, especially the first 50 or so pages.

But yeah... baseball is his favorite sport from childhood, and he *still* writes like an angry curmudgeon most of the time. Imagine what it's like when he writes about hockey or football, sports he does not understand or seem to like.

This article he wrote about the new england patriots game in London remains the worst piece of sportswriting I can recall reading.

laura k said...

If only there was some accountability in sports writing. Everyone would have been fired after 2004!

Pepe Lepew said...

This guy is catching whatever Brandon Morrow had yesterday.

allan said...

i have noticed lately that o'brien calls a strike on a 3-0 pitch an "automatic strike".

but it is not "automatic", as we know. sometimes it is ball 4 and sometimes the batter swings.

laura k said...

Joe! We were just talking about you. Saying really bad things, but I deleted those comments.

Joe Gravellese said...

Joe! We were just talking about you. Saying really bad things, but I deleted those comments.


Hahaha.

Pepe Lepew said...

I've met one famous sportswriter -- Leonard Koppel, who was a fat, roaring arrogant "do you know who I am?" douche. I've met some famous mountain-climbing writers, and they've all been nice.

Joe Gravellese said...

"mailed in" is the best way to describe most of shank's writing.

As for the studying marathons... I'm not really on a studying marathon, I'm on more of a "do all the work that I didn't do during the semester in a big catch-up session" thanks to epic senioritis. Boooo

laura k said...

Koppel was a great writer, not just a sportswriter.

Joe Gravellese said...

I've met one famous sportswriter -- Leonard Koppel, who was a fat, roaring arrogant "do you know who I am?" douche.

This is not rare.

That's why I'm not going into sports writing, even though I think I'm pretty decent at it.

allan said...

there is a blog that talks about each of his columns as they come out. logging the same references year after year -- and various flip-flops.

laura k said...

Good choice, Joe. There is hardly any paid work for writers anymore. So what jobs there are pay like total shit.

Joe Gravellese said...

Significantly derailing my schedule was last night's Bruins game which made me want to vomit, so I spent three hours trying to think of non-vomit inducing things instead of working on papers/studying.

Patrick said...

Lame!

meunier said...

fuck, squandered

laura k said...

Which is not to say that you shouldn't write. Everyone should write if they want. Just not try to make a living doing it.

allan said...

hill had trouble on the transfer and i got excited, but then remember that slowell was running.

laura k said...

The Bruins game sounded very vomit inducing for a Bruins fan.

Joe Gravellese said...

I know what you mean L.

I don't love writing enough to do it for rock-bottom pay. I like to write on my own time for my own reasons, but it's not something I'm relying upon going forward.

I *am* enjoying milking this Metro thing to get to cover some sweet events before I graduate.

Sadly, no Sox games - one of the idiot interns two years ago asked someone for an autograph thinking nobody was going to find out, and got bagged. Big no no, so Metro had its intern credential pulled at Fenway. Bad news bears.

Pepe Lepew said...

Maybe Koppel could write, but he didn't appreciate dealing with the "little people." :)

Krakauer is a genuine nice guy.

Joe Gravellese said...

The Bruins game sounded very vomit inducing for a Bruins fan.

Imagine if there was a way of knowing from the very first two batters or so of the first inning that the Red Sox were definitely going to lose, then watching the whole game anyway. Groan.

The Habs game was greet, from the parts I saw. Boston-Montreal is an epic rivalry so I usually don't have many good things to say about them, but their playoff run has been tremendous and they play with a lot of heart. I think every hockey journalist I've encountered is praying for a Boston-Montreal conference final

laura k said...

But "dealing with little people" wasn't necessarily part of his job.

As I think of it, we may not even be talking about the same person. The guy I'm thinking of was known for other writing more than sports.

But judging someone's professional work should be separate from their personalities. There are tons of people whose work we love but who might be assholes personally.

Patrick said...

Mr. Daisuke would like to thank the flailing Lind for the one pitch out.

allan said...

There are tons of people whose work we love but who might be assholes personally.

What are you trying to say here?

Pepe Lepew said...

I think every hockey journalist I've encountered is praying for a Boston-Montreal conference final

[gasp!] No soup for you!

Pens-Bruins ... you won't be able to tell the teams apart!

laura k said...

That sounds good re Metro and writing in general (except for no Sox games b/c of someone else's poor judgement). It's so great you're going to all those playoff games.

laura k said...

Keep it up Dice. Please.

Pepe Lepew said...

As I think of it, we may not even be talking about the same person. The guy I'm thinking of was known for other writing more than sports.

Ooops, you're right. My bad. I was thinking of Leonard Koppett.

allan said...

Wasn't he the guy who played Siegfried on Get Smart?

laura k said...

Everyone I know here wants Habs-Bruins too. Except my friend Tom whose dad help create the Penguins. He was their first GM. They won the Cup last year on his 90th birthday and honoured him at the parade.

So other than him... :)

Amy said...

Good evening, all. Just getting in. Dice has not imploded yet---yay!

Amy said...

I see I missed yet another Tek dong. WTF? Why can't he show it when I am here?

laura k said...

This guy, Jack Riley. His son Tom is a good friend of ours - a great guy, came to Canada during Vietnam.

Pepe Lepew said...

Wasn't he the guy who played Siegfried on Get Smart?

And I think the doctor on the Love Boat! :)

9casey said...

Joe Gravellese said...

Sadly, no Sox games - one of the idiot interns two years ago asked someone for an autograph thinking nobody was going to find out, and got bagged. Big no no, so Metro had its intern credential pulled at Fenway. Bad news bears





Joe, I assume the Metro is your school paper? and if it is I am suprised the Red Sox continue that ban...

laura k said...

Hi Amy :)

Pepe Lepew said...

Tek is done. He's washed up. He's got nothin.

Amy said...

Tek is two for two!

laura k said...

I was thinking of Leonard Koppett! He was an excellent writer, a great progressive.

Seigfried was Bernie Koppell :)

laura k said...

ha ha ha ha ha ha

allan said...

!!!!!!!!!!

Joe Gravellese said...

9casey--

Nope, the Metro is a real-ish newspaper in Boston. (I say real-ish because the stories are bite-sized for mass consumption on the train and such.)

if you've ever been on the train in Boston, NY, Philly or DC you've seen the Metro

Patrick said...

I hope that makes the highlights, because it sounds BAD!! in a great way

9casey said...

Joe. gotcha, just googled it..

meunier said...

Microwave heat!

laura k said...

Hey, that's what passes for newspapers now. Every city has them.

4-0!

Microwave!

allan said...

SS, LF and CF all came to a stop and looked at each other and then - PLOP-- the ball landed in the middle of their triangle! and lewis blew a bubble knoblauch-style!

Pepe Lepew said...

I like this Darnell kid .... and he really isn't a kid!

laura k said...

Nick and Emma go to 99 tonight!

9casey said...

We seem to do that alot with a runner on third and less than 2 out....

Patrick said...

Imagine, one of these days we're gonna see an OF of Ellsbury, Cameron, and Drew.

9casey said...

Pepe Lepew said...
I like this Darnell kid .... and he really isn't a kid!



It will be interesting to see what the do with him in the next couple of weeks.

Pepe Lepew said...

Blogger Patrick said...

Imagine, one of these days we're gonna see an OF of Ellsbury, Cameron, and Drew.


I wouldn't worry about it.

Drew is due for his annual major injury!

Now, I'm being a negative nellie.

laura k said...

Imagine, one of these days we're gonna see an OF of Ellsbury, Cameron, and Drew.

Really? Wow... I can't wait. And not for the reasons you may think.

9casey said...

Pepe Lepew said...
Blogger Patrick said...

Imagine, one of these days we're gonna see an OF of Ellsbury, Cameron, and Drew.

I wouldn't worry about it.

Drew is due for his annual major injury!




Major?

laura k said...

Or, not only for those reasons.

laura k said...

Drewplaning

Pepe Lepew said...

This guy, Jack Riley. His son Tom is a good friend of ours - a great guy, came to Canada during Vietnam

This is a close relative of mine:

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/l/labosgo01.html

Pepe Lepew said...

Coals are ready! Gotta cook dinner!

laura k said...

Very Cdn of you, having a close relative named Gord who played hockey :)

Pepe Lepew said...

He played with Gordie Howe. Look at his 1972-73 stats!

laura k said...

Dice! You are great tonight!

matt said...

Hi all.

Who's this guy pitching for the Sox, and what did they do to Daisuke?

allan said...

pls take notes, tiz.

laura k said...

Uh, I didn't mean our friend Tom's dad made us famous or anything. Just that I have a friend who is a huge Penguins fan.

laura k said...

All these walks, but not from Dice-K!

laura k said...

So... bases loaded, no outs, how many score???

allan said...

BUCKBALLA

laura k said...

Whoo-hoo!

allan said...

cito's gotta be lovin' this!

allan said...

fucking beltre.

laura k said...

Always a mistake to walk the bases loaded.

laura k said...

Mr Hall, why are you swinging at shit when you see that this pitcher is wild and can't find the strike zone you idiot???

allan said...

and hall goes up hacking away ... jesus christ

allan said...

linescore palindrome

210 12

allan said...

snider -- i hear he has 50+ HR potential.

allan said...

dice right now: 5.1-2-0-0-8

laura k said...

Red Sox up 6-0 and everyone loses interest in the thread!

Patrick said...

I still have dreams of Daisuke going through 7. They're not shattered yet.

laura k said...

Oh Dice sucks he's losing it blah blah blah

Patrick said...

OB just said Snider has potential to be the next Derek Jeter.

laura k said...

The next most overrated player?

Rick (f/k/a westcoastsox) said...

Who is this imposter in Dice-K's clothes? 0 walks, 9 k's.

allan said...

the end is nigh.

Patrick said...

OB saying nice things about Drew. Maybe tongue in cheek.

Philip said...

Dave was just complimenting Drew pretty unequivocally...What a switch from his earlier tone.

allan said...

nah - now he has license to forget them and rag on him for the next 4 months.

Philip said...

Damn, Patrick, beat me to it. xD

laura k said...

But did you notice how he ended with a backhanded compliment? He always manages to get the dig in.

meunier said...

Dice-K being pitch efficient? Where are the flying pigs?

Patrick said...

One more out, Matsuzaka! Please let my dream come true!

laura k said...

He's been fucking great.

laura k said...

He did it! The no-walker in 7! 9 Ks

Patrick said...

What if he does that more often? Dare to dream the impossible dream?

9casey said...

That new guy pitched pretty well tonight....

9casey said...

Patrick said...
What if he does that more often? Dare to dream the impossible dream?



We still need Beckett, but a good Dice is a very good thing..

laura k said...

Well we can't solve Beckett tonight, so just be happy over this, eh.

9casey said...

L-girl said...
Well we can't solve Beckett tonight, so just be happy over this, eh.



Allright, Allright...I hear ya.

laura k said...

I wonder what happened to Amy. She appeared and disappeared.

Amy said...

I am here, Laura. Just distracted by trying to do a few things at once. I am also in too much shock about DiceK not making me squirm, and I didn't want to jinx it!

9casey said...

That was the 3rd time in Dice's career he pitched 7 innings or more and didn't walk a batter, the other 2 times came 2008

laura k said...

Too much multitasking will ruin an evening. Glad you've been watching or listening!

9casey said...

sorry, 2007

allan said...

thank goodness dice allowed a run - 7 shutout innings might have totally blown our minds.

9casey said...

As I look more into Bref, it might be the best game he ever pitched , besides his cg in in 2007.....

allan said...

be careful over there, 9c - don't fall in.

laura k said...

J-Dingle!

9casey said...

And of the 106 he threw 73 fastballs.....

Amy said...

Yeah, Tuesday nights are sort of crazy. I am out til 8 and then trying to catch up on the day once I get home.

Kathryn said...

I'm back, but limping along. Internet problems and we've been on the phone with Comcast for the past hour.

laura k said...

Yuck. Everyone's favourite way to spend an hour.

9casey said...

redsock said...
be careful over there, 9c - don't fall in.



That site rocks...

Kathryn said...

Oh yeah, and in case you don't know.

I HATE COMCAST.

9casey said...

L-girl said...
Yuck. Everyone's favourite way to spend an hour.




It used to be Dice's 5th inning......:)

laura k said...

It is an amazing site.

Kathryn said...

Okay, that really made me LOL.

laura k said...

Ha ha, very good 9C

allan said...

sasahe-gone

allan said...

The water is Muddy!!!

Go Angels!

Kathryn said...

Nice grab Jeemer. The talking heads usually note that he wouldn't be able to stab a line drive because he is looking down. Showed them.




Dirty>>Clean

laura k said...

Dirty Dice Water!

Kathryn said...

Gotta go. Have a nice night everyone.

allan said...

'night!
Afternoon game tomorrow.

9casey said...

Walked 1 batter , no errors, early lead, what a simple game........sewer juice.....

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