May 23, 2010

G45: Red Sox 8, Phillies 3

Red Sox  - 010 204 001 - 8 10  0
Phillies - 000 000 003 - 3 8 2
Wakefield: 8.0-5-1-2-1, 112
Halladay: 5.2-8-7-2-1, 99
Career Red Sox Win #176 for Wakefield. 17 more to go!

Halladay was the victim of poor fielding in the early innings. In the second, Shane Victorino leapt at the wall in right center and had Kevin Youkilis's fly ball land in and then fall out of his glove. It was scored a triple. J.D. Drew's grounder to first gave Boston a 1-0 lead.

In the fourth, the Sox loaded the bases with one out and Adrian Beltre hit a routine grounder to Greg Dobbs at third. What should have been an inning-ending double play ended up rolling under Dobbs's glove, between his legs, and into left field. Two runs scored.

Halladay's control slipped in the sixth. He left several pitches up in the strike zone and the Red Sox pounced on just about all of them. Yook crushed a hanging curve* for a dong to start the inning (4-0). Drew doubled, Beltre singled, Marco Scutaro singled (5-0), and Jacoby Ellsbury singled (7-0).

* Youkilis saw 26 pitches in his first four PA (4-6-8-8). He flew out on the first pitch in the 9th.

Ellsbury's grounder up the middle was gloved by Phillies shortstop Juan Castro, who then whirled and fired the ball to third base, thinking he might catch Scutaro off-guard getting back to the base. Scutaro, however, had not stopped running from second, and he was halfway home already. Dobbs took the throw, but could do nothing. The score was 7-0 and Halladay was on his way to the showers.

Wakefield allowed only one runner past second base (Chase Utley's triple in the sixth). Only six of Wakefield's 24 outs were on the ground; the Phillies had six infield or foul pop-ups. With Wakefield at 102 pitches, Ramon Ramirez was told to finish it up. Ram2 allowed back-to-back doubles right away (8-1) and, with two outs, gave up a two-run home run to pinch-hitter Ross Gload (8-3).

The win put Red Sox at 24-21, three games over .500 for the first time this year. The Rays beat the Astros 10-6, so Boston remains 8.5 GB. The Blue Jays beat the Diamondbacks 12-4 and the Mets held off the Yankees 6-4. New York is 6 GB and Toronto is 7 GB.
Example
Tim Wakefield / Roy Halladay
Ellsbury, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Martinez, C
Youkilis, 1B
Drew, RF
Beltre, 3B
Hermida, LF
Scutaro, SS
Wakefield, P
Mr. Halladay seems to be thriving in the National League*. Nine starts, 1.64 ERA, lowest BB/9 in the league. Four of the nine starts have been complete games (he has more CG than every one of the other 29 MLB teams). And he has been at his best when runners are on base:
           AVG   OBP   SLG   OPS
Empty .291 .305 .391 .696
Men On .181 .232 .241 .473
RATS .138 .219 .231 .450
* Though he's no Ubaldo Jimenez!

Peter Abraham notes that Halladay has thrown 118+ pitches in each of his last four starts, including 132 against Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Looking at pitches thrown in the first nine starts of a season, 2010 tops Halladay's career (1,006 in 70.1 innings). Maybe he'll be tired today.

Also:
Rays / Astros, 2 PM
Blue Jays / Diamondbacks, 4 PM
Yankees / Mets, 8 PM
TBR  ---
NYY 5.0
TOR 7.0
BOS 8.5
BAL 17.5
Example
On this date in 1901, the White Sox chose to intentionally walk Philadelphia's Nap Lajoie (who would finish the year with a .426 batting average) with the bases loaded. It has happened six times in MLB history.

199 comments:

allan said...

Shane Victorino CF
Greg Dobbs 3B
Chase Utley 2B
Ryan Howard 1B
Jayson Werth RF
Raul Ibanez LF
Juan Castro SS
Paul Hoover C
Roy Halladay P

mattymatty said...

Yesterday it was Polanco, today its Greg Dobbs who gets more at-bats than Utley, Howard and Werth. Sheesh...

allan said...

Dobbs: .171/.256/.343

There is a boxer I see sometimes at the dog park whose name is Dobbs (or Mr. Dobbs). That's what I think of every time I hear this guy's name.

Patrick said...

I'm ready to take the unlikely win.

mattymatty said...

Looks like Halladay is on his game, though I noticed he didn't hit his spots that well. In particular the 0-2 to Ells was out over the plate but Jacoby rolled over it anyway.

9casey said...

it's not like Halladay owns us


FY has been an automatic out for like week now..

mattymatty said...

Hell of a play by Beltre there.

9casey said...

at first look, I thought Beltre had a cigarette behind his ear

mattymatty said...

Where was that fourth pitch to Howard? Looked pretty good to me.

allan said...

4.28 career ERA vs Sox

Log

laura k said...

"at first look, I thought Beltre had a cigarette behind his ear"

that would be amusing

meunier said...

The Phillies are wearing their alternate uniforms today

meunier said...

Doc has only a 14-14 record versus the Sox

laura k said...

Sweaty 3/4 dong! Uh-oh... hurt???

meunier said...

Oh fucking hell

mattymatty said...

YOUUUUUUK!!

Oh crap... I hope he's OK

allan said...

oxygen! i need oxygen!

laura k said...

Doc has only a 14-14 record versus the Sox

Not because he hasn't pitched well. Because the Sox used to out-slug the Jays.

allan said...

rammed his right knee into the bag at the end of his slide, then the ball bounced in and hit him in the left chest (he never saw it). jeez.

allan said...

Doc has only a 14-14 record versus the Sox

oh, come on.

meunier said...

I wonder if we will insert Papi at 1st now?

Patrick said...

YOOOUUUK!


That is all.

meunier said...

Shit Jose Lima died? He was a nice guy, someone I know of knew him.

laura k said...

Castig, Matt Stairs is from New Brunswick, not Newfoundland. Right country and general region, wrong province.

laura k said...

I guess it's not Lima Time anymore.

37 years old, fatal heart attack? Usually other factors involved when that happens. Very young.

meunier said...

Pedroia can't hit out of a paper bag right now, what's wrong with him?

mattymatty said...

FOX sports called it a "Massive heart attack". If it killed him, I'd think so.

meunier said...

I wonder who #36 for the Phillies was?

laura k said...

Pedroia can't hit out of a paper bag right now, what's wrong with him?

Slump. It happens.

laura k said...

FOX sports called it a "Massive heart attack". If it killed him, I'd think so.

Indeed. I wonder if/what he was using. I don't mean that in a blame-the-victim way at all. Just wondering what else, if anything, was involved.

Patrick said...

Make them pay, Drew!

allan said...

robin roberts, probably.

laura k said...

Are they wearing his number on their unis or something?

Patrick said...

No double play, no double play, no double play....

laura k said...

Whoo-hoo! Thanks for the gift, Phillies D!

meunier said...

2 run E5!

mattymatty said...

Its my man Dobbs to the rescue! Beltre goes five hole and the Sox lead 3-0!

laura k said...

Keep chanting, Patrick!

allan said...

now THAT is an error.

dobbsballa?

laura k said...

I'll just leave the dupe this time :)

mattymatty said...

This is why the NL style sucks.

Patrick said...

Don't hurt yourself, Wake.

meunier said...

Single over the infield please?

laura k said...

Tekballa?

Patrick said...

Side retired!

Amy said...

Hi, JOSers. Nice to see us ahead.

Patrick said...

wow, down to .264

laura k said...

go astros

Amy said...

I have a question that I wonder about often that may seem obvious, but the obvious answer seems too obvious. Why do people often claim it is easier to pitch in the NL? I realize that they face 9 real hitters, but is that the only difference? Are there other differences aside from the DH issue that make it easier to pitch in the NL?

Zenslinger said...

I've been doing surgery on my computer this morning. The beginning of this game has been fun to follow. The Halladay vs. Wakefield showdown with the bases loaded was pretty incredible.

mattymatty said...

Amy - right now its simply a difference in talent. That's pretty much it.

Amy said...

That's interesting, Mattymatty. Is that because there is more money in AL or has it just evolved that way in some natural way?

allan said...

And for whatever reasons, each league supposedly has tendencies among all of its pitchers -- or maybe people generalize and it's not true -- so maybe the NL is more of a fastball hitting league, so if a pitcher has great secondary pitches, he can be more successful.

I've never understood why that situation would exist though. How can a whole league of hitters (or a big enough majority for it to be noticable) be so similar?

laura k said...

Why do people often claim it is easier to pitch in the NL?

I believe they are usually referring to the DH. Facing 8 hitters + the pitcher vs 9 hitters. Although few teams actually have 9 good hitters, but that's what they're talking about.

allan said...

pc:

Halladay: 12-13-8 27-18 = 78
Wakefield: 17-14-11 14-7 = 63

Patrick said...

For one, a lot of the worst GMs are manning teams in the NL...Astros, Mets, Giants, Pirates...

Amy said...

I also sometimes hear that the strike zone is different (bigger, I assume) in the NL. But I assume that is a matter of practice, not the rules.

Amy said...

YOUKKKKK!

laura k said...

YOOOOOOOOOOK

Sweat-powered!!!!

allan said...

Yook = BEAST

a sweaty pitcher-destroying beast!

meunier said...

SWEATYYYYY

Patrick said...

HUUUUGE SWEATY DONG!!

Zenslinger said...

Youk is a freakin' god lately.

laura k said...

Re GMs, that may be true, but I doubt that is what most people are referring to when they talk about pitching in one league vs the other.

laura k said...

Drewble!

allan said...

Yook + OnFire = cycle!

laura k said...

Keep em coming!

Patrick said...

Amy was wondering why there might be a difference in talent between the two leagues.

allan said...

back when the leagues were more separate and umps worked only one league and not both (they do both now, right?), the different zones were probably a factor.

Zenslinger said...

I believe the perception that the AL has better hitting than the NL, or at least more power, has weakened in the last year or two. Less of a difference between them.

Amy said...

YES!! I like this!

Patrick said...

I'm liking this.

Zenslinger said...

Yay, Scoot.

Wake, no DP. Just whiff away.

Amy said...

Safe!

It would seem that if there was really an imbalance in talent that the NL would never win the WS. Of course, they generally do lose the ASG, but that is not a real game.

allan said...

WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?

Amy said...

What the hell? Strange fielding there.

laura k said...

Thanks again Phillies!!!

Patrick said...

7-0 against Halladay. I wouldn't have guessed.

meunier said...

Wow when was the last time Halladay got this many runs scored on him?

mattymatty said...

Welcome back to the AL, Roy.

Amy said...

So far this game would seem to be evidence of that imbalance!

Kathryn said...

I'm at the office, trying to get caught up on some work, but I'm watching on the iPhone.

Just dropped by to say...

YOOOUUUKKK!!!
et al.

Keep it up.

laura k said...

It would seem that if there was really an imbalance in talent that the NL would never win the WS.

Not really, because presumably you are then seeing best vs best, not average vs average.

I don't know if the common wisdom about pitching in each league is true, but the WS would not prove or disprove it.

Zenslinger said...

Whoa, Nellie. I guess even Halladay has days like this.

allan said...

someone could look at the AL's interleague W/L records

allan said...

Maybe he was tired!

Benjamin said...

WS is also at most a 7 game series. Lots of variance.

mattymatty said...

Is that because there is more money in AL or has it just evolved that way in some natural way?

Sorry for the delayed response. There is more money in the AL (I read something yesterday that said the difference is the MFYs; if you take them out the money is the same), but that's not the whole difference. For those of you who have followed baseball for a long time you may recall that in the 80s the NL was thought to be the far better league. These things are cyclical.

Also, I do think there is something to the comment about the quality of the GMs. Good GMs bring good talent to their teams and there is a noticeable difference in the quality of the GMs between the leagues.

allan said...

this team may be getting its shit together.

mattymatty said...

Great inning by the Sox.

micah said...

Someone has.

Amy said...

According to Wikipedia, AL has won 1674 IL games vs. 1534 for the NL through 2009.

Amy said...

From 1997-2009 the AL won more IL games than NL teams in all but three seasons.

allan said...

Theer have been 17 games in which Halladay has allowed at least 7 runs (does this link work?).

Last time was August 24, 2009 vs TBR. None in 2008. 3 times in 2007, including May 10 vs Red Sox.

Amy said...

Interesting piece, Micah. It seems to raise many of the same points raised here.

Kathryn said...

If Drew really cared, he'd be 8 feet tall.

allan said...

This is only the 4th start of his career with at least 7 runs allowed and only 0 or 1 strikeouts.

He had 1 K today.

allan said...

If Drew really cared, he'd be 8 feet tall.

We need a "thumbs up" emoticon.

laura k said...

God do we love Yook or what???

allan said...

THAT'S DEFENSE, BITCHES!!!!!!!!!!

Amy said...

Come on, Don---Youk clearly had that one.

laura k said...

Also, I do think there is something to the comment about the quality of the GMs. Good GMs bring good talent to their teams and there is a noticeable difference in the quality of the GMs between the leagues.

Just to clarify, I didn't mean there's nothing to that. I meant... when broadcasters and others refer to it being more difficult to pitch in one league vs the other, they are not referring to that. I think the reflexive "it's harder to pitch in the AL" is mostly about the DH, and nothing deeper or more analytical than that. There might be more to it, but that's not what they mean.

allan said...

FKR - 002
HOU - 40

allan said...

pedro feliz had a 3-run dong for the astros off price in the 1st.

allan said...

Yook seeing 26 pitches in 4 PAs.

Amy said...

So good to see LBJ back out there!

laura k said...

That's my boy!

Amy said...

So happy NOT to see Bill Hall out there.

andy said...

Dice and myself are having a love child and we are calling him Wakefield.

allan said...

85 for wake thru 7.

send him out for the 8th (top of philly order) and have someone up.

allan said...

heidi talks to jamie moyer, who pitched in 1996. he talked about traditions in boston, like sweet caroline. did they do that 14 years ago?

allan said...

looks like it was first played in 1998 (or maybe 1997) but did not become a "tradition" until 2002.

so it is questionable whether moyer ever heard it while with the sox.

laura k said...

I don't think they did SC in 1996, but you can't expect Jamie Moyer to know that.

Amy said...

Andy! Good to hear from you! How are you doing??

Edward Lee said...

Shoulda swung away, Timmy.

meunier said...

K-FB for Wakefield

allan said...

FKR - 002 0
HOU - 400 0

Patrick said...

FG has our chance to win over 99.5%

Patrick said...

Of course, you probably felt that.

Patrick said...

And those FKRs tie it up

allan said...

fuckin' fkr.

laura k said...

4-4 in Houston

Patrick said...

...aaaaand those FKRs get the lead...

laura k said...

FKR takes lead 5-4

allan said...

ramram up

allan said...

anyone know how the astros are doing?

RedSoxDiehard said...

In 2000, my first year back in MA, they played Sweet Caroline only when they were ahead in the 8th.

But surely Moyer has been back to Fenway as a visitor during the modern era.

Patrick said...

...aaaand the Astros tie it up....

allan said...

looks like sox win #176 for wakefield.

17 to go!

allan said...

...aaaand the Astros tie it up....

really?

laura k said...

Tito letting Wake go for the CG

laura k said...

really

allan said...

102 pitches

probably depends on how wake feels and if tito wants to give someone an inning of work.

allan said...

don notes that even in the announcement of mcdonald coming to the plate (now pinch-hitting for j.d. drew), drew gets booed!

Edward Lee said...

Line drive double play please, let's get Timmy back out there before his fingertips have a chance to stiffen up.

allan said...

hitting the runner with the throw has not meant an out for the last 145 years or so. sorry, philly.

laura k said...

don notes that even in the announcement of mcdonald coming to the plate (now pinch-hitting for j.d. drew), drew gets booed!

Ha ha, talk about a knee-jerk reaction. "We Hear Drew's Name We Must Boo"

Benjamin said...

This would be such a frustrating game to be on the other side of.

laura k said...

Weeee, fun!

laura k said...

Benjamin, you're so nice to think of that, but for once IT'S NOT US

Patrick said...

When I saw a sox/orioles game earlier this year I was hoping for more of that reactionary booing for Julio Lugo.

aaaaaand the FKRs lead again....

Patrick said...

wait, it's still tied??? My eyes must be fooling me.

Patrick said...

oh there it is, 6-5, the TV was slow to make the change.

Amy said...

I guess we are safely enough ahead for Ramram. Let's see if he can avoid giving up any runs.

laura k said...

7-5 FKR

Amy said...

Would be so nice to preserve the shut out....

allan said...

HEY RR: what did Amy just say!

Amy said...

This guy is so useless. Don't we have anything better in the minors?

Patrick said...

Really? Rammy? Really? I was really liking that goose egg.

allan said...

ramram must be anti-semitic, hatin' all those bagels on the board.

laura k said...

Patrick, are you doing Seth & Amy from SNL? :)

allan said...

better yank him here.

laura k said...

Hey look, an out

allan said...

i was expecting a walk. i suppose he gets a reprieve.

Amy said...

Wow, he got someone out.

Amy said...

I want a pitcher, not a glass of water.

allan said...

thank you, ruiz.
we appreciate that.

Amy said...

TWO! One more, Ramram, one more.

allan said...

manuel blowing his gload here in the 9th.

allan said...

This shitty pitcher is making me thirsty.

?

Patrick said...

Who do we have starting against TFRs?

laura k said...

You have GOT to be kidding me.

Could we just fucking end this game, pls

Amy said...

This is absolutely ridiculous. Are we just going to leave him in until they get within three runs so Pap can come in?

allan said...

yeah, put it on a tee next time.

laura k said...

Allan, those two comments next to each other look a bit... odd. Not that there's anything wrong with it.

allan said...

Save Situation, baby!

Amy said...

Maybe the National League can use him as a pitcher....

Amy said...

LOL, Laura.

Does this guy get paid to do this?

Patrick said...

Sweaty water!

allan said...

The water is Muddy!!!

No soup for RamRam.

Amy said...

OK, it's over. Dirty water in PA!

laura k said...

DIRTY

Yay Wake. Yay Dice. Yay Wins.

gojohn said...

2 out of 3 from Philly...I'll take that any day. Now if we can do that down in Tampa?!

allan said...

At least there wer no inherited runners credited to Wakefield.

Post-game ERAs

Wakefield: 4.44
Halladay: 2.22

allan said...

FKR - 002 032 0
HOU - 400 010 0

TOR - 00
ARZ - 1

allan said...

Hou gets a run in the 7th: TB 7-6

allan said...

Revised.

FKR - 002 032 0
HOU - 400 010 1

TOR - 00
ARZ - 10

allan said...

relentless rays now up 8-6.

allan said...

TB 10-6, mid 8th.

allan said...

FKR - 002 032 030 - 10 15 1
HOU - 400 010 100 - 6 10 2

Right now
TBR ---
NYY 5.5
TOR 7.5
BOS 8.5
BAL 18.5

&

TOR - 002 14
ARZ - 100 1
(jays still batting in 5th)

allan said...

FLA - 412 011 310 - 13 18 0
CWS - 000 000 000 - 0 7 1

Runs in 7 of 9 innings!

Marlins had 1st/3rd with 1 out and bases loaded with 2 outs in 5th. They went in order (all K) in the 9th.

allan said...

TOR - 002 153 100 - 12 17 0
ARZ - 100 110 001 - 4 10 2

allan said...

NYY - 00
NYM - 0

Zenslinger said...

Go Mets! 4-0.

allan said...

NYY - 000
NYM - 040

Cora: 2-run single of CC
followed by
Bay: 2-run dong

Santana for the Stems

allan said...

NYY - 000 00
NYM - 040 02

Another dong for Bay, solo this time!

allan said...

mets 6-1, mid 8th.

Joe Gravellese said...

let's go Mets!

allan said...

frod - you suck, you stupid asshole.

allan said...

fuckin tying run at the plate now.

just utter crap.

allan said...

wow - that is impossible to call one way or the other!

fuck you, girardi.

allan said...

super super slo mo = an exact tie!

allan said...

why hasn't some mets fan gone on the field and kicked the shit out of frod?

the collective self-restraint of the fan base is remarkable.

allan said...

why dont ya load the bases now? that sounds fun.

allan said...

and manuel is too fuckin' stupid to maybe try another pitcher. ... or a position player.

allan said...

and you KNOW if frod gets the final out, he'll go into hsi god dance/point. yay i allowed 3 runs and suck, thank you lord.

allan said...

METS win.

frod allows 3 runs for the save!

NYY - 000 000 103 - 4 10 1
NYM - 040 020 00x - 6 11 0

MFY: 6 GB

SoSock said...

Is Frod related to JTC?

9casey said...

redsock said...
and you KNOW if frod gets the final out, he'll go into hsi god dance/point. yay i allowed 3 runs and suck, thank you lord.





I see your frustration, but he did something our guy couldn't do a week ago...


For the yankees to go into Citi Field and lose 2-3 ,and almost the other, no could have predicted that , radio listening should be fun tommmorow...