May 25, 2010

G47: Red Sox 2, Rays 0

Red Sox - 002 000 000 - 2  4  0
Rays - 000 000 000 - 0 1 0
Lester (6-1-0-5-9, 111) allowed at least one base runner in five of his six innings, but only two Rays got further than first base against him.

After two quick outs in the third, J.D. Drew singled to right and Kevin Youkilis walked. They both scored on David Ortiz's first-pitch double to the wall in left-center. The other two Boston hits came within the first five pitches of the game, as Marco Scutaro and Dustin Pedroia began the first inning with hard singles off Small Game (8-4-2-2-5, 107).

The pen was solid yet again. Manny Delcarmen and Daniel Bard each pitched perfect innings. Jonathan Papelbon allowed a one-out walk in the ninth, but got Carlos Pena on a weak grounder and struck out B.J. Upton.

The Rays has serious issues with several strike calls for Lester from umpire Bob Davidson. Things boiled over in the bottom of the fifth, when Carl Crawford and Joe Maddon were both ejected within a span of maybe 15 seconds.

I was stuck with the Rays TV feed and Dewayne Staats and (I think) Kevin Kennedy starting whining about Davidson's calls in the fourth. More coming in a separate post.

The Yankees/Twins game was suspended after five innings (0-0) because of rain. The game will be completed on Wednesday. The Angels are leading the Jays 7-2 in the 6th.
Example
Jon Lester / James Shields
Scutaro, SS
Pedroia, 2B
Drew, RF
Youkilis, 1B
Ortiz, DH
Beltre, 3B
Hermida, LF
Varitek, C
Cameron, CF
To make room on the roster for Mike Cameron (who has been out since April 18), Darnell McDonald (.263/.320/.400 in 31 games) was designated for assignment.

Last Six Starts:
         ERA    IP   H  BB   K   AVG   OBP   SLG
Shields 2.49 43.1 45 6 48 .262 .285 .372
Lester 1.65 43.2 24 14 49 .164 .244 .267
In that time, Lester has lowered his ERA from 8.44 to 3.47.

Lester is 4th in the AL in strikeouts and K/9. Shields in 2nd in strikeouts and 3rd in K/9. Shields has the best K/BB ratio in MLB, but he has also allowed nine dongs, one shy of the most in the AL, and he's tied for 2nd in most hits allowed.

Pitching has carried the Rays so far this season -- their team ERA+ is 146! (Phil Hughes is 8th in the AL at 149) -- and the hitting has been only a bit above average. Tampa has hit .249/.322/.383 in May and is scoring 4.4 runs a game, way down from their April average of 6.3.

Remember Jed Lowrie? Turns out he's still alive.

That Peter Abraham guy has some good ideas: "I think people doing the wave should be escorted from the stadium."
Example
Here is something I did not expect to type on May 25: "The Blue Jays have won more games than the Yankees."

Kevin Kernan, Post:
It's time for the World Series champions to step up and play like champions. Since last Sunday, they've lost six of eight and have looked sloppy. Going back to April 23, the Yankees are 15-14.

How scary is that? That is the exact same record as the Mets over that span. Is this the beginning of the end for the aging Yankees or just a rough patch?

Joe Girardi's club needs to turn it on ... It's time for the World Series champions to wake up and realize 2010 is a new season.
Tonight:
Yankees/Twins, 8 PM
Blue Jays/Angels, 10 PM

174 comments:

allan said...

Bartlett, SS
Crawford, LF
Zobrist, 2B
Longoria, 3B
Aybar, DH
Pena, 1B
Upton, CF
Navarro, C
Kapler, RF

buffwarrior said...

Go Sox!
and Angels and Twins!
I've like Lester since last year the most consistent and big game pitcher for the Sox. He always delivers. Nice to see that we might keep the Rays slide going with Lester on the mound..good to see Shields given up 9 dongs most in majors. Let's see 1 more for Youk, Papi and a player to be named later.

Zenslinger said...

In the last week (back to May 18), the Sultan of Sweat is 8 for 21 (.381). He sat one game out.

Those hits: 2 singles, 1 double, 1 triple, and 4 HR's.

So, 50% of his hits have left the park in the last week. 75% for extra bases.

And on May 17, the day before this sample began, he had another dong. So that's five homers in seven games played (not counting the game he sat).

For the season: .321/.457/.622/1.079

Yowza.

FenFan said...

That Peter Abraham guy has some good ideas: "I think people doing the wave should be escorted from the stadium."

...and have future ticket privileges revoked. ;-)

meunier said...

this should be interesting seeing if I can run mlb tv and another stream in the background behind that.

meunier said...

I will be trying to watch USA vs CZE in soccer in the background

Patrick said...

So much for the no hitter. : /

Patrick said...

Shields WHIP so far: INFINITE!!!!!

meunier said...

El Caballito is back in the groove

allan said...

FY! The table is set.

Zenslinger said...

JAMES SHIELDS IS PITCHING AN INFINITE-WHIP GAME

JAMES SHIELDS IS PITCHING AN INFINITE-WHIP GAME

JAMES SHIELDS IS PITCHING AN INFINITE-WHIP GAME

allan said...

wait - we don't want to jinx that!

Zenslinger said...

If DJ had any passion, he would never break up an infinite WHIP game.

meunier said...

what is with the star in the outfield turf?

allan said...

up to flo.

Zenslinger said...

An unhappy clubhouse obviously cause Youkilis to pop out.

Patrick said...

Fuck, Beltre, you gotta do it for us. DO IT!!!!

allan said...

do not hack, beltre. have a clue pls

Zenslinger said...

Intangibles prevented Ortiz from hitting a homer. Instead, he meekly took a BB.

allan said...

your empty batting avg may help here

allan said...

cock crackers

meunier said...

Dammit

Patrick said...

Well, he hit a line drive, hard to get upset at that.

Zenslinger said...

It's obvious that the Curse came back and prevented us from scoring despite loading the bases.

Zenslinger said...

(I will stop now.)

Patrick said...

Time for the Jon Lester show.

Kathryn said...

So, I was in the car today listening to XM radio. I stopped on Home Plate because Jim Duquette and Kevin Kennedy were talking about Red Sox/Rays. They were discussing where they would place HH in the Rays rotation. They decided they would put him in at #4. They then listed what they thought the Red Sox current order should be: Lester, Beckett, Lackey, HH, stating, "So he's just a number 4 pitcher" (or something like that). Beckett, because when he's healthy, he's unhittable. Lackey because he's a big time pitcher. They talked about HH being inconsistent this year. Let's see, they also said that if they had to choose, they'd take Hughes over HH.

Whatever.

allan said...

sounds more intelligent than Kennedy is capable of being. :</

Kathryn said...

Oh yeah. Also that the Astros should ask for HH for Oswalt and the Red Sox should not give him up.

allan said...

still moronic for anyone who knows anything about baseball, tho

allan said...

why not deal an inconsistent #4?

Kathryn said...

Exactly. And I don't know about anyone else, but I'd take HH over Beckett or Lackey right now.

allan said...

and that's why i don't listen to those shows...

Kathryn said...

I don't know if the stats back this up, but it seems that HH has been our most consistent pitcher this year.

Patrick said...

Joe seems to think Longoria is at bat.

allan said...

lackey has been consistent -- in a bad way

Kathryn said...

Yep, I try not to either. But, they got me today.

Patrick said...

OOOoo, Fortunate K.

Patrick said...

Crazy parallel half innings

allan said...

rays TV (migraine, i guess) very impressed with tek giving instructions to the infield before the aybar AB. (i think tek invented that.)

allan said...

truped by rays tv...

Kathryn said...

That would have been a nice welcome back.

Patrick said...

Joe Trupe'd me too.

Kathryn said...

SWEET

allan said...

no snakes in tampa!

Patrick said...

After April, I'm having a hard time warming up to Beltre.

Zenslinger said...

Crazy parallel half innings

Again!

allan said...

another rally beginning with 2 outs?

Patrick said...

PAPI!!!!!!!!

allan said...

FLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2-0

Kathryn said...

PAPI! He has been hitting the first pitch!

meunier said...

Large Father!

Patrick said...

I shit on your Shift.

Zenslinger said...

Opposite field. Yeah, yeah!

Patrick said...

Hit the 'f' out of that shift.

allan said...

rays tv crying about that K, says it was inside, ump should know better, "got fooled", he "gave it to lester", "that's a shame, missed by plenty"

was over the plate in the replay!

Kathryn said...

NO parallel here please.

allan said...

good to know that even with tampa having a .920 winning %, the rays tv guys still whine about everything

meunier said...

USA 1 Czech Rep. 0
Edu on a loose ball cleanup at the goal line.

Patrick said...

OB referring to Fajitas to Jon Rich, "Save some for the rest of us, like Don"

Jon, "He doesn't need any"

Joe, "Don was first in line"

OB, "I wish it weren't true"

I love it!

Patrick said...

That was far from verbatim.

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

They just said that McDonald was *not* DFA'd, and he is in the dugout. That makes me happy. I never liked Atchison. Or Topeka or Santa Fe.

Patrick said...

We don't need more than 4 relievers these days. *knocks on wood*

allan said...

P-Abe:
"The Red Sox just announced that RHP Scott Atchison was designated for assignment and that OF Darnell McDonald remains on the team.
Jacoby Ellsbury has what is being called "soreness" on his left side. It's unclear why Atchison wasn't optioned. We'll try and find out."

allan said...

wow - these guys are whining like mad about the outside calls.

Patrick said...

YEs!!!!!!!!!! AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!

PISS OFF, C C YA!

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

Buh-bye

allan said...

ump is bumping maddon - isn't that wrong?

allan said...

WHAAAAAAAAA
WHAAAAAAAAAA
WHAAAAAAAAAAA

allan said...

rays tv angry at maddon being tossed

asking of ump: "aren't you supposed to have control of the game?"

Patrick said...

LeSSSSSSSter!

allan said...

they say maddon was tossed "before he could say one word"

uh, right.

allan said...

now maybe rays pitchers can start beaning our guys -- it'll be like old times.

Amy said...

Just getting in...why was Crawford taken out?

allan said...

rays tv are complaining after every single pitch to yook. how wronged TB always is.

god - this is going to be constant all night.

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

Hi Amy, he was tossed.

Now I'm leaving to get in the car.

Bye Amy, nice talkin' to ya!

allan said...

L watching upstairs
i'm muting this shit

allan said...

gotta check f/x after this is over

allan said...

staats and whoever is with him (does not sound like migraine) acting like umps never make questionable calls and even if they maybe did -- Tampa Bay has NEVER gotten a call they should not have.

most of their crap from the last two innings is hilarious. and aggrevating.

Amy said...

Sounds like I have missed a lot of crap!

allan said...

first they say maddon did not say even one word before getting tossed

(when the replays show him yapping for 5-10 seconds)

then they say it is unusual for maddon to get so angry and vent enough to get tossed.

so he DID say something, didn't he?

pls don't invent shit. this ain't a fiction workshop. just call the actual events.

allan said...

meanwhile

LESTER!

allan said...

mdc up

Kathryn said...

I'm not listening to the Rays broadcast, but Kevin Kennedy is announcing for the Rays this season. Is it him?

allan said...

omg - it might be.

Kathryn said...

That would explain a lot of your misery.

allan said...

looks like it's him or brian anderson. i did not see the opening.

Kathryn said...

LESTER!!

allan said...

migraine was just as bad, if not worse.

staats would be fine if he called the pbp and did not editorialize. he's got a good voice.

Kathryn said...

Okay, I'm going to show my faulty memory here. Wasn't it here last year or the year before that there was the ball hit into the pitchers' area? And they kept complaining about the call instead of looking up/knowing the rule. Then found out the call was correct.

meunier said...

Yikes that was close

allan said...

good arguments though.

ump and crawford (and then maddon) were screaming right in each other's faces, like 0.5 inches apart

Kathryn said...

And the ump was calling Maddon every f'ing name in the book (and then some).

Patrick said...

Here the second half starts. Stakes are high.

allan said...

lester: 6-1-0-5-9

meunier said...

K

allan said...

did he swing at that one, staats?

Patrick said...

Pena and BJ are the K brothers.

allan said...

rays maybe coming back to earth

yanks in a skid

&

sox are jelling and the schedule is a bit easier

Patrick said...

Em Dee See, One Two Three.

Pepe Lepew said...

Ok, just got done chasing the neighbours llama back home ... does the Red Sox's starting pitching still suck...?

Kathryn said...

Llama? For real?

Pepe Lepew said...

The Rays' broadcast is on XM and all they're doing is whining about how it's all the ump's fault.

allan said...

bard - lookin for hold #9

allan said...

bard's fb at 94-97 - slow trop gun?

meunier said...

Nice catch!

Pepe Lepew said...

I'm concerned about getting too cocky, because the last time I got cocky Papelbon gave up two homes runs.

I blame myself...

allan said...

pepe - i was beating a dead horse about it a few innings ago. whining must be in their media contracts

allan said...

smoked.

allan said...

and i will beat that dead horse some more in my recap. :>)

Patrick said...

By the bridges to Pappelbon, where we sat down, and there we wait, when we remembered Zion..

allan said...

i like bard






(his father's name is drab)

Kathryn said...

I switched over to the TV (from the computer) to replay Cameron's catch. The first thing I hear is them talking about the earlier ejections. How many innings later?

Pepe Lepew said...

pepe - i was beating a dead horse about it a few innings ago. whining must be in their media contracts

About the strike zone bullshit?

Lester wasn't happy with it, either. He was glaring at the ump lots.

allan said...

i hope i don't get them tomorrow, because they will still be going. i'm serious.

Pepe Lepew said...

Mrs.GotRibe said...

Llama? For real?


Yup, he jumped over the fence because he likes to play with my kid.

When a llama doesn't want to be caught, it's a handful.

allan said...

It's Llama Time!

allan said...

there's a walk

Kathryn said...

Does your kid (and do you mean person kid or goat kid?) like to play with the llama?

allan said...

MFY - 000 00
MIN - 000 00

rain delay

Amy said...

Just checking in to say I am just hoping Papelbon is Bot, not the Rot.

Pepe Lepew said...

Does your kid (and do you mean person kid or goat kid?) like to play with the llama?

What kind of kid WOULDN'T want to play with llamas? Really!?

Pepe Lepew said...

Won't get cocky .... won't get cocky ... won't get cocky ...

I might get colicy, tho. I did have fajitas tonight.

allan said...

Sox pitchers retired the last 14 Rays last night.

An OTT inning from Bot will mean the last 14 Rays went down tonight, too.

allan said...

oops. wrong. it will be 11 tonight.

Kathryn said...

C'mon Pap.

SoSock said...

Hot damn, nice game to come home to. Pap in for the 9th?

allan said...

get cocky. why not?

we are dominating the fkr and the media is getting worried in ny

allan said...

p.s. getting cocky can't hurt.
it can only be fun.

Kathryn said...

Plus, we are getting healthy.

One.

Rob said...

Good evening from just outside Charlotte. Watching the Braves and Marlins on Sportsouth because uh, this is the only baseball here. Boo.

allan said...

sorry, rays tv. that was routine.

SoSock said...

Looks like another gem for Lester. 1 H, no runs. And a couple of good innings of relief too. Now to nail down the close/save part of the equation

Pepe Lepew said...

Sox pitchers retired the last 14 Rays last night.


Sometimes, I'm good with stats.

Last four Red Sox starts. 28 innings, 12 hits, 1 earned run, 0.32 ERA.

EPIC!

SoSock said...

Ish - welcome to my world

Rob said...

Oh, hey, Sosock! Yep, this is annoying. I believe I passed right over Winston-Salem on the plane today.

Kathryn said...

No baserunners. C'mon

SoSock said...

What the hell? GDGD still doesn't show the bottom half as having started. But it's bound to have done so, right?

Kathryn said...

Ugh. That missed by a bunch.

Rob said...

I found where Chip Caray was banished to...

Patrick said...

Ugh, I don't like this.

allan said...

don't wanna BBI pena, but be careful

Kathryn said...

DP, please???? Pretty please??

Pepe Lepew said...

get cocky. why not?

we are dominating the fkr and the media is getting worried in ny


Seriously, I came on to the game thread in the New York game acting all cocky and Paps gave up back-to-back home runs.


I felt shame....

Kathryn said...

TWO.

allan said...

that works.

Rob said...

A fan at this Braves/Marlins game just yelled, "Come on, Blue! I wanna go home!"

Kathryn said...

0 for 6, with 6 K's? That's nasty.

allan said...

upton 0 for 8 vs bot with 6 K

Rob said...

OH SNAP found MLB Network and it's showing the end of the Red Sox game! Uh, Rays feed, but who cares!

allan said...

hhhha outside!

Rob said...

And the water is dirty!!!

Patrick said...

OH!! SWEET NASTY DIRTY WATER!

allan said...

The water is Muddy!!!

EFF YOU RAYS!!!!!!!!!!

Kathryn said...

THREE.

Dirty>>>>>>>Clean

BIG FAT WIN.

nick said...

1-hitter! and it's not even 420.

SoSock said...

Ah, GDGD just caught up - 1 to go!

SoSock said...

BALLGAME!

Amy said...

Hey, let's go for 3 out of 3!

allan said...

Fuck Train -- alllllllllllll aboard!!!

SoSock said...

Nice call, Nick :)

Pepe Lepew said...

The Sox are a juggernaut wrapped in a dreadnought, surrounded by a maelstrom!

nick said...

So, if the MFY and Jay lose tonight we'd be tied for second?

I could suffer through that.

SoSock said...

The corner has been turned!

nick said...

There ya go, Amy!

Kathryn said...

Back over to the Rays network to rewatch the last out. Still complaining about the calls.

Called strike 2:

Staats: "A disheartening situation right there."

Kennedy: "It sure is."

Pepe Lepew said...

OH SNAP found MLB Network and it's showing the end of the Red Sox game! Uh, Rays feed, but who cares!


Are they still pissing and moaning about the umpire?

Pepe Lepew said...

Yay, I'm NOT bad juju!

SoSock said...

Nick, I think we'd still be percentage points behind, but within 1/2 a game.

Pepe Lepew said...

Back over to the Rays network to rewatch the last out. Still complaining about the calls.

Called strike 2:

Staats: "A disheartening situation right there."

Kennedy: "It sure is."


Yeah, it was a big ol pissing fest on XM....

allan said...

If MFY & Jays lose, we are still in 4th:

FKR 32 14 ---
MFY 26 19 5.5
TOR 27 21 6.0
BOS 26 21 6.5

With the top three teams all losing, they stay the same GB and we get 1 game closer.

nick said...

right, duh. Thanks.

we're doomed. or at least I am to innumeracy.

tim said...

Was going to mention, I had this game on here in SW-FL while cooking dinner, didn't see a lot of it, mostly listened. But yeah, it was a giant pissfest from the bitchy Rays announcers. Consistently whining about the strike zone and making obvious exaggerated claims about pitches "6 inches outside of the zone" which clearly grazed the corner on the plate. Yeah, it was questionable and could've went either way, but it sure as shit wasn't 6 inches off the plate.

Looking forward to a sweep - don't let me down, John L. 2.

laura k said...

Standings are looking better and better. Tonight we complete the sweep!

I was nervous about this series against the FKR. Silly me.