April 20, 2011

G17: Red Sox 5, Athletics 3

Red Sox   - 010 102 100 - 5 10  0
Athletics - 100 000 011 - 3 12  1
Terry Francona was in Playoff Assassin mode after Buchholz (5.1-6-1-4-2, 102) loaded the bases in the sixth, giving up a leadoff double and getting squeezed on two one-out walks. Boston was up 4-1, the tying runs were on base, it was raining, and Daniel Bard was coming in to put out the fire.

Bard dispensed with Cliff Pennington on three pitches, striking him out on a 96 mph fastball. Coco Crisp, who had hit a home run on Buchholz's first pitch of the game, lined Bard's 1-0 offering down the left field line. It likely would have cleared the bases and tied the game, but it landed approximately two inches foul. (And NESN quickly cued up the clip of David Murphy's Opening Day pinch-hit two-run double off Bard that landed right on the left field chalk line and scored two runs, dealing the death blow to the Sox that afternoon.) Crisp popped out to shortstop on the next pitch.

Francona:
That was the game right there. You guys have heard me talk about it time and time again that the game can be won in the sixth or seventh. For me, that was it. He came in and stopped it.
Jonathan Papelbon worked out of two separate jams to earn the save. In the eighth, Bobby Jenks had allowed a walk and three consecutive singles; Oakland had cut Boston's lead to 5-2 and still had the bases loaded with two outs. Papelbon promptly struck out David DeJesus, getting him swinging on a splitter after four straight fastballs.

Hideki Matsui singled to began the bottom of the ninth and, one out later, Papelbon hit Mark Ellis. Landon Powell followed with a drive to the right-center field gap. Shemp slipped on the wet grass rounding third and fell down, but he was still able to score easily. Jacoby Ellsbury held Connor to a single and Oakland -- now trailing by two runs -- had runners at first and third, with only one out.

Papelbon got two swinging strikes on pinch-hitter Josh Willingham before retiring him on a pop-up to Adrian Gonzalez in front of the mound. Pennington was next and he popped a 0-1 pitch to Marco Scutaro at shortstop, and the Red Sox won their first road game of the season.

Oakland left 15 men on base, including nine in the last four innings.

Carl Crawford drove in Boston's first run, scoring Kevin Youkilis with a line drive single to left. Youkilis homered to start the fourth, Jed Lowrie hit a two-run dong in the sixth, and J.D. Drew cranked a homer in the seventh.
Example
Clay Buchholz / Gio Gonzalez

Gonzalez has given up only one run in 19 innings (0.47 ERA). However, he has allowed 12 hits and handed out 12 walks for a 1.263 WHIP and a FIP* of 4.17. Plus, he has a very low .216 BABIP. What this means is that Mr. Gonzalez's good luck cannot, and will not, last.

* Fielding Independent Pitching measures what a pitcher is specifically responsible for and shows how well he pitched regardless of how his fielders did. Look at it as you would ERA.

The Red Sox are 0-7 on the road this season and have not scored in their last 20 road innings.
0406 at Cle - 020 000 200 - Lost 4-8
0407 at Cle - 000 000 000 - Lost 0-1
0419 at Oak - 000 000 000 - Lost 0-5
Boston has scored only 16 runs in those seven road games.

AL East: White Sox/Rays at 6:30 PM; and Twins/Orioles and Yankees/Blue Jays at 7 PM.

155 comments:

allan said...

Drew, RF
Pedroia, 2B
Gonzalez, 1B
Youkilis, DH
Lowrie, 3B
Scutaro, SS
Crawford, LF
Varitek, C
Ellsbury, CF

tim said...

Damn you, PA!

allan said...

Crisp, CF
Barton, 1B
DeJesus, RF
Matsui, DH
Sweeney, LF
Ellis, 2B
Powell, C
Kouzmanoff, 3B
Pennington, SS

Patrick said...

I really like this batting order. Sox are 1-0 with Drew leading off this year. That's 100%!!!

allan said...

WTF?

Patrick said...

Coco scored in he first last night too. Bummer man

Patrick said...

This would be a great time to break the scoreless streak.

In fact there is almost no time where it wouldn't be sweet to score a run.

Patrick said...

That's what it takes to get Lowrie out.

allan said...

dejesus is just not alright...

allan said...

CRAW!!

solid stroke and libed to LF/opp field

Patrick said...

Don't fuck with Dejesus...



(12 year olds, dude)

allan said...

tek has come up with 16 men on base. he has no rbi.

Patrick said...

Tek is a defense first pitcher that won't throw out runners.

Patrick said...

Catcher*

allan said...

he hits like a pitcher ... in a serious slump

Patrick said...

BTW, HH, these are the A's. John Lackey pitched well against them.

allan said...

"either venue" and "strand a pair" in one AB!

Rob said...

Loving the day-game while I'm at work this afternoon to keep my mind occupied.

allan said...

"you like stealing?"

LOL

Patrick said...

Ohhhh helll yes!

allan said...

SULTAN OF SWEAT

Dr. Jeff said...

Lowrie on fire!

Kathryn said...

I'm leaving work, headed home to watch the rest of this game.

allan said...

if the sox do not strike out, they hit the ball hard.

Rob said...

SWEATY DONG.

Jere said...

everybody's safe

allan said...

take advantage of the error pls

Jere said...

those last 3 at bats didn't just happen

allan said...

jesus, what garbage hacking.

Kathryn said...

I'm at a stoplight. Ugh to Tek.

allan said...

a new season high in strikeouts for gio, says don.

Jere said...

What a horrible call by Don

Amy said...

Just getting in, and I see we have scored runs on the road AND have a lead...for the moment, anyway.

Kathryn said...

I'm home. Strand a pair, but I see that's already taken.

allan said...

we need: carved foul and off the back side.

Kathryn said...

Hi Amy. Happy Passover (is that what you say, happy?)

Patrick said...

LOWRIE IS FUCKING INSANE!!!!

Jere said...

JeDong!!!!!!

allan said...

LOWRIE IN THE RAIN!!!!!!!!!!

Benjamin said...

Even superheroes need an off day (yesterday).

Amy said...

YES!!! I am loving this Lowrie guy! About time we got to see him play. :)

Amy said...

Thanks, Kathryn. And yes, happy Passover is just right! It's a celebration of freedom---what's not to be happy about! Thanks!!

Kathryn said...

He is incredible. How does he do it????

Jere said...

check that home run ball to see where the lightning hit it

Benjamin said...

Scutaro jetered that one into center.

Patrick said...

Crawford has a skill for hitting line drives at defenders.

allan said...

bard up

Patrick said...

Close the book, Bard

Jere said...

Clay thought those were "god damn strikes"

allan said...

wow -- what a cool dennis & callahan commercial!!

"who is more done -- dice-k or charlie sheen"?

ZING!!!!

that's quality material, right there.

Zenslinger said...

Tense.

allan said...

DP or not DP?

allan said...

smoked

Benjamin said...

What happened to Coco's hair? I was expecting bigger.

Jere said...

i say coco hits a high shallow pop

Amy said...

Sure looked foul to me from here in MA!

Benjamin said...

Long way to run for a foul ball.

allan said...

game of inches...

Patrick said...

You're done!

Amy said...

Phew!

Benjamin said...

Barred.

allan said...

pop up, it is!

Zenslinger said...

Coco braided it down again.

Amy said...

Good call, Jere!

Kathryn said...

The book is closed. Well done.

fusionmouse said...

How foul was it? At work can't see.

Damn nice work Shakespeare!

Zenslinger said...

Wait, shouldn't Bard have been saved for the 8th inning?

(I kid.)

allan said...

foul by 2-3 inches.

Jere said...

A few inches to the right on the previous ball and my prediction fails. Not that I'm not taking full credit for my amazing, accurate, awesome prognostication.

allan said...

Bard in the 6th = Assassin move.

Kathryn said...

The ball kicked up some dirt onto the chalk (maybe?) which made it look like it hit chalk. But it was just foul.

Amy said...

LBJ not impressing me much these days.

Patrick said...

Smoking fire!

allan said...

ON FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

johngoldfine said...

Wow!

Amy said...

So who will pitch

YES!!!!!!! DREW ON FIRE!

the 7th and 8th?

Rob said...

ON FIRE!!!!!!!

Benjamin said...

Two weeks ago, that would have come in the bottom of the 6th.

Jere said...

"the 7th and 8th?"

Hopefully Wake! Tack on!

Kathryn said...

ON FIRE!!!!!!!!!

allan said...

slow as a glacier ....

Kathryn said...

I thought maybe he was sandbagging when he was talking about how slow he is. But now I think he overestimated himself.

allan said...

sox pen is quiet

Patrick said...

It's annoying to me, this obsession with pitch speed.

allan said...

jenks up

bard got 5 outs on 20 pitches.

Jere said...

deJesus!

Amy said...

Uch, I have to go to a damn thing. Please, Red Sox, keep the lead. You must not lose every game on the road.

Kathryn said...

I loved it that they both walked away smiling...DeJesus and Lowrie.

fusionmouse said...

Good question on EEI... will Tek catch Beckett tomorrow?

I think he must.

Rob said...

Oh yeah! Here's the part of the game where I forget a game is on.

allan said...

what's the deal with heidi eating food in parks this year? who is it a commercial for?

johngoldfine said...

Joe C talking about 1918 WS, allan

allan said...

say it, joe, say it....

Kathryn said...

These away game food stops by Heidi are pretty bad...my son says the worst thing ever done by NESN.

fusionmouse said...

Is Jenks only good for a single batter?

allan said...

**plenty** of worse shit on nesn, the stupid dating show, the fishing moron, fitzy the shithead.

at least with the food, you got heidi standing there....

Jere said...

had to get one on that, didn't.

johngoldfine said...

"say it, joe, say it...."

You is funny!

fusionmouse said...

Alex Gonzales would've made that play.

allan said...

i sent him a book late last season when the sox were making their last trip to baltimore. he always mentions the ruth museum...

Kathryn said...

Well, we only get NESN for games. So that's our data pool.

C'mon guys..get these outs.

Jere said...

Watney's Cleveland food thing got a mention on Norm McDonald's new sports show.

allan said...

me too, but there were the insufferable commercials and don/jerry pimping the shows.

Patrick said...

shut the fucking door, guys

allan said...

FUCK YOU JENKS

johngoldfine said...

C'mon Terry--

Kathryn said...

True on the commercials.

Damn it Ococ.

allan said...

this half-inning is also fairly dreadful.

fusionmouse said...

Arrrrrrrrrgh!!!

Ococ, why can't we get players like that?

allan said...

looks like jenks has had a few of those sandwiches ....

Jere said...

Key K

allan said...

snuff time

Kathryn said...

Needed that K!

johngoldfine said...

Joe sounded astounded that Jenks managed to get the out. Not reassuring.

fusionmouse said...

2/3 of an inning and only one run... pretty good outing for Jenks, but only if Bot can shut the door.

johngoldfine said...

Does Jenks still have that dead rodent on his chin?

allan said...

he sure does.

Zenslinger said...

Is Papelbon going to finish the eighth?

allan said...

8th & 9th, i hope...

Kathryn said...

So my son asks my husband if this thing with MLB and the Dodgers is short term or long term.

My husband: Everything with Selig is long term, it takes him until 2:00 to put his socks on.

johngoldfine said...

Wooof!

fusionmouse said...

Sweet!

Kathryn said...

1

Zenslinger said...

Crisp was disappointing but not awful with the bat for the Sox (OPS of .702, .712, and .751 in his years with us from 2006-8 against a career OPS of .739). I think what was so disappointing was that he had come off a career year in Cleveland (.810) and the hope was that he was on an upward trajectory.

Lord Lynch said...

Door slammed on De Jesus!

Kathryn said...

.053??? .053!!!!!

Kathryn said...

UGLY

fusionmouse said...

Tekkkk :(

Zenslinger said...

Varitek's BA is .050. In my mind's eye, I imagine needing to buy groceries, and looking over to see two quarters on a counter.

Kathryn said...

At least is wasn't another backwards K for LBJ.

Kathryn said...

Correction--.050

Kathryn said...

2

allan said...

Tek has also come to bat with:

10 men on first;
7 men on second; and
4 men on third

and driven in none of them.

Patrick said...

gotta be like this, Pap?

Rob said...

Plunk.

Come on, get this 3rd out. BE BOT.

allan said...

dp pls

Kathryn said...

Dear Pap,

Don't hit the batters.

fusionmouse said...

Man, if this keeps up my fingernails are gonna start to bleed...

johngoldfine said...

Feh.

Benjamin said...

What do you mean their catcher can hit.

allan said...

HA - only a single?!?!?

wish shemp had sprained an ankle....

Kathryn said...

DP needed.

Rob said...

Well, get the 2nd out first, please.

And thank you.

Kathryn said...

3 (2 this inning)

fusionmouse said...

Come on. One more please.

allan said...

don acknowledges that 0-for-1 is a small sample size!!!

Patrick said...

DIRTY WATER!

Benjamin said...

Water.

fusionmouse said...

The Bay is soiled!

johngoldfine said...

fucking dirty water, mixed with blood....

Zenslinger said...

Ah. Whew. Yay.

Kathryn said...

Yay! 4. Dirty water.

Kathryn said...

Outhit 12-10 and win 5-3.

fusionmouse said...

First road win and Pap's ERA jumps... nearly doubles, love those early season stat fluctuations.

laura k said...

Yay, a bit late, but just found out the water is dirty.

This just in: I fucking love New York City.

See you all tomorrow from the Great North.