The Sox would not get another man to second base until there was one out in the eighth inning. In the meantime, Gil Meche (7.1-6-1-1-6) throughly outpitched Curt Schilling (4-8-5-2-5) (Box). It was the longest Opening Day outing by a Royals starter since 1988 -- and it was Schilling's shortest outing in his last 285 starts (he went four innings against the Reds on August 26, 1997).
Schilling:
No fastball command. I did not adjust. I can't remember ever having that be the case. I just didn't adjust. I knew early on I wasn't commanding my fastball well. I never made the adjustment.Youkilis finished with two singles, as did Dustin Pedroia, though he stupidly tried to stretch the first one into a double in the second and was thrown out by about 15 feet. JD Drew walked and singled in three trips, Julio Lugo singled in his fourth at-bat after three strikeouts, and Mike Lowell doubled in the ninth.
Hideki Okajima's first major league pitch was belted to deep right-center by John Buck for a home run to start the sixth, but Okajima settled down, retiring five of his next six batters, including two by way of the K.
For KC, Mark Grudzielanek had three hits and three RBI and Tony Pena Jr. triped twice and walked.
In relief of Schilling: Javy Lopez, Okajima, Brendan Donnelly, Joel Pineiro and JC Romero.
Not only did we get completely outplayed by the Royals -- and New York and Toronto won -- but we have to wait until Wednesday night to take the field again. Damn off days.
Broadcast note: We opened with NESN! I thought we'd be stuck with ESPN, so this was a great surprise. ... But after the fourth pitch of the game, Don Orsillo's voice suddenly changed into Jon Miller's and we were subjected to Miller/Joe Morgan. ... Miller still acts much dumber than he really is and Morgan has not learned to formulate a coherent sentence. Same as it ever was.
***
Opening Day
W L PCT GB Magic #Curt Schilling / Gil Meche, 4 PM
Boston 0 0 .000 -- 163
Tampa Bay 0 0 .000 --
Baltimore 0 0 .000 --
Toronto 0 0 .000 --
New York 0 0 .000 --
Lineups:
Julio Lugo SS David DeJesus CFToo bad DeJesus doesn't go by Dave. Everyone in KC's lineup would have a four-letter first name. That's the kind of togetherness that builds winning chemistry. John Kruk told me that.
Kevin Youkilis 1B Mark Grudzielanek 2B
David Ortiz DH Mark Teahen RF
Manny Ramirez LF Mike Sweeney DH
J.D. Drew RF Alex Gordon 3B
Mike Lowell 3B Ryan Shealy 1B
Jason Varitek C Ross Gload LF
Coco Crisp CF John Buck C
Dustin Pedroia 2B Tony Pena Jr. SS
Schilling beat the Rangers on Opening Day last year, allowing five hits and two runs over seven innings. ... Red Sox 2007 OD preview. ... Commenter s1c has pitcher-batter matchup stats.
Meche, who signed a 5/55 deal over the winter, will get the ball on Opening Day for the first time in his career. ... Kansas City's Rookie of the Year candidate Alex Gordon starts at third base and bats fifth.
This is the fifth straight year and the 11th time in the last 12 seasons that the Red Sox have opened on the road. The results:
04-01-96 at Tex L 3- 5Damn, I remember that '02 game all too clearly -- sitting in the Rivieria in NYC watching Pedro get pounded by the Jays. What'd he last? 3 innings? ........... Yup.
04-02-97 at Ana W 6- 5
04-01-98 at Oak W 2- 0 (Pedro's Sox debut)
04-05-99 at KC W 5- 3
04-04-00 at Sea W 2- 0
04-02-01 at Bal L 1- 2 (11)
04-01-02 vs Tor L 11-12
03-31-03 at TB L 4- 6
04-04-04 at Bal L 2- 7
04-03-05 at NYY L 2- 9
04-03-06 at Tex W 7- 3
More: It looks like Beckett will pitch Opening Day at Fenway on April 10. It appears that Matsuzaka will pitch the 10:00 AM Patriots Day game April 16 against the Angels and the Fox game against the Yankees in Fenway on April 21. (However, Dice is not slated to pitch during the team's first trip to Toronto (boo).)
Five of the first nine games of the season are weekday day games. And I love seeing that stretch of games on 20 straight days (April 10-29).
Ortiz: "If we stay healthy, I'm pretty sure this is going to be a hell of a year."
Play Ball!
Nice shirt, Curt!
ReplyDeleteNick Cafardo, Globe:
ReplyDelete"One thing to watch today is whether umpires, in an effort to keep games moving, enforce a new rule that states batters must keep at least one foot in the box between pitches. That doesn't apply after a foul ball, a wild pitch, or the like. The penalty will be a warning followed by a possible ejection."
There is also this:
Rule 8.04:
"When the bases are unoccupied, the pitcher shall deliver the ball to the batter within 12 seconds after he receives the ball. Each time the pitcher delays the game by violating this rule, the umpire shall call "Ball.""
Wait, but Dice will also pitch home game #2 after Beckett, right?
ReplyDeleteGod, I remember listening to the game on XM in my soul-crushing little office last year, doing a Carlton Fisk impersonation to Papi's right field bomb. That was a great game, Foulke-imposion aside.
ReplyDeleteEven better was Daniel Cabrera's hilarious 9 walk mess a few days later. Followed by my first game where, appropriately enough, Coco sustained The Injury at Camden in the rain.
..Anyone have extra tickets for the first homestand? I can provide free parking in boston!
Dice: It sure looks like it.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually watching the Yanks right now at 2:30pm. Comcast added YES in HD, right next to NESNHD......they're ahead, for now. But at 4pm...my goodness. Our Sox.
ReplyDeleteI'm still sad about my little buddy, and I know I misspoke the other day. BIGTIME. But when it comes to friends, all I have to do is come right here.
And when the Red Sox, OUR Sox, bat around in the first inning a couple hours from now, I'll be smiling through my tears. It's 2007....a year we'll NEVER forget.
Thanks for every word you write. I read them all. GO SOX. Peter
And yes...they held Daisuke back so he wouldn't pitch the home opener against Seattle and Ichiro. Without rain, he WILL pitch game number two at our Fenway.
ReplyDeleteJere, the Yanks started at 1...and it's close. But this is just a time-waster before the real deal. It was nice to see a healthy, although bald Bobby Murcer in the booth. Take care everyone!!
Rays up by 2!!!!! And as the seconds count down to our game......go Schill.
ReplyDeleteI've got ten reasons why the Red Sox are going to win the most games in the Major Leagues this year!!!
ReplyDelete1.) Dice-K is an unknown and he's good
2.) Curt has adjusted his pitching and throws strikes and will win at least 15 games
3.) Josh Beckett will be our ace this year and will win 20 or more
4.) Papplebon will save more than Marianno Riveira
5.) Big Pappi will hit the crap out of the ball
6.) We have our first number five hitter in JD Drew since Dewey
7.) In turn Manny will have protection and walk less and hit more
8.) We have depth in the bullpen including three lefties
9.) Coco will be the best number 8 hitter in the league
10.) Julio Lugo will have a better year than Damon
It's really simple...
Red Sox Fever begins today!!!!
I'll take any 5 of those!
ReplyDeleteGO SOX!! Enjoy the game, everybody. :)
Would someone be a dear and give these to Peter?
ReplyDeleteWhy did I get MLB.tv? So I could see this agonzing home opener with my own stinging eyes?
ReplyDeleteSchilling down 5-1. Ow.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteGaaaa - 5 1/2 in the books and our offense stinks. Hate to be a downer but my last line in the game preview was right on the button ("things could get very ugly")
ReplyDeleteSuggested title for 38pitches.com tonight. "I Sucked", will be interesting to see what he says and at what time he posts.
ReplyDeleteCan we get rid of the Yankees fans? I don't really need to read the comments of scumbag New Yorkers. Which, I guess, is redundant.
ReplyDeleteJust a bad day. Beckett will get even on Wed. Look on the bright side--Paps gets 2 days to rest the ankle.
ReplyDeleteSean! I was about to offer you some Fenway tix as per your earlier request.... but apparently you don't think too much of people who live in NYC! Some of us are lifelong Sox fans, and many of us just hate the Yankees, and have to deal with them up close and personal every day! (And some people love this place and used to live here, and are the writer and partner of the writer of this blog.) Although I'll soon be moving to Boston, I will always love New York.
ReplyDeleteDaaaa: Why were you eating dog food? Oh right, Yankee fan--now that's redundant. Okay, maybe not. If you really had that, I'm glad you're okay. But I'm sure the 26 championships got you through it.
Jere-
ReplyDeleteWere you born in NY? I have a bunch of good friends that live in NYC, and while they live in one heck of a city, dealing with New Yorkers every day would make me sick. Good luck with that.
Supernatural Santana is mowing down the O's, so we won't be alone in the cellar tonight.
Yankee fans are welcome -- I'm surprised so many of them can type -- as long as they behave.
ReplyDelete...
And never forget how bad they choked in 2004.
Good lord, that was a choke job.
Three outs from a humiliating sweep, with Fruitbat on the mound, and they lose that lead, and drop four games in a row.
Remember?
They can win on April 2, but we all know what they do in crunch time.
Born in SW Conn. In NYC last two years. Moving to Boston in one month. There are shitty New Yorkers, of course. Those would be the Yankee fans. ha. Oh and people on phones who have no idea there might be any other people in the world besides them and whoever they're talking to. But I suppose you get that anywhere. re: the tix. I may have some singles. Email me for details. I probably don't even need the free parking.
ReplyDeletere: what redsock said above: I love a world where they have to brag to us about April 2nd. What would they have said if we bragged about any regular season conquest at any point between our birth and 2004? They don't have 1918 to fall back on anymore. In fact, I saw a guy with a t-shirt commemorating their August 5-game sweep last season, one in which they lost in the first round of the playoffs. This world is utopia compared to the old days.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I saw a guy with a t-shirt commemorating their August 5-game sweep last season, one in which they lost in the first round of the playoffs.
ReplyDeleteYou MUST be kidding. ... Are they also selling shirts celebrating their Game 1 victory in the ALDS against the Tigers?
I was coming back -- from our first evening sitting out in the backyard (ahhhhh!) -- to delete DYW's post (and mine) and note that while Yankee fans are more than welcome to intelligently discuss the teams/games -- actually I would like that -- if they feel the need to talk to another commenter, they should use email.
However, Jere commented on what I said, so I'll let it stand.
dealing with New Yorkers every day would make me sick.
ReplyDeleteSean, you deal with a New Yorker every day that you come to this blog. As Jere said, your esteemed host is a New Yorker. He doesn't live there anymore, but he's no less a New Yorker for that.
Me, too, of course, but that shouldn't concern you.
Allan, you're too nice to these people. Daaa calls our friend Jere the Taliban, and Sean says "scumbag New Yorkers" is redundant. They don't deserve JoS.
* * * *
Anyway. 162 games, and it was just one. Woti's right about the ankle. No biggie.
Sean, you deal with a New Yorker every day that you come to this blog.
ReplyDeleteEnough of a New Yorker to know a bagel doesn't have a hunk of fucking chocolate in it.
Jere.
(It sounds yummy, but it ain't no bagel.)
Let me go into back story. The New Yorker-type to which I refer is the person who, on August 1st when our team was 10.5 games back in 2004, still felt the need to taunt me for no reason just to be a douche bag.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, that's the only kind of Yankee fan I ever really run into, since there's only ever been one exception to the rule. I have no problem with Mets fans, but having just met one, it's hard to really comment.
I hate the New Yorkers who think the Yankees are good for some other reason than cheating and being richer than anyone else over the last century. Not the ones who can actually name more than 3 players in the NL at a given time.
l-girl said:Allan, you're too nice to these people. Daaa calls our friend Jere the Taliban, and Sean says "scumbag New Yorkers" is redundant. They don't deserve JoS.
ReplyDeleteHe's not too nice ...He like most of Red Sox fans live for the smack talkin......It is all in good fun...
Yankee fans should be welcomed here if not invited.....
It sometimes is better than all of us beatin up on each other.....
Bagels with chocolate?
Can I still toast and butter that?
It's sounds like a chocolate chip muffin or pancakes ...
Is it breakfast or dessert?
I eat the muffins just heated up and the pancakes with whipped cream..
Ya'll can go to bed now knowing that.......
It's 10:05 .....do you know where Curt blog post is?
Hey, that place didn't get the chocolate bar bagel idea from me:)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of, I've been noticing a huge, old, side-of-brick-building, painted-on sign at 86th St, that's fading away. (Dont you love those?) It took me a while, but I finally realized it says "bagel nosh." I looked it up online, and only found a NYT article from 1983 which mentions the place. Something about a mafia guy eating there or something. Do either of you ex-NYCers remember it?
I've been taking a break from all things in the blogosphere but it's great to be back to read your blog.
ReplyDeleteThat's about the only positive comment I can come up with after yesterday's crapola game.
Let me just clear the air (I'm sure most of you don't care if I do or don't), I didn't come here to comment on the Sox - Royals game. Not once did I mention anything about that game. Or talk crap to you guys, just some "friendly" banter. There was another post that was on this site that I came looking for.
ReplyDeleteAfter I cut-and-pasted the URL I wanted from here, I clicked on the comments section for THIS post. I saw the top-ten post from Craig and thought #2 was interesting. I commented on that and mostly wanted to give a shout-out to Jere when I saw his name on one of the comments. I meant the "Taliban" comment in jest to describe his loyal fandom to all things Red Sox.
It's only one game, the last thing I came to do was talk crap about GAME F'ING ONE.
I was trying to make a joke about the dog food thing and not make it about the f'ing Yanks-Sox, it's not always about those two teams you know. I tried to use some self-depracating humor SO you all wouldn'tthink I came here to talk crap.