Yankees - 240 063 104 - 20 23 1 Red Sox - 100 033 004 - 11 12 1
George A. King III, Post:
What happened in the 2004 ALCS will never be deleted from every mainframe in the Yankees' universe. Not even a World Series title this season completely will erase those painful Red Sox memories that will haunt multiple generations.Something "special"? Is the possibility of extending a division lead in the middle of August "special"? Should it happen, is it "special" enough to warrant an ice cream reward?
Yet starting tonight in New England's living room, the Yankees can extract a wee bit of revenge by burying their blood rivals in the AL East race. Or they can allow the Red Sox to climb off the canvas and turn the final six weeks of the season into a two-way scoreboard-watching orgy.
"We have a chance to do something special against them," manager Joe Girardi said of his club, which leads the Red Sox by 6½ games after Boston blew out the Blue Jays 8-1 last night.
The Red Sox will emerge from this three-game weekend battle 3.5, 5.5, 7.5 or 9.5 GB the Yankees -- with 38 games remaining in the regular season.
A Boston series sweep -- as the Red Sox have done to the Yankees thrice this season, on April 24-25-26 and May 4-5 and June 9-10-11 -- would make things very interesting once again in the AL East, especially since the two teams will meet again, in New York, on September 25-26-27.
Tonight's game begins a 10-game homestand at Fenway Park. Twenty of the Red Sox's next 25 games are against the Yankees, White Sox, Rays and Angels. It is essential that they continue the strong pitching and hitting performances they showed in Toronto. The Yankees -- 25-9 since the All-Star break, including a four-game sweep of the Sox on August 6-7-8-9 -- have not won a game at Fenway Park since September 28, 2008.
Horseface started against the Red Sox on August 9 in New York, pitching seven scoreless innings and allowing only five hits; he took the loss back on April 26. Penny turned in a 6-6-0-1-5 line against New York on June 11.
Weekend pitching match-ups:
In other news, Michael Kay is an asshole. (Do not miss the twitter link!)Sat 4 PM: A.J. Burnett / Junichi Tazawa Sun 8 PM: CC Sabathia / Josh Beckett
IT. IS. ON.
ReplyDeleteMichael Bowden is UP!
ReplyDeleteNot sure what the corresponding move will be -- Cactus to the DL, F-Cab down, ...
Penny will decide how many millions he will make next year from a competitive team, tonight. By 6pm Boston time we will know his fate.
ReplyDeleteCactus is now in the Glossary.
ReplyDeleteredsock said...
ReplyDeleteMichael Bowden is UP!
I looke up his stats at Paw. and it says he hasn't pitched since the 16th...is that right?
Bowden and Baldelli to Sox
ReplyDeleteAnderson to Paw
Cabrera DFA (out of options?)
Red Sox also released Chris Duncan (who we got for Lugo). He hit .188 in 85 at-bats with Pawtucket.
ReplyDeleteYep, Cabrera DFA'd. Be nice if he cleared waivers.
ReplyDeleteFuck them.
ReplyDeleteWin.
I don't get it, andy...
ReplyDeleteOats from Extra Bases:
ReplyDeleteRed Sox
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Victor Martinez, C
4. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. David Ortiz, DH
7. Mike Lowell, 3B
8. J.D. Drew, RF
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS
-- Brad Penny, RHP
Yankees
1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Johnny Damon, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Hideki Matsui, DH
6. Jorge Posada, C
7. Robinson Cano, 2B
8. Nick Swisher, RF
9. Melky Cabrera, CF
-- Andy Pettitte, LHP
After a hot start and a couple of nice patches, I see Milk Dud is back down to a .752 OPS.
ReplyDeleteFinally, some solid lineups from us yesterday and today.
ReplyDeleteAlso - yay to people reading my morning-after comments.
L, the humidity was much worse yesterday than normal. It felt like I bathed in olive oil before I went there. Ugh.
And yeah - wicked storms, I read a few articles after I got home as to the damage caused. Insanity for Ontario.
No one likes cactus in their oatmeal.
ReplyDeleteAh, the old olive oil bath. And there I was relaxing in the A/C, not knowing what I was missing.
ReplyDeleteIck!
Globe:
ReplyDeletePedroia made it just in the nick of time - try by 20 minutes - to see the birth of his first child, Dylan, on Tuesday.
And by yesterday, Pedroia was already boasting that his son was a "badass," according to Francona. ...
After being put on a 40-person plane to Boston - where he found Sox fans surprised at his presence and eager to talk baseball - Pedroia jumped in a cab to get to the hospital.
"The cab driver wanted to talk about baseball and I’m like, 'Dude, I will give you $100 to get me to Mass. General as fast as possible,'" Pedroia said. "So we probably were driving a little bit past the speed limit, but I think everyone understands."
Cocoran at SI.com on the Top 10 Setup Men:
ReplyDelete5) Hideki Okajima, Red Sox
History shows that Japanese pitchers tend to offer diminishing returns as the league becomes familiar with their stuff and their often-funky deliveries. Indeed, Hideki Okajima's ERA has shot up over his three seasons in Boston's 'pen from 2.22 in 2007 to 2.82 this year. That is to say that the lefty changeup artist is one of the most reliable eighth-inning setup men in the game. His rate stats over his first three seasons have shown very little variation and he ranks third among non-closers in WXRL this year. Since May 1, he's posted a 2.18 ERA with 19 holds.
Yes, Bowden started on August 16. So today would be four days rest.
ReplyDeleteSomething got lost in the editing, I think:
ReplyDeleteThat is to say that the lefty changeup artist is one of the most reliable eighth-inning setup men in the game [as long as his team has at least a 6-run lead]."
And by yesterday, Pedroia was already boasting that his son was a "badass,"
ReplyDeleteFor Dylan's sake, I hope he doesn't grow up to be a ballet dancer!
That is to say that the lefty changeup artist is one of the most reliable eighth-inning setup men in the game [as long as his team has at least a 6-run lead]."
ReplyDeleteDoes anybody (besides me) remember what this refers to?
Yes it is on, but the fact is the Sox have an uphill battle for the division:
ReplyDeleteOver the last few years, (different team yada yada but a lot of the same players) in August and September the MFY's own the Sox.
MFY's have never blown a 6 game lead this late in the season.
Penny and Tazawa start this series off with a Beckett vs Sabithia on Sunday waiting.
Sox will face both Burnett and Sabithia (1 & 2) while MFY's will face the (4, 5, 1).
So on Paper the Sox will probably lose ground.
That of course is why THEY PLAY THE GAMES
Would love a sweep but will settle for 2 wins.
Um...summer of last year, he had a horrific meltdown? I was in Boston and saw them beat the Rays there a couple of days later.
ReplyDeleteThis game?
Wasn't that the same dude who said facts have nothing to do with watching baseball? And he wouldn't feel comfortable with Jeemer unless we had a 6-run lead?
ReplyDeleteIsh wins!
ReplyDeleteYESSSSSSS.
ReplyDeleteBow to the Master. Master Ish.
Damn I love this blog. GO SOX!!!
ReplyDeleteIsh, you young folks have such good memories.
ReplyDelete****
Of COURSE it's an uphill battle for the division, because we're in 2nd place. But Red Sox fans of all people should know that "X has never happened before" is merely a statement of fact, not an accurate prediction of the future. Something Yankees fans should know, too, eh?
Ok, folding laundry now so I can thread at game time. See you later.
ReplyDeleteI have those quotes in a text file at home. Can't remember which game it was though.
ReplyDeleteBowden is now the youngest player on the roster (born September 9, 1986). Tazawa is the other player born in 1986 (June 6).
ReplyDeleteBody of 22-year-old dead man found on Chipper Jones's ranch.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like Billy Wagner could be back & effective, and that we might pick him up.
ReplyDelete$3m+ for this year...and either a $1m buyout or pay him $8m next year.
Beats ol' Dimmer. I mean, it's got to.
redsock said...
ReplyDeleteYes, Bowden started on August 16. So today would be four days rest.
It may have seemed odd to you that I was questioning that , I thought today was Aug . 28, no shit .....
Zenslinger said...
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like Billy Wagner could be back & effective, and that we might pick him up.
Someone claimed him ,was it us?
That lineup of ours is insane! 3-5 caliber hitters 2-8. It's like the infinite universe, every point in the order is the middle.
ReplyDeletePop, goes the light switch. It's fucking on.
BOSOX claim Wagner!! 4 days to make a deal link
ReplyDeleteI assume a deal gets done quickly. The Mets have nothing to gain by keeping him.
ReplyDelete"We have a chance to do something special against them," manager Joe Girardi said of his club
ReplyDeleteDoes Joe realize they don't give out rings in August? and there is also a 100% chance we still hold the season lead on Monday........idiot
The Mets are going to ask for to much, I just know they are..
ReplyDeleteI better get NESN tonight. Won't know til game time.
ReplyDeleteWTF does he even mean "something special"? We swept the first 2 series, they swept the 3rd. How "special" could any outcome of this series be for them? Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteYou guys probably will get NESN if you get the east feed of Sportsnet.
ReplyDeleteThat's what happened last Friday, one showed YES (Snet) and I'm assuming you guys got NESN (EI)...
The Mets are going to ask for to much, I just know they are.
ReplyDeleteWhy should they?
From your linked article:
"ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reported Thursday the Mets would likely have to eat some of Wagner's salary in order to recieve [sic] a viable prospect in return for the reliever."
We're taking the payroll off their hands when they have no chance of making the post season. By taking some of it back, they can get a decent prospect off us, but not a high-level one. We have more than enough decent prospects without having to give up anyone we'd later regret.
'Course you never know who might break out. But we're not going to cause ourselves any real pain in this deal.
I doubt they get a top 20 prospect. Why would the sox care about another 3.5 million on the payroll?
ReplyDeleteOh YEAH, remy's return on NESN too.
ReplyDeleteShit, I gotta head out for dinner now with friends. Ugh, poorly planned on my part. I should be back in by 9:30 - so just in time for the 3rd, if this goes according to typical sox/yanks (and penny) fashion...
Tim, there's no telling. We've gotten YES with East too. At least I'll have more than one shot, between EI and Rogers. Allan's at work w/ MLB.
ReplyDeleteIf it's YES, I can use the radio for audio, but I want to see Remy.
NESN!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOoh, and Texas is playing Tampa.
ReplyDeleteHopefully they beat the shit out of each other.
People with YES should try this.
ReplyDeleteMight be NESN.
Yay! Enjoy the game, buenos noches amigos!
ReplyDeleteI have work, but I'm going to try to avoid it.
ReplyDeleteRemy looked good in the booth. Just like old times!
ReplyDeleteWe've had a Tornado Watch here all afternoon... Picking up your sloppy seconds...
ReplyDeleteFucking Visio isn't on my computer. I have to go to someone else's desk.
ReplyDeleteSo can't you get MLB TV on anyone's computer?
ReplyDeleteIt's the desk next to mine. I think you sat it one time you were here. But I can't have the sound on.
ReplyDeleteI did one chart. Will try to put off the other one.
WTF is this with the "dancers"?
ReplyDeletePut the sound on and use an earphone.
ReplyDeleteIt looked like Red Sox jr high aerobics class.
ReplyDeleteNESN does some strange shit for Red Sox Yankee games.
ReplyDeleteI am very excited!
ReplyDeleteRemy: Buenos Notches, Amigos!
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT!
"Yankee Joe" West behind the plate.
ReplyDeleteMe too, I'm really psyched.
ReplyDeleteI just texted my currently-NYY-loving sister, who is pretending to be a diehard fan.
ReplyDeleteCome on Sox Fuck up these mother fuckers!
ReplyDeletelost my sound on mlbtv - just a puttering noise
ReplyDeletenoope -- now it is radio!!!! castig
i have castig/ob with nesn video
ReplyDeleteOh, THAT'S a PERFECT way to start the game
ReplyDeleteK please
"that's a shame"
ReplyDeleteOh what a shame. Poor Noodle.
ReplyDeleteThat sucks.
ReplyDeleteWell if he's noodle then fouling the ball off his leg shouldn't do much harm.
ReplyDeleteHeh, I know he's a Noodle Arm, might not be a Noodle Leg.
ReplyDeleteJohnny, Kevin will tell you what to do.
ReplyDeleteSit Judas.
ReplyDeletewest with the wide zone
ReplyDeleteHey...there's the K
ReplyDeleteI don't mind a wide zone.
ReplyDeleteHis velocity is up, that's encouraging
ReplyDeleteMe neither as long as it's consistent.
ReplyDeleteyou look up "douchenozzle" in the dictionary, you'll see a pic of teixeira's face in his batting stance, waggling his bat
ReplyDeleteRS, My dictionary has Joba fist pumping to illustrate that word. :)
ReplyDeleteCome on Penny...
ReplyDeletedp pls
ReplyDeletedp pls
ReplyDeleteshemp-idp
ReplyDeleteDear god,
ReplyDeleteDouble play, please
Pat
Shit, loaded
ReplyDeleteDP would be great now
*sigh* good partial play by Seabass at least.
ReplyDeleteshemp sasahe
ReplyDeleteserious sasahe there
ReplyDeleteNESN sounds just right again. I miss Eck still a little bit.
ReplyDeletePenny is going to have to prove himself early.
Sit!
ReplyDeleteNo DP but the K works too! One more like that pls.
ReplyDeleteSit, Shemp
ReplyDeleteSIT. Matsui
ReplyDeletehankee must have missed the payment drop to west. he's being fair.
ReplyDeletePenny get yourself together.
ReplyDeletedamn
ReplyDeletecrap crap crap
ReplyDeleteFuck me sideways. It has to be Posada.
ReplyDeleteDFA.
ReplyDeleteShit
ReplyDeleteis someone stirring the cement for penny's new set of loafers?
ReplyDeleteIt's me it's me!!!
ReplyDeleteGDGD has ALL fastballs except a slider on the first pitch to dumbo.
ReplyDeletelong wait for pettitte?
ReplyDeleteMaybe Penny can go to St. Louis with the other Sox castoffs?
ReplyDeleteMuch better than the 1st inning A & I saw Penny throw at Fenway.
ReplyDeleteNow to score 4 runs of our own.
Alright, that shit-show of an inning is over
ReplyDeleteLet's hope he takes a page out of Lester's book and shuts them down the rest of the game
Rain just broke through here in Kingston, Jamacia, I mean New Hampshire.
ReplyDeleteJudas hurt....Awwww....
ReplyDelete1 to tie
ReplyDelete2 to set a new SB mark
I want records broke!
ReplyDeleteLBJ says See, Allan???
ReplyDeleteStart 0-2, and still draw a walk
ReplyDeleteI like it
Everyone acts like Pettitte still has the move he used to - he doesn't.
ReplyDeletehe's been walking more since i pointed it out, btw
ReplyDeleteFIFTY FOUR!!!
ReplyDeleteTIES IT
ReplyDeletewish you could combine Ells' speed and Youk's OBP in one player. (Nice steal!)
ReplyDeleteLANDSLIDE LYNDON!
ReplyDeletehe's been walking more since i pointed it out, btw
ReplyDeleteso he reads jos, cool!
crowd giving lyndon a big standing o
Now he's on Pettite's back side.
ReplyDeletecome on, daddy badass
ReplyDeleteWhat the hell just happened. GDGD is behind. But I like the sound of it!
ReplyDeleteIri, you must be referring to Rickey Henderson.
ReplyDeleteSoSock, still no MLB Audio?
ReplyDeleteAllan has a link to the game too - scroll up.
i missed the top of the 1st, but remy sounds like he hasn't missed a game
ReplyDeletedamn, now I get it.
ReplyDeleteLBJ tied the record. Petey didn't tie the game :(
Patrick, Yeah add good power as well and that'd be pretty much Rickey. Such an amazing player.
ReplyDeletei missed the top of the 1st, but remy sounds like he hasn't missed a game
ReplyDeleteTop 1 was the same way. Not even the tiniest hint of nerves. Exactly as he always was.
Clearly he and Don agreed not to make a big deal of it, just to say, here we are, welcome back, and move on.
if they stay true to form, they might chat about it in the 4th or so.
ReplyDeleteAck, SoSock, I didn't even think of that. No, we would have been more excited if a run scored.
ReplyDeleteGood jobe getting PEDShit's pitch count up.
ReplyDeleteYES
ReplyDeleteSoSock, there's the run!
Alright, that works
ReplyDeletepedshit? oy. that's reaching a bit!
ReplyDeleteOK, there's 1.
ReplyDeleteOff to services. Chat tomorrow. Shaolom y'all
Speed gets us a run back. That's nice.
ReplyDeleteWell I personally don't believe he ever stopped taking them.
ReplyDeletesince we're between innings, anyone ever see this weird site? i'm getting a lot of traffic from it.
ReplyDelete"Speed gets us a run back. That's nice."
ReplyDeleteYeah, and without even needing a hit
Oh I don't care what he took, I'm not defending him. I just thought the name was a bit ridiculous. But hey, that's just me. :)
ReplyDeleteHey NESN: SHOW THE GAME
ReplyDeleteA, do you have NESN sound now? They've mentioned Remy's absence a few times - the different lineups, how long he's been away, etc.
ReplyDeleteyeah, it came back in the middle of the first.
ReplyDeleteDammit Penny, get your shit together
ReplyDeleteDP NOW
Joe West warning the NYY dugout!
ReplyDeleteCrap Hinske
ReplyDeletePENNY GET IT TOGETHER
damn
ReplyDeletePenny.
ReplyDeleteYou're stinkin' up the joint.
Get over it.
Penny is making it really fucking hard for me to not demand DFAing him
ReplyDeleteis that guy with the "Penny, You're Worthless" sign there tonight?
ReplyDeleteI don't suppose Damon's badly hurt, is he?
ReplyDeleteugh
ReplyDeleteugh
ReplyDeleteHelp.
ReplyDeleteAlright, that does it
ReplyDeleteDFA this piece of shit
I'll go down there with one of those signs myself.
ReplyDeletePENNY YOU SUCK GO TAKE A SHOWER
ReplyDeletepen getting up?
ReplyDeleteI am saying nothing other than Brad Penny. On a great day, you have done your best to ruin it with this insipid drivel of a pitching display.
ReplyDeleteBowden up, none too soon
ReplyDeleteslappy feels bad for us, gives us a free out
ReplyDeletebowden up
And for some reason, Espn in the UK has the Michael Kay feed. For the love of God.
ReplyDeleteJesus H Tapdancing Christ Penny
ReplyDeleteThank god A-Hole got greedy there
Fuck, we should have just let Bowden start
ReplyDeleteIf Bowden ducks ball too then it will be just like last first game of the series. Then they can DFA them both. I sure hope Bowden is really something.
ReplyDeletePenny, thank your outfielders for saving your sorry ass from even more embarrassment.
ReplyDeletefuck fuck fuck
ReplyDeleteok, we know the drill. shut them down in the next inning and start clawing our way back. we've done it before, let's do it again tonight.
for some odd reason, penny's game plan of throwing fat fastballs right over the heart of the plate did not translate into outs. huh.
ReplyDelete11th outfield assist of the season for Bay
ReplyDeleteSucks balls. so what it's raining here too like in jamaica.
ReplyDeleteOh no Lord, you can't listen to that! At least put on MLB Audio for the radio.
ReplyDeletePenny is like David Aardsma last year. "Maybe if I throw harder they won't hit it."
ReplyDeletefor some odd reason, Brad Penny's recent form has repeated itself today. How odd.
ReplyDeleteThere's no way he's staying in this rotation after this start
ReplyDeleteThe least he could do is eat some innings, and he's incapable of even doing that
8 hits = Penny sits.
ReplyDeleteOr not.
So...what did I miss...oh shit.
ReplyDeleteSo is this Penny's final start for the Sox? Kind of like Smoltz was when he was smashed by the Yanks a few weeks ago?
ReplyDeleteYou know what's funny, Don is back to his old self too - reading the press notes in a monotone. What's up with that. Old habits die hard I guess.
ReplyDeleteIf so, who replaces Penny in the rotation? Wake?
ReplyDelete"So is this Penny's final start for the Sox? Kind of like Smoltz was when he was smashed by the Yanks a few weeks ago?"
ReplyDeleteLet's hope.
Bowden or Wake if he's ready I would assume.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, we entered the year thinking we had insane pitching depth. Not it's obvious that "depth" was a bunch of old men, and little kids.
ReplyDeletegive bowden a few starts until (gulp) dice returns around sept 8?
ReplyDeleteHas this cocktrumpet lost his marbles and forgotten that his beloved Yankees were 0-8 against this team, before they swept the inept?
ReplyDeleteDon't answer that.
You don't need to be North American to loathe, with a passion, Michael Kay. His sheer odiousness transcends continents.
I'm all for DFAing Penny if you have a better option, but I don't see who that is right now. We've already got Tazawa in the rotation and he's not ready for prime time yet. Wakefield doesn't seem like he's going to be ready to rejoin the rotation anytime soon, and God knows when Matsuzaka will be back. In short, I don't see any other option besides throwing Penny back out there again in five days.
ReplyDeletePenny is like David Aardsma last year.
ReplyDelete"Maybe if I throw harder they won't hit it."
I'm going to do the unthinkable and actually defend Aardsma here.
Aardsma only sucked at the end of last season, and that's because he never fully recovered from whatever injury he had right after the ASB. Through July 18th of last year he had a 2.75 ERA in 39 and a third IP, with only one homer allowed.
After that, he had a 17.36 ERA in 9 and a third innings with three home runs allowed.
the term "cocktrumpet" should not fall into disuse.
ReplyDeletepitch around OF and deal with 'bass.
ReplyDeletemattymatty,
ReplyDeleteYou don't think Bowden could do better than Penny and his 6 ERA?
Lord, do yourself and all of us a favour, turn on MLB Audio, or use the link Allan supplied above.
ReplyDeleteIn 2008, with the highest payroll in baseball, whoever it is in the box with Kay, your bunch of weasels, wasters and muppets fell out of contention in June, I believe. So what if you have the best record now.
ReplyDeleteIn the words of Derrick Coleman "woop-te-do-da-day".
And the commentators are still moaning at Joe West's strike zone.
Great, the bats decide to go back into shit mode.
ReplyDeleteKevin - you're right, but for some reason Aardsma is who sprang to mind. I probably should have come up with a better example.
ReplyDeleteAnd there's Petttitttttte barking at the ump. Hey asshole, you've got a 6-1 lead. SHUT THE F UP!
L, it is on my big screen TV. And I am too hot and sunburned from a wonderful day at the cricket to turn it down! The remote is on the other side of the room.
ReplyDeleteIn any case, I'm off to bed soon.