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July 10, 2011

G90: Red Sox 8, Orioles 6

Orioles - 060 000 000 - 6  8  0
Red Sox - 240 100 10x - 8 13  0
Boston finishes a four-game sweep of the hapless Orioles (by a combined score of 32-13) and retains its one game lead in the AL East. The Red Sox have won six consecutive games and 10 of their last 11.

Umpire incompetence was the story in the middle innings, as showboating home plate umpire Marty Foster, utterly clueless to the feel and flow of the game, issued warnings to both teams after Kevin Youkilis was hit by a changeup (with two men on in a 6-6 game) from Jeremy Guthrie in the fourth. Then Foster tossed Weiland (4-8-6-2-2, 78) and Terry Francona when the Weiland hit Vladimir Guerrero on the right hand in the fifth.

Neither pitch was intentional, but after Vlad was hit, Foster walked out from behind the plate, took a few steps onto the grass towards the mound, and made an exaggerated, sweeping Townshend-esque windmill motion with his right arm, indicating that Weiland's day was done.

Weiland had given up a leadoff triple in the inning and if he had been allowed to stay in the game (by Foster, and by Francona), he was looking at a 1st/3rd-0 out situation, with Boston leading 7-6. His chance of qualifying for a win in his major league debut might have been slim, but at least it existed. Foster's unwarranted ejection brought that chance down to zero.

In the sixth, Baltimore's Mike Gonzalez threw an 0-1 pitch behind David Ortiz, nearly hitting him in the ass. As per the post-warning rules, Gonzalez and manager Buck Showalter were ejected, and it was interesting to see how little fuss Showalter made about getting tossed. That would lead one to believe that -- following Friday night's fracas, and after warnings being issued today, with two batters being hit and two ejections already -- Showalter still gave the green light for Gonzalez (or whoever was out there) to throw at Ortiz. So classy, Buck. (Reading through the SoSH game thread, it came as no surprise to learn the MASN Morons were defending this behaviour with every fibre of their beings.)

Since both the pitcher and manager would be tossed on an HBP, if Gonzalez acted on his own, then that means he didn't give a shit about his manager getting the boot in the sixth inning of a one-run game. I would think would bother Showalter. But maybe that's how it really happened. Maybe Showalter, a micro-managing, control freak, had no idea what Gonzalez was going to do, and was able to hide his emotions until he got into the clubhouse. But I doubt it.

After Weiland set down the Orioles on 12 pitches in the first, Boston scored twice, with Ortiz and Josh Reddick driving in the runs. Then Weiland struggled through a 33-pitch second inning, facing 11 batters and allowing seven hits and six runs. It was ugly. After a one-out walk, Weiland was battered for a home run, double, and two singles over his next 11 pitches. He gave up three consecutive RBI singles later in the inning after recording the second out.

But the Red Sox immediately rallied. With one out, Marco Scutaro golfed a dong to left, and then Dustin Pedroia went deep to left with two outs. Adrian Gonzlez doubled into the right field corner and Kevin Youkilis -- the Sultan of Sweat -- hit a bomb to dead center to tie the game at 6-6.

Weiland showed his poise by breezing through the third and fourth, allowing one baserunner in each frame, but getting a double play and a caught stealing to escape harm.

Boston took the lead in the fourth, when, with one out. Pedroia doubled, Gonzalez singled, and Yook was hit to load the bases. After warnings were issued, Guthrie walked Ortiz to force in a run. Jacoby Ellsbury singled in an insurance run in the seventh.

When Weiland was tossed in the fifth, Alfredo Aceves came in with runners at first and third, no one out, and Boston with a slim 7-6 lead. Aceves struck out Matt Weiters and Derrick Lee and escaped trouble when Blake Davis lined out to left. Aceves also set down the side in order in the sixth and seventh. It was a fantastic outing for Aceves, reminiscent of the 4.2 innings he threw in relief of Tim Wakefield on May 6 against the Twins, finishing the game and giving the bullpen a much-needed rest.
Example
Mitch Atkins / Kyle Weiland

This is Weiland's major league debut. In 17 starts for Pawtucket this year, he had a 3.00 ERA. In 93 innings, he allowed 69 hits and 37 walks, while striking out 99. Weiland led all AAA pitchers with a .206 opponents batting average (69-for-335); lefties hit only .175.

Terry Francona:" We're excited about this. I'm not glad we're all banged up, but when you get to bring kids up like this, it is really exciting for us."

Atkins made seven relief appearances with the Cubs in 2009-10 and has one start for the Orioles this season, a strong six-inning outing against the Rangers last Tuesday. He has pitched 18 innings in his major league career.

Since winning their first game on April 8, the Red Sox have the best record in MLB: 53-29. ... Boston has won five in a row and nine of their last 10, while the Orioles have lost six straight and 11 of their last 12.

David Ortiz spoke about his role in Friday night's fight:
I feel like I was pushed last night to do something like that. This is a guy that I always face, and he never pitches in. ... I'm pretty sure he was trying to hit me. No question about that. After I hit the fly ball, he started screaming at me. I'm not going to take that. You saw the argument before, and after that, you are going to act like you are my daddy or something like that? I'm not going to take that.
Former Oriole Matt Albers's fist pump and look towards the Orioles' dugout after finishing the seventh inning on Friday probably added to Baltimore's growing annoyance and frustration.
[M]aybe [I] took a look over there. I mean, it's not something I'm very proud of, it's not something I should've done. Let my pitching speak for itself. I just kind of got caught up in the moment over there. I didn't say anything ...
Josh Beckett will test his hyperextended left knee during a side session today. He left Friday's game after five innings, but has said the knee will not be a lingering issue.

AL East: Rays/Yankees (Shields/Sabathia) at 1 PM.

103 comments:

  1. Ellsbury, CF
    Pedroia, 2B
    Gonzalez, 1B
    Youkilis, 3B
    Ortiz, DH
    Reddick, LF
    Varitek, C
    Drew, RF
    Scutaro, SS

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  2. Hardy SS
    Markakis RF
    Jones CF
    Guerrero DH
    Wieters C
    Lee 1B
    Reynolds 3B
    Reimold LF
    Andino 2B

    Beckett's side went great. Sox are cool with him pitching in the ASG.

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  3. Dept. of The Good Old Days:

    July 10, 1911
    Phillies outfielder Sherry Magee knocks out plate umpire Bill Finneran with one punch after being ejected for disputing a called third strike. Magee is suspended for the season, but his appeal knocks the punishment down to five weeks (36 games).

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  4. working the corners on markakis, nice.

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  5. July 10, 1911
    Phillies outfielder Sherry Magee


    Girls team!

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  6. Weiland: Man, this shit is easy!

    Tito: It's the Orioles.

    Weiland: Oh, right.

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  7. nesn missed the first pitch to ellsbury because of the lineup video.

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  8. Girls' team?

    I hate to say this, but how about 'Babe' Ruth?

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  9. I am against using nicknames, for the most part. Laura disagrees with me.

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  10. I'd say both ends of 'Babe Ruth' might qualify.

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  11. Bob Shirley, or are we just looking at first names?

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  12. Ruth

    That is true.

    What do we do with Baby Doll Jacobson?

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  13. But, surely, he's available.

    Don't call me Shirley.

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  14. Ortiz knows that salami is allowed on the Atkins Diet.

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  15. Geez, of course I have Ruth!

    Not only first names. Pete Rose, Mark Loretta, George Sherrill, for example.

    You will be hard pressed to name any I don't already have without combing through Baseball Reference or the Baseball Encyclopedia, but hey, knock yourself out!

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  16. Like Jackie Jensen?
    Those are second-tier, I think.

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  17. Reminds me of Carl Everett getting thrown out trying to take third and a run being taken off the board. Who was the slow poke? Nixon?

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  18. No crossover names like Robin, Kelly or Casey. (Although Robin is great for the birds/animals team.)

    I've been collecting names for my Girls Team for about 10 years. Naturally Connie Mack is the honorary manager. Shirley Povich is the beat writer.

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  19. Candy Cummings?--sounds off-color like a porn star, like those 'mutual ejections' the other night.

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  20. Total porn name, like Dick Pole.

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  21. Adrian, of course. At the beginning of this season, I noted we had 2 players on the girls team this year. Adrian is one.

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  22. In Maine, 'Shirley' is a crossover first-name. I've had two Shirley-guys in the last 24 years.

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  23. if it hit tek's foot, he had absolutely no reaction to it hitting him.

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  24. And famous baseball writer Shirley Povich.

    Wow, Yook took at least five steps to his left after that carom, and STILL got Vlad.

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  25. Well, a lot of the girls names are actually crossover, like Shirley, Leslie, Marian. But they are less typical these days.

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  26. Allan clearly not reading my comments.

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  27. WTF? Just went down the hall to get some food....

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  28. Candy Cummings, total porn star name. Co-starring with Dick Pole, as Allan said.

    Minnie Minoso and Judy Johnson are 2 of my faves.

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  29. Orioles have the lead! We are dooooomed!!1!one!

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  30. fuckin bloop - curse of the andino

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  31. god fucking dammit - safe at 2B

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  32. Interesting article about fake memorabilia, by a guy associated with the Yankees. Minor (Jimmy Collins) Red Sox content.

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  33. Jere links to the Halper stuff all the time. Fasvinating series of articles.

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  34. Barry Halper, very famous collector. He did collect NYY memorbilia especially, but he was not really associated with the team.

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  35. Halper did own a small share of the MFY.

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  36. Yes, a very small share. IMO it's ridiculous to call him "Steinbrenner's partner" as that story does.

    Do you have a link to the story you wrote about the Sotheby's auction?

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  37. SULTAN OF MOTHERFUCKING SWEAT

    TIED 6-6

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  38. Make that UNSTOPPABLE Sweat Power!

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  39. An excellent piece. I get choked up seeing your mention of DFW.

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  40. FKR - 000 000
    MFY - 000 000

    (3 hits each)

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  41. It's clunky in spots, but it's nice.

    I don't think I mentioned it in the story, but I was thinking of bidding $3,000 for the 1918 ball -- which was exactly $3,000 more than we could afford -- but the starting bid was more than that.

    There was an online auction of other Halper stuff a bit later and I won a pair of Carl Mays's Red Sox uniform pants. He pitched 1915-19. (I REALLY hope those are authentic.)

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  42. The pants are at least authentic to the time. But you mean they might not actually be pants Mays wore?

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  43. No, I mean from a later time (and obviosuly not Mays), so not as old. But it is unlikely. It's not (and wasn't) a hot item.

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  44. dear don and jerry:

    you've seen the play live and 2 replays. he did not "leap". so stop saying that.

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  45. Nice recovery from that horrible 2nd inning. Last 2 IP: 6 BF, 1 hit, 1 HBP, 26 pitches.

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  46. GDGD already has Ellsbury taking a strike, a ball and making an out???????

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  47. fixed now - they did not identify the out.

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  48. Jerry: You all right?

    Don: I was just attacked by a very large bug.

    Jerry: A bug?!?

    Don: It looked like a bird.

    Jerry: Looked like a fly to me.

    Don: All I know is, it was enormous.

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  49. Did you know that after last night's game, Varitek (.333) had a higher OBP than Jeter (.331)?

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  50. oh jesus christ.

    what a showboating ump.

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  51. Did you know that after last night's game, Varitek (.333) had a higher OBP than Jeter (.331)?

    And we should care about this because...?

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  52. remy disgusted; "you have to have a feel for the game" and these umps do not have it.

    both yook and vlad got hit on simple inside pitches as they crowed the plate.

    and the ump has to walk out from behind the plate and go stand on the grass towards the mound, and make a big sweeping windmill ejection show with his arm. what an asshole.

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  53. because even the corpse of tek gets on base more often than jetes. it is surprising.

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  54. and thanks solely to marty the dickhead foster, weiland goes only 4 innings and will not get the chance to get a win in his debut.

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  55. Corpse of Tek vs corpse of Jeter. Two formerly very good players now well past their prime, both in sore need of retirement.

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  56. davis was forced to foul that pitch off his foot by aceves. alfredo should be ejected.

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  57. Brilliant move by Tito. He can't pull Weiland before 5 full innings, but he's getting shaky. So he has Tek call for an inside pitch, knowing the risk of hitting the batter and getting the ump to remove him from the game. Then Aceves comes in and puts out the fire.

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  58. FKR - 000 000 000 - 0 4 2
    MFY - 000 000 10x - 1 4 0

    Double CG:
    Shields: 8-4-1-1-5, 102
    Sabathia: 9-4-0-1-9, 113

    Run was unearned. Two Es in the inning, including a wild pickoff throw to 1st from Sheilds that scored Cano from 3rd.

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  59. Sox saw 137 pitches in the first 5 innings (118 thru 4).

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  60. That sounds like a reasonable ejection, as far as I can tell from the radio.

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  61. i can only assume that showalter gave the green light for gonzalez to throw at ortiz.

    since both the pitcher and manager will be tossed, if gonzalez did it on his own, that means he didn't care about showalter getting ejected in the 6th inning of a one-run game. which would likely annoy the shit out of showalter.

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  62. Castig: Pedro Viola, of home run derby fame, is warming.

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  63. great outing from aceves. got out of the 1st/3rd 0 outs jam -- 9 batters up, 9 batters down

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  64. Hi, all. Checking in for the end of the game. Way too nice out there today.

    Just in time to see Papelbon. sigh.

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  65. You missed an eventful afternoon.

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  66. I heard some of it, but missed the ejections. Just catching up on the thread.

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  67. I heard the Aceves innings on the radio.

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  68. Lots of muttering by H regarding the fact that the Yankees released him.

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  69. suddenly, foster's zone shrinks in half. ball 4 was a strike that he has called all day.

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  70. GDGD has balls 1 and 2 as strikes on Hardy, with balls 3 and 4 being a touch high.

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  71. Dirty Four-Game-Sweeping Water!

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  72. Yes! Nice outing by Papelbon!

    Dirty water!

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  73. Choke on that, Buck, you shithead!

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  74. Enjoy the break, JoSers! And remember, we are UNSTOPPABLE!!!

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  75. ! And remember, we are UNSTOPPABLE!!!

    After we stop for 4 days...

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  76. Marty Foster was also behind the plate for this game. It was memorable because it was the game after which Terry Francona told the press that Manny had been sent for an MRI on his knee(s), the third occasion on which Joba Chamberlain threw over Youk's head, and the only time, I think, that I ever saw Mike Lowell get ejected from a game. Foster called a dubious strike that ended Lowell's at-bat in the ninth. Lowell leaped into the air, threw his bat and helmet down, and went off, just screaming at Foster. Boston lost, 1-0.

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  77. MASN is the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. It broadcasts the Orioles and Nationals games. (Gary Throne is the main Os broadcaster.)

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  78. Gary Throne

    I know he's full of himself, but there's no need to place him on a throne. Especially when he's a thorne in your side. :)

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