Sox 7, Milwaukee 6
WP: Hansen (1-2)
LP: Torres (3-1)
SV: Timlin (1)
HRs: BOS-Lowell (5); MIL-Hart (2)
SUMMARY:
The comeback kings returned tonight as the Sox mounted a late-game rally after the bullpen gagged again in a sloppy nightcap at Fenway. Tim Wakefield bounced back from an awful start to give the team 5+ quality innings, but after Aardsma and Hansen blew a 5-1 lead, Boston scored two in the bottom of the 8th to pull out the win.
SUPERSTAR: Mike Lowell 2-4, R, 4BI, 2B, HR
The third baseman continued his recent torrid streak by clubbing a two-run double in the first inning and crushing a two-run homer out of the ballpark in the fourth.
Over his last 11 games Mikey is batting .367 (18-49) with 4 doubles, 5 homers and 15 ribbies. Ssssssssmokin!
THE BIGGEST LOSER: Bill Hall 0-4, R, K, 2Es
Remember when this guy was the talk of MLB after he hit a game-winning home run with a pink bat on Mother's Day a few years ago? Now he's batting under the Mendoza line and regularly butchering balls at third base.
Mr. Hall, your 15 minutes are officially up.
RECAP:
Boston and Milwaukee combined to play 6 hours and 15 minutes of baseball over a span of just over eight hours today.
That could explain why the finale of the teams' split doubleheader was such an abomination of baseball by the middle of the game tonight.
How bad was it? The teams combined for seven 'actual' errors in the game, although there were 2 or 3 other borderline plays that were ruled hits, and both teams committed two errors in one inning.
The teams combined for 13 runs, 15 hits, 9 walks and 326 total pitches thrown.
Throw in three hit batters (2 in one inning by Boston), three wild pitches, four double plays and assorted missed calls and errant balls and what you had was the equivalent of the Cavs/Celts series played on a baseball diamond.
Okay, so maybe it wasn't that bad, but it was pretty damn close.
For the 5th straight game including today's matinee the Boston offense grabbed at least a 3-0 lead for its starter, but has been the case so many times in recent weeks, if the starter doesn't gag the hard-earned advantage the bullpen surely will.
This afternoon the big blow was David Ortiz' 3-run homer in the second inning that gave the Sox a 3-0 lead. Tonight, with Manny having the nightcap off and Papi having already done his work for the day, it was Mike Lowell's turn to carry the club.
Boston seemed to have Milwaukee starter Dave (sorry I called you Mike earlier) Bush on the ropes from the get go tonight, and in two of the first three innings, Lowell made him pay for his mistakes.
In the opening frame Bush (6IP, 5H, 5R, 4ER, 2BB, 2K, HR) quickly got the first two outs before Ortiz drew a walk, Youk doubled to deep center, and Lowell knocked them both in when he sliced a double down the left field line.
In the third inning Dustin Pedroia singled to lead off the inning and two outs later Mike launched a 1-1 pitch from Bush over the Wall, over the Monster seats and onto Lansdowne St. for a momentum-building two run shot, and with a 4-0 lead and Wake's knuckler dancing better than it did in Minny, it looked like smooth sailing for the home team.
Of course it couldn't be that easy, right.
While Wakefield (5.1IP, 6H, 3ER, 3BB, 5K, HR) had been escaping jams all night he did manage to make it to the 6th inning without allowing a run, but he stumbled in the sixth and needed the bullpen to bail him out.
It didn't.
Staked to a 5-0 lead to start the 6th Wake allowed a one-out homer to Corey Hart (that one left the ballpark, also) and then a single to Gabe Kapler, who made his return to Fenway after two years and received a hearty ovation from the Faithful in his first at bat. Then a wild pitch and a hit batter told Tito it was time to yank his veteran before things got out of hand.
He probably should have taken his chances with the knuckler.
David Aardsma came in throwing gas (98mph) and caught catcher Mike Rivera looking at a ball inside for strike three, but it was all downhill from there.
As the Brewers batters either fouled off his heater or watched as he missed his spots with his breaking stuff, Aardsma fell apart and ended up hitting Craig Counsell with a pitch, allowed a single by Ricky Weeks to cut the lead to 5-3 and walked Mike Cameron before getting Ryan Braun (0-5) to foul out to first with the bases loaded to end it.
With that bullet dodged and the lead still intact Francona brought in 7th inning in training man Craig Hansen, but this time it was the Boston defense that let the team and the pitcher down.
A leadoff single by Prince Fielder (2-4, R) and errors by Lowell and Alex Cora (on a questionable call) loaded the bases with one out, and after an RBI groundout cut the score to 5-4, former World Series hero Craig Counsell hit a clutch 2-out double to clear the bases and give Milwaukee its first lead of the night, 6-5.
Needless to say the boo birds, especially the ones who had been there all day, let the team hear it after that mess of an inning.
But the Boston batters quickly silenced the boos and bailed out their bumbling mates by scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame off Solomon Torres. Milwaukee committed two errors to open the inning, allowing Ellsbury and Pedroia to reach base with no outs, a groundout by Ortiz scored Ellsbury to tie the game, and a blooper by Youk to righ field fell in to score Pedroia for what turned out to be the game winning run, and so wrapped up a long, odd, yet fruitful day of baseball for the Bososx.
Coupled with the extra inning loss by the Rays in St. Louis Boston's sweep sent them into a tie with Tampa Bay atop the AL East.
And just think in a mere 17 hours or so from now the Sox could be alone in first again.
Get some rest.
RECORD: 26-19
AL EAST: Tied for 1st
STREAK: W2
LAST 10: 4-6
UP NEXT: Sun vs. MIL 1:35 TBS vs. Beckett
5.17.2008
Sox back in 1st after doubleheader sweep of Brewers
Dice goes to 7-0 thanks to Big Papi's big blast
Sox 5, Milwaukee 3
WP: Matsuzaka (7-0)
LP: Suppan (2-3)
SV: Papelbon (12)
HRs: BOS-Ortiz (8); MIL-Cameron (4), Braun (11)
SUMMARY:
Daisuke Matsuzaka had one of his best outings of the year, limiting the Brewers to 7 hits and a pair of runs in 6 2/3 innings of work, and David Ortiz provided all the run support Boston would need when he slammed a 3-run, opposite field homer over the Monster in the second inning to propel the Sox to the win.
SUPERSTAR: Ortiz 2-2, 2R, 3BI, 2BB, HR
Ortiz' early blast set the tempo for the day and got the team off on the right foot following 2 1/2 days of inactivity. Papi was on base four times, raising his average to .244 and OBP to .353, and knocked in his 30th, 31st and 32nd runs of the year.
In other words, Here. Comes. Papi.
THE BIGGEST LOSER: Jeff Suppan 6IP, 9H, 4ER, 2BB, 1K, HR
The former Sox draft pick settled down after a rocky first couple of innings, but unfortunately it was the runs he gave up in those couple of innings that cost his team the game.
RECAP:
Game 1 is done and thankfully the boys started the day out in style.
Because the last thing you want is a lousy loss in the opener of a doubleheader, especially when the team has to turn right back around and play the next game in an hour and a half.
Actually the last thing you would want is extra innings in the opener, but thankfully the baseball gods decided not to subject us to that.
We in the Nation can also be thankful for the combo of Daisuke Matsuzaka and David Ortiz, as it was those two studs who led the team out of the doldrums of a 4-game losing skid and back to the promised land of a potential winning streak.
After the Sox handed him a 4-0 lead after two innings, the first run scoring on a bases loaded walk to JD Drew in the 1st and the next three on Papi's Monster shot in the 2nd, Matsuzaka made it hold up despite facing a couple of game-changing situations in the next few innings.
In the 5th inning the Brewers loaded the bases with two outs on a single, hit batter and a walk, but Dice got Mike Cameron to fly out to center to end the threat. And in the 6th inning Ryan Braun (3-5, 1R, 1BI) led off with a single and then Prince Fielder moved him to third with a double before Matsuzaka retired the next three hitters, two by strikeout, to nip that bid in the bud.
But in the 7th Dice-K finally cracked and allowed a pair of runs, both scoring after two were out when Ricky Weeks reached on an error by Kevin Youkilis at third (yes, you read that right) and then Cameron belted a two-run bomb to cut the Sox lead to 4-2.
It was Youk's first error at any position since last July 25th, but his errorless streak at first base still stands at 222 games.
That would be all for Dice-K, but luckily the Boston bully made the lead hold up, and when Jacoby Ellsbury (2-5, R, BI) doubled in Jason Varitek, who had also doubled, in the 8th inning to push the lead to 5-2 it gave Papelbon one more run to work with for the save.
Good thing, too, because Paps gave the run right back when with two outs Braun turned on a fastball and launched it into the Monster seats to give the Brewers hope for a comeback, but Paps got some help when Alex Cora made a nice over the shoulder catch of a popper by Fielder to end the game, and Boston came away with a much-needed win.
Now it's time to catch a bite to eat, maybe a quick catnap, do a few stretches and get right back out there for game number two.
It's the kind of day that can only make Ernie Banks happy.
And maybe Little Leaguers.
RECORD: 25-19
AL EAST: 1GB
STREAK: W1
LAST 10: 4-6
UP NEXT: Tonight vs. MIL 8:30 Bush vs. Wakefield
Game Preview(s): Brewers at Sox - let's play 2!
Game 1 355 on FOX
Suppan (2-2, 4.88) vs. Matsuzaka (6-0, 2.22)
Game 2 835
Bush (1-4, 6.06) vs. Wakefield (3-2, 4.25)
With the rainout last night, amazingly the first of 2008 despite the rotten spring conditions, the Sox are forced to spend a long day and night at the ballpark today thanks to the decision to play a two games basically back-to-back.
Since the original Saturday game was already scheduled as the national FOX game and tomorrow the teams will play the TBS national game at 1:30, it was either squeeze the makeup game in tonight or find a mutual off day later in the season they could agree on, something two teams from different leagues that hope to be in pennant races obviously wanted no part of.
So here we are, staring at the Sox playing 3 games of baseball in the next 24 hours after spending the last 2 1/2 days doing absolutely nothing.
And I thought my son's Little league schedule was bad.
In the opener Dice-K will take his perfect record to the hill and try to go 7-0; he will be opposed by original Sox drafteee Jeff Suppan. In the nightcap Tim Wakefield will try to shake off the memories of his last start (7H, 7R in 2.2inn) against someone named Mike Bush.
In Matsuzaka's last start he allowed 6 hits and 2 runs in seven innings of a 6-2 win against Minnesota a week ago today, and although he is second in the league in wins and 5th in ERA, his lack of control at times which has led him to the 3rd highest walk total (30) in the AL has been cause for concern throughout the Nation.
In other words, when is this high priced import gonna wow us with his stuff.
As for Wake he has been hot and cold this season, as most knuckleballers tend to be. On top of that last atrocious start he has allowed at least 3 earned runs in 5 of his 8 starts, but in his other three he has allowed 0, 1 and 2 runs, including his brilliant 8-inning, 2-hit shutout at Detroit 11 days ago.
In other words it's a toss up as to how this double dip is going to turn out for Boston. Dice-K could come out and toss a no-no, or he could give up a dozen walks and lose the opener. And Wake might baffle those NL hitters who aren't used to seeing a knuckler en route to a complete game gem, or Braun, Fielder, Cameron et al could pound him like chop meat before the night is over at Fenway.
But if the Rays were to lose their game at St. Louis, and the Sox could sweep today...
...then it's say hello to 1st place again time in the Hub.
5.16.2008
Brewers at Sox GM1 PPD
The good news to come from this cancellation is it gives the club an extra day of rest coming on the heels of playing for 17 days straight.
The bad news is the team already got a day and a half off and were plenty rested and ready to go for this series, and now they will be forced to play a doubleheader on Saturday to make up for the rain out.
The worse news is that tomorrow's game was scheduled for 3:55 as the FOX Game of the Week, so instead of the traditional 1:05/7:05 split doubleheader the teams will play in a decidedly non-traditional 3:55/8:35 double dip.
How the fuck Sox/Brewers got the national spotlight game over the vaunted Subway Series is another story entirely.
Anyway, get all your activities done during the day, RSN, because beginning at 3:30 we will have roughly 9 consecutive hours of Red Sox/Brewers baseball to 'enjoy'.
And I do use that term loosely.
RECORD: 24-19
AL EAST: 1 1/2 GB
STREAK: L4
LAST 10: 4-6
UP NEXT: Sat vs. MIL 3:55 & 8:35 (pitching matchups TBD)
Series Preview: Brewers at Bosox
Milwaukee Brewers (20-21) 
NL Central: 5 GB
Streak: L2
Last 10: 4-6
BA: .241 (14th in NL)
RS: 177 (12)
HR: 39 (8)
ERA: 4.54 (12)
RA: 198 (6)
3 game Interleague Series at Fenway Park
Game 1 Friday 705
Suppan (2-2, 4.63; 3-3, 4.78 vs. BOS) vs. Matsuzaka (6-0, 2.45; NR vs. MIL)
Game 2 Saturday 355 FOX
Bush (1-4, 6.06; 0-3, 9.00 vs. BOS) vs. Wakefield (3-2, 4.25; 5-2, 3.19 vs. MIL)
Game 3 Sunday 135 TBS
Villanueva (2-4, 6.00; NR vs. BOS) vs. Beckett (4-3, 4.21; 0-2, 9.53 vs. MIL)
Key Brewers:
-LF Ryan Braun .286/21R/10HR/30BI/.316OBP Last year's Rookie of the Year has proved to be no fluke by picking up right where he left off, and he just inked a monster contract (8yr/45mil) to validate his efforts
-1B Prince Fielder .255/5HR/23BI/.362OBP/.411SLG% The big bopper (literally) decided to turn vegan in the off season, and sausage-loving Brewer's fans are livid, noting the subsequent lack of meat in his diet has left his game mighty thin
-C Jason Kendall .283/16R/10 2B/12BI/.366OBP Who could imagine that a catcher whose foot was dislodged from his ankle a few years ago would be leading a team in on base percentage?
- RF Corey Hart .302/17R/9 2B19BI/.356OBP This is the Corey Hart who plays right field for the Brewers, not the one who sang "(I wear my) Sunglasses at Night", right?
Ex-Sox:
-RP Eric Gagne 1-2, 6.27, 1.88WHIP, 10SV, 5BS Worst GM of the Year award has to go to Doug Melvin for signing this washed-up mental case to a $10 million dollar deal in the off season. Amazing.
-RP David Riske 0-1, 4.71, 6H, 1SV Appeared in 8 games for the Sox in '06 before they traded him to the Chisox for Javier Lopez
-SP Jeff Suppan he appeared in 27 games for Boston from 1995-97 and 2003, compiling a 12-10 record with a 5.87ERA. Most known in the Nation for being traded for Freddy Sanchez at the trading deadline in 2003. You know Freddy Sanchez, the phenom who plays shortstop for the Pirates?
-CF Gabe Kapler .284/13R/4HR/13RBI/.522SLG% I'm sure the Faithful will be happy to welcome back Kapler in his first return to Fenway since retiring after the 2006 season, before deciding to come back to manage and ultimately play again
PREVIEW:
It's the beginning of Interleague play 2008; can I get a "hip hip, hooray!" from everyone.
(crickets chirping)
You all know about interleague play by now, the novelty invented by MLB to bring different teams and unseen superstars to ballparks in the opposite leagues.
Instead what we get are uninspired mismatches like this one, where a team that no once outside of Racine follows comes to the Hub of the sports universe touting a team full of uninteresting, underachieving players who are embroiled in a division playoff race from a league nobody cares about.
Nearly brings a tear to my eye.
Although I have to admit it is nice every once in a while to get away from the same AL foes and drub a club from "the senior circuit", just for a change of pace.
But I'll have to say as far as must-see series at Fenway go, this one is a definite 'give away your season tickets to the buddy who's been buggin you for months' weekend.
As we all know, Boston comes into this series on a down note, losers of four straight games and six of its last eight contests. JD Drew is ailing (again); Clay Buchholz is disabled (whew); and the offense, and the pitching staff cannot seem to hold a lead no matter how many runs the offense scores.
To top it all off, there's rain in the forecast tonight so the first game of the series has a good chance of being delayed.
But there is a silver lining for Boston. Bartolo Colon had another impressive performance in the minors yesterday and will most likely make his Red Sox debut next week.
Wait, guys, come back...
Fact of the matter is Boston had better either sweep or at the least take 2-of-3 from the disappointing Brewers, who will be making the first trip to Fenway since joining the NL in 1998.
The pitching matchups are certainly in Boston's favor, with the Sox top three throwing in the series while Milwaukee ace Ben Sheets will miss the set, and lord knows how awesome it will be when and if Eric Gagme takes the Fenway mound for the first time since last year.
So with an off day under their belts, home cooking in their tummies and a scrub team invading their turf, this had better be a productive series for the second place Sox.
I mean how much longer can we stand hearing "trailing the first place Devil Rays" before the madness kicks in?
5.15.2008
Sox Drawer: Off day activities of the team
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Plenty of rest, recharging and refocusing should be in order for the players, but these being men, and well, ballplayers, one can only imagine the kind of activities they could be indulging in on their first day back home in 10 days.
Yup, one can only imagine...(cue wavy camera effect and cheesy harp music)
-Manny Ramirez spent the day climbing the walls of his condo, which he had specially coated with outfield wall foam, and practiced high-fiving a paper hand he taped on about 8 feet up.
-Hideki Okajima stayed inside and kept the blinds drawn with his cell off and watched the History Channel in HD all day.
-Jacoby Ellsbury stole three donuts, a Powerade, two packs of mints and a Hustler when he was at Store 2-4. Because he can. You know, because no one can catch him? Ah fuck it.
-Julio Lugo stumbled around the Hub and bumped his head on anything he could find to ensure his concussion stays fresh. That way he'll have an alibi for his shitty play for the rest of the season
-Kevin Youkilis had his goat trimmed and combed, stared at his Player of the Week award for 45 minutes, then he hit seven different bars in two hours, just to see if he could break his own record.
-Jonathan Papelbon worked out for a few hours, flexed in front of the mirror with his game face on for 45 minutes, then met Youk at three of his last stops.
-JD Drew had his wrist examined, his back checked, his quads stretched and his manhood questioned when he went to see Baby Mama by himself.
-Daisuke Matsuzaka gave 14 interviews to Japanese television, and almost every one of them started with the question "so is Darvish really better than you?"
-Mike Timlin met with a Dr Fronkenshtein to see about getting that dead arm replaced.
-Kevin Cash worked on catching the knuckler by fielding off a pitching machine. He got hit in the nuts 46 times and will be placed on the DL tomorrow.
-Mike Lowell chilled poolside clad in a Tommy Bahama shirt, unbuttoned and untucked, and tilted brim hat with a martini in one hand and a bathing beauty on the other. (What, how else do you picture a guy who looks like a cross between George Clooney and Clark Gable spending his off day?)
-David Ortiz spent 1/2 the day getting his knee worked on and the other half getting his Lil Papi straightened out
-Dustin Pedroia went to the doctor to get his shoulder checked, as he does every off day to make sure it is still in its socket after all his Little Big Man swings.
-Craig Hansen answered every phone call and knock on the door with a nervous, shaky "hello?"
-Ditto Clay Buchholz
-Coco Crisp spent most of the day enclosed in his homemade altar, plunging long needles into a doll that bore a striking resemblance to an American Indian.
-Jon Lester kicked back at the crib playing XBOX 360, mumbling to himself "these guys think a 10 game road trip is tough. They have no freaking idea what tough is, those frigging pantywaists. Well, except Mikey. He knows."
-Jason Varitek helped an old lady cross the street, rescued a cat from a tree, mentored a fatherless child and then caught Ellsbury as he was exiting the Store 2-4.
-Jonathan Van Every wandered around the city checking out the sights, enjoying his his cup of coffee in the bigs, and after relentless pages and messages, met up with Youk and Paps for last call.
-And Tito came back home after an agonizing couple of days mourning the loss of his mother in law, scratching his dome and thinking over and over 'how the fuck can we be trailing the...the Devil Rays, Sun Rays, whatever the fuck that team down there in Tampa is called?!"
Well, I hope they all enjoyed their day off.
Now it's time to go back to work and start another winning streak.
5.14.2008
SSDD - Sox pitchers blow another 3-0 lead, lose again
Baltimore 6, Sox 3
WP: Cabrera (4-1)
LP: Hansen (0-2)
SV: Sherrill (15)
HRs: BOS-Tek (4), Lowell (4); BAL-Payton (3)
SUMMARY:
For the third game in a row Boston jumped out to a 3-0 lead, only to have its suddenly abominable pitching staff fail to hold it once again.
Despite a quality start from Jon Lester, three relievers combined to surrender four runs on three hits and a walk in the 7th, the big blow being a grand slam by ex-Sox Jay Payton off Hideki Okajima that ensured Boston of a losing record on this roadie.
SUPERSTAR: Payton 1-4, R, 5BI, GS
Hit a game-winning grand slam and drive in five runs, earn the superstar of the game award. Simple as that.
THE BIGGEST LOSER: Okajima 1.1IP, 1H, 1ER, 1K, 1GS
Sure his numbers don't look so bad, because the men on base weren't his. But when you're brought in to shut a team down when your club is in a tough spot, the last thing you want to do is what Oki did - allow a game-losing grand slam.
RECAP:
The day started out bad for Boston and it ended even worse as the Sox wrapped up a losing road trip with a gut-punch loss in Camden Yards this afternoon.
As the 10 game trip wound down the losses for the Sox just kept piling up: four 'L's in a row; five in its last six games; six in its last eight games; first place in the AL East; pitcher Clay Buchholz, who was placed on the DL due to a split fingernail; and JD Drew, whose badly sprained wrist might land him on the DL, too.
All that losing added up to a terrible trip for the road weary team, and to say that tomorrow's off day, the club's fist in 3 1/2 weeks, will be greatly appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed would have to be the understatement of the year.
What made this loss so tough to take was the fact that for the third game in a row the Boston batters managed to build a 3-0 lead for its pitcher, but instead of the starter coughing up the lead like a cat with a mega hairball, this time it was the shaky pen that let the offense down again.
As the late, great Rosanne Rosannadanna used to say, "if it ain't one thing it's another..."
Like many of the recent losses this game started out great for Boston. They scored a run in the 1st inning off Daniel 'Hairtrigger' Cabrera (7IP, 10H, 3ER, 0BB, 3K, 2HRs) when Dustin Pedroia singled in Jacoby Ellsbury, who led off the game with a single and then stole second base one pitch later, but they missed many opportunities to add to that lead against the erratic righty.
Entering this game Cabrera held a 1-9 record and a plus 7.00 ERA against the Sox in his career, and although he sprayed 10 hits around the Yard today somehow he managed to hold it together and keep his team in the game, as much a testament to his maturity as it is to Boston hitting into three double plays in the first four innings.
Meanwhile Sox starter Jon Lester (6IP, 5H, 2ER, 2BB, 4K) was plowing through the Oriole lineup like Scott Baio through 1980s starlets, and Boston tacked on a couple more runs on solo shots by Captain Tek with one out in the 5th and Mike Lowell with two outs in the 6th.
The 6th is when Lester ran into his first rough inning of the day and when Baltimore crept right back in it by scoring three runs on a pair of singles, a double and an RBI groundout by Jay Payton, and even though Lester ended the inning in style by striking out Audrey Huff and Millah, you just knew there was trouble looming on the horizon the way the team has been going lately.
Call it the Rays syndrome.
Sure enough acting manager Brad Mills removed Lester after the 6th, and after retiring the first two batters he faced, Javier Lopez set off the chain of events that would lead to Boston's demise in this one.
Shortstop Freddie Bynum began the rally with an innocent enough infield single that was bobbled by Dustin Pedroia, but when Millsy quickly went to his 7th inning setup man in training Craig Hansen, the young righty imitated the Manny he's replacing by serving up a single and a walk to the two batters he faced to load the bases, and it was up to Okajima to put out the fire and rescue the win.
Unfortunately Oki didn't get the memo as disgruntled ex Sox Payton looped a fly ball down the left field line and into the seats for a soul-crushing four run homer, and from that point on it was 'pack up the bus' time for the team and the legions of Nation members who made the trek to Camden today.
The game left such a sour taste in my stomach that I couldn't even enjoy what might have been the MLB highlight of the year so far.
I'm sure you've all seen the replay by now, when the Orioles had two on and one out against Lester in the bottom of the 4th with old friend Millah coming to the plate.
That's when the original idiot did what he normally does against his former team, i.e. hit a drive to the outfield that looks like extra bases and a Baltimore lead.
But Manny Ramirez flew into the frame and at the last minute reached up above his head and snagged the sinking liner as it was headed for the warning track. Ramirez then partially scaled the outfield wall, slapped hands with a Sox fan in the first row of the bleachers, then threw the ball back to the infield as Pedroia relayed it to first base to complete one of the oddest, coolest and memorable double plays in Boston history.
Too bad even a classic display of MBM couldn't brighten up what turned out to be a dismal day in the Nation.
RECORD: 24-19
AL EAST: 1/2 GB of TB
STREAK: L4
LAST 10: 4-6
UP NEXT: THU-Off; Fri vs. Milwaukee @ Fenway 705 Suppan vs. Matsuzaka
Game Preview: Sox @ Baltimore GM2
Lester (2-2) vs. Cabrera (3-1)
GM 2 of 2 305 PM @ Camden Yards
Beware: Do not try and reach base against this man - he is armed with an unpredictable cannon and could go off at any time!
Finally the Sox catch a break with the MLB schedule makers.
After two consecutive 4-game road series ended with night games necessitating red eye's for the Sox both in the air and on the ground, Boston gets a businessman's special this afternoon at Oriole Park at Camden Yards before the team heads into its first off day in 17 days.
And it's a great thing for all the Nation's unemployed/laid off workers/lazy asses, who get to watch their favorite ballclub play in the daytime, thus providing a convenient excuse to start drinking early(er).
Another bonus for myself, er I mean those guys I mentioned above, is that the game is on MLB InDemand HD, a new for 2008 channel my local cable provider conveniently added to my high def tier last week.
Thanks, BrightHouse Networks! (plug plug, honey)
Unfortunately I'll be exposed to the annoying tones of Mssrs. Gary 'let me rephrase that' Thorne and Jim 'paint dry' Palmer instead of Rem Dog and Don-O, but still.
As for the Sox they better get things going in the right direction today because what started out as a terrific road trip, with a series win in Detroit coming on the heels of a sweep of the Rays at home, has turned into a roadie from hell as the team has dropped four of its last five games, including last night's 5-4 defeat to these Os.
If the Sox hope to split this mini series it will be up to Jon Lester to pull off the difficult feat. On this trip the starters have been less-than spectacular, evening factoring in Wake's 2-hit, 8 inning gem in Game 2 in Detroit.
In the 9 games of the trip thus far the Boston starting pitchers have combined to throw 49 innings while allowing 60 hits, 22 walks and 30 earned runs, which equal out to sub-par stats of a 5.51 ERA and 1.67 WHIP.
Considering the Sox have dropped four of its five losses by only one run, many after the hitters had either handed them an early lead or come back after falling behind, and it's easy to see how starting pitching has been the main downfall of the club on this trip.
Unfortunately Lester will be opposed by the always erratic, most of the time psychotic Baltimore starter Daniel Cabrera.
The hard throwing right has made a name for himself over the years by being a supremely talented pitcher who cannot control his lively heater, thus leading to a multitude of high strikeout, high walk games. He is also renowned for his high strung temperament and idiotic antics on the mound.
I'm sure all you in the Nation remember last September's game against the Sox in which the animated Dominican native went all Chuck Norris when Coco Crisp had the gall to try and bunt his way on base in the 4th inning of a game at the Yards, an incident that was well documented here at the Sock.
God forbid the Sox get a lead today and then attempt to keep getting on base or Hairtrigger Cabrera might channel Tito Ortiz and try and take out thew whole team, not just mites like Coco and Little Big Man.
It might have something to do with the fact that he is 1-9 with a 7.84 ERA in 49.1 innings over 11 career starts against the Sox.
Should be a good one this afternoon the combo of day baseball, HD, brews and the threat of a nuclear mound meltdown looming on the horizon making for a memorable contest at Camden.
For all you working folk, I will try and recap it by the time you finish dinner.
5.13.2008
Sox lose (again) due to crappy starting pitching (again)
Baltimore 6, Sox 5
WP: Guthrie (2-3)
LP: Beckett (4-3)
SV: Sherrill (14)
HRs: BOS-None; BAL-Scott (2)
SUMMARY:
For the second game in a row the Boston offense staked its starting pitcher to a 3-0 lead after their first at bat, and for the second straight game the starter couldn't make that lead hold up as Josh Beckett pitched as horribly as Clay Buchholz did yesterday in Minnesota, leading to Boston's third consecutive defeat.
SUPERSTAR: Luke Scott 3-4, 2R, 3BI, HR
The former Houston prospect had a night to remember against Beckett, cracking three hits off the shoulda been Cy winner including the big blow of the game, a three-run homer in the 3rd that gave the Birds a 5-2 lead.
THE BIGGEST LOSER: Beckett 5.2IP, 11H, 5ER, 2BB, 5K, HR
With the rest of the staff struggling of late Boston really needed Beckett to step up tonight and be the ace we all know he can be. Unfortunately that didn't happen, and instead he pitched like the dearly departed Julian Tavarez.
RECAP:
A week ago the Sox were on the verge of running away with the AL East crown.
Tonight they lost that lead and are now looking up at (gulp!) the Tampa Bay Rays in the standings.
That's what happens when you lose five of your last seven games, including four of them by one run, while the Rays continue to bash quality clubs like the Angels and Stankees en route to winning 15 of its last 20 contests.
And so Josh Beckett's meltdown in B'More, where he had been undefeated (4-0) prior to tonight, coupled with Tampa Bay's 2-1 extra inning win over the Stanks in St Pete vaulted the Rays over the Sox and into first place in the East, the latest point in a season the team has ever been atop the standings in a division dominated by Boston and New York for a decade.
Somebody pinch me now and tell me this is all just a bad dream.
Josh Beckett probably wishes tonight's performance was just a bad dream also, because he pitched about as poorly as he has in a Boston uniform. He allowed the second most hits he ever has since joining the Sox in 2006, and he did so in a ballpark he had been dominant in since coming to the AL.
In four career starts at Camden Yards Beckett was a perfect 4-0 with a minuscule 2.05ERA and an astounding 25-0 strikeout to walk ratio in 30.2 innings pitched.
So WTF happened tonight?
As I said the Boston batters were kind enough to hand their starting pitcher another 3-0 lead after 1/2 inning, the three runs coming on an RBI single by Manny Ramirez and back-to-back errors by Audrey Huff and old friend Kevin Millah, who decided to do his best Buckner imitation, being the cutup and Boston fan that he is.
But just like Clay Buchholz the night before, Beckett wasn't able to make the lead stick, and like young Clay he wasted little time in giving the advantage back to the opponent, and then some.
The Birds touched Becks for one run in the 2nd with a two-out rally begun when Luke Scott singled, went to second on an infield hit and came around to score on a sharp single to center by Jay Payton, another (disgruntled) ex-Sox.
In the next inning the 3-1 lead evaporated, again the damage coming with two outs, and to make matters worse Boston lost its starting right fielder, JD Drew, in the inning as well.
Brian Roberts and Freddie Bynum both started the inning with singles to right, but as Drew dove to try and catch Bynum,'s shot, he twisted his wrist and had to be replaced by Jacoby Ellsbury. Add this ailment to the long list of maladies that have sidelined the fragile fielder.
After the hits Beckett whiffed both Huff and Nick Markakis, but then Millar lined an RBI single to left and Scott, acquired in the offseason from the Houston Astros where he hit 18 homers and drove in 64 runs last year, crushed an 0-1 offering from Beckett high and deep into the right field seats for a momentum-swinging 3-run homer, a shot the Sox never recovered from.
Although they tried, the scrappers that they are.
Faced with a 5-3 deficit Boston had numerous opportunities to score off Baltimore starter Jeremy Guthrie (6IP, 8H, 3R, 2ER, 1BB, 7K) and reliever Jim Johnson, but they could only get one run closer before the Orioles closer George Sherrill came in with one out in the 8th and got the final five outs of the game to nail down the win.
The game ended ugly for Boston, which was without manager terry Francona, who will miss the series due to the death of his mother-in-law, when David Ortiz was ejected for arguing a strike three call to start the 9th.
It was that kind of night for Boston - frustrating, aggravating and very unsatisfying, knowing that first place hung in the balance and their top starter couldn't hold a 3-0 lead in a building he was comfortable enough in to call home.
Now the Sox have to figure out a way to win a game before heading home tomorrow evening, or they might find themselves as far down in the standings as the upstart Rays used to be.
RECORD: 24-18
AL EAST: 1/2 GM back of TB
STREAK: L3
LAST 10: 5-5
UP NEXT: Wed @ BAL 305 Lester vs. Cabrera
5.12.2008
Buchholz battered again as Twins take 3 of 4 from Sox
Minnesota 7, Sox 3
WP: Hernandez (6-1)
LP: Buchholz (2-3)
SV: None
HRs: BOS-Manny (8); MIN-None
SUMMARY:
Despite scoring three in the first inning, two on Manny Ramirez' 498th career home run, and outhitting the Twins for the fourth straight game Minnesota managed to take three of four games from Boston, thanks to a horrendous outing by Clay Buchholz and another clutch hit from Craig Monroe.
SUPERSTAR: Monroe 1-2, R, 2BI, 2B
With the Twins leading but just one slim run (4-3) in the 5th and Boston primed to mount another comeback Monroe sliced a Buchholz offering down the left field line for a two-run double that opened the game up, and Minny never looked back.
THE BIGGEST LOSER: Buchholz 4.1IP, 8H, 7ER, 5BB, 4K
For the second game in a row the rookie got shelled like Chuckles the Clown when he dressed as Peter Peanut, walking the leadoff batter in three of the five innings he started and generally pitching like he wants an express trip back to Pawtucket.
RECAP:
Let me start off by saying I missed the first few innings of this game because I was at my son's last Little League game of the season;, we were eliminated in the final game of the Top Team tournament, 10-1.
And then I got home and watched the rest of this stinker plus the Celts stumble on the road again to even their series with the Cavs.
Guess you could say I hit the 'shitty sports night' trifecta.
But as bad as mine and the Celts night was, neither of our miseries can compare to the pain Clay Buchholz must be feeling right now after he posted his second consecutive lousy start tonight at the Homerdome.
And to think he didn't even allow a home run.
When you combine the numbers from young Clay's last start against the Tigers a week ago with the stats he put up tonight, the results are hideous enough to merit a warning to hide the women and children before reviewing them:
-8 1/3IP, 18 hits, 12 earned runs, 6 walks, 10 Ks
In case you don't have a stats converter handy those figures add up to a 13.01 ERA and a WHIP of 2.89, numbers that are closer to Julian Tavarez than a guy who pitched a no hitter at the end of last season.
And we all know where Julian is now (wait, do we?)
Not to say that Buchholz is bound for a trip back to the minors, but let's face it with the Sox apparently clearing space on the roster for a possible promotion for Bartolo Colon, someone on the starting staff is going to have to pay the price, and it ain't gonna be Beckett, Dice-K or Wake.
That leaves Buchholz and Jon Lester ticketed for a potential "seasoning" trip back to the PawSox with neither of the youngsters pitching very well of late, and since Buchholz has the least amount of major league experience it could very well be the lanky righty who draws the shortest straw
Tonight he was staked to a quick 3-0 lead courtesy of David Ortiz RBI single followed by an opposite field bomb by Manny Ramirez, the slugger's 498th of his career and 8th of the season, but he wasted no time in coughing that lead right up and then some.
Minny got two back in the bottom of the inning on three consecutive singles and another error by JD Drew, his second in a week, and then the Twins took the lead for good in the 4th on a pair of walks, a pair of singles and an RBI groundout by Delmon Young. Only an inning ending double play prevented the damage from being any worse, but as it turned out it was about to get worse anyway.
While ageless Twins starter Livan Hernandez (6IP, 10H, 3ER, 1BB, 1K, 1HR) escaped a number of jams, Buchholz couldn't get out of any of his self-induced tough spots and Minny was able to add to its lead in the bottom of the 5th.
Last night's hero, Craig Monroe, ripped a double down the third base line and into the left field corner, scoring Joe Mauer, who had walked to open the inning, and Michael Cuddyer, and when Young (2-4, 2BI) followed with an RBI single up the middle, Buchholz night was over.
And with the score 7-3 Twins, so was the game.
The next three innings were rather uneventful (or perhaps it was because I was watching the Cs/Cavs on the main screen with this clunker relegated to the PIP window), but Boston did manage to attempt another 9th inning comeback when Alex Cora (2-4) and Dustin Pedroia got on base with one out, providing the Nation with some hope with the big boppers ready to step up and work their magic.
Alas reliever Jessie Crain retired Ortiz and Ramirez (2-4, r, 2BI) on one pitch apiece, and just like that the good vibes from the Sox recent winning stretch were erased in a disappointing weekend series in the moribund Minnesota Metrodome.
There was some good news on the night: the Rays knocked off the Stanks, 7-1, in St. Pete.
Oh but that's also bad news, too, since its the Rays who are nipping at the heels of our Sox, not the hapless Stankees, so we can't even take solace in the fact that the Stanks got spanked anymore.
Making what was already a depressing night in my sports world a lot more unenjoyable.
NOTES:
-Lugo still ill: with the effects of his head knocking still lingering, Lugo again got the night off in favor of Alex Cora, who had a couple of hits and 5 in the series. Anyone sense a similarity to the Pedroia situation of a year ago?
-The Mayor returns: after missing 15 games with a hip injury Sean Casey returned to the lineup and recorded a hit and made a couple of nice plays in the field as well. He spelled Kevin Youkilis, who got a rare day off despite having hit 6 homers in his last 10 games
-Manny 500: with his first inning bomb Manny got to within two homers of the (once) magic 500 milestone. It was just Manny's 2nd homer in the last 20 games.
-Huh?: Boston lost 3 of 4 in the series despite outhitting the Twins 51-39, including 16-8 in extra base hits
RECORD: 24-17
AL EAST: Up 1/2 gm on TB
STREAK: L2
LAST 10: 6-4
UP NEXT: Tue @ BAL 705 Beckett vs. Guthrie
Game Preview: Sox @ Twins GM4
Buchholz (2-2, 4.50) vs. Hernandez (5-1, 3.83)
705 @ The Metrodome ESPN
If the Sox hope to split the series against the Twins tonight, they'll have to do so against one of the better starting pitchers in the league thus far in '08.
Veteran journeyman Livan Hernandez was supposed to be more of a mentor for the young Minnesota starters this season when he was acquired from Arizona in the offseason, but he has decided to let his leadership on the mound speak for itself.
Coming off a brilliant complete game in which he allowed one earned run and scattered 9 hits against the Chisox, Hernandez ran his record to 5-1 and lowered his ERA from 4.43 to 3.83, the best numbers on a staff filled with green starters like Boof Bonser, Nick Blackburn and Scott Baker.
Boston will counter with a green starter of its own, Clay Buchholz, who got roughed up last week in Detroit (10H, 5ER in 5IP) and is still searching for that elusive first road victory of the season.
But the big news of the day for Boston came away from the field, as veteran swingman Julian Tavarez was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for the return of Sean Casey. The Sox now have 10 days to either trade or release him outright.
The Globe has been reporting that the Rockies are interested in acquiring the 57-year-old starter/reliever, but if a deal can't be worked out the club will most likely let Julian go so he can catch on somewhere else and light that team's staff on fire.
Tavarez, who spent the last 2 years with Boston, had an 0-1 record with a 6.40 ERA this year and had given up three earned runs in in 3 of his last 7 appearances.
Also on the roster front, Manny Ramirez should be back in action tonight after sitting out last night with a strained hammy, and with the return of Alex Cora and Casey, the team should have its opening day roster back and active for the first time in a while.
Now if they can juts go out and get a lead, hold it, and get a win to split the series, all will be well in the Nation.
So long, Julie, and thanks for the (mostly horrible) memories.
5.11.2008
Sorry Moms, no miraculous comeback tonight
Minnesota 9, Sox 8
WP: Blackburn (3-2)
LP: Wakefield (3-2)
SV: Nathan (12)
HRs: BOS-Crisp (2); MIN-Monroe, 2 (4), Everett (1)
SUMMARY:
The relentless Boston offense kept coming back despite facing deficits of 7-1 and 8-4, but ultimately it could not overcome three Twins home runs, even though the Sox outhit Minnesota 15-10.
SUPERSTAR: Craig Monroe 2-4, 2R, 4BI, 2HR
The former Tigers castoff has found a new home in the Twin Cities, and after hitting two homers tonight, including what turned out to be the game winner in the 7th, you can bet he will be a fan favorite at the Homerdome for a while.
THE BIGGEST LOSER: Mike Timlin 1.2IP, 1H, 1ER, HR
At the time the homer he gave up to Monroe to lead off the 7th, which made the score 9-6 Twins, seemed innocent enough. But a 9th inning rally would have tied the score had Tired Arm not given up that gopher ball, so the hit proved mighty costly after the fact.
RECAP:
Last year on this day, the Red Sox delivered a special present to all the Nation's moms when they mounted a miraculous comeback by scoring 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to beat the Baltimore Orioles in dramatic fashion, 6-5.
Tonight we almost had a repeat performance.
After trailing the entire game by as many as six runs, Boston kept pecking away at the Minnesota lead until the game came down the Sox with the tying run on second base and pinch hitter Manny Ramirez at the plate facing Twins closer Joe Nathan in the 9th inning.
But instead of miracles we were treated to heartache as Ramirez grounded out meekly to end the game.
And so ended a wild contest at the Metrodome that saw the Sox outhit the Twins but Minny out-slug the potent Sox, as light-hitting Craig Monroe popped two homers and lighter hitting Adam Everett hit his first homer in nearly a year, and it all added up to another difficult loss for Boston, the third such agonizing 1-run defeat in the past five days.
Can't they just friggin' get blown out?
Sox starter Tim Wakefield was coming off his best start of the season, a 2-hit, 8-inning shutout last Tuesday in Detroit, and his success in domes like Tropicana Field is well documented.
But tonight Wake got hammered like Kiefer Sutherland at a wrap party, surrendering 7 hits and 6 earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings of work, putting his teammates in a huge hole before the game was even three innings old.
Luckily for him he's got one of the league's best offenses on his side.
Unlucky for him he also has fellow geriatric hurler Mike Timlin on his team.
After Monroe's first homer, a 3-run blast in the bottom of the second, and Everett's first since last June 3rd gave Minny a 5-0 lead after two innings, Boston started chipping away at the deficit. They scored once in the 3rd on a sac fly by Mike Lowell, but that was all they could get despite having the bases loaded and no outs to start the inning.
To make matters worse the Twins tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the inning on a single by Friday night's hero Mike Lamb to make it 7-1, prompting Francona to yank Wakefield after less than three innings, his shortest outing since last September 11th when he went three innings against the D-Rays.
After his departure the Sox got right back in the game in the 4th when Coco Crisp (2-5, 2R, 3BI, 3B, HR) tripled over Delmon Young's head in left and scored on a single by Kevin Cash. Cash then came around to score on a throwing error by shortstop Matt Tolbert on a grounder by Dustin Pedroia, and another run scored when Kevin Youkilis hit a hot shot off Lamb at third base, cutting the Twins lead to a manageable 7-4.
Too bad it wouldn't stay manageable for long.
The Twins got one run right back when Julian Tavarez (1.1IP, 1H, 1R, 2BB, 1K) loaded the bases in the bottom of the 4th and Mike Lowell made an error on a tough grounder off the bat of Monroe to push the lead back to four at 8-4, but the Sox came right back again when Coco cracked his 2nd homer in two nights off reliever Matt Guerrier to slice the lead to 8-6.
That's when things really got screwy.
Timlin, who has allowed 9 earned runs and 14 hits in his 6 innings of work this season, came on in the 7th and immediately surrendered Monroe's second homer of the game, and with the lead back to three runs (9-6), it was going to take a minor miracle for the sox to pull this one out now.
And they nearly got one.
Joe Nathan, who had only allowed 1 run all year, took the hill in the 9th and everyone figured it would be 1-2-3 it's over time.
Everyone except the Boston batters.
Youk dropped an infield single to short with one out to start the rally, and Lowell followed with a sharp single to center, and suddenly the sox had something cooking against the Twins All Star closer.
When JD Drew hit a tracer over center fielder Carlos Gomez' head for an RBI double to make the score 9-7, the thoughts of last Mother's Day started creeping into everyone's heads.
Coco then hit a comebacker to the mound that Nathan bobbled, and although Lowell scored what would have been the tying run had Timlin not been so Timlin-like, the closer did manage to get the force out at third base for the all-important second out of the inning.
So it was all up to Manny, who sat out the game with a sore hammy, but the mojo was not in Boston's favor this year as ManRam tapped out to shortstop, and the thrilling comeback ended up just one run short.
Thanks a fucking lot, Timlin.
Maybe you should take a seat on the bench with Lugo.
NOTES:
-Bye bye Jed: with Alex Cora activated from the DL the Sox shipped Jed Lowrie back to Pawtucket, as expected. In other words, they gave him the Brandon Moss treatment - hit a big homer, get sent to the minors.
-Other DL news: Mayor Casey is scheduled to be activated tomorrow, meaning another body has to be jettisoned. Expect reliever Craig Hansen to hop back on the PawSox shuttle.
RECORD: 24-16
AL EAST: Up 1.5 gms
STREAK: L1
LAST 10: 7-3
UP NEXT: Mon @ MIN Buchholz vs. Hernandez
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