Only Saturday's morning game was the blemish on the series. The three others were all great games with awesome catches, timely hits and even a few nail biting moments.
Friday's game saw Wakefield pitch the game he wanted to pitch against the Rangers last week. Instead of an inning and 2/3, the knuckler pitched a solid 8. They were so solid that not one Jay scored. While the rain bogged down spectators and players alike, it clearly didn't hamper Wake's knuckler which was floating every which way. With 4 K's and not a single walk, it's probably one of Wake's best outings this season.
Meanwhile on the offensive Jed Lowrie went two for two with a pair of RBI's. Papi had a 2-run double in the 7th and Kevin Cash hit one over the monster for three more in the bottom of the 8th. Those seven runs gave the Sox a much needed win on a night when most of the other games on the east coast were rained out including the Rays/Yankees opener.
I won't talk about Game Two not because we lost but because for some reason the game was blacked out on the west coast. I saw nothing, and let me tell you. I'm glad I did. I don't think the first game of the double-header would have been very fun to watch.
But Game Three the Sox came back with avengence. This time Bartolo Colon was on the mound. Just back from an extended stint on the DL, he looked good for the first inning. While he pitched six, the 2nd created great concern for me as I watched Colon give up five runs because of a Jed Lowrie error. Luckily though, the Sox didn't let the 3-run deficit get to them and they did what they do best - buckle down and nibble away at the opposition. And thanks to some smart base running by Ellsbury and Pedroia in the first, the Sox only had to get four more runs to take the lead.
In the classic John Sayles movie "Eight Men Out" Joseph Sullivan asks a peer "You know how much you feed a horse to get a day's work out of him? Just enough so he knows he's hungry." And after the morning's loss and just three games between them and the division leading Rays, our Sox were very hungry. It was that hunger that got them the four runs they needed to win the game. Lowrie's sac fly to deep right in the bottom of the sixth started them off. Then Ortiz's take down of Marco Scutaro in the 7th allowed Ellsbury to score run number four on Youkilis' fielder's choice. The Sox just needed one more to tie it up.
That tying run came from a combo effort by Jason Bay's double off the monster and Jed Lowrie's RBI single up the middle in the eighth. But the Sox were still only tied. If they didn't want to go into extra innings, our boys in red had to make their stand now. And stand they did. With two outs, Ellsbury stepped into the batter's box and proceeded to foul off pitch after pitch. Finally he managed to get some wood on the ball, but only enough for it to dribble about 20 feet down the first base line. Somehow the ball stayed fair, allowing Ellsbury to reach first safely and Lowrie to score the Sox's sixth run. Ortiz added some insurance when he plated Dustin Pedroia with his 26th double of the season.
Saturday night's win gave the Red Sox the momentum they needed to storm into Fenway Sunday and take the final game of the series. The Sox may have needed eight innings to get the four runs they'd need to win, but they still got the W. Thanks to a spectacular outing from Jon Lester and some timely hits against the Jays' ace, Halladay, the Sox managed to squeak out four runs and take the lead against the Toronto team. The score was 4-1 going into the 9th and that's what it should have stayed. Unfortunately, Papelbon took the mound and he hasn't been lights out recently. He blew the save against the Rays on Tuesday and came dangerously close to repeating that effort last night.
After giving up a lead-off double to Vernon Wells, and two more singles to Adam Lind and Lyle Overbay, the score was 4-2 Sox. Luckily a call went the Red Sox's way when Overbay was called out at 2nd, but Lind was still standing on third with only one out. A sacrifice or ground out would plate Lind. And although Papelbon did manage to get the next two men out on ground balls, Lind still managed to get home and make the final score 4-3. Pap got his 38th save of the year, but not without a lot of nailbiting from Red Sox Nation.
Today it's off to Tropicana Field for the final series against this year's enemy, the Tampa Bay Rays. Dice-K faces Kazmir... and I'm not sure I have enough finger nails to get me through this game, let alone the series.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Another 'W' With A bit of SSweat--Peter
Well, today's game started out a bit ominously, Jon Lester giving up a homer in the very first inning. However, the Sox run manufacturing machine went into high gear in their half of the 1st and suddenly, it was 1 all. Sox run came on a base hit by Jake, followed by, in succession, his 48th steal of the year, a sacrifice by Dusty and an RBI grounder from Papi. His homer hitting may still be a bit off, but that due to the fact that his wrist still isn't 100% and likely won't be until he gets to rest it completely for three or four months--the off-season. In the 2d, the Sox took the lead for good when Bay doubled and, with two outs, came home on a single by Coco. Coco later duplicated his two out heroics for an insurance run that turned out to be much needed, but more on that later.
From the 2d on, Lester and Halliday pretty much duplicated each other's efforts. They kept putting up zeroes, giving up few hits and fewer BB's. At one point, Halliday had a consecutive out streak going of 13 batters, while Lester simultaneously had nine in a row.
Rolling into the bottom of the 7th, it was still 2-1, Sox. At that point, Coco performed his second two out run rescue job, driving in Mike Lowell, who had preceded him with a hit. In the last of the 8th, they added another insurance run. Big Papi hit a sinking liner to right that was just out of the reach of the Jays fielder and went to the wall. Papi did what he does every twelve or thirteen months in such a situation. He went to third, his first triple since August 21 of last year. Good thing he did, because the run he scored a moment later on Yoouk's sacfly was the ultimate winning margin.
Papelbon came on in relief of Lester for the 9th, though the way Lester was throwing, there's some question of why. Anyway, here was Laser. Suddenly, there was Toronto adding runs to the scoreboard. A leadoff double, a couple of singles and it was quickly 4-3, Sox. No K's yet from Pap, and there were not to be any. He managed to steady enough that, coupled with a lucky favorable call on a throw out to second which should, replays showed, have been a 'safe', not the called 'out', got the end of the game. Good thing, too.
Tampa was busy getting beaten again by Mr. Hankie's Yankees, moving the HubHose to within a game of Tampa, while also extending their lead for the wild card over Toronto to 8 1/2 and the Twinkies to six.
Now, it's off to Tampa for three that, hopefully, will leave us with the division lead.
From the 2d on, Lester and Halliday pretty much duplicated each other's efforts. They kept putting up zeroes, giving up few hits and fewer BB's. At one point, Halliday had a consecutive out streak going of 13 batters, while Lester simultaneously had nine in a row.
Rolling into the bottom of the 7th, it was still 2-1, Sox. At that point, Coco performed his second two out run rescue job, driving in Mike Lowell, who had preceded him with a hit. In the last of the 8th, they added another insurance run. Big Papi hit a sinking liner to right that was just out of the reach of the Jays fielder and went to the wall. Papi did what he does every twelve or thirteen months in such a situation. He went to third, his first triple since August 21 of last year. Good thing he did, because the run he scored a moment later on Yoouk's sacfly was the ultimate winning margin.
Papelbon came on in relief of Lester for the 9th, though the way Lester was throwing, there's some question of why. Anyway, here was Laser. Suddenly, there was Toronto adding runs to the scoreboard. A leadoff double, a couple of singles and it was quickly 4-3, Sox. No K's yet from Pap, and there were not to be any. He managed to steady enough that, coupled with a lucky favorable call on a throw out to second which should, replays showed, have been a 'safe', not the called 'out', got the end of the game. Good thing, too.
Tampa was busy getting beaten again by Mr. Hankie's Yankees, moving the HubHose to within a game of Tampa, while also extending their lead for the wild card over Toronto to 8 1/2 and the Twinkies to six.
Now, it's off to Tampa for three that, hopefully, will leave us with the division lead.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
A Big Win--Then A Split--Peter
Well, the Sox started off their important Fenway series last night against the Jays with an impressive win. Allowing only three hits over eight shutout innings, Tim Wakefield had the ball dancing, fluttering and, to use his description, tumbling everywhere but in the sights of the Toronto batters. He finished his stint by taking out the last thirteen Jays batters in a row. A quick mop-up by the Sox bullpen and the game was safe and secure in the 'W' column. The Hose picked up a quick game on the Jays in the Wild Card hunt, and a half game each on the Rays and the Twinkies, and, while we're at it, on Mr. Hankie's Yankees.
But that was last night. Today started with a lot of excitement and an opportunity to really, in effect, end Toronto's participation in the Wild Card race. Win 'em both and the Hubhose are 9 1/2 games up on the Jays and have a chance at 7 1/2 on the Twinkies, as well as a shot at picking up the two games they trailed the Rays by entering today's games. However, it was not to be. Talk about an emotional roller coaster!
Game one today: the Sox have recent acquisition Paul Byrd on the mound. Even though he gave no-one a free pass to first, he allowed ten hits that led to five runs--in just five innings.As he was facing one of the Jays' two 20 game winner candidates, Burnett, on the mound, he quickly found out that pitching that way wouldn't cut it. He was followed by Aardsma, who, just back to the Fens from a combined DL & Pawsox assignment(s), surrendered an additional three. Final score, 8-1, Jays.
So, now both the Jays, the Twinkies and the Rays are a game better off vis-a-vis the Fellows From Fens than they'd been a few hours earlier. Obviously, not only the Jays won, but all of the others also did. Time for game 2!
Game two begins with Bartolo Colon back from the DL. He pitches well enough to win, but leaves after six trailing 5-2 after having led two zip in the first. Now, you'll ask how giving up five runs in six innings is good enough to win (other than scoring eight or ten in a single inning, which, let's face it, doesn't happen every other day). Well, in this case it could have been because three of those runs were unearned. However, never say die--because if you do, you just might. You know--self fulfilling prophecy and all that stuff.
Anyway, the Sox get one back in their half of the 6th, and on Yooouk's 101st ribbie of the year, pick up another in the 7th. It's now 5-4.
Fortunately, while this is happening, the 'pen is doing a much better job in the nitecap than in the earlier show. Lopez and Masterson, the latter the ultimate winning pitcher, each toss an inning of perfect baseball, all on a cumulative total of nineteen pitches, three of which are a K that Lopez tacks on.
Comes the Sox half of the 8th--Downs, who came on in the 6th for the jays is still out there. The Sox finally jump all over a Toronto hurler today. Jason Bay, with his third hit of the game putting an exclamation point on the end of an 0-13 slump, led off the inning with a long double. Lowrie scored Bay with a single and took 2d on Dave Ross' sacrifice and 3d on Coco's grounder. Still, it's only five all.
Jake settled the issue then and there. Using the speed that tells opposing players if it's not sharply hit, don't even bother trying to get me out, he barely dribbles one about a third of the way up the first base line. Turning on the afterburners, he is a blur going to first. In case there might be any doubt about who'll win this race, Downs attempts to grab it for the throw to first--but falls flat on his face--literally. Using this opportunity, Lowrie scores the go-ahead run.
But the Sox are not quite through. Papi comes up and drives a ball deep to left for his 26th double of the year (not bad for someone who was out for 43 games with an injury) and Ellsbury goes around the bases doing his best impression of Usain Bolt for the seventh and final run of the game. Come to think of it, maybe Bolt in Beijing was merely doing his best Ellsbury impression. Either way, the Sox now had a two run lead and moved to the 9th to seal the win.
Papelbon came on and it was more like the Laser we've come to know than the imitation who showed the other night against the Rays. Faster than you can say, "Beam me up, Scotty", he'd thrown a dozen pitches, allowed no-one to even hit the ball out of the infield, much less reach base, and one more door had been slammed on an opposing team. Game most definitely over! So, net: three Sox relievers; three innings of perfection.
The Sox had regained the game in the standings they'd lost earlier in the day. Better yet, the Stripes beat the Rays, so the Sox are back to within two with fourteen to play.
During this game, Dusty simultaneously added another historic landmark to his career and burnished his credentials for the MVP. He bacame the first Sox player in nineteen years and only the third all time to get at least 200 hits and 50 doubles in a single season. Both of the former Sox players are in the Hall of Fame--Tris Speaker in 1912 and Wade Boggs in 1989. That's pretty impressive company for a player to keep.
But that was last night. Today started with a lot of excitement and an opportunity to really, in effect, end Toronto's participation in the Wild Card race. Win 'em both and the Hubhose are 9 1/2 games up on the Jays and have a chance at 7 1/2 on the Twinkies, as well as a shot at picking up the two games they trailed the Rays by entering today's games. However, it was not to be. Talk about an emotional roller coaster!
Game one today: the Sox have recent acquisition Paul Byrd on the mound. Even though he gave no-one a free pass to first, he allowed ten hits that led to five runs--in just five innings.As he was facing one of the Jays' two 20 game winner candidates, Burnett, on the mound, he quickly found out that pitching that way wouldn't cut it. He was followed by Aardsma, who, just back to the Fens from a combined DL & Pawsox assignment(s), surrendered an additional three. Final score, 8-1, Jays.
So, now both the Jays, the Twinkies and the Rays are a game better off vis-a-vis the Fellows From Fens than they'd been a few hours earlier. Obviously, not only the Jays won, but all of the others also did. Time for game 2!
Game two begins with Bartolo Colon back from the DL. He pitches well enough to win, but leaves after six trailing 5-2 after having led two zip in the first. Now, you'll ask how giving up five runs in six innings is good enough to win (other than scoring eight or ten in a single inning, which, let's face it, doesn't happen every other day). Well, in this case it could have been because three of those runs were unearned. However, never say die--because if you do, you just might. You know--self fulfilling prophecy and all that stuff.
Anyway, the Sox get one back in their half of the 6th, and on Yooouk's 101st ribbie of the year, pick up another in the 7th. It's now 5-4.
Fortunately, while this is happening, the 'pen is doing a much better job in the nitecap than in the earlier show. Lopez and Masterson, the latter the ultimate winning pitcher, each toss an inning of perfect baseball, all on a cumulative total of nineteen pitches, three of which are a K that Lopez tacks on.
Comes the Sox half of the 8th--Downs, who came on in the 6th for the jays is still out there. The Sox finally jump all over a Toronto hurler today. Jason Bay, with his third hit of the game putting an exclamation point on the end of an 0-13 slump, led off the inning with a long double. Lowrie scored Bay with a single and took 2d on Dave Ross' sacrifice and 3d on Coco's grounder. Still, it's only five all.
Jake settled the issue then and there. Using the speed that tells opposing players if it's not sharply hit, don't even bother trying to get me out, he barely dribbles one about a third of the way up the first base line. Turning on the afterburners, he is a blur going to first. In case there might be any doubt about who'll win this race, Downs attempts to grab it for the throw to first--but falls flat on his face--literally. Using this opportunity, Lowrie scores the go-ahead run.
But the Sox are not quite through. Papi comes up and drives a ball deep to left for his 26th double of the year (not bad for someone who was out for 43 games with an injury) and Ellsbury goes around the bases doing his best impression of Usain Bolt for the seventh and final run of the game. Come to think of it, maybe Bolt in Beijing was merely doing his best Ellsbury impression. Either way, the Sox now had a two run lead and moved to the 9th to seal the win.
Papelbon came on and it was more like the Laser we've come to know than the imitation who showed the other night against the Rays. Faster than you can say, "Beam me up, Scotty", he'd thrown a dozen pitches, allowed no-one to even hit the ball out of the infield, much less reach base, and one more door had been slammed on an opposing team. Game most definitely over! So, net: three Sox relievers; three innings of perfection.
The Sox had regained the game in the standings they'd lost earlier in the day. Better yet, the Stripes beat the Rays, so the Sox are back to within two with fourteen to play.
During this game, Dusty simultaneously added another historic landmark to his career and burnished his credentials for the MVP. He bacame the first Sox player in nineteen years and only the third all time to get at least 200 hits and 50 doubles in a single season. Both of the former Sox players are in the Hall of Fame--Tris Speaker in 1912 and Wade Boggs in 1989. That's pretty impressive company for a player to keep.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Sox Win, Another Bucky F-ing Dent, and Timlin Strikes Again - Jenn
That title sums up the three game series against the Rays. Things started so nicely on Monday when the Sox put a 3-spot on the board in the first and John Lester along with our favorite closer kept the Tampa Bay Rays to zeros for the next eight innings.
But then Tuesday came along and everything went to hell.
Okay, so the Sox weren't playing the Yankees. That doesn't mean the Rays, this season's evil little thorn, don't have their own version of Bucky Dent or Aaron Boone to spoil the party. After an okay outing from Dice-K and a great outing from most of the relief staff, the score was still 3-2 Rays. But in the bottom of the 8th Jason Bay, who I still say is one of the best trades the Sox have ever made, came to the plate. Youk was sitting pretty at at first base waiting for something that would allow him to advance. He didn't have to wait long. On a 1-1 pitch, Bay launched the ball over the monster seats to give the Sox two more runs and a 4-3 lead. It should've been enough to get the Sox the win. Unfortunately, the Rays still had one more inning to try and squeak out a win, but there's nothing to worry about because Papelbon's on the mound, right? Wrong!
I knew it wasn't Pap's night from the first pitch. It was a ball. As were the next two after that. But that's not the worst of it. Turns out the guy he was pitching to was a pinch-hitter who had literally just been called up from Triple A. His name is Dan Johnson and he was actually supposed to be in the starting lineup. But he arrived at Fenway mere minutes before game time and so was benched. Why Joe Maddon didn't keep him on the bench for the whole game, Red Sox Nation will never know. But pinch-hit him he did, and on a 3-2 count, Johnson launched Pap's belt-high fast ball over the Red Sox bullpen to tie the score. Although the Sox closer would get Aybar to fly out to center, Perez doubled off the wall and Navarro's opposite field double plated Perez to give the Rays a one-run lead and the win. But there was still one more game and one more chance to take the series.
Unfortunately taking the series was not to be. Although it took 14 innings for the Rays to win, the Rays still managed to get to the Sox relief staff and take game three and the series. The Rays scored in the 2nd and the Sox tied it up in the 3rd. But from the 4th through the 13th innings, neither side scored. The Rays and the Sox would send 14 men to the mound and leave a total of 29 men on base. But all that matters is one pitcher and one batter. And that one pitcher is the oldest in the Sox bullpen - Mike Timlin. And the batter is a young kid from Haverhill, Mass who was a Red Sock for about a second and a half, Carlos Pena.
Timlin may have gotten the first two batters he faced out, but unfortunately he couldn't close. Iwamura and Baldelli both singled off the reliever and set up Pena for his dream crushing 3-run shot over the monster seats. Timlin tried to make excuses by saying the pitch was a ball that Pena shouldn't have been swinging at, but Pena's homer dosen't explain Iwamura or Baldelli's singles. The fact is, it doesn't matter how or why Pena got the homerun, all that matters was that he got enough wood on the ball to lift it over the green monster and give the Rays the three run lead they needed to win the game, the series and take a 2 1/2 game lead in the AL East.
There's no game today, then it's four against that other Red Sox thorn, the Toronto Blue Jays. They're on fire, but the series is still at home, so here's hoping we can do some damage. And the Yankees are playing the Rays over the weekend. I never thought I'd say this, but here's hoping the Yanks win all three games so the Red Sox can regain the lead in the East.
But then Tuesday came along and everything went to hell.
Okay, so the Sox weren't playing the Yankees. That doesn't mean the Rays, this season's evil little thorn, don't have their own version of Bucky Dent or Aaron Boone to spoil the party. After an okay outing from Dice-K and a great outing from most of the relief staff, the score was still 3-2 Rays. But in the bottom of the 8th Jason Bay, who I still say is one of the best trades the Sox have ever made, came to the plate. Youk was sitting pretty at at first base waiting for something that would allow him to advance. He didn't have to wait long. On a 1-1 pitch, Bay launched the ball over the monster seats to give the Sox two more runs and a 4-3 lead. It should've been enough to get the Sox the win. Unfortunately, the Rays still had one more inning to try and squeak out a win, but there's nothing to worry about because Papelbon's on the mound, right? Wrong!
I knew it wasn't Pap's night from the first pitch. It was a ball. As were the next two after that. But that's not the worst of it. Turns out the guy he was pitching to was a pinch-hitter who had literally just been called up from Triple A. His name is Dan Johnson and he was actually supposed to be in the starting lineup. But he arrived at Fenway mere minutes before game time and so was benched. Why Joe Maddon didn't keep him on the bench for the whole game, Red Sox Nation will never know. But pinch-hit him he did, and on a 3-2 count, Johnson launched Pap's belt-high fast ball over the Red Sox bullpen to tie the score. Although the Sox closer would get Aybar to fly out to center, Perez doubled off the wall and Navarro's opposite field double plated Perez to give the Rays a one-run lead and the win. But there was still one more game and one more chance to take the series.
Unfortunately taking the series was not to be. Although it took 14 innings for the Rays to win, the Rays still managed to get to the Sox relief staff and take game three and the series. The Rays scored in the 2nd and the Sox tied it up in the 3rd. But from the 4th through the 13th innings, neither side scored. The Rays and the Sox would send 14 men to the mound and leave a total of 29 men on base. But all that matters is one pitcher and one batter. And that one pitcher is the oldest in the Sox bullpen - Mike Timlin. And the batter is a young kid from Haverhill, Mass who was a Red Sock for about a second and a half, Carlos Pena.
Timlin may have gotten the first two batters he faced out, but unfortunately he couldn't close. Iwamura and Baldelli both singled off the reliever and set up Pena for his dream crushing 3-run shot over the monster seats. Timlin tried to make excuses by saying the pitch was a ball that Pena shouldn't have been swinging at, but Pena's homer dosen't explain Iwamura or Baldelli's singles. The fact is, it doesn't matter how or why Pena got the homerun, all that matters was that he got enough wood on the ball to lift it over the green monster and give the Rays the three run lead they needed to win the game, the series and take a 2 1/2 game lead in the AL East.
There's no game today, then it's four against that other Red Sox thorn, the Toronto Blue Jays. They're on fire, but the series is still at home, so here's hoping we can do some damage. And the Yankees are playing the Rays over the weekend. I never thought I'd say this, but here's hoping the Yanks win all three games so the Red Sox can regain the lead in the East.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Jenn May Be Right--Peter
Well, tonight was the worst way to lose a game. The boys from the Fens struggle and sweat for 13 long innings to stay with the Rays. They want to win to get back within 1/2 game of the team from Tampa, particularly with their nemesis, Toronto, arriving in Beantown day after tomorrow for a three game set. This is particularly the case with the Jays having just had a 10 game win streak, including three against the Twinkies.
So, our guys match the Rays from early in the game right through the expected end of the game in the 9th; sorry, it continued on past there. They matched the Rays scoreless inning for scoreless inning through the 13th inning. By the time the fateful 14th arrived, no-one had scored in ten innings! It was like a double shutout had occurred in the middle of the game, and no-one likely to break the ice.
In the 3d, the Hose had gotten on the board, tying the Rays at 1, when Dusty collected his 46th two bagger of the year, many innings later to be followed by his 47th. The 3d inning drive brought home Lowrie. Beckett was pitching another gem, his second in as many appearances since coming back off the DL. He went six, allowing only a sole run in the 2d and six hits, while nailing seven K's in the process.
Following his departure, Tito not wanting to put too much strain on that arm so quickly, the Sox bullpen, through four hurlers, performed beautifully. From Oki through Lopez, the Sox threw nothing but zeroes at the Rays. In fact, the four surrendered only a collective three hits and four passes in 7 1/3 innings, a collective WHIP of less than one! Masterson, as part of this quartet of quality, allowed no hits at all!
The one failing we seemed to be having was that nobody was able to deliver a timely hit, in a number of cases where we had the baserunners and just a single hit would have sufficed to end the game in the Sox' favor. We ended up stranding SIXTEEN (not a misprint) runners. Had both teams' stranded runners scored, the Sox would have won, 18-17. Sounds almost like the win our guys did get recently against Texas.
Hell, it got worse as the game wore on! In the bottom of the 10th, the Hub Heroes had two men on with no outs--and couldn't score. In the bottom of the 11th, we had two on with just one out--and couldn't score. In the bottom of the 12th, we had two men on with just one out--and couldn't score. The final killer, literally, was in the bottom of the 14th. Trailing 4-1 after a former Red Sock, Carlos Pena, the Pride of Haverhill, Mass drove one into the monster seats for a three run blast, the Hub Heroes got the first three men to bat against the Rays' closer to reach base, starting with Jake's standup double. There they were--bases loaded--NOBODY out, and all we could get was a single run, 4-2; Tampa wins. By the way, lest we forget what I was so baldly hinting at in the headline, guess who gave up the shot by Pena? Take a wild guess--RIGHT--Timlin!
Well, it's done. Got to look forward at Toronto and stop the Jays while we root for Mr. Hankie's Yankees to stop the Rays.
There was some good news in the wreckage of tonight. Based on his last two starts, it appears JB is ready for the post-season, assuming we do make it. We're now still in the wild card lead, and trailing the Rays for the division lead by 2 1/2. Colon was called up from the Pawsox and is expected to face the Rangers in the Fens next week, and Drew is supposedly healing and could be ready for duty in the final one or two weeks' push to the tape. Dusty went 2-4 tonight, increasing his AL-leading B.A. to .328.
So, our guys match the Rays from early in the game right through the expected end of the game in the 9th; sorry, it continued on past there. They matched the Rays scoreless inning for scoreless inning through the 13th inning. By the time the fateful 14th arrived, no-one had scored in ten innings! It was like a double shutout had occurred in the middle of the game, and no-one likely to break the ice.
In the 3d, the Hose had gotten on the board, tying the Rays at 1, when Dusty collected his 46th two bagger of the year, many innings later to be followed by his 47th. The 3d inning drive brought home Lowrie. Beckett was pitching another gem, his second in as many appearances since coming back off the DL. He went six, allowing only a sole run in the 2d and six hits, while nailing seven K's in the process.
Following his departure, Tito not wanting to put too much strain on that arm so quickly, the Sox bullpen, through four hurlers, performed beautifully. From Oki through Lopez, the Sox threw nothing but zeroes at the Rays. In fact, the four surrendered only a collective three hits and four passes in 7 1/3 innings, a collective WHIP of less than one! Masterson, as part of this quartet of quality, allowed no hits at all!
The one failing we seemed to be having was that nobody was able to deliver a timely hit, in a number of cases where we had the baserunners and just a single hit would have sufficed to end the game in the Sox' favor. We ended up stranding SIXTEEN (not a misprint) runners. Had both teams' stranded runners scored, the Sox would have won, 18-17. Sounds almost like the win our guys did get recently against Texas.
Hell, it got worse as the game wore on! In the bottom of the 10th, the Hub Heroes had two men on with no outs--and couldn't score. In the bottom of the 11th, we had two on with just one out--and couldn't score. In the bottom of the 12th, we had two men on with just one out--and couldn't score. The final killer, literally, was in the bottom of the 14th. Trailing 4-1 after a former Red Sock, Carlos Pena, the Pride of Haverhill, Mass drove one into the monster seats for a three run blast, the Hub Heroes got the first three men to bat against the Rays' closer to reach base, starting with Jake's standup double. There they were--bases loaded--NOBODY out, and all we could get was a single run, 4-2; Tampa wins. By the way, lest we forget what I was so baldly hinting at in the headline, guess who gave up the shot by Pena? Take a wild guess--RIGHT--Timlin!
Well, it's done. Got to look forward at Toronto and stop the Jays while we root for Mr. Hankie's Yankees to stop the Rays.
There was some good news in the wreckage of tonight. Based on his last two starts, it appears JB is ready for the post-season, assuming we do make it. We're now still in the wild card lead, and trailing the Rays for the division lead by 2 1/2. Colon was called up from the Pawsox and is expected to face the Rangers in the Fens next week, and Drew is supposedly healing and could be ready for duty in the final one or two weeks' push to the tape. Dusty went 2-4 tonight, increasing his AL-leading B.A. to .328.
It Was The Stripes!--Peter
Well, this one hurt! After dropping behind the Rays, 3-1, in the first half of the game, the Sox came back in the bottom of the 8th to take the lead, 4-3. Helped by Jason Bay's homer and some timely hitting by Yoouk, they had climbed the mountain and with Papelbon coming on in the 9th, following Oki's good job in the 8th, it looke like as sure a thing as you're likely to find in the world today.
Not to be! Papelbon gave up three hits, including a game-tying homer, and eventually, the winning run before finally getting out of the inning, the team now trailing 5-4. Our last at bats did nothing to change the result. With the loss, the Rays are now back up by 1 1/2, and the Jays are now seven behind in the wild card and the Twinkies, six. The Stripes also picked up a game on our heroes, now trailing the Hose by 8 1/2.
Speaking of the Stripes, as I noted in the headline, that's what did it. No, it wasn't Mr. Hankie's Yankees. These stripes came before the game. Warren Buffet, yes, that Warren Buffet, was on hand to throw out the first pitch. Dressed in a uniform that said Red Sox across the chest and wearing the red-B-emblazoned cap, he took the mound and tossed the pitch. The trouble is his 'Red Sox' uniform also had PIN STRIPES!! Who the hell missed that when he was given it in the Sox locker room? The stripes clearly contaminated the whole thing and gave out enough bad vibes to cause the loss. I know, it sounds crazy, but do you have a better explanation?
Not to be! Papelbon gave up three hits, including a game-tying homer, and eventually, the winning run before finally getting out of the inning, the team now trailing 5-4. Our last at bats did nothing to change the result. With the loss, the Rays are now back up by 1 1/2, and the Jays are now seven behind in the wild card and the Twinkies, six. The Stripes also picked up a game on our heroes, now trailing the Hose by 8 1/2.
Speaking of the Stripes, as I noted in the headline, that's what did it. No, it wasn't Mr. Hankie's Yankees. These stripes came before the game. Warren Buffet, yes, that Warren Buffet, was on hand to throw out the first pitch. Dressed in a uniform that said Red Sox across the chest and wearing the red-B-emblazoned cap, he took the mound and tossed the pitch. The trouble is his 'Red Sox' uniform also had PIN STRIPES!! Who the hell missed that when he was given it in the Sox locker room? The stripes clearly contaminated the whole thing and gave out enough bad vibes to cause the loss. I know, it sounds crazy, but do you have a better explanation?
Monday, September 8, 2008
Well, tonight's game was an excellent example of what you do when you've got a fish on the line--even a Ray--you reel it in. That's exactly what the Sox did with the Rays at Fenway tonight. Starting fast, they put up a trey in the 1st and made it stand up for the rest of the game. Recent acquisition Kotsay started off in the leadoff spot with a crisp single and two batters later, was driven home by another two-bagger by Big Papi. Yooouk drove Papi home with a single, but was quickly cut down trying to pick up an extra base or two. As it turned out, no matter. Another recent Sox acquisition, Jason Bay, shot one into the cheap seats, and, suddenly, it was Sox three zip in the first inning.
Lester was once again excellent. It's just as well that he was, because the Rays starter settled down in the 3d and, although the Sox got another five hits on the evening, along weith a pair of free passes, they got no more runs. Meanwhile the Sox portsider pitched into the 8th, giving up just six hits ad three BB's, while getting nine K's. That last figure equals his single game best, achieved in the no-no earlier this year.
When the Rays finally appeared to be on the verge of breaking the ice, with two gone in the 8th, Papelbon was summoned and dispelled any ideas the Rays may have had about making a game of it. Laser struck out the only batter he faced in the 8th, the slammed the door in classic Laserman fashion in the 9th, K'ing two of the three outs he nailed down in the process of ending the game. Overall, 1 1/3 innings and three K's. His ERA dropped to 1.62, while he got his 36th save. Lester's line was pretty good as well, his record climbing to 14-5, while the ERA dropped to 3.23.
Also, the Sox achieved a new MLB record. Tonight was their 456th consecutive sellout at the Fens, breaking the record set by the Indians in 2001, and showing no sign of abating any time soon. So far, in the streak, the Sox attendance figure has exceeded 16 million!
Separately, Coco's 3-3 got him to within shouting distance of .300 and the Sox activated JD Drew from the DL. This follows yesterday's activation of Colon, who, for the time being is at Pawtucket, but expected back in time to pitch against the Rangers later in the week.
Lester was once again excellent. It's just as well that he was, because the Rays starter settled down in the 3d and, although the Sox got another five hits on the evening, along weith a pair of free passes, they got no more runs. Meanwhile the Sox portsider pitched into the 8th, giving up just six hits ad three BB's, while getting nine K's. That last figure equals his single game best, achieved in the no-no earlier this year.
When the Rays finally appeared to be on the verge of breaking the ice, with two gone in the 8th, Papelbon was summoned and dispelled any ideas the Rays may have had about making a game of it. Laser struck out the only batter he faced in the 8th, the slammed the door in classic Laserman fashion in the 9th, K'ing two of the three outs he nailed down in the process of ending the game. Overall, 1 1/3 innings and three K's. His ERA dropped to 1.62, while he got his 36th save. Lester's line was pretty good as well, his record climbing to 14-5, while the ERA dropped to 3.23.
Also, the Sox achieved a new MLB record. Tonight was their 456th consecutive sellout at the Fens, breaking the record set by the Indians in 2001, and showing no sign of abating any time soon. So far, in the streak, the Sox attendance figure has exceeded 16 million!
Separately, Coco's 3-3 got him to within shouting distance of .300 and the Sox activated JD Drew from the DL. This follows yesterday's activation of Colon, who, for the time being is at Pawtucket, but expected back in time to pitch against the Rangers later in the week.
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