The baseball season ended today, on a day of "rain and broken branches and leaf-clogged drains and slick streets." There are a few more games left on the schedule, a couple of weeks to tie up some loose ends, but they are of lesser importance.
When Edgar Renteria ended the second consecutive Red Sox season with a infield grounder, I went out to walk my dogs, and I was somewhat surprised at how I felt. ... I didn't mind all that much. Sure, winning is better than losing. I'd rather be anxious and pacing, waiting for Game 4 to start. But it seems that within my baseball heart, the glow of 2004 has failed to dim.
Dropping the first two games in Chicago certainly helped cushion the final blow. Being unable to score the tying run with the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth sent a final signal a few innings early, so it was hard to initially grasp its message – that Boston would not be repeating as World Series champions. (Despite the best intentions of Manny Ramirez.)
The short series was frustrating – the White Sox outplayed our boys in every facet of the game: pitching, hitting, fielding, baserunning – but there was no real angst over the final result, certainly no weight of history on the shoulders. Later on in the evening, I actually said: "Hey, you can't win them all."
Which is pretty funny, coming from a lifelong Red Sox fan. And yet: Do you know how good it feels to say that? The Red Sox will be one of 28 other teams that will be watching the World Series later this month. I don't like that, I wish it wasn't so, but deep down, I'm content.
I think about that and I think about what happened to bring me to this place, and I have to smile. Soon, some other group of fans will be celebrating, but ... I'll be damned. The ripple effects of 2004 – and the promise of 2006, now a mere dot of light on the horizon, but soon to come into clearer view – will keep me quite warm through another winter.
I love baseball.
Showing posts with label 2005 games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2005 games. Show all posts
October 7, 2005
October 5, 2005
October 4, 2005
ALDS 1: White Sox 14, Red Sox 2
Matt Clement had nothing -- absolutely nothing -- and Terry Francona left him in the game way too long.
Two HBP, two singles, a stolen base and a three-run home run gave Chicago a 5-0 lead after one inning. Clement had an easy second -- because Jason Varitek threw out Scott Podsednik trying to steal second -- but got hit (literally) in the third.
Clement allowed a one-out home run to Paul Konerko (6-0), then was drilled in the leg by a Carl Everett comebacker. Clement recovered and threw Everett out, and Tito and the trainer came out to see if Clement was hurt. This might have been the best time to pull him. (It was hard to figure out when the Red Sox pen got up; ESPN was unable to give that information.) Jeremi Gonzalez is on the roster for exactly this situation. Bronson Arroyo would have been a good choice, also.
Francona kept Clement in the game. His first pitch to Aaron Rowand was fouled straight back -- and Clement visibly flinched. Rowand lined out to left. Through three innings, Clement wasn't fooling anyone. Even with a wide strike zone he was failing, throwing weak fastballs and flat sliders, and missing location on just about every pitch that ended up being lined for a hit.
Boston scored twice in the fourth -- singles from Trot Nixon and Varitek, a double by Kevin Millar and an infield error -- to cut the score to 6-2. For some reason, Francona let Clement start the fourth. Big mistake, and one many Sox fans were first-guessing.
AJ Pierzynski ripped Clement's second pitch into the right field corner for a double. After Jose Crede flew to right, Juan Uribe crushed a two-run home run to left. 8-2.
Finally, Francona decided Clement was done. How many other managers would leave in a totally ineffective starter to surrender eight runs in 3.1 innings of a playoff game? ... It was the continuation of Clement's horrible September (33 innings, 38 hits, 24 runs, 16 walks).
(If you're wondering if Clement's poor second half was perhaps caused (in part) by getting hit with the line drive in Tampa, SoSHer soxfaninyankeeland posted this:
Gonzalez allowed four runs in the sixth (walk, HBP, single, 3-run HR). In the eighth, Arroyo allowed a home run to the first hitter he faced (Pierzynski, who hit a double, two home runs and scored four times), then walked two guys and allowed an RBI single.
I would have liked to have seen either of those two in the third or fourth. They might have pitched just as poorly if they had been used earlier -- or they might have pitched better. It's impossible to know, but using them when the game was within reach would have made more sense.
Why did Francona keep Arroyo out of a 6-2 game in the fourth inning, but had him pitch in the eighth inning of a 12-2 game? It made no sense.
Yanking Clement earlier might not have made much of a difference. Jose Contreras, emboldened with the early lead, pitched well, aided by many impatient Red Sox hitters. In both the first and third innings, Manny Ramirez came up with a runner in scoring position and ended the rally by hacking at the first pitch. ... Contreras threw six pitches in the sixth; he needed only nine for the seventh.
A horrible loss, but let's remember it's only one game. If Wells pitches effectively and the bats do even a fraction of what they can do, Boston will win, the series will be tied, and the Red Sox will have home field advantage in a best 2-of-3. (Though who do you want in a potential Game 5: Clement or Arroyo?)
Two HBP, two singles, a stolen base and a three-run home run gave Chicago a 5-0 lead after one inning. Clement had an easy second -- because Jason Varitek threw out Scott Podsednik trying to steal second -- but got hit (literally) in the third.
Clement allowed a one-out home run to Paul Konerko (6-0), then was drilled in the leg by a Carl Everett comebacker. Clement recovered and threw Everett out, and Tito and the trainer came out to see if Clement was hurt. This might have been the best time to pull him. (It was hard to figure out when the Red Sox pen got up; ESPN was unable to give that information.) Jeremi Gonzalez is on the roster for exactly this situation. Bronson Arroyo would have been a good choice, also.
Francona kept Clement in the game. His first pitch to Aaron Rowand was fouled straight back -- and Clement visibly flinched. Rowand lined out to left. Through three innings, Clement wasn't fooling anyone. Even with a wide strike zone he was failing, throwing weak fastballs and flat sliders, and missing location on just about every pitch that ended up being lined for a hit.
Boston scored twice in the fourth -- singles from Trot Nixon and Varitek, a double by Kevin Millar and an infield error -- to cut the score to 6-2. For some reason, Francona let Clement start the fourth. Big mistake, and one many Sox fans were first-guessing.
AJ Pierzynski ripped Clement's second pitch into the right field corner for a double. After Jose Crede flew to right, Juan Uribe crushed a two-run home run to left. 8-2.
Finally, Francona decided Clement was done. How many other managers would leave in a totally ineffective starter to surrender eight runs in 3.1 innings of a playoff game? ... It was the continuation of Clement's horrible September (33 innings, 38 hits, 24 runs, 16 walks).
(If you're wondering if Clement's poor second half was perhaps caused (in part) by getting hit with the line drive in Tampa, SoSHer soxfaninyankeeland posted this:
In the four starts before getting hit in the head, Clement threw 25 innings, gave up 28 hits, 10 walks and 22 earned runs for an ERA of 7.92. The Tampa Bay game is a convenient demarcation point, but he pitched poorly before it happened, and pitched well for a short time after it happened.)And when he went to the pen, Francona brought in -- not Gonzalez, not Arroyo -- but one of the OOgies, Chad Bradford. Chadford retired the four guys he faced, on only 17 pitches, so he should be able to face a couple of guys tomorrow. (Or he better be, or his use today was even stupider.)
Gonzalez allowed four runs in the sixth (walk, HBP, single, 3-run HR). In the eighth, Arroyo allowed a home run to the first hitter he faced (Pierzynski, who hit a double, two home runs and scored four times), then walked two guys and allowed an RBI single.
I would have liked to have seen either of those two in the third or fourth. They might have pitched just as poorly if they had been used earlier -- or they might have pitched better. It's impossible to know, but using them when the game was within reach would have made more sense.
Why did Francona keep Arroyo out of a 6-2 game in the fourth inning, but had him pitch in the eighth inning of a 12-2 game? It made no sense.
Yanking Clement earlier might not have made much of a difference. Jose Contreras, emboldened with the early lead, pitched well, aided by many impatient Red Sox hitters. In both the first and third innings, Manny Ramirez came up with a runner in scoring position and ended the rally by hacking at the first pitch. ... Contreras threw six pitches in the sixth; he needed only nine for the seventh.
A horrible loss, but let's remember it's only one game. If Wells pitches effectively and the bats do even a fraction of what they can do, Boston will win, the series will be tied, and the Red Sox will have home field advantage in a best 2-of-3. (Though who do you want in a potential Game 5: Clement or Arroyo?)
October 2, 2005
G162: Red Sox 10, Yankees 1
IN!
P.S. After the final out, NESN did not go to commercial, so my cable package kept showing the broadcast. I got to see more than 30 minutes of lockerroom celebration and interviews. At one point, I ran and got my digital camera and took some pictures of my TV.
At the end of this interview, Damon is told that he's wearing a Houston Astros Division Series cap. How that got into the Red Sox clubhouse is anyone's guess.
ALDS Game 1 starter Matt Clement.
Tito gets soaked by Schilling.
Tony Graffanino.
Other great sights: Kevin Millar wearing his goggles on the bench during the ninth inning, Gabe Kapler on crutches in the middle of the clubhouse and Hanley Ramirez going wild, spraying anyone and everyone. From MLB's main page:
Red Sox at White Sox, Tuesday 4pm
Yankees at Angels, Tuesday, 8pm
Padres at Cardinals, Tuesday 1pm
Astros at Atanta, Wednesday, 4pm
P.S. After the final out, NESN did not go to commercial, so my cable package kept showing the broadcast. I got to see more than 30 minutes of lockerroom celebration and interviews. At one point, I ran and got my digital camera and took some pictures of my TV.
At the end of this interview, Damon is told that he's wearing a Houston Astros Division Series cap. How that got into the Red Sox clubhouse is anyone's guess.
ALDS Game 1 starter Matt Clement.
Tito gets soaked by Schilling.
Tony Graffanino.
Other great sights: Kevin Millar wearing his goggles on the bench during the ninth inning, Gabe Kapler on crutches in the middle of the clubhouse and Hanley Ramirez going wild, spraying anyone and everyone. From MLB's main page:
October 1, 2005
G161: Yankees 8, Red Sox 4
New York wins the East. Red Sox clinch a Monday playoff game against Cleveland -- or they win the wild card tomorrow.
***
Tim Wakefield --on three days rest -- just didn't have it. The solo home runs by Matsui and Slappy in the third and fifth, respectively, deepened Boston's hole, but were not reason enough to yank Wakefield from the game. That has been his problem in several starts. The solo home runs start to add up after awhile, but it's often not a clear sign of trouble. Besides, who would have come in? DiNardo? Gonzalez? Francona was correct to stick with Wakefield (though pull him if he really faltered) and hope the bats woke up.
They didn't. Randy Johnson got his shit together after a shaky start and pitched 7.1 good innings. (People think Pedro is a diva? Man, this guy is the biggest ball-and-strike whiner I've ever seen.) If the Sox had been able to get it him a bit more, there was a decent chance he'd go postal. ... They helped him out by hacking early in the count. Johnson retired the Sox in order on five pitches in the fifth; the third (12 pitches) and seventh (13) were also quick innings. And Sheffield made two diving catches, which, if they had fallen for hits, might have altered the outcome.
Also, Francona's managing seemed less urgent today. In the sixth, trailing 7-2, he let Millar and Mirabelli bat (even though Wakefield was out of the game).
But thanks to Chicago's 4-3 win in Cleveland, this loss doesn't hurt as much as it would otherwise.
Tomorrow:
Manny hit home runs #43 and #44, two absolute bombs -- one that landed on the roof of the Cask (true?) and one that hit the back wall in dead center. Graffanino got three hits, Damon walked twice and stole a base, and the team got nice relief appearances from Stanton, DiNardo and Hansen. ... But the bats were quiet. The Red Sox have totaled only 11 hits in these two games.
By the way -- Matsui should have been called out in the eighth and the Yankees' last run should not have scored. Rule 7.08 states that any runner is out when "He runs more than three feet away from a direct line between bases to avoid being tagged unless his action is to avoid interference with a fielder fielding a batted ball."
***
Tim Wakefield --on three days rest -- just didn't have it. The solo home runs by Matsui and Slappy in the third and fifth, respectively, deepened Boston's hole, but were not reason enough to yank Wakefield from the game. That has been his problem in several starts. The solo home runs start to add up after awhile, but it's often not a clear sign of trouble. Besides, who would have come in? DiNardo? Gonzalez? Francona was correct to stick with Wakefield (though pull him if he really faltered) and hope the bats woke up.
They didn't. Randy Johnson got his shit together after a shaky start and pitched 7.1 good innings. (People think Pedro is a diva? Man, this guy is the biggest ball-and-strike whiner I've ever seen.) If the Sox had been able to get it him a bit more, there was a decent chance he'd go postal. ... They helped him out by hacking early in the count. Johnson retired the Sox in order on five pitches in the fifth; the third (12 pitches) and seventh (13) were also quick innings. And Sheffield made two diving catches, which, if they had fallen for hits, might have altered the outcome.
Also, Francona's managing seemed less urgent today. In the sixth, trailing 7-2, he let Millar and Mirabelli bat (even though Wakefield was out of the game).
But thanks to Chicago's 4-3 win in Cleveland, this loss doesn't hurt as much as it would otherwise.
Tomorrow:
If Boston wins, they win the wild card.That's it.
If Cleveland loses, Boston wins the wild card.
If Boston loses and Cleveland wins, they play a playoff game on Monday at Fenway.
Manny hit home runs #43 and #44, two absolute bombs -- one that landed on the roof of the Cask (true?) and one that hit the back wall in dead center. Graffanino got three hits, Damon walked twice and stole a base, and the team got nice relief appearances from Stanton, DiNardo and Hansen. ... But the bats were quiet. The Red Sox have totaled only 11 hits in these two games.
By the way -- Matsui should have been called out in the eighth and the Yankees' last run should not have scored. Rule 7.08 states that any runner is out when "He runs more than three feet away from a direct line between bases to avoid being tagged unless his action is to avoid interference with a fielder fielding a batted ball."
September 30, 2005
G160: Red Sox 5, Yankees 3
Why Knot Us?
It's too early for the ALCS and ALDS.
This is the ALES (American League East Series).
Yankees 1st: First pitch, Wells to Jeter at 7:10: strike called, low outside. Capt. Intangibles strikes out on three pitches, swinging and missing a 86 mph cut fastball down and in. Slappy and Giambi both walk as Wells gets squeezed on at least three pitches. Sheffield then gets hit on the back foot to load the bases. Matsui singles to left center. Damon was playing deep, got a poor jump, and the ball falls in front of him. One run scores. Posada strikes out swinging. Sierra flies out to Nixon in right-center. Yankees 1-0.
Red Sox 1st: Will the strike zone be as small for Wang? Damon walks on five pitches, but nothing is questionable. Damon steals second. A low 3-1 pitch to Renteria is called a strike, a pitch Wells did not get in the top half. ER grounds to shortstop, Damon holds. MVPapi pokes a single through the infield to right-center. Williams has no chance to get Damon. Tie game, 1-1. Ramirez and Nixon both strike out.
Yankees 2nd: Wells settles down, adapting his pitches to tonight's strike zone. He's helped out by two nice running catches, one by Ramirez and one by Nixon.
Red Sox 2nd: Varitek blasts Wang's first pitch into the Monster Seats in left center. He sprints around the bases and Boston leads 2-1.
Red Sox 3rd: Damon reaches on a ball that rolls right through E-Rod's legs into left. (And the MVP should go to him because of his defense? Bah.) Rent bunts him to second, almost beating Wang's throw to first. Ortiz grounds sharply to Wang, and is thrown out, but Damon stupidly breaks for third and is out in a rundown. Double play: 1-3-5-6.
Yankees 4th: Matsui leads off with a single to center, but Wells needs only 10 pitches to get three outs, on two popups and a strikeout.
Boston 4th: Nixon walks with one out. With Varitek batting, a hit-and-run play is botched and Nixon is tagged out after pulling up short at second. Two horrible baserunning blunders that could come back to haunt the Sox.
Yankees 5th: Another 1-2-3 inning for Wells, the last out being a fly to the center field track by A-Rod. Easy catch for Damon.
Red Sox 5th: Olerud walks on four pitches, but Mueller grounds into a double play on 3-1 pitch. The Sox have been swinging at balls out of the strike zone, helping Wang out. (The Yankee rookie ends up walking six batters in 6.2 innings, but it could have been many more if the Boston batters had been more patient.)
Yankees 5th: Giambi rips a single, and one out later, Matsui doubles to right center. Nixon takes a wide route to the ball and it skips by him and rolls to the wall. 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. Posada hits a hot shot to third, and Mueller, behind the bag by the line, holds the runner and makes a long throw to first. Sierra flies out to Damon. End of inning. Still 2-1.
Red Sox 6th: Damon lines a single over Cano into right field. With Renteria up, Damon steals second without a throw. ER strikes out and Ortiz is walked intentionally. After Manny rips a long foul to left, he singles to left. Damon is held at third and Boston has the bases loaded with one out. The Yankees pen is quiet. Nixon shows some patience -- and draws a five-pitch walk. Damon scores and it's 3-1. In the visiting dugout, Torre is visibly annoyed. Varitek fouls off two pitches, then grounds to first. Giambi comes home, but his throw is wide and bangs off Posada's glove for an error. Ortiz scores, 4-1. Olerud follows with a sac fly to center, 5-1. Proctor is warming. A wild pitch moves Nixon to third, but Giambi somehow stabs Mueller's line drive and Wang escapes further damage.
Yankees 6th: Williams lines out to Nixon. Cano drops a single down the left field line and is held to a long single by Manny. Jeter then hits a full-count pitch into the bullpen for a two-run home run, cutting the lead to 5-3. ... Wells comes back to get Rodriguez looking at strike three and Giambi on a grounder to first. Seven innings from Orson ... now it's time for the pen.
Red Sox 7th: Wang comes out for another inning. He gets two out, then walks Renteria on four pitches. Leiter comes in and walks Ortiz on four pitches, none of them close. Proctor is brought in to face Manny. Torre must keep the score at 5-3 -- is Proctor really his best choice? ... Ramirez grounds out to shortstop.
Yankees 8th: "Playoff Tito" makes a welcome appearance. And it's OOGY-time. Bradford gets Sheffield on a first-pitch grounder to shortstop. Myers battles Matsui for 11 pitches (including six straight fouls) before striking him out. Timlin gets Posada looking at three straight strikes. The last one was one of the best pitches Timlin has thrown all season, a wicked curve that has Posada moaning to the umpire.
Yankees 9th: Timlin was pacing back and forth in the Sox dugout during the bottom of the eighth, glaring into ESPN's camera, and he came out strong in the 9th. He struck out Sierra on three pitches, the last one a filthy 85 mph breaking pitch (splitter?) in the dirt. Williams also struck out, chasing a 2-2 pitch up around his chin. Cano grounded a single into right, but Jeter tapped out harmlessly to Edgar.
This was obviously a huge win for the Red Sox, bringing them into a tie for first place with two games to go. A loss would have been crushing, leaving Boston needing two wins in two games this weekend to force a Monday playoff in New York.
But Wells pitched great, Boston got some quick runs, then took advantage of the Yankees' poor defense and Wang's control problems. And Francona managed the bullpen brilliantly (and the pitchers did their jobs!).
In Cleveland, Chicago won 3-2 in 13 innings, so Cleveland falls one game behind both Boston and New York in the wild card chase.
Our playoff possibilities just got a whole lot better:
It's too early for the ALCS and ALDS.
This is the ALES (American League East Series).
Tonight's mojo-riffic beer: Steamwhistle.Jeter 6 Damon 8
Rodriguez 5 Renteria 6
Giambi 3 Ortiz -
Sheffield 9 Ramirez 7
Matsui 7 Nixon 9
Posada 2 Varitek 2
Sierra - Olerud 3
Williams 8 Mueller 5
Cano 4 Graffanino 4
Wang 1 Wells 1
Yankees 1st: First pitch, Wells to Jeter at 7:10: strike called, low outside. Capt. Intangibles strikes out on three pitches, swinging and missing a 86 mph cut fastball down and in. Slappy and Giambi both walk as Wells gets squeezed on at least three pitches. Sheffield then gets hit on the back foot to load the bases. Matsui singles to left center. Damon was playing deep, got a poor jump, and the ball falls in front of him. One run scores. Posada strikes out swinging. Sierra flies out to Nixon in right-center. Yankees 1-0.
Red Sox 1st: Will the strike zone be as small for Wang? Damon walks on five pitches, but nothing is questionable. Damon steals second. A low 3-1 pitch to Renteria is called a strike, a pitch Wells did not get in the top half. ER grounds to shortstop, Damon holds. MVPapi pokes a single through the infield to right-center. Williams has no chance to get Damon. Tie game, 1-1. Ramirez and Nixon both strike out.
Yankees 2nd: Wells settles down, adapting his pitches to tonight's strike zone. He's helped out by two nice running catches, one by Ramirez and one by Nixon.
Red Sox 2nd: Varitek blasts Wang's first pitch into the Monster Seats in left center. He sprints around the bases and Boston leads 2-1.
Red Sox 3rd: Damon reaches on a ball that rolls right through E-Rod's legs into left. (And the MVP should go to him because of his defense? Bah.) Rent bunts him to second, almost beating Wang's throw to first. Ortiz grounds sharply to Wang, and is thrown out, but Damon stupidly breaks for third and is out in a rundown. Double play: 1-3-5-6.
Yankees 4th: Matsui leads off with a single to center, but Wells needs only 10 pitches to get three outs, on two popups and a strikeout.
Boston 4th: Nixon walks with one out. With Varitek batting, a hit-and-run play is botched and Nixon is tagged out after pulling up short at second. Two horrible baserunning blunders that could come back to haunt the Sox.
Yankees 5th: Another 1-2-3 inning for Wells, the last out being a fly to the center field track by A-Rod. Easy catch for Damon.
Red Sox 5th: Olerud walks on four pitches, but Mueller grounds into a double play on 3-1 pitch. The Sox have been swinging at balls out of the strike zone, helping Wang out. (The Yankee rookie ends up walking six batters in 6.2 innings, but it could have been many more if the Boston batters had been more patient.)
Yankees 5th: Giambi rips a single, and one out later, Matsui doubles to right center. Nixon takes a wide route to the ball and it skips by him and rolls to the wall. 2nd and 3rd with 1 out. Posada hits a hot shot to third, and Mueller, behind the bag by the line, holds the runner and makes a long throw to first. Sierra flies out to Damon. End of inning. Still 2-1.
Red Sox 6th: Damon lines a single over Cano into right field. With Renteria up, Damon steals second without a throw. ER strikes out and Ortiz is walked intentionally. After Manny rips a long foul to left, he singles to left. Damon is held at third and Boston has the bases loaded with one out. The Yankees pen is quiet. Nixon shows some patience -- and draws a five-pitch walk. Damon scores and it's 3-1. In the visiting dugout, Torre is visibly annoyed. Varitek fouls off two pitches, then grounds to first. Giambi comes home, but his throw is wide and bangs off Posada's glove for an error. Ortiz scores, 4-1. Olerud follows with a sac fly to center, 5-1. Proctor is warming. A wild pitch moves Nixon to third, but Giambi somehow stabs Mueller's line drive and Wang escapes further damage.
Yankees 6th: Williams lines out to Nixon. Cano drops a single down the left field line and is held to a long single by Manny. Jeter then hits a full-count pitch into the bullpen for a two-run home run, cutting the lead to 5-3. ... Wells comes back to get Rodriguez looking at strike three and Giambi on a grounder to first. Seven innings from Orson ... now it's time for the pen.
Red Sox 7th: Wang comes out for another inning. He gets two out, then walks Renteria on four pitches. Leiter comes in and walks Ortiz on four pitches, none of them close. Proctor is brought in to face Manny. Torre must keep the score at 5-3 -- is Proctor really his best choice? ... Ramirez grounds out to shortstop.
Yankees 8th: "Playoff Tito" makes a welcome appearance. And it's OOGY-time. Bradford gets Sheffield on a first-pitch grounder to shortstop. Myers battles Matsui for 11 pitches (including six straight fouls) before striking him out. Timlin gets Posada looking at three straight strikes. The last one was one of the best pitches Timlin has thrown all season, a wicked curve that has Posada moaning to the umpire.
Yankees 9th: Timlin was pacing back and forth in the Sox dugout during the bottom of the eighth, glaring into ESPN's camera, and he came out strong in the 9th. He struck out Sierra on three pitches, the last one a filthy 85 mph breaking pitch (splitter?) in the dirt. Williams also struck out, chasing a 2-2 pitch up around his chin. Cano grounded a single into right, but Jeter tapped out harmlessly to Edgar.
This was obviously a huge win for the Red Sox, bringing them into a tie for first place with two games to go. A loss would have been crushing, leaving Boston needing two wins in two games this weekend to force a Monday playoff in New York.
But Wells pitched great, Boston got some quick runs, then took advantage of the Yankees' poor defense and Wang's control problems. And Francona managed the bullpen brilliantly (and the pitchers did their jobs!).
In Cleveland, Chicago won 3-2 in 13 innings, so Cleveland falls one game behind both Boston and New York in the wild card chase.
Our playoff possibilities just got a whole lot better:
Red Sox win 3
Cleveland wins 0: Red Sox win East, Yankees win WC
Cleveland wins 1: Red Sox win East, Yankees/Cleveland WC playoff
Cleveland wins 2: Red Sox win East, Cleveland wins WC
Red Sox win 2
Cleveland wins 0: Red Sox win WC
Cleveland wins 1: Red Sox win WC
Cleveland wins 2: Red Sox-Yankees-Cleveland 3-way playoff
Red Sox win 1
Cleveland wins 0: Sox win WC
Cleveland wins 1: Cleveland/Red Sox WC playoff
Cleveland wins 2: Cleveland wins WC
September 29, 2005
G159: Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 4
Papi.
Ian Browne, MLB.com:
Ian Browne, MLB.com:
By delivering what was easily their biggest win of the season, a tense 5-4 victory over the Blue Jays, the Red Sox can now clinch a tie in the American League East by taking two out of three from the Yankees this weekend. They can win the division outright with a sweep.
To get to that point, the Red Sox needed the latest batch of magic from David Ortiz, who tied it with a homer in the eighth inning and then won it in the bottom of the ninth with a walk-off single to left field, setting up a mob scene of white jerseys on the right side of the infield.
Yet again, Ortiz delivered with the game -- and perhaps the season -- on the line.
September 28, 2005
G158: Blue Jays 7, Red Sox 2
Arroyo spits the bit (3-7-7-3-2), and while DiNardo holds the line (4-1-0-3-2), Lilly continues to look like Lefty Grove to the Red Sox.
Edgar says he's made enough outs this year (home run, double, two walks), but no one else in the lineup does much of anything. Boston leaves seven guys on base in the first five innings, and 11 overall.
New York edges Baltimore 2-1 -- we're one game out in the East -- but Tampa shuts out Cleveland 1-0 -- so we're still tied for the WC.
Edgar says he's made enough outs this year (home run, double, two walks), but no one else in the lineup does much of anything. Boston leaves seven guys on base in the first five innings, and 11 overall.
New York edges Baltimore 2-1 -- we're one game out in the East -- but Tampa shuts out Cleveland 1-0 -- so we're still tied for the WC.
September 27, 2005
G157: Blue Jays 7, Red Sox 5
I guess two games in one day is too much for Terry Francona's brain to handle.
Tito displayed some of the worst bullpen management of the season in Tuesday's nightcap, leaving Curt Schilling in too long, staying with Chad Bradford too long, sticking Craig Hansen with runners on base, etc.
Mike Timlin threw only 11 pitches in the afternoon game; so why pin our hopes on Chad Effing Harville when the game was on the line?
That's cool, Terry, give everyone a chance to contribute. It's not like this game means anything.
Thankfully:
More in the morning.
[I ended up putting today's thoughts in the comments section rather than as a new post.]
Tito displayed some of the worst bullpen management of the season in Tuesday's nightcap, leaving Curt Schilling in too long, staying with Chad Bradford too long, sticking Craig Hansen with runners on base, etc.
Mike Timlin threw only 11 pitches in the afternoon game; so why pin our hopes on Chad Effing Harville when the game was on the line?
That's cool, Terry, give everyone a chance to contribute. It's not like this game means anything.
Thankfully:
Orioles 17, Yankees 9so all three teams are still dead-end at 92-65 with five games to go.
Devil Rays 5, Cleveland 4
More in the morning.
[I ended up putting today's thoughts in the comments section rather than as a new post.]
G156: Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 1
Wakefield pitches like the ace that he is, Ortiz and Ramirez knock in all our runs, Renteria knocks two doubles, Mueller turns in some professional defense, and Papelbon and Timlin nail it down. ... A solid performance from a team that clearly has its collective head focused on the job ahead.
New York (Mussina) / Baltimore (Chen) and Tampa Bay (Kazmir) / Cleveland (Elarton), also at 7:00.
Game 2 in about three hours. Schilling / Chacin.East
Boston 92 64 --
New York 92 64 --Wild Card
Boston 92 64 --
Cleveland 92 64 --
New York 92 64 --
New York (Mussina) / Baltimore (Chen) and Tampa Bay (Kazmir) / Cleveland (Elarton), also at 7:00.
September 26, 2005
Blue Jays at Red Sox, ppd. rain
Doubleheader (Schilling & Wakefield?) on Tuesday.
First game at 1:00.
First game at 1:00.
September 25, 2005
G155: Red Sox 9, Orioles 3
Before David Wells threw his first pitch, he had a five-run lead. He allowed two solo home runs in the first -- and I started worrying that his knee problem was worse than we had been told -- but he settled down. Of the next 20 Baltimore hitters, only one touched second base.
The Red Sox batted around against John Maine in the first inning. After two quick outs, David Ortiz walked, Manny Ramirez homered to dead center, Trot Nixon singled, Jason Varitek walked, John Olerud singled in two runs, and Bill Mueller doubled in Olerud.
In the fifth, Nixon and Varitek doubled, Mueller hit a sac fly and after Miguel Tejada booted what should have been an inning-ending grounder, Johnny Damon belted a two-run home run. After Wells left the game in the seventh -- due to injury? -- the two Chads (Bradford and Harville) mopped up. (I would have liked to have seen Manny Delcarmen.)
He didn't score or knock in a run, but Edgar Renteria is stinging the ball. He lined out to third in the second, had a home run stolen by right fielder Jay Gibbons in the fourth, then missed another home run by about three inches -- the ball hit the top of the wall in right-center for a triple. He added a line single in the seventh.
In New York, the Yankees rallied against Toronto, scoring six runs in their final two innings to win 8-4. Mariano Rivera held off the Jays in the eighth (New York led 4-3), but after the Yankees scored four more runs, Joe Torre sent him back out for the ninth. Rivera threw 25 pitches while protecting that five-run lead, and 36 for the game.
Kansas City rallied to beat Cleveland 5-4, so here is where we stand:
The Red Sox -- 50-24 at home, tops in baseball -- are feeling what we're all feeling.
John Henry: "We've got to wait for the final scene of the final act. ... This year, the playoffs started two weeks early." ... Damon: "Every day, every night, every pitch, everything is the most important situation that could come up. It kind of feels like the World Series a little bit." ... Terry Francona: "It's kind of hard to explain the feeling."
Not really. We're pretty used to it by now. We'll be on the edge of our seats all week.
Also: Delta Air Lines' Song affiliate has named one of its Boeing 757s "Big Papi".
The Red Sox batted around against John Maine in the first inning. After two quick outs, David Ortiz walked, Manny Ramirez homered to dead center, Trot Nixon singled, Jason Varitek walked, John Olerud singled in two runs, and Bill Mueller doubled in Olerud.
In the fifth, Nixon and Varitek doubled, Mueller hit a sac fly and after Miguel Tejada booted what should have been an inning-ending grounder, Johnny Damon belted a two-run home run. After Wells left the game in the seventh -- due to injury? -- the two Chads (Bradford and Harville) mopped up. (I would have liked to have seen Manny Delcarmen.)
He didn't score or knock in a run, but Edgar Renteria is stinging the ball. He lined out to third in the second, had a home run stolen by right fielder Jay Gibbons in the fourth, then missed another home run by about three inches -- the ball hit the top of the wall in right-center for a triple. He added a line single in the seventh.
In New York, the Yankees rallied against Toronto, scoring six runs in their final two innings to win 8-4. Mariano Rivera held off the Jays in the eighth (New York led 4-3), but after the Yankees scored four more runs, Joe Torre sent him back out for the ninth. Rivera threw 25 pitches while protecting that five-run lead, and 36 for the game.
Kansas City rallied to beat Cleveland 5-4, so here is where we stand:
Randy at Over The Monster has the final seven match-ups, as does MLB:Boston 91 64 --
New York 91 64 --
Cleveland 92 64 --
Boston 91 64 .5
New York 91 64 .5
Can the Sox win three of four from the Jays and two of three from the Yankees?Red Sox Jays/MFY
0926 Schilling Bush
0927 Wakefield Chacin
0928 Arroyo Lilly
0929 Clement Downs
0930 Wells Wang
1001 Schilling Johnson
1002 Wakefield Mussina
The Red Sox -- 50-24 at home, tops in baseball -- are feeling what we're all feeling.
John Henry: "We've got to wait for the final scene of the final act. ... This year, the playoffs started two weeks early." ... Damon: "Every day, every night, every pitch, everything is the most important situation that could come up. It kind of feels like the World Series a little bit." ... Terry Francona: "It's kind of hard to explain the feeling."
Not really. We're pretty used to it by now. We'll be on the edge of our seats all week.
Also: Delta Air Lines' Song affiliate has named one of its Boeing 757s "Big Papi".
G154: Red Sox 4, Orioles 3
90-64.The Red Sox and Yankees have identical records with eight games remaining.
Five things:
1. Tito used the bullpen just as I would have -- Hansen, Papelbon, Timlin -- so even though Hansen gave up a game-tying home run to Melvin Mora in the seventh, bringing him in was the right move. And it was good to see Francona stay with him after that; the Sox are going to rely on him in the playoffs, so getting him used to the pressure now is essential.
2. On Edgar Renteria's two-run single off BJ Ryan in the ninth, pinch-runner Adam Stern got a fantastic read on the flair to left and was sprinting all the way. From second base, Stern had the play directly in front of him, and he scored what turned out to be the decisive run. Nice to see ER gearing up for a hot post-season, too.
3. Pitching: Matt Clement didn't give up a hit until the fifth inning, but he walked six. I can't completely fault him for that, because the umpiring was incredibly inconsistent. ... Papelbon v. Matos in the eighth. With a man on first and one out in a 2-2 game, this AB took nine pitches and five throws to first before Boston got a K-CS double play.
4. Defense. The Sox made some great plays, including Kevin Millar diving to his right to snare Bernie Castro's grounder in the fifth, then turning and diving to his left to tag the base for the out, Bill Mueller's bare-handed grab-and-gun on Tejada's roller in the ninth, and double plays that ended both the fifth and sixth innings.
5. The last three innings really felt like a playoff game. Knowing the Yankees had lost meant my heart was racing a little more and my hands were a little sweatier. Myers coming in for Hansen with runners on 2nd and 3rd in the seventh and getting a pop-up was huge. Timlin's semi-shaky ninth -- a two-out double to Gibbons which scored Castro, who had walked -- had me worried, but he retired Javy Lopez on a hard fly to the edge of the track in right to end it.
In the last two games, we've seen timely hitting and gutsy pitching. Have the Sox refound their groove? ... This team can go from great to godawful in the space of a day or even a few innings, so who knows? They just have to have a win at the end of the day. It doesn't matter how they get it.
In Toronto, the Jays battered the Yankees for seven runs in two innings. Jaret Wright allowed all seven runs while recording only three outs. Miguel Batista struck out Jason Giambi with the tying runs on base in the 8th, then struck out the side in the 9th, saving a 7-4 win. ... Cleveland romped over the Royals, but we're winning the East, so we'll let New York worry about that.
Wang / Towers at 1:00, then Wells / Maine at 1:35.
September 24, 2005
G153: Red Sox 6, Orioles 3
The Sox did everything they could do. They won their game.
But so did the Yankees, Cleveland and the White Sox. So the standings remain the same -- 1 out in the East, 1.5 out in the wild card.
Bronson Arroyo overcame a very shaky first inning (three hits, two walks, two runs, Lenny DiNardo warming after only six batters) to turn in a nice 7-7-3-3-3 line. After allowing consecutive doubles to start the third, Arroyo retired 15 of his next 16 batters.
In that time, Boston scored five runs and retook the lead (though for me, even after they lead 4-3, it still felt like they were trailing. The feeling lasted a few innings. Was it residual frustration from Arroyo's crappy beginning?)
Manny Ramirez was the Man last night, singling in a run in the first, reaching on Tejada's throwing error and scoring in the fifth, and belting a two-run homer in the seventh. His home run (#40) came on an 87 mph inside fastball -- what else was Manny gonna do with a piece of candy like that? He even started Sox fans off by clapping for himself as he left the box.
Edgar Renteria singled twice, walked once, and scored three times. Trot Nixon contributed a two-run double. Alex Cora went three-for-four in the #9 spot. ... On the other side, Johnny Damon went 0-for-5 and Jason Varitek is still swinging his bat as though it weighs 40 pounds.
And now it's time for the "Idiotic Announcer Comment Of The Night":
After Jonathan Papelbon threw a 97 mph fastball to Javy Lopez in the eighth inning, Jim Palmer noted the speed and said, "Of course, most people will tell you that the gun here at Camden Yards is a bit fast."
That's right, Jim, so why did you spend the first six innings pounding us over the head about how hard Daniel Cabrera was throwing -- and therefore how tough he would be on the Sox -- because the CY gun had him at 100 and 101?
Wright / Downs at 1:00 in Toronto. Clement / Bedard at 4:30.
But so did the Yankees, Cleveland and the White Sox. So the standings remain the same -- 1 out in the East, 1.5 out in the wild card.
Bronson Arroyo overcame a very shaky first inning (three hits, two walks, two runs, Lenny DiNardo warming after only six batters) to turn in a nice 7-7-3-3-3 line. After allowing consecutive doubles to start the third, Arroyo retired 15 of his next 16 batters.
In that time, Boston scored five runs and retook the lead (though for me, even after they lead 4-3, it still felt like they were trailing. The feeling lasted a few innings. Was it residual frustration from Arroyo's crappy beginning?)
Manny Ramirez was the Man last night, singling in a run in the first, reaching on Tejada's throwing error and scoring in the fifth, and belting a two-run homer in the seventh. His home run (#40) came on an 87 mph inside fastball -- what else was Manny gonna do with a piece of candy like that? He even started Sox fans off by clapping for himself as he left the box.
Edgar Renteria singled twice, walked once, and scored three times. Trot Nixon contributed a two-run double. Alex Cora went three-for-four in the #9 spot. ... On the other side, Johnny Damon went 0-for-5 and Jason Varitek is still swinging his bat as though it weighs 40 pounds.
And now it's time for the "Idiotic Announcer Comment Of The Night":
After Jonathan Papelbon threw a 97 mph fastball to Javy Lopez in the eighth inning, Jim Palmer noted the speed and said, "Of course, most people will tell you that the gun here at Camden Yards is a bit fast."
That's right, Jim, so why did you spend the first six innings pounding us over the head about how hard Daniel Cabrera was throwing -- and therefore how tough he would be on the Sox -- because the CY gun had him at 100 and 101?
Wright / Downs at 1:00 in Toronto. Clement / Bedard at 4:30.
September 22, 2005
G152: Devil Rays 7, Red Sox 4
One out. Mike Timlin needed to record just one lousy out. It took him five batters to get it, but by that time, the lead, the game, and first place in the East were gone.
Tim Wakefield held a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth. He allowed a single, threw a wild pitch, and hit a batter (his 3rd of the night). He got Carl Crawford to hit a 3-1 pitch for a 4-6-3 double play, but then Jose Cantu singled to left. 4-3.
I really didn't have any problem with Timlin coming in. Wakefield was at 93 pitches and the next batter, Travis Lee, had tagged him for a long home run back in the second inning. ... It fell apart pretty quickly. Lee singled, Johnny Gomes tripled, Eric Munson doubled, and Alex Gonzalez singled.
In retrospect, perhaps Craig Hansen for the out and Timlin in the ninth would have been a better course of action. ... The Sox went quickly in the ninth, slipping into second place for the first time since mid-July, thanks to the Yankees' 2-1 win over Baltimore.
Bill Mueller led off for the first time in his career and collected three singles and a walk. Manny hit #39, Doug Mirabelli had two hits, and while Edgar Renteria went 1-for-5, he also hit three wicked line drives right at Tampa infielders. Adam Hyzdu walked twice, though I did not like seeing him whiff with the bases loaded in the seventh.
Boston gets its long-awaited day off today. The Yankees finish their series with the Orioles tonight. The Red Sox will be either in an exact tie for first or one game out. ... Then it's a 10-game sprint to the finish.
Tim Wakefield held a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth. He allowed a single, threw a wild pitch, and hit a batter (his 3rd of the night). He got Carl Crawford to hit a 3-1 pitch for a 4-6-3 double play, but then Jose Cantu singled to left. 4-3.
I really didn't have any problem with Timlin coming in. Wakefield was at 93 pitches and the next batter, Travis Lee, had tagged him for a long home run back in the second inning. ... It fell apart pretty quickly. Lee singled, Johnny Gomes tripled, Eric Munson doubled, and Alex Gonzalez singled.
In retrospect, perhaps Craig Hansen for the out and Timlin in the ninth would have been a better course of action. ... The Sox went quickly in the ninth, slipping into second place for the first time since mid-July, thanks to the Yankees' 2-1 win over Baltimore.
Bill Mueller led off for the first time in his career and collected three singles and a walk. Manny hit #39, Doug Mirabelli had two hits, and while Edgar Renteria went 1-for-5, he also hit three wicked line drives right at Tampa infielders. Adam Hyzdu walked twice, though I did not like seeing him whiff with the bases loaded in the seventh.
Boston gets its long-awaited day off today. The Yankees finish their series with the Orioles tonight. The Red Sox will be either in an exact tie for first or one game out. ... Then it's a 10-game sprint to the finish.
September 21, 2005
G151: Red Sox 15, Devil Rays 2
No better time for a laugher. Check out what our starting 3-4-5-6 hitters did:
Ortiz hit long home runs in his first two at-bats (in the first inning, he and Manny went back-to-back for the first time this season). Ortiz also crushed his first one after the annoying Tampa Heckler had spewed only about three words! What Ortiz is doing is simply ridiculous at this point. I wasn't quite four years old in 1967, but older SoSHers say they haven't seen anything like this since Yaz during The Impossible Dream (and #8 was doing it in the field also).
After a triple in the fifth, Trot Nixon had a shot at the cycle, but he singled and flew to left. John Olerud singled and walked three times, and Alex Cora, after ending two consecutive innings with the bases loaded, knocked in two runs with a seventh-inning single. ... Fifteen runs on twenty-one hits and five walks against four hapless pitchers.
Nearly lost in the noise of the bats -- but no less important -- was Curt Schilling (7-6-2-1-7). A few Game Threaders were furious at Francona for leaving Schilling in during an obvious rout. I was not. If there was ever a chance for Schilling to stretch himself out a little, work on some pitches, do whatever he might need to do before the playoffs, it was last night, with a 13-run lead. He threw 110 pitches in seven innings before letting Manny Delcarmen and Lenny DiNardo finish up.
Hanley Ramirez (#60) made his debut, fielding a routine grounder to start the seventh and getting called out on strikes in the eighth. After fouling off four pitches, he clearly checked his swing on what should have been ball four. But Bruce Froemming called him out. Remy figured the umpire "has had just about enough of this game."
Great. So at the umpire's discretion, he can disregard the rules to end the game sooner. I hate that shit -- and it's surprising that it's tolerated so completely. You can't go two games without an announcer saying so-and-so's strike zone tonight is wide or tall or whatever, or noting how it obviously changes depending on the inning or who is on the mound. ... How about all the umpires call pitches according to the rule book and make their calls on the bases on whether the player is out or safe, not whether he's a future Hall of Famer or a rookie.
Since there have been comments about Johnny Damon's fielding skills, I would be remiss in not pointing out that Carl Crawford scored from second base on a sacrifice fly to center in the third inning. The ball was hit to the track and Crawford is very fast, but this was embarrassing. After Damon caught the ball, he drifted back three or four steps and banged up against the wall, then heaved the ball in. He has done that often this season and it has been completely unnecessary each and every time. It is only for show. And this time, it wasted valuable time, as Crawford never slowed down sprinting around third.
After leading 10-3, the Yankees again had to rely on Mariano Rivera to preserve a 12-9 victory against the Orioles. The standings remain the same: Sox over Yanks by .5, New York .5 behind Cleveland.
Tonight: Johnson / Lopez in New York and Wakefield / Kazmir in Tampa, both at 7:00.
AB R H BI
Ortiz 5 4 4 4
Manny 4 4 4 3
Nixon 6 4 4 3
Varitek 5 0 4 2Ortiz hit long home runs in his first two at-bats (in the first inning, he and Manny went back-to-back for the first time this season). Ortiz also crushed his first one after the annoying Tampa Heckler had spewed only about three words! What Ortiz is doing is simply ridiculous at this point. I wasn't quite four years old in 1967, but older SoSHers say they haven't seen anything like this since Yaz during The Impossible Dream (and #8 was doing it in the field also).
After a triple in the fifth, Trot Nixon had a shot at the cycle, but he singled and flew to left. John Olerud singled and walked three times, and Alex Cora, after ending two consecutive innings with the bases loaded, knocked in two runs with a seventh-inning single. ... Fifteen runs on twenty-one hits and five walks against four hapless pitchers.
Nearly lost in the noise of the bats -- but no less important -- was Curt Schilling (7-6-2-1-7). A few Game Threaders were furious at Francona for leaving Schilling in during an obvious rout. I was not. If there was ever a chance for Schilling to stretch himself out a little, work on some pitches, do whatever he might need to do before the playoffs, it was last night, with a 13-run lead. He threw 110 pitches in seven innings before letting Manny Delcarmen and Lenny DiNardo finish up.
Hanley Ramirez (#60) made his debut, fielding a routine grounder to start the seventh and getting called out on strikes in the eighth. After fouling off four pitches, he clearly checked his swing on what should have been ball four. But Bruce Froemming called him out. Remy figured the umpire "has had just about enough of this game."
Great. So at the umpire's discretion, he can disregard the rules to end the game sooner. I hate that shit -- and it's surprising that it's tolerated so completely. You can't go two games without an announcer saying so-and-so's strike zone tonight is wide or tall or whatever, or noting how it obviously changes depending on the inning or who is on the mound. ... How about all the umpires call pitches according to the rule book and make their calls on the bases on whether the player is out or safe, not whether he's a future Hall of Famer or a rookie.
Since there have been comments about Johnny Damon's fielding skills, I would be remiss in not pointing out that Carl Crawford scored from second base on a sacrifice fly to center in the third inning. The ball was hit to the track and Crawford is very fast, but this was embarrassing. After Damon caught the ball, he drifted back three or four steps and banged up against the wall, then heaved the ball in. He has done that often this season and it has been completely unnecessary each and every time. It is only for show. And this time, it wasted valuable time, as Crawford never slowed down sprinting around third.
After leading 10-3, the Yankees again had to rely on Mariano Rivera to preserve a 12-9 victory against the Orioles. The standings remain the same: Sox over Yanks by .5, New York .5 behind Cleveland.
Tonight: Johnson / Lopez in New York and Wakefield / Kazmir in Tampa, both at 7:00.
September 19, 2005
G150: Devil Rays 8, Red Sox 7
It's a wonder these brain-dead fuckers are still in first place. God, this team sucks right now. They are painful to watch. That the Red Sox can make so many mistakes on the field, at the plate, on the bases and on the mound and still have even a slim grip on first place says a lot about "good" the Yankees are.
We are in a team-wide hitting slump, except for David Ortiz, who is trying like hell to win the division single-handedly (and almost succeeding). Half our starters can't get their shit together enough to throw even three fucking innings in the heat of a mid-September pennant race. Our shortstop has become one of the bigger free-agent busts in recent memory -- and we are stuck with a manager who flat-out refuses to move him out of the top of the lineup ... because that might hurt his self-confidence ... as if he isn't already dreading every goddamn ground ball hit his way and every single at-bat with a man on base.
If Tito truly wants to win some games in these final weeks, Renteria must be dropped to #8 in the order and benched against right-handed pitchers. He finally made the move (sort of) with Millar, let's see if he has the guts to do the same with E6gar.
David Wells had nothing -- like Matt Clement before him -- giving up 10 hits and two walks in 2.2 innings -- though only four runs (Tampa left eight guys on base in the first three innings). The fat fucker failed to cover first base on a ball hit to Millar during the third inning. It's practically the first fucking thing pitchers practice in spring training, but Wells, as you may recall, said he knew his body so well, he didn't need much spring training. Well, fuck you, Orson.
Kevin Millar continues to steal the Red Sox's money. He hit into two double plays (erasing a leadoff runner both times) and (after a seven-pitch walk and the tying run on second in the seventh) hacked at the first pitch and popped to left, killing yet another rally. Fuck you, Cabin, go design another t-shirt.
Hollywood Damon has long hair and never fails to remind us that he's playing hurt, so he can't do anything wrong, yet he's dropping fly balls in center (though somehow not getting charged with any errors) seemingly every night. Fuck you, you Idiot.
If we could catch the ball, we would have won. If we could get a timely hit here or there, we would have won. If we could get a decent outing from our starter, we would have won. If we could excute simple fucking basic plays, we would have won.
Any one of those scenarios would have likely resulted in a victory. Yet, even if the Sox had somehow come back, it would still have ranked as the most frustrating game of the season. I don't want to hate this team, but they aren't giving me much reason not to.
Oh yeah: The Yankees won on a Bubba Crosby ninth-inning home run, so Boston's lead is down to .5.
Somewhere in there, between the cursing and scowling and head-shaking, Craig Hansen made his major league debut, striking out two Rays in a 1-2-3 inning. I liked that, though it is a distant memory right now.
G149: Athletics 12, Red Sox 3
Good news: Alejandro Machado's first major league hit.
Bad news: Everything else.
Matt Clement (6.14 ERA since the ASG) had absolutely nothing working for him, giving up hits to the first five Oakland batters and lasting only 1.1 innings. The A's held a 7-0 lead when he left.
Oakland has some good arms, but scoring only 10 runs in four games -- at Fenway -- is unacceptable. If this keeps up, it will also mean the Yankees will erase the slim East lead of 1.5 games. Thankfully, New York lost to Toronto yesterday -- Derek Jeter ended yet another game with the tying run on base when he looked at strike three.
Three of the deadest bats:
I wasn't sure exactly what it was that they found so objectionable, until Kuiper said, "Just the thought of the name of the show."
Besides the outright bigotry -- and from announcers calling games for a Bay Area team, no less -- they also failed to mention that the players were raising money for charity. But I guess helping rebuild a hurricane-destroyed Little League field in Florida still isn't enough of a reason to stand so close to a bunch of fags.
The Red Sox go to Tampa while the Yankees host Baltimore.
Wells / Hendrickson at 7:00.
Bad news: Everything else.
Matt Clement (6.14 ERA since the ASG) had absolutely nothing working for him, giving up hits to the first five Oakland batters and lasting only 1.1 innings. The A's held a 7-0 lead when he left.
Oakland has some good arms, but scoring only 10 runs in four games -- at Fenway -- is unacceptable. If this keeps up, it will also mean the Yankees will erase the slim East lead of 1.5 games. Thankfully, New York lost to Toronto yesterday -- Derek Jeter ended yet another game with the tying run on base when he looked at strike three.
Three of the deadest bats:
AVG OBP SLG
Varitek 6-for-49 .122 .218 .143
Renteria 11-for-65 .169 .197 .200
Nixon 9-for-49 .184 .310 .224I wasn't sure exactly what it was that they found so objectionable, until Kuiper said, "Just the thought of the name of the show."
Besides the outright bigotry -- and from announcers calling games for a Bay Area team, no less -- they also failed to mention that the players were raising money for charity. But I guess helping rebuild a hurricane-destroyed Little League field in Florida still isn't enough of a reason to stand so close to a bunch of fags.
The Red Sox go to Tampa while the Yankees host Baltimore.
Wells / Hendrickson at 7:00.
September 18, 2005
G148: Red Sox 2, Athletics 1
See? It's all about the pitching -- which we have, damn it -- and having Manny Ramirez swinging a stick in the cleanup spot.
Bronson Arroyo retired the first 12 Oakland hitters. Then he hit a rough patch, walking three guys in the fifth (one of them scored). In the sixth, he allowed two quick singles, but got a double play (excellent pivot by Edgar and a good scoop from Millar) and was out of trouble.
Jonathan Papelbon pitched the eighth and I wanted him out there for the ninth. Terry Francona overruled me and stuck Mike Timlin out there. Timlin threw nine pitches, all strikes, and got the side in order, so I didn't mind.
Pap's first batter, Marco Scutaro, lined a 2-1 pitch down the right field line that hit about one inch foul. Papelbon's next pitch was perfectly placed, up and in, knocking him back, Pedro-to-Shemp-style. Very nice! I'm going to love watching him in the rotation next season.
The Sox scored a run in the first inning, and had the bases loaded with one out against Dan Haren, but (surprise) Jason Varitek and Kevin Millar both struck out. You really had the feeling of a lost opportunity coming back to haunt the Sox.
In the sixth, Ramirez turned on an inside pitch and blasted it well over everything in left. (Off the bat, I actually thought he had popped it up foul, so I was quite surprised.) Manny did that little shoulder thing where he seems to be straightening out his uniform shirt before beginning his jog and it was 2-1.
The Yankees held off the Jays 1-0 (thanks for nothing, Shea), so the East lead remains 1.5. Cleveland beat the Royals to stay on top of the wild card list; they also moved 3.5 games behind the slumping White Sox (who led the Central by 13.5 at one point, if I recall). Oakland is now five behind in the WC, but only 2 behind the Angeles in the West.
Clement / Saarloos at 2:00.
Bronson Arroyo retired the first 12 Oakland hitters. Then he hit a rough patch, walking three guys in the fifth (one of them scored). In the sixth, he allowed two quick singles, but got a double play (excellent pivot by Edgar and a good scoop from Millar) and was out of trouble.
Jonathan Papelbon pitched the eighth and I wanted him out there for the ninth. Terry Francona overruled me and stuck Mike Timlin out there. Timlin threw nine pitches, all strikes, and got the side in order, so I didn't mind.
Pap's first batter, Marco Scutaro, lined a 2-1 pitch down the right field line that hit about one inch foul. Papelbon's next pitch was perfectly placed, up and in, knocking him back, Pedro-to-Shemp-style. Very nice! I'm going to love watching him in the rotation next season.
The Sox scored a run in the first inning, and had the bases loaded with one out against Dan Haren, but (surprise) Jason Varitek and Kevin Millar both struck out. You really had the feeling of a lost opportunity coming back to haunt the Sox.
In the sixth, Ramirez turned on an inside pitch and blasted it well over everything in left. (Off the bat, I actually thought he had popped it up foul, so I was quite surprised.) Manny did that little shoulder thing where he seems to be straightening out his uniform shirt before beginning his jog and it was 2-1.
The Yankees held off the Jays 1-0 (thanks for nothing, Shea), so the East lead remains 1.5. Cleveland beat the Royals to stay on top of the wild card list; they also moved 3.5 games behind the slumping White Sox (who led the Central by 13.5 at one point, if I recall). Oakland is now five behind in the WC, but only 2 behind the Angeles in the West.
Clement / Saarloos at 2:00.
September 17, 2005
G147: Red Sox 3, Athletics 2 (10)
Oakland had a five-man infield (no one was in center field). And the game ended without the ball being put into play.
Tony Graffanino doubled to start the tenth inning. (Ken Macha began the extra frame with Jose Cruz, apparently saving his ace closer, Huston "0.90 ERA in 30 innings since the All-Star Game" for a save situation that never materialized. What a dope.) After pinch-runner Alejandro Machado went to third on Johnny Damon's grounder, Macha pulled left fielder Jay Payton for Keith Ginter, but put Ginter in the infield.
Cruz then hit Edgar Renteria with a 3-1 pitch (the ball three pitch nearly hit him also) and David Ortiz was walked intentionally. Keichi Yabu came in and plunked Manny Ramirez on the left elbow with a 1-1 pitch and Boston walked off with their 24th one-run win (against 14 losses). It kept the Sox 1.5 games ahead of the Yankees, who nearly blew an 11-3 lead in Toronto. New York trails in the wild card chase by .5 games.
Tim Wakefield pitched yet another gem. He held the A's to seven hits in nine innings; four of those hits came in the fourth inning. His only walk was to the game's first batter and he recorded 17 ground-ball outs (a good strategy with Manny, no-arm Damon and Kevin Millar in the soggy outfield).
Ortiz (who tied the game at 2-2 with a solo blast in the sixth) claimed he was surprised at being walked: "I saw a lefty warming up in the bullpen, so I thought they were going to bring him in. ... But I guess they've been watching ESPN a lot."
Terry Francona: "You're sitting there watching, waiting and expecting something. I think it stunned us all." ... The last time the Sox won on an HBP was against the Phillies on June 16, 1997 (Troy O'Leary was hit, also in the 10th inning).
It was a happy ending to a game that was increasingly frustrating in the later innings. In the seventh, Boston got the first two men on. But Kiko Calero came in and struck out Bill Mueller and Graffanino. Damon walked to load the bases, but Renteria grounded out (and is now 1-for-his-last-22). Memo to Tito: Please, please, please replace ER in the #2 spot with Graffanino.)
Then, facing Justin Duchscherer (who ESPN's Rick Sutcliffe referred to as "Duh-sure-sure") in the bottom of the ninth, Trot Nixon, Doug Mirabelli and Mueller all struck out looking. In their last three home games, the Sox are 1-for-24 (.042) with runners in scoring position.
So while all the national and out-of-town announcers say Boston is where they are because of their bats, it's the pitching that has carried the team lately. The club's September ERA is 3.83, well below Cleveland's eye-popping 2.19, but still good for 5th in the AL.
Elsewhere: Wade Miller pitched five one-hit, scoreless innings for Portland (AA) in Game 3 of the Eastern League championship series. He threw 64 pitches and struck out six. Akron went on to win the game 2-0. ... Gabe Kapler left the team yesterday and is scheduled to have surgery on his ruptured Achilles tendon on Tuesday.
Ortiz became the eighth Red Sox player to hit at least 43 home runs in a season.
Randy Johnson was ejected in the second inning in Toronto for bitching about the home plate umpire's calls. (One annoying thing about the heave-ho: the umpire, Fieldin Culbreth, kept backing away from Johnson while they argued. If Culbreth had stood his ground, Johnson would likely have knocked him over.) David Wells got a six-game suspension for similarly mouthing off. Let's see what Yankee Bob's boys at MLB HQ do with the Big Eunuch.
Arroyo / Haren at 7:00.
Tony Graffanino doubled to start the tenth inning. (Ken Macha began the extra frame with Jose Cruz, apparently saving his ace closer, Huston "0.90 ERA in 30 innings since the All-Star Game" for a save situation that never materialized. What a dope.) After pinch-runner Alejandro Machado went to third on Johnny Damon's grounder, Macha pulled left fielder Jay Payton for Keith Ginter, but put Ginter in the infield.
Cruz then hit Edgar Renteria with a 3-1 pitch (the ball three pitch nearly hit him also) and David Ortiz was walked intentionally. Keichi Yabu came in and plunked Manny Ramirez on the left elbow with a 1-1 pitch and Boston walked off with their 24th one-run win (against 14 losses). It kept the Sox 1.5 games ahead of the Yankees, who nearly blew an 11-3 lead in Toronto. New York trails in the wild card chase by .5 games.
Tim Wakefield pitched yet another gem. He held the A's to seven hits in nine innings; four of those hits came in the fourth inning. His only walk was to the game's first batter and he recorded 17 ground-ball outs (a good strategy with Manny, no-arm Damon and Kevin Millar in the soggy outfield).
Ortiz (who tied the game at 2-2 with a solo blast in the sixth) claimed he was surprised at being walked: "I saw a lefty warming up in the bullpen, so I thought they were going to bring him in. ... But I guess they've been watching ESPN a lot."
Terry Francona: "You're sitting there watching, waiting and expecting something. I think it stunned us all." ... The last time the Sox won on an HBP was against the Phillies on June 16, 1997 (Troy O'Leary was hit, also in the 10th inning).
It was a happy ending to a game that was increasingly frustrating in the later innings. In the seventh, Boston got the first two men on. But Kiko Calero came in and struck out Bill Mueller and Graffanino. Damon walked to load the bases, but Renteria grounded out (and is now 1-for-his-last-22). Memo to Tito: Please, please, please replace ER in the #2 spot with Graffanino.)
Then, facing Justin Duchscherer (who ESPN's Rick Sutcliffe referred to as "Duh-sure-sure") in the bottom of the ninth, Trot Nixon, Doug Mirabelli and Mueller all struck out looking. In their last three home games, the Sox are 1-for-24 (.042) with runners in scoring position.
So while all the national and out-of-town announcers say Boston is where they are because of their bats, it's the pitching that has carried the team lately. The club's September ERA is 3.83, well below Cleveland's eye-popping 2.19, but still good for 5th in the AL.
Elsewhere: Wade Miller pitched five one-hit, scoreless innings for Portland (AA) in Game 3 of the Eastern League championship series. He threw 64 pitches and struck out six. Akron went on to win the game 2-0. ... Gabe Kapler left the team yesterday and is scheduled to have surgery on his ruptured Achilles tendon on Tuesday.
Ortiz became the eighth Red Sox player to hit at least 43 home runs in a season.
Ortiz is also closing in on the club record for homers in consecutive seasons. Foxx hit 86 in 1937-38; Ortiz has 84 over the last two years.Jimmie Foxx 50 1938
Jim Rice 46 1978
Carl Yastrzemski 44 1967
Mo Vaughn 44 1996
Ted Williams 43 1949
Tony Armas 43 1984
David Ortiz 43 2005
Randy Johnson was ejected in the second inning in Toronto for bitching about the home plate umpire's calls. (One annoying thing about the heave-ho: the umpire, Fieldin Culbreth, kept backing away from Johnson while they argued. If Culbreth had stood his ground, Johnson would likely have knocked him over.) David Wells got a six-game suspension for similarly mouthing off. Let's see what Yankee Bob's boys at MLB HQ do with the Big Eunuch.
Arroyo / Haren at 7:00.
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