WIN: Okajima (4-0)
LOSS: Janssen (2-4)
SAVE: Papelbon (29)
Had 'em all the way!
But seriously, this was a wild one! The Red Sox went all Lumberjacks on Ricky Romero, lighting him up for 6 runs (5 earned) in 3 2/3. Ortiz and Bay hit do(u)ngs, and the offense gave Beckett some breathing room.
Breathing room is exactly what Beckett would need. He was not good tonight. He struggled with his location and generally looked sluggish. He had leads of 4-0 and 7-3 but still managed to blow it all away, as Toronto slowly dug away and tied the game on a two-run homre by Rod Barajas. Beckett: 5.1-9-7-1-4, 99/63
In the 8th, Ortiz walked, Green singled to left, then Alex Gonzalez bunted back to the pitcher Janssen, who bobbled it then threw it up the first base line. A sacrifice bunt turns into two errors and Ortiz scoring the go-ahead run. Ellsbury then hit a scrotum fly to right that scored Green to make it 9-7. Victor Martinez hit an Xtra Mart down the left field line to score Gonzalez which proved to be the difference in this one.
Daniel Bard came in to pitch the 8th, throwing 99-100 and got two quick outs, then gave up two quick singles. Terry Francona had Papelbon warming and decided to go for the 4-out save. It almost completely blew up in our faces tonight, as Papelbon STRUGGLED. He walked Snider to load the bases, then gave up a two-run single to Scutaro to make this one a way-too-cozy 10-9 ballgame.
The Red Sox had a chance for insurance with men at first and second with 1 out, but Nick Green grounded hard into a 5-4-3 double play, and by this point we're wondering what Papelbon's going to give us in the bottom of the 9th.
It was interesting... A lead-off single to Overbay, two quick outs, then a walk to Encarnacion. Rod Barajas came up with the tying run at second, winning run at first, and ended up popping out into foul territory, halfway down the right-field line, into Kevin Youkilis' glove.
It's too bad more games weren't this easy.
***
MIN: 000 104 3
TEX: 104 001 0
It looked like Texas was going to cruise to a win tonight! Not so fast.
The Yankees and A's are in the 3rd in Oakland, tied at 2.
***
Francona, on Papelbon: "He was just kinda blah tonight." We do forget he hasn't pitched in a few games and he did look sluggish and rusty. After 33 pitches, I wonder if he'll be available tomorrow night. Pfft. This is August. Of course he's available!
18 August 2009
Game 118 • Red Sox at Blue Jays • 7 PM
BOS: Josh Beckett RHP (14-4, 3.10 ERA, 153 ERA+)
TOR: Ricky Romero LHP (10-5, 3.70 ERA, 118 ERA+)
Um, the Red Sox are better than the Blue Jays. They have a better record, better pitching, better offense, better everything. Right??? Who's with me!!!
This should be a walk in the park! We've got Beckett on the bump against some rookie lefty who nobody knows of. Plus, Romero is 0-2 against Boston this year! He gave up five runs in his first start in six innings, then in his second start he gave up four runs in just 4 1/3!
Beckett, on the other hand, has not faced the Bluebirds yet this year. Also working in his favor are his last three starts. Seven innings each time out, and a TOTAL of two earned runs - in 21 innings!
I'm confident.
Last night the Red Sox were idle, but the Rangers and Yankees weren't. The results were... mixed. Texas won, New York lost. That puts us 1 GB in the wildcard and now only 7 GB of the Yankees! Doable! Got 'em right where we want 'em!
Kevin Youkilis is done serving his suspension and is back in the lineup. Ortiz gets the night off.
Dustin Pedroia is headed back to Boston to be with his wife, Kelli, as she's set to give birth to their first child. Congratulations to the Pedroias!
***
*UPDATE* Varitek has been scratched from the lineup with a sore neck. Who'd have thought we'd see the day when David Ortiz is inserted into the same spot in the lineup Jason Varitek was scratched from? The Cactus' absence shuffles things up quite a bit.
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. J.D. Drew, RF
3. Victor Martinez, C
4. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. David Ortiz, DH
8. Nick Green, 2B
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS
TOR: Ricky Romero LHP (10-5, 3.70 ERA, 118 ERA+)
Um, the Red Sox are better than the Blue Jays. They have a better record, better pitching, better offense, better everything. Right??? Who's with me!!!
This should be a walk in the park! We've got Beckett on the bump against some rookie lefty who nobody knows of. Plus, Romero is 0-2 against Boston this year! He gave up five runs in his first start in six innings, then in his second start he gave up four runs in just 4 1/3!
Beckett, on the other hand, has not faced the Bluebirds yet this year. Also working in his favor are his last three starts. Seven innings each time out, and a TOTAL of two earned runs - in 21 innings!
I'm confident.
Last night the Red Sox were idle, but the Rangers and Yankees weren't. The results were... mixed. Texas won, New York lost. That puts us 1 GB in the wildcard and now only 7 GB of the Yankees! Doable! Got 'em right where we want 'em!
Kevin Youkilis is done serving his suspension and is back in the lineup. Ortiz gets the night off.
Dustin Pedroia is headed back to Boston to be with his wife, Kelli, as she's set to give birth to their first child. Congratulations to the Pedroias!
***
*UPDATE* Varitek has been scratched from the lineup with a sore neck. Who'd have thought we'd see the day when David Ortiz is inserted into the same spot in the lineup Jason Varitek was scratched from? The Cactus' absence shuffles things up quite a bit.
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. J.D. Drew, RF
3. Victor Martinez, C
4. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. David Ortiz, DH
8. Nick Green, 2B
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS
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