The red sox swept the orioles today after a bad losing streak, and are now looking to continue their winning streak against one of baseball’s best teams. Doug Mirabelli has been on a homerun tear, along with Willy Mo Pena exibiting his power, the Red Sox should be steady against the Tigers.
Manny Ramirez’s 27 game streak came to an end today after he extended it the day before with a walk off win.
He’s 14-4, has a 3.78 ERA, 142 strikeouts, and is coming back from a bad ankle injury, and came back to be the staff’s ace, and keep the team in contention. Enough said basically.
With the Yankees struggling against the Blue Jays, the Red Sox need to try to open up a lead in the A.L. East. Currently looking well as a team, the Red Sox lost today against the Seattle Mariners,but have been hitting well out in Safeco Field. The Sox are playing the Athletics in the next series, and they might be in a bind by the time the red sox get out there since they are playing the team with the best record in the majors. So the next few days revolve around the Blue Jays,Yankees,Red Sox, Rangers,and Mariners to see what the lead will be then.
Tommorow I’ll be putting up a photo album or two of pictures from Pawsox games, one was from when Coco Crisp was down for rehab, another from yesterday with Willy Mo Pena and Jason Johnson ( he didn’t look too good he gave up six runs,two of them in the first inning).
In a tough American League East Division the Red Sox carried a 3 game lead over their rival Yankees, and a 5 game lead over an excellent Toronto Blue Jay team. This year instead of being the usual Red Sox – Yankees battle for first, the Blue Jays have kept themselves in contention.
But to stay in first place there are many things that need to stay the same for the Red Sox. Mike Lowell, who was thought by many to be burned out last year has been an excellent addition at third base, and has been phenomenal on offense,using Fenway Park’s green monster to pull alot of doubles. He has proven that he wasn’t a throw in with Josh Beckett.
Josh Beckett is also another part of the pieces which will lead to the team to victories over the second half. Along with Curt Schilling who returned from his ankle injury to have a 10-3 record and a 3.60 ERA. Although Josh Beckett had some shaky performances he has been an addition to the once struggling Sox pitching that relied on offense and has a 11-4 record with a 4.75 ERA.
Brought up from Pawtucket to fix a temporary starting pitcher hole Jon Lester took on the challenge and has become successfully. He has a 4-0 record and a 3.06 ERA, and will look to keep going tommorow against the Oakland Athletics. Two other young pitchers Manny Delcarmen and Craig Hansen are going to help keep the bullpen steady with 3.52 and 4.63 ERA’s, and rookie closer turned starter turned closer, or something along the lines of that Jonathan Papelbon has been lights out for the Boston Red Sox who only has a 0.59 ERA, and is in a tie with for a Major League leading 26 saves.
And with David Ortiz,Manny Ramirez, Trot Nixon,Mark Loretta, and Alex Gonzalez ( who has surprised many) hitting so well the Red Sox should succeed in the second half.
Today Pedro Martinez makes a start against his former team the Boston Red Sox, against Josh Beckett, who you could say is in the same role with Schilling that Pedro was. This should be a fun
liveblog. Josh Beckett is looking for his tenth win on the season.
7:10: First out made for Beckett, a good start.Both Varitek and Reyes are back from their collision.
7:14: Three quick outs for Josh Beckett, only 7 pitches, NESN isn’t showing a commercial, and Pedro’s getting his third ovation.
7:15: Now they decide to show a commercial, it’s great what the fans are doing.
7:16: Kevin Youkilis gets to have the pleasure of seeing Pedro first.
7:17: Youkilis greets him on the second pitch he sees with a single
7:19: Mark Loretta also hits a single, a good start all around for the Red Sox.
7:21: That could have been two outs, a lucky break.
7:25: bases loaded, a good scoring opportunity.
7:26: Pedro’s been struggling to this point.
7:28: It’s 2-0 red sox.
7:29: Problems for the Mets in general so far.
7:33: Pedro got out of the inning only slightly scarred with four runs,could have been more.
7:34: Beckett’s now pitching with a four run lead which should help his usual early inning trouble,although he doesn’t seem to be having any.
7:36: Josh Beckett strikes out his former teammate for the first out.He’s been good.
7:37: Also gets out fellow MlBlogger David Wright .Nice play by Alex Gonzalez.
7:39: Beckett gets out of the second inning with a clean sheet.
7:41: Gonzalez gets the first out.
7:42: This is going to be Pedro’s second time through the lineup.
7:44: The Mets left fielder is refusing to field fly balls, where’s Mike Lowell and his wall ball doubles.
7:45: Loretta gets hit. Pedro hits alot of batters when he is struggling.
7:47: And Pedro gets out of the inning unscathed.
7:49: Jerry Remy and the Mets announcer swithched places.
7:51: Beckett already has 3 strikeouts.
7:53: First hit of the night for the Mets, Beckett looked like he was going to go with no hits a few more innings.
7:56: Fourth strikeout for Beckett, this Mets announcer is very nice.
8:01: Manny gets a double. Pedro’s been off and on.
8:03: Nixon drives in Manny who was close to getting caught but the throw was off line.
8:05: Now Varitek gets a hit.
8:07: Nixon scores the sixth run.
8:08: The Yankees won today making the Red Sox 3 games ahead.
8:09: Coco Crisp walks.
8:10: Alex Gonzalez is amazing right now. WOW!
8:11: This is the most runs Pedro has allowed since 2004.
8:19: Beckett gives up a home run, and his first run of the night.
8:22: Pedro Martinez out of the game already after giving up 8 runs.
8:26: One out in the 4th inning. This seems like a long game.
8:27: Ortiz strikes out.
8:28: The fourth inning ends. An unusual game to this point.
8:32: Josh Beckett’s been phenomenal up to now.
8:45:Lowell flies out to left.
8:57: Gonzalez has been beyond what everyone expected.
9:02: The Red Sox add two more runs.
9:05: The National League has been dominated by the Red Sox.
9:12: Beckett continues to pitch an excellent game,he has six strikeouts and has only given up two runs.
9:17: Former Red Sox Chad Bradford on the mound.
9:22: A double play ends the inning.
9:25: Seven strikeouts now.
9:27: Nice effort by Gabe Kapler.
9:33: He walks Beltran who is his final batter. These last two starts have really shown what kind of stuff Josh Beckett has.
9:39: Javier Lopez strikes out the first batter he faces.
9:43: Coco Crisp singles.
9:52: Mirabelli pinch hits and pops up
9:55: Delcarmen comes in for the ninth, and strikes out the first batter.
9:57: Two outs in the ninth.
10:00: Strikeout. The Red Sox win.
I’ll be liveblogging tommorows game where Pedro Martinez, makes a start against his former team. It should be a pitchers game with Beckett vs. Pedro, and a great game to watch.
I decided I’m going to make an attempt at liveblogging tonights game. Tonight is going to be a great pitching matchup, Curt Schilling vs. Johan Santana . Mike Timlin will be making his return from the Disabled List today, and should be making an appearance in the 8th inning.
8:12: Coco strikes out. Not a good way to start the night.
8:14: Santana gets guys behind in the count fast, the Sox are going to have try to work him deep in the count somehow.
8:15: Loretta strikes out too, I’m starting to think go first pitch swinging.
8:16: Not good. Strikes out the side
Sorry about the huge delay but I had computer trouble.
8:57:1000th career strikeout for Santana on Ortiz. Eight so far for him.
8:58: Manny swings and misses to start his at-bat,gets himself in a hole like so many of his teammates.
8:59: Manny pops up.Can’t get the offense started.
9:00 0-2 on the Captain but he grounds out.
9:00: Schilling and Tom Glavine of the Mets are both trying for their 10th wins today.
9:03: Schilling gets the first guy out.
9:06: Glavine has a no-decision. Curt could definitely use some hits.
9:08: 1-2-3 inning for Curt.
9:10: 55 pitches to this point for Santana.
9:12: 10 Strikeouts already. An amazing pitching performance.
9:16: he struck out the side again.
9:17: this is an incredible pitching duel.
9:18: Just great the Yankees are winning their game.
9:22: Hunter steals.
9:24: Strike him out- throw him out by Varitek. How about a hit him out now?
9:26: 0-2 to Alex Gonzalez. He makes it 12 strikeouts
9:29: Two of them made contact at least,could be worse.
9:33: Schilling doesn’t need much more for 3000 innings.
9:37: One down in the seventh.
9:41: Second strikeout for Manny.
9:41: THANK YOU VARITEK!
9:47: Schilling’s fifth strikeout.
9: 50: This is going to be a long game
9:53: 19 strikeouts between these two pitchers.
9:58: Yankees won, the Red Sox need to start swinging.
10:00: Nixon and Gonzalez are having a relatively good game.
10:02: Both teams have been even throughout this one.
10:14: Lead runner on in Loretta. He has a four game hit streak.
10:41: And we’re in extra innings, Santana and Schilling pitched phenomenal games which they gave up to their closers.
10:42: Gonzalez 3-4 tonight.
10:21: Manny’s fighting in this one.
10:24: Not a good game for him.
10:29: Bad situation to be in.
10:30: Good play by Youkilis, clears the baserunner.
10:41: And we’re in extra innings, the rest of this liveblog will be brought in a summary tommorow. Thanks for reading this if you did. Now that I got the first out of the way the rest should be better!
The way Coco Crisp wears his socks depends on how he’s feeling that day according to an interview he did with PaperMag while he was still playing with the Indians:
"When I wear my pants to my ankles I feel like more of a big guy… like I have more power. And when I wear them at the knees — showing full sock — I feel more like a speedster. I switch it up based on how I feel. "
Also on the hat thing Coco does:
I wore my hat to the side in Little League but when I got to high school everyone said wear your hat straight. In the minors I was able to have fun again and put it to the side. I decided to keep it going in the big leagues and hoped nobody would say anything and they didn’t. it just feels more comfortable.
Matt Clement pitched 6 innings and only allowed three runs in today’s Sox 8-3 win over the Detroit Tigers. After being 5-3 in the 8th inning where bad pitching by the Tigers put the Red Sox ahead by three runs. Clement was finally pulled out of the game by fatigue,and Jason Varitek. Varitek called the medical staff from the dugout after noticing Matt Clement was getting tired. The eighth inning might have been ugly to the Detroit Tigers,especially when their manager was pulled, but it was just what the Red Sox needed.
Double Play 