Fenway West - The Boston Red Sox Western Home: 9/7/08 - 9/14/08

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Say Hello To My Little Friend

Dustin Pedroia had 3 more hits tonight to reach #200 on the season. The Red Sox had to come from behind to beat the Jays in the second game of the doubleheader. Colon ran in some trouble in the second giving up 5 runs (2 earned). He settled back down and went 6 innings. The pen was spectatcular keeping the Jays off the board for the last 3 innings. The Sox offense chipped away at the lead getting a run in the 6th from a sac fly, another run in the 7th and then took the lead with 3 in the eighth. Jacoby, Lowrie, Bay, and Pedroia all a multi-hit game.

The Yankees rallied from behind to beat the Rays 6-5 and put the Red Sox back within 2 of the division lead. Tonight's win for all practical purposes ended the Jays chance of competing for the wildcard.

Red Sox Win 7-5 BOX SCORE

Red Sox Lineup 9/13 Game 2 vs the Jays

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Dustin Pedroia 2B
David Ortiz DH
Kevin Youkilis 1B
Mark Kotsay RF
Jason Bay LF
Jed Lowrie 3B
Alex Cora SS
Kevin Cash C

Bartolo Colo, SP

Byrd Comes Back to Earth

Paul Byrd had pitched like a Cy Young candidate since joining the Red Sox, he came back to reality in Game 1 of today's doubleheader. Byrd went 5 innings giving up 10 hits and 5 earned runs. David Aardsma came in for his first appearance since coming off of the DL and looked like a guy that is still not right. He pitched an inning giving up 3 runs, all earned. The only good news from the pitching staff was Hansack who pitched the final 3 frames without giving up a hit. The Sox offense looked as flat as the pitching staff today managing just 5 hits (Ellsbury had 2 of them) and one run in the blowout loss. I don't know the stats for this but it seems like the Sox alway suck when they wear the red uniforms.

Red Sox Lose 8-1 BOX SCORE

Okajima's option picked up for 2009

From redsox.com:

BOSTON -- The Red Sox announced Saturday that reliever Hideki Okajima's option has officially vested for next season.
Okajima's two-year, $2.5 million contract had a $1.75 million option for 2009, but if he pitched in at least 115 games in '07 and '08, the Sox would automatically pick it up.
"In a day and age when it's hard to find relievers," manager Terry Francona said, "he's done a pretty good job."
Entering Saturday's doubleheader with Toronto, Okajima has pitched in 123 games over the past two seasons; his 115th appearance was Aug. 20 at Baltimore. But due to paperwork and finalization on the option pickup, the Red Sox did not officially announce it until Saturday.
Okajima, 32, joined the Red Sox in November 2006 as an amateur free agent. The lefty came to the Major Leagues with a 34-32 career record and a 3.36 ERA in Japan.
He made the American League All-Star team in 2007 with a 3-2 record and a 2.22 ERA. This season hasn't been quite so seamless -- while Okajima harbors an identical record and a 2.88 ERA, he's blown eight saves.
"He set the bar unbelievably high," said Francona of Okajima's first year, when he finished sixth in the AL Rookie of the Year Award voting. "This year, I think by his own accounts, it hasn't been as easy as it was last year."
Okajima has pitched 123 1/3 innings in his first two seasons in Boston, and his strength down the stretch in 2007 undoubtedly helped the Sox toward their World Series title.
Now, with the option picked up, Okajima will have the opportunity to make a similar impact down the stretch this year and in 2009.
"He's still a pretty good reliever, and when he has that split over -- or that changeup or whatever you call it -- he can be a dominant reliever," Francona said. "There have been times this year when it hasn't always been there."

Red Sox Lineup 9/13 Game 1 vs. the Jays

Jacoby Ellsbury, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Lowell, 3B
Sean Casey, 1B
Jason Bay, LF
Jed Lowrie, SS
Jason Varitek, C
Coco Crisp, CF

Paul Byrd, SP

Friday, September 12, 2008

Wake Delivers

Tim Wakefield pitched a gem tonight, going 8 scoreless innings only giving up 3 hits with no walks. The Sox took a one run lead in the bottom of the second and added another run in the 4th. Kevin Cash opened the flood gates with a 3-run tater over the monster in the 8th. Papelbon was warming up before Cash put the game out of reach so Delcarmen came in for the 9th and retired the Jays in order. The Tampa-NYY game was rained out so the Red Sox pick up 1/2 a game and now trail the Rays by 2.

Red Sox Win 7-0 BOX SCORE

Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 9/12 vs the Jays

Coco Crisp, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Jason Bay, LF
Mike Lowell, 3B
Mark Kotsay, RF
Jed Lowrie, SS
Kevin Cash, C Tim Wakefield, SP

Lester to take on Halladay on TBS

New addition to the Sox national TV schedule this week: Jon Lester v. Roy Halladay of Toronto will be on TBS this Sunday, September 14, 10:35 AM (PDT) on TBS.

NESN Gives Announcer Boy An Extension

Don Orsillo has signed to a multi-year extension to broadcast Red Sox games for NESN. Tonight he will announce his 1,000th game on the network. Congrats Don, well deserved.

Dumbass Hank Guarantees the Yankees Will Suck Next Year

If the Yankees were bad this year, just think how bad they will be when Dumbass Hank makes all the decisions next season. Here is what he told the Record yesterday:

“Suffice to say, there’s not going to be any more, on my part, of trying to keep everybody happy. If I want somebody, I’m going to go after him,” Steinbrenner told The Record by phone this afternoon. Immediately after the season, Steinbrenner plans to review the entire organization. “Just as my dad would have,” he said, adding that George Steinbrenner has equally been dismayed by the Yankees’ fourth-place standing. “It’s been a very disappointing year for both of us."

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Red Sox Can Bury the Jays

Toronto is the hottest team in baseball and they have moved to within 6.5 games of Boston. They do not have a great chance of catching the Red Sox but it is in the realm of possibilities. If the Sox win the upcoming four game series with Toronto they can make fans north of the border start to think about hockey season. Bartolo Colon is scheduled to make his first start since his injury during interleague play on Sunday.

Remember

----writers note, I don't claim to be a poet, nor a writer, but this is from the heart, and this is my plea for today: Sorry it's not Baseball, but sometimes, there is more to life than baseball.

-----

We sit in silence, to focus on this day,

a celebration, mournful and heavy, what me must remember.

Remember the skyline of the City torn to bits,

Remember the support of the world.

Remember, the outcry for help, and the outpouring of love.

Remember in celebration, the character of this United States.

Remember, the strength from within.

Remember as a nation, we were NOT divided,

even when religion, politics, sex , race and geography tried to.

Remember, we are one, we breathe, sigh, love and bleed together, we are one voice,

one people.

We, need to remember, no matter what side of the fence we stand,

in argument with our neighbor, ALL of our feet, both sides, are

firmly planted in America.

SO please my brothers and sisters,

Lest not remember color, creed, religion or politics.

Lets remember, hope, a better life for the future of us,

and our love for our country.

Our People, and our children.

Let us remember, this day, this somber day, that we are Free, Free to believe, act, think, be different.

And we are lucky, blessed, and fulfilled for it.

GOD BLESS AMERICA

Red Sox Could Go After Japanese Pitcher Junichi Tazawa

Junichi Tazawa announced that he was interested in playing with a Major League team in the U.S. instead of playing in Japan. Here's what Rotoworld said about him ealier this month:

The Red Sox, Braves and Mets are among the teams reportedly targeting 22-year-old Japanese pitcher Junichi Tazawa.
Tazawa is slated to be an early pick in Japan's draft, but there's nothing preventing him from signing with an MLB team first. He reportedly throws 97 mph, though that may be an exaggeration, and shows a quality slider. There's been no indication yet of what kind of contract he might get.

Fenway Park Blood Drive

Papelbon's Dirty Dancing Video

Wicked Good Sports has posted the Jonathan Papelbon high school dancing video in full, you can watch it here if you can stomach it.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Rays Squirm Out of Fenway With Their First Series Win

It took 14 innings but the Rays now have won the first series at Fenway in the history of their franchise. Timlin gave up a 3-run homer to Pena in the top of the 14. The Sox loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the inning but could only push one run across. The Red Sox could very easily have swept the series if a few things had gone their way but they now find themselves 2 1/2 games back.

Red Sox Lose 4-2 BOX SCORE

Red Sox Prayer

Our Lord of Fenway, God of all things seen, and green (like the monster),

Be with our gentlemen tonight, as they cruise (around the bases like Ellsbury), and over the Rays for a victory tonight.

See them hitting the ball hard, being swift, and gloves accurate and on.

Arms firing hard (Beckett), and the wind in fenway against our backs.

Gods of hits, runs and outs, please grant us easy outs on defense, long innings and high scores on offense, may we hit and run, hit off the wall, and not commit any errors.

Lord, once again, I ask you to be with Bay, Lowrie, Ellsbury, Kotsay, Ortiz, Varitek, Pedroia, Youkillis, Lowell and of course Beckett, and also with the Bench, Bullpen and the coaching staff. . . lead us to victory.

Lord, thank you so very much for the fall of the yankees, we do owe you one!, And oh yes lord, who ever it is praying hard in Tampa and Toronto to give them the luck they're getting, please know, Bostonians and the Red Sox Nation have been praying longer, and harder. . . so thanks again for 2004, 2007 and I'll just thank you in advance for the victory in the world series over the Cubs this year.

Ellsbury for ROY, Pedroia for MVP, Dice-K for Cy Young, and the Sox for Champs in 2008. . . . . . . . . . too much to ask?

AMEN

Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 9/10 vs Tampa Bay

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Jason Bay, LF
Mike Lowell, 3B
Mark Kotsay, RF
Jed Lowrie, SS
Jason Varitek, C

Josh Beckett, SP

Papelbon and Casey Appear in New TBS Ad

TBS is rolling out a new ad for their post-season coverage featuring Bon Jovi and Red Sox players Jonathan Papelbon and Sean Casey. Yahoo sports points out that the Yankees are also featured in the ad even though they will be nowhere near the post-season.

Lugo Is Done For the Season

New reports are now suggesting that there is no chance Julio Lugo will be back on the team this season. After a setback during rehab to his injury he has not been able to resume baseball related activities. Many of you out there may be cheering this news, but I would have liked to have him available in case Lowrie gets hurt. The team has been better offensivly and defensively with Lowire so the news is not devistating by any means.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Cinco Uh-Oh

Tonight's game was looking like it would be one of the best of the season for the Red Sox after the heroic go-ahead 2 run homer by Jason Bay in the eighth. That is, until Papelbon took the mound in the top of the 9th. Paps threw three straight balls to start the inning before getting Dan Johnson to a full count. The Fenway crowd rose to cheer on what they thought would be strike three only to watch the pitch fly over the bullpen wall to tie the game. Another near homer off of the monster and a base hit brought in the go ahead run for the Rays. In the bottom of the 9th Kotsay walked and Tek failed to bunt him over before popping up. Big Papi came up and got under a ball flying out to right. Ellsbury was called on to pinch run and stole second and advanced to third on a bad throw. Coco Crisp came to the plate with a chance to drive in the tying run but popped up to end the game. The Sox should be in first place celebrating, the stories in tomorrow's papers should have be about Jason Bay's impact on the team but a bad inning by Papelbon changed the outcome. The loss hurts a little because it could have been such a memorable game but with Beckett going tomorrow Boston should be able to win the series and keep the pressure on the Rays.

Red Sox Lose 5-4 BOX SCORE

Celebrity TP

I found this photo of Yankee TP a while back. Someone asked me where to buy some, but I didn't know. Well, I have since found a link:

http://www.jeremyinc.com/Celebrity_toilet_paper.html

Besides Yankee TP, they also sell TP w/your favorite celebrity on it. If you click on the link, you'll get a good chuckle from who's first on their list!

Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 9/9 vs.the Rays

As I pointed out yesterday, the Red Sox may need to rest Ortiz, it looks like they are going to do that today. Drew is available to pinch hit but will not start and the Red Sox will use Bailey as the DH batting 9th.

Crisp CF
Lowrie SS
Pedroia 2B
Youkilis 1B
Bay LF
Lowell 3B
Kotsay RF
Varitek C
Bailey DH

Matsuzaka SP

Great Pitching Matchup

Tonight's game at Fenway will feature an intriguing match-up between Dice-K and Scott Kazmir. Both pitchers have great stuff and are among the leagues best pitchers, but niether has been able to elivate to the top and become a Cy Young candidate. A win tonight will give Dice-K 17 wins on the season and put the Red Sox in first place. A win for the Rays will give Kazmir the confidence he needs against Boston in case the teams meet in October. As good as both pitchers are, I don't see this game as becoming a pitcher's duel; the Sox offense should be able to get to Kazmir in the first few innings, the key to the game is for Dice-K to keep his walks down.

Red Sox Give 456 Reasons To Thank Fans

In an ad in today's Globe, the Red Sox listed 456 reasons to thank fans for the record number of sellouts. Click on the picture to read them all.

Monday, September 8, 2008

First Place In Sight

The Red Sox recorded their league leading 14th shutout tonight against Tampa Bay. Jon Lester had "ace" stuff once again pitching into the eighth inning before turning it over to Paps for the save. Boston scored three runs in the 1st including a homer by Jason Bay, but would not score another run in the game. Kotsay had two hits on the game and Coco went 3-3 Is there a batter hotter that Crisp right now? With the win the Red Sox move to within 1/2 a game of the Rays. They are also 1 game behind the Angels for the best record in the league.

Red Sox Win 3-0 BOX SCORE

Book Review: 'The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty', by Buster Olney

First of all, Buster Olney is not a die hard Red Sox fan. He did not write this book from the perspective that many of us in RSN might have given the opportunity. He covered the Yankees for 6 years for the New York Times. Secondly, it was with total glee that I happened to finish the book on the same day that the Yankees slid from 3rd place to 4th with slim chances of climbing back higher.
Olney tells the story of the Yankee dynasty of 1996-2000, the team that won 4 World Series in 5 years, the team that was on the brink of winning their 5th title in 6 years. He does a splendid job of weaving the backstories of most of the Yankee players of the era, the poor choices made by Yankee management and ownership, the events of the night mentioned in the title, and the subsequent title drought that persists to this day. He offers a look into the way George Steinbrenner operated as a hands on owner, driven more by the notion of success in whatever endeavor he chose (in his case, owning a baseball team) than creating a true baseball legacy. It seems to me that it didn’t matter what Steinbrenner was doing, as long as he was successful doing it.
If you’re looking for a book that shreds the Yankees into pieces, berates and belittles everyone in the Yankee organization from George himself down to the man holding down the last spot on the roster, this is not it. It is not a hit piece on the Yankees, but a well written docu-drama recording the events that had permanent repercussions and the lesser known sub-plots and personal stories of all involved, a must read for all die-hard Red Sox fans.

Tonight's Red Sox Lineup 9/8 vs. the Rays

Mark Kotsay, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Jason Bay, LF
Mike Lowell, 3B
Jed Lowrie, SS
Jason Varitek, C
Coco Crisp, CF

Jon Lester, SP

Mike Timlin Receives Lou Gehrig Memorial Award

Mike Timlin, for the Boston Red Sox, has won this year’s Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, sponsored by the Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity, headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. The award is presented annually by Phi Delta Theta to the Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the giving character of Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig, who was a member of the Fraternity’s Columbia University chapter. The award was first presented in 1955 and is permanently maintained at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.

An Important Night

Tonight the Red Sox will break the record for consecutive sellouts held by the Indians. The game also will set the tone for the remainder of the season. The Rays come into Fenway having just been swept by Toronto. It is clear now that the fade everyone had been counting on has begun and it is up to the Red Sox to help it continue. We have the bad blood between the two teams and the division lead at stake in the series. In reality there is not much pressure on Boston; they have the experience to get to the post season even if they lose this series but the same cannot be said for the Rays. Tampa Bay has lost 5 of their last 6, and they have never been in this position before, panic may set in if they get swept. Jon Lester takes the hill for the Red Sox looking to have better control than he had in his last start, he is 8-1 at Fenway this year. He will be opposed by Edwin Jackson for Tampa Bay. Jackson gave up 6 runs in 3 1/3 to the Yanks last week and has an ERA of 6.19 agianst the Sox this season. The Red Sox have the momentum going into this series and should be able to keep rolling towards the division lead tonight.

Should The Red Sox Rest Ortiz?

It is looking like the Red Sox are going to be in the playoffs, the only remaining question is whether or not they will win the division. Boston can overtake the Rays with a sweep of this series but still has to face them for 3 more in Tampa Bay. Is winning the division worth possibly jeopardizing Ortiz for the post season? Yesterday Big Papi revealed that the clicking had returned to his wrist and that he in not totally comfortable swinging a bat. It is possible that Boston could win the division and rest Ortiz at the same time, the team was able survive big injuries earlier in the season. The downside of not winning the division is the prospect of facing the Angels in the playoffs; a team that Boston has not played well this season. Will an extended rest of 2 weeks make his wrist good enough for him to be a force in October or do the Sox roll the dice and hope he can continue to be productive enough at the plate to win the division?

Sunday, September 7, 2008

The Yanks fall to 4th (FOURTH!) place in AL East!

Today, the Yankees lost to Seattle (last place Seattle!) while the Jays beat the Rays, leaving the pinstripers at the door to the basement. The Yankees stand all alone in 4th (FOURTH!) place in AL East today, with only the Orioles any lower.

Looking at the remaining schedule of the Yanks and the Jays, it is quite possible that the Yankees will not rise back up to 3rd place. Their schedule includes 9 road games against the Angels, Jays, and Sox, along with home games against the White Sox and the Rays. The only weak link in their schedule is a 3 game home stand against the O's. If the Yanks go 9-10, and the Jays go 11-9, which is quite doable for them, as they are a good team, that would leave the Yanks at 85-77 and the Jays at 87-75.

They've kept putting that humble pie to the back of the frig, but now it's time to eat it, as old and moldy as it is.

Byrd v. Byrd

Earlier this summer, we saw Drew v. Drew when the Sox played the D-Backs and the Drew brothers played against each other on opposite sides of the scorecard. Today, Paul Byrd and Marlon Byrd faced each other with Paul of the Sox pitching against Marlon of the Rangers. These Byrds however, are not of a feather and most likely not related. So who bested whom? Marlon got a single in his 1st AB but failed to score. Paul made him pay by getting him to ground into a DP, 1-6-3 in his next AB, and then got him to fly out to center in his 3rd AB. This round goes to Paul.

Texas Two Step

The Boston Red Sox beat Texas to take two out of three and win another series today. The win, along with a Rays loss, put the Sox within a game and 1/2 of the division lead. Paul Byrd picked up another win giving up just 3 hits in 6 2/3 scoreless innings. Coco Crisp stayed en fuego with another multi-hit game. Jason Bay and Big Papi left the yard but after the game Ortiz said the wrist is still bothering him. The Red Sox return to Fenway to start an important three game series with Tampa Bay tomorrow, Lester will pitch the first game. If you hadn't noticed, the Yankees have fallen to 4th place in the division behind Toronto.

Red Sox Win 7-2 BOX SCORE

Red Sox Nation In Iraq

Another sign that Red Sox Nation is bigger than Hank thinks it is.

Today's Red Sox Lineup 9/7 in Texas

Ellsbury RF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Youkilis 3B
Bay LF
Casey 1B
Varitek C
Cora SS
Crisp CF

Byrd SP

Kevin Millar Wants To Hit the Last Home Run at Yankee Stadium

Red Sox fans may get another thing to tease Yankee fans about if Kevin Millar gets his way. The Orioles will play against the Yankees in the final game at Yankee Stadium in a few weeks. Millar told the NY Daily News the following:

Personally, it's been one of, if not the funnest place to go play," says Kevin Millar, the Baltimore first baseman who played a key role in that most painful of Bronx memories, the 2004 ALCS. "You're always hated when you wear a Red Sox uniform, and being an Oriole the last three years, you're still hated because you did wear a Red Sox uniform....It would be nice to be the last home run, to go down in history that way," Millar says. "I'm sure there's a guy who hit the first one, and it would sure be nice to hit the last one." Told that the guy who hit the first one was the Babe himself, Millar says, "So, Ruth and Millar. That sounds normal."

It may seem a little too greedy, but it would make for a fun off-season if the Yankees lost in their last game in Yankee Stadium and Millar hit the final home run.

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