April 20, 2008

G20: Red Sox 6, Rangers 5

Rangers - 110 003 000 - 5  7  2
Red Sox - 000 000 24x - 6 15 0
Joe Girardi got a lot of criticism for not walking Manny Ramirez intentionally back on April 12. Boston, trailing the Yankees 2-1, had runners at second and third with two outs. Instead of walking Manny and pitching to Kevin Youkilis with the bases loaded, he had Mike Mussina go after Ramirez. Manny crushed a first-pitch double to right center for two runs, then Youkilis brought him in with a single off Brian Bruney. Boston won the game 4-3.

I thought Girardi received too much criticism for that move; maybe if Mussina had battled Manny for seven or eight pitches before giving up the hit, the outcry would have been somewhat muted. It might not have been the best percentage move, but you could argue that it made sense on some level, considering how hot Youkilis has been this month.

Now ... Texas manager Ron Washington is another matter.

The Rangers led Boston 5-0 when the Red Sox -- after having left the bases loaded in both the fifth and sixth innings -- grabbed a couple of runs in the seventh. Millwood allowed a lot of baserunners, but the Red Sox failed to cash in, leaving 14 men on base in the game.

In the bottom of the eighth, Wes Littleton retired Kevin Cash on a grounder to shortstop and caught Julio Lugo looking at strike three. Three runs down and four outs to go. As I wrote in comments, the game was "in the crapper"; I expected this game to go into the loss column.

But Jacoby Ellsbury singled to left (he reached base three times today and stole two bases). Then Jed Lowrie ripped a double into the right-field corner. Ellsbury sprinted home and Texas led 5-3. At this point Washington went with his closer, CJ Wilson. With two outs and a man on second, the logical decision -- the only decision -- was to intentionally walk David Ortiz and face clean-up hitter Joe Thurston.

Yes, Thurston. Manny had been tossed in the second inning for arguing a called third strike. Handing Ortiz a free pass would have put the tying run on base, but considering the drop-off in batting talent, that was the correct move to make. (Thurston was 0-for-2 with a HBP.)

Yet Washington let Wilson pitch to Ortiz. Flo missed a couple of pitches and fell behind 1-2. After ball 2, he fouled off two more pitches. Then he hit a grounder to short right field. Ian Kinsler was out there because of the shift, but his throw was late and Papi beat out a single. The Rangers seemed to forget about Lowrie for a moment and he ran home. 5-4!

Dustin Pedroia -- who was not in the starting lineup for the first time this year -- pinch-hit for Thurston. He drilled Wilson's 2-0 pitch into the gap in right-center, deep enough to score Ortiz and tie the game. Josh Hamilton's throw back to the infield was wild and Pedroia took off for third. Blalock tried a sweep tag halfway to third. but he missed and FY belly-flopped into third.

(Even if, after this BBI to Ortiz that never happened, Terry Francona had not let Thurston hit, Washington still should have flashed four fingers. He would have had a 5-3 lead, 2 outs, men on 1st and 2nd, and Pedroia up.)

Now Washington went to the BBI, putting Youkilis on. Drew fouled off three 3-1 pitches before getting ball 4. Bases loaded -- Wilson was clearly rattled, but Washington stuck with his "closer". Behind in the count 1-2, Sean Casey took two very close pitches inside before walking to force in Pedroia with the go-ahead run.

The lead now gone, Washington went to the bullpen and brought in Jamey Wright, who retired Cash on a fielder's choice.

Jonathan Papelbon needed only seven pitches to nail down the victory. Wakefield went eight innings, throwing only 86 pitches (10-12-10 7-7-15 13-12). And of his 86 pitches, only 18 were balls! For Texas, Millwood threw 17 balls to the first nine Sox hitters.

Pitches out of the strike zone, by innings:
133 014 33 - 18
Wakefield allowed a home run to Kinsler on his third pitch of the afternoon and Milton Bradley hit a three-run bomb in the sixth, but he gave the pen some much-needed rest and through Washington's stupidity -- and his resilient teammates, of course -- got credit for the win.

Memo to Me: Never Give Up!



***

Kevin Millwood (2.42, 175 ERA+) / Tim Wakefield (3.18, 140 ERA+)

Sox against Millwood. Ortiz is 6-for-12 with 3 HR; Varitek, Drew and Casey have all hit him well.

Nice ERA for Millwood, but his WHIP is a Lesteresque 1.46: 28 hits and 10 walks in 26 innings.

333 comments:

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Rob said...

Dave O'Brien: "It's not Mother's Day, is it?"

laura k said...

FY COMES THROUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!

WE ARE SO GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

allan said...

FUCK YEAH
FUCK YEAH
FUCK YEAH
FUCK YEAH
FUCK YEAH
FUCK YEAH
FUCK YEAH
FUCK YEAH
FUCK YEAH
FUCK YEAH
FUCK YEAH
FUCK YEAH
FUCK YEAH
FUCK YEAH

laura k said...

I just heard the mother's day comment now. :)

Amy said...

I love coming in at the critical juncture---like Papi's grand slam on Friday.

Wish I can take credit, but I then would have to take the blame when I come in and we start giving up runs....

Rob said...

Pedroia is 4 for 6 in his career as a pinch-hitter.

And here comes on fire!!!

Rob said...

E8 to get Pedroia to 3rd base.

tim said...

oh FUCK YEH

allan said...

unbelievable.

washington as moronic as perlozzo last year.

laura k said...

Amy, nah, credit w/o blame. No problem. Be a good luck charm. Who needs consistency.

s1c said...

Wilson all shook up?

Be the hero ON FIRE!!!

allan said...

my favorite rally: all starts with 2 outs and nothing going on.

Amy said...

Come on, Drew. Put us ahead!

Amy said...

How'd they score the 2 in the 7th? My last check on the score on my cellphone before we got home was 5-0?

s1c said...

95 MPH, smoking

s1c said...

Bases loaded for the Mayor!!!

Amy said...

Casey at the bat!

Amy said...

Casey at the bat!

laura k said...

ME TOO re two outs. Best kind of rallies.

allan said...

Rally at City Hall, Mayor!

Amy said...

DOuble post...perhaps he hits a double?

Rob said...

Mayor with the bases loaded. Got his constituents on base and in the seats.

I'm confident.

allan said...

duhhhhhhhhhh he's my closer, can't change pitchers now . duuuuuhhhh

s1c said...

Wright is up for Texas.

Wilson's first blown save this year!

s1c said...

Ok, who is going to play lf in the 9th?

Amy said...

Ya know, I was at the Mother's Day game last year...I had the sorest throat the next day.

Amy said...

Hmmm, full count, two outs....and Casey at the bat?

s1c said...

Whew, that was 1 close 2-2 pitch.

C'mon baby!!!

nick said...

whoo. that ball 3 looked close....especially considering this ump.

Rob said...

BB RBI!

s1c said...

The Mayor!!!

Amy said...

YES! A walked in run is as good as a hit!

laura k said...

I remember you were there, Amy. What a great Mom's Day for you.

C'mon Mayor...

Rob said...

Ok, who is going to play lf in the 9th?

Youk?

allan said...

LF - yook?

lowrie 3b
pedroia 2b?

laura k said...

6-5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amy said...

So what happened to Manny? And how did we score 2 in the 7th?

s1c said...

The three lefties said, we don't give a hoot about those left vs left splits!!!

nick said...

I take back anything I may've said out walked-in runs.

lowrie in left?

s1c said...

Amy - Manny got tossed bottom of the 2nd for saying magic words on a called 3rd strike.

allan said...

just like clockwork -- once the other team has the lead THEN washington pulls the rattled closer.

people gave girardi shit for his call the other week. that was defensable. this is not.,

if i was a texas fan, i'd have thrown my computer out the window, gone outside and stomped on it for 10 minutes.

Jack Marshall said...

This is FAN-tastic...one for the highlight film.

nick said...

out=about.

Amy said...

Thanks, S1C. Just glad he isn't hurt.

Rob said...

Who'da thunk it? The Red Sox have been stranding runners left and right all day today. Then in the 8th, they start a rally and score FOUR runs with TWO out!

Jack Marshall said...

Washington is a great guy who has been over his head from the beginning. The Rangers have the George Bush Curse.

Amy said...

What did you say about walked in runs, Nick? A run is a run, as far as I am concerned.

Rob said...

Shipping up to Snuffersville!

allan said...

sox 7th:
lowrie first pitch double
ortiz first pitch single thru the shift to rf, runs cores.
millwood out, littleton in
Thurston HBP
Yook GIDP 463, tiz to 3rd
Drew single to RF, tiz scores.
casey 4-3

s1c said...

I am assuming that bot will be in to snuff the Rangers.

Amy said...

Ah, yes, Bush's team. A good reason to want them to lose no matter who they are playing.

Amy said...

Lugo in left?

nick said...

I made a comment in some earlier thread..was it this season or last?...

lugo?!

s1c said...

ugh, Lugo in the OF

Amy said...

Phew, foul.

Come on, Bot, no messing around.

Rob said...

Lugo in LF!

s1c said...

Did anybody catch the speed on that pitch?

Zenslinger said...

I gotta hit the Bar for the end of this one!

Jake of All Trades said...

Seemed Wilson lost it after screaming and pointing for a throw home on Lowrie that never came. Reminded me of Rivera.

laura k said...

ooo, scary radio call on that one.

s1c said...

1 down!!!

Amy said...

Must be a bit windy out there...looked like Youk almost blew that one.

allan said...

lugo - wtf tito?

damn -- that ain't snuffin!

nick said...

Anyhow...a run is definitely a run, but if one were to rank 'em in order of preference, a walk would rank lower than a single for me.

still...

Rob said...

Odd decision for Lugo LF. I remember Youk started some games in LF. Lugo hasn't played OF much at all.

Rob said...

2 out!

s1c said...

2 down!!!

Amy said...

Two down.

Nice big smile from LBJ.

Rob said...

Lyndon has a different pair of sunglasses for playing the outfield.

Batting shades. Field shades.

laura k said...

this team is fucking amazing

s1c said...

3 down!!!

Rob said...

MORE DIRTY WATER!!!

MORE COMEBACK WINS!

Amy said...

One more to go...

POP UP!

We come back!!!

laura k said...

Nice big smile from LBJ.

I can see it over the radio.

allan said...

well, i'll admit it. i had written this one off with 2 outs in the 8th. down 3 with 4 outs, not happening.

unbelievable comeback.

s1c said...

WATER !!!!!!!!!!!

Frigging amazing!!!!!!!!

laura k said...

Haven't even heard the pitch yet...

NOW

WE WIN

as you all already knew

LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amy said...

Who gets the win? Papelbon or Wakefield?

Rob said...

Who gets the win? Papelbon or Wakefield?

Wake! :)

laura k said...

win = wakefield

Rob said...

And speaking of Wake... He really gave the bullpen a rest. He ate up some innings and really earned this win after giving up the five runs that we were sure would doom this game.

Amy said...

well, i'll admit it. i had written this one off with 2 outs in the 8th. down 3 with 4 outs, not happening

Tsk, tsk, Allan, I am disappointed in you. You were the one who always had hope when I was giving up last season. :)

Rob said...

FY: "I'm just glad Big Papi could score on that ball."

Amy said...

Good for Wake! He's a real trooper out there.

Rob said...

By the way... Papelbon only threw 7 pitches to close this one out.

86/68 the pitch count for Wakefield through 8 innings.

allan said...

i was surprised tito did not run for tiz when pedroia was up, but i don't think he had anyone other than tek or crisp left. drawing a blank if there another guy

allan said...

Tsk, tsk, Allan, I am disappointed in you. You were the one who always had hope when I was giving up last season. :)

Yeah. This felt like a loss - esp. with 2 outs. It just did. I figured I should be honest.

Jack Marshall said...

That's the value of Wakefield...he can hang in games because one bad inning doesn't mean he won't be good for the next five. A well-earned win.

laura k said...

After what we've seen just this April, we can always have hope. You can never count this team out!

Jack Marshall said...

Who else is going to be watching the game Monday at 11 AM?

heng brothers said...

Up to today's game, Lugo grounded into five double plays in 65 plate appearances. Last year, in what was arguably his worst offensive season, he grounded into a total of ten double plays in 635 plate appearances.

Troubling? Small sample size? Both?!?

Amy said...

Great comeback. Now I am off to the second seder, driving to Boston. Hoping to hear tomorrow's game on the radio on the way home in the morning.

Rob said...

When FY reached third, he slapped his hands together and yelled his trademark, "FUCK YEAH!!!!"

allan said...

I'll be here!

Rob said...

Me too!

laura k said...

Where else would I be?

Jack Marshall said...

Laura: is that a trick question? Or an existantial query?

laura k said...

Neither!

The Red Sox are playing, I'm watching or listening. That goes double if it's a day game.

(In all honesty, I can't stay awake for west coast games, but I at least start the game before I conk out.)

laura k said...

I love the Patriots Day game. I usually know someone competing in the wheelchair division of the marathon. Plus it's just such a great tradition.

Over and out for now. Enjoy the rest of the day, all.

s1c said...

A good friend will be there with her son. It has become a tradition for the two to make the visit to the hospital for his six month tests and then go to the game afterwards.

Should be a beautiful day, unfortunately for me, a full day of appointments so it will be listening to the game on WTIC as I drive from place to place.

Patrick said...

I missed the last 3 innings of this one. BUT MY GOD DO WE HAVE A GOOD TEAM! This team is incredible! You can't make a mistake against us or you're going to pay! WOW WOW WOW. So good so good so good.

allan said...

#201 - ish!

allan said...

Ortiz's 'Speed' Is Key

Rob said...

Hamilton hit a three-run bomb in the sixth

I thought that was Bradley who hit that dong into the monster seats.

tim said...

Great fucking show, lads!

I was busy workin away on some tax returns, so i had the game in the corner. I was already watching it and being unproductive, I didn't want to make matters worse with threading. If I'm going in on a sunday I gotta get something done.

But man, I was shocked at the decision to pitch to 'tiz and the ensuing malarky you've summed up quite nicely in the post.

Texas Bushwackers Suck.

I'll be workin tomorrow, will be lucky if I can follow on GdGd.

Maybe I'll just tune in after the 7th :P

allan said...

I thought that was Bradley who hit that dong into the monster seats.

It was.

Just seeing if you were paying attention.

You passed!

(cough)

allan said...

Heh - I also had the title saying "Red Sox 6, Red Sox 5" for a little bit.

tim said...

Oh, and what with all this talk about the NEW Yankee Stadium being cursed...

I got news for ya if you believe in any of that shit, the 2008 Yankees and the old/current Yankee Stadium are officially FUCKED!

Or blessed, if you believe in those fairy tales.

tim said...

No wait...i have a better one...

Mr. Hankee is really going to great lengths to rid his team of this "curse" eh?

Heh, I like that one better...

Rob said...

Oh, and my name is Ish. Not Ich.

allan said...

Wakefield threw only 18 balls -- and 68 strikes.

Balls by innings:

133 014 33 - 18

Amazing!

laura k said...

My 201 streak is over.

laura k said...

I also had the title saying "Red Sox 6, Red Sox 5" for a little bit.

Either way we win!

9casey said...

Jesus, they are good.....

Sean Casey , just doesn't give up at bats, and it seems like he never strikes out....

LBJ BA:.256 OBP:.431 Thats amazing..

allan said...

Casey: 3 K in 37 PA

Ellsbury leads the team in BB

allan said...

My 201 streak is over.

You did have 202.

allan said...

Before today's game, Lyndon and Manny were tied with a team-high OBP of .415.

Since OBP-wise, Manny went 0-for-1 and Lyndon went 3-for-5, he's now the team leader at .431!

Don't move him from the top Tito!

allan said...

Oops!

Ellsbury: .431
Youkilis: .435

allan said...

Ish:

I assume it'll be corrected soon, but this Globe photo caption says Carl Everett hit the 3-run dong!

9casey said...

It's just a matter of time before Lugo gets Crisped......Will be interesting to see if Lowrie goes down when Lowell and Cora come back........He has to right ..I don't see them letting go Lugo....A lot could hapeen until then , but we will see......

s1c said...

ok, being only one of the smart aleck's around here, I have to point out that einstein leads the team with a 1.000 obp.

I think though, that we are starting to see that ocoC! is about to become the 4th outfielder.

s1c said...

Everett hitting the Dong?

The Globe would never make a mistake!!!

Of course I am sure that L-girl has seen the other story on that page 10 things you didn't know about Jacoby Ellsbury

allan said...

Bullpen spoils Millwood's outing
Veteran throws six scoreless before Sox rally in late innings
By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com

BOSTON -- The Rangers clubhouse was deathly quiet after Sunday's afternoon's 6-5 loss to the Red Sox, with stunned players sitting in silence and staring off into space.

***

Heh-heh. Think about the game long and hard, boys -- all night long.

And wake up early tomorrow and get your ass handed to you yet again!!!

laura k said...

Of course I am sure that L-girl has seen the other story

I don't see any pages in any Boston paper unless someone points them out to me. So thank you for pointing. :)

allan said...

Will be interesting to see if Lowrie goes down when Lowell and Cora come back........He has to right

They want him to play every day, so yeah. Could they think he's truly ready and show Einstein the door? I'd be surprised if he couldn't duplicate Cora's "production", though he would struggle once word about him gets around.

I expect he'd take over the Cora role in September and then battle it out with Lugo in '09.

s1c said...

Love this quote from Casey - "He's pretty impressive when he goes first to home," said Casey. "Once you get the big train rolling, you can't stop that locomotive sometimes. You've got to put the brakes on a while back. Once he gets going, he's all right."

s1c said...

I expect he'd take over the Cora role in September and then battle it out with Lugo in '09.

I think you have nailed it on the head. If you look back at last year, one of the reasons they brought up LBJ at the end of the year was for an injection of enthusiasm (vets getting tired, long season, etc. etc.) Lowrie, could be just the ticket for that this year.

andy said...

I want to know what other papelbons we have down there in the junior leagues. Is it almost half our key players are from our own minor system? Beckett and Lowell were transplants. Wake's been around since baseball came to Boston. Manny and Papi were from elsewhere but been there a for a few. Youk, Paps, Pedroia, ellsbury, Lowrie?, Lester, Buchholz, MDC, these guys we raised from young. Yankees formula is to buy old men who break down, a few times from Boston. Theo greatest GM ever? Tito is probably a hall of fame coach with a superior talent for building young guys as well.

What I am trying to say is that this team you can really love. they keep them together and it's not big name guys, it's team love that gets the title. Pedroia's homer in the Series last year goes down as my favorite hit of all time. Well papi beating out a grounder is always awesome, but dustin gave a great big Fuck Yeah to the league with that hit.

Can Jacoby be caught? He has made the catcher screw up twice now from rushing to throw. I swear he is at the base before the ball crosses over the pitcher.

Youk could pitch if they told him to. Probably would throw a no-hitter too. Papelbon? come on how do pitchers like him come to be?

This is a legendary time for us. In 30 years I will be telling my grandkids what is was like when the Sox were the greatest team of the day. I can take them to see Wakefield pitch.

laura k said...

it's team love that gets the title

and it's titles that makes team love

Jack Marshall said...

Redsock: Re-giving up on Sox games. I would love to see stats on which teams have mounted the most improbable comebacks through the years, especially since 1967. It would not surprise me if it were the Sox: Fenway, adrenaline fans, close races, dicey starting pitching, great hitting teams with character. I always tried to remind scoffers (with little success) as a veteran of the incredible comebacks of the '67 season, that what made the Sox so addictive was the team's twin tendencies to win when they looked beaten and to lose when they seemed to have things locked up. I left only one Sox game in Fenway in my life, with them down seven runs, and had to listen to them rally to win narrated by Ken Coleman on WHDH. Never again. And this is why, when they write my epitaph, I want the fact that I told everyone I knew that the Sox would win the ALCS even though they were down 0-3 as my proudest achievment.

9casey said...

Andy , mentions the rookies....

Lowrie
Pedroia
Ellsbury
Papelbon

The amazing thing about these kids is that they all went to college. They weren't plucked off some sand lot in the Dominican or came from high school with dollar signs flashin in their eyes......They are guys who knew what team meant before they even got to Boston....

My son who is 3 is going to have, hopefully if they all stay healty and stick around, the joy of watching these guys play in Boston for a long time to come.....

It's just fun to watch......

Can anyone remember a rookie class like this one in Red Sox history?

s1c said...

'75 had a pretty good rookie class. Some guy won MVP and ROY and oh yeah, some other guy was named Rice (3rd in MVP and 2nd in ROY).

Of course there was also somebody named Burleson playing his second year, a third year player named Evans, a player named Cooper who was really playing his 2nd season (less than 31 games the three years prior to 74) and oh yeah some catcher won ROY in 72.

Yaz and Petrocelli were the only starters over 30 for that team.

Jack Marshall said...

9casy: I remember a Sox rookie class that LOOKED like this one, or even better (at the time): 1987. That group was Ellis Burks, Sam Horn, Todd Bensinger, Jody Reed, John Marzano (who was just found dead after apparently falling down the stairs) and Tom Bolton. Burks and Reed were solid to above-average players; Horn fizzled out; Marzano turned out to be a back-up, Benzinger never learned the strike zone or got reliable enough at enough positions to be the regular-who-plays-everywhere we thought he would be. But at the time, Bill James said it was the best rookie class he had ever seen.

Which means we should keep our fingers crossed about the current group, right?

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