September 17, 2008

G152: Rays 10, Red Sox 3

Red Sox - 200 100 000 -  3  6  2
Rays - 323 000 02x - 10 12 0
The Rays took batting practice against Wakefield, who lasted only 51 pitches, and dropped the Red Sox to 2 GB. Tampa Bay now holds the divisional tiebreaker (having won 10 of the 18 games played between the two teams), so Boston needs to make up three games in the standings to win the AL East.

The night started off with a bang, as Jacoby Ellsbury singled to left and David Ortiz cranked a one-out, two-run dong to right-center.

But the fun was short-lived. In the home half of the first, Akinora Iwamura singled and stole second, Jason Bartlett singled and stole second, Carlos Pena hit a sacrifice fly and Willy Aybar knocked a two-run homer -- and Tampa led 3-2.

In the second, the Rays' #8 and #9 batters -- Gabe Gross and Fernando Perez -- cranked back-to-back home runs. And when Evan Longoria doubled with one out in the third, Terry Francona had seen enough. Tito ended up using four pitchers in that inning: Wakefield, Devern Hansack, Javier Lopez and David Aardsma. Boston used a total of eight pitchers tonight.

Ortiz led off the fourth by launching a moon shot to right-center; it looked like it hit maybe one-third of the way up the big video scoreboard! But that was it for the Red Sox's offense. They got a couple of guys on with two outs in the fifth, but Tiz flew to center, and they wasted Kevin Youkilis's leadoff double in the sixth.

Both the Twins and White Sox lost. Cleveland beat Minnesota 6-4 and the Yankees beat Chicago 5-1. Boston remains 7 GA in the wild card -- with 10 games to play.

Remember: We are going to the playoffs this year -- most likely meeting up with the Angels -- while the Yankees are fighting tooth and nail to not finish in fourth place.

***

Tim Wakefield (3.92, 116 ERA+) / Matt Garza (3.60, 120 ERA+)

Tony Massarotti, Globe:
The schedule will tell you that the Red Sox will leave Tampa tonight with 10 games remaining on their schedule, so anything can still happen. The reality is that the Red Sox had better win tonight if they want to repeat as champions of the American League East.
Why? Click here.

Now ...
***
White Sox/Yankees at 7
Twins/Cleveland at 7
East                     Magic #
Rays 89 60 ---
Red Sox 89 62 1.0 12
Blue Jays 80 71 9.0 3
Yankees 80 71 9.0 3
Orioles 67 82 22.0 E

Wild Card Magic #
Red Sox 89 62 ---
Twins 82 69 7.0 5
Blue Jays 80 71 9.0 3
Yankees 80 71 9.0 3

282 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   201 – 282 of 282
tim said...

why gumball? wtf

Rob said...

Although he's not Cash.

But he still strikes out. Fuck.

allan said...

jeff bailey swinging like bob bailey.

ugh.

Jere said...

I'm not even logged in to my mlb.com account but on each team site the live game pops up in the main window. Is this a free preview? (Sorry if this has been asked before.)

Nice Bob Bailey ref.

Rob said...

Okay! Here's how it's going to go. Lyndon will slap a single into left field. Pedroia will grind out an AB and get a hit. Then Ortiz will come up and hit another dong and it'll be 8-6.

nixon33 said...

TOTALLY. GUTLESS. PERFORMANCE.

tim said...

how well will we do? fucking excellent!

allan said...

assuming ross is going in to catch, why not hit him? his obp is decent.

A Conformer said...

Why is LBJ squaring up to bunt three times in a row? Isn't the bunt single very reliant on surprise?

Rob said...

He did drag that bunt up the first base line - he'd have beat it out if it didn't go foul.

Rob said...

What I want to know is what is LBJ doing pulling the ball in that situation? You bluff bunt, draw the 3B in, and slap one over his head into left field. Simple.

allan said...

they will never suspect him doing it a third time! genius!

we got the 2-3-4-5 guys in the 8th. that's totally been our lucky, run-scoring inning, i believe.

A Conformer said...

The battle for 4th place is really on: both the BJS and MFY are leading in the top of the ninth.

efd said...

meanwhile, in that other league, the Mets are clinging to a 9-5 lead. Washington has runners on first and third in the bottom of the 8th, no outs.

A Conformer said...

we got the 2-3-4-5 guys in the 8th. that's totally been our lucky, run-scoring inning, i believe.

The Sox have their 2nd highest OPS by inning in the 8th: 845. The 1st is the highest.

Rob said...

meanwhile, in that other league, the Mets are clinging to a 9-5 lead. Washington has runners on first and third in the bottom of the 8th, no outs.

That Nats'll win.

A Conformer said...

That's actually pretty impressive if you think about how most 8th innings are pitched by good relievers.

Rob said...

What happened?

efd said...

FSN announcers said security was "trying to detain a hooligan" who was on top of the Rays' dugout.

A Conformer said...

I'd be satisfied with 4 runs in the 8th.

Jere said...

is the Rays station showing the guy? even after he was ejected everyone was looking again and I heard one guy saying "get him out!"

Jere said...

well, free preview or not, it's cool to have the live game pop up right on the main page of each team's site. check it out. go to any team's site.

Rob said...

Castig: "There are a lot of yahoos in this park who don't know how to drink properly"

Dale: "And a security force that don't work gently."

efd said...

no, they didn't show the guy... just shots of the players looking around.

Rob said...

This clean water is depressing.

Jere said...

yeah, same with NESN

nixon33 said...

lnjbo jnbhkkogpb;nojo;
o';gcx8e5r6t7u 09]0
kjkk.blyo6 473d6e7r8t9y0u

Jere said...

all rays and no sox makes nix something something

A Conformer said...

If you aren't gonna throw at someone now, then when?

allan said...

pen has retired 13 of last 15 coming into the 8th.

nixon33 said...

well i guess i have to remember that about a week ago i was psyched with the WC. so i guess i'll go back to that now.

Rob said...

What the fuck!? The third base umpire isn't supposed to be deciding whether a ball hit a guy or not.

IT DID NOT HIT HIM. YOU'RE 100 FEET AWAY YOU COCK.

Jere said...

Uh..... who said it hit him there? The line judge?

Jere said...

go on, give him a homer. close enough.

allan said...

nope, batter did not do anything to indicate he had been hit -- replay shows the ball hit the dirt between his feet.

hey umps -- the rays don't need no extra help.

nixon33 said...

hey tito, can we hit people yet?
PLEASE?

A Conformer said...

Well, at least the umps didn't issue warnings on that "HBP".

nixon33 said...

pedro would hit people. i miss pedro.

Rob said...

Dale: "I think Red Sox fans will be disappointed with how their heroes answered tonight."

Rob said...

Get ready for the Angels. The water is clean. I know, I know. Still a half-inning to go. But still.

allan said...

pedro might have drilled a few fans too.

SoSock said...

We still win the D, just wait ;>

nixon33 said...

time to start resting guys.

efd said...

both teams currently tied at 17 runs scored in the series...

tim said...

This water has gone through a fucking brita.

Jere said...

"how their heroes answered tonight."

yeah, Bay's having a baby for two days, Lowell's in a wheelchair, and Drew's sitting around in a pennant race. And Manny seems to be on the Dodgers.

Rob said...

Don, it's not a VIRTUAL tie at the end of the season.

andy said...

I am so depressed now. i wish this season was over now.

Rob said...

Nothing like a 9th inning full of atom balls.

Rob said...

at'em also

SoSock said...

Hey, my son is back on Staten Island for a couple of weeks. Says he might try to go to the last game at the Toilet. I think that's Sunday.
Since the MFY will be TOAST by then, think he's got a shot at getting a ticket at the game?

Rob said...

I think Pedro would throw at the umpires.

9casey said...

redsock said...
pedro might have drilled a few fans too.


Isn't Zim in a sky box?

Jere said...

sosock, some tickets are going for thousands to that game. But he could give it a shot.

efd said...

Sosock, I have to say no way unless he's willing to pay an exorbitant price. Every game during this homestand has been sold out for weeks, if not months, thanks to all the toilet hysteria around here.

9casey said...

SoSock said...
Hey, my son is back on Staten Island for a couple of weeks. Says he might try to go to the last game at the Toilet. I think that's Sunday.
Since the MFY will be TOAST by then, think he's got a shot at getting a ticket at the game?




Sure, How much money does he have?

efd said...

plus, if anything the fact that the Yankees aren't going to the post-season has *increased* demand for Sunday's game, since it will truly be the last game there.

efd said...

point for Nix.

Crystal-clear water.

Rob said...

Get ready for the Angels.

allan said...

no doubt this game sucks, but we ARE going to the playoffs.

and the mfy are fighting as hard as they possibly can to not finish in 4th!

9casey said...

Anyone see the cover of SI Verducci writes about how the cathedral is coming down and the pic they use has 14 fans in the stands...

efd said...

Redsock speaks the truth.

Jere said...

at least the floridian toilet can't play Sweep Caroline this time.

Sparkling Water/Girl Not Named Tessie/Sorrow to the Earth

SoSock said...

Good points, all.
I wonder, though. When we went it was a "sold-out game".
But a friendly security guy sent us back to the left field bleachers saying they always kept some of those tickets for day of game sale.
Maybe not for THIS game though

9casey said...

efd said...
Redsock speaks the truth.

Exactly, I don't see how this team underachieved...If I told you Beckett wouldn't have 15 wins , Lowell and Papi would miss a month, and we would trade Manny half way through , at the beginning of the season ,most would say we would finish 4th..

9casey said...

efd said...
Redsock speaks the truth.

Exactly, I don't see how this team underachieved...If I told you Beckett wouldn't have 15 wins , Lowell and Papi would miss a month, and we would trade Manny half way through , at the beginning of the season ,most would say we would finish 4th..

tim said...

Well...we did rape the Angels in 2004, with the whole starting in LA due to the wildcard thing.

Jere said...

sosock, same drill everywhere--game never truly sold out. But that game is one everyone wants to go to, and the day-of line might involve sleeping bags.

Keep checking ticketmaster, you may get lucky, they might release more.

Jere said...

or just go to the game before--same toilet different day

9casey said...

Jere said...
or just go to the game before--same toilet different day



Do you think it is going to be horror show at the toilet? people runnin on the field? They are going to have plenty of security.....Because I am sure they were never expecting anyone to truly know when the last game would be unless they went to the ws...

andy said...

You know we blew it today but this year shows why the wild card is important. Look at the difference between the top 4 teams in the AL and the 5th and lower teams. There is definitely two different groups there.

SoSock said...

True Jere, there might be a LONG line that day.
I'll pass these comments on to Taylor. He's never seen a game there. He had tix to 1 in early August, when he was there last. Unfortunately that was the weekend my wife was put in the hospital and he, being the good son and all, came home instead.
Whatta kid :)

Jere said...

"
Do you think it is going to be horror show at the toilet? people runnin on the field?"

I just wondered about this today. It would be funny if people just went nuts. But a bunch of rich people getting dirty and arrested? Probably not. But I wonder what that'll be like as the game ends....

SoSock said...

Oh and....
I still say we win the D.
Wait and see.

9casey said...

Jere said...
"
Do you think it is going to be horror show at the toilet? people runnin on the field?"

I just wondered about this today. It would be funny if people just went nuts.


I am actually kind of expecting it...About the division we can't tie now since we lost the season series , so we have to make up 3 games...

Jere said...

sosock--plenty of affordable seats for tomorrow nite's Yankee game on just the regular ticketmaster site. I'd say go to that one.

SoSock said...

Thanks for the tip Jere, I'm calling my son as I type.

Jere said...

tier box mvp are like 60 bucks--that was the cheapest single I saw available for tomorrow night.

Jere said...

wait--I forgot to check Friday night--you can get even cheaper for that one. Just no Sat or Sun as of now.

Jere said...

hey, is anyone watching NESN?

They just showed the same kid making the catch at Yankee Stad. on 2 HRs on 2 diff nights. That's Zack Hample! The Ball-Snagging blogger!

Jere said...

Zack. He has his post about last night's catch up. Probably hasn't even gotten home yet to post about tonight's.

SoSock said...

Jere - thanks for the info. Taylor was logging on to the Yankee site as I hung up. I called him back to tell him what you said about Friday. He said that would be better since he can get away with starting work a little later on Saturday.
We'll see how he does.
I'm off to the showers, just wish I was bathing in dirty water.

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