April 1, 2011

G1: Rangers 9, Red Sox 5

Red Sox - 202 000 010 - 5  7  1
Rangers - 110 300 04x - 9 10  1
Adrian Gonzalez drove in three of Boston's first four runs (and stole the second base of his eight-year career!), Jacoby Ellsbury reached base four times and scored twice, and David Ortiz tied the game with an opposite-field home run off Darren Oliver in the eighth.

But Daniel Bard (0.2-4-4-1-1, 32) allowed four runs in the home half of the eighth. After a fly out, he walked Mike Napoli, and gave up a single to Yorbit Torrealba and a two-run double to pinch-hitter David Murphy. After a strikeout -- the game's only K among Boston's six pitchers -- back-to-back doubles from Elvis Andrus and Josh Hamilton pushed the score to 9-5. The Red Sox went in order in the ninth against Neftali Feliz.

Ellsbury doubled, singled, walked, and stole a base; he began the game (and the season) by reaching second when his routine fly ball was dropped for a two-base error. He scored on Kevin Youkilis's double. ... The bottom third of the lineup went 0-for-11, with a walk.

Lester (5.1-6-5-1-0, 88) allowed three home runs in a game for the first time in his career. (He has allowed two dongs 16 times, including five times each in 2009 and 2010.)
Example
Jon Lester / C.J. Wilson

Opening Day!
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Kevin Youkilis, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Cameron, RF
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Marco Scutaro, SS
There was some fuss in the past week about Terry Francona balancing the honour of starting on Opening Day with sitting some of his left-handed hitters against a tough lefty like Wilson. Lefties batted .144 with a .400 OPS against Wilson in 2010. Drew is 1-for-6 and Ortiz is 1-for-10.

Those samples seem quite small. And Boston's right-handed hitters haven't exactly feasted on Wilson either: Scutaro is 2-for-16, Crawford is 2-for-15, Youkilis is 2-for-7 (with two walks). Cameron, starting in place of Drew, is 0-for-3. The current Boston roster is a combined 11-for-73 against Wilson (.151/.244/.219/.463).

Baseball Reference says there have been only two complete games pitched on Opening Day in the last seven years (2004-10). The last Red Sox OD CG was pitched in NYC by the TCM, on April 7, 1992: 8-8-4-1-5, 100 - Yankees 4, Red Sox 3.

More than one pundit has said the the Red Sox could win 100 games this year. No Boston team has reached that milestone since 1946. Theo Epstein sets an annual goal of at least 95 wins -- which will usually result in a playoff spot. It's easier said than done, though. In the 110-year history of the Red Sox, only nine teams have ended the regular season with more than 95 victories:
Year   GP    W   L   T  Finish
1912  154   105  47  2  1st in AL, Won World Series
1946  156   104  50  2  1st in AL, Lost World Series
1915  155   101  50  4  1st in AL, Won World Series
1978  163    99  64     2nd in ALE
2004  162    98  64     2nd in ALE, Won World Series
1977  161    97  64     2nd in ALE
2007  162    96  66     1st in ALE, Won World Series
1949  155    96  58  1  2nd in AL
1948  155    96  59     2nd in AL
In the Red Sox's other three championship seasons, their win totals were: 91 (1903), 91 (1916), and 75 (1918; shortened-season).

Terry Francona:
We talk all the time about trying to keep the line moving and not having easy innings. I think we have a group of guys that should make pitchers work. We have some speed, we have some power, we have some switch hitters. ... [But] If you don't pitch, it's really tough to be a good team. ...

I don't ever base my optimism on the pundits. I like our team. I like the way we worked in spring training. I like our talent. It's 162 games -- it's a long year. A lot of things happen, but we're excited. Now we have to go show it.

471 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   401 – 471 of 471
Benjamin said...

Papelbon gets lower-leverage save spots.

Kathryn said...

NIce Papi dong. Let's get another in the 9th.

allan said...

new guys get their feet wet, but can still pitch tomorrow:
reyes (4 pit), wheeler (6).

RedSoxDiehard said...

RSD is on fire with the comments today!

Thanks!

Pokerwolf said...

Yeah, that's what I thought, Amy. Which is why I was confused. =)

laura k said...

Great to see Shakespeare.

I'm having major computer troubles, gotta watch the rest of the game sans thread.

Be back to sing Dirty Water, if my netbook permits.

allan said...

sox 9th:

salty
scutaro
lbj
fy
craw
yook
bert
and so forth...

allan said...

bard blowing the non-save situation?

Pokerwolf said...

Guh. I hope not, Allan.

Amy said...

Uch.

Benjamin said...

This camera angle is still terrible.

Amy said...

Damn....

Benjamin said...

Well fuck.

Pokerwolf said...

Dammit, Bard.

A Conformer said...

Oh, fuck me.

Pokerwolf said...

NO BUNTING!!!

Lord Lynch said...

Night all.

Benjamin said...

Guess not much you can do if he's going to swing at stuff a foot out of the strike zone and hit a double.

allan said...

"off the back side"

(damn it)

Pokerwolf said...

I have to agree, Benjamin. Can't help a guy who pokes at that stuff sometimes.

Pokerwolf said...

"Hit the chalk" had me looking too, Alan.

allan said...

1st K for sox pitchers

Pokerwolf said...

Wake in the pen.

allan said...

wakefield up

()fuck the heck?)

Pokerwolf said...

For a good reason, apparently.

Kathryn said...

Wow.

allan said...

"off the back side" should replace the generic "snorts and giggles", i think.

Amy said...

Oh, well, not Bard's day. At least I can't be mad at Papelbon for blowing the game.

Pokerwolf said...

I think "off the back side" is a better square too, Allan.

allan said...

broken record:
bard blew 7 of 10 save chances last year

Dr. Jeff said...

Allan, just emailed you some graphs of the W-L entry data FYI.

allan said...

bard blew 3 of 4 save chances in 2009.

wow -- he's blown 10 of 14 in his career.

Amy said...

So I should get that sick feeling in my stomach every time Bard or Papelbon comes in, I guess.

A Conformer said...

Of course, today he would get the L, and not the BS. But that's a moot point anyway, since we're getting 4 in the 9th.

SoSock said...

Crap.....
Shoulda stayed in the shower. Got home late, we were down - got in shower and we tied while there. (Still works!) Got out and this shit happens.
Alas...
Meanwhile - GREETINGS ALL! Happy Opening Day!

Pokerwolf said...

You're thinking like I am, Ofer.

allan said...

nice graphs! i'll post.

allan said...

oh, lovely.

johngoldfine said...

Doomed!

Kathryn said...

Hey SoSock!

A Conformer said...

Maybe we're getting 5 in the 9th...?

tim said...

fuck this.

Pokerwolf said...

First Wake sighting of 2011!

Amy said...

Hi, SoSock! Hope all is well.

Kathryn said...

Bard???? Not a good start to the season.

meunier said...

Frannnnncomaaaaaaa

Amy said...

So what is Wake's role this year? Mop up? Long relief?

RedSoxDiehard said...

"off the back side" should replace the generic "snorts and giggles", i think.

Oh no, snorts and giggles is good. It's classic Don.

meunier said...

It's becoming tradition to lose on opening day.

Pokerwolf said...

Passaballa!

allan said...

maybe replace "grabs some wall" or "stands as one" as those can only be home games?

or replace reference to his healthy appitite?

allan said...

Lackey will right the ship!

Kathryn said...

Well, when this is over I'm going to go find some blue christmas lights to put outside for "Light It Up Blue" autism awareness.

allan said...

White Sox hold on 15-10.

SoSock said...

Good to see all of you as well. Been busy as heck lately. Getting more involved in the music world every day it seems. So much I've elected to pass on the Little League team for the spring,but I'm ready for some baseball now!

allan said...

No, I'll replace "elevates".
Many people say that.

Pokerwolf said...

2 outs, so we'll score runs now.

Amy said...

Music over Little League? Wow. What are you doing with music? Playing? Listening?

SoSock said...

clean.......

Pokerwolf said...

Dammit. Get 'em tomorrow.

meunier said...

clean

Benjamin said...

Meh.

Amy said...

Well, no dirty water in Texas. Arggh. Would be so nice to win on Opening Day.

161 to go.

allan said...

So ... 161-1.

A Conformer said...

OK, OK, I give up- we're doomed. The Sox will go 0-162, but at least EB will steal 162 bases and drive in 324 runs...

SoSock said...

Oh well, there goes the perfect season ;->
Amy - very little playing, although ocasionally. And I'm slowly building up confidence to do more. But also a lot of listening, running sound boards, and even a bit of "representing".
I've written some too, but nothing I'm ready to parade out in public yet.

A Conformer said...

In any case, it's been a pleasure to spend some hours with you guys. We'll see how often I manage to do it this season (although not being able to watch the game takes a whole lot out of it).
Anyway, have a good night (evening), and let's get the fuckers tomorrow.

RedSoxDiehard said...

So who had 161-1 in the W/L contest?

RedSoxDiehard said...

Now that Opening Day is over, how long till they announce Gonzalez's 7-year deal?

Rob said...

Balls. Clean water.

Had to step out to go to the store, but I can't wait for the rest of the season.

It'll be great to chat with all of you again

tim said...

we're fucked.

cool standings has the sox playoff chances at a mere 26.5% as they rot in the basement of the AL east.

meanwhile, the 1.000 orioles have a 8.3% chance of making the playoffs, lol.

pittsburgh: 1-0, 3.1% chance.

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