6/1-6/3 Sox vs. Yankees, or FOX needs a storyline, cause the Yankees suck!!

AutomatedTeller · 06-01-2007, 09:34 AM

Wakefield
Schilling
Beckett

vs.

Wang
Mussina
Pettitte

Since there is no on-field drama, bets as to what FOX will talk about most?

1) Roger Clemens first start.
2) The fact that they skipped Roger for this series
3) ARod's cheating
4) New Yorks injury problems
5) Jeter.

Zen653 · 06-02-2007, 02:32 AM

Quote:

Since there is no on-field drama, bets as to what FOX will talk about most?

1) Roger Clemens first start.
2) The fact that they skipped Roger for this series
3) ARod's cheating
4) New Yorks injury problems
5) Jeter.

Proctor-Youkilis.

I went to tonight's game. After waiting in line for tickets from 3pm to 6pm, and then waiting out a half hour rain dealy (even though the sun was shining), I'm not too happy about how the game unraveled. Wakefield continued his Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde routine by totally stinking up the joint tonight - walks, wild pitches, dropping the ball on the mound and letting it roll to the plate, poor location, etc. When you walk 8 batters and allow 3 guys to score on wild pitches or passed balls, you don't deserve to win the game. I'm not sure why Francona stuck with Wakefield for so long. The man clearly had nothing. I realize the bullpen would have been overworked for tomorrow's game but you should take these situations day by day. If you need another arm the next day, call one up. Lopez has options. Drew and Lowell both got hurt and might need some DL time. Tavarez is being skipped in the rotation. Snyder might have been more effective coming in to start an inning. There were all kinds of possibilities.

The other thing that frustrated me was our inability to string hits together when we needed them most. We actually out-hit the Yankees in this game, yet had virtually nothing to show for it. Plus the hitters pushed up Wang's pitch count, which I thought was a good thing to do, especially given Torre's tendency to overwork a bullpen (which happened again today even in Torre's absence.)

Then there's the whole Youkilis matter which really riled me up. Throwing a fastball right at a guy's head? What the heck is wrong with Scott Proctor? I hope he gets fined and suspended. And why does it seem that pitchers always target Youkilis?

The good news: Ramirez and Pedroia played great; Romero pitched well; our best relievers were not used; the Yankee pitching staff got overworked; Yankees on-field management is clearly incompetent; I just switched my car insurance to Geico.

The bad news: We lost; we couldn't get any clutch hits; Drew and Lowell might both be injured; we suddenly can't seem to beat the Yankees (1-3 over our last 4 games against them); Wakefield continues to spiral downward (the earlier All-Star talk looks laughable now); Ortiz has lost his power stroke (now in his longest homerun drought since he's been a member of the Red Sox); Youkilis might be rattled after today's game; Mirabelli is back below the Mendoza line; Lugo still can't hit; Drew still can't hit.

As for the rest of this series, I have no idea who will win these games. They could both reasonably go either way. I felt Wang favored this one and that the other two are more evenly matched. Do we get the slap-a-Schilling from last week in the Bronx, or the Schilling that dominated the Cleveland Indians a few days ago? Can we really expect Beckett to retain a perfect win-loss record, against the best offense in baseball? Pettitte tends to pitch well against the Red Sox. I'll be happy if we win just one of these two games - preferably tomorrow's so that we don't have quite as much pressure to win on Sunday. Let's not give the Yankees any more hope or charity.

Zen653 · 06-02-2007, 05:35 PM

Game 2:

Yankees scored on a solo shot around Pesky's pole for a 1-0 lead.

Red Sox tied the game up with some small ball. Pena led off with a double. Crisp bunted him to third. Lugo grounded him home.

Red Sox threatening in the 4th inning with runners at 2nd and 3rd, and nobody out. Ortiz walked and Ramirez doubled. Youkilis at the plate.

Zen653 · 06-02-2007, 05:37 PM

Youkilis walks. Bases loaded. Nobody out for Mike Lowell.

Zen653 · 06-02-2007, 05:40 PM

RBI base hit for Mike Lowell! 2-1 Red Sox, bases still loaded with nobody out. Jason Varitek now up at bat.

Zen653 · 06-02-2007, 05:56 PM

3-1 Red Sox after Varitek grounds into a double play. Inning over.

I'm surprised by Lowell's aggressiveness against Cano, knocking him to the ground like that; I love to see it, though. In general, runners are too passive on the basepaths.

Zen653 · 06-02-2007, 06:30 PM

Yankees come back and take a 5-3 lead on a 3-run shot by Posada, and a pair of hits by Cabrera and Mientciwicz. Red Sox come storming back on consecutive homeruns by Lowell and Varitek. 5-5 ballgame in the Boston 6th.

AutomatedTeller · 06-02-2007, 08:02 PM

yankees take the lead on a jeter HR in the 7th.

Yankees fall apart on defense, making 2 errors and numerous bad plays that weren't errors. I counted 2 screwups that weren't errors, and then McCarver ripped the yankees for their defensive alignment.

Zen653 · 06-02-2007, 08:53 PM

Red Sox take the game by a final score of 11-6. There was so much action in this game, I don't even know where to begin. Both starting pitchers failed to hold leads and were ultimately non-factors.

Mike Lowell, in a possible bush league move, decked Robinson Cano in an effort to prevent a double play. Lowell doesn't normally play that way, so I wonder if he got caught up in the passion of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry. Then later on in the game, Lowell inadvertently kneed Mientciwicz in the back of the head, causing a potentially serious neck injury, that forced Mientciwicz to be carried off the field in a motorized ambulance cart. To top it all off, Lowell was also the hero of the day on offense. If I were a Yankees fan, I'd probably have Lowell's face on a dart board. From a Red Sox perspective, though, I think Lowell joined the legion of Red Sox folk heros today. He just seems like a classic Red Sox player. I hope we keep him around beyond this season. He's a terrific all-round player and highly underrated. (First, he was overrated, now he's underrated if that makes sense.)

Still, I think the Yankees lost this game more than the Red Sox won it. Derek Jeter grounded into two double plays, and made two critical errors that opened the floodgates to a bevy of Red Sox runs. Joe Torre's curious managing decisions also had an impact on the outcome. He left Scott Proctor in the game for way too long and he gave Bruney a surprisingly quick hook. I don't know how Torre still has a job, to be quite honest. It's as if he consults his magic 8 ball before making decisions. And then there's Bobby Abreu who misplayed the Ortiz ball.

Speaking of Ortiz, why isn't he hitting homeruns anymore? And why is he swinging away at 3-0 pitches in the dirt, and not hustling around the bases? He probably could have scored on an inside-the-park homerun had he been running all the way instead of lollygagging down the first baseline, overconfident that it would either be a homerun or caught. I know the statistics are still there for Ortiz, they just seem kind of empty. Ramirez, with inferior numbers, is making more of a difference.

Let's hope that Beckett brings his "A" game tomorrow. Winning this series would really make a statement and put the division a little more out of reach for them. Never underestimate the psychological aspect of making the other side believe that it can't beat you.

AutomatedTeller · 06-02-2007, 11:05 PM

I was surprised at that play, too. I didn't get it, though it looked more to me like Lowell was screwing up, not trying to hurt Cano. It wouldn't surprise me if he gets plunked tomorrow

Papi has kind of disappeared, yes.

Frankly, these game showed the main reasons why I dont' think the Yankees are going to do anything this year.

1) Starting pitchers can't go deep. Wang and Pettitte can go into the 7th, but Mussina can't.
2) Torre is having a real hard time managing his pen effectively, partly because of 1), and partly because his management has always been a little questionable.
3) Yankees don't play consistently good defense. There were at least 4 screwups that cost the Yankees in the 7th (Abreu's route to the ball, Cano's feed to Jeter, Jeter's throw to 1st and Jeter's letting a ball go through his legs.

I missed the Crisp hit, though McCarver was harsh in his assessment of how the Yankees reacted.

AutomatedTeller · 06-03-2007, 10:31 PM

Watching the Sunday night game...

This Sox team doesn't give up, do they? They fall behind the Yankees, but always come back.

Zen653 · 06-04-2007, 08:52 AM

Quote:

They fall behind the Yankees, but always come back.

Only to lose again at the very end.

This loss was very tough to swallow. We had a 1 run lead (should have been more than that - why didn't Lugo slide? Why did Abreu of all people have to make that uncharacteristically good catch?) going into the 8th inning with our best two relief pitchers coming into the game. We were one strike away from going into the bottom of the 9th with a tie. Ortiz's bid for a tying homerun came up just shy and probably would have cleared the fence on a warmer night. Now instead of being 14 1/2 up in the standings, with the Yankees demoralized, we're merely 12 1/2 up on them with the Yankees energized.

I know 12 1/2 is still a large lead but there's a lot of baseball left to be played and I don't like how the Yankees are able to beat our best pitchers now. We're 2-4 in our last 6 games against New York, both wins coming against Mike Mussina, who seems to be the only guy we can beat now. We had Andy Pettitte on the ropes early, we should have been able to batter their bullpen. I'm quite dissappointed in our performance this weekend. We're not playing like a World Series-caliber team. And it's probably not going to get any better tonight when we face off against the league's best pitcher in Oakland, while we counter with our worst.

This is one of those games that's going to stick with me for awhile.

AutomatedTeller · 06-04-2007, 09:04 AM

yeah - this game has all the hallmarks of a loss.

I dunno. I figure the Sox are going to lose some games.

If things happen where the Yankees do make a huge comeback, this game will be seen as part of the turnaround. I dunno that I expect that. Pettitte had back spasms and he expects to pitch next, but it's never good to have physical problems.

The Sox looked better today than they did in 2004 when the Yankees blew them out 19-8.

Zen653 · 06-04-2007, 06:32 PM

Game 1 MVP:

(2-4, pair of 2-out RBI)

Game 1 LVP:

(3 2/3 IP, 8 ER)

Game 2 MVP:

(3-4, 4 RBI, big hits in more ways than one)

Game 2 Tri-LVPs:

(5 IP, 5 ER)

(1.1 IP, 5 R, 3 ER)

(2 costly errors, 2 GIDP)

Game 3 Co-MVPs:

(2-5, 2 RBI and the game-winner)

(1 2/3 IP, 0 ER in critical part of game)

Game 3 Co-LVPs:

(1-3, 3 LOB, terrible slide that cost the Red Sox a run)

(1-5, 4 LOB, costly throwing error that led to a run)

06-01-2007, 09:34 AM	#1 (permalink)
AutomatedTeller Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 545	6/1-6/3 Sox vs. Yankees, or FOX needs a storyline, cause the Yankees suck!! Wakefield Schilling Beckett vs. Wang Mussina Pettitte Since there is no on-field drama, bets as to what FOX will talk about most? 1) Roger Clemens first start. 2) The fact that they skipped Roger for this series 3) ARod's cheating 4) New Yorks injury problems 5) Jeter.

06-02-2007, 05:35 PM	#3 (permalink)
Zen653 Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 6,902	Game 2: Yankees scored on a solo shot around Pesky's pole for a 1-0 lead. Red Sox tied the game up with some small ball. Pena led off with a double. Crisp bunted him to third. Lugo grounded him home. Red Sox threatening in the 4th inning with runners at 2nd and 3rd, and nobody out. Ortiz walked and Ramirez doubled. Youkilis at the plate.

06-02-2007, 05:37 PM	#4 (permalink)
Zen653 Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 6,902	Youkilis walks. Bases loaded. Nobody out for Mike Lowell.

06-02-2007, 05:40 PM	#5 (permalink)
Zen653 Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 6,902	RBI base hit for Mike Lowell! 2-1 Red Sox, bases still loaded with nobody out. Jason Varitek now up at bat.

06-02-2007, 05:56 PM	#6 (permalink)
Zen653 Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 6,902	3-1 Red Sox after Varitek grounds into a double play. Inning over. I'm surprised by Lowell's aggressiveness against Cano, knocking him to the ground like that; I love to see it, though. In general, runners are too passive on the basepaths.

06-02-2007, 06:30 PM	#7 (permalink)
Zen653 Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 6,902	Yankees come back and take a 5-3 lead on a 3-run shot by Posada, and a pair of hits by Cabrera and Mientciwicz. Red Sox come storming back on consecutive homeruns by Lowell and Varitek. 5-5 ballgame in the Boston 6th.

06-02-2007, 08:02 PM	#8 (permalink)
AutomatedTeller Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 545	yankees take the lead on a jeter HR in the 7th. Yankees fall apart on defense, making 2 errors and numerous bad plays that weren't errors. I counted 2 screwups that weren't errors, and then McCarver ripped the yankees for their defensive alignment.

06-02-2007, 08:53 PM	#9 (permalink)
Zen653 Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 6,902	Red Sox take the game by a final score of 11-6. There was so much action in this game, I don't even know where to begin. Both starting pitchers failed to hold leads and were ultimately non-factors. Mike Lowell, in a possible bush league move, decked Robinson Cano in an effort to prevent a double play. Lowell doesn't normally play that way, so I wonder if he got caught up in the passion of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry. Then later on in the game, Lowell inadvertently kneed Mientciwicz in the back of the head, causing a potentially serious neck injury, that forced Mientciwicz to be carried off the field in a motorized ambulance cart. To top it all off, Lowell was also the hero of the day on offense. If I were a Yankees fan, I'd probably have Lowell's face on a dart board. From a Red Sox perspective, though, I think Lowell joined the legion of Red Sox folk heros today. He just seems like a classic Red Sox player. I hope we keep him around beyond this season. He's a terrific all-round player and highly underrated. (First, he was overrated, now he's underrated if that makes sense.) Still, I think the Yankees lost this game more than the Red Sox won it. Derek Jeter grounded into two double plays, and made two critical errors that opened the floodgates to a bevy of Red Sox runs. Joe Torre's curious managing decisions also had an impact on the outcome. He left Scott Proctor in the game for way too long and he gave Bruney a surprisingly quick hook. I don't know how Torre still has a job, to be quite honest. It's as if he consults his magic 8 ball before making decisions. And then there's Bobby Abreu who misplayed the Ortiz ball. Speaking of Ortiz, why isn't he hitting homeruns anymore? And why is he swinging away at 3-0 pitches in the dirt, and not hustling around the bases? He probably could have scored on an inside-the-park homerun had he been running all the way instead of lollygagging down the first baseline, overconfident that it would either be a homerun or caught. I know the statistics are still there for Ortiz, they just seem kind of empty. Ramirez, with inferior numbers, is making more of a difference. Let's hope that Beckett brings his "A" game tomorrow. Winning this series would really make a statement and put the division a little more out of reach for them. Never underestimate the psychological aspect of making the other side believe that it can't beat you.

06-02-2007, 11:05 PM	#10 (permalink)
AutomatedTeller Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 545	I was surprised at that play, too. I didn't get it, though it looked more to me like Lowell was screwing up, not trying to hurt Cano. It wouldn't surprise me if he gets plunked tomorrow Papi has kind of disappeared, yes. Frankly, these game showed the main reasons why I dont' think the Yankees are going to do anything this year. 1) Starting pitchers can't go deep. Wang and Pettitte can go into the 7th, but Mussina can't. 2) Torre is having a real hard time managing his pen effectively, partly because of 1), and partly because his management has always been a little questionable. 3) Yankees don't play consistently good defense. There were at least 4 screwups that cost the Yankees in the 7th (Abreu's route to the ball, Cano's feed to Jeter, Jeter's throw to 1st and Jeter's letting a ball go through his legs. I missed the Crisp hit, though McCarver was harsh in his assessment of how the Yankees reacted.

06-03-2007, 10:31 PM	#11 (permalink)
AutomatedTeller Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 545	Watching the Sunday night game... This Sox team doesn't give up, do they? They fall behind the Yankees, but always come back.

06-04-2007, 09:04 AM	#13 (permalink)
AutomatedTeller Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 545	yeah - this game has all the hallmarks of a loss. I dunno. I figure the Sox are going to lose some games. If things happen where the Yankees do make a huge comeback, this game will be seen as part of the turnaround. I dunno that I expect that. Pettitte had back spasms and he expects to pitch next, but it's never good to have physical problems. The Sox looked better today than they did in 2004 when the Yankees blew them out 19-8.

06-04-2007, 06:32 PM	#14 (permalink)
Zen653 Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 6,902	Game 1 MVP: (2-4, pair of 2-out RBI) Game 1 LVP: (3 2/3 IP, 8 ER) Game 2 MVP: (3-4, 4 RBI, big hits in more ways than one) Game 2 Tri-LVPs: (5 IP, 5 ER) (1.1 IP, 5 R, 3 ER) (2 costly errors, 2 GIDP) Game 3 Co-MVPs: (2-5, 2 RBI and the game-winner) (1 2/3 IP, 0 ER in critical part of game) Game 3 Co-LVPs: (1-3, 3 LOB, terrible slide that cost the Red Sox a run) (1-5, 4 LOB, costly throwing error that led to a run)