Sox-Jays Gamer II

SF is on the road, so I've been given the job to post the Sox game thread...Icky. Anyway, here's an analogy:

The Jays are to the Sox what an owner is to something that is owned by said owner.

Those are fighting words, Sox fans! Fight back with your own on tonight's game thread...

Comments

[Devine]

Okay! 2-0 Sox! A promising beginning and a BIG Tek hit. Too much to ask for those runners in from 2nd and 3rd?

[Devine]

It is not! 4-0 Sox! Thanks, Lowell!

[Devine]

5-0! Thank you, Wily Mo!

[YF]

Josh Towers sucks.

[Paul A.]

I said this before (bitterly at the time because he was imploding against the Yankees), but Josh Towers might be the worst starter in the American League.

[Devine]

Clearly. But Clement goes 3-0 after giving up a 2-out single.

[Devine]

But gets the 3rd out.

[Devine]

"WHAM!" with the long wallball single goes Youkilis.

[Devine]

Gross. He's doubled off first on the liner to Hillenbrand.

[Devine]

Ortiz goes down swinging at high stuff. Jays come up for their 3rd try.

[Devine]

Another 2-out baserunner for the Jays on Clement's walk.

[Devine]

Clement gets through another inning.

[Devine]

Manny flies deep to right...SO CLOSE!

[Devine]

Nixon singles the opposite way.

[Devine]

Selig yammers about the WBC (which I actually enjoyed, don't get me wrong)...Tek goes down looking.

[Devine]

Lowell flies out to right. Jays back up.

[Devine]

Glaus moans about a relatively high-inside strike call. Didn't look so bad to me. Varitek makes a nice play near the Jays dugout!

[Devine]

Oh the Glaus strike call was for the 3rd strike, by the way.

[Devine]

Yet ANOTHER 2-out baserunner as Clement walks Hillenbrand. This will hurt at some point.

[Devine]

But not this time. Grounder to 3rd Molina.

[Devine]

Oh, the base graphics and pitch count are mysteriously back. I unequivocally like this.

[Devine]

Tonight, they're back that is. They weren't missing earlier tonight; they were missing yesterday.

[Devine]

1-out single up the middle by Gonzalez.

The echo in here makes me sad...

[Devine]

Youkilis singles! 1st and 2nd, 1 out.

[Devine]

Flyout Loretta.

[SF]

OK, this is more like it. I hope I'm not a jinx...

[Devine]

Papi flies to the warning track. Up come the Jays.

[SF]

Where did everyone go tonight? Last night the thread hit 400+. Just me and you, D.

[Hudson]

File under "I hate to say this, but..."

When Clement is throwing a 1-hitter through 4 innings, the thought in my head is not "Way to go, Matt, keep it up" but "How soon until the implosion?"

[Devine]

Wow. The two pitchers' pitch counts are the same through 4 innings despite the run differential. Did the Sox get their patented "swing too early" syndrome the past few innings?

[Devine]

Me too, Hudson. But Clement says, "Eff you, forum-haunters!" by getting his second strikeout.

[Hudson]

I was just noticing the same thing... It's like the Sox after the first inning are thinking, hey, we've got a big lead, and Towers stinks, so let's swing freely.

[Devine]

For the first time, Clement goes 1-2-3.

[Paul A.]

I'm back. Went to dinner...

I wish the real Clement would just stand up, once and for all, just so we'd know which one to expect...

[Hudson]

1-2-3 fifth.

The 6th and 7th innings haven't been kind to Clement... Hold onto your hats.

I'd like to see a couple more insurance runs put up there. Especially if we're gonna see the B-team from the pen.

[Paul A.]

It's odd because I would think that's a very young-hitter way of thinking. Aren't the veterans (i.e. everyone in the lineup but Pena and Youkilis) supposed to be patient and not let anyone knock em off their game?

[Hudson]

By the way, did Selig say anything of interest? I can't stand to listen to that guy any more than George Bush.

[SF]

A couple more would make me happy.

[Paul A.]

The pen doesn't have a B-team... It goes straight from A to C...

[Devine]

I know...the pen, the pen, the pen. All used up from yesterday. Wonder if anyone from last night is good to go again.

Keep it up, Clement! I swore you off last week, but if you get through 7 scoreless, I'll consider a reprieve.

[Devine]

Not that I heard, Hudson. "WBC spreads baseball all over the world...baseball has never celebrated passing 2nd place, it's not just Bonds..." But I wasn't listening very hard, so I could have missed some brilliant insight or something...but I doubt it.

Manny complains about a strike two similar to Glaus's strike three. It still doesn't look so bad to me. Then he grounds to short.

[Hudson]

True, Paul, too true.

[Devine]

Clement has now thrown *more* pitches than Towers thanks to Nixon's and Lowell's first-pitch outs.

[Paul A.]

If anyone is a B, maybe it's Foulke... It's clear he's not quite *all* the way back...

[Tom sf]

Trot and Tek both go for the 1st pitch; Clement has now thrown more piches than Towers. At 80 pitches, he's probably good for only 1 more inning.

[Paul A.]

Although really, who is that concerned with Towers staying in a little longer? Not me... It's like built-in comeback insurance. No matter how much the Jays come back, the Sox get to hit against Towers...

[Sean]

was that just two straight one pitch flyouts from trot and tek? what happened to working the pitch count???

[Tom sf]

Paul, stop typing so damn fast!

[Paul A.]

lol, Sorry, did I beat you to the punch?

[Tom sf]

R. Johnson has now given up 5 er after 4.2 ip. And we thought Beckett looks shaky!

[SF]

I may be late on this, but Matt Clement's chin scruff looks idiotic.

[Devine]

AGAIN with this two-out walk shit.

[SF]

Clement is starting to suck.

[Paul A.]

I wonder if he's slacking off because he feels he's almost through the inning, so he gets a little sloppy... I'm not watching the game though, so I'm really just talking out of my butt...

[Devine]

There it is! Eff.

[SF]

Francona has Foulke up.

[Paul A.]

C'mon Clement... Get through the freakin' sixth...

[SF]

Jeez. I think Clement is one pitch from being yanked, now.

[Hudson]

Uh, Matt? The strike zone is aboveground.

[SF]

That was a mean pitch, and it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. See ya, Shea.

[Hudson]

Phew. Hilly chased on, to our benefit.

[Tom sf]

The damn hillbilly got lucky there.

[Devine]

He escapes!

[airk]

Get ready for the Rudy Seanez eXXXperience!

[Tom sf]

Please, God, not Seanez!

[Paul A.]

If ever there were a time for the Sox to start taking pitches and put together a big inning, it's now...

(Insert comment here about fearing for a five-run lead in the 7th)

[Devine]

I'd say, put him in, someone gets on, get him out...I'd say yank him unequivocally if it weren't for the state of the pen.

[Tom sf]

It's really a shame about Lowell having such a slow swing...

[airk]

its truly amazing how Matt Clement can make a 2-hit outing so shaky.

[SF]

Can't argue too much with Seanez coming in here. But he ought to be on a one or two batter leash. He's in until someone gets on.

[Devine]

Drive him home...please, Youk?

[Hudson]

(I've been trying to come up with a nickname rhymes with on "Seanez," but have been coming up short.)

Looked like the Jays' shortstop thought there were three outs.

[Paul A.]

Yeah he might be washed up, tom...

[airk]

Youkie!

[SF]

"meatballnez"?

[SF]

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOk!

[Devine]

Boo yah.

[Paul A.]

YOUUUUUUUUK!!!!!!!!!

[Hudson]

CLUBBED! Youks gives us the insurance Seanez needs. 7-1.

[Hudson]

Rudy Chia Pet is the closest I've gotten. *Sigh.*

[Hudson]

Chia Petz, that is

[airk]

Rudy Makes Me Wanna Flee-anez

[Paul A.]

Rudy Scream-ez?

[Hudson]

See-'ya-nez?

[SF]

"pince-nez"? Think of the imagery!

[bigclo]

rudy "wish he were a fast pitch softball player cause maybe he might strike someone out plus he'd be a Lesbia'nez" seanez

[Hudson]

Foulke in.

[Paul A.]

Reminds me of the Sherlock Holmes story...

[airk]

if Seanez began wearing a pince-nez while pitching, I would become a fan

[SF]

but we all pince our nez when he comes in, right?

[Paul A.]

Ok, big, not only did that just suck, but Seanez actually leads the Sox in Ks per 9...

[Hudson]

Boy, he picked that pitch up off the turf. Should have used a sand wedge.

[airk]

or a monocle

[bigclo]

didn't mean to hurt your feelings buddy

[airk]

Foulke gives up a wallball double...

[SF]

Foulkie might need a day off...

[Hudson]

or a monocle

True, he might be more popular if he came out dressed like Mr. Peanut. (Peanez?)

[Double off Foulke]

[SF]

2 down. One more, Keith.

[airk]

is "A Day Off" some kind of cocktail?

[Hudson]

Manny loves to show off his throw-it-back-in-without-moving -your-feet thing.

Works for me.