What Do You Do For An Encore? O's-Sox Gamer XIV

Jon Lester is on the mound as the Red Sox ride the high emotions of yesterday's historic performance by Clay Bucholz into the final game of the set against the Orioles at Fenway this afternoon.  Lester, facing Tampa Bay two weeks ago, picked up his second win of the season in his outing, where he allowed four hits and four walks to go with his four strikeouts; two of the hits left the yard.  Daniel Cabrera throws for the O's and is coming off a no-decision to Tampa along with the loss in the carnival game where the Rangers hung 30 runs on the Baltimore staff.

Lineups follow, comment away.

Baltimore
B. Roberts	2b	.302
C. Patterson	cf	.269
N. Markakis	rf	.293
M. Tejada	ss	.304
K. Millar	1b	.260
A. Huff	dh	.269
M. Mora	3b	.262
R. Hernandez	c	.241
J. Payton	lf	.257
D. Cabrera	rhp	5.08
Boston
D. Pedroia	2b	.322
A. Cora	ss	.254
D. Ortiz	dh	.320
M. Lowell	3b	.329
J.D. Drew	rf	.256
K. Youkilis	1b	.291
B. Moss	lf	.200
J. Ellsbury	cf	.350
K. Cash	c	.143
J. Lester	lhp	5.67

Comments

[Rob]

Coco and Lugo both off today.

[Rob]

And Tek? Initial review of the lineup does not make me warm fuzzy.

[Paul SF]

Four starters and the starting pitcher all homegorwn Sox.

[Rob]

Is nice to see that homegrown talent play.

[no sleep til brooklyn SF]

I don't like it when Cora plays ss for some reason. Makes me nervous, hope he proves me wrong.

[Rob]

Just doesn't look like a powerful lineup today. This may be the small ball lineup.

Pedroia with a leadoff single up the middle.

[Rob]

Cora watches one go down the middle. bat rested on his shoulder. I think he was looking for anything but a fastball on that pitch.

[Rob]

Papi walks.

1st and 2nd, Lowell up.

[no sleep til brooklyn SF]

No Tek, any word on that either? The only bats I'm confident about are Papi, Lowell, and Pedroia since he's been all hitty lately.

[Rob]

Lowell singles to the base of the wall. Pedroia scores from 2nd. Papi holds at 2nd.

1-0

[Rob]

I think they are just giving Tek the day off NSTB.

[Rob]

He's up...Drew.

[no sleep til brooklyn SF]

Oh thank goodness!

JD Drew- you cocktease.

[Rob]

Drew with a fly to the warning track in right.

Drew is quickly booed as he walks back to the dugout.

[Rob]

Youk K's to end the inning.

2 runners stranded.

[rootbeerfloat]

anybody else trying to use mlbradio.com? It just cut out on me

[Rob]

Huff singles.

1st hit of the day for the O's.

[no sleep til brooklyn SF]

I was watching Yankees and the tv cut out, must be glitches.

So what does Clay have to buy Tek for catching his game? Especially when the kid has no money? Clay should buy Tek a Timex from Marshells.

[Rob]

No RBF...I am getting the game on MASN.

[rootbeerfloat]

Clay may owe Dustin a watch or two... and Coco.

[Rob]

Moss strikes out looking. Seems that some of our hitters are having a hard time picking up what Cabrerra is throwing.

[Rob]

Ellsbury singles.

[TJ]

you can watch the red sox game NESN broadcast here http://livefooty.doctor-serv.com/American_Sports.html click on channel #8 you will need to download sopcast software for free at sopcast.com

[no sleep til brooklyn SF]

I'm a big fan of Jacoby, he's done really well this year.

[Rob]

Cash at the plate. Ellsbury may want to steal to eliminate the DP.

[Rob]

On that he steals second.

[TJ]

that link has NESN broadcasts everyday... though its not always channel 8 so you may have to search around a few channels on other days.

[Rob]

Cash grounds out to 1st, Millar has a quick problem fielding it, but lobs it to Cabrerra to get him.

Ellsbury gets to third.

[Rob]

Flyout to right to start the 3rd for the O's.

[Rob]

A groundout off Lester's leg.

[Rob]

Payton walks, Lester's 2nd walk of the day.

[no sleep til brooklyn SF]

We get out of the inning and are back up to bat! Let's go Sox, hit the ball!

[Rob]

Cora leading off the 3rd.

[Rob]

Cora flies out to right. Markakis catches it on the run.

[SF]

A quick happy 45th anniversary to my mom and dad today.

Win it for them, Sox!

[Rob]

Cora hitting in front of Ortiz just seems worthless.

[Rob]

Tell them congrats SF!

[Rob]

Papi with a shot to centerfield, the centerfielder loses it in the sun and gets games played on him by the wind. Needless to say that it was an out, just an almost exciting lost ball in the sky.

[Rob]

Lowell with the 2 out walk.

Cabrerra has now thrown 62 pitches.

[Rob]

Drew flies out to left.

[no sleep til brooklyn SF]

Drew should give some money back, this is getting ugly.

[Hudson]

A one-run lead is not nearly enough, with the Orioles getting a walk per inning.

[Rob]

Popout to 1st that Youk can't catch. The wind and sun is playing a lot of tricks.

[Rob]

First two batters of the 4th for the O's are walked.

No outs. This could get ugly.

[Rob]

Huff singles to left, bases loaded.

Melvin is up.

[Hudson]

Oof, two walks and a single gives the O's the bases loaded with no outs.

[Rob]

Lester has lost the strikezone.

Mora ahead 2-0

[Rob]

Lester looks like he got On-star on the line.

2-2 count

[Rob]

Lester looks like he got On-star on the line.

2-2 count

[Rob]

Mora with a mini pop-up to Pedroia.

Phew, Pedroia catches a much-needed, harmless line-out. A double play would rescue Lester here...

(JLes is throwing under 50% strikes, which is not good.)

[Hudson]

DREW! Pegs Miggy at the plate after the shallow fly. That should quiet the boos... A little.

[Rob]

Drew makes a hell of a play defensively. On a shallow fly to right he catches on the run, takes a step and fires to home to nail Tejada by a step. Double play.

Lester gets out of the bases loaded, no outs jam without giving up a run.

[Paul SF]

Lester lives n the edge far too much to be a good ML pitcher. He has yet to show over these two partial seasons that he has any command of his pitches.

[no sleep til brooklyn SF]

Great catch by Cash! Nice out! Still 1-0, I can't believe it.

[Rob]

JACOBY!!!!!!!

Solo homer to into the pen.

2-0

[no sleep til brooklyn SF]

JACOBY!!! This kid is impressing me with every game!

[Rob]

Lester definately needs to spend some time with Tek and the pitching coach to learn about pitching.

[Paul SF]

So Jacoby Ellsbury is fast cementing his spot on the postseason roster, I think.

[TJ]

yup Paul....as well as starting CF next season.

[Paul SF]

That would have Pedroia, Ellsbury, Papelbon, Delcarmen, Buchholz, and Youkilis (maybe Lester?) as puely homegrown Sox all on the postseason roster in their first or second full seasons in pro ball.

That's pretty cool.

[no sleep til brooklyn SF]

No, Coco has been amazing in CF this year- game saving catches all year. Put Ellsbury in RF and send Drew to the glue factory.

[TJ]

I think if Buchholz is on the playoff roster Lester isnt. Doubt both would make it.

[Paul SF]

The Sox will have a dilemma. I wonder if Crisp could be part of a trade package in the offseason. Drew is basically untradebale unless the Sox are willing to eat TONS of salary.

[TJ]

Drew aint going anywhere unless Boston wants to eat most of the salary... Perhaps Manny gets traded but im not sure you can have 2 OFs who are speed demons with low power... Ellsbury wont be traded and he wont be in the minors next year either Coco stays as the 4th OF/Bench speed or hes traded.

[Paul SF]

Nice quick inning for Lester. Did a better job throwing strikes, too.

[Rob]

Ellsbury turning into a human high-light reel.

[Rob]

Ellsbury could possibly be the 4th outfielder platooning with Drew.

[no sleep til brooklyn SF]

Shoot, I like Coco a lot. He's not the best batter but his defense is fantastic. When he's hot, he's an unreal player.

Helluva catch by Jacoby, man! Holy shizz.

And now Pedroia gets the double!

I love our kids. :wub:

[Rob]

The Gecko with a leadoff double.

[TJ]

2 left handers platooning? doubtful. Plus I think Boston will want Ellsbury playing everyday whereever he's at.

[Rob]

Cora with the Sac Bunt moving Pedroia.

[Paul SF]

That's a good idea, Rob re: the platoon.

Love the contributions the last few days from the youngsters: Buchholz, Pedroia, Ellsbury.

[mike]

is Mike still the RBI man for boston?

[Paul SF]

Small ball works that time. Lowell sacs Pedroia home after the bunt and the IBB to Papi.

[Hudson]

Lowell gets it done with a sac fly, 3-0 Sox. Good to get a little more breathing room here.

[TJ]

I have the no hitter from yesterday... im going to attempt to burn it to a dvd though im not sure if i will be able too.... i always have fits trying to burn dvds when i really want to.... if i suceed is anyone here interested in a dvd copy? Limited time offer here :p so i will take down screen names of the first 5 who say something and let you know in a day or two if my burner decides to work.

[mike]

go drew! today is a good day to put the bat on the ball!

[Paul SF]

Yeah, I'll take one, TJ.

[Rob]

>2 left handers platooning?

I think TJ that with Jacoby's speed he stands to be tougher on lefties than Drew is. Plus he gives us the chance to have him on the bench to spell Manny also (if he is still here).

I think we also may take Lester and Buchholz on the playoff roster. You run a 4 man rotation (Beckett, Dice, Schill and Wake) and that gives us four guys in the pen who are lefties. Breslow, Lester, Oki and Lopez. I think that Buchholz may not make the roster if we have some IP limit on his arm similar to what the Yanks are doing with Joba.

Papi steals?

[no sleep til brooklyn SF]

Papi the speedster! vroom-vroom! Big man takes second.

[Rob]

Drew walks on a close 3-2 pitch that could have been called a strike.

[Rob]

TB takes a 5-1 lead on the Yanks.

[Hudson]

Mike, I have Lowell at 97 and Ortiz at 93. Lowell is also batting .330, which is remarkable.

(Yankees down 5-1 in the 7th... Gaining a game today would be huge. What does the TB lineup have against Pettitte that Boston doesn't?!)

[Rob]

Youk watches a pitch cross the outside of the plate for a clled third strike.

Cabrera out of the inning.

[mike]

3 k for youki? wow

[mike]

thanks Hudson, for the info. Lowell has been pretty awsome, even after the all star break.

[no sleep til brooklyn SF]

Thank you Pena.

Moss knocked off the 4 from the Monster, lol. Hope he didn't hurt himself.

[Rob]

Moss runs into the wall on a fly ball that causes all of the signs to shake. One of the signs fall off.

[Rob]

Tejada with an infield single. Just the third hit of the day for them.

[Rob]

Millar singles.

Lopez and Delcarmen up throwing in the pen.

[Rob]

Just mentioned was that Okajima's hip is bothering him and Gagne's shoulder is bothering him.

[Rob]

Millar gets caught off of 2nd for the third out, but not before Tejada crosses home plate.

3-1 Sox

[no sleep til brooklyn SF]

Man, we have to win this game. Especially if the Yanks might lose- hopefully they do, things are looking good right now.

Millar is peeved being called out at 2nd but it ended the inning and all is well.

[Rob]

Lester gives up a solo shot. He is done for the day as Lopez comes in.

3-2

[no sleep til brooklyn SF]

Out of the inning and let's get some more insurance runs here because the Devil Rays just made it 6-2 in the 8th.

Red Sox gotta win this one!

[Rob]

Boston goes down 1-2-3 in the 7th. Definately need some runs for insurance.

[Dionysus]

Home for lunch.

SatanFish increase their lead to 8-2.

[Dionysus]

Sh*t. Leadoff double. Maybe I should go back to work

[Rob]

Okajima gives up a leadoff double to start the 8th.