It's Go Time: Yanks-Sox Gamer I

No more need of speculation, prediction, projection, snarky owners, or whimsical sideline stories about vicious feathered friends and voodoo curses involving abused laundry. Wang faces Buchholz at Fenway as The Rivalry continues. Game time is in one hour, comment away.

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Boston weather

NY Yankees
M. Cabrera cf	.320
R. Cano 2b	.179
B. Abreu rf	.333
A. Rodriguez 3b	.297
H. Matsui lf	.314
J. Posada dh	.238
J. Giambi 1b	.056
J. Molina c	.318
A. Gonzalez ss	.333
C. Wang	1.38
Boston
C. Crisp cf	.304
D. Pedroia 2b	.275
D. Ortiz dh	.083
M. Ramirez lf	.275
K. Youkilis 3b	.324
J.D. Drew rf	.440
J. Varitek c	.290
S. Casey 1b	.357
J. Lugo ss	.303
C. Buchholz	5.40

Comments

[sam-yf]

I hope they get this game in.

Go yanks!

[Paul SF]

I like these stats better :-)

CMW vs. BOS
5-5, 4.56 ERA, 134 OPS+ against (relative to self)

CMS at Fenway
2-3, 6.17 ERA, 148 OPS+ against

David Ortiz vs. CMW
.500/.533/.833 in 36 PA

Manny Ramirez vs. CMW
.591/.654/.864 in 26 PA

[attackgerbil]

Who's CMS? You pick your cherries, I'll pick mine. ;)

[Micah-SF]

Paul, those are excellent stats and clearly indicative of the way tonight's game is going to go. :)

[attackgerbil]

Wait, I think I figured it out... Curtis Montague Schilling?

[Dionysus]

I dunno. Wang always, ALWAYS scares me. I may be the only Sox fan who actually thinks he is an excellent pitcher.

[IronHorse (yf)]

Top of Yankee order interesting. Have often wondered why Cano wasn't bumped up more often. Obviously he wouldn't be there if Jeter were around, and he still has issues with discipline and the maturity requried for consistent situational hitting (a must in the 2 spot), but as an exceptional hitter-for-average I've often wanted to see him above the likes of Giambi and - even with the great season he had last year - Posada. Curious to see how it goes tonight.

As for the CMW stats, are those really right??? Maybe he should just intentionally walk the slow fat ones (Ortiz & Manny) and pitch for the DPs from now on.

[yankeemonkey]

I was going to make a crack about how I can't post here tonight because Clay made off with my laptop, but thought better of it.

Oh wait.

[Dionysus]

Oh thats neat. Mosiac must ave update its software. Instead of just getting a blank feed for Blacked out games (Phils for me) you get Gameday imagery it seems

[Dionysus]

Rain concern? Its been cloudy and threatenign here, but not a drop that I've been noticed (of course Im right on the Jersey side of Philly so quite a bit out of the way)

[Dionysus]

Ok Sox, get some runs early in case we get rained out right after its official. None of this "wait for the bullpen" crap.

[yankeemonkey]

Ok SoxYanks, get some runs early in case we get rained out right after its official. None of this "wait for the bullpen" crap.

[Dionysus]

It looks like its really coming down. Unless it clears up, no way we go 9.

[IronHorse (yf)]

No rain today in NY.

I'm out. Going to walk home (55 blocks) with my mini-radio. Will check in on the blog later (esp if Yanks are winning).

Ah, the melodious tenor of John Sterling and the lilting Simpsons-aunts voice of Suzyn Waldman.

[Dionysus]

ooooo.. close, but right call for the ump. Full count. Good eye for Melky, good pitch for Clay.

[Dionysus]

Strike zone, Clay. Hit it.

[Dionysus]

Gorgeous Curve.

[Dionysus]

cna you throw multiple strikes in a row? Large counts = boo.

[Dionysus]

Ok, call this game. Buchholz just slipped a little on the wet mound (and as a result threw ball 3) but I dont want anyone getting hurt here

[Dionysus]

I missed what happened because Gameday geeked out on me :-(. How'd he get Abreu?

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Montague?
Better than Bill McNeal's middle name of Evelyn. ("It's pronounced "EEV'lyn")."

[I'mBillMcNeal]

This game on TV outside the northeast?

[Dionysus]

Now CRISP trying to bunt to lead off the game. Interestign choices for Francona. Not very Sox-like.

Should kept bunting as he flies out harmelssly on the second damn pitch

[Dionysus]

If you have mlb.tv, it is Bill.

Now Dustin flies out on the FIRST pitch. Great. Just frakign great. 2 outs, THREE GOD DAMN PITCHES.

[Dionysus]

Papi Ks. Eight pitches to retire the Sox. Why do people argue abotu Wangs caliber? Frak. Frak. Frak.

Someones gonna get hurt in this rain.

Frak.

[Dionysus]

Nice play by Casey.

[Dionysus]

I hate the idiots with the beachballs. DO you need toys in the stands? If baseball isnt interestign enough to hold your attention, please dont rob those of us for whom it is of seats.

[Dionysus]

Dammit. Good job by Matsui to msucle that pitch into centerfeld.

[Dirty Water]

Dionysus, STFU. Thank you

[Dionysus]

Clay strugglign with command (again) and throwign ALOT of pitches

[Dionysus]

Come on Clay. send the Juicehead back to the dugout!

[Dionysus]

Coco = Wheels!

[Mark (YF)]

Man, I don't know why SoxFans are so eager to replace Coco in CF. The guy's awesome out there. Already taken away 2 hits from the Yanks.

[Dionysus]

Wow. Check out Sabathia vs As. Wowzerz

[Dionysus]

Because, atleast over the last two seasons, he cant hit at all Mark.

[Dionysus]

Good at bat by Manny, even if it ended in the K.

[J (yf)]

Chienny! Mingus of the Mound!

This guy is un-nickname-able, but nice pitching!

[Dionysus]

Solid inning for Clay.

[Dionysus]

Toast sucks against Wang. He should have just left the bat on his shoulder. At least Wang would have thrown 3 pitches.

[Dionysus]

GOD Lugo sucks. I hate this game already and its still 0-0

[J (yf)]

Trying to wake some of you up....who's the better 2nd baseman, Cano or Pedroia?

[Dionysus]

How so, J? Defensive? Offensive? Both?

[Polf]

The games not blacked out on MLB.tv if you live in the UK, it does mean watching the game now at 1pm

[Dirty Water]

If you hate it so much, leave. There's better things for us wanting quick updates to stand than your whiney, immature voice on the game.

And BTW, since you can't carry Coco's jockstrap why don't you quit insulting him while you're ahead.

Bye, YFSF. You better know the number of people this d-bag is destracting from your site.

[Polf]

sorry 1am

[TJ]

ha red sox radio guy jinxed that perfectly

[TJ]

errr nevermind i thought that was a hit lol

[Dionysus]

Since the difference in years in the bigs is a factor, I shall look at each's rookie (full) seasons.

OPS+/EQA/VORP

2007 Pedroia 112/.277/35.9
2005 Cano 106/.263/26.4

So in a Small Sample Size situation, its Pedroia by a nose.

What just happened in the game? I saw Pedroia reach first.. then got distarcted lookign up the last stats and then...commercial?

[Dionysus]

... *blinks* whoa.. what? Me? Sure I tend to freak out and panic easy.. I didnt realize I was a d-bag. I posted here all last year and had a right old good time. I'm pretty sure if everyone else didnt liek me, they would have told me.

And how can one NOT be negative when ones team is being no hit by the Yanks?

[Dionysus]

As for Coco, am I not allowed to criticized my teams players? Isnt evaluatign the relative skill of the players part of being a fan?

[J (yf)]

A-Rod's play was ruled an error to maintain Wang's no-hitter (off the record, of course). But next pitch, fat papi grounds into DP.

[Dionysus]

I dunno, J, I think it may have been an error legitametly. The throw did pull him off the bag.

[Dionysus]

And Clay walks the first two. Not good. Call the game now, please? Liek this minute?

[sam-yf]

nice RBI double for the best back up catcher in baseball....

[sam-yf]

Clay walks the no. 9 hitter, bases juiced for Melky.

[Polf]

Sox caught a break with a double play

[J (yf)]

Ugly double play.

The A-Rod error was being discussed by the YES-men as being changeable depending on how Wang's no-hitter goes.

[Mark (YF)]

Is it weird that my first thought was that Drew HR should actually be an error on Abreu?

[Polf]

Drew home run, Abreu probably should have caught it, looks like he didn't get a good jump as he backed up against the wall

[Mark (YF)]

The YES crew just did a great job of catching the interaction between Buchholz and Varitek during that last A-Rod at bat.

[Dionysus]

Drew = Fire.

Time to see how Mikey looks this year.

[Dionysus]

Hittign 91. I'm impressed.

[Dionysus]

Getting squeezed on the inside corner

[I'mBillMcNeal]

HGH=How Giambi Homers.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Okajimer

[J (YF)]

Yeah, I loved the look Varitek gave young Buck!

Some nice ABC ball by the Yanks.

[attackgerbil]

First chance to check on the game in some time.. sitting on the back porch with my laptop, and getting swarmed by midges! Not a good sign.

[attackgerbil]

> Bye, YFSF - Dirty Water

Good bye.

[attackgerbil]

Wang stays in to finish. Ball one low to Casey. The next pitch is on the outside corner to make it 1-1.

[attackgerbil]

Casey golf pops a pitch almost on the ground to Melky for the first out. Lugo up. Takes strike 1. Looks at a ball that misses the high corner in.

[attackgerbil]

Lugo refuses to swing, taking a sinker in above the knees for 1-2, then fouls a pitch on the outside part of the plate away. Reset the 1-2: way out and in the dirt to make it deuces.

[TJ]

Bill will be happy no runners LOB so far

[attackgerbil]

The 2-2 is a hot shot two-hop at Gonzalez who fires across to make it two away. On the first pitch, speedy Coco puts down a perfect bunt in no man's land to reach base. Two down, Dustin at the plate, man on first. DP takes low, Coco swipes second.

[attackgerbil]

The Gnat takes the 1-0 over the middle. One-and-one: low-out. The 2-1 is stroked hard but right at Godzilla who makes the grab on the liner to end the game. Yanks 4, Sox 1.

Great game by Wang.

[attackgerbil]

10:06?? Less than 3 hours for a Yanks/Sox game makes advertisers cry.

[dc]

fist pump

[dc]

felt like a no-hitter...coco's lame bunt takes a bit of the pressure off of abreu's lazy effort on the drew pop-up/homerun...

[attackgerbil]

Dio, thanks for carrying the thread for a good length on a slow night.

[attackgerbil]

I didn't watch 2-7 'cause of daddy duty. Looks like I missed an amazing game by Chien-Ming. Drat.

[attackgerbil]

espn is still showing the score from the eighth.. gotta pick another feed.

[dc]

we all have stuff to do away from the game...tip of the hat to ag and dio for keeping this ball rolling...uh, i don't need to tell you all to ignore dirty water...he's the guy who called me a "hater"...imagine that...me, who has nothing but love in my heart for everyone...sheesh

[attackgerbil]

Dio, you are full of joy and exuberance; never mind the bastiches and don't ever stop with that fervor for the game.

[Lar]

Wow, a short game. Was hoping I would catch 8-9 or something. Dang! But nothing bad about a Yanks victory!

[Lar]

Any comment on CMW and his approach? I know he's been getting hit hard lately, and tried to switch it up here and there.. but apparently was efficient tonight..

[Zooboy]

Fun with numbers:
Giambi's BA: .095
Timlin's ERA: 54.0

[sam-yf]

So did Wang earn some respect from the SFs around here?

Or will we hear the same old story about not enough Ks etc...

[Dionysus]

I had new apartment issues I ahd to address and missed everythign after Timlin's first two pitches. Sucks. Oh well, this was my game to lose. Clay vs Wang is a tough match up, and Clay actually did better than I had expected. Plus we were due for an offensive hangover after 12 runs last night. With Beckett and Daisuke goign against (I beleive) Moose and Hughes, I think we can take the series.

Oh and attackgerbil, thanks for the support. I was begining to get demoralized. This si the second poster who's decided I was a problem ("A YF" complained about me posting in Yankee Gamers a couple days ago).

[attackgerbil]

> did Wang earn some respect from the SFs

Sam, I think that most Sox fans around here regard him fairly; my thought is that he catches most of his static from the fact that he continues to defy the statistics by getting lots of outs without an out pitch. Three K's tonight on a "two-hit" CG, a tipped ball off of hopless Abreu and a late bunt away from perfection. He's been outstanding in the regular season for a couple of years — no one can deny that — but he's got a big "guilty" sign hanging around his neck from last year's ALDS. Great start this year, to be sure.

[attackgerbil]

> complained

Let them whine. No sweat.

[sam-yf]

I dunno if id agree on that AG. Wang has taken plenty of flack over the past few years around here. Generally, I dont think he has received the respect he deserves. There were many conversations here last year in which some SFs argued that he was overachieving and that we should expect a regression from him soon.

Also, I placed my comment as a result of this thread starting out with Paul noting how bad Wang had been vs the Sox and at Fenway.

[attackgerbil]

Sam, I see your point, but it is not just here where he is taken to task regarding the fact that his career is somewhat anomalous. I grin with glee every time he continues to prove me and everyone else wrong regarding precedence about how his career _should_ trend based on comps. GO WANGER!!

[Mark (YF)]

It only occured to me a minute ago how close Wang came to a perfect game - if A-Rod doesn't overthrow on the Pedroiagrounder, and Abreu catches the JD Drew ball, it's perfecto. He was a total of about 4 inches away from one.

[A YF]

To be fair, Wang has never looked as much like an ace, to me, like he did tonight. It's still very possible from him. But that label is most earned in October. Sad but true, no matter what happens between now and then.

[attackgerbil]

> Wang has never looked as much like an ace, to me

A YF: yes, that is true to me as well. He's been SOLID, but never did I confuse him with an ace, but he is confusing. Here's hoping that he continues his "under the general radar yet winningest pitcher in the game over the past two seasons" mode (38 wins, yeah, its not the best stat to use) so that he has the chance to un-make his rap from last year's two _atrocious_ starts in the post.

[YF]

Wang's been brilliant thus far in 08. No way of getting around it, and consecutive 19 win seasons don't just happen.

Meanwhile, after 11 games:

07 yanks: 5-6, 65 rs, 52 ra
08 yanks: 6-5, 35 rs, 40 ra

With Beckett and Matsuzaka coming, not likely to be a lot of runs on the board this weekend, either.

Remove the 13-run debacle and you can see how consistently strong the pitching has been thus far. If only we could figure out some way to hit with men on base, we might have something....

[Adrian-YF]

Our Molina is the Best Molina. Also, the Attorney General seems to be holding his own in the bigs. Maybe we can finally put Jeter at 1st?

[dknyc]

> To be fair, Wang has never looked as much like an ace, to me, like he did tonight. It's still very possible from him. But that label is most earned in October. Sad but true, no matter what happens between now and then.

So, should I assume that you don't consider Johan Santana an ace?

[Devine]

Some days you just get beat by the pitcher.

I've never seen seen so many hard hit balls right at gloves and to the warning track.
Classic Wang. Don't know how he does it but, he does it nonetheless.
DC...that part of the park is nowhere near a "pop-up" reaching the bullpen is poke, but whatever.

[Brad]

^me. Sorry.