The AL Mediocre: Yanks-Sox Gamer II

Not quite how the prognosticators scripted it.

All five teams in the AL East sit within 1.5 games of each other, each in its own maddening state of mediocrity. No division in baseball has a team in first with a worse record than Baltimore's 6-4. Likewise, no last-place team has a better record than Boston's 5-6.

Indeed, the Sox seem to be the picture perfect specimen of mediocre baseball -- looking horrific one series (at Tornoto), pretty good the next (vs. Detroit). The Yankees aren't doing much better. Both teams will likely improve as the days go on.

Last night, Chien-Ming Wang was dominant in his own unique way. J.D. Drew continued his torrid early April (with some help from Bobby Abreu, and -- I kid you not -- I actually predicted an Abreu-assisted home run by Drew in my head before the game. Of course, I also predicted a Red Sox win ...). Today, each team tries to break away from a mediocre first 10 games while keeping the other mired in blehhh. It's Josh Beckett, with an unknown amount of stamina, against Mike Mussina, with an unknown amount of career left.

Comment away!

Comments

[sf rod]

mcarver and buck have a new favorite in joba after he read the lineups. surprise surprise. i guess that means he's just holding jeters place until he can rightfully reclaim their favoriteness.

[Atheose]

Damon pops up for the first out. Beckett getting ahead of both him and Melky so far, a good way to start things off.

[Hudson]

Normally I'd say today's matchup favors the Sox: Home game, ace Beckett vs. aging Mussina... But with JB yet to prove he's fully recovered from his injury, and the Sox bats mostly asleep so far this year (apart from the one Detroit massacre), this one looks like a toss-up.

[Paul SF]

BecKett.

[Paul SF]

As goes Ortiz/Ramirez, so goes the lineup. Right now, the Sox are relying on Drew and Youkilis, but when Ortiz, Ramirez and Lowell are making outs in between them...

[Dionysus]

Now THAT is how you start a ballgame.

[Paul SF]

BecKKet! Abreu check swing at a strike.

[Hudson]

P.S. MLB.com really needs to figure out a financial arrangement that gets around the blackout nonsense. It's really irritating to pay $80/year and not get the Sox/Yanks games here in the Hudson Valley.

Gameday is actually well ahead of the MLB.com audio right now.

Nice inning for Beckett, easy flyout and 2 Ks. Let's go, Jacoby.

[Dionysus]

Anyway, I'v got to head out to go out for dinner with my friend from Philly (wants to welcome me to the area, I jsut moved in to my new apt on Thursday)

[Jackie (SF)]

Just the kind of start I wanted to see. More like that, please!

[Paul SF]

11 pitches, 9 strikes for Beckett. Hope his legs feel a little stronger today...

[Micah-Sf]

Well, that was a very pretty first inning. I want more like that. Now let's hope we get Old Mussina today, and it helps Papi break out.

[Dionysus]

Casey Reading Lineup = Agony

[Paul SF]

Would love to get some first-inning runs here...

[Jackie (SF)]

Hudson, I am magically getting the FOX feed on MLB.tv - not sure but I think maybe the blackouts don't start until later in the season? You could try it, anyway... although I'm debating whether I'd be better off with just audio through WEEI than Buck/McCarver.

[Paul SF]

Sox have exactly one first-inning run this season. Not so good.

[Paul SF]

Ellsbury leads off with a hit! "Giambi a statue at first base." "It's been a long time since we've seen a first baseman not be able to get to a ball like that."

WEEI not impressed with Giambi's fielding there.

[Atheose]

Ellsbury singles!

[Paul SF]

And the steal!

[Jackie (SF)]

...aaand they took it away IN THE MIDDLE OF AN AB. Augh, jackasses!

[Atheose]

Great steal by Ellsbury. Hope to see that a lot this year.

[Micah-SF]

JACOOOOOOBY! Get him in, Pedroia!

[Atheose]

Pedroia singles back to Moose, who can't hold on to it. Great knock-down though to keep Ellsbury at 2nd.

[Paul SF]

EEI says Mussina's fastball is no longer as fast as Beckett's change-up. Talk about your contrast in styles...

[Atheose]

Ortiz with a CRAPPY check swing for a DP. Goddamnit.

[Paul SF]

David Ortiz is just an outs machine right now. It's brutal...

[Micah-SF]

That was ATROCIOUS. SNAP OUT OF IT!

[sf rod]

i swore i was gonna get stuck with the rockies/d-backs game out here on the left coast. thank goodness it's sox/yanks.

[Paul SF]

We need to stop this LOB crap.

[Atheose]

Manny! Sigh. Keep us going, Beckett.

[Micah-SF]

The fact that we can't score with two on nobody out and Mussina throwing like that makes me want to put my fist through my TV.

[AndrewYF]

Clutch pitching by Mussina.

[Dionysus]

Josh.

[Paul SF]

21 pitches, 16 strikes for Beckett. He's cruising so far. Let's get him some effing run support!

[Micah-SF]

At least the way Beckett is pitching, if he's got stamina today, we're only going to need a couple runs. But first we need to STOP SQUANDERING.

[yankeemonkey]

These Burger King commercials make babies cry.

[Atheose]

GREAT play by Cano, damnit.

[bloodyank78]

Niiice DP.

[AndrewYF]

Yeah, Cano is pretty damn good defensively. One of the best in the game.

[sf rod]

mccarver and buck getting their rocks off. "ooooohhhhh ohhhhhhh".

[bloodyank78]

ha ha, nice base running Tek.

[Micah-SF]

There is nothing fun about watching this team hit right now. Nothing. What a joke. What a complete joke.

[AndrewYF]

Oh my lord, I am absolutely loving this game so far.

[Atheose]

Mussina is getting hit HARD, but two double plays and great play by Abreu are keeping him out of trouble. Keep it going Beckett!

[Jackie (SF)]

Oh JESUS.

[Paul SF]

And then Tek makes an awful baserunning play. Can this team suck any worse?

[yankeemonkey]

> Can this team suck any worse?

Yes. They could be the Yankees.

(Or the Tigers)

[AndrewYF]

Wow, what ugly baseball by Boston.

[A YF]

Great play by Abreu? He slid to play it on a hop and Varitek was out by fifteen feet.

[Atheose]

Great, E by Pedroia. Just what we needed.

[Atheose]

A YF, he got up and threw it straight there. Too many times you see the outfielder lazily toss it back in, which is what 'Tek expected him to do.

[bloodyank78]

Come on JD, 2 out ribbie here, I feel it..

[Atheose]

Holy crap I am LOVING Sean Casey on this team.

[Micah-SF]

At least Casey makes a nice play. God, I hate this. Let's get Damon out now. No bullshit run please.

[AndrewYF]

And Alberto Gonzalez responds with more ugly baseball by sliding into first. He needs to be whipped.

[Atheose]

Jesus christ Manny scares me whenever a ball is hit his way.

[bloodyank78]

Damn you, rat nest haired Manny.

[Jackie (SF)]

Oh MANNY! :)

[bloodyank78]

Moose is giving up a run or two this inning, those DP's cant save him all afternoon.

[Jackie (SF)]

I like the characterization of that as "a little fly ball flip". Any LF other than Fenway and that would have been a hit, am I wrong?

[bloodyank78]

I was wrong.. good.

[Micah-SF]

Great, just what we need - the team letting Moose settle down when he's throwing 81mph fastballs. I am despising this game right now.

[Atheose]

Don't all players know by now that is is guaranteed faster, 100% of the time, to run instead of dive into first?

[Jackie (SF)]

Ok, clearly this is going to be another loooong short ballgame.

[Atheose]

Beckett is playing like he did in the postseason--he's getting ahead of batters, and coming right after them. Ugly weather looks to be brewing though. Hopefully it won't screw things up.

Oh thank goodness Lugo caught that.

[Micah-SF]

Beckett's still dealing, at least.

[Atheose]

Wait wait wait how the HELL did they score that groundball to Pedroia last inning a hit? That was SUCH an error!

[sf rod]

2 hr. sox yanks game.......never (FOX wont stand for it).

[Atheose]

Damn, Ortiz finally gets a good piece of one but it floats to Abreu. At least he made good contact.

Who would have thought that by April 12 DJ Drew would have an average SIX TIMES higher than Ortiz?

[Micah-SF]

THANK YOU MANUEL!

[Atheose]

MANNY!

[Jackie (SF)]

Kapow!

[sf rod]

couldn't tell if he watched it, anyone know?

[Micah-SF]

Didn't look like he posed too much, for Manny. Not that there was any question - he KILLED that thing.

Also, that Burger King commercial is creepy.

[Atheose]

Im still furious they counted Cano's grounder a hit. That was a bloody error!

[Atheose]

Im still furious they counted Cano's grounder a hit. That was a bloody error!

[Micah-SF]

Me too, Atheose. That was bullshit.

Steroid Jason flies to right.

[Atheose]

I wish he HAD watched. I'd rather see him do it against the Yanks than anyone else.

That Giambi fly-out scared me.

[Mark (YF)]

Man, those two pitches not even close.

[Atheose]

The two fastballs on the outside corner? He's been calling them for the last few innings, Mark.

[Micah-SF]

Did Carver SERIOUSLY argue that Varitek's first hit wasn't a bad baserunning play? What an idiot.

The offense continues to say to me that we're going to have to win this game 1-0. C'mon, Josh, keep it going.

[Mark (YF)]

They looked well off too me. Varitek set up pretty far outside and Beckett threw them right to the glove.

[Atheose]

Molina with a hit. Bah.

[Atheose]

Again Mark, the ump has been calling that a strike for most of the game.

Yanks trying the hit-and-run. Interesting.

[Atheose]

Carver just said that you shouldn't bunt the runner over when you're on the road. What kind of BS logic is that?

[Atheose]

Bah, back-to-back hits for the Yanks. Didn't expect that from the 8 and 9 hitters, despite the fact that Molina has been on a tear.

Settle down Beckett.

[Micah-SF]

I. Cannot. BELIEVE. ALBERTO. GONZALEZ. IS HITTING THAT.

[Atheose]

Damon sacrifices. Good decision, Girardi.

[A YF]

Jeter who?

[AndrewYF]

Runs please.

[Atheose]

Beckett blows one by Melky. Full count.

[Atheose]

Ellsbury makes the catch but both runners advance. 1-1, goddamnit.

[A YF]

Jeter who?

[Atheose]

Wild pitch, another run scores. Good baserunning--Jeter wouldn't have been able to score on that.

Settle down Beckett.

[Micah-SF]

WILD PITCH?!??!?!

My anger at this game knows NO BOUNDS.

[AndrewYF]

Man, the Yankee backups are really carrying the team.

[Atheose]

What makes it worse is listening to Carver talk about random bullshit that's completely irrelevent.

[Atheose]

Beckett's fastballs are topping out at 91 now. Bah.

[Lar]

Just joining in, though watched the last two games.

AG definitely stepped it up on that WP. Didn't think he would've been able to score, and I want whatever Moose's eating.

[Lar]

Beckett strikes out Abreu, but Abreu made him worked a little bit.