Life Is Good, But Is Good Bad?: Jays-Sox Gamer VI

This is what life is like inside the mind of a Red Sox fan who, even after two World Series wins, still can't shake a lifetime of agony: My first reaction on the news of Yankee injuries or misfortune is, "That just means they'll be rested and ready for a big run come August."

All the more reason to win now. The Yanks are struggling, and it looks like they'll be struggling for a while longer. We don't wish physical harm to their players, but it would be folly not to acknowledge that what has happened does seem to benefit the Red Sox -- if the Sox take advantage. For all the complaining we've done about lucky wins (outperforming their Pythag by two wins), the key is still to win, and win while the Yankees are losing. Worry about the rest later.

On that note, the Sox have been winning, recent five-game slide notwithstanding. They've managed to survive great pitching performances by Roy Halladay and Dustin McGowan by putting together some stellar starts of their own. Tonight, it gets no easier, as A.J. Burnett and his near-100-mph heat face off against Tim Wakefield's near-70-mph warmth. I'm not sure Burnett even has a pitch that goes as slowly as Wakefield's fastball.

One doesn't expect a three-peat of the terrific duels we've seen so far this series, but we weren't exactly feeling optimistic about Jon Lester in Game 1 either. Basbeall is baseball, and the motto is the same: Just win, baby (and make especially sure you do it when the Yankees lose). Let everything else sort itself out.

Comment away!

-Boston

1. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
2. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. Brandon Moss, RF
7. Coco Crisp, CF
8. Jed Lowrie, SS
9. Kevin Cash, C

Tim Wakefield, SP

Toronto

1. Alex Rios, RF
2. David Eckstein, SS
3. Scott Rolen, 3B
4. Matt Stairs, DH
5. Vernon Wells, CF
6. Aaron Hill, 2B
7. Shannon Stewart, LF
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. Marco Scutaro, 1B

A.J. Burnett, SP

Comments

[stuck working]

Woo hoo! Just what the line-up needed: Kevin Cash!

[Dionysus]

I miss Jacoby.

[stuck working]

Also, I've always been predisposed to think well of Ricciardi for Moneyball/Billy Beane-related reasons, but looking at this Blue Jays line-up...what the hell are they doing up there??

Almost every player in the that line-up screams "cast-off" to me: Eckstein, Rolen, Stewart, Scutaro, Barajas. I think my reaction to all of them is basically "Eh." Except, of course, for the World Series MVP GritMaster.

All that said, I still expect Toronto to win this game.

[Dionysus]

Rios down quickly, thnak god.

[Dionysus]

The life of a knuckleballer. 2 quick strikes leadign to a groudnout on the third pitch.. Then a four pitch walk

SWEET dp though!

[Brad]

I really, really hope Burnett wears the Boston uniform fairly soon.

[Dionysus]

GREAT battle to draw the walk by Youkilis.

[Brad]

I dunno how you lay off him. He is just so overpowering. A HUGE incentive based contract is what they should offer him. Someting along a base of ten, and a max of 20 with incentives for performance and numbers.
He's not Beckett, but he's not far behind him. Put him in a good situation, with good players around him and I bet he's an ace.

[Brad]

How far do you think Manny could hit one going a hundred miles an hour? ha.

[Atheose]

Burnett is looking REALLY good.

[Atheose]

I love the new Tampa-Bay style camera that's in dead-center. You get a great view of curveballs from it.

[Brad]

I'll be flat out amazed if IPK finds a way to lose for the Yankees tonight. It's three to nil with no outs in the first. Detroit pen warming.

[Brad]

nah, no I wont.

[Brad]

I agree, Ath. It's a good view.

[Atheose]

Wow, Robertson gets out of the inning with only 27 pitches used. I would have guessed him around 40.

[Atheose]

Lowell is back.

[Dionysus]

MIKEY DOUBLES

[Brad]

to no avaig. Nice hit though.

[SF]

Gah, I am actually trying to buy MLBtv and MLB WON'T LET ME. Their purchasing service is on the fritz.

Fine. Don't take my money. Grrrr.

[Dionysus]

Ha ha SF. I'm not sure I'd want to watch this game with this particular lineup anyway if I were you

[rootbeerfloat]

SF - it's for your own protection, really.

[Brad]

See, I'm not amazed at all. In fact, I think it's some of the funniest stuff I've ever witnessed. Pure Sox Fan entertainment.

[SF]

I just bought it and it doesn't work. AARGH.

[Brad]

SF - that sucks.

[SF]

Hey, at least the Yankees game, which I can actually watch on regular TV, is entertaining. They look like the Bad News Bears right now.

[Brad]

You decided on this purchase for a night when Wakefield was pitching?

[SF]

FINALLY working. Annoying as hell. Not a good beginning to my MLBtv experience.

[Brad]

Nice throw, Cash. Come on.

[SF]

I hate Tim Wakefield. Why did I sign up for this on night he is pitching? WHY!?

Stupid me.

[stuck working]

Yeah, Brad, how'd IPK give up 4 runs?

Of course, there's always some point in the Yanks' season where I think, "Could this finally be it? Could this be the year they fall apart?" And it never happens. I'm not getting too excited yet, but I'm glad you're also enjoying it while it lasts.

[Brad]

yeah, that baffled me too.

[rootbeerfloat]

Watching Wake makes me a little queasy.

[Brad]

Oh, stuck: I don't think they're done at all. I just take a weird unadulterated joy in watching Franshise and IPK get knocked around. He gave up the four runs, well, because he's not that good. I could be wrong, but I just don't see the talent. I see a junkballer, with a hittable fastball, and shaky nerves. Same way I view Lester, and Hughes. Hughes throws straighter though. At least so far..

[Dionysus]

I have such a love/hate thign for Wakeler. He's such a professional. He's doen so many great thigns for us, for so long. Anythign we've asked of him he's done.

But then nights like this...

[Brad]

Yeah, really I'm hoping for unfixable mental problems caused by the press, the boos, and the pressure. I hope both of them are forever regarded as the "the hype we didn't trade away for Johan Santana".
Just me though.

[Atheose]

Manny Ramirez drinks your milkshake!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=URjeS5-NaXY

[Dionysus]

Papi: "Screw the shift!"

[Brad]

I NEVER have a love/hate relationship with Wake. I always hate him lately. I think Masterson should be in the lineup. But, at least now we're not carrying Doug M. for no reason whatsoever. ha.
I know statistically, he just does what he needs to do, and in the end you wonder where all the wins and other stuff came from, but I hate having a guy like this.
OR, I have a wierd obsession with Masterson and Clay being in the same linup.

[rootbeerfloat]

Ortiz approaching the Mendoza line... in a good way.

[Atheose]

Hey Dio, Wake hasn't allowed a run yet. Could be a lot worse, and at 66 pitches he's pacing himself okay.

[SF]

OK, a little bingo going here. Manny walks. Come on, Mikey.

[Atheose]

I think Masterson should be in the lineup.

Sorry Brad, but I don't think he's a Micah Owings ;-) I'd love to see him in the rotation, though.

[SF]

Count in Mikey's favor, and he pops one up. Grrr. This offense is still in the dumps.

[Brad]

Ha. Yeah, I guess so, Atheose. Nitpicker.

[SF]

Rough break for Moss, who lines into a double play. Nice defense.

[SF]

Great, Eckstein hits one 106 feet and ends up on second.

[Brad]

Jesus. PLEASE RETIRE!!!

[Michael]

RUNS, PLEASE, SCORE SOME RUNS!!!!!

[SF]

And now the HBP.

Have I mentioned that I find watching Wake like waterboarding?

[Brad]

Please get Grandpa Stairs. He kills us.

[Brad]

That was the stupidest play I've ever seen.

[Atheose]

HAHA the Jays suck at baserunning

[SF]

Wow, pitiful running by Eckstein costs the Jays a run. Stairs hits a ball off the wall but Eckstein stands at second, then gets Rolen hung up. No runs, an out, and now two men in scoring position.

Sac fly makes it 2-0 on the next pitch.

[Atheose]

Eckstein totally had his milkshake drunk by the Red Sox there.

[stuck working]

I think you guys are being a little hard on Wakefield (Come on, Brad - "Please retire"?). I love Wake 80% of the time! Yeah, the experience of actually watching him pitch is a roller-coaster -- and I hate hate hate watching him pitch to the Yankees -- but it's easy to appreciate his charms the rest of the time, no?

[SF]

See, now Wake has made it through 5 innings, 2 runs, and has done a fine job. But I still hate watching.

The Sox' offense needs to get the collective head unwedged from the collective ass. This is one of the worst team-wide slumps I can remember.

[Michael]

Does anyone remember the last time the Sox had a multi-run inning?

[Atheose]

The last one I remember was Manny's walk-off homer against the Angels in the ALDS. Lol.

[rootbeerfloat]

I do like Wake - watching him just makes me need a drink. Sometimes he's brilliant and other times it's painful.

[SF]

Ok, I know Halladay and Burnett are good pitchers, but what the hell is up with this team?

[Michael]

Good at bats by Cash, if were not going to get hits, walks will have to do.

[SF]

Burnett walks Kevin Cash, which is about as bad a job as you can do. Kangaroo court ought to grab some serious dough from AJ for that offense.

[Atheose]

Cash draws a walk! Sadly Burnett has walked a lot of people, and then turns into superman while pitching from the stretch.

[SF]

In the Bronx, Kennedy is in two out trouble again. It looks like he cannot pitch from the stretch.

Girardi yanks him, another Bomber pitcher doesn't make it through five.

[Brad]

Another sub five inning start for IPK. Boos coming down. I love it. LOVE IT. Oh, and the four runs, with two on base too.

[SF]

Another nothing at-bat, Pedroia ends the inning.

Looks like I picked the wrong night to spend a c-note on baseball.

[Atheose]

IPK is out. 4.2 IP, 5H, 4ER, 3BB, 1K. Two inherited runners, so it might be more.

Giggle.

[Brad]

stuck: No. I can't stand him. He's a real nice guy, but easily my least favorite of any Red Sox pitcher. And that includes both Timlin and Tavarez. That should tell you something. I want him off the team more than anything. Just my opinion is all.

[Brad]

"c-note"

And you busted balls for J-Dizzle? ha.

[Michael]

Wake is frustrating to watch, but he's 2-0 with a sub 4 ERA. So basically you would want any other pitcher with similar numbers, just don't look directly at him when he pitches.

[Dionysus]

And this is turning into a decent outing by knucklestandards. (I think we can great a whole new set of ways to reference Wakefeild's starts by just adding a prefix of kuckle-. Its fun!)

TOO BAD WE CAN'T GIVE A STARTER A WIN

[stuck working]

Yeah, 2 runs in 6 innings? Yes, please. Wake definitely isn't the problem with this team right now.

[Brad]

Oh, I never thought he was a bad pitcher. That's not what I meant at all. I just can't stand the, um, look of it. I just don't like junkballers, and he's the king of all of them. He is very effective though, and thus, I'm appreciative for what he has given the Sox through the years.

[Atheose]

Tavarez is probably my favorite pitcher when not looking at performance. He has a slight lead over Beckett, because he's just awesome. Getting into fights in spring training? Getting rubbed by Manny? Wants to be a porn star? Rolls the ball to first base?

I love the guy.

[Atheose]

Ortiz through the shift! Time for some Manny Ramirez milkshake drinking.

[Brad]

Okay, Manny. Concentrate. See the ball and hit it. Ortiz beats the shift yet again.. I'm starting to think he's a little like Wang - putting the grounders where he wants them.:)

[Atheose]

Hiiiiiiiiiiighway to the danger zone... bum de dum. Ride into to Danger Zooooooooooooone!

[Atheose]

Jeez he's burning that high fastball in there.

[Atheose]

Manny walks again! Come on Lowell...

[SF]

Does anyone have any clue how to get MLBtv working on a Mac? I can see it on my PC partition on my Macbook (I have Windows installed as well) but I cannot get it to work in Leopard. All MLB recommended downloads have been taken care of. I am at a loss.

[Brad]

I agree, Atheose. I mean, he doesn't top Beckett in my admiration book by any stretch, but he does however rank right up there.
Story - I go to the spring training games that start the year in Philly most years, and one of them was his start (two years ago). Anyhow, after the game we were walking back to the hotel, and he was just standing on the coner outside the park. Just standing there, talking to five or six chicks. Anyhow, the funny part of it was that he had shorts on that came down to his sneakers (morel like really really loose highwater pants) and a green silk shirt with yellow dollar symbols all over it ($). I immediately took a picture, laughed and made mental note that his shirt looked like the dalmation from the cartoon Richie Rich from a few years back.
So weird just to see him, two hours after his start, standing on the corner talking to chicks like he was any other dude.

[Atheose]

I dunno SF, I'm a PC guy. You've installed Silverlight? What about Java?

[SF]

Everything installed, Silverlight, etc.

[Brad]

Moss deserves a hit here. That last one couldn't have been hit harder at someone.
Uh, nevermind.

[stuck working]

AUGH. Me no likey Moss up there.

[Atheose]

Brad, PLEASE tell me you still have that picture.

[Brad]

Yeah, PC guy here too. No help whatsoever. Try googling it.

[Brad]

Dammit. IPK won't get the loss today. I was really hoping it would stand up. Not so much for NY losing, but more more for just him.

[Brad]

Yeah, I have it. It's the old fashioned kind though, the kind I had to actually have developed. I really should have it converted to a disc so I could share it.
It really was hilarious.

[Atheose]

Damnit, Yankees tie it. Just what we needed.

Oh, and then Rios homers. That's even better.

[Dionysus]

We need a full lineup again. I miss having one.

Seriously. We need

Ellsbury
Pedroia
Ortiz
Ramirez
Lowell/Drew
Drew/Lowell
Varitek
Crisp
Lugo (or Lowrie)

[Brad]

Yeah, Lowrie. And I agree, Dio. I'm sick of the patchwork. Although, I guess we can't really complain as of now. I mean, at least we don't have anyone on the DL.

[Brad]

Nice move, Terry. Let them all see him one more time.
Frustrating. I'm sure MDC would have done the same thing.

[Atheose]

Time for The Office, and then the greatest show in the history of television. If you have to ask what it is then you suck at life. Sorry Sox, you'll have to have epic comeback #3 without me.

[Atheose]

Hey Dio, you realize you have 4 outfielders on that list right?

[Brad]

Family Guy is on after the office now?':)

[Brad]

albasomethingorother has guys on second and third with none out in NY. Inge up.

[Brad]

That'll score two!!! A two run triple by Santiago..

[Brad]

The bullpen can't go five or six a night. It exposes them too much.

[Brad]

Of course, our bullpen can't go one a night, so I guess it all evens out. Near HR by Hill there.