Broom Town: Sox-Yanks Gamer III

And here we are. Game No. 3 of 18, and thus far the most anticipated of the season.

The Boston Red Sox spent a mint to snatch Daisuke Matsuzaka, both for themselves and from the Yankees. He has been everything they expected, and now comes the first true test of whether he has a chance to be spoken of in that same one-name pantheon of great Red Sox hurlers -- Wood, Pedro, Rocket.

Matsuzaka was acquired to be an ace. And an ace for the Red Sox must be able to beat the Yankees. Josh Beckett has done it -- four times in six tries now. Curt Schilling has done it -- heroically, blood seeping through his sock. Pedro Martinez did it -- in 2004, when he wasn't on his game, and in 1999, when he was. Even Jonathan Papelbon to an extent has done it -- two saves and a sub-1 ERA with 16Ks in 10 innings.

The Yankees have been obliging enough to make tonight easier. With starter after starter going down with injuries, rookie Chase Wright makes his second major-league start. He looked shaky his first outing but got the win. Can he succeed where Mariano Rivera and Jeff Karstens have failed? Can he silence David Ortiz, who has thus far been the true king of this series, or the awakening bats of Jason Varitek and Coco Crisp?

Even if the Sox do hit Wright, can Matsuzaka avoid getting rattled like he did in Toronto? Will he once and for all silence A-Rod? Can he dominate the best offense in the American League like he did the fifth-, ninth- and 12th-best?

Even if he dosn't, the Red Sox have assured themselves a series win. While a loss tonight would be diappointing, the series is alredy a success for Boston. To open the season series with a sweep of New York, however -- the first since 1981 -- would be a tremendous boost and put the Red Sox in great position heading to Yankee Stadium next weekend.

Daisuke Matsuzaka can make it happen. It's exactly why the Red Sox got him.

Comments

[SF]

Coco is out with a "tight oblique". The guy finally seems to get going and then this.

F*ck.

[sf rod]

not sure why coco is sitting today. figured tito would let a guy get hot.

[SF]

see above comment, sf rod.

[sf rod]

thanks for the answer SF.

[Josh SF (D1)]

Irritating to say the least...but I have the strange feeling that WMP is going to enjoy his game against the rookie LHP.

Or, strike out twice and ground into a double-play.

[john]

Didn't this game used to have a 7:05 start? Did MLB let ESPN move it? Yesterday was a national blackout, including on MLB.com. Today I hurried home to find no game. Impeach Bud Selig, the $14 million man.

Yankee fans would obviously feel better if we didn't have a AA pitcher on the mound tonight, and we'd feel better if we had Jorgie calling the game and the only Yankee who's faced Dice-K in right field. Not to mention our catcher's 0 for 24 career record.

[sam YF]

uh Beckett was 2-2 last year as the Sox "ace" Where does the 4 of 6 come from? Marlins?

[TJ]

i dont think any sunday games have 7 05 starts its either 8pm ESPN or afternoon game. cause espn has exclusivity on Sunday nights.

[TJ]

2-2 with sox 1-0 in 03 World Series and 1-0 this year

[TJ]

Check that 1-1 in 2003 Series so it would be 4-3 now

[SF]

John, making excuses already.

[TJ]

I think if Boston loses tonite the series is a failure. I dont care that they would have taken 2 of 3. This is why we got Matsuzaka to beat the Yankees.

[sam YF]

haha i conveniently forgot about yesterdays game! thnx

[john]

Sox fans are going to say 4 wins in 6 games. Yankee fans are going to say we are very happy with the high era over the last 4 games we've faced Beckett. Plus let's get Damon, Matsui and Jorgie back in the lineup. Nieves has been worse than a pitcher so far.

[john]

SF, being the gracious host already.

[Ayuh - SF]

Any series where the Sox take 2 out of 3 from the Yankees has GOT to be considered a success, no matter who pitches.

[sam YF]

OK say matsuzaka walks off in the first inning with an injury (not that im wishing this, just a hypothetical) and the yankees go on to win. Are there any comments from SFs about the reason the sox didnt sweep, win, etc is due to the injury?

[SF]

It feels good to be back - I missed the first game entirely, only able to check the scores intermittently via Blackberry in an area with weak service. Yesterday, I had DirecTV installed following a six hour ordeal involving chopped-down trees and an installer who spoke very halting English. He finally got the service working as Papelbon took the mound. But, my DSL line was not functional so blogging was an impossibility. Seems like the debate here has been pretty solid, and I do relish the fact that Yankees fans are just "explaining" why they are losing or why they should be considered underdogs, but we Sox fans are always "making excuses" when we point out painful facts about our team. Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference, I guess. Or it's all about the messenger.

Tonight should be fun, but as this week has shown (Halladay vs. a weaker Sox lineup ends in a Sox victory, Schill gets tagged but the Sox emerge victorious after beating up on Mariano Rivera) the paper advantage doesn't always hold. We love the Sox' chances tonight, but at this point none of us should be surprised about any result.

And, how exciting does A-Rod make the game now, just by his presence? I for one am happy to see him raking - I've always been a pretty fierce defender of him on this site (I think I told John in the pre-season I'd trade Papi for him, at least in theory). Though tonight he can go 0-4, as far as I am concerned. Don't love him that much.

[Dionysus]

Ok.. Coco is an ominous sign. He finally was hot.

Now I'm nervous. Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

[SF]

Are there any comments from SFs about the reason the sox didnt sweep, win, etc is due to the injury?

Sure, why shouldn't there be speculations about "what ifs"? There's a fine line between excuse-making and theorizing, I suppose. Maybe it's like the pornography thing, you know it when you see it?

[sam YF]

Now I would agree with you SF but I dont think everyone knows it when they see it...

[john]

SF, here's the difference: my comments were about the game and were not derogatory. Yours was personal and negative. This is the point at which your friend YF says, "Bite me."

[SF]

Bite me!

[sam YF]

this didnt sound like an excuse to me....

Yankee fans would obviously feel better if we didn't have a AA pitcher on the mound tonight, and we'd feel better if we had Jorgie calling the game and the only Yankee who's faced Dice-K in right field. Not to mention our catcher's 0 for 24 career record.

[john]

No, he says it to you.

[Rob SF]

You two getting into some wierd "porno" bighting thing?

[SF]

Bite me!

[Rob SF]

That would be biting

[Josh SF (D1)]

Jeez, now who has thin skin? Relax, YF's...hehe.

[Dionysus]

Oh God.. not Joe Morgan.

I knew it was coming, but it still doesnt lessen the blow

[SF]

John: nothing meant personally. I was responding to the line of debate here where everyone takes a simple expression of "what if" and turns it into "excuse making". Too subtle, I suppose.

[sam YF]

why is josh phelps even on the yankees? what else does Minky have to do to not get a start, never hit? oh wait he has that covered...

[Ayuh - SF]

A-Rod is absolutely on fire right now, and as a pure baseball fan, it's amazing to see. As a Sox fan though, I wonder just when someone is going to plunk him, or at least back him off the plate.

The same goes for Barry Bonds- why in the world doesn't someone throw at his knees??

I'm not calling for a beanball war, but it offends my sensibilities to see batters so comfortable in the batters box. I can only imagine what pitchers from the 60s are thinking.

[SF]

I don't get the "back A-Rod off the plate" or "throw at Ortiz" thing. If it was that easy, wouldn't it have happened? I don't understand why people think a purpose pitch can basically nullify great players.

[YF]

ESPN gun giving Dice 95. Pretty high.

[sam YF]

agreed, its more likely to just make them angry which cant be a good thing.

[john]

You know, Crisp did almost catch that.

[Josh SF (D1)]

"ESPN gun giving Dice 95. Pretty high."

Not the first time. He's typically been in the 93-95 range; that was what I heard about him before he came over. Let's see what they give Wright next inning.

[SF]

Crisp said it touched the top of his glove, John.

[SF]

Beautiful changeup on 1-1.

[Ayuh - SF]

I don't think a purpose pitch nullifies a great player, but I think it does help keep a batter from sitting on a pitch. As Moonlight Graham said "the next one is either low and away, or in my ear"

[SF]

Ump apparently not giving the "six inches off the plate" strike.

[YF]

Up to 96. Dice painting the corners.

Let's see what the gun gives Wright.

[Josh SF (D1)]

Umpires don't give him anything, ever...

[john]

The question is, what if you layoff the changeup? Is it a strike? I haven't watched any of his starts.

[YF]

Alex vs Dice 1:

HBP on pitch 1. Hight, tight fball.

Harrumph.

[Rob SF]

That is all Tavarez' fault

[Ayuh - SF]

Like THAT

[TJ]

DICE MAN! :D

[Josh SF (D1)]

That didn't look on purpose...f*ck. How the hell does Joe Morgan know what Tavarez is telling him, or that it has ANYTHING to do with A-Rod? God dammit I hate this guy.

[SF]

There you go...

See, I just don't see how that can possibly affect A-Rod.

[sam YF]

Interesting that DiceK tipped his cap after beaning A-rod. Thats some Japanese baseball etiquite.

[Josh SF (D1)]

Well he looks like shit. Great.

[john]

WOOWOOOOOOOOOO!

[Rob SF]

Here we go....

[YF]

Giambi gapper to right plates 2! Take that!

Familiar start to this one, no?

[Tom sf]

2-0! THAT is why hitting a batter ia not a good idea.

[TJ]

DICE MAN :(

[Dionysus]

Ok.. Vomit bag time

[Ayuh - SF]

D1- Dice doesn't look that bad. He walked a guy, "accidentally" hit another one, and Giambi had a great at-bat against him. On the other hand, he's up in the mid-90s and throwing different pitches for strikes.

[YF]

Cano grounder strands Giambi.

Can't see Dice intentionally hitting A-Rod, but you know he's worried about him. If I'm Dice, I'm worried about one of my sinking offspeed pitches getting parked. Alex has been all over that pitch thus far this season. Makes sense to get him thinking high in before going down there. Didn't work that time, tho.

[Josh SF (D1)]

"Familiar start to this one, no?"

Hopefully. The last two games didn't exactly go your way, now did they?

[sam YF]

Uuh will jon miller please stop talking in Japanese

[Dionysus]

Ok.. one bad inning. If he has another one, I'm gonan take a shower. I took a quick shower (I was gettign complaints... covered in rust and sawdust) after the bottom of the second LAST night and it worked...

[SF]

Giambi also hit a pitch that was pretty far outside - gotta give Jason some credit there for that as well, taking what was given him.

OK Giambi hit a changeup that stayed up near the belt. Good job taking it opposite field, but that was a bad pitch.

"If you're left-handed and you have good stuff, you can win."

Joe Morgan, folks.

[Rob SF]

Lugo draws the walk, nice start

[YF]

Neither pitcher getting the corners much here. Spells big trouble for Wright. He doesn't have the stuff/experience to deal with getting squeezed.

[Josh SF (D1)]

That was me...maybe it was a good pitch, I didn't think so but I also didn't really get a good look at it.

Whatever...good job by Lugo taking the walk.

[Josh SF (D1)]

Wright is excrutiating to watch with runners on...

[Ayuh - SF]

4 throws to first already- get ready for a loooong night

[SF]

Wright is a slow worker. So is Dice. This is going to take forever.

[sf rod]

i blame that SB on posada.

[SF]

Wow, nice barehanded snare on a serious rope into the crowd by Youk.

[Rob SF]

May want to sign that guy

[SF]

Excellent at-bat by Youkilis there. 10 pitches, works the walk. Come on, Papi!

[Josh SF (D1)]

No catcher had any chance at nailing Lugo on that one. For all those pickoff throws, he did a pretty lousy job holding him on.

That, or Lugo just had a really good read on him.

[Rob SF]

Wright is working himself into a possibly huge problem

[Scott SF]

Papi looks a bit like Mo Vaughn with that #42 on his back.

[Tom sf]

Morgan says left handers take longer to go to the plate. Does this make any sense?

[SF]

The over-third cam shows Wright's move is really easy to pick up. His step has no deception when going home, or to first. I am guessing Lugo figured it out.

Ortiz just misses one. Dang.

[Josh SF (D1)]

Papi misses a TERRIBLE f*cking pitch.

Throw that one to Manny. Dare you.

[Rob SF]

Papi swung at the wrong pitch

[Ty_Yf]

Matsuzaka's lack class and sportsmanship. He hit Arod in his first pitch. What a Joke.. I hope and expect Chase Wright do the same. hit Big papi as well.

[sf rod]

no....it doesn't make any sense to listen to what joe morgan says.

[SF]

Morgan says left handers take longer to go to the plate. Does this make any sense?

Yes, don't you know about the special "lefty rubber" that is located 9" behind the regular rubber? This added distance makes the travel time slightly longer to home.

[Rob SF]

What game are you wathing Ty? That had no appearance of intent

[SF]

Manny misses another meatball, just like Papi. Manny really struggling - that ball should have been punched hard the other way, really a fat pitch.

[Josh SF (D1)]

Another bad pitch. Ugh. He's not long for the game if he keeps throwing these meaty fastballs.

[Ty_Yf]

Posada's who's not even playing tonight.

[Rob SF]

Hopefully we are not going to screw this up and not score anything.

[Josh SF (D1)]

Can't believe Boston's this close to letting him off the hook. He doesn't look good...at all. And I don't think I'm being a homer in saying so.

[Tom sf]

Thanks SF. Thank God we have Joe Morgan to point out these hidden mysteries to us.

[sf rod]

ty- my point exactly. if he cared he'd be there.

[SF]

Is it really still the first inning?! Sloooow.

And now the rook cockily swaggers off the mound...on Ball 3.

[Rob SF]

2 LOB

[YF]

the kid stays in the picture!

[SF]

And then he does it on strike 3, correctly. Drew's at-bat useful only for the 6 pitches he saw. Not a good plate appearance at all.

[Josh SF (D1)]

Wow. Ortiz, Manny, and Drew should be ashamed of themselves.

Awful.

[jim - YF]

Why was Ortiz wearing #42? What he gets his own special Jackie Robinson Day?