At long last, Manny Ramirez returns to the Red Sox lineup, batting in an unusual spot but playing the usual position and — if his batting practice performances are any indications — ready to resume the .309/.405/.522 clip he’s been hitting since June 1.
He faces Chad Gaudin and the Oakland A’s, one of the few teams that have a winning record against the Sox this season. By sweeping this two game set, Boston can do no better than tie the season series.
The Red Sox hold their destiny in their own hands. Win five of the next six, and it doesn’t matter what New York does. Of course, it doesn’t really matter what New York does anyway ;-).
Comment away!
With Youkilis expected to return tomorrow, it sure will be nice to see the full lineup again:
Boston
1. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
2. Manny Ramirez, LF
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Mike Lowell, 3B
5. J.D. Drew, RF
6. Jason Varitek, C
7. Coco Crisp, CF
8. Eric Hinske, 1B
9. Julio Lugo, SS
Oakland
1. Shannon Stewart, LF
2. Daric Barton, 1B
3. Nick Swisher, CF
4. Jack Cust, RF
5. Mark Ellis, 2B
6. Dan Johnson, DH
7. Marco Scutaro, SS
8. Jack Hannahan, 3B
9. Kurt Suzuki, C
Youkilis gave a pretty funny pre-game quote to the Globe on Ramirez batting second:
“He’s hitting second so I think he’s going to move over runners,” Youkilis said. “He’s going to do the little things. He’s going to play small ball. … I think he might get a contract extension, maybe, if he finishes well. He really has to show himself now because he’s one of those September call-up type guys you’re not sure about.”
That’s great, academic. The crowd loves Manny.
Ellsbury in center rather than Crisp…”illness”, says Orsillo.
2nd batter hits it out. 1-0 A’s.
I wonder what percent of the time a pitcher gets a win after giving up a homer in the first?
I don’t feel terrified/angry the way I normally am when the opposing team scores in the 1st. I hope the Sox prove my attitude sound.
Yay Manny!!!
Really tried to give that one a ride on the 1-0 pitch. Missed it.
Welcome back Manny with a single.
Opposite field single…yeah, Manny.
RBI wallball double. LOWELL!!!
I like this, Manny hit, Papi walk and Lowell drive some in.
Batting Manny 2nd seems to be working out so far… although having to run multiple bases on a ball in play is maybe more work than I’d envisioned him doing tonight. ;)
Damn it Drew. We need you to get hot for the playoffs.
Oh JD, maybe you’ll hit in the post season. I’m in a good mood today, I have faith!
Drew K’s swinging on a ball inside.
Tek walks….time for Ellsbury to add to the legend.
4 pitch walk to Tek. How many times has THAT happened this year?
Ooohhhh, that 0-2 ball was close.
Sucks they didn’t get more, but they made Gaudin throw more than Schilling…
Way too much solid contact off Schill for my taste tonight so far. Way too much.
That works.
Anyone had a SF sighting lately?
Man, Hinske just seems to be completely guessing up there.
Then of course he hits for a single. Thanks, reverse mojo!
With Eric Hinske destined for another 3 pitch K, am I the only one curious to see the results of the Brandon Moss-first base experience?
As I typed that, Hinske reached on an error. Well-done, um, luck.
Oh never mind, it was an error, took my eye off the game. Suck, Hinske! :)
I guess I should have said “experiment”, but experience could be an apt description. Either way, he puts in higher quality ABs than Hinske.
I’ve decided Hinske deserves a little credit. OBP is 100 points higher than his batting, which means he can take a walk, and his slugging is very good for his batting, which means that when he hits, it’s for power.
Consider this: Hinske’s OPS is higher than Lugo’s and Crisp’s and I think is even with Drew’s and Varitek’s. It’s better than any of the Sox’ bench players; his slugging is higher than Wily Mo Pena’s was when he was traded.
So Hinske I think is far from the waste some make him out to be.
Pretty horrific inning there for the offense. Gaudin 45, Schilling 37 after 2.
Paul, you’re absolutely correct, it just feels like in-between walking and swinging with authority (which he does, I won’t argue about that), he seems to strike out on three pitches or “do the Drew” (i.e., get pull-happy and GO/GIDP to 2B).
With bench players, there’s only so much you can hope for, and the best ones get made starters on other teams anyway.
Barton continues to dominate Schill. 2 for 2 with a HR.
Schilling gets through 3rd on 11 pitches. Pretty good, especially for a baserunner being in there. Now I’m off home. Enjoy the game, folks.
Heck, I think it was here where there was kind of a reverse conversation about Mirabelli. People were saying, we don’t need him, stick with Cash. While Cash at his best offensively is < Mirabelli at his worst.
True, Quo. Mirabelli has had really a terrific season for power, about 20 AB/HR, which was even with Ortiz for a while. Not that Belli is Ortiz, but that it seems his pop returned this year, whereas last season it was terrible average AND no power. Cash brings what Belli was last year.
*sigh* Wish Drew had gotten that double with men on base. He’s just had lousy luck as far as when he gets his big hits and when he gets his strikeouts. I refuse to belive it’s some anticlutch gene, as I generally don’t believe in clutch outside the rare exceptions.
Wish Tek had taken a pitch.
Arod just got a granny, they’re up 5-0 already. Hope the Red Sox can win this game.
In the spirit of nstbSF’s comment, Kei Igawa has thrown 15! of 37 pitches for strikes.
You know, when YFs around here mention that we haven’t gotten $100M worth out of Daisuke, it’s time to remind them that they’ve probably gotten a lower % of their $50M out of Kei Igawa.
You know, when YFs around here mention that we haven’t gotten $100M worth out of Daisuke, it’s time to remind them that they’ve probably gotten a lower % of their $50M out of Kei Igawa.
I think in some regards we both teams have gotten less than what we expected on the field, but the sales and revenue off the field may have already paid for both of them.
I think the difference is expectations, Quo. Dice was supposed to step in and be a legit #1. Igawa was said to be a back of the rotation guy.
This year, they’re both far from those predictions. Since the Sox paid more (and the hype was way more – what happened to the gyroball?), they get the heat.
All three K’s that inning were looking.
The gyroball that never existed?
And even with expectations, I think it’d be hard for even the most devout YF to argue that Kei ($50M) has been worth half of Daisuke ($100M). Is this a simplistic way of looking at it? Absolutely. Have some of our non-comrades made it that simplistic when talking about Daisuke? No doubt about it.
Hey, if anyone bet that Schilling would strike out the side looking in the 4th, you better have made a LOT of money.
I watched the first 3 innings of Igwawa and the DRays have hit him hard but with bum luck outcomes. Like a blistering shot to left that would’ve cleared the bases went foul by inches. Curious to see how much longer his luck holds out.
Schilling getting the K’s, that’s always a good sign. Now hits-hits-hits boys!
Hinske is on twice in two PAs! The reverse-jinx from Devine continues to work.
What? The gyroball didn’t exist? And it does seem as if he’s gotten away from the variety of pitches. Is that Varitek or Farrell?
Pete, I think it’s Dice-BB himself. I’m guessing he shook Tek off repeatedly in favor of FBs several starts ago, and if/when Tek continued to call for them, he was just following DM’s lead.
Dice was supposed to step in and be a legit #1.
Dice was never supposed to step in and be a legit No. 1. I heard no one say they expected him to be the staff ace this year.
His recent starts have definitely been below expectations and have tarnished his image and reputation, but until then he was decidedly above what most people had dared hope.
I think there was enough from what we saw this year to say the Sox should be very excited for what Matsuzaka can bring next season, when the expectations are that he should be a legit No. 1.
Sure he was Paul. I read it from that Yankee fan with the Dice blog. And I could swear I read it from Neyer.
And doesn’t he have Cy Young clauses in his contract? Somebody thought he’d be great.
Both sides getting baserunners. No one doing anything with them.
Everyone thought he’d be great — I doubt anyoen thought he’d be great this year. Most people, including the people at YFSF when the signing took place, estimated 15 wins and a mid-4 ERA. Which is exactly what Matsuzaka has given us.
He’s transitioning. We weren’t so naive to think he’d be an ace in his frist year. Next year, on the other hand, those expectations will be raised, and rightly so.
Meanwhile, check out his monthly numbers. He too has had only two good months. The rest have been average (April and August) or much worse (May and Sept). He’s got a ton to prove next year.
I’m going to go eat some dinner and watch the game. Or else I’m going to drive you guys nuts.
A lot of people have award clauses in their contract. I’d put the possibility of Giambi having GG-clauses in his contract as being pretty good. The chances of him reaching those clauses is probably slim.
Having award clauses in your contract just means you have some leverage with the team in some way that allows you additional monetary considerations for winning awards.
It’s possible Julio Lugo has batting title clauses in his contract. Manny could have had SB-clauses built into his. Derek Jeter might have a clause in his contract granting him $70M if he leads the league in range.
You read it from ONE Yankee fan and maybe Rob Neyer? Smoking guns, those.
Being ends the night with a 1/2 + BB line. One run scored. Moss in to PR.
Nice first game for Manny, he did well.
Manny get hurt again?
rob, nope. I’m guessing this went exactly according to plan. Manny reaches in his 3rd PA and is PR for.
Now Ortiz walks. Lowell looking to take back the RBI lead.
Rob, Manny was only going to get three or so plate appearances. Part of the plan.
Ok..I know he hasn’t played in a few weeks, but we are talking about “a highly tuned athletic machine.”
Right?
Had he doubled and looked like a GD gazelle doing it, Moss probably still would have PR.
Bases loaded for…Drew.
Prediction: Big hit from Drew here.
Drew up with the bases juiced. Please oh pretty please Drew.
lol, Quo at the gazelle line.
Orrr, the RBI walk. Now Varitek will swing at the first pitch and ground into a double play.
Well at least Drew didn’t hit into the DP.
Drew with the bases-loaded BB. Good enough.
Old friend Lenny DiNardo. Seems to have fallen on slightly harder times since we last saw him…
Ugh, Varitek,
Let’s go Ells!
Well, sac fly better than nothing. Hinske up to reward my faith in him.
SF to RF. I’ll take it.
Ooooh, Youk!
Youks to try out the wrist.
Youkilis! He is in!
Pop-out. Oh well. Ahead in the game with a stronger defense at the corners.
Ah well. Couple runs is what you should get when you load the bases with none out.
lol, Paul.
We’re on the same wavelength, tonight, eh, Quo?
Please let this not be one of those outings where Schilling makes “two mistakes” that lead to four runs.
Of course, it could end up being not funny.
6 IP, 6 H, 6 Ks, 86 pitches with 62 for strikes. 0 BBs.
Hasn’t been dominating, but I like the fact that he’s been able to get some Ks.
Si, Paul. I’m kind of ready for us to put this one away. A bases loaded with none out situation would probably make that possible, right?
Schilling gets out of it. Still 3-1 into the bottom of the sixth.
Pedroia is the only Sox starter without a positive contribution at this point. Time to change that.
I hear ya. None of this close-games crap. I’d love for the Sox to pick right now to begin the year’s first and only six-game winning streak. Just leave no doubt.
Sheesh. Helluva time to slump. Might cost him the ROY the way Young’s been swinging the bat.
I still say Pedroia should get it on value to his team, offensive value of his position and historical magnitude of the numbers he’s putting up as a second baseman. But how many voters will think of that?
Fielder’s choice to give the Sox a slower runner on-base.
“Luckily” for PedRoYa, his competition (Delmon Young) has done nothing against Kei “No thanks, don’t need the strike zone” Igawa.
Seems silly based on this to have used Moss already. He’s not that much/any faster than Kielty. If they were going to PH, then WTH?
MDC in.
Does this make them more/less likely to pitch Schill on the last day?
With Drew on 2nd with one out, the A’s just IBB’ed Varitek to get to Ellsbury with two outs. Even with lefty-on-lefty, that’s an… interesting strategy.
And as I type this, Ellsbury singles home Drew.
Gagne in.
Game Over … for somebody.
That should be Gagne’s slogan:
“I will hasten the end of the game, somehow. Guaranteed.”
I’m now thinking back wistfully to Igawa’s 5 shutout innings after the bullpen turns a 5-0 lead into a 5-6 deficit.
Paps in for the 4-out save.
Phew. Gets the first on a FB that Ellis was just overmatched on.
Brother to brother, this is cute.
What’s cute is a Kielty SF and a Papi 2-run bomb giving us some significant but unneccessary breathing room.
Maybe it was unnecessary, but I don’t mind having Papelbon get to call it a night after one pitch. Not to mention getting Corey some more work.
…all the good relievers are gone. It’d suck if Corey let the A’s stick a toe back in the door…
What’s not cute is the Yankees tied the game. :(
That’s true. But we shouldn’t need Papelbon to douse a 6-run lead, right? Wait, right?
Oh good gravy. Now Bryan “Joba” Corey has an ERA.
Motherflippin sweet snag by Pedroia there. ROY and GG, I should think. ;)
The Rays got out with the tie intact and Farnsey’s in the game. They still have a chance down there.
Do they give Gold Gloves to rookies? It’s such a “rep” award.
SWEET!!! Magic number is 4!
I was mainly being facetious, but… yeah, you’re right. It’s the only way to explain Torii Hunter’s continued dominance.
MAGIC NUMBER IS 3!!
Correction: Magic number is 3. Thank you, Jeff Karstens and
el Guapo,Dioner Navarro.DON’T JINX US!!!!!
Ed, do you want us to call John Sterling, SF4Life, SF* or just plain old Ed? You let me know.
That was me…I was commenting on this comment found in the Yankees thread. Apparently Ed is having multiple personality issues.
Ballgame over, YANKEES LOSE THEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YANKEEEES LOOOOOOOOSE
Posted by: John Sterling
Crisp was substituted for before the first inning even began. Would it have been legal to use him later in the game?