Ok, I am back from a self-imposed baseball exile. I came back last night, a bit prematurely (I had given myself until today to watch any baseball, but flicked on the tube around 10pm). It was out of sheer curiosity and the magnetic draw of our national pastime, and it ended up being for one pitch from Rudy Seanez. Nice timing I’ve got. I went back into exile (good for me, better for the Sox!). Now the exile is officially over. And what is the first thing I do? I call up MLB’s preview. And it appears that some castoff from the Kansas City Royals named Kyle Snyder is starting a game for my beloved Red Sox. Let me repeat that: a CASTOFF FROM THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS. What kind of pitcher do you have to be to get tossed aside by one of the worst clubs in baseball history? Or worse, what kind of citizen? Did this guy get caught doing something terrible to the world’s largest prairie dog? DId he disappear for 6 days on a rib-eating jag? Is Theo a mad genius? Or a dart-throwing moron? I guess we’ll find out tonight. Comment away.
Kyle Who?: Sox-Nats Gamer I
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Maybe he’s a mad dart-throwing genius. The idea, from what I hear, is that they dn’t weant to bounce Pauley around, Ginter’s way off cycle with when he last pitched, and this is the last game in June where we’ll need a fifth starter. They hope for 5 runs/5 innings, pray for a good day with the vats, and let him try his luck at Pawtucket until later this year. Makes sense, but was this the best they could do? Yuck…
That would be the bats. I hear the vats (of boiling oil, acid, what-have-you) are stll on order, waiting for a corrosive enough material for Tavarez.
Theo’s copying Cashman again.
Incidentally, on the news front: JT Snow has been DFA to make room for Snyder, amd old friend Gabe Kapler is making his first post-Achilles start in RF. Congrats to him! And good luck to J.T., a class act who deserved better than he got — but who knew Youk and Lowell would be this good this early?
I would have guessed that the boiling oil or acid had already been tossed on Tavarez. You know, judging from his face…never mind. That’s too low even for the Orc.
Welcome Back, Kapler!
So does Snow make it 3 Gold Glovers the Sox have discarded in the last few years? Who needs ’em anyway? We’ve got YOUK!
hmmm interesting inning @ strikeouts and a homerun.
and of course @ is 2 :P
I refuse to acknowledge this ex-Royal guy who’s pitching. Arroyo is pitching tonight for the Reds; maybe I should watch that instead.
It jusn’t seem right to take a Royals cast off and make him your starting pitcher of a homestand after a 3 game sweep. Just seems like we are begging to kill the momentum.
jusn’t (verb) a combination of invalid fingers trying to type.
Tek Doubled, Lowell singled no outs
RBI single for Crisp 2-1
Cora comes through! 2-2
2-2 now, on a sidenot I just noticed the Sens picther is former sox farmhand, Tony Armas Jr.
Alex Cora ties it with the single!
by Sens i mean Nats LOL
Can anyone give a good reason as to why Alfonso Soriano bats leadoff? After all the grumbling about batting order on the Red sox, its kind of funny to see the NAts roll in with their best power hitter in the leadoff spot.
3 runs allwed by Snyder thru 3 innings… looks like he’s taking this” 5 runs, 5 innings” thing literally
Because Soriano is an on base machine!
(career obp .323)
ummm hmmmmm ummmm really? thats about what Alex Gonzalez’s is LOL
I just checked – with AGon’s recent torrid stretch hitting, he’s ap to .302 (shudder).
Papa Jack’s doing his thing with Gonzo.
Gabe the Babe!! Wallball brings Covelli home.
Bottom of the lineup is tearing it up so far tonight
Tito going all old school on us with the sac bunt.
I spoke to soon.
Youk with the RBI, 4-3 Sox on the conceded grounder.
Loretta misses a dinger by about 2
feet with the wallball double
Don Orsillo with one horrible call – Loretta thrown out at home as Orsillo says “Loretta gives the Sox a…nothing, out at home”. Yeesh.
Loretta for some reason didn’t slide. He also didn’t appear to be running all that hard. Weird play.
Manny was the one who should’ve been signalling for Loretta to slide. MBM…
Ah, that play was Manny’s fault: stood in the on-deck circle giving Loretta no advice on whether to slide. Lazy job by Manny, probably costs the Sox a run – a slide would have done it. Superb deconstruction by Remy there.
Snyder K’s Soriano for the 3rd time! This kid is holding his own: 4 hits, 6 Ks, no walks through 5.
The pitcher I am not acknowleding with 2 consecutive sub 10 pitch innings. If he keeps it up, I may never type his name.
I think the Sox may need more runs, though. Isn’t it Tavarez’ turn in the bullpen?
What happened to Tek’s AB? I got gamecasted.
Maybe Snyder figures he’s got nothing to lose… He’s not pitching for a ML job, he’s here for one day, he’s getting sent down no matter what, he’s playing in a game that actually matters before fans that actually cares… Maybe for once he’s being able to just pitch and not try hard… He has far exceeded anyone’s expectations thus far, I would think…
I did too, Rob. I’m guessing he made an out, although Lowell walked and he’s not on base…
friggin gamecast
Here comes Van Buren
Bottom 5TH B:1 S:2 O:2
Jason Varitek grounds out, shortstop Royce Clayton to first baseman Robert Fick.
That’s it for the one kid — great job by Snyder! I hope he got a good hand from the Fenway Faithful…
Now it’s the other kid. Here’s rooting that Jermaine Van Buren recovers his pree-Stadium form…
Not a good start from Van Buren… We need two innings out of him, not two runs…
Ahh, the K. Much better…
I’m not sure I understand why Francona would take Snyder out when he did. The previous inning went very smoothly; he’d thrown just 67 pitches in 5 innings; the bullpen is depleted with no Papelbon to anchor it. Obviously you don’t want to ask too much from Snyder, but he got pulled after his best inning of the game. I don’t get it.
But comes right back with the walk… At least the double play is in order…
Yeah, I know the idea had been, “Get him five, then get him out,” but it seems his last two innings at least bought him three more outs, particularly with the lead and a shabby bullpen…
I can buy the “don’t push your luck with Snyder” attitude, but he had just thrown two stellar innings, and the bullpen has been taxed. On the other hand, Terry had to have been thinking about playing with house money at that point, and I can’t blame him.
And there’s the double play!
Nevertheless, I love Van Buren, and he induces the first-pitch-swinging DP!
If Snyder stayed in I wouldn’t complain. When he was raken out, I raised my eyebrows, but I’m not complaining… We got far more from him than we expected, and that’s enough for me…
Wow i almost forgot what its like to have a productive 4th outfielder.
Kapler tearing it up since his return (OK, it’s just 3 for 4, but .750 is .750 dang it)…
Youk battlin’ here. Full count.
Worked a walk. 1/2 one down. We need some insurance…
No insurance, Papi unclutch against the LOOGY.
This game feels like Spring Training, what with all the odd names.
nice quick one from Lopez!
My mom is sitting with Lou Gorman at this very moment at Fenway!
And Manny’s foul back just hit off the wall above her while I was on the phone with her. She’s in the press box with a friend from the Sox F.O. tonight.
sweet!
Good at-bat by Tek there, grounding sharply to second and advancing Manny. Let’s get him home, Mikey!
Lowell gets no chance – IBB. Up comes Coco, not a great hitter with RISP this year.
Although he’s done much better the last couple games, and the walk loads em up for Kapler… Might we see Trot?
I think I’d use Trot for Cora here.
Big walk to Cora there – the 2-1 pitch was a tough call, probably a strike. Sox up 2.
11 LOB. where have we heard this story before?
Get ur shotguns ready folks. Here comes Homereaz
Suckanez
This is probably not going to end well. I am off to watch in a room with no internet, where I can’t break my keyboard.
Theo said to expect more rposter moves in the next 24 hours wonder if his release is part of it?
Manny Being Manny :D 6-3
Yankees lose 4-2!
Arroyo pitched a complete game for his 9th win, beating the Mets 2-1.
Mets lost 4-2 ;)
Thanks for catching that score, I don’t know where I got 2-1!
God, that Manny home run was beautiful…after last night, Timlin makes me nervous. Okay, it was an errant outing. Let’s go.
RE: Seanez…half the time it’s two strikeouts and a soul-crushing homer, the other half it’s just two strikeouts. Thank goodness on a night when Papelbon isn’t available we got the latter.
Timlin gives up the leadoff single…
Lowell! Man, that infield D!
Double play!!! One more to go!
2 up!
The third-best thing about tonight: Brett Myers is on my fantasy team.
Flyout ends it! A win! Kyle Snyder, Jermaine Van Buren, Javier Lopez, Rudy Seanez and Mike Timlin combine to give up just seven hits! No runs in four innings from the pen, just three runs in five from Snyder, a well-deserved win for the kid. Wow! I would never have predicted this outcome for this game…
HANSENS back, Van Buren sent down.