It is now all but inevitable that, before this season is through, the Boston Red Sox will field a battery of Javier Lopez and Javier Lopez, to the delight of Joe Heller fans and sportscasters everywhere. That moment, however enjoyable, is for the future. Tonight, Boston throws YFSF stalwart Curt Schilling against Tampa’s Scott Shields, as the Sox try not to fall so far behind the Yanks that even Milo Minderbinder can do nothing for them. Would-be Yossarians hoping to find some sense in the insanity that is RSN should comment on all tonight’s action right here.
Catcher 22: Sox-Rays Gamer I
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Catch 22 reference; nice YF.
1. Coco Crisp, CF
2. Mark Loretta, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
6. Wily Mo Pena, RF
7. Alex Cora, 3B
8. Doug Mirabelli, C
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS
— Curt Schilling, SP
Sounds like Lopez bought #23 from Alex Cora, who will wear #13 from now on
Hmmm…I kind of wish tht Lopez was starting tonight.
Cowbell night in the stadium. T-minus 2 minutes until millions of TV viewers simultaneously press Mute.
Crisp vs TB this year… 1 for 16
I need more cowbell!!
Crisp flies out to left.
Seriously, what nutjob would think giving away cowbells is a good idea?
Makes me think of Will Ferrell on SNL.
Loretta singles to left. We need Papi to contribute tonight. The big guy took the last two nights off.
airk: it’s Tampa, what do you expect?
Why is Crisp back in the leadoff spot?
Crisp is leadoff because Lowell is out and someone somewhat dangerous has to hit behind Manny. Might as well be Youk, I guess. Since Lowell is hitting under .100 in the 5-spot, I’m all for experiementation in this department.
Papi flies out to left.
Pena would’ve word at 5, too. Tito feeling wacky again.
Loretta advances to third on a wild pickoff move
Agree airk. I keep waiting for Pena to hit 5th.
Ramirez strikes out looking.
Finger crossing time….which Schill goes to the mound.
Oh. Didn’t notice Lowell was out. Just a day off or something more serious?
Pena > Youkilis.
just a day off for lowell.
Pena and Gonzalez seem to be 2 guys who the sox are loathe to move around in the line-up, despite their successes of late.
jeebus…leadoff dinger for Hollins.
Jesus….leadoff homer followed by a single.
Curse those infernal cowbells!
Nice, Schill. Way to start the game off. 1-0 Tampa.
Well we get an out from Cantu.
Lee grounds out, Crawford to 3rd.
Mirabelli is hurt after an awkward twist while applying a tag
wow
looks like left knee
Oh my God. This is unbelievably bad.
damn…just keeps on coming. Lopez should be headed into the game.
Huckaby to come back up?
apparently Lowell is out due to the two hard fouls he took of f his foot the last couple nights — not just a routine day off, my mistake.
Youk strikes out.
Belli might be able to walk it off…? More power to him, if he can. It’s not like we’ll be sacrificing much offense if he stays in.
Pena grounds out to 3rd.
Is Lopez on the bench tonight?
Yeah.
on Yahoo, it says that he left the game.
Cora strikes out.
Shields has a 5+ ERA. What are we doing?
Is Lopez catching now? Gamecast is still showing Belli.
Navarro pops out to 1st.
No, it’s Doug.
Mirabelli was helped off the field, and cameras showed Lopez grabbing his glove and talking with Schilling. But Mirabelli apparently decided to tough it out, and he’s back out there now.
He is staying on his knees throwing back to the pitcher and isn’t running up the line to back up first, but he’s still in there. My hat is off to him.
1-2-3 inning by Schill.
Maybe you should have thrown that way in the 1st also.
sorry, yahoo was wrong.
Lopez now pinch hitting for Mirabelli. So that’s that.
Now Lopez is at bat.
Lopez: the 20th position player, 45th overall for Sox this year, says Don Orsillo.
catchers are a tough breed.
Wow…we get another hit.
And Loretta grounds out to 2nd.
AG, I made a similar comment about catchers in the other thread. Uncanny.
wrong thread. this is too confusing.
Carl Crawford, Sox killer, strikes again. 2-0 Rays.
Crawford homers to right…..
Sox give up another run and have done nothing offensively. We really need on of those big offensive nights to wake the bats up.
*contines to have a bad feeling about this*
oops, wrong thread…*slinks away*
Ortiz hits #38 to DEEEEEEEEEP right
how that avoided the Roof/catwalks, is beyond me.
Finally someone steps up. Now if Manny could only slam it.
I picked the right moment to check in. How deep was that home run?
C’mon, now, Manny, back to back.
Ramirez strikes out.
Shields has thrown 61 pitches in 3.1 innings.
Youk gets frozen on called third strike.
Deep Hudson
How deep? DEEEEEEEEEP
DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP
Shields sorry a** has 7 K’s.
Something to ponder:
Boston’s record against National League teams and the Orioles is a combined 24-3.
Against all other teams, the Red Sox are 40-40.
The best I can say about this: At least the BoSox have 8 more games to play against Baltimore.
Thank god…
Schill works himself out of the 1st and 2nd jam.
Cora leads off the 5th with a single.
Arrggh…Lopez hits into a DP.
Inning over…AGon grounds out to 3rd.
isn’t that how most winning teams fare? Beat up on the bad teams and hold your own against stiffer competition?
Just for fun, let’s say the above trend continues, and the Sox play .500 ball except the game against Baltimore. And let’s say they go 6-2 in those games against BAL.
Final record would be 94-68.
BIG K for Schilling with the bases loaded! Woo!
Just one more strike, please, Curt!
Hahahahaha!!!!
Now score runs, you lame f***s!
Back to Back K’S from Schill!!! That’s good stuff, right there.
Can anyone on this team bunt? Gonzalez sometimes maybe? Papi very occasionally…
Crisp had a bunt hit last night.
So did Crisp get up to the .280s with that hit?
Looks like Coco just stole second…
Crisp’s bunt last night was a beauty, btw…
F***ing shite. So close to a 2-out rally. Infuriating.
Crisp now at .280 even, Devine…
Is it just me or does Loretta tend to make a disproportionate number of outs with men on?
Good fantasy day foir me: Ortiz, Hafner, Pierzynski and Damon all on my team, all hit dingers…
M-Lor is hitting .265 with RISP, not so good… But .315 with RISP/2 down, so not bad either…
Get ahead NOW, boys.
Schilling is on my fantasy team…
i dont think Schilling is getting a decision in this one. 102 pitches.
ORTIZ!!!!!!!!!
Thank YOU, Ortiz!!!!
Schilling (and I) can get a win now, beyotches!!!
20-game hitting streak, Manny. Ties his career best.
I always et confused when the game is decided at the same point as a pitching change.
Me too. That and certain “save situations” are fairly in comprehensible to me.
“incomprehensible” being one word, of course. Grrr.
heh
Delcarmen goes to 3-0 on the leadoff batter. Great. If there’s a time to lose this game, it’s here.
Your so-often-media-picked-AL-East-champ Blue Jays have just fallen to 5 above .500. Kapler is awesome on that play!!!
Great play in right by Kapler! Hustle play to cut off a gap shot and a rifle shot throw to second to get the runner! Huge play!
That throw was a laser. Great awareness to allow himself to slow down and get settled before gunning it in.
Posada homers to put the Yanks up a run in the top of the 9th.
that’s posada for ya
Delcarmen (with help from Kapler) does the job.
Score runs or no, bring on the Papelbot.
yikes, papelbon better warm up quick: 2 outs on 3 pitches.
Is it just me or does this team, generally, seem incredibly lifeless right now?
I don’t get that impression. But the run of injuries (from Wakefield to Tek to Nixon to Mirabelli now) over the past few weeks has to have some effect on morale, no?
It’s more than that. Since that 12-game win streak ended more than a month ago, this has been a .500 team.
One on, one out for Ramon Hernandez vs. Mo.
Papelbon is also on my fantasy team. A win and a save from the Sox tonight for my team, but yes, they’ve been limping a bit, Bill.
True. I am hesitant to draw any conclusions from the past week, though. Playing in the extreme heat and humidity night after night — those are just games you hope to get through in one piece, which, of course, the Sox didn’t. They should be able to pick up some steam with TB and then KC.
Thank God.
Hernandez grounds into DP.
John Sterling has an orgasm.
sterlingasm
13 LOBS for NYY tonight.