Ok, so Brad Penny isn't exactly the pitcher you want out there trying to break your team's longest losing streak in two years, and while the Orioles — against whom the Sox are 6-1 this season — may seem like the perfect tonic, we need not remind you about what happened the last time these clubs got together. It wasn't pretty.
Ultimately, though, the problem with the Sox isn't Brad Penny, nor is it the fear of giving up 10 unanswered runs to the Orioles. It's the anemic offense. We all know the Sox love to hit in Fenway. But they don't love hitting against unknown pitchers like Brad Bergesen, who shut them down for eight innings last time. (Penny, by the way, was torched by the Orioles in his last start against them).
So see the ball. Hit the ball. End the misery. Comment away.
62 replies on “Just Hit the Ball: O’s-Sox Gamer VIII”
Kotsay gone? Fine by me.
Ellsbury starts the offense off with a single. If he’s getting on base at the top of the lineup then the offense should kick into gear. Now start distracting the pitcher, Jacoby!
Just tuned in – did we just have a guy on first and second with no one out and not score? Ugh
Wow, Mora makes an error by hesitating, but we end up not taking advantage. Two runners on with no outs, and later the bases loaded, and we can’t do shit.
5 games is their longest losing streak in 2 years? Yankees haven’t done that since the ’01 ’02 squad.
Penny throwing 98, 99.
Varitek air-mails the ball. Infield now in, even though it’s the 2nd inning. Even Tito knows we’re not going to score any runs.
Sure enough, sac fly scores him. F*ckin’ hell.
How is Boston going to survive a playoff series with Varitek behind the plate? He might as well have Damon’s arm.
How is Boston going to survive a playoff series with Varitek behind the plate? He might as well have Damon’s arm.
Lol his arm has been the same way for 6 years, and we’ve still won more than the Yankees, Andrew!
Are you trolling Andrew?
The Yanks are back in first, RBF, so all the ass Yanks fans start getting cocky.
i miss disco denny
Ath –
I’ve been in the Colorado wilderness for the week so I’m just getting used to the new standings. Getting used to having a broken nose too but that’s a tad easier than the new standings…
Nice RBF, though not about the nose. How’d you break it?
Speaking of wilderness, the movie The Edge was on TV last night. I could never go camping after seeing that.
What a play by Pedroia.
Has the team looked as miserable as the results look? I thought getting rid of Lugo would help.
OK, wilderness might be a bit of hyperbole. I went on a dinosaur dig with my son so we spent most of our time out digging for fossils but we had a hotel room in the evenings. On the last day, we rafter the Colorado and on one of the swim breaks, I swam really hard into a rock right below the surface. We coddled Northern Californians aren’t really used to rocks coming out of friggin nowhere to slap you in the face.
Yeah they’ve looked that bad, RBF. It’s been tough to watch. That sounds like a ton of fun, find anything good?
Drew: 0 for 23, 1 for his last 34. Holy potatoes.
I’m not cocky, I was stating how awful Varitek has been at throwing out runners, and how it’s an extreme disadvantage in a short series. 15% rate this year, which is his worst by 7 percentage points.
Is this site called YFSF, or do you guys want your own blog? There’s plenty out there.
rbf, did you find any fossils?
Of course, by mentioning that I successfully reverse-jinxed Drew, and he singled. And before I’m done typing Lowell has a double.
Listening to Andrew try to defend his trolling is easier when the offense is hitting. Keep it going ‘Tek!
Varitek’s arm isn’t going to affect much. We always beat the Angels in the playoffs, despite how much they run.
Varitek’s arm has never been this bad, Ath.
But he makes up for it this game with an RBI single. Looks like the Sox will break their streak of 50-or-so innings without scoring more than 1 run.
Maybe you can catalog the non-performance of the whole team and turn this thing around tonight Ath.
We found some bones and some insect fossils, both of which were really cool. It was geeksville in the group we were with. My baseball loving son at one point said, “Dinosaurs are really interesting but not as interesting as these people seem to think they are….”
I agree Andrew, but a big part of that is Penny. The Orioles announcers were mentioning before the game how deliberate and slow his motion is to the plate, and how over the last 3 years only like 4 runners have been caught stealing on 50+ attempts against him.
Drew gets an RBI on a fielder’s choice.
wow penny looks like he can actually go 7 innings today
WOW, Orioles get a ton of luck on the ground-rule double. Ellsbury was almost on 2nd by the time the ball bounced over the CF head. Probably would have been an in-the-park homer.
Good start by Penny. Both our guys who have trouble giving length have given length today.
Wow, Weiters blocks the plate well and gets Ellsbury at home. Great throw by Markakis.
Ellsbury was running on the pitch, I’m shocked he wasn’t safe by a mile.
Take it from us YFs, Markakis has a hell of an arm.
pretty sweet pitchers duel going on in the bluejays d-rays game. both pitchers (halladay/garza) looking to go 9 apiece.
Just realized one channel up from YES is one of my favorite films of all time – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Classic classic film.
Oops – sorry. Wrong GT.
IH, absolutely one of my top 10 movies. Redford and Newman are just fantastic. That’s a great movie to put on in the background while doing other stuff.
IH – You did make me laugh though…
Not only are Garza and Halladay both going deep, but Garza started the 9th with 2 strikeouts. Wow.
As long as I’m here…it seems the Sox streak will be coming to an end huh? Nothing like the O’s to calm one’s nerves.
So Ath, which of the duo’s films do you prefer, Butch or The Sting? I love them both.
DONT JINX IT DAMNIT!
The Sting is good, but Butch really is a masterpiece. Haven’t seen The Sting in maybe 6 years though.
My quick top 10 list, while we’re talking about it (in no particular order):
1. Star Wars (the original 3 all count as one)
2. Bull Durham
3. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
4. Snatch
5. Fight Club
6. Caddyshack
7. Goldfinger
8. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
9. Tombstone
10. This Song Remains the Same (doesn’t really count as a movie, but holy shit I love Led Zeppelin so much)
Seriously, Paps? 0-2 count and you throw a fastball right down the middle?
Woah, umpire is talking to Francona about how there are too many fans in the center field bleachers flashing cameras right when the batter is about to swing. Nobody complained, interesting…
I’ with you on Fight Club. Prefer Dr. No to G-finger.
Just turned to mlb network and see that the O’s are making it interesting at least…
Jesus christ Paps, you need to stop doing this to us.
No more losing streak, and we don’t lose ground to the Yanks who are about to win.
Congratulations. Really hate butt-lips but he’s good. Was it he who loaded the bases?
“No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!” Such an epic line, as far as Bond movies go.
I feel like I’m missing a movie on my list though…
Yep IH, he gave up two singles and a walk. Then got an infield pop-up and two K’s. He’s been doing that a lot lately: getting into trouble and then working out of it. He’s like our very own one-inning Daisuke.
Other than the drama, he isn’t blowing saves is he? I don’t seem to recall any BS’s anyway.
G-finger is great, but Dr. No is such a better villain in my book than Blofeld…
Andrew, the last stat I heard was that opposing baserunners are stealing off Tek at a 91 percent clip.
Terrific start by Penny. The only blip was the 14-pitch AB and the pitch count.
We needed that.
All streaks end.
Butt lips?
How about this BS: Loogie, leading off for STL, 2-for-5 w/ triple and homer. AND NO ERRORS!
Fucker.
Not exactly the romper-stomper I’ve been waiting for, but winning’s winning. I don’t care if they win the division or not (the home-field would be nice, given this team’s tendencies) as long as they see October.
The more-than-1-in-an-inning streak is broken, but the more-than-2 streak continues.
And he played second base.
Dick.
Sorry IBM, but anyone who has watched him stare into the catcher with that stupid pucker knows to whom I’m referring. Doesn’t change the fact that he is a great closer.
Jeter passes Ted Williams for all-time hits tonight. It’s got to be pretty heady to keep moving up in all these offensive stat categories to that kind of company.
Julio Lugo hit a triple and a homer tonight against the Phillies. Holliday went 4 for 5. Geez they’re suddenly looking good, aren’t they?
Funny you should mention that, IH: did you know the skin/flesh on the lips is almost identical to the skin/flesh on that other part of the body you’re referring to?
IH, just chuckling at the monicker.
…
Jeter didn’t fly bombers in two wars. The only flying he does is that inexplicable jump-throw thingy.
…
Speaking of Teddy Ballgame, I’ve finally begun reading Leigh Montville’s biography. Wow, I had no idea TFB was such a knucklehead as a youngster.
“The only flying he does is that inexplicable jump-throw thing”
Good one…
Agreed on TW. Nothing can take away from how great he was. Just enjoying Jeter’s ascendance in some of these career-stats. He still (hopefully) has years of hitting left – maybe even as many years as TW and Joe DiMaggio each missed in the middle of their careers – and his .320 BA this year indicates he isn’t slowing down just yet in that department. Then again, I don’t expect Jeter to threaten .400 any time soon…
He has been a tremendous player.
…
I didn’t mean to sound like my dad with the war reference. But I did.
Back to the Cardinals. The winning pitcher was Joel Piniero. Anyone remember what we got in return for him?
Saturday is the beginning of the end of summer as the TDF ends on the trecherous Mont Ventoux, then Sunday is the stroll in Paris, a melancholy day.
After that it’s all baseball until halloween.
Joel Pineiro has a 2.95 ERA. That’s just dumb. The Sox traded him for Sean Danielson, who’s hitting .228/.313/.299 in Pawtucket right now.
Screw steroids. The best way to revive your career is to move from the AL East to the NL Central.
So what does it mean if one moves from the NL Central to the AL East?