I'm always caught unawares by the afternoon games, but here's a gamer for this one, anyway. With Andrew Miller on the mound, the Sox try to take the series and avoid back-to-back losses for the first time since June.
Surprise! Sox-O’s Afternoon Gamer
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Wow this strikezone is tiny, at least according to Gameday. Three straight walks, each of which had a pitch (or two) that was a clear strike.
Carl stranded at third in top 2.
Miller walks bases full (on 17 pitches) with 1 out, bot 2.
He’s missing badly right now. Need a DP badly.
And the backup catcher hits into a DP.
Great time for a double play. Awesome.
Work etiquette tip:
I don’t give a fuck if it is the fucking lunch hour, if you bring your goddam grandkids to the office and they’re running around screaming, take them the fuck home.
Oh man. Maybe it’s because I’m 25 and have no desire to procreate for several more years, but kids annoy the hell out of me. My wife and I went to a wedding last week and they were at least 20 children, and the parents let them run everywhere. One even grabbed my iPhone off the table and started playing with it, and it took us over an hour to find it.
Ironically at my own wedding last year we explicitly stated that children were not welcome, and one family (relatives of the couple that got married last week) refused to come since we wouldn’t let them bring their six children all under the age of 9.
Jake homers! 1-0.
Also: I really love Ellsbury’s resurgence this year.
Ath, I’m 46, I have two kids and 12 nieces and nephews and I feel the same.
I should say, I feel the same as you.
Gonzo is 2-for-2.
At this rate, we’ll be lucky to get 5 innings out of Miller.
Through 3 IP, all four balls hit out of the IF by the Red Sox has been a hit. No OF outs.
To be honest I consider any outing from a spot starter that’s at least 5.0 innings and 4 ER or less to be a success.
Miller seems to have some really good peripherals, but just can’t find the strikezone with his fastball.
Miller again dodges a bullet. 2-out walk, but no runs.
60 pitches through 3 IP.
Reddick, starting in RF, with another hit.
Just realized, no Drew today.
Carl is 2-for-2. Doubles. Bogar avoids disaster with he throws up a late stop sign on Reddick at third.
Come on Scutaro, you can’t even put the ball in play?
More wasted opportunity. At least we scratched one across, though.
It would be nice to get a hit with 1 out and runners at 2nd and 3rd.
Tek grounds out, 4-3, for a run, then Navarro strikes out. 2-0, but could have been more.
Holy crap, an 8-pitch, 1-2-3 inning!
Pedro’s hitting streak extended to 18 games. Nice.
Watching Miller today, I’m reminded of this old Lucy Show (or maybe it was Here’s Lucy)episode.
Lucy’s son meets a major league pitcher. (I thought it was Don Drysdale but IMDB indicates otherwise.)
The conversation was something lilke this:
Pitcher: I hear you’re a pitcher.
Boy: Yes. I threw a no-hitter last week.
Pitcher: That’s quite an accomplishment.
Boy. But I walked 19.
This game reminds me of the greatest baseball-related story of all time: Doc Ellis’ LSD no-hitter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vUhSYLRw14
Whelp, looks like we talked about it too much.
Oh, yes, the Doc Ellis LSD game. Classic.
No way he was going to get a no-hitter. Pitch count was WAY too high.
I hate that fucking rule. Just send the runner back to first.
Miller deserves credit thus far. He ain’t throwing. He’s pitching.
Reynolds swings, misses on 3-0 pitch as Miller again struggles with his control.
Reynolds walks on the 103rd and final pitch from Miller.
Not a great start, but far from awful.
Albers is in.
Good hook from Tito, and Albers quickly induces the final out. 8 baserunners over 6 innings is acceptable.
Double dong day for Jake! 3-0!
Did I mention that I love 2011 Ellsbury? Another homer.
DAMN! Albers is a bitch! He retired all 4 he faced.
3-0, top 8.
Red Sox outfielders are 6 for 10 today, with a double, two homers, two walks, three runs, three RBI, and a SB.
Gonzo with his 3rd hit; the Carl walks with bases loaded and it’s 4-0.
Why is Mark Hendrickson still in the major leagues?
Mark Worrell is now pitching.
His ERA is infinity.
…
Wait. He gets Scurato to strike out.
Scutaro is less than useless today. Twice today he’s struck out with runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs.
Sox load the bases with no outs, Crawford walks to force in a run, then Scutaro, Tek and Navarro make outs.
Big squander.
Sox batters 1-6: 11-22, 2 walks.
Sox batters 7-9: 0-12, 0 walks.
Easy inning for Bard. Will they bring on Papelbon in a non-save situation? My impression is he doesn’t always do well in those.
1-2-3 for Bard; he’s pitched 22 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings and his ERA drops to 1.90.
Too bad he’s not good enough to be an all-star.
Man, this Gonzalez guy really is in a slump! No need to get thrown out at second, though.
Gonzo is 4-for-5. But is out at second trying to stretch a single into a double.
Paps.
Not all sunny for the Sox today.
They are 0-10 w/ RISP.
Paps gets it done. A shut-out in a game started by Andrew Miller! We’ll take it.
King Felix on Friday!
3+ perfect innings from the relievers, and a respectable start from our 7th starter. If we’re going to go 0-10 with RISP I’m happy for it to happen on a day when the pitching rocks.
4-0.
Granderson trying to make up for last night’s sloppiness by launcher a two run home run in the first inning tonight.
Let’s hope Freddy holds up tonight.