Hello Cleveland: Indians-Sox Gamer I

While the lesser teams of the AL battle it out north of the border, the class of the league meets up in Beantown tonight for their first series of the year.  The Sox return home having swept the Rangers in Texas, and the Cleveland Indians come in on a hotstreak of their own - they've won four games in a row, nine of twelve, and now lead the Central by 2.5 games.  The Indians are a very good squad; we picked them for the division before the season began and we're sticking to our guns: they scare us. 

A few interesting facts, some Indians-related, some not.

• Since Roger Clemens squeezed his big white horse into George Steinbrenner's box a couple of Sundays ago the Red Sox have gone 10-4, pushing the Yankees 5.5 games further behind.
• Those same numbers apply from the time that Curt Schilling (tonight's Sox starter) supposedly gave everyone major bulletin board material when he spouted off about the Sox "not needing" Roger.
• On the other hand, in the three starts since he spouted off Curt has looked more like a Colorado Leskanic than himself.
• Kevin Youkilis has seven straight multi-hit games (yep, SEVEN).  In those games he's collected fifteen hits.  He's now hitting .353 for the season.
• Andy Marte, the man traded for Edgar Renteria and Coco Crisp, is hitting .180 in 16 games.
• Kelly Shoppach, also involved in the Crisp deal, is hitting .326 and has proven to be a superb backup to Victor Martinez.
• Old friend Trot Nixon comes back to Beantown for the first time, and he'll surely receive a major standing ovation, deservedly.  This year he's stayed healthy, is hitting .281, has 20 RBIs, and has played in 38 games to this point.

Comment about the action here.  Happy Memorial Day, everyone.

The Sox' David Ortiz-less lineup (along with the Indians starting nine) are after the jump.

Red Sox

1. Julio Lugo, SS
2. Coco Crisp, CF
3. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
4. Manny Ramirez, DH
5. J.D. Drew, RF
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Wily Mo Pena, LF
9. Dustin Pedroia, 2B

SP - Curt Schilling

Indians

1. Grady Sizemore, CF
2. Casey Blake, 3B
3. Travis Hafner, DH
4. Victor Martinez, C
5. Trot Nixon, RF
6. Jhonny Peralta, SS
7. David Dellucci, LF
8. Ryan Garko, 1B
9. Josh Barfield, 2B

SP - Cliff Lee

Comments

[Max]

How long is Ortiz going to be out for? I thought it was just yesterday...

[Dionysus]

So did I and that makes me nervous, Max.

I hope he's ok.

I'm gonna be takign this game off. At least most of it. I have a lot to do around the home and will be checking in buyt.. I really need to get stuff done and can't keep waiting for off-days :-)

[Froggywomp]

I'm optimistic that Drew is finding a groove after his 3 BB performance Saturday and 2 hits yesterday. If Pena decides to be something other than a windmill tonight, the Sox lineup looks about as good as it possibly could without Papi.

Will Pedroia ever earn his way out of the 9-hole?

[Dionysus]

I'm not sure if I WANT him too Froggy. It's kidna niuce to have a bat down there. It lets him turn the lineup over in an inning, giving people like Youkilis another crack.

[Ayuh - SF]

I prefer Pedroia batting 9th for the time being. Other teams sometimes put their weakest hitter 8th, and have a guy with a little more pop at 9. It reallys seems to jumpstart a rally when it works.

Given the swing he has, he probably is at best a #2 hitter, maybe a 7.

[Ayuh - SF]

You beat me to it, Dio! :-)

[Dionysus]

Well. I took a peak. I can't tell how much Curt has his stuff tongiht from Gameday. I don't like his two straight balls to open the 2nd batter.

I'm off to chores. Later and GO SOX!

[Ayuh - SF]

I'm watching the game, and so far Schilling looks sharp. Struck out the first 2 batters and has had good location and movement.

He's 1-2 on the 3rd batter right now.

[Rob SF]

Curt comes out swinging and K's the side.

[SF]

Schill Ks Hafner on a nasty split. Good inning, probably his best in four starts.

Just one inning though, let's not forget.

[Ayuh - SF]

Nice touch by NESN- they don't break for commercial as Trot goes out the the field, and Remy & Orsillo stay quiet for the audio on the crowd reaction.

He gets a nice ovation from the crowd- lots of people standing.

[SF]

Lugo falls behind 0-2, sees a ball, fouls one off, then drives one the opposite way on a line, right at Nixon though. One down.

Lugo has a ridiculous number of RBIs for a guy who can't buy a hit.

[Rob SF]

Lugo has 1 RBI less than Manny

[SF]

Coco with the soft grounder to short, two down. Six pitches, 11 for Lee through two batters.

[SF]

Youk at 2-2, fouls one off. The next 2-2 pitch is a tough one, low but a strike. Excellent pitch from Lee.

No score going to the second, 17 pitches for Lee.

[SF]

Martinez grounds to Pedroia on the first pitch, with Dustin handling a weird hop with ease.

[SF]

Trot comes to bat,gets the predictable nice ovation.

[SF]

Nixon singles to...Drew. Perfect!

[SF]

Peralta goes down swinging on another great splitter. 4 Ks for Curt. Nixon still at first, two down.

[SF]

Crickets here in the Sox thread too.

I'm all alone...

[Ayuh - SF]

Good for Trot. He was always good guy to have on the Sox, especially for his grit and determination. I was sorry to see him go.

Let's hope he gets stranded, though.

[Rob SF]

I'm watching on gamecenter SF, of course the game is blacked out and carried on three different channels.

[SF]

Dellucci gets a cheapie, a seeing-eye grounder that hops up on Pedroia as he ranged to the middle (that's the second ball that's hopped up at the last moment). 1st and 3rd now with two down. Tough break, but Curt needs to get through the bottom of the order here.

[Rob SF]

Didn't Dellucci play for the Yanks?

[Rain SF]

Wow, Trot is back. Yey!

Schilling has runners on the corners.

[SF]

Curt's fastball is topping out at 88 right now. Garko swings through a high one, and the count now stands at 2-1. Curt looking not nearly as good this inning, as Garko rips a hanger foul to make it 2-2. Lucky.

The 2-2 pitch is swung through. 5 Ks now for Schill.

[Rob SF]

Garko Ks to end the inning

[SF]

3 pitches, 2 outs. Opposite of last inning.

Grrr.

[SF]

6 pitches for Lee. I'd chalk that up to good pitching, but there weren't enough pitches to know if he was pitching any good. Argh.

[Rob SF]

Curt gives up the lead off single

[SF]

Oof, Curt squeezed a little on the 0-2 pitch to Sizemore. Getting angry here.

[SF]

Crap, Schill hits Sizemore on a 1-2 count. Schill has gotten worse each inning. This is not looking good.

[Rob SF]

Obviously I am missing something...Barfield has 5 SBs on the season and Curt is launching pick off attempts at a rapid rate.

[SF]

Wow, almost a triple play (two strides late at first). Lowell to Droid to Youk. Two turned regardless, that's big.

Remy recalling a game I was at - the ONLY game in MLB history where a team turned two triple plays in one game: the Twins did it against the Sox, and somehow the Sox still won.

Youk fields a grounder to end the inning. Good escape by Schill.

[Dionysus]

Popping in to wonder...

which is rarer:

The Unassisted Triple Play (one was made earlier this year)

or

The Inside The Park Grand Slam

[Rain SF]

Nice DP.

Now the bats have to work Lee a little bit. Come on, Sox!

[SF]

No score in Toronto, for those wondering.

Interestingly, the "best" result for the Sox is a Yankees win, which would extend the Sox' lead on the division. Rooting for the Yankees to lose would be in the interest of burying the Yankees, not in extending the Sox' lead on the next-closest team.

[SF]

Eh, check that - the Jays and Yanks both have 27 losses. Go Blue Jays.

[SF]

Wily Mo down on a single swing. BAD WILY.

The Droid singles up the middle.

[Rob SF]

Dpod with our first hit

[SF]

Lugo lays down a bunt and beats it out. Two on, two down.

Up in Toronto, Lyle Overbay homers to put the Jays up 1-0.

Lee screwed on the 0-2 pitch to Crisp (perfectly good pitch, called a ball) but comes back to get Coco on a floater to left field. Two left on base.

[Rob SF]

At least we had two hits in a row that inning.

[Dionysus]

Man, I just don't liek Coco in the two-spot.

[SF]

At least we had two hits in a row that inning.

Well, one was a seeing-eye single, the other a mediocre bunt. They are not hitting Lee at all.

[Dionysus]

I think we can break through, if Curt can keep us in the game. He needs a quick inning desperately, though. I don't care about Ks, I just want fast outs.

[Ayuh - SF]

At this point, I'm definitely hoping for NY losses. The further down they get, the better. Get 'em down and keep 'em there.

I just don't see Toronto as being the potential threat that the Yankees could be. They've had a ton of injuries as well, but I don't see them as having the potential to go on a monster streak.

Ideally? That the Jays take 2 out of 3, while the Sox do the same or sweep.

[Ayuh - SF]

Lee is throwing a LOT of strikes and working fast. Pretty hard to work the count on him.

[SF]

There's the quick inning, 1-2-3. Sox coming up.

[Ayuh - SF]

NESN keeps showing "Best of Trot" clips- they just did "Best Fights"!

[Dionysus]

Thank god, a quick innign for Curt.

Wasn;t I supposed to be gettign thigns done instead of watching this game? Damn this addiction!

[Rob SF]

"At least we had two hits in a row that inning.

Well, one was a seeing-eye single, the other a mediocre bunt. They are not hitting Lee at all."

Not sure how to do the cool italics thing, but on Gamecenter it was an accomplishment.

[SF]

I just don't see Toronto as being the potential threat that the Yankees could be.

Agreed, though if Halladay comes back and Burnett stays healthy (big if) the Jays aren't un-dangerous.

[Rain SF]

Is it just me, or does Jhonny Peralta look too big to be a shortstop? He's a bulky kid.

[SF]

Youk doubles, stretching the hitting streak to 20.

[Dionysus]

Youk extends his hittign streak to 20 games!

[Rob SF]

Lead off ground rule double by Youk, hitting streak intact.

[Rain SF]

Youk with a double!

Up to Manny to drive him in, now. Come on, Sox!

[Rain SF]

And as I post my last comment, Manny swings at the first pitch. Bleah.

At least Youk advances to 3rd.

[Ayuh - SF]

SF- too many "if"s for Toronto, I think. Also, just about any team COULD be dangerous.

[Dionysus]

Manny moves him over.

[SF]

JD!

Double to the gap puts the Sox up 1-0.

[Rob SF]

Drew singles in Youk!

[Rain SF]

Drew comes through!

[Dionysus]

GO DREW!

All he needy was to see Trots standing O and say "Well, dang... I want some of that"

You'll never get THAT much love Drew, but you can have some.

[SF]

Lowell rips one down the line - 2-0 Sox!

[Rob SF]

Lowell doubles!!

2-0

[Dionysus]

Now Lowell!!

[Ayuh - SF]

Nice to see JD coming around again. Lowell drives him in.

The second time around the lineup looks to be a little harder for Mr. Lee. Looks like the Sox have noticed that his first pitch is usually a strike, might as well hack at it.

[Rain SF]

Its a doubles parade now. First Youk, then Drew, then Lowell.

[Ayuh - SF]

Rain- are you able to watch the game in the Phillipines?

[Dionysus]

Wild Pitch moves Lowell over. One out.

[SF]

2-0 up in Toronto, Canucks in the lead. End of four.

[Ayuh - SF]

Thanks for the update, SF. No one is posting on the Yanks game thread, but they're going postal over at LoHud Yanks- I was wondering what was going on.

[Dionysus]

Tek havign an epic at bat

[Rob SF]

Damn, can't strike the guy out..just peg him then.

[SF]

Jeez, what a friggin' at-bat from Tek. 12 pitches and he gets hit in the foot.

[Rain SF]

Ayuh - if I'm lucky I get Sox games. Right now, all I'm gonna get from ESPN is the replay of the Angels - Yankees game later. ESPN Philippines seems to like the Yankees. :P

[SF]

Wow, why didn't Lowell tag up? Mistake there - Sizemore made a great diving catch in shallow right center, but Lowell should have been tagging since he would have scored easily if it dropped anyhow.

[SF]

Bases plugged for Lugo.

[Rain SF]

Let's see if Lugo can add to his RBIs now.

[SF]

Yanks go down softly in the fifth, still 2-0 Jays.

[Rob SF]

Lugo screws up a perfect opportunity

[Ayuh - SF]

SF- Lowell couldn't tag. He had to play half-way, so if the ball dropped he could have scored. He wouldn't have scored if it dropped and he was standing on third, the ball was too shallow.

[SF]

Lugo does squat, whiffing on an eye-high pitch. Three more left on base, and though the Sox jump out to a lead, it should be at least 3-0 right now, so one run gifted back to the Indians.

[Dionysus]

Darnb it, Lugo.

Still. we got two and shook Lee up real good. We may be able to get more in our next chance.

May I say juts how much I LOVE our homegrowns? Youk, Pedroia, Paps...

[Rain SF]

2 run lead. Not comfortable by any means, but we still have lots of chances to do damage.

Man, imagine if Foulke didn't retire -- we'd be facing him too.

[SF]

He wouldn't have scored if it dropped and he was standing on third, the ball was too shallow.

Subjective, that. My take is that Sizemore wasn't going to pull up and let it bounce, he had to dive to make a great play. Lowell should have been tagging - he makes it home either way in my opinion.

[SF]

3-0 Jays, Overbay drives in Clayton. Bottom five up in the GWN.

[Dionysus]

Over in the Yankees game Lyle Overbay doubles in Clayton for his dsecond hit and second RBI.

3-0 Canadians.

[Rain SF]

Dion -- I thought you had chores? :P

Anyway, Delluci lines out -- Schill facing Garko.

[SF]

Tek with a clumsy (but sweet as hell) grab of a foul popup, totally windblown. Nice play!

[Dionysus]

Cleveland honest to goodness scares me more than the Tigers right now. Maybe thats cause they just swept the Tigers.

Maybe its because the thought of FACING Trot.. just makes me uneasy. Its seems wrong, unnatural.

[Ayuh - SF]

Did Youk trim up his goatee? His facial hair doesn't look like a wild animal so much anymore, or maybe I'm getting used to it.

[Dionysus]

I thought so too, Rain. But apparently I'm like a crack addict when it comes to the Sox.

I literally told myself "Alright.. I'll watch the top of the first, just to see if Schill has anything"

Then, literally again, it became "Gotta listen to Trot's first AB"

Then.. well... here I am.

[SF]

Bases juiced up in Toronto for the Jays, Thomas coming to bat.

[SF]

Schill through five unscathed.

[Dionysus]

And Viz is pitching now for the Yanks!

DeSalvo was doing well but utterly imploded in the inning: out, walk, out, wild pitch, double, walk, hit the batter.

[Rain SF]

Haha, same here man. Sox addict, through and through. I'd watch the replays on ESPN of Sox games, even though I know how it will turn out, just to see them.

Just something I'd like to share: I had a friend who went to the US for a convention, and she got me this Red Sox keychain with my name on it. Sweet. :P

[SF]

Viz actually gets someone out. Thomas Ks to leave the sacks full.

[SF]

Manny tater! 3-0!