Sunday in the Park with Julian: Sox-Sox Gamer VIII

This thread is late, and the Sox have gone quietly in the first against Javy Vazquez.  Julian Tavarez takes the mound for Boston, and our squad looks to sweep.  Comment here.

Comments

[SF]

Today is a "low expectations" day - Vazquez on the hill, who has been lights out for six weeks running and who stymied the Sox earlier this season, with crazy-eyes killah on the mound for the Sox. Three out of four ain't bad, and a sweep would be totally cool, if unlikely. Go Sox!

[Rob]

Hopefully Tavarez can keep it close for the 5 innings if we are not hitting. We do need to get Vazquez out of the game early with the ChiSox bullpen destroyed from the previous three days.

[Rob]

Thome works a walk.

[Rob]

Tavarez out of the inning with a K

[Rob]

I've seen everything in life now. JD hits a HR to give us the 1-0 lead.

[Rob]

Manny with the day off BTW.

Drews first homer since June 20th.

[pale blue eyes]

Except for the one that was taken away from him by the umps.

[rob]

Forgot about that one PBE.

Dye ties the score at 1 all on a solo shot to right center.

[Devine]

I am so resolved to losing this one that I am paying more attention to the Yankees game at the moment...that will change in a few minutes when I have time to actually watch the game instead of looking at Gameday.

[rob]

Kielty strikes out to leadoff the 3rd

[rob]

Crisp strikes out on a 94mph fastball

[rob]

Lugo with a shot to center that Owens catches on the run. Would have been extra bases had it dropped.

[SF]

Nice catch by Owens there. Sox don't look to be scoring too many today off Vazquez, he's pitching a nice game. This one's a longshot.

[SF]

Throw strikes, knucklehead. Walking the #9 guy? Come on.

[SF]

6-4-3 ends the inning. Nicely done, knucklehead!

[rob]

We not scoring and we are not making Vazsquez throw a lot of pitches. We are allowing him to stay in the game longer.

[rob]

Ortiz with a walk. Was a 7 pitch AB that was by far the longest AB so far today.

[rob]

Lowell lines out to 2nd.

[rob]

Drew walks, Youk up.

[rob]

Youk gets rung up looking on a pitch that crossed the outside part of the plate. Should have done a better job of protecting the plate with 2 strikes on him.

[rob]

Vazquez at 63 pitches after 4 IP.

[rob]

Of course the game is televised on WGN,with that we are getting a thunderstorm here in eastern NC which has made me lose my sattelite signal. Forced to watch the game again on gamecast.

[Devine]

Tavarez got Thome swinging on a low breaking ball to start the inning.

Now it's 3-1 on Konerko, and...he grounds to short. 2 down.

[rob]

Pierznnyski draws the two out walk

[Devine]

3-1 again on Pierzynski, and...foul. Full count. Fouled again. Then a LOOOOOOOONG foul ball home run to right.

Then he walks him.

[rob]

Thankfully my signal is back.

[rob]

I love Coco!! Jumps against the wall to make the catch on Dye's long shot to center. I don't think the ball would have cleared the wall.

[Devine]

Nice leaping grab at the wall, Coco! Inning ends.

[pale blue eyes]

How about getting Tavarez some runs. His lack of run support last Sunday and today so far is almost Daisuke-esk.

[pale blue eyes]

Jason strikes out on three pitches. They're making it really easy for Vazquez.

[Devine]

Kielty bunts very nicely and successfully down the 3rd base line.

[Atheose]

Holy crap Kielty gets himself a bunt single.

Sorry I'm late guys, was helping someone move in. Looks like our pornstar has pitched well so far.

[Devine]

The Tigers need 3 more outs after the top of the 8th. Still a 1-run game.

[pale blue eyes]

Yankees three outs away from losing. But it's only a one-run game.

[rob]

Tavarez has pitched pretty good considering the wind is blowing out today.

[rob]

Coco singles to right, Kielty to 2nd.

[rob]

Lugo grounds to 3rd, Crisp out at 2nd. Lugo's speed keeps it from being a DP.

[Atheose]

Lugo safe at first, thanks to a spikes-up slide into 2nd by Coco. Runners at first and third with 2 outs.

Crisp did a good job on the slide making it harder for the DP to get turned.

[rob]

Pedroia swings on a pitch that looked to be a mistake. The catcher set up away, but the ball came up and in on him.

[rob]

Lugo steals second.

[rob]

Pedroia Singles over the shortstop knocking in Kielty and Lugo.

3-1

Papi up, Pitching coach to the mound.

[Atheose]

Lugo steals 2nd, full count to Pedroia.

[Devine]

Pedroia! Single. 3-1 Crimson Hose.

[pale blue eyes]

Dustin!!! 2 RBI

[Atheose]

My mlb.tv closes RIGHT before the pitch to Pedroia. I turn it back on to see it 3-1.

Ortiz up with Pedroia at 1st.

[rob]

Papi cranks on to left center to make it 5-1.

That is the third homerun this series that Papi has smacked on the 1st pitch of an AB.

It would seem that Papi is really starting to heat up.

[Paul SF]

That is some CLUTCH hitting there by Pedroia -- and big props to Lugo getting in scoring position.

[Devine]

Wooooo! Ortiz cranks the first pitch to center/left-center. Gone! 5-1.

[pale blue eyes]

Papi two-run jack!!

[Paul SF]

And Papi!!!

Awesome. Apparently Ortiz has decided it's not worth it to wait deep into counts. He's been jumping all over the first strike he sees...

[Atheose]

ORTIZ HOMER! 5-1.

[rob]

Lowell lines out to 2nd again. Inning over.

[Devine]

Some very nice plays to add up to that rally. Kielty's bunt, Lugo's running out the grounder to break up what would have been an inning-ending DP. Very cool.

[rob]

8th inning over in Detroit. 5-4 still.

[Paul SF]

Once again, the Sox put a big crooked number on the board to break open a close game. If the Tigers and Sox can both hold on, that would be quite nice.

[pale blue eyes]

Well, all I had to do was ask and here are the runs for Tavarez. Now he and the bullpen better make them stand up.

[rob]

The Sox have done the little things this series to win the games. They have pitched well, taken advantage of mistakes, nice base running blunders to cost themselves runs.

Probably the biggest issue is when they have put thier foot on the throat of the ChisSox they haven't let up.

[Atheose]

First two pitches from Todd Jones to Matsui were strikes in Gameday, but called balls. Damn umps.

[Devine]

1 down for the Yankees in the 9th.

[rob]

Sox get some help on that strike out check swing. Bad call by the home plate umpire.

[rob]

Tavarez with a little hokey move there pause on the windup, looking to back and throwing low pitch that baffles the batter.

Inning over

[Devine]

Yankees lose on Cano DP.

[rob]

Cano grounds into a DP to end the game in Detroit. Tigers win 5-4

[pale blue eyes]

Two outs, runner on first in the Yankees 9th. Still 5-4 Tigers.

[Paul SF]

Uhhhhh Julian Tavarez just struck out the freakin' side. What team are we watching? Surely not the same team that seemd destined to kick away the season about three weeks ago?

[Atheose]

Tavarez strikes out the side and the Yanks GIDP to end the game. Great stuff.

[rob]

Tavarez strike out the side that inning.

Wow.

[Paul SF]

Yankees lose! Thaaaaa Yankees lose!

[pale blue eyes]

Oh, Cano grounded into a DP. Even better. Sorry for the previous post.

[rob]

Drew walks to leadoff the inning.

[rob]

Youk is having a lot of trouble with Vazquez's pitch that starts away and breaks over the outside portion of the plate.

[Paul SF]

Great game for Drew thus far. Two walks and the homer. I notice not so much bashing of him in the thread today.... ;-)

[rob]

Youk struck out on a changeup.

[rob]

No Paul, I was shocked when he hit that HR earlier. Hopefully this will be his turn around point.

[rob]

Vazquez is noe over 100 pitches. We should have an opportunity after this inning to go to the ChiSox Buffet.

[Devine]

ChiSox Buffet...that's a good one. I'll take two multi-run innings to go.

[Atheose]

I wouldn't mind saving up some runs for the Yankee series... a 5-1 lead should be enough to close this one out. *knocks on wood*

[rob]

Kielty with a homer.

That would fall under the Super Size Menu.

[Devine]

HA! Kielty homers. 7-1.

[Paul SF]

Bobby Freakin Kielty!!!!

[Atheose]

Kielty crushes a homerun, 7-1 Sox. Time for some more Gagne duty?

[Paul SF]

Feast or famine (in keeping with the food theme): 9 Ks, 7 ER for Vasquez.

[Paul SF]

Make that 10Ks, and he struck out the side.

Pretty rare, I'd bet to have that many strikeouts and that many earned runs in such a short appearance (6 IP). In fact, lemme go check.

[rob]

Vazquez = Binge + Purge

[Devine]

I'm knocking on wood before I type this, but Tavarez's game has been quite good so far.

[Atheose]

Vazquez strikes out the side, but not before adding 2 more runs to the board. Batshit is most likely coming out for the 6th, with 83 pitches.

[rob]

1-3: 2 Runs
4-6: 19 Runs
7-9: 11 Runs

That is our runs scored by thirds of a game in this series so far.

[Rob]

Fields with a single up the middle.

That was the second hit of the day for the ChiSox.

[Rob]

Bukvich up in the WhiteSox BP.

[Paul SF]

Nolan Ryan in June 1977 gave up 7 ER while striking out 14 in 8.2 innings of a 7-6 loss. He gave up the seventh run on a walkoff single with two outs in the ninth.

Last year, Cole Hamels struck out 12 in 5.1 innings but gave up 7 ER.

This is the 31st time that's happened in 50 years, so not terribly rare, but you don't see it every day either. No Red Sox pitcher has ever done it, though Curt Schilling's done it three times in his career.

[Ayuh - SF]

I'd like to see Oki and Paps each get an inning of work today; with the day off tomorrow, it's a chance to keep them from getting rusty. Each of them does better when they work often.

[Paul SF]

And Vasquez is the first White Sox pitcher to strike out at least 10 batters while giving up at least 7 ER.

[Rob]

I agree Ayuh. Keep the foot on thier throat.

[Paul SF]

Agreed on that, Ayuh. I definitely want to see Paps pitch today. Oki at least pitched in the double-header.

[Rob]

I agree Paul, not something you see everyday. I think it really shows the importance of getting ahead of a batter with 1st pitch strikes.

[Rob]

Jeter sat out today with a sore knee.

[Paul SF]

Last one, I promise:

Vasquez is just the 11th pitcher in 50 years to go as few as six innings while striking out at least 10 batters and giving up at l;ease seven runs.

Cole Hamels and Curt Schilling struck out 12, the other eight all struck out 10. Of those, Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan and Frank Tanana gave up eight earned runs, and Ryan Dempster in 2003 gave up nine. Bartolo Colon, Johnson again, Joey Hamilton and Bob Wlech all did what Vasquez did today, with the 7ER/10K line.

[Paul SF]

That's it for Tavarez. A terrific game from him.