As The World Turns Backward: Sox-Rangers Gamer III

Not how we expected, is it? The Boston Red Sox are the best team in the American League, thanks almost exclusively to its dominant offense. Seven of nine starters feature OPS+ over 100 -- led by the red hot Manny Ramirez, the equally scathing Kevin Youkilis, and the merely hot J.D. Drew and Dustin Pedroia.

The arms? Not so much. Josh Beckett is returning to normal, Jon Lester is trying to figure out the strike zone, Clay Buchholz has an ERA over 6 and Daisuke Matsuzaka isn't giving up many runs, but he's also not going many innings. That leaves today's starter, Tim Wakefield, another pitcher who has yet to go seven innings this season but hasn't given up many runs in the innings he has pitched.

He's going against Kevin Millwood, who has been very good so far, though he has the misfortune of playing for an awful Rangers team (as we've seen the last two games).

So, here are the 2008 Red Sox so far: Second in the league in runs per game and third from the bottom in runs allowed. The bullpen could use a break; let's see if Wake can't turn in one of his patented eight-inning knuckleball beauties.

Comment away!

Boston Red Sox

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF	.231/.415/.385	114 OPS+
2. Jed Lowrie, 2B	.429/.375/.571	148 OPS+
3. David Ortiz, DH	.141/.247/.225	27 OPS+
4. Manny Ramirez, LF	.342/.415/.712	194 OPS+
5. Kevin Youkilis, 3B	.357/.413/.557	156 OPS+
6. J.D. Drew, RF	.321/.403/.528	146 OPS+
7. Sean Casey, 1B	.333/.409/.436	125 OPS+
8. Kevin Cash, C	.200/.200/.300	31 OPS+
9. Julio Lugo, SS	.274/.308/.306	64 OPS+
P. Tim Wakefield	3.18/1.65/.239	140 ERA+

Texas Rangers

1. Ian Kinsler, 2B	.288/.357/.370	99 OPS+
2. Michael Young, SS	.233/.305/.356	80 OPS+
3. Josh Hamilton, CF	.301/.365/.562	149 OPS+
4. Milton Bradley, DH	.345/.448/.473	151 OPS+
5. Hank Blalock, 3B	.339/.414/.532	156 OPS+
6. Frank Catalanotto, LF	.244/.320/.422	101 OPS+
7. David Murphy, RF	.288/.351/.455	118 OPS+
8. Gerald Laird, C	.218/.295/.345	74 OPS+
9. Ben Broussard, 1B	.191/.269/.383	76 OPS+
P. Kevin Millwood	2.42/1.46/.264	175 ERA+

Comments

[rootbeerfloat]

My local Little League scheduler appears to hate me. I've had to coach a game or practice at exactly the same time as the Sox game for the last 4 days. I plan on making the entire family take a 4 hour vow of silence today so I can at least listen to one game.

[Paul SF]

I hear ya, RBF. News has conspired to take me away from the Sox for the last two weeks. The wife has agreed to give me uninterrupted Sox listening time today...

[Paul SF]

Tim Wakefield uses Just For Men... Hmm. More info than I ever needed...

[Dionysus]

Well thats not how I wanted this day to go.

[Paul SF]

Wow, that sucks. Wake gets ahead of Kinsler 0-2, then gives up a homer...

[Dionysus]

Now Young is on. *prepares to vomit*

[TJ]

can you really have an OBP lower then a batting average?????

[Dionysus]

No you can't TJ. Thats impossible.

[Paul SF]

Double play. Nice...

[Dionysus]

Nice double play!

[Dionysus]

Despite the leadoff homer a quick inning for Wakes. It'd be nice if he went 6+

[Dionysus]

Shitty at bat by Ellsbury. Should have taken a few more pitches.

[Paul SF]

Not impossible, actually.

Sacrifice flies count against on-base percentage and not against batting average. So if you have more sac flies than walks, your OBP will be lower than your BA.

Cristian Guzman's OBP was lower than his BA from April 7-12 because he had one sac fly and zero walks. Once he walked April 13, his line reverted to normal..

[Paul SF]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=guzmacr01&t=b&year=2008

[Dionysus]

That was a tough pitch. Still, good ab by Lowrie

[Dionysus]

The Rangers have a 1-0 lead on 2 hits to the Sox 0.. and Wake still threw fewer pitches. Ah, the knuckler

[Dionysus]

four hits now. I dont think the knuckler is knuckling as much as it should

[Dionysus]

2-0 Rangers, 2 down.

[Dionysus]

K.

Lets get some runs back boys.

[Paul SF]

Manny ejected in his first at bat. This game sucks... First game I get to actually follow from beginning to end, and the Sox are going to be terrible. Fan freaking tastic.

[TJ]

damn it manny just make em pay next ab dont argue UGH!

[Dionysus]

Oh Manny. You idiot.

Who bats fo rhim NOW?

[Dionysus]

The Umps zone HAS been a little large,but Manny should have just went back to the dugout. We NEED his bat

[TJ]

likely Thurston unless Crisp is totally ready

[Paul SF]

What about moving Youk to left, Lowrie to third and putting Pedroia in at second? That would make Pedroia the cleanup hitter, a better choice than either Crisp or Thurston...

[Atheose]

Oh Manny was EJECTED? Thank GOD!

I went to the bathroom and came back and Remy and DO were talking about who would replace Manny in left field, and I thought he went down with an injury or something. I know it sucks that he was ejected, but it ain't bad compared to what I thought was up.

[TJ]

they could do that and then try again to give Pedroia a day off tomorrow.

[Paul SF]

So it is Thurston. That sucks... Maybe he'll surprise us and be a hero. That'd be a cool story.

[Atheose]

Jacoby's lady-friend is pretty hot! Not as hot as the supermodel Buchholz is dating, but not too shabby either.

Since Manny has been on fire so far this year I suppose it's okay for him to get ejected. We'll give him a pass here.

[Paul SF]

Well, and the ump didn't exactly make much effort to walk away or let Manny vent. It was almost immediate, which raises my eyebrows... Either Manny said something outrageous right away (doesn't seem likely), or the ump is a bit sensitive.

[Paul SF]

Ellsbury is turning into a walks machine. Great to see.

[Paul SF]

Now the SB/E-2 puts Ellsbury on third. I've never seen speed change a game for the Red Sox like Ellsbury's has.

[Paul SF]

No dice. Lowrie flares out, Ortiz grounds out. Gotta bring those runs home when they're willing to give em to you.

[Atheose]

Yeah, I thought for sure one of them would bring Ellsbury in. Too bad.

Great to see him drawing walks though. We'll need that to get his speed on base.

[Paul SF]

Wake's settled down nicely. Sox bats need to do something with the runners they're getting on base...

[TJ]

If Wake keeps this up hes gonna get a complete game and give the pen a nice rest.

[Atheose]

The good news is that we're making Millwood work hard. He probably won't last through 6, and the bullpen will come in and give up the game.

[Dionysus]

DOUBLE STEAL!

[Paul SF]

Ooooh, double steal! 2nd/3rd, 1 out. Bring them home!

[Atheose]

Woooooooooo Ellsbury single! Now would be a fantastic time for a big hit.

NICE Lugo and Ellsbury do the double steal! Great break by Lugo, Ellsbury followed him a split second later. Great heads-up play by both of them.

[Dionysus]

This strike zone is huge. That was a god damn ball

[Paul SF]

Argh, bad time for a strikeout from Lowrie, a guy who doesn't strike out much. Now we need the hit. Radio guys say the pitch was not a strike.

Now the Manny ejection really hurts. Ortiz IBBed for Thurston...

[Atheose]

First base open with two outs. SIGH, we'll probably see Papi walked here.

Youk had better make them pay!

[Paul SF]

Pinch hit Pedroia. Pleeeaaase.

[Dionysus]

Not Youk. Thurston, Atheose. So yeah. Squander.

[Paul SF]

And there we go. Huge squander.

[Dionysus]

First pitch god damn swinging. *glares at Manny on the bench*

[Atheose]

Errr, meant THurston. Sadly he grounds out, Millwood out of trouble.

[Paul SF]

Kevin Millwood needs to buy the ump a beer after this game...

[Dionysus]

Absolutely, Paul. That was NOT a strike to Lowrie.

[Paul SF]

It does seem like the Sox have come closer and closer to scoring each inning. Maybe the sixth is when it all comes together...

[Paul SF]

Well, now it doesn't matter so much. Damn.

[Dionysus]

Fucking Bradley

[Atheose]

The knuckler ain't knucklin. 5-0 Rangers.

[Dionysus]

Meh. Can't win 'em all. At least the pen gets a rest.

[Paul SF]

Can't win em all, but I'd rather they win the ones I actually have time to freaking see...

*sigh*

[Dionysus]

Other good point: Youk is a hitting machine

[Paul SF]

Youk 3 for 3 today. Too bad he's always batting with no one on.

[Dionysus]

Casey gets a single, but with Cash up...

[Paul SF]

The hole left by Manny is huge. You've got Ellsbury and Lowrie, with no need to pitch to Ortiz because there's a gigantic hole there. Then you've got Youk and Casey hitting, but Cash is an automatic out. Rough to drive anyone home when the holes are perfectly placed like that.

[Atheose]

Oh snap, bases loaded now for Ellsbury.

[Atheose]

And Ellsbury pops up on the first pitch. Goddamnit.

[Paul SF]

Hey, that's one way to not get an out. Youk up with two on.

[Paul SF]

And Youk picks the absolute worst time to GIDP. What a terrible game.

[Paul SF]

Drew comes through. Three-run game...

[rootbeerfloat]

Well, making progress. But now we're really going to miss Manny in the last few innings.

[Atheose]

5-2 now, thanks to a Drew single. I'm really liking his poise at the plate this year. He's not forcing anything.

[Paul SF]

If Youk even just strikes out, we have runners probably on second and third with the same score and just one out after Drew's single. Ah well...

[Atheose]

Wakefield going the distance, almost 8 IP with zero walks. Granted he's given up two homeruns, but it's still nice to see a starter go deep.

[Dionysus]

Agreed Atheose. In the long run, a deep game by Wake, even a loss, will be more benificial to this team than a win where he only went 5 or so. Way too many innigns have been put on this Pen of late.

Manny and Dustin in the lineup tommorrow, so a better chance.

[Paul SF]

Ellsbury scores from first on Lowrie's double. Papi up as the tying run!

Ohhh how it would be nice to not have Joe Thurston batting behind Ortiz...

[TJ]

i love these kids..... Pedroia, Ellsbury, Lowrie LOTS OF FUN!

[Atheose]

Lowrie! 5-3 now for Ortiz. Rangers closer coming in. REALLY missing Manny's bat right now.

[Dionysus]

Pedroia has had a logn enough day off. PH him for Thurston!

[TJ]

depends if theres runners on TYek prolly hits if its bases empty prolly Pedroia

[Paul SF]

Ortiz beats out the hit! 5-4!

[TJ]

PAPI!

[Atheose]

ORTIZ BEATS OUT THE THROW! A run scores from 2nd! Way to hustle Ortiz!

Great call by the ump, Ortiz beat him by a step.

[Dionysus]

Wow.

[Paul SF]

PEDROIA TIES IT!!!!!!!!

[TJ]

dPOD!

[TJ]

MAN I LOVE THIS TEAM! NO QUIT IN THEM!!!!!

[Dionysus]

OH MY GOD!!!!

[Atheose]

PEDROIA!

[Paul SF]

Drew up with the go-ahead at third...

[Dionysus]

WHo do we brign in to pitch in the 9th if it stays tied?

[Paul SF]

If Drew gets a hit here, Wakefield would be in line for the win. Wild game, this baseball...

[Dionysus]

Ah, OKi.

[Paul SF]

Okajima is warming, as is Papelbon. So I assume Okajima if it's tied, Paps if they're ahead.

[Jackie (SF)]

I love this team, and I love the Rangers relief corps.

[Paul SF]

Casey up with the bases loaded. What a game!

[Dionysus]

Casey. Please.

[Dionysus]

1-0.

1-1.

[Dionysus]

Foul. 1-2.

[Dionysus]

foul on a checked swing. high pitch. 1-2 it remains.

[Dionysus]

Ball. 2-2

[Dionysus]

Whoa. 3-2

[Paul SF]

RBI WALK!!!!!!!

[TJ]

Sox Lead

[Dionysus]

WALK! CASEY! SOX LEAD!