One Is the Luckiest Number: Sox-Twins Gamer IV

Admit it. You're a little relieved. The Red Sox are now just 7-5 in one-run games. They're outperforming their Pythagorean record by just one game. So, despite three one-run losses in their last five contests, the Sox still sit in first place -- in the division, in the league and in the game -- with a 24-16 record. Better for the correction to happen this way than it did last year, when it came during the heat of a Yankee winning streak.

Clay Buchholz looks to put the Sox back on the winning track tonight. He got blasted around last time out but has been pretty solid otherwise. He faces Livan Hernandez, who is having a fine season himself. Hernandez is facing the Sox for the first time since 2006 and just the third time overall. In each of his other two starts (1999 and 2006), Hernandez allowed eight hits and six runs. Sounds good to us.

The first game of the PTE (Post Tavarez Era) begins shortly. Comment away!

Red Sox
1. Coco Crisp, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. J.D. Drew, RF
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Sean Casey, 1B
9. Alex Cora, SS
Clay Buchholz -- P

Twins
1. Carlos Gomez, CF
2. Brendan Harris, 2B
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Justin Morneau, 1B
5. Michael Cuddyer, RF
6. Craig Monroe, DH
7. Delmon Young, LF
8. Mike Lamb, 3B
9. Adam Everett, SS
Livan Hernandez -- P

Comments

[Paul SF]

Leadoff double for Coco!

[Paul SF]

MANNNY!!!!!! 3-0 Sox!!!

[Dionysus]

498!!!!!!!!!!!

[Paul SF]

Proof that inning about why sac bunts are largely not necessary for the Red Sox. Pedroia sacced Crisp to third, and Ortiz singled him in, but then everyone would have scored anyway on Manny's home run.

Of course, Pedroia was bunting for a hit, not a sac, and it took a great play to get him, but this inning proves the general principle.

[Paul SF]

Now Drew with the two-out double! RBI opportunity for Tek.

[Dionysus]

and Drew BARELY beats out the double!

[Dionysus]

Agreed, Paul. I hate bunting. If its a TIE game, your at HOME, and its the bottom of the ninth and you have a runner on second and NO Outs... then I can see bunting.

But thats jsut about it.

[Dionysus]

Note: what I just said was for American League teams only. If its the National League, then the whole pitcher thing adds bunting situations.

WOW, Clay's home-away splits are even worse than I thought.

[Paul SF]

Ugh, Drew's error compounds Buchholz's struggles. 3-2. Just when I thought this game might be easier...

[rootbeerfloat]

Are we going to be hoping for Julian tonight?

[SF]

This season is going just as I predicted - lots of losing skids (one fiver, one three-gamer, now potentially 3 of four), but still a net positive record. As I thought, this is going to be an eminently frustrating year - lots of "why aren't we seven games ahead"-type questions, answered quickly when we see starts like tonight and a bullpen exhausted by August.

This is already an exceedingly frustrating team, one that could have a six game lead already. They have already lost two games in which they score nine runs and one in which they scored eight. This reminds me of some Yankees squads of the past several years, which isn't a very good thing, ultimately.

[SF]

And another game that might require ten runs to win. Great. No pressure on the offense.

[SF]

And where is Youk? Is he hurt or getting rest? If he's getting rest, Tito sure picked an odd time to sit a hot-as-f*cking-Gisele hitter. Reverse slump-buster - a day off in the middle of a massive streak.

[Paul SF]

Not sure how this season would be unlike any other season. I would guess you can find quite a few three- and four-game losing streaks in any given season that does not end with 105+ wins...

[TJ]

Youk is sitting cause Casey hits Hernandez very well

[SF]

Not sure how this season would be unlike any other season. I would guess you can find quite a few three- and four-game losing streaks in any given season that does not end with 105+ wins...

Maybe not, but I imagine that first place teams don't have 10-12 three+ game losing streaks, which is what the Sox are on pace for.

[SF]

When did we trade for Phil Hughes?!

[SF]

God, Buchholz looks just terrible. This rotation is erratic as hell.

[Paul SF]

The 2004 Sox lost at least three games four times. The 1999 Yanks lost at least three straight five times. Even the 1998 Yankees lost at least three straight four times. The 2007 Sox lost at least three straight five times.

So, I guess we'll have to see, but I'm not seeing much to indicate what the season will be like one way or another. I do think stress on the bullpen is going to be a problem, but then that's easy to say after two bad starts in a row. The Sox starters had just completed about 15 straight starts with an ERA under 2.00

[Jackie (SF)]

Okay, I'm watching on Gamechannel... can someone explain how we got out of that last inning without a run scoring? It says the Twins had the bases loaded with nobody out, then "D. Young grounded into fielder's choice, M. Cuddyer out at third, C. Monroe to second" (but Morneau didn't score from third?) and then a DP... what?

[Jackie (SF)]

Nevermind, now Gamechannel says it's 4-3. But doesn't explain where that other run came from. Augh.

[Paul SF]

Morneau did score from third, Jackie.

[Paul SF]

Buchholz looked much better that time out. 1-2-3. Now the Sox need to start capitalizing on what Hernandez is giving them...

[Paul SF]

Not a good start from Buchholz. The growing pains continue...

[sf rod]

very hughesian/kennedyesq performance from buch tonite. why can't this kid pitch on the road?

[sf rod]

3 to get 4. this has become a pretty regular theme of late.

[sf rod]

manny using a red/orange bat tonite. proceeds go to a charity he and his roaddog l'mostro started...."Booger-Sugar for Impoverished Poledancers".

[sf rod]

my apologies to manny's roaddog. the correct spelling is l'monstro.

so, yeah, hansen looked good tonite. lots of movement on his fastball.