The Rise of J-Dizzle: O's-Sox Gamer VII

The J.D. Drew lovefest is in full throat. The Boston Globe loves him. The Boston Herald loves him. The Hartford Courant loves him. I assume the Providence Journal loves him.

They didn't love him so much last year, not when he was transitioning to a new league, not while his son was fighting a life-threatening illness, and certainly not while those events conspired to help torpedo the first half of Drew's 2007.

Well, we've always loved and supported the Drewster, and we revel in his carrying the team while David Ortiz (hopefully) recovers from his partially torn ligament sheath. It's worth noting that over the past year, Drew is hitting .298/.397/.482 -- not much off from what was hoped from him.

He hopes to continue his hot hitting, and Josh Beckett hopes to continue his hot pitching agaisnt the lowly O's tonight. Another early start with Celts/Lakers on tap.

Comment away!

T

Comments

[rootbeerfloat]

Pedroia breaking out of his slump??

[rootbeerfloat]

Manny GIDP but Ells scores

[stuck_working]

Hmm. Finally got around to registering for Typepad. Let's see how it goes.

[Paul SF]

Brutal hitting by Manny. So discouraging to see "In play, run(s)" and it end up only being a run-scoring double play...

[Paul SF]

Aaaand the squander. Might regret that one later on...

[stuck_working]

So far, typepad is less annoying than the Sox only getting one run with the bases loaded and no outs.

[Paul SF]

Nothing's more annoying than that, SW... Except getting no runs.

[rootbeerfloat]

The radio description of Cora and Millar joking around in the infield cracks me up. I do miss Kevin.

[stuck_working]

Yeah but I still think it would have been better for Manny to just strike out than GIDP given who's hitting behind him. Oh well.

Also, is it just me or has Millar figured Beckett out? His career BA against is just .250 but it seems like it's been higher this season.

[Bullfrog]

Anybody having trouble getting Gameday Audio to work? I'm hoping MLB just doesn't realize the game got moved up an hour, this is killing me.

[rootbeerfloat]

Bullfrog - it's working fine for me.

[Micah-SF]

The way Beckett's looking right now, we're really going to regret that blown opportunity in the first...

[Bullfrog]

Well, at least now I know it's me. Thanks, rbf.

[rootbeerfloat]

whew

[rootbeerfloat]

crap

[rootbeerfloat]

What is wrong with Beckett??

[Micah-SF]

Freddie Bynum? Really? C'mon, Josh.

[rootbeerfloat]

This is getting ugly quickly

[Micah-SF]

Right, I'm going to switch back to actually doing work. It will be less shitty than watching Beckett self-destruct.

[Bullfrog]

I'm suddenly OK with my computer not getting gameday audio.

[stuck_working]

Gadzooks. I registered with typepad to comment on THIS?!

I bet the Sox still win this one, though, so long as Beckett puts it back together.

[SF]

We want Jed!

[LocklandSF]

2 for 2 for Dusty

[LocklandSF]

Bullfrog, are you new around these parts or have I just not noticed you? Either way, love the name and welcome. (unless you've been here a while and I'm just an idiot)

[rootbeerfloat]

is anyone watching on tv? why are people booing?

[Bullfrog]

I'm around from time to time - I can never remember what moniker I go by (Bullfrog, notrefrog, jeremiah), so that probably explains some of it. TypeKey will force me to be consistent. I usually lurk, but am not very focused on the work I'm trying to do tonight, probably because I have to keep checking the gametracker instead of listening to the radio 'cast.

Thanks for the official welcome, though!

[rootbeerfloat]

bases loaded, no outs. Please, guys?

[LocklandSF]

I'm hardly official Bullfrog, just a lowly reader like your self, but you're welcome.

We should have about 8 runs by now, damn shame.

It wasn't booing RBF, just YOOOOOOOOUK!

This is crap by the way, we should have at least 8 runs by now.

I could use some street meat right now.

[Hudson]

Well, the Sox get a couple at least out of bases loaded/no outs... It's a one-run game now, so Beckett has some added incentive to bear down.

Plus, Cabrera appeared to have lost the strike zone for a good part of that inning, so I'm optimistic the Sox offense will eventually dig the team out of this hole.

[rootbeerfloat]

street meat?

Thanks, didn't realize Youk was up then.

[Bullfrog]

How many runs should we have by now, Lockland?

I keed, I keed.

[LocklandSF]

Italian Sausages sold from the vendors outside the park, or really, any meat sold from any vendor on the street.

[LocklandSF]

437 runs Bullfrog, 437 runs.

[Hudson]

On the other hand, Beckett's already at 79 pitches through 3.1 innings.

Bullpen extravaganza on the way.

[Bullfrog]

Yeah, this game's going to be like ten hours long.

My street meat of choice is the conical meat that the falafel guys sell. Or the chicken over rice. That is manna from heaven on hangover days.

[Hudson]

// I could use some street meat right now. //

For anyone who has spent any time in New York City, this sounded like a reference to activity along the West Side Highway... /ducking

[LocklandSF]

WHAT A CATCH COCO!

[LocklandSF]

In other news...

Ever since my fiancé and I bought a place I've realized that there is very little the internet can't teach you to fix. God bless the internet, $60.00 a month for cable internet and I never have to pay a plumber or an electrician.

[Bullfrog]

I used the web to try and learn how to fix my bike today, but we're coming from such a mechanical blank slate that I think it's hopeless.

[SF]

Beckett really has nada. Five innings, four runs is looking like a feat at this point.

[SF]

And there it is, five innings, four runs. Come on, bats!

[LocklandSF]

4 days of 90+ degree heat with absurd humidity in early June can't be easy on anyone, we all adjust on some level and nobody in NE was adjusted for this yet.

[LocklandSF]

JD DREW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CRUSHED!!!

[stuck_working]

Wow. Drew almost as hot as the weather. HEY-O!

[SF]

Holy crap was that crushed.

JD is HOT.

[Hudson]

JD's legend grows... And did I call the Sox comeback, or what?

[LocklandSF]

MANNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ALSO, CRUSHED!!!!!!

[SF]

Manny!

[LocklandSF]

How close was Drew's to the Red Seat you think? Distance wise?

[stuck_working]

Hudson, I'll put your calling it at 7:27pm up against my remarks at 6:50pm.

[rootbeerfloat]

Sheesh! Boss comes into my office and I miss all the good stuff. I saw an injury delay - any idea who and how serious?

[SF]

Pretty far, Lock. The red seat is almost comically far up in the bleachers, it is almost unfathomable that a ball was ever hit to it, frankly. I bet it was 15-20 rows short, minimum.

[SF]

Injury delay: Pedroia was hit by a pitch, he stayed in the game.

[LocklandSF]

I realize SF, but you rarely see one, even from Ortiz, hit that deep in to the slope of the bleachers.

Just loving me some JD Drew right now.

[SF]

Can the Alex Cora era just end already?

[SF]

On to the 7th...

6-4 Sox.

[LocklandSF]

I don't know SF, what would this team do without "The Smartest Guy" in baseball? :-)

[Micah-SF]

Ugh, I hate walking Roberts. I swear he has half his SBs against us.

[SF]

Oki not looking sharp either.

[LocklandSF]

Come on OKI!!!!

[SF]

Markakis battling here. 2-2, a couple of foul balls now.

[LocklandSF]

SHIT

[Micah-SF]

Ugh. C'mon, Oki, get out of it.

[SF]

Payoff pitch...

terrible, grooved. Oki is really sh*tty again this evening. How long you gonna stick with him, Tito?

[SF]

Not sure I like Oki still in the game here. He really isn't pitching well, now he can't hit the plate. This is a slow-motion train wreck, and you can see it happening. Tito super-slow pulling HO again. Baffling.

[SF]

Now they are loaded on the walk to Mora on a pitch that was two feet outside the zone. And he's STILL in the game. WTF Tito? Come on, this is ridiculous.

[stuck_working]

I get so little joy out of games like this compared to the anxiety that they inflict.

[SF]

And he misses AGAIN. Still no mound visit, even. What is going on here? Management totally asleep at the wheel with Okajima here.

[SF]

I just don't get the passive managing here.

[LocklandSF]

CRAP CRAP!

[Micah-SF]

God DAMMIT.

[SF]

Honestly, Tito can go f*ck himself right now.

Tie game thanks to his beyond-pathetic managing. And the lead run at third, less than two outs. This game has basically been pissed down the toilet by the skipper. And Okajima, of course, but what pitcher has ever made himself a healthy scratch in the middle of an inning?

I have no stomach for what just transpired.

[Micah-SF]

And there's the completely predictable sac fly. Let's hope JD and Manny want to keep playing Superman.

[SF]

And, we're behind.

Francona gets the f*cking L tonight if this score stands. Brutal, inexplicable. A rested bullpen and this is what he comes up with. If the division comes down to a single game you can write down tonight's managerial efforts as one of the great causes.

An abomination of managing right there.

[SF]

Inning over, MDC gets it done, sort of. A little late, thanks to our snoozing skipper.

[Atheose - SF]

WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?! I get home and Okajima has blown a 2-run lead?

Shit ass dick bitch Tom Cruise!

[Hudson]

Ugh. Oki's ERA just jumped almost a point.

As for this comment:

// Can the Alex Cora era just end already? //

Ah, the Cora-hating continues. Hitting .300 as a utility infielder isn't good enough?

[Atheose - SF]

Francona gets the f*cking L tonight if this score stands. Brutal, inexplicable. A rested bullpen and this is what he comes up with.

How was bringing Okajima in an abomination of management? Because it was the 7th and not the 8th? Bynum and Markakis were coming up and they're both lefties, so I don't think it was outrageous.

Glad to see Manny and Drew are doing well.

[SF]

Ath:

It was a two person effort, that blown lead. Oki had nothing, it was pretty clear two batters in, yet Tito rode him for FIVE hitters, ultimately what happened was nothing surprising. This was a completely avoidable blunder by Francona, it was one of those "what the f*ck game is HE watching and why is the pitcher still in there?" moments.

[Hudson]

Drew: mortal.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Here's comes Chad "Mr. 500" Bradford to pitch to Manny.

[SF]

There was nothing wrong with bringing Oki in, Ath, read the thread. The mistake, an absolutely blatant one, was leaving Okajima in, in particular to face Huff. It was an obvious "hey, it's a lefty against a lefty, how can I possibly take him out?" moment, but the fact is that a pitcher who is sucking eggs sucks eggs against guys no matter what side of the plate they hit from. Oki was luggage tonight, and it was noticeable on a 3" diagonal screen on a Macintosh. That Tito didn't do anything about it despite having rested relievers with 8 outs to go was a failure.

[Atheose - SF]

Ahh okay SF. I missed it so I'm glad you cleared it up for me.

Come on Manny!

[Atheose - SF]

Ahh okay SF. I missed it so I'm glad you cleared it up for me.

Come on Manny!

[Atheose - SF]

Sorry for the knee-jerk reaction SF, and sorry for the double post!

Wow, Delcarmen's changeup is looking really good.

[Atheose - SF]

Ohhh me likey Amber Theoharis, the Orioles announcer

[Atheose - SF]

Manny is using his off-speed stuff amazingly tonight. Great to see that he's evolved past a I'm-going-to-blow-my-fastball-by-you pitcher.

[SF]

Nice appearance by MDC, made even more stinging by TIto's sleepwalk thru the seventh.

I can't stand when managers sit on their hands when there are defensible options in the bullpen. There were no excuses for what Francona did tonight.

[Atheose - SF]

Wow, Beckett gave up 8 hits and 4 runs and only struck out 3? That's very unBeckettlike.

Lowell walks, winning run at the plate.

[SF]

Ok, leadoff free pass for Lowell, good start. Come on, Youk!

[SF]

Lead run, Ath, it's only the 8th!

[SF]

Youk quickly behind, good riding fastball on the second pitch, Youk fouls it off.

[SF]

Youk whiffs, not a good at-bat there.

[SF]

Will Sean Casey pinch hit for Cora?

Will Tek GIDP removing the possibility? Tek's really struggling as of late.

[SF]

Tek looks lost. 1-2 count.

[SF]

And there's the DP. Fucking predictable.

[SF]

This is one of the top two or three most annoying games of the year so far, hands down.

[Atheose - SF]

Varitek sure is a wet blanket when he's cold.

[Atheose - SF]

Hah, way to call it SF.

[stuck_working]

And over in the Celtics game, the refs seem in a hurry to make up for FT disparity in Game 2.

Gah. Hansen loads the bases. Are you f'ing kidding me??