Stingy Dice: Sox-M's Gamer VIII

Daisuke Matsuzaka looks to improve upon his major-league best winning percentage on the mound against R.A. Dickey and the Mariners. Boston has scored a total of three runs in his last two outings. The good thing is that he didn't give up any. Comment away.

Boston
J. Ellsbury lf	.262
D. Pedroia 2b	.320
J.D. Drew rf	.290
M. Ramirez dh	.301
M. Lowell 3b	.282
K. Youkilis 1b	.314
J. Lowrie ss	.298
J. Varitek c	.218
C. Crisp cf	.255
D. Matsuzaka	2.65
Seattle
I. Suzuki rf	.301
J. Lopez 2b	.297
R. Ibanez lf	.278
J. Vidro dh	.222
A. Beltre 3b	.264
J. Reed cf	.256
J. Clement c	.172
B. LaHair 1b	.000
Y. Betancourt ss	.265
R.A. Dickey	3.73

Comments

[SF]

The Mets/Mariners game I went to earlier this year at Shea featured RA Dickey, who appeared, from close range, to suck. He was extremely fortunate that about seven laser beams were hit right at his fielders or just barely foul. He was utterly unimpressive, even as he spun a run-barren win. Then again, it was the Mets. The Sox need to atomic wedgie this guy.

[Atheose]

Hey, a knuckler not named Wakefield!

[Atheose]

He was utterly unimpressive, even as he spun a run-barren win.

This is the type of pitcher the Sox always do poorly against. We NEED this win though, especially with Buchholz vs Felix tomorrow.

[Atheose]

JD FUCKING DREW!

[Paul SF]

Good start from J.D.!

Dice in his last four starts: 23.1 innings, 14 hits, 1 run -- and 16 walks. Crazy.

[Atheose]

Hey, as long as Dice is pitching out of those jams I don't mind him walking 6 per 9ip. Maybe he pitches better from the stretch? He's done it long enough that he deserves the benefit of the doubt.

[SF]

Hey, as long as Dice is pitching out of those jams I don't mind him walking 6 per 9ip.

I do. If he is better from the stretch then maybe he should just pitch from the stretch. I doubt that is a reasonable explanation. Perhaps he's been, uh, lucky.

Sox strand two. One run is a lead, but more would have been nice.

[SF]

Ibanez laces a two-out single to left.

[Atheose]

Perhaps he's been, uh, lucky.

Shhhh, if you mention that three times the luck will go away! It's obviously all skill on Daisuke's part.

[SF]

Nice pitch to catch Vidro looking. 1-0 Sox at the end of one.

[Atheose]

Daisuke K's 2, uses 13 pitches that inning.

[SF]

Jed singles to lead it off.

[SF]

Tek bloops one about 135 feet, placed perfectly over third. 1/2, none out.

[SF]

Coco bunts them over, one down.

[Atheose]

Coco bunts the runners over. At least Ellsbury's groundout will get an RBI now.

[SF]

Great job Jacoby.

Swings at first pitch and hits a shallow fly to left, two down and no runs in.

[Atheose]

Not a very deep-hit ball, runners don't advance.

Help us out Pedroia!

[Atheose]

Ooooooooouch, catcher slices his hand open in the wire netting behind home plate.

[SF]

Pedro walks, sacks full.

[SF]

Bah, JD misses a cookie. Three more left on base.

I have about an inning left in me, if I am lucky...

[SF]

Quick first out there, Lowrie to Youk.

[SF]

Jeremy Reed reminds me of Psycho Lyons.

[SF]

Reed Ks on high heat, 93 according to the gun. Two down.

[SF]

And another K ends the inning. Strong work again.

LOB time!

[Atheose]

Two innings without a walk? Something's rotten in the state of Washington.

[SF]

Manny hits one about 8 feet short of the wall in left center, another well-hit ball.

[Atheose]

Aflac Question: "How many ballparks are located adjacent to I-90?"

I guess 4: Seattle, Minnesota, Cleveland and Boston.

[SF]

Lowell pops to second.

[SF]

Youk grounds to short, Dickey threw maybe 8 pitches that inning. Early blown chances going to haunt the Sox tonight?

[SF]

LaHair totally fooled on the 2-2, Dice drops in a change (?) for the backwards K.

[SF]

And a first pitch hack results in Betancourt popping to Lowrie. Two down.

[Atheose]

A quick look at the map shows me I'm wrong: the Mariners, Brewers, Cubs, WhiteSox, Indians and Red Sox.

[SF]

Now Dice nowhere near the plate with Ichiro, goes to 3-0 before a strike. The 3-1 pitch is high and Ichiro walks. Poor pitching there. After being all over the plate nearly every single at-bat, Dice looked spooked by Suzuki frankly.

[SF]

Deep fly on the first pitch to Coco ends the inning. 1-0 Sox thru three. I've got one more in me, I think. And it should be a quick one, since Tek, Crisp, and potentially Jacoby coming up!

[I'mBillMcNeal]

36 pitches through three innings? Who is this imposter?

[Atheose]

Daisuke at 36 pitches after 3. Taking a page out of Lester's (2007 version) book!

[SF]

Lowrie hits a hard shot the opposite way deep, but Ibanez hot-dogs it in near the wall. Tough out for Jed.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Joe C says Clement lost the fingernail on his thumb.

[SF]

Tek hits a weak pop to second. He still looks awful, last night's dinger was clearly a fluke.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Perhaps he should have said thumbnail?

[SF]

Another great inning from the Sox' bats.

Pathetic stuff we're seeing as of late. Papi can't come back soon enough. Get him on a plane, for f*ck's sake.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

They've got Dickey on the ropes, pitch count-wise, and then go down on eight pitches.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

SF, they're in Seattle. Why the hell not just bring Papi back for this series?

[SF]

And, we start the fifth with one out, too!

[Atheose]

Dice looked spooked by Suzuki frankly.

Well they do have a history, not to mention the Japanese media hyping the match-up.

[SF]

I haven't read a good article explaining why Papi wasn't able to rejoin the team after his Pawtucket rehab stint. I'll look around. It's not like they can't use him. Doctor's orders?

Just imagine if Manny extended a rehab stint after tearing it up for a few games by going to AA. The local scribes would be all over him.

[Atheose]

Daisuke issues a 4-pitch walk. It's like he suddenly realized "Hey, I'm being economical with my pitch count. I need to walk some more people to make sure I don't get through the 7th!"

[SF]

Four pitch walk. He's baaaack.

[SF]

Daisuke struggling this inning, on the verge of walking his second straight.

[Paul SF]

Now the base hit with the runner going. Yucketyyuck.

[Atheose]

Just imagine if Manny extended a rehab stint after tearing it up for a few games by going to AA. The local scribes would be all over him

That's a VERY good point. We sure as hell could have used him during the LAA series.

[SF]

And there's a single. The dead bats are just putting too much pressure on Matsuzaka. He can't be perfect every inning. We are filling our lineup with three guys who simply cannot get on base, almost ever. Bad formula.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

The only logial reason would be that Papi has been out for about 6 weeks, he's not in game shape and hasn't seen live pitching in awhile. But it's freakin' Seattle.
...
Meanwhile, Bad Dice-K emerges.

[Paul SF]

And the DP. Awesome. Runner on third, 2 down.

[SF]

Nice DP turned by Dusty, Jed. Two down, man at third.

[SF]

Nice footwork from Lowrie.

[Paul SF]

Three outs on two pitches for Daisuke. Not a bad recovery that inning.

[SF]

And a first pitch grounder gobbled up by Lowell. Escape!

[I'mBillMcNeal]

But a double-play and then a first-pitch out to Reed and, hey, we're back in business.

[SF]

Ok, enjoy the game everyone, I am hitting the hay. Go Sox!

[Atheose]

Hey, Ellsbury finally got on base!

[I'mBillMcNeal]

OOOO, ugly night in Queens.
Santana goes 8, leaves leading 6-2. The pen gives up six in the 9th and Philly wins, 8-6.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Sorry, Santana left leading, 5-1. Mets scored one in the bottom of the 9th.

[Atheose]

PEDROIA! See what happens when you get on base Ellsbury? Now DO IT MORE FUCKING OFTEN.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Big single for Pedro. Runners on the corners, none out for JD.

[Atheose]

Bill, it was 5-2 when he left ;-)

[Atheose]

Drew with the sc fly. Woooooooot!

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Sac fly for JD. Joe C had home run excitement in his voice off the bat but quickly tempered.

[Atheose]

Manny with another base hit!

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Facts, schmacts, ath.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

I get a Mulligna, anyway, Ath. I should be on the DL with some sort of virus.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

That should be "Mulligan." See what I mean?

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Mikey doubles in a run; runners on the corners for The Hot One.

[Atheose]

There have been several times where I wished there was a DL for real life.

Lowell doubles, 3-0 Sox. Two RISP for Youk.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

"There have been several times where I wished there was a DL for real life."

Amen, brother.

[Atheose]

Anybody see the fight in the WNBA? The male coach came in and punched one of his players, at least that's what it looked like at first glance. I didn't get to see it a second time.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

(Channeling a 1960s'era Disney movie here.)
Please, Tek.
I know there's life in that bat.
I just know there is.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Those of you dismayed and disgusted by the current state of the newspaper industry would enjoy Rick Morrisey's column in the Sunday Chicago Tribune.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-080718-rick-morrissey-cubs-favre-notre-dame,0,5534984.column

If it doesn't make sense, understand that one of the names NOT mentioned is Sam Zell.

[Atheose]

Amen, brother.

There was a time last year when I was working 40 hours a week, taking 18 credits of class and starting up my own website development company. The Friday before final exams my girlfriend's mother was diagnosed with colon cancer (she was already a breast cancer survivor). I was already working that weekend to makeup for the time I would miss while taking my exams, so I had to take the weekend off (to be with my girlfriend) and work from 6am to 6:30pm for three days that week before taking my final exams.

It would have been AWESOME to have somebody step in, say "Sorry he's unfit to do anything productive this week" and put me on the 15-day DL.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

You're a good man for making that sacrifice for your GF.

[Atheose]

Pedroia is going to win a Gold Glove one of these days, even though Gold Gloves are no-good damn dirty liars.

[Atheose]

Pedroia is going to win a Gold Glove one of these days, even though Gold Gloves are no-good damn dirty liars.

[Atheose]

Sorry for the double post. That's how much Pedroia deserves one!

If you're ever in that position Bill (Tom Cruise forbid) you'd do the same. It's one of those times where actions, not well wishes, are absolutely necessary.

[Atheose]

Another lead-off walk. Ugh.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

You're absolutely right. It is necessary. One of the big regrets of my lieft was about four years ago when my mother in law was on her last days with cancer. I was very, very busy at work (we're way out in the far western Chciago suburbs) and didn't go see her at Northwestern Memorial. It took me a long time to let myself off the hook for that decision. And I did. I make up for it in other ways.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Just realized the game is on a Comcast InDemand free preview. But it's not HD.

[AndrewYF]

Dice now has what must be a major-league worst 5.76 BB/9.

Easily takes the crown for luckiest pitcher in the major leagues.

[Atheose]

Yeah Bill, it's never an easy situation. I was lucky to have a job where I could juggle my hours to make things work--if I didn't I don't know what would have happened.

Daisuke gets out of trouble again, 82 pitches after 6.

[Atheose]

Every Sox player has a hit except Youk and Coco, though the former has a walk and the latter has a sac-bunt.

[Atheose]

Speaking of work, I have to wake up in 5 hours. Good night gentlemen.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Adios, Ath.
i'm off to bed soon, too.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

I figured the trolls would be here sooner.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Of course, Sidney Ponson doesn't qualify as lucky. God forbid.

[Paul SF]

No luck for his performance tonight, Andrew. Five baserunners in six innings is more likely than not going to lead to very few runs.

[Paul SF]

Eight-pitch seventh for Daisuke. Only 90 pitches, so I imagine he'll be in there for the eighth. Apparently the starters have decided the only way they can get wins is to keep the pen out of it altogether, or at least the middle relievers.

[Paul SF]

At any rate, I might agree about Matsuzaka being the luckiest pitcher if Mike Mussina weren't sitting there with 12 wins despite an ERA a full run worse than Matsuzaka's... Or Andy Pettitte with 11 wins, despite an ERA nearly two runs worse than Matsuzaka's...

[Paul SF]

There goes the shutout. 24.2 consecutive scoreless innings. And now 4-2. Looks like we might need Papelbon in now.

[Devine]

Nice, Oki. Two straight outs, though with a scary-ish full count.

[Devine]

That series with the Angels was bad, man. The first game was like an appetizer of pain before the 2 crotch-punchings that followed. Late innings going wrong. It's enough to make you spooked in this game here. Score, people!

[Paul SF]

I wonder if Oki's figured out his splitter - no runs, inherited or otherwise, have scored off him in his last six appearances now. Still been allowing some baserunners, though.