Ebb Tide: Sox-Royals Gamer II

All three AL East leaders faltered last night in games outside their division, with the Rays and Sox losing to the cellar teams of the central while the Yanks lost more than the game in Anaheim. Tonight, Josh Beckett looks for a victory in Kansas City. He's been knocked around his last three times out, facing the powerhouse lineups of the Halos and Bombers. In his defense, the Sox mustered only four runs in those outings. It will be tough to make excuses tonight for the Boston bats if they don't bash Brian Bannister to bolster Beckett; Bannister has given up one run per inning in his last seven starts.

Lineups follow, comment away.

Boston
J.D. Drew rf	.283
D. Pedroia 2b	.317
D. Ortiz dh	.254
K. Youkilis 1b	.316
M. Lowell 3b	.280
J. Bay lf	.312
J. Lowrie ss	.293
J. Varitek c	.220
J. Ellsbury cf	.259
J. Beckett	4.15
Kansas City
M. Aviles ss	.338
E. German 2b	.244
M. Teahen rf	.245
J. Guillen dh	.264
B. Butler 1b	.268
A. Gordon 3b	.254
J. Buck c	.244
R. Gload lf	.271
M. Maier cf	.310
B. Bannister	5.33

Comments

[stuck working]

Still not sure how I feel about having Drew leadoff. Good thing lineups don't matter!

[Atheose]

Good news guys: I'm here from the start, so I can't come in mid-game and jinx things!

The announcers are already jinxing Beckett with "The Royals have never beaten Beckett." Son of a bitch!

[stuck working]

Relatedly, I've got a big soft spot for Bannister because he sees himself as a bridge between players and sabrmetric types. Joe Posnanski a great job covering him.

[Atheose]

Wait, Lowell is back and Drew is still leading off? I really liked the Elf-Youk combo at the top!

[stuck working]

Francona likes Youk hitting clean up for now, Ath.

[stuck working]

Besides, with Pedroia hitting second, we'll get to see the laser show anyway, right?

[Atheose]

That's the point stuck, I want the laser show to be the main attraction! I don't want to wait through Drew's at-bat.

That article made me love Pedroia so much.

[Atheose]

Drew singles to right field, it gets passed the fielder and Drew goes to 2nd. Obviously Tito knows more than I do.

Wow, scorekeepers rule it a double. I'm fine with that.

[Atheose]

WHY THE FUCK IS PEDROIA SHOWING BUNT? We want the fricken laser show!

...unless it's a distraction, which would make the laser show all the more exciting and lasery!

[Atheose]

Pedroia grounds out to the pitcher, Drew out in a run-down. Pedroia is fucking awesome though and makes it to 2nd. He's sneaky!

[stuck working]

Cleveland up 3-1 over Tampa after 3. Somehow, Tampa's lost all 5 games against them this season.

[stuck working]

I would feel a lot better about Ortiz's wrist if he got a delicious RBI here.

[Atheose]

Announcers: "What does 'walk-off' mean? Does it refer to the losing team walking off the field, or the winning team walking off the field?"

It was coined by Eckerseley, and it means the losing team walks off the field. Idiots.

Ortiz grounds through the shift, Pedroia scores.

[stuck working]

Thank you for obliging me, Papi.

[Atheose]

HEY Ortiz was stealing 2nd! And he got a HUGE lead! Too bad Youk fouled it off.

[Atheose]

Youk singles on an infield single, though it looked like the pitcher tagged 1st with his glove.

Replay shows Youk safe by 1/4 of a step.

[stuck working]

Woohoo! Pettitte gives up a 2-run shot to Josh Hamilton.

[Atheose]

Yeah! Cheer him now, New Yorkers!

[Atheose]

Ortiz gets doubled off 2nd. Oh well, we got a run and our offense is hitting.

[stuck working]

Hamilton hit that shot cuz NYC is fulla atheists, Rick Reilly sez.

[Atheose]

Bloop singles are for losers.

[Atheose]

Hamilton hit that shot cuz NYC is fulla atheists, Rick Reilly sez.

Rick Reilly is a loser. Rick Astley, however...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU

[stuck working]

If you're going to RickRoll, Ath, you might want to at least disguise it with a tinyurl. No way I'm clicking when I know what's coming.

[SF]

Was at Pettitte's last start in the Bronx, he gave up some absolute bombs. Maybe he's aging right before our eyes. That would be far tastier than the Joba injury, which was, for me, a sad sight. I don't necessarily feel that bad when an older rival declines, though it can be sad in theory. I do feel terrible when a young wunderkind gets injured. At the least, Pettitte has had a tremendous career, whereas Joba was just getting started. Certainly no tears for Pettitte if he's going downhill.

[SF]

I am not a big fan of Bay hitting sixth, much rather have Lowell down there.

[stuck working]

Gah, Tampa ties it.

[SF]

Bad Beckett back. I remember when he was unhittable. Those were good times.

What the f*ck happened to him?

[stuck working]

Gah, KC ties it.

[stuck working]

That's what I get for scoreboard watching.

[Atheose]

Seriously, what happened to the calm, bored-because-it's-too-easy Beckett that would mow down the likes of Kansas City?

[Atheose]

Tampa leading now.

[SF]

And now we reach the "noone can hear you scream in space" portion of our lineup. See you in a couple of innings.

[SF]

Joba to visit Dr. James Andrews, and Cashman extremely non-committal about what might be wrong, quite understandably.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08052008/sports/yankees/joba_on_way_to_see_dr__andrews_123144.htm

[Atheose]

Varitek is REALLY good at striking out. It's a shame that's not the goal of baseball.

[SF]

Tek angry about a call, but frankly he's so bad at the plate how does he get off complaining about anything? I guess the only way he can get on is to walk...

And he strikes out.

We'll miss Tek when he's gone, but he really isn't a viable player with his bat anymore.

[Atheose]

I stand by my comment last night that we should let our pitchers hit and DH for 'Tek. Our pitchers can at least bunt runners over.

Wow that was a shitty little bloop hit. Second one tonight.

[SF]

Leadoff single on a pitch well off the plate. Little looper to center, decent hitting there and bad luck for Beckett, it was a pitch that was either a squib or a foul ball or a ball.

[SF]

Now Beckett quickly behind Buck 2-0.

[Atheose]

FANTASTIC catch by Lowrie.

[SF]

If I remember correctly the Sox went to KC in 2006 and got swept, that was basically the beginning of the end that year. Or maybe it was in the middle of the end, I can't remember.

Wow, what a play by Lowrie. Stay in bed, LFRS.

[SF]

Yep, on August 8th, after losing two to the Rays, the Sox went to KC and were swept into a five game losing streak. They went 7-14 the rest of the month.

[SF]

Deep fly ball advances the runner to third, now Beckett squeezed on a nice pitch on the inside corner, and he's pissed.

[SF]

That should've been the inning, frankly. Now a foul ball does end it, Lowell catches one near the dugout. On to the third, still tied at 1.

[Atheose]

Yep SF, we went into KC and got swept; 4-6, 4-5, 4-5. However we went on to sweep the Orioles at home after that, before dropping 2 of 3 to the Tigers. After that we played a 5-game series against the Yanks. Can't remember how that one turned out.

[Atheose]

Bah, way to beat me to the stats SF.

[Atheose]

Hahahaha they're interviewing Rusty Kuntz, who has the greatest name in the history of sports. Yes, it's better than Dick Pole.

[SF]

Jacoby seeing more pitches lately, but his contact is generally atrocious. When was the last time he hit a ball solidly? Every single thing he puts into play is a grounder or a popup.

[SF]

Or Dick Trickle, Nascar hack.

[stuck working]

When was the last time Ellsbury got a hit, much less an extra-base hit? Seems like ages.

[SF]

Bannister gets the same pitch that Beckett didn't last inning on Drew. I hate inconsistent strike zones. If the plate is wide, fine, but let it be wide for everyone.

[stuck working]

I see we're also on the same wave length, SF.

[SF]

Ellsbury hasn't stolen a base since June, or at least I think that's what I read. That's unbelievable. And bad.

[stuck working]

Bannister already at 53 pitches with that walk. Up next, Gabbo.

[SF]

Drew walks.

[Atheose]

Ellsbury 3 for 4 against the Yanks on July 27, one of those was a double.

He has 7 XBH since June 16, with 2 SB. He hasn't had a SB since July 1, over a month ago.

[Atheose]

SF you asshole stop beating me to the punch with statistics!

LASER SHOW, Pedroia a few feet shy of a homer.

[Atheose]

Ortiz hits a laser to right-field but it's right at some dude with "KC" on his hat. What a dick.

[SF]

Another rope by Papi, RIGHT AT THE RF. This luck is insanely bad, frustrating. I'd like to think that BABIP will right itself, we'll certainly score if this keeps up, and a bunch, but logic and sanity don't always rule.

[Atheose]

Beckett's stuff is looking really nasty this inning.

[SF]

Very strong inning from Beckett.

[Atheose]

Beckett strikes out the side. That was the best inning I've seen all season; he looked bored, lazy, because it was just so easy.

[stuck working]

Andy Marte at the plate for Cleveland, flies out to center. Remember when it seemed like a big deal that the Sox traded him? Turns out that he and Coco are just about of equal (low) value after all.

[Atheose]

Jason Bay! He misses a homer by a foot or two, but the double scores Lowell.

[SF]

Another bomb from Bay, double scores Lowell.

[Atheose]

Wow, announcers complaining about the HBP call, because it "hit Lowell's jersey." I guess they've already forgotten that the Royals had the same thing happen for them with the bases loaded last night.

[SF]

Bay to third on a wild pitch, not good technique from the catcher on that one.

[SF]

More tough luck - Lowrie hits one quite hard, but right at the first baseman, Bay has to stay at third. Not the best situational hitting there. Now Tek is up to end the inning.

[Atheose]

SF, are you getting the Royals announcers on mlb.tv? These guys keep getting worse and worse.

[SF]

Tek misses a hanger. Fouls it straight back. I think if he was told what pitch was coming he'd still struggle. Someone get that man a lighter bat.

[SF]

Sound off, watching Mad Men DVD...

[SF]

and Tek Ks. F*cking hideous.

How is he even hitting .200?

[stuck working]

Well, at least we cleared Tek's spot for next inning...

Seriously, though: HE LOOKS BEYOND TERRIBLE. I don't know how this can continue, but it obviously will.

[SF]

This has been too long to be just a slump.

[SF]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/gl.cgi?n1=varitja01&t=b&year=2008

Tek's game log. On June 21st he slid into the .230s, it's been 40+ games since he cracked the .225 mark. Only four of the last 30+ days has he been at .220 or just above.

[Atheose]

56 pitches after 4. Pretty damn impressive.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Cleveland leaves the bases loaded in teh top of the 6th; 4-3, Ray.

[SF]

Liner to Ellsbury covering a lot of ground. That's the upside of Jacoby in the field, his speed certainly took the edge off that inning.

Time for more runs!

[Atheose]

HEY, an infield single by Ellsbury! How about we f*cking steal 2nd?

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Does he go here? Been a long time since the last SB.

[SF]

Solid contact for Jacoby, right off of Bannister. The deflection allows Ellsbury to leg out a single.

[Atheose]

Lowell hitting almost EXACTLY at his career averages:

Career: .280, .344, .467
2008 : .280, .342, .462

[Atheose]

Ellsbury with a clean steal. About time.

[SF]

Ducks...

[Atheose]

LASER SHOW! Ellsbury steals EASILY, despite the ball taking only about 1.5 seconds to get to the left-fielder.

See what happens when you get on base Ellsbury? Good things happen.

[SF]

Dusty! Speed kills, Ellsbury scores on the single.

[SF]

Where does "Laser Show" come from?

[Atheose]

You didn't see that article SF? Let me go find it for you.

[Atheose]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3512455

Stuck posted this at the end of last night's gamer. FANTASTIC article about Pedroia.

[SF]

Bah, Papi does nothing useful, shallow popup. Runners stuck at 1/2.

[Atheose]

The specific quote I'm referring to is:

Day after day, in these pregame hours, Pedroia stirs the pot, dishing out threats and insults and mixing in bold predictions about his performance at the plate. He has already texted Millar, "Did you bring your glasses for the laser show tonight?"

[SF]

Ha, Manny even calls Ped "crazy". Isn't that like Manson calling someone "a bit easily angered"?

[SF]

JFC, another hard hit sinking liner and a good grab by the CF. The Sox have had absolutely terrible luck.

[stuck working]

I also love Millar's response that Pedroia "has very little natural ability. When you think of the amount of swagger he's got, at 5'3", how can you not love a guy like that?"

[Atheose]

Exactly, SF. If Manny thinks someone's crazy they REALLY must be crazy.

I'd like to be a fly on the wall in the dugout for a few games, just to hear Pedroia trash talk for 9 innings.

[SF]

Another annoying inning. Par for the course these days. More hits, more LOB, only one run. The Sox should be up by three, maybe four runs right now. At least they are into the bullpen early. We should see more scoring on our side.

[Atheose]

I miss Millar.

[SF]

Funny article, thanks for the link.

[Atheose]

Announcer: "Varitek called slider, but Beckett shook him off because he wants to throw the fastball"

Uhhh, Beckett doesn't throw a slider.

[Atheose]

Np SF, it makes me like Pedroia even more. It also means I'm going to scream "LASER SHOW" from now on whenever he gets a hit.

[SF]

Two down in the fifth.