Some Of The Marbles: Sox-Yanks Gamer XIII

For the Yankees, the next few games may well be for all the marbles whereas the Sox have a little more wiggle room.  The season series is tied at six games apiece, but personal bragging rights mean nothing compared to the difficult bid at making the playoffs.  Tim Wakefield is on the mound for Boston.  He has one loss and one no-decision on the season against the Yanks.  It's Pettitte for the Bombers, who has split his two starts against the Sox.

Comment away.

B-R game preview

 

 

Boston
J. Ellsbury rf	.264
D. Pedroia 2b	.318
D. Ortiz dh	.259
K. Youkilis 3b	.318
J. Bay lf	.333
J. Lowrie ss	.299
C. Crisp cf	.257
J. Bailey 1b	.214
K. Cash c	.219
T. Wakefield	3.67
NY Yankees
J. Damon cf	.312
D. Jeter ss	.293
B. Abreu rf	.297
A. Rodriguez 3b	.312
J. Giambi 1b	.250
X. Nady lf	.320
H. Matsui dh	.311
R. Cano 2b	.269
J. Molina c	.227
A. Pettitte	4.17

Comments

[Atheose]

Seeing Wakefield pitch in Yankees stadium always makes me queasy. And ESPECIALLY since he's coming off the DL. Ugh.

If the Yankees want a playoff spot they'll need a sweep tonight.

Interesting: for mlb.tv they're showing a mlb analyst's picks for the AL MVP. I missed most of them, but the top for were:

1. Carlos Quentin
2. Josh Hamilton
3. K-Rod
4. Ian Kinsler

No Milton Bradley? He's WAY better than teammates Hamilton or Kinsler.

[Atheose]

Wow, Pettitte getting squeezed. It's gunna be a long night for Wake if there's a small strikezone.

[rootbeerfloat]

Well there goes Wake's no-hitter.

[Atheose]

HAHA Michael Kay calls the 3rd pitch to ARod: "It's now 1 and 2" even though it's a called third strike. Big strikezone for Wake, small one for Pettitte so far.

[SF]

Wow, Cash, Bailey, Crisp (and Ellsbury, to an extent) in the lineup. Egads, that's bad OBP right there, the Sox are going to be very lucky to do much on offense tonight.

[Atheose]

Bailey gets an infield single.

[Atheose]

Hey Cash gets an infield single too! Time to strand another 2 runners.

[Devine]

Nice to get the run back quickly and keep Pettitte working.

[stuck working]

Now, which situation do you think is more likely to be converted into a run: 2 out, none on, with Bailey and Cash coming up? or 2 out, 2 on, Jason Bay at bat?

The answer: Baseball.

[Atheose]

Well said, stuck.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Wake has been so good for us this year. For a long, long time. But I hate Wake vs. NYY. Don't like our chances at all.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

RS 283-483 all time at the Stadium.

[Devine]

Yick...about as expected with Wakefield v Yankees.

[rootbeerfloat]

Wake is making me nauseous. I'm headed home, afraid to check on the game when I get there.

[Atheose]

HAHA Johnny Damon in center field makes me laugh. Lead-off double by Ortiz.

[mattymatty]

Even Ortiz can take two against Damon's noodle arm.

[Atheose]

Youk is the MVP of this team this year. Wow. 2-2.

[mattymatty]

Michael Kay: The Twins hardly ever make any moves that are wrong.

Off the top of my head: Livan Hernandez? David Ortiz? Leaving Liriano in the minors for too long.

YOOOOOOUK!

[Devine]

Seesaw.

[Devine]

Awesome, awesome. Keep it coming, boys, you're gonna need it.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Yooks, J-Bay and the lead!

[mattymatty]

Weak hit by Bay, but I'll take it. 3-2, Sox!

[I'mBillMcNeal]

I dunno, Matty. Did anyone really see that coming from Ortiz?

[mattymatty]

Just let it be known, no matter what happens, I love me some Lowrie.

[mattymatty]

I'm not sure anyone saw Ortiz becoming Big Papi, but I don't think there was too much question about whether or not he was going to be a productive major leaguer. I think the big question with Ortiz was is he going to stay healthy or not. He wasn't in Minn.

[mattymatty]

OK, he hit into a double play. He's trying my love.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

And Smith did acknowledge that he made a mistake letting him go.
But even so, the year Papi joined Boston Jeremy the Cheater's Brother was the opening day starter at 1B over Papi. He didn't start to produce until Jeremy went on the DL and then was waived.

[Atheose]

That's why the Sox held onto Wily Mo Pena for so long--they saw a lot of Ortiz in him.

[Atheose]

Great double play turned by Lowrie.

[Devine]

Not a clean inning, but 3 batters and 8 pitches works nicely.

[Atheose]

Wow, Pettitte is getting squeezed like woah.

[sf rod]

not sure i'd be able to watch johnny d in CF nite in and nite out. CF is not a position you can sacrifice range for more bat.

[sf rod]

has pettitte ever thrown a pitch he didn't think was a strike?

[Micah-SF]

Pettitte clearly isn't on his game tonight - even if you're getting squeezed, a four-pitch walk to Kevin Freaking Cash is inexcusable - but Wake's shown nothing so far that suggests a lead is going to be at all safe. I'm hoping he can go 6 and limit the damage to 3 or 4.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Icky strike 3 call there, based on Gameday.

[Micah-SF]

Wow, that was a terrible call. Even on Gameday it was way outside.

[Micah-SF]

I see Gameday has once again forgotten that "no out" does not mean "softly ground out to third".

[Atheose]

Holy crap, instant replay is being introduced on Thursday? When did this happen?

[sf rod]

rays down 3-0 in the 4th
white sox up 6-1 in the 4th

[Atheose]

GOD BLESS COCO! Dying quayle falls in, scoring Bay.

[sf rod]

watching lowrie makes me wonder what team lugo will haunt us renteria-style from next year? we'll get nothing in return and julio will hit .750 against us for the rest of his career.

[Micah-SF]

Even Coco gets lucky sometimes!

Let's pay the Giants to take him, sf rod. They like old, crappy hitters.

[Atheose]

Molina arguing interference, though Bailey didn't move at all.

[Devine]

That was amazing.

[SF]

What am I missing? I am on solo dad duty, and also cooking dinner...

[Atheose]

YES! Ground ball goes off 3rd base, Bailey runs it out. Giambi thinks he was called out at 1st, and starts walking back into the dugout. Coco scores on the miscue.

Pettitte out of the game. I kinda feel bad for him, because he wasn't getting any calls tonight. Several pitches looked right down the middle but were called balls.

[stuck working]

Has anyone ever typed GOD BLESS JEFF BAILEY before?

[Devine]

PS Coco scoring from second on an infield single was what I referred to (though I can only listen to radio because I'm blacked out on MLB.TV and am at work).

[sf rod]

did the gambino really think they got bailey there? he was safe by 3 feet.

[SF]

Giambi being Manny?

[sf rod]

sf- you were certain that the o/u was low at 9.5 (so was i). this game is a bettors nightmare. it'll stay at 9 and i'll lose on that half point.

[Devine]

Oy, Damon. 6-3.

[Micah-SF]

There are days I still really hate Johnny Damon. This is one of them.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Judas homers again. Boo.

Ath, the replay thing came out today.

SF, I'm on solo dad duty tonight, too. With a 6yrold and a 7 month old.

[Micah-SF]

Quick hook, Tito... this is going to get ugly fast.

[Micah-SF]

Quick hook, Tito... this is going to get ugly fast.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Double-play Rod, don't let me down.

[Atheose]

Ahh, thanks Bill. And seriously, what wife of a Red Sox fan puts her husband on baby duty while the Sox are playing the Yanks?

[sf rod]

seems like cash chose not to frame strike three in lue of a snap throw to first.

a-rod being booed. don't worry, he's got 9 years to win them fans back.

[Atheose]

ARod pops out, and the New Yorkers boo him.

[Devine]

No, no, A-Rod, you're supposed to make TWO outs there.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Boos for Rodriguez? From the same fans who curtain call him for a meaningless home run? Say it isn't so!!!

[I'mBillMcNeal]

My wife is in Cincy at orientation for a new higher-paying job. She's going to work as a regional admissions rep for Xavier U., recruiting Chicago. I expect lots of Xavier swag.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

F8, F8. Thank you very much.

[Micah-SF]

Holy crap he got him.

I don't want to see Wake for the 6th, honestly.

[Devine]

Wake for one more? Or be content with a good-enough 5 innings, 3 runs?

[Atheose]

Wakefield done after 5 ip. Not looking forward to 4 innings from the Red Sox bullpen.

[sf rod]

bruney seems to have come back from a season ending injury with a real live arm.

[sf rod]

leisure show.

[sf rod]

girardis trying to create a turning point.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Joe G got anyone warming?

[sf rod]

there's my over. thanks. i needed that.

[sf rod]

think it's that robertson kid.

[Atheose]

Apparently the Red Sox are on the verge of acquiring Mark Kotsay from Atlanta.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Philly also interested.

[Micah-SF]

Well, one run is better than nothing. Still, we should've taken more advantage of that. I don't trust a four run lead here.

[sf rod]

cano damn near kills someone in the stands after loosing his grip on the bat.

[Devine]

Nicely done, Mr. Lopez.

[Micah-SF]

Wow, nice inning from Lopez there.

[Micah-SF]

Any Yanks fans around want to tell me who the hell David Robinson is? This is not the NBA!

[Micah-SF]

Nevermind, that's RoBERTson, I can't read.

Way to fail, Coco.

[Devine]

Shuddering at the sight of Delcarmen.

[sf rod]

why don't teams overshift to right side of the infield on jeter? i never not seem him flick a ball to right field.

[Devine]

You suck, Delcarmen.

[Micah-SF]

And here's Masterson, four batters too late. Ugh.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

deeeee peeeeee!!!!

[Devine]

Hell yeah, Masterson. Hell yeah, A-Rod.

[Micah-SF]

THANK YOU ALEX RODRIGUEZ!

Justin Masterson, you are pretty awesome too.

[sf rod]

a-rod is being booed while fielding balls. ouch. is anybody still gonna defend this guy? can we finally put to bed the "well, he was clutch this one time 5 years ago in the playoffs against the twins." story.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

E-Rod, I guess.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Break it open TFMLBPNJed.

[Devine]

Why can't it ever be easy?

[sf rod]

piling on.... a-rods made 6 outs in 4 at bats tonite.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

E, single and he pulls Masterson after 9 pitches?

[I'mBillMcNeal]

K-Zilla!

[Devine]

Oki, living on the edge, strikes out Matsui looking finally on a 3-2 pitch.

[mattymatty]

K! Matsui looks good, but goes down anyway.

[mattymatty]

Bill: that was kinda early to pull Masterson, huh?

[rootbeerfloat]

Well someone is going to gain a game on TB tonight.

[mattymatty]

Ponson vs. Byrd tomorrow night? Predicted final score: 13-12.