Time to Get Off This Ride: Rangers-Sox Gamer VI

After two straight games of waiting until the seventh inning or later to seal a victory -- two very, very different games -- I personally would like to extend an invitation to the Boston Red Sox to go ahead and blow the Rangers out this time.

I know that's what you were trying to do last night. and, sure, there were some glitches. I think we understand that. So let's give it another shot. Jon Lester's on the mound, and he's been great, so the pitching side should be well taken care of. They're facing Luis Mendoza, who has been execrable. 7.50 ERA. At least four runs in each of his last four starts. Only one quality start in 10 this season. And you already got to him in April, with David Ortiz hitting a grand slam.

So go ahead, Sox. Give the pen a night off. Give our blood pressure a few more hours to ease back down to normal levels. Keep the good times rolling. Oh, and gain another game on the Yankees. Thanks.

Red Sox
1. J.D. Drew, RF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Kevin Youkilis, 3B
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. Jed Lowrie, SS
7. Sean Casey, 1B
8. Jason Varitek, C
9. Coco Crisp, CF

Jon Lester -- SP

Rangers
1. Ian Kinsler, 2B
2. Michael Young, SS
3. Josh Hamilton, CF
4. Milton Bradley, DH
5. Marlon Byrd, RF
6. Brandon Boggs, LF
7. Chris Davis, 1B
8. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
9 Travis Metcalf, 3B

Luis Mendoza -- SP

Color me pleased with that lineup, with the exception of Crisp being there instead of Ellsbury. Casey is a big improvement over the six weeks of injury-produced suck Mike Lowell's been bringing to the plate.

Comments

[Devine]

Paul, you read my mind on that last point (see the last post in the "Two Red Sox Fans..." post).

Ellsbury's a bit banged-up, right, and thus there's a reason he's out? He pinch-hit in the 8th yesterday, as I recall.

It's the happiest I've been all year looking at the lineup. Get Jacoby in, and it's golden.

[Atheose]

Hey, game's on TV! No need to deal with laggy mlb.tv! Though I already miss Remy and DO.

I like Youk at #4. He has the most homers on the team and the highest OPS+ now that Manny's gone. Bay should shine at #5.

[Atheose]

Just kidding, Drew is 3 points higher, and Manny is actually lower at this point.

[Devine]

Leadoff double for Youk in 2nd.

[Devine]

Bay singles. Corners, none out.

[Devine]

Salty throws it into center on Bay's steal. Youk goes home, Bay goes to 3rd.

1-2 count on Lowrie.

[Devine]

Lowrie K's.

Productive grounder to 2nd for Casey and Bay comes home. 2-0 Sox.

[SF]

Casey produces, 2-0 Sox. Good job by SC.

[SF]

I see the Sox are still letting Tek hit with a full-size bat.

[SF]

Walking Tek should be just about the biggest kangaroo court fine you can get.

[SF]

Coco chasing the .230s pretty hard.

Tek gets picked off. How is that even possible?

[Devine]

Varitek walks, then gets picked off retardedly.

[SF]

Paul, what about "gain another game on the Rays"? Isn't that also a possibility?

[Atheose]

Im more shocked by the fact that Varitek was on base to begin with.

[Devine]

Ugh, Coco will lead off next inning. Damn it, Tek!

[rootbeerfloat]

Was he actually trying to steal?

[SF]

Great, now the talking mediots on ESPN are questioning the Yankees not trading for Santana. Easy criticism at this point, is it even worth going there?

[SF]

It's so long between times on base for Tek now that he really ought to have a GPS with him.

[SF]

Coco has an inverted distance-to-likelihood of hit ratio. The shorter the ball goes, the more likely he'll get on base.

He needs to realize this.

[Devine]

Aw, thanks, Coco. You should pretty much do that every time (bunt).

[Atheose]

LASER SHOW off the monster!

[SF]

Dusty misses a dinger by about 3 inches. Monster double. Crisp to third.

[SF]

Papi getting walked. Youk gets another shot to say FU to the Rangers. Didn't they learn last night?

[Devine]

Missed that by two feet, maybe? Pedroia doubles, 2nd and 3rd, 1 down for Papi.

[Devine]

Walking him might be a little silly here.

[SF]

And like that, FU!

Two run double for Youk.

[Devine]

Hell yeah.

[Devine]

Youk putting the 2nd-half slump worries to bed (thus far).

[SF]

Bay! Gapper brings in two more.

Mendoza is a really bad pitcher.

[Devine]

Bay doubles. Beautiful. 6-0.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

C'mon, CAse. Tater time!

[FenSheaParkway]

I'm a little nervous leaving the computer with only a 6-0 lead. I don't want to get home and find out that the game has transmogrified into a water polo match or something. (I don't know what that means.)

I'll be in Boston and at tomorrow's game (first time in Fenway in over 3 years!). Hope it's as exciting as the series has been so far. Good night y'alls.

[SF]

Lowell could have done that, Casey!

[SF]

Have fun, FSP!

[FenSheaParkway]

Thanks. Catch ya on the flipside (of the weekend).

[Devine]

In a stunning turn of events, Tek makes an out.

[Atheose]

Great FSP, you'll get to see Byrd's first game!

[SF]

Come on, K-Rod for MVP according to the idiot play-by-play guy? I mean, how is that even an option? His TEAM is superb, and saves are pretty damn overrated. Add in the atrocious division, and why would K-Rod have any claim on that award? Dumbass.

[Atheose]

52 pitches after 4, only 3 baserunners allowed.

[Devine]

Watching Lester be great this year is so, so, so sweet.

52 pitches through 4.

[Devine]

I was at Lester's first game in 2006. Because the game I was s'posed to go to got rained out and postponed to the next day (first half of a doubleheader), I bought a ticket for that evening's game as well. I think it was a one-run loss where Manny hit a homer to make it that close in the 8th.

I went to the day game the next day and saw a Papi walk-off (down 2 with 2 outs, 2 strikes, and 2 men on). The opponent both days was Texas.

[Atheose]

K-Rod doesn't deserve the Cy Young, let alone the MVP. If you're a pitcher you pretty much have to win the Cy Young if you're going to win the MVP.

[sf rod]

anyone else creeped out by peter gammons wearing under armour?

[Atheose]

Wow, the announcer just said that "Lester leads the team in innings pitched, wins, (something) and ERA..."

Daisuke leads both wins and ERA.

[Devine]

62 pitches, 5 innings. Against the Rangers. Greaaaaaaaaaaat.

[rootbeerfloat]

So 13 more runs and we can relax, right?

[Atheose]

3 doubles for Youk = good.

[SF]

Jed!

Man, Washington rode Mendoza pretty far there. Slow hook.

[Devine]

Great stuff, Lowrie drives in two more with the bases loaded.

Also, Orsillo just said, "The Red Sox open this thing open."

[Devine]

The Red Sox are responding well to Paul's post.

[SF]

Slow hook, but what are his options? Dustin Nippert doesn't look like smooth sailing either.

[SF]

Jeez, now overmanaging, IBB'ing Casey down 8-0 for the new pitcher? That's his first move with a new pitcher? That's awful managing.

[SF]

I am not questioning getting at Tek as much as doing that to his relief pitcher.

[Bostondreams]

Can I just say that I love Joe Morgan? Um..the guy from Walpole, not the hall of famer...

[stuck working]

SF- in fairness, would it surprise you if Tek somehow managed to hit into a triple play now?

[Micah-SF]

Boy, the Texas pitching staff wants to get the hell out of Boston. This is pretty funny.

[Atheose]

Lowrie gunned down at home. Not very speedy there; great throw by Hamilton.

[SF]

Three wasted on base with none out, at least we got the first two. Coco flies out, Lowrie out on the gun to home.

[Micah-SF]

The dictionary definition of "crappy batting": Jason Varitek with the bases loaded.

[Micah-SF]

The dictionary definition of "crappy batting": Jason Varitek with the bases loaded.

[sf rod]

in a lineup that features tek and coco, you cannot hit the two back to back. it's a blackhole. these two are able to make 3 outs in a inning. can't even stomach the idea of lugo/tek/coco in a row.

[Micah-SF]

How did that double post? Ugh. Anyway, yeah, nice throw by Hamilton.

[Bostondreams]

Wow. Thats what happens when you have those two hitting with them loaded. Ugh

[sf rod]

it's a good nite for atheists.
thank god.

[SF]

Lester Ks Hamilton and Bradley back-to-back. Very nice.

[Devine]

Jon Lester remembers yesterday, keeps tossing scoreless innings (74 pitches through 6). Time for me to head home from work. Enjoy, dudes and dudettes.

[SF]

Lester's turnaround has just been remarkable. He is just a different pitcher from the beginning of the year. Fantastic.

[SF]

Who the hell is this color man? I thought it was Phillips at first, but it doesn't quite sound like him, other than the utter stupidity emerging.

[Atheose]

Varitek says he would give the "C" to Pedroia when he's gone? Wow.

[Micah-SF]

You know, before this year when I saw Lester give up a single to the leadoff guy and then get two straight balls on the second guy, I'd be very worried.

But now? Eh, no sweat. And, indeed, Lester comes right back, strikes out Hamilton on the next three pitches, strikes out Bradley and gets a groundout. I love this kid.

[Atheose]

This isn't Phillips, it's that other guy who has more facial hair. Can't remember his name.

[Devine]

Drew robbed by Byrd on that first out...tough night for Drew.

[Devine]

Now I'm really leaving.

[SF]

Is it ridiculous to think that Dustin Pedroia should get some MVP votes? I mean, he shouldn't win, he shouldn't even be at the top, but isn't there a legitimate argument that he's been as important to the Sox as any regular player at this point?

[sf rod]

dan shulman? can't tell i'm watching on nesn.

[Atheose]

SF, I think he WILL get MVP votes, along with Youkilis. How many Boston writers get a vote?

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Ath, I believe two Boston writers get votes. I think it's two in each ML city.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

With an 8-0 lead and Lester dealing, I have ceded the TV to my wife so she can watch Project Runway.

[SF]

It's Sutcliffe.

[Atheose]

How am I supposed to watch baseball when women's volleyball is on TV?

[sf rod]

it's sutcliff. wonder if he's sober tonite.

hamilton's wife went into labor right now. now it turns into a bad nite for atheists.

[Atheose]

Sutcliffe! Thanks SF, it was on the tip of my tongue for the last 10 minutes.

[SF]

Live beach volleyball from Beijing on right now. Boring as all hell, I have to say.

[SF]

Ah, see that you noted that earlier, Ath. Doesn't do it for me, though. Give me the Sox (and EA).

[SF]

95mph heat. What are the odds that Tek could hit it if the pitch was announced?

[SF]

Some fan just legitimately took a ball away from the third baseman in the stands, and the look on the fan's face was priceless, almost stunned as the player tumbled next to him into a box seat.

[SF]

Tek whiffs. He's like a Magic Eight Ball that always comes up with "NO" as the answer.

[sf rod]

with drew leading off for this team, and tek and coco batting 8th and 9th, at least jd doesn't have to get distracted by baserunners.

[SF]

Tek and Crisp are just a vacuum in the lineup, sucking all life out of the offense. Good god.

[Atheose]

Really SF? I'm enjoying the volleyball, and not just because of the bikini-clad ladies.

[Atheose]

There goes the shutout.

[SF]

Ok, so Lester is tiring.

[Atheose]

Lester out, Timlin in. TREMENDOUS outing, hopefully not marred by Timlin allowing these inherited runners to score.

[sf rod]

i went to college with misty may. she married marlins pitcher matt treanor. she's gotten a bit chubby over the years.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

She has. I mean, she's no Chinese gymnast.

[SF]

Jesus Christ, Timlin.

8-4.

[rootbeerfloat]

Not again. I can't take this again.

[SF]

Timlin isn't a major league pitcher at this point.

The bullpen is horrid, and Oki isn't available. Where's Masterson?

[Micah-SF]

Just... just... no. Are you serious? No.

[SF]

Timlin throwing B fucking P. GET HIM OUT. He's TERRIBLE.