One for the Bulletin Board: Sox-Rays Gamer II

Not that taking a two game lead back to Fenway isn't enough to motivate, but the t-shirt above, for sale at mlb.com, ought to add a little to the drama. Somebody order Dustin Pedroia one in XS.

Chat about tonight's game here.

(h/t Deadspin)

Comments

[Atheose]

Just got back from the bar. Sad face with regards to Beckett.

[Atheose]

By the way, I'm REALLY sick of this shitty Bon Jova baseball song.

[Jackie (SF)]

//Where are all the SFs!?

Rocking in a corner...

[SoxFan]

"Where are all the SFs!?"

Hiding under the covers during Beckett's outing.

[Atheose]

So who here would have guessed that the Beckett/Kazmir game would be a slugfest, while the Matsuzaka/Shields game last night was a 2-0 affair?

[I'mBillMcNeal]

"Where are all the SFs!?"

My internet is going haywire, the kids won't go to bed, I can't sit still.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Papi.
Here comes Mr. Suddenly Warning Track Power.

[Atheose]

A walk to Papi. No outs and Youk/Bay coming up. I feel very good all of a sudden.

[SoxFan]

This is it. Time for the Red Sox to take the lead once and for all.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Wheeler replaces Miller. Wheeler now the fifth reliever.
They still have to get 6 outs with the rest of that pen.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Shit. Tying run at third, though.

[Atheose]

Take the lead, SoxFan? I just want a tie at this point.

Youk GIDP. Sigh. Save us Bay!

[SoxFan]

Or maybe not.

[Atheose]

WILD PITCH, TIE BALLGAME!

[I'mBillMcNeal]

SAAAA-WEEEET!!!

[I'mBillMcNeal]

I'd rather be lucky than good.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Oki for two.

[Atheose]

Announcer: "Interesting, Sox have 2 right-handers warming in the bullpen."

Cause our two lefties (Oki and Lopez) have already been used. Tool.

[SoxFan]

Let's see if the black hole that is the lower part of the line up can get a run.

[stuck working]

Finally got to the point where I had to check in about this crazy-ass game. Given the way most of the line-up is hitting, I can't believe the Sox are still in it...

and can I get a GOD BLESS COCO?

[stuck working]

Man, if that hadn't bounced over the wall, Coco would be at 3rd now and I'd be praying for another wild pitch.

[stuck working]

Masterson or Papelbon?

[Atheose]

GOD BLESS COCO!

It's wasted by a strikeout from Ellsbury though. Sad face. Masterson probably in now.

[stuck working]

I freakin' hate those DirecTV ads. They're getting into FrankTV territory now.

[stuck working]

Sox have had some SICK defensive plays tonight. Youk cutting off Lowrie was pretty funny there.

[Paul SF]

Soo, extra innings on the road. Odds the Red Sox actually win this game? I'd say not very good.

I feel frustrated that the Sox could easily be winning this game if Josh Beckett had been just bad and not terrible. Or just terrible and not hideous...

[stuck working]

That's what I get for talking up their defensive prowess.

[Atheose]

Pedroia bobbles. Gulp. DP please?

[Paul SF]

The Red Sox were actually 5-2 in extra inning games on the road during the regular season. I would have guessed they had a losing record...

[Atheose]

Time for Paps.

[Paul SF]

BIG strikeout there. Although it doesn't get better, with Pena coming up. Paps coming in.

[stuck working]

Not sure how I feel about this pitching change.

[stuck working]

Did I hear that Flomax ad correctly? "Side effects include reduced semen...Get the picture?" WHA?!?

[SoxFan]

Bringing in Papelbon without a lead is rolling the dice.

[stuck working]

EXTRAS!

[Paul SF]

This is pretty much what Francona does. He did it several times in September, and again against the Angels. If it's the ninth and the game is tied, he brings in Paps in the hopes that the Sox' offense can get the lead for him to hold.

He entered a tie game seven times during the regular season, according to B-R, although it doesn't break down how he did in those situations...

[stuck working]

If the Sox win this series with Beckett and Papi both apparently at about 25%, I will be mightily impressed.

[SoxFan]

Since when did Dan Wheeler become a lights out pitcher?

[stuck working]

Yeah, I thought Wheeler pitching was a good sign for the Sox...Never, ever, ever expected to see him go 3 IP in this series, that's for sure.

[Atheose]

Im exhausted, struggling to stay awake. We need to win this soon please.

[Paul SF]

Cause I was curious, here are Papelbon's appearances in tie games:

April 29, scoreless ninth inning, picks up the win when the Sox score in the bottom half.

April 30, scoreless ninth inning, picks up the win again when the Sox score in the bottom half.

July 6, gives up a walkoff hit with two outs after entering the bottom of the 10th against the Yankees.

July 23, scoreless 11th inning at Seattle, picks up the win when the Sox score three in the top of the 12th.

Aug. 1, scoreless ninth and 10th innings. Sox end up winning in 12.

Aug. 24, scoreless ninth and 10th innings, picks up the win when the Sox score in the 11th at Toronto.

And Oct. 5, he pitched a scoreless 10th and 11th in the Sox' eventual Game 2 loss to the Angels.

He also appeared in ALDS Game 2 in 2007, pitching a scoreless eighth and a scoreless ninth, picking up the win on Manny's walkoff home run -- as well as ALCS Game 2, throwing a scoreless ninth and 10th in the Sox' 11-inning loss.

So, apparently it never happened in September. Not sure what I was thinking of.

That's nine relevant examples -- and just three team losses, only one of them charged to Papelbon.

[stuck working]

Craziest. Out. Ever.

Not really. But wow.

[Paul SF]

Woooo there's some luck. Line drive off Papelbon, right to Pedroia for the out. Paps says he's Ok.

[Atheose]

Oh fuck, Papelbon beaned with a line-drive in the hand/arm. We get the out because of it though.

[Atheose]

Wow, nice work Paul. Comforting to know he doesn't totally suck in tie games.

[stuck working]

Paps is gonna be SORE tomorrow.

[sf rod]

paps went all tavarez on that.

[Paul SF]

All right. I say bring Papelbon in for the 11th. It's go time. Jason Bay wins it here.

[Atheose]

Haha yeah sf rod, traffic-cop style. Good thing he told Pedroia where to throw it.

[Atheose]

Papelbon's hand is going to be swollen like crazy in the 11th, haha. He'll still want the ball though.

[Paul SF]

Tavarez. There's a blast from the past.

Actually posted a respectable 106 ERA+ in 36 appearances for Atlanta after seven awful appearances led to his being released by Milwaukee...

[Atheose]

Announcer: "You have to be impressed by these Rays, playing for their playoff life here."

As opposed to the Red Sox, who are just playing for fun?

[Paul SF]

Yes, I'm totally B-R-ing it up... because what else is there to do in an extra-inning game when all you got is XM and YFSF?

[Atheose]

Byrd up in the 'pen. Gulp.

I actually really miss Tavarez. One of those players that I really loved despite their ERA.

[Paul SF]

You have to be impressed by these Rays, who blew two leads tonight?

[SoxFan]

Time for Dan Wheeler to come back to Earth.

[Paul SF]

Well, apparently Bay won't be the hero I envisioned... unless we're still playing in the 13th or so.

My hopes are now pinned on Drew. Second time Francona has pinch-hit Drew for Varitek this postseason. I totally respect him for that.

[Atheose]

TBS incorrectly puts up Lowrie's stats for tonight, saying "Lowrie's 2008 Postseason stats".

Wheeler out finally.

[Paul SF]

Lowrie with the walk. Here we go, J.D.!

He'll be facing David Price. Wow.

[Paul SF]

I'm not saying it has to be a home run. But that sure would be nice.

[Paul SF]

Did anyone tell Joe Maddon that Drew had a .926 OPS against lefties this year? (SSS, of course, but a career OPS of .797 against them ain't bad either)

[Paul SF]

3-1 count. Same count Fausto Carmona had on Drew during Game 6 of last year's ALCS...

[Atheose]

Good point Paul, Drew likes to go the other way with pitches. It doesn't matter in any case, cause Price walks him.

Go-ahead run is now in scoring position. Please score.

[Paul SF]

And the walk. Go-ahead run in scoring position for Kotsay.

[Atheose]

HAH nice try to channel the 2007 ALCS magic Paul!

[Paul SF]

This run is necessary. Vitally necessary. Kotsay's most important at-bat yet for the Sox? Possibly.

[stuck working]

I knew this would come down to Kotsay. He has been terrible at the plate tonight.

[Paul SF]

Haha, well, I tried, Ath. Remember, everyone was begging him to draw a walk back then, just to get a run across.

[stuck working]

Kotsay's seems more nervous than Price.

[Paul SF]

(Needed a question mark after that last sentence).

[sf rod]

it's rad how craig sagger has been assigned to monitor tito's bubble gum intake while no one is keeping track of gomes greenie count.

[Atheose]

BOOOOO that was outside

[stuck working]

Wow, that was way outside. Yet the TBS guys never seem to complain.

[Paul SF]

Grrrr, I knew he would strike out -- although the pitch looks outside on GameDay. So Coco it is, now.

Interesting at-bat, given the history.

[Atheose]

Good point Paul. Oh how times have changed.

Come on Coco!

[SoxFan]

Time for God Bless Coco...

[Atheose]

Inning over. Crap.

Byrd likely coming in now.

[stuck working]

CRAP. Actually expected more from Coco there.

[Paul SF]

*sigh* Another wasted chance. We just don't have what it takes at the end of our lineup this year.

[stuck working]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOT TIMLIN!

[stuck working]

Why not just concede the game now? Gah.

[Paul SF]

So the Sox have 12 hits and 10 walks ... and eight runs. Not cool. Thirteen men left on despite four home runs. The holes in our lineup are perfectly placed to assure that we score as few runs as possible.

And Paps is out, Timlin in. Unless Paps' shoulder is swelling up, Papelbon needs to still be in here.

[Paul SF]

And he walks the leadoff guy. Fannntastic. Game will end in 20...

19....

18....

[Jackie (SF)]

My reaction to bringing in Timlin can be summed up thusly:
http://darthno.ytmnd.com/

(warning, has sound)

Also, have rarely been so thankful to live on the West Coast. Hooray for Pacific Standard Time.

[Paul SF]

That's one way to foil the bunt -- walk the guy instead. Although that last ball was a strike...

[Paul SF]

Farrell ejected, presumably for arguing the second pitch of the at-bat, which GameDay shows as being right down the middle.

[Paul SF]

Bartlett bunts foul, now 0-2.

[sf rod]

i'd rather see gil velazquez pitching right now.

[Paul SF]

Bases loaded, one out, please God let it be a K or a hard grounder right at an infielder...

[Paul SF]

Bah. That sucked.

[Jackie (SF)]

Nice home plate umpiring at the end there, too. Bastards.

[Atheose]

Mlb.com's Gameday says: "Dustin Pedroia homered twice, while Jason Bay and David Ortiz also cleared the walls, but Boston's four-HR night wasn't enough to overcome a shaky Josh Beckett."

Wait, Ortiz homered? Don't they mean Youk?