Romper Stomper: Sox-O's Late Gamer

The Red Sox have already hung four runs on Rich Hill and it's only the second inning. John Smoltz pitches for the Sox at Camden. Comment away.

Comments

[rootbeerfloat]

Hooray for AG!

[rootbeerfloat]

Smotlz ERA down under 7! Wooo hooo!

[rootbeerfloat]

I'm just in here talking to myself, aren't I?

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Ellsbury hits a bomb to right. 5-0.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

And here's a sentence you won't read much: Jeff Bailey legs out an infield single.

[rootbeerfloat]

How about "Lugo's been the spark tonight". Honest to god they just said that on the radio.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Yooks doubles in Bailey, 6-0.
Hill to INTBB Bay, and that should end his night.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Nope. Milton's favorite son stays in there. Hill to face Papi w/ bases loaded.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

RBI single for Papi; bases still loaded. What's Eck saying about Hill?

[I'mBillMcNeal]

95 pitches doesn't even get Hill out of the 4th.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

I've neglected to give Baltimore its run. It's 7-1 w/ 1 out in the 4th. Bases loaded. Varitek vs. Albers.

[stuck working]

It's always nice to have an occasional game go exactly as you hope it would.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Well, I'm going to go out on a limb ... Albers hits Tek, 8-1, as Youk scores; Obie says the ball didn't hit Tek ...
Sox about to win their 7th straight series and 4th straight on the road, and move to a season-high 19 games over .500.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Smoltz's ERA drops under 7.00; Hill's goes over 7.00 with the HBP, and it could go higher.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Don't leave ducks on the pond, Jacoby.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

RBI single for Jacoby. 9-1.
Bailey, don't leave ducks on the pond.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Through 4, the Sox have hit 10 balls into the outfield, 9 for hits. Only 1 OF out.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Crap. It's raining.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Looks like it won't last long but might rain hard for a spell.

[rootbeerfloat]

hell of a game to waste with a rainout....

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Rain looks to be letting up on radar.
Smoltz probably won't be back.

[Atheose]

Rain delay? Friggin lame.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

And we're back.
Masterson replaces Smoltz after 1:11 rain delay.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

NOW it's official. Smoltz robbed of a win.

[Atheose]

Smoltz pitched 4.0 innings with 52 pitches. That's pretty goddamn good. Me gusta!

[Atheose]

HAHAHA the entire Red Sox team left the field even though there were only two outs. Youkilis having a good laugh. Masterson started it by leaving first!

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Obie said Loogie led the way.
But ALL OF THEM?

[dabize]

Half the team leaves the field with 2 out?

That's cold...........poor O's

[I'mBillMcNeal]

So Masterson strikes out Markakis on 3 pitches and NOW they leave the field.

[Atheose]

Wow, Bailey with an easy triple.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

It's a romp. I'm outta here.

[Atheose]

Well crap.

[Atheose]

Holy crap it's a save opportunity now, with the tying run on base and no outs. Jesus christ Tito.

[Paul SF]

This game turned to crap in a hurry. I went to the bathroom with the score 10-1, returned at 10-6. Not sure why I'm still listening, except I turned the game off last year when the Sox blew a 10-run lead and missed the awesomeness of the 19-17 ballgame...

[rootbeerfloat]

I blinked and I missed this Baltimore surge. Holy crap.

[Paul SF]

At least the Yanks blew their eighth-inning lead. Small consolation if the Sox don't keep the bleeding in check.

10-9 now. Seriously? Papelbon should have been in this game two batters ago.

[Atheose]

Papelbon in for the 5-out save. Geez.

[Atheose]

"In play, run(s)"

RAGE.

[dabize]

O's ahead......

Mother's Day multifu************freude

[Paul SF]

And the lead is gone. Wow. I'm speechless.

Finally this inning is over. Kottaras getting cut down at the plate is a huge play now. Something tells me the scoring is not over... At least I hope not.

[Atheose]

10 runs in the last two innings. Unbelievable.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

This was begging to happen. Too easy for the Sox before the rain delay, hour-plus rain delay, too easy right after the rain delay. Tito switched out more starters, they put it in cruise control and the bottom fell out.
Ick.
I'm sure we'll see Drew pinch-hitting.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

or maybe not. Forgot Sherrill is a lefty.

[Paul SF]

I guess I don't know what could have been done differently, other than maybe putting in Papelbon instead of Saito. Masterson was dominant for two innings before losing it in the seventh. You figure Delcarmen and Okajima can do their jobs, but they failed epically. Saito had nothing, and then Papelbon was in an impossible situation. You can blame Tito for slow hooks on Masterson and Okajima, but if there's any game when you allow a pitcher to work out his problems, it should be a game where you're up 10-1. If any one of those guys does his job, the Sox aren't even in a save situation.

[Paul SF]

Jason Bay up with the tying run on second and two outs. Well, this is the guy you want to see up in this situation...

[I'mBillMcNeal]

And Tony Randazzo's strike zone has been hideous, for both teams.

[sam-YF]

ouch....

http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?gameid=290630101

[Paul SF]

What a terrible game. I'm glad I was doing other things, otherwise I would be seriously pissed at the waste of my time.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Paul, you're absolutely right.
I just thing they put it in their pockets, after a long rain delay, when the score was 10-1.
Disappointing, but nothing to worry about long-term.

[dabize]

Thats the kind of game that can start a real tailspin......hope they can resist it.

[Lar]

To be fair, one run games are mostly luck anyhow.

[Paul SF]

Bright side:

1. The offense snapped out of its funk.

2. Better to have this kind of game against the Orioles in June when you're 3.5 games up on the Yankees.

3. XM has plenty of non-sports channels to listen to until I can wash the memory of this disaster out of my mind.

[Devine]

It hurt, no doubt, I watched every inning. But it's a lot easier to swallow coming in the middle of a sh*tload of winning, ya know? I don't see this hurting the team's mentality at all.

The bullpen all collapsed at once. It was a thing to behold.

[Atheose]

I wanted Masterson and Okajima pulled quicker, but hindsight is 20/20 and we did have a huge lead. Plus when your starter only goes 4 innings because of a rain delay you want to avoid using your entire bullpen, which is why he left them out as long as he did.

I'm slightly mad at Tito, but it was understandable.

[Atheose]

The worst part about last night: that would have been Papelbon's 133 save, which would have been the team record.

Sad night.

[Atheose]

Oh shit, when did it become official that Lowell is on the DL?

[Lar]

Team record for saves is "only" 133? Don't mean to rub it in, and I'm obviously spoiled by Mo, and that "saves" is a recent stats, but that sounded a bit low without thinking about it, I guess.

[Atheose]

Yeah Lar, the Sox have never really had a career closer type of guy the way many other teams have. A shame Paps won't be in a Sox uniform for more than a few years longer.

[Brad]

I agree, Ath. Paps is going to demand a monster contract, and the Red Sox would be stupid to do it. I like him and all, but the money thing comes up every spring with him, and you know that he turns it into a Boston v. New York bidding war and I have no interest in a player who runs that route. At all.

Plus, I just like Bard better. Everyone thinks I'm crazy, but Bard is a better pitcher than Papelbon - more talent, a better arm, and not quite as annoying.

[Brian Houk SF]

Speaking of Papelbon, has anyone else noticed that Paps fastball has lost a little zip?

I have been watching the 07 WS and ALCS lately and Paps was up around 97 or better nearly every pitch. Gameday has had him at most often @ 94~95 and only rare occasions @ 97 all year. What up wit dat?