Plus H: Royals-Sox Gamer

What a gem by Lester. Another day, another John, but this time it is one of the finest pitchers of our generation who spells his name more traditionally, though young Mr. Lester has kept up with his greens fees, demanding a bit of propers for his long game despite his shortened name. Bravo, and comment away.

Comments

[stuck working]

If this team can barely dent Brian Bannister, I don't see them scoring at all off Meche. And Smoltz needs to show something tonight, too -- a quality start, please, and not another game where he spots the other team 5 runs.

[stuck working]

Looks like the Yankees are pretty likely to beat their (other) nemesis today, which means they'll probably end the day tied for first. grr.

[Paul SF]

How much of Bannister's performance was Boston's offense and how much was Bannister simply having a great night? I have a hard time believing Bannister was having a bad game, and the Sox just couldn't do anything...

[Devine]

Bannister has been the best starter for the Royals this year, yeah? With Meche a close 2nd?

[stuck working]

Well, THAT was an interesting inning.

[stuck working]

Hey Devine, you ever heard of this kid Zack Greinke? Leads the AL in ERA? Behind only Wakefield in wins? (note: this comment should not be construed as an endorsement of ERA or wins are especially meaningful stats.)

[stuck working]

Well, this inning was no fluke -- very nice hitting as the Sox get 3 XBH in a row. Evidence continues to mount that Bannister deserves a lot of credit for last night.

[Devine]

Oh yeah. Duh. Greinke. Glad we missed him. Still, it's not like Bannister sucks or anything.

[stuck working]

4 Ks in a row for Smoltz. This KC lineup is historically bad. Kind of mind-blowing.

[stuck working]

Devine, I love Bannister -- by all accounts, he's a smart guy who thinks about pitching a ton. But he's no ace, and last night, he looked like an ace. So, naturally, I was worried about how the Sox would look against Meche, who is a better pitcher. Turns out I needn't have worried about that. I am still worried about when Smoltz is going to give up 5 runs, but since the Sox have already scored 6, maybe that'll be OK, too. Would be nice for him to get a win.

[Devine]

I don't think Bannister's an ace either (looking at his "peripherals", which should maybe start being called something else, since they are so often more meaningful), but people do become aces (Lester).

Mostly, I just think Lowell missing takes quite a bit of sting out of the lineup. If he wasn't an OBP threat (and he most certainly wasn't), he was certainly a power threat.

Varitek didn't like that the Sox hadn't scored in the 3rd, so he wrapped one round that pesky Pesky out there.

[Devine]

Still scoreless after first and third, nobody out, for KC. The Royals really Royalsed there.

[stuck working]

Yeah, after he gave up those first two singles, I was going to say that Smoltz was almost inviting KC back into the game. But it's KC and so the invitation never arrived. If you will.

[stuck working]

Nice of Youk to stop the 1-2-3 inning there.

[Devine]

Biiiiiiiig Papi.

[Devine]

The dream of scoring in every inning lives. Halfway there.

[stuck working]

Being a Royals fan must really, really suck.

[stuck working]

Reflecting on my capacity to pity fans of another team, i'm reminded how much being a Sox fan has changed over the past 10 years...wow.

[Devine]

I know it's the Royals, but Smoltz is really bringing it. His slider is killing them.

[stuck working]

Though, of course, the Sox never started Tony Pena, Jr.

[Devine]

I was just gonna say: it'll feel really good when they finally do win again. Then I remembered how much things have changed and how great it did and does feel.

[Devine]

Normally, that RBI double makes me shrug, but I remember this other time Smoltz had a gigantic lead...Eck just mentioned he's getting close to 100 pitches now.

[stuck working]

Freel really making Smoltz work and then hitting a RBI double. Great AB for Freel. I was hoping Smoltz would go 6 IP, but I'll take 5 IP, 1 ER.

[Paul SF]

Though, of course, the Sox never started Tony Pena, Jr.

Of course it wasn't long ago that the Red Sox were starting Tony Pena Sr.

[Devine]

I cannot believe they called Ellsbury out. Amica pitch tracker thing also calls BS on the ump.

[Devine]

They didn't score. They didn't even get on base. Lazy bastards.

[stuck working]

Paul: Tony Sr's OPS+ in his last year with Boston was 32. Tony Jr currently has an OPS+ of -35. Last year, his OPS+ was 7. SEVEN.

[Devine]

And on cue, Masterson starts to suck.

[stuck working]

Wow, what is going on with Masterson? Does he really hate blowouts?

[Devine]

Still sucking.

[stuck working]

Masterson forcing up memories of the terrible, terrible Baltimore Game that Shall Not Be Discussed.

[Devine]

Holy living f*ck. Pena bloop RBI single. I hate this sh*t.

[Paul SF]

Tony Pena Sr would have struck out in that situation.

Though to be honest I had no idea his son was that bad at the plate...

[Devine]

Delcarmen will try to stop the bleeding. I am feeling on the verge of rage.

[Devine]

Walked him on 5 pitches! GOD!

[Paul SF]

I don't know if it's just the typical struggles of consistency for a young pitcher -- in fact it probably is -- but Masterson seems to have a big problem with melting down. Not what you want to see from a middle reliever.

Delcarmen walks the bases loaded. grrrrrrr

[Devine]

Great throw, DREW! Force out at home!

Weird, now that I see it in type.

[Paul SF]

FORCEOUT FROM DREW!!!

[Devine]

9-6, and Masterson has given up 5 (again).

[Devine]

Need...All-Star...Break. It's infuriating after the pen had a day off (but for Paps) yesterday.

[stuck working]

This is simply ludicrous.

[Devine]

Oh, I lied, Masterson gave up 4 'cause of the force at home, I guess.

[Paul SF]

That's what I get for trashing the Yankee bullpen in their game thread. :-P I really thought we were going to get out of that one...

[Devine]

Boy, thanks Okajima.

In a night where the Red Sox score 9, the Royals have the biggest inning.

[Devine]

I don't remember ever seeing Drew argue with the ump like that.

[Devine]

Royals get right back on the field. Hope Oki has a scoreless inning in him.

[Devine]

Nooooope. 9-7.

[Devine]

Get ready to pitch 9, Beckett.

[Devine]

Kotsay misplay, fair ball. Oh God.

[Devine]

Crowd trying to get in it.

[Devine]

Base hit groundball to right. Bard in with nobody out and 2 on.

[Devine]

There is only one solution: the bullpen HATES John Smoltz.

[Paul SF]

Two collapses like this in a couple weeks' time is worrisome.

[Devine]

K. That's 1 down.

[sam-YF]

Please see todays yankees gamer for explanation of the sox pen implosion...(Hint: Paul talked some smack about our pen)

[Devine]

Yeah, but he took note of it in this thread.

I actually think the mockery in gamer posts is a little mean-spirited. I know it's a rivalry site, but ag is almost uniformly polite and funny.

Well, I'm sure somewhere, Andrew is delighted.

[Devine]

How do you spell relief? B-A-R-D.

[Lar]

I would say though, the percentage is still 89% Boston. And all that giving up 6 runs (or so?) only costed -.1 WPA.

So er, ya. It'll blow up the ERA a bit, but WPA is not too damaged - because the offense already did its job.

[Devine]

Red Sox score another on a botched throw to 1st that would have been an inning-ending DP from Olivo.

Coach arguing Tek ran outside the baseline. Replay shows he had an argument.

[Devine]

12-7. Thank you, still-somewhat-productive Nick Green.

[Paul SF]

Thank God the Royals still suck.

[Devine]

Besides the greater probability that the Red Sox are going to win, I'm very glad Smoltz is likely to get his first win (though they are, yeah, meaningless). He deserves one by now.

[Devine]

Bates really should have caught that. And immediately a run scores. 12-8.

[Devine]

Okay, that relay was caught. One down, man at 3rd.

[Devine]

Sac fly, 2 down. 12-9 as the run comes in. Would be tied but for last inning of the Sox' bats.

[Devine]

K. Inning. Bard gives up one earned and one unearned, but likely neither one scores without the error at 1st. Player of the game so far, I'd say.

[Devine]

Youk's done slumping, huh?

[Devine]

Phew, managed the ninth through the downpour. Royals had 13 hits, Red Sox had 12, the announcers tell me.

What a weird game. Looked really horrendously familiar for a second there, but last time they didn't tack on, and Bard didn't stop the insanity.

[Micah-SF]

Can we get an investigation into why the bullpen hates John Smoltz?