Before checking in on the weather forecast for tonight’s Game 4 in Cleveland …
A report that leaked through to ESPN Deportes claimed that Big Papi was considering sitting out a game of the ALCS to rest his injured knee, a balky, season-long hindrance that may have taken a renewed barking after he tried to stop on a dime to avoid being hit by a Manny Ramirez grounder last night in Cleveland. Instead of sitting out, Ortiz claimed that there was a zero percent chance of him missing any ALCS time. When asked by the Globe’s Amalie Benjamin about the injury, Ortiz said, “Unless I can’t get out of bed, I’ve got to keep on playing.”
As for getting out of bed, there remains a distinct possibility that, like last year’s NLCS between the Cardinals and Mets, tonight’s Game 4 could get bumped back a day because of rain. According to Steve Silva of boston.com, the chance of showers and thunderstorms before 3 p.m. in Cleveland has now turned to a statistical probability for thundershowers, with a 70 percent chance for rain after 3 p.m. and a thunderstorm probable.
That forecast, of course, would pave the way for Josh Beckett to pitch Game 4 tomorrow on regular rest, then return to pitch a potential Game 7 back at the Fens on regular rest again. Will it happen? That’s to be determined by the weather Gods and Terry Francona, the former of which has a reputation for being remarkably fickle, the latter a well-known stalwart.
Still, it seems all but impossible that Francona would pass up a chance to get two more Beckett starts under Boston’s belt on full rest in the series. Sure, this is Terry Francona and he is hopelessly devoted to Tim Wakefield, the scheduled starter for tonight’s tilt. But even with that, you can already see everyone penciling in Beckett for a Game 4 tomorrow if the rain keeps coming.
All there is to do now is wait on the rain to come. Or not.
Seriously, let’s try not to dwell on it. In fact, after this entry we’re officially going to try and pretend Game 2 of the 2007 ALCS never actually happened. But while we’re stuck thinking about last night’s 11th inning beating, let’s do the rundown of everything we learned, shall we?
1) Eric Gagne is officially a waste of a roster spot at this point. In fact, if he could come up lame with a sore shoulder so we could slip Julian Tavarez or Kyle Snyder back on the playoff pen, that’d be great.
2) Despite a solid single batter spot in the ALDS, Javier Lopez still can’t get out lefties. And he’s a sidewinding lefty. Go figure.
3) Curt Schilling may not be his former dominant postseason self. All he was against the Indians was average, and his inability to get through even five innings - or hold a lead, for that matter - cost Boston dearly, and could eventually cost it the series. We know, we cringe to hear it, too, but it’s the truth.
4) Even with David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell bashing their heads off, the Indians lineup is so balanced it can make up for it. That’s a terrifying thought.
5) All that talk about how maybe we’d be better off with Jon Lester starting Game 4 instead of Tim Wakefield? Yeah, we’re sorry we even mentioned that.
6) Now Daisuke Matsuzaka practically HAS to win on Monday. He has to. Or else Boston is all but screwed.
But we’re not talking about any of this stuff anymore, or about how we rolled over this morning and saw the Wicked Witch of the West. It hurts too much.
So do pictures of the disaster, so enjoy the text heavy post folks. We’ll be back soon in search of something uplifting. We hope.
Big Papi and Josh Beckett sent a Hollaback out to the crowd at Fenway last night.
Sure, Josh Beckett wasn’t quite perfect, giving up a wind-aided first inning homer and later allowing a second run to cross. But for every little one-pitch mistake Beckett made, a rejuvenated Red Sox lineup got to C.C. Sabathia, drilling him for seven runs before he left, then connecting for three more off the midsection of the Indians pen.
That can only help confidence for the Red Sox moving forward. Like a one-night stand with Gwen Stefani, for instance.
And as would be appropriate for such a monumental night, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz were perfect, literally. Big Papi reached base each time he came up, hit once, walked a pair of times and knocking a couple of hits in between. And that’s before Manny fully started being Manny, connecting for a pair of run producing singles and even earning a bases-loaded walk after falling behind two strikes to none.
As the game wore on and it became clear the Sox were trying to run away with a win, it was hard not to hope they’d bottle some of the offense, or at least keep it going for another day. Boston is sure to need similar magic tonight against the overpowering sinker being used by Fausto Carmona. Perhaps his 2006 struggles at Fenway will come back to mesmerize him and make him at least partially hittable in the process.
Who knows. All that mattered last night was that Beckett was on, the entire Sox lineup was on and the Fens got a taste of blood early. Now, if the Sox can pull another Stefani-like superb performance out of their hat today, Boston can head to the shore of Lake Erie feeling pretty confident about itself, perhaps marching behind the lead of that drum major from the bananas song.
It may not be the Yankees, but the Indians enter tonight’s matchup in Fenway Park is equally anticipated, if that’s possible. The Red Sox start a best-of-seven journey that they hope ends in the World Series.
Josh Beckett hunts deer, elk and a variety of birds in the winter. In October he hunts zeros.
The weather has turned to fall just in time to greet the first pitch, which will be fired out by a guy some Sox fans wanted out of town a year ago, yet now are clamoring to try and find a way to pitch three times in an ALCS. That’s how drastic a turnaround young Josh Beckett, still only 27, has gone through in the past 12 months. From maligned No. 2 starter to ace and possible Cy Young winner, Beckett’s move from mediocre to momentous has been nothing short of a full-fledged awakening.
And now he’s pitching in the exact kind of games that drew the Sox front office to Florida’s door, begging for him after the 2003 season. His Game 1 performance in the ALDS was a complete whitewash of the Angels and set the tone for Boston’s sweep. Now, he’ll try to attack a remarkably balanced Cleveland lineup and mow through batters the way he did a week and a half ago.
Not that Boston can take any sympathy on Cleveland hitters. The Indians have quite the ace of their own, C.C. Sabathia, who might pry the Cy Young from Beckett’s very grasp. While Sabathia was dominant throughout the regular season, he has a rough first playoff start against the Yankees, and was also outdueled by Daisuke Matsuzaka in his last outing against the Sox. Does that mean he’ll have troubles at the Fens tonight? Not necessarily, though the resurgent bats of Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz beckon. Or so Sox fans hope.
And that hope, as 2004 showed, is enough to bouy spirits and, eventually, lift a team. We’re getting closer to finding out if it can happen again.
For the second straight playoff round, Red Sox Monster has set up a pretty strong blogger roundtable surveying Boston’s prospects for the round ahead. We were part of the group again hosted by Red Sox Monster and MassLive’s inimitable Dan Lamothe, so we thought we’d share our answers in preview of tonight’s Sox-Indians series starter. For those interested in the full roundtable answers, which also included bloggers from Red Sox Stat Guy, Sox & Dawgs and The Joy of Sox and Texas Gal of Babes Love Baseball. Definitely a good anticipatory read. Here’s the entire piece for your perusal: Red Sox Monster Roundtable
And while we may not have hit the mark as squarely on some questions as our friends in the blogosphere, here’s our distilled question-by-question answers for your perusal. Interested to see what everyone thinks.
1) One of the big things we all have been hearing this week is that the Indians have an advantage because of Fausto Carmona and C.C. Sabathia. Last time I checked, though, the Red Sox beat Sabathia in a nail-biter once already this year and won five out of seven against the Tribe. How does Beckett-Schilling vs. Sabathia-Carmona play out for the two teams?
This, clearly, is the duel duels of the playoffs, if you will. I like Beckett over Sabathia because of both home field advantage and the performance of both pitchers in Game 1 of their respective ALDS’s. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen Beckett more in control than he was in Game 1 against the Angels, and Sabathia looked nervous throughout his team’s win. That being said, it’s possible that moving away from the Jacob’s Field crowd will help C.C. We’ll have to see.
As for Schilling-Carmona, Game 2 scares me significantly more. Carmona already has one win over the Sox, a terrific 1-0 outdueling of Beckett, and while Fenway Park was a house of horrors for him last year there’s no indication it will be in the playoffs. His slider was falling off the table in the ALDS, and outside of Beckett, he may have looked better than every other pitcher in baseball in Round One. Meanwhile, Schilling starting in Fenway again scares me a bit. He’s been more prone to home runs at home, and while Francona is likely to show a much quicker hook in the ALCS than during the regular season, there’s still the possibility of a suddenly big inning out there. So, I’m going to predict a split in Games 1 and 2, though a Schilling gem and 2-0 Sox lead wouldn’t completely shock me, just surprise me.
2) What about Games 3 and 4? How worried should Sox fans be about Matsuzaka-Wakefield/Lester? Also, should Sox fans be licking their chops when they see Jake Westbrook on the mound, or were his regular season stats against Boston (10 hits and five earned runs in six innings) a fluke?
Lost amidst all the talk about moving Schilling into the 2 slot was that it means Dice-K will start Game 3 in Cleveland. And perhaps lost in the analysis of that is just how impressive the Dice man was at Jacob’s Field earlier this year. He pitched a complete game win, out doing C.C. Sabathia, and helping the Sox win the season series. Clearly, that was a huge win in retrospect. Meanwhile, there’s no reason to doubt Westbrook’s stats against the Sox, particularly in the aftermath of another dismal performance in the ALDS, when the Yankees cleaned his clock. On paper, it looks like a very good matchup for the Sox.
Game 4, understandably, is much more troubling. Wakefield has looked absolutely cooked after his most recent back injury, and there’s concern over just how healthy he may be. If Wake isn’t comfortable, his knuckleball won’t move right and he’ll get clobbered. Meanwhile, Byrd is a wily veteran who doesn’t walk batters, gets tough outs and sent the Yankees to the golf course. I’m getting a headache just thinking about this match up, so let’s move to the next question.
3) When analysts talk about Boston’s strengths this year, the deep bullpen always comes up. Cleveland’s wasn’t bad, though, finishing with the sixth best ERA (3.75) in the Majors. How important is getting to the Indians bullpen, and where do potential advantages for the Red Sox lay?
Getting to the bullpen is actually only an advantage against Sabathia and Carmona, because that duo has been so nasty. The two Rafaels have been almost unhittable and seem to be surging in the postseason. And while the numbers aren’t kind to Joe Borowski, Sweaty Joe does keep getting results. Really, how Boston hits off the Indian relievers in Games 1 and 2 really may set a tone for the entire series. Get mowed down and the Tribe kids may get more confidence and roll from there. Knocking in a few late-inning runs early – particularly off the Rafaels - could be all but essential.
4) The Indians had six players hit between 18 and 25 home runs, but no one with more than that. They also had only one starter, Victor Martinez hit more than .300 (he hit .301). How should Boston pitch to the Cleveland lineup?
While there may not be too many stellar OPS guys, Cleveland’s lineup is much, MUCH more balanced than Boston’s. There’s not any easy outs. Martinez has been an absolute terror, Hafner seems to be peaking at just the right time and there’s youth abundant. I’m not sold on Asdrubal Cabrera, ALDS homer aside, and first baseman Ryan Garko is so streaky that the Sox may be able to handle him. Grady Sizemore wasn’t too impressive in Round One, but he scares me and I think could secretly be the key to the series. If he starts getting on to lead off games and innings – particularly against Dice-K and Wake – major problems could follow. It’s not a pretty picture. The other big problem looming? Kenny Lofton, the center fielder who just never goes away. He had his best postseason series in years against the Yanks and seems poised to cause more headaches in Fenway.
5) One Trot Nixon returns to the postseason on Friday, as well. He doesn’t play much anymore… will he have any impact on the series, and what kind?
Trot seems ticketed for one or two key pinch hitting spots, particularly in Fenway. Remember, the every day Indian in right is a rookie (Franklin Gutierrez) so a couple bad at bats in the friendly confines and Eric Wedge may flex his well-documented right to re-consider his lineup. After all, Trot does know how to lace a hot grounder down that first base line, doesn’t he?
6) Tell me something the common fan misses when discussing the series. Any surprises jump out at you when looking at the two teams and their statistics?
There’s an emerging perception that Papelbon is the big x-factor in this series because he’s more reliable than Borowski, but it strikes me that the much bigger factor is the teams’ respective middle relievers. Assuming Tito Francona goes with Okie Dokie in the 8th inning setup role again before Papelbon, that still leaves question marks in the sixth and seventh innings. Assuming Sox starters can get there, Manny Delcarmen seems to be the main go-to-guy for a sixth inning look. That leaves Mike Timlin and Eric Gagne – who gave up a meaningless run in Game 3 against the Angels – to fight out the seventh inning. Will Francona actually trust Gagne in a tight spot late, or will he take his chances with the 40 year-old jack of all trades Timlin? Will Timlin still be sharp after not pitching in a game in two weeks? Lester is clearly the long-man, but would the Sox use him if Dice-K falters? Lots of questions here, to be sure. Meanwhile, the Sox have to prove they can hit the Rafaels and Jensen Lewis. There’s absolutely no guarantee they can, and just ask the Yankees how easy it is. Put it all together and, despite all the attention being placed on Borowski, any late homers off him won’t matter unless Boston can hit the earlier guys.
Another fascinating plot line revolves around the tendency of Sox players who are former Indians to perform ridiculously well at Jacob’s Field. Just look at Coco’s number from the early season series. If Coco, Alex Cora in a pinch, Manny Ramirez, etc. come through, the series could swing on that alone.
7) So, who wins? Why?
I’m going with the Sox in 6 or 7. If you pinned me down I’d say seven, because I can’t imagine Schilling beating Carmona in a Game 6 at Jacob’s Field. Still, I think Boston will be able to pull out a couple of wins behind bashes from Ortiz and Ramirez, who finally looks dialed in for the first time this year. Additionally, I really am looking for big things from Coco Crisp, who was a monster in Cleveland earlier this year. Add strange statistical aberrations like Bobby Kielty’s success against C.C. Sabathia, and I think Boston will claw this one out. But it’ll be close, it’ll require a lot of TUMS and (not or) Pepto Bismol, and it will have Sox fans clamoring for NL opponents, which could end up biting Boston in the World Series (if Colorado wins the NLCS). Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
That’s right LA of Anaheim of Orange County of California of you get the damn idea. That’s right, Josh Beckett is out to get you. In his Texan dialect, he done hunted your ass down once now. He’s got the scent, and if he has to again, he’ll shoot Jon Lackey right between the eyes.
Ahh, screw it Josh. Go get some. Sox fans won’t judge, you deserve it.
Or many he can leave that to Big Papi and Kevin Youkilis. They certainly did a suitable job of that last night.
But the story, not shockingly, was Beckett’s dominance. At one point he mowed down 19 straight. Nineteen! It’s almost preposterous. And not only did Beckett’s dominance thoroughly frustrate the entire Angels lineup - OK, Vlad the Impaler got a hold of two different pitches that looked impossible to hit and stroked them for singles, but he is Vlad the Impaler - it also saved the Sox bullpen, which can now lineup Hideki Okajima on nearly a full week of rest, not to mention the Irish jigger himself, Jonathan Papelbon.
So, what can you give the guy who just nearly duplicated his epic postseason performance of 2003? What do you give the man who is now riding an 18-inning scoreless streak? Or, because this is The Morning After, who?
You give him the ultimate baseball blogger (seriously, how the hell did she earn that title so fast?), the woman who finally gave up her attempt to sleep through the LA Dodgers rotation (the whole lot of which combined doesn’t have Beckett’s stuff): Alyssa Milano.
Wait, he’s already been there, in 2003? Well, who the hell cares? Alyssa Milano’s still hot. Smoking hot. And Josh Beckett is still nasty. Filthy nasty.
Charmed may have been one of the worst shows of all-time. But it did give birth to this scene, so I think we’re going to call it even.
So we’re hooking it up again. Joshie deserves it after last night. And just think of the possibilities. The last time he was with Ms. Milano, Josh Beckett was sizing up his first World Series ring. Too bad it had an ugly fish on it.
Maybe this time he can get another one, one that might even be a bit prettier. If he gets help from Dice-K tomorrow and Curt Schilling Sunday, he’ll be well on his way.
Maybe you’ve seen it by now, maybe you haven’t. If you’re in the latter category, you need to keep reading below.
When Boston clinched the AL East with New York’s loss Friday night, there were a number of notable Sox players who went back out onto the field to celebrate with the scattered fans who remained in Fenway Park. Curt Schilling and Daisuke Matsuzaka show up in numerous photos, as do Tim Wakefield and David Ortiz, among others.
But while those players may have earned the most ink, no one could keep up with closer Jonathan Papelbon, who may have made a bigger ass out of himself than anyone since, well, George W. Bush. But don’t take our word for it, check it out yourself:
That’s right Red Sox fans, your closer of past, present and future is quite the Irish dancer. In fact, even Kevin Youkilis and Terry Francona were pretty taken with his moves, Youk in person and Tito, well, in the press, here via the Boston Globe.
“If he wasn’t, I’ll make sure Manny is aware we won today.”
But no one present last night, including Francona, missed Jonathan Papelbon’s wild Irish jig on the mound after the game.
“You mean, ‘The Riverdance’?” Francona said. “That’s one of the . . . he looked to me . . . I don’t want to call him a moron, but the only thing better than that was when he was inside dancing, wearing only a jock.
“That’s him. He’s young, carefree, a great kid. That said, when he gets on the mound, he’s all business. It’s a good mix.”
That’s right, a carefree kid with a nasty fastball, ridiculous splitter and a filthy new pitch which he calls a slutter. All puns intended, of course.
Remember a couple of days ago, when we wrote about how sometimes the best help a team can get comes from an enemy? Well, last night it just came from a different enemy, one you usually can’t count on getting help from.
Paps was in the spirit last night. Sox fans will just hope he gets back in the spirit what, three more times?
That’s right. Thank you Baltimore.
With the Orioles furious comeback and dramatic 10th inning victory over the Yankees, the Red Sox sealed their first AL East title in 12 years. This on the heels of the best Dice-K outing in a couple of weeks - a win which the Dice-man will be able to stew over and gain confidence from for a full week - and suddenly life is rosy again. Like spending a night with Marisa Miller. Sure, she’s a surfer from California, which might not seem like the best karma heading into a series against a team once called the California Angels. But who cares. Boston is the AL East champion, and Marisa Miller’s about as hot as you can get.
That’s right. It’s a celebration bitches.
And why shouldn’t it be? Sure, there were rough moments the past month. Or two. And there’s been plenty of hystrionics as a result, many of which Terry Francona and co. probably didn’t fully deserve (some of them they did).
But in the end, it’s all turned out about as well as it could have in the regular season. The Sox have a bona fide Cy Young candidate, and it’s not the one almost anyone would have thought it would be, with the notable exception of the Globe’s Gordon Edes, of couse. Dasiuke Matsuzaka has 15 wins, despite a late-season slump and at least three, if not four, games in which he should have earned a win if his team had shown up with any bats at all. Curt Schilling has looked better in his last three starts than in the rest of the season - near no-hitter not included - and despite concern about Hideki Okajima, even Eric Gagne looked strong the last couple of times out. If you can overlook the sudden loss of Clay Buchholz, who had the potential to make a serious impact as a rookie, there’s little to be upset about at the moment.
And then there’s all to be happy about. An AL East title. A 50 percent shot of the best record in the bigs headed into the playoffs. A chance to line up the rotation perfectly, while also resting Big Papi, who blasted another bomb last night, Manny and the rest of the regulars.
Mmmmm. Marisa Miller. That’s a celebration worth winning, huh?
All of that is secondary to last night’s champagne room, of course, a celebration worthy of Ms. Miller herself. Red Sox fans will be hoping to see more of her, of course, but it’s nice to see an initial appearance before the end of the regular season for a chance, isn’t it?
Dice-K has been looking for something throughout the second half of the season. Now Sox fans are starting to get impatient that he hasn’t found it.
With Josh Beckett on the mound for the last time in the regular season, and with Big Papi officially reaching postseason form with a 4-4 night that included another homer, the Red Sox found a way to lose. In the process, Beckett may have lost a potential exclamation point in his Cy Young argument with Cleveland’s C.C. Sabathia.
Regardless, the bigger - and more important - point is that the Red Sox lost a game while playing their starters, while that team down in the Bronx won a game at the Tropicana Terror Dome, pulling within two of the Sox with three to go. The AL East is not won yet.
Tonight, the Sox can cut that number to one with a win, just as they could last night. And just as yesterday provided Beckett with a valuable final tune-up (you judge whether or not it was wasted), tonight offers the same opportunity for Daisuke Matsuzaka, the pitcher that has looked like he could use it more than any other in recent weeks.
Matsuzaka has been impressive through the bulk of his last two outings, both of which ended in no-decisions on his behalf. But he might have to be even better tonight, facing off against Minnesota rookie rising star Kevin Slowey, a pitcher who’s stuff does anything but follow the lead of his name. Slowey has yet to lose a start this year, much like Jon Lester, though he has been almost exactly as hittable as Matsuzaka-san.
The question, of course, is whether the rookie will be more phased in his first Fenway appearance than the psuedo-rookie will be in his latest crunch time start heading toward the playoffs. In all fairness, Dice-K has not given too much to complain about as his starts have mattered more. Despite a mini-meltdown last week when he couldn’t finish off an inning, he had a terrific start against the Yankees in the game prior. A third stable start in a row, combined with what will likely be a full week of rest, and Dice-K may be in fully fine form for his playoff premiere.
But a shaky start and another loss will add more instability to a potential division title and the Sox postseason pitching plans. After the past three weeks, that’s the last thing New England’s fragile psyche needs heading into the playoffs.
Ever been in a situation where you’re really proud of one accomplishment, but know that there’s an even bigger step on the immediate horizon? Welcome to the world of fellow Red Sox fans.
Make no mistake, the team’s last couple wins have been huge accomplishments. Two nights ago the Sox needed to get a win and solid performance from Curt Schilling. They got both. Last night they needed a win to keep momentum going, not to mention take a huge step toward officially getting rid of all digits in the “magic number” column.
They’re close. That counter now reads two, with a chance to wrap up the organization’s first AL East crown in 13 years as early as tomorrow. Still, until the final score from a Sox win or Yankee loss in a clincher goes up on the big left field scoreboard, cementing it, no Sox fans are going to be breathing any easier.
Does that diminish the strong vibes from yesterday’s win? Not at all. But it does make it a little hard to enjoy completely. Remember the Real World Las Vegas? Last night’s win takes a cue from that season. It’s a little like getting drunk and hooking up with Brynn, enjoying the experience but knowing all the while that you really want to land a night with Trischelle, who’s more attractive and a much bigger slut (clearly, anyone that would have dated Steven, one of the all-time Real World douchebags, would have to be). It almost cheapens the whole Brynn experience, doesn’t it?
Sure, it absolutely does. But that doesn’t mean the night with Trichelle won’t be glorious. It just means that you have to make sure it’s happening. The Sox have four games to get rid of the number two. Whether they do it with two wins or a win and a Yankee loss or even, God forbid, two Yankee losses, that hardly matters. What does matter is that they get to the finish line of a quest which started months ago. A drive toward a division title that has been more elusive than in any other stretch of the team’s history.
Trischelle and Irulan? Both had quite the, ummm, prolific love life in Vegas.
After last night’s walk-away, they have all the weapons to do it, including Eric Gagne, who finally pitched a relatively drama-free inning of late relief. Jonathan Pepelbon’s sitting amped in the pen. Manny Ramirez is back to being himself, and Big Papi is hitting up a storm. All of that, of course, is before even factoring in Mike Lowell, who has now officially put up the greatest offensive season for a third baseman in team history.
There’s no excuses. Two games left in the column. All the weapons. Like having a handle of vodka with Trischelle in the signature suite of the Palms. Viva Las Vegas? Screw it. Viva Las Fenway. Viva Las Back Bay. Viva Las North End.
Viva Boston. Sox fans just need to hope they can make it an AL East champion city again.
