MVN - A Boston Red Sox blog | Analyzing the Olde Towne Team since 2003
Fire Brand of the American League
7/4: Happy Fourth
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Boston Red Sox (51-37) @ New York Yankees (45-41) GAME NOTES: So nice to finally put a W in that box again. Hard not to be confident about the pitching matchup today in the Bronx: resident Yankee killer Josh Beckett vs. #4 starter and average tosser Darrell Rasner. To commemorate our nation’s history on this 4th of July, let’s defeat the most evil thing in this country’s history: the New York Yankees. And if we lose today, Tessie’s Dad is doing the game notes for tomorrow.
Prev. Gm:
Josh Beckett (7-5, 3.65) @ Darrell Rasner (4-6, 4.42)
1:05 PM EDT | The Toilet (Bronx, NY)
TV: NESN RADIO: WRKO 680, SBN 1150
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on Friday, July 4th, 2008 at 12:21 pm and is filed under Darrell Rasner, Josh Beckett, New York Yankees, Game Threads.
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114 Responses to “7/4: Happy Fourth”
July 4th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Tek is going to be looking SHARP behind the plate this afternoon. If he truly wants to represent the (Red Sox) Nation, going 4-4 with a couple ribbies wouldn’t hurt!
July 4th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Red Sox
Ellsbury CF
Pedrioa 2B
Drew RF
Ramirez DH
Lowell 3B
Youk 1B
Crisp CF
Varitek C
Lugo SS
Beckkkkkkkkkkett P
Skanks
Damon CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Arod 3B
Giambi 1B
Posada DH
Cano 2B
Cabrera LF
Molina C
Rasner P
July 4th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Dustin already taking one for the team. Well done Weeman.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Yo, Schrieber, you can’t make a strike three call five freaking seconds after the pitch. It was close, but you damn well better call it right away.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Dammit, Mikey.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
1 inning, 3 LOB. Awesome.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Nuts. Oh well…already making Rasner nervous though.
Let’s hope Beckett can hold up to his end of the bargain.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Ok…not what I had in mind but Lester had the same issues in the first last night.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
This consistency, hustle and grit angle the YES announcers are taking is something straight out of Fire Joe Morgan.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
MR:
I’ve got the mute function on my laptop fully engaged.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
NESN for me baby! :D
July 4th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Hmmmmm…Beckett needs to find a way to get control or get us a DP. I don’t like 2006 Beckett showing his ugly face in 2008.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Well…so much for Beckett holding up his end. We need offense.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Where’s Hanley again?
July 4th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Oh, and I think Tek’s hitting is eating into his defense. How the heck did he not stop that ball?
July 4th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Josh WTF
July 4th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
No excuse for not scoring in that first inning. This should be a 2-2 game.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Wait, what, Tek got a hit?
July 4th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Only for Lugo to negate that shit.
All right Sox…restore your honor back in the 3rd. Beckett…hold the line.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Tek gets a hit, just so Lugo can GIDP. Now that’s teamwork!
July 4th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Someone please look up the number of DPs Lugo has grounded into this year…
July 4th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
That was the 13th. Feels like it’s the 60th, doesn’t it?
July 4th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I think the YES schmucks said it was his 27th. I knew that couldn’t be right.
July 4th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Jacoby Pedroia combo does it again! Now knock em in
July 4th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Dusty!
July 4th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Anyone else notice that Damon did a little Okajima imitation with that throw. Head jerked toward third base, little shoulder hesitation…still didn’t get anything on it, but it looked funny.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Ok guys…we can do this! Let’s not fuck up or get razzed out.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Pun intended, Colin?
July 4th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Alright, Mikey: here’s your chance for redemption. DO NOT SCREW UP AGAIN.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Only 13? Wow…
July 4th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
I want to clarify that my continued antipathy towards Beckett is not a knee-jerk reaction, and in spite of my tremendous joy at last season, but some illogical, persistent dislike for him.
My apologies to anyone offended.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
We’ll take it…C’mon Youk.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
meh.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
This ump is really pissing me off. The 1-0 pitch to Youk was clearly outside.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
DAMN YOU JOHNNY!
July 4th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Wait, he dropped it??!
July 4th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
YOUK!!!
Michael Kay: “Damon LEAPS AND MAKES THE PLAY!!! HE MAKES THE PLAY!!! NO, HE DROPPED THE BALL!!!”
Awesome.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I love you Jonny.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
HA! Score one for the Darwin Awards!
And Dan…I didn’t mean for there to be a pun but if so then it’s a decent one.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Haha I gotta learn to see the plays through instead of flailing back like Vintage Youk. One of the weirdest triples I’ve ever seen.
If the ball stayed up on the wall, what would be the outcome?
July 4th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Wait a second. If that ball stays up on the wall even for a second, it’s a homerun, right? Top of the wall is outside the ballpark? Am I missing something?
July 4th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
That was some seriously bizarre stuff.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
HAHAHAHAHAHA
July 4th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I’m pretty sure you’re right DR. I don’t know though.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
You might be right Rathman, I think Francona was happy to settle for a triple instead of the 3rd out and didn’t realize the situation.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
The balance is brought back thanks to surreal methods. Now let’s get this game back in our favor.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
No, the ball has to go over. The top of the wall is essentially meaningless; the ball needs to touch something out of the park.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
But, is the top of the wall not outside the park? I guess what I’m wondering is, what’s the line between in and out? If the ball hadn’t dropped, would it have been in play, or a ground rule double?
July 4th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
I just saw the replay of that…surreal.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
And Ellsbury has found his groove with Rasner pitching. Nice.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Dude can bunt…
July 4th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I…can’t believe he almost got out of that rundown. Whatever, 2-3-4 next inning.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Tito needs to shorten his leash a little, though I’m not going to argue too much with him taking the bat out of Dusty’s hands in that situation.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
He had to go there, it was set up that way. He got on with a bunt, he had to steal to get into scoring position for Pedroia. Problem was, he ended up running on a pitchout. Good guess on the Yankees part more than Ellsbury doing something wrong.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
That was too close. Cut the shit Josh…seriously.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I’m really enjoying watching A-rod have to dive back to the bag. Wish they hadn’t walked horse face, but it’s cool.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Manny would have caught that too
July 4th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Why couldn’t that pitch have been to a-rod?
July 4th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
correction: manny likely wouldn’t have forgotten about the ball altogether, and would have picked it up (after it rolled to a stop) and handed it to a fan. that’s kind of like a catch. He also might have punched and/or high fived that same fan.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
*if said fan was greater than 60 years old.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
also, for the ground rule question: the wall is considered inside the park,so if it doesn’t touch something outside, it can bounce anywhere and not be a homer as long as it lands inside. Especially at a place like Yankee Stadium without any weird walls (so, for example, at Fenway a ball off the monster that ricochets into the bleachers is a ground rule double), so it’s basic ground rules.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Way to go, guy I didn’t want on the team all that much!
July 4th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Oh Mikey. Where’s Hanley now?
July 4th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Sadly not at shortstop. Damn, that would be awesome.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
I almost feel bad for the little twerp who jumped onto the field for that ball.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
there are a lot of little twerps at Mordor, can you be more specific?
July 4th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
YYYAAAAAAAAY LOWELLLL!
July 4th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
And Mr. Death strikes again.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
hey look. Tek got a hit.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Let’s go F-lugo.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Just got back from the parade in time for Mikey’s bomb. Let’s keep it up and ruin Steinbrenner’s birthday!
July 4th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
SO-
Some little kid hopped onto the field, grabbed a foul ball the ball boy was about to pick up, and scampered back into the stands. I think the fan noise that was happening during the last part of the inning wasn’t so much about shutting down the rally, but booing security for kicking him out.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
It’s good news for us when the Yankees have to focus on their own security and their hideous new park than, like, baseball.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Just saw Tek’s garb. Awesome.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Veras: 2 pitches, 2 hits. Love it.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
C’mon Sox…get some runs in before the rain!
July 4th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
That was really not awesome.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Wow. Didn’t even need Mr. Death to end that rally.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Oki’s up…should I be really nervous?
July 4th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
@Colin- Yes.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Lead-off single. Right on time…
July 4th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Oh, please. Please…
July 4th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Quick hook, Tito!
July 4th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Nifty. Put the 8 & 9 hitters on. With no outs.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Mr. October has gidp 12 times so far. Let’s make it 13.
July 4th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Okay, enough. He loaded the bases, yank him.
July 4th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Two strike threes for balls.
July 4th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Well, he got the out. Now MDC has to take out A-Rod…
July 4th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Still really nervous…
July 4th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
I still cannot understand what happened to Oki. Did people figure him out? Did he just lose all of his flair? Did he all of a sudden develop a suck virus?
July 4th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Thanks, A-Rod. Knew you would come through.
July 4th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Wow…feeling much better now. Think they’re gonna call the game?
July 4th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Colin: I think it’s the suck virus. There’s something wrong, but I don’t know what.
July 4th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
I think that’s the longest I ever held my breath.
July 4th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
I was prepping Game Notes for tomorrow… I hope I’ll be off the hook. ;)
July 4th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Well I knew they’d call it sooner or later…but better now that we’ve got a man on first with Jacoby up at bat.
July 4th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
I can’t believe I actually care about the outcome of KC @ TB. It’s madness, I say!
July 4th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Big ups to Delcarmen….and Lugo for an excellent play on the Gardner grounder. Game-saving play there.
Beckett settled down- 6 IP, 3 ER. You’d like more, but facing Darrell Rasner, I’d have taken that.
Look for Paps to get 5+ outs.
July 4th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
All right guys. Yes we’re up but there’s no need to be careless or lazy. Leave that to the nailbiter games with the Boston Celtics. Sure we’ve got 6 outs to go but that doesn’t mean we get lazy.
July 4th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
He caught that! That’s @#$%#!
July 4th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Jobbed by the ump at Yankee Stadium. Really.
July 4th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Yeah ump! What are you gonna call that 3rd out something outside of an out?
Fuck you umps…
At least we know how to end a game the right way.
July 4th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Not even BS ump calls can stop the Sox from their well-deserved win.
July 4th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
I want frickin’ video replay and I want it frickin’ NOW!
July 4th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
P.S. Go KC!
July 4th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Alright, two games, two wins. Guaranteed split…nothing to lose now.
My flight’s delayed 3 hours (thanks, United), but I got to see the last few minutes of the game because of that. So…thanks, United…I guess.
July 4th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
TD:
They’re down 7-0 in the 5th. We’re not picking up any ground today.
July 4th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
So much for KC.
Oh and I watched SportsCenter right after and they had a real close up shot…IT WAS A F***ING CATCH!
July 4th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Re: the catch. Even the YES! schmucks were admitting as much. I’m not sure what angles the NESN cameras had, but there was no doubt about it from what YES! caught.
July 4th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
I missed the last 2 innings (was at a party) what is this injustice you speak of? The umpiring was terrible today for what I watched.
July 4th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Coco had a diving catch of a line drive from Jeter for what would have been the final out. He picked it from just above the turf, stood up, collected his sunglasses and realized that Jeter had coasted into second and the 4th run had scored. Replays clearly showed he made an amazing catch, but the call stood. Abreu proceeded to hit a drive to the warning track that would have plated the tying run. I could hear Coco’s brain as he wanted to yell to the third base ump “This good enough for you!?”
It’s all good, but the umps certainly missed that call. Badly.
July 4th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
this guy’s cuckoo for Coco…for sure.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xku90I53yN8
July 4th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Wasn’t it Sean who pushed to keep Coco? Brilliant. What a fantastic defensive OF, as important to surviving without Papi as our big bats.
I can’t believe only a baker’s dozen DP’s by Julio, which is only 15% of 85 games. The YES # of 27DP’s seems more like it, which is about 33%; at least it feels that way. I wonder what the # would be counting in fielder’s choices, etc.; and how many innings he ended with men on base, and men in scoring position. Is this nit-picking here? Maybe, but it is important to separate perception from reality. i.e., 13 isn’t so terrible. Bad, but not terrible.
Wasn’t that a great game to watch?
And what pitching matchups: Old Pettit vs. Young Pettit. Ace Beckkkett vs. Rookie Rasner. Rookie Masterson vs. veteran Moose, and the absurdity of 41 yr. old Wake’s knuckler vs. Rookie Joba’s heat.
July 5th, 2008 at 12:51 am
I just looked it up. Without a calculator, Julios’s 13 DPs = about 16% of games. His 17 E’s = about 22% of games. A combined 30 E’s and DP’s = one or the other miscues in nearly 40% of games, though he often has more than one in a game.
The rest of the team would be 10 - 20%. That is an interesting combination, measuring defense by the ultimate sin (E), and offense by the ultimate damage a hitter can usually do at bat (DP = 2 outs).
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