July 5, 2008
7/5: Moose Hunting
Boston Red Sox (52-37) @ New York Yankees (45-42)
Justin Masterson (4-2, 3.75) @ Mike Mussina (10-6, 3.87) 3:55 PM EDT | The Toilet (Bronx, NY) TV: FOX RADIO: WRKO 680, SBN 1150 GAME NOTES: We could see a lot of runs scored today. You can be sure Joe Girardi will stack the Yankees lineup with LHH, as Masterson has an OPS-against of just .501 vs. RHH and .864 vs. LHH. The short porch could also pose a problem. Mike Mussina has been rocked by the Sox this season: 0-2, 9.35 ERA, 15 hits in 8.2 IP, and three homers surrendered to Manny Ramirez. Winning this game would heal all the wounds from Tampa and send the Yankees into full throttle panic mode.
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Discussion
24 Comments on "7/5: Moose Hunting"
#1
Posted by Tessie's Dad, July 5, 2008 6:32 PM
No comments? Seriously? We're halfway through the eighth inning of Sox @ Yanks and there's not even one measly little comment? Wow. Where is everyone?
#4
Posted by Tessie's Dad, July 5, 2008 6:56 PM
Bases loaded, no outs, no FUCKING RUNS! ARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!
#5
Posted by Mostly Running., July 5, 2008 6:56 PM
Moss up now. Lugo to the bench. I can't believe that inning. Lugo, you'll be a great reserve. Now stay the hell out of the lineup.
#6
Posted by Tessie's Dad, July 5, 2008 6:56 PM
Horrific umpiring, but COME ON. Can't anybody on this team hit the ball to the outfiled?
#8
Posted by Mostly Running., July 5, 2008 7:00 PM
Yeah, Crisp and Tek definitely get some blame here, primarily Tek. But come on, Lugo can only get the ball out of the infield when it means absolutely nothing to contributing to the game.
#9
Posted by Bob, July 5, 2008 7:34 PM
I really wanted this game, now we have to face Joba tomorrow and risk splitting the series, this should have been a win.
#10
Posted by Jc, July 5, 2008 8:50 PM
Crisp, Tek and Lugo, the worst bottom of the lineup in the league, those are 3 automatic outs.
#11
Posted by mostly running., July 5, 2008 8:55 PM
meant lowrie up, i was too pissed off to type straight.
#12
Posted by Daniel Rathman, July 5, 2008 8:58 PM
I was watching the game and wanted to write a comment with numerous expletives after the end, but flipped on my laptop only to realize that I didn't have internet access. Which I knew...but somehow lost in my frustration.
Anyhow, now that I've cooled off and am in an internet cafe with the slowest DSL I've ever encountered, I'm going to say what I would've said then.
Did anyone else think Coco should've (was going to?) put down a surprise suicide squeeze bunt? Giambi was playing in, but if he'd put a bunt down the first base line, there would've been almost no chance of a double play because of Coco's speed. The Yankees might've gotten the out at home, but if Coco had forced Giambi to field it, with Moss running on the pitch, I think there was a better than even chance of him scoring.
Playing for one run was admittedly a questionable strategy there, but coming up empty sure didn't help matters.
Except...I should mention that when Youk got on, I bet my dad -- a non-Sox fan, but Yankee hater, sitting next to me -- that they'd find a way to not score. Most blasphemous $5 I've ever won.
I'll be TV- and internet-less tomorrow, so the surprise on Monday morning better be pleasant.
The key tomorrow: Make Joba work.
#13
Posted by Jc, July 5, 2008 9:05 PM
Free Lowrie, trade Coco and pinch hit for Tek everytime possible, i would rather see Cash hitting against Rivera the way Varitek has been swinging the bat, he looks completely done at the plate.
#14
Posted by Sean O, July 5, 2008 9:33 PM
Not one word about Masterson? I know we lost to the Yankees, and it was frustrating, but after getting piled on all week Masterson came through with a gem.
#16
Posted by hynes, July 5, 2008 10:02 PM
I'll admit that I didn't watch the game (family/friend 4th weekend plans), but strictly from the final score I was impressed at Masterson's rebound from last week as Sean mentioned. Did everyone think that we'd honestly sweep the Yankees at home? Heck I'm happy right now with a split. Yeah, Tampa will probably pick up the win tonight and we'll wake-up tomorrow back 4 games; but we're in July. Remember in 04 the Sox were 10.5 back the 3rd week of August from the Yankees and finished 2 back. In 6 weeks!
Tampa's playing great right now, but they aren't going to run off a .750 winning percentage the rest of the way. They'll regress. They're a young team that plays well at home. Next week they head off to NY and CLE. Could it be Tampa's year? Possibly. Baseball Prospectus right now projects no more then a 4 game separation between TB & Boston at the end of the year with any of their post-season projections (ELO, PECOTA or original formula).
Fact of the matter is this team has been constantly hit by injuries this year. We're still without our big bat. Our starting rotation is in flux. And a number of guys are sub-par years. Yet we're still in this. While I would love to win the divisional crown again, what's important is winning the Series. That's the banner I want to see hung on Yawkey Way. Whether we win the division or the WC, it doesn't matter. We just need to win.
I think it's great for our division (and baseball) that Tampa's doing so well. It'll make those games with the Rays fun to watch. It's great to see them finally winning under the new ownership after how horribly they were run.
In the end, it's one game and we have a lot left. The Sox just need to keep playing well and forget about the standings. If they take care of business, they'll be there in the end. Remember, you only need to be in first place one day for it to really matter -- the last day.
Sorry this ran a bit long, but sometimes we, the fans (myself included), tend to obsess about the trees and we lose sight of the forest. Hopefully Papi will be back in 2 weeks and Theo can make some adjustments then.
#17
Posted by Sam, July 5, 2008 10:18 PM
Good game ... rough ending ... but even with them loaded and no outs you you had to expect it was still gonna be a miracle if our 7-8-9 could push one across ... thats just the way they are hitting right now
btw ... I agree Coco should have squeezed there ... Tito needs to know his bottom of the lineup sucks ... no matter how badly Rivera is pitching
Frustrating loss considering it was Moose pitching and Masterson held his own very well ... but we'll go at them again tommorrow and hopefully take the series
#18
Posted by Steven Roth, July 5, 2008 10:36 PM
Trade Lugo's salary for anything (a bucket of balls, some sunscreen, whatever) and swallow his contract if we must, I'd put up the funds if I was 9 million bucks rich. Lowrie must come up, even if it's to platoon with Cora. Cora isn't really impressing me right now but how many times are we going to let Lugo fail?
Coco + Tek + Lugo = Easiest Three Outs in Baseball.
If we trade Lugo, we can have Lowrie batting 7th, Coco 8th and Tek 9th. If Tek ever comes up in a must-score at-bat, Sean Casey can come off the bench and give us a good at-bat and allow Cash to get behind the plate for the rest of the game and rest Tek.
Once Papi comes back, we won't be seeing much of Coco anyway. Probably only to spell Jacoby or if a lefty is pitching.
Today's Lineup
Jacoby
Pedroia
Drew
Manny
Lowell
Youk
Coco
Tek
Lugo
My Dream Lineup
Jacoby
Pedroia
Drew
Manny
Papi
Lowell
Youk
Lowrie
Tek/Cash
My dream lineup has Papi hitting fifth because we don't know how he'll come back after the injury and Drew has been raking it in the #3 spot so leaving him there gives us a potent 1-7 lineup with only 2 questionable spots in the order. I do have faith in Lowrie over Lugo and it isn't all that horrible to have Tek continue struggling if he's going to be our ONLY automatic out.
#19
Posted by hynes, July 5, 2008 10:52 PM
Here's an interesting column from Ken Rosenthal posted on July 1st about Manny & the Red Sox, talking about whether or not the Sox are likely to pick up his option given his play this year.
My dad and I recently were talking about this topic this week and what Ken addresses here is basically the conclusion my dad and I reached: let Manny walk. He's a great player, but he's just not cutting it. Just consider Steve's lineup above. I would contend that Manny should move to 5th and not Ortiz when Papi gets back. Manny's bat has obviously slowed and he's striking out a ton more.
Besides the bullpen, what the Sox need more than anything is a solid bat in that lineup, and Manny just isn't that. I'm not sure what it would take, but I'd be very interested in the idea of the Sox trading for Matt Holliday, even if that took Jacoby.
Don't get me wrong, I love Jacoby; but he's never going to be a power hitter. He'll be a guy who'll slap singles and steal his way around the base path. That's a great guy to have on your team when you have some strong power hitters behind him. But we have Lugo, Tek and Crisp. We need a heavy hitter in this lineup, and Holliday could be a great pick-up.
What do you guys think?
#20
Posted by gerry, July 5, 2008 11:49 PM
IMO, with bases loaded and no outs, and Coco, Tek, Lugo up, you try to tie the game, with bunt. What were they thinking, that a miracle would happen, that perhance one of our three worst hitters will get a hit off Mariano?
I would let Manny go before Jacoby.
#21
Posted by Steven Roth, July 6, 2008 12:05 AM
Another thought: Why don't the Sox brass order Manny and Tek (and probably Lugo) to undergo eye checkups. It's not all that rare for guys heading into their late 30's to start to develop some eye issues, however slight it may be.
#22
Posted by Bob, July 6, 2008 12:17 AM
What's with all the Manny hate? He's in a slump that's it, pretty soon he'll be mashing again and you'll be wondering why you doubted him. Tek's bat on the other hand is visibly slow, and Lugo just sucks in general.
#23
Posted by hynes, July 6, 2008 1:39 AM
Bob, there's a difference between a hitting slump and a bat slowing down. Manny, while he's in a current slump; he's also showing signs of a slower bat then in previous years. Where he was able to turn on high fastballs in the past, now they tie him up for strike 3. Great examples of this could be seen in the Tampa series. His bat has fallen off like Tek's, but his bat's slowing -- which happens when you reach his age.
#24
Posted by Zach Hayes, July 6, 2008 11:51 AM
This Varitek slump isn't a fluke. His BABIP is only around .280, his LD% is down, and he's hitting more groundballs than ever. He won't finish the year at .220, but something like .230 is probably accurate. I know he prepares the pitchers well, but his defense is also visibly declining.
Guys, I hate to say it, but Lugo might be back next year. The FO really doesn't want another Renteria-type deal.
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