Game 145: Today's Tom Sawyer

Final Score:

Boston Red Sox 5, Toronto Blue Jays 3

Big Papi, Rush...We're Not Worthy

In tribute to Rush, present at tonight’s festivities, we present another edition of Ego & Superego. For Alan’s benefit: Robin’s comments are in italics.

Spent the evening at casa-de-la Eric. Sox were hot, beer was cold and the women were not surprisingly absent. Also, I think Geddy Lee is 100,000 years old. He looks like the love child of Kate Moss and Skeletor.

If the Sox lost tonight, especially if they lost by a run, I was going to talk about the bad call in the second when Graffanino tagged out Hillenbrand, only to see him called safe at second because the umpire somehow missed the tag. It would have been a discussion about the problems of the game, how there should be an instant replay or at least umpire consultation on plays like this one.

I was as mad as I’ve ever been. HOW do you miss that call? The ump was RIGHT THERE and it was obvious Graff hit him flush. Although, in the long run, instant replay would be pretty annoying. Imagine waiting all day to see if Francona wants to challenge a call. The game is slow enough already.

However, there needs to be no discussion, partially because of that same Tony Graffanino, who went 3 for 4 and a triple shy of the cycle, knocking around Josh "Faulty" Towers like he was in his mind, reading his pitches. Graff knocked in two runs and scored two runs and hit a (wicked pissah) home run to put the Sox on top temporarily in the fifth and I love him so very much. I have no idea what the free agent market is like this coming winter for second basemen, but Tony G. is definitely making a big bid to get the resign from the Sox.

I would have been a lot more pleased with the Graff homer if Kapler didn’t DESTROY himself (ruptured Achilles tendon) rounding second on it. Only the Red Sox can manage a season-ending injury on a homerun.

There is also no need for discussion about instant replays and such ilk because of David Ortiz, who just owns (seriously). I was thinking about it, after he hit his career-high 42nd home run, about how Big Papi may be his nickname, but it might as well be all we call him because good enough superlative adjectives just fail the mind.

But they still pitch to him. I am glad everyone is dumb but me.

Clutch hitting may not exist, but somehow every time we need a David Ortiz bomb, we get one. Tonight’s gem came with the score tied, 3 to 3, in the eighth, with 2 outs, with Robin and I not paying full attention to the game, only to be startled back to reality by the slight and sound of Ortiz CRUSHING an outside fastball up and out over the centerfield wall. He reached for the ball and he still destroyed it. Words fail me.

It’s almost not worth talking about anymore. He does it every night. If Ortiz is coming up and it’s the 8th inning or later in a close game, they should just credit the Sox with a run. In the end, it might be less psychologically damaging for the other teams.

Red Sox escape from Toronto with the series victory and return home to face Oakland in a four game match up starting tomorrow night, Schilling versus Blanton.

I know he is another young pitcher that the Sox haven’t faced so we are slated to do AWFUL…but come on! It’s freaking Joe Blanton! Not a lot of volts from this outlet.

GO SOX!!! GO SOX!!!

tags: baseball | red sox | david ortiz | tony graffanino | gabe kapler
(These stink! Who uses these?)

Game 131: Ego & Superego

Final Score:

Boston Red Sox 7, Tampa Bay Devil Rays 6

Introducing Robin, long time friend, long time commenter, now a writing force to be reckoned with as the second voice of this blog. We’re going to experiment with a few different posting formats, but the result will be better and more coverage overall. For this post, Robin’s words are in italics; here’s his introduction in his own words:

If Eric is the coffee, I am the lap you spill it in. If he is a bright day, I am a drunken night. He's water, I'm a flaming shot. Born and raised a Masshole, I now one of the many Sox fans living behind enemy lines on the New York front. I find sports to be the greatest source of both triumph and suffering... and nothing is funnier than those two things.

Enjoy.

---

It must be rough to be Tampa Bay, score 6 runs 3 nights in a row, take the early lead two of those nights and see your game taken apart by the monstrous offensive power the Red Sox are able to muster.

The only thing that blew more than the starting pitching of this game, was the wind out over the monster.

Although Wakefield gave up three home runs for five runs in his eight innings of work, he, like Schilling the night before was able to hold the line after an early rough start until the offense could get everything back, retiring his last 16 batters and striking out 4 in a row.

Seriously, Wakefield needs to keep that knuckle ball LOW or it ends up on the Mass Pike. His pitch selection is 1) Knuckle 2) Curve 3) Hanging Curve 4) “Fastball” 5) Meatball.

Powered by home runs by Mirabelli, Ortiz and two by Millar (yes, you read that right – I think the man’s starting to find his swing again – maybe it’s the new haircut), the Sox made it 5 – 5 and then, with Millar’s second home run, 7 – 5.

Apparently the Peroxide leeched into his brain, damaging the area that made him pop out in foul territory whenever there are men on base. I hope he and Schilling used the same bottle so he can get his ERA somewhere below his waist size. Also, rivers ran red with blood, locusts filled the air, fire fell from the sky and Mirabelli stole his second base of the year last night. Worth noting.

Mike Timlin came on in the ninth, gave up a double then ground out three outs, allowing a single run to score.

Timlin is the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of this bullpen. Sometimes he’s lights out, sometimes I want to crap in my hand just so I have something to throw at the TV.

In his post-game press conference, Millar invoked the gods of 2003 (but, thankfully, with the manager of 2004) with his Cowboy Up hat and desire to “get this city rockin' and rollin' and forget about the first five months of the season.” If that’s what it takes for more home runs (hell, even more production), I’m all for it – they can even bring back the Rally Karaoke video.

Are you kidding me? Bleached blonde men singing karaoke? When did the Red Sox clubhouse turn into the Manhole?

Going off of yesterday’s theme of Keith Foulke going low-intensity (He threw like crap) during his rehab assignment, Foulke told the press that he hopes his return to the majors and the resultant pressure to perform will increase his abilities back to where they should be. I’m not sure if I’m gratified that Foulke is being so candid, or terrified that we’re pinning our post-season hopes on a guy who needs external pressure sources to get his game going. I guess some people are wired that way; at least his sliders looked like they were supposed to.

Oh I’m sure! I am SURE that seeing him pick away at the corners of the plate with a 90mph fastball will make me go insane.

The Wells aftermath: after his meeting yesterday, Wells apologized to Bud Selig for his comments earlier this week, saying that he misunderstood the steroids policy and that there isn’t a big conspiracy in the MLB offices to get him or allow steroids users to play after they’ve tested positive. Of course, none of us know what happened behind those closed doors, so it’s likely that the truth is somewhere in the middle.

What happened was probably similar to the Russian Roulette scene from Deer Hunter. A loaded pistol is the only thing I can think of to make him do a total 180 like he did. Stick to guns Boomer and find us the truth! Where are the test results? Who’s on the juice? Is Michelle Damon that hot in real life? Get us the answers!

Meanwhile, the Sox aren’t sure who they’re going to pitch tomorrow – Lenny DiNardo’s name is floating around as a possible option.

DiNardo? That’s great. Its not like these games are important or anything.

Tonight, the Sox go for the sweep, with Arroyo against Doug Waechter. August is over now, Bronson – time to take the first step in improving the worst Boston month ERA since May, 2003. GO SOX!!!

Get the brooms! Guns and Corn is due for a good outing and Doug “Weight” Waechter has the “I’m gonna get shelled” look about him. Let’s do it…GO SOX!!!

tags: baseball | red sox | david wells | keith foulke | tim wakefield | kevin millar