Game Story, 7.23.07: Early runs are every pitcher's friend

by Randy Booth on Jul 23, 2007 10:55 PM EDT in Game Stories

Source: Yahoo!

Boston Red Sox's Jon Lester delivers a pitch to Cleveland Indians' Josh Barfield in the third inning of a baseball game Monday, July 23, 2007, in Cleveland. Lester returned to the mound Monday for his first start since being diagnosed with cancer last August.

Red Sox win, 6-2

In his first major league start since recovering from cancer, Jon Lester held the Cleveland Indians to two runs over six solid innings of work while striking out six.

Lester was good tonight. It wasn't his best outing of his career, but I think he did a pretty good job considering the circumstances. His heart must have been pumping right out of his chest.

The offense got started early. Manny Ramirez doubled in the first that scored Coco Crisp and Dustin Pedroia. JD Drew singled right after that scored Kevin Youkilis, who was hitting in the 3-spot in the absence of David Ortiz. Mike Lowell grounded into a double play after, but that was still good enough to score Manny from third.

That'd be all the Sox would need. Crisp would score two more times in the night.

The bullpen was fantastic in relief of Lester tonight. Mike Timlin took the ball in the 7th and scattered a hit and a strikeout over 1.1 innings. After Javier Lopez struck out Travis Hafner in the 8th, Manny Delcarmen pitched the following 1.1 to earn his first save of his career.

The Indians aren't the best team, but I'm glad the Sox were able to take advantage of a really bad Jake Westbrook tonight. If the Sox couldn't beat him, I don't know who they could beat. The bullpen, once again, was very impressive. Timlin has earned his spot last in the game alongside Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon.

Lester and Crisp.

Nobody was Mendoza bad tonight.

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Woot. Go Lester!

Here's a fake story you all might enjoy:

I was working tonight, waited on a table, and one of the individuals was clearly an Indians fan. During Jon's trouble (4th) inning, he was rooting for Lester to lose his stuff. What I did next is pretty obvious. I politely explained to him that rooting against Jon Lester is like rooting for cancer. You don't root for cancer, and if you do, you can get the MFY out of my restaurant.

And not that he didn't do a good job, but I was hoping Randy would leave me the Game Story. My title would've been: "WP: Lester (1-0), LP: WhoTF cares, Jon Lester won." Also, the aforetold fake story would've been right up front.

by Allen Chace on Jul 24, 2007 1:23 AM EDT reply actions

A mendoza nominee

Concerning no Mendoza award nomination, I would disagree. Ramirez (or "Being" in your parlance) certainly did not act as a professional, who is paid millions to do so. Would you allow a physician to not do his best on any one patient because he got lazy or disoriented. That base lolly-gagging stunt that he does so often could well have cost the Sox this game! If it is untenable to deal with him equally because of his mental condition, then he is an overall detriment to the team! Remeber Jimmy Piersall?? If management condones this kind of behavior across the board, then Francona is worse than I thought. It angers me to watch Manny thumb his nose at professional play and still get rewarded!

by NG on Jul 24, 2007 8:00 AM EDT reply actions

Re: A mendoza nominee

Thumb his nose at professional play? He occasionally (less than most people think, anyway) admires nice hits. Sometimes they are his, sometimes they belong to someone else. He gets caught up in it. He also doubled in the first two Sox runs last night.

Could it have cost the game? Possibly. Did it, and did he not also contribute with two RBIs and a run scored?

And hell, sometimes his lolly-gagging and admiring has a purpose. Was it last season, or two seasons ago, when Scott Proctor said very publicly that "Being" was an easy out? Next time he faced Proctor, he took him very deep, and admired it for a long time. And I honestly think he deserved to do so.

Furthermore, how "professional" is it for individuals and journalists to make blanket statements about someone having a mental condition and/or being lazy without personally knowing that person? What's that saying about glass houses?

And c'mon. Management does not condone this behavior across the board, because Manny is really the only non-injured (Papi) player on this team who doesn't run everything out fully. This includes "lazy" J.D. Drew, who has turned a few GBs to the infield into hits this season.

If it angers you so much, then I'd almost suggest you find another team to root for. Manny's here for at least another season, no matter what rumors might fly, and the way in which he behaves will be here as well. Whether you like it or not, it's kind of a take it or leave it situation. Because at this point in his career, he's not changing his style, and it's foolish (if possibly a good thought) to expect him to.

P.S. We've called players out for unprofessional behavior before, most notably the game in which Papi was thrown out for arguing balls and strikes. Completely unacceptable. However, even if Manny might've had a double (I think a claim that he definitely would have is the claim of someone not being truly honest with themselves), he still was an integral part of the offense tonight.

by Allen Chace on Jul 24, 2007 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: A mendoza nominee

Amen. I listened to the ESPN "analysts" bloviate on Manny for three innings, saying how he cost us a run (he did not - he cost us an out. there's no basis for saying he would've scored had he still been on base) and that he was unprofessional. Whatever. Earlier, either Lowell or Tek - two consumate professionals - missed a sign and cost us an out, but the ESPN guys laughed it off. But when Manny makes a mental error and costs us an out, it's an affront to the game, etc.

I'm so sick of the double standard.

Just my two cents. Keep the change.

by tommy.otm on Jul 24, 2007 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions

let the skinny guys run and the fat one hit em hom

Allen Chace:
"...
Manny's here for at least another season, no matter what rumors might fly, and the way in which he behaves will be here as well.
..."

and it is a pleasant imagination for me that Manny could stay even longer with the Sox.

i sometimes get littlebit angry too about situations with Manny. but only for a splitsecond.

then i try think for a moment which other hitter i would like to have had as the consistent powerhitter for the sox in the last years.

he is the best righthanded hitter we could have and so i will forgive him over and over again.

relax on Manny.

after a while (needed quite some years; -) it starts to get amusing (1 interception? he tried it already again this year!).

as long as he hits (and he will, i am sure) and tries to play at least decent defense he does not hurt the team for real.

ps:
just could watch the first 3 innings yesterday.
Lester looked nice out there and the offense startet like i would like to see them all the time : -)

by OilCanBoyd on Jul 24, 2007 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: Why me? ;-)

Preaching to the choir here on all points. Not sure why you addressed me in your response, it's NG with all the negativity.

by Allen Chace on Jul 24, 2007 3:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: Why me? ;-)

sry,

wrong line : -(

wantedt to answer NG.

my fault.

by OilCanBoyd on Jul 24, 2007 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Re: Why me? ;-)

It's all good. I was just confused. :)

by Allen Chace on Jul 24, 2007 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Papi's defense

In Papi's defense that one time he got thrown out arguing balls in strikes against Zito and the Giants was possibly the worst call ever by a home plate umpire.

P.S. I say worst call by a home plate umpire because living in Saint Louis I've seen that play against the Royals in the WS 30000000 times.

by gnick55 on Jul 24, 2007 1:31 PM EDT reply actions

Re: Papi's defense

You're correct, of course, but going on and on about it in the first inning of a game in which we might've needed his bat?

by Allen Chace on Jul 24, 2007 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Not good

Yeah it certainly was not a good thing to do for the team but sometimes I think you gotta respond to such a terrible call.

by gnick55 on Jul 24, 2007 2:11 PM EDT reply actions

Re: Not good

Agreed there, and I might not've even given him the Mendoza for that game if he'd waited until, inevitably, there was a horrible call later in the game after he had, say, put the Sox ahead with maybe a solo HR and a two-run 2B. Would've been much easier to forgive at that point. :)

by Allen Chace on Jul 24, 2007 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions

OTM picks 7/24

off to class soon--- will move this to the game thread later:

Dice K's line : 7IP; 6H; 2R; 2BB; 7K

Player of the Game: Manny

Above & Beyond: Dice K gives up atleast one homer; Manny: int pass, HR & double; Drew : double & HR; Pedroia keeps his hitting streak going

by MassGal on Jul 24, 2007 2:50 PM EDT reply actions

Tonight's lineups...7-24-07

Boston Red Sox

D. Matsuzaka sp

J. Lugo ss
D. Pedroia 2b
K. Youkilis 1b
M. Ramirez dh
C. Crisp cf
M. Lowell 3b
J. Varitek c
J.D. Drew rf
W. Pena lf

Cleveland Indians

C.C. Sabathia sp

G. Sizemore cf
C. Blake 3b
V. Martinez c
T. Hafner dh
R. Garko 1b
J. Peralta ss
T. Nixon rf
B. Francisco lf
J. Barfield 2b

You can take the boy outta Boston, but you can't take the Boston outta the boy.

by B Cap on Jul 24, 2007 5:48 PM EDT reply actions

Re: OTM 7-24-07

POTG: "Being"
Dice-KKKKs Line: 7IP, 2ER, 4H, 3BB, 9K
A&B: Lugo drives in 2+ runs.

You can take the boy outta Boston, but you can't take the Boston outta the boy.

by B Cap on Jul 24, 2007 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions

On the money 7-24-07

Player of the Game: Cap'n Jack Sparrow
Dice-K's Line: 7 IP 6 H 3 ER 2 BB 7 K
Above and Beyond: Lugo's streak continues; Sox cotinue their streak of 10+ hit games

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Jul 24, 2007 6:19 PM EDT reply actions