Sox finally get a win over M's

by Randy Booth on Jul 22, 2008 12:05 PM EDT in Game Stories

via d.yimg.com -- Jason Varitek hit a two-run bomb in the fifth inning.

Thank the Baseball Gods, the Red Sox won a game.

And it looked kind of easy for them. Jon Lester was a stud on the mound, pitching 7.1 innings and allowing just eight hits, no runs, no walks and striking out six. That's a damn good line. With that start he solidified himself as the best starter the Sox have had this season.

Jonathan Papelbon saw some work and shut down the M's. He came in the 8th with one out on the board and threw two pitches to get out of the inning. He went unscatched in the ninth to earn his 29th save.

Offensively, let's thank Jason Varitek who hit a bomb to put the Sox up 2-0 in the fourth. He finished with two hits and a walk. Slump over? No. 9 hitter Jed Lowrie proved his worth as well with a single in the eighth inning that put the Sox up 4-0.

It's nice to see some production at the bottom of the lineup. The bottom four hitters (Kevin Youkilis, Coco Crisp, Varitek and Lowrie) reached base six times via walk, six times via hit and had all four RBIs.

A win is a win, but a sweep against one of the worst teams in baseball is a necessity.

COMMENT OF THE GAME:
"Ellsbury has a high MSI lately ... MSI = Momentum Sucking Index" - Drugs Delaney

Tweet Comment 17 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Jason Varitek? 2-run bomb?

Those don’t belong in the soem sentence unless “did not hit” is between them.

I’m glad for the bottom of the order to actually do something besides make an out. Good for Lowrie.

He who hesitates is tagged out between first and second base.

by BoSox415 on Jul 22, 2008 12:26 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah, can you imagine

Lugo hitting a two-run single when we needed it? I can’t. I hope Tito is paying attention and also glad he finally used Papelbon in the 8th inning instead of “usual suspects.”

by ccthemovieman on Jul 22, 2008 1:08 PM EDT reply actions

And thankfully, Paps looked good.

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Jul 22, 2008 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions

I can imagine it.

And then trumpets would blow, the seals would open, the beast would stalk the earth, and a pale rider with a name tag saying “Hi, I’m Death, and You’re Next” would appear.

by 0157H7 on Jul 22, 2008 3:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Just an Idea

Watching last nights great game and seeing Tek Jack that 2 run homer got me thinking. Last night Tek was 2 for 2 from hitting right handed. Over the course of the season he has a line of .268/.349/.411 from the right side.

Maybe he is just too “old” to be a switch hitter anymore. What if he put more focus on hitting just right handed. He has always hit better from that side. He already has alot of research to do with the pitchers he doesn’t need more with trying to figure out his swing mechanics from not just one side of the plate but from two.

Would we not have enough left handed bats? Would he not be able to effectively hit against right handed pitchers anyways?

by drabidea on Jul 22, 2008 4:40 PM EDT reply actions

Report from Seattle

Two points:

1. I want royalites from the newly created MSI inbex from ?? my ideas!

2. I covered myself last night either way by betting my daughter-in-law for a hot dog during tonight’s game that the Sox would lose last night. I felt I would be a winner either way because I really wanted the Sox to win, but if they did not, I at least got a hot dog out of it! As for the game, well I would have to agree with Randy Booth when he said: A win is a win, but a sweep against one of the worst teams in baseball is a necessity. Seattle IS REALLY THAT BAD. They seem almost lifeless out there, and their fans know it. It would be really a bad sign if the Sox do not win this series, but if Francona stays with starters too long, he might yet snatch defeat from the jaws of victory!.

BTW, when you go to a sox game in Baltimore, you almost expect a majority of fans to be Sox fans there, but in Seattle??? It is true,however, that there are at least as many Sox fans running around this city now as Mariner’s fans. Hell, we could take over the city if we wanted to! Interesting stuff.

by NG on Jul 22, 2008 5:36 PM EDT reply actions

I bet lots of peopl came up from Portland

At least I always used to when I lived out there.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Jul 22, 2008 11:14 PM EDT up reply actions

This article was on the google news feed today.

I saved a screen grab, but I forgot to email it to myself from work.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Jul 22, 2008 11:15 PM EDT reply actions

ping!

Bottom 9th B:1 S:0 O:0 With Bill Mueller batting, Dave Roberts steals (1) 2nd base.

by britsoxfan on Jul 23, 2008 6:51 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, that's crappy quality.

But if you squint and sort of look through the screen…

Bottom 9th B:1 S:0 O:0 With Bill Mueller batting, Dave Roberts steals (1) 2nd base.

by britsoxfan on Jul 23, 2008 6:52 AM EDT up reply actions

So Over the Monster's based in NH, eh?

Must have sweet offices with a crack team of writer-reporters, fact-checkers, and ad-men. How else could we get on Google New feed?

by 0157H7 on Jul 23, 2008 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Bribes, largely.

And sleeping with the right people.

Bottom 9th B:1 S:0 O:0 With Bill Mueller batting, Dave Roberts steals (1) 2nd base.

by britsoxfan on Jul 23, 2008 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions

With the wrong people for the right reasons.

"Are you a real doctor, or a doctor like Dr. Pepper is a doctor?"

by Allen Chace on Jul 24, 2008 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions

Congratulations to you, Mr Coli

You’ve been news-feeded. (News-fed?)

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=walkaholics&btnG=Search

Bottom 9th B:1 S:0 O:0 With Bill Mueller batting, Dave Roberts steals (1) 2nd base.

by britsoxfan on Jul 23, 2008 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Not exactly what I meant

I meant that I went to google.news, scrolled down to sports, and this OTM article was featured. And it was at work, where I hardly ever read about baseball, so it wasn’t tailoring itself to me.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Jul 23, 2008 10:13 PM EDT up reply actions