GameThread: Braves @ Red Sox - June 19

by radiohix on Jun 19, 2009 7:21 PM EDT Comment 68 comments

I can't say how embarrassed I am that Matsuzaka is pitching for my team!

The lineups:

Red Sox
1. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
2. J.D. Drew, RF
3. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
4. Jason Bay, LF
5. David Ortiz, DH
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
8. Jason Varitek, C
9. Nick Green, SS
-- Daisuke Matsuzaka, RHP

Braves
1. Nate McLouth, CF
2. Yunel Escobar, SS
3. Chipper Jones, 3B
4. Brian McCann, C
5. Garret Anderson,. DH
6. Matt Diaz, LF
7. Casey Kotchman, 1B
8. Jeff Francouer, RF
9. Kelly Johnson, 2B
-- Kenshin Kawakami, RHP

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That has to be

One of the worst innings I’ve ever seen Dice pitch.

by ruktuim on Jun 19, 2009 7:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Some way, some how

He finded a way to get out of it with 2 runs aloowed!
Hopefully this will be his last start for a long time.

The only Red Sox fan in a country where nobody cares about basball!

by radiohix on Jun 19, 2009 7:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks to the unassisted DP, by Youk...

… who doesn’t, y’know, suck at baseball.

Unlike some people who we know

Whoa… You want me to strike people out? I dunno…

Rock me, sexy Jesus...

by nuthinboutnuthin on Jun 19, 2009 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

At least...

…we can DL him. No healthy man sucks that much…

Rock me, sexy Jesus...

by nuthinboutnuthin on Jun 19, 2009 7:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I disagree

I remember the days of Darren Lewis, Jose Offerman, and Ramon Martinez.

by RSNexile on Jun 19, 2009 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Geez.

I said he sucks , not he makes me want claw my eyes out…

Oh. Wait…

Rock me, sexy Jesus...

by nuthinboutnuthin on Jun 19, 2009 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kawakami, of course, strikes out the side.

Glad to see we made the right investment.

by USG on Jun 19, 2009 7:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Worse still...

Now Dice gets to pitch again

Rock me, sexy Jesus...

by nuthinboutnuthin on Jun 19, 2009 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

And he walks the man who thinks OBP is a joke stat.

by USG on Jun 19, 2009 7:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

lets not get crazy

nobody on the Sox has ever seen Kawakami, wait till they go around the order again.

by SoxAcumen on Jun 19, 2009 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Holy crap, Dice-K. Each pitch was a foot outside. To Francouer?!?!

Well, I'll appreciate for you to keep my zingers outta your mouth!

by BoSox415 on Jun 19, 2009 7:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

OMG

He walked Francoeur!!!!
This is the ultimate test that you suck!

The only Red Sox fan in a country where nobody cares about basball!

by radiohix on Jun 19, 2009 7:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Huh? Three outs?

Well, I'll appreciate for you to keep my zingers outta your mouth!

by BoSox415 on Jun 19, 2009 7:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

No runs?

What?

by USG on Jun 19, 2009 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

A strikeout?

Well, I'll appreciate for you to keep my zingers outta your mouth!

by BoSox415 on Jun 19, 2009 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Some facts about Frenchy

Jeff Francoeur has a .271 on-base percentage, .632 OPS and through Thursday had swung at the first pitch in 109 of 213 plate appearances!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The only Red Sox fan in a country where nobody cares about basball!

by radiohix on Jun 19, 2009 7:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Seriously...

… and thing is, he’s only at 30 pitches. Maybe it was just a rocky start?

(Nah, I didn’t think so either)

Rock me, sexy Jesus...

by nuthinboutnuthin on Jun 19, 2009 7:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

A hit?

by USG on Jun 19, 2009 7:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Fan interference?

What happened?

Rock me, sexy Jesus...

by nuthinboutnuthin on Jun 19, 2009 7:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yankees up 4-0

I think this situation is best described thusly:

Balls

by USG on Jun 19, 2009 7:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

After getting punked by the Nationals...

…the Yankees can suck it.

Rock me, sexy Jesus...

by nuthinboutnuthin on Jun 19, 2009 7:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ugh. Gonna strand Bay at second?

by USG on Jun 19, 2009 7:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Nope. At third.

Well, I'll appreciate for you to keep my zingers outta your mouth!

by BoSox415 on Jun 19, 2009 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

We stranded him at second.

McCann was nice enough to give him third.

by USG on Jun 19, 2009 7:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is it just me

or Does Kenshin have same impressive movement on his pitches?

by ruktuim on Jun 19, 2009 7:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

WTF kind of bounce was that? Damn.

by USG on Jun 19, 2009 7:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Scary, almost hit him in the face.

by ruktuim on Jun 19, 2009 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Sox should look into exorcising the infield dirt.

Seriously, there’s been a lot of funky bounces out there this year.

by lone1c on Jun 19, 2009 8:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pedroia avoids the tag at first.

But, please don’t get hurt, because that would mean we’d see a whole lot more of Jul-E6-o.

by lone1c on Jun 19, 2009 8:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Two Sox flyballs die before bouncing off the wall or going out.

This is the second or third day in a row that’s been happening. Is it the humidity (increasing the weight of the ball)?

by lone1c on Jun 19, 2009 8:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I hate to call this a bright side

But it looks like Dice-k isn’t gonna get out of this looking good. Hopefully they call this the last straw for now and we don’t have to see him for a few weeks.

by USG on Jun 19, 2009 8:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

+1

He’ll make it easier for Tito

The only Red Sox fan in a country where nobody cares about basball!

by radiohix on Jun 19, 2009 8:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He'd better be DL'd soon, then.

Otherwise, we have to send Bard down to the minors to make room for Smoltz, and then we’re short an arm in the bullpen if Dice-K implodes again.

by lone1c on Jun 19, 2009 8:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The offense is not bailing the starters out either

Second game in a row where they manage only ONE hit in 4+ innings!

The only Red Sox fan in a country where nobody cares about basball!

by radiohix on Jun 19, 2009 8:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

In their defense it's their first time facing Kenshin, and he is pitching a pretty good game.

by ruktuim on Jun 19, 2009 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Sox batters are hitting the ball reasonably well

The problem is the ball is dying on them.

by lone1c on Jun 19, 2009 8:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dammit Ellsbury

I’d love to see him catch that.

by Gnick on Jun 19, 2009 8:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Crowd Booing Dice-K is uncalled for.

by ruktuim on Jun 19, 2009 8:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

True.

However Dice-K’s WBC adventures—-and failures for the Sox—-has probably put off a large fraction of RSN.

by lone1c on Jun 19, 2009 8:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

WBC adventures?

He is horrible this year yes, but he gave us 18 wins last night. Booing a struggling players make us no better than MFY fans.

by ruktuim on Jun 19, 2009 8:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed.

However, the problem is that tonight, if there wasn’t booing and sarcasm, the park would be pretty much silent. (Again, a lot like NYY.)

by lone1c on Jun 19, 2009 8:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

True

by ruktuim on Jun 19, 2009 8:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not that I'd ascribe this noble or thoughtful a motivation to the crowd...

… but yeah. I’m a Red Sox fan, not a Dice-K fan. If Dice helps, I’m grateful – If he hurts their chances (directly by his performance, or potentially, by – say – throwing 97 pitches in the spring in a game meaningless to the Sox, but meaningful to Japan) then I’m unhappy.

Booing is extreme, though…

Rock me, sexy Jesus...

by nuthinboutnuthin on Jun 19, 2009 8:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Youk hurt himself in one of those meaningless games.

Spent time on the DL because of it. He was greatly missed in his absence.

Granted he came back like a bat out of hell. But if he struggles after do you think he gets booed?

by ruktuim on Jun 19, 2009 8:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No...

But I can’t imagine what a first-base play would look like that contributed this heavily to the Sox losing. Today, you’d need no offense and 6 ER of errors. At which point, yes, they would boo Youk…

Rock me, sexy Jesus...

by nuthinboutnuthin on Jun 19, 2009 8:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

(yes, I know not really 6 ER of errors)

Rock me, sexy Jesus...

by nuthinboutnuthin on Jun 19, 2009 8:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He didn't miss time during the regular season because of the WBC.

He had to go on the DL because his back seized up after getting HBP in the small of the back several times in the span of a week or so.

by lone1c on Jun 19, 2009 8:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It was his left oblique, which he injuried to begin with in the WBC.

He was jumping around and celebrating a win in the WBC and hurt it.

I’m not saying Youk should be booed, I’m simply pointing out Dice wasn’t the only Red Sox who injured himself during the WBC.

Also, there is also Ortiz who took part in the WBC. He was coming off an injury choose to play for The Dominican Republic. If he spend the spring with the team, didn’t take part in the WBC does he have this slump he was in?

by ruktuim on Jun 19, 2009 9:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Look at a guy like Okajima

He was invited to play in the WBC classic as well.

He however felt he did poorly the year before and wanted to work out his problem in spring training. He stayed home while Dice-K went….and Oki is doing amazing this year.

So in closing…..!*@& the WBC lol

by ruktuim on Jun 19, 2009 9:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Basically: The Japanese overwork their pitchers

But in the Japanese leagues, starters go less often, so they can work longer and practice harder. However, ramping up to their rather insane work schedules requires more preparation than the Sox off-season routine gave him.

Unfortunately, it was pretty much a no-win situation for the Sox.

by lone1c on Jun 19, 2009 9:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed no-win situation.

I also agree that the reason guys like, Hisashi Iwakuma (20 IP in WBC) and Yu Darvish (13 IP in WBC) still play in Japan. So they were use to the work. Dice-K (14.2 IP in the WBC) had at that point been away from a Japanese team.

Hell, Yu Darvish was used as a starter and a closer by the Japanese WPC team.

Yu and Hisashi are both having good season so far.

Yu Darvish: (2009 Season)
ERA: 1.20, 11 GS, 8 – 2 (Four complete games), 19 BB, 83 K, 90 IP

Hisashi Iwakuma: (2009 Season)
ERA: 2.83, 11 GS, 6 – 4 (One complete game), 17 BB, 46 K, 73 IP

Four complete games, talk about work load!

by ruktuim on Jun 19, 2009 9:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs