Game 100: The post-ASB slide continues

by Randy Booth on Jul 30, 2009 1:24 AM EDT in Game Stories

Final - 7.29.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Oakland Athletics	5	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	8	10	2
Boston Red Sox	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	6	9	1
WP: Brett Anderson (6 - 8) SV: Andrew Bailey (13) LP: Brad Penny (7 - 5)

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And that's another down the tube.

Brad Penny gave up five runs in the first and it was all no good from there as the Sox lose to the A's, 8-6, on Wednesday.

Penny gave up seven runs in five innings of work. Plus seven hits, four walks and he struck out just three. He drops to 7-5 on the season.

Meanwhile, the offense wasn't as bad as it's been. Six runs on nine hits. Mike Lowell led the offense by going 2 for 3 with five RBIs and a run scored. He hit a three-run home run in the first inning, knocked in one on a sac fly in the eighth and singled in one more in the ninth. Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia each had two hits, while Ellsbury also scored three runs.

The bullpen was fine. After blowing up Tuesday, Justin Masterson gave up one run in two innings of work, but it was an unearned run. Takashi Saito and Ramon Ramirez each worked an inning, but didn't allow a run.

One more with the A's Thursday at 1:35 p.m. For the love of the Good Left Fielder Jim Rice, please let's split this series. Jon Lester is on the mound, looking for his 10th win of the season.

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Comments

hahahahahahah

go A’s hopefully the rays pull the division out of their ass but ill take the yankees as long as those band wagon dont know shit about baseball and overrate everybody on the team fans of the red sox dont make the playoffs

by Chris Schlitz on Jul 30, 2009 1:39 AM EDT reply actions

Band wagon, don’t know shit about baseball and overrate everybody on the team … fans.

K, dude.

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Jul 30, 2009 1:47 AM EDT up reply actions

Bandwagon?

You probably became an A’s fan in the late 80’s with the Bash Brothers you tool, don’t speak of bandwagon.

by sonicdeathmonkey on Jul 30, 2009 2:26 AM EDT up reply actions

you do realize...

that “fans” don’t make the playoffs right? Its actually the players and the eam. We just root for them. You seemed confused so I thought I’d clear it up for you. Thanks for playing though, your consolation prize is being mocked for the next couple hours. Enjoy.

We are not normal. We are legends.

by NittanyAlum02 on Jul 30, 2009 10:01 AM EDT up reply actions

So...

I’m not as mad about tonight as I was last night mainly because our offense actually did alright and Brad Penny sucking doesn’t really shock me.

But we NEED to win tomorrow though and we have to get hot or else the Yankees are just gonna destroy us in the Bronx and we can pretty much kiss the divison and maybe even the wildcard depending on how bad it goes good bye.

by sonicdeathmonkey on Jul 30, 2009 2:24 AM EDT reply actions

You got mad last night when our offense scored 8 runs and we still didn't win?

Honestly, I’ve been perfectly fine with our offense through this season. It’s our bullpen followed by a shitty starting pitcher that’s been the reason for our losses.

by South Coast Ghost on Jul 30, 2009 3:05 AM EDT up reply actions

Replace "series" with "season" and it becomes a much better point

by South Coast Ghost on Jul 30, 2009 3:05 AM EDT up reply actions

Well I was mad the other night...

of the way it happened.

by sonicdeathmonkey on Jul 30, 2009 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions

What?

Our offense did alright? Lowell drove in five runs, how many did the rest drive in? Yousless struck out four times, Bay three…please. this team deserves NO praise right now…
DB

by db24 on Jul 30, 2009 7:54 AM EDT up reply actions

It sure is beginning to look and feel like 2006 all over.

At least to me anyway.

by NG on Jul 30, 2009 8:03 AM EDT up reply actions

Oh, Jezuz. Here we go again...

Is the two weeks you said you were gonna take off up already??

by Bloggy on Jul 30, 2009 8:05 AM EDT up reply actions

In case you have not noticed

the facts on the ground seem to support me. Maybe you cannot bring yourself to realize what is happening, but I note that many others around here are beginning to get it. This is only an average team, and if that is okay with you, then fine. However some of us, me anyway, only get interested when it is an above average team, so that is why I feel anxious and disappointed because I do not like to watch losing teams, especially when they usually cannot throw a single runner out at third, nevermind second!.

by NG on Jul 30, 2009 8:41 AM EDT up reply actions

Oh, don't get me wrong...

…I have concerns.

First concern? This team seems to be spinning its tires. All teams go into skids, the Yankees did in the early part of the year and now they are, according to some on this site certainly, “unbeatable”. So I see no reason to believe that the Sox righting their ship is impossible. There is ample time. Not to say that we should rest on our laurels and that there’s no work to be done. Just that I’m not ready to kiss off the year just yet.

Second concern? You are absolutely @#$%ing OBSESSED with the year 2006, and will take any and all opportunities to bring it up. I don’t know if you lost a pile of money on that season, or if your girlfriend left you, or what. But I think you would be happier with the Sox missing the playoffs than you would be with a World Series just so you could say I told you so.

by Bloggy on Jul 30, 2009 9:01 AM EDT up reply actions

If they are close come mid Sept., then I will be around

actually hoping they get into the playoffs. Really! If it is like 2006 (as I suspect), well I will not be here to say I told you so because I tune out when the Sox act like they did for the first 20 years of my life. I don’t enjoy watching this fanchise (or baseball for that matter) when the Sox lose their competitive edge. I just don’t.

by NG on Jul 30, 2009 9:46 AM EDT up reply actions

There’s a phrase for that: “fair weather fan”.

by Bloggy on Jul 30, 2009 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions

Yup, that' me.

by NG on Jul 30, 2009 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions

So in the

end you are not really a fan at all, just a frontrunner with a deep losing obesession.

Once again, more informed.

by jkeough on Jul 30, 2009 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions

You know whatb they call people like that?

They call them MFY fans.

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

by Drugs Delaney on Jul 30, 2009 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions

"However some of us, me anyway, only get interested when it is an above average team,"

Yeah, if that quote is really true, you are not really a fan, nor do I personally value your opinion on the team at all. Thanks though. There are a lot of people that post on this board that have an incredible amount of baseball knowledge, way more than I have, and they provide value to the site. Of course its a lot nicer to win, but it doesn’t change my interest in the team. I guess for me, I tend to be interested in the team if we are winning or not.

We are not normal. We are legends.

by NittanyAlum02 on Jul 30, 2009 10:08 AM EDT up reply actions

I perfer...

to think it feels like 2004 again. The Red Sox had a horrible July and August before winning the World Series, I’d like to see the glass has half full. Plus they don’t have all the injuries and Manny benching himself like they did in ‘06, they’re just slumping.

Having a crappy July is nothing new to Boston, the Sox now just have to fight out of it again.

by sonicdeathmonkey on Jul 30, 2009 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions

June and July are usually the Sox' worst months

In 2004, the Sox sucked in June, had an eh July, and then caught fire in August and September. In 2007, the Sox also struggled in June and were 3 games over .500 in July. Last year, the Sox were awful in July (.458 WP). The 2008 Sox went 34-19 (.618 WP) in Agust and September.

This year, the Sox had a great April (.636 WP), a medicore May (.517), an outstanding June (.692 WP), and have struggled in July (.478 WP). Although, if the Sox win today and tomorrow, they finish at 13-12 (.520) for the month.

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

by Drugs Delaney on Jul 30, 2009 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions

Thanks

I thought it was August in ’04 but June makes more sense.

So hey, here’s to catching fire in August!

by sonicdeathmonkey on Jul 30, 2009 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions

DID YOU NOT WATCH THE SCENES IN FEVER PITCH...

IN WHICH THE SOX’ STRUGGLES COINCIDE WITH THE BREAKUP OF FALLON AND BARRYMORE?!?!?

I need help if I just remembered that from that movie.

@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.

by bdalebs on Jul 30, 2009 5:30 PM EDT up reply actions

The only...

good thing I have to say about Fever Pitch is that it was better than that poorly acted Bronx is Burning series lol.

by sonicdeathmonkey on Jul 31, 2009 2:29 AM EDT up reply actions

The backend of our rotation really worries me

i’d love to see some comparison of the number 3-5 guys of other contenders. I feel its our greatest weakness right now (the offense is just slumping but will eventually get out of it). 2 out of 5 days i expect us to win and 3 of 5 i hope we can pull of a win somehow.

by German Red Sox Fan on Jul 30, 2009 3:32 AM EDT reply actions

BCTs presents a one-man play: Brad Penny After Every All-Star Break

Scene 1

BRAD: What pitch should I throw here?
BRAD: I know. How about a fastball right down the middle?
BRAD: I don’t know. I can’t decide between that and a fastball right down the middle.
BRAD: How about I throw a changeup that’s 2 mph slower than my fastball?
BRAD: Perfect.

The end.

All kidding aside, three and a half out of first in late July is not a bad place to be. There’s reason for concern, but not reason for panic.

More casual than the average fan.

by baseball conspiracy theories on Jul 30, 2009 9:35 AM EDT reply actions

"For the love of the Good Left Fielder Jim Rice"

HA!

Lester = stopper. I agree with baseball conspiracy theories – it will be OK.

"You know," Girardi said, shrugging his shoulders, "it didn't work."

( Joe Girardi on pitching to Manny Ramirez with first base open)

by MassGal on Jul 30, 2009 10:08 AM EDT reply actions

Theo: Get Off Your Arse

and do what it takes to sign Halladay. What an opportunity to give us a tremendous 1-2-3 rotation. Stop worry about “prospects” who MIGHT be good – get this guy, and the Sox are back in business.

by ccthemovieman on Jul 30, 2009 11:53 AM EDT reply actions

Halladay is a great pitcher, but it does matter what you give up for him

A lot of people (both fans and media) overrate the impact of one player. Sure, a rotation with Beckett, Lester, and Halladay at the top of it would be very strong. But the Braves had Maddox, Glavine, and Smoltz in their primes. How many WS did they win?

Theo’s object is to win for years to come, no just this year and next year. I hate when people make the comparison between “just prospects” and “proven players.” All trades—and player signings—come with risks. If the Sox are high on certain players in their farm system, I’d assume they know what they’ve got. The Sox’ FO has a good track record of drafting and developing players. The prospects and young players they’ve moved haven’t worked out as well as those they’ve kept, which is another sign that they are good at evaluating talent. How many trades for “proven players” haven’t worked out?

Halladay is a great pitcher. But, he is 32-years old. The questions the Sox have to answer are: how good will the players Toronto wants be in the near future? Can we re-sign Halladay at the end of his current contract (and for how much)? How good will Halladay be from 2011-2015, and will he be better than the 3-4 players the Sox traded to get him?

There are many here and in the media that wanted the Sox to trade Jon Lester as part of a package to get Johan Santana, then the “best pitcher in baseball.” The Sox didn’t want to move Lester, who was “just a prospect” for the “proven” Santana. A year later, Lester is better than Santana. Lester is also younger and much cheaper, which allows the Sox the flexibility to be more competitive in the future.

Few trades are a slam dunk.

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

by Drugs Delaney on Jul 30, 2009 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions