Game 2 (aka. 143) Postgame: Lester Bags Big Game

by 0157H7 on Sep 14, 2009 12:23 AM EDT in Game Stories

How the tables have turned. At the start of the year, who would have predicted that the Rays would have fallen so far? Certainly not me. The season can't end soon enough for the Rays: the only contest they face now is to avoid breaking their club record for consecutive losses (15), having lost their last 11 games.

After a taut first game, the Sox faced another tough pitcher in James Shields. They scratched out a run in the second on a RBI ground out by Lowell, and two more in the sixth; Bay added a homer in the eight, his 32nd. Lester was dominant, K'ing seven while allowing only three walks and two hits.

Wagner took the mound in the 9th to preserve the 4-0 lead, and gave his best vintage-2009 Jonathan Papelbon impersonation: he allowed two baserunners and threw only fastballs, and he closed it out without surrendering a run. Nicely done, boys, although at this point, beating Tampa is like, well, shooting fish in a barrell.

Poll

After the Rays' disappointing performance in 2009, will all three of their die-hard fans switch allegiances?

Yes. They will throw their support behind a team with a future. That's right: the Baltimore Orioles!

35 votes

Definitely. There's only so much cognitive dissonance the human mind is capable of.

31 votes

No. As long as there is a luxury tax, there will be money to subsidize the salaries of the Rays fans.

48 votes

I find this question highly offensive. As a devoted fan who followed the Rays for weeks, months even, before their breakout season, I will never desert the team.

19 votes

133 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 10 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Also of note

The M’s shutout the Rangers in the night portion of the doubleheader after choking in the day game, so the Sox now lead by four in the WC race.

by lone1c on Sep 14, 2009 12:44 AM EDT reply actions

I love the Yankee fans this year.

They are so puffed up about their record, strutting their stuff, but you know they’re all quaking in their boots thinking about having to face Beckett, Lester, and Buchholz. Bring on CC and AJ!

by the git on Sep 14, 2009 12:53 AM EDT reply actions

I've gotta say

As scary as their lineup can be, they really are looking shaky when it comes to their rotation. After CC, who regularly performs an infamous postseason disappearing act, they have Burnett who has spent the last month blowing up every other start, and the last few years getting injured every other start.

Then there’s Joba, who hasn’t managed to record a quality start since July, and has been giving up 2 or 3 runs in 2 or 3 innings of late. Andy Pettitte, while no disaster, is still only solid at best.

I’d take our top 3 any day of the week, month, or year.

Beckett, aside from the homer streak (which seems to be in the past), has performed like the ace he’s expected to be aside from an inflated BB/9 that’s been falling for the last 4 months. And let’s not forget his playoff reputation when not injured.

Lester simply is the ace he was expected to become. He hasn’t had a monthly ERA over 2.6 since June, and he’s a top 5 strikeout pitcher in the MLB. He’s dominant.

Buchholz entered the season an unknown, but has done nothing but prove himself time and again. And given his original projection, there’s no reason to expect it to go away.

The Yankees may be intimidating, but the Sox are probably the most well balanced team in the league—especially for the playoffs, where one of the #4/#5 slots disappears

by Ben Buchanan on Sep 14, 2009 2:09 AM EDT up reply actions

The wild card in this scenario is the New Toilet.

I take Beckett-Lester-Buchholz over Sabathia-Burnett-Joba/Pettite for sure at Fenway, but with four games at the $1.5 billion wind tunnel, who knows what will happen. Those currents that turn pop-ups into home runs frightens me.

by lone1c on Sep 14, 2009 2:27 AM EDT up reply actions

Lock up the games at Fenway...

And then that task gets a lot easier.

@bs_uf15bosox9be The Original Gameday; Learn to use SB Nation

by bdalebs on Sep 14, 2009 6:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Yankee starters

Petitte’s been way better than expected this year. Hard to say if he’ll be as dominant in the postseason. My sense is he’s at least not untouchable. (I’d be more concerned with Hughes coming out of the pen!)

CC’s postseason numbers are (mostly) frighteningly bad. Did he get used too much late in the year, and have nothing left? Dunno. But GEEZ.

Joba’s a flake. Burnett’s a crap shoot. Who knows what you’ll get with either of them?

I trust Beckett/Lester/Buchholz over any combo of those 4. Of course, I don’t know who or if a 4th starter will be used.

Plus I trust Damon to forget how many outs there are, and throw a live ball into the stands, or Swisher to make a similar fielding blunder.

by Mister Snitch on Sep 14, 2009 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Magic Number for the WC is 17

With a 4 game lead. Definitely not out of the woods yet, but we’ve been lingering around a 2 game lead in the WC for a while, so I’ll take it.

Sadly for the Rays, I’m shocked they had fans in the first place. I can’t imagine they still have them after this year. That is, until the Rays actually look like they could make the World Series again, and then they’ll claim they were just hiding or something. I think this should’ve been a poll option. : )

by Tai on Sep 14, 2009 12:58 AM EDT reply actions

Time to get rid of the cowbells.

Maybe they can try washboards or something.

Man I love that tuna casserole.

by Bloggy on Sep 14, 2009 6:45 AM EDT reply actions

Sox Fans the Worst??

A Tampa radio station had a poll about the worst football fans. 2 people called to vote for Sox fans. They and the hosts ripped all over Sox fans.
Have they ever heard Rays fans? I’ve gone to games at the Trop. Before they even had a winning season they would denigrate the Sox (hmm, teams that win most of their games probably don’t suck). They were obnoxious and clueless.
It’s been great down here the last few weeks. EVERYONE has jumped on their wagon, and the big talk has vanished. I love it.

"simul justus et peccator"

by cavman on Sep 14, 2009 4:40 PM EDT reply actions

Jumped off the wagon, I assume is what you mean.

There’s still a lot of fans at my school, even if they are a lot less vocal. That being said, there’s still a lot of bandwagon Sox fans, so we should probably avoid that topic until we manage to dump the wagon.

@bs_uf15bosox9be The Original Gameday; Learn to use SB Nation

by bdalebs on Sep 14, 2009 6:41 PM EDT up reply actions