Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
Unlike the Rays, the Red Sox haven't changed a lick since the Yanks last saw them. Of course that was just two days ago in Boston. Both the Yanks and Sox swept two-game series on the road to start the week (the Sox doing so in Cleveland while the Yanks were in Tampa). The two rivals reconvene in the Bronx tonight with a rematch of the last series opener that saw Chien-Ming Wang outpitch and outlast Clay Buchholz as the Yanks won 4-1 behind Wang's two-hitter.
The Yankee offense has averaged 5.17 runs over it's last six games, but averaged just four per game in Boston. The last time through the rotation they allowed 4.6 runs per game. The Red Sox averaged 4.3 runs per game against the Yanks over the weekend and allowed 3.8 runs per game the last time through their rotation.
Joe Girardi posts his 16th unique lineup in 16 games tonight with Chad Moeller still catching and Jorge Posada back at DH at the expense of Johnny Damon, who yields left field to Hideki Matsui. Melky Cabrera leads off. Posada hits sixth between lefties Matsui and Jason Giambi.
As we saw over the weekend, the typical Sox lineup with Mike Lowell on the DL looks like this (a slight variation from what I posted in my last preview):
L - Jacoby Ellsbury/S - Coco Crisp (CF)
R - Dustin Pedroia (2B)
L - David Ortiz (DH)
R - Manny Ramirez (LF)
R - Kevin Youkilis (3B)
L - J.D. Drew (RF)
S - Jason Varitek (C)
L - Sean Casey (1B)
R - Julio Lugo (SS)
Jacoby Ellsbury is the man in center for the Sox tonight.
He gets on base, runs well (especially when he isn't trying to steal with A-Rod at the plate.)
Am I on an island with this?
http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/16/chamberlains-father-much-better-says-girardi/
Chamberlain's Father 'Much Better,' Says Girardi
By Tyler Kepner
There was good news today from Joe Girardi about the status of Joba Chamberlain's father, Harlan, who was hospitalized on Sunday night in Lincoln, Nebraska.
"His father is progressing," Girardi said. "He's about 40 to 50 percent on the ventilator. He sat up today for about a half an hour. Joba says he's getting a little bit antsy, so that's a good sign. He's doing much better."
Does Girardi have any indication of when Joba might re-join the team?
"No, not yet," he said. "There's still some more tests, I believe, that have to be run. But obviously his father is doing much better than he was a couple of days ago."
Also, Pete sez Crisp is out due to a sore hamstring.
The big news, however, is that Jorge Posada might be able to catch tomorrow, which would be huge.
I don't think it would actually make that much difference, but I have a bit of a problem with Melky getting the most PAs.
Career OPS+ for Active Players and All-Time placement
03. Barry Bonds (43) 182 L
09. Albert Pujols (28) 168 R
19. Frank Thomas (40) 157 R
25. Manny Ramirez (36) 154 R
34. Jeff Bagwell 149 R
34. Jim Thome (37) 149 L
39. Vladimir Guerrero (32) 148 R
41. Lance Berkman (32) 147 B
41. Jason Giambi (37) 147 L
41. Alex Rodriguez (32) 147 R
Seems like Albert is the most dangerous hitter in the game.
Not a lot of talk about what a great career the Big Hurt has had.
I am stunned Bagwell is so high. Certainly underrated.
Berkman the same as ARod.
Giambi, for all his struggles over the last 3 year is tied with ARod.
Passes Williams and McCovey
15 Check out the fielding bible. I think it's reasonably inclusive
16 Are you serious? McFly?
I think that's carny for "Hits like Me"
Try GameDay instead. I think it's a lot faster and you get all that nice pfX info.
Click on the little field-shaped icon next to the BOS-NYY. You'll need the latest version of flash.
For those following on gamecast or whatever, Manny was pretty sure that last pitch was a ball, and he was halfway to first when the ump rang him up.
/Dr. Nick voice
What with all the crappy BUCs we've gone through the last few years, the odds had to go in our favor.
Let's go Jeter! Let's go Jeter! Let's go Jeter! De-rek Je-ter!
C. Buchholz 3.2 8 7 7 - 1 - 2 2 6.75
Ugh ... 5 hits in a row.
(it's only a game)
(it's only a game)
(it's only a game)
(it's only a game)
i can see his logic (including that he didn't want to bring in ollie to a tough bases-loaded situation being a rookie) but in the end, wang didn't have it at any point tonite and hoping that somehow he'd find it at that point seemed a little wishful, imho
anyway, wang's got most of the burden of this game ... blech
This game is going to be a long one, hoping it doesn't end with Papelbon striking out the side..
Does anyone know--in the olden days, were called strikes added to speed the game?
I'm watching the debate, but last I checked, we were up by three.
What in the hell is going on???
And, oh yeah, Ohlendorf strikes out the side.
I will point out, though, that I called for Mo to brought in at 7-4 bases loaded OR 7-6 first and second. That was (probably) the high leverage point of the game.
Cheer up guys, Julian Tavarez is on the mound. Happy fun hitting times all around.
I don't think there's really anything to Ohlendorf, with his so-so minor league numbers, but I'd much rather watch this for a few weeks than Kyle Farnsworth ever again.
JESUS... Matsui runs like a robot. He must be the slowest non-fat guy in baseball.
How about Gossage in 1977 or 1978? Not quite enough appearances or inning, but close enough.
I think they are going to fight like hell just to finish in third.
Tavarez must = Sox Fans' Farnsworth..
http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/shareit/dZJX
Stop sliding Melky. He needs to watch the Olympics this summer, and see how many sprinters dive across the finish line in the 100 m dash...
Our BUBUBUC was way out of the baseline.
Francona should be arguing that call. That should be a DP
This is not a serious baseball game.
Two things - I'd pitch Farns against Papi who's 0-7 lifetime and I think we have to be ready to pitch Mo 2 innings.
When is Joba coming back?
If I set the TiVo to record the rest of this game, how long should I have it go past 10 PM? Hour and a half? 3 hours? 4 hours?
291 Stay away from Bayonne, then >;)
everyone knows he's worse than hitler ... AND carl pavano ...
This looks like a wild one, huh? Seesaw game with lots of scoring. Has anyone pitched well?
(knock on wood)
He was safe!
.
.
.or smart baserunning, a la MacCarver?
He's just insane.
He's on everything.
Why don't you suggest something?
In fact, you do suggest something: to me you suggest a baboon.
366 looked clearly outside to me.
nice pitching by hawkins and bruney.
A] Mo
B] Bruney
C] Farnswhacker
SIGH. He played in the fucking world series in Yankee Stadium in 1976. He's been an announcer for years and has called many games there. Isn't it his business to know that it's called the frieze (or at least the facade)?
It's a Groucho joke.
Don't remember which film, but it was hilarious.
I'm just in a goofy mood.
Man, he's strong.
Was it actually Duck Soup? (I can never tell them all apart.)
Swordfish!
I guess it rolls off the tongue easier than "Jogging lethargically in the general direction of the ball is Manny Ramirez"
Dammit Giambi!
Did you see that?
I don't believe what I just saw.
Hey, Cliff, there it is, he did go the other way!!!!
407 i agree
Look at it this way--if he wanted to pile on, he could have PH for Moeller and moved Poada to C; given the core and itiuation, hi inability to throw would be immaterial, especially of the PH drove in additional runs.
I'm just playing with different tactics.
I would have liked to see the reception he got when he entered the game, but the Kat, et al. didn't comment on it.
Nice to see he has a sense of humor about all this.
I second the observation about Girardi and the BP. Amazing that in a game we won, that was often close and that had the starter pulled in the 5th inning we only used 4 relievers, and one of those for one pitch and none of them were Mo. Impressive BP management.
Lastly, wow on that A-Rod homer. Abreu's we were rooting for, A-Rod's we just admired off the bat. Man he's unreal.
Oh, last observation, a lot of fights at the stadium tonight. One, below us down the 3rd base line that I never caught what was going on, but an army of police and security personnel were running all over.
Worst part, when a "fan" and his friends moved down next to us in the 8th inning. The entire time he was there, he never once looked at the field, just kept taking pictures of his friends giving people the finger and talking. He was still talking when Bruney had 2 strikes on Manny. I'm sitting there seething, thinking, "You know, there are a lot of people that wish they could see this in person, and you aren't even watching the game." I'm sure he and his pals were some of the people chanting for Paul O'Neill the other night. Class acts, all the way.
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