October 1st vs New York

[yankeessuck013]

Game Info

Date: Saturday, October 1st, 2005

First Pitch: 1:20 pm ET

TV: FOX

 

Starting Pitchers:

 

http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/baseball/mlb/players/4288.jpghttp://bellsouthpwp.net/c/h/chinigor/TALKSOX/VS.GIFhttp://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/baseball/mlb/players/4906.jpg

 

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/mlb/images/team_logos/50x50/nyy.gif #41 Randy Johnson (16-8, 3.79)

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/mlb/images/team_logos/50x50/bos.gif #49 Tim Wakefield (16-11, 3.96)

 

Wakefield looks to knuckle down

 

New York (94-66) at Boston (94-66), 1:20 p.m. ET

 

With two games left in the regular season, the Red Sox are basically back where they started when they left Spring Training. They are tied with the Yankees, their opponent for these next two days.

 

"New season," said Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz. "[On Saturday,] you have to come out and play the same way. You never know between these two teams. These two teams have a lot of history, but history has been changing lately. It's not what happened in the past, it's what's happening now."

 

Saturday afternoon's pitching matchup is a beauty, as Tim Wakefield goes for the Red Sox and Randy Johnson takes the ball for the Yankees. Both pitchers have been their team's best down the stretch.

 

After getting off to a good start in this crucial series by downing the Yankees, 5-3, in the opener, the Sox have no intention of taking their foot off the accelerator. They know full well how dangerous the Yankees are.

 

"We feel like we have to win every game," said Red Sox center fielder Johnny Damon. "We know if we don't, we may have to play in New York again. We have so many important games. It was a must win [Friday]. It's a must win for both teams [saturday]. We have to keep our hopes alive. Both teams have worked very hard all season. Now we're down to the point in the season where one could be in and one could not be in."

 

And there's still a chance, after all this, that both teams could be in. The Guardians lost Friday night, putting them a game behind Boston and New York in the Wild Card standings.

 

Last time the Red Sox faced the Big Unit, he had his A-game. That was in the Bronx on Sept. 11, when the Yankees downed Wakefield and the Sox in a 1-0 epic.

 

"Get prepared; you're going to face a tough guy," said Ortiz. "This game, you never know what's going to happen. I haven't had a lot of success against Randy, but I've had some good at-bats."

 

The Yankees badly want to erase the taste of squandering a 3-0 lead against the Red Sox in last year's American League Championship Series. Boston has no interest in allowing the New York to exact such revenge, particularly at Fenway Park.

 

"They're hungry. They're hungry to get what we have," Damon said. "We've been fighting real hard this season."

 

Pitching matchup

NYY: LHP Randy Johnson

• 16-8, 3.79 ERA in 2005

• 4-0, 3.62 ERA vs. BOS in 2005

 

BOS: RHP Tim Wakefield

• 16-11, 3.96 ERA in 2005

• 1-3, 3.03 ERA vs. NYY in 2005

 

Player to watch

Sox shortstop Edgar Renteria has had success against the Big Unit, going 12-for-41 (.293) with four doubles and two homers.

 

Quotable

"Wakefield's a guy that you don't even want to face right now. His ball is moving all over the place." -- Ortiz

 

Quick hits

Ortiz has at least one RBI in his last five games. ... Damon is getting hot again, with a .355 average in his last seven games. ... Mike Timlin is 11-for-13 in save opportunities since taking over as the closer.

 

On deck

• Sunday: vs. New York, 2:05 p.m. ET

[yankeessuck013]

Yankees have Hired Knuckler Joe Ausanio to throw batting practice......

 

BOSTON -- The Yankees will try a new wrinkle as they prepare to face Tim Wakefield today. They're bringing in former pitcher Joe Ausanio to throw knuckleballs in batting practice.

 

"Brian Cashman is a great GM," manager Joe Torre said Friday. "He found somebody."

 

Ausanio, who pitched briefly for the Yankees in 1994 and '95, is director of food services for the Hudson Valley Renegades, the Devil Rays' affiliate in the New York-Penn League, and will be at Fenway Park tonight. Ausanio pitched with Wakefield in the minor leagues and learned to throw the knuckleball from him.

 

"I don't care," said Torre, who clearly is not a fan of the idea. "We haven't had much success [against Wakefield], so I'm open to try something."

 

The idea came directly from George Steinbrenner, an organization insider said.

 

Wakefield pitches against Randy Johnson today in a rematch of their duel Sept. 11, which Johnson and the Yankees won, 1-0.

 

When Wakefield first came into the American League and was having a big year in 1995, former Yankees manager Buck Showalter tried something similar, bringing in former University of New Haven pitcher Jeff Letourneau.

 

The next year, when Torre was managing, Letourneau reappeared, but only once. Whenever the idea has come up, Torre has indicated that since all knuckleballs are different, it would be impossible to simulate what Wakefield's does.

 

The Yankees have had a lot of trouble against Wakefield in recent years, losing to him twice in the 2003 ALCS. They have only 20 hits and 12 earned runs in 362/3 innings against him this year. When the Yankees beat Wakefield 1-0, Jason Giambi homered off a curve in the first inning. They got only two other hits and struck out 12 times.

 

"You have to think small against him," Torre said. "You know the [knuckleballs] that are up are the ones that might not be doing much, as opposed to the ones that are down."

[ORS]

The time is now. Take the reigns. Give them no quarter. Win. Today!

 

EDIT: When I was in the Marines, my first company commander was a former 3rd string fullback at Florida State. In his words:

 

CRANK IT UP, f***ERS!

[riverside sluggers]

Today our Ace takes the mound...

 

In Wake We Trust

 

pitcher vs batter matchups

 

Randy Johnson vs: (career against Red Sox in 24 games a 12-6 record with a 4.23 ERA, career at Fenway Park in 12 games a 5-2 record with a 4.73 ERA)

Johnny Damon, 2 for 15 (.133 avg) RBI, 3 Walks, 5 Ks, 2 SBs

Edgar Renterria, 12 for 41 (.293 avg) 4 Doubles, 2 HRs, 5 RBIs, 8 Walks, 12 Ks, 2 SBs

David Ortiz, 2 for 14 (.143 avg) Double, 3 Ks

Manny Ramirez, 6 for 33 (.182 avg) 2 Doubles, 2 HRs, 9 RBIs, 2 Walks, 11 Ks

Kevin Millar, 7 for 36 (.194 avg) Double, HR, 2 RBIs, 5 Walks, 12 Ks

Bill Mueller, 6 for 30 (.200 avg) 2 Doubles, RBI, 5 Walks, 4 Ks

Doug Mirabelli, 1 for 9 (.111 avg) Walk, 5 Ks

Tony Graffanino, 1 for 9 (.111 avg) SB

Jason Varitek, 5 for 18 (.278 avg) Double, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs, Walk, 4 Ks

John Olerud, 0 for 5, Walk, K

Alex Cora, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) RBI

 

Tim Wakefield vs: (career against Yankees in 38 games an 8-11 record with a 4.24 ERA, career at Fenway Park in 214 games a 64-55 record with a 4.31 ERA)

Mark Bellhorn, 0 for 3, 2 Walks, K

Robinson Cano, 3 for 10 (.300 avg) 2 Doubles, HR, 2 RBIs, K

Bubba Crosby, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) Triple, K

Felix Escalona, 1 for 2 (.500 avg) Double

John Flaherty, 2 for 14 (.143 avg) RBI, 4 Ks

Jason Giambi, 14 for 71 (.197 avg) 4 Doubles, Triple, 3 HRs, 7 RBIs, 14 Walks, 16 Ks

Derek Jeter, 20 for 70 (.286 avg) Double, Triple, 3 HRs, 4 RBIs, 4 Walks, 15 Ks, 5 SBs

Matt Lawton, 6 for 26 (.231 avg) Triple, 2 HRs, 4 RBIs, 5 Walks, 3 Ks, 3 SBs

Tino Martinez, 13 for 48 (.271 avg) 4 Doubles, Triple, 3 HRs, 9 RBIs, 8 Walks, 5 Ks

Hideki Matsui, 5 for 33 (.152 avg) Double, HR, RB, 4 Walks, 5 Ks

Jorge Posada, 12 for 48 (.250 avg) 4 Doubles, 2 HRs, 10 RBIs, 9 Walks, 6 Ks

Alex Rodriguez, 12 for 53 (.226 avg) 3 HRs, 3 RBIs, 4 Walks, 14 Ks, 3 SBs

Gary Sheffield, 7 for 26 (.269 avg) Double, HR, 3 RBIs, 5 Walks, 4 Ks, SB

Ruben Sierra, 1 for 13 (.077 avg) 3 Ks

Bernie Williams, 11 for 55 (.200 avg) 2 Doubles, Triple, HR, 6 RBIs, 12 Walks, 13 Ks, 2 SBs

Tony Womack, 1 for 9 (.111 avg) Double, RBI, 2 Ks

[riverside sluggers]

Pregame report

By Eric Wilbur, Boston.com Staff

Despite hitting just .238 against lefthanders this season, Trot Nixon will play right field today and bat eighth in the lineup against Yankees starter Randy Johnson.

 

“We’ve come this far pretty much doing what we’re doing, and Trot plays a heck of a right field,” Red Sox skipper Terry Francona said in his pregame meeting with the media this morning.

 

Nixon did not face Johnson in Boston’s 1-0 loss at New York a few weeks back. In that game, Kevin Youkilis put on some good at bats, playing first, while Kevin Millar was in right. It was a scenario that Francona toyed with for the past six days, but he explained he would rather Milllar play first. Youkilis was 1 for 2 with a walk against the Yankee lefty, but has not seen an at-bat since mid-September, after fracturing his finger.

 

Youkilis is, however, available to pinch hit today, Francona said.

 

-- The Red Sox are attempting to lighten the load on Boston hitters this afternoon by fitting fans in the center field bleachers with dark t-shirts, aimed to help the Sox pick up the lefty offerings from Johnson more easily, something the team did a few times last season.

 

“It’s probably not a perfect science,” Francona admitted.

 

Meanwhile, responding to reports that the Yankees had hired a knuckleball batting practice pitcher for the day, in order to get acquainted with the flutterings of Tim Wakefield, Francona shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe he’s a good cook,” he said. “We imported a 6-foot 11 guy.”

 

-- Everybody in the Boston bullpen is available today including Bronson Arroyo. If there is a Monday playoff game in New York, Francona said Matt Clement will get the start for the Red Sox.

 

-- With multiple playoff scenarios swirling, Francona said the team has printed out all the possibilities and will hand them out to the team today in order that they can more easily make arrangements for the week.

 

“The good thing about having one good pair of pants is I’m going to wear those and get on a plane somewhere,” Francona said.

 

Today’s lineup:

 

CF Johnny Damon

SS Edgar Renteria

DH David Ortiz

LF Manny Ramirez

1B Kevin Millar

3B Bill Mueller

C Doug Mirabelli

RF Trot Nixon

2B Tony Graffanino

[User Name]

You guys will have to miss me for today, too, as I have to go to my damn family gathering, with no computer to be posting here. Well, I will still be watching the game. Go Sox!

[yankeessuck013]

just came across this....

 

The Herald: "Sox starter Tim Wakefield has enjoyed a much bigger edge pitching in the daytime than Johnson has. "I don't know why it's harder to hit him in the day. It may be because it's darker behind his head at night, but I know it's harder to catch him,'' Sox catcher Doug Mirabelli said of Wakefield."

 

Tim Wakefield

 

Home: 3.67

Away: 4.23

Day: 2.15

Night: 4.82

 

R. Johnson

 

Home: 3.13

Away: 4.71

Day: 4.31

Night: 3.50

[riverside sluggers]

funny quote here

 

-- Murray Chass (Rodriguez Manages to Be Productive Despite the Strikeouts) looks at Alex Rodriguez's increased production despite a high number of strikeouts lately. "All great hitters strike out," Rodriguez said. "Ortiz and Manny are both well over 130. I don't think Francona is concerned about it."

 

Arod doesnt really know his stats, haha

 

Ks

Arod- 139

Ortiz- 122

Manny- 119

[RedSoxRooter]

just win today.

[stocker323]

Just win.

 

(it's been working)

[BoSox84]

Im still riding yesterdays high, lets get this thing going

[Mrs.Mirabelli]

lets do this thing.

[yankeessuck013]

Sam Borden writes that the Yankees "were glassy-eyed last night at Fenway Park."

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/10.1_newsday.jpg

 

Go Sox....Both Red and White!

[Mrs.Mirabelli]

lets go Wake!!!!!! mow em down!!!!!!!!!!!

[yankeessuck013]

leadoff single

[BoSox84]

I forgot today I get to enjoy the wonderful insite of tim McCarver, ugh

[yankeessuck013]

not good....1st and 3rd, no outs

[Mrs.Mirabelli]

i hate him, hes obnoxious.

[whereisnomar]

That Sprint sign behind the batters is really annoying me.

[yankeessuck013]

1-0....

[whereisnomar]

Lets just tryto get a DP, and get out of the inning 1-0.

[whereisnomar]

NOO!! 3-0?? What the heck?

[BoSox84]

s***, lets not dig to deep of a hole here

[yankeessuck013]

can papelbon pitch?

[BoSox84]

What about Bronson, i mean their making contact with most of his pitches, not alot of swingin and missin

[yankeessuck013]

4 stolen base in last 3 days for johnny

[ORS]

Wake's leaving the KB up; not good. He can settle though. Can't throw that 76 mph FB* to Sheff.

[yankeessuck013]

nice job movin the runner over...c'mon papi!

[yankeessuck013]

Mvp Mvp Mvp Mvp Mvp

[yankeessuck013]

that hit ortiz