July 23 @ Seattle

[riverside sluggers]

Jon Lester will look to get the Sox off to another winning streak. To do that, he'll have to beat the team he grew up idolizing...

 

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_452657.jpg

Jon Lester

5-0, 2.38 ERA

37 Ks, 29 Walks, 3 HRs

 

http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/images/players/mugshot/ph_132220.jpg

Jarrod Washburn

4-10, 4.41 ERA

62 Ks, 32 Walks, 16 HRs

 

Lester to meet Mariners on Sunday

Boston (59-37) at Seattle (46-51), 4:05 p.m. ET

 

It wasn't all that long ago that Jon Lester was just another resident of Tacoma, Wash., who happened to idolize Ken Griffey Jr. and the Seattle Mariners. Griffey is as long gone from Seattle as the tape-measure home runs he used to hit in the Kingdome, but the Mariners and Safeco Field will be front and center for Lester on Sunday, as he tries to make his hometown team the latest victim in his strong rookie season. Lester (5-0) is unbeaten in his first eight Major League starts and is coming off his best performance yet, when he fired eight innings of one-hit baseball in a 1-0 victory over the Royals.

 

"It'll be obviously nerve-wracking to be in front of the family and friends," Lester said. "But at the same time, it's just another start. I just have to look at it that way. The side stuff is going to be fun. It should be a good experience." The Red Sox are relying on Lester to pull out the rubber match of this three-game series over the Mariners. This will not be the first time Lester, a high school star for Bellarmine Prep School in Tacoma, has pitched at Safeco.

 

"It was either going into my senior year in high school or my senior summer. I played for [an area] team. We had a game up here in the fall," said Lester. "So it might have been going into my senior year." Going through the [2002 First-Year Player Draft], I wanted to be a Mariner," said Lester, who was instead nabbed by the Sox with pick No. 57. "I came up here for a predraft workout. I think they were interested. I just don't think they were interested in the round that I wanted to be picked in, and they had other plans for that pick. It's a business, and they had to do what they had to do."

 

Now, Lester will go about the business of trying to stifle the team he used to worship.

[riverside sluggers]

Jarrod Washburn (9 games vs Boston, 3-3 record with a 4.27 ERA---Career at SAFECO Field in 20 games, 8-8 record with a 3.54 ERA)

Kevin Youkilis, 2 for 5 (.400 avg) Double, 2 RBIs, Walk

Mark Loretta, 2 for 4 (.500 avg) 2 Doubles, RBI

David Ortiz, 2 for 11 (.182 avg) Double, 2 RBIs, 4 Walks, 2 Ks

Manny Ramirez, 5 for 16 (.313 avg) Triple, HR, 3 RBIs, 9 Walks, K

Mike Lowell, 0 for 6, K

Jason Varitek, 4 for 19 (.211 avg) 2 RBIs, 2 Walks, K, SB

Wily Mo Pena, 0 for 2

Coco Crisp, 8 for 15 (.533 avg) 3 Doubles, HR, 4 RBIs, Walk, K

Alex Gonzalez, 2 for 5 (.400 avg) Double, RBI, Walk, 2 Ks

///

Alex Cora, 2 for 3 (.667 avg)

Willie Harris, 0 for 3

Gabe Kapler, 3 for 11 (.273 avg) Double, K

Doug Mirabelli, 1 for 3 (.333 avg)

Trot Nixon, 0 for 9, 2 Ks

 

Jon Lester (1st career appearance vs Seattle)

[jsinger121]

just win

[RoyNHSox]

Lineup announced on WEEI:

 

1. Youk

2. Loretta

3. Ortiz DH

4. Manny

5. Tek

6. Lowell

7. Coco

8. Kapler RF

9. Seabass

 

Again Tito doesn’t start WMP against a lefty starter. Why?

[riverside sluggers]

I smell ********

 

Kapler is this year's Millar. Tito is using the card of "loyalty to past players", even though there is a better hitter on the bench. Since Wily Mo Pena has come back there have been 4 lefty starting pitchers, Wily Mo has started just one of them and that was as the DH

[a700hitter]

I smell ********

 

Kapler is this year's Millar. Tito is using the card of "loyalty to past players", even though there is a better hitter on the bench. Since Wily Mo Pena has come back there have been 4 lefty starting pitchers, Wily Mo has started just one of them and that was as the DH

He must like Kapler's fielding in the spaceous ballpark.

[riverside sluggers]

He must like Kapler's fielding in the spaceous ballpark.

 

Gotcha, Wily Mo can improve his defense while rotting away on the bench

[MANNYHOF24]

To be fair, Kapler has hit well since returing, but I would like to see Willy Mo in there today

[CrespoBlows]

Francona is starting to make me doubt the Arroyo trade.

 

(Maybe a trade happened of Pena?)

[MANNYHOF24]

Francona is starting to make me doubt the Arroyo trade.

 

(Maybe a trade happened of Pena?)

 

I did hear some people talk that Pena may be trade bait

[a700hitter]

I did hear some people talk that Pena may be trade bait

If they want to use him as bait, they should be showcasing him.

[riverside sluggers]

To be fair, Kapler has hit well since returing, but I would like to see Willy Mo in there today

 

And Wily Mo's 1st game back last week saw him 2 for 3 with a Double, 2 RBIs. 4/5 games facing lefty pitchers, you expect Wily Mo to at least start half of them. That is what Theo had in mind for his first season anyway

[ORS]

If they want to use him as bait, they should be showcasing him.

Correctamundo. Along those lines, Gabe is swinging well, Gabe is playing a lot, and the deadline looms. Showcasing Gabe?

[a700hitter]

Correctamundo. Along those lines, Gabe is swinging well, Gabe is playing a lot, and the deadline looms. Showcasing Gabe?

Hmmm. I didn't think of that. Who knows?

[a700hitter]

Walking Loretta before Ortiz and manny must make a pitcher want to put a gun in his mouth.

[TheKilo]

i hate to be a pessimist, but if there was a game Lester ould get bombed in, it's this one.

 

He's got so many off field distractions to deal with.

 

 

Then again, Seattle's offense isn't great and they don't hit lefties well.

[a700hitter]

No one is a better color commentator than jerry Remy. He showed Manny throwing the bat back towards the ump. He summarized the situation and concluded that Manny was lucky to still be in the game. Then he let it go. Informative without overkilling the issue.

[a700hitter]

Two run double by Beltre in the first inning. No one out yet.

[SoxFan25]

off to a tough start fellas

but its only the 1st.

[a700hitter]

Pop single into the Bermuda Triangle in LF

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

it seems like that happens a lot to the Red Sox....a ball falling into no-mans land

[TheKilo]

Lots of pitches to not have an out yet.

 

edit - nvm

[SoxFan25]

lets get out of this only 3 runs

[TheKilo]

Get the runs back.

 

 

27 pitches, not good.

[SoxFan25]

alright alright its only 3 runs and were going into the 2nd inning...lets get it going

 

:claps:

[a700hitter]

Coco was due big time.

[SoxFan25]

alright coco with a 2 out double.

[TheKilo]

I'd feel a lot better if WMP was hitting now.

[SoxFan25]

cmon gabe drive him in...

[SoxFan25]

pena should be in there...not gabe, im not confident with gabe.