April 4th @ Kansas City

[BoSox34]

The Kansas City Royals turned the tables on the Boston Red Sox on opening day, looking like the World Series contenders with the top-notch pitching staff.

 

The Red Sox will try to get things turned around with Josh Beckett on the mound when the teams continue their three-game series Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium.

 

Kansas City, coming off three straight 100-loss seasons, played like a team with big aspirations Monday, beating Curt Schilling and Boston 7-1. Schilling is the ace of what is expected to be one of the better staffs in the majors - with Beckett, Japanese import Daisuke Matsuzaka and knuckleballer Tim Wakefield also part of the rotation - but he was knocked around in one of the shortest starts of his career.

 

Schilling was pulled before the fifth inning began for the first time since May 22, 1997, after allowing five runs and eight hits.

 

"Physically, I felt fine. I just didn't execute and didn't adjust," Schilling said. "One thing I've always preached to young pitchers is about the ability to make a mistake on a pitch and come back and make an adjustment on the very next pitch. I didn't do that today."

 

Instead, the Royals opened the season with a win for only the third time in the last nine years. They had a variety of players step up, including starter Gil Meche, who left the game to a standing ovation when he was relieved after 7 1/3 innings.

 

Meche, who signed a club-record and much-criticized $55 million, five-year contract in the offseason, performed like a No. 1 starter, allowing six hits and one run for a Kansas City club that's trying to avoid finishing last for the fourth straight season.

 

"It was great, something I'll never forget, being a part of this," Meche said. "The standing ovation was an unbelievable feeling for me."

 

Beckett will try to right things for Boston on Wednesday. The former World Series MVP had an inconsistent first season with the Red Sox in 2006, winning seven of his first eight decisions but struggling with home runs and control problems.

 

Beckett finished 16-11 with a 5.01 ERA, and had a career-high 74 walks and gave up 36 homers, second-most in the majors. The Red Sox expect better from him in his second season with the team.

 

"I'm very, very excited about watching Josh. I think he's going to fly under the radar and stun some people this year," Schilling said of Beckett, who is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in three starts against Kansas City. "I don't think last year sat very well with him."

 

The Royals, though, hope to pound Beckett the same way they hit Schilling. Kansas City had 12 hits Monday, with five players getting two apiece.

 

Mark Grudzielanek had three hits and three RBIs, Tony Pena Jr. added two triples and John Buck hit a 430-foot home run off the first major league pitch from Boston's other Japanese import, left-hander Hideki Okajima.

 

"I knew it was his first pitch in the big leagues," Buck said. "I figured he was going to try to be aggressive with his first guy, so I was just looking for my pitch out over the plate. He happened to throw it right there. It was a good pitch to hit, a fastball."

 

Odalis Perez makes his first start Wednesday for the Royals as he tries to put a miserable 2006 behind him. The left-hander finished 6-8 with a 6.20 ERA in 32 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Kansas City.

 

He was acquired by the Royals on July 25 and went 2-4 with a 5.64 ERA in 12 starts.

 

Perez is 0-1 with a 3.32 ERA in three starts against the Red Sox.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/preview;_ylt=AtQG7Tyq6Z5K2OQi.F8JAM05nYcB?gid=270404107

 

Let's hope that Beckett can take a major step in his development and start to produce in the AL. This is the perfect scenario for him as he'll take on the weak Royals' lineup.

 

Prediction: Red Sox 8, Royals 3

[Cocos Disciples]

Not only did you not let Schill make it, but its got the wrong date.

[inkman]

...but its got the wrong date.

 

I thought I was going nuts. :wtf:

[jacksonianmarch]

I smell some KC mojo from this shithole of a thread.

[schillingouttheks]

There was supposed to be some schillingouttheks mojo today <_>

 

Whatever. At least fix the date, please. And I'm putting my game thread layout in here anyway...

 

Game Info:

Date: Wednesday, April 4th, 2007

Teams: Boston Red Sox (0-1) @ Kansas City Royals (1-0)

First Pitch: 8:10pm EDT

Venue: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

TV: NESN

Starting Pitchers:

http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/baseball/mlb/players/6403.jpghttp://bellsouthpwp.net/c/h/chinigor/TALKSOX/VS.GIFhttp://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/baseball/mlb/players/6088.jpg

 

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/mlb/images/team_logos/50x50/bos.gif#19 Josh Beckett (0-0, --)

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/mlb/images/team_logos/50x50/kc.gif#45 Odalis Perez (0-0, --)

 

Mojo of the day:

http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/animals/images/primary/blue-marlin.jpg

MARLIN MOJO!!! Go get 'em, Josh! Pitch like you did with the Marlins!

[jacksonianmarch]

http://www.ken-dan.com/1974/090874-Marlin.jpg

 

DEAD MARLIN MOJO!!!

[schillingouttheks]

I was trying really hard to find a picture of a marlin that wasn't tied up.

 

By the way, it only works when the mojo comes from myself or ORS.

[HeadOfSoxNation]

Odie Perez looks like a fat slob in his press photo...

 

That said, freaking COME ON Josh...turn this s*** around.

 

Prediction:

 

Josh comes up big....W, 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 8 K, 2 BB

[example1]

http://www.ken-dan.com/1974/090874-Marlin.jpg

 

DEAD MARLIN MOJO!!!

 

I've always suspected it, but now there's proof.

 

Jacksonian, you have WAY too much time on your hands.

[BSN07]

Beckett- 6 2/3 5 hits 3 runs( 2 ER ) 5K 1BB

 

BP- 2 1/3 innings 3 hits 1 run

 

Sox win 6-4 with Paps getting the save

[ORS]

Marlin, Marlon....close enough.

 

http://media.urbandictionary.com/image/large/godfather-35088.jpg

 

I ask you, Godfather, on the day of your daughter's wedding, for a victory for the Sox over the Royals, and may your daughter's first child be a masculine child. Capisce?

[TheKilo]

Just win.

[jacksonianmarch]

I've always suspected it, but now there's proof.

 

Jacksonian, you have WAY too much time on your hands.

 

I absolutely do. I have finished school and my job per se starts in July. So I get to lounge around until the fun starts.

[BoSox34]

Wrong date, sorry about that.

[MANNYHOF24]

If we don't win tonight, then full panic will start to set around Red Sox nation, even though it is still way to early to panic.

[jacksonianmarch]

Now, for those of you who hate it when a yankee fan diagnoses the sox problems, find another thread.

 

Odalis Perez is a pitcher, who going into 2004, was a rising pitcher in the game. Then he bottomed out and got shipped to the Syberia of baseball. He has solid control in terms of walks, yet he gets absolutely crushed especially recently. He throws on average around 16 pitches per inning and typically is out in 5. The sox should wait him out, work the counts and hit what they can and they will be in the pen before they know it. Time for them to pull a yankees and get Odalis out of the game early rather than allow the starter to enter the 8th. Sox should win this one so long as Beckett uses his curve.

[seabeachfred]

Odie Perez looks like a fat slob in his press photo...

 

That said, freaking COME ON Josh...turn this s*** around.

 

Prediction:

 

Josh comes up big....W, 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 8 K, 2 BB

 

HOSN, your take on Josh sounds pretty good to me, but my question is will be get more than one or two runs to make him a winner? And if we're ahead will Francona not be tempted to use bums like Piniero or Snyder? While I'm about are Lowell, Crisp and Varitek going to step up and start doing something for the offense? If not, the top five are going to have to have a big day and carry the load. Man, did we blow the Helton trade.

[seabeachfred]

Now, for those of you who hate it when a yankee fan diagnoses the sox problems, find another thread.

 

Odalis Perez is a pitcher, who going into 2004, was a rising pitcher in the game. Then he bottomed out and got shipped to the Syberia of baseball. He has solid control in terms of walks, yet he gets absolutely crushed especially recently. He throws on average around 16 pitches per inning and typically is out in 5. The sox should wait him out, work the counts and hit what they can and they will be in the pen before they know it. Time for them to pull a yankees and get Odalis out of the game early rather than allow the starter to enter the 8th. Sox should win this one so long as Beckett uses his curve.

 

Out here in So. Cal most of the Dodger fans I know despised Odalis Perez, called him a whale, fat slob, baby huey, and other less than complimentary titles. It also showed many of the fans out here didn't know s*** from shinola because the one thing this guy could do and do well and do consistently was beat the Dodgers' supposed arch rival, the Giants, in their home park. He was absolutely great pitching in San Francisco. He's never come back to what he was a few years back but with some of the stiffs in our lineup, unless they start coming through, we could have a tough game. We should win tonight and there shouldn't be any excuses.

[inkman]

The sox should wait him out' date=' work the counts and hit what they can and they will be in the pen before they know it.[/quote']

 

I can only hope this happens. With undisciplined hitters in the line up like Lugo and Pedroia, I hope they can adhere to that credo. Granted, if the game comes down to Lugo or Pedroia then perhaps the Sox have more to wory about than I think.

[jacksonianmarch]

I can only hope this happens. With undisciplined hitters in the line up like Lugo and Pedroia' date=' I hope they can adhere to that credo. Granted, if the game comes down to Lugo or Pedroia then perhaps the Sox have more to wory about than I think. [/quote']

 

The point is, the sox were already dominated by an underachieving pitcher who had past success. They easily could be again if they stray from the gameplan. They arent the twins who will small ball their way to 3 or 4 runs and rely on the SP and BP to hold down the opposition. The sox mission is to absolutely wear down the opposing pitcher and get into the soft middle relief. Aside from Manny and Papi and maybe Drew the sox dont really have the firepower to club a team into submission anymore. But they sure as hell could get themselves 12-15 baserunners a night and see if a few clutch hits can get them a W. Plus, 80% of the teams in the majors have absolutely abysmal middle relef. The sox have the personnel to get a starter out after 5 and get 3 shots at the middle relief before the closer comes in. This is their mission. And if Perez is still in the game to start the 6th, then they are in trouble again.

[Gom]

Royals 4, Red Sox 3.

[riverside sluggers]

Odalis Perez (3 games vs Boston, 0-1 record with a 3.32 ERA---Career at Kauffman Stadium in 6 games, 2-2 record with a 5.14 ERA)

Julio Lugo, 0 for 2, Walk, K

Kevin Youkilis, 2 for 4 (.500 avg) 2 Walks, 2 Ks

David Ortiz, 4 for 6 (.667 avg) Double, Triple, HR, 3 RBIs

Manny Ramirez, 2 for 8 (.250 avg) Double, 2 RBIs, Walk, 2 Ks

J.D. Drew, 2 for 7 (.286 avg) Double, 2 RBIs, Walk, 3 Ks

Mike Lowell, 2 for 14 (.143 avg) HR, 2 RBIs, 5 Walks, K

Jason Varitek, 1 for 5 (.200 avg) Double, Walk, 2 Ks

Coco Crisp, 2 for 6 (.333 avg) K, SB

Dustin Pedroia ---

///

Doug Mirabelli, 1 for 2 (.500 avg) K

Wily Mo Pena, 1 for 8 (.125 avg) 3 Ks

 

Josh Beckett (3 games vs Kansas City, 1-0 record with a 2.45 ERA---Career at Kauffman Stadium in 1 game, 3.00 ERA)

David DeJesus, 2 for 11 (.182 avg) Double, K

Mark Grudzielanek, 4 for 11 (.364 avg) 3 RBIs, K

Mark Teahen, 2 for 6 (.333 avg) Double, 2 RBIs, 2 Ks

Mike Sweeney, 1 for 6 (.167 avg) Walk, K

Alex Gordon ---

Emil Brown, 0 for 3, K

Ross Gload, 0 for 1, K

Jason LaRue, 0 for 2, 2 Ks

Tony Pena Jr. ---

///

Andres Blanco, 1 for 3 (.333 avg)

John Buck, 0 for 3

Esteban German, 2 for 6 (.333 avg) 2 Doubles, 2 Ks

Reggie Sanders, 0 for 8, RBI, 4 Ks

Ryan Shealy, 2 for 9 (.222 avg) Double, RBI, Walk, 2 Ks

[TGov]

HAHA, David Ortiz hit for the cycle off of Perez...

[ANiMAL]

i just hope beckett doesnt repeat a schilling performance

 

and i just want the sox to win; i would hate going 0-2 against KC - plus i hate the yankee fans i see throughout the day that just laugh at me; its quite annoying

[MANNYHOF24]

Royals 4' date=' Red Sox 3.[/quote']

 

You are such a troll.

[MANNYHOF24]

If Beckett can give us 7 tonight, that would be superb. I can't wait to see him pitch tonight, and I hope the offense can give him a little support tonight.

[riverside sluggers]

Jonathan Papelbon on FSN New England Sports Tonight said as it stands right now: Donnelly & Pineiro will be his main set up men. Romero will be the left-handed specialist, and Snyder naturally is slated to be the long man.

 

Once Timlin comes back, he'll return to his 8th inning duties. They will then decide who gets the bulk of 7th inning work

[Red Sox 4 Life]

Red Sox 5 Royals 2

 

GO SOX!!!!!!

[CrespoBlows]

Royals 7, Red Sox 1

[HeadOfSoxNation]

If Beckett can give us 7 tonight' date=' that would be superb. I can't wait to see him pitch tonight, and I hope the offense can give him a little support tonight.[/quote']

 

When? Tonight?