May 30 vs. Cleveland

[Youk Of The Nation]

My third gamethread of the season

 

Boston (36-15) vs. Cleveland (31-19)

 

 

BOS: RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (7-2, 4.43 ERA)

 

http://sports.bodogbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/daisuke-matsuzaka-red-sox.jpg

Matsuzaka rode an offensive surge to his seventh win Friday, prevailing over the Rangers

despite giving up five runs over five innings in his first career start in Arlington. Matsuzaka is 3-1 with a 5.00 ERA in his first five starts at Fenway Park, where he has allowed a .259 opponents' batting average and three home runs in 36 innings. He will be facing the Guardians for the first time in his career.

 

 

CLE: RHP Paul Byrd (5-1, 3.81 ERA)

 

http://graphics.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2006/07/23/1153680927_1281.jpg

Byrd was aided by some stellar defensive work and some early offense in getting his fifth win of the season Friday against the Tigers. He gave up four runs on nine hits with no walks and a strikeout over 6 1/3 innings, and was elevating his pitches by the end of the outing. Byrd said he shouldn't have pounded the strike zone as much as he did, especially ahead in the count. But pounding the zone has helped Byrd go 37 1/3 innings without issuing a walk.

 

 

Ill leave the mojo up to the experts. All I have to say is...Keep the quality coming, Dice-K

[EvilDonut]

No walks I believe in his last two QS, It seems to be one of the keys to his success. Theres no reason to expect his control to diminish either. Should be a good game for him tonight.

[riverside sluggers]

These are the actual lineups, Julio is getting the night off

 

Paul Byrd (6 games vs Boston, 3-2 with a 4.54 ERA---Career at Fenway Park in 4 games, 2-1 with a 4.68 ERA)

Coco Crisp, 5 for 9 (.556 avg) Double, 2 Walks, SB

Kevin Youkilis, 0 for 6, 3 Ks

David Ortiz, 7 for 23 (.304 avg) 2 HRs, 6 RBIs, Walk, 2 Ks

Manny Ramirez, 1 for 11 (.091 avg) HR, 2 RBIs, 2 Ks

J.D. Drew, 2 for 7 (.286 avg) 2 RBIs

Mike Lowell, 7 for 17 (.412 avg) 2 Doubles, HR, 4 RBIs

Jason Varitek, 5 for 15 (.333 avg) HR, RBI, 3 Ks

Alex Cora, 2 for 6 (.333 avg) Double, RBI, Walk

Dustin Pedroia ---

///

Eric Hinske, 2 for 10 (.200 avg) K

Julio Lugo, 4 for 10 (.400 avg) Double, K

Doug Mirabelli, 2 for 2 (1.000 avg) Double, 2 Walks

Wily Mo Pena, 3 for 4 (.750 avg) Triple, HR, 3 RBIs, K

 

Daisuke Matsuzaka (1st career appearance vs Cleveland---Career at Fenway Park in 5 games, 3-1 with a 5.00 ERA)

Grady Sizemore ---

Casey Blake ---

Travis Hafner ---

Ryan Garko ---

Trot Nixon ---

Jhonny Peralta ---

David Dellucci ---

Josh Barfield ---

Kelly Shoppach ---

[schillingouttheks]

Coco leading off. Wonderful.

[redsoxrules]

Coco leading off. Wonderful.

 

not any worse than having lugo leading off

[RedSoxRooter]

Going for win number 21 this month!

[arbitrary]

What about the possibility of Cora hitting leadoff?

[TheKilo]

Pedroia should hit leadoff.

[redsoxrules]

What about the possibility of Cora hitting leadoff?

 

none, the lineup has been set an hour ago

[TheKilo]

f***ing seeing eye ********.

[TheKilo]

Cool. Bad DiceK again.

[TheKilo]

Hey, that's the Trot I remember.

[Rdsxmbnt]

that was huge, now watch Dice-K settle in

[arbitrary]

none' date=' the lineup has been set an hour ago[/quote']

 

Hypothetically?

[See Red]

Got the double play to end the inning. Just about to say how I love Trot but wouldn't mind seeing him ground into a double play right there.

[ksushi]

H-U-G-E DP right there. D-Mat looks pretty good. The AB against hafner he was in the drivers seat, I don't know how that ball wasn't caught, I guess bad luck for Youk to be holding the guy on, but really... its casey blake, let 'em run if he wants to and field that ball.... Tough luck on garko to hit a guy 0-2 you can't do that, but really that was the only bad pitch he threw. Good first inning. Lucky on the DP.

[AlexanderTheGreat13]

Your pic I believe is Jake Westbrook.

[HeadOfSoxNation]

not any worse than having lugo leading off

 

Are you kidding? Lugo's average is low, but look at the rest of his stats. The guy is making a difference, allbeit an unconventional one, out of the leadoff spot.

[TheKilo]

I fully expect Paul Byrd to dominate tonight.

[TheKilo]

Are you kidding? Lugo's average is low' date=' but look at the rest of his stats. The guy is making a difference, allbeit an unconventional one, out of the leadoff spot.[/quote']

 

His OBP is awful. I'd rather let guys like Pedroia and Youkilis see pitchers the most times and not Crisp and Lugo.

[ksushi]

His OBP is awful. I'd rather let guys like Pedroia and Youkilis see pitchers the most times and not Crisp and Lugo.

 

I agree. Batting order doesn't matter too much, but I'd like to see the best OBP at the top. Youk, Pedroia, Ortiz, Manny, Drew would be a more potent first five hitters of the game than either Crisp or Lugo being in there... Although I love Lugo's speed and have to think his numbers are going to come up closer to career norms, and when they do, he has to be our lead off guy. Right now, though, he isn't doing so hot. He is contributing... I just don't like him as a lead off man right now. He needs to get on the base paths more. Plain and simple.

[ksushi]

WOW.

[Rdsxmbnt]

coco will not be denied!

[TheKilo]

Nice catch Coco.

[See Red]

beautiful catch by Coco!

[TheKilo]

I agree. Batting order doesn't matter too much' date=' but I'd like to see the best OBP at the top. Youk, Pedroia, Ortiz, Manny, Drew would be a more potent first five hitters of the game than either Crisp or Lugo being in there... Although I love Lugo's speed and have to think his numbers are going to come up closer to career norms, and when they do, he has to be our lead off guy. Right now, though, he isn't doing so hot. He is contributing... I just don't like him as a lead off man right now. He needs to get on the base paths more. Plain and simple.[/quote']

 

Wouldn't Lugo's speed be best suited at the bottom of the order then? You're not going to run in front of Ortiz and Ramirez anyway.

[ORS]

He might not get the best reads, but he closes on the ball as good as any. Great catch.

[redsoxrules]

Are you kidding?

 

NO, the only difference between the 2 is lugo has 15 more RBI's thats it , his OBP is awfull , f*** its even worse than coco's , like kilo said we need someone with higher OBP at the top

[ORS]

Get on base and go station to station with Pedroia and Youk in front of the big guns. Run at the tail end of the order. Anything else just doesn't make sense.

[ksushi]

Wouldn't Lugo's speed be best suited at the bottom of the order then? You're not going to run in front of Ortiz and Ramirez anyway.

 

Well, for now, yes. The idea of having speed at the front of the order benefits your middle of the order guys, so long as your lead off hitter gets on base at a good clip. All major league hitters are fastball hitters, and having a guy with good speed on first base while your 3 and 4 guys are at the plate will get them a better percentage of fastballs and pitch outs which helps them work the count... OBP is a must though.