June 14th vs. Colorado

[Rdsxmbnt]

Colorado Rockies @ Boston Red Sox

Game Time: 7:05 EST

Venue: Fenway Park

 

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Josh Beckett (9-0 2.88)

 

vs.

 

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Jeff Francis (5-5 3.81)

 

Josh Beckett's quest for a perfect season enters its 64th day on Thursday night.

Perfection of this kind is an improbable goal for any starting pitcher, but it's one that Beckett's hero, Roger Clemens, managed to pursue through 14 straight wins at the start of the 1986 season.

 

Clemens is a Yankee now, but he was a Red Sox then: young, driven and hard-throwing. Not so different, in other words, from the next Boston starter to win his first nine decisions in a season: Beckett, now newly efficient and, for much of the season, effortlessly dominant.

 

Beckett spent the first five years of his seven-year professional career in the National League, where he compiled a 3.46 ERA in 609 innings. On Thursday, he faces the Senior Circuit's Colorado Rockies, just six days after shutting down the NL West's Arizona Diamondbacks through eight quiet innings.

 

Beckett last faced Colorado on Aug. 8, 2005, at Coors Field in Denver, where he held the Rockies to two earned runs in six innings. These Rockies are an older, more mature outfit, retaining eight position players from that 2005 team, including Todd Helton and Matt Holliday.

 

The Rockies counter with left-hander Jeff Francis, a former first-round Draft pick who has a 3.81 ERA.

 

Pitching matchup

BOS: RHP Josh Beckett (9-0, 2.88 ERA)

Save for a mid-May DL stint with an avulsion on his pitching hand, Beckett has shown little trouble with American League opponents through two months. With his 10th win, Beckett would jump ahead of several fellow contenders for the All-Star Game starting spot, which includes pitchers like the Angels' John Lackey, Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia and Oakland's Dan Haren, whose 1.58 ERA is the league's best.

 

COL: LHP Jeff Francis (5-5, 3.81 ERA)

Francis had a 6.52 ERA in April but has recovered with a 2.47 ERA and four wins since. In his last start at Baltimore, Francis got the loss, going seven innings and allowing four runs.

 

Player to watch

Only six current Red Sox have faced Francis. Of them, former Los Angeles Dodger J.D. Drew has three hits in seven at-bats.

 

Beckett looks to continue his dominance this season against a good lefty in Jeff Francis. Drew is moved up to the top of the order.

 

 

Office Space Mojo!

http://www.springboardpr.com/blog/OfficeSpace.jpeg

[jacksonianmarch]

f***ed up game thread, AUTOMATIC ROCKIE MOJO!

[Rdsxmbnt]

seems ok

[seabeachfred]

We need some stalwart hitting tonight--which means Crisp and Lugo must not be in the lineup.

[TedWilliams101]

Yea, WMP in CF and Cora at SS would please me.

[jacksonianmarch]

seems ok

 

I saw it when it was messed up. Francis MOJO!!

[DUSTINMOHR4LIFE]

1. J.D. Drew, RF

2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B

3. David Ortiz, DH

4. Manny Ramirez, LF

5. Kevin Youkilis, 1B

6. Mike Lowell, 3B

7. Jason Varitek, C

8. Coco Crisp, CF

9. Julio Lugo, SS

 

Interesting...

[castigs850]

last night sucked so WIN TONIGHT

 

 

the lineup tonight doesnt look that hot, the three worst hitters for us right now are back to back to back

[jacksonianmarch]

well, the sox have had 6 games in june where they have scored 3 runs or less. A tough lefty who is hot is on the mound. Good luck. Um, actually, I hope you lose.

[schillingouttheks]

Youkilis - 1B

Drew - RF

Ortiz - DH

Ramirez - LF

Lowell - 3B

Varitek - C

Pena - CF

Pedroia - 2B

Lugo - SS

 

Yes please.

[User Name]

I'm really pissed off about our lead only being 8.0 now, I really want to win tonight, or else we may as well kiss out hopes of retaining the lead goodbye, with Matsuzaka, Schilling, and if he loses tonight Beckett all proving their big catch wrong-that such great pitchers in a row of a rotation can stop losing skids.

[schillingouttheks]

I can't believe people really thought that our lead was going to stay in double digits. Absolutely unbelievable. You KNEW it was going to be a race to the finish, and you knew that the Yankees were never quite out of it. Now, I'm not worrying about it just yet, but when the lead gets down to about 5 games, then I'll start worrying.

[Gom]

We are still way too far away to worry about the division. If we make the playoffs, and that's a big if, I fear the Angels, not the Red Sox. We can't beat the Angels.

[schillingouttheks]

We are still way too far away to worry about the division. If we make the playoffs' date=' and that's a big if, I fear the Angels, not the Red Sox. We can't beat the Angels.[/quote']

 

If we face you guys in the playoffs, we're in trouble. Right now, we can't beat you. I worry about you guys making the playoffs just as much as you winning the division. The Sox are better off 100% of the time when the Yankees don't make the playoffs.

[riverside sluggers]

Jeff Francis (1 game vs Boston, 1-0 with an 0.00 ERA---Career at Fenway Park in 1 game, 1-0 with an 0.00 ERA)

J.D. Drew, 3 for 10 (.300 avg)

Dustin Pedroia, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) K

David Ortiz, 0 for 1, Walk, K

Manny Ramirez, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) K

Kevin Youkilis, 0 for 3, 2 Ks

Mike Lowell, 1 for 6 (.167 avg)

Jason Varitek, 2 for 3 (.667 avg) K

Coco Crisp, 2 for 6 (.333 avg) Double, 2 RBIs, Walk

Julio Lugo, 2 for 4 (.500 avg) K

///

Eric Hinske, 1 for 1 (1.000 avg) Double, RBI

Wily Mo Pena, 0 for 2, K

 

Josh Beckett (6 games vs Colorado, 4-1 with a 3.89 ERA---Career at Fenway Park in 25 games, 12-6 with a 4.66 ERA)

Willy Taveras, 1 for 5 (.200 avg) 2 Ks

Kaz Matsui, 4 for 11 (.364 avg) Double, 3 Ks

Matt Holliday, 6 for 14 (.429 avg) Double, Triple, HR, 2 RBIs, 2 Ks

Todd Helton, 4 for 12 (.333 avg) Double, HR, 2 RBIs, 4 Walks, 2 Ks

Garret Atkins, 6 for 10 (.600 avg) Double, HR, 4 RBIs, K

Brad Hawpe, 1 for 9 (.111 avg) 2 Ks

Ryan Spilborghs, 0 for 3

Yorvit Torrealba, 4 for 10 (.400 avg)

Troy Tulowitzki, 1 for 2 (.500 avg)

///

Jamey Carroll, 5 for 14 (.357 avg) 2 Walks

 

Francis this season on the road in 6 games, 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA

 

Beckett this season at home in 8 games, 5-1 with a 4.22 ERA

[jacksonianmarch]

I can't believe people really thought that our lead was going to stay in double digits. Absolutely unbelievable. You KNEW it was going to be a race to the finish' date=' and you knew that the Yankees were never quite out of it. Now, I'm not worrying about it just yet, but when the lead gets down to about 5 games, then I'll start worrying.[/quote']

 

as one who has been a fan of teams with double digit leads, the sleep starts to get a little restless when you get down to 5. Until then, ride it.

[redsoxrules]

If we face you guys in the playoffs' date=' we're in trouble. Right now, we can't beat you. I worry about you guys making the playoffs just as much as you winning the division. The Sox are better off 100% of the time when the Yankees don't make the playoffs.[/quote']

 

and i cant beleive you think we cant beat the yankees .

[Gom]

If we face you guys in the playoffs' date=' we're in trouble. Right now, we can't beat you. I worry about you guys making the playoffs just as much as you winning the division. The Sox are better off 100% of the time when the Yankees don't make the playoffs.[/quote']

 

To tell you the truth, I would rather win the Wild Card. Chances are we would face the central winner, and I like our chances against Cleveland/Detroit a hell of a lot more than I do the Angels. We would then hope to have you knock off the Angels.

[mtbykr]

and i cant beleive you think we cant beat the yankees .

 

He said right now....and last time i checked we lost 2 out of 3 the last two series we played them.

[redsoxrules]

He said right now....and last time i checked we lost 2 out of 3 the last two series we played them.

 

jeez i didn't know the yanks beating us 2 of 3 the last 2 times means that they would beat us in a 7 game series

[mtbykr]

jeez i didn't know the yanks beating us 2 of 3 the last 2 times means that they would beat us in a 7 game series

 

Well that's 4 out of 6 , so if that was a series they win. Right now we can't hit and they are on fire....however it's june, so let's see what happens.

[redsoxrules]

and BTW did we have our top 3 pithcers going against them ? NO we didn't

 

they had their top 3 in both series ..thats why they won

[mtbykr]

Some more Office Space flair...err mojo.

 

 

http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/3296/03380332vi4.jpg

[redsoxrules]

Well that's 4 out of 6 ' date=' so if that was a series they win. Right now we can't hit and they are on fire....however it's june, so let's see what happens.[/quote']

 

so when come october wakefield will face the yanks twice in a 7 game series and also face tavarez?

[mtbykr]

http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/2272/20020608videovd4.jpg

[TedWilliams101]

??? Depending on what ever happens throughout the season, The rotation could look anything like:

Schil

Beck

Matsuzaka

Wake

Lester

 

or Lester and Wake switch spots. Either way, Wake only faces the Yankees ONCE in a 7 game series. What's your point anyway?

[mtbykr]

??? Depending on what ever happens throughout the season, The rotation could look anything like:

Schil

Beck

Matsuzaka

Wake

Lester

 

or Lester and Wake switch spots. Either way, Wake only faces the Yankees ONCE in a 7 game series. What's your point anyway?

 

 

Good grief...all i said (shill originally) is that right now we wouldn't want to face the yanks....RIGHT NOW. In October in a 7 game series, we'll see...but RIGHT NOW we are playing like crap (except our pitching) and the yanks are firing on all cylinders. So if we had to play them right now, we would probably lose, that's all I was saying.

[TedWilliams101]

I was responding to Redsoxrules.

[mtbykr]

Lots of Mojo, our bats need it.

 

http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/6711/officespace07ch6.jpg

 

http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/6699/b9919001ez0.jpg

[mtbykr]

I was responding to Redsoxrules.

 

Sorry, didn't realize.