September 26th vs Oakland

[RedSoxRooter]

Game Info:

Date: Wednesday, September 26th 2007

Location: Fenway Park

First Pitch: 5:00 pm ET

TV: NESN

 

Starting Pitchers:

http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/baseball/mlb/players/7461.jpghttp://bellsouthpwp.net/c/h/chinigor/TALKSOX/VS.GIFhttp://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/baseball/mlb/players/7790.jpg

 

 

http://assets.espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/mlb/sml/trans/oak.gif #55 Joe Blanton (14-10, 3.84 ERA)

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/mlb/images/team_logos/50x50/bos.gif #31 Jon Lester (4-0, 4.45 ERA)

 

 

Game Preview:

It once appeared their division lead might slip away, but the first-place Boston Red Sox now appear poised to win their first AL East title in 12 years.

 

With 11-time All-Star Manny Ramirez back in the lineup, the Red Sox look to move closer to the division crown Wednesday when they wrap up their two-game set with the Oakland Athletics at Fenway Park.

 

Boston (93-64) beat the Athletics 7-3 on Tuesday, pushing its AL East lead back to three games with five to play after the second-place New York Yankees lost 7-6 to Tampa Bay in 10 innings.

 

The Red Sox have already clinched at least a wild-card berth, but their magic number is down to three to win the East for the first time since 1995.

 

Boston, which was 14 1/2 games ahead of New York on May 29 but allowed the Yankees to pull within 1 1/2 games on Sunday, has won three of its last four to regain control of the division.

 

"We're at the point in time when it's not about playing well -- it's about playing as well as we can play and winning games," Tuesday's winning pitcher Curt Schilling told the team's official Web site.

 

Ramirez returned to the Red Sox lineup Tuesday after missing 24 games with a strained muscle in his left side.

 

The left fielder singled and scored in the first inning, then walked to start a two-run fifth before being lifted for a pinch-runner.

 

"It's a good start," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "The idea is to build, not go the other way, so we'll probably do something similar (Wednesday). He came through and he said he felt fine."

 

Ramirez is batting .293 with 20 homers and 86 RBIs in 128 games this season, and is 5-for-9 lifetime against Joe Blanton (14-10, 3.84 ERA), who will start for Oakland on Wednesday.

 

First baseman Kevin Youkilis, who had missed seven consecutive games with a bruised right wrist, also returned Tuesday, but was hitless in two at-bats.

 

Jon Lester (4-0, 4.45) looks to continue his solid pitching down the stretch when he takes the hill Wednesday for the Red Sox.

 

Lester allowed one run and three hits over 6 2-3 innings in his last outing, a 4-3 loss to Toronto on Sept. 18 in which he did not record a decision. The 23-year-old left-hander is 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in four September starts after posting a 5.67 ERA in his first six outings of the season.

 

Boston is 8-2 when Lester pitches this season.

 

Oakland (75-83), meanwhile, has lost two straight and seven of its last eight.

 

Rookie first baseman Daric Barton hit his third career home run on Tuesday, and has reached base safely in all 14 games he's played since being called up from Triple-A Sacramento on Sept. 10, compiling a .345 batting average.

 

Blanton looks to avoid losing consecutive starts for the first time since dropping a season-high three in a row July 8-20.

 

The right-hander gave up four runs and 10 hits in seven innings of a 4-3 loss to Cleveland on Friday, snapping a personal three-start winning streak. He is still 6-2 with a 3.90 ERA in his last 10 outings.

 

Blanton is 2-1 with a 2.60 ERA in four career starts against Boston.

 

GO SOX!

[TheKilo]

BOSTON

 

2B Dustin Pedroia

LF Manny Ramirez

DH David Ortiz

3B Mike Lowell

RF J.D. Drew

1B Kevin Youkilis

C Jason Varitek

CF Jacoby Ellsbury

SS Julio Lugo

SP Jon Lester (4-0, 4.45 ERA)

 

OAKLAND

 

LF Shannon Stewart

1B Daric Barton

CF Nick Swisher

DH Mike Piazza

RF Jack Cust

2B Mark Ellis

C Kurt Suzuki

3B Jack Hannahan

SS Donnie Murphy

SP Joe Blanton (14-10, 3.84 ERA)

 

I LOVE this lineup....I'd love it even more if Ellsbury and Tek got switched.

[castigs850]

it's kind of unorthodox, but manny and papi both guaranteed to get up in the first inning gives you a pretty good chance at scoring early

[TheKilo]

it's kind of unorthodox' date=' but manny and papi both guaranteed to get up in the first inning gives you a pretty good chance at scoring early[/quote']

 

Or, like last night, the plan is to get Manny ABs as quickly as possible then pull him.

[See Red]

Lester looks good through the first... three K's and he only threw one ball.

[riverside sluggers]

Joe Blanton (5 games vs Boston, 2-2 with a 3.63 ERA---Career at Fenway Park in 4 games, 2-1 with a 4.30 ERA)

Dustin Pedroia, 1 for 5 (.200 avg) Double, Walk

Manny Ramirez, 8 for 12 (.667 avg) 2 RBIs, 2 Walks, K

David Ortiz, 5 for 12 (.417 avg) HR, 2 RBIs, 2 Walks, 2 Ks

Mike Lowell, 3 for 11 (.273 avg) 4 RBIs, Walk, SB

J.D. Drew, 3 for 9 (.333 avg) RBI

Kevin Youkilis, 2 for 10 (.200 avg) RBI, 2 Walks, 3 Ks, SB

Jason Varitek, 4 for 14 (.286 avg) Double, Walk, 3 Ks

Jacoby Ellsbury, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) K

Julio Lugo, 5 for 21 (.238 avg) 2 Doubles, 2 RBIs, 3 Ks

///

Alex Cora, 0 for 3

Coco Crisp, 2 for 12 (.167 avg) Double, Walk, K, SB

Eric Hinske, 1 for 15 (.067 avg) Double, 2 Ks

 

Jon Lester (2 games vs Oakland, 4.95 ERA---Career at Fenway Park in 13 games, 5-1 with a 4.88 ERA)

Shannon Stewart, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) K

Daric Barton, 1 for 2 (.500 avg) Double, Walk

Nick Swisher, 1 for 4 (.250 avg) HR, 2 RBIs, Walk, 2 Ks

Mike Piazza, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) HR, RBI, K

Jack Cust, 0 for 2, Walk, 2 Ks

Mark Ellis, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) Walk, K

Kurt Suzuki, 0 for 1, Walk, K

Jack Hannahan, 1 for 2 (.500 avg) K

Donnie Murphy, 2 for 2 (1.000 avg) HR, 3 RBIs

 

Blanton this season vs Boston in 3 games, 0-2 with a 4.71 ERA. At Fenway Park in 2 games, 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA. On the road in 19 games, 7-6 with a 5.13 ERA

 

Lester this season at home in 4 games, 1-0 with a 5.14 ERA

[schillingouttheks]

Jesus. Manny looks like he hasn't missed a beat.

[See Red]

2-1 Sox

[castigs850]

Or' date=' like last night, the plan is to get Manny ABs as quickly as possible then pull him.[/quote']

 

i know that. but when you say you love it that makes me think you would like it for some reason long term....guess not

[redsoxrules]

drew with the sac fly 3-1

[ACL BoSox]

Ellsbury having a rough game so far. He gets a pass for now though.

[redsoxrules]

lester with 8K's allready

[redsoxrules]

f***.... 4-3 A's

[ACL BoSox]

lester WAS looking good til that last pitch

 

4-3 oak

 

Looks like our 1-2-3 will be beckett, schill, and dicek

[Cocos Disciples]

4-4.

[redsoxrules]

looks like that time off for manny did him some real good

[redsoxrules]

lowell again ! 5-4

[TheKilo]

lester WAS looking good til that last pitch

 

4-3 oak

 

Looks like our 1-2-3 will be beckett, schill, and dicek

 

When has that changed?

[redsoxrules]

snyder in

[TheKilo]

Good job by Snyder, send him out for the 6th with Timlin waiting.

[TheKilo]

Lugo, you gotta be kidding me.

[redsoxrules]

damn, missed a great chance there

[TheKilo]

Why can't this staff get Donnie Murphy out?

[redsoxrules]

why cant snyder stop walking hitters?

[TheKilo]

Lopez...don't suck.

[TheKilo]

I pray Lopez isn't anywhere near the playoff roster. Snyder too.

[redsoxrules]

Lopez...don't suck.

 

speaking of lopez, when is tito ever gona learn that he cant get lefties out? its really getting anoying

[TheKilo]

Nice, Timlin. Send him out for the 7th.

 

edit - Who's pitching tomorrow? Beckett?

[redsoxrules]

yup , beckett tomorrow... also im getting sick and tired of hearing that CC sabathia should win the CY because he has more IP

[TheKilo]

yup ' date=' beckett tomorrow... also im getting sick and tired of hearing that CC sabathia should win the CY because he has more IP[/quote']

 

 

You could easily make the case for him though, really the only stat Beckett has on him is wins.

 

edit - 1-0 Rays on a Pena SF.