3/26 @ Oakland Athletics ... get outta Japan!!

[schillingouttheks]

Last game in Japan, thank God. Just win the game. Hopefully Lester can keep us in the game long enough to get to Harden... obviously, this pitching matchup isn't very favorable for us. Go Sox!

 

... only for the Sox would I stomach such early wake-ups on spring break.

 

Game Info:

Date: Wednesday, March 26th, 2008

Teams: Boston Red Sox (1-0) @ Oakland Athletics (0-1)

First Pitch: 6:05am EDT

Venue: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan

TV: NESN/ESPN 2

Starting Pitchers:

http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/baseball/mlb/players/7790.jpghttp://bellsouthpwp.net/c/h/chinigor/TALKSOX/VS.GIFhttp://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/baseball/mlb/players/7180.jpg

 

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/mlb/images/team_logos/50x50/bos.gif#31 Jon Lester (0-0, 0.00)

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/mlb/images/team_logos/50x50/oak.gif#40 Rich Harden (0-0, 0.00)

 

Mojo of the day:

So, Sox, when you leave Japan, be happy... don't look back in anger.

 

[youtube=Oasis - Don't Look Back In Anger]D-ysg62GmFo

 

OASIS MOJO!!!!

[kreinbihl34]

It's very simple the way we win this game.

If Lester attacks the strike zone and believes in his stuff, we're golden.

[DrewDaGreat]

Manny Ks, top 1 over.

[Red Sox 4 Life]

Go Red Sox!

[jacksonianmarch]

16 pitches, 9 balls. Lester back up to his old tricks. And he just threw his hardest pitch of the inning at 91mph.

[MANNYHOF24]

Harden looks dominant right now, Lester is going to have to hold them down if we are going to win this game.

[MANNYHOF24]

16 pitches' date=' 9 balls. Lester back up to his old tricks. And he just threw his hardest pitch of the inning at 91mph.[/quote']

 

Yeah but Nesn also has Harden clocked around 92, so I don't buy those readings at all. They had DiceK at 87 for most of the night yesterday.

[MANNYHOF24]

Big punch out there.

[Bostonownsyou]

This Oakland team is pesky.

[yeszir]

Oasis is probably bad mojo to toss out there. Bad band chemistry.

[MANNYHOF24]

I have a feeling Harden is going to wear down, and we will have a good chance of hitting him in the 5th-6th inning.

[a700hitter]

Lester hasn't located down in the zone. Over 70 pitches and he's not out of the 3rd inning. I don't know who was giving the positive reports about him from Fort Myers, but I saw the same problems that he has had since he came to the majors. He throws too many pitches, doesn't command the zone and he can't get the ball down.

[a700hitter]

This announcer was killing me when he was talking about the new Canseco book and the allegations against ARod. He seems to think Canseco is Jason Giambi. He mentioned that throws from 3rd to first base will be interesting this year, and that the Yankees will have to have a sit down so as not to let the issue "hang out there"

[DrewDaGreat]

Finally...a hit

[a700hitter]

Good 4th inning by Lester, but he is at 83 pitches through 4 innings. You cannot get too deep into a game with such a lack of efficiency. This A's lineup stinks. He should be tearing through them.

[a700hitter]

There are only 5 TalkSox members logged on. I am very disappointed. Have the rest of you lost the love? I guess Example is working fulltime on damage control for Obama, who has fallen to earth with a thud.

[a700hitter]

Lester was very unimpressive today against a subpar lineup.

[a700hitter]

That popout by Youk was an adventure. They need to work Harden over this inning and get him out of the game.

[a700hitter]

Manny with the bomb.

.:dance:

[ORS]

Vintage Manolo. Glad to have him back.

[a700hitter]

Harden at 95 pitches. Does he start the 7th? I hope not.

[MANNYHOF24]

With Manny being the old Manny the whole lineup inproves drastically. I just hope Ortiz can get going.

[a700hitter]

Who is likely to come out of the A's pen? They used Street, Foulke, Embree and Dinardo yesterday.

[MANNYHOF24]

David Ardsma is sicknasty

[a700hitter]

Aardsma, who stinks, is having no problem with this inferior lineup. Lester was atrocious today.

[MANNYHOF24]

This guy throws strikes, I like him so far.

[MANNYHOF24]

Aardsma' date=' who stinks, is having no problem with this inferior lineup. Lester was atrocious today.[/quote']

 

Lester was bad today, but I am going to cut him some slack based on the fact that its still basically spring training and didnt he just arrive in Japan yesterday or something?

[YanksHater213]

aardasma has looked real nice

[MANNYHOF24]

I dont understand this move, Lopez stinks against lefties. Seriously? Why Tito?

[a700hitter]

Lester was bad today' date=' but I am going to cut him some slack based on the fact that its still basically spring training and didnt he just arrive in Japan yesterday or something?[/quote']The Redd Sox have no choice but to be patient with him, but he has not shown an ability to command the zone since he arrived in the Bigs in 2006. This spring on one occasion Francona expressed frustration at Lester's inability to attack the strike zone. This A's lineup is one of the weaker ones that he will see this year, and he couldn't handle them.