5/22 vs. Kansas City Royals

[Jayhawk Bill]

remember

before we start jacking each other off over this was KC,a team that is unraveling offensively and they left a few guys on early...

 

It would be easy to look at a team reeling from three defeats--two at the hands of pitchers called up from AA and AAA, the other a no-hitter--and to write them off. It would be easier still to do that knowing that today's starting pitcher was Daisuke Matsuzaka, 7-0 thus far in 2008.

 

That would be hubris.

 

Today's starting pitcher for the Royals is Brian Bannister. Bannister posted a 3.87 ERA as a starting pitcher in his 2007 rookie season. Scouts discounted his ERA and pointed to his pretty pedestrian stuff; analysts discounted his ERA and pointed to his "unsustainable" BABIP. Let me point at something else: Brian Bannister is one of the smartest players in MLB, and he reviews Pitch f/x logs hitter by hitter before every game. His ultra-low BABIP isn't a fluke: he knows batters better than any other guy in MLB, better than Tek, better than Schilling. Boston's lineup thrives on pitchers' mistakes: Bannister won't overpower batters, but he won't make mistakes. In one previous game against Boston, he held Red Sox batters to a .217/.217/.609 batting line: were it not for home runs by Manny, Big Papi and Dustin Pedroia, he probably would have prevailed. Home runs don't come every game--Bannister matches well against Boston.

 

One other key split that's disturbing: Bannister has a career ERA of 2.65 and a 10-1 record in day games.

 

Facing the Royals for Boston will be Daisuke Matsuzaka. Matsuzaka's 2.15 ERA is lower than Bannister's impressive career split for day games. This year Matsuzaka is getting, on the whole, fair calls, and his ability to paint the corners is frustrating MLB hitters the way it frustrated hitters in Japan for years. What we're seeing isn't a fluke: what we're seeing is the real Dice-K.

 

For what it's worth, Matsuzaka's Day/Night split is good, too: his ERA is 1.48 runs lower in day games over his time in MLB.

 

Look for a good, close, well-pitched game. This one could come down to the bullpens.

 

Game Time 1:35 pm EDT Fenway Park

Current weather 53 degrees, cloudy, wind blowing out to RF at 10 mph

 

Royals

Brian Bannister

RHP

(4-5) 4.29 ERA

 

Red Sox

Daisuke Matsuzaka

RHP

(7-0) 2.15 ERA

 

DFWMM :thumbsup:

[yeszir]

Win again. That goes for the Celtics too.

[BoSox21]

this is bugging me but I need to know what DFWMM means

[VA Sox Fan]

this is bugging me but I need to know what DFWMM means

 

 

Don't f*** with my mojo

 

[VA Sox Fan]

Red Sox

 

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF

2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B

3. David Ortiz, DH

4. Manny Ramirez, LF

5. Mike Lowell, 3B

6. Kevin Youkilis, 1B

7. J.D. Drew, RF

8. Kevin Cash, C

9. Julio Lugo, SS

 

SP-Daisuke Matsuzaka

 

Go Dice-K! GO RED SOX!!

[BoSox21]

thanks for the clarification VA

[riverside sluggers]

Brian Bannister (2 games vs Boston, 0-2 with an 8.92 ERA---Career at Fenway Park in 2 games, 0-2 with an 8.92 ERA)

Jacoby Ellsbury, 1 for 2 (.500 avg) Walk

Dustin Pedroia, 2 for 6 (.333 avg) HR, RBI

David Ortiz, 2 for 6 (.333 avg) HR, 2 RBIs

Manny Ramirez, 2 for 6 (.333 avg) HR, RBI, 2 Ks

Mike Lowell, 2 for 5 (.400 avg) Double

Kevin Youkilis, 2 for 6 (.333 avg) RBI, K

J.D. Drew, 3 for 8 (.375 avg) HR, 4 RBIs, K

Kevin Cash, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) 2 Ks

Julio Lugo, 3 for 4 (.750 avg) RBI, K

///

Sean Casey, 3 for 8 (.375 avg) 2 Doubles, RBI, Walk, K

Coco Crisp, 0 for 2

Jason Varitek, 0 for 2

 

Daisuke Matsuzaka (2 games vs Kansas City, 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA---Career at Fenway Park in 20 games, 13-4 with a 4.18 ERA)

David DeJesus, 3 for 7 (.429 avg) HR, RBI, 3 Ks

Mark Grudzielanek, 0 for 3, Walk

Alex Gordon, 1 for 4 (.250 avg) 2 Walks, K

Jose Guillen, 6 for 15 (.400 avg) 2 Doubles, 5 RBIs, 6 Ks

Mark Teahen, 0 for 3, 3 Walks, 2 Ks

Miguel Olivo, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) Double, RBI, K

Ross Gload, 0 for 6, 3 Ks

Alberto Callapso, 0 for 2, Walk, K

Joey Gathright, 2 for 3 (.667 avg) Double

///

John Buck, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) K

Esteban German, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) K

Tony Pena Jr., 0 for 2

[Mr Crunchy]

va. has a brother named mojo

he works as a dishwasher at stuckeys on hwy 64 somewhere southeast of richmond.

tall guy,maybe 6'8

i never knew any other scotsman that used afro sheen and drank malt liquor!!!

 

how are you lynda

im looking forward to getting down to your perimeter for a nats game this summer.

i heard thru sources you know a guy who knows a guy who can get us into the ballpark..

any truth to this?

[redsoxrules]

I still cant beleive that dice is 7-0 with the way he's pitching .throw strikes god dammit

[Beaneater]

There are few things more frustrating than watching a pitcher issue fee passes. However, here is one one thing that is more frustrating: watching a pitcher issue free passes to the Kansas City Royals.

[ORS]

Nomo v2.0

[Beaneater]

At least he has three Ks to go with the three BBs. But that equals a lot of pitches thrown: he's on track to give us 4 innings today. Huzzah!

 

Come on, Dicey, settle down and give us 6. Five, you say? That'd be OK too, I guess.

[ORS]

Granny!

[redsoxrules]

JD DREW BITCHES!!

[Beaneater]

Don't make me go all ALCS Game 6 on you.

[Jayhawk Bill]

Nice work by Drew.

 

Perhaps Dice-K will try throwing strikes for a change, given a lead. I doubt it, though.

[Beaneater]

Ellsbury sez "I will now foul all your crap off and take the free pass."

 

Bannister now has the same pitch count problem as Dicey. Both bullpens are eating complex carbohydrates to prepare for the workload.

[ORS]

 

Perhaps Dice-K will try throwing strikes for a change, given a lead.

 

http://thumbnail.search.aolcdn.com/truveo/images/thumbnails/7E/FE/7EFE44FEDDEC31.jpg

 

Nah.

[Beaneater]

Perhaps Dice-K will try throwing strikes for a change' date=' given a lead. I doubt it, though.[/quote']

 

It's just so much more interesting to pitch with runners on! You get more of an adrenaline rush.

[redsoxrules]

wonderfull , walking the leadoff man after they just scored 4 runs

[Mr Crunchy]

that ought to change his day time era just a hair

good for david jonathan,just when i feel like he's out of his element he sends a missile out to remind us why we over paid him

[redsoxrules]

dice gets lucky again

[ksushi]

http://thumbnail.search.aolcdn.com/truveo/images/thumbnails/7E/FE/7EFE44FEDDEC31.jpg

 

Nah.

 

http://www.mustangmods.com/data/10900/brilliant.jpg

 

Brilliant.

 

Ahem, sorry. I wish I could watch a dicek game, but I'm always at work but maybe that factors into his luck. I must have been the jinx last season.

 

JHB, how are the calls? and how have they been in general this season? I figure you probably have that info offhand.

[redsoxrules]

YOUK! 5-1

[Beaneater]

Youk is the mac daddy.

[redsoxrules]

JD just missed another one

[Beaneater]

The Royals are stranding runners in scoring position as if they were the Red Sox or something.

[Beaneater]

Ah, the ol' walk --> wild pitch combo. It worked great in the 1st inning!

 

EDIT: and to the same guy, no less.

[The Dustball]

6 walks? Jesus, that is awful. This is why Dice-K is at 90 pitches in the 5th inning, he needs to go right after hitters and throw strikes.

[Beaneater]

6 walks? Jesus' date=' that is awful. This is why Dice-K is at 90 pitches in the 5th inning, he needs to go right after hitters and throw strikes.[/quote']

 

Everyone in the world knows this, except apparently Dicey himself.