6/8 vs. Seattle Mariners

[Jayhawk Bill]

Entering the 2007 season, PECOTA listed Justin Masterson as, perhaps, Boston's second most valuable minor league pitching prospect, close behind Clay Buchholz. People laughed at Nate Silver's projection.

 

People are no longer laughing.

 

Clay Buchholz is doing well for a young rookie pitcher this year, but Justin Masterson is doing superbly well for a kid recently promoted from Portland to Pawtucket. In three emergency starts he's 2-0, his one loss coming when he held the Angels to one run in six IP on April 24, only to have the bullpen allow six runs and blow his lead. Masterson has provided the Red Sox with 91-95 quality pitches on demand, and that's enough to give a team of Boston's caliber a win most of the time.

 

Today Masterson faces the Mariners. He'll face a new challenge: the heat. It's already 85 degrees in Fenway as I type this, the wind gently blowing out to right field. By game time the ball will be flying out to the bleacher seats given a chance to take that ride, and Masterson will be trying to throw nearly 100 pitches in a heat index of nearly 100 degrees. Today we'll see what the kid is made of.

 

JD Drew is going to have to rise to the occasion today, both shagging deep fly balls around the treacherous corners of Fenway's right field warning track and hitting for power in the three spot. With Big Papi on the DL, JD Drew is Boston's left-handed power threat. Yesterday he filled that role, and Boston dominated Seattle. Today is another day, Bedard is a good LHP, and JD Drew is known for oscillations in his performance. Boston needs the All Star JD Drew on the field today--he's my player to watch for the game.

 

Game Time: 1:35 PM EDT Fenway Park

Weather: Sunny, with a high near 93. Wind out to CF between 9 and 15 mph.

 

Seattle:

 

Erik Bedard

LHP

(4-4) 4.47 ERA

 

Boston:

 

Justin Masterson

RHP

(2-0) 2.95 ERA

[yeszir]

Look for me on TV everyone! I'll be the miserable one melting in a puddle of sweat.

[riverside sluggers]

Erik Bedard (12 games vs Boston, 5-4 with a 4.43 ERA---Career at Fenway Park in 5 games, 2-3 with an 8.10 ERA)

Julio Lugo, 8 for 32 (.250 avg) Double, 3 Walks, 4 Ks

Dustin Pedroia, 1 for 12 (.083 avg) Walk, K

J.D. Drew ---

Manny Ramirez, 5 for 23 (.217 avg) Double, 3 RBIs, 2 Walks, 8 Ks

Mike Lowell, 2 for 16 (.125 avg) Double, 3 RBIs, 3 Walks

Kevin Youkilis, 1 for 18 (.056 avg) RBI, 5 Walks, 9 Ks

Jason Varitek, 3 for 17 (.176 avg) 2 RBIs, 4 Walks, 9 Ks

Coco Crisp, 0 for 11, Walk, K

Brandon Moss ---

///

Sean Casey, 0 for 3, K

Kevin Cash, 0 for 5, 3 Ks

Jacoby Ellsbury, 0 for 2, Walk, K, SB

 

Justin Masterson (1st career appearance vs Seattle---Career at Fenway Park in 3 games, 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA)

Ichiro Suzuki, ---

Jose Lopez, ---

Raul Ibanez, ---

Adrian Beltre, ---

Jeremy Reed, ---

Richie Sexson, ---

Yuniesky Betancourt, ---

Jamie Burke, ---

Willie Bloomquist, ---

[Jayhawk Bill]

CB Bucknor behind home plate.

 

We are f***ed. Bucknor is, by far, the worst umpire in MLB, and he doesn't like the Boston Red Sox.

[Jayhawk Bill]

Nice double play!

[Jayhawk Bill]

FYI, Boston was 1-3 with Bucknor behind the plate in 2007. Boston pitchers gave up 25 runs in those four games. Lester got the one win--the three RHP called by Bucknor all lost, and opponents scored almost eight runs per game average in those three games.

 

The last Boston starting RHP to win with Bucknor calling the game was Bronson Arroyo in 2005. Myers and Papelbon recorded holds and Mike Timlin earned the save.

[a700hitter]

Drew is hitting everything hard. If they can ride a two week hot streak from him in the 3 hole, that will really lessen the blow of losing Big Papi.

[a700hitter]

J.D. Drew doing it on offense and defense. What a catch!

[Jayhawk Bill]

JD Drew is going to have to rise to the occasion today...shagging deep fly balls around the treacherous corners of Fenway's right field warning track

 

Told you so. :harhar:

 

Great catch for Drew against Sexson.

 

Dammit...close on the DP attempt, but Betancourt was too fast.

[ORS]

That's what you get, rook. Walk a stiff like Beltre, and he'll score without you giving up a hit. Make sure you log that in the lessons learned file.

[a700hitter]

There was little or no hoopla around Masterson this spring, but he has more wins than the over-hyped trio of Joba, Hughes and kennedy. And Masterson is just a spot starter.

[Jayhawk Bill]

Another nice catch by Drew in the RF corner.

 

OK...a hit this inning would be nice.

[a700hitter]

Gawky Sexson acted as a moving block on his second baseman on that pop foul.

[Jayhawk Bill]

Either Sexson or Bloomquist should've had Tek's pop-up. Bedard got the K, but he can't get the extra pitch back.

[Jayhawk Bill]

W00t Coco.

[a700hitter]

Don't look now but Coco has been have some very good AB's lately. It's about time, and it couldn't come at a better time.

[a700hitter]

Nice AB to work a walk against a tough lefty by Moss.

[ORS]

Very nice AB for Moss.

[ORS]

Vintage '07 Pedroia. More of that please.

[a700hitter]

Just what we need is for a fragile Drew to get hit on the wrist.

[ORS]

Looked like just a glancing blow.

[a700hitter]

What's Bedard's pitch count?

[CrespoBlows]

What's Bedard's pitch count?

 

68.

[redsoxrules]

What's Bedard's pitch count?

 

68

[CrespoBlows]

Carter hit his 12th today in Pawtucket.

[a700hitter]

With Masterson's height and delivery, right handed batters must think the SS is pitching to them.

[Jayhawk Bill]

Lugo almost got a home run to LF on what should've been F7. The ball is really carrying.

 

Two outs, Lugo on second with the potential go-ahead run.

[CrespoBlows]

That'll be the closest Lugo gets all year.

 

What happened to his power? Was LA that traumatic for him?

[ORS]

Great job by Pedroia working Bedard in each AB today.

[Jayhawk Bill]

That'll be the closest Lugo gets all year.

 

What happened to his power? Was LA that traumatic for him?

 

Lugo blames it on parasites. I don't have any reason to doubt him.

 

He claims he got them in Europe during the 2006-2007 offseason. I strongly doubt that. I think that he got them July 23-25 2006, at home in Tampa Bay, eating raw seafood and drinking while enjoying a few days off prior to his trade to LA.