7/3 @ New York - The bullshit has got to stop

[riverside sluggers]

Pull your heads out of the asses, especially the bullpen, and actually win a game

 

Red Sox confident a turnaround is near

Boston (50-37) at New York (45-40), Thursday, 7:05 p.m. ET

 

They were swept right out of Tampa Bay and into the pressure cooker of Yankee Stadium. Perhaps the Red Sox are about to face their first moment of truth of the 2008 season. In the middle of a five-game losing streak, the Red Sox have fallen 3 1/2 games behind the Rays in the American League East as they start this four-game series in the Bronx. The last thing the Sox want to do is allow the Yankees to creep up on them. New York is 6 1/2 games behind the Rays and five behind Boston.

 

"We always believe in each other," said second baseman Dustin Pedroia. "We believe in our team. It's not like we don't have a championship-caliber club. We all understand that we do. It's just a matter of going out there and winning ballgames. This road trip really hasn't started out all that well, but we still have four games left, and we've got to go to New York and play a lot better than we've played at the start of it."

 

It will be a bit of a different experience to see the Red Sox and Yankees play a series at this juncture of the season when neither team is in first place. But designated hitter David Ortiz, who is working his way back from a left wrist injury that will keep him out of rivalry weekend, isn't convinced that things won't re-shift to their familiar pattern.

 

"I think there's time," said Ortiz. "There's a lot of games left. One way or another, they know how to figure it out. We know how to figure it out. Time will tell. It's a long season. These kids across the street [the Rays], they're playing good. I wouldn't take that away from them. I don't know, things happen. Sometimes, you know, I guess experience shows up and takes over, you know what I'm saying?"

 

Ortiz wasn't fully guaranteeing another 1-2 Red Sox-Yankees finish in the AL East, but it seemed he was strongly hinting at it. "I'm not saying that [the Rays] will drop, but if you go by the numbers, that's normally what happens in baseball, you know what I'm saying?" he said. "It's always the guys with more experience and the guy that's used to being in the same spot at the end of the year that takes over."

 

Manager Terry Francona isn't thinking big-picture. He just wants his team to be able to salvage something from what has been a tough road trip to date. "In the game we play, it's so reactionary," Francona said. "When we left for this road trip, we were in first place. We had the audacity to lose [five] in a row, which isn't a lot of fun, but sometimes it happens. So rather than panic -- it's hard, we don't like losing four in a row -- I think you have to try to keep things in perspective."

 

And whether it was in his four years in Boston or in his current post with the Yankees, Johnny Damon has always managed to keep this storied rivalry in perspective. "The series against Boston is definitely huge, but I think every series we're in is huge," Damon said. "It's not a two-team division. We have to play better, or this could be a long summer for us."

 

Pitching matchup

BOS: LHP Jon Lester (6-3, 3.48 ERA)

Lester had a rare shaky outing in his last start, giving up nine hits and six runs over five innings in a no-decision against the Astros. Of his 18 starts this season, half have resulted in no-decisions. Lester is holding opponents to a .261 average. This will be his first start against the Yankees this season. It will also be his first career start at Yankee Stadium. In fact, he has pitched just once against New York in his career, surrendering eight hits and seven runs over 3 2/3 innings in an August 2006 outing.

 

NYY: LHP Andy Pettitte (9-5, 3.98 ERA)

In the Yankees' 3-2 win over the Mets on Saturday, Pettitte allowed two earned runs on five hits, walking three and striking out five to improve to 4-0 in his past four starts. He has surrendered two earned runs or fewer in each of those outings, a huge bounce-back after he gave up 10 runs to Kansas City on June 7.

 

Short hops

Center fielder Coco Crisp will return from his five-game suspension and is all but certain to start with lefty Pettitte pitching for New York. ... Right-handed reliever Mike Timlin will be activated before Thursday's game. ... Pedroia is hitting .568 during his 10-game hitting streak.

[yeszir]

Thank god, we're playing the Yankees.

 

Honestly, never in a million years would I have ever guessed I'd be glad to get out of Tampa to get to New York.

[riverside sluggers]

Jon Lester (2 games vs New York, 1-0 with a 5.16 ERA---Career at Yankee Stadium in 1 game, 1-0 with an 0.00 ERA)

Johnny Damon, 3 for 6 (.500 avg) HR, 3 RBIs, Walk, K

Derek Jeter, 1 for 6 (.167 avg) Walk, 3 Ks

Bobby Abreu, 2 for 7 (.286 avg) Double, 2 RBIs

Alex Rodriguez, 0 for 5, Walk, K

Jason Giambi, 0 for 3, 2 Ks

Jorge Posada, 0 for 3, K

Robinson Cano, 3 for 5 (.600 avg) Double, RBI, K

Wilson Betemit, 0 for 3, 2 Ks

Melky Cabrera, 4 for 5 (.800 avg) Double, RBI

///

Jose Molina, 1 for 2 (.500 avg)

 

Andy Pettitte (30 games vs Boston, 15-7 with a 3.62 ERA---Career at Yankee Stadium in 162 games, 92-38 with a 3.61 ERA)

Jacoby Ellsbury, 3 for 5 (.600 avg) Double, 3 RBIs, K, SB

Dustin Pedroia, 6 for 20 (.300 avg) Double, 5 RBIs

J.D. Drew, 8 for 23 (.348 avg) 2 Doubles, 2 HRs, 2 RBIs, Walk, 9 Ks

Manny Ramirez, 32 for 74 (.432 avg) 8 Doubles, 4 HRs, 20 RBIs, 7 Walks, 7 Ks, SB

Mike Lowell, 7 for 18 (.389 avg) Double, 5 RBIs, 2 Walks, K

Kevin Youkilis, 7 for 16 (.438 avg) 2 Doubles, HR, 2 RBIs, 4 Walks, 2 Ks

Coco Crisp, 6 for 18 (.333 avg) Walk, 5 Ks, SB

Jason Varitek, 17 for 50 (.340 avg) Double, Triple, 2 HRs, 7 RBIs, 7 Walks, 15 Ks

Julio Lugo, 6 for 25 (.240 avg) Triple, RBI, 3 Walks, 4 Ks, 2 SBs

///

Sean Casey, 8 for 19 (.421 avg) K

Alex Cora, 0 for 2

 

Lester this season on the road in 10 games, 3-2 with a 3.94 ERA

 

Pettitte this season at home in 9 games, 3-4 with a 5.08 ERA

[jacksonianmarch]

I see this being a battle of the pens. We typically have a rough O day against lefties and after we have a blowout like we had last night. The sox OTOH have gotten ridiculous production from Drew, and the lefty on our mound should slow that down. I see this being a battle of the pens.

[VA Sox Fan]

Lineups

 

Posted by Amalie Benjamin, Globe Staff July 3, 2008 03:30 PM

 

NEW YORK -- It's a lovely day in the Bronx. Hot, but not obscenely so. There is a chance of rain in the forecast, so cross your fingers that there isn't a delay. Red Sox-Yankees games are long enough without delays, in case you forgot.

 

We've got Coco Crisp back in the lineup, after finishing off his suspension yesterday for the brawl against the Rays. A slumping Jason Varitek remains in the lineup, as well.

 

Here they are...

 

Red Sox

 

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, LF

2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B

3. J.D. Drew, RF

4. Manny Ramirez, DH

5. Mike Lowell, 3B

6. Kevin Youkilis, 1B

7. Coco Crisp, CF

8. Jason Varitek, C

9. Julio Lugo, SS

 

Jon Lester, SP

 

Yankees

 

1. Johnny Damon, LF

2. Derek Jeter, SS

3. Bobby Abreu, RF

4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B

5. Jason Giambi, DH

6. Jorge Posada, C

7. Robinson Cano, 2B

8. Wilson Betemit, 1B

9. Melky Cabrera, CF

 

Andy Pettitte, SP

[VA Sox Fan]

Go Jon Lester!!

 

Welcome back Coco!!

 

Get out of your slump Tek (AND Manny)!!

 

Don't F-up Julio!!

 

BEAT THE MFY'S!!!!

 

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

[26 to 6]

Cool dude.

[Jayhawk Bill]

I just had a weird feeling that this is going to be one of those games that one remembers.

 

Everybody starting for the Sox except Lugo, Crisp, Tek and Ellsbury has owned Pettitte in reasonable samples. Ellsbury is batting 1.000 in 2 AB; Lugo, Crisp and Tek are around .250.

 

***

 

Slump or not, I wouldn't want to be other then a Red Sox fan tonight.

[soxfan17881]

I cannot see the game, as I am in the blackout area of the Yankees and MLB.tv is my source. I am listening to the Red Sox radio feed and looking at Gameday.

 

I suppose it'll have to do.

[The Dustball]

LOL at Jeter. It wasn't even like he was pressured, he had tons of time and JD wasn't coming in that hard.

[The Dustball]

Haha good throw by Damon. That was pitiful. Nice job by Lowell.

[CrespoBlows]

lol at Damon.

 

2-0

[a700hitter]

Lester needs to be the new and improved Lester. He can't go back to pitching behind and walking lots of batters.

[a700hitter]

Here's the same BS again.

[soxfan17881]

Is Dice-K pitching again?

[a700hitter]

That call was bad. That was right over the plate.

[Jayhawk Bill]

Five of Lester's eight "balls" show as strikes on MLB Pitch f/x.

[a700hitter]

WTF is Lugo doing?

[soxfan17881]

Lugo screwed up? There's a surprise!

[a700hitter]

Lester got pissed and took matters into his own hands k'ing ARod and GiamBalco. That was the new sel-confident Lester.

[soxfan17881]

Welcome back, Coco.

 

Break that slump, Tek.

[Jayhawk Bill]

Five of Lester's eight "balls" show as strikes on MLB Pitch f/x.

 

OK...looking at the actual numbers and considering the crouches, two of the eight pitches were clearly strikes--but more to the point, every marginal call went against Lester.

[soxfan17881]

That first pitch to Tek looked like a strike, too.

[a700hitter]

A 4 pitch walk to Varitek? Thank you Andy! Thank you! Yankee fans must want to slap him silly.

[MANNYHOF24]

Lugo did something right!

[Jayhawk Bill]

That first pitch to Tek looked like a strike' date=' too.[/quote']

 

Yep...missed calls 4-1 in favor of the Yankees so far.

[The Dustball]

Cheap hit. I'll take it.

[MANNYHOF24]

Finally!

[a700hitter]

4-0 Red Sox. Ellsbury with the bloop hit.

[Jayhawk Bill]

4-0 Boston.

 

This game might not be another night of agony, but we shall see.