4/28 @ Toronto

[riverside sluggers]

Last time the Sox have had six 1-run wins in a row was 1943... yeah so lets get an easy win, sweeping the series! Oh and we'll get back to .500

 

http://cache.boston.com/images/bostondirtdogs//Headline_Archives/BDD_6.27_JL_ap.jpg

Jon Lester

 

 

Vs.

 

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1R-X6xOuHwo/SpSI20eqo9I/AAAAAAAAG7A/JXfSQK90FQc/s400/Toronto+Blue+Jays+pitcher+Brett+Cecil+Tampa+Bay+Rays++MLB+American+League+baseball+game+in+Toronto.jpg

Brett Cecil

 

 

Boston (10-11) at Toronto (10-11)

* Game info: 7:07 pm EDT Wed Apr 28, 2010

* TV: NESN, RSN

 

The Boston Red Sox are playing better after a rough start, but they’d surely like to enjoy an easy win for a change. They may get their wish Wednesday night. Seeking a three-game sweep in Toronto, the Red Sox will send Jon Lester to the mound against the Blue Jays’ Brett Cecil - a pitcher Boston dominated last season. Following a 4-9 start, Boston (10-11) has won six of eight, but it hasn’t been easy. All six wins have come by one-run margins, as have their last five games overall. Boston’s nine one-run games are the most in the majors.

 

One-run games won by the Red Sox are about all the first two games of this series have had in common. After prevailing in a 13-12 slugfest Monday, Boston won 2-1 Tuesday behind eight strong innings from Clay Buchholz. “Last night we’re thinking about onside kicks and field goals,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. “Tonight there’s just not much to show for it, except for a win.”

 

Pinch hitting for the slumping David Ortiz with the bases loaded in the eighth, Mike Lowell drew a four-pitch walk from Blue Jays reliever Kevin Gregg to force home Dustin Pedroia with the eventual winning run. “You’ve got to make him earn his way on the base right there,” Gregg said. The Blue Jays (10-11) have lost four straight and eight of 11 following a 7-3 start.

 

Ortiz went 0 for 2 to drop his average to .154 - his second straight terrible start to a season trying the patience of the Red Sox, and diminishing his playing time. However, Ortiz may find encouragement when he sees Cecil (1-0, 5.40 ERA) toeing the rubber for Toronto. Ortiz, who has one homer this season, didn’t hit his first of 2009 until May 20 off Cecil at Fenway Park. Though still well below his lofty standards from the middle of the decade, the Boston slugger finished with a respectable 28 homers - all in his last 115 games.

 

He wasn’t the only Red Sox hitter to have Cecil’s number. Current members of the Red Sox are 15 for 37 with six homers off the Toronto left-hander, who allowed 12 runs in 17 innings to lose both his starts against Boston as a rookie in 2009. One of those outings was an 8-1 defeat to Lester (0-2, 6.23) on Aug. 20 at home. The Red Sox’s southpaw yielded one run and three hits over eight innings in that start, improving to 4-3 with a 3.03 ERA in nine outings against Toronto.

 

Trying to salvage one win in the season’s first month, Lester is seeking to overcome his own history. He is 2-6 with a 5.12 lifetime ERA in March and April, compared with 40-12 and a 3.50 ERA in all other months. Lester appeared to be shaking off his early-season doldrums Friday, when he threw 5 2-3 scoreless innings against Baltimore, but wound up without a decision after the Boston bullpen squandered a three-run lead en route to an eventual 4-3 victory.

 

Blue Jays slugger Adam Lind is 4 for 8 in this series, but 2 for 14 with eight strikeouts against Lester. The last three series between these AL East rivals have ended in sweeps, with Boston winning two.

[bsox0407]

Hopefully Lester brings his A game tonight. .500 Would be nice and total control of 3rd place.

[riverside sluggers]

Jon Lester (10 games vs Toronto, 5-3 with a 2.72 ERA-----Career at Rogers Centre in 7 games, 3-3 with a 3.68 ERA)

Mike McCoy, 0 for 1, 2 Walks, K

Aaron Hill, 2 for 20 (.100 avg) Double, 2 Walks, 9 Ks, SB

Jose Bautista, 4 for 20 (.200 avg) HR, 3 RBIs, 3 Walks, 6 Ks

Vernon Wells, 5 for 21 (.238 avg) 2 Doubles, HR, 3 RBIs, 4 Walks, 2 Ks

Lyle Overbay, 4 for 16 (.250 avg) 2 Doubles, RBI, 2 Walks, 4 Ks

Alex Gonzalez, 0 for 2, 2 Ks

Randy Ruiz, 0 for 5, 2 Ks

Jose Molina, 5 for 13 (.385 avg) 2 Walks, 2 Ks

John McDonald, 1 for 10 (.100 avg) 2 Ks

///

John Buck, 1 for 8 (.125 avg) Double, 2 Ks

Adam Lind, 2 for 14 (.143 avg) Double, Walk, 8 Ks

Travis Snider, 0 for 3, 2 Ks

 

Brett Cecil (3 games vs Boston, 0-3 with a 7.80 ERA-----Career at Rogers Centre in 12 games, 3-4 with a 4.19 ERA)

Marco Scutaro, 2 for 3 (.667 avg)

Dustin Pedroia, 2 for 7 (.286 avg) Double, RBI, Walk

Victor Martinez, 2 for 11 (.182 avg) Double, Walk

Kevin Youkilis, 3 for 8 (.375 avg) Double, Walk, 4 Ks

J.D. Drew, 2 for 5 (.400 avg) 2 HRs, 3 RBIs, K

Jason Varitek, 2 for 3 (.667 avg) 2 HRs, 2 RBIs, Walk

Adrian Beltre, 0 for 2, K

Bill Hall, 1 for 2 (.500 avg) Double, SB

Darnell McDonald, 1 for 2 (.500 avg) Double

///

Mike Lowell, 2 for 5 (.400 avg) HR, 2 RBIs, K

David Ortiz, 1 for 5 (.200 avg) HR, 2 RBIs, K

 

Lester last season vs Toronto in 4 games, 3-1 with a 1.98 ERA. At Rogers Centre in 3 games, 2-1 with a 2.14 ERA. This season on the road in 2 games, 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA (4 ER in 12 innings)

[msubulldogs21]

I've been Tivo'ing the games but it sucks not being able to do live game threads much these days.

[Palodios]

The live threads have been pretty quiet until the 7-9th innings lately, at which point they seem to explode.

[Youk Of The Nation]

In my case, that's because I usually get out of work at 9 or 930 on weekdays unless Im closing. I assume thats the case with a lot of people, hence the explosion. Everyone gets out of work at night and then comes here.

[TheMino007]

Its still April, so Lester will suck

[BoSox21]

Martinez at DH, Varitek catching tonight as per Tito on EEI so no Ortiz.

[VA Sox Fan]

Ortiz back on the bench

 

Posted by Peter Abraham, Globe Staff April 28, 2010 02:05 PM

 

Terry Francona, on his paid WEEI gig, said that Victor Martinez would DH today with Jason Varitek catching.

 

Varitek was 2 for 2 with two home runs against Brett Cecil in a game last May.

 

For David Ortiz, this would mark the seventh time in 22 games that he does not start, the fourth time in the last eight games. Whether the Red Sox care to put a label on it, he's a platoon DH at this point.

 

But the problem is Ortiz is at .146/.222/.341 against righhanded pitchers through 41 at-bats. Granted, that's a small sample size. But once Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron get back from the disabled list, it'll be hard to justify using Ortiz as even a platoon DH if Jeremy Hermida (.250/.302/.525) is available.

 

Big Papi is at a crossroads. If he doesn't start to hit for power soon, the Red Sox will have to consider some uncomfortable possibilities.

[redsoxrules]

This is the end for Ortiz in Boston

[BoSox21]

This is the end for Ortiz in Boston

 

The official end will come when Ellsbury and/or Cameron are back

[YeAuldBroade]

This is the end for Ortiz in Boston

Such a sad way to go.......

[VA Sox Fan]

RED SOX (10-11)

 

Scutaro SS

Pedroia 2B

Martinez DH

Youkilis 1B

Drew RF

Varitek C

Beltre 3B

Hall LF

McDonald CF

 

Pitching: LHP Jon Lester (0-2, 6.23).

[YeAuldBroade]

I think Hall is both a lousy outfielder and hitter. It drives me nuts that he's in the lineup every damn day.

[VA Sox Fan]

BLUE JAYS (10-11)

 

McCoy LF

Hill 2B

Bautista RF

Wells CF

Overbay 1B

Gonzalez SS

Ruiz DH

Molina C

McDonald 3B

 

Pitching: LHP Brett Cecil (1-0, 5.40).

[Youk Of The Nation]

McCoy, huh?

 

Get ready for the Star Trek jokes, motherf***ers.

[Palodios]

Hah, you would think with Mccoy Stadium being the Sox's triple A stadium, we would have it out of the way by now. But hey, be my guest.

[Youk Of The Nation]

I didn't know that was the name of the stadium. Ah well.

[a700hitter]

The official end will come when Ellsbury and/or Cameron are back

He's not going anywhere. When Ellsbury and Cameron comeback, McDonald and Van Every get cut.

[SoxSport]

Time to put Papi out of his misery.

 

Are Red Sox pitchers beginning to hold runners on base? That would be a pleasant surprise.

VMart has been taking too much heat, and maybe it's affecting his hitting. Tek has been great.

 

Why such poor starts for Lester and Beckett two successive years? A good question for the pitching coach.

[redsoxrules]

He's not going anywhere. When Ellsbury and Cameron comeback' date=' McDonald and Van Every get cut.[/quote']

 

he's been bench 7 times already , Obiously his time is almost done

[TedWilliams101]

If Papi doesn't start hitting soon he might even lose his platoon against RHP.

[Spudboy]

Lol. Another throng at Skydome!

 

Why don't fans in the upper level just move down? Maybe they aren't able to.

[Spudboy]

OK Marco! Now take second!

[redsoxrules]

Holy s*** enough with the GIDP V-mart

[Spudboy]

Great. Lead off walks are not what Lester needs to do.

[Youk Of The Nation]

McCoy leads off with a walk. Dammit, he's a utility player, not an All-Star!

[Spudboy]

Bye-bye McCoy.

[Youk Of The Nation]

Haha! He's dead, Jon.

[Palodios]

Four strikeouts through 2 innings!