4/30 @ Baltimore

[riverside sluggers]

Lets go for 4 in a row, and above .500!

 

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/ff/fullj.42bcaff93b4f6a0ad88a827e95f90b9c/42bcaff93b4f6a0ad88a827e95f90b9c-getty-.jpg

John Lackey

 

 

Vs.

 

 

http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Baltimore+Orioles+v+New+York+Yankees+6_iOKDeYm-yl.jpg

David Hernandez

 

 

O's, Red Sox renew acquaintances

 

Familiar division foes will come together again Friday, when the Red Sox and the Orioles take the field against each other for the second time in a week. The Red Sox won two of the three games against the Orioles when they squared off last weekend at Fenway Park. Boston will send John Lackey to the mound looking for more of the same, but Baltimore and starter David Hernandez have other ideas.

 

Hernandez, the Orioles' fifth starter, battled all afternoon Sunday and held the Red Sox to two hits through five scoreless innings before running into trouble in the sixth. He's looking for his first win of the season Friday and will try to do it against a familiar lineup. He is 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in five career starts against Boston. In his previous start, Lackey gave up 10 hits and three runs over seven innings in a win vs. the Orioles. In seven career starts at Camden Yards, the Texan is 4-3 with a 3.72 ERA. In 13 starts against the Orioles, he is 9-3 with a 3.21 ERA.

 

"I never really think about numbers, honestly," Lackey said. "You want to try to make all your starts and give the team a chance to win as many times as I can. Ultimately you only think about team goals." As good as Lackey has been, he could be better. He has issued nine walks, given up two home runs and struck out 11 this season. Opponents are hitting .322 against him this year, compared to .263 for his career. Moreover, his 4.30 strikeouts per nine innings are well below his career average of 7.16.

 

"We're a team that's filled with a bunch of grinders," Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon said after Lackey's previous start. "Every person on this team grinds it out, from anyone in the bullpen to our starter today, John Lackey. He kept fighting and fighting and fighting, and he's the one that kind of kept this ballgame in check in order to win the ballgame. That's what our lineup does, too -- we grind away."

 

As for Lackey, his goal remains the same. "I've been pretty lucky to think I've had a chance to win a World Series a lot of years," Lackey said. "This is definitely no different than a couple of those teams I played on over there in [Anaheim]. We've got all the talent in this room to get that done -- and that should be our goal, and it is."

 

Red Sox: Outfielders working their way back

Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron continue to improve from injury and have been taking swings on the tee. "Cam says he feels great. He'll probably run this weekend, which is good," manager Terry Francona said. "With Ellsbury, the intensity has improved each day, but minimally is the best way to put it. But it is getting better."

 

Orioles: Matusz paying dividends

Matusz, the fourth overall selection in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, has paid immediate dividends for the Orioles and he will take the mound Thursday. The left-hander made his big league debut a little more than a year after he signed his first pro contract, and he's more than held his own. Matusz has been tagged with two tough luck no-decisions and could easily be 4-0 right now.

 

Worth noting

The Red Sox are 2-7 when scoring less than three runs. On Wednesday, Papelbon made his 276th relief appearance, tying Ellis Kinder for fourth on the Red Sox's all-time list.

[a700hitter]

Red Sox: Outfielders working their way back

Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron continue to improve from injury and have been taking swings on the tee. "Cam says he feels great. He'll probably run this weekend, which is good," manager Terry Francona said. "With Ellsbury, the intensity has improved each day, but minimally is the best way to put it. But it is getting better."

Cameron is just going to start running and Ellsbury's progress has been minimal at best. Great!

[riverside sluggers]

Want some more cheese?

[VA Sox Fan]

Want some more cheese?

 

:lol: My thoughts exactly!

[a700hitter]

Want some more cheese?

Will that help the feeling of dread and distress about the upcoming week?

[VA Sox Fan]

Will that help the feeling of dread and distress about the upcoming week?

 

No but neither will whining.

[a700hitter]

No but neither will whining.

You are correct that my whining and complaining will not help the Sox situation , but it definitely does help the way I feel. If I keep it inside and don't express it, I feel worse. You are a chick. You should understand that. The rest of you are either stupid or you are avoiding the issue if this doesn't concern you. I mean seriously. We are going to roll out Bill Hall and Donald McDonald to play the OF for 5 games against the Yankees in the middle of May?

 

Edit: VA, I would never call you stupid, so why doesn't this concern you?

[YeAuldBroade]

You are correct that my whining and complaining will not help the Sox situation , but it definitely does help the way I feel. If I keep it inside and don't express it, I feel worse. You are a chick. You should understand that. The rest of you are either stupid or you are avoiding the issue if this doesn't concern you. I mean seriously. We are going to roll out Bill Hall and Donald McDonald to play the OF for 5 games against the Yankees in the middle of May?

 

Edit: VA, I would never call you stupid, so why doesn't this concern you?

Well I can't answer for VA but it "concerns" me however I haven't lost any sleep over it.

 

Bill Hall drives me nuts, in addition to being a lousy fielder he just can't hit.

 

Darnell McDonald seems to be a decent fielder, with a good arm and some range. I don't freak when the ball is hit to center, I feel he'll handle it. Since he got called up, he's been the spark - granted that spark is going to die soon probably to never be lit again, at which point he'll be just a good fielder.

 

But the Sox have been winning without Cameron and Ellsbury while half their lineup is in a WAY below career average slump and a first rate pitching staff that has looked like AA! Yet with so many inexplicably sucking WE'VE BEEN WINNING! and now we're seeing some life out of our starters and our bullpen is even looking more solid and Francona may be finally beating the Ortiz addiction.

 

No sorry, injuries are a part of the game. Ellsbury and Cameron will be back and 84% of the season remains. I think we're just fine.

 

Relax

[a700hitter]

I don't know how.

[TheMino007]

Lackey has got this tonight

[a700hitter]

Lackey has got this tonight

They are playing tomorrow

[YeAuldBroade]

I don't know how.

I like you a700 but I'll admit after reading a group of your posts in a row, I often wish I was on prozac.

[JimEdHOF2009]

Lackey may be our #5 pitcher if he keeps pitching the way he has so far.

[a700hitter]

I like you a700 but I'll admit after reading a group of your posts in a row' date=' I often wish I was on prozac.[/quote']I am sorry about that. :dunno: I don't mean to depress anyone. Maybe hearing it from me will ease the blow a bit when/if it happens. If Cameron and Ellsbury miss most of May, our pitching is going to need to be lights out for the next month in my estimation and Drew and VMart are going to have hit and Ortiz and Lowell are going to have to produce out of the DH spot. Unless almost all of those things happen, we will be 10 games behind both Tampa and NY before Memorial Day. It pains me to think about it, but that's where my unscientific analysis leads me. If Ellsbury and Cameron come back earlier, things will be a lot easier.

[VA Sox Fan]

You are correct that my whining and complaining will not help the Sox situation , but it definitely does help the way I feel. If I keep it inside and don't express it, I feel worse. You are a chick. You should understand that. The rest of you are either stupid or you are avoiding the issue if this doesn't concern you. I mean seriously. We are going to roll out Bill Hall and Donald McDonald to play the OF for 5 games against the Yankees in the middle of May?

 

Edit: VA, I would never call you stupid, so why doesn't this concern you?

 

I grew up with 3 older brothers so I do tend to keep things in. Whining, bitching and moaning get you nowhere, in my experience. It annoys the hell out of me. I try to overlook it in most cases, but sometimes I can't.

 

Sure, I'm concerned about our outfield situation. But I don't tend to stress over things beyond my control. I'm going to root for the Red Sox team that is on the field and hope for the best. McDonald has been pretty consistent with the bat and Hall seems to be improving. I know they'll be facing tougher pitching. We need to sweep the O's. It's still early, I'm not overly concerned about the Sox and feel things will come together. We're 3 months from the trade deadline.

 

Peace bro!

[a700hitter]

I grew up with 3 older brothers so I do tend to keep things in. Whining, bitching and moaning get you nowhere, in my experience. It annoys the hell out of me. I try to overlook it in most cases, but sometimes I can't.

 

Sure, I'm concerned about our outfield situation. But I don't tend to stress over things beyond my control. I'm going to root for the Red Sox team that is on the field and hope for the best. McDonald has been pretty consistent with the bat and Hall seems to be improving. I know they'll be facing tougher pitching. We need to sweep the O's. It's still early, I'm not overly concerned about the Sox and feel things will come together. We're 3 months from the trade deadline.

 

Peace bro!

I like the optimism. I hope we are still in the mix at the trading deadline.

[YeAuldBroade]

I am sorry about that. :dunno: I don't mean to depress anyone. Maybe hearing it from me will ease the blow a bit when/if it happens. If Cameron and Ellsbury miss most of May' date=' our pitching is going to need to be lights out for the next month in my estimation and Drew and VMart are going to have hit and Ortiz and Lowell are going to have to produce out of the DH spot. Unless almost all of those things happen, we will be 10 games behind both Tampa and NY before Memorial Day. It pains me to think about it, but that's where my unscientific analysis leads me. If Ellsbury and Cameron come back earlier, things will be a lot easier.[/quote']

You seem to miss the point. The Sox could lose 100 games this season and my life would still be fine. I've made it through worse Sox years. I'm an "oldtimer" I don't expect a team to make the playoffs every year, I still have realistic expectations of what any organization can accomplish year in and year out, in the most competitve division in MLB. And I'm one of those crazy people that watch baseball for love of the game.

 

The prozac joke wasn't about the Sox it was about your overall doom and gloom outlook.

[italstallianion]

Lackey may be our #5 pitcher if he keeps pitching the way he has so far.

 

 

Pitching quality starts in 3 out of his 4 starts, with 6 shoutout innings against the currently 8th best run scoring offense, 6 2/3 2ER against the 7th best run scoring offense in the league, and having his 1 bad start against the #1 run scoring offense in the league.

[VA Sox Fan]

You seem to miss the point. The Sox could lose 100 games this season and my life would still be fine. I've made it through worse Sox years. I'm an "oldtimer" I don't expect a team to make the playoffs every year' date=' I still have realistic expectations of what any organization can accomplish year in and year out, in the most competitve division in MLB. And I'm one of those crazy people that watch baseball for love of the game.[/quote']

 

Agree almost 100%!!

 

Losing 100 games? Hmmmm....yeah, my life would be fine but I would catch a lot of crap from NYY fans I know. To hell with them!

[rhet]

I am sorry about that. :dunno: I don't mean to depress anyone. Maybe hearing it from me will ease the blow a bit when/if it happens. If Cameron and Ellsbury miss most of May' date=' our pitching is going to need to be lights out for the next month in my estimation and Drew and VMart are going to have hit and Ortiz and Lowell are going to have to produce out of the DH spot. Unless almost all of those things happen, we will be 10 games behind both Tampa and NY before Memorial Day. It pains me to think about it, but that's where my unscientific analysis leads me. If Ellsbury and Cameron come back earlier, things will be a lot easier.[/quote']

 

C'mon Cameron, man up!

 

Thu, Apr 29

 

Miguel Olivo passed a kidney stone in the eighth inning in Monday's game against the Diamondback, the Denver Post reports.

 

Recommendation: You may not have noticed, on account of how he immediately returned to action. "Come on," he said. "After I passed it, I don't even feel it anymore. I don't feel anything." Doesn't look like there's an injury concern here, just take note, if your league tallies kidney stones.

 

(Rotowire.com)

[a700hitter]

You seem to miss the point. The Sox could lose 100 games this season and my life would still be fine. I've made it through worse Sox years. I'm an "oldtimer" I don't expect a team to make the playoffs every year, I still have realistic expectations of what any organization can accomplish year in and year out, in the most competitve division in MLB. And I'm one of those crazy people that watch baseball for love of the game.

 

The prozac joke wasn't about the Sox it was about your overall doom and gloom outlook.

I am a very optimistic person. I have more fun than any 10 guys my age or younger. Trust me on that one. Next week, I 'll be at the Atlantis for 5 days with some family, where i have reservations at The Mesa Grille and Carmines. At the end of the month I'll be spending 5 days on Reddington Beach in Florida with friends, where I will log 10 hours a day at the Tiki Bar, except for the two days planned for fishing.

 

I too have seen the Sox lean years, and I know how easy it would be to return to a string of years with no playoff baseball if the Yanks stay strong and Tampa blossoms. I've seen seasons go sour very fast for many good Sox teams in the past as well. I see signs here that concern me. I sounded the alarms and declared the team dead in 2006 while we were still in first place, because I could see the direction that the season was heading. I took major abuse about that, but I was right. When we started Jason Johnson in the opening game of a double header to kick off a 5 game series with the Yankees, it was officially over as far as I was concerned. Prior to that, I had been warning that a collapse was on its way for weeks. This team is nothing like the 2006 team, because of the strong starting pitching, but the Yankees and Tampa are much stronger than any of our 2006 competitors.

 

My life will be fine if the Sox go into the toilet this season, although many of my family members and friends would be obnoxious about it. Thanks for the offer of prozac, but I don't need any. My views on this team are the result of my rational analysis. The pitching needs to be great for the next month. VMart, Drew and Lowell and Ortiz all need to start hitting immediately to stay close until the team is at full strength. Can the team do these things? I certainly hope so, but if they don't, they will get buried. I don't think that is doom and gloom. It's just an honest assessment.

 

BTW I watch them and go to their games whether they stink or they are in first place, and I enjoy it either way, because I am a baseball fan.

[redsoxrules]

I am sorry about that. :dunno: I don't mean to depress anyone. Maybe hearing it from me will ease the blow a bit when/if it happens. If Cameron and Ellsbury miss most of May' date=' our pitching is going to need to be lights out for the next month in my estimation and Drew and VMart are going to have hit and Ortiz and Lowell are going to have to produce out of the DH spot. Unless almost all of those things happen, we will be 10 games behind both Tampa and NY before Memorial Day. It pains me to think about it, but that's where my unscientific analysis leads me. If Ellsbury and Cameron come back earlier, things will be a lot easier.[/quote']

 

Tampa isn't going to keep playing at a 750+ clip the rest of the year

 

we're 3 games back of the Yankee's and 5.5 behind the Rays

 

chill

[a700hitter]

Tampa isn't going to keep playing at a 750+ clip the rest of the year

 

we're 3 games back of the Yankee's and 5.5 behind the Rays

 

chill

The loss column is all that counts, and we are 6 in back of the Rays and 4 in back of the Yankees. Plus, we have not yet shown an ability to beat those teams head to head. We have to beat them head to head to make up the ground.

[redsoxrules]

The loss column is all that counts' date=' and we are 6 in back of the Rays and 4 in back of the Yankees. Plus, we have not yet shown an ability to beat those teams head to head. We have to beat them head to head to make up the ground.[/quote']

 

well, we've only played them 1 series each , lets wait next time around to see how that goes

[a700hitter]

well' date=' we've only played them 1 series each , lets wait next time around to see how that goes[/quote']We will be shorthanded for the next two series against the Yankees, because it doesn't seem like either Ellsbury or Cameron will be back before May 18th.

[Spudboy]

f*** Cameron. This team needs Ellsbury.

[a700hitter]

f*** Cameron. This team needs Ellsbury.

I agree.

[Spudboy]

And what can we expect when they come back?

 

I have low expectations for Cameron as it is. So I won't be disappointed if his "abdominal strain" (or whatever it is) continues to hinder his play.

 

It's the health status of Ellsbury that will have a major impact on this team. I was looking forward to seeing what Ellsbury was going to do this year at the plate. Especially with Mcnoodle Glove OBP king hitting 9th.

 

The Sox allowed Ellsbury to travel with the team on this road trip so he could "increase the intensity of baseball activities." This was just plain dumb. It foreshadows a return to an active roll before the ribs are healed and will likely protract the recovery to full health. Anyone who has had broken ribs or is a Doctor would likely agree. His activity is limited by his tolerance for pain and discomfort. How much pain will he experience when he has to face live pitching and swing? How about running when he has to fill his lungs? How about sliding into second? How about laying out for a sinking liner?

 

Rest is what the kid needs -now.

[a700hitter]

Cameron is going to be a complete wast of $- worse than Lugo. At least Lugo played an entire year at SS on a championship team.

[a700hitter]

$18 million is a shitload to pay for a guy that is a really good team mate.