5/20 @ The Philadelphia Zoo

[SoxFanForsyth]

The Sox are 8-2 in their last 10 for the first time since July 10-24, 2011 (ASB in between).

[VA Sox Fan]

BTR MOJO once again!!!! :thumbsup:

[redsoxfan3]

The Sox are 8-2 in their last 10 for the first time since July 10-24' date=' 2011 (ASB in between).[/quote']

 

I will take that record. We need to keep it up. We are playing good baseball. The bullpen and rotation are starting to come around. Just keep getting by untill CC and Ells return.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Sox are now a mere 1 game back on the Yankees and 4 games back on the Rays.

 

Keep winning!!!

[SoxFanForsyth]

People on the PhilaPhans website wondering what it would take to get Middlebrooks.

 

1 word. Halladay + $$$.

 

And by that, I mean he's untouchable.

[Rdsxmbnt]

Sox win, TB, TOR, BAL, NYY lose. Good day

[Bellhorn04]

BTR MOJO once again!!!! :thumbsup:

 

BTR is the man.

[BornToRun]

Did I not predict that Josh Beckett would out pitch cliff lee?

[BornToRun]

BTR MOJO once again!!!! :thumbsup:

 

I am pretty awesome. I just can't help it.

[BornToRun]

BTR is the man.

 

Oh, this is too much. Really.

[VA Sox Fan]

Oh' date=' this is too much. Really.[/quote']

 

You know you love it!

[redsoxbeatz]

To Pitching is coming to form after an extra long spring training.

 

Please return to us Ellsbury & Crawford!!!

[FredLynn]

Did I not predict that Josh Beckett would out pitch cliff lee?

 

You did indeed.

The team is on a nice run now; gotta keep it up.

Beckett is pitching much better now, after golfgate. Lester and Bard are the weak links right now. They have to step it up.

[Beaneater]

Random thought: Saltalamacchia (14 letters) hit a homer, driving in Middlebrooks (12 letters) and Gonzalez (8 letters). That's 34 letters scoring on one homer. I wonder if that's the record, or close to it. I bet it is the record for a three-run homer. Obviously, a granny would get you a extra name into the equation but you'd still have to average almost 9 letters per name on a granny to beat 34.

 

I know Garciaparra (11 letters) hit a few grannies, but did he have any teammates well-endowed with last name length?

[a700hitter]

Everything good starts with good starting pitching. Beckett pitched a fine game. We need Buch to settle in as well. He goes against a real lineup in Baltimore tomorrow night.

[Bellhorn04]

Random thought: Saltalamacchia (14 letters) hit a homer, driving in Middlebrooks (12 letters) and Gonzalez (8 letters). That's 34 letters scoring on one homer. I wonder if that's the record, or close to it. I bet it is the record for a three-run homer. Obviously, a granny would get you a extra name into the equation but you'd still have to average almost 9 letters per name on a granny to beat 34.

 

I know Garciaparra (11 letters) hit a few grannies, but did he have any teammates well-endowed with last name length?

 

I checked Nomar's but no HR's that hit 34 letters.

 

I checked Yaz's, Petrocelli's and Tony Conigliaro's. The highest score I found was 38 letters, a grand slam by Petrocelli that scored Andrews, Yaz and Tony C.

[kapsis21]

BTR Mojo! Woot

[SoxFanForsyth]

You did indeed.

The team is on a nice run now; gotta keep it up.

Beckett is pitching much better now, after golfgate. Lester and Bard are the weak links right now. They have to step it up.

 

To be fair, Lester has a 2.45 ERA in his last 5 starts. I wouldn't ever call that a weak link.

[FredLynn]

To be fair' date=' Lester has a 2.45 ERA in his last 5 starts. I wouldn't ever call that a weak link.[/quote']

 

I did not know that. Guess my opinion was colored by his last start. No one has ALL excellent starts. Even Cliff Lee has off days.

So that leaves.........Daniel Bard as our only weak link for now, in the rotation.

[Youk Of The Nation]

When was the last time the Sox got leadoff homers from the same guy in two consecutive games?

[Youk Of The Nation]

I should have read the MLB.com recap first. According to that, the only other Sox player to do that was Harry Hooper in 1913.

[seabeachfred]

I did not know that. Guess my opinion was colored by his last start. No one has ALL excellent starts. Even Cliff Lee has off days.

So that leaves.........Daniel Bard as our only weak link for now, in the rotation.

 

I thought we'd be lucky to win one game in Philly and instead took the series. It was a very pleasant surprise Pumpsie and the rest of you guys and gals. Now the real challenge. We go to Baltimore to play the fast improving and red hot Orioles who swept us in our back yard a little ways back and we send out our 3-4-and 5 starters against them. If we are going to make any kind of move at all we have to win at least two of those games, but keep in mind Daniel BarF is going to pitch in one of them. Our starting pitching has to step up, the bullpen must keep doing the job and the hitters have to produce.

 

I would say let's make turnabout a fair play and do to them what they did to us in our park, but I also know this Red Sox team. One game and hopefully one win at a time and can Nervous Nelly Buchholz deliver one tomorrow? It would be dandy if he could.

[Beaneater]

I checked Nomar's but no HR's that hit 34 letters.

 

I checked Yaz's, Petrocelli's and Tony Conigliaro's. The highest score I found was 38 letters, a grand slam by Petrocelli that scored Andrews, Yaz and Tony C.

 

Awesome! Nice research.

 

I guess it stands to reason that Carl Yaszsztrteszstretremski was involved in some high-letter-score HRs.

[FredLynn]

I thought we'd be lucky to win one game in Philly and instead took the series. It was a very pleasant surprise Pumpsie and the rest of you guys and gals. Now the real challenge. We go to Baltimore to play the fast improving and red hot Orioles who swept us in our back yard a little ways back and we send out our 3-4-and 5 starters against them. If we are going to make any kind of move at all we have to win at least two of those games, but keep in mind Daniel BarF is going to pitch in one of them. Our starting pitching has to step up, the bullpen must keep doing the job and the hitters have to produce.

 

I would say let's make turnabout a fair play and do to them what they did to us in our park, but I also know this Red Sox team. One game and hopefully one win at a time and can Nervous Nelly Buchholz deliver one tomorrow? It would be dandy if he could.

 

Fred, I am going to go out on a line here and predict that Bard pitches well in Baltimore. Why? Because he has to. He is feeling the heat, he is pitching for his job as a SP, and he knows it. He must realize that he is on a short rope now. Gotta win 2/3 then 2/3 vs the Rays.

[Bloodsox0]

Someone needs to remind Bobby that Salty has the hot hand when facing RHP. Not LHP.

 

He hit an absolute bomb off of Cliff Lee, him and Aviles have taken Gonzo's power.

[BornToRun]

Isnt the rays a 4?

[SoxFanForsyth]

Red Sox missing both Hammel AND Chen in this series? Uh. Yes please.

 

This could very well turn into a 3 game sweep for the Sox. The Sox are playing extremely well right now, hitting the ball very well, pitching well, and are going up against the bottom 3 of the Orioles staff.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Isnt the rays a 4?

 

Negative. 3 game set. Sox have their first off day on Thursday since early May.

[ORS]

Red Sox missing both Hammel AND Chen in this series? Uh. Yes please.

 

This could very well turn into a 3 game sweep for the Sox. The Sox are playing extremely well right now, hitting the ball very well, pitching well, and are going up against the bottom 3 of the Orioles staff.

This reminds of your post in early May where you were predicting something along the lines of a 19-11 record after their last good stretch. Calm thyself.

 

The Sox also have the bottom of their rotation going up against a performing offense. Buchholz, Doubront, and Bard don't inspire supreme confidence right now.

[SoxFanForsyth]

This reminds of your post in early May where you were predicting something along the lines of a 19-11 record after their last good stretch. Calm thyself.

 

The Sox also have the bottom of their rotation going up against a performing offense. Buchholz, Doubront, and Bard don't inspire supreme confidence right now.

 

The offense just put up 3 runs against Hamels in 7 IP and 5 ER against Lee in 7 IP. The offense is clicking right now.

 

Doubront has a 2.50 ERA in his last 3 starts, and Buchholz has looked good as well (3.97 ERA in last 2 starts).

 

Over the last 7 days, the Red Sox are hittihg .265 with an .825 OPS and averaging 6.43 runs per game.

 

In that same span, the Orioles are hitting .251 with a .730 OPS and averaging 5.43 runs per game.

 

Over the last 7 days, the Sox pitching staff has a 2.31 ERA, whereas Baltimore is starting to come back down to earth with a 4.33 ERA.

 

The two teams are trending in opposite directions, and the 3 pitchers the Sox face have been putrid of late.

 

Hunter has given up 11 ER in his past 17.1 IP (5.71 ERA)

Matusz has given up 12 ER in his past 16.1 IP (6.61 ERA)

Arrieta has given up 14 ER in his past 14 IP (9.00 ERA)

 

So I would say there is some reason for optimism.