7/15 @ Tampa Bay

[VA Sox Fan]

RED SOX (44-44)

 

Ellsbury CF

Nava LF

Ortiz DH

Gonzalez 1B

Ross RF

Saltalamacchia C

Middlebrooks 3B

Aviles SS

Ciriaco 2B

 

Pitching: RHP Josh Beckett (4-7, 4.43)

 

WIN!!

[a700hitter]

Gonzo is back, Hopefully, he didn't lose the stroke he had going before the All Star break. His timing was the best it had been all season.

[Palodios]

The lineup is finally back! Took long enough.

[redsoxbeatz]

As Carl Crawford is set to return on Monday, Daniel Nava is 7 of his last 60 (.117) with one RBI. .264 for the season

 

Time for nava to sit!

[Station 13]

This team need some swagger back.

[ellsburyforMVP]

RED SOX (44-44)

 

Ellsbury CF

Nava LF

Ortiz DH

Gonzalez 1B

Ross RF

Saltalamacchia C

Middlebrooks 3B

Aviles SS

Ciriaco 2B

 

Pitching: RHP Josh Beckett (4-7, 4.43)

 

WIN!!

 

Can't wait to see crawford and petey in this lineup

[SoxFanForsyth]

Can't wait to see crawford and petey in this lineup

 

No joke!!!

 

Going to be really, really nice. Win this game, and get Crawford back on Monday. Things will start to look up!

[VA Sox Fan]

RAYS (46-42)

 

Rhymes 2B

Pena 1B

Zobrist RF

Upton CF

Matsui DH

Keppinger 3B

Jennings LF

Lobaton C

Johnson SS

 

Pitching: RHP James Shields (8-5, 4.17)

[jung]

Need a win today to take 2 of 3 from the Rays.

[VA Sox Fan]

More from the Globe:

 

Game time: 1:40 p.m.

 

TV/Radio: NESN / WEEI

 

Red Sox vs. Shields: Ortiz 16-55, Ellsbury 10-46, Sweeney 9-23, Gonzalez 6-20, Punto 4-14, Ross 6-17, Aviles 4-15, Salty 0-12, Nava 1-6, Shoppach 0-6.

 

Rays vs. Beckett: Matsui 9-40, Pena 6-39, Upton 9-38, Scott 11-27, Molina 5-28, Zobrist 2-24, Jennings 3-7, Keppinger 3-7, Rodriguez 0-6, Lobaton 0-3, Johnson 0-2

 

Stat of the Day: Ortiz has drawn a walk in eight consecutive games, the longest streak for a Red Sox player since Kevin Youkilis walked in 10 straight games from May 6-15, 2010.

 

Notes: Beckett last pitched on July 6 against the Yankees, giving up six runs on eight hits over five innings in a 10-8 loss. He is 10-4 with a 2.82 earned run average in 21 career starts against Tampa Bay. He has been particularly successful since the start of the 2011 season, going 3-0 with a 1.18 ERA in five starts. Beckett has faced the Rays twice this season, giving up three earned runs over 15 innings. ... Shields is 8-12 with a 4.34 ERA in 22 starts against the Red Sox, 7-3, 3.08 at Tropicana Field. Shields faced the Sox on April 16 at Fenway Park and went 8.1 scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory against Daniel Bard. Shields has allowed 135 hits, the most in the majors. Opponents are .281 against him. Shields has allowed 50 hits in his last 34.1 innings over five starts and at least 10 hits in each of his last three starts. ... The Sox end their brief road trip today then start the four-game Youkapalooza series against the White Sox on Monday. ... The Sox have dropped seven of nine and 11 of the last 15. They have scored three or fewer runs in nine of the last 11 games. ... Middlebrooks has 11 homers and 39 RBIs in his first 50 games. A Red Sox player hasn't done that since Walt Dropo had 14 homers and 57 RBIs in his first 50 games in 1950. ... Daniel Nava's 7-for-60 slump has dropped him from .339 with a .969 OPS to .264 with a .789 OPS. ... Rays closer Fernando Rodney is 26 of 27 in save chances. The one he missed came on May 26 when Saltalamacchia hit a two-run walk-off homer. Rodney has allowed one earned run in 23.1 innings at home.

[jung]

That stretch of really good pitching the Sox faced from about mid-june to the ASB showed Nava's primary weakness as a ML hitter....he can be overpowered by really good pitching. Does not make him a less savvy hitter but it does emphasis his biggest weakness....just not that physically talented. Still love the guy and wish we could transplant his head into any number of Sox bodies.

[a700hitter]

No joke!!!

 

Going to be really, really nice. Win this game, and get Crawford back on Monday. Things will start to look up!

Me too, but they can't pitch, so they are not going to propel this team the way that some people expect.

[a700hitter]

Atch is DL'd. Tazawa is up.

[a700hitter]

I am dreading the White Sox series.

[jung]

Wow knew Atch had thrown a lotta' relief innings this year but did not know he was leading the league in innings for a reliever. Gone to the DL at the moment but can probably use the rest as much as anything else.

[NativeBostonian]

I’m hoping the Red Sox win enough to justify getting someone at the trade deadline. We need an Ace to be able to make it to the playoffs.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Me too' date=' but they can't pitch, so they are not going to propel this team the way that some people expect.[/quote']

 

I still think this teams SP is going to be substantially better in the 2nd half than they were in the 1st half. The problem isn't the level of talent. It's that they were underperforming massively.

[a700hitter]

I’m hoping the Red Sox win enough to justify getting someone at the trade deadline. We need an Ace to be able to make it to the playoffs.

My expectations are not very high about getting an ace. I think few if any will be available. I'd be surprised if more than 1 such ace changes teams at the deadline. I expect minor acquisitions and lots of excuses for some of us to lap up.

[a700hitter]

I still think this teams SP is going to be substantially better in the 2nd half than they were in the 1st half. The problem isn't the level of talent. It's that they were underperforming massively.

Lester has been declining since last season. He needs to turn it around. I think Beckett and Buchholz will be fine. Lester is lost and can't figure it out. That has me concerned.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Lester has been declining since last season. He needs to turn it around. I think Beckett and Buchholz will be fine. Lester is lost and can't figure it out. That has me concerned.

 

Lester's FIP is lower this year than it was last year, and lower than it was in 2008 as well, when he was a 16 game winner and had a 3.21 ERA. His K:BB ratio is much higher this year than in any year past.

 

His WHIP is higher right now, but that's because of a .326 BABIP. His BABIP usually sits in the high .280's or low .290's. That is a number that will normalize, which is one thing you can look at and base your expectation of improvement. Also, due to his high BABIP, his strand rate is extremely low (66.9%, whereas he is normally around 75%). That is another thing that will normalize.

 

If we didn't have so many bets already, I would bet you that he posts a sub 3.50 ERA in the 2nd half.

[NativeBostonian]

My expectations are not very high about getting an ace. I think few if any will be available. I'd be surprised if more than 1 such ace changes teams at the deadline. I expect minor acquisitions and lots of excuses for some of us to lap up.

 

Having those reservations about the Red Sox being able to get an ace at the deadline; do you think that either Beckett or Buchholz going to be able to step up into that spot?

[jung]

I expect Buch to continue as he has as long as he stays healthy but really I think the trend both Lester and Beckett are on are trends established and continued from last year.

 

Beckett still suffers from the 1 big blow up inning...it is what at the end of the day described his season last year and really describes his season this year as well...see last Yankee start for recent example.

 

Lester has always given the Sox innings and that has not changed. However it does seem that the quality we get over those innings pitched has been in decline over time. That said, innings is a big deal for a starting pitcher. So I have hopes for Lester. I desperately want to see the Sox get a) s real 1 and a better pitching coach as I think both would have a major positive impact on Lester. If I could only have one it would be a true 1 to lead the rotation guys and Beckett gone somewhere. Not going to happen this year though IMO. Agree with 700's comments above on trade deadline activity.

[SoxFanForsyth]

I think it's getting to the point of the season where we can start to realize that our offense, especially with Pedroia, Ellsbury, and Crawford coming back, is going to be fine. It is our pitching that need help, we can all agree on that.

 

If we're trying to think outside the box a little, what helps our pitching the most? Defense up the middle. It's plays like last night where Aviles botches a simple play, allows a run, and it changes the entire course of the game. If Aviles makes that play, the 2 run 7th makes it a tie game, and the Rays get Padilla in the 8th rather than Miller. BJ Upton doesn't get to face a LHP, and it's likely a tie game going into the 9th.

 

So, my solution? Well, we've got Ellsbury back. We're getting Pedroia back shortly. But Aviles has been very bad at SS since early May. We have the offensive firepower.

 

Solution: Put Iglesias at SS, help the SP tremendously by having elite defense up the middle, bury Iggy in the 9 hole, and let Aviles be the utility player.

[Palodios]

I think it's getting to the point of the season where we can start to realize that our offense, especially with Pedroia, Ellsbury, and Crawford coming back, is going to be fine. It is our pitching that need help, we can all agree on that.

 

If we're trying to think outside the box a little, what helps our pitching the most? Defense up the middle. It's plays like last night where Aviles botches a simple play, allows a run, and it changes the entire course of the game. If Aviles makes that play, the 2 run 7th makes it a tie game, and the Rays get Padilla in the 8th rather than Miller. BJ Upton doesn't get to face a LHP, and it's likely a tie game going into the 9th.

 

So, my solution? Well, we've got Ellsbury back. We're getting Pedroia back shortly. But Aviles has been very bad at SS since early May. We have the offensive firepower.

 

Solution: Put Iglesias at SS, help the SP tremendously by having elite defense up the middle, bury Iggy in the 9 hole, and let Aviles be the utility player.

 

Kelly Shoppach and Saltalamacchia still have a full 1.00 ERA difference in catcher ERA's. In his first full year as the primary catcher without Tek's help, the pitching staff has completely fallen off a cliff. I think Iggy would help, but I'm still convinced that Salty is seriously hurting the staff.

[a700hitter]

Having those reservations about the Red Sox being able to get an ace at the deadline; do you think that either Beckett or Buchholz going to be able to step up into that spot?

Without a doubt, yes. They need to step up.

[BornToRun]

Kelly Shoppach and Saltalamacchia still have a full 1.00 ERA difference in catcher ERA's. In his first full year as the primary catcher without Tek's help' date=' the pitching staff has completely fallen off a cliff. I think Iggy would help, but I'm still convinced that Salty is seriously hurting the staff.[/quote']

 

CERA really isn't worth much I'd say. Salty has caught a lot more than shoppach and I'd place the blame on the pitchers more than the catchers. There really isn't much to use to judge how good of a game the catcher calls. Not that I know of at least.

[jung]

At least there is a solution for Aviles butchering SS. There is no immediate solution in the works for Salty butchering the catching position. Salty has gotten better in some defensive categories and SS is still the more important defensive position.

 

I wonder if that 1 run of ERA difference has been maintained through Salty's recent run or if it is burdened to some extent by his early season performance.

[jung]

Oh how I wish Ells had strike 2 back

[Bellhorn04]

CERA really isn't worth much I'd say. Salty has caught a lot more than shoppach and I'd place the blame on the pitchers more than the catchers. There really isn't much to use to judge how good of a game the catcher calls. Not that I know of at least.

 

I had stopped paying attention to the CERA numbers for a while, but last night Remy mentioned that we were 18-10 in Shoppach's starts and that got my attention again. The won-lost records for the catchers (games they started) the past 2 years are mind-boggling.

 

Salty 73-82

 

Varitek 42-22

Shoppach 18-11

VTek + Shopp 60-33

[Bellhorn04]

Alright Nava. I think he is going to have a good game today.