4/20 vs Kansas City

[BornToRun]

Okay, let's try this again. Now that there's not some crazy douchebags running around Boston, we can administer a beat down on shields and the royals for our 7th straight W.

[Palodios]

If you hear some drunk guy in the bleachers randomly shouting USA....

 

It is what it is.

[VA Sox Fan]

ROYALS (8-6)

Gordon LF

Escobar SS

Butler DH

Hosmer 1B

Cain CF

Moustakas 3B

Francoeur RF

Perez C

Getz 2B

Pitching: James Shields (1-2, 3.43).

 

RED SOX (11-4)

Ellsbury CF

Victorino RF

Pedroia 2B

Ortiz DH

Napoli 1B

Nava LF

Middlebrooks 3B

Drew SS

Ross C

Pitching: Clay Buchholz (3-0, 0.41 ERA).

[VA Sox Fan]

Game time: 1:10 p.m.

 

TV/Radio: NESN, MLB Network / WEEI-FM.

 

Red Sox vs. Shields: Pedroia 17-55, Ellsbury 11-49, Napoli 6-21, Saltalamacchia 0-14, Nava 2-8, Carp 1-4, Middlebrooks 3-3, Victorino 2-3, Drew 1-3, Ciriaco 0-3, Gomes 1-2.

 

Royals vs. Buchholz: Butler 2-9, Tejada 2-8, Gordon 3-4, Johnson 1-5, Getz 0-2.

 

Stat of the Day: Clay Buchholz has won his past three starts against the Royals and had a 0.96 ERA. His 2.19 career ERA against them is his lowest against any American League team.

 

Notes: The Sox’ six-game win streak is the second-longest active streak in baseball behind the Colorodo Rockies, who have won seven straight. The Sox haven’t won seven in a row since June 2011. ... David Ortiz is back in the lineup for the first time since last Aug. 24, when he re-injured his strained right Achilles' tendon. He was 4 of 18 in five games with Pawtucket during a rehab stint. He is a career .280/.373/.503 hitter against the Royals in 103 games. ... Jacoby Ellsbury is a major-league best 7 for his first 7 on stolen base attempts. ... The Royals have been in Boston since Thursday and were told to stay in their hotel amid the city's safety concerns. They will wear "B Strong" patches on their uniforms this weekend. … They have lost 7 of their last 10 at Fenway and were outscored 64-42 in those games … James Shields, who was the centerpiece of a seven-player deal with the Rays over the winter, is 2-9 at Fenway with a 5.86 ERA. ... Clay Buchholz is 3-1 all-time against the Royals but hasn’t seen them since April 2010, when he gave up two runs over five innings and earned the win. ... After going 2 for his last 30, Will Middlebrooks got the last day in Cleveland off. Last year, on May 7 against the Royals, he went 3 for 3 with a two home runs, a double and five RBIs … Jarrod Saltalamacchia is 0 for 14 all time against Shields with five strikeouts … The Sox are 10-0 when scoring first this season.

 

Song of the day: “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Rene Rancourt, Live, Sabres vs. Bruins at TD Garden, Apr. 17, 2013.

[BornToRun]

Okay, so when Papi goes yard in his first AB, does it go to left, center, or right?

[yeszir]

Today's game is gonna be awesome. I haven't pulled the trigger on MLB.tv yet but I may for this game

[CaliSoxFan04]

Lets go Clay!!! Going to be hard to top his last outing, maybe this time a complete game??

[Behindenemylines]

Buchholtz is off to a good start. If he is on the winning streak will continue.

[BornToRun]

Aww crap, I got something in my eye.

[Station 13]

Today's game is gonna be awesome. I haven't pulled the trigger on MLB.tv yet but I may for this game

 

Game is free on mlbtv today

[jung]

Amazing how good Lester and Buch have been in their first few starts of the year and how critical it has been to the Sox and their start as a team. We all expected that their contributions would be the most critical but my God....They have started seven games between them. They have won six of the seven outright and if I am not mistaken, the Sox won the seventh game which was a Lester no decision.....Unbelievable.....

 

I only wish Lester would one day look a little more comfortable on the mound and look like he is throwing more freely, obviously without letting his motion get all out of whack. I would love to see what his velo and his movement would be if he was able to throw more freely while still throwing within himself. However, that is a selfish desire. How can you argue with this much success? My wishful thinking is only wondering how dominant he could actually be. Is his ceiling even higher than we tend to envision?

 

As for Buch, I just want him to stay healthy for a whole season. I don't see anything in his throwing that leaves me wondering "what if".

[VA Sox Fan]

Aww crap, I got something in my eye.

 

Me too!

[RedSoxNC84]

Buch pitches a one run game today, sox offense blasts off on shields.

[jung]

Dick and Rick Hoyt part of the Fenway pre-game. Man how many miles has he pushed that wheelchair in actual marathons and training runs. Seems to me I have been watching them for what must be what.....20 years now?

[jung]

I guess not everybody in Fenway today saw the Bruins pre-game from the other night.

[BornToRun]

Holy s***, Papi!

[RedSoxNC84]

hahaha "this is our f***ing city!"

[SCM33]

Wow!!!!!!!!

[Station 13]

WOW

[jung]

Whoa big fella'.....Double take city.....thought the language thing had thrown me a curve....

[BornToRun]

Things like this make me regain some of the faith I've lost in both this country and humanity in general. What a great day.

[VA Sox Fan]

Papi slipping the F bomb in there!

[User Name]

The Royals' lineup is pretty good on paper.

[MJantomaso]

Papi got a little pumped up there at the end of the speech. Love it!

[BornToRun]

Wind blowing out to right. Ortiz is going to crank one at some point today.

[jung]

Wonder why they switched home plate umps. Is one of them feeling more blind than the other today? I assume the one that is having trouble seeing is behind the plate.

[SCM33]

did I mention that I love this team this year?

[BornToRun]

That filthy change.

[SeanJohn93]

nice strikeout buch

[User Name]

Gordon looked silly.