7/13 Red Sox, A's Lets' take the second bite outta' the Elephant

[jung]

Boston Red Sox vs. Oakland Athletics

Saturday, July 13, 7:05 PM PDT, O.co Coliseum, 10:05 Eastern

 

Jon Lester, LHP

8-5, 4.60 ERA

Lester regressed in his last outing, allowing the Mariners five runs over five-plus frames Monday. Since May 20, the lefty is 2-5 with a 6.49 ERA in 10 starts. The workload may be wearing on the veteran, who is No. 5 in pitches in the AL since 2008.

 

A.J. Griffin, RHP

7-6, 3.94 ERA

After allowing seven runs in his previous start, Griffin rebounded nicely Saturday, allowing the Royals two runs on five hits -- including two home runs -- and one walk with four strikeouts in five innings for the win.

 

OK so we were able to undo Mr. Reddick and his vengeful nature last night and we will do the same tonight.

 

Tonight, I invoke the spirit of Faneuil Hall as my non-sports reference. Ah yes Faneuil Hall…historical yet packed with our favorite yummy goodies. When my time comes, I might just decide to start at one end of Faneuil Hall and work my way to the other end, finally collapsing, arteries entirely clogged.

 

For my sports reference, I choose the spirit of Doug Flutie to Gerard Phelan in the 1984 Orange Bowl against Miami, one of the most remembered college football plays of all time. Can you imagine how many Jesuit Priests were actually saying Hail Mary's at the time! A lotta' that good s*** is still bouncing around out there in the cosmos to help pull us through tonight.

[VA Sox Fan]

RED SOX (58-37)

Ellsbury CF

Victorino RF

Pedroia 2B

Ortiz DH

Napoli 1B

Nava LF

Saltalamacchia C

Iglesias SS

Holt 3B

Pitching: LHP Jon Lester (8-5, 4.60).

 

ATHLETICS (54-39)

Crisp DH

Lowrie SS

Donaldson 3B

Cespedes LF,

Freiman 1B

Young CF

Reddick RF

Norris C

Green 2B

Pitching: RHP A.J. Griffin (7-6, 3.94).

[Rick Ross]

I'd like to see Iglesias hit higher in the order but I guess that will never happen.

 

I'll be happy to see the Sox win just one out of these next two games. It's been a long road trip, and the All-Star break will be sweet for them.

[VA Sox Fan]

The lucky flowers improve to 4-0

 

Posted by Peter Abraham, Globe Staff July 13, 2013 05:21 PM

 

OAKLAND, Calif. — Mike Napoli and Jonny Gomes went to Seattle’s Pike Place Market on Tuesday for lunch and picked up a bouquet of wildflowers on their way out to give to third base coach Brian Butterfield as a joke.

 

Butterfield put the flowers in the dugout and the Sox won that night. The same thing happened on Wednesday and Thursday.

 

Rather than risk angering the baseball gods, the players decided to bring the flowers with them to Oakland. Rookie Jose Iglesias was put in charge of keeping the flowers in water and transporting them on the bus and to the team charter.

 

Iglesias then had to keep the flowers in his room and bring them to Oakland Coliseum. The Sox won again on Friday, giving the flowers a 4-0 record.

 

The flowers are now in an empty bubblegum canister and still very much alive thanks to Iglesias, whose quick hands apparently include a green thumb.

 

It's the latest example of the Red Sox having some fun as a group, a running story since the start of spring training.

 

But there's also some subtle team building being done, too. Iglesias is having a wildly successful season and putting him in charge of a bouquet of flowers is a way to remind him that he's still a rookie and has to keep earning his way.

 

Don't forget, Iglesias was benched in Pawtucket earlier this season after he was demoted and sulked about it. But since he returned to the Red Sox, any traces of a bad attitude have vanished.

 

Is because of something like having to carry some flowers around? Probably not directly. But little things like that help make a team. No metric can tell you how many wins that's worth. But the Red Sox certainly believe it has more than a little to do with them being 58-37.

[CaliSoxFan04]

Six hour drive finally got here! First time at this horrible stadium!

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Six hour drive finally got here! First time at this horrible stadium!

 

Worth it to get to watch the Sox kick ass! Enjoy my friend.

[jung]

Saw a little of WMB batting tonight. He was hitting against a LH pitcher that is actually going to the AAA All-Star game so a pretty good pitcher. While a night of a few AAA swings against maybe some of the best competition that league has to offer is a pretty small sample size, I would say WMB still has work to do. Swing looks disjointed. Honestly I was a little surprised at how his swing looked as it was hard for me to detect any improvement at all.

 

As for pitch recognition, while it looked like he was not swinging at some of the junk he was swinging at when he left here, he was letting some pitches go by that he really needs to hit.

 

Would I be totally surprised if they or somebody finally decided that they had to break down his swing and rebuild it....No....would not be surprised based on what I saw tonight. Seems to me that if he was going to keep the swing he has, he would have to become truly committed to being a guess hitter. I think he might just strain a muscle or break a bone, trying to react to a pitch. Most of his swing is committed and gone before the pitch is halfway to home plate.

 

Maybe he needs a swing element that helps him stay back more. Sometimes a hitch or a knee bend or a leg lift that sets a guy's swing in motion is just that, an element in the swing that forces the hitter to stay back longer and commit later. I sure as hell don't know what needs to happen to get him fixed. I do know a disjointed swing when I see one.

[Station 13]

if I had a nickel for each Napoli strikeout......

[italstallianion]

if I had a nickel for each Napoli strikeout......

 

Between Middlebrooks, Salty and Napoli....imagine if we eventually brought up Brandon Jacobs to the OF as well.

[Station 13]

Iggys BABIP is falling fast

[BigPapi]

Nice piece shane

[jung]

Jeez is there a way to get a ball outta' this dungeon to left center? If that was not getting outta' here nothing is.

[Station 13]

This As team look ridiculous.

[Station 13]

Damn this game blows.

[italstallianion]

I'm not too upset. I'm ok with losing to a team like the A's if Lester does well. We need Lester to be the Lester of old if we're going to go deep in the postseason. Besides, in a 10 game road trip against 1 really good team, 1 good team on paper (ok in practice) and one mediocre team with an HOF quality starter (in my opinion), we're 5-3, and that's including the 4 run 9th inning meltdown against the Angels.

[jung]

While last night, the A's actually fell victim to their own ballpark, tonight we see why they are so f***ing hard to beat in this f***ing dungeon of a ballpark. Napoli's ball too much into the power alley where nothing gets out because of that stupid fence out there. Reddick tracks down Nava's hit in the gap in RC preventing Nava from getting to 2nd and Ortiz from getting home.

 

Meanwhile the A's pump one out to LF. This place totally blows.

[italstallianion]

I feel like the Sox shouldn't try to play HR derby in this ballpark. They need rallies. Walks, singles, perhaps stolen bases. (Not necessarily sacrifices although a few of the Sox have shown they can do that too) I don't think they can afford to go up there and swing up everytime.

[jung]

Replaying that tremendous play by Pedey last night to start the DP just one example of how one super defensive play or conversely one bone headed defensive play can really be critical in this hell hole.

[italstallianion]

I wish that they kept Wright up to piggyback Workman's start tomorrow. I'd rather have had Wright up than Beato.

[Station 13]

2 strike hits off Lester is no fluke, his control and location is s***.

[jung]

At least Napoli' shot to the power alley actually had a chance to get out and he only has one swing. Iggys shot to LF was just too funny. He muscles up and gets it....about 30' short of the fence and foul.

[italstallianion]

At least Lester has enough pitches left he should get us 7, and if we lose on the road we only need 8 innings, so our bullpen should be stacked in case Workman hits the fan tomorrow. Still would have preferred having Wright available.

[Station 13]

Stop hitting pop flys at this park at night.

[Station 13]

I just can't feel good about Lester pitching anymore.

[jung]

2 strike hits off Lester is no fluke, his control and location is s***.

 

I am more concerned that most of them are two strike, two out situations. He does seem to lose concentration with two outs....almost like he is out of trouble for a rally since it is difficult to rally with two out and he lets up.

 

The two strike thing is disconcerting in a similar way again because just like his penchant to give it up with two outs it is so damned prevalent and frustrating. He will get to two strikes and will then just pump one down Main St....as if he just does not want to be out there and can't wait to get back to the dugout. In truth, he often looks like he does not want to be out there and can't wait to get back to the dugout.

 

I would love to know what Jon is thinking out there. Most pitchers want to perform and as a pitcher you have to be out there to perform. Jon almost looks like "OK I am a pitcher but the only way they can hurt me is when I am out here. So let me get the hell outta' here and back to the safety of the dugout."

[jung]

OCC 3, Red Sox 0

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

f***, we face that cheating fat f*** Colon and we have Workman pitching.

[VA Sox Fan]

Some one needs to start today's GT. I would but am not having a good season at 0-3.

[jung]

I lost so I am out. Somebody must want it!

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Just made one for you VA. Please post the lineups.