3/31 afternoon game featuring the WS champion Boston Red Sox @ not champion Orioles

[Navafan29]

Are you f***ing kidding????? We leave 12 men on base, run the bases half-assed, look at a third strike for the final out by a player who has no business being on the team, and we looked good? I hate to see what it would be like for us if you said we played bad.

 

I think it depends on whether or not you believe in clutch hitting. You could say we did well because we out-hit the O's and were just unlucky that more hits didn't come with RISP. Or you could say that hitting better with runners in scoring position (clutch hitting) is a skill so we should have been better at it.

[Thunder]

So Thunder homework mojo has produced the only run of the year for the Sox. Feels good.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Oh, we're shotgunning mojo again? We'll just see how that works out...

[Youk Of The Nation]

You're God damn right Grady should bat leadoff and that's why I was so elated when he won the CF job, even if I felt a little worry for Jackie Bradley, who after all did screw up royally in his chance to claim that position. I shrugged it off when Farrell hinted he might bat Nava leadoff because I knew the manager couldn't be that f***ing dumb, but perhaps he's auditioning for his role at lead character in the coming play "The Last Boston Years of Terry FrancoMa". Nava is no leadoff man, he isn't now, he won't tomorrow, next week or next year. Grady needs to bat leadoff and Bradley needs to be sent down NOW and Corey Brown called up. He performed much better than Jackie has and right now JB has the look of deer in the headlight. I'll bet you that most of the people here knew he would strike out for the last out today.....right? They ruined my f***ing day.

 

Holy crap, man. If you don't calm down you're going to give yourself a coronary before the end of April. It's the beginning of the season for the Sox. And not even the first few weeks, literally the BEGINNING. As in, game one of one hundred and sixty-two. A combination of strong wind and lack of timely hits was the reason the Sox lost this game. It happens. I shouldn't have to remind you that John Farrell won the World Series less than six months ago. Getting this worked up over possible mistakes in the first game of the season is like giving up on relationships because your eighth-grade girlfriend wouldn't let you get to second base.

[seabeachfred]

I think it depends on whether or not you believe in clutch hitting. You could say we did well because we out-hit the O's and were just unlucky that more hits didn't come with RISP. Or you could say that hitting better with runners in scoring position (clutch hitting) is a skill so we should have been better at it.

 

Navafan----I believe in clutch hitting, always have and always will. Out hitting a team in total hits isn't worth a warm pitcher of spit if those hits do not drive in runs. Since we left 12 men on base and were 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position I'd say all in all we put in a s***** job today. In addition, Jackie Bradley has no business being on the team. He needs at-bats down on the farm where he can learn how to hit the inside pitch....if he ever can. He can't do that coming off the bench in the Bigs. Besides, Corey Brown showed a lot of talent and moxie in ST and I think he might be a better fit at the present time. Also, as much as I like your namesake and think of him as a very steady and solid ballplayer, he is NOT a leadoff man. We have one in Grady Sizemore and IMHO he needs to be inserted there by next game.

 

Now I don't consider myself any better a Red Sox fan that anyone else on this board but I take the losses harder I guess. They piss me off, especially losing to a miserable horse face like Buck Showalter. I also have to wait an extra day for our team to try and make amends for today. I'll be walking the floor tonight on my potty break, that you can be sure of.

[Thunder]

Oh, we're shotgunning mojo again? We'll just see how that works out...

 

I lost a bet and can't make a GT this year, so this is the next best thing.

[seabeachfred]

Holy crap, man. If you don't calm down you're going to give yourself a coronary before the end of April. It's the beginning of the season for the Sox. And not even the first few weeks, literally the BEGINNING. As in, game one of one hundred and sixty-two. A combination of strong wind and lack of timely hits was the reason the Sox lost this game. It happens. I shouldn't have to remind you that John Farrell won the World Series less than six months ago. Getting this worked up over possible mistakes in the first game of the season is like giving up on relationships because your eighth-grade girlfriend wouldn't let you get to second base.

 

My man Youk----thanks for watching my back......and to think there were actually a couple of people here who once doubted that I was a Red Sox fan. Today's game was frustrating because it was so winnable and I just don't like that miserable Buck Showalter and like losing to his team even less.

[Station 13]

So Thunder homework mojo has produced the only run of the year for the Sox. Feels good.

 

You're barred from starting game threads.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

I lost a bet and can't make a GT this year, so this is the next best thing.

I think you should do it anyway.

[Navafan29]

Navafan----I believe in clutch hitting, always have and always will. Out hitting a team in total hits isn't worth a warm pitcher of spit if those hits do not drive in runs. Since we left 12 men on base and were 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position I'd say all in all we put in a s***** job today. In addition, Jackie Bradley has no business being on the team. He needs at-bats down on the farm where he can learn how to hit the inside pitch....if he ever can. He can't do that coming off the bench in the Bigs. Besides, Corey Brown showed a lot of talent and moxie in ST and I think he might be a better fit at the present time. Also, as much as I like your namesake and think of him as a very steady and solid ballplayer, he is NOT a leadoff man. We have one in Grady Sizemore and IMHO he needs to be inserted there by next game.

 

Now I don't consider myself any better a Red Sox fan that anyone else on this board but I take the losses harder I guess. They piss me off, especially losing to a miserable horse face like Buck Showalter. I also have to wait an extra day for our team to try and make amends for today. I'll be walking the floor tonight on my potty break, that you can be sure of.

 

I agree; after all, getting more hits with RISP is what determines winners and losers. Clutch hitting is what baseball is, and I happen to believe in it. But all the hits today aren't useless to me because they show that our offense is warm, which increases the odds that we'll string some hits together soon.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Clutch hitting is for people who hate logic.

[mvp 78]

Sweet baby jesus...

[Bellhorn04]

All that really matters from today is that Lester pitched very well.

[Thunder]

You're barred from starting game threads.

 

Think I don't know that?

 

I think you should do it anyway.

 

And get perma-banned? Haha, no.

[Youk Of The Nation]

My ban-trigger finger is getting itchy, it hasn't been used in a while...

[Northern Star]

Grady's good for, what, seven games before suffering the usual season ending injury? You can set your watch by him.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Are you f***ing kidding????? We leave 12 men on base, run the bases half-assed, look at a third strike for the final out by a player who has no business being on the team, and we looked good? I hate to see what it would be like for us if you said we played bad.

 

Run the bases half-assed? Other than Carp messing up in the 2nd inning, what else did I miss? JBJ is here because Victorino is on the DL. He was in the game because we needed a pinch runner for Napoli.

 

Try and look at the positives of the game, not the negatives. The offense was alive, they just couldn't pick their spots. Lester looked great and Sizemore had a nice game. We made a few mistakes and the O's happened to sneak out a win off a Cruz HR. Overall, I don't think it was a bad performance. I'm going to say something along the lines of User Name? saying "Dude, chill out" and tell you to calm the f*** down.

[reYoukilis]

I think Nava is a good leadoff because of his high OBP. Wouldnt that be the number one reason for being leadoff? Having said that I think its only temporary until Victorino comes back.

[Station 13]

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/033114sizemore607.jpg

 

Wow the red lettering never look so good. Glad it's back.

[SoxSport]

Disappointing this club couldn't generate more offense other than that of the guy you least expected--Sizemore. Baltimore's pitching sucks, especially their "closer" Hunter, who has a reputation for throwing high meatballs. Farrell should have pinch hit for AJ against that lefty, especially with Gomes on the bench. In these close games, a manager has to play the percentages. Managers can easily lose these one run games with their late inning decisions. Mattingly lost a game last night taking Ryu out with a shutout after only 88 pitches. One more inning and he gets to his closer, Kenley J. who is very good. Teams are now waiting out starters, to build up their pitch counts. Baseball is becoming a game of pitch counts.

[seabeachfred]

Disappointing this club couldn't generate more offense other than that of the guy you least expected--Sizemore. Baltimore's pitching sucks, especially their "closer" Hunter, who has a reputation for throwing high meatballs. Farrell should have pinch hit for AJ against that lefty, especially with Gomes on the bench. In these close games, a manager has to play the percentages. Managers can easily lose these one run games with their late inning decisions. Mattingly lost a game last night taking Ryu out with a shutout after only 88 pitches. One more inning and he gets to his closer, Kenley J. who is very good. Teams are now waiting out starters, to build up their pitch counts. Baseball is becoming a game of pitch counts.

 

Jon Lester pitched a hell of a game today and those types of games are the kind we have to win......and we didn't this time out. We'll see if this gets to be a habit; if so we could be in some trouble. The team has a day to gather their thoughts and come out smoking on Wednesday and by all means we must not get swept in Baltimore and head back home 0-3. Early as it is, I think Sox Sport that the team must rally and come back with a nice win next time out. We need to get some of those 12 men we left on base home and hit a helluva better with RISP and very little in the way of LOBsters.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

They pushed Tillman to 104 pitches in 5 innings. That's something.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Take a step back from the ledge, SBR. It's just game 1.

 

I can count 4 balls off the top of my head that would have gone out had it not been for those ridiculous winds. Bogaerts, Pedroia, Ortiz, and Pierzynski. At least 3 of those 4 go out. I was shocked when Bogaerts' shot didn't leave the yard.

 

The Orioles won on a walk and a bloop, then a few innings later Lester made a mistake pitch to Cruz.

 

The Sox squared up a ton of balls, a heck of a lot better than the Orioles did. Just a little snakebitten today, that's all.

 

They left 12 men on base and had 10 opportunities to cash in (0-10 with RISP). Frustrating? Yes. But they gave themselves a few opportunities. If Carp hits that little flare texas leaguer that Weiters hit, the Sox score 2 runs in the 4th and probably win the game.

 

I have no issues with yesterday's game. There were exactly zero things that concerned me.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Wait, I had one issue. I couldn't believe that Farrell didn't PH for Pierzynski against a LHP in the 8th. That was mind boggling.

[Bellhorn04]

Yes, there's already a lot of chatter about why Gomes didn't hit for Pierzynski or Bradley.

 

And Fred's blood is already near the boiling point.

 

Baseball is back!

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

The guy let Brandon Workman take an at bat in the world series. I don't think it's possible for him to boggle my mind after that.

[Spudboy]

Lol. Everyone just chill.

 

I hate seeing the Sox loose on opening day too. They have a long way to go.

 

I'm still pumped!

[jacksonianmarch]

The sox did exactly what they're supposed to do. They worked counts and got a good outing from Lester. As much as I'd like to be a wet blanket here, the only thing you didn't have was clutch hitting. That's streaky in and of itself

[MANNYHOF24]

Honestly, if that game was played in the July the Red Sox would have probably scored 10 runs. They had four balls that really could have been homeruns, and there were lots of base-runners on as well in those situations. Just one of those games. Lester looked good especially after the 3rd inning.

[mvp 78]

Easily the worst loss of the season so far.