9/17 in the Steel City

[Thunder]

Welcome to the bigs Rusney Castillo! This is the sole reason why we are going Thunder mojo tonight. On the hill, we'll see Buchholz (8-8, 5.19) against Francisco Liriano (5-10, 3.53). Hopefully, tonight will be the start of the long reign of a predominantly Cuban Red Sox outfield.

[Spudboy]

Buchholtz has been pitching well recently. It would be nice to see him dominate tonight. That would help give the slumbering Sox bats a chance to put enough up to win.

 

I, like many here, am anxious to see Castillo play. It will be good to see him up against major league pitching. I don't care who plays the Sox outfield for years to come or where they come from as long as they can play decent defense and hit better than what we have witnessed this year.

 

a700 has said that in essence what players do in September is a lot like what they do in spring training. It does not necessarily mean much. But Pittsburgh is in the playoff hunt so I expect them to play their best. The Sox? Who knows? I would expect most players would want to perform well because of pride if nothing else. A bunch of players have to put out now because they are trying to secure spots on the roster next year. I guy like Craig has a lot to prove since he has done zilch since being acquired. XB has been hitting much better since he got beaned. Maybe Craig needs to take one off the gourd to get back on track!

 

I heard that Papi will be starting at 1st base tonight. I find that curious because he is dealing with a bad foot and playing the field certainly won't do much good for that! Oh well. The season is almost over so it does not mean much, anyway.

 

As miserable as this season has been, I am lamenting it ending. Even with the Sox playing so poorly I have been watching my team closely each day. All of a sudden they will not be around to follow. I guess that I'll have to watch the other teams play in the playoffs. It's hard for me to get very excited about that even though I love the game.

 

I am looking forward to the Hot Stove season very much. In particular, I am very interested to see if the Sox make a run at Lester and if so, how serious their efforts will be. Sometimes I have to question the ability of the Sox brass to get the job done. They have botched the Lester situation royally so far. If they don't come in with an opening offer of at least 5/125 they are really stupid and deserve our wrath. I'd also like to see them make a run at Schields. One way or another they need to open the wallet wide in pursuit of front line pitching. If they don't and only grab a couple of middling arms instead I will really be pissed. Call me entitled but I expect more from the Sox.

 

Thunder mojo rules!

 

GO SOX!!!!!1!

Edited September 17, 2014 by Spudboy

[Spudboy]

Boston Red Sox

Hitters AB R H RBI BB SO AVG OBP SLG

M Betts 2B 0 0 0 0 0 0 .283 .362 .434

X Bogaerts SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 .243 .305 .372

Y Cespedes LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 .258 .301 .454

M Napoli 1B 0 0 0 0 0 0 .248 .366 .419

A Craig RF 0 0 0 0 0 0 .133 .257 .233

W Middlebrooks 3B 0 0 0 0 0 0 .186 .253 .266

R Castillo CF 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000

C Vazquez C 0 0 0 0 0 0 .208 .274 .262

C Buchholz P 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 1.000 1.000

 

Pittsburgh Pirates

Hitters AB R H RBI BB SO AVG OBP SLG

J Harrison 3B 0 0 0 0 0 0 .317 .350 .505

G Polanco RF 0 0 0 0 0 0 .241 .315 .342

A McCutchen CF 0 0 0 0 0 0 .307 .396 .529

N Walker 2B 0 0 0 0 0 0 .279 .352 .469

R Martin C 0 0 0 0 0 0 .297 .411 .437

S Marte LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 .287 .358 .453

I Davis 1B 0 0 0 0 0 0 .230 .345 .364

C Barmes SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 .232 .315 .274

F Liriano P 0 0 0 0 0 0 .079 .125 .079

 

Castillo is batting 7th.

 

Ortiz is not playing. Napoli is at 1st and Craig is in RF. Awesome!

[Thunder]

Clay has the best AVG on the team. If I recall correctly, he had one AB in Atlanta on the Memorial Day game that he sucked in, but the Sox came back to win and snap the 10 game losing streak.

[Spudboy]

Clay has the best AVG on the team. If I recall correctly, he had one AB in Atlanta on the Memorial Day game that he sucked in, but the Sox came back to win and snap the 10 game losing streak.

 

Hopefully Clay will have an opportunity or two to bunt tonight. Let's just hope that he can do a better job than the two starters last night.

 

I wonder how much time teams in the AL devote to bunting practice for all players and in particular for pitchers. If I were coaching a team I would emphasize it by making it a normal drill throughout the season.

[gojohn99]

It's Rusney - Day!

[gojohn99]

Other calls ups -

The Boston Red Sox today recalled six players from Triple-A Pawtucket: outfielders Bryce Brentz (No. 73) and Rusney Castillo (No. 38), infielder/outfielder Garin Cecchini (No. 70), left-handed pitcher Edwin Escobar (No. 71), right-handed pitcher Heath Hembree (No. 37), and catcher/first baseman Ryan Lavarnway (No. 20). All six players will be active for tonight's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

[a700hitter]

Other calls ups -

The Boston Red Sox today recalled six players from Triple-A Pawtucket: outfielders Bryce Brentz (No. 73) and Rusney Castillo (No. 38), infielder/outfielder Garin Cecchini (No. 70), left-handed pitcher Edwin Escobar (No. 71), right-handed pitcher Heath Hembree (No. 37), and catcher/first baseman Ryan Lavarnway (No. 20). All six players will be active for tonight's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

Our bright future will be on display. LOL!

[gojohn99]

I'd love to see Cecchini in for WMB.

[Thunder]

Yeah I have a little man crush on Cecchini

[d-money]

These sox pitchers have been giving up the hr ball alot lately.Middlebrooks should consider a new line of work.He is f***ing putrid

[d-money]

Yes clay your a different pitcher.Sox starting pitching has been horrible.I wanted to see some positives from the pitching for next year and that hasnt happened.

[Thunder]

This, my friends, is the joy of Thunder mojo.

[Elktonnick]

These sox pitchers have been giving up the hr ball alot lately.Middlebrooks should consider a new line of work.He is f***ing putrid

 

Somebody posted that Middlebrooks couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat! That's how bad he is going now.

[iortiz]

Embarrassing! End this season already!

[a700hitter]

I hope that when Holt is healthy that he plays second base the rest of the way. It is pointless to play Betts at second base. There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that he ever plays second base for the Sox. They should be seeing if Betts can handle third base. That is an open position for next season.

[Spudboy]

I hope that when Holt is healthy that he plays second base the rest of the way. It is pointless to play Betts at second base. There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that he ever plays second base for the Sox. They should be seeing if Betts can handle third base. That is an open position for next season.

 

I would like to see Betts at 3rd or in RF. For now, anyway.

 

I just have this sour feeling in my gut that it makes no difference because Betts will be traded in the off season.

 

I'll go nuts if that happens. Betts is probably the only visible bright spot among the Sox prospects.

[a700hitter]

Bogaerts was slow off the ball charging that grounder. A SS has to make that play.

[Station 13]

Middlebrooks is so awful he f***ed up the 9th.

[a700hitter]

Middlebrooks is so awful he f***ed up the 9th.

He's awful.

[Spudboy]

Middlebrooks is so awful he f***ed up the 9th.

 

Is this what you are referring to Station?

 

"

The Sox were on the verge of tying the score after Allen Craig led off the ninth by being grazed by a pitch and pinch-runner Jemile Weeks bolted to third on a single by Daniel Nava. The next batter, Will Middlebrooks, chopped a ball down the third-base line that struck Weeks as he tried diving back to the bag. He was called out on runner's interference, Farrell failing to persuade plate umpire Mike Muchlinski that Weeks was not in fair territory when the ball struck him."

 

As if the Sox are not bad enough!!!! Middlebrooks screwed the pooch in a new way that I have never seen. All he had to do was drive the ball fairly deep to center or to right field for the sac fly and to tie the game.

 

What a complete F-up.

 

Disgraceful.