seabeachfred

Wow!!!!! What a time for Breslow to hit a wall Sox Sport. I mean the guy was money in the bank until this series and I hope he gets a second wind and comes through if used again. We need all our solid bullpen crew working good innings. And as for Salty, he seems to have reverted back to the first two years he caught for us. Too many strikeouts and bad decisions behind the plate. I wonder if the pressure is getting to him because I guy just doesn't go off the deep end defensively all of a sudden. Or maybe I'm wrong about that. We might be better with Ross back there after all.

Hey---for a free two tickets to a Red Sox-Yankee game? Hell, I might give up a pinky for that. Besides the Red Sox won that game in a walk.

Eighth inning, game two of that Series Ted. And it was Papelbon's only pickoff that season.

Hard to fathom my friend. These are the two best teams in baseball, ball clubs that met every challenge to get to the World Series, beat the teams they had to beat and yet they look like Stepin Fetchit out there. Is it nerves or do these teams bring out the worst in each other. We need a clean game for a change, like how about 3-1 win tomorrow with us with the three.

Brennan my friend, you a good example why I do NOT post on the game thread during games. I would most likely be even more on the ledge than you are. As it was I had to leave the room, go back in, leave it again and again because it was hard to watch the game. I did see Pedey and Papi get on base and saw Gomes' bomb, but I missed the 8th inning. I would have been a little miffed to see Lackey in there, but now I guess this could qualify as his pitching workout between starts. It worked.

I once heard Derek Jeter say at the end of a Yankee win over the Red Sox in September, 2005, that there is no carryover, that the next day both teams always start fresh. Good teams are able to turn the page. Well that's what I think of this series. We have two teams evenly matched who have overcome some serious s*** to rally for wins----the Cards in the second game after getting embarrassed in the first, and now our team after having a pratfall last night. No carryover, though, in my opinion. Both teams will be ready for tomorrow; if one isn't that team will lose. BTW, Jeter was right. The next day the Red Sox mauled the Yankees, 9-2 behind Curt Schilling. I was at that game in Yankee Stadium. I got two free tickets for the game because that was what you would get if you got a, believe it or not, a Yankee credit card (since discarded). Anyway, this win tonight was as good a birthday present as I could get. Tremendous win.

Why the hell is Drew still in the lineup. His solid defense does NOT make up for his totally inept hitting---or I should say non hitting. He does nothing but strike out, never tries to lay down a drag bunt to help himself or he team out. He needs to be expunged from the lineup in my opinion. Good to see Salty riding the pine, though. He has fallen back into the miserable defensive habits he had the first two seasons he played for us, and Boras must be pulling his hair out of his head where Drew is concerned. His FA value money wise is sinking faster than a rock in a stream.

Brennan, I have noticed over the years that when a team comes back from a deficit and only tie the game, they are headed for a loss. The key is to come back and take the lead. We did this twice last night, that is, tie the game and not go ahead. It's piss down the porcelain, nothing we can do about it now. Funny how I took it.....I first shrugged it off but on reflection I got madder and madder until I was thoroughly pissed off. I'm also a little peeved now because I'm convinced we have to get Drew out of that damn lineup. He is a strikeout machine and nothing more, and while we're at it get Salty out of there too. Nava did ok last night and I think Ross and Middlebrook need a chance to show what they can do. They certainly can do no worse than what Drew, Salty and Gomes have done. Besides today is my 73rd birthday and I need a nice present like a victory tonight.

You know what? If Ellsbury and Victorino can start hitting consistently again in this series and help out Pedroia and Ortiz, we wouldn't have to talk about playing Napoli at third base----which I think is a major dumb mistake waiting to happen. I can only hope that the top of our order get with it in Game Three and Nava shows us why he should be and stay in the lineup. As for Peavy, we need a reversal of his game against the Tigers. Put those together and we can get a win tonight.

This was the way our team did it in Detroit and though St. Louis isn't Detroit they are beatable and we should not forget that. From what I'm hearing since I got back to my home town late last night, a lot of the press and media are trying to bury the Red Sox. I thought they had more hair than that.

It's not the lineup I would want but it is what it is. Let's just get behind these guys and cheer them home with a big win tonight. It certainly can be done.

This is the lineup I would go with as well. Guess what? We're probably not going to get it. Sorry about that.

Jung, I'll tell you where I stand on this. If we go out there and take care of the Cardinals tonight, whether it's by one run or five, Mazz, Felger and the rest of the crew that has us dead in the water will change their tunes in a hurry. A win tonight is the way to get the momentum back in our corner.

Did Mazz and Felger really say that? Well Brennan had it right----f*** THEM BOTH!!!!!!

It's not something my Red Sox fans colleagues want to hear Jacko but you cannot believe just how inept Drew has looked at the plate. I saw it with my own eyes three straight games. He is lost at the plate and he shows no sign of snapping out of it. He has become a sunk cost at the plate and in my opinion we have to go for offense in St. Louis. Five and four hits in the past two games is not going to get the job done.

I don't know when Farrell is going to get his act together with regards to Drew. You saw him on TV and I saw him in person for three games and he looks absolutely inept and totally lost at the plate. We have two dead lack holes with the pitcher and him in the lineup. I don't think it's going to get any better and the other guys had better be able to carry him and the pitcher or we will be scuffling tonight. Of course, we need the Peavy we saw pitch against the Dodgers and not the one we saw get mangled by the Tigers. I'm convinced Farrell is totally wrong keeping Drew in the lineup.

No thanks on that. Nap is one of best run producers and has been a key in the playoffs so far this fall. We can't risk him coming up lame because we are going back to Boston and we will need him there. That hip problem could flare up if he makes a wrong move in a strange position. My take is to leave well enough alone.

Just got back from Boston mvp so I'm a little late getting in on this thread, but I would want Nava in the lineup tomorrow against the Cardinals. First of all with no DH we have one of our big run producers out of action. With Napoli on the pine we need some hitting in the lineup. If you looked at the two box scores from the first two games we got five and four hits.......and we really have to do better than that. We also need to get Drew out of that lineup. He is a total offensive black hole and now with the pitcher hitting (or flailing) we cannot afford to give away outs. Personally I would like to see Middlebrooks at third, Bogaerts at short and Nava in left. I know the chorus is coming....rookie this or rookie that. However, wasn't the Cardinal pitcher Wacha who beat us yesterday a rookie, and didn't John Lackey a rookie when he pitched the seventh game of the 2002 World Series and won it for the Angels. I think talent can trump experience at times and I think this may be one of those times. Saw our AL clincher last Saturday and the place went ape s*** when Shane hit that grand slam, and I certainly can't complain about the first WS game. The second? Not so good, but since this team has not only won a division title that I have droned on and on upon, but they are AL Champions. There is no reason to complain about that. Still, wouldn't be a real hoot if we came back all the way this year and won it all?

If it even hints of bad luck RSFFL---DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!! OTOH, maybe mvp is right and just say the heck with it. I'm doing it my way. Off to the airport and to Boston. Please keep the good thoughts coming and I will do what I can to help the cause.

Well we might get that chance though I do not want to see the Dodgers win that series. Not that I'm afraid of them. Know how most of you feel about the Yankees? That's pretty much the way I feel about the Dodgers.

Nava has kind of gotten the short end of the stick in this series. IMHO he should be in there against RH pitching. He hit 303 for us this season, stayed consistent all season and hit with some power as well. I also noticed t hat when he is benched and used as a pinch hitter he does NOT come through. Gomes does. That should be a platoon situation----and I still insist that Drew should come out of the lineup tomorrow and Middlebrooks be put back on third and Xander at short. Steven hasn't hit worth crap this series and has struck out half of his at-bats. I think we can do better than that.

Let's certainly hope so Dupree. The Red Sox seem to always be mentioned when some hot shot prospect from another country is up for grabs. The fact is Abreu has holes in his swing, a slow bat and described as a hitter who can feast on No. 4 and 5, do ok against a No. 3. but be over matched by a No 1 or 2. Napoli, meanwhile, showed what he can do against a No. 1 and No. 2 already in this series. He wants to stay in Boston very badly and we need to keep him. Strikeouts or not he is a premium power hitter and run producer and, face it, he has been better at first base than a lot of us thought he would be. I'll post on a few more threads before I head for the airport. Tomorrow is the 6th game of the ALCS and the anniversary of the "Bloody Sock". Can we use this as some mojo for the game?

You know Ted, I took some crap last winter when I panned the signing of Victorino as a big bad mistake. Well in retrospect, I deserved that because Vic was a stalwart and one helluva player for us this season, hitting in the 290's, clouting about 18 homers, playing the best RF defense in the league. OK, I had it coming. Why I was down on him was what I'm seeing now----that's what I saw out here when he played for the Dodgers the latter part of 2012. Left handed, he was hitting ground balls to the second baseman, right handed short flies to left field.....AND HE DID THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN. What we're seeing now is even worse because he is swinging at the same slow change on the outside corner and missing it time after time after time. Apparently he can't make an adjustment or they have finally learned how to pitch to him. However, my take is don't give up on him. He was a animal in the TB series and he could come back strong. Maybe drop him down a few notches in the lineup, to say seventh and see how he fares there. Do not bench him, but do get Nava back into the starting lineup.

I know I promised Pal. mvp and Youk that I would be more positive from here on in, but I have to tell you, some of the things Farrell does really frosts my ass. Nava should be in the game and it is Drew who should be sitting and not Middlebrooks. Drew has done nothing with the stick and hasn't hit the ball hard at all in this series. He has also looked pathetic striking out. He looks completely overmatched. As for Ross, does hit presence in the lineup do anything for our offense which finally started to show some life last night, albeit, though in a losing effort? Sometimes I think the inspiration Farrell get sometimes from his rear end. Let's hope the team can overcome John's brain cramp tonight.

Just do the job guys. If I had a wish right now, and I really do.....it would be to take care of the Tigers tonight, then wrap it up on Saturday at Fenway with no Sunday game. Then I could have a couple of days more to decompress for the first two games of the World Series. Can you guys get me and yourselves some much needed mojo for that? Would be greatly appreciated.