VA Sox Fan

The lineup explained Posted by Adam Kilgore, Globe Staff October 13, 2008 01:49 PM Terry Francona switched from Jed Lowrie to Alex Cora at shortstop today and stuck by the slumping Jacoby Ellsbury. There's no way that David Ortiz would be moved from the third slot, but he has not been the Ortiz of Octobers past, either. Francona addressed these topics during a session with local writers this afternoon. Cora is in for Lowrie because, much like Game 2 in the ALDS against the Los Angeles Angels and Ervin Santana, Francona prefers Cora against power righthanded pitchers, which Tampa Bay starter Matt Garza certainly is. "It seems like it's been more of a fit for Alex," Francona said. "I anticipate Jed being right back in there tomorrow [against Andy Sonnanstine]. Sometimes you have different ways of being a good team. Sometimes you don't. We always make sure Jed, when he goes out to take his grounders today, knows that he's not being punished." Ellsbury is hitless in his last 17 at-bats, and he is 0 for 11 against the Rays in the ALCS. This might be a good game for Ellsbury to shed his slump -- he's 6 for 13 with a walk in his career against Garza. Even if Ellsbury did not have that history, Francona did not want to remove him from the leadoff spot in favor of Coco Crisp, who had three hits, two doubles, in Game 2. "As long as I think we're a better team with [Ellsbury] hitting first, I'll do it," Francona said. "He had a tough game the other night. So did a couple other guys. But I don't know that because somebody had a tough game or two, you necessarily change the batting order. If there's a place in time where I think we're a better team doing something else, we would do. Last year, we played Coco, and then we didn't play Coco when I thought it was time to make a change. I don't know if moving a guy just because he hasn't got hits makes us better. When somebody has to hit there, then somebody has to take that guy's spot." Ellsbury started the playoffs 6 for 14, blistering the Angels' pitching. Has Tampa Bay, Francona was asked, pitched Ellsbury differently than Los Angeles? "No," Francona said. "They've executed better." Ortiz is the other Red Sox player struggling at the top of the lineup. He is batting .217 in the playoffs without a homer. Ortiz, in fact, has not hit a home run in his last 13 games. He may try a shift in approach today. During the Red Sox optional workout yesterday, Ortiz focused on hitting the ball to the opposite field and using the Green Monster as an ally. "I was proud of him yesterday," Francona said. "He came out yesterday and just peppered that Wall. I thought that was really an intelligent thing to do. When he has the ability to hit that Wall, he has the ability to hit the ball anywhere with power. And he came out and just beat the [manure] out of that wall." (For Red Sox starters' numbers against Garza, scroll down to the lineup post.)

Posted by Adam Kilgore, Globe Staff October 13, 2008 12:43 PM Two items of note: Alex Cora gets the start at shortstop over Jed Lowrie, and manager Terry Francona sticks with slumping Jacoby Ellsbury in the leadoff spot.

AND......let the whining about Ellsbury and Cora BEGIN!!

Red Sox 1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF 2 .Dustin Pedroia, 2B 3. David Ortiz, DH 4. Kevin Youkilis, 3B 5. J.D. Drew, RF 6. Jason Bay, LF 7. Mark Kotsay, 1B 8. Jason Varitek, C 9. Alex Cora, SS -- Jon Lester, SP WIN!!!!

Manny's Revenge Posted by Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff October 10, 2008 06:41 PM PHILADELPHIA - Phillies right-hander Brett Myers has spent most of the first four innings of Game 2 of the National League championship series, taking control of his own destiny. He set the tone in the first inning when he threw a pitch behind Manny Ramirez which drew the ire of the Dodgers' bench with manager Joe Torre and hitting coach Don Mattingly shouting out to Myers. If the right-hander was trying to fire himself up, he did OK on that front. As angry as the Dodgers seemed to be, they couldn't do much about it. In fact, Myers just kept rubbing it in, breaking off nasty curveballs for strikeouts and then when he had a bat in his hand, watch out. Ramirez got his own personal revenge when he belted a three-run homer in the fourth on a pitch that jammed him, but he still managed to get the sweet part of the bat and drive it. Ramirez was pointing to the Heavens and once he got back into the dugout starting yelling out to the field at Myers, who ignored him. Myers had stroked a two-out RBI single in a four-run second inning and then hit a bases-loaded single to right field in a four-run third inning knocking in three runs in his first two at-bats en route to an 8-2 lead over the Dodgers that slimmed down to 8-5 after the Ramirez homer. In the bottom of the fourth in his third at-bat, Myers reached on an infield hit toward third base which advanced Carlos Ruiz to second base. Did anyone see that pitch behind Manny?

Myers hit .069 during the season, going 4-for-58 with one RBI

NLCS notes Posted by Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff October 10, 2008 03:15 PM PHILADELPHIA - June Manuel, 87, mother of Phillies' manager Charlie Manuel, passed away in Roanoke, Va. Memorial Hospital this morning after a brief illness. She is survived by 10 children. Manuel will manage the team this afternoon in Game 2 vs. LA, up 1-0 as a result of a 3-2 win over the Dodgers last night. With an off-day tomorrow, Manuel will likely not fly with the team to LA and tend to his family matters. It's not yet known whether Manuel will miss any time from the Series for funeral services. Here are today's lineups: LA: 1. Rafael Furcal-SS 2. Russell Martin-C 3. Manny Ramirez-LF 4. Andre Ethier-RF 5. James Loney-1B 6. Matt Kemp-CF 7. Blake DeWitt-2B 8. Casey Blake-3B 9. Chad Billingsley-SP Phillies: 1. Jimmy Rollins- SS 2. Shane Victorino-CF 3. Chase Utley-2B 4. Ryan Howard-1B 5. Pat Burrell-LF 6. Jayson Werth-RF 7. Greg Dobbs-3B 8. Carlos Ruiz-C 9. Brett Myers-SP.

Sad news.... Phillies' manager Manuel's mother, June, dies ESPN.com news services Updated: October 10, 2008, 1:55 PM ET June Manuel, the mother of Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, died Friday morning, the Phillies announced. The Phillies have not said whether Manuel will manage Game 2 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The game is set for Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET. Manuel's pregame news conference Friday was canceled. He was on the field for batting practice earlier Friday. Manuel said of his mother in a 2005 Mother's Day postcard for MLB.com: "I can't imagine a better person in the world than my mother. I hope everybody's mom is like mine. She's been very special to me, and I've been very lucky to have a mother like her." The Phillies hold a 1-0 lead over the Dodgers heading into the second game.

Me too!

I saw that "guy" too and thought WTF?????!!!!!!!!

Welcome aboard! One of my brother's lives in Perthshire, but he's a NYY fan....ugh!

More from Tito on the ALCS rotation: "That's the way we're set up to go," Francona said. "The reasoning is actually pretty simple. I thought this was how it would shake out, even before we did the media after we beat [the Angles]. We just needed to take the proper time and take it through. "You could get into a lot of details, but there really didn't need to be. The way it lined up was appropriate. Again, for us, those three will pitch twice if it goes to seven. In the end, as long as they're pitching, the order isn't as important. So then you go, 'OK. What's best for them?' "It gives people rest – not too much rest, not too little. This is probably the best way. We didn't want one going on eight [days rest], one guy going on regular. Keep everybody somewhat in line. Rest at this time of year is huge. We'll take advantage of it while trying not to give too much. "Guys that pitched 1, 2, and 3 are lined up for 5, 6, and 7. Nobody is going to throw three. So having those three twice is really what's important, regardless of how they lined up." Francona, as he has in the past, did not stress pitching his best pitchers early in the series, the logic simple: If you need a great pitcher to win, say, Game 6, then you're doomed, anyway, so it's best to ensure proper rest. Francona felt no need to throw Lester – the dominant force of the ALDS who pitched 14 innings without surrendering an earned run – on regular rest in Game 2. "It's best of seven. It's not best of six," Francona said. "The idea is to win the series, not win Game 6. I never quite understood that philosophy. Our idea, the way we set it up, is to win the series. If it's such a big deal to pitch [Lester] in Game 6, what happens Game 7? We'll give the guys the rest they need and set it up for the entire series. And then if you're losing, don't panic."

Rotation set; Matsuzaka to pitch Game 1 Posted by Adam Kilgore, Globe Staff October 8, 2008 12:12 PM Terry Francona announced the Red Sox rotation for the ALCS at a press conference today: Game 1: Daisuke Matsuzaka Game 2: Josh Beckett Game 3: Jon Lester Game 4: Tim Wakefield Game 5*: Daisuke Matsuzaka Game 6*: Josh Beckett Game 7*: Jon Lester (*if necessary) Francona set the rotation trying not to be too complicated -- everyone gets enough rest, no one gets too much. His primary rationale was, the top three pitchers will throw all throw three games, anyway, so the order is not of primary importance. More to come on this and other topics.

NO WAY! NOT IN A MILLION, PERSONALLY. But he will be boo'd. Find Scott BorASS and either, boo him or kick his Satan ass or kill him LOL!

Out as a mother f***er. No ifs, ands or buts. Tek was chasing the base runner. Different from a play at home plate, safe as a mother f***er. Don't usually have to chase too many runners at the plate when they're plowing you down. OUT OUT OUT!

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Congrats to the Rays....damn they still look unbeatable.

Angels 1. Chone Figgins, 3B 2. Garret Anderson, LF 3. Mark Teixeira, 1B 4. Vladimir Guerrero, DH 5. Torii Hunter, CF 6. Mike Napoli, C 7. Juan Rivera, RF 8. Howie Kendrick, 2B 9. Erick Aybar, SS SP: John Lackey (0-1, 7.20 ERA)

Unless, of course, it's to the L.A. Dodgers!

NO GOING BACK TO L.A.--------WIN!!!!!!

If Beckett doesn't improve, we may be screwed for the ALCS. Feel good about tonight's game with Lester going. DO NOT want to have to go back to LA.

GO JOSH! GO OFFENSE!!!!!! GO SOX!!!!