Jayhawk Bill

Thanks, sensei.

A bad evening cheering for your favorite team at a home game beats a good evening at work. It'll be rainy, but I bet they'll get the game in: SHORT TERM FORECAST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE UPTON NY 330 PM EDT FRI MAY 16 2008 CTZ005>012-NJZ002>006-011-NYZ067>081-162200- NORTHERN FAIRFIELD-NORTHERN NEW HAVEN-NORTHERN MIDDLESEX- NORTHERN NEW LONDON-SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD-SOUTHERN NEW HAVEN- SOUTHERN MIDDLESEX-SOUTHERN NEW LONDON-WESTERN PASSAIC-BERGEN- EASTERN PASSAIC-ESSEX-HUDSON-UNION-ORANGE-PUTNAM-ROCKLAND- NORTHERN WESTCHESTER-SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER-NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)- BRONX-RICHMOND (STATEN ISLAND)-KINGS (BROOKLYN)-QUEENS-NASSAU- NORTHWESTERN SUFFOLK-NORTHEASTERN SUFFOLK-SOUTHWESTERN SUFFOLK- SOUTHEASTERN SUFFOLK- 330 PM EDT FRI MAY 16 2008 NOW RAIN SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE TRI-STATE AREA THROUGH 600 PM. THESE SHOWERS WILL GENERALLY BE LIGHT IN INTENSITY. THERE MAY BE ISOLATED POCKETS OF MODERATE RAINFALL. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION AS ROADS WILL BE SLICK. TONIGHT PERIODS OF RAIN THIS EVENING...TAPERING OFF AFTER MIDNIGHT. PATCHY FOG. LOWS IN THE UPPER 40S. NORTH WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH. CHANCE OF RAIN 90 PERCENT.

Tonight's pitchers: Boston: Daisuke Matsuzaka RHP (6-0) 2.45 ERA Milwaukee: Jeff Suppan RHP (2-2) 4.63 ERA Jeff Suppan's 2008 ERA is only 0.01 runs different from his 2007 ERA. More to the point his xFIP has varied only from 4.55 to 4.86 from 2004-2008. What we're seeing is his true level of performance. As an NL starting pitcher. Suppan has a 6.10 ERA over his career in Fenway. The AL has better talent than the NL; Fenway is a hitter's park. Suppan had a 10.12 ERA in Interleague games last year: he struggles against the AL. Boston with Matsuzaka pitching has a better chance to win this game than Milwaukee with Suppan pitching. Keys to the Game: 1) No rainout; no long rain delay. 2) Boston scores early and continues to score late rather than scoring three times and trying to defend that lead. 3) Matsuzaka avoids the long ball and walks less than half as many batters as he strikes out. 4) Fair and accurate game-calling by the new umpire team.

Interleague play begins. The Red Sox return home. Daisuke Matsuzaka is on the mound. The bullpen is rested. Red Sox Nation's fury reaches a crescendo, and the hapless Milwaukee Brewers are the target. *** Vengeance time 7:05 EDT.

Dunno, TheKilo. We both watched the play. I guess we disagree. All you can do is shrug your shoulders, I guess... http://www.talksox.com/forum/avatars/thekilo.gif

Almost as good as April 30, 2005, with Wang up against Bush. Wang came through: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA200504300.shtml Edit: Zink? They're thinking of bringing up Zink? I would absolutely love to see that. The MLE of a AA or AAA knuckleball pitcher is his actual stat line: MLB batters are no better at hitting knuckleballs than AA or AAA batters. Zink's career MiLB ERA is 4.26--he might have MLB-caliber stuff, and we'll never know unless he gets a chance.

Well, he did suck. That said, the Yankees have extraordinary financial resources to bring to bear, a reasonably strong MiLB system for trade fodder, and a few veterans who will perform better than they have thus far. The Rays are for real; the Red Sox are at least as good as the Rays; the Blue Jays are another excellent team. The Yankees will be in the mix come August and September despite the competitive excellence of the AL East. I don't know if the Yankees will reach the ALDS, but I'd almost guarantee that they'll contend. As will, of course, the Red Sox. :thumbsup:

Pedroia ranged far to his left to even come close to fielding that ball...no fault there, IMO. Boston's offense was fine, individually; the hits were ill-timed. Hansen pitched fine. Two-thirds of what should've been called strikes became balls: a pitcher cannot survive with calls like that. Blame, for Wednesday's loss, IMO: 1. Bullpen management 2. Umpiring

Nothing big on Pitch f/x for any pitcher except Craig Hansen. However... The umpire blew the call on two out of three pitches Hansen threw that should've been called strikes. The first pitch to Quiroz was strike one, not ball one, and that might've changed the second pitch that Quiroz hit for a single. The second pitch to Roberts was strike two, not ball one, and the third pitch was a swinging strike that would've ended the inning before the grand slam.

Bogus call at first base.

Okajima is letting a shitload of inherited runners score this year.

Hansen comes in and gives up a hit and a walk to two batters. He could be our closer.

I had trouble with Gameday and switched to Gamecast with my MASN.

Nice catch by Cora.

We need to get Lester out of the game.

BTW, lost in the excitement of Manny's great catch was the previous play where Ellsbury held Markakis at second on a single to right field. Markakis usually goes first to third on a single to right: that was a good play by Ellsbury, and it might've saved a run as Markakis might've scored from third before the last out could have been recorded at first.

Nice shot by Tek. 2-0

That's the best catch I've ever seen Manny make.

Probably Justin Masterson, if not Colon.

Gary Thorne on MASN comments that the ump says that Quiroz held up, but that it looked exactly the same as what David Ortiz did last night that was called strike three.

Today's scheduled home plate umpire is Wally Bell. Boston has beaten Baltimore the last three times Bell has called a game between the two teams. Lester has pitched with Bell called balls and strikes once, and Boston won that game. Daniel Cabrera lost his only game pitched with Bell behind home plate. Bell is a pitchers' umpire with, IIRC, a wide strike zone. Considering that and the afternoon getaway game, I expect a low-scoring matchup. *** The individuals playing for Boston and Baltimore may also affect the outcome of the game.

Note that we're seeing if van Every can handle the load in MLB...looks to me as if a trade for Coco might be looming.