The Village Idiot

I repeat: Bill Hall wants to experience the playoffs.

Jesus JD, a bunt would've been better.

Bill Hall wants to experience the playoffs.

Lowell coming through big with a double to start us off. Kalish with his second--a single to advance Lowell to third. Come on, Bill Hall. Drive in a couple here.

If there was ever a stadium that needed a retractable roof and air conditioning, it's Arlington Stadium in Arlington, TX. Texans are idiotic twats.

Lester with a 1,2,3 8th. We aren't worthy. (Actually, we kind of are, especially this freaking season.)

Beautiful play by Beltre at third to snag what would've been a double otherwise. Brilliant, Adrian!

How do people live in Texas? Seriously, it is so f***ing hot there.

Jon Lester can count on no one, and he knows it. He is doing it himself. Masterful ground ball pitching tonight through 7, Dearest Jon.

Thank Christ we got out of that inning unscathed. Drew almost cost us a run with that wacky wall, BS triple, but then Lowell with a nice play at first and Hall fielding the chopper for the third out. MORE. RUNS NOW. PLEASE.

Jon effing Lester. Through 6 now.

1,2,3 5th for Lester. 1-0 Sox still. More runs, please. Hey, if no one else is on the Game Thread tonight, someone's got to get this done.

A-Rod goes yard, 6-3 Yankees. He's laughing in the clubhouse with HorseFace. I hate the MFYs. More importantly, back to back strikeouts by Lester. Go Jon.

It was 102 degrees in Texas at the start of the game tonight. Jed Lowrie is sitting in a tub full of ice in the clubhouse as we speak, more likely than not.

Wow, this is one silent Game Thread. Way to get us on the board, JD! 1-0 Sox. And Royals: Way to make it a contest in KC all of a sudden. 4-3 Yanks, top 7th. Here's hoping this other Texeira (#53, bearded man) who's on the mound shuts 'em down.

You're God damned right, Yaz Sideburn. Win it for Yaz Sideburn, Sox. Win it for Yaz Sideburn.

BJ Upton just squanders a Rays rally in the 3rd with a baserunning error and put Kapler in a pickle, forcing him to run home and barrel into Wieters for the second out, which was subsequently followed by a ground out by Carl Crawford to the first baseman. 3-0 O's still, top of the 4th. C'mon O's, give us yet another shot in the arm that we need here. Keep it up, birds!

It's official. We're mad as hell. We're mad as hell at 2 overpaid starting pitchers cracking under the pressure of the moment and under the strain of what have to be injuries to justify said recent cracking. We're mad as hell at the bullpen not being able to shut down the opposition. We're mad as hell at having to hear about the nagging 4-game lead the MFR's have maintained in the Wild Card, and about the Twins making their move, and about the Yankees and Rays losing to last place teams while we squander perfect opportunities to make our run and close this gap. We're mad as hell at injuries finding us every God damned night. We're mad as hell at Jacoby Ellsbury for not being able to play the game in a controlled enough fashion so that he doesn't get knocked on his ass and injured every freaking day. We're mad as hell that Robinson Cano is still standing and as smug as ever while Dustin Pedroia has had to fight and scratch and claw his way back, taking grounders on his knees which doesn't even make him that much shorter. We're mad as hell at the haters blaming Tito Francona for the woes this team has had this season. We're mad as hell that Youk's suffering right now, and away from his team, and likely dying to come back and be there on the bench, supporting his teammates as they continue to fight. We're mad as hell that this could be David Ortiz's final season as a Red Sox, and that he may not get to end that career winning in the playoffs unless his freaking starting rotation and bullpen sack the hell up and right this freaking ship. We're mad as hell at Theo not scraping enough together to get one more arm for the bullpen for the stretch run. We're mad as hell that Mariano Rivera still pitches like he does and that his arm hasn't yet fallen off. (Paging Tonya Harding...paging Tonya Harding...) We're mad as hell, period. And the only thing that can lessen this madness is if our team starts winning. And keeps winning. And keeps winning. And wins some more. Let's start tonight. Win, God damn it.

This may sound ridiculous to some, but the Sox seemed to be grooving along better without Ellsbury in the lineup and in the field. I don't wish the man any harm, but for what we need the rest of this year I'd be just as happy to have Kalish, Nava, McDonald, and Drew as our outfielders than to have Ellsbury out there misjudging fly balls and thus having to dive all over kingdom come to catch them, scampering dramatically on the basepaths when he doesn't really need to in his forever quest to get his individual steal stats as high as possible, swinging as though he's a power hitter thereby resulting in his popping up into the outfield, rather than just slapping singles around and getting on base like he should in Ichiro-fashion, and being completely unable to make good throws to the plate from center when the times comes a la Johnny Damon. I know Ellsbury brings us speed, but he's not that great of a fielder or thrower, and his approach at the plate isn't intelligent. Get well soon, take the rest of the season off, and then hopefully Theo packages him and a couple of young guys up for some proven talent next season. I think Ellsbury's ship has sailed with the Boston Red Sox.

All of this morning's articles on last night's epic loss include quotes from Tito and Beckett about how he isn't able to throw his fastball for strikes lately, hence his difficulties in his last two starts. At least Beckett is able to own up to it when he just doesn't deliver (unlike Lackey, King of NotOwningUpLand), but is something else going on again here with him? Is he hiding another injury a la 2008 end of the season? As much as I appreciate Beckett's contributions to this team and his prowess as a power pitcher when he's on, I question what's going on with him this year. Last night was about as close as this year's team gets to it being a must win, and Beckett found a way to squander an 8-2 lead. That's not what a so-called ace does. Seriously, what the hell's going on here?

On second thought, they just struck out HorseFace (Teix).

Jason Kendall, the cather of the Royals, just drops a pop-up of Teixeira's in the top of the 9th with 1 out. Jesus H. Christ, Royals. Is there ANYTHING royal about them?

I'll never understand how a true baseball fan could experience a game at Fenway Park and ever wish for a new stadium. Fenway is beauty. History. Tradition. Pride. Fenway is the game of baseball. These are the only things we could ever hope to experience and/or feel when attending a ballgame. If you want comfort; cup holders; room for your 270 pound or 6'6" body; amenities; chic restaurants; or unfettered sightlines, for God's sakes, watch the game from your La-Z-Boy in the basement. Fenway has been, is, and always will be the place where fans can be fans. If you can't see that, I seriously don't have any idea what the hell to tell you.

A-Rod stealing Jeter's golf clap at the stop of the stairs. Unsurprising. Still think the Dodgers are gonna pull this one off. So much for getting a nice early night.