jung

I could see where it would be easier to decide to hit game 6 than game 7.

I would probably swing over to Ortiz if he does something like drives in the winning run in game 6 or something like that. But for me regardless of how fantastic Ortiz has been so far, Lester has controlled this post season and has been the dominant figure in this WS. He beat Wainwright in game 1 and IMO had pressured Wainwright and Methany right over the edge by game 5. Who knows, it is entirely possible that the stupidity we are hearing from Methany and Wainwright after game 5 really has its genesis in the pressure Lester has brought to bear in two straight WS starts now. Make no mistake about it, Wainwright cracked last night. Maybe for that matter Methany cracked as well under the relentless pressure of Lester on the mound. He made far fewer bad pitches especially last night than Wainwright made. If Wainwright thinks he was hitting good spots against a LH power hitter (and I actually think Wainwright thinks he was) he is sorely mistaken. I guess emphasis should be on the "sorely" at this point. I suspect, both Wainwright and Methany were convinced that Lester could in fact be every bit as good in game 5 as he was in game 1 and they were right. In fact Lester was better in game 5 than he was in game 1. However, since there seems no bottom to Methany's inability to deal with the importance of Ortiz to the Red Sox batting order, I suspect that even now there is the possibility that the Cards will continue to pitch to him giving Ortiz the opportunity to surge past Lester even in my mind. Maybe they have scouted him poorly and just do not understand that David is going to get to the kinds of pitches he is seeing in the locations he is seeing them in...even off the plate he is going to get to them. It is a great hitting performance without question. However I just do not have any idea what the f*** Methany is doing. Overlay being a Red Sox fan onto the Cards experience to this point in the WS. Would we not be going completely nuts on Methany at this point?

I think Ortiz would have to continue in the vein he has been in for Game 6 at this point to elevate himself past Jon. Who knows...if this went 7 Jon might pitch again at some point. But right now today....it would be Lester for me. Take the loser in game 5 for example. Wainwright, their ace this year gave up a run in the first inning and cracked in the 7th inning. That was it and that was all it took for him to end up on the losing end of game 5. Jon made about three bad pitches the entire game, one going yard. In a series stamped by pitching and defense, Lester has been the most dominant pitcher and it has not even been close. So I go Lester today but I am not going to vote because Ortiz is close enough to him that he could do something in game 6 or possibly game 7 to change things. I don't know. He may never see another pitch worth swinging at in a WS game.

If Peavy throws ball 1 to start the game, Farrell may be on his way to the mound. Obviously I am just kidding but Jake should feel like he has zero room for error and zero is in fact the right number.

I have been hearing a lot this morning about the Wainwright quote regarding pitching to Ortiz instead of pitching around him "It was my decision". I really think this is being blown all out of proportion. I think Wainwright is just trying to protect Matheny a bit here. No the pitcher does not decide he is going after a particular hitter come hell or high water. The coaching brain trust makes that decision and the catcher is the on the field representative of that coaching decision. There is no better representative of that coaching staff in baseball than Yadi. So, I don't think there is a story here other than Wainwright telling a bit of a white lie. Another none story is Lester hitting in the 7th. If it is still a 1-1 game, it is a story. 2-1 again there is no story there either. Lester at 69 pitches, pitching the way he is pitching hits and stays in the game for me also. The only thing that might have swayed me otherwise is that hip issue that he started feeling late. I just can't remember when exactly Lester tweaked that thing. If I thought it would prevent him from continuing to dominate the Cards lineup like he was, then I would have had to pinch hit for him and pull him. But the bridge to Koji has been a complete wild card, basket of "I don't know" lately. Since the Cards cannot hit lefties worth a damn, I gotta' have a lefty out there in that situation. So, who do you want? Bres......slit my wrists first. Do you want Felix...has thrown a bit too much, gotten away with it so far, probably needs the night off and I am not bringing Felix unless I can give him completely off the map time to warm anyway...not doing it. So how hard was it really to choose to keep Lester in the game at that point given the above. If the game was 1-1, totally different situation. I need a bat there just to give me a shot to get the lead.

Well I don't know what deal Drew made with himself or with the devil to be playing like he has played in the field particularly since the WS started with what was that....a 6-3 as I recall. I have to admit noting to myself even on that very first defensive play of the WS, a backhand moving to his right and throw, how that was not an easy as pie first defensive play of the series that Drew made look ridiculously graceful and smooth. I remember thinking, wow, how good do these guys feel about their defense seeing that thing right off the top of the WS. I noted this earlier in another thread. For me the significant change in Drew's defense is that I have never seen him for such a long stretch fielding the ball at the very peak of his abilities. getting the ball through the transition at the peak of his abilities and throwing the ball at the very peak of his abilities all at the same time. I have seen him do one or two very well and the other at the zenith but not all three at the same time at the zenith. How much of a change is that defensively? Well here is a shocker....He was a better SS than Iggy in the Detroit series and he was not quite showing us the very peak of his defensive capabilities in that series. Iggy was flashier.....Drew was better. Once he got to the WS, there was another gear still left in Steven and I have never seen him like this were the ball is just flowing into his glove through the transition and out of his throwing hand so smoothly and gracefully. In a series that has swung to date on pitching and defense and occupying the middle infield with one of the great clutch middle infielders of all time, Pedey, Drew has been IMO the defensive star of the series and the defensive star of the post season. No slight to Pedey. Drew has just been that good playing in the premier defensive position on the field.

First inning tonight, Pedey and Ortiz jumped on Wainwright quickly, went to the plate swinging aggressively early in the count. They did not allow Wainwright to get to his curve which he was not throwing at that point until he had two strikes for the most part. Later in his stint he was throwing breaking balls whenever he wanted to until he finally cracked under the pressure of a 1-1 game and Jon actually getting stronger inning after inning. If the Sox jump on Wacha early in Game 6 in Fenway, I am not sure the Cards will have an answer to that. Game 7's are a completely different story. But the Cards would have to win in 6 to take it to a game 7. Get Wacha early....get the champagne on ice.

I guess it was the hip in Jon's case according to Ross. Like I said when Jon went after that paper airplane it took him so long to walk over to it. Then when he got there you could tell he really did not know how he was going to bend down to get it. He did not want to bend at the knees like a girl but he definitely did not want to bend from his waist either.

One subtle element here that has broken our way was that Will had been an epic fail in the one shot he has gotten in this series. That combined with the mountain of evidence that this series has been all about pitching and defense made it easier for Farrell to make the correct decision and put his best defenders in the key defensive positions. I feel badly for Will that it has turned out the way it has but if we win this thing, ya' gotta' take the WS win and satisfy yourself that Will is young and still has his career ahead of him. Things have looked much better for us when we are not f***ing ourselves right in the ass. That means Salty sits. Will sits. Drew plays SS and Ross is behind the plate.

Well while Vic said that his back has been worse here than at any time during the rest of the season, Farrell said that his back was much better today than it was yesterday and that Vic would be available if needed later in this game. That may have been Farrell just trying to keep the Cards having to consider Vic as a possibility but I suspect Vic will play in Game 6...maybe batting lower in the order.

The only Ross/Salty discussion at this point is about Lackey and how well he has done with Salty. However I just can't believe that as much of a professional as Lackey is, he would be at some sort of a deficit pitching to Ross. Clearly defensive lapses are huge in this series. I think it has to be Ross in Game 6.

I agree...If this all goes the way we want it to....Jon out-dueling Wainwright twice in a row will be by far the most significant contribution to the effort. Pitching Pitching Pitching....the only runs scored in this series have been situations where defense for one team or the other has broken down or the pitcher has finally cracked like tonight.

Well that was quick after all. Wonder if Jon did tweak something. When he walked after that paper airplane it looked like it was going to take a month for him to get to it.

I really don't get not letting Lester pitch to the LH hitter

I am just glad the bottom of the order had good AB's and produced...That should f*** with Cardinals heads big time.

Should have been...guy built a paper 747

Holy Cow...Lester brakes out the 11-5 curve

With any luck the truck is on the way out of town with Bres riding on the front bumper.

I know sending Ross there is the way that play is made now in MLB even when chances are pretty slim that the runner is going to beat the tag. But Wainwright is on the ropes...Pedey is coming up....one hit and we go up 4-1 and Wainwright is very likely out of the game. How I wish the Sox would make better situational decisions during the course of a game.

Amazing AB by Ross...If that was a Salty AB, his swing would still be in motion and the bat would just be crossing the plate about a foot away from the ball.

Wow what an AB by Ross...unreal

That is the last FB Ross will see.

Nobody is getting much of anything to barrel up on. When you get one to hit ya' gotta' do something with it

Wow Wainwright has so much confidence in that breaking ball now..just throwing it whenever he wants to

Moderators... a simply request please...If bres comes into this game...just do me a favor and call the paramedics and send them to my address. Just tell them there is a semi-retired older guy convulsing and they need to get there right away if they want to save him.