FredLynn

Ortiz has to use his head there. We got the Rays right after the ASB and we could use his bat in the lineup

Dude we lost the East we should just fold as a franchise we will never win the East again okay. If we manage to get into a 6-7 game hole, then what you say about winning the ALE is true for this year. The Yankmees do have a solid team this year and barring injury, we won't catch them if we fall that far behind.

Is there a rule on this forum against being passionate about the Red Sox? And publicly expressing that we are frustrated when they lose? Is everyone here required to watch the game like a robot and restrict their comments to either pompom waving or quoting statistics? Boy...there sure are a lot of people here who like to complain about the complainers. In my book, its all good. They do well, they get congratulated and their accomplishments should be duly noted. They play like crap, like the last 8 games, and why not lay into them a bit? And BTW: why is the game thread closed so soon after the end of the game when there are ongoing discussions on it?

Lackey pitched very well tonite, unlike what he has done all year for us. I hope you are not trying to debate that fact....

The apologist BS that you are displaying is absurd. Keep thinking things will be fine...and be sure not to take off the rose colored glasses and pink bonnet or reality could set in.

Really. And what part of it do you disagree with. The "underperforming BUMS" part or the "we have the talent to win the ALE" part? We are entering another 2-10 streak...that is, if we can manage to steal a game in Houston

This team is pathetic. They have enough talent to win the ALE, but there are too many underperforming BUMS on it who don't really seem to give a s***. The Yankees are the more professional team; they want it more than the Red FLOPS

Gammons said it in the form of a question. Unless he has access to Lackey's medical records, he is just winging it.

The Yankees have played 44 games at home and just 33 on the road. The Red Sox have played 38 at home and 40 on the road. Although they have played well on the road to date, road games eventually take their toll.

He is signed through 2014: John Lackey rhp 5 years/$82.5M (2010-14), plus conditional 2015 option 5 years/$82.5M (2010-14), plus conditional 2015 option signed by Boston as a free agent 12/16/09 $3.5M signing bonus 10:$18M, 11:$15.25M, 12:$15.25M, 13:$15.25M, 14:$15.25M 2015 club option at Major League minimum salary if Lackey misses significant time with surgery for pre-existing elbow injury in 2010-14 $0.5M assignment bonus if traded award bonuses: $0.5M for MVP ($0.1M for 2nd-5th in vote); $0.1M for WS MVP; $75,000 for LCS MVP; $50,000 each for All Star, Gold Glove perks: suite on road, right to buy 6 premium seats for home games 3 years/$17.01M (2006-08), plus 2009 club option signed extension with Angels 4/06, replacing 1 year/$3.76M deal signed 1/06 (avoided arbitration) $1M signing bonus 06:$3.01M, 07:$5.5M, 08:$7M, 09:$9M club option ($0.5M buyout) 2009 option may increase to $10.5M based on 2007 & 2008 Cy Young vote award bonus: $50,000 for All Star selection, $75,000 for 3rd place in 2007 Cy Young vote 2009 option increased to $10M for 3rd place in 2007 Cy Young vote LA Angels exercised 2009 option 10/28/08 1 year/$0.44M (2005), re-signed 2/05 1 year/$0.375M (2004), re-signed 3 /04 1 year/$0.315M (2003) drafted by Anaheim 1999 (2-68) (Grayson County College, Texas) agent: Steve Hilliard, Octagon ML service: 8.095

Sure. I would be more than happy to start the game thread. I have faith in Lackey to do exactly what he has been doing all season long for us. Why would anyone expect anything different? So I will start the game thread with the following piece: Having lost five of their last six, the Boston Red Sox turn tonight to a starter whose struggles have reached near historic proportions. Highest ERA, 2011 (min. 50 IP) Pitcher ERA John Lackey 7.36 Sean O'Sullivan 6.92 Fausto Carmona 5.89 Brad Bergesen 5.88 Javier Vazquez 5.83 John Lackey comes into the contest with the highest ERA among pitcher with 50 innings pitched in 2011. He finds himself on track for one of the worst first halves ever by a Red Sox pitcher. In fact, since World War II, he’d currently have the highest ERA for a Red Sox pitcher at the All-Star break (minimum 50 innings). With three starts likely remaining until the break, there’s a significant amount of room between Lackey (7.36 ERA) and the pitcher who currently holds that ignominious distinction. In 1960, Jerry Casale was a 26-year-old fresh off a 13-8 rookie season in which he famously hit a home run in his first start. Battling arm trouble, Casale had a 6.89 ERA at the break, by which time he’d already lost his spot in the rotation. Since then, Matt Clement’s disastrous 2006 campaign came closest to matching Casale’s poor first half. Now Lackey is on his way to an even worse first half. Highest ERA at All-Star Break, Sox Since World War II (min. 50 IP) Pitcher ERA Year John Lackey 7.36 2011 Jerry Casale 6.89 1960 Matt Clement 6.61 2006 Al Papai 6.57 1950 Billy Muffett 6.54 1961 >>With 2 weeks remaining In fact, if his season ended right now, Lackey would have the second highest ERA in franchise history for a pitcher with at least 50 innings pitched. In 1937, Wes Ferrell had a 7.61 ERA for the Red Sox before he was traded to the Washington Senators along with his brother Rick. Ferrell salvaged his season by going 11-13 with a 3.94 ERA for Washington, but his Red Sox numbers stand out for their futility. So what’s gone wrong with Lackey this season? There’s no single pitch that has abandoned him. He hasn’t suffered a severe loss of control. There’s isn’t a particular split betraying him. Rather, it appears to be several issues stacked upon each other. Here are some that stand out: • Opponents are hitting .291 against Lackey, which isn’t a huge spike from the .277 of 2010. However, it’s a different story with runners in scoring position. Opponents are hitting .324 with RISP, which ranks 110th out of 121 qualifying starters. Compare that to .256 in 2010 and .250 in 2009. • Lackey has really struggled when falling behind in the count. Opponents are hitting .386 after a first-pitch ball. The MLB average is .270. Compare that to after an 0-1 count. Opponents are hitting just .202 against Lackey, well below the .221 MLB average. • Though not one of his primary pitches (he throws it just 4.7 percent of the time), Lackey’s changeup has been completely ineffective. On at-bats ending with that pitch, opponents are hitting .538 (small sample size alert: 13 at-bats). In each of the last two years, that was below .240. • In his first time through the order, opponents are hitting just .231. But once a batter has seen Lackey once, it’s a different story. Opponents are hitting .325 after their first plate appearance against him. • Lackey gets himself in trouble going into the heart of the order. Opposing leadoff hitters have a .541 on-base percentage, the highest against any starting pitcher in the majors.

This is a joke, right? The lineups are already out? If this is not a joke then there is no reason to even show up for the game. Forfeit and don't risk injury.

Francoma has been quoted many times as saying that he just does what he is told.

Ummm....YUP! There is no longer any cogent reason for Mike Cameron to be penciled in to any lineup for this team. He should be released. He had his chance; it didn't work out. It happens.

Isn't there anyone here who is going to defend Francona against these vicious attacks from some of the posters on this forum?

Its not happening tonite. With the lineup Francoma put up Lester had to hold them to one run, maybe two. We aren't getting three runs. http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm17/godzcanes/fat_lady_sings.jpg