July 18, Red Sox vs. Royals Game Blog

Hopefully, the Sox can keep it going tonight vs. the Royals after that horrible weekend vs. Oakland where the offense just disappeared. Questions surround whether Tim Wakefield will go on the disabled list, but tonight's starter is rookie lefty Jon Lester. Of course, this is the third time I've blogged this guy! I just want him to command and not get into jams tonight. 95 degrees at game time. It's been this hot for about four or five days. Willie Harris and Javier Lopez were optioned to Pawtucket today and Wily Mo Pena makes his return along with Jermaine Van Buren. Personally, I like Lopez, so I'm not sure why they are sending him down. Brandon Duckworth is pitching for KC. He was a former big prospect for the Phillies, but just never panned out.

First Inning - Red Sox vs. Royals

Here's David DeJesus leading off for the Royals. I don't even know who half these guys are, which should explain why KC is so bad. He hits Lester's second pitch up the middle, Loretta goes to his right a few stutter steps as he backhands the chopper and throws him out at first.
Here's the DH, Esteban German. Lester is behind 2-0. 3-0. How can you get behind like that to this guy? That phrase will be repeated throughout the night, I'm sure. He walks on four pitches. Are you kidding me? The only good thing about putting guys on from this team, is that there's nobody else in the lineup who will make you pay.
Mark Grudzielanek is the three hitter for this team. That's awful. 2-2 count. Fastball for a strike, he goes down looking. I love this home plate ump! He's the one who, on the third strike call, raises his forearm straight up from his elbow as if he's pulling a string.
Here's Emil Brown in the clean-up spot. I know, you're asking who he is. He's actually been with them about three years. He's probably the equivilent of Kevin Romine for us. Ouch. Just struck out on a 1-2 pitch around his eyes, swinging.

Duckworth starts Youk off with a fastball for a ball. Youkie's been struggling, but everyone still loves him as he grounds out to Mark Teahen at third base, who throws from the bag with an strong over hand toss to get him. One down.
Mark Loretta is up. He started the game-winning rally last night with a single in the eighth. 1-1 count here. Just fouled off a 2-1 pitch to even the count. Wow, fastball on the outside corner and Loretta just stodd there and took it like he forgot to read his "How to hit a fastball" manual before the game started. He had to have been looking for something offspeed there. Two outs.
David Ortiz now. He's up to .280 now. Sick numbers with 32 homers and 90 RBI. Sounds like a Dwight Evans season with about three weeks left to go in September. Duckworth fools him with a nasty change-up to even the count at 2-2. Ball three, but that didn't miss by much. That was a reputation call that Ortiz benefitted from, but no matter, Duckworth fans him with an inside overhand curveball.
Red Roof in is back. "How low can you go" as that dopey guy bounced on the bed and the other guy yells out, "Ah, that deal's hot!" It's not so bad when you're not getting hit over the head with these commercials like we were for a solid two months. Made you want to go to a red roof inn and dump a huge vat of blue paint on the roof.

Team R H E
Royals 0 0 0
Sox 0 0 0

They just showed the other annoying Red Roof commercial. "Chances of me working? Are slim." "Multiiiiitaaaasking" the guys sings as I hope that lightning strikes my TV.

Second Inning - Red Sox vs. Royals

Tony Graffanino leads it off for the Royals. Just goes to show you how different guys react to different markets. He thrived in Boston, but he's struggled to begin the season, but now he's up to .272 as he bails out Lester grounding a 3-1 pitch to Lowell at third, who, like Remy's "Buenos Noches, Amigos" call prior to every night game, is automatic. One out.
Here's Teahen and he grounds one up the middle that skips through for a hit.
The former rookie of the year, Angel Berroa is up and helps out Lester as well, fouling off a curveball out of the zone to even the count at 2-2. Awful, awful awfu. That's all you can say about this swing at a big curveball that bounced in the dirt for a strikeout. The only good thing for the Royals was that Teahen was off on the pitch and is now safe at second, but with two down. Here's Joey Gathright, the center fielder. You might remember him with the Devil Rays, but when Baldelli came back, they shipped him to KC. Ground ball to Lowell, he fields, low throw, but Kevin "Boomer" Youkilis digs it out to end the inning.

Okay, that Ford commercial with that American Idol guy is the new commercial to be beaten to death. Out of protest, I refuse to learn the guy's name.

Here's Manny to lead off the second. He hit a sac-fly to give the Sox the eventual game-winning run last night. He's behind 1-2. Duckworth is right around the plate the whole time, which is nice if you're the Royals. Fouls off a curveball just off the plate to keep it at 2-2. Great sinking fastball down and in to get Manny swinging for the first out.
Hopefully, Trot can do something with him. Big, wild swing on the big 12/6 curveball for a strike. Trot just stuck his bat out and just kind of caught that pitch in the air and directed it into right field for a hit. Mike Lowell now. Tek has been moved down in the order, which is smart, since he's struggling big time. He gets ahead 2-0. I love this. If he gets a fastball, he might put it through the wall. Foul ball to third. 3-1. Duckworth isn't missing by much at all. Nice job by Duckworth, he gets Lowell to saw one to the opposite field in right for a fly ball to Emil Brown in right. Two outs. Tek is up, but Don and Jerry are talking about Jerry's new TV. He's seen two pitches and I don't even think they know that he's up. They haven't said anything since the pre-game about him playing in his 991st career game behind the plate for the Sox, which passes Carlton Fisk for the most in franchise history. 3-1 count. A hit here would be huge. He grounds weekly from the left side of the plate to short and Berroa actually built a sand castle waiting for it to get to him, fields it and take three steps to step on the bag to force Nixon for the last out.

Team R H E
Royals 0 1 0
Sox 0 1 0

Third Inning - Red Sox vs. Royals

The catcher, John Buck leads it off and hits a high chopper over Lester, but he gets a glove on it to slow it down as it lands in front of Loretta, who quickly throws to Youk for the out.
Here's DeJesus. He grounds to Loretta as well as he fields easily and throws to first for the out. German (pro-nounced Herman) grounds to Gonzalez at short for a 1-2-3 inning with the throw to first and minimal pitches thrown. Yes!

Red Roof in count. Four so far and we are 44 minutes into the game. That's one every 11 minutes! Come on!

Here's Coco, he fakes a bunt, but it drops in for a strike. He's been hot, lately. He fouls that pitch off the left for a 1-2 count. He stands in there left-handed with the righty pitching. Full count. Coco grounds hard to Grudzielanek, but Grud fields and throws to first for the out.
Gonzalez rips the first pitch to DeJesus in left on a line, but he's out.
Youk takes a strike for the first pitch. Youk just hit a 1-2 pitch off the handle for a bleeder over shortstop for a hit. Here's Loretta. Youk was 3-26 before that hit. Loretta just doesn't look good at the plate tonight as he's so late on the fastball for an 0-2 count. Duckworth's fastball has a lot of movement as he misses high with a fastball. Ground ball to Berroa, he could have been sitting in a chair, he fields and throws to second to force Youk and end the inning.

Team R H E
Royals 0 1 0
Sox 0 2 0

Three innings in the books and it's not even 8:00 p.m. on the East coast.

Fourth Inning - Red Sox vs. Royals

*AFLAC Trivia Question* Who was the last Royal to win a Gold Glove? I'm saying Frank White.

Here's Grudzelanek to lead off the inning. He just fouled off the 1-1 pitch for a 1-2 count. Lester just dropped a sweeping curveball into Tek's glove just where he set up, but the ump thought it was a ball and the count is full. Just missed with a fast ball down and in and walked him.
Here's Brown. I still can't believe this guy is the four-hitter. Lester misses with a curveball in the dirt to fall behind 2-0. A double play would be nice here. He fools Brown on the same pitch for a check swing strike. Lester picks off Grud as he was off trying to steal. Youk takes the Lester toss and relays to Gonzalez at second for the out. That was pretty big to get the leadoff guy, but now Lester throws ball three. Strike two with a cut fastball that drops in. Lester breaks his bat as Brown grounds out to Loretta, who throws to Youk for the second out.
Here's Graffanino. He got a nice hand last night. Lester hasn't given up a fly ball all night. Lester goes full to him and misses high with a fastball for his second free pass of the inning.
Mark Teahen now up. He stings the first pitch on the nose, but right at Gonzalez, who fields on a hop and then has to sprint to second to beat Graffanino to the bag for the final out.

*AFLAC* answer. Jermaine Dye won a gold glove in 2000. He wasn't nearly as big then.

Here's Ortiz to lead it off. He rips one foul down the left field line in the stands. Watches a tough curveball for a ball to even the count at 2-2. Papi strikes out on a fastball running down and away from him. Here's Ramirez. Strike one. Manny takes a fastball outside for a 1-2 count. The curveball almost hits him as he bends back out of the way. Manny's eyes just lit up on a fastball that stays up, but he pops it up to center field for the second out.
Trot Nixon to try and get it going now. I just realized this, but Graffanino is playing first as Nixon grounds one in the whole, he Graf ranges to his right, gloves it and feeds to Duckworth for the out and the inning. Four complete.

Team R H E
Royals 0 1 0
Sox 0 2 0

Fifth Inning - Red Sox vs. Royals

Berroa leads it off for the Royals as he fouls it off to the left for a strike. He grounds the 1-1 pitch on one hop to Gonzalez, who makes the easy throw to first for out number one.
Here's Gathright. He goes from Tampa to Kansas City. That's got to be rough. He fouls off the 1-0 pitch to the left to even the count. He tries to bunt an inside fastball for a hit, but it's way high and he fouls it off. 1-2. Lester drops a curveball in there and Gathright goes with it, grounding to Loretta at second, who makes the throw to first.
John Buck takes ball one and then hits a shot to left, but Manny takes care of it going away for the end of the inning and the first flyout pitched by Lester tonight.

Okay, the Ford commercial is on for the third time. They have a shorter version, so just as you're about to vomit it ends. If that's not bad enough, this same commercial plays on the radio during the game as well!

Mike Lowell stands in under .300 for the first time in a couple months. He's at .299. Hits a rocket to the left of third base with a 2-0 count. He misses with a curveball, but comes back with a fastball and Lowell fouls it into the crowd on the left side. Lowell grounds to short, where Berroa makes the play on backhand, double pumps and gets Lowell, who is one of these guys, who shuts down his wheels once he hits it to an infielder. If he runs hard there, he might have a single. Varitek just picked him up with a Wall ball scraper. That just missed the seats for a homer, but Tek is standing on second. At least he hustled.
Cocol takes strike one on a fastball. Duckworth wastes it high and outside as Buck's arm almost came out of the socket trying to catch that ball to make it 1-2. He comes back and gets Coco to look stupid, swinging wildly at a change up inside and at his spikes. Two outs.
Here's A-Gon. Takes a curveball for a strike. I feel pretty good about a hit here. Ball one. A-Gon takes a fastball on the corner for a strike. The ump took a while to call it. A-Gon stays alive spoiling the 1-2 pitch off the plate. He takes ball two, which doesn't miss much either. Fouls another one off and another. Gonzalez grounds the eighth pitch of the at-bat up the middle and just through the middle infielders as Tek comes around to give the Sox a 1-0 edge.
Here's Youk taking ball one. Duckworth misses outside with a curveball to fall behind, 2-0. Youk lift the next pitch to left center field and it probably would have dropped in against anyone else, but Gathright runs like an olympic sprinter, closes the gap, quick dive and comes up with the grab to end the inning.

Team R H E
Royals 0 1 0
Sox 1 4 0

Sixth Inning - Red Sox vs. Royals

They just showed it on the scoreboard at Fenway that Tek has passed Carlton Fisk and the whole place gave him an ovation as he came out of the dugout and he waved to the crowd.

Left handed hitting DeJesus is now up with a 2-2 count as Lester almost gives him a huge headache with a fastball near his head for ball three. Strike three fastball on the inside corner.
German now stands in. First pitch fastball almost hits him for ball one. 2-1 now after another inside fastball. Just missed off the outside corner for ball three. German gets under a low fastball and flies to Crisp in center, who takes two steps over to his left and makes the catch.
Grudzielanek now up as he fouls off the first pitch. Ground ball to Lowell, who drops his glove down, takes a little hop and throws a strike to first to end the inning.

Loretta leads it off for the Sox and grounds on one hop to Teahan, who is in on the lip of the grass, and throws to first for the out.
Here's Ortiz. Duckworth has handled him with two strike outs tonight and he's ahead 0-2. Duckworth's change up is really a good pitch. He's giving a clinic on how to pitch to Ortiz. It's 1-2. Ortiz got a hold of a curveball and launched it to left, but the wind knocks it down and DeJesus has to run hard to make the catch at his head.
Manny steps in. Curveball high for a ball. 2-1 now. Wow, Manny just crushed a curveball to left, but he hit it so high that the wind knocked it down and the ball landed just behind DeJesus in the corner in left for a Manny double with two outs.
It would be nice to see Trot do something here. Well, he will do something, intentionally walk to bring up Lowell. He takes ball one just outside. Good pitch, good movement, strike one. He misses way outside to make it 2-1. Lowell drives it to right, but Brown catches it going back to end the inning. Already on to the seventh!

Team R H E
Royals 0 1 0
Sox 1 5 0

Seventh Inning - Red Sox vs. Royals

Brown leads it off for the Royals as Lester makes his first major league pitch in the seventh inning for a ball. Ground ball to Lowell, who cuts the topper off and throws him out.
Graffanino now up. Lester falls behind, 3-0. Lester gets the automatic strike, but loses him on the next pitch. Here's Teahen. Curveball for a strike to the lefty. He just gets his bat on it to foul it off to make it 1-2. Ground ball to Loretta, he fields, turns to his right, throws to Gonzalez coming across the bag and throws to first for the double play. Onto the seventh inning stretch.

Here's Tek to face relief pitcher Andrew Sisco, who gets Tek on a strike out.
Coco just gave it a ride to center, but Gathright runs it down and almost overruns it for the catch. Gonzalez up for the Sox. He cues it off the end of his bat along the first base line. Sisco comes off the mound, fields and underhand shovels to Graffanino, who settles it in his chest for the out and the end of the inning.

Team R H E
Royals 0 1 0
Sox 1 5 0

Eighth Inning - Red Sox vs. Royals

Lester is back out for the eighth to face Berroa and starts him off 0-2. Berroa waits for the curveball to break into the zone and lifts it to right field where Nixon camps under it for the out.
Here's Gathright. The lefty faked a bunt, then took a swing and missed. He bunts again, but Lowell was ready for it, playing in, comes in and fields it just to the left of the mound and throws out Gathright easily. Now John Buck flies out on the first pitch to Nixon in right for the third out.

It would be nice if the Sox could add some runs here.

Okay, here's a tongue-twister for you. Ambiorix Burgos is now on to pitch for the Royals. He goes full on Youk, who checks his swing, but can't hold back and fouls the pitch off. Youk grounds it through the hole on the left side. Hopefully, the Royals stay true to form and their pen blows it. Here's Loretta. Loretta drops a nice sacrifice bunt down the first base line, Graffanino comes into to field it and tags out Loretta as Youk moves to second. Of course, this sets up an intentional walk to Ortiz to bring up Manny with runners on first and second. Manny gets ahead 2-0. This is going to be dangerous for Burgos. The intentional walk pays off as Manny grounds to Berroa at short, he throws to Grudzielanek at second and he makes he throw to Graffanino for the twinkilling.

Team R H E
Royals 0 1 0
Sox 1 6 0

Ninth Inning - Red Sox vs. Royals
All indications are that Papelbon will be coming into the game. Yep, here he is.
DeJesus leads it off. Strike one fastball. Strike two foul. Lester gave up one hit in eight innings, by the way. DeJesus stays alive getting a piece. Strike three on a nasty splitter.
Here comes pinch-hitter Matt Stairs. I can't believe this guy is still playing. He shoots the first pitch he sees to first as it takes a weird hop into Youk's mid-section, but he plays it and beats Stairs to first. Two outs.
Papelbon misses outside with his first pitch to Grudzielanek. Foul to third for a strike. Big bounding ground ball to Lowell at third, who makes the play on the ascending hop and throw him out at first. Sox win! 1-0. I would have made a bigger deal about his being a one-hit shutout, but this was the Royals. They should be one-hitting them. I'm more concerned that they only scored one run!

Next Sox blog will be next Wednesday. I had to switch it to Tuesday this week.

Boston Red Sox
Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
K Youkilis 1B	4	0	2	0	0	0	1	.289
M Loretta 2B	3	0	0	0	0	1	1	.298
D Ortiz DH	3	0	0	0	1	2	0	.277
M Ramirez LF	4	0	1	0	0	1	2	.306
T Nixon RF	2	0	1	0	1	0	0	.304
M Lowell 3B	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	.297
J Varitek C	3	1	1	0	0	1	1	.243
C Crisp CF	3	0	0	0	0	1	1	.270
A Gonzalez SS	3	0	1	1	0	0	0	.282
Totals	28	1	6	1	2	6	9

Boston Red Sox
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
J Lester (W, 5-0)	8.0	1	0	0	4	4	0	100-57	2.38
J Papelbon (S, 28)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	8-7	0.55
Totals	9.0	1	0	0	4	5	0	108-64