August 2, Red Sox vs. Indians Game Blog

Well, I'm blogging a Sox game, so it must be a Jon Lester start and guess what? It is! The Indians are throwing their own rookie lefty, Jeremy Sowers.
There's panic in Red Sox Nation to begin with. It became official last night when the Sox lost and the Yankees won and Jason Varitek was placed on the disabled list. So, now it's Doug Mirabelli and a rotation of Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, David Wells, who looked awful on Monday and who the heck knows who the number five guy is and Doug Mirabelli is the every day catcher. It's going to be a struggle as Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield each get closer to becoming active and Bobby Abreu and Craig Wilson add to their offense. Yikes, strap yourselves in.

It allegedly hit 100 in Boston today, which could be true, I guess. According to my favorite weather site, it was only 98 in West Roxbury today. I just hope that none of the players spontaneously combust tonight. Julie and I were at the game last night and I didn't think it was that bad, but 100 people were taken to the hospital due to the heat. I think they just didn't want to stay and watch the Sox, because the best thing about last night's game was a crow with a bad wing, that couldn't fly. http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2006/08/02/fans_do_some_bird_watching/

First Inning - Red Sox vs. Indians

Lester gets it started with a fastball for a strike at 7:06 PM Eastern to left-handed center fielder Grady Sizemore. Sizemore rips a fastball down the right field line that rattles around the corner for Wily Mo Pena, who's in for the injured Trot Nixon and while Wily Mo figures it out, Grady (Don't call me Little), chugs into third with an easy triple.
Here's the righthanded left fielder Jason Michael's, who was actually important in the Sox trade for Crisp, because if they weren't able to acquire him from Philly, then they wouldn't be able to deal Coco to the Sox. Well, he just worked a five pitch walk, so now we have the left-handed DH, Travis Hafner, who is just a tremendous hitter at the plate. Lester's even with him at 1-1. Finally, he gets ahead with a fastball for a strike to go to 1-2. I never really noticed this before, but Mirabelli wears this chest protector that's kind of small and tight aginst his body, looking almost like a comic book hero's chest plate, especially with the red in the main part and trimmed with black or navy on the sides. Anyway, Hafner works the count full before going the other way with a line drive to left that Manny runs back for and sticks his glove up, making the catch, as Sizemore tags and scores easy for a 1-0 edge with one out.
This brings up the first baseman, Victor Martinez, who is normally a catcher, but I guess his throws are awful, so they are trying him at first. Ooh, Lester just threw over to first, but Michael's wasn't there, because he tried to steal second and Youk threw to Gonzalez at the bag for the easy out. Thanks for helping us out, Jason. 2-1 the count on Martinez. Lester runs the cut fastball inside to the righty and the count goes full. Martinez is battling here, fouling off a couple pitches. True to form the kid has already thrown 20 pitches. Yikes, Martinez just jerked the 3-2 pitch down and in fastball into the Monster seats for a 2-0 lead, so the Michael's pick-off, or technically, caught stealing looks a little bigger.
Here's tonight's right fielder Casey Blake. This kid is quickly adding his name to the list of guys that feast on Sox pitching. Rance Mulliniks, Frank Catalanotto are both on the list and Blake drives a change-up off the scoreboard on the Wall for a single as Manny plays the carom well. Nip's out to talk to the kid, who has tossed 26 pitches now.
Lester just dropped in a curve for a first pitch strike against the shortstop, Johnny Peralta, who was booed heavily for tossing some dirt at the crow when he was trying to steal third (the crow, not Peralta). The boys just reported that Tito is starting Jason Johnson again on Sunday and Kyle Snyder is now coming out of the pen. How many times can they go to this well with Johnson? Are they just hoping that because of the odds, if you run him out there enough times, then he's bound to pitch well? By the way, Blake just stole second and Peralta just knocked him in with a single to right field. 3-0 Tribe.
Here's newly acquired second baseman Hector Luna, who was obtained for the Cardinals and just turned away from a high fastball headed for his face to make it 1-2. Finally, Luna pops high to Loretta, who waves his arms to let everyone know that it's his, as if Youk, Gonzo or Wily Mo would be sprinting to his area to rob him of the catch. Three down. Finally. Oh, I said that.

Here's Jeremy Sowers, who is the anti-Lester with complete games in his last two starts. He has a 1-1 count on Youk. Youk grounds to Peralta at short, who moves to his right, backhands, and throws to first for the out. Mark Loretta steps in. Sowers misses with the fastball and again outside, 2-0. 3-0. Loretta fouls it off into the left field stands to make the count full. Ball four way inside after a couple foul balls and here comes Papi. Ever since the guy hit the walk-off three-run homer, everyone has been going nuts for him, not that they weren't before, but now everyone expects a homer EVERY time he's up, especially with men on base. ESPN's Bill Simmons even compared him to Larry Bird in terms of being a clutch player. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060802
1-2 count on Big Papi, who was just named AL Player of the Month for July after cranking a Sox July record 14 homers and tying the club record for RBIs in a month with 35 to knot him with the legendary Nick Esasky from the 1989 season. What a great sign that was, the guy has a monster season and then he gets vertigo and is useless. Ortiz struck out swinging on a pitch down and away, by the way. Manny's up and take a good rip, but it's off the handle and turns into a shallow fly to left that Michael's grabs easy.

Team R H E
Indians 3 4 0
Sox 0 0 0

Oh my gosh, the Pepsi commercial with Jimmy Fallon is back! I thought we were done with this two months ago, but it's back. Ouch!

Second Inning - Red Sox vs. Indians

Here's Lester after a 36-pitch first inning to face former Sox catcher, Kelly Shoppach, who just skied a fly ball to the Wall, which bounced off the top of the scoreboard and went straight up where Coco camped under the carom, but Shoppach could have run from first to second and back again with how much time he had, but he settles for a lead-off double.
Here's another player the Sox let get away, Andy Marte, the stud third baseman, who was finally called up by the Indians over the weekend. He has a 2-2 count on him now. He hits a high fly ball to Coco in center, who makes the catch and in a moment of insanity, Shoppach tags and tries to go to third. What the heck is he doing? Unfortunately for him, Coco actually hits the cut off man and Shoppach is meat at third. Two outs.
Sizemore drills a pitch to the left center gap, but Coco runs it down just before the scoreboard for the third out. Three batters, three outs, but they are hitting Lester mighty hard.

Mike Lowell leads it off for the Sox. Sowers wears number 45. He's the second rookie pitcher I've seen doing that. I'm pretty sure that Jered Weaver of the Angels does that as well. It's Pedro's number, so it doesn't surprise me that the kids would wear it. 2-2 count on Lowell. Every pitcher under 30 years old seems to wears numbers in the 60s. Lowell grounds hard to Marte at third, he makes the play and the strong throw to first for the out.
Here's one of my favorite players, Wily Mo Pena. He's down 1-2 in the count. I, actually, didn't mind so much that Trot got injured. I want to see more at-bats for Wily Mo, who just struck out swinging, whoops.
Here comes Coco Crisp. He's ahead 2-0. This would be a good count for a hit. 3-0. They just showed the misters that they have at Fenway under the concourses for the fans with the heat. They are similar to the ones they use at football games in the hot months. Full count to Coco and he takes a pitch outside for a base on balls.
Let's hope that Mirabelli can raise his .181 average here. Cleveland was 4-11 since the break before arriving in Boston on Monday. They won last night, had a game stolen from them on Monday and are winning here tonight. What the heck! 2-0 to Mirabelli. He's take a fastball on the outside corner for a strike. Mirabelli! Hits a rope the other way to right field, which one-hops the fence and goes in for a ground-rule double, which is lucky for the Tribe, because Crisp would have scored, easily with two outs.
Here's Alex Gonzalez and his .285 average. .285! 1-1 the count. This kid, Sowers, is not very big at all, kind of slight. They list him as 6'1", 180, but he doesn't seem even that solid. Come on! Gonzo just got fooled on a 2-2 curve and went too far with a check swing for the whiff. Man, another squander.

Team R H E
Indians 3 5 0
Sox 0 1 0

Third Inning - Red Sox vs. Indians

Lester gets Michael's to swing at a first pitch curve for the strike. He pops him up to Loretta, who puts the ball away for out number one.
Hafner comes up now. Every time this guy is up, I just expect a long ball. Instead he serves a single to center field that drops just in front of Coco.
Here's Martinez, who takes a fastball low for a 2-0 count. He grounds to third, Lowell leans down, gloves, throws to Loretta at second, who starts to jump out of the way of Hafner and make his throw at the same time, but loses the ball on the transfer and can't turn the DP. They get the out at second, though. Lester just threw a wild pitch and Martinez ends up on second. Lester, just snapped off a big curveball to get ahead of Blake, 1-2. Woo hoo! He catches the outside corner with a fastball for called strike three on Blake. Now, maybe the Sox can get a run too!

Youk, naturally, leads it off and takes strike one on the inside corner and now strike two on the inner half. Sowers drops in another close pitch on the outside corner, but it's a ball, lucky for Youk. I don't think he would have been happy after that. Of course, Youk works a full count. He only leads the world in pitches taken. Ground ball to third just off the outstretched glove of Marte, but it skips past him for a single. D.O. just mentioned that Youk leads the Majors with 62 two-strike hits. That's actually pretty impressive.
Here's Loretta. 1-1 count on him. Still even at 2-2. This could be a big inning for the Sox. Just need to crack the armor here. Loretta hits one off the handle and Peralta handles the pop-up on a couple steps back. Here's Papi. Sowers starts him off with a curveball that Papi goes flailing after and misses. He's hitting over .290 now, by the way. Foul to the left, left of the pole for strike two. Slider waaay outside and in the dirt for ball one as Shoppach has to bounce over to make the play on. Ball two. Ortiz lays off again. Nice job in this at-bat so far. He's seen all breaking pitches, except for the 0-1 fastball. Sowers throws another slider and Ortiz can't hold up his check swing, meanwhile Youk was on the move and gets throw out with ease for he strike em out, throw em out double play. These guys can't do anything right right now.

Team R H E
Indians 3 6 0
Sox 0 2 0

Fourth Inning - Red Sox vs. Indians

Lester starts out Peralta 2-0. Strike one one the fastball and a weak ground ball to second, where Loretta makes the play for the first out.
Hector Luna stepping in now with an even count of 1-1.
*AFLAC Trivia Question* Who made the last out in game five of the 1999 ALDS? I'm going to say Manny Ramirez as Luna lines softly to Loretta at second.
Kelly Shoppach now up. 2-1 count on him now. Shoppach checks his swing on a high fastball for a 3-1 count and fouls the next pitch off the first base side out of play for a full count. He rips it into left field and Manny runs it down to cut it off before it goes to the wall, but then runs another four strides, before turning and whipping the ball in side arm to hold Shoppach to a single. Here's Marte, still looking for his first American League hit. Lester gets ahead, 0-2. Easy ground ball to Gonzo, he gloves and flips to Loretta at second to force Shoppach to end the inning.

Answer to the AFLAC question is Omar Vizquel, who I feel, if Ozzie Smith is a Hall of Famer, then this guy is as well when he retires.

Here's Manny, who should have been batting last inning with Youk on first if he wasn't running, instead, he lines to Peralta at short, who goes to his left and stabs the ball going away from him for the out. Here's Lowell, who flies out to Sizemore for out number two.
Here's Wily Mo, who swings without a chance at an outside change-up. At least he stayed off the next one, before hitting a shot to the left center gap, that Sizemore catches on the run. He put a charge into it, at least.

Team R H E
Indians 3 7 0
Sox 0 2 0

Fifth Inning - Red Sox vs. Indians

It sure doesn't feel like it's only 3-0, but that's what it is. Feels like it should be 6-0.
Sizemore leads it off. 2-1 count. Lester drops in a big curveball that Sizemore takes a big cut at and misses, then throws a fastball down and away to get the strikeout.
Here's Jason Michaels. Strike one. Lester seems much better now. Another curve for a called strike. Good cut fastball, but just missed low. Michael's sends the fastball to deep center field, but Crisp runs it down near the Sox pen.
Travis Hafner now up. Lester looks much, much better this inning as he starts with a good fastball for strike one and follows it with the same pitch, but for some reason, the ump felt this one was a ball. 1-2 now. High and inside fastball to make the count full now. This is a big pitch, I feel. A learning pitch. Fouls it off. Weak liner to Loretta and that's the inning. Nice job.

Coco leads it off as Sowers works on 22 straight scoreless innings. 1-2 the count. Ground ball to medium depth third and Marte fields and makes a long throw to first for the out.
Hopefully, Mirabelli can stay hot. Here he is. 2-1 count. He hits a bullet to third, but Marte makes the catch on the fly.
Here's Gonzo. Maybe he can get something going. Gonzo! Extends his hitting streak to seven games with a double to right center field.
A single from Youk would put the Sox on the board. Ball one. Sowers straightens up Youk with an inside fastball for a strike to make it 1-2. Ball two as Shoppach had to stand up to catch the fastball to prevent it going to the backstop. Youk fouls off the 2-2 pitch. Youk delivers with a fly ball that just hangs in the air and comes down just above the scoreboard on the Monster to score Gonzo as Youk ends up at second. This is good stuff. The Indians pitching coach Carl Willis is out there now. It's the first run in 22 2/3 innings for Sowers. Great at-bat for Youk.
Here's Loretta. Ball one outside. Loretta lines a single to center field, Youk coming around third, you can actually see him huffing and puffing as his cheeks fill up with air and he scores as the throw is muffed on the cutoff. 3-2 and here's Ortiz. You know everyone just expects a two-run jack as they all chant MVP, MVP, MVP! I can't imagine that Sowers has faced any lefty as dangerous as Ortiz in his entire young career and that's counting Jim Thome in Chicago. 1-2 count. This is big. Sowers owns him with a slider and Ortiz gives a half-hearted swing for his third strikeout, but the Sox are only down a run now.

Team R H E
Indians 3 7 0
Sox 2 5 0

Sixth Inning - Red Sox vs. Indians

Lester misses outside with a fastball to start off Victor Martinez. Light rain at Fenway. Those people must be in ecstasy now. Martinez dumps a single in front of Manny in left.
Casey Blake now. 1-1 count as Manny Delcarmen warms in the pen. Some of the tomatoes are now ripe in the bullpen on the plants. 1-2 as Blake fouls off another pitch. Lester comes inside with a curveball to even the count at 2-2. Blake gives it a ride, I didn't think he got all of it at all, but he got a lot, because Coco ran a mini-marathon across center field to make the catch just shy of the extended scoreboard on the wall, then he throws and hits the cutoff man, Alex Gonzalez, who runs to catch the ball, then throws on the run to Youk to double off Martinez at first. Wow! What a play! Okay, back to the game at hand, 3-1 count to Peralta. Full count and Lester gets him chasing a high fastball for strike three! Nice job, Sox. Hopefully, the momentum carries over.

Sowers is done for the night as Brian Sikorski comes on. He's another young kid and a righty to face Manny. Ball one with a fastball down and away. Manny welcomes Sikorski to Fenway with a blast that ends up in the netting next to the camera station in center field for home run number 30 on the season and an 18-game hitting streak and a tie ball game.
Mike Lowell steps in and has a 2-1 count. 3-1 now. This is why Cleveland has struggled. Their pen has been awful and they traded their closer, Bob Wickman last week. Lowell pops it up just near the Indians' dugout, where Marte makes the catch.
Wily Mo coming to the plate. 1-2 count. Wow! That's all I can say. Wily Mo just hit a rocket that hit the back wall behind the first row of seats in the Monster Seats and it ricocheted off the wall and bounced back onto the field. He lined it off the seats and it wasn't on the descent. 4-3 Sox. Here's Coco batting from the left side now. 2-1 to Coco. He takes a high fastball for a strike to run the count full at 3-2. Coco drives it deep to right on a high fly ball, but Blake camps 10 feet in front of the Indians' pen for the second out.
Doug Mirabelli now up. Curveball gets away from Sikorski and almost hits Dougie, but he turns away from it. Ball two. 2-2 now after a foul ball. Strike three as Mirabelli swings and misses.

Team R H E
Indians 3 8 0
Sox 4 7 0

Seventh Inning - Red Sox vs. Indians
Manny Delcarmen is now in for the Sox to face lefthanded pinch hitter Joe Inglett, who is hitting for Luna. 3-1 the count on a close fastball. Full count and Inglett flies out to Coco, who takes five running steps to left field to make the grab for the first out.
Here's Shoppach. 1-1 as Delcarmen misses high with a 96 mph fastball. Nice curveball. 12/6 variety for strike two. Nasty, nasty curveball that bounces in the dirt, Shoppach, swings and misses, the ball gets by Mirabelli and he runs it down and throws out Shoppach on a close play at first for the out. Marte now up, still looking for his first hit of the season. Strike two on a low fastball. The ump isn't helping Marte out at all. Swing and a miss and Marte waves at a good, sharp curveball off the plate. Inning over.

Rafael Betancourt is now on for the Indians to face Alex Gonzalez, who flies out to Blake in right field for the first out. Here's Youk, who drives one deep to left, but Michaels sets up just in front of the Monster and makes the catch for out number two.
Mark Loretta now. Strike one on a high fastball. Fouls it off for strike two. Loretta flies out to right and Blake takes care of it. Good inning for Betancourt. Onto the eighth.

Team R H E
Indians 3 8 0
Sox 4 7 0

Eighth Inning - Red Sox vs. Indians

Mike Timlin is on for the Sox. He hasn't pitched since Saturday. Sizemore leads it off for Cleveland and is ahead, 2-0. Timlin gets a strike with a sinking fastball. Strike two with a hard fastball. Full count. Sizemore pulls an outside fastball to Loretta on the ground as Loretta goes to his right, gathers it and throws to first for the first out.
Jason Michaels up and fouls the first pitch to third base. Strike two as Timlin blows a fastball by him. Fastball low to even the count at 2-2. Michaels rips a fastball down the left field line that bounces around in the corner and he ends up on second with one out and Hafner up. I don't like this at all. Timlin has never faced Hafner and after a meeting with Mirabelli, almost hits him in the knee with his first fastball as Hafner jumps out of the way. Second pitch is low and inside as well. 2-0. I really don't like this. Strike one, fastball. Nice, fouls it off for 2-2. No chance, whatsoever, he just crushed a 2-2 fastball deeeeep over the bullpens. 5-4 Tribe.
He starts Victor Martinez with a fastball for a strike. Strike two on the fastball. Strike three with a sinking fastball. That was big. Two outs.
Here's Casey Blake. Timlin throws a rare slider for ball one, followed by a soft line drive to Loretta for the third out.

Betancourt is still out there to face Ortiz. Fastball over for a strike. Foul ball into the left field seats. 0-2. Ball one on an outside fastball that just misses. Bounces the next pitch for ball two. You have to wonder how much pressure Betancourt feels. Wow, low fastball and Papi swings righ over it for his fourth strikeout of the night.
Here's Manny. Manny swings through the second pitch for strike two. Manny puts his easy follow through swing on the ball and drills a hard line drive to Sizemore in center for the second out. If Lowell could get on, we would see Wily Mo. Ball one outside fastball. Lowell skies it high to Martinez at first for the third out. One more shot.

Team R H E
Indians 5 10 0
Sox 4 7 0

Ninth Inning - Red Sox vs. Indians

Jonathan Papelbon is on for the Sox. He hasn't pitched since Saturday, so it's good that he's in. He gets work, plus he keeps it close. He faces Peralta, who was so late on the second pitch fastball that Mirabelli could have thrown Paps the ball back by the time the swing was over. 1-2 the count. Peralta fouls it off and I'm in shock that me made contact. 3-2 count now as Peralta lays off two outside fastballs, but then strikes out swinging on a 96 mph fastball. He's got great velocity tonight. Here's Joe Inglett. Paps falls behind, 2-0. Strike one on the fastball and he was taking all the way. He chops a two-hopper to Loretta, who gloves and throws to first for the second out. Here's Kelly Shoppach, who must have caught Paps a lot in the minors. 1-0 the count. Way outside for ball two. High and outside fastball that Shoppach swings and misses for strike one. He grounds to Lowell, who goes to his left, lets the ball come to him, gloves, throws and end of inning. Last chance coming up.

Here's Fausto Carmona on for the Indians. He gave up the walk-off three-run homer to Big Papi on Monday and starts Wily Mo off wiht a sinking fastball at 97 mph for strike one. Wily Mo swings through another pitch for strike two. He strikes out on three pitches as the bottom drops out with a slider that Wily Mo misses.
Here's Coco and he's behind 0-1 in the count. He just gets a piece of a change-up for strike two. 1-2 count. Coco strikes out badly on a slider that bounces in the dirt, but Coco swings and misses and Shoppach throws him out at first.
Mirabelli is the Sox final hope. Strike one on a 97 mph fastball on the inside part of the plate. 1-1 on a pitch that is way inside. Ball two low. A walk would be nice here. Strike two on the fastball on the outside corner. I would expect that slider again here. Yep, but low for ball three. Everyone is standing at Fenway. All of their hopes pinned to Dougie. He just fouls it off to the third base side to stay in there. He hits him on the elbow and Mirabelli takes first. Gabe Kapler is pinch-running for Mirabelli. Not bad, considering he was out for almost a year with a leg injury. Here's Gonzo. He gets hit too! First pitch, fastball on the elbow. First and second, here comes Youk. He might be thinking about the save too much here. Youk is perfect to be up right now, because he won't bail him out. He takes the first pitch for a strike. A 97 mph fastball right down the middle, but you know Youk isn't swining. Carmona misses outside with the slider. 1-1. High with another slider. 2-1 count. Inside fastball, real inside. 3-1. Youk grounds it foul past third. Full count. Ball four! He almost hits Youk near the head as Youk ducks down. Bases loaded for Mark Loretta. Carmona looks all discombobulated as his infielders come in to calm him down. Wow, almost hits Loretta with an inside fastball. He's all over the place. Shoppach heads out to talk to him. WOO HOOO!!!! Mark Loretta drives a fastball high in the air, it comes down and grabs some wall as Kapler and Gonzalez score for a 6-5 Sox win!!

Amazing. Great win for the Sox to keep pace with the Yanks.
Next blog will probably be next Wednesday.

Boston Red Sox
Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
K Youkilis 1B	4	1	2	1	1	0	0	.294
M Loretta 2B	4	0	2	3	1	0	1	.303
D Ortiz DH	4	0	0	0	0	4	3	.289
M Ramirez LF	4	1	1	1	0	0	1	.316
M Lowell 3B	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.287
W Pena RF	4	1	1	1	0	2	0	.328
C Crisp CF	3	0	0	0	1	1	0	.269
D Mirabelli C	3	0	1	0	0	1	0	.186
G Kapler PR	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	.271
A Gonzalez SS	3	2	1	0	0	1	2	.285
Totals	33	6	8	6	3	9	7

Boston Red Sox
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
J Lester	6.0	8	3	3	1	3	1	110-67	3.59
M Delcarmen	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	16-10	4.05
M Timlin	1.0	2	2	2	0	1	1	22-14	3.20
J Papelbon (W, 3-1)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	15-8	0.50
Totals	9.0	10	5	5	1	7	2	163-99