Drew, What Took You So Long?

This is not something I have been able to say very often, so I will enjoy it:

J.D. Drew won the game for us!

It makes me sad when fans dislike players, and I heard A LOT of Drew Dislike while in Baltimore this month. So since we really need to win these last 2 games and get the best record, it's great that Drew came through. We were down 4-3 in the 7th and he hit a 3-run homer with 2 outs. No more scoring, so we won 6-4.

Cleveland is down by a run in the 8th, but that means nothing until the last out is made.

THEY DID IT!!!

THE BOSTON RED SOX WON THE AL EAST

MATSUZAKA WAS AWESOME

YANKEES BLEW A 3-RUN LEAD IN THE NINTH WITH RIVERA PITCHING

MELVIN MORA, MY SECOND FAVORITE ORIOLE, WON THE GAME ON A BUNT

FENWAY IS CELEBRATING

ANGELS (UNFORTUNATELY, MY SECOND FAVORITE TEAM) IN THE DIVISION SERIES

AND LIFE IS GOOOOOD

A Nice Game for Us

Top of the 3rd -- Oakland has bases loaded. They score 1 run.

Bottom of the 3rd -- Boston has bases loaded. They score 3 runs.

Who had 2 of those RBIs? Mike Lowell is one of the best things that has ever happened to this team.

RBIs all over the place with him!

The 4th inning saw us down 4-3, but then Manny and Lowell got us back on top 5-4. How happy are we to have Manny back and Lowell being his usual awesome self?

But then it was 5-5 an inning later.

Of course, my favorite player Pedroia (or DP, as I prefer to call him) broke the tie with a home run :) Manny walked, Ortiz doubled, Mike Lowell hit the wall AGAIN and that was TWO MORE RBIs!

Lowell should be the AL MVP, seriously.

But the inning wasn't over because Drew hit one right to the center fielder Nick Swisher who totally missed it, Lowell went to 3rd on the play, and Drew ended up at 2nd. Still no outs! Youkilis walked, and Varitek struck out (not surprised). Ellsbury grounded out but Lowell scored on the play. Lugo made his out and we ended up with a 9-5 lead. 2 more unanswered runs in the 7th, nothing in the 8th, and then the 9th was over and we won.

That was a great game. Every time Oakland got the lead or tied it, we got the lead right back, then ran away with it towards the end. Loved it.

Happy Days

NY lost and we won! 3 game lead with 5 games to go! THEY CANNOT BLOW THIS CAN THEY?!

We win 3 out of 5 and we are the AL East winners. Oh how long have we waited? Too many years.

I'm so excited! I know all the Sox fans are, too...but you know what all this means?

Baseball season is almost over :(

Enjoy it while it lasts!

Not at All What I Wanted

The Tampa Bay announcer thinks hitting a home run off of Tim Wakefield is enough to get you Rookie of the Year. "If that isn't enough to get you Rookie of the Year honors..." YEAH. ANYONE can do that, even I could do that.

So good old Tim got us in the hole in the second inning. To be expected, at this point. Then another run in the 4th.

Bases loaded with no outs for us in the 6th inning. Ortiz was up, he hit one that looked like a double play, and no one was covering first so he made it there and a run scored. I will take it! Lowell struck out, which was unexpected. Next up, Mr. Drew. He walked! 4-2 now. Then Coco took one up the middle for a single to make it 4-3 with the bases reloaded. What a great inning this was turning out to be! EXCEPT FOR THE INNING ENDING DOUBLE PLAY from Hinske.

Then Tavarez came in to replace Wakefield, who had thrown 95 pitches (57 strikes). "Reliable" Julian got one out and let a run score before he was relieved of his duties. Bryan Corey had to come in and get us out of it with a double play.

7th inning sucked.

8th inning was a little better, Cora hit a HR but he was the leadoff man so we were still down by one. And the next three up were easy outs. Timlin came in to pitch and gave up a single, nearly gave up a HR (just foul), then hit a guy. Ellsbury made a great catch to get the first out, the next ball went to Drew, and the third out was handled by Lugo. To the 9th, down by a run...

Crisp was an easy out, Hinske swung at the first pitch (HOW MANY FREAKING TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY THE SAME THING) and thus was an easy out, then Varitek came in for Mirabelli and he was also an easy out.

CRAP.

In football news, the Patriots beat the Bills easily, with a final of 38-7. Too bad the Red Sox didn't have as easy a time.

Oh and NY won.

A Nice Turn of Events

Going into the 9th, it was looking pretty unsavory. Varitek, Hinske, and Crisp were due up, and we were on the losing end of a 6-5 ballgame.

Varitek didn't wait very long to tie the game -- he took the second pitch out of the park. Then Hinske comes up and hits a double down the first base line. The Coco was out, but then JULIO LUGO hit a 2-run home run to put us on top 8-6!! YES JULIO!! Then Ellsbury hit a double, and Pedroia popped out in foul territory but Jacoby went to 3rd on the play. Ortiz was intentionally walked, which was lame. Lowell proceeded to pop out. But we were up now instead of down.

Papelbon came in to correct his recent struggling ways. First guy swung at the first pitch and grounded out. Then the next sucker hit one to Coco, as did the next one.

We won! Going into the 9th down by a run, and we won!

E# is 6!

Beckett's 20th Win

May I start off by asking what the hell the Sox did to make opposing pitchers want to hit them so much? We all know about Youkilis (and the Yankees) but tonight Hinske and Varitek got hit in the same inning! Then Ellsbury almost got hit in the 9th, and Pedroia did get hit! This is getting suspicious. We don't need anymore Youk-type injuries.

So Jacoby Ellsbury is definitely a new favorite. He ran into Boston's bullpen and over a chair, all to make a catch in foul territory that yes, he held on to. The Toronto commentators even said it was impressive, one of the best they've seen! Ellsbury and Pedroia, my two favorite players (remember the last 4 players I said that about were Bronson Arroyo, Mark Bellhorn, Alex Gonzalez aka The Gonz, and Trot Nixon...hopefully DP and JE will break the curse).

This is going to sound strange, but...the bullpen held a lead! Josh Beckett left after 6 fantastic innings, then Manny Delcarmen came in and pitched a 1-2-3 7th (2 strikeouts even).

Okay. 8th inning. Our new nemesis. A good start though, a solo Jason Varitek homer. But nothing else good for us. So who would guide us through the potential disaster known as the 8th inning? Delcarmen actually stayed in this time, unlike last time when he came out and Gagne killed it (in a bad, bad way). He got his first out, then as I'm witnessing Toronto's meltdown, they take him out! UHH, okay. Not what I would have done, but okay. Javier Lopez came in, got the second out, got the third out. Nice pitching, actually. You went against me, Francona, and it worked this time. Hopefully it will continue working.

3-run shot in the 9th from David Ortiz! He is "more dangerous than dynamite," said the Tampa Bay guy. Follow that up with a Lowell solo shot, 8-1, this one was over (even with Gagne pitching the 9th). Ortiz and Lugo gave Mike an excited hug in the dugout, how nice :) Brandon Moss hit the first triple of his career, which is very awesome.

And yeah, Toronto? I HATE YOU. Up 4-0 going into the 9th against the Yankees and the next thing I see, it's 4-4. HATE HATE HATE. It was single after single after single, and those add up. It wasn't bad enough you swept Boston, NOOO, you had to blow a 4-run lead against NY in the bottom of the 9th! Extra innings--at least they won. Took 'em 14 freaking innings and a large percentage of my sanity though!

Rant of the Day:
Many fans are saying "as long as we get the Wild Card..." To them, I say: Not good enough! Had we been in second place all year, yes, the WC would be fine. But getting it now, after we've basically been in first place all season...hell no, I do not accept the WC. Plus, the Wild Card is just not as legitimate, really. I want to win. I want first place in the AL East, and settling for the Wild Card is not in the gameplan.

UGLY

Can we go right from the 7th inning to the 9th from now on?

There are really no words I can use to describe what a sweep at the hands of Toronto feels like. Especially after the last 2 8th innings we had to withstand.

I am mad...disappointed...sad...resigned...angry.

Tomorrow, they regroup. Friday....they hope Tampa Bay sucks.

WHAT IS GOING ON

What the hell is wrong with our team? ANOTHER 8th inning loss? I need to go over a few things:

Terry Francona, what the hell. PLEASE hire me or somebody else as your pitching consultant, because obviously you and the people around you suck. Gagne should have been taken out after he gave up the single. At that point, he had 2 outs, walked a guy, then the single happened. After that all went down, I would have said to you, "Francona, I think it's time Gagne comes out."
TF: "But I want to show him I have confidence in him."
L: "But it's the 8th inning of a 2-1 game."
TF: "He can do it."
L: "The Yankees already won today."
TF: "I know...but I think he can do it, it's only one more out."
L: "IT'S THE MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER AND WE ARE ONLY UP 3.5 GAMES YOU DON'T SCREW AROUND!!!"

So, as expected, Gagne walked another man to load the bases. I look away (okay closed my eyes I was tired) and when I look again, it's a 3-0 count! WHY WAS HE STILL IN?? And he walked in a run! And he gave up a 2-run single that ended the inning, but only because Toronto got greedy and stupid and tried to score another run.

Can anyone tell me why he was still in the game after the first single? Goddamn Tavarez would have done a better job!

The E# is still 9. We are only up 2.5 games. Red Sox fans all over are resigning themselves to the fate of another Wild Card year.

And life is bad for us fans.

3 Things to Brighten Your Day after Last Night

1. Rookies Dress Up

2. You just have to laugh about it when it looks like this (even though the ending isn't quite the same) -- '86 World Series

3. At Least You're Not this Guy

You Can Do it, Right?

All right, Tim, pick us up.

------------------------

Edited in the 9th: Not what I meant.

A Fine Performance

Ooh, I sense another player to add to the favorites list. Ellsbury, in spite of his crazy first name (I know none of you agree with me on that one though), was pretty awesome today, and the only reason he was in the game was to replace Youkilis after he got hit. That kid is FAST, too.

So the game started off pretty dumb, with a Jeter home run in the first. However, we also scored in the first and it stayed 1-1 for a while. Until the 5th, when we grabbed a run, and in the 6th we got 3 more...

A beautiful 7th inning for the Sox, 5 walks and some RBIs for Coco, Ellsbury, and Lowell. We went from 5-1 to 9-1 and then...

the 8th inning.

We all remember what happened last night during the 8th inning?

This one was much better. Damon grounded out, (Jeter singled) Abreu struck out, A-Rod struck out. And Timlin was pitching! Our 8th was really nice, courtesy of an Eric Hinske HR.

And because it needs to be said, Josh Beckett was great tonight. Just great. A fantastic effort today, only gave up that one run, and is now 19-6. He is so our #1 guy.

I Can't Believe that Just Happened

I don't even know what to call the catastrophe that went down last night. One minute we're up by 5, the next we're losing by one. I swear this all took place in about 10 minutes.

I have NEVER been so disappointed.

Plus the game took like 5 hours and I was supposed to get up early this morning and you know I couldn't go to bed until the game ended.

And PAPELBON got the loss! He and Okajima gave up the 6 runs the Yankees needed to beat us. Our most reliable people. Still the most reliable, just not last night! Okajima gave up 2 solo shots as soon as the 8th inning began, and STILL Francona didn't take him out. He let him stay in for 2 more batters, who were at 2nd and 3rd by the time he finally got yanked. Then Papelbon came in and Jeter hit a single off the first pitch. Abreu got his first hit of the night, which happened to be a 2-run double. A-Rod put them on top with a single.

It was like everything that could have gone wrong did. You kept hoping Papelbon would right himself, and it didn't happen.

Sad, because Matsuzaka was in line to get his win.

Maybe today will be better?

That's the MAN

David Ortiz walkoff HR.

JUST barely a HR too, I think it hit the first person in the first row.

That's how David Ortiz rolls!

These Men are Good

Wakefield is so lucky! He gives up 7 earned runs and we're down 8-1, and now?

Up 14-9!

THAT is why they're my favorite team -- they are never out of a game.

Wait...solo shots by Ortiz and Drew to make it 16. Just when you think it can't get any better...

Err...Gagne. 9th inning. You'd think a 7-run lead would be safe...and you'd think right. But if it had been a 1-run game, we'd be in extra innings right now.

P.S. Happy birthday Jacoby (Jacob) Ellsbury...hitting a home run on your birthday is not bad.

This is Tim Wakefield

Sometimes you see the fake Wakefield, the one who pitches well.

Tonight, right now, I see the Real Wakefield....4 runs in the 2nd inning, with, most likely, more to come as the game goes on.

Don't be deceived...

Wakefield, like Timlin, has screwed up more often than I can forgive. They are going to have to have a pretty amazing final month if I am to ever have faith in them again...and Wakefield is off to a bad start with this game, and the one last Thursday.

Stupid Internet Explorer

So I had a whole long post written about my trip to Baltimore, and I used Internet Explorer because Firefox has been randomly closing on me and losing my posts, and then IE goes and does the same thing! So I lost the whole thing, but I will eventually write another one. It just won't be as good.

But I do want to mention that horrible loss yesterday that included a grand slam by the OTHER team. What the hell happened? It was too terrible to watch, actually. Fortunately, we have Beckett pitching today, and things should go better today. I am not worried.

Also today, we have the men's final, which worked out just as I planned. Djokovic vs. Federer. Exactly what I wanted! Of course, I want Novak to win. So far he has beaten my mom's 2 favorite players, and now he takes on my dad's favorite. How nice it would be for Djokovic to win, not only because it would be awesome for him, but then I could say my favorite (I keep calling him that even though Ferrero is my real favorite) beat all of my parents' favorites. If only....

Off to Baltimore!

Look for me at the Sox game tonight, for I will be there!

Who was the one pitcher I didn't want to pitch tonight because I've already seen him twice? Wakefield! Who is pitching tonight? Wakefield!

If only I had been born a week ago and could have gone to see the no hitter from Buchholz.

Oh well! I'm off to Baltimore right now and hopefully when I come back I will be happy because they won!!!

NOOOOO

NOOOO Jankovic lost to Venus NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

So mad right now.

Nice Stuff Going On Around Here

I thought I'd leave that no-hitter post up for a few days, but now I must talk about other (good) things...

Like the Sox' latest win streak (the best kind of streak). They made me stay up late last night to watch them win, but they gave me the night off tonight and won quickly. Unfortunately, Ferrer and Nadal are not being as nice (just started their match at 10:30!).

Why such a late start? Partly because the only player left that I care about, Novak Djokovic, took 3 long sets and 1 quick one to finish off Monaco. I had to space the match out over the whole day with all the stuff I had to do, and I finally finished watching it around 9:30. Now he plays Carlos Moya, which is a bit of a problem. You see, Moya is my mom's long-time favorite player. But they should be playing on my birthday, so of course Djokovic has the edge going in.

I won't be able to watch it live unless it's early....because I'll be in Baltimore at the Sox/O's game! It will be a GREAT birthday if Boston AND Novak win!!



P.S. I guess there is one other player I like -- Jankovic. She plays Venus tomorrow, MAN I HOPE JELENA WINS!

That's a No Hitter!

Congratulations Clay Buchholz! His second major league start and he throws a no hitter! That is something to be proud of :) That was quite an exciting game to watch, with all the runs and great defensive plays (I'm looking at you, Pedroia!) and of course, the wonderful pitching from the 23 year old.

The best part had to be the end when the entire team mobbed him and every single one of those players hugged him, congratulated him, rubbed his head. David Ortiz had the biggest smile on his face! Varitek ran up to him and picked him up, like when he picked up Foulke after winning the World Series...So yes, a really great performance by what looks to be a really great pitcher.

Not to mention those 10 runs we got.

Thank you Clay for stopping the 4-game losing streak!

Funny note: MASN wanted to know who we thought the player of the game was. Our choices?
A: Buchholz
B: Youkilis
C: Oritz

But...who the hell is Oritz?!