Friday, October 31, 2008 |
Miscellany Four Months Before Spring Training
- Rich Lederer actually coached Chase Utley as a youth (not his regular coach, but in a league All-Star game).
- Newborn twins Cole and Chase Ryan were named after the Phillies' infielders.
- Jeff Kent donated $15,000 to the Yes on 8 campaign. What to say?
- Andruw Jones would like to retire as a Brave. Inshallah.
- Torii Hunter disagrees with Mike Scioscia's call for the squeeze in this year's ALDS Game 4:
“It plays out in the back of your head all the time: ‘Why am I not in the World Series ? Why ?’ The season we had, we should have been there. But the way we played in the first round, we didn’t deserve it.” I burrowed in on the question still haunting Angels fans: Scioscia’s decision to squeeze. There are many who agree that Aybar should have been allowed to hit. But bunting in tight moments, isn’t that the way your team played all year, dink and dunk, drip and drop, popgun hits and speed ?
“No, no,” came a quick reply. “People say that, but that’s not how we played all year. You rarely squeeze. But in the regular season when you do squeeze you can do it because you’ve always got tomorrow.... If you lose you have tomorrow to make up for it. In the playoffs it is different. Totally different.” (Note: Hunter made sure to add that he wasn’t saying this to harpoon Aybar or Scioscia. “In the end, that is just my opinion. I’m not mad at anybody on my team. We have to do what Mike says and if my manager says to squeeze I have to go by what he says. We have to execute. It just didn’t work out.” )
- Mark Teixeira tops this year's Elias ratings, as if we didn't at least suspect that would be true. Francisco Rodriguez ranks sixth among all AL relievers.
- The A's declined Alan Embree's $3M 2009 option.
- Update: The Dodgers named their manager and coaches for AA Chattanooga (John Valentin will be the manager). The Dodgers earlier in the year replaced the Reds as the parent franchise in Chattanooga, ending their relationship with Jacksonville. That latter franchise signed on with the Marlins.
Jon has the complete list of coaches per affiliation.
Update 2: Also from Tony Jackson.
- Update 3: Also via Tony Jackson, three more Dodgers filed for free agency: Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Johnson and Mark Sweeney. "That leaves Jeff Kent and Rafael Furcal and possibly Pablo Ozuna (option) as the only potential free agents yet to file. Forty-man roster is at 32, not counting 60-day DL guys."
- Update 4: Chan Ho Park has also filed for free agency.
Labels: angels, athletics, braves, dodgers, phillies
Thursday, October 30, 2008 |
Angels Anderson, Teixeira, And Garland All File For Free Agency
Labels: angels, transactions
Five Dodgers File For Free Agency
Labels: dodgers, transactions
Goodbye To The Anonymous
"What happens to me depends on a number of things, like possible injuries in spring training and openings," Leahy said. "Flores also talked to me about coaching. He (mentioned) the minor league staffs said I'd be a good candidate to coach at some point.It's that time of year, and a lot of other players are in his shoes."At the same time, I was told to stay in shape in case they do call me back as a player." Leahy signed with the Angels as a free agent out of Boston College and has been on the Double A roster of the Arkansas Travelers of the Texas League for three consecutive seasons as a utility middle infielder.
"That thing about retirement comes up, but even if I am done it's not like I'm retiring from baseball because I never played. That's the big thing," he said. "I'll never know how well I could have done with the bat because I never had more than 170 at bats (in one season). The average, everyday player will get between 400-450. I signed as a backup and remained a backup.
"I'm happy for someone like (San Diego Padres highly regarded prospect) Matt Antonelli (of Peabody). He got into the right organization; look how quick he moved up. It's also tough if you're a free agent. A lot of the prospects the Angels signed were for big money and they had to pay close attention to their investments."
After a pause, Leahy said, "I'm not saying I got overlooked. These guys are probably better than I was — or ever will be."
Labels: angels
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 |
World Series Game 5: Phillies 4, Rays 3
That brings in Brad Lidge, who gets Evan Longoria to pop out to shallow center. One out. Lidge goes 0-2 against Dioner Navarro, who shatters his bat and sends a ball into right field to put a man on first with one down.
Pinch-runner Fernando Perez steals second easily, bringing the tying run into scoring position. Ben Zobrist then hits a laser of a line drive right to Jayson Werth in right, freezing Perez at second. Two out. Maddon calls in Eric Hinske to pinch-hit for Jason Bartlett, prompting a mound conference.
Bartlett fouls off the first pitch, a little tapper wide of first. Hinske can't check his swing on a slider, and swings and misses for strike three to make the Phillies World Champions for the first time since 1980!
Labels: live blogging, phillies, postseason, rays, recaps
Jonathan Broxton, The Oldest Dodger?
By the end of November or so, there is a very real chance that 24-year old Jonathan Broxton will be the longest-tenured Dodger (using MLB time, not 40-man time).Broxton debuted with the Dodgers on July 29, 2005, and everyone that was here prior to that has a tenuous future with the club:
Penny (8/3/04): exercise of option still up in the air
Brazoban (8/15/04): likely to be non-tendered; arbitration eligible but out of options
Kent (4/5/05): likely retired
Repko (4/6/05): likely to be non-tendered; arbitration eligible but out of options
Labels: dodgers
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 |
Administrivia: New Commenting
Labels: administrivia
Mariners Fire Scouting Director Bob Fontaine
In another development, Tony Blengino, Zduriencik's top assistant when he was scouting director in Milwaukee, is expected to join Zduriencik's staff in Seattle.According to industry sources, the Brewers have agreed to let Zduriencik, who was named Seattle's GM last Wednesday, hire two members of his Milwaukee scouting staff.
Those are expected to be Blengino and Tom McNamara, Milwaukee's East Coast crosschecker and the man credited with scouting and signing Prince Fielder. It is not known yet what positions they will hold in Seattle.
Labels: front office, mariners
Dodgers To Hire Lenny Harris As Minor League Hitting Instructor
Angels Exercise Options On Vlad, Lackey, Decline Anderson's; Napoli, Matthews Undergo Surgery
- The Angels will exercise the 2009 options for Vlad Guerrero and John Lackey, and declined Garret Anderson's. Update: The team bought out GA's option for $3M.
- Vlad Guerrero had surgery on his medial meniscus in his left knee on Oct. 10.
- Gary Matthews, Jr. will have surgery on his right patella tendon.
- Mike Napoli will have arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder October 31st, his birthday.
Update: The Times reports the Angels intend on discussing a free agent contract with Anderson. Anderson has cut ties with long-standing agent Chris Arnold and will represent himself. Also, Matthews may not be available until as late as April.
Labels: angels, injuries, transactions
Game 5 On Hold Until Wednesday At The Earliest
Labels: phillies, postseason, rays
Monday, October 27, 2008 |
World Series Game 5: Rays 2, Phillies 2 (Suspended)
Top 2nd: Hamels surrenders his first baserunner of the game, walking Dioner Navarro, but he gets Rocco Baldelli to pop out harmlessly to second. Evan Longoria's struggles at the plate continue, as he flied out earlier in the frame.
Bottom 3rd: Kazmir strikes out Victorino to retire the side in order for the first time, which is a good thing for the Rays starter; he's already up to 57 pitches.
Top 4th: Carlos Pena gets his first hit of the World Series, smacking a one-out double over Jayson Werth's head in right. That brings up Evan Longoria, who's looking to end a streak of futility at the plate. He promptly smacks a 1-0 pitch into left center to get the Rays on the board with an RBI single, 2-1. Dioner Navarro bounces into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Bottom 4th: The Phils manage to load the bases again — and strand everyone, again — as Chase Utley hits right into the shift. Kazmir is struggling with 90 pitches, but there was some movement before the inning ended.
Top 5th: Jimmy Rollins loses a sky-high popup in the lights and rain. The ball rolls off the heel of his glove, letting Rocco Baldelli reach on the error. Chase Utley recovers on a 4-3 unassisted double play, as he tags Baldelli going past and flips to first to make the double play. Kazmir unexpectedly bats for himself as the rain intensifies, and strikes out swinging on a ball in the dirt to end the frame.
Bottom 5th: Kazmir walks Ryan Howard on four pitches to start the inning. It's looking like Joe Maddon is thinking about bringing in Grant Balfour, who's warming up in the bullpen. The temperatures are now in the low 40's.
Maddon finally finds the hook after Kazmir walks Pat Burrell. Because of the rain, the infield is in increasingly terrible condition, leading to a very long pitching change that indeed brings in Balfour after the grounds crew tries to ameliorate the damage caused by the rain. Balfour gets a pair of harmless popups with men on first and second, and the Rays escape with their one-run lead intact.
Top 6th: With two out, B.J. Upton reached on a ball that would likely have been an inning-ending 6-3 groundout under dry conditions; as it was, Jimmy Rollins was only able to get to the ball but not get a throw in to first. That led to a stolen base and an RBI single by Carlos Pena, who knotted the game 2-2. Evan Longoria ended the frame with a flyball out, but the worsening weather caused the umpires to suspend the game until Tuesday.
No World Series game, once started, has not been completed. DuPuy said the radar forecast for Tuesday is not promising -- more rain is predicted for the area."The weather tomorrow is supposed to be worse," DuPuy said. "It's supposed to be colder and it's supposed to continue to rain and be very windy. So we wanted to play tonight for that reason."
Labels: live blogging, phillies, postseason, rays, recaps
OT: A Bad Day For Newspapers
Further south down the I-5, the Register has taken a 15% hit in daily circulation numbers in the six months ending September 30. (The Times over the same period of time is only down 5.2% according to the linked Orange County Business Journal story.) And this is new: the Register is thinking about joining up with the Times to save money? We already know that the OC daily has been buying Dodgers coverage from the Los Angeles Newspaper Group all year, but a consolidation with the Times would be momentous indeed.
Labels: dodgers, media, newspapers
Bronx Banter Pops Up From The Toaster To SNY
Update: Incidentally, here's a Bruce Markusen piece on Roger Repoz, one of the Top 100 Angels.
Labels: blogs
Torii Hunter Donates $500,000 To New Baseball Complex In His Home Town
Labels: angels
Pickoff Moves
We'll Always Have September, 2008, Manny
Interesting quote by Manny:Their last drop of goodwill wrung dry, the Red Sox and their brooding star parted ways. It was July 31, 2004, and the newly traded Nomar Garciaparra was headed out the door when Manny Ramírez embraced him and whispered a few words of encouragement in his ear.Which is why he isn't (likely) coming back.Ramírez then turned to reporters and, in a rare moment of public reflection on the cold business of baseball, said, "That's why I never fall in love with one team."
MGL Thinks He's Smarter Than Two World Series Managers
And who knows, maybe he is.By the way, there you have two quintessential examples of both managers’ (poor) style of managing. One likes to think of himself as the unconventional genius, but more often makes the wrong decisions at the wrong times, and the other likes to think of himself as an old-school manager who pretty much does things by "The Book." Unfortunately, the "book" he uses is consistently wrong as well. Not to mention the fact that once Manuel has his mind made up (like batting Utley and Howard back to back) no amount of sound reason or logic is going to change his mind.
Sloppy Work, Logan
Add another black mark to Logan White's mostly sterling reputation: the story of David Price:The Dodgers drafted Price out of high school, in 2004, even though he and his family had made it clear he would attend Vanderbilt. They took a flier on him in the 19th round, just in case he changed his mind.He didn't even know he was drafted? How do you draft someone and not at least call them to let them know?"I didn't even know I got drafted," Price said.
Logan White, the Dodgers' assistant general manager for scouting, said Price threw from 88 to 93 mph in high school. He has added about 5 mph to his fastball since then and mastered a terrific slider.
"A lot of teams thought he was good, not just the Dodgers," White said. "I don't think anybody was thinking he would be the No. 1 pick in the draft three years later."
Other Bullety Stuff
- It was kind of sad watching Cliff Floyd on the bench last night, disabled and done for the postseason with a sore right shoulder; Eric Hinske was called up and immediately made a mark in yesterday's game by hitting a solo homer, one of the Rays' only two runs. It struck Helen at the time (and I think she's right) that this will be his last season in the bigs, and if so, what a mournful way to go out.
- Rockies reliever Luis Vizcaino was busted on a DUI in Tampa. With a 1-2 record and a 5.28 ERA, the 34-year-old has to be awfully close to being out of baseball.
- If Cole Hamels can get the win tonight, he will be only the third pitcher to get five wins in one postseason. The other two: Francisco Rodriguez in 2002 and Randy Johnson in 2001.
What's In Joe Maddon's Office?
Let's find out...
Labels: analysis, dodgers, draft, injuries, phillies, rays
Sunday, October 26, 2008 |
Phils Crush: Phillies 10, Rays 2
Well, no such problems today. Ryan Howard crushed a couple balls in this game, and Lord, I have nothing to add to it. Andy Sonnenstine pitched maybe the worst major league game he's ever thrown, and Joe Blanton the best, and the Rays go up 3-1 to make tomorrow's finale a potential clincher/elimination game, depending on which side you're on.
Labels: phillies, postseason, rays, recaps
Friday, October 24, 2008 |
Bob Timmermann Gets One In To The Times
Since Bill Plaschke is bored by the World Series ["Update a Classic," Oct. 22], can the Los Angeles Times just put us out of our misery and not send him to any baseball games anymore? For the rest of his life, if possible?Too bad you couldn't make it tomorrow. Have a time with the ponies, yeah?I would have tried to read his column about the neutral-site World Series a second time, but I discovered that my HMO doesn't cover me in case I gouge out my own eyes in order to save myself from going mad.
Labels: blogs, postseason, times
If It Isn't True, It Ought To Be
Holy crap, young players need to mature? Dodgers ‘source’ my foot, its either Lasorda raging that he doesn’t have any power in the front office, or some other baseball exec trying to drive the price for Martin.
Labels: dodgers, rumors, stupid ideas
Like It Or Not, Dodgers Will Send The Whole Coaching Staff Back For 2009
Labels: coaches, dodgers, transactions
Thursday, October 23, 2008 |
World Series Game 2: Rays 4, Phillies 2
Bottom 2nd: The Rays pick up another run after Dioner Navarro singles and B.J. Upton eventually drives him home, but ends the inning as Upton tries to stretch his single into a double. 3-0 Rays.
Top 3rd: Just as they did yesterday, the Phils keep mounting threats and squandering them. With men on the corners and two out, Greg Dobbs struck out and Pedro Feliz grounds out to end the inning. The Phillies have stranded five baserunners, three in scoring position, and it's only the third.
Bottom 3rd: The Rays get men on the corners with one out, as Jason Bartlett bunts home Cliff Floyd on a safety squeeze. 4-0 Rays, and Myers is just struggling.
Top 5th: Unreal. The Phils get men on first and second with one out, and Chase Utley hits into a 9-3 double play to end the inning, as Jayson Werth is doubled up at first. Man, I'm glad I'm not a Phan. I'd be throwing things.
Top 6th: The Phils have another threat with men on the corners and one out, as Greg Dobbs hit a little bloop reach. That chased Shields, and Pedro Feliz will face Dan Wheeler. Like clockwork, Feliz grounds into an inning-ending fielder's choice.
Top 7th: Lather, rinse, repeat: The Phils get a pair on first and second with two out on walks to Carlos Ruiz and Chase Utley, but Ryan Howard struck out against David Price to end the frame. The Phillies' radio announcers are starting to go to sleep.
Top 8th: The Rays finally get on the board with, of all things, a pinch-hit, two-out home run by Eric Bruntlett, who had two all year. He got it against David Price, substituting for Greg Dobbs.
Top 9th: For the seventh time this game, the Phillies get the leadoff man on, this time on a double down the left field line by Carlos Ruiz. Jimmy Rollins is almost hit by a pitch, and the video replay shows he was on a uniform brush. Instead, he pops out on a running catch to Bartlett at short. One out.
Jayson Werth whistles one off Evan Longoria's glove, for which Longoria is charged an error. Ruiz scores, and Werth reaches on the error. 4-2 Phillies. Chase Utley strikes out swinging on three pitches, and there's two out.
That brings up Ryan Howard, who has yet to homer in the postseason and has been miserable against lefties in the regular season. He taps out to second to end the inning, and the Rays even the series at 1-1.
Labels: live blogging, phillies, postseason, rays, recaps
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 |
World Series Game 1: Phillies 3, Rays 2
Bottom 1st: There's nobody at first to throw the ball to when Ryan Howard fields Akanuri Iwamura's grounder, and Cole Hamels' hesitation costs the Phils an infield single. But B.J. Upton is slow out of the box, and he hits into a 4-6-3 double play that clears the bases. Hamels retires Carlos Pena innocuously on a 6-3 groundout, and that's the inning.
Top 2nd: Kazmir looks very wobbly this inning, giving up a leadoff single to Shane Victorino and walks to Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz to load the bases with one out. Jimmy Rollins then flies out to shallow center field, and the Flyin' Hawaiian isn't fast enough to evade a tag at the plate to end the inning. Still 2-0 Phillies.
Bottom 3rd: The Rays get their first big threat of the game when Ben Zobrist singles, Jason Bartlett walks, and Iwamura singles to load the bases with one out. Upton bounces into his second double play of the game, 5-4-3 to end the frame.
Top 4th: Kazmir gives up consecutive singles to Victorino and Feliz; this time Coste grounds out to first to move the runners over, and Carlos Ruiz cashes in Victorino with the corners in and the middle at normal depth on a 6-3 groundout. 3-0 Phillies. Rollins strikes out swinging (Kazmir's fourth of the game) to end the threat.
Bottom 4th: It's back to a two-run lead as Carl Crawford takes a hanging breaking pitch over the right field fence. 3-1 Phillies. Willy Aybar hits a routine fly to center to end it.
Bottom 5th: Cole Hamels walks Bartlett with two out and it comes back to haunt him; Bartlett steals second and Iwamura belts a double on a pitch Hamels left up to send him home, whittling it to 3-2 Phillies. Upton fouls out to end it, but Hamels' lead is very tenuous.
Bottom 6th: Carlos Pena reaches on a sloppy play by Howard, who is charged with an error, but immediately erases himself when Hamels picks him off trying to steal second. Hamels gets Longoria to strike out looking and Crawford to tap out to second to keep his one-run lead intact.
Bottom 9th: Brad Lidge retires the side in order to go 1-0 in the series. Neither team did especially well offensively, with Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, and Shane Victorino stranding a collective 13 baserunners, and the team stranding a total of 11 baserunners, while the Rays stranded only three. Cole Hamels pitched an outstanding game, but the Rays have nothing to be ashamed of.
Labels: live blogging, phillies, postseason, rays, recaps
Arizona To Retain All Coaching Staff For 2009
Mariners Tap Brewers AGM Jack Zduriencik As GM
If they want to be a great team, they should not stop with Z, but hire a strong analytical department to supplement the scouting strength at the top of the front office. The two can work together, but there has to be a real effort on the M’s part here. If they stop with Zduriencik, it’s not enough - if they let him build a good organization with strong analysts surrounding the Big Three scouting types, this could be a player development machine.It's a decent hire, and probably better than Bavasi was.
Labels: front office, mariners
Angels Move Darren O'Day Off 40-Man Roster
Rodriguez, 24, divided the 2008 season between Double-A Arkansas and Salt Lake. He was 2-4 with 11 saves and a 1.86 ERA in 42 appearances at Arkansas, and he was 2-0 with a 6.28 ERA in nine games at Salt Lake.Maybe it's just me, but this doesn't seem to be much of an improvement.
Update 10/23: The Rev reminds me that O'Day had a torn labrum and will probably spend all of 2009 rehabbing. If he's anywhere near ready for 2009 spring training, it's all but certain he will get an invite. (And incidentally, thanks for the link.)
Labels: angels, transactions
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 |
Delwyn Young To Undergo (Already Season-Ended) Surgery
"Lessons Have Been Learned" As Cards Decline Mark Mulder's 2009 Option
- Juan Cruz became Brad Halsey (94.1 IP, 4.67 ERA, 95 ERA+)
- Dan Meyer has yet to show he belongs on a major league roster (54 ERA+ in 2007 after limited August/September exposure as both a spot starter and reliever)
- 28-year-old Charles Thomas, who just got done with his third season at AAA and has yet to show any power, a big drawback for a corner outfielder.
Labels: athletics, cardinals, trades
Monday, October 20, 2008 |
Joe Maddon's Got Some Fans In Pennsylvania
It was exciting enough when Maddon was a bench coach for the Los Angeles Angels during that team's championship season in 2002. Now, he's the manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, the young, talented American League team preparing to take on the Phillies in the World Series starting Wednesday. And you'd be hard pressed to find anyone in this coal-region town who isn't on the Maddon bandwagon."I'm a Phillies fan, but this year I'm not," said Cindy Waschko, fourth-generation owner of Waschko's Pharmacy on Wyoming Street. "I would love to see Joe go all the way with this team."
So, obviously, would Joe's mother. Albina "Beanie" Maddon works at the Third Base Luncheonette on North Wyoming Street, making what are reputed to be the world's finest hoagies for crowds of regulars who want the Rays to win as much for Beanie's sake as for Joe's.
"She's dancing on Cloud Nine right now," said luncheonette patron Frank Cabell, a Cubs fan who already has forgotten this year's inevitable heartbreak to root for the Rays.
Labels: phillies, postseason, rays
Dodgers Decline Berroa's Option
Update: The Royals will pay for the buyout. Hat tip to Eric Stephen in today's DT thread.
Update 2: Also at The Fabulous Forum.
Labels: dodgers, royals, transactions
Pickoff Moves, Lunchtime Edition
Matt Garza Wins ALCS MVP
Rays starter Matt Garza won the ALCS MVP award:He allowed one run and two hits over seven-plus innings in Tampa Bay's 3-1 victory in the clinching game. He went 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts in the series.The 6-foot-4 right-hander was one of several Rays who could've walked away with the series MVP award. B.J. Upton hit four homers and drove in 11 runs, Evan Longoria set an ALCS record by homering in four straight games and Pena went deep three times.
The Rays acquired Garza in an offseason deal with the Minnesota Twins that also netted them slick-fielding shortstop Jason Bartlett. Both players played key roles as Tampa Bay won the AL East title.
Cubs Extend Hendry Four More Years
The Cubs extended GM Jim Hendry for four more years, through 2012.Lowell Has Hip Surgery
Now that the Red Sox are well and truly defeated (though it took plenty long to do it and the Angels weren't standing atop them at the end, boo-hoo), Mike Lowell is having hip surgery; he expects to be back in time for spring training.A's Re-Sign Ellis For $11M/2 Years
Like the headline says. Kind of surprised they did that considering his age, but given his fielding, maybe not.The A's also have a club option in the deal that could keep Ellis around through the 2011 season. The 31-year-old Ellis, who is coming off right shoulder surgery last month to repair chips in the cartilage as well as a torn labrum, could have become a free agent after the World Series.
Vegas Oddsmakers Book Rays As World Series Champs
Rays at -15.Labels: athletics, awards, contracts, cubs, front office, injuries, postseason, transactions
Sunday, October 19, 2008 |
ALCS Game 7: Rays 3, Red Sox 1
Garza walks Ortiz, and then surrenders a long fly in the right field corner to Kevin Youkilis; if Rocco Baldelli had gotten off a clean throw to first, he might have doubled up Ortiz. Garza then strikes out J.D. Drew on a pitch in the dirt, and Navarro completes the strikout after Garza reminds him, 2-3; the inning's over with only the home run.
Bottom 2nd: Jon Lester retires the side in order, though he gets a good scare on a B.J. Upton line drive that takes J.D. Drew to the warning track. Still 1-0 Boston.
Bottom 4th: Iwamura breaks up a perfect game by whacking a single into center to put a man on first with nobody out. Upton strikes out swinging, and Carlos Pena bounces into a fielder's choice 4-5 (the shift was on, and Youkilis covered second). Evan Longoria then welts one down the right field line that slices away from J.D. Drew, scoring Pena from first; though Drew got the throw to second and then to the plate, the relay was offline on the third base side, and Pena scored to make it tied 1-1. Carl Crawford strikes out swinging at a fastball even with his throat to end the frame, but the Rays came back from the early deficit.
Bottom 5th: After an uneventful, 1-2-3 top of the fifth, the Rays instantly get into scoring position (and fairly narrowly miss a homer) on Willy Aybar's double to deep left, with nobody out. Lester then goes 3-0 on the next batter, Navarro, before slinging a strike over the plate to make it 3-1, and then fouling one off to take the count full. He taps one hard to Alex Cora's right, and by the time the Red Sox shortstop gets to it, it's first and second with nobody out for the Rays. That brings up Baldelli, who belts a 0-1 pitch foul with a majestic long shot deep to left. On the next pitch, he bounces it through the hole in left, singling home Aybar, who hesitates around third. 2-1 Rays, and there's still nobody out.
That gets Manny Delcarmen warming up in the Boston bullpen. But Lester gets Bartlett to strike out on a pitch low and inside for the first out, and Iwamura taps back to the box slowly for the second out, moving runners to second and third with two out. He then gives up a heart-stopping foul to Pena, but Pena makes the last out of the inning on a little looping liner to short.
Top 6th: Pedroia works a full count and keeps going on an incredible 11-pitch duel that ends in a one-out walk. The Rays then put the shift on for David Ortiz, and he ends up in a full count — and Garza ends the frame on a strike-'em-out, throw-'em-out double play as Pedroia was running on the pitch.
Aside: Who knew Brooke Shields was funny? The VW ads are hilarious. (Too bad the bit about German engineering isn't really true.)
Bottom 6th: Though the bottom of the frame is 1-2-3, it doesn't feel that way, as Longoria and Crawford both fly out to the deep part of the yard. 2-1 Rays.
Top 7th: With one out, Garza walks Drew and surrenders a single to Bay, who had previously struck out twice. Manager Joe Maddon comes out for a talk, but that's all, and he leaves him in to face Mark Kotsay with men on first and second. He lines out to right, with Drew advancing, but Kotsay continues to strand baserunners.
Varitek gets a break on a 0-1 check swing call that should have been a strike, but it doesn't matter anyway, as Varitek fouls the next one off. Garza gets Varitek to swing and miss at a pitch in the dirt, and the inning's over.
Bottom 7th: After a protracted 7-pitch battle, Willy Aybar goes yard on a shot to deep left to extend the lead to 3-1 Rays. Lester retires the next three in order.
Top 8th: Garza gets a three-hopper to short — but Bartlett botches it, the ball skips into left field, and Alex Cora reaches. That's it for Garza, who has allowed two hits to the 2007 champion Red Sox, getting a standing ovation as he exits the game.
Dan Wheeler comes in and Coco Crisp whacks one in the hole in right. Wheeler then gets Dustin Pedroia to pop out to left on a very high fly ball for the game's first out; Maddon pulls the plug on Wheeler with lefty Ortiz coming up, calling on J.P. Howell. The broadcasters remind us that Howell gave up a run yesterday against Ortiz; can he do it again?
Howell gets Ortiz to a 2-2 count after throwing one away on a 1-2 pitch and then Ortiz fouls the next one off. Ortiz spoils the next one, and he looks disgusted the whole at-bat. Finally, Big Papi hits one weakly to second, and Iwamura just barely gets the man at second for a fielder's choice. With two out, Howell leaves the game, to be replaced by Chad Bradford, who will face Kevin Youkilis with men on the corners.
Bradford goes 3-0 on Youkilis, and the Rays start warming up David Price. Bradford gets to a full count, but he walks the Greek God of Walks to load the bases. Maddon isn't taking any chances, and Bradford's gone.
Price will face Drew; it's all or nothing now. Price gets an excellently placed first-pitch strike on the outside for 0-1. Drew swings at the second pitch, a fastball, for 0-2. Price sends a fastball at 97 off the plate to go 1-2, and strikes out Drew on a check swing to end the frame and the threat.
Bottom 8th: Okajima gets the Rays out 1-2-3 to bring up the bullpen for the last three outs that stand between Tampa Bay and their first-ever World Series. Strap in, kids.
Top 9th: David Price will face Bay, Kotsay, and Varitek. He misses wildly with 0-1 and 1-1 pitches, but gets a foul to even the count with Bay. The Sox get a break on another 2-2 pitch with a bad check swing call, and Bay works a walk with no outs.
Kotsay taps a couple foul to go 0-2, and Price throws one almost over Kotsay's head for a 1-2 count. He just misses with a 95 MPH heater, 2-2, and gets him looking with the next pitch. One out, and Price stays in.
Varitek goes 1-2, and Price throws another one high. He's clearly amped. He blows a slider past the Sox' catcher, and there's two out. That brings up Jed Lowrie, who bounces out on the first pitch to Iwamura, who runs the ball himself to second for the out. The Rays are AL champions! The Rays win the pennant! The Rays win the pennant! The Rays win the pennant!
Who woulda thunk it. Congratulations to the Rays!
(Incidentally, it's David Price's first major league save!)
Labels: live blogging, postseason, rays, recaps, red sox
Saturday, October 18, 2008 |
ALCS Game 6: Red Sox 4, Rays 2
Top 2nd: Kevin Youkilis takes James Shields deep to left center and its tied 1-1, just in to the first row of seats. There's nobody out, and then Shields gives up a long foul ball with home run distance down the right field line. Drew then reaches on a base hit. Jason Bay follows that up with a hot smash down third, but Longoria spears it and almost turns it into a double play ball, forcing Drew at second but not in time to get Bay at first.
Mark Kotsay slaps a seeing-eye single up the right side that evades both right-side infielders, with only one out. The Sox are really hitting Shields pretty hard. He recovers when Juston Upton hauls in a lazy fly to right center by Jed Lowrie. Jason Varitek flies out to Carl Crawford in left to end the threat, and Shields is out.
The announcers tell us what we've missed: Josh Beckett's fastball is a couple MPH off, and he's missing command. They don't cut to ads in the inning change; good for them.
Bottom 2nd: If Beckett's off his game, you couldn't tell in this frame. Carl Crawford (groundout), Cliff Floyd (strikeout looking on a backdoor curve), and Dioner Navarro (lineout to right) go down in order.
Top 3rd: Coco Crisp lined out, but then Dustin Pedroia walked and David Ortiz hammered one down the right field line just out of reach of first baseman Carlos Pena. That led to an RBI when Kevin Youkilis grounded out to short, making it 2-1 Red Sox; Youk has driven in both the Sox' runs tonight. On the play, Ortiz moved to third, bringing up Drew — who also walks.
After a coaching visit, Bay walks on a full count to load the bases. It's Shields' third walk of the inning, and all of a sudden he's not looking very sharp. He leads off Mark Kotsay with a very high inside slider, and Shields goes 3-1 before retiring Kotsay on a routine fly ball to medium center.
Aside: I will be so grateful when both Viagra and Cialis go off-patent.
Bottom 3rd: With one out, Beckett plunks Jason Bartlett even though Bartlett makes almost no effort to move out of the way. Beckett whines about it a little. He eventually retires Iwamura and Upton after what seems like an eternity. God, I hate Beckett.
Top 4th: Home plate umpire Darryl Cousins leaves the game after taking a Jason Varitek foul tip on the collarbone in the second. Crew chief Tim McClellan will take over behind the dish. After a long delay (is anything brief in the postseason?), Shields finally retires Jed Lowrie after going 3-0 and then 3-1 on him. After giving up a two-out single to Coco Crisp, he strikes out Pedroia to end the frame. I'd say he likes McClellan's zone a little better than Cousins'.
Bottom 5th: After a relatively easy fourth (the only baserunner was J.D. Drew on a two-out double), the Rays get an improbable one-out homer from Jason Bartlett that just squeaks fair down the left field line; Bartlett had one homer all season. It's tied 2-2.
Top 6th: With two out, Jason Varitek gets his first hit in the series, and it's a huge one, walloping one into right field to make it 3-2 Sox. The crowd quiets a bit. Shields gives up a pachinko ball to Crisp for a 1-4 infield single, and that's it for Shields. J.P. Howell enters the game to face Pedroia, and Pedroia boinks one to short. The normally sure-handed Jason Bartlett throws one past Pena for an E6 that allows Pedroia to reach, and that brings up David Ortiz. Ortiz then gets a line drive single to right to make it 4-2 Sox, bringing out pitching coach Jim Hickey. Kevin Youkilis strikes out — finally — on a pitch nearly in the dirt to end the frame.
Bottom 6th: Beckett is out of the game, replaced by Hideki Okajima. Okajima gets Upton to line out to third to start the frame. Longoria walks, but he's the only baserunner for the Rays.
Top 7th: The Sox get a pair on with two out thanks to a Jed Lowrie walk against Grant Balfour, who lives down to his name. A passed ball in Varitek's at-bat moves the runners up to second and third; the Rays start to look awfully sloppy defensively. Varitek finally pops out to right to end the threat. Still 4-2 Red Sox.
Bottom 7th: With two out, Ben Zobrist flies out to deep left center. Okajima just retired the side in order, and the Rays are running out of outs.
Top 8th: Balfour continues to give up baserunners, surrendering a walk to Crisp. That's it for him, bringing in Chad Bradford. Bradford gets the first out against Dustin Pedroia, intentionally walks Big Papi, and then gets Youkilis to hit into a double play to end the frame.
Bottom 8th: Justin Masterson opens the frame by plunking Jason Bartlett, and starts Iwamura off with two balls. He gets a called strike and a swinging strike on a hard slider to even the count, and then gets him to swing at a pitch off the plate for the first out. Masterson then gets a strikeout and a couple flies to shallow right to end the threat.
Bottom 9th: After an uneventful top of the ninth, the Rays come in to face Papelbon. The TBS announcers incorrectly say that Papelbon has not allowed any runs in 24 consecutive postseason innings (he did just this series, but they weren't charged to him). The bogus data notwithstanding, he gets Longoria to bounce out to short — one away. Crawford fans on a high fastball for two out. Willy Aybar lines out to Youkilis at third to end it, and it goes final, 4-2 Red Sox.
Lame.
Apparently a circuit breaker in Atlanta caused the problems with the first half hour of the TBS telecast.
Labels: live blogging, postseason, rays, recaps, red sox
Pickoff Moves
Scott Boras Beats Gary Sheffield In Arbitration
Way back when, Scott Boras represented Gary Sheffield. Shef fired Boras, but not before Boras negotiated a change to his contract that allowed him to become a free agent. Boras just won a $550,000 settlement in arbitration for negotiating that deal; he had hoped to win more for the subsequent deal Sheffield negotiated with the Yankees."I shouldn't have ever introduced myself to him. Period. Bad person," Sheffield said then.Neither character strikes me as a particularly compelling figure; recall Sheffield's whining after the Dodgers signed Kevin Brown to a blockbuster deal in 1998.Sheffield promised to say a lot of "ugly things" about various topics when the case is resolved.
"It ain't going to be pretty," he said then. "No fine is going to be big enough. No suspension is going to be long enough."
Brewers Extend GM Doug Melvin, Sveum Won't Return
Brewers GM Doug Melvin will get a three-year extension, while Dale Sveum won't return."Basically, my heart was ripped out of my chest," he said, adding the odds are against his returning to coach under a new manager.Ah, but baseball's designed to break your heart ..."The most disappointing part of it all is that I'm no longer going to wear a Brewers uniform," he said. "That hurts more than anything. I loved the Brewers and the organization."
ESPN, Please Stop With The Sox-Stroking
I was at the gym last night, and one of the TVs was turned on to ESPN (several, actually), and even though I couldn't hear anything, about half the time on SportCenter was devoted to showing the Red Sox, Jonathan Papelbon's pursed, hyperventilating lips, the piling on as though they had just won something besides the right to play today, and the endless deifying camera shots. Look, I understand they know where their money's coming from, but for the love of Mike could they just slow it down? They make me pine for NASCAR, or the NFL, or even the NBA. It's almost like a caged bird looking in the mirror...OT: "We're Votin' For The N****er"
An unreal story from Pennsylvania.Labels: brewers, contracts, ex-dodgers, front office, red sox, scott boras
Friday, October 17, 2008 |
Jay Jaffe On The Dodgers Unexpected, Exhilarating Season
...[It] was a thrilling ride for the Dodgers, the best they've given their fans in the 20 years since Kirk Gibson and Orel Hershier willed another injury-wracked team past the heavily favored Mets in the NLCS and then the equally heavily favored A's in the World Series. Derided for winning just 84 games, these Dodgers put their strongest team on the field in October, one that over the course of a full season might have been ten wins better than their final record, and one that clearly illustrates that for all the faults of their management—the wasteful contracts dispensed by Ned Colletti, the lineup dickering of Joe Torre—the team's deep reserves of both talent and money can make them a formidable club when they do get it right.
Labels: dodgers
Thursday, October 16, 2008 |
ALCS Game 5: Red Sox 8, Rays 7
Dice-K gets the next three batters in order, but the Sox' offense has to make some noise.
Bottom 1st: Scott Kazmir gives up a walk to leadoff man Coco Crisp, not what he wanted. He's having trouble throwing strikes, but he gets Dustin Pedroia to bounce out hard to third for the first out of the inning. That sends Crisp into scoring position, but then David Ortiz strikes out swinging on three pitches.
Kazmir continues his wildness, walking Kevin Youkilis on four straight pitches. That puts a pair on with Jason Bay at the plate; Bay pops out to shallow right-center to end the threat. Still 2-0 Rays.
Top 2nd: After making the first two outs of the inning, Dice-K walks Gabe Gross, the number eight hitter, and Gross steals second. A quiet park is turning into a library. Dice-K gets Jason Bartlett to routinely fly out, but it's not one of the Japanese import's better games so far.
Bottom 2nd: Kazmir is throwing a lot of pitches, but he's so far keeping Boston down — and just as I write that, he plunks Jason Varitek with two out. Mark Kotsay singles on a low pitch to put men on first and second. After a check swing call goes against him, Kazmir gets Crisp to strike out swinging to end the frame.
Top 3rd: B.J. Upton singles, and Carlos Pena sneaks a homer near the right field foul pole to extend the Rays' lead to 4-0. Dice-K apparently left it elevated and in the middle of the plate — as he does again with Evan Longoria, who hammers one into the Monster seats to make it 5-0. Terry Francona is stalling for time to get his bullpen into the game.
Francona doesn't pull Dice-K, who rewards his manager by getting Carl Crawford to bounce out to the box, and Cliff Floyd to strike out to end the inning. The Boston radio booth reminds us that Tampa Bay has not surrendered a lead of three runs or more all season.
Bottom 3rd: Kevin Youkilis hits a two-out single, but Kazmir gets Jason Bay to strike out swinging to end the frame harmlessly. It's still 5-0 Rays, but Fenway is turning dyspeptic.
Bottom 6th: Kazmir retires the side in order; after 110 pitches he's almost certainly done, and it looks increasingly like the Red Sox are, too.
Bottom 7th: The Rays pick up a couple in the top of the seventh on a B.J. Upton double off Jonathan Papelbon, making puppies and orphans happy. Unfortunately, the Rays call on Grant Balfour, who inexplicably gives up four on a single by Dustin Pedroia and a three-run blast by David Ortiz to get off the floor. However, the Rays call on Dan Wheeler to get Kevin Youkilis to fly out to end the frame. 7-4 Rays, and that lead doesn't look so commanding anymore. On the other hand, the Sox are going to ask Papelbon to throw a ton of pitches to stay in this game, as he returns to face the 6-7-8 batters, starting with designated hitter Willy Aybar.
Top 8th: Aybar whiffs after another long at-bat on a tough splitter. He gets Dioner Navarro to fly out to deep center on a well-struck ball, and finishes off the frame by getting Gabe Gross on a 0-2 check swing strikeout. The Sox have the 5-6-7 batters coming up. This inning could be the game.
Bottom 8th: Jason Bay walks on four pitches from Wheeler, a terrible mistake early for the Rays reliever. J.D. Drew then crushes a mistake pitch into the right field seats to make it 7-6 Rays, and there's still nobody out.
Wheeler uncorks an immensely high, away pitch for the first in his sequence to Jed Lowrie, but Lowrie then swings through the next one and pops out to shallow left for the first out. Wheeler then whiffs pinch-hitter Sean Casey on a low and away changeup; he's still a little wild, but he's getting it done... until Mark Kotsay slams a double just over the head of B.J. Upton in center. The tying run is in scoring position for Coco Crisp.
Wheeler gets to a 3-2 count on Crisp, who then proceeds to foul off a bunch of pitches (including a couple of ball fours). Crisp then raps one into right field, and it's a tied game on an RBI single; Crisp erases himself trying for second to end the frame. It's a new game.
Top 9th: With Papelbon spent, the Sox call in Justin Masterson to hold down the Rays. It doesn't work (so far), as Jason Bartlett singles to start off the 9th. Akinuri Iwamura flies out to deep right with Bartlett running, so Bartlett returns to first. That brings up B.J. Upton. Upton walks after a bit of a battle (and Bartlett's attempted steal turns into nothing). Carlos Pena kills his team with a 4-6-3 double play. The inning's over, and the Sox will try to finish their comeback with the 2-3-4 batters due up.
Bottom 9th: Pedroia bounces one to the right side off J.P. Howell, and Longoria chases it down. It deflects off his glove to the third base foul line, but Bartlett gets to it and nips Pedroia for the first out. That brings up Big Papi, who tries for a bunt down the third base line with the shift on. It fails, and Papi strikes out on a beautiful 1-2 hook from Howell. Youkilis then smacks one down the third base line to Longoria, who makes a great stop — and then throws one into the right field seats when he bounces it in front of Carlos Pena.
The Rays elect to give an intentional pass to Jason Bay so Howell can face J.D. Drew. Howell on his first pitch nearly hits Drew. Howell goes to 3-0 on Drew on a breaking pitch that barely misses the plate, and after a get-me-over changeup, Drew welts one over the head of Gross to force a game six in Tampa. Longoria's error costs the Rays a win, and they go home to think about it.
Labels: live blogging, postseason, rays, recaps, red sox
Kim Ng Among Finalists In M's GM Search
Labels: blue jays, brewers, diamondbacks, dodgers, front office, mariners
Derek Lowe To Sell His Manhattan Beach Home
Labels: dodgers
Wednesday, October 15, 2008 |
I'm A Loser, Baby, So Why Don't You Kill Me? Phillies 5, Dodgers 1
Top 6th: James McDonald gets the side in order, and why Torre didn't consider him to start the game, I'll never know. It's the second time he's posted relief outings better than the starter in this series. (Small sample size caveat.)
Bottom 6th: Manny, in his Dodgers swan song, makes it 5-1 Phillies on a solo homer. Sigh.
Bottom 7th: With two on and two out, Jeff Kent strikes out, thus proving he's utterly useless, or else Joe Torre is stuck in 2000 or so.
Bottom 9th: Matt Kemp hits a warning track fly with a man on first, but that's the most interesting thing that happens. The Phillies go to the World Series for the first time since 1993, there to be crushed by whoever gets out of the AL. Goodbye Manny, Nomar, Brad Penny, and everyone else that's on their way out.
- Don Newcombe Alert: We've been told how Chad Billingsley is one of the best young pitchers in the game, and in the regular season, and even up to this series, he showed that. That disappeared, twice, in this series; he is 0-2 with an 18 ERA in two starts and five innings. It is early yet, but the "big game choker" label waits 'round the corner.
- Offense: Lines for offensive players in the NLCS with 15 or more AB's:
Casey Blake: .263/.333/.421
Andre Ethier: .227/.261/.273
Matt Kemp: .333/.474/.400
James Loney: .438/.526/.563
Russell Martin: .118/.318/.118
Manny Ramirez: .533/.682/1.067 - What an embarrassment of a game. Rafael Furcal made three errors in the fifth that proved critical. The offense was, essentially, Manny, and everyone else sleepwalked through it. I missed this at the end — maybe because they were too busy shooting the Phillies piling on one another — but apparently the home team was mercilessly booed:
They booed sadly horrible Chad Billingsley, who couldn't survive three innings for the second time in a week, couldn't consistently throw inside again, his two worst performances in his two biggest games, and who knows when he'll recover?
"I tried to do everything I could," he said softly.
They booed the painfully awful Rafael Furcal, who tried to play with a sore neck and paid for it with three errors in one inning that led to two runs that finished them.
"To have this happen on the last game of the year, that is tough," he said, also softly.
They booed the just plain lousy Blake DeWitt, who hit into two double plays and ended the series hitting .077 before he was replaced by Jeff Kent.
- We may have seen Greg Maddux throw his last professional pitch. If so, congratulations and have a great retirement.
- Speaking of congratulations, such are in order to the Phillies, who played well and generally showed up. The Dodgers certainly didn't.
- The now-all-but-certain Phillies/Rays matchup looks to be Fox's worst ratings nightmare.
- Tim Brown: "As the Dodgers imploded, Hamels got outs."
- Ned Colletti will return, proving that one good deal can overcome a handful of bad ones.
Labels: dodgers, live blogging, phillies, recaps
Matt Stairs Lives For This
“When you get that nice celebration coming into the dugout and you’re getting your ass hammered by guys — there’s no better feeling than to have that done.”
Sabernomics On Peavy's Potential Return
There has been much speculation about the possibility of Peavy landing with the Braves. However, I don’t think this will happen unless the Braves part with Jason Heyward, Tommy Hanson, or Jordan Schafer. And even one of these guys might not be enough. (For those of you who are high on Freddie Freeman, call me when he puts up some decent numbers above Low-A ball.) Frank Wren has stated that Hanson and Heyward are off limits. I don’t know what to think of Schafer, but apparently the Braves don’t have him on the public no-trade list.Another possibility is Kelly Johnson. He has three more arbitration years left, which would give some value to the Padres. But, I don’t know enough about San Diego’s situation to know if they could use him. And then we have to wonder when the Padres think they’ll be competitive again and how much cash they want to free up. If they think they can contend in 2010 and just want a few more dollars to shore up some other areas of the team, then a Peavy-for-Johnson swap might work.
Labels: braves, padres, rumors, trades
Rowdy Dodger Fans Getting Press; Now, Will The McCourts Do Something About It?
"It was pretty intense," said Dan Pike, 28, a Las Vegas resident and Phillies fan who was tormented for much of Monday's playoff game at Dodger Stadium by two brew-bleary home-team supporters sitting behind him.Add to that endless obscene taunting, security that is slow to react or missing in action, and horrible parking, and trips to Dodger Stadium can become a real drag. What concerns me about this piece isn't so much that it's getting written; that's a net positive. Given the McCourts' tendencies to treat everything as a PR problem, it strikes me likely that nothing will be done about it if they think they can make the perception go away without changing the reality.He endured pushing, shoving and obscene taunts, along with a seat soaking by strategically spilled Buds whenever he stood to cheer.
"After about eight beers, they were getting a little physical," said Pike, whose misery ended only when security officers hauled off the pair.
Labels: dodger stadium, dodgers
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 |
Angels, Dodgers On Peavy's Short List
“Jake has a strong preference to stay in the National League,” [Peavy's agent, Barry] Axelrod said. “It is hypothetical, but Jake, by any measure, has had a great deal of success in the National League. He has a comfort level with knowing how to approach hitters here.”Via Gaslamp Ball, which points out that Chicago's "winning tradition" might need some work....
Axelrod made one concrete stipulation to any trade scenarios: “Jake would only approve a trade to a team with a solid chance of winning and a winning tradition. Those teams in the National League may be in locations that are more acceptable, or would be.”
He said “the ability or opportunity to win is very important to Jake, and hopefully some sort of coincidence with his and his family's lifestyle.”
Among the cities Axelrod mentioned were Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and St. Louis.
Peavy and his wife Katie have three boys, one an infant, and this year moved into a home north of San Diego. Because of Peavy's intention to keep his family in San Diego for at least part of the year, Axelrod acknowledged that the Anaheim Angels are one AL club that would draw extra consideration.
Crossposted (sort of) at Halos Heaven and Bleed Cubbie Blue.
Earlier: Padres Put Peavy On The Block, Other Roster Notes
Labels: angels, astros, braves, cardinals, cubs, dodgers, padres, rumors, trades
ALCS Game 4: Rays 13, Red Sox 4
Justin Masterson gets right fielder Fernando Perez to strike out looking, but the Sox have a pretty sizeable mountain to climb.
Bottom 3rd: The Red Sox get one back on a homer by reserve catcher Kevin Cash. Carl Crawford didn't bother moving. 5-1 Rays.
Top 5th: Carl Crawford doubled and Willy Aybar singled him home, erasing himself on the basepaths along the way to renew a five-run lead. Masterson retired Navarro and Perez to finish the frame, but it's 6-1 Rays with half the game to go.
Top 6th: Manny Delcarmen gives up a one-out triple to Jason Bartlett, and follows it up with a walk to Akinuri Iwamura to put men on the corners. Upton knocks a 2-0 pitch to left to make it 7-1 Rays.
Delcarmen walks Carlos Pena to load the bases with only one out. That brings up Evan Longoria; Delcarmen takes him to a 1-2 count, but Longoria works the count full and walks. 8-1 Rays, and it's becoming another blowout. Terry Francona comes to get Delcarmen, replacing him with Javier Lopez.
Lopez immediately gives up a looping RBI single to Carl Crawford, and it's 9-1 Rays. The Sox need two grand slams to tie. Make that pull within one, as Willy Aybar smashes one to left to make it 10-1. They've posted four runs in the inning, the bags are still loaded, and there's only one out. The Rays announcers are debating whether to call it a "Boston Tee(off) Party" or a "Boston Massacre".
Dioner Navarro bounces out to Kevin Youkilis, scoring Longoria. Lopez then retires Perez on a bouncer to second, but it's out of control with the Sox running out of relievers. 11-1 Rays.
Bottom 6th: The Red Sox go out in order, Jed Lowrie, J.D. Drew, and Dustin Pedroia, and receive not a few boos along the way. Andy Sonnenstine has retired the last eleven in a row, and has two-hit Boston through six.
Finis: The Sox got one more in the seventh following a David Ortiz triple and Kevin Youkilis' scoring groundout, then both sides traded two run halves of the eighth, capping scoring at 13-4 Rays. Evan Longoria becomes the youngest player ever to hit five home runs in the postseason.
The Rays take a 3-1 lead in the series, and Boston will try to get a repeat of Game 1 with Daisuke Matsuzaka on the mound Thursday.
Labels: live blogging, postseason, rays, recaps, red sox
OT: Flaming Squirrels, The Fireman's Scourge
Padres Put Peavy On The Block, Other Roster Notes
- Amazing-But-True Stories Dep't: The Pad People are shopping ace Jake Peavy:
... Peavy ceases to [be] a bargain in 2010, when his salary climbs to $15 million and increases from there. If the team picks up its option for the 2013 season, Peavy will receive a $22 million salary.
The Angels might be interested, but I sort of doubt they have the players to get a deal like this done, especially with them needing to hoard all the offense they can now that Mark Teixeira is an unknown for 2009 and beyond."He wanted to be here, to make this his home," Peavy's agent, Barry Axelrod, said of the pitcher's mind-set last December. Axelrod noted that he had to be a "hard core agent" at the time, because Peavy was willing to go overboard in making concessions to stay in San Diego.
"Now we get hit with this," Axelrod said. "If he's here, he's going to make a significant portion of the team's salary. And if this is going to be a long-term build from within, it doesn't make sense to have Jake here if that's what they're going to do. If you're going to win 75 games a year, why pay him all that money?"
- Not to make this San Diego Central, but the Padres are filing a grievance against Khalil Greene because of a self-inflicted hand injury (he punched a storage cabinet after a July 30 strikeout) that cost him the last two months of the season. The team wants to recover up to $1.47M of his salary.
- Also, the Padres will offer Trevor Hoffman yet another contract, terms unknown.
- Among teams still playing, Mike Lowell will undergo hip surgery Monday, ending his season.
Labels: angels, injuries, padres, red sox, rumors
