Theo’s Sox WIN at Fenway
That’s right the Boston Red Sox are moving on to the ALCS once again for the fourth time in the last six years. We sent the Halos packing yesterday after a series to remember. I think we can all agree that every game was nerve wrecking and exciting and always left us waiting for the next game to start. Last night’s game was no exception. There was great pitching, timely hitting, and even a bit of controversy (which was cleared up).
This year the BoSox success had a different face. It wasn’t Manny, Papi, or Varitek that determined the outcome. It fell in the hands of young and new faces in the organization. Theo has been the mastermind behind our teams players and has once again proven that he can pick ‘em. The farm system that he relies so heavily on brought us Lowrie and Lester; A headline trade brought us Mr. Bay.
It was these young faces that came through for the Red Sox all series long. As I have mentioned before (see: … A Complete Team), the Red Sox have an amazing chemistry of players. I think it is no surprise to true Red Sox fans that we have nine stars on the field every night. Our lineup is stacked, with every single one of them capable of big plays. This linup is potent and dangerous, even moreso in October.
These playoffs have awoken a beast in the Red Sox and the remaining teams should beware. Now it’s on to Tampa. Bad blood is evident. If we thought the Halos series was good… we are in for a surprise this coming Friday.
Whoduya Like!?
The NLCS is set. And who would have thought… The Dodgers and the Phillies. These two team were not on anybody’s radar this preseason. Why is it that every year this happens in the NL? Teams that no one expects come to life and are all of a sudden playoff contenders. Oh wait… I forget that the NL is a weak league allowing any team to finish on top. I guarantee if you put, let’s say… uummmm, the Padres in the playoffs; Maybe they are in the NLCS.
Anyway, back to the Dodgers and the Phillies. Congrats to both teams. It is definately going to be a great series filled with everything you can ask for… great hitting, descent pitching, and some BIG names to go with it.
If I had to make a prediction I would put my loot on the Dodgers. With the experience coming from Torre, Manny, and Blake the Dodgers have enough young talent and energy to contend against Howard and Rollins. So I say the Dodgers in 5.
Beckett… What Happened? Can We Rebound?
(Deep Breath)… I thought we had this thing locked up. Beckett came out flat last night. He wasn’t throwing any first-pitch strikes, he was getting behind on hitters and allowing them to get on base. Not to mention allowing Napoli. Who you ask? Yeah Napoli cranked not one, but TWO big flies over deep left and left-center. If it wasn’t for the total break down in center field for the Halos, there was a chance that we were out of that game real early.
Hats off go to the Red Sox for sticking to it. We got the bats going, sporatically which allowed them to stay. The bullpens for both teams were great. Oki, Masterson, Pap, and even Lopez pitched very well. It really was just a matter of time before someone caught a break and it fell with the Halos.
Tonight the series gets interesting as it stays in Fenway, but now the Halos are on a bit of a high… Let’s see how well Lester calms them down. Let’s also hope that Pedroia and Ortiz come alive and begin to hit the ball. Our entire line-up is wacking it except them. We cannot continue to count on sporatic hitting in hopes that we can hold them. The Angels will find a way to win, just as they did last night.
But what can I say? Welcome to October baseball. It would not be any fun if every series was a sweep, right?… Although I would have wished for it in this case. Catch you bloggers after the game.
NL Races… Done?
The NL races have become interesting with one series already over in dramatic fashion and the other turning around on the basis of home field advantage (maybe).
The Cubbies have fallen short of their dream of progressing further than the first round. Anyone that watched them could easily say that they were not the team that we were used to seeing from April to September. I feel for the Cubs fans. Better luck next year, I guess.
As for Dodger blue… They, too, are a different team than we have seen. The Dodgers were not even in playoff talk in mid-July. Then Manny vacations to L.A. and all of a sudden the Dodgers are a contender. More than that, they are now the first contender in the NLCS. They haven’t won a series since their 1988 World Series Championship and once again, they look untouchable.
The Dodgers await the winner between the Brew Crew and the Phanatics. As it looks right now (5-0 Phills in the 4th), Blue will visit Philadelphia on Thursday. So unless the Brewers can start pleasing the home crowd this series will go as planned and the Phills will move on.
Either way the NL races are progressing as we move through October.
Deja Vu…
Last night was officially October’s first nail biter… If you missed it, you missed a good one. I was on the edge of my seat the entire night. With the Red Sox off to an early lead in the 1st inning, the Halos slowly climbed back into the game. It was almost as if the Angels’ runs came out of nowhere. They did not do anything special, having only one extra base hit in the game. So it was like all of a sudden the Angels were with in one…. then came the tie with Pap on the mound.
If all that wasn’t enough the Halos called on their record-breaker. Yeah, the one with the over-flamboyant celebration after striking our one batter as they are up three runs against the A’s. Yeah him. He was a very different character playing against the Sox. He was able to get out of the 8th untouched, but not the 9th. The Red Sox over the past 3 postseasons have demolished the Angels passed the 8th innings. Last night was no different.
Last year, Manny provided the fireworks in dramatic fashion as K-Rod gave up a walk-off homer to end it. This year we let our early season hero, Drew take the cake. On a 2-2 count, K-Rod served up what looked to be a similar pitch. Either way it was the same result. A long ball into deep center field putting the Red Sox ahead 7-5, and more importantly, allowing K-Rod to simply dip his face into his glove and forget all he did this season. Because afterall, none of it mattered anymore.
The Red Sox came alive when it counted most. Tonight an experienced team took to the field. Tonight the best team won. It is obvious, throughout this playoffs, that the best team during the season means absolutely sh*t. We are in October. The level of the game raises to another level. The Angels still have not figured it out. See you guys in game 3, as Beckett takes the mound to sweep the series.
Mr. Baseball
Jacoby was a shadowed star in Boston’s ALDS Game 1. With Lester pitching such a great game, holding the Halos to almost nothing (1 UNearned run) and Bay hitting a smash that put the Sox in front. But Ellsbury had a game filled with everything a baseball player can do… He had the complete game. From hitting to fielding to running, Jacoby did it all. Here are the numbers just in case you were curious or needed a reminder:
– 3 for 5 which inclded a two-bagger
– 2 stolen bases which helped manufacture runs
– A diving catch that prevented a rally for the Halos
I have enjoyed watching Jacoby since last year’s post season. I thought he was the World Series MVP. He hit over .400 with huge hits that wouldn’t stop. Not to deminish Lowell’s award, but Jacoby gave us the spark. Since then he carries himself as if he has been in the show for 10 years. He has a natural ability to play the game and he is wise beyond his years.
This year he comes into October with a hitting streak and a hunger to win it again. Jacoby is not only the future of the BoSox, he is the future of baseball. He represents everything that is good. Any parents out there looking for a ball player to have your 7-year old watch?… Watch Jacoby. You won’t be sorry. He is Mr. Baseball and I consider it a privelage to be able to watch this young man’s future Hall of Fame career unfold before our eyes. In the meantime, I will watch him guide the Sox into the World Series.
More than a Game 1 Victory for Me
It was a bitter sweet day for me today with some good news and some bad. Beginning with the ladder, I recieved some bad news today that puts my life on hold. I was devastated to say the least. I cried, I pondered, and I speculated and planned out my next move. Just when my tears had been cleared up by a long afternoon nap, the Red Sox game was only minutes away. I thought, “Please, gimme this one..” I didn’t think I could take any more bad news today.
It was Bay’s home run that cracked my first smile in hours. It was Lester’s pitching that got me from laying down to sitting upright. It was the Red Sox persuit to victory that made me think that tomorrow is a new day. Much like the Sox, I need to wake up and do it again. As corny and stupid as this blog may seem, even to me, it gave me an outlet. Thank God for October Baseball…
The Sox – A complete TEAM
I’m not going to lie… I was a bit worried when Beckett was pushed back to pitch Game 3. But Lester continues to write his magnificant story with another October chapter. Not only was this a win, but one in which gives the Red Sox home field advantage. Lester pitched 7 strong innings that held off the Angels bats long enough until ours came to life.
It was Bay that got got us off the bench to watch the big fly over left on a hanging changer. His homer not only put us in front for good, but allowed Lester to work in the lead rather than from behind. Anyone who knows baseball, this is a huge psyc advantage for a pitcher and an entire team. Big plays all over the field did the job for the Sox tonight.
It had adverse effects on the Halos as they suddenly became deflated on both sides of the ball. A big play by Youk, making a play on a running Vlad, made it clear that the Angels hopes in this game were now over. They began to struggle and the BoSox were able to purchase some insurance in the 9th.
The momentum now swings into our dugout with Dice-K taking the mound who, by the way, is 9-0 on the road this year. It must have been a ploy by the Sox front office to push Beckett back to game 3 so that he can close out the series in Boston. I hear you loud and clear Teery and Theo. Keep it up.
Controversial Coin-Flip
A coin flip was all it took to decide what venue the last regular season game would took place. Chicago was thrilled after yesterday’s victory over the Tigers and rode the wave into tonight’s game. And what a game it was– no score going into the bottom half of the 7th. That is until Thome hit a 461 foot shot over dead center; It was as if the long ball was worth 3 or 4 runs with the crowd. It was devastating for the Twins who were able to get but 2 hits in the the pitching duel.
My hats go off to Minnesota. They had just a good a season, if not better, than the ChiSox. They owned the season series 10-8 which leads me to my next point… Is the coin-flip a just way of handling the most important game of the year for these two clubs? I would think that the Twins get the nod because of their edge in head-to-head matches. Instead it was held in Chicago where black was in effect. Not only was the momentum in thier favor, but they were fortunate to have the crowd and the confines of a ”Windy City” behind them.
This situation must change in the future. With so many games played between the teams during the season, it is a shame that they mean nothing when it comes to a situation like this. Maybe the Twins win in Minnesota; Maybe they don’t. What matters is that it would have been fair to the team that was better during the regular season. In the end, this is what October baseball is all about, the excitement and controversy all mixed in one. Maybe the ChiSox will make a push. The Rockies did after last year’s controversial call that went their way… I’ll be watching.
BoSox Banged Up Heading into October
The news today was that our ace (Beckett) injured himself during some bullpen warm-ups this week. Apparently he strained his oblique muscle. Now, I am in rehab by profession so I know the kind of torque a pitcher puts into his core musculature. Sources say that there is nothing to be worried about. They are simply going to push his start back to game 3 which means he will pitch the playoff opener in Boston. Worst case scenario– we are down 2 games love and Beckett comes and saves the series and swings the momentum back in our favor. Best case… we clinches the sweep for us in BOSTON!
But… this is not the only injury report on our table. Drew, and Lowell are still suffering from their ailments. Reports say that they should be ready for the series opener, so let’s hope that it will be a legitamate showing for the two. Putting myself in Francona’s cleats, I’d say to put them in, feel them out, and if it goes sour we got Kotsay and Lowrie ( or Cora).
This year it is the BoSox who are banged up, not the Halos. Let’s hope for a similar result as last year. Go SOX!
mlblogshecolo
Recent Comments