Looking for a pic of Jon I found this one – the photo Jon brought me last September – ESPN linked to it for "Uni Watch" back in March. Go figure.Okay, I got in right on time…just saw the Lesters on tv…luckily it’s an away game so I didn’t miss Jon’s first pitch.
It’s been a while since I live-blogged, so I’m sure I’ll be rusty. Bear with me. 🙂
7:08 – Jake Westbrook’s first pitch to Coco is a strike. Here’s hoping Dale’s theory about strikes to start the game is wrong tonight!
7:09 – NICE Coco gets a hit the other way. Good way to begin things. Keep it up Pedroia.
I’m very happy to see Jon back, but I have to disagree with the prevailing attitude around the Nation that it doesn’t matter whether or not he wins the game. It’s an amazing story, and regardless of how he does personally, it’s still a great story. But I want to win this game. There, I said it.
7:12 – Pedroia hits a single and we have two on to bring up Youk. Just the way I like it.
7:14 – Youk walks. I’m becoming fond of Jake Westbrook.
7:16 – Manny shuts up the booers and knocks in two runs with a double!!!!!!! (Okay, maybe he didn’t shut up the booers, but no matter!) 2-0 Sox, baby! No outs and JD Drew up.
7:18 – PILE IT ON!!!! JD knocks Youk in!!!! Sox up 3-0 with still no outs. Take that all you JD Drew haters! 😀
I worry that Jon will need this lead.
7:20 – Mike Lowell hits into a double play yet knocks Manny in. 4-0 Sox/2 outs. RSC’s Player of the Week is up.
7:22 – Apparently, the "W" in Westbrook stands for ‘walks’. Captain walks to bring up Eric Hinske.
7:23 – Not being able to stand prosperity, Hinske grounds out. NESN is keeping the camera on Jon as he comes out and they, of course, show his parents as they cut back to him and then to commercial. Now, I’m as emotional about this as anyone, but there comes a point when we have to get off Jon’s back and just let him pitch.
7:26 – Let’s go, Jon. First pitch strike. (Woo-hoo, it was!)
7:27 – 1-2 to Grady. Knock him out, Jon.
7:27b – Sizemore hits the ball, pretty much right to Youk. 1 out.
7:29 – Jason Michaels strikes out swinging and we get the reaction shot of the Lesters. Please, NESN, you’re killing me.
7:30 – Casey Blake gets a hit to left field. Way to screw up our plans, Casey.
7:31 – I’ve seen Jon pitch a couple of times this year (in person and on tv), if it’s possible, he seems to be more comfortable right now than when I saw him. Hope that’s a good sign. Now get Pronk out so we can all take a break, Jon.
7:32 – Well done, right to Coco. 4-0 Sox at the end of 1.
7:35 – Maxwell points out the home plate umpire squeezing both Lester and Westbrook in the comments, have to say that I agree. What the heck, eh?
7:36 – Okay, we know this is emotional, we know this is remarkable, I agree on both counts, but, really NESN, you don’t have to beat us to death with this, we already know it.
7;36b – Coco hits it to left center and is standing on second with one out. I’ll take it.
7:37 – Pedroia makes what they call an unproductive out. Two away.
7:38 – Oh for the love of God stop showing the Lesters. If they wanted to be on tv, they’d be doing interviews. Leave the folks alone, NESN.
7:39 – YOOOOOUK! Base hit to bring Crisp home!!! 5-0 Sox. Were those boos or ‘Youuuks’?
7:40 – I don’t usually like to see a pitcher get hammered, but I want it tonight. Pile, pile, pile, boys.
7:41 – Manny has a 1-2 count. Come on, Manny, commence to piling on.
7:42 – Strike three called as Manny tried walking to first. Lovely. 5-0 Sox.
7:44- Lots of Lester signs in the stands…
7:45 – At least Don and Jerry are being realistic about Lester’s pitching last year. How many of us remember all the men on base and then his pitching his way out of trouble?
7:46 – Jon hits Donnie Darko, er, Ryan Garko with no outs and Jhonny Peralta up…
7:47 – Double play…nice way to take advantage of hitting a guy…
7:48 – A Trot sighting!!! Of course, in the dugout since he’s ‘resting’ today…
7:49 – Ah, bored with Lester Don and Jerry have moved on to Trot…
7:50 – Jon shook Tek off twice on that last pitch before he struck out Gutierrez. He best not be making a habit of that. End of 2, Sox 5, Indians 0.
7:53 – Donnie Darko makes a great stop and JD Drew is out.
7:54 – Man, Lowell gets a hit but was almost robbed of it. Nice try Indians guy.
7:55 – When you call a hit and run it helps if the batter hits the ball, no? Goodbye Mike Lowell.
7:56 – Tek walks again. Westbrook looks so happy in his photo on Game Day.
7:58 – Eric Hinkse walks as well. Two on, two out and Jakey looks less happy than in his Game Day photo.
7:59 – Lugo leaves them stranded…oh well.
8:02 – Kelly Shoppach versus Jon Lester…2-2…
8:03 – Shoppach is Lester’s third strike out. Very nice!
8:05 – Coco couldn’t get to it so Josh Barfield is on first with one out.
8:06 – Oh that wasn’t good. Grady Sizemore just went yard, baby. 5-2 with one out…and now two outs…
8:09 – Jon walks Casey Blake on four pitches with Pronk up next….
8:12 – And Pronk strikes out! 5-2 Boston at the end of the third!
8:17 – Woo-hoo, Coco gets the single!!! And now Tina C has Jon’s parents on…his mom looks really emotional, they don’t look very happy to be doing it. Can’t say that I blame them.
8:21 – Double play. Oh Dustin…
8:22 – Jake Westbrook now has attitude. 5-2 Sox going into Cleveland’s fourth.
8:23 – Just remembered that Clemens is pitching against the Royals tonight.
8:25 – Lester has 50 pitches coming into this inning. And now Donnie Darko is up and hits one off the wall for a double.
8:29 – Jhonny has a full count…Come onJon, settle down. Crap. He walked him. 
Two on, no outs.
8:31 – Jon has 4 strikeouts thus far. Not too shabby for his return, eh?
8:32 – Crap. 3-1 count. Jerry is saying that his shoulder is flying open. He has said this about pitchers before and I always had a tough time seeing it. Oddly enough, I picked it right up with Jon. Not happy, baby.
8:33 – Julian Tavarez is up in the bullpen. He has become a player I won’t pick on. Dude is all about the team and you can’t say anything better than that about him. Thank you for everything, Yo-Yo, we love ya!
8:34 – WOOO! Fifth strike out on Gutierrez! Yeah, baby!!
8:36 – I could do with a double play here boys. This 2-0 count won’t do.
8:37 – Shoppach v Lester and on four pitches Jon loads the bases. Chill the hell out, Jon.
8:38 – Man he’s throwing them high.
8:38b – Back at Lester and he throws Donnie Darko out at home after bobbling the ball. Well, at least there’s two outs and no one scored, but the bases are still loaded with Grady Sizemore coming up. 🙁
8:41 – Yeah, let’s show Jon’s parents agonizing over him being ‘in trouble’, that’s good television. /sarcasm
8:42 – Wow. Grady just swung at quite the crappy pitch. Nice work, Jon! 5-2 at the end of four. Flashbacks to last season when it felt like Jon did that in every one of his outings.
8:43 – The Kansas City feed looks like something out of the 1970s…what the hell? Either that or it’s really foggy in Kansas City.
8:45 – Ah Cleveland fans never forget Manny. 🙂
8:47 – Manny hits it off the wall which, of course, means he’s only on first base. Jerry is not happy.
8:49 – So, of course, JD hits into a double play. Jerry won’t be letting Manny walking to first go.
8:50 – And that ends that. 5-2 bottom of the fifth.
8:52 – Jon back on the mound. 6 strikeouts thus far on 77 pitches. Come on Jon, you really only have to get through one more inning (though I’d prefer more…)
8:53 – Well that was fun. Youk catches the foul pop up…
8:54 – Casey Blake is up…he worries me…
8:55 – But he doesn’t worry Coco. 2 outs.
8:57 – Pronk pops up, 1-2-3 inning for Jon. 5-2 at the end of five.
8:59 – Cap’n is up. Ooh, they’re showing the sunset, preeety. (I’m a fool for the sky!) Tek is out. That was quick.
9:00 – Hinske tried to kill Donnie Darko with his bat, to no avail, thankfully.
9:04 – Hinske makes the second out/Lugo gets a hit…here comes Covelli!
9:07 – Well that was fruitless.
9:11 – One down for Jon in the 6th.
9:12 – Jhonny Peralta is Jon’s mortal enemy now. Hits one to center. One on, one out, Tavarez and Lopez up in the bullpen.
9:13 – Double play, baby!!!!! 5-2 after six! Way to go, Jon!
9:16 – Everyone say good night to Jakey and hello to Jensen Lewis.
9:17 – "Mike Timlin is up by himself" , this seems to make Donnie O very excited. Jon’s thrown 96 pitches. Good chance he isn’t coming back out.
9:19 – Noticing lots of hits for "Jon Lester Shirts" bringing folks here tonight. I still have a handful of K Cancer shirts if folks are interested. One of the ‘issues’ is the number on the shirt is 62 not 31. I’m not actively selling them any longer out of respect for Jon’s wishes for everyone to move past the cancer, so tonight will be the last time I mention it.
9:20 – While I rambled, Pedroia hit a single. Let’s go Youk.
9:21 – Nice. Bring in the new pitcher, get two hits off of him. Good work, fellas.
9:24 – Manny strikes out looking and the Cleveland fans, they are happy.
9:25 – JD makes the second out. So is Jon coming out for the seventh or is it Timlin?
9:26 – Mike Lowell is up with a 1-1 count. Come on Mr Double!
9:28 – A popup to Grady Sizemore isn’t what I was hoping for Mike. Looks like Jon is staying on the bench, bring on my man Mike Timlin!
9:30 – Congratulations to Jon Lester on his return! 6 innings, 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 3 walks and 6 strikeouts on 96 pitches (55 for strikes). Way to come back strong, Jon!
9:32 – Here comes my man Mike. Starting off with a 3-0 count. Cut it out, Mike.
9:33 – Crisp gets the first out for Mike. Between this year and last, Mike owes Coco a lifetime of special favors.
9:34 – Two outs on a pop-up and Grady goes after the first pitch and pops it up! Still 5-2 to end the 7th.
9:38 – Jason Stanford is in for Cleveland to face the Captain.
9:38b – Hey the Royals got a run!
9:39 – Don Orsillo was born the same year as me. For what that’s worth. 🙂
9:40 – Sox already have two outs. Time flies when you’re having fun.
9:40b – Well Casey Blake almost killed himself doing it, but he caught Lugo’s pop up. 5-2 Sox, Indians’ 8th.
9:43 – Pardon me while I’m chickie for a minute: I love Mike Timlin’s jawline. Okay, I’m done.
9:46 – Mike and his jaw strike out Michaels. Woot!!! Here comes Casey Blake to be mowed down by Mike.
9:48 – Or not. Since being on first isn’t being mowed down. Cyn you suck. Tito is taking Mike out and bringing in Javier Lopez. I give Tito credit for not wasting time. Get these guys out, end this game soon.
9:51 – Maxwell called it in the comments earlier. CB Buckner is behind home plate and, basically, everyone hates his calls.
9:53 – Tito takes out Javier after he does his job. 2 outs and Little Manny is on his way.
9:58 – Three pitchers struck out three batters. Okay, I’ll take it. 5-2 Sox after 8.
10:02 – Yay! Coco on second!
10:03 – Wild pitch or passed ball? Either way, Coco is on third with no outs and a 2-1 count on Pedroia.
10:04 – Passed ball.
10:05 – Pedroia gets a hit and Coco scores! 6-2!
10:08 – Tom Mastny is in and we hear the "Let’s Go Red Sox" chant in Cleveland!!
10:10 – Mastny strikes out Youk but we’re still hearing the Sox chants.
10:13 – Manny helps make this an entirely too long ninth inning. Men on first and second with one out and JD up.
10:22 – Sox half over, Little Manny has two outs…almost time for bed. 🙂
10:23 – Shot of Lester in the dugout looking very relaxed. Nice to see.
10:24 – Little Manny has a 1-2 count…
10:24b – The six year-old yells "Yes! The Red Sox win, the Red Sox win!!!" so I guess that’s the end of the game!
Nicely done Jon…and the rest of the team. Nice win. Great night.
10 comments for “The, “I’m here I’m here” Live Blog!”