Yet Another Optimist’s Live Blog

Mine will be one of, oh, probably 1000 live blogs of Game 7 tonight.  I’m not live blogging for traffic, though.  I’m live blogging because the universe compels me to.  It worked in Game 5, it worked for Game 6 and I’m hoping it works for Game 7.

In any event, I’m here.  And here for the long haul.  Win or lose, I’m sticking with them. It’s the least I can do.

I have a good feeling about the team and especially Crabcakes tonight.  The Red Sox aren’t ready to call it a season.

Join me for the live blog, won’t you?  8:00pm EST.  Even if TBS screws it up again!  😆

7:37 – NESN is showing the 5:30pm presser with Tito.  He looks calm.  Sounds like his usual annoyed self with the reporters.  He makes me feel confident.

7:44 – According to NESN “First Pitch: 22:50″  and I’m giddy.

7:47 – Remy is hoping there is no “goat” on either side tonight.

7:50 – Donnie O interviewing Rocco Baldelli…stop trying to make me like the Rays tonight, NESN.

7:53 – Incidentally, that photo of Crabby?  The only one you’ll see here unless something happens in the game that warrants photos going up.  And I know the new-fangled blogging software is easier reading and you’ll probably get it from me next season, but we keep the mojo going by my live-blogging old school.

7:57 – I just turned on TBS and they were showing Crabcakes (Jon Lester for those of you joining me for the first time!) live.  He looks incredibly focused.  This, this makes me happy.

8:00 – It’s 8pm and we have baseball-related programming on TBS.  This is a good sign.

8:06 – The overhead shot TBS was using to show the Trop showed what is probably a little league baseball park across the highway from Tropicana Field.  The grass on the little league field looked 1000 times better than whatever the hell the Rays play on.

8:07 – No Lowrie tonight, we get Alex Cora batting ninth.  I’m guessing this has something to do with his good fortune against Matt Garza?

8:08 – Carlos Pena gave the “We’re better than them” speech before the game, according to Craig Sager.  Let’s see how that works.

8:09 – Coco is .450 in the post-season this year.  Wowza.  First pitch is a ball.  Let’s do this, fellas.

8:10 – Matt Garza has earpluggy things in his ears.  So he can’t hear his own crowd?  Guess those cowbells are counter-productive tonight.  Coco bunts for the first out.

8:11 – PEDIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Munchkin power, baby!!!  Home run!!!!

8:12 – 3 home runs in the ALCS for Pedroia, thus far.  He sucks not.

8:13 – Does Garza spit after every pitch?

8:14 – If they can all boo in unison when Papi steps out of the batter’s box, why can’t they all cheer in unison without using noisemakers and cowbells?  (Full count to Papi, incidentally.)

8:15 – Papi walks.  Many boo.

8:16 – Garza gets a bit close to Youk with that pitch.  I don’t think getting Youk pissed will work in your favor Spitty McSpittsalot.

8:17 – Youk will have his revenge later in the game.  For now, he flies out to Baldelli.  Papi on first, two outs and JD Drew is up…

8:18  Sweet swing by JD.  Too bad he missed the ball completely.  1-1 count.

8:19 – 1-2 count and we get cowbell…

8:19b – JD goes around and Crabcakes is taking the mound.  I have faith…I have faith…

8:21 – The “Cyn’s friends at important games” mojo continues with Brenken (aka Susan), JET (aka Janine) and Alexis all being at the Trop tonight.  This gives me great confidence.

8:22 – Lester’s first pitch is a strike.  Ron Darling is talking about how great his season was.  What’s the over under on the first time CANCER is mentioned?

8:24 – 1-2 count.  TBS showed Luis Alicea on the bench.  He has the psycho eyes tonight.  Think these guys are a little tweaked?

8:25 – Ground out to Pedroia and Iwamura goes back to his dugout.  Happy trails.

8:26 – Lester’s cap looks a little Trot Nixonish tonight.  2-2 count on Upton.

8:27 – FUCK YOU CHIP CARAY!!!!  He was getting ready for his “Track Wall Home run” or whatever friggin’ thing he says but NO JD Drew catches the fly ball.  2 outs.  Yippee!!

8:29 – Carlos Pena has a 1-2 count.  Ron Darling notes that Crabby had 4 pitches in the first inning in his last start and now he has 14.  Yeah, Ron, having only 4 pitches in that first inning really helped him then didn’t it?

8:30 – Garza is spitting in the dugout.  Dude gives me the heebie-jeebies.  2-2 count on Carlos.

8:31- Sit down, Carlos.  Swinging strike…he haz a sad.  1-0 Sox at the end of one.

8:34 – Jay Bay has an 0-2 count and we learn that Derryl Cousins is home and resting.  Hey I know let’s whats do!  Let’s show Cousins getting hurt again!

8:35 – Wait a minute.  Isn’t Angel Hernandez the umpire pretty much universally known as the suckiest umpire in MLB???  Bay strikes out.  I’m crabby about Hernandez.

8:36 – Spitty no longer has earplugs in.  Nice of you to join the game, Matt.

8:37 – Kotsay takes a good shot but, alas, he’s out.

8:38 – Why does it surprise the TBS dudes that the Red Sox dugout was happy that Tek hit a home run last night?  I mean, REALLY?

8:39 – They just showed a crowd of about forty Rays fans…almost all in gear.  Only one in something that wasn’t made this year.  Doesn’t necessarily mean anything…but it still bugs me a little.

8:40 – Buck Martinez best not say a freaking thing about Tek’s “C”.  Full count to the Captain.

8:42 – Tek takes strike 3.  Okay, no worries.  Still 1-0 Sox.  Longoria will be up when the inning resumes.  Now we get the pink taco commercial.  Yay.

8:45 – Crabcakes already has a 2-0 count on Longoria.  I can’t tell you, between last night and tonight, how many times I’ve initially typed “count” without the “u”.  3-1 count for Evan.

8:46 – Lovely.  Ground ball to Cora.  We have out numero uno.  “Here’s Carl Crawford”.  Get him out, Crabby.  Do it for Matt Clement!

8:48 – Crawford strikes out swinging on 3 pitches.   Sweeet.

8:49 – It just struck me that I wasn’t appreciating the importance of this game.  Holy shit it’s game 7.  That is all.

8:49b – Three quick outs.  So far, Lester looks pretty freaking good.

8:51 – I admit it.  I totally heart the MLB application on my iPhone.  I also admit that, when not in character, I think Frank Caliendo looks like a big old teddy bear.  🙂

8:52 – Cora starts the third inning.  He is 2 for 8 in the post-season.  I love AC, I do.  I just don’t get putting him in here.

8:53 – 1 out to Carl Crawford.  Back to Coco who gets booed like he’s Hitler.  I love it!  😆

8:55 – Hmmm…that ball was a little close to Coco’s back.

8:56 – Coco has a 1-2 count.  Spitty doesn’t seem to like the cowbells much.

8:57 – Coco strikes out and we get a shot of the Heckler (he was in the grey t-shirt) in the crowd.  2 outs.

8:58 – The TBS dudes are excited to tell us that Dustin Pedroia is short.  This broadcast should win an award.

9:00 – Spitty hits Pedroia on the arm.  Thank you for the base.  I hope you pay dearly.

9:01 – If you’re reading this after the fact, I beg you, read the comments.  I’m dying here.  😆

9:02 – Pedroia takes second on a really shitty pitch.  Papi has a 2-2 count.

9:03 -Papi strikes out.  1-0 Sox going to the bottom of the third.   Jeez…Ron Darling calls him ORteez too?

9:06 – Lester v Navarro.  This time it’s personal.

9:07 – Navarro looks like that kid from the original Bad News Bears movie…Miguel?

9:08 – Remember in 2004 when little kids were getting their hair cornrowed?  I didn’t realize how dumb that looked until I saw all these little kids in Tampa with mohawks.  Navarro has a 3-2 count.

9:09 – Lester fears your full counts not.  Navarro strikes out and the pride of Rhode Island is up.

9:10 – Oooh….we’re going to get the Rocco Baldelli sickness story instead of the cancer talk.  Crabcakes would be psyched!

9:11 – Rocco strikes out.  Don’t be sad, Rocco.  Navarro struck out too!

9:11b – On Crabby’s first pitch, Bartlett pops it up. 1-0 Sox after 3.  Popping open the Red Bull now.

9:14 – Okay, Youk, enough of this.  Get a hit.

9:15 – It sounded like Martinez called Navarro “DeMarlo”.  Yeah, Red Sox on the brain, I have it.

9:15b – 2-2 count to Youk.  Who, according to Ron Darling, has a “chip on his shoulder”.

9:16 – Youk hits it to Longoria, who throws him out.  1 out, JD up.

9:17 – Maddon is doing the in-game interview. This means, I’m guessing, that we’ll get Tito too.  Fun times ahead.

9:17b – Drew pops up.  2 outs.  How did I forget that Garza and Navarro had a “brush up” as Darling called it?  Another in-team fight would totally rock.

9:19 – 1-2 count on Jay Bay.  Come on, dude, get yourself to the World Series.

9:20 – Jay Bay is saving it for the seventh inning.  3 outs.  Ooh, did I mention that there was a story on the local news where they interviewed a psychic?  She said the Sox would win it, but that the game would be kind of slow and draggy until the seventh inning.  I was making fun of it as I watched it, but I’m hoping she might be right.

9:23 – Crabcakes gives up the first hit and Caray uses his “thunder” line again, but this time for the Rays.  Iwamura on first…

9:24 – Double play…double play…double play…(hey it could happen!)

9:25 – 1-2 count on Upton.  My chest hurts a little.

9:26 – That was friggin’ sweet!  Upton goes down swinging.  Guess that makes him silent thunder or something, eh Chip?  Carlos Pena could hit into a double play right now and I’d be very happy.

9:27 – “Don’t worry about beating the Boston Red Sox”.  Who should they worry about beating, the Yankees?

9:28 – I take great pride in the fact that when “Blitzkreig Bop” gets played at Fenway, it isn’t to get the crowd into the game, it’s to get the crowd to encourage the opposing pitcher to throw a freaking pitch!

9:29 – Not a double play, but Pedroia gets the lead guy!!!!!  Sit down Iwamura!  2 outs, 1 on, someone with noisy at-bat music up.

9:29b – That would be Evan Longoria, who has an 0-1 count.

9:31 – Let’s not hit him, Jon.  An out.  Get yourself the third out.

9:31b – Nice pitch, Crabby.  2-2 count, baby!

9:32 – Oh shit.  How was he not out?  Tie score.  Fuck.  (Mind you, I know he wasn’t out.  They should have had him.)  Tie score.  1-1.

9:33 – Come on, Jon, get yourself out of the inning.  0-2 count to Crawford.

9:34 – Youk’s a little tough on himself for not catching a not-catchable ball.  Hey, it’s the “Let’s go Mets” cheer!!

9:35 – Crawford chases and misses.  1-1 at the end of the 4th.  No worries.  Kotsay will start the scoring again.

9:38 – Why are there so man ballparks outside The Trop?

9:40 – Ooh, Crabby lookes PISSED in the dugout.  Channel that energy, dude.  3-1 count to Kotsay, Lord of Thunder.

9:40b – Kotasy pops out to bring up Tek.  9 pitch at-bat his first time up.  Let’s do that again except end it with a home run, kay?

9:41 – Or make an out on the first pitch you see.  Six of one…

9:42 – Cora has an 0-2 count…Oh Alex, you make baby Jesus cry.

9:44 – They’re showing the “More Cowbell” SNL sketch on the scoreboard at the Trop right now.  Alexis is probably thisclose to killing someone.

9:45 – Lester throws a first-pitch strike and BINGO!!! Who had 9:45 EST for the time when TBS started talking about the cancer???????

9:46 – Incidentally, why are they mentioning Josh Hamilton?  His story isn’t even close to Lester’s or Baldelli’s.

9:47 – And CRAP.  Aybar hits a double.  Oh man.  Just chill out, Crabs, chill out.

9:48 – The fifth inning is too early for me to stop typing and start pacing, right?

9:49 – Okay, Jon, tough love here.  Cut the sucky shit out  and get this fucker out.  3-1 to Navarro.

9:50 – WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT???????  No play?  Fuck me.  Two on, no outs.

9:51 – I love you AC.  I want Lowrie.  That’s okay, we’ll get a double play from Rocco.

9:52 – Baldelli hits a “towering” foul ball.  Chip Caray sounds like he wants to cry.

9:53 – Well, fuck.  Base hit.  Another run scores.  2-1 Tampa.

9:54 – Come on, Jon, shake this shit off and get outs.

9:57 – Good Job, Jon.  Bartlett strikes out to bring up Iwamura.  Now’s the time for the double play ball mofo.

9:57b – Screw it, I’ll take the out anyway we can get it.  One more of those, Jon, one more.

9:59 – Upton is out…way to go, Jon.  2-1 Rays lead.  Sox can overcome that.

10:02 – Coco, Pedie, Papi…I can dig it.

10:04 – A random quote of the night from Ron Darling “I’m definitely hip to that”.  Are you “hip”, Ron?  Somehow, I don’t think so.

10:05 – Well, crap.  Coco’s out.  Come on, Pedie, we need your MVP magic, baby!

10:07 – Pedie has a 2-2 count…and I’m shaking just a little bit. 🙂

10:09 – That’s it, Dustin, tire him out.  Still 2-2.

10:10 – Full count after 9 pitches…

10:11 – Dustin…let’s straighten that out and get a hit.  A home run would be good too.

10:12 – FABULOUS at-bat for Dustin.  An 11-pitch walk!  1 out, 1 on, the Large Father approaches.

10:17 – Strike ’em out, throw ’em out.  Woo. 🙁

10:20 – Pena pops up the first pitch.  As Chip said, “One pitch.  One out.”

10:21 – Two quick outs.

10:22 – Nice, painless inning.  Going into the 7th..2-1 Rays

10:25 – This is the inning they’re going to come back…

10:26 – But not with Youk leading the way…one out.

10:26b – It hits me that we just need one run to tie and that JD is good for a home run.  Make it so, dude.

10:28 – Wow.  Four pitch walk to bring up Jay Bay who is MOST FREAKING CERTAINLY due.

10:30 – YAY Bay!!!! I’ll take the single!  Two on, one out and Mark Kotsay is up.  Can I get someone to play “Thunderstruck”?

10:33 – Kotsay is out and moves up Drew.  Captain has a rally in him….

10:36 – Good God, Tek, what were you swinging at?  I think I need to pace now.

10:39 – Lester has a 2-2 count on Aybar.  Another quick inning, please, Jon.

10:42 – Well, fuck.  Home run.  3-1 Tampa.  I haz a sad.

10:43 – Navarro makes the first out.

10:45 – Will Buck Martinez be sad to know that Rocco Baldelli hasn’t broken my heart?  Crabcakes strikes him out.  Two outs.

10:48 – Three outs.  3-1 Rays.  Sox need to kick their asses into gear and now, baby!

10:49 – I have a good feeling about this inning!

10:51 – Garza is in as is Gabe Gross…wooo!

10:52 – Holy cow.  Booted ball = Alex Cora on base!!!!!!!

10:52b – See this I don’t get.  Cora is only on base because Bartlett booted the ball.  Why bother bringing him out if you’re going to take him out after an error that wasn’t his fault?

10:53 – I’m getting a REALLY good feeling…Spitty, you pitched a hell of a game.  Time for your bullpen to blow it.

10:55 – I was hoping for Balfour, but Wheeler seems to be workable too…fingers crossed…

10:57 – Possibly my favorite comment of the night from Tom in NY:  “Garza’s like: damn, Wheeler sucks. I hope he doesn’t blow it for Chip.”  😆

10:58 – Coco has a 2-2 count…

10:59 – Coco.  Crisp.  Base hit…two on…no out…Pedie up….I need to go pace, I’ll be right back…

11:00 – Who am I kidding?  I can’t leave.  Gammons is behind home plate….la la la…

11:01 – Well, damn.  “He got under it”.  Yes.  Yes he did.  Large Father is up and we really need him to come up big.

11:02 – Wheeler is out…annoying commercials to add to my anxiety.  They can do this…they can do this…

11:04 – Make them pay for bringing in Howell, Papi.

11:09 – Well.  No double play.  Coco out on fielder’s choice.  Papi on first.  Cora on third.  Youk is up.  Hope, people, hope.  Howell is out of the game and Bradford is in.

11:15 – Youk walks.  Bradford is out of the game.  Fifth pitcher of the inning for the Rays is coming in.

11:16 – Oh, JD…don’t squander this.  I KNOW you can do something with this opportunity.  I totally believe it!

11:21 – Well, if that isn’t the definition of squandering an opportunity, I don’t know what is.  Fuck.

11:24 – Oki gets a quick out.  Two more please.

11:25 – Coco makes a sweet catch.  Two down in the 8th.

11:28 – As ever, Oki does his job.  Sox have one last chance to take this game.  Call me crazy, but I still think they can do it!

11:31 – Bay, Kotsay and Varitek.  It’s like the fates have set it up for those boys to come up big.

11:34 – He walked Bay.  Kotsay could totally do something here!!!!!

11:35 – I just put on “The Immigrant Song“.

11:36 – Kotsay strikes out.  Is this where I type “At least it wasn’t a double play”?

11:37 – The Captain has the opportunity to give us life.

11:39 – Instead, he strikes out weakly.  Oh man.  One more out.  Sox don’t come back and I am NOT live-blogging the Rays celebrating.

11:40 – Lowrie in.  0-1 count.

11:40b – Game over…Rays win…Garza pitched a hell of a game and earned the win.

11:41 – I have to end this by saying, they gave it a good run and I’m damn proud of this team.  No shame in making it to Game 7 of the ALCS and losing.  None at all.  I’ll certainly be watching the World Series…and I’ll be rooting for the Phillies.  🙂

Thanks to everyone for coming by tonight – it was fun even though the ending was disappointing.