May 20, 2006 – Live Blog 5 – Sox at Phillies

Hi folks.  If you’ve read my live blogs before, you know how it goes.  I’ve noticed other MLBloggers who live blog don’t put the most current entry on top (although, maybe they’re just following my lead, I think that I’m the first MLBloger to live blog, but I don’t know that).  Anyway, I’ve seen other live blogs with the updates being at the top…this is not one of those blogs.  You need to scroll down to get the updates.  I also try to add links and pictures – that all depends on what is going while I’m blogging, and how exciting the game is.  I save at various intervals in the game, but I try to at least save after each half inning.

I was at the movies this afternoon watching the DaVinci Code when Billy Wagner blew it for the Mets (or, as I was told "Wagner didn’t blow it, Willie Randolph did!").  Either way, it’s a huge disappointment, but not surprising.  Pedro pitched an amazing game and doesn’t get the win. That seems to follow him game to game, what are you going to do.

Hey, Michael Barrett did to AJ Pierzynski what I’ve wanted to do since last season.  AJ isn’t exactly beloved…so I’m thinking he isn’t going to get much sympathy from the fans, although I’m sure Barrett is going to get a mini-vacation from Mr. Watson.

Congratulations to the UMass Lacrosse team on their upset win over Hofstra!  I don’t follow Lacrosse at all…but heck, it’s UMass and they’ve never made it this far…good for them!

Josh Beckett v Brett Myers tonight.  Man, the Phillies fans ripped Myers apart last year when I was there.  He’s doing well this year but getting no run support…let’s hope that keeps up.  Everyone in Boston thinks something is going to brew between Beckett and Ryan Howard…I just don’t see it happening.

6:58 – Is it a bad sign that my 4 1/2 year-old niece knows the words to the Subaru commercial?

7:06 – Youk is in the lineup tonight and Mike Lowell isn’t.  I’ll miss Lowell, but am very happy that Papi is playing again.

7:07 – Victorino.  I picture John Travlota every time someone says this name.  How did his parents come up with "Shane" to go along with "Victorino"?

7:08 – Remy mentions that the Phillies fans are booing the Sox fan down every time they start the "Let’s go Red Sox" chant.  It’s about time one of the fanbases we invade stood up for themselves.

7:10 – Papi is up with two outs.  This inning is going way too quickly.  Make it last a little longer Papi. 

7:11 – Or strike out.  Must be part of your plan to lull Myers into a false sense of security, right?

7:13 – Beckett has back to back wins versus the Yankees and the Orioles…it doesn’t seem that way…

7:14 – Beckett loses Jimmy Rollins…and I suddenly lose the buzz I got from my day…

7:16 – Manny, did you forget that Rollins was on first – and that the dude RUNS?

7:18 – I think I forgot to put in my opening, for the folks who haven’t read this before, that I’m not quite a play by play live blogger.  I try…it just doesn’t work.  Really, you’re all lucky I’m not writing about "The DaVinci Code" or Father Kumar from Mass this morning.

7:19 – Say it with me:  YOUUUUUUUUUK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Throws out Bobby Abreu on a fantastic dive to stop the ball and save a run.  The dude can play either corner.  I love our defense.  I love them.

7:20 – Poor little Jimmy Rollins – stuck on third base.  Manny’s up after the commercial break.

7:21 – Have I mentioned this stupid Jimmy Fallon/Parker Posey Pepsi commercial in EVERY one of my live blogs?  I think I have.  They even showed it before the movie today!!!  And if I see this obnoxious, offensive, Burger King "I am Man" commercial one more time today, I’m going to a Burger King near me and dope-slapping some poor schmo behind the counter.

7:23 – Manny just did to Brett Myers what Ryan Howard did to Josh Beckett that p1ssed him off so much (walked to first on a strike that he thought was ball 4) and Myers responds by striking him out.  I don’t remember, but I think that’s what Beckett did to Howard as well.

7:25 – This game is going by too quickly.  I hate that.  Especially when there is no score.

7:30 – They claim the count is 3-2…so why do I feel like Beckett has thrown about 30 pitches that were all ‘balls’?  Guess it doesn’t matter, since Burrell flied out.

7:31 – Where do they get these stats?  Tina Cervasio just told us that Jason Varitek has hit a homerun on 5 consecutive May 20ths.  So if he hits one today, it will be 6.  Let’s go, Tek, don’t mess up your streak tonight!

7:33 – Sorry, Phillies fans.  I still hear more "Let’s go Red Sox" than I do boos.  You all should try actually CHEERING for your team.  Maybe THAT would work?

7:34 – David Bell just got the Phillies first hit tonight.  Two outs in the second.  Let’s not treat this like your usual beginnings of a game, what’s say, Josh?

7:35 – Way to go, Josh.  End of two, no score.  No Josh Beckett early inning breakdown.  Nice.  Now if we could only find these two idiots from the Foxwood commercial and get them to promise to never show their faces again…

7:38 – Wily Mo Pena continues to find ways to rub the Arroyo trade in my face.  Thank you, Wily.  🙂

7:39 – Speaking of Arroyo, he isn’t pitching tonight but his team is currently losing to the Detroit Tigers.  Come home, Bronson.

7:40 – I love when Tito comes out to argue.  I can’t imagine this guy ever raising his voice.  What does he say?  "It doesn’t look like you made the right call, but I could be wrong…"  David Bell starts the double play.  Ugh.

7:42 – Inning over.  This is going too quickly.

7:48 – Sorry.  I found that picture of Pat Burrell and lost all track of time.  Holy cow! 

7:49 – I’m pretty sure they’ve show the Beckett/Howard thing twenty times now and I JUST realized it wasn’t the "going to first on a strike" issue – THAT was Shea Hillenbrand…this was a "posing for a hit that was actually an out" issue.  My bad.

7:50 – Chase Utley hits a solo homerun and I’m reminded of how annoying that stupid bell thing is.  Someone tell Beckett that this is the third inning and he’s supposed to be coasting now.  Thank you.

7:52 – Abreu strikes out and I’m reminded of how horrible the Phillies fans were to him last year.  End of three, Phillies up 1-0.  (I took that pic of Bobby – I love it!)

7:56 – Between Pat Burrell and Bobby Abreu, the pictures on my own blog are distracting me.  Another 1-2-3 inning for Myers.  7 pitches.  Yeesh.

8:00 – J was at the Preakness today…he saw some interesting stuff, huh?  Oh good Lord they are talking about Beckett and Howard again.  If it isn’t a big deal, why do they keep talking about it?  Burrell just got a base hit.  Maybe I should take his picture down.

8:03 – Now, regardless of how I feel about him, I have no idea if AJ Pierzynski’s slide was cheap or not, I haven’t seen it enough times to really tell…but man he isn’t getting a break from anyone is he?  Everyone is saying things like "wherever he goes, there is trouble…".   He isn’t really getting a fair shake is he?

8:04 – End of 4, still 1-0.  Come on boys, get a couple of runs.  With the Phillies’ rep when Myers pitches, that could win the game for us.

8:07 – Myers has a one-hitter going.  What the heck is that?  I want to see Manny hit a homerun and pose…just to annoy the Phillies.  🙂

8:08 – Well, not this inning…next time he’s up.  Yeah, that’s what I meant.  Nice   play by Rollins…sheez.

8:10 – I couldn’t find a beefcake photo of Josh Beckett to change his mojo, so I’m posting the very best picture of him out there right now.

8:12 – Wait a minute, Beckett isn’t the problem, the position players are the problem.  So here is some real Red Sox beefcake.

  8:16 – Two nice outs…keep it up guys.

8:17 – A two-out single is not the way to keep it up.  And it’s Rollins.  Who will be looking to steal.  My stomach is starting to hurt.

8:19 – Beckett’s innings are quite long compared to Myers’.  Man, would I love to see Papi tag Rollins out.

8:20 – I have the Monty Python "Spam" song running through my brain.  Must be a diversionary tactic.

8:23 – Why do all fans boo when the opposing team’s catcher goes to visit the pitcher?  Sox fans do it too.  I don’t get it.  "Boo! Don’t try to do your jobs properly!"

8:24 – Bobby Abreu is up.  Kay has his t-shirt.  Let’s get him out, okay, Josh?

8:25 – Thank you.

8:30 – Wily Mo out, AGon up…AGon, short for Agony. 

8:31 – Well, I’ll take the error, thanks, Jimmy!

8:32 – I seriously forgot about Beckett having to hit.  Am I even watching this game?  Holy cow, Beckett got an RBI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8:33 – Way to work for yourself, Josh.  Good work.  Holy cow…if this was a Celtics game I’d say the Leprechaun was working his magic.  They gave Youkilis a base hit.

8:34 – Great…Citizens Bank Park is on fire.  Some idiot probably threw a butt in the dumpster that’s aflame right now.  If I was at that game, I’d be bolting right now.

8:36 – Mark Loretta!!!!  Bases loaded with Big Papi up…I’m with dad tonight who just proclaimed "Papi is hitting it out of the park"…we shall soon see.

8:37 – Josh Beckett has his jacket on at third base.  This is something I don’t think I’ve ever seen.

8:38 – I’d like to see another shot of the fire so I know whether or not CBP is burning down…

8:39 – 2-2….come on Papi, out of the park.

8:40 – Okay, wasn’t a homerun, but it was an RBI…I’ll take it.  2-1 Sox with two outs and two on…

8:42 – Hey, the Red Sox beefcake shots worked!

8:43 – Manny loads the bases, Trot is up.  Time to do some damage, Christopher.

8:44 – Christopher Trotman Nixon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  4-1!!

8:45 – Manny!!!!!!!!!  What the heck????  Man I hate third base coaches.  Or Manny.  Grrr…we should have another run, folks.  Yes, I’m greedy.

8:47 – Wily Mo pops up.  Manny (or Demarlo Hale) cost us a run.  It better not come back to haunt us.

8:53 – Josh Beckett has a 1-2-3 inning and Don Orsillo mentions that David Ortiz has been "flawless" at first base.

8:58 – Josh Beckett just hit a freaking homerun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That’s all I have.  The words are not there.  Holy cow.  Way to go, baby, way to go.  5-1, by the way.

9:00 – Did I just see Kevin Youkilis hit a triple?  I haven’t had any alcohol today…so I guess I did. 

9:04 – Mark  Loretta is up.  Keep this up, folks, I want to be able to watch Baseball Tonight and not care about what they say about the Yankees…Sacrifice by Loretta, 6-1.

9:07 – Big Papi.  Hitting a double because Mike Lowell is sitting out tonight.

9:11 – Please stop trying to sell me Red Sox medallions.  I love the Red Sox, but selling me medallions with pictures from last season on it annoys the sh1t out of me.

9:14 – Nice.  After 7, score is 6-1.  I love nights like these.

9:15 – I should add that a Red Sox win will mean I won’t care about all of the fawning Baseball Tonight will be doing over Barry Bonds tying the guy who DOESN’T hold the homerun record.

9:18 – Trot is up again.  I’m flashing back, yet again, to last year.  Kay and I saw two wins in a row and couldn’t even imagine being so lucky to see a sweep.  We were wrong.  🙂 Trot struck out, Tek is up.

9:22 – I said a Vic Vic Vic – Vic Victorino….Vic Vic Vic – Vic Victorino…how many of you even know what I’m referencing?  Man, sometimes I feel old.  And right now I feel like Remy and Donnie O…they get goofy when there is a big differential in the score…I’m getting a little silly…

9:24 – Alex Gonzalez  hit a homerun.  I need to type that again because I don’t really believe it…Alex Gonzalez hit a homerun.  Right over the 401 mark at center field.  And Josh Beckett, the homerun threat that he is, is up now.

9:26 – 8-1 in the middle of the 8th thanks to AGon.  Since Beckett came up to end the inning, I’m guessing Tito is bringing him in for the bottom of the 8th.  That makes me very happy!

9:32 – Define irony, Red Sox Chick: the guy you bring in to improve the defense at first base, making his first error of the season at first base.  And this same guy is complaining that he doesn’t get enough playing time.  I dig you, JT, but jeez…act like you deserve more playing time, eh?

9:35 – Great.  One guy on because of JT Snow, the next guy walks.  Two on, no out and Ryan Howard up.  If Beckett is going to implode, it will be now.

9:36 – I no sooner type that than the stupid bell starts ringing again.  3 run homerun for Ryan Howard…score 8-4.  Thanks JT.  Beckett is at 106 pitches and Tito takes him out, leaving us with Julian Tavarez with no outs.  I’m not ashamed to say I’m a little nervous.

9:39 – Julian’s first pitch is a strike, and Mike Timlin is in the bullpen.  Julian’s second pitch is a strike, and all I can think is the first pitch that comes inside, Tavarez is getting a warning.  Who is he pitching to?  Oh, Burrell…slight pause while I scroll back up through this entry and look at his hairy chest…strike three – well done, Mr. T.

9:41 – I refer you to 9:22…

9:43 – Come on, Julian.  Baseball Tonight is on in less than 20 minutes.  Let’s get out of this inning, shall we?

9:44 – I’m reminded yet again of last year in Philly.  We saw the Sox put the beat down on the Phillies two games in a row and on the Sunday Kay turns to me and tells me that she’s hopes there is more excitement in this game…and the game was a nail-biter.  I’m not like Kay.  I don’t need more excitement.  To start this inning, the score was 8-1, now it is 8-4 with one out and two on.  Not exactly the stuff that inspires relaxation.  A double-play ball, Julian.  That’s all I ask.

9:47 – Seriously, Julian, get the he11 out of this inning.  There are two men on.  None of us want to see Timlin on the mound in this situation.  For the love of all that is good in the world, Julian, get these last two outs pronto!!!!!!!!!!!

9:48 – One out is good.  One out is good.  Hey, another Alex Gonzalez is up.  Is he the one who posed for those pretty boy pictures with Jeter, ARod, Ordonez and Renteria?

9:49 – Our AGon is better than your AGon!  Tavarez gets out of the inning.  8-4 at the end of eight!

9:54 – We’re one out away from the last three outs of the game.  Papi should be up.  Instead we’re getting JT Snow.  Show us what you’re worth, JT.

9:55 – I’ll shut up now.  JT is on first.  Nicely played, Mr. Snow.  You win this round.

9:58 – Looks like Timlin is coming in for the ninth.  Oh please save me from the Southwest Airlines Philadelphia commercial.  Do the poor folks in Philly get a lousy Boston commercial?

10:01 – Clicked on Baseball Tonight "The Babe at 714, Bonds at 714"…I’m sorry.  It sickens me that the two players are mentioned in the same sentence.  Thank goodness he won’t be touching Aaron’s record because THAT would truly be making me vomit and cry.  Okay, back to the end of the game before I throw something at the television.

10:02 – Let’s end this, Mike.  One down, two to go.

10:04 – Utley strikes out.  One more out, baby!

10:05 – Three up, three down.  Way to go Mike!  Big time props to Josh Beckett for helping out his cause on the mound and at the plate.

10:09 – Well, since Baseball Tonight is the Barry Bonds show, I’m sticking with NESN’s "Extra Innings"…have a good night, all!