Saturday, October 09, 2004
RED SOX AND Y*NKEES ONCE AGAIN LCS COMBATANTS
So what is different this year? Pitching. We have improved ours with the acquisition of Schilling and the way Arroyo is pitching. We have also improved our bullpen with the addition of closer Keith Foulke who got some huge outs against Anaheim. Meanwhile, the Y*nkees pitching is not what it was last year. There is no Andy Pettitte, a pitcher who dominated us. cl*mens, who all of a sudden has become a big game pitcher in the eyes of ESPN, is gone. Quite frankly, I am not intimidated by Kevin Brown, Mike Mussina, and whoever else the Y*nkees throw at us. We also swept Anaheim and all our pitchers will be fresh. I'm not predicting a Red Sox victory, but we have a chance. We just have to perform and stay sharp.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1: Curt Schilling vs. Mike Mussina
Is there any pitcher in baseball you would rather have starting the most important game of the season thus far? Schilling had two wins this year against New York (one against Mussina). Mussina had a win and a loss against us. Mussina was an unimpressive 12-9 in the regular season. Schilling was 21-6. Mussina's ERA was 4.59, Schilling's was 3.26. Mussina is 6-6 on the postseason with an ERA of 3.06, Schilling is 5-2 in the playoffs with an ERA of 1.74. Schilling is obviously the best pitcher but this does not mean we are a guarantee to win. Mussina has come up with huge starts against us and God only knows what is up with Schilling's ankle which has been bothering him since early in the season.
More matchups to come as the pitching is released. The teams go to Y*nkee Stadium on Tuesday and Wednesday night. Then the series moves for Fenway for up to three games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. If the series is still undecided, the teams will return to the Stadium next Tuesday and Wednesday.
So what is different this year? Pitching. We have improved ours with the acquisition of Schilling and the way Arroyo is pitching. We have also improved our bullpen with the addition of closer Keith Foulke who got some huge outs against Anaheim. Meanwhile, the Y*nkees pitching is not what it was last year. There is no Andy Pettitte, a pitcher who dominated us. cl*mens, who all of a sudden has become a big game pitcher in the eyes of ESPN, is gone. Quite frankly, I am not intimidated by Kevin Brown, Mike Mussina, and whoever else the Y*nkees throw at us. We also swept Anaheim and all our pitchers will be fresh. I'm not predicting a Red Sox victory, but we have a chance. We just have to perform and stay sharp.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1: Curt Schilling vs. Mike Mussina
Is there any pitcher in baseball you would rather have starting the most important game of the season thus far? Schilling had two wins this year against New York (one against Mussina). Mussina had a win and a loss against us. Mussina was an unimpressive 12-9 in the regular season. Schilling was 21-6. Mussina's ERA was 4.59, Schilling's was 3.26. Mussina is 6-6 on the postseason with an ERA of 3.06, Schilling is 5-2 in the playoffs with an ERA of 1.74. Schilling is obviously the best pitcher but this does not mean we are a guarantee to win. Mussina has come up with huge starts against us and God only knows what is up with Schilling's ankle which has been bothering him since early in the season.
More matchups to come as the pitching is released. The teams go to Y*nkee Stadium on Tuesday and Wednesday night. Then the series moves for Fenway for up to three games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. If the series is still undecided, the teams will return to the Stadium next Tuesday and Wednesday.
Friday, October 08, 2004
SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP, MUTHAFUCKA. SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP, GODDAM!
How did we win? Timely hitting, taking advantage of opportunities, running, pitching, pitching, and pitching. Three sensational starts compared to a set of dismal outings from the Angels. My MVP for the series is Manny Ramirez. He was 5 for 13 with 3 Runs, 7 RBI, 2 2B, and a HR. He represented 28% of the Red Sox total RBIs.
WHO HAD A GOOD SERIES?
Damon: .467 BA, 4 R, 3 SB
Ramirez: .385 BA, 3 R, 7 RBI, HR, 2 2B
Mueller: .333 BA, 3 R
Ortiz: .545 BA, 4 BB, 4 R, 4 RBI, HR, 2 2B
Millar: .300 BA, 2 R, 4 RBI, HR
Martinez: 7 IP, 3 ER, 6 K
Schilling: 6.2 IP, 2 ER
Arroyo: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 7 Ks
Foulke: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 5 Ks
Embree: IP, 0 H, 0 ER
Lowe: IP, 0 ER
We got contributions from a number of players. That is what it takes to win in the post-season. Now it is on to either Minnesota or New York. Logically, it doesn't matter who we play. We can beat either team and either team can beat us. I'd like to beat New York, but I'm not going to root for them or against them in their LD Series. All I want is for the series to go 5 games so they exhaust their pitchers while ours rest and our hitters watch and learn.
The Pats MOTG for Game 3 is a tough one. Brady had a good day with 298 yards and 2 TDs. Patten caught a TD and had 113 receiving yards. Tedy Bruschi had 2 sacks, 7 tackles and a forced fumble. Seymour had a sack, and and recovered a fumble for a TD. I think I'm gonna go with Seymour because his fumble return for a TD ended the game.
The Patriots go for historic win #19 in a row. It's just another day at the office though.
#4 Xaverian Brothers High School beat the #9 ranked team in the Northeast, New Britain, 59-0. They host Malden Catholic to open the Catholic Conference season.
#2 Oklahoma goes to the Cotton Bowl to crush #5 Texas tomorrow in a great day of college football.
#16 Ithaca College goes to Norwhich University in their second Empire 8 game.
Life is good in Red sox Nation. 8 more wins.
How did we win? Timely hitting, taking advantage of opportunities, running, pitching, pitching, and pitching. Three sensational starts compared to a set of dismal outings from the Angels. My MVP for the series is Manny Ramirez. He was 5 for 13 with 3 Runs, 7 RBI, 2 2B, and a HR. He represented 28% of the Red Sox total RBIs.
WHO HAD A GOOD SERIES?
Damon: .467 BA, 4 R, 3 SB
Ramirez: .385 BA, 3 R, 7 RBI, HR, 2 2B
Mueller: .333 BA, 3 R
Ortiz: .545 BA, 4 BB, 4 R, 4 RBI, HR, 2 2B
Millar: .300 BA, 2 R, 4 RBI, HR
Martinez: 7 IP, 3 ER, 6 K
Schilling: 6.2 IP, 2 ER
Arroyo: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 7 Ks
Foulke: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 5 Ks
Embree: IP, 0 H, 0 ER
Lowe: IP, 0 ER
We got contributions from a number of players. That is what it takes to win in the post-season. Now it is on to either Minnesota or New York. Logically, it doesn't matter who we play. We can beat either team and either team can beat us. I'd like to beat New York, but I'm not going to root for them or against them in their LD Series. All I want is for the series to go 5 games so they exhaust their pitchers while ours rest and our hitters watch and learn.
The Pats MOTG for Game 3 is a tough one. Brady had a good day with 298 yards and 2 TDs. Patten caught a TD and had 113 receiving yards. Tedy Bruschi had 2 sacks, 7 tackles and a forced fumble. Seymour had a sack, and and recovered a fumble for a TD. I think I'm gonna go with Seymour because his fumble return for a TD ended the game.
The Patriots go for historic win #19 in a row. It's just another day at the office though.
#4 Xaverian Brothers High School beat the #9 ranked team in the Northeast, New Britain, 59-0. They host Malden Catholic to open the Catholic Conference season.
#2 Oklahoma goes to the Cotton Bowl to crush #5 Texas tomorrow in a great day of college football.
#16 Ithaca College goes to Norwhich University in their second Empire 8 game.
Life is good in Red sox Nation. 8 more wins.
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