Next up, the winter meetings

That was a real special performance out of our hitters tonight. The bottom of the order was really, really something. Once again Francona refuses hurt a veterans feelings and it cost the team any chance at winning after Bay got on base in the 9th.

Could Ortiz have been any worse, he didn’t look bad, he looked disinterested and undeceive at the plate. At this point it’s time to pray that he is injured and not just done.

Is it even possible to count as high as the number of runners Kotsay left on base in the ALCS?

Nice knowing you Varitek, thanks for the 0-4, 3 strikeout performance in a Game 7 to remember you by.

Nothing better than a Game 7

Beckett gutted it out. Youk went deep. There were a few timely hits. Varitek had a miracle homer. Masterson was shaky, then dominated the heart of the Rays order in the 8th. Papelbon slammed the door.

Lester versus Garza tomorrow night with a trip to the World Series on the line…

Wow.

Ortiz, Ellsbury, Varitek: 0 for 34

That’s right, the heart of the order, the leadoff man, and the player that we learned is absolute toast (but whines to Tony Mazz when he is pinch hit for) do not have a single hit in the ALCS versus Tampa Bay.  That is absolutely atrocious.

Ortiz just looks flat out horrible, popping pitches up, swinging at crap off the plate, not even thinking about hitting to left field.  HOPEFULLY it is his wrist injury, if that is the case I hope surgery is scheduled for the first day of the offseason, it’s crazy to say this but thank God we never gave him a blockbuster contract and he is only signed for $25m total over the next two seasons.

After about a month of Ellsbury cutting down his swing and hitting line drives he is now popping everything up to the outfielders, it’s like watching Willy Mayes Hayes in Major League II. Again, can’t believe I’m saying this but Crisp needs to get the start in centerfield for the rest of the ALCS.

And then there is Captain Tek. Thanks for your fine career, but my lord do you suck at baseball now. It’s not even surprising that he sucks this postseason (.317 OPS), he has all season long and we won despite his black hole in the lineup. The only interesting thing we have to look forward to with Tek is to see what moronic contract Scott Boras wants for him and how quickly Theo Epstein gives him his gold watch and shuffles him out the door.

Red Sox Announce – A Terrible – ALCS Rotation

Game 1: Matsuzaka
Game 2: Beckett
Game 3: Lester
Game 4: Wakefield
Game 5: Matsuzaka
Game 6: Beckett
Game 7: Lester

Unless there are injury concerns, which Francona is not saying in the press conference, this is really mindboggling to me.  You need to get your best starters in two games as early in the series as you can.  Beckett and Lester needed to be one and two, you worry about a game seven starter and bullpen use when you get there, not before the series begins.

The Red Sox set this up so they could lose the series 4-1 and Beckett and Lester would have only pitched in one game.

Someone get John Lackey and Torii Hunter some tissues

The Angels get bounced by the Red Sox once again, but this time not without some post-series crying:

“We lost to a team that’s not better than us,” growled pitcher John Lackey, who gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings. “We are a better team than they are. The last two days, we shouldn’t have given up anything.”

You lost the series 3-1, John. Nice pitching though, not your fault your team won 100 games in the shittiest division ever giving you a false sense of hope.

“[Sunday] night they scored three runs on a pop fly that was called a hit, which was a joke,” Lackey said, referring to Ellsbury’s pop that fell between center fielder Torii Hunter and second baseman Howie Kendrick in Game 3.

“[Monday] night they scored on a broken-bat ground ball and a fly ball that anywhere else in America is an out, and he’s fist-pumping on second base like he did something great.”

Asked to describe his feelings, Lackey said, “Like I want to throw somebody through a wall.”

Yes it was a joke hit, maybe you should to talk to Torii about it if you are looking to blame someone. Again, talk to your defense about the run scoring single and complaining about Fenway being worse than your cookie cutter ballpark is just hilarious. Through a wall? Again, talk to Torii about that one. Maybe Aybar, or Scioscia.

“I’m [ticked], I’m upset, this one’s going to be with me for a while,” Hunter said. “It doesn’t feel good, because we’re a better team than they are. But they’re moving on.”

Ah the all-time classic loser line.

Source: LA Times

Red Sox to the ALCS once again

Another trilling walkoff playoff win for the Red Sox.  Terry Francona’s interesting bullpen management nearly cost us the game after Jon Lester’s masterful seven inning performance (hopefully Smart Terry returns soon).

Jason Bay once again came up with a huge hit and Jed Lowrie, looking curveball after being stuck out on three of them last night, singled through the right side driving in Bay for the victory.

ALCS game 1 at Tampa Bay is Friday night, Daisuke Matsuzaka is expected to start… However Josh Beckett and Lester could start on normal rest.

The Red Sox are not as good, or intersting, without Manny

Hearing people say comments like that over the last two months was mind numbing. I hope they were all tucked in bed and not watching this epic game tonight.

JD Drew and Jason Bay may not be flashy or outwardly emotional, but man, they are awesome at playing the game of baseball.

Josh Beckett at Fenway Park for the sweep on Sunday night.

P.S. I wrote a post the other day about Terry Francona’s awesomeness in the playoffs… well tonight his bullpen management was beyond brutal leading up to brining in Jonathan Papelbon.

Daisuke Matsuzaka’s Horrible ALDS Pitching

Not a terrible performance: 5 innings, 3 runs, 5.40 ERA… but his pitching might have been the worst I have ever seen. Horrible location, ultra nibbling, pitching on eggshells with a 3-run lead and no one on base to the middle of the Angles order, 7.2 pitches per out recorded, 108 pitches to get through 5 innings even after his efficient first two innings.

Just… maddening. Hope the bullpen lock down the final 12 outs and step on the Angles throats heading back to Boston.

Francona is awesome in the playoffs

Say what you want about Terry Francona as a regular season manager. . . his lineups are bad, his lineups are good, he uses the bench players too much, he doesn’t use the bench enough, he leaves the starters in too long, he pulls the starters too quick, his bullpen usage is brilliant, his bullpen usage is mindboggling. . . but there is no denying that once the playoffs roll around he flips a switch and is a tactical magician who knows what buttons to push when.

There is nothing that show this more than tonight’s lineup, easily the best and most balanced of the season. The playoffs are here, Francona is not fucking around and neither will his players.

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
5. J.D. Drew, RF
6. Jason Bay, LF
7. Mike Lowell, 3B
8. Jed Lowrie, SS
9. Jason Varitek, C

Red Sox ALDS Roster

No Mike Timlin, David Ross gets the last spot as the third catcher. No other major surprises. Wakefield and Byrd both make it, protecting themselves against a Beckett re-injury.

Starters
Jon Lester (L)
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Josh Beckett

Relievers
Tim Wakefield
Paul Byrd
Javier Lopez (L)
Manny Delcarmen
Hideki Okajima (L)
Justin Masterson
Jonathan Papelbon

Probable Starting Lineup
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Jason Bay, LF
Mike Lowell, 3B
J.D. Drew, RF
Jason Varitek, C
Jed Lowrie, SS

Bench
Mark Kotsay, IF-OF
Coco Crisp, OF
Sean Casey, 1B
Alex Cora, IF
Kevin Cash, C
David Ross, C