Big Test tonight...
Tonight's start for the red hot Jon Lester at Philadelphia will be a big test for the young lefthander. Facing the defending world champs in their own back yard as a 20 cent favorite.
Lester has won 2 starts in dominating fashion - allowing 5 hits and 2 earned runs in 15 innings while striking out 23 and walking just 5. He won at Toronto 8-1 and vs Texas 8-2. Lowering his ERA an entire run in the two games to 5.05 and evening his record on the year at 5-5 after a real rough patch in May when he was 1-3.
Boston has Lester, Dice K. and Josh Beckett lined up to face the Phils..
wil..
Tonight's start for the red hot Jon Lester at Philadelphia will be a big test for the young lefthander. Facing the defending world champs in their own back yard as a 20 cent favorite.
Lester has won 2 starts in dominating fashion - allowing 5 hits and 2 earned runs in 15 innings while striking out 23 and walking just 5. He won at Toronto 8-1 and vs Texas 8-2. Lowering his ERA an entire run in the two games to 5.05 and evening his record on the year at 5-5 after a real rough patch in May when he was 1-3.
Boston has Lester, Dice K. and Josh Beckett lined up to face the Phils..
wil..
Phillies this season at Home vs LH starters are 8-2 with six of those eight wins by 2+ runs.
Overall, vs LH starters, Phils this season are 14-6 with 11 of those wins by 2+ runs
Tonight will be Phils first time this season listed as Home Dogs. Last season they were HDs ten times, winning eight - including 3-0 in the postseason.
Overall, vs LH starters, Phils this season are 14-6 with 11 of those wins by 2+ runs
Tonight will be Phils first time this season listed as Home Dogs. Last season they were HDs ten times, winning eight - including 3-0 in the postseason.
Red Sox Bullpen Factoid.
The Boston Red Sox bullpen ERA is a major league-best 2.83, and Boston relievers have lost a league-low six games while allowing just 24 percent of inherited runners to score, the only team in the AL with a percentage better than 30. The bullpen despite Ramon Ramirez blowing the save (Papelbon not available due to two straight saves vs Yanks) won the game last nite vs Philly after Ryan Howard took Ramirez deep in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game at two.
Bullpen Roster with ERA and innings pitched to date this season:
J. Papelbon (Closer) 2.00 in 27 IP
H. Okajima 2.33 in 27 IP
M. Delcarmen 2.08 in 26 IP
T. Saito 2.45 in 22 IP
R. Ramírez 2.33 in 29 IP
D. Bard 0.75 in 12 IP
J. Masterson 3.96 but started 6 games and relieved in 10 games in 52.1 IP.
wil.
The Boston Red Sox bullpen ERA is a major league-best 2.83, and Boston relievers have lost a league-low six games while allowing just 24 percent of inherited runners to score, the only team in the AL with a percentage better than 30. The bullpen despite Ramon Ramirez blowing the save (Papelbon not available due to two straight saves vs Yanks) won the game last nite vs Philly after Ryan Howard took Ramirez deep in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game at two.
Bullpen Roster with ERA and innings pitched to date this season:
J. Papelbon (Closer) 2.00 in 27 IP
H. Okajima 2.33 in 27 IP
M. Delcarmen 2.08 in 26 IP
T. Saito 2.45 in 22 IP
R. Ramírez 2.33 in 29 IP
D. Bard 0.75 in 12 IP
J. Masterson 3.96 but started 6 games and relieved in 10 games in 52.1 IP.
wil.
Red Sox Factoids.
The Red Sox became the first AL team to reach 40 wins (40-25 AL best) this season with a 6-1 win over the Florida Marlins in an interlague game in Boston Wednesday night.
The game was the 500th consecutive sellout at Fenway Park and leaves the Sox with a 3 game lead over The Yankees who dropped a tight 3-2 decision to The Washington Nationals at the new Yankee Stadium.
Dustin Pedroia had a big night for Boston going 3 for 5 with 3 RBI, and 2 stolen bases. David Ortiz continued his comeback with a ringing double off the Green Monster and 3 runs scored, Ortiz is now batting .333 (14 for 42) with seven extra-base hits in his last 14 games.
. Brad Penny gave up just 3 hits and no earned runs in 5 innings work to improve his record to 6-2 on the season. Four members of the Boston bullpen took it home from the 6th inning on.
Red hot Jon Lester is a -220 favorite in the series finale Thursday night against Marlin righty Ricky Nolasco.
wil.
The Red Sox became the first AL team to reach 40 wins (40-25 AL best) this season with a 6-1 win over the Florida Marlins in an interlague game in Boston Wednesday night.
The game was the 500th consecutive sellout at Fenway Park and leaves the Sox with a 3 game lead over The Yankees who dropped a tight 3-2 decision to The Washington Nationals at the new Yankee Stadium.
Dustin Pedroia had a big night for Boston going 3 for 5 with 3 RBI, and 2 stolen bases. David Ortiz continued his comeback with a ringing double off the Green Monster and 3 runs scored, Ortiz is now batting .333 (14 for 42) with seven extra-base hits in his last 14 games.
. Brad Penny gave up just 3 hits and no earned runs in 5 innings work to improve his record to 6-2 on the season. Four members of the Boston bullpen took it home from the 6th inning on.
Red hot Jon Lester is a -220 favorite in the series finale Thursday night against Marlin righty Ricky Nolasco.
wil.
Penny throws way too many pitches to have much value to any contending team, so he should be stuck in the rotation until the end of the season. I would love to see a six man rotation, where Beckett and Lester pitch every fifth game and Wakefield, Penny, Smoltz and Bucholtz combine to pitch the other 3/5 of the games. Matsuzaka can go back to Japan and spend the summer recovering from the WBC
Bullpen is by far the luckiest in the league, much like the insane luck Matsuzaka had last year to finish 18-3 with a sub-3.00 ERA. Of course even if they slip a fair amount they will still be among the very best
Good article today revisiting Ramirez-Lowell-Beckett trade (when I read the headline. When we look back in another five years, it will have been the wrong choice. But overall only a slight negative and overall they make far more good choices than poor choices
It is interesting to remember how Duquette would never make an in-season trade, while Epstein seems to pull something off every year. Only question is will it be Victor Martinez or Matt Holliday
Bullpen is by far the luckiest in the league, much like the insane luck Matsuzaka had last year to finish 18-3 with a sub-3.00 ERA. Of course even if they slip a fair amount they will still be among the very best
Good article today revisiting Ramirez-Lowell-Beckett trade (when I read the headline. When we look back in another five years, it will have been the wrong choice. But overall only a slight negative and overall they make far more good choices than poor choices
It is interesting to remember how Duquette would never make an in-season trade, while Epstein seems to pull something off every year. Only question is will it be Victor Martinez or Matt Holliday
Sox win but gain no ground as entire AL East wins.
Red Sox win 4-1 Friday night after losing the final in Washington on Thursday when John Smoltz gave up four runs in his first inning back on the hill in a year. The Nats went on to a 9-3 romp.. After Friday's win the Red Sox have won 17 of 23 to strengthen their hold on first in the AL East.
Josh Beckett (9-3) has faced the Braves twice in the past seven days and still hasn’t given up a run. He threw a five-hit, no-walk shutout at Fenway Park last weekend. This time, he allowed six hits, struck out six and didn’t walk anyone before turning it over to the bullpen.
David Ortiz continued to show signs of bouncing back from his miserable start. Big Papi is hitting .333 over his last 17 games, with seven homers (eight on the season) and 14 RBIs, though he’s still batting just .218 overall.
The crowd of 48,418—many of them chanting “Let’s go Red Sox!”—was Atlanta’s second sellout in a row. The Braves had not managed a crowd that large since selling out their home opener on April 10.
Tim Wakefield squares off against Javier Vasquez on Saturday at 4:10PM EDT. This will be Wakefields second attempt to win his 10th game of the season. Wake was not involved in the decision in his last start a 6-5 Boston win over Atlanta at Fenway on June 21st.
Vazquez is 5-6 on the year but sports a nifty 3.18 ERA for The Bravos.
Brad Penny and young Braves righty Tommy Hanson get the ball on Sunday for a 1:35PM EDT start to close out the interleague play for 2009 for both clubs.
wil.
Red Sox win 4-1 Friday night after losing the final in Washington on Thursday when John Smoltz gave up four runs in his first inning back on the hill in a year. The Nats went on to a 9-3 romp.. After Friday's win the Red Sox have won 17 of 23 to strengthen their hold on first in the AL East.
Josh Beckett (9-3) has faced the Braves twice in the past seven days and still hasn’t given up a run. He threw a five-hit, no-walk shutout at Fenway Park last weekend. This time, he allowed six hits, struck out six and didn’t walk anyone before turning it over to the bullpen.
David Ortiz continued to show signs of bouncing back from his miserable start. Big Papi is hitting .333 over his last 17 games, with seven homers (eight on the season) and 14 RBIs, though he’s still batting just .218 overall.
The crowd of 48,418—many of them chanting “Let’s go Red Sox!”—was Atlanta’s second sellout in a row. The Braves had not managed a crowd that large since selling out their home opener on April 10.
Tim Wakefield squares off against Javier Vasquez on Saturday at 4:10PM EDT. This will be Wakefields second attempt to win his 10th game of the season. Wake was not involved in the decision in his last start a 6-5 Boston win over Atlanta at Fenway on June 21st.
Vazquez is 5-6 on the year but sports a nifty 3.18 ERA for The Bravos.
Brad Penny and young Braves righty Tommy Hanson get the ball on Sunday for a 1:35PM EDT start to close out the interleague play for 2009 for both clubs.
wil.
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Tim Wakefield joins the 10 win club on June 27th.
With two outs and two on in the top of the 6th, Mark Kotsay’s single gave the Sox a 1-0 win over the Braves. The win was Boston's second of the weekend in a classic pitchers’ duel at Turner Field between Tim Wakefield and Javier Vasquez.
Three Boston relievers held the Braves scoreless after Wakefield pitched 6 innings of 3 hit shutout ball to improve his record to 10-3 on the season. Wakefield became the AL's third 10-game winner, joining Minnesota's Kevin Slowey and Toronto's Roy Halladay.
Jonathan Papelbon gave up a two-out double to Garret Anderson in the bottom of the 9th, but he got Casey Kotchman to ground out to second to end the game for his 18th save of the season. Boston is now 38-1 when leading after 6 innings this season.
Vazquez was brilliant in defeat pitching 7.2 innings of 6 hit 1 run ball walking 3 and striking out 8 to claim the NL strikeout lead from San Francisco's Tim Lincecum (125-124).
Tomorrow's day game concludes interleague play for the regular season for both clubs. Red Sox Nation was in evidence again. The Braves enjoyed another sellout to go with yesterday's full house as all 48,151 Turner Field seats were occupied. .
Boston is sporting an AL best 46-28 record and a 4.5 game lead over the just starting to play Yankees in the AL East.
Factoid:Tim Wakefield tied Roger Clemens' record for most career starts by a Red Sox pitcher in team history at 382 today.
wil.
With two outs and two on in the top of the 6th, Mark Kotsay’s single gave the Sox a 1-0 win over the Braves. The win was Boston's second of the weekend in a classic pitchers’ duel at Turner Field between Tim Wakefield and Javier Vasquez.
Three Boston relievers held the Braves scoreless after Wakefield pitched 6 innings of 3 hit shutout ball to improve his record to 10-3 on the season. Wakefield became the AL's third 10-game winner, joining Minnesota's Kevin Slowey and Toronto's Roy Halladay.
Jonathan Papelbon gave up a two-out double to Garret Anderson in the bottom of the 9th, but he got Casey Kotchman to ground out to second to end the game for his 18th save of the season. Boston is now 38-1 when leading after 6 innings this season.
Vazquez was brilliant in defeat pitching 7.2 innings of 6 hit 1 run ball walking 3 and striking out 8 to claim the NL strikeout lead from San Francisco's Tim Lincecum (125-124).
Tomorrow's day game concludes interleague play for the regular season for both clubs. Red Sox Nation was in evidence again. The Braves enjoyed another sellout to go with yesterday's full house as all 48,151 Turner Field seats were occupied. .
Boston is sporting an AL best 46-28 record and a 4.5 game lead over the just starting to play Yankees in the AL East.
Factoid:Tim Wakefield tied Roger Clemens' record for most career starts by a Red Sox pitcher in team history at 382 today.
wil.
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Factoids..David Ortiz and Jacoby Ellsbury..
Over his last 27 games and 24 starts, David Ortiz is hitting a healthy .301 with a 1.037 OB+S, 14 walks (and 18 strikeouts), eight home runs, and 17 RBIs.
Last night, when Jacoby Ellsbury stepped on home plate with the Red Sox’ fifth and final run in the bottom of the sixth inning, it marked the 100th game in which he has scored since the start of last season. The Red Sox are 76-24 in those contests, including 25-7 this year. (In those games, Ellsbury has batted .401 with 142 runs while going 64 of 68 in steal attempts.) Of the last 12 games in which Ellsbury has scored at least once, including last night, the Sox are 11-1, the loss coming in last week’s aberrational 11-10 loss at Baltimore that featured a historic bullpen meltdown.
wil.
Over his last 27 games and 24 starts, David Ortiz is hitting a healthy .301 with a 1.037 OB+S, 14 walks (and 18 strikeouts), eight home runs, and 17 RBIs.
Last night, when Jacoby Ellsbury stepped on home plate with the Red Sox’ fifth and final run in the bottom of the sixth inning, it marked the 100th game in which he has scored since the start of last season. The Red Sox are 76-24 in those contests, including 25-7 this year. (In those games, Ellsbury has batted .401 with 142 runs while going 64 of 68 in steal attempts.) Of the last 12 games in which Ellsbury has scored at least once, including last night, the Sox are 11-1, the loss coming in last week’s aberrational 11-10 loss at Baltimore that featured a historic bullpen meltdown.
wil.
