Dempster Beans A-Rod, But Red Sox Still Lose

This weekend's games were frustrating to watch.  Friday night's game kept getting worse for the Red Sox the longer the game went on.  The Red Sox ended up losing 10-3.  Saturday night's game was better for the Red Sox, as they won 6-1.  Last night's game went back and forth until the 6th inning when the Yankees scored 4 runs, and the Red Sox lost 9-6.

Now that the scores are out of the way, let's talk about the real story from last night's game: Dempster beaning A-Rod.  Alex Rodriguez was the first batter for the Yankees in the top of the 2nd inning  Dempster went behind him with the first pitch.  A few pitches later, Dempster succeeded in hitting Rodriguez, and the crowd went wild.  

Warnings were issued to each teams, which sent Yankees Manager Joe Girardi went ballistic and was ejected from the game.  ESPN broadcasted the game, and the commentators seemed to side with Girardi.  They seemed to think Dempster hit Rodriguez on purpose, and there are definitely reasons to say that's true (Dempster supposedly claims he was just trying to come in on Rodriguez).  

Whatever the case, Dempster seemed to lose his mojo after the incident.

Do I think Dempster hit Rodriguez on purpose?  Honestly, I do.  I understand why he's denying it, but someone had to be the first pitcher to bean Rodriguez after the circus A-Rod has created the past couple of weeks.  Chances were that the Red Sox were going to be that team to do it.

I don't think this will be the last time Alex Rodriguez is beaned... probably this week.  In my opinion, Rodriguez has dug his own grave.  Fans are angry at him.  The Yankees are angry with him.  Other players are angry at him.  I'm starting to wonder if the only people who isn't angry at him are his lawyers.

This weekend, there were reports that someone(s) from Rodriguez's camp was/were the one(s) who leaked the information about Braun and Cervelli.  The MLBPA is looking into this allegation, as this would violate the collective bargaining agreement.  

Baseball players are supposed to have their teammates backs, but I'm starting to actually feel bad for the Yankees players, as they have to have A-Rod's back.  The guy only seems to think about himself, and it has to be hard to rally around a teammate like that.

I watched one of Alex Rodriguez's attorneys on the Today Show this morning being interviewed by Matt Lauer.  Lauer asked the attorney why Rodriguez was the only player to not take the deal MLB presented when the Biogenesis fiasco started.  The attorney answered that there wasn't any proof that Alex Rodriguez did anything wrong.  

I'm tired of the whole Alex Rodriguez drama.  Luckily, the Red Sox's deal with the Rangers for A-Rod never went through after the 2003 season.  The Red Sox still will have to deal with the A-Rod drama this season, as the Red Sox play the Yankees 7 more times in the remaining 36 games.

A Good Night for the Red Sox

Last night, the Red Sox beat the Rockies 11-4.  Ryan Dempster had one of his better outings, in my opinion, with his line being: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, and 1 HR.  Ellsbury, Pedroia, Nava, and Iglesias collected 3 hits a piece, and the Red Sox combined for a total of 20 hits, their most in a game this season.  Also, Kevin Millar manned the Red Sox Twitter feed throughout the game, so there were some interesting postings on Twitter.

The Red Sox needed this win, and I think it’s great that it came behind Dempster.  Dempster’s record is 5-8, but it doesn’t really reflect the way he’s been pitching.  I can recall numerous games where he’s pitched into the 6^th inning and given up 3 or less runs, but he either gets the loss or a no decision.  Yes, he gives up a lot of home runs; but luckily, they seem to be single shots mostly (like last night).  Dempster didn’t just need this win for his record; he needed this win for his moral.

I do find it interesting how the Red Sox's offense seems to rally when some pitchers are on the mound while they don’t with others.  Lester seems to get a lot of offense when he pitches.  I know it’s nothing they can control, as sometimes pitchers/teams luck changes from game to game.  I mean, Felix Hernandez won the Cy Young award a couple years ago with a losing record.  Wins and losses don’t mean as much anymore, but it is an interesting thing to note. 

The Red Sox scored all their runs without a home run being hit, which is intriguing for an organization known for power bats.  Well, there was a home run that was hit (in my opinion), but it was counted as a Triple (get to that in a moment).  Ellsbury, Victorino, Pedroia, Ortiz, and Iglesias all had doubles, and Drew was scored with a Triple.  Pedroia went 3-for-5 and had 4 RBIs.  He seems to pound the Rockies (remember a few years ago when he went 5-for-5 against them with 3 home runs?   And don't forget what happened in the next game.)

And back to that “Triple.”  So, in the fourth inning, Stephen Drew hit a shot to center field that hit on top of the wall and bounced back onto the field.  He ended up at third base, and the umpiring crew went to review.  They scored the hit a Triple, which I don’t understand.  You could clearly see in replays that the ball hit the top of the wall, right where the cameras are located, and it hit “debris” that was lying on the ground.  To me, that’s a home run; it went above the wall, hit something, and then bounced back in.  Drew ended up scoring when Iglesias hit a double.

Some other notes from the game:

Will Middlebrooks was sent down to Triple-A to hopefully get his swing and defense back to the caliber it was at this point last year.  He’s hit .192 with 9 home runs (3 in one game, if you recall), and 25 RBIs this season.  His demotion comes a year (on Monday) after Youkilis’s trade to the White Sox.  Kind of ironic.  Brandon Snyder, a thrid baseman, had his contract purchased.  Haven’t heard too much about him except that his average isn’t exceptional, but he brings some power.

David Ross was placed on the 60-day disabled list.  He’s had two concussions his season, and he suffered with concussion-like symptoms between.  A concussion specialist examined Ross and recommended that he leave the team and return to his home in Florida to recover.  He’ll be eligible to return August 18^th.

Franklin Morales was also placed on the disabled list with his sore pectoral muscle, which I brought up on Monday.

Finally, Victorino ran into the wall again and hit his head last night.  He hit it pretty hard, but he stayed in the game.  Victorino’s fun to watch and plays with a lot of energy, but I feel like he should be wearing bubble-wrap when he plays.  The man runs into more walls than any player I’ve seen.

Thoughts from this Weekend’s Series with the Angels

The Red Sox won the series this weekend against the Angels, winning Saturday night and Sunday’s games after losing the first game on Saturday.  I know I’ve mentioned it before, but the key to making the playoffs is winning series.  The Red Sox are doing this. 

Unfortunately, the Yankees (and Orioles and Rays too) are doing this as well, so it’s been hard to distance themselves from the rest of the pack in the AL East.  The Red Sox now stand at 39-25, a .609 winning percentage, and are 1.5 games up from the Yankees.  The next two series the Red Sox are facing are against the Orioles and Rays, away.  They need to win both of these series.

Now, some thoughts and observations from this weekend’s series against the Angels:

-  The Red Sox starting pitching was great in this series.  Doubront (first game Saturday): 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, and 4 SO.  Not the best outing, but definitely a good outing for Doubront.  Before he went out with an injury, Buchholz pitched well enough for his 9^th win of the season: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, and 4 SO.  Yesterday, Dempster had a good outing as well: 6.0 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO, and 2 HR.

-  Dempster also recorded his 2,000^th strikeout yesterday.

-  Buchholz left the game on Saturday with neck tightness.  He hasn’t ruled out pitching his next start, but he’s still feeling sore, as of yesterday.  He was supposed to be examined by the team doctor yesterday, but I have yet to hear any reports.  An injury to Buchholz wouldn’t be good for a team who is only about .500 when pitchers other than Buchholz and Lester pitch.

-  Ortiz, Saltalamacchia, and Carp connected with 2 home runs a piece this weekend, including Satly’s 2 home runs that game in yesterday’s game.  Ortiz was 4/14 with 3 extra-base-hits and 6 RBIs.  Salty was 3/8 with 4 RBIs, and Carp was 4/8 with 3 RBIs. 

-  Ellsbury, who sat out the second game on Saturday, had 3 stolen bases and a Triple.  He was 3/8 for the series.

-  Iglesias, who is making quite a name for himself in the Majors.  He was 6/12 this weekend with a double and a stolen base.  He is now hitting .446, and showing excellent and versatile defensive abilities at Shortstop, Third Base, and Second Base.  When Middlebrooks comes back, the thought is Ciriaco is the odd man out at this point.

-  I had a complete mental block while watching the beginning of the Red Sox win yesterday.  I was at a pub with my boyfriend; and for some reason, the North Carolina-South Carolina college baseball game was on every television. We asked our waitress to switch the television closest to us to the Red Sox game, and the first batter we saw was Pujols.  I completely forgot he was on the Angels, and still consider him a Cardinal.  I know this is bad, especially coming from someone who loves baseball, but it’s still not sinking in.  Besides, the Angels away uniforms are very similar to the Cardinals away uniforms.

-  I was listening to WEEI’s broadcast of the game for a bit yesterday.  They were talking about how “likable” this Red Sox team, and how that wasn’t always the game in years past.  I have to agree with them.  There really isn’t anyone on the team I dislike.   I may dislike the way players are playing, but there’s no one I honestly dislike.

Random Thoughts

If you noticed, I didn’t post on Monday.  I’ve been trying to stick to posting three times a week (mostly Monday, Wednesdays, and Twitter-Mania Fridays).  Monday was Memorial Day- a day to enjoy our freedom in this great country of the United States of America and reflect on those who serve and have given the ultimate sacrifice for this freedom.  I hope all you followers enjoyed your Memorial Day; I know I did.

I also thought I’d do a “Random Thoughts” post this second-to-last post of May.  May’s been an interesting month for the Red Sox.  They started out in a quasi-slump and seem to be ending strong, minus their loss to the Phillies last night.  So, without further delay, here are some things I’ve been thinking about in terms of the Red Sox.

∙  The Red Sox are currently in first place in the division, sitting at 32-21 with the Yankees a game back.  At the beginning of the season with the Red Sox uncertainties and the Yankees injuries, who would’ve thought the Red Sox and Yankees would be leading the division at this point?  Well… I thought the Red Sox would be contenders.  This team seemed to click from the start.

∙  Speaking of the Yankees, Mark Texeira and Kevin Youkilis are rumored to be coming off the disabled list for this weekend’s Yankees-Red Sox series. 

∙  I think it was great that the Red Sox had Boston Bombing heroes Jeff Bauman and Carlos Arredondo throw out the first pitches of the game last night.  The picture of Carlos Arredondo helping Jeff Bauman in the wheelchair is iconic.  Both of these men were heroes during that tragic incident, each in their own way, and I think it speaks volumes that the Red Sox have honored them.  I saw Jeff Bauman at the Bruins game a couple weeks ago, and it literally sent chills down my spine.

∙  I knew there would be some boos for Papelbon when he returned to Fenway, but I couldn’t believe the boos outweighed the cheers last night.  Papelbon is a very polarizing person, I get that, but he did great things for the Red Sox team and organization.  Who is ever going to forget his celebratory jigs after clinching the 2007 ALCS and World Series?

∙  Despite the loss last night, Dempster had a great night pitching.  In 7 innings, he gave up 6 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 home run, walked 3, and struck out 4.  That’s a good night for any pitcher, but especially one who has been struggling as of late.

∙  In 34 games, David Ortiz is hitting .336 with 11 doubles, 8 home runs, 2 stolen bases (he stole 3^rd base twice last week), and 34 RBIs.  In 53 games, Dustin Pedroia is hitting .332 with 14 doubles, 3 home runs, 8 stolen bases, and 28 RBIs.  Even on an impressive team thus far, these two are who I am most impressed with.

∙  Clay Buchholz, who skipped his last start due to irritation in his AC joint, is slated to start on Friday versus the Yankees.  When Buchholz was skipped on Monday, I made the comment that the Red Sox were holding him so he would start against the Yankees, and that’s what happened.  Not sure what the pitching match-ups are at the moment, but it should be an interesting weekend.

∙  Have to say it, but it’s a little sad that the subway series isn’t getting more people at the games.  Monday night, the Red Sox had 33,627 people at the game versus the Phillies, and the Yankees-Mets game drew in under 33,000. 

Red Sox at Twins 5/17/13 and 5/18/13

Red Sox @ Twins 5/17/13 and 5/18/13

I had a great time in Minneapolis this weekend!  If you ever get the chance to visit Target Field, I highly recommend it.  The field is one of the newest in the Major League, opening in 2010.  Even though it’s a relatively big stadium, it still had a small stadium.  It didn’t appear there was a really a bad seat in the place, and there were hardly any lines to get concessions.

My boyfriend and I ended up going to two games this weekend.  Friday night, we had finished dinner and decided to find a sports bar around the stadium.  There were a lot of scalpers around, and while we enjoyed a beer during the first inning at a non-sports bar, we decided to see what tickets were running for.  We immediately found a scalper, and when they asked if we wanted tickets, my boyfriend explained we only had $20.  SOLD! 

We found our seats in section 331 during the third inning, and enjoyed a couple beers and most of the rest of the game.  Friday’s game was a good game for both teams, and Buchholz pitched well (7.0 IP 4H 2ER 3BB 9SO 1HR).  However, not well enough for a win.  The Red Sox won 3-2 in 1- innings on a sac fly by Jonny Gomes, scoring Pedroia.  (We missed the 10^th inning because we were not dressed for the game.  It was about 50 degrees and windy, and we didn’t have sweatshirts or jackets.)

Saturday’s game was a monster game for David Ortiz; he hit 2 home runs, had 3 hits total, and 6 RBIs.  Dempster did not pitch well at all (4.2 IP 8H 5ER 6BB 2SO 127 pitches).  The bullpen did really well (4.1IP 4H 0R 2BB 2SO).  Everyone on the team had at least one hit besides Ciriaco, and Pedroia, Ortiz, Nava, and Middlebrooks had multiple hits.  The Red Sox won 12-5.

Below are some pictures that I took of the trip and games.  Enjoy!

Game 1: Red Sox @ Twins 5/17/13

Entering Minneapolis… it was raining

Me and my boyfriend at the game.  He at least had Red Sox apparel on.

Ellsbury in Centerfield

Buchholz pitching

Minneapolis skyline from Target Field

Another shot of the Minneapolis skyline from Target Field

Game 2: Red Sox @ Twins 5/18/13

My boyfriend and me decked out in our Red Sox gear

Another shot of my boyfriend and me, this time with Target Field behind us

Dempster starting

A guy was wearing a Crawford jersey; I had to take a picture.  I also saw a woman wearing a Beckett jersey.  It was strange because most Twins fans either had Mauer or Mourneau apparel on, and that was about it.  I did see two guys with Twins Mientkiewicz jerseys on.  Didn’t see one Hunter or Thome shirt.

And another guy had a Garciapara jersey on

Ellsbury batting

Ortiz batting

Ortiz on first, Pedroia on Second

Nice shot of Target Field at night

Red Sox win!

Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe retweeted my Tweet during the game Saturday night, which was pretty neat for me.  So, remember to follow me on Twitter @AshleyAries

The Red Sox Have the Best Record in the Majors

The Red Sox currently have an 18-7 record, after sweeping the four-game series against the Astros. They currently have a 5-game winning streak, an off day today, and will start a 3-game series against the Jays tomorrow.

The Yankees are 2.5 games back, and the Orioles 3 games back. The first month of the season is almost over, and the standings seem to be flip-flopped from the way they were projected.

Currently, here are the AL East standings:

1)  Red Sox  18-7
2)  Yankees   15-9   (2.5 GB)
3)  Orioles     15-10 (3 GB)
4)  Rays         12-13 (6 GB)
5)  Jays          9-17   (9.5 GB)

So much good happened with this team this weekend. Middlebrooks was 6 for 15 with 2 doubles, a home run, and 2 RBIs. He raised his batting average to .202; it had stood at .169.

In the 8 games he’s played in this season, Ortiz is hitting .516 (16 for 31) with 5 doubles, 2 home runs, and 11 RBIs.

Doubront had a shaky first inning on Saturday, but he recovered nicely. It took him 31 pitches to get out of the first inning; he gave up a lead off single, hit a batter, walked three, had a wild pitch, and gave up 2 runs. After that, he settled down nicely, and only threw 64 pitches the next 5 2/3 innings and allowed one more run.

David Ross uncorked 2 monster home runs over the Green Monster Friday night. He had a career-high 4 hits that night, and 10 total-bases, also a career-high.

Dempster also notched his first win on Friday night, and not for lack of trying. In five game starts, he’s 1-3 with a 3.30 ERA and a 1.133 WHIP. More importantly, he’s pitched 30.0 innings, struck out 43, and walked 14. He has 12.9 strikeouts per 9 innings average.

Lackey was activated from the disabled list yesterday and made the start. In his second start of the season, he went 6.0 innings (81 pitches), and gave up 5 hits, 1 run, walked 2, and struck out 4. It’s also worth noting that the crowd cheered for him at the start of the game; Lackey was consistently being booed when he pitched two seasons ago.

There were a couple negative things that came out of this weekends’ performances. Victorino sat out all weekend with a tight back, and he may be placed on the disabled list. Daniel Bard, who was called up from Double-A Portland earlier last week, was optioned 18-7 back to Double-A after a shaky performance. In two games, he gave up 1 run on 1 hit with 2 walks and 1 strikeout.

I’m excited about this team; they’re fun to watch. I think getting John Farrell back made a world of difference for the players, especially the pitching staff. So what comes first? Having team chemistry or winning games? For this team, it seems to go hand-in-hand.

Lester's the Ace, Right?

Opening Day for the Red sox is exactly two weeks from today. The Spring Training roster is shrinking as prospects are headed to their appropriate affiliates, and players are staying later in the games. The weather may not be screaming “Spring” (it’s snowing at the moment here in Iowa); but in two weeks, Spring Training will be over and the season will officially be underway.

Manager John Farrell hasn’t named the Opening Day starter, but every indication seems to point at Jon Lester. Lester has been dubbed the “Ace” for years now. While some have disputed that he deserves this title, he has remained one of the best pitchers the Red Sox have had over the years. His 2012 stats were anything but “Ace” quality: 9-14 record, 4.82 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and gave up 25 home runs. On a plus side, he did pitch 205.1 innings over the season. Buchholz, arguably the best starter last year, wasn’t much better: 11-8 record, 4.56 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, gave up 25 home runs, and pitched 189.1 innings.

It’s safe to say that Lester and Buchholz are the Red Sox’s number 1 and 2 starters, no matter which order they’ll end up pitching. They’ll be followed by Ryan Dempster, Felix Doubrant, and John Lackey. Dempster, as I’ve written before, will be an effective member of the pitching staff and an innings-eater for this staff. Doubrant showed last year that he is capable of being a starter, even if it’s been a little slow-going for him this Spring. Lackey is the Wild Card (after recovering from Tommy John surgery last year and having the worst season out of any Red Sox pitcher in history for 2011). Lackey has showed that his elbow is healed this Spring though.

Lester’s been fantastic this Spring, even pitching 6.0 perfect innings and striking out 6 in yesterday’s 5-1 win against the Rays. Lester’s line for the Spring: 3-0 record, 20.0 IP, 0.90 ERA, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 16 SO, .50 WHIP. Yes, this is limited. But, it is very encouraging.

Taking a look at the other four starters:

Buchholz: 2-0 record, 8.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 7 SO, 0.96 WHIP
Dempster: 1-1 record, 12.2 IP, 2.13 ERA, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 9 SO, 0.87 WHIP
Doubront: 1-1 record, 8.2 IP, 2.08 ERA, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 HR, 4 BB, 11 SO, 1.27 WHIP
Lackey: 2-0 record, 6.2 IP, 8.10 ERA, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 4 SO, 1.65 WHIP

Yes, Lackey’s line is a little disheartening, but he’s also working back from Tommy John surgery and not pitching healthy for years. He’s still a little behind the other starters in terms of innings pitched and such, but from everything I’ve been reading about him, he’s looking much improved from 2011. I guess we (including myself) will have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

My guess is Farrell names Lester the Opening Day pitcher this coming weekend, with the other pitchers lining up as I’ve shown above. He pretty much has the rotation as that in Spring Training anyway, so it makes sense. Lester’s out to prove 2012 was a fluke, and I’m guessing he’s going to be contending for the Cy Young this year. Of course, I made that prediction last year, and Lester did horribly.

Random Thoughts

* The 45-second standing ovation Kevin Youkilis received in his return to Fenway last night was great. It shows Youk that the fans did appreciate him, and he’ll always be regarded with respect despite playing for the “wrong” Sox. Sometimes, a change of scenery is good. In Youk’s case, I think that’s what he needed.

* Ortiz pulled his Achilles rounding the bases on Gonzalez’s game-winning homerun last night. Ortiz said it was pulled and nothing popped, and Valentine said Ortiz will be out for a few games. An MRI is scheduled for today. Yes, losing Ortiz is tough, especially since he’s been the team’s most consistent bat all season. However, Pedroia will be back on Thursday, and this will allow some other players to get a bit of a rest. The Sox will work with a “fluid” designated hitter for a few days. I’m guessing Shoppach and Saltalamacchia will share duties of catching and DH-ing for at least one game.

* Crawford was 1-for-3 with 2 runs in his return for the season. HE’S HITTING .333! Break out the champagne! In all seriousness, I’m happy for Crawford. I think he needed to come back and produce from the get-go. Hopefully, he’ll continue hitting like he was in the minors (I believe he had a .306 BA), and the mess from last year will be quickly forgotten.

* Aaron Cook continues to impress. Last night, he pitched 7.0 innings, gave up 5 hits, 1 run, 0 earned runs. He walked and struck out 0. His season ERA is down to a very respectable 3.34, even in the limited time he’s pitched. Does this mean the Sox keep him and trade away someone like Morales?

* The Sox are said to be actively pursuing Ryan Dempster of the Cubs. I’m all for this. One, Depmster has a ridiculous 1.86 ERA. Two, he’s Kevin Millar’s best friend. I’ve seen Dempster a few times on Intentional Talk, and he’s hilarious. I think the Sox need someone who can come in and loosen the team up a bit. There’s no one who is said to be the “fun” one on this team, and I think the Sox need that. They need someone to keep the clubhouse light, to have fun with the media. The fact that he’s Millar’s best friend, well that’s just a bonus.