Yardbarker: Jason Bay

Red Sox lose in 12th - I'm on no sleep!

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:33:21 -0500

The Angels finally beat the Red Sox in th 12th... Game 4 starts in a few minutes...

Good Days of '08: Game 1

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:47:50 -0500

This is the first of a series called "Good Days of '08." As bad as the season was overall, we had our moments. The series will chronicle some of the better games of 2008.

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(John Bazemore/AP)
Game 1 coverage:
[GameDay]
[Liveblog]
[Recap]
[Box--Pirates 12, Braves 11--3/31/08]
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The Pirates are adopting a habit of winning crazy openers. This game was absolutely insane--and gave us pretty much everything we had been waiting for over the course of yet another loooonnnng offseason.
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The game started off with ball one to leadoff man Nate McLouth, who we were happy and relieved to see playing in favor of Nyjer Morgan. Nate walked to begin his great year but was later picked off by the catcher.
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Would you believe Adam LaRoche started off the year with 2 hits? Including a double in his first 2008 at-bat? It happened. That just means the stretch that ensued was just that much worse until he remembered how to hit late in the year.
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Ian Snell was our opening day starter, and we were expecting him to be the ace (Ha!). Ian went 6 innings and allowed 4 runs--not great, but not exactly causing us to panic and fear the horrible year that he ended up having.
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The Pirates scored first on an error by 2B Kelly Johnson on a grounder hit by Jack. Escobar hit a two run triple to take the lead away, and Chipper grounded him home to add another. Nate hit an RBI single to make it 3-2 Braves, but Brian McCann went deep off Snell to get that run right back. A Nady double led to a run to make 4-3, and the Pirates tied it on another Brave error later on. 4-4.
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The wheels came off of the Braves. Nady hit a solo homer and McLouth hit a 3-run bomb. All of sudden the Bucs led 8-4 and we were going nuts. The score was 9-4 going into the bottom of the ninth (after announcers were wondering if the Pirates should not be pulling off the safety squeeze to get the extra run home)....
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Marte came in to finish things off. He uncharacteristically walked two guys and got just one out. Capps came in and also walked two, gave up a hit, and got an out. With the tying run at first, a McCann pop-up simply fell in between Bay and Nate. It was completely routine, should have ended the game, they just pulled a little-leaguer and didn't call it. TIE GAME and Pirate fans were ready to shoot themselves. The Braves almost won on the next play, but Nate made a real nice catch.
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Franquelis Osoria pitched a scoreless 10th and 11th. The Pirates did not score either. 12th inning, the man who loves opening day, Xavier Nady, hit a three run bomb. 12-9. Osoria remained in the game and promptly gave up a home run after 2 quick outs. He then gave up a couple hits until the tying run was on first. Finally, finally, FINALLY, Osoria got a pop up, and the Pirates improved to 1-0 and moved into first place.
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WIN: Osoria (1-0)
LOSS: Boyer (0-1)

Notes:
-Xavier Nady had two game winning hits, essentially. His solo shot broke the tie in the late innings, then he won the game again in the 12th. X-Man saved our skins on Opening Day last year, too, hitting a game tying homer off Brad Lidge in the ninth inning with two outs in a game the Bucs would eventually win.
-Nate McLouth also had a day. 3/5 plus a walk and 4 RBI's, and a homer. He also homered on Opening Day last year.
-Jason Bay went 0-for-6. Coming off a poor year, that was not an encouraging thing.
-Tyler Yates, a few days after being acquired, was a beast. Very impressive scoreless inning of work.
-We were pleasantly surprised to see Ryan Doumit getting the start instead of Ronny Paulino. Doumit went 3-for-7.
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RECORD: 1-0

ALDS Game 3: Beckett ready to sweep Angels away

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 08:33:23 -0500

Josh Beckett is smiling... that's not good for the Angels. Get a preview of Game 3 at The Bottom Line blog.

ALDS Game 3: Beckett ready to sweep the Angels away

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 21:31:18 -0500

Josh Beckett (12-10, 4.03 ERA ) Terry Francona made it official today; Josh Beckett is the Game 3 starter. "He's pitching," manager Terry Francona said before the Red Sox [team stats]' 7-5 win over the Angels in Game 2 last night. "I think we kind of needed to go about it the way we did. Rather...

Click the link to read more...

Playoff Roundup 10/1-10/3

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:34:32 -0500

One thing I usually like about the MLB Playoffs is the fact that since so few teams make the postseason, every series is competitive, even in the first round.
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Well, this year, all four series are the polar opposite. All four favor one of the teams 2-0.
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BREWERS 0--PHILLIES 2
Remember when the Brewers were on their final-week rampage that included two walk-off wins against the Bucs? Well, I [posted] after the first one that, as great and exciting that may have seemed for them at the time, they were actually playing pretty horribly (so were we). Quoted from that post: If the Brewers keep playing like this, it won't last long.
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They lost the first game 3-1. All three runs came in one inning via errors, and Cole Hamels was a beast. CC finally ran out of gas in Game 2, meaning the Brewers have virtually no chance. They aren't going to beat good teams unless he pitches, simple as that. For that reason alone, you can't blame them for throwing him out there again, and again, and again... If they go to extra innings tonight or something, he might just come in....and start on Sunday, too.
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DODGERS 2--CUBS 0
HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Anyone who has been reading this blog at any point during which we played the Cubs this year should not be the least bit surprised at how happy this collapse is making me right now. As amazing as they were in the regular season (possibly the best team in baseball), you had to know this was coming. Besides, the Dodgers are a heck of a lot better with the addition of #99. Their pitching is good and the offense is adequate, especially when the Cubs help their rallies with errors, errors, and more errors!
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RED SOX 2--ANGELS 0
If you would have told me that Jason Bay would hit 2 homers in his first 2 playoff games this year, I would've been ecstatic. Then you would have told me that it would be for another team, duh, and I would still be happy, but a lot less than if it was for the Bucs. Bay is a great guy and I want to see him do well. Sure, we'll hear rumblings in the 'Burgh every time he gets a hit for Boston, but don't get bitter over them. Be happy for Bay and wait for the divedends to pay for the Pirates as well.
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As for the Angels, well, my WS pick isn't looking so great. The only reason I referred to the Cubs as "possibly the best team in baseball" is because of these guys. Apparently that doesn't help much in the postseason. Big time choke? At least they've won it all in the past 100 years.
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WHITE SOX 0--RAYS 2
Rock on Tampa Bay! This is the ballclub that any and all Pirate fans should be pulling for in October. The Rays did all this through their minor league systems and drafting, no blockbuster deals, no massive contracts for free agents. What do you think the Pirates are trying to do, people?
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As a Pirate fan, I was also rooting for the Twins to beat out the Sox to make the playoffs, but let's be frank, they blew it and the White Sox deserved it. I don't hold much against the Sox, but Ozzie Guillen is a bum.
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As bad as it is not being able to watch the Bucs until April 6, it's nice to be able to come home and flip on TBS for a full evening of baseball all week.

Playoff Roundup 10/1-10/3

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:34:32 -0500

Tales From The Playoff BBQ - Day 3

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 11:17:50 -0500

Two series went to 2-0 as both the White Sox and Angels moved one game closer to elimination. Near walk-off action coming...up...now!

>Boston 7, Los Angeles 5 (Red Sox lead series 2-0) Next Game: Sunday @ 7 pm (Saunders vs. Beckett)

What Happened: JD Drew hit a 9th-inning two-run homer off uber-closer Francisco Rodriguez and Jonathan Papelbon pitched two strong innings to get the win as the Red Sox got their 11th straight postseason win over the Angels. Despite being down 5-1, Los Angeles battled back all night and tied the game in the 8th after a Chone Figgins triple and Mark Teixiera sac fly. Both starters were ineffective as Daisuke Matsusaka (5 innings, eight hits, three earned runs) and Ervin Santana (5.1, eight hits, five earned runs) didn't hold up to their terrific regular seasons.

Breakdown: Normally, this would be a positive for the Angels as they were relentless in chipping away at the hole the Sox put them in. But when you have lost 11 straight against the same team and you're heading back to their home park to face their postseason ace, it's hard to find the sun behind the clouds. Boston overcame unsightly pitching struggles all night and had to turn it over to their closing ace to get a two-inning win. We're normally big Terry Francona fans, but he showed a bit too much restraint in leaving Hideki Okajima and Justin Masterson in a few batters too long. Los Angeles heads into Sunday needing to play with reckless abandon and with no fear in trying to break their postseason curse. Much like the Cubs though, it's a case of last year being just like this year.

The Big Number: JD Drew, Mark Kotsay and Jason Bay went a combined 8-for-15 with six RBI and two home runs.

>Tampa Bay 6, Chicago 2 (Rays lead series 2-0)
Next Game: Sunday @ 4 pm (Garza vs. Danks)

What Happened: Four Rays pitchers combined to hold the White Sox to two runs as the expansion club moved one win away from their first ALCS visit in team history. Akinori Iwamura hit a 2-run homer and Dioner Navarro drove in a pair to pace Tampa. Chicago collected 12 hits, paced by Jermaine Dye's 4-for-5 effort, but left 12 men on base. Scott Kazmir got the win, going just 5.1 innings and striking out four, while counterpart Mark Buehrle gave up 10 hits and five runs in seven innings of work.

Breakdown: In a game that featured 24 hits, it came down to the White Sox' inability to drive anyone in that sunk them. Tampa has been relentless in sticking to the same plan that got them to this position in the first place and they stand one game away from sweeping the 2005 World Champs. Even with Carlos Pena out with an eye injury, substitute Willie Aybar didn't miss a beat with a pair of hits and a run scored. Chicago has a chance to win game 3 as play-in game stud John Danks will take the hill but they'll need timely hitting to take down this Rays machine.

The Big Number: Brian Anderson (0-3) was the only offensive starter for both teams who didn't get a hit.

Saturday Games:

-Philadelphia @ Milwaukee: 6 pm
-Chicago @ Los Angeles: 10 pm

Josh Nason started Small White Ball in 2007 and is the main contributor of content for the site. A long-time writer, his work can also be read at sites like RopesRingandCage.com, EmailMarketingGuy.com and others. He also does radio appearances and was on TV once, albeit for a lame public television game show. He can be reached at josh@smallwhiteball.com.

Koz: 2008-90 PENGUINS PREVIEW

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:43:24 -0500

A Procrastinators Preview to the 2008-2009 Pittsburgh Penguins

by Koz

koz81@comcast.net

When I left you at the beginning of June, I was an emotional wreck reminiscing about the end of a memorable season. But I'm going to bet some of you forgot about hockey during the last 120 days with the Pirates' pennant drive and dreams of Jason Bay hitting home runs in the post-season. Well, half of that came true a?" lucky you!

Look, you're a busy person; I'm not. Since I've waited until the day before the season starts, it's hard to say anything in a "season preview" that hasn't already been said. But I've done the homework for you (Lucky you again! Go, you!) and collected some of the important information to get you ready for another run at the Cup.

DEPARTURES: Hossa, Malone, Roberts, Hall, Laraque, Ruutu, Conklin

ARRIVALS: Satan, Fedotenko, Pesonen, Godard, Cooke

It's more acceptable to wear a shirt that says "SATAN" than ever before
July 3, 2008 changed the rules of fashion in Pittsburgh. As a Catholic, I've always wondered what fans of Miroslav Satan did when it came to their favorite player's jersey. A guy on a one year contract isn't worth a jersey purchase (just ask anyone who ruined their sweater with "Hossa" last spring), but the more practical "player name and number t-shirt" is a great gift. I was the proud recipient of "SATAN #81" this summer, but I'm still leery of wearing it in public. I thought the gym might be an okay place to start a?" I'd probably be less likely to have to wait for a treadmill. I've decided the grocery store and church are the two worst ideas, followed by jogging anywhere near a playground. WWSD wristbands are also not advised. If you have the courage to sport your "SATAN #81" in any interesting public places, email me the photos (make sure you are also wearing pants, please).

Wear at your own risk

New threads and foes

Thanks to a new schedule template and 18 teams unveiling third jerseys over the next few months things will look a little different this year. Since the lockout, the schedule has stressed division matchups; giving us eight games against the Flyers every season but few Western Conference opponents. This season the Pens will play every NHL team. If you're making your Christmas list early, all signs point to the Pens' third jersey being reminiscent of the '67 Specials worn during the Winter Classic last January.

At least you can be confident in their ability to assemble trendy but affordable furniture

For the past two seasons the Penguins have embarked to West Point, New York for a special boot camp training session with the US Military Academy. It's been wildly popular with the players and credited with building camaraderie. The team was unable to schedule a visit this year due to the early season start in Stockholm. I don't know much about the Swedish armed forces, but apparently Sweden hasn't been in a war since 1814 (no, seriously). Maybe the team's training staff knew this and that's why they decided a scavenger hunt facilitated by a Swedish PR firm was the best alternative. Tasks included building IKEA furniture and taking photos around Stockholm while wearing novelty viking hats (I'm told real vikings didn't have horns on their hats, FYI). Hopefully the same tenacity and teamwork will be evident this year, especially given the roster turnover.

Do you guys know how this is going to help the power play?

It's a "New World" Order

Remember those Pens teams of old that had more nationalities than even the Cathedral of Learning could handle? The 2008-2009 Penguins will likely open the season with an All- (North) American blueline and only five European forwards (Malkin, Satan, Sykora, Fedotenko, and possibly Pesonen). Perhaps the NHL should have sent Detroit and their no fewer than eight Swedes to Stockholm instead of the Penguins who haven't had one since the Nils Ekman experiment (circa 2006).

The best defense is one that is healthy enough to play
In case you've been living in a cave, you should know both Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney will be missing significant time this year. It wasn't long ago that many fans were wondering what the Penguins would do with so many NHL caliber defensemen. Now I'm beginning to think things like maybe wearing lucky #7 (a change from #3) will keep Mark Eaton from having his annual season ending injury. Rookie Alex Goligoski, wearer of lucky #13, will likely see more NHL action than first anticipated. Kris Letang will take up the primary power play quarterbacking responsibilities. Unfortunately, I have nothing to add about the superstitious power of the number 58.

Revenge of the Sid

No one has ever questioned Sidney Crosby's drive, but this is something completely different. I realize this is a scripted commercial, but there has been a noticeable bitterness all summer every time a reporter asked #87 about losing in the Cup Final. I wouldn't be going out on a limb to predict Crosby to lead the league in points or be the league MVP, but I expect just that this season.

Jordan Staal is a person of interest

No, not for underage drinking again. Aside from getting to know the new Penguins, Jordan Staal is probably the "one to watch" this season. He will be a restricted free agent after the season, which means he's in the ubiquitous "contract year." It also seems that he's moving to left wing next, perhaps to fill the vacancy left behind by Ryan Malone's departure on Gino's line. After scoring 29 goals his rookie season and leading the league in shorthanded goals putting in considerable time on the wing, Staal had a well documented sophomore slump when playing primarily center (12-16-28, including no SHG). After seeing the big money ponied up for Crosby, Malkin, and Fleury as well as his older brother Eric in Carolinaa?? well, there's a reason I picked Jordan for my fantasy squad.

Jordan <3>

Time to test all those hours of watching Sesame Street with Natalie Gonchar
With the defection of Malone and Gary Roberts to Tampa and the injury to Gonch, the Pens need new alternate captains. As seen in the preseason finale against Jokerit of the Finnish league, Evgeni Malkin and the stoic, charitable confectioner Brooks Orpik are early season candidates to wear the "A." Malkin's English comprehension is the most debated off-ice topic since Jaromir Jagr's gambling, but this sure is a strong vote of confidence. I just wished the NHL used as many on ice mics as NFL Films does so we could capture some of the dialogue.

Soa?? is this the year?

I don't know. Maybe. The "Stanley Cup Hangover" is well documented and there's a lot of new pieces, but the core of the team still hasn't hit their prime. Actually, the roster that begins the season tomorrow is arguably better than the one that debuted 12 months ago. I've read dozens of predictions and not found anyone who thinks the Pens will miss the playoffs and that's what's really important. Earlier this year when my fiancee and I picked our wedding date for May 30, 2009, my mom was disappointed on the chance that it would conflict with a Stanley Cup Final game. Frankly, I couldn't think of a better wedding gift.

Can Matsuzaka remain perfect on the road?

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:04:23 -0500

The pressure is on the Angels to recover with a split before heading to Boston... get a preview of tonight's game at The Bottom Line.

Super Jacoby leads Sox to Game 1 victory

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:06:14 -0500

DayPortPlayer.newPlayer({articleID:"3104",playerInstanceID:"FA4BADDF-1121-2521-A713-8B4A46F1280D",domain:"nesn.dayport.com",rootCategory:"23",categoryID:"18"}); The Red Sox brought the feisty last night. Just look at Jacoby's face during this interview... or his reaction to making that amazing...

Click the link to read more...

Sox Hang 10 on the Halos

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:26:34 -0500

Sox 4, Angels 1 WP: Lester (1-0) LP: Lackey (0-1) SV: Papelbon (1) HRs: BOS-Bay (1); LAA-None Summary: The Red Sox got a stellar start from Jon Lester, a scintillating performance from Jacoby Ellsbury, and a clutch homer from Jason Bay toA winA Game 1 of the ALDS. It was Boston's 10th straight postseason victory over L.A., tying a major league [...]

It's official: Mike Lowell needs to be shut down

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:53:47 -0500

After wincing through an 0-4 night, it's clear that Mike Lowell is eventually going to hurt the Red Sox more than he will help them...

Super Jacoby leads Red Sox to Game 1 victory

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:48:18 -0500

Jacoby Ellsbury lead the way with a 3-5 night and a spectacular catch to preserve a 2-1 lead... get the video are recap at The Bottom Line.

10 Things We Wanna See In These MLB Playoffs

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 03:21:41 -0500

Whether it's Manny beating the Red Sox, or the Rays going from worst to first, there are a TON of great things that would be perfect. We've found 10 of those things.

Tales From The Playoff BBQ - Day 1

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:24:51 -0500

Three games as part of 2008's postseason Opening Day. You gotta love it!

>Boston 4, Anaheim 1 (Red Sox lead series 1-0)
Next Game: Friday @ 9:30 pm EST (Matsusaka vs. Santana)

What Happened: Jason Bay hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning and Jon Lester struck out seven in seven innings of work as the Red Sox continued their postseason dominance of the Angels. Jacoby Ellsbury went 3-5 and drove in a run, while David Ortiz singled home a run, both RBI coming in the 9th. Garrett Anderson, Mark Teixeria, Vlad Guerrero and Torii Hunter all had two hits apiece for the Angels.

Breakdown: This game really came down to two plays: the Bay homer and a bad baserunning play by Guerrero when the Angels were rallying in the bottom of the 8th. In case you missed it, Guerrero was attempted to run from 1st to 3rd on a Hunter single and looked like an old man in doing so. Kevin Youkilis fired in a strike to Mike Lowell after Hunter's single dropped behind him, allowing Lowell to tag Vlad out with ease. Why was Vlad still in there running? He clearly looks hurt, you're trying to tie the game up and that's a wise decision?

Now the Angels get to hear about losing 10 straight postseason games to the Sox until Friday night and wondering if Ervin Santana can stop this bleeding. Their only bit of solace? Ortiz didn't look good at the plate and the combination of Dustin Pedroia, JD Drew and Lowell went 0-11. A loss Friday and this series is done.

>Philadelphia 3, Milwaukee 1 (Phillies lead series 1-0)
Next Game: Thursday @ 6 pm EST (Sabathia vs. Myers)

What Happened: Cole Hamels threw eight innings of two-hit ball while striking out nine, while Chase Utley hit a two-run double in the third inning to pace the Fightin' Phils. Brad Lidge survived a shaky ninth inning, yielding one run on two hits, but still picked up the save. Five Brewers pitchers combined to give up just four hits to Philadelphia and four scoreless innings.

Breakdown: The Brewers were game, but couldn't get anything going offensively against Hamels who was dominant in his outing. However, the Phillies didn't exactly play at their best and were lucky Lidge didn't completely blow it in picking up the save. Ryan Howard was a non-factor, walking three times. Milwaukee will have their best chance to win Thursday as their three-day rest ace CC Sabathia will take the hill in yet another opportunity to cement his 2008 legacy.

>Los Angeles 7, Chicago 2 (Dodgers lead series 1-0)
Next Game: Thursday @ 9:30 pm

What Happened: James Loney hit a fifth-inning grand slam and Manny Ramirez and Russell Martin added solo blasts as the Dodgers ran over the Cubs to open up their series. Derek Lowe was effective in getting the win, yielding just two runs and seven hits while striking out six. On the flip side, Ryan Dempster was not good for Chicago, going just 4.2 innings and allowing four runs on four hits while walking seven. Mark DeRosa hit a two-run homer to pace the Cubs, while Ryan Theriot added two hits.

Breakdown: One team looked poised and prepared...and the other did not. Loney got things going in the fifth with a huge grand slam and the Dodgers never looked back, adding more power later on. A good sign for LA? Six different players scored runs, not hard to do when the opposing pitcher gives out seven free passes. Chicago's Game 1 offense looked eerily like last season's postseason offense with Alfonso Soriano going 0-5, Derrek Lee 1-3 and Aramis Ramirez 1-4. Even Koskuke Fukodome and Geovany Soto got into the act with a combined 0-7 performance. There is no more waiting for it: this Cubs offense HAS to explode in Game 2 or else you can add on another year to the World Series drought.

Josh Nason started Small White Ball in 2007 and is the main contributor of content for the site. A long-time writer, his work can also be read at sites like RopesRingandCage.com, EmailMarketingGuy.com and others. He also does radio appearances and was on TV once, albeit for a lame public television game show. He can be reached at josh@smallwhiteball.com.