Yesterday simply could not have gone better for Boston. The Orioles had the Sox against the ropes, but a 9th inning blunder by Orioles reliever, Jim Miller, allowed the Sox to steal a win. Back to back bunts are not something the Sox are known for, but that is what ended the game last night. With Alex Cora on first, Coco Crisp bunted safely putting runners at first and second. Then, Jacoby Ellsbury laid down a bunt to move the runners up. If he acted quickly, it looked like Miller had a shot at getting the lead runner at third. He went for it, but in his rush he threw the ball past the third baseman and into left field, allowing Cora to score the winning run.
The Orioles bullpen simply could not keep them in the game, and the Red Sox snatched a well timed three game sweep. The Yankees, meanwhile, were very helpful in beating the Rays for the second straight night. With the Sox also winning, the Yankees moved no closer, but the Sox gained a game on the AL East lead, and now are only 3 games back. With the Rays coming to town on Monday for a 3 game series, the Sox are now in striking distance.
The Wild Card race also got easier for the Sox. Toronto gave the Red Sox a boost by beating the Twins last night, which increased their lead to 4 games over Minnesota for the Wild Card. Everything went just as we scripted it!
The Sox have today off to travel to Texas for 3 games. Josh Beckett will take the mound but will be on a limited pitch count in this first start since experiencing elbow issues. The Sox are 7-0 against Texas this season, but I would not put any money on a sweep on the road. We are not sure what Beckett will bring to the table tomorrow, and even if he pitches well, he'll be out early and the game will be in the hands of the bullpen. The Rangers will have Kevin Millwood on the mound, and he;s been pitching quite well lately. I certainly expect the Sox to at least win Lester's start on Sunday, but I think the best we can realistically hope for is to win 2 out of 3. Winning all three would result in a season sweep of Texas, and that just feels unlikely.
So, use today to catch your breath, send good thoughts to Texas for at least 2 wins, and be prepared for the most important series of the season to kick off on Monday!
(Photos Courtesy of ESPN)
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The Gift
10 months ago
3 comments:
Here's my analysis: the orioles' pitching is stinky.
MVP! MVP! MVP!
(Pedroia, that is.)
Sox...how true, especially their relief pitching. Now we go to Texas, and from what we've seen, their pitching is no better than Baltimore's. Hopefully this series will be a slugfest (for the Sox).
Sul - he sure is adding fuel to that argument. But, once he cools off people will forget about that I imagine. But, catching fire in September is a great way to get noticed for MVP votes!
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