1st Ever Gamecast On Cloud 10: Sox - A's

I decided it would be fun to let you into my mind in the heat of the moment during a baseball game. So, I going to do a "gamecast" entry on my blog, granting you access to my brain as I watch today's game. As you probably might guess, I'm a little less than satisfied about the start of the Sox season, however every game brings some kind of new hope, I mean we can't play under .300 for a whole year, right (still higher than Ortiz's average)? Still, I don't like that this is the worst start for us since '96, not exactly the good ole days in Beantown baseball (finished 85-77 that year). Tonight's game features starters Daisuke Matsuzaka vs. Dana Eveland, who didn't have a good start against the Sox last year. Hoping for some good offense tonight in the Bay with a good start from Dice-K (Should make a demo tape with these rhymes.).

10:08 PM - Jacoby Ellsbury steps up to the plate, reminding me of his molasses-like start he's had to the season. Can't bunt the 1st pitch. Promptly grounds out (Here we go again?).

10:13 PM - After MVPedroia singled, Ortiz steps to the plate and grounds into the shift yet again. At least he worked a full count. I was talking to someone, and said to them that his record setting '06 season just killed his ability to hit the other way. Now I'm afraid he's becoming a pull hitter with no power. 2 down.

10:15 PM - Kevin Youkilis (AKA, the only guy who has hit for us this week) comes through again for the Sox, hitting a 1-2 breaking ball up the middle. 1-0 Sox!

10:16 PM - JD Drew goes opposite field for a double (should be doing more often for $14 million a year) and drives in Youkilis, who scores from 1st. 2-0 Sox, we need this, especially for the dramatic tightrope act that is coming to the mound tonight for us.

10:20 PM - After a Bay walk, Lowell drives an 0-1 Eveland pitch up the middle. 3-0 Sox. Has there been anytime this season we've got 4 hits in an inning? Since when did Manny get back here (wishful thinking)?

10:23 PM - Captain 'Tek walks, and Oaktown already has someone in the bullpen. I'm kinda liking where this game is going.

10:25 PM - Good ole Nick Green strikes out to end the inning, although Eveland has to be close to 40 pitches now. I just hope we haven't used up all of our offense this inning.

10:29 PM - Now steps the Dice Man, baseball's version of Houdini, who promptly allows a base hit. (Hmm, thinking of a good over/under number for his walks tonight. I'll be optimistic and guess 3.)

10:31 PM - Houdini walks Sox hero Orlando Cabrera on five pitches. Not so optimistic on my over/under now. Now steps Jason Giambi, member of the Sox Killer All Star Team (hmmm, good idea for a future entry). It just doesn't matter if he's slumping or not, he just always has our number, I MEAN ALWAYS. He was the guy on the Yankees that when he came up, I just grabbed the remote, because something bad's gonna happen.

10:33 PM - Giambi flies out to the warning track (exhale). 1st & 3rd, 1 out.

10:36 PM - Matt Holliday doubles to left-center, scoring 2. Houdini can't escape this one. Just when we give him probably the best outburst we can give him, the Dice Man makes this game interesting again. Reminds me that I need to get a blood pressure monitor.

10:39 PM - Jack Cust bloops one into center, tie ball game (thinking of a good place to throw this laptop now, EEEEEERRRRRRRGH!).

10:40 PM - Here comes our old hero Nomar to the plate. Interesting that both OC and Nomar, the shortstops of the '04 season are on the same team now. I wonder what Sox banter they talk about? I wonder if OC just bombards him with how magical that season was 5 years ago, as Nomar just sits at his locker, doing some kind of OCD thing so he doesn't have to listen. Just thinking happy thoughts now, I need them.

10:41 PM - Dice-K promptly walks Nomah! Over/under = not good. My mood = not good.

10:45 PM - After a lineout by Suzuki, good ole Travis Buck singles a 2-2 pitch to right. 4-3 A's. Masterson warming. Uh-oh!

10:47 PM - Mark Ellis gets an infield single. 5-3 A's. Orsillo and Remy are now talking about how the WBC may have affected Baseball's Houdini. Can't help but agree at this point, as he's throwing 89 MPH fastballs.

10:48 PM - Inning is mercifully over! Just crushed an empty Coke can to take out some aggression. I mean, really Dice-K, really?????? Guess starting pitching might not be our bread and butter this year either. Wild inning.

10:51 PM - Bobby Crosby takes Nomar's place at 3B. I find myself not shocked for some reason. May have sprained his wrist on that BB, you never know with him.

10:55 PM - After a 40 pitch 1st, Eveland gets a 1-2-3 inning against the 1st 3 batters in the Sox order. On top of that, it looked liked Dice-K just walked in the clubhouse (bad back, bad oblique??). I might need a shot of 151 now.

10:57 PM - Masterson now steps for a long-relief appearance in the bottom of the 2nd. Induces a grounder to Nick Green. Ladies and gents, your 2009 Boston Red Sox (falling apart at the seams by the minute)!

11:02 PM - Masterson achieves a 1-2-3 inning (phew!). Turns out Garciaparra is out of the game with with tightness in his calf. I just think he's not made of flesh and bone like other human beings. Whats up with him? Nothing like a little Mia Hamm to soften you up. Gives me an idea for another entry, the Paper Mache All-Stars! Still up for revision.

11:08 PM - After a Youk walk, Holliday makes a dramatic grab after almost misjudging the wind. Throws Youk out at 1st after he slips off the bag getting back. Worst. Luck. Ever. (Sigh)

11:13 PM - After a Bay double, Old Man Lowell grounds out to 3rd base to end the top-half of the 3rd. There must be a way to instantly get Prozac online, I mean anywhere (it's only game 8, it's only game 8, it's only game 8.....).

11:19 PM - Masterson gets another 1-2-3 inning, striking out 2. Still 5-3 A's (Note: The Sox high for runs this regular season is 5, and haven't scored more than that since scoring 9 in a Spring Training game against the Mets almost 2 weeks ago). Still in it I guess.

11:24 PM - Ellsbury gets on by a Crosby error. I guess it's something to go along with a .179 average and an OBP sinking below .250. Hoping for some flash.

11:27 PM - Flash happened as Ellsbury stole a base, however we strand another runner at second as MVPedroia grounds out. (Sigh again)

11:31 PM - Masterson gives up his first hit. Afraid of possibly losing some late-night viewers, NESN immediately turns to a sideline report with Heidi Watney. Brief story about Beckett's interview on a 6 game suspension he received in the incident against the Angels. Said that he "wasn't in a hugging mood" at the time. Feel somewhat the same way now. Well, OK, I've changed my mood. After all, I just saw Heidi Watney.

11:39 PM - Masterson is in trouble for the 1st time as old friend OC singles, and JD Drew lets the ball slip by him, leaving runners at 2nd and 3rd with Sox Killer Giambi up (in prayer position).

11:42 PM - BIG K FOR MASTERSON! (....and exhale). Time to pump myself with more caffeine. I need it right now, I swear. 3-4-5 hitters coming up. LET'S GO!!!!!

11:45 PM - Ortiz grounds out weakly to the pitcher. 1 out. The RemDawg now mentions that he is 3/18 on the road trip. Chucky = not a happy camper, who is also thinking of Miguel Cabrera trade right now.

11:51 PM - After two singles, Bay steps up and hits a liner off Eveland's glove. Giambi makes a stellar play on his errant throw, while staying on the bag long enough to get the out. But a run came in. 5-4.

11:53 PM - Crosby's just having a tough day after he has a Lowell rocket go right off him, allowing enough time for Drew to score. Eveland gets yanked by Bob Geren after 4 2/3 innings. Ladies and gents, IT'S TIED!

11:56 PM - 'Tek strikes out again (surprise!) as the side is retired. It's a 5-all game. Still shaking in my socks for the bottom half with Holliday leading off at the midnight hour.

12:04 AM - Well, I made it to the next day believe or not. Masterson pulls off another 1-2-3 inning, striking out 2, bringing his line up to 60 pitches, 6 K's, and no runs allowed in 4 IP. Does he start if the Dice Man goes on the DL? Stay tuned. We're only going into the 6th?

12:10 AM - Oakland's Andrew Bailey gets a quick 1-2-3 inning and gets the A's back in the batters box. Now seeing some Bruins playoff commercials. "Do you believe"?

12:11 AM - Manny Delcarmen now enters the game in place of Masterson. I'm hear my heart beat now. Is that a good thing?

12:15 AM - 3 batters, two singles for Oaktown heading to the top of the order. (Heart getting louder, louder, louder). I realize that Delcarmen had a decent year last year, but he always gives me the same remote control reflex that Giambi gives me sometimes. Speaking of, he's on double deck. I'm hanging on for you guys.

12:21 AM - ............aaaaaand I'm alive. Delcarmen gets out of a jam just before getting to Giambino. I just did something that may have resembled a dance.

12:25 AM - The Big Man (Ortiz) walks to lead off the inning with the white-hot Youkilis up. Meanwhile, I notice that one of the closers on my fantasy team is blowing a save to the bottom part of the lineup. Nothing's easy in baseball.

12:27 AM - Like I said, double play on the Sox, Chad Qualls facing Albert Pujols with the bases loaded and a 1 run lead. God help me.

12:30 AM - Good news and bad. Good is that Drew is on from a Giambino error. Bad, Pujols won the battle, blown save. Not starting off well on pitching in fantasy this week I guess.

12:33 AM - Guess Geren had enough of Bailey after a walk to Bay. Here comes Santiago Casilla. Also just learned that the 1st inning had a combined 83 pitches. Pitchers duel, huh? In other somewhat good news, Mr. Qualls got out of the inning against St. Louey with the game tied at 6 (I think I just spasmed and threw my phone).

12:35 AM - Lowell pops out in the infield, stranding two in the 7th. Not exactly taking big strides to win the game here.

12:40 AM - The Giambino walks to lead off the inning after Delcarmen arguably struck him out on two different pitches in the at bat. Never like it when the umpire's ego starts to determine the game. Here comes more of the meat with Holliday.

12:42 AM - HOLLIDAY STRIKES OUT! OK, I'm good for the next 30 seconds.

12:44 AM -CUST STRIKES OUT! That might not be a surprise, considering he broke the AL record last year with 197. 2 down.

12:46 AM - Base hit by Bobby Crosby. Looks like Francona is going to make the move to Ramon Ramirez, who is dominant against righties. Delcarmen's outing hangs in the balance. So does my sanity.

12:50 AM - Phew! Kurt Suzuki flies out to Drew in right-center, almost creating a collision of epic proportions. Looking for something that could be used as a voodoo/good luck charm for the offense. Oh, wait. Varitek is leading off? Nevermind.

12:57 AM - After outs by Varitek (probably shouldn't have to tell you), and Carter, Ellsbury screams a single to center, racing towards 1st and towards the Mendoza line. It's action time!

12:59 AM -.........I meant action time for the A's as 2B Mark Ellis makes a diving play in foul territory after Pedroia swung at an awful pitch. Running out of time as we head to the bottom of the 8th. It's crunch time, and it's late........I think I'm entering Simon Cowell mode.

1:02 AM - Ramirez walks the lefty Buck to start the inning. Did Francona say he was confident with him against lefites? Just checking.

1:06 AM - Clutch K by Ramirez against Ellis. Lefty Ryan Sweeney coming up. One on, One out.

1:09 AM - DOUBLE PLAY! 3-4-5 hitters coming up in the top of the 9th. C'MON BIG MAN (envisioning 2004, feeling feng shui)!

1:13 AM - Ortiz strikes out against Russ Springer. This is reminding me of Game 7 of the ALCS with my friend PMac telling me on AIM how much of a non-factor he's become. Don't want to, but starting to realize it more and more (trying to get Teixeira, Manny off my mind).

1:18 AM - After a Youk popout, Drew continues his $70 million dollar journey by getting his third hit of the day. J-Bay Bay steps up to the plate, a homerun away from being my favourite Canadian.

1:22 AM -After a lengthy battle, J-Bay Bay strikes out as the bullpens from both teams continue their scoreless battle. Still not able to overcome that 5 run brick-barrier (envisioning that Bruins commercial, "Do you believe?" over and over). Thinking that Okajima is coming in for the bottom half.

1:29 AM - Okajima has retired two, including the dreaded Giambino. But it doen't get any better as Okajima faces off against Matt Holliday. Images of Game 3 of the 2007 World Series are coming back (get 'em out, get 'em out!).

1:32 AM - HE STRUUUCK HIM OUT! Okajima gets a 1-2-3 inning as Holliday questions the umpire for basically every call he made in that at bat (That Bruins commercial is on again. Good omen?). Free baseball for everybody as we go to extras.

1:36 AM - After a Lowell strikeout (courtesy of Brad Ziegler), Varitek pulls of a 4 pitch walk (hallelujah!). It's Gil Velazquez time!

1:38 AM - .........or not. On a 2-1 count, Velazquez grounds out hard to the Giambino. At least the hit and run was on. It's time for Jacoby to be a hero.

1:40 AM - Ellsbury walks. The Oakland pitching coach runs out, probably to calm down Ziegler as he is probably as incensed as Holliday right now. MVPedroia is up.

1:41 AM - Bobby Crosby strikes again, as he loses a Pedroia infield chopper in the lights. Bases loaded. Here comes Papi (quiet sarcastic cheers).

1:43 AM - ERRRRRRRRRRRRGH! After a 2-0 count, Papi hits a pop-up to second base, getting Ziegler out of a jam. Simply disappointing.

1:50 AM - Just as Bobby Crosby was about to redeem himself, Pedroia makes a super diving catch up the middle. YEAH! I'm actually starting to feel the urgency from the Sox to win this game. Then comes a 4 pitch walk by Okajima. 2 out.

1:51 AM - STRIKE 3! Okajima pitches another fine inning, bringing the Sox bullpen to a line of 9 IP, 3 BB, 5 hits 0 R, and 12 K's. 4 ,5, and 6 up for the Sox in the 11th. (Just realized that Dice-K got under the number of walks I predicted for him tonight in a cruel bit of irony. Only 1 IP, but still worth a trip to Vegas!)

1:59 AM - After outs by Youk and Drew, Bay gets on with a single. However, The Hip Heard 'Round Boston comes up to the plate and strikes out looking. I can't take watching this offense anymore.

2:02 AM - Papelbon has just entered the game, impacting both my Red Sox, and my paid-fantasy team, the Bubba Gump Shrimpz. Yeah, the team that just had Chad Qualls blow a 2 run save. EYES WIIIIIDE OPEN for this one! Especially remembering Papelbon's last outing.

2:08 AM - After a Mark Ellis flyball to left, and a Howie Kendrick like at-bat by Ryan Sweeney, Papelbon escapes with a lineout to Lowell. 2 out (inhale................ then exhale).

2:10 AM - OC's OUT! Paps came through for both Sox and Shrimp Nation! Bullpen line: 10 IP, 3 BB, 5 hits 0 R, and 12 K's. Now time for a rally with the 8, 9, and 1 guys due up for the Sox (what's this salty discharge coming from my eyes?).

2:14 AM - Sean Gallagher (insert watermelon-smashing joke here) strikes out Varitek looking. Miguel Montero be aware! Your flight to Boston may come sooner than later (and I'll pay for it).

2:15 AM - Ryan Sweeney robs Ellsbury of possibly a triple to end another 1,2,3 inning by the A's bullpen. I can officially call this a marathon game because the duration of this game has passed my time in the Boston Marathon by about 10 minutes. Javier Lopez is out from the bullpen to face the Giambino (remote in my hand).

2:21 AM - Giambi walks, sending Holliday to the plate against Lopez. Something tells me this is a bad idea, a real baaaaaaaad idea.

2:23 AM - Holliday grounds out, but the game-winning run is on 2nd with 1 out. Javier Lopez, the Nation turns its lonely eyes to you (woo, woo, woo).

2:25 AM - Another BB for Lopez on a lefty. This time to Cust. The righty Crosby AGAIN will have a chance to redeem himself. Really not liking this.

2:27 AM - ANOTHER DAMN WALK! Bases loaded and one out, pretty much accepting defeat at this point as Javier Lopez can't even put it over the plate this inning.

2:30 AM - HUUUUUUUUUGE strikeout by Lopez with a good snag by 'Tek on the foul tip. Victim: Kurt Suzuki.

2:31 AM - Game. Over. The hero, the scraggly Travis Buck, who hit a high chopper up the middle and JUST beat out a Pedroia throw. Oakland rejoices while the Nation endures another painful loss in a young season that doesn't seem to get any better. Something tells me that I should worry about this team now, like really worry. But I will try to avoid those urges (key word, try). With an imminent trip to the DL for Dice-K, and the Sox sinking to 4 games under .500, I can't help but think of last year's Tigers right now. I just can't. Well, it's 2:30, you know what that means, time to listen to the BS Report on ESPN.com. Good night, errr morning folks!