Rumble In The Rog: Sox - Jays Gamecast

The Red Sox (66-51) haven't exactly hit the ground running in the 2nd half and have found themselves playing catchup in all aspects of the playoff picture by losing 8 out of their last 9 road games. On the other side of the coin, we are trying to keep pace with a Yankees team that just won't die, kinda like Mike Myers, or Brett Favre's career (a.k.a, The Mississippi Waffle. Giving myself a high five for that one!). The Blue Jays (55-61) are coming off a 2-4 road trip against the Yankees and Rays (Hey! Better than us. O.K. I'll stop being bitter.), and are free of the underachieving Alex Rios. One nugget of good news is that Kevin Youkilis is coming back after his 5 game suspension for going all "El Toro" in the Tigers game on Tuesday night. However, the lineup will be minus an MVP as Dustin Pedroia is heading back to Boston to be beside his wife for the birth of their first child. Goes to show that even nature doesn't want us to have a complete lineup. Hope all goes well for the Pedroias. On the mound for the Sox is stopper Josh Beckett (14-4) who is again attempting to get the team out of quicksand in the heat of the pennant race, while trying to lower his gigantic 6.85 career ERA at the Rog. He faces off against AL Rookie of the Year candidate Ricky Romero (10-5), who has had a phenomenal campaign for the Jays, but has struggled mightily against the Sox in his 2 outings (9 RA in 8 1/3 innings). The Sox better win here today, or I'm gonna have to get like a Raiders' head coach in here.

7:10 PM - After 8 pitches, Ellsbury is punched out by the sloth-like Tim McClleland. He might have called that strike from the last game he umped. Maybe he is on a natural five second delay, just so they can edit out his goofed up calls. 1 down

7:12 PM - Drew ropes a single to right, upping his totals at the Rog to a blistering 3 for 23. Putting some fire on ice!

7:13 PM - Double play will get us out of the inning. Same ole song and dance. Apparently 'Tek's neck is killing him, making it the 1st time V-Mart will catch Beckett. Must be from watching all those runners run on him in Texas this past weekend. It was a whiplash inducing event for me, too.

7:18 PM - Aaron Hill strokes his 23rd double of the year to go along with the quietest 28 homers in 2009. Would be a mega-star if he was with a team on a bigger market, or for a team that's not in 4th place.

7:23 PM - Wait for it....wait for it..............STRIKE 3! Overbay strikes out looking just as he was about to walk to 1st base. Games with this McClleland guy must take at least 5 hours to complete. I don't remember seeing him doing any Red Sox-Yankees games, and probably for good reason. We'd be here till Christmas.

7:25 PM - It's the return of the Yooooooooooooouk! Youk re-enters with a double in the left-centerfield gap. He could be that Energizer that our offense needs for this stretch run. Trust me, we need every ounce of ability.

7:29 PM - J Bay Bay walks, putting 2 on with no out. Really convincing myself not to turn off the TV right now as double play candidate Mike Lowell comes to the plate. Remote hand is really shaking like Captain Miller's hand in Saving Private Ryan.

7:32 PM - Lowell bloops a single to load them up. Rollin' the dice with Papi coming up. Again doing a rain dance to avoid a double play.

7:33 PM - Ortiz goes opposite field to drive in 2 with the double. 2-0 Sox! Very professional piece of hitting. Made me forget he was hitting .223 this year. Still nobody out. C'mon Nicky!

7:36 PM - Green looks lost swinging on an outside breaking ball for strike 3. Now dipping below .160 for the month of August. McClleland called that one pretty quickly. 1 down. Here comes 2006 Sox "legend" Alex Gonzalez.

7:38 PM - Groundout by Gonzalez, but the run still comes in. 3-0 Sox. Thank God I dropped Romero off of my 2nd place fantasy team last week. I'd be sobbing uncontrollably with all of these hits.

7:41 PM - And Ortiz is safe!!!!! 4-0 for the Beantowners off the Ellsbury single. If I were the catcher, I wouldn't be anywhere near the plate if I saw #34 rumbling towards me. I'll just go back to the manager and say I choose life. By looking at my skinny frame, I think he would understand.

7:43 PM - The Jays are finally out of it, but the damage is done. A four run inning for us lately has been as hard to come by as a snowy day in Tempe.

7:46 PM - Wow, really? Randy Ruiz hits a bomb to get the Jays on the board. That is his 3rd homer in 23 at bats this year. Should I be concerned?

7:48 PM - Beckett out of it, but not after allowing a solo shot to a guy who was killing the PCL as far as a few weeks ago. Hopefully our offense didn't shut down, because even with Beckett on the mound, we might need some heavy coverage.

7:51 PM - V-Mart singles by the dive of Scutaro. Beginning to have a man-crush on him like every Midwestern Caucasian male has for Brett Favre. At least mine doesn't make career decisions like John Kerry makes political decisions, all while placing a whole team hostage on his every flip-flopping word. In the meantime, he hasn't accomplished anything truly significant in the past decade while crashing and burning on a playoff contender last year. Do I seem bitter?

7:54 PM - After a Youk walk, Heidi brings the news that Dustin Pedroia made it in time to see the birth of his son. Dylan Pedroia was born at 7 lbs. and 20.5 inches. Wow, he's almost at daddy's height!

7:56 PM - Well, I had to see that coming. Lowell grounds into the double play to end the inning. However, Romero isn't getting that extra zip on his pitches tonight. Would really like to get more than 4 runs tonight.

7:59 PM - And 4 runs getting less comfortable by the minute. Beckett ain't exactly doing his part to stop the bleeding. Travis Snider, who is fresh from Triple A, hits an opposite field blast to start the bottom of the 3rd. Now looking for a paper bag in my room.

8:06 PM - With 2 out, Adam Lind whacks a double on a hanging breaking ball. This V-Mart/Beckett thing is starting off a little shaky. Never really understood the catcher familiarity thing too well. I mean, even the most successful pitcher primarily throws the same pitches in just about the same particular locations every time. Especially in the age of videos and iPods, you should have a pitcher's routine down cold in no time.

8:09 PM - *Cricket noises*......*More cricket noises*..............Strike 3! Overbay again strikes out looking to end the inning on a 5-second tape delay.

8:11 PM - Guess Papi doesn't like commercial breaks. In a mega-instant, Ortiz rocks his 18th jack into the stands at the Centre. Loving the handshake with V-Mart. Nice to add some cushion, considering history tells us that Beckett will have a shaky outing tonight in this ballpark.

8:12 PM - Green benefits from a botched play on a liner by Snider. Make that an E9 for "Sni-dawg". In other news, McClleland just called the Papi hit a homerun.

8:14 PM - Bunt hit for Gonzalez! Is this the Red Sox? 1st and 3rd with nobody out.

8:15 PM - An Ellsbury sac fly makes it 6-2. Rubbing my eyes, and still thinking that I'm watching another team.

8:16 PM - Who am I watching? Drew drops down another bunt for the Sox, moving over Gonzo. Runner in scoring position with 2 out with V-Mart coming up. Since when was Mike Scioscia managing this team?

8:18 PM - V-Mart will walk on 4 pitches, and it looks like Cito has had enough of seeing Sox flying around the bases. Slick Ricky Romero is out, and Shawn Camp is coming in to mop up the remains for the Jays.

8:23 PM - Camp gets out of it, but the Sox have a 4 run pad again. Maybe Dave Magadan is actually working with these guys after all. Final line for Romero: 3 2/3 innings, 8 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, and 2 Ks. Apparently still suffering from previous woes against the Sox.

8:26 PM - Vernon Wells, who has probably hit .983 against the Sox in his career which contributed to his receiving of a multi-million dollar deal, doubles to left to start the bottom of the 4th. Forget the catcher/pitcher relationship, that was just pitiful location. John Smoltz even said that he hung that one.

8:28 PM - Just after a groundout, Bay and Ellsbury almost created a clip for the "Jacked Up" segment for NFL Primetime. Wells tags up to score.

8:30 PM - Phew! Another hanging breaking ball by Beckett, but just foul. Since when did Brad Penny lose weight and wear # 19?

8:31 PM - We're out of it, but Beckett is uncharacteristically making a game out of this.
Not feeling confident with Beckett making it even to the 6th right now.

8:33 PM - Wow! Can these guys give me time to rest my fingers? On the first pitch of the 5th, J Bay Bay continues his red-hot August with his 6th homer of the month, which is officially more than what he got in the past two. 7-3 Crimson Hose. The Sox absolutely need his production more than Speidi needs publicity.

8:37 PM - Sox exit the top half with another run added to the lead. Be big if Beckett can put a 0 on the board in this frame.

8:41 PM - Snider starts off the home half with a single. The tight rope act continues as the paper bag begins to get a workout.

8:43 PM - Hill gets his 2nd double of the night while putting runs in scoring position. Please tell me someone is warming up right now. Please don't tell me that I'm profusely sweating with the AC on.

8:44 PM - Is this a batting practice session for curveballs? Lind singles to drive in 2. Now only 7-5 Sox. Definitely the worst performance I've seen from Beckett in over 2 months. Delcarmen now starting to warm up.

8:49 PM - Aaaaaaaaaaand exhale. Overbay strikes out swinging this time to earn the silver sombrero. My sweat glands are now working overtime now that Sox killer Vernon Wells is up to the plate. 2 down.

8:50 PM - Wells strikes out! Another scary inning for the Sox ace. Who would have known that the Sox would have scored 7 runs at the half way point with Beckett on the mound, and it would still be a nail biter? Shouldn't influence myself to anymore bad habits at this point.

8:56 PM - Ellsbury wins the lefty-lefty battle against new pitcher Jesse Carlson. The fact that we need a couple of runs here should be nominated as Understatement of the Year, even if it's only the 6th.

9:00 PM - I'm wondering how that Sullivan Tire commercial with Pedroia on the trampoline ever got done. If he actually was on the trampoline, then you're telling me that John Henry didn't pull the plug as soon as he saw Pedroia supposedly putting his career on the line by wacking balls off on a bounce? Yet Selig and the gang won't even attempt to make a suitable skills competition for the All-Star Game? I just will never understand the authority that run sports.

9:03 PM -Lead off walk by Ruiz. Only the 1st walk for Beckett, but not exactly helping the mood. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaase just finish this inning.

9:07 PM - Yes folks, it's tied. Pair of 7's on the board after Beckett's 100th pitch of the night went bye-bye off the bat of Barajas. What did I do wrong to have this Red Sox season totally crash on me like this? Maybe God is punishing me for the Brett Favre cracks I've been making recently. Final line: 5 1/3 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 4 K and 3 bombs allowed. Only threw 1 shutout inning tonight. Might have to buy a #4 Vikings jersey to fix a few things karmically.

9:14 PM - Still waiting......................and strike 3 is called. Delcarmen fans 2, but the damage is done. Can't do anything right lately. We score 7 with our ace on the mound and he can't even get us to the 6th. And just to think, I had high hopes for this series as Beckett and Lester were pitching in this series. This game has now achieved "MUST WIN FOR MORALE" status in capital letters.

9:20 PM - Reality is setting in as the Red Sox looked absolutely pathetic against Casey Janssen in the 7th. Thinking that I rather would have a needle go through both of my eyes right now than to watch this team. Possibly both of my eyes and my ankles.

9:26 PM - Okajima completes the 1st 1-2-3 inning of the game for Sox pitching tonight. Really hoping we didn't empty out in the run department. Big Papi leading off the next frame.

9:29 PM - Papi walks on 4 pitches to lead off the 8th. Now heading to the dark cellar of the Boston lineup, which has been my beer timer lately.

9:33 PM - Green plugged away and gets a base hit on the 8th pitch. Sac bunt in effect with Gonzo?

9:35 PM - HE THROWS IT AWAY!!! Janssen totally misplayed that ball and threw it away in a panic, putting the Red Sox back on top 8-7. Can't argue when the other team helps you manufacture a run. Time to open this game up again. I'm a wee bit scared of the prospect of Papelbon coming in the game, although my Bubba Gump Shrimpz need a save.

9:39 PM - 3 RBIs for Ellsbury today after that sac fly. Put a 9 on the board next to Boston! I think I just let out something that resembled a breath.

9:43 PM - Go V-Mart! Go V-Mart! Go V-Mart! 2 out double from Slick Vic to make it 10-7. Even the gravity of a larger planet can't pull my smile down right now. Sensing that Tek's neck is hurting more.

9:48 PM - Inning done, damage done. This is the first game we've scored double digits since that 18-10 Orioles game on the 2nd, and only our 3rd time accomplishing this feat since July 1st. This definitely ain't your daddy's Red Sox.

9:55 PM - After Bard got two quick outs, he proceeds to allow 2 quick hits. The 2 out situation hasn't been his niche lately. In comes Jonathan Papelbon (I think I just blacked out temporarily). Need this inning for my fantasy team, because I just found out that Lincecum threw a dud tonight.

10:00 PM - Papelbon walks the 1st hitter he faces to create a bases loaded situation, 2 out situation. My sanity will be going in T- 20 seconds.

10:01 PM - Sanity is officially gone! Scutaro hits an opposite field single to make it a 10-9 ballgame. Feel hungover now and I haven't had a drink for 2 days. Welcome to the 2009 Red Sox Experience!

10:05 PM - Another walk thrown by Papelbon. Taking out some frustrations on a Dr. Pepper decorative pillow right now. Might be too tired to type anything else afterward. You know, after my expletive-laden sparring session.

10:07 PM - OOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMGGGGGGGG! Pop fly to the warning track by Lind ends the inning. 15 pitches just to get that 1 out while throwing only 5 strikes. And he still has a whole inning to go. That's just Papelbon being Papelbon this year. I urgently need a Corona with lime. Make it 6.

10:09 PM - Frank Viola is now going off on a tangent on Snider's rosy cheeks. My mom came in just baffled. That combined with our potential to blow another lead, she knew that it was her cue to go to bed. Again, the 2009 Red Sox Experience at its finest.

10:13 PM - Bay walks to lead off the inning. .000135 seconds later, I felt the energy of a whole fanbase willing him to home plate.

10:18 PM - Jason Frasor throws a wild one, allowing Bay to get to second. Is the Nation's telekinesis actually working? Guess they're walking Papi here with 1st base open. Hoping for Nick Green to provide some insurance here. Something tells me I'm wishing for too much.

10:22 PM - Like I said. Double play kills a 9th inning opportunity to pad a lead that is hanging on the strings of my disintegrating Red Sox cap. Might have to walk to the kitchen to get a paper bag for this inning coming up, this time to possibly put over my head like the Lions fans did last year.

10:25 PM - Overbay singles to start of the 9th. Might have to make that a plastic bag. Sox masher Wells now coming in the box.

10:26 PM - Ooooooooooooooooooh. Wells hits a shot just short of the warning track on a first pitch fastball. 1 down. I can't take this anymore.

10:32 PM - Towering fly ball hit by Ruiz that found Bay's glove. 2 down, but even their outs are Ruthian. One more and I make it out of this alive.

10:34 PM - 3rd walk recorded by Papelbon. Barajas now coming up. I think I might actually know how blood boiling feels like. I think my brain is boiling, too.

10:36 PM - YYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSS!!!!! I'm alive.....I mean, we won this game! Another 33 pitch roller coaster save by Jonathan Papelbon As per usual, the Sox didn't make this an easy affair, as we had leads of various lengths with our ace, our best relievers and our closer on the mound. Tonight's win becomes extremely gi-normous because it not only puts pressure on the Rangers, but it comes before Halladay's outing tomorrow night. We survived Beckett and Papelbon's disaster, but we can't afford an abundance of performances like the ones displayed tonight. Not while we have now become the chasers in the 2009 AL playoff race. The Buchholz-Halladay matchup will be intriguing, considering they both came off stellar outings. All in all, this could potentially be a turnaround series for the Sox if we can pull off 2 out of 3, for it can set us up for a huge opportunity to make up some ground in the AL East when the Yanks come to down this weekend. As much as the pitching matchups are making me tear up, I will be sending my 5-1 2009 spectator record to Fenway for at least 1 and possibly 2 games. Expect some sweet montages, because I know it's been way too long. On that note, I'm off to the oxygen tank!