Thursday, October 25, 2007

Who's The Hobo?

Tough loss for the Rockies in Game 2 - certainly a winnable game for them. Long day at work for me (got home after 1830, which is about 2 hours later than normal), so I didn't hear the Rockies score their lone run. I also started doing homework after the seventh inning stretch, and didn't tune back in until the top of 9.

Some random thoughts on Game 2:

- Jimenez's fastball is legit. He generates a lot of power from that skinny frame of his - a la a young Pedro. This isn't to imply he's going to be as good as Pedro, but that he has easy gas - 97 mph.

- With that weapon, why oh why did Torrealba mess around with his other pitches? And why did he insist on flipping junk up there when behind in the count and with runners on in scoring position? I agree with what Joe Morgan said on the radio - quit messing around and throw the heater (that's a paraphrase). Lowell was sitting on a breaking ball when he lined the ball into left for the go-ahead run in the 5th.

- Based on Schilling's hat tip while exiting the game in the sixth, you get the feeling he won't be back next year and he knows it?

- Are we sure that's Eric Byrnes in the Fox pre and post-game shows, not some Hobo they pulled out of the Cask and Flagon? Dude, showing up on TV with a severe case of bed head is bad enough, but do you have to dress like you slept in a trash can?

- Boyz II Men had 4 members in their heyday. They sung God Bless America with 3. Apparently, the guy with scoliosis was the one that could carry a tune.

- I think the Fox contract with MLB includes the following two caveats: (a) Boston is not allowed to be retired in order at home during the World Series; (b) A random draw is held before the series and that player is not allowed to be retired from an 0-2 count (Youkilis right now, Manny in the ALCS). How else to explain why the 0-2 and 1-2 pitches to Youkilis have been nowhere near in this series?

Colorado really needed this game. They can still win the series, but now two things are assured: They will have to win it at Fenway, and they will have to beat Beckett at least once. Dice K against Fogg is a favorable matchup (in my opinion) for them in Game 3. They need to do something to rattle Beckett early in Game 4, like bunt for hits, be real aggressive on the basepaths, step out a lot, something. Hopefully the series will be 2-1 at that point, but the way their bats have cooled off (again, nice 8 day layoff, Bud) they may be in a 3-0 hole instead.

2 comments:

Cardinal70 said...

Will Beckett pitch Game 4? I thought he'd be in line for Game 5, since Game 4 is on Sunday and he'd only have three days rest.

I agree, though, they have to win everything that Beckett doesn't appear in if they want to take the title to Colorado. And that's going to be very tough to do in Fenway.

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Mike said...

I haven't seen the official pitching matchups, but with Wakefield off the WS roster due to his back, I assumed the Red Sox would go with Beckett/Schilling/Dice K for the series. Tavarez isn't active either, and although he pitched well in relief against Cleveland, I don't see Francona trotting Jon Lester out there for Game 4.

If Beckett throws Game 4 on short rest, he would be available for Game 7 on regular rest due to the off-day between games 4 and 5. Seems like a reasonable gamble to me.

Of course, my pitching predictions for the Red Sox have been completely off target (see Wakefield starting ALCS Game 7)....