Home in time to see Tom Caron speaking with Jason Varitek and (sadly) Dan Shaugh nessy. (Ooh now they are showing Tim Wakefield, Jon Lester and Josh Beckett golfing!)
The lineup for tonight’s game looks pretty interesting. No Coco, Manny or JD – we get Wily Mo, David Murphy and Jacoby Ellsbury.
Here’s the lineup:
Julio Lugo, SS
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
David Ortiz, DH
Jason Varitek, C
Mike Lowell, 3B
Wily Mo Pena, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Murphy, LF
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Pitcher: Curt Schilling
I know I am a giant geek…but I’m pretty darned excited knowing in five minutes I’ll be hearing Don and Jerry calling a game…even if it is a meaningless game!
Since it’s the first live blog of the new season, I’ll go over it for new folks and those who forgot…I’m lazy;
you’ll have to scroll down to see the latest entries and I’ll save as
often as possible, but definitely at the end of each half inning. In the beginning, I didn’t give much play by play, but I’ll try to improve on that tonight and as the season goes on.
7:05 – Schill is on the mound and, honestly, he does look a bit bigger than he has. All the weight jokes and such still annoy me. What are you going to do?
7:08 – Luis Castillo fouls off the first pitch and watches the second go by. 0-2. Third pitch is a little wide and the fourth goes to Lugo who throws Castillo out.
7:10 – Jason Tyner pops up the first pitch he sees and there are already two outs.
7:11 – Joe Mauer hits one right to Youk, Schilling covers first and the top of the first is over.
Brief pause while I bask in some real baseball.
7:14 – Matt Garza is pitching for the Twins. First pitch and Lugo grounds out.
7:15 – Give me a Youuuuk!
7:16 – 2-2 count on Youkilis. And then he grounds into out number dos.
7:17 – Big Papi comes to the plate and Mauer gives him a ‘hello’ pat on the butt. The camera pulls back and you can see that City of Palms Park is FILLED. Papi has a 1-1 count on him.
7:18 – A Jason Varitek sighting in the on-deck circle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
7:18b – Big Papi strikes out with a HUGE swing…no score at the end of one.
7:20 – Ooh…Rondell White ‘rips’ one to center field…Tina Cervasio is telling us that Jon Lester will pitch a minor league "B" game on Monday morning. May I say WOO-HOO? Thank you.
7:23 – Ah, it’s only the first game and I already got distracted…there are two outs and I have no idea how they came about…(OOh Mike Timlin in the dugout!!! – see how easily I’m distracted?)
7:25 – "Harvey" gets a hit up the middle. Remy tells me we remember him from Kansas City. Luis Rodriguez makes the third out to Youk. No score going to the bottom of the second.
(The five year-old niece to me just now…"I love baseball, I just hate to watch it!" Oh, she’ll learn.)
7:28 – Curt’s pitching line: 2 innings, 2 hits, 19 pitches – 15 for strikes.
7:28b – And here comes the Captain with a long out to right.
7:30 – MIKE LOWELL! MIKE LOWELL! MIKE LOWELL!!!!! (He’s up is all…he hasn’t done anything yet…)
7:30b – Who is the Matsuzaka they keep talking about?
7:31 – "Harvey" practically dives into the stands to get Mike Lowell out.
7:31b – Wily Mo is up and the first pitch to him is in the dirt. 2-0 count right now. They haven’t mentioned it, but he (Wily Mo) looks a little thinner (not a LOT, but a LITTLE).
7:32 – Wily Mo hits it right to third and gets thrown out. Looks like Schilling IS done for the night.
7:34 – And we have a Joel Pineiro sighting on the mound!
7:35 – And Joel Pineiro gives up a lead-off single to Jason Bartlett. WTG, as the kids say.
7:36 – But he gets the next dude out, so I guess that’s okay. 🙂
7:37 – Pedroia gets the man out at first, but that brings Bartlett to second with two outs.
7:38 – Julio Lugo turns a routine third out into a single for Joe Mauer. Niiiiice. He has 65 errors in the past 3 seasons. Sweeet.
7:40 – Rondell White laughs at Lugo by getting a base hit, knocking in the first run of the game. Say thanks to Julio, folks.
7:40 – Well, Lugo got the out at second…end of three, 1-0 Twins.
7:42 – Scott Baker is now pitching for the Twins. I can hear hundreds of people asking "who?".
7:43 – Dustin Pedroia is up…23 pounds lighter (is that possible? was he chubby last year?). I can hear Lauren screaming from Dover as Dustin knocks the ball into center field.
7:45 – David Murphy also gets a hit. Nice to see the kids getting the job done. Here comes cute little Jacoby (who the Globe and other places insist on continually calling Jacob).
7:47 – Jacoby goes down looking. Freeze-frame, baby. Here comes Julio Lugo. If this was the regular season I’d be saying "make up for the mess-up, baby"…but we’ll give him a little rope tonight. 🙂
7:48 – Hey, Julio just knocked in the first run for the Red Sox…good job, Julio, good job!
7:50 – Another shot of Timlin – this time next to Wakefield and behind Francona…oh my little heart…
7:50b – Youk strikes out and Big Papi is up again. I just remembered that I have friends at this game tonight. I hope they’re enjoying this! I’m pretty sure they are!
7:52 – Even in a spring training game, the shift is on…and it doesn’t work! Big Papi on first and another run scores!
7:53 – And we have another viewing of the Captain (with two outs).
7:54 – "Hey peanuts!!!" I can hear. What a great sound. Sadly, the Captain strikes out again. 2-1 Sox at the end of three.
7:56 – Jason Varitek is sitting for the night and Alberto Castillo is now behind the plate. He’s catching for my new boy, Brendan Donnelly. As long as he doesn’t talk about women, I’m good with Brendan.
7:57 – Brendan strikes out out LeCroix (sp?) on three pitches and catches him looking. That’s always impressive.
7:58 – Hey, Harvey’s first name is Ken! Good information to have. Ken hits the ball right to Julio and there is another out because Julio got it to first this time.
8:00 – 1-2-3 inning for Brendan. Nicely done.
8:01 – OOH Tina Cervasio is interviewing Jason in the dugout!!!! Of course, the game is going on and I have no idea what Mike Lowell is doing…I mean, I love me some Captain but, HELLO there is a game on…and Mr Double is up…Jason smiled as the camera left him. Seems like he’s been in a much better mood this pre-season. A little less serious. Whatever works.
8:03 – I see Mike Lowell walking back to the dugout and assume he just struck out. But Don and Jerry are talking about Curt so who the hell knows?
8:03b – Wily Mo hit a single into center…and Jerry is still babbling about Curt. Ah, meaningless games…here comes Pedroia…
8:05 – A batter and a half and Don and Jerry are still talking about the pitchers. 3-1 count on Pedroia. You remember Pedroia, Don and Jerry? He’s the guy up at bat right now. Hello? Is this thing on?
8:06 – Hey Donnie O noticed that Pedroia walked.
8:06b – David Murphy is up. I believe the sistahs saw his first major league hit (or maybe his first hit at Fenway?) over the Labor Day weekend…but I don’t remember. I’ll have to research it later.
8:07 – Two on , one out and Murphy hits it to Rodriguez, but it’s a hot potato and Pedroia can hustle, so Murphy is 2 for 2 and loaded the bases with Jacoby up again.
8:08 – Jacoby seems a little attitudey to me. Maybe that’s good. It’ll be better if he actually gets a hit.
8:09 – Jacoby smashes the ball over Castillo’s glove, knocking in two runs. 4-1 Red Sox. Nice way to shut me up, Jacoby. (Baker is leaving the game…commercial break to switch pitchers)
Random picture of Bronson because he pitched an inning today. 🙂
8:11 – Sox have four runs, seven hits and an error.
8:12 – Jason Miller is in for the Twins and he’s pitching to Julio Lugo.
8:15 – Jacoby just stole second base. Okay…I heart him. Men on second and third as Lugo strikes out. (Julio needs a cheeseburger…I’m just sayin’.)
8:15 – How cool is it to hear "Yoouk"? So good. So good. So good.
8:17 – Youk makes the third out but I’m too impressed with the ‘kids" to really care. 🙂
8:20 – We have a Batshit sighting!! Julian Tavarez is on the mound (and he throws behind Bartlett…huh?)
8:21 – I have no idea who is in our infield but the just made the first out.
8:21b – Wily Mo is being interviewed by Tina Cervasio. I don’t have a bloody clue what he’s saying but I still want to pinch his cheeks.
8:22 – Tavarez gives up a single as I read that Wally Szczerbiak is going in for season-ending surgery. Bummer.
8:23 – One on, one out. Let’s go Julian…WOO that one was a BIT outside.
8:24 – Ah, it’s time to talk about the ‘boo-birds’ from last season…I guess any time is the right time.
8:25 – Tyner hits one into right field. First and third, one out with Joe Mauer up.
8:27 – Joe Mauer just tied it up with a homer that landed IN the chain-link fence. Julian is reverting to his 2006 reliever-form. (Okay, that’s harsh…it’s one game…)
8:27b – Tavarez gets the next guy out and we switch to Curt’s ‘press conference’ where he is a sitting billboard (hat and t-shirt) for what I’m assuming is his new company. Can you say "poor taste", Curt?
8:29 – Sox just threw a guy out at second but I have no idea who on either end because we’re watching CURT SCHILLING TALK!!
8:30 – I just looked it up, it IS his company "38studios.com". I think I’m going to puke.
8:31 – Curt is talking about Daisuke. I’m thisclose to sticking a fork in my ear to pop out my eardrums…
8:31b – Game is on again…Curt is still talking…
8:32 – Welcome to my live blog…where I blog Curt Schilling’s PRE SEASON press conference because NESN thinks we’re all sitting here not caring about what is going on in the game.
8:33
– Luis Jimenez is up for the Red Sox. And Curt is still talking. So basically Don and Jerry are getting paid for nothing right now.
8:34 – These guys realize if they keep asking him questions, CURT WILL KEEP TALKING????
8:36 – Number 81 is up. Number 81. Guess who Don and Jerry are talking about?
8:36b – Hey number 81 is Chad Spann…all I know about him is he has a very nice southern family and he’s a good friend of Jon Lester’s. There you go.
8:38 – And little Chad makes the final out. Tied score still. Annoying insurance commercials abound.
8:40 – Manny Delcarmen is on the mound (and he’s wearing number 17! How did I miss that?)
8:42 – Manny throws one into the dirt. 1-1 on LeCroy – who hits one into the outfield. Aw, Manny.
8:43 – Whatshisname catches the ball for the first out. Of course, half the team on the field right now is whatshisname right now.
8:44 – Jerry Remy says to Don Orsillo "The question is "who just hit?". And for the next hitter he asks, "Who’s this guy?". Ah, February baseball!
8:46 – Chad Spann charges the ball and….well, mucks it up. Error, baby boy. But that’s all right because litle Manny still gets out of the inning.
8:48 – Okay, who’s this skinny guy? Alex Ochoa. I didn’t know he was still playing…
8:51 Pedroia is out and Murphy is up. Okay, bad, bad call. Murphy looked safe to me and everyone who is booing at City of Palms Park. 4-4 end of six.
8:54 – Bobby Scales in in left field, Joe McEwing is at second and JC Romero is pitching. Well, I know 2 out of 3 there…
8:55 – JC just threw two very pretty strikes. I am mildly impressed.
8:56 – And Chad Spann makes another error. HE’S definitely making an impression. Of course, my heart breaks for the poor kid. But I’m glad I’m not there so he couldn’t hear me groan.
8:58 – We have an out. And we have Garrett Jones up. Who the hell is number 71? He’s our first basemen.
8:59 – Snap throw to first by Castillo, but number 71 doesn’t quite make the catch…Bailey, number 71 is Bailey.
8:59b – Romero strikes out Jones. He’s wearing number 32 (Romero, not Jones). Derek Lowe’s old number. Did anyone wear 32 last year or in 2005?
9:00 – Denard Spann is up for the Twins. That’s a good baseball name, eh? Two outs, one on.
9:02 – Hey, Watkins gets picked off (I think it was Watkins)! Freaking sweet.
9:05 – Jacoby Ellsbury is still in the game…he hits it to Watkins in left and we have one out in the seventh.
9:06 – Ed Rogers is up at bat. Hi Ed.
9:08 – Sox go down in order. Bottom of the 8th already? Tied score. Oops, bottom of then 7th, what do I know?
9:10 – Remy and Orsillo are already in giggle fits. It’s going to be a good year!
9:11 – Bryan Corey is pitching for the Sox.
9:13 – Corey has an out. I have no idea how he got it because Remy and Orsillo are talking about the new rules and cracking up.
9:14 – Hey, Corey caught LeCroy looking (I think I’ve spelled his name differently two or three times tonight…). Remy is all for the new rules and speeding up baseball.
9:15 – Glenn Williams is up. Hi Glenn.
9:16 – Goodbye Glenn…strikes out swinging. Nice, clean inning Bryan.
9:18 – Ricky Barrett is pitching for the Twins. Oh he’s like six. He’s adorable. I’m freaking old.
9:19 – Luis Jimenez has taken a couple of pitches. 2-1…and now he’s out (to left).
9:19b – Chad Spann is on deck…errors or no, he’s cute as a little button. Have no idea who is up…he has a relatively low number, though. Oh, it’s Alberto Castillo. Hey.
9:21 – Remy is making up his own rules. All revolving around games only going nine innings, tied or not. Alberto hits a double with one out. Nice job, Bert. Al. Whatever.
9:22 – Hitting the game-winner would be a nice way to ease your pain, Chad. I’m just sayin’.
9:23 – It’s the 8th inning and the game is tied and I hear the "here we go Red Sox" chant. I always preferred that to the "Let’s go Red Sox" chant.
9:24 – I’m amazed that Don has found a minute’s worth of things to discuss on DeMarlo Hale. Nice.
9:24b – Chad has a 2-2 count and strikes out swinging. Here comes the ever-dangerous Alex Ochoa.
9:26 – Remy wrote a Wally book. About his travels. Oh, I guess WALLY wrote it. It’s a children’s book. Coolie.
9:26b – "Ochoa is gone and so are the Red Sox in the 8th". 4-4 going into the ninth.
9:30 – Luis Rodriguez leads off the ninth with a double off a guy named "Runelvys (Hernandez)".
9:32 – Wild pitch puts Rodriguez on third. Man.
9:33 – Catches some Twin looking. 1 out, man on third. Let’s go, Runelvys!
9:34 – Alex Ochoa throws Rodriguez out for home after catching out #2…double play, baby!!!
Still tied going into the bottom of the ninth.
9:37 – Alex Ochoa has the biggest, brightest smile! 🙂
9:37b – Joe McEwing is up…come on, Joe…or not.
9:38 – Bobby Scales, baby, it’s up to you.
9:39 – Hey, Bobby, a walk is as good as a home run…just ask Tim McCarver.
9:40 – Some kid named Kerry Robinson is up…
9:40b – …and said kid strikes out swinging.
9:41 – Two outs, man on first and Ed Rogers is up. I smell a walk-off…
9:43 – Or a groundout. Extra innings, baby!
9:44 – Number 97 is pitching for the Red Sox. Chris Smith. Welcome to the bigs.
9:46 – Ed Rogers throws a bullet to first for the first out.
9:47 – Alex Ochoa catches out number two…he’s still smiling. He is seemingly the happiest guy in the park right now. 🙂
9:46 – Smith throws a change-up, much to the surprise, and pleasure of the RemDawg.
9:48 – Smith strikes this guy out and we go into the bottom of the tenth. Nice inning 97.
9:50 – Number 71 (Oh that’s Bailey!) almost hits a home run…but, as we all know, almost only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes.
9:52 – Luis Jimenez is up…come on, baby…hey, he got a single- yay!!
9:52b – Brandon Moss is a pinch-runner and they just got word from the press box that this is the last inning, regardless of what the score ends up being. Man, this’ll mess up the whole Mayor’s Cup thing, eh? (Sarcasm, yes.)
9:55 – Wild pitch…Moss on second. Nice running, Brandon. One out, man on second, 3-2 count to Castillo…
9:56 – Castillo strikes out looking…Chad Spann is up. Come on, baby, erase those errors.
9:57 – Chad, you can’t erase errors with an 0-2 count.
9:57 – Spann strikes out swinging and the game is over at 4-4.
Man, that was anticlimactic, wasn’t it?
Hey, thanks for stopping by folks! Better luck next time! 🙂
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