Gabe is back with the team! While I don’t know what kind of offensive boost he’ll bring – it is definitely going to help the Sox in the clubhouse! This is great!
Matt Clement is on the 15-day dl…this makes me happy and sad at the same time. Happy because the guy needs to sit and get himself straight, but sad because the MRI was negative, so seemingly the only thing wrong is in his head. I find this very, very sad.
Dustan Mohr was designated for assignment today – so Johnny Damon can stop complaining about how the Sox gave another player his number. 🙂
Quick review for folks who haven’t read my live blogs before. I don’t top-post. You need to scroll down to get the updates. And you need to refresh your browser to read the newest updates. I try to update at the very least after each half inning. Depending on what is going on in the game, I might save more.
If this live blog is your only way to get updates on the game – I apologize in advance. 😉 You’ll be able to figure out what is going on in the game, but unlike most other live blogs, I don’t really give straight play by play.
Edgar Renteria will be at short for the Braves. Nice that we pay him to play well in the National League. I so tire of players who can’t play in both leagues.
Chris Snow just said that the Braves are "farther out of first place in their division than the Devil Rays are in ours". Interesting. Tina Cervasio responded by saying someone from Turner Sports told her that if things get worse in Atlanta, the fans are going to start booing. I’m amazed it has taken them this long.
Seriously, those fans start booing they don’t deserve the team. Ask many other fan bases, Braves fans, what it’s like to NEVER make the playoffs or rarely make them anyway.
We get Eric Frede in the studio with Jim Rice – and Big Papi on first base. I am so ready for this game!
Glass of wine for dinner. Dinner of champions.
7:11 -What the he11? What time does the game start?
7:12 – 7:35 game time. Had I realized this, I would have looked for actual food to eat instead of wine. Maybe I’ll try that now.
7:37 – Hey the game started and Coco is already out.
7:39 – Papi looks huge tonight (tall, I mean). Must be a short umpire.
7:40 – Ah, Bruce Froemming is behind the plate tonight. Long night ahead.
7:41 – MLBlogs own Ian Browne getting dissed by Don and Jerry for blowing a play on a foul ball. According to Don, Ian has a history of stinking in that situation. Top of the first is already over.
7:44 – Jon Lester just struck out Marcus Giles with a fastball. Nice way to begin his game. Edgaria (our pet name for Edgar last year) is up.
7:45 – Edgaria takes a seat. Two strikeouts for Lester.
7:46 – Chipper Jones is one of those players I’ve always liked. I know he’s a bit of a dirtbag off the field, but I’m fascinated with him. The ‘dirtbag’ just got a hit off of young Mr. Lester.
7:47 – Is it pronounced AHNdruw or Andrew? I always thought you pronounced it AHn…no one seems to any more.
7:48 – Lester seems to be afraid of the Jones brothers. Come on, Jon. Calm down and get this guy out.
7:49 – Well done, kiddo.
7:52 – A peek at the Yankees score has the Yanks down 3-2 after 3 innings. Wish it was on Extra Innings. Grr.
7:54 – Trot gets a hit. Dude is on fire!
7:55 – And a base hit by the captain!
7:57 – Was it Tim Hudson who got in the bar fight in Boston in 2003? I think it was. Hey, I found it. It was him.
7:59 – Nice solid hit by Mike Lowell – that knocks Trot Nixon in for the first run!!! They’re hitting Mr. Hudson early…good, good sign!
8:00 – Does Shawn Hill suhck? The Yanks have the bases loaded with no outs. He WALKED Jaret Wright. The he11?
8:01 – How beautiful would it have been for that to be fair instead of foul? Poor Alex Cora. Come on, Alex, do it again…this time make it fair!
8:02 – Or strike out. 6/half dozen.
8:03 – Jon Lester is up with two on and two out. His first major league at-bat. It would be terribly cool if he could make it memorable.
8:04 – Well, Jon will definitely remember that he struck out his first at-bat.
8:05 – After striking out Johnny Damon, Shawn Hill hit Melky Cabrera to ‘walk’ in the tying run. I hate the National League.
8:06 – And then Captain Intangibles grounds into a double play to end the inning.
8:07 – Sox/Braves score 1-0 Sox in the middle of the second…Yanks/Nats score 3-3 after three.
8:08 – BEAUTIFUL catch from the Low Rider!!!!! (And a Gabe sighting…there will be many Gabe sightings tonight!)
8:09 – Lester already has two outs…
8:10 – Make that three with Lester’s third strikeout!
8:13 – Coco walks. A walk is as good as a homerun. Ask Tim McCarver.
8:16 – I love wild pitches. One out, Coco takes second with Papi up. Papi needs to switch the whole "SI Curse" thing around…
8:18 – …during your NEXT at-bat.
8:21 – Is Tim Hudson the slowest pitcher in the National League? Yeesh. Manny walks, two on, two out for Trot.
8:22 – Meanwhile, the Nats scored again, lead the Yanks 4-3 after four.
8:24 – Damian Jackson is on the Nats? Where have I been?
8:25 – Holy cow!!! How the heck did Diaz NOT just knock himself out??? Ow!
8:25b – Hudson just loaded the bases with a walk to Trot. This brings up the Captain. Let’s see what he can do.
8:27 – Whoa. Very loud "Let’s go Red Sox" chant…cooool.
8:27b – TEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Clears the bases with a two-out double!!!!! Woo-hoo! 2-2 is our Captain tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 4-0, Sox!!!!!!!
8:29 – Hudson gets Lowell out to end the inning. Nice inning, boys.
8:32 – Lester gets his fourth strike out to start the bottom of the third. Sit down, Todd.
8:33 – Man! Tim Hudson CRUSHED that ball. But Coco hunted it down.
8:34 – One on, two outs and Edgaria is up again.
8:36 – End of the third, 4-0 Boston. I’m feeling so good right now that I don’t even mind Hazel Mae being on my television.
8:39 – Hudson threw behind Alex Cora…think Bud will suspend him?
8:41 – Ooh, Jordan took himself out of the game after getting whacked on the shoulder. Hello, Adam Laroche.
8:45 – This game is flying by.
8:52 – With two outs Lester puts two on. Mr. Laroche is up. I’m cooking a mini pot pie lest the wine renders me totally useless on the blog. 🙂
8:54 – Mike Lowell saves Lester’s cheese.
8:55 – Is now a good time to mention that the Nats scored again? 5-3 in the sixth with no outs and a man on second. Last time I checked, the Jays were winning 1-0…Ah, the American League East!
9:01 – After a nice hit by Loretta, Mr. Big Papi strikes out. He’s having a bit of a bad time since last Sunday, eh?
9:06 – Sox go down and Florida takes the lead over the Jays. Let’s go guys – everyone needs to cooperate. We need a Sox win, Yanks loss and a Jays loss. That would work, thanks.
9:10 – The Todd gets a leadoff hit.
9:11 – Lester almost messes up, but gets the out at first.
9:12 – One out, guys on first and third. Maybe Marcus Giles DOES own Lester?
9:16 – Lester walks the bases loaded with one out. That’s all right. Someone on another blog worried that Edgaria was going to kill us tonight. As long as he walks to first, we’re safe. In this inning anyway.
9:17 – I think it’s worth noting that, even losing 4-0, the Braves fans aren’t booing.
9:18 – Larry is up. Larry is out but knocks in a run. S’okay, Jon. You now have two outs. 4-1. Just finish the job now, Jon.
9:18 – Lester walks Andruw Jones, but Jeff Francoeur does us all a favor and the inning is over.
9:26 – Quick inning for Hudson. Still 4-1 Sox. Jays and Yanks are still losing. Coolie.
9:34 – Young Mr. Lester is really holding his own. Quite impressive, really.
9:36 – JT Snow starts the 7th…Lester is officially out of the game. Great outing, Jon…we’re all quite proud!
9:38 – JT is certainly making Hudson work. All for naught, though. 🙁
9:41 – I’m watching the Sox game on NESN (Coco just got out) and the Yanks game on Gameday…Yanks have the bases loaded with one out and Captain Intangibles up at bat and the idiot Nats pitcher walks in the tying run.
9:43 – Middle of the 7th, 4-1 Boston.
9:45 – Rudy Seanez is in. And somewhere, David Riske weeps.
9:47 – Rudy has two outs. Go figure.
9:48 – In Washington, tie score in the 8th, bases loaded with two outs and Slappy 
up at bat. This should be interesting.
9:50 – Rudy strikes out Edgaria. Way to go, Rudy!!!
9:52 – Jon Lester’s line for tonight. 6 innings pitched, he gave up 5 hits, 1 run, 3 walks and 5 strikeouts. Not a bad night’s work for his second Major League game, eh?
9:54 – Big Papi just doesn’t have it this week. Oh, by the way, Slappy struck out swinging.
9:56 – This Diaz kid is a nut in the outfield. Another great catch to end the Sox’s inning.
9:59 – My man Mike Timlin is in the game (as is Kevin Youkilis). Over in Washington it looks like Kyle Farnsworth just messed up his back. I know they’re in first place, but I STILL think God is p1ssed at the Yankees.
10:01 – Sit down, Larry. Nice strikeout, Mike.
10:03 – My man Mike Timlin had a 1-2-3 8th inning!
10:08 – All right! Our Captain gets his third hit of the night!
10:11 – You can hear the YOUUUUK chant in Atlanta. Hee.
10:12 – Bernie Williams just hit a homerun to give the Yankees the lead in the 9th. I hate the Nats. At least the Blue Jays are still losing.
10:13 – Jason Varitek decides he’s tired and wants the game to end so he tries to freaking steal second. End of inning. Brilliant.
10:14 – If the Yankees end up winning, it will make me smile knowing the guy they consider washed up won it for them and not the guy they give $25 million to.
10:17 – Papelbon in, put a guy on first and is behind 2-0. He’s just setting up the double-play right?
10:18 – Bruce Froemming took a foul ball off his left shoulder. Don and Jerry are laughing because they had mentioned earlier that it seems every Sox game Froemming gets hit behind the plate.
10:19 – Pap is throwing 96 mph. Thought it was worth mentioning.
10:19b – Pap has one out with one on. Thanks, Manny.
10:20 – Yanks are up 7-5 to start the bottom of the ninth. More importantly, Jays are still losing 3-1 in the 9th with one out.
10:22 – Once again, Mike Lowell comes through, throwing out the lead runner. Two outs, guy on first, Brian McCann pinch hitting.
10:23 – Paps has a 1-2 count with one on and two outs. Let’s go Pap…give Lester his win, take the save…let’s all go to bed. 🙂
10:24 – MIKE LOWELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing catch!
Congratulations to Jon Lester on a well-deserved 1st Major League win!
Here it is, folks…we’ve waited quite a few days for it. Sox win 4-1!:
I’m gonna tell you a story
I’m gonna tell you about my town
I’m gonna tell you a big bad story, baby
Aww, it’s all about my town
Yeah, down by the river
Down by the banks of the river Charles (aw, that’s what’s happenin’ baby)
That’s where you’ll find me
Along with lovers, fuggers, and thieves (aw, but they’re cool people)
Well I love that dirty water
Oh, Boston, you’re my home (oh, you’re the Number One place)
Frustrated women (I mean they’re frustrated)
Have to be in by twelve o’clock (oh, that’s a shame)
But I’m wishin’ and a-hopin, oh
That just once those doors weren’t locked (I like to save time for
my baby to walk around)
Well I love that dirty water
Oh, Boston, you’re my home (oh, yeah)
Because I love that dirty water
Oh, oh, Boston, you’re my home (oh, yeah)
Well, I love that dirty water (I love it, baby)
I love that dirty water (I love Baw-stun)
I love that dirty water (Have you heard about the Strangler?)
I love that dirty water (I’m the man, I’m the man)
I love that dirty water (Owww!)
I love that dirty water (Come on, come on)
Yanks also won thanks to a couple of ‘walk in’ runs by the Nats…and the Blue Jays lost. All in all, a very good night!
Thanks for stopping by, folks. Have a great night!
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