The First Sunday Night Baseball Live Blog!

This should be fun.  🙂  This is my first live blog of an ESPN game – and, I believe, the first time I’ve live blogged two games in the same series.

I STILL haven’t reflected it in my list, but I’ll be at Fenway this week Monday through Wednesday – so this live blog will probably be the most extensive post I have here for a while.

Click on any of the other "Live Blog" links for my guidelines.  The short version – I don’t top-post and I tend to go off-topic.  🙂

Curt Schilling v John Smoltz…I am quite pumped for this one!

(Yeah, I know the "Bird Girl" is in Savannah…I just like her!)

8:09 – I like that we have the ‘standard’ line up in there. That gives me much confidence.

8:10 – Holy cow the Braves are 13.5 games behind?  Yeesh.

8:11 – I get a kick out of how surprised both the Fox announcers and the ESPN announcers are at how many Red Sox fans are in attendance.

8:12 – Okay, my first Joe Morgan rant.  After talking about how great Youkilis is doing he goes on to say that the Sox still "need" Coco Crisp to be the lead off hitter.  Guess what, Joe?  No they don’t.  You might want to watch a little more baseball than whatever game you’re calling in a week.

8:14 – Smoltz has two quick outs, including a beauty of a Mark Loretta strike out.  Big Papi cares not about strike outs, though, because he homers to center on Mr. Smoltz’s first pitch.  Happy Father’s Day, Big Papi!

8:15 – ESPN just showed a guy in the stands, standing up holding a sign that reads "SWEEP".  That’s just bad form.  (At least, in the first inning it is…)

8:16 – Watching the game with Dad.  Dad is p1ssed that ESPN isn’t showing another replay of Papi’s homerun.  We might have to rewind the dvr…

8:17 – Jon Miller tells us that Manny sat out yesterday with a bum knee.  Joe Morgan responds with, "there must be something physically wrong with Manny that he’s not hitting"…Good detective work, Joe.  Manny strikes out.  Sox 1 – Braves 0.

8:21 – "Just in front of Manny Ramirez" says Jon Miller.  Curt doesn’t look too happy.

8:22 – I like the jerseys the Braves are wearing, but they kind of make the team look schlubby.  Although, Edgar Renteria just has a body that looks schlubby in a baseball uniform…so maybe I’m projecting on the rest of the team.

8:22 – Bobby Thorman – first major league game.  Jon Miller brings up his dead father just so we all want little Bobby to get a hit.  If there were two outs and no guys on, I wouldn’t mind the kid getting a hit off of Curt Schilling.  But I’ll take the strikeout.  Thanks, Curt!

8:24 – Peter Gammons does wonderful things for charity here in Boston…but he still makes me sometimes want to plug my ears with super glue.

8:25 – Okay, the world seems to call him ANDrew NOT AHNdruw…I don’t know where I got the idea it was AHN…

8:26 – Druw strikes out – at the end of 1 Sox up 1-0.

8:29 – Trot walks to lead off the 2nd.

8:30 – One of the reasons I decided to blog tonight is because the game is starting late and I needed something to inspire me to stay up for it.  I have to be in work really early tomorrow and would have been tempted to call it a night.  This way, I have to stick with it!  The things I do for my Red Sox!  (The beverage of the evening is Red Bull instead of beer or wine!)

8:32 – John Smoltz doesn’t look schlubby in his uniform.  He looks quite nice.  I like John Smoltz.  Makes wanting him to stink like cheese tonight a little tough.

8:34 – AGon only has made 1 error this year.  He’s gone error-less in 48 consecutive games.  He IS the best shortstop in the American League right now…maybe even the ENTIRE league.  But because he is less than stellar at the plate, people barely know who he is outside of the teams where he has played.  That’s really too bad.

8:35 – AGon beats out an Edgaria throw!  That average is starting to climb, baby!

8:36 – Probably all for nothing.  Mr. Schilling is up.

8:37 – Good call, Cyn.

8:40 – Jon Miller has said "high, hard one" at least three times tonight.  Normally, I don’t think much of it, but when I hear Miller say it I turn into Beavis and Butthead.  "Heh, heh…he said ‘high, hard one!’".

8:41 – Jon Miller makes me smile.  He gets so excited with each hit, you’d think he was a fan of whichever team is up.  I like Miller.  He plays both sides of the fence very well.

8:43 – Schilling strikes out Jeff Francoeur and I’m reminded of my first live blog – a WBC game – when Rick Sutcliffe called Francoeur his ‘guy’ because "he smiles a lot".  Wonder if Rick was drinking that night? 

8:46 – Laroche walks.  Two on, one out and Betemit is up.  Love the name.  Let’s hope it means "double play".

8:48 – Thanks for pointing out Betemit’s foot being out of the batter’s box.  It will now make me crazy every time he’s up at bat.  But not now since he’s out with Smoltz up.

8:50 – Curt, he’s a pitcher.  A decent-hitting pitcher, but a pitcher nonetheless.  All your little pitcher friends will point and laugh at you if you don’t get him out.

8:51 – Way to save face with a called strike!  Still 1-0 Sox.

8:55 – Everything Jon Miller says sounds so exciting.  "EVERY TEAM BELOW THE RED SOX LOST TODAY!!!".  He’s cracking me up.  What’s next?  "I JUST SAVED MONEY ON MY CAR INSURANCE!!!!!!!!!"

8:56 – I love our Youk…but he gets a little cranky when he gets called out on strikes.  Sit down, Kevin…that was definitely a strike.

8:58 – My father insults Mark Loretta and he gets a hit.  Way to go, dad!

8:59 – If David Segui got HGH from a doctor, why would he be mentioned in the Jason Grimsley affair?  Something terribly off about Mr. Segui’s story.

9:00 – Double play…end of inning.

9:02 – Okay, who doesn’t love Ozzie Smith?  Seriously.  How the heck can you not love this man?

9:03 – Marcus Giles doesn’t stink, huh?

9:04 – AGON!  Dude should be in the All-Star game…no question for me.  The man is amazing.

9:05 – Dad is calling for them to put Andruw Jones on.  I have to agree. 

9:06 – One more time…AGon should be in the All Star Game.  If people can vote Papi in.  A mediocre first-baseman with an amazing bat, why can’t they vote in the BEST shortstop in the AL who has a mediocre bat?  I see no reason why not.

9:07 – I suppose I don’t have to tell you all that my father is a little cranky right now.  Jones hit a pitch he had no business hitting – a very similar pitch that he hit yesterday – and the score is tied.

9:08 – Brian McCann is amazing.  Really he is.

9:10 – And this is just ugly.  Andruw Jones scored.  2-1, Braves.  I hate when the opposing team scores with 2 outs.  AGon’s play is looking HUGE right now.  Score could be 3-1 right now.

9:12 – Papi looks a lot more comfortable at first than you would expect.  Laroche makes the third out…at the end of 3, 2-1 Braves.

9:15 – Slump?  What slump?  Manny Ramirez says "Pooh to your slump!" and creams the ball…absolutely destroys it.  2-2, baby!

9:22 – Rest of the inning was lousy.  Ooh, but Tito is going to talk with Joe and Jon when the commercial break is over.  Yay.  (Sarcasm doesn’t come across well on the internet)

9:24 – "Oh yeah, he’s young, he can pitch all the time" <- Tito’s response to Jon Miller when asked if Papelbon was available to pitch tonight.  Best response I’ve heard in a long, long time, Tito!

9:25 – It offends me that Gammons mentions Jason Giambi in the same sentence as Manny and Jim Thome.

9:26 – Lead off double.  Ugh.

9:30 – Tek showing off his skills behind the plate.  Nice.

9:31 – ESPN just showed the template for their pitching match-ups instead of the actual match-ups…my father had to rewind it to show it to me.  I think he hates ESPN more than me – he never watches it unless he absolutely has to (like tonight).

9:32 – One out, one on second…Giles has a 2-2 count.  Come on, Curt, get out of the dam inning.

9:34 – Nicely done, Curt.

9:35 – I am the biggest sap in the world.  This Joe/Jack Buck Budweiser commercial makes me cry every time I see it.

9:40 – Is a Curt Schilling hit a sign of the apocalypse?

9:40b – National League pitchers are pointing and laughing at Smoltz.

9:41 – Joe Morgan says that the Red Sox need starting pitching.  Why isn’t this guy managing a team?  You think having a kid guy with a 22.50 era starting a game tomorrow might be an indication that the team needs starting pitching???

9:44 – So much for Curt’s lead-off single.  Still 2-2.

9:50 – Schilling throws 8 pitches and gets out of the inning.  Sweet.

9:54 – Manny and  Papi have a ‘great relationship’.  Joe Morgan:  Investigative reporter.  🙂

9:56 – "People don’t think of Manny being an intellectual hitter" says Joe Morgan.  Only people outside of the AL East, maybe, Joe.  Gammons actually just got finished telling you HOW intelligent Manny was when it comes to hitting.  You must have missed it.

9:57 – Smoltz has walked both Papi and Manny.  Come on, Trot…make him pay.

9:59 – Smoltz walks the bases loaded.  Egads.

10:02 – Double play.  Good move, Smoltz.  Papi scores, Sox lead 3-2.

10:03 – Smoltz gets out of major trouble.  3-2 Boston, middle of the sixth.

10:06 – That Laroche kid…he’s a scrapper, eh?  One out, man on second.

10:13 – Come on, Curt…just get out of the freaking inning.

10:14 – Game has been on two hours and I don’t have all that much Joe Morgan fodder for ridicule.  What’s up with that?

10:15 – Fastball.  Schilling has brass ones, doesn’t he?  Still 3-2 Boston at the end of 6.

10:17 – In a 3-2 game, Schilling is being taken out.  He’s over 100 pitches, so I guess I understand it…but I don’t like it.

10:18 – Man, I wish I had been keeping a tally of how many times Miller has said "high, hard one".  He really likes that one!

10:19 – JT Snow has come out publicly saying he DIDN’T ever want to be traded.  Jon Miller and Joe Morgan completely ignore that when Miller mentions that JT Snow didn’t tell him he wanted to be traded, but word is that he DID want to be traded.  Amazing.

10:22 – Hey, Youk got a hit!  What do you think of THAT, Mr. Morgan?

10:25 – Did I miss the 6th inning stretch that Ozzie was talking about?  WTH?

10:25b – Absolutely beautiful pitch for a strike by Smoltz!

10:27 – Picture of Jake Gyllenhaal for no reason other than eye candy for me when I go back over this post after the game!

10:29 – Andruw Jones’ agent is Scott Boras.  Man that makes me sad.

10:30 – Little Manny is in.  Love this kid.  Let’s go, Manny…hold this lead.

10:31 – Little Manny sends Edgaria down swinging!  Nice work, Manny.

10:32 – WHOA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Trot Nixon – defensive specialist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10:33 – Jon Miller just called Bobby Thorman, "Scott".  Rookie gets no respect.

10:36 – Lopez, our ‘lefty specialist’ is in.  He has ties to Boston (his wife’s family is from Massachusetts)…so he automatically becomes a fan favorite.

10:38 – Lefty specialist is at 3-1 to a lefty.  I am not a big fan of lefty specialists.  Ball 4.  Good job.  Tito now comes out to bring in Seanez (See-Ahn-Yez, as Jon Miller says).  I might have to change the channel for this at-bat.  I hate it when Tito over-manages.

10:40 – Between Miller mispronouncing Rudy’s name…and Rudy just being Rudy – I seriously don’t know if I can watch this at-bat.

10:41 – Unfortunately, I did see that. Congratulations, Tito, on mismanaging your bullpen YET again.  And somewhere, David Riske asks – "…and I’M the one who got traded?"!

10:42 – Jeff Francoeur just took a curtain call.  Funny, instead of that bugging me I find it really sad that the mighty Braves are now relegated to taking curtain calls for taking the lead because they’ve stunk so much lately.  End of the seventh and it’s 5-3.  Just for the curtain call alone, I really hope the Sox come back to win.

10:44 – Once again, Tito screws Curt.  Nice work, Francona.

10:47 – Y’all know I never lose faith in my team…but I’m fearing that Tito just sucked any drive this team might have had to sweep with his mismanaging.

10:48 – Joe Morgan thinks it’s "shocking" that Manny ‘took’ a third strike.  This solidifies my theory that Joe hasn’t seen one game this year that he hasn’t covered for ESPN.

10:51 – Please make Jon Miller stop saying Rudy Seanez’s name.

10:53 – I find it pretty funny that the one game the Braves might actually win, there are less people in the crowd than at the other two games.

10:54 – Two walks with two outs with Coco up.  They do this to me every time, don’t they?

10:55 – Coco gets a base hit!  5-4 Atlanta with men on first and third!

10:56 – Years ago, long before 2004, I discussed being a Red Sox fan with a Mets fan friend.  They were talking about the Mets being so bad and how hard it was to root for them.  I laughed.  Because I always thought it would be easier to root for a truly lousy team like (currently) the Royals.  You know what you’re getting.  When they win, it’s exciting and you’re so happy…when they lose, it’s what you expected so there is no real disappointment.  In my lifetime, the Red Sox have never truly stunk.  They always gave you just enough hope to keep you involved and convinced they’d win it all.  Usually ending in your heart getting ripped out and stomped on.  They finally did in 2004, so I don’t complain as much any more – but nights like tonight get me thinking about the ‘old days’.  5-4 with two on and two outs in the 8th…and I have hope again. 

11:00 – Mr Double is at bat.  Another would be nice, Mike.  Truly.

11:02 – I love Mr Double…that is all.  The heck with that, that is NOT all!  DOUBLE baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  6-5 Boston!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

11:03 – Alex Cora gets a double to knock in Lowell!  7-5 Boston!  Oh ye of little faith, Cyn!  🙂

11:04 – Jon Miller asks "How did this happen?"  Hee.

11:05 – ESPN tells us this is the 5th time this season that the Braves bullpen blew the save for John Smoltz.  Come to Boston, John, come to Boston.

11:05b – Great gosh almighty!  Youk hits a two-run homerun.  9-5 Boston!  The team refused to let the brainfarts of their manager keep them down.  Way to go, boys!!!!!!!!!!!!

11:07 – How’s that curtain call looking now?

11:09 – Mark Loretta gets a hit.  The Braves bullpen has been great for our boys’ averages, eh?

11:10 – They are chanting "Papi" in Atlanta.  I can’t imagine how that makes the Braves players feel.

11:11 – They’re booing Ortiz getting hit.  I have a very difficult time believing he hit Ortiz on purpose with Manny on deck and a four run deficit.

11:12 – Manny pops it up to Edgaria.  Top of the inning is finally over.  11 men bat – 6 men score.  Nice job, boys. 

11:16 – My man Mike Timlin is in.  Happy sigh.

11:18 – "Man, what a nightmare for the Braves"…Jon Miller has some great quotes tonight.

11:19 – My friend Pam once pointed out to me that Mike Timlin looks like one of the old-time baseball players in his uniform.  Think back to "Field of Dreams".  I think that’s one of the things I love about him.  He’s a bit old school!

11:20 – My old school man gives up a one-out double.  Keep it together, Mike!

11:21 – There goes Timlin’s ERA…RBI single for Marcus Giles.  9-6 Boston.

11:22 – A double play ball to Edgaria would be nice, Mike.

11:23 – It’s "Jonathan" Papelbon, Jon.  "Jonathan". 

11:25 – Wow.  How unlike Mike Lowell is THAT?

11:25b – Seriously.  Is anything in baseball dumber than the "tomahawk chop"?

11:25c – Jon Miller just called Al Nipper "Dave Wallace".  Do these guys do NO research before a game?

11:28 – Come on Mike, get it together.

11:29 – Thanks for the out, Larry.

11:30 – Why do they not walk Andruw Jones?

11:30b – Timlin looked shaky…Papelbon is coming in to clean up.

11:32 – I have the basketball game on right now.  My nerves are a little shot.  🙂

11:32b – Again, the tomahawk chop is just ridiculous.  Great.  McCann is up.  He of the .738 average (okay that might be a BIT of an exaggeration!).

11:33 – Another great line by Miller.  "Papelbon comes on and puts an end to the foolishness!".  Nicely put, Mr. Miller.

11:35 – Top of the ninth and the score is 9-7 Boston.  Just so we don’t lose sight of that.

11:37 – Very nicely placed base hit by Trot to start the inning!

11:38 – Nice job, Tek.

11:39 – Ken Ray dissin’ my North Shore Spirt to Peter Gammons…not cool, Mr. Ray.

11:39b – Coco knocks Trot in!!!!!!  10-7 Red Sox.  Way to go, Coco!!!

11:40 – I believe Denton is at this game.  Hopefully he doesn’t have to be revived.

11:41 – Coco steals second.  Or, as Joe Morgan says, "The go-go Sox!".

11:44 – Cora walks.  Two on, two out with Youk up.

11:46 – Nice catch, Ray.  10-7 Sox, middle of the ninth.

11:49 – Okay, really.  Jon Miller should never be allowed to say  "Seanez" ever again.

11:50 – Apparently, Papelbon’s success lies in ‘the look’ that he has ‘down’.

11:51 – Sit down, Jeff.  That’s what is known as a swing, baby.

11:52 – The Mavs are beating the Heat.  That’s too bad.

11:52b – Young Mr. Papelbon has two outs in the ninth.

11:53 – I love the fact that Jon Miller is intimidated by Papelbon.  I especially love that he just pointed out there are more Red Sox fans left than Braves fans.

11:54 – Papelbon gives up a double just to keep everyone on their toes.

11:54b – Miami just took the lead over Dallas.  Yay!

11:55 – My ESPN audio feed just died.  Mr. Papelbon just got out number three!  Sox win 10-7, sweep the Braves (as I predicted they would on Friday) and take sole possession of first place!

11:56 – And here it is:

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)

Thanks for following along, folks!  Happy Father’s Day and have a great night!

(Okay, one last time, how silly does that curtain call look now?) 🙂