The “I’m Wounded but I’ll Live-Blog Anyway” Live Blog

Okay, I’m not ‘wounded’ but close enough!

It’s a little annoying that NESN isn’t showing the opening ceremonies. I mean, our guys are part of it too.

Daisuke Matsuzaka v Joe Blanton tonight. Just like last week.

I’ve chosen a Player of the Week to start the season (Kept Kyle Snyder up there for the month of March but it was time to change). I think you’ll agree he needs all the positive vibes he can get!

10:01pm – I see Don and Jerry on my tv and it isn’t a repeat or six in the morning! YAHOO!!!!!

10:03pm – Jacoby is leading off tonight. This should make many people happy. Let’s hope it works.

10:04pm – Okay, so on the nights that the Sox and Bruins play at the same time, NESN will show the Sox and the Bruins get bumped to CN8? I’m not close to being the biggest hockey fan you’ll meet, but even I think a team in a playoff run is a little more important than a team just starting the season, no? Hockey fans, I’d be a little perturbed if I were you. Of course, I’m a baseball fan so I’m just happy I don’t have to go looking for the Sox games!

10:06pm – Holy cow. Julio Lugo sitting next to Sean Casey. It’s the battle of the gabbers.

10:08pm (by my clock): First pitch of the game to Jacoby is a strike.

10:09pm – That was quick. Two pitches, Jacoby out at first. (Incidentally, Cocoby is playing tonight and JD will be back in right tomorrow afternoon.)

10:10pm – We’re getting the Spanish feed playing over Jerry and Don. Now it’s gone. There goes my fun.

10:11pm – Four pitches and Pedroia is out at first. Two down. Joe Blanton doesn’t want to be here all night.

10:12pm – 1-2 and the A’s have the shift on. Beat the shift, Papi. (Or, fly out…it’s early yet.)

10:16pm – Just Googled Anthony Rapp because the guy in the Southwest commercials kind of looks like him. I should have known it wasn’t him. And now I find that Rapp was in Boston in March and I missed him. Bummer.

10:17pm – Daisuke has already thrown 43 pitches. (Joking! It’s only 42!)

10:18pm – Daisuke strikes out hairy Buck guy swinging. Woot!

10:19pm – They show us Ellis’ homerun from last week. Anyone not paying attention just screamed when they showed Daisuke’s sad face.

Keep in mind I’m doing this live blog to keep myself awake. (No offense to the Sox or A’s…I’m just sleepy!)

10:20pm – Dude that was a strike! (But Blue says no…full count.) And who cares??? Daisuke gets Ellis swinging too!!!

10:22pm – Pop up out on a 3-1 count. Daisuke gets a 1-2-3 inning!!!

10:24 – Manny starts the second inning with a strike.

10:25 (you know it’s PM, right?) – Broken bat single that falls among three fielders. Here comes the WS MVP! 🙂

10:26 – After Jerry remarks about Kurt Suzuki’s age, Blanton bounces one off his glove, moving Manny to second. We now have a 3-2 count (after Lowell boinks poor Kurt on the head with his bat!).

10:28 – Lowell is out, Manny is still at second. I think I hear booing and realize it’s actually “Youuuk”ing. In Oakland. 🙂 I love Red Sox fans.

10:30 – Hannahan saves a run, but Youk is safe at first and Manny is safe at third. Here comes my Player of the Week.

10:31 – Who swings at the first pitch and pops it up. We need to kick the good mojo into gear.

10:32 – Coco is up and shall save us from stranding two men.

10:33 – Don tells us that Blanton threw 10 pitches in the first and 21 (now 22) in the second. Pitches thrown is Don’s favorite stat.

10:34 – Coco strands two swinging. Good thing Kielty is in Pawtucket now huh? 😉

10:36 – Jack Cust takes the first pitch he sees out of the park. We get the Daisuke frowny face. 🙁

10:37 – What? No curtain call?

10:38 – Emil Brown helps turn Daisuke’s frown upside down by grounding out.

10:40 – As Lugo throws out Crosby, it’s starting to kick in that I’m watching baseball that counts. 🙂

10:41 – Hannahan is up. I believe I called him ‘evil’ last week.

10:42 – Evil boy makes an out to Manny and two innings are done. 1-0 Oakland.

10:43 – Before the final out, Donnie O tells us that only three players from Oakland’s 2007 opening day roster are still on the roster today.

10:44 – I can’t believe the guy says “dilweed” on this AT&T commercial.

10:45 – NESN just showed two A’s fans covered in a blanket and I flash forward to next week. Three days in a row (well, one day, two nights) at Fenway. In April. I need to look into hand warmers.

10:46 – Evil Jack Hannahan steals a base hit from Julio Lugo. One down for Jacoby.

10:46b – Who hits the first pitch right to Emil Brown. Are the Sox in a hurry to get this game over?

10:49 – Pedroia grounds out. More truck commercials. (They must think that if I watch enough baseball I could be persuaded to buy one.)

10:52 – Kurt Suzuki hits it to center. Coco makes a great stop but not an out. Kurt is on first with Ryan Sweeney up. I need sugar. That’s it, sugar.

10:53 – Sit your ass down, Ryan. Third strikeout of the night for Daisuke. Swing, swing, swing, baby.

10:54 – Holy cow, Jason Varitek just threw Suzuki out at second. He actually made a really good throw. The POTW thing is already kicking in! (Nice tag, Julio!)

10:55 – Travis Buck hs a 1-2 count and is in desperate need of a good conditioner.

10:57 – Buck now has a full count. Oakland fans are being very loud tonight. Good for them. Take back your park.

10:57b – Buck strikes out swinging. Four strikeouts in 3 innings for Daisuke. Still 1-0 Oakland.

11:01 – Papi has a full count. He also looks a little crabby tonight. And a “Yankees Suck” chant begins as Papi is out at first.

11:02 – Manny out on one pitch. Could we TRY to work this guy’s pitch count? Hmmm?

11:04 – NESN, Jerry and Don all thought Barton caught the pop up…but no. So Mike Lowell still has life in this at bat.

11:05 – Mike Lowell strikes out looking. And doesn’t agree with the call.

11:07 – Don is eager to tell us Daisuke has thrown 47 pitches in three innings as Lugo makes the first out.

11:10 – Another swinging strike out. Two outs, baby, with Jack Cust up.

11:11 – Cust grounds to Youk, who tosses it to Daisuke and the inning is over. Still 1-0 Oakland at the end of four.

11:13 – “Game over, series over, and the Red Sox are world champs again”, says Joe Buck on a NESN commercial. Hee. That never gets old!

11:14 – I was hearing “You’re getting veeerrrry sleeeepy” in my head…and then Youk gets a single and I wake right up. Youk is 2-2. Very nice. Here comes our Player of the Week. Good vibes, fellow babies, send the good vibes.

11:16pm – Jerry called the hit and run (which they tried to execute, but Tek fouled it off).

11:17 – Blanton has something in his eye. Or he needed to flush his eye out. Whatever it is, the kid has a smile on his face so it can’t be bad. The skylight above my head now is telling me there is icy rain falling on my house. Well, better at 11:17pm than 11:17am, right?

11:18 – Crap. Tek smashed the hell out of the ball, but Travis Buck made a great catch. Should have been a double or triple. Hey, Tek made solid contact so I’m very happy about that.

11:19 – Coco strikes out pretty quickly. Come on Julio, bring the pain.

11:20 – This is what I like to see!!! Blanton basically kicks the ball away as it comes toward him. Everyone (Youk and Lugo) = safe with two ous and Jacoby up. Come on, kiddo, earn your spot.

11:21 – Holy shit. Jacoby gets a hit, Youk runs when I thought he was going to be dead at home…and he avoids the tag!!!!! 1-1 thanks to the kid who wants his job and the guy who plays like every game is his last. Hopefully Youk’s hand isn’t hurt.

11:22 – Blanton is throwing a little close for my comfort to Pedroia. Two balls, no strikes thus far.

11:23 – Three straight balls from Blanton. Pedroia thought it was four, but that last one was a strike.

11:24 – Pedroia walks to load the bases for Papi and it sounds like I’ll see an old lady on a bicycle riding through the air if I look out my window right now.

11:25 – Papi fouls off two fastballs and then takes one up high. 1-2 count. Way too early for me to get this excited. 🙂

11:26 – Papi grounds out with the bases loaded. Now you see my frowny face. 🙁 But no matter! Jacoby and Youk tied the score so the team has ample opportunity to win this. 🙂

11:28 – Damn, was that lightning? (In Boston, not Oakland).

11:29 – Yep, that was lightning. 🙁

11:20 – Daisuke freezes Emil Brown. Niiice. 🙂 One down.

11:31 – Crosby grounds out to Pedroia. NESN chooses this time to remind me that Jon Lester is pitching tomorrow. Suddenly, my stomach hurts.

11:32 – The evil Jack Hannahan is up.

11:33 – Even though he’s evil, I really like Hannahan’s name. 😆

11:34 – 3-1 count to evil. And now the count is full.

11:35 – I might have to suspend live-blogging to go build an ark.

11:35b – 7 strike outs for Daisuke. Hannahan goes down swinging. 1-1 after five.

11:37 – Again, Manny swings at the first pitch. Again, Manny is out.

11:39 – Lowell is out too. Youk’s up. We get the first shot of the bullpen. They look very cold.

11:39b – Kevin Youkilis has WHEELS, baby!!!!!! Two-out triple!!!!

11:40 – Tek has another chance to cash in on the good vibes. (I ask a lot for the first night of his Player of the Week status, I know.)

11:41 – Looks like a homer to me, Tek, Donnie O, Jerry and Tito!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even if it isn’t, Captain just knocked in the go-ahead run!

11:42 – The umps are conferring. They haven’t changed their minds, they say it’s a double. They are blind and stupid and I hope they all get massive intestinal turpitude tonight.

11:44 – Coco is out. Tek is screwed out of a homer and another RBI, but the Sox are in the lead. Pile on boys. Bury these guys. And someone kick one of the umpires while you’re at it. 2-1 Sox.

11:46 – Daisuke has 75 pitches through five innings. If I hear Remy defend the umps one more time I might have to shut the volume off. Javier Lopez is up in the bullpen. I dig Javier. He’s a good egg. I’m not entirely sure I want him coming into a one run game, though.

11:50 – Daisuke has an out and a 2-2 count going. C’mon, Daisuke. Just get out of the inning.

11:51 – 8th strike out. Swinging. Sit down, Mr. Sweeney. Thanks for coming.

11:52 – Tek asks for it elevated, Daisuke delivers and Buck takes the bait. Down swinging. 9 strike outs for Daisuke. 2-1 end of 6!

11:55 – Lugo makes a long out. Here comes Jacoby again. More magic would be nice. (And Joe Blanton is out of the game. He pitched really well. Oh well.)

11:58 – Ellsbury strikes out looking. Two down.

12:00am – Seventh inning stretch as Pedroia is out. 2-1 Sox. And Emmie was right. It seems the rain (or at least the heaviest of it) is over!

12:02am – Daisuke is back out there. “Wooly Bully” is playing at the Coliseum. 😆

12:04 – Ellis is out. One down in the seventh. (Holy cats it’s only the seventh inning!)

12:06 – Two down. Wee.

12:07 – Daisuke is coming out of the game, making way for Okajima. He gets a really nice sendoff from the fans (although I hear some boos in there too). He pitched a fabulous game. Absolutely fabulous. Good work, Daisuke!

12:09am – 96 pitches for Daisuke in 6 2/3 innings. Nicely done.

12:10 – 3-1 count on Cust. Daisuke is in the dugout thinking “I could have done that!”.

12:11am – Okajima walks Cust. And my stomach begins to hurt. Here comes Emil Brown.

12:12am – 2-0 count for Brown. Little Manny is up in the bullpen. Dying. I’m dying here. 😉

12:13 – Okajima gets Brown to pop up to Pedroia. A’s go down. 2-1 after 7.

12:15 – Papi leads off in the 8th. It occurs to me I haven’t mentioned the name of the A’s pitcher. It’s because I’m not sure how to spell it and I’m too tired to look it up. Let’s go with Casilla.

12:16 – Papi pops out to left field so, of course, Hannahan (the third baseman) makes the catch.

12:17 – Manny, totally in love with the first pitch tonight, fouls out.

12:18 – An insurance run would be nice here fellas.

12:19 – Lowell strikes out. Insurance runs are for pussies.

12:21 – Okajima back on the mound to face Bobby Crosby. Sleep. Sleeeeep.

12:22 – Crosby gets a single to start the inning – bringing up the evil Hannahan.

12:23 – He IS evil. He’s going to bunt.

12:24 – Beauty. Mike Lowell charged home before the bunt even happened and Hannahan bunted right to him. Lowell throws out Crosby, one out, man on first. Yay Mike Lowell!

12:25 – Suzuki takes a page out of Manny’s book – and hits the first pitch right to Manny for the second out.

12:26 – Mike Sweeney comes in to pinch hit for Ryan Sweeney. Apparently, Okajima is allergic to Sweeneys because he’s out of the game and Papelbon is in. That should make me feel more secure than it does. 🙁

12:27 – Four outs, Paps, all we ask is four outs. You know, with no runs in between them.

12:29 – Paps gets a ground out to end the inning. I also think he told me to ‘eat it’.

12:31 – We have a Keith Foulke sighting! Number 29 is on the mound…

12:32 – Youk grounds out. He’s had a good game, can’t fault him one out.

12:33 – Tek pops up a foul. I would like to remind folks that after crowning him my player of the week, he is the dude who knocked in the go ahead run tonight. I remind you all of this because he currently has an 0-2 count.

12:34 – And now he has a single. 🙂 I’m a good luck charm…Or something. 😆

12:35 – Come on, Coco. Now it’s your turn to shut some people up.

12:36 – Cooc surprises EVERYONE with a bunt. Woo-hooty!!!! Men on first and second with one out and Julio Lugo up!

12:37am – Lugo is so the guy I want walking down a dark alley with me. He might be skinny but he will KILL you with his eyes! (He also just made out number two.) Here comes Jacoby. Come on, kid, your job is on the line. 🙂

12:39am – 3-2 count for Jacoby.

12:40 – Crap. No insurance run. Foulke lets two get on and none score. That does sound like the Foulke of old.

12:41am – Three outs, Paps. 1-2-3. RSC wants to go to sleep happy and have her ass-dragging at work tomorrow be worth it.

12:44am – Buck strikes out swinging. Jerry wants to know why he’s hitting lead-off since he’s struck out four times tonight.

12:45 – We get the “Paps holding on to his package for dear life” shot that we all wait for when he pitches. :/

12:46 – 2-2 on Ellis.

12:46b – Frozen pizza. Ellis strikes out looking, baby!

12:47 – 3-1 to Barton…grrr.

12:48 – Full count. Daisuke looking a little antsy in the dugout.

12:49 – Paps strikes him out swinging! Striking out the side, closing it out. 2-1 Red Sox. Papelbon shut me the hell up, didn’t he?

I hear a song coming on.

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, muggers, 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)

12:50am – Thanks so much for stopping by! So glad I stayed up for this one! 2-1 fellow babies! A nice way to start the season!