ALCS Live Thread: Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox

10-12-07

[GraniteStateConservative]

Game 1 @ BOSTON:

WEATHER:: Forecasts for tonight predict that the rain will cease enough to get the game in, certainly. It should be cloudy, with temperatures dipping to the mid-50s.

Starting Pitchers

C. C. Sabathia (19-7, 3.21 ERA) vs. Josh Beckett (20-7, 3.27 ERA)

Game 1 LINEUPS

1. Grady Sizemore, CF
2. Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B
3. Travis Hafner, DH
4. Victor Martinez, C
5. Ryan Garko, 1B
6. Jhonny Peralta, SS
7. Kenny Lofton, LF
8. Franklin Gutierrez, RF
9. Casey Blake, 3B

1. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
2. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. Bobby Kielty, RF
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Coco Crisp, CF
9. Julio Lugo, SS

NOTES: This is the first time since the start of the three division era that the two LCS series have each matched the two best records in their league (96-66). Computer baseball sim Imagine Sports/Diamond Mind Baseball ran the 2007 ALCS 1,000 times, and the Red Sox won 59% of the time. If the Red Sox won game 1, they won the series 72.5% of the time, and if Cleveland won, the Indians won 59% of the time.

[La Enchiladita]

Whoa, the Sox are getting some running in ... 360 feet at a time...:)

[Petronski]

Got to get Byrd out of there.

[big'ol_freeper]

Papi!! Yahd!

[mylife]

Cleveland is one of the coolest towns I have ever been in and I have been to some big ones.

Cleveland has soul

[Libertarian444]

Of course, NOW they start scoring runs after the game's out of reach!

[La Enchiladita]

They have dolls and pins, too... I almost said pings, lol.

[RockinRight]

You called it.

[mylife]

Yup. and a healthy dose of SKILL

[happinesswithoutpeace]

Faith, you don’t have it.

[Petronski]

"Seven runs" is out of reach. "Five runs" is not.

[nutmeg]

As much of a disaster this game is for our Red Sox, I have to admit that Paul Byrd is a fun pitcher to watch... ;-)

[happinesswithoutpeace]

Oh a drink break!

[mylife]

Further west Alaska, British Columbia

[darkangel82]

Besides the downtown, Cleveland proper is to be avoided.

[big'ol_freeper]

Cleveland has soul

And beaucoup derelicts and low-lifes (like any other city). Cities suck.

[mylife]

Like you said... Wedge over plays them.

[La Enchiladita]

Oh, come on you know... it ain’t over ‘til... etc.

[mylife]

7~2 Its a game!

[Petronski]

"My team's city" is not "my city." I'm not even in Ohio.

[Red Steel]

I just can’t understand where the hell our bats have been. This is so damned frustrating.

That's baseball. There's a strong element of luck in the game. As examples in this game:

The Red Sox have hit the ball hard against Byrd a few times but they're at people. Wakefield snags that liner in the air and he doubles up the runner who's doesn't freeze on the liner at first, or Wake lets the ball go and Pedroia makes the 4-6-3 double play. The game stays at 1 - 0.

Or you see bloop hits like the one Blake got to extend the inning....