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.

[mainepatsfan]

He can’t even get a bleeping bunt down!!!

[mainepatsfan]

Lofton should have sacrificed himself by throwing a punch in the hope that Beckett would retaliate and get thrown out of the game.

[andy58-in-nh]

That might have been the most pathetic at-bat I have ever seen in a playoff game. He looked like Stevie Wonder trying to hit a piñata with a swizzle stick.

[mainepatsfan]

Ellsbury better damn well be in the lineup tomorrow night.

[Boston Blackie]

I think Tek would have buried Lofton if that was even a remote possibility. I didn’t know that the bad blood between Josh and Lofton goes back to at least 2005.

[andy58-in-nh]

I would be shocked and dismayed if Tito sticks with Crisp on Saturday, especially in a game that they will likely need to score a lot of runs. If so, Joe Torre should stick close to his cell phone.

[mainepatsfan]

Heck Beckett still seemed ticked off about it after the game.

[misterrob]

Hafner isn’t much better. In terms of trading chess pieces that’s actually a good deal.

[misterrob]

Since we traded Wily Mo Pena we have no muscle on the bench. Him and Rudy Seanez are good to have in a fight.

[andy58-in-nh]

You're right: Hafner's numbers are not that hot, either: 

G AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB  AVG

5  19   1  3   0   0    1    2    2    8    0   .158

He does have 1 HR and 2 RBI's, though...unlike Lugo, Coco and JD Drew who have 0 HR's and  0 RBI's combined. 

[Petronski]

Wedge had me absolutely steaming last night. The Sox left two men on in the 4th and I told pop "warm up the bullpen." The Sox left three men on in the 5th and I told pop "well at least we know they'll take C.C. out now 'cause he's burned out." When C.C. came back in the 6th I told pop "well, I guess it's okay to let him face these three guys because they're ice cold; but thank God the bullpen is warming up."

Then Wedge sends the obviously-spent Sabathia back out for the 7th to serve up a double and a triple and seal the deal.

Times like those I wish I had a woodpile and an ax to burn off some of the angry energy with a little constructive violence. Alas, all I had was vulgarity and believe me, I let the expletives fly.

[misterrob]

I’m hoping he stays lost at the plate for the next two games but after wearing a short skirt against Beckett I don’t see how he and the rest of the line up don’t light up Schilling and his 89mph fastball.

[andy58-in-nh]

Schilling is going to have to rely on pitch movement in order to be successful. You can’t nibble at the corners in the playoffs, even if you have velocity going for you (ask C.C. Sabathia how that’s working out for him). Now lacking his former velocity, Curt needs to get the ball over the plate, but with different motions and arm angles to confuse the hitters. I really think he can pull it off.

[Petronski]

"We had a couple decisions to make there. One, C.C. pitched probably as good as he pitched the prior inning. He was pretty efficient. If you go straight to Betancourt, you're talking about Betancourt throwing two innings down. And the way C.C. was throwing, it was not something I was interested in, because it's going to weaken us over the weekend if everything remains the same." -- Wedge, on the decision

This sounds to me like "We're losing anyway, why not leave him in?"

Okay, rant over.

[#1CTYankee]

"does anyone suck more than Coco Crisp right now?"

Horrible, let the kid play, probably a better bunter as well.

[misterrob]

And that’s a fair assessment based on the way Beckett was throwing last night. Wedgie needs to win one game out of three. If he wastes his key reliever (who’s been very, very good I must say) then he’s only helping the Sox. He’s gotta feel good about Carmona on Saturday. The Sox couldn’t do Richard about Westbrook’s sinker and Carmona has better stuff.

[#1CTYankee]

"That might have been the most pathetic at-bat I have ever seen in a playoff game. He looked like Stevie Wonder trying to hit a piñata with a swizzle stick."

LOL let's hope Francona wakes up, we need Ellsbury in there to shake things up.

[mainepatsfan]

It’d be nice for once to have someone on base when the top of the order is up.

[misterrob]

I simply cannot understand how the Sox screwed up the lead off spot the past few years. They got Crisp to lead off and he’s never been an OBP guy and neither was Lugo. You need a .385+ OBP guy in that job who can walk, steal and cause disruption. Ellsbury has that potential as long as he can learn to hit at the MLB level and quit hacking at stuff at the ankles.

[mainepatsfan]

I simply cannot understand how the Sox screwed up the lead off spot the past few years.

The same can be said about their handling of the shortstop position.