BBTF's Game Chatter Discussion :: Rangers (8-2) @ RedSox (4-6), Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 7:10pm

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Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Rangers (8-2) @ RedSox (4-6), Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 7:10pm

TEX:Colby Lewis (32, RHP, 1-0, 1.42)
BOS:Jon Lester (28, LHP, 0-1, 2.40)

The Primer Chimp Posted: April 17, 2012 at 10:00 AM | 63 comment(s)
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Reader Comments and Retorts

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1. Dan Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:10 PM (#4109163)

Even with Lester on the mound, this Rangers lineup is scary for a LHP.

2. FancyPantsHandle glistening with foreign substance Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:25 PM (#4109180)

I get batting Aviles leadoff, when it's only for a spot start here or there, but with Ellsbury out of the lineup, we really ought to find a better permanent solution... Not that I am complaining right now

3. Dan Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:26 PM (#4109181)

Pedroia's going to hit 30 HR this season.

4. FancyPantsHandle glistening with foreign substance Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:28 PM (#4109182)

Pedroia's going to hit 30 HR this season.

Hijo de la Luna.

5. ellsbury my heart at wounded knee Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:32 PM (#4109184)

Ryan Sweeney: doubles power!

6. Dan Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:33 PM (#4109185)

Sweeney has power? That barely missed going out in dead center. That's a HR in 20+ parks.

7. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:35 PM (#4109187)

Sweeney always had big time power potential. So in theory.

8. Dan Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:37 PM (#4109188)

Yankees and Rays trailing 1-0 each on Solo shots by Willingham and Bautista, respectively.

9. Dan Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:40 PM (#4109191)

Not that he should've caught that, but dear lord, Repko in CF chasing that looked sloooowwwwwww.

10. ellsbury my heart at wounded knee Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:40 PM (#4109192)

Maybe Sweeney will have his Boggs '87 year this year.

11. ellsbury my heart at wounded knee Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:41 PM (#4109194)

Frickin Napoli

12. Dan Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:42 PM (#4109196)

Lester gives up more meatballs on 0-2 than anyone in MLB, I think.

13. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:43 PM (#4109197)

Every game, Lester throws a couple meatballs and a bunch of other pitches that run wildly out of the zone. I want him to find that extra tick of consistent command that would make him a Cy Young contender, but maybe this is all the Lester we're going to get. (It is pretty good.)

14. Dan Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:44 PM (#4109198)

The thing is that Lester always has a 5-10 start stretch where he pitches like that guy, but then it's always offset by 5-8 starts where he completely bombs.

15. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:44 PM (#4109199)

Not that he should've caught that, but dear lord, Repko in CF chasing that looked sloooowwwwwww.

Yeah, and he can't hit. This club needs to trade for a CF, and they need to do it now-ish.

16. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:47 PM (#4109201)

The thing is that Lester always has a 5-10 start stretch where he pitches like that guy, but then it's always offset by 5-8 starts where he completely bombs.

Does he? This is just going off impressions, but it feels to me like a bunch of Lester's best starts are games where they miss the meatballs and he works around some 3-ball counts. A few times a year he's on all game, but it doesn't feel to me like it's 5-10 starts or a stretch thereof.

17. Dan Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:47 PM (#4109202)

Yeah, and he can't hit. This club needs to trade for a CF, and they need to do it now-ish.

Abso-#######-lutely. Even a guy like Craig Gentry or Reed Johnson or Tony Campana. Even a guy who's a 5th outfielder who has a legit CF glove.

18. Dan Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:49 PM (#4109203)

Off the top of my head I would say that usually mid-summer, Lester has a stretch where he hits his spots and looks like the part of the dominant ace. Don't really have the time at the moment to look at game by game stats to actually back it up though.

19. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:49 PM (#4109204)

Wait, what? That was a strike?

20. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:51 PM (#4109207)

So it's going to be that kind of game?

####. Good pitch, weak grounder, safe all around. I don't want this.

21. Dan Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:51 PM (#4109208)

Jesus ####. Now we've got poor luck on top of poor pitching. And why didn't he even try to make the play at home, there?

22. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:52 PM (#4109209)

Oh mother of ####.

These guys suck.

23. Dan Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:52 PM (#4109210)

Go #### yourself, Cody Ross.

24. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:52 PM (#4109211)

I think the throw to third was the right choice.

Yeah, no chance at the runner at home.

25. Dan Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:53 PM (#4109212)

Seriously, Ross's defense has been a ####### horror show. I thought he was supposed to be a plus fielder in the corners.

26. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: April 17, 2012 at 07:54 PM (#4109213)

You can tell with the lineup tonight that Bobby V has noticed Ross isn't playing well in the field.

27. ellsbury my heart at wounded knee Posted: April 17, 2012 at 08:09 PM (#4109219)

Just some terrible, terrible strikezones this year.

28. Phil Coorey. Posted: April 17, 2012 at 08:14 PM (#4109223)

Lester gives up more meatballs on 0-2 than anyone in MLB, I think.

He'll never be an ace - never.

29. UnclePab Posted: April 17, 2012 at 08:21 PM (#4109227)

I was enjoying this game for about an inning. It's done nothing but piss me off since.

30. Biff, highly-regarded young guy Posted: April 17, 2012 at 08:23 PM (#4109232)

How do you walk Yorvit Torrealba even once, let alone twice?

31. Phil Coorey. Posted: April 17, 2012 at 08:26 PM (#4109234)

Youks is rubbish - great decision not to resign Beltre who practically begged to come back to Boston

32. Phil Coorey. Posted: April 17, 2012 at 08:28 PM (#4109240)

How many walks in the last two days? 200?

33. Phil Coorey. Posted: April 17, 2012 at 08:31 PM (#4109242)

That last run is on Youks due to his stellar defense

34. Phil Coorey. Posted: April 17, 2012 at 08:32 PM (#4109243)

I've got meetings etc - see you all tomorrow

35. Answer Guy Posted: April 17, 2012 at 08:41 PM (#4109250)

Youks is rubbish - great decision not to resign Beltre who practically begged to come back to Boston

I could see the case for Adrian Gonzalez though if you could make it work...which they did. I think they thought Ortiz was essentially done, not that I could blame them for that conclusion after the two years in a row of looking useless during long stretches of the season.

But I do miss Beltre, and obviously 20/20 hindsight says to - horror of horrors - keep him and find a way to have one of Youks or Ortiz end up elsewhere.

36. Answer Guy Posted: April 17, 2012 at 08:43 PM (#4109252)

Thank heaven for the Bs and Cs. Looks like they'll prevent the sputtering Sox from monopolizing the sports pages for a few weeks and hopefully take some of the heat off, by which times things may have settled down.

37. Answer Guy Posted: April 17, 2012 at 08:45 PM (#4109255)

That made me think...don't think I can recall a time when the Red Sox were clearly the weakest of Boston's 4 pro sports franchises, but we may be there right now.

38. Textbook Editor Posted: April 17, 2012 at 08:54 PM (#4109258)

[sigh]

39. Benji Gil Gamesh Rises Posted: April 17, 2012 at 09:27 PM (#4109271)

[looks in, sees pants somewhat less pissed than expected, departs]

Edit: the reading the tweets on air must. Stop.

40. Answer Guy Posted: April 17, 2012 at 09:33 PM (#4109276)

The bullpen has been markedly better on the home stand than it was during the road trip, although that's in part because it could hardly have been worse.

41. Answer Guy Posted: April 17, 2012 at 09:36 PM (#4109277)

Read something online claiming rehab but not surgery for Ellsbury. I hope that means he doesn't actually need surgery; I wish I had more confidence in team pronouncements (if/when there is one) about these things but after the past couple years I'm afraid I don't.

42. The Mohole* of David Wells (* - Piehole)

Posted: April 17, 2012 at 09:40 PM (#4109279)

Ross is bad in the OF. Where are you Carl Crawford?

43. Biff, highly-regarded young guy Posted: April 17, 2012 at 09:44 PM (#4109282)

Melancon can't actually be as worthless as he seems, can he?

(As I was typing this another HR was hit! Whee!)

44. Biff, highly-regarded young guy Posted: April 17, 2012 at 09:50 PM (#4109286)

HAHAHAHAH ANOTHER HR

Weiland could pitch better then this, the Lowrie part almost doesn't matter.

45. Textbook Editor Posted: April 17, 2012 at 09:51 PM (#4109287)

I'm just going to start calling Melancon "Eric Gagne II"

46. The Mohole* of David Wells (* - Piehole)

Posted: April 17, 2012 at 09:51 PM (#4109288)

It's a good thing the Sox have that playoff spot in the bag or I'd be getting wet pants.

47. The Mohole* of David Wells (* - Piehole)

Posted: April 17, 2012 at 09:52 PM (#4109289)

I'm just going to start calling Melancon "Eric Gagne II"

His name is John Wasdin.

48. Mayor Blomberg Posted: April 17, 2012 at 09:53 PM (#4109290)

Melancon ERA 49.50 Seems overpriced.

49. Chip Posted: April 17, 2012 at 09:53 PM (#4109293)

Melancon's audition for membership in the '03 Sox bullpen is complete. Hie'll be joining the cast next week.

50. Mayor Blomberg Posted: April 17, 2012 at 09:54 PM (#4109295)

edit function broke? ok screw it. sorry guys

51. Textbook Editor Posted: April 17, 2012 at 09:54 PM (#4109296)

Look, either Melancon is hurt (my theory) or he's toast. No one catch pitch this badly unless they are Eric Gagne the last 3 months of 2007.

52. Answer Guy Posted: April 17, 2012 at 10:00 PM (#4109298)

My pants are soaking wet, but [metaphorically speaking] they have been since winter and I haven't changed them.

53. Textbook Editor Posted: April 17, 2012 at 10:02 PM (#4109300)

Somehow, I remember Way Back Wasdin as a funnier thing--like a punch line we all knew, but still laughed at every time it was said.

And we're not totally being fair to Wasdin. In his most way-back year (1997) he gave up 24 HRs in 124.2 IP, for a 1.3 HR/9 rate. Melancon has given up 5 HRs in 2+ IP, for a 22.5 HR/9 rate. If allowed to pitch the same amount of innings as Wasdin did in 1997, he'd give up 310 HRs... but certainly sometime before then he'd be released.

This does have the early lead in the "worst Cherington trade evah!" race.

54. Answer Guy Posted: April 17, 2012 at 10:03 PM (#4109301)

I've never seen a line quite like Melancon's line this evening before. Earned Runs (6) is greater than the sum of hits and walks allowed (5), and 0 innings were pitched. I could have done this for them, and I would not have cost the team Scott Weiland or Jed Lowrie.

55. Answer Guy Posted: April 17, 2012 at 10:04 PM (#4109302)

Oh, right, his name is Kyle. Scott Weiland is the dude from STP/Velvet Revolver. But I wouldn't have cost the Sox the rights to his services either, so there.

56. Textbook Editor Posted: April 17, 2012 at 10:12 PM (#4109305)

If Melancon were just released after the game, I would not complain. That they designated Bowden instead of this guy baffles the mind--Melancon will not pitch in another high-leverage situation this year.

57. Answer Guy Posted: April 17, 2012 at 10:14 PM (#4109309)

I would think Melancon is injured. He wasn't tater-rific like this in Houston.

58. Chip Posted: April 17, 2012 at 10:15 PM (#4109311)

It was all so promising when the first three guys reached base in the bottom of the first, including Pedroia's HR.

59. Chip Posted: April 17, 2012 at 10:17 PM (#4109313)

And Youks earns the Golden Sombrero.

60. Answer Guy Posted: April 17, 2012 at 10:24 PM (#4109320)

The pessimism isn't actually helping a game like this be any less painful. I vaguely recall not getting angry about losses as they piled up in prior seasons, in the face of not really expecting wins, but I guess that only really happens over the course of a long season as it develops.

I won't get much satisfaction in being "right" if my contention that this is little better than a .500 teams turns out to be closer to accurate than the rosier predictions being offered by most analysts.

61. The Mohole* of David Wells (* - Piehole)

Posted: April 17, 2012 at 10:30 PM (#4109321)

Well, Way Back was both a joke about Trupiano and Wasdin, and we don't have those guys to kick around any more. I like Dave OBrien and Castiglione, so the only "funny" thing now is Melancon, which isn't funny.

62. Textbook Editor Posted: April 17, 2012 at 10:40 PM (#4109327)

I miss Trupiano. I know, I'm insane...

63. The Mohole* of David Wells (* - Piehole)

Posted: April 17, 2012 at 10:44 PM (#4109328)

The best thing about OBrien is that he introduces Castiglione as "the voice of the Red Sox." I love that.

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Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Rangers (8-2) @ RedSox (4-6), Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 7:10pm

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