Red Sox vs Indians Game 3 2007 ALCS

2007 A. L. C. S. Game 3

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D. Matsuzaka		0-0, -.--		J. Westbrook		0-0, -.--
Red Sox		1-1		Indians		1-1

Monday, October 15      Jacobs Field  ✠ 7:00 PM ET

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Red Sox: The right-hander from Japan labored in his first career postseason start, giving up seven hits and three runs over 4 2/3 innings to the Angels. He threw 96 pitches, which is less economical than the Red Sox need him to be. Overall, Matsuzaka's first Major League season has been a success. Matsuzaka went 15-12 with a 4.40 ERA over 32 starts. In 204 2/3 innings, Matsuzaka allowed 191 hits while striking out 201. His best month was June, when he posted a 1.59 ERA over five starts. Matsuzaka went 2-1 with a 7.62 ERA in September, though his final regular-season start was one of his best, as he limited the Twins to two runs over eight innings while striking out eight. Matsuzaka had mixed results against the Indians, going 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA in two starts. His win was a 1-0 gem against C.C. Sabathia at Cleveland on July 24. Matsuzaka went 7-8 with a 4.02 ERA on the road this season.

Indians: Westbrook's first foray into postseason play saw him shine early in Game 3 of the ALDS, but he couldn't sustain the bite on his sinker in the middle innings and was tagged for six runs on nine hits in five-plus innings of work. He was unable to secure an early 3-0 lead handed to him in what could have been a series-clinching game. He said his approach became too predictable, and he hopes to mix up his pitches better in this start. Westbrook has to prove he can turn in a more consistent outing against lineups filled with postseason veterans. That might be tough to do against a Red Sox club that roughed him up for five runs on 10 hits in six innings in his lone start against them this season.

As usual all statistics were found at the day by day database at Baseball Musings and this year at Baseball Reference.

Hitting History vs Westbrook

Player	AB	H	2b	3b	HR's	RBI	BB's	K's	BA
D. Pedroia	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.333
K. Youkilis	8	5	1	0	0	4	2	1	.625
D. Ortiz	9	2	1	0	0	0	0	2	.222
M. Ramirez	16	8	1	0	0	3	0	2	.500
M. Lowell	11	3	0	0	0	0	1	1	.273
J.D. Drew	5	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	.200
J. Varitek	6	3	1	0	0	1	3	0	.500
C. Crisp	8	6	1	0	0	0	0	0	.750
J. Lugo	24	6	2	0	0	1	2	2	.250
Totals	90	35	7	0	0	10	9	8	.389

A .389 batting average? Are you freaking kidding me? Based on these numbers the Sox should be able to score at will. However, this is a home game in Cleveland, so I expect there to be some struggles here. Still, I am optimistic for this batting order.

Other things to consider when watching the Sox take on this pitcher:

1. This year lefties are batting .288 against him.
2. He is able to retire only 62% of lead off batters.
3. 4 pitch or less PA's is only 59%.
4. His off speed stuff is his best.

Historical Pitching Lines

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	IP/GS
Matsuzaka	2	1	1	0	12 2/3	16	6	1	3	9	4.26	1.50	6.33
Westbrook	6	3	2	0	33 2/3	48	18	1	17	12	4.81	1.93	5.61

The only good thing here is that Daisuke has better numbers than Westbrook. None of those numbers make you stand up and say, "guaranteed winner here". Still, will take Daisuke's numbers over Westbrook.

This Years Pitching Totals

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	IP/GS
Matsuzaka	2	1	1	0	12 2/3	16	6	1	3	9	4.26	1.50	6.33
Westbrook	1	0	1	0	6	10	5	0	4	1	7.50	2.33	6

Westbrook sucked this year at Cleveland. That is interesting because Daisuke had an excellent game at Cleveland earlier this year. 7 innings of 4 hit ball and he won a 1-0 game. His WHIP at Jacobs field is a great 1.00. Hopefully that is the Daisuke we will see tonight!!!

♊ - When all else fails, get a bigger hammer!

Red Sox vs Indians Game 2 2007 ALCS

2007 A. L. C. S. Game 2

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F. Carmona		0-0, 0.00		C. Schilling		0-0, 0.00
Indians		0-0		Red Sox		0-0

Saturday, October, 13    Fenway Park  ✠ 8:00 PM ET

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Indians: Any concerns over whether Carmona could carry on his dominant 2007 season while under the glare of the October spotlight were erased in a hurry. Carmona was utterly brilliant in Game 2 of the ALDS, holding a potent Yankees lineup to a single run on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts in nine innings. The lone run came on a solo shot from Melky Cabrera. Carmona was merely picking up where he left off in a dominant 19-win 2007 regular season (including a 5-0 September in which he strung together a 1.78 ERA). Formerly reliant solely on his devastating mid-90s sinker, Carmona has learned over the last few months to more effectively turn to his changeup and slider. He will be returning to the site of his 2006 debacle as the Tribe?s closer. He blew two saves in Fenway Park. But in his lone start against the Red Sox this season, he blanked them for eight innings and allowed just four hits.

Red Sox: Schilling's middle name might as well be Big Game. Throughout his career, all he has done is come up big in October. He certainly started this postseason in dominant fashion, firing seven shutout innings in Boston's series-clinching 9-1 win over the Angels. In that game, Schilling walked one and struck out four. In 16 postseason starts, Schilling is 9-2 with a 1.93 ERA. All three times Schilling has participated in a League Championship Series -- 1993 for the Phillies, 2001 with the Diamondbacks and 2004 in Boston -- he has helped push his team to the World Series. Lifetime in LCS play, Schilling is 2-1 with a 2.83 ERA. Schilling was sharp in his lone start against Cleveland this season, earning the win on May 28 by giving up one run over seven innings. Schilling went 4-3 with a 4.06 ERA in 13 starts at Fenway Park this season.
Inside Edge scouting reports here and here.

As usual all statistics were found at the day by day database at Baseball Musings and this year at Baseball Reference.

Hitting History vs Carmona

Player	AB	H	2b	3b	HR's	RBI	BB's	K's	BA
D. Pedroia	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
K. Youkilis	3	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	.000
D. Ortiz	4	2	0	0	1	3	0	2	.500
M. Ramirez	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	.000
M. Lowell	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
J.D. Drew	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
J. Varitek	2	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.500
C. Crisp	4	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.250
J. Lugo	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Totals	20	4	0	0	1	3	4	5	.200

Not a lot of history here and that .200 reflects the lack of history. Since it such a small sample size I am not sure what the value of this history is worth. I dou know you may see Cora playing SS but I really doubt it since Lugo seems to have hit his stride. It is possible that Pedroia will sit though. Cora is 2 for 4 vs Carmona.

This year Carmona vs lefties - .275/.333/.377 and righties .216/.280/.321 and overall .248/.309/.352.

Historical Pitching Lines

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	IP/GS
Carmona	1	1	2	0	9	7	5	1	4	8	5.00	1.22	8.0
Schilling	5	2	2	0	35 2/3	35	15	5	7	35	3.79	1.18	6.4

The two losses are from last year when Carmona had his melt downs as a closer. Papi won one of those games with a massive home run in the ninth. The other win was on a ninth inning hit by Loretta.

This Years Pitching Lines

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	IP/GS
Carmona	1	1	0	0	8	4	0	0	2	6	0.00	.75	8
Schilling	1	1	0	0	7	6	1	0	0	10	1.29	.86	7.0

Obviously Schilling and Carmona pitched well this year against the opposing teams. You may remember Carmona's start in Cleveland. The night after the Sox beat C.C. 1-0 Carmona beat Beckett 1-0.

Other things to look for:

1. Fausto this year has won 19 games, mainly due to his ability to set down batters 1-2-3. His percentage is 41% while the MLB average is 31%.
   
2. Fausto has 3 pitch or less PA's 55% of the time, MLB average is 47%.
3. Carmon also has 4 or less pitch PA's 73% of the time, MLB average is 65%.
4. Only 25% of his runners score while the MLB average is 36% of the time.

For Schilling there isn't a lot to say. He is 9-2 in post season play with a 1.93 ERA. His start in the ALDS against the Angels shows that he still has command of his fastball and he threw some great splits. Even though he is not clocked in the mid-90's he has shown he knows how to pitch.

Look for Schilling to step up big tonight and I would not be surprised to see these issues being his keys:

1. 67% of his first pitch is a strike (MLB -58%)
2. 90% of the time his first or second pitch is a strike (MLB - 85%).
3. Most of his pitch categories are above the MLB average with only his swing and miss counts and the % of outs that are K's in four pitches or less (.11 / MLB -.14).

Enjoy the game people. Going away for the weekend, so not sure when I will be able to post. Hopefully the recap at the least.

♊ - When all else fails, get a bigger hammer!

2007 ALCS Game 1 Recap

Final

Press Pass ✠ Box Score ✠ Play - by - Play ✠ Game Recap

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Cleveland	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0		3	8	0
Boston	1	0	4	0	3	2	0	0	X		10	12	0

W: J. Beckett (2-0) L: C.C. Sabathia (1-1)
HR ➢ Cle: Travis Hafner (1)

☼ Sun - Beckett - Six Innings of four hit ball. Another outstanding start by Josh.
☁ Cloud - Sabathia - Eight runs in 4 1/3 innings.

Game thoughts!

A very good start by Josh, the only reason he came out of this game was due to Terry deciding to get the bull pen some work. He was not overworked as he only threw the 80 pitches in his six innings.

So many things went right in this game it is hard to decide on where to start. Should it be the 10 for 10 on base for Papi and MBM? The way that the Sox chased the "ace" of the Cleveland team in the fifth? The fact that every starter got at least one hit? See, a lot went right here. What started off as a nervous night when Hafner hit his two out home run, quickly became a laugher as the Sox responded in the bottom of the first with four straight line drives (Pedroia being the only out on a scorcher up the middle in which C.C. caught in self defense) that led to the tying score, followed by the four run third and the three run fifth.

What we need are more games just like this one this post season!!!

♊ - Morbid and creepifing I can handle as long as we do it quiet like.

Red Sox vs Indians Game 1 2007 ALCS

Game 1 2007 American League Championship Series

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C. C. Sabathia		0-0, 0.00		J. Beckett		0-0, 0.00
Indians		0-0		Red Sox		0-0

Friday, October, 12      Fenway Park  ✠ 7:00 PM ET

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Indians: Sabathia, who proved just how far he's come as a pitcher in Game 1 of the ALDS at Jacobs Field. On a night in which the left-hander had trouble pounding the zone with his usual efficiency and could have unraveled, Sabathia was resolute. He needed 114 pitches to get through five innings and walked six batters, but he limited the damage to three runs on four hits and earned his second postseason victory in as many starts. Just a few years ago, such a game in which he didn't have his best stuff early might have turned into a catastrophe, but he's discovered ways to stay calm and collected. Sabathia made one start against the Red Sox on July 24 at Jacobs Field, limiting them to a run on five hits over seven innings. But he took the loss because of a lack of offensive support. He is 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA in his career at Fenway Park.

Red Sox: Beckett pitched well against the Indians this season, going 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA in two starts. The one loss was a 1-0 heartbreaker to Fausto Carmona. The ace right-hander was nothing short of brilliant in Game 1 of the Division Series, firing a complete game, four-hit shutout that led Boston to a 4-0 win over the Angels. Beckett (20-7, 3.27 ERA) has been a rock for the Red Sox all year long. In that playoff opener, however, he took his game to another level. Of his 108 pitches, 83 were strikes. He had no walks and eight strikeouts. Beckett's reputation in postseason play is growing by the start. His last two October outings have both been shutouts. In fact, Beckett has three career shutouts in six postseason starts, but just two in 166 regular season starts. Beckett is 3-2 with a 1.74 ERA lifetime in the postseason. This is Beckett's second trip to an LCS. In 2003, Beckett helped the Marlins to the World Series by pitching three times against the Cubs -- once in relief -- and going 1-0 with a 3.26 ERA. Beckett went 9-5 with a 4.17 ERA in 17 starts at Fenway this season.

As usual all statistics were found at the day by day database at Baseball Musings and this year at Baseball Reference.

Hitting History vs Sabathia

Player	AB	H	2b	3b	HR's	RBI	BB's	K's	BA
D. Pedroia	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
K. Youkilis	7	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	.429
D. Ortiz	18	5	1	0	1	3	1	3	.278
M. Ramirez	21	12	3	0	4	7	1	2	.571
M. Lowell	7	2	0	0	0	1	0	3	.286
B. Kielty	29	9	4	0	2	7	2	4	.310
J. Varitek	10	1	0	0	1	3	1	3	.100
C. Crisp	6	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	.333
J. Lugo	18	4	1	0	1	2	2	1	.222
Totals	119	38	9	0	9	23	7	20	.319

A batting average of .319 vs Sabathia. That is simply outstanding, no other way to put it. Of course it helps that Manny is batting .571 against this guy. Still you have to like your chances when the entire team is batting .286 against him also. Taking a look at C. C. 's splits this year we see that right handed batters are hitting at a .275 clip with a slugging percentage of .413 (.259/.392 over all). I like our chances against this guy!!

Historical Pitching Lines

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	IP/GS
Sabathia	7	2	4	0	48 1/3	51	21	8	8	35	3.91	1.22	6.90
Beckett	4	1	3	0	24 2/3	24	18	7	6	23	6.57	1.22	6.17

Looking at these career numbers its hard to pick a winner. Combined they are 3-7. Not very good for either pitcher. In a way Becketts are much worse but it should be pointed out that last year he was terrible against this team. Look for his numbers to be closer to this years results as opposed to his career line.

This Years Pitching Lines

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	IP/GS
Sabathia	1	0	1	0	7	5	1	0	0	7	1.29	.71	7.0
Beckett	2	1	1	0	15	7	3	1	1	14	1.80	.53	7.5

Both of these guys were outstanding against the teams this year. With their WHIP numbers I almost find it hard to believe that they lost a game apiece. Then when you look at the games that they lost, you see why. Both of them lost a 1-0 game. Hard to blame a pitcher when he loses 1-0. If both pitchers are on, offense will be at a premium. That makes this a toss up game when you are counting on the offenses.

♊ - When all else fails, get a bigger hammer!

Red Sox 07 ALDS Game 3 Recap

Final

Press Pass ✠ Box Score ✠ Play - by - Play ✠ Game Recap

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Boston	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	7	0		9	10	0
Anaheim	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1		1	8	0

W: C. Schilling (1-0) L: J. Weaver (0-1)
HR ➢ Bos: D. Ortiz (2), M. Ramirez (2)

☼ Sun 1a - Schilling - 7 innings of shut out ball.
☼ Sun 1b - Ortiz - Home run in the 4th
☼ Sun 1c - Ramirez - Home run in the 4th as he and Papi went back to back
☁ Cloud - none - Weaver made two mistakes and the Sox made him pay. The way that Schilling was pitching he would have had to be perfect. Well, no one is perfect.

Game thoughts!

Well this game did not start off well. A 1-2-3 first half of the inning is never good in a play off game. Especially, since the new Schilling was starting his first play off game since BS II. Would Schilling* be his usual play off pitcher or would he be more like the Maddux** play off pitcher?

Schilling got the first out and then his personal nemesis (o-cab) singled to center bringing up the ever-dangerous Vlad. A line out to third and then GA flied out to right. End of 1 and its 0-0.

Weaver appeared to show some nerves in the second when he walked MBM and Lowell doubled to left. A close play at third but even with over sliding the base MBM kept his hand in contact and it was 2nd and 3rd with Drew, Tek and Coco coming up to bat. Alas, Drew swung at the first pitch and hit a tapper back to Weaver. Tek and Coco then K'ed and it was Lob-otomy time. A wasted opportunity was in the books.

The Angels though took that momentum and promptly wasted it. Thanks to an inning ending double play (Izturis single with 1 out) Curt only faced the minimum number of batters.

Weaver returned to being good in the third as he set down the Sox 1-2-3 again. At this point I was wondering if we would be regretting that 2nd inning debacle. I really started wondering when the Angels put the following events together. Rivera single, Napoli K, Figgins FC, O-cab single (Figgins to 3rd) and a walk by Vlad. Bases loaded, even with two outs is not endearing to my heart. In fact it is down right suicidal to my heart. Thankfully, GA's pink eye meant he had been taken out of the game and replaced by Willits, who then popped out to Tek. End of the third and Schilling had thrown 40 pitches and the score was 0-0. I also took a deep breath!

Top of the fourth saw really the only two mistakes that Weaver made all day. On his 0-1 pitch to Papi he tried to get a ball down and inside, only Papi put a swing on the ball and deposited said ball in the tunnel area in right field. 1-0 Sox. MBM then followed his fellow Dominican with his own blast. His was to deep, deep, center field and came on a 3-2 curve that, well, just didn't curve. 2-0 Sox and I was starting to relax. It didn't matter that the next three went down in order, the Sox had the lead finally.

The bottom of the 4th is why I gave Schilling top billing in the sun awards. In the first three innings the Angels kept on getting at least one base runner. After being spotted a 2 run lead, Curt had his first 1-2-3 inning. A thirteen pitch 1-2-3. That quickly the team was back in the dug out ready to put more pressure on the Angels. That is what you want your starting pitcher to do after you have scored runs. Have a quick 1-2-3 inning and get the bats swinging, hoping to add more runs.

The top of the 5th was really the last gasp for Weaver. After getting Coco to ground out on the first pitch of the inning we saw a Lugo single, a Pedroia walk (Lugo stole second on the 3-0 pitch) and then another lob-otomy moment as Youkilis grounded into a DP. Still, Weaver was now approaching 90 pitches and we were only in the fifth. Schilling meanwhile was sitting at 53 pitches. We were looking good.

A seventeen pitch inning did not make me sit easier though. Of course ten of those came against Figgins. Still, Schilling was now in position for another post season win. All I wanted was one more solid inning from him.

Not surprisingly, the top of the sixth saw nothing shattering for the Sox. Weaver walked Ortiz on six pitches and Shields was brought in to face Manny. Again the Angels bull pen showed why they are considered good. A fly out from Manny and a Double Play grounder by Lowell and it was time for Schilling to trot out for the sixth inning.

70 pitches in the books for Schilling would he start to tire? No, he would not. Nine pitches later and he was walking towards the dug out. In my mind his day was over, but at 79 pitches you can never be sure.

Shields set down the Sox 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh. Still tight game, but would Schilling be able to hold the line?

A lead off double, had me doubting the chances of Schilling. A Kendrick ground out moved Izturis to third and it looked like the Angels would probably post a run on the board. Not so fast Skippy, Rivera popped up to Youkilis and on the seventh pitch to Napoli, Schilling got him to chase a splitter in the dirt. Seven in the books and this game was over.

Well, actually it wasn't really over as there was two more innings to play yet, but with this bull pen I felt it was over. To remove any doubt though, Lugo started off the eighth by inducing a lead off walk. Speier relieved Shields and on the second pitch Pedroia doubled to deep left. Lugo was running hard and on a close play at the plate, scored the third run with Dustin going to third on the throw. Youkilis hit a sac fly to center and it was 4-0.

The Sox weren't done though. Papi hit a single, MBM walked, Lowell doubled scoring Papi, Drew got Ellsbury (who pinch ran for MBM) home with a fielders choice, Tek doubled scoring Lowell, Coco singled scoring Drew and Tek, Lugo popped out and then finally Dustin ended the inning with a ground out. Eleven men to the plate and seven runs scored. Game, Set and Match. An excuse me run in the ninth against Gagne was the end of the scoring in this series. Sox Win!! Sox Win!!!

* Schilling record
** Maddux record

♊ - Morbid and creepifing I can handle as long as we do it quiet like.

Red Sox 07 ALDS Game 3

			@
C. Schilling		0-0, -.--		J. Weaver		0-0, -.--
Red Sox		2-0		Angels		0-2

Sunday, October 7     Angel Stadium of Anaheim  ✠ 3:00 PM ET

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Red Sox: Schilling is one of the best big-game pitchers of this generation and all you need to do is view his postseason stats for proof. Schilling has made 15 postseason starts in his career, going 8-2 with a 2.06 ERA. Believe it or not, he has not pitched in the playoffs since Game 2 of the 2004 World Series. Schilling was lined up to pitch Game 4 of the 2005 Division Series, but the Red Sox were swept in three games. Since coming back from the disabled list on Aug. 6, Schilling has reinvented himself. The loss of velocity has been compensated by increased attention to command of his supplementary pitches. In his last eight starts, Schilling worked at least six innings. Schilling pitched three times against the Angels this season, going 2-1 with a 4.05 ERA. In 12 career appearances against the Angels, Schilling is 6-2 with a 3.67 ERA. Schilling will make this start on 11 days of rest. The last time he pitched in Anaheim in the postseason was Game 1 of the 2004 ALDS, and that was a 9-3 win by the Red Sox. Schilling went 5-5 with a 3.65 ERA in his 11 road starts this season.

Angels: Weaver's education as a Major League pitcher continued in his second full season. He got a late start, recovering from arm issues he'd carried into the offseason after a busy rookie year, but soon made up for lost time by delivering a string of quality starts. Weaver's height -- he's 6-foot-7 -- and sweeping delivery provide deception for a fastball that gets in on hitters, looking faster than the 91-92 mph radar readings. He complements his heater with a high-caliber changeup and good breaking ball. As with most Angels pitchers, everything revolves around fastball location. When he's hitting his spots, he's tough to beat.

As usual all statistics were found at the day by day database at Baseball Musings and this year at Baseball Reference.

Hitting History vs Weaver

Player	AB	H	2b	3b	HR's	RBI	BB's	K's	BA
D. Pedroia	5	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	.200
K. Youkilis	12	4	0	0	1	2	1	1	.333
D. Ortiz	10	5	0	0	2	7	2	1	.500
M. Ramirez	6	0	0	0	0	1	1	4	.000
M. Lowell	7	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	.286
J.D. Drew	6	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	.500
J. Varitek	8	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	.125
C. Crisp	11	1	1	0	0	0	0	3	.091
J. Lugo	8	4	1	0	1	3	0	1	.500
Totals	73	21	3	0	4	13	6	13	.288

Once again we see a pretty decent batting average against the opposing pitcher. Looking deeper into the numbers the 3-4-5 hitters are batting .304/.393/.565. So the key to this game is having runners in position to be brought home. Pedroia and Youkilis need to start laying some lumber on the ball to accomplish this. The bottom of the order is simply terrible as Tek, Coco and Lugo are batting .222/.222/.444.

Weavers splits this year show a huge difference between right handers and lefties at the plate. Left handed hitters are batting .291/.348/.406 while righties are at .269 (not bad)/.306/.430. I like the odds of the offense scoring some runs in this game.

Historical Pitching Lines

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	IP/GS
Schilling	7	6	2	0	54	57	22	9	3	40	3.67	1.11	7.00
Weaver	4	0	2	0	23	25	12	3	6	19	4.70	1.35	5.75

Over all numbers show that Schilling should have a higher chance of success. His ERA is not bad vs good team and his WHIP is very good. I like the fact that he averages 7 innings per start against this team also. If he can give us his normal start then we should be sitting pretty. The trend though is not looking so good as he has given up a total of 15 runs in his last four outings vs this team (2-2).

This Years Pitching Totals

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	IP/GS
Schilling	3	2	1	0	20	21	9	3	1	12	4.05	1.10	6.67
Weaver	2	0	1	0	10 1/3	14	8	2	3	9	6.97	1.65	5.17

Of course trends can be tricky. Even though the last two starts by Curt against the Angels have not been good, it is the playoffs. In the post season hehas the best winning percentage at .800 (8-2/10+ DEC) and the 3rd best ERA at 2.06 (100+ IP) in post-season history. Schilling is 3-0 in 4 lifetime Division Series starts with a 1.14 ERA (4 ER/31.2 IP), the 4th best all-time among pitchers with at least 20 innings. He is 8-1 in his last 12 post-season starts, the loss coming to the Yankees in Game 1 of the 2004 ALCS.

The question is how will Weaver handle this start. It is now win or go home time for the Angels and that can sometimes be over powering for young starters. Stay tuned at three to see what will be. (I say Sox clinch).

♊ - When all else fails, get a bigger hammer!

Red Sox 07 Recap ALDS Game 2

ALDS - game 2
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Final

Press Pass ✠ Box Score ✠ Play - by - Play ✠ Game Recap

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Anaheim	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		3	7	0
Boston	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	3		6	6	1

W: J. Papelbon (1-0) L: J. Speier (0-1)
HR ➢ Bos: M. Ramirez (1)

☼ Sun - MBM - 3 run shot after another IBB to Ortiz
☁ Cloud - Rodriguez - Tried to sneak that one by MBM, it didn't work.

Game thoughts!

So, the game seemed to start off with some angst as Daisuke struggled in the first (31 pitches) but did not allow any runs. The bottom of the first saw a key 2 out hit by J.D. Drew to spot the team to an early 2-0 lead. Sadly Daisuke reverted to his Matt Clement tendencies and allowed the Angels to tie the game and then take a 3-2 lead after 1 1/2 innings. This was not what Theo and Francona had in mind when they named him the #2 starter in the playoffs. I don't know, maybe they should have taken a longer look at his home and away splits.

Still, Daisuke did seem to settle down after his shaky second inning. A ten pitch third, helped by a smart play by Lugo throwing out Anderson at third was followed by a ten pitch fourth, both innings started with lead off hits though. That was the bright spots of his outing, since he could not get out of the fifth inning and left with runners on first and third. Thankfully, Lopez was able to get Morales to ground out to end the inning. Daisuke's final pitch count 96 pitches in 4 2/3 innings. THE MAN NEEDS TO START TRUSTING HIS STUFF!

The bottom of the fifth saw the Sox tie the game, removing Daisuke from the Loss Column, when Pedroia led off with a double, moved to third on Youkilis's ground out and was able to score on Mike Lowell's sacrifice fly after Ortiz (intentional) and Ramirez (thanks Kid) walked. It seemed like the Sox might do more damage as Drew battled in a 10 pitch at bat that saw a ground out. Those pitches were the last ones that Escobar would throw for the night.

Both bull pens did their jobs in the sixth, seventh and the bottom of the eighth innings. The top of the eighth did see some unusual activity.

After Okajima retired both Kotchman (F7) and Morales (swinging K) Francona brought in the Bot. One pitch and it looked like the inning was over but the normally sure handed Lowell made a bad throw to first on Kindricks ground ball and Youkilis could not dig it out of the dirt. On the 1-0 pitch Kendrick stole second. Scioscia brought in a pinch hitter (unusual to say the least) for Mathis and with the count 1-1 Rivera worked a walk (on strike 3). With pinch runner Willits stealing second (Kendrick stole third during Rivera's at bat) on a 1-1 pitch, the table was set for a disastrous outing by the Bot. Figgins though looked at an 88 mph split for strike three and it was to the bottom of the eighth.

What should have been a one pitch outing by the Bot instead became a thirteen pitch inning. Still, no blood no foul.

Speier induced two ground outs by Drew and Varitek (Tek just missed a pesky pole HR) and Crisp flied out to right in the bottom of the eighth. The ninth inning started out well for Bot as he got two pop ups to Lugo before walking Anderson. Izturis though followed that walk by popping up on the first pitch to Lugo. The stage was now set for the heroics.

Lugo started off the ninth by singling and on the first pitch to Pedroia, broke for second which prevented the double play on his grounder to short. Time for K-rod to come into the game and I was now sitting on the edge of my seat. With Lugo on 2nd with only one out, you knew that Papi would get a chance to bat.

Youkilis heightened the tension by striking out on a pitch in the dirt setting the stage. Would K-rod face Ortiz (.400 BA) or would Sciosia walk Papi for the second time to face Manny (2-9)? The Angel skipper went with option two and on the second pitch to Manny Fenway Park went ballistic as the ball was crushed over the left field wall. Sox Win, Sox Win!!

Oh, yeah the Yankees lost in extra innings!

♊ - Morbid and creepifing I can handle as long as we do it quiet like.

Manny Being Manny - 2007 ALDS Game 2 is over!

Manny Being Manny!!!!!

'Nuff Said - Sox take 2-0 lead!!!!

Red Sox 07 ALDS Game 2

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K. Escobar		0-0, 0.00		D. Matsuzaka		0-0, 0.00
Angels		0-1		Red Sox		1-0

Friday, October, 5      Fenway Park  ✠ 8:30 PM ET

ESPN.Com Preview .
Yahoo's Preview .
ESPN.Com after the game Recap.
MLB.Com Press Pass
From MLB.Com Scouting Report
Baseball-Reference - Preview

Angels: Few starters in the game have a wider repertoire of pitches to draw on than the veteran Escobar, who throws 95 mph with a deadly split and changeup when he's on his game. Escobar was in the Cy Young Award derby before encountering a late-season slump, created at least in part by shoulder inflammation. The hope is that a layoff over the last few weeks enabled Escobar to regain life in his shoulder and that he goes to work in the postseason with the high level of confidence he carried into the season's final month. Escobar is admired by teammates and respected by opponents for his toughness, his competitive nature. He and John Escobar pushed each other to previously unvisited heights this season. They talked during the spring about combining for 40 wins and 400 innings, and they came remarkably close.

Red Sox: Matsuzaka's first Major League season had its share of ups and downs. The right-hander was at his best in June, when he posted a 1.59 ERA over five starts. Matsuzaka struggled for much of September, going 2-1 with a 7.62 ERA in five starts. However, his last start of the regular season was one of his best, as he went eight innings and allowed two runs while striking out eight in a 5-2 win over the Twins. Matsuzaka went seven innings or more 10 times before the All-Star break. After the break, he went that many innings just four times. Matsuzaka didn't pitch against the Angels this season. He will make this start following six days of rest. Matsuzaka is 8-4 with a 4.86 ERA at Fenway Park

As usual all statistics were found at the day by day database at Baseball Musings and this year at Baseball Reference.

Hitting History vs Escobar

Player	AB	H	2b	3b	HR's	RBI	BB's	K's	BA
D. Pedroia	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000
K. Youkilis	6	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	.167
D. Ortiz	26	5	1	0	1	3	3	10	.192
M. Ramirez	34	8	3	0	1	5	6	9	.235
M. Lowell	15	5	1	0	0	1	0	3	.333
J.D. Drew	5	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	.200
J. Varitek	22	7	0	0	0	4	8	4	.318
C. Crisp	14	5	2	0	0	1	3	1	.357
J. Lugo	7	4	0	0	1	3	2	2	.571
Totals	133	36	7	0	3	17	23	34	.271

While the .271 Batting Average looks ok, you have to look closer at the numbers. There are only four batters who have an average above .300. After those four the next highest on the team is Mirabelli who has a .250 average.

The question is where will the offense come from in this game. Surprisingly it most likely will come from the 7-9 hitters. Tek, !!!!ocoC and Slugo combined have a 0.372 / 0.509 / 0.488 Ba, OBP and Slugging %. That is much higher than the Ortiz, MBM and Lowell part of the order (closest is Slugging where the bottom three are .102 higher).

The good news is looking at Escobars splits this year he is not getting lefties out at the same rate as previously. In his career he has .250/.332/.404 (BAA/OBP/Slug) numbers against left handers, while this year he is .264/.332/.396 (slight dip in slugging). That means the Tek, !!!!ocoC, Drew and Papi part of this team should be able to do better than past history would indicate.

Another thing I noticed though, is he is better at getting righties out. While his career numbers are .250/.317/.373 fairly close to each other his success against right handed batters is better this year at .233/.292/.323. That is some very good numbers for a pitcher.

Historical Pitching Lines

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	IP/GS
Escobar	11	6	7	0	99	94	51	9	49	91	4.64	1.44	6.36
Matsuzaka	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

This Years Pitching Lines
Neither pitcher has faced the other team this year.

These are not good career numbers for Escobar. In fact these numbers are better than his starting pitcher totals. As a starter he is 3 and 4 with a 4.76 ERA in 70 innings. His Starting WHIP is a 1.37 and his BB / 9 is a whopping 4.11.

Not good numbers at all, however the Sox have not faced him this year, so he could be a totally different pitcher. Of course the Sox have an advantae also, since Matsuzaka has never faced these players. Will be interesting to see what happens.

♊ - When all else fails, get a bigger hammer!

Red Sox 07 ALDS Game 1 Recap

ALDS - game 1
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Final

Press Pass ✠ Box Score ✠ Play - by - Play ✠ Game Recap

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Anaheim	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	4	0
Boston	1	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	X		4	9	0

W: J. Beckett (1-0) L: J. Lackey (0-1)
HR ➢ Bos: K. Youkilis (1), D. Ortiz (1)

☼ Sun - Beckett - After a lead off hit by Figgins, 19 straight, yes 19 straight batters were retired
☁ Cloud - Lackey - All four runs allowed by Lackey

Game thoughts!

A very quick game that was over in the first. Well, it was over at the end of one, once you realized that Joshie had the fire and his A game. This kid is the real deal and make no doubt about it, is quickly becoming a big game pitcher.

Everybody but Dustin and Coco got a hit tonight. Coco was not really a surprise since he does struggle against Lackey. Pedroia looked like a rookie though. Of course since he is a rookie, you have to let him get used to this post season stuff though so cut him a break.

Really, this was a boring game, quick also as it only went 2:37. So, with that its good night, more tomorrow and Friday as we prepare for a second win (at least I hope it is a second).

♊ - Morbid and creepifing I can handle as long as we do it quiet like.

Red Sox 07 Post Season AL Division Series Game 1

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J. Lackey		0-0, 0.00		J. Beckett		0-0, 0.00
Angels		0-0		Red Sox		0-0

Wednesday, October, 3      Fenway Park  ✠ 6:37 PM ET

ESPN.Com Preview .
Yahoo's Preview .
ESPN.Com after the game Recap.
MLB.Com Press Pass
From MLB.Com Scouting Report
Baseball-Reference - Preview

Angels: You want big-game pedigree? In John Lackey's rookie season, he started -- and won -- Game 7 of the 2002 World Series. Since then, he's blossomed into one of the best pitchers in baseball, and there can be no better choice to start Game 1 of the ALDS for the Halos. The 6-foot-6 right-hander did struggle against the Red Sox this year, however, losing both of his starts while allowing nine runs in 9 2/3 innings.

Red Sox: Quite simply, the ace right-hander is in the midst of the best season of his career. Beckett has been a force all year long, producing his first 20-win season in the process. The 194 strikeouts are a career high and the 40 walks are Beckett's fewest for a full season. After giving up 36 homers in 2006, Beckett allowed just 17 this year. Beckett pitched well in his two starts against the Angels this season, going 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA and striking out 13 over 13 innings. In his career against the Angels, Beckett is 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA. In 17 Fenway starts this season, Beckett is 9-5 with a 4.17 ERA. Beckett's only previous postseason experience was memorable, as he helped guide the Marlins to the 2003 World Series championship by posting a 2.11 ERA in six outings that October.

As usual all statistics were found at the day by day database at Baseball Musings and this year at Baseball Reference.

Hitting History vs Lackey

Player	AB	H	2b	3b	HR's	RBI	BB's	K's	BA
D. Pedroia	6	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	.333
K. Youkilis	10	3	0	0	0	0	0	2	.300
D. Ortiz	29	11	3	1	2	9	4	8	.379
M. Ramirez	23	10	3	0	4	11	7	4	.435
M. Lowell	12	3	0	0	0	1	0	4	.250
J. D. Drew	11	5	1	1	0	1	1	3	.455
J. Varitek	18	5	3	0	0	2	3	8	.278
C. Crisp	22	4	0	0	2	2	2	4	.182
J. Lugo	18	4	1	0	0	0	2	4	.222
Totals	149	47	12	2	8	26	19	36	.315

Historical Pitching Lines

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	IP/GS
Lackey	11	1	6	0	60 1/3	90	42	10	26	48	6.27	1.92	5.48
Beckett	4	2	0	0	25	19	6	1	8	22	2.16	1.08	6.25

This Years Pitching Lines

Pitcher	GS	W	L	Sho	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	IP/GS
Lackey	2	0	2	0	9 2/3	20	9	2	1	9	8.38	2.17	4.83
Beckett	2	1	0	0	13	11	2	1	2	13	1.38	1.00	6.5

♊ - When all else fails, get a bigger hammer!