Game time: 2:05 pm

Scheduled starters: Orlando Hernandez (8-5, 4.67) v. Matt Clement (11-3, 4.53)


The game will be on NESN.



Boston weather: 11 am observation at BOS: Few clouds at 9,000 feet, visibility 4 miles in haze, temperature 83F, DP 74F, wind variable at 5 mph.


Forecast: There's a poorly-defined cold front northwest of southern New England, and it's not likely to have much movement until early evening. That means that the hot and humid air mass will remain over the area well into game time. There's a chance of severe thunderstorms and sudden downpours (like last night) ahead of the front. If you're going to the game, bring an umbrella!

The wind is variable now, and light. Winds will gradually shift around to the south at less than 15 mph, which will be blowing from right to left.


Anni

Okay, this is the hottest 83 ever, then.

Why is Alex ".257 OBP" Cora leading off?

Terry's trotting out the B team today.

B as in brooms.

Get 'er done, fellas!

Don't have time to do the paste n post, but in case Piney is sleeping in, a reminder that Mojo can be found at:

NU50's Mojo posts

Sweep the White Sox under the Matt. Ha, ha, ha!
Ha.
Meh.

Yeah it actually would've been nice to see Stern leading off...I'm glad he's finally getting to play, though.

And why doesn't WGN have this game on TV?

Lobstah!!!

Happy Maine Day, everyone.

Two days ago, I looked like a cooked lobster. I guess I celebrated early.

Let's hope this wacky lineup treats our friends from Maine well.

The White Sox don't exactly have their "A" team out there either, do they?

*Doing on behalf of NU. I wasn't sleeping in, I was kept at work later than usual thus the lateness of this*

This Season's All Time Top 5 Funniest Moments:

5) Tito Francona goes off on Greg Gibson's umpiring performance in the post-game conference: "He said he ejected him because he could read his lips. The *expletive* guy can't even seen the *expletive* ball in front of him that's a *expletive* answer" "I couldn't take it anymore. I got myself ejected because I couldn't watch him anymore"

4) Dan Roache makes the big time: "When is it time to go to the dentist? 2:30... get it "tooth hurty." The previous joke left Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy in stitches up in the announcers booth, nearly making them unable to finish calling the inning. And so was launched Dan Roache's successful stand up career.

3)

2) David Ortiz gets a treat: What better food for a slugger than applesauce spoon fed to you by a teammate. It wasn't so much the eating of the sauce, as it was the gratuitous gun show that followed that made it a classic.

1) Spaz Wake!: Honestly, I love Wakefield. But the man runs like a girl.

You know what All-Time Top 5 lists mean, don't you? It's time for a little High Fidelity mojo:



Sometimes, you need someone to turn to. Someone to give you advice on what to do next. And sometimes, that man is the Boss



The Bruce Springsteen cameo from High Fidelity is one of my favorites because it is so unexpected (after all, he just appears in Rob's bedroom) and also for the seamless way he is inserted into the narrative. Today's mojo means good things from the Sox that you may not expect: A David Ortiz triple? A triple play? Graffanino getting a Grand Slam? It could be anything! It also means that everything should blend together smoothly, from pitching to defense to driving in runs.

There is one thing we do know for sure: there is at least one player who will be a big fan of today's mojo.



--------------

Piney says: To call upon today's cameo, you want somebody who somewhat resembles Bruce Springsteen. No I do not mean being questionably drunk and/or stoned and doing a little video with some friends from college at a young age, like Millar. I mean somebody whose badassed and isn't afraid to choke a bitch or two when it comes crunch time. Yep, you guessed it. Today, I call upon the sounds of RamJam's "Black Betty" to usher in Mike Timlin. May Timlin's badassery and pitching shine through today even if it's in a small role. So Timlin, you do your stuff!

Since WGN is not carrying the game today I would just like to know how Stern does in his at-bats...

I've never seen a lineup with five guys who have exactly one home run each in it. Check it out: Cora, Graffanino, Petagine, Kapler and Stern have one each.

Speaking of home runs, Rob Drake is behind the plate today. He's another middle-of-the-road guy, except that he allows a bit more slugging than most umpires, with .166 isolated power and 1.2 HR/9.

Knowing that, I'm seeing today as a home run battle. Terry Francona has a great defensive lineup in there today, with only Manny and Petagine as potential liabilities. The White Sox are among the best defensive teams in MLB, and with Damon and Renteria both sitting down today for Stern and Cora, the high-OBP chain is broken. My guess is that whichever team hits the most home runs wins.

Better score early this afternoon. We could be in for a rain delay soon, or even a shortened game. There's a cell building west of Boston, in the Natick area right now. It's moving east, and could affect the Fenway area. There's a lot of convective activity further west, and thunderstorms are likely to be firing up during the afternoon.

Anni

Millar woulda had it too.

Tarp already?

That was a kinda nice play by Petagine to end the inning, as well as a great couple of putouts by Stern.

It shouldn't be long. The cell "exploded" about 10 miles west of Boston, and right now it looks like Fenway will get a direct hit. It's a small cell, though, so unless something builds behind it, this will be another 30-40 minute rain delay.

Anni

Ah, why did they have to cut back to the studio?

I thought we were going to get a Fenway wet T-shirt contest.

Thanks for the laugh. Starting to read your post, I thought I was going to see yet another complaint about the TV coverage, Hawk He Gone, etc.

What happened?

In the last 15 minutes, more storms have formed west of Boston, in the Worcester area. They're moving east at about 20-30 mph. The storm over Fenway Park now should be letting up soon, but his brother is right behind... These storms have the ability to drop tremendous amounts of water in a short time, so the problem may be getting water off the field to get it in shape for play. This should be a good test of the new drainage system.

Anni

Rain in the summertime. What kind of place is that?

um, is this delay going to KO Clement...?

Better chance of throwing El Pukey off, I think, I hope.

Will the sand they spread out over the field to protect it for the Rolling Stones concert affect the drainage system adversely?

It they use a medium-grained sand, it shouldn't be a factor. If they used fine sand, or if they use a sand/clay/silt mixture, it could "hold" the water. If it is, in fact, sand and not another soil type, it shouldn't affect drainage.

Anni

duque has not pitched yet though....

Texas went ahead 3-2 on a two-run homerun by Barajas in the fifth.

Go Rangers!

Today is my 21st birthday... we need to win FOR ME!!

WTF are you doing? It's your 21st bday, Sunday, and the Sox are on. I swear, if you're not on this board posting incoherent, mildly insulting diatrabes that challenge posters to "come f*ckin meet me somewhere so we can fight, bitch," within the hour, then I'm calling the fun police to come arrest your ass for lack of drunkeness.

Thinking more of his pregame routine being thrown off- as for Clement - he was hit hard the 1st inning so can't be worse.

Quality posts such as this are why I consider you a great guy, regardless of how much you abuse me for my support of Petagine.

Happy F'n B'day- 21! I'm sitting here,50 with a bad back, I'm going back to the couch-

Play ball, and hurry up and get some runs and get us out of the fifth inning. More rain is on the way.


Anni

godzilla homers as texass bulpen screws up again...

F*ckin Matsui just hit an 0-2 pitch for a 3 run homer....MFY 5-Tex 3

EDIT: with 2 outs mind you

You know you're still my favorite poster though, JHB.

And the Rangers just ****ing blew the game....wow. Their pitching is so horrible..so so so so horrible...

And now after winning 4 in a row, the Yankees face the D-Rays. Can their schedule get any easier?

Yeah, Texas brings in a lefty to pitch to Matsui...3 run HR. Texas is reverting to a 90 losses a year type team.

I'm disappointed that Cora only took eight pitches in his leadoff at bat.

Does anybody else think that Graffanino should be leading off with Mueller batting second?

mueller hits much better at the bottom of the order.

Yes, I am aware of that but that still has to be a better option than having cora leading off...

You have a valid point, but Mueller hits better at the bottom of the order is the reason he is not up there....

Tito wanted a lefty leading off against a RHP with Ortiz hitting third.

I'd've batted Petagine leadoff and Graffanino second, if only to get eight syllables into the first two spots in the batting order.

Drays will be tougher than Texas-

d-rays have been giving the yanks headaches all season.

Yankees have scored five in the fifth, and still have only two outs. It's official. The Rangers' bullpen has imploded.