Game Time: 7:05 pm

Scheduled starters: Scott Downs (4-3, 4.35) v. Matt Clement (13-6, 4.50)

The game will be on NESN


Boston weather: 3 pm observation at BOS: 3,700 feet scattered, 4,900 overcast, visibility 10 miles, temperature 72F, DP 60F, wind out of the southwest at 33 mph, with gusts to 39 mph.


It was not raining at BOS at 3 pm, but it will be within a half hour.





Forecast: The cold front that is now approaching central New England will move very rapidly and will be offshore this evening. We are probably going to get a period of rain for 3 to 4 hours this afternoon, but it will end early this evening, and should not interfere with the game. It's possible for a few stray showers to fire up later in the evening, but generally, once it stops raining, it should "stay stopped".

The problem this afternoon is very strong winds associated with the front, a ridge of high pressure ahead of it, and a trough behind it out in the midwest. The steep gradient is causing winds with gusts in excess of 40 mph out of the south and southwest. The game could be jeopardized by a power failure more than by heavy rains during the evening.

At 3 pm, the heaviest rain was moving into the Worcester area. It should be east of Boston by 7 pm, or not long after that.

Meanwhile, hold onto your hats. And your trashcans...

Anni

There was just a hurricaine type storm that blew through the New Haven area, downpours and gusts of wind for about an hour....I dont know if thats on its way to Boston...I hope not

It was raining very hard in Cambridge a few minutes ago (I'm a 35 minute walk to the ballpark). Now it's a steady, but not too heavy, rain.

Lets hope the "weather" holds off. I'll be in attendance tonight with my 5 yr old for his first Fenway experience. The last game I attended was August 14th, Clement was pitching and it was my other son's first time at Fenway. Can someone please come up with some "Rain Rain Go Away" mojo?

We've got some terrible weather going on right now, but it looks like the worst is going through now. I'd imagine they'd do all they can do get this thing in tonight.

MWP

Look Cambridge, we're all taking this hard, but referring to yourself in the third person and talking about the rain inside you is for the Dr. Phil crowd. Man up!


Just win.

Trust me...

The rain will be gone by 7 pm...

Yah it is bright and sunny skies here now in New Haven area

**MOJO** - Fantastic Four Day 1

With the Red Sox one game back and four to play, it will take the mojo of the world's greatest family to guide them through. No, not the Osmonds. The Fantastic Four.



With the Sox dropping two straight in this most crucial of stretch of games, it is imperative that they remain strong. The temptation to give in may be strong, but they must not yield. They must stand resolute, like a rock. And so mojo turns to the living embodiment of that sentiment, Ben Grimm: The Thing.



Possessing superhuman strength and a gruff exterior with a hide to match, the Thing is just the type of hero the Red Sox need. The strength to power the ball off the bat, and the durability to withstand the Blue Jays attack. In a must win game, it will take all the Red Sox can muster of both to come out with a victory. The Blue Jays can be tough, but the Red Sox will be ready for them.



The Red Sox face off against Scott Downs. He too has a superpower, and even on alter-ego. By day, he may be mild mannered Scott Downs, but by night he is the "Slump Buster". Lets see the Red Sox get some early runs off the Blue Jays starter and get up early. With a little luck, the Red Sox can enter the series to decide the season tomorrow with a share of the AL East lead.

But until then: It's Clobberin' Time!

For tonight's game, I call upon David Ortiz to take on the powers of The Thing. With his super strength and super toughness, The Thing has been known to have the power to clobber and change any battle he fights with a drop of a hat. Just like the way David Ortiz can hit. He's been in a little of a slump lately, so may he take on the powers of the Thing and lead us to victory. May the others also follow suit and show us their real power as well. Lead the way Big Papi....it's clobberin' time!

Well...ummm....whatever it takes I guess.

win please

Desperation should spur the team on to really focus at the plate tonight.

Oh, yeah, and go get 'em Casey, help out your old team!

Come on guys, don't worry about anybody else, just go out there and do your own thing. This relying on other teams thing is for the birds, go out and win ballgames and nothing can keep you out of the playoffs. Clement is gonna show what he can do tonight, and I think that Renteria keeps hitting tonight, but he will be joined by Ortiz and Manny. I also have a feeling that Tek is gonna get involved tonight or this weekend. Just win baby!

We need some Strong Majick tonight.......Jobu needs to make the bats strong tonight. Why-the-hell-is-he-even-in-Millar needs to become Pedro Serrano for a night and finally hit one out in a crucial situation.

Season is on the line tonight. I'm not going to say I'm hoping for anything. I'm doing nothing but expecting them to win tonight. If they don't, their season is all but over with Chicago setting up the playoff rotation and playing third stringers against Cleveland this weekend. And then with a loss and a Yankee win, they would have to sweep the Yankees. That isn't happening. This isn't last year's team. Win or go home tonight.

go red sox!

Here's for the rain and the sox:

Take another ride on the sunshine highway
Take another ride try to turn it around
Take another ride down the sunshine highway
Take another ride try to turn it around tonight

Just arrived back in Nova Scotia from my trip to Boston, last night stayed in New Brunswick and had to watch the Blue Jays coverage of the game. One of their broadcasters, Jamie Campbell, made the statement that he was talking to several of the Blue Jay players who said they would prefer it if the Yankees won the division. May this statement come back to haunt them tonight! Thank God for MLB.TV tonight.

Youks was wearing an awesome shirt in the pre-game show (Myers was interviewing him). His shirt said: "Manny is my Nizzle"

Forget yesterday. Don't think about tomorrow. Just WIN now.

Weather looks good - I wonder how the field is

The field should be ok, it was pouring here earlier around 3:30, but it has stopped and has been windy also.

Positive Avatar Mojo - Added the Ortiz **Clutch "To The Sky"** avatar - finally got one up after never doing so.

LETS GO BOYS!

Clement, hold steady and carry us through tonight, I've got faith. We all do.

1st and 3rd no outs for MFY - Bedard not looking very sharp...

Well Clement got through that inning with good control with the exception of a pitch or two. If he can continue commanding the strike zone good things will happen tonight.

Giambi 3 Run HR. 3-0 MFY

3-0 Yanks on a Giambi HR - we're going into the series with them at best down 1 game

Yanks game is already over for all intents and purposes.

Well Roidboy pretty much ended that game in Baltimore, time to concentrate back in the Sox now...

If Jason Giambi is indeed back on steroids, I sincerely hope that he is caught, and that he is not only suspended but permanently blackballed from the game.

I am tired of that no-neck SOB.

Good start for Clement, let's hope the big bats are going tonight.

Starting with Manny, I guess.

Vent Brother, vent.

Cleveland is up 4-0 in the 1st as well

Amazing defensive moves by the Sox, with the Indians and Yanks taken leads....I am now gonna go do HW and turn off the game

Hinske didnt even run right away from third and he still got home

Ok. Not good. Not good at all.

Cleveland will win tonight. New York will win tonight. I have no faith in their respective opponents' ability to come back.

And now we throw the ball around like it's a Little League game.

I still believe in this team. I will still believe in this team until the final breath. I will believe if only because I have to, for my own sanity.

But dammit, we better start showing a pulse. And soon. Now is not the time to fold.

We just need to keep pace tonight and take 2 of 3 against the Yanks

We need a few breaks to go our way as well, here! ie; Manny's ball

Now batting: A clutch hitter.

Too bad the baserunner ahead of him can't run.

EDIT: Apparently the 2nd inning isn't clutch enough. That would have been a double if this was the 7th inning.

Checking in... howdy fellas

That's what everyone including the Sox should be concerned about. Just win their games and not worry about scoreboard watching anymore.

And now the Jays start teeing off on Clement. What a sad demise.

Sweet. More Timely Hitting by the Jays

They are just teeing off on Clement... hell, all of our pitchers have just completely lost it. Amazing.

I'm stuck at O'Hare in Chicago.
What is the score?

Can someone please go Tayna Harding both of Frankie's knees?

Kidding (mostly) - but can we seriously trade for him or something?

Warm up the f@#@ pen RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Get somebody up in the pen Tito, there is no time to fool around tonight.

THis is absolutely pathetic. Words can not describe how pissed I am right now. I have never seen a team in a pennant race look this flat over the course of a few games. It's embarassing.

You must not have been alive in August 1978.