Game time: 7:05 pm

Scheduled starters: Tom Glavine (11-2, 3.33) v. Curt Schilling (9-2, 3.61)

For those of you without NESN, tonight's game will be on ESPN.

Boston weather: Noon observation at BOS: Wind out of the south at 10 mph, visibility 6 miles in haze, few clouds at 1,600 feet, overcast layer at 14,000 feet, temperature 75F, DP 68F.

Forecast: The weather words for the day are "instability" and "humidity". Put them together, and they equal a potential for heavy rain and thunderstorms.

Boston's weather is going to be influenced by a slow moving cold front that's in central NY state right now, moving east. The dew points ahead of the front are around 70F, and there's a lot of tropical moisture running up the Atlantic coast. The incredients are all there.

At noon, there was a cell developing between Hartford and Springfield, and another one just north of New Haven. As the front moves east, we should see some activity in central Massachusetts and then in the Boston area. The chance of showers increases after 3 pm, and there's a good chance we'll see some rain this afternoon and this evening. As is typical with this type of system, it won't rain all the time everywhere. When it does rain, the storms will be tropical in nature, and have to potential to dump a lot of water in a very short time.

The winds should remain south, at less than 12 mph. That's blowing across from right to left, slightly out toward left.

Anni

*Mojo-Military Campaign Mojo-Day 12*





An island at the south of the world would appear to be an unlikely location for a military campaign. Nevertheless, such was the case when Argentina invaded a nearly forgotten outpost of the British empire-the Falkland Islands (called the Malvinas by Argentina). Using the element of surprise, Argentina was able to capture and briefly hold the islands. In little over 5 months, Great Britain’s superior professional forces soon retook the islands and forced an Argentine surrender/withdrawl.

Today the Red Sox conclude their series with the Mets. Veterans such as today’s starter, Curt Schilling, have been through the baseball wars and will ensure that there is no letdown or complacency as the Sox once again prepare to break out the brooms on yet another NL foe.

2 pm weather update

It looks like a line of moderate to severe thunderstorms is forming just east of the Connecticut River between Springfield and Lebanon. One of these storms is the one I called out earlier. It's now a bit east of Springfield. The line is moving east. NWS has issued a Severe Thunderstorm warning for eastern Hamden County, and all of western Mass, most of VT, and most of eastern NY are under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch. I will not be surprised if there are box warnings for Central and Eastern Mass within the next couple hours.

There's no real change in the weather observations from BOS. The wind is still out of the south; the DP was 69F at 2 pm.

Anni

At the risk of sounding like Bill Simmons....

SWEEP THE LEG!!!

Sounds like Beltran should have another busy night covering CF and LF.

Looks like Milledge will have another adventure out there in left field

Bill hasn't lost track of the # of games in a Red Sox win streak in more than 11 years....



Some notable Red Sox who have worn number 12:


Wes Ferrell
Earl Johnson
Pumpsie Green
Steve Lyons
Spike Owen
Ellis Burks
Wendell Kim(COACH)
Cliff Floyd
Todd Walker
Mark Bellhorn

.........and 12 beers for good measure:

Well, the first line of storms is going to miss Boston, and stay off to the north. Looks like a cell is heading right for SoxFan4Life's house right now!

There's another line forming in western VT, but that most likely won't affect the Boston area unless the southern end of the line develops.

Two and a half hours to game time... The decision to start this game will be in the hands of the umpires, as it's the last game of the series and the Mets aren't returning to Fenway this year.

With some luck, Boston could escape the rain. It is going to rain this evening, but not everywhere all the time. As the evening goes on, the chance of steadier rain will increase, however.

So...

Dear Red Sox:

Get runs early tonight. Lots of runs. Very early. And don't give them any runs. No runs for them. Got it?

Anni

Wonder if we'll see Kapler tonight. Glavine vs. lefties = .559 OPS. However, Nixon is 3-5 against him with 1 HR. I'd like to see them start Kapler, and bat Varitek 8th (.205 OPS vs Glavine in 14 ABs). Neither of these things will happen, and it's probably just as well.

The lineup is already out, they mentioned it on WEEI earlier. And yes, Kapler is in RF tonight. Other than that, I think it's pretty much the usual.

WFAN reported that Milledge will be in right field tonight, and Delgado will not be playing.

Wow, that's good news. Delgado owns Schilling. I like Milledge in right field at Fenway. For the other team, that is.

Nixon apparently will not be available for PH duty tonight because he has a stomach virus.

As a side, did anyone hear what Theo did after the game yesterday? Apparently he came running through the press conference room, whistling, proclaimed, "Computer geeks one, Pedro nothing," and ran out again. Very funny.

Sooooo, the computer geeks are himself, and John Henry? <puzzled>

[codebox]NY Mets Boston
------- ------

Pos Player HR RBI AVG. Pos Player HR RBI AVG.
--- ------ -- --- ---- --- ------ -- --- ----
SS Reyes, Jose 8 36 .293 1B Youkilis, Kevin 9 38 .318
C Lo Duca, Paul 3 22 .283 2B Loretta, Mark 2 32 .317
CF Beltran, Carlos 21 60 .287 DH Ortiz, David 22 69 .264
DH Wright, David 18 64 .328 LF Ramirez, Manny 20 53 .302
2B Valentin, Jose 8 26 .295 C Varitek, Jason 7 37 .256
1B Franco, Julio 1 12 .306 3B Lowell, Mike 9 40 .307
LF Chavez, Endy 1 14 .275 CF Crisp, Coco 3 13 .292
3B Woodward, Chris 1 12 .238 RF Kapler, Gabe 1 5 .455
RF Milledge, Lastings 3 12 .241 SS Gonzalez, Alex 5 24 .268
P Glavine, Tom (11-2, 3.33) P Schilling, Curt (9-2, 3.61)[/codebox]

Pedro called the whole Sox FO a bunch of computer geeks in one of his departure press conferences 2 winters ago. It appears the memory has lasted.

Tek batting fifth? Hopefully he can surprise me.

Reyes finally gets on base and he's caught stealing.

Yup and it fell apart right as it hit the coast, so hopefully anything that might head for Boston will do the same. Looks like most of it is too far west as this point anyway. We sure lucked out for this week, sure wasn't looking this good at the start of it!

If your leadoff hitter is going to get out to start the game, having him take nearly as many pitches to do so as your own pitcher to took to get through the whole inning isn't a bad start.

9 pitch walks are cool.

Makining glavine work....good start so far.

These guys look so patient right now, at the plate. Making Glavine work to get outs.

Spoke to soon. Hate the GDIP.

Yeah, but it was a 5-pitch GIDP. Which is about how many pitches Schilling has thrown to get the first two outs.

Another quick one for Schill.

Leaping Loretta, the ESPN guy said. Happy to have Hershiser for color man two games in a row from ESPN. Sutcliffe should be DFA'd

Willie Randolph is Carl Weather's long lost twin. Apollo Creed in the house!

Ok Manny where you you swinging, last I checked this is baseball not golf.

BTW game flashchat is up and running, feel free to drop in and contribute!

So...both guys cruising. But Glavine has thrown 38 pitches through 2. Schilling has thrown 16.

You would think it would be the opposite given their pitching styles...I guess there's something to be said for our patience at the plate.

No, seriously, I'm sick, I had an in for this game, the least you can do is get chatty with me and RSNL.

Beautiful infield defense just continues to make me happy this season.

A-gone showed patience at that 7 pitch at bat. But we need to string some hits and draw first blood in this one.

Glavine's crap looks like I could hit it. Move up in the box on him. Coco, bunt next time. I think Youkilis is going to get him though.

Schill is locked and loaded, he is in absolute control.

Damnit, we'd have scored two runs if Milledge was still in left.

Varitek hit it well, happened to be a (left) fielder there.

I'm starting work on a new '50s sci fi script, "Jason Varitek vs. The Killer Loaded Bases."

The hard part will be keeping it to a short 75 minute length appropriate for a B-movie.

Isn't there some island Franco can retire to?

Seriously. Forget HGH and all that crap. If I'm a baseball player, I'm injecting myself with shots of SJF (synthetic Julio Franco).

Roger Clemens is excited about the possibility of playing in a game with his son later this year...damn...Franco could probably play in an MLB game with his grandson. AND outhit the kid.

What year was Franco's rookie year? I remember trading his card as a child.

1982 I believe.

Huge!

Schilling looks real real good right now.



He is so money tonight he doesn't even know.

Well, it is getting close to Franco's bedtime...

I thought the old guy was leading a little far.

Getting a bit senile, I believe.

Haha, "they catch him napping."

How many hits does Franco have??

Wow. That Woodward AB just tripled Schilling's pitch count for the game.

I guess the old man can't run the bases too well anymore!