Game time: 7:15 pm

Scheduled starters: Josh Beckett (10-3, 4.64) v. Scott Kazmir (9-5, 3.59)

Tampa Bay weather: Indoors!

Oh, boy. I can see the bean-balls already.

**MOJO** - BOS @ TB - Tag Team Day 3

Day 2 was counted out due to a spur of the moment birthday outing on your host's part. However, the Red Sox took care of business on their own, and mojo is back to face All-Star Scott Kazmir and the Devil Rays.

Josh Beckett takes the hill, and the Sox hope he continues the trend of infusing some high-energy output with his electric stuff. And if there is any one who knows how to excite with their high-flying moves, it is Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty: the Rockers!



With a combination of their daredevil maneuvers and their athletic combo moves, the Rockers were one of the dominant forces in the WWF Tag Team circuit. And just like "the Rocker Dropper" took care of many an opponent, so to will Josh Beckett erase many batters in front of him.



Of course, some players may appreciate the high flying maneuvers more than others.

[codebox]Boston Tampa Bay
------ ---------

Pos Player HR RBI AVG. Pos Player HR RBI AVG.
--- ------ -- --- ---- --- ------ -- --- ----
1B Youkilis, Kevin 10 40 .313 SS Lugo, Julio 8 18 .300
2B Loretta, Mark 3 34 .317 LF Crawford, Carl 12 42 .318
DH Ortiz, David 26 75 .276 CF Baldelli, Rocco 4 15 .370
LF Ramirez, Manny 22 60 .309 3B Huff, Aubrey 6 23 .266
C Varitek, Jason 8 39 .249 2B Cantu, Jorge 4 26 .279
3B Lowell, Mike 9 41 .308 DH Gomes, Jonny 17 49 .251
RF Kapler, Gabe 1 5 .368 RF Branyan, Russell 9 19 .209
CF Crisp, Coco 3 13 .272 1B Wigginton, Ty 13 46 .254
SS Gonzalez, Alex 5 24 .268 C Paul, Josh 1 3 .235
P Beckett, Josh (10-3, 4.64) P Kazmir, Scott (9-5, 3.59)[/codebox]

Back from Hawaii today!

Finally have a chance to sit down and watch a game, looking foward to todays matchup. Scott Kazmir is definitley one of my favorite Non-Red Sox players. (Crazy, I know) and Beckett is hopefully turning it around.

Go Sox!!

The fact that Ortiz cannot hit one to the left side in that situation annoys me greatly.

He could bunt for a double, but instead he strikes out.

I agree. I know he is paid to hit homeruns, but with nobody on and the left side wide open? You know hes good enough to push it to left, I dont understand some of these hitters.

Beckett looks like he has nothing

Eh, Beckett looks OK. Better than Lester did yesterday.

I am rapidly tiring of the Carl Crawford ballwashing. I want NESN!

Be okay, Mikey, be okay.

Please?

Crap, Lowell took it straight off the kneecap. Please be OK.

I don't mind the Rays Network. NESN is my favorite, but this is alrite.

I also don't mind YES or Michael Kay at all...I really hate Joe Buck, Tim McCarver, and of course, Joe Morgan is the worst.

Wow, I'm shocked that it took all the way until the 2nd inning for one of our guys to get drilled. Too bad it wasn't Julian Tavarez.

SuperJew!

Kappy boy!!

Got to love that guy.

did he rob a homerun?

Not a homerun, but definitely extra bases.

more likely an XBH, I'm not sure it would have gone out, but it was hit hard by Cantu...

He got that hit by accident. But I'll take it.

Let's go Manny.

That sucked. Good news is that Kazmir is up to 53 pitches through 3 innings. Hopefully he won't make it through 6, and then we can lunch on their bullpen.

Go Beckett!

That blew. How many homers has Beckett given up this year? 30? 40?

21. A ton. But as long as they're only solos...

Trivia answer: Lilly + Rodrigo?

That was my thought as well...

Trivia question: Name to craptastic pitchers who own the Red Sox?

Who else? Halladay's spent too much time on the DL, right?

Yeah. My other thought was Mussina, but he's also been on the DL quite a bit.

Wow. 8 times for RJ? Jesus.

So, I take it that Beckett doesn't have command of his curve ball? Is that what he threw away to Cantu?

Gonzo's OPS is now better than CoCo's. Ewwwww.

How the **** did that carry over the wall.

Beckett and his HRs...

OK, make that 22.

23...

I really can't believe it... he really loses his command at times and it makes me sick. I hope he wakes up... and I hope we get rid of Kazmir, because we're just useless tonight.

Beckett's had total shit luck w/ HR, but when will this end?

Maybe when he can throw his curveball for strikes? I honestly don't know, as I'm not watching the game. It would also help if his changeup wasn't just a horrible batting-practice fastball.

well, actually he just makes mistakes, plain and simple. I mean, he's got trouble with his breaking ball and has no reliable off-speed stuff, but so many times it's the location that really sucks, with those high fastballs that are just begging to be hit.
In fact it's not like he gave up a ton of hits (6 in 5 IP), but 3 of them were homers, and there was a deep double. He really has trouble with location every now and again and is punished for it...

Tek just got clowned.

For the 3rd time.

Tek + 2006 = clowned

could we stop swinging at everything? We should have at least taken some pitches and forced Kazmir out, but we're just helping him out! He'll be there at least for the 7th, and possibly for the 8th. And if we keep trying to hit a 3-run HR with bases empty on every pitch like we've been doing, then I really see him throwing a 1-hitter tonight.

What happened to Varitek? Why does his suck THIS much??? 40 millions for 4 years. He's got to pick it up...

actually, it's funny that we've had more LOBs than them, despite the fact that they have 7 hits and we have 1...
Could we start hitting Kazmir or at least take some pitches???

**** you Jim Duquette.
**** you Rick Peterson.

Assholes.

I hate this! He got out of the last 4 IP with 38 pitches! I mean, we are not touching him, we need to get him out, and we're swinging at everything. He's going for the complete game 1-hitter now...

And he walks Josh Paul.

Beckett still got a quality start and improved his ERA. Not a great show, in fact a relatively poor one (although one might argue that 7 H in 7 IP is not a disaster, he just made 3 huge mistakes), but he gave us a chance to win this game. It's the offense that is just not producing.

he might even pitch in the 8th...

One hit... just one goddamn hit???!!!

bloop single by Gonzo, who is our hottest player. The others looked ridiculous and kept swinging at absolutely everything...

do you think we could get Belli pinch hitting for Varitek?

OK, here comes the rally.

OMG!

This comment works for both Manny's double and Tek's 4 K's tonight.

Varitek needs to sit for a week, minimum. He is not even in the games it feels like. That was HORRIBLE.

What is it called when a batter has 4 K's? Golden sombrero or something?

Anyways terrible game for Tek, gave Kazmir 4 of his 10 K's. Offense still can't do jack against him though. Karmir officially owns the Sox.

wow, imagine how sick the Mets would be if that had Kazmir?

I just logged on to say that Varitek just had the worst at-bat in the history of baseball.

Tek's been horrible all year. Why is there not a thread to bash him? We bash Gonzo, Loretta....but not Mr. Overpaid Cap'n?