Game time: 2:05 pm EDT

Scheduled starters: Curt Schilling (10-3, 3.63) v. Jose Contreras (9-0, 3.31)


Chicago Weather: 10 am CDT observation at ORD: Wind out of the southwest at 12 mph, visibility greater than 10 miles, few clouds at 8,500 feet, temperature 79F, DP 61F


Forecast: Warm, moist air over the area along with an approaching front lends to a chance of showers and thundershowers this afternoon and evening. There's no rain in the area now, and there's a good chance that we get through the game without any rain. It's going to be a hot, humid day, with a southwest wind at around 15 mph. That's blowing in from right toward third. Looking at the design of US Cellular Field, I suspect that wind blowing from that direction can end up swirling around in the outfield because of the high stands and the open area near CF.

Anni

All right, I've decided I have to watch the World Cup final. It only happens every 4 years, and there is a Sox game almost every day. Hopefully when I tune in I will only have missed about half of it and we will be well on our way to snapping Jose Contreras' win streak.

Oh, and go D-Rays!

[codebox]Boston Chicago WSox
------ ------------

Pos Player HR RBI AVG. Pos Player HR RBI AVG.
--- ------ -- --- ---- --- ------ -- --- ----
1B Youkilis, Kevin 10 43 .301 LF Podsednik, Scott 2 33 .273
2B Loretta, Mark 3 34 .305 2B Iguchi, Tadahito 9 38 .287
DH Ortiz, David 31 86 .281 DH Thome, Jim 30 76 .298
LF Ramirez, Manny 24 65 .311 1B Konerko, Paul 21 67 .314
RF Nixon, Trot 6 43 .322 RF Dye, Jermaine 24 66 .320
C Varitek, Jason 9 40 .240 C Pierzynski, AJ 6 29 .321
3B Lowell, Mike 10 45 .302 3B Crede, Joe 16 57 .298
CF Crisp, Coco 4 14 .264 SS Uribe, Juan 11 46 .240
SS Gonzalez, Alex 5 27 .284 CF Anderson, Brian 5 20 .185
P Schilling, Curt (10-3, 3.63) P Contreras, Jose (9-0, 3.31) [/codebox]

Contreras' streak stops here.

See, this is what I like about mlb.tv. Red Sox on the computer, World Cup on the TV.

Contreras doesn't throw as hard as I thought he did, but has good movement on the ball.

Let's hope Schilling shows what a mistake it was to leave him off the All Star team (though I'm glad he'll get a rest instead).

Iguchi didn't have a clue up there.

White Sox are 32-14 at home, according to Hawk. They've played a lot more home games than Boston has.

Nice inning by Curt.

So far looks like the Yankees made a good decision, or got lucky wrt picking up a junk pitcher. 5 - 0 Kris Wilson over Casey F. Cashman 1, Theo 0 in that regard right now.

Anybody else watching on CSN Chicago. A half an inning in, I'm already enraged. Aside for the gratituous "defending world champs" stuff, we had nonstop whining about the strike zone, a reference to the run the Red Sox essentially not counting because it wasn't a real work, and digs about how Buehrle threw strikes to Ortiz that didn't get called which resulted in an HR, etc etc...

Oh boy.

Malzone...Theo's 1-1...Snyder got a W.

Malzone...Theo's 1-1...Snyder got a W.
[/quote]

and Kris Wilson is now out of the game in the after not even getting through 3 innings...

Good news is that Contreras already has 41 pitches through 2 innings...

Wow, people complain about Tito. Just watching the world cup (what the hell is wrong with me!), and they said that the french coach is really into astrology. He doesn't like scorpio's, so he doesn't have any on his team. He also cut a leo because he already had two on the roster. I'm glad Tito doesn't refer to astrology charts to pick his starting lineup.

MFL and thegame, I was trying to stir it up about the Yanks' bum of the month, like calling attention to a no hitter. :-)

I remember Snyder...bring him back!

Well, in that case, Well Done Malzone because you got Wilson out of the game

Just tuned into the game, how did the Sox score?

The Chicago guys are the absolute worst. I hate Hawk Harrelson; he's the biggest homer out there. Back when I lived in Chicago, I used to watch a lot of WSox games (to root against them), and at the end of games they would have a "play of the game" segment. They would NEVER give the PoG to the opposing team, even if they lost 1-0 on a walk-off homerun. The PoG would just be a walk that Frank Thomas drew in the 3d inning.

I hate them.

The ChiSox need to get swept so they STFU a little bit. I'm so sick of them as a team, honestly nothing to like about them at all.

FWIW, White Sox radio guy Ed Farmer just said he's known Schilling 17 years and Schilling told him yesterday that this is his last season.

I thought 2007 was his last?

hmmmm..

C'mon Manny!

I hate Joe Crede and his stupid beard.

I saw an interview with Schilling not too long ago where he said he was going to call it a career after next season.

Hawk: "It's 1-nothing bad guys............."

What a childish oaf. I can't believe that he has a job. He must've been an awful general manager.

Man......that Anderson kid is really an automatic out. And we complain about Agon who is a shortstop. Can't believe this kid is there providing such low production for a centerfield......don't matter how good his glove is.

PS.....this thread not moving much......a lot of people watching the World CUp?

Nice strike 'em out throw 'em out DP.

I'll never be able to hate Hawk after the year he had in 68 (?) with Boston. He used to be a Red Sox announcer, too, way back when.

Plus it's impossible to take the guy seriously.

Lowell!

I prefer to call it mocking the world cup.

Haha the HR call for Lowell was great, "Going back, looks up, 2-0." No emotion whatsoever, its like he was reading it from a card. Thats hilarious. I don't even think they said HR at any point.

Both White Sox announcers are horrible. It sounds like I'm being a homer, but I'm really not when I say Don and Remy really are the best two to watch on TV. The Mets team isn't that bad, as I've watched a few Pedro games and listened to them. Nonetheless, Remy is the best color guy in the business to me. His accent is horrid, but he legitimizes every statement he makes, and he plays the field non-partisan when commenting on plays during the game. You can't say that for many people at all. The worst to listen to are White Sox and Devil Rays announcers. Especially Tampa Bay. It's awful.

Who is this person with the Gonzalez jersey on?

Please tell me Theo didn't pick Jeremi Gonzalez back up off the scrap heap.

Big spot here for Loretta - let's go Mark.

Loretta's foul ball was so close to being a bases clearing double down the line right there.

Woo!

Thats how you get HBP!! Bring up Papi

That's the Contreras I know and love!

Blow this ************ open, Papi.

HUGE on an 0-2 pitch.

Nicely done by Loretta.

Contreras giving a wonderful imitation of matt clement this inning.

Contreras is losing it 2-0

2-0!

Is it just me, or does Hawk just try to accent every word he ends a sentence with like he is Eric Cartman? What a tool.

Green light him.

He'll take this pitch, but the 3-1 is in the seats if he throws a fastball.

3-0!

Shit. I don't blame 'em, but Papi's gotta crush it if he swings.

Uh 3-0 popup, not a fan of swinging at that pitch but you can't complain because its Ortiz.

Hated that. When a guy is on the ropes like Contreras was there, make him make a pitch, don't bail him out. Even if you are Papi or Manny. I got $10 that says Contreras cruises for the rest of the time he is in the game now.

Sigh, Papi couldn't deliver.

But mind you that was the exact same situation as when Nixon hit against Marquis in game 4 when he hit the double.

doh. There no way Contreras doesn't walk Ortiz there. But I doubt he'll come out to pitch the 5th anyway

Dang! Back to kickball for a while.

Well the problem is that Ortiz didn't swing at HIS pitch. That was a great pitch by Contreras, up and in enough so that it was impossible to get any kind of extension.

A rare mistake by Papi, but a major one. Too bad.

Let's get a 1-2-3 by Curt and get Contreras right back out there.

I doubt he'll even pitch one more full inning with his pitch count. Anyone have the exact # he's at?