Game time: 7:05 pm

Scheduled starters: C.C. Sabathia (7-7, 3.82) v. Jason Johnson (3-10, 6.35)

Boston weather: 2 pm observation at BOS: Wind out of the southwest at 14 mph, visibility 9 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet, temperature 91F, DP 72F.

Forecast: HOT! And the wind will be blowing OUT!

A win here would certainly be considered "stealing one." Sabathia vs Jason Johnson? Yeesh.

Nice to have the wind blowing out on the day you've got your groundball pitcher going.

Also, in 14 ABs, Manny has a 2.196 OPS against Sabathia.

Count me in as this being the only time I'd ever be upset that Kyle Snyder WASN'T pitching a game I'll be at.

Anyone heard anything on Tek? MRI results? Xrays?
Anything?

*MOJO* - BOS vs CLE - Miracles Day 2

Today's Mojo is a little fan-boyish, but too bad. I think we've reached the point where everyone is starting to realize what a special time to be a Red Sox fan it is, and it's all thanks to this:










Red Sox fans are not only no longer dreading the inevitable collapse, they are now eaglerly anticipating the dramatic come from behind win. Now THAT is a miracle.

Jason Johnson will come out with a chip on his shoulder wanting to beat his former team for releasing him. Ok maybe not, but just win.

[codebox]Cleveland Boston
--------- ------

Pos Player HR RBI AVG. Pos Player HR RBI AVG.
--- ------ -- --- ---- --- ------ -- --- ----
CF Sizemore, Grady 16 49 .301 1B Youkilis, Kevin 11 47 .293
LF Michaels, Jason 8 39 .275 2B Loretta, Mark 3 39 .302
DH Hafner, Travis 29 86 .296 DH Ortiz, David 37 105 .289
C Martinez, Victor 11 60 .306 LF Ramirez, Manny 29 84 .315
1B Blake, Casey 14 47 .301 3B Lowell, Mike 13 54 .290
RF Choo, Shin-Soo 1 1 .125 RF Pena, Wily Mo 5 24 .333
SS Peralta, Jhonny 10 46 .259 CF Crisp, Coco 4 20 .269
2B Inglett, Joe 1 7 .321 C Mirabelli, Doug 3 14 .188
3B Luna, Hector 0 0 .250 SS Gonzalez, Alex 8 36 .285
P Sabathia, CC (7-7, 3.82) P Johnson, Jason (3-10, 6.35) [/codebox]

Tonight would be a good night to come out on the winning end of one of those 14-10 slobberknockers.

JJ can't be worse than Wells was last night, OK maybe he can be but we are due for a big surprise. I really enjoyed sitting at the roof top picnic tables last night.

It was 93F at Logan at 6 pm. The wind is out of the west (Blowing OUT) at 15 mph.

It won't get much cooler than 80F tonight. And it'll be hotter tomorrow.

Gordon Edes reported that Tek will need surgery. Out for a month possibly. Cartilage problem in his left knee....

Not good AT ALL.

Huckabee called up from AAA.

I would take Javy,

but only if the Orioles picked up his salary except for the league minimum. He could bring a much needed bat but he has complained a lot about back problems.

In response to today's mojo, I'd like to share the story of a game I went to in '03. I hadn't been to Fenway since childhood (moved across the country, was poor and distracted), so I was super excited to go. It was my wife's first time. We got killer seats between first base and right field. It had just rained, but was clearing, and there was a beautiful sunset. I think it was the Orioles, and the Sox were close to clinching the wild card. Close game, and interesting. Kapler made an error in right, cost a run. Later, he came to bat and a guy near us yelled "Kaplah, you owe me a run." Guy walking by says "He don't owe you nothin'" Fans around us were into it, and well informed (Safeco is a different scene). I felt fine with 2 outs in the ninth down by three, having seen a great game. But then Todd Walker hit's a three run shot to right to tie it. I think he might even have had 2 strikes. Then, in the 10th Ortiz comes up, but this is three years ago, and most folks were sitting, not necessarily expecting what we would expect today: the walk off home run. What I remember the most was the sound, the ebullient explosion of unmitigated joy of 35,000 folks simultaneously with the rush of wind generated by most of them standing up, raising arms, yelling...</fanboy mojo>

I had tickets for another game after that. Burkett gave up 7 runs in the first 3 minutes of the game.

I was at that game...

Radio news: Choi DFA'd. Varitek added to 15 day DL. Javier Lopez down to Pawtucket

Let the "Dougie M is gonna lead us to the division" era begin

6 weeks later, Johnson still sucks ass.....

Well, Johnson is off to a good start.

Why is this guy starting another game?

I'd take ANYBODY over him.

Well, this isn't good.

Schilling and Wells taxing the pen, and it seems Johnson is well on his way. Hopefully he can settle down, or Ortiz can hit 3-4 home runs tonight. Anyone hear anything about when Wake is coming back?

No I haven't.

I did see Clement was put on the 60 day DL yesterday.

I never thought I would miss Matt Clement.

Does Kason Gabbard have cooties or something?

And can we activate him and get him to Fenway before this game is gone?

Inquiring minds want to know...........

Runner on third with one out since yet again the Red Sox fail to hit the cutoff man.

Why was Pena trying to throw out Sizemore anyway? He's the fastest guy on that team.

Why is the infield already in?

Isn't there a minor leaguer we can use instead of this bag of shit?

I mean, a minor leaguer with an actual prayer of being good, or at least not the worst pitcher ever?

I don't know what's worse: Watching Johnson suck at pitching or WAITING like 5 minutes before each of his pitches. Bring back Pauley or Gabbard; can't be any worse right? 10 losses in a season is a big enough sample size, I think.

Gabbard pitched on Friday night, so he could not have pitched tonight. BTW, he gave up five runs on five hits and three walks in 4.2 innings.

Y'know, that makes me feel slightly better.......

Not sure why.

Thanks

Would it be legal for Red Sox pitchers to wear a goalie mask, soccer shin guards?

I say have Coco pitch; he might be a disappointment so far, but if he can pitch long relief....

Well, he's getting ground balls....

He wouldn't have much of a fastball, but maybe a good eephus...

2 Guys I would never walk down the street with: Jaret Wright and Matt Clement
Probably would be struck by lightning, have a piano fall on me, and get hit by a car..at the same time.

That would be sweet. I bet Clement would feel much better and more confident with a Cheevers mask.

Not that he should be called up (he's 18 and pitching in the GCL) but I'd bet $100 bucks at 10-1 that Felix Doubront could pitch better than Jason Johnson right now. I think the following list of "realistic" choices would be better than this jerk right now.

Abe Alvarez
David Pauley
Kasson Gabbard
Chris Jones
Ryan Phillips
Mike Rozier
Tommy Hottovy
Jose Capellan
Chris Smith

I truthfully believe that Jason Johnson is the worst pitcher in this entire organization. Now, Rozier, Phillips, Smith, Capellan, Hottovy and Jones should absolutely not be called up for a million different reasons. However, Abe's burnt anyways being that he's been up and down three years running anyway, and he has sucked in AAA, but give him, Gabbard, or even Pauley the starts. It's just not worth it to trot this loser out every five days, and guarantee that we start the game down multiple runs. It deflates the team.

not to make excuses for the guy, but he wasn't as bad as 2 runs says. the only hard hit ball was sizemore's, and if WMP hits the cut off, only 1 run scores.

Pauley pitched for Pawtucket on Sunday.

Johnson was the only real option, it seems.

Look guys, what's important is how cost-controlled the 2009 team is, okay? Why fret the few holes on the 2006 team? I'm sure Wells/Johnson/Clement will be a barrel of laughs going into the stretch.

Thanks for the laugh.

I don't think the Red Sox know how to hit the cutoff man.

I think Clement is done for the year.

Your legendary idiocy grows even further.

What SP should we have gotten, oh mighty knower of all things? Come up wih answers. We had a trade for Clemens, but the Astros owner stepped in and refused. What else should we have done, since every team refused to trade start players, especially pitchers? Thought so. Shut the **** up you idiot, and go back to PI.

Hopefully we get the sucky Sabathia tonight

Well, our best hope now is that Sabathia melts in the heat and they have to cart him off the mound in a wheelbarrow...

He does look a little warm.


97 MPH-ouch.

even money says clement doesn't pitch for the sox again this year.

now let's make fat albert work a little bit.

The way this game is going, he'll melt just enough to add a hellacious lardball to his pitching repertoire.

Dude, don't get all pissy with me just because you screwed up your life.

We should've gotten Oswalt.

I'm going to have to agree with Caspir here. I know I'd be pissed big time if we had gotten rid of either Hansen or Lester for some over the hill #4 pitcher just to help the Sox for 2 1/2 months. The management of the team did what they could to land an impact pitcher, but most of what was available was pure crap, and what wasn't, wasn't worth throwing away the future of this team.

Read the Globe sports pages today, the Sox were all set to immediately extend Oswalt as part of the deal. This can and should have happened. It makes sense for all teams and players involved.

And I hate to inform you, but a two time 19 game winner with a microscopic ERA is not a #4 pitcher, nor is he "over the hill."