Game time: 1:15 pm

Scheduled starters: Jason Johnson (3-11, 6.25) v. J.P. Howell (0-1, 14.73)

Tampa Weather: 10 am observation at TPA: Wind out of the east at 7 mph, visibility 6 miles in haze, few clouds at 3,000 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet, temperature 84F, DP 74F.

Forecast: Hot, hazy, and humid with thunderstorms after 2 pm. A good day to be inside.

These are the types of games that always concern me. We have a guy on the mound that has not pitched too well and they have a guy on the mound that we should be able to send to the showers by the third inning. So, you assume this will be a route. This always seems to be a recipe for disaster.

I'm definitley starting to drink right NOW. Jason Johnson. This requires a six pack finished by the start of the game.

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

Pos Player HR RBI AVG. Pos Player HR RBI AVG.
--- ------ -- --- ---- --- ------ -- --- ----
CF Crisp, Coco 4 21 .281 CF Hollins, Damon 13 26 .235
2B Loretta, Mark 4 43 .307 LF Crawford, Carl 15 57 .306
DH Ortiz, David 39 108 .291 2B Cantu, Jorge 9 43 .255
LF Ramirez, Manny 31 89 .319 1B Lee, Travis 8 24 .207
1B Youkilis, Kevin 11 52 .293 DH Norton, Greg 7 16 .281
RF Pena, Wily Mo 6 25 .310 C Navarro, Dioner 1 9 .253
SS Gonzalez, Alex 9 38 .284 3B Upton, BJ 0 2 .278
3B Cora, Alex 0 11 .291 RF Branyan, Russell 11 24 .206
C Miller, Corky 0 0 .000 SS Zobrist, Ben 0 2 .059
P Johnson, Jason (3-11, 6.25) P Howell, JP (0-1, 14.73)


08/06 12:23:33 ET[/codebox]

Looies sends a special "at the game Mojo shoutout" to RSJ who will be rockin' the game live and in-person.

You know, there was a time when the Red Sox team could send Casey freakin' Fossum "to the showers by the third inning"...

When the hell is Wake coming back?

Welll, at least WMP is hitting higher than 7th today.

For a guy who sent Kevin Millar out to play RF and hit 5th pretty regularly, Tito sure has seemed reluctant to do either with WMP, and nearly desperate to avoid doing both. It's puzzling.

"...They'll need another good outing from Jason Johnson..."

Someone tell me what's wrong with that...

Wily needs to hit 5th, no questions asked. I think Tito is just trying to strengthen the bottom of the lineup. Also, did we get J Lo for nothing? Why is Corky ass Miller playing? He better hit a bomb, thats all I gotta say.

Helluva AB by Steady McSteadStead. Swing at a shit 3-1 pitch, then take right down the middle on 3-2.

Another Crappy, no-name lefty...another pathetic display? This shit is getting old real fast.

Also...Coco Crisp needs to "scrap" hitting RH'd PERIOD! He is pathetic as a righty. If anyone can name a more pathetic, feeble, righthanded swing..please let me know.

1-2-3 first for Johnson. Yay. Here we go Manny, this is Manny in LF at Fenway:

Does anyone else find the Rem Dawgs "Yo-Lo-Go-Lo-Va" kind of retarded?

YOUK = ANIMAL.

I also think the Sox are dumb to not keep Cora, cause he can play third, short and second. Yay Cora 2 RBI's.

THAT is what this team f-ing needed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKS! Siddown Yankee skumbag!....err former Yankee.

What did Youk do?

Ran over Navarro which jarred the ball all the way to the backstop allowing WMP to score and Cora to go to 3rd.

Here we go with the annoying bastard again......can't they point the microphone for crowd noise somewhere else?

Nice. Thanks JVB.

Navarro got out of the way quick when Pena was coming at him.

Thank you... I am going to e-mail the Rem Dawg for him to run him over ewhile he is heading back to the plane to Kansas City.

I just had a flashback to the offseason when the kind folks at Orioles hangout (forum) were saying that Rodrigo Lopez would be a #2 starter for us if he was part of the Manny/Tejada deal.....

LOL, good times.....those kooky kids.

Lopez just gave up a bomb to Jeter, 1-0 Yankees.

Buffs, I'd like to hear your case for signing Schmidt.

I just feel like this team is one pitcher that hails from Idaho away from making some major noise. God's honest truth.

Could we please swing the bat with two strikes?

Looks like it is gonna be one of those days for Manny. How can you look at a 2-2 fastball right down the chute? This guy throws salad up there. We MUST get this guy out of the game. 3rd time through the charm?

He's a good pitcher, don't get me wrong, but:

1. Will command huge money + possibly huge years
2. 34 in January
3. Extreme FB tendencies
4. NLW --> ALE. Mega-major difference.
5. AT&T --> Fenway
6. He's been abused by Alou. 9th in '03, 2nd in '04, 3rd in '06 in Pitcher Abuse Points.

Johnson looks like the guy from a few years ago at this point......a nice innings eater. Keep it up JJ>



1. As he should, he's a #1 starter
2. Signing him would actually decrease the average age of our staff
3. Similar GB/FB ratios to Schilling
4. Good stuff plays in either league. He may not have a 3.31 ERA over here, but he could
5. Both are beautiful parks.
6. He's made 30 starts the past 5 years. He's going to have some wear and tear at 34, but as long as Terry handles him as he handles the other starters (100-odd pitches or so and he's out) then he'll be fine.

We have the money to spend thanks to the veterans expiring contracts and the young kids low salaries. And if Clement has taught management anything, it's that you spend the extra $2-3M/yr for the stud pitcher rather than saving a few $$ and signing the mid-level pitcher.

I'm glad they didn't throw at Youk for running over their catcher.

Alright, JJ needs to come out and drill someone next inning. Johnson doesn't pitch inside much, but the Rays live there, so after the warning is issued the net result is it hurts Tampa more than us. Fire away JJ!

EDIT: plus Crawford is coming up, and I'd rather hit him than pitch to him.

1. Not in the AL.
2. So? As I said, we have 7 potential starters. There's no reason to break the bank for Schmidt.
3. True. However, he's got nowhere near the command Curt has, and his K rate will plummet.
4. I know he has good stuff. However, he's doing it in the worst division in baseball. He won't have a 3.31 ERA over here, because he'll be striking out less, walking more, and giving up more HR (even though Fenway isn't a HR park, but you get the point)
5. You get the point.
6. In those sets of 30 starts, he's been among the most abused pitchers in baseball.

When you combine that with his injury history, league/division/park switch, age, years, and dollars, he's simply not worth the risk.

Me:..."Do it, 10K cash, right in the head. Actually while you're at it, take out the voice box first. Give him a few moments of silence.."

Sniper: "Target?"

Me: "The heckler"

Wonderful.

Oh my god he could've gone home with that throw! Jesus!

Nice throw JJ.

JVBF I just had a good laugh at your sig. Gracias.

Does Crisp really have 3 K's against this bum? When is Ellsbury ready?

YES!

40!

That's 40, right? Look out Jimmy Foxx.

Papi! I'm amazed when he goes more than two games without a HR.

Happy 40th Papi. And a big what up to Terps in the house - where you been man?

Don't thank me, thank garedsox.

Living the dream baby.

AKA working my ass off.

How you been my fellow DC 'burber?

EDIT - yesss, please put in the righty.

Time for Wily Mo to greet Mr. Jackson rudely.

Jesus, has anyone looked at the Yankee lineup today. Tell me again why Michael Kay was having an orgasm on Thursday about "what it can do"?

Look at this bottom four

B. Williams CF 2 0 0 0
M. Cabrera LF 2 1 1 1
S. Fasano C 2 0 1 0
N. Green 2B 2 0 1 0


LOOK OUT AMERICAN LEAGUE

Good man - working & relaxing here and there. Same old same old.

Cmon WMP!

Unfortunately, Fasano is looking to be a much better pick-up than Lopez at this point.

Having said that, Kay and John Sterling have orgasms the Yankees get a walk.

This is what the call "the key point in the game". We need to break this wide-open now.

Very nice play at second there. Sweet!

Let's be fair.

Sterling has orgasms just from seeing a Yankee logo.

Kay needs a single just to get hard (unless it's a Jeter walk, which is as good as a single for him.)