Game time: 8:05 pm EDT (7:05 pm CDT)

Scheduled starters: Jon Lester (5-1, 3.59) v. Luke Hudson (4-3, 4.67)


Kansas City weather: noon CDT (1 pm EDT) observation at MCI: Wind out of the east at 13 mph, visibility 8 miles, broken clouds at 25,000 feet, temperature 83F, DP 71F.

Forecast: There's a chance of thunderstorms during the afternoon, but they shouldn't affect the game. It will be in the mid-80's at game time, with the wind out of the south to south southeast at 5 to 10 mph. That's blowing out to center/out to right center.

We could really use a sweep here.

Apparently while I was spending a week on vacation in Florida the Red Sox acted like they were on vacation as well. I am back to work today and I expect the Sox to get back to work tonight.

WIN!

I would love to see Lester to have a repeat performance of his July 18th apperance against Kansas City.

8 Innings
1 H
4 BB
4 SO

But maybe I'm expecting a bit too much.

It's also good because Canadians get to see the game tonight - a major bonus for sure.

Go

Edit: check that, Rogers sportsnet decides the canadian poker tourney is better

Hell, at this point, I'd settle for one of those:

5 IP
5 BB
W

BigSlick, in the future, please restrict your vacations to only be from November thru March.


As for tonight's game, this Hudson guy has pitched great since becoming a starter and this game is certainly no gimme.

And yet again, for what appears like the 20th time this season, the Yankees get another series where they don't face the top pitcher of the team they are playing...

The White Sox best pitcher being Contreras, or Buehrle? They've both been like dogcrap lately. Of course, Garcia, Vazquez and Garland aren't that great this year either. The White Sox should be beatable by Boston for the W/C, if necessary, if Boston can right the ship. Of course, that's the old bacon and eggs thing again.

I don't want the Wild Card at all, I want to win the damn division. Is that too much to ask? Am I being totally unreasonable?

Mike Lowell's back!!! Hooray!!!

This from "Extra Bases"

Great news to see.

rpy you can unstrike Kapler from your 25 list.

Okay, I decided not to drive down to K.C. and I am pissed about it. Let's get on a roll here to put me in good mood.

Agreed, as long as we get one of those

Francona is sticking with Coco at the leadoff, I'm still undecided about this move

Coco CF
Loretta 2B
Ortiz DH
Ramirez LF
Youk 1B
Lowell 3B
Pena RF
Lopez C
Gonzo SS

I am too but know what? He's done reasonably well since being insterted back in the lead-off spot (save for Sunday). Right now the Sox are having a rough go of it. The bottom-half of the lineup has been up and down (mostly down) all year so if they can somehow get Coco turned around and Youks can maintain consistency, you could see this lineup do some real damage.

Desperate times....

This is the proper time to try to get Coco back into the lead-off spot with the team struggling as they have.

*MOJO* - BOS @ KC - GI Joe Day 1



Ruthlessly efficient. Master of stealth and deception, as well as multiple areas of combat. The last man you want to see melting out of the shadows. Snake Eyes is the ultimate commando, capable of taking on the most dangerous of missions and succeeding.

Jon Lester has the talent to cut through the Kansas City lineup as efficiently as one of Snake Eyes' trademark ninjato. With the Red Sox reeling in their past few games, they will need their new young ace-in-training to come through with a strong performance.



I said get a mask, Jon. That's a glove. You have a lot to learn about being a ninja.

Yes!!!! Nothing beats travelling and staying with family. While I'm happy to be able to watch the game.......I get to sit thru the Royals TV feed, while in the other room I can hear "the Hawk" Harrelson call the White Sox / Yankees game.

Time to start drinking.....





EDIT: dude, snake eyes was the shit. I know we're winning this one now...

Yankees take a 1-0 lead.

You just busted out the Snake Eyes mojo.... My favorite GI Joe of all time. My hat is off you you. Just superb.

Coco is great as a leadoff hitter because he runs wicked fast while hitting popups.

CocOBP - exactly what we need in the leadoff spot, and Youk's .444 SLG makes for a real 5-hitter.

KC announcers just said that Loretta might be the toughest out in the Sox lineup.

RIGHT, JVB fan must love that comment.

count your blessings....i'm settling in to Gameday and the RS feed for audio while watching the White Sox/MFY....i thought Harrelson might be less annoying but, alas, it is not to be....

cheers

"The Hawk" sounds like he's gonna fight someone in the other room.....

"Every time he calls games, we have a problem with this guy, every time"

while the Royals announcers are talking about "mystery pitches". Apparently they didn't know what it was, so why bother a guess......

God, I'd give anything for some production out of the 5-hole.

Yankees up 2-0

Is it just me, or did the Royals announcers call him David Youkilis?

God. Sometimes Lester's control is painful to watch.

Back to back doubles for the ChiSox cut the lead and make it 2-1 Yankees but the ChiSox still have no outs.

I like Lester A LOT


but watching him pitch is just misery

he gets behind EVERY hitter he faces.........or so it seems





at least Wang is struggling tonight

jesus christ the White Sox ****ing suck

Lester is annoying.

Bases juiced with no outs for the White Sox, and dipshit Mackowiak grounds into the 1-2-3 double play for Wang.

he's harder to watch then Clement


but at least he has upside........just needs to stop working behind EVERY batter

What? At least he gets outs.

Clement is pretty painful... I would still rather watch Lester but he is frustrating.

Seriously, Clement's ERA is almost double that of Lester. You guys complain way too much.

I didnt say Clement was better now did I?

just that they are both tough to watch

alrighty, i've got the Tivo synched up with the Gameday audio.......i'm 30seconds behind the rest of the world, but at least I escape the horrid announcers from KC.

That's a fun little fact, apparently you can get a ticket to see the Royals for the same price it costs to get a cup of chowder from Legal's at Fenway...... interesting. I'm gonna have to go with the chowder....

ugh come on guys

All the BIP have been really well-hit.

damnnit jon 2-0 already

gotta get that breaking ball over once in a while

Why is this always so hard- I wanna believe were better than this but damn it's hard- we get good starting and shit relief - or we can't hit bums - or lousy start with good relief and we have to come from behind- alright done bitching for now

Easily manageable deficit, but Lester's gotta settle down.

this is the 3rd game in a row in which Lester has struggled. Badly. What is going on with this guy?

yet another night of trying to play come back

i'm so restless i'm listening to Pawsox to see if foulke pitches

Regression to the mean. He was getting out of huge jams created by walking guys - you can't just keep doing that and expect to be successful. See Shawn Chacon, 2006.

watching Lester face the Yankees next week is going to be brutal


also

Coco is 0-2 in 99.45% of his at bats

Foulke is on to pitch.

let us know how it goes please