Game time: 7:05 pm PDT, 10:05 pm EDT

Scheduled starters: Jon Lester (6-2, 4.72) v. Kelvin Escobar (9-10, 3.77)


Anaheim weather: 1 pm PDT (4 pm EDT) observation at SNA: wind out of the southwest at 9 mph, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 6,000 feet, scattered clouds and 12,000 and 20,000 feet, temperature 88F, DP 58F.

Forecast: A pleasant night, with temperatures in the 70's and light winds out of the south to southwest, which is blowing out toward left.

Do you mean 10 Eastern, 7 Pacific, or is the game at 4 Easter, 7 Pacific?

10:05 Eastern.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/schedules

I want to officially wish the Olde Towne Team good luck tonight. We need to start the comeback today. Really.

Oops... Fixed it.

I've been in meetings all day, and I managed to get that posted during a break!

I always felt the Red Sox did better when they are chasing. The guys who sit out front too long get a little too complacent.

Song lyrics as game thread posts are not very inspiring. And, these are out dated tunes that Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra made famous back in the day (before my time actually). Still, Annie's thread sub-title locked them into my head, and I can not get rid of them, so I am going to share (turn back now before its too late).


Nat King Cole tune - "Pick Yourself Up"



Or how about this Sinatra tune - "High Hopes"

Is that why we have lost our division lead the last three years?

Yep, its as simple as that. No other complicating factors at all. ERA, WHIP, OPS+. You can throw it all in the trash. Its all about the team psychology. Yes, that's the ticket!

<crickets chirping>

Boy, I sure know how to kill a game thread.

GO SOX!! CAN WE PLEASE WIN TODAY?

One of these days we're going to see a season-saving comeback and/or brawl.
I can just feel it.

Tonight's lineup (thank God Manny is back, although I wish Belli was catching Lester):

1. Coco Crisp, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. Wily Mo Pena, RF
8. Javy Lopez, C
9. Alex Cora, SS
-- Jon Lester, P

For the Angels:

1. Chone Figgins, CF
2. Maicer Izturis, 3B
3. Orlando Cabrera, SS
4. Vladimir Guerrero, RF
5. Juan Rivera, LF
6. Robb Quinlan, 1B
7. Tim Salmon, DH
8. Howie Kendrick, 2B
9. Jose Molina, C
-- Kelvim Escobar, P

Let's win today. Forget tomorrow, forget yesterday...just forget everything else except about winning tonights game. All we need to turn things around is just 1 game. So start tonight Sox!!!

Manny, tell the official scorer to kick your a*s after you trot around the bases from hitting a couple hr's.

There is steam coming from the bandwagon, and maybe there are a couple flat tires...but it is still rolling along. Just freaking win!

I feel better now....

Note to Francona: When a guy continues to not hit or get on base usually means their not going to be a good lead-off hitter. You could make the argument that he's "fast" but he needs to actually get on base to use his speed.

Me too...one day in 2007.

Agreed. I really wish Coco was not leading off, how many awful at bats will it take? I think it is nice to see Pedroia batting second, because if things go as planned then he will most likely bat in that spot next year.

The only logical explanation for Crisp leading-off means the Sox are too far back and want to give him extra at-bats to find his stroke again otherwise I'm clueless. I'm not sure if it's the best thing to start Pedoria in the 2 hole instead of working from the bottom of the order to gain confidence. I hope putting Pedoria in the 2 hole now will make him that much better in '07 when he gets to hit there full-time.

Why is Lowell still batting 6th?

When will WMP start batting fifth?

I bet that Pedroia hitting second came from the Red Sox FO.

Get - your - self - up!
Been knocked down?
Get yourself up!
Been shot down?
Get yourself up!
You been locked down?
Get yourself up!

This is the 'Sneak Attack'
The 'Edutainment' style returns like that
Take it off your shelf
Cause all we deal with is knowledge of self, health and wealth
Not Stealth bombers, leather goose bombers
Original hip-hop armor on cd-rom - eh
You got to get with a
21st century philosopher
Representin the religion of hip-hop, sir
Those that oppose are foes and will get rocked - eh
Stopped, eh - I rise like a helicopter
Like Zulu I'll Shaka, crowd
With a beat that's loud
Huh, I'm black and I'm proud - irrelevant
I'm black and intelligent
I teach my kids to watch the education they give em
Cause it's really all about street wisdom

[codebox]Boston LA Angels
------ ---------

Pos Player HR RBI AVG. Pos Player HR RBI AVG.
--- ------ -- --- ---- --- ------ -- --- ----
CF Crisp, Coco 6 26 .270 CF Figgins, Chone 6 44 .267
2B Pedroia, Dustin 0 0 .333 3B Izturis, Maicer 5 31 .311
DH Ortiz, David 44 117 .285 SS Cabrera, Orlando 8 61 .283
LF Ramirez, Manny 34 100 .329 RF Guerrero, Vladimir 27 98 .322
1B Youkilis, Kevin 13 65 .292 LF Rivera, Juan 21 68 .302
3B Lowell, Mike 14 60 .286 1B Quinlan, Robb 6 28 .326
RF Pena, Wily Mo 10 36 .304 DH Salmon, Tim 7 22 .257
C Lopez, Javy 8 35 .262 2B Kendrick, Howie 1 17 .301
SS Cora, Alex 0 14 .281 C Molina, Jose 3 18 .253
P Lester, Jon (6-2, 4.72) P Escobar, Kelvim (9-10, 3.77)[/codebox]


08/23 21:24:52 ET

I think Tito just finds it too convenient to bat the 2B second in the order. How else do you explain Cora getting ABs there when spelling Loretta?

This team is like a dagnab bad habbit. I told myself after *another* loss last night that I wouldn't be back again for a spell. Yet here I am. Hoping tonight is not another train wreck.

And can we please find a better spot for Coco? Like, say, maybe... uh, I don't know, the 9-hole?

Here goes nuttin.

If that were the case, why wouldn't they tell Tito to not even play Coco vs. RHP? How about DFAing Kapler and bringing up Murphy?

Physioc + Hudler = Hell.

Let's get this party started. I want lots of runs. Coco, let me be so wrong about you....get things going.

And lots of bad defense by the Angels again.

Well, at least he's on base.

What's with that bandage on his left hand? Is that from when he smashed into the wall the other night?

Good job by Pedroia. Scrappy hit.

AY PAPI!!!!!!!!!!!!

YES!!! BIG PAPI!!!! Nice shot!

Now let's keep the friggin' lead this time, eh?

Now this is what I had in mind. Yay Papi!!!!

Big Papi wants 50.

Ok, now let's see some quality pitching.

Now if Lester can just throw strikes...

White Sox just beat the Tigers.

That was a strike...

Where was that 3-1 pitch?

Guess I wasn't the only one who noticed...

Most HRs ever by a Red Sox left handed hitter. Next milestone is Rice's 46, then Foxx's 50. Get'em Papi!

Nice count.

I really don't like this matchup, Lester against Vladdy. Although he's chasing everything and missing.

Too bad he didn't chase that last one.

Um...he hit 47 last year.

DAGNABIT!!!

What the hell was that? They're ahead of Vlad and they give him that?

Ok... how much of that was a result of Javy going out to the mound for a chat?

Oh yeah, my bad.

Javy: "Listen kid, I've been around since you're mama was changing your diapers. Trust me, throw it right down the middle, he won't expect that"

Lester: "Sure thing"

Sox have been in the sharing mood lately. They get some runs, they give some back.

YES!!!! WMP!!!!

WMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BAM!

Frickin' sweet!!!!