Bay, Lester lead Sox to Game 1 win
MANNY WHO?!?!
In spite of some overwhelmingly shitty announcing from Chip Caray and Buck "I thought Mike Napoli's first name was 'Mark,' and I don't know how to correctly pronounce 'Or-teez'" Martinez, this game was one of the more enjoyable from a Sox fan's perspective in recent postseason memory.
While we're on the topic of the terrible broadcast, I'm pretty sure I remember Buck saying something along the lines of "Figgins is really the tone-setter for this team on offense." Really, the lightning-quick leadoff hitter of a team that relies heavily on its speed for offensive production is the tone-setter? I never would have guessed. Glad we're getting this type of cutting-edge, astute analysis. Seriously though, that's like saying 'The Red Sox rely on Ellsbury and his speed to set the table for the big bats' - it's totally obvious and unnecessary to mention, regardless of how little some viewers know about the sport. Anyway, we gotta put up with these guys for two to four more games, so enough bitching about how absolutely ludicrous both Caray, Martinez and Craig Sager's disgustingly ugly coat and tie were tonight... on to the game:
Lester (7 IP, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K) pitched like an ace, hands down. He could have taken the loss and we all would have lauded him just the same. Sure, the first few innings were a little choppy as he started more than a couple hitters off 2-0, but by the fourth and fifth innings, he was working both sides of the plate and making hitters look silly like it was his job (oh wait, it is his job). He struck out the side with relative ease in the sixth and I don't think I've ever seen him throw a better curve than the one he repeatedly tossed at Garrett "Old Manderson" Anderson in the seventh. Just an unreal performance - maybe it'll prove beneficial that Lester pitched in the top spot and Beckett was held out until Game 3 when this thing is said and done...
Bay (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI), who's been dealing with the unfairly high expectations associated with having to replace one of the greatest hitters in the history of the game (compounded by the fact that Manny's belting the shit out of the ball with the Dodgers), came up clutch in the sixth after looking terrible in his two prior ABs. He then followed it up with another extra-base hit in his next AB. What a way to make a splash in your first career postseason game. While it would be foolish to expect him to carry this team offensively for the remainder of the series, it's now readily clear why the Sox feel they have a more complete, well-rounded team with Bay in the lineup as opposed to their former dick rider of a left fielder (nah, I'm not still bitter...).
As for Lowrie's costly error in the third? I'll chalk that up to first postseason game jitters. I strongly doubt he makes another error for the rest of the postseason, however long or short that may be.
In spite of some overwhelmingly shitty announcing from Chip Caray and Buck "I thought Mike Napoli's first name was 'Mark,' and I don't know how to correctly pronounce 'Or-teez'" Martinez, this game was one of the more enjoyable from a Sox fan's perspective in recent postseason memory.
While we're on the topic of the terrible broadcast, I'm pretty sure I remember Buck saying something along the lines of "Figgins is really the tone-setter for this team on offense." Really, the lightning-quick leadoff hitter of a team that relies heavily on its speed for offensive production is the tone-setter? I never would have guessed. Glad we're getting this type of cutting-edge, astute analysis. Seriously though, that's like saying 'The Red Sox rely on Ellsbury and his speed to set the table for the big bats' - it's totally obvious and unnecessary to mention, regardless of how little some viewers know about the sport. Anyway, we gotta put up with these guys for two to four more games, so enough bitching about how absolutely ludicrous both Caray, Martinez and Craig Sager's disgustingly ugly coat and tie were tonight... on to the game:
Lester (7 IP, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K) pitched like an ace, hands down. He could have taken the loss and we all would have lauded him just the same. Sure, the first few innings were a little choppy as he started more than a couple hitters off 2-0, but by the fourth and fifth innings, he was working both sides of the plate and making hitters look silly like it was his job (oh wait, it is his job). He struck out the side with relative ease in the sixth and I don't think I've ever seen him throw a better curve than the one he repeatedly tossed at Garrett "Old Manderson" Anderson in the seventh. Just an unreal performance - maybe it'll prove beneficial that Lester pitched in the top spot and Beckett was held out until Game 3 when this thing is said and done...
Bay (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI), who's been dealing with the unfairly high expectations associated with having to replace one of the greatest hitters in the history of the game (compounded by the fact that Manny's belting the shit out of the ball with the Dodgers), came up clutch in the sixth after looking terrible in his two prior ABs. He then followed it up with another extra-base hit in his next AB. What a way to make a splash in your first career postseason game. While it would be foolish to expect him to carry this team offensively for the remainder of the series, it's now readily clear why the Sox feel they have a more complete, well-rounded team with Bay in the lineup as opposed to their former dick rider of a left fielder (nah, I'm not still bitter...).
As for Lowrie's costly error in the third? I'll chalk that up to first postseason game jitters. I strongly doubt he makes another error for the rest of the postseason, however long or short that may be.
Comments