Empyreal Environs

Back-to-Back

I think the Twins and Red Sox batters are solar-powered with a 10-inning charging cycle. They may be able to spray a few doubles here and there before being fully energized as displayed by Daniel Nava’s ground-rule double in the fifth, but it wasn’t until extra innings that any runs scored. The Red Sox pitching and defense kept their team in the game. John Lackey pitched nine innings with a sparkling line: 3 hits, 1 walk, and 9 strikeouts. For just the second time this season Koji Uehara surrendered a home run. Danny Santana’s bunt attempt was foiled by Dustin Pedroia’s quick glove and flip in the sixth inning. Pedroia was on the receiving end of Nava’s eighth inning assist that erased Eduardo Escobar from the basepaths. Chris Parmelee’s go-ahead home run barely cleared the bullpen wall. Even Brock Holt couldn’t catch it before it landed in the Red Sox bullpen. I wonder if Shane Victorino or Grady Sizemore could have gloved it? Victorino’s return may be the offensive shot in the arm Boston needs. Sizemore proved he wasn’t the cure and was designated for assignment on Tuesday and officially released today. Ben Cherington made the move sooner rather than...

18 June 2014 ∙ 10:50 PM ∙ June 2014 Game Comments ∙ Comments: 0
Tags: Lackey (John) ∙ Napoli (Mike) ∙ Ortiz ∙ Sizemore (Grady) ∙ Uehara (Koji)

We Can’t Work It Out

Grady Sizemore returned to Cleveland for the first time since his career came off the rails in 2011. He was part of the team that defeated the Yankees in the 2007 ALDS and pushed the Red Sox to a seven-game ALCS. He said it still feels like home, but Sizemore didn’t recreate the production of his heyday. Stephen Drew batted eighth and played short. He went 0-for-2 with a walk. At the keystone sack he was on the receiving end of two throws from A.J. Pierzynski that got to Drew’s glove in time but failed to get the runner out. Drew did take part of three double plays, however. Xander Bogaerts, who shifted to third base because of defensive issues, batted second and drove in the only Red Sox runs of the game with his two-run homer in the eighth inning. Nerd alert! Justin Masterson pitched poorly in the first inning but came around later in the game. In the fourth inning he had an immaculate inning: nine pitches, nine strikes, three strikeouts. Jonny Gomes, Sizemore, and Drew were the batters who were summarily dismissed. It was the 27th time an AL pitcher achieved this feat and the 74th time...

3 June 2014 ∙ 6:12 PM ∙ June 2014 Game Comments ∙ Comments: 0
Tags: Drew (Stephen) ∙ history ∙ Masterson (Justin) ∙ Sizemore (Grady) ∙ Workman (Brandon)

Aaron Harangued

Steve Lyons reminds me of that uncle that tells the same stories and hackneyed jokes at every family gathering. Granted the anecdotes were amusing… the first time you heard them. Lyons shoots for Bob Uecker but misses the target, not unlike 50 Cent’s first pitch at Citi Field. The Red Sox finally won a series after four straight series losses. John Farrell was aggressive in his game plan. Trailing 2-1 in the fourth he sent Grady Sizemore to steal third base with one out and David Ross at the dish. Fredi Gonzalez challenged the safe call by John Tumpane but the call stood. Ross shot a single to the left-center gap to tie the game 2-2. The Braves responded in the fifth with Freddie Freman’s leadoff triple. Justin Upton followed with a walk and Chris Johnson dropped a single between Jonny Gomes and Dustin Pedroia. But on Johnson’s bloop single Gomes deked Upton into thinking he was going to catch the ball. Upton’s hesitation allowed Gomes to throw the left fielder out at second. Anthony Varvaro and Luis Avilan conspired to wipe away Aaron Harang’s chance at his fifth win in the seventh inning. Varvaro allowed singles to Xander Bogaerts...

28 May 2014 ∙ 6:24 PM ∙ May 2014 Game Comments ∙ Comments: 0
Tags: Bradley Jr. (Jackie) ∙ Sizemore (Grady)

Walk-off Number One

The Reds were well-prepared to face their rarely-seen Boston opponents. Bryan Price, who replaced Dusty Baker, had colorful spray charts at his disposal. The charts helped Price somewhat, but it was the Red Sox’s dismal 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position that really kept the Reds in the game. In the tight game the Red Sox defense was peerless. Dustin Pedroia turned a glove-to-glove 4-6-3 double play on Skip Schumaker’s batted ball to silence the stirrings of a sixth-inning rally. The Red Sox were winning going into the eighth. Junichi Tazawa replaced Burke Badenhop and easily induced a pop out off Chris Heisey’s bat. Joey Votto walked even though Tazawa got ahead of the slugger 0-2 and Brandon Phillips followed with a double that scuttled into the left field corner. Todd Frazier singled in Votto and Juan Nieves paid Tazawa a visit. The pause in the action didn’t quell the visitors’ rally; Ryan Ludwick lofted the ball deep enough to right to plate Phillips to tie the game. Shane Victorino was key to maintaining the tie. In the ninth inning Koji Uehara had another shaky (for him) outing. With a runner on second and one out Tucker Barnhart (who must...

7 May 2014 ∙ 7:27 PM ∙ May 2014 Game Comments ∙ Comments: 0
Tags: Reds ∙ Sizemore (Grady)

Falling for Sizemore

David Ross said it best: “[Sizemore’s] been a big pickup for us,… and he’s easy on the eyes.” Some baseball girls’ hearts are swayed by twinkling eyes, a charming smile, and boyish good looks, but for Red Sox ladies the three-run, go-ahead home run is the bare minimum. Sizemore came through in the sixth inning with one out and two on. Adding to the allure was securing the win against a despised divisional rival. He almost made the alternate blue uniforms bearable. Sizemore’s presence has made most fans forget Jacoby Ellsbury. This young man harbors some lingering resentment, however. Get used to it, kid. Scott Boras represents not only Ellsbury but Jackie Bradley, Jr. and Xander Bogaerts. Jon Lester turned in his third straight quality start and finally tallied his first win. Junichi Tazawa took over in the seventh when Lester got into a jam, allowing Kelly Johnson to single in Ichiro Suzuki. With Brian Roberts at third, two out, and a reinvigorated Yankee Stadium crowd clamoring for their captain, Tazawa toed the rubber against Derek Jeter. Tazawa had been in tougher spots, like in the ALCS against Miguel Cabrera. Jeter flied out harmlessly to right field. The Red Sox...

12 April 2014 ∙ 1:01 PM ∙ April 2014 Game Comments ∙ Comments: 0
Tags: Lester (Jon) ∙ Mujica (Edward) ∙ Sizemore (Grady) ∙ Tazawa ∙ Uehara (Koji)

Cabezónes

The internet has led me to believe that Spanish for “bobbleheads” is “cabezónes,” although “muñecos bobblehead” is also a possibility. Some bobbleheads do a poor job of replicating a player’s likeness but David Ortiz’s was remarkably well done. NESN showed one whose right finger was broken, but the tint of the sunglasses, the bling around the neck, and the elbow guard were on point. The only thing missing was a bit of saliva on the gloves from Papi’s signature at bat preparations. In the third inning Shin-Soo Choo clouted the ball to deep center field. Grady Sizemore pursued it with reckless abandon. Fortunately for the Red Sox Sizemore didn’t injure himself. Unfortunately for us Mike Timlin is no longer playing baseball; he would be chomping at the bit to replicate the crime scene he made for Johnny Damon when he collided with the bullpen wall back in 2005. You are not a true Red Sox player until you are immortalized by committing or being victimized by a prank. Will Middlebrooks’s replacement Jonathan Herrera went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. While he hasn’t dazzled at the dish he did turn in a daring play near the Rangers’ dugout....

8 April 2014 ∙ 7:37 PM ∙ April 2014 Game Comments ∙ Comments: 0
Tags: Bradley Jr. (Jackie) ∙ Herrera (Jonathan) ∙ Lackey (John) ∙ Ortiz ∙ Sizemore (Grady)

Choking on the Splinters

Evan Meek took the mound in the eighth after Nelson Cruz put his team ahead 2-1 with a solo homer. The reliever did what every manager hates to see after securing the lead: give up a walk to start the frame. Meek might get a homework assignment from Buck Showalter. During spring training the Orioles skipper had minor leaguer Josh Hart write a report because Hart didn’t know who Frank Robinson was. If Meek researched about the percentage of times a lead runner scores he would find it’s 38% irrespective of reaching by a walk or single. Perhaps Meek was saved by his tenacious play on Mike Carp’s tapper. The reliever lost the handle on the ball at first but stuck with it and nailed Carp at first. Two players made their Red Sox debuts: Grady Sizemore and A.J. Pierzynski. Sizemore made his presence felt with a circuit clout in the fourth that tied the game. Pierzynski worked well with Jon Lester, guiding the southpaw through 7 innings with a line of 6 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk, and 8 strikeouts. Perhaps someday a Red Sox player will name Jean Cocteau’s “Orphée” as his favorite film, call Igor Stravinsky...

31 March 2014 ∙ 9:18 PM ∙ March 2014 Game Comments ∙ Comments: 0
Tags: Orioles ∙ Pierzynski (A.J.) ∙ Red Sox debut ∙ Showalter (Buck) ∙ Sizemore (Grady)