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ALCS Game 4 open thread: Pinellas County vs Suffolk County, 5:07 pm PT
2008-10-14 16:00
by Bob Timmermann

Sadly, Josh and the Cardboard Gods are on the 15-day Uninspired List when it comes to game threads, so he ceded the duties to me.

I could start writing like Jack Kerouac, but that presupposes that I have read Jack Kerouac. Or I could channel Bon Scott. But I don't like heavy metal.

So, you're left with me. Remember that the Griddle is nominally nonpartisan.

And I just relate stories like this: As I left Dodger Stadium Monday (not as depressed as the teeming thousands because that's just me), a woman was talking to her companion (presumably husband) and said "There can't be a Tampa Bay-Philadelphia World Series! It will get bad ratings! It has to be the Dodgers versus the Red Sox!"

AUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! No. The World Series is played between the AL and NL pennant winners. Just roll with it. It's not about TV ratings. Unless you happen to work for Fox.

But most of us don't. So just watch the World Series. You might enjoy it.

Back to the business at hand.

The Rays took a 2-1 lead in the series Monday after the seemingly invincible Jon Lester got vinced by a couple of big home runs by B.J. Upton and Evan Longoria. If I had a dollar for every time a supposedly invincible pitcher lost a game in the postseason, I'd have about $40 now built up over my lifetime. I could buy two transcripts of "Nightline" and have about $10 left over depending upon what kind of shipping I wanted to use! Woo hoo! I'm rich!

Andy Sonnanstine tosses his four-N SURname against Tim Wakefield and his knuckleball of death. 

Just who dies is for all of us to find out.

Rays lineup:

1. Akinori Iwamura, 2B
2. B.J. Upton, CF
3. Carlos Pena, 1B
4. Evan Longoria, 3B
5. Carl Crawford, LF
6. Willy Aybar, DH
7. Dioner Navarro, C
8. Fernando Perez, RF
9. Jason Bartlett, SS

SP: Andy Sonnanstine

Red Sox lineup:

1. J.D. Drew, RF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Kevin Youkilis, 3B
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. Mark Kotsay, 1B
7. Coco Crisp, CF
8. Kevin Cash, C
9. Jed Lowrie, SS

SP: Tim Wakefield

Comments
2008-10-14 16:35:38
1.   Josh Wilker
Great intro, Bob.

I'll be watching most if not all of this one in a neighborhood watering hole so as to be near numbing agents if necessary. But I did want to point out that AC/DC, especially when Bon Scott was leading the way, was not heavy metal but instead was straight-ahead and pure rock and roll in the tradition of Chuck Berry, Sun Records, T. Rex, etc., but with a sort of neanderthalic volume and simplicity that helped this commenter tremendously with its violent clarity when the confusing hurricane of puberty touched down lo these many years ago.

2008-10-14 16:45:18
2.   rbs10025
As if the post-season wasn't long enough, MLB is now skipping a day between games 4 and 5 of the LCSes?
2008-10-14 17:13:26
3.   Bob Timmermann
This is not an auspicious start for Boston. Or it's auspicious for Tampa Bay.

There is plenty of auspicing to go around.

2008-10-14 17:24:08
4.   ToyCannon
Boom Boom go the Rays
2008-10-14 17:26:37
5.   Shaun P
2 FOX dares not go up against both the superior TBS broadcast (except the announcers) AND "Dancing with the Stars - The Results".
2008-10-14 17:36:50
6.   Bob Timmermann
There's the problem of:
1) people not liking a break
2) people not wanting games played simultaneously
3) people not wanting games played during the day
2008-10-14 17:44:53
7.   Humma Kavula
Last one out of Fenway Park, please shut off the lights.
2008-10-14 17:46:15
8.   Bob Timmermann
Are Jamie Moyer and Tim Wakefield going to a group therapy session together soon?
2008-10-14 17:46:21
9.   Bob Hendley
Rays taking it to them. I better start learning who these guys are. Wait, I know you Aybar is.
2008-10-14 17:46:48
10.   Bob Timmermann
Justin Masterson is the long guy tonight?

Desperate times I guess.

2008-10-14 18:06:14
11.   dianagramr
3

Isn't Brad Auspice the catcher for the Astros?
:-)

2008-10-14 18:10:03
12.   ToyCannon
Dodger Rays doing their part. Was happy to see Edwin get an inning in. When Aybar left the Dodgers he was a slim infielder. Now he looks like Betemit who also once upon a time was a slim infielder. Now they are both 1st baseman. Go figure.
2008-10-14 18:11:26
13.   Bob Timmermann
12
Aybar has played some second and third this year. I suppose Aybar put on some weight during his drug rehab.
2008-10-14 18:16:35
14.   Humma Kavula
Joe Morgan is backing Bob's quest for single errors on single plays.
2008-10-14 18:17:53
15.   Bob Timmermann
14
That's not the choir I wish to preach to.
2008-10-14 18:18:41
16.   Humma Kavula
I would think that you would want all the help you can get!

- K. Youkilis flied out to deep center
- J. Bay safe at first on third baseman E. Longoria's throwing error, J. Bay to second
- M. Kotsay singled to center, J. Bay to third
- C. Crisp grounded into double play second to shortstop to first, M. Kotsay out at second

0 runs, 1 hits, 2 errors

2008-10-14 18:43:24
17.   Bob Timmermann
Since I'm not watching the broadcast, at what point does Chip Caray say that all the pressure is on Tampa Bay to win Thursday because the Red Sox would have more confidence based on the 2004 and 2007 ALCS performances?
2008-10-14 18:46:17
18.   fanerman
Go Dodgers East go!
2008-10-14 18:47:10
19.   Bob Timmermann
18
The McCourts want to be the Red Sox, not the Rays though.
2008-10-14 18:54:50
20.   KG16
Craig Sager doesn't get as good of odds as Xeifrank
2008-10-14 18:56:11
21.   dianagramr
Do we start comparing the 2007 and 2008 Rays to the 1968 and 1969 Mets?
2008-10-14 18:56:59
22.   vockins
Here's an update for those with problems connecting to Gameday:

Francona brings in Javier Lopez to replace Manny Delcarmen

Wilker brings in Bacardi 151 to replace Jim Beam

2008-10-14 19:05:03
23.   Bob Timmermann
So who will be the mopup guy tonight?
2008-10-14 19:22:01
24.   Woden325
21 The Radiant Rays?
2008-10-14 19:34:52
25.   Woden325
I'm listening to the WHNZ feed, and if their crowd mics are to be believed, I've been to noisier mausoleums than Fenway Park.
2008-10-14 19:37:22
26.   Bob Timmermann
Orange alert for Carl Crawford. This is an orange aler.
2008-10-14 19:37:43
27.   Bob Timmermann
alert.
2008-10-14 19:40:52
28.   Bob Timmermann
Carl Crawford is the fourth player ever to hit at least two doubles and a triple in one game in the postseason.

The others were Billy Hatcher in Game 2 of the 1990 World Series, Dane Iorg (???!!) in Game 6 of the 1982 World Series, and Pete Rose in Game 1 of the 1976 NLCS.

2008-10-14 19:53:07
29.   Humma Kavula
Dear Chip,

First of all, it's 7 and two thirds, not 7 and one third, and second of all, you can't close the book on him until we know if Youkilis scores.

"Close the book" is not synonymous with "leave the game."

Thanks,

HK

2008-10-14 19:54:13
30.   Bob Timmermann
Good thing the Red Sox got a two-out run in the 8th.
2008-10-14 19:58:34
31.   Bob Timmermann
Now you can close the book on Andy Sonnanstine.
2008-10-14 20:12:06
32.   Woden325
Throwing fast is fine, but throwing strikes is better.
2008-10-14 20:17:03
33.   Ali Nagib
Totally late, but how do you know, Bob, that the woman walking out of Dodger Stadium DOESN'T work for Fox? It is LA after all.

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