Just for the record, I'm watching this bad boy on NESN over ESPN the Deuce because, well, I can. You can have Gary Thorne and Steve Phillips (no seriously, please), I'll take Don Orsillo and legendary chain smoker Jerry Remy any day of the week. And if Michael Kay ever goes national, I can guarantee you I will never watch an ESPN telecast again. Yet I digress...
A couple thoughts before gametime...
- I was a lot more confident in Boston's abilities to win baseball games when I thought Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling were starting these two games in Japan. Now we're lookin at Dice-K and Jon Lester. Not to mention that 2 months ago the battle for the 5th spot was between Lester and Clay Buchholz. Now it's between Buchholz, Julian Tavarez and Bartolo Colon? Bartolo Colon??? Is that serious? I feel like he gains 20 pounds every spring training. Can you believe that just 3 seasons ago he was a Cy Young winner? Now he's pushin at least 280. He's like Elvis in the 70s. People will keep giving him a shot because they know what he once was, but he's really just a fat guy who's a couple of peanut butter and banana sandwiches away from being face down in his bathroom. (By the way, I typed that whole paragraph while having a conversation with a couple of my boys on how ridiculously hot Jessica Simpson is. And what's even more ridiculous is that most women refuse to admit that she's attractive. I don't understand how that's possible. That's the thing with women, they always feel threatened by another woman of equal or better looks. Guys are very different. I'll be the first to admit that George Clooney is a very good looking man, no homo. But mention Mariah Carey's mind blowing chest region to a woman, and she'll go on about what a vile human Ms. Carey is. Go figure.)
- Former Sox middle reliever Craig Breslow was picked up on waivers by the Indians yesterday. This guy went to Yale (go Bulldogs!), graduated with a degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry and said, "Fuck it, I'm gonna play ball instead." Some guys have all the luck. He might be the only professional athlete who could actually make more money outside the realm of sports.
- mlb.com is having its annual Beat the Streak contest. Basically, the goal is to pick a player each day who you think will get a hit. The goal is to accumulate the longest "hitting streak" possible. Highest streak at the end of the year wins 10 grand. Anyone who breaks Joe DiMaggio's streak of 56 games wins a cool million. Today, I've got Manny, a career .667 hitter against Oakland starter Joe Blanton. (Hey, remember when the A's big 3 of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito became the "new and improved big 3" of Danny Haren, Rich Harden, and Joe Blanton? What happened there, Billy Beane?)
5:57- My mind is immediately put at ease as the Oakland lineups are announced. The A's trot out a 3-4-5 of Daric Barton, Jack Cust of the Mitchell Report, and Emil Brown. Not exactly Murderer's Row. Good ol' Jack Cust. I'll never forget him tripping over his own feet on the way to home plate when there was no one covering the rundown.
6:01- Why is it that every other country's National Anthem sounds so much cooler than ours? Honestly, for a country who claims to be the best in the world, I really wish we were more impressive in the anthem category.
6:04- "Welcome to Tokyo, Japan, where the Red Sox begin their title defense." Man, just hearing that brings chills down my spine.
6:06- You think Dice-K's feeling a little pressure? Not only does he have something to prove to Red Sox Nation this year, he's back pitching in front of a crowd who thinks of him as a God. Maybe he's used to it, but I'll tell you right now, I'd already be on my third pair of underwear if I was in his shoes.
6:10- First pitch of the 2008 season... a fastball strike to Dustin Pedroia, who promptly bounces a single up the middle on the next pitch.
6:12- Just learned that J.D. is out tonight with a lower back problem. Glad to see he's gonna stay healthy this year
6:15- After a fielder's choice, and a mammoth pop out by Ortiz. Manny looks to put me on my way to a million bucks with one on and two out. He flies out to right though, and takes about 5 steps towards first base in the process.
6:17- Hey!!! Look who's batting 6th for Oakland. It's perennial MVP candidate Bobby Crosby!!! Here's to another year of making Peter Gammons look like an idiot.
6:19- Mark Ellis takes Dice-K deep to left on a 1-0 fastball right down broadway. It's rare when someone like Mark Ellis hits a no doubter like that. Great start. Make that my fourth pair of underwear.
6:25- After a walk to Barton, Dice-K hits Cust in the foot on a 2-2 pitch. The season is 15 minutes old and I've pulled half my hair out already.
6:26- Make that all my hair, a wild pitch puts runners at 2nd and 3rd with one out. Maybe Travis Buck can lend me some of his.
6:30- A cheap little chopper to the mound by Crosby scores Barton. 2-0 A's.
6:32- Big strikeout of Jack Hannahan stops the bleeding and ends the inning. But that was a disgusting display of pitching by Dice-K. Sliders all over the place, and the fastballs that were on the plate were not hitting corners. Let's hope he turns it around. At least I can take solace in the fact that Jack Hannahan sounds like he belongs on the 1980 Miracle on Ice team.
6:39- About three years ago, I went to a Red Sox game at Fenway. The people I was sitting with had created a nickname for Jason Varitek, "4-6-3", due to his propensity of hitting into double plays. Well, guess what? A double play off the bat of Tek erases a lead-off single by Mikey Lowell and ends the top of the 2nd. That's two lead off men on, no runs.
6:49- My new favorite part of Japanese baseball, the ballboys who are stationed down the lines are wearing combat helmets. I can't think of a goofier look.
6:52- Dice-K walks Mark Ellis on a 3-2 pitch with one on and 2 out, and for the first time I can ever recall, shows some emotion on the mound. I don't like the looks of this at all.
6:58- After yet another walk to load the bases, Dice-K gets a questionable called strike 3 on steroid user and foot tripper over Jack Cust. In other news, we see our first Julian Tavarez sighting from the bullpen. Don't be surprised if Francona gives Dice-K just one baserunner before he makes the move.
7:07- After singles from Lugo and Youkillis, its 2 on, 2 out for David Ortiz. I know it's early, but this is really a pivotal at bat.
7:09- Ortiz rips one to right, but oh wait, there's the 2nd baseman. I forgot about that pesky shift. I don't know who invented the shift, but that has to rank right up with pulling your goalie and the blitz as the most ballsy sports innovations of their day.
7:17- Another walk from Dice-K, and more frustration being shown. I'd put odds at 2-1 that he falls on his sword in the clubhouse at the end of this outing. Meanwhile, Lugo's putting together a nice little game as his leap robs Kurt Suzuki of a two out base hit. At the end of 3, 2-0 Oakland. Dice-K's high pitch count (75 through 3) could force an early exit in this one.
7:26- The middle of the order goes down 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth for the Sox. It's the first 1-2-3 inning for either pitcher. Manny remains hitless as my quest for a million seems to be having trouble getting started.
7:28- Dice-K comes out to start the inning, with Kyle Snyder warming in the bullpen. Hey, note to MLB, why are the commercial breaks twice as long when games are in the States? I like this a lot.
7:30- Another thing I like a lot, a huge, 6 pitch, 1-2-3 inning for Dice-K. Tito said he would be capped at around 80 pitches, so that should be all for Matsuzaka. It certainly could have been much, much worse.
7:37- How ridiculous is this? Both teams will play in exhibition games back in the U.S. following their trips to Japan. The players and coaches deserve every penny of their $40,000 stipend. This trip is a major inconvenience to everyone involved.
7:40- The bottom of the order looks to be up to its old tricks as Varitek, Ellsbury, and Lugo go down in order in the top of the 5th.
7:42- Wrong again, as Dice-K takes the mound here in the 5th after looking much sharper in the last couple of innings.
7:46- After strikeouts to Barton and Cust, a resilient Dice-K gets Emil Brown to ground to 3rd. He's retired 7 in a row and you have to wonder how much nerves played a part in the first couple of innings. Regardless, he settled down and you couldn't ask for anything more if you're a Sox fan.
7:52- A double by Pedroia and a 4-pitch walk to Youkillis brings up the meat of the order with 2 on, nobody out. Fenway would be rocking right now. The Tokyo Dome seems depressingly indifferent.
7:56- Big out here by Blanton. A ballsy 3-2 changeup to Ortiz forces a pop-up to third.
7:58- Manny rips a fast ball down the left field line for two RBI's and puts me 1/57 of the way to 1 million dollars. Talk about the best of both worlds. We're tied up at 2.
8:01- Huge 2 out RBI single by Brandon Moss. J.D. Who? I never liked that guy. That chases Blanton from the game, and puts Dice-K in position to get a win here.
8:08- Ex-Red Sox lefty Alan Embree strikes out his former battery-mate Varitek to end the inning.
8:11- Kyle Snyder comes in from the bullpen for the Sox and gives a quick base-hit to Bobby Crosby. Always have to sweat it out here in Boston.
8:13- Right winger Jack Hannahan takes Snyder deep and gone to right to make it a 4-3 Oakland lead. Damn. A great example of what happens when you miss location. This begs the question... has anyone ever felt comfortable with a relief pitcher that your team brings in in the 6th inning?
8:17- Snyder promptly retires the next three batters fairly easily, but again, damage done. 4-3 A's. Just an aside, I can't wait for breakfast after the game... it's chocolate chip pancake day at the caf.
8:22- Embree gives up a lead-off hit single to Ellsbury but Julio Lugo hits into a tailor-made double play to erase him. That's more like the Lugo we got to know and love last year.
8:24- Dusty P swings from his shoes and hits the ball 43 feet back to Embree who retires him to end the top of the 7th.
8:27- Ellis makes a bid for his 2nd bomb of the game, but Ellsbury is there at the track to reel it in. That will be all for Snyder, who departs as the pitcher of record. It looks like the battle still rages on for that last spot in the bullpen. I hear a kid named Hersch has a fastball that tops out at around 75...
8:31- A look at the Oakland bullpen reveals none other than Red Sox hero turned goat Keith Foulke warming up!! Who knew? Jerry Remy informs me he's given up a run in every appearance so far this spring. Quality stuff.
8:33- Lefty specialist Javier "Don't call me Javy" Lopez comes in and retires both Barton and Cust. He does his job, something that the Red Sox are gonna need him to do this year in the 6th and 7th innings.
8:40- Foulke enters and Youkilis and Ortiz both hit lasers to the outfield that are caught. Apparently you're supposed to hit 'em where they ain't.
8:43- A great job of pitching by Foulke to retire Manny on strikes. He threw 2 off speed pitches down in the count 2-0 and 2-1 to get it back even, then painted the outside corner with a fastball to punch him out.
8:45- In an apparent concession of victory, NESN runs a graphic indicating that the Red Sox have lost 6 of the last 7 Opening Days. Awesome news. But not as awesome as the fact that the Tokyo Dome comes through in the clutch and plays Sweet Caroline in the middle of the eighth.
8:47- WOW!!!! Jacoby Ellsbury makes the first of what Sox fans hope to be many Gold Glove caliber plays to rob Emil Brown of extra bases.
8:50 Hannahan and Suzuki ground out to end a solid inning by Bryan Corey. Lowell, Moss, and Varitek to face Oakland closer Huston Street in the 9th.
8:56- J.D. WHO????????????????????????????????????? Brandon Moss comes up huge with a solo home run off a pretty good pitch by Street. Welcome to Tokyo, Brandon Moss.
8:59- Varitek strikes out for the third time today, picking up right where he left off offensively last year. Ellsbury lines out to left, but we'll at least play a bottom of the ninth.
9:02- Another big ovation, this one for Hideki Okajima, let's hope he isn't as rattled as Dice-K was at the start of this one.
9:04- Kurt Suzuki strikes out for out #1
9:08- Mike Sweeney pinch hits for Ryan Sweeney and works a 4-pitch walk.
9:10- Travis Buck juuuuuuuuuuuuuuust gets under one to center for the second out. That looked real dangerous.
9:14- Oki gets Ellis to tap one back to the mound to send it to extras. To be honest, I dont think anyone involved wanted this to happen. But they'll leave it all out on the field now. Lugo, Pedroia and Youkilis in the top of the 10th.
9:18- An infield hit for Lugo, Pedroia has to be bunting here.
9:19- He gets it down perfectly, and advances Lugo to second.
9:22- A good high fastball sits down Youkilis, leading to an intentional walk to Ortiz... 2 on 2 out for Manny.
9:26- Lugo breaks for third, and thank god Manny fouls it off, a truly bonehead move... you're scoring on any single. There's no need for a steal attempt there.
9:28- Manny absolutely rips a ball off the wall for a 2 RBI double. By my count, he was in the box for 6 mississippi's before starting to run... at any rate, its a 6-4 lead for the Red Sox.
9:33- An intentional walk to Lowell leads to a Brandon Moss fly out, but on comes Papelbon for the bottom of the 10th to face the heart of the A's order.
9:44- Wow, Sox dodge a huge bullet there. Emil Brown hits a double to make it 6-5, but inexplicably tries to get to third. Instead of the tying run in scoring position with one out, the A's have 2 out nobody on down a run.
9:46- Crosby singles to center, and if not for Emil Brown's baserunning blunder, we'd have a tie game. Nevertheless, the A's are really attacking the Papelbon fastball.
9:47- Hannahan singles to left to make it a two on, two out situation for Kurt Suzuki.
9:50- 3 hours and 45 minutes after a fastball strike to Dustin Pedroia kicked off the 2008 season, a Kurt Suzuki ground out to first ends a great first game of the year.
Jeez, I don't think I had mentally prepared myself for extra innings in game 1. But the dream of 162-0 is still alive, and I'll be watching every pitch.
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