It is safe to say going into the game that Josh Beckett vs Jake Peavy was the best piching matchup of season. Well, Beckett was the better pitcher in this game beating a good Peavy with down right filthy stuff in the 4-2 win.
Beckett’s first inning which went 1-2-3 with two strikeouts was an indication of his day to come. Easily throwing 97 mph with great movement on his curveball and two-seam fastball Beckett looked primed to have a good outting.
On the historical side, the Beckett-Peavy bill was just the third in history where in which two opposing starters each had nine wins or more and had one or fewer losses.
The Red Sox ace is the first pitcher in the MLB to reach 11 wins by throwing 8 innings, on six hits, and eight strikeouts in his performance. Beckett let up two earned runs and only gave up one base on balls and the reason for his plain dominance was that he held the Padres 1-2-3 batters in check.
Jose Cruz, Jr., Michael Barrett, and Adrian Gonzalez went 0-12 and struck out six times combined.
While Beckett was looking like the pitcher who deserves the starting role in this year’s All-Star game, Peavy was not doing so badly himself.
Peavy only lasted 5 innings, giving up nine hits, three earned runs, one walk, and three strikeouts. Boston (48-26) got to Peavy by making him pitch, a lot, as he threw 111 pitches in the game.
The biggest inning for the Red Sox, where in which they scored three runs, was when they made Peavy work hard throwing 38 pitches.
David Ortiz knocked in his 47th RBI on a single scoring Coco Crisp, Manny Ramirez followed with a sacrifice fly, and Mike Lowell’s RBI single to right made the score 3-0.
Beckett’s first run came in the fifth on an two-RBI double by Terrmel Sledge bring the game closer at 3-2.
Boston added an insurance run in the eighth inning on Jason Varitek’s eighth homerun of the season giving them a two-run lead at 4-2. Varitek also had a triple in the game against Peavy.
Jonathan Papelbon came into the ninth and saved his 18th save of the season on two strikeouts and a ground out to second base.
Categories: Jake Peavy Josh Beckett San Diego Padres
It's so funny to hear people complaining that this season isn't exciting when I've been on the edge of my seat much more than in '05 or '06. Who says you can't tense up and freak out every time the Sox' lead gets close to falling out of double digits? And can I possibly be the only one who's living in fear of Detroit and The The Angels Angels of Anaheim? We have an insanely charismatic, exciting team this year, and winning doesn't make it less fun to watch.
Maybe its just me, but this season is starting to get a little boring…
I am not calling them totally dead in the water, but the Yankees are back under .500 and have played some really horrible ball recently. I'm not going to go into the reasons, because they are obvious to everyone. I know someone mentioned here earlier – can't remember who – that the yankees should go into full rebuilding mode and for the sake of their club, I agree. They are stuck with some huge contracts for some aging star – sorry getting off topic.
Season = boring. We might be too good…historically good for the Red Sox…and maybe its just because I can't come to grips with not battling the Yankees down the stretch…but I can't help but wonder what will happen if we clinch (god willing) in early september. The last five years or so, we've battle for the wild card and the division right up until the end. And even in '04 we had to put on an epic comeback – the drama was all there, it was everything you could have asked for (though a '67 style 7 game worlds series with the Sox coming out on top would have been more entertaining then the sweep).
Even when I look to the playoff – which I feel comfortable doing – I just don't get excited over the thought of playing the Angels, Tigers, or Indians. WIthout the Yankees…I just feel…empty.
So…its begs the question…without the Yankees to chase and battle down the strech…what are the Red Sox? We've been defined by our rivalry with the Yankees, (thank you FOX), and like the millions of people who watch Fox News everyday, I've been brainwashed by Murdoch into thinking that the season has no meaning when we are separated by more than a few games in the standings.
Maybe its different for Yankees fans, I suspect it is. When they won four WS in five years, I don't think they even gave us a second thought…but I don't know what to do without them…
I can't even bring myself to root against them anymore…I..think…I…pity them…and that just doesn't make for good baseball drama…
So…fully cognizant that I just f-ed the whole season by jinxing the Sox…I'm going to end this rambling post with a question…
Anyone have any ideas how to keep myself interested watching the Sox roll through the rest of the season to October?
forgive the typos – just like back in high school, I never proofread.
*aging stars
*look to the playoffs
KR, I suggest that you live and love the relaxing part of a Red Sox season … usually we are flipping out and hell bent about stuff, but I like this winning feeling
Yeah I agree with Shawn. The intensity of the past four or five seasons was fun, but I'm enjoying sparring off against the Tigers, Indians, or Angels instead. (DAMN YOU EAST COAST BIAS! THERE ARE BETTER TEAMS THAN THE YANKEES!)
Also KR, it isn't getting any harder for the Sox. Out of their next 27 series, 19 are against teams at or below .500. Which means out of the next three months of games left to play, they'll play the equivalent of one month to above .500 teams. If they continue to play like they have (and remain predominantly injury-free like they have), this division could be locked up well before the middle of September.
Edit: Papelbon notched his 18th save of the season last night, not 17!!
While I'm on that topic, why don't we get a nice Papelbon article going?
Steve thanks IDK why I put 17 ill get on ehtat now
Sweet, Caroline. We have tons of stuff to enjoy this season; will Schilling recover and become dependable again? Will Lester finally get called up, and then what will he be like? The next time the yankees fall back to 14.5 games back we get to enjoy the Torre death watch, what will be Manny's excuse for not going to the ASG, will Roger be a .500 pitcher for $18M, will Selig have a stroke when Bonds breaks the record?
But mostly, all of the winning. I like the winning. It is soothing and helps me to relax.
Anyone going on 7/1 or 3? Drinks at La Verdad before the game.