Recap: Thou Hath Wilted in The Pressure like Flower.

by P Brady on Oct 11, 2008 12:16 AM EDT

Two other teams were shutout game 1 of the ALCS. Both won the series.

Wanna see something hilarious?

Normalized Strike zone map for the game:

Not the reason for everyone hitting scared with runners on, but interesting to say the least. Dice-K walked a bunch, gave up line drives and flybaklls, and apparently ate a leprechaun to only allow 3 hits.

James Shields itched like James Shields and he's really good. Balfour looked overpowering as always, and hey, David Price.

I honestly just don't feel like writing anything else. That wasn't fun.

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Comments

Crawford

Ball should have been caught, that was a borderline error.

Joe

by joedobr on Oct 11, 2008 12:24 AM EDT reply actions

He makes it 10 out of 10 times.

by kericr on Oct 11, 2008 6:50 AM EDT up reply actions

Evidently 9 out of 10.

The road to hell is paved with Mariners.

by .Taylor on Oct 11, 2008 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions

99 out of 100

by kericr on Oct 11, 2008 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions

I won't be reading most of these comments, so police yourselves.

I’m not banning or warning anyone.

by R.J. Anderson on Oct 11, 2008 12:25 AM EDT reply actions

It was like Maddon read one too many "Joe Maddon is a genius" articles

And got too cute swinging 3-0.

by Imperialism32 on Oct 11, 2008 12:30 AM EDT reply actions

Like the agression

No fault there, I think they had to push the issue

Joe

by joedobr on Oct 11, 2008 12:31 AM EDT reply actions

Just a Shame

Plenty of oppurtunities and everybody was just swinging for the fences.

by Schmidt on Oct 11, 2008 12:31 AM EDT reply actions

Upper cuts

Upton and Longo especially. Seemed like timing was a bit off. Upton barely missed that ball in the first. Better strategy tomorrow hopefully

Joe

by joedobr on Oct 11, 2008 12:33 AM EDT reply actions

I am saying this very honestly

We are winning this series but even if we get swept, the thing that will annoy me the most is how many people will bitch and moan. 10 seasons, 9 of them in the last. 11th season? 97 wins, AL East champions. When this season is over, we will be holding a trophy but even if we aren’t, we already had a magical season and I hope to god more people realize that.

by joeybw on Oct 11, 2008 12:33 AM EDT reply actions

This. I will be frustrated for a day if we lose this series. But this season has been absolutely amazing.

Tools Whore

Sign Bonds!

by Tyler on Oct 11, 2008 12:37 AM EDT up reply actions

I think I sort of agree with you

but how can we be winning the series, and get swept?

by plasticman on Oct 11, 2008 1:00 AM EDT up reply actions

no no

I meant I think we will win the series BUT even if we get swept, there is no way we can be dissapointed in our season.

by joeybw on Oct 11, 2008 1:43 AM EDT up reply actions

I agree

nothing to be disappointed if we lose the series, only thing that would suck is its the Red Sox.

by sofladude77 on Oct 11, 2008 1:17 AM EDT up reply actions

I think you gotta be disappointed if the Red Sox win this series

Either way though it’s been a great year so you can’t get too upset

by rays1234 on Oct 11, 2008 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Well, still. They are the Red Sox.

The road to hell is paved with Mariners.

by .Taylor on Oct 11, 2008 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Not time to be defeatest yet

Let this thing play out. Regardless, play to win but take it as a learning experience. The starting pitcher can’t do it all out there. Got to think about this in multidimensional terms. Boston is the hunted and the Rays are the hunters. Run the counts and get into the Sox’ heads.

Joe

by joedobr on Oct 11, 2008 12:40 AM EDT reply actions

Starting pitcher can't do it all

Exactly. Some times the offense just doesn’t show up FOR ALL 30 TEAMS but regardless of that, people have probably put us down 3-0 cuz of Beckett and Lester.

Got news for you guys, they are human also.

by joeybw on Oct 11, 2008 12:44 AM EDT up reply actions

I thought that sofladude77 had a ridiculous amount of comments in such a short time period

But 10,000 comments in four months…I guess that’s what winning does to a fan base.

My best game plan is to sit on the bench and call out specific instructions like 'C'mon Boog,' 'Get ahold of one, Frank,' or 'Let's go, Brooks.' -Earl Weaver

by Baltimo on Oct 11, 2008 12:59 AM EDT up reply actions

didn't know of this site

till someone told me to come here. I was wondering why there were no threads on ESPN’s board, now I know.

by sofladude77 on Oct 11, 2008 1:01 AM EDT up reply actions

Wishful thinking

But I think that Evan Longoria may need to get out of the cleanup spot, maybe he is feeling the pressure right now. Maybe bump CC to third and Pena back to cleanup.

by sofladude77 on Oct 11, 2008 12:55 AM EDT reply actions

Dear....Evan....

You’re being seen early in the morning at bars. If you’re going to drink away the post-season, have the decency to do it in private.

Also, no way should Gross have taken that last at-bat.

by ReasonableDoubt on Oct 11, 2008 1:00 AM EDT reply actions

Ugh...out of boredom I just ventured over to the official team boards

I want to explode my brain. Some guy blamed the whole loss on Maddon for not sac bunting, not stealing enough, and not forcing our 2 best home run hitters take 3-0 pitches. I bet he likes the commentators too.

by staplemaniac on Oct 11, 2008 4:29 AM EDT reply actions

I am never ever posting 1st in a GDT ever again.

I especially like the part about our offense deciding that game 1 the ALCS of all times was a great time to take another vacation. Seriously? Men in scoring position with no outs in the 7th AND the 8th and this team can’t push a single run across the plate?

by kericr on Oct 11, 2008 6:59 AM EDT reply actions

The old adage holds serve

‘good pitching stops good hitting’

not a fan of Pena green light on 3-0 in that situation

was fine with it with Longo

Pena walks the pressure moves to the pitcher

by sternfan1 on Oct 11, 2008 8:14 AM EDT reply actions

Mistakes

1. Crawford easily scores against Bay. We need the run. We need to make something happen in that situation. That was inexcusable

2. Pena should have taken a pitch

by matthan on Oct 11, 2008 9:09 AM EDT reply actions

Also Maddon screwed up by wasting Balfour. He should have known we had no chance to win in the 9th. Sending Balfour out for a second inning hurts his effectiveness tonight.

by matthan on Oct 11, 2008 9:14 AM EDT up reply actions

huh. we lost 2-0? what do you mean we had no chance

by walkoffwalk on Oct 11, 2008 9:14 AM EDT up reply actions

We produced zero offense. We are going against one of the best relievers in baseball

THe chances of us winning were really really really small. Balfour should have been saved. I’m not saying he shouldn’t have pitched at all. Just that he shouldn’t have gone out for 2.

by matthan on Oct 11, 2008 9:16 AM EDT up reply actions

the chances of winning weren't that small. we had runners on in the late innings.

by walkoffwalk on Oct 11, 2008 9:17 AM EDT up reply actions

he should be just as effective tonight, if needed, and we have an off day tomorrow.

by walkoffwalk on Oct 11, 2008 9:18 AM EDT up reply actions

you obviously haven't seen much of the 2008 tampa bay rays. they've been coming back all season

by walkoffwalk on Oct 11, 2008 9:19 AM EDT up reply actions

That's an understatement.

The road to hell is paved with Mariners.

by .Taylor on Oct 11, 2008 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions

He was on a pitch count

once he hit 20, 21 to be exact, Maddon pulled him for Price. Maddon said this postgame…

by rayweaver on Oct 11, 2008 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Not so sure about the first

In that specific situation, more than likely CC would have scored, but Bay’s throw from the outfield was unusually horrible. It was off line and it literally died on the dirt as it limped to the pitcher in the cutoff position. Bay’s arm isn’t that great, but normally even he can make that throw. The fact is, a man on 3rd with no outs is normally a safe bet to score, unless apparently, you’re the Mets or the Rays.

To your benefit though, if there’s anybody on this team that you gamble with sending home from first, it’s either CC or Nando.

by kericr on Oct 11, 2008 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions

If we win today, and take 1 of 3 at fenway, we'll take back home field. go rays

by walkoffwalk on Oct 11, 2008 9:12 AM EDT reply actions

I'd rather not see the Rays coming back to St. Pete needing to win 2 out of 3 to take the series.

by kericr on Oct 11, 2008 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions

you wouldn't sign for that right now? I'm not sure I would either, but just wondering

by walkoffwalk on Oct 11, 2008 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions

It would be 2 out of 2

by rays1234 on Oct 11, 2008 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah I got that confused.

Still don’t want to see them coming back here behind in the series, but if need be, I’ll take it.

by kericr on Oct 12, 2008 3:44 AM EDT up reply actions

but i think we needed to be more aggressive on the basepaths. where are the stolen bases. why was floyd on first base instead of Fez?

by walkoffwalk on Oct 11, 2008 9:22 AM EDT reply actions

Agreed,

If Crawford was stealing when Floyd hit that ball in the gap he scores.

by BOHICA_ALEast on Oct 11, 2008 9:31 AM EDT up reply actions

They were just playing it safe at that point

I’m sure Crawford didn’t want to blow it and run into an out since the hits weren’t exactly coming in bunches, but I was hoping he would just say "F-you Dice-K, I’m going to 2nd". I’m sure the Sox would have been expecting it though. The first pitch after CC got on was a semi-pitchout.

by rayweaver on Oct 11, 2008 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions

I was waiting for a pinchrunner too

Perez could have just said “F-you Dice-K, I’m going to 2nd”

by rayweaver on Oct 11, 2008 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions

I just feel like we wasted a great pitching game against the Sox

Now we have to rely on Kaz

by plasticman on Oct 11, 2008 12:02 PM EDT reply actions

Does anyone else have a problem with the "normalized strike zone box" ? While the width of a strike zone should remain the same, the height of strike zone should vary hitter-to-hitter as not all hitters are the same height.

by walkoffwalk on Oct 11, 2008 12:30 PM EDT reply actions

Like, perhaps those two boston called strikes were on our tallest hitters?

by walkoffwalk on Oct 11, 2008 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions

The top of zones barely change throughout a game.

We don’t have any Richie Sexsons.

by R.J. Anderson on Oct 11, 2008 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Last night

I feel like the Rays blew the one chance they had, to go back to Boston with a split. Couldn’t get a God damn clutch hit to save our lives !! We let Matsuzaka off the hook!! Now we gotta face Beckett, who’ll be pitching with a little attitude after his shitty start vs the Halos.

I don’t feel too good about tonight.

by bigbaseballfan on Oct 11, 2008 1:27 PM EDT reply actions

Where is Dennis Green?

“The are who we thought they were, and we let them off the hook!”

Joe

by joedobr on Oct 11, 2008 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions

"James Shields itched like James Shields"

Hmmm.

The road to hell is paved with Mariners.

by .Taylor on Oct 11, 2008 1:28 PM EDT reply actions

I guess the big 2nd guess

Was not PR for Floyd in the 8th? That and not sending Crawford on Navi’s medium range fly ball? Again, I thought Crawford should have caught Youk’s sinking liner, it may have been an error as well as probably not pulling Floyd just to get some more speed in the game there.

I know there has been discussion about Longo, but if Gross poops the bed again, well, obviously Baldelli gets the call in 3 with Lester but could Aybar or Zobrist play right when Wakefield pitches in 4? I am unsure about Gross, not down, just skiddish.

Joe

by joedobr on Oct 11, 2008 4:10 PM EDT reply actions