5/22 vs. Kansas City Royals

[Jayhawk Bill]

Originally Posted by Mr Crunchy

remember
before we start jacking each other off over this was KC,a team that is unraveling offensively and they left a few guys on early...

It would be easy to look at a team reeling from three defeats--two at the hands of pitchers called up from AA and AAA, the other a no-hitter--and to write them off. It would be easier still to do that knowing that today's starting pitcher was Daisuke Matsuzaka, 7-0 thus far in 2008.

That would be hubris.

Today's starting pitcher for the Royals is Brian Bannister. Bannister posted a 3.87 ERA as a starting pitcher in his 2007 rookie season. Scouts discounted his ERA and pointed to his pretty pedestrian stuff; analysts discounted his ERA and pointed to his "unsustainable" BABIP. Let me point at something else: Brian Bannister is one of the smartest players in MLB, and he reviews Pitch f/x logs hitter by hitter before every game. His ultra-low BABIP isn't a fluke: he knows batters better than any other guy in MLB, better than Tek, better than Schilling. Boston's lineup thrives on pitchers' mistakes: Bannister won't overpower batters, but he won't make mistakes. In one previous game against Boston, he held Red Sox batters to a .217/.217/.609 batting line: were it not for home runs by Manny, Big Papi and Dustin Pedroia, he probably would have prevailed. Home runs don't come every game--Bannister matches well against Boston.

One other key split that's disturbing: Bannister has a career ERA of 2.65 and a 10-1 record in day games.

Facing the Royals for Boston will be Daisuke Matsuzaka. Matsuzaka's 2.15 ERA is lower than Bannister's impressive career split for day games. This year Matsuzaka is getting, on the whole, fair calls, and his ability to paint the corners is frustrating MLB hitters the way it frustrated hitters in Japan for years. What we're seeing isn't a fluke: what we're seeing is the real Dice-K.

For what it's worth, Matsuzaka's Day/Night split is good, too: his ERA is 1.48 runs lower in day games over his time in MLB.

Look for a good, close, well-pitched game. This one could come down to the bullpens.

Game Time 1:35 pm EDT Fenway Park
Current weather 53 degrees, cloudy, wind blowing out to RF at 10 mph

Royals
Brian Bannister
RHP
(4-5) 4.29 ERA

Red Sox
Daisuke Matsuzaka
RHP
(7-0) 2.15 ERA

DFWMM

[yeszir]

Win again. That goes for the Celtics too.

[BoSox21]

this is bugging me but I need to know what DFWMM means

[VA Sox Fan]

Originally Posted by BoSox21

this is bugging me but I need to know what DFWMM means

Don't fuck with my mojo

[VA Sox Fan]

Red Sox

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
7. J.D. Drew, RF
8. Kevin Cash, C
9. Julio Lugo, SS

SP-Daisuke Matsuzaka

Go Dice-K! GO RED SOX!!

[BoSox21]

thanks for the clarification VA

[riverside sluggers]

Brian Bannister (2 games vs Boston, 0-2 with an 8.92 ERA---Career at Fenway Park in 2 games, 0-2 with an 8.92 ERA)
Jacoby Ellsbury, 1 for 2 (.500 avg) Walk
Dustin Pedroia, 2 for 6 (.333 avg) HR, RBI
David Ortiz, 2 for 6 (.333 avg) HR, 2 RBIs
Manny Ramirez, 2 for 6 (.333 avg) HR, RBI, 2 Ks
Mike Lowell, 2 for 5 (.400 avg) Double
Kevin Youkilis, 2 for 6 (.333 avg) RBI, K
J.D. Drew, 3 for 8 (.375 avg) HR, 4 RBIs, K
Kevin Cash, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) 2 Ks
Julio Lugo, 3 for 4 (.750 avg) RBI, K
///
Sean Casey, 3 for 8 (.375 avg) 2 Doubles, RBI, Walk, K
Coco Crisp, 0 for 2
Jason Varitek, 0 for 2

Daisuke Matsuzaka (2 games vs Kansas City, 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA---Career at Fenway Park in 20 games, 13-4 with a 4.18 ERA)
David DeJesus, 3 for 7 (.429 avg) HR, RBI, 3 Ks
Mark Grudzielanek, 0 for 3, Walk
Alex Gordon, 1 for 4 (.250 avg) 2 Walks, K
Jose Guillen, 6 for 15 (.400 avg) 2 Doubles, 5 RBIs, 6 Ks
Mark Teahen, 0 for 3, 3 Walks, 2 Ks
Miguel Olivo, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) Double, RBI, K
Ross Gload, 0 for 6, 3 Ks
Alberto Callapso, 0 for 2, Walk, K
Joey Gathright, 2 for 3 (.667 avg) Double
///
John Buck, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) K
Esteban German, 1 for 3 (.333 avg) K
Tony Pena Jr., 0 for 2

[Mr Crunchy]

va. has a brother named mojo
he works as a dishwasher at stuckeys on hwy 64 somewhere southeast of richmond.
tall guy,maybe 6'8
i never knew any other scotsman that used afro sheen and drank malt liquor!!!

how are you lynda
im looking forward to getting down to your perimeter for a nats game this summer.
i heard thru sources you know a guy who knows a guy who can get us into the ballpark..
any truth to this?

[redsoxrules]

I still cant beleive that dice is 7-0 with the way he's pitching .throw strikes god dammit

[Beaneater]

There are few things more frustrating than watching a pitcher issue fee passes. However, here is one one thing that is more frustrating: watching a pitcher issue free passes to the Kansas City Royals.

[One Red Seat]

Nomo v2.0

[Beaneater]

At least he has three Ks to go with the three BBs. But that equals a lot of pitches thrown: he's on track to give us 4 innings today. Huzzah!

Come on, Dicey, settle down and give us 6. Five, you say? That'd be OK too, I guess.

[One Red Seat]

Granny!

[redsoxrules]

JD DREW BITCHES!!

[Beaneater]

Don't make me go all ALCS Game 6 on you.