May 17th @ Oakland

[RedSoxRooter]

Boston (22-16) at Oakland (15-23), 10:05 pm EDT

http://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/baseball/mlb/players/6099.jpghttp://www.giantsequoia.com/assets/TransparentSpacer.gifhttp://i.a.cnn.net/si/images/baseball/mlb/players/6394.jpg
Matt Clement (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/6099/)http://www.public.iastate.edu/~aslagell/sumr212/spacer.gifBarry Zito (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/6394/)
4-0, 3.06 ERAhttp://www.public.iastate.edu/~aslagell/sumr212/spacer.gif 1-4, 5.54 ERAhttp://www.familymatters.tv/navbar/spacer.gif

OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- After snapping their eight-game losing streak in the series opener, the Oakland Athletics (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/teams/athletics/index.html) will try to win consecutive games for the first time since April 30-May 1 on Tuesday, when they host the second of a three-game set with the Boston Red Sox (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/teams/red_sox/index.html) .

Barry Zito (http://si.com/baseball/mlb/players/6394/index.html) (1-4, 5.54 ERA) faces the Red Sox (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/teams/red_sox/index.html) for the second time in a week. The 27-year-old lefthander, who won the American League Cy Young Award in 2002, surrendered four runs and nine hits in six innings against Boston on Wednesday.

Matt Clement (http://si.com/baseball/mlb/players/6099/index.html) (4-0, 3.06) also faced Zito on Wednesday and yielded just one run and struck out four in seven innings. He was denied a victory when closer Keith Foulke (http://si.com/baseball/mlb/players/5817/index.html) allowed four runs in the top of the ninth.

Boston rallied for a 6-5 win in the bottom half when Jason Varitek (http://si.com/baseball/mlb/players/5921/index.html) belted a game-winning homer against closer Octavio Dotel (http://si.com/baseball/mlb/players/6111/index.html) . It was the second time in as many games that Dotel allowed a ninth-inning game-winning blast to the Red Sox (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/teams/red_sox/index.html) .

However, Dotel managed to record his seventh save in Monday's 6-4 victory over Boston. Despite putting runners on second and third with two outs, Dotel induced Bill Mueller (http://si.com/baseball/mlb/players/43691/index.html) to fly out to left field, ending the A's losing streak.

BOSTON RED SOX
J. Damon (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/5484/)
E. Renteria (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/5602/)
D. Ortiz (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/5909/)
M. Ramirez (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/5132/)
K. Millar (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/5981/)
J. Varitek (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/5921/)
B. Mueller (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/5587/)
J. Payton (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/5773/)
M. Bellhorn (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/5831/)

OAKLAND ATHLETICS
M. Kotsay (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/5846/)
J. Kendall (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/5562/)
E. Chavez (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/6114/)
S. Hatteberg (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/5514/)
K. Ginter (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/6605/)
E. Durazo (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/6293/)
M. Watson (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/7244/)
M. Scutaro (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/6966/)
E. Byrnes (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/players/6558/)

(Thanks for the lineups Stocker)

[YanksHater213]

To be honest, I dont really have a good feeling about tonight...

[yeszir]

Clement just looks like he's about to kick Zito's ass from those pictures. I predict good things.

[YanksHater213]

You see yeszir, thats the problem. It seems like a night when nothing could go wrong. Clements due for a bad outing, Zito is due for a good one... I just dont like it. I hope we can win, but im not confident we will.

[yagmaster]

I expect a great performance from Clement, as has been his style as of late. Zito, although he hasn't pitched that well this season so far, is still a quality pitcher and this will be a close game. Expect, like 4-3 or 3-2 Sox.

[soxie thefangirl]

I have a good feeling about tonight.

On another note, I hope Bellhorn continues his 4 game hitting streak.

[RedSoxRooter]

I don't know. If anything, the Red Sox are due. They could have easily won the last two games. If I'm to win the H/BB contest, the bats need to wake up - epsecially if Wells goes tomorrow.

[stocker323]

Lineups

Red Sox

Damon CF
Renteria SS
Ortiz DH
Ramirez LF
Millar 1B
Varitek C
Mueller 3B
Payton RF
Bellhorn 2B

A's

Kotsay CF
Kendall C
Chavez 3B
Hatteberg 1B
Ginter 2B
Durazo DH
Watson LF
Scutaro SS
Byrnes RF

[RedSoxRooter]

Rent double. Damon to third.

Oh sweeet. I get to watch the Nesn broadcast tonight! I haven't heard Orsillo and Remy since last Wednesday. MLB extra innings. :angry:

[RedSoxRooter]

Damon and Rent score. Two walks by Zito. 2-0 Sox.

[YanksHater213]

Runs on a RBI ground out by Ortiz and a sac fly by Millar

[yeszir]

We're.....actually winning!

[element1151]

After Manny walked we are now +6 (+3 tonight so far) Only +9 in 1 and 2/3 games for me to win!!!!

[soxie thefangirl]

Uh-oh. Single homerun. 1 out. Now a walk?

[RedSoxRooter]

Ortiz!
3-1

[soxie thefangirl]

Ooops. 3-2. Matty's walking an awful lot of people tonight.

[RedSoxRooter]

Well, I'm done. 11am meeting in the AM. Sox down 5-3. Uhhhhhhhh. :sleep: :sleep:

[ACL BoSox]

Watching the Sox offense is like watching paint dry... isn't it Oakland's offense that is supposed to be bad?

[Beaneater]

HBP and two BB to start the 8th. Don't squander this, boys!

That brings up Bellhorn, who is... 0-0 tonight with 3 BB??? What the heck -- don't people know that there's no point nibbling with Bellhorn? He's obviously got a good eye (a lot of BBs), and he OBVIOUSLY swings and misses a lot. So... throw him strikes, eh?

[ACL BoSox]

if we didn't get at least one out of this I wouldn't be all that suprised, we seem to love to get ourselves in these situations and come up short.

[Beaneater]

Errrrrr... I guess we'll take it. E-3, and a run scores.

EDIT: And more sloppy A's defense nets more runs. Nice clutch hit by Rent, though. He doesn't seem to be as useless as I thought.

EDIT again: But what the heck is up with Ortiz and Manny punching out to end the inning?

EDIT yet again (I don't feel like filling up this page with my avatar, so since I'm the only one here, I'm just serially editing my last post): Dang fine outing by the oft maligned Alan Embree - 5 up, 5 down.

EDIT - The more I think about it, the more embarrassed I get on the A's behalf. In the 8th, we collectively hit one single, but we scored 4 runs. That's worse than embarrassing, that's, uh, well, really bad or something. It's too late to think of synonyms.

EDIT - A win. Nice late-inning comeback (with a hat tip to the A's lousy pitching and defense), nice hitless holds from Embree and Timlin, nice save from Foulke... and nice work by Beaneater keeping this thread off life-support! :)

[Sox fan in Tex]

Roll call for all who stayed up and watched the whole game: Here.

[Beaneater]

Roll call for all who stayed up and watched the whole game: Here.
Here. Of course, we're an hour later than our East Coast brethren, so it's not quite as ridiculous for us to be up at this hour... close, but not quite.

[YanksHater213]

I missed the first two innings.... then watched a few and accidentally fell asleep... I caught the end though

[YanksHater213]

What I find amazing is how we scored 3 runs off of Cruz without a single hit off of him. Renteria seems to be coming around too, he had 2 hits with 2 rbi. I still dont like this win, it was a little ugly for my liking.

[YanksHater213]

On another note, Wells is back today (3:35 start, holler), vs. Etherton (I think is his name...) who hasnt made a start all year... I like our prospects of winning again though...

[RedSoxRooter]

Well this is a nice way to wake up. :dance:

[soxie thefangirl]

Great way to wake up! :D

[ACL BoSox]

Only wish we could hand Oakland a smashing defeat like we should... maybe today against their spot starter...

[soxie thefangirl]

hopefully today with Wells at the mound.