Tigers need him more than anyone 
They can get rid of a few and replace them with one healthy Peavy !
Jimbo
They can get rid of a few and replace them with one healthy Peavy !
Jimbo
2008 MLB Playoffs
- Thread starter BillD1984
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Um, Bill...
Has there been a trade that was made under the radar since last week????
Last I knew he was still Halo property. I think you mean James Shields, my friend.
Um, Bill...
Has there been a trade that was made under the radar since last week????
I think you mean James Shields, my friend.
Ughhhh, the pressure is getting to ME!
:hahaThe Tampa Bay Rays have discovered just how difficult it is to knock the Boston Red Sox out of the postseason.
Although the Rays have a 3-2 lead as the AL championship series heads back to St. Petersburg, the Red Sox appear to have the momentum after staving off elimination with the biggest postseason rally in nearly 80 years.
In Game 6 on Saturday, defending World Series champion Boston tries to build off yet another victory in an ALCS elimination game, while Tampa Bay again looks for its first World Series berth in franchise history.
After outscoring the Red Sox 22-5 in winning Games 3 and 4 at Fenway Park to take a 3-1 series lead, the Rays were up 7-0 with two outs in the seventh inning of Game 5 on Thursday. Boston, though, was not about to go down easy.
The Red Sox rallied for four runs in the seventh and three in the eighth to tie the score, and J.D. Drew's two-out RBI single in the ninth drove in the winning run to force a Game 6. It was the largest comeback in a postseason game since the Philadelphia Athletics trailed by eight before a 10-run seventh inning helped them beat the Chicago Cubs 10-8 in Game 4 of the 1929 World Series.
"Everybody knew that we needed to win the ballgame," said Drew, who also hit a two-run homer in the eighth. "It doesn't matter how you do it. We didn't want to go down 7-0, but there's a lot of fight in that dugout, and a lot of guys knew as soon as we got some runs on the board, we could get something going."
The Red Sox, who rallied from a 3-1 deficit against Cleveland in last year's ALCS and came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS, have won eight consecutive ALCS games when facing elimination. Boston went on to sweep the World Series last year and in 2004.
"Hopefully, there'll be time when we can sit back and think 'This is what got us over the hump,'" Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "But we're still climbing."
The ALCS now shifts to Tropicana Field, where Boston won the series opener 2-0 before losing 9-8 in 11 innings in Game 2.
"We've got to go out there and win ballgames," Drew said. "It takes a certain amount of ballgames to get past this level, to win, and then in the World Series, as well. We'll take it a game at a time, try to rack up some wins and see how it goes."
Despite the painful manner in which they lost Game 5, the Rays aren't feeling too discouraged.
Tampa Bay needs one more victory to win its first AL pennant and is returning to Tropicana Field, where it went a major league-best 57-24 in the regular season.
"Obviously, we're in a pretty good position to move on," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "Of course we're upset. Of course we don't like losing that game, of course. But to dwell on it does no good whatsoever.
"If we had won it, we'd be in the World Series by now. We'll just have to wait one more day, hopefully, to get that done."
In Game 6, Maddon will give the ball to James Shields (1-1, 3.29 ERA), who has been his best at home. Boston will counter with Josh Beckett (0-0, 11.57), who is trying to shake off his postseason struggles.
Shields was originally scheduled to pitch Game 5, but Maddon decided to push him back for a possible start at Tropicana Field.
Shields posted a 1.17 ERA in winning his two regular-season starts against the Red Sox in St. Petersburg, compared to a 21.21 ERA in losing his two regular-season starts at Boston.
In Game 1 of this series at Tropicana Field, the right-hander allowed two runs and six hits with six strikeouts in 7 1-3 innings.
Including that outing and his division series start against the Chicago White Sox, Shields is 10-3 with a 2.66 ERA in 19 starts at Tropicana Field with the Rays winning 15 of those games.
"I feel more comfortable at home, obviously," he said.
Boston slugger David Ortiz, who broke out of his 1-for-17 ALCS slump by hitting a three-run homer in the seventh inning Thursday, was hitless in three at-bats against Shields in Game 1. Ortiz entered the postseason 7-for-14 with two home runs and four doubles lifetime against Shields.
Beckett entered the postseason 6-2 with a 1.70 ERA in nine career playoff starts, but he's been knocked around this October.
He was tagged for eight runs and nine hits - including home runs by Evan Longoria, Cliff Floyd and B.J. Upton - in 4 1-3 innings of the Red Sox's extra-inning loss in Game 2. Beckett gave up four runs in five innings of Boston's 5-4, 12-inning loss to the Los Angeles Angels in Game 3 of the ALDS.
The right-hander suffered an oblique injury during a bullpen session on Sept. 26, but the MVP of the 2003 World Series for Florida is not using that as an excuse.
"I'm fine," Beckett told the team's official Web site.
Beckett needs to try and shut down Longoria and Upton, who are the first teammates in AL history with at least six homers apiece in the postseason.
Longoria, who went 3-for-3 with two doubles against Beckett in Game 2, homered in his fourth straight game Thursday.
Upton went 3-for-4 with a homer, double and four RBIs in Game 5, and is 8-for-20 with three home runs, 10 RBIs and seven runs in this series.
While the Rays have scored 38 runs in the last four games, they'll need their bullpen to bounce back after yielding eight runs and nine hits in 2 2-3 innings on Thursday. Tampa Bay's relievers had allowed four runs in 24 2-3 innings over the first eight playoff games.
"That's been one of our biggest strong points all season," Maddon said. "You feel pretty good about a seven-run lead at that part of the game. We just have to go back home and get it going again."
Although the Rays have a 3-2 lead as the AL championship series heads back to St. Petersburg, the Red Sox appear to have the momentum after staving off elimination with the biggest postseason rally in nearly 80 years.
In Game 6 on Saturday, defending World Series champion Boston tries to build off yet another victory in an ALCS elimination game, while Tampa Bay again looks for its first World Series berth in franchise history.
After outscoring the Red Sox 22-5 in winning Games 3 and 4 at Fenway Park to take a 3-1 series lead, the Rays were up 7-0 with two outs in the seventh inning of Game 5 on Thursday. Boston, though, was not about to go down easy.
The Red Sox rallied for four runs in the seventh and three in the eighth to tie the score, and J.D. Drew's two-out RBI single in the ninth drove in the winning run to force a Game 6. It was the largest comeback in a postseason game since the Philadelphia Athletics trailed by eight before a 10-run seventh inning helped them beat the Chicago Cubs 10-8 in Game 4 of the 1929 World Series.
"Everybody knew that we needed to win the ballgame," said Drew, who also hit a two-run homer in the eighth. "It doesn't matter how you do it. We didn't want to go down 7-0, but there's a lot of fight in that dugout, and a lot of guys knew as soon as we got some runs on the board, we could get something going."
The Red Sox, who rallied from a 3-1 deficit against Cleveland in last year's ALCS and came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS, have won eight consecutive ALCS games when facing elimination. Boston went on to sweep the World Series last year and in 2004.
"Hopefully, there'll be time when we can sit back and think 'This is what got us over the hump,'" Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "But we're still climbing."
The ALCS now shifts to Tropicana Field, where Boston won the series opener 2-0 before losing 9-8 in 11 innings in Game 2.
"We've got to go out there and win ballgames," Drew said. "It takes a certain amount of ballgames to get past this level, to win, and then in the World Series, as well. We'll take it a game at a time, try to rack up some wins and see how it goes."
Despite the painful manner in which they lost Game 5, the Rays aren't feeling too discouraged.
Tampa Bay needs one more victory to win its first AL pennant and is returning to Tropicana Field, where it went a major league-best 57-24 in the regular season.
"Obviously, we're in a pretty good position to move on," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "Of course we're upset. Of course we don't like losing that game, of course. But to dwell on it does no good whatsoever.
"If we had won it, we'd be in the World Series by now. We'll just have to wait one more day, hopefully, to get that done."
In Game 6, Maddon will give the ball to James Shields (1-1, 3.29 ERA), who has been his best at home. Boston will counter with Josh Beckett (0-0, 11.57), who is trying to shake off his postseason struggles.
Shields was originally scheduled to pitch Game 5, but Maddon decided to push him back for a possible start at Tropicana Field.
Shields posted a 1.17 ERA in winning his two regular-season starts against the Red Sox in St. Petersburg, compared to a 21.21 ERA in losing his two regular-season starts at Boston.
In Game 1 of this series at Tropicana Field, the right-hander allowed two runs and six hits with six strikeouts in 7 1-3 innings.
Including that outing and his division series start against the Chicago White Sox, Shields is 10-3 with a 2.66 ERA in 19 starts at Tropicana Field with the Rays winning 15 of those games.
"I feel more comfortable at home, obviously," he said.
Boston slugger David Ortiz, who broke out of his 1-for-17 ALCS slump by hitting a three-run homer in the seventh inning Thursday, was hitless in three at-bats against Shields in Game 1. Ortiz entered the postseason 7-for-14 with two home runs and four doubles lifetime against Shields.
Beckett entered the postseason 6-2 with a 1.70 ERA in nine career playoff starts, but he's been knocked around this October.
He was tagged for eight runs and nine hits - including home runs by Evan Longoria, Cliff Floyd and B.J. Upton - in 4 1-3 innings of the Red Sox's extra-inning loss in Game 2. Beckett gave up four runs in five innings of Boston's 5-4, 12-inning loss to the Los Angeles Angels in Game 3 of the ALDS.
The right-hander suffered an oblique injury during a bullpen session on Sept. 26, but the MVP of the 2003 World Series for Florida is not using that as an excuse.
"I'm fine," Beckett told the team's official Web site.
Beckett needs to try and shut down Longoria and Upton, who are the first teammates in AL history with at least six homers apiece in the postseason.
Longoria, who went 3-for-3 with two doubles against Beckett in Game 2, homered in his fourth straight game Thursday.
Upton went 3-for-4 with a homer, double and four RBIs in Game 5, and is 8-for-20 with three home runs, 10 RBIs and seven runs in this series.
While the Rays have scored 38 runs in the last four games, they'll need their bullpen to bounce back after yielding eight runs and nine hits in 2 2-3 innings on Thursday. Tampa Bay's relievers had allowed four runs in 24 2-3 innings over the first eight playoff games.
"That's been one of our biggest strong points all season," Maddon said. "You feel pretty good about a seven-run lead at that part of the game. We just have to go back home and get it going again."
Bill,
As I mentioned earlier, they cannot continue to fall behind by 3-5 runs by the 3rd inning or they will be going home.
As I see it, the pitching is the biggest key for Saturdays game.
Jimbo
As I mentioned earlier, they cannot continue to fall behind by 3-5 runs by the 3rd inning or they will be going home.
As I see it, the pitching is the biggest key for Saturdays game.
Jimbo
Jimbo,
no doubt :up.
IMO, the Sox need a MINIMUM of five innings and no more than three runs out of Beckett if they want to win tomorrow night.
Two Rays pitchers to look out for tomorrow night (and possibly Sunday): Edwin Jackson and David Price.
They have both pitched sparingly in this series, but when they did they were impressive.
Mark this down: David Price will be one of the best pitchers in baseball within three years. The dude is a beast.
They have both pitched sparingly in this series, but when they did they were impressive.
Mark this down: David Price will be one of the best pitchers in baseball within three years. The dude is a beast.
The Dodgers had such high hopes for Edwin. Methinks they gave up on him too soon.
The Red Sox once had high hopes for Tony Armas, Jr. and Carl Pavano, but traded them for a bird in hand.
Yes, and Brian Rose was another pitcher that came up around the same time.
At least they got Pedro for Armas and Pavano.
I still want to see Pedro's number retired at Fenway where it belongs. :up
The BoSox also threw in some Boston Cream Pies to get that Pedro Martinez guy, who was a decent pitcher in Boston, IIRC.
Still the best pitcher I'VE ever seen over a five year period.
Of course, I never saw Koufax and Gibson pitch, but I saw Palmer, Guidry, Clemens, Seaver, Sutton, Ryan, Hershiser, Maddux, Glavine, et al. But IMO, none of those guys could touch Pedro from 1998-2002. You could literally put a "W" next to the Sox when he was pitching. It's a shame that the Sox never put a decent rotation around him, otherwise who knows how good they could have been. But when you have Pete Schourek pitching an elimination game against a powerful Indians team, you know you have rotation depth problems.
Bill, if Beckett emplodes tomorrow night-who comes in to save the Sox? Will it be Lester? The key for the Red Sox is to score early and often and keep up the momentum from last night. I still don't think the Red Sox are out of the woods yet. Beckett's pitching but it's not vintage Beckett. Frankly, I don't know what the hell he is but he isn't the same pitcher that shut the Yankees out in 03.
Maybe you'll get the vintage Beckett. Think about it. 5 yrs. ago he pitched on the road again in a pressure game and it's a game 6. I don't know Bill. I sweating for you!!! I'm just as nervous, well maybe not just as nervous, as you are.
Maybe you'll get the vintage Beckett. Think about it. 5 yrs. ago he pitched on the road again in a pressure game and it's a game 6. I don't know Bill. I sweating for you!!! I'm just as nervous, well maybe not just as nervous, as you are.
Jack Morris
5 year period, yup, I'll take Jack, nothing against the guy's you've mentioned as they all are creditable, Jack never gets or got the credit for being as good as he was.
Jimbo
All we need from Beckett is 6 good innings.
If we can keep the game low scoring through the first 5+ innings, we have a shot, not if we give them a lead of 3-4 = auto loss.
Hitting home runs in their field is easier than Fenway Park......We got to watch out for Pena and Upton, this guys proved us over and over again they are kryptonite to the Red Sox, just like Mark Teixeira, he just owned us.
Hopefully Beckett and Lester can bail us out this time, and we hope our hitters don't give up and go in there with the same fire Coco Crisp had on game 5!
If we can keep the game low scoring through the first 5+ innings, we have a shot, not if we give them a lead of 3-4 = auto loss.
Hitting home runs in their field is easier than Fenway Park......We got to watch out for Pena and Upton, this guys proved us over and over again they are kryptonite to the Red Sox, just like Mark Teixeira, he just owned us.
Hopefully Beckett and Lester can bail us out this time, and we hope our hitters don't give up and go in there with the same fire Coco Crisp had on game 5!
I did. No one can match Koufax during his four-year prime.
There was a two year stretch during Koufax's career when he went 18-4 in games in which his team scored two or fewer runs. In other words, he won 18 of those 22 games by scores of 1-0, 2-1 and 2-1.
Jimbo,
I'm embarrassed that I didn't memtion Morris in my examples.
Morris was as good a "money" pitcher that I've ever seen. If you wanted to win a postseason game, then Jack was your man!
BTW, I always liked Dan Petry on those Tigers staffs, he was a good number 2 guy. :up
