Prof: Thank you, Scout, for holding down the fort the last couple of days. For the next couple of weeks I have to be a world class business lady. Of course, I’m always a world class baseball blogger lady, so there’s that.
There’s only one game to recap, so let’s get started.
ALDS Game Four – Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees
The most heated rivalry in baseball continues, as series leading Boston headed to enemy territory to see if they could move onto the next round or if their hated foe would live to face them once more. The Red Sox brought out Rick Porcello, who avid readers of this blog know from my long established belief that he’s the luckiest Cy Young Winner Alive, while the Bronx Bombers started C.C. Sabathia, the respected veteran work horse.
It was knotted at zilch until the third inning, when Boston’s bats warmed up and began swarming Sabathia en masse. By the end of the inning, the Sawx were up by three and Sabathia was out.
Meanwhile, Porcello was like a man possessed, going five innings, allowing only four hits and one earned run. He dropped his postseason ERA to 1.59. Boston needed a strong outing from their starter, and they got one.
Let’s jump ahead to the eighth inning. Boston was up by three, and Alex Cora, rookie manager, desperate to wrap this up and face defending champion Houston in the ALCS, made a bold move (please actually play this video, at least for the first 33 seconds).
That’s right. The Red Sox brought out the big guns. Chris Sale came in relief, and oh, what a relief it was. The undisputed ace and perpetual Cy Young nominee was nearly flawless, going a full inning with no hits, no walks, and no sweat.
Going into the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees were still down by three, and the Red Sox still had another literal ace up their sleeves: one of the greatest closers of the modern era, Craig Kimbrel, although the forever Braves legend did not pitch like the lights out player he generally is. In fact, he loaded the bases then hit Neil Walker with a pitch, causing a run, then gave up a hit and another run, making it 4-3. Suddenly it was panic in the streets of Beantown, panic in the streets of Worcester, hang the DJ.
While Wild Joe Kelly was warming up in the ‘pen, Cora decided to dance with the one what brung him, and left Kimbrel in. It was touch and go, and literally came down to a challenge on the last play of the game…
Final: Red Sox 4, Yankees 3
We don’t have live Major League Baseball until Friday night, when the Dodgers take on Milwaukee at beautiful Miller Park. But until then, be good to one another and let’s continue the conversation in the comments.
Fan Interference 
Well, the Red Sox did their job by eliminating the hated Yankees at home (to the eternal gratitude of at least Scouts and me). Now it is up to Stex’s boys to eliminate the just-as-hated (at least by all other AL East fans) Red Sawx.
I believe it will happen, because I think the Astros and Red Sox may have a more-or-less comparable offense but the edge in pitching has to go to the ‘Stros. Houston’s starters are better 1 through 5 with the possible exception of Sale, but Boston also has a snake-bit David Price who continues to suck in the postseason. And Houston’s bullpen looks to be better top to bottom than Boston’s.
Let’s see if rookie manager Alex Cora and his squad can outlast the defending WS champs. I don’t believe they can, but we need to play the games to find out.
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I was pretty much going to be miserable no matter who won this series. I kinda was rooting for the Yankees, only because I think Houston would have a better shot against them. Either way, I really hope Boston poops the bed in spectacularly embarrassing fashion, and I hope it’s all Joe West’s fault.
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I saw West is going to be doing the ALCS also commits hara-kiri
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Whereas I agree with Sabathia, I wish to point out that Hernandez was calling B&S (nyuknyuknyuk) for the Beanbags too. They managed to make it work. Sabathia didn’t. Go find a spa to get rid of some of your excess tonnage this orfseason and meanwhile just shut up.
Loser.
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Love seeing how this game ended. Better to see the Yankees have hope in a rally pulled away at the end than to see them just get blown out from the get go. Hopefully the Astros can now derail the Sawks. Still hoping for a Brew Crew / Astros WS.
Been out of the baseball loop for a few days. Mrs Spartan and I were visiting our youngest boy in college over the weekend then made a quick stop home to repack and fly to Destin FL Monday for what was supposed to be a week of beach relaxation, but Mother Nature had other ideas and sent a little storm named Michael straight our way. We escaped to Jacksonville, but our thoughts are with those that live in the panhandle area.
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I went to Home Depot to get some hornet killer and discovered they’re already selling Christmas trees, for Buddha’s sake.
I hate Christmas trees.
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I found Christmas stuff on sale at Lowes on September 30. Yes, September.
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I like eating cheap ice cream beneath the glow of a cheap ass Christmas tree decorated with cheap gaudy ornaments and ill hung cheap tinsel while I watch by cheap ass big ass TV. But the cheap lights gots to be the blinking kind.
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Trolling for epileptics, are ye?
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No. Just trolling myself. I guess.
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Kyle Barraclough escapes to the Gnats! The Feesh unloaded him for bonus pool money as they hunt the chairman of the Cuban department of redundancy department, Victor Victor Mesa.
Or was the Victor Mesa Mesa?
Or was that….
Anyway, Someguy, if your pitching coaches can help this kid find the strike zone again you got a bargain and a half.
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