Can Boston do it tonight?? Who likes their chances?

[Mike Gallo]

Hi Everyone,

I think major league baseball made a mistake by scheduling the A's and RedSox for today. I had a discussion with a friend that if I played for the A's I would rather wait a day to play. He asked why, I said because of momentum.

Does anyone think that playing the game today benefits the Boston RedSox?

[Clarkmeister]

Momentum = Pedro

No amount of days between game 4 and game 5 will change that.

[Boris]

"Momentum = Pedro"

The A's have won both games this year against Pedro when playing at home.

The statistic I really don't like is their MLB record of 8 consecutive losses when they have a chance to win a division series. I just wanted to puke when I watched the game on Saturday night. I don't think a team can play any worse than the A's did.

[Clarkmeister]

Obviously the last loss wasn't Pedro's fault.

[Mike Gallo]

No..can you say bullpen?

Pedro pitched lights out last game.

I look forward to the game, and the resulting meeting with the Evil Empire..the Yankees.

[Boris]

no, of course not. I'm just pointing out that they have been able to win games that Pedro has started.

Here's a link to funny article all time chokers. The Red Sox are already there and if the A's lose tonight they will be right along side the Sox in the Gasping for Air club.
web page (http://espn.go.com/page2/s/murphy/031006.html)

[ohkanada]

After the Twins, I consider myself a Red Sox fan. I think the only fault of Pedro in the 1st game is giving up 3 early runs and forcing the Red Sox the need to comeback.

Against Zito, tonight they don't want to have to comeback again.

Ken Poklitar

[andyfox]

Zito is not exactly chopped liver, but he's pitching on 3 days rest, he doesn't trust his fastball, and he's been inconsistent this year compared to his Cy Young year.

The A's have to be shellshocked. They played like a 5th place little league squad on Saturday and they were one pitch away from getting out of the 8th inning jam on Sunday. I'm not so sure Ortiz's ball shouldn't have been caught. There are some new players on the squad, but enough of them have seen them lose the 5th game of the ALDS three years in a row to be thinking about it.

And then there's Pedro. Game, set, match.

Boston 6, Oakland 1.

[Boris]

The Sox had their chance to pound Zito in Game 2, a day game in which the ball carries very well in the Oakland Coliseum. They only scored one run. Night time is totally different. The ball doesn't carry at all. Zito could easily go the distance tonight. The A's have managed to score runs on Pedro in the first two meetings so I don't see why this should be any different.

I agree with you about the ball Ortiz hit. I think what happened is that Dye had a hard time picking up the ball because the batter's box was in the shade and Dye was in the sun. It's very difficult to see into a dim area when you are in an area with reletively more light.

[andyfox]

One of the enjoyable things about watching so far, for me, has been the 3 old ballparks. Yankee Stadium had a lot of its idiosyncracies taken out when they last renovated it, but I love watching when the Red Sox and Cubs are at home. With the sun out there, right field in Fenway may be more difficult than playing in left during the day.

[lil']

I refer everyone to game 5 of the 1999 ALDS. Pedro was on fire that night, and he will, nay he MUST, be on fire again tonight.

[B-Man]

All the pressure in the world is on the A's (0-8 in elimination games). They must feel like THEY are the team with the "curse" on them.

Pedro threw 130 pitches in Game 1, but is rested; Zito is on 3 days rest, something he has never done before. I read today that starting pitchers in the playoffs ae 5-15 since 1998 when starting on 3 days rest. There's a reason for that--these guys just aren't used to doing it. Sure Schilling can do it and excel, but he is the exception, not the rule.

I'll be shocked if the Red Sox lose tonite.

[andyfox]

On 3 days rest, Zito did indeed tire in the 6th. That 86 mph fastball needs to be properly located and, obviously, two of them were improperly located.

As usual, the A's had their quote thrown out on the basepaths.

I felt the A's were going to pull it out in the 9th. What did you think of Grady playing the infield in with one out?

[B-Man]

Zito was tremendous until he tired. I was terrified the Sox were going to lose 1-0.

I think Grady Little is a terrible manager. He wasted Timlin--who has been outstanding for the last month or so--on one batter. If he was going to bring in Timlin after Embree blew away 2 batters, then he should have let Timlin start the 9th after he blew away the one batter he faced.

In the 9th, after the sac bunt, I definitely would have walked the bases loaded. Derek Lowe is not a strikeout pitcher, he's a ground ball pitcher, and the highest percentage play was to play for a double play. Of course D-Lowe came up huge with two strikeouts, and Grady can sleep tonite.

What a game--I don't know how I will ever sleep tonite.

I have tickets for Pedro vs. Clemens saturday at Fenway!!!

[joeysmalls]

Man, I wish I saw this earlier. But I have to say that I've been telling everyone since Friday that I'm going to game 4 of the ALCS in fenway.

Fu@k the Yankees,
JT

[andyfox]

I don't like walking the bases loaded and then bringing in a new pitcher. And given the fact that Lowe's control had been suspect in prior games . . .

But he sure took a chance pulling the infield in.

I wonder if a team has ever taken two called third strikes with the winning runs on base to end a series.

Very exciting game, one of the best.

"I have tickets for Pedro vs. Clemens saturday at Fenway!!"

Cool! Enjoy! I still remember Joe Torre's remark when asked when the best time is to face Pedro. "Up two games to zero."
Hopefully, that's where the Yankees will be then. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

As a Yankee fan, I was pulling for the A's because I think they're the weaker team right now with Mulder and (perhaps) Hudson out. With all due respect to the A's, I think the two best teams are in the Championship Series.

[Joe Tall]

Hey andy,

I've got Game 3 tix also! I might be trading them for Game 4, but if I do got to game 3 I'll PM ya.

Peace,
JT

[Mike Gallo]

Hi Everyone,

The A's gagged yet again. Terence Long will probably have a difficult time sleeping again for a while.

How many of you cringed when you saw Johnny Damons collision in the outfield? I still shudder when I think of it.

We should have an epic ALCS. The Evil Empire against the Sox.

I have to visit Foxwoods now.

[Joe Tall]

[ QUOTE ]
How many of you cringed when you saw Johnny Damons collision in the outfield?

[/ QUOTE ]

I did. However, having some experience with head-ons (this may explain a few things /images/graemlins/crazy.gif), I was sure the worse thing that would have happened was a broken eye-socket. I actually thought that Jackson would remain in the game, he hit the top of his head, the hardest part of the body and Johnny suffered a concusion. I guess when you play rugby for 2 seasons you get used to such things.

A's = Buffalo Bills,
JT