Empyreal Environs

They take their baseball seriously in Chicago.

They are also unfailingly loyal.

The only thing that would be worse is if he had some Cubbies gear, too.

In the first frame with two runners on Adam Dunn accomplished the true outcome that gave his team a 3-0 lead. The White Sox never trailed. Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s two-run four-bagger brought the visitors within three runs.

Matt Thornton allowed David Ortiz and Mike Napoli to reach on walks in the seventh. Daniel Nava flied out to right and Ortiz tagged up. With runners at the corners Will Middlebrooks lofted to the ball to left field where Dayan Viciedo mistimed his leap. The double allowed Ortiz and Napoli to score. Pale Hose relievers Jesse Crain and Addison Reed fared better than Thornton, however, shutting down the visitors for final two frames.

Comparing Boston and Chicago’s current sports resumes, the Bruins are ahead 2-0 in hockey while the Blackhawks are down 2-1. The Bulls advanced past the first round of the NBA finals, unlike the Celtics, but lost to the Heat 4-1. Neither city’s MLS teams are doing well. Both of Chicago’s MLB franchises are under .500 but the Red Sox are vying for first in the AL East.

I would say that the red and blue-wigged denizens of U.S. Cellular Field tip the scale in favor of Boston but the preponderance of Wally hats evens out the race.

Game 45: May 20, 2013
Boston Red Sox 27-18	4	L: Jon Lester (6-1)
		2B: Will Middlebrooks (12) HR: Jarrod Saltalamacchia (5)
Chicago White Sox 20-23	6	W: Dylan Axelrod (2-3) H: Jesse Crain (13) S: Addison Reed (15)
		2B: Tyler Greene (2), Alejandro De Aza (8), Alexei Ramirez (9), Jeff Keppinger (4) HR: Adam Dunn (11)

21 May 2013 ∙ 7:27 PM ∙ May 2013 Game Comments ∙ Permalink ∙ Comments: 0
Tags: Middlebrooks (Will) ∙ White Sox

The three hour, fifteen-minute duration of the game was just a quarter-hour less than the rain delay. David Ortiz tweeted during the delay, “Raining for 2 hours and no one will call the game.... Come on!!!!!”

Once a game starts it is the umpire-in-chief’s call when the game should recommence. According to Rule 3.10, “The umpire-in-chief shall at all times try to complete a game. His authority to resume play following one or more suspensions of as much as 30 minutes each shall be absolute and he shall terminate a game only when there appears to be no possibility of completing it.” Thus Jeff Kellogg ensured that this game would be completed, particularly because this was the last meeting of these two teams this season.

During the delay Boston fans got to watch the Bruins defeat the Rangers in the second game of the Eastern Conference semifinals with the improbable score of 5-2. Henrik Lundqvist hadn’t allowed five goals in a match since March 9, 2011. At Target Field what little remained of the crowd watched The Sandlot in celebration of the movie’s 20th anniversary. “You’re killin’ me, Smalls!”

John Lackey had a perfect game going until Trevor Plouffe’s leadoff double in the fifth. Were it not for the weather Lackey could have gone for a complete game one-hitter like Jon Lester’s against the Blue Jays.

Will Middlebrooks scored the first run of the game with a solo shot in the second inning, a circuit clout to the opposite field. About a feature film and a half later Dustin Pedroia lofted the ball to left field with Jonny Gomes on base. Josh Willingham leaped for the ball but couldn’t glove it. The ball bounced along the top of the padded wall and fell out of the park. The remaining fans cheered and jeered, Red Sox adherents gathered behind the visitors’ dugout and Twins devotees backing the home dugout.

The only disappointment to the day was that the Red Sox final score didn’t exactly match the Bruins’, at least to the OCD sports fan.

Game 44: May 19, 2013
Boston Red Sox 27-17	5	W: John Lackey (2-4) H: Andrew Miller (4), Koji Uehara (9)
		HR: Will Middlebrooks (8), Dustin Pedroia (2)
Minnesota Twins 18-22	1	L: Pedro Hernandez (2-1)
		2B: Trevor Plouffe (9), Wilkin Ramirez (3)

20 May 2013 ∙ 6:54 PM ∙ May 2013 Game Comments ∙ Permalink ∙ Comments: 0
Tags: Lackey (John) ∙ Middlebrooks (Will) ∙ Pedroia

Twins official scorer Stew Thornley granted Craig Breslow the win in this blowout. Usually the pitcher who assumes the mound after the starter gets the win, but Clayton Mortensen’s two-thirds of an inning with two hits and a walk wasn’t as effective as Breslow’s 1⅔ innings with one hit and a base on balls. Thus Thornley was able to use his discretion and did so wisely.

This judgment seems fairer than Alex Wilson’s two-pitch win from Friday’s game. Andrew Miller had preceded Wilson with 1⅔ innings of perfect pitching with three strikeouts. But that ruling had to do with when the Red Sox scored and the pitcher of record definition and cannot be attributed to the scorer’s decision.

Thornley shares the official scorer responsibility with Gregg Wong. Wong taught Twins blogger Tracy Perlman how to keep score. It’s a hobby for some, like me, but as the guardian of the statistics that the MLB compiles it is essential to the history of the sport. Last year Thornley, Wong, and the official scorer for the Nationals, David Vincent, were in a SABR panel moderated by Kevin Hennessy.

This game lasted almost four hours, as long as the typical Red Sox-Yankees tilt. I give credit to Thornley for being attentive throughout the contest. Aaron Gleeman tweeted, “On my death bed I’m going to think about the fact that I watched every second of this Twins-Red Sox game on a Saturday night.”

Two things scorers can’t gauge are artistic merit and impact collision. In the bottom of the sixth inning Aaron Hicks popped up to Dustin Pedroia, who was shaded all the way behind first base. Pedroia made the catch with his back to home.

While the second baseman gathered the ball the 6'1", 220-pound Ryan Doumit lumbered to home plate to try to score. Ryan Lavarnway, who is 6'4" and 225 pounds, received the relay from Pedroia and calmly blocked the plate. Doumit couldn’t knock the ball out of Lavarnway’s mitt and the Red Sox ended the sixth with a sequence that is blandly notated as a 4-2 double play. Mostly it’s the numbers, but that twin killing was about the blending of style and grit.

Game 43: May 18, 2013
Boston Red Sox 26-17	12	W: Craig Breslow (1-0) S: Koji Uehara (1)
		2B: Jonny Gomes (4), Dustin Pedroia (11) HR: David Ortiz – 2 (7), Daniel Nava (6)
Minnesota Twins 18-21	5	L: Scott Diamond (3-4)
		2B: Josh Willingham (9), Joe Mauer (17), Ryan Doumit (9)

19 May 2013 ∙ 1:11 PM ∙ May 2013 Game Comments ∙ Permalink ∙ Comments: 0
Tags: Breslow ∙ Doumit ∙ Lavarnway ∙ official scorer ∙ Pedroia

Pedro Florimon has hit two home runs this season. Both of them have come against the Red Sox. There’s just something about Boston’s pitchers that turns this nine-hole hitter into a slugger. His two-run shot in the bottom of the third put his team ahead 2-1. He didn’t even need the aid of the jutting section in right field to visit souvenir city.

It took until the seventh but the Red Sox tied the game. Jonny Gomes led off the frame with a base on balls and scooted to third on Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s line drive single to center. Jacoby Ellsbury stroked the ball up the middle where Florimon got to it but only managed to deflect it to Aaron Hicks in center. Gomes scored the tying run on the single.

The Twins and Red Sox were deadlocked until the tenth. Dustin Pedroia led off with a single and David Ortiz followed with a walk. John Farrell called for Will Middlebrooks to sacrifice bunt and Ron Gardenhire countered by intentionally walking hot-hitting Stephen Drew. Gomes took this personally and lofted the ball to center to plate the go-ahead run.

Koji Uehara pitched a perfect tenth inning with two strikeouts to secure the series opener. Whether it’s a hold or a save, Uehara celebrates lustily with his teammates all the same.

The 3-2 score and win in overtime is reminiscent of the Bruins’ win against the Rangers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Brad Marchand scored the winning goal, just as the shortest Red Sox player represented the winning run.

Game 42: May 17, 2013 ∙ 10 innings
Boston Red Sox 25-17	3	W: Alex Wilson (1-0) S: Koji Uehara (1)
		2B: Stephen Drew (5)
Minnesota Twins 18-20	2	BS: Brian Duensing (1) L: Josh Roenicke (1-1)
		2B: Trevor Plouffe (8) HR: Pedro Florimon (2)

18 May 2013 ∙ 6:00 PM ∙ May 2013 Game Comments ∙ Permalink ∙ Comments: 0
Tags: Bruins ∙ Gomes (Jonny) ∙ Pedroia

If I had to do the same again, I would, my friend, Fernando.

Fernando Rodney walked the first two batters he faced but then got Mike Napoli to strike out on his change-up. Daniel Nava nearly did the same but didn’t bite at a change-of-pace pitch in the dirt and loaded the bases. Unfortunately Stephen Drew didn’t learn from Napoli and Nava and struck out on three pitches. Will Middlebrooks was paying close attention because he didn’t end up ahead of Rodney’s off-speed pitch but stayed with it. With one swing Middlebrooks cleared the bases and granted his team the win.

The gong guy got into his gong getup for nothing.

Don’t blame these guys! They’re just the hired help, brought in to attempt to grace the atmosphere of Tropicana Field with a touch of class. Tom Ford tuxedos for no reason.

Goodness knows this venue needs something to grant it the air of dignity. A difficult thing, what with the gong guy, cowbells, white ceiling, drink races, and catwalks. The Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame helps with that.

Game 41: May 16, 2013
Boston Red Sox 24-17	4	W: Junichi Tazawa (3-2)
		2B: Shane Victorino (4), Will Middlebrooks (11)
Tampa Bay Rays 20-20	3	H: Jake McGee (8), Joel Peralta (10) BS, L: Fernando Rodney (3, 1-2)
		HR: Ryan Roberts (3)

17 May 2013 ∙ 8:48 PM ∙ May 2013 Game Comments ∙ Permalink ∙ Comments: 0
Tags: Middlebrooks (Will) ∙ Rodney (Fernando) ∙ Williams (Ted)