Aught
Game 16: April 21, 2005
Red Sox (10-6), 1
Orioles (9-7), 0
W: Matt Clement (2-0)
S: Keith Foulke (3)
L: Rodrigo Lopez (2-1)
The Baltimore Orioles are a tough team to beat. Just ask the Yankees, who got swept by them.
The Orioles are so hot right now, I can’t see them getting shutout two games in a row. That would be inconceivable.
I mean, could you imagine a starting pitcher like say, Clement, going 8 innings against them and having 8 hits, no runs, 1 base on balls, 7 strikeouts, and leaving with a 2.13 ERA? Or a closer, someone like Foulke, getting his third save against them?
There’s no way a utility infielder batting 8th, like Ramon Vazquez of the Red Sox, would be responsible for the only score of the game with an RBI-generating ground out to the second baseman. No, not against this vaunted Orioles team, who have insistent contact hitters such as Brian Roberts and Melvin Mora as well as offensive powerhouses named Miguel Tejada, Sammy Sosa, and Rafael Palmeiro arrayed against their opposition. And don’t even fantasize about the Red Sox getting a win against Lopez, who have .275 BA and .339 OBP against him.
Trot Nixon could not have fished out a double hit to deep right field by Jay Gibbons in the 4th with Palmeiro on base, surely a guaranteed run. Can you envision Nixon then getting an outfield assist, throwing to Kevin Millar who throws to Jason Varitek, who only just gets Palmeiro’s spikes with the tag before the first baseman slides into home plate?
These kinds of things would never happen. Nope. Because the Orioles own the Red Sox. Don’t they? I mean, this is the team that swept the Yankees.
Comments
Sexy post. Thank God for Ramon Vazquez, huh?
Mike ∙ 22 April 2005 ∙ 4:29 AM
Oh yeah, something that I thought you might find nice to look at:
after only 16 games:
Sox Starters:
Tim Wakefield 1.37 ERA
Matt Clement 2.13 ERA
David Wells 3.51 ERA
Bronson Arroyo 3.86 ERA
Curt Schilling 6.75 ERA
All Starters: 3.15 ERA (4 unearned runs)
Yankee Starters:
Carl Pavano 2.86 ERA
Mike Mussina 4.50 ERA
Randy Johnson 5.13 ERA
Kevin Brown 9.00 ERA
Jaret Wright 10.05 ERA
All Starters: 5.46 ERA (12 unearned runs)
Mike ∙ 22 April 2005 ∙ 11:24 AM
Yeak and if you tack off those 4 runs from Arroyo that happened after the non-K of Sheffield(It was a K!), then you got a more impressive ERA. Just sayin'
PTH ∙ 22 April 2005 ∙ 4:51 PM