Game 16: Missing: One MacBook Air
ByIt’s the joke that keeps giving. I’ve talked to a few bleacher creatures attending tonight’s game — our own Ben K. included — and it appears we could have a “Where’s my lap-top? Clap, clap, clap clap clap” chant going on at some point.
Buchholz pitched well last time out, giving up a run over six innings of work. Of course, he ran up his pitch count a bit, hitting 98 by the end of the sixth, forcing Terry Francona to go the bullpen. He chose Mike Timlin, freshly off the DL, and paid the price.
On the other mound is Chien-Ming Wang, who was just slightly better than Buchh on Friday night. Okay, a lot better. To the point where if it wasn’t for a botched Abreu play, we’d have been screaming at Coco Crisp for his 9th inning bunt single (noting, as Michael Kay would, the fallacy of the predetermined outcome). He kept the Sox on their toes last time around. Let’s see what he’s got up his sleeve tonight.
Johnny Damon gets the night off, so Melky Cabrera moves into the leadoff spot. You’d expect me to complain about this, but I’ve been more than pleased with what I’ve seen of Melky thus far. No, I still don’t like his swing all that much, but he’s looked a bit more comfortable at the plate, and has taken his share of pitches — a hair over four per plate appearance. He’s also walked four times to just five strikeouts.
Your lineup:
1. Melky Cabrera, CF
2. Derek Jeter, SS
3. Bobby Abreu, RF
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Hideki Matsui, LF
6. Jorge Posada, DH
7. Jason Giambi, 1B
8. Robinson Cano, 2B
9. Chad Moeller, C
And on the mound, number forty, Chien-Ming Wang
And for your visiting Boston Red Sox:
1. Ellsbury, CF
2. Pedroia, 2B
3. Ortiz, DH
4. Ramirez, LF
5. Youkilis, 3B
6. Drew, RF
7. Varitek, C
8. Casey, 1B
9. Lugo, SS
And the damn laptop stealer is pitching.
218 Comments»
RAB Info
The Founders
Mike Axisa, Ben Kabak, Joe Pawlikowski
Editor-In-Chief
Mike Axisa Archives | Email
Managing Editors
Ben Kabak Archives | E-mail
Joe Pawlikowski Archives | E-mail
Contributing Editors
Larry Koestler (Archives)
Moshe Mandel (Archives)
Stephen Rhoads (Archives)
Weekend Writers
Hannah Ehrlich (Archives)
Matthew Warden (Archives)
Special Contributor
J.R. O'Grady (Archives)
Technical Consultant
Jay Gordon
Subscribe to RAB by RSS and Twitter
Follow @RiverAveBlues Search RAB
Banner Design By
The Mason Williams Watch
I’ve got a problem. Maybe you guys can give me some advice.
I’m looking to get a roommate, and I plan on moving in May 1st. Last night I called her and she said she was going to the game tonight. “Uh, oh, who do you root for?” She said the Sox. I’m a little worried. Can I even move in with her? I really really really hope she’s not one of those “WOO CHECK OUT MY PINK SAWX HAT” people.
I can’t see things ending well if she’s “typical” in that sense. The loudest cheers I make are the occasional single clap accompanied by a “yes!” when something big happens. Her personality, thus far, dictates that she may be loud. I’m a bit worried, to say the least…
Ask her if she has pink Red Sox panties. If she does and lets you see them, maybe, just maybe consider it.
Otherwise just tell her to go to hell.
str8 up, if she looks hot, keep her……
I really don’t like the Red Sox.
Feel it out. If she’s a true baseball fan you’ve got a gem. Quiz her on some current events and some pre-2004 stuff. But if she’s this “woo check out my pink sawx hat” chick……then RUN!!!! FORREST!!! RUN!!!!
As a Sox fan, I agree with Dave. If she’s a true fan, you guys will have fun with it. If she’s a bandwagon, I root for the Sox because my friends do, I love that manny ortiz guy type of fan, run screaming away (when you’ve had enough of the Sex and are ready for soemthing new)
If my wife was a yankees fan I’d still love her as she and my daughter are certainly more important than baseball. Then again, my wife has a crush on Jason Varitek, thinks derek jeter might just be the “prominent” gay mlb’er you occasionally hear whispers about, and is pretty solid in her hatred of the yankees, so she’s perfect in my book.
I’ve been waiting for the “where’s my laptop” chant for a long long time… give Ben a big thanks next time you talk to him, assuming he can help get it going.
i’d give ANYTHING to hug gary busey.
on a more serious note, i swear theyre gonna start cutting away in the middle of innings to show guiseppe.
Did you know that Guiseppe Franco doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page?
at one point in my life even I had a wikipedia page (friends made it).
any idea what inning the laptop chant will be coming? i want to crank up the volume for that
Hopefully nice and early so it gets in his head. You know, just like what they did to Hawkins.
Simply unbelievable…how can anyone take wikipedia seriously if guiseppe doesnt have a page?
someone please make one, if only to restore my faith in the interwebs.
First base open, 2 outs. Pitch to him. 30% of the time it works every time.
same old same old…. can someone just beat this guy or something
I like Bobby’s pose way more than Manny’s
CONTRACT YEAR BABY $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Lata!
bobby!
alex!
A-BOMB from A-ROD !!!!!!
Alex HR has not landed yet.
somebody forgot to tell the laptopper that he doesnt have to wear EVERY piece of jewelry he made in arts ‘n crafts.
he didn’t make them, waited behind the bushes after class last year and ripped them from the clutches of smiling 11 yr-olds. Truly a sick human being.
okay, I have a choice of Morgan on ESPN or Kay on YES (via MLB.tv)… tought choice. I’m thinking ESPN with mute
well with flaherty and kay in the same booth, i doubt we get a single second of silence on YES… both guys love to talk.
Leiter: “It’s weird, Varitek as a LHb likes the ball high, which is different because most LHB like the ball down.”
Kay: “That’s unusual, most LHB like the ball down.”
Wang has nothing tonight.
i’m following it on gameday, he looks all over the place ? but who knows with gameday, or is that the case ?
he’s having trouble throwing strikes, and the ones he’s throwing aren’t Wang like pitches… lots of pitches in the dirt too
he’s gonna have to figure it out like andy last night.
Do the sox practice running out of the base path
Bases loaded, no outs, and they only get one run. (Relatively) owned.
Wang is a HELL of pitcher. To get out of that with what he has tonight. Damn Good.
Considering he’s got the worst control of his life, I guess we are doing good so far.
Giambi’s been so bad that he’s starting to swing at pitches way out of the strike zone, like that last one. If he doesn’t have his patience, he’s got nothing.
Morgan: “I’ve seen Pedroia make some of the greatest plays EVER by a second basemen, but this wasn’t one of them”
Really? Ever? Mike tell Ben I’ll post bail if he’ll go into the press box and take Morgan out…
That was a pretty terrible call. I think the ump knew it too the way he walked away. He was like “oops”
What was a bad call? (I’m stuck watching it on gamecast)
The strikeout on Melky. He checked his swing. I didn’t see a replay of it, but in real time it looked like he went maybe 1/3 of the way around.
thanks.
here’s the thing; I understand giambi’s a pull hitter, and the “would you ask papi or delgado to go the other way?” argument. and i wouldnt want him to trade 20 bombs for an increase in batting average.
but i think if he could just prove that he can go the other way if he needs to, theyd loosen up the ridiculous shift, and hed be a lot better off when he does pull it.
Speaking from the experience of watching Ortiz lay down 2-3 bunts per year, it doesn’t relax the shift, they’re happy to give ‘em the bunts in comparison to what could happen I guess.
Nice little bit of news from Pete, I’m sure some of you have read it, but for those who haven’t:
“UPDATE, 5:57 p.m.: Good news out of Nebraska. Joe Girardi reports that Harlan Chamberlain is doing “significantly better” and is sitting up in bed. …”
It seems that Buchholz has much better control of his secondary pitches than his fastball. His fastball control is not really been a strength of his (not to mention it’s straight).
But he commands his secondary pitches extremely well and his change is pretty nasty.
but don’t the experts say it’s his arm slot and head movement or something that create deception that make his fastball harder to hit?
When you have two secondary pitches like buchholz has, your fastball is gonna look faster than what it really is. Scous have said that his Fastball is really his third best pitch because not only his curve and change are nasty but his fastball command is not great and it’s straight.
His curve and changeup are outstanding. He uses his fastball almost as a show-me pitch.
Manny, the dugout’s the other way.
that rat’s nest on his head must weigh that empty space down forcing him to not know what he’s doing
I just came back from coaching little league, what did I miss?!?! How far was Abreu’s and Arod’s homerun.
A-Rod’s was a BOMB. Tavarez caught it with his hat near the little glass house in the bullpen. Abreu’s was first or second row of the RF bleachers.
Thanks mike. I was rubbing it in my kids faces when I checked on my phone.
I’m going to assume the team you coach is the Yankees?
Nope bunch of Sox fans, on my phone I was like “whats up with all these pick off attempts” Then abreu hit a hr I was like BITCH take a lap. all of you.
I hate it when our offense goes to sleep like this.
Macbook with 60 pitches after 3. We could see the Sox bullpen in the 5th…
LMAO, Matsui Humped the wall!
That bitch on ESPN just called Girardi “Joe Torre”
Whos that guy
some no name minor league coach I think. very rowdy, always causing a scene, cursing at players, telling the media to screw themselves
Wow, make a good throw there and he’s out by a mile.
Melky has to nail that. bad play
I really, really, really, hate the fucking Red Sox.
watching a bit of the Indians game. CC is getting rocked again. 5 runs in 5th inning, no out, bases loaded. Not looking good at all
grand slam Edgar Renteria, 9-1 now
Sheesh, what the hell happened to CC.
A ton of innings last year.
And, well, Pitcher’s get hurt. And yes, Sabathia’s hurt. GREAT pitchers don’t suck that badly that many times in a row and be okay in the arm.
I forgot about Mike Stanley. They trade him i think and fired Showalter and Gammons said the Yankees wouldn’t win a championship for the next 10 years.
I guess Pete got that wrong LOL
I think the “if Giambi could just push a bunt down the 3B line, he’d have an easy hit” horse has been beaten beyond death.
I totally agree. Stop with this arguement. I betcha once Giambi gets hot and lauches homeruns like cazy, you won’t here them say hit the ball the other way.
Great at-bat by Moeller, regardless of outcome.
B-e-a-utiful.
MO-ELLER!
HAHAHAHA !!!!!
CHAD!!!!!!
jorge who?
jose who?
Come on Melk. Do ya thing.
Is it me or has Buchholz is becoming predictable. If I was a hitter I would sit on the change or curveball.
He’s gone to the change for every big pitch he’s needed to make this game.
Melky go smash.
Look at that patience by the Melk man! You had him all wrong Mike. lol
C’mon Cap’n Jetes
Pitcher’s on the ropes, BIG chance to break it open right here. A shot into the L-CF gap would be a thing of beauty.
Time slows down, the ball glides, forever it seems, and you jump up and down watching everyone round the bases.
Doesnt get any better.
THE CAPTAIN come on Jeep…jeep get us into that shit pen please
92 pitches for laptop man
btw, have they done the laptop chant yet? I haven’t heard it and it doesn’t look like he’ll be in much longer
Wheres-my-lap-top BOOM BOOM BOOM-BOOM-BOOM
I thought I heard it in the 3rd inning, but Kay wouldn’t shut the fuck up, so we’ll never know. At least not until I talk to Ben again.
I heard it in the third also, but very very quietly
Your idol has made you look like shit buddy! Can’t touch this
jeeeeeeeee-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetes!
WOOOOOOOOOOO Captain CrUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNCH!
THAT”S what i’m talking about BABY !!!!!!!!!
Nice. Welcome to the Bronx kid.
Mike, if this thread’s conversation is correct about Buchholz and his fastball is not powerful, how is he so highly rated? His curve has a ton of movement and his change seems solid, but it seems like his fastball isn’t fooling anyone. It’s feasible that this is just a bad outing and we’re not getting a great look at him, but it’s not adding up to me.
I’m not really knocking the kid, but I’ve seen Phil’s fastball and Joba’s fastball and I absolutely understand the hype.
aside: That was the most hilariously bad catching I’ve ever seen
What are we supposed to be seeing from Buch that I’m not tonight?
JETER……. I don’t even have the words……
Classic shot. Yep, the floor is what you see when you’re hanging your head in the dugout Clay.
His nails are DISGUSTING
I know you grow them out for more grip on the ball, that doesnt mean that you need green nails…
poor Wanger hasn’t been out in awhile, hopefully it doesn’t affect him too much
Thanks Julian. At least Buchholz made them earn it.
Where are all those Red Sox fans from Sunday ? Guys…. lots your key broads…Oh… Whitey…. where are you ?
I’ve already been in twice tonight….I’m here, but I’m at work so I can watch the game. I’m getting snippits from my crew as they listen to the radio and I’m checking Fox Sports, but it’s just not the same…
Sorry, should have read “can’t watch the game”
Comon now Wang, you gotta throw strikes with a 4-run lead.
I knew it. It was inevitable that we’d have to hear about this fucking travel again. Erg.
Please just walk him…. i know its not right but please just walk him
Wang not looking good, but I give him a break.
we got lucky
Oh my god, I wonder if he’s gonna get through 5? This is horrible pitching.
COME ON GET HIM OUT THERE !!!!!!!!
damn Wanger, come on. Is Mo available tonight after throwing the last 2 nights, and who else is in the pen? We have John A. (not even gonna try to spell it), and Rock n’ Rohlendorf… who else?
Bruney, Traber, and Paul O’Neill.
you mean Clemens?
The entire economy of Taiwan rests upon the shoulders of CM Wang? WTF is Kay talking about???
COME ON wang.
We can never put the game away against the red sux.
Fuck – he still gets too rattled when people are on base
It’s not that he was rattled, he had no command and he lost what little break he had in the top of the 5th. What could he do?
One batter too late Girardi.
Um … walk away for 10 minutes, come back and it’s another meltdown against Boston when the Yanks have the lead? All I can say is ouch.
How about taking a fucking walk to the mound and at least letting the guy catch his breath.
Ohlie’s got the look. Born to wear the stripes.
McClellans delay is even killing me, first I think he’s calling a ball, 10 minutes later he changes his mind. I mean I don’t mind it now because they’ve both been for the Yanks, but if it was the other way I’d be pissed. Both times good pitches though
%$(*&^%^&*()(#*&^%$@%^$@^@$*@^ shit
Crap. Casey hit a good pitch.
seriously. Lets get some runs back(if this inning ever ends
FUCK SHIT, 2 runs.
ohlendorf has been kinda disappointing so far this season
I didnt like him last year either.
I am not one to curse but…FUCK FUCK FUCK DOUBLE FUCK MOTHER FUCKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow
It’s surreal. Like you can see it all happening in slow motion but can do nothing to stop it.
The game’s not even half over. Relax.
I’m not upset, just sort of stunned.
They are going to win this on a walk off HR. I’m calling it.
I’m gonna hold you to that…
(and hope very anxiously that you are wrong
Yo this top inning is taking like 2 Hours
This blows. AND no joba.
Joe Morgan is unbearable!!!! Someone please get him off the air!!!
he’s unbearable, but I can’t hit the mute button, I just keep listening to see what other stupid shit he has to say
Like a car wreck huh…you really don’t want to see, but you just have that morbid curiosity
depending on what you’re looking for, either a 10-car pile up or stand-up comedy
I am about to give you serious props Whitey. If all sox fans were like you I wouldn’t hate the team. It is incredible but I find myself enjoying your comments most of the time.
with that in mind…The car wreck was the example I was going to give. Another one is the fat chick that bends over and shows off some G-string. you look and you don’t know why. It’s awful!
Very kind of you Mike, thanks.
I’m working on completely eliminating the asshole in me, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to poop anymore…;-)
FUCK!!!!!!!!! I FUCKING HATE THE RED SOX.!!!! FUCK!!!!
Dave, how do you really feel? I sense you’re holding something back and you really want to get it off your chest….
Well Whitey I think in began in 1986 when the chickenshit Wade Boggs sat out a weekend-season ending series so he could win the batting title and not Don Mattingly. But things got better in 1987 when the Sox handed Clemens a 9-0 lead after two innings before the Yanks put up an 11-spot in the bottom of the third. Things didn’t matter much because both teams sucked for a little while, but then the Red Sox somehow won the division in 1995 and it all started back up again.
I’m a Sox fan, DIE HARD, and I liked mattingly way better than Boggs.
My best friend was a Boggs guy and I was a Rice guy and we’d argue about who was better constantly.
The rivalry didn’t exist in it’s current form in the mid 80′s so it was easy to like mattingly, especially since I was a first baseman.
Wade Boggs ate too much chicken and screwed that numb bitch….she was probably Colonel Sanders’ daughter or something
You know what, come to think of it, I probably hated the Blue Jays more from 85-89. The always seemed to kill the Yankees. I swear it seemed like Fred McGriff homered every at-bat.
I went to college in Maine with a bunch of Canadians…made it easy to root against the jays in the early to mid nineties, unfortunately they were pretty good in that time frame…what was that all aboot, eh?
good baserunning by Jorge, somethings gotta be going right!!
this fuckin game is gonna give me a heart attack before its through
and yet its April, wait til August to have that blown gasket
Hope you packed a lunch fellas, this one’s got 14-12 and 5 hours written all over it.
hopefully not, yanks have no one in the ‘pen tonight
Nice job Robbie! It makes up for your first pitch hack (as per usual).
ah the beauty of these two ‘pens. This game could easily go on til first pitch tomorrow
Giambi could have gone to third on that one, but he decided not to show the sox up.
Giambi needs to take a taxi to go from first to third on a DOUBLE!
Little known fact:
Giambi was once thrown out at first on a walk. He is that slow.
LOL, classic!
Who wants to bet that Melky swings at the first pitch here with the bases loaded?
Thank you very much lugo!
Chad F’N Moeller!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How about that!!!!! Takes a walk and breaks that DP up!!
nice slide Chad, you must be getting pointers from Shelley!
nothing more than a good ol fashion slugfest.
Personally, I don’t like games when the score is 9-8 in the third inning. Mainly because if there is one thing that frustrate me more than bad hitting it’s bad Pitching. I jus like short and nice 3-2 or 2-1.
Hawkins wants to think he’s a sinkerball pitcher, now is his chance to prove it
Who’s that new guy that’s pitching? He’s soooo much better then that Hawkins bum!
his name is Clemens or something… not too bad
well at least on the night of the great Hawkins debate he did his job but im sure some of the long winded detractors will find fault somewhere.
Morgan: “I can’t wait to go to Chicago, I have a close friend there” Other guy: “you have close friends everywhere” and a long delay…
You got called out you bitch!
uh-oh. LaT had another good inning. Must be the number change
/sarc
These Ford Edge commercials slay me.
totally irrelevant to the game, but how is this for luck. i have Wang in a fantasy team, bench him last week since he was pitching in Fenway, and start him this week…..
what a theory by Michael Kay……
explain, some of us are watching ESPN
his wild theory was that sometimes offenses when they score alot of runs early get tired and stop scoring runs.
i think it took every ounce of restraint from leiter to not stab kay with his pen for saying that.
what the chad?
Chad doesn’t hit it very far, but he’s making contact and having some good at bats
Im more impressed by his intense at bats.
I say we sign Moeller to a long term deal. How does 6 years $69 million sound?
Ask Pavano’s agent. He’s good at wasting money.
that was a terrible slide.
YES replay showed Melky was safe…..
ESPN failed to aknowledge that and called it an excellent throw to get Melky ay 2nd.
I can’t believe an objective outfit like ESPN would say that!
1 pitch, 1 out, yay traber
Eat it Youk. High cheese is pasteurized, as in past your eyes.
Very nice, can I use that?
ZING!!
Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Barry Zito’s batting average (.200) is higher than his win % (0-4) lol
Our new 8th inning guy when Joba goes to the rotation?
I would guess so
Eh, Bruney was very good last April too. It’s still early…
but he’s skinnier! Yogi didn’t believe it was him
would you send Bruney back in the 9th if the Yanks score runs this inning? Give Mo a rest
absolutely. I didn’t think Mo would be available to pitch tonight in the first place
No and Yes. I absolutely give Mo the night off, but I would send Albaladejo in to pitch the 9th. I wouldn’t bring Bruney out for another inning, although it seems that is what Girardi has decided to do.
i would leave him in if the Yanks were up by 5, no less. We’ve already seen what can happen tonight.
almost there.
“I’ve seen Mo warming up and sit down before the ball lands, he’s very aware of when there’s a save situation”
Now Kay is just making shit up.
this isn’t a first, is it?
Giambino goin for the kill on that 1st pitch
No way in hell Mo should come in now. As long as they don’t bring in you-know-who, we should be okay
Hopefully the Sox look better tomorrow, yanks smoked ‘em good tonight.
Nice chatting with you…see you tomorrow…drive safe…
It’s not over yet.
Jeter is def going to bang Erin Andrews tonight.
I am so jealous.
it seems like every time wang is off against the sox they touch him up, even hitting good pitches and stuff. it annoys me. i don’t like it. i am not enthused with that outcome.
No way! Remember who she works for. She’s probably going home with Dustin Pedroia and telling him how “Scrappy” he is.
Yeah, you’re right. I think he needs a better plan -B against veteran teams. When his sinker is off, nothing else works.
hawkins has a “retire 21″ sticker posted prominently on his locker lol
Just got back from the game and GOD DAMN. What a game for me to go to that is just my second Yankees game ever.
Sitting in the RF Bleachers is one of the most enjoyable things one can do as a Yankees fans. From chanting “EAT A SALAD!…clap clap clapclapclap” to some fat ass in a Sawkz jersey or “YOU GOT MAN BOOBS! clap clap clapclapclap” to said fat ass earlier in the game there’s nothing like it. One guy did get thrown out for cursing too much which I think is so stupid because the cop was right next to him and that same cop warned somebody sitting right in front of the dude, so how stupid can one be?
Nothing like back-to-back HRs in the 1st inning and Bobby Abreu giving a little Manny-esque double finger point during the road calls. Derek Jeter had me laughing my ass off because during the calls he just waived his glove like “Stfu guys, pitch is being thrown”.
Also it was very funny watching LaTroy Hawkins jog in from the bullpen, you just heard people takin deep breaths ready to boo the hell out of him then they realized he was in #22 and you just heard the disappointment, which I felt was really sad.
Anyways, great game, only my 2nd game ever as @ Yankees Stadium and it couldn’t have been better.
…Surprised to find my laptop where I left it seeing as how a certain piece o’ crap thief left the game before the 4th inning was even finished.
Albie will be needed tomorrow to fill in for Joba.
Is Timlin becoming Boston’s Scott Proctor/Kyle Farnsworth? I love when he comes in, good things seem to happen.
Whitey14.
I was on my way to work when you came back on.
However, I respect that fact that you reply to me call you out last night. Your starting to grow on me. Now I must stop because I’m starting to feel sick being this nice to a Red Sox fan. LOL
Have a good day.
You’ve grown on me too, like a wart I guess
Just kidding!
Thanks for the kind words. It’s taken me some time, but I’m getting used to how this works. One thing I promise is to remain honest. I expect that and my good looks to get me by;-)