Nadir

I'm tempted to give this game the old Single Line Post of Extreme Agony, but I find I don't want to gloss over Daisuke. What we saw from him last night was an extremely encouraging thing and he deserves credit for a gutsy performance with literally a world's worth of pressure on his shoulders.

Remy pointed out that if we think we've been Chicken Littles about Daisuke, we should see what's been going on in Japan. Apparently the Japanese press has been reporting on his pitch selection in bullpen sessions. Tonight, Remy assured us, they would all be glued to the television just like we were on the other side of the world. "Sounds like they're just like us," he said. Except I would submit that they are like us, but to a whole new degree I didn't even conceive of before Daisuke arrived. And it turns out that as hardass and scary as we Boston fans think we can be in times of frustration, this fan base is actually the least of Daisuke's problems right now.

Somehow, though he still struggled at times, Daisuke had a different air about him tonight, an air of total determination and maybe even a little attitude. As he faced Hideki Matsui for the final out of the first inning, attempting to clean up the mess that had been made by an error and HBP, he had a foxy little smile ever-so-subtly playing around the corners of his eyes and lips. His fastball was (perhaps paradoxically?) both lively and deadly, and when he put A-Rod away with it to close out his half of the fifth, I was sure this would turn out to be a feel-good game.

Dice didn't get past the sixth inning, but won the longevity battle against his Yankees counterpart, Andy Pettitte, who was run out of the game after four innings with 101 pitches on his arm; his season high for pitches is 119, and his average number of pitches per game this season total has been 100. And his average number of innings per start ain't four. The Sox lineup did a great job of running him early, in this first half of the game that now seems as if it was a separate contest, which we won in the parallel universe where it now exists only as a figment of our imagination.

You know. Not that I'm upset or anything.

With the score at 5-2 once Daisuke left, and a Born Again Hard Mike Timlin taking care of the loose ends to seal the sixth, things seemed to be moving along swimmingly. And Thank God, I thought. After all the shit this week with the Patriots, this region needs this win like you wouldn't believe.

And then...

You know, I really just don't even know what to say about it. On that front, I'm still reduced to agonized reticence suitable for the One Line Post of Extreme Agony. Except I really don't even have a one-liner for you, either. Best I can do, I think, is just point you in the direction of an article that has all the facts, in case you missed what happened and are lucky enough to have no clue what I'm talking about.

It? Was awful. And as Forrest Gump or Bill Belichick would say, that's all I have to say about that.

Joshie, not one, not two, but three nations turn their lonely eyes to you. All I can say is, just please throw us a freakin' bone here today. Please.

Comments

[maxwell horse]

I know everyone will want to blame Okajima for last night. But WTF was Varitek thinking? Oki throws an 88 mph fastball and that's pretty much ALL Tek was calling for. Literally, I think Oki might've thrown one curve in his entire appearance. And maybe one of his trademark split/changes. I'm starting to seriously doubt all the praise Tek gets all the time for his supposed brilliant pitch-calling. (It's also easier for me to throw Tek under the bus for his pitch-calling decisions when he seems to strike out in every at bat. I know those two are totally unrelated things, but I don't care.)

And goddamnit, what was Tito doing going to Okajima in the first place with a 5-run lead? And mother*%$!, why didn't Tito use any consideration or logic when it came to Oki's usage this year? Now we're getting towards the playoffs and it's clear that Oki if friggin' toast.

No doubt about it, last night was the worst loss. I don't mean of the Red Sox 2007 season, but worst lost ever. Worst in baseball. Worst in the history of competitive sports. Last night was the worst loss ever in the entire history of all human-based conflicts. And I'm including wars in that group.

[COD]

Paps clearly was not warmed up in when he came in. I blame Francona for that. I've never understood major league managers penchant for changing something that is working. Lopez was looking fine, so why not leave him in against the lefties coming up. If he falters, then go to the next lefty.

[Jai/MoonstarMA]

The whole management of the bullpen in the later innings is still baffling me, even after a fitful night's sleep. I don't understand why Gagne wasn't warming up side-by-side with Paps and used in the 8th. And I never thought I would see the day that a 5 run lead wouldn't be preserved by Oki and Paps. It's like the whole world turned upside-down.
I'm seconding Beth's plea to Joshie. If we ever could use a victory, it's today. What a waste of a fine performance by Dice-K.

[Amy]

Shocking. I am shocked. And I try not to question Tito, but the bullpen management last night did baffle me. I'm concerned about the Oki situation and have been for awhile, but bringing Paps in in the 8th with no outs seems to defy logic. When I saw that no one else was warming, I got that bad, sinking feeling.
Joshie, save us.

[Bloggy]

God...the heat I'm gonna get from my Yankee fan friends. I was listening to the radio broadcast...and...

There's nothing more I can add to this that hasn't already been said above. Bringing Papelbon in the eighth...well it seemed like desperation, didn't it? And that's what kinda concerns me. It was like a panic call.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!! It's all coming apart! GIMME PAPELBON GIMME PAPELBON!!!" At that point, I got a feeling similar to the one I had when Grady Little walked off the mound with Pedro still standing there. Just an entire wash of "wrong call" over the entirety of me.

[Sammy]

//Last night was the worst loss ever in the entire history of all human-based conflicts. And I'm including wars in that group//

maxwell - have you already forgotten Grenada?

[mouse]

I try to focus on the good that came out of last night; Matsuzaka, the offense (which is surprisingly hanging in there without Manny), Timlin & Lopez, continued signs of life from Drew. It makes me feel better.

But yes, last night was the very definition of an agonizing, gut-punch loss, and of course everything is magnified when it's against the Yankees. I felt sick to my stomach when I saw that flat Papelbon splitter float up to the plate to Abreu. Two seconds later the game was tied, and then five seconds after that, the enemy had the lead. Going to take a few days to repress this memory.

I feel like Princess Leia at the moment, wanting to shout out repeatedly, "Help us, Obi Wan Beckett! You're our only hope!" [Sigh]

[Devine]

It suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucked!

Can we win today, please? I feel like sh*t today.

[Devine]

Actually, I'm starting to feel...legitimately excited about this game. Damn it.