Sports of Boston » Brian Wilson

Giants Walk Red Sox 10 Times, Then Walk the Walk in 5-4 Win

KC Downey — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 07:07:44 +0000

The Red Sox have run into a bit of trouble on the current road trip out west. They lost two of three to the Rockies, including an excruciating loss during Jonathan Papelbon’s blown save on Wednesday night. Looking for a fresh start in San Francisco, the Sox got off on the right foot on Friday night.

Kevin Youkilis got the party started with a three-run shot off Giants lefty Jonathan Sanchez in the first inning. It seemed as if the Red Sox were going to get back on track, starting in the first inning of the first game of the series. The party wasn’t very fun for the Red Sox the rest of the way, as they were shut out over the next seven innings by Giants pitching, despite a total of 10 walks on the night.

Spotted a 3-0 lead, 43-year-old knuckleballer Tim Wakefield coughed up three runs right back in the second inning. After allowing an RBI single to Buster Posey, Wakefield, who’s normally a strong fielder and a good athlete, made an errant throw to first off Sanchez’s bunt, allowing two more runs to score.

The G-Men took a 4-3 lead the next inning on Juan Uribe’s home run, but were held scoreless until the eighth inning as Wakefield settled down. In the 8th, the Giants scored what became a huge insurance run off Ramon Ramirez, who was pitching in for relief of Wakefield (7 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 K). Old friend Freddy Sanchez did the trick, clubbing a sac fly to right to give the Giants a 5-3 lead.

SF closer Brian Wilson had a tough night, and had to throw a season-high 42 pitches over an inning and a third, but he managed close the game after allowing a run. Darnell McDonald grounded out with the bases loaded and two outs, marking the third time in the game the Red Sox had left the bases loaded. The Sox bats just didn’t have enough in the end, losing 5-4.

Sox Stud of the Game: Kevin Youkilis

Kevin Youkilis was the only Red Sox batter to collect two hits, and he was part of both of the team’s scoring plays. He hit a three-run shot in the first inning, and scored a run in the ninth on a Victor Martinez RBI single. He had tripled in the inning.

Sox Dud of the Game: Ramon Ramirez

The mediocre second season with the Sox continued for Ramirez, who allowed a crucial run in the eighth inning, giving the Giants a two-run cushion a the time.

Game Notes:

W: Jonathan Sanchez (6-5)
L: Tim Wakefield (2-6)
SV: Brian Wilson (21)

Bill Hall did not put the ball in the field of play on Friday, as he drew two walks and struck out three times.
Former Sox infielder Freddy Sanchez finished 0-3 with a walk and a sac fly.
Kevin Youkilis now has 15 HRs on the year.
The error was Wakefield’s first since the 2008 season. In fact, before Friday, Wake had only one error in the last five years.

Fantasy Baseball Wrap-Up: Week 19 (8-10 – 8-16)

Pete — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:30:14 +0000

Do you know who would be an awesome pitcher to have on your fantasy roster? Henry Rowengartner! Yeah, the kid from “Rookie of the Year”. Watch the film one more time. You will see that after his first ever appearance, he never allows another baserunner for the rest of the regular season. The kid struck out Barry Bonds for cryin’ out loud! Rowengartner would be a more dominant closer than Mariano Rivera.

OFFENSE

Adrian Gonzalez (1B), San Diego Padres

Just when you think he is done, Gonzalez proves you wrong. The Padres slugger destroyed everything in sight with videogame-like numbers by cranking out 19 hits with three home runs to give him 32 this season. In the process, Gonzalez raised his average from .251 to .279.

Ryan Howard (1B), Philadelphia Phillies

Howard continues to be a power and RBI threat with four home runs and a league-best 11 RBI all while hitting .381. Howard is once again having a great second half with a .306 avg, eight home runs, and 24 RBI since the break.

Hanley Ramirez (SS), Florida Marlins

Still arguably the best fantasy player (other than Pujols), Hanley stayed in the lead for the N.L. batting title by collecting 15 hits including four doubles and two home runs. Hanley also scored eight runs and swiped two more bases. Complain about there being not as much power as previous seasons (18), but Hanley has already posted a career-high in RBI with 82 and is hitting .356.

Chone Figgins (2B, 3B), L.A. Angels

Remember when Figgins qualified at every position except for catcher? Man, those were the days. Figgins predictably had no home runs, but he did manage 13 hits and four stolen bases. When you draft Figgins, you know what you are getting, which is speed and a .300 avg. So don’t bitch about the lack of power.

Brian Roberts (2B), Baltimore Orioles

I have a soft spot for doubles, so Roberts gets recognition this week. Roberts gave owners 12 hits including seven doubles, one home run, five RBI, and three stolen bases. If your league counts doubles, then Roberts is a gold mine. The Baltimore second baseman has had 40+ doubles in five of the last six seasons with two seasons of 50+ doubles. With 45 doubles already this year, Roberts will break his career-best of 51 doubles he had last season.

PITCHING

Jorge De La Rosa (SP, RP), Colorado Rockies

I hope you listened to me three weeks ago. De La Rosa was one of the few starters to win both of his starts last week. He struck out 20 batters in 13.1 innings with an impressive 0.68 ERA in the process. He is 5-1 since the break with a 3.00 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 39.0 innings.

Brian Wilson (RP), San Francisco Giants

How does a closer make it here with no saves last week? Well, by going 2-0 silly. Wilson allowed no runs and struck out six batters in four innings to improve to 5-5 on the season.

Ryan Franklin (RP), St. Louis Cardinals

Even though he failed to strike out any batters, Franklin still shut the door in the ninth inning and collected three saves without allowing any runs. Franklin leads all closers with a 1.17 ERA.

Scott Baker (SP), Minnesota Twins

Baker made his one start count by pitching a complete game shutout over Cleveland. Baker is having a stellar second half with a 2.29 ERA in 39.1 innings and August is his best month yet with a 2.66 ERA.

Justin Verlander (SP), Detroit Tigers

After two shaky outings (combined 10 ER in 14.0 IP), Verlander bounced back with eight shutout innings with eight strikeouts to give himself win number 13. Verlander leads the A.L. with 194 strikeouts, which is a career-high for him.

Why Should I Give a Crap About These Guys?

Randy Wolf (SP), L.A. Dodgers

Wolf has flown under the radar all season, but he has been a quality outings machine. Lately, he has compiled a 4-2 record and 3.12 ERA in his last 10 starts. Nine of those 10 starts have been quality outings.

Tommy Hunter (SP), Texas Rangers

In his nine games since his call-up, Hunter has a 2.26 ERA in 55.2 innings to go with his 5-2 record. Six of his starts have been at home in Texas, so you know he can pitch well anywhere.

Bronson Arroyo (SP), Cincinnati Reds

I guess all those supplements he is taking are working for him lately. Arroyo has a 2.49 ERA and two complete games (both shutouts) in his last seven starts.

Mark Ellis (2B), Oakland A’s

If you nee help at one of fantasy’s most shallow positions, then Ellis is worth a gander. Ellis is hitting .346 since the break including a whopping .431 with 19 RBI in August.

Rajai Davis (CF), Oakland A’s

If you need average and stolen bases, then pick up Rajai Davis now. Davis has hit .357 over the last month with 12 stolen bases and 11 extra base hits (eight doubles, three triples). He won’t hit home runs for you, but the speed and hits alone are worth it.

Sports of Boston Friends and Family League

I edged out a close one with a 12-9-3 victory to remain in first place.
Three weeks left and eight playoff spots up for grabs. If the season ended today, all the SoB staff members would make the playoffs.
Recent pickups include: Will Venable, Pedro Martinez, John Baker, Chris Coghlan, Lyle Overbay, and Carlos Gonzalez.

Fantasy Baseball Wrap-Up: Week 17 (7-27 – 8-2)

Pete — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:30:34 +0000

Would fantasy baseball be any fun if baseball was cleaned up? God knows how many players are currently hopped up on HGH or anything else that modern tests can’t detect. The most valuable player in fantasy would hit 25 HR at the most. What IF Albert Pujols is a cheater? He’d lose his fantasy baseball status as “best player on the planet” and might even become a 2nd or 3rd round pick. If the playing field was evened out and nobody was gaining a competitive edge from PED’s, then who would be the top dog in fantasy land?

OFFENSE

Jacoby Ellsbury (LF, CF, RF), Boston Red Sox

Ellsbury was second in the majors in hits with 14 and first in runs scored with 12. He showed off his speed by legging out two triples and swiping four bases to give him 48 this season which ties him for the major league lead with Tampa Bay’s Carl Crawford.

Kevin Youkilis (1B, 3B), Boston Red Sox

Our “Greek God of Walks”/resident “Jewish Corner-Infielder” led the majors in hits with 16. Youkilis showed off a bit more power than his teammate by hitting two home runs (19). Youkilis has been sluggish as of late by hitting .244 in June and then .263 in July.

…isn’t it funny that during the same week that Boston has all of this steroid controversy, two of its players were two of the biggest offensive juggernauts?

Adam Jones (CF), Baltimore Orioles

Jones cranked out four home runs and an impressive 10 RBI while hitting .357 (10-28). I hope nobody went into panic mode after Jones hit .229 in June. Shame on you if you gave up on this kid!

Troy Tulowitzki (SS), Colorado Rockies

Forget April (.200, 3 HR) and May (.242, 2 HR), Tulowitzki is an overlooked power threat…and at SS no less. His 11-hit week included blasting two more home runs and he now has 20 on the season. Tulowitzki has hit seven home runs in each of the last two months and has hit .299 during that time.

Aramis Ramirez (3B), Chicago Cubs

Thanks to a shoulder injury that sidelined him for a month and a half, Ramirez has not had the chance to make a huge impact in the fantasy world. In Week 17, Ramirez hit .455 with two HR and eight RBI. Since his return from the DL on July 6th, Ramirez is hitting .338 with five home runs and 17 RBI.

PITCHING

Tim Lincecum (SP), San Francisco Giants

Tiny Tim ends up here again after a dominating week. Lincecum won both of his starts and picked up complete game number four. His 12.18 K/9 in 17.0 innings was highlighted by a career-high 15 K’s against the Pirates.

Chris Carpenter (SP), St. Louis Cardinals

Carpenter was not as flashy with the strikeouts (7 K’s in 16.0 IP), but he did win both of his starts to improve to 10-3. To those who took a chance on a pitcher who had not played a full season since 2006, I salute you.

Brian Wilson (RP), San Francisco Giants

The Giants’ closer picked up two saves (27) and even got a victory during his 3.0 innings of work. Once known as a terribly shaky closer, Wilson settled down during June and July with ERA’s of 2.31 and 1.74 respectively.

Joe Nathan (RP), Minnesota Twins

Nathan locked down three more saves last week to give him 29 this season which is good for 2nd in the majors. At this rate, Nathan could be in store for career-bests in: saves, WHIP, and BAA.

Cliff Lee (SP), Philadelphia Phillies

One of the biggest names to move before the trade deadline, Lee made a good first impression on Phillies fans by tossing a complete game and getting the win in his first start in Philadelphia. Lee has been on a rampage as of late with three complete games in his last four starts with a 4-0 record during that time.

Why Should I Give a Crap About These Guys?

Jose Lopez (1B, 2B), Seattle Mariners

After a poor start to the season (.230, 5 HR in April/May), Lopez has hit over .300 in June and July and his 19.4 LD% has led to 16 doubles and 10 home runs since the start of June. At this rate, he is going to surpass his home run and RBI totals (17 HR, 89 RBI) from last season.

Josh Willingham (LF, RF), Washington Nationals

In the first game of the week, Willingham provided an abundance of offense with an eight-RBI game against Milwaukee. Besides that, Willingham has just wrapped up a July where he hit .330 with seven home runs. Willingham is enjoying an underappreciated season where he is hitting .305 with 17 HR and 42 RBI in 81 games. Also, since Nick Johnson was traded to Florida, Willingham may receive playing time at first base which would add extra position eligibility to an already good season.

Tim Stauffer (SP), San Diego Padres

His track record is not spectacular by any means. His injury-plagues 2007 concluded with a 21.13 ERA in 7.2 innings. After a road to recovery, Stauffer has shown the makings of a dependable starter this season with a 2.57 ERA in four starts with three of them being quality outings (he was chased from his other start by a three hour rain delay). With no more Peavy, there is room in the rotation and he plays in one of the best pitcher’s parks in baseball.

Jeff Niemann (SP, RP), Tampa Bay Rays

Here is another case of “I need an innings-eater without sacrificing ERA”. Has anybody else noticed that this kid is 10-5 this season? The strikeouts won’t set your world on fire (5.67 K/9), but his more than respectable 3.62 ERA and the help of a Tampa Bay offense will assure you quality starts and wins down the stretch.

Brian Bannister (SP), Kansas City Royals

Bannister has produced eight quality starts in his last 10 outings with a 2.71 ERA in that span. Unfortunately, he is 3-4 in those 10 starts thanks mostly to the fact that he is on the Royals. However, if you need ERA help, Bannister is worth a look.

Sports of Boston Friends and Family League

I lost 13-11, but still remain in first by 23 games
One trade went down before our league’s trade deadline as Kevin Youikils was dealt for Mike Lowell and Brian Roberts
Recent pickups include: Jake Fox, Leo Nunez, Chris Tillman, Felipe Lopez, Jim Johnson, and Jorge De La Rosa

Fantasy Wrap-Up: Week 21 (8-18 – 8-24)

Pete — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:45:41 +0000

Nelson Cruz Called Up to Play for Rangers

Rangers’ OF Nelson Cruz was called up to the majors and will play almost everyday for the rest of the season. In Triple-A, he was absolutely destroying everything he saw with a .342 avg, 37 HR, and 99 RBI. In 96 games last year he hit very differently with a .235 avg, 9 HR, and 34 RBI.

Yankees SP Pavano Wins First Start Since April 2007

Carl Pavano finally returned after rehab from Tommy John Surgery over a year ago and picked up the win in a 5-3 Yankees victory. Pavano gave up three earned in five innings and struck out 5 batters on 91 pitches.

Eddie Guardado Traded, Heads Back to Minnesota

After finding little success in Texas, relief pitcher Eddie Guardado is back to the team where he started his career in 1993. In his last appearance, Guardado couldn’t close out the game and he took the loss for Texas. Frank Francisco has been named the new closer for the Rangers and now Guaradado is nothing more than a middle reliever.

Now for the stars of week 21.

OFFENSE

Nick Swisher (1B,LF,CF,RF), Chicago White Sox: Swisher’s season has been seen as a dissapointment but last week he has tried to right his wrongs by hitting a home run in four consecutive games to bring his total to 21 for the year. Swisher also drove in eight runs as part of his great week.

Mark Teixeira (1B), L.A. Angels: Tex Mex raised his average to .302 with a 9-23 (.391) week which included three home runs and five RBI. Tex is hitting .386 since joining the Angels.

Brian Roberts (2B), Baltimore Orioles: Roberts didn’t impress anybody last week with his power (1 HR), but he did manage to slap 11 hits, drive in 5, and swipe 3 bases. Roberts is 7-7 in SB attempts in August.

Mark DeRosa (1B,2B,3B,LF,RF), Chicago Cubs: DeRosa’s bat woke up last week with 10 hits including four for home runs. He drove in runs in five straight games (6 RBI total) and now has 77 RBI on the season.

Vernon Wells (CF), Toronto Blue Jays: Wells’ week was pretty much dead before Toronto faced the Red Sox. In that series alone he was 6-11 with three home runs and six RBI.

PITCHING

Rich Harden (SP), Chicago Cubs: There is no better pitcher in baseball right now than Rich Harden and yes, I am including CC Sabathia. Harden just added to his ridiculous stats last week by striking out 21 batters in 14 innings to pick up two more wins. Out of his eight starts with the Cubs, five of those games saw Harden strike out 10+ batters.

Ricky Nolasco (SP), Florida Marlins: Nolasco won both of his starts to bring his record to 13-7. His wins included his first complete game of the season and 21 K’s while surrendering just two runs.

Brian Wilson (RP), San Francisco Giants: Even though Wilson blew a save last week, he still picked up two wins and two saves. Even with the blown save, Wilson has a 2.93 ERA and 10 saves post break.

Barry Zito (SP), San Francisco Giants: Yes you read that correctly, I did type Barry Zito’s name. Zito put together a great week with two wins while working 15 innings. OK, so he only struck out eight batters but come on, give the man the little credit he gets.

Mariano Rivera (RP), New York Yankees: The best closer of our generation did what he does best. Rivera picked up three more saves and gave up zero runs in 3.2 innings while fanning three batters.

Why Should I Give A Crap About These Guys?

Jensen Lewis (RP), Cleveland Indians: Hey, it’s an Indians’ closer with an ERA under 4.00. Lewis has gotten comfortable as the 9th inning man in Cleveland and has converted five straight save opportunities and now has six total in August.

Rocco Baldelli (CF), Tampa Bay Rays: Hey, remember him? In eight games since his return from the DL, Baldelli is hitting .308 with 2 HR, and 4 RBI.

Ryan Church (LF,CF,RF), New York Mets: Church has battled issues with multiple concussions all year and has finally returned to the everyday lineup. In the 60 games he has played, Church is hitting .310 with 10 HR, and 37 RBI.

Sports of Boston Friends and Family League

Well crap, I am back in 7th place after a 12-11-1 victory. My star of the week was Ian Stewart who hit .480 with a home run, seven RBI, and four doubles.
My special thanks this week goes out to Shaun Marcum who blew up against the Res Sox for 5 ER in 3.2 innings of work. After that start, he was sent down to the minors.
This week is the final week of the fantasy regular season so I have to finish in the top 6 to advance to the playoffs. One problem, in order to make it, I have to go through the best team in the league. Crap!
The rest of the SoB crew: Dev (3rd), KC (4th), Dan (5th), Jeff (9th), Chris (10th), Geoff (11th).
Recent pickups include: Todd Wellemeyer, Chris Perez, Omar Infante, Mike Jacobs, Chris Volstad, and Chris Dickerson.