Running Diary: Bronson vs. Johnson

Is there a such thing as a good loss when you’re playing the Yankees? Can that be allowed? Stretching the rules, last nights game proved many things: Curt Schilling is still Curt Schilling, and before the sixth inning, was cruising. We also learned that the Red Sox can’t cash in with runners in scoring position, the same problem that haunted us in June of last year. And most of all, Terry Francona can still be an absolute moron.

Last nights game was even more painful because I was surrounded by drunk Yankee fans. At one point, I think one of them yelled “1918!” Then, THG and Bernie took Schilling deep, and after the Sox failed to score in the seventh and eighth, I knew Rivera wasn’t going to blow another one. Especially up three runs.

And go out and by one of those “Who Needs Johnson, We’ve Got Bronson” pins. It looks great on plaid.

Now for the running diary...

Running Diary: Yankees at Red Sox (4/14/05)

7:35 P.M. ET: The first inning and a half has gone anything but smoothly for Arroyo. The Yanks have gotten three hits already, including them leaving five men on base. This could easily be a big Yankee lead already, with A-Rod lining out to left and Womack hitting a shot to Bellhorn at second with a runner in scoring position in both innings. The Sox are really attacking Johnson early, a decision I completely disagree with. Maybe Tito knows something I don't.

7:44: Welcome to Boston, Jay! I don't think I've ever seen a batter hit a Johnson fastball that hard, that long. That was a frozen rope, all the way out to deep center. I was just hoping it would get in the gap, but the damn thang just kept flying. Payton hits a two-run homer, 2-0 Sox.

7:47: A note on Jason Varitek's C on his jersey. I don't have much of a problem, but it doesn't need to be on the front of his game jersey. I know, I know, he deserves it. But can't it be on the sleeve or above the number? Does Jeter have a C over his New York? Case closed.

7:52: The Other Captain leads off with a double, and Matsui drives him in, 2-1 Sox now. Matsui just amazes me. Arroyo should give him some major chin music, like Pedro in Game 5. Sure, it risks another brawl, but I have a slight feeling Hideki vs. Tek will play to our advantage.

7:56: Damon walks, then steals second. As Rem Dawg points out, the Red Sox HAVE to mix it up tonight if they want to beat The Unit. Steal bases, drop down a few bunts, go the opposite way, just adjust to the fact you're facing Randy Johnson and not Erik Bedard.

7:59: EDGAHHHHH GOES DEEP!!!! Forget what I said in the last post, Renteria pulled that ball in a BIG way in the Monster seats. 4-1, Good Guys. I knew he would break out of it (knock on wood), you just gotta believe!

8:04: Manny and Ortiz K to end the inning, another prime example of the Sox letting up after a big home run. Why not attack and pour on runs now that they've got Johnson on the ropes? As for Renteria, I mean, this guy was absolutely being assaulted all around Boston. WEEI had multiple callers per minute wondering where the hell Cabrera was, and bitching about the fact Cabrera could do this and Cabrera could do that. Patience, everyone. I don't see any reason Edgah won't hit .300.

8:09: Two on for the Yanks for Womack, including an astounding Williams at-bat. He really, really kills us. Even with a salad fork sticking out of his back and the fact the Yankees might screw him over in the offseason.

8:14: Jeter jusssst misses being rung up by the home plate umpire, but apparently he didn't call it because his name is Derek Jeter. Now we have Sheffield up and the bases loaded in a 25-pitch inning. I'd continue to type if my fingers weren't shaking and my heart currently undergoing an irregular beat.

8:21: Horrible call by the umpire AGAIN, causing mild-mannered Papa Jack to go insane and get thrown out. At least the guy got his money's worth. Then Matsui gets another hit, drives in two runs, and the game is tied at four. Unbelievable. Thanks a lot, you piece...eh, I have to keep this family-oriented.

8:25: Another two-out run as Slappy gets a cheap single, giving the Yanks a 5-4 lead. All of this because this ump doesn't have any nuts. The crowd is silent, and I'm about to throw a chair. Arroyo's thrown about 200 pitches in under four full innings, and this inning couldn't be going any worse right now.

8:31: I'd be extremely surprised if the Sox get to Randy at all for the rest of this game. He used up the bad pitches, now he's got the lead = no chance. I hope I'm wrong....

I'M WRONG!!! LEAD DIRT DOG GOES WAYYYY OUT OF THE PAHK AND THE RED SOX TIE IT AT 5!!!! That ball was over EVERYTHING, it probably landed somewhere on Saturn. To lighten the mood up even more, my mom tells me that she's "bought some really nice new towels." She's always fun.

8:34: Johnson dislikes a call, so he starts yapping. Then, he gets the exact same pitch to be a strike and throws his hands up like "it's about time, soldier." After that moment, the umpire remembers the Yankees are the team he's supposed to be favoring.

8:37: Pretty entertaining game to write a running diary for, as Tito is then ejected after another horrid call by the home plate umpire (who knows what his name is, I hope he's tied to a tree in Harvard Square overnight). I haven't seen a worse umpire since that Angels game last July when Papi chucked some bats on the field. Mueller grounds out to end the inning, as all the umpires react to a screaming fan by throwing him out of Fenway and proceeding not to explain why.

8:45: The Unit's etiquette hasn't been great tonight, I'll tell you that right now. I don't care how bad the ump is (and holy crap, he's been DREADFUL, more inconsistent than John Kerry's view on the War In Iraq), Johnson has officially become a slobbering, arrogant Yankee. As for the game, 1-2-3 innings for both teams and we're going to the sixth.

(Getting dinner. Be back in 15....)

9:08: I'm back. Top 7, Embree on the hill, Slappy squinting. Biiiiiiiiiiiig swing and a miss, and A-Rod K's. He hasn't missed that much since the time he skipped a stair at 4:30 A.M.

9:18: HUGE inning for Embree, very impressive as we get past the seventh. The game is slowly shifting momentum towards the Sox. As for the Yankees, I HATE THEM, I HATE THEM, I really, really HATE THEM. As Johnson struts to the mound to pitch another inning, I still wonder why the hell we didn't work the count more earlier in the game. If I were the Red Sox manager, Payton would be facing Tanyon Sturtze right now. Ugh.

9:23: Remy puts it perfectly as Payton gets screwed over by a bad call: "Some of the pitches Johnson wasn't expecting to get earlier in the game, he's getting for strikes right now." One more bad call and I'm throwing a sharpened ax this Gibson fella when he returns home tonight.

9:28: Should we be surprised that Eric Frede still has his job?

9:29: Enter Sandman who walks Tino to lead off the inning. I'm currently vomiting all over the laptop, and I swear my remote just asked me Bernie Williams batting average.

9:35: Good God. Williams strikes out, Crosby steals second. Womack then strikes out, and here comes the biggest at-bat of the young Red Sox season.

9:39: Wow. Deep breath. Foulke delivers an amazing 3-1 pitch, one too hard to look at because it appears easy to hit, but breaks away at the last second. Jeter still gives it a ride to right, but Payton twists and turns to the ball. Inning over. I AM Spartacus, and I'm off to get a Pepsi.

9:42: Gordon in the game for the eighth, even my mom pointed out that he chokes. Damon leads off the inning with a single, and I actually think we're going to win this game....yes....we are....please....we are....

9:46: RENTERIA IS ON FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRE!!!!! EDGAH DESTROYS A GORDON PITCH TO CENTER, DAMON SCORES, AND THE RED SOX LEAD 6-5. THE CROWD IS CHANTING "MAN-NY" AND I'M SHAKING WITH DELIGHT. Foulke coming in for the ninth with a one run lead at the very least, and this is our game to lose.

9:56: I can't believe what just happened. Sheffield goes after a fan after he unintentionally swipes him trying to get the ball. He barely touched that monster. If someone touches your face, you don't go after the fan with a punch, are you kidding me?? Don't these idiots learn? After what happened with Artest, he still doesn't understand? This rivalry is unreal. Meanwhile, Tek triples off Gordon and the Sox lead 8-5. This is all going to be shown on SportsCenter a million times, so don't worry if you missed the play.

10:02: Guess who's due up first in the ninth? Gary Sheffield. I'd do anything to be at Fenway right now.

10:05: Artest golfs a pitch off the Monster for a double. Matsui up. This game is anything but over.

10:13: HUGE OUT! Manny catches a Rodriguez fly ball on the warning track in left, possibly the highest ball I've ever seen. I may have temporarily fallen unconscious during that period of time.

10:18: Foulke has successfully been behind every batter this inning. Posada pops out on ball four, then Giambi looks like a stiff staring at an easy pitch to rip. Sierra is on deck. 8-5. Two outs. 3-1 count. I don't want to see Sierra in that batters box.

10:21: THG walks, bringing up Ruben. Foulke looks worse than I've ever seen him before. This is a bad, bad, bad combination.

10:22: RED SOX WIN THE GAME!!!!! Varitek makes a tremendous play on a pop up, and we take the series. Foulke looks like a man who just got let out of prison, and I could not be happier.

Time to watch Baseball Tonight and get complete reactions on the incident. What a game, what a win, go Sox!