1061 replies to this topic

[bob burda]

So when the Rangers won 3 game in 24 hrs earlier this week vs CLE, I was imagining this must have happened before, but not very often. So now the Sox just did it this weekend, really just a few days after the Rangers....has this EVER happened twice in one week in MLB? Twice in a season?

[mikeford]

So when the Rangers won 3 game in 24 hrs earlier this week vs CLE, I was imagining this must have happened before, but not very often. So now the Sox just did it this weekend, really just a few days after the Rangers....has this EVER happened twice in one week in MLB? Twice in a season?

I would imagine a lot back in the days when doubleheaders weren't just for rain outs.

[Sprowl]

Lester reduced use of the changeup, throwing only 4 (3 for balls), and brought back the sinker today. He got lots of ground balls (11 gb, 6 fb, 7 K), and seemed very comfortable pounding the strike zone with it. It helped that Lowell seemed to be on top of his game today and fielded the chances cleanly. In Lester's early season troubles against the Rays, it was the sinker that gave the Rays most of their home runs, but not anymore...

[bosockboy]

1-0 M's after one.

[SoxFan234]

2-0...Ichiro's 200th hit.

[bob burda]

I would imagine a lot back in the days when doubleheaders weren't just for rain outs.

Doubleheaders were reserved for Sundays - that's how Ted Lyons became the Sunday pitcher. He pitched 2nd games of doubleheaders well into his early 40s, and that was pretty much all he pitched. I think at one time Sunday was almost ALWAYS a doubleheader....but to turn the trick you need a night game followed by a "two day game" doubleheader. In the old days, who played Saturday night games????...of course there were other days for doubleheaders for rain outs (like this weekend), but not that often. On the other hand, teams were much more willing to schedule doubleheaders even 25 yrs ago than they are now.

I think the late 70s Yankees were one of the first teams to play at night on Saturdays regularly, and there were occasional "two day game" Sunday double headers back then, so I'm going to check Retrosheet there.

But the only reason the Sox turned the trick this weekend was because of the rain delay yesterday. It is VERY hard to get the three games started and then wrapped up in 24hrs, and even harder to win them all. Hell, I even wonder whether it was ever done at all before this week.

[Kilgore A. Trout]

Mariners win, 5-0. The Sox lead the wild card by four.
Go Oakland.

[ivanvamp]

Mariners win, 5-0. The Sox lead the wild card by four.
Go Oakland.

Sweet. Up 4 with 20 to go. It's not over, certainly, but it's not a bad position to be in. Tex' remaining schedule:

3 vs Oak
3 vs LAA
4 at Oak
3 vs TB
4 at LAA
3 at Sea

Hopefully that last 7 game road trip will be really tough for them. Boston's remaining schedule:

3 vs LAA
3 at Bal
4 at KC
3 at NY
3 vs Tor
4 vs Cle

If the Sox can just go, say, 11-9 over this stretch (.550), the Rangers need to go 15-5 (.750) just to tie. That'll be a tall order, though not impossible. I think the Sox can go 12-8 or 13-7 though, really putting the squeeze on the Rangers.

[joelmon]

What might kill the Rangers is facing 2 teams that want to knock out Texas while also knowing HOW to beat Texas. Whereas the Red Sox
face 7 home games vs 2 cooked teams. If the Sox somehow win the LAA series, it is over barring a major injury or flukish 10 game win streak by Texas. Since there are 7 games vs the Angels, it's likely never going to happen for them. The only concern is if Dice K and Paul Byrd can hold a .500 record in their starts. If so, it's over.

[PrometheusWakefield]

If the Sox can just go, say, 11-9 over this stretch (.550), the Rangers need to go 15-5 (.750) just to tie. That'll be a tall order, though not impossible.

Tall order, and if they do it, quite a few of those wins are going to come against the Angels and we're almost even with them as well. Hard to see the Rangers being 4 better than us the rest of the way and the Angels being within 2 without us having something close to a total collapse. So really the scoreboard watching stage of this season is already over; we just need to hold serve the rest of the way and we'll be fine.

[Papi's fan]

The Sox shouldn't have too much trouble going 13-7 in the final 20 while Texas could have a letdown soon.

[EllisTheRimMan]

The Sox shouldn't have too much trouble going 13-7 in the final 20 while Texas could have a letdown soon.

I'd say losing to Brett Tomko 9-0 in a complete game shutout might be the let down of which you speak.