This will serve as an open thread/live blog for today’s Boston Red Sox vs Minnesota Twins Grapefruit League game. The winner of the game will win the Mayor’s Cup as the series is tied 2-2.
Starting Lineups:
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. J.D. Drew, RF
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Jed Lowrie, 2B
9. Alex Cora, SS
Clay Buchholz, P
1. Carlos Gomez CF
2. Joe Mauer C
3. Michael Cuddyer RF
4. Justin Morneau 1B
5. Delmon Young LF
6. Jason Kubel DH
7. Brendan Harris 2B
8. Brian Buscher 3B
9. Adam Everett SS
Francisco Liriano, P
- Top 1st
Francisco Liriano on the mound for the Twins
Ellsbury walks, Ellsbury steals second with Youk at plate, Youk flies to right, Ellsbury to 3rd, Big Papi pops up to the catcher, Manny doubles, Ellsbury scores, Lowell grounds to third.
Red Sox 1 Twins 0 on the SOX & Dawgs Live Blog Update Network
- Bottom 1st
Clay Buchholz on the mound for the Sox
Gomez beats out bunt for hit, Mauer flies to deep center, Cuddyer grounds to short, Gomez to second (was running on the pitch), Morneau grounds to first (Youk to Clay).
Red Sox 1 Twins 0 on the SOX & Dawgs Live Blog Update Network
– Top 2nd
Liriano still on the bump for the Twins
Drew strikes out, Varitek solo home run to right (opposite field shot), Lowrie pops to second, Cora singles to right, Ellsbury grounds into fielder’s choice (second to short).
Red Sox 2 Twins 0 on the SOX & Dawgs Live Blog Network
– Bottom 2nd
Buchholz toeing the rubber for the Sox
Young strikes out, Kubel lines out to center, Harris strikes out (check swing strike 3)
Red Sox 2 Twins 0 on the SOX & Dawgs Live Blog Network
– Top 3rd
Liriano back on the hill
Youkilis walks, Big Papi doubles, Youk scores from first, (pitching change – Rickey Barrett in to pitch for the Twins), Manny walks, Lowell flies to center, Drew flies to center, Varitek walks (bases loaded), Lowrie grounds to short
Red Sox 3 Twins 0 on the SOX & Dawgs Live Blog Network
– Bottom 3rd
Buchholz still on the bump
Busher strikes out, Everett flies to center, Gomez grounds to short,
Red Sox 3 Twins 0 on the SOX & Dawgs Live Blog Network
– Top 4th
Kevin Mulvey now pitching for the Twins
Cora strikes out. Ellsbury flies to right, Youk bounces back to pitcher
Red Sox 3 Twins 0 on the SOX & Dawgs Live Blog Network
– Bottom 4th
Claynation still pitching
Mauer leads off with double to left center gap, Cuddyer doubles, Mauer scores, Morneau flies to center, Young walks, Kubel grounds into fielder’s choice (Youk throws to second, runners on the corners), Harris singles to right, Cuddyer scores, (pitching change – Jon Switzer in for the Sox), Busher flies to left.
Red Sox 3 Twins 2 on the SOX & Dawgs Live Blog Network
– Top 5th
Mulvey back toeing the rubber
Big Papi singles to center (George Kottaras pinch-running for Papi), Manny singles, Kottaras to second (Moss pinch-running for Manny), Lowell singles to center (bases loaded, Keith Ginter pinch-running for Lowell), Drew sacrifice fly, Kottaras scores (Moss to third), Varitek flies to center and Gomez loses the ball in the sun and drops in for a hit, Moss scores, Ginter to third and Tek stays at first, Lowrie grounds to Morneau who throws home, Ginter slides in safely, Lowrie safe at first (Tek on second), Cora fouls out to third, Ellsbury grounds into fielder’s choice (short to second).
Red Sox 6 Twins 2 on the SOX & Dawgs Live Blog Network
– Bottom 5th
Mike Timlin on the mound, Joe Thurston is left, Jonathan Van Every in center, Moss in right, Ginter at third, Ryan Khoury at short for the Sox
Everett flies to left, Gomez grounds out to short, Mauer home run to right, Cuddyer grounds to third
Red Sox 6 Twins 3 on the SOX & Dawgs Live Blog Network
– Top 6th
Dennys Reyes now pitching, Jason Pridie in center, Garrett Jones in right, Alexi Casilla at short for the Twinkies
Youk grounds to third, Kottaras strikes out looking, Moss strikes out
Red Sox 6 Twins 3 on the SOX & Dawgs Live Blog Network
– Bottom 6th
David Aardsma on the mound, Chris Carter is playing first, Cash behind the plate for the Sox
Morneau singles to center (Randy Ruiz pinch-running for Morneau), Young strikes out swinging, Kubel strikes out swinging, Harris 2-run home run to the opposite field, Busher pops to short
Red Sox 6 Twins 5 on the SOX & Dawgs Live Blog Network
– Top 7th
Matt Guerrier pitching for the Twins, Ruiz is at first, Drew Butera is behind the plate
Ginter reaches, Thurston singles, Kevin Cash pinch-hitting for Tek, Cash hits 3-run homer to center, Khoury reaches on error by third baseman, Van Every walks, Carter doubles to left, Khoury scores, Van Every to third, Kottaras hits a sacrifice fly scoring Van Every, Moss grounds to second.
Red Sox 11 Twins 5 on the Sox & Dawgs Live Blog Network
– Bottom 7th
Aardsma still digging in his cleats on the mound
Casilla strikes out, Pridie walks, Butera strikes out (pitching change for the Red Sox – Michael Tejera on the mound), Jones strikes out
Red Sox 11 Twins 5 on the SOX & Dawgs Live Blog Network
– Top 8th
Pat Neshnek on the bump for the Twins, Basak in left field
Ginter strikes out, Thurston flies to center on a nice diving catch by Pridie, Cash strikes out swinging
Red Sox 11 Twins 5 on the SOX & Dawgs Live Blog Network
– Bottom 8th
Tejera on the hill still for the Sox
Ruiz leads off with a single, Chris Basak flies to left on nice diving catch by Thurston, Howie Clark pinch hitting for Kubel, Clark strikes out, Tolbert doubles, Ruiz scores, Macri grounds out.
Red Sox 11 Twins 6 on the SOX & Dawgs Live Blog Network
– Top 9th
Casey Daigle on the mound for the Twins
Junior Spivey pinch-hitting for Lowrie, Spivey flies to deep center, Khoury strikes out, Van Every home run to deep-center, Carter grounds out to second
Red Sox 12 Twins 6 on the SOX & Dawgs Live Blog Network
– Bottom 9th
Lee Gronkiewicz on the mound for the Sox
Casilla walks, Pridie strikes out, Butera strikes out, Jones doubles, Casilla scores, Ruiz flies to center
Red Sox 12 Twins 7
The Red Sox win the 2008 Mayor’s Cup.
Thanks to everyone for stopping by to read the live blog and leaving your comments.
Thanks to Texy for sending readers my way today. Glad I could help out.
I’ll be back in a little bit with the Red Sox Afternoon Delight post after I rest my fingers for a few minutes.
buckoltz looks good.
Other than the pitch he left up in the zone that Mauer crushed to deep center, so far so good like you said.
When Ellsbury just got announced, it sounded like a home game for the Sox.
Relying on you guys to keep me up to date on the game. <3 Good to know that Clay’s doing better in his first inning and not giving up multiple runs like he has in his last couple starts.
nice homerun by varitek
No worries Jennifer, I’m here for the day.
Yeah Liriano left that fastball up in the zone and he crushed it (wind aided).
Awesome. I’ll be lurking.
The two strikeouts were on nice curveballs from Claynation
nice double by ortiz and youklis scored…
3-0 sox
Another solid inning for Clay
Yanks – Rays had a brawl already today
http://yankees.lhblogs.com/2008/03/12/yankees-rays-the-live-blog/
Not a bad outing for Buchholz overall. He struggled a bit in the 4th giving up the two runs.
Sox and Mets working on a deal for Coco.
i would say that too better than the last time.
Definitely his best outing so far despite the hits in the 4th.
yanks brawling with the rays in spring training sad.
i would take pagan. that would be a good trade.
If they do that deal, it’s a steal for the Mets. I’d much rather keep Coco and listen to him bitch. He’ll end up on the bench with the Mets once Alou comes back unless the Mets aren’t happy with Ryan Church in right.
The brawl stems from when the Rays prospect took the Yanks catcher last week.
Mauer just crushed that fastball on the inner half of the plate.
he crushed it. that would be steal for the mets but i think theo would want pitching for coco.. relief maybe? i know about catcher thing but i thought it was overblown.
i guess i was wrong
I think the catcher thing is way overblown as well. If that was the case, it would be the same thing for the Yanks and nobody is talking about that.
Why trade a proven center fielder for an unproven player.
Ball no sink, ball travel over fence
true… aardsman looked good until the homerun. i thought i read today they sent him down? i think the sox should keep coco too, he could be traded later when we see more how the season turns out. pagan seems to be tearing it up right now for the mets. i watched him a bit when he was w/ the cubs he wasn’t bad.
The rumor of Pagan to the Red Sox for Coco has been shot down by the Red Sox.Cash killed that ball. It was Dan Kolb who got sent down.
cashed in…
I hope they DONT send Aarsdma down. I have good feeling about him. Also, even though he apologized for it, that Twins announcer should be shot for the “make alot of cash” pun after Kevin hit his tater. Glad to see Clay pitched well until Mauer and Cuddyer.. and frankly, thats not exactly embarrassing to get hit by those two.
That was a long AB… and the Twins guys are right…. Aardsma was taking too logn between pitches.
Who’s pitching now? Stupid nonupdatey box score.
I apologize.. these guys arent Twins guys.. they are mlb.com guys.
Tejera, Caroline. Its scrub time.
Nice K for Tejera! Nice to see the Sox offense is back.
Thanks Dionysus, was doing an update. These guys are horrible. It’s hard enough live blogging a game but when they are blabbering and not announcing i can’t follow. like if you see Ginter reaches, i was writing and couldn’t see the screen.
Man, Neshek freaks me out.
i second that on the offense for the sox .the mlb. com guys are not very good announcers .i wasn’t putting aardsman down i think he has a chance to make the team.
He is freaky to watch but he is very effective. nice catch there by Pridie
nice catch
Neshek and his funky delivery racks up two quick outs. OH MY GOD, SHUT UP YOU MORONS! Cash ks… and god dang it, these announcers must be destroyed
They were just as bad yesterday doing the game as well against the Mets. I’d mute them but then I might miss something while writing. We get Don & Jerry this Sunday.
Another great catch by Thurston
most of these baseball announcers are bad. none of them call the game they just ramble on about stuff no one wants to hear.
I was out yesterday and missed the game. Why are we talking about the Consitution and theat old Bill commercial? And the announcers kids? THERE IS BASEBALL BEING PLAYED
Good. God.
Wow. Nice play by Thurston
Neshek is nifty but nervewracking–if he were on my team he’d freak me out.
If they start singign the Gilligan’s Island song, I’m flying to Florida to commit murder.
I was waiting for them to start singing it. Thank god they didn’t. Yeah that has to be tough on his body. He’s probably in great shape. And now he’s a vegan.
how about calling balls and strikes. nice catch thurston…
You gotta wonder how long Neshek is gonna avoid injury. I’d imagine that crazy delivery is tough on his body.
Casey Daigle’s wife is Jennie Finch in case you were wondering
at least I beat them to the punch. And I can’t believe they don’t know what Jennie Finch looks like.
I’m sure Van Every will be telling everyone he hit a home run off Jennie Finch’s husband. NOT!!
Pedroia has the flu in case you wondering why they are wondering where he is.
Stupid Announcers actually raise a good question. Where is Pedroia? he’s been struggling at the plate.. maybe he’s working on his swing in the cages with the hittign coach?
And the Sox win the Mayor’s Cup!
Ah, thnaks Ian.
No problem at all. I had heard that yesterday.
Thanks for stopping by my neck of the woods.
By the way, the Red Sox won the Mayor’s Cup in 2004 and 2007. We all know what happened those two years.
Thanks guys! I hate these 1:05 start times. Sounds like Buchholz did well overall? The offense obviously did, ha…
You’re welcome Liza. Overall Buchholz was good. Threw 53 pitches in 3 2/3 innings. Gave up 3 hits, 2 runs and 1 walk. He struck out 3 as well.