Once again I had nothing better to do as I watch the game so here they come:

Joe Buck already called Jake Westbrook, Jason. It was the first pitch of the game.

Not a good start for the Sox as Dustin Pedroia goes down like a prom date on a whiff.

David Ortiz hits a “laser” at Apple Strudel Cabrera and it’s a 4-6-3 double dip to end the inning. No word from Buck on if the “laser” was attached to a sharks head.

Did Ryan Garko go to the “Johnny Damon School for People Who Want to Talk Good”? I think he was the valedictorian after listening to him give the lineup for Chief Wahoo’s boys.

Daisuke Matsuzaka has always reminded me of how a dog looks trying to hump air when he’s in the windup.

Nice play there by Julio Lugo to get Grady Sizemore, all those ladies are now pissed because Sizemore is hiding in the dugout.

Tim McCarver do you think Cabrera was playing in the infield because the other night when he played on the grass he almost ate the ball on a bad hop off the lip of the grass?

What the hell is that god-awful noise in the background during the game? I think it’s a scorching case of reverb but it sounds like two whales are trying to mate. Hey that my third sex joke and it’s just the first inning.

Hey do you think Lebron James will be at the game wearing a Red Sox hat??

Nice boot there Garko on the Drew grounder, you field like Damon too.

Gotta love the fans cheering a bad throw home from shallow left field by Kenny Lofton.

Another double play this one with the bases loaded ends another Sox threat.

Grown men and painted faces woo hoo, the yahoo’s are out.

Crap a 2 out 2 run homer by Lofton. Are these curtain calls for a two run homer in the second inning really necessary? Maybe the curtain call is for that throw?

FOX needs to find another song besides “Cleveland Rocks” whenever the Indians are in the lead. I nominate the “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”. Hell it’s a song about a boat sinking on one of the Great Lakes that’s gotta count for something right? I ask one thing of you people reading this your job is to find a new song.

(This paragraph was added later because all you bitches lemme down and not one of you came up with a Cleveland song. I got “Lets move to Cleveland” by Frank Zappa; “Mean Night in Cleveland” by Cactus; “Rednecks” by Randy Newman; “Look out Cleveland” by The Band; “Pancho and Lefty” by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings; “Oh My Sweet Carolina” by Ryan Adams and “Drunk on the Moon” by Tom Waits.  Who you got put them in the comments.)

Bronx cheer for Garko for handling that grounder cleanly.

Thanks Joe Buck for telling us where Goodyear is based. It’s Akron in case any of you all missed it.

 

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Before we get to the lineups today, you need to read Eric Gagné’s letter to Red Sox Nation over at BostonSportz.com.

And now onto the lineups for tonight’s ALCS Game 3 between the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians.

Red Sox

1. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
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. Coco Crisp, CF
9. Julio Lugo, SS

SP — Daisuke Matsuzaka

Indians

1. Grady Sizemore, CF
2. Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B
3. Travis Hafner, DH
4. Victor Martinez, C
5. Ryan Garko, 1B
6. Jhonny Peralta, SS
7. Kenny Lofton, LF
8. Trot Nixon, RF
9. Casey Blake, 3B

SP — Jake Westbrook

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We have all seen Jerry Rice on “Dancing With the Stars” doing the two-step and other various dances but did you know he’s got other moves as well. Patrick Ewing, Jr. taught him how to do the “Soulja Boy” at Georgetown’s Midnight Madness Celebration this past weekend.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=
http://youtube.com/watch?v=O_Ay_gzLZTY[/youtube]

tip to D.C. Sports Bog

I had mentioned this in the notes this morning but it’s too good to pass up. The fine folks at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland want to make sure the bugs invade the game tonight.

To get the full size version, click here.

As you might have expected, there wasn’t a big turnout for the voluntary workout yesterday at Jacobs Field since the Red Sox didn’t get into Cleveland until the wee hours of the morning yesterday. The biggest question was answered yesterday as Terry Francona said that Josh Beckett will not come back on three day’s rest and pitch tomorrow night in Game 4. The other big question is will the bugs return and haunt the Red Sox. The Plain Dealer thinks they might and even made sure to help that situation out. They made bug masks. So while you’re sitting at work doing nothing today, take a look at the headlines from the Boston and Cleveland area on this Roxtober morning (not a typo, the Rockies are a hot team right now).

Matsuzaka ready to step forward [Boston Globe]

Lofton wants world serious [The Plain Dealer]

Series starts anew [Boston Herald]

Late Game 2 confirms a lot about Indians [Akron Beacon Journal]

Francona Sticking With Rotation [Hartford Courant]

Players attempt to shake off tough Game Two defeat [Pro Jo]

He makes Manny’s returns happy [Boston Globe]

A team of destiny? [The Plain Dealer]

Tito not calling changeup [Boston Herald]

Sabathia expected to rebound [Akron Beacon Journal]

Series Takes On Split Personality [Hartford Courant]

Heading into Cleveland, a thought that bugs the team [Pro Jo]

For more headlines and stories, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Hartford Courant, Providence Journal, The Plain Dealer and Akron Beacon Journal websites.

Currently two baseball teams are looking for a new manager.  Two more may be looking soon.  Right now the only official openings are in Pittsburgh and Kansas City, but two of baseball’s most storied franchises, in the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals may possibly be making a change as well. 

As we all know Yankee owner George Steinbrenner made the statement last week that Joe Torre probably won’t be back if the Yanks didn’t win the series against the Cleveland Indians.  It’s been a week and there is still no word on Torre’s fate, which is expected to come early this week.

St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa is waiting to make a decision on coming back based on who the Cardinals ownership hires as the new general manager.   LaRussa has also been rumored to be Torre’s replacement and was once said to be considered for the opening in Cincinnati, since filled by Dusty Baker as well as Seattle who decided to keep their interim manager, John McLaren.

So without any further adieu here are the candidates for the jobs.

Pittsburgh Pirates

• John Farrell – Boston Red Sox pitching coach
• Joel Skinner – Cleveland Indians 3rd base coach
• Trent Jewett - Pittsburgh’s Triple A manager
• Bob Walk – former Pirate pitcher and current broadcaster
• Ken Macha – former Oakland A’s manager
• Phil Garner – former Houston Astros manager
• Andy Van Slyke – Detroit Tigers 1st base coach
• Jay Bell – Arizona Diamondbacks bench coach

My pick here will be Ken Macha for a few reasons.  First he is a Pittsburgh native and had the job two years ago but turned it down to stay in Oakland.  The Pirates hired Jim Tracy, the A’s fired Macha at the end of the 2006 season.  Second Macha has worked with young talent in the Oakland system.  He took a very young A’s team to the playoffs where they over achieved for a few years and they played their asses off for him.  Pittsburgh has really no veteran presence and Macha would be a good choice.  John Farrell and Joel Skinner will and should get interviews, Phil Garner is a possibility as a former Pirates player and probably the runner up to Macha.  Andy Van Slyke and Jay Bell may get a courtesy call but I don’t percieve those two as ready to manage yet.

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Here’s a little news of the weird video from FOX News. Check out how bad the first guy gets his butt kicked.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-XJc6vqocjE[/youtube]

It’s Roxtober in Denver, CO as the Rockies won another game, 4-1, in their NLCS matchup with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rockies now lead the series 3-0 and will look to finish the D’backs off tomorrow night. Franklin Morales will toe the rubber for the Rox while Micah Owings gets the ball for the D’backs.

From Rotoworld:

Yorvit Torrealba had a three-run homer and a double off Livan Hernandez to lead the Rockies to a 4-1 win over the Diamondbacks on Saturday night.

The Rockies are up 3-0 with a chance to clinch on Monday. Colorado got six innings of one-run ball from Josh Fogg on a rainy tonight, and Manny Corpas recorded his fourth save of the postseason with a scoreless ninth. Torrealba’s homer in the sixth gave him seven RBI in the Rockies’ six wins. Pitching the potential series-ender for Colorado on Monday will be Franklin Morales. The Diamondbacks are likely to stick with Micah Owings, though they could go to Brandon Webb on three days’ rest.

The Red Sox will not start Josh Beckett on short rest in Game 4.

Trot Nixon’s role on the Indians is invaluable.

Diamondbacks OF Eric Byrnes press conference on Saturday was one to remember.

Despite having won their first 6 postseason games, the middle of the Rockies lineup has been struggling.

 

The Result

The New England Patriots went into Dallas and earned their first victory in five tries at Texas Stadium, 48-27 in a hard fought battle of two unbeaten teams. Tom Brady threw five TD passes, two to Wes Welker and one each to Kyle Brady, Randy Moss and Donte` Stallworth, Kyle Eckel added a rushing TD and Stephen Gostkowski kicked a pair of field goals.

The Patriots showed what makes them a great team, when they were trailing by 4 points in the 3^rd quarter they outscored the Cowboys 27-3 in the last 20 minutes to get the convincing win.

Dallas did put up a good fight, Tony Romo completed some nice passes, their two running backs Marion Barber and Julius Jones got some good runs but in the end it was penalties and some poor decisions that did them in.  Maybe they should have gone with Orville Redenbacher instead of the Jiffy Pop.

Scoring Plays

• New England 14  7 10 17 – 48
• Dallas            0 17  7   3 – 27

1^st Quarter

• NE – Brady 6 yard TD pass to Moss – kick good – 7-0 Patriots
• NE – Brady 35 yard TD pass to Welker – kick good – 14-0 Patriots

2^nd Quarter

• DAL – Folk 38 yard FG – 14-3 Patriots
• DAL – Hatcher 29 yard fumble return – kick good – 14-10 Patriots
• NE – Brady 12 yard TD pass to Welker – kick good – 21-10 Patriots
• DAL – Romo 12 yard TD pass to Owens – kick good – 21-17 Patriots

3^rd Quarter

• DAL – Romo 8 yard to pass to Crayton – kick good – 24-21 Cowboys
• NE – Brady 1 yard TD pass to Brady – kick good – 28-24 Patriots
• NE – Gostkowski 45 yard FG – 31-24 Patriots

4^th Quarter

• NE – Brady 69 yard TD pass to Stallworth – kick good – 38-24 Patriots
• DAL – Folk 23 yard FG – 38-27 Patriots
• NE – Gostkowski 22 yard FG – 41-27 Patriots
• NE – Eckel 1 yard TD run – kick good – 48-27 Patriots

Offensive Player of the Game

Wes Welker 11 catches for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Defensive Player of the Game

Cowboys DeMarcus Ware had 10 tackles and a sack and was constantly reeking havoc on the Patriots offense.

Turning Point(s) of the Game

Dallas head coach Wade Phillips elects to kick a FG on fourth and goal trailing by 14 in the 4^th quarter, then the Patriots have a 6 minute drive that leads to a FG and they get back to the 14 point lead.

Junior Seau picks off Tony Romo with 3:50 left in game to seal the win.

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