PM is on full rest and Zito is on short rest and has never pitched on short rest since being a pro and that can make a big difference if you have never did it before the pressuere is on the a's even though they are home more then the rsox, poor coaching from the a's coaching staff and bad base running has cost the a's so far. yesterday the a's just gave away 2 to 3 runs on bad basebase running that you would not see in high school i think it is pressure you cannot have a mind fart in the playoffs or it will kill you physical E is one thing but when it is a E in the mind it will cost you almost everytime.
A's Really In Trouble Now
- Thread starter fletcher
- Start date
here come the Sox
looks like Williamson finally found some confidence. What a day at Gillette and watching the Patriots with 4 inch television watching the Sox. Hope the leg is improving
good luck
Dan
looks like Williamson finally found some confidence. What a day at Gillette and watching the Patriots with 4 inch television watching the Sox. Hope the leg is improvinggood luck
Dan
Much to my amazement...after turning over and seeing that 2 run homer this is all it takes to spark up the ending.
I agree on Boston here.
I agree on Boston here.
i think zito will come out big today, he dominated the sox last time out and three days rest is over rated, besides, he's a curvball pitcher.
Re: A's Really In Trouble Now
fletch
have to agree with you here.
The Atlanta Braves , Hampton tried pitching on 3 days rest. He told Bobby Cox, no problem I can do it.
I mean who wouldnt say they could do it for a chance to pitch in the playoffs. Hampton got hammered really from the first inning.
Hampton is no where near the pitcher that Zito is but I think it does affect them with stamina and being able to pitch their best.
KOD
..........................................................fletcher said:
fletch
have to agree with you here.
The Atlanta Braves , Hampton tried pitching on 3 days rest. He told Bobby Cox, no problem I can do it.
I mean who wouldnt say they could do it for a chance to pitch in the playoffs. Hampton got hammered really from the first inning.
Hampton is no where near the pitcher that Zito is but I think it does affect them with stamina and being able to pitch their best.
KOD
ZITO is throwing BP today(that's what Red Sox hitters will think)
ZITO is throwing BP today(that's what Red Sox hitters will think)
Day 3 is normally throw on the side day where a pitcher throws a little long toss and a few easy "simulated" innings just to keep their arms loose. Most arms are still sore on day three. For a guy that throws a lot of Curves(think Hampton)arms are more stressed believe it or not. Why do you think pitchers throw 80%-85% fastballs during rehab assignments?? To build arm strength in order to throw off-speed stuff. Zito will have to throw more fastballs then normal tonight to stay loose and the Sox will feast on him otherwise I guarantee you he will be hanging that curve over the plate or it will be flat and hard to control and walks will be a factor. Manny is ready to have a big night(best avg vs Lefties in the AL) Nomar is ready for a big night(hits the shizzle out of lefties) Varitek kills lefties hitting from the right side. Bill Mueller hits lhp/rhp the same. The only drop off is Walker and Nixon. Ortiz hits lefties and I think he has had success vs Zito but I might be wrong. Millar hits lefties well but struggles vs Curveballs. The best sign for the sox is #1 Manny and Nomar were a big part of that 8th inning comeback yesterday #2 Pedro looked stronger as Game 1 went on, as he threw 91-93 in the 6th inning. Most of the year he's been 88-90 middle innings. When his fastball is on, his circle change, 12-6, backdoor breaking ball, and cross-seam fastballs all look even nastier because what makes Pedro so great is his arm angle and release point and arm speed never change from pitch to pitch. Sometimes when he's really feeling it he will drop down and throw cross-seamers to right-handed hitters from a lower release point. This pitch is extremely difficult to hit because the arm action tells you that heat is coming but the grip and arm angle take a little mph off the ball and it almost makes a fastball look like a change up to RH hitters and the ball has a lot more action and usually ends up out of the strike zone or on the black of the plate inside or out but hitters can't help but swing defensively or back up off the plate. Either reaction is beneficial to the pitcher. It's still a fastball but it only hits 87-89 mph much like El Duque used to have. It looks like off-speed stuff that's why you see knees buckle when a righty drops down his release point, not because the hitter thinks the pitch will hit him. I look for Pedro to use this approach often tonight similar to the way he used it in 98-99 when he was 100%
The bottom line is anything can happen in a Final Game of a series. But a fully-rested pitcher definately gives us the edge aside from momentum and the psychological effects of the A's letting a 5th straight ALDS slip away.
ZITO is throwing BP today(that's what Red Sox hitters will think)
Day 3 is normally throw on the side day where a pitcher throws a little long toss and a few easy "simulated" innings just to keep their arms loose. Most arms are still sore on day three. For a guy that throws a lot of Curves(think Hampton)arms are more stressed believe it or not. Why do you think pitchers throw 80%-85% fastballs during rehab assignments?? To build arm strength in order to throw off-speed stuff. Zito will have to throw more fastballs then normal tonight to stay loose and the Sox will feast on him otherwise I guarantee you he will be hanging that curve over the plate or it will be flat and hard to control and walks will be a factor. Manny is ready to have a big night(best avg vs Lefties in the AL) Nomar is ready for a big night(hits the shizzle out of lefties) Varitek kills lefties hitting from the right side. Bill Mueller hits lhp/rhp the same. The only drop off is Walker and Nixon. Ortiz hits lefties and I think he has had success vs Zito but I might be wrong. Millar hits lefties well but struggles vs Curveballs. The best sign for the sox is #1 Manny and Nomar were a big part of that 8th inning comeback yesterday #2 Pedro looked stronger as Game 1 went on, as he threw 91-93 in the 6th inning. Most of the year he's been 88-90 middle innings. When his fastball is on, his circle change, 12-6, backdoor breaking ball, and cross-seam fastballs all look even nastier because what makes Pedro so great is his arm angle and release point and arm speed never change from pitch to pitch. Sometimes when he's really feeling it he will drop down and throw cross-seamers to right-handed hitters from a lower release point. This pitch is extremely difficult to hit because the arm action tells you that heat is coming but the grip and arm angle take a little mph off the ball and it almost makes a fastball look like a change up to RH hitters and the ball has a lot more action and usually ends up out of the strike zone or on the black of the plate inside or out but hitters can't help but swing defensively or back up off the plate. Either reaction is beneficial to the pitcher. It's still a fastball but it only hits 87-89 mph much like El Duque used to have. It looks like off-speed stuff that's why you see knees buckle when a righty drops down his release point, not because the hitter thinks the pitch will hit him. I look for Pedro to use this approach often tonight similar to the way he used it in 98-99 when he was 100%
The bottom line is anything can happen in a Final Game of a series. But a fully-rested pitcher definately gives us the edge aside from momentum and the psychological effects of the A's letting a 5th straight ALDS slip away.
Pedro was warming up in the bullpen on Saturday and threw about 20 pitches in their. Don't know if that is something to consider or not
Good luck Fletcher!!!
Good luck Fletcher!!!
Tough game to call, Zito may be on 3 days rest but pedro did throw 130 pitches last time out. Both pens have been used up so this could be a very interesting game.
The over seems intriguing, 7 is a good number. Oakland will score at least 3 off Pedro and Boston should be good for 3 as well.
btp
The over seems intriguing, 7 is a good number. Oakland will score at least 3 off Pedro and Boston should be good for 3 as well.
btp
Kdogg
Kdogg
Saturday was Pedro's side/bullpen session. That was his day to throw in between starts(3rd day)in order to keep his arm strong and loose. That's exactly what Zito SHOULD be doing today. Throwing 30-60 pitches(I say 30-60 cause some guys prefer log tossing it, some guys like Freddy Garcia shag fly balls during BP and count throws back in as long toss). I'm sorry to keep beating the dead horse here fellas but one thing I know besides nothing is pitching. From age 6 to 19 I played baseball everyday. I pitched and caught. When I hit high school I became the #2 starter/mop up/full-time catcher when I wasn't pitching. I was constantly throwing. I threw hard, but I learned how to throw a less than three-quarter arm angle release breaking ball that worked like a miracle. I threw that pitch about 3 times in every at bat. 14 years ago they didn't care about how many pitches a kid threw. I remember being sore all the time but you never opened your mouth cause you loved playing and you wanted to pitch. Someone brought up the point of Hampton pitching on 3 days yesterday. He might have felt like shit but there was no way he was NOT taking that ball. We just don't know how Zito will do because he hasn't done it yet. If Zito doesn't feel right you know he will try to pitch through it, and he should...a 50% Zito is better than a 100% Lily or 100% Harden in this situation. And the same can apply to Pedro after throwing 130. He might not feel that great but you know he's pitching no matter what. I'm just try to add that I know how it felt pitching at less than full arm strength.
But Also, and I'm gonna step back as a Red Sox fan for 1 second here, at this point in the season what Player/Pitcher/Fan for that matter is 100% at full strength??? It's a long grinding season for all of us and especially pitchers. If Zito doesn't come out with his best stuff I'll be suprised.
NOW!!! Back to being a Die-Hard Sox Fan...Zito is gonna be flat tonight and the Sox are gonna crush em. There, that's more like it.
Good Luck tonight fellas in whatever you do...be safe!!! And to all my Fellow Sox Fans, let's support our team 100% and no matter what happens let's hope we fire Grady Little as soon as the season ends whether it's on a good note or a bad note.
Kdogg
Saturday was Pedro's side/bullpen session. That was his day to throw in between starts(3rd day)in order to keep his arm strong and loose. That's exactly what Zito SHOULD be doing today. Throwing 30-60 pitches(I say 30-60 cause some guys prefer log tossing it, some guys like Freddy Garcia shag fly balls during BP and count throws back in as long toss). I'm sorry to keep beating the dead horse here fellas but one thing I know besides nothing is pitching. From age 6 to 19 I played baseball everyday. I pitched and caught. When I hit high school I became the #2 starter/mop up/full-time catcher when I wasn't pitching. I was constantly throwing. I threw hard, but I learned how to throw a less than three-quarter arm angle release breaking ball that worked like a miracle. I threw that pitch about 3 times in every at bat. 14 years ago they didn't care about how many pitches a kid threw. I remember being sore all the time but you never opened your mouth cause you loved playing and you wanted to pitch. Someone brought up the point of Hampton pitching on 3 days yesterday. He might have felt like shit but there was no way he was NOT taking that ball. We just don't know how Zito will do because he hasn't done it yet. If Zito doesn't feel right you know he will try to pitch through it, and he should...a 50% Zito is better than a 100% Lily or 100% Harden in this situation. And the same can apply to Pedro after throwing 130. He might not feel that great but you know he's pitching no matter what. I'm just try to add that I know how it felt pitching at less than full arm strength.
But Also, and I'm gonna step back as a Red Sox fan for 1 second here, at this point in the season what Player/Pitcher/Fan for that matter is 100% at full strength??? It's a long grinding season for all of us and especially pitchers. If Zito doesn't come out with his best stuff I'll be suprised.
NOW!!! Back to being a Die-Hard Sox Fan...Zito is gonna be flat tonight and the Sox are gonna crush em. There, that's more like it.
Good Luck tonight fellas in whatever you do...be safe!!! And to all my Fellow Sox Fans, let's support our team 100% and no matter what happens let's hope we fire Grady Little as soon as the season ends whether it's on a good note or a bad note.
flether so are you on Boston Tonight
flether so are you on Boston Tonight
boston in the last fe have been jinxed on game 5's
flether so are you on Boston Tonight
boston in the last fe have been jinxed on game 5's
................................................BigTymePlayer said:
Biggie
3 + 3 = 6 ........... Under the 7 you mean ?
KOD
Scott
Scott
I really see a 6-3, 7-2 Red Sox victory. It's all based on the Sox Striking first I believe. If they score first they can potentially pour it on with Oakland thinking here we go again. With all the defensive lapses and baserunning mistakes they already appear shaken. For some reason I keep coming up with 9 on paper but with the Sox Bullpen looking sharp in the last 2 games that number might be high.
Good Luck
Scott
I really see a 6-3, 7-2 Red Sox victory. It's all based on the Sox Striking first I believe. If they score first they can potentially pour it on with Oakland thinking here we go again. With all the defensive lapses and baserunning mistakes they already appear shaken. For some reason I keep coming up with 9 on paper but with the Sox Bullpen looking sharp in the last 2 games that number might be high.
Good Luck
Everything people are saying about Pedro in game #5, the same handicappers thought the same in game #1 and Pedro was not vintage Pedro, giving up 4 walks, only K'ing 3, and throwing 130 pitches... the most he has all season.
Don't let the "Pedro mystique" cloud your judgement I keep telling people! The linesmakers hiked this line all the way up b/c JohnQ public and even pro cappers can't see past the Pedro of the past.
Zito is 2-0 vs. Boston this year, Pedro is 0-2, Pedro is .500 pitcher on the road, Boston is .500 team on the road, Oakland has won L6, and 59-24 at home.
Everyone talks about Manny & Nomar breaking out big this game, etc. based on one inning in game #4. That was only one inning! And the same argument can be made in reverse for Tejada and Chavez who are 2-for-37 this series! Yet the A's should've won both games #3 and #4. So maybe Manny & Nomar start hitting... but maybe Tejada and Chavez break out. How do you discount that? How do you lay the wood for a road team with a pitcher throwing the most pitches he has all year, and his last start he was sloppy?
Everyone "believed" in Pedro in game #1 and it didn't work out. Why make the same mistake twice? Just b/c he's "the best pitcher in baseball" ?? Is he really the same Pedro? What did game #1 tell you?
Just my 2 cents. Good luck.
Don't let the "Pedro mystique" cloud your judgement I keep telling people! The linesmakers hiked this line all the way up b/c JohnQ public and even pro cappers can't see past the Pedro of the past.
Zito is 2-0 vs. Boston this year, Pedro is 0-2, Pedro is .500 pitcher on the road, Boston is .500 team on the road, Oakland has won L6, and 59-24 at home.
Everyone talks about Manny & Nomar breaking out big this game, etc. based on one inning in game #4. That was only one inning! And the same argument can be made in reverse for Tejada and Chavez who are 2-for-37 this series! Yet the A's should've won both games #3 and #4. So maybe Manny & Nomar start hitting... but maybe Tejada and Chavez break out. How do you discount that? How do you lay the wood for a road team with a pitcher throwing the most pitches he has all year, and his last start he was sloppy?
Everyone "believed" in Pedro in game #1 and it didn't work out. Why make the same mistake twice? Just b/c he's "the best pitcher in baseball" ?? Is he really the same Pedro? What did game #1 tell you?
Just my 2 cents. Good luck.
Martinez is 7-2 with a 2.34 ERA in 10 career starts against the A's, including his performance in Game One. He is 4-1 in seven lifetime outings at Network Associates Coliseum.
Zito is 4-2 with a 2.98 ERA in seven career starts against the Red Sox.
Zito is 4-2 with a 2.98 ERA in seven career starts against the Red Sox.
ANSWER THIS QUESTION ~ WILL BOSTON SCORE AT LEAST 2 RUNS? I THINK THE As GET SHUTOUT TONIGHT OR SCORE 1 RUN AT THE MOST. GL ~ TO ALL YOU RED SOX FANS!!! ID LOVE TO SEE THEM MATCHUP WITH THE YANKS. MAYBE A CUBS ~ SOX SERIES:shrug:
