The O's and Rays still battling in the 14th. Zoinks! Has anyone seen this clip of Francesca dozing off while listening to Sweeny Murti? The look on Mike's face when he snaps out of it is priceless.
http://deadspin.com/5942619/watch-mike-francesa-doze-off-during-an-interview

O's win. Rats.

[2] Wow, in 14??

[3] Yep. It was a foregone conclusion, really. The O's always win one-run games -- otherwise they couldn't beat their pythagorean estimate by so much!

Nunez gets a start at short. Interesting.

On the other hand, we have to see more of Andruw Jones. That's not as interesting.

Helluva catch by Grandy.

Curtis with the leather.

Curtis with the leather, but not with the wood.

Hughes is through two innings with only 17 pitches.
These are not your father's Red Sox.

[9] It's not your father's Phil Hughes.

[10] Hm. Is that the pre-bullpen Phil? I might prefer my dad's.

However, three innings 26 pitches?!?!?! This edition is acceptable.

Go Alex!

A black hole stole base?

Oh no, an anti-scoring situation.

We'll take it.

For some reason, I am really looking forward to typing, "So it all comes down to Steve Pearce!"

Oh well fuck a duck.

[16]C'mon, give Pearce a chance.

And at least Granderson scalded that ball. Bad luck.

Curtis robbed me of the opportunity. [16]

Good smack, though, can't get mad at Curtis.

Dammit! But a well struck ball, sometimes they just are in the wrong spot.

[18] That's all we are sayin'.

[19] Strikeout > doubleplay

Wait, that's another thread.

No!
Blowing the perfecto by walking Scott Podsednik??

This is very bad. The Baseball Gods will not be happy.

Must be verrrrry careful here. Baseball Gods sometimes smile upon Cody Ross.

I was thinking what Cone said, worried about Hughes from the stretch.

What's the use of a get me over hanging curveball? Ugh.

Arod should have had that.

Three 2-strike fouls. This is the Phil we are Hughesed to. And there goes the no-no.

Okay, huge batter here. Must get Daniel Nava.

Phewes. Nice

Hey, I bet my house that Phil was going to hav 48 pitches through 4 today. I'm going to buy everyone their own Steve Pearce jersey. : )

[30] Wait, you just lost your house so you're going to buy us stuff?

Dude, I admire your generosity, but be sensible.

I wish Nuñe5 could make two outs here, so Jeter would lead off the sixth.

[30] Great! It will fit in nicely between my Wil Nieves and Mark Bellhorn game jerseys.

Oh shut UP! [32]

No Eduardo, that's the black hole base.

Felix Doubront, the latest bad pitcher the Yankees can't touch.

Phil?
Phil Hughes??
On CG pace half way through the game???

I don't think we're going to win 1-0.

There's really only so long you can expect a mediocre, homer prone pitcher like Hughes to protect a 1-0 lead in this park, guys

Is Ellsbury still hurt? He's really not having the season I expected after last year.

I hope snozzberry winds up in the NL. He really pisses me off.

[40] Nobody knows, but for sure Scott Boras is not pleased.

Did some Boston fans strip the Score Truck?

God, this just has three run homer written all over it.

[40] I figured he'd be a little better than this, but not in the universe of last year

And Hughes is lucky Ross didn't belt that first pitch over the monster.

Tense at bat. C'mon, Phil. One moe out baby!

NICE! Way to go PHIL!

Hey Shitheads, how about some fucking runs?

Yahoo!

Yeah, each Cody Ross AB has me expecting a HR, I have to admit.

[41][42] I kind of had visions of a Gardner-Jacoby outfield.

Nune5!

Pearce & Nunez constitute a scoring threat. Ugh.

I don't care what you guys say, I like Nuney in the line-up.

4.0, 3.0, 5.0, 4.1, 5,0, 6.1, 5.0, 6.1, 5.0, 6.0 6.1, 4.1.
Doubront's innings pitched in his last dozen starts.
He hasn't reached the 7th since June 13th against the Marlins For Fuck's Sake! Grrrrrrrrrr....

[51] Jacoby will be overpriced (as I hinted at [42]).
[54] Yeah, but the problem is that he's playing shortstop. I mean, no Nuñe6 yet...

A 360 foot jog would do Jeter's ankle a world of good right about now.

He was going for it on that last swing ...

[57] That's what he's thinking too.

Say hey!

Congrats to the Captain! Hot damn. Say Hey!

Derek ties Willie Mays!

El Capitán!

Yikes, Jeter looked awful running down to 1st on that hit.

Oh my god.
I didn't really until just now that my shoulders were tensed.

I'm REALLY pleased the boys have been able to SLUG 2 runs off of this historically great team, with their Ace on the mound.

[66] Wow, no love for Phil at all???

Tough customer.

For the love of Mo. NO hit and run.

[67] James Loney is batting third. Not exactly a strong Sox lineup! :) But well done so far, Phil.

Captain ties Willie Mays. Wow.

Well, it all comes down to the guy who's replacing Steve Pearce at third base...

There have been a lot of swings and missed tonight. More so than usual it seems to me.

This would be a good time for a Yay-Rod!

Urg.

Probably low, but far, far too close to take right down the middle ...

2 for 31 in this series with risp. B double O!

Okay, so it's all on Phil's shoulders.
Capable shoulders.

Ugh. I'm going to be really nervous every time somebody gets on base. Still, Phil definitely gets to pitch the seventh.

Cornflake flashes the leather!

Whew!
I thought he was going to walk Nava and we'd have to watch him battle Saltalamakeahomer with a man on.

Oh, sweet.
I love watching Saltalamacchia strike out. It's particularly satisfying.

Awesome.

Clap clap clap!

Bring him back for the eighth??

3 up 3 down. Phillip has been great. Hope coffee Joe doesn't get jitters

Phil phor the eighth? Unless he gets in trouble -- a runner on.

Craig Breslow, oh boy.

Nice. A hit from Jesus.

Hey! Guess where I stayed last night?
http://www.frontdoor.com/buy/tour-alex-rodriquezs-miami-beach-home-for-sale/pictures/pg593?affiliate=blocker&omnisource=SEM&c1=Celebrity_Homes_Computer&c2=Celebrity_Homes&c3=Outbrain

[84] I just calculated that you could fit 47 & a half of my Tokyo apaprtments inside his mansion.

It's all up to Steve Pearce!!

Oh, damn, too slow.

Take it! Take another little little Pearce of my heart now baby!
2 for 33 risp in 3 games.

[84] Is he downsizing? Florida has no income tax, which makes it popular with high income people, and an unlimited homestead exemption for bankruptcy, meaning that home couldn't be touched (at least it used to, don't know current bankruptcy law.)

Yeah.
Glad it wasn't a little higher...

Nice nite phil. Time to say goodbye

And so it begins.
[84] A few of those pics just seem surreal.

MATCHUPS!

Wow, Girardi is showing more faith in Phil I thought he would---or maybe even than I would. I would have yanked him after the double. Then again, who can he go to in the pen?

Well, maybe not so much faith. Even as I typed, quietly on gameday the words Pitching Changed whisked by.

I just sense a soul crushing homer at some point. Ugh.

[94] Oh, because you didn't notice that Ellsbury and Podsednik are left-handed??

Lets go David

So Valentine brings in Ryan Lavarnway, knowing that Girardi will then go to D-Rob. Lavarnway is batting .161. Average is pretty much the only stat that matters in this situation...

Well, maybe Bobby wants two Jews to play in the eighth.

I can't take it.

Nice.

I guess Ciriaco's mistake was to get to second base on his hit.