I think Christine and I may start bickering even before the SoxandPhils series begins. Tonight wasn't a problem, but the Red Sox games against the Yankees will be nationally televised Wednesday and Thursday. One of us will have a thumb attached to the "previous channel" button on the remote, and the other will likely accuse the other of being too slow in switching back to a particular game. It's a good thing we have three TVs - but only one of them is HD.
Opponents: The SoxandPhils find two New York teams headed in opposite directions. Nick Cafardo cautions that the much-improved Yankees squad is a different team from the one the Red Sox are 5-0 against this year. Phil Sheridan states the obvious: Advantage, Phillies, in big rivalry. He also drops a SoxandPhils reference:
We are getting a taste of what it has been like to be a baseball fan in New York and Boston for the last decade or so. Following a winning team with a strong nucleus, good chemistry, and committed ownership turns out to be even more fun than it looked from afar.
Amen.
Case closed: On Saturday, I heard a nimrod call WIP to suggest that Brad Lidge's struggles may be mental because his blown saves seem to coincide with nationally televised games against good opponents.
I thought that was ludicrous until this morning when I saw a commercial for the Phillies' bullpen reality TV show. Maybe the caller was on the right track, except that Lidge, a perfect World Champion last year, wasn't buckling under big-game pressure. No, maybe he was melting under the pressure of being a TV star.
Or, maybe he's just been injured all friggin' year without admitting it. He was DL'd today and it sounds as if he's still in denial:
"He did not suggest it," said Amaro. "I don’t know how on-board he was with it, because he doesn't want to make any excuses, but he understands. Our medical people and staff took the decision out of it for him."
Where we stand: We're glad they're shutting him down since he's hurt, but upset it has taken this long.
Tonight's games: Red Sox are up 7-0 in the 9th courtesy of a nice four-run 2nd inning, that featured a two-run home run by Mr. David Américo Ortiz Arias, aka Big Papi, and two more runs after an error by Alex Rodriguez. In the battle of former Marlins, Josh Beckett struck out eight and allowed three base runners in six innings. A.J. Burnett allowed five runs (three earned) and 10 baserunners in 2 2/3 innings.
Things weren't so good for the Phillies. It was a competitive back-and-forth game with lots of home runs, but they fell short to the Mets, 6-5
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