Red Sox / Angels - Game One - Live Diary

I had a very busy day and now I need to catch up on emails. At the same time I thought I would post my thoughts on Game 1 between the Red Sox and Angels.

4:00 Chris Berman is doing the game - how long before the first Hotel California reference?

As an aside - the best rendition of the National Anthem I have ever heard was done by Sammy Davis Jr. before one of the 1986 playoff games. I'm disappointed that ESPN didn't bother showing the singing of the anthem before the start of the game.

I'm glad that Gabe Kapler is playing in right instead of Trot Nixon.

Vlade Guererro is running like Fred G. Sanford.

Manny gets a two out "double". Ortiz hits the first pitch for a single and Manny "races" around to score. (I may use "scare quotes" all day.) One run may just be enough for Curt Schilling.

Washburn throws 21 pitches in the first - my guess is that he doesn't make it out of the 5th.

I think many Red Sox fans saw that bloop to center and had visions of Johnny Damon colliding into Carbrera coming out from the infield. Damon slamming into Damian Jackson was probably the scariest thing from last years playoffs.

Washburn is getting wild but still gets out of the inning with just 10 pitches. Let me remind you that Washburn is just 1-2 with a 5.02 ERA in 5 post season starts. I'm sticking to my 5th inning prediction.

Richard at Pearly Gates is also liveblogging the game. During commercials he is molesting collies.

Berman says that Damon has a House of David look going. Based on the link - the comment would be more appropriote for Gabe Kapler (or Kevin Youkilis).

4:49 Manny is going to hit a BOMB off Washburn. (That last pitch was not a strike. OK you want an angry Manny - you got an angry Manny. Washburn is up to 53 pitches.)

It took ESPN until the 3rd inning to talk about "the curse". They are getting better (it used to be all during pre-game). People in New England think talk about a curse is just plain stupid. The only people you see talk about a curse are Dan "Chinless" Shaughnessy, out of town college students and idiots who want to get on SportsCenter.

Kevin Millar two-run bomb. 3-0 Boston.

Boston goes up 5-0 on a wild throw to home with the bases loaded. Washburn comes out of the game (told you he wouldn't make it till the end of the 5th).

You wanted an angry Manny - you got a angry Manny! BOMB! 8-0 Red Sox.

Troy Glaus breaks up the shut-out. Man - when Glaus gets hot there may be no scarier batter in either league. (Note: Glaus was the third pick in the 1997 draft. Matt Anderson was picked first by the Tigers and JD Drew was picked second by the Phillies. Do you think the Tigers wish that had that pick back?)

At the end of 5 innings - Schilling is up to 76 pitches. I hope Schilling doesn't go more than 7 innings. We will need him fresh for a game 5 or the next series.

Ramiro Mendoza did not make the playoff roster for the Sox. The Mendoza Embedded Yankee Era ends with a wimper. Maybe the Sox have Ramiro scouting tonight's game in Minnesota.

Erstad hits a HR - 8-2. Take Schilling out.

Great - it looks like Schilling may be hurt. Now Glaus slams one (at least it wasn't a HR). 8-3 Red Sox.

9-3 Red Sox. Don't ask me how they scored I had to referee a disagreement between two of my kids.

Just one more inning to go. I find myself wishing that someone would throw about three chickens and two monkeys into the ESPN booth just to liven things up.

9-3 final score. Pedro goes tomorrow.