Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - Division Series: Sunday, October 5th, 2003

Division Series: Sunday, October 5th, 2003

Oakland Athletics at Boston Red Sox, 1 PM ET (Game 4)

Tim Hudson starts on 3 days rest - the second pitcher in this year's post-season to do so. Conventional wisdom supposes that a sinkerball pitcher doesn't need a lot of rest between starts, and Hudson threw only 106 pitches on Wednesday.

The Athletics should be celebrating a sweep today, but instead will have to deal with John Burkett. I'm not a big fan of Burkett - he always seemed to me like a pitcher who was reasonably effective only against weaker lineups. Prediction: Oakland 6 Boston 3.

John Burkett (2002/2003)
versus	AB	H	HR	TB	W	K	HBP	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	K pct	W pct
right	676	198	21	310	40	109	12	9	7	.343	.459	.150	.056
left	736	203	24	322	57	122	5	8	6	.332	.438	.153	.072

I recommend the patient approach today for Oakland. They ought to get a fair number of baserunners and should look to build one big inning that will knock out the Red Sox.

Oakland Athletics versus Righthanded Pitchers (2002/2003)
Player	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	W	K	SB	CS	HBP	avg	obp	slg
M Ellis	692	182	34	7	11	69	119	8	1	10	.263	.339	.380
E Durazo	532	139	31	2	28	114	112	1	2	2	.261	.394	.485
E Chavez	819	251	57	7	48	102	135	11	3	1	.306	.384	.569
M Tejada	994	297	58	0	44	56	127	8	0	15	.299	.346	.490
S Hatteberg	798	217	44	4	21	108	79	0	1	6	.272	.363	.416
J Guillen	488	140	22	2	29	25	93	3	4	13	.287	.338	.518
A Melhuse	53	15	4	0	3	9	13	0	0	0	.283	.387	.528
J Dye	560	127	27	1	25	56	113	2	0	11	.227	.279	.413
E Byrnes	318	78	20	7	8	35	58	9	2	4	.245	.328	.428

notes: OBP is calculated without including sac flies (H+W+HBP)/(AB+W+HBP); player in red indicates the batter is at a platoon disadvantage.

The Athletics shot themsleves in the foot yesterday in the 6th and 7th innings. They probably should have been up 3-1 heading home but instead they went to extra innings. It's a shame, because they were aggressive on the basepaths throughout most of the game, but made big mistakes at the wrong time.

Macha is going with his Game 1 lineup, with one exception: former Toronto farmhand Adam Melhuse is giving Ramon Hernandez a breather.

Tim Hudson (2002/2003)
versus	AB	H	HR	TB	W	K	HBP	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	K pct	W pct
right	777	177	10	240	50	147	9	6	6	.282	.309	.176	.060
left	1008	257	24	250	73	167	9	6	8	.311	.380	.153	.068

The Sox hit Tim Hudson fairly well on Wednesday. Hudson faced 29 batters, gave up 2 homeruns, a walk and struck out 5. Of the 21 balls in play, 8 were singles for a BIP average of .381. Hudson induced 10 ground ball outs compared to 4 flyball outs.

Look for more of the same today. Fenway isn't a great homerun park, especially for lefthanded batters, so the Sox will try to string together singles and doubles against Hudson.

Boston Red Sox versus Righthanded Pitchers (2002/2003)
Player	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	W	K	SB	CS	HBP	avg	obp	slg
J Damon	881	243	47	9	20	105	104	58	8	5	.276	.356	.418
N Garciaparra	1004	298	72	13	42	62	95	19	4	13	.297	.327	.520
T Walker	883	268	63	6	18	78	108	7	6	2	.304	.361	.412
M Ramirez	789	250	46	1	56	130	154	2	1	15	.317	.423	.591
D Ortiz	626	192	56	2	42	88	114	1	2	1	.307	.393	.604
K Millar	729	208	54	1	33	68	146	3	3	8	.285	.353	.498
T Nixon	761	223	51	8	46	110	145	5	4	4	.293	.385	.562
B Mueller	649	201	46	8	15	82	83	1	4	4	.310	.390	.475
J Varitek	664	174	40	1	23	68	158	5	4	10	.262	.362	.429

notes: OBP is calculated without including sac flies (H+W+HBP)/(AB+W+HBP); player in red indicates the batter is at a platoon disadvantage.

Todd Walker and Trot Nixon return to the lineup. The offence will need the lefthanded batters to step up: they've scored 8 runs in almost 32 innings of play. Will they try to run on Adam Melhuse?

**Probable Pitchers**


Sunday	OAK	Tim Hudson	at	BOS	John Burkett	1:00 ET
	NYY	David Wells	at	MIN	Johan Santana	4:00 ET
...	CHI	Kerry Wood	at	ATL	Mike Hampton	7:30 ET

**Playoff Results**


Tuesday	MIN	Johan Santana	at	NYY	Mike Mussina	3-1 MIN
...	FLA	Josh Beckett	at	SF	Jason Schmidt	2-0 SFG
...	CHI	Kerry Wood	at	ATL	Russ Ortiz	4-2 CHI

Wednesday	FLA	Brad Penny	at	SF	Sidney Ponson	9-5 FLA
...	CHI	Carlos Zambrano	at	ATL	Mike Hampton	5-3 ATL
...	BOS	Pedro Martinez	at	OAK	Tim Hudson	5-4 OAK

Thursday	BOS	Tim Wakefield	at	OAK	Barry Zito	5-1 OAK
...	MIN	Brad Radke	at	NYY	Andy Pettitte	4-1 NYY

Friday	SF	Kirk Ruerter	at	FLA	Mark Redman	4-3 FLA
...	ATL	Greg Maddux	at	CHI	Mark Prior	3-1 CHI

Saturday	NYY	Roger Clemens	at	MIN	Kyle Lohse	3-1 NYY
...	SFG	Jerome Williams	at	FLA	Dontrelle Willis	7-6 FLA
...	ATL	Russ Ortiz	at	ATL	Matt Clement	6-4 ATL
...	OAK	Ted Lilly	at	BOS	Derek Lowe	3-1 BOS

2003 Playoff Series

New York Yankees
versus

Minnesota Twins

NY leads 2-1

...........|

|...........

Atlanta Braves
versus

Chicago Cubs

tied 2-2

ALCS

NLCS

Florida Marlins

Oakland Athletics
versus

Boston Red Sox

OAK leads 2-1

...........|

|...........

San Francisco Giants
versus

Florida Marlins

FLA wins 3-1

Posted by robertdudek on Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 12:57 PM EDT.

Division Series: Sunday, October 5th, 2003 | 25 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

Coach - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 01:12 PM EDT (#89076) #

Burkett's impossible for me to root for, but I want to see a fifth game, so I'm hoping the Sox win a high-scoring affair. Their big bats are certainly due to wake up (Manny and Ortiz are 1-for-25) and there is hope against Hudson -- in last year's playoffs, the Twins beat him up when he pitched on three days rest.

Coach - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 01:43 PM EDT (#89077) #

Oakland has taken the early lead on a walk and three singles; they probably could have scored a second run, but opted to leave the bases loaded with nobody out. Burkett then popped up Byrnes, Ellis and Durazo, escaping further damage and (perhaps) inspiring his teammates.

_Dez - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 02:01 PM EDT (#89078) #

What happened to Hudson? Why is Sparks pitching now?

robertdudek - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 02:02 PM EDT (#89079) #

Incredible,

Hudosn injured his hip during warmup for the 2nd inning and had to leave. Knuckle-baller Steve Sparks is now pitching for Oakland. Even if the A's advance, the possibility of facing the Yankees with Zito, Lilly and Harden and without Hudson is a concern. Who knows if Hudson will be able to pitch again this year.

Coach - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 02:18 PM EDT (#89080) #

Damon hits a 2-run HR to give Boston the lead. It's really too bad about Hudson, especially considering Mulder's absence.

The Red Sox have taken the same gamble that didn't pay off for the Giants yesterday. If they do win today, they will have a fully-rested Pedro Martinez ready against Barry Zito, who will be working on short rest. The scheduling has been brutal in this series. This is the second time there's been a 1:00 game after an extra-inning night game, and if there is a Game Five, the long flight with no off day can add to fatigue.

Is there any significance to Oakland's "inability" to close out a series? Last night was the seventh consecutive time they failed in that situation, and the fourth straight year it's happened. There have been a lot of "physical errors," and the baserunning blunders (especially Byrnes') bring to mind Jeremy Giambi's failure to slide.

_jason - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 02:20 PM EDT (#89081) #

I think Eric Chavez is as much to blame for Byrnes's gaff as anybody. Its the ondeck hitters responsibility to let Byrnes know he didnt touch home plate.

Coach - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 02:39 PM EDT (#89082) #

Jason, the entire A's bench was screaming at Byrnes, but he was oblivious. It's the latest incident in this bizarre stretch of winnable series-clinching games that somehow slip away. Today could be the eighth straight time they snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Obviously, Hudson's injury will be remembered as the main cause if that occurs, but Guillen didn't exactly put himself into the baserunning hall of fame by making the first out of the fourth inning at third base, and a throwing error led directly to the first Boston run.

robertdudek - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 02:51 PM EDT (#89083) #

I thought Damon had no shot to get Guillen, but he made a perfect throw. Nevertheless, I don't think it's a great idea to be aggressive on the basepaths against a mediocre pitcher like Burkett.

Coach - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 03:00 PM EDT (#89084) #

I agree, Robert. It was one of those "trying too hard" mistakes, where you applaud the effort, even though the result wasn't great, like when Reed Johnson tried to go first-to-third against Ichiro. Still, Guillen ran them out of a possible big inning.

Burkett has dodged a lot of bullets, and Mueller was his latest guardian angel. Great catch.

Coach - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 03:04 PM EDT (#89085) #

Burkett's luck ran out, or he was left in two batters too long -- a Melhuse triple and Dye homer have put the A's in front 4-2 and quieted the Fenway faithful.

Thomas - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 03:06 PM EDT (#89086) #

Adam Melhuse continues to pay dividends with a run-scoring triple in the bottom of the 5th. A very good scrap-heap find by Beane, he is 3 for 3 today and he will be a big cause of the victory, if the A's manage to win today. Did Ramon start this game, and if so why did he leave?

I can't comprehend that the A's might fail to win in the first round again. After yesterday's game, which was filled with unbelievable moments, and with them facing Pedro in game 5, today's game is one they would really like to win. As good as Zito was in game 2, you never want to be facing elimination vs. Pedro.

Thomas - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 03:07 PM EDT (#89087) #

Jermaine's big contract seems slightly less of a mistake right now....

_Chuck Van Den C - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 03:12 PM EDT (#89088) #

Dye goes deep. Burkett turns back into a pumpkin. It was due to happen.

As much as I wouldn't have been overly upset about the Red Sox doing well in this post-season (vindication of the Epstein/James/McCracken stathead mindset), I am more and more taking a Schadenfreudian delight in the misery of the insufferable Red Sox nation.

It's not entirely clear to me that Yankee fans are harsher and more boorish than their New England counterparts.

As for the A's, they appear to be doing everything they can to not win, but are winning nonetheless. One dumb play after another makes it increasingly difficult to support them for sentimental reasons. Dumb baseball just ain't pretty.

Hudson's injury, if it's serious, should make the A's easy pickings in the ALCS. Sigh. The Yankees may march to the WS untested.

_StephenT - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 03:23 PM EDT (#89089) #

They said Hernandez had a stiff back. So former Jays prospect Melhuse gets to play.

The 2000 A's did win a must-win game in Yankee Stadium (down 2-1 in ALDS) before this "streak" started.

No second-guessing: when should the A's bring in Foulke?

Coach - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 03:31 PM EDT (#89090) #

No second-guessing: when should the A's bring in Foulke?

Rincon should stay in to pitch to Nixon, then I'd go to Foulke, but I would also have Bradford ready.

Coach - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 04:02 PM EDT (#89091) #

Jon Miller summed up the Ramirez single perfectly: "Fenway worked against the Red Sox on this one." Guillen was playing so shallow in left, there was no way for Nomar to score from second.

Foulke does not have the same pinpoint control he had in the first two games, and he really grooved the 3-2 to Ortiz. 5-4 Boston!

robertdudek - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 04:04 PM EDT (#89092) #

Cookie Monster! ARRARARRRRRARRRRAH!

Thomas - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 04:07 PM EDT (#89093) #

I think I would have pitched around Ortiz, or at least on 3-2 have thrown something that broke out of the zone, hoping he chased it.

The A's postseason misery is continuing. I wonder how many objects were damaged by Billy Beane on the Ortiz double.

Coach - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 04:09 PM EDT (#89094) #

Looks like Kim (who was signalling "we're number one" with that finger) is not going to be used in a meaningful situation again. Good call to stick with Williamson.

_Chuck Van Den C - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 04:12 PM EDT (#89095) #

Williamson stays in to pitch a 2nd inning because he was so effective in his first inning. The 9th inning doesn't automatically go to the "closer". This is what Bill James was advocating all along and what chowderheads in the media have been dubbing "bullpen by committee".

Coach - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 04:17 PM EDT (#89096) #

There is no Red Sox "closer" any more, unless it's Williamson. They had Embree and Timlin warming up just in case. Maybe Kim will be available cheap this winter; he's worn out his welcome in Boston.

_Chuck Van Den C - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 04:24 PM EDT (#89097) #

Maybe Kim will be available cheap this winter; he's worn out his welcome in Boston.

Maybe with the fans and, momentarily, with Grady Little, but I can't imagine Epstein is in any big hurry to unload him.

Should Pedro beat Zito, I think Kim will have plenty of chance for redemption in the ALCS, where I'd expect he'd get used initially in middle relief.

Williamson didn't pitch especially well for either Boston or Cincinnati this year. He may the closest thing to an annointed closer at the moment, but things change quickly in Beantown.

_Scott Lucas - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 04:43 PM EDT (#89098) #

Message to Johnny Damon: Mike Schmidt wants his haircut back.

Coach - Sunday, October 05 2003 @ 05:14 PM EDT (#89099) #

Kim will have plenty of chance for redemption in the ALCS

Yeah, he's always been the Yankees' favourite reliever. I'd say he's a mopup man the rest of the way, and his best chance to have any value in a Red Sox uniform might be in next year's rotation.

Leigh - Monday, October 06 2003 @ 10:50 AM EDT (#89100) #

I just got back from Fenway, where I attended Saturday's game and witnessed Trot Nixon's homerun [Beantown is only a 7 hour drive from where I live, Fredericton, NB]. The Blue Jays Cheer Club has a long way to go in order to elicit the pure pandemonium that I witnessed on at Fenway and on the streets into the wee hours of the night.

Division Series: Sunday, October 5th, 2003 | 25 comments | Create New Account

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