I will not be doing this regularly, but hey, we do need a game thread, right? Or have things gotten so bad that no one is interested in discussing the individual games any more..hmmm.

Good afternoon. The Red Sox snapped a four-game losing streak Sunday. The first-place Rangers are at Fenway Park tonight. Here's a preview of tonight's game:

RED SOX (54-55)
Ellsbury CF
Crawford LF
Pedroia 2B
Gonzalez 1B
Ross DH
Saltalamacchia C
Middlebrooks 3B
Kalish RF
Aviles SS
Pitching: RHP Aaron Cook (2-5, 5.24)

RANGERS (63-44)
Kinsler 2B
Young SS
Hamilton CF
Beltre 3B
Cruz RF
Murphy LF
Napoli C
Soto DH
Moreland 1B
Pitching: RHP Yu Darvish (11-7, 4.38)

Game time: 7:10 p.m.

TV/Radio: NESN/WEEI

Rangers vs. Cook: Beltre 6-13, Gonzalez 3-8, Hamilton 3-3, Napoli 2-9, Soto 1-5.

Red Sox vs. Darvish: No history

Stat of the Day: Red Sox starter Aaron Cook is 0-4 with a 5.79 ERA in his last five starts.

Notes: Adrian Gonzalez has six multi-hit efforts in his last nine games. He has 19 multi-hit games in his last 37 games since June 23. Since that date he leads the American League with a .393 average. ...The Rangers and Yankees are tied for the best record in the American League. ... Rangers starter Yu Darvish is 1-3 with a 6.82 ERA, 39 strikeouts, 20 walks over his last five starts. ... Alfredo Aceves earned his 23d save Sunday. ... The Red Sox are 28-32 at home.

Go Sox!  I'd like to see the Rangers lose as much as possible to help my team, unfortunately Verlander will have something to say about that tonight.

In Response to Re: Game thread for Red Sox v Rangers, Aug 6:


Aaron Cook is "pitching" tonite. He probably won't last four innings. Unless we can manage to score about 10 runs I think you are out of luck.

In Response to Re: Game thread for Red Sox v Rangers, Aug 6:


Maybe but Darvish isn't unhittable and the Sox have a good lineup especially with Gonzalez really hitting the ball lately, the Sox can put up some crooked numbers too.

In Response to Re: Game thread for Red Sox v Rangers, Aug 6:
Oh ye of little faith

Is Ciriaco hurt?

Thoughts:  Is it good or bad that the Sox havent faced Darvish ?

Start the long winning streak Sox!!!!!!

In Response to Re: Game thread for Red Sox v Rangers, Aug 6:


I'm surprised he's still starting. You might be better off with a guy from AAA, maybe even Ranaudo, even if he isn't ready.

In Response to Re: Game thread for Red Sox v Rangers, Aug 6:


That's usually bad, but he's been bad himself lately; could be a slugfest.

Pumpsie starting a gamethread is like having a fox guard the henhouse but he has the help of Yankee fan nhsteven and super critic Dannycater.

In Response to Re: Game thread for Red Sox v Rangers, Aug 6:


Is your Calzone costume in the closet for this game? Ask yourself why you have all those monikers, Or do you need all of them to perpetuate your forum critique / freedom fighter mode? I guess super heroes need "secret" identities  to strive for those heroic aims. Truth, justice, and all that.

Is the YES gamethread down tonight. Are there any alternatives in a metropolitan region of twenty million people. Tough being a Yankee fan without a forum.

Why is Ciriaco not in the line-up? 

In Response to Re: Game thread for Red Sox v Rangers, Aug 6:


Cook style of "pitching to contact" is generally not a good idea against the Rangers, the top run scoring team in the league.

If Cook gets his pitches over and down he is fantastic. Note of optimism in a den of negativity.

Here is what John Henry said about his support for the manager. He does not blame Valentine for "being a .500 club" (they are actually a below .500 club John). Of note: he did not address what he thought ARE the reasons we are a below .500 team. Now that would be interesting indeed.
"I've gotten questions about Bobby and about ownership from you so I'll say the following on the record.

"To blame Bobby Valentine for the Red Sox being .500 at this point in the season is simply wrong. A lot has been written about injuries to key players this year. The impact of that on the Sox this year should not be discounted.

In baseball, managers often get too much credit and too much blame for what happens on the field. That seems to be a constant. There is often the thought in organizations, "This isn't working so the manager needs to go." But an organization is much more than the field manager. We all share responsibility for the success and failure of the Boston Red Sox. We are not making a change in manager.

There has been no lack of effort from our players and we have had a number of them playing hurt. I watch every game and the effort our players put in night after night is very clear to see.

In regard to the notion that we have somehow not empowered Bobby, you should ask him directly about that. We have been nothing but supportive of him inside and outside of the clubhouse. Stories that imply otherwise are due to speculation that is not warranted at all by the facts.

And the notion that we are not present and not attending games is misleading to the public. Tom, Larry and I seldom miss home games. This year is no different. We seldom miss a telecast when on the road if we aren’t there. This is a 365-day-a-year sport for us – as it is for Ben and for Bobby. Even when we are away we discuss issues daily. Just because we aren't answering all media questions doesn't mean we aren't on the job. We are.

Our commitment to winning is unabated. That is our focus. We continue to have the 2nd highest payroll among the 30 clubs. We have been at this for more than 10 years in Boston, and winning is just as much our focus today as it was when we took over."

OK,  good start and confidence builder

evening everyone. Thanks for the set up, pumpsie. Think 2004 is back in business.

Philadelphia payroll is nearly identical to Boston's. High payrolls don't guarantee success. Look at Philadelphia. 

In Response to Re: Game thread for Red Sox v Rangers, Aug 6:


Nope. You need good management too, and a GM who can identify, obtain, and retain quality players.

Pedroia the Destroyah

Gonzo's OPS is finally over .800

hitting the ball hard off Cook....

Cook escaped in the first inning but his pitches are up and are getting too much of the plate. He is going to get hammered that way. Already behind....more to come.