2013 NBA Playoffs Expert Picks: Second Round Results

Dempster Struggles, Ortiz Smacks Two Home Runs in 12-5 Red Sox Win Over Minnesota Twins

Heeeere’s Jonny! Gomes Lifts Red Sox to Extra Inning Win over Twins

Connelly’s Top Ten: Bruins Keep Rolling

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Dice-K Dominates Tribe, Runs Scoreless Streak to 13.2 IP

Fresh off a disappointing loss on Sunday against the Orioles, the Red Sox headed to Cleveland to take on another punchless, hapless team in the Indians. This isn’t your father’s Indians. This isn’t the Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, and Roberto Alomar 1,000-run Indians. Hell, this isn’t even the Indians of a couple years ago. This is one sorry bunch. Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka mowed down the Tribe easily on Monday night, dominating them over eight shutout innings in a 4-1 win.

Dice-K ran his own personal scoreless streak to 13.2 innings (by my count). In fact, according to the AP, Dice-K continued “a remarkable run by Boston’s starters on the road. In the club’s last nine games outside Fenway Park, the Red Sox rotation is 8-0 with a 0.70 ERA.” Pretty damn impressive. Maybe the Sox should just move Fenway out of Boston?

Back to the game. Not to take anything away from Dice-K’s masterful performance, but something has to be said about a team that manages only four singles and two walks off Matsuzaka over eight innings. Let’s analyze this “potent” Indians lineup:

1. Trevor Crowe (CF), 0-3
2. Shin Soo-Choo (RF), 1-4
3. Austin Kearns (LF), 2-4, HR
4. Russel Branyan (1B), 1-4
5. Jhonny Peralta (SS), 1-3
6. Travis Hafner (DH), 0-4
7. Luis Valbuena (2B), 0-4
8. Mike Redmond (C), 0-3
9. Jason Donald (SS), 1-3

The lineup stacks into four categories: (A) Who?, (B) Washed Up, (C) Never Was Good, and (D) Talented

• A: Crowe, Valbuena: Again, who are you? You’re batting leadoff and seventh for a major league team?
• B: Kearns, Branyan, Peralta, Hafner: Kearns is playing pretty well right now, but the other three are playing like they’re 10 years 0lder than they actually are…which may be true in Perlata’s case.
• C: Redmond, Donald: I’m saying that they never were good offensively. Defensively, it’s true, it’s a different story.
• D: Soo-Choo: The last saving grace of the Indians. Soo-Choo is hitting .282 with 8 HRs this year.

With all that said, Dice-K has still pitched really well as of late (3-1, 1.98 ERA over his last four starts), and looks like he may be rounding into 2008 form. The disastrous 2009 season is a thing of the past. Hallelujah.

Sox Stud of the Game: Marco Scutaro

Based on how much of a hatchet job I did on the Indians lineup and how much I gushed about Dice-K’s performance, you wouldn’t even know that the Sox stepped to the plate in the game. Scutaro sure did, clubbing three doubles in a 3-4 effort with a walk and two runs scored.

Sox Dud of the Game: Daniel Bard

Bard spoiled the Sox shutout bid by allowing a solo HR to Kearns in the ninth. Yes, Bard was pitching in the ninth because Jonathan Papelbon was placed on the bereavement list due to a family emergency.

Game Notes:

W: Daisuke Matsuzaka (5-2)
L: Fausto Carmona (4-5)

• David Ortiz hustled down the line to beat out a double play ball, allowing Josh Reddick to score in the 3rd.
• Dustin Pedroia finished 0-4 with a walk, and is now hitting .256.
• Victor Martinez went 2-4 with an RBI against his former club.
• Carmona finished with six walks in six innings for the Tribe.

Tags: Cleveland Indians, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Fausto Carmona, Marco Scutaro, Red Sox, Victor Martinez

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