Game 5, Mariners at Red Sox
4:05 pm, Felix vs Matsuzaka. Please be kind to the servers and don’t hit refresh constantly – we’re expecting a very heavy traffic load for tonight’s game.
I haven’t been this excited for a game in years. As my friends will attest, I get a bit giddy on Felix day anyways, and well, this is no ordinary Felix day. This is the leading contender for 2007 Game of the Year.
The media is going to run with Matsuzaka-Ichiro as the big story, which should be expected. The matchup will open the game, and Ichiro is the most famous player on the roster. Oh, and he happens to be from Japan, or so I’ve heard. Since it’s Boston, the focus of the story will be on Matsuzaka’s first start at Fenway. The $102 million right arm takes the hill in front of Red Sox Nation for the first time. And the leadoff hitter happens to be his countrymate. It writes itself.
But in four hours, there’s a good chance that Ichiro and Matsuzaka won’t be the story to come out of this game. This is King Felix’s first start in Fenway, too. Red Sox Nation has never seen him pitch, either, and it’s his first major league start as a 21 year old. It’s a nationally televised game – only the second one of his career.
On opening day, Felix told the city of Seattle that the hype was real, and that he wasn’t the babyfaced overweight kid anymore, but now he was coming after Johan Santana’s crown. Tonight, Felix has a chance to tell the rest of America.
Daisuke Matsuzaka is the second best pitcher taking the hill tonight. Go get em, Felix.
Yet Another Late Edit: Arthur Rhodes needs TJ surgery. This probably ends his career.
Comments
349 Responses to “Game 5, Mariners at Red Sox”
New headline on mlb.com:
“Enough Dice-K vs. Ichiro: What About Felix?”
The key to understanding when Felix is tiring is when people start getting the ball in the air. He needs a couple quick outs if he’s going to wrap this up, because he’s running out of gas.
It’s amazing that fly balls are freaking me out now. “Wait, he must be losing it!”
Ibanez! I don’t know what happened there, but the thing’s still going.
BONG!
SEE YA MANNY!!!!!!!!
damn…
5 Ks through 7.
I am six outs away from simultaneously evacuating every orifice I have.
What is the sign to tell the batter, “No matter what don’t swing! It would be better for you to strike out than to hit into the double play to end the inning.â€
This is known in Section 137 as the Sacrifice K. (my section)
Could it be he’s just nervous? He’s only at 85 pitches. Granted, it’s been seventy-five days since his last start.
We want Joel. Bring in Joel.
“When you can no longer screw it up by talking about it, then you can talk about it.”
Which is. . whenever. Come on. . this site is a shrine to sabermetrics — Ditching the goofy received wisdom of baseball lore and replacing it with hard rationality. There is nothing — nothing — that you can say or do out of earshot of a player that will have any impact on that player or their performance.
So stop with the mysticism, it’s embarrassing.
Francona has a sense of humor. I didn’t think this day could get any better, and then he brings in Pineiro.
It’s taken me forever to log in, but I just wanted to mention that the Deer In The Headlights look Raul had on his face during that pop-up was absolutely priceless.
God, I love baseball!
#313: I said that. You could interpret my comment to mean: you can talk about it whenever you want. Right?
Quote fro SoSH thread: Steve Phillips gives hope to as$holes and morons everywhere that they too can have fleeting success in a job that is way above their heads.
Jose Guillen best move of the off-season?
Jose Guillen best move of the off-season? Well for the Mariners anyways.
The guys at Sons of Sam Horn are starting to bow before the alter of Felix. Some quotes:
The only out made in the air (pop up or fly out) by a hitter against King Felix this year was Youks pop up that Lopez made the nice running catch on. That’s it. Everyone else either K’d or grounded out. What do you do against that???
This just in: Matsuzaka is mortal.
This also just in: Felix Hernandez is not.
Thank god this guy isn’t in our damn division. Jesus.
Big shout out to Emilio Carrasquel, Pedro Avila and Bob Engle – who signed Felix on July 4 2002.
Oh, and maybe at least a kindly nod to Pat Gillick, who hired the 3 guys named above and under whose regime Felix was signed.
C’mon y’all, let’s feel the love.
Oh well… it was fun
Dang.
The jinx finally worked.
Screw you J.D. Drew.
Damn.
Nooooooo
I hate you J.D. Drew. Shouldn’t you be injured?
DAMN!!! Lets still enjoy it, this IS our postseason, afterall.
That’s what he gets for first pitch fastball… go Felix!!
Im more annoyed with Boston fans cheering the hit.
Alright have Felix plunk the first batter of the ninth with JJ warmed up and ready to go.
Coco Crisp check swings to short stop and somehow got better wood on the ball than most hitters tonight.
It’s SHO-time!
JD Fucking Drew….
Felix 98 pitches through 8, on a cold night near the start of the season.
That’s enough, I think I’d use Putz.
People, this is JOEL PINEIRO. Matsuzaka’s gone. It’s okay to come out and hit now.
“Felix is coming out for the 9th.”
Don’t fire Hargrove.
Lynch him.
“Turbo!” *laugh track*
With the 10,000,000 days off, and the fact that he’ll get an extra day off after this start, I’m not worried.
Why bring him back out? Im not in favor of this!
Through 8 and a half innings:
Felix .458 WPA
M’s hitters -.002 WPA
Yes, folks, it is all Felix.
Yeah, let him finish this out…
Richie might be the worst defensive firstbaseman around right now… nothing is really routine for him…
WOOOOH FELIX!
Long live the King.
Spectacular.
Felix is our King. Long live the King.
That was a good game to sign up for the free 5-day trial for. Felix is king! Now, if we could only snow out four games in a row all season long …
Game Score: 89. So King Felix has the two highest game scores so far this year in his two games pitched. Yessssss!
This Felix guy…he’s pretty good.