greg775

That really is good stuff. Thanks. That did lighten the mood for me. I love Oz. I am in favor of giving him a lifetime contract.

In answer to your comments: 1. It's on ESPN, it's nationally televised. The Sox's reputation to the nation is on the line. -- Who cares? National TV ain't what it used to be. Some people will watch, some won't. 2. If the Twins continue to bull doze the D'Backs, we might only be 1.5 games up going out west. -- I don't fear the Twins at all, though they and their manager and GM deserve credit for the fact that team never sucks. 3. A loss tomorrow will either mean our offense stunk it up, our bullpen faltered, or Javier Vazquez didn't have it. The first one is not surprising, but the latter could have me worried about our rotation. -- I would agree our rotation is a concern but all fans are concerned about their own team's starting pitching. 4. Detroit is creeping up on us. -- That is my main concern. Detroit is the best team in our division. AS FAR AS WHAT IS AT STAKE IMO: -- I personally want to beat the Cubs when we play them. If we go 0-3 we have to win all three at the Cell to tie them. -- Last year didn't we go in the tank after the Cubs disposed of us? I sort of fear that. -- Pride is at stake. Some on here don't care apparently that this series is any different than one against Pitt. One win of three would at least be something. Getting swept is very embarrassing. -- We are starting to suck balls on the road. Really suck on the road. Another loss will continue that trend. MY PREDICTION: Jimmy plays 1B and commits a costly error. Oz gets crucified again. Our offense does not fare well and we lose 5-1 or 6-1 in a fairly dull game. Hope I'm wrong and Thome hits a couple bombs.

No stories from today's game? Cmon give 'em up. It had to be torture for Sox fans in the 9 run inning.

I was just talking about WS type intensity. Maybe in my mind I overplay the importance of momentum but I think Game One of a three game set at Wrigley requires a balls out attitude. We got off to the good start and had a special type outing going on the mound and our bats couldn't knock in a key run, providing Oz the opportunity to perhaps blow it by removing Danks. I'm saying if we played Game One like a Series game, OK make it a playoff game, we'd have pulled away and won. The Rays beat a different Cub team than we played today because we blew game one. Now get ready for another long day Sunday. Maybe we'll gain revenge at the Cell. Hope so. Have a nice Sat night. I am outta here for now. Glad I wasn't on a plane this weekend causse travel sucks now. Boycott AA folks. They charge for luggage now. Just say NO.

I think it's a crucial series when it's Sox vs. Cubs and 2/3 of the city are mocking us right now. I truly believe we could and should have won game one; do you?

I tip my cap to Zambo for those quotes. He probalby wasn't wise to go the homosexual route though. Not in this day and age of correctness. If a Sox went there Mariotti would be all over 'em.

Why couldn't we play the first game of a crucial series like game four of the WS? Uh as a fan I'd have preferred that, because if we didn't stop playing baseball in the middle innings yesterday we'd have blown that game open, won the f***ing game, kept the Cubs in their Devil Rays' funk and might have won today also. Instead we're going to get swept. You are saying we couldn't have played that huge game with WS intensity??

Bad loss but predictable after Game One of the series. Wish we would have played Game One like the seventh game of the world series. I mean the fourth game of the WS. Now we're really behind the 8 ball. If Thome plays first tomorrow you know the baseball gods are going to have him commit 3-4 errors and he'll be the reason we lose. I am not a defeatist and love the Sox but am a realist. We ain't going to win tomorrow night, folks. We're going 0-3 and have to hope for the revenge later at The Cell. It's called momentum. And no way can we regain it for tomorrow night. I predict our bats will be quiet on ESPN and we go quietly. --I fear the Tigers way more than the Twins. The Tigers are the team that is going to win our division if we don't.

I think BA still has potential but he does have some horrific at bats. I'd keep him out there over Wise. He's improved, you have to admit that.

You are right. There's no shock value anymore. He is the happiest man in Chicago today. He gets to write the column ripping Ozz for leaving in Jose too long. Type faster, Jay, we've written the column for you again. Oz has cost us this series and the sweep is here tomorrow. Weak stuff. Tomorrow when Thome makes a couple key errors at first he has his final column on Oz for the weekend.

Excellent. Why did they call to gloat? Did you rub it in when we won the WS? What a joke of a game. Jose s*** his pants today. He's the goat, not Ozzie.

I am probably a bad fan, but I'm turning it off and outta here. I sense what's about to happen the rest of this game and it ain't good. Time to suck it up Sox fans and hope we can pull one out tomorrow (not likely IMO). Sorry for the emotional responses to responses. This team is maddening. A 9-run inning beats us today?? Amazing.

What a party the Flubs are going to have in the seventh, when they sing with their 11-5 lead.

Leadoff double then nothing so far. My god.

God that pitch was hittable. His swing was ridiculous.

I don't know Brian. He seemed to be doing well before he started aiming the ball outside like he was scared to death. I'm saying the way he looks he wouldn't have had a quality start in Wrigley as you suggeted.

I wish big leaguers would think about the importance of Game One of a series. Why didn't we win 7 or 8-1 yesterday??? Stupid overpaid veterans who know better. That game should have been broken wide open against Lilly in the middle innings. f***.

Care to reconsider that? He's pitching like a scared pussy right now.

This is like taking a public flogging.

Quit nibbling, Masset. Go after the hitter. If he homers, you join today's homer club yu don't get executed.

Oh boy, three run homer here and I turn off the TV. It'd be too sick to imagine.

No offense, but tomorrow will be a Cub lovefest on there unless the miracle happens today. They have nothing to lose going for the sweep. Our only hope is to show maximum balls and somehow tie this game. Odds of that are probably 1,000-1 right now.

You can still hear the buzz in that stadium over the embarrassing inning. Must be horrid to be a Sox fan in Wrigley today, especially after we led early. Must feel like they got hit with a hammer in the head and now all the mocking.

Horrible at bats with this guy still in the game. Yes we deserve to lose again.

I agree with that. Sad thing is the importance of yesterday's game. If we win, it really takes the heat off today's game and we're playing with the house's money. Sad we couldn't hit when it counted yesterday.