That loss stings a bit

Bill (thinking to himself):
Jesus H. Christ. Beckett strikes out 7, allows allows just a run and 4 hits ovah 8 friggin' innings and we lose?

 

---

Bill (thinking to himself):
I remembah in the not so distant past when the Red Sox used to rally and come from behind to win games late.  Whatevah happened to that team?

 

---

Bill (thinking to himself):
Ah, well, it could be worse …

 

---

And worse it gets, as somewhere in Manhatten Bill's nemesis Marty dials up his overpriced Restoration Hardware "retro" phone …

Marty:
Bill, I just wanted to call and say, don't panic, man.    

 

---

Marty:
Despite how it may seem each day for you, the Yankees will lose at least another game this season. Eventually. Heh heh.

 

---

Bill:
Ah, spare me, Mahty.  I'm doing just fine with my 6½ lead.

 

---

Marty:
Yeah, that's just what you used to tell your ex-wife, right Bill? "6½ is just as good as 12½, honey."  Hah, no wonder she dumped your ass.

 

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Bill:
Nothing like the ad hominem is there, Mahts?  Just like your Yankees, you're all class.

 

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Bill:
But, you know, you sure are cocky for a guy whose pitching is a  combo of aging stahting pitchers and a bullpen full of dead-ahm relievahs.

 

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Marty:
Hey, Bill, I'm working on a new chant.  It goes like this:

Naaaan-cy. Dreeeew-ooh.
Naaaan-cy. Dreeeew-ooh

 

---

Author's Notes:

I fear I may have used that game lead/penis size allusion before. If I have, sorry. On the other hand, it would make sense that Marty is the kind of character who repeats himself.

Vacation Notice
I'll be on vacation all of next week, so no new strips, but I'll most likely put up daily placeholders just so the rest of you Soxaholix can commune each day via the comments.

Comments

[jamesfrmmaine]

If you have used it before its just as funny this time. Great strip today.

The past two games have been great to watch if you really enjoy great pitching... which I do. So it did sting alot when we lost this one. Still I have to wonder if there is ever a situation when Hale won't send a guy? I mean coco from second on a basically an infield single because of the shift? What the fuck?

[Mike H]

Argh. Coco needs to learn to run to home, not jog.

M

[Genghis Ortiz]

Tough loss but they'll recover. Better to lose like that to Cleveland than to KC.

Why can't Schilling instigate a fight with Slappy instead of a bunch of washed up crackheads? The shot that Bonds took at Costas was pretty funny, though.

[Bob]

Jeez, what's wrong with 6 1/2?

Eh, tough loss, but to a good team, and an incredibly hot pitcher.

Remember, we still have half a month worth of games against Tampa Bay.

Still, a waste of Beckett's excellent effort, which does hurt.

[yazbread]

MFYs are clicking on all two cylinders. Great run production and the pitching is not getting torched. Plus they are playing Tampa Bay and KC. [Altough to their credit, they beat the teams that they should beat]. But I don't expect the tape and bailing wire to hold that team together for the remainder of the season. I think we have the edge in pitching tonight to make is 3 out of 4. Against the Indians. On the road. What more could we ask for?

[buckner was framed]

would have liked to see Becks throw one up around the nasal area after Dusty got buzzed, though
Seems to me like Coco was caught assuming Papi had been thrown out- but if you're gonna take a chance like that to try and make something happen in a close game, you gotta go all out.
Enjoy the vaca, hb- love the overpriced retro phone comment

[Bob]

Yeah, H.B. have a great vacation.

Going anywhere interesting?

Just wondering. It's not like I'm crazy enough to, oh, I don't know, go there myself to find out your true identity or anything.

I mean, that would just be nuts, right?

[Natalie]

12 1/2 can be too large (a lead) to be fun. 6 1/2 with staying power is just perfect... ;)

Whither the Sox bats? Beckett's getting Wakefield-esque run-support lately.

[louclinton]

Great game. Fausto Carmona can bang it in there can't he? Papi ain't quite right yet, and Manny must be having his baggy pants tailored for a Padres uni. As for the Yank$, god bless em. Get em close, lift the skirt, and then send them packing.

On the bright side, RS have the BRIB and are something like 10 games up in the Wild Card race.

I'll miss the creepy strip next week. Have fun hb. I have some Yen, Euros, Yuan or Candian$ in my dresser drawer if you need them.

lc

[Steve in MD]

The Cleaveland announcers were discussing possible Sox-Indians pitching matchups in the ALD playoffs (knock on wood - at least as far as the Sox getting there are concerned). The Sox have three 11+ game winners (Beckett, Dice-K and Wake). Besides Cleaveland, the Angels are the only other team that has two 11+ game winners. Add in a healthy Schilling and Lester, and on-fire Gabbard, and I like our chances against anyone. Especially if we can match the two lefties up against the Yanks.

[Ryan with a capital "R"]

I know he's hitting better recently. I know he's only been caught twice this year. But I knew Lugo was going to get caught stealing in the 8th. What was wrong with just letting Coco hit? I hear he's been on fire lately.

[Bob]

Completely off-topic in every way, but just got an email and found it utterly bizzare:

//The Boston Bruins Foundation and Bay State Cruise Lines will host a Sunset Harbor Cruise to raise money for the 2007 Pan-Massachusetts Challenge!

New England legend Jim Plunkett will be performing his favorite songs. Jim Plunkett is just a man of simple songs who likes to have fun. He plays what he likes... hoping that you'll like it too.//

What the duece?

[Kaz]

So many botches (the ones named so far...but the second biggest besides Coco was the "Cora-Tek will-he/won't-he hit'n'run") last night on offense that it really stings to lose by 1 (let alone 1-0) when it seemed like we could have broken out at any minute. You also gotta shirk at the stat in the 9th that they flashed up on NESN about Papi's clutch #s in the past 3 seasons (HRs, 0.350, etc) vs this year (0.146 was it??, nada HRs!?)...but we know he's off and there's time for him to recover and hell, we're winning nearly 2 for every 1 loss, so I'm just gonna sit back and enjoy the ride.

Sometimes it feels like our fan base is straight outta the movie Memento...we *did* just beat the Indians 1-0 against Sabathia.

[Youk Rules]

Right now, I'm actually the calmest I've felt all year about this team.

There was nothing wrong with getting beaten by Carmona. In fact, the past two games were perfect pitching matchups.

A win would have been great but, for some reason, the loss was strangely comforting...

[pinstripe thunder]

HB

Yes, he would repeat himself... over and over and over again, as lc would say. Have a great vacation.

PT aka Captain Obvious

[tessie]

Hey, there is no shame in losing that game unless you're one of the guys responsible for the boneheaded baserunning. It was like Manny was telling guys what to do out there...
Carmona was as excellent as Beckett and he had incredible defense backing him up.

It was a hard loss to take but on my way out of the Jake, I heard a lonely trumpet player on E. 9th (er, I mean Rock-n-Roll Boulevard) playing -albeit very poorly- "The Impossible Dream". I seemed to be the only person within hearing distance who appreciated the allusion to a 40 year-old moment in Red Sox history but my approval was equal to that of many. Ah Yaz, it was a beautiful moment.

[COD]

//First, the Red Sox have signed outfielder Brady Clark. He was most recently with the Dodgers. Clark will join Pawtucket in Toledo for tonight's game.

To make room for Clark, the PawSox have placed Jacoby Ellsbury on the seven-day disabled list retroactive to Sunday.//

via Extra Bases...

That tells me they expect to have a roster spot open for Brady within 7 days.

[h.b.]

Bye bye Wily Mo P.

[Bob]

//Clark, 34, hit .224 in 47 games with Los Angeles before being designated for assignment on June 10, clearing waivers, and becoming a free agent.//

Well, now we're all set.

[COD]

At least he won't cost us a run per game on defense.

[buckner was framed]

cleared waivers on June 10 and he STILL has more hits than WiMP in that time

[da kine]

WiMP was a good risk to take. A certain Twins platoon-player turned out pretty well for us, no? Why not WiMP? It didn't work out, and it is time to cut slingload, but it was worth a shot.

[SoCal BosSox Fan]

I can't find anything on line about us getting Clark. Where are you guys getting this, local radio?

Wonder what we'll get for WiMP? A bucket of balls and a fungo bat would probably be worth it.

[Kaz]

Off to a family reunion tomorrow near Syracuse. See you all after the Police concert Saturday (anyone else going Saturday?).

...and no, at least, I don't *think* h.b. is in my family...we're only making it a weekend thing and not the whole week.

[buckner was framed]

doubtful, Kaz, because then he'd be PhB

[Bob]

I still haven't figured out what Kaz got his doctorate in, even after he explained it to us at the Tavern.

I think it has something to do with porn and gin.