It’s another West Coast late start, and I want to go to bed. Unfortunately, I’m bound to my duties as the Sunday recap guy, so we’re going to do another live blog so I can push publish as soon as this bad boy wraps up. Join me for the next three or so hours as I live-react to the Red Sox, the World Cup, and whatever else is going on in Jake-land on this Sunday evening.
8:53 PM: One of my roommates recently moved out, and his room was much bigger than mine, so I moved in today. The only problem is, my dog is terrified of the beeping noise an air conditioner makes, and every time my roommate would walk in here, he would turn on the AC or a space heater, and my dog would run. Now, she doesn’t want to come into this room even though there’s no AC unit set up. The point is, I’m doing this from my new room for the first time, which is exciting for me because I could pretty much touch all four walls at the same time in my old room.
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8:56 PM: My neighbors gave me a Rice Krispie treat that may or may not be infused with other ingredients. I’m not normally one to eat special Rice Krispie treats, but tonight feels like it would make for a fun recap.
8:59 PM: My girlfriend said it was a bad idea.
9:04 PM: I shared this document with her, and she told me I should add that she’s always right. She’s not, but I’m telling her that I’m adding it.
9:15 PM: Just learned that Connelly Early is getting a second opinion. You only get a second opinion if you don’t like the first opinion. Gulp.
9:19 PM: It’s going to be very hard for me to flip over to the Red Sox from the World Cup game at 9:30. There’s nothing I’d like to watch more than Mexico get the boot at their home stadium where they never lose.
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9:30 PM: Screw it, soccer is staying on the big screen.
9:32 PM: Is my Peacock playing tricks on me or is this game actually starting even later than advertised?
9;36 PM: GOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. Suck it, Mexico.
9:36 PM: What is Ryan Johnson doing? How is he throwing 92 mph like that? What a weirdo.
9:37 PM: GOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. Dos a cero.
9:38 PM: Lots of sports going on, Wilyer Abreu spoils an immaculate inning with an 0-2 foul ball on the ninth pitch of the inning.
9:41 PM: Johnson strikes out the side in the top of the first after a 12-pitch battle with Abreu. Mexico has a free kick in a dangerous position and pulls one back to make it 2-1. Great finish.
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9:45 PM: Back-to-back bloop singles give the Angels runners at first and third with nobody out.
9:48 PM: Ranger Suarez strikes out Vaughn Grissom with a curveball for the first out, but Caleb Durbin can’t get a handle on a ground ball to third, and the Angels get a run. 1-0, Angels as Mexico has opportunity after opportunity in front of the England net. What a game.
9:51 PM: Jo Adell singles to center and Ceddanne Rafaela bobbles it twice. Some rough fielding early from the Red Sox put them behind, 2-0.
10:02 PM: Jarren Duran CRUSHES a ball to center field to tie the game. 422 feet. 2-2.
10:03 PM: I really think lefties should be able to hit this guy. He can’t really come inside to lefties, so half the plate is basically eliminated. The second time through the order will be telling.
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10:08 PM: The Red Sox thought they turned a 3-6-1 double play, but the Angels challenge, and the call is rightfully reversed. England has a hard time playing out from the back through Mexico’s press. If they can break through, Harry Kane will likely have a chance to make a line-breaking pass. That’s the kind of soccer analysis you don’t get on most baseball blogs.
10:11 PM: Suarez hangs a curveball, and Zack Neto doubles in a run. 3-2, Angels. England has a shot go off the post.
10:14 PM: It’s been 45 minutes, and we’re through two innings. Scorching pace here in Anaheim.
10:15 PM: The referee has been called to the monitor for a possible red card. I think it’s harsh, personally, but when they’re called to the monitor, the call is rarely ever upheld. It’s a red for Jarell Quansah — England will now play with 10 men for 40 minutes.
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10:17 PM: Tsung-Che Cheng with a beautiful bunt for a single to begin the inning.
10:20 PM: Great header by Harry Kane to play Anthony Gordon in, who draws the penalty. The Mexican players can’t believe the call, because they’ve never believed they’ve committed a foul in their lives. I hate the Mexican national team, if you can’t tell.
10:21 PM: Zack Neto boots a ground ball at shortstop to give the Red Sox two runners on with two outs.
10:22 PM: Willson Contreras makes them pay for that error by putting the first pitch he sees in the left field seats. 5-3, Red Sox. Harry Kane buries the penalty. 3-1, England.
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10:29 PM: We’ve got another VAR check. This time, Mexico looks like they’re going to be awarded a penalty. Jarren Duran strikes out with two runners on, but the Red Sox get three runs in the inning to regain the lead.
10:31 PM: Raul Jimenez converts the penalty. 3-2, England.
10:35 PM: Jo Adell gets an infield single with two outs. That’s the issue with pitching to contact.
10:36 PM: Oh god, Suarez is talking to the trainer and exiting the game. There really is no such thing as too much pitching. We’re gonna be here all night.
10:39 PM: It’s Greg Weissert on in the bottom of the third in place of Suarez.
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10:41 PM: He gets the first guy to pop out, and we’re through three innings with the Red Sox leading, 5-3.
10:51 PM: Ceddanne Rafaela is locked in a battle with Johnson and started walking to first base on the 10th pitch of the at-bat. Unfortunately, it was only ball three. He struck out on the next pitch, though he should have challenged the strike three call.
10:53 PM: 11 minutes of added time with England leading by a goal. That’s a lot of added time. England took Harry Kane off for some reason. I’m not sure they know there’s an additional 30 minutes should they concede.
10:59 PM: Greg Weissert retires the Angels in order in the fourth.
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11:00 PM: England is defending for their lives, and Mexico is screaming at the referee any time something doesn’t go their way. Three minutes to go.
11:03 PM: I didn’t even notice Jose Fermin took over for Johnson, but he’s got two quick outs in the fifth.
11:05 PM: ENGLAND WINS. SEE YA MEXICO. What a game.
11:08 PM: Tyron Guerrero on in relief of Weissert here in the fifth.
11:10 PM: It was weed in the Rice Krispie treat. I didn’t eat it. I don’t think I would have been able to comprehend both a soccer and baseball game at once if I had, so I’m happy with that decision. Don’t tell my girlfriend that she was right.
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11:11 PM: I made a wish, but I will not tell you guys what it was, so don’t even bother asking.
11:15 PM: Guerrero works a scoreless inning. 5-3, Red Sox after five.
11:17 PM: I went to get water, and my dog took the treat bribes I left while I was gone. Apparently she’s not scared of the room but doesn’t want me to know that.
11:19 PM: It’s left adductor tightness for Suarez. If he misses time, Sonny Gray will be the only starting pitcher from the opening day rotation on the active roster.
11:22 PM: Weird play in the sixth. Denzer Guzman bobbled the ball at third, Zack Neto caught it and threw to first to get Carlos Narvaez. In the process, Jarren Duran tried to go first to third and appeared to be caught, but Jose Peraza was called for interference at second base. That all nets to a runner on third with two outs for Cheng.
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11:25 PM: Cheng strikes out to end the inning.
11:29 PM: Guerrero quickly gets the Angels to go down, 1-2-3.
11:33 PM: Dave O’Brien is talking about soccer. What kind of lunatic would talk about soccer in baseball content?
11:37 PM: Anthony Seigler and Ceddanne Rafaela with a double steal of second and third. Wilyer Abreu does a good job recognizing the huge jumps and takes the pitch to allow them to advance. Good baseball there.
11:39 PM: Abreu can’t get all the way around the ball, but he muscles it out to center field, and Seigler is able to tag up from third and score. 6-3, Red Sox.
11:39 PM: Willson Contreras almost got hit by a pitch. He did not try to fight anyone. Chants of “sell the team” coming from the outfield.
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11:43 PM: Yoshida goes the other way for his third hit of the night. 7-3, Red Sox.
11:46 PM: Durbin strikes out, and the Angels go to a lefty with two outs in the seventh.
11:50 PM: Jarren Duran beats out a broken-bat infield single swinging bunt thing. That was cool.
11:54 PM: Carlos Narvaez strikes out with the bases loaded to end the threat.
11:58 PM: It’s Garrett Whitlock for the bottom of the seventh. I am so tired.
12:01 AM: Happy Monday. Garrett Whitlock got three guys out very quickly. Thanks, Garrett.
12:02 AM: If you read this whole thing, you’re insane, and I appreciate you.
12:06 AM: The Red Sox go quickly in the top of the eighth. Eighth is a weird word to spell. That’s five consonants in a row. I can’t think of many words that have that. In fact, I can’t think of a single other word with five consonants in a row, but I’m far from operating at maximum brain capacity.
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12:08 AM: Justin Slaten for the bottom half of the hard-to-spell inning.
12:09 AM: Willson Contreras chased a ball into foul territory and had a nice moment with a Red Sox fan sitting in the front row. Maybe he’s not so scary after all.
12:13 AM: Donovan Walton, whom I have never heard of before today, gets a pinch-hit double with two outs.
12:15 AM: Jo Adell hits a sweeper off the plate down the line; Walton scores. 7-4, Red Sox as Aroldis Chapman begins to stir in the bullpen.
12:16 AM: Wade Meckler, whom I have also not heard of, is now pitching hitting.
12:17 AM: Meckler strikes out to end the inning.
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12:22 AM: Went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, et cetera, and came back to two outs in the top of the ninth.
12:24 AM: Here comes Chapman to try to shut the door on the series.
12:27 AM: Caleb Durbin makes a diving stop and throws to first for the out. Willson Contreras stretches and maybe comes off the base, though. I think he held it, but the Angels are challenging.
12:28 AM: Call stands. One down.
12:30 AM: Chapman strikes out Lowe. Two down.
12:31 AM: Zack Neto homers. 7-5, Red Sox.
12:33 AM: Red Sox win! For those of you counting at home, that’s 8 of the last 10. Day off tomorrow before moving on to Chicago to play the White Sox. We couldn’t possibly make a run, could we? I don’t know. But I do know that I’m going to bed. Once again, if you read this whole thing, I appreciate you. It’s 2,000 words of nonsense. Well, actually, it’s 1972 words of nonsense right now. But the official word count really isn’t important, especially because it counts all of my timestamps that aren’t original content. Now it’s 2,000. Goodnight to all.
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