As promised, I will be live-blogging today’s game from the press box at McAfee Coliseum. Nothing exciting from pre-game, although I got a huge kick out of the little kid who kept screaming at Kevin Cash thinking he was Dustin Pedroia. I’ll have notes as the game progresses. If you’ve got questions during the game, post them in the comments and I’ll try to answer them. Now off to get a hot dog before first pitch. Ah, the benefits of the press box.

12:25-12:30: Nina Cook sings the 5 minute version of the National Anthem. Play ball!

12:50 (mid 1st): Wow, that was pathetic. A leadoff single, followed by two walks and the Sox can’t get a fucking run home. Manny Ks, Lowell Ks, and Drew. Well, I’m sure you’re shocked that Drew swung at the first pitch and grounded out. This does not bode well for the rest of the game. Oh, and Papi still looks clueless at the plate despite his walk.

1:03 (end 1st): Lester looked pretty good in the first. He gave up a double but is throwing a lot of strikes (16 of 23 pitches).

1:30 (end 3rd): Lester is getting back to his old ways, getting 2 double-plays in the past two innings. The 1st was a really nice feed from Cora to Pedroia. I’m slowly realizing that it’s harder to make snarky comments without announcers to make fun of.

1:32 (top 4): Just when I want to write JD Drew off for the season after one at bat, he goes and strokes a nice single into right. Wait, then he wanders off the bag and gets caught in a 4L-3 double play.

1:39 (bottom 4): Levine’s Law, the leadoff walk usually comes around to score…unless it doesn’t. Either way, not a good start for Lester this inning.

1:54 (top 5): Papi with his first hit of the season! Sure, it was a bloop single the other way, but I’ll take it.

2:10 (top 6): Another WTF moment. Drew strikes out (that’s not surprising), but Lowell gets caught in no-mans land between 1st and 2nd and gets thrown out 2-6-3. Drew can’t even make contact on a hit and run!

2:18: That’s the second batter hit by a pitch this inning. I’d think it was on purpose, but who hits Alex Cora intentionally? Oh, and with Pedroia’s out that now 10 LOB. I really should propose my idea to John Blake, the Sox PR man, that I’ll pay the Jimmy Fund for each Sox HR if the Sox pay me for each runner LOB.

2:30 (top 7): Youks with the wheels! He does a nice job stretching a long single into a double. Also, nice slide into second going FEET first. (Sorry, it’s a pet peeve of mine. Too many players slide in head first and get hurt when there is no speed difference. I’m looking at you Coco.)

2:33: PAPI!!!! Papi crushes a fastball to deep right. The right fielder barely even moved. 2-0 Sox.

2:35: MBM. Manny destroys a pitch to the warning track in center field but Denofria pulls it in. Truth is Manny gets a single if it stays in the ballpark cause he just stood at home plate and watched it.

2:41 (bottom 7): Why is Emil Brown’s at bat music an Irish jigg? Just asking.

2:42: And as I say that Brown gets a bloop hit off of Pedroia’s outstretched glove. That’ll do it for Lester, but man am I impressed. He retired 10 of the last 11 he saw and gave up just 3 hits in 6 2/3.

2:55 (top 8): Sox load the bases on three singles to left by Tek, Coco and Cora. Let’s see if they can do something with the bases loaded, no outs this time.

2:58: Dustin with his first RBI of the season, 3-0 Sox. Followed by a Yooooook single to make it 4-0.

3:08: You’d never know that Manny and Papi are the clutch hitters on the team. Still bases loaded, no outs Papi Ks and Manny grounds into a 6-4-3 DP. Heading into the bottom of the 8th, Red Sox 4, A’s nothing.

3:25: Tek with his first home run of the season after just missing one foul. Either Huston Street is going to suck this season, or Tek is getting in a groove. I hope it’s the latter. 5-0 Sox going into the bottom of the 9th.

10:00PM: Sorry for the lack of updates there at the end of the game. I had to run down in the middle of the bottom of the 9th to make sure I was first in line to get audio clips from Tito. Obviously the Sox held the 5-0 lead in the bottom of the 9th. To make up for the disappearing act, I’m going to post all the interviews I got below. The best question of all came from Jon Miller the reporter, not the broadcaster, who asked Tito “what do you think the future is of a two man rotation?” Brilliant. (Hear Tito’s response at 3:25).

Also, a quick anecdote from the locker room. Manny and Papi’s lockers are one apart from another with a communal empty one in between them. Manny had already packed all of his stuff. A bit later when Papi was getting dressed he found a knit cap of Manny’s in the locker. He held it up for the media to see, tossed it in his bag and said “man, I’m always picking up after Manny.” Maybe this year Manny can do a little picking up after Papi in the cleanup spot.

Tito:

Tek:

Lester:

Papi:

Youk: