4/28 Cleveland @ Boston

[Maxbialystock]

bieber vs pivetta, both righties.

Sox starting 7 lefty bats

[Tedballgame]

Whitlock goes on AL with an elbow problem. The Sox are ruining this guy by trying to put him in the starting rotation. Just leave him in the bullpen where he is very effective.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Whitlock goes on AL with an elbow problem. The Sox are ruining this guy by trying to put him in the starting rotation. Just leave him in the bullpen where he is very effective.

That might help explain why Whitlock hardly threw any sliders in his last start.

[Oscars]

The rank starting pitching continues ……

[d-money]

Starting pitching still a joke.

[Nick]

Nick P looking again like #5 starter. Only problem is we have 4 of them.

[moonslav59]

The leashes have to be getting shorter and shorter on some of these guys.

Crawford is looking like he deserves another chance at the rotation, and although I hate messing with Wink, maybe he deserves a chance, too.

Maybe we need to shake the line-up a little, too. Duran, Kike, Dugo and Turner seem to be doing better. Yoshida is coming around, and even Valdez is looking like he should get a longer and more extensive look. Too bad he has no position.

I'm not advocating major shake-ups or demotions, but how long will the players doing the best be kept on the bench?

Leaders in OPS (rank in PAs)
1.544 Duvall (on IL) 13th
1.054 Duran 12
.857 Valdez 16
.856 Devers 3
.843 Dugo 1
.831 Yoshida 5
.811 McGuire 11
.770 Turner 2
.705 Kike 4

.662 Ref 9
.590 Casas 6
.528 Wong 8
.515 Chang 10
.458 Arroyo 7

Best OPS Against and PAs Against Ranking:

.392 Jansen 14th (understandable as the closer)
.519 Wink 6th
.627 Crawford 5th
.710 Houck 1st
.734 Schreiber 10th
.737 Bleier 11th
.738 Brasier 9th
.755 Martin 15th (IL)

.789 Pivetta 4th
.842 Kluber 3rd
.938 Sale 2nd
.944 Whitlock 7th
.960 Ort 8th
1.072 Bello 12th

It's understandable guys like Sale, Kluber, Pivetta and Whitlock have the most IP, but how much longer do we keep pitching our worst performers the most?

[d-money]

Could be a horrible night with the bruins gagging as well.

[Maxbialystock]

A decisive loss largely the result of better Cleveland pitching.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Comments on a shitty Friday in Boston sports.

BRUINS lost-very disappointing.
SOX lost-very unsurprising and the worst is yet to come.
Pivetta-continues to be the Iron Man of starters, which would be more impressive if he wasn't such a mediocre pitcher.
Youk's back in the booth-enough said.
Duran-may be too good for this team.

Btw, if you really want to shorten the game time-wise, just record it like I did tonight and whiz right thru the commercials.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Starting pitching still a joke.

More like a tragedy.

[Bellhorn04]

More like a tragedy.

Or a Samuel Beckett tragicomedy. "Waiting for Marcelo"

[Bellhorn04]

10 posts for an April 28 game thread. Says it all.

[5GoldGloves:OF,75]

10 posts for an April 28 game thread. Says it all.

Listened to the bottom of the 8th on the car radio driving back from my son's Little League game. When Devers got up with the tying runs on base, my kid -- who watches every game and pays attention -- said, "He's going to strike out on three pitches."

When it got to 0-2, I mentioned that any pitcher would be crazy to throw him anything near his bat... because he'll still be swinging for the fences no matter what. After Raffy whiffed on the splitter, we discussed how much better he'd be as a hitter, and for the Red Sox, if he adjusted his two-strike approach and just tried to hit liners off the Monster (there's little doubt that a focused Devers can barrel more pitches in more locations than anyone in the line-up).

It may be blasphemy on the boards to question the Raffy in the room, but his .231 batting average is now second-worst among full-timers to Casas, and he's third in Ks to Casas and Kike. Boston needs help in so many areas, and starting pitching should always be the priority... but since the Sox are so committed to Carita longterm, it almost makes sense to get another premium bat like a Papi or Manny presence to share the pressure and allow him to thrive...

[Old Red]

10 posts for an April 28 game thread. Says it all.

Like I said a few days ago that the Red Sox for the most part are on the back burner in Boston with the C’s, B’s, and the NFL draft going on.

[Old Red]

Listened to the bottom of the 8th on the car radio driving back from my son's Little League game. When Devers got up with the tying runs on base, my kid -- who watches every game and pays attention -- said, "He's going to strike out on three pitches."

When it got to 0-2, I mentioned that any pitcher would be crazy to throw him anything near his bat... because he'll still be swinging for the fences no matter what. After Raffy whiffed on the splitter, we discussed how much better he'd be as a hitter, and for the Red Sox, if he adjusted his two-strike approach and just tried to hit liners off the Monster (there's little doubt that a focused Devers can barrel more pitches in more locations than anyone in the line-up).

It may be blasphemy on the boards to question the Raffy in the room, but his .231 batting average is now second-worst among full-timers to Casas, and he's third in Ks to Casas and Kike. Boston needs help in so many areas, and starting pitching should always be the priority... but since the Sox are so committed to Carita longterm, it almost makes sense to get another premium bat like a Papi or Manny presence to share the pressure and allow him to thrive...
Maybe all those commercials have worn Raffy out.

[jad]

Youk in the booth (because you need to know that when the pitch is outside you can hit it but if it's a ball you might let it go unless you can foul it off but that's easier with one strike with two you should be selective and you can't barrel it up but maybe if it's in the zone it's easier and the good hitters like to hit good pitches but walking is good too like if it's 3-1 count you can get ball 4 which you can't do on a 2-1 so you have to consider that but some pitchers are better than others and you might hit well against them unless the sun isn't good which is also a factor but ... [repeat, with variations])

That's why I don't watch.

At least during away games I can watch the local feed.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Youk in the booth (because you need to know that when the pitch is outside you can hit it but if it's a ball you might let it go unless you can foul it off but that's easier with one strike with two you should be selective and you can't barrel it up but maybe if it's in the zone it's easier and the good hitters like to hit good pitches but walking is good too like if it's 3-1 count you can get ball 4 which you can't do on a 2-1 so you have to consider that but some pitchers are better than others and you might hit well against them unless the sun isn't good which is also a factor but ... [repeat, with variations])

That's why I don't watch.

At least during away games I can watch the local feed.

Youk is no Ueck.