4/8 @ Detroit

[example1]

I'm going with the glass half-full approach. The Sox were in a position to win two of three games against a very good Detroit team. They absolutely should have won today, and maybe Thursday. If they are able to get the bullpen figured out I think things will be okay.

 

It's hard to say after a loss like todays, but it's actually true. It would have been more dejecting if they hadn't been in any of the 3 games.

[User Name]

Well I was using their career numbers so those are "back to earth" numbers. Before Verlander had his dominate year last year' date=' there wouldn't be much separation between Verlander and Fister. Verlander has the ability to throw a no hitter every time he takes the mound. Fister is going to get a lot of ground balls, no walks, and no home runs.[/quote']

 

This is idiocy in every possibly conceivable way:

 

Verlander had a 3.54 ERA and 124 ERA+ without his 2012 numbers. The peripherals aren't even close either.

 

Fister is a 4 ERA pitcher who got down to the mid-3's in his career because of a low number of innings pitched. If you take out the 2012's for Fister and Verlander, Verlander is head and shoulders better than Fister.

 

Also, Fister has been an extreme flyball pitcher all of his career, coming in at 61% FB for his career, for those pining for him, that's the main reason he was avoided. He would've been a gopherball machine at Fenway.

[SoxFanForsyth]

But wait! They were great last year remember? Losing Papelbon and Bard to the rotation won't make a difference. They replaced them with Bailey and Melancon. They're all set!

 

Well to be fair, Bailey probably closes out that game today.

 

This may very well be a case of just trying to feel out roles. Right now, if they're really not going to let Bard close, then you go with Padilla and Morales in the 8th and 9th.

 

Morales has nasty stuff and can get guys out from either side.

[SCM33]

I'm going with the glass half-full approach. The Sox were in a position to win two of three games against a very good Detroit team. They absolutely should have won today, and maybe Thursday. If they are able to get the bullpen figured out I think things will be okay.

 

It's hard to say after a loss like todays, but it's actually true. It would have been more dejecting if they hadn't been in any of the 3 games.

 

I'd rather just get blown out. Losses like today just further cement the fact that we have nobody to get the outs that mean something at the end of games.

[Northern Star]

I'm going with the glass half-full approach. The Sox were in a position to win two of three games against a very good Detroit team. They absolutely should have won today, and maybe Thursday. If they are able to get the bullpen figured out I think things will be okay.

 

It's hard to say after a loss like todays, but it's actually true. It would have been more dejecting if they hadn't been in any of the 3 games.

 

I know what you're saying but today is more dejecting than yesterday. Knowing we had a great shot at closing out a win twice, and twice the BP letting us down.... to me that's worse than getting blown out because our starter was just not on.

[User Name]

Padilla and Morales now at the top of the pecking order?

[Station 13]

Morales did a good job today. But his track record isn't very good. The Rockies gave up on a mid 90s lefty for who again? I can't remember, Delcarmen?

[SoxFanForsyth]

Any idea who Toronto has got lined up for us? Hope one of them is Laffey. We could make a career hitting off of Laffey.

 

Henderson Alvarez (21 year old) v Felix Doubront tomorrow

 

Kyle Drabek v Daniel Bard

 

Ricky Romero vs Jon Lester

 

2011 vs Sox:

 

Alvarez: 6 IP, 0 ER in 1 start

Drabek: 9 IP, 12 ER in 2 starts

Romero: 23.1 IP, 17 ER (6.56 ERA) in 4 starts,

 

Obviously Bard and Doubront have no starts vs TOR.

 

Lester vs TOR in 2011: 30.1 IP, 7 ER, 2.08 ERA in 5 starts

[SoxFanForsyth]

Morales did a good job today. But his track record isn't very good. The Rockies gave up on a mid 90s lefty for who again? I can't remember' date=' Delcarmen?[/quote']

 

No, not MDC. We got Morales last year. The Rox had him as a SP for the most part, though. But regardless, you can't go on what he was for Team A. The Yankees released Aceves and he posted a 2.03 ERA for us last season.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Padilla and Morales now at the top of the pecking order?

 

They are the only relievers who can get outs right now. Like I said, if you're not going to go with Bard, you have to go with the hot hand. The hot hand right now is Morales and Padilla.

 

But regardless, this bullpen needs Bard more than this rotation needs Bard.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

I feel like if we don't win every other game 800-0 that some people might go crazy. That's just me.

[User Name]

They are the only relievers who can get outs right now. Like I said, if you're not going to go with Bard, you have to go with the hot hand. The hot hand right now is Morales and Padilla.

 

But regardless, this bullpen needs Bard more than this rotation needs Bard.

 

After three games? The panicky s*** is surprising from you, since you're usually one of the more reasonable posters.

 

Pull your s*** together. It's been three games.

[SoxFanForsyth]

I feel like if we don't win every other game 800-0 that some people might go crazy. That's just me.

 

Today, though, every overreaction is justified IMO. That was actually the worst loss in Red Sox history, in terms of how they lost it, not in terms of how meaningful the game was.

 

The Sox have never lost a game in which they held two multiple run leads from the 9th inning on. Congratulations, Aceves and Melancon.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Today' date=' though, every overreaction is justified IMO. That was actually the worst loss in Red Sox history, in terms of how they lost it, [b']not[/b] in terms of how meaningful the game was.

 

The Sox have never lost a game in which they held two multiple run leads from the 9th inning on. Congratulations, Aceves and Melancon.

 

I can understand the frustration but I don't think we're going to be blowing 2-3 run leads all the time.

[SoxFanForsyth]

After three games? The panicky s*** is surprising from you, since you're usually one of the more reasonable posters.

 

Pull your s*** together. It's been three games.

 

I reserve the right to overreact after terrible losses, especially after the bullpen blows 2 in 2 opportunities in 3 games.

 

I have zero confidence in Melancon right now, or Aceves as a closer. I think the Sox need to give Morales and Padilla both a shot at closing before going back to either Melancon or Aceves.

[SoxFanForsyth]

I can understand the frustration but I don't think we're going to be blowing 2-3 run leads all the time.

 

I don't either. The roles will be figured out, and this team will be just fine.

 

Having said that, I'm not going to believe in this bullpen until they give be consistent quality performances.

[User Name]

I reserve the right to overreact after terrible losses, especially after the bullpen blows 2 in 2 opportunities in 3 games.

 

I have zero confidence in Melancon right now, or Aceves as a closer. I think the Sox need to give Morales and Padilla both a shot at closing before going back to either Melancon or Aceves.

 

Aceves needs to go back to his anytime-reliever role. Melancon i just can't figure out what's the problem.

 

His velocity and movement seemed to be very good after going back to check on Gameday, but he keeps throwing meatballs.

[SCM33]

I feel like if we don't win every other game 800-0 that some people might go crazy. That's just me.

 

Nope. Just third place…just like last year and the year before that. People around here want to ignore the fact that they finished in third place two straight years and out of the playoffs. This team had question marks coming in, they have less talent than they did last year and they have given up 23 runs over the last 2 games and have managed to blow 3 saves in 3 games.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Nope. Just third place…just like last year and the year before that. People around here want to ignore the fact that they finished in third place two straight years and out of the playoffs. This team had question marks coming in' date=' they have less talent than they did last year and they have given up 23 runs over the last 2 games and have managed to blow 3 saves in 3 games.[/quote']

 

Even with 3rd place we can still make the playoffs. 2010 was full of injuries. 2011 was the biggest ******** ever. Let's not act like this team doesn't have the team to be successful. It's not a major downgrade like a lot of posters are making it out to be. I'd love to hear what people have to say if we were 3-0 right now.

[User Name]

Nope. Just third place…just like last year and the year before that. People around here want to ignore the fact that they finished in third place two straight years and out of the playoffs. This team had question marks coming in' date=' they have less talent than they did last year and they have given up 23 runs over the last 2 games and have managed to blow 3 saves in 3 games.[/quote']

 

They blew a save Saturday in a game in which they didn't score a run? That's an interesting tidbit.

[MANNYHOF24]

Hey at least it only took us 3 games into the season to figure out that Aceves can't do the job. I'm having a hard time seeing how Bard isn't going to end up as the closer sooner rather than later. I think Padilla's outting was so encouraging, we just need a stopper to finish the game. It's bard. It has to be. I am willing to bet, with as good as Cook has looked in Spring and his first AAA game that he can be as good or better as Bard as a starter. This is just like 2007, we wanted Paps to be a starter, but closing games was his most helpful role to the team. Remember that season, Joel Pinero could have been our closer? Sound familiar? I'm not saying Bard is Papelbon, but he is the closet thing we have to a sure bet in the 9th.

[SoxFanForsyth]

They blew a save Saturday in a game in which they didn't score a run? That's an interesting tidbit.

 

He's talking about blowing 2 today and 1 on Thursday, but it was Thursday that they never had a save opportunity.

[User Name]

He's talking about blowing 2 today and 1 on Thursday' date=' but it was Thursday that they never had a save opportunity.[/quote']

 

So he's wrong either way haha.

[User Name]

Hey at least it only took us 3 games into the season to figure out that Aceves can't do the job. I'm having a hard time seeing how Bard isn't going to end up as the closer sooner rather than later. I think Padilla's outting was so encouraging' date=' we just need a stopper to finish the game. It's bard. It has to be. I am willing to bet, with as good as Cook has looked in Spring and his first AAA game that he can be as good or better as Bard as a starter. This is just like 2007, we wanted Paps to be a starter, but closing games was his most helpful role to the team. Remember that season, Joel Pinero could have been our closer? Sound familiar? I'm not saying Bard is Papelbon, but he is the closet thing we have to a sure bet in the 9th.[/quote']

 

What makes you think Cook is a viable option to either stay healthy or succeed in the AL East?

[SCM33]

Even with 3rd place we can still make the playoffs. 2010 was full of injuries. 2011 was the biggest ******** ever. Let's not act like this team doesn't have the team to be successful. It's not a major downgrade like a lot of posters are making it out to be. I'd love to hear what people have to say if we were 3-0 right now.

 

My attitude would probably pretty much the same. I've maintained the same stance throughout. I don't get too high or low. I just say it how I see it. Unfortunately there aren't many positives talk about.

[SCM33]

They blew a save Saturday in a game in which they didn't score a run? That's an interesting tidbit.

 

They blew 2 saves today.

[VA Sox Fan]

Another loss...yawn

 

You need to stay out of the Game Threads....yawn! Most posters don't like you. Go away.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

My attitude would probably pretty much the same. I've maintained the same stance throughout. I don't get too high or low. I just say it how I see it. Unfortunately there aren't many positives talk about.

 

It's only 3 games. By the end of the season, you'll have plenty of things to be positive about. Even though you are really hard to impress.

[MANNYHOF24]

What makes you think Cook is a viable option to either stay healthy or succeed in the AL East?

 

What makes you think that Bard can succeed as a stater?

 

Hey I am not saying I am not curious to see what Bard can do in the rotation, but I believe closing is more important than what our 5th starter does.

 

Basically Cook could fall flat on his ass, but if Bard sures up the bullpen, it would still be a good move IMO.

 

(as long as Buchholz and Beckett don't suck!!--- in that case it may really be a long season).

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

They blew 2 saves today.

 

2 saves today = 1 game.