July 1st @ Where Home Runs Go to Die

[VA Sox Fan]

Well' date=' if he stays consistent, he'll get into a jam in the first, give up a couple runs and then settle in. He'll get pulled in about the 6th.[/quote']

 

It'd be nice to see him have a clean 1st for a change.

[SemperFi Sox]

Punto will probably be at 3b tonight, bout time that stud gets more playing time.

[Station 13]

Just wins series please. Offense seems dead when Dice-K start. 3 runs support total in 4 starts he made.

[jung]

Well, this is why I thought June would be important. Before the month started I thought we would have a month where the real competitors got serious and started pounding out some victories at a pretty good pace, forcing the Sox to beat the putz teams we were playing at the same or better clip which we really did not do. Had the O's won 1 more game in June we would almost have nothing to show for the month.

 

June Records:

Yanks, 20-7

Angels, 17-9

Sox, 15-12

O's, 13-13

Rays, 11-15

 

The Yanks just went nuts in June and really put a bunch of distance between themselves and the competition. We have plenty of games left with the Yanks but we will have to win those games at a very sporty clip not only to try to catch them but because the Sox are in a real battle just to make a WC berth.

 

At 17-9 the Angels have now done just what some of us thought they would do....win enough games to stick themselves right in the middle of the WC race in all likelihood breaking up the death grip the East has had on the WC.

 

The Sox compiled the 3rd best June record, in the process probably closing themselves out of the division unless they can beat the Yanks in their head to head meetings at a clip that today seems hard to imagine.

 

The O's did not exactly fall completely apart although we would like to think so. They went 13-13 going into the part of the season that should favor SP. Their SP has not shown well of late but still looks more potent than the Sox SP at this point.

 

The Rays are the team that really croaked in June playing the month at an 11-15 clip. Again their SP should show up a bit more in the second half but they may well have played themselves out of the division race in June.

 

The Angels have a tough road ahead in July playing 11 games against the East and 10 against the Central and 5 against the West, many against Detroit and Texas. They match up well with Detroit but should struggle against Texas.

 

The Sox have a tough road in July as well playing 4 against the West, 9 against the Central and 13 games in the tough East. I would guess we might need something like 15-11 just to stay in the WC and that assumes our WC competitors do not have a great month while we are still putzing around. That would be one game better than June with a tougher schedule. Probably need something like an 18-8 to make a real dent in the Yanks and something like 17-9 to actually look like a team that is going anywhere instead of a team just putzing around.

 

The teams with the easiest July path would be the Yanks and Rays. The Rays play 8 against the West, 9 against the Central and 9 against the East.

 

The Yanks only play 23 games in July, 10 against the West, 1 against the Central and 12 against the East.

 

All by way of saying that by having played yet another month of ********, barely better than .500 ball against teams we should have been creaming, we have set this up to be all but over by the end of July.

 

The Yanks don't have to "clean our clocks" at this point. Another month of screwing around at 500 or so would likely seal our fate just as surely as cleaning our clocks would. As early as May some of us kept looking at the required winning percentage that remained as a means to judge our chances commenting that we were already creeping up to .650 needed at that point. The team surely does not look like it could sustain anything like a .700 winning percentage and Ells, CC and Bailey don't turn them into one that can. The way the Angels are now playing the Sox are in for a hell of a fight just to get into the 1 game play in. They can thank their stars that the O's and Rays Starting Pitching has cooled a bit although Starting Pitching usually starts to show its metal on the other side of the All Star break if a team has it to show.

 

I really always thought that the one WC team did deserve its distinction because it often had compiled a better record than one of the division winners had compiled. Now, with two WC teams, all you get for playing 162 games is a one game play in, a game where you will be forced to use up your best SP. That puts even the winner of that game at a distinct disadvantage in the first real playoff series. Seems to me that WC team 1 gets screwed and WC team 2 would be better served going back to the drawing board and coming back next year prepared to make a better effort.

 

This was the fly in the ointment of looking at what we were doing in April and May and June and talking about how early it was. Those were our easy schedule paths. Those were the months we needed to be putting wins in the bank for the tougher schedule months we had ahead. Now we are stuck with a situation where nothing but the very best month we have played so far this year will do for July. Less than that and we may not even be in a WC any longer.

 

I am sure BC and his bosses are looking at the same thing. Makes you wonder how much they will be willing to give up to bring in another arm for the rotation, something they need desperately to make something of this year. That is something beyond brick sales and bat sales and more pink hat sales.

 

As for lasting impressions from June, the two most important games of this year may turn out to be those two extra inning losses to the M's as we really really needed to win those games to turn June from 15-12 to 17-11. So I will again question the logic of building a team around offense and ignoring defense even in the two most important defensive positions on the field. What would June have looked like if Salty had made those two plays at home at the end of those two games or even had made the easiest of them? What would they look like if we could have pitched with the M's which we did not do. The Sox have nobody to blame but themselves for having put themselves in a position where two games in a park that did not favor their skill set against a team designed to play in that park might have sealed their 2012 fate. Maybe they will get lucky. Doubt they are going to get much better without help from BC.

[a700hitter]

Well, this is why I thought June would be important. Before the month started I thought we would have a month where the real competitors got serious and started pounding out some victories at a pretty good pace, forcing the Sox to beat the putz teams we were playing at the same or better clip which we really did not do. Had the O's won 1 more game in June we would almost have nothing to show for the month.

 

June Records:

Yanks, 20-7

Angels, 17-9

Sox, 15-12

O's, 13-13

Rays, 11-15

 

The Yanks just went nuts in June and really put a bunch of distance between themselves and the competition. We have plenty of games left with the Yanks but we will have to win those games at a very sporty clip not only to try to catch them but because the Sox are in a real battle just to make a WC berth.

 

At 17-9 the Angels have now done just what some of us thought they would do....win enough games to stick themselves right in the middle of the WC race in all likelihood breaking up the death grip the East has had on the WC.

 

The Sox compiled the 3rd best June record, in the process probably closing themselves out of the division unless they can beat the Yanks in their head to head meetings at a clip that today seems hard to imagine.

 

The O's did not exactly fall completely apart although we would like to think so. They went 13-13 going into the part of the season that should favor SP. Their SP has not shown well of late but still looks more potent than the Sox SP at this point.

 

The Rays are the team that really croaked in June playing the month at an 11-15 clip. Again their SP should show up a bit more in the second half but they may well have played themselves out of the division race in June.

 

The Angels have a tough road ahead in July playing 11 games against the East and 10 against the Central and 5 against the West, many against Detroit and Texas. They match up well with Detroit but should struggle against Texas.

 

The Sox have a tough road in July as well playing 4 against the West, 9 against the Central and 13 games in the tough East. I would guess we might need something like 15-11 just to stay in the WC and that assumes our WC competitors do not have a great month while we are still putzing around. That would be one game better than June with a tougher schedule. Probably need something like an 18-8 to make a real dent in the Yanks and something like 17-9 to actually look like a team that is going anywhere instead of a team just putzing around.

 

The teams with the easiest July path would be the Yanks and Rays. The Rays play 8 against the West, 9 against the Central and 9 against the East.

 

The Yanks only play 23 games in July, 10 against the West, 1 against the Central and 12 against the East.

 

All by way of saying that by having played yet another month of ********, barely better than .500 ball against teams we should have been creaming, we have set this up to be all but over by the end of July.

 

The Yanks don't have to "clean our clocks" at this point. Another month of screwing around at 500 or so would likely seal our fate just as surely as cleaning our clocks would. As early as May some of us kept looking at the required winning percentage that remained as a means to judge our chances commenting that we were already creeping up to .650 needed at that point. The team surely does not look like it could sustain anything like a .700 winning percentage and Ells, CC and Bailey don't turn them into one that can. The way the Angels are now playing the Sox are in for a hell of a fight just to get into the 1 game play in. They can thank their stars that the O's and Rays Starting Pitching has cooled a bit although Starting Pitching usually starts to show its metal on the other side of the All Star break if a team has it to show.

 

I really always thought that the one WC team did deserve its distinction because it often had compiled a better record than one of the division winners had compiled. Now, with two WC teams, all you get for playing 162 games is a one game play in, a game where you will be forced to use up your best SP. That puts even the winner of that game at a distinct disadvantage in the first real playoff series. Seems to me that WC team 1 gets screwed and WC team 2 would be better served going back to the drawing board and coming back next year prepared to make a better effort.

 

This was the fly in the ointment of looking at what we were doing in April and May and June and talking about how early it was. Those were our easy schedule paths. Those were the months we needed to be putting wins in the bank for the tougher schedule months we had ahead. Now we are stuck with a situation where nothing but the very best month we have played so far this year will do for July. Less than that and we may not even be in a WC any longer.

 

I am sure BC and his bosses are looking at the same thing. Makes you wonder how much they will be willing to give up to bring in another arm for the rotation, something they need desperately to make something of this year. That is something beyond brick sales and bat sales and more pink hat sales.

 

As for lasting impressions from June, the two most important games of this year may turn out to be those two extra inning losses to the M's as we really really needed to win those games to turn June from 15-12 to 17-11. So I will again question the logic of building a team around offense and ignoring defense even in the two most important defensive positions on the field. What would June have looked like if Salty had made those two plays at home at the end of those two games or even had made the easiest of them? What would they look like if we could have pitched with the M's which we did not do. The Sox have nobody to blame but themselves for having put themselves in a position where two games in a park that did not favor their skill set against a team designed to play in that park might have sealed their 2012 fate. Maybe they will get lucky. Doubt they are going to get much better without help from BC.

This is a good summary of how the Sox got where they are and their prospects for the rest of the season.

[redsoxbeatz]

Gonzo: 14 of his last 17 hits have gone for singles.

 

Quietest 11 game hit streak ever.

 

Jungs post sums why the Sox need to acquire an ace. I get the feeling Cherry will bring nothing significant to Boston by July 31st.

[a700hitter]

Well, this is why I thought June would be important. Before the month started I thought we would have a month where the real competitors got serious and started pounding out some victories at a pretty good pace, forcing the Sox to beat the putz teams we were playing at the same or better clip which we really did not do. Had the O's won 1 more game in June we would almost have nothing to show for the month.

 

June Records:

Yanks, 20-7

Angels, 17-9

Sox, 15-12

O's, 13-13

Rays, 11-15

 

The Yanks just went nuts in June and really put a bunch of distance between themselves and the competition. We have plenty of games left with the Yanks but we will have to win those games at a very sporty clip not only to try to catch them but because the Sox are in a real battle just to make a WC berth.

 

At 17-9 the Angels have now done just what some of us thought they would do....win enough games to stick themselves right in the middle of the WC race in all likelihood breaking up the death grip the East has had on the WC.

 

The Sox compiled the 3rd best June record, in the process probably closing themselves out of the division unless they can beat the Yanks in their head to head meetings at a clip that today seems hard to imagine.

 

The O's did not exactly fall completely apart although we would like to think so. They went 13-13 going into the part of the season that should favor SP. Their SP has not shown well of late but still looks more potent than the Sox SP at this point.

 

The Rays are the team that really croaked in June playing the month at an 11-15 clip. Again their SP should show up a bit more in the second half but they may well have played themselves out of the division race in June.

 

The Angels have a tough road ahead in July playing 11 games against the East and 10 against the Central and 5 against the West, many against Detroit and Texas. They match up well with Detroit but should struggle against Texas.

 

The Sox have a tough road in July as well playing 4 against the West, 9 against the Central and 13 games in the tough East. I would guess we might need something like 15-11 just to stay in the WC and that assumes our WC competitors do not have a great month while we are still putzing around. That would be one game better than June with a tougher schedule. Probably need something like an 18-8 to make a real dent in the Yanks and something like 17-9 to actually look like a team that is going anywhere instead of a team just putzing around.

 

The teams with the easiest July path would be the Yanks and Rays. The Rays play 8 against the West, 9 against the Central and 9 against the East.

 

The Yanks only play 23 games in July, 10 against the West, 1 against the Central and 12 against the East.

 

All by way of saying that by having played yet another month of ********, barely better than .500 ball against teams we should have been creaming, we have set this up to be all but over by the end of July.

 

The Yanks don't have to "clean our clocks" at this point. Another month of screwing around at 500 or so would likely seal our fate just as surely as cleaning our clocks would. As early as May some of us kept looking at the required winning percentage that remained as a means to judge our chances commenting that we were already creeping up to .650 needed at that point. The team surely does not look like it could sustain anything like a .700 winning percentage and Ells, CC and Bailey don't turn them into one that can. The way the Angels are now playing the Sox are in for a hell of a fight just to get into the 1 game play in. They can thank their stars that the O's and Rays Starting Pitching has cooled a bit although Starting Pitching usually starts to show its metal on the other side of the All Star break if a team has it to show.

 

I really always thought that the one WC team did deserve its distinction because it often had compiled a better record than one of the division winners had compiled. Now, with two WC teams, all you get for playing 162 games is a one game play in, a game where you will be forced to use up your best SP. That puts even the winner of that game at a distinct disadvantage in the first real playoff series. Seems to me that WC team 1 gets screwed and WC team 2 would be better served going back to the drawing board and coming back next year prepared to make a better effort.

 

This was the fly in the ointment of looking at what we were doing in April and May and June and talking about how early it was. Those were our easy schedule paths. Those were the months we needed to be putting wins in the bank for the tougher schedule months we had ahead. Now we are stuck with a situation where nothing but the very best month we have played so far this year will do for July. Less than that and we may not even be in a WC any longer.

 

I am sure BC and his bosses are looking at the same thing. Makes you wonder how much they will be willing to give up to bring in another arm for the rotation, something they need desperately to make something of this year. That is something beyond brick sales and bat sales and more pink hat sales.

 

As for lasting impressions from June, the two most important games of this year may turn out to be those two extra inning losses to the M's as we really really needed to win those games to turn June from 15-12 to 17-11. So I will again question the logic of building a team around offense and ignoring defense even in the two most important defensive positions on the field. What would June have looked like if Salty had made those two plays at home at the end of those two games or even had made the easiest of them? What would they look like if we could have pitched with the M's which we did not do. The Sox have nobody to blame but themselves for having put themselves in a position where two games in a park that did not favor their skill set against a team designed to play in that park might have sealed their 2012 fate. Maybe they will get lucky. Doubt they are going to get much better without help from BC.

This is a good summary of how the Sox got where they are and their prospects for the rest of the season.

[redsoxbeatz]

Game 1: Jarrod Parker (73-2/3 IP, 1.6 K/BB, 156 ERA+) vs. Daisuke Matsuzaka (22 IP, 3.3 K/BB, 88 ERA+)

 

Game 2: Bartolo Colon (89-2/3 IP, 3.4 K/BB, 95 ERA+) vs. Jon Lester (101-1/3 IP, 2.9 K/BB, 94 ERA+)

 

Game 3: A.J. Griffin (12 IP, 2.7 K/BB, 274 ERA+) vs. Franklin Morales (41-2/3 IP, 4.0 K/BB, 165 ERA+)

 

Josh Reddick (132 OPS+), Yoenis Cespedes (131 OPS+), Seth Smith (123 OPS+), and Jonny Gomes (121 OPS+)

 

The A's who have a team OPS+ of just 83, last in the AL.

 

Red Sox are ranked fourth in OPS+.

[mvp 78]

Gonzo: 14 of his last 17 hits have gone for singles.

 

Quietest 11 game hit streak ever.

 

Jungs post sums why the Sox need to acquire an ace. I get the feeling Cherry will bring nothing significant to Boston by July 31st.

 

12 games, 18 hits. However, they need an ace regardless of AGon's production.