8/20 Sox @ The SF Not Matt Cains

[a700hitter]

To be fair, Gaudin was set to pitch yesterday and he was scratched at like 8 pm last night eastern time.

I realize that, so at about game time Farrell knew that we would be facing lefties in 3 of the next 4 games. How much prep does Ortiz need to take 4 ABs and play first base? And even if the scratch happened after the game, he knew going into last night that there would be 2 lefties over the weekend.

 

I will be livid if Ortiz sits for another game on this trip. He is our offensive centerpiece. Without him, we are a collection of popguns. Farrell did tell the ESPN bunch that he would "try" to get Ortiz into 3 games on this trip. That is just not very smart.

[Bellhorn04]

Looking ahead at this weekend, we have a dilemma. Yankees @ Rays for a 3 game set. Way the Yanks are playing, we need them to win, but they could be right up there to at the end of the weekend. Friday's probables are CC against Ramon Hernandez

 

That's a dilemma you can't do anything about. Those are the easy ones.

[Bellhorn04]

I realize that, so at about game time Farrell knew that we would be facing lefties in 3 of the next 4 games. How much prep does Ortiz need to take 4 ABs and play first base? And even if the scratch happened after the game, he knew going into last night that there would be 2 lefties over the weekend.

 

I will be livid if Ortiz sits for another game on this trip. He is our offensive centerpiece. Without him, we are a collection of popguns. Farrell did tell the ESPN bunch that he would "try" to get Ortiz into 3 games on this trip. That is just not very smart.

 

Have to agree. Can't be f***ing around at this point. Ortiz could have made a big difference last night.

[jung]

We also lost to the Rays 2-1 on that Nava blown all in the 11th loss. So 6 of the past 11 losses have been by 1 run.

 

Makes me think it's just a minor tweak that needs to be made. We're not getting blown out. We're just not exactly right.

 

While we have some players that seem to come up with the goods late in games, particularly at the plate, Farrell makes some very odd moves especially with the way he plans out the end of games and the use of his relief pitchers.

 

Instead of testing a guy before putting him in position to lose a game on the spot, he tosses a guy out there on what appears to be not more than blind faith. He did it with Bailey earlier in the year when Bailey was clearly struggling and cost us games and he did it with Villareal last night.

 

I can live with going with Frankie all the way up to the point that he did. That said, people were commenting during the first game in SF that Farrell was using Workman in such a way that would result in facing some limitations the next night and sure enough!!!!!! I guess Frankie did deserve the shot to get out of that jam. But once he decided to pull him coming with Villareal is just craziness. Can't just put the game in his hands like that. Gotta' give yourself the best chance you have to get out of that jam because one run there and the game is lost. You have to give yourself the best shot to get out of that jam, score enough runs to give yourself a gap or even one run in the next half inning. That meant Ueh for Frankie like it or not.

 

Farrell has not been reluctant to use Ueh over a half inning sit in the dugout in seemingly far less critical situations. If he did not have anybody else that he could use there then he had to use Ueh. The idea that you save Ueh for a hoped for save situation hoping somebody that has been wild this entire season and has not as yet thrown one pitch for you is going to get you out of the bases loaded situation in extras is just ass backwards.

 

To me the tweak is Farrell. The season just does not flow along like August is the same as May. We were destined for more tight tense games coming down the stretch and IMO Farrell has got to stop playing the game that he might be confronted with an inning from now and has to start playing the game that is right in front of him. Farrell says after the game that he was saving Ueh for a potential save with that usual straight face of his!!! You have got to be kidding me. Worse, Farrell plays it this way all the time and it is so ass backwards. Extra's are not his strong suit though he seems to have some everyday players that can come up big in big moments in Extras.

Edited August 21, 2013 by jung

[SoxFanForsyth]

Have to agree. Can't be f***ing around at this point. Ortiz could have made a big difference last night.

 

I will admit, I would have loved to have seen Ortiz up with the bases loaded and nobody out in the first against Vogelsong instead of Carp.

[VA Sox Fan]

FYI game starts at 3:45pm today. NEED SOMEONE to START TODAY'S GT!

[Thunder]

FYI game starts at 3:45pm today. NEED SOMEONE to START TODAY'S GT!

 

Where is BTR???

[jung]

I will admit, I would have loved to have seen Ortiz up with the bases loaded and nobody out in the first against Vogelsong instead of Carp.

 

Yea, I was going to post about Ortiz in my post....thought I had piled on enough. But in truth they knew Zito was going to start today before last night's game. That switch had been made. Should have had Ortiz and Drew in last night's game and rested Ortiz and Drew today using XB at SS and probably Naps at 1st

[mvp 78]

Zito has been worse against LH this year.

[a700hitter]

Could have rested Ortiz over the weekend against one of the Dodger lefties.

[a700hitter]

He should be in 5 of the 6 games, not 3 of 6.

[Thunder]

Could have rested Ortiz over the weekend against one of the Dodger lefties.

 

Ortiz has been great all year. With Nap hurt, it's a good time to get him playing time.

[sk7326]

While we have some players that seem to come up with the goods late in games, particularly at the plate, Farrell makes some very odd moves especially with the way he plans out the end of games and the use of his relief pitchers.

 

Instead of testing a guy before putting him in position to lose a game on the spot, he tosses a guy out there on what appears to be not more than blind faith. He did it with Bailey earlier in the year when Bailey was clearly struggling and cost us games and he did it with Villareal last night.

 

I can live with going with Frankie all the way up to the point that he did. That said, people were commenting during the first game in SF that Farrell was using Workman in such a way that would result in facing some limitations the next night and sure enough!!!!!! I guess Frankie did deserve the shot to get out of that jam. But once he decided to pull him coming with Villareal is just craziness. Can't just put the game in his hands like that. Gotta' give yourself the best chance you have to get out of that jam because one run there and the game is lost. You have to give yourself the best shot to get out of that jam, score enough runs to give yourself a gap or even one run in the next half inning. That meant Ueh for Frankie like it or not.

 

Farrell has not been reluctant to use Ueh over a half inning sit in the dugout in seemingly far less critical situations. If he did not have anybody else that he could use there then he had to use Ueh. The idea that you save Ueh for a hoped for save situation hoping somebody that has been wild this entire season and has not as yet thrown one pitch for you is going to get you out of the bases loaded situation in extras is just ass backwards.

 

To me the tweak is Farrell. The season just does not flow along like August is the same as May. We were destined for more tight tense games coming down the stretch and IMO Farrell has got to stop playing the game that he might be confronted with an inning from now and has to start playing the game that is right in front of him. Farrell says after the game that he was saving Ueh for a potential save with that usual straight face of his!!! You have got to be kidding me. Worse, Farrell plays it this way all the time and it is so ass backwards. Extra's are not his strong suit though he seems to have some everyday players that can come up big in big moments in Extras.

 

Farrell did what so many managers do and it makes no sense. If Uehara is your best reliever (he is) - then holding him back for a less important situation (and yes, a save situation would have less critical than that last out to keep the game tied) is letting the stupid save rule dictate usage.