7/27 vs Tigers

[Station 13]

f*** this. Win.

 

I also got a 3 PM appointment so only going to see a few innings. I expect a win after I come back.

[Maxbialystock]

Fulmer is 9-2, ERA 2.41--daunting. ERod is far better than his 6.70 and 2-4, but still . . .

 

Aaron Hill in for HanRam, but playing 3B with Shaw at 1B.

 

Sox now 2.5 back of Baltimore and .5 back of Toronto. I think it was in last night's thread that someone said the Sox have now lost 7 times in games in which they scored 8 runs. And Kimmi pointed out that the Sox last 4 losses (to the Twins and Tigers) were all by 1 or 2 runs and winnable. Two pretty obvious trends: the Sox do struggle against good pitching even when the game is close and our starter is pitching well; our rotation and bullpen right now are both suspect. Farrell is under attack again but the complaints are reasonable and not harsh. Maybe the heat is bothering our guys more than the opposition (but I doubt it).

 

On the upside, which Kimmi would insist upon, I still like the lineup and the defense and some possibilities with the rotation--Price is bound to come back, Pomeranz looked excellent, ERod could stick, Porcello should be fine, and Wright hopefully will adjust his knuckler. The bullpen is missing Kimbrel and Uehara, and getting another arm or two by trade is not a Herculean task (like getting a good starter). The upcoming brutal road trip could be worse--Angels in last place, Dodgers struggling, Mariners only 3 over .500. Sox are still a playoff team.

[Maxbialystock]

Youk is going to have to kill this thread. I tried without success after I saw one had already been started.

[bosoxmal]

I also noticed that the Yankees are 4 games behind us. (and they have a terrible ball club). This is a pivotal game---deja vu all over again. The pitching is the worst in many years, and it would take a miraculous turn around by at least three starters to prevent the flood. Lack of imagination on the parts of JF and DD have not helped. If there is a blockbuster trade coming, it better happen soon. Chris Sale and Rich Hill would go along way towards turning things around. Hill's problem is a blister which CAN be resolved.

[Spudboy]

Go sox?

[Station 13]

Jays losing, would be nice to go ahead

[Station 13]

MLBTV not loading, so I can't watch. What a piece of s*** the service is.

[jopete19]

MLBTV not loading, so I can't watch. What a piece of s*** the service is.

 

Same here. I can watch the Tigers feed but not NESN...

[Bellhorn04]

Trade Pedroia!

[NativeBostonian]

We need E-Rod to step up here.

[NativeBostonian]

Ortiz just missed that one.

[Maxbialystock]

ERod needs to throw the changeup a little more. He seems to use the same three pitches Fulmer does--fastball, slider, and an occasional changeup. 31 pitches and 0 runs thru 2 innings. He got the inning ending gidp on a changeup.

[Maxbialystock]

Hitting coach or Farrell must have told Bradley, "pull the ball. Ignore the shift. If you try to go to the left side, it's a fine." That grounder to the right was off a pitch outside and low.

[Maxbialystock]

Pitches 2, 4, and 6 to Shaw were all fastballs near the center of the strike zone and the best he could do was foul them off. Finally a ground out on a 95 mph right in the middle and a tad below center. After two innings, Fulmer 29 pitches and ERod 31. Not bad.

[Maxbialystock]

ERod gets Collins on 3 fastballs, all on the edges of the plate. Then Kinsler lucks out on a changeup that slow rolled to 3B, no play at 1b.

[Maxbialystock]

Fat slider to Iglesias, double off the wall, which Holt jumped for, and Bogaerts came all the way out to retrieve, holding the runner on 3b. Walk to Cabrera, probably smart, but now VMart with bases loaded.

[illinoisredsox]

Fat slider to Iglesias, double off the wall, which Holt jumped for, and Bogaerts came all the way out to retrieve, holding the runner on 3b. Walk to Cabrera, probably smart, but now VMart with bases loaded.

 

Cabrera - VMArt pick your poison.

[Maxbialystock]

Gutsy 3d by ERod who was truly on the ropes, but bounced back to get two K's with men on 1b and 2b. Sox down 2-1. Time for the lineup to show a little guts for a change.

[Maxbialystock]

What a great at bat by Leon! That's what I'm talking about!

[illinoisredsox]

Gutsy 3d by ERod who was truly on the ropes, but bounced back to get two K's with men on 1b and 2b. Sox down 2-1. Time for the lineup to show a little guts for a change.

 

Leon with a start.

[Maxbialystock]

After 4, our lineup is starting to look like a bunch of cream puffs except for a great at bat and double by Leon. ERod has struggled with control, but has shown a lot more guts than the position players. 8 hits and 2 walks in 5, but only 2 runs and 6 big K's.

[Maxbialystock]

Exhibit A for the prosecution: Bradley gets a fast fastball in the center of the zone and grounds weakly to 2B. Exhibit B: with Hill on 2B, Shaw strikes out looking. Sneaky slider or changeup? Nope. Fastball on the inside corner. Leon at least hit the ball--ground out to 2B. Fulmer is a good pitcher, but he ain't no Pedro. ERod deserves better than this.

[Maxbialystock]

McCann golfs a changeup over the wall. Hard to blame ERod on that one.

[Maxbialystock]

Fulmer has 3 pitches--fast ball, slider, and occasional changeup, but he's throwing 75% strikes and challenging our hitters, who are almost supine.

[Maxbialystock]

OK, that tears it. Holt on 1st, no outs in the 6th, and Betts gets a fat pitch, a fast ball in the geometric center of the strike zone, and hits down on it to ensure a grounder and easy gidp. What is going on with these guys?

[Maxbialystock]

This team needs to get the hell of Boston and see if they can find some character on the road. I do not exempt Farrell even though he doesn't throw any pitches or swing at any.

[mvp 78]

This team needs to get the hell of Boston and see if they can find some character on the road. I do not exempt Farrell even though he doesn't throw any pitches or swing at any.

 

The manager should take the credit for the wins and for the losses. It's one thing to split a series with a bottom rung team like the Twins. It's another to be swept at home by a mediocre team like the Tigers.

 

If the season slips away, Farrell is the easiest scapegoat.

[illinoisredsox]

I think it may be a case of a team with many players who need to learn how to win. If you think about it, other than Ortiz and Pedroia, who has been through pennant chases before? Ramirez with the Dodgers to some extent. Bogaerts was there in 2013, but only as a bit player down the stretch. Bradley wasn't even that in 2013. Betts has played for 2 last place teams. Shaw is essentially a first year player. Holt is what he is, a utility guy. Hanigan has, but he's the back-up catcher. On the pitching staff, Porcello with the Tigers (and he has pitched pretty well). Price. Pretty much nobody else.

 

It may be a club that's a year away.

[mvp 78]

It may be a club that's a year away.

 

And they'll lose their best player in the meantime.

[illinoisredsox]

And they'll lose their best player in the meantime.

 

I don't know that he's their best player, that might be Betts or Bogaerts at this point, but he certainly is their leader and that is definitely a concern for next season.