7/27 vs Tigers

[illinoisredsox]

No save to be had, I'm calling for Ziegler right now (before the 9th starts).

 

Edit after first pitch - hey, he listened.

[Slasher9]

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.

 

JBj has definitely been "pull happy" the past month or so.....

[mvp 78]

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.

 

Betts and Ortiz have similar WAR and Ortiz doesn't have the benefit of getting defensive WAR. Papi's current SLG is the highest of his career. He's arguably having the second best year of his career (07 probably better). His leadership and visibility off the field is just as important as Betts' defense in RF.

[illinoisredsox]

Got a bad feeling with Cabrera up.

[Slasher9]

should have been caught?

[illinoisredsox]

Where was the pitch to Cabrera? I'm stuck looking at Gamecast.

[Slasher9]

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.

sometimes you just have to "change" for change sake.....

[Slasher9]

Where was the pitch to Cabrera? I'm stuck looking at Gamecast.

 

middle - middle. aka "broadway"....

[mvp 78]

http://deadspin.com/dont-play-rock-paper-scissors-with-the-tigers-1784406294

 

And they are still going to sweep the Sox...

[Bellhorn04]

JBj has definitely been "pull happy" the past month or so.....

 

Coming into this game he had a 385/442/615 since the All-Star break.

[jad]

Taking the bat out of the hands of a .400 hitter in order to bunt is the kind of Old School move that has served the Sox well in 3 of the last 4 years.

[Bellhorn04]

Coming into this game he had a 385/442/615 since the All-Star break.

 

That'll go down some after today.

[illinoisredsox]

Taking the bat out of the hands of a .400 hitter in order to bunt is the kind of Old School move that has served the Sox well in 3 of the last 4 years.

 

They've had a .400 hitter in 3 of the last 4 years?

 

Leon has cooled off considerably since the break (not unexpectedly). Plus Fulmer had already gotten 2 DPs in that exact situation. No issue with the bunt there.

[Station 13]

Tough series.

[Maxbialystock]

Just a pathetic game. Yes, the lineup finally tied the game at 3-3, but then Ziegler gave up the dinger in the 9th and of course we had no answer.

 

That's 4-5 on a key homestand that included 4 against the woebegone Twins, who split with the Sox. All 5 losses were close--1 or 2 runs. Right now, this is not a clutch team--more like a choke team.

 

I think over time the team has come to rely too much on Ortiz for the big hits. Last night he hit that huge 3 run dinger, but was otherwise hitless when we needed a monster game from him. The Tigers, on the other hand, always seemed to be to get the key hit, the key rbi when they needed it.

 

In retrospect, the great throw by Tigers CF Collins was pretty darn big. Bradley has a stronger arm, but is too often off target.

[Maxbialystock]

Well, we can always blame Farrell for not pinch-hitting for Ortiz or for sending Buchholz in to pitch in a crucial game and inning. Oh, wait. Ortiz is our best hitter, and Buchholz had a clean inning. Ziegler? 9th inning, tie game, must win, and he is the closer for now--gotta send him in.

 

Seriously, I almost always defend specific moves by managers, but do hold them accountable for overall team performance and specifically the W-L record. And even there I think Dombrowski has some fingerprints on this team and this season.

[mvp 78]

Why pitch to Cabrera in the 9th when he's 5 for 8 against Ziegler?

[TylerD]

Didn't get to see the game today but my god another loss.... anytime we get close in the division we piss it away. We have to be the streakiest team in baseball right now

[d-money]

This team's so awful in these low scoring games. 8-16 now in games with 4 runs or less. Can't win series at home. Not a playoff team.

[Slasher9]

Farrell or papa smurf need to get got

[bowman]

Sox are a very good young team right now, but not a great team. Hopefully we grow into a great team. Great teams figure out how to pull out games and not keep putting themselves into tough spots. Once we get the pitching staff figured out, an everyday left fielder, and a few other pieces, we should be right there. Not sure that the manager is the guy to lead us to the top rung. For this year if we can somehow get into the play offs, who knows.

[Bellhorn04]

Why pitch to Cabrera in the 9th when he's 5 for 8 against Ziegler?

 

Wow, I didn't know that. Cabrera should have been walked. This series was a bad one for Farrell without a doubt.

[Spudboy]

Wow, I didn't know that. Cabrera should have been walked. This series was a bad one for Farrell without a doubt.

 

Ziegler got two quick outs.

 

Miggie steps in and instantly my brain tells my mouth to say "Walk him".

 

I had no idea Miggie was death for Ziegler, either.

 

The pitch was about as cherry as any grooved pitch could be.

 

Literally right down the middle.

 

Who made the decision to challenge Miggie?

[Bellhorn04]

I guess the only other *possible* question is V-Mart's numbers vs. Ziegler.

[Bellhorn04]

O's lose, Jays lose, Yanks losing...can we get lucky and have a perfect 3-0 on the out of town scoreboard?

[a700hitter]

I am not sure that the numbers would indicate that Price is our best road pitcher, but I am pretty sure that his road record is better than his record at Fenway. Maybe it is a good situation for Price to be our stopper.

[Slasher9]

Lol. Price as a stopper. Funny.

[a700hitter]

This is why knuckleball pitchers are annoying:

 

[h=1]John Farrell hints Steven Wright may need to be scratched in games involving rain, heat[/h] [TABLE]

[TR]

[TD][/TD]

[TD=align: right]07.27.16 at 2:41 pm ET[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

By Ryan Hannable

http://fullcount.weei.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/WrightFarrell-400x291.jpgJohn Farrell hinted Steven Wright may need to be scratched in games with rain, heat. (David Butler/USA Today Images)

 

 

 

There’s no question Steven Wright runs into trouble when he has difficulty gripping the baseball because of the elements, whether it’s rain or heat and humidity. That is what happened Tuesday night in the 90-degree weather when Wright had his worst outing of the year, allowing eight runs and not even making it out of the fifth inning in the Red Sox’ loss to the Tigers.

 

 

This goes along with other poor starts this season when he allowed five runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Astros on May 13, a game played in the rain, and also June 25 when he allowed eight runs (three earned) in 4 2/3 innings in the heat in Texas. In discussing Wright’s latest outing on the WEEI Red Sox Radio Network pregame show with Tim Neverett on Wednesday, Farrell hinted if things cannot be corrected in those elements, Wright may need to be scratched in such games.

 

 

“The action to the knuckleball was not what we’ve seen, particularly in the first two innings,” Farrell said. “They score a couple of runs in both the first and second and we’re down 4-0 and I thought he started to settle in and have some of the similar action that he’s had.

 

“If we’re in a situation where there is a little bit of moisture or the temperature is 90 degrees, it almost leaves us at a point where I have to scratch him if it ends up being a situation where the results are what they are, but we have to figure out a way to maintain some kind of grip whether it’s wearing sleeves, using rosin. He’s done a very good job for us, no questions about that. But, in those elements we have to find a way to adjust and make the most of them.”

 

 

Wright isn’t a fan of the rosin bag because of the impact it has on his grip. “The rosin creates a sticky feeling in the fingers and that is not the normal touch that Steven prefers,” Farrell said. “In the end, those elements are going to rear their head again and we have to figure out a way to improve upon them.”

 

[SinceYaz]

This team's so awful in these low scoring games. 8-16 now in games with 4 runs or less. Can't win series at home. Not a playoff team.

 

8-31 in games when we score 5 or less ... if I recall correctly. Ouuuch

[SinceYaz]

Disappointing last two series.

 

But tantalizingly close to winning them.

 

Glass half full time.

 

If we can change the outcome of these games by a single run or two, we continue to roll. Eddy and Drew have pitched better ... if that beat continues we can certainly change the final box score...

 

Why not consider that we are about to be able to do that? I know, I know, because we LOST those games. But an error less, meaning on error less, in the right place and the opp doesn't get both big outbursts ... and we win!

 

I am throwing my hat in ... for the get a few more things right