4/18 @ Toronto

[TylerD]

Well after a couple of games where the starters didn't get out if the 5th, the bullpen has to be taxed. You can't burn the pen for 7-8 innings. Modern pens don't have a real long man anymore. There were several times when I was a kid when Bob Stanley would come in in the 1st or 2nd and finish the games. I recall once when he pitched from the 1st into extra innings.

 

This is part of the marathon, it's not the sprint portion of the season. More a hope game tonight; hope Johnson can keep it close and get some runs off a guy who can be tough at times.

 

Good point. And speaking of which I would be very surprised to see Kimbrel tonight too. Hopefully Johnson can turn this around. Wright did it yesterday.

[67RedSox]

need a few more

[Jasonbay44]

Moreland has been one hell of a pickup so far. I hope this isn't another Travis Shaw situation but I'm enjoying it thus far

[TylerD]

Bats coming alive wow.....

[Jasonbay44]

Brian Johnson is making Justin Smoak look like a superstar.

[Maxbialystock]

Like Pomeranz, Brian Johnson feels the need to keep the other team in the game.

[Jasonbay44]

Interesting.. Not sure why they ran back to back hit and runs with a weird combo of Sandoval/Vazquez..

[Maxbialystock]

Like Pomeranz, Brian Johnson feels the need to keep the other team in the game.

 

Wrong. Those 3 runs off Johnson are only semi-earned because JBJ isn't in CF tonight.

[TylerD]

Price can't get here soon enough

 

This.

[Jasonbay44]

Lets go Mookie and Hanley!

[Jasonbay44]

Mitch Moreland is apparently the White David Ortiz.

[Jasonbay44]

Pablo is even getting hits from the right side of the plate!

[a700hitter]

Moreland is ina groove.

[a700hitter]

Pablo with a rare hit from the right side of the plate.

[bosoxmal]

Darn it, they finally got Vazquez out! I wonder what the advance scouting reports are saying about him?

[mvp 78]

Sandoval is back baybay!

[bosoxmal]

Pablo is inconsistent but he has mad some beautiful plays at times. I think we give him the season and see how he does unless he goes completely downhill.

 

And yes Johnson has been atrocious. We had this exact start against Tampa. Here's hoping we can turn it around.

 

Well, we got it started. Into the Jay's bullpen this quickly bodes well for the rest of the series.

[Jasonbay44]

This should be Johnsons last inning. He's getting rocked, and 5 innings is about as much as we could've hoped for out of a random unexpected spot starter.

[mvp 78]

This should be Johnsons last inning. He's getting rocked, and 5 innings is about as much as we could've hoped for out of a random unexpected spot starter.

 

He's toast. 90+ pitches

[Jasonbay44]

Going to need 4 innings from the pen, and I don't think Kimbrel is available.

[illinoisredsox]

This should be Johnsons last inning. He's getting rocked, and 5 innings is about as much as we could've hoped for out of a random unexpected spot starter.

 

Solo homers don't bother me all that much; some of the best pitchers in the game give up a lot of homers. But not giving up 3 and 4 run homers is key and Johnson avoided that.

 

Let's hope the pen can do it's job Got to wonder who closes with Kimbrel having gone 3 straight days.

[Jasonbay44]

Solo homers don't bother me all that much; some of the best pitchers in the game give up a lot of homers. But not giving up 3 and 4 run homers is key and Johnson avoided that.

 

Let's hope the pen can do it's job Got to wonder who closes with Kimbrel having gone 3 straight days.

It wasn't just the solo homers though, he was giving up a lot of hard hit balls. Tulo ripped a liner right at Mookie with bases loaded, and Smoak was inches away from a second homer. Johnson wasn't great, but given the circumstances I'll take that start.

 

I'm honestly still not high on him though, his fastball is mediocre and hitters seem to make a lot of consistently hard contact against him.

[illinoisredsox]

One plus for the pen; no Tazawa. As well as he pitched against virtually every other team, the Jays were kryptonite to him, especially in Toronto.

[Maxbialystock]

On another thread I redefined quality starts for this year's Sox rotation, and this was definitely a quality start by Johnson.

[illinoisredsox]

It wasn't just the solo homers though, he was giving up a lot of hard hit balls. Tulo ripped a liner right at Mookie with bases loaded, and Smoak was inches away from a second homer. Johnson wasn't great, but given the circumstances I'll take that start.

 

I'm honestly still not high on him though, his fastball is mediocre and hitters seem to make a lot of consistently hard contact against him.

 

Agree. There's no real out pitch that I can see. He needs pinpoint control to succeed and I don't see that in him. You can get by with a mediocre fastball; see Uehara, Koji but you'd better have something else that's really good and you have to have great control.

[Jasonbay44]

Shift paid off that time. Big out, need 9 more.

[TylerD]

Yankees lost!

[Jasonbay44]

Yankees lost!

Orioles are getting blown out as well.

[Jasonbay44]

Mookie!!

[Fisk]

nice Mookie get that homerun stroke going.