8/28 - VS Blue Jays

[Maxbialystock]

Holt killing us tonight. Killing us. Jays pitcher got a called strike in the same exact spot where Pom got a ball--low outside corner.

[bowman]

He has to do the small things right to earn playing time but has been just the opposite. Our bats better wake up soon..

[Maxbialystock]

Down 3-2 after 4 12. Both teams with 6 hits, but the Jays better are grouping theirs. Middle--Beni, Betts, Moreland, Devers--of the order is hitless.

 

Toronto pitcher has at least 3 pretty good pitches, including a changeup and a slider. Plus fastball, of course.

 

Pom is battling.

[a700hitter]

Pom is not sharp tonight. 5 walks. We need runs.

[a700hitter]

I would take him out here. I don't think he has a feel for his curve tonight. He could really blow up here without his curve.

[d-money]

This team right now's lackadaisical. Not doing anything good right now. They have no urgency at all.

[a700hitter]

Nice play by Devers coming home with that ball.

[Station 13]

We're scattering hits, but with no power it's hard to deliver a game knock out or comeback.

[Maxbialystock]

Pom also kind find the corners. Most of those hits by theJays are in the middle of the zone.

[Maxbialystock]

OK. Here's me back on my hobby horse. Subject is managerial and baserunning blunders. I feel certain that, had Vazquez been out going to 2b, this would have been brought up by several is simply gambling and not even with a chance of success. All Farrell's fault of course. The second is the bottom of the 5th. Left Pom in with the bases loaded and 1 out. I guarantee, had the Jays scored, this would have led to a discussion about how Farrell doesn't have a brain in his head. Everyone knows Pom was through. Farrell needs a brain wave check.

 

And here's the best part. No one, but no one--except me--will actually say that in both instances Farrell actually deserves some credit. But doing that is virtually forbidden on talksox.

 

Off my soapbox, now.

Edited August 29, 2017 by Maxbialystock

[Maxbialystock]

Two great sliders to strike out Devers looking. Just found the outside of the plate, and they were sharp breaking too.

 

I think we have hit a couple or so extra liners tonight right to Jays outfielders. Now just two, but two extra because we've hit a lot of balls hard.

[moonslav59]

OK. Here's me back on my hobby horse. Subject is managerial and baserunning blunders. I feel certain that, had Vazquez been out going to 2b, this would have been brought up by several is simply gambling and not even with a chance of success. All Farrell's fault of course. The second is the bottom of the 5th. Left Pom in with the bases loaded and 1 out. I guarantee this would have led to a discussion about how Farrell doesn't have a brain in his head. Everyone knows Pom was through.

 

And here's the best part. No one, but no one--except me--will actually say that in both instances Farrell actually deserves some credit. But doing that is virtually forbidden on talksox.

 

Off my soapbox, now.

 

Even wrong calls sometimes work just as a broken clock tells the right time twice a day.

 

I had no issues with both calls you brought up.

 

Even if they did not work, they were not "blunders", at least the way I have been using the term..

[Maxbialystock]

Even wrong calls sometimes work just as a broken clock tells the right time twice a day.

 

I had no issues with both calls you brought up.

 

Even if they did not work, they were not "blunders", at least the way I have been using the term..

 

Good. But you ignored the last part. Would you agree they were actually good plays for which the manager gets some credit?

[Maxbialystock]

Wow. 6 innings, 3 runs, quality start, but about as brutal a one as I can remember. Two incredible escapes, but neither was luck. Really smart play by Devers on the grounder in the 5th with 3 on. He first checked the hitter to see if a GIDP was possible after touching 3B. No. So he thru a strike to force out the guy going home.

[mvp 78]

Johnny Bench

[BstHcpr]

This team right now's lackadaisical. Not doing anything good right now. They have no urgency at all.

 

Except be in first place, and swat a go ahead two run home run.

[Maxbialystock]

Neat. Bottom of the order comes thru at just the right time. That's why I love a distributed lineup that can hurt you from the top, middle and bottom. Well, except for Holt of course.

[moonslav59]

Move Vaz to clean-up!

 

 

Just joking

[Jasonbay44]

Vazquez has had a pretty nice season offensively. Big go ahead homer

[Jasonbay44]

Lets blow this s*** open. Good job making contact Moreland (even if it was weakly hit)

[Maxbialystock]

Two things.

 

1. I'm now on the moonslav bandwagon. After griping about every single game and pointing to the Yankees catching us and all that stuff, I'm now saying we should put those 4 games behind us and focus on the great earlier August when we were winning right and left and beating good teams like the Yankees, Guardians, and Cardinals. What happened in those four losses is we got three absolutely horrendous starts by Sale, Porcello, and ERod. Stuff happens. Sale is still an ace. I'm not sure Porcello has got it together yet, but he was good last year and still is an innings eater and has 17 quality starts of 27 total. ERod has pitched well after the first 2 two innings, which have killed him. There is nothing systemically wrong with this team--it's the same team that won 16 of 20 earlier. Blaming Farrell for those 4 starts is nuts. No one can show me one hard fact or one specific decision that cost any of those 4 losses. If the Sox don't get to the postseason or don't get thru the first round, i would not object to his leaving. But not now.

 

2. i really like the lineup tonight--it's a lot like the one I proposed to moonslav. HanRam dropped to 7th--great. 1, 3, and 5 hitters, all key, are Nunez, Betts, and--surprise!--Bogie. All good choices, even Bogie who seems to be getting his eye and swing back. 2, 4, and 6 are almost as good--Beni, Moreland, and Devers. I checked guys splits, and Moreland, especially against righties, is as good as anyone on the team in the 4 slot. And I really like Devers in 6th both because I think he hits better lower than 5th and because the #6 hitter can do a lot of damage. 7, 8, and 9--HanRam, Vazquez, and Holt also work for me. Vazquez has prospered near the bottom. HanRam needs to because he ain't doing much up above (and I could care less about his so-called injuries). Holt for Rajai Davis but batting 9th also works because so far Rajai hasn't shown me much, but Holt has (despite that terrible OPS), plus he's a lefty and good on the bases, which connects well to the top of the order. Pomeranz on the mound right now is, at least temporarily, is our ace based on his record.

 

Since I'm the only one who said this and said it in the game thread and before the game started, this is me being boastful. I was dead right on both main points. But, to be honest, it was probably blind stupid luck, which is what I have often relied upon.

[moonslav59]

Big mistake calling Devers up before he was ready... err...

 

I mean, why did JF bat Devers 6th, when we all know he's 5 for 9 batting 7th!

 

 

...err, I mean... never mind.

[Jasonbay44]

Helluva game for Vazquez

[oldtimer]

Helluva game for Vazquez

 

He has given a big spark to the team. We need him in the lineup more often. Now we need to solve the utility player problem. Maybe sept 1 will do that.

[oldtimer]

Theeeeeeee Yankees lose

[moonslav59]

wtf

ck!

[Maxbialystock]

Big mistake calling Devers up before he was ready... err...

 

I mean, why did JF bat Devers 6th, when we all know he's 5 for 9 batting 7th!

 

 

...err, I mean... never mind.

 

I was fine with whenever they called him up. After played a little at AAA and came up then, I said that was fine. My numbers on 6-9 slots were much bigger than you suggest. Yes, still a small sample size, but that's all we have and it's late August, not April or May, so you make decisions on less than optimal data. When making big decisions, one of the key factors is how much time is available to make it. Farrell made the right decision and at the right time. Simply put, I was dead right about dropping Devers down in the order and no one else even suggested it. Maybe I was lucky, but at least I had a rationale for suggesting the move.

Edited August 29, 2017 by Maxbialystock

[moonslav59]

Finally---a win!

[oldtimer]

Kimbrel in the 9th almost gave it away. I wondered if the baseball gods had something against us winning.

[moonslav59]

I was fine with whenever they called him up. After played a little at AAA and came up then, I said that was fine. My numbers on 6-9 slots were much bigger than you suggest. Yes, still a small sample size, but that's all we have and it's late August, not April or May, so you make decisions on less than optimal data., Simply put, I was dead right about dropping Devers down in the order and no one else even suggested it. Maybe I was lucky, but at least I had a rationale for suggesting the move.

 

I was joking.

 

Note: had they batted Devers 4th today, he'd have gone 4-4.