5/4 vs Rangers

[S5Dewey]

This is the outfield we should have out there in every game against AL teams. JBJ made a catch in CF tonight that Beni doesn't make and Beni made a catch in LF that JDM doesn't even come close to.

[SoxHop]

This is the outfield we should have out there in every game against AL teams. JBJ made a catch in CF tonight that Beni doesn't make and Beni made a catch in LF that JDM doesn't even come close to.

 

You have one choice for the team the entire season. Do you pick JBJ in center, or JD in left? In both cases the other isn't on the team. I think this is easy.

[Station 13]

This is the outfield we should have out there in every game against AL teams. JBJ made a catch in CF tonight that Beni doesn't make and Beni made a catch in LF that JDM doesn't even come close to.

 

OF defense is usually good if not sound. We got three CF playing out there.

[Maxbialystock]

This is the outfield we should have out there in every game against AL teams. JBJ made a catch in CF tonight that Beni doesn't make and Beni made a catch in LF that JDM doesn't even come close to.

 

Meh. JBJ gets to keep his job because the top six in the lineup are hitting so well and even though the bottom third isn't it. This is his 30th game, 2d most by any Sox player, which means Cora wants him out there, and I trust Cora.

 

That said, you know the mendoza line? That's a batting average below .200. Against lefty pitchers so far this year, JBJ's OPS is .202. Now that's low.

[S5Dewey]

Meh. JBJ gets to keep his job because the top six in the lineup are hitting so well and even though the bottom third isn't it. This is his 30th game, 2d most by any Sox player, which means Cora wants him out there, and I trust Cora.

 

That said, you know the mendoza line? That's a batting average below .200. Against lefty pitchers so far this year, JBJ's OPS is .202. Now that's low.

 

We had two hits taken away from the Rangers by our outstanding OF tonight. How many runs did it save? We don't know - so we pretend the answer is 0.

[Maxbialystock]

Great pitching!!!! I'm really glad Cora brought Poyner back, but I also liked the jobs Kelly and Barnes did. One more quality start by Porcello: I think he has 6 out of 7 quality starts. He remains our most reliable starter. Top six in the lineup are tough: 4 dingers and all five rbi's.

 

Yankee freight train remains 1 back despite giving up 6 runs to Cleveland. Yankees won on a run in the bottom of the 9th with two men out.

 

ERod tomorrow. Hopefully the warm weather will get him back in a groove. His ERA of 4.78 is rotten, but he has three quality starts in five overall.

[Maxbialystock]

We had two hits taken away from the Rangers by our outstanding OF tonight. How many runs did it save? We don't know - so we pretend the answer is 0.

 

I saw JD make almost that exact same catch JBJ did tonight, only he was playing RF and made the catch in right centerfield, I think at Fenway. I don't however think JD could make the one Beni made in LF tonight.

 

As I've said already, I trust Cora's judgment, and he wants JBJ out there. But you better believe that judgment is helped by having a terrific top six in the order.

[moonslav59]

Great win.

 

Porcello is the man right now.

 

Betts is a god.

 

Good to see Devers heating up in a big way.

 

What a difference in team HRs over last year.

[Larry Cook]

Just how poorly is price pitching right now when he gets jacked up and porcello shuts them down?

[Slasher9]

You have one choice for the team the entire season. Do you pick JBJ in center, or JD in left? In both cases the other isn't on the team. I think this is easy.

 

The AL has DH. That’s why this doesn’t have to be a choice.

They can both play erryday.

But in your hypothetical the team needs a big bat in the lineup. So if JDM roster spot is replaced by a big bat DH I would keep JBj and his low salary + lockdown elite up the middle defense.

[Maxbialystock]

The AL has DH. That’s why this doesn’t have to be a choice.

They can both play erryday.

But in your hypothetical the team needs a big bat in the lineup. So if JDM roster spot is replaced by a big bat DH I would keep JBj and his low salary + lockdown elite up the middle defense.

 

It's really not a choice between JD and JBJ. It's about how many good bats do you need in the lineup, and so far this season the answer to that has been 5 or 6. That means that the lineup can include not only JBJ but either of Leon or Vazquez plus Lin now and then.

 

Right now the two best offenses in MLB are the Yankees and Red Sox with 185 and 180 runs scored respectively. As much as the Yankees new murderers row should be respected, our top six are probably better than theirs, but their bottom third of the lineup is way better than ours.

 

But make no mistake. So far this is a down year for JBJ. He was just as good a fielder in 2014 as he is this year and he was the starting centerfielder on opening day. He played in 127 games but ended up in Pawtucket because his OPS was .531 and Boston wasn't scoring like that are now. Today JBJ's OPS is .545 but he is tied for 2d most games played this year on this team. Cora clearly values his defense even though his overall WAR is -.3. Plus I'm sure Cora hopes his hitting will improve. In 2016 his OPS was .865.

[Kimmi]

Bartolo Freaking Colon. Where's Youk? He hates Bartolo. I can't believe this prick is still around.

 

I can't stand the guy after what he did with the Red Sox. It ticks me off every time I see him on the mound and he's not getting shelled.

 

Thank goodness the Sox at least scored enough off of him to hand him the loss.

[Kimmi]

Great win.

 

Porcello is the man right now.

 

Betts is a god.

 

Good to see Devers heating up in a big way.

 

What a difference in team HRs over last year.

 

Thanks Ben!

[jung]

The AL has DH. That’s why this doesn’t have to be a choice.

They can both play erryday.

But in your hypothetical the team needs a big bat in the lineup. So if JDM roster spot is replaced by a big bat DH I would keep JBj and his low salary + lockdown elite up the middle defense.

 

It's really not a choice between JD and JBJ. It's about how many good bats do you need in the lineup, and so far this season the answer to that has been 5 or 6. That means that the lineup can include not only JBJ but either of Leon or Vazquez plus Lin now and then.

 

Right now the two best offenses in MLB are the Yankees and Red Sox with 185 and 180 runs scored respectively. As much as the Yankees new murderers row should be respected, our top six are probably better than theirs, but their bottom third of the lineup is way better than ours.

 

But make no mistake. So far this is a down year for JBJ. He was just as good a fielder in 2014 as he is this year and he was the starting centerfielder on opening day. He played in 127 games but ended up in Pawtucket because his OPS was .531 and Boston wasn't scoring like that are now. Today JBJ's OPS is .545 but he is tied for 2d most games played this year on this team. Cora clearly values his defense even though his overall WAR is -.3. Plus I'm sure Cora hopes his hitting will improve. In 2016 his OPS was .865.

 

JBJ has gone through so many iterations of a bad swing in his Sox career that I just don't know if he will ever be a different hitter than what he is. Now, he can't let the ball get too deep into the zone on him because he does not keep his head on the ball. The farther into the strike zone the ball gets the more he losses sight of it. That means he has to swing early and the ball might not be anywhere near where his bat is because the ball is moving. How often does that actually look like a JBJ swing? If JBJ were not stubborn as a mule about his swing, it would not matter to me. Hitter's swings change over time. It just happens, to some more than others and to some in more fundamental ways than others. His CF defense is just off the charts and he is not a showboat. He does not turn easy catches or lets say unspectacular catches into floor shows for effect which the other great AL East CFer does on a regular basis. As long as the Sox can support his bat, I want him out there. But oh how I wish he would just not be so stubborn about his swing.

 

Still feel the same way about JD in the OF. Keep him away from the Fenway OF because it will not be good for his health. Play him in the OF where you can on the road, play him in the Fenway OF only when you have to and take advantage of what the DH position gives you.

[moonslav59]

Most innings played on defense in 2018:

 

278 Devers

262 JBJ

247 Beni

246 Nunez

229 Betts

205 Vaz

150 Moreland

149 Bogey (was on DL)

 

141 HRam

129 JMart

123 Holt (on DL)

96 Lin

89 Leon

 

2 of our top 4 innings player are awful on defense, so far. Once Pedey returns, that may change.

 

JMart is currently not in the top 8 innings players and neither is HRam.

 

2017

1389 Betts

1319 Beni

1310 Bogey

1204 Bradley (The killer Bs held the top 4 slots)

1171 Moreland

834 Pedey

773 Vaz

699 Leon (big change at the C position distribution)

508 Devers

 

471 marrero

363 Young

356 Holt

294 Nunez

253 Rutledge

214 Pablo

156 Lin

151 Hernandez

146 HRam

140 Travis

83 R Davis

Edited May 5, 2018 by moonslav59

[oldtimer]

I am hoping E-Rod stops nibbling as much so that he doesn't wind up being close to 100 pitches in the 5th inning. He has talent but seems to lack confidence. Surely the pitching coach is telling him something similar. He can be a very good 4th starter for us. While Price hasn't been good at all, I believe if he could establish better command he would be a decent starter.

[Natick to NC]

Celtics !!!!!!! What a game