5/13 @ Toronto

[a700hitter]

I am just hoping that Beny doesn't ruin this inning for JD.

[jung]

We have to get runs out of this. Even 1 more run takes you out of a bloop and a bomb zone from your opponent.

[Emp9]

Nice AB by JD. Took the walk, didn’t force nothing & k

[SoxHop]

Getting our moneys worth on this at bat..

[SaleplusKimbrel59]

phew, that was a long one.

[Emp9]

Good job Moreland

[jung]

Well I'll take it because it gets us out of bloop and a bomb zone but good gracious. We should have blown this guy out and screwed up Gibby's bullpen day for him.

[Emp9]

Yeah, I was hoping for more there

[Jasonbay44]

This should be a blowout. Biagini sucks and he's getting lucky.

[FredLynn]

Pom lives with a high low plane change rather and east-west. He relies on fastballs up and curveballs down. Losing 3 mph off the fastball makes the high fastball a meatball rather than a ball he sneaks by a hitter. It’s common baseball sense. Anyone can have a good day and Pom had one against NY. Doesn’t mean he will continue to have the same success with diminished stuff

 

I agree with your point that the loss of velocity decreases the margin for error. However, Pomeranz is never going to blow guys away with a blazing fastball. He will always rely on command rather than velocity. I am confident that he can win a lot of games with his stuff if he can hit the corners-and equally confident that he will lose a lot of games if he cannot command his pitches. The same can be said about a lot of pitchers. Just as a reminder, last year, despite not having a great fastball, he was 17-6 with a 3.32 ERA.

[SaleplusKimbrel59]

Oh wow that was ugly

[d-money]

What's with the walks? Throw more strikes.

[jung]

Pom is getting into a zone though where he won't throw a 4 seam anywhere near the strike zone. Once that gets around the league, he is going to have issues with that. He never was anywhere near that last year. I just don't really know what they are doing with him because his 4 seam is not getting better and its weak enough that he won't throw it.

 

Still think what Pom has done in 2 games without any 4 seam at all is pretty remarkable.

[a700hitter]

Pom is buying dinner for Mookie tonight. That was some great catch.

[Jasonbay44]

Mookie Betts! At this point I don't even know what to say anymore.

[SaleplusKimbrel59]

Super Betts!!

[Emp9]

Mookie just unbelievable holy s*** what a great catch.

[a700hitter]

Some of these Mother's Day stories by Guerin are not so great.

[jung]

Come on Sox...Time to end this guy.

[Beaneater]

Mookie is adequate.

[Emp9]

Pom is getting into a zone though where he won't throw a 4 seam anywhere near the strike zone. Once that gets around the league, he is going to have issues with that. He never was anywhere near that last year. I just don't really know what they are doing with him because his 4 seam is not getting better and its weak enough that he won't throw it.

 

Still think what Pom has done in 2 games without any 4 seam at all is pretty remarkable.

 

Like O’brien said, he’s really tip-toeing around landmines today. He’s having trouble locating pretty much every type of pitch in his arsenal until it really counts (save for that play by Betts). What’s saving him today is his repertoire it seems.

[a700hitter]

JD hits a bullet for the RBI single.

[jung]

I don't know that I would claim his repertoire is saving him as much as that knuckle curve is saving him.

 

Last year he was using the knuckle curve to set up the rising FB which was good enough to throw and get guys to chase just out of the zone. Then he would pitch in reverse the second or third time through. Now he can't get that rising 4 seam FB anywhere near the strike zone for fear it will get tagged. He certainly can't throw it rising up and just out of the zone. He has to throw it so far out of the zone that nobody will chase it. His other pitches were used last year just to throw the hitters off the 4 seam/curve combination.

 

When you can't go to your bread and butter sequence it is really a chore and that is why IMO what Pom is doing is pretty remarkable. He is relying on pitches that were just throw ins to his bread and butter sequence last year and most of his career. If he can't get a 4 seam that works for him, once that gets around the league it will really become a chore for him.

Edited May 13, 2018 by jung

[jung]

Wow Wright joining the team tomorrow. That is interesting. Wonder what the move is that they will make to make room for him.

[a700hitter]

Pom usually gets a DP ball or 2 in his outings.

[a700hitter]

Wow Wright joining the team tomorrow. That is interesting. Wonder what the move is that they will make to make room for him.

Pick a horse s*** reliever and send him down.

[a700hitter]

I would have someone getting loose in the pen.

[TylerD]

Get Poms out now.

[jung]

This is not a surprise. Pom has been pitching with one arm tied behind his back particularly the last two starts. Can only pull off so many AB's and innings pitching like this.

[d-money]

Pomeranz has imploded. Take him out the game.