6/29 sox @ yankems

[Maxbialystock]

CC gets by on soft contact. He gets ahead of hitters then gets them to swing at a good pitch in the zone or a pitch out of the zone. His command is impeccable and the movement he generates is ridiculous. The best way to hit CC is to hit him early in the count when he is trying to get ahead. Once he is ahead, it's lights out

 

You are more right than illinoisredsox. Agree completely on Sabathia's command and the movement of his pitches, but would point out the many Sox hitters tried to hit him early in the count last night. It got them six hits and 2 doubles, but never really threw Sabathia off stride. Indeed, the Sox swinging early in the count was why Sabathia could go 7 innings. He got a lot of one and two pitch outs.

 

To me last night was a clinic in how to pitch and how not to pitch as a starter. In contrast to Sabathia, ERod stuck with his fastball and cut fast ball. I never saw a single curve or slider. If he threw changeups, they weren't very often and didn't break much. In the final game vs. the Angels on Sunday, Kelly kept throwing that 99-100 fast ball, and the Angels kept hitting it hard. Kimbrel gets in trouble whenever he can't rely on his knuckle curve to set up his fast ball and vice versa. Then here comes starter, not reliever, ERod with his 94-96 mph four seamer which he over relies on, inning after inning after inning.

 

At the end of the day, it's clear ERod is a thrower and Sabathia is a pitcher.

Edited June 30, 2018 by Maxbialystock

[Bellhorn04]

Cora needs to up the voltage use to shock Devers for each strikeout.

 

Very reasonable!

 

Well at least it's not as bad as what SC30 used to suggest as a disincentive program.

[jacksonianmarch]

You are more right than illinoisredsox. Agree completely on Sabathia's command and the movement of his pitches, but would point out the many Sox hitters tried to hit him early in the count last night. It got them six hits and 2 doubles, but never really threw Sabathia off stride. Indeed, the Sox swinging early in the count was why Sabathia could go 7 innings. He got a lot of one and two pitch outs.

 

To me last night was a clinic in how to pitch and how not to pitch as a starter. In contrast to Sabathia, ERod stuck with his fastball and cut fast ball. I never saw a single curve or slider. If he threw changeups, they weren't very often and didn't break much. In the final game vs. the Angels on Sunday, Kelly kept throwing that 99-100 fast ball, and the Angels kept hitting it hard. Kimbrel gets in trouble whenever he can't rely on his knuckle curve to set up his fast ball and vice versa. Then here comes starter, not reliever, ERod with his 94-96 mph four seamer which he over relies on, inning after inning after inning.

 

At the end of the day, it's clear ERod is a thrower and Sabathia is a pitcher.

 

Nothing teaches better when the top end stuff starts to falter. CC learned because he had to. ERod doesn't have to yet

[OH FOY]

Sabathia is 5-1 with a 1.63 era last 6 starts against us. Sox haven't figured him out in 2 years, this game, was no one hit wonder.

[illinoisredsox]

Sabathia is 5-1 with a 1.63 era last 6 starts against us. Sox haven't figured him out in 2 years, this game, was no one hit wonder.

 

As I said last night, they need to try and get him off his game. I don’t think anyone on the team can do it, but bunt on him, CC hates that. He is totally confident against Boston (with good reason) and frankly, I think he’s in their heads.

[Kimmi]

We got it all out of our system in one game.

 

Time to win the next two.

 

That's the spirit!

[Kimmi]

It had nothing to do with being tired. It had everything to do with a pitcher who knows how to pitch and hitters who refuse to alter their approach to him, making said pitcher’s job easier.

 

You are right, of course. It just really ticks me off that CC can shut our line up down the way he did. That should not happen.

[SoxHop]

As I said last night, they need to try and get him off his game. I don’t think anyone on the team can do it, but bunt on him, CC hates that. He is totally confident against Boston (with good reason) and frankly, I think he’s in their heads.

 

I seriously think the bunting idea is a good one.

 

Wasn't Sabbathia the pitcher who tried to hit one of our guys cause he thought he swung too hard?

[Kimmi]

I seriously think the bunting idea is a good one.

 

Wasn't Sabbathia the pitcher who tried to hit one of our guys cause he thought he swung too hard?

 

Absolutely bunt against him. Just to piss him off.

[OH FOY]

"Yesterdays Home Runs don't win todays Game." - Babe Ruth

[Maxbialystock]

Absolutely bunt against him. Just to piss him off.

 

Good strategy, but the wrong team. The Sox--no doubt under the continued influence of Bill James--are very anti-bunt, which also means they don't practice that particular skill. Their occasional attempts to bunt are usually laughable.

[Maxbialystock]

You are right, of course. It just really ticks me off that CC can shut our line up down the way he did. That should not happen.

 

Of course it should happen if you look at how Sabathia pitches. Lots of movement on his pitches, lots of different pitches, and excellent command of what he is throwing.

 

If you believe in good pitching vs. mere throwing, last night was a clinic, a demonstration of how good pitching is effective and merely throwing hard--what ERod did for 6 innings and 5 runs--is not effective.

 

Heck, just boil it down to who keeps the ball low. Sabathia does. ERod doesn't.

 

I think we have a pretty good lineup and against lefties Pearce was a nice addition. But not against a smart pitcher at the top of his game/repertoire.

[Maxbialystock]

You are right, of course. It just really ticks me off that CC can shut our line up down the way he did. That should not happen.

 

Of course it should happen if you look at how Sabathia pitches. Lots of movement on his pitches, lots of different pitches, and excellent command of what he is throwing.

 

If you believe in good pitching vs. mere throwing, last night was a clinic, a demonstration of how good pitching is effective and merely throwing hard--what ERod did for 6 innings and 5 runs--is not effective.

 

Heck, just boil it down to who keeps the ball low. Sabathia does. ERod doesn't.

 

I think we have a pretty good lineup and against lefties Pearce was a nice addition. But not against a smart pitcher at the top of his game/repertoire.

 

The Yankees also have a pretty good lineup, and last night ERod was pitching to their strength most of the evening.

[dgalehouse]

Absolutely bunt against him. Just to piss him off.

 

Back in the day , the A's had a left hander named Lou Brissie. A WW II vet who got his leg shot up in the war. Hobbled a bit and wore a brace on his knee. The Yankees tried to bunt on him. One more reason to hate them back then.

[SoxHop]

Just have people square up on him once in a while early in the game. The idea isn't to bunt for runs, just see if it gets to him.

[OH FOY]

Last year we were 1-31 against Sabathia with RISP, bunting wont matter. You have to hit when it matters. So far we are 1-10 against him with RISP this year, in 2 games. 6 games 2-41 with RISP, your Pitcher better be Pitching very good with these numbers. Edited June 30, 2018 by OH FOY!

[Natick to NC]

We got it all out of our system in one game.

 

Time to win the next two.

 

Well said and I believe it .

[illinoisredsox]

Last year we were 1-31 against Sabathia with RISP, bunting wont matter. You have to hit when it matters. So far we are 1-10 against him with RISP this year, in 2 games. 6 games 2-41 with RISP, your Pitcher better be Pitching very good with these numbers.

 

He's in the Sox hitters heads at this point, and he is utterly confident. The point of bunting (I mean for base hits, not sacrifices) is to make him do something he hates to do, whcih is field them. Maybe it throws him off a little. There was a game a few years ago when a couple Sox hitters did bunt on him and he was visibly mad about it.

 

That being said, it's a moot point so far as Red Sox hitters are concerned, because none of them can bunt. Moreland has done it for base hits against the shift a few times over the last couple seasons, that's about it.

[Kimmi]

Good strategy, but the wrong team. The Sox--no doubt under the continued influence of Bill James--are very anti-bunt, which also means they don't practice that particular skill. Their occasional attempts to bunt are usually laughable.

 

That is true. Our guys can't bunt worth a darn. But maybe the attempt at it rattles CC enough to throw him off his game.

[Kimmi]

Of course it should happen if you look at how Sabathia pitches. Lots of movement on his pitches, lots of different pitches, and excellent command of what he is throwing.

 

If you believe in good pitching vs. mere throwing, last night was a clinic, a demonstration of how good pitching is effective and merely throwing hard--what ERod did for 6 innings and 5 runs--is not effective.

 

Heck, just boil it down to who keeps the ball low. Sabathia does. ERod doesn't.

 

I think we have a pretty good lineup and against lefties Pearce was a nice addition. But not against a smart pitcher at the top of his game/repertoire.

 

I'm with you on all that Max. CC pitched very well last night.

 

It still should not happen.

[jung]

How bout' them short porches and low walls to Left and Right in Yankee Stadium. If you don't hustle in Fenway Park, you are struggling to turn that into a double. Way to go Rafi.