8/21 vs Cleveland

[illinoisredsox]

esad

 

Peterug isn’t even clever about being a troll. Not worth the time to respond to it.

 

Don’t feed the trolls.

[dannycater]

This loss is just an indication that our offense, which had been incredible, is now at a lull. Betts isn't hitting and he is one key to our offense. Another game with 5 hits or less. Whether it is lack of aggressiveness or some other issue, I can't really say. There have been no homeruns of late either. Cleveland has a lot of power hitters in their lineup where we have one or two, depending on how the guys are going. Three losses in a row, but the symptoms were showing before the Cleveland series.

 

This loss is an indication that when you are 50 games over .500 in a league with some pretty good teams like Cleveland, NY, Oakland, Houston, Seattle, chances are you are going to lose some games to them and in a row.

[Kimmi]

All that Sandy Leon stuff is overblown, that he works so well with the pitchers, calls a great game, etc. How did things go tonight? Why couldn't Leon get a little more out of Eovaldi and the bullpen? Meanwhile, Leon's batting average is nearing the .200 mark and he has an OPS+ of 56. If the Red Sox didn't have so many talented pitchers, giving the illusion that Leon makes valuable contributions, he would be in Triple A right now as a back-up catcher.

 

I would make Swihart my starting catcher in an effort to get more offense in the lineup.

 

Sure, having a strong rotation to catch makes one look better as a catcher. That said, when pitcher after pitcher showers praises on Leon, there has to be something to it.

[Kimmi]

I know it is just a few games, but the Guardians do look really good. You wonder if they have been coasting a little bit, which would explain why they don't have more wins, but with the additions they made at the deadline (fixing the bullpen) along with playing with greater urgency when it is called for, maybe the Guardians are as good as any team in baseball.

 

It's often been said that it's not who you play, but when you play them. The Guardians have been on fire in August. We are playing them at an inopportune time for us.

[Kimmi]

What I worry about for the post season is the following:

- will our rotation be back intact. The rotation protects what is a weak pen. We can keep making excuses for it and sticking our head in the sand but that will be all we are doing

- the way we are being pitched foreshadows how we will be pitching in the post season where we will see pitchers that are at least a notch or two better than the sludge we usually find day in and day out. It is not a particularly encouraging aspect of what lies ahead.

 

However, the Red Sox are without question one of the four or five best teams in baseball. But, anybody that thinks we are are going to walk over those other teams that will make it to the post season are dreaming. We might walk over a division round depending on who we face. But the ALCS will without question be a war if we get there.

 

I am probably one of the most optimistic here, and I have jokingly posted that the Sox will go 11-0 in the post season, but I don't think anyone really thinks that winning the WS or winning any round in the playoffs is going to be a cake walk.

 

All of the teams we face in the postseason will be tough. That said, I like our chances.

[Kimmi]

Tribe look good per usual. I’m a little disappointed that our bats weren’t as aggressive as they should’ve been. There were definitely pitches to pounce on and we watched way too many of them go by through the first 6 innings. This series could wind up being a good thing for the Sox. A wake up call. There’s more work to do. Challenges are a good thing and Cleveland is definitely that.

 

Good post.

 

Tonight's pitching match up doesn't get any easier. Let's see how the team responds tonight.

 

This is only the second time all season the Sox have lost 3 in a row, and we are the only team not to have lost 4 in a row. Can't complain about that. It was bound to happen.

[Slasher9]

I think we have to face the truth. The Guardians match up much better against the Sox . We will not beat them in october

They may sweep us this series

 

i'll give you credit. this iteration of you is pretty good at trolling.

[Slasher9]

No homers in three straight games . Don’t look now but the yanks are creeping back in . Sox have 5 games left with Cleveland, 3 with Houston and 6 with the yanks and they won’t have Sale . Not looking good

 

oh Babe, you just couldnt help yourself, could you???

hahahahahaha

[Slasher9]

Peterug isn’t even clever about being a troll. Not worth the time to respond to it.

 

Don’t feed the trolls.

 

it's Babe.

[Maxbialystock]

All that Sandy Leon stuff is overblown, that he works so well with the pitchers, calls a great game, etc. How did things go tonight? Why couldn't Leon get a little more out of Eovaldi and the bullpen? Meanwhile, Leon's batting average is nearing the .200 mark and he has an OPS+ of 56. If the Red Sox didn't have so many talented pitchers, giving the illusion that Leon makes valuable contributions, he would be in Triple A right now as a back-up catcher.

 

I would make Swihart my starting catcher in an effort to get more offense in the lineup.

 

I do like what I've seen of Swihart this season. Justifies keeping him on the roster as the 3d catcher.

 

But Kimmi is right: Leon is way better behind the plate, and that's what counts for catchers. Offense is gravy. And in our case we already have the best offense in MLB--or at least have scored the most runs and have the highest OPS.

 

Have you not read at least two stories that Chris Sale, who is having an enormous year, has still not rejected a single pitch call from Sandy Leon? Now that's not all the result of Sandy's genius because Sale correctly prefers to focus entirely on executing pitches rather than trying to figure out what to throw.

[S5Dewey]

It's often been said that it's not who you play, but when you play them. The Guardians have been on fire in August. We are playing them at an inopportune time for us.

 

This^^

 

As I was telling someone a week ago, the Sox are playing very well 'right now', possibly as well as they can play, but it's hard to maintain that level of play over an extended period. Teams ebb and flow.

 

I don't know if we're on a downslide at the moment or if we just ran into some good pitching but the Guardians are on a run at the moment. If they can keep it up for another 10 weeks they may be WS champions but that's hard to do. OTOH this break might be just what the Sox need to gather themselves and find that momentum again.

 

I still think our offense and defense are ok overall. We just need for the pitchers to shut down some good hitting - and if that doesn't happen we have no chance in the playoffs anyway.

[jung]

I am probably one of the most optimistic here, and I have jokingly posted that the Sox will go 11-0 in the post season, but I don't think anyone really thinks that winning the WS or winning any round in the playoffs is going to be a cake walk.

 

All of the teams we face in the postseason will be tough. That said, I like our chances.

 

That is absolutely correct. The point is, this team lives off its complete rotation. It certainly does not live off its pen. Calling this pen modest is a compliment as it relates to the kinds of teams we will face in the post season. I am not interested in gaudy records established against this junk MLB in the regular season. If we get Sale back AND sound physically, our chances go up substantially. If we get E-rod back as well our chances improve again.

 

The games we lose in the post season will likely look a good deal like these last two games against Cleveland and the bullpen game against the Rays. Our RH hitters seeing tons of sliders low to the outer black or off the plate and two seams breaking in on the hands. FB's thrown off the plate for show, not for strikes. Our left handers will see cutters and changes. Chances are when we do lose a post season game that is what it will look like. When we win games they will be games where our starter controls the other team's offense for at least the 1st 6 innings....2 runs over 6 innings should do and where our offense, running game and overall defense carries us to the finish line.

 

Can we lose four of seven games like we lost the last three?...Absolutely, especially if Sale or Price or Porcello are not sound. Can we win four of seven the way we usually win? Absolutely, especially if Sale and Price and Porcello are sound and especially if E-rod comes back.

Edited August 22, 2018 by jung

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Post All-Star Carrasco has a 1.33 ERA, and Opponents are hitting .213 against him. So since baseball is so crazy, Sox will probably hit him tonight. He's been pitching real good lately, but against weak teams.

 

 

 

I'd say that over the last week, the SOX offense has been weak. How long this slump will last only two people know; The Shadow and SOX HOP.