9/8 vs Houston

[d-money]

Save face tomorrow. This team could play a lot better than the crap i have seen. That’s basically the only positive.

[romoboy]

Tomorrow :

Betts

Beni

Pearce

JD

Bogi

Nunez

Kins

Leon

Jr.

[oldtimer]

Another loss to a very good team. They made the plays and we less so. Their pitching was a little better than ours. My game thoughts:

 

1. E-Rod wasn't in command today. Watching him is like watching grass grow. So slow between pitchers. Not much rythmn. Good fastball but Houston made him come in and were able to hit his fastball. Maybe it was just a bad outing, I hope that is the case.

 

2. Our catchers are weak hitters. No question about it. We only got to see Swihart once as a pinch hitter and he delivered in a pressure situation.

 

3. Devers got to a ball and then threw it away. He didn't look good at the plate either. I know he has power and might run into one, but is he ready for the PO's?

 

4. Mookie, Bogaerts and Beni all looked like they can get it done. Not a good day for JDM but he will figure it out.

 

5. The BP didn't do badly and Poyner earned some PO consideration. Maybe he is the lefty we carry forward with.

 

6. We need a win tomorrow. It will be interesting to see who Cora lines up.

[romoboy]

6. We need a win tomorrow. It will be interesting to see who Cora lines up.

Betts

Beni

Pearce

JD

Bogi

Nunez

Kins

Leon

Jr.

[jung]

Three blind mice alert. ESPN has exclusive rights to tomorrow night's game. That's perfect timing for ya'. Now we will be subjected to the three blind mice blathering on about the all powerful Astros for three hours.

[romoboy]

Sox about to lose their #1 power ranking on ESPN.....not that it matters

[romoboy]

Three blind mice alert. ESPN has exclusive rights to tomorrow night's game. That's perfect timing for ya'. Now we will be subjected to the three blind mice blathering on about the all powerful Astros for three hours.

 

That's why I tune into WEEI while watching the game with the volume down

[moonslav59]

Thought we might pull this one out. We had the right guy up.

 

Some great D against us hurt, as did JBJ's missed catch on a very difficult play.

[romoboy]

Very evenly matched teams except for the pen. I like our closer but they are better 6-7-8.

[moonslav59]

Very evenly matched teams except for the pen. I like our closer but they are better 6-7-8.

 

True, but I like our starters, offense, coaching, defense and base running better.

[romoboy]

True, but I like our starters, offense, coaching, defense and base running better.

Bullpens make a huuuuge difference in the playoffs.

[moonslav59]

Bullpens make a huuuuge difference in the playoffs.

 

They have recently, but they are not more important than all the other aspects combined.

 

Plus, other teams have issues with their pens, too.

[romoboy]

They have recently, but they are not more important than all the other aspects combined.

 

Plus, other teams have issues with their pens, too.

 

Out of the contending teams I think only the Sox have REAL issues.

[moonslav59]

Out of the contending teams I think only the Sox have REAL issues.

 

lmao!

 

We have 3:

 

1. set-up pen

 

2. 3B defense

 

3. C offense

 

I can name 5 or more on every other team.

 

But anyway, why is it only about weak spots not strong spots?

[romoboy]

lmao!

 

We have 3:

 

1. set-up pen

 

2. 3B defense

 

3. C offense

 

I can name 5 or more on every other team.

 

But anyway, why is it only about weak spots not strong spots?

 

I was referring to the pen only. We have nothing truly trustworthy for the 7th and 8th. Others teams don't have that problem.

[Maxbialystock]

With Sandy Leon catching, ERod pitches like an ace. With Vazquez catching, he looks like a scared rookie and is getting hit like one.

 

I'm happy to say I think I was dead wrong. The bullpen was terrific with Vazquez catching, so the earlier problem was with ERod, not Vazquez.

 

Still I nasty loss at Fenway, however, which demonstrates the value of good pitching and the agony of lousy pitching.

[moonslav59]

I was referring to the pen only. We have nothing truly trustworthy for the 7th and 8th. Others teams don't have that problem.

 

Yes, but some have worse closers or a closer on the DL or prison watch.

[TylerD]

Call me negative. I don’t care. But we lost to Houston in the playoffs last year. And have now dropped 4 of 6 to them this year. The Sox are having a year for the ages. But they aren’t showing me any reason why we can beat these guys come playoff time. I hope I’m wrong. I hope Sale and Price deliver 6 or 7 strong innings and we can take the first two with some momentum. But with this bullpen and the inconsistency offensively I really am starting to wonder if it’s a repeat of last year.

[iortiz]

Call me negative. I don’t care. But we lost to Houston in the playoffs last year. And have now dropped 4 of 6 to them this year. The Sox are having a year for the ages. But they aren’t showing me any reason why we can beat these guys come playoff time. I hope I’m wrong. I hope Sale and Price deliver 6 or 7 strong innings and we can take the first two with some momentum. But with this bullpen and the inconsistency offensively I really am starting to wonder if it’s a repeat of last year.

I understand the frustration and all Tyler. I’m pissed as well, but we just didn’t hit in clutch opportunities as we usually have done all year long. This time luck wasn’t in our side. s*** happens, even to high caliber teams.

 

Also If I recall well, last year we won the series against them in regular season and we lost in POs. My money is still on the Sox.

 

Regarding the BP, yeah, we can not hide the sun with a finger, but I bet Cora and the pitching coaches are working on this.

[iortiz]

BTW Yankees are about blow this one LOL

[jung]

Well regardless of the regular season records I think it should be obvious that the road to the WS runs through Houston and it should not be hard to see why. We can get there...but the road runs through Houston. They can hit with anybody and they can pitch with anybody. That is a pretty potent combination. Their lineup is stronger than ours 1-9. Their rotation is just as good as ours and their pen is better.

[OH FOY]

Finish with best record, let Cleveland and Houston battle each other. We'll have the Yanks or Oakland 1st Round. Not a big deal at this point. Happens. 1st game BP, yesterday didn't hit with men on base, just put a complete game together, kill these clowns. Edited September 9, 2018 by OH FOY!

[Kimmi]

I was referring to the pen only. We have nothing truly trustworthy for the 7th and 8th. Others teams don't have that problem.

 

One thing to keep in mind is that Cora will manage his starting pitchers and his pen differently in the postseason than he is now.

[Kimmi]

Call me negative. I don’t care. But we lost to Houston in the playoffs last year. And have now dropped 4 of 6 to them this year. The Sox are having a year for the ages. But they aren’t showing me any reason why we can beat these guys come playoff time. I hope I’m wrong. I hope Sale and Price deliver 6 or 7 strong innings and we can take the first two with some momentum. But with this bullpen and the inconsistency offensively I really am starting to wonder if it’s a repeat of last year.

 

Houston is a good team, there's no doubt about that. IMO, they are the favorites (very slight) over the Sox right now. That said, they can be beaten.

[Kimmi]

Finish with best record, let Cleveland and Houston battle each other. We'll have the Yanks or Oakland 1st Round. Not a big deal at this point. Happens. 1st game BP, yesterday didn't hit with men on base, just put a complete game together, kill these clowns.

 

Both games so far have been pretty evenly played, IMO, despite the 0-2 outcome for the Sox. One timely hit each game or a bit of good luck and the outcome could easily be 2-0.

[TylerD]

I understand the frustration and all Tyler. I’m pissed as well, but we just didn’t hit in clutch opportunities as we usually have done all year long. This time luck wasn’t in our side. s*** happens, even to high caliber teams.

 

Also If I recall well, last year we won the series against them in regular season and we lost in POs. My money is still on the Sox.

 

Regarding the BP, yeah, we can not hide the sun with a finger, but I bet Cora and the pitching coaches are working on this.

 

I hope you’re right. We need Sale back. It’s going to be a dog fight come playoffs.

[TylerD]

Houston is a good team, there's no doubt about that. IMO, they are the favorites (very slight) over the Sox right now. That said, they can be beaten.

 

Maybe Oakland still wins the division lol?

 

In actuality I want to play these guys and beat them in the playoffs.

[Maxbialystock]

Finish with best record, let Cleveland and Houston battle each other. We'll have the Yanks or Oakland 1st Round. Not a big deal at this point. Happens. 1st game BP, yesterday didn't hit with men on base, just put a complete game together, kill these clowns.

 

If Porcello loses to Keuchel tonight, the "clowns" will have taken 5 of 6 this year. They don't have the best pitching staff in MLB--they have the best pitching staff in MLB by a wide margin. They certainly have JDM's number: his OPS for the season is 1.036, but against the Astros it's .589. Their hitting/scoring is 4th best in MLB, which is enough to score off our pitching staff almost at will. And their defense looks pretty good to me. What about you?

 

But, really, it's that darn pitching. I'm certainly no expert, but it seems to me that almost everyone the send to the mound can throw hard (95 mph and above), can hit their spots, and have some pretty good breaking stuff. I like that they can get strikes low in the zone or even right below it, but also throw high in the zone. That our hitting managed to get three runs each in the first two games is actually pretty commendable. Especially last night when they clearly had JDM's number, including that weak GIDP to end the game with men on 1st and 3d in the bottom of the 9th. JDM only leads MLB in rbi's.

 

Our Sox clearly have a pitching problem--both the rotation and the bullpen. And it is not helped by the defense. Friday our great right fielder Mookie, playing on his home field, caught a middling fly near the line and threw home when there was no play (it was a good throw, by the way), which allowed runners on 1st and 2d to advance to 2d and 3d. Today JBJ had a tough by catchable ball in deep CF that went off his glove because he misjudged and which I believe the Houston CF would have caught with ease. Nunez has good hands and a good arm at 3B, but no range. Devers range is better, but his error rate remains very high. Bogaerts is steady eddy at SS, but with not much range even though he works very hard on his defense. Kinsler is solid at 2b and Moreland has clearly regressed at 1B. I think our defensive catching overall is at least average and certainly above average when Leon is behind the plate.

 

The good news, and I mean this, is that yesterday and Friday are not, repeat, not the actual postseason. I'm worried, but by no means ready to throw in the towel. As Kimmi and others have pointed out, the bullpen, the rotation, and the catchers are being evaluated and re-evaluated. I personally hope Leon is the primary catcher in the postseason. I see Sale and Price as obvious first two starters assuming both are healthy. After them I honestly see Porcello, ERod, and yes, Wright in the mix for the 3d and 4th spots.

 

I'm also wondering about last night and what we saw vs. the Rays. What, for example, would have happened if Workman or almost any other righty reliever had started the game and Cora then brought in ERod in the 1st, 2d, or even the 3d inning? The Astros started 8 righty bats, and they hit ERod hard, but maybe Workman could have bought some outs for ERod. Also, it bothered me that with all those righty bats ERod, who has a good changeup, didn't throw his first changeup until the Astros had scored 2 runs in the 2d inning. To me this is all grist for the mill.

[Thunder]

If Porcello loses to Keuchel tonight, the "clowns" will have taken 5 of 6 this year.

 

Actually, it would be 5 of 7.

[OH FOY]

At home Tampa has the best ERA in Baseball. 2.94 Houston is 3rd. 3.29

 

What I see that's a big difference between Houston and Boston is Quality Starts. Houston has 94 Boston has 75. Seattle beat them at home in a 4 game series a couple of weeks ago all 4 games. Baseball is strange at times. Don't worry about Houston now, just win it all, and then worry. Houston will have enough on their hands with the Guardians.

Edited September 9, 2018 by OH FOY!