ALDS rehash and ALCS assessment

[dgalehouse]

Eovaldi in Game 3 , Porcello in Game 4. I would have preferred the reverse , but it's not a big deal. Sale in Game 5. Price in Game 6 ( if necessary) with a short leash. I doubt very much the series will go seven , but if it does , either Porcello or Eovaldi starts , with all hands on deck. I feel more confident than ever that the Sox win this.

[greenwell]

Price "wasn't that bad"? Is that like saying my morning turd wasn't too stinky? He sucked. He just managed enough to be able to avoid the one big hit that would have sunk the sox. Kimbrel is another guy to watch. His breaking ball is not locating, so he has to be extra fine with his heater. While he does throw gas, his fastball seems pretty straight. He needs that slider to remain effective

 

Did you watch the game? He had a lot of walks, but they were all on 3-2 pitches if I'm not mistaken and were a matter of not wanting to give in to good hitters, he probably should have walked Gonzales instead of giving him a hittable pitch. I know the line is bad and he could have been a lot better, but he was not the same pitcher from the ALDS, definitely deserves another start.

[moonslav59]

Kimbrel has been getting hit as hard or harder than Price this post-season. If Price needs to be taken out of the rotation, should we also think about moving Barnes to the closer role?

 

I would not take either one out of their roles.

[moonslav59]

Price "wasn't that bad"? Is that like saying my morning turd wasn't too stinky? He sucked. He just managed enough to be able to avoid the one big hit that would have sunk the sox. Kimbrel is another guy to watch. His breaking ball is not locating, so he has to be extra fine with his heater. While he does throw gas, his fastball seems pretty straight. He needs that slider to remain effective

 

He really wasn't that bad.

 

Bogey plays a ball in slow motion leads to 2 runs..

 

Super blooper base hit leads to more.

 

Take those away and Price gets the win.

 

Nobody is saying he was good. He just wasn't THAT bad.

[FredLynn]

He really wasn't that bad.

 

Bogey plays a ball in slow motion leads to 2 runs..

 

Super blooper base hit leads to more.

 

Take those away and Price gets the win.

 

Nobody is saying he was good. He just wasn't THAT bad.

 

He certainly was not good at all. When you give up four ER in less than five innings and walk a man an inning to a good team, especially when your team really needs a dominant game, I think "sucked" is an accurate word to describe your performance. Sucking is nothing new for Price in the postseason, is it. I think I would use ERod and not Price to start game 6. At least ERod hasn't proven that he sucks in the playoffs. Price has.

[OH FOY]

Here's my take after 1st two games. You have to be relentless against the Astros. You cannot take any Pitches off, on the Field, at the Plate, on the Mound, or in the Dugout. Astros will wear you down Mentally, as much as Physically. Great Teams have mental toughness. Can it be done by the Sox, of course, that's why it's going to be a great series.

I still say the 2013 Team that won the WS, was one the most Mentally tough teams I have ever seen.

Edited October 15, 2018 by OH FOY!

[moonslav59]

He certainly was not good at all. When you give up four ER in less than five innings and walk a man an inning to a good team, especially when your team really needs a dominant game, I think "sucked" is an accurate word to describe your performance. Sucking is nothing new for Price in the postseason, is it. I think I would use ERod and not Price to start game 6. At least ERod hasn't proven that he sucks in the playoffs. Price has.

 

Does it not matter than all the runs scored on a botched (no error) play by Bogey and a horrible bloop hit off a great pitch?

 

Do you watch the games or just look at the box score?

 

No, Price was not good. He wasn't really even decent, but he was not bad. Even the 4 walks were all on 3-2 pitches.

 

He was not as bad as the numbers made him look. That's my point.

[Bellhorn04]

Does it not matter than all the runs scored on a botched (no error) play by Bogey and a horrible bloop hit off a great pitch?

 

Do you watch the games or just look at the box score?

 

No, Price was not good. He wasn't really even decent, but he was not bad. Even the 4 walks were all on 3-2 pitches.

 

He was not as bad as the numbers made him look. That's my point.

 

Wasting your time, moon.

[BillyWilliams]

Does it not matter than all the runs scored on a botched (no error) play by Bogey and a horrible bloop hit off a great pitch?

 

Do you watch the games or just look at the box score?

 

No, Price was not good. He wasn't really even decent, but he was not bad. Even the 4 walks were all on 3-2 pitches.

 

He was not as bad as the numbers made him look. That's my point.

 

So he "wasn't even decent" according to you but on another thread you claimed he may have "turned the corner"..........

[moonslav59]

So he "wasn't even decent" according to you but on another thread you claimed he may have "turned the corner"..........

 

He's been horrible, and then he looked almost decent to decent. That's a step up. That could be turning a corner.

 

Looking at every pitch he made last night, he was way better than his last start.

 

I think he is turning the corner. You can see things your way, fine.

[Jason33]

I absolutely agree with you. Devers should start no matter who’s pitching, because he’s got a better bat than Nunez. As for Price he just can’t pitch in the playoffs period. I was yelling at my tv last night when he came back out for the fourth after giving up 4 runs in 3 innings. 0-11 now in the playoffs.

 

If that doesn’t tell you don’t start him again I don’t know what will. Porcello was dominant out of the bullpen last night again. Maybe we should keep him there? Although he was good in his start against the Skanks and we need someone good to start.

[Jason33]

I don’t like that 3 straight in the opponents stadium. It actually makes home field advantage and disadvantage. If you lose 1 or both games at home you have to go to their stadium for 3. I liked the 2-2-1-1-1.

[jung]

The Sox hava an appointment with an all hands game even with Porcello starting. So he has to start. Sale has to start. Eo has to start game 3. So Price is all that is left for starters starting games in this series that can give Cora something out of the pen until after Eo and Porcello clear their starts.

 

The chances that the Sox win all three games in Houston are basically 0 and at least IMO the chance of the Astros taking all 3 in their building is also 0. If AJ actually finds a way to protect Bregman in their order that could change things but IMO not so much that the Astros take all 3 games in Houston. It is however a big deal and I would be sticking my neck way out to say that finding a way to protect Bregman in that order would not substantively change the series. It could do that. Its that big a deal. In fact I don't even want to think about what Bregman would be doing if we were pitching to him instead of pitching around him.

 

A 2 out of 3 stint in Houston brings both teams back here with one of them in position to end the series in game 6. So the series goes 6 at least and I suspect we get that all hands game for game 7 here. Both of these two teams are grinding away at each other inelegantly. Its not an elegant series. It is however pressure packed, white knuckled baseball theater at its best. The two managers and coaching staffs are grinding away at each other as well.

[FredLynn]

Does it not matter than all the runs scored on a botched (no error) play by Bogey and a horrible bloop hit off a great pitch?

 

Do you watch the games or just look at the box score?

 

No, Price was not good. He wasn't really even decent, but he was not bad. Even the 4 walks were all on 3-2 pitches.

 

He was not as bad as the numbers made him look. That's my point.

 

I watch ALL of the games, in the playoffs at least. I saw Bogaerts get his feet set on that play in order, I presume, to get more on the throw. It would have been a tough play even had he not briefly hesitated. Correa is fast. I am not sure he would have been out even with a good throw by Bogaerts. Then Price surrendered a double to Maldonado, the #9 hitter. Great pitching, no? Springer dumped a lucky double after that, but had Price retired the #9 hitter-who had a solid hit off him-Springer would not have had the chance to drive in two runs there. Price also gave up a HR to Gonzalez as you recall. He walked four guys in less than five innings and gave up four ERs. Of his 80 pitches only 50 were strikes.

Sorry. He sucked. And he sucked when his team really needed him to pitch well. Maybe he didn't suck as much as he has in the past during some playoff games, but nonetheless, he sucked.

Edited October 15, 2018 by FredLynn

[Maxbialystock]

He certainly was not good at all. When you give up four ER in less than five innings and walk a man an inning to a good team, especially when your team really needs a dominant game, I think "sucked" is an accurate word to describe your performance. Sucking is nothing new for Price in the postseason, is it. I think I would use ERod and not Price to start game 6. At least ERod hasn't proven that he sucks in the playoffs. Price has.

 

I have a simple rule for evaluating any Sox pitcher. I ask, "what did Cora think?" Sunday night Price struggled, no question. But Cora left him in to pitch 4.2 innings. In game 2 of the ALDS Price didn't even go 2 innings--1.2 instead. Cora clearly doesn't think Price sucked Sunday night.

[FredLynn]

I have a simple rule for evaluating any Sox pitcher. I ask, "what did Cora think?" Sunday night Price struggled, no question. But Cora left him in to pitch 4.2 innings. In game 2 of the ALDS Price didn't even go 2 innings--1.2 instead. Cora clearly doesn't think Price sucked Sunday night.

 

I am sure Cora is disappointed in Price's performance, again. But he would never admit it.

[oldtimer]

Kinsler looked overmatched at the plate. While he is good defensively, I don't see him as that much better than Holt and Holt has a hot bat. I would omit Kinsler from the lineup tomorrow.

 

My wife and I closed up our computers yesterday and drove down to our winter Place in Florida. Just getting back to the threads.

[Slasher9]

I have a simple rule for evaluating any Sox pitcher. I ask, "what did Cora think?" Sunday night Price struggled, no question. But Cora left him in to pitch 4.2 innings. In game 2 of the ALDS Price didn't even go 2 innings--1.2 instead. Cora clearly doesn't think Price sucked Sunday night.

 

And last year you said the same about JF....

[moonslav59]

I watch ALL of the games, in the playoffs at least. I saw Bogaerts get his feet set on that play in order, I presume, to get more on the throw. It would have been a tough play even had he not briefly hesitated. Correa is fast. I am not sure he would have been out even with a good throw by Bogaerts. Then Price surrendered a double to Maldonado, the #9 hitter. Great pitching, no? Springer dumped a lucky double after that, but had Price retired the #9 hitter-who had a solid hit off him-Springer would not have had the chance to drive in two runs there. Price also gave up a HR to Gonzalez as you recall. He walked four guys in less than five innings and gave up four ERs. Of his 80 pitches only 50 were strikes.

Sorry. He sucked. And he sucked when his team really needed him to pitch well. Maybe he didn't suck as much as he has in the past during some playoff games, but nonetheless, he sucked.

 

Bogey moved back on a ball he did not have to, then slowly set his feet and then threw.

 

He should have been out.

 

Again, I'm not saying Price looked good...just not as bad as many think he looked.

[S5Dewey]

Bogey moved back on a ball he did not have to, then slowly set his feet and then threw.

 

He should have been out.

 

Again, I'm not saying Price looked good...just not as bad as many think he looked.

 

I didn't think Bogaerts had a good enough angle on the ball to charge it and then make an off-balance throw while going away from 1B. Then when he got to the ball (deep in the hole) he didn't think he had enough arm to throw Correa out without setting his feet.

Either way it would have been a great play if he'd made it and a terrible play if he'd thrown the ball away trying to make it. I saw it as a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't play.

 

But that's just IMO, and ... whatever,

[jung]

I didn't think Bogaerts had a good enough angle on the ball to charge it and then make an off-balance throw while going away from 1B. Then when he got to the ball (deep in the hole) he didn't think he had enough arm to throw Correa out without setting his feet.

Either way it would have been a great play if he'd made it and a terrible play if he'd thrown the ball away trying to make it. I saw it as a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't play.

 

But that's just IMO, and ... whatever,

 

X knew he had screwed that play up. Probably should have charged it at all costs. Where was the ball going to go if he missed it...the OF? Would Correa have been anywhere other than 1st base if that had happened? No, 1st base was all Correa was getting as long as X didn't throw it into the loge seats. But then he crow hopped and still got nothing on the throw. Just a bad play from the start, probably because he didn't charge the ball.

[cp176]

I didn't think Bogaerts had a good enough angle on the ball to charge it and then make an off-balance throw while going away from 1B. Then when he got to the ball (deep in the hole) he didn't think he had enough arm to throw Correa out without setting his feet.

Either way it would have been a great play if he'd made it and a terrible play if he'd thrown the ball away trying to make it. I saw it as a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't play.

 

But that's just IMO, and ... whatever,

 

He really had about as much chance of throwing out Correa on that grounball as nothing. The way he played it made him look foolish and opened himself up to all of the critics who don't think he is much of a shortstop. He fielded the ball - looked down into his glove at it- tapped once before he set his feel to throw it. 0 sense of urgency! not good! Once again though it would not have mattered. Correa could have crawled down the line and beaten him if he had actually made a better effort. i love the guy but was not impressed with his effort factor on that one.

[moonslav59]

I didn't think Bogaerts had a good enough angle on the ball to charge it and then make an off-balance throw while going away from 1B. Then when he got to the ball (deep in the hole) he didn't think he had enough arm to throw Correa out without setting his feet.

Either way it would have been a great play if he'd made it and a terrible play if he'd thrown the ball away trying to make it. I saw it as a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't play.

 

But that's just IMO, and ... whatever,

 

He didn't have to charge it, but he took an unnecessary backward angle. He could have gone sideways or maybe a little in. He then hesitated before throwing.

 

I'm not positive he gets Corrao out, but he had a good chance, IMO.,

[FredLynn]

Bogey moved back on a ball he did not have to, then slowly set his feet and then threw.

 

He should have been out.

 

Again, I'm not saying Price looked good...just not as bad as many think he looked.

 

Its not like Price tanked and gave up 8 runs in the first inning. That said, I am holding him to a higher standard than, say, Velasquez. Everything in life is relative. Price knew his team was down 1-0 and that no team has ever won a 7 game series after losing the first two at home in MLB. Yet he didn't do the job out there. His team was depending on him to hold the other guys down and he failed-again. Its only because the bats woke up that saved his butt. Relative to the situation, IMO he sucked.

[moonslav59]

Its not like Price tanked and gave up 8 runs in the first inning. That said, I am holding him to a higher standard than, say, Velasquez. Everything in life is relative. Price knew his team was down 1-0 and that no team has ever won a 7 game series after losing the first two at home in MLB. Yet he didn't do the job out there. His team was depending on him to hold the other guys down and he failed-again. Its only because the bats woke up that saved his butt. Relative to the situation, IMO he sucked.

 

AGAIN! I am not saying he did a good job. I said he was barely decent and looked like he might have turned the corner. I don't think what I said was wrong. He got burned by poor D and a bloop hit, but he did allow too many walks (all on 3-2 counts) and a legit hit or two.

Edited October 16, 2018 by moonslav59

[Jason33]

That’s bad when you say Price wasn’t that bad, and he gave up 4 runs in not even 4 innings. I guess that’s from now on going to be a good start from him, but we pretty much knew this before the playoffs began.

[Jasonbay44]

Two of those runs also don't score if Xander doesn't field a grounder nonchalantly and let Correa reach base.

[Beaneater]

How did I miss the Brasier vs. Sanchez kerfuffle in ALDS Game 2? That was pretty epic. I think Sanchez understood pretty well what Brasier was saying to him – did you see his swing on strike 3? He swung so hard that he stumbled and almost lost his balance. Of course, that giant swing also meant that he was about a half-hour late on the 97-mph fastball. But he was clearly trying to hit it to the mid-Atlantic region. Fun moment.

[Bellhorn04]

That’s bad when you say Price wasn’t that bad, and he gave up 4 runs in not even 4 innings. I guess that’s from now on going to be a good start from him, but we pretty much knew this before the playoffs began.

 

It was 4.2 innings, Jason. That's actually more than 4 innings, not less.

[notin]

no team has ever won a 7 game series after losing the first two at home in MLB.

 

1986 Mets?