ALDS rehash and ALCS assessment

[Bellhorn04]

The Astros are not playing like champs. They look shell shocked , nervous and tight. Kemp trying to take second on Mookie , three runs down , is one of the all time post season bone head plays. How about Correa blowing a double play by missing second base. Not to mention White , the pinch hitter who stood there like a statue with the bat on his shoulder .

 

We're seeing a ton of mistakes by the two teams that had the best regular seasons. You have to chalk some of it up to pressure and tension, I think. Some of it is just the random craziness of the game.

[dgalehouse]

We're seeing a ton of mistakes by the two teams that had the best regular seasons. You have to chalk some of it up to pressure and tension, I think. Some of it is just the random craziness of the game.

 

And all of the passed balls and wild pitches. Could be a fear of sign stealing causing frequent changes in the signs , resulting in mistakes and cross ups. Just a guess on that. To be fair , despite the mistakes , there have been some great plays made by both teams as well.

Edited October 18, 2018 by dgalehouse

[Bellhorn04]

And all of the passed balls and wild pitches. Could be a fear of sign stealing causing frequent changes in the signs , resulting in mistakes and cross ups. Just a guess on that.

 

I think that's probably bang on, actually. I think Ron Darling said something to that effect.

[Kimmi]

Verlander has thrown in three elimination games to this point in his career, and he hasn’t allowed a run. David Price sucks in the playoffs and has never thrown on 3 days rest. Everything points to the Astros bringing this back to Boston. That being said, it’s gonna be real hard for Houston to take both games in the Fens

 

This post pretty much ensures that the Sox are clinching tonight. Thanks!

[Kimmi]

Gotta love the reverse lock. You've convinced me, the sox will win it tonight.

 

Ha. Great minds....

[sk7326]

We're seeing a ton of mistakes by the two teams that had the best regular seasons. You have to chalk some of it up to pressure and tension, I think. Some of it is just the random craziness of the game.

 

And some of it is having a really good opponent who has scouted the hell out of you.

[sk7326]

This post pretty much ensures that the Sox are clinching tonight. Thanks!

 

Verlander has lost 1 career postseason game to an AL team - that AL team was BOSTON

[notin]

Verlander has lost 1 career postseason game to an AL team - that AL team was BOSTON

 

He also lost to Texas in 2011...

Edited October 19, 2018 by notin

[oldtimer]

Unbeatable one minute and losers the next. The Astros learn that the game is humbling.

[iortiz]

Sox over Stros all the way....

 

1. If I recall well, 4 weeks ago or so, we were over the Stros in RDiff. The thing is, while Cora had been giving up games plus no Sale & no E-Rod in September, Stros had been playing at full capacity.

 

2. Regarding SP, a healthy Sale is better than Verlader —pitch by pitch. Price is arguably one the best pitchers of the second half, and pitched better than Cole last time; in fact, Cole was kind of lucky —we hit him well. Also, we own Keuchel, remember last time? he was pounded and could be worse. He was lucky too. IMO he is overrated —LOB% and BABIP don’t lie through his career. You know what I think of Porcello, but I’d rather him over Dallas Keuchel any day of the week, and Porcello just pitched a gem against NY.

 

3. Regarding the BP, if you take out of the equation bums like Pomeranz, Thorn, Cuevas, etc. our BP match them pretty well —not to mention our closer is arguably the best in baseball.

 

4. Our offense in the top is better with 2 legit MVPs. Mookie- Benny- Pearce- JD-XB is a better nucleo. The bottom, while is a crap shot —if hot— is better as well Kinsler-Nuñez/Devers-JBJ. Also, we have a couple of great utility players in Holt and SWI who have shown that can hit in clutch situations.

 

5. Regarding Defense, our defense is the best of the majors if you don’t line up Devers. Kinsler at second is vintage Pedroia, and Leon catches very well our top 2 and calls the games like nobody else in the majors. Our CF and RF are gold gloves caliber players.

 

Also, we have the HFA.

 

Said that, I’ll say it again. We will win the WS. So... bring me the Astros or whoever, we are set to win it all.

 

100 times this!

 

Told ya boys LOL!

[a700hitter]

100 times this!

 

Told ya boys LOL!

You know your stuff. You had it all sized up and put it on the record before the ALCS started. I was concerned after that ugly first game, but you had it pegged.

[iortiz]

You know your stuff. You had it all sized up and put it on the record before the ALCS started. I was concerned after that ugly first game, but you had it pegged.

 

Compadre, you know more than anybody else that I wasn’t this optimistic in other years.

 

This year was different. I see a lot of talent, hustling, humble, and chemistry all over the place in this team.

 

It’s crazy that a 108 W team wasn’t fav vs NY and HOU. Not sure what they were seeing. To me, this is the best team I’ve ever seen.

Edited October 19, 2018 by iortiz

[cp176]

Did I really think that Devers looked real good in the field last night? It was great to see that kid come up big.

I also noticed a play where Bogaerts actually got rid of the ball faster than I have seen him get rid of it all season. No extra look into the glove - no extra tap tap - no extra wasted crow hop. Playing with some urgency is a good thing. Good for him.

[notin]

The Sox won this series with almost nothing offensively from MVP candidate Betts, no pitching contribution from Cy Young candidate Sale, and a lot of shakiness from their closer Kimbrel...

[SoxnCycles]

Ha. Great minds....

 

Thanks, Jacko!

[Maxbialystock]

Sox over Stros all the way....

 

1. If I recall well, 4 weeks ago or so, we were over the Stros in RDiff. The thing is, while Cora had been giving up games plus no Sale & no E-Rod in September, Stros had been playing at full capacity.

 

2. Regarding SP, a healthy Sale is better than Verlader —pitch by pitch. Price is arguably one the best pitchers of the second half, and pitched better than Cole last time; in fact, Cole was kind of lucky —we hit him well. Also, we own Keuchel, remember last time? he was pounded and could be worse. He was lucky too. IMO he is overrated —LOB% and BABIP don’t lie through his career. You know what I think of Porcello, but I’d rather him over Dallas Keuchel any day of the week, and Porcello just pitched a gem against NY.

 

3. Regarding the BP, if you take out of the equation bums like Pomeranz, Thorn, Cuevas, etc. our BP match them pretty well —not to mention our closer is arguably the best in baseball.

 

4. Our offense in the top is better with 2 legit MVPs. Mookie- Benny- Pearce- JD-XB is a better nucleo. The bottom, while is a crap shot —if hot— is better as well Kinsler-Nuñez/Devers-JBJ. Also, we have a couple of great utility players in Holt and SWI who have shown that can hit in clutch situations.

 

5. Regarding Defense, our defense is the best of the majors if you don’t line up Devers. Kinsler at second is vintage Pedroia, and Leon catches very well our top 2 and calls the games like nobody else in the majors. Our CF and RF are gold gloves caliber players.

 

Also, we have the HFA.

 

Said that, I’ll say it again. We will win the WS. So... bring me the Astros or whoever, we are set to win it all.

 

The above is by no means dead on with respect to specifics--not all of those predictions held true.

 

But what is absolutely stunning about it is that it first appeared on page 4 of this thread when the conversation had already devolved into talking about Kimbrel's future and other arcane matters.

 

And iortiz was absolutely the only real optimist about the ALCS. Everyone else, including me, thought the Astros were formidable. Certainly no one thought winning 3 in Houston was possible. The best anyone other than iortiz could say was that it would be a tough series. And that's actually true. However, iortiz and iortiz alone claimed that Price could be great in this series, and he was dead right. Last night Price clearly outpitched the greatest postseason righthander starter in MLB history--well, at least in Verlander's mind he is the greatest.

[sk7326]

Did I really think that Devers looked real good in the field last night? It was great to see that kid come up big.

I also noticed a play where Bogaerts actually got rid of the ball faster than I have seen him get rid of it all season. No extra look into the glove - no extra tap tap - no extra wasted crow hop. Playing with some urgency is a good thing. Good for him.

 

Bradley was the deserving MVP of the ALCS. But Devers had a really good series and has had a pretty damn good postseason.

[OH FOY]

Unsung Hero, Steve Pearce. Got huge hits in this series too.

[notin]

Unsung Hero, Steve Pearce. Got huge hits in this series too.

 

Or Benintendi and Mookie with the gloves. Let's no ignore that aspect of player contributions...

[cp176]

Or Benintendi and Mookie with the gloves. Let's no ignore that aspect of player contributions...

 

You know what - as good as Mookie is in the field we still expect him to be that guy at the plate everytime he gets up but I have to say that that throw he made to nail kemp at second base was a game changer. You just don't see better throws than that one.

 

I'd also add that even though we want our catchers to hit a little better they were in no way over shadowed by what his name behind the plate for the Astros. he was supposed to provide them with an advantage over our guys. he did not- Our two catchers really did play well. Hats off to them.

[Palodios]

What an ALCS. I don't even know where to begin digging into some of the topics on TS.

 

Brasier deserved the MVP. Cora seems to get more trust than than most managers. And that defense, damn that defense.

[Thunder]

What an ALCS. I don't even know where to begin digging into some of the topics on TS.

 

Brasier deserved the MVP. Cora seems to get more trust than than most managers. And that defense, damn that defense.

 

Welcome back Pal! I'm still in shock myself

[FredLynn]

A totally enjoyable season! This kind of dominance in the sport, where our team wins 108 games, sends the Yankees home ON THEIR OWN FIELD, then dispatches the WS champs and favorites to win another ring by winning three games in their park, is probably never going to happen again. Just four more wins to complete the journey.

[OH FOY]

With 3 Multi-Run HRS before the Age of 22 in the Post-Season, Devers joins, Andruw Jones, Miguel Cabrera, and Mickey Mantle, to do this.

His B-Day is Oct. 24. Hits one Tuesday, and he will stand alone.

Edited October 19, 2018 by OH FOY!

[notin]

While we wax on this postseason season to date, I think special mention needs to go to handing the Yankees their worst loss in postseason history and doing so on their field in front of their fans. That in itself makes this postseason enjoyable...

[Bellhorn04]

What an ALCS. I don't even know where to begin digging into some of the topics on TS.

 

Brasier deserved the MVP.

 

Jackie Brasier Jr.?

[Maxbialystock]

You know what - as good as Mookie is in the field we still expect him to be that guy at the plate everytime he gets up but I have to say that that throw he made to nail kemp at second base was a game changer. You just don't see better throws than that one.

 

I'd also add that even though we want our catchers to hit a little better they were in no way over shadowed by what his name behind the plate for the Astros. he was supposed to provide them with an advantage over our guys. he did not- Our two catchers really did play well. Hats off to them.

 

All good.

[oldtimer]

You know what - as good as Mookie is in the field we still expect him to be that guy at the plate everytime he gets up but I have to say that that throw he made to nail kemp at second base was a game changer. You just don't see better throws than that one.

 

I'd also add that even though we want our catchers to hit a little better they were in no way over shadowed by what his name behind the plate for the Astros. he was supposed to provide them with an advantage over our guys. he did not- Our two catchers really did play well. Hats off to them.

 

During the season, many fans that contribute to the discussion offered constructive criticisms aimed to improve the team. Polllyanna's rushed to bash anything that might be considered criticism, maybe to stroke their own ego's. The truth is we have a very good team that certainly could get better, but is under constraints that limit what could have been done this year and what can be done moving forward.

 

What is often lost in the discussion is that while we have areas which clearly could be improved, all of our opponents do as well. The Yankees weak defense in the infield and at catcher. Their dependence on the homerun, their problems with starting pitching.

 

The Astros are a more complete team than the Yankees, but their pitching was not as good as touted and they were held down in runs by what some in baseball considered our weakish starting and Relief pitching. Clearly, while we have some faults that could use adjustents going forward, we are still better than the two powerhouse teams we faced to date.

 

We may well be favored in the WS as some in the media are realizing that the Sox are a really good team.

[mvp 78]

During the season, many fans that contribute to the discussion offered constructive criticisms aimed to improve the team. Polllyanna's rushed to bash anything that might be considered criticism, maybe to stroke their own ego's. The truth is we have a very good team that certainly could get better, but is under constraints that limit what could have been done this year and what can be done moving forward.

 

What is often lost in the discussion is that while we have areas which clearly could be improved, all of our opponents do as well. The Yankees weak defense in the infield and at catcher. Their dependence on the homerun, their problems with starting pitching.

 

The Astros are a more complete team than the Yankees, but their pitching was not as good as touted and they were held down in runs by what some in baseball considered our weakish starting and Relief pitching. Clearly, while we have some faults that could use adjustents going forward, we are still better than the two powerhouse teams we faced to date.

 

We may well be favored in the WS as some in the media are realizing that the Sox are a really good team.

 

Pollyannas? This team won 108 games in the regular season and are going to the World Series. Anyone who defended every move by DD and Cora seem to have faired better with their arguments than terminal naysayers.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

'Relentless' appears to be the best one word description of the SOX I've heard so far.