10/18 ALCS game 5

[dgalehouse]

The Astros are reeling on the ropes. Time to deliver the knockout punch. No doubt the Price haters will have the long knives out and sharpened. Here's hoping he can shut them up. Go Sox.

[Slasher9]

Station mojo is real.

[Bellhorn04]

Station mojo is real.

 

He's underrated.

[dgalehouse]

I’ll forgive Price for his post season shortcomings if he goes 7 shut out innings tonight. I think we all would.

 

I am sure Price is hoping for your forgiveness.

[TylerD]

The Astros are reeling on the ropes. Time to deliver the knockout punch. No doubt the Price haters will have the long knives out and sharpened. Here's hoping he can shut them up. Go Sox.

 

My anxiety has been sky rocketing all day for this game. Love playoff baseball but not how it makes me feel lol.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I doubt Brasier is available tonight. I'm not sure about Barnes, but I would prefer saving Barnes for games 6 & 7. The Red Sox will likely go with their B bullpen today, relying on guys like Workman and Hembree.

 

Who knows, maybe Price will come up big and guys like Workman and Hembree will also get it done. And perhaps Verlander will be off his game. It could happen, but the Astros are the clear favorites going into tonight based on the SP matchup.

 

I'm giving Pearce a day off. He is 35 years old, not accustomed to regular playing time, and it doesn't look like Moreland is going to start again in this series.

Betts RF

Benintendi LF

Martinez DH

Bogaerts SS

Devers 3b

Holt 2b

Swihart 1b

Vazquez C

Bradly Jr. CF

 

Pearce will be starting tonight and I'm glad he is. His approach at the plate recently has been outstanding.

[TylerD]

I am sure Price is hoping for your forgiveness.

 

You can bet your ass Price knows the fans are giving up on him in the playoffs. He wants to perform for himself and his fans. Right now he is the most untrusted pitcher next to Kimbrel In the playoffs.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I wish Price the very best tonight. He's only in this position because our so called ACE is too fragile to pitch a complete season.

[Slasher9]

No doubt the Price haters will have the long knives out and sharpened. Here's hoping he can shut them up. Go Sox.

I am a price hater (more accurately a DD why you give price $31 x 7 hater). but i am rooting for him all season and will continue to root for him tonight. I believe he can give us 6ip / 2er tonight. but will not be surprised if he goes 2.1 ip / 5er

[greenwell]

I am a price hater (more accurately a DD why you give price $31 x 7 hater). but i am rooting for him all season and will continue to root for him tonight. I believe he can give us 6ip / 2er tonight. but will not be surprised if he goes 2.1 ip / 5er

 

If he struggles tonight I won't hold it against him. 3 days rest along with all the pitches he threw in the bullpen yesterday.

[Slasher9]

If he struggles tonight I won't hold it against him. 3 days rest along with all the pitches he threw in the bullpen yesterday.

 

valid point Green.

[TylerD]

If he struggles tonight I won't hold it against him. 3 days rest along with all the pitches he threw in the bullpen yesterday.

 

Good point.

 

I’ve said it before. His 2nd start wasn’t as bad as we think. Xander was a lazy play away from Price getting 5 innings with 2 runs. It’s very unfortunate.

[redsoxrules]

This is a good scenario for Price. If he wins he will be doing it on 3 days rest which no one is expecting.

If he loses , well people were expecting as he's pitching on 3 days rest along with the history of playoff failure.

They are also up 3-1 so there's no pressure as the series is not all on him.

[greenwell]

This is a good scenario for Price. If he wins he will be doing it on 3 days rest which no one is expecting.

If he loses , well people were expecting as he's pitching on 3 days rest along with the history of playoff failure.

They are also up 3-1 so there's no pressure as the series is not all on him.

 

If he gets into the 5th with 2 or fewer runs I'll be impressed.

[Maxbialystock]

I would have started ERod tonight and am fascinated Cora did not. I'm sure he's right, of course.

 

This ALCS has been really tricky for Cora to manage: starters who can't get started; closer/stopper who leaks a lot; offense that works but in unexpected ways (especially JBJ); injuries to key guys (Wright, Sale, Moreland); defensive issue at 3B; going against two 100 win juggernauts, both of whom were favored to beat the Sox.

 

Tonight is all of the above and more. Sale is out. Price pitched Sunday and gave up 4 walks, a dinger, and 4 runs in 4.2 innings and threw 80 pitches. The bullpen has been worked hard, especially Kelly, Barnes, Brasier, and Kimbrel. ERod, Hembree, and Workman should all be ready, and tomorrow is an off day.

 

My real point is that Cora seems very good at improvising. And boy is he decisive. ERod pitched to one guy, walked him, and was gone. Brasier took over, finished that inning unscathed, and got 2 outs in the 7th before Barnes came in for the final out. Then, lo and behold, Kimbrel, THE RESTED ONE, came in for a 2 inning save with a 3 run lead. Maybe the first time ever, especially in a Sox uniform. But he walked 3 guys, gave up 2 hits, and even got another HBP--and the last out, the game-winner, was a Bregman hard liner that Beni made a great play on--thank goodness for the glove on the right hand.

 

To me Cora has the rare ability to be decisive even when he leaves someone in. He fully assimilates the current situation--and the overall context of the game and the series--and simply knows what he wants to do at any given moment.

 

So I see tonight as simply more of the same. The lineup is intact and gives Cora some options. It all begins with Price of course. And it helps that there are still two games at Fenway if needed.

[TylerD]

I would have started ERod tonight and am fascinated Cora did not. I'm sure he's right, of course.

 

This ALCS has been really tricky for Cora to manage: starters who can't get started; closer/stopper who leaks a lot; offense that works but in unexpected ways (especially JBJ); injuries to key guys (Wright, Sale, Moreland); defensive issue at 3B; going against two 100 win juggernauts, both of whom were favored to beat the Sox.

 

Tonight is all of the above and more. Sale is out. Price pitched Sunday and gave up 4 walks, a dinger, and 4 runs in 4.2 innings and threw 80 pitches. The bullpen has been worked hard, especially Kelly, Barnes, Brasier, and Kimbrel. ERod, Hembree, and Workman should all be ready, and tomorrow is an off day.

 

My real point is that Cora seems very good at improvising. And boy is he decisive. ERod pitched to one guy, walked him, and was gone. Brasier took over, finished that inning unscathed, and got 2 outs in the 7th before Barnes came in for the final out. Then, lo and behold, Kimbrel, THE RESTED ONE, came in for a 2 inning save with a 3 run lead. Maybe the first time ever, especially in a Sox uniform. But he walked 3 guys, gave up 2 hits, and even got another HBP--and the last out, the game-winner, was a Bregman hard liner that Beni made a great play on--thank goodness for the glove on the right hand.

 

To me Cora has the rare ability to be decisive even when he leaves someone in. He fully assimilates the current situation--and the overall context of the game and the series--and simply knows what he wants to do at any given moment.

 

So I see tonight as simply more of the same. The lineup is intact and gives Cora some options. It all begins with Price of course. And it helps that there are still two games at Fenway if needed.

 

Agreed, I was a bit surprised that E-Rod didn't get the call. But Cora is now 6-2 in the playoffs. He seems to know what he is doing. My only thing is I wish he would change the closing role. I don't trust Kimbrel what so ever anymore. Brasier or Barnes should get the opportunity to close a game out. Can't get much worse than Kimbrel (Well it can) But if we only had a 1 run lead in each of Kimbrel's start we would either be tied or lose the game. Definition of a closer is to come in and save the game.... Not give up multiple walks and runs and win in spite of playing like s***.

[jung]

This is a good scenario for Price. If he wins he will be doing it on 3 days rest which no one is expecting.

If he loses , well people were expecting as he's pitching on 3 days rest along with the history of playoff failure.

They are also up 3-1 so there's no pressure as the series is not all on him.

 

Price does have a pretty low bar to meet in this game. If he matches Porcello's gritty, got nuthin' performance, that will be enough. Might not be enough to win the game. But its the most we can expect. So that is like a run an inning for 4, 5 innings tops. If he gives up more than that we really won't have much of a chance. Price is a LH pitcher pitching to a mainly RH lineup in a park with a short LF porch.

 

As I said a few weeks ago, outs in the post season are like innings in the regular season. In game, managers manage every out counting them down the whole way.

 

I don't believe Cora will shoot every bullet he has to win this game. He will shoot what he thinks he can shoot with the travel day ahead of him. These games are not won on momentum. Its not football. These games are won on pitching and defense mainly and then great AB's. Great AB's are why mistake pitches are hit so hard in the post season. Its why pitchers missing location is such a big deal in the post season. But if pitchers make their pitches basically you get a few scattered hits out of your offense and that is that.

 

Honestly, the style of play we are playing vs what the Astros are doing suits this grind through games style better. They have reverted to big inning, long ball baseball and we have not been giving them enough of the kinds of pitches they need to generate winning offense that way. If the Astros were healthy I suspect they would play more like us and more like they did last year. But, they are not healthy enough to play that way. We have had more big HR's than they have had. But you would not say we have hit a bunch of HR's in this series. This is of course not a great time of year to be depending on long balls to win baseball games. Been cold even in Houston and up here in New England........burrrrrrrrr

Edited October 18, 2018 by jung

[TylerD]

Price does have a pretty low bar to meet in this game. If he matches Porcello's gritty, got nuthin' performance, that will be enough. Might not be enough to win the game. But its the most we can expect. So that is like a run an inning for 4, 5 innings tops. If he gives up more than that we really won't have much of a chance. Price is a LH pitcher pitching to a mainly RH lineup in a park with a short LH porch.

 

As I said a few weeks ago, outs in the post season are like innings in the regular season. In game, managers manage every out counting them down the whole way.

 

I don't believe Cora will shoot every bullet he has to win this game. He will shoot what he thinks he can shoot with the travel day ahead of him. These games are not won on momentum. Its not football. These games are won on pitching and defense mainly and then great AB's. Great AB's are why mistake pitches are hit so hard in the post season. Its why pitchers missing location is such a big deal in the post season. But if pitchers make their pitches basically you get a few scattered hits out of your offense and that is that.

 

Honestly, the style of play we are playing vs what the Astros are doing suits this grind through games style better. They have reverted to big inning, long ball baseball and we have not been giving them enough of the kinds of pitches they need to generate winning offense that way. If the Astros were healthy I suspect they would play more like us and more like they did last year. But, they are not healthy enough to play that way. We have had more big HR's than they have had. But you would not say we have hit a bunch of HR's in this series. This is of course not a great time of year to be depending on long balls to win baseball games. Been cold even in Houston and up here in New England........burrrrrrrrr

 

Although I tend to agree, Price better have it in his head that he has a lot to prove tonight. Maybe the bar is low for us fans but it better be higher than ever for Price. So far he has gone 6 innings given up 8 hits, 7 runs. Could you imagine if he can't make it out of 4. 10 innings and 10 runs in 3 games is just ugly for any pitcher let alone our 2nd man in the rotation. I personally don't care how we win this game as long as we win. But for f*** sakes is it too much to ask that Price just has one AVERAGE game..... We aren't asking for the world here from him. I'm not asking for 7 innings or 8 innings. I'm asking for 5 innings and no more than 2 runs. That is as low of a bar as it gets for a pitcher who comes in 2nd in the rotation. If he can't give us that in 3 tries he honestly doesn't deserve to even smell the playoffs anymore.

[jung]

Although I tend to agree, Price better have it in his head that he has a lot to prove tonight. Maybe the bar is low for us fans but it better be higher than ever for Price. So far he has gone 6 innings given up 8 hits, 7 runs. Could you imagine if he can't make it out of 4. 10 innings and 10 runs in 3 games is just ugly for any pitcher let alone our 2nd man in the rotation. I personally don't care how we win this game as long as we win. But for f*** sakes is it too much to ask that Price just has one AVERAGE game..... We aren't asking for the world here from him. I'm not asking for 7 innings or 8 innings. I'm asking for 5 innings and no more than 2 runs. That is as low of a bar as it gets for a pitcher who comes in 2nd in the rotation. If he can't give us that in 3 tries he honestly doesn't deserve to even smell the playoffs anymore.

 

You will knock me over with a feather if we get 5 innings and 2 IR's out of a guy starting in the ALCS on three days rest who was throwing in earnest in the pen 18 hours before game 5 time. I don't care where he is in the rotation, how much money we are paying him....that would be an amazing start for a LH pitcher pitching in this park to the Astros RH lineup. That one that would have me asking where he has been hiding that lamp with the genie inside and how many wishes he has left.

[greenwell]

Although I tend to agree, Price better have it in his head that he has a lot to prove tonight. Maybe the bar is low for us fans but it better be higher than ever for Price. So far he has gone 6 innings given up 8 hits, 7 runs. Could you imagine if he can't make it out of 4. 10 innings and 10 runs in 3 games is just ugly for any pitcher let alone our 2nd man in the rotation. I personally don't care how we win this game as long as we win. But for f*** sakes is it too much to ask that Price just has one AVERAGE game..... We aren't asking for the world here from him. I'm not asking for 7 innings or 8 innings. I'm asking for 5 innings and no more than 2 runs. That is as low of a bar as it gets for a pitcher who comes in 2nd in the rotation. If he can't give us that in 3 tries he honestly doesn't deserve to even smell the playoffs anymore.

 

An average game for an AL starter this postseason is about 4 innings and 2 ER. I'd be fine with that.

[TylerD]

An average game for an AL starter this postseason is about 4 innings and 2 ER. I'd be fine with that.

 

As would I. Let's hope we get that from Price tonight at least.

[jung]

Lineups in folks. Moreland at 1st, Kinsler at 2nd, Devers at 3rd, Vaz catching for us. AJ using his Bregs at the top lineup. But he has moved Correa to 4th in the order moving Gurriel behind Correa.

 

1. Mookie Betts ® RF

2. Andrew Benintendi (L) LF

3. J.D. Martinez ® DH

4. Xander Bogaerts ® SS

5. Mitch Moreland (L) 1B

6. Ian Kinsler ® 2B

7. Rafael Devers (L) 3B

8. Christian Vazquez ® C

9. Jackie Bradley Jr. (L) CF

 

 

1. Alex Bregman ® 3B

2. George Springer ® RF

3. Jose Altuve ® DH

4. Carlos Correa ® SS

5. Yuli Gurriel ® 1B

6. Marwin Gonzalez (S) 2B

7. Tony Kemp (L) LF

8. Martin Maldonado ® C

9. Jake Marisnick ® CF

[FredLynn]

If he struggles tonight I won't hold it against him. 3 days rest along with all the pitches he threw in the bullpen yesterday.

 

In the playoffs you have to suck it up and perform. I don't care if he threw 200 pitches yesterday-all the pitchers are getting much more work in unfamiliar situations. I do not expect anything different from him than we have seen in the past; why expect something else? He has had what-10 postseason starts? And how many games has he won as a SP? Zero. Like every Red Sox fan I will be cheering for him to succeed tonight, but I am not expecting success. I am expecting more of the same. As the saying goes, "Those who cannot learn from history are condemned to repeat it"...or something like that. Perhaps the best strategy is for Cora to tell Price he is only going to pitch a maximum of three innings, so give it everything you have for those innings. He was good as a RP in the playoffs. Make this a bullpen game with Price first up.

[moonslav59]

Moreland's starting and Kinsler is ahead of Devers.

 

1. Mookie Betts, RF

2. Andrew Benintendi, LF

3. J.D. Martinez, DH

4. Xander Bogaerts, SS

5. Mitch Moreland, 1B

6. Ian Kinsler, 2B

7. Rafael Devers, 3B

8. Christian Vazquez, C

9. Jackie Bradley Jr., CF

 

[moonslav59]

In the playoffs you have to suck it up and perform. I don't care if he threw 200 pitches yesterday-all the pitchers are getting much more work in unfamiliar situations. I do not expect anything different from him than we have seen in the past; why expect something else? He has had what-10 postseason starts? And how many games has he won as a SP? Zero. Like every Red Sox fan I will be cheering for him to succeed tonight, but I am not expecting success. I am expecting more of the same. As the saying goes, "Those who cannot learn from history are condemned to repeat it"...or something like that. Perhaps the best strategy is for Cora to tell Price he is only going to pitch a maximum of three innings, so give it everything you have for those innings. He was good as a RP in the playoffs. Make this a bullpen game with Price first up.

 

I hear you and don't disagree, but yesterday was not even close to a normal throwing day for a Sp'er.

 

Price will not likely go very long.

[jung]

In the playoffs you have to suck it up and perform. I don't care if he threw 200 pitches yesterday-all the pitchers are getting much more work in unfamiliar situations. I do not expect anything different from him than we have seen in the past; why expect something else? He has had what-10 postseason starts? And how many games has he won as a SP? Zero. Like every Red Sox fan I will be cheering for him to succeed tonight, but I am not expecting success. I am expecting more of the same. As the saying goes, "Those who cannot learn from history are condemned to repeat it"...or something like that. Perhaps the best strategy is for Cora to tell Price he is only going to pitch a maximum of three innings, so give it everything you have for those innings. He was good as a RP in the playoffs. Make this a bullpen game with Price first up.

 

That makes some sense. But remember, what is behind Price for this game is likely some combination of Erod, Workman, Hembree, Kelly. Heck that bunch is going to strike more fear into our hearts than the heart of anybody batting in the Astro's order.

[moonslav59]

That makes some sense. But remember, what is behind Price for this game is likely some combination of Erod, Workman, Hembree, Kelly. Heck that bunch is going to strike more fear into our hearts than the heart of anybody batting in the Astro's order.

 

They are going to be so jacked up and over-confident, they will strike themselves out.

[FredLynn]

That makes some sense. But remember, what is behind Price for this game is likely some combination of Erod, Workman, Hembree, Kelly. Heck that bunch is going to strike more fear into our hearts than the heart of anybody batting in the Astro's order.

 

I am not saying that there was another better choice (maybe ERod?). All I am saying is that expecting Price to perform well (and I don't think that anyone here really expects that if they are being honest) would be foolish. At best we can hope that he is mediocre and that Verlander doesn't bring his A game tonight.

[jung]

They are going to be so jacked up and over-confident, they will strike themselves out.

 

There is some truth to that. The Astros are not playing the offensive game from last year or even what they were playing earlier this year. Just not healthy enough to play that way. What they are doing is not working.

[moonslav59]

There is some truth to that. The Astros are not playing the offensive game from last year or even what they were playing earlier this year. Just not healthy enough to play that way. What they are doing is not working.

 

I wasn't joking.

 

I think we have a good shot at winning it tonight.

 

We have JBJ. They don't.