3/28 @ Seattle. OPENING DAY

[TylerD]

Perfect throwaway game. Sale stunk, also bullpen. Sox had 11 hits and 4 runs but no dingers. Seattle had 12 runs on 12 hits, 5 of them dingers. Nunez and Devers had errors.

 

Hit it, Scarlett! Tomorrow is another day.

Games like this happen..... hopefully Sale rebounds and it isn’t a sign of things to come.

[jacksonianmarch]

Yes, games where you get s*** stomped happen. They’ll happen to my team too. Once again, the big takeaway is that Sale’s stuff was mortal. He’s going to learn that 92 is going to have to be spotted on a dime where his prior 97 had a little more wiggle. Reminds me of CC. He went from dominant to awful almost overnight and it took him two full seasons to reinvent himself and locate to a dime. All pitchers eventually have to adjust to diminishing stuff. Sale’s adjustment period may be at hand

[FredLynn]

Can anyone think of a team that lost first game of the season and still had a successful season? I can’t. We’re already 1 GB of Yankees too. f***

 

Tell you what: I would rather lose this way than the way we lost the first game last year. In case anyone forgot we were up 4-0 going into the bottom of the eighth when the Rays scored six times. The forgettable Carson Smith was the losing pitcher. I would rather have the snot beat out of us than lose that way.

[FredLynn]

Yes, games where you get s*** stomped happen. They’ll happen to my team too. Once again, the big takeaway is that Sale’s stuff was mortal. He’s going to learn that 92 is going to have to be spotted on a dime where his prior 97 had a little more wiggle. Reminds me of CC. He went from dominant to awful almost overnight and it took him two full seasons to reinvent himself and locate to a dime. All pitchers eventually have to adjust to diminishing stuff. Sale’s adjustment period may be at hand

 

Perhaps we can make a gentleman's wager about Sale's velocity. I say he will be hitting 95+ consistently by the time June or July rolls around. What say you?

[jacksonianmarch]

I don’t think he will. I call for a sig bet. For his first start after July 1, if his average fastball velocity is 95 or above, you get my sig for a week. If it’s below, or if he’s on the IL for an arm issue, then I get yours. Deal?

[Bellhorn04]

Hopefully desperate Dave has a plan to fix sale.

 

LOL you're too much Larry.

[Northern Star]

I hope the season doesn't turn into the tale of two bullpens.

[jacksonianmarch]

I like the literary reference there. The Sox pen will likely be okay in the late innings if Brasier can play to his FIP and Barnes to his recent history. The major problem with the Sox pen is what you saw yesterday. Beyond those two guys, there’s nobody reliable at all. At least when you had Kelly and Kimbrel, it extended you to 3 reliable guys and one guy in Kelly who would be reliable for large stretches.

[mvp 78]

It's just one game you nerds.

[Thunder]

I'm just glad baseball's back

[moonslav59]

Perhaps we can make a gentleman's wager about Sale's velocity. I say he will be hitting 95+ consistently by the time June or July rolls around. What say you?

 

I'll say in May, especially on warm day.

[BillyWilliams]

I'll say in May, especially on warm day.

 

I read earlier today that his velocity really wasn't any different than many of his starts last April.

[BillyWilliams]

Chris Sale got hammered today and the velocity started at 94 but ended at 92, which makes me concerned is that shoulder right? This extension is gonna blow up on the Red Sox.

--@bostonsports42

 

Oh, here we go with the Red Sox overreactions again.

 

Given the left shoulder issue that severely limited Sale’s workload down the stretch last season, Sale’s recent five-year contract extension drew a lot of scrutiny in the industry for being potentially premature. And seven runs allowed on Opening Day (the most by a Red Sox starter since Pedro Martinez gave up eight in 2002) in Seattle didn’t help.

 

But the Red Sox wouldn’t have signed the deal without doing their medical due diligence, and Sale’s velocity history is actually kind of all over the place. Fun fact: His lowest average fastball velocity of the past three seasons (90.2 mph) came last April 15. If you didn’t learn your lesson last year, Boston, here it is again: Deep breaths.

 

Verdict: Another year, another overreaction.

 

Opening Day overreactions 2019

WWW.MLB.COM

---

When the Red Sox bullpen blew a late lead on Opening Day in 2018, folks flooded their team Twitter mentions with regrettable rage. Seven months later, when they had barely rinsed themselves of the champagne, the Red Sox returned the favor by basically dunking on people. It was beautiful Because

[FredLynn]

I don’t think he will. I call for a sig bet. For his first start after July 1, if his average fastball velocity is 95 or above, you get my sig for a week. If it’s below, or if he’s on the IL for an arm issue, then I get yours. Deal?

 

Not sure where we would find that information but if we can locate it, you are on!

[Station 13]

I read earlier today that his velocity really wasn't any different than many of his starts last April.

 

That's incorrect.

 

He hasn't regained his velocity since last year. Pitchers loses velocity over time. Just nothing as drastic as Sale currently. Checks these stats. May be just a dead arm period. He hasn't been pitching much after last July.

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/graphs.aspx?playerid=10603&position=P&pitchgraphs=true&statArr=&legend=1&split=base&time=daily&start=2015&end=2019&rtype=mult&gt1=15&dStatArray=FA&ymin=&ymax=

[iortiz]

Didn’t see this coming from Sale. Beyond the score, hopefully he’s oks.

[moonslav59]

That's incorrect.

 

He hasn't regained his velocity since last year. Pitchers loses velocity over time. Just nothing as drastic as Sale currently. Checks these stats. May be just a dead arm period. He hasn't been pitching much after last July.

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/graphs.aspx?playerid=10603&position=P&pitchgraphs=true&statArr=&legend=1&split=base&time=daily&start=2015&end=2019&rtype=mult>1=15&dStatArray=FA&ymin=&ymax=

 

He dropped velo after game 6 on the chart, and again after game 14, 33 and then his last 5 starts.

 

I'm not seeing anything that hasn't happened before.

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/graphs.aspx?playerid=10603&position=P&pitchgraphs=true&statArr=&legend=1&split=base&time=game&start=2017&end=2019&rtype=mult&gt1=15&dStatArray=FA&ymin=&ymax=

[BillyWilliams]

That's incorrect.

 

He hasn't regained his velocity since last year. Pitchers loses velocity over time. Just nothing as drastic as Sale currently. Checks these stats. May be just a dead arm period. He hasn't been pitching much after last July.

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/graphs.aspx?playerid=10603&position=P&pitchgraphs=true&statArr=&legend=1&split=base&time=daily&start=2015&end=2019&rtype=mult>1=15&dStatArray=FA&ymin=&ymax=

 

Did you not read my post above?

 

His lowest average fastball velocity of the past three seasons (90.2 mph) came last April 15.

 

Although I should have said "previous Aprils" instead of last April.

Edited March 29, 2019 by BillyWilliams

[Bellhorn04]

Didn’t see this coming from Sale. Beyond the score, hopefully he’s oks.

 

We might need some help from the Aztec Gods with Sale this year, iortiz.

[iortiz]

We might need some help from the Aztec Gods with Sale this year, iortiz.

 

LOL! Probably bell.

 

If Sale is healthy, he’s going to be oks. I have understood he passed the medical tests before he signed.

[TylerD]

Well today can’t be any worse......: can it?

[harmony]

Well today can’t be any worse......: can it?

Nathan Eovaldi has pitched well in three career starts against Seattle and the Mariners are unlikely to maintain their pace of nearly nine runs a game.

 

The key may be the performance of Seattle lefthander Yusei Kikuchi, who will be making only his second MLB start.

[Slasher9]

Nathan Eovaldi has pitched well in three career starts against Seattle and the Mariners are unlikely to maintain their pace of nearly nine runs a game.

 

The key may be the performance of Seattle lefthander Yusei Kikuchi, who will be making only his second MLB start.

 

i'm hype to see YK pitch. i did not stay up to watch his first start.

need to see that CB i been hearing about....

[dgalehouse]

Chris Sale is a great pitcher . I expect that his velocity will pick up as the season progresses. Even if it does not come all the way back , he is still good enough to be effective. That said , his contract extension did seem a bit hasty for an organization that has recently become more budget conscious. Especially considering that he had to be pretty much shut down late last season . So , it is quite a gamble . Interesting that the Sox did not even want to talk with Porcello about an extension.

[moonslav59]

Chris Sale is a great pitcher . I expect that his velocity will pick up as the season progresses. Even if it does not come all the way back , he is still good enough to be effective. That said , his contract extension did seem a bit hasty for an organization that has recently become more budget conscious. Especially considering that he had to be pretty much shut down late last season . So , it is quite a gamble . Interesting that the Sox did not even want to talk with Porcello about an extension.

 

It might prove to be hasty, but it looks like a steal to me, if he stays healthy.

[Station 13]

Chris Sale is a great pitcher . I expect that his velocity will pick up as the season progresses. Even if it does not come all the way back , he is still good enough to be effective. That said , his contract extension did seem a bit hasty for an organization that has recently become more budget conscious. Especially considering that he had to be pretty much shut down late last season . So , it is quite a gamble . Interesting that the Sox did not even want to talk with Porcello about an extension.

 

and if Sale goes out and have a great season, you won't able to sign him for $145M. This is a deal both side give and take.

[dgalehouse]

Moon and Station , Guys , I agree . " If " he stays healthy. And " If " he has a great season . A lot of money riding on those " ifs " .

[Thunder]

Nathan Eovaldi has pitched well in three career starts against Seattle and the Mariners are unlikely to maintain their pace of nearly nine runs a game.

 

The key may be the performance of Seattle lefthander Yusei Kikuchi, who will be making only his second MLB start.

 

And his first start in the US. Throw out everything he did in Japan. He was gassed up to be playing at home, and gassed up to be playing with Ichiro on his last day

[Bellhorn04]

Moon and Station , Guys , I agree . " If " he stays healthy. And " If " he has a great season . A lot of money riding on those " ifs " .

 

It's an iffy game alright.

[a700hitter]

I blame Cora!