4/9 vs Blue Jays

[d-money]

Maybe an overreaction from me. But dead last in the division at 3-9 and 6 games out of first. I would say we are in deep doodoo now. We also just lost to one of the worst teams in baseball who were sitting in the bottom 4 offense. With our “Ace” pitching. Literally don’t have words. As bad as it gets right now.

 

That’s the problem. Tampa Bay keeps winning. This team being out of it early would be a nightmare scenario.

[TylerD]

That’s the problem. Tampa Bay keeps winning. This team being out of it early would be a nightmare scenario.

 

Tampa is definitely playing better than I thought. If they keep cruising we won’t catch them. 6 games out. We will have to sweep at least a couple straight series to get back in it. If we can’t even beat the Jays then I’m not sure who we can sweep. Maybe the White Sox?

[Northern Star]

I still think Sale needed to pitch in AZ.

[TylerD]

I still think Sale needed to pitch in AZ.

 

Agreed.

[bkzwhitestrican]

I get the worry over your own team's lousy start, but in no way is Tampa running away with the division after 2 weeks. There's still 150 games left. And anyway you should be worrying about the Yankees hitting their stride

[TylerD]

I get the worry over your own team's lousy start, but in no way is Tampa running away with the division after 2 weeks. There's still 150 games left. And anyway you should be worrying about the Yankees hitting their stride

 

To me it’s more less just the principle of it. Doesn’t matter if it’s Tampa, Baltimore or Toronto in first. Point is we are 6 games out and not really showing much of an improvement. Starting rotation is 0-8. But yes If we don’t pick it up we will be dead last. Not overly worried about the Yankees hitting a stride when we can’t even beat the Jays.

[jung]

The lack of ST work for the Starters is showing up in different ways.

 

We have three LH pitchers in this rotation. The way the game is being played today regardless of what else is going on most LH pitchers cannot get enough RH batters out to matter without a decent Change. That pitch has become so important to LH pitchers that they are even throwing Changes to LH batters which was considered a no-no for decades. Not a single LH starter we have is throwing good Changes to this point in the season. They all suck ass in that regard and they all suck ass the same way. Their Changes are all up and out over the strike zone. The teams with power hitters have been knocking them out of the park and today we saw a team just wait on them and line them or dribble them through the right side of the infield.

 

The two RH starters....Porcello's mechanics are awful and Nat has the usual disease of a hard thrower that has not had enough work yet. He simply has no idea where his pitches are going. Frankly at least so far "the plan" does not seem to be working. Hopefully it will pay off later in the season and hopefully they will not have given up so much ground early that it does not matter. Four more games and 10% of the season is done.

Edited April 9, 2019 by jung

[Kimmi]

I get the worry over your own team's lousy start, but in no way is Tampa running away with the division after 2 weeks. There's still 150 games left. And anyway you should be worrying about the Yankees hitting their stride

 

I was with you all the up until that last sentence.

[harmony]

Tampa is definitely playing better than I thought. If they keep cruising we won’t catch them. 6 games out. We will have to sweep at least a couple straight series to get back in it. If we can’t even beat the Jays then I’m not sure who we can sweep. Maybe the White Sox?

Even the 10-2 Seattle Mariners could not sweep the 3-7 Chicago White Sox (or the 3-9 Red Sox, for that matter).

[jad]

That was a terrible AB by Betts. Two very hittable pitches watched float by, then swinging at one in the dirt. Where is his discipline?

[Station 13]

Another lackbuster display once again, play well enough to still lose. But it seems a lot better than the two series in Seattle and Oakland, they weren't prepared at all then.

[Station 13]

That was a terrible AB by Betts. Two very hittable pitches watched float by, then swinging at one in the dirt. Where is his discipline?

 

He has done this a lot, taking only one swing each AB, nearly 50% of his AB ends this way.

[TylerD]

Even the 10-2 Seattle Mariners could not sweep the 3-7 Chicago White Sox (or the 3-9 Red Sox, for that matter).

K..... so just crushing my hopes of any sort of streak then.

[jacksonianmarch]

The lack of ST work for the Starters is showing up in different ways.

 

We have three LH pitchers in this rotation. The way the game is being played today regardless of what else is going on most LH pitchers cannot get enough RH batters out to matter without a decent Change. That pitch has become so important to LH pitchers that they are even throwing Changes to LH batters which was considered a no-no for decades. Not a single LH starter we have is throwing good Changes to this point in the season. They all suck ass in that regard and they all suck ass the same way. Their Changes are all up and out over the strike zone. The teams with power hitters have been knocking them out of the park and today we saw a team just wait on them and line them or dribble them through the right side of the infield.

 

The two RH starters....Porcello's mechanics are awful and Nat has the usual disease of a hard thrower that has not had enough work yet. He simply has no idea where his pitches are going. Frankly at least so far "the plan" does not seem to be working. Hopefully it will pay off later in the season and hopefully they will not have given up so much ground early that it does not matter. Four more games and 10% of the season is done.

 

Eovaldi has always had that disease. He just got hot for a month and got overpaid for it. Part of this may be ST, but another part of it is the WS hangover and the workload and stress these guys faced into October. Cora tried to mitigate that by babying them. Clearly, that hasn’t proven useful. But eventually, that cannot be an excuse and you’ve got to look at the pitching coach and ask why these guys look so bad.

[Thunder]

Brock Holt's Instagram post said to be patient, so that's exactly what I'm going to do

[mvp 78]

Tell that to the people spending 100's of $'s watching an embarrassing product.

[TylerD]

Tell that to the people spending 100's of $'s watching an embarrassing product.

Ya this start also took a lot of the fun out of getting the World Series rings. I mean I wouldn’t change it for the world winning the World Series in such dominant fashion last year. But still

[mvp 78]

Ya this start also took a lot of the fun out of getting the World Series rings. I mean I wouldn’t change it for the world winning the World Series in such dominant fashion last year. But still

 

They got the s*** booed out of them yesterday and they deserved it.

[OH FOY]

Sox are playing a Triple AAA team, not much more.

[Maxbialystock]

A lot of negativity--albeit deserved--on this thread.

 

But I would still like to thank Kimmi for starting this one and the one before. We seem to like venting more than cheering, but that's fine.

[mvp 78]

A lot of negativity--albeit deserved--on this thread.

 

But I would still like to thank Kimmi for starting this one and the one before. We seem to like venting more than cheering, but that's fine.

 

What is there to cheer right now? This team will get better, but it's just really frustrating to watch at the moment.

 

It's not like people are calling for firings and DFA's.

[jung]

Eovaldi has always had that disease. He just got hot for a month and got overpaid for it. Part of this may be ST, but another part of it is the WS hangover and the workload and stress these guys faced into October. Cora tried to mitigate that by babying them. Clearly, that hasn’t proven useful. But eventually, that cannot be an excuse and you’ve got to look at the pitching coach and ask why these guys look so bad.

 

Pitchers get overpaid and the degree to which they are overpaid depends on what the team values. Its an overpay for sure...but not a grand overpay. I suspect that the Sox, based on how Cora managed 2018 are looking for a higher degree of versatility out of starters than even we are used seeing. Professional team sports are copycat business operations. I suspect Nat would have gotten at least 15 per from almost anybody for a term as short as 4 years.

 

Example of where this stuff appears to be going: Does Kimbrel have a contract with anybody yet 11-12 games into the new season? NOPE!

 

Not getting what one thinks he deserves is one thing. On the sidelines completely is quite another.

[TylerD]

They got the s*** booed out of them yesterday and they deserved it.

 

As they should. All my buddies who are Jays fans don't get it...... They have been texting me telling me to grow up for being upset after they won a World Series. Winning a World Series is great don't get me wrong but that doesn't justify starting the season 3 and bloody 9 with one of (if not the) worst rotation in the entire league. They are Jays fans so they are just happy with even competing for a playoff spot. Making the playoffs twice in 25 years will do that to a fan base.

[mvp 78]

I'm sure the Jays were booed in 94 after being a first place team for a few years and winning the WS.

[Bellhorn04]

I'm sure the Jays were booed in 94 after being a first place team for a few years and winning the WS.

 

Or about half the people just stopped showing up.

[mvp 78]

Or about half the people just stopped showing up.

 

It didn't drop until the year after maybe due to poor play, boredom with new stadium or the strike. They averaged 48,000 fans from 89 - 94. They've only been above 40,000 once since then. Since 95, they've averaged 28,000 fans per year (58% of what it was in their heyday).

[TylerD]

It didn't drop until the year after maybe due to poor play, boredom with new stadium or the strike. They averaged 48,000 fans from 89 - 94. They've only been above 40,000 once since then. Since 95, they've averaged 28,000 fans per year (58% of what it was in their heyday).

 

They are extremely lucky they are Canada's only baseball team otherwise their attendance would be even worse than that. 2 playoff appearances in 25 years is beyond embarrassing for any team. As long as they still get decent attendance and sell merch (which they do) they won't change management or huge roster changes. Fans seem ok with it for the most part. Sox fans on the other hand are used to winning the last 15 years so starting a season 3-9 doesn't sit well. But I do agree if the Jays started the season 3-9 they would be booed out of their stadium as well. No fan likes to watch their team play s***** regardless of a World Series win or not.

 

In fact it's more embarrassing how bad we are playing because we do have so much talent. Jays have a better record than we do, and they are dog s*** for the most part other than their starting rotation.

[OH FOY]

No Negativity for me just telling the truth. Here's the 2 Line-ups other day. Getting swept would not be good. When they bring some of the kids up from the Farm, they should be better.

Sox are playing in a division where there could be 2 -100 loss teams.

 

http://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=401074894

Edited April 11, 2019 by OH FOY!

[TylerD]

No Negativity for me just telling the truth. Here's the 2 Line-ups other day. Getting swept would not be good. When they bring some of the kids up from the Farm, they should be better.

Sox are playing in a division where there could be 2 -100 loss teams.

 

http://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=401074894

 

I'll be hoping for a win tonight. Won't be watching as I'll be watching Leafs vs Bruins. Hope the sox can get their s*** together. Haven't overly given me a reason to watch them instead of NHL playoffs but that's just me.

[OH FOY]

I'll be hoping for a win tonight. Won't be watching as I'll be watching Leafs vs Bruins. Hope the sox can get their s*** together. Haven't overly given me a reason to watch them instead of NHL playoffs but that's just me.

 

Me too. Hockey and the Bruins for me right now. Tough match-up. Boston cant look ahead.