6/5 @ KC Royals

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

that was all sandy leon, no question.

 

cera!

[moonslav59]

Chris Freakin' Sale!

 

[moonslav59]

That was all Sandy Leon, no question.

 

lmao!

[Swiharts Ghost]

That was all Sandy Leon, no question.

 

No question Sale and Sandy have that MOJO going Love it !!!

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Take a half day off of work tomorrow, because that should be one hell of a ballgame.

[TylerD]

Chris Sale was beautiful tonight.

[iortiz]

Whata gem. Elite stuff.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Would love to play these guys 19 times.

[Jasonbay44]

Picked up three games on the Yankees in 3 days.

[YastrzemskI]

Take a half day off of work tomorrow, because that should be one hell of a ballgame.

 

Ughhhh... here comes Weber.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I know Alex likes to rest his players, but I believe Sale could start again tomorrow.

[d-money]

This team could use a nice long winning streak. They just need to keep winning and hope these other teams cool down.

[d-money]

I would be ecstatic if we are just 5 games down in the standings before the all star break.

[moonslav59]

Look how much the board mood changes after just 3 games.

 

My guess is we are one blow out loss away from back to the norm.

[d-money]

Look how much the board mood changes after just 3 games.

 

My guess is we are one blow out loss away from back to the norm.

 

Could happen tomorrow ughhhh. What this team needs is a nice long winning streak.

[Station 13]

First time they score over 3 runs for Sale.

[moonslav59]

First time they score over 3 runs for Sale.

 

We scored these runs in Sale's starts:

 

4 L

0 L

5 L

0 L

4 L

2 L

6 W

2 W

4 L

4 W

3 L

1 L

8 W

 

 

[moonslav59]

Nice to see a 102 pitch shut out.

 

12 Ks and o BBs

 

Sale's ERA is now down to 3.84. It was at 6.30 at the start of May.

[TylerD]

Nice to see a 102 pitch shut out.

 

12 Ks and o BBs

 

Sale's ERA is now down to 3.84. It was at 6.30 at the start of May.

 

He’s been pretty damn awesome since his rough start!!!

[illinoisredsox]

Bad news, SWI... Kimmi will spank you for inferring that any overhand thrown baseball can rise. Only lady softball pitchers use the rise ball. Oh, and maybe submarine pitchers.

 

I guess it's an optical illusion Kimmi imy apolagies .

 

 

I actually read an article a couple years ago that did conclude that a fastball could theoretically rise when thrown in a conventional manner; however, the combination of speed and spin rate required to overcome air drag and velocity would make it virtually impossible. They used Aroldis Chapman for an example and if IIRC, the conclusion was that if he threw at his normal 103 mph he would have to increase his spin rate something like 33% or if he kept his current spin rate he would have to increase his velocity by about 10 mph.

 

So I guess the only overhand pitcher to ever make a ball rise was Sidd Finch.

[illinoisredsox]

We scored these runs in Sale's starts:

 

4 L

0 L

5 L

0 L

4 L

2 L

6 W

2 W

4 L

4 W

3 L

1 L

8 W

 

 

 

Of the games where they did score over 3, how many runs were scored when Sale was actually still in the game?

Edited June 6, 2019 by illinoisredsox

[moonslav59]

Of the games where they did score over 3, how many runs were scored when Sale was actually still in the game?

 

I'm not looking that up!

[OH FOY]

They did what they had to do, beat the teams they should beat. Don't get too high, but don't get too low either. You gained 2 games, by just doing what should do. Good.

Now Finish it.

[Slasher9]

With Weber starting tomorrow there is a very real chance we get to see a very rare feat tonight. A CG....

 

book it.

chris freakin' sale!

[Maxbialystock]

I love Sale's ERA in May, but not necessarily the way he is pitching. Slider's fine, even great. Fastball is less fast, but still effective. But the changeup has almost disappeared--more of a waste pitch now.

 

I thought I'd comment on the above after having watched most of last night's game. I was right about all three pitches: slider is good/great; fastball is less fast but effective; changeup is not used much.

 

But what I missed badly on was the combination of Sale's excellent command and Leon's pitch-calling. To me that is a big deal because in the ordinary scheme of things, no way, no how can a lefty with a great slider, good fastball, but not much of a changeup be able to pitch a 3 hit shutout--against anyone.

 

This kind of reminds me of Uehara, another favorite. He had a great splitter, a not-so-fastball (89 mph), and great command. But he only had to go an inning or maybe 2 at the most.

 

Last night was a dazzling 9 innings, including 12 K's (which I usually deride).

 

From almost the first game he pitched for the Sox, I thought Sale was the most professional pitcher I'd seen on the Sox. He was completely focused on execution, which meant he let the catcher decide which pitches and which meant he was also fully capable of fielding his position. The polar opposite, I might add, of ERod and Pomeranz, both of whom took forever to agree on and then make a pitch and both of whom fielded their position fitfully. Cover 1b on a grounder to the right? Who, me? Nah.

 

I would still like to see that changeup get back into his repertoire.

[TylerD]

I thought I'd comment on the above after having watched most of last night's game. I was right about all three pitches: slider is good/great; fastball is less fast but effective; changeup is not used much.

 

But what I missed badly on was the combination of Sale's excellent command and Leon's pitch-calling. To me that is a big deal because in the ordinary scheme of things, no way, no how can a lefty with a great slider, good fastball, but not much of a changeup be able to pitch a 3 hit shutout--against anyone.

 

This kind of reminds me of Uehara, another favorite. He had a great splitter, a not-so-fastball (89 mph), and great command. But he only had to go an inning or maybe 2 at the most.

 

Last night was a dazzling 9 innings, including 12 K's (which I usually deride).

 

From almost the first game he pitched for the Sox, I thought Sale was the most professional pitcher I'd seen on the Sox. He was completely focused on execution, which meant he let the catcher decide which pitches and which meant he was also fully capable of fielding his position. The polar opposite, I might add, of ERod and Pomeranz, both of whom took forever to agree on and then make a pitch and both of whom fielded their position fitfully. Cover 1b on a grounder to the right? Who, me? Nah.

 

I would still like to see that changeup get back into his repertoire.

 

Any ideas why he isn't using the changeup? He is good when he uses them so I don't know why he doesn't factor it into his game more. I mean I'm not complaining..... Do what works. Now that his fastball is back for the most part (not as fast) but still around 96 and his slider is nasty maybe he just doesn't need the changeup?

[Slasher9]

according to fangraphs he is using the changeup:

2019: 15.8%

2018: 15.3%

2017: 17.9%

2016: 15.7%

 

nothing to see here...

[TylerD]

according to fangraphs he is using the changeup:

2019: 15.8%

2018: 15.3%

2017: 17.9%

2016: 15.7%

 

nothing to see here...

 

Fair enough. Guess I haven't paid that close of attention to how often he uses it or not. Might just be a pitch he doesn't like to use all that often. If he keeps pitching like he has been I could care less what he is doing. This is working for him. Also keeping his fastballs to 96 and lower may save his arm and health down the stretch. His stuff was nasty last night. Looks like the Ace we have been missing. With this type of Chris Sale and David Price (and a consistent Porcello giving us 6 plus innings) we should be able to right this ship even with a s*** bullpen.

[Maxbialystock]

according to fangraphs he is using the changeup:

2019: 15.8%

2018: 15.3%

2017: 17.9%

2016: 15.7%

 

nothing to see here...

 

Good numbers. You could be right. But my eyes tell me the changeup this year is basically a waste pitch.

 

Last night, for example, he threw 102 pitches, 73 for strikes, and faced 29 batters. if the 15.8% held true last night, he would have thrown 16 changeups, less than 1 per batter. More to the point, he threw 72% strikes last night, but I think maybe 25% of his changeups were strikes.

 

I could be wrong, but I remember the changeup in previous years being more than a waste pitch.