06/11 Red Hot Rangers @ The Boston Chokers

[jung]

1. Shin-Soo Choo (L) LF

2. Danny Santana (S) CF

3. Elvis Andrus ® SS

4. Nomar Mazara (L) RF

5. Hunter Pence ® DH

6. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) 3B

7. Rougned Odor (L) 2B

8. Ronald Guzman (L) 1B

9. Tim Federowicz ® C

 

 

1. Mookie Betts ® RF

2. Andrew Benintendi (L) CF

3. J.D. Martinez ® DH

4. Rafael Devers (L) 3B

5. Xander Bogaerts ® SS

6. Brock Holt (L) LF

7. Christian Vazquez ® C

8. Marco Hernandez (L) 2B

9. Michael Chavis ® 1B

[Bellhorn04]

Now that I can get on board with. He still keeps himself in really good shape at least!

 

The way things are going, you might have to watch some Chuck Norris movies.

[mvp 78]

1. Shin-Soo Choo (L) LF

2. Danny Santana (S) CF

3. Elvis Andrus ® SS

4. Nomar Mazara (L) RF

5. Hunter Pence ® DH 4-5 (4 Hr's, 10RsBI)

6. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) 3B

7. Rougned Odor (L) 2B

8. Ronald Guzman (L) 1B

9. Tim Federowicz ® C

 

 

1. Mookie Betts ® RF 0-3

2. Andrew Benintendi (L) CF 0-3

3. J.D. Martinez ® DH 0-3

4. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 1-3

5. Xander Bogaerts ® SS 0-3

6. Brock Holt (L) LF 0-3

7. Christian Vazquez ® C 0-3

8. Marco Hernandez (L) 2B 0-3

9. Michael Chavis ® 1B 0-3

 

Just starting Beni in CF is a bad omen to begin with.

[notin]

Good for "de Doyers". I'm sure that there are a number of similar examples throughout

baseball's 150 year history.

 

I'd love to be wrong about this and I would be the first guy to admit it.

But please tell me what you have seen FROM THIS YEARS TEAM that gives

you confidence in September and possibly October. Virtually every position

player is having a down year, Devers & Bogaerts notwithstanding. We have nagging

injuries. We are dealing with an absolute mess in the pen brought to us in part

by Alex Cora. That aside.. does the fielding and base running look solid to you thus far?

 

Go Bruins!

 

 

Do you think the Dodgers were playing quality baseball en route to losing 32 times in their first 65 games?

[notin]

perhaps its Van Damme time?

 

 

Whoa!! Slow down!! We aren’t the Orioles here!

[TylerD]

Whoa!! Slow down!! We aren’t the Orioles here!

 

I like Kickboxer, Bloodsport, Lionheart, The Quest and Sudden Death

 

Actually out of his new movies I really liked The Bouncer. A super dark violent role but pretty cool. Van Damme can be entertaining if he wants.

[Maxbialystock]

Just starting Beni in CF is a bad omen to begin with.

 

The only omen worth considering is starting a rookie straight up from AA and being backed up by a bullpen that gave up 3 runs last night after Sale went 7 and gave up 1 unearned run.

 

JBJ is vastly better in CF, but doesn't often get to demonstrate it. And right now the bigger issue is getting the right bats in the lineup. Beni hit that 2 run dinger in the 1st last night, and the Sox scored 1 run in the next 10 innings and were 1 for 8 with RISP.

[TylerD]

The only omen worth considering is starting a rookie straight up from AA and being backed up by a bullpen that gave up 3 runs last night after Sale went 7 and gave up 1 unearned run.

 

JBJ is vastly better in CF, but doesn't often get to demonstrate it. And right now the bigger issue is getting the right bats in the lineup. Beni hit that 2 run dinger in the 1st last night, and the Sox scored 1 run in the next 10 innings and were 1 for 8 with RISP.

 

Would it kill us to put up a few runs against a top team as well? I would love to see the offense come alive tonight. We may need 9 or more to win this game. Last year I could trust that this team would do it..... Now..... totally different story.

[Maxbialystock]

Would it kill us to put up a few runs against a top team as well? I would love to see the offense come alive tonight. We may need 9 or more to win this game. Last year I could trust that this team would do it..... Now..... totally different story.

 

Agree. The Sox total runs scored are 5th or 6th best this year, but nowhere near that against good teams. RISP is a special problem bad enough that Cora is talking about it. Last night, for example, Mookie and Beni led off the 9th with a walk and a single only to have Devers hit into a GIDP.

[oldtimer]

The only omen worth considering is starting a rookie straight up from AA and being backed up by a bullpen that gave up 3 runs last night after Sale went 7 and gave up 1 unearned run.

 

JBJ is vastly better in CF, but doesn't often get to demonstrate it. And right now the bigger issue is getting the right bats in the lineup. Beni hit that 2 run dinger in the 1st last night, and the Sox scored 1 run in the next 10 innings and were 1 for 8 with RISP.

 

Reminds me of an old Bill Parcells quote (You are what your record says you are.) Right now the Sox record says they are a middle of the road team.

[oldtimer]

Agree. The Sox total runs scored are 5th or 6th best this year, but nowhere near that against good teams. RISP is a special problem bad enough that Cora is talking about it. Last night, for example, Mookie and Beni led off the 9th with a walk and a single only to have Devers hit into a GIDP.

 

Devers is hitting sub 200 for the lat 7 days as is Chavis and Mookie is hitting right at 200. Hard to win games with so many starters having weak at bats.

[Maxbialystock]

Sox lost last night with you making the game thread. Why in the Hell did you make the post today?!??!?!?!?!?

 

Given the specific nature of last night's loss, one of the very worst of the year given Sale's splendid start, you gotta like the chutzpah of someone who wants to go back for more while breaking a board rule. I might add with a Double A rookie on the mound tonight.

Edited June 11, 2019 by Maxbialystock

[Maxbialystock]

Devers is hitting sub 200 for the lat 7 days as is Chavis and Mookie is hitting right at 200. Hard to win games with so many starters having weak at bats.

 

Agree. For a while, the Sox were hitting well and up near the top in team OPS and runs scored. But not against good pitching.

[jung]

I am actually tired of hearing that I am supposed to be impressed because they are 5-6 ranked in offensive categories. We are 5th in the league in runs scored. We are only +33 in run differential. We are among the last 3 teams in the league that actually has a + run differential. There are a total of 7 teams with a + differential. The other 8 can't produce a + differential.

 

We can blame the pitching. But there is no missing that 1-6 in this order have not produced consistently. If anything, now the entire bunch 1-6 are not hitting at all, never mind consistently. Take X out and where are these guys....NOWHERE thats where.

 

They need to either bunch hits more often or hit more HR's....one or the other. In fact, they need to do more of both. Scoring 2-3 even 4 runs per game and leaving the game in the hands of our journeyman relief pitchers does not sound like a winning tactic to me.

 

I still think they make a wild card play in game, saved by the number of utter trash teams in the league. No telling what happens at that point because no matter who you put on the mound for that play-in game, there is no bigger crap shoot in baseball than that game.

[TylerD]

Given the specific nature of last night's loss, one of the very worst of the year given Sale's splendid start, you gotta like the chutzpah of someone who wants to go back for more while breaking a board rule. I might add with a Double A rookie on the mound tonight.

When we win tonight. I’ll quote this post

[TylerD]

I am actually tired of hearing that I am supposed to be impressed because they are 5-6 ranked in offensive categories. We are 5th in the league in runs scored. We are only +33 in run differential. We are among the last 3 teams in the league that actually has a + run differential. There are a total of 7 teams with a + differential. The other 8 can't produce a + differential.

 

We can blame the pitching. But there is no missing that 1-6 in this order have not produced consistently. If anything, now the entire bunch 1-6 are not hitting at all, never mind consistently. Take X out and where are these guys....NOWHERE thats where.

 

They need to either bunch hits more often or hit more HR's....one or the other. In fact, they need to do more of both. Scoring 2-3 even 4 runs per game and leaving the game in the hands of our journeyman relief pitchers does not sound like a winning tactic to me.

 

I still think they make a wild card play in game, saved by the number of utter trash teams in the league. No telling what happens at that point because no matter who you put on the mound for that play-in game, there is no bigger crap shoot in baseball than that game.

 

Damn well said!!!!

 

I have been saying this all along. And people defend it by saying “when you go against the best pitchers that’s what happens” Actually. No..., no it’s not what happens. That’s what happens to average and below average teams. Good pitching shuts them down. However. Good offensive teams find ways to win those games and score runs whether it’s against the starter or the reliever. This team last year found ways to put up runs against the very good teams and pitching. This year on the other hand is a different story. You can pretty much pencil in a loss this year when we face a decent pitcher. Last night we held the 2nd ranked offensive team to 3 runs going into extras. That is not on the pitching what so ever. The offense needs to do its part. You won’t beat the Astros, Yankees or even Rangers scoring 3 runs or less. It’s that simple.

[YastrzemskI]

Cora today... "We're an inconsistent team."

 

Acknowledgement is good. Fix it.

[TylerD]

Cora today... "We're an inconsistent team."

 

Acknowledgement is good. Fix it.

 

Did he show any spark or fire? Or was it the same old boring ass personality he usually shows? At least he isn't giving the usual "we fought hard and will continue to fight" He acknowledges that we suck and need to do something.

[mvp 78]

Given the specific nature of last night's loss, one of the very worst of the year given Sale's splendid start, you gotta like the chutzpah of someone who wants to go back for more while breaking a board rule. I might add with a Double A rookie on the mound tonight.

 

Nope

[TylerD]

Nope

 

Well when we win tonight and everyone is happy you can continue to sulk that I made the game thread.

[Kimmi]

No, this is bad mojo. There are rules to this.

 

The reason the Sox are playing so poorly is the bad game thread mojo we've been seeing all season long.

 

There's no other explanation for it.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I'm hoping Hernandez does well tonight, but seeing that he's a pitcher drafted by the SOX, the odds are against it.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

The reason the Sox are playing so poorly is the bad game thread mojo we've been seeing all season long.

 

There's no other explanation for it.

 

Seriously?

[Kimmi]

Has it worked this year? Like at all???? Has anything worked this year. We suck..... Rules go out the window when your team is hot garbage.

 

It's because the rules were broken early in the season and have been broken again and again.

 

That's why we stink.

 

Don't ever mess with mojo!!!

[Kimmi]

One year ago today, the eventual NL Champion Dodgers were 33-32...

 

Keep the Faith.

[Kimmi]

Lmao. That. I just couldn’t keep up. Ugh.

 

How is fatherhood treating you?

[Kimmi]

The San Francisco Giants were 33-33 en route to a 73-89 finish ...

 

Stop. Just stop.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

A good way to describe the SOX season so far is a well-used consumer phrase "not much bang for the buck."

[TylerD]

It's because the rules were broken early in the season and have been broken again and again.

 

That's why we stink.

 

Don't ever mess with mojo!!!

 

If we lose I will never create a Game Thread again. That is my promise to MVP, but if we win I keep going with this.

 

Parenthood has been fantastic Kimmi. He is a hand full but he sleeps awesome at night! Sleeps 8 out of 10 hours. However doesn't nap much during the day so my spouse is having a tough time hahaha. He likes to be carried a lot so her days are pretty much full with giving him attention. He is not a napper that's for sure lol.

[YastrzemskI]

Cora today... "We're an inconsistent team."

 

Acknowledgement is good. Fix it.

 

He was his usual cynical and smiling self. Par for the course. He also added that "We will be there in the end."

 

We'll see Alex.