July 22: BOS (Houck) vs NYY (Montgomery)

[mvp 78]

The PVR is one of mankind's greatest achievements.

 

Where's that editor when you need one?!?!?!?!?

[Thunder]

The PVR is one of mankind's greatest achievements.

 

I hate watching recordings of sporting events, especially when I already know the outcome. Sports are meant to be watched life. I'm going to the game tomorrow (and maybe tonight), so it all evens out

[Bellhorn04]

Where's that editor when you need one?!?!?!?!?

 

That's what we usually call them here.

[dgalehouse]

Closing ain't easy. It is one of the highest pressure , most stressful things in sports . Everything is on your shoulders and all eyes are on you. Chad Green has good stuff , but the situation was too big for him last night. And you almost had to feel sorry for that kid , Kriske in the 10th. He was completely overwhelmed and wanted to be anywhere in the world but on that mound. What was Boone thinking ? We should appreciate Matt Barnes and how well he has taken to that role. Sox sweep the Yanks away.

[mvp 78]

That's what we usually call them here.

 

No you don't.

[Bellhorn04]

Closing ain't easy. It is one of the highest pressure , most stressful things in sports . Everything is on your shoulders and all eyes are on you. Chad Green has good stuff , but the situation was too big for him last night. And you almost had to feel sorry for that kid , Kriske in the 10th. He was completely overwhelmed and wanted to be anywhere in the world but on that mound. What was Boone thinking ? We should appreciate Matt Barnes and how well he has taken to that role. Sox sweep the Yanks away.

 

Calling for the 4 game sweep Denny?

[Bellhorn04]

No you don't.

 

https://bellaliant.bell.ca/support/pvr/2394

[mvp 78]

http://I tivo'd the game last night.

 

Ok.

[dgalehouse]

Calling for the 4 game sweep Denny?

 

Absolutely . I think it is a very real possibility , if not a probability . Obviously , Cole stands in the way. But we have the Yanks on the brink .

[Maxbialystock]

What are the chances that houck gets another start?

 

I should think the answer to that is an emphatic 100%. However, Perez is paid $6M and Richards $8.5M (or is it $10M?) to be starters, so maybe Bloom will want to get Henry's money's worth out of them.

 

In this latest bring-up, Houck has been dazzling good in 3 innings and then 4.2 innings--and given up 0 earned runs. He has a regular fastball and one that breaks down, and a very good slider and, occasionally (once last night?), a splitter. We saw last night he can even pitch in the freaking rain.

 

Frankly, I don't like Richards or Perez, moonslav's skillful defense of them notwithstanding.

 

But the real point is that Houck is a great addition to the pitching staff however he is used, and he has a manager who will use him wisely.

[Bellhorn04]

Frankly, I don't like Richards or Perez, moonslav's skillful defense of them notwithstanding.

 

Seems to me you were really liking Perez and really disliking E-Rod not so long ago.

[Thunder]

Absolutely . I think it is a very real possibility , if not a probability . Obviously , Cole stands in the way. But we have the Yanks on the brink .

 

A sweep would likely put them out of reach in the wild card as well. Don't see Tampa or Oakland collapsing down the stretch

[Bellhorn04]

Absolutely . I think it is a very real possibility , if not a probability . Obviously , Cole stands in the way. But we have the Yanks on the brink .

 

And we were pretty gosh darn lucky to win last night.

[Maxbialystock]

But not faster than Duran, who would have scored.

 

That's not what those numbers (from mvp 78) tell me. Duran is faster than Dalbec, but by a tiny margin--and Dalbec, who took off at the crack of the bat and never slowed down, was out by a mile because all the SS had to do was make an easy throw home after a grounder he fielded cleanly.

 

Plus Dalbec, for whatever reason, got two clean singles last night which contributed to the first unearned run and the two in the bottom of the 9th.

 

Indeed, the bottom of the Sox order--Verdugo, Dalbec, and Chavis--had 6 of the Sox 10 hits last night, which is why our leadoff batter, Hernandez, had 3 rbi's (the other one going to Renfroe on that short sac fly) last night. Devers, Bogie, and JDM crapped out in the rbi department and Renfroe tried his darndest to crap out.

Edited July 23, 2021 by Maxbialystock

[Maxbialystock]

And we were pretty gosh darn lucky to win last night.

 

I'm not so sure. Yes, certainly, a lot of bitter fireworks on this game thread about how the hitting stinks, how Vazquez leads MLB in passed balls, etc.--but that 9th inning rally was absolutely not luck. The bottom of the order was getting singles, none of them lucky, all night long, and Hernandez, the Sox hottest hitter right now, ended up with 3 of the Sox 4 rbi's--including the 2 (off a double) that tied the game. So no luck there.

 

As for the 10th, yes, those WP's were lucky for us, but beyond question a demonstration of how screwed up the Yankees bullpen and catcher are. When Andriese gave up 3 runs in the 12th at Oakland 3 weeks ago, no one on talksox said that was bad luck. We correctly agreed Andriese stinks and then argued about whether Cora had any other options (he didn't).

[Maxbialystock]

Seems to me you were really liking Perez and really disliking E-Rod not so long ago.

 

Not quite. I really liked Pivetta and never liked Perez. As for ERod, I have always had my doubts about him because I did not think he was dedicated to his profession, which is incredibly demanding--kind of the polar opposite of Chris Sale. He has to be, for example, one of the worst fielding pitchers in MLB and one who almost refuses to cover 1b on grounders to the right (his left).

 

Moonslav59, however, reminded me this year that ERod missed all of last year because of COVID and its effect on his heart. Then I took another look at what ERod was doing and decided he was probably one of the few MLB pitchers who was not doctoring the baseball. Moreover, this year, his command has improved, ditto his changeup and his mix of pitches. However, he still has that horrendous ERA (5.19). So right now I put him ahead of Perez and Richards and after Eovaldi, Pivetta, and now Houck.

[dgalehouse]

And we were pretty gosh darn lucky to win last night.

 

Yeah , but those count too. When you're hot , you're hot. And I'll say it again: Closin' ain't easy.

[Bellhorn04]

I'm not so sure. Yes, certainly, a lot of bitter fireworks on this game thread about how the hitting stinks, how Vazquez leads MLB in passed balls, etc.--but that 9th inning rally was absolutely not luck. The bottom of the order was getting singles, none of them lucky, all night long, and Hernandez, the Sox hottest hitter right now, ended up with 3 of the Sox 4 rbi's--including the 2 (off a double) that tied the game. So no luck there.

 

Not saying they didn't deserve to win. But when you tie the game on a 2 run double with 2 outs in the 9th, there's a significant element of luck.

[Bellhorn04]

Not quite. I really liked Pivetta and never liked Perez.

 

Now you're gonna make me go post digging.

[Bellhorn04]

Yeah , but those count too. When you're hot , you're hot. And I'll say it again: Closin' ain't easy.

 

I wouldn't say we were hot coming into this series though. We beat the Jays twice, but before that we lost 6 of 8, and had lost the last 2 to the Yanks in somewhat ugly fashion.

[dgalehouse]

I wouldn't say we were hot coming into this series though. We beat the Jays twice, but before that we lost 6 of 8, and had lost the last 2 to the Yanks in somewhat ugly fashion.

 

The season in general and the way it has gone for the Sox and the Yanks.

[Maxbialystock]

Closing ain't easy. It is one of the highest pressure , most stressful things in sports . Everything is on your shoulders and all eyes are on you. Chad Green has good stuff , but the situation was too big for him last night. And you almost had to feel sorry for that kid , Kriske in the 10th. He was completely overwhelmed and wanted to be anywhere in the world but on that mound. What was Boone thinking ? We should appreciate Matt Barnes and how well he has taken to that role. Sox sweep the Yanks away.

 

Closing, shmosing. Ottavino almost gave the game away last night in the 8th inning right after the Sox tied it on the weak sac fly, and Ottavino is a very experienced and well paid reliever who overall has been good for the Sox bullpen this year.

 

My version of the 9th is that the Sox hitting, led by the bottom of the order, finally came through. Verdugo, Dalbec, and Chavis combined for 6 of the Sox 10 hits, and both Verdugo and Dalbec singled in the 9th. However, Green also K'd Vazquez (of course) and got Plawecki on a line out to Gardner in left. When Hernandez, the Sox hottest hitter right now, came to bat the Sox had two on and two out, and Hernandez simply hammered that fastball off the wall--which Gardner couldn't handle so Duran, pinch-running, was able to score from 1b.

 

So, me, I think the Sox earned that tie in the 9th and Green didn't fold.

 

As for Kriske, he was in there for the same reason Andriese pitched the 12th with a 2 run lead three weeks ago at Oakland. The four wild pitches weren't just because he was nervous, they were also the result of a catcher who couldn't field them and a catcher and manager and pitching coach who allowed Kriske to keep throwing those curves despite the fact that he K'd JDM on fastballs.

 

Back to my point. I think the 7th and 8th innings are often just as important as the 9th or 10th in terms of game outcomes, and that's why winning teams usually have well-stocked bullpens. Goodness knows that, as good as Barnes has been this year, there have many games in which the earlier Sox relievers laid the groundwork for Barnes to get his save. Indeed, last night Taylor, Hernandez, and Rios combined for 3.1 scoreless innings. Only Ottavino stumbled, maybe because this was his 3d appearance in 3 games in 3 days.

[Maxbialystock]

Now you're gonna make me go post digging.

 

By all means, do so. My memory stinks.

[moonslav59]

Pivetta and Perez are a major reason we are in first place.

 

These two were our 5th and 6th starters, going into this year. (1 Sale, 2 ERod, 3 Eovaldi, 4 Richards)

 

We are 24-16 in their starts. That's a 60% win percentage!

 

Our record with our 1-4 starters (counting 0-0 by Sale) is almost the same (.608).

[dgalehouse]

Closing, shmosing. Ottavino almost gave the game away last night in the 8th inning right after the Sox tied it on the weak sac fly, and Ottavino is a very experienced and well paid reliever who overall has been good for the Sox bullpen this year.

 

My version of the 9th is that the Sox hitting, led by the bottom of the order, finally came through. Verdugo, Dalbec, and Chavis combined for 6 of the Sox 10 hits, and both Verdugo and Dalbec singled in the 9th. However, Green also K'd Vazquez (of course) and got Plawecki on a line out to Gardner in left. When Hernandez, the Sox hottest hitter right now, came to bat the Sox had two on and two out, and Hernandez simply hammered that fastball off the wall--which Gardner couldn't handle so Duran, pinch-running, was able to score from 1b.

 

So, me, I think the Sox earned that tie in the 9th and Green didn't fold.

 

As for Kriske, he was in there for the same reason Andriese pitched the 12th with a 2 run lead three weeks ago at Oakland. The four wild pitches weren't just because he was nervous, they were also the result of a catcher who couldn't field them and a catcher and manager and pitching coach who allowed Kriske to keep throwing those curves despite the fact that he K'd JDM on fastballs.

 

Back to my point. I think the 7th and 8th innings are often just as important as the 9th or 10th in terms of game outcomes, and that's why winning teams usually have well-stocked bullpens. Goodness knows that, as good as Barnes has been this year, there have many games in which the earlier Sox relievers laid the groundwork for Barnes to get his save. Indeed, last night Taylor, Hernandez, and Rios combined for 3.1 scoreless innings. Only Ottavino stumbled, maybe because this was his 3d appearance in 3 games in 3 days.

 

Maxie , You are being extremely truculent lately. Even by your usual standards. " Closing, shmosing " is cute though. You get a point for that.

[Maxbialystock]

Not saying they didn't deserve to win. But when you tie the game on a 2 run double with 2 outs in the 9th, there's a significant element of luck.

 

Nope. When the Sox fail to rally, as indeed they seemed to be doing continually last night, no one on talksox says, "oh, golly, gee, what bad luck." Nosiree. The cry immediately goes forth, "why can't these bums hit, for crying out loud."

 

As I just said, Verdugo and Dalbec were already getting hits before the 9th inning last night. The problem was with the top of the order until Hernandez finally came through, but I think you will have to agree that, as hot as he has been recently, by the 9th inning he was due.

 

And, if you want to bring luck into it, I would argue that Ottavino, who has been terrific, had bad luck in the 8th.

 

Even Kriske in the 10th was not bad luck for the Yankees, no more than Andriese was for the Sox three weeks ago in the 12th inning at Oakland.

[Maxbialystock]

Maxie , You are being extremely truculent lately. Even by your usual standards. " Closing, shmosing " is cute though. You get a point for that.

 

Truculent might be the right word. I am certainly fed up with the sanctification of closers in an era when the best starters in MLB only average 6.6 innings per start and a reasonably good starter like Rich Hill can average 5 innings per start.

 

Indeed, the trend for some time now has been to build deep bullpens. I think Barnes is having a great year, but I think what makes our bullpen so good is that he is backed up by Whitlock (who has a higher WAR), Ottavino, Sawamura, Taylor, Hernandez, et al.

[dgalehouse]

Not for nothing , but the " Manfred Man " on second base to start an extra inning is an absolute abomination and a travesty. Get rid of it.

[Bellhorn04]

By all means, do so. My memory stinks.

 

Here's the post about Perez I remembered.

 

https://www.talksox.com/forum/threads/20093-June-3-BOS-(Perez)-HOU-(Odorizzi)?p=1390438&viewfull=1#post1390438

[iortiz]

Duran flies. Dalbec Moves like he is carrying a refrigerator. Duran definitely scores on the ball Devers hit in the 7th.

 

I just arrived home and just grabbed a beer and put on the TV the game again. My point stands. I would have PRed Dalbec for Duran. Duran would have scored, and the game at that point would have been 2-1 and still 2 outs with XB coming AB (with RISP) and the momentum at its pick but that's history.

 

We won anyways which is great, but in the later scenario the drama would have likely been avoided.

 

Said that Cora is a great manger, I have said that several times, but still, we can point out his decisions here and there and it doesn't mean we are complaining/ranting/bashing/bitching either LOL