8/15 vs O’s

[jung]

I would be looking to get tossed out of this game if I were managing the O's. Home plate ump is ridiculous and the O's actually at least have a shot at this game. I would have done it. What is there to lose.

[a700hitter]

Radio announcers are tearing into HP ump. Sounds like he has been awful.

[TylerD]

Nice day for E Rod.

[jung]

Radio announcers are tearing into HP ump. Sounds like he has been awful.

 

HP ump has been completely clueless. Strikes are balls, balls are strikes and to me the worst sin a HP ump can make, the make-up call has been in abundance today which leads to no single player having any idea where the strike zone is.

[moonslav59]

ROBO Umps- yesterday, already!

[iortiz]

Wonder whether mlb will do something after this strike calling.

 

Btw Ottavino is horrible.

[Maxbialystock]

Ottavino still struggling. HBP, wild pitches, walk, and a single. Pretty terrible.

 

So now in comes Whitlock who also struggled his last time out.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Wonder whether mlb will do something after this strike calling.

 

Btw Ottavino is horrible.

 

The Yankems didn't let him go w/o a reason. His history has been that he turns into a pumpkin later into the season.

[moonslav59]

The Yanks play tomorrow- the day before our doubleheader with them.

 

We have Monday and Thursday off, this week and then Monday off next week. (Time for other teams to catch up on our total games played.)

 

I'm guessing we go with these starters:

 

8/16 off

8/17 @NYY Eovaldi (+1 day rest)

8/17 @NYY Houck

8/18 @NYY Pivetta

8/19 off

8/20 TEX Sale (+1 day rest)

8/21 TEX ERod (+1)

8/22 TEX Eovaldi

8/23 off

8/24 MIN Houck (+2)

8/25 MIN Pivetta (+1)

8/26 MIN Sale (+1)

then 7 straight road games (3@ CLE & 4 @TBR) with no days off from 8/24 to 9/9- 16 straight games.

 

 

[Bellhorn04]

Great work by Whitlock.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Wonder whether mlb will do something after this strike calling.

 

 

Btw Ottavino is horrible.

 

MLB's league office is afraid of the umpires' union. Those f'ing chUMPS will go on strike at the drop of a hat.

Btw, the league office should do something about the O's franchise; the O's have been terrible for a long time w/o any attempt at improvement.

Edited August 15, 2021 by SPLENDIDSPLINTER

[Maxbialystock]

Fastball down the middle to get out of the top of the 7th. Still, Whitlock got 2 outs and ended that Orioles rally--thanks mostly to Ottavino's rotten pitching.

[moonslav59]

The Yankems didn't let him go w/o a reason. His history has been that he turns into a pumpkin later into the season.

 

Don't believe all the bad press.

 

2020 (.772 OPS Against)

.644 AUG

.910 SEP (one bad month)

 

2019 (.624 season)

.634 AUG

.641 SEP

 

2018 (.509 season)

.638 AUG

.542 SEP

 

2017 (.786 season)

.771 AUG (one not so great month)

.674 SEP

 

While there has been some drop offs later in the season, all but 2 of these 8 months listed were very respectable.

 

Career (.677 overall)

.632 AUG

.704 SEP

(Combined pretty close to .677)

[moonslav59]

Just like that, Schwarber now leads the team in OPS at 1.167.

[jung]

Travis Shaw once again a Red Sox player. I wonder if Cadaver Henry rose up from his casket and told Bloom he needed to do something.

[Maxbialystock]

The Yanks play tomorrow- the day before our doubleheader with them.

 

We have Monday and Thursday off, this week and then Monday off next week. (Time for other teams to catch up on our total games played.)

 

I'm guessing we go with these starters:

 

8/16 off

8/17 @NYY Eovaldi (+1 day rest)

8/17 @NYY Houck

8/18 @NYY Pivetta

8/19 off

8/20 TEX Sale (+1 day rest)

8/21 TEX ERod (+1)

8/22 TEX Eovaldi

8/23 off

8/24 MIN Houck (+2)

8/25 MIN Pivetta (+1)

8/26 MIN Sale (+1)

then 7 straight road games (3@ CLE & 4 @TBR) with no days off from 8/24 to 9/9- 16 straight games.

 

 

 

Sox rotation pitched well against the Orioles--not that great a feat--and weren't that bad vs. the Rays (without Sale).

 

The question is whether the bullpen can get back on track. Barnes was awful vs. the Rays. Ottavino is struggling and may have an injured shoulder.

Edited August 15, 2021 by Maxbialystock

[Maxbialystock]

Whitlock looks back on the beam with three good pitches--fastball, changeup, and slider--and pretty good command. He gets 5 straight outs, 3 of them K's, vs. the first five in the Orioles order. Edited August 15, 2021 by Maxbialystock

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Regarding the Houck-Whitlock discussion of which one should start next year and which one should relieve, I would go with Whitlock as the starter because he has command of more pitches than Houck. And one of Whitlock's pitches is an excellent change-up.

[iortiz]

Regarding the Houck-Whitlock discussion of which one should start next year and which one should relieve, I would go with Whitlock as the starter because he has command of more pitches than Houck. And one of Whitlock's pitches is an excellent change-up.

 

I’d go with Houck but why not try both.

[moonslav59]

Sox rotation pitched well against the Orioles--not that great a feat--and weren't that bad vs. the Rays (without Sale).

 

The question is whether the bullpen can get back on track. Barnes was awful vs. the Rays. Ottavino is struggling and may have an injured shoulder.

 

With 3 of the next 8 days off and despite the doubleheader on Tuesday, our pen is now well rested and should not be taxed until after next Monday.

 

I'm not saying that's all they needed, but let's see...

[Maxbialystock]

Regarding the Houck-Whitlock discussion of which one should start next year and which one should relieve, I would go with Whitlock as the starter because he has command of more pitches than Houck. And one of Whitlock's pitches is an excellent change-up.

 

Agree Whitlock is the better pitcher. But is he a starter?

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Regarding the Houck-Whitlock discussion of which one should start next year and which one should relieve, I would go with Whitlock as the starter because he has command of more pitches than Houck. And one of Whitlock's pitches is an excellent change-up.

 

With that being said, maybe both will start next season. I just feel that Whitlock has too much good stuff to be a reliever.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Agree Whitlock is the better pitcher. But is he a starter?

 

Time will tell; it always does.

[iortiz]

With 3 of the next 8 days off and despite the doubleheader on Tuesday, our pen is now well rested and should not be taxed until after next Monday.

 

I'm not saying that's all they needed, but let's see...

Good point. The BP has been taxed a lot.

[moonslav59]

I’d go with Houck but why not try both.

 

We could do that, but I think we'll use the spending budget on a solid SP'er and use Houck to fill Ottavino's role or become the closer.

 

Sale

Greinke

Eovaldi

Whitlock

Pivetta

 

Houck and Barnes as the top 2 RP'ers.

 

(I'd be fine swapping Houck & Whitlock, but as of right now- and things can change- I think Whitlock fits the role of SP'er pitcher better for 2022.

[Maxbialystock]

With 3 of the next 8 days off and despite the doubleheader on Tuesday, our pen is now well rested.

 

I'm not saying that's all they needed, but let's see...

 

Absolutely agree on the rest part. But Ottavino stunk today and to me Barnes is still a question mark, and those two habitually pitched the 8th and 9th innings.

 

Sawamura seems OK, ditto Taylor.

 

The Yankees series will provide big clues on how our bullpen is.

Edited August 15, 2021 by Maxbialystock

[moonslav59]

Agree Whitlock is the better pitcher. But is he a starter?

 

Is Houck, if he can't get by the 19th batter?

 

Sure, if he can get 14 to 16 of the first 18 out, every game, but I'm not sure we can count on that from anyone.

[oldtimer]

Good point. The BP has been taxed a lot.

 

Taylor is now out on a Covid break. He is one of our top 5 so it thins us down a bit, at least until he returns.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

The Yankems didn't let him go w/o a reason. His history has been that he turns into a pumpkin later into the season.

 

Speaking of pumpkins, Barnes are you listening?

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Taylor is now out on a Covid break. He is one of our top 5 so it thins us down a bit, at least until he returns.

 

With the Yankems coming up that is certainly not good news. Thank you, Capt Obvious.