8/29 @ Cleveland

[Nick]

When is Brasier coming back? He's rehab is matching that of Santana. I bet he get activated tomorrow. Another torrid slumper.

[Nick]

Is Darwinzon on vacation?

[oldtimer]

We also knew we were short of BP help tonight so giving up 7 is no surprise. Better defense would help.

[moonslav59]

Let's give Xander a new contract so we can watch his mediocre defense for five more years.

 

If we pull this out, today, it will likely come down to Bogey's bat.

[moonslav59]

Is Darwinzon on vacation?

 

On the IL

[illinoisredsox]

We can't worry about defense. We're built to our score the opponent.

 

5 runs should be enough to win a game. The double off Robles should have been caught. Xander should have caught that liner. It’s cost 3 runs.

[jad]

Can Devers pitch?

[Nick]

I guess what Cora really meant when he said he's not concerned about the starting pitching was that he was more concerned with his bullpen.

 

That absolutely makes sense now.

[TylerD]

Last chance

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

we have nothing better on our 9th ranked farm?

 

 

Getting pitching from the SOX farm system is rarer than finding a pearl in an oyster.

[Nick]

All kidding aside, we get Rays tomorrow. I feel a sweep coming.

[TylerD]

I guess what Cora really meant when he said he's not concerned about the starting pitching was that he was more concerned with his bullpen.

 

That absolutely makes sense now.

 

Starting to wonder if Barnes will ever get it together.

[a700hitter]

This one hurt. And it is on Bloom.

[Nick]

Getting pitching from the SOX farm system is rarer than finding a pearl in an oyster.

 

I like that!

[moonslav59]

All kidding aside, we get Rays tomorrow. I feel a sweep coming.

 

Just when things look as down as can be, surprises happen.

[a700hitter]

All kidding aside, we get Rays tomorrow. I feel a sweep coming.

By which team?

[redsoxrules]

6-3 in these last 9 games against complete s*** teams isn't going to cut it

[Nick]

We need major rain outs so we get multiple double headers, you know 7 inning games.

[moonslav59]

This one hurt. And it is on Bloom.

 

Then, so are the 75 wins- already more than you projected.

[Oscars]

It shouldn’t be a surprise when you bring in 2 relievers late with 5+ ERAs, that they blow the game.

[a700hitter]

Then, so are the 75 wins- already more than you projected.

No, and all of the losses aren’t on Bloom either, but this loss is on him for Robles and Davis.

[moonslav59]

It's hard to complain about injuries, when this team has seen so few, but it would have been nice to have DHern, Bazardo, Seabold and Rios all healthy.

 

It's like we have all our injuries at just 1 or 2 positions. (RP & 2B)

[moonslav59]

No, and all of the losses aren’t on Bloom either, but this loss is on him for Robles and Davis.

 

Part is on the defense, and it wasn't like Robles and Davis were supposed to pitch so many high leverage games.

 

Yes, he can be partially blamed for those two choices, but blaming one guy for a loss is neglecting everyone else who had a hand in this loss, and there were many.

[Larry Cook]

Good news today: houck looked good until he ran out of gas.

 

Bad news today: the bullpen is a dumpster fire!

[Oscars]

All 4 relievers gave up hits that cost runs, so they take the bulk of the blame.

You hit 3 HRs you typically win, but the offence was 1/8 with RISP.

[moonslav59]

Good news today: houck looked good until he ran out of gas.

 

Bad news today: the bullpen is a dumpster fire!

 

Devers was good news, too, and it's nice to see JD coming out of that horrid slump.

 

Dalbec & Duran getting on base 2 of 4 times, each was good to see.

[moonslav59]

All 4 relievers gave up hits that cost runs, so they take the bulk of the blame.

You hit 3 HRs you typically win, but the offence was 1/8 with RISP.

 

Our pen has sucked, but the D has to do something to pick them up in times of greatest need. Instead they shrink when it counts most.

 

No doubt, our pen let up some hard hits, but we have to make the freakin' plays when it counts.

 

I guess you should expect your 6th string 2Bman to make a blunder, and I've never been high on Bogey's D, buy MAN-O-Freakin'-Man!

[iortiz]

Bloom really s*** the bed getting these 2 relievers.

 

That’s blasphemy.

 

Cora always knows what’s he’s doing.

[iortiz]

This one hurt. And it is on Bloom.

 

Yup. He s*** the bed badly bringing in these 2 guys. They are f***ing garbage, literally.

[Maxbialystock]

Our pen has sucked, but the D has to do something to pick them up in times of greatest need. Instead they shrink when it counts most.

 

No doubt, our pen let up some hard hits, but we have to make the freakin' plays when it counts.

 

I guess you should expect your 6th string 2Bman to make a blunder, and I've never been high on Bogey's D, buy MAN-O-Freakin'-Man!

 

I disagree, emphatically. This is Bogey's 8th season as our starting SS, so by now you and I and everyone else should know he is steady at SS, but lacks range and quickness. His current overall WAR is 4.1, not too shabby, and it's because he's a very consistent hitter (when his wrist doesn't hurt).

 

And exactly when did someone announce that Schwarber would be another Verdugo in LF? He was hired to play 1b and DH, but, with Renfroe and Kike--both of whom you clearly have forgotten about--out, it made sense to put Schwarber in LF, again. Plus I thought that was a tough catch for anyone. If Verdugo had caught it, we would have given him a rave.

 

And you are darn right our pitchers got hit hard. Neither Bogey nor Schwarber was charged with an error. But Munoz was because he was a sub who just got lost out there.

 

And our pitchers getting hit hard should not have been a surprise. Cora used his best guys to get tough wins in games 1 and 2. Plus Houck, as good as he certainly was--a no-hitter after 5 innings--wasted pitches by walking 4 guys, which made it possible for him to face Cleveland's lineup the 3d time in the 6th inning, when he got one out, gave up the dinger to Ramirez, and hit the next two guys. After that, Taylor came in with 2 on and 1 out and made sure both scored. So he didn't do his job, nor did Robles or Davis. Even Barnes gave up a single for getting his 1 stinking out.

 

Let me make it clear that the real culprits were the bullpen, no surprise. Houck made some mistakes, but he absolutely did his job. This was a good start. We knew before this game started that, unless the lineup--missing Renfroe, Kike and Arroyo--scored a bunch of runs, we were going to need the bullpen and that the bullpen was fresh out of good arms. Actually, there's a caveat to that. It's possible Cora could have used Whitlock or Richards, but the Sox start playing 4 at Tampa tomorrow night. In this game, the duds were given a chance to show they could do something and utterly failed to so.

Edited August 30, 2021 by Maxbialystock