The Official 2021 ALCS Thread

[Thunder]

Like Millar, I also drink whiskey before starting my job. That 10 key isn't going to sum itself.

 

Love that 10 key

[mvp 78]

Love that 10 key

 

 

Get this tattooed on my throat, but the numbers would be 5318008.

[Maxbialystock]

As much as it saddens me to see Bobby Dee at oh for 10 in the post season, my jaw drops when I look over the OPS numbers:

 

1.266 Kike (What a great signing- one of only two multiyear deals, last winter)

1.200 JD (Rumors of his loss of bat speed were just that- rumors.)

1.085 Bogey (Gotta wonder if that IL stint helped heal his wrist.)

1.041 Schwarber (Everything we'd hoped he'd be- ok, except on D.)

1.017 Devers (If he can do this one-handed & blind-folded...)

1.000 Shaw (He's done a lot in such few PAs for us.)

.913 Verdugo (I was beginning to wonder if '19-'20 was a dream.)

.882 Vaz (Saving all this for the playoffs- GENIUS!)

.750 Plawecki (Eovaldi's private caddy keeping the CERA talk relevant.)

.741 Renfroe (This wouldn't look so bad, if it wasn't for the GIDPs!)

.579 Arroyo (Keeping the defense real at 2B after Iggy's departure.)

.000 Dalbec (He's working on losing even a platoon.)

 

The pitching is not too bad, either:

4.2 IP of scoreless pitching by Taylor, Barnes, Ottavino, Davis & Richards

2.08 Whitlock in 4.1 IP (All year, this guy has carried us.)

2.57 Houck in 7.0 (The 2 kids giving us 11.1 IP of 2.38 combined!)

2.61 Big Nate in 10.1 (Talk about carrying us...)

3.12 Pivetta in 8.2 (Seemingly out of nowhere, but has shown this B4.)

5.40 ERod in 6.2 (His bounce back start was the best of our playoffs.)

6.75 Brasier in 2.2 (Faith has been tested but is not gone.)

6.75 Robles in 2.2 (Same as Brasier)

45.00 Sale in 1 IP (Gotta think he can improve on this. LOL)

 

 

I think I said something like this earlier on this thread when I said that the Sox have a higher team OPS (.919 vs. .803) than the Astros in this postseason--and a lower team ERA (4.13 vs. 4.63). Those numbers of course include the wild card game vs. the Yankees.

 

The specifics are well worth seeing in your format. The Sox are hitting and pitching at their best right now despite the horrible starts by ERod in game 1 and especially Sale in game 2. Thus the importance of having Houck, Pivetta, and Whitlock.

 

If there is a parallel to past Sox WS teams, maybe it's with the 2004 version with that great lineup led by Ortiz and Ramirez, but, Mr. Bloody Sock notwithstanding, not such great pitching.

 

The 2004 postseason Sox team OPS was .827 and team ERA 4.47.

 

As for this ALCS in 2021, I think the Sox just might have the edge in pitching, insane as that sounds. I say this because pitching tends to be more of a constant than hitting.

[Slasher9]

325-7

 

be fair. we scored 8.

[Slasher9]

Thanks, Slash. Cool factoid isn't it?

 

its AWESOME. since 2004 the Red Sox have been the HAMMER and the MFY have been the NAIL.

[Slasher9]

The Mets also won their most recent playoff series against the Yankees... Double whammy

 

I do not understand this statement. but i would love it if it really did happen.

[Slasher9]

It's been up for over 6 months you quitter.

 

busy saving the planet. i will try and be better.

[moonslav59]

This is the 5th straight ALCS appearance by the Astros, but it should be pointed out that this is not the same team. Sure, they added Tucker and other very good players, but there is no George Springer, and these were their best SP'ers in those 5 years:

 

2017:

1.06 Verlander (5 starts after the trade)

2.90 Keuchel

3.55 McHugh

3.62 Morton

4.25 McCullers

4.77 Musgrove

 

2018

2.52 Verlander

2.88 Cole

3.13 Morton

3.74 Keuchel

3.86 McCullers

(2.19 F Valdez in 5 GS)

 

2019

2.58 Verlander

2.50 Cole

3.02 Greinke

3.98 Miley

4.12 Peacock

4.70 McHugh

 

2020

2.73 Urquidy (5 GS)

3.48 Javier

3.57 Valdez

3.93 McCullers

4.03 Greinke

 

2021

3.16 McCullers (uncertain health)

3.14 Valdez (27 yrs old)

3.30 L Garcia (rookie- 24 y/o)

3.62 Urquidy (26 yrs old)

4.16 Greinke (29GS but not expected to start, at all)

 

While their starters' numbers look pretty good, there isn't a whole lot of experience there.

 

I like our match-ups, especially without McCullers.

 

The Astros pen had these numbers:

4.06 ERA

1.303 WHIP

.700 OPS Against

 

[notin]

Cowboy up was a reference to Wade Boggs getting injured while taking off his cowboy boots.

 

But Margo said he liked to keep them on!!

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

I wasn't all that confident going in, house money is what I'm thinking. But I'm more encouraged after seeing these posts.

[mvp 78]

But Margo said he liked to keep them on!!

 

The moustache rides weren't free...

 

I remember being at Fenway when fans were chanting her name.

[mvp 78]

Odds to win the series:

HOU: -162

BOS: +135

[mvp 78]

@NBCSEdgeBB

McCullers (forearm) 'most likely out' for ALCS

[a700hitter]

busy saving the planet. i will try and be better.

I feel so safe.

[moonslav59]

@NBCSEdgeBB

McCullers (forearm) 'most likely out' for ALCS

 

It's the elbow, per local reports.

 

Yes, they are saying "out."

[YastrzemskI]

It's the elbow, per local reports.

 

Yes, they are saying "out."

 

Looks like a feather in our cap. Hopefully something is bothering Altuve and Correa too.

[mvp 78]

It's the elbow, per local reports.

 

Yes, they are saying "out."

 

Read that he "could" be available for WS. Seems unlikely? If you can go, you have to pitch in the ALCS or you never make it to the WS. Maybe they look at the Sox the way the Rays did.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Looks like a feather in our cap. Hopefully something is bothering Altuve and Correa too.

 

... stark-raving decibel drunkards posing as college students beginning Monday.

[Bellhorn04]

Looks like a feather in our cap. Hopefully something is bothering Altuve and Correa too.

 

Personally I'm going with the good karma approach and saying I wish injury on no one.

[notin]

Personally I'm going with the good karma approach and saying I wish injury on no one.

 

NEVER wish an injury on an opposing player. Screw karma! I just want to beat them when they are at full strength and take away those excuses!

[notin]

I do think it might be fun if, on the first home game, Fenway had a "trash can lid and hammer" giveaway night and the fans all pounded on them every time Altuve, Bregman and Correa came to bat.

 

At least, it might be fun for like 2 innings...

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Personally I'm going with the good karma approach and saying I wish injury on no one.

 

I'm ok with the crowd doing damage to eardrums -- but totally against waving hankies of any color; those spinning seals are almost as bad as the non-Marcus simians banging paws on the wrestling mats draped over the rightfield foul line in Stankee Yadium.

 

Someone noted the other day that the apparent younger and louder crowd at Fenway this postseason is a generational phenomenon. Postadolescents have grown accustomed to the Red Sox succeeding in October -- which is the opposite of the nervous older types sitting on their hands in the box seats awaiting the worst that Fox used to show exclusively when it still clung to the fatalistic fan narrative relished by now-nostalgic New Yorkers.

[Maxbialystock]

It's the elbow, per local reports.

 

Yes, they are saying "out."

 

Big deal, like the Sox losing Eovaldi. Tough break. I am not an Astros hater because, despite the infamy of the sign-stealing, they have built a solid franchise over the years.

 

Sox chances for the WS get even better, which is all the more astonishing given that two weeks ago today they had just lost 2 of 3 at Baltimore after losing 3 straight at Fenway to the Yankees. Two weeks ago today a big bunch of us weren't sure the Sox would make the postseason and/or even wondered if they deserved to.

 

Now, thanks to some brilliant managing by Cora vs. the Nats, whom the Sox swept, but not easily, to get the wild card home field, followed by a great start by Eovaldi to beat Cole and the NYY for the ALDS slot, followed by more brilliant managing combined with great hitting and some gutsy pitching--thanks to all of that--the Sox are now likely favorites to win the ALCS and get to the WS with a team which was not expected to win 90 games this season.

[Maxbialystock]

NEVER wish an injury on an opposing player. Screw karma! I just want to beat them when they are at full strength and take away those excuses!

 

Very well said!

[YastrzemskI]

NEVER wish an injury on an opposing player. Screw karma! I just want to beat them when they are at full strength and take away those excuses!

 

In the moment some people care about that sort of thing but later on no one gives a damn. Injuries are a part of sports. Plenty of our players are not at full strength. I don’t think that the Astros care..

[Bellhorn04]

I do think it might be fun if, on the first home game, Fenway had a "trash can lid and hammer" giveaway night and the fans all pounded on them every time Altuve, Bregman and Correa came to bat.

 

At least, it might be fun for like 2 innings...

 

Cora might find it a little embarrassing...

[moonslav59]

Sox chances for the WS get even better, which is all the more astonishing given that two weeks ago today they had just lost 2 of 3 at Baltimore after losing 3 straight at Fenway to the Yankees. Two weeks ago today a big bunch of us weren't sure the Sox would make the postseason and/or even wondered if they deserved to.

 

It sounded like some were hoping we'd lose to "put us out of our misery."

 

The whole "this team has no chance to win," to me, really meant, if we keep playing like this, but when I pressed posters to explain about meaning "playing like this" or not, they spoke of no chance to turn things around.

 

I tried pointing out how many turn arounds we had, all year. Good to bad- bad to good, starting with losing 3 @ BAL then winning 9 in a row, but some would have nothing of any hint of optimism.

 

We were playing like s***, and there was no way that could change.

 

If this season should have taught us anything, it was that turn-arounds were the norm- not the exception, and not just with the Sox. Almost the whole AL was wildly inconsistent.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

In the moment some people care about that sort of thing but later on no one gives a damn. Injuries are a part of sports. Plenty of our players are not at full strength. I don’t think that the Astros care..

 

When Conigliaro, Rice and Evans couldn't play in the big games in '67/'75/'78, the Cardinals, Reds and Yankees sent them all "Get Well Later" cards.

[moonslav59]

When Conigliaro, Rice and Evans couldn't play in the big games in '67/'75/'78, the Cardinals, Reds and Yankees sent them all "Get Well Later" cards.

 

Those were three very big injuries that very well might have tilted the balance to the opponents.

 

Sad.

[mvp 78]

If this season should have taught us anything, it was that turn-arounds were the norm- not the exception, and not just with the Sox. Almost the whole AL was wildly inconsistent.

 

If turn-arounds are the norm, should we expect a tail-spin in the near future then?