The Official 2021 ALCS Thread

[moonslav59]

https://umpscorecards.com/site-data/umpires.html

 

They should just retire the bottom 5 umps every year.

 

I like that idea.

 

Robo umps is better.

[mvp 78]

I like that idea.

 

Robo umps is better.

 

They just need to be programmed to have Laz's personality but not his strike zone.

[Old Red]

Well, I thought at the time the momentum had already shifted to the Astros because their bullpen was so effective.

 

Nevertheless, it was still a tie game, plus he had planned all along to use Eovaldi because last night was midway between Eovaldi's last start, last Saturday, and presumed next start, this Friday. That move, which made sense, turned sour when Eovaldi foolishly threw four straight fastballs to Correa, who led off the 9th with a double. Right guy, right inning, dumb pitching. When he mixed in breaking balls, he got two K's, but then came that single--after those presumed strikes were called balls--off a splitter a little up in the zone.

 

You want to make this game outcome all about what you think are Cora's mistakes, but I'm certain the real problem was that the Astros bullpen dominated the Sox lineup. If the Sox ain't hitting this postseason, they ain't winning. Cora in fact used his best arms last night--Pivetta, Taylor, Ottavino, Whitlock, and Eovaldi--until the Sox were down 3-2 in the 9th.

 

So now EO is a fool, and dumb? You are the one that said Cora gave up, and you are the one who said Perez was not the best choice to come into the game when he did, so by your own assumptions Cora gave up, or messed up, or both. You said it not me.

[moonslav59]

My updated pitcher trust guide:

 

Very High Confidence

Eovaldi

ERod

Pivetta

Whitlock

Houck

 

High Confidence

Taylor

Brasier

Robles

 

Moderate Confidence

Ottavino

 

Low Confidence

Sale

Sawamura

 

Very Low Confidence

DHern

 

No Confidence (New Category)

Perez

 

 

[mvp 78]

My updated pitcher trust guide:

 

Very High Confidence

Eovaldi

ERod

Pivetta

Whitlock

Houck

 

High Confidence

Taylor

Brasier

Robles

 

Moderate Confidence

Ottavino

 

Low Confidence

Sale

Sawamura

 

Very Low Confidence

DHern

 

No Confidence (New Category)

Perez

 

 

 

I am very far out on Ottavino. Maybe I just end up missing his good appearances?

[Old Red]

My updated pitcher trust guide:

 

Very High Confidence

Eovaldi

ERod

Pivetta

Whitlock

Houck

 

High Confidence

Taylor

Brasier

Robles

 

Moderate Confidence

Ottavino

 

Low Confidence

Sale

Sawamura

 

Very Low Confidence

DHern

 

No Confidence (New Category)

Perez

 

 

 

So why was Perez brought into a 1 run game last night?

[moonslav59]

So why was Perez brought into a 1 run game last night?

 

Don't ask the guy who did not want or think we needed 13 pitchers.

 

If I had to guess, Cora probably had some numbers on how Perez matched up with the batter.

 

He wanted Houck to pitch multiple innings today.

 

I'm not sure Sawamura or DHern would have done any better, and I don't know how they matched up with the next 3 batters, but I did not like bringing Perezz in.

[notin]

So why was Perez brought into a 1 run game last night?

 

To face Brantley, who had a .575 OPS v LHP this year. Taylor had already pitched, and Darwinzon Hernandez and his haphazard control is not the best solution with the bases loaded...

[d-money]

The sox need to come out today and take a lead early. If the Stros take a lead early i don’t like our chances. That’s why they need to put up zeros early.

[d-money]

To face Brantley, who had a .575 OPS v LHP this year. Taylor had already pitched, and Darwinzon Hernandez and his haphazard control is not the best solution with the bases loaded...

 

The guy sucks! I am not bringing him in a one run game. He could have a righty for all i care. Bring in Brasier.

[moonslav59]

I am very far out on Ottavino. Maybe I just end up missing his good appearances?

 

That must be it.

 

He's gone 4 playoff outings with 3.1 IP

0 BB (Miracle)

1 Hit

0 ER

0/4 IR/IS

 

Sure, the end of the season was a mess for Adam, as were several other stretches during the season...

 

Here are some cherry-picked time framed-stats from the last 2 months.

 

IP- H- ER- BB- K

2.1 1 0 0 3 AUG 1-7

2.0 3 2 1 0 AUG 8-17

7.1 4 0 6 8 AUG 18-SEP3

1.2 5 4 0 2 SEP 4-9

3.1 0 0 2 5 SEP 7-21

3.1 7 5 3 4 SEP 22-OCT2

 

How can anyone not have confidence in this roller coaster ride?

 

[Old Red]

To face Brantley, who had a .575 OPS v LHP this year. Taylor had already pitched, and Darwinzon Hernandez and his haphazard control is not the best solution with the bases loaded...

 

Bra wasn’t a better option?

[moonslav59]

The sox need to come out today and take a lead early. If the Stros take a lead early i don’t like our chances. That’s why they need to put up zeros early.

 

It would be nice, but we don't need to score early.

 

We need to score more than the Astros- anyway and anytime we can.

[Old Red]

Don't ask the guy who did not want or think we needed 13 pitchers.

 

If I had to guess, Cora probably had some numbers on how Perez matched up with the batter.

 

He wanted Houck to pitch multiple innings today.

 

I'm not sure Sawamura or DHern would have done any better, and I don't know how they matched up with the next 3 batters, but I did not like bringing Perezz in.

 

Who do you think would have been better in that situation outside of Bra? DHern, Perez, or Davis?

[moonslav59]

Who do you think would have been better in that situation outside of Bra? DHern, Perez, or Davis?

 

Davis, but he's not on the roster.

 

DHern walks the first guy, every time.

 

I'd put in Brasier, but I don't have all the numbers.

 

To me, the biggest debate on Cora, last night, was taking Pivetta out an inning too early. Without that, our pen has better late game options. (Even so, I'm not holding any of this against Cora. My guess is, if he explained to me why, I'd be okay with the choice made. It didn't work, so here we are again, talking what ifs.)

 

[Old Red]

Davis, but he's not on the roster.

 

DHern walks the first guy, every time.

 

I'd put in Brasier, but I don't have all the numbers.

 

To me, the biggest debate on Cora, last night, was taking Pivetta out an inning too early. Without that, our pen has better late game options. (Even so, I'm not holding any of this against Cora. My guess is, if he explained to me why, I'd be okay with the choice made. It didn't work, so here we are again, talking what ifs.)

 

 

My point being that Brasier was the best option, and Davis not being on the roster, and I’m not saying he’s much better, but I’d rather have him then DHern, or Perez. He’ll I would have gone with 14 pitchers. Otta only facing 1 batter was puzzling too.

[dgalehouse]

Ideally, your bullpen would have a top notch closer and three reliable set up men. (Even then , you are going to blow one sometimes.) Presently,the Sox bullpen does not have that luxury. Cora does a very good job of utilizing what he has . But it's a little like Russian Roulette . Sometimes it works, but occasionally it doesn't . Second guessing is easy when it doesn't work . Anyone can do better. That's what we all like to think. But all in all, Cora has done very well with it.

[Old Red]

Ideally, your bullpen would have a top notch closer and three reliable set up men. (Even then , you are going to blow one sometimes.) Presently,the Sox bullpen does not have that luxury. Cora does a very good job of utilizing what he has . But it's a little like Russian Roulette . Sometimes it works, but occasionally it doesn't . Second guessing is easy when it doesn't work . Anyone can do better. That's what we all like to think. But all in all, Cora has done very well with it.

 

Like a lot of people keep saying that the more pitchers you bring into a tight game the more chances you have that one of them will not be good, and that’s all it takes. These kind of games is when you miss. Barnes. The good one they gave the extension to.

[moonslav59]

My point being that Brasier was the best option, and Davis not being on the roster, and I’m not saying he’s much better, but I’d rather have him then DHern, or Perez. He’ll I would have gone with 14 pitchers. Otta only facing 1 batter was puzzling too.

 

I agree.

 

Maybe there was a reason we don't know about.

 

If so, I'd like someone to tell me.

[Bellhorn04]

I agree.

 

Maybe there was a reason we don't know about.

 

If so, I'd like someone to tell me.

 

It's already been said numerous times. It was a lefty on lefty matchup Cora wanted. It was either Perez or DHern.

[Old Red]

It's already been said numerous times. It was a lefty on lefty matchup Cora wanted. It was either Perez or DHern.

 

So you mean Bra a righty couldn’t have gotten him out? Perez may be a lefty, but is he a good one? Makes a big difference. Just, because it’s lefty on lefty doesn’t mean it’s a good matchup.

[Maxbialystock]

So now EO is a fool, and dumb? You are the one that said Cora gave up, and you are the one who said Perez was not the best choice to come into the game when he did, so by your own assumptions Cora gave up, or messed up, or both. You said it not me.

 

EO and Vazquez together agreed on four straight fastballs to Correa, which I maintain wasn't smart because we have seen Eovaldi get tagged in the past when hitters are sure his next pitch is a fastball.

 

As for Perez, he was sent in with the score 3-2, Astros, so I didn't really care who went in at that point. And, sure enough, the Sox scored zilch in the 9th inning, just as they had in the 8th, 7th, 6th, 5th, 4th, 3d, and 2d innings.

 

So I have to ask you why you think Perez was the key to the Sox winning this game. To me he was basically irrelevant.

[Maxbialystock]

I agree.

 

Maybe there was a reason we don't know about.

 

If so, I'd like someone to tell me.

 

Until someone can convince me that Brasier, once he kept the Astros from scoring a 4th run, was then going to bat in the tying run, I frankly think wishing he had pitched instead of Perez is irrelevant. The Sox failed to score in the 9th, as they had in the 8th, 7th, 6th, 5th, 4th, 3d, and 2d innings.

 

The Sox didn't lose this game because of Perez, but because the Astros bullpen was terrific last night--and the Astros finally scored a run to tie and a run to go ahead off of Cora's best bullpen arms: Taylor, Ottavino, Whitlock, and Eovaldi.

 

No was has presented a shred of evidence that the Sox were going to score again after Bogey's dinger in the 1st.

[Old Red]

EO and Vazquez together agreed on four straight fastballs to Correa, which I maintain wasn't smart because we have seen Eovaldi get tagged in the past when hitters are sure his next pitch is a fastball.

 

As for Perez, he was sent in with the score 3-2, Astros, so I didn't really care who went in at that point. And, sure enough, the Sox scored zilch in the 9th inning, just as they had in the 8th, 7th, 6th, 5th, 4th, 3d, and 2d innings.

 

So I have to ask you why you think Perez was the key to the Sox winning this game. To me he was basically irrelevant.

 

At the time when Perez went into the game is was only a 1 run game, and when he left it was pretty much out of reach although you can never tell in Fenway. A 1 run game that you keep preaching about to you was out of reach, so to you if Perez shut them down, or did what he did was irrelevant. Perez was never a key to winning the game, but was a key to taking away what chance they had. Perez should have never been brought into the game at that point. He sucks.

[Old Red]

Until someone can convince me that Brasier, once he kept the Astros from scoring a 4th run, was then going to bat in the tying run, I frankly think wishing he had pitched instead of Perez is irrelevant. The Sox failed to score in the 9th, as they had in the 8th, 7th, 6th, 5th, 4th, 3d, and 2d innings.

 

The Sox didn't lose this game because of Perez, but because the Astros bullpen was terrific last night--and the Astros finally scored a run to tie and a run to go ahead off of Cora's best bullpen arms: Taylor, Ottavino, Whitlock, and Eovaldi.

 

No was has presented a shred of evidence that the Sox were going to score again after Bogey's dinger in the 1st.

 

You’ve been trying to polish a turd all afternoon and you haven’t convinced anyone.

[Bellhorn04]

So you mean Bra a righty couldn’t have gotten him out? Perez may be a lefty, but is he a good one? Makes a big difference. Just, because it’s lefty on lefty doesn’t mean it’s a good matchup.

 

Perez has good numbers against lefties. Managers are supposed to play the percentages. It's all they can do sometimes.

 

Maybe Bra would have gotten him out. And maybe not.

[moonslav59]

No was has presented a shred of evidence that the Sox were going to score again after Bogey's dinger in the 1st.

 

It's impossible to produce evidence based on a hypothetical situation.

 

Can you prove we could not have scored had it been a 1 run game and a different pitcher or strategy was used?

[moonslav59]

It's already been said numerous times. It was a lefty on lefty matchup Cora wanted. It was either Perez or DHern.

 

I knew I shouldn't have gotten involved in the non-ending, second-guessing Cora campaign.

[notin]

Bra wasn’t a better option?

 

Brantley's OPS vs RHP was .924. His OPS vs LHP was .575.

 

I can see choosing Perez here...

[Old Red]

It's impossible to produce evidence based on a hypothetical situation.

 

Can you prove we could not have scored had it been a 1 run game and a different pitcher or strategy was used?

 

No he can’t, nor could anyone prove they wouldn’t.