The Official 2021 ALCS Thread

[d-money]

If momentum was real, we'd have been riding the momentum from game 3 all the way to the parade.

 

Naw man. In game 4 they had numerous opportunities to increase the lead and didn’t. They had momentum but couldn’t capitalize on it. They left it up to the BP and it bit them. The sox came out today and did nothing for 5 innings. That was the dagger already.

[d-money]

The body language was bad when we were swept by the Yanks then lost 2 of 3 to the O's before the must win Nats series, too.

 

That was less than 3 weeks ago.

 

Did you like the effort from this team today? Again you’re not beating this team in a close game. They need 6 runs or more on friday.

[Maxbialystock]

If momentum was real, we'd have been riding the momentum from game 3 all the way to the parade.

 

Eovaldi starts Friday and could definitely turn things around, but not if the hitting continues to languish and the bullpen to roll over and play dead.

 

Braves lead the Dodgers 4-0 in the 4th. At LA.

[d-money]

Eovaldi starts Friday and could definitely turn things around, but not if the hitting continues to languish and the bullpen to roll over and play dead.

 

Braves lead the Dodgers 4-0 in the 4th. At LA.

 

Eovaldi can do so much. They’re gonna win friday’s game by scoring runs.

[d-money]

Impressive from atlanta after that blown game. What did they do to gain some momentum? They scored first. That’s what this team had to do today and what they have to do on Friday. They have to get ahead first.

[moonslav59]

Did you like the effort from this team today? Again you’re not beating this team in a close game. They need 6 runs or more on friday.

 

I never even thought about the word "effort," today. I won't on Friday, either.

 

I think this team is special and gives it all they got as much or more than any other team.

 

Some players just don't wear their emotions on their sleeves. Hell, someone was reading into ERod's lack of emotion as meaning he was going to s*** the bed in his next start. He just pitched 2 very good games without looking like he was giving it "extra" effort.

.

I'm happy with the team's effort all year and today. I don't think anyone was taking the day off.

 

We got beat by a good pitcher and a good team, or we slumped at the worst time. Maybe, a little of both.

 

I don't equate slumping with lack of effort. Sometimes slumping happens because you are trying too hard.

[YastrzemskI]

Eovaldi can do so much. They’re gonna win friday’s game by scoring runs.

 

They need to reset and punch Houston in the mouth. It doesn’t have to be from the beginning, but they need a big inning by the middle of game six and take it from there. One game at a time.

[d-money]

They need to reset and punch Houston in the mouth. It doesn’t have to be from the beginning, but they need a big inning by the middle of game six and take it from there. One game at a time.

 

I feel like it has to be in the beginning. They have to get ahead of them first.

[d-money]

I never even thought about the word "effort," today. I won't on Friday, either.

 

I think this team is special and gives it all they got as much or more than any other team.

 

Some players just don't wear their emotions on their sleeves. Hell, someone was reading into ERod's lack of emotion as meaning he was going to s*** the bed in his next start. He just pitched 2 very good games without looking like he was giving it "extra" effort.

.

I'm happy with the team's effort all year and today. I don't think anyone was taking the day off.

 

We got beat by a good pitcher and a good team, or we slumped at the worst time. Maybe, a little of both.

 

I don't equate slumping with lack of effort. Sometimes slumping happens because you are trying too hard.

 

Really? That was a lame ass game . This team looked tight right from the beginning. Anyway this team overachieved this year but they sure where close and can still pulled out some magic but they will have to grab a lead before the astros on friday.

[moonslav59]

Naw man. In game 4 they had numerous opportunities to increase the lead and didn’t. They had momentum but couldn’t capitalize on it. They left it up to the BP and it bit them. The sox came out today and did nothing for 5 innings. That was the dagger already.

 

If "momentum" was real, they'd have "capitalized on it." That's what momentum mean. You get in a groove and it carries you onwards. It didn't.

 

The Astros "momentum" won't carry them in game 6.

 

If this season proves anything, it proves momentum, trends or whatever you wanna call them are nonsense.

[moonslav59]

Really? That was a lame ass game . This team looked tight right from the beginning. Anyway this team overachieved this year but they sure where close and can still pulled out some magic but they will have to grab a lead before the astros on friday.

 

"Looked tight?" I'm not watching the same game, I guess.

 

Did they look tight Monday?

 

Why didn't the momentum carry us, if it is so real?

 

[dgalehouse]

So you don’t believe in a thing called momentum? Feels like the air went out of this team in game 4. Whateva they wanna do they better do it early in game 6. You best believee the stros will try to end this in 6 games.

Of course they will try to end it in six. Just like they have tried to win every game.

[dgalehouse]

Eovaldi can do so much. They’re gonna win friday’s game by scoring runs.

 

Yes . They need to score runs. The outcome of every game in every sport is determined by out scoring the opponent. That is always the object.

[d-money]

"Looked tight?" I'm not watching the same game, I guess.

 

Did they look tight Monday?

 

Why didn't the momentum carry us, if it is so real?

 

 

Again moonslav59 you’re not getting my point. They had 2-1 lead and had opportunities to increase that lead and didn’t. They had the momentum but failed to increase the lead. Today the stros scored first and found a way to increase their lead something the sox didn’t do on monday. Eventually that catches up to you especially with a shaky pen.

[moonslav59]

This team has comeback more than all but one or two other teams, this year.

 

They also came back from being counted out after game 3, after losing 5 straight at the deadline and "losing ground" on trades, so many thought, and after sweep by the Yanks in August, a couple more 3 game losing streaks, later and then the sweep by the Yanks in September followed by losing 2 of 3 vs BAL.

 

This team does not need to score first. Sure, it improves their odds of winning, but scoring more is a 100% winner.

 

Never count this team out.

 

Day off and then Big Nate. One game at a time.

 

You gotta believe!

[d-money]

This team has comeback more than all but one or two other teams, this year.

 

They also came back from being counted out after game 3, after losing 5 straight at the deadline and "losing ground" on trades, so many thought, and after sweep by the Yanks in August, a couple more 3 game losing streaks, later and then the sweep by the Yanks in September followed by losing 2 of 3 vs BAL.

 

This team does not need to score first. Sure, it improves their odds of winning, but scoring more is a 100% winner.

 

Never count this team out.

 

Day off and then Big Nate. One game at a time.

 

You gotta believe!

 

I feel like they have to do it on friday. You think they’re winning by going scoreless through 5 innings on friday again? I don’t. It will be interesting to see how much Nate has after throwing over 20 pitches on Monday. If he could give us 5 innings i would be happy.

[moonslav59]

Again moonslav59 you’re not getting my point. They had 2-1 lead and had opportunities to increase that lead and didn’t. They had the momentum but failed to increase the lead. Today the stros scored first and found a way to increase their lead something the sox didn’t do on monday.

 

No I get your point. Disagreeing does not mean not understanding.

 

Not capitalizing on opportunities does not mean lack of effort. The effort got us opportunities the Astros didn't get until the 9th inning on Tuesday. They showed no "fire." They had no momentum. Then, in a split second, everything turned on a dime. It wasn't some slow march of momentum changing.

 

s*** happens, and it's not always because of some easily identifiable reason. Baseball is a game of fractions of millimeters.

 

Maybe we don't agree on what momentum is. If it is so easily lost and reversed, then it's not momentum. Momentum is a mass moving at a speed that makes it hard or impossible to stop or slow down. That hasn't happened all year in the AL.

 

Trends are changing with the flap of butterfly wings.

[jacksonianmarch]

I think Cora saving Houck and trying to eek out another inning from an erratic Whitlock changes the series. Once Altuve hit that game tying bomb, you could see the air come out of the Sox and the life go back into the Stros

[moonslav59]

I feel like they have to do it on friday. You think they’re winning by going scoreless through 5 innings on friday again? I don’t. It will be interesting to see how much Nate has after throwing over 20 pitches on Monday. If he could give us 5 innings i would be happy.

 

I won't be happy if we go scoreless through 5, but with Nate on the mound, if we are close enough, hell yes, I think we can win after being down 2 or 3-0 after 5.

 

Did you watch the season? Did you see all the comeback games? Is it impossible to do that again?

 

Can momentum change in the middle of a game? It sure seems to against us, so why can't you ever even dream of it happening for us?

 

You are always so negative. It's really quite extreme.

 

Maybe I'm too extreme the other way, but I just never buy into this we need to do this or that or we have no chance.

 

We haven't done this or that, all year, and pulled many a game out of our ass, and also turned on the gas to points never seen in MLB. That can happen again, even if down 4-0 in the 6th. Of course, it might not, but why go out of your way to always expect the worst?

 

I guess we just are two different creatures, which is fine with me. I'm not preaching or pretending to be better or smarter than anyone else, but I see things my way, and you see things your way.

 

Winning or losing isn't going to prove either one of us was right or wrong.

[moonslav59]

I think Cora saving Houck and trying to eek out another inning from an erratic Whitlock changes the series. Once Altuve hit that game tying bomb, you could see the air come out of the Sox and the life go back into the Stros

 

We created way more opportunities for ourselves before that HR, but couldn't get that one key hit. That's been our downfall, all year. The Stros were hardly doing anything, then bam. One swing and it's tied.

 

The ninth was just a cluster f*** that could have ended on a strike call, but instead, the floodgates were opened.

 

Friday is a new game. The Sox are where they have been many times, this year. Counted out and having Lost the momentum."

 

In my lifetime, except for the 2004 ALCS, I have never seen a team fight back from adversity and loss of faith by their fans, than this year. Over 6 months of it- not one series vs the Yanks.

 

I'm not giving up. I saw the fire in Sale's eyes, today. This team has not given up. I'm not either.

[Deja Doh]

Still not sure why Cora is not playing Dalbec (who played all year) and why JD is still batting 5th. While Dalbec at this point isn't as good of a hitter as Arroyo, he has more pop and posses a threat to the pitchers (especially lefties). The lefty/righty/lefty/right batting order is overrated. I'd move Kiki back to 2nd, move Schwarber to the outfield and Dalbec back to 1st. Use Arroyo as PH. I wish my first post was on a day we won, but ...

[YastrzemskI]

The Braves have taken a commanding 3-1 series lead. I wouldn’t be surprised if that series never comes back to Atlanta.

[d-money]

We created way more opportunities for ourselves before that HR, but couldn't get that one key hit. That's been our downfall, all year. The Stros were hardly doing anything, then bam. One swing and it's tied.

 

The ninth was just a cluster f*** that could have ended on a strike call, but instead, the floodgates were opened.

 

Friday is a new game. The Sox are where they have been many times, this year. Counted out and having Lost the momentum."

 

In my lifetime, except for the 2004 ALCS, I have never seen a team fight back from adversity and loss of faith by their fans, than this year. Over 6 months of it- not one series vs the Yanks.

 

I'm not giving up. I saw the fire in Sale's eyes, today. This team has not given up. I'm not either.

 

It’s not about giving up. It’s about this team breaking the stros momentum right now. They had a chance to do it through 5 innings and couldn’t. They need some fireworks early on friday or their season ends in houston.

[d-money]

The Braves have taken a commanding 3-1 series lead. I wouldn’t be surprised if that series never comes back to Atlanta.

 

They did what we couldn’t do. Score early . If we lose i am rooting for atlanta.

[a700hitter]

They did what we couldn’t do. Score early . If we lose i am rooting for atlanta.

They have also done the most important thing that the Red Sox have not been able to do — pitch well. In two of the 3 victories, they held the Dodgers to 2 runs.

[moonslav59]

Still not sure why Cora is not playing Dalbec (who played all year) and why JD is still batting 5th. While Dalbec at this point isn't as good of a hitter as Arroyo, he has more pop and posses a threat to the pitchers (especially lefties). The lefty/righty/lefty/right batting order is overrated. I'd move Kiki back to 2nd, move Schwarber to the outfield and Dalbec back to 1st. Use Arroyo as PH. I wish my first post was on a day we won, but ...

 

If Dalbec plays, it should be for Renfroe not Arroyo.

[moonslav59]

It’s not about giving up. It’s about this team breaking the stros momentum right now. They had a chance to do it through 5 innings and couldn’t. They need some fireworks early on friday or their season ends in houston.

 

I disagree. We are obviously polar opposites on this.

 

Let's move on.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

The notion that the only way to beat the Astros is to outslug them is unreasonable. Outside of Devers, Boston's wildly inconsistent batters cannot and should not be counted on to outmatch Houston's juggernaut. It's also hard to play smallball vs. an opponent whose largeball skills have powered them to the ALCS every year for the past half-decade.

 

The Sox' last hope is for their best pitchers -- Eovaldi, ERod, Pivetta, and Houck (curiously absent the past two games) -- to eat innings and pound corners without leakage for one more weekend. They won't replicate Framber Valdez (kudos to Old School Baker for letting him go eight), but Cora knows he has little chance if he has to use his actual relievers.

The Astros led the MLB in runs per game, hits, batting average and on base percentage. Their batting champion bats seventh, and there's no tougher out in the lineup (as fearsome as their DH has been). Their leadoff man tries to homer on every swing. Their #2 hitter finished second in the AL batting race. Their shortstop/clean-up man has a career postseason OPS of .875 (his counterpart in Boston is at .707). Their rightfielder has 12 RBI in nine playoff games (his counterpart has hit into 5 double plays). This is just some of what we're up against.

[moonslav59]

The notion that the only way to beat the Astros is to outslug them is unreasonable. Outside of Devers, Boston's wildly inconsistent batters cannot and should not be counted on to outmatch Houston's juggernaut. It's also hard to play smallball vs. an opponent whose largeball skills have powered them to the ALCS every year for the past half-decade.

 

The Sox' last hope is for their best pitchers -- Eovaldi, ERod, Pivetta, and Houck (curiously absent the past two games) -- to eat innings and pound corners without leakage for one more weekend. They won't replicate Framber Valdez (kudos to Old School Baker for letting him go eight), but Cora knows he has little chance if he has to use his actual relievers.

The Astros led the MLB in runs per game, hits, batting average and on base percentage. Their batting champion bats seventh, and there's no tougher out in the lineup (as fearsome as their DH has been). Their leadoff man tries to homer on every swing. Their #2 hitter finished second in the AL batting race. Their shortstop/clean-up man has a career postseason OPS of .875 (his counterpart in Boston is at .707). Their rightfielder has 12 RBI in nine playoff games (his counterpart has hit into 5 double plays). This is just some of what we're up against.

 

There are plenty of counterparts that swing our way, and with injuries to the Stros staff, they shouldn't have had a big edge on us there.

 

We match up with them pretty closely.

 

Game 6 we have to do better. We can do it.

 

BTW, if you look at the Astros batters, many of them are not the model of consistency, either. Some were slumping badly, until the last 2 games. Some still are.

 

BTW, anyone notice Maldanado is 1 for 26 but still starts almost every game. Could it be staff-handling is really valuable?

 

Let's see how Plawecki does on Friday.

[Hugh2]

It's amazing how down things seem right now because the Sox are only a game away from elimination, they're also only two away from a world series.

 

been a great season, everyday hoping for one more game at this point.