2022 Bullpen Thread

[Bellhorn04]

Still, 5 IP+ and 1 ER beats the hell out of 5 IP and 3 ERs.

 

Still no excuse for sloppy work.

[jacksonianmarch]

You can't turn to Whitlock every game. He is your most dangerous reliever and honestly, your best pitcher outside of Eovaldi, IMO. The games you go deep with him, you need to win.

[moonslav59]

You can't turn to Whitlock every game. He is your most dangerous reliever and honestly, your best pitcher outside of Eovaldi, IMO. The games you go deep with him, you need to win.

 

But you were critical we went with him for more than one inning, yesterday.

[dgalehouse]

No doubt, but if blame has to be given- not that it has to be given- to one aspect of our pitching in game 1: starter vs pen, it was more Eovaldi's fault we lost.

 

Certainly, Nate could have done better. But he was out of the game after five. The Sox had a lead in the eighth inning and they lost . Call it a " blown save" or call it whatever you want , but it is not a good thing.

[moonslav59]

Certainly, Nate could have done better. But he was out of the game after five. The Sox had a lead in the eighth inning and they lost . Call it a " blown save" or call it whatever you want , but it is not a good thing.

 

I never said the pen did well. I just said blaming them more than Eovaldi was not right, and Nate did not have to start 2 of his 5 innings with a man on 2nd.

[Swiharts Ghost]

I’ll say this we are two back already and it’s two team losses. The roster is capable but there’s definitely something missing from last year .i don’t know if we can have Bob JBJ and Vaz starting games together .Devers looks really good at third to me so there’s a positive! Starters have kept us in games .The offense looks very weak so far and that has to change dramatically and quickly.The AL east is not a division you can climb out of 5 game deficit so easy .I chock it up to some bad luck early .Tomorrow is looking more important though even though it’s early .

[Nick]

“We are a little bit short in that end not having Barnesy, not having Whit,” Cora said. “Obviously, the matchups with them is a little bit different with the three lefties that we have. But it is what it is. I don’t think it has anything to do with the bullpen. It’s just a matter of trusting our guy going 6 where we were bullpen-wise today. Because of the Barnesy situation, we were a little bit short.”

 

Geez how many pitchers do we need? I don't hear Yankees complain. Both their starters went shorter than ours.

 

I love Cora's honesty.

 

Perhaps they should not have kept 3 lefties, especially knowing that Taylor will be coming back soon.

 

More the reason Whitlock should have went longer in game 1. It's not like we got behind with his homer. But we squandered opportunities to score. We should had bigger lead when Whitlock was on the mound.

Edited April 10, 2022 by Nick

[jacksonianmarch]

But you were critical we went with him for more than one inning, yesterday.

 

I don’t think going deep with him is a good idea. But on days you do, you need to win.

[notin]

Pussifying of America continues.....my man Eovaldi threw 76 pitches.

 

I thought Cora was thinking about Hill and Whitlock completing a 9 inning game.

 

Please say you’re kidding…

[moonslav59]

Pen Numbers, so far:

 

7.1 IP

4 H

1 ER (+2 ghost runs) 1.23 ERA

3 BB

9 K

0.955 WHIP

.160 BA Against

.267 OBP Against

.320 SLG Against

.587 OPS Against

 

It's just 2 games, but the pen has not been even close to the main reason for either loss.

 

Our bats have come alive, early, then poof.

 

Our starters have given up the long ball, too often.

 

Let's hope Houck can right the ship.

 

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

the pen has not been even close to the main reason for either loss.

 

 

 

The pen has excelled, but the options out there are definitely a main reason Cora tried to get another inning out of Pivetta, and it can be argued, Whitlock. And even if the latter guy was intended to "finish" the first game, even that plan was because of the other options in the pen.

 

That said, the offense has been ineffective since the very first inning of the season, when it couldn't tack on a fourth run with a runner on second and no outs. Yes, I'm being greedy, but could just tell it would come back to haunt the Sox that they couldn't advance JD to third and home at least on productive outs.

Edited April 10, 2022 by 5GoldGloves:OF,75

[moonslav59]

The pen has excelled, but the options out there are definitely a main reason Cora tried to get another inning out of Pivetta, and it can be argued, Whitlock. And even if the latter guy was intended to "finish" the first game, even that plan was because of the other options in the pen.

 

I agree 100%.

 

Had we signed more RP'er or a decent starter, so Houck could be in the pen, we might have 2 wins, right now.

 

Also, 7.1 innings in 2 games has seen some good pen pitching, so far, and Barnes & Taylor were not even available.

[a700hitter]

This pen sucks. I don’t care what they did over 2 games. We lost yesterday, because Cora didn’t have trust in the pen and had decided before the game that he needed 6 innings from Pivetta. They started making solid contact against hm in the 4th and he was lucky to get through 5. Other than Whitlock, none of the arms out there (and there are 10) are impressive or reliable. When is Taylor coming back? We could use him. With this collection in the pen, Cora needs to push his starters longer. I also think he should use Whitlock the way the Brewers use Hader— multiple innings, multiple time a week to close out games.

[notin]

The pitching hasn’t been the problem so far.

 

The offense has scored 4 runs in the last 19 innings. They were no-hit by the Yankee pen over 6 yesterday.

 

Certainly there is plenty of time for these to flip and the pitching to become the problem, but right now, it’s not. Blaming the pen or the starters or the way Cora used them is just looking past a team that has only driven in 2 RISP in the last 19 innings, and one of them was a ghost runner…

[Old Red]

I agree 100%.

 

Had we signed more RP'er or a decent starter, so Houck could be in the pen, we might have 2 wins, right now.

 

Also, 7.1 innings in 2 games has seen some good pen pitching, so far, and Barnes & Taylor were not even available.

 

Houck would have been in the pen if Frail hadn’t gotten hurt.

[a700hitter]

The pitching hasn’t been the problem so far.

 

The offense has scored 4 runs in the last 19 innings. They were no-hit by the Yankee pen over 6 yesterday.

 

Certainly there is plenty of time for these to flip and the pitching to become the problem, but right now, it’s not. Blaming the pen or the starters or the way Cora used them is just looking past a team that has only driven in 2 RISP in the last 19 innings, and one of them was a ghost runner…

The key is “thus far”. It is not a talented group, and the opposition’s bullpen outpitched them two days in a row. It is a weakness that needs to be addressed.

[moonslav59]

The key is “thus far”. It is not a talented group, and the opposition’s bullpen outpitched them two days in a row. It is a weakness that needs to be addressed.

 

We need another capable starting pitcher. That takes an enormous strain off the pen, and maybe even moves Houck to the pen.

 

That's not to say the pen is fine, as is, but let's not think only the pen need addressing.

[Nick]

There's another poster that feels the same way. Given choice between Houck and Whitlock, Houck should be closing and Whitlock starting.

[moonslav59]

There's another poster that feels the same way. Given choice between Houck and Whitlock, Houck should be closing and Whitlock starting.

 

I always felt Houck should close and Whitlock start, but it's a close call/

[Larry Cook]

There's another poster that feels the same way. Given choice between Houck and Whitlock, Houck should be closing and Whitlock starting.

 

I was on houck as the closer since the day he was drafted.

 

Being a starter with two pitches is tough! I am sure he and his agent want him to be a starter. However, if he gets the assassin attitude, he would be lethal as a two pitch closer!

[notin]

The key is “thus far”. It is not a talented group, and the opposition’s bullpen outpitched them two days in a row. It is a weakness that needs to be addressed.

 

I don't know. They might be better than you think.

 

My only complaint about this bullpen so far is that Matt Strahm might be the ugliest player I've ever seen...

[oldtimer]

I always felt Houck should close and Whitlock start, but it's a close call/

Houck has great stuff with much greater than average movement on his pitches. Because of that, he has trouble consistently throwing strikes. last night he was done in 3.1 innings. That doesn't make for quality starts from him. Unfortunately, closers also need to be able to throw strikes. The real issue is that Houck needs to master his command to be either and effective starter or closer.

[Bellhorn04]

I don't know. They might be better than you think.

 

My only complaint about this bullpen so far is that Matt Strahm might be the ugliest player I've ever seen...

 

I saw some Yankee fans calling him Tiny Tim...

 

But no one has ever been uglier than poor Gustavo Chacin.

[notin]

I saw some Yankee fans calling him Tiny Tim...

 

But no one has ever been uglier than poor Gustavo Chacin.

 

Randy Johnson.

 

Strahm is pretty bad. But Johnson in his stubbly-faced, greasy-haired, Diamondback days with that freakishly small head sitting a top that elongated body. He just didn’t look human…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I don't know. They might be better than you think.

 

My only complaint about this bullpen so far is that Matt Strahm might be the ugliest player I've ever seen...

 

Let your freak flag fly!

 

The post that made me laugh: Now pitching, my aunt's Cocker Spaniel...

[Bellhorn04]

Randy Johnson.

 

Strahm is pretty bad. But Johnson in his stubbly-faced, greasy-haired, Diamondback days with that freakishly small head sitting a top that elongated body. He just didn’t look human…

 

Johnson is a contender. But I'll still go with Chacin.

[notin]

Johnson is a contender. But I'll still go with Chacin.

 

Chacon looked weird. Johnson and Strahm both made weird choices that contributed to their visual unpleasantness.

 

And lest we forget Willie McGee, the former Cardinal outfielder who was nicknamed “E.T.” and of whom other players said “he doesn’t have to play defense. The ball sees him out there and just goes somewhere else.”

[Bellhorn04]

Chacon looked weird. Johnson and Strahm both made weird choices that contributed to their visual unpleasantness.

 

And lest we forget Willie McGee, the former Cardinal outfielder who was nicknamed “E.T.” and of whom other players said “he doesn’t have to play defense. The ball sees him out there and just goes somewhere else.”

 

Yes, but many people found E.T. cute.

 

Need a woman's opinion here. But we only have one, Kimmi, and she's too nice to grade players on ugliness.

[notin]

Yes, but many people found E.T. cute.

 

Need a woman's opinion here. But we only have one, Kimmi, and she's too nice to grade players on ugliness.

 

Ok NOBODY found ET cute. We all just pitied him because he nearly died when the government took over his medical care plus when it comes to making cool science devices out of household items, he made McGyver look like chimpanzee…

[a700hitter]

I don't know. They might be better than you think.

 

My only complaint about this bullpen so far is that Matt Strahm might be the ugliest player I've ever seen...

They can’t be worse than I expect. That is for sure. I guess that Barnes must be toast if he didn’t make a single appearance against the Yankees.