5/31 Reds @ SOX

[moonslav59]

Moon you don’t like to hear from me, and I’m one of the talk show yappers, and it pleases me so much that it bothers you so.much.

 

Just like your troll friends. Got it.

[dgalehouse]

OK, fine. No name-calling.

 

That said, I do not understand why you are so convinced that Whitlock would be a terrific closer when he has never demonstrated that skill. You also doubt his ability to start even though he never started a game until this season, which is his second season pitching at the MLB level. So far his WAR is +.8 (4th best on the Sox) and his ERA 3.49, to say nothing of his really good repertoire of pitches. Plus--and this will probably come as a shock to you--his manager and pitching coach are far more expert about pitching potential than any of us.

 

But my big disagreement with you is the notion that no MLB team and especially not the Sox can succeed--win games--without a top notch closer. You have made this argument the centerpiece of arguing that Cora is an idiot and Bloom incompetent.

 

Meanwhile, you ignore the overall weakness of the bullpen, the inconsistent hitting, the costly errors, and the occasional lousy starts by an otherwise semi-decent rotation (with Sale still on the IL).

 

Baseball is a team sport . You are just citing different ways that the team can lose. It doesn't change the fact that , when you do have a late lead , you need to close it out for the win. The good closers do that at a high percentage success rate. And the way to build a good bullpen starts with the closer.

[Old Red]

Baseball is a team sport . You are just citing different ways that the team can lose. It doesn't change the fact that , when you do have a late lead , you need to close it out for the win. The good closers do that at a high percentage success rate. And the way to build a good bullpen starts with the closer.

 

Agree 100%, and this is something for some reason that Bloom, and Cora refuse to do, or don’t know how to do it.

[Old Red]

Just like your troll friends. Got it.

 

Sometimes I think the trolls know more than you do. Makes more sense too especially when it comes to Bloom. Remember stepping in puddles is not a good thing to do especially when you don’t have your boots on.

Edited June 1, 2022 by Old Red

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Baseball is a team sport . You are just citing different ways that the team can lose. It doesn't change the fact that , when you do have a late lead , you need to close it out for the win. The good closers do that at a high percentage success rate. And the way to build a good bullpen starts with the closer.

 

This is what it comes down to. We've all seen how hapless the Red Sox are when their best players don't have great games... or even have bad games, like last night.

 

The supporting cast just isn't... When the role players have big nights, they score 16 runs or hit pinch-hit triples or walk-off grand slams. But Franchy is not a first baseman, and can't cover up the fact that this roster is incomplete, and filled with mediocrity.

 

It's June and we're 50 games in.

[Old Red]

This is what it comes down to. We've all seen how hapless the Red Sox are when their best players don't have great games... or even have bad games, like last night.

 

The supporting cast just isn't... When the role players have big nights, they score 16 runs or hit pinch-hit triples or walk-off grand slams. But Franchy is not a first baseman, and can't cover up the fact that this roster is incomplete, and filled with mediocrity.

 

It's June and we're 50 games in.

 

I’ve been saying that right along that Franchy is not a 1B, and Arroyo is not a RF, and that is all on Bloom. The Red Sox are 8-15 in 1, And 2 run games, and I believe are worse than that when trailing after 6. Pretty much if they don’t hit, and pile up the runs they lose. Even 6 runs last Friday night wasn’t enough.

[dgalehouse]

This is what it comes down to. We've all seen how hapless the Red Sox are when their best players don't have great games... or even have bad games, like last night.

 

The supporting cast just isn't... When the role players have big nights, they score 16 runs or hit pinch-hit triples or walk-off grand slams. But Franchy is not a first baseman, and can't cover up the fact that this roster is incomplete, and filled with mediocrity.

 

It's June and we're 50 games in.

 

Bogaerts got the error , but a good first baseman scoops that throw , or at least knocks it down and keeps the run from scoring. Franchy could not do that. He fell on his butt. The (eventual winning ) run scored.

[Old Red]

Bogaerts got the error , but a good first baseman scoops that throw , or at least knocks it down and keeps the run from scoring. Franchy could not do that. He fell on his butt. The (eventual winning ) run scored.

 

Just watch Franchy’s footwork around the bag, and that will tell you he’s an error waiting to happen, or won’t prevent one.

[Maxbialystock]

Baseball is a team sport . You are just citing different ways that the team can lose. It doesn't change the fact that , when you do have a late lead , you need to close it out for the win. The good closers do that at a high percentage success rate. And the way to build a good bullpen starts with the closer.

 

One more time. The Sox had a surprisingly excellent postseason last year, beating the Yankees in the wild card, taking 3 of 4 from the Rays in the ALDS, and winning 2 of 6 vs. the Astros in the ALCS. They were 6 and 5 in the postseason and had zero saves in the 6 wins. They had one blown save in the 5 losses, but it occurred in the 6th inning, long before a closer would have been used.

 

Or how about the great Kimbrel, whose ERA in the magnificent 2018 postseason was a nasty 5.91? He still got 6 freaking saves thanks to others on that team like Kelly (ERA .79 while pitching more innings than Kimbrel), Eovaldi with that incredible relief effort vs. the Dodgers, Barnes (ERA 1.04), and Brasier (ERA 1.04).

 

You could of course fire back with the amazing postseason Uehara had (7 saves, ERA 0.66) in 2013, but then I would remind you he pitched just 13.2 innings. The rest of the staff pitched 128.2 innings, and the overall team ERA in the 2013 postseason was 2.59. Good as Uehara was--and he was fantastic--he needed plenty of help for the Sox to win that title. Jon Lester threw 34.2 innings with an ERA of 1.56, and Lackey 26 innings, ERA 2.77. Also: Workman, 8.2 innings, ERA 0.0; Tazawa, 7.1 innings, ERA 1.23; Breslow, 7.1 innings, ERA 2.45; Doubront, 7 innings, ERA 1.29.

 

This season to date the Sox have 12 blown saves, most in MLB and are now 23-27. Thus the uproar over a closer. However, the Rays are 28-21 and have 10 blown saves, the Padres 30-19 with 9 blown saves, the Twins 30-21 with 8 blown saves, the Jays 28-20 with 10 blown saves, and the Mets 34-17 with 9 blown saves. So, me, I'm having a little trouble blaming this entire freaking season on not having a great/good closer.

 

As moonslav has pointed out, this is not a strong bullpen, which is far more important than a good closer. And let's not forget our incredibly inconsistent hitting, so-so defense which gives up crucial unearned runs, etc.

Edited June 1, 2022 by Maxbialystock

[Old Red]

One more time. The Sox had a surprisingly excellent postseason last year, beating the Yankees in the wild card, taking 3 of 4 from the Rays in the ALDS, and winning 2 of 6 vs. the Astros in the ALCS. They were 6 and 5 in the postseason and had zero saves in the 6 wins. They had one blown save in the 5 losses, but it occurred in the 6th inning, long before a closer would have been used.

 

Or how about the great Kimbrel, whose ERA in the magnificent 2018 postseason was a nasty 5.91? He still got 6 freaking saves thanks to others on that team like Kelly (ERA .79 while pitching more innings than Kimbrel), Eovaldi with that incredible relief effort vs. the Dodgers, Barnes (ERA 1.04), and Brasier (ERA 1.04).

 

This season to date the Sox have 12 blown saves, most in MLB and are now 23-27. Thus the uproar over a closer. However, the Rays are 28-21 and have 10 blown saves, the Padres 30-19 with 9 blown saves, the Twins 30-21 with 8 blown saves, the Jays 28-20 with 10 blown saves, and the Mets 34-17 with 9 blown saves. So, me, I'm having a little trouble blaming this entire freaking season on not having a great/good closer.

 

As moonslav has pointed out, this is not a strong bullpen, which is far more important than a good closer. And let's not forget our incredibly inconsistent hitting, so-so defense which gives up crucial unearned runs, etc.

 

The Red Sox have more blow saves 12 in only 20 chances, so we’ll agree that sucks, but what happened last year, or 2018 has nothing to do with this year. I agree, and do not blame not having a closer for the only reason for the losing freaking season, but once again not having a reliable closer when the Sox have had the lead, or tied in the 8th, and 9th inning has cost them games. Inconsistent hitting they have had, but inconsistent hitting did give them a lead in the late innings in games they lost, and that was on the non closer.

[Maxbialystock]

Bogaerts got the error , but a good first baseman scoops that throw , or at least knocks it down and keeps the run from scoring. Franchy could not do that. He fell on his butt. The (eventual winning ) run scored.

 

I didn't say so at the time, but I agree with you. I like Cordero's bat, but he doesn't make the tough plays at 1b. Also, Bogaerts made a ton of errorless plays in the game.

[Thunder]

The weather tonight is absolutely gross. If we don't get this one in, I can't think of anything worse than heading into a 10 game West coast trip after being held to 1 run over two games against last place teams

[JDavis76]

The weather tonight is absolutely gross. If we don't get this one in, I can't think of anything worse than heading into a 10 game West coast trip after being held to 1 run over two games against last place teams

 

could be a tough stretch