July 4th Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox

[Tedballgame]

pushing Crawford too far to save the BP ? Or rolling with the hot hand ?

 

Vaz could have done a better job blocking that last pitch.

[vegasbob]

Blocking pitches in front of him is not Vaz's strong suit. Sure hope that misplay K doesn't factor in to anything by the Rays.

[Tedballgame]

Schreiber needs to pitch the 9th.

[vegasbob]

Schreiber needs to pitch the 9th.

 

No Ted, I think AC should bring in Hansel to help build his confidence. Who knows it might work. Or backfire. Cora would never live that down.

[Tedballgame]

Jose Iglesias, I mean JD Martinez, with a ground ball single to right!!

[vegasbob]

JD must be feeling better with that sharp grounder. Surely need him to come around before Bloom trades him late on August 2

[Tedballgame]

Break it open here.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Break it open here.

 

Some posters secretly hope they don't, to spare them a possible Robles "mop-up" in the 9th...

[Tedballgame]

Another huge break on a dinker.

[Old Red]

Some posters secretly hope they don't, to spare them a possible Robles "mop-up" in the 9th...

 

Robles fireworks on the 4th? You bet.

[vegasbob]

The Dodgers just extended their backup catcher, Austin Barnes, for 2 years at $7MM total. Would it make sense for the Red Sox to discuss extending Vazquez at for 2 years at $13MM? We know there will be some significant turnover this coming off season with high profile players. Do we want a key position behind the plate also moving?

[vegasbob]

Nice hitting by Franchy to stretch the lead. Almost humorous to watch Vaz hugging the bases one at a time unlike his earlier tendencies to go flying around

[vegasbob]

Robles fireworks on the 4th? You bet.

 

You guys think I was kidding about Robles needing to build his confidence. Who is warming up to prove AC's devotion to his players?

 

Thank goodness, AC had a sane moment and let Hansel just keep warming up, with Schreiber trying to close it

Edited July 4, 2022 by vegasbob

[Tedballgame]

A 4 run lead is not big enough to bring in Robles.

[Tedballgame]

If he puts the lead off guy on, Yank him!

[Tedballgame]

Robles was only warming up to come in if Arroyo hit a grand slam to put them up by 8. Whew!!!

[Tedballgame]

Both those last 2 pitches have been strikes all day.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

What 4 do you have ahead of him?

 

Strahm, Diekman, Taylor, and not Darwinzon... but Verdugo threw mid-90s in high school.

[Tedballgame]

Schreiber could be this year's Koji!

[Bellhorn04]

Schreiber for Mayor!

[Tedballgame]

Davis and Crawford came up big today!

[vegasbob]

Big win , an opener shutout against a good team, but one who may be fading a bit.

[Thunder]

Hey look, two straight wins. Will that shut you people up? I wish

[Old Red]

Okay outside of Cora how many thought the Red Sox would pitch a shutout today?

[Bellhorn04]

Okay outside of Cora how many thought the Red Sox would pitch a shutout today?

 

If you had told me Crawford would pitch 5.1 scoreless today, I would have been skeptical for sure.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Davis and Crawford came up big today!

 

Gotta love beating the Rays at their own game. Sox never would've won if Crawford started, and Davis relieved in the 6th and 7th. It was so obvious that the seven batters Davis faced in the opening two frames were then totally flummoxed the second and third time through the order vs. Crawford. Someone upstairs nailed it, opting for the left-right contrast of release points, rather than right-left looks. Imagine the results if the bulk guy opened instead, then was forced to get bulky for half a game -- and pushed to qualify for a quality start...

[Maxbialystock]

During the Toronto series, I was encouraged.

 

That went away during the Wrigley field series, when the hitters didn't, Wacha and Hill joined Eovaldi and Whitlock on the IL, the defense looked awful, and the bullpen was heavily used in the first 3 games of 17 straight without a break.

 

Oh, and the guys already on the IL are not coming back as soon as we hoped.

 

So here come the Rays, right after taking 3 straight from the Jays, with solid pitching and defense and maybe an offense that's hitting again.

 

One amazing game--thus am I responding to my first page gloom and doom. This was the kind of win moonslav says to look for because it happened when least expected.

 

We had family over for the 4th, so I missed big chunks of it, but the box score tells the tale: out of nowhere the bullpen, especially Crawford, pitched an absolute gem when one was sorely needed.

 

I would say that Cora's managing was masterful, which it was, but Crawford went way beyond what we had any right to expect. 2d time Arroyo starts at SS and again is solid in the field and excellent at the plate. Wow.

 

And the lineup did get those 2 runs, which were all they needed although the 2 in the 8th were sweet.

 

It is still daunting that Sale, Eovaldi, Whitlock, Wacha, and Hill are on the IL with no guaranteed date of return for any of them.

 

Thus the mantra: one game at a time.

[Maxbialystock]

Gotta love beating the Rays at their own game. Sox never would've won if Crawford started, and Davis relieved in the 6th and 7th. It was so obvious that the seven batters Davis faced in the opening two frames were then totally flummoxed the second and third time through the order vs. Crawford. Someone upstairs nailed it, opting for the left-right contrast of release points, rather than right-left looks. Imagine the results if the bulk guy opened instead, then was forced to get bulky for half a game -- and pushed to qualify for a quality start...

 

Interesting insight. Thanks.

[Maxbialystock]

Okay outside of Cora how many thought the Red Sox would pitch a shutout today?

 

No one thought it, not even Cora. But you have to give him credit for putting the right pieces together. Of course, only the players can deliver the goods, and today they did.

[Maxbialystock]

You guys think I was kidding about Robles needing to build his confidence. Who is warming up to prove AC's devotion to his players?

 

Thank goodness, AC had a sane moment and let Hansel just keep warming up, with Schreiber trying to close it

 

The Sox are playing 17 games in 17 days without a break, which puts tremendous pressure on the bullpen, especially with Sale, Eovaldi, Whitlock, Wacha, and Hill on the IL. You clearly are unaware of that grim reality.

 

Robles is on the freaking roster and needs to be ready to compete if needed.