4/3 vs Pirates

[Old Red]

Balls are flying out of the park. You don’t see this in April. The contact hasn’t seemed so great on some of these Homers. I think MLB juiced the balls to make up for last years down power season.

 

Usually the wind is blowing in this time of year.

[d-money]

Offense has stalled. Ughh

[guinness22]

Need some more Duvall magic

[guinness22]

And that twig dies a hero. Ya baby.

[d-money]

6 outs remaining.

[Jasonbay44]

Why does Ort pitch every game?

[Tedballgame]

Wong probably caught a lot of these guys in the minors. McGuire has no experience with either of them but more mlb experience to work with the veterans. Kind of makes sense actually

 

Why does Ort pitch every game?

 

Because the starters suck.

[d-money]

This is why you need to depend on some pitching. Gonna need a walkoff again. 🤦*♂️

[guinness22]

Interesting to pinch hit Ref instead of McGuire. Tough loss.

[moonslav59]

Gotta start going to the pen a bit earlier.

[d-money]

s***** game. Man this starting staff needs to get right. 🤦*♂️

[illinoisredsox]

Why the heck wasn’t Tapia going at some point. Sox don’t have a lot of speed, but he’s one of the few who does.

[Hugh2]

They let Song and Ward go snd kept Crawford. Smart.

 

Ward and Song can’t start. We don’t even know if Song can pitch.

[Maxbialystock]

Gotta start going to the pen a bit earlier.

 

Possibly, but I wouldn't put it past this rotation to give up even more runs earlier. Kluber and especially Sale disgust me.

 

And let's not forget that Devers error cost 3 unearned runs, which turned out to be the difference between winning and losing. He almost didn't catch an easy foul pop which he also badly misread.

[mvp 78]

Wong's CERA with Crawford? YUCK!

[Bellhorn04]

Wong's CERA with Crawford? YUCK!

 

Wong probably stinks too.

 

Vaz's CERA is 0.33 in 3 games.

[mvp 78]

Wong probably stinks too.

 

Vaz's CERA is 0.33 in 3 games.

 

Is Vaz catching Sale, Kluber and Crawford too?

[mvp 78]

Also, wasn't Vaz the BAD CERA guy per all of moon's numbers?!?!?

[mvp 78]

I would take the Twins rotation over the Red Sox rotation any day:

 

Pablo Lopez

Sonny Gray

Joe Ryan

Tyler Mahle

Kenta Maeda

[Maxbialystock]

I would take the Twins rotation over the Red Sox rotation any day:

 

Pablo Lopez

Sonny Gray

Joe Ryan

Tyler Mahle

Kenta Maeda

 

While I don't mind the digs against the CERA thesis--one which I basically agree with--right now I have my doubts that the catchers are the problem with the rotation. Why? Because the bullpen has actually pitched decently if not well. Ort and Crawford have each/both pitched 4 innings, but Ort has given up 2 ER's to Crawford's 7. Kelly has pitched 3.2 innings with 1 ER compared to Kouber's 3 innings and 5 ER and Sale's 3 innings and 7 ER. Martin and Winckowski have both pitched 3 innings with 0 ER.

 

But maybe my fav is that disaster of relievers, Ryan Brasier, who has pitched 2 innings and given up 3 runs. He's right on par with Kluber, Sale, and Crawford.

 

I think Klubar, Sale, and Crawford failed to prepare adequately for the regular season. I do not consider Houck to be good starter material, and he out-pitched all 3 of them.

 

After, granted, less than a week, the Rays, who are known for their ability to develop pitchers--which Chaim Bloom had a big role in--have a team ERA of 1, and the Sox' ERA is 7.50.

 

The rotation stinks, period.

 

If I'm John Henry, I want Chaim to build a system for developing pitchers and to stay off the trail of all prior Sox GM's, which was simply to buy pitchers--in quantity and even expensive ones.

[Maxbialystock]

I thought he was bad--or at least not as good as the other catcher. Plus he was just stupid on the base paths. But a good bat continues to make him very hirable.

[Bellhorn04]

I thought he was bad--or at least not as good as the other catcher. Plus he was just stupid on the base paths. But a good bat continues to make him very hirable.

 

I don't think Houston or Minnesota wanted him primarily for his bat.

[mvp 78]

The rotation stinks, period.

 

On April 4, 2023, this appears to be correct. There is time for it to turn around, but it's UGLY right now.

 

Crawford has a low ceiling. He is just an injury filler. He can be sent to AAA.

 

Sale hasn't pitched competitively in a long time. He needs to figure out how to be a pitcher again.

 

Kluber's velo was down in his first start. If it doesn't come back to what it was just last season, he could be toast. I think there's a better likelihood of him figuring it out than Sale or Crawford.

[mvp 78]

I don't think Houston or Minnesota wanted him primarily for his bat.

 

Didn't moon have all these CERA stats to show that Vaz was a bad catcher? That's why he didn't like him?

[Maxbialystock]

On April 4, 2023, this appears to be correct. There is time for it to turn around, but it's UGLY right now.

 

Crawford has a low ceiling. He is just an injury filler. He can be sent to AAA.

 

Sale hasn't pitched competitively in a long time. He needs to figure out how to be a pitcher again.

 

Kluber's velo was down in his first start. If it doesn't come back to what it was just last season, he could be toast. I think there's a better likelihood of him figuring it out than Sale or Crawford.

 

Good points.

[Bellhorn04]

Didn't moon have all these CERA stats to show that Vaz was a bad catcher? That's why he didn't like him?

 

Yes. Some of the differences he found were not that large though. Plus he may be getting better as he gets older.

 

McGuire is relatively inexperienced, and Wong has almost no experience. I'm sure Varitek is working hard with them. Maybe they're getting overwhelmed with new information or something. I don't know, I'm just guessing, I freely admit.

[Maxbialystock]

I don't think Houston or Minnesota wanted him primarily for his bat.

 

Based on what the Astros did last fall and the Twins have done early this season, you have a point.

[Maxbialystock]

Yes. Some of the differences he found were not that large though. Plus he may be getting better as he gets older.

 

McGuire is relatively inexperienced, and Wong has almost no experience. I'm sure Varitek is working hard with them. Maybe they're getting overwhelmed with new information or something. I don't know, I'm just guessing, I freely admit.

 

Those new rules have definitely provided new challenges for catchers--so add that to simply learning what pitches work best with what pitchers.

[mvp 78]

Yes. Some of the differences he found were not that large though. Plus he may be getting better as he gets older.

 

McGuire is relatively inexperienced, and Wong has almost no experience. I'm sure Varitek is working hard with them. Maybe they're getting overwhelmed with new information or something. I don't know, I'm just guessing, I freely admit.

 

Maybe the pitchers are just sucking eggs early on in the season and it's not the catchers' fault?

[mvp 78]

Based on what the Astros did last fall and the Twins have done early this season, you have a point.

 

The Astros had a good rotation long before Vaz showed up.