4/6 @ Tigers

[mvp 78]

@jcmccaffrey

Schreiber, who grew up about 15 miles from Detroit and was drafted by the Tigers debuting with them in 2019, has more than 30 family and friends at this game

 

But will they boo him?

[Old Red]

Kiké was supposed to be good at SS.

 

Kike has never played more than 24 games in a season at SS, so not much of a book on him.

[Old Red]

6 of their starters have batting averages at 208 or below. As of now, the best team in baseball seems to be the Rays.

 

Did not panic after Sale’s first time out, and not excited about his performance today facing the banjo hitting lineup. Be good to get a win though.

[mvp 78]

Kike has never played more than 24 games in a season at SS, so not much of a book on him.

 

Good thing he still hasn't played 24 games yet so these results don't matter.

[Maxbialystock]

How are they going to obtain a competitive rotation in the near future then?

 

Definite competitive.

 

I ask because I think this one right now could be. Klubar and Sale have both come back nicely after horrible starts. Pivetta and Houck had decent first starts. Only Crawford stinks. Meanwhile, Whitcomb and Bello, both better than Crawford, are due back within a week. I don't expect much from Paxton, but he's lurking out there in the twilight zone.

 

Indeed, I would argue the worst part of this year's rotation is that stinking defense behind them. McGuire and Devers both made egregiously bad plays (but Devers' was so bad it wasn't an error because he never got a glove on the ball) to give up 5 gift runs. Hernandez already has 3 errors and has made zero excellent plays at SS. The outfield has no range and no arms.

 

I also think the bullpen could be better this year.

Edited April 6, 2023 by Maxbialystock

[Old Red]

Good thing he still hasn't played 24 games yet so these results don't matter.

 

I’m more concerned if Kike is going to hit then where he plays. He’s a backup SS playing it FT.

[moonslav59]

Note to moonslav. Looks like the pitching will be OK. But, just as you said, they have to do better than other pitchers on teams with decent defenses. This team's defense stinks.

 

There is a possibility the defense improves with the return of Story & Mondesi, and Kike moving back to CF.

 

We'd go from one of the worst SS-2B-CF triangles to one of the best.

 

We look good at 1B and maybe catcher.

 

Corner OF and 3B would still be suspect, but we can get better on D.

 

Mayber I'm too gah-gah on Whitlock & Bello, but I think they will have a major impact on our staff, soon.

[moonslav59]

I’m more concerned if Kike is going to hit then where he plays. He’s a backup SS playing it FT.

 

He should be in CF, but who would get moved or benched?

 

Not Duval, except maybe to LF or DH.

Not Yoshida, too expensive (maybe to DH?)

Not Verdugo, he's a Cora fave and playing well.

I doubt it's Turner (Yoshida to DH/Duvall to LF) or Casas (Turner to 1B/Yoshida to DH/Duvall to LF)

 

One Q...

 

Has he gone from "utility" to "back-up" in your eyes, or are you just talking SS?

[mvp 78]

Brasier as the setup guy. Let's see how this goes................................

[moonslav59]

Brasier as the setup guy. Let's see how this goes................................

 

Not only do they pitch Brasier more than we like, they seem to have him in more important situations than Martin & Schreiber. (I get your points about Schreiber & Bleier now being sketchy, but Martin?)

[moonslav59]

MLB RBI Leaders:

 

12 Duvall

10 Y Alvarez

10 B Anderson

10 Will Smith

8 six tied

[Old Red]

Like I said the biggest question to me with Kike is can he hit enough to stay in the lineup, and not where he plays. Everyone is speculating that if Story, and Mondesi get back that Kike would just automatically stay in the lineup, and move back to CF full time. I don’t see it as it stands right now.

[moonslav59]

Like I said the biggest question to me with Kike is can he hit enough to stay in the lineup, and not where he plays. Everyone is speculating that if Story, and Mondesi get back that Kike would just automatically stay in the lineup, and move back to CF full time. I don’t see it as it stands right now.

 

Story's return is a long way away.

 

Surely, if Kike is still under .150 or even .200, and Duvall, Turner, Casas, Yoshida and Dugo are hitting well, he won't be playing CF FT.

 

That is 5 guys who all have to be doing okay and be healthy. Kike could also move to 2B, if he looks better than Arroyo, when the choice is being made.

 

No answer to my question is fine. I think we know where you stand.

[Bellhorn04]

Not only do they pitch Brasier more than we like, they seem to have him in more important situations than Martin & Schreiber. (I get your points about Schreiber & Bleier now being sketchy, but Martin?)

 

Just be happy it wasn't Ort.

[mvp 78]

Not only do they pitch Brasier more than we like, they seem to have him in more important situations than Martin & Schreiber. (I get your points about Schreiber & Bleier now being sketchy, but Martin?)

 

Is it matchup based?

[mvp 78]

Strike % today

Martin 73

Jansen 69

Sale 62

Schreiber 59

Brasier 57

 

Brasier was kept around because he didn't walk anyone and threw strikes?

[moonslav59]

Is it matchup based?

 

I will say, Martin faced better hitters than Bra-Man, so maybe that was the idea.

[moonslav59]

Just be happy it wasn't Ort.

 

Kelly has been an adventure, too.

 

He may be the first guy sent down- not Ort.

[mvp 78]

I will say, Martin faced better hitters than Bra-Man, so maybe that was the idea.

 

Makes sense to me. Cora has always stated that he wanted better relievers to be available earlier in the game when needed.

[Old Red]

Glad to see Jansen get into the game today. He needed some work.

[mvp 78]

Kelly has been an adventure, too.

 

He may be the first guy sent down- not Ort.

 

Kelly has yet to have a clean outing. He hasn't looked great from what I've seen. He has options so it's not a DFA issue. If it was a DFA question, I probably dump Ort first.

[Old Red]

Kelly has yet to have a clean outing. He hasn't looked great from what I've seen. He has options so it's not a DFA issue. If it was a DFA question, I probably dump Ort first.

 

I’d say the BP has been surprisingly good from the guys not named Jansen, Martin, and Schreiber.

[jad]

@SoxNotes

Rafael Devers has passed Dustin Pedroia on the Red Sox’ all-time HR list:

 

12. Nomar Garciaparra 178

13. Jackie Jensen 170

T14. Tony Conigliaro 162

T14. Carlton Fisk 162

16. Xander Bogaerts 156

17. George Scott 154

18. Reggie Smith 149

19. RAFAEL DEVERS 141

20. Dustin Pedroia 140

 

How is that possible? Why, I distinctly remember watching him in AA with the SeaDogs. You're telling me that wasn't, say, two years ago? How did I miss that he hit 139 HRs last season?

[moonslav59]

Kelly has yet to have a clean outing. He hasn't looked great from what I've seen. He has options so it's not a DFA issue. If it was a DFA question, I probably dump Ort first.

 

Ort has options, too, so either could be demoted without being DFA'd, right?

[moonslav59]

I’d say the BP has been surprisingly good from the guys not named Jansen, Martin, and Schreiber.

 

Thanks to Winck.

 

ERA and WHIP

1.93 Kelly 4.2 IP (1.71)

6.00 Bleier 3.0 IP (1.67)

6.75 Brasier 4.0 IP (1.40)

7.20 Ort 5.0 IP (1.40)

[guinness22]

Just caught up on delay. Good win. Appeared to me like Sale had trouble locating his fastball but gutted it out. What can you say about Duvall? On fire. Only downside of today is because I was on delay on the MLB.TV app I didn’t want to access the menu to switch audio to the radio broadcast for fear of seeing the score so I had to put up with the insufferable tandem of Youk-too-much and O’Boring. Blah.

[jad]

Just caught up on delay. Good win. Appeared to me like Sale had trouble locating his fastball but gutted it out. What can you say about Duvall? On fire. Only downside of today is because I was on delay on the MLB.TV app I didn’t want to access the menu to switch audio to the radio broadcast for fear of seeing the score so I had to put up with the insufferable tandem of Youk-too-much and O’Boring. Blah.

 

Luckily I had the Detroit feed. It's actually fun to listen to/watch baseball when you don't have to listen to an impromptu peroration on why hitters prefer to swing at bp fastballs right down the middle rather than sliders a foot out of the zone or why catching a ball is sometimes better than dropping it.

[Bellhorn04]

luckily i had the detroit feed. It's actually fun to listen to/watch baseball when you don't have to listen to an impromptu peroration on why hitters prefer to swing at bp fastballs right down the middle rather than sliders a foot out of the zone or why catching a ball is sometimes better than dropping it.

 

Good one.

[moonslav59]

One game from .500.

 

No Story.

No Whitlock.

No Bello.

No Joely, Paxton and Mondesi.

 

We all wish the start of the season would yield better than a 3 and 4 record, but there is a 155 games to go.

[Bellhorn04]

One of the stupidest things I've ever heard an "analyst" say was when John Smoltz, in his pre-game spiel, said the following was a key to victory for one team: "Control the scoreboard."

 

As in, get the lead, and keep the lead. Yeah, that's some sound advice right there, Swami. Where would we be without you?