4/10 @ Devil Rays

[Old Red]

Against RH pitching I'd have this line-up:

 

Dugo

Devers

Masa

Casas

McGuire

?

?

?

?

 

Casas, and Yoshida aren’t doing much with the bat themselves.

[notin]

Casas, and Yoshida aren’t doing much with the bat themselves.

 

Yoshida and his .378 OBP and 3:1 BB:K probably should lead off.

 

And that’s not even counting reaching on all those errors…

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Casas, and Yoshida aren’t doing much with the bat themselves.

 

 

Just trying to be a little positive. Not easy.

[notin]

This will work only if the SOX score early before the opposing manager brings in a LH reliever.

 

Yoshida

Devers

Turner

Verdugo

Casas

McGuire

Hernandez

Tapia

Arroyo

 

Top heavy with the lefties, but that’s the big issue with Duvall’s injury…

[moonslav59]

His BA now starts with a big fat goose egg. Forget about him leading off, because he shouldn’t even be in the lineup.

 

He's your longtime punching bag, for some reason, but at he does deserve harsh criticism.

 

In his defense, of the top 9 batters by PAs on the Sox, 5 have better OBPs, counting Duval now on the IL, and 3 have worse (Arroyo, Casas & Wong.)

[moonslav59]

Yoshida and his .378 OBP and 3:1 BB:K probably should lead off.

 

And that’s not even counting reaching on all those errors…

 

That's what I thought back in March.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Yoshida

Devers

Turner

Verdugo

Casas

McGuire

Hernandez

Tapia

Arroyo

 

Top heavy with the lefties, but that’s the big issue with Duvall’s injury…

 

The more LH starters the SOX face the further away from the PO's they will end up. The RH batters on this current team are a sorry lot.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

The more LH starters the SOX face the further away from the PO's they will end up. The RH batters on this current team are a sorry lot.

 

 

"Playoffs, you're talking about playoffs?"

[notin]

The more LH starters the SOX face the further away from the PO's they will end up. The RH batters on this current team are a sorry lot.

 

It was more balanced two games ago.

 

What teams have lefty-heavy rotations?

[notin]

That's what I thought back in March.

 

Ditto.

 

I thought they got him to fill the leadoff spot that’s been empty since Betts was traded…

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

It was more balanced two games ago.

 

What teams have lefty-heavy rotations?

 

I don't know and I'm too lazy to check, but for the SOX sake, hopefully, there aren't many.

Duvall was the RH balance.

[notin]

Maybe the Sox need to inquire about Paul DeJong.

 

Trades in April/May are rare. But DeJong is returning from an IL stint back into a crowded Cardinals’ middle infield picture. As he is owed $11.2 mill this year (counting buyout), and is really just taking up a 40 man roster spot, I have zero doubt the Cardinals turn down any offer at any point in time ever.

 

DeJong hits right/handed, albeit poorly. He does have some power. But he also has an excellent glove at shortstop. He very won’t hit like Duvall was hitting, but him at SS and Kike back in CF is a much, much better defensive alignment…

[guinness22]

Busy day. Just catching up…and….well, darn.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Maybe the Sox need to inquire about Paul DeJong.

 

Trades in April/May are rare. But DeJong is returning from an IL stint back into a crowded Cardinals’ middle infield picture. As he is owed $11.2 mill this year (counting buyout), and is really just taking up a 40 man roster spot, I have zero doubt the Cardinals turn down any offer at any point in time ever.

 

DeJong hits right/handed, albeit poorly. He does have some power. But he also has an excellent glove at shortstop. He very won’t hit like Duvall was hitting, but him at SS and Kike back in CF is a much, much better defensive alignment…

 

Another weak hitting RH batter probably won't be noticed and improving the middle defense would be a good thing. However, now that JH is running the franchise as a small market team, I doubt Bloom will spend 11 mil on that guy.

Edited April 11, 2023 by SPLENDIDSPLINTER

[moonslav59]

Another weak hitting RH batter probably won't be noticed and improving the middle defense would be a good thing. However, now that JH is running the franchise as a small market team, I doubt Bloom will spend 11 mil on that guy.

 

I'd guess the Cards might pay part of his deal or like Bloom likes, throw in a prospect.

[iortiz]

Losing Duval was really brutal. He was the guy who gave life to this lineup.

 

If we win a game out of this series I’ll be surprised.

[vegasbob]

It was more balanced two games ago.

 

What teams have lefty-heavy rotations?

 

Allegedly, Sox will face 7 left handed starters in their next 8 games. Rays, Angels , and Twins.

Edited April 11, 2023 by vegasbob

[Maxbialystock]

I vehemently disagree with all the whining about the lineup--at least, I do this morning.

 

Last night was a terrific game in which both teams struggled at the plate. A reminder for all you whiners: coming into this game the Rays had great hitting that pounded out 9 straight wins. But last night that got that one run off a bad pitch (2d or 3d straight fastball, and this one near the middle of the zone) by a reliever.

 

In other words, good pitching beats good hitting, and the Rays have the best pitching staff in MLB right now.

 

I do not for one moment think Duvall in the lineup last night would have allowed the Sox to score 1 or more runs. Go look at his game log: he has yet to hit good pitching this season.

 

Am I worried about the lineup without Duvall? Sure I am. Last night the Rays pitching, aided in one at bat by 2 bad calls by the homeplate ump, made Rafael Devers look incompetent, especially when he looked at a called 3d strike (well inside the strike zone) with the bases loaded.

 

But let's not forget that Pittsburgh swept the Sox at Fenway with Duvall in the lineup. In those three games the Sox scored 5 runs in the first inning of first game and thereafter scored 3 runs in the final 26 innings. Thanks to last night's Rays game, the Sox team ERA is now 4.55, 17th in MLB. The Pirates team ERA is 4.91--and they did a number on the Sox.

[Maxbialystock]

Losing Duval was really brutal. He was the guy who gave life to this lineup.

 

If we win a game out of this series I’ll be surprised.

 

See above. I think Duvall simply hit bad pitching and is suspect against good pitching.

[Maxbialystock]

Just trying to be a little positive. Not easy.

 

Seriously?

 

Go look at the MLB standings, where you will see the Rays lead MLB in runs scored with 76, which translates to 7.6 runs per game. Last night they scored 1 against the Sox pitching staff and 0 vs. Pivetta in 5 innings.

 

Me, I was dazzled by the Sox pitching, especially Pivetta with that new breaking ball (which no doubt has a new name because of course "curveball" would never suffice).

 

The hitting stunk, but we saw them stink for 26 of 27 innings against the Pirates and with Duvall in the lineup.

'