4/11 vs Rays at the Thunderdome

[Old Red]

It's early days, and right now the Rays are hands down the best team in MLB. Last night's game was their toughest win of what looks like 11 straight so far this season.

 

They definitely have the best pitching, so it should be no surprise the Sox have struggled to score because about a week or so ago the Sox scored just 3 runs in the final 26 innings of the series vs. Pittsburgh--and that was with Duvall.

 

Might as well just draw the lineup out of a hat at this point.

[vegasbob]

At least Tapia showing some hustle and smarts as he hits for Arroyo and slides into first to avoid the tag

[d-money]

Rays are a very good team. Crazy how they’re still missing one of their stud pitchers.

[vegasbob]

yeah, why play McGuire over Wong ? Is McGuire's defense that bad ? Wong cannot hit at all. Mcguire gets 2 in 2 ABs against the world champion Rays

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I do not get Cora’s insistence in Kike as a leadoff hitter nor his insistence that OBP machine Yoshida is a cleanup hitter…

 

Duvall on a hot streak, was more all than nothing, but at least a legitimate power threat. Refsnyder, his replacement, has never been anything but a replacement player. Ten games into the season, and this is our new #5 batter -- an eight-year MLBer with 12 career homers... except when righties face us, and then it's going to be... Tapia? That's it?

 

The Rays may be great -- and McClanahan had the best stuff of any starter we've seen so far -- but they still haven't played any good teams yet.

[d-money]

Well that s*** show is over. At least we have the B’s and C’s in the playoffs.

[vegasbob]

That final AB (now 0-27) by Kike should go into the HoF for swinging at a pitch high/inside that the rays catcher doesn't come close to handling . Kike then stands there like the numbnut he is, not realizing the ball rolls to the backstop. The catcher still has time to retrieve the ball and throw to 1st to get Hernandez by 10'. A real candidate for worst effort by a $10MM player.

[d-money]

Duvall on a hot streak, was more all than nothing, but at least a legitimate power threat. Refsnyder, his replacement, has never been anything but a replacement player. Ten games into the season, and this is our new #5 batter -- an eight-year MLBer with 12 career homers... except when righties face us, and then it's going to be... Tapia? That's it?

 

The Rays may be great -- and McClanahan had the best stuff of any starter we've seen so far -- but they still haven't played any good teams yet.

 

When they play the Yankees we should get an idea but i feel they have superior starting pitching over the Yankees. Just a matter if they can hit offensively against the Yankees.

Edited April 12, 2023 by d-money

[illinoisredsox]

I've seen A LOT of weak contact from Yoshida so far this year. It's not looking promising

 

Player A went 5-36 in his first 10 games, with 1 homer and 3 RBIs.

 

659 homers later, Willie Mays finished up a Hall of Fame career.

 

Seems to me Pedroia got off to a very tough start too.

 

I am in no way comparing these players, but it is way too early to make any assessments about Yoshida. Not everyone hits the ground running like the immortal Ted Cox.

[illinoisredsox]

And I don't give a damn what a Yankee troll has to say.

 

+1

 

Well said

[Old Red]

Player A went 5-36 in his first 10 games, with 1 homer and 3 RBIs.

 

659 homers later, Willie Mays finished up a Hall of Fame career.

 

Seems to me Pedroia got off to a very tough start too.

 

I am in no way comparing these players, but it is way too early to make any assessments about Yoshida. Not everyone hits the ground running like the immortal Ted Cox.

 

 

Noshida has been playing baseball for a long time, and is 29 years old, so not a good comparison. The pitching he’s facing is better than in Japan.

[redsoxrules]

Player A went 5-36 in his first 10 games, with 1 homer and 3 RBIs.

 

659 homers later, Willie Mays finished up a Hall of Fame career.

 

Seems to me Pedroia got off to a very tough start too.

 

I am in no way comparing these players, but it is way too early to make any assessments about Yoshida. Not everyone hits the ground running like the immortal Ted Cox.

 

Yoshida will be 30 years old this year. He ain't going to be no Willie Mays nor even a Dustin Pedroia.

[Maxbialystock]

Rays are a very good team. Crazy how they’re still missing one of their stud pitchers.

 

They also have a payroll of $74M, less than half of the Sox payroll. Indeed, Bogey's new contract gets him $280M and Raffie's $310M. Raffie might be usable for 10 more years, but not Bogey (whose contract is for 11). So let's say Bogey is a $28M/year man and Raffie $31M/year--combined they are paid $59M/year or over 1/3 of the entire Rays team.

 

Nowhere on espn or any of the sports websites or networks will you read or hear commentators commending Rays management. Nosiree. ESPN and others have bought into higher pay for MLB players and especially for the highest paid ones. The bigger the contract, the better the story.

 

And that's because, they say/think the rich owners can afford to pay those salaries. Absolutely untrue. All owners, including our own John Henry, want their teams to make a profit. And that means the fans are paying for those salaries and not, emphatically not, the owners.

[Maxbialystock]

That final AB (now 0-27) by Kike should go into the HoF for swinging at a pitch high/inside that the rays catcher doesn't come close to handling . Kike then stands there like the numbnut he is, not realizing the ball rolls to the backstop. The catcher still has time to retrieve the ball and throw to 1st to get Hernandez by 10'. A real candidate for worst effort by a $10MM player.

 

I'd love to say you're overstating what happened, but I completely agree with you.

 

Plus let's not forget that our catcher Wong had a passed ball on a third strike that was inside the strike zone, hit his glove and bounced to his right front--but Wong was still not quick enough to get the batter out at first.

[illinoisredsox]

Noshida has been playing baseball for a long time, and is 29 years old, so not a good comparison. The pitching he’s facing is better than in Japan.

 

Yoshida will be 30 years old this year. He ain't going to be no Willie Mays nor even a Dustin Pedroia.

 

Perhaps you two should reread my final paragraph. What part of “I am in no way comparing these players” didn’t you understand?

 

And it IS way too early to assess how Yoshida’s career will go.

[moonslav59]

I know McGuire has a CERA through the roof, but Wong is not working. At least McGuire seems to be able to hit.

[Old Red]

Perhaps you two should reread my final paragraph. What part of “I am in no way comparing these players” didn’t you understand?

 

And it IS way too early to assess how Yoshida’s career will go.

 

What ever you want to call it still wasn’t good for a guy 29, who has played lots of baseball. I’ll repeat something I’ve reported before that Yoshida had 9 hits in the WBC, and 8 of them were on pitches under 90 MPH, and the other hit was on a pitch at 91 MPH. He may adjust to faster pitches, and he may not. For $100M he’d better

[a700hitter]

Actually, it was the bottom of the order who got 2 on last night right before Devers came up with the bases loaded and looked at a called 3d strike well inside the strike zone.

 

Why is it so difficult on talksox to acknowledge that the Rays pitching is tough? Nobody on the Sox staff comes remotely close to the stuff McClanahan is throwing.

 

And our man Whitlock keeps throwing gopher balls. Talk about a guy who wasn't ready to pitch tonight.

Sure the Rays pitching is tough, but the Red Sox lineup is thin too.

[notin]

Good point. Same logic applies to keeping Devers batting 2d. He's a lefty bat facing mostly lefty pitchers and should have been dropped in the order. But there he was last night, batting 2d as usual, with the bases loaded with two out in the top of the 8th inning of a scoreless game. And what does he do with that golden opportunity? He strikes out looking at a pitch well within the strike zone.

 

The key to good managing is putting the hitters in the right spots. If only Cora knew how to do that, the Sox would be sweeping the Rays in Tampa.

 

Disagree.

 

Devers is absolutely the Sox hitter you want up with the bases loaded. Sure he’s better against RHP, but no way does Tampa let him bat against a RHP with the bases loaded…

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

The crazy fact that they have to depend on duval and the best start he has ever had in his career speaks volumes about how badly this lineup is in reality. Duval was ho-hum before this career start with this team .

 

He led the NL in homers 2 season ago and he was injured(wrist) most of last season. You should check things out before making inaccurate posts.

Edited April 12, 2023 by SPLENDIDSPLINTER

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

On a positive note I'm positive this current SOX team is worse than last year's.

 

On another positive note Bra Man had an impressive 9th inning.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Sure the Rays pitching is tough, but the Red Sox lineup is thin too.

 

Cher thin.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

This team is not rebuilding nor will compete against contenders. We are the definition of mediocre.

 

Bloom has to go.

 

If the SOX finishing last again gets both Bloom and Cora fired, it might be worth it. Unfortunately, the owner can't be fired.

[Bellhorn04]

We can't even hope for a rainout.

[mvp 78]

It's not a huge mismatch...

 

2021-2022 (Careers)

ERA/FIP/WHIP

 

2.73/3.07/1.062 Whitlock in 152 IP

2.47/2.98/0.942 McClanahan in 178 IP

 

In fact, it was a huge mismatch.

[mvp 78]

Whitlock as a starter would be the better comparison.

4.15/3.60/1.26

 

He needs more time to develop as a starter, but it may be a little rough early on this season. There will be growing pains. Maybe things round into form for everyone and we can get SOCKtober?

[mvp 78]

Dalbec has a history of hitting LHP well. This is his shot. Maybe his last one here.

 

In 2023 at WOO vs LHP: 1371 OPS. Only 1 K in 5 AB's. He does see the ball better vs LHP. Need to sit him if a RHP comes in though.

 

And Dalbec went 1 for 1 with a BB. Did his job vs LHP.

 

Everyone else?

[moonslav59]

In fact, it was a huge mismatch.

 

It was, last night, yes.

[moonslav59]

And Dalbec went 1 for 1 with a BB. Did his job vs LHP.

 

Everyone else?

 

Turner 1-2 w 2 BB.

 

That's it for the O.

[Hugh2]

Sure the Rays pitching is tough, but the Red Sox lineup is thin too.

 

We are 7th in MLB in runs scored. Even last year we were 9th, 5th the year before, and even 11th in all of MLB during 2020 when we were arguably the worse team in baseball.

 

The lineup could use some upgrades, but it's obvious not TOO thin.