August 30 Houston at Boston

[moonslav59]

4:10 start time.

 

Framber Valdez vs Kutter Crawford

 

It's most likely "now or never" for our Sox.

 

I never thought I'd say these words, but Crawford has been our ace for the last month or so.

 

One game at a time, guys!

 

Go SOX!

[Old Red]

I would expect to see the Ref Man, and the RAF Man in the lineup today? Who sits? Casas, Dugy, or Masa? 2 would have to sit. Stay tuned Cora is still pondering.

[Maxbialystock]

4:10 start time.

 

Framber Valdez vs Kutter Crawford

 

It's most likely "now or never" for our Sox.

 

I never thought I'd say these words, but Crawford has been our ace for the last month or so.

 

One game at a time, guys!

 

Go SOX!

 

Well said, as always, even when we disagree.

 

About the 48 games with just 3 days off. I think I mentioned it first on talksox--over a month ago. I thought it was a big deal and was right.

 

However, I agree with whoever says most MLB teams are playing lots of games in Aug-Sep. And my suspicion, which I ask you to comment on, is that the Sox have not yet built a system--nor do they have the expertise to do so--to develop good pitchers and by that I mean good pitchers in volume.

 

As you and others have written, you really need to be able to feed AAA pitchers to the big club--and send some back to AAA--to have fresh arms. But they can't just be fresh, they also need to be able to get MLB hitters out.

 

I therefore offer Brasier as Exhibit A as to how clueless the Sox are about pitchers. He stunk here for 2-3 months and has been gangbusters for 2 months with the Dodgers. They know something our guys don't know.

 

Feel free to refute me, pound on me, whatever. But you gave me this idea when you said some time ago that historically the Sox have pretty much relied on paying for good pitchers developed elsewhere. DD was the very embodiment of that by bringing in Price, Sale, Eovaldi, and Kimbrel and maybe a couple of others. And CB seems to be the anti-DD.

[mvp 78]

I would expect to see the Ref Man, and the RAF Man in the lineup today? Who sits? Casas, Dugy, or Masa? 2 would have to sit. Stay tuned Cora is still pondering.

 

Cora said Rafaela is going to start at SS today. We'll see...

[Maxbialystock]

Cora said Rafaela is going to start at SS today. We'll see...

 

Nothing wrong with that idea. Story still isn't hitting, and Reyes is on the IL.

[Old Red]

Cora said Rafaela is going to start at SS today. We'll see...

 

Wow! I hadn’t heard that. Story has really picked it at short, but his lumber has been in a slumber.

[moonslav59]

Well said, as always, even when we disagree.

 

About the 48 games with just 3 days off. I think I mentioned it first on talksox--over a month ago. I thought it was a big deal and was right.

 

However, I agree with whoever says most MLB teams are playing lots of games in Aug-Sep. And my suspicion, which I ask you to comment on, is that the Sox have not yet built a system--nor do they have the expertise to do so--to develop good pitchers and by that I mean good pitchers in volume.

 

As you and others have written, you really need to be able to feed AAA pitchers to the big club--and send some back to AAA--to have fresh arms. But they can't just be fresh, they also need to be able to get MLB hitters out.

 

I therefore offer Brasier as Exhibit A as to how clueless the Sox are about pitchers. He stunk here for 2-3 months and has been gangbusters for 2 months with the Dodgers. They know something our guys don't know.

 

Feel free to refute me, pound on me, whatever. But you gave me this idea when you said some time ago that historically the Sox have pretty much relied on paying for good pitchers developed elsewhere. DD was the very embodiment of that by bringing in Price, Sale, Eovaldi, and Kimbrel and maybe a couple of others. And CB seems to be the anti-DD.

 

The problem is, they replaced Brasier with pitchers just as bad.

[Old Red]

Cora said Rafaela is going to start at SS today. We'll see...

 

He is at SS, and leading off. Masa is on the bench.

[mvp 78]

C. Rafaela SS

J. Turner DH

R. Devers 3B

A. Duvall CF

R. Refsnyder LF

A. Verdugo RF

L. Urias 2B

T. Casas 1B

C. Wong C

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Based on the state of SOX pitching, both starters and relievers, based on their defense, or lack of, based on their untimely hitting, and based on their remaining schedule, imho, it would take a minor miracle for them to finish the season over .500. Edited August 30, 2023 by SPLENDIDSPLINTER

[Old Red]

Based on the state of SOX pitching, both starters and relievers, based on their defense, or lack of, based on their untimely hitting, and based on their remaining schedule, imho, it would take a minor miracle for them to finish the season over .500.

A minor miracle to finish over 500, and a major miracle to get into the postseason.

[moonslav59]

What effect has our poor D had on our team ERA of 4.46?

 

If we had average D? Maybe 3.90 to 4.10?

 

With top D? Maybe 3.60 to 4.10?

 

Just the change in scoring across the league has probably added 0.15 to the league ERA.

[iortiz]

What effect has our poor D had on our team ERA of 4.46?

 

If we had average D? Maybe 3.90 to 4.10?

 

With top D? Maybe 3.60 to 4.10?

 

Just the change in scoring across the league has probably added 0.15 to the league ERA.

 

... and most importantly, it would have been reflected, in what? at very least 5 more wins?

[iortiz]

Wonder what are they doing and will do to improve the D and fundamentals problem?

[Bellhorn04]

Wonder what are they doing and will do to improve the D and fundamentals problem?

 

Check back next year.

[iortiz]

BTW stop swinging at 3-0 pitches, specially with men on base, nobody out, and when the opp pitcher has shown zero command. A walk is always welcome as well, specially to this anemic offense.

 

Play basic fundaments for Christ's sake!

[Bellhorn04]

BTW stop swinging at 3-0 pitches, specially with men on base, nobody out, and when the opp pitcher has shown zero command. A walk is always welcome as well, specially to this anemic offense.

 

Play basic fundaments for Christ's sake!

 

Cora gave Story the green light on a 3-0 pitch last night, right? That's kind of a common thing managers do for certain hitters who are in a slump, hoping they'll get a fat one. If it works, it's a great move...

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

At this point in the season Turner easily gets my vote as SOX MVP.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

With Valdez's stuff those two runs may be already enough.

[jung]

Now that was a competitive inning....YIKES

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

The SOX died yesterday. Today we're dealing with rigor mortis.

[iortiz]

Cora gave Story the green light on a 3-0 pitch last night, right? That's kind of a common thing managers do for certain hitters who are in a slump, hoping they'll get a fat one. If it works, it's a great move...

 

It's not working. They have given the green light lately to almost every body. See the results. Cora must stop this nonsense and play by the book. It's hurting us.

[Maxbialystock]

What we need is an error by the Sox so we can once again blame the loss on lousy defense. That’s baloney of course. The are struggling because of hitting and pitching.

 

The headline for last nights game was the defense blew it, which ignored the fact that the Astros had two errors to our one and the 6-2 score.

[Maxbialystock]

It's not working. They have given the green light lately to almost every body. See the results. Cora must stop this nonsense and play by the book. It's hurting us.

 

The Sox are losing because they’re pitching and hitting stink. When they get walked, no one brings them home.

[d-money]

Stros just ending any chance for this team. Already bleak.

[Old Red]

Glad that Cora saved the BP arms for yesterday, and today even though they at least had a lead on Monday.

[jung]

What we need is an error by the Sox so we can once again blame the loss on lousy defense. That’s baloney of course. The are struggling because of hitting and pitching.

 

The headline for last nights game was the defense blew it, which ignored the fact that the Astros had two errors to our one and the 6-2 score.

 

The errors are more indicative of a lousy team fundamentally and lately a team that has just packed it in. Casas is caught chewing on his glove too often. JT is playing out of position constantly. Rafi has just plain packed it in. Verdugo is something of a head case. No idea what the hell he is doing. I never liked the idea of Duval in our CF though he has done better out there than I thought he would and our big international deal, Yoshida is just lucky that we have a place to hide him. At least Hernandez is no longer here spitting up errors.

 

Lets not even start on the pitching. This is simply not a very good team. Its not even a passible team by middle market franchise standards.

[moonslav59]

The Sox are losing because they’re pitching and hitting stink. When they get walked, no one brings them home.

 

It would be one thing, if we were losing to good teams, but apparently, the league is so watered down, it's like we are losing to the A's, today.

[Old Red]

The BP will have to go another 6.1 innings today. No problem.

[moonslav59]

Glad that Cora saved the BP arms for yesterday, and today even though they at least had a lead on Monday.

 

You have a point, but it wasn't really about saving them as it was about hardly any were available, due to prior overuse.