April 10 Baltimore at Boston

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Finally, something I can agree with. I'll bet you a million bucks no MLB team in the last 50 years has averaged 6 inning starts over 162 games. My goodness, these days a 9 inning start gets headlines. Have you never read the frequent comments/stats from moonslav and others about how difficult it is to fact a lineup for the 3d freaking time? And wasn't it the Dodgers manager who pulled his starter who had been brilliant--I think in the NLCS or the WS--for six innings simply because he was terrified of letting him face that lineup a 3d time? He said after the game he made that decision before the game started!!!!

 

When I posted an average season of 6 inning starts, I wasn't implying the SOX staff would average 6 innings for the whole season, obviously. I was trying to say that the SOX starters wouldn't have an average number of games with 6 inning starts.

Sorry for the confusion.

Edited April 11, 2024 by SPLENDIDSPLINTER

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Basically a .300 hitter with a .370 OBP, a little power which he did show in first half 2023. A plug-in for LF in Fenway. The fact he can't or just doesn't speak English just aligns him with a few other players on the team.

 

I was just answering what the SOX FO expected.

[Maxbialystock]

This team is showing their true colors. Last place could be a possibility again.

 

Could be right. To me it's astounding the rotation has been so good--including Crawford's 5 shutout innings tonight--and the rest of the team so absolutely terrible. Wong is supposed to be our best defensive catcher but tonight he had a passed ball and batter interference.

[moonslav59]

Not really. He threw 1 strike to McGuire and still struck him out. Knuckle curve was working good.

 

1 strike per batter was better than what he did for us, at the end.

 

LOL

[vegasbob]

Max is correct. Boston starters , on a team that is 7-5, have pitched about 67 innings out of 108 so far, 62%. The starters are carrying the typical 2020's MLB expectations of starting pitchers. The joke is contained in another post by Max, showing a $14 miilion payroll for these hurling geniuses ( prior to Bello's extension) . f*** JH and all that ride with him

[Oscars]

It really helps that neither Devers or Casas is hitting worth a shite.

 

We were told the defence would be better this year, but so far it stinks again.

The Sox are committing 0.91 errors per game, the 5th worst in MLB

[Maxbialystock]

When I posted an average season of 6 inning starts, I wasn't implying the SOX staff would average 6 innings for the whole season, obviously. I was trying to say that the SOX starters wouldn't have an average number of 6 inning starts.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

Meh. I should have realized you meant that.

 

However, now that I do understand--

 

Before tonight just 7 of 30 MLB teams had 5 or more quality starts. The Sox have 4, which ties them for 8th best.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

We were told the defence would be better this year, but so far it stinks again.

The Sox are committing 0.91 errors per game, the 5th worst in MLB

 

It'll be tough being worse defensively than the A's, but the SOX will give them serious competition.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Meh. I should have realized you meant that.

 

However, now that I do understand--

 

Before tonight just 7 of 30 MLB teams had 5 or more quality starts. The Sox have 4, which ties them for 8th best.

 

 

What the SOX starters have accomplished thru the 1st 12 games has been overachieving at a whole new level.

[Maxbialystock]

Cheer up, MAX. The SOX starters still have the lowest ERA in the league thru 12 games.

 

Amazing, no? Crawford went 5 with 0 runs to keep things going.

 

The rotation is the primary reason why the Sox have a winning record--7-5. And 3 of those losses were in games which the Sox lost 1-0, 2-1 (both LA runs were unearned), and 4-3 (when the Sox gave up 1 run in regulation). And 1 of the wins was when the staff (Pivetta went just 5 innings) pitched a 1-0 shutout.

 

Tonight was appalling, given the 5-0 lead after 5. Campbell came in with a 2.08 ERA and in just 8 pitches the Orioles had 2 runs in, a man on first, and nobody out in just 8 pitches.

 

Then Martin got sabotaged by Wong, but he also had 2 WP's, a BB, and that 3 run dinger on a fastball pretty doggone close to dead center of the strike zone. That was with 2 outs and on a 1 and 2 count.

[Maxbialystock]

What the SOX starters have accomplished thru the 1st 12 games has been overachieving at a whole new level.

 

Agreed. Their collective paycheck is $14M, less than Jansen's $16M. So maybe JH has a point. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

However, the team as a whole, despite still being over .500, is worrisome. I think the bullpen will be OK, tonight notwithstanding, but the lineup is struggling at the plate and especially in the field.

[Maxbialystock]

It'll be tough being worse defensively than the A's, but the SOX will give them serious competition.

 

I'm afraid so because I finally buy moonslav's dictum that a weak defense, including bad plays that aren't errors, undercuts the pitching.

[Maxbialystock]

Max is correct. Boston starters , on a team that is 7-5, have pitched about 67 innings out of 108 so far, 62%. The starters are carrying the typical 2020's MLB expectations of starting pitchers. The joke is contained in another post by Max, showing a $14 miilion payroll for these hurling geniuses ( prior to Bello's extension) . f*** JH and all that ride with him

 

Tell us what you really think about our beloved owner.

[moonslav59]

We were told the defence would be better this year, but so far it stinks again.

The Sox are committing 0.91 errors per game, the 5th worst in MLB

 

In 2023, we were 30th in OAA. In 2024, we are 21st, so far.

Fangraphs has us 21st. (30th, last season)

DRS has us 21st. (24th, last season)

 

It's improved, but just not a whole lot.

 

Kike, alone, killed the club's chances in April, last year. We had about 3-4 positions that were dead last.

 

 

[moonslav59]

Our rotation, to date:

 

0.00 Houck 6 IP per start (2 GS)

0.57 Crawford 5.1 IP per start (3 GS)

0.82 Pivetta 5.2 IP per start (2 GS)

0.96 Whitlock 4.2 IP per GS (2 GS)

4.11 B Bello 5.1 IP per GS (3 GS)

 

I doubt any other team has 5 SP'ers averaging 4.2 or more IP per start.

 

I know no other team has ERAs like these. (1.42 rotation ERA)

 

63.1 IP in 12 GS (5.1 per start)

43 Hits

18 BB

71 Ks

 

The sample size has grown to the point where we could have a game where our SP'er lets up 10 ERs in 5 IP

 

[Maxbialystock]

Our rotation, to date:

 

0.00 Houck 6 IP per start (2 GS)

0.57 Crawford 5.1 IP per start (3 GS)

0.82 Pivetta 5.2 IP per start (2 GS)

0.96 Whitlock 4.2 IP per GS (2 GS)

4.11 B Bello 5.1 IP per GS (3 GS)

 

I doubt any other team has 5 SP'ers averaging 4.2 or more IP per start.

 

I know no other team has ERAs like these. (1.42 rotation ERA)

 

63.1 IP in 12 GS (5.1 per start)

43 Hits

18 BB

71 Ks

 

The sample size has grown to the point where we could have a game where our SP'er lets up 10 ERs in 5 IP

 

 

All good of course.

 

But right now I'm leaning toward the terribles, the naysayers, the talksoxers who want to fire John Henry and/or anyone else at fault for assembling a lineup that can't field or hit much.

 

The Sox were 7-3 out West and are 0-2 at home. The Orioles are supposed to be good this year because they made it to the playoffs last year with a lot of good young players. But yesterday and tonight were simply embarrassing.

[Duran Is The Man]

In 2023, we were 30th in OAA. In 2024, we are 21st, so far.

Fangraphs has us 21st. (30th, last season)

DRS has us 21st. (24th, last season)

 

It's improved, but just not a whole lot.

 

Kike, alone, killed the club's chances in April, last year. We had about 3-4 positions that were dead last.

 

 

 

you'd think one of Henry's 187 bean counter nerds would notice this and the team would do something about it but here we are -another year, another s***** defense.

[moonslav59]

you'd think one of Henry's 187 bean counter nerds would notice this and the team would do something about it but here we are -another year, another s***** defense.

 

I think they did address the defense.

 

Grissom should be better than Arroyo/Vadlez/Urias/Reyes/Kike.

 

Rafaela is light years better than Duvall/Duran in CF.

 

Duran is better than Yoshida in LF.

 

We expected growth at 1B and C.

 

Story was expected to vastly improve the SS D, and he did for 2 short weeks.

 

RF and 3B looked like pushes.

 

Some of us have suggested ways to improve 3B defense, but have been largely ridiculed for doing so.

 

The lack of addressing the rotation was more neglectful, despite how the rotation has looked, so far. Now, with Story out, the defense cannot improve by nearly as much as planned/expected, but it still should move up from 28th to 30th in 2023 to around 20-24th. Not great, but still it may end up being the only area of improvement by October.

[jung]

IMO, all of this back and forth about the capabilities of the 2024 Sox will fad to insignificance by the end of the year. It is not even a good baseball team by historical MLB standards. But it is better than much of the utter garbage masquerading as MLB teams these days.

 

If I had to guess, the 2024 Sox will finish just the wrong side of post season play. Their fielding is abysmal, their hitting is inconsistent and their pitching staff simply has no chance of not ultimately being exposed.

 

First it is a team of petulant children from its Manager down. That is in itself a severe deficit in a league that demands 162 games of regular season play from each franchise.

[moonslav59]

IMO, all of this back and forth about the capabilities of the 2024 Sox will fad to insignificance by the end of the year. It is not even a good baseball team by historical MLB standards. But it is better than much of the utter garbage masquerading as MLB teams these days.

 

If I had to guess, the 2024 Sox will finish just the wrong side of post season play. Their fielding is abysmal, their hitting is inconsistent and their pitching staff simply has no chance of not ultimately being exposed.

 

First it is a team of petulant children from its Manager down. That is in itself a severe deficit in a league that demands 162 games of regular season play from each franchise.

 

I think there are more teams with serious flaws than we may think. I'm still holding onto a sliver of hope.

[Bellhorn04]

Blowing games like last night is gonna happen. It's our post-Story starting 9 that's scary. We have no good defensive infielders, and a DH that can't hit. Stuff like that.

[Bellhorn04]

I think they did address the defense.

 

Grissom should be better than Arroyo/Vadlez/Urias/Reyes/Kike.

 

Rafaela is light years better than Duvall/Duran in CF.

 

Duran is better than Yoshida in LF.

 

We expected growth at 1B and C.

 

Story was expected to vastly improve the SS D, and he did for 2 short weeks.

 

RF and 3B looked like pushes.

 

Some of us have suggested ways to improve 3B defense, but have been largely ridiculed for doing so.

 

The lack of addressing the rotation was more neglectful, despite how the rotation has looked, so far. Now, with Story out, the defense cannot improve by nearly as much as planned/expected, but it still should move up from 28th to 30th in 2023 to around 20-24th. Not great, but still it may end up being the only area of improvement by October.

 

But if they have to send Rafaela down to work on his hitting, you're really going to see some hijinks out there.

[moonslav59]

But if they have to send Rafaela down to work on his hitting, you're really going to see some hijinks out there.

 

Indeed, but even Duran is improved and may be better in CF than the mix we had in 2023.

 

Ref in LF is not much better than Yoshida.

[Old Red]

I think they did address the defense.

 

Grissom should be better than Arroyo/Vadlez/Urias/Reyes/Kike.

 

Rafaela is light years better than Duvall/Duran in CF.

 

Duran is better than Yoshida in LF.

 

We expected growth at 1B and C.

 

Story was expected to vastly improve the SS D, and he did for 2 short weeks.

 

RF and 3B looked like pushes.

 

Some of us have suggested ways to improve 3B defense, but have been largely ridiculed for doing so.

 

The lack of addressing the rotation was more neglectful, despite how the rotation has looked, so far. Now, with Story out, the defense cannot improve by nearly as much as planned/expected, but it still should move up from 28th to 30th in 2023 to around 20-24th. Not great, but still it may end up being the only area of improvement by October.

 

No one has a clue what Grissom is going to be like at 2B, or anywhere else.He got taken off SS for a reason, and it wasn’t for all the hype he’s been getting on here. You keep say Raffy would be a + on D at 1B. There is nothing he has done at this point to suggest that would be a good move.

Largely ridiculed for the suggested ways to improve 3B? I wonder why? Maybe it’s because those suggestions would entail spending money, which the Red Sox aren’t doing at the moment, not to mention other moves like the $300M man moving to 1B.🙈🤭

[Bellhorn04]

Indeed, but even Duran is improved and may be better in CF than the mix we had in 2023.

 

Ref in LF is not much better than Yoshida.

 

Duran may be improved but is he good?

 

If you take Rafaela out of the picture I don't think it's going to be pretty.

[jung]

Blowing games like last night is gonna happen. It's our post-Story starting 9 that's scary. We have no good defensive infielders, and a DH that can't hit. Stuff like that.

 

Oddly considering how the Sox field, it is a team of DH's with a DH that can't hit. Go figure.

[Old Red]

Duran may be improved but is he good?

 

If you take Rafaela out of the picture I don't think it's going to be pretty.

 

It’s only 12 games into the season, and the Red Sox are 7-5. They just lost 2 games to a good team. They beat teams on the West Coast that aren’t good. One day people are posting all the good stats, and standings, and suddenly it’s all gloom, and doom. Hilarious!🙈🤭. 12 games in, and a 7-5 record, so be happy with that. I don’t think any big changes are going to be made this early in the season.

[Dipre]

Quite pleasing to the eye, this thread. But this is what happens when two of what should be your best relievers are in the starting rotarion. The MRP corps of this team is another weakness to pair with the defense.

[Bellhorn04]

It’s only 12 games into the season, and the Red Sox are 7-5. They just lost 2 games to a good team. They beat teams on the West Coast that aren’t good. One day people are posting all the good stats, and standings, and suddenly it’s all gloom, and doom. Hilarious!. 12 games in, and a 7-5 record, so be happy with that. I don’t think any big changes are going to be made this early in the season.

 

It's a game designed for overreactions.

 

However, when you take a cold hard look at our roster of position players, after the loss of Story, it's pretty damn weak. It took a little while for it to sink in that Story is flat out gone for the year already. We really couldn't afford that kind of loss.

[Dipre]

It's a game designed for overreactions.

 

However, when you take a cold hard look at our roster of position players, after the loss of Story, it's pretty damn weak. It took a little while for it to sink in that Story is flat out gone for the year already. We really couldn't afford that kind of loss.

 

*defensively