5/16 Tampa @ Boston 7:10 pm

[Tedballgame]

The Rays just have the Sox number.

[Maxbialystock]

I think the Rays closer is cheating and Cora should tell the umpire so. He's using too many different pitches plus he is not charging enough per inning pitched.

[Maxbialystock]

The Rays just have the Sox number.

 

Not this year. Every game has been close.

[moonslav59]

More Romy magic?

[Maxbialystock]

Good. Cora did make an issue about that pitcher or the manager or somebody. I'm a good lip reader and I think it was about "too many different pitches."

 

Finally, maybe we can get a level playing field. Jansen only uses one pitch, so the other side should too.

[Maxbialystock]

What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on? Are they discussing Cora's complaint with MLB headquarters? This is just crazy.

[jad]

Why is this happening? The whole limitation on mound visits was intended to speed the game up. Make a judgment and move on.

[Maxbialystock]

Apparently, Cora wanted to force the Rays to change pitchers. Is that right?

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Good news: SOX score 5 runs. Amazing.

Bad news: SOX descending fast to reclaim their basement apartment.

Edited May 17, 2024 by SPLENDIDSPLINTER

[moonslav59]

We are losing too many winnable games like this one.

 

We need to turn it around quickly.

[Maxbialystock]

Fair enough.

 

Whoever said O'Neill is flaming out just might have a point.

 

Sox lose 7-5 while give up 2 unearned runs. Tonight it was Rafaela with his 8th error. The kid has range, but . . .

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

We are losing too many winnable games like this one.

 

We need to turn it around quickly.

 

 

I'm going back to my old line, but it's never been truer than now:

"I've seen better line-ups on DRAGNET."

[Oscars]

The Sox are 1and 6 against AL East teams, which augurs poorly for the remaining games against the division.

They will be under .500 soon, and likely stay there with this popgun offense and leaky defence .

[vegasbob]

Bloom is off the rose. Jansen only has one pitch, the cutter, and the Rays are tuned in.

 

2 runs in.

 

Bloom got fired , probably for thinking the 2023/24 Sox needed a $16million closer. I would payout his remaining contract amount in July to move him for just 1 decent pitching prospect .

[vegasbob]

Grissom looks really bad at the plate.

 

Griossom sucked even when he wasn't available. Makes you appreciate Valdez who rarely , but more than once got a big hit.

[Old Red]

BIG night for the Red Sox. At least they scored 5 runs.

[Maxbialystock]

I'm going back to my old line, but it's never been truer than now:

"I've seen better line-ups on DRAGNET."

 

Actually, no. Here are six decent OPS's Cora can call on: Duran .784; Abreu .830; Wong .900; Devers .902; O'Neill .924; Refsnyder .964. Rafaela, batting 9th with his .595 OPS, leads the team in rbi's with 23. So that's 7 semi-decent bats.

 

The problem with this team is that they simply can't score/drive in runs.

 

And, since we're talking about the lineup, it's worth adding that the Sox defense has given up 36 unearned runs. The Yankees have the 2d best ERA (2.91) and have given up just 19 unearned runs.

 

In short, while the Sox lineup can sort of, kind of hit, they can't drive in runs and they give up way too many unearned runs.

[Maxbialystock]

One more time on Kenley Jansen. He's been an effective closer for a very long time, including this season. However, for most of this season he has relied heavily on his cutter and only occasionally uses his slider. He does move that cutter around in the strike zone, but last night it was obvious the Rays knew exactly what to expect from Jansen and capitalized on it. Other teams should be able to do the same because I can think of few other closers who were effective with just one pitch.

[moonslav59]

Jansen has had 4 bad games out of 16. He had 3 other games with 2 BBs but no runs allowed.

 

He's not the same guy he was years ago, but he seems to be okay.

 

A .542 OPS Against is awesome.

[notin]

One more time on Kenley Jansen. He's been an effective closer for a very long time, including this season. However, for most of this season he has relied heavily on his cutter and only occasionally uses his slider. He does move that cutter around in the strike zone, but last night it was obvious the Rays knew exactly what to expect from Jansen and capitalized on it. Other teams should be able to do the same because I can think of few other closers who were effective with just one pitch.

 

Jansen is walking 14.7% of all the hitters he faces (1 out of every 7). That's not only a career high, but also pretty damn ridiculous and well above the league average of 8.6%. And walking hitters is the absolute worst thing a closer can do, because there is absolutely no defense for that.

 

Really, without the walk, the Rays got to him for a pair of singles and a sac fly. If he made Arozarena hit the ball, chances are the Sox get out of that inning unscathed...

[moonslav59]

Jansen is walking 14.7% of all the hitters he faces (1 out of every 7). That's not only a career high, but also pretty damn ridiculous and well above the league average of 8.6%. And walking hitters is the absolute worst thing a closer can do, because there is absolutely no defense for that..

 

Very true, but no HRs allowed (0.0 HR/9 vs career 0.8)

His 6.3 H/9 is above his career 5.8 mark but is his 2nd best number in the last 6 seasons. (it was 8.1, last year.)

He's pushing his luck with all the BBs, but not letting up the key hits has saved hime, more often than not.

 

BTW...

8 BBs in his first 5.2 IP

2 BBs in his last 10 IP (2 in his last 5 or 6 IP)

 

He did miss some ST'ing, so maybe he is okay, now.

 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

One more time on Kenley Jansen. He's been an effective closer for a very long time, including this season. However, for most of this season he has relied heavily on his cutter and only occasionally uses his slider. He does move that cutter around in the strike zone, but last night it was obvious the Rays knew exactly what to expect from Jansen and capitalized on it. Other teams should be able to do the same because I can think of few other closers who were effective with just one pitch.

 

Mariano Rivera. He did pretty well with mainly one pitch.

[jad]

Mariano Rivera. He did pretty well with mainly one pitch.

 

Did Koji throw anything other than that unhittable splitter?

[notin]

Did Koji throw anything other than that unhittable splitter?

 

John Wetteland, Rob Dibble, Randy Myers, etc. These guys didn’t call themselves the Brain Dead Heavers because they mixed up their pitches.

 

I can’t remember the rest of the Heavers, but I think there were a few more…