5/27 @ Orioles

[Jasonbay44]

Cooper Criswell vs Cole Irvin

[Maxbialystock]

Duran leads off with a K.

 

Orioles swept Sox in April, but 2d and 3d games were close.

 

Orioles are winning for 2d season in a row, but attendance still languishes around 24K in one of the nicest ballparks in MLB.

[Maxbialystock]

Duran LF

Refsnyder RF

Wong C

Devers 3b

Cooper DH

Gonzalez SS

Grissom 2B

Smith 1b

Rafaela CF

 

Orioles starter Irvin is a lefty--obviously.

[Maxbialystock]

Criswell needs just 10 pitches to get 3 outs.

[Maxbialystock]

Devers, lefty vs lefty, K's in 3 pitches.

[Maxbialystock]

RISP disease strikes again. Smith--of course, Smith--grounds out with men on 1st and 3d.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

SOX have real depth in rally killers.

[Maxbialystock]

3 changeups and a sweeper by Criswell to get the ground out (but not a DP).

[Maxbialystock]

Orioles get a man on base, then ground out, then get a double to bring man home and put another in scoring position. This is what the Sox do too infrequently.

[Maxbialystock]

1-0, Orioles. Criswell needed 22 pitches to survive the 2d inning and giving up 1 run.

 

Hard to believe our best hitter struck out in 3 pitches, none of which, lefty vs lefty, was a curve or slider. Also no pitch more than 92.8 mph.

[vegasbob]

While you cannot presume DP's, the plays not made always haunt. 2 out hitting ( or not) can define games. Playing from behind puts added pressure on teams.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Getting the O's feed and the best thing about it is no Jim Palmer in the booth.

[vegasbob]

I can't verify it without much statistical research, but why does it seem that most Sox batters come out of the on dfeck circle down 0-2 in the count ? Why do so many middle-middle average FB's result in foul balls. Why take strike 3 called ?

[moonslav59]

I'm not going to pretend to know more than Cora. Yesterday, I suggested he "rest" Abreu.

 

I do find it interesting these 4 guys are on the bench:

.859 Abreu (3rd on team in OPS) although Irvin is another LHP

.843 O'Neill (5th among active players) although slumping and knee issue

.730 DHam (7th on current 26 man roster) hard to advocate for him

.684 McGuire (8th on current roster) same here

 

4 of our top 8 batters are on the bench (The 4 worst on the 13 on the roster are in today's line-up)

 

Worst batters in the last 2 weeks:

.344 Grissom (playing)

.461 McGuire (bench)

.490 Cooper (playing)

.554 O'Neill (bench)

.566 Rafaela (playing)

.646 Romy (playing)

.666 Wong (playing)

 

(DHam at .975 & Abreu at .875 on bench)

 

Ref has been killing LHPs, this year and is in the line-up.

 

[moonslav59]

While you cannot presume DP's, the plays not made always haunt. 2 out hitting ( or not) can define games. Playing from behind puts added pressure on teams.

 

It's non-plays like that one that have added to the needless runs allowed beyond all the unearned runs.

 

It's hard to quantify the amount of runs we have allowed like that one, but it seems like at least a dozen, this season. Add those to the 37 unearned runs, and we might be near 50. That is 25% of all runs we have allowed!

[Maxbialystock]

Second double for the Orioles. None for the Sox although some outs were hard hit.

[Maxbialystock]

While you cannot presume DP's, the plays not made always haunt. 2 out hitting ( or not) can define games. Playing from behind puts added pressure on teams.

 

I can't watch the game, so did not know it was a possible/likely GIDP grounder.

[Maxbialystock]

Orioles get the leadoff double, move the runner to 3b on grounder to the right side, then bring him home on a fly ball. Professional hitting. Also something the Sox don't do enough of.

[Maxbialystock]

Two singles to start the 4th. Then a horrible bunt--as per usual by the Sox--to get Devers going to 3b.

 

What's that line from Home Alone? "Les incompetents."

[Maxbialystock]

Bases loaded with 1 out. Smith K's. Then Rafaela K's on 3 pitches.

 

Les incompetents.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I'm not going to pretend to know more than Cora. Yesterday, I suggested he "rest" Abreu.

 

I do find it interesting these 4 guys are on the bench:

.859 Abreu (3rd on team in OPS) although Irvin is another LHP

.843 O'Neill (5th among active players) although slumping and knee issue

.730 DHam (7th on current 26 man roster) hard to advocate for him

.684 McGuire (8th on current roster) same here

 

4 of our top 8 batters are on the bench (The 4 worst on the 13 on the roster are in today's line-up)

 

Worst batters in the last 2 weeks:

.344 Grissom (playing)

.461 McGuire (bench)

.490 Cooper (playing)

.554 O'Neill (bench)

.566 Rafaela (playing)

.646 Romy (playing)

.666 Wong (playing)

 

(DHam at .975 & Abreu at .875 on bench)

 

Ref has been killing LHPs, this year and is in the line-up.

 

 

I agree there could be moves to make this a better line-up, but it will never be a good line-up.

[moonslav59]

Looks like another snake bite game.

 

2 manufactured runs for the O's.

 

Bases loaded and 1 out- no runs for the Sox.

[Maxbialystock]

Criswell isn't pitching great, but he's OK.

 

The lineup, on the other hand, stinks yet again. I do like moonslav's analysis of who is and who isn't in the Sox lineup today.

 

Whoops, there goes another double for the Orioles. Any bets on whether Mountcastle scores?

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I still believe it will be a 3 team poodle fight for last place in the AL East.

[Maxbialystock]

I despise Cooper and Smith, and both are in the lineup today.

 

Meanwhile, with assistance from Grissom, Criswell has loaded the bases with no one out.

[moonslav59]

I agree there could be moves to make this a better line-up, but it will never be a good line-up.

 

There doesn't seem to be much hope for slots in our line-up: 1B, 2B and SS.

 

To me, Grissom might be the best hope for marked improvement without an outside addition, but the 3 black holes are killing us.

 

Before today:

.418 2B is unspeakably hiddeous.

.712 SS (helped by Romy/DHam started playing more/ hurt by Rafaela playing more SS)

.712 1B (dropping fast after the Casas injury)

 

.615 CF (with Rafaela playing more SS, and Duran more CF, I'm not counting CF.)

 

[Maxbialystock]

With the bases loaded, the Sox K twice. With the bases loaded, the Orioles double.

 

It's that simple.

[redsoxrules]

Sox just can't beat good teams

[Jasonbay44]

Criswell is getting rocked

[Maxbialystock]

7-0 Orioles. That's the usual limit for a starter, but Criswell gets extra punishment today. Plus no one on base with the sac fly.