5/28 @ O's

[vegasbob]

Brayan Bello, Bullpen Burner ; Brennan Bernandino, Battling Baller

[vegasbob]

After the initial walk , that was 6 outs of brilliant pitching by Bernie.

[jad]

Please, Rafy, do NOT pull a hamstring trying sh*t like that!!

[jad]

Does anyone recall the reasons for sending Bernadino down earlier this year? (or am I misremembering).

[vegasbob]

Wong can be amazing at times , probably well worth trading Betts for him. Picked up Raffy very nicely after looking bad on a couple pitches.

[vegasbob]

Does anyone recall the reasons for sending Bernadino down earlier this year? (or am I misremembering).

 

I think on e of our roster experts mentioned that Brennan had options and the inimitable Joely Rodriguez did not.

[Maxbialystock]

After the initial walk , that was 6 outs of brilliant pitching by Bernie.

 

Indeed. The key to the pitching game, in fact. However, Bello was good after that disastrous 1st inning--3 runs and 29 pitches.

[moonslav59]

When in Rome, do as Romy does!

[Maxbialystock]

Wong can be amazing at times , probably well worth trading Betts for him. Picked up Raffy very nicely after looking bad on a couple pitches.

 

Not worth Betts, but I agree a terrific addition.

[Maxbialystock]

Thanks for starting the game thread.

 

Decent lineup. O'Neill out another game, but Ref this year hits righties better. And Abreu, Rafaela, and Duran are the best outfield. Hamilton and Grissom both hit righties better than Gonzalez.

 

Good call on the lineup, you lucky dog.

[vegasbob]

Duran with a good bunt to advance the runners and Romy does what he should with a sac fly. But then Refsnyder hits one out and seals the deal. Big 9th inning.

[moonslav59]

Can we all agree: Ref needs to play FT (DH and a little LF or RF, if the shorter one?)

[Maxbialystock]

Devers K's again. When will this vastly overpaid semi-third-baseman get his swing right?

[Nick]

Yep. He is better than our two 1B playing DH.

[Maxbialystock]

Can we all agree: Ref needs to play FT (DH and a little LF or RF, if the shorter one?)

 

Right now, yes. Wouldn't it be nice, however, if either Ref or O'Neill could play 1B? I ask because I kind of like Duran, Rafaela, and Abreu in the outfield. And the outfield is all Ref and O'Neill can play. If Ted Williams could play 1b, anyone could. Well, maybe not Marvelous Marv Throneberry.

[Maxbialystock]

Sox go over .500 and get their first win vs the Orioles this season in 5 tries.

 

It's just 1 game out of 162, but those 8 runs against a good pitching team are pretty sweet. The Sox hit Tampa well, but couldn't hit spit vs the Brewers, with their only win 2-1. Now 3 and 8 runs in the first two at Camden Yards.

 

Nice recovery by Bello after an awful 1st. And an absolutely terrific 2 innings by Bernardino when they really counted.

[vegasbob]

Can we all agree: Ref needs to play FT (DH and a little LF or RF, if the shorter one?)

 

Yes, Ref is a pro. Not great or the core of a team but if you had 8 of his type plus that bum Devers, you could show up 162 times. Fielding/arm, meh.

[Nick]

This team sure would look different with Story, Casas and Yoshida in the lineup.

[vegasbob]

Bello goes to 6-2 , probably gets an invite to the A-S game. W-L records lose all credibility .

 

The kid has 9 starts with 47.1 innings pitched, just over 5 per game. That's why I call him a Bullpen Burner

[Maxbialystock]

Yoshida and Story both have lower OPS's than Hamilton--also lower than Ref and O'Neill.

 

The thing about Casas is that, while his OPS is a terrific .857, his DWAR drags his overall WAR down to +0.2. But I could not agree more Casas is worlds better than those two shmucks, Smith and Cooper, whose WAR's are -0.4 and -0.5.

[Maxbialystock]

Bello goes to 6-2 , probably gets an invite to the A-S game. W-L records lose all credibility .

 

The kid has 9 starts with 47.1 innings pitched, just over 5 per game. That's why I call him a Bullpen Burner

 

Come on. Since 2019, we've seen lots worse Sox starters than Bello. He had a horrible 1st, but then 4 clean innings before needing help--great help by Bernardino who came in with 2 on and no one out--in the 5th.

[Maxbialystock]

OK. That's the first one, and now we need to win this series tomorrow with Crawford going against Burnes, a righty who was tough in Boston last month.

 

However, in that game Cora started the wrong guys--O'Neill, Yoshida, McGuire, Valdez. Tonight instead we had Abreu, Ref, Wong, and the one and only Grissom (in for Valdez). Also shmuck Smith in for Casas.

[moonslav59]

You know the old saying about SP'ers, "You're only as good as your last start."

 

While that is not entirely true, it does have a grain of truth in it. We need Crawford to make us forget about his last start.

 

Speaking of which...

Bello 3ER in 5IP

Criswell 6ER in 4IP

(Houck is the outlier: 1ER in 6IP)

Pivetta 5ER in 3.1 IP

Crawford 6ER in 4.1 IP

 

ERA on May 23rd and now

1.94 >1.90 Houck

2.17> 2.89 Crawford

2.86> 3.96 Criswell

3.04> 4.20 Pivetta

4.04> 4.18 Bello

 

[mvp 78]

Come on. Since 2019, we've seen lots worse Sox starters than Bello. He had a horrible 1st, but then 4 clean innings before needing help--great help by Bernardino who came in with 2 on and no one out--in the 5th.

 

He lets big innings really compound on him. Instead of getting past a bad walk or hit, he'll get down on himself and give up a few more. He's got all the talent in the world, but just doesn't have the right demeanor on the mound.

 

Throwing 3 straight outside sinkers to Westburg with the bases loaded in the first was a bad decision. Why not show him something else on 0-2? Is it Wong that is calling that?

[Bellhorn04]

Bello might be the new E-Rod in the luck department. Last night he got both run support and a tremendous assist from Bernardino.

[notin]

He lets big innings really compound on him. Instead of getting past a bad walk or hit, he'll get down on himself and give up a few more. He's got all the talent in the world, but just doesn't have the right demeanor on the mound.

 

Throwing 3 straight outside sinkers to Westburg with the bases loaded in the first was a bad decision. Why not show him something else on 0-2? Is it Wong that is calling that?

 

 

When I see something like that, my first thought is "do they know something about this guy and sinkers outside? Was that their strategy?" Maybe it was, but a lot of times when they're that simple I can't help but think it's not a good strategy...

[notin]

Bello might be the new E-Rod in the luck department. Last night he got both run support and a tremendous assist from Bernardino.

 

I've been among the pro-Crawford crowd since last year, but I think the dumbest comment about Bello was when I read the Sox should have given his extension to Crawford instead. Early results aside, Bello is just a much better pitcher than Crawford...

[mvp 78]

When I see something like that, my first thought is "do they know something about this guy and sinkers outside? Was that their strategy?" Maybe it was, but a lot of times when they're that simple I can't help but think it's not a good strategy...

 

Lou was very concerned about it during the AB. They basically threw the same pitch three straight times. Really didn't throw the sinker as much afterwards when you look at Statcast.

[mvp 78]

I've been among the pro-Crawford crowd since last year, but I think the dumbest comment about Bello was when I read the Sox should have given his extension to Crawford instead. Early results aside, Bello is just a much better pitcher than Crawford...

 

Looking at his stuff, you can see a #2. He just doesn't put a whole start together. Maybe he'll figure it out at some point. Some pitchers never do. I think Crawford is making the most out of his abilities, but has had an additional 3 years to hone his craft.

 

Crawford 4.06 xFIP, 2.89 ERA

Bello 3.51 xFIP, 4.18 ERA

[Maxbialystock]

When I see something like that, my first thought is "do they know something about this guy and sinkers outside? Was that their strategy?" Maybe it was, but a lot of times when they're that simple I can't help but think it's not a good strategy...

 

3 straight sinkers in a tight shot group on the outside corner ain't smart, which is why Westlake lined the 3d one to RF for a single.