May 31, 2024, Tigers @ Fenway, 7:10 pm

[Maxbialystock]

Maeda ® vs. Houck ®, big edge to Houck

 

But of course Houck and his 1.90 ERA are 4-5, season to date

 

Duran LF

Abreu RF

Wong C

Devers 3B

Refsnyder DH

Smith 1B

Grissom 2B

Hamilton SS

Rafaela CF

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Another SOX game so soon on Apple+. Is it because the SOX are so 'apeeling?'

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Abreu is tied for the AL lead in WAR. What A Revelation.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Abreu is tied for the AL lead in WAR. What A Revelation.

 

I believe the moron on Apple meant AL rookies. Not quite the revelation.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

10 more years of Devers; so I guess he is DEVERS FOREVER.

[Maxbialystock]

4-1, Sox, after 4 innings. Devers led off with a double, and Rafaela, knowing that he and he alone deserve to lead the Sox in rbi's, finished the job with a--wait for it--3 run dinger. Ghostbusters!

[notin]

10 more years of Devers; so I guess he is DEVERS FOREVER.

 

Hopefully it doesn’t just feel that way…

[notin]

I believe the moron on Apple meant AL rookies. Not quite the revelation.

 

Abreu is tied with Colten Cowser for the lead among AL rookies with 1.7 fWAR.

 

What is being ignored is Justin Slaten is 6th with 1.1 fWAR

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Devers' 26 RBI make up for any defensive deficiencies.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Rafaela is an RBI machine.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Besides having to deal with the opposing batters, Houck also has to deal with the Swiss cheese left side of the infield.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Houck is not only the best pitcher, by far, on the SOX and perhaps in the ML, he is also one tough cookie.

[vegasbob]

So I don't pay any attention to this game as a protest against anything Apple and the Battling Brahmans of Kenmore Square decide to hit the ball, backing another excellent outing by Tanner Houck . Glad they are coming back to .500 . That basement is dank and filled with rats, so leave it to Blue Jays, known insect eaters

[vegasbob]

Slaten is another 2 out, but not 3 out thrower

[vegasbob]

You can bake the beans , Mama, over this game. Nothing but winners on our side !

[Maxbialystock]

Houck is not only the best pitcher, by far, on the SOX and perhaps in the ML, he is also one tough cookie.

 

My goodness, yes. Tough because he delivers. Tough because he gets little support--tonight was an exception--from the hitters. And tough because the defensive saboteurs are always lurking. That bad throw by Devers to 2b was pure inattention.

[Maxbialystock]

Houck goes 7, giving up 1, and now has an ERA of 1.85, but is just 5-5.

[Maxbialystock]

Looks like Rafaela is going to keep that rbi lead a while longer. That he is doing so from the 9 spot in the lineup is remarkable.

 

Sox back up to .500.

 

However, tomorrow it's Criswell (ERA 3.96) vs. Olson (ERA 1.92), so big edge to the Tigers.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

My goodness, yes. Tough because he delivers. Tough because he gets little support--tonight was an exception--from the hitters. And tough because the defensive saboteurs are always lurking. That bad throw by Devers to 2b was pure inattention.

 

 

Also tough because he got hit in his pitching forearm by 101 mph come backer and he stayed in the game.

[Oscars]

The Red Sox management will be regretting that they did not get a deal done with Houch when they have discussed contracts in recent years, as with the new level he has reached, he’s now a LOT more expensive to extend.

[Bellhorn04]

The Red Sox management will be regretting that they did not get a deal done with Houch when they have discussed contracts in recent years, as with the new level he has reached, he’s now a LOT more expensive to extend.

 

That's true, but I don't know how they were supposed to see this coming, either. The last couple of years he hasn't been that good or that durable.

 

These are not easy calls to make.

[moonslav59]

That's true, but I don't know how they were supposed to see this coming, either. The last couple of years he hasn't been that good or that durable.

 

These are not easy calls to make.

 

Agreed, but we obviously thought we didn’t need more than Giolito, so they must have had some faith in him.

[Bellhorn04]

Agreed, but we obviously thought we didn’t need more than Giolito, so they must have had some faith in him.

 

I'm sure they had high hopes. I think that would apply to most of their moves and non-moves.

 

Houck has been fantastic, that much is indisputable, and I'm sure Bailey and the rest of the pitching brain trust get a lot of credit for that.

[moonslav59]

I'm sure they had high hopes. I think that would apply to most of their moves and non-moves.

 

Houck has been fantastic, that much is indisputable, and I'm sure Bailey and the rest of the pitching brain trust get a lot of credit for that.

 

This begs the question on our past pitching gurus. Did we have other Houcks in the past, but bumbled their development and choice of pitching strategy?

 

We’ve heard a lot about how poorly our system has been at acquiring and developing young pitchers, but now, we seem to have a few very promising arms. Most are the same guys we had before, when we said we sucked.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Agreed, but we obviously thought we didn’t need more than Giolito, so they must have had some faith in him.

 

Giolito should opt out, since he blew out his elbow under Bailey's tutelage. And that way, the Red Sox can add another $19 million to any extension offers for Houck.

[Bellhorn04]

This begs the question on our past pitching gurus. Did we have other Houcks in the past, but bumbled their development and choice of pitching strategy?

 

We’ve heard a lot about how poorly our system has been at acquiring and developing young pitchers, but now, we seem to have a few very promising arms. Most are the same guys we had before, when we said we sucked.

 

Really hard to say. Bailey seems to be pretty elite at what he does. But he's not a miracle-worker, either. A lot of this might just be Houck reaching maturity and being 100% healthy.

[a700hitter]

And Saturday’s lineup has Dom Smith hitting third. I’ll have to find something else to do.

[a700hitter]

Houck always has the stuff to succeed. Let’s hope that he is durable. He could be a good #1.

[Maxbialystock]

The Red Sox management will be regretting that they did not get a deal done with Houch when they have discussed contracts in recent years, as with the new level he has reached, he’s now a LOT more expensive to extend.

 

Commentary from the cheap seats. They didn't get a deal done with Houch because he was never on the Sox roster.

 

As for Houck, as recently as last season there were discussions about whether he could successfully face a lineup a third time--to say nothing of the fact that last year his ERA was 5.01 in 21 starts.

 

This year he's like he ducked into a phone booth and emerged as SuperHouck. His repertoire is bigger and his pitches are way sharper. And his ERA is an insane 1.85.

[vegasbob]

Agreed, but we obviously thought we didn’t need more than Giolito, so they must have had some faith in him.

 

Fairly amazing that the one starting pitcher Breslow signs turns out to be the one who never pitches even one inning in competition for the Sox.