8/4 Red Sox at Rangers

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

These clowns in the Texas booth are talking about Boston trading Babe Ruth to the Yankems. Hey, dumb asses, Ruth was 'sold' not 'traded' to the Yankems.

[vegasbob]

I really like Duran's taped wrist bands with "Fuk'em" written on it. That's how I feel too. Just win, Baby

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Being a TV announcer for a major league team, for the most part nowadays, is not a skill set.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I really like Duran's taped wrist bands with "Fuk'em" written on it. That's how I feel too. Just win, Baby

 

"Fuk'em' doesn't seem like something you have to write down to remember, unless one is suffering from dementia.

[Maxbialystock]

What was that all about? Not allowing Pivetta the chance for a win? Is this some form of punishment? Is it about going against the line-up for the 3rd time?

These and other questions hopefully will be answered.

 

It might have been about winning the game, but probably not. Cora just likes being mean to his starters.

[moonslav59]

Yes, on 3 ball pitches well out of the zone.

 

Consider how much better he might be if he forced pitchers to come to him./

That was the point, not to be looking walks, but take them when offered vs chasing pitches for K's. Someday you will get it that the OBP could be .350 , rarified territory.

 

I don't think like that.

 

He has a great approach, which leads to some K's, when he could have walked, but it also leads to more Hrs and hits.

[moonslav59]

Booser is the one guy not buckling.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Ranger annoucer #1: " Boston has scored 5 or more runs 57 times this season."

 

Ranger announcer #2: "But their record really isn't that good when they do that."

 

Ranger announcer #1: "I don't have quick access to that, but it says here they're 52-17 when they score 4 or more."

 

Like I posted earlier these two are clowns.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Hamilton's another Aaron Judge, er, I mean Aaron Burr.

[moonslav59]

KCR hit a 3 run HR in the 9th, to win 3-2. MIN & BAL are winning big. NYY and TOR tied in 8th- game delay.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

BTW, the SOX 58 games of scoring 5 or more runs, counting today, is 2nd in MLB. The Yankems lead MLB with 59.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

It might have been about winning the game, but probably not. Cora just likes being mean to his starters.

 

 

He was taken out with 2 outs and no one on base. Something other than winning the game was going on there. imho.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Cora wasn't happy with Nick's antics after he gave up his 2nd homer. Probably that was the reason he took Pivetta out and not allowing him to qualify for a win. Edited August 4, 2024 by SPLENDIDSPLINTER

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Cora wasn't happy with Nick's antics after he gave up his 2nd homer. Maybe that is the reason he took Pivetta out and not allowing him to qualify for a win.

 

Funny, right after I posted this, the Rangers announcers just said the same thing.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Good job by all involved today. Pivetta and the pen were very good.

[Maxbialystock]

Funny, right after I posted this, the Rangers announcers just said the same thing.

 

You've made some very good points. Cora needs to be disciplined for letting a game get completely out of control, resulting in a 7-2 win. If he had left Pivetta in to pitch to the Texas lineup a 3d time, who knows? Maybe the Rangers come back and win. Plus he had a lefty pitcher pitching to lefty Rangers bats. What was he thinking?

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

You've made some very good points. Cora needs to be disciplined for letting a game get completely out of control, resulting in a 7-2 win. If he had left Pivetta in to pitch to the Texas lineup a 3d time, who knows? Maybe the Rangers come back and win. Plus he had a lefty pitcher pitching to lefty Rangers bats. What was he thinking?

 

Max, this was a discipline move by Cora. It couldn't be more obvious. Cora went to the mound after Nick gave up the 2nd homer and he wasn't talking about pitch selection. Nick is very competitive and emotional. Cora probably felt he was just a little too emotional after that 2nd homer.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Max, this was a discipline move by Cora. It couldn't be more obvious. Cora went to the mound after Nick gave up the 2nd homer and he wasn't talking about pitch selection. Nick is very competitive and emotional. Cora probably felt he was just a little too emotional after that 2nd homer.

 

 

BTW, you don't have to defend Cora when no one criticized him.

[Bellhorn04]

SoSH offers answers on the Pivetta hook timing:

 

No one knows for sure but Merloni referred to a conversation with Cora earlier this week where he said now that he has a loaded pen with more guys on the way that he'd be more aggressive. Essentially "playoff Cora".

 

The top of the order was coming up for the third time, including 3 out of 4 LHB, and one of them was Seager who already had 3 home runs in the series. It was time for a southpaw.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

SoSH offers answers on the Pivetta hook timing:

 

No one knows for sure but Merloni referred to a conversation with Cora earlier this week where he said now that he has a loaded pen with more guys on the way that he'd be more aggressive. Essentially "playoff Cora".

 

The top of the order was coming up for the third time, including 3 out of 4 LHB, and one of them was Seager who already had 3 home runs in the series. It was time for a southpaw.

 

There were 2 outs in the bottom of the 5th and no one on base. I'll put money on it being a discipline move. Or it can be called a 'learning experience.'

[Maxbialystock]

There were 2 outs in the bottom of the 5th and no one on base. I'll put money on it being a discipline move. Or it can be called a 'learning experience.'

 

What freaking "learning experience?" Pivetta's 31 and was expected to be traded/sold last week.

 

More to the point, when Cora pulled the plug in the bottom of the 5th, the score was 3-2 Sox and Pivetta had already given up 2 dingers. Coming up was a lefty bat now facing Pivetta for the 3d time. So Cora does the smart thing and brings in a lefty reliever who promptly gets 4 freaking outs followed by Kelly, Bernardino, and Winck, all of whom pitched scoreless single innings.

 

It was freaking textbook managing, and you gotta gripe.

 

And, oh, by the way, check with your confreres here on talksox. They will all tell you that wins and losses by starters are among their most meaningless stats.

[Maxbialystock]

What freaking "learning experience?" Pivetta's 31 and was expected to be traded/sold last week.

 

More to the point, when Cora pulled the plug in the bottom of the 5th, the score was 3-2 Sox and Pivetta had already given up 2 dingers. Coming up was a lefty bat now facing Pivetta for the 3d time. So Cora does the smart thing and brings in a lefty reliever who promptly gets 4 freaking outs followed by Kelly, Bernardino, and Winck, all of whom pitched scoreless single innings.

 

It was freaking textbook managing, and you gotta gripe.

 

And, oh, by the way, check with your confreres here on talksox. They will all tell you that wins and losses by starters are among their most meaningless stats.

 

Ignore the above. I think I'm right, but to me the real message of this game was that it was a terrific win. Yes, I think Cora's a great manager, but this game was all about the players, the lineup and the pitchers. And it wins the series over the Rangers.

 

Tomorrow night, the Royals, who are tough. Sox will go with Paxton, Bello, and Crawford.

[Bellhorn04]

More about Pivetta and Cora from The Athletic:

 

ARLINGTON, Texas — With one out in the bottom of the second inning, Boston Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta hung a sweeper that Texas Rangers designated hitter Josh Jung crushed to left field for a solo homer.

 

In the next at-bat, left fielder Ezequiel Duran smoked a 103 mph grounder to third that Rafael Devers couldn’t handle cleanly, leading to an error. Pivetta, who doesn’t hide his emotions well, was clearly frustrated, as the Rangers led 2-0 and were threatening for more. His velocity sat in the low 90s and he didn’t have his best stuff.

 

Noticing his pitcher was rattled, manager Alex Cora made an unorthodox move early in the game and ran out onto the field. He met Pivetta and catcher Connor Wong on the mound and did all the talking for roughly 20 seconds, but it was clear he had a message. Pivetta didn’t say a word, just nodded. Cora went back to the dugout.

 

Pivetta got two quick outs to end the inning and retired 10 of his final 11 batters. The lone baserunner after the mound meeting — a two-out walk in the third.

 

It was a small moment in the midst of a 7-2 win for the Red Sox, one in which outfielder Wilyer Abreu crushed two home runs the day after his grandmother passed away. But if not for Cora’s timely mound meeting in the second, the chance to secure the win later on might not have arrived. It highlighted the urgency with which the Red Sox are playing and Cora’s feel for his players.

 

“Sometimes you got to remind these guys that they’re good,” Cora said of his message to Pivetta. “He gives up a homer and you saw stuff today, it was like 90-91 mph. But at the end of the day, he’s one of our biggest competitors, and regardless of the stuff, he’s still good enough, and then it was a reminder of like, ‘Hey, bro I know you probably don’t feel great right now, but you know how to compete and we need you here. … Just keep grinding.’ He gave us enough today.”

[mvp 78]

What freaking "learning experience?" Pivetta's 31 and was expected to be traded/sold last week.

 

More to the point, when Cora pulled the plug in the bottom of the 5th, the score was 3-2 Sox and Pivetta had already given up 2 dingers. Coming up was a lefty bat now facing Pivetta for the 3d time. So Cora does the smart thing and brings in a lefty reliever who promptly gets 4 freaking outs followed by Kelly, Bernardino, and Winck, all of whom pitched scoreless single innings.

 

It was freaking textbook managing, and you gotta gripe.

 

And, oh, by the way, check with your confreres here on talksox. They will all tell you that wins and losses by starters are among their most meaningless stats.

 

3-2 and a LHB coming up for the 3rd time with a pitcher that gave up 2 bombs already? That's horsehockey! It was clearly Cora punishing his players!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Counter point: Pivetta was only at 70 pitches and leadoff hitter Josh Smith has a reverse split 893 OPS vs LHP this season.

 

Regardless, it worked.

[Maxbialystock]

Nice mimicry by mvp 78.

 

Also excellent quote by bellhorn from the athlete on the genius of Alex Cora in the 2d inning. Cora managed a powerhouse in 2018 to the best Sox season ever, then got the most—ALCS—from the 2021 Sox. Now he is masterminding the 2024 no names.

[mvp 78]

Nice mimicry by mvp 78.

 

Also excellent quote by bellhorn from the athlete on the genius of Alex Cora in the 2d inning. Cora managed a powerhouse in 2018 to the best Sox season ever, then got the most—ALCS—from the 2021 Sox. Now he is masterminding the 2024 no names.

 

I trust Cora with all the personnel moves. He doesn't really have the horses, but in a one game playoff he'd push the right buttons IMO.

[Maxbialystock]

I trust Cora with all the personnel moves. He doesn't really have the horses, but in a one game playoff he'd push the right buttons IMO.

 

That's exactly what he did in the 2021 postseason--without a closer. The Sox won 6 games and had 0 saves.