Mariners (Hancock) vs Red Sox (Newcomb): 4/23/25, 6:45pm

[Brandon Glick]

If you can believe it, the Red Sox are 0.5 games out of first place in the AL East. All that stands between them and the top spot is John Emerson Hancock and the Mariners.

[harmony]

We're dealing with small samples, but the Seattle Mariners are now second in the league with an OPS+ of 117 and 12th in the league with an ERA+ of 96:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/2025.shtml

The Red Sox are fourth in OPS+ at 109 and eighth in ERA+ at 107.

 

 

[Nick]

This looks like a coin flip to me.

Slaten, Chapman and Bernardino all available today for relief. Probably Winckowski is first up.

[mvp 78]

Hancock can be a heavy sinker guy. According to LouMer, the Sox should hit this guy around. 

[vegasbob]

Sox feasting at Fenway in a SSS. That is something that marked the past few seasons---losing record at home.  

This is a superior lineup over '23 & '24. Leading the league in fielding errors is surprising , especially Story and  Bregman  , but curable . 

The starting p[itching is  much better with Crochet and Buehler rounding into form. 

One question but the answer will have to wait:   Can these guys win in late August and September ?

[mvp 78]

28 minutes ago, vegasbob said:

Sox feasting at Fenway in a SSS. That is something that marked the past few seasons---losing record at home.  

This is a superior lineup over '23 & '24. Leading the league in fielding errors is surprising , especially Story and  Bregman  , but curable . 

The starting p[itching is  much better with Crochet and Buehler rounding into form. 

One question but the answer will have to wait:   Can these guys win in late August and September ?

With a better 1b, are the errors mitigated? Would STL consider a midseason Arenado/Casas swap? 

[mvp 78]

Happy Birthday to Red Sox legends: Rheal Cormier, Dolph Camilli, Carlos Silva (DNF) and Tony Lupien.

[Nick]

It would be nice to be able to see the total daily pitches for our bullpen. I like what we have, just add a row for total at the bottom. Is that a big ask?

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

25 minutes ago, Nick said:

It would be nice to be able to see the total daily pitches for our bullpen. I like what we have, just add a row for total at the bottom. Is that a big ask?

 

1 hour ago, vegasbob said:

Sox feasting at Fenway in a SSS. That is something that marked the past few seasons---losing record at home.  

This is a superior lineup over '23 & '24. Leading the league in fielding errors is surprising , especially Story and  Bregman  , but curable . 

The starting p[itching is  much better with Crochet and Buehler rounding into form. 

One question but the answer will have to wait:   Can these guys win in late August and September ?

 

1 hour ago, vegasbob said:

Sox feasting at Fenway in a SSS. That is something that marked the past few seasons---losing record at home.  

This is a superior lineup over '23 & '24. Leading the league in fielding errors is surprising , especially Story and  Bregman  , but curable . 

The starting p[itching is  much better with Crochet and Buehler rounding into form. 

One question but the answer will have to wait:   Can these guys win in late August and September ?

As of now I trust 1 starter and only 3 guys in the BP. Hopefully, this will change as the season progresses.

[mvp 78]

2 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

 

 

As of now I trust 1 starter and only 3 guys in the BP. Hopefully, this will change as the season progresses.

Sox are 5th in relief fWAR (low bb rate). 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

3 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Sox are 5th in relief fWAR (low bb rate). 

As of now, IMHO, the two best pitchers on the Sox are Crochet and Whitlock.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

At this point in the season Devers and Vlad,Jr are tied in HR's with one each. Devers has 11 RBI to Vlad's 10.

[mvp 78]

 

[mvp 78]

Not sure Romy can keep up his 875 OPS vs RHP.

[Nick]

I like splitting Bregman/Story combo by inserting Abreu.

[Nick]

I did discuss little bit about Romy being more valuable than Hamilton (one of my favorites) mainly because he can play 1B but he's athletic enough to play other infield positions. My guess is he can play 3B in addition to 2B.

He is starting at 2B today go give Campbell "mental day off" (my guess)

[mvp 78]

10 minutes ago, Nick said:

I did discuss little bit about Romy being more valuable than Hamilton (one of my favorites) mainly because he can play 1B but he's athletic enough to play other infield positions. My guess is he can play 3B in addition to 2B.

He is starting at 2B today go give Campbell "mental day off" (my guess)

Romy can't play SS. Hamilton shouldn't play SS. 

[vegasbob]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

 

A bit of a "B" lineup , but good enough to win.    Campbell and Narvaez available off the bench is  OK.  But AC usually sticks with the day off completely when he rests guys.  Maybe he would make an exception for Campbell PH'ing

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Not sure Romy can keep up his 875 OPS vs RHP.

He was .879 in 2024 over 130 PAs.

Maybe he'll end up surprising you like Refsnyder did.

[d-money]

Can this guy throw strikes? 

[illinoisredsox]

Houdini Whitcomb

[d-money]

What a shocker. Missing offense. 

[d-money]

Throw strikes. 

[d-money]

Win 2 lose 1 win 1 lose two. This team has to be consistently good. 

[d-money]

Need to get back in this game. 

[Jasonbay44]

Newcomb and Sabol both need to go. They both suck.

at least Casas is finally hitting a little bit 

[moonslav59]

42 minutes ago, Jasonbay44 said:

42 minutes ago, Jasonbay44 said:

Newcomb and Sabol both need to go. They both suck.

at least Casas is finally hitting a little bit 

 

Grandal should get the call, soon.

I don't think Newcomb is the worst pitcher on the 26, right now, but his days may be numbered. (He could be demoted to the pen, when Gio gets the call.)

[moonslav59]

It's been a rollercoaster start to the season. 

Hard to get a read on just who this team is.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

The Sox need another top shelf starter and a good reliever. This being said, the Sox FO has my permission to trade both Nevers and Abreu to acquire the above. Also, it's about time to bring up both Anthony and Mayer.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

It doesn't matter who Boston trades for or brings up from the minors, as long we have pitchers who can fire throws past first base down the right field line so baserunners can cross the plate. 

It's a Red Sox tradition: scour the diamonds of the world to hire guys who can throw accurately to 4th base, when they can't for the life of them find 1st, 2nd or 3rd.

Maybe Fenway groundskeepers can insert a second perpendicular rubber in the center of the mound, to make pitchers feel more comfortable pushing off to pitch to another base on a comebacker. The double rubber would take the shape of a cross, to make it easier for coaches and fans to pray...