Rangers (Mahle) vs Red Sox (Houck): 5/7/25, 6:45pm

[Brandon Glick]

Tyler Mahle has been really, really good this year. Tanner Houck has been... less good. 

If you want a reason to hope: In 10 at-bats vs Mahle, Bregman has a .900 OPS. Could be a big night for him.

[Nick]

New BA Top 100 Out (subscription required)

1 Roman Anthony

3 Kristian Campbell

I can only see top 5, but supposedly we have 2 pitchers ranked in the 90's.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Anyone know why Crochet is missing his start tonight? Tired arm? Cora wants him fresh for the PO's?

[illinoisredsox]

8 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Anyone know why Crochet is missing his start tonight? Tired arm? Cora wants him fresh for the PO's?

Maybe because he just pitched Sunday?  I know he only went 5 innings, but still …

Pretty sure you’ll see him in KC on Friday.  If they run through all 5 starters, with the off day, it will be Saturday 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

1 minute ago, illinoisredsox said:

Maybe because he just pitched Sunday?  I know he only went 5 innings, but still …

Thanks, the Sox games have been so terrible lately, I've lost track of time. Btw, Crochet's arm did look tired in his last start.

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

32 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Thanks, the Sox games have been so terrible lately, I've lost track of time. Btw, Crochet's arm did look tired in his last start.

His velocity was down 2mph in his last start.

Not uncommon for some arm fatigue

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

3 hours ago, TheSplinteredSplendor said:

His velocity was down 2mph in his last start.

Not uncommon for some arm fatigue

His fastball last start was 93, so his speed was actually down 4 mph.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Jared Carrabis: I have to admit, it’s very hard to get fully emotionally invested in this Red Sox team when I know they’re intentionally not putting the best team on the field that they possibly could be. The front office is kinda getting what they deserve here. 

I'm assuming this might refer to not promoting some top prospects more than playing Devers at 1B (since no fans or "internet personality" actually know if he even wants to play first).

But Carrabis is closer to the team than I am, so I defer when he says, "I know they're intentionally not putting the best team on the field..."

[illinoisredsox]

Hey, let’s put a moratorium on complaints about the strike zone tonight.  It’s CB Bucknor, it’s going to suck.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Mahle is due for a bad start. I hope.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

2 minutes ago, illinoisredsox said:

Hey, let’s put a moratorium on complaints about the strike zone tonight.  It’s CB Bucknor, it’s going to suck.

CB=Consistently Bad.

[illinoisredsox]

6 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Jared Carrabis: I have to admit, it’s very hard to get fully emotionally invested in this Red Sox team when I know they’re intentionally not putting the best team on the field that they possibly could be. The front office is kinda getting what they deserve here. 

I'm assuming this might refer to not promoting some top prospects more than playing Devers at 1B (since no fans or "internet personality" actually know if he even wants to play first).

But Carrabis is closer to the team than I am, so I defer when he says, "I know they're intentionally not putting the best team on the field..."

Sounds like a post designed to up his clicks.  He may be closer to the team than any of us, but I have have doubts he “knows”.

[Maxbialystock]

1 minute ago, illinoisredsox said:

Hey, let’s put a moratorium on complaints about the strike zone tonight.  It’s CB Bucknor, it’s going to suck.

While I firmly agree home plate umpires miss calls on balls and strikes, I also think the griping is pointless.  If the rectangle were removed from our screens, we would see what everyone on the field of play sees--no freaking rectangle.  

My favorite call by an ump is the one by the 1b and 3b umps when they are asked to rule on whether a swing was checked in time.  They make the call quickly, and it's not up for debate.  

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Devers has become the Dominican God of Walks.

[illinoisredsox]

7 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

CB=Consistently Bad.

He does a passable job on the bases (not great, but he’s not awful).  He’s horrible behind the plate.

So in that regard, he’s better than Angel Hernandez was (who sucked at all aspects of umpiring).  But then, my one year old grandson might be better than old Angel.

[illinoisredsox]

2 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

While I firmly agree home plate umpires miss calls on balls and strikes, I also think the griping is pointless.  If the rectangle were removed from our screens, we would see what everyone on the field of play sees--no freaking rectangle.  

My favorite call by an ump is the one by the 1b and 3b umps when they are asked to rule on whether a swing was checked in time.  They make the call quickly, and it's not up for debate.  

The rectangle is fine on the sides; up and down it’s worthless.  NESNs is the same size vertically for Judge and Altuve.

 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Good D by Soup.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

8 minutes ago, illinoisredsox said:

He does a passable job on the bases (not great, but he’s not awful).  He’s horrible behind the plate.

So in that regard, he’s better than Angel Hernandez was (who sucked at all aspects of umpiring).  But then, my one year old grandson might be better than old Angel.

Angel is Hellaciously bad.

[illinoisredsox]

3 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Angel is Hellaciously bad.

Cmon, as an umpire, he’s doing the absolute best job of his career right now.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

The Sox lineup is delightful.

Note* Delightful is the complete opposite of offensive.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

10 minutes ago, illinoisredsox said:

Cmon, as an umpire, he’s doing the absolute best job of his career right now.

The only way a MLB umpire can be fired is if he kills his wife. Obviously, Angel hasn't killed his wife.

Edited May 7, 2025 by SPLENDIDSPLINTER

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

14 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

My favorite call by an ump is the one by the 1b and 3b umps when they are asked to rule on whether a swing was checked in time.  They make the call quickly, and it's not up for debate.  

With all due respect, that's my least favorite part of any ump call (90 feet away on an angle).

Admittedly, the check-the-check is my least favorite part of modern baseball period -- an aspect that has creeped into the game over the decades that is requested obnoxiously on judgments that vary night-to-night, batter-to-batter. Maybe MLB should limit these "appeals" just like every other one nowadays.

I also admit I favor the batter on either side on 99% of these checks, because they're not taking "swings." There are so many different pitches now that hitters always have to start everything sooner in the box until they decide to literally go around or not.

Plus, when I was a young dinosaur egg hatchling, batters had to "break their wrists" (turn the top hand down) for it to be considered a swing.

 

[illinoisredsox]

3 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

The only way a MLB umpire can be fired is if he kills his wife.

MLB will never admit it, but Angel essentially was fired last May.

There was an ump who was fired for gambling; might have been last year.

I recall a couple guys fired back in the 60s, supposedly for performance but they were also involved in the trying to organize the umpire’s union.

[vegasbob]

Defense, the ability to make plays and create outs not present  here.  

The inability of a pitcher to field his position and make a reasonable throw to first base  , and have that 1Bman make a tough catch  cost the run .     Campbell could have made a tough play but did not .  Duran was not in great space to retrieve the ball off the wall, irregular angles and bounces.   

Just more stuff from an unpredictable and sloppy team.    

[illinoisredsox]

2 minutes ago, vegasbob said:

Defense, the ability to make plays and create outs not present  here.  

The inability of a pitcher to field his position and make a reasonable throw to first base  , and have that 1Bman make a tough catch  cost the run .     Campbell could have made a tough play but did not .  Duran was not in great space to retrieve the ball off the wall, irregular angles and bounces.   

Just more stuff from an unpredictable and sloppy team.    

It was a bad throw, but I’d still like to know how the runner at first was safe.

[vegasbob]

6 minutes ago, illinoisredsox said:

It was a bad throw, but I’d still like to know how the runner at first was safe.

My guess is that the review committee called interference ( blocking the base without the ball, although the ball was all around Gonzalez's glove before the runner reached the base and passed it, never touching the base.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

16 minutes ago, illinoisredsox said:

MLB will never admit it, but Angel essentially was fired last May.

There was an ump who was fired for gambling; might have been last year.

I recall a couple guys fired back in the 60s, supposedly for performance but they were also involved in the trying to organize the umpire’s union.

The umpires Union still hasn't forgiven MLB for bringing in 'scabs' years ago. Not firing terrible umps is their way of getting even.

[vegasbob]

But my real point of interest is that the Sox are  NO HIT again through 3  , after chalking up 1 run last night.  The players do not hit well at home, but keep the stats up  with the rare blowout win.  

Ranger pitching is good but not lights out vs a team that is underperforming

[illinoisredsox]

2 minutes ago, vegasbob said:

My guess is that the review committee called interference ( blocking the base without the ball, although the ball was all around Gonzalez's glove before the runner reached the base and passed it, never touching the base.

Yeah, that’s probably it.

It’s the kind of play that points to why you just don’t throw a guy over there.  An experienced guy probably comes up with that.  As poor a Casas was, he saved several throwing errors this year.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

2 minutes ago, illinoisredsox said:

Yeah, that’s probably it.

It’s the kind of play that points to why you just don’t throw a guy over there.  An experienced guy probably comes up with that.  As poor a Casas was, he saved several throwing errors this year.

Actually, Devers has good hands. His main problems at 3rd were his range going left and his arm.