Orioles (Povich) vs Red Sox (Giolito): 5/22/25, 6:45pm

[Brock Beauchamp]

The Orioles are in free fall. I've watched a lot of them lately and they're REALLY BAD.

[Hugh2]

Time to sweep the Orioles, get a few games above .500 and help turn Baltimore into sellers

[mvp 78]

Red Sox like to play down to their opponents, but they also like being .500. 4 game stretch? Feels like they end up 28-27 after the weekend. 

How toasted will be Giolito be? Every other start it's been rough. 4.22 xFIP though. Could be a tough watch.

[FredLynn]

Not sure this game is going to get played. I heard there is some major inclement weather headed towards Boston.

[Nick]

I think we need a reset. I hope it's postponed.

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, Nick said:

I think we need a reset. I hope it's postponed.

Double headers aren't great if your starters can't go long. 

[Nick]

9 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Double headers aren't great if your starters can't go long. 

At the least, we can add an extra pitcher. We always have Newcomb to throw 200 pitches in a losing cause.

Plus extra 1B work for Campbell. Sooner he gets 1B down, sooner Mayer will be promoted.

And if Story gets, Anthony will be promoted.

[Nick]

Hendriks not happy with Cora. He complains there's no pattern to his appearances.

This is the guy that was suppose to be our closer. Go figure. Looks like he won't be pitching for the Sox in 2026 ($12M)

• 2 years/$10M (2024-25), plus 2026 mutual option
  • signed by Boston as a free agent 2/19/24
  • 24:$2M, 25:$6M, 26:$12M mutual option ($2M buyout)
  • 2025 performance bonuses:
    • $250,000 each for 30, 35, 40, 45 innings pitched. $500,000 each for 50, 55, 60, 65 IP. $1M each for 70, 75 IP
    • $1M each for 45, 50, 55 60, 65 games finished

[illinoisredsox]

23 minutes ago, Nick said:

At the least, we can add an extra pitcher. We always have Newcomb to throw 200 pitches in a losing cause.

Plus extra 1B work for Campbell. Sooner he gets 1B down, sooner Mayer will be promoted.

And if Story gets, Anthony will be promoted.

Story’s fate has no affect on Anthony unless the latter makes a sudden move to the infield.

Anthony will be promoted if there is an outfield injury or a current OF is involved in a trade.

[mvp 78]

16 minutes ago, Nick said:

Hendriks not happy with Cora. He complains there's no pattern to his appearances.

This is the guy that was suppose to be our closer. Go figure. Looks like he won't be pitching for the Sox in 2026 ($12M)

• 2 years/$10M (2024-25), plus 2026 mutual option
  • signed by Boston as a free agent 2/19/24
  • 24:$2M, 25:$6M, 26:$12M mutual option ($2M buyout)
  • 2025 performance bonuses:
    • $250,000 each for 30, 35, 40, 45 innings pitched. $500,000 each for 50, 55, 60, 65 IP. $1M each for 70, 75 IP
    • $1M each for 45, 50, 55 60, 65 games finished

Hard hit 56.7%

4.91 xFIP

Career low GB rate

Career high BB rate

Coming off surgery

[Nick]

1 hour ago, illinoisredsox said:

Story’s fate has no affect on Anthony unless the latter makes a sudden move to the infield.

Anthony will be promoted if there is an outfield injury or a current OF is involved in a trade.

If Campbell moves to 1B, Mayer is called up to play 2B. If Story is injured or simply unproductive, Rafaela can play short and Anthony in left. Duran moves to CF. You rotate Refsnyder to fill in for Anthony and Abreu. Anthony can play two out of three games, at least. 

Then it becomes a matter of who hits lefties better, Abreu or Anthony.

This is our best balanced lineup with what we have.

Great for the fan base. Our top 3 prospects are now playing in the majors.

We got a bonus pickup with our catching acquisition from the Yankees.

Bregman and Devers are hot. Duran is getting hot as he did last year.

 

[Nick]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Hard hit 56.7%

4.91 xFIP

Career low GB rate

Career high BB rate

Coming off surgery

He's complaining. I'm not complaining.

[dgalehouse]

Game postponed. Two tomorrow.

[mvp 78]

19 minutes ago, Nick said:

He's complaining. I'm not complaining.

Was just providing reasons for why he shouldn't be complaining. 

[Nick]

7 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Was just providing reasons for why he shouldn't be complaining. 

I know.....I talk to myself alot.

[mvp 78]

 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Always learning something new and not so good about the Sox. The Sox are 2nd in MLB in giving up unearned runs with 27. The Rockies are 1st with 43.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Always learning something new and not so good about the Sox. The Sox are 2nd in MLB in giving up unearned runs with 27. The Rockies are 1st with 43.

Last year, we let up 93, so we are not far from the same pace.

Improving the team on paper does not always work well on the field.

[Nick]

“I think they understand the frustrations,” he said. “I haven’t been a guy who has been taken out of a game in six years, and now, it has happened back-to-back games. I don’t like that. But, I understand it. I feel like I haven’t been pitching enough. If you want me to be me, I’ve got to pitch. I’ll rust before I wear out, and that’s something.”

Perhaps Cora should communicate with his projected closer. And I though that was Cora's strength. You know, being a player's coach.

[Maxbialystock]

5 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Double headers aren't great if your starters can't go long. 

Good cautionary note.  

It has always fascinated me that MLB teams have 26 on their active rosters--almost invariably 13 pitchers and 13 lineup players.  If MLB upped the 26 (which used to be 25) to 28, my guess is most teams would go with 15 pitchers.   The Sox right now have 1 backup catcher, 2 backup infielders, 1 backup outfielder, and 1 full-time DH--and that seems to be about all they need or want.  

[illinoisredsox]

4 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

 

Why in the effing world would you start Bello in a day game if you don’t have to?

[illinoisredsox]

56 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

Good cautionary note.  

It has always fascinated me that MLB teams have 26 on their active rosters--almost invariably 13 pitchers and 13 lineup players.  If MLB upped the 26 (which used to be 25) to 28, my guess is most teams would go with 15 pitchers.   The Sox right now have 1 backup catcher, 2 backup infielders, 1 backup outfielder, and 1 full-time DH--and that seems to be about all they need or want.  

Teams are limited to 13 pitchers you can have less, but as you said, they don’t.  

The current September rules require a 28 man roster with a limit of 14 pitchers, so if they would expand to that number full time, I’d imagine that limit would remain.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

6 minutes ago, illinoisredsox said:

Why in the effing world would you start Bello in a day game if you don’t have to?

Bello or Gio. Pick your poison.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

What the Sox FO is doing to Masa is disgusting. Either trade him or DFA him, but at least give Masa an opportunity to play baseball. I'm pretty sure there's a major league team who can use a .286 BA DH.

He came here to play baseball, not to be a pawn in this Sox organization.

[moonslav59]

29 minutes ago, illinoisredsox said:

Teams are limited to 13 pitchers you can have less, but as you said, they don’t.  

The current September rules require a 28 man roster with a limit of 14 pitchers, so if they would expand to that number full time, I’d imagine that limit would remain.

I always felt like a 27 or 28 man roster might be a nice compromise to give the players, along with a big spike in min wage, in exchange for some sort of soft or hard cap in MLB. Another compromise might be to set a pretty high minimum team spending budget that could allow more lower to mid roster players make more money, instead of the top guys making sick money.

 

[illinoisredsox]

41 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Bello or Gio. Pick your poison.

Bello splits:

Night 51 G, 3.86 ERA, 1.316 WHIP

Day  26 G, 5.54 ERA, 1.699 WHIP

 

Giolito actually has better numbers in day games than night games careerwise (ERA is about a run apart vs almost 2 and the WHIP is very a lot closer as well).  Not saying would hold up, but at least play the odds.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

1 minute ago, illinoisredsox said:

Bello splits:

Night 51 G, 3.86 ERA, 1.316 WHIP

Day  26 G, 5.54 ERA, 1.699 WHIP

 

Giolito actually has better numbers in day games than night games careerwise.  Not saying would hold up, but at least play the odds.

You're right, when there's not much else, play the odds.

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, illinoisredsox said:

Why in the effing world would you start Bello in a day game if you don’t have to?

Sox like hard mode and/or don’t believe in day/night splits.

[a700hitter]

18 hours ago, illinoisredsox said:

Bello splits:

Night 51 G, 3.86 ERA, 1.316 WHIP

Day  26 G, 5.54 ERA, 1.699 WHIP

 

Giolito actually has better numbers in day games than night games careerwise (ERA is about a run apart vs almost 2 and the WHIP is very a lot closer as well).  Not saying would hold up, but at least play the odds.

Night or Day, he is at best a #3 didn’t warrant a contract extension.