Rays (Baz) vs Red Sox (Crochet): 7/12/25, 4:10pm

[FredLynn]

Couldn’t tune in until until the 9th. Great performance by the Ace. 

[Maxbialystock]

1 hour ago, Duran Is The Man said:

too bad the idiots in the FO didn't trade Devers for a starter instead of a salary dump and a bunch of prospects that will never pan out.

FO is actually looking pretty smart.  Dumping Devers and his salary has helped the Sox both ways.  And nobody was going to give up a front line starter for Devers and his gigantic contract.  

[FredLynn]

1 hour ago, Duran Is The Man said:

too bad the idiots in the FO didn't trade Devers for a starter instead of a salary dump and a bunch of prospects that will never pan out.

I don’t think they need another SP. A quality RP is a more pressing need. I haven’t completely given up on Houck. 

[Maxbialystock]

Unbelievable game--and another magnificent start by Crochet.  Three straight 1 run wins over the Rays.  

Toro more than made up for that error last night because that was an amazing play.

Oh, wait.  I forgot the rules on talksox.  We are here to gripe about errors.  

[Jasonbay44]

Crochet was absolutely amazing today. He has to be nearly perfect and he just about was. 3 singles in 9 innings with 0 walks. Absolutely dominant 

[Maxbialystock]

1 minute ago, FredLynn said:

I don’t think they need another SP. A quality RP is a more pressing need. I haven’t completely given up on Houck. 

You could be right if Buehler is in fact coming around.  Heck, when was the last time the Sox had 3 pretty good starters like Crochet, Bello, and Giolito?  

Sox bullpen gets a day of rest before game 4 vs the Rays.

[Bellhorn04]

3 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

I don’t think they need another SP. A quality RP is a more pressing need. I haven’t completely given up on Houck. 

One thing a team could always use one more of is quality RP.

[Maxbialystock]

9 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

Couldn’t tune in until until the 9th. Great performance by the Ace. 

Bad luck.  I sympathize.  I hate missing good games, but was lucky today.  Crochet is just unreal.  Today he was hitting his spots and mixing his pitches.  So was the Rays starter.  

[notin]

And suddenly the Little Engine That Could is 12-19 in one run games….

[FredLynn]

2 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

One thing a team could always use one more of is quality RP.

Crochet, Bello, Giolito, Fitts, Dobbins, Buehler, Houck. I’d rather see them trade an OF for a lockdown setup man.

[notin]

3 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

One thing a team could always use one more of is quality RP.

Theres so many teams still in it, the market for any good starting pitcher will be full.

RP is just as important.  Although losing Dobbins was tough…

[Maxbialystock]

2 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

One thing a team could always use one more of is quality RP.

Agree, especially because moonslav says it's very difficult not to overspend for a good starter in July.  

Attendance 36,453--high for the season!!  The Fenway faithful, bless them, have decided these guys are worth a lot of trouble and money to see.  

[Bellhorn04]

Just now, notin said:

Theres so many teams still in it, the market for any good starting pitcher will be full.

RP is just as important.  Although losing Dobbins was tough…

It was tough, but hopefully Fitts can step in for him.

[Maxbialystock]

1 minute ago, FredLynn said:

Crochet, Bello, Giolito, Fitts, Dobbins, Buehler, Houck. I’d rather see them trade an OF for a lockdown setup man.

Agree completely even though that ACL is the end of Dobbins season.  

[notin]

1 minute ago, FredLynn said:

Crochet, Bello, Giolito, Fitts, Dobbins, Buehler, Houck. I’d rather see them trade an OF for a lockdown setup man.

Dobbins is done for the year.  So that does leave the Sox relying on Buehler, who has been awful, or Houck, who this year had the two (not just one, TWO) worst starts in team history…

[Maxbialystock]

Just now, Bellhorn04 said:

It was tough, but hopefully Fitts can step in for him.

Given some of the 5th starters we've seen for the Sox, he's almost a gem.  

[FredLynn]

Just now, notin said:

Dobbins is done for the year.  So that does leave the Sox relying on Buehler, who has been awful, or Houck, who this year had the two (not just one, TWO) worst starts in team history…

I didn’t realize Dobbins had an ACL. Houck may yet contribute. But if Dobbins is done for the year a depth SP would be nice

[Maxbialystock]

1 minute ago, notin said:

Dobbins is done for the year.  So that does leave the Sox relying on Buehler, who has been awful, or Houck, who this year had the two (not just one, TWO) worst starts in team history…

Those 2 worst starts were just a function of Cora wanting Houck to pitch more innings in 2 lost causes.  

That does not mean I am in any way confident about Houck right now.  He's been pitching in purgatory for a pretty long spell.  

[notin]

12 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

It was tough, but hopefully Fitts can step in for him.

And Harrison…

[notin]

9 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

Those 2 worst starts were just a function of Cora wanting Houck to pitch more innings in 2 lost causes.  

That does not mean I am in any way confident about Houck right now.  He's been pitching in purgatory for a pretty long spell.  

Well, let’s not completely blame Cora.  I mean, it was Houck out there on the mound serving up meatball after meatball…

[FredLynn]

Kyle Harrison is also an option for a depth SP. 

Then there’s the matter of all that money Henry saved by trading Devers. He should be willing to spend it. And we have a lot of OFs. The team should be willing to trade and spend to improve.

[FredLynn]

11 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

Those 2 worst starts were just a function of Cora wanting Houck to pitch more innings in 2 lost causes.  

That does not mean I am in any way confident about Houck right now.  He's been pitching in purgatory for a pretty long spell.  

I read his velocity is up and recently he’s been improving. He still might contribute.

 

[Maxbialystock]

8 hours ago, Maxbialystock said:

Sox should be favored today. It's not just that Crochet's ERA is 2 ER's lower than Baz, it's that the Rays' team OPS vs lefties is .671.

The question remains, however, has Crochet thrown too many innings?  He is ranked 4th in MLB in IP.  I think Cora might limit him to, say, 90 pitches.

 

This is what I said before the game started--in case anyone here thinks I know anything about MLB.  Both starters were terrific, but Crochet went 100 pitches, 9 freaking innings, and 0 runs!!

I know nothing--except that it was a heckuva game to watch.  

[Maxbialystock]

8 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

I read his velocity is up and recently he’s been improving. He still might contribute.

 

I read that too.  Plus in 2 starts this month Buehler went 11 IP giving up 5 ER vs the Nats and the Rays.  Plus there's Fitts.  

I recite all that because getting a good starter in July can be very pricey.  

[Maxbialystock]

14 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

Kyle Harrison is also an option for a depth SP. 

Then there’s the matter of all that money Henry saved by trading Devers. He should be willing to spend it. And we have a lot of OFs. The team should be willing to trade and spend to improve.

Well, we know he spent pretty big on Bregman, Crochet, Chapman, and Buehler.  Plus the Sox payroll ($192M) this season is ranked 12th.  

I do think he wants to improve the attendance, and right now the Sox are a very watchable team.  

[vegasbob]

What time does the game start today?  Crochet will show he's no ace and it will be a 12-11 slugfest , I'm sure

Neither team can play defense and other than Rafaela's blind squirrel HR last night , runs are scarce. 

Don't know what game you guys are commenting on, like it already happened.

[Larry Cook]

Unbelievable performance by crochet!!!  He is amazing!!! Wow!!!

[illinoisredsox]

A minor plus from today the Sox have clinched the season series against Tampa. which means they now have the playoff tiebreaker over the Rays.

[Duran Is The Man]

3 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

Unbelievable performance by crochet!!!  He is amazing!!! Wow!!!

yep. another great game by Crochet. i gotta admit, i wasn't that sold on him when the trade was made. credit to Brezlow for signing him.

[Maxbialystock]

4 hours ago, notin said:

Well, let’s not completely blame Cora.  I mean, it was Houck out there on the mound serving up meatball after meatball…

I don't blame Cora at all.  I think he was just being realistic.