Marlins (Quantrill) vs Red Sox (Bello): 8/16/25, 4:10pm

[Brandon Glick]

Besides the Red Sox, I am also a Cubs fan (and cover them for a living). And, oh boy, let me tell you how grateful I am for the Red Sox right now.

[moonslav59]

Brandon, the Cubs have a better record than the Sox, right now.

[moonslav59]

Abreu (.807 and our HR leader) back to the 7 slot, so Yoshida (.720) can bat 5th. 

I do like seeing Romy at 1B v the RHP over Toro.

Wong getting the start with Bello, again. OPS Against with catchers:

.648 w Wong (389 PAs)

.790 w Narvaez (125 PAs)

However, ERA:

3.07 w Narvaez

3.31 w Wong

[Bellhorn04]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Abreu (.807 and our HR leader) back to the 7 slot, so Yoshida (.720) can bat 5th. 

I do like seeing Romy at 1B v the RHP over Toro.

Wong getting the start with Bello, again. OPS Against with catchers:

.648 w Wong (389 PAs)

.790 w Narvaez (125 PAs)

However, ERA:

3.07 w Narvaez

3.31 w Wong

So his luck has been a lot better with Narvaez catching.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Good fortune that grounder didn't hit the bag.

[vegasbob]

Anthony reverse the non- hitting of last night on first pitch. Time to jump hard on the Marlins

[vegasbob]

Duran still prone to 1st inning K. this time starting the RISP counter

[Maxbialystock]

3 hours ago, Brandon Glick said:

Besides the Red Sox, I am also a Cubs fan (and cover them for a living). And, oh boy, let me tell you how grateful I am for the Red Sox right now.

Wow.  Two oldest ballparks in MLB.  Plus Chicago has always loved their Cubs.  Didn't it take a Boston CBO to get them that WS win?  

[Maxbialystock]

Thanks to those 20 dingers, Abreu has a better OPS than Yoshida, but Yoshida is by far the more professional hitter.  Two men on, two men batted in with--perish the thought!!--a little old ground ball single to right.  Abreu wouldn't be caught dead doing that.  

So Anthony is back in form.  Good.  

[Maxbialystock]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Abreu (.807 and our HR leader) back to the 7 slot, so Yoshida (.720) can bat 5th. 

I do like seeing Romy at 1B v the RHP over Toro.

Wong getting the start with Bello, again. OPS Against with catchers:

.648 w Wong (389 PAs)

.790 w Narvaez (125 PAs)

However, ERA:

3.07 w Narvaez

3.31 w Wong

Abreu just wants to hit dingers.  

[moonslav59]

20 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

So his luck has been a lot better with Narvaez catching.

That's what the numbers suggest.

Here are the other SP'er numbers:

Crochet:

2.67 w Narvaez (19 GS/121 IP and .617 OPSA)

1.74 w Wong (5 GS/31 IP and .597 OPSA) unbalanced samples but better numbers w Wong.

Giolito:

3.93 w Narvaez (16 GS/87 IP and .731 OPSA)

2.29 w Wong (3GS/20 IP and .614 OPSA) Same summary as Crochet... better w Wong

Buehler:

5.50 w Narvaez (18 GS/90 IP and .845 OPSA)

5.06 w Wong (3GS/16 IP and .699 OPSA) unbalanced but much better w Wong.

Dobbins looks about even:

3.99 w Narvaez (.709)

3.95 w Wong (.729) Slight edge to Narvaez.

Houck was horrible with Wong in 3 GS (12.08/1.190) and better with Narvaez (7.20/.826) but best with Sabol in 2 GS (4.91/.724)

 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Masa proves he was, is, and will continue to be a good hitter.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Story getting older, but still the best athlete on the Sox.

[Brandon Glick]

10 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

Wow.  Two oldest ballparks in MLB.  Plus Chicago has always loved their Cubs.  Didn't it take a Boston CBO to get them that WS win?  

I yearn for the days of Theo Epstein more than you could possibly imagine. I don't know what I did to deserve Jed Hoyer, but I beg for forgiveness.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I believe the official score will change that to a hit.

[Maxbialystock]

31 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

So his luck has been a lot better with Narvaez catching.

I think you misread that.  

I do think Wong is a good defensive catcher and therefore a good backup for Narvaez, especially now when the Sox are trying to be careful, so careful they have 3d freaking catcher on the roster.  

That said, I think we all prefer to see Narvaez behind the plate.  

Error by Gonzales at 1b.   Fortunately, the rest of the Sox infield is professional and pulled off the double play.  

Gonzalez is also in a bit of a hitting slump.

 

[vegasbob]

1 minute ago, Brandon Glick said:

I yearn for the days of Theo Epstein more than you could possibly imagine. I don't know what I did to deserve Jed Hoyer, but I beg for forgiveness.

Ironic that the Sox got Theo back in a limited role to help Breslow but you rarely (never) see his name in.public 

[moonslav59]

8 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

Abreu just wants to hit dingers.  

Of course, Yoshida shuts me up with his first AB!

LOL

[Maxbialystock]

7 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

That's what the numbers suggest.

Here are the other SP'er numbers:

Crochet:

2.67 w Narvaez (19 GS/121 IP and .617 OPSA)

1.74 w Wong (5 GS/31 IP and .597 OPSA) unbalanced samples but better numbers w Wong.

Giolito:

3.93 w Narvaez (16 GS/87 IP and .731 OPSA)

2.29 w Wong (3GS/20 IP and .614 OPSA) Same summary as Crochet... better w Wong

Buehler:

5.50 w Narvaez (18 GS/90 IP and .845 OPSA)

5.06 w Wong (3GS/16 IP and .699 OPSA) unbalanced but much better w Wong.

Dobbins looks about even:

3.99 w Narvaez (.709)

3.95 w Wong (.729) Slight edge to Narvaez.

Houck was horrible with Wong in 3 GS (12.08/1.190) and better with Narvaez (7.20/.826) but best with Sabol in 2 GS (4.91/.724)

 

Bravo, moonslav! You always come up with the relevant numbers.  

What's nice about those numbers is that we should not regard Wong catching as a complete disaster.

Also, why the heck does Cora insist on a 3d catcher?  

K for Abreu in his first AB.  Thank goodness--and our genius manager--that Yoshida bats 5th today.  

[Maxbialystock]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

Of course, Yoshida shuts me up with his first AB!

LOL

😄

[vegasbob]

6 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

I think you misread that.  

I do think Wong is a good defensive catcher and therefore a good backup for Narvaez, especially now when the Sox are trying to be careful, so careful they have 3d freaking catcher on the roster.  

That said, I think we all prefer to see Narvaez behind the plate.  

Error by Gonzales at 1b.   Fortunately, the rest of the Sox infield is professional and pulled off the double play.  

Gonzalez is also in a bit of a hitting slump.

 

Guys like Toro, Gonzo and many others are AAAA or backups because while they can get hot, the long season eventually reverts them to their mean

[Maxbialystock]

To be absolutely honest, I have disliked Yoshida for almost all of his tenure with the Sox.  That includes this season when I loved Devers as the DH.  

Once Devers left, however, and I realized how good this team was/is this season, I rooted like crazy for Yoshida because he could contribute as the lefty DH vs righties.  

I have no idea why I'm beating up on Abreu.  He can hit, hit with power, field, and throw.  

 

[Maxbialystock]

Anybody know the Sox W-L in the yellow and blue?  

[Maxbialystock]

That SB was all on Bello.  However, sometimes it does pay to focus on the pitching.  

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Anthony did his impersonation of Duran on that hit.

[vegasbob]

Meanwhile back on the mound. Bello is delivering much like Gio did. A. couple baserunners but tough with 2 outs.

This is much better pitching 

[vegasbob]

A little high and inside

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

MLB pitchers will be so happy to know that Anthony is now swinging early in the count.

[vegasbob]

NO DP, Jarren

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

That ball was smoked.