Guardians (Messick) @ Sox (Bello), 1 Sep 25 (labor Day), 1:35 pm

[Nineintime]

Has Alex Bregman forgotten how to hit?  And Anthony Ks way too much.  Huge hole in his swing with offspeed in on the hands.  I realize how good he is and how good we will be but he’s got some adjustments to make. 

[iortiz]

That’s the weirdest HR I’ve ever seen. 

[moonslav59]

Chapman for President!

[Duran Is The Man]

49 minutes ago, Nineintime said:

Has Alex Bregman forgotten how to hit?  And Anthony Ks way too much.  Huge hole in his swing with offspeed in on the hands.  I realize how good he is and how good we will be but he’s got some adjustments to make. 

i swear...every time i watch him bat, he grounds into a DP.

[moonslav59]

Wilson, Weissert & Chapman got 7 outs: 13 pitches and 13 strikes.

The pen threw 30 strikes in 36 pitches. Only 2 Ks, but they got the outs.

[moonslav59]

49 minutes ago, Nineintime said:

Has Alex Bregman forgotten how to hit?  And Anthony Ks way too much.  Huge hole in his swing with offspeed in on the hands.  I realize how good he is and how good we will be but he’s got some adjustments to make. 

He hit the ball very hard, today. Maybe 2 line outs?

[Duran Is The Man]

3 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Chapman for President!

it is so satisfying knowing that when he comes in, you don't have anything to worry about.

[Duran Is The Man]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

What team has the worst record since the Devers trade?

Hint: Devers plays for them.

that makes he as happy as the Yankees losing. i wouldn't feel that way, if he weren't a selfish prick.

[moonslav59]

14 Hits

5 BBs

1 HBP

2 Balks

1 SB

1 WP

Just 6 runs.

[d-money]

This is a huge series right now. They might need a sweep I feel. Toronto is struggling right now.

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, Nick said:

Sure would be nice to get a serviceable 5th starter.

It will have to come from May or Harrison. I'm not sure Fitts will come off the IL, soon enough.

I really do not blame Brez for coming to this, except the Priester trade. We started the season with 11-12 decent options for the rotation, and that did not include Tolle, Wink or Whitlock.

[illinoisredsox]

1 hour ago, Nineintime said:

Has Alex Bregman forgotten how to hit?  And Anthony Ks way too much.  Huge hole in his swing with offspeed in on the hands.  I realize how good he is and how good we will be but he’s got some adjustments to make. 

What rookie doesn’t?  

As for Bregman, every player goes through rough patches.  If you could look back at Ted Williams game logs, you’d find a few bad weeks or months in there.  Not many, but some and Alex is not Teddy Bsllgzme.
 

Bregman is not 100% and won’t be the rest of the year.  He’s going out there every day and giving it his best.  Even at 70%, he’s still better than anyone else they could put at 3rd on a regular basis.

[moonslav59]

53 minutes ago, Duran Is The Man said:

it is so satisfying knowing that when he comes in, you don't have anything to worry about.

I haven't felt like this since Koji.

Kimbrel was excellent, but too often he was a drama king. Jansen had some nice stretches, but not at this level.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Good win. I notice the NESN booth doesn't seem to mention LOBsters when the Sox are leading. If the Sox aren't leading MLB in LOB, it isn't because of lack of trying.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

3 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Good win. I notice the NESN booth doesn't seem to mention LOBsters when the Sox are leading. If the Sox aren't leading MLB in LOB, it isn't because they're not trying.

Btw, at this point in the season Story has gone from the outhouse to the penthouse offensively. He's always been good defensively.

[moonslav59]

27 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Good win. I notice the NESN booth doesn't seem to mention LOBsters when the Sox are leading. If the Sox aren't leading MLB in LOB, it isn't because of lack of trying.

5 men in teh first 2 innings, a DP ended a runner in the 3rd, then 2 more in the 4th. A DP with bases loaded, ended the 5th, so one man on base was erased and didn't count. 9 LOB in the first 5 innings!

[moonslav59]

SEA & TEX both are losing early on.

[Larry Cook]

Nice win today!!  Let’s hope the offense helps out crochet tomorrow 

[Maxbialystock]

5 hours ago, Nineintime said:

Has Alex Bregman forgotten how to hit?  And Anthony Ks way too much.  Huge hole in his swing with offspeed in on the hands.  I realize how good he is and how good we will be but he’s got some adjustments to make. 

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!

[Maxbialystock]

4 hours ago, illinoisredsox said:

What rookie doesn’t?  

As for Bregman, every player goes through rough patches.  If you could look back at Ted Williams game logs, you’d find a few bad weeks or months in there.  Not many, but some and Alex is not Teddy Bsllgzme.
 

Bregman is not 100% and won’t be the rest of the year.  He’s going out there every day and giving it his best.  Even at 70%, he’s still better than anyone else they could put at 3rd on a regular basis.

Agree on both.   Anthony and Bregman bat 1 and 2.  Anthony's great strength is that, when he gets a pitch to hit, he seem to hit it squarely.   Bregman playing is both vital and heroic.    

This team has strength in five key areas:  hitting, starting, relieving, defending, and baserunning.  

Right behind Bregman these days is Story with the most rbi's, dingers, and freaking SB;'s, plus he is a solid shortstop.   Duran can't hit lefties worth spit, but his OPS is a very decent .787 and he leads the team in total bases and WAR.  Rafaela is in a slump, but his WAR is 3d best, 3.5.  Two catchers good enough to allow Cora to alternate them.  o  Ref is back and is one of 6 Sox hitters (Bregman, Anthony, Ref, Gonzalez, Lowe, and Abreu) with OPS's over .800--well, at least when Abreu gets off the IL some time this month. When that happens, I predict Yoshida is through as DH.  When facing righty starters, one of Anthony, Duran, or Abreu can DH and keep Rafaela in CF.  

When was the last time the Sox had 5 starters as good as Crochet, Bello, Giolito, Tolle, and May?  Yet Chapman has the 2d highest pitching WAR and Whitlock the 5th highest.

Heck, as moonslav pointed out, the Sox in August were good at avoiding unearned runs. 

All that said, ups and down are inevitable, and the Sox have had their share of both.  But you have to like the Sox chances with 77 wins and just 23 games to play.  

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

10 hours ago, Maxbialystock said:

When was the last time the Sox had 5 starters as good as Crochet, Bello, Giolito, Tolle, and May?  Yet Chapman has the 2d highest pitching WAR and Whitlock the 5th highest.

Heck, as moonslav pointed out, the Sox in August were good at avoiding unearned runs. 

All that said, ups and down are inevitable, and the Sox have had their share of both.  But you have to like the Sox chances with 77 wins and just 23 games to play.  

Barring injury, the rotation has solid citizens who are reliable. We should be alright.

There were no wild cards in 1978, when a Red Sox club with 99 wins is remembered as the best Boston team that never won the pennant -- and for losing a big division lead over the world champs from the Bronx. The Sox didn't have a great September, going 14-15, but they didn't technically choke because they recovered from 3 1/2 games back to win their final eight and force a playoff for the playoffs. Hall of Fame caliber starters Luis Tiant and Dennis Eckersly stepped up to lead the way.

The true all-time gaggers were the 2011 Red Sox, who entered September 31 games over 500. Then the pitching staff allowed over 6 runs per game in their last 27, when they went 7-20. That rotation included familiar names: Lester, Lackey, Beckett and Wakefield... (reportedly, some of them may have been distracted that month). Others who started and failed were Eric Bedard and Kyle Weiland. It got so bad that if the Sox had to play a one-game playoff, they were planning on signing journeyman Bruce Chen for the start. 

A key to this month may be if Cora and Co. can find someone from the bullpen to provide some decent multiple middle innings. The brass is going to want to limit the workload for the starters to save their arms for the intensity of the postseason. For that to work, a few relievers may need to be stretched out...

 

[moonslav59]

Bringing up past gags is bad timing, GG!

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

36 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Bringing up past gags is bad timing, GG!

Hey -- you're no Yankee fan, growing up tainted by four banners flying in Boston -- snap out of it.

I'm just spitting on the low and outside slider that lands in the dirt of the lefty batter's box.

[mvp 78]

12 hours ago, Maxbialystock said:

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!

Breggie

OPS since 8/2 720

OPS since 8/23 310 (10 games)

His current 864 OPS is his highest since 2019 and still may be a little inflated. He had a 795 OPS from 20-24. 

[moonslav59]

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Breggie

OPS since 8/2 720

OPS since 8/23 310 (10 games)

His current 864 OPS is his highest since 2019 and still may be a little inflated. He had a 795 OPS from 20-24. 

I think that .795 OPS is what scared HOU from extending/re-signing him.

I'm confident he can beat those number, this year and next, but maybe .790 is what we can expect, if we extend him longer.

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

19 hours ago, iortiz said:

That’s the weirdest HR I’ve ever seen. 

Yeah like the announcers I had never seen that before as well.  I also can't remember the last time the Sox benefitted from so many balks in one season.  I've seen as many balks this season as I've seen in my entire life.  

[moonslav59]

That foul pole dinger was shocking.

The inside the park Duran homer was awesome, the game before.

What's in store for tonight? 

[mvp 78]

27 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I think that .795 OPS is what scared HOU from extending/re-signing him.

I'm confident he can beat those number, this year and next, but maybe .790 is what we can expect, if we extend him longer.

I'm fine with him hitting 800 with above average defense for the next few years. I think 900 was a nice hot stretch that the team really needed at the time. Some fans just need to reset expectations. Some people thought he'd come in and jack 30 bombs because of the Monster (5 home, 11 away). 

[mvp 78]

9 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

That foul pole dinger was shocking.

The inside the park Duran homer was awesome, the game before.

What's in store for tonight? 

I still haven't seen a replay where it hits the pole. I need a Madden telestrator showing me what happened. 

[mvp 78]

15 minutes ago, Yaz Fan Since 67 said:

Yeah like the announcers I had never seen that before as well.  I also can't remember the last time the Sox benefitted from so many balks in one season.  I've seen as many balks this season as I've seen in my entire life.  

The new rules have a lot to do with the increase in balks.