Red Sox (Tolle) vs Diamondbacks (Rodriguez): 9/5/25, 9:40pm

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

A homer away from tying this.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I'm glad I stuck around. But I always do.

[iortiz]

PR Hamilton here was a mistake. Ref can run well too. You might need Hamilton later.  

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Hope Arizona doesn't wear their jerseys going home. They'll be kidnapped by ICE.

[iortiz]

Still can’t believe we just scored one run off ERod. 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

2 minutes ago, iortiz said:

PR Hamilton here was a mistake. Ref can run well too. You might need Hamilton later.  

There may not be a later.

[illinoisredsox]

Just now, iortiz said:

Still can’t believe we just scored one run off ERod. 

Lefty slop down in the zone, which has been kryptonite for Boston bats for a long time. Sox swung at lots of balls below the zone.  

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Story's accuracy with those throws to 1st is amazing.

[illinoisredsox]

3 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Hope Arizona doesn't wear their jerseys going home. They'll be kidnapped by ICE.

Moderately amusing but let’s keep this  a politics free zone.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

4 minutes ago, iortiz said:

Still can’t believe we just scored one run off ERod. 

I can. I've seen it too often this season against equally bad pitchers.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

2 minutes ago, illinoisredsox said:

Moderately amusing but let’s keep this  a politics free zone.

You're right. My bad, but it was just so tempting.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Waiting for Slaten was better than his actual arrival.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Doubly apologize to Murphy.

[iortiz]

Cora should have sent Whitlock. Slaten is still out of rhythm. Whata way to waste a game. 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

5 minutes ago, illinoisredsox said:

Moderately amusing but let’s keep this  a politics free zone.

Moderately amusing? You're a tough audience.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

5 minutes ago, iortiz said:

Cora should have sent Whitlock. Slaten is still out of rhythm. Whata way to waste a game. 

I guess Cora figured 5 runs was the Sox limit.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Just now, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

I guess Cora figured 5 runs was the Sox limit.

So the back end high leverage relievers are still Whit and Chappy. They both have been money in the bank.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Btw, Corbin Carroll is the best player on the field. Amazing ballplayer.

[iortiz]

Btw… extend Lowe already, and you can do it on the cheap!!!

[moonslav59]

Just now, iortiz said:

Btw… extend Lowe already, and you can do it on the cheap!!!

He's got one arb year left (maybe $10-11M.)

[jad]

8 hours ago, iortiz said:

Btw… extend Lowe already, and you can do it on the cheap!!!

Isn't the reason the Sox can do it on the cheap the fact that he's a .260 hitter?

[notin]

13 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Lowe is MLB's worst batter vs LHPs (.499.) DHam has a small sample size, but is actually worse (.423,) so I can see your choice being the right one, but we should be able to do better.

Romy at 1B v L and maybe Sogard at 2B v L? (.756 career & .840 in '25.)

Worst hitter vs LHP or not, Lowe is a Gold Glove caliber 1b.  
 

The downside to platooning is that one of the players is a worse defender.  Sometimes it might be ok to let the inferior batter hit against the same side pitcher if he can defend his position…

[notin]

9 hours ago, iortiz said:

Btw… extend Lowe already, and you can do it on the cheap!!!

Lowe is still in his arbitration years.  He makes $10.3mill this year and is likely looking at $12-13mill next season, with only one year to go before free agency.  With Casas coming back and Campbell still in tow, Lowe is a potential non-tender candidate.  I like him better than Casas, but Casas will be A LOT cheaper.  Like $10-12 mill cheaper…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

3 minutes ago, notin said:

Lowe is still in his arbitration years.  He makes $10.3mill this year and is likely looking at $12-13mill next season, with only one year to go before free agency.  With Casas coming back and Campbell still in tow, Lowe is a potential non-tender candidate.  I like him better than Casas, but Casas will be A LOT cheaper.  Like $10-12 mill cheaper…

Ya, I guess the Red Sox need to see if Casas can reach his potential thump at a position where it's sorely needed. It's a lot cheaper than blowing big-time bucks on Alonso -- although a consistent home run threat has been lacking since the Devers Dump.

When a team's strength is pitching, but its offense struggles vs. good pitching, the longball decides a lot of games.

Lowe's 7-year career 162-game average for HRs may be 21, but he's only reached the 20-mark once.

[notin]

1 hour ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Ya, I guess the Red Sox need to see if Casas can reach his potential thump at a position where it's sorely needed. It's a lot cheaper than blowing big-time bucks on Alonso -- although a consistent home run threat has been lacking since the Devers Dump.

When a team's strength is pitching, but its offense struggles vs. good pitching, the longball decides a lot of games.

Lowe's 7-year career 162-game average for HRs may be 21, but he's only reached the 20-mark once.

I’d put the chances that the Sox offer Lowe arbitration in the 0-10% range.  I think he gets non-tendered and reaches free agency.  Now, the Sox can still sign him at that point, but can do so for less than $10-12mill. And Lowe isnt going to have much of any appeal to the big spending teams like the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Cubs, so the bigger offers are not as likely to roll in.  Even if Alonso walks, the Mets are NOT going to sell their fanbase on Nate Lowe as an acceptable replacement.  Goldschmidt is likely done in the Bronx (and possibly all of MLB) after this year.  But why bother with Lowe when you have Cody Bellinger?  Bringing back Grisham and keeping Cody at 1b makes much, much more sense…

[Maxbialystock]

11 hours ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

I'm glad I stuck around. But I always do.

As do I.  

[notin]

12 hours ago, iortiz said:

PR Hamilton here was a mistake. Ref can run well too. You might need Hamilton later.  

Refsnyder is not a good runner.  His sprint speed is on the 30th percentile.  The only Sox players slower are Bregman, Yoshida, Lowe, Narvaez and Casas.  Probably Sánchez, too, but there is no data on him…

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, notin said:

Worst hitter vs LHP or not, Lowe is a Gold Glove caliber 1b.  
 

The downside to platooning is that one of the players is a worse defender.  Sometimes it might be ok to let the inferior batter hit against the same side pitcher if he can defend his position…

It's not an easy choice for Cora to make. I was just pointing out one major flaw in playing Lowe vs LHPs. Our line-up has take a major hit, this year: losing Casas, then Devers, then Bregman for a while, and now Abreu and Anthony.

I respect defense as much as anyone here. 1B defense is important, but not as much as several other positions. I also think Romy is pretty good on D at 1B, although not as good as Lowe.

With 2 outfielders out, the Rafaela to 2B options seems to be taken away from Cora, and that's not a bad thing, so I see the need for Romy at 2B vs LHPs. (DHam vs RHPs or just go with Romy FT or near FT at 2B?)

I may think some things differently than Cora, but I'm 100% behind him. Same with Breslow, although the Yoshida issue has bothered me- just not enough to make it a major ding against Brez or Cora. (Now, playing Yoshida is not such an issue, as we have few other choices.)

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, notin said:

Lowe is still in his arbitration years.  He makes $10.3mill this year and is likely looking at $12-13mill next season, with only one year to go before free agency.  With Casas coming back and Campbell still in tow, Lowe is a potential non-tender candidate.  I like him better than Casas, but Casas will be A LOT cheaper.  Like $10-12 mill cheaper…

I'm not sure he gets a significant raise after being released by the Nats. Maybe he gets $10.5 to 11.5M. (I'm not sure the Sox can afford that, if we bring Bregman back and add other salary, elsewhere. Please: no "JH can afford it" argument.)