Athletics (Ginn) vs Red Sox (Bello): 9/18/25, 1:35pm

[Brandon Glick]

10 games left, folks.

[Maxbialystock]

To play 75% of a MLB 162 game schedule you need to play in 121 games (rounded down from 121.5).

Right now the Sox have 3 players--Duran, Story, and Rafaela--who have played in 148, 148, and 146 games.  No other Sox players will get to 121.

No other AL team has just 3 players assured of playing in 75% of the games.  The Jays, Yankees, Tigers, Astros, and Guardians, all have 6 or more players sure of playing in 75%.  And the Mariners have 5 who, however, have played in 151, 150, 149, 148, and 130 games  All 5 are very likely to play in at least 85% of the Guardians games.  

Here are the names and OPS's of 6 Sox players not playing in 75% (121 games or more) of the Sox games:  Devers .905, Refsnyder .863, Anthony .859, Gonzalez .821, Bregman .820, Abreu, .811, The top 3 OPS's will all finish having played in less than 50% of the Sox games this season.  

I think it's pretty obvious that Cora gets the blame for the lack of good hitting on the Sox.  He simply didn't play his best guys.  

 

   

 

 

 

[moonslav59]

Bregman and Abreu got hurt. Devers got traded. None are Cora's fault. Romy and ref may be among our "best hitters" but not against RHPs, so they should not be playing in 121 games, unless they PH in almost every game they do not start.

Narvaez will come close and might have reached 121 had he not gotten hurt. Plus, he'a a catcher and many "FT'ers" get about 120-130.

The next guy is DHam at 88 games. Are you saying he should have gotten 121?

Anthony not being called up earlier is on Brez not Cora, and the injury is not Cora's fault, either.

Too bad your guy, casas, got hurt and didnt get to 121 with an .820 OPS.

[moonslav59]

We face a RHP, today and it's a day after night game, so I'm going with Wong as the catcher. He is also belo's binky.

1. Duran

2. Story

3, Bregman

4. Yoshida

5. Lowe

6. Wong

7. DHam

8. Eaton

9. Rafaela

 

[Maxbialystock]

39 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Bregman and Abreu got hurt. Devers got traded. None are Cora's fault. Romy and ref may be among our "best hitters" but not against RHPs, so they should not be playing in 121 games, unless they PH in almost every game they do not start.

Narvaez will come close and might have reached 121 had he not gotten hurt. Plus, he'a a catcher and many "FT'ers" get about 120-130.

The next guy is DHam at 88 games. Are you saying he should have gotten 121?

Anthony not being called up earlier is on Brez not Cora, and the injury is not Cora's fault, either.

Too bad your guy, casas, got hurt and didnt get to 121 with an .820 OPS.

Gotcha.  I left out Casas because his OPS for 29 games was .580 and his WAR was -0.9.  

I thought my real point--that Sox injuries played huge part in their struggles this season--and that Cora actually has done a good job with his lineups.  The loss of Devers and then Anthony were major.  

I think he also did a great job with the pitching staff.  

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Maxbialystock said:

Gotcha.  I left out Casas because his OPS for 29 games was .580 and his WAR was -0.9.  

I thought my real point--that Sox injuries played huge part in their struggles this season--and that Cora actually has done a good job with his lineups.  The loss of Devers and then Anthony were major.  

I think he also did a great job with the pitching staff.  

Okay, I thought you were blaming Cora for choosing not to play his best bats, when you said, this..

 

 

I think it's pretty obvious that Cora gets the blame for the lack of good hitting on the Sox.  He simply didn't play his best guys.  

 

[vegasbob]

Don't tell me.  Bello not ready for first inning ? What's new?

Bello is no one to rely on.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

It appears the big 3 are now the big 2. Crochet and Early.

[vegasbob]

Hamilton is who he is. a true AAAA'er

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Just now, vegasbob said:

Hamilton is who he is. a true AAAA'er

His game is 90% physical and 10% mental.

[Maxbialystock]

4 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Okay, I thought you were blaming Cora for choosing not to play his best bats, when you said, this..

 

 

I think it's pretty obvious that Cora gets the blame for the lack of good hitting on the Sox.  He simply didn't play his best guys.  

 

You seriously saw not a smidgen of irony in my conclusion, especially when I have defended Cora til the cows come home?  

[FredLynn]

8 minutes ago, vegasbob said:

Don't tell me.  Bello not ready for first inning ? What's new?

Bello is no one to rely on.

One more run for the As and I’m going to have to call it over. The Flops can’t score. They are on the brink of losing a home series to one of the WORST TEAMS in the league. 
Pathetic

[Maxbialystock]

The A's took advantage of Bello throwing a lot of pitches right down the middle.  

[moonslav59]

1 minute ago, Maxbialystock said:

You seriously saw not a smidgen of irony in my conclusion, especially when I have defended Cora til the cows come home?  

I was curious and thought maybe it was a typo.

Sorry, Max. We both have been among Cora's stronger supporters.

[vegasbob]

Is Story the only ballplayer on this team or should Duran be included too ?

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

1 minute ago, vegasbob said:

Is Story the only ballplayer on this team or should Duran be included too ?

Along with Crochet and Chappy where would this team be w/o him?

[vegasbob]

Sox hit bloops and bleeders and tweeners. Try a 3 run jack now.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Story has finally had a full season to prove just how good a ballplayer he is.

[Maxbialystock]

18 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

One more run for the As and I’m going to have to call it over. The Flops can’t score. They are on the brink of losing a home series to one of the WORST TEAMS in the league. 
Pathetic

Horrible 1st by Bello, who obviously wasn't ready to pitch the 1st in which he threw a bunch of meatballs.  

 

[iortiz]

I haven’t even seen the stats but I think Eaton has done a pretty decent job when he is in the lineup. 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

1 minute ago, iortiz said:

I haven’t even seen the stats but I think Eaton has done a pretty decent job when he is in the lineup. 

He's been a pleasant surprise.

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Bregman and Abreu got hurt. Devers got traded. None are Cora's fault.

Disagree on the Devers getting traded not being partially Cora's fault. 

[Maxbialystock]

15 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Story has finally had a full season to prove just how good a ballplayer he is.

He has indeed.  I think the DWAR guys screwed him with a +0.4 when he  leads all MLB SS's in assists and is 2d in PO's.  His June, July, and August OPS's were all over .800 and in September it's .952.  

[mvp 78]

A's

33-42 HOME

38-39 AWAY

I don't know of any other MLB team that has a reverse home field advantage split. 

[Maxbialystock]

11 minutes ago, iortiz said:

I haven’t even seen the stats but I think Eaton has done a pretty decent job when he is in the lineup. 

He certainly has in September.  

[Maxbialystock]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

A's

33-42 HOME

38-39 AWAY

I don't know of any other MLB team that has a reverse home field advantage split. 

It's why they call themselves the Athletics and not the Sacramento Athletics.  

[vegasbob]

Routine groundball but Bregman can't bend low enough. Story tries to save it but throws away. Bello walks the world. gutless effort, when it counts. Another bullpen game coming

[FredLynn]

17 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

Horrible 1st by Bello, who obviously wasn't ready to pitch the 1st in which he threw a bunch of meatballs.  

 

Game over. The FLOPS will not score five runs. The Guardians might not win but if they do its just a one game lead for the last WC. And we have to play the Jays and the Tigers, both of which are much better teams.

[vegasbob]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

A's

33-42 HOME

38-39 AWAY

I don't know of any other MLB team that has a reverse home field advantage split. 

Sox used to do those splits in recent years. Not now. however. 

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, vegasbob said:

Routine groundball but Bregman can't bend low enough. Story tries to save it but throws away. Bello walks the world. gutless effort, when it counts. Another bullpen game coming

The dWAR guys didn't screw Story. Story screwed Story.