Red Sox (Early) vs Yankees (Schlittler): 10/2/25, 8:08pm

[Maxbialystock]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

We are facing a righty, tonight, so I expect a whole new line-up.

Maybe....

1. L Duran LF

2. R Bregman 3B

3. L Yoshida DH

4. R Story SS

5. L Lowe 1B

6. L Abreu RF

7. R Rafaela CF

8. R Naravez C

9. # Sogard 2B (maybe lefty DHam)

 

Agree on all but Abreu, who lost his swing during the IL  Eaton can hit righties.  

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

Agree on all but Abreu, who lost his swing during the IL  Eaton can hit righties.  

His rehab is over. Tonight, Abreu homers. Book it.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

47 minutes ago, vegasbob said:

As I said before Game 1, I refuse to let this series get me wound up in knots .  I am glad the team broke through into the playoffs and maybe Early delivers a gem while we score 10 runs , but either way these guys achieved a breakthrough season.  Realize that a majority of our lineup was not intended to be in the roles they find themselves.

The one big reason for a win tonight is to force Breslow to find at least 2 healthy starters for next year.  This year's ALDS would be a farce .

I don't expect to see about 10 of them next year .  I only hope the replacements on the roster are just that much better and lead to an AL East title and 2026 WS.

I agree with this post 100%.

[Maxbialystock]

Just my opinion, but I think the Sox were massive underdogs before the series started.  The Yankees were red hot and have the best lineup in MLB and three good starters.  The Sox lineup is decimated and started the series with one good starter, Crochet.  Giolito was out and Bello might as well have been.  

But they won  a tight game Tuesday night thanks to Crochet's terrific start, Chapman's precarious save, and a huge single by Yoshida. And they darn near won last night's game but for Duran's dumping that line drive (which came nowhere near the center of his glove) and the to me understandable failure of Eaton to score from 2b on an infield single.  

Both starters tonight are young, but Schlittler has 14 starts to Early's 4.   

Despite all of the above, can there be any doubt that the Sox still have a shot at winning thanks to their pitching and a few timely hits?  

 

[Maxbialystock]

2 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Can't listen to EPSN's announcers for even one inning, but give the network credit for finally not showing any more clips of crap that happened last century. Wonder how many current "technicians" were even alive in the 1970s...

They did focus on this century, since these two teams have faced off in the postseason in 03, 04, 18, 21, and now 25. That's plenty.

But can ESPN resist the temptation to show the Babe, Bucky or even Buckner tonight? Doubt it

ESPN has always been pro-Yankees.  Great point on those postseason series in 03, 04, 18, 21, and now 25.

[notin]

1 hour ago, Sox04 said:

From my DVR.  Not to throw anyone under the bus, but EATON is told to GET BACK to 3rd.  Not stop, or round, or wait and see,  Ball hasn't even gone to 1st yet. 

It was probably the right call.  In the pictures you posted, Eaton is only touching third and Chisholm is already on his feet.    Chisholm would have had an easy play at home.

Sorry to let Butler off the hook.  But holding Eaton was the right call…

[moonslav59]

Top Post Season OPS in 2025:

1.700 Mookie

1.500 Teoscar

1.400 Ohtani

1.286 Volpe (shut this guy down, tonight!)

1.267 Rojas (4th Dodger!)

1.222 Storytime!

1.167 Rortvedt (5th Dodger!)

1.143 Suzuki

1.142 Baez

1.133 C Kelly

1.127 Bregman

1.125 Kike

1.100 Eaton (our plan B guy.)

Sox have 3 in the top 13.

 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I'm guessing the entire BP will be available tonight except for Whit.

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

How about mason Miller?

 

He's faced 9 batters:

8 Ks

1 HBP

Nothing else to report.

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

3 minutes ago, notin said:

It was probably the right call.  In the pictures you posted, Eaton is only touching third and Chisholm is already on his feet.    Chisholm would have had an easy play at home.

Sorry to let Butler off the hook.  But holding Eaton was the right call…

You're not the only one to keep suggesting Jazz might've thrown home.

Does everyone know there were two outs and a second baseman with a shot at an inning-ending force-out at 1B?

There is absolutely no way any infielder -- at any level -- is going to dive to stop a ball up the middle and then try to get a runner on a tag play at the plate on a throw twice as far as the force-out to first.

The reason Eaton needs to keep running is because no one is trying to nail him, and in case they don't get the batter out at first -- which is exactly what happened.

[dgalehouse]

Enjoy the game. It's what sports is all about. It's one ballgame. Anything can happen. Not at all predictable. Don't let yourself get stressed out watching what is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. 

[moonslav59]

22 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

You're not the only one to keep suggesting Jazz might've thrown home.

Does everyone know there were two outs and a second baseman with a shot at an inning-ending force-out at 1B?

There is absolutely no way any infielder -- at any level -- is going to dive to stop a ball up the middle and then try to get a runner on a tag play at the plate on a throw twice as far as the force-out to first.

The reason Eaton needs to keep running is because no one is trying to nail him, and in case they don't get the batter out at first -- which is exactly what happened.

A good throw to 1B, he's out, but assume he's safe at 1B, with no dropped throw, is Eaton out at home on a throw from 1B to end the inning?

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

A good throw to 1B, he's out, but assume he's safe at 1B, with no dropped throw, is Eaton out at home on a throw from 1B to end the inning?

In that scenario, less than zero chance unless Eaton falls down.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

12 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

A good throw to 1B, he's out, but assume he's safe at 1B, with no dropped throw, is Eaton out at home on a throw from 1B to end the inning?

Replays show Eaton hitting 3rd just when Jazz is stabbing the ball. At full stride, Eaton would be at least halfway home by the time Rice catches a good hard throw. Rice then has to turn, plant, make a perfect throw, and get a perfect catch and perfect tag at the plate to somehow nail a diving, handfirst sliding runner...

... put it this way, last month Eaton scored a game-winner on a Sogard grounder to the second baseman of a drawn-in infield.

[Maxbialystock]

51 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

He's faced 9 batters:

8 Ks

1 HBP

Nothing else to report.

 

😁😁😁

[Maxbialystock]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

His rehab is over. Tonight, Abreu homers. Book it.

Stranger things have happened, but this ain't the twilight zone.  

[Sox04]

5 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Replays show Eaton hitting 3rd just when Jazz is stabbing the ball. At full stride, Eaton would be at least halfway home by the time Rice catches a good hard throw. Rice then has to turn, plant, make a perfect throw, and get a perfect catch and perfect tag at the plate to somehow nail a diving, handfirst sliding runner...

... put it this way, last month Eaton scored a game-winner on a Sogard grounder to the second baseman of a drawn-in infield.

I think he should have been sent, but that is somewhat hindsight.  It was 3-2 count with 2 outs.  Eaton and Duran were already running on the pitch. Knowing that and your runners, seems so obvious now. 

With Story on deck, maybe you can say holding up is wise?  And of course, if Story pulls that ball to left (instead of center), Grand Slam in that joke of a little league ball park...

[moonslav59]

17 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

Stranger things have happened, but this ain't the twilight zone.  

Max, how many times have you predicted what would happen based on a recent trend by a team or player and been surprised, this year?

Be prepared.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Nobody can confidently call this pitching match-up, but one guess in this grind of a series is that neither starter will earn a W-L decision...

[notin]

1 hour ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

You're not the only one to keep suggesting Jazz might've thrown home.

Does everyone know there were two outs and a second baseman with a shot at an inning-ending force-out at 1B?

There is absolutely no way any infielder -- at any level -- is going to dive to stop a ball up the middle and then try to get a runner on a tag play at the plate on a throw twice as far as the force-out to first.

The reason Eaton needs to keep running is because no one is trying to nail him, and in case they don't get the batter out at first -- which is exactly what happened.

Chisholm had 3 seconds to make a play - Thats how long until Eaton scores.  Time to look to first and then look home where his play was.  But whether or not he did it was irrelevant.  The point is - Hudson had to acknowledge that possibility that Chisholm saw the play in front of him. Be sis if Chisholm did see it, the inning is over.

Rice might have even had enough time has he caught the ball cleanly.  The problem with this play was Hudson read it right, but too many “what ifs” That He didnt have time to ask about did happen. 
 

If Eaton gets nailed at the plate there with Story due up, do you defend the decision to send him?

[notin]

2 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Nobody can confidently call this pitching match-up, but one guess in this grind of a series is that neither starter will earn a W-L decision...

With everything on the line, these starters might combine for 6 IP…

[bkzwhitestrican]

1 hour ago, dgalehouse said:

Enjoy the game. It's what sports is all about. It's one ballgame. Anything can happen. Not at all predictable. Don't let yourself get stressed out watching what is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. 

Easier said than done. 

[moonslav59]

The line-up is...

L Duran LF

R Story SS

R Bregman 3B

L Yoshida DH

R Rafaela CF

L Lowe 1B

R Narvaez C

L Abreu RF

R Romy 2B

[illinoisredsox]

1 hour ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Replays show Eaton hitting 3rd just when Jazz is stabbing the ball. At full stride, Eaton would be at least halfway home by the time Rice catches a good hard throw. Rice then has to turn, plant, make a perfect throw, and get a perfect catch and perfect tag at the plate to somehow nail a diving, handfirst sliding runner...

... put it this way, last month Eaton scored a game-winner on a Sogard grounder to the second baseman of a drawn-in infield.

The way Rice has been playing against the Sox since he came up, he probably woukd have pulled it off.

[illinoisredsox]

1 hour ago, notin said:

Chisholm had 3 seconds to make a play - Thats how long until Eaton scores.  Time to look to first and then look home where his play was.  But whether or not he did it was irrelevant.  The point is - Hudson had to acknowledge that possibility that Chisholm saw the play in front of him. Be sis if Chisholm did see it, the inning is over.

Rice might have even had enough time has he caught the ball cleanly.  The problem with this play was Hudson read it right, but too many “what ifs” That He didnt have time to ask about did happen. 
 

If Eaton gets nailed at the plate there with Story due up, do you defend the decision to send him?

IMO, 5GG would defend that decision.  He’s not one to look at a play and then decide if the decision/strategy was correct.

The thing is, it was one of those no man’s land plays.  In the moment, a decision either way could be correct or wrong.

Matt Antonelli posted an analysis of the play today.  He thought Hudson/Eaton made the mistake of not going farther down the line.  He pointed out that the 3rd baseman was a mile from 3rd, so there was no way Eaton could have been put out there and he probably gets home from 60 feet wen the throw gets away.

[moonslav59]

Looking at the Yankee offense vs past years, their 119 wRC+ is the highest since 2007, when it was the same.

(It was 117 in 2009 and 2019.) Their HRs, OBP, SLG were all higher in 2019.

[moonslav59]

DET up 6-1 on CLE, showing that hot and cold teams can switch on a dime.

[notin]

3 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Replays show Eaton hitting 3rd just when Jazz is stabbing the ball. At full stride, Eaton would be at least halfway home by the time Rice catches a good hard throw. Rice then has to turn, plant, make a perfect throw, and get a perfect catch and perfect tag at the plate to somehow nail a diving, handfirst sliding runner...

... put it this way, last month Eaton scored a game-winner on a Sogard grounder to the second baseman of a drawn-in infield.

Look at the pictures Sox24 posted.  Eaton in on third base as Jaz is getting to his feet.  At this point, Eaton (who runs 29.7 feet/sec per StatCast) is 3 full seconds from home.  If Chisholm makes a good throw to first base and it takes a full second and half - a slow play - Eaton is still 45 feet from home plate.  Then Rice has 1.5 seconds to throw a ball 90 feet.  If he throws a mere 60mph - roughly the speed of a bad high school fastball - the ball gets there in 1 second, 15 feet ahead of Eaton. 
 

Basically folks are mad at Hudson for not anticipating Rice dropping the ball. Hudson made the right call, it just didn’t work out.  That can happen…

[d-money]

Detroit went on the road and beat Cleveland. They’re not a great hitting team either. Can this sox team do the same? Idk.  Feels like they need to strike first. 

[d-money]

5 hours ago, Maxbialystock said:

Just my opinion, but I think the Sox were massive underdogs before the series started.  The Yankees were red hot and have the best lineup in MLB and three good starters.  The Sox lineup is decimated and started the series with one good starter, Crochet.  Giolito was out and Bello might as well have been.  

But they won  a tight game Tuesday night thanks to Crochet's terrific start, Chapman's precarious save, and a huge single by Yoshida. And they darn near won last night's game but for Duran's dumping that line drive (which came nowhere near the center of his glove) and the to me understandable failure of Eaton to score from 2b on an infield single.  

Both starters tonight are young, but Schlittler has 14 starts to Early's 4.   

Despite all of the above, can there be any doubt that the Sox still have a shot at winning thanks to their pitching and a few timely hits?  

 

I don’t think this Yankees team is anything great. The Sox jusy havent had timely hitting.