Red Sox (Early) vs Reds (Lowder): 3/29/26, 1:40pm

[mvp 78]

11 hours ago, notin said:

But the pitch count has also shown itself an excellent control in minimizing injuries.  Especially important now because every pitcher throws 95 mph, something far, far fewer pitchers did in the Complete Game Era…

Velo and the high spin rates.

[mvp 78]

8 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

We had chances to score more. I hope this doesn't become a pattern.

This was the risk of going with a pitching and defensive first lineup. Runs would be at a premium and the Sox may lose a lot of close games. 

[Nick]

16 hours ago, Tedballgame said:

I was having a nice little Sunday. Went to Home Depot and got some wallpaper, maybe some flooring. Almost went to Bed, Bath and Beyond. Then Weissert grooved a fat one to a guy who hit 49 dingers last year.

 

 

Well I was at the game. Just curious about Early. I know he did not give up any runs but I thought he struggled with location of his pitches.  Don’t get me started on Weissert. He nibbled on the FH and walks him. I hate our guys that can’t throw strikes. As far as I’m concerned Whitlock is no better.

The team sucks. They are not fun to watch. Both Story and Yoshida needs to be gone. Looking forward to 2028 season.

 

[mvp 78]

But Yoshida is one of the greatest OFers in the world? He started for Japan! Why don't we want him on this team?

[Old Red]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

But Yoshida is one of the greatest OFers in the world? He started for Japan! Why don't we want him on this team?

Yea Yoshida is the gift that keeps on giving. Seems like he’s going to get plenty of playing time too. 

[mvp 78]

8 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Yea Yoshida is the gift that keeps on giving. Seems like he’s going to get plenty of playing time too. 

He's useless on the bench; a slow, slap hitter who doesn't field well.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Hugh2 said:

Yeah, I figured this was coming.  What a crappy way to lose a series.  Still, it's March so..... Lets see were Suarez and Durbin are at by the end of the year. 

Abreu looks good, heck Mayer looks pretty good. I'm pretty sure Duran and Anthony are going to be fine, if Story gets going I think they offense will actually be fine. 

We could have had Durbin (3B) & Suarez (1B/DH) or Suarez (3B) and Durbin/Mayer (2B).

Better yet, KMarte, Neto or Paredes.

[Old Red]

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

He's useless on the bench; a slow, slap hitter who doesn't field well.

But yet Cora puts him in the field in the 3rd game of the season.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Masa has zero hits and strikeouts but still leads the Sox in On Base %!

But they should get rid of him so there's less men on base? 

Worried about team Ks? Batting your best hitters at the top of the order so they get up the most is a sound strategy if they're good, but so far that sound is whoosh... because our two biggest whiffers bat #1-2. 

Actually, half the lineup has averaged at least one strikeout per game, but in the grand scheme of the American League, only three teams have struck out less than Boston. Unfortunately, no team in the AL East has struck out more, and Toronto and Tampa are the two best contact clubs in the league.

Good times never seemed so mediocre -- so far, so far.

[mvp 78]

9 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

We could have had Durbin (3B) & Suarez (1B/DH) or Suarez (3B) and Durbin/Mayer (2B).

Better yet, KMarte, Neto or Paredes.

Neto was a pipe dream. 

If they traded Abreu for Paredes, the Sox would have done even worse this series. 

We don't know the downstream effects are of trading for Marte. No Ranger? No Early (included in trade)? 

[mvp 78]

7 minutes ago, Old Red said:

But yet Cora puts him in the field in the 3rd game of the season.

Had a built in rest game for Anthony! 

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Masa has zero hits and strikeouts but still leads the Sox in On Base %!

But they should get rid of him so there's less men on base? 

Worried about team Ks? Batting your best hitters at the top of the order so they get up the most is a sound strategy if they're good, but so far that sound is whoosh... because our two biggest whiffers bat #1-2. 

Actually, half the lineup has averaged at least one strikeout per game, but in the grand scheme of the American League, only three teams have struck out less than Boston. Unfortunately, no team in the AL East has struck out more, and Toronto and Tampa are the two best contact clubs in the league.

Good times never seemed so mediocre -- so far, so far.

The k problem is why I don't like Story at #2. I don't have a problem with Roman at #1, but he needs someone better behind him.

[moonslav59]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

Neto was a pipe dream. Maybe not.

If they traded Abreu for Paredes, the Sox would have done even worse this series. Or Duran/Rafaela

We don't know the downstream effects are of trading for Marte. No Ranger? No Early (included in trade)?

Duran & Tolle. 

See above.

(BTW, RBIs: 4 Paredes/ 4 Abreu.)

[moonslav59]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

The k problem is why I don't like Story at #2. I don't have a problem with Roman at #1, but he needs someone better behind him.

Agreed. Ideally, Durbin would be "that guy," but he has started slowly, and I know how much tiny sample sizes matter to you.

🤣

[Old Red]

17 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

We could have had Durbin (3B) & Suarez (1B/DH) or Suarez (3B) and Durbin/Mayer (2B).

Better yet, KMarte, Neto or Paredes.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Like I said more than once after the Red Sox did all their fancy maneuvers to fill out their roster is that they SETTLED, and now we have to see how it all plays out, and if it is good enough.

[Old Red]

9 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Had a built in rest game for Anthony! 

In game 3.🤭

[mvp 78]

2 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Like I said more than once after the Red Sox did all their fancy maneuvers to fill out their roster is that they SETTLED, and now we have to see how it all plays out, and if it is good enough.

They didn't settle. They found guys that fit their fair market! 😎

[Hugh2]

24 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

We could have had Durbin (3B) & Suarez (1B/DH) or Suarez (3B) and Durbin/Mayer (2B).

Better yet, KMarte, Neto or Paredes.

I'm not sold we should have got Suarez on one game. 

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, Old Red said:

In game 3.🤭

I would have just benched him for not knowing how to properly use the ABS system. 

[mvp 78]

Just now, Hugh2 said:

I'm not sold we should have got Suarez on one game. 

Yeah, I think we were already well aware that Suarez could hit a 92 mph middle/middle 4 seamer 450'. It's up to the pitcher to not throw that dumb pitch. 

[Old Red]

3 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

They didn't settle. They found guys that fit their fair market! 😎

Fair enough.

[moonslav59]

3 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

I'm not sold we should have got Suarez on one game. 

I'm not sold either.

Initially, I liked the idea, but once we got Contreras, others seemed like much better fits.

I like Durbin, but we needed more.

[moonslav59]

5 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

They didn't settle. They found guys that fit their fair market! 😎

Well, they did choose to spend way more on pitching than a big bat, and we still have an OF/DH logjam that has nothing to do with the budget.

[notin]

31 minutes ago, Old Red said:

But yet Cora puts him in the field in the 3rd game of the season.

That seems like a questionable Cora thing…

[notin]

25 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Neto was a pipe dream. 

If they traded Abreu for Paredes, the Sox would have done even worse this series. 

We don't know the downstream effects are of trading for Marte. No Ranger? No Early (included in trade)? 

They would have lost Crochet’s start, too?

[mvp 78]

8 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Well, they did choose to spend way more on pitching than a big bat, and we still have an OF/DH logjam that has nothing to do with the budget.

And now there will be a bunch of frustrating low scoring games where the Sox can't plate runners and lose. 

[notin]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

This was the risk of going with a pitching and defensive first lineup. Runs would be at a premium and the Sox may lose a lot of close games. 

The Sox were third in the AL in scoring last year.  Not quite sure they’ve reached the point where every run in sacred…

[notin]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

And now there will be a bunch of frustrating low scoring games where the Sox can't plate runners and lose. 

Those happen every year.  For every team…

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, notin said:

They would have lost Crochet’s start, too?

Their record would be the same, but they would look worse to your boy Pythagoras. 

[notin]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

Their record would be the same, but they would look worse to your boy Pythagoras. 

Which means what three games into the season?