Brewers (Misiorowski) vs Red Sox (Crochet): 4/7/26, 6:45pm

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

I know he got the big hit last night but I am so done with Trevor Story.  He was to blame for that botched double play as it appeared as if he was going to take it so Mayer was getting out of the way.  He is my most disliked Red Sox player in a long time, maybe ever.  So little return for such a large amount of money.

But man what a relief that win was. I too am nervous every time Chapman misses the plate, it could all come back. But so far so good.  

[drewski6]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Durbin's two RBI this season haven't been on scalding hit balls, but balls just put in play. Simply cutting down on k's and moving runners along will score runs. 

If Abreu and Contreras keep mashing, then it takes so much pressure off a guy like Durbin. And guys like Durbin, I feel they are better when they arent trying too much at the plate.

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

If Abreu and Contreras keep mashing, then it takes so much pressure off a guy like Durbin. And guys like Durbin, I feel they are better when they arent trying too much at the plate.

Agreed, and they'd take the pressure off Duran, too.

We really need Duran to do well- at least 2025 numbers.

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

but probably because he got an 0-2 meatball instead of a sweeper in the dirt. 

The pitch was a ball (real close), not a meatball.  Past that, you're right.  He should've buried a pitch low-and-outside,  Just a bad call.

[mvp 78]

37 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

The pitch was a ball (real close), not a meatball.  Past that, you're right.  He should've buried a pitch low-and-outside,  Just a bad call.

Hard for a LHP to really bury a pitch low and away against a RHB, but especially for Hall who comes in on RHB's with his sweeper and curve.

An 85 mph changeup at the top of the zone seems like a meatball to me. Per Statcast, the changeup is typically down in the zone for him, but he left both of his up to Story. Just a bad pitch.

[drewski6]

8 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Hard for a LHP to really bury a pitch low and away against a RHB, but especially for Hall who comes in on RHB's with his sweeper and curve.

An 85 mph changeup at the top of the zone seems like a meatball to me. Per Statcast, the changeup is typically down in the zone for him, but he left both of his up to Story. Just a bad pitch.

I agree.  I assure you that the catcher didnt set up for a high change-up, a high sinker, and then a second high changeup.  That pitcher was making mistakes in the zone, which is worse than making mistakes out of the zone even though the walk junkies will prob disagree with that.  

Burying a pitch to a righty from a lefty would have to be either a curve or change.  If they are throwing sweepers/sliders/cutters to a righty from a lefty, usually they are trying to back-door those.  A curveball can start away and in the zone but wind up buried, ditto changeup....But sliders/sweepers/cutters, when they are low and away to righties from a lefty, thats an easy pitch to lay off.  Coming in on a righty with a sweeper is so dangerous.   I wouldnt do it ahead in the count cuz its so easy to overspin the sweeper and if you are coming in on a righty from a lefty, in an 0-2 count or a 1-2 count , you are asking to plunk the batter, on an 80 mph pitch, so thats a bail out.  If the count is 3-1 a sweep across the zone, back foot sweeper is a better pitch (vs in a 1-2 count).

But those high changeups are no doubt meatballs.  The high sinker , maybe not as much, because usually a high sinker just becomes more of a 2 seam when its left up.  Kind of like the Mitch Hepburn "an escalator can never be broken, it can only become stairs" joke.  I honestly dont always know the difference between a 2 seamer and a sinker, unless its like Brandon Webbs obvious sinker.  They have the same grip and arm action.  But like Bello's...you could call that pitch either a 2 seamer or a sinker depending on what mood you are in.  

But a high chnage is different.  THere is a yo-yo string pull effect to a good change, and that doesnt happen when its left up.  Same thing with sliders.  When too high the break is heavily reduced.  There are very few pitches you want to leave up like that, and none of them are soft.  2-seamers, 4-seamers, and cutters really.

[notin]

15 hours ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

It's funny that the one thing the Sox might be good at is the one thing they hardly do so far; stealing bases.

This.

 

Last year, the stolen base was a weapon for the Sox.  This year it’s a complete afterthought…

[notin]

4 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Top 3 percentile hard hit. Top 9 percentile k rate. 0.00 ERA. 2.54 xERA. 

But not pitching very often…

[JoeBrady]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Just a bad pitch.

Fair enough.  I hadn't about the lefty angle either.  I wouldn't give Story that pitch even if the count was 2-2, let alone 0-2.

[JoeBrady]

26 minutes ago, notin said:

This.

 

Last year, the stolen base was a weapon for the Sox.  This year it’s a complete afterthought…

Some of that might be selection bias.  Story was an amazing 31/32 last year, but you can't steal 1st, and he is one of the few players with a lower OBP than average.  Mayer can be excused because, out of his 5 hits, he has 3 doubles and HR.  And our best OBP and 2nd best base stealer (Masa), is not an every day player.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

1 hour ago, drewski6 said:

But those high changeups are no doubt meatballs.  The high sinker , maybe not as much, because usually a high sinker just becomes more of a 2 seam when its left up.  Kind of like the Mitch Hepburn "an escalator can never be broken, it can only become stairs" joke.  I honestly dont always know the difference between a 2 seamer and a sinker, unless its like Brandon Webbs obvious sinker.  They have the same grip and arm action.  But like Bello's...you could call that pitch either a 2 seamer or a sinker depending on what mood you are in.  

But a high chnage is different.  THere is a yo-yo string pull effect to a good change, and that doesnt happen when its left up.  Same thing with sliders.  When too high the break is heavily reduced.  There are very few pitches you want to leave up like that, and none of them are soft.  2-seamers, 4-seamers, and cutters really.

Another good detailed post. I can just add from my own failings, a sharp 2-seamer was the hardest pitch to hit, and the best bet to break my bat (this is a righty batter talking about a righty pitcher). 

I honestly don't know what the big league broadcasts are calling a sinker these days, because a lot of those pitches wind up at the top of the zone -- where 4-seamers typically travel. Unless the sinker is dropped from a dirigible. 

[drewski6]

13 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Another good detailed post. I can just add from my own failings, a sharp 2-seamer was the hardest pitch to hit, and the best bet to break my bat (this is a righty batter talking about a righty pitcher). 

I honestly don't know what the big league broadcasts are calling a sinker these days, because a lot of those pitches wind up at the top of the zone -- where 4-seamers typically travel. Unless the sinker is dropped from a dirigible. 

Maddux 2-seam/sinker (depending on what the scorekeeper felt like calling it) was probably the best pitch Ive seen in my life with an honorable mention to Johan Santana's changeup.

[drewski6]

The Maddux is a complete game shut-out, with 90 or less pitches thrown and 14 broken bats.

[moonslav59]

3 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Maddux 2-seam/sinker (depending on what the scorekeeper felt like calling it) was probably the best pitch Ive seen in my life with an honorable mention to Johan Santana's changeup.

Mariano's cutter has to be right up there, too.

[drewski6]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

Mariano's cutter has to be right up there, too.

For sure.  I think the reason I put Maddux 2-seam above Mos cutter is because Ive seen Red Sox batters get the better of Mo ina few key spots and because those are like epic Sox victories (e.g. 2004) they stick out in my mind creating potentially a misconception that Mo wasnt 100% unhittable.

Also, I generally give the benfit of the doubt to sp over rp, but maddux did have other pitches unlike Mo which is big points for his cutter.  Because you knew you were getting it and still get fooled over and over.

[moonslav59]

42 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

For sure.  I think the reason I put Maddux 2-seam above Mos cutter is because Ive seen Red Sox batters get the better of Mo ina few key spots and because those are like epic Sox victories (e.g. 2004) they stick out in my mind creating potentially a misconception that Mo wasnt 100% unhittable.

Also, I generally give the benfit of the doubt to sp over rp, but maddux did have other pitches unlike Mo which is big points for his cutter.  Because you knew you were getting it and still get fooled over and over.

The thing about Rivera's pitch was that it was just about all he threw. Batters new what was coming and still could not hit it.

.211 BA Against

.262 OBP Against

.293 SLG against

.555 OPS Against

2.21 ERA